This chapter was pretty much co-written with glostarz (you're gonna see her name pop up in a lot of my work haha).

Thanks for all the reviews and alerts and favs… I didn't know I'd get such a positive reaction on the first chapter *is touched* thanks guys! ^^

Onward!

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A fair haired boy awoke with a start, the beeping of the alarm on his watch sending out constant tics of irritation, reminding him that it was seven thirty and he should get up… before Fai took that duty upon himself.

Kazahaya groaned loudly, blindly searching for the accursed watch somewhere in the vicinity of his bed. Groping and sometimes knocking things over on his night stand. He lifted his head to try and at least search with his eyes now, and was successful, nabbing the watch and hitting the Stop button in relief.

Kazahaya flopped his head back onto the pillow, content now to lay in silence. He turned so that he was on his side, rather than his stomach, and tucked his knees up against his chest. The fabric of his sweats and bed sheets made for comfortable friction, causing Kazahaya to yawn and stretch like a lazy cat, letting the comforters move along his lithe body in a soft pull.

Sleep was pulling the senior back under far too quickly, promising sweet dreams and no school.

"Shhhhit…" Kazahaya mumbled into his pillow. It was school, wasn't it? Or else he wouldn't have set his watch. What day was it?

It was a Wednesday. Kazahaya could have cried; it should have been Saturday. He forced himself up and sat on the edge of his bed, clutching his blanket around his bare shoulders. Curse this school and it's rules against heaters in the rooms.

Kazahaya wasn't convinced yet that a boarding school was the place for him… and he had left three years fall away with this indecision. The boy frowned, pulling the blanket tighter around him. He was the one who decided to rebel. Running away certainly hadn't helped improve his character, and by the way, neither did this God forsaken boarding school Kazahaya's parents sent him to. An inkling to run away still existed. Kazahaya was a free spirit… but his surroundings proved exploring to be an unmanageable feat. He didn't have a car yet so he hardly ever wandered away from the school, making for a very dull life. And really, Kazahaya was scared of the damage he could do… whilst driving an automobile.

A loud, sad sigh echoed throughout the room. Blanket still over his skinny frame, dragging on the floor, Kazahaya made his way to the hall bathroom, turning on the light and flinching as he did so.

After his eyes adjusted, he looked at himself in the mirror, scowling at the frizzy-ness that was his dirty blonde hair. He rubbed his eyes, trudging back out of the bathroom, seeming to remember that he needed his towel and shampoo to take a shower.

Oh the way out of his room, toiletries and a change of clothes in his hands, Kazahaya ran into a body much larger than his own, sending him bouncing against a wall, some clothing slipping from his arms.

"Sorry!" Kazahaya immediately apologized, giving a quick bow and bending down to reclaim his cloths and toiletries.

"It's no problem," Kazahaya looked up at the low voice, recognizing Kousuke Mukofujiwara, the head of student counsel, who had kneeled down as well to help, although there wasn't much to after Kazahaya had his armful back.

Kousuke stood up with Kazahaya, empty handed and feeling just a tad too awkward. Kazahaya somehow sensed this and tilted his head to the side, curious.

A moment passed. "Um, you haven't seen Satoru around yet, have you?"

Kazahaya blinked. "No, I just woke up not to long ago." He pulled his clothing tighter to his chest. "Try the cafeteria?"

"Yeah, was headed there. Thanks." Kousuke nodded, walking away from a perplexed Kazahaya.

Odd… the boy thought to himself, making his way to the bathroom once more and claiming a showerhead.

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Kazahaya took his usual seat across from Fai in the cafeteria for breakfast. Setting his tray down, he automatically took up his carton of milk and opened it, taking a sip.

Kazahaya blanched at the sour taste of the milk, swallowing with a determined look on his face (and shivering afterwards), he took the carton and attempted to find the expiration date.

Fai acknowledged his best friend's presence with a simple giggle, scratching his cheek as he did so.

"What?" Kazahaya found that the milk expired today, so it had to still be drinkable; maybe his taste buds were broken or something. With this thought, Kazahaya opened his cereal container… thing, and poured a good amount of the funky milk in.

"Your milk just reminded me of last night is all," Fai grinned wickedly, propping his elbows on the table to set his chin in his cupped hands.

Kazahaya paused momentarily in his cereal stirring, giving Fai in incredulous look, eyebrow raise and all. Fai stuck out his tongue. Something in the spoon wielding youth clicked in recognition, causing a dramatic eye roll.

"Don't start." Kazahaya resisted the urge to jab his spoon in the direction of his promiscuous friend. This only happened on some days, where Fai would just start spewing perverted nonsense. Kazahaya took this as a sign of loneliness, or boredom. Probably boredom. Or probably just to wig Kazahaya out. It usually had that effect.

