Title: By the Book
Summary: Leave it to Shion to look at sex in a completely scientific/textbook-y way. Of course, Nezumi has to rub it in Shion's face, err, well…
Pairing(s): Shion/Nezumi (can be interpreted as either romantic/non-romantic), and, if you squint, some Shion/Safu.
Rating: T, for brief sexual innuendoes and situations, and brief language (courtesy of Nezumi's potty mouth).
~xx;~
Shion liked to read. No, he didn't read English old classics such as Shakespeare like Nezumi, but what he did like to read occasionally are old school texts. Not e-books, like his school texts—old school texts, but actual hard covered books.
(Sometimes, he still had to remind himself of everything that had changed.)
A couple days back, Nezumi and Shion had come across an older man who had been lost in the deep woods. Shion, being the always eager to help, had jumped to help the old man find his way out of the woods. Nezumi had just scoffed and followed along silently, neither helping nor rebuking…yet. The man had thanked Shion afterwards and proceeded to give the snowy haired boy one of the text books he had been carrying. He was a book keeper he had said.
Shion had taken the book in appreciation, only later realizing it was a biology text and that he really didn't have much interest for the matter. It was the thought that count though.
Later, he found himself, glancing at the hard cover of the book. His scarlet eyes took in the vibrant green color of the cover as well as the blown up image of what appeared an interesting looking lizard.
He had been majoring in ecology, but Safu was majoring in biology; she loved those kinds of things.
He missed her, he missed his mother, and he missed his old home, but he knew better than to ever admit such things out loud. Nezumi was prone to snapping at him harshly or slamming him against walls and it always hurt. Not physically…or at least much, but the hurt was more of a stinging feeling in his chest. It hurt inside.
Shion realized then that he had been staring at the same page for more than necessary and tried to clear his mind before trying again. As he read, he swore he could almost hear Safu's voice in his head - her direct, unwavering way of speaking. Soon enough he felt nostalgia overwhelm him.
His mom... Safu…. No. 6….
He was making a face it appeared because as Nezumi walked in, he pointed it out offhandedly.
"I'm not," Shion denied, his fingers stopping in turning the page. He was on the part about sexual reproduction. Sperm. Safu. Why did everything have to remind him of his old life?
"You're a terrible liar, and actor." Nezumi looked down and spotted the book in Shion's hands. "You're reading that book the old man gave you? What's this…sexual reproduction?" He read and Shion closed the book, feeling warmth suddenly creep up his neck. He didn't mean to come across the chapter on human reproduction; it had just turned to that page, in all honesty.
Shion thought it was safer to change the subject so he did. "Anything new?"
The raven haired male shrugged a half-hearted shrug. "Nothing of importance," he said nonchalantly.
Shion spied one of the small mice, a light colored one, and leaned down to pick it up. It gave a small, slightly high-pitched squeak and he smiled. "Hey, there, Hamlet." He patted the mouse softly before putting it down back on the floor. It scrambled away soon after.
He knew Hamlet wasn't really its name (well, actually, it had no name) but he liked the name and the mouse seemed to as well; after all, it had wanted him to read that play.
Nezumi looked like he wanted to roll his eyes. "That's not its name, you know."
Shion blinked. "I know." He looked back at the closed biology book, remembering something important then. "I was reading something in the book—"
"About sex, you mean." Nezumi interrupted, his grey colored eyes flickering with the slightest of amusement. It was subtle but Shion caught it all the same.
The younger male flushed, abashed. "No! I wasn't…" He sighed then. "Anyways, as I was saying, I read something about parasitic life forms. Those bees most definitely fit the category of a type of parasitism – or rather biotrophic considering it appears they almost feed on the person's life force."
Nezumi, who had previously been sitting on the bed, let himself fall back onto it. His voice was almost a bored drawl then. "Your point being?" He asked curtly.
He didn't like what Shion called 'fluff.' He gave direct responses and thus only cared for such in return. The intellect in Shion was mildly insulted by Nezumi's lack of interest, but Shion knew better at this point than to take Nezumi's often rather uninterested and curt replies to heart.
"Bees aren't normally parasites. They appeared to have evolved majorly from their norm. The fact that their metamorphosis affects the human body as it does is something."
Shion couldn't see Nezumi's face because the raven haired male is still lying down and Shion is still sitting in the far corner chair but he imagined Nezumi looked irritated. Shion rambled a lot, and Shion couldn't stop thinking about the fate of the people back in No. 6.
"It doesn't really matter now, does it," Nezumi said flatly. It wasn't a question, Shion knew. Nezumi hardly ever asked questions. Direct responses or orders were more his forte.
Shion glanced down, trying not to look too crestfallen and mumbled under his breath softly, "It does to me…"
Seconds later, there was the sound of rustling and Nezumi sat up swiftly. "I told you to forget about it."
