36 Drabbles: UekiMori

1: Names

Mori was a bit confused when he first started saying it.

"Ne, Mori, what time are we supposed to meet Sano and the others today?" Ueki asked as they met up at the lockers, fishing out their outdoor shoes. Mori Ai sighed good-naturedly, rolling her eyes as she slipped into her runners and picked up her bag. Her best friend since middle school, Ueki Kosuke, was seated on the floor, lacing up his sneakers with his nimble fingers.

"Two in the afternoon. Mou, Ueki if you're going to be so forgetful I might as well swing by your place and pick you up," Mori joked, stepping forward and onto the stone floor, her head turned in Ueki's direction behind her. It was because of this that she unexpectedly bumped into someone in front of her. "Ahh! Sorry!" she apologized, holding her hands in front of her before her mouth dropped a bit.

"Its okay, Mori-san," the boy replied, his smile dazzling in the sun. Of course, he certainly didn't look like just any boy. Way to go Mori; of all the luck, you had to bump into Tadatsu Yuki! One of the most sought-after guys in the school! Already, she could feel the vicious glares being drilled into the back of her head from the admirers that were bound to be watching from behind a corner, or a locker. They were plotting her death as she stood there, shell-shocked while Yuki suddenly started asking her if she understood anything Koba-sen taught in class today.

"A-ah, yeah… it's a bit confusing at first, but I got it after a bit," Mori answered, flushing a bit. He flashed her a bright grin, his eyes lighting up.

"Really? That's great! Because I'm still having a bit of difficulty with it—"

"Ai."

Ah, there it was. She could feel him, the barest brush of his school jacket against the back of hers, his heat lengthening the red flush on her cheeks. Yuki looked surprised.

"Y-yeah, Ueki?" Mori asked a bit nervously, angling her face to look back at him. He was taller than her, so her head craned in an odd position. He was looking straight at her, his own neck craned down to compensate for the distance she couldn't cover. He had moved to the side for her comfort, bag in one hand while he placed the other on her small back, gently pushing her forward to the doors.

"We'll be late to the hot springs if we don't go now," he told her, and Mori didn't catch the tensing in Yuki's shoulders as she brushed past him, too focused on her locked gaze with Ueki.

"Ueki, we still have tons of time," Mori reminded him, as their Saturday classes had gotten off around lunchtime, like normal. But Ueki was undeterred as they stepped out into the bright sunshine.

"Well, maybe you do, but I haven't packed yet," he told her, trying to hold in his grin when her eyes narrowed and she slapped him on the head. "Itai! What was that for?" he asked, rubbing his green hair. Mori scoffed, crossing her arms. The idiot knew exactly why she hit him.

"Stupid," she muttered under her breath, annoyed. He never learned, even after all those years of staying at Sano's onsen. Mori heaved out another heavy sigh, turning to walk in the direction of his apartment. She gave an expectant look at Ueki. "Well? Come on; your bag isn't going to pack itself." Ueki just grinned, holding up a finger.

"Wait one second. I forgot to close my locker," he told her, hurrying away to avoid her wrath. Really! That boy was so forgetful sometimes; it was a good thing Mori was there to set him straight. She stood there impatiently, waiting for Ueki to come back out only to see Yuki, her classmate, be the one to step out. She remembered then that she had been in the middle of a conversation with him before Ueki had interrupted it. At that thought, another brief scowl ran across her lips. He was so rude, too! She was going to have to teach him some manners!

"Oh! Tadatsu-san, I'm sorry about Ueki interrupting you. What were you about to say?" she asked, smiling at him. Yuki seemed uncertain now, as opposed to his confidence just a minute ago. It puzzled her.

"A-ah, it was nothing, Mori-san. I was… just trying to make conversation," he replied, fidgeting, as if he couldn't wait to get away from her. That confused Mori even more, but the thought fled from her mind when Ueki emerged out of the school, that strangely serious look in his green eyes again. And again, Mori was oblivious to the tensing in Yuki's shoulders as soon as Ueki made his presence know. There was a dark gleam in his eyes as he went to stand at Mori's side, hand lingering to brush against her back again.

"Ikou, Ai."

Mori made to obey him, but remembered what Ueki had rudely done and stood her ground. She glared up at the non-human, quivering a bit because she had never stood up to this part of him; this side of him that was reserved for only the most dire of situations.

"Ueki, earlier you cut Tadatsu-san off when he was talking to me," she informed him matter-of-factly, losing a bit of confidence when Ueki didn't seem to bat an eyelash, his face blank.

"Did I?" he replied to her statement, making her cheeks flame with anger. She placed her hands on her hips, shifting into an aggressive stance and glaring at him and his obliviousness.

"Yes!" she exclaimed, "you did! That was really rude, Ueki. You should apologize to Tadatsu-san." Yuki opened his mouth here to interject frantically.

