Disclaimer: If I owned Binan Koukou Chikyuu Bouei-bu Love, it would be a proud yaoi and Ryuu x Io would be very much canon! Then again, we never really know...
Io coughed nervously as Ryuu leaned upon his shoulder and snored quietly. Once in a while, he would accidentally brush his hand over his best friend's sleeping form while trying to retrieve something or change his position. Ryuu always felt very warm, Io noticed. His feathering breaths would make Io's heart drop like it only ever did when his stocks did the very same. Why would that be though?
Ryuu mumbled something in his sleep and slowly rolled over to sleep on the other side of his seat, leaving Io feeling very cold all of a sudden. He missed Ryuu's warmth already. Nervously, as though his touch could wake the sleeping teenager, Io inched his arm closer and closer to Ryuu's on his armrest, just to be able to be in contact him and feel that same heat again. Ryuu visibly shivered just as their arms touched, all of a sudden moving back to his previous spot on Io's shoulder. As much as he denied it to himself, Io could not help but release a sigh of relief as he rested his chin overtop of a head of pink hair. Ryuu always smelled of strawberries. Io sucked in his breath as the lovely sent of a bright summer morning in a field of fresh strawberries began to fill his nose. Never mind that somewhat disturbing smell of machinery and puke that was his aiplane seat.
No, he can't get distracted like this! Paris is not a place for fun – it's a place of business. But, then again, every place is a place for business. The only reason he was even looking forward to going to Paris was because of the great opportunity that he would have to examine such a different environment and the thriving of their businesses first-hand. Really, who could pass up such an opportunity?
Of course, deep inside, he realized that there was a second reason that he was looking forward to going on this trip. He was invited, of course, to go along with Ryuu as well as Yumoto, Atsushi and En – the three who had won fourth place in school's fair, becoming one of the eight teams that was invited to the trip. Io and Ryuu had won first place, naturally. He wanted to go alongside his entire club, all of his friends. He couldn't really leave the Battle Lovers – especially Ryuu – all by themselves. Sure, he wasn't always as helpful as he could be, were he to try harder, but he did have to protect Ryuu. Who knew what kind of trouble he would get into if all of the others let him?
It had only been four hours into the flight, but already most of the team was tired and bored. Ryuu was excited for the first two hours. After that, the excitement kind of just wore off and he began to whine about how many more hours he would have to sit in the same place before they would arrive.
All of a sudden, a small, balled up piece of tissue flew across the aisle and hit Io dead in the eye.
"Naru-chan!" Yumoto called out across the lane, making everyone in the area turn their heads towards the unwanted noise. A series of shushing followed their annoyed stares. "Oh, right," Yumoto said as he noticed all of the unwanted stares. "Hey, Naru-chan," Yumoto whispered this time, leaning over his armrest, as far across the aisle as he could. "How much longer is the flight? When will we be in France?" Yumoto whispered loudly enough for Io to hear.
"Eight more hours," Io said sadly. He slowly rifled through his economy research and recording papers.
"What? Eight more hours? Really? So, what time will it be there when we arrive? It'll be a different time there, won't it?" Yumoto interrogated, eagerly smiling and waiting for his answers.
"It will still be morning there, so at about ten," Io answered and offered a wary smile back.
Over across the aisle, Atsushi rolled over on from En, tapping Yumoto on the shoulder. "Yumoto," he said in a dry and tired voice, yawning. "You should go to sleep."
"Sleep? It's only about ten-thirty. I'm not tired," Yumoto said and laughed, once more receiving shushing from the people behind him.
All day, the five of them had been running around the airport with all of their bags, following their classmates and supervisors – or, at least, Mr. Tawarayama and Wombat, who was very confused on which gate they were supposed to be at, having never been to an airport before. Io himself was pretty tired from running to a different gate every few minutes. Of course, he couldn't bring himself to fall asleep with Ryuu in his arms. Ryuu always made him all too aware of everything and everyone around him, it seemed.
