Sooo...where did we leave off again? Ah yes! Claire and Coal fighting Two. Now I remember, their attack failed and now we have a sudden appaerence from two of the cannons to help them. I love this chapter..especially Claire's bit. It's funny!
Coal's POV ~
"Witch Hunter!"
I dove out of the way, taking Claire in her weapon form with me, as Two exploded into the familier flurry of black smoke-like ribbons and leaving behind a floating red kishin soul. The only thing was that it wasn't mine and Claire's doing. It was sombody else's. I stood up as claire transformed back into her human form and stood next to me. In front of us stood the familier figure of Claire's mother, holding a scythe over her shoulder.
The weapon glowed a pale blue light and transformed, thus being replaced now by the tall muscled figure of Claire's father standing beside the ash blond meister. "Good thing Maka and I got to the pair of you in time. It looked like you two were having a bit of trouble with it.", Soul said eyeing both Claire and me with a raised eyebrow, "So I'm guessing the last Traitor you two fought was like that one?"
Claire and I both nodded.
"Yeah, but how did you know where to find us? Did my father send you guys after us?", I asked, still a little dazzled from seeing how quickly their Witch Hunter took out Two. It was a little more impressive seeing it being used against a kishin, then a tree.
"Soul Preception makes finding people pretty easy.", Maka explained, "But more then that, we knew something was wrong when Tsubaki reported that you two were missing from her class after she took roll. So what have you two been up to that made you miss the first half of class? Don't tell us that Traitor just appeared out of nowhere."
"What if that's exactly what happened mom?", Claire asked beside me, crossing her arms, "We slept in and ended up meeting Two on our way to the Academy."
I noticed Claire shoot me a look and the meaning was clear enough. "Say anything about falling asleep together on the couch last night, and I'll kill you Coal!"
"Like I'm really going to say anything about that Claire. Use your head for once.", I shot back with a look.
I figured Claire must have understood my silent response, because she raised an eyebrow at me and turned to look back at Soul and Maka in front of us. She started to fallow both the older scythe and scythe meister back to the Academy, before the four of us split to go our seperate ways: Soul and Maka went to talk to my father and Claire and I headed to the Class Cresent Moon classroom and appologized to Tsubaki before taking our normal seats. I could feel Tessa's smirk on me, but I ignored her and made it look like I was paying attention to Tsubaki's lecture.
In reality I was paying attention to Claire beside me and using my soul preception to keep tabs on her soul and it's wavelength.
The scythe was laying her head on her arms sleeping as useuall throughout the lecture. It would have made sense for me to wake my partner up so she didn't miss the lesson, but I just shrugged it off and ignored it. The ash blond weapon was a little odd. I noticed that she could sleep through a whole lecture and, somehow, still get a decent if not one of the higher grades in the class on the next exam. So I had resinged myself to only waking her up when it was time to go, if we were called to the Death Room and when we had to meet Soul and Maka for lessons resonating our soul wavelengths.
After a few minutes of keeping tabs on Claire from the corner of my eyes, I broke the trance and looked back at the weapon lecturing the class below on the platform. Why the hell had I all of a sudden become aware of Claire? No, that was't the right question. I was aware of Claire before we became partners, now it was just like I was constantly being pulled to her by some force of nature I couldn't controll even as a Grim Reaper. There was no way this was a spell of some kind...Claire was a weapon with a weapon and meister for parents. No witch relations. I sighed and shook my head. Looks like it was time for a little talk with my mother and father tonight after all.
When the end of class bell rang, I nudged my partner awake carefully, "Claire it's time to head home, looks like Soul and Maka gave us the day off from our resonance lessons today. Wanna head out?"
Claire lifted her head and yawned, before looking at me with her blood red eyes and fixing one of her pigtails. She shook her head, "Yeah, guess they figured Two was enough of a lesson for us or something. And nah Coal, you go ahead and I'll see yeah tomamrow morning. I have some questions for Professor Tsubaki about the lecture."
I eyed the scythe but shrugged it off, "Okay, see yeah Claire.", I waved and headed back towards Gallows Manor on my own. I would have walked with Tessa, sicne we live in the same house, but I was trying to avoid questions about Claire at the moment. I wanted to talk to my mother and father about it...not my causin.
At dinner I sat at my useuall place beside my causin Tessa, as we ate with my parents and aunt. It took a few minutesfor me to speak up because I wasn't sure about asking my mom and dad about their relationship. But I knew that they were the people to ask about this kind of situatioin. "Mom. Dad. You two are married, but mom is one of dad's weapons right? So how...?", I allowed my voice to trail off, not sure what to say.
