Chapter Seven

There was a subtle but noticeable change in Sanageyama after that night. He was still hotheaded and insufferably arrogant but for some reason she found his antics more tolerable. His near constant commentary felt more like good-natured teasing rather than an outright challenge and things had been dialed back significantly in the flirtatiousness department. Sure, he was still a little handsy but it was different; less overtly sexual and more tempered. And thank god for that since he still refused to leave. It had been almost three weeks and rather than growing bored of her shabby, rundown apartment Sanageyama actually moved MORE of his shit over.

Several green shirts now dangled from the clothes line outside her window in addition to a few pairs of boxers. She could recall exactly the day his undergarments had appeared. Sukuyo, bless her kind heart, had collected them off the floor and washed them no questions asked along with the other clothes before hanging them out to dry. Maya thought her face would remain permanently red when she rounded the corner with Sanageyama in tow. The blush stretched all the way up to her ears. He thought it was hilarious. Of course. And proceeded to spend the next several hours offering decidedly mature suggestions just to keep the blush from dissipating. He offered to pose for her- which she DECLINED- and offered to sleep in the nude like Gamagori- which she DEFINITELY declined.

Grumbling at the unwelcome changes to her living arrangement, Maya allowed her focus to shift back to Mako and her earsplitting whines. "But Ryuko… *hiccup* I don't wanna be the manager!"

"Well, you already are so stop complainin," the dark-haired teen stated flatly. "And besides, I gotta keep my focus on winnin all the fights so I need help with the other stuff."

"But why can't Maya do it!" She wailed hysterically while clinging to Senketsu's sleeve, feet dragging on the ground as Ryuko continued to walk.

"Maya is stuck in her stupid arrangement with Sanageyama, who I intend to beat the shit out of eventually, so she can't join the fight club." Mako's groans of defeat were nearly deafening as the trio boarded the nearest trolley. Once seated, Ryuko inquired, "So, what actually is the arrangement between you two? I've seen him over at your place a lot."

Maya let out a groan almost equal in pitch to Mako as she slumped back into the metal bench. "I need to help him pass this semester. If I succeed, Satsuki intends to promote me to two-star status. If I fail, we will both be expelled."

Ryuko nodded her head in understanding before asking, "But why does he spend the night? Can't say I enjoy waking up to his boxers flappin in the breeze."

"Because he won't leave!" Maya exclaimed loudly making Mako jump. The exasperation in her voice was palpable as she continued, "I let him spend the night ONE TIME and now he's practically moved in to the damn place."

"Oh. My. God. You slept with Sanageyama-sempai!" Mako squealed in delight only to be silenced when Maya firmly clamped a hand over the smaller girl's mouth, a scarlet blush unfurling across each cheek.

"I did not!" She defended harshly; her voice hushed as the attention of several people on the train turned in their general direction. "It was raining. He slept on the floor. End of story." Mako tried to reply but it was incomprehensibly muffled.

"Of course, she didn't sleep with him. Who would ever want to fuck that guy?" Ryuko scoffed before turning to give the other students on the trolley a death glare. They immediately averted their eyes as an icy chill swept through the aisle. Ryuko became more serious and her tone grew darker as she asked, "But, seriously, has he tried anything? Because I swear to god-"

"No!" Maya interjected loudly. "He has not tried anything. He can be fairly annoying and insufferable sometimes but Sanageyama has not tried to hurt me."

"I still don't trust him," Ryuko asserted, her voice losing some of its intensity as she turned her gaze out the window. "But still, if he tries anything, let me know. I'll break his stupid face."

Maya felt a small, grateful smile spill across her features. "I promise."

The remainder of their journey to Honnouji Academy was fairly uneventful, and as the trolley rolled to a stop, she spotted Sanageyama standing near the entrance. He was leaning against the cement archway with his hands in his pockets; white coat billowing in the wind and spikes glinting in the morning light. Maya felt Ryuko grow tense and she immediately clambered off the trolley, determined to make it to Sanageyama before a fight could break out. She skidded to a stop directly in front of him.

He cocked his head slightly in question before bristling when Ryuko suddenly emerged. She fixed him with a death glare which prompted the kendo captain to reach for his sword. "Oh gee! Would you look at the time, we are going to be late. Later Ryuko!" Maya called quickly before grabbing his arm and all but dragging Sanageyama through the archway. He begrudgingly allowed it.