"Hey, where is Wom-san? I think he might be lonely without me to cuddle him and I'm sure that I would fall asleep much faster with him in my arms!" Yumoto wrapped his arms around himself and laughed lightly. Io couldn't help but smile at how easy laughter and happiness came to the little blonde, and yet, at the same time, he felt somewhat sorry for Wombat and was glad for him – or Mr. Tawarayama – to be sitting with the other teacher supervisors.
"He's with Mr. Tawarayama," Atsushi said, though he could barely be heard. "Go to sleep, Yumoto. You'll feel much better when we land."
"Alright, alright! I'll try," Yumoto said as he turned over to face Atsushi, who was already falling asleep against En's shoulder. "But only if I get to cuddle you all night!"
Atsushi considered the two options in his head and decided that a hyper fifteen-year-old who wouldn't let any of them sleep was worse than being awkwardly hugged all night by a kid who could squeeze the life out of you if you let him, and agreed to Yumoto's suggestion. Taking one for the team.
Good luck, Io mouthed at Atsushi as he turned to give him one last glance before being locked in Yumoto's deadly grip. Atsushi leaned over to his left and settled down on En's chest unknowingly. Io thought that he could see both of them smile briefly as Atsushi nestled his cheek against En's shirt. What was that all about?
Io was suddenly very aware of the boy lying on his chest as he too nestled against Io's shoulder. Io gently placed his hand on Ryuu's hair and ran his fingers through it. For some reason, it was almost relaxing to feel the downy pink locks against his fingers. He began to twist one of the locks around his finger, not even noticing that he was doing so. Suddenly, the boy on top of him shook, just barely enough for Io to feel it. He looked back down on his friend when a surprising sound left Ryuu's lips.
He sighed. Or, at least it seemed like a sigh at first. What began a a very quiet sigh steadily became a hushed moan, almost as if he was aware of Io's fingers in his hair. Io immediately began to feel hot once more and could feel his facing beginning to change color. Even though he knew better, he faced Ryuu's sleeping form again. A faint blush was beginning to tint Ryuu's pale cheeks as well. Io didn't notice that his lock on Ryuu's hair didn't loosen or break free, but instead tightened around the small bits of hair.
Ryuu moaned once more, this time loudly enough for it to be clear to Io what exactly was coming out of his lips as he made a couple more breathy noises. Io couldn't help but wonder what he was dreaming about. He considered the blush on his cheeks and was immediately taken aback, moving closer to the window and further away from Ryuu.
This only made Ryuu move closer and slide his arms around one of Io's, still soundly asleep. Io wanted nothing more than to settle into Ryuu's hold on him, to be able to touch Ryuu until he fell asleep, but he knew what a terrible idea that would be. After all, they were best friends, in public and both boys. Also, there were those odd moments when Io couldn't even stand being in the same room as Ryuu in fear of accidentally brushing his arm against him and feeling that unwanted heat where heat should never be. Io knew that he should not be feeling that way and he knew that, were he to give into the impulses, the odd, perverted thoughts and feelings would only get worse and worse. He did not want to be like that. He didn't want to loose the greatest friend he could have over some pointless teenage hormones.
Io suddenly felt Ryuu cringe above him, unconsciously moving his face to nestle against Io's arm. Ryuu's sleepy expression began to turn into a hesitant one, his face slowly becoming flushed as he whined a little bit. Io felt like the best option in this situation was to jump out of the plane. Of course, seeing as the only exits were locked and the window was bolted tightly to the rest of the airplane, this option was not really available.
A few more minutes of Ryuu's odd sounds began to twist with Io's mind, filling his mind with a multitude of theories on their origin. There was no way that they were just random, just something that happened when the pink-haired teenager slept. As he continued to ponder about what was going on in Ryuu's mind, he – unknown to himself – began to move closer towards the sleeping form beside him. He hadn't realized as much until, all of a sudden, he could feel Ryuu's gasping breath against his collar.
