Ramblings: It's been well forever and my co-writers for this have vanished... So I've decided to take on the task of rewriting this all in just one voice instead of three different authors. I've changed only a couple of characters because let's face it, some people work better than others at different roles. This is still going to be a massive undertaking. You notice how it says 'Volume One'? Each volume is going to follow a shoujo manga and add in even more love interests.
Usagi thought she had a normal family, besides the twin that was sent to boarding school when they were six. She thought she had a normal life, besides her admirers having strange things happen to them, going completely insane, or even being killed off by someone or something. She even thought she had a normal friend, besides his desire to dress her up as his favorite shoujo anime characters. Then it all started to come apart with a few words from her usually normal father. "Usagi-chan, meet your new mother." Will Usagi ever be the same when she meets the rest of her new family including her new father and new almost cute step-brother?
Disclaimer: I don't own Sailormoon or any of the characters I borrowed for this.
Act One:
Scene One:
A smirking smile played on his lips as he surveyed the scene and took a breath of the frosty night air. A piece of paper was clenched in his hand and he resisted the urge to laugh in triumph. She had been a tough one to win over, but a clandestine meeting with the school's most notorious girl was his reward. With a swagger born of confidence he easily vaulted over the high fence with just one hand; he hadn't been on the track team for nothing after all.
Honestly he wasn't sure why it had taken him so long to get a response from the particular girl. He was well used to merely smiling at a girl and them falling over in 'ooohs' and 'ahhhs' at his mere attention. He wasn't a playboy per say but he enjoyed having his pick of whatever girl struck his fancy. It was beneath his attention about what the other rumor surrounding his dream girl consisted of. Why should it matter to him that a stupid idol had been committed to a mental ward in Tokyo for the next six months, and who cared about the past anyway? He didn't.
No, everything was turning out perfectly now. Those sparkling blue eyes, those pink tender lips, and that silly way she did her golden blonde hair. He was enthralled by her, he had never wanted to be with another girl so badly. Tsukino Usagi was going to be his soon.
He knew he was trespassing on school grounds since it was the dead of night, but it was worth it to finally meet her in private. He couldn't help it, he was obsessed. He heard her soft giggle and looked up sharply trying to spy his sweet nymph. He saw a flash of gold and smiled as he took a step forward, what was she doing on the school roof? Shaking his head with a smile he started to climb the dark emergency stairwell.
There she was, her long hair swayed in wind as she balanced at the edge of the room. "Careful," he cautioned as he would a scared animal as he took a slow step forward. "That's dangerous." She didn't seem to hear him so he took another slow careful step and held a gasp as a shaft of light escaped the clouds and illuminated the girl. Her eyes were closed and her hands were clasped to her chest as if in prayer. The moonlight almost appeared to make her glow with an otherworldly quality. "Usagi?" his careful steps continued hoping not to startle her.
He reached out to grab her hand, to ease her away from the ledge when her eyes flashed open. Gone were the endless blue depths he could lose himself in, no these eyes were dark and promised pain. A devilish smirk creased those lips he thought he knew so well as she took a step towards him and her tiny hands lightly grasped the folds of his dark green jacket. "Usagi," he breathed a sigh of relief as she stepped out of the danger zone. He reached to pull her close, to finally hug his angel to his chest. The shadows rolled across the moon almost ominously but he paid it no mind, everything was perfect now.
When she didn't respond to his hold he frowned slightly and started to push her away so he could see her face. In the dark It was hard to tell, but she didn't quite look the same any longer. There was no softness to her features, instead it had been replaced with harsh masculine lines. This was not Usagi. He tried to pull away but the grip on his lapel, so timid before, was like an iron grasp. "Let me go."
A harsh laugh was his only answer as he felt himself physically jerked off his feet. 'This is not going to end well,' was his only thought as he felt himself dangling over the edge. No matter how he clawed and struggled this thing was far stronger than him. He slowly gave up as he realized his end was near and went limp in the grip of his attacker, this was the end. He didn't even respond as he felt the weightlessness as his body was thrown off the edge and he careened down the side of the building.
Chiba Mamoru was found tangled in the bushes the next morning. His body was bruised battered and broken, but a small smile still remained on his lips. Though his death had been certain at the end, he still saw her in his dreams, and there she was his alone.
Scene Two:
The school day started out like any other normal day. She was late, of course. She didn't even really pay attention to the crowd surrounding the school or the whispers that echoed around her until she actually heard her name. She skid to a stop and looked around, now what had happened? Would her bad luck never end?
