Okay, first fic in this fandom, my blood is pumping at an extreme rate! This isn't a favorite ship, but it is one that I've always admired silently from a distance. I'm an avid shipper of Renora myself, but I can appreciate some tasteful Ninjas of Love every now and then.
I know everything might not be on par with other fics yet, but I'm going to try my hardest to remedy that and make sure you all enjoy this! Without further ado, begin: Surrounded By Books.
"Thank you. Have a nice day," Lie Ren called out as a young girl and her mom walked away from the counter. The girl turned back and waved at Ren, flashing him a bright, front-toothless smile. He smiled back, though not nearly as bright as hers, and waved as they walked out, the bell above the door ringing out as the door was opened and shut moments after. Ren's smile fell as he turned away from the door, going back to the mundane silence that he was accustomed to.
Ren had been working in this library-The Oniyuri Atheneum-for just over a year now. He'd long since grown used to the dull silence of the place. It was open from six in the morning to ten at night, and Ren worked for pretty much the entire day.
There was another attendant, a guy that Ren had become friends with, named Menta Mellontikos, but Ren preferred working most of the day. On the off chance that Ren was sick or couldn't come in for some reason, Menta filled in for him. They were similar in quite a few ways. The quiet, but serious and observing look in their eyes, the calm and serene way they carried themselves, and their ever-prevalent need for peace and quiet.
That last similarity is what lead the both of them to working in the library in the first place. It was quiet, as a library should be, and barely anyone showed up. Occasionally, there were children with their parents, but never anyone around their own age aside from Nora, and she barely ever stayed long, as she was much too loud to abide by the 'Please be quiet in the Library' sign. Nevertheless, she always brought some excitement to Ren's usually mundane day.
It wasn't exactly boring, as Ren loved working at the library, but sometimes the quiet could get overwhelming. Sometimes, Ren was lucky enough to have Menta around. They would talk about their favorite book series, their families, and occasionally, girls. Menta, like everyone, had made a couple of jokes about Ren getting together with Nora, though he never meant anything by it. Ren had entertained the jokes, once upon a time, but Menta eventually stopped making them as he realized they began to irritate Ren.
Instead, they would talk about the girls that came into the library. There weren't many, and Ren found it rude to talk about them while they were so close. Despite that, both Ren and Menta had found it to be quite fun. Menta had dared Ren on several occasions to try and initiate a confrontation, but Ren was quick to refuse. In his mind, he didn't have the capacity for romance and thought it to be a seamless distraction from the routine of his life.
Menta took some dares, though not all. He was very selective over the girls he chose to talk to, choosing not to talk to girls who were too loud, or to girls who walked or talked with an air of superiority. When Ren questioned him about it, Menta claimed that anyone who thought they were better than everyone else didn't deserve his attention. The other was more of a 'It's not very hard to follow instructions' thing that Ren figured made enough sense.
Ren sighed and leaned over the front desk. He was dressed casual, a pair of tan jeans, black sneakers, and a pale green button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and a black back. His black hair was tied back in a ponytail, as it usually was, with his bangs and the pink section hanging just next to his pink eyes. Around his left wrist was a simple, leather bracelet studded with beads of different colors; a friendship bracelet Nora had given him years ago. Nora had one as well, wearing it around her right wrist. Aside from that, Ren didn't wear any jewelry.
He began to tap his foot against the floor, in hopes that he could at least have a little noise. Not soon after, another set of tapping feet joined his at regular intervals. He snapped his head over to the noise only to find Menta walking up from the back of the library. They had set up a 'front' desk in the back of the library for people who were too far from the front, and when Ren was up front, Menta was in the back.
Menta was just an inch taller than Ren, something that both young men had made jokes about. His skin was pale, like Ren's, and he had mint green hair that was black at the roots. It wasn't very long and just barely reached his chin, the longest parts being the bangs on either sides of his eyes. The rest came down in short spikes all around his head, and his eyes were the same pale mint green. He wore black jeans, black boots, a simple black muscle shirt that hugged his arms tightly, and a thin mint green hoodie with the sleeves cut off. Over his shoulder, he held his coat; a knee-length mint green duster. The edges were trimmed with gold; pale but still noticeable.