Time stopped for only a moment as he considered his next course of action. Really, there shouldn't even be any thought to it. But he hesitated to move away from the heated boy. Instead, he chose to slowly rest his head against Ryuu's. Locks of the other boy's hair brushed against Io's cheek and, for some reason, all he could do was breath their scent in. And, finally after a couple more minutes, his eyes began to flutter and he slowly drifted into a deep, peaceful sleep.
Io found himself in his dream world once more, as he sat up on a fancy king-sized bed, bewildered at his surroundings. Where exactly was he this time? He doesn't remember ever being in a room like this before, therefore it couldn't be another embarrassing memory. Maybe it was the fact that sleeping in an uncomfortable airplane seat and it was giving him hopes of a nice, comfortable bed. He didn't know, though, why his bed would have rose petals on it. Or why his shirt was unbuttoned.
His attention quickly shot up as a door on one side of the large room opened up. Slowly, an unknown figure entered the room and closed the door immediately after themselves. Io squinted at the figure, no matter that the room was bright and his vision was perfect. The first thing he noticed was the truffled pink hair of the familiar figure, followed by two matching chocolate-colored eyes and a notorious smile.
"What – why are you here?" Io immediately asked, noticing that the young man was wearing less clothing than he should.
Ryuu smiled. "Why? Did you miss me?" he asked with a wink. Io blushed madly. Was this that kind of dream? No, no, this couldn't be that kind of dream. After all, Ryuu was in it, to begin with.
Ryuu sashayed over to the bed and draped his robe lower, under his shoulders. Before he realized it, Io was reaching out towards the supple skin, pink from a fresh shower. As Ryuu sat down onto the covers, Io's hand gently brushed against his naked shoulder. The feeling of his skin made his entire body shiver with delight and embarrassment. The other boy laughed and moved even closer towards him. At this movement, Io moved backward a little bit until he felt the headboard at his back. Ryuu only came closer, but, this time, Io had nowhere to run. Ryuu smiled and leaned in until their foreheads touched. Io sucked in his breath and leaned forward warily, hesitant for a moment, until Ryuu reached up and laced his hands together behind Io's neck, pulling him forward.
When their lips touched, desire overruled apprehension. Io leaned into the kiss further, pulling Ryuu along, bringing him down on top of him. Suddenly, there was no room. There was no bed, there was no door. There was only Ryuu. His soft, pink lips that matched his cheeks and his hair. Ryuu's roped slipped down further, Io's hands beginning to trace circles down Ryuu's bare back. Ryuu smiled against Io's lips, making Io smile as well. Ryuu used this to his advantage and licked his lips. He leaned down onto Io and slowly began to nibble on Io's bottom lip, demanding entrance. And Io, of course, conceded.
Io woke up, gasping for air and wet with sweat. He leaned forward in his seat and rested his forehead on the seat before him. It was only a dream. It was only a dream. It was only a dream. And, no, it was not just any kind of dream. It was a teenager's dream. It was nothing more than a mindless, youthful dream that was simply because of built up stress and a lack of any social life – outside of the Battle Lovers, obviously, but that didn't really constitute as anything other than fighting loveless monsters. This had nothing to do with Ryuu, and Io could swear on that. Really, Ryuu was only there because Io had fallen asleep so close to him. Obviously, there was no connection.
"So, you're finally awake?" Ryuu smiled down at the shocked teenager at his side.
"Um... yes. I just, I didn't sleep well," Io said and tried not to look Ryuu in the eyes. Those chocolate eyes that winked at him in such a flirty fashion.
"Really? You slept so soundly though! And, when I woke up, you were even smiling in your sleep. Were you dreaming about anything?" Ryuu inquired as he pulled the table-top from the chair in front of his. It was time for breakfast, after all.
