Title: AU - Gakuen no Hibi (School Days)
Author: Lorna Reynard
Disclaimer: I don't own TRC that's CLAMP
Spoilers: None. This series is AU
Rating: PG
Series Status: incomplete
Comments/constructive criticism appreciated.
School life became a little tenser than usual after that day. At first Fai tried to talk to Kurogane, who would completely ignore his existence, Fai soon became overly cheerful to compensate, despite ignoring him Kurogane knew that he would always watch the blonde, he never believed the plastic smiles before, but now they were becoming un bearable to him, but he just couldn't let himself talk to Fai, to Kurogane what he did was unforgivable.
But Fai wasn't the only one acting different. Kurogane was quicker to snap at others then normal.
"Kurogane-kun, what's been up with you lately?" He was approached by a smiling young man from his class just behind him stood a girl with a bland expression
"Nothing is up with me Sorata" He didn't look up from the notebook whose empty pages held his attention
"C'mon Kurogane-kun say it with me So-Ra-Chan" Sorata smiled with an obscene cheerfulness, Kurogane and the girl exchanged a look then rolled their eyes
"Arashi, why do you put up with him?" Kurogane grumbled she shrugged simply and smiled slightly
"Cause I make my sweetie smile" Sorata latched onto Arashi who raised an eyebrow at him
"Are you sure nothing's up you have been very sour lately…well… more so. Has Tomo-chan scolded you for being her shadow?" Kurogane's dangerous look changed Sorata's decision.
"Or is it because of the Russian… um Furorite-kun!" Kurogane's look grew darker
"Oops, hit a nerve" Sorata winced at the murderous glare; Arashi decided it was a good idea to lead Sorata away to encourage the
idea of living for another day. Leaving Kurogane to wallow in his bad mood.
"You are tormenting him" Tomoyo said as she swept the path at the front of the temple, Kurogane was lounging on the temples veranda with his eyes closed
"Who?" Kurogane didn't move.
"Like you don't know who I'm talking about" Tomoyo said conversationally
"I don't know…"Kurogane said slowly he knew who she was talking about he just didn't want to admit it. "Fai-chan" Kurogane grunted noncommittally "What happened between you two?"
"Nothing"
"Oh please if this is what it's like when nothing happens I fear for when something happens"
"…I have homework to do" Kurogane got up and started to walk home
"Liar!" Tomoyo called after him knowing that he didn't want to talk about it; she put the brush away and went to the phone inside
"Hello?" "Hello, its Tomoyo" "…Oh hello Tomoyo-chan" Fai and Tomoyo joined in a quiet silence
"So. What happened?" "Why don't you ask Kurogane he knows as much as I do" Fai's voice sounded playful
"Because I would have more luck hitchhiking to Saturn" she complained "Please Fai-chan, I don't like you being upset" there was silence on the other end
"Now now Tomoyo-chan I'm not upset"
"Nice try but even Kurogane is being more temperamental, I mean he just walked off on me, which he doesn't do"
"well…"
"Please Fai-chan I won't repeat it to anyone"
"Well we were having a really nice day, and we came back here to have lunch…"
"And?"
"…'and' we were talking and getting a long"
"Then why is he so sour?"
"…I… I kissed him" there was no response "…Tomoyo-chan?"
"I'm here! I just… Fai-chan you're so bold I didn't expect it. So obviously Kurogane put a stop to it"
"Nearly threw me across the room and stormed out" his laugh sounded distracted
"And he hasn't spoken to you since?"
"Nope, clearly I made a big mistake"
"Not even close Kurogane is just a bit stupid, because he only thinks about the Dojo and being someone his father trusts. I know I said I wouldn't tell anyone, but I want to talk to Kurogane about it?"
"…if it's only him you talk to…"
"It will be I promise. I'll sort this out" Determination in Tomoyo's voice
"Thank you"
"You're a friend don't mention it, I'll call you to tell you what happens, See ya"
"Un, Bye" Fai hung up the phone and hugged himself as if he was cold.
