Touya sat at his desk facing resolutely forward, but all of his attention was fixed on the boy sitting next to him. How could he be expected not to stare, even if it was just out of the corner of his eye?
Because there was no doubting it. There were two people occupying that single space to his left. The one wearing the familiar uniform, he knew, was the one everyone else saw. Touya saw him too, of course, and could see only him if he tried; if he unfocused his spiritual eye and saw only with the physical two. Then he saw a slim boy with nondescript, colorless hair and hazel eyes, and a sweet face that doubtlessly matched his disposition. He had introduced himself as Tsukishiro Yukito, and his smile was so genuine it was almost embarrassing. Certainly it had won the entire class in an instant, because it was obvious that this new boy liked them all on sight, and it was hard not to respond to such generosity of spirit when paired with the patient kindness of Tsukishiro's voice.
But there was steel in him beneath the gentle exterior. Touya wondered if the others saw it, or if it was an impression from his other vision. Because it was clear that the other creature inhabiting the same space as Tsukishiro had it in spades despite being asleep. They were one inside the other but not separated. Like a sword inside a sheath, Touya had thought dazedly when the other two-- one-- had introduced himself in front of the class. And like a sword, the other was all razored angles and planes undisguised by the outlandish clothing he worse. The creature's face-- Touya knew he was not human-- was the same as Yukito's, only sharper and more elegantly defined. In fact, that was true of all of him, from broader shoulders to crossed arms to arched feet that hovered just above the ground. Silver-white hair fell forward over the other's face and curtained his back, impossibly long and silky.
His eyes were closed beneath the delicate arch of eyebrows, Touya was relieved to note; whatever the thing inside Tsukishiro was, it was asleep. Tsukishiro moved, spoke, smiled, sat at his desk, but the creature never stirred.
And now the two-- one-- were/was sitting at the desk next to his. And while Tsukishiro appeared to be paying strict attention to the teacher at the front of the class, the creature inside him slept, and the two together were one hell of a distraction. Touya was long used to seeing what others couldn't, and ignoring what only he could see so he could concentrate on what everyone else saw, but this test was completely impossible.
Until, of course, Tsukishiro turned slightly to meet Touya's eyes directly, and then had the audacity to smile at him. Such a good-natured and good-humored and just slightly amused smile, too. I see you staring at me, the smile said. And, we're going to be friends.
Touya snorted, and deliberately turned all of his eyes back to the front of the classroom.