Io instantly began shaking his head. "No, no, not a good dream," Io said in a cracking voice. Did Ryuu suspect? Did he know what Io had dreamed about. Oh, he hoped that this wasn't one of the times that he talked in his sleep. That would just be too cruel.
"Are you sure? You seemed pretty excited about it, if you know what I mean," Ryuu said and winked, causing Io to fly back against his window. Why, why would his body betray him that way? And in his sleep, no less?
"No, relax! I was only joking. What are you getting so fired up about?" Ryuu cocked his head to the side and laughed. "All you did was smile, giggle and drool on my shirt."
"I apologize for the trouble," Io said in the most calm way that he could.
"Why? Was it that kind of dream?" Ryuu wiggled his eyebrows.
"What? No!" Io raised his voice, still wary of the people sitting around them, and turned away. "No, of course not," he said, quieter this time.
"Alright, alright, you don't have to be so defensive," Ryuu cried out and backed away into his seat.
"Calm down!" Io shouted as quietly as he possibly could – which was easier thought than done – and grabbed onto the slightly shocked Ryuu.
"I'm calm! You're not calm, though. How bad was this dream?" Ryuu questioned as he pulled Io hands off of his shoulders and looked around the plane, cautious of wandering eyes – for once.
"It wasn't that bad," Io lied, trying to be smooth about it. Was it really that bad though? For some reason, when he recalled the dream, disgust was not the first negative thought to pop into his head. Outright, the first thought was fear. And fear was not a very comfortable thing to feel, especially when regarding his best friend. Usually, Ryuu would make him feel safe, happy, and overall, comfortable. He never had to worry about the two of them drifting apart, because he knew that they would always find their way back to each other.
"Do you mind me asking what it was about?" Ryuu had calmed down in a matter of seconds and settled into his seat, patiently awaiting the green-haired boy's reply.
Io knew that, though it wouldn't be too difficult to lie to him, Ryuu would not be able to let this go until he got an answer that satisfied him enough to drop the subject. He began to think through all of the crafty lies that he could spew, and that would make this pass as soon as possible, but – for once in his life – he really didn't know what to say.
"Well, I -" just as he began to mumble through an excuse, he was interrupted by one of the flight attendants, rolling the breakfast cart down the aisle.
"Would you gentlemen like something to eat?" the flight attendant asked kindly. Io had never been so grateful to be interrupted before. He sighed with relief and mentally praised the woman who just saved him from a whole lot of embarrassment.
"Yes, sure!" Ryuu said, happily turning his attention on the two breakfast trays that were laid before him. "Thank you." Io grabbed for his tray before Ryuu could get his hands on it and thanked the server as well. Once he ripped through the thin plastic package, took out the plastic knife, and opened up his butter packet, was Io finally ready to relax back and enjoy his meal.
"So, what were you going to say?" Ryuu muttered through his mini baguette, spewing crumbs as he spoke. "Oh, sorry," he said, covering his mouth while he was chewing through his breakfast.
"What?" Io questioned, attempting to act nonchalant and calm about the matter. He had hoped that Ryuu would just drop this. "Nothing," he finally settled on. Very professional.
"Come on, what's so bad that you can't talk to me about it?" Ryuu asked again, this time shoving him a little with his elbow.
"Nothing. It was just a decline in stocks is all. You wouldn't be interested." Io smiled the tiniest smile that he possibly could. Finally, something that he knew Ryuu wouldn't care for. Why hadn't he thought of this before?
"Of course it was," Ryuu laughed out, "Isn't it always about something like that." He didn't ask it, but instead said it like it was a statement. Io knew that he always talked about money and he knew that it seemed as though he cared about that above all else, but really, he did care for other things just as much. He cared about his grades, after all. He cared about his future. But, of course, over all that, he cared about his best friend.
Io looked back at his smiling friend, as he too began to deny a smile that was creeping onto his lips. His gaze slowly moved towards Ryuu's, trying very hard to not get pulled in by his dazzling smile which would always make his eyes sparkle.
