A/N Wow! Thanks to everyone who's reviewed so far (holy masses of fishfans batman!)--I'm so glad that Chicken is well loved! He's the smartest goldfish ever! *hugs his little gills* Here's the July update (finally) with the ever looming plotbunnies attacking my head, I'm hoping to be a little quicker with the next one...ZA PLOT, IT THICKENS, JAH? *cackle* I hope you enjoy the newest character addition to the story...
Thank you everyone for taking the time out of your summer to read about an apartment of boys and a fish... I love you all!
Avoiding one's roommate while living in a small apartment was very difficult. Impossible, in fact. Yazoo had barely made it to class the following morning--that was after having to run the gauntlet of waking-still-drunk-or-hungover quartet in the living room.
"Zoo, that you?" Reno had called out and Yazoo locked the front door behind him and practically sprinted out of the building. He didn't go back--instead he got an inexpensive lunch option (he couldn't really tell what it was supposed to taste like) from the university cafeteria and finished off his ready there.
He lingered around the library in the afternoon, picking up a few extra references for that ever-looming thesis, sipping coffee and flipping pages half-heartedly. Yes, he was using escapism. No, he did not want to face it. Yes, that was denial, but no it wasn't unjustified fuck it.
It wasn't until he realized that he'd been re-reading the same paragraph for the last twenty minutes that Yazoo decided it might be time for him to go. He reshelved the book, turned then WHAM!
"Oh my god, I'm sorry!" He'd just spilled coffee all over the person who'd been behind him. Shit, shit, shit. Yazoo tried to wipe up the shirt with his own sleeve. "I didn't see you...oh..."
Black shoes, neat black trousers, expensive now coffee dotted black shirt and a handsome face framed by the swept back black hair and a pair of almost invisible glasses.
"Prof-professor Hojo. Oh god, I'm sorry. I really--"
"It's fine. Don't worry, black hides spills well." His professor smiled and Yazoo stopped trying to rub at his shirt with his wrists. "I guess I'm lucky you've been here a while and it had time to cool down."
"I can, um, get it dry cleaned for you..." Yazoo said sheepishly.
"No, really, it's fine." The professor looked closer. "You're in my modern genetics class, aren't you?"
"Um, that depends. Will spilling coffee on you affect my mark?"
Professor Hojo laughed, which made Yazoo feel much better.
"No. Especially not if you will agree to getting a fresh cup with me."
"Oh." Yazoo probably looked a little stunned, but he recovered quickly enough. "Sure Professor Hojo. I'm Yazoo Delta by the way."
"Ah yes!" Hojo held out his hand, "Sorry, i have so many students--"
"It's okay." Yazoo smiled and shook his teacher's hand. Although he attended class every week, his lecture alone had sixty-five people it, and that didn't count Hojo's other class as well. He was surprised he'd remembered him.
Two coffee date-not-dates in two days. Not bad for a socially starving university student.
"I seem to remember your last paper--ethics of cloning I believe." Professor Hojo waited as the cafeteria's coffee machine hummed and whirred to make his strong black. Yazoo fidgeted. "You had a very interesting take on the debate of individual identity."
"I know it's a widely controversial subject, but you yourself hail the benefits cloning could have on society in your research."
"Ah, drop hints that you've read your professor's books. Good way to get marks." Hojo smiled.
"Ah, that's not--um..."
"It's fine Delta. My research however, did not delve into the slightly theological discussion of "souls"--let alone one of a clone."
Yazoo frowned and inserted his money into the coffee machine.
"I don't think I called it that. I was trying to argue that from a less scientific view would a clone be a copy of the original person or, my point, a separate entity entitled to their own specific identity.:
"Less scientific Delta. Very hard to argue to a scientist."
"But that's what the controversy is all about. That and the use of stem cells in research--" Yazoo shook his head dismissively, "So I feel it was a valid point."
Hojo laughed.
"I know. You managed to argue it very well in your paper."
Yazoo immediately back off the defensive posture he'd taken.
"Oh, really?" He followed Hojo to a counter and sat on a stool opposite from his professor--all without spilling!
"Surprisingly enough, I don't go telling my students that their work is good if it isn't. The fact that I may hold a different opinion doesn't mean that it's the only one out there." Hojo sipped at his coffee. "I appreciate students who try to change my mind."
Yazoo blushed a little.
"Thank you Professor..."
"We're not in class Delta, you don't have to call me Professor." Hojo laughed, rolling his eyes. "In fact, don't. It makes me feel old."
"Oh, sorry."
"Good." Hojo smiled again. "And also since we're not in class, we don't have to talk about class, right?"
"Sure, um, Hojo."
"Better."
The conversation lasted as long as a lingering cup of coffee, and eventually turned back to genetics and science, but far more informally than Yazoo had though it could have.
Hojo did have some vastly different ideas of scientific ethics than he, but he also played devil's advocate very well, so Yazoo couldn't really tell.
Inevitably, the time came for Yazoo to go back to his apartment again. Damn.
"It was nice having this chat with you Delta. We should do this again sometime--without the coffee spill though."
