Room #232

[alchemic-bean.livejournal.com]

Edward knocks on Sakura's door, a pizza box with a six-pack of soda balanced on top in his other hand.

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[sakuracchyan.livejournal.com]

This particular bout of Edward's unusual sillyness caused Sakura to hold her pizza up in one hand, doubling over and laughing with her other arm wrapped around her middle. She wasn't laughing at him... Or his leather pants Not really.

Sitting up, she shook her head at him, still giggling. "What has gotten into you today?"

[alchemic-bean.livejournal.com]

Edward rolled his eyes at her laughing, polishing off his pizza slice and reaching for another. "What? It's true, you know."

[sakuracchyan.livejournal.com]

She raised her eyebrows at him, holding up the pizza. "I'll eat my pizza how I like, thanks." She was still grinning.

[alchemic-bean.livejournal.com]

"Well, when you get the goopy stuff all over you don't say I didn't warn you." Edward smirked back.

[sakuracchyan.livejournal.com]

Sakura just shook her head and continued to eat her pizza. Once finished, she gnawed on the rim of her sodacan, staring at the carpet somewhere between the pizza box and Edward's knee, her mind obviously elsewhere for a brief moment.

[alchemic-bean.livejournal.com]

"You all right?" Edward asked, finishing off his can of soda.

[sakuracchyan.livejournal.com]

Sakura continued to stare at the carpet for a moment, then snapped her head up to look at him, startled. "...Hmmwhat?" Blonde moment? Of course not. "...Ah. I'm sorry," she smiled a bit and hid behind her sodacan.

[alchemic-bean.livejournal.com]

Edward raised an eyebrow. "Is something bothering you, Sakura?"

[sakuracchyan.livejournal.com]

"Other than your strangely chipper attitude today?" She was still hiding behind her sodacan. "Not really, no." She set the sodacan down and fidgeted with the tab, pushing it one way and then the other until it popped off.

[alchemic-bean.livejournal.com]

Edward watched her fidget. "That can't possibly be all." He's honestly confused. "What's the matter?"

[sakuracchyan.livejournal.com]

She clicked her tongue, glanced at him for a second, then scowled and looked back at her sodacan. Why had she taken off the tab before she finished the soda? She swivelled the sharp bit away from her and once again avoided speaking by hiding behind the sodacan.

And then of course, the can was empty and she was out of ways to avoid conversation. That sucked. She leaned one arm up on the bed, leaning her face on her hand and scowling at the floor. "Nothing, I promise."

[alchemic-bean.livejournal.com]

Edward may be dense, but he's not stupid. He watches her mess with the soda can until it was empty. "You're trying to glare a hole in the floor."

[sakuracchyan.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, so?" She's not meaning to sound irritated, but it happens anyway. She doesn't want to voice her concerns at him -- he has enough to worry about.

[alchemic-bean.livejournal.com]

He sighed at her. "I don't know what's bothering you, but I wish you'd tell me."

[sakuracchyan.livejournal.com]

She frowned and passed him a confused glance. "Why, so you can have more crap to bother with?" She picked up her sodacan and smooshed the sides of it in, making a metallic clink.

[alchemic-bean.livejournal.com]

Edward looks hurt. "I've made you deal with my crap. It's certainly not fair if I don't at least listen to yours."

[sakuracchyan.livejournal.com]

Sakura stares at him for a moment and -- dammit, how does he do that? -- sighs, running her hands through her hair. "...Ed, look. I'm just..." She trailed off, frowning. "...in the long run, worried about you, but what difference does it make?" She rests her chin in one hand, trying to sort out what her brain was trying to tell her.

[alchemic-bean.livejournal.com]

"You're...worried about me?" Edward repeated. "You shouldn't worry about me that much! I get into scrapes and all, but I get myself out of them just fine." He looked concerned.

[sakuracchyan.livejournal.com]

Sakura kneads two fingers into the space between her eyebrows. "I know. You can take care of yourself. You're a big kid. I have no reason to freak out like this but for whatever reason I like you, Ed, I don't want to see you get hurt." She passes him an odd look. "...and then, underneath it all, I'm being selfish. Because I know that once this semester is over, I'm probably never going to see you again and that for some reason really bothers me. How the hell am I supposed to make sure you don't blow up anymore common rooms from Japan?"

[alchemic-bean.livejournal.com]

Edward swallowed, he felt like he'd been punched in the gut. He didn't know she was leaving after this semester. "I don't know," he said after a long moment.

"You could always stay here," he suggest idly, knowing it was probably a stupid thing to say.

[sakuracchyan.livejournal.com]

She sighed, and stared at the carpet again. "I don't either," she mumbled. Shifting, she smooshed her face into the corner of her bed. "I don't know if I can, Ed." Her voice had dropped, almost to a whisper by this point. "Technically I'm just an exchange student, here for this year; and this year only." She moved away from the bed and curled her knees to her chest, frowning at her jeans. "...and I don't know if I can ask my dad to let me transfer here." She shook her head. "It'll be expensive, not to mention going to see them from here..." She dropped her head on her knees. "I'm sorry," she mumbled again. "I shouldn't have said anything."

[alchemic-bean.livejournal.com]

Edward took a deep breath, then before he could change his mind scooted across the floor so he was sitting beside Sakura. After another moment's hesitation, he put his arm around her.

"Don't be," Edward said quietly. "I'm glad you're here, for however long you're here."

[sakuracchyan.livejournal.com]

Now it was Sakura's turn to tense up like she'd been struck at physical contact. If this wasn't odd, she didn't know what the hell was. She stared at him for a minute, entirely baffled. Then she realized he'd said something to her, and it took her another minute to comprehend it. She sighed, and flopped her head against his right shoulder -- and promptly winced. "Ow," She looked at it, then cracked a smile. "...I forgot about that."

Awkward silence.

"...Ed," She was boring holes in her jeans again. "...this is cheesey, and girly, and I'm not quite sure why I'm saying it, but even if it happens that I can't see you after this semester?" She smiled at him. "...I'll always remember you." She frowned, then, and tapped his arm again. "...you and your bleeding metal bodyparts. You wierdo."

Still, despite her attempted joking comments, she couldn't help but coil around what of him she could, sitting the way she was. He really was a great kid, and if she had the chance she'd take him home with her and beat off anything in the world that tried to hurt him. She flopped her head on his shoulder again -- lighter, this time, and sighed.

[alchemic-bean.livejournal.com]

Edward hugged her gently with his automail arm. He didn't like seeing her upset about anything, especially not him. "I'm glad," he said softly, smiling at the jibes. "Because I don't think I'd be able to forget about you either."

[sakuracchyan.livejournal.com]

Sakura smiled, and shifted to look at him. "...you know, we're a couple of cheeseballs," She commented. "...and your pizza's probably getting cold." She made a face and pushed the box closed with a foot. "...and despite metal limbs? You're amazingly comfortable." She passed him a strange look. She had no idea how he managed to do that, either.