Tadaaaa! This is my very very first Akuroku fanfic c: I love this pairing to high heavens and I hope you'll like this little story I started here. It shall be multi-chaptered and M-rated. Please read on and if you like it don't forget to R&R! Reviews make me unbelievably happy, it's feeding my ego and energy, really. So if I receive lots of reviews I'll update faster. *Evil egotistical smirk*.

Ps: Must thank my sweet LightlessFallenAngel for the librarian idea. I love you!

Disclaimer (and this one stays throughout the whole story) : I own none of these characters, they all belong to Square Enix and trolling genious Nomura.


. : Chapter 1: Sweet Curse : .

Sweet is the curse of hearts entwined but lost, detached but bound
Sad is their fate without relief
Cruel is the curse of love, so luscious yet so dangerous
Sweet curse, our hell


One...two...three...four...

Every day was the same.

It was the same routine, the same repetitive scenario.

After approximately five seconds, five ticks of the clock, my eyes would mechanically pop open and focus lazily against the cream-colored ceiling above me. My nostrils would meet with the exact same aroma of lavender smelling bed sheets and find it difficult to move away from the overly inviting silk caressing my cheek. I'd roll over to the other side, discarding the initial idea of slipping off the bed from my mind, until familiar hands would roll the bed covers off me, gently pull me up by the hands, against my will, and bow in front of me, calm and collected turquoise eyes silently wishing me a good morning. Then he'd pad away and only return with a pile of lavender smelling, fresh clothing, set it on my bed and walk out my dorm room until I'd slip out of my drowsiness and dress myself. Even his hair always looked the same. Silver, long, tied in a carefully combed ponytail. My butler was, without mistake, a perfect robot. Sometimes I found myself pondering over his ability to feel...

Everything was perfect. My social distinction was perfect, my grades were possibly as extraordinary as could be-honour student status was proof enough. My dorm was flawlessly clean, my school was sickeningly prestigious. To complete the dangerously sweet chocolate cake-like life with a luscious cherry on top, I had my own butler. All of us did.

That's what made Cyprès de Lawson so noteworthy. No other academy could possibly outrun it, or even dream to. I liked to occasionally imagine my school in the shoes of some book's character. And then I'd laugh at its flawless misery and how strangely knit to being a Mary-sue it possibly was.

I always believed my life would stay this way, perfectly laid out for me. Forever.

Although, somewhere within my prideful mind I failed to see the hidden tricks that dropped me to my feet. I suddenly was unable to solve the simple equation that was given to me, for one day everything changed.

_,.-'~'-.,_,.-'~'-.,_,.-'~'-.,_,.-'~'-.,_,.-'~'-.,_,.-'~'-.._

I stretched myself out of the bedroom and took my plain white pajamas off, swiftly replacing them with my uniform. Taking my time, I pulled my skinny, plaid, light-blue trousers up, buttoned my white shirt and ruefully messed around with my tie. It was a perfect match with the trousers-and we never got along. I groaned and walked to the door, pulled it open and there he was, Riku, as punctual as ever, hands behind his back, waiting. He smiled at me and walked over, wordlessly took the messy tie from me and within the time frame of 6 seconds, it was skilfully fixed.

I groaned which only caused Riku's tight smile to broaden on me.

"I believe in you, master. One of these days I shall see you confidently tightening the knot around your tie."

I chuckled and ruffled my messy hair. To be perfectly honest it was rather unnerving, failing at something, but I wasn't about to let such a trivial matter as a tie ruin my day. I finished preparing myself and after Riku lifted my bag, we treaded down the hallway to my history class.

The building was old. Years old. But so perfectly looked after. It was your typical Victorian building that had undergone tremendous management to look the way it did.

I stretched my hand out and took my bag from Riku. "Take the day off today." I mumbled and looked the other way, being one hundred percent sure, without looking, that my lifelong butler and secret friend was probably quite surprised. "You work far too hard and today's day is easy. Come back tomorrow."

My eyes laid on his before I lifted an eyebrow at his silence. Riku cracked a composed and mature smile at me and bowed.

"Thank you...If it's fine with you I-"

"Sure sure it is. Now take your leave before I change my mind." I teased him menacingly. I knew he wanted to chuckle and tease me back, but Riku never did. He gave me one last bow, wished me a good day, and reminded me to take my meds before hurriedly padding down the hallway.

Good. You deserve a good day's rest for once.

That's when I feel a strong hand wrapping around my neck and I turned to see familiar blue eyes and a grin so ridiculously stretched he looked like a cartoon character.

"You're looking as grumpy as ever, dear cousin!" Sora screamed hyperly in my ear and I rolled my eyes before pulling his arm off my shoulders.

"And you look as impossibly elated as ever- even for a morning person." I remarked. "Did something good happen?"

Sora only nodded, the grin never wearing off and he slapped my back before dragging me to class. "I saw someone I missed!"

Furrowing my eyebrows, I stared at him as we sat down our shared desk. Who was there possibly to miss at a boarding school? You saw the very same faces, day after day, and we weren't allowed visitors outside of weekends.