Throwing his coat over the desk, Menta leaned into the desk with his hands in his pockets and nodded to Ren. He nodded back.
"It's just about eight. You know no one comes in much after this," Menta told him while gazing up at the lights. Ren simply shrugged.
"But what if someone does this time? I need to be around just in case someone shows." Ren replied, staring forward at the copious rows of books ahead of him. Menta cracked a small smile at that as he finally diverted his attention to his fellow library attendant.
"I'm not going to argue with you, but when you sit here for the next two hours, bored out of your mind because no one else shows up, I'll take solace in knowing I tried." Menta sighed. He quickly pulled his coat on, the wide sleeves of the coat hiding his arms. From the pocket, he procured a simple pair of black gloves. Ren raised an eyebrow.
"I think you're a little overdressed," He commented as Menta pulled the gloves on over his hands. "After all, it's only Autumn." Ren cracked a smile as Menta pulled a childish pout.
"Hey, it gets colder at night. And I hate nothing more than cold hands." Menta replied defensively as he walked slowly over to the door. Ren chuckled and leaned up off of the counter to stick his own hands in his pockets.
"I can do nothing less than agree" Ren stated as Menta opened the door, the small bell ringing out in earnest as he did.
"Is Nora coming to get you again?" Menta asked. Ren shook his head.
"Not this time, I'm afraid. I'll lock up at ten and make my way home." Ren replied. Menta nodded, satisfied with his answer, and waved once more as he began his trek out of the library.
"Right then. I'll see you tomorrow. Night, Ren." Menta called out. Ren nodded.
"Goodnight, Menta." Ren stated, though he was sure Menta couldn't hear him at this point. The door soon shut, the bell dinging once more as it did, and then all was quiet once again. Ren's eyes stayed glued to the door for a short while, as Menta was prone to forgetting things sometimes, but after a couple of minutes, he had yet to re-emerge. Ren sighed and looked around the library from where he was.
It wasn't too big a library, but it certainly wasn't small either. The door was wedged into the leftmost corner, and directly to the right of the door was the front desk. It rounded back against the wall and continued all the way down to the end of the building. At both ends were small exits, manned with latched gates. From the front desk, nearest to the door where Ren stood, and forward were rows upon rows of books. Each row escalated some fifteen feet into the air easily, and books lined each and every shelf. Closer to the other end of the library were several round and long, rectangular and wooden, tables for lounging and reading. Up against the back walls were plush couches and love seats, while against the right wall were computers used as catalogs for the library or for anyone wanting to use one. The floors were dark green carpet, the walls a pale brown mixed in with bits of tan, green, and red at regular intervals. It was a little bland, but Ren had grown the love the place. He treated it as his home away from home.
Just about half an hour after Menta left, Ren found himself to be bored half to death. He looked around the library. Indeed, no one was around, and Ren figured it'd be the perfect time for him to catch up on some reading. He turned away from the front of the desk and dug underneath his coat-a simple black duster that reached just below his knees. Menta had always made jokes about Ren buying it because it was similar to his own.
Once he pulled his hand back, he held a hardcover book in his hand. It was dark, and a bit worn with age. The title was faded, but Ren had memorized it long ago; Ninjas of Love. It was a bit of a guilty pleasure of his to read, and none of his friends knew he read it. He could imagine, no, he could feel the teasing if he'd ever gotten caught reading such smut. Nevertheless, he enjoyed it and it was one more secret his unbreakable facade could hide.
Reaching back and pulling up a small armchair, Ren sat down and flipped the book open to his bookmarked page. He could just as easily remember what page he'd been on, but he opted for dog-earring the corner of the page instead. It added character to the book. Nonetheless, he began to read, finding himself engrossed in the tales of the characters already.
Another half hour passed as Ren read, and the bell above the library door rung out as the door was opened. Ren, caught up in the book, didn't hear the bell. Or, he did, but his subconscious was diverted elsewhere. A subtle knock on the hard wood of the counter directed his attention back upwards, where a pair of amber eyes were locked onto the book in his hand. There was a slight moment of silence before the realization hit him.
