To Light A Flame

by Hollowshirosaki413

Luke had always lived a somewhat sheltered life, until his parents decide to ship him halfway around the world to Seventh Fonon High. Public school turns out to be easy to handle…academically. Because Luke finds that, in the real world, there were people you reached out to and those that you left alone. And he just had to fall for the one he was supposed to leave alone.

2. A Silent Hymm

To Light A Flame

Chapter 2: A Silent Hymm

~oOo~

Third Person POV

Beep. Beep. Beep.

Luke's eyebrows twitched as the shrill sound of his alarm clock roused him from his slumber. Burrowed under the covers as he was, the last thing he wanted to do was get up, let alone reach over and shut the timer off. But as the noise continued, the redhead felt his eardrums begin to ache. Ugh, this was worse than having scissors shoved in his ears! After a few more minutes of silently enduring the agony, Luke forced himself up into a sitting position and slammed his hand down on the clock, effectively shutting it off.

Groaning, the redheaded teen scrubbed sleep from his eyes, blindly groping around on his nightstand in the dim light for his cell phone. Locating it, he grasped it up in his grip and kicked the covers off, shivering when his bare feet came into contact with the cold hardwood floors of his apartment.

One of the few perks of home-schooling: not having to wake up at ungodly hours of the morning.

Luke was not, by any means, a morning person. He could – and gladly would – sleep until three in the afternoon every day. But now that he was living on his own, it was his responsibility to get himself up and ready in the morning and get his ass to school. Annoying as it was, Luke was determined to show his parents that he could manage just fine independently. All his life, Luke had grown up in his family's manor in Baticul. He'd never left the city, and had been given a private tutor for educational purposes. But Luke's eighteenth birthday was right around the corner, and his parents had decided that he needed to learn how to take care of himself. Which he was completely capable of doing, and now that he'd finally left, the thought of having to return to residence in Baticul was becoming less and less appealing to him. That being said, Luke refused to let something as trivial as his sleeping habits ruin his chances of escape.

Padding out into the kitchen, Luke tossed his phone onto the counter and set about to making breakfast, throwing a piece of bread in the toaster and pulling out a jar of jelly. As the bread grilled inside the appliance, the redhead went back to his bedroom and changed into his school uniform; a gray long-sleeved jacket, gray slacks, brown dress shoes, and a white polo shirt with an undershirt of his choice (currently a plain red one) beneath it. Just as he finished buttoning his shirt, he heard the toast pop up, and retreated back to the kitchen to slather some jelly on the food and scarf it down before grabbing his keys and exiting his apartment.

Day two, begin.

~oOo~

First and second hour passed by relatively slowly, nothing particularly exciting happening. Luke and Guy had once again spent Mr. Spinoza's and Mr. Curtiss' lessons chatting amongst themselves; though Mr. Curtiss had caught them once and made them turn in their copies of the notes for a grade. Nonetheless, the two teens left the classroom smiling and laughing, ignoring the scornful looks of the other students.

Now it was third hour, and once again Luke was there rather early. He set his books down at his desk, looking over at Asch, who once again sat at his assigned seat in the back of the room. He once again had his nose in a book, his emerald orbs scanning the pages. Remembering his thoughts from yesterday, Luke took a deep breath, and then walked over to the redhead's desk.

As he approached, Asch's eyes glanced up, caught sight of him, and glared. Luke resisted the urge to shiver and came to a stop in front of his desk.

"Um…hey," Luke greeted awkwardly. "I uh…just wanted to say I'm sorry if I bothered you yesterday." Asch blinked, clearly not expecting the other boy to say such a thing. "It's just kinda weird being the new kid and all, you know?" The darker redhead's green eyes narrowed, but he didn't appear annoyed. Luke took that as a good sign and smiled shyly. "But, I mean, we're all new at some point, right?" Asch didn't say anything, but he tilted his chin in acknowledgement before going back to his book. Luke continued to stand next to his desk until finally, he reached over and pulled out the chair to the desk in front of Asch's and sat saddle-style in it.

"Do you mind if I ask what you're reading?" Asch shifted the book in his hands so Luke could see the cover. "'Tales of Mythology?' That sounds kinda interesting. Is it any good?" The other teen nodded. "Huh. Maybe I'll try it sometime. Though I'm not much of a reader," Luke said with a chuckle. Asch glanced up at him again, expression blank. Luke was suddenly aware of the sounds in the room and realized the classroom had filled up with students and the lesson was due to start any minute. Smiling again, the red-haired teen stood up.

"I should probably get back to my seat." Still, the other offered no reply, following him with his piercing green gaze. Luke cleared his throat. "Um…well, bye then." He turned around and made to head for his desk, when something latched onto his wrist.

