Disclaimer: Air Gear was created and owned by Oh! Great.

Author's notes: I have recently finished up to volume 16 of the manga, and I have to say that I'm not… er… satisfied. Sure, the story's great, but what happened to Akito and Agito? They were suddenly put at the edge of the pages and were replaced by either Ringo, Simca, or Kururu. Argh. (Not that I don't like those three, I just think that Ikki's better off with Akito/Agito). That being said, I present to you this fic! This story revolves around Ikki, Akito/Agito, Kazu, and Sano. There will be much angst, I guarantee you. I'm a sucker for that genre so, hahahaha! Enjoy!

Warning: Rated T for swearing. There will also be shounen-ai­ (boyxboy love). If you find that offensive, or you don't like the idea of it, then please don't read.

Spoilers: Spoilers for volume 16 of the manga.

Pairings: IkkixAkito/Agito, SanoxKazu, slight KazuxAkito (if you read, you'll know why). If you don't like these pairings, then please find another fic that will suit your preference.

Notes for reading: Plain "…" means normal talking. Italicized "…" denotes Agito/Akito speaking to the other half, and italicized '…' vice versa. The italicized '…' also denotes a person thinking.

Fused Silica

Chapter One: Translucent

"Don't look."

Akito bit his lip, and continued to look outside through the window beside him. He looked at the trees surrounding their school, at the boys playing soccer in the field, at the girls chatting amiably along the school grounds - anywhere but inside their classroom. If he tried hard enough, he could probably hear what those girls were talking about. But even if he did try to listen, he wouldn't be able to understand it.

All Akito could hear was Ikki's voice at the back of the room.

The blue-haired teen looked up at the sky, and noticed the clouds passing by. Agito was right, he shouldn't think about him. 'The sky is so blue,' Akito mused. 'The clouds are so fluffy and cute. They look like they could be-' His body instantly stiffened as his eye spotted a moving object up in the air.

There was a bird flying through the sky.

Akito took a deep breath. His feigned interest and indifferent facade finally crumbled when he saw that bird.

All he could think about was Ikki. Everything seemed to revolve around him, one way or another.

Seeing the bird soaring, it was all Akito could do before he slowly slid his eyes back inside their classroom, and trained his eyes towards him.

"Fuck! Akito, I said don't look!"

Agito's command and advice – Akito thinks it's the best Agito had ever given to him - went unheeded as Akito forlornly and honestly replied.

'But I have to.'

It was true, Akito reasoned to Agito and even to himself. He had to look at Ikki. 'Because I don't know what to do if I didn't,' he explained. And even when he had finally trained his eyes on Ikki, and saw the undesirable scene before him, he still insisted, 'I have to look at Ikki.'

The blue-haired teen took the scene before him as impassively as he could. The first thing he noticed besides Ikki was the girl at his side. He noticed Ringo happily looking at Ikki, and Ikki talking to her. Akito's eyes slightly narrowed when he saw Ringo's hand touching Ikki's right shoulder. 'No.' Akito shook his head, and quickly calmed himself. 'I shouldn't be like this.'

'See, Agito? It wasn't so bad,' Akito reassured his other half. Agito didn't reply and remained silent. Akito could imagine Agito's lips thinning into a straight line as his more violent side quietly fumed in disapproval.

Akito looked back at Ikki and Ringo, not really comprehending what they were talking about. He was contented with just looking at Ikki. The leader of Kogarasumaru was really fascinating. Only Ikki could make remarks without sounding so irritating and grating to the nerves. Just seeing that black mop of his hair makes Akito feel happy. Akito amusingly noted that Ikki's hair hadn't been combed yet, and was about to smile when instead, his breath hitched.

Ikki had just smiled gently – not his usual cocky or arrogant one, but a genuinely happy smile - and it was directed at Ringo.

'… at Ringo.'