She never even made it to her homeroom. As soon as she opened the school doors she was ushered to the principal's office by the vice principal. The man didn't even smile at her as he briskly knocked on the door and all but shoved her inside.
"Miss Tsukino, we need to talk." The elderly man had his hands together in a steeple and glared at her over them. "As you're well aware your classmate Chiba Mamoru has been killed on school grounds."
"But!" Usagi started to interrupt her eyes widening in panic. No! They couldn't think she was responsible for such a horrible thing, could they? "Mamoru was just fine yesterday!"
The man in front of her snorted! "Miss Tsukino, please don't make this situation for me anymore difficult. We found your note to him," he paused as if waiting for a response and scowled as the girl stared blankly at him. "Besides your immediate expulsion the police officers outside need to talk with you."
The door slammed open and a couple strode in, fury in every step. "Why are you harassing my daughter?" Kenji closed the door behind him and leaned on it his eyes narrowed. While he was not a very physical threat his demeanor was speaking volumes at the moment. His romantic get a way with his wife had been disrupted when they had the panicked call so early in the morning. "Well?"
"I'm not harassing her," the man frowned at the intrusion and leaned back in his seat. "Your daughter is the one under questioning for what happened to one of our students at this school. He's dead and she had written him a note asking her to meet him at the school at midnight. It doesn't look like his fall was an accident."
Ikkuko took a deep breath and forced a smile. "Usagi, please go to your class, you're going to be late." at her daughter's confused expression her smile slipped a little, "please Usagi, now." She watched as the girl responded and left the room and turned her attention back to the balding man. "Now, before you accuse my daughter of murder, I think you should have a talk with my husband." She fished a card out of her purse with ease and casually flung it on the desk.
"Mikigami is quite the attorney," Kenji supplied with a grim smile. "He handles all the top profile cases in Japan, I'm sure you've heard of him. If you continue this fantasy of accusing my daughter of murder, you're going to meet him in person."
Scene Three:
Usagi walked to class and tried to zone out the whispers that had increased in frequency. She was so focused she completely missed the foot in her way and went sprawling. She resisted the urge to break into tears and slowly looked up meeting the dark smirking eyes, of course it would be him. Usegi Tatsuha hated her with a passion and she couldn't figure out why. She sighed and slowly started to gather her fallen possesions.
"Oh, I'm sorry Usagi. I was just stretching, I didn't notice you at all," she tried to ignore his mocking tone and he frowned slightly. "Let me help you up," he offered bending down towards her.
Usagi pulled away and shook her head vigorously sending her hair flying. "No, thank you." Why did this boy always bully her? He was actually nice to everybody else. He was even a star student. Why the hatred? In the eight months that she had been enrolled in this school had she ever done anything to earn his wrath?
Another boy further down the hall rushed to her aid and almost fell on her as he tripped. "I'll help you!" he gathered all her things in one swipe and his smile was sunshine disrupting her cloudy day. "Here you go, Usagi, Kuma helped me pick them up!" He brightened as she smiled at him and gently patted his small ever present pink bunny. He didn't even notice Tatsuha glaring even more at the blonde girl.
"So did you hear about Mamoru?" Tatsuha sneered. "I heard that the man killer actually managed to kill one this time and not just drive them crazy." as he saw the hurt on Usagi's face he smiled. "Yeah, he didn't get lucky like Ken and sprain his wrist, he fell off the school roof!"
"Ken was showing me a trick with his soccer ball, I didn't do it!" Usagi had finally had enough of the thinly veiled insults. "I didn't make Seiya go crazy either," she was close to tears but she held them back. She didn't want to give him the satisfaction of breaking her down again.
"Oh yeah?" Tatsuha challenged with a grin. "How do you explain all the boys that keep falling into your trap, man killer?" He sidled closer to the other boy who was trying to calm Usagi down. "Ryuuichi, be careful, her bad luck will taint you next."
Ryuuichi pouted, "Tatsuha, that's not nice! Usagi is upset, we should be nicer to girls." he tried to smile at the boy to ease the tension but the bully was not placated. "Calm down, please?"
Tatsuha sighed as those hopeful eyes locked on his. He hated this, he hated the fact that he could be turned into an inward pile of goo by this boy. "Fine, I have my own classes to attend." He strode down the hall in long rapid steps but paused at the doorway of his class. Cautiously he glanced over his shoulder and cursed himself at the same time as he saw the stupid little blonde had put a hand on his idol thanking him for her help. Why couldn't that ignorant rabbit learn to stop messing with what was his?
