"Okay Kiku, I'll meet you outside the gates in ten minutes, aru." Yao told his cousin while packing his things away.
Kiku looked up from his desk. "Okay Yao-san. Please allow me five minutes to finish this work, I shall see you soon."
"Aiyaa Kiku, I told you not to call me Yao-san! Its just Yao!" The Chinese student pouted and crossed his arms. Kiku chuckled.
"All right... Yao." Yao nodded in victory and picked up his bag.
"See you in a bit." With that, he walked out of the classroom, leaving Kiku alone. Arthur was dragged off by Alfred with promises to see him again that day and the teacher had fled the second the bell had gone.
"Okay... I think thats everything..." He murmured, zipped up his bag and shouldered it. He could hear the loud students in the corridor outside as he exited the classroom- and suddenly found himself pinned to the lockers by two boys.
"Kesesesese! So this is the cute little one whose been causing all the bother?" The silver haired teen called Gilbert leered at him with his blood red eyes.
"Onhonhon... no wonder Angleterre is so taken with him." The blond Frenchman named Francis (oh the irony) smiled.
Kiku steeled himself against the glares. "Whatever you have to say, I have no interest in it. Now please excuse me as I have to get home." He went to walk past the boys who moved to surround him.
"Oh, I think you can afford to spare a little time for us! Now tell me... I don't suppose you're interested in spending a little time... with us?" Frances leaned forward and purred in his ear. Kiku had had enough.
All students in the long, wide corridor turned at hearing a loud clang echoing through the structure, followed by two loud yelps. The ones closer to the source of the noise turned.
The tiny Japanese student had both larger teenagers pinned against the lockers in armlocks. The French and Prussian were squealing quietly as Kiku twisted their arms.
"I would thank you not to waste my time in the future. Now if you will excuse me I have people to meet." He released the two notorious perverts from his grip and walked away, apparently unaware of the number of people staring at him and silently worshipping him already.
~*~
Several weeks then passed as Kiku got used to the school and the students got used to Kiku. The news of him terrifying two members of the bad touch trio into submission had spread like wild fire, half of the students believing it happened and the other half thinking it was a load of rubbish. He spent most of his time either with Arthur or Heracles and his cats, or in class.
"Hey, Kiku!" Said Japanese student turned to see his British friend jogging towards him across the hall.
"Hai, Asa-san?" He replied, struggling to tie his trainers. His fingers were shaking and he was frowning.
"Ah... oh yes, I was wondering if you'd want to come over to my house for a sleepover soon?" He grinned, leaning against the wall.
"A-ano... yes, I would..." He let out a curse in Japanese as the shoelace slipped from his grasp. Arthur closed his eyes for a split second- when he looked back, his friend's shoelace was tied in a neat knot and bow. He was sure it wasn't like that... and he could have sworn he had seen Kiku's eye change colour.
~*~
"Okay, we'll pick you up tonight at six. See you." Arthur hung up his mobile, placing it back in his trouser pocket and going to tidy the kitchen. Why the hell couldn't Alfred bloody tidy up after himself? Seriously!
The Brit mumbled angrily to himself as he cleaned the small cooking space until he heard a knock on the door. He immediately perked up, throwing off the apron he was wearing and brushing flour off of his trousers- how did that get there?
"Hi Kiku!" He flung the door open and came face-to-face with Kiku, and his annoyed looking cousin. "A-ah.. hello Yao..." Yao stepped up to him.
"Nihao Arthur. I just wanted to give you a friendly warning: if anything, and I mean anything, happens to Kiku while he is under your care, you will have me to answer to. That is a promise, aru." He stepped back and smiled. "Now be good. Kiku, if you want us to come and pick you up, just call me, aru!"
Kiku nodded shyly. "Th-thank you, Yao-san." He stepped inside the house, smiling his goodbye to his cousin before the door was shut and Arthur grinned at him.
"So Kiku! What do you want to do ton-"
"YO DUDE! Arty so should've told me you were comin' round!" Alfred bounded down the stairs, grinning and waving one arm about, then tripping over Arthur's stuck-out ankle and landing flat on his face.
"A-ah, Alfred-san, are you okay?" Kiku looked worriedly at the American, who raise his head from the floor and grinned.
"No worries dude! I'm fine!" He jumped up immediately, blatantly ignoring the irritated look on Arthur's face.
"Anyway! Kiku, I'm really sorry but the spare room was too cluttered to clear in time so you'll probably have to stay in one of our rooms." Kiku nodded silently, placing his bag by the door and following the two boys into the kitchen.
"So, for dinner we have a choice of..." Arthur opened various cupboards in the kitchen to see what they could have. "Huh... not a lot... Alfred, you didn't go to the shops did you?" He turned to see the American had legged it as soon as he realised the kitchen was being inspected. "Ugh... idiot. We have rice... and... pot noodles."
He heard Kiku chuckle lightly beside him and he breathed a sigh. "Umm... I guess pot noodle will do. I don't believe I've ever had one before..."
