Title: Blossom
By: Metamorcy
Rating: K+
Pairing: Asch X Luke
Disclaimer: don't own Tales of the Abyss, just the copy of the game I bought
Summary: AU, Request from Minosuke Ichigo, Luke finds out a secret he shouldn't have but he gets something good out of it in return. AschXLuke!
N/A: This is Minosuke Ichigo's request! I really tried to put everything you had in this one. Hope you'll like it! Sorry I couldn't put in a sex scene but I just wasn't familiar with these characters as much as I used to. And there's only light yaoi, not enough, sad to say. Hope I got them in character… AHH!! I'm already panicking!
"Back off, Dreck!" Asch called out, pushing a redhead away with disgust, slamming him into a wall. The students in the hallway turned to stare, thinking that another fight was breaking out…again. The one that had been shoved had bright scarlet hair that was short, coming up to the shoulders, and was a little spiky. A childish sort of features, where the looks and expressions were young and cheerful, reflected on him, making him appear adorable. The other was the reverse, long dark hair, draping down to the waist with the bangs lifted up. He had a permanent sneer on his lips and a hot temper that many people feared. Their eyes, both emerald green, shined brightly through all the crimson.
"A-Asch, s-stop this! I didn't do anything this time!" The lighter-haired teen, Luke, stuttered, grabbing a hold of the arms that were keeping him up, trying to release the grip on his collar. Everyone in the corridor were dressed the same, a uniform that consisted of dark blue pants and jackets, the girls wearing skirts. Each one of them wore a white shirt underneath though many people liked to change that depending on the season. Everyone in this building went to Abyss High School, where their mascot was some kind of cheagle, and had some of the best standards in grading and ranks. It was a strict place, although some people would say otherwise…
"Luke! Asch!" A voice called out from the crowd followed with a blond figure, who was pushing his way through, ramming people aside, though he was hesitant in touching or getting near any of the females of the population. The two redheads turned to him, instantly recognizing their friend as Guy. "Stop that! Don't fight here!"
The blond grabbed Asch's shoulders and pulled him back, using his superior strength to rip the hands away. Once released, Luke collapsed to the group, coughing and holding his neck in pain. He rubbed it, a claret mark apparent on his peach-colored skin. There were faint silver linings of tears in the eyelids, gathering at the bottom and he blinked them back, preventing them from falling.
Asch sneered, struggling in his friend's grasp, wanting nothing more than to beat up the other. "Guy, let me go!"
"Not until you've calmed down!"
"Fine, FINE!" He ripped out of the grip and stormed away, shoving people aside without looking back. Those that watched him thought they could see a trail of fire following behind, the dark crimson hair glowing and slashing side to side. He disappeared around the corner.
Guy sighed, shaking his head before rushing over to Luke's side, helping him up. "You okay, Luke?"
"Yeah, I'm fine…" The redhead laughed softly and then wandered off with a dejected expression. His right hand was still on his neck with slump shoulders sagging downward, unsure at how to fix this soreness. The teen sighed; waiting patiently for the burning to die down before heading to class (everyone else in the hallway was doing the same, no one wanting to get late). The sign of tears were rubbed away with the back of his sleeve, holding back a chocked whimper. He really didn't want to fight, just make peace. Why couldn't Asch think that way too?
For years now, this scene has been repeated, the same actions, arguments and fights. Asch and Luke could never get along, though it was more on Asch's fault since he refused on the idea. Guy, who was both of their friends, was stuck in-between, unable to do anything to help the situation get better. Luke was kind, he had tried to make an effort at putting things behind them but Asch didn't see to reason. He thought that the other was revolting in every possible way and showed it freely whenever talking about him or to.
Now for how it started, no one knows, not even Guy, who has tried countless times to pry the information out of both. The blond just figured after a while that neither of them knew and that the darker redhead just wanted to continue to cycle. Anytime Luke would speak with Asch nearby, things never went well, never.
And today was no different. The poor teen was just wandering in the halls when he got attacked. Guy just wished that things could work out one day.
