AN: Since there were so much bunnies to slay, and I suck at doing epic stories, I decided to just keep it simple and made them all kinda-oneshots. To anyone who has come to read these stories, I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I enjoyed thinking and writing about them.

Dorm AU; wherein Alibaba and Kassim and Hakuryuu and Judal have to live together in one dorm room.

Alibaba – 15, junior highschool
Kassim – 16, highschool
Hakuryuu – 15, junior highschool
Judal – 17, highschool

First Meetings

Flicking his cigarette away, Kassim eyed their new school and muttered, "I have a bad feeling about this."

Alibaba rolled his eyes at his friend, "You always have a bad feeling about everything. How's this any different?"

"And I hate this uniform," Kassim continued, ignoring his friend, "It's too oppressive."

"How is a uniform oppressive?!" Alibaba asked, staring incredulously at the older boy, "If you didn't want to come, you could've said so, you know. No one was forcing you to."

Kassim nodded, "Hmm… That's true. But then," he said, shrugging as he walked ahead, "You would've been alone. And that really wouldn't do."

Alibaba stared at his friend, surprised. Kassim was never one for chick-flick moments. The older boy hated being hugged or coddled, even by his own younger sister. He was aloof most of the time, and most other kids never dared come near him because of his attitude. He was crude, and violent, and had low tolerance of other people. At one point, he had even formed his own gang, made up of delinquents like he had believed himself to be.

At that time, Alibaba had been locked up in his own home, trying his best to please a father who couldn't even make time for his own son. It was only when Mariam came to him, crying and begging and pleading for him to save her brother that he had learned what happened to his friend.

It was a long fought battle, both with Kassim and with his own family, but Alibaba couldn't find any regrets in the decisions he'd made. It was true that he couldn't go back to his own home, not yet, not with his brothers taking over Balbadd, but he had Kassim and Mariam with him, so why shouldn't he be happy?

Smiling brightly, Alibaba ran over to Kassim and draped an arm around the others' shoulders. And, with a smile that reached from ear to ear, declared, "So you do like me that much after all!"

Weighed down by the much shorter Alibaba, Kassim protested loudly as he tried to extract himself from his friend. But as much as cursed and shoved at Alibaba, both of them knew none of his words nor were his actions the truth.

Because as grateful as Alibaba was to have Kassim with him here, Kassim was infinitely more grateful that Alibaba had never given up on him.

He owed Alibaba his future. So coming to this new school with Alibaba? It was nothing, because Kassim was willing to do much, much more for the other boy.

"Hey, Kassim?"

"Yeah?"

"I really, really think we're gonna be okay here."

Kassim thought for a moment, then nodded. Following behind a now enthusiastic Alibaba inside the campus, Kassim couldn't help but smirk.

Despite his supposed misgivings about their new school, Kassim had never thought, even for one moment, that they wouldn't be all right. Because even though Alibaba looked like a wimp and for all intents and purposes acted like one, that golden-haired idiot could honestly take care of himself.

What worried Kassim the most was,

"Hey! Pick on someone your own size! Aren't you ashamed of yourself, you idiotic hulk!"

Kassim groaned.

No. Kassim had never worried about others picking on them. He was more worried on what harm Alibaba would do to himself in trying to save others.

Shaking his head at his friend, Kassim stepped forward and prepared to intervene.

He was beaten to it though by another boy, whose face was partly burned.

"Stop it this instant!" he ordered, his voice immediately stilling the movements of all the students in the entire hallway. "Do you want to catch the attention of Judal this early in the morning?"

Curiously, at the mention of that name, everyone tensed even further. Taking the opportunity, Kassim sidled next to Alibaba and caught the other boy's arm, a precaution in case the golden-haired idiot decided to make a bigger scene.

"I wonder who that is," Alibaba whispered, his eyes not leaving the newcomer.

Kassim shrugged, "Who knows. But at least he prevented you from making a further fool of yourself. What were you thinking?" he hissed, making sure that no one was listening, "That old man Sinbad told us not to draw attention to ourselves and yet, at our very first day you do just that! Do you want to get yourself killed?"

Alibaba started, then looked guiltily at Kassim, "Yeah, sorry. Thanks Kassim."

Satisfied that his friend had finally understood their positions, Kassim motioned towards their savior and said, "Looks like he's wrapped things up already. Wanna ask him where the principal's office is?"

But there was no need, "Hello. I take it you are the transfers?"

Alibaba and Kassim blinked. And while Alibaba asked how the other knew, Kassim couldn't help but be suspicious.

