Lovely Angel
Hey! Sorry, the last chapter was a bit long…I know no one reads these notes, so ENJOY!
Me: Pein, would you please take the honor of doing the disclaimer?
Pein: …
Me: Please?
Pein: You don't own me. I'm a God.
Me: Thank you…NOW ENJOY(:
CHAPTER TWO:
FRIENDSHIP
"Pein." Konan let the name roll around on her tongue again. "Pein."
It was so simple. Pein. Just Pein. Konan played his name in her mind as she strolled through the woods behind Akatsuki High School. She planned to walk to the lake in the middle of the tree-filled world. Some time alone was what she needed after a tiring day of school. Barely anyone knew about the lake, but Konan had discovered it while she was exploring when she first moved here. She paused at the edge of the forest when the lake was in view.
Someone was there.
Someone with tangerine-colored hair.
Someone with black piercings in his ears.
Pein.
Taking a deep breath, Konan walked over to where Pein was gazing down at the sparkling water.
Standing behind him, she asked, "It's beautiful, isn't it?"
He turned around to look at her with his swirling eyes, showing no surprise.
A pause.
"No." He finally answered, motioning the indigo-haired girl to sit down beside him. "I only use that word for what I hold special to me."
"Oh, and…" She sat down next to him.
He raised a curious eyebrow.
"Sasori told me about you…I'm sorry." Konan gazed down at the clean lake.
"Oh?" He remained expressionless, but he looked at her. "I knew he would eventually."
"So…I'm guessing you're hungry." She pulled out a sandwich from her backpack and handed it to Pein. "Eat this."
"No."
"Why?" She held it farther to him.
"Because I don't take sympathy." He moved his gaze back to the lake.
"But-"
"No."
"Pein." She was on the verge of begging. "Please. I don't want to see you starve."
"No."
"Look how skinny you are." Konan poked him in the stomach. Pein was quite fit and muscular, but she didn't have any other excuse open for use.
"I'm fine." His mouth slightly twitched upwards for a second, but quickly reshaped itself back to it's usual frown.
"Eat it." She waved the tasty piece of food in his face. "I know you want it."
"Stop mocking me. I don't want it." He slapped her hand out of his pierced face.
Konan pouted, "You're so stubborn."
"So be it." He continued staring at the lake.
Konan stopped pouting when she noticed a slight smirk on his face. It was so slight that even a microscope couldn't see it, but the blue-haired female could. She had an idea.
"Eat it, or else…." She smiled at the brilliant plan churning in her head.
"Or else what?" He turned to meet her eyes.
"Or else I'm going to tickle you!" She dropped the sandwich and attacked him.
Konan sat on top of him, tickling him with all her might. At first, he smiled. However, he looked like he was holding back something with all his strength. Konan tickled him harder. Finally, he broke and….
And laughed.
Laughter.
His laugh was the most beautiful thing Konan had ever heard in her life. It was so velvety, like his voice. His laugh had a melody, clean music to Konan's delicate ears. It had one thing that no other laugh ever did.
His laugh was pure.
Konan loved the sound of Pein's laugh, but it didn't last long when he suddenly grabbed her and pinned her to the ground. He tickled her and they fought for dominance as laughter filled the air.
"S-s-stop!" Konan half-giggled and half-gasped. "Can't…breath!"
"I win." Pein chuckled.
"Okay." She agreed.
They finally ended the half-hour of tickle fighting and sat side-by-side in the cool grass.
"Wow." Pein ran a hand through his orange-auburn spikes. "You made me laugh, let alone smile."
"You've never smiled before?" Konan asked in amazement.
"Nope. I don't have much to smile about without any parents." He uttered grimly.
"You should be more cheery, it hurts to be so serious all the time." Konan sighed.
"Oh well." Pein sighed. "I like to come here and gaze out at the lake. It calms me."
"Me too." She agreed.
For a moment, the two teenagers just sat and looked across the calming waters of the hidden lake.
"So…" Konan broke the silence. "Will you eat the sandwich?"
"…"
"Please?" She pleaded, picking up the piece of food from the grass and handing in to Pein.
"If you insist." He took it without any other objection.
"What…?" Konan stared blankly as the half-starved boy devoured the sandwich in a few ravenous bites.
"I'm too tired to argue with you." Pein added, "It's getting a bit late, shouldn't you be going home? Your parents will be getting worried."
"I don't have any parents either. And I don't feel like going back to the small apartment where I live." Konan told him quietly.
"Really, you should go back. Don't stay with me all night. I'll be fine." He insisted.
"Come with me. You'll freeze in weather like this. It's still winter." A drop of water fell from the sky as she said this, "And now it's raining. Come on."
"No, I'm-" Pein was cut off when Konan grabbed his wrist in one hand and her backpack in the other.
"I said come on." She dragged him off the ground.
"Wait." Pein reached out with his free hand and grabbed his own backpack. "Such authority."
"Can I trust that you won't run away when I let go?" Konan questioned him, ignoring his comment.
"Yes." He looked at her in the eye to confirm his answer.
"Fine." She let go and lead the way through the forest to her apartment.
Pein obediently followed after the blue-haired girl as she meandered through the streets of Konoha. The gentle, slight sway in her ideal hips as she walked planted a small flicker of surprise in Pein's mind. Konan was both stubborn and petite, a gentle lamb who could be fierce once she had her mind focused on a goal. The girl slowed down her pace to match Pein's.
"You know, you can live with me if you want." Konan smiled up at him.