"Coal is something the matter?", my mother looked at me with her warm blue eyes, "Why the sudden interest in weapon-meister romantic relationships?", she asked.
I shrugged, "I was just curious, that's all mom.", I replied a little too quickly. Was I really developing feelings like those for my weapon after all? Only one ay to find out. All I knew that, whatever feeling towards Claire this was, it wasn't the old contempt I once had for her before we became partners.
My dad raised a skeptical eyebrow at me, "In that case Coal, yes you're right. You're mom and I are partners. You're mom and Aunt Patty are twin pistols and I'm their meister." Was he trying to work things out? "But it's really not that surprising for weapons and meisters of the opposite gendars to become more then just partners or friends. Liz and I certainly aren't the only ones.", my dad added.
The cought my attention and I looked up abaruptly to eye my parents. "What do you mean dad?", I asked not thinking.
"Tsuna's parents are the same way, Tsubaki is Black Star's weapon.", my mother laughed a little bit smiling at me, "Then of course there is Soul and Maka. Maka is Soul's meister."
"What do you mean it's normal though and doesn't it effect you abilities to fight or soemthing?", I asked.
"Well most weapons and meisters live together Coal.", my father started looking at me with a slight grin, "But aside from that, just think of what they go through fighting kishin. It's only natural that they would develop a strong bond with each other outside the normal weapon-meister relationship. Even if it is just close friends. They're, literally, each other's life lines and are hardly seperated from each other at any given time. They can't reach their maximum potential without each other. I told you days ago Coal that weapons and meisters aren't meant to be alone. That and if anything it only makes us stronger as a team."
I thought about what my father said and it did make sense. I never saw my father without both my mother and aunt by his side and lately it felt like Claire and I waere constantly hanging around each other without even planning it. We just ended up together and neither of us bothered to question it. Being around the scythe felt as naturla to me as breathing or talking was.
"What do you mean being romantically together makes you stronger as a team dad? Wouldn't that be a weakness more then a strength?", I asked looking at my father.
My father only grinned, "You'll understand it for yourself at some point Coal."
"Coal, why not ask Claire to dance at the Foundation Day Eve Party in a few days? Just try it. You might find your answers if you do.", my mom winked at me.
I stared at my plate thinking in silence.
Claire's POV ~
Of course I knew that Coal was keeping an eye on me the entire lesson, I was lazy...not stupid after all. There was a major difference between the two. Strangly I found myself not caring that he was keeping tabs on me...I actually enjoyed it to be honest. It had to do with that cozy safe feeling again. It seemed like I had the tendency to get that a lot around Coal now.
He wasn't all that bad a person once you spent a little bit of time with him, he was a lot less cold and arrogant then I had thought and he seemed to adjust to being around Tsuna, Cera and Chris pretty well in only a week and a half. I hated to admit it, but he wasn't that bad looking either. If he took after his father, then I could see why Aunt Liz fell for Uncle Kid with the short cut black hair and golden yellow eyes...
OH NO!
NO!
NO!
NO!
I wasn't going to let my thoughts go any further then that! No way in hell was I falling for my meister! That was asking for trouble and welcoming it with a smile and open arms! I needed to cut this flower before it bloomed...but how? Going to Blair or my parents would have the complete opposite effect which was not what I needed or wanted at the moment.
"Claire it's time to head home, looks like Soul and Maka gave us the day off from our resonance lessons today. Wanna head out?"
I wanted to say yes, but I knew that was not what I needed to say at the moment. Out of the corner of my eye I cought sight of Cera and Tsuna talking by Tsubaki and an idea formed in my head. I looked back to Coal and shook my head smiling at him, "Yeah, guess they figured Two was enough of a lesson for us or something. And nah Coal, you go ahead and I'll see yeah tomamrow morning. I have some questions for Professor Tsubaki about the lecture." I hated lying but it got the job done and as soon as Coal left the classroom, I jumped at Cera and Tsuna and grabed the back of their shirt collars in my fists yanking them back towards me.
"What the hell Claire!?", demanded Cera struggling, "What's up with you all of a sudden? Give me one good reason not to use my magic on you!"
"Seriously Claire, what's gotten into you all of a sudden?", added Tsuna.
"Would you two shut up and calm down? I need your help with something big, but I'll explain more when we get to my place okay? And nobody is going to know about this!", I replied in a low tone, not looking back at them.