Luke groaned, shoulders drooping in depression. School was finally over and he could, at last, head on home for some sleep and relaxation after waiting for ten minutes for the courtyard area to clear (he didn't want to have another run-in with Asch while he was there). Plus, it had been a long day, Jade, his science teacher, hadn't been easy to talk to, more like scary to do so. The way the man spoke, it was as if he was going to try and cut him with those scalps that were always around the room and then chuckle manically along the way. A shiver went down his spine at the thought. He shifted his school bag on his back, getting into a more comfortable position and continued off down the streets. Crowds of people were here and there, some gathering in groups, ganging up on popular stores for the products. He tried to weave his way through or at least avoid them. The teen glanced momentarily around, there was no one from his school out here, though this place was more for the middle-aged people, not youngsters like him.
There were scents of food coming from another street and gazed down it as he passed by. He could see many different types of restaurants with inhabitants eating and smiling outside or in. And as he went around another crowd of people, his emerald pools caught sight of something red in a store.
He blinked curiously and headed towards it as if it had drawn his attention. For a moment, he thought it had been the items the place sold but he saw it again and then the figure it belonged to.
Luke rubbed his eyes to make sure he was seeing correctly and then finally screamed, pointing a finger at the person.
"Asch?!"
The other teen flinched, dropping whatever he was doing. A look of shock was written all over his face.
"Y-You!" Asch sneered, storming outside with a glare. "What the hell are you going here?!"
Luke didn't pay any attention to the insult, his mind, however, was stuck on the surroundings. Flowers… Lots and lots of flowers. Almost ever color and kind he could think of and more was located inside. He examined Asch, who was wearing an apron with the shop's name, Posie's Roses, imprinted on it and behind the long-haired redhead were dropped flowers from when he had called out while in his hands were the cutting tools used to shorten the stems. There was a name tag clipped onto his shirt, proving that this really was the one from school.
Luke was snapped out of his thoughts when the other grabbed his collar, yanking him inside the building so that the populace wouldn't see their bickering.
"Answer the damn question, Dreck! What the hell are you doing here?!" Asch glowered, obviously enraged and almost appeared as if he was breathing an inferno, steam shooting out of his ears.
Luke waved his hands frantically in front, trying to protect himself. He had already gotten hit today, he didn't want another. "Asch, stop! I was just passing by. I swear I didn't know you worked here."
"You can't just pass by here! No one from our school comes through this area!" The older redhead didn't believe a single word and was about to shake the younger for the real answer when Luke replied.
"I go this way everyday towards home. It's a lot faster."
Before the older one was able to retort, someone else beat him to it. "Asch, what do you think you're doing!?" A person called out from behind. Asch growled to himself, cursing his luck. It was the manager of the store, a female with rosy-colored cheeks and soft brown hair. "You can't treat customers like that! Put him down immediately!"
The woman rushed to Luke when the other dropped his grip, making sure that everything was okay. Luke gave a weak smile, rubbing the back of his head before wincing. His neck was still sore from earlier. The younger teen decided to give a reassuring shake. "Oh no, I'm sorry, this is my fault. Don't blame Asch for it."
"It doesn't matter whether it's yours or his, I can't have any of my employees and I mean Asch specifically," The manager, whose name was Posie, which was obvious by the name of the store, pointed to the darker redhead. "treating customers like that or else you'll be getting fired. I'll let things slide this time and with a warning but there will be no next time. Now apologize to the customer!"
"What?!" Asch sneered, his glower getting ten times as powerful. The manager didn't get frightened.
"That's right unless you want to go home right now."
"Um…Miss, its okay. I don't mind." Luke tried to help but his voice was ignored. He watched the exchange with interest before taking some steps back. They didn't notice, too deep in their discussion, and he took that moment to sneak off. The teen exited the building with the ding of the door, still able to hear the fight as he ran away and didn't stop until he was safe and sound at home when he could finally relax. His thoughts were still on the other student the whole time.
His enemy was working at a flower shop…How interesting was that?