Scene Four:
By the end of the class day Usagi was feeling as dejected as ever. Everyone was still whispering about her latest victim and how it was a fatal attack this time, why couldn't they leave her alone? She bit back a sob and gathered her school books, shoving them into her bag. Maybe things would get better by the next day, she desperately hoped so. Her eyes widened as she got to the curb and she noticed her family's car waiting for her. Her parents never picked her up from school, she always walked home with her best friend.
"Usagi, get in please," Kenji smiled at his daughter in reassurance. "Everything is going to be okay, don't worry." Once his daughter obediently entered the car he glanced at her in the rear-view mirror. "Your mother and I are going to be transferring you to Meiou academy within the next month. We're not comfortable keeping you at that school with that accusing principal. You haven't been expelled, so don't worry about that, just do your best until we finish all the paperwork," before she could even answer he turned his eyes back to the road, "also, we are having dinner with some friends we met at the cruise."
Usagi was speechless, transferred again? How many schools was she going to go through? At this rate she was going to run out of schools to transfer to unless she was shipped off to a boarding school. "I just got out of school, are we going home so I can change?"
"No," Ikkuko answered her daughter this time sensing Kenji's tension. "We're going to the mall, so you can pick yourself out something nice there, our friends and their son are waiting on us already."
Scene Five:
Without any more explanation Usagi was deposited in front of the nearest entrance to the mall. "You're not coming?" she questioned with a faint frown. Why were her parents acting so strange? She hadn't seen them in nearly a month and there was something they weren't explaining to her, she could just feel it.
"No, Usagi," her mother shook her head with a small laugh and fished her credit card out of her purse. "Here, get what you need and meet us at the Chinese restaurant in half an hour. Please don't be late, we want to make a good impression."
Usagi took the offered plastic even more confused now. The last time her parents had given her a card to get whatever she had wanted with... Well that had been one of the worst days of her life. "Are you sending me away, Mama?" she tried to hide the quiver in her voice.
Kenji turned around in his seat and stared at the girl stunned. "Usagi, why would you ever think that? You're our daughter, we love you. Now please stop being silly and hurry. We really have to be on time for this dinner, and I want you to show everyone what a pretty girl you are."
Still feeling apprehensive Usagi flushed at the rare praise. "Okay," she tucked the card in her purse and left the car and with a little sigh strode through the mall doors. Maybe it wasn't happening again after all. She blinked at the bright lights in the mall and let her gaze roam around the area. She was more used to the little shops around her home than an all out mall experience, but she was determined to have fun.
Scene Six
It's amazing how much money that can be spent in thirty minutes. In no time at all Usagi had amassed an army of bags and was glancing with a pout at the clock. During her shopping spree she had forgotten all about her bad day and the strangeness of her family. Her parents had been too obsessed with stressing for her not to be late to ignore them though so gathering her purchases she made the trek to the small diner.
She had let the saleslady dress her in a simple but fashionable dress with pretty blue flats to match. Usagi well knew the dangers of trying to run around in heels, she had fallen far more times than was worth it. 'I hope its good enough,' Usagi thought as she pulled nervously at the short hem.
She spied her parents without even having to be guided to them. Puzzling, why were her parents not seated across from each other? She studied the scene for a moment and her jaw started to drop. No way, there was no way her father was playing footsies with another woman while right beside his wife! Usagi turned her attention to her mother to see if the older woman had noticed and stared stunned once again. Was this a twilight zone? Maybe a practical joke? There was no way her mother was staring all googly eyed at another man and acting like a stricken schoolgirl. "What's going on?"
Kenji chuckled nervously his eyes never leaving the green eyed woman in front of him. "Usagi, honey, meet your new mother." he didn't even notice his daughter sway to the side as shock set in.
"What?" Usagi squeaked before falling to the floor. She stared hard at the people seemingly happy around the table and tried to figure out what kind of surreal reality she had stepped in. She focused on a strange boy watching her silently and blinked. Wait, that wasn't who her mother was staring at, he was much younger. "Um, who are you?" she cautioned not sure if she could take on many more surprises. She felt ready to faint at any moment, in fact she slid down to the ground and just stared at them all.
The boy sighed and sadly shook his head at the girl. He couldn't blame her for her hysterics, really what were their parents thinking acting like this? Regardless he held out a hand to her and offered to help her to her feet. "My name is Tokiya, and I'm your new brother."