"Good morning to you too," he muttered sarcastically before grumbling, "I still don't understand why you won't let me walk you to school."

"Because you have to leave two hours early for practice and club meetings. Ryuko leaves at the same time as me so it makes more sense."

She could feel him rolling his eyes under the bandana. "You know, I can walk down the hill to pick you up. It really doesn't bother me." Glancing to Sanageyama, his dark green hair was still a little wet from the shower he took after practice.

"Ryuko is my friend-" Maya hesitated upon hearing him scoff, "-and sometimes," she continued undeterred, "I like to see her and Mako. You can't keep me all to yourself."

"I suppose that means you're going to continue eating lunch with them in your old classroom then, too?" He did not sound pleased.

"Yes," she replied without skipping a beat. Sanageyama chose not to comment as they settled into their respective desks. By the time fourth period rolled around, Maya was more than ready to get out of class A1. She was accustomed to feeling the eyes of her classmates but today was different. Their stares burned a hole in her back and every now and then she could make out stifled sniggering. She tried to ignore it; focusing intently on the lesson, determined to drown out their snickering with the fierce scribbling of her pencil.

While class was never particularly enjoyable, generally Sanageyama was able to terrify everyone into submission. In fact, Maya could not recall a day since her first appearance in A1 where she had drawn so much undue attention. It was unnerving.

Finally, after what felt like decades, the bell rang releasing Maya from any further scrutiny. She scrambled out of her desk and was down the hall before Sanageyama could follow. Ignoring his shouts of protest, she called, "I'll be fine! See you after lunch." And with that, she rounded a corner and dipped out of sight.

The hallways quickly clogged as Maya jostled past other students, heading in the direction of class C3. Honnouji Academy felt stifling today and the hallways were no better. I just need to make it to Ryuko- Her thoughts came to an abrupt halt when a particularly loud voice carried above the crowd.

"No-star trash thinks she can sleep her way up to the top." Maya felt frozen even though her feet continued to move. Stone walls seemed to shrink and collapse as more voices joined the chorus.

"Cheap slut."

"Did you give it away for free or did you charge him?"

"Just another notch on the captain's belt. He could leave a few girls for the rest of us…"

The rumor mill was in full swing and realization hit like a sledge hammer. Maya nearly stumbled as the weight of her self-consciousness came crashing down. Everything made sense now. The entire school thinks I'm a whore. Sanageyama had quite the reputation when it came to sexual conquests. Logically, it was only a matter of time before people started to gossip; wild assumptions really should not be surprising. So, why does it bother me so much? Maya stilled when a pair of white tennis shoes blocked her path. Glancing up, she came face to face with a set of blistering blue eyes. Omiko Hakodate, captain of the tennis club, loomed over her shorter frame with a spiteful sneer.

Her voice was like molten ice as she spat, "You know he doesn't love you, right?"

"What?"

"You don't mean anything to him. You're just convenient." Animosity radiated off Hakodate in waves as she towered threateningly overhead. Maya felt her muscles reflexively tighten and she glanced down the hallway. Classroom C3 was in sight.

Inhaling deeply, she locked eyes with the tennis captain and stated coldly, "I don't see how it's any of your business."

"Three-stars shouldn't associate with no-star sluts."

"You're jealous." Apparently, this was the wrong thing to say. Maya let out a sharp cry as her shoulder collided with the nearest locker, leaving a substantial dent before she crumpled to the ground. Her face stung from the impact and she blinked a few tears away, staggering back to a standing position. Leaning against the wall, her gaze snapped back to Hakodate who was twirling her enormous tennis racket; her look absolutely murderous.

She felt her heart jolt when Omiko pulled back to swing again. Diving to the floor, she narrowly avoided getting hit a second time. The life-fiber infused racket carved open the cement wall, spraying the hallway with debris as Maya shielded her head. Dust poured into the narrow corridor granting a split second of invisibility of which Maya took full advantage of as she darted towards classroom C3. She was nearly through the doorway when a neck-snapping jerk to the back of her collar tore her feet from the floor and she was slammed into the wall next to the doorframe. Feet dangling, Maya gasped for breath as Hakodate's grip around her throat slowly tightened.

"You stupid bitch," she hissed vehemently. "You think just because he fawns over you that you are protected? That you're somehow better than the rest of us?" Maya could feel darkness encroaching on her vision as she clawed futilely at Omiko's vice grip. Everything was going black and a sense of true panic was starting to set in. She was suffocating. "You are nothing compared to me. I earned this uniform and with its power, I can crush you with my bare hands. You are nothing!"

