Disclaimer: I own naught of the YGO-series, whatever it may be.

Warnings: OC's, no pairings, some violence

The Pacifist Boy

Asuka turned to look at the Obelisk-Student that had called her. He wasn't hard on the eye – but a pain in the behind anyway.

Fujioka Osamu had been pestering her for days. A First Year Student – and even of the prestigious ones, good family, new money, polite with women, almost a Gentlemen – but clearly no one had ever taught him the meaning of the tiny word no.
Yet, except for gripping the textbooks a little tighter, Asuka didn't show her annoyance. The boy may be overbearing, however there was no reason to be impolite. Fujioka would get it, sooner or later.

"Hello, Fujioka-kun. Can I help you?"

"Tenjoin-san,", he smiled, "How are you? I merely thought, that maybe we could chat?"

The the ginger pushed his hand into his pockets. His smile was pleasant, it had sheepish quality to it. Nevertheless, it did very little, to quell the dull irritation in her gut.

"Sure. I'm fine,", Asuka answered, carefully detached, but amiable, "how are you? Are classes treating you well?"

He groaned and chuckled, covering his face with one hand. His knuckles were slightly bruised.

"They're okay, okay. Cronos is creepy as hell, though."

The blonde couldn't help but smile at that, "Careful there – he has ears and eyes everywhere."

"Ah, so I've noticed.", Fujioka murmured, "I got in a fight about it, yesterday."

Somehow, she couldn't help but wonder, if he was going to tell her, even if she didn't ask.

"Fujioka-kun, please. Be more careful, or you will get into trouble."

"Already did.", a spread on his face and he showed her his bruised knuckles, "There was this guy – Akihiro, or something – who heard me talking about Cronos and went to kiss his ass and tell. I got in detention, but I also got him."

For some reason or other, Asuka hadn't assumed, that Fujioka would be the violent type. The irritation in her gut turned into a feeling of nausea. She really needed to get rid of this guy.

Frowning, she tried not to sound too reprimanding, "That's not okay. Violence should never be the solution."

Apparently now the ginger caught on onto her exasperation, because he rubbed his face again and even managed to look a little embarrassed. For a moment. Then he smiled again.

"I know, I know, Tenjoin-san, but I had to do something – and boys will be boys, right?"

Was he kidding her? Boys will be boys? That was his argument?

"You could have talked it out -"

"He wasn't listening ..."

"So you beat him?!", unfortunately the blonde girl couldn't keep her infuriation completely out of her voice.

Calm yourself, Asuka.

"Well, he pushed me -"

"That is still no reason, Fujioka-kun. Violence should never be the solution."

Having truly caught on onto her anger, the younger student raised his hands in defence, "Okay, okay, I see your point." he probably didn't despite saying so, "But I really don't want to fight with you. I had wanted to ask you out to a coffee, maybe?"

In the name of all that was good and holy, this boy. Asuka couldn't hold herself, she rolled her grey eyes and made a tiny step backwards.

"Look, Fujioka-kun. I appreciate the offer, but I really have to go the library. I need to get these books back, sorry."

"Well, let me help you.", without waiting for an answer, he stepped towards her, already reaching for the books she was holding onto, "I can still buy you coffee afterwards."

This is what she had meant, the boy just didn't know when to stop! It was really grating on her nerves.

"Fujioka-kun, please.", she slid out of his way, "You mean no harm, I understand that, but – Look. I just don't have time, today."

Too late, the blonde girl realized her mistake. Fujioka put his hands into his pockets again and shrugged.

"That's fine – how about tomorrow? I could pick you up after classes? When do you finish?"

Asuka bit her lip in desperation. Somehow she was getting nowhere with him, it was enough to drive her insane! After a brief internal struggle, she decided to be a bit more – direct in her refusal, even if she wasn't exactly sure how to politely phrase it. Politeness had gotten her into this situation.

She sighed.

"Fujioka-kun, I do like you.", he smiled sheepishly at that, "Still – I am really not interested in dating, right now.", damn! She'd done it again, "I mean, in general. School is my first priority and there are the first exams coming up -"

"Already? Jeez, they really work you hard, don't they? Well, then maybe it could help you take your mind off of it for a bit - "

Really? Really?! He was focussing on the completely wrong part of her statement! What the hell!

"No!", she almost shouted and surprised not only herself, but him, too, in her vehemence.

