Chapter One
Students streamed into the courtyard as the bell rang to signal the lunch hour. Valeria High School was one of the top schools in the area, and was also host to a most unusual group of friends. All crammed at one table, eight varied students sat. Three freshmen, three juniors, and two seniors, they made for interesting company. The youngest, Syaoran, Sakura, and Tomoyo, were the best of friends, while still remaining close to the others. The juniors, an…interesting…trio, were Doumeki, Watanuki, and Himawari. But the two who stood out the most were the seniors. Kurogane was Tomoyo's older brother, and Fai was one who everyone largely thought was insane. No one really knew what their relationship was like, as Fai took great pleasure in pissing Kurogane off, though the larger teen had never gotten (too) violent with him, despite his being known as the guy no one wants to mess around with. At that moment, they were having another one of their many "exchanges".
"How the hell do you eat that sugary crap?" Kurogane asked in dismay as Fai shoved what seemed to be the seventh of many pastries covered in chocolate into his mouth.
"Because it's good!" Fai beamed. There was a mix of groans and laughter as he tried to forcibly feed one of the cakes to Kurogane. Still giggling, Sakura turned to Himawari and Tomoyo.
"Isn't it great that we have English together this semester?" she asked
"Yeah!" Himawari replied, smiling as she figured where this comment sprang from. Their teacher, who insisted on just being called Kamui, seemed to be in a similar situation to Kurogane, regarding a certain member of staff. Tomoyo chuckled.
"How is Fuuma these days?" she asked rhetorically. Finally having stopped "spreading the message of chocolate," Fai gave another bright smile.
"Alas, still no progress." Watanuki snorted.
"Is Fuuma even serious? That demented nurse could just be joking around, like he always seems to be doing." Tomoyo gave him a pitying look.
"There are a lot of things you don't see," she said, eyes flickering briefly to the silent teen who sat at his side, ignoring the frown Syaoran gave at her comment. Syaoran was very protective of his brother, even if he was two years younger than Watanuki, and he caught the gist of what Tomoyo was suggesting. Tomoyo was…observant, to say the very least. She could see some things no matter how hard someone tried to hide it, and so knew more things about the people at the table than even some knew about themselves, especially when it came to the feelings of others. She only smiled and went back to her food, knowing that at least one person was aware.
Doumkei, the one she had looked to earlier, followed her lead, though his focus was only half on his food. The reason for this was because Watanuki had beaten him to the table, and had sat next to Himawari. This worried Doumeki because Himawari was extremely accident prone, only the accidents didn't usually happen to her, just those around her. He had also caught Tomoyo's insinuation about himself, but didn't really care what she suspected the basis of his strong protectiveness of Watanuki was. Not that the boy himself ever seemed to notice, of course.
Syaoran, ignoring his consternation from Tomoyo's earlier comment, spoke up. "Don't you start working today?" he asked his brother. Watanuki made a face, pushing black hair out from under his glasses.
"Yeah, at that crazy lady Yuuko's antique shop."
"Yuuko?" Watanuki turned to Doumeki, bristling.
"What, do you know her?" he asked rather harshly.
"…Probably not."
"Then don't act like you know everything!" Again, one of the familiar exchanges that happened daily among the group. Knowing that the bell would be ringing soon, they started to gather the things that were spread around the lunch table. Watanuki was a fantastic cook, and so makes lunch for all of them every day. Whenever they tried to compliment him, he would blush and say that they didn't need to thank him, as they were his guinea pigs for all the recipes he wanted to try. It also meant that he had to carry all the containers home, and as Syoaran wouldn't be going home directly after school with him, his portion of the containers was left on the table, everyone knowing, but not saying, that Doumeki would be taking them, as they were neighbors in the same apartment complex.
True to their thoughts, they had barely finished clearing up when the bell rang. They said their goodbyes, going off in groups to the classes they shared. Kurogane and Fai had math, Syaoran to history, Doumeki and Watanuki to chemistry, and Sakura, Himawari, and Tomoyo to English. As the three girls walked into the classroom, they saw their young teacher looked up sharply, then back down at his papers in obvious relief. The girls smiled as they took their seats next to each other. Kamui got up from his seat on the desk as the bell rang.
"Everyone get out your copies of Romeo and Juliet and turn to Act II," he instructed. "You will read silently, and be prepared for a lecture over what you read." The allotted time for reading passed peacefully, and the promised lecture was barely begun when there came a knock on the door. Kamui visibly twitched as all the students looked up with various renditions of the same wicked smile. In walked a tall man with spiky black hair and odd round glasses, wearing a perpetual smile.
"Fuuma, if you would leave me alone when I am teaching…?" The smile grew.
"And miss your riveting lectures?" In a flash, he was next to Kamui, one arm slung around his shoulder as he plucked the book from the shorter man's surprised hands. "Romeo and Juliet, hmm?" He leaned closer, whispering in his ear, "For what's in a name? Is that which we call a rose by any other name would smell just as sweet." Kamui pulled away, blushing.
"Is that which we call sexual harassment by any other name would get you just as fired." Fuuma's smile grew smug.
"And yet you never report me," he pointed out. Kamui snorted.
"As if Clow would do anything but be amused, the useless principal. I'd have to take it to the district office and you're not worth the trouble." Fuuma gave the class an aggrieved look.
"And here I thought he was finally warming up to me." The class snickered at Kamui's glare.
"You're the nurse, go back to doing your job!" Fuuma sighed dramatically.