"Yeah." Yazoo agreed sheepishly, having been reminded of his clumsiness.
"And if there's anything you ever want to run by me, just catch me after class--I'd be happy to help you out."
"Thanks Prof--I mean Hojo."
"You're learning. Good Delta." Hojo laughed and gathered his things as he got up to leave. "Have a good weekend."
"I'll try. You too."
Then there was nothing but to head home and face his roommate.
He got though the door and immediately realized that he'd made a bigger deal of the night before than Reno had. His roommate had someone over--one of the previous one night stands--and they were sitting on the couch together and looking as if they'd just stopped making out as Yazoo arrived. The TV was blaring some made-for-TV movie and Reno reached for the remote to turn it down.
"Hey Zoo--I haven't seen you all day. You remember...uhh..."
"Shandra." The girl smiled, not upset in the least that Reno didn't remember. Maybe she didn't realize it. She was back here after all.
"Yeah, it's good to see you again." Lie. The accompanying smile took some effort on Yazoo's behalf.
"You don't mind if Reno and I watch a couple of movies do you? He said it should be okay but--"
No, it's not okay. I don't want you here tonight, don't want to hear you banging the headboard against my wall with the one man who confuses the hell out of me by playing with my emotions simply by being himself and completely unaware of me, the fact that I'm gay and the fact that I like him!
Is what he wanted to say, but that wouldn't be polite, so;
"No, no, no. S'fine." He thought he caught a confused expression on Reno's face before he turned to head into his room. He didn't want to deal with this right now though.
"We'll be quiet." Shandra explained.
Yazoo shut his door behind him. He knew they wouldn't be quiet. That was the problem. The walls were too thin in this goddamned apartment. He flopped down onto his bed, astounded at how tired he felt. It wasn't like he'd really done anything today other than study. And worry. There was so much he still had to do for his thesis, but at least he'd made acquaintances with his professor. That might make things easier. And there were some events coming up at school--maybe he'd go to those so he would be able to avoid the apartment for a while...
It wasn't until Yazoo was woken up again did he realize he'd fallen asleep. He toed off his shoes as he tried to discern why he'd woken. There seemed to be low voices in the room next to his. He frowned. Oh god, not again.
He tried not to listen to the conversation, but it was difficult.
"--swear this has never happened to me before. Fuck Shandra, you should know that."
"Oh fuck off Reno." There was an accompanying squeak from the bed, "We both know why I came here tonight. If you're not up for it--"
"Hey, who's being inconsiderate now? Come on..."
"That came out wrong. It happens, sure. Whatever. If you can't do it tonight, maybe you should give me a call when you can."
"Shandra..."
"It's fine Reno. Really."
"It's not fine for me!"
Yazoo imagined Shandra was rolling her eyes.
"Yeah well, obviously you've got some stuff to sort out for yourself before fucking around--pardon the pun--with someone else, yeah?" Her tone softened, "Hey, I'm not the kind of girl to care really, or spread this around if you're worrying."
Reno mumbled something too quiet to hear.
"Chill, okay?" Shandra laughed a little, and it must have cheered Reno up a bit, "It's not the end of the world. This is probably the world telling me all the reasons why I shouldn't have slept with you in the first place."
"Oh fuck off and go already yeah?" Reno chuckled. At least they seemed to be getting along...
"Yeah. I'll let myself out. Call me if you, well, can." A soft thud on the wall may have been a thrown pillow missing her.
Yazoo sat as quietly as he could, listening as the apartment door opened and clicked shut when Shandra left. Seconds ticked by, then minutes. Perhaps Reno had fallen asleep...
He slid out of bed, his socked feet hitting the wood floor without a sound. He really needed to use the washroom--waking back up had alerted him to that. But he also didn't want to run into Reno, especially since his roommate might be embarrassed that he'd overheard.
He thought he was all clear--that is, until Reno called out to him from the kitchen on his way back to his bedroom.
"You want some tea Zoo?"
Yazoo paused. To anyone else, the question wouldn't seem strange. But to Yazoo, it was very. For one thing, Reno never drank tea. He always insisted on coffee, which meant that Yazoo's herbal teas were left undisturbed in the cupboard. Secondly, Reno was awake enough to realize Yazoo was up--and also had the presence of mind to remember his manners and offer some.
Wonders never ceased. This was probably why Yazoo padded his way to the kitchen, out of curiosity, to accept the offer.
Reno was seated at the small table, one of Yazoo's brightly coloured mugs infront of him with the peppermint teabag label hanging over the side of it as it steeped.
"The kettle's still hot if you want some."
"Hm. Thanks." Yazoo pulled out another mug from the cupboard, adding hot water over his tea. He leaned up against the counter and curled his fingers around the mug. He wasn't quite sure what to say. Reno seemed to need the presence though, as he soon started talking.
"It's weird, you know?" Reno wasn't looking at him, just tapping his spoon quietly up against the side of his cup, "I'm not quite sure what I'm doing wrong..."
Yazoo hoped Reno wasn't talking about what had happened with Shandra...