The shock from this made Arthur's arm jerk (somehow) and he hit a bag of rice inside the cupboard, causing it to fall. It fell through the air in almost slow-motion, before hitting Kiku's cheek- or more precisely, the metal on it. Kiku gave an almost deafening shriek of pain and fell to the floor, clutching his face.
"K-Kiku! Are you okay?" Arthur let go of the cardboard cups and knelt beside his friend, who was hissing in pain.
"Y-yes, Arthur-san, I am fine." He got up unsteadily, staggering to his feet and slamming his shoulder to the wall.
"I-I'm so sorry! Look, I'll take you upstairs for now and bring dinner up, come on." He slung Kiku's arm over his shoulder and helped him upstairs to his room, sitting him on the bed, then ran back downstairs, practically throwing boiling water into the pot noodle cups and dashing back upstairs.
Kiku was slumped on the bed, his fingers millimetres away from the metal plate as if he was afraid to touch it. He looked up, wincing, as Arthur walked in, placing the pots on the bedside table.
"Are you okay, Kiku?" He didn't reply. "What happened?"
Kiku's eyes flicked around the room, looking anywhere but the English teenager. He seemed to give up after staring at the tea-stain on the floor for several seconds. "I... after the accident, when my parents passed away, this metal became part of my face. The... the nerves in my cheek beneath it became welded to the metal, so whenever it comes into contact with something..." He didn't need to finish.
Arthur didn't know what to say. He gazed at his feet for several seconds before sitting beside him. "I'm sorry Kiku... shall we eat? I also have some films downstairs if you want to watch some..." He trailed off, feeling like a failure for not being able to help in some way.
"I'd like that." Arthur's face broke into a relieved smile as he handed his friend his pot noodle. They ate in a comfortable silence for several minutes before heading downstairs, Arthur heading to a stack of DVDs while motioning for Kiku to sit on the sofa. He picked up the pile of plastic cases and carried them over to Kiku, dumping them next to him.
"Your choice." Kiku nudged some of the cases around before picking up the film 'Stardust'. Arthur grinned to himself- an excellent film. With unicorns. He took the case and inserted the DVD into the player before sitting next to Kiku.
About an hour after the film started, Arthur noticed Kiku's head was beginning to nod and his eyes close. It wasn't long before Kiku's chin fell to meet his chest and he fell asleep.
Arthur smiled at his friend's sleeping face. He looked so peaceful and serene, and he found it hard to tear his gaze away. He reached over Kiku and nudged his shoulder, leaning him over so the Japanese boy's head rested on his shoulder. He smiled again, leaning the back of his head against the sofa cushions.
They stayed like this for several minutes until Arthur noticed Kiku's twitching. His arms were moving slightly and his eyebrows were almost knitted together, as if he was concentrating. His lips started moving too, and Arthur leaned in closer to hear what he was saying.
"S-Shite kudasai..." Arthur frowned, translating it in his head. "S-Shite kudasai... sokubaku shinai..." 'Please don't'? "... Karera o korosu..." Arthur's eyes widened and he drew his head back slightly. If he was right in his translations Kiku just said... 'Please don't kill them'...
Arthur placed his hands on Kiku's shoulders and stood so he was facing him. "K-Kiku?" Kiku didn't wake up, his movements becoming bigger. "K-Kiku, wake up!" Arthur shook his friend slightly, hoping that he would at least stop twitching. He was starting to worry.
"Kiku!" He shook him a little harder and Kiku's eyes flew open. He gasped loudly and sat up straight, accidentally head-butting Arthur and making him reel backwards.
"A-ah, I'm so sorry Asa-san!" Kiku pushed himself off of the sofa and knelt by Arthur, pushing back his messy blonde hair and examining the area he had hit.
"I-its okay, Kiku, really!" Arthur stuttered, raising his hands. Kiku suddenly realised how incredibly close he was to Arthur and drew back, placing his hands on his knees and bowing his head.
"I-I am very sorry Asa-san. If you want I can leave now, I seem to have only caused you trouble..." He murmured, staring at his knees.
"N-no Kiku! Please, don't leave..." Arthur grabbed Kiku's wrist. They stayed like that for several seconds before Arthur realised how tight his grip was and let go. Last time he had grabbed someone like that he'd nearly broken their wrist... he was stunned Kiku wasn't even wincing.
"I-if it is all right, then I would like to stay..." Kiku mumbled, gazing at the floor again. Arthur grinned.
"Of course its all right! Come on, why don't we go to bed?" He stood up and held out his hand to Kiku, who took it. He led his friend inside his bedroom and suddenly felt extremely awkward.
"Oh... uh... I forgot to say theres only one bed..." He laughed awkwardly, scratching his cheek and mentally slapping himself.
"Oh... I'm fine with the floor, Asa-san, I'd hate to take your bed from you." Kiku mumbled.
"Kiku, you're my guest. You can have the bed." They stared in silence at each-other for several minutes until they sighed and said simultaneously:
"Share?
