Winning Over Erk
By Bishop Sasarai
Summary: Canas wants no more regrets in his life, so when he falls for Erk, he has plans to win him over. Will his plans backfire, or succeed?
Pairings: Canas/Erk
Winning Over Erk
Part Two: Research
Canas was halfway down the hall when he spied Serra stalking towards him.
"He was with you, wasn't he???" she screeched.
"Who was with me?" Canas asked, trying to appear innocent. Serra didn't fall for it.
"You know who!!!" She stomped her tiny foot on the floor. "I heard about it from Priscilla. She caught him sleeping in the library."
Canas stopped to think that one out. Had Priscilla ever come in? She had. He recalled her look of affection when she saw the young Anima mage sleeping soundly amid the stacks of books and research material. Wait. Research. Serra would be a perfect candidate.
"Serra, I know this is off topic, but... what do you know of Erk?"
"Aha! See, I knew it! He was with you last night!" she pointed at him in triumph. Canas shook his head in exasperation.
"So I was. Now, can you answer my question, please?"
"Um, what do I know of Erkie?" Serra pressed her index finger to her lower lip and looked up at the ceiling, in deep thought. At least, deep for Serra. "Um, what's there to know about Erk?"
"Well, how does Erk feel about Legault?"
"Legault?"
"Yes. I am conducting a survey. I maintain all confidentiality, of course."
"Well, he doesn't say anything about Legault. Should he? Did Legault send you?" She gave Canas a suspicious look.
"No, and I already told you why I'm asking these questions."
"I think one day he said, kinda outta the blue, that he wished he could be as free-spirited. That's about it. I think he's just jealous that all he does is read, read, read, and Legault has all the fun."
"What do you mean?" Canas asked, taking out his book and scribbling in it with the pink ink.
"Is that pink?" Serra squealed.
"It is."
"Well, anyway, what I meant was, Erk is sooooo dull. Don't you think sometimes, he'd like to be somebody else for a day?"
"Like Legault?"
"Well, actually, I was thinking me, but sure. Legault would work. But I think Legault is a bit swishy, if you know what I mean. Once, I think—and don't go spreading this around—I think I caught him with Heath. You know that wyvern rider? Yeah. I think I caught them kissing and making out." Serra said the last few words like they were taboo or something.
Canas nodded and wrote this down. Serra peered over his shoulder, but Canas turned so she couldn't read it. She huffed and crossed her arms.
"You didn't get that from me, okay?"
"Sure," Canas murmured. "I saw them myself a few times."
"Really?!" Serra squeaked.
"No, but that's my story."
"Your story—Oh! I get it! Heehee." Serra had that gleam in her eye. "Hey, why are you asking about how Erk feels about Legault?"
"No reason."
"Oh, really?" Serra bounced back and forth on the balls of her feet. "I think someone has feelings for Erkie!"
Canas could feel his cheeks warming. "I... You have no proof!"
He turned and was going to bolt, but he tripped on his own robes.
"Aaaaiieeeee!!!" he cried, as he tried to catch the bottle of ink and the leather-bound book as they went flying and he went sprawling. Serra caught the ink bottle, and the book skidded across the floor. With a mischievous sparkle in her eye, Serra dived for it, just as Canas tried to get up and get it first... The top of his head collided with her chin and they both fell back onto the floor. Serra nearly dropped the ink bottle, but she kept a grip on it at the last moment.
"Ouch!" Serra yelped, but she wasn't out of the game yet. She kicked Canas in the side as viciously as a priestess could (which was pretty damn hard) and snatched the book, just as Canas' reaching fingers clutched at air.
"Serra, give it back," Canas said in a warning tone. Serra dismissed him with a foot planted in his face as she stood up.
"Hmm, let's see here..." Serra thumbed through the book. "What have we here? 'Plans to Win over Erk'? Are you serious? I was right!" Serra continued to look through the book. "Hah! What's this?" She turned the pages she was looking at so that Canas could see what she was talking about. Canas groaned and smacked his head on the floor.
They were sketches of Erk. He'd started drawing him a few months back. He was a fascinating model. At least, that's what he'd told himself until he'd actually gotten to know Erk.
"How cuuute!" Serra danced in a circle. "But Erkie never says anything about you that makes it look the other way around! In fact, I doubt he thinks about anyone in a romantic way."
Canas' face must have looked visibly disappointed, because Serra smiled in what she probably thought was a sympathetic way, though it actually looked quite patronizing.
"Don't worry! I'm a priestess of St. Elimine! That means I can't turn my back on a poor demented soul!"
"...Don't you mean 'tormented'?" Canas interjected.
Serra gave him a Look. "No. I mean DEMENTED."
"Okay, okay. Then how do you propose you'll help me?"
"Romance lessons from yours truly!" Serra pointed at herself with a toothy grin.
"Somehow, I really don't think this is going to work..."
