Thank you so much to all my reviewers. i'm so glad that xiang is so popular with everyone. sorry for the delay in updates. i hope you all enjoy and review. i'm trying to get back in the habit of answering them.

a brief WARNING: this chapter contains references to adult themes. nothing graphic, only implied. that being said, please enjoy!


The week of Komui's return was filled with the expected reactions of his teachers and fellow students. His absence had made him a bigger target than usual. He tried to be invisible and after the first few days of loudly whispered comments and intentional bumping and tripping, he succeeded. Even Xiang left him alone at first. By the middle of the week though, he had worked his way back into Komui's bed. He didn't say anything about their discussion outside the gate, but the way he fumbled with a sleepy embrace showed how much he regretted bring it up.

"I'm not mad at you…" Komui said again as Xiang's light weight once more crawled onto his bed. Begrudgingly, Komui pulled back the covers and let him in. "I'm really not…" he let his arm settle over the other boy's shoulder. It was a familiar feeling, like sharing a bed with family to keep warm during the winter. Absently, he played with Xiang's long hair.

"It's my mother…" Xiang sighed. "Ambitious bitch… always trying to raise her status." He yawned and snuggled against Komui's side. "She's the one who sent me here… don't be mad at me…"

"I'm not. Didn't I just say that?"

"You're gonna be mad… Komui, can I tell you something terrible?" He punctuated his request with a quick kiss on his friend's jaw.

"Xiang, don't…"

"Fine…" he pouted. "So what are the 'treasures' you brought back and keep telling me about? I wanna see them…"

Komui smiled. He had kept his books hidden among his clothes; he was waiting for Xiang to finally burst with curiosity. "You'll have to get up and fetch a light… if you really want to see what I brought." The other boy rolled out of the bed and stumbled around for the oil lamp and lighter. Komui pulled his hair back and went to the chest that held his belongings. Carefully he pulled book after book free.

"Books?" Xiang looked at him oddly. "That's the big secret? Books?"

"Not just any books…." Komui whispered with excitement. "These are science books…"

"So? We use science books here; what makes those so special?"

"Look…" Komui opened one of his mechanical books and lovingly turned the pages till he found the image he was searching for. "This is real science…" The page was decorated with a diagram of the inner workings of a steam engine. "Machines, Xiang. See… people build these things! It's all based in math and the physical principles of the natural world."

Xiang settled next to him and peered at the image. "I'm not sure I get it…"

"Things can change… a person made this. Someone looked at the world around him and thought 'why not? I can make things better…' This is the future." He traced the picture with a finger. "This stuff right here… it's the future of the world."

The other boy leaned on his shoulder. "What's it written in? I can't read it."

"English. I can't really read it all yet either but I'm learning. I met an Englishman in the market near home. He was selling medicines and mechanical toys and he gave me all these books!"

"He just gave them to you? Are they all like that? I've never seen an Englishman up close… what do they look like? Are they really all hairy?" Xiang snickered.

"His eyes were blue, and very round; he had hair the color of straw, on his head and his face too. But that was about it. He was very nice to me and I bought a toy for Lenalee from him. It's amazing, a little furry monkey doll. It has these gears in it, you wind it up with a little key and it moves and crashes its tiny cymbals together. I wanted to take it apart and see just how it works… but that would have made Lenalee upset and I can't do that." Komui pulled out another book. "Here… this one is a medical book. It shows what we look like on the inside. Don't make that face!"

"Are you sure you should have that kind of book?" Xiang frowned with concern. "What if someone sees that? You could get in so much trouble… they could expel you for having it or something. Then I'd have to quit school and follow you to make sure you don't go off and do anything stupid."

"I won't get caught… I'm not letting these books out of the room." Komui raised an eyebrow at his friend. "And you're not going to tell anyone, right." Xiang laughed. "Anyways… see, they dissected this man to see how everything inside works. It's just like a machine; all the parts of the body work together and if you know how it all works then you can fix it when it breaks." He was so glad to finally be able to share his thoughts with someone.

Xiang made a thoughtful noise. "That is really gross. So what are you going to do with all this knowledge? You plan on changing the world?"

