Okay. Next chapter. –Sigh- I'm just sick of this.

Not the story no, just my love life. I CAN'T DO IT I CAN'T DEAL WITH IT ANYMORE! Goahygaiwoehgvlkerhfli. Okay. I'm better now!

Well, let's get a crackin'!

"M-Micchi…" I whispered.

"Shh shh," He replied to my soft confusion, "Well~!" His demeanor lightened, "See you at lunch~!" He said and walked away.

"As if I would eat lunch with anyone today." I stopped suddenly as I heard a voice saying something in a different language. French I think.

I looked around, wondering who on earth could be speaking to me—at least I think that it was me. I glanced about quietly and saw someone sitting on a branch.

"Who are you?" I called to the figure, I couldn't see them all that well because I didn't have my contacts in, so I reached into my bag and grabbed out my glasses. Putting them on, I blinked as a strawberry-blonde blur leapt forward and covered my eyes.

"Shh, milady, one's eyes, as great as yours, should not grace my humble appearance, Iris," It was a boy, he was surprisingly tall, but that's because I hadn't gotten to see him properly yet. His accent was French.

"Let me see you. Please. I-I need to see you."

"The grant me your protection, Goddess. Protection."

"Fine, I grant my protection to you, boy."
"I'd hardly consider myself a boy now, would I?"

I looked at him as his hand left my eyes. Damn, he was old. Not like old, old. But older than me old. He was about 16 or so.

He had this air about him. Like he was an old soul or something.

"What's your name boy?" I said looking him up and down.

"Francis—Francis LaMeridian," He replied, his orange eyes looking into my green ones.

"Why must I protect you, Francis?" I noticed that we were speaking in English.

"Because they want this," He pulled something out of his pocket. It was a God ring. Its color was a beautiful poppy red. Prettier than the actual flower, I think. I looked at him as if to ask, 'Whose is it?' But before I could say a thing, he interrupted my train of thought-questions.

"It's the ring of Aether, the God of the Upper Air. However…I can't use it. I don't meet the specifications, so the Karasuma's want this ring, but then I saw you!" He lightened, "You were so spectacular as Iris. You were an amazing fighter, but…Iris is the Goddess of Rainbows, which is a sign of peace…" He kneeled and took my hand in his, looking at my ring which was changing colors in its usual way.

He kissed the ring.

"Now I shall serve you, if only to be protected by you, Iris." He said, his eyes looking at the floor with his hand still wrapped around mine.

"Let go, boy!" I snatched my hand away quickly turning red. "What are you doing? Coming on to me? Well go away! I don't need that now!"

He looked confused but stood up anyways.

Now that I noticed, he was wearing the school's uniform. "We have to seal the deal then…" He said, continuing, "Close your eyes, Iris…" I did, not really thinking that a 16 year old would do what he did.

I felt him place his hands on my cheeks.

"Oi, boy, what's going—" His lips interrupted my question. His kiss was deep, and I could feel a warm green light encircling us, warming me.

His hand moved from my cheeks to my waist and he wrapped his arms around me. I was getting really red now, I didn't need another boy chasing my around!

"Is this your secret lover then?!" I heard. Our lips broke; I was breathing hard, and was still in Francis's arms.

My eyes darted past Francis to se Nathan, wide eyed and furious.

"Nathan? It's not what you think I swear!"

"Oh? You making out with Romeo over here, isn't what I think? Do you think that I'll let you take her so easy?" He shot at Francis.

"Nathan! I won't let you speak to someone like that! I was going to tell you my feelings eventually, but now I'm thinking that you don't deserve a damn thing from me! Stop acting like I'm yours for you to do as you please! I'm not! I have my own choices that I MAKE. Sometimes I wish that I'd never have met you!" I said doubling over, everything going blurry.

"NO!" I heard Francis yell, slapping me. "Never say that! Never argue! I never want anything to happen to anyone because of that…" His eyes bore into mine.