Explosive pressure was building in her head and the world was starting to lurch forward. Feeling her arms go numb and then limp, Maya was surprised to find Sanageyama at the forefront of her mind. Ryuko was closer. Why wouldn't she wish for-

"MAYA!"

All in an instant, the painful pressure on her throat vanished and oxygen surged back into her lungs. She dropped from the wall listlessly, colliding with something warm and steady as she gasped for air. Maya clung to it for support, feeling surprised as something coiled around her waist, pressing her even closer. All she could see was white, but the smell was so familiar…

"Sanageyama?" She rasped weakly, feeling immense relief when the man in question pulled back slightly so she could see his face. His jaw was set into a hard line; lips curved in a dangerous snarl as he focused on Hakodate. The tennis captain had been thrown clean through the wall of class C2. She was crumpled amidst a pile of broken desks, blonde hair shrouding her face as she struggled to catch her breath. Uzu made to advance but stopped upon feeling resistance. "Don't."

"But Maya…" He protested, his voice low and threatening.

"I'm alright now, Sanageyama. It's over. Let the disciplinary committee handle it." It was with great difficulty that Uzu managed to turn away from Hakodate. She was a captain in the athletics division -my division- and instead of thrashing her until she begged for forgiveness, he was going to let Gamagori handle it. Again. It was really starting to piss him off. First Fuguhara and Naito, and now Hakodate. Why is it that only my captains have it out for Maya?

Feeling more than a little betrayed, Uzu turned in the direction of the infirmary and was surprised when Maya pulled away. "What are you doing?" The question came out harsher than intended. She did not reply and instead cracked the door open to class C3.

"It's empty," she stated numbly. Maya felt like a bucket of ice had dropped over her head. Ryuko isn't here. But I was so sure… Her thoughts trailed off dismally upon imagining what might have happened if Sanageyama had not intervened. She shivered a bit. The reality of her situation sunk in like a knife to the chest.

Blinking back a few tears, she allowed herself to be steered toward the infirmary and as the doors swung open, the pre-med club was sent scattering in terror. "I swear, I have to do everything myself," she heard Sanageyama mutter before she was plopped down on the nearest cot. He returned moments later with a bag of ice, a warm washcloth and a silver water basin.

"How bad is it?" She asked quietly, keeping her eyes downcast.

"Not horrible. She hit you pretty hard though." The edge to his voice was unmistakable. Reaching for the water basin, Maya peered down at her own reflection and winced. Her lip was cracked and blood caked the lower part of her jaw from a nosebleed. Her cheek was swollen and she felt certain a bruise would form. She jumped a bit when Sanageyama suddenly pressed the washcloth to her lips.

Maya had to remind herself to breath as he slowly traced her face, dipping down the slender curve of her jaw as he removed dried blood and remnants of debris. His fingers hesitated at the ring of bruises circling her neck.

"You can't go off on your own like that," Uzu stated lowly as his hand continued to hover over the injury. He was angry; lividly angry but not with Maya. It was Ryuko. She should have been there but instead was off fucking around somewhere with her stupid fight club.

"I know," Maya replied while biting her lower lip. "But I really expected Ryuko to be there. We always have lunch together-"

"You could have died."

She was silent for moment. When she spoke, it was barely a whisper: "Yes, I know."

Sanageyama considered her for a moment and took a deep breath, trying to keep his anger in check. He was getting better about it but at times it was still a challenge. Shingantsu teetered briefly but otherwise remained stable. "Why did you run away from me?"

"I didn't!" She exclaimed suddenly catching him by surprise. "I wanted to get away from our classmates. They kept giving me these weird sideways glances."

"Why were they staring at you?" Uzu questioned in confusion.

"They… well…" she trailed off hesitantly, not entirely sure how to explain their current predicament. Maya watched his head tilt as he waited for an explanation. Exhaling harshly, she blurted, "The entire school thinks we are sleeping together."

"So?" She could've smacked him. "Is there a problem with that?"

"You are the problem," she hissed, feeling her temper flare at his dismissiveness. "You and your reputation are the problem!" Sanageyama looked even more confused at her words.

