Moving In

New Year Start is the fifth Tim x Azusa fanfic. It was posted in 2015 along with 6 other fanfics on the Notes section of his Facebook page. It is the fourth 'side story' of the series.
== Notes ==
* A couple of weeks before starting college, Azusa moves in with me.https://www.facebook.com/timothy.gregory.923/posts/1240777362703054
== Text ==
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I ran through my checklist of chores, seeing what I still needed to do. "Vacuuming's been done… futon is airing… bedroom is tidy… bathroom needs doing." Putting the list aside, I went to grab the cleaning stuff. I am generally quite a clean and tidy person, but today I needed to be really thorough. It was after New Year's. Azusa wasn't yet at college, but would be starting in a couple of weeks. She was really looking forward to seeing Yui-sempai and the others again, and I was really happy for her as well. In the meantime, she was moving in with me.
She and her parents had suggested coming in the morning, but I asked them to wait until later so I could give the apartment the once-over. This brought some suspicion from her mom, but I assured her that I was not a pig like the seniors. Azusa vouched for me as well as she had visited several times. So I was now making the place as tidy as humanly possible. The weather was losing its chill, so all the movement was making me quite warm. I was really excited at the thought of living with my precious girl. We had discussed it the previous year, and while there was a little uncertainty from her parents at first, Azusa managed to convince them to let her go through with it.
She admitted that she really missed Yui-sempai and the others, but she also said that she didn't want to be apart from me for months at a time either. The distance and sheer time apart could have a negative effect on our relationship, and we could drift apart. I told her that it could possibly still work, because I knew she wanted to see the seniors again, but I also knew that the risk was still there, and I couldn't bear the thought of losing her. So in the end, we all came to an agreement. I also suggested that we wait until after New Year's so Azusa could spend her last bit of time with her parents.
And that is why I was now being a housewife, cleaning. Although I did have standards when it came to tidiness, I was admittedly a little lax since I was alone. But I knew that I had to be stricter today. Her parents were placing a lot of trust in me, and I had to prove to them that it wasn't misplaced. The bathtub required a bit of elbow grease, but I managed to get it looking respectable. I got into every corner of the room I could see. There could not be any stray marks or strands of hair lying around. It proved to be a big job, but I pressed on. Within about 45 minutes, I was done, happy that it was as good as I could make it.
Going back to my list, I scratched off the bathroom and went to the next job. By late morning, I was pretty much done with everything. I stopped for a bit to make a coffee and recharge. [*sigh* I'm not normally this bad except during spring cleaning.] Taking a big swig, I rolled my shoulders a bit. [I know it's necessary though. I cannot let Azusa and her parents come into anything less than spick and span.] Once I had rested a bit, I checked my list again. There was almost nothing left to do, aside from some small things. Finishing my drink, I got up and stretched a bit, then went back to it.
A few hours later...
I sat in the living-room, waiting for them to arrive. I had messaged Azusa saying that I was ready for them. I was feeling really nervous. Putting the TV on to occupy my mind proved pointless. [Just relax. You've done everything you can. No need to panic.] I was finding it really hard to settle, so I got up and scanned the apartment through. All dishes were away, laundry was folded away, bathroom was clean, futon was aired and away, floors were clean, surfaces were polished. The place was remarkably tidy. There was nothing else I could do. I was still suffering from nerves though. Even though Azusa had been over before, this was the first time her parents had visited, and I really wanted to make a good impression.
I paced up and down, unable to relax. It was really quiet. The cicadas weren't out yet, so their buzz couldn't distract me. I then picked up the sound of approaching footsteps. Coming closer, they stopped, then my doorbell rang out. I involuntarily gulped. Trying to calm down, I clapped my face, then headed to the door. Peeking through the view hole, I saw the Nakano family. This is it. Grasping the door handle, I breathed deeply, then opened the door, putting on a smile. "Welcome."
"Hello there." Her mom said.
I saw a few cases. "Here, let me help with those." I grabbed one. "Come on in." I headed back inside, hefting the case. [This is surprisingly heavy.]
"Pardon the intrusion." they called before entering.
"Where should we put these?" Azusa asked.
"We'll put them in the bedroom for now. This way." After everything had been brought in and dumped, I gave her parents the rather small tour.
"I'm impressed, Shigure. It's really tidy." her mom commented.
"Yeah well, had to make the extra effort." I said, happy with the approval.
"So it's just you here?"