"Wasn't that flight great?" Yumoto called out just as the five of them were getting on the bus. Seeing him like this, it was almost as if he hadn't just spent twelve hours on an airplane. Then again, he was definitely glad to be able to move after that entire flight.
"It was a pretty good flight," Atsushi admitted and yawned. He looked happier that morning than he had before they went on the flight. Io considered that it was good that at least a few of them actually enjoyed the flight. He was simply glad that it was over. Ryuu seemed to be enjoying the airport a lot more than the flight. Every time that a young girl would walk by the group of students, Ryuu's eyes would wander to their long legs or their bleached hair or their short skirts. For some reason, Io did not really enjoy it when Ryuu's eyes wandered that way, though he was not exactly sure why it bothered him as much as it did. Or at all.
On the bus, En quickly plopped down on one of the farthest seats on the bus. It seemed as though he was already tired from having stood and walked around the Paris airport, even if his expression didn't give him away. Atsushi slipped down on the seat next to him, blushing a little bit when his hand brushed over En's thigh. He pulled it back suddenly, as if the feeling of En made his hand burn.
"So, what will the hotel be like?" Yumoto asked as he sat down next to Mr. Tawarayama and Wombat. "Is there going to be a swimming pool there?"
"It's a very decent hotel," Wombat said through Mr. Tawarayama, in his usual monotone voice. "But, no, there's no swimming pool. That didn't fit in the school's budget."
"Of course," Io began, hearing his favorite trigger word, "The very cost of a trip like this would probably take up much more money than what was made during the fair, though that obviously did help the payment quite a lot."
"You've only been here for a couple of minutes and you're already working," Atsushi said and laughed a little bit. En smiled behind him.
"So, what are we going to do when we get to the hotel?" Yumoto asked cheerfully, hanging over the back of Ryuu's seat.
"You will be going to your rooms," Wombat said as Tawarayama pulled out a couple of papers from his suitcase. "One of you will probably have to room with someone else."
"It's okay! I can sleep with En and Atsushi! We can all cuddle!" Yumoto called out and pointed at the two stunned Battle Lovers across the aisle.
"We never said that we would share a room," En said calmly. Atsushi nodded in agreement and smiled. Neither one of them seemed to object to Yumoto's other odd suggestion.
"Come on! We all know you two will share a room. Just like Io and I will share a room," Ryuu said and slung his arm casually around Io's shoulders. Io couldn't help but feel embarrassed that Ryuu was comparing their friendship to that of En and Atsushi. He considered whether he was the only one who had his wonders about En and Atsushi's relationship and to what extent their friendship went to.
"Then, maybe I can cuddle with you guys?" Yumoto suggested again.
"Maybe, but I'm sure you'd rather be with those two," Ryuu said and gestured to En and Atsushi. "Or with Wombat."
"Wom-san!" Yumoto yelled out happily, making heads turn as he attacked Womabt with a bone-crushing hug. "That's a great idea," he cheered. "You can just leave Mr. Tawarayama somewhere and come snuggle with me!"
Wombat tried hard to escape the hug without grabbing attention from the surrounding students and staff, but it was no use. After a few attempts, he simply just gave up. There was no escaping from Yumoto.
"You two probably just want to be alone, right?" Atsushi asked Io and Ryuu helpfully, trying to simultaneously calm Yumoto down.
"What? No, gross!" Ryuu said, his cheeks tinting pink as he turned away in awe.
"Huh?" Atsushi asked, not quite understanding Ryuu's reaction at first. "Oh, no, that 's not really what I meant," he began when he finally realized what he had been suggesting. "I mean, it would be completely fine if you – never mind. I just meant that, Io is always so busy with his finances and you with your ... girls, so I assumed that you wouldn't want Yumoto around to bother you," he said genitally. Ryuu raised his eyebrows as Atsuhi had hesitated on the word "girls" but just as he was about to object, Yumoto interrupted.