I looked away, noticing that Nathan was fading from our plane of existence.

"What's wrong with Nathan?" I said, standing up and running to him, my arms catching his last visible spot and making me disappear too.

"Where are we?" I glanced around dizzily, and then looked at myself. "WHY THE HELL AM I NAKED?!" I shrieked waking an also naked Nathan up.

"Wh--?" Nathan looked at me tiredly.

"DON'T YOU LOOK AT ME!!" I yelled turning red.

"Too late!" He commented staring me up and down, while I crossed my legs and covered my chest with my arms.

I embarrassedly looked around—was that…"TOWELS!" I yelled, running to a stack of white towels folded near us. I quickly wrapped the towel around my body, tossing one at Nathan.

We sat in silence for a while, just sitting there. Nathan looked at me, "So what happens now? What did you do?"

"Like hell I know!" I said, irritated.

"Well, you said the magic words. Now say some more."

"I wish we were home." I mumbled, nothing happened.

"Well that works. Did you mean it? Or do you want to spend all of eternity with me in this place with no one else?"

I rolled my eyes, taking a look around. The place was complete darkness. Nothing else was around. I began to get scared.

"Will we ever leave?" I asked God.

"I dunno…"Nathan answered.

"Nathan there's something I've been meaning to tell you!" I said, remembering my conclusion on my feelings of Nathan.

"What?" He said, jumping from my sudden yell.

"I was thinking about, you know…us…and I've come to a conclusion…" I started.

"Oh, have you now?" He turned his whole body to look at me.

"I-I think that I l—" I began thinking of Micchi.

'What?' I thought to myself quickly, 'Why am I thinking of Micchi when I am about to confess to Nathan?' I wondered, but I pushed it all out of my head.

"I think," I started again.

"Yes?" Nathan coaxed.

"I think I'm fall—" I thought of Francis and Sato. Francis had just kissed me! And Sato seemed so in love with Nathan!

"Ye-e-es?" He pulled the 'es' noise in 'yes'.

"Never mind."

"Oh," He sounded slightly disappointed.

"So what do we do to get out of here?" I asked.

"Dunno, what if I…" He leaned over and began to make out with me fearlessly. He was serious this time—good God, why was everyone kissing me today? I inwardly sobbed. Just when he began to tongue me, I slapped him and spat out my confession.

"I think that I am falling back in love with you Nathan." I looked straight at him.

Just as he began to smile with his hand on his cheek, the black space we were in turned white.

And then the next thing I knew. We were back at the school, but hours must have passed, because it was already evening.

"So you like me eh?" He asked with a smirk.

"I guess I do," I replied, looking him dead in the eye.

"Then prove it," He whispered, grabbing my wrist and pulling me into a hug. I hugged him back and then began to realize why I had thought of Micchi when I was about to confess.

It's because I love Micchi as well.

In Nathan's arms I began to cry. Not hardcore sobbing, more like just having tears run down my face while I did nothing. No sobs. No wiping my tears. I just let them fall, a smile on my lips contradicting my true emotion.

"What's wrong, Athemes?" He asked kissing the space that my tears fell on. I shook my head.

"Let's go home, Nathan."

We walked slowly, his hand wrapped firmly around mine. I considered asking him questions, but decided against it. I didn't really want to ruin the 'moment'.

It took what seemed like forever to get home—if it can really be called 'my' home. As we stepped through the door, Q-chan greeted us with a surprised look on his face.

"Athemes-sama? Nathan-sama? Where have you been all day? The master Himeka-sama and Karin-sama are very worried. Felicity-sama, Celia-sama, Michiru-sama, and Kazune-sama went looking for you! Hurry, they should still be at the park—"

"Athemes-chan!" Karin flung herself down the stairs and hugged me, "We were soooo worried!" Then after looking at me and Nathan's tangled hands asked very quietly, "You didn't go to a love hotel did you?"

"N-No! What would make you think that?!"

