To Reach
By: KuroDahlia
Summary: Alibaba wanted to be friends with the solitary transferee, Hakuryuu. When he makes up his mind to attempt in doing so, One day, many hurdles comes crashing down as if to stop him. Will he befriend him or will it be something more? An AliHaku One-shot.
Disclaimers: I do not own Magi
Warning: Rated T. Unbeta-ed. Foul mouths mostly by a raven-haired priest, pink-haired tyrant and a sullen red-haired emperor-prince.
Alibaba found Hakuryuu as a strange yet intriguing creature.
The latter, unlike Alibaba, was not close to anybody despite transferring for three whole months on the Private Sindria School of Manhattan. He gave off the aura of reclusiveness and seemed misanthrope to one's eyes, since when somebody attempts on starting a conversation of some kind, or accidentaly touching the porcelain shaded skin of his even, he growls in what would one could fathom as intense displeasure.
The blonde always took a side glance to this raven-haired peculiar boy. Alibaba, in general, was a social person. He tries to befriend anybody and everybody, ranging from bullies to the one being bullied, from gangsters to the academically capable ones. Everybody respects him and is popular because of such disposition. However, Hakuryuu was different. He was one of a kind. It was like, for you to get closer to this lone wolf, you needed to shatter an invisible impregnable wall. And he doubts himself if he could be successful in doing so.
It was one of the coldest winter mornings that his burning passion to befriend or get even an inch closer to the oriental transferee raged. He nodded to himself idiotically before taking off for school, in which was a tiny distance to walk, given that he lives in a school dorm. He had the knowledge that the other was also the same, noting that he saw the man from time to time on the dorm. It was when he noticed the other's continuous disappearing and vice-versa that he came to a conclusion that the other was an early bird. But what was strange was that, whenever he arrived on the classroom both shared (they were classmates) the other was nowhere in sight.
So, in attempt to get closer to the boy, Alibaba woke up early on a freezing day to track Hakuryuu as to where he always went during the earliest mornings and came back late at that. The blonde wore multiple layers of jackets and draped his neck with a warm muffled red and yellow scarf. The same color combination could be applied to the pair of mittens tightly covering his hand. His blonde brows scrunched in determination, leaving blonde streaks of unkempt hair to stick from his head, ruining his already anomalous hairstyle.
It was when he twisted the gold doorknob leading to the dorm hallway that his goal became harder to achieve.
"Wait, you bastard! Give it back!" A hoarse voice came from the deeper chambers of the dormitory, followed by an irritating laughter that could only belong to a pink-haired royalty of china whom, so much, resembled a girl than a boy but possesses a personality worser than that of a demon's.
"It must have been Kouha and Judal…" The blonde muttered under his breath.
The Royal Family of China enrolled to the prestigious Academy two years ago. The first prince, Ren Kouen is currently a senior and in his last year on the Academy same with Sinbad, The principal's charismatic and handsome son who always wore a sly smile over those thin lips of his. Kouen was followed by the second prince who was a year younger by him, Ren Koumei. He can be so easy to identify by his scruffy red hair and huge eye bags. The Third Prince was Ren Kouha and as described earlier, he's darn feminine, enough to make the girls curl into a ball in his presence. Although, the fact that Ren Kouha has much more girls surrounding him than boys confessing to him doesn't vanish. There were two princesses who enrolled too. The First princess was Ren Hakuei, a very gentle individual who has a not-so-human strength and beating up people who breaks the rules of the school. Next in line, or rather, next in the 8th line was Ren Kougyoku, An arrogant yet in truth shy person who has a strong will to pursue the things she believes in. Lastly, was the priest of the Royal Family (If you could even make a priest enter the same school in truth, that is) Judal. Well, the youngster loved to smile a lot, like really, a whole lot, to the horror of the ones being bullied. Despite gaining the title of priest, he was merely a mischievous brat on the blonde's eyes. (Whew, that sums, everything.)
True to his suspicions, two silhouettes that obviously belonged to Kouha and Judal made it's way to him, running in full speed. Kouha was the one being chased and Judal, of course, the one chasing after the prince.