"I wouldn't bother them!" he said sadly, like a little lost puppy.
"I didn't mean that!" Atsushi cried, his tone equal to that of Yumoto.
"Calm down," En smiled and rolled his eyes at the blue-haired boy next to him. "This always happens," he added with a slight smirk. Io nodded with understanding as Atsushi turned away and blushed, mumbling something about how that isn't true and how En was being mean. En turned a bored expression towards the embarrassed boy and smirked. He calmly moved closer towards the shorter boy and pressed their shoulders together. Atsushi smiled a little bit and slowly – and undetectably – moved closer to En. Io could not help but wonder about those two once more.
For the remainder of the bus drive – which luckily was not that long – Yumoto, Ryuu, and Atsushi gasped and cheered as the bus drove building by building. Even En and Wombat seemed impressed. Io was impressed too, of course, but it amazed him just as much to see the expression on his face change from simple smiles and amusement, to huge grins and outright laughter and gasping. Each time that his face lit up, Io felt his own mouth break into a smile. It wasn't that he was not appreciating the beautiful, western buildings which the bus drove by, but that sweet grin Ryuu seemed to get every time another old building passed the window – and as it was, that was every other second – was worth just as much.
"This is awesome!" Yumoto yelled out and pounced onto the nearest bed. He spread himself down on the covers and began rolling around them.
"Why don't you see your own room?" Io asked, not really liking the idea of Yumoto rubbing around all over his bed. And, of course, messing up his sheets.
"Yes, it's probably best that I get Mr. Tawarayama soon. I left him in his room about twenty minutes ago and people might get suspicious," Wombat said, just as Yumoto tried reaching out and pulling him on the bed. Wombat quickly scurried away and stood as far away from the crazed blonde as possible.
"Well, twenty minutes isn't that long, especially after that flight," Ryuu said, going to sit down on his own bed.
"But the smell might be suspicious," Wombat explained, already moving towards the door.
"Wait, but if you're going, I'm coming with you!" Yumoto called out and jumped back off the bed, his eyes glistened as he chased after the furry alien – who was already running out the door. En and Atsushi pivoted around to face the slamming door as shouts of "Wom-san" were heard throughout the hallway.
"We should probably go as well," Atsushi said, slinging his bag over his shoulder. He and En had only seen their room for a brief moment to drop off their suitcases, when Yumoto rushed in and hurried them over to Ryuu and Io's room, which according to him, had the best view he had every seen. Of course, he wasn't really incorrect. Unlike En and Atsushi's room – which had a lovely view of the parking lot with tiny restaurant that served food from Hong Kong just across the street, stuck in between a Decathlon store and Starbucks – Ryuu and Io's room had a full view of the Eiffel Tower, along with a multitude of French cafes and shops.
"We should. I barely slept at all on the airplane," said En. He yawned and grabbed for his own carry-along, after which he yawned once more. Io found it hard to believe that the boy who slept for nearly the entire flight and the time spent waiting at the airport could still wish to do nothing but sleep, even as it was still before noon in central Paris.
The two of them walked out the door and shut it quietly behind them. Their conversation could be heard as they walked slowly towards their room. Io cracked open the door a little bit and peaked through at the two Battle Lovers as they opened their own door, their arms brushing slightly as En reached over to unlock their door. Feeling as though he was imposing on something that he shouldn't, Io shut the door and locked it shut.
"So, what's the schedule?" Ryuu put his hands behind his head and flopped down on the pile of pillows that were carefully arranged on the bed which he now claimed as his own – which was sadly the one closer to the window. Then again, Io's was right next to the washroom, so that had his own advantages.
Io pulled out his precious laptop and set it on his own bed. He clicked a couple of files until he finally found the one containing their entire trip's schedule.