Scene Seven:
The next day Usagi trudged to school and tried to forget everything that had happened. No matter how much shopping she had accomplished, there was no way she was going to meekly accept this new family unit. No one could replace her older brother, no way. Usagi was yanked out of her thoughts as arms wrapped around her and forcibly pulled her against a warm body.
"Usagi! You're can't go!" the blonde boy had a secure hold on the girl and he was wailing like Usagi was prone to wail herself. "No one can replace you, Usagi! Who will I get to dress up as my favorite anime and manga characters? What about my conventions!" He cried more and buried his head in her hair, "You have to stay!"
Usagi hugged the boy back. Alexander Howell, her very best friend in the world and the biggest otaku she had ever met. "Alec, I'm having trouble breathing," she whimpered as the boy just tightened his grip more and more. "Usagi, you can't go to a place like Meiou Academy! It's run by computers, you're going to fail even more than you do in school now. You can't go."
Usagi sighed, "Alec, we've had this discussion so many times. It'll be okay, I would have been shipped off anyway. They always blame me when something goes wrong." She swallowed and her face darkened, "besides, that's not the only reason."
Alec turned serious and his playful smile vanished. Something was wrong with Usagi, sure she got all moody every time a school kicked her out for the strange events around her, but this was different. "Usagi?" he cautioned.
"My parents," Usagi started and growled in fury. They were such hypocrites! "My parents decided to play musical chairs with bed partners!" she noticed a couple with their child stop and stare at her and she had the decency to blush. She really hadn't meant to be quite that loud. "I think my step-brother goes to that school, so that's why they are transferring me."
Alec blinked. He hadn't really been expecting that type of answer. "Is that all?" sure it sounded bad for the other blonde but it wasn't really that unexpected, at least not to him. Her parents were always on long trips anyway. Even when the family was together it didn't feel like an actual family unit. More like a charade.
"What?" Usagi whirled on Alec her eyes narrowed. "What do you mean is that all? They went away on a vacation for two and came back with two more and another kid! Why shouldn't I be upset!" she managed to not scream at him this time. "I know they're not home all the time, but I thought everything was going to be okay since they took this trip together!" she stomped her foot for emphasis.
"You know, Usagi," Alec tried not to laugh. "I think I've read that manga." he ignored how his friend's eyes narrowed as he got lost in deep thought. What was it called again, Jelly Girl? With a shrug he gave up and dutifully followed his friend, looping his arm through hers and pulling her away from another of the bully's traps. "So, you'll have to wait for my papers to get approved, but I'm coming with you."
Usagi stumbled to a stop and stared, "What? Really? But, Alec, what about all your friends here?" she loved her friend, she really did but he had given up so much to follow her from school to school already. A girl couldn't ask for a more loyal friend.
Alec's smile reminded her of the sun, "Usagi," he chided with a laugh, "there's no way I'm not following you. We've been together this long. I'll follow you everywhere." he gently squeezed her hand to emphasize his words. Of course what he meant was lost on her, he expected it to be so. "As for my friends, that's okay. We'll make new ones, and you can finally escape Tatsuha!"
A giggle and a bright smile, the first of the day for him. "Alec, you always make me feel better. But what about your parents? They don't even know you're in this school, what will you do if they stop sending you money?"
Alec shrugged not really caring. The only important thing was he follow his muse wherever she may go. "I don't know, the last time they actually talked to me was two years ago when we were in Kyoto." at her stunned look he just hugged her arm closer. "You worry too much, Usagi. We're going to have so much fun in the new school, no more bullies, and maybe those awful rumors will finally leave you alone." Of course he was never going to tell her that even he had been victim to whatever was haunting his friend; no need to frighten her.
Scene Eight:
The blonde-haired boy securely closed the door and double checked the lock. Satisfied with the apparent security he went to the windows and checked them over too. Once he was completely at ease he pulled the pink envelope decorated with bunny stickers out of his coat's hidden pocket. He had made up a fake task for his best friend, his only friend, to perform. The letters that she sent to him were private and jealously kept a secret. He had every letter she had ever sent since the beginning stashed away.
It didn't help matters that if he was ever caught with a letter from a girl, especially her thanks to his parents influence. He wouldn't be kicked out of school but be put on a strict lock down. His parents paid too well to keep him away from her. He took a seat on the bed and carefully opened the envelope, careful to not rip it. Her usual childish scrawl greeted his eyes and he smiled. Her letters always brightened his spirit. They were his only sunshine in this gloomy institution. His eyes darkened and the smile slowly slipped away as he noticed the tear stains that littered the paper. What had happened to her now?