"Like no, I ain't giving this shit back to you. Just stay with unrestricted long hair rather than that stupid airy braid!" Kouha sneered, much to the other's vexation and deepening scowl.
"Screw you, Kouha! I'll make you regret doing this childish prank if you don't give my hair tie back!"
"No, No, No, No, NO WAY IN SEVEN HELLS Am I gonna give this back to you!~"
Alibaba looked at them with expressions erased from his feature. He then drew an exasperated sigh. "Language guys and good morning." He voiced out without much effort due to being used of the duo's constant bickering. Kouha raised his hands paired with a joyful, "Good morning, Alibaba!" as a response. The latter on the other hand, pain no attention to the blonde, and was much more focused on getting the smaller of the two to return his beloved golden hair tie.
Alibaba's mouth came unhinged after seeing Judal's silky raven hair in all directions, making him stifle a laughter that was not unnoticed. Judal stopped from his tracks and faced the blonde with an oh-so-dangerous glare that could make anyone piss on their pants. "Did'ya just laugh, you cunt."
Alibaba flailed his hands as a refusal but the smile that formed on his lips was showing the opposite. Crimson orbs clashed with the golden ones as it intensified more when Alibaba burst into laughter and began rolling on the floor literally while slamming his right hand on it. Judal snarled as he brought the other on the mid-air while clutching the first layer of the other's jacket, in which was quite a lot of effort and strength, considering that they were almost the same weight. Judal must have been fairly pissed off.
"You pickin' a fight with me, you bastard!"
Much to Judal's annoyance, Alibaba replied with a sheepish grin while airily laughing, "No, No, I definitely am not. I don't pick fights and you know that! I just thought that…" Alibaba trailed and as if on cue, a blush made its way into his tanned cheeks, "Well, you look really beautiful if you keep your hair that way!"
Judal stared at him, flabbergasted. And it was after a long millisecond that the boy's words registered into his head as a ferocious tint of red made its way into his cheeks as well. He instantly removed his grasp from the other and looked away, "W-What the hell are you saying, you faggot! Never knew you swing that way. Ew, don't come near me."
It was after that, that Judal treated him like a bug (Boy, the raven-haired priest loathed bugs which is much more gayish) and kept his distance away from him.
"What's going on? I thought Judal was still chasing but he wasn't." Kouha popped out of nowhere and the magi remembered his main target. "KOUHAAAAAAA!" He screamed and chased after the prince again, making Alibaba sigh in both relief and chagrin.
He made his way down the stairs, only to be welcomed by a mouthwatering aroma. He sniffed and sniffed and finally arrived at the kitchen. It was like a heavenly treat before you could scream. On the kitchen, was The First Princess, Ren Hakuei, stirring the not-so-delectable purple porridge while humming a song of what can be derived as an 80's. Alibaba had the urge to throw up, remembering his three days of suffering in his wormhole after eating the princess' cooking.
"No shit man…" He spoke in such a way that his words could be described as an undertone. But that undertone was not unheard by the sharp ears of the princess.
"Oh my, good morning, Alibaba. You are quite early! Why, you should eat breakfast first before heading out. You will not have a fine class if you don't eat." Hakuei smiled his one million dollar smile at him which made him back off and shake his head without tomorrow.
"No, I'm fine, Hakuei! I've already eaten the leftover bread in my room (Which was not false, either) and is quite full now! By the way, why are you here?…..This is the boy's dorm right?" His fake laughter echoed throughout the room but his curiosity was, at the same time, perked up as well, wanting to hear the other's answer since it's just that rare to have a woman enter the dorm.
Hakuei's smile never wavered. Instead, it curled up more as it was soon followed by a chuckle. It was by then that Alibaba will do practically ANYTHING just not to hear the other's response to his query.
"Well, you see-"
"Err, umm, you don't have to tell me, Hakuei! I'm sorry for asking, bye!" Alibaba then bolted, leaving a surprised Hakuei but later put her smile in place again and a statement that says, "Oh, such youth!"
Alibaba halted at the library, huffing and regaining the normal synchronization of his heart, which was about to burst out of exhaustion. "Why did I even…" Alibaba sighed nth time of the morning.