"Well, I can't help it if I'm good friends with my left hand," Fai's smirked widened when Kazahaya's jaw dropped in disgust, revealing chewed up Cheerios. "And images of Kurogane came to me last night."

That was another thing suspicious about Fai Fluorite; he had a strange infatuation with Kurogane, also in their senior class, but was somehow less obsessive about him than Kazahaya was to Rikuo. And unlike Kazahaya's and Rikuo's (nonexistent) relationship, Fai often spoke with Kurogane, often teased him and poked him randomly in the hall and in class. The flirting was always one-sided, as Kurogane never returned the silly gestures, and would sometimes even blow up in Fai's face about them. Fai would always smile though. Because somehow Kazahaya knew, exactly what Kurogane was thinking; he appreciated Fai, cared for him even. Every time Fai dragged Kurogane along for something, Kazahaya felt a strange aura coming off of the third guest.

Kazahaya would be lying if he said he wasn't jealous of Fai's courageousness. To Fai, life was a golden opportunity to cause mischief, play games, whatever. He didn't care about his social status as much as Kazahaya did, although it was only rumor that Fai was homosexual, he hadn't come out of the closet himself for Kazahaya's sake. Fai liked to be on equal ground with his best friend. But that didn't mean he couldn't still tease the over reactive boy.

"Gah," Kazahaya looked down at his murky cereal. "You never listen to me."

"I did listen," Fai's tone reflected accusation, but the twinkle in his eyes told lies! "I just chose to not react accordingly."

Whatever… Kazahaya thought, stirring his cereal some more and finally taking a bite, making a face.

"Lame." Kazahaya said, poking his Cheerios now.

Fai grinned. "So, how's your creepy-stalker crush on Rikuo going?"

"It is not a 'creepy-stalker crush'," Kazahaya dropped his spoon and crossed his arms. "And it's the same as it was yesterday…" And the day before… and the day before that…

"God, desperate proportions then." Fai said, picking his ear with a pinky. "Bet you go through more tissues than me in a month." He added as an after thought, face nonchalant. Fai flicked whatever crud was on his pinky, Kazahaya shuddered in disgust.

"Okay… we're so not having this discussion," He attacked his food again before the milk went warm, mouth full when he spoke again. "Next please."

"Um…" Fai cast his eyes up. "Favorite Rikuo-based fantasy?"

Kazahaya dropped his spoon again, speaking in exasperation. "Fai."

Fai played innocent. "What?"

Kazahaya pushed his tray away, rubbing his forehead with the palm of his hand.

"Wanna hear my favorite Kuro-based fantasy?" Fai grinned horribly.

"Not particularly." Kazahaya glanced to the side.

Fai frowned. "You're no fun."

Turning back, expression suddenly curious, Kazahaya spoke. "Well, is it a good one?" He finished the question by bending over to search through his back pack, pulling out a generously sized spiral notebook.

Fai laughed when Kazahaya plopped it down on the table, taking the pen from it's bindings and opening to a blank page. "Are you sure you wanna write it down? And hell yes, it's good!"

Kazahaya shrugged, pulling the pen cap off and hovering the tip above the paper. "I'm running out of ideas."

"Well," Fai sniffed. "It's not my favorite, but it's certainly a good one."

Kazahaya waited.

"It's about getting head." Fai warned his unpredictable friend.

Kazahaya grimaced. "Ew, I can never write those." He tapped the pen against the paper. "Where's your food?"

Fai shrugged. "Not hungry," He sat back in his chair. "Had a magic headache this morning."

"What did you do?"

"Was practicing my control," Fai sighed. "It's still a little shaky when I'm really excited or really pissed off." He paused again. "… Will be until I get the tattoo finished."

Another odd thing to mention about Fai; he's a mage. Like, casting spells, levitating, making warm drinks cold, whatever, he can do it. It wasn't something Fai liked to flaunt about, he certainly wouldn't have any problem proving himself, but it had to be a secret in this school. Kids just weren't ready to get comfortable with the unfamiliar. Fai had told Kazahaya a few weeks after he befriended him, but apparently had also confessed that no one else in the school knew. Kazahaya wondered if Fai knew he would believe him right away, not because he was gullible and tended to take most things at face-value, but because he could somehow sense it... sense a sixth sense coming off the blue-eyed boy.

"Maybe you should take a break? Rest a bit..?" Kazahaya spoke with a new tone, the one reserved for his friend; steady and reassuring.

Fai raised his eyebrows in contemplation. "Maybe," he shrugged again. "But I still don't know exactly what my capabilities are."

"I'll come to you in time." Kazahaya smiled at his friend before scanning the cafeteria and sighing. "And Rikuo is obviously not attending breakfast today." His eyes remained fixed on the entrance.