Though it didn't seem like a place Asch would work at and of all places too.
Luke shook his head; maybe it had been all a dream, Asch couldn't be working at a flower shop.
"W-What?" Luke stared down at his desk in complete shock. Everyone else in the classroom was too, even the instructor, who was, by the way, Peony, the history teacher (though he's lazy and doesn't really teach). On Luke's desk was a flower, a single plain one, nothing fancy, with blue petals. He blinked his eyes, glancing up at the person, who had placed it there. "What's this?"
"What does it look like, Dreck?" Asch growled, arms folded, it was obvious to everyone in the room that he didn't want to do this. A few of the people like Guy and another classmate, Tear, thought he had been forced into this, maybe blackmailed. Those two were willing to place their bets on that.
Guy gazed nervously between the two, afraid that another fight might happen again and that fear grew bigger when another blond, darker in color than his own, came up to the pair. Her name is Natalia and her father owned the school everyone was currently enrolled in. No one dared to go against her, however, that was hard with her bratty attitude and naiveté especially with a girl named Anise, who took joy in playing tricks with the other.
"What's this? What's with all the stares? Has something happened?" The female asked out loud, drawing more attention to the duo. She was ignored by the redheads.
"But why a flower?" Luke asked, still not getting what was going on.
The older one sighed, reaching over and grabbed the other's arm, dragging him out into the hallway, away from all the stares. It was quiet in the classroom even as he slammed the door on the students' faces. Asch was about to shove Luke into the wall to get some point across when he paused. He sighed at the setback. "Look, you haven't told anyone about where I work yet, have you?"
The younger teen shook his head. "No, not even Guy and I usually tell him everything."
"Good. Well, anyway, the reason why I'm here is that I need you to come back with me to the store. The manager wants me to apologize to you but it has to be in front of her." The darker redhead grumbled, muttering something along the lines of 'That bitch' before continuing. "And if I don't, I'll either get fired or a pay cut. So you better come with me." Asch glared, giving a threatening expression. Luke blinked before smiling uneasily at the threat and clapped his hands together to give himself more confidence.
"I see, well, okay…I'll go." He laughed nervously and suddenly had an idea. He stared into the other's emerald pools, twiddling his thumbs. "Maybe we can…use this time to work things out between us. I'd really like it if we stop fighting."
The darker redhead sneered hatefully. "I refuse!" He turned away, his hair twirling around with a sharp snap then rotated back to speak some more. "Just being near you is horrendous; I didn't even want to do this in the first place."
Luke's face collapsed. "O-Oh…I see."
"Now don't leave school without me or I'll be dragging you there by force. Got that?" Asch leaned over, tapping his right foot impatiently. He scrunched his face and folded his arms, almost appearing to be the larger of the two, which he is.
The lighter redhead nodded his head in defeat. "A-Alright…"
"Good." The older teen stormed back into the room, leaving the door open for Luke to walk in. The younger clamped his hands harder, biting his bottom lip and headed inside, his face crestfallen. Instinctively, Guy stood up from his seat upon Luke's arrival but was given a fake smile, the other trying to say that everything was okay even though it wasn't. The blond recognized it and slowly sat back down, glancing worriedly between the two. Just what was going on?
It was odd…actually, everything today was strange except for Jade, who was always like that and maybe Peony too. And he probably would want to add in that crazy person that followed the two of them around (Dist).
But still, it was just amazing that they hadn't fought yet, even when they pass through the hallways, which were, itself, astonishing, yet Guy felt like a headache was coming on. He hoped that everything would be alright, and optimistically not like that cursed meaning, calm before a storm. Guy groaned, why did he have to have such people as friends?
"Manager, I brought him!" Asch called out into the store. He gazed around, looking for the familiar bouncy woman and then outside where it was raining. It was pouring and it didn't help that fact that it was cold. The two redheads had run all the way here just to avoid getting completely soaked but in the end, it wasn't enough.