That was when a loud thud registered to his ears. Being a Good Samaritan that he is, without further thought, he immediately rushed to the scene: Inside the dorm's library.
He arrived only to see a huge amount of dust that has formed into a magnificent thick smoke, and books scattered everywhere.
"W-what the-" Alibaba couldn't help but be in a state of shock.
A certain familiar groan was then picked up under the huge pile of books. Hurrying, he removed the books with his strong palms only to uncover a person with a really unkempt hair, much more to his bed hair, or rather, to anyone's, in particular.
"Err-, are you okay, Koumei?" He asked the senior, to which the senior replied with a slight gesture of hand that clearly says 'go away'. Koumei was an introverted person similar to Hakuryuu but he was respectful, unlike the latter who can be identified as some sort of snobbish.
"O-okay.. If you don't need help.."Alibaba then, promptly vanished from the older's range of sight.
Alibaba was at the doorstep when he got pulled inside again, almost instantly, he shifted his head to see the perpetrator, only to meet a pair of magenta hues to which he knew clearly as to whom it belongs.
"Kougyoku!" He uttered in an alarmed manner, "Why the hell are you in the boy's dormitory?"
Kougyoku replied with an almost blinding smile," I have just come to visit here since I am already finished on fixing myself." She then blinked and asked out of curiosity, "I can very well see that you are finished as well. Are you heading to school now?"
"Yes-, I mean, No. Not yet, I still have a place to go." Alibaba stuttered, trying to get his self altogether.
Kougyoku accepted his excuse with a hum. "Then, do you need a company, perhaps? I could go with you.."
"Ah, no- I'm fine, thanks! I need to be alone." The blonde countered and ran away despite unable to hear the 8th princess' response. Kougyoku was a stubborn person after all, but that was what he liked about her.
The snow under his feet was making him incapable to run faster than his usual faster ones, making him gain a plenty of cold sweat and freezing his body despite the layers of his clothing. "Brr- That's cold!" He managed to mumble after tripping by a rock that surfaced from the pile. And as clumsy as he is, managed to fall head-first, making him look like he purposely dived with his arms stretched infront of him.
"Oww, Why the hell am I so unlucky today?"
"Are you okay, Alibaba?" A smooth voice queried and the boy slowly lifted his head to see Sinbad, a confident smirk placed on his mouth.
The blonde nodded and heaved himself up, only that, his arms have given up half way, making him fall unceremoniously to the ground. Sinbad crouched and offered a helping hand and Alibaba took the palm. "Thanks a'lot, Sinbad!"Alibaba grinned and the other chuckled. "What I am doing is the right-"
Suddenly, a snowball smashed half of Sinbad's face, making him drop on the pile of snow, same with Albaba. "E-eh, Sinbad?"
What was strange about this particular scene was that, the fallen Sinbad, still had that smile of his plastered on his face.
The blonde tilted his head to the direction where the snowball came and saw the oldest of the royalty, Prince Ren Kouen, standing with another snowball in his hand, looking agitated.
"That was a rude greeting, Kouen. I would've been happy with a smack on the cheeks." Sinbad stood up and started his teasing again. And another snow ball took flight.
"Get out of my face, trash. You annoy the hell out of me." Kouen muttered before throwing snowballs to Sinbad's face, the latter getting up and starting to form a snowball in his hand again.
"Hey, brat, get out of here or I'll skewer you together with this maniac." Kouen gestured to Alibaba and Alibaba, on cue, ran away from what could now be derived as a newly created battlefield between a cruel bastard and a stalker.
Alibaba, gazing at the shadow of his two seniors, couldn't help but sight. He was much mature than those two could ever be, he bet.
He rubbed his temple and stroked his blonde fringe as a form of relieving himself. Everything inside him dropped afterwards. He narrowed his eyes on a tree nearby and saw a very, very familiar figure of what he could never imagine to be standing, or rather, hiding there.
He blinked once. Then twice.