"I don't know… I want to learn all this. It feels important somehow." He sighed; it wasn't fair. "Of course I'm going to follow my father's wishes for me… but, this is what I want. I want to make things… machines to help people and the ability and knowledge to heal them when they're hurt, I want to help fix everything that needs fixing." He rubbed his eyes to prevent the frustrated tears that were forming from falling. "I can't have that, but I want it so bad…"

Xiang wrapped his arms around his waist. "I know how you feel…" He arched up and kissed Komui's neck. "I can't have what I want either." Komui started to protest, to argue. They couldn't have that kind of conversation. Xiang cut him off with a sour chuckle. "Unless I marry your sister…"

Komui laughed despite himself and playfully punched him. "Go to bed… your own bed. We have classes tomorrow." Xiang slid over and went to his side of the room. Komui carefully set his books back in the chest with his clothing. Pulling the soft blankets up to his chin, he started his nightly mental recitation of important words. Heart, lungs, stomach, liver, spleen, pancreas, appendix, large intestine, small intestine, gall bladder, diaphragm… wedge, pulley… no, wait…

Komui had trouble concentrating in his morning classes. No matter how hard he tried to focus on the teacher's lecture, his mind kept drifting back to the machines in his books. He tuned out the droning voice of Master Feng and his boring astronomy lesson and decided he would eat his midday meal in his room so he could continue his attempts to translate his precious books.

"Lee!" the sharp voice of his instructor made him start and pulled him back to reality. "Since you're paying such rapt attention, perhaps you can tell me what heavenly body I was just describing?!"

"Mine…" Xiang leaned over and whispered in his ear. He had to bite his lip to keep from laughing out loud.

"Yin!" The adult had heard the boy's comment. With an overly dramatic rush of silk robes, their teacher crossed the room and pulled Xiang to his feet by the hair. "Hallway, now!" He bellowed and dragged the youth along behind him.

The other boys in the class sat in an awkward silence and listened as Master Feng punished Xiang for his smart mouth. Komui's face burned with shame; Xiang had drawn their teacher's attention away from him and his wandering thoughts. If I had just listened in the first place… I'm so stupid.

It was five minutes before the sound of cane striking flesh stopped and Master Feng stormed back into the room. He started a new lecture on the importance of respect for one's elders as a sniffling Xiang slunk back to his seat. His face was red and his movements stiff.

Sorry… Komui quickly scrawled on the edge of his paper. He slid it to the side where Xiang could see it. He received a ghost of a smile for his efforts; Xiang discreetly set his hand over Komui's and gave it a reassuring squeeze before using it to wipe away a stray dribble of blood from his lip.

Classes went unreasonably slow for the next couple of weeks. Komui fell into a comfortable rhythm in his studies. He worked hard to play the model student during the day, carefully paying attention to his teachers and their boring lessons. Each night he rushed through his assigned work so he could study his precious books.

Xiang still protested that he didn't understand Komui's interest in the foreign subjects, but he did whatever he could to help. The boy was very clever when it came to translating. "It's like a puzzle…" he explained to Komui one night. "You just have to follow the clues…" He was grateful to have his help.

It was like some wonderful game, with discovery and knowledge as the prize. They spent a blissful month playing before sitting their mid semester exams; things suddenly went sour as their scores were posted.

Xiang came in late that night from a meeting with his professors; he was visibly upset. "I've failed my classes…" he groaned. "All of them… I'm so stupid."

"Come on, you're not stupid." Komui dismissed him. Xiang was just being overdramatic and he was close to figuring out a pulley system to open and shut his window without getting up from bed.

"No, I'm stupid!" Xiang snapped loud enough to make Komui jump and threw his astrology book across the room. "I'm not smart enough to be here… everything is so wrong!" he crossed the room and dropped onto the bed next to Komui. "I hate it here…"

"Hey it can't be that bad…" Komui set his books aside and focused on his friend. "So, you failed an exam… it's not the end of the world." He said soothingly.