"Ah! No, no, I'm not telling you yet, dear cousin! It's my little secret!" Sora snickered slyly and opened his textbook before grinning at me again.

Suit yourself. Not that I care much anyway. I'm just curious.

Class was fluid as always. Since the beginning of the school year I had easily gained myself the status of the top student. Remembering history was easy, solving equations was even easier, sex education was ridiculous. What was there to feel threatened over anyway?

That was, until I found myself dumbfounded in algebra class.

There's she was, my maths teacher, short dark blue hair, aqua eyes, that fitted her name like an ace. Smiling and carefree looking as ever-albeit a bit too young to teach, in my opinion. That was until she gave us an equation I couldn't solve and no matter how hard I dug in my mind for the solution. I clawed and searched and tossed and turned. It was futile, it just wouldn't come out.

Sora turned and looked at me with a stiff, grim face.

"I don't get this at all, Roxas...can you help me..?" He whispered in my ear sheepishly. It was well known that when the others couldn't solve an equation, Roxas could. I would always help them out-granted I felt like it.

So what was this ridiculous looking set of random numbers?! No explanation, no question, no nothing.

I rubbed my temple and mumbled out loud to myself.

"Complete the series... 9 = 4 ... 21 = 9 ... 22 = 9 … 24 = 10 … 8 = 5 … 7 = 5 … 99 = 10 … 100 = 7 ... 16 = ?, 17 = ? … "

I groaned and gripped my knuckles in annoyance. This demonic piece of paper was trying my patience today.

"Roxas...?" Sora muttered by my ear. "You...can't solve i-"

"Don't even think of completing that sentence." I muttered and glared at the paper. I could feel my eyes the way they itched slightly at the edges. I dared not blink, I dared not look away. What was this ridiculous situation?!

My teacher's soft giggles rung next to my ear and I turned my head around startled, only to see her walk away and stand by the blackboard-just before the bell rung.

"Well then, this shall be your homework for tomorrow." Soft smile and even softer eyes regarded us, although a little teasingly. "The ones who discover the solution to this problem shall be given a significant grade boost".

I groaned lowly and got up, Sora following. Heavens knew I didn't need a grade boost, so virtually I got nothing by completing this nuisance. There was something creeping in the back of my throat, a slight pain, or was it an irritating itch? It was my pride. I wasn't about to let a petty mathematic problem get the best of me. I'd solve it, even if it meant tossing the library upside down for help.

"R-Roxas?" Came my cousin's voice from my side as he tried to keep up with my furious pace. Oh I was going to ditch last period if it meant getting rid of this itching in my nape.

"I'm going to the library." I hissed, my pace increasing.

"What? Now? Why? -Hey, wait up!" He cried but kept up with me anyway.

"I need to solve this, Sora! This is the first time this has ever happened to me! I don't know if my brain's not working properly today, but I must solve this! I have to!" I hyperventilated, mumbling unstoppably, my hands jerking up and down in front of me.

Sora stared at me for a long moment before beaming and lightly tapping my shoulder. "I'll go get something to eat then. The library's not really my thing, genius boy! It kinda gives me the hibbie jibbies!"

Unable to help my eyes rolling at his childish remarks, I waved a hand dismissively before departing.

_,.-'~'-.,_,.-'~'-.,_,.-'~'-.,_,.-'~'-.,_,.-'~'-.,_,.-'~'-.._

The library doors were wooden, enormous and really hard to open. A tad too difficult to push, but I wasn't about to accept my body was weak. After somehow advancing past the library entrance, my nose was greeted with the familiar scent of books, of wood, of old paper...

White curtains covering wall-length windows, bookcases as tall as the ceiling, tomes and tomes of unimaginable knowledge. I caught myself smiling and stepped forward. Ashamed as I was about it, I wasn't a frequent visitor to the library. At least, not my school's library.

I reached my finger out and gently stroked a finger over a fat black tome, then a red one, another black one. Not a speck of dust, to my surprise. Somehow I had this image in my mind that fitted perfectly with the magic of this old looking library, where dust would be accompanying the tickling smell of paper.

And then, slowly padding down the left section of the library, I saw him. The most accurate personification of passion I had ever laid my eyes on.

Truthfully, I don't know what caught my attention first. Was it the tall, lean, unhealthy looking figure – that somehow oh so sinfully suited him? Was it the sense of fashion? - Thin looking dark grey tee, glued against a tiny waist and chest and shoulders. Baggy worn out jeans, leaving the tiny bit of skin around the waist bones exposed. Or was it the hair - that inhumanly massive mane of crimson hair?

My throat felt a little too dry, and I gulped and stared and stared, until confused jade eyes met mine.

And there it began, blue clashing with green, unwavering, a war of intensive gazing that send shivers down my petrified spine. And it was only when I realised that my bag had fallen off my fingers that I looked away, picked it up with inhuman speed and did everything I could to even look remotely normal.

Suddenly remembering the reason that brought me in the first place, I turned and scanned through the maths sections intently, barely breathing, my cheeks burning with embarrassment. Way to make a fool out of one's self. What's there to stare at anyway?