"Wait." Luke looked at Asch over his shoulder, wide-eyed. The sitting redhead bent a corner of the page he was on, closed the book, and shoved it into Luke's hand. "It's alright. Give it a shot." Luke stared at the novel now in his hand, then smiled brightly at Asch.

"Thanks! I'll give it back to you tomorrow." Asch nodded, motioning for him to go back to his seat. Luke did so, and as soon as he slid into his chair, the bell rang, signaling the start of the class.

When the lecture had started, Luke had tried his best to pay attention to the lesson, he really did, however it had been proved futile as his thoughts had drifted back to the lonely teen and the book. Visions of long, silky red hair and mythology danced before his very eyes; Asch as a vampire, Asch as a faerie – not one of the wussy ones, but that of a warrior – a forest nymph, so on and so on. Every picture made the young burnt-red-heads head swim and his blood rush to his face as an unmanageable speed.

He wondered why Asch was so drawn to the mythical side of history, anyway. He didn't seem like one to believe in such folk as that – the wars and things of the sort. He seemed more realistic. Things like World War's and stuff like that fit him better. But he guessed – to each their own.

Luke sighed as he tapped his pencil against the cold wood desk he was trapped in. A blank paper lay under him when it should be filled with pounds and pounds of information, and yet he had not even touched the tip of the pencil against the white piece of shaved and laminated wood. A sigh escaped his lips.

At least he had gotten Asch to talk.

~oOo~

Guy had attacked Luke as soon as the bell had rung for sixth hour to be over. "Hey, hey Luke, Luke, do you wanna come over today?" The bubbly blonde asked the standing lithe form that belonged to Luke. Said redhead glanced over at his friend, a brow cocked and his head tilted in wonder.

"Didn't you say you had to work?" Luke asked him. He grabbed his books out from his desk and stashed them in his bag, uncaring of what condition they may come out to be. As he stared back at the blonde and lifted his bag, Guy continued.

"My work is at home silly." Guy informed his friend. Luke blinked, confused. What kind of work is that? As if reading his mind, Guy relented. "You'll see." He replied creepily. "And besides, I was wondering if you'd take me for a spin in that white Ford Mustang of yours." Luke snickered.

"I think we could make that happen."

So that was how Luke ended up standing in front of Guy's house. When they had arrived Guy had stumbled out of the car with a freakish laugh, saying 'you drive like an insane person!' and Luke had only grinned. The directions had been provided by a hysterical Guy along the way, and with his giddy tendencies Luke was surprised to have gotten there without being lost at least once or twice. The Cecil – Guy's – family had owned a mansion in the middle of nowhere and supported themselves with a custom Audi R8 sitting out of the garage.

Speaking of garage….When Luke began walking towards their gates to get into their home, followed by a giggling Guy, he had noticed that their garage was a little bit bigger than normal. That may just be because they liked collecting cars, like plenty of other rich people, but that growing grin on his friends face was making him even more confused as he took every step to the motion-censored door. Their steps up off the pavement echoed in the otherwise silent forest-type area every time they advanced towards the garage, the slightly windy parking lot glistening with millions of shadows of leaves.

After a little bit, they had made their way up the slight hill and next to the white wall-feature, getting ready to step foot in the house after being recognized. And when the door had begun to rise, Luke could only stare as each and every object suddenly came into view.

There were tools everywhere.

Hanging on the walls, on the benches and below the benches, around and under the cars, in buckets and so many other places that the redheaded teen couldn't even name them all. Oil was spilt at every corner of the huge body-shop, and a very, very large air compressor sat in the far right corner, almost completely covered from view by the five or six cars that happened to be in the area. Clamps of every kind were strewn around the scene along with a few different types of measuring tools; all of which Luke had no idea what they were.

What really caught Luke's eye was the airbrushing corner. It was to the right, closest to the two teens and just screamed the need to be touched. It looked like no one had touched anything like that in forever – and Luke just loved airbrushing anything he could get his hands on. Junk cars, expensive cars, crap board – it was anything and everything. Not many people knew that Luke was smart enough to know what an airbrushing fold looked like – let alone how to use it.

"Welcome to my work." Guy spoke with an exaggerated tone as he stepped into the lavish shop. Luke followed not long after, awed.

"Y-Yeah…." Luke grinned. "Do you fix cars or give them paint jobs?" He asked casually as he set his books in an empty corner. Guy did the same, stretching along the way. While Luke sat down on the nearest wooden stool, also almost covered from head to toe in oil and surrounded by rags, Guy made way for what seemed like his newest car-job-thing-whatever.

"Oh, I couldn't colour a car for shit. Yeah, I work on them instead." Guy shrugged. "I mostly do racing cars; attach NOS and stuff like that. It isn't exactly legal, but it pays better than just fixing a car." The redhead gaped at his nonchalant friend but the only thing Guy did was shrug and plop himself on the floor with a couple of tools. After situating himself on the concrete and making sure a rag was near him, Guy slid under the buff-looking car for more alterations.