Ren jumped to his feet and tossed the book off to the side. He memorized the page number beforehand, and as the book crashed to the floor, he felt a pang of regret. That was no way to treat a book. Rubbing the back of his neck, he turned back to face the one who had just walked in.
She was a bit shorter than Ren, maybe two or three inches, with long black hair that reached her shoulder in straight strands and amber eyes that seemed to pierce into Ren's mind. Her face was what other people told Ren he always looked like: a bit emotionless, but calm and collected. That was, until, she broke out into a small laugh. A pure sound that rang out in the empty silence of the library. A blush began to creep it's way up Ren's neck. He had been figured out.
"I-I, uh...damn.." He stuttered out. He was at a bit of a loss for words, and as she saw this, the girl began to laugh again, louder now but with the same serene sound as before.
"Sorry for my...lack of attention. I was...caught up in some reading." He finally managed out after a moment. She had finally stopped laughing, but the remains of a smile still hung on her lips.
"Don't worry about it. I can see that you were dealing with some very important issues." She retorted, pointing towards the book on the floor. Ren sighed as he bent down to pick the book up and stuff it back underneath his coat. He then waved his hand submissively at the girl.
"Ugh, I've been caught. That aside, can I help you?" He asked her, tilting his head as he did. He was eager to get off of the topic of his book. She hesitated for a moment before nodding.
"Yes, well. I hope, anyway. I just moved in a couple blocks down and this is the only library in town. I was hoping I could find something to read for a bit while I got used to the area, but I realized I didn't know when this place closed, nor did I even know what I wanted to read," She made unflinching eye contact with Ren as she spoke, an action that he returned in full. "I was hoping you could recommend me something, if that isn't too much of a task."
Ren tapped his chin a bit, thinking. It was only about nine, so he had another hour to burn until he had to close up the library. Time aside, Ren liked to think that he had fairly good taste when it came to novels. With a nod, he stepped out from behind the front desk and shut the latch behind him.
"Very well. What kinds of genres are you into?" He asked her as he began to walk towards the rows upon rows of books. She followed after him and he took a moment to drink in her appearance.
Her skin was as pale as his, her black hair and amber eyes standing out immensely because of it. She wore black jeans, black boots to match, and a dark purple turtleneck sweater. Over that she had on a small, black peacoat and black gloves. On top of her head sat a dark purple bow, tied up into perfection.
"Oh, you know, fantasy, general fiction, action, adventure, just about anything, really." She replied as she followed Ren. Her eyes were drawn upwards, gazing meaningfully at each and every book in the library. She was distracted so much that she didn't realize it when Ren stopped walking ahead of her. She bumped into his back, recoiling a foot or so back as she rubbed her nose.
"S-sorry, I was distracted by all theā¦" She waved her hand upwards and around, issuing towards the books. Ren smiled and looked up to his right. He had lead her into the fantasy section, as it was the first thing she said, and was looking for a specific title. Or, to be even more specific, a series.
It took him a while, but once he spotted the intricate pictures drawn on the spine, he knew that was it. Standing up on his tippie-toes, he reached up and plucked it delicately from it's place amongst the books. It was fairly thick and held a little weight to it, though it wasn't much.
"This should be good. It's your casual ancient prophecy and the chosen one type of story. It's based more around Greek mythology, but it's greatly enjoyable. There's an entire series after that book, and then a secondary series as well." Ren told her as he handed the book over. She nodded her head along and flipped the book over to read the back. Seemingly pleased, she looked back up at him and smiled.
"Thanks. I'll make sure to get this back as soon as possible." She told him as they headed back up to the front desk. Ren waved his hand dismissively.
"Don't worry about it. Take your time, I insist. A book is always more enjoyable when you don't have to worry about time and can just read." Ren replied as he stepped back behind the front desk.
"Well, I'll be sure to do just that then. I'll come back for the rest of the series later." She assured him as she handed over her library card. In truth, she had no idea if it'd even work because she was new to town, but apparently it wasn't an issue as Ren began to check it out for her.