"Yeah. My parents live elsewhere."
"Do you ever go home to see them?"
"Sometimes."
"Do you ever get lonely?" Mr. Nakano then asked.
"Not really. I kinda like it like this to be honest. I am by no means a loner. I just like being by myself more." After we had put Azusa's things away and got a second futon folded away, I made drinks for us all.
"It does seem a little small though. Is there gonna be enough room for you both?" her dad asked.
"I think we'll be okay. If we need to, we can move things around." I replied.
"Alright then. As long as you're sure." We spent some time chatting, then they decided to leave.
"Now remember, Azusa. If he's not looking after you, let us know and we'll come over and sort him out." her mom said, giving me a sly look. I chuckled nervously.
"Mom!" Azusa exclaimed, blushing a bit. "We've been over this before. He's a great guy."
Her mom giggled. "I know, sweetheart." She hugged her daughter. "Don't forget. If you need anything, or if you feel you need to come home, just give us a call. You have our number."
Azusa smiled. "I will."
Her dad then hugged her. "You take care of yourself, Azusa. We'll be thinking of you."
"Thank you."
I then received two serious looks. "Shigure, she's in your hands now. We'll be counting on you." Her mom said.
I threw my head forward. "Thank you for allowing this. You have my word that I will take the very best care of her."
"Alright. We'll be checking in occasionally." They then stepped outside. "Well, we'll be off. Take care, and good luck."
"Good-bye mom, dad."
"See you around." The two then left. Once they'd disappeared, I closed the door and faced Azusa. "So it begins."
"I guess so. You think we can do it?" she replied.
I took hold of her hands and smiled. "Do you trust me?"
She smiled back. "Of course I do. Why would you ask?"
"Just checking." I checked the time. Late afternoon. Most places would be closing soon. "I should probably start thinking about dinner."
"Hey, I've got some money. Why don't we eat out? Celebrate us living together?" she suggested. It did sound a pretty good idea.
"Okay. Uh… fast food? Fancy restaurant?"
She paused to think. "Fast food's a bit plain. And a lot of restaurants are quite expensive."
"Well, why don't we just go browse and see what we can find? We still have some daylight left."
"Sounds good." With that settled, we headed out. Heading to the shopping district, we looked around at the different establishments. Some of them seemed quite pricey.
"Shigure-chan. Azusa-chan." a voice called out. We looked back and saw Ui, shopping bags in hand. We headed over to her.
"Hi Ui. Doing grocery shopping at this hour?" I asked.
"I was short on some things." the junior explained.
I held a hand out. "Can I help you with those?"
She smiled. "Always the gentleman. Thanks." I took a few bags. "So what are you two doing out?"
"We're looking for somewhere to eat out. Azusa's just moved in with me, so we're looking to celebrate."
"Oh, congratulations. I'm so happy to hear that." I saw a light go off in her eyes. "Why don't you come have dinner at my place? It won't cost you anything."
"Are you sure? We wouldn't want to impose." Azusa said quickly. "Of course not. It would be my pleasure. And..." Ui looked away. "I guess I could use the company."
I suddenly remembered that Azusa wasn't the only one who missed the seniors. When Yui-sempai first left for college, Ui took quite a bit of time to adjust, and she did cry a number of times. "Alright then. If it's not any trouble, we'll happily accept." I said.
Her eyes brightened. "It's not. I insist." So it was settled. We accompanied our friend back to her place. "Please make yourselves comfortable. I'll just put all this away, then get started."
"You want any help putting this stuff away?" I offered.
She smiled. "Okay, if you insist." Once the groceries were away, Ui began dinner.
I went over to Azusa. "What do you think?" I whispered.
"About what?" she asked, puzzled.
I quickly looked back at the kitchen. "Do you think she's any better?"
"I don't quite follow."
"Think about it, Azusa. Yui-sempai is no longer here. It's just been Ui all by herself for over a year."
My girlfriend suddenly caught on. "That's what you mean." She paused to think. "Well, I know it was hard for her in the beginning, but it was for me as well. Although, I had you with me. Ui had no-one."
"You did see that look she made when she said she could use some company, right?"
"Not really." She looked at me worriedly. "You think we should say something?"
I briefly contemplated. "No, not yet. She's happy that we're here, so I'd rather not put a damper on her mood. Maybe just keep an eye on her."
"Okay."
Ui popped her head around the corner. "You two seem to be having a pretty deep discussion about something."