So, I couldn't help but notice you're trying to get all cozy with that Asch kid." Guy's voice was slightly muffled by the car and Luke had to strain to hear, but when he did, he frowned slightly.

"There's nothing wrong with that. He looked lonely, so I tried talking to him. This time he gave me a book and told me it was pretty good – it was only mythology." Luke said, slightly proud with his newfound information.

Guy gaped from under the giant automobile. "R-Really? It isn't like Asch to talk to anybody, let alone near strangers…." To Luke, Guy had sounded slightly exasperated. Luke nodded his head even though he knew his friend couldn't see it.

"Yeah!" Luke giggled. "I mean, I never would've expected him to be into…." And with that, they launched into a whole new discussion of things about Asch and weird mythical creatures.

~oOo~

When Luke finally risked a glance outside of the garage, a little worn out from his exertion from speaking, he noticed that the sun was beginning to fall, leaving a whole aroma of reds and pinks and baby blues all over the sky. The redhead took this opportunity to stand. "Alright Guy, I'm gonna half to let you go. It's getting dark and I don't like driving at night." A snort traveled across the room.

"Alright Mr. Safety. I'll see you tomorrow, alright? You'll be able to come again?" Guy asked hopefully as he wiped some oil off his hands from his previous job of checking the oil in every car.

"Yeah. I'll see you tomorrow!" Luke strolled to the corner where his and Guy's bags still lay, before picking up the merchandise with a tiny yawn. He turned away with a last goodbye and began to make his way down the, once again, windy drive way and eventually out of the gates.

The redhead reached into his pocket and fished out his car keys, about to unlock his white vehicle, when out of nowhere, a soft sound invaded his hearing. Pausing in his actions, Luke listened carefully. It was obviously an instrument of some kind; however, the specific type was beyond Luke's knowledge. He loved art, but didn't dapple much in the musical department; he much rather preferred a pencil and some paper over a trumpet and sheet music. Nonetheless, the teen enjoyed music as much as the nest person, and knew a good tune when he heard one. The melody his eardrums were currently picking up was soft and smooth, most likely a chorale of some kind. Curiosity getting the better of him, Luke turned around and headed into the miniature forest Guy lived in.

Following the sound of the instrument was a bit harder than Luke originally anticipated; it was loud at some parts and softer at others, and sometimes it stopped altogether for a short time span before picking back up. Attention completely hooked by this point, the teen continued to trudge through the trees until he finally spotted a small break in the shrubbery. Carefully and cautiously, Luke peeked into the clearing, slipping behind a tree as he searched for any signs of life.

He found one. Oh, he found one, and it was the last thing he expected to find.

In the clearing, sitting up against the trunk of a tree, was a red-haired, green-eyed teen that Luke instantly recognized. There was no mistaking that silky-looking, blood-colored hair and those vibrant yet piercing emerald pools.

It was Asch.

He had a wood-colored acoustic guitar resting in his lap, a large black case on one side of him – Luke assumed it was the guitar's case – and a few pieces of paper on the other. Asch's green apple eyes were currently focused on the paper, the observing teen noticing the black writing utensil twisted in his fingers. Staring intently at the parchment, Luke could make out the ebony black ink scratched across it, but couldn't make out anything specific. He watched as Asch marked on the page, then placed the pen down and slid his hands under the guitar. Luke noted how easily he situated it in his grasp, showing that he knew how to handle the instrument.

Then Asch's fingertips ran along the strings, and that soft, beautiful melody returned to the wood, Luke's eyes widening. It really was him… Staying in the cover of the brush, Luke continued watching the other redhead, catching all the little things he did; the way his fingers glided so effortlessly along the neck of the guitar, how his eyes stared fondly down at it, how every time the lightest breeze blew by, it lifted his crimson hair about him and gave him a look of peaceful serenity.

Asch looked like an angel.

Suddenly, abruptly, Asch stopped playing. His deep green gaze stared into the space in front of him for a few seconds, then he turned, picked the pen back up, and scribbled something down on the paper. With that completed, he picked the instrument back up and shifted – his back now to Luke – and went about to the task of what Luke was assuming was putting the guitar back into it's case. The lighter redhead heard a couple of clicking sounds, and Asch reached behind him to grab his papers.

A strong breeze blew by in that moment, sending the white sheets fluttering out of Asch's reach and towards Luke's hiding spot. Without thinking, Luke stepped forward, out of his cover, and stooped down to retrieve the pages before they drifted into the trees. When he straightened his spine, standing upright once more, he looked up and caught the other teen's wide-eyed gaze. Luke blinked, a sudden heat flooding his cheeks.

