AN:-: Right, it took me long enough to make. Review if you want but this story was made in hopes of influencing other people to post their own DD fic. Seriously, the archives are almost empty at the moment...


Chapter 1: Who?


"Reiji! Wake up idiot! I can't believe you fell asleep again!" Reiji jolted up in a form of panic as a book impacted with his head from behind. Groggily, after he'd realised there was no danger, he turned round in his seat to see Maiko in another of her angry moods. Scratch that, she was like a living version of that proverb, hell hath no fury like a woman's scorn.

And Maiko always told him he never learn anything from sleeping in class... Unfortunately in it's own way, that was true too. Because as a result of his sleeping in class he'd had to copy all of her notes for the last month.

"Yeah Reiji, that makes what, three times in the last hour? When are you going to buckle down and start studying?" Daisuke leaned over his desk towards them. Ever since Kyoji told him politely to piss off during a game at one of the Dragon Drive daily Battle Royals he had become increasingly friendly with both Reiji and Maiko. Reiji honestly couldn't careless about the guy but got annoyed when became consumed by his self obsessed rivalry for Maiko's affection. Maiko didn't seemed to mind either, in fact, she liked to have someone around to enforce her views.

"Ah, not you too Dais." Reiji shot him a dead-pan look.

"Don't start Reiji, Daisuke's got a point-"

Daisuke looked shocked. "I do?"

"Of course!- Reiji, you need to start getting your act together." Daisuke nodded along, perfectly content with being favoured by Maiko. As usual.

"What's been keeping you up so late anyways? I mean, you're lazy but usually you don't look so drowsy all the time..." At the sound of concern in Maiko's soft voice, Daisuke perked up, realising his short moment of affection was gone, rose up to the occasion and tried to regain it by adding his sympathies. He studied Reiji's face and now that she had mentioned it, the guy did seem overly sleepy.

"Yeah Reiji, mind explaining the panda-eyed look?"

He really didn't. Not that he couldn't, he just didn't want to. And didn't have to, as fate would have it. The bell rang and squeals of glee echoed down the corridors from younger classes.

However, just as he got up from his seat a hand grasped his shoulder. He shot a look at Maiko, who sighed and gave him a look that said, "take it like a man, you deserve it for sleeping in class idiot" before she turned tail and left the room closely followed by Daisuke who hurried promptly after her with vows to walk her home and keep her safe from whatever shadows decided to twitch in the dark etc. It all sounded ridiculously cheesy to Reiji.

Reiji gazed longingly after them but eventually sighed and turned round to meet a less than amused teacher. Putting on a fake grin he shrugged out of her hold as he asked weakly why she stalled him.

"Oh, I'm not the one who wants to talk to you, no Reiji, I've long since given up trying to convince you to study. Instead I thought I'd seek help from the discipline committee. They've been kind enough to give me a list of pupils who are willing to tutor you at weekends or during detention after school every day. Take your pick."

Reiji groaned. They were both dud options but he supposed he'd have to side with weekends given that he needed practice for that Dragon Drive tournament that was coming up. It wasn't so much that he wanted the fame but it was the only thing he'd ever really been decent at. That and he wanted to show Maiko he could stick to it.

"Weekends."

"Busy after school? I didn't think you were part of any clubs..." The teacher seemed interested. He supposed it might have given her some hope that he was doing something constructive with his time at long last.

Reiji nodded. "Yeah I go to a local youth centre daily." He wasn't really lying but if it made the woman ease up on his grades and her punishment exercises and essays he figured it'd be fine.

"And here I was thinking you were wasting time at home! That said you still have to work hard to get your grades up." She handed him a sheet of paper. He sighed when he saw the names on it. Or rather, name.

"Miss, there's only one name on this..." She nodded in response.

"You didn't think you'd get to choose who helped you, did you?" Reiji put his head on the desk. "Unfortunately for you, weekend tutorial is popular. Almost everyone who is offered the chance to take part in this program does and because so many have chosen weekends this term there's basically no one else left for you to choose from. Sorry."

"It's fine." Not. There's no way I'm gonna cope!Reiji thought to himself. Maybe Maiko could help.


"And?" Said Maiko excitedly. Reiji hated that she was enjoying this. "Who'd you get?"

"Him." Reiji sighed over his glass of water. He'd joined the others when he reached their spot at the conjoined café in the Dragon Drive's main hall. It was a small place easily missed by those who were desperate to get to the game's hall or shop. Their alcove was against a wall decorated with an elongated image of two dragons - a hydra and one of those big red ones that kicked Reiji's ass last week - fighting in what could be described as claw-to-claw combat.

"Who's 'him'?" Daisuke took another sip of his drink. He seemed as surprised as Reiji felt embarrassed by Maiko's next bout of giggles.

"The'him' the one that Reiji likes." Daisuke choked on his next mouthful of water.

"No I don't!"

"Yes you do! Look, you're bright red! Isn't he Daisuke? Daisuke?" She patted the poor boy on the back to try and stop his coughing fit. "Dais, you okay now?"

Daisuke would have died and gone to heaven if he hadn't just calmed down from almost suffocating himself. Nodded dreamily then snapped out of it when he remembered what they were just talking about.

"Hang on a minute, a 'him'? As in a guy?" Maiko nodded and Reiji put his head in his hands on the table. "Wait, wouldn't that make Reiji...?" Maiko nodded again smiling. "Dude I had no idea you were gay."

"And that he's got a crush." Maiko added.

Reiji glared at her to keep quiet. "It's not a crush!"

"But it's a something that's not rivalry, yes?" She giggled. Daisuke's eyes glittered with glee, not only did he not have to compete for the girl of his dreams heart anymore (not that he had much competition) but he now also had some golden information that he could tease Reiji with. Today was a very, very good day.

"You know what? I'm gonna go change. Please cool off all that teenage girliness while I'm gone?" Picking up his school bag Reiji left in the direction of the bathroom leaving Maiko and Daisuke alone to talk.


Elsewhere in a quieter corridor of the facility, Kyoji sneezed.


AN: sorz if you didn't get that joke don't worry it'll make sense later... Hopefully.