"Can I help you?"

The voice which spoke behind me was like the warm breeze of August, I swear. Tender but firm, throat-drying, heating one's body and making one's eyelids heavy.

I sheepishly turned around, my back against the gigantic bookcase, as emerald orbs regarded me curiously. How does one speak, again?

A smirk decorated the lion's face as he rested long fingers inside the pockets of his jeans.

"Cat got your tongue, student?"

Oh it did.

As if you're one to talk...with that Cheshire smirk of yours...

"M...Maths. I need a book about complicated mathematic equations." I mumbled with all the logic I had left, every cell in my body tingling with nervousness.

"Ah, I see. Having problems, are we? Follow me." He beamed at me and strolled to my right, furthest in the back and I followed, sinking teeth into my lower lip.

Who was he, what was he doing here? Was he a student? He looked a little mature for a high school student. Was he a teacher? Too young.

Suddenly a heavy black book was handed out to me, green clashing with blue again.

"This good enough? It's got some of the hardest equations in the universe, as far as I know, shortie."

I twitched.

Shortie?

I scanned the book, flipping the pages in a hurry, my mind torn between getting the hell out of there and staying to find out more about the peculiar human being.

"It's...It's good enough." I mumbled and held it against my chest.

"Good." The redhead beamed. "Come along so I can write your name down in that old wreckage of a computer, ok?"

A nervous smile escaped my lips and I did as told.

So, he works here.

The tall man clicked away with furious fingers against the keyboard and then smirked at me. "Your name?"

Nervousness crept up in me again and I squeezed the book so hard I'd dug my nails inside, was it possible. "Roxas."

The man kept smiling at me, as if waiting for something more.

Oh.

"R-Roxas McWillner". I responded hurriedly. He smiled and turned to the computer, typing fast again. "Ah. You're that little genius, aren't ya?" His smile reached up his multi-pierced ears and he handed me the book elated. "No wonder you were searching for that. Having trouble studying, cookie?"

What...is wrong...with this guy?

"T-There is no mathematical problem I can't solve. Apart from...apart from one I came across...today. There was one I couldn't solve...So I kind of...needed help." Ah, here I was suddenly mumbling unstoppably. Oh the embarrassment I felt for accepting my own weakness, moreover, voicing it out loud. The man, boy, whatever he was, smiled warmly at me and leaned over the wooden counter, a hand on his cheek lazily.

"Big hunk here can help you then." And there it was again, that infuriating smirk. I furrowed my eyebrows, about to burst and reject his help-after all, what could a librarian teach me? But somehow I wanted to listen, more and more, to anything he had to say.

I nodded and pulled my notebook out of my brown schoolbag, when I noticed his eyes were stuck on mine again.

Thumb. Thumb. Thumb.

Why was my heart reacting in such a worrisome manner over a tall stranger? A boy no less. Ah, it must have been the styling. Yes, that made perfect sense.

I remembered how to think and set the notebook onto the counter, flipped it at appropriate page and handed it over. I studied his features up-close carefully while given the chance. Porcelain face. Lips too soft-looking to be male. Muscular but rather thin cheekbones. A row of three piercings on his left ear. One after at the other.

"Are you kidding me, muffin?"

He snapped me off my thoughts and I blinked hurriedly, feeling like a criminal picking at his cell's lock.

"Please tell me this was just your lame-ass way of starting a conversation with me, or I'll flip."

There it was again, the summer heat, striking and strong. But no, this wasn't just any heat. My cheeks were ablaze, they were dangerously on fire.

"Y-You are being ridiculous!" I snapped and tried to snatch my notebook away but he held it there, over my hand. He is touching my hand. I jerked it back and glared up at him, only receiving a tired sigh in response, followed by sudden scribbling on paper.

Furrowing my eyebrows, I peered over the counter.

"See here, daisy dear, the word 'nine' has four letters. Thus, 9=4. 'Twenty-one' has nine letters. 21=9."

My eyes spread wide and my mouth lightly hung open. What was this trickery?!

"Thus, 'sixteen' has seven letters. 16=7. And 'seventeen' has nine. 17=9."

I slapped my face with so much force my head went dizzy, too preoccupied with my idiocy to be offended by the tasteless nickname.

The laughter ringing by my ear sprang me back to reality and I glared up at him from embarrassment.

"This wasn't even an equation..." I mumbled helplessly.

"'Course it wasn't. This is elementary school material. It's to make fools out of yourselves, kiddo. And you fell for it."

My eyes furiously locked with his which earned me another wide smile.

He's like those toothpaste commercial models...

And then, suddenly he gravitated towards me, a little too close, smirking down at me and my misery, like the god of misfortune had appeared before me .

"So this was your way of flirting after all. Quite unoriginal I admit."

My face flared up again and I violently jerked the notebook away, my glare itching my own sockets.

"I-I don't swing that way! And I never asked for your help!"

With shaky hands and a shattered pride I collected my things and ran out of the enormous library.

"You're welcome!" I heard the summery voice echo from behind me before the doors slammed close and my feet took me to the other end of the corridor.

That was the moment when my world caught on fire.