Luke sighed, glancing over to the other in confusion. He could be home right now, all snuggled up in his bed or maybe taking a nice warm shower but nooo, he had to be here instead and it didn't look like he would be able to go home anytime soon but he had to keep in mind for when the latest he could stay. His parents wouldn't be happy if he came home too late. He glanced over himself, he was soaked head to toe and the uniform was sticking to his skin like glue, the extra water giving him a heavier feeling on his body. Luke shivered at the chilly temperature of the room, rubbing his arms quickly to make friction for warmth. His emerald eyes went around the store while his nose took in the powerful and overwhelming scent that made him wiggle it. The red stands, both of theirs, were attached to their flesh, unwilling to move, no matter how hard they pushed it aside.
"Hey, Asch." The lighter redhead suddenly asked as they waited for the woman to come out. They both were dripping on the marble floor, creating a puddle from the excess. The sounds of dribble couldn't reach their ears as the storm from outside drowned everything out. The other spun to him slowly, wondering what Luke wanted. "Why are you working here?"
Asch hesitated in answering. "…For the money, my parents won't pay for anything anymore so I have to. And before you can ask your next question…" He gave a glare as if reading Luke's mind. "This was the only job open that could work around my school hours. It's been nothing but a pain in the ass."
"Hmm…I see, that makes complete sense now."
Asch narrowed his eyes. "What makes sense?"
"I don't really see you as the type that would work here for free. It had to be the payment you got or something else in order for you to still be here and haven't gone out to find a different one."
"Of course."
"Oh, Asch, there you are! And I see you're here too." The manager took this moment to walk in, wearing the uniform of the store. She had on a smile, glad that her previous customer (Who she still doesn't know the name to) had returned and that her employee had done as he was told. "I'm really sorry for last time but I need Asch here to learn his lesson. Oh but before that can happen, Asch, could you get four of bags of fertilizer from the store room. I need them right away."
"Alright." As the employee said that, Luke, who was still beside the other, came following along.
"Here, I'll help. It'll make things faster." As the two went away, the door rang two times, people's voices and fluttering of umbrellas coming to their ears. Posie instantly went to welcoming the customers with cheerfulness, temporarily forgetting about the two redheads. Asch led the way to the back room, not saying anything to the other and opened the door to the store room. Luke entered first and watched as Asch closed it, flicking on the lights. The dark area came to life and the older one went over to the side where the required materials were located. Asch tossed two over to the younger teen and picked up the same amount for himself. Luke caught them easily and stared at the packages for a second while Asch headed to the entrance. For two bags, it sure was heavy but not enough to make him strain.
"Huh?" The older redhead made a surprised sound as he tried to open the door again. He jiggled the handle before letting go and trying again, nothing happened.
"Maybe it's stuck?" Luke offered and then jumped back in start when Asch kicked the door, hard. The other had literally dropped the items and began banging on the wooden frame, hoping he could break it apart.
However, that wasn't the case.
It remained as it was, no dent or anything on it. A loud growl passed through his throat and Luke feared that that temper might just turn to him. He stepped back, keeping his distance just incase, cowering at a safe area.
"Damn this door! Is it broken or something?!" Asch cried, pounding against the metal but stopped after awhile once his wrists began to ache and throb. He exhaled heavily, massaging his hands and twisted to the nervous other. His glare intensified. "Great, I have to be stuck here with you of all people. Everything's turning against me, must be some sort of conspiracy."
"I'm…sorry." Luke whispered, bending over to place the bags on the ground and began rubbing his arms again. He was cold and the icy temperature in the room wasn't helping, it was worse than it was in the rain. The chilliness made the water that was still collected on his skin and clothes turn frosty.
"Tch!" Asch kicked the door one last time before he stormed to the side, sat down and began waiting. "No matter, the manager will start looking for us once she realizes that none of us have returned. And she did say she needed those fertilizers."
"That's good." Luke smiled, despite the situation he was stuck in and continued to use the friction to keep himself warm.
At last, the older redhead grumbled and patted the spot next to him, offering the seat. Luke stared at him as if he had grown another head and blinked rapidly. Asch sneered. "I'm only doing this once so get over here." The other didn't budge from his spot and continued to stare. The older teen tried again with a softer tone "It'd be easier to keep each other warm and from getting sick if we're close to each other. You know…bodily heat."