"U-um… I…" His lips couldn't seem to properly form words, and his mind couldn't think of any to try to speak anyway. So instead, he lamely thrust the papers in his hand out in front of him. Standing as well, Asch stepped up to him and quickly ripped the papers out of his hand, tucking them under his arm. He strode to the other side of the clearing, picking up the guitar case as he went. Realizing he planned to leave, Luke reached out.

"H-Hey, wait a sec!" Asch sharply twisted his head to stare at the redhead behind him, a glare now etched onto his already angry features. "I-I didn't mean to sneak up on you like that! Er, well, I wasn't even really, like, sneaking sneaking! I was just listening and…and… You're really good." The darker red-haired teen blinked, seemingly surprised by the other's words. "I mean, that was really pretty. Beautiful." Luke smiled softly. "You're amazing." Asch tilted his face so he wasn't meeting Luke's gaze, but there was no denying the light rosy color now painting his cheeks.

"You're really creepy, you know that? Why don't you just leave me alone?" Luke took a second to let the voice echo in his ears, not used to hearing the other boy speak.

"…Because I want to get to know you more." Asch's eyes narrowed.

"On top of being a stalker, you're an idiot, too." Then he turned, crimson hair billowing out with the movement and the wind, and Asch disappeared. Luke watched the other go with awe-stricken, amazed eyes.

In an instant, a creeping blush managed to make its way up to his features. Luke shook his head, unable to comprehend what he had just did. Why did he pick up those papers? Why couldn't he keep his hands to himself….Maybe Asch wouldn't hate him that much. Luke flinched into the darkness with an appalled look on his features. "God, I am an idiot…." Luke muttered. He ran his fingers through his burnt orange hair and turned, planning to go back to his car – albeit grudgingly.

But that sound….That sound was beautiful. Luke was instantly drawn to it and as he had stepped closer and closer to the sound, his fingers and hi veins and, quite frankly, every fiber in his body seemed to tingle along with the tune. He realized that he wanted to hear the other play again; he wanted to be able to get under Asch's skin just long enough…. Just for him to at least make friends with him.

With a shake of his head Luke made way for his car. When he got in he slammed the expensive door shut and scowled at himself, obviously disliking the fact that he had acted like such a pubescent teen. When Luke was alone he had no problem with himself; he had no one to talk to other than the people he was used to and he had never felt…. He had never experienced this sort of compassion for someone in the outside world.

Luke groaned and pressed his forehead against the cold leather steering wheel of his sports car. With closed eyes Luke lifted his hands to hit the leather once, before keeping his hands attached to the appliance that was holding up his head.

"I'm not prepared for this…." Luke muttered, even though he already knew that he would probably end up making more of an ass out of himself. After a second Luke lifted his head off the steering wheel and shook himself out of it, instead deciding to drive back home.

All the way back the only thing Luke focused on was a pair of emerald eyes and a single tune that he hummed all the way back.

~oOo~

Luke plopped on his California King bed and pulled up his white silk sheets up to his waist, bare chest feeling a little bit warmer than the rest of his body. With a sigh Luke glanced down at his hands to see the very same book, 'Tales of Mythology,' that Asch had given him. With the request of reading it still clear in his mind, the burnt-orange haired teen opened the book.

After a moment of staring blankly at a page, Luke began to read. He noted that before any actual story appeared, he had to read up on the types of animals taken inside of the story itself.

Milo

Name: Milo

Type: Sea-Creature

Derived From: Greek Term – "Miloaka."

Date created: 2400 B.C.

Physical Appearance: Humanistic features with gills on either side of their cheeks and foreheads. Usually induced with larger eyes that have no pupil – most common eyes colour being orange. Their chests, male or female are usually bare and their arms are about half the size of a humans in form, with a membrane-like webbing attached to the length of their arms to the side of their stomach. Their lower half is consisted of that of a sea serpent – a thirty to forty foot long receding tale that is aligned with crystal blue scales.

Powers: Entrancing to the eyes, the creature known as a 'Milo' is known to act as a Siren; an aphrodisiac scent attached to them to drag in and lure a human form into the water. When deep enough, the Milo will reach out of the water, still singing their entrancing song, their clawed – as well as webbed – hands grasping on to the humans jaw. With one sharp pull, the Milo's hand will most likely dislocate the human's jaw and tear it off of them. They are highly violent and no listings of human interaction had appeared to live through their encounters.

Luke shivered and closed his eyes, pushing the book to the edge of his huge bed. He had to hold back a shiver at what he had just read – just the thought of his jaw being torn from him scared the living daylights out of him. However, even in his tired stupor, Luke realized that he had wanted to read more.

Though Luke had pressed no further thoughts, because not a second later had the red-head fallen into a deep, undisturbed sleep.