"There's no need for that! It's not a big deal," he said, trying to deter Mori. But she was firm in her stance, still glaring up at Ueki, who remained expressionless. Yuki suddenly had a sense of foreboding when Ueki's head turned in his direction, his eyes shadowed by his dark green bangs.

"No, Ai's right," Ueki replied in his rough, subdued voice. "Please forgive me, Tadatsu-san, for interrupting you while you were talking to Ai." He paused. "It won't happen again." Here, Ueki tilted his head up so subtly, Mori didn't notice it, but Yuki did. Because it revealed the predatory gleam in his eyes, striking Yuki with such intense ferocity that he immediately understood the underlying meaning of Ueki's afterthought.

'Back off.'

(He knew when something was unattainable; when something was dangerous to play with. Tadatsu Yuki knew when to back off of something.)

(Mori Ai was that something.)

"Huh, he left so quickly," Mori mused as they walked the road to Ueki's house. Ueki himself was walking beside her, school bag dangling behind his head because his hands were resting against the back of his head. He had gone back to calling her 'Mori', again, which firmly puzzled her. It didn't used to happen as often as it did now, she thought, humming in contemplation. He would just randomly revert from calling her 'Mori' to calling her 'Ai', confusing and embarrassing her. She often wondered why her parents had to give her such a misleading name.

'Ai'…

'Love.'

Mori flushed red again, pouting a bit as she brushed a stray lock of her blue hair away. It was giving her such a headache! She never pretended to try to understand Ueki's oddities, but that was because they weren't about her! This one was, though, and it was annoying her to Hell because she couldn't figure it out.

"Tadaima," Ueki said suddenly, and Mori realized she was so deep in her thoughts that she hadn't registered entering Ueki's apartment. His words created a swell of warmth inside her. She would never get tired of hearing that.

"Okaeri," she responded back in kind, forgoing the traditional Japanese greeting for an outsider entering someone else's home. Ueki turned to her, a soft but powerful smile on his lips as he helped her inside. Mori was sure Ueki never tired of hearing her say those words either.

Stretching, Mori padded inside the house in socked feet, dropping her school bag on the ground. They would have to take a detour to her house so she could pick up her own travel bag and get a change of clothes. She dropped to sit at the table, watching Ueki disappear into his own room. She was about to join him and help pack when he walked out in casual clothes carrying a duffle bag. There was a sheepish smile on his face.

"Oops," he said, scratching his cheek, "guess I did pack."

Mori's eyes narrowed at him.

"Idiot," she responded, groaning and getting up off the floor. "Now, because of you, I have to go just when I started to make myself comfortable." Mori was a bit surprised, though, when Ueki's hand suddenly clamped down on her shoulder, his eyes darker than they were just a second ago.

"Why don't you stay for a bit? It doesn't take that long to get to your house from here," Ueki said, easing her back onto the floor. "I can make tea." He actually went to do just that, not even giving her a chance to respond, as if he knew already that she would say yes. It made her wonder, faintly, what went on in that head of his. She pushed the thought aside, like she did with most of her thoughts about Ueki, contenting herself with watching him bustle around in the kitchen.

'He would make a good husband.'

Mori froze, her face lighting up into a bright pink. Where the Hell did that come from? She swore that if Inumaru put that in her head… oooh she'd sock him!

"Mori?"

Mori jumped, blinking and seeing Ueki place a tea set onto the table. He was looking worriedly at her. "Are you okay? You're all red," he told her. His eyebrows furrowed in thought. "Are you coming down with a fever?" Ueki scooted closer, placing his hand on her cheek. She swatted it away, her blue eyes darting to the cups.

"I-I'm fine," Mori told him, busying herself with pouring them both tea. She tried willing her blush away, and it seemed to work once she felt the heat leave her face. Ueki took one of the cups from her, sipping quietly as Mori simply held hers in her lap, staring at her faint, mottled reflection. She couldn't help but wonder at how quickly the time passed as she studied her own features, like she was seeing them for the first time.

Sixteen.

Mori didn't think the number fully registered yet, finally taking her first sip of tea. Had it really been four years since the tournament? It was funny, because she still felt like she was twelve. Ueki probably did too, Mori mused with a smile. He hadn't changed at all in the past four years. Still self-sacrificing, still noble and just, still a total, complete idiot… need she go on? The only thing that has changed about him is the way he looks, but even then Ueki's stayed mostly the same. He's just a bit taller, a bit more muscular… a bit more rugged and handsome-looking…

Argh! Bad train of thoughts! Bad!

"Mori! What are you doing?" Ueki shouted, grabbing her hand in his callused one. Mori blinked in surprise, realizing soon after that she had been smacking herself in the face as if punishing her bad thoughts. Her face flushed red again, the colour coming back with a vengeance as if to say "you can't keep us down!"

