Disclaimer: I'm not getting paid to do this noda, so I don't own this. (If
you would like to pay me it'd be much obliged! Otherwise just review!!!
Thanx na noda!!!! ^_^!)
Noda no Miko: I've decided the pairing na noda!!
Tasuki: 'Bout damn time!!!
Tomo: Who is it???
Noda no Miko: Find out silly!! *Winks*
Tomo: Well can we start the Chapter then?
Noda no Miko: Suuuure na noda!
Chichiri: Yay!!!
Noda no Miko: In a second!
Everyone else: AHHH! Miko-chan………
Kouji: I expected her to do that.
Noda no Miko: I wanna thank everyone first!! I have more than FIFTEEN reviews now!!! *Goes SD and bounced off the walls* It makes me soooooooo happy! I sing and dance every time I get a new review noda!!! Really!!!
Nuriko: Jus' goes to prove how crazy she is………it's that green tea and ginseng I tell ya………
Noda no Miko: I love every one who reviews noda!!! *Hugs computer* WO AIIIIIII NIIIIIIIIIII!!!!! ^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^!!!!!!
Tomo: *hits Miko-chan over the head with a spork*
Noda no Miko: By the way, this is Chiri-deary's Chapter na noda!!!!!!
Chichiri: Yay!! It's my turn noda!
//~*Ri*~//
"………So then when my Mom turned around she saw me covered in mud!" Heika finished. Everyone laughed. I laughed along with them. I was feeling much better since this morning. Aono is so nice to me………
No! Ri you can't think like this again!! Not after Hikou! Never! I felt my hands grip icy white at the edge of the table, my knuckles straining against the pale skin that cases them.
"Hey Ri, you all right?" Aono asked quietly. His soft amber colored eyes were focused on me. Me. No one else. Just me. Only me. "You kinda looked pale." I felt a hand on my knee suddenly. Aono's hand. His thumb was rubbing the inside of my knee.
Why do you have to be so nice?!? My insides screamed at him. I took a large swig of the Coke that had been supplied by Ryuuen.
"Never better noda!" I said grinning from ear to ear. The warmth of his hand left me. I pretended I wasn't sad to see it go. I bit into my pizza.
~I'm not falling for him noda!~ I said assuring myself in my mind. The silence that followed was mocking, ~Well I'm not! Hikou wouldn't want me to care for Aono! Would he?~ Then the silence spoke: ~Yes. He even said it himself. Don't you remember? 'I want you to be happy Ri. Even if that happiness is in someone else. Just………be………happy.' Those were his last word weren't they noda? You just aren't ready yet.~ Not ready? I was so ready!!!
………
………
………?
Why was I arguing with myself? It doesn't matter. Aono doesn't feel the same. End of discussion. (With myself………) I sighed quietly and finished off the slice of pizza. Aono smiled at me again. I felt my heart start melting.
"This pizza's really good, ne?" asked Ryuuen. He was trying his best to look innocent but failed miserably for he was smiling at me wryly. I rolled my eyes. It wasn't what he thought it was!!! "But uh……… I think Ri's is a little spicy." He continued mischievously.
"Eh?" Aono wondered. "What?"
"He's quite red………" Ryuuen deliberately turned his head to the side and sent me a wink.
"It's just fine noda!! Delicious!!" I took another bite to prove my point, trying to ignore the fact that my ears were burning. Ryuuen giggled into his hand like a madman. I sighed again and took a sip of my soda. Heika smiled a little. I was glad to see that he was loosening up. He seemed so formal when we first arrived. "Aren't Genrou an' Kouji supposed to be here by now noda??" I asked. I had just realized that we had been here for almost an hour. Aono frowned slightly.
"You're right. They're usually late, but never this late………"
"Why don't you go call them?" suggested Ryuuen. Aono nodded.
"Be right back." He smiled at me again. GODS WOULD HE STOP DOING THAT!!!??? My face was starting to burn.
"Oh dearest me………" Ryuuen put both hands on the sides of his face in an expression of mock-worry "Ri sure has been turning red a lot lately."
"Maybe he's sick." Suggested Heika jokingly. He nudged Ryuuen.
"Loooove sick!!!" sang Ryuuen like a little bird. A little bird whose beak I would enjoy crushing at the moment………
"People are staring noda!!!" I hissed. Ryuuen tittered again. The bubbles in that Sprite he's drinking must have gone to his head. I grumbled a bit under my breath. Heika just smiled that light, content smile of his and watched the whole situation quietly.