"Well, first of all, we should all go for lunch, so long as Yumoto is accompanied by us, that is. We have a sight-seeing trip with the other students in the afternoon, and then we can finish the day off with lunch," I paused and scrolled down to the next page. "And then tomorrow, we have our first French class and English class."
"We have classes?" Ryuu shot up.
"Of course we have classes! Missing so many days of school would be terrible for both the school's average grade rating and ours," Io said calmly and clicked a couple more files open.
"But I can already speak English! And why do I have to learn French anyway? I heard that everyone here speaks English anyway," Ryuu whined and laid back down on his bed.
"Well, the school can't give so many students a free vacation for so many weeks in Paris. Our grades would really suffer," Io pointed out and walked from the desk over to his bed. He sat down on his own pile of assorted pillows and placed his laptop on his knees.
"Fine, fine, but is it far? I don't really want to walk half-way through Paris for a French class," exclaimed Ryuu.
"We'll take the subway," Io said, not looking away from his laptop. Ryuu rolled over on his bed to face Io and smiled.
"So, what's this I hear about lunch?" he asked and gave Io another smile. It almost seemed to him like Ryuu was trying to bribe him for food with his smiles. Not that Io cared for them. Or that he could be bribed by them. No, the very idea was just crazy. Though, all of a sudden, Io felt very hungry.
"We can go look around for somewhere to eat, if you want," Io said, flipping his laptop screen down. When he turned to look at Ryuu, he already had his pink phone out, tapping the screen madly.
Ryuu noticed Io's sudden attention, so he turned his phone screen towards his green-haired best friend and pointed at some particularly colorful reviews for various cafes and restaurants. Before Io could scroll down anymore, Ryuu snatched his pink phone back and began tapping furiously on it once more.
Io got up from his bed and climbed over onto Ryuu's to look over his shoulder and on his phone screen. Ryuu looked back at the boy who had settled onto his pillow pile. All of a sudden, their faces seemed particularly close. Io sucked in his breath as Ryuu's eyes scanned over his own. They suddenly moved lower and, seemingly, ended their gaze upon his lips. He heard the other boy suck in his breath as well, making the air go oddly still.
"Tell me something," Ryuu whispered lightly. Io felt his heart speed up a little bit as the heat of Ryuu's breath hit his bottom lip. He felt an odd little shiver crawling up his spine. That didn't mean anything, of course. He was just very cold, after all. Who knew that Paris was such a cold place?
"Yes?" Io asked, feeling his own voice quiver.
"How do you feel about Italian?" Ryuu asked very quietly in a voice that brought another small shiver down Io's spine. Again, it was a very cold Paris day.
"That sounds good," Io breathed back, "Even though we're in France."
Ryuu laughed a little giggle – which, for some reason, Io found adorable, like a girl's – and smiled again. He shifted on the pillows slightly, breaking the sudden closeness between him and Io, instead replacing it with a regrettable amount of distance. He did not know why, but for some reason, Io missed Ryuu's unexpected warmth. A cold, cold day, he reminded himself. He should probably buy a sweater or something while they're out.
Ryuu knocked on En and Atsushi's door for the third time. Still, there was no answer. Of course, the sensible thing to do would be to simply walk in and see what was keeping them. Unfortunately, they were fully aware of Io's warning of criminals, who were apparently always on the prowl for a money-stealing opportunities (though they had not realized that Io meant a different type of criminal), and remembered to keep their door locked.
"Seriously? Guys, open the door," Ryuu called out and knocked again, harder this time. He noticed Io looking around warily at the other doors occupying the hallway. Ryuu didn't worry about making much noise; who would be in their rooms, in Paris, at this time of day anyway? Other than some Japanese students, that is.
Finally, after the fifth knock, Ryuu heard the door being unlocked from the inside and En's dishevelled face poked out from the open crack. Anyone could tell that he had been asleep and was just awoken with much annoyance.