"I mean, I have fun. I'm not apologizing for it either. It works for me. I'm still getting all my classes done like I need to." He paused, the tapping ceased, "But my goddamned family think that I'm gonna be a big business man--sign up for the fucking family firm just like my brother. I couldn't really give a flying fuck if the fucking business went under, you know? And I get all these phonecalls and emails from my mother with all of these plans for me once I'm done school." Reno brought a hand up to the bridge of his nose, his fingers squeezing, "They've practically decided on the house I'm moving into. So I can be close by." He picked up the spoon again. The tapping resumed.
Yazoo had never really heard much about Reno's family. The only thing he knew was that his dad was rich from a self owned company, and he had an older brother. He didn't even know their names... They'd never come to visit--though he'd had to take a few phone calls from Reno's mother when her son had been out at the bars. He sipped at his tea. Reno wasn't done.
"I don't know why I'm going along with it. It's fucking bullshit. I don't want to be stuck in a tie-and-three-piece-suit job for the rest of my life, even if it's my fucking legacy. That's not me..."
There was a long moment where Reno started thinking again, and Yazoo let the small rant sink in.
"What do you want to do?" Yazoo asked, genuinely curious.
"Pfft. You'll laugh."
"No, I won't!"
Reno looked up at Yazoo finally, looking a bit tired.
"Yeah you will, everybody does."
Yazoo didn't say anything, but his look must have convinced Reno that he wasn't going to laugh.
"I wanna go into broadcasting, you know like radio hosting or newscasting shit."
Pause.
"Hn." Yazoo didn't see why that was very funny--except if you looked at Reno's course load. Statistics training and general business. "Why don't you?"
"You joking?!" Reno laughed, "My father would probably disown me. The only reason he's paying for this is because I'm doing the classes he wants."
Yazoo felt a bit bad for all the times he'd held his own need for money and scholarships against Reno. Hell, he was taking a program he didn't even want in order to go through school.
"You see, I worked at a local station through highschool--really not a big deal. For most of the time I had to do all the boring stuff, like organizing files and checking playlists and getting the coffee... But then one of the early morning hosts had told me that if I got up early enough to get to his show, he'd let me co-host it with him. Little stuff at first, you know? But I was at the station at four thirty every morning... just to be able to do the traffic report! I mean hell, I don't think I can ever get that excited over fucking paperwork in an office. The guy said I was pretty good at it too--he let me do the show while he was on holidays for a week actually. Was the best week in my opinion." Reno smiled, dropping his gaze back down to his tea, "He was the one who gave me my tag--the Turk--Turk before work. Totally gay name, but I liked it. Gave me an identity." He laughed, his head tilting back. "But..." His smile faded, "Everytime I think I'm just gonna go home, tell my dad to go screw his fucking tuition, I get this huge guilt thing of disappointing them. That I wouldn't make it. That they'd be right about it being just a really good way to screw my life up..."
"That's what families do, isn't it?" Yazoo pushed himself up off the counter to come sit across from Reno. "Make you feel guilty. That's how they get you to come visit them once you've moved out." He offered a smile and it was returned, albeit smaller. "You gotta tell them--I know you've probably been told that before--"
"No one's told me that. Cause I haven't told anyone...except when I'm drunk it seems." Reno sighed. "But I know I do."
Yazoo paused again. He was relatively sure Reno wasn't drunk now. If he was, he wouldn't have gotten out of bed to get tea. It also made him feel a little flattered that Reno would talk to him about it. He took another sip from his mug.
"You should do it before your business program's done...shouldn't you?"
Reno laughed.
"I'm kinda hoping something will happen before then to make it all better...that's pretty much how I got through first year." When he looked back at Yazoo, he looked a little less tired, a little brighter. "Either that or I'll just make my father pay for the whole four years then tell him--make him pay the full tuition as revenge for putting me through the shittiest program ever."
Yazoo couldn't help but laugh with him. The whole concept was ridiculous.
"Thanks." Reno said after a moment. "I don't know why it's been on my mind so often lately...no one's really been around for me to talk about it."
Yazoo smiled over the rim of his mug.
"Hey, no problem."
"And...I'm sorry I woke you up again."
Yazoo was tactful enough not to say anything about Shandra, or the conversation she'd had with Reno as they finished their tea.
His owner was getting territorial. She must have scared that other female landfish off--the sickly one had left before any rituals had taken place during the night.
Territorial was good. Chicken knew instinctually that once a territory was claimed, it was as good as declaring a mated pair--though he guessed that it was a little more complicated for landfish than for himself. There seemed to be so much competition! A plethora of males and females to choose from--no wonder it was confusing! But he decided he liked the nights when just his owner and the red male were in the habitat. It was usually quieter, and he could observe them bonding.
If a goldfish could have a romantic soul, Chicken had one for sure.
Maybe they'd find themselves their own little undersea castle with a bubble-diver and a pebble garden too someday...but until then, Chicken was content to watch and try to fathom the rituals of finding a mate--taking notes for his own someday.