Dear, Brother,
He paused reading to scowl. He hated when she called him that. He wanted to be so much more than that simple label to her. He knew from his early childhood dreams that he had been born to be with her. In another life she had been his, it was going to be that way again. He made a mental note to reprimand her once again in his reply.
How are things going over there?
He ran a hand through his short hair with a wince. How were things going? The entire school was being treated like a herd of cattle and the supervisors took too much delight in shearing the students like sheep. He winced again as he ran a hand through his tousled locks. Would she even recognize him anymore? The thought that she might not hurt him far more than anything else could. He was only partially consoled by the fact that at least he didn't resemble an army reject as his hair had grown out just a bit. There was no way he was going to let them shear him bald again. Frowning he turned his attention back to the letter.
Things aren't going so great here Mom and Dad got a divorce after meeting this one couple on a vacation! We've all moved in together. They even brought their son and I'm supposed to join his school in a month. I don't really know how to explain him, he's very weird and around my age.
He paused in reading the letter as his eyes narrowed. A step-brother? His Usagi had a step-brother her age? He frowned deeply as he contemplated the words. Perhaps it wasn't as bad as his initial reaction? Another thought made him glower. What kind of hypocrite parents did they have? He had been sent away when he was still a child and they were just switching partners like it was normal? Curious and more than a bit worried he continued reading.
At school Tatsuha is still picking on me. I tried ignoring him like you suggested and he dipped one of my pigtails into black ink! Thankfully because of the entire divorce and moving thing I only have to go to school there for another month or so. Than I'm joining my step-brother Tokiya's school. Alec broke into tears when I told him and is requesting a transfer as well so I don't have to be alone. Isn't that great?
The blonde paused to snort at that. She was a bit too trusting at times. Every letter she wrote always mentioned her best friend's name. Sometimes she just didn't see the danger, even when it's right in front of her. He growled lightly at the mention of her rival in school still picking on her. He made a mental note to make the boy sorry for torturing his Usagi. His eyes narrowed as he saw what she called her new brother. He didn't like the looks of that at all He scanned over the ending paragraph and his frown grew even deeper.
I'm sorry I have to make this letter shorter than I usually do. I have to help with the move or I'll get yelled at again. This will be my last letter Before I could just jot one down while mom and dad were at work or while I was at school. Since I checked the mail I didn't have to worry about them finding out about our conversations but Now Tokiya is in charge of all that And I don't want to get you in trouble. I'm sorry, brother Maybe it's better this way. We haven't seen each other in ages Probably perfect strangers by now, right? I'm sending this off the day before we move into the new house I'm enclosing a picture so you'll never forget me. I know I'll never forget you.
With much love and tears,
Usagi Tsukino
His heart seemed to stop as his eyes darted over the final tear smudged words. She wouldn't be writing him again? He gingerly picked up the picture and smiled. Just like in his dreams... She was still perfect to him. He knew he had been born to be with and protect her. He'd fulfill that desire no matter who he had to cross. His eyes darted to the date she sent the letter and he smiled thinly. It was all a matter of timing now. He could only hope she'd be safe until he got there.
Scene Nine:
He was an expert at working in stealth. He hadn't even waited for his best friend to return before he started packing. He picked up the simple picture she had sent and softly kissed it before delicately placing it in his wallet. He finished tying up his bad and went to the window where he unfastened the locks and prepared for his escape. The way this place was set up, leaving by the door would only get him caught, and even worse the place had security guards roaming the halls. He was thankful his room was merely on the second floor, but even if it had been higher he still would have escaped. He was going to save her.
He eased his bag out the window and tried to lower the distance as much as he could as he let it fall from his fingers to the bushes below. Hopefully his classmates downstairs were light sleepers. All it took was that one reading to fuel his fire. He was not going to wait even one day to escape from this place and travel to her side. He wasn't comfortable with how many guys she seemed to gather around her. Especially since he was convinced his sweet Usagi didn't realize any of their intentions.
He didn't even look back as he sidled through the narrow window. Apparently the teachers had at least thought about someone slipping through the windows so they had made them open only a quarter of a way a normal window would, but he didn't care. He merely sucked his breath in and shimmied forward.
Just as he was about to attain freedom he felt two hands grab him and push him out the rest of the way. He cursed silently and aimed for the bushes as best as he could and glanced up to see the culprit. Oh, of course, it was him. Duo Maxwell slipped through the window with a bit more ease than he had and landed nimbly at his friend's side. "And just where are we going?" Impossibly the other boy already had a bag with him as well.