"It is the end of the world… Komui, they're gonna send me home. I'm a total failure. I can't go home…"

"Don't worry… talk to your professors; I'm sure if you're sincere enough about it, they'll let you try again." Komui rubbed his back. "Don't give up… I'll help you study as much as you need. Just talk to them and show them how important it is for you to stay here…"

"Show them how important it is, huh?" his voice sounded dull, hopeless. "Fine." He stood and smoothed out the wrinkles in his tunic. "I'll show them how important it is…" Xiang darted to the door and Komui smiled as he left. It made him happy that his little speech was so encouraging. He always felt good about helping; he would be happy to set aside his own side studies for just a little bit and help Xiang get back on track.

Two long hours later Xiang returned. Komui didn't notice the way his hands shook. He sat beside him. "Can I sleep in your bed tonight?"

"How did it go?" Komui asked. "Did they listen?"

"Yeah… I told them how I'd do anything to keep from being expelled." His voice wavered a bit and he moved closer. "I just have to do extra… work and stuff with Master Feng. I hate him."

"That doesn't sound too bad…" Komui put his books away for the night. "Xiang… are you alright?" He looked a little pale, sick. The stress of the day must be taking its toll on him, he thought.

Xiang smiled up at him; it was a forced smile. It didn't reach his eyes. "I'm fine… just tired. So I can sleep here?"

"Sure… just for tonight."

One night turned into two, then three, then four. Every night Xiang would return from his extra work with Master Feng and crawl right in with Komui. He clung to him with the desperation of a drowning man; it was getting awkward. It was starting to get on his nerves. "This has got to stop." He mumbled. "Xiang go back to your own bed."

"Don't be mad…" the boy only mumbled. "Can I tell you something? Something important?"

"Can't it wait till morning?" Komui groaned; the boy obviously wasn't planning on moving. For a moment he just listened to the little unhappy sounds his best friend was making. Is he crying? It was making him feel guilty; something was obviously troubling him. What kind of friend would I be if I didn't try to listen and help… he reflected.

"Please, it's really been bothering me… I don't like lying; not to you…" He took Komui's silence as consent. "I hate having to spend time with Master Feng, just to stay here. I really hate it… I hate just being here and I'm only here because of you."

"What?" Komui pulled away to look at Xiang's dark eyes. "What do you mean… because of me? I don't understand." He couldn't figure out what the boy meant.

"When my mother found out that the Great Lee Family sent their only son to this stupid school… she sent me to meet you, to be your friend no matter what. I was supposed to find out all about your family and if you had a sister I was supposed to try and join our families."

Komui sat bold upright, taking most the blankets with him. "What?!" he stared at his best friend with disbelief. He's just here to meet me?!

Xiang closed his eyes tightly. "There's more… if you didn't have a sister." He took a deep breath. "If you didn't… or if I was refused, then… please don't hate me; I was supposed to… shit, I was supposed to let you have me. Like I was a girl or something useful… Then my parents would write yours and tell them how you forcefully shamed me and threaten to tell everyone unless they agreed to do as they said."

For a moment Komui could only stare at his only friend. Only friend… whole reason I can stand to be here. Why? It was all a lie?! Every kiss… every smile, every joke, everything was faked. How could you do that? Komui was devastated. Never could he have imagined such a thing. The sense of utter betrayal made his face flush and a cold sweat dampen his brow; it was suffocating. We're only friends because his parents ordered him to… His chest hurt; he wanted to cry. Am I really that horrible that no one can like me for me?! Without another thought he pulled his legs up and viciously kicked Xiang out of his bed. He sent him sprawling to the cold stone floor.

Feeling overwhelmed and angry beyond reason, Komui kicked him hard… again… and again. When his foot started to ache he fell upon the other boy and used his hands. He wanted to hurt him, make Xiang feel as bad as he did. He put his hands on his slender neck; somewhere in the back of his mind Komui thought of his anatomy books and the delicate vessels that carried air to the chest and blood to the head. He tightened his grip and tried to pinch off those important vessels.