"But you just said -"

"I know what I said, Fujioka-kun! I'm sorry, really, I am, but I am not interested in you and I need to -"

"But you just said -"

"I know!", Asuka shouted and stomped her foot.

Immediately the ginger boy grabbed her arm.

"Shush!", he hissed, "No need to scream at me!"

His touch sent her heart in her throat. Did her fear show on her face? She hoped not and was determined to keep it out of it.

"Let me go! I told you, I'm busy!"

"And I asked you about tomorrow!"

"I said, I'm not interested!"

"Hey, let her go, please? She'll bruise.", a tentative, calm voice asked from besides her. A pale hand appeared on Fujioka's arm.

"Please let her go.", the blonde repeated, smiling softly. Out of the corner of her eye, Asuka had seen people watching the scene unfold, but only this boy had decided to step in.

"It's alright, he will -", she started, yet, Fujioka interrupted her.

"She won't and this is none of your business!"

Luckily, the ginger let her go, but he also pushed the other boy.

The blonde frowned, "No need to for violence, okay?", he pleaded, though he seemed rather unaffected. He was a tad taller than Fujioka ...

"He's right, Fujioka, please."

"Shut up! What's it with you and siding with him? And what is your problem, anyway? Bugger off!"

Siding? Had she missed something?

"What are you talking about?", the boy asked, raising his hands in defence. There were band aids on his fingers and palms.

"Look,", he started again, "Please don't pick a fight, just don't -"

"You barged in!", Fujioka grabbed the blonde by his collar, shook him once, then shoved him back.

The blonde stumbled.

"There's still no need for violence, alright? Look, just don't be so rough. I'm sorry for interrupting, but I didn't like you handling her like that."

Handling?

"Thanks, really, but I can take care of myself.", Asuka piped up, "Fujioka, leave him alone. Your problem is with me."

Switching her textbooks onto one arm, she reached out for the younger student.

"I'm sorry, if I hurt you, but as I said, I'm no -"

"Interested, I heard you the first, you know?! Don't touch me!", he proceeded to push her away, but before he touched her, the other boy stepped in again, positioning himself half in front of Asuka.

"Hey, leave her be. What's your problem, man?"

"You are!", Fujioka all but screamed and punched the blonde in the face.

The student stumbled backwards and Asuka's books fell to the ground, when she grabbed him to steady him. In less than a second, he was out of her hands, though. Fujioka had pulled him away, pulled him close by the collar and kneed him in the stomach.

"Fujioka!", she screamed and again tried to stop him, "Stop! Stop! I said STOP!"

Suddenly pain blossomed in her chest – he had elbowed her, when he took a swipe at the blonde again.
Why wasn't he defending himself?! Why did he let Fujioka beat him up?!

And why was no one helping?

Just when panic and despair threatened to take her over, she heard the telltale voice of Professor Cronos and Ayukawa-sensei.
Relief flooded her and never, never, has she been happier to hear the overacted voice of the head professor. The man actually for once got his hands dirty, when he lunged into the fight (albeit a few seconds after Ayukawa-sensei and with the facial expression of someone deliberately stepping into something very dirty and disgusting), to pull the raging Fujioka off the blonde boy. Finally some students overcame their sensation mongering to actually lend a hand. They helped restrain the ginger haired student, while Ayukawa-sensei helped the dishevelled boy haul himself up from the ground. She pushed his lightly coloured hair out of his face – there was blood! - and Asuka's hands flew to her mouth. His lip was obviously split and smeared with blood, his nose was bleeding and there was a huge bruise already blooming on one side of his face. A few bruises actually already littered his face, throat, what was visible from the torn collar of his dirtied once-white T-shirt.

His blue eyes caught hers and he had the audacity to smile at her, even though he immediately winced. Smiling must have hurt.

He tried to say something to her, had to cough, though, and also Ayukawa-sensei pulled his head back around to her. He tried again, but she was very firm about having a look at his nose.

"Really?", Asuka heard her say in exasperation, "Again?"

A sheepish expression ghosted across the blonde's face, when she addressed him so. The school nurse turned to Asuka and Professor Cronos, who had approached her, after briefly taunting Fujioka.

"Professor Cronos, I will take Hamasaki-kun back to my office. Can you handle the – situation?", the nurse said the last word with annoyance apparent in her tone.

"Of course! Of course, I can! Tenjoin-kun, are you alright?!"