How can he be this dense?! Maya chastised herself- she really should be used to it at this point. Inhaling, she stated flatly, "They think I am a toy you will use and then throw away. Like a cheap whore."

This caught his attention. She saw his shoulders bristle and he defended, "But you are not! And we did not- you know… do that…"

"Well, everyone else thinks we did. Which is probably Mako's fault now that I think about it. She blurted some stupid shit on the trolley this morning."

Sanageyama felt a jerk somewhere inside. How did that even come up? She talks about me -about having sex with me- with Mako and Ryuko?! He wanted conversation details but thought better of it. Instead, he focused his attention back on Maya who was looking more than a little upset. Grunting, he said, "They are all lies. So, why does it bother you?"

"Real or not, I don't want to be seen as just another notch on your belt." Uzu snorted at this which only served to further infuriate her. "I mean it, Sanageyama! I swear you can be such a-" Maya froze when his hands suddenly slipped something over her head.

"So, if I can prove to everyone else that you are different," his gruff voice paused as he brushed some strands of hair away, "then you will stop being upset about this?" She nodded her head mutely. Seconds later, the kendo captain leaned back, a smug smirk twisting across his handsome face as he commented, "Looks good on you."

Maya blinked several times, peering down at the chain-necklace now resting coolly against her flushed skin. It was one of Sanageyama's trademarks. In all the time she'd known him, never once did she see him without it. Bewildered, her fingers lightly trailed the smooth metal as she asked, "Why did you give this to me?"

"I've never given anything personal to a girl I was dating. Its proof for the rumor mill that you are different." Maya felt a pleasant thrill run up her spine at his words. "But don't go losing it. I expect that back after this whole thing blows over."

"It has sentimental value?" She questioned curiously.

A roguish grin spread across his features as he replied, "It's the first thing I ever stole." She wanted to smack him again but settled for a roll of her eyes.

It was then that the warning bell rang signifying an end to the lunch hour. His hands were rougher this time as Sanageyama quickly finished cleaning the blood from her face before rising to stand, gently tugging her arm to follow. She complied without complaint and allowed him to lead her through the double doors, moving into the shark pit again. However, this time the hallways were dead silent. There were no snide whispers or sneers. Instead, all eyes were glued to the chain dangling around her slender neck. Maya felt a slight blush tinge her cheeks and tried to catch up with Sanageyama, who had moved several paces in front of her.

When she did, a satisfied smirk curved across his lips. "Do you think it's working?" Honestly, he was so arrogant sometimes she could not stand it. Maya blew a stray hair away from her eyes indignantly before stomping ahead of him, ignoring his quiet snicker.

She stopped upon reaching classroom A1. Her fingers hesitated on the door handle, feeling suddenly nervous. She felt Sanageyama stop behind her; his body close enough that she could feel heat radiating off his skin. He placed one hand on top of her own and unceremoniously threw the door open.

The pair took a few steps inside before Uzu grew rigid. There, looking rather worse for wear and seated in the back row next to Gamagori, was Omiko Hakodate. Her goku uniform was in tatters and she stared at him with wide, terrified eyes.

Then, realization dawned on Sanageyama. The reason she attacked Maya today, specifically, had him scorching with white hot fury. It was so obvious. He couldn't believe it took him this long to figure it out. Hakodate was not interested in taking his position. She did it solely to hurt Maya. Out of jealousy. That fucking bitch… Regret poured into every crevice of his soul as scattered images of Omiko panting and tangled in his bedsheets flickered briefly across his mind's eye.

Again, Maya was hurt because of a choice he made.

The disciplinary chair must have sensed the sudden charge in his power level because Ira leaped from his desk and bellowed, "SIT DOWN, SANAGEYMAMA!"

Uzu barely heard him. It was unreal; the amount of raw anger coursing through his body. Shingantsu swirled like a harrowing vortex and his three-star uniform crackled dangerously, begging for the release of Blade Regalia. His rage was blinding, consuming him with an irrational need to make Hakodate understand. Maya was not some expendable toy; she was his.

A vibrating thrum filled his ears as Gamagori prepared to unleash Shackle Regalia. Eyes like hardened steel, the disciplinary chair took a threatening step forward and Hakodate darted behind him. Primal fear seeped from her cowering form, reminding Sanageyama of a cornered animal. Like prey.