"If you tell I'm gonna-!" I began
"Ehee-hee!! I knew it! I'm never wrong!!" Ryuuen crowed.
"Wrong about what?" Aono's voice asked behind me. Eep………! Ryuuen and Heika both started to laugh. Aono looked confused and sat down again. Ryuuen's hands were once again, on the sides of his face.
"Oh ho ho! Nothing! Why nothing at all!" He declared as he picked up another slice of his pizza. Aono cocked an eyebrow at them. Heika chuckled knowingly and fussed over his hair a bit. Aono shrugged elaborately.
"Hey, as long as they're happy, right Ri?" he asked smiling. My breath hitched in my throat. Okay. It's all right Ri. Breath. That's all you have to do if you want to live. Just breathe and pray that he doesn't smile at you like that again. See? You're doing it! Breathe in. Breathe out. In. Out. Inoutinoutinout. Breathe slowly because you're starting to hyperventilate and now Aono is looking at you strangely and OH NO I THINK HE KNOWS THAT YOU LIKE HIM!!!!
"R-right noda!" I said in a jittery voice.
" I got no answer at home. They're probably still sobering up. I bet they'll be better by three if you guys wanna come over." I thought about it for a moment. I had a bit of studding to do, but it was nothing that I couldn't do later.
"Fine with me noda!"
"I suppose that I could come. I have a test I need to study for………" Heika said quietly.
"Really, Heika-sama, you need to loosen up more! We're both going!" Ryuuen said brightly.
"Aono," Heika began, "Would you mind singing one of the songs your band sings?" He asked. "I've never heard your band Reincarnation?" He looked questioningly at Aono about our name before continuing. "I've never heard them play before." The expression on his face was that of a curious child's.
"Here?" Aono asked. "Now?" Heika nodded lightly, some of the loose shiny hair he had spent those brief moments fussing over drifted into his eyes again. "Alright." (A/N: Another mini Disclaimer: I dun own Vertical Horizon who happens to sing this kick ass (sorry I took your favorite words, Butterfly Ishida! ^_^!) song noda………)
"//Oo-oo you make me lay down
Oo-oo you make me forget I am here.
Oo-oo you make me safe now.
Oo-oo you make the faces disappear……//"
He closed his eyes as he began to sing. He has the voice of an angel, really. Kind of haunting………
"//I'm all right by the way
Everyone saves the day
Sometimes I feel it//"
I couldn't help but watch his mouth move as he sang. I wonder what it would feel like to be kissed by a person who has their tongue pierced……… what do *I* care for anyway?
"//Send it up,
Ah-ah, send it up now
Send it up,
Send it up to me//"
Okay, maybe I'm the tiniest bit curious about what it would be like to be kissed by Aono. But that's all right?
"//Oo-oo I feel so close now,
Oo-oo you're taking me back from where I've been.
Oo-oo I'm not alone now.
Oo-oo you rest me up and rush me in//"
Yeah. That's right. What do they always say? Curiosity killed the cat? Yeah. That's right. Curiosity……… that's all it is.
"//I'm all right by the way.
Everyone saves the day.
Sometimes I feel it//"
No. No, that's all it's not. I wanted him to kiss me. But, I knew that Aono couldn't possibly feel the same way. He couldn't possibly. He never would. Never. I felt a strange foreign ache across my abdomen.
"//Send it up
Ah-ah send it up now,
Send it up
Send it up………//"
A few people around us applauded, Aono looked around at them, surprised. The song was over. Why was that ache still there? Heika laughed softly.
"Good job Aono!"
"Yes, sing another!" cheered Ryuuen.
It hurt………oh Lord it hurt. My lower lip started to tremble a little. The grains in the table I had been so intently watching began to merge together like watery ink on rice paper. I blinked hard, but the tears kept jumping up in my eyes, refusing to hide any longer. I was suddenly faced with a pair of concerned honey amber eyes. Aono had taken me by my chin and tilted my face up.
"You all right Ri?" he asked for the second, no third time today. I tore my chin from his hand.
"Fine. I'm just feeling a little ill noda." I said quietly. "I think I'd better go home." His hand was on my shoulder.
"You want me to drive you home then?" His voice was so quiet. I drew in a shaky breath, working up the nerve to speak.
"N-no. I'll be alright by myself na noda. I'll walk or take the bus or something." I replied. I choked on the saline that had clouded my eyes as I spoke.
"Ya sure?" Aono started as I stood abruptly. I had to get out of here. I couldn't breathe, I couldn't think, I just couldn't do anything. I nodded my head and gathered my things in a hurry.