His chest tightened, and Akito was sure that the room was getting a bit warm and humid. The fans were few in number after all, and it was noon, so it was relatively hot. He quickly diverted his gaze, and let out a shaky breath. He clenched his shirt. He just needed some air. The sun and its heat were really getting to him. His lungs were not accustomed to very high temperature, so he had to get away from excessive heat. He just had to get away.

"Fuck!"

Before Agito could reprimand him or tell him anything further, Akito was already walking away towards the exit of the classroom.

'It's lunchtime. I think I should look around and move my body. I'm not really hungry, but do you want to eat?' he asked Agito, quickening his pace away from their classroom, his eyes still closed.

Agito didn't answer Akito's question. Instead, a voice calmly sounded, "I told you not to look."

'You did,' Akito flatly answered back.

An unwanted memory abruptly flashed through Akito's mind: It was night, the lights were dim. Akito was in the shadows, hiding his presence as he watched from the corner. Suddenly, the door before Ikki opened, and out came Ringo. All too suddenly, lips were against lips, and the clenching of Akito's chest was too painful. Yet he watched. He couldn't take his eyes off them – he couldn't take his eyes off them together.

"So, fuck, why did you?" Now, Agito was back to his fuming self, and he was snarling viciously.

'Because,' Akito started, walking up the stairs leading to somewhere – he didn't care, as long as it was away from him and her, and them together. He impressively was able to climb the stairs without stumbling, even though his eyes shut more tightly.

'Because, Agito, I have to.'

Kazu shifted to his side, and laid his head on his folded right arm. He was currently sprawled on the floor of the school's rooftop. It was lunchtime, the floor was dirty, and he hasn't eaten yet, but he didn't care. He wasn't much for food, anyway, and this is why he had such a thin frame.

He looked up at the sky, and couldn't help but notice how serene it looked. He wished it could always be this peaceful, so unlike how hectic his world had become ever since he had first worn his A-T.

'I wish time would stop.' A grin formed on his lips. He knew someone who could do just that. 'I wish time would stop because of that homo-bastard.'

As soon as he thought of that, his grin vanished, and he cursed. Lately, he'd been thinking more and more of that irritating Aeon Clock. 'And why should I? There's no reason to think about that pervert!' he thought furiously.

The blond huffed in annoyance. When he and Aeon Clock first met, the only thoughts he had about that homo-bastard was how weird he was. Before he knew it, he had been thinking more and more of him – how Sano was able to stop time, how he could run so quickly, how he could just appear out of nowhere. Kazu's thoughts eventually turned to something rather – at this, a blush started to form on his cheeks – personal. He kept thinking of how tall Aeon Clock is, how his hair looked so soft, and even how his coat flapped about him in a regal manner.

Kazu grunted, and shifted his weight. Even now, he was thinking of how Sano's glasses fitted his face perfectly. 'Argh! Why can't I just think of A-T, or-or someone else?' He asked himself, his frustration evident in his tone.

He had his share of admirers, so why can't he think of them? He could think about Emily, or even Ringo, but that was somehow inappropriate. He couldn't explain it, but when he thought about that homo-bastard, it felt right.

Their current situation also wasn't helping. Because Ikki had to stay with Kazu, along with Akito and Agito, that homo-bastard had to tag along. So now Ikki was always around, and as much as Ikki was near Kazu, so was Sano. That certainly didn't help.

Kazu's eyes darkened. Aeon clock was a constant annoyance and relief. Even though he liked that homo-bastard's appearance, there's no possible way that Sano could also like… err… Kazu's appearance, even if Sano was indeed a homo-bastard

'There's no freaking way that we could have a-a mutual appreciation of each other's faces. He's already in college, and I'm just a middle school student. Even in A-T, it's impossible for me to reach his level.' Kazu sighed, and rolled his eyes. 'Why am I even thinking about him? It's not like he even listens to me.'

He remembered Sano's crouched form, his head bent down, and his arms readily positioned to serve the person in front of him. Aeon Clock was attentively listening for any command that Ikki might give him.