"Well," Himeka started, walked up to us, she coughed, she had been feeling sick lately, "your hands being held is a big sign! So have you kissed yet?" She asked smiling.

"Of course," Nathan said, kissing me before I could say anything.

"Mmph!" He was getting serious too, I was pretty much against the wall by now.

Q-chan was gone by now as I felt Nathan's hands running up my stomach to my chest. I slapped him after I found my composure.

"What was that for?!" He said, stepping back.

"Your attempt at—" I pushed him over and sat on his stomach, prepared to punch the daylights out of him. But then the door swung open to reveal Micchi.

"I couldn't find them anywhere!" He said exhaling sadly.

"—frisking me!" I finished.

"Athemes?! Who did that to you?!" As if that wasn't obvious.

"They sure were going at it too!" Karin said, her face slightly pink. I turned red.

"What!? Athemes—?" But I was gone.

I sprinted up the stairs and leapt into my closet, leaning my shoulder on an open vent.

"Athemes! Athemes? Where are you?" I could hear Nathan saying, walking into my room.

I closed my eyes and clamped my hands over my ears, slowly moving my head down to hide more. I could hear him walking up to the closet.

"Athemes—is that your hair?" He picked up a piece of my hair and crouched to get into the vent.

"Get away life ruiner!" I said, still covering my eyes and ears.

"That's not what you said earlier…" He said seductively, gently pushing my shoulder down and getting on top of me.

"What are you going to do? Just do it? Do I look like I want to right about now?" I said angrily, leering at him from my spot on the ground.

"You know what? Maybe I will!" He said, beginning to unbutton my blouse, revealing my bra.

"Get off of me! Bastard!" I kicked him in the stomach and pushed him out, hightailing it into the darkness of the vent.

It was a few hours before I could hear anyone, they had been searching for me—except for Himeka…she was too sick.

They were having dinner.

Stupid Nathan, now I'm hungry too! Thinking about sneaking down, I decided against it because I could hear voices from the dining room.

I could hear Kazune saying something about taking some food up to Himeka.

He walked into the kitchen shaking his head and standing by the seat after downing a glass of some alcoholic like drink. (In Japan kids can have low alcoholic drinks—but you already knew that, right?)

After a little while of this I could hear Shi-chan yelling about something.

Then it got interesting.

Karin burst into the room.

"Kazune-kun! Micchi's friend collapsed outside! We need your help!" She cried.

"Micchi, Micchi, Micchi…All you ever talk about is Micchi! Boooooring!" Kazune shouted—wow he was really drunk.

"Kazune-kun, are you okay? Di you just say boring? You're really out of character…" Karin looked confused.

"Hey, Karin," he changed the subject, "do you hate me?"

"No—of course I don't hate you! Now let's go!" She said, backing up confused as he stepped forward.

"Good. Then kiss me, Karin." He said grabbing Karin and pushing her against the wall. Ohhhh boy this was getting interesting.

"I know what you did with Nishikiori."

I paused, wondering what she did with him…probably kissed him. But why did this make me feel so strange? Ah! I don't care; someone else's life was interested for once!

Karin looked panicked and refocused her eyes to the floor before the most epicly manga-like thing happened.

He forced a kiss on her.

It wasn't a super beautiful thing either—I mean, it was just kissing, if I panicked about kissing then I would've already had a heart attack, and just to say something, this vent was getting really hot…

I heard her trying to speak but failing—it was like an 'mmph' noise. I could see her eyes slam shut in the similar ways that mine did when I was forced to kiss someone.

They broke apart after a while, both breathing hard.

And Kazune was bleeding from the mouth. God, it was getting hot in this vent, maybe it was a heater? But I was seriously working up a sweat.

I looked at Karin's panicked expression and stifled a laugh before my vision blurred and I fell through the grate.

How'd you like it? Sorry it took me so long to update. My computer had a MEGA mean virus on it.

=3=

I'll try updating faster from now on.