"So, he kissed you and you freaked out" Tomoyo said as she entered his room, she hadn't knocked or given any warning, Kurogane had been laying on his bed looking at the roof and she caught him off guard.
"Tomoyo! How did-"
"I asked him" she sat on the bed with him and looked at him with sisterly affection "Is it really such a big deal?"
"He's a GUY Tomoyo I think that alone qualifies as a big deal"
"You are beyond old fashioned sometimes"
"Says she who lives in a temple"
"I do live in a temple, but miko know spirits and the spiritual. And they don't have genders, Spirits simply love other spirits"
"That's different" Kurogane rolled onto his stomach his face hiding in the pillow
"Not at all. To me it's ok if he has feelings for you, and it's ok if you do for hi-"
"I don't have feelings"
"Anyway just go and talk to him, let him know what you are or aren't feeling" without giving him time to think she left the room as quietly as she entered.
Kurogane rolled back onto his back and thought about what Tomoyo said no matter how much Kurogane disliked it the tiny girl was right. He couldn't keep ignoring Fai who want's to go to the trouble of ignoring someone for two years, especially when he sits behind you in class. He groaned at the fact that he had to have a discussion with a blonde fool about the fact he was kissed by him without permission, wait permission that implied that he would have given permission for that kiss, he didn't want that kiss nor did he ever want it again… at least he was sure he wasn't maybe it was a good kiss, Kurogane didn't know he'd never had experience those kind of kisses, sure his mother and Tomoyo had kiss his cheek more times than he would publicly admit but… Kurogane shook his head; he couldn't believe he was that the kiss was entertaining his mind for so long. He ran his fingers through his dark short hair then growled; he got up off the bed then and left his room. He wasn't going to put it off he wanted this out of his head as soon as possible.
He knocked on the door there was no sound on the other side.
"You better be in there" he banged on the door harder.
He then heard shuffling on the inside the door opens to Fai with a white towel on his head his hair dripping; he was wearing a pair of sweat pants his eyes showed a moment of surprise at seeing the tall dark haired man glaring at him from the outside
"K-Kuro-puppy… Why… what brings you out this way?" Fai didn't ask Kurogane into the house and Kurogane didn't ask to enter
"…Put some clothes on first" Kurogane was annoyed at himself for not saying it sooner, and he got annoyed at a part of him that got annoyed that he had said it, Kurogane was becoming a big ball of annoyance. Fai had looked at himself and realised he wasn't wearing a shirt he gave a worried look to Kurogane.
"Come in" he whispered then disappeared into his room for a moment and came back wearing a loose t-shirt that hung off of one shoulder. This wasn't helping Kurogane very much.
"Would you like some tea, or something?" Kurogane looked around the apartment, it had been cleaned recently, and there was not a piece of wrapping from his many sweet anywhere, had Fai felt ashamed of his mess after he had seen it? Kurogane decided not to ask, he wasn't sure he'd like the answer
"I don't plan to stay long enough for tea" he replied curtly, weakly Fai smiled and offered Kurogane a chair, Kurogane didn't accept it, Fai tried to hold his smile but a nervous look kept creeping on to his face which he kept fighting back, he sat in the chair across from the one he offered the currently terrifying teenage boy, hoping that he might sit down if Fai did, Kurogane had moved closer to the table but not too close. There was a long and unnerving silence hanging in the air, Fai fidgeted uncomfortably under the crimson eyes that bore down on him
"I'm s-" Fai started feeling unable to handle the silence
"Why did you even do it?" Kurogane demanded harsher than he meant to, causing Fai to wince slightly
"Please don't yell, Kuro-sama" he asked half heartedly
"Even now, when you know that I am angry at you, you insist on those fucking nicknames!" Kurogane yelled, slamming a fist down onto the kitchen bench causing a loud and hollow 'thunk' echoing in the cupboard below, the blonde visibly linched back as if expecting to be hit, Kurogane saw this and watched Fai, who realising he wasn't going to be hit looked down at the table his blue eyes dulling wishing he could melt into the table, he didn't want to speak in case he got yelled at again.
