Waiting, an air gear fanfic

A/N: It's been a while since I uploaded anything, ya? Well here is some Air Gear - VERY light (mostly implied) IkkixKazu, because I love them and there seems to be none anywhere! Emiri's name, I've seen spelled Emiri and Emily, but I decided to go with Emiri. This is a 'missing' scene from episode 4 just Ikki runs over to see Kazu and Onigiri. But mostly it's manga-verse, but if you haven't read the manga, you should still be able to follow. Enjoy!

The title 'waiting' refers both to waiting for Ikki's arrival, and Kazu's struggle with his inferiority complex to finally get the spotlight and become like his idol, Ikki.

Disclaimer: I own nothing, and that makes me sad.

Warnings: I'm using a different program than usual and spellcheck is very fustrating and non-cooperative, so if you see any spelling errors, I'm very sorry but try to ignore them. And any word joinings likethis are all fanfictions fault. Other than that it's just implied IkkiKazu, nothing graphic.

Waiting

Air Gear

Crimson Vixen

It was just too hard to see him like that. The usually active blond was still and almost dead looking on that bed, folded underneath sheets as pale as his skin and head propped up just a little too high on the pillows. Emiri tenderly reached forward and ebbed his head to a more comfortable position by cupping a hand under his neck. She heard a small grunt of protest, so she did it quickly and retracted her hand to her mouth to nervously chew at her nails.

"Oh, Kazu-sama..." she mumbled, tasting the suffix carefully and giving a sad smile.

The boy's lips were bruised and busted and bleeding, his left eye practically swollen shut. His mouth was slack and his breath came out slow and raspy but steady, the rise and fall of his chest enough to keep the girl's faith up.

Her eyes flickered wide when Kazu mumbled something under his breath. Gently she brushed his damp bangs to the side and tried to understand the incoherent sounds that sounded an awful lot like Ikki's name.

"Ikki's on his way," the girl assured him, and to her surprise, Kazu found the strength to shake his head no. Of course. There was no way Kazu would want his best friend to see him like this – a blow to his already fragile pride.

"I can't..." he strained. Emily rested a hand on his heaving chest, feeling his heartbeat pound like a jackhammer. "Damn... Gonna be so disappointed..."

I'm not him.

The track runner smiled softly and shook her head. No, no, Ikki would never think less of his friends over something like this. But this was Kazu; gotta prove himself, get out of the shadows Kazuma. The boy who would never think fully of himself.

"...I think you should get some sleep," she cooed, wishing her friend was here to help her out, but she was down the hall waiting for Ikki to arrive. Cautiously she glided her dainty hands over Kazu's face, down his eyes, closing his lids, but they opened right afterwards.

"No," he breathed. "Paper."

"Paper..?"

"Pen and Paper," came the voice of Onigiri on the bed next to Kazu's. The round boy was able to crane his neck enough to look at her with a force smile, face twitching at the strain. "Leave it to Kazu to want to... explain himself."

Kazu's teeth visibly grinded. "Shut up."

Emiri nodded and went rummaging through the drawers for paper and something to write with, eventually finding what she wanted and scurrying back over to the blond's bedside. She swallowed hard, taking in the sight of the two boys so helpless in their beds.

She reached out to hand Kazu the materials but quickly pulled them back when she remembered that he was not able to take them. His neck had been nearly crushed, his fingers broken. Her heart tugged at her tears and she lay the paper on the table next to her, propping the pen up in her hand.

"Just tell me what to wright and I – "

"No." He sounded offended. "I have to do it."

The girl blinked at the stubborn child, who was growling loudly as he forced himself to turn onto his side to face her.

"But..."

"Put it here," he heaved, unharmed eye flickering to the table to indicate where he meant. Emiri obeyed silently, sliding the paper closer to the edge where Kazu could reach it. He opened his lips slightly, staring at her until she finally got the idea.

"Oh Kazu-sama..." she whispered, placing the pen in Kazu's waiting mouth, knowing he had it when his teeth clicked against it. Grunting in his effort, he managed to shimmy over far enough to reach the blank page. A determined and angry look in his eye, he put the tip down, but when he moved it, the paper moved with him. He groaned in obvious frustration, so Emiri hesitantly put a hand down to keep it from moving. Kazu spat around the pen in both a thank you, and irritation.

So he couldn't even do this by himself; He was hating himself for it.

Next to him, Onigiri grimaced at the sight, and tried to raise his cracked voice. They had slammed his throat, too, and it hurt him to move he head. Kazu's neck was crushed and near strangled against the wall, his feet dangling in the air. He could remember the spittle that came frothing from his gaping mouth. He remembered the screams that he had made. He could only imagine what it felt like to move in the state he was in now.

And you think you're not strong, Onigiri shook his head. Idiot.

Ikki wouldn't want them to strain themselves, that was for sure.

"Kazu, maybe you should let – "

"I said, no," Kazu mumbled hotly past the pen, keeping his teeth tightly clenched around it.

At least let me do this.

Trying to peer around Kazu's golden head, the track runner tried to make out the sloppy hiragana he was etching. His breath around the pen grew heavier and angrier, his good eye straining to see what he doing. Almost silently he began cursing through his teeth.

Almost, almost. Can't let Ikki down, can't let...

As he got closer and closer to the end he got faster, eager, and when at last the last part was scribbled down he spat the pen to the floor with an agonizing gasp, rolling onto his back to relieve the tension he'd built up. He eyes closed and the tiniest of smiles came through.

How's that, Ikki?

"Give that... to him for me."

Through the ringing in his ears he could pick up on Emiri folding the paper in half, and knowing that the girl would deliver his message, he let himself fall asleep.

Maybe one day, I can be the hero you are. Until then...

Emiri tucked the note into her pocket, taking one last look at the two boys before hearing her name being called down the hall.