Serra grabbed his shoulder. Hard. She dug her nails into his shoulder blade.
"What did you say?"
"Nothing, Serra. What are we going to do first?"
"First, you have to find out what makes Erkie really happy. Like, does he like moonlit walks along the bay? Or is he a wine and dine kinda guy?"
Canas bit his lip from saying that was exactly what he'd been attempting to do.
"To do this, you have to talk to him, and read into what he says. Also, while you're talking to him, do something sexy and see how he reacts."
"Like what? And please don't give me tips from Cosmopolitan and RedBook."
Serra frowned. "But you have to!" she whined. "It'll be fun! I mean, it will help to see what his reaction to you is. So I suggest that you..."
Canas was unsure of this whole business. The thought of actually... making any moves on Erk made his insides twist. Of course, it wasn't a bad feeling, but nonetheless, if he scared Erk off, there wouldn't be any second tries. Serra was sure of how he was going to react, but Canas obviously wasn't. He was beginning to wonder why he'd ever decided to make this gamble at all. But then again, he certainly didn't want to regret not doing it, so here he was, outside the room Erk occupied. He brought his hand up to knock on the door when it suddenly opened with a violent bang. Canas leapt back as Serra fled the room, a book following in hot pursuit.
Serra dodged the book and hid behind Canas, who took the brunt of the rather heavy tome on How to Become an Archsage. Erk, looking disheveled and flustered, appeared at the door and paled when he saw that Canas had taken the hit and was now protecting Serra, in a manner of speaking.
"Canas? What are you doing here?" Canas was a little pleased at the surprise in Erk's voice; at least it was a disbelieving sort of surprise, rather than an unhappy one. Canas also noticed that Erk had apparently just taken a shower. His violet hair was dark and shone wet in the sun streaming in the window, and Canas held back a deep longing to curl his fingers into the soft, half-dried tendrils at the base of Erk's neck and around his ears. Erk seemed not to notice Canas' wistful look, as he turned his gaze on Serra. His look was decidedly less warm—as in cold as a glacier—when he glared at her.
"I've told you a hundred times to knock!"
Serra looked back at him innocently. "How was I to know you were fresh out of the shower?"
"That's why you knock, Serra," Erk said through clenched teeth, his cheeks turning red.
Canas felt his own cheeks warm at the thought of Erk, well... a few minutes before. It was then that he noticed Serra had a small book Canas recognized as Erk's up one of her sleeves. Before he could even comment, Serra winked at Canas and smiled mischievously at Erk.
"Well!" she said, sidling away, and waving two fingers at the boys. "Have fun! Toodles!"
She raced off and Canas marveled at how fast she could run in her robes.
"Maybe I should consider cutting and hemming mine..." he murmured, chin in hand.
"Umm, hey," Erk's voice brought him back to the present.
"Hello," Canas said, turning back and smiling. He felt a nervous flutter in his stomach. Erk looked taken aback by his smile.
"Wh-what?" Erk asked, looking as nervous as Canas felt.
"Well, I stopped by for a chat," Canas said brightly. "I enjoyed our talk yesterday."
"You did?" Erk's astonishment caught Canas by surprise. Of course he had, but Erk wasn't a mind reader.
"Yes, I did," Canas smiled, his eyes warming. "Do you mind...?" Canas gestured behind Erk to the room.
"Oh, um, yeah! I mean, no. Err, come in," Erk stood aside and let Canas in, shutting the door behind him.
Canas somehow felt more relaxed now that he could see Erk was nervous. But why was he nervous? It wasn't like him.
"So," Canas hefted the book that had been thrown at him earlier. "You want to become the next Archsage?"
"Maybe," Erk replied. "I haven't really made up my mind. I could just end up a scholar forever."
"No, that's me. I think you could be much more."
"Huh," Erk said, as he dragged himself onto his bed. "Sometimes, I wonder."
"About you, or me?"
Erk blushed for some reason at this. "About me. I mean, why would I wonder about you?"
Canas moved over to sit beside Erk. "Why wouldn't you?" He was surprised at the softness of his voice. "I wonder about you."
Erk was silent for a long time. Canas wondered if he'd said something wrong. Maybe... Maybe he'd sounded like a come-on line?
Erk cleared his throat. "Well... Well... I guess I do wonder about you. I mean, why did you choose to be a scholar at all? And for that matter, why choose to be a shaman? No that I'm questioning your choice of magic study, or anything..." Erk set his chin in his palms. But, I guess it's sort of weird to think of you as a dark person. You're sort of a geek, I guess. I'm not much better though. That wasn't an insult, by the way," Erk blushed again, realizing he was babbling. "Sorry," he mumbled.
"Sounds like you've been thinking a lot about me," Canas observed. Erk looked caught in a trap, and tried to hide his face with his hair.
"Well, I..." he turned away.