Xiang had barely made a sound. He winced, whimpered; but, he never closed his eyes. He watched Komui with a strange intensity. Even as the light started to abandon his eyes, he didn't look away. Instead he smiled, raised his hand and gently brushed Komui's cheek. His thumb softly traced his bottom lip.

The tenderness of the touch startled Komui out of his rage. The anger burning through him suddenly turned cold. He jumped backwards and hit his back against the wall as Xiang rolled onto his side, coughing and gasping for air. Komui's first reaction was to run to his side, but fear and horror at his actions held him immobile.

"Don't be mad, I deserve it. You don't have to kill me… I've pretty much already decided." the boy painfully sat up. "If you want me dead, I'll do it myself… no sense in staining your hands over me." he croaked. "I just wanted to tell you why I was doing it first… I didn't want you to worry. Go to sleep and I'll go kill myself for you. I'll be quiet about it and gone by morning…"

"Don't be stupid…" Komui said automatically; he was suddenly embarrassed, embarrassed and so very ashamed. "I'm not going to let you kill yourself… I think I've messed you up enough for the night." Xiang's face looked like raw meat; his nose was definitely broken. It was seeping blood down his face. Oh, what have I done…?

"I wanted to please my parents… at least at the beginning." Xiang's voice was rough and Komui wondered if he damaged any of the important fibers in that slender neck. "They were always so disgusted by me… I wanted to show them I could do something right. I hate them… As soon as I met you, I knew I couldn't do it... I just couldn't. I instantly liked you; and you…" Xiang's dark eyes burned with a frightening intensity into his own. "You actually liked me back… you didn't care about the perversion that's infected me, how sick I am. I wanted your friendship, real friendship so badly it hurt." He coughed and tried to clear his throat. "Still hurts… I've already decided that I'm not going to do what my parent's want. I can't keep doing all this… I'm gonna die if I have to go see bastard Feng again."

"Xiang…" Komui said softly. He had the sinking sensation that more than lessons were happening behind the closed doors of Master Feng's office.

"Just… just tell me what you want me to do…"

Komui spoke without thinking. "I want you to wash your face… forgive me for hitting you. I want you to stay my friend, not because your parents want you to, but because you want to… Marry Lenalee, move in with me and be my brother in law… and," He paused, venom seeping into his voice. "Cut all ties to your family." They were the villains here, Xiang didn't want to do this; he was just as much as a victim of their ambition as Komui. It would be a cruel justice, if Xiang married Lenalee and then denied his family. Their plan will have worked and they would have no benefit from it.

In a heartbeat, Xiang closed the space between them, threw his arms around Komui's shoulders and kissed him full on the lips. Komui tasted blood. Xiang's blood… He gently pulled away and smiled lamely. "Don't make me regret not killing you…" his mouth felt sticky and he desperately wanted to rinse it. "Let me help you to the bath, ok? You're a mess…"

"And whose fault is that?" Xiang grinned through ruined lips.

Komui pulled Xiang's arm over his shoulder and helped him up. The bath was thankfully empty at this late hour. He lit the lamps and filled one of the basins with warm water. Hot running water was one of the few modifications of modernization that the school had allowed in its vast history. He kept his back turned politely while Xiang undressed and slipped into the bath.

"Hey…" Xiang splashed him. "Wash my back?" he snickered and Komui threw a washcloth at him. He wondered at how things could go back to normal between them so easily; it was a testament to how deeply their bond ran.

When Xiang pulled himself out of the bath, Komui noticed the bruises. He didn't say a word but the other boy knew he saw them and understood what had been happening.

Later, when Komui pulled the blankets of his bed over them both he told his friend, "I'm going to go with you to your extra classes from now on… it's not fair that you have to go by yourself." He was confident that the presence of another, a witness in the room would prevent any further mistreatment of student by teacher.

"Thank you…" Xiang whispered and buried his face in Komui's shoulder. "I had to do… anything to keep from being expelled…"

Komui chuckled and played with the other boy's hair. "Not anymore. Don't worry about it. Besides I have to keep you in good health and out of trouble for my baby sister… hey, we have a holiday from classes coming up soon. You should come home with me and formally ask my parents."

"I can't wait…" Xiang sighed against him.