"And I'll be here, waiting to see if you enjoyed the story," He typed into the console and finally handed her the book. "Afterall, there's even more fun in discussing a book after you've read it."
She smiled as she pulled the book back and held it up against her chest with one arm.
"I can do nothing less than agree with you. Maybe we can discuss it when I come back." She stated. Ren smiled back and nodded.
"I can see that being enjoyable. I'm Ren, by the way." He told her, jutting his hand forth for a handshake. She tightened her grip on the book and held out her other hand, eagerly shaking Ren's hand before stepping away.
"I'm Blake. It was a pleasure meeting you, Ren, but I've gotta run now. It is late, after all." She replied. Ren nodded and watched her leave, the bell ringing as she opened and shut the door.
Once again, all was quiet. Ren sighed, reaching into his pocket to check his scroll for the time. It was just barely nine twenty.
Deciding that he'd rather just go home than to sit around for another forty minutes, Ren began to close up. He shut off all the lights, and when the main console was shut down completely, he grabbed his coat and his book and exited through the front door. Slipping the coat on over his body, he quickly began walking down the street.
He didn't live very far from the library, which was a plus for him as it meant he didn't have to go far to get to and from work. After a short five or so minute walk, Ren found himself standing in front of his apartment. He sighed in relief as he pulled his key from his back pocket and opened the door. Immediately, his nose was met with the smell of food; noodles, beef, egg, and of course, pancakes.
He stepped into the warm air and shut the door behind him. Taking off his coat and putting it on the coat rack next to the door, he stood there a bit longer to take in the sight.
His apartment was modest, at the most. Stepping immediately into the living room, the kitchen was off to the left and down the hall on the left was his room, whereas there was another across the hall. Next to that room, on the right, was the bathroom. In the living room, it was very clear that Ren didn't live alone. The green couch, usually covered in nothing but gray pillows, had several books stacked atop it, alongside a small plushie of a sloth. Next to the couch, a similar armchair sat tilted towards the TV up against the wall on Ren's right side. Behind the armchair, up against the wall, was a tall bookshelf laden with books of different sizes and colors. Ren really liked to read, after all.
In front of the couches was a wooden coffee table, simple and surprisingly the cleanest thing in the room. The floor had scattered sheets of paper all across it, and each seat had been dealt with the same treatment. From where he was standing, Ren could see that each paper had an unfinished drawing on it; nearly unintelligible as it looked like a child had drawn them. Ren knew better though.
He carefully made his way into the living room, sticking his book back in it's proper place on the shelf before he quietly walked up and stood in the doorway to the kitchen. From there, he saw his best friend and roommate standing at the stove, flipping pancakes.
From behind, he couldn't make out much of her appearance. Her orange hair, short and cut to her shoulders, bobbed around as she danced from foot to foot. She seemed to be wearing one of Ren's shirts, evident by its green color and how big it was on her, paired with a white skirt of her own that reached to just above her knees. She wore no shoes, opting out for long white knee socks, and wore the only apron in the house. It was pink with white edges, and even though he couldn't see it, he knew it said 'Please Do Nothing To The Cook' on the front. It was his apron, after all.
Nora's head perked up all of a sudden, the one ear that Ren could see twitching. Moments before the impact happened, he braced himself. Ren was nothing if not prepared, and it was for good reason.
In a split second, Nora separated from the stove and rounded on him, her turquoise eyes shining as she took in his presence. That only lasted a second. After that, she threw herself, several feet, at Ren in a lung-crushing bear hug. If he hadn't prepared himself beforehand, he would've been thrown to the ground.
"Renny, you're back! I was starting to worry!" She cried out as she latched onto him even tighter. Ren, savoring the small amount of air he had left, simply hugged back and nodded. Only when she began to let up did he feel it was safe to talk.
"Yes, I'm back. I'm also early, if you'd check the time," He said, pointing to the digital clock they kept in the kitchen. It quite clearly read nine thirty. "I usually don't get back until after ten."
Nora put her hands on her hips. "Still! Menta called and said you'd be staying late again, but that just made me worry more!" She smiled at him, a bright, beaming smile that just made Ren smile in retaliation. "But it doesn't matter because you're here now! So come on, I made dinner."
