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"Say It Right"

Written by Shiki

Bonjour~ Shiki can't seem to focus on his latest project, Precious Pet, a Saviorshipping(RenxLyserg) fic, since I keep getting ideas for other things. If I don't get these little Oneshots out, I think I'll go crazy.

A lot of my fics are inspired by music, but I don't ever write "songfics." Expect a lot of them to have song names however, like this one. It was inspired by the song by Nelly Furtado. I've been writing a lot of M rated fics lately cause I'm a horrible pervert. I have attempted here to write a T rated fic, just a bit of Tsundereshipping(RenxAnna) drabble.

This will be a series of Oneshots I feel like doing now and then. So, enjoy~

There is no substituting raw talent and hard work. They are two things that must be present and work simultaneously with one another. If you are talented and lazy, then you will go nowhere. If you are hard working but don't have the natural 'knack' for it, you will eventually climb the ladder but you will have to put in twice as much effort to achieve the same outcome as someone who has both.

I have faith in my husband. He has the 'knack.' Despite his laziness, he doesn't have to try nearly as hard as most should to understand and to apply something into motion. I have so much hope set on him and he doesn't even realize it. The few times that I have allowed myself to worry, I frown upon. I told him I would have him ready when the event came, and he has not yet failed me indefinitely. The only person that I thought could potentially be in his way is that friend of his, when he wasn't being so 'friendly.'

Tao Ren. Whenever he is brought up in conversation, my reaction is... 'What about him?' He is truly the antithesis to Yoh. Despite the powerful family that Ren is in, there has to be something to explain why he tries virtually twice as hard as Yoh does without being prompted to, and yet he still lags behind him. Their power difference used to be blindingly obvious, but due to the ending of all of their previous battles, it seems only fitting to not even pay attention to it.

On too many occasions, I warned Yoh about him and his family, almost specifically when I arrived after he had ended up in the hospital. Yoh ended up pulling through, and every time since then.

My Yoh has the knack. I believe that Ren has profound strength, because he has applied himself. I do not believe it comes from himself alone. He has so much stacked up on his shoulders.

I watch him often, when he is over. The boy works himself to the bone without a word to anyone. It's almost as if he's trying to convince himself more than anyone else that he is capable. We don't speak much, if at all. I find it ironic that the only one who doesn't fear me, doesn't answer to me, doesn't truly seem to acknowledge that I'm there, is the one who doesn't need me.

Yoh needs someone like me in his life, and I'm constantly reminded that once upon a time, I needed him. Ren seems to be so independent. He doesn't show interest in anything. He's strict and straight to the point. He appears to hold bountiful knowledge in that head of his. He has some sort of look in his eyes that I can't help but get lost in sometimes.

"What?"

I blink. ...like now. The Tao heir appears to have caught me staring, running free and getting tangled in those eyes. They are evil. They have the intent to ensnare and intimidate, and the worst part is that they work. Asakura Hao couldn't even make me tremble in fear. This boy's gaze makes me shake. He probably thinks he knows how much I dislike him, knowing that he stands in Yoh's way and one day he will have to be gotten rid of. He probably thinks he knows exactly what I'm thinking when I get disoriented in his eyes.

"You're standing in the way of the air conditioner," I retort.

It's not as if I'm lying. I can't sit and try to watch my soap operas when it feels a thousand degrees in here. Back from his usual training, Ren was standing directly in front of the air conditioner, blocking it from getting to me. He was half clothed. Ren was only wearing his trousers and a towel around his neck. Getting a view of his sweating muscular body was not something I needed. I was already aware that he had more muscle built on his skinny frame than Yoh.

"And your solution to it is giving me the stink eye?"

That damn voice. There is so much that frustrates me about that boy.

"I'll do what I please in my own home. You're lucky you're here. Move."

He appeared to 'tch' beneath his breath, lifting up a portion of the towel to wipe the side of his head as he stepped out of the way if only to avoid any further interaction with me. Sometimes it bothers me, the way he is able to completely disregard my existence. He has never been and will never be under my jurisdiction. I have always known this, so why does it continue to bother me?

As the air returns to me, I feel refreshed. Getting what I want is a natural notch on my belt. However... now the air is bringing this scent with it; this wafting aroma. Realizing that the slightly metallic and musky scent was coming from the male who was now merely standing beside the AC unit, my nose wrinkled up some. It was odd, the way that I liked it. It was strange. Ren seemed to notice the way the face that I made. I saw his brow cock up as he leaned over a bit.

"Something else pissing you off, your highness?" he beckoned.

I wasn't even readily able to answer him at the moment, not sure exactly what I was supposed to say. That he reeked and I disliked inhaling it?

I didn't respond immediately, and it seemed that his already short patience had been reached when he pulled his arms up and returned to an upright position, his eyes glued to the wall now and no longer giving me proper concern.

"You know what? I don't care."

"Excuse me?"

I don't even know what just happened. My words just came out. Anything that even came across in the slightest as disrespectful was not something I was trained to deal with. If anything, I would slap the face off of Yoh or anyone else if they came at me with those words. How dare that man. How dare he let those words fly out of his mouth and battle me with those eyes. Whenever they looked at me, it was a rush of chills up every part of my body. He wasn't much taller than me, but I suddenly felt so small beneath their gaze, like a prey to his predatory nature.

"For a second I cared to know what had your panties in a bunch, before remembering that they are always in a bunch, and not only is it not a priority of mine, but I don't care," spoke Ren in a rancid tone of voice.

His attitude reminded me of spoiled milk. I don't know what it was that made me let go of the situation rather than taking control of it the way that I always have. I didn't speak or even offer some sort of grunt hidden under my breath. I snatched the remote and crossed my legs before turning up the volume on the television.

When it comes to raw talent and hard work, talent will always win. No matter how hard someone can work to get your attention and affection, the one who has the knack for it will always come out on top.

I watched Ren leave out of the corner of my eye, and took in his scent one last time.