"Bye Ri." He sounded so sad.
"It was nice meeting you." Heika said gently.
"Yeah, feel better Ri." I almost smiled. Ryuuen could see through the mask I had carefully put up. I almost smiled. But then I looked in Aono's eyes. Sadness? Why was he sad? I was the one with the shattered heart here! I'm the one who will never know what it's like to love you because you couldn't possibly like guys! I threw my satchel hurriedly over my shoulder and began to walk quickly out of Everybody's Pizza. My eyes felt so *thick*. I could hardly see past my tears. I bumped into someone.
"Scuse me." I muttered half-heartedly. My fingers gripped the satchel strap as I dragged the heel of my free hand across my eyes so I could see. I must have made quite the interesting little character, striding quickly over the pedestrian trodden earth with my arms crossed over my chest and my gaze downcast. Tears were streaking down my face now. Some people were giving my sympathetic gazes. I wanted to stop and scream at them: 'What do you know about me? Nothing! So you shouldn't look at me like that!' Others just ignored me. Or pretended to. A few dared to glance at me out of the corner of their eyes ~Poor little boy! What a terrible thing that must have happened to him to make him cry so!~ They were all thinking that. I knew they were. And there was still that ache……… why was it there?? What was its purpose?
"Hey Ri!" A voice to my left side called. I peered out of the corner of my eye. Aono had pulled his Hummer to the curb and was inching along side me slowly. "Listen, if you're sick I don't want you to be out here by yourself. Please………just let me take you home." I heaved a sigh and stopped. I stood there in the middle of the sidewalk with some of my loose hair plastered to my face from tears, deciding.
Noda no Miko: MWHAHAHAHA!!!! Cliffhanger noda!!! ^_^!!!! Hee, hee, hee!!!! Dun worry I'll have the next chapter out soon na noda! If I get at least FIVE more reviews noda!!! Heh heh heh!
Tomo: Honestly, I thought you were above bribing your readers!
Noda no Miko: I wouldn't call it a *bribe* now noda! More like a *motivational tactic* noda!
Chichiri: You made me a sap na noda!
Noda no Miko: If you think this chapter is sappy-happy wait till you read the next chapter noda!! ^_^!!! Well I have some reading to catch up on (Purple Mouse's 'Another Story' IT SUGOI!!!) So I'll have ta catch ya later noda!!! Ja ne!
Noda no Miko: I've decided the pairing na noda!!
Tasuki: 'Bout damn time!!!
Tomo: Who is it???
Noda no Miko: Find out silly!! *Winks*
Tomo: Well can we start the Chapter then?
Noda no Miko: Suuuure na noda!
Chichiri: Yay!!!
Noda no Miko: In a second!
Everyone else: AHHH! Miko-chan………
Kouji: I expected her to do that.
Noda no Miko: I wanna thank everyone first!! I have more than FIFTEEN reviews now!!! *Goes SD and bounced off the walls* It makes me soooooooo happy! I sing and dance every time I get a new review noda!!! Really!!!
Nuriko: Jus' goes to prove how crazy she is………it's that green tea and ginseng I tell ya………
Noda no Miko: I love every one who reviews noda!!! *Hugs computer* WO AIIIIIII NIIIIIIIIIII!!!!! ^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^!!!!!!
Tomo: *hits Miko-chan over the head with a spork*
Noda no Miko: By the way, this is Chiri-deary's Chapter na noda!!!!!!
Chichiri: Yay!! It's my turn noda!
//~*Ri*~//
"………So then when my Mom turned around she saw me covered in mud!" Heika finished. Everyone laughed. I laughed along with them. I was feeling much better since this morning. Aono is so nice to me………
No! Ri you can't think like this again!! Not after Hikou! Never! I felt my hands grip icy white at the edge of the table, my knuckles straining against the pale skin that cases them.
"Hey Ri, you all right?" Aono asked quietly. His soft amber colored eyes were focused on me. Me. No one else. Just me. Only me. "You kinda looked pale." I felt a hand on my knee suddenly. Aono's hand. His thumb was rubbing the inside of my knee.
Why do you have to be so nice?!? My insides screamed at him. I took a large swig of the Coke that had been supplied by Ryuuen.
"Never better noda!" I said grinning from ear to ear. The warmth of his hand left me. I pretended I wasn't sad to see it go. I bit into my pizza.