She lead him back into the kitchen where she resumed flipping pancakes on the stove. Laid out on the counter was a bowl of noodles, fit with slices of cut beef and half an egg floating in the juice. Sitting next to it was a piping hot cup of green tea; Ren's favorite meal with his favorite drink. He noticed, though, that that's all there was. What would Nora eat?
He turned to ask her, only to be prompted into silence by a plate stacked high with pancakes. Ren had never taught her his super-secret special recipe, but that hadn't stopped Nora from trying. Every batch of pancakes was made differently; different flavors, shapes, fluffiness, everything. Nora never did get it right, though it still made Ren smile at her efforts.
Nora caught Ren looking and flashed him a beaming smile.
"I'm sure I've got it right this time, Renny! Taste the batter, tell me if I'm close!" She called out to him before going back to cooking. Ren shrugged and walked over to stand next to her. He took the bowl of messy batter and stuck his finger in it, tasting it as he watched her flip the pancakes. Nora stared at him with expectant eyes, just waiting to see what he would say.
After a moment, he put the bowl back down and crossed his arms.
"It's good," He started out, issuing a smile from Nora. "But it's not perfect."
Agitated just a teeny bit, Nora flipped the next pancake a little too hard. It went careening into the air and stuck onto the ceiling with a loud SPLAT. It was still in the process of cooking, so that wouldn't be coming down any time soon. Ren switched his gaze from the new ceiling ornament to that of his best friend, who looked down at the floor in shame.
"Sorry, I was just really sure of it this time!" She exclaimed, looking back up at him. Ren simply smiled and turned the stove off.
"You'll get it soon enough. Now let's eat, before the food gets cold, I appreciate the effort you went through to make dinner for me." He told her as he walked back and gathered up his food. Nora smiled after him and began struggling with the apron, eventually getting it off and grabbing her plate of pancakes, plus the bottle of syrup, and rushing to meet Ren in the living room.
By the time she had got there, Ren had cleaned off the couch, placing all the books on the floor next to the couch, and turned the TV on. Ren himself didn't watch TV that much, but Nora loved it, especially this one cartoon show. Ren never caught the name of it, but he always knew when Nora was watching it. It was evident by her loud screaming, urging the main characters on while bad-mouthing the main antagonist.
Together, they sat down and talked about their day. Nora had found a job at a pet store, where she would walk around and 'inspire' the animals, as she had put it, by playing with them and getting them riled-up so that they showed off some energy when people came into the store. Ren had visited her there on several occasions, either to see how she was doing, or to accompany her out on her lunch break.
Nora had begun telling Ren about how she had led a 'jailbreak' for the kittens, leading them around the store in a line for a couple of little girls who had been eyeing them.
"I wanted to show the girls how much fun kittens would be! I could see how much they wanted one, just by looking at their eyes, Ren! Their eyes!" She put extra emphasis on eyes while leaning out of the chair towards Ren while pointing at both her eyes. He began to laugh, then cough as he remembered he was eating food.
"Nora! Nora.., please, I want to live!" He jokingly called out as she continued to bounce up and down on the couch. She had long since finished her pancakes, devouring them almost whole like a human vacuum.
She finally settled down to a low bounce as Ren took a drink from his mug. "So? How was your day, Ren? Did anything exciting happen?" She asked him
Ren raised an eyebrow. "I work in a library, Nora. Things don't really get exciting there." She frowned.
"Well did anything out of the ordinary happen? Say like, someone leaving a strange briefcase, but when you opened it, it was full of money?!" She finished excitedly.
Ren smiled, stifling a laugh. "Nothing like that, but someone did show up after Menta left. That doesn't usually happen."
Nora began bouncing up and down in her seat again, like a mobile ball of energy. "Ooh! Tell me all about it, what did they look like, what did they want, who were they?!" She exclaimed, a big, bright smile on her face as she did.
Ren was worried that if he smiled anymore, his face might get stuck. "She had just moved into town and wanted a book recommendation. Just something to read while she got used to living here in Oniyuri."