'The only reason he's around is because he has to serve Ikki,' Kazu thought with a frown.

He shifted his weight to the other side again, and cursed once more. He shouldn't be like this. Ikki was his friend, his leader. Kazu, himself, should be following his friend's ideals. He shouldn't be envious of Ikki just because of someone trivial like that homo-bastard.

'But I am,' Kazu grudgingly admitted. At the moment, he wanted to beat himself up so badly if it could stop him from thinking such improper thoughts.

Suddenly, there was loud bang that startled Kazu, and he sat up immediately. He looked at the now open door leading to the inside of the building, and found a familiar blue-haired friend standing at the doorway.

Akito quickly walked towards the center of the rooftop and near Kazu. The blond noted how Akito's eyes were closed, how his breathing was irregular, and how pale his face looked. He didn't look like the normal Akito at all.

Kazu's eyebrows drew together. There was something wrong with the normally exuberant teen, and he voiced out his concern.

"Akito? You alright?"

The said teen visibly startled, as if he did not expect someone to be near him. He slowly opened his eyes, and looked at the blond.

'What the hell is wrong with him?' Kazu thoughtfully asked. He looked at Akito's eye, and instantly, he frowned.

A feeble voice questioned, "… Kazu?" The tone was weak, as if it was so tired that it didn't want to sound aloud. Akito hadn't expected someone to see him in this state, especially someone he knew, like Ikki's best friend.

"I-I…" The blond stuttered, and looked down. "Um… I mean, are you okay?" 'Of course he's not,' Kazu thought. He mentally slapped himself. 'How stupid could I get?'

Kazu looked up at his blue-haired friend once again, and found that Akito's earlier expression was already gone. It was now replaced with something more akin to a closed expression. The only thought that passed through the blond's mind at that moment was, 'Shit. Akito isn't one for unreadable, blank faces. He's a happy person. Happiness is Akito himself.'

Akito looked away, and shifted his weight to his left foot. "Of course I'm fine," he reassured. He even smiled a little to support his statement. He mentally chastised himself, 'I don't want anyone to know about this. I was okay before, and I'm still okay.' Ha swallowed. 'I'm supposed to be okay.'

"No, you're not," Kazu bluntly said.

Out of all the possible replies that Akito had expected, he certainly did not expect that. He confusedly looked back at the blond, and meekly asked, "Huh?"

"You're…" the blond started, "Uh… how should I say this?" He scratched his head as he thought. "You're um… sad for some reason."

"He's right," the current Fang King pointed out. Akito dropped his gaze to the ground. 'That doesn't mean that I should affirm though.' "I don't know what you mean," he answered, his voice louder this time. 'It would be better if no one knew.'

There was a slight rustle of cloth as Kazu stood up. The blue-haired teen tried to hide his uneasiness by shifting his weight once again, and continuing to look impassively at the ground. Before Akito knew it, Kazu was already before him. A hand appeared before Akito's vision, and tenderly, it lifted the blue-haired boy's chin, causing Akito to look straight at the blond.

"Your eye," Kazu plainly stated, literally pointing at Akito's left eye with his free hand, "is sad."

Akito pursed his lips, maintaining his eye contact with Kazu. For some reason, his uneasiness started to fade away, and he was starting to feel right. There was a moment of pause – a silent, somewhat comfortable moment with the wind ruffling their hair a bit – before Akito whispered back, still looking at the blond.

"So are yours."

About the title of the chapter: (from wikipedia)

Fused silica is produced using high purity silica sand as the feedstock, and is normally melted using an electric furnace, resulting in a material that is translucent or opaque.

More AN: Ugh. I feel bad about Akito and Kazu's state, but they are my favorite characters… So, I promise that this story will not end terribly (I won't let them suffer for too long, I'm not that evil, hehehe…). I apologize if there is any typographical error, please tell me if you find any. I hope I will be able to update soon. Comments are appreciated, and constructive criticism is welcomed. Thank you for reading.