The white haired male winced at the sharp edge to Nezumi's voice. He didn't say anything back and Nezumi continued, "They're dead either way. For their pledged loyalty to No. 6, they shall all fall with it." The disgust in Nezumi's voice dripped with every word. He hated No. 6, Shion knew. He had even once said that if Shion tried to do anything about the current situation in it, they would become enemies. The idea brought such a sharp, piercing feeling in Shion's chest.
The expression on Shion's face must have shown his inner turmoil because Nezumi sighed. "Don't make that face."
Shion pressed his lips together. Seconds later, he stood to his feet and placed the text on the nearby table. Nezumi eyed him with a slight raised brow.
The snow-haired male excused himself, mumbling about wanting to go outside for some fresh air. Nezumi didn't stop him, of course, nor did he question Shion. Shion didn't know whether to be relieved or hurt by this.
It was a bit chilly outside. The young male breathed out a slow breath and crossed his arms, huddling in the warmth of his coat.
He reminded himself that he had to keep his spirits high. For now, at least his mother and Safu where safe, and he was okay with just knowing this even if he didn't get to see them.
Absently, his fingers went up and traced the red marking on his neck; It was the same marking that coiled around his whole body like that of a red viper.
A sign of your encounter with death, Nezumi had called it. It should be a proud marking for Shion because he had survived it, but, even now he still saw it as a terrible physical sign for everyone to stop and stare. The young male released a heavy breath, puffs of air coming from his mouth and clouding in front of him due to the cold.
About ten minutes later, he walked back into the storage room to find Nezumi on the couch reading the biology text.
"Nezumi.."
The raven haired male glanced up briefly, regarding Shion for a second before going back to the text. "Done sulking, I presume."
Shion glanced away, almost guiltily. "I'm sorry," he said, earnestly.
It was far too easy for Shion to apologize and that in itself irritated Nezumi.
"You apologize too damn much."
Shion gave a slightly sheepish look before walking over and sitting himself next to Nezumi. "I thought you weren't interesting in biology?"
"I'm not." Nezumi flipped a page. "Tsk. Even the parts on sex is tedious. You became excited over this?"
"I was not excited!"
"How defensive you are," Nezumi drawled.
Shion frowned and he was sure his burning neck was matching his face at this point. Nezumi's quite flippant remarks at times almost always took him off guard. Nothing seemed to faze the older male.
"Can I have my book back?" He asked, holding out a hand.
Nezumi held the book up and out of his grasp. "You get worked up so easily. It's no surprise you gave such an inept response to that girl before when she blindsided you with sex."
"Safu," Shion corrected. "And stop talking to me like I'm some kind of child. I know about sex. I'm not entirely clueless."
"Really now? Do tell then."
The white haired male huffed slightly. He quickly ran over the information he had stored in his memory on sexual reproduction. As he began to recite it all, Nezumi interrupted him. "Textbook information doesn't count for experience."
"What's the difference?" Shion argued stubbornly, probably putting his foot in his mouth with his words.
Nezumi gave a rumbling, low laugh in response. It was a mocking sort of laugh that made Shion frown.
"Not all things are so easily explained in books, idiot," he rebuked. Shion's naivety was as irritating as it was endearing (not that Nezumi would ever admit the latter out loud…or even to himself; he was quite good at ignoring, and denying).
A soft glare came across Shion's face. The kid just couldn't do fierceness or sternness. Seriously, how could a sixteen year old boy look so…baby-faced? He was just asking to get attacked by perverts with that face.
"We can't all be as experienced as you, Nezumi." Shion huffed, his cheeks puffing out the slightest as he did so.
Nezumi merely raised a brow in response. "You had the opportunity with that girl—Safu." He corrected himself in the end, knowing that it would irritate Shion if he didn't call her by name.
Shion colored the slightest and distractedly ran his hand in his snowy locks of hair. "I…Safu is my friend," he answered. His eyes, the color of fine red wine, averted then. Something like nostalgia came across his boyish features.
He was so utterly hopeless. Nezumi rolled his eyes and tossed the book over to Shion who caught it none too easily. There was the prickling feeling of something that came across Nezumi then. He wanted to say it was annoyance but…
-no. He wasn't going to go there. Period.
It was silent between them, and Nezumi wasn't too sure what the younger male was thinking. Probably about that Safu girl. Shion was staring up at the ceiling now, his boyish face considerably thoughtful.
"Nezumi," Shion said then, that thoughtful expression still in place. "Is it really different from what the books say?"
Nezumi stared. Shion looked back at him, blinking his wide scarlet colored eyes and looking far too clueless to have asked such a...risqué question.
"You really are an idiot."
Because, really, Nezumi wasn't even going to dignify that question with a response.