Nora mouthed out 'oh' and was silent for a moment before she perked up once again, eyes wide with realization. "Wait, she? Ooh, was she pretty? What color were her eyes, Ren, if she was pretty you'd remember her eyes!"
Nora tackled Ren's side, managing to just avoid his food, and pushed him into the arm of the couch. Then, silent and thinking for a moment, she took Ren's food from his hands and put it on the table before going back to her original assault; jumping on Ren and pestering him with questions.
Ren laughed, feebly holding Nora's wrists to her sides. It took a whole minute to calm her down, and even then, she wouldn't stop moving. She sat on her knees, facing him.
"So," She started out again, in a calmer tone. "Tell me about her."
Ren raised an eyebrow, holding his cup of tea in the palm of his hand. "Why?" He asked, taking a short sip.
Nora leaned forward, close enough to the point where their noses were almost touching.
"Because this is a once in a lifetime opportunity! You said it yourself, people don't usually show up after Menta leaves," She began waving her arms and hands out in exaggerated gestures as she talked. "And then this pretty girl, I'm assuming she's pretty, walks in and you're the only one there! Maybe this is destiny, Ren!"
Ren waved her off and she slowly fell back into her seat. "Nora, it isn't that serious. Blake just wanted something to read and I helped her." He left out the part where he'd invited her back to talk about the book. He honestly didn't understand why he'd done it either, something had just told him to say it.
Nora jumped up again, and Ren was sure the entire couch would collapse eventually.
"Aha! Her name's Blake! So you did talk to her then!" Nora acknowledged. "Tell me about her, Renny!"
Ren, realizing his slip up, opted to wave her away again, but it didn't work this time. She stayed pressed up, excited to no end. In the end, he caved.
"Yes, I had to talk to her to know what kind of book she wanted to read. Other than the fact that she likes fantasy and fiction, I can't tell you much about her." He replied. Nora was undeterred.
"What did she look like? If you remember her name then you remember what she looks like!" Nora argued back. Ren hesitated, something that Nora caught and she reached out to grab his shoulders.
"Tell me, Ren! This is important!" Nora began to shake his shoulders ever so slightly. Ren sighed and put his cup down. Using both hands, he eased Nora back into her seat.
"Relax, Nora. It's really not that big a deal." He stood, with his empty bowl and her empty plate and made his way into the kitchen. He had effectively quelled all attempts at conversation as he began to wash the dishes. Nora remained on the couch, a small pout on her face as she realized she wouldn't be getting her answers.
Not soon after, she felt a hand on her head and looked up to find Ren smiling down at her. Instantly, she beamed, a bright smile finding its way to her face as the two got up and got ready for bed. With everything turned off, the two split at the end of the hall to go into their separate rooms, but Nora caught Ren's arm and pulled him back out.
"Yes, Nora? What is it?" He asked as he looked down at her. She hesitated for a moment before grinning and reaching up to poke his nose.
"Boop! Night, Renny!" She exclaimed before stepping into her room and shutting the door. Ren merely smiled, turning around and walking back into his room, closing the door quietly behind him.
Hours later, Ren laid awake in his bed, staring up at the ceiling in the dark. He had fought against his own thoughts at the time, but he had realized Nora was right. He remembered her face perfectly, but most of all. He remembered her eyes. Two orbs of almost golden amber, radiating against the inside of his skull as he attempted to go to sleep, but no avail.
Blake...he had remembered every subtle detail about her, and he was confused as to what that could've meant. Sinking back into his bed with his last attempt at sleep, he figured that only time would tell.
And that's that! Chapter 1, complete! Not gonna lie, I enjoy how Ren and Blake came out of this, but writing Nora is surprisingly harder than I thought it'd be. Maybe it's because I'm not energetic like her, but oh well. I'll get better at it, I promise.
If you liked this, please leave a review, tell me what I could do better, give me some tips, or just talk with me. Anything is alright. If you REALLY liked it, stick around for the next chapter. I don't have a schedule just yet, but I want to try for a weekly thing.
Stay tuned, Dantikat out.