"Yes?" he asked, and scratched the back of his neck. Even with his freshly awoken expression, Ryuu thought that he still looked very presentable to go about town with and not get strange french stares. He meant, in case they happened to meet a girl on the way and she was frightened off by a tired, old-looking teenager. Not that En wasn't handsome. But that had nothing to do with it. Ryuu knew that they were all pretty handsome, even by Parisian standards.
"We're going out for lunch," Ryuu said, noticing for the first time that En was not wearing a shirt. Io, who had been standing next to him, noticed this also and seemed to try and look at anything other than that. Strange, Ryuu thought. They always bathed in the bathhouse together, completely naked, and he never seemed to mind there.
"Oh, that's good. I already ate the complementary cookies, I was so hungry," En said and opened the door a little bit further, allowing the two Battle Lovers to enter. Just before they did, though, they heard a set of feet running towards them at an unworldly speed.
"There were cookies?" Yumoto cried out as he ran at the three stunned students in the hallway. He was not the only one crying, though he was the only one to do so in joy. Wombat, who was trying very hard to escape Yumoto's impeccable grasp, was also varying between expressions of pure pain and discomfort.
"How did you know we were -" Io was cut off before he could finish his sentence.
"I heard Ryuu yelling at the door! I'm not deaf," Yumoto explained happily, "Now we can all go! You weren't going to leave me here, were you? Because, no worries, I could track you all down in a few minutes."
"You should all stay together," Wombat managed to say before Yumoto tightened his grip even further, as if it was a form of punishment for trying to escape.
"Where's Mr. Tawarayama? Shouldn't he come along too?" Ryuu asked, looking back in the direction that Yumoto's room was. "And won't your roommate wonder where you are?" he asked, forgetting for a second who exactly Yumoto was boarding with.
"Kinosaki won't mind! He wanted to be with Tazawa anyway, since he was planning on writing an article about Paris anyway," Yumoto explained.
"So, we can all go then?" En asked, stretching on the spot.
"Yes – no, wait, where is Atsushi?" Io asked suddenly, remembering the fifth member of their group was not yet present.
"He's in the shower," En said casually, looking back into his room. "No, wait, he isn't," he said, just as Atsushi stepped out of the bathroom, also wearing nothing but trousers.
"What's all this?" he asked when he noticed the entire group gathered at the door.
"Lunch," En said, as if that explained everything. To Atsushi, apparently it did.
"Great! I mean, I'm not really that hungry, but it wouldn't hurt to eat a little," Atsushi said and shrugged.
"You're way too thin anyway," En said with a stern edge to his voice, lightened with an undertone of concern. Atsushi blushed a little bit and turned away.
"I'm not," he muttered so that Ryuu could barely hear him. Ryuu noticed that Atsushi did seem rather on the thin side, though not much to be concerned about just yet. Then again, he and En were best friends, so it was only natural that the two of them worry about each other. Just like he would if it were Io who was looking too thin. It's simply what friends do.
A/N: I realized once it was already too late that this was much longer than I originally meant it to be. I just hope that it wasn't too boring. I'm simply one of those authors who likes it when a romantic relationship grows over time and through experience. ^-^'
Thank you everyone for following and reviewing this odd little fan fiction! And thank you very much, all of you who helped me correct my mistakes in the previous chapter! I really appreciate it! :)
I also wanted to say that I am hoping that this will become M rated in the future (since, everyone, let's face it, you all secretly read M rated fan fictions the most XD), therefore you have been warned... mostly because my M rated yaoi writing is not exactly the best that you can get!
This is actually going to be labeled as 'Chapter Two' because it sometimes confuses me when I am reading a fan fiction and the chapter is labeled a different number than it should be because of a prologue.
Also, note, the scene with Ryuu's hair being pulled was inspired by, yes, Dramatical Murder and Hetalia. XD
If anyone notices any mistakes AT ALL in this chapter, please let me know so I can fix them as soon as possible! And I would really love suggestions as well for following chapters! (I am not a very imaginative person . . .)
(That was a long author's note!)