He was seconds away from triggering Blade Regalia when a gentle presence stepped in front of him. Freezing on the spot, he caught the fragrant scent of strawberries before Maya flickered into view. She faced him fiercely with her back turned to Gamagori and Hakodate. The silver chain around her neck flashed in the afternoon sun as it streamed through open windows, drawing his attention to the ring of bruises encircling her neck.

"Sanageyama, stop." Her voice was calm but firm.

The classroom grew silent as a graveyard. Wide eyes watched in astonishment as Maya, the timid no-star, was holding her ground between two keyed up titans.

"She would have killed you," Uzu snarled viciously, gesturing to Hakodate with hackles raised. "You could have died! And for something so petty… Move, Maya!"

"No!" She roared back with just as much intensity. "You going on a rampage is not going to fix anything! All it will do is hurt people. I don't want that!"

"Then what do you want?!" Maya flinched at his tone- missing the way Gamagori tensed. "Everyone in this entire school wants you dead because of me! And the only way to make them understand is to completely obliterate anyone who tries!"

"Stop it, Sanageyama! Look at Hakodate! Her uniform is in tatters; if you attack her with full Blade Regalia you will kill her. She hurt me more than anyone else and I am telling you- Let. It. Go." Uzu shook with rage as Shingantsu swiveled to focus solely on Maya. The look in her eyes made his stomach suddenly clench. Fear. Even shrouded in layers of fierce determination, it was unmistakable. She is afraid of me.

No, that was all wrong. Shingantsu flickered for a moment as Sanageyama wrestled with his emotions, struggling to keep them in check as they threatened to spiral out of control. Dammit all, why did that look bother him so much?! Of course, she was scared. Everyone should be scared of him; he wore a three-star uniform for Christ's sake!

Everyone except Maya.

Never in a million years could he picture a scenario in which he intentionally hurt Maya. Sure, she was stubborn as hell and had a wicked temper but no one else had stepped up to help him. No one else even noticed his isolation and desperation for human contact. Despite being beaten, ridiculed and subjected to near constant torment Maya continued to tolerate his presence and hardly ever complained. He thought at first it was for the payout; elevation to two-star status would be tempting for any no-star. However, after spending nearly every waking moment with her for the past several weeks, it was clear that status was not a commodity she valued.

Gritting his teeth, Sanageyama muttered lowly, "Don't."

"What?" She asked, startled.

"Don't be scared," he explained, his explosive anger seeming to dissipate as he reminded, "I'm not a bad guy."

Maya felt her eyes widen in recognition. Those are the same words… The ones he said while we were- she shook her head forcefully. "You said I could trust you. Prove it. Put away your sword and we can find a better solution."

Sanageyama waited for what felt like an eternity before slowly powering down. Gamagori did likewise and soon the electrically charged air simmered back to normal. Maya let out a relieved sigh. However, when Sanageyama did not move, she swiveled her head to peer over her shoulder. Hakodate sat with her back against the wall; long blonde locks spilling haphazardly over each shoulder as tears streamed freely down her face.

She looked so utterly pathetic that Sanageyama felt his regret grow to overwhelming heights. Not regret for his present behaviors; regret for every moment wasted in her embrace. She was a snake. A venomous witch who in hindsight probably only slept with him to gain status. Normally, Sanageyama could care less what the reasons were for women to throw themselves at him so long as he was sexually satisfied. There were never strings. He never called them in the morning or bought them gifts, and he certainly never displayed affection at school. Until now.

Feeling his brain crack, Uzu did the one thing he knew would seal the deal. He swooped down and planted a firm kiss on Maya, witnessed by the entire elite student body of Honnouji Academy. While it wasn't quite as flashy as demolishing half the school, it still got his point across.

What he was not prepared for, however, was how nice her lips felt against his own. Warm and slightly parted, she let out this sound that made his entire body jolt. He originally planned for just a peck but god that wasn't going to be enough. A teetering Shingantsu and bellowing Gamagori were ultimately enough to pull him away.

"PDA IS AGAINST THE RULES, SANAGEYAMA! I SHOULD HAVE YOU EXPELLED!" Ignoring him, Uzu tugged Maya towards her seat while watching her expression carefully. Bangs covered her face and a dark stain was creeping across both cheeks. She refused to look at him.

Sanageyama considered it very likely that Maya was NOT pleased with his dramatic display. However, at the same time, he desperately prayed that she would allow him to drag her into the nearest broom closet and make out until they couldn't breathe. Doubtful but not impossible he supposed.