~I'm not falling for him noda!~ I said assuring myself in my mind. The silence that followed was mocking, ~Well I'm not! Hikou wouldn't want me to care for Aono! Would he?~ Then the silence spoke: ~Yes. He even said it himself. Don't you remember? 'I want you to be happy Ri. Even if that happiness is in someone else. Just………be………happy.' Those were his last word weren't they noda? You just aren't ready yet.~ Not ready? I was so ready!!!
………
………
………?
Why was I arguing with myself? It doesn't matter. Aono doesn't feel the same. End of discussion. (With myself………) I sighed quietly and finished off the slice of pizza. Aono smiled at me again. I felt my heart start melting.
"This pizza's really good, ne?" asked Ryuuen. He was trying his best to look innocent but failed miserably for he was smiling at me wryly. I rolled my eyes. It wasn't what he thought it was!!! "But uh……… I think Ri's is a little spicy." He continued mischievously.
"Eh?" Aono wondered. "What?"
"He's quite red………" Ryuuen deliberately turned his head to the side and sent me a wink.
"It's just fine noda!! Delicious!!" I took another bite to prove my point, trying to ignore the fact that my ears were burning. Ryuuen giggled into his hand like a madman. I sighed again and took a sip of my soda. Heika smiled a little. I was glad to see that he was loosening up. He seemed so formal when we first arrived. "Aren't Genrou an' Kouji supposed to be here by now noda??" I asked. I had just realized that we had been here for almost an hour. Aono frowned slightly.
"You're right. They're usually late, but never this late………"
"Why don't you go call them?" suggested Ryuuen. Aono nodded.
"Be right back." He smiled at me again. GODS WOULD HE STOP DOING THAT!!!??? My face was starting to burn.
"Oh dearest me………" Ryuuen put both hands on the sides of his face in an expression of mock-worry "Ri sure has been turning red a lot lately."
"Maybe he's sick." Suggested Heika jokingly. He nudged Ryuuen.
"Loooove sick!!!" sang Ryuuen like a little bird. A little bird whose beak I would enjoy crushing at the moment………
"People are staring noda!!!" I hissed. Ryuuen tittered again. The bubbles in that Sprite he's drinking must have gone to his head. I grumbled a bit under my breath. Heika just smiled that light, content smile of his and watched the whole situation quietly.
"If you tell I'm gonna-!" I began
"Ehee-hee!! I knew it! I'm never wrong!!" Ryuuen crowed.
"Wrong about what?" Aono's voice asked behind me. Eep………! Ryuuen and Heika both started to laugh. Aono looked confused and sat down again. Ryuuen's hands were once again, on the sides of his face.
"Oh ho ho! Nothing! Why nothing at all!" He declared as he picked up another slice of his pizza. Aono cocked an eyebrow at them. Heika chuckled knowingly and fussed over his hair a bit. Aono shrugged elaborately.
"Hey, as long as they're happy, right Ri?" he asked smiling. My breath hitched in my throat. Okay. It's all right Ri. Breath. That's all you have to do if you want to live. Just breathe and pray that he doesn't smile at you like that again. See? You're doing it! Breathe in. Breathe out. In. Out. Inoutinoutinout. Breathe slowly because you're starting to hyperventilate and now Aono is looking at you strangely and OH NO I THINK HE KNOWS THAT YOU LIKE HIM!!!!
"R-right noda!" I said in a jittery voice.
" I got no answer at home. They're probably still sobering up. I bet they'll be better by three if you guys wanna come over." I thought about it for a moment. I had a bit of studding to do, but it was nothing that I couldn't do later.
"Fine with me noda!"
"I suppose that I could come. I have a test I need to study for………" Heika said quietly.
"Really, Heika-sama, you need to loosen up more! We're both going!" Ryuuen said brightly.
"Aono," Heika began, "Would you mind singing one of the songs your band sings?" He asked. "I've never heard your band Reincarnation?" He looked questioningly at Aono about our name before continuing. "I've never heard them play before." The expression on his face was that of a curious child's.
"Here?" Aono asked. "Now?" Heika nodded lightly, some of the loose shiny hair he had spent those brief moments fussing over drifted into his eyes again. "Alright." (A/N: Another mini Disclaimer: I dun own Vertical Horizon who happens to sing this kick ass (sorry I took your favorite words, Butterfly Ishida! ^_^!) song noda………)
"//Oo-oo you make me lay down
Oo-oo you make me forget I am here.
Oo-oo you make me safe now.
Oo-oo you make the faces disappear……//"
He closed his eyes as he began to sing. He has the voice of an angel, really. Kind of haunting………
"//I'm all right by the way
Everyone saves the day
Sometimes I feel it//"
I couldn't help but watch his mouth move as he sang. I wonder what it would feel like to be kissed by a person who has their tongue pierced……… what do *I* care for anyway?