Canas reached over and took Erk's chin in his hand. "You—you have a crush on me," Canas realized. He didn't know why it had never occurred to him before... It seemed so obvious now. Erk's eyes were dark and scared, and he wrenched away from Canas, but his blush burned bright, and the way he slightly trembled was a dead giveaway. Canas was right. Why did he ever think he'd have to seduce him?
"I do not," Erk said stubbornly, sliding off the bed and crossing the room. He was carefully avoiding looking at Canas.
Well, maybe he'd still have to seduce him, but it didn't seem as hard a task any more, now that he saw Erk felt something. Sort of like igniting an existing spark... Canas felt his lips curl up. It seemed kind of fun, now that he thought of it.
"Erk—"
"Could you please... just leave?" Erk said, sounding muffled. Canas felt his heart constrict. Had he hurt him somehow? He hadn't even attempted Serra's suggestion, which was, indeed, seduction. Of course, the things he should have done didn't sound too bad to Canas, either.
"Wait. Listen to me, Erk," Canas tried again.
"Can I listen to you later? I really just want to be alone."
"Fine. I'm going," Canas said in resignation. He got up and went to the door, casting one last glance at Erk. He hated to leave things this way, but... Canas opened the door and left.
Canas was in the library when Serra edged in, looking quite excited.
"Hey, hey! Look what I have!" Serra waved the book she'd hidden in her sleeve earlier.
"What is it?" Canas asked mildly, adjusting his monocle as he looked up.
"It's Erkie's diary! And guess what?"
"Erk has a crush on me?" Canas asked tiredly.
"How d'ya guess?" Serra looked crestfallen.
"Just lucky, I guess."
Serra cocked her head to one side and stared at Canas. "Okay, what happened?"
"Nothing, really," Canas began.
"Oh, shut up! I can tell something went wrong. You look depressed!"
"It's just... I think he's... upset."
"Well, duh. I saw him earlier, too. I told him he looked like his best friend died, and he didn't even make any smart remarks. What exactly did you say?"
"Not much, really. I just realized..."
"Yeah, well. Read Erkie's diary. You'll understand him a bit more."
"But, that's invading his privacy..."
"So what? He won't mind. Probably."
Canas couldn't help it. He snatched the book from Serra before he changed his mind and had some morals.
Opening the book, he skimmed through the first part, until he caught a glimpse of his name.
We recruited some new guy named Canas. He's a scholar, like me, but a lot older.
"Hey now," Canas remarked. "He thinks I'm a geezer."
Serra snickered.
He seems to be pretty dedicated, but then I could be mistaken. I thought Bartre was smart, until he opened his mouth and spoke. Damn, I never met anyone as dumb as he is. Actually, now that I think of it...He even looks dumb. But that could be because I've heard him speak. Back to Canas, though. I really can't explain it, but I feel a little strange when I look at him. Maybe he could teach me a bit about the Dark Arts. Lord Pent was never really good at that stuff, but then again, neither am I. I'm a little curious as to the differences in the incantations. Also, I've often wondered what it was that made me become an Anima mage. Besides having Lord Pent for a Master, since he's an Anima mage. In turn, what makes one devote their life to the Dark Arts? I feel corny just thinking this, let alone writing it, but Canas and I may be kindred spirits. Devoting one's life to study isn't something I see too often.
Canas turned the pages until he saw another piece that caught his eye.
Canas and I spoke the other day, about the differences in incantations, and spell components. He has some fascinating theories, and I have to say, I am intrigued as to how he thinks. He is very intelligent, although he is a bit clumsy. In the time that I spoke to him, he tripped twice and lost his monocle three times. I didn't ask, but I wonder why he wears it? I'd feel rude asking...
Canas remembered this conversation. It had been interesting, and Canas had found what Erk had to say intriguing. He'd also been a tad distracted by the way Erk had looked at times. Canas flipped ahead and found the next piece extremely interesting.
Today, I am officially wierded out. I was out with Priscilla and she was going on and on about Raven. I decided not to comment in the off chance he was standing nearby, but really, I was thinking of what a drip she sounded like. As we walked, I spied Canas in the forest, sleeping. He had his usual sea of paper surrounding him, but he was definitely asleep. It looked like he'd fallen asleep while reading, as there was a book laying across his chest. His monocle had fallen off and he looked so peaceful, in the tranquil quiet of the forest. And then I thought of what a drip I was being! I wonder now, what this means?
Canas rubbed his chin. He wondered if he should keep reading. There was ample evidence here...
To be continued!
A/n: Sorry so short, but longer than the first, I think... I've never been good with where to stop, either a whole fic or a chapter... But it seemed a dramatic place to leave off! Hope I'm still in character. Canas and Erk are rather adorable, now that I think of it, and you guys are right... Canas is horribly naïve, isn't he? But then, so is Erk... Well, you'll see. Please review?