"It's been a few months since the school year began and since I don't recognize your faces, the only assumption logical would be that you were new. Besides, as part of the student council, it's part of my job to know these things. I've actually been tasked to take you to the principal's office this morning. Shall we?"

Alibaba and Kassim looked at each other, then at the back of their supposed guide who was already walking ahead and then back at other.

"After you, my prince."

Alibaba rolled his eyes at his friend then he laughed and said, "No, no, Kassim-senpai. After you."

Kassim smirked, "'Senpai', huh? That actually has a nice ring to it."

"Savor it," Alibaba said, laughing, "Because that's the last time you're gonna hear that from me!"

Catching up to their guide, Alibaba, ever the friendly one, walked beside the other boy and said, "My name's Alibaba and the rude one is Kassim. Thanks for going out of your way for us!"

The other boy nodded then replied, "I have heard. My name is Hakuryuu. And you're welcome. This is nothing, really. Like I said, it's my job."

Laughing sheepishly, Alibaba scratched the back of his head as he replied, "Well, thank you for this too but I was saying thanks for what you did back there. I would've had my ass handed to me, and on my first day too, if you hadn't stepped in!"

A few steps behind them, Kassim snorted as he added, "You should've just minded your own business in the first place, you idiot of idiots."

Alibaba turned back and glared at his friend but before he could say anything to defend himself, Hakuryuu turned towards Kassim and said, "I actually thought it was pretty admirable of him. You don't get to see people going out of their way for others nowadays after all."

Surprised, Alibaba stared at the other boy. Kassim however, merely nodded, "I know. You aren't so bad yourself, student council."

At the unexpected praise, both Alibaba and Kassim were surprised to see their seemingly stoic guide blush so deeply.

"U-um, w-well, thank you, Kassim-san. Th-this way please."

Staring at their now awkwardly walking guide, Alibaba and Kassim grinned at each other before following after the other boy.

Kassim, ever the opportunist, draped an arm around the younger boy's shoulders and asked, "So, Hakuryuu-kun, what interesting things can you tell us about this school?"

"We-ell, what do you want to know?"

"I don't know," Kassim shrugged, "Oh, how about this 'Judal' person?"

And again, at the mention of the name, all the students within hearing distance stopped before quickly resuming their activities.

"That's a really interesting reaction," Alibaba commented on the other side of Hakuryuu, "What's he like? Is he like, the big bully boss or something?"

At this, Hakuryuu shrugged, "I wouldn't exactly say he's the 'boss'. But, most of the students find him terrifying. And with reason, too."

"And the teachers don't do anything about this?" asked Alibaba. Kassim made a mental note at that. Once Alibaba made up his mind about these things, there was no stopping him.

"They do," Hakuryuu answered. Then he sighed, "It's just, well… Judal is," again, the pausing of everyone within range, "He's a little different. I think that people misunderstand him, is all."

"Really now?" Alibaba muttered, prompting Kassim to make a mental note again.

"Anyway," Hakuryuu said, finally showing a smile, "It's good you aren't scared of him already. I mean, with everyone showing reactions like that and all."

"I'm just here to learn," Kassim said, ignoring Alibaba's snort upon hearing these words. "I don't really care about these things."

"Good!" Hakuryuu said. And then he turned towards them and added, "Because, you know, since you started in the middle of the semester, all the rooms in the dorms are already occupied. Usually, students on the same grade stay together, but since there are no rooms left, you two will be staying in one room. Along with two other students."

"Any idea who the two students are?" Kassim asked, elated that keeping an eye on Alibaba was going to be much easier.

"Yes, actually," Hakuryuu answered. "One of them is me."

At this, Alibaba whooped, "Hey, that's great! Let's get along with each other from now on!"

"H-hai, Alibaba-san," the other boy responded, unused to such enthusiasm.

"And the other one?" Kassim prodded.

Hakuryuu smiled, "Like I said, it's good that you aren't scared of Judal," cue the pausing, "Because he's staying in the room with us, too!"

Kassim and Alibaba looked at each other. Then Kassim sighed and said, "I knew I had a bad feeling about this."

AN: I may upload one more kinda-oneshot later on, so watch out for it. A teaser, for anyone interested:

No one from outside the castle has ever seen the third prince of Balbadd. Everyone though has heard numerous rumors about him—that he was arrogant, egotistical, a cruel master; that he was cunning and deceitful, and that he was, even at this very moment, thinking of a way to usurp his own father.

Also, I'm accepting prompts! If the bunnies pop up, I may write some of them~

Thank you, thank you for reading!