Disclaimer: I am broke. [shows dusty, empty, sad wallet] Believe me, if I owned CCS, I would have a very happy and lively wallet. Please read on.
Note: Japanese Words are italicized and there is a glossary at the end of the chapter. Thoughts are italicized. Emphasis is marked by CAPITAL LETTERS or italicization. Yes. I liked both. I could not choose between capital letters or italic...
Home Economics
Chapter 2: Banana
As Eriol turned to face Katsuga-sensei with a smile that revealed nothing; Syaoran also pulled and turned away at the same time – but