I smiled at her. "Just planning to abduct you and hold you for ransom, nothing special."
She giggled. "I don't think I'm worth that much. Dinner will be ready soon." She pulled her head back. I decided to end the discussion there so as not to concern her or anything. A short while later, Ui had finished. We settled down to eat.
"Itadakimasu." We all said.
"So you've now left home, Azusa-chan?" Ui asked.
"Yeah. Just moved in with Shigure today." Azusa replied.
"You two have really made progress with things, haven't you? I'm actually a little jealous. I wish I was living with someone special."
I smiled at her. "You will, Ui. I have total faith you'll find someone." We exchanged more chit-chat while we ate. Ui seemed really cheery, but I was still concerned all the same. Once we'd finished and the dishes were done, Azusa and I decided to leave.
"So you're starting college soon, Azusa-chan?"
"Yeah. I'm really looking forward to seeing everyone again."
Ui's expression dropped for a second, then she smiled again. "I'm sure they're gonna be just as happy to see you. I hope all goes well for you."
"Thanks."
"Before we leave, can I talk to you for a second, Ui?" I said suddenly.
The junior looked surprised. "Sure." I led her to the living-room, motioning for Azusa to wait.
"I'm sorry for being a downer suddenly, but how have you been doing?"
She looked a bit confused. "I've been doing just fine. Why do you ask?"
I struggled to think of the right words. "I mean, how have you been coping without your sister?"
She quickly caught on. "Well, it has been a lot quieter, but I've been okay." She smiled again.
I went to say more, then stopped. I probably shouldn't push it. "Okay, I'll say no more. Can you just promise me one thing?"
"What is it?"
"You still have our numbers, right? If you ever feel that you need to talk to someone about anything, you let me or Azusa know, okay?"
She looked a bit taken aback. "Okay. Where did all this come from?"
I looked away. "I guess you could say... I'm a little worried about you."
"... Thank you, Shigure-chan. You really are a wonderful friend." She hugged me, catching me by surprise. "I know you're worried, but I am doing okay. I will admit, I really miss my sister, but I know she wouldn't want me to be sad about it forever." She separated from me and smiled. "I promise, I will contact you two if I need to talk. Don't worry about me too much. Try to focus on Azusa-chan."
I gave her a smile. "Okay. Sorry if I seemed a little overbearing."
"It's alright. Friends look out for each other, I know that." It seemed that she really was doing okay, so I decided to end things there. We headed back to Azusa.
"Alright, we'll be leaving now. Thanks for inviting us over." I said.
"It was my pleasure. I hope we can do it again." Ui replied.
"If I'm not too busy with studying, maybe." Azusa said.
"We'll have the weekends free. I'm sure we'll be able to arrange something." I assured them.
"Well, I guess we'll see how things play out." Ui said. "Take care of yourselves. I hope things work out for you two."
"Thanks. Look after yourself as well. And don't be a stranger."
Ui then looked at Azusa. "I hope college isn't too hard for you, Azusa-chan."
I patted my girlfriend's head. "She'll be fine. She's a smart girl."
She blushed and batted my arm away. "Don't do that, Shigure. I'm not a kid."
I chuckled. "Alright, we're off now."
Ui nodded. "Have a safe trip home." Azusa and I then headed off.
"You really think she'll be okay?" she asked.
"She seems to have gotten over the worst of it. If she does need anything, I'm sure she'll let us know." I replied.
I felt her grasp my hand. "You're a really sweet guy, you know? You're always thinking of others."
I smiled at her, wrapping our hands together. "Isn't that what friends are for?" We soon arrived back at the apartment. As it was getting on, we got ready for bed and settled down.
This was a new experience for me. I'd never shared my room with anyone before. "Is everything okay?" I looked to the side. Azusa was looking at me curiously. "You seem a little nervous."
"I think I'm just a bit over-conscious of the fact that we're in the same room. I think I've become so accustomed to living alone, it's just really weird having someone sharing this place with me."
She smiled. "I think I know how you feel. This is the first time I've shared a room with a guy. I'm actually a bit nervous about it myself." She stuck her hand out. Smiling, I took hold of it. "But knowing that it's you I'm sharing a room with puts me at ease a bit."
"Yeah, I guess that does help." I squeezed her hand. "I'm sure it'll get easier with time."
"Yeah." She smiled again. "I love you, Shigure."
"I love you, Azusa." We were both soon asleep.
THE END
==References==