"Why did you kiss me?" Kurogane demanded again but managing to sound as harsh as before, Fai's response was quiet and Kurogane couldn't make it out, frustrating him further.
"Say it again" he growled through clenched teeth
"I think it kind of speaks for itself" Fai looked up at Kurogane his response yelped Kurogane didn't expect that for a reply, he was hoping for 'seemed like a good idea at the time' or 'felt like it' because then he could hit him for it.
"Humour me…" Kurogane let himself calm down a bit some of his anger subsiding
"I like you, Kuro…gane…" Kurogane blinked then turned his back on Fai, which had made Fai gasp slightly behind him, Kurogane wondered if the blonde thought he was going to walk out on him again. Kurogane rubbed his face then ran both hands through his hair, compiling his thoughts.
"I don't understand" Kurogane didn't turn around
"At first I…just thought you were good looking… but then seeing you so protective of Tomoyo-chan I started to like you as a person…then I was jealous of her" Kurogane turned round and looked straight at Fai looking confused
"Jealous? Of Tomoyo?"
"She was the only one who got your full attention, so I was jealous of her for it. Which is why I always started hanging around her, if I was close and teased you at least I got some... attention from you"
"And the kiss?"
"I guess I was just away with the fairies, Tomoyo didn't take long to figure out my feelings so she set it up, I was just so happy you stayed and came to my house I let my heart get the better of me…" he was smiling again, not like he normally did but it still wasn't genuine either. Kurogane said nothing for a while; he just stood there, and then walked into the living room staring thoughtfully out of the window, Fai followed him with his eyes the look on his face soft but still sad.
"…I…" Kurogane started, groping for the right words "I don't know my feelings… until you…you…"
"Kissed you" Fai suggested helpfully
"…I hadn't even thought about wether I want to have a relationship with that. I've only ever thought of looking out for Tomoyo and taking over the Dojo when I'm older, to make my father proud"
"I don't expect you to change that, and if you want me to I'll just leave you alone, I don't want to trouble you"
"You already do that, everything you do annoys me. I can't concentrate in class because I'm wondering when you are going to annoy me asking me to read Kanji for you, or call me by yet another stupid nickname. I can't walk the corridors without wondering if you are going to come up behind me and tackle me because I can never hear you coming" Kurogane wasn't sure why he was saying all this, but when he looked at Fai he saw a mischievous glint in his eye.
"What?" asked Kurogane
"So do you have feelings for Fai?" Fai's words sounded slightly musical
"I don't know what I feel" Kurogane rolled his eyes; he had just made it clear a second ago.
"I may not be an expert about liking people, but that sounds like you like me, if you think about me so much" Fai was returning to his normal idiotic self.
"You're crazy… according to those stupid movies Tomoyo watches you aren't supposed to feel annoyed with everything the other person does"
"Of course they won't. The movie would sell as well other wise Kuro-ko" Fai sang, Kurogane grunted. Fai having lost all his apprehension got up and made his way over to Kurogane.
"So where does this leave us?" His sky blue eye looking up questioningly, his hand twitched but moved no further, Kurogane looked down at him the face he was looking into looked venerable, The dark haired teen lifted his hand and went to put it on Fai's shoulder, Fai flinched away looking scared, but recovered suddenly leaving Kurogane slightly confused.
"…Are you al-" he began
"I'm fine" the smaller teens voice suggested he didn't want any further questions on the subject. Kurogane decided to let it be and answered Fai's question
"Well… I don't know where it leaves us…but I don't particularly want to ignore you…Just don't kiss me aga-" Fai lent forward resting his head on Kurogane's chest his thin fingers grabbing a hold of the black shirt, Kurogane didn't know what to do, just as he finally decided to put his hands on Fai's shoulders to separate themselves Fai's grip tightened
"Please…just for a moment more" as a reply Kurogane gave Fai's shoulders a reassuring squeeze
And so here we have Kurogane slowing accepting Fai aint 'e jus' a swee-T XD
I wonder why it is Fai seems to quail at being yelled at or suddenly touched???