Ayukawa-sensei smiled at her briefly from behind Cronos and then proceeded to lead the blonde boy – Hamasaki-kun? - away, in the direction of the infirmary. As they left, Asuka heard him tell her he was fine, and Ayukawa telling him, that he was an idiot. They seemed to continue quietly bickering even when they were out of earshot.

Asuka's heart was still racing. It had been some time, since she'd had a scare like that and boy, that had been one. While she tried to relay the events to Professor Cronos, tried, with him interrupting scandalized from time to time and her being still so shaken up, that sometimes she had to backtrack or add something, she had forgotten.
Eventually her heartbeat settled again, but she had a headache now. That had been just too much – hopefully Fujioka never approached her again – and that poor boy – the blonde, how was he?
Still a little shaky, Asuka resolved to make a detour to the infirmary first, before she dropped the books off – oh no, the books!

A brief glance to her wristwatch told her, the library had just closed for lunch break. Great.

Thank you, Fujioka Osamu. It was all your fault – again.

Even though she had disliked him before, she was so very disappointed in him – he'd get expelled, for sure, but even though rivalries could fly high and there was the occasional fight, she hardly ever, if ever before, had experienced such violent behaviour. It had been terrible … And she was so sorry, that the blonde boy had gotten caught up in it … And wounded up hurt. Injured, even.
Still carrying her books, when she arrived at the infirmary , apprehension dully welled up in her. It had been her fault – to a certain degree, the boy had gotten injured. She wanted to apologize, to see, how he was and ask for his name.

Maybe buy him coffee as a thanks.

When she wanted to knock, nervousness overtook her for a second and she pulled her hand back, turning around on the spot a few times, before she decided to knock – no matter how nervous she was.
A moment after she had, a tentative 'Come in!' resonated from the room. Reluctantly she entered carefully.

Ayukawa-sensei stood by the bedside and held a bottle of clear fluid in one, a cotton pad in the other. Her cautious expression turned soft upon laying eyes on Asuka.

"Hello, Tenjoin-kun. How are you?"

Asuka gave a small smile, "I'm fine.", she said, her voice calmer than she actually felt, "I – I wanted to see, if ..."

At a loss for words, she made a small gesture in the direction of the blonde boy on the white bed.

For the first time she got a good look at him. Though he sat slightly hunched over, he was obviously tall and slim, with wider shoulders – he was a First Year, an Obelisk, too, the telltale blue jacket and his dirtied T-shirt on the bed beside him. The school nurse had cleaned him up so far, there was a band aid above his left eyebrow, over his nose and a very small one on his lower lip, where it had been split.

And he was bruised – everywhere.

"Looks bad, doesn't he?", Ayukawa-sensei chuckled good-heartedly, to which the boy just shrugged.

"It's not that bad. I bruise easily. Are you sure you're okay? I think he accidentally hit you, did he not?"

"He did?", the nurse piped up, eyeing Asuka curiously.

"No, no, it's fine – I'm fine.", the girl bit her lip. There was a question on her mind, lingering on her tongue. While Ayukawa stored away her utensils, the boy slipped from the bed, tugging his T-shirt back on – it really was torn at the collar.

"That's good. I am sorry, it turned out so messy. I hadn't meant to pick a fight.", he said to his fellow student and Asuka lost it for a moment – she gaped in exasperation, mouth slightly ajar. He apologized to her? He hadn't meant to pick a fight and was sorry?

"No.", she announced firmly, "Don't apologize – HE picked a fight! HE beat you up! You just wanted to help and why didn't you fight back?!"

It actually came out a lot more harsh than she had intended, but the blonde hadn't been able to stop herself, once she'd started.
She was really upset, that he hadn't protected himself.
For a long moment, a very long moment, there was quiet in the room (Where had Ayukawa-sensei vanished to?) and from his blue eyes, Asuka just couldn't assume what he was thinking. His face was as impassive, as before. He just looked at her.

Then he said, firm and confident: "Violence should never be an option."

Author's Note: There is nothing romantic supposed to be in this. Just a boy who's a strict pacifist and Asuka annoyed at the general stupidity of boys.
I hope you enjoyed it, somewhat. I had no one proofread it, but myself, and I also checked the spelling, so I hope it's alright.

Please be so kind as to mention it, if something seems off, out of character, wrong or if you find any mistakes.

Lovely greetings,
Lina