"Wouldn't that be weird?" He met her gaze.
"Who cares? I wouldn't want to lose a friend to the cold weather." She shrugged and looked away, her brilliant smile slowly fading.
"Friend?"
"I thought-…yeah, you are my friend…right?" Konan's eyes widened a bit.
"That's for you to decide." He moved his gaze to the path in front of him.
"Then…am I your friend?" Her voice was so full of fear and confusion, that Pein forced himself to choose his words carefully, very carefully.
"I don't know. You're too nice. Usually, people outside my group of friends hate me terribly. How do I know you're not setting me up?" He said slowly, making sure his words were right.
"You don't trust me?" Konan froze in her steps, blinking through the rain that was getting heavier by the minute.
"It's just that I'm not used to people being so kind to me. They rule me out because of my eyes, my piercings, and my hair." He stopped too and looked at her through the sky's tears.
"I can't say anything about your hair, mine is blue. And I have a piercing too." Konan fingered the silver ball-shaped stud on her bottom lip. "Your eyes…why would people judge you about them?"
"Look at me!" He grabbed the slender girl by the shoulders and made her face him. "Look at my eyes! Can't you see what's wrong with them? I'm a monster!"
"Wha-What are you talking about?" Konan locked her amber orbs on his swirling ones. "You're not a monster! Your eyes…What do you mean your eyes?"
"They're hideous! Can't you tell?" His hold on her shoulders tightened.
"But…" Konan seemed to find her words. "They're not hideous! Pein! Stop, you're not a monster! You are Pein, the boy who helped me on my first day of school. I would have gotten lost if it weren't for you."
Pein didn't have anything to say. His tight grip on her loosened as his swirling eyes spinned more violently.
"Pein, you're not a monster, so stop thinking you are one. You are a sweet and kind person who I find a friend. Please don't think of yourself as anything else." Konan's voice softened as she pulled herself away from his grasp. "Now come with me before you catch something from this weather."
Silently, she gently took him by the wrist and lead him to a tall building. She lead him into the building and up three flights of stairs. They stopped in the hallway as Konan reached into her pocket and took out a key, which she put into the keyhole of a door. Silently, she opened the door and took Pein into her apartment.
"Konan?" Pein finally found the urge to say something.
"Hmm?" Konan turned the heater on.
"Thank you."
"What?" She turned around, a surprised look on her face.
"Thank you."
"No no, it's fine. It's lonely in this boring place too." Konan added, "Hurry up and dry yourself. You can use the towel in the bathroom and I'll be in my room if you need me."
"Okay." He took his backpack and headed towards the bathroom.
Konan walked to her room and closed the door. She moved to her closet, which she thrust open in attempt to look for a towel to dry her drenched body. She found an old towel clammed in the back of the closet and took it out. Konan undressed and wiped the water off her body. When she was finished, she slipped on a pair of soft pajamas and opened the door. She had just made it to the hallway when she heard a crash followed by other things falling to the floor. Silently, but quickly, Konan crept to the bathroom door and knocked on it cautiously.
"Pein? Are you alright?" She queried.
"Uh…" A confused voice sounded behind the door.
"Can I come in?" Konan highly respected the law of privacy.
"Sure." Pein grunted from the other side..
She twisted the old silver doorknob and flung the door open.
"…Oh." Was all Konan could manage in her surprised gasp.
Pein was sitting on the floor with an apologetic look. He had a towel in one hand while the other one was supporting his body. Konan's toiletry was on the bathroom floor scattered around Pein. A soap bar was next to his foot, telling Konan that he had slipped due to her sloppiness.
"Sorry…" Pein apologized, trying to smile, but failed utterly.
If it was anyone else in her bathroom, Konan would have snapped at them. But this person was Pein, and somehow she just couldn't bring herself to yell at him. There was something in the way he had tilted his head at an angle so his spiky hair tipped over and a few strands fell onto his forehead more to the side than usual. His widened, swirling eyes mixed confusion and surprise, resembling that of a puppy who had done wrong. His mouth turned slightly downward, looking pouted because of the two spiked piercings under his bottom lip. As Konan took in everything altogether, Pein looked like a little child waiting to be scolded for his wrongdoing. The scene made her fall to the ground and with a fit of giggles.
"Wha…?" Pein looked more confused than ever.
"It's just that…you look so funny!" Konan giggled.
"Well, I guess…I tripped on that soap bar right there." He pointed to the slippery substance by his foot.
"I know, sorry about that." Konan stopped laughing and crawled over to Pein. "You're okay, right?"
"Yeah, I'm fine." He replied dusting himself off after he stood up.
"Dry yourself while I pick my things up. Do you have an extra change of clothes?" Konan picked up a bottle of lotion.
"Yeah. What do I do with the ones I'm wearing?" Pein asked, looked himself up and down.
"I'll wash them, hurry up before you catch a cold." The blue-haired girl stood up and arranged her toiletry neatly on the bathroom counter.
She quickly walked out of the room to give Pein some privacy. When she reached her own room, Konan sat on the king-sized bed and closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath.
"Konan."
"Yes?" She opened her eyes and sighed.
"I'm done." His expressionless face was extremely disturbing.
"Let's go to sleep, then." Konan patted the space next to her and Pein climbed in without another word.
She turned off the lights and looked out the window. The rain had stopped, leaving water droplets dripping from the roof.
"Good night, Pein." Konan climbed in next to him.
"Good night, Konan." Pein whispered.
Back-to-back, the two teenagers let dreams take them into a whole new world.