"If my beloved wishes me to be gone, then I shall be gone."
"And good riddance," Kamui muttered, looking back down at the book that he had snatched back from Fuuma. The nurse paused at the door and said the last words of their daily routine.
"I love you."
"No you don't," Kamui replied, not looking up from the book as the door closed. "Okay," he continued from where he was. "Can anyone tell me why they think Romeo and Juliet acted the way they did…" And everything moved on as it normally did.
(...)
The bell rang, signaling the end of the school day. Across campus, Doumeki wordlessly took half of the containers and walked out of the classroom with Watanuki. Without acknowledging his help, Watanuki grumbled his discontent.
"Can't believe I'm stuck walking alone with you. Syaoran had kendo practice with Kurogane again today." Doumeki grunted a reply, which caused another rant from the other about the use of using actual words. This lasted until they were passing the elementary school next door.
"…not that I'd care either way about what you'd have-oof!" He was effectively cut off as he collided with something. He managed to stay upright, though the containers he held fell to the ground. Watanuki ignored them as he saw what-or rather who-he had run into. It was a little girl, in maybe the fifth grade, with long hair and a rather despondent look.
"Oh my gosh, are you alright?" Watanuki asked, checking her over for injuries. Seeing none, he sighed in relief. Both of them knelt to help Doumeki pick up the spilled containers. "So what's your name?" he asked.
"…It's Kohane," she said quietly. Watanuki smiled.
"That's a pretty name. Mine's Watanuki, and this great lump is Doumeki." Doumeki murmured a greeting as Watanuki glared at him. Kohane giggled a little at them, and his glare softened. "Here, let me apologize for running into you. Is there anything-"
"Excuse me!" The three of them turned at the sharp voice. A fashionable looking woman was striding towards them, tight look on her face. Kohane seemed to shrink into herself as the woman reached them, as Watanuki and Doumeki stood by warily. "Who are you?" she asked them harshly.
"Just people passing by, mother," Kohane said remotely. Kohane's mother glared at them.
"Stay away from my daughter if you please," she said coldly. "Come." She started walking away. Kohane gave them a small smile.
"I have to go. It was nice to meet you." With that, she followed her mother. Watanuki frowned after them.
"That didn't seem right to me," he said quietly.
"No, it didn't," Doumeki agreed. It was apparent that Watanuki was upset by what they saw, in that he didn't go into a rant about Doumeki and where he could shove his opinions. Taking advantage of the relative calm, Doumeki asked, "You like kids?" Watanuki shook his head.
"Well, I mean, I suppose I do, but she…reminded me of myself, I suppose." Doumeki did not like this answer. He had seen the lonely look on the girl's face, and had recognized it as the same on hat the bespectacled teen beside him often wore when he thought no one was looking. Doumeki had the sense that, despite the group of friends they had, Watanuki did not feel as if he truly fit in with them. Something else gave proof to that, something he saw when they had first met…
"…Didn't your job start today?" was all he said. And watched as the other started to flail wildly and start to run.
(...)
Meanwhile, back at the school, four of the friends were in the gym. Kurogane and Syaoran stood facing each other, practice swords in the ready position. Sakura and Fai sat in the stands, watching the lesson with interest, though perhaps different reasons for that interest. Fai had convinced a blushing Sakura to come along and cheer on Syaoran, who had also blushed when he saw that his pretty classmate was going to watch. Fai (and everyone else) had noticed their interest in each other, and was delighting in playing matchmaker. Also, it afforded him with more chances to tease Kurogane, something that he enjoyed, perhaps too much.
As they took a break, Fai smiled as he saw Syaoran blush at Sakura's praise.
"Tch. Idiot." He looked around to see Kurogane looking at him. "You always have to meddle in other people's lives, don't you," he stated, not bothering to phrase it as a question.
"They're too shy to do anything by themselves. I'm just giving them a little push in the right direction." Kurogane did not look convinced. Finally he shrugged.
"Not my business. Though if you smile like you just did, those fake ones you always wear are going to be more obvious." Fai smiled wider, not letting it falter despite the surge of panic he felt.
"I have no idea what you mean, Kuro-rin," he said in a joyfully mocking tone that made the red eyed man grit his teeth. But he didn't blow up as he usually did when called those ridiculous nicknames. He only gave the blonde a level look that said he wouldn't let himself be distracted, not this time. Message delivered, he turned back to teaching the kid how to use a sword, knowing that the idiot blonde was going to have his barriers up even stronger now.
They had met about a year before, having been forcibly paired up for a class project. He noticed that the hyper guy always smiled too damn happily, being that he never seemed to actually mean it. Something had obviously happened in his past, and he was trying to act as if it didn't, that much Kurogane was able to tell. This was the first time he had called the blonde out on it. He was getting tired of the plastic mask he wore, and was determined to tear it away, whether he liked it or not.
Fai had escaped to the bathroom as soon as Kurogane and Syaoran had continued their sparring. Looking in the mirror, he let his carefree façade fall, showing the bleakness that was always just below the surface. He stared into the blue eyes reflected in the mirror.
"I need to hide it," he whispered, "or maybe it's time to leave? If they ever find out about you, it will never be the same. I can't let hi-them know. They can never know."
A/N: Yeah, it's a bit stilted, I know, I'll try to work on it! Anyways, this is a rewrite of something I (hand)wrote earlier, only it is starting to go in a new direction than before, so if things don't make sense, please give a shout! Also, it's kind of a start-in-the-middle, so be assured that all will be explained! :)