Sink or Swim
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Air Gear.
AN: Awesome. I've been meaning to write an Air Gear fanfic for IkkixKazu pairing for some time now (cause reading the manga dissatisfies me). Don't get me wrong, I don't hate Ringo. She's the coolest female character in my book. I just have this raging fan-girl inside me that doesn't agree with IkkixRingo (even though we all know this would happen eventually).
The thing about chapters 327-329 is that I switched the order of events up a bit. Kururu confesses to Ikki that he is her rival and respects him (nothing is said to Ringo about following her heart - cause Ikki never suggested Ringo as a tuner). Kururu can't tune, someone needs to step in. Hako volunteers, Ringo stops her. Yadayada.
Also, please review!
RATED: T
WARNINGS AHOY: yaoi, boyxboy, or homosexuals, teenage cursing, varying ratings, bad grammar, etc.
*EDITED - 03/29/12
1. The First – Chapter 327-329
"Let Ikki choose his turner." Kururu said, through soft hums of melody.
"Might I suggest that person be the one who is closest to you?"
Her gentle voice trailed through the room, causing everyone to fall deathly silence. Several of the other girls stared at her in shock, while others recognized this new proposal.
Before, there are had been an argument to determine who would be tuning Ikki's AT. A girl, Nana, had offered. But then Hako stepped into the scene, proud and demanding.
One could have guessed that the gods had given her grace, from the way she eagerly undressed.
Several of the other tuners refused her volunteer, but she didn't waver. It was when Ringo blocked her way, her efforts had been thwarted.
Thankfully, Kururu's came with right suggestion to break off the tension.
(Or there would have been a nasty "bloodbath"—as described by President John Omaha)
All eyes turned to Ikki.
The person who is closest to me, huh?
He didn't really notice the amount of weight the word holds.
All he could do was close his eyes and trace through the many faces of people he's met. There were enemies, rivals, friends, and family. He scanned through them like a list, scrutinizing his vision as if hoping for some sign. Hoping that just by looking, he would know.
And it worked.
He slowly opened his eyes once more, and felt the corner of his lips rise.
Curiosities now build to its fullest peek as everyone leaned in to hear his final decision.
He palmed the back of his neck with one hand. It was a nervous gesture, but anyone who knew Ikki well enough would know that Ikki doesn't get nervous. No, he gets excited.
But he didn't say a word. He just started walking.
He silently made his way towards a medic-girl, face flushed with eyes widened considerably.
She was not the only one who was caught off guard.
"What the hell?" Hako snapped. "Do you even know her name?"
Ringo was just as shocked (though not as frustrated), but it subsided immediately upon a second examination.
Ikki wasn't heading towards that girl.
It's Kazu.
He came to the side of the boy sprawled on the stretcher, his face made visible to his surrounding audiences. He bent down and held his position so he was several inches from setting on the ground. His eyes never left the unconscious form; nothing in this world could take his attention away.
Ikki then used one arm, the one closest to Kazu's shoulders, to angle the blond's form at 150 degrees. His arms stayed there; rather he had no intention of leaving.
And what came next was the award-winning astonishment of the year.
The Storm King lent down and lightly kissed the Flame King.
…
As if the room couldn't get any quieter.
Approximately after, Kazu's face grew dangerously red.
"Ah, so you were faking."
But all Ikki could catch from the stammering of incoherent response was: "We—fuck—"
"Love to," Ikki said with a devilish grin. "Not now. So you'll just have jack-off until I get back."
"Don't—"
Looks like his attempt at brightening the mood failed.
Ikki knew that he didn't have a lot of time to spare, and neither did Kazu. The boy could barely keep his eyes open.
"Tune with Ringo." Kazu was serious, yet his eyes said something else.
It was from the sound her name that snapped Ringo out of her daze. She blinked, attempting to hold back the tears she knew would one day inevitably come.
Granted, she never expected it would end up like this.
Ikki didn't even hesitate to answer. "I know… Kazu—"
"Shuddup," he replied back with a smile of his own. "You made that clear, idiot."
And while watching their exchange she suddenly understood what was going on. She was selected as the replacement tuner.
Meaning, she came second to Kazu.
Reality whip-lashed her, telling her that now was not the time to pay notice to her weeping chest.
She had an older sister and an unborn niece/nephew that needed to be saved. There was a foolish man attempting to tame the entire world that needed to be defeated. His other sisters and teammates are currently fending off against the nearly indestructible duo…
And all she could think about was being less important.
And the fact that she couldn't even bring herself to hate him. Either of them.
Somehow, in the midst of being heartbroken, she felt relieved. Now that she knew for sure that he would never return her feelings, her love could now ease into a platonic state.
Now she must remind herself of her obligations.
"We must begin."
Nobody knew nor mentioned who spoke, but it was like a nullifier that broke their trance. All hands were clambering at gadgets and gears, all in hurry at the time lost.
Kazu passed out, for sure this time, and was taken out from the area. He hadn't yet received the full medical attention that he needed.
Ikki watched helplessly as they departed.
Meanwhile, girls were ordering instructions left and right. Nobody had any time to adjust, so they settled for distractions. Before they knew it, Ikki and Ringo were standing naked at the platform.
He held her close, one hand pressed against the small of her back.
Then a thought, one that she had never known could have ever existed, crossed her mind: it's awkward. It came as a surprise, since she had originally fancied this in her dreams.
Now it just…
"Ringo." She looked up, realizing that she had avoided eye-contact with him.
She then took a couple seconds to find a steady tone. "Yeah?"
The Crow stared back at her for a moment, as if contemplating his next words. But Ikki rarely contemplated which made her a little nervous.
"You are the first girl I ever met." Both the honesty and randomness in his words threw her off guard. He continued, "You were also my first friend. You introduced me to ATs, helped me expand my wings, guide me, support me, kiss me—" she blushed at that particular mentioning (even if it was platonic at the time), "—you were my first for all of those."
And for the first time he affectionately ruffled her hair, though not to the point of unraveling her pigtails. "So don't go thinking for one second that you're not important to me."
Ringo committed those words to memory.
Leave it Ikki to read her like a book.
She wanted to confess, to get it out of the way. But then she realized… she already had. He knew. And he had declined.
That was that.
"Thanks, Ikki. You're important to me too."