When I got home, I kicked open the front door of the apartment and lead Tsuna and Cera up to my room, "Mom! Dad! Tsuna and Cera are here and we'll be studying in my room until dinner is ready!", I called, not bothering to wait and see if anyone responded before pulling my captives into my bedroom and locking the door behind us.
Plan A - Hypnotisim with a little help from magic
"So let me get this right, you want me to hypnotize you into believing that you don't have deeper feelings for Coal?", Cera eyed me clearly trying not to laugh, "Where did this come from Claire?"
I glanced at Tsuna laughing leaning against the side of my bed and rolled my eyes. Then i looked back at the witch leaning against my closed closet door. "Yes I want you to use your magic and hypnotize me. I can't let myself fall for Coal. Not no way and not no how! Now are you going to help me or not Cera?" Still hearing Tsuna's laughing, my vain poped in my forehead and I threw a book from my bookshelf at her...thus nailing her right in the center of the face. "It's nothing to laugh about tsuna!", I yelled at her.
Cera sighed and shook her head, "It's not going to work but fine. Look me in the eyes and focus on me and thoughts of Coal."
I stood up in front of the raven witch and focused on nothing but Cera and Coal. I relaxed all of my mucles and tuned out everything but my friend and thoughts of my meister. "Okay Cera I'm ready.", I nodded.
"Okay now stay very relaxed, I'm going to try and use my magic to help you forget about any fuzzy feelings you may have for Coal. Caw-caw. Flap-flap. Claire, you're eyes are getting heavy and you're muscles are growing weak and relaxed.", came Cera's soothing voice.
I could feel the magic radiating from the witch in front of me and wrapping around my body. But I stayed as calm and stil las I could and listened to Cera's voice.
"Good. Now then, when I snap my fingers if you still have feelings for Coal then you will...throw anouther book at Tsuna."
"HEY! SAY WHAT NOW!?"
"Shut up Tsuna! It's the first thing that came to my head!" Then, "If you don't have any feelings for Coal anymore, then you will rush at me with a tackle hug. Nod if you understand Claire."
I nodded keeping my eyes closed.
"Wake up!"
I opened my eyes, feeling the magic leave my body. I lokoed around the bedroom blinking and brinign all of the familier things into focus again. Then I picked up another book and chucked it right at Tsuna, nailing her square in the face and sending her reeling onto the bed again.
"Time for Plan B...", sighed the raven witch shaking her head.
"YEAH THINK!?", yelled Tsuna.
Plan B - Scented candles and meditation
I sat in my closet with my eyes closed and my legs crossed. The only light coming from the candles lit haphazardly around my closet and giving off an over powering oaky-nutty scent that I tried breating in deeply with steady breaths. This was Cera's Plan B...aromatherapy. Use the scent ofthe candles to make me forget all about any deep feelings that I may be having for my meister. I had been in there for an hour at the least, when the closet door opened up and Cera and Tsuna peeked inside.
"Well...?", Cera grinned expectingly.
Tsuna managed to dodge her coat hanger, but I hit the witch.
"What do you think?!", I snaped frustrated.
Plan C - Hitting a picture of Coal on a dart boared with darts
"You sure about this Tsuna? It seems more violent then helpfull.", Cera hid behind me a little bit and carefully eyed the meister with darts in her hand in front of us.
"Oh come on Cera, lighten up will yeah! If magic and aromatherapy didn't work...why not try something a bit more Claire? Besides, this is fun!", Tsuna chucked a dart at the picture on the back of my wooden bedroom door.
Cera and I looked at each other skepitacally.
"It's a great idea Tsuna, but I don't see the point in it...not to mention that picture is of Cera. Not Coal.", I pointed out, just as Cera winceed when a dark landed right in he center of her forehead on the picture.
"Fine!", Tsuna huffed, "We'll do it your way Claire. There is one more thing we can try..."
Plan D - Headstanding
"Seriously?"
Cera and Tsuna looked at me grinning widely.
"Well?", asked Tsuna winking, "How do you feel now? Any thoughts about being all lovey-dovey with Coal still?"
I glared at the two girls unenthused, "I don't don't know.", I added sarcastically, "Is the blood rushing to my brain supposed to drown out any thoughts of Coal?" I tucked my legs to my body and rolled forward untill I ended up sitting cross-legged on my bedroom floor looking up at Cera and Tsuna.
Two words all: Don't. Ask. :) Well it's supposed to be romance and humor right? So I thought I would add more humor to it, plus this is a classic scene with Claire, Cera and Tsuna.
I mean let's be honest girls...how many of us can attest to asking their girlfriends out with guy problems and getting results like these?
Really now.
And looks like Coal has been hit with the love bug!