"Maybe he ate at the suite, or with Kuro." Fai said. The suite-like homes on campus came with a kitchenette, so cafeteria "junk food" (as Fai like to put it) could be avoided.

"Probably." Kazahaya admitted. "He doesn't even know I exist!"

"Keep talking that loudly and he will… and really, I'm sure he's aware of your existence." Who wouldn't… Fai added to himself.

Kazahaya flushed. "Okay, so maybe he knows I exist, but he doesn't give me any recognition."

Fai grinned in amusement.

"Douche bag…" Kazahaya muttered to himself, staring at his soggy cereal.

"I'm sure he feels something for you, deep down." Fai nodded.

Kazahaya scoffed. "I don't think he feels."

"I'm sure you'd like him to feel you."

"Oh shut up." Kazahaya threw his pen at Fai, who only grinned and flinched as the pen hit his chest. He picked it up and tossed it back to Kazahaya.

"I need to get to English." Kazahaya started packing his notebook, pen safely in its place.

"And I have gym," Fai paused. "With Rikuo."

Kazahaya managed to not roll his eyes. He knew Fai was only telling him this, again, to make him jealous.

"Lucky."

"Oh, yes." Fai was sarcastic. "But you get to watch Kurogane…" He trailed off.

Kazahaya had gym seventh period with Kurogane. "Yay me." Sarcasm is contagious. "He's worse than Rikuo; Kurogane actually yells back."

Fai giggled. "He yells at me too… I'd rather he yell my name." He added wistfully.

Kazahaya repressed a shudder at his friend's tone. "I'm off, see you in economics."

"Okay," Fai watched as Kazahaya slung his pack over his shoulder, standing. "Miss you already."

Kazahaya smiled a bit. "Yes, darling." He picked up his tray.

"Kissy kissy."

Kazahaya grinned, shaking his head and heading for the garbage bins.

He didn't even see it coming… or more specifically, him coming. Kazahaya turned his head around when he heard Fai call his name and had suddenly collided with a body, dropping his tray and falling back on his rear.

First he heard a loud curse from above him. Then he groaned, feeling the back of his head and sitting up, only his shoes wet in milk.

"Jesus… way to get someone's attention."

Kazahaya almost had a heart attack. He looked up and locked eyes with Rikuo Himura, who now had a nice splotch of milk on his black shirt. Kazahaya's cheeks turned red in embarrassment and he scrambled up, stuttering as he spoke.

"Y-you should watch where you're going!"

"Me?" Rikuo looked almost outraged. "You just threw milk all over me and you're telling me to watch where I'm going?"

"Yes!" Kazahaya tried to ignore the staring eyes. "And it's not like I 'threw' the milk on purpose, you got in the way!"

"Because you were making kissy faces at your boyfriend." Let it be known that Rikuo's voice was not rising in anger nor becoming louder like the blonde in front of him. Rikuo looked over Kazahaya's shoulder to make a point by acknowledging Fai, who winked in turn.

Kazahaya glared, his voice lowering. "He is not my boyfriend."

Rikuo continued to stare over Kazahaya's shoulder. "You sure about that?"

Kazahaya jumped when he felt arms wrap around his waist, a chin settling on his shoulder. He spun around, taking Fai's arms and pinning them to his sides, hissing.

"Don't be stupid!"

Fai just grinned sweetly, almost in a mock. Rikuo started chuckling.

"Right… I'll be going now."

Kazahaya turned his head to see Rikuo walking out of the cafeteria… perhaps to go change his shirt, shaking his head.

Kazahaya fumed silently, looking around at the gathered crowd and finally exploding.

"What are you all looking at!" He waved his arms. "Go back to your own lives!" And with that, Kazahaya stormed out of the lunchroom, not bothering to clean up his mess.

Fai laughed to himself and followed Kazahaya out, spotting him leaning against the wall.

"You okay?"

"Ugh… he is such a pain in the ass." Kazahaya raised a finger as Fai opened his mouth. "Don't."

Fai closed his mouth to smile not-too-innocently. "What? Do what?"

"You know what."

Fai grinned. "I'm innocent, I swear." He giggled. "Besides…" He leaned in to whisper into Kazahaya's ear. "I know you'd be bottom."

Kazahaya snarled, but Fai was already running off, giggling like a girl. The dirty blonde stomped his foot childishly, flipping Fai's retreating figure the bird.

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AN: WAAAY too much dialogue! I need a pit stop… I hate writing dialogue.

If you're a regular reader of my stories, you should know by now that I am the slowest updater in the world. And so this is a hint to all you newbies; you can beg and beg, but it doesn't stop the world from spinning…. I have a busy life.

Next chapter will be more KazaxRikuo, promise! *sends chocolate kisses*