"//Send it up,
Ah-ah, send it up now
Send it up,
Send it up to me//"
Okay, maybe I'm the tiniest bit curious about what it would be like to be kissed by Aono. But that's all right?
"//Oo-oo I feel so close now,
Oo-oo you're taking me back from where I've been.
Oo-oo I'm not alone now.
Oo-oo you rest me up and rush me in//"
Yeah. That's right. What do they always say? Curiosity killed the cat? Yeah. That's right. Curiosity……… that's all it is.
"//I'm all right by the way.
Everyone saves the day.
Sometimes I feel it//"
No. No, that's all it's not. I wanted him to kiss me. But, I knew that Aono couldn't possibly feel the same way. He couldn't possibly. He never would. Never. I felt a strange foreign ache across my abdomen.
"//Send it up
Ah-ah send it up now,
Send it up
Send it up………//"
A few people around us applauded, Aono looked around at them, surprised. The song was over. Why was that ache still there? Heika laughed softly.
"Good job Aono!"
"Yes, sing another!" cheered Ryuuen.
It hurt………oh Lord it hurt. My lower lip started to tremble a little. The grains in the table I had been so intently watching began to merge together like watery ink on rice paper. I blinked hard, but the tears kept jumping up in my eyes, refusing to hide any longer. I was suddenly faced with a pair of concerned honey amber eyes. Aono had taken me by my chin and tilted my face up.
"You all right Ri?" he asked for the second, no third time today. I tore my chin from his hand.
"Fine. I'm just feeling a little ill noda." I said quietly. "I think I'd better go home." His hand was on my shoulder.
"You want me to drive you home then?" His voice was so quiet. I drew in a shaky breath, working up the nerve to speak.
"N-no. I'll be alright by myself na noda. I'll walk or take the bus or something." I replied. I choked on the saline that had clouded my eyes as I spoke.
"Ya sure?" Aono started as I stood abruptly. I had to get out of here. I couldn't breathe, I couldn't think, I just couldn't do anything. I nodded my head and gathered my things in a hurry.
"Bye Ri." He sounded so sad.
"It was nice meeting you." Heika said gently.
"Yeah, feel better Ri." I almost smiled. Ryuuen could see through the mask I had carefully put up. I almost smiled. But then I looked in Aono's eyes. Sadness? Why was he sad? I was the one with the shattered heart here! I'm the one who will never know what it's like to love you because you couldn't possibly like guys! I threw my satchel hurriedly over my shoulder and began to walk quickly out of Everybody's Pizza. My eyes felt so *thick*. I could hardly see past my tears. I bumped into someone.
"Scuse me." I muttered half-heartedly. My fingers gripped the satchel strap as I dragged the heel of my free hand across my eyes so I could see. I must have made quite the interesting little character, striding quickly over the pedestrian trodden earth with my arms crossed over my chest and my gaze downcast. Tears were streaking down my face now. Some people were giving my sympathetic gazes. I wanted to stop and scream at them: 'What do you know about me? Nothing! So you shouldn't look at me like that!' Others just ignored me. Or pretended to. A few dared to glance at me out of the corner of their eyes ~Poor little boy! What a terrible thing that must have happened to him to make him cry so!~ They were all thinking that. I knew they were. And there was still that ache……… why was it there?? What was its purpose?
"Hey Ri!" A voice to my left side called. I peered out of the corner of my eye. Aono had pulled his Hummer to the curb and was inching along side me slowly. "Listen, if you're sick I don't want you to be out here by yourself. Please………just let me take you home." I heaved a sigh and stopped. I stood there in the middle of the sidewalk with some of my loose hair plastered to my face from tears, deciding.
Noda no Miko: MWHAHAHAHA!!!! Cliffhanger noda!!! ^_^!!!! Hee, hee, hee!!!! Dun worry I'll have the next chapter out soon na noda! If I get at least FIVE more reviews noda!!! Heh heh heh!
Tomo: Honestly, I thought you were above bribing your readers!
Noda no Miko: I wouldn't call it a *bribe* now noda! More like a *motivational tactic* noda!
Chichiri: You made me a sap na noda!
Noda no Miko: If you think this chapter is sappy-happy wait till you read the next chapter noda!! ^_^!!! Well I have some reading to catch up on (Purple Mouse's 'Another Story' IT SUGOI!!!) So I'll have ta catch ya later noda!!! Ja ne!