"Ha-Hakuryuu?" He gulped, half of himself hoping that he wasn't Hakuryuu and half of himself hoping that he is. The figure slid down and seemed to have curled up like a ball. Unsure of what to do, Alibaba chose to step closer and look at the person clearly. He must have misunderstood. Yes, he should have. There's no way that Hakuryuu would look so—Pathetic. He pinned his hand on the tree and looked downwards and had his suspicions cleared. What lay before him was a shy Hakuryuu, covering his ears and tightly shutting his mismatched orbs.
Alibaba couldn't help but to laugh tensely before he cleared his throat and with those pair of kind golden panes, affectionately ask, "What are you doing here, Hakuryuu?"
Hakuryuu slowly raised his head, tears visible from the corner of his eyes, "I—uh.." Hakuryuu skittishly fiddled his index fingers, not sure where to look at. Well, looking at everything, but Alibaba, in general.
Alibaba, having noticed that the other was tense, "Uh—Oh yeah, I'm sorry. You don't like having a conversation, right? Well, I'll just leave—"
"T-that's not it, Sir Alibaba!" Hakuryuu abruptly cut him off, gripping the other's wrist down. And as if a realization struck him, he flailed around, "Err—I.."
On the other hand, Alibaba was in shock. Did Hakuryuu just address him as 'sir'? And then another realization was understood at the current situation.
"Hakuryuu…" Alibaba began.
"Yes?"
"Are you by some chance, just really really, shy?" Alibaba finished in a deadpanned manner. He scrutinized at the other male as the other darted his eyes here and there.
Yep, he was a shy type, definitely. Just like Kougyoku.
"Pfft—Ahahahahahahaha! So that was it?!" Alibaba held his stomach down, his laughter seemed like it would continue for eternity for the hell of it. It took minutes before it died down, Anyway.
Hakuryuu then stood up and faced away from the blonde, a bit offended by his actions. Only to be stopped by a grip on his hand. He glanced at the blonde and saw that a huge smile plastered on his face, "I'm not letting you get away now that I know that you have a side like this, you know."
And as if on signal, Hakuryuu blushed, his eyes widening as he blinked twice. Then thrice.
"Let's be friends, Hakuryuu!" Alibaba, with all his optimistic glory, offered, letting go of Hakuryuu's wrist for a shake hand and Hakuryuu, without hesitation, grabbed it.
For the first time that Hakuryuu transferred, The blonde finally saw his sweet smile. The one he longed to see.
And as for Hakuryuu, he couldn't just tell that he was secretly watching the blonde's movement every single time, which is the primary reason why he left (or hide, to be exact) early in the mornings and has developed a one-sided love after observing the blonde since his transfer, now could he?
Omake i.
Hakuei was happily making breakfast, much to the residents of the boy's dormitory's horror. Hakuei was renowned as someone who could successfully cook a poison cooking that could send the people who ate it six inches down the hard soil.
"Hakuei-dono?" A Chinese male voiced out. Like Kouha, He has the attribute that of a girl's and even his voice seemed like a girl's if you hadn't known him any better.
"Seisyuun, The breakfast will be done in a moment, okay? I will be worried sick if you would not eat!" Hakuei giggled.
Seisyuun was now extremely pale that could even make a paper jealous. He was going to die today and he knew it.
Desperately intending to change Hakuei's mind, he brought another topic, "Umm- Where is hakuryuu-dono?"
Hakuei responded with a giggle. "He is still following Alibaba around. Well, I am amazed at Alibaba rather.."
"Why is that?"
"Well, for the three whole months Hakuryuu stalked him, he still have not realized yet." The 1st princess handed a bowl of purple soup to Seishuun. Seishuun, after a second of staring at the soup, fainted.
Omake ii.Kougyoku, despite how naive she looked, was a clever lady, specifically if it is about love. He had fallen to the one and only Sinbad, whom she dreams of being his boyfriend or even marrying someday. Which was why, when he gazed at Alibaba with Hakuryuu following him around, she could not help but be jealous.
"Good luck, Hakuryuu-chan. I'm sure Alibaba will notice you someday."
And somewhere out in the universe, countless comets passed the earth as one could say that it is herd of wishing stars finally granting Hakuryuu his three month's worth of hard-work, tears, wish and love.