Finally, Luke replied with a weak voice. "…Okay." The younger teen sat down next to Asch so not to get on his bad side but kept an inch away, still anxious. Asch grumbled sourly and wrapped an arm around the shoulders, yanking Luke closer, making their skin touch.
"You better not tell anyone about this. Never! You hear me!"
"I won't…I promise." Luke smiled, liking this other side, the heat brushing along his cheeks, it felt lovely and really nice. He shifted closer to it and leaned against the offered shoulder. Asch didn't bother in pushing away and allowed Luke closer. He gazed down and studied the delicate expression before sighing deeply. Luke nudged a little and found this the perfect chance to ask the question. "Hey, Asch…why do you hate me?"
The darker redhead looked slightly confused and insulted. "What makes you think I hate you?"
Luke picked his head up in bewilderment. "What do you mean? What about all that fighting you do with me?"
"That because you annoy me and…" Asch paused in his sentence.
"And?"
A growl passed through the lips. "And you took…Guy away from me…"
Luke blinked his eyes in surprise and tilted his head before laughing childishly. He had to hold his stomach because it started hurting so much. Asch twisted to him in shock, not knowing why the other was laughing for. "W-What are you talking about?" The younger teen said in-between laughs. "I thought it was you who had taken Guy away from me. I guess we're both selfish about him. We're so similar, it's actually funny!"
"Why you…!" The darker redhead sneered, not finding the situation humorous, though it did soften his heart a little. "I refuse to be connected with you!"
"I-I'm sorry." Luke breathed, trying to get air into his lungs and wiped away a tear that was falling down his cheek.
"Asch! Luke!" The front door banged, snapping the two out of their conversation. It then opened, the manager poking her head in and spotted the two on the floor. She grinned in relief and then chuckled at the sight. Asch's arm was still draped around the shoulder and they were all cuddled up against each other. "Oh, having a moment I should be aware about?"
"There's nothing happening!" Asch retracted away instantly, stomping into the main area but halted temporally to bend down to pick up the fertilizer bags. Posie watched with interest, giggling to herself and held the door open for the other.
Luke sat up and glanced down at his left sleeve, pulling it back to reveal a watch and checked the time. His eyes widened at the time. "Oh no, I'm going to be late!" The two workers rotated to him. "I need to head back home before I get into trouble. Sorry! Got to go!" Before anyone could say anything, Luke was already rushing out the door and into the flower room, checking out the windows to see if it was still raining. It wasn't but puddles of water flooded the ground, the sky dark and sinister looking. He paused before exiting out and went to Asch's side. "Hey, Asch, maybe after awhile, we can become friends."
Asch snorted. "Don't get your hopes up."
"Okay!" Luke smiled, none the less, and leaned over, giving a quick perk of a kiss on the lips before running off. He didn't wait to face Asch's tantrum when he finally realized what had happened. The door dinged as he went out, dashing down the street, splashing through the puddles.
The dark green eyes widened before letting out a loud. "Ehh?"
The manager snapped her fingers when she reminisced something. "Oh crap, I forgot to make you apologize. Guess we'll have to try again tomorrow!" She crackled evilly, heading into the other rooms with a malevolence expression on her face.
Asch could only groan.
"How odd…no fighting…" Natalia muttered, shifting towards Guy, who in turn, backed away. "Maybe they've patched everything up, they don't even argue anyone."
"Wish I knew what happened…they won't even tell me." Guy sighed, feeling left out, watching the two redheads pass each other in the hallway. Luke was smiling brightly while Asch was, of course, frowning but the murderous aura was long gone. There was a short glance between the two, a large smile on both faces before heading off. Guy was the only one that noticed it and moaned forlornly, he wished he really knew what had happened.
Well, it's been completed. Cheers!!!
I hope I did okay, I think it wasn't one of my good ones, oh well. Hope you enjoyed it!