"A-ah, it's nothing!" Mori exclaimed, ripping her hand away. She stood quickly, thumping her cup of tea onto the table and shuffling away. Her feet lead her to the picture of Ueki's adoptive mother, Haruko. She was smiling gently, as if comforting Mori in that moment. It made Mori smile, taking a short moment to pray to the makeshift shrine. Ueki had remained silent behind her, watching her pay her respects to his mother until she stepped back, turning to face him. There was a nervous twitch to her face. "Ueki…?" she spoke up hesitantly. Ueki blinked at his name.

"Yeah?"

Mori fidgeted, before finally asking, "Why do you keep switching from 'Mori' to 'Ai'?"

Ueki's eyes darkened, and suddenly Mori wanted to take the question back. But she couldn't, because it was there now, hanging in the air; the tension thick and heavy on her shoulders. She gave a start when Ueki stood suddenly, advancing towards her. She was completely taken by surprise, instinctively stepping backwards to keep distance between them until her lower back hit the edge of the table where Haruko's picture presided. Ueki's arms shot out, gripping the table on either side of her body, his sinewy muscles taut. She was trapped in his closeness, breathing in the very masculine, very unique scent that was Ueki Kosuke. His smell was intoxicating and dizzying, and it took a while for Mori to realize that Ueki had asked her something.

"… what?" she replied, trying to focus on the words spilling out of his mouth rather than the timbre of his rough, husky voice. They were wrapping around her, a slow seduction of cadences that rendered her almost speechless.

Ueki chuckled at her response to his question, the rumble piquing Mori's curiosity. What would it do to her, she wondered, if she was pressed against him, feeling the vibrations that would travel up and down his body. She got something almost as good when Ueki leaned down, his lips sweeping the strands of her blue hair briefly, coming to rest just beside her ear.

"Do you have any idea what your name does to people?" Mori blinked at his question, her thoughts still muddled from the closeness of his body. But she was able to recognize that her name did have a very special meaning, although she wondered what that had anything to do with Ueki's strange toggling of her name.

Her confusion must've showed in the hesitation of her response, because Ueki chuckled again, breathing into her ear a sound she would never forget for the rest of her life.

"Ai."

It was her name, but it was not. Because she had never heard Ueki say her name that way before. Like it was the very life that sustained him; the very air he breathed. A concord of wonders, a harmony of impossible miracles, the quintessence of his very soul wrapped up in the one simple syllable of that which was her name, but was not.

"U-Ueki…" He tensed above her, his name obviously sparking some negative feelings that came rushing to the surface. It frightened her a little bit.

"That's not my name," he murmured gently into her ear, sensing her fright and attempting to dispel it. Mori was confused, trying to lean back and gain more distance between the two of them. Her back was starting to hurt from the strain.

"W-what? But Ueki—"

"That's not my name," he repeated, hissing now. Mori's breath hitched, and she understood. There was a small pause before quietly, she whispered into the room.

"Kosuke."

The reaction was instantaneous.

There was a little clack behind her, and Mori registered it as Ueki gently putting his mother's picture face-down, shielding her from the wicked actions of her beautiful son as he grasped desperately at the girl in his arms, tilting her face up and pressing his lips to hers.

"Ai," he whispered reverently as he broke off for the slightest second, allowing them both to regain breath before diving back in, ravishing her pink lips. "Ai," he groaned when they came back up for air, his hands sliding down to her hips, pulling her flush against him, feeling her soft curves against his hard planes.

"Ai."

He was telling her he loved her.

It wasn't long before she realized she wanted to tell him too.

"Kosuke." Her arms slid around his neck, trapping him now in her closeness, although she was sure he rejoiced in it, rejoiced in the knowledge of her acceptance. "Kosuke," she whispered heatedly before his lips ensnared hers once more, almost bruising in their force before they slipped away, a burning trail that left dancing embers on her skin. Down, down, down to the pale, untouched column of her throat.

"Kosuke."

Her knees gave out from beneath her, heart swelling when Ueki didn't even falter in catching her, pulling back from her neck before lowering her gently to the floor. She was breathing heavily, as was he, and leaned against him when he sat down next to her. Ueki welcomed her, slipping an arm around her waist and burying his nose in her hair.

"Ueki…" Mori started, only to feel his fingers tighten around her waist. "Kosuke," she tried again, succeeding when his grip slackened. She hesitated before asking him uncertainly, "Kosuke… what just happened?" He smiled against her hair. Even as smart as she was, Mori could not figure out this thing that was so simple to understand. What happened between the two of them?

Something beautiful… unforgettable… wonderful. A miracle in and of itself that could be described so many ways, could be put into so many words but would still be unexplainable. It was something incredibly powerful and all-consuming and omniscient, so much so that there could be only one word to describe even the slightest of its impact. And right now, it was not a word, but a name.

"Ai."

A/N This is all joyejoyu's fault. (She's on Deviant Art; go look her up she's awesome!) This stemmed from her UekiMori comic, "First Names". If you want to see a really sexy picture of Ueki, seriously, GO CHECK IT OUT! Otherwise, hello and I hope you enjoyed this. :)

Snowflake Flower