"When did you pack that?" he narrowed his eyes and tried to think of anytime his friend had been given an opportunity to even pack anything. He had worked far too quickly and quietly while his buddy had been distracted.
"It's my emergency bag of course," Duo announced proudly with his indigo eyes lighting up with mischief. "I always have it packed, there's no way I'm staying here without you. Those people are nuts. I can't believe you were going to leave me here with them. Some best friend," he snorted good naturally and helped the other boy up.
"Duo, you should stay here." He could only imagine the headaches the other boy was going to bring following him around. "I'm not going out for a weekend stint or anything, I'm going home." He glared at the other boy hoping to drive home his point.
Duo was oblivious. "So?" he questioned with a grin. "Where ever you go man, I'm going. We're best friends, remember? I'm not letting you run all over the country by yourself. I'll help you." If he saw the other boy's wince he ignored it. "Anyway someone has to go with you to translate."
"Translate?" the blonde boy scoffed and glared at the auburn haired boy. "I don't know what you're talking about. I don't need a translator."
Duo smirked, "Sure you do, no one else can read your silences like I can. I'm an expert at it. You would just end up creeping people out whenever you need anything. You need a people person like me."
He sighed and dropped his head. The idiot was right, he wasn't exactly good with people. Everyone was pretty much beneath him but her. His eyes widened just a fraction as he imagined her literally beneath him like he had seen in his visions. Well, maybe that last thought wasn't completely true.
Scene Ten:
He was not going to thank Duo. No way. Even as the other boy smiled at him and waved two train tickets in front of his nose. "I'm not thanking you."
Duo shook his head with a grin, "I know I know. I'm too great." Apparently his emergency bag even had a sizable amount of cash in it. He knew his friend would never ask about the money, or ever thank him for buying the tickets but he didn't care. The flash of defeat on the blonde's face was reward enough for him.
The stewardess made her way down the aisle and paused as she saw the two boys napping on their seats. She was about to demand their tickets to make sure they weren't some stow a ways, when she noticed the two slips grasped in their hands. Satisfied that the tickets were valid she continued down the trek. She couldn't help but wonder why two boys were on their own so far out in the country.
Not long after she sauntered down the aisle he opened an eye to find his friend staring expectantly at him. "What do you want now?" as usual his words came out in a growl.
"Well," Duo started tilting his head to the side, "I don't mind the running away. I hate that place, but why are we running away anyway?" he frowned for a moment, "and why did you try leaving me, your best friend!"
He grunted in annoyance. "None of your business, and I tried leaving you because you're going to get us caught." he glanced down the aisle and was relieved the ticket taker was further down. Their tickets were valid but he didn't want the the conversation that would go with the checking.
Duo humphed and sat back in his seat. He knew it was futile to try to get the blonde to talk when he was being like this. There was no way the boy would talk about why there going on this adventure unless he wanted to. "You don't have to tell me now," he pouted.
He barely acknowledged his pouting friend and let his eyes close for just a moment. He could keep her just his for awhile longer. He was worried what Duo would attempt if he ever saw his perfection, and he didn't really feel like finding a new friend or killing his old one. He heard Duo stir restlessly but kept his eyes closed, he was incredibly tired from the ordeal after all.
"Hey, I'm hungry. Let me have some money." he saw one blue eye study him in disbelief as if reminding him of his emergency stash. "Well yeah, but I don't want to use it all up, that's for emergencies, besides you owe me for the tickets anyway." he grinned as the other boy dug out his wallet and threw it at him. He was about to thank his friend when he noticed him get ready to go back to sleep.
Duo smiled mischievously and clutching the wallet slid out of the seat. He made his way down to the food car and rocked back on his heels as he decided what he was going to devour. The boarding school's food was some of the worst he had ever tasted, and no matter of time had ever made it better. He was going to use all this food here to wipe the taste and memory of that place away. He winced a bit at the prices and curious about how much the other boy had stashed he cracked open the leather wallet. He was startled as a picture gently fell from the wallet's confines and landed face down on the ground.
Duo bent down before anyone could step on it and gingerly picked it up. Knowing how anal his friend was he brushed away any dirt on the back of the picture and hoped nothing had happened to the front. The last thing he needed was the other boy trying to sell him off for money for destroying his property...again.
Ever being the more curious of the two Duo couldn't help himself as he turned the picture over to see what was so important that his friend had it in his wallet. The other boy didn't believe in pictures or memories or anything sentimental. As the blonde hair and blue eyed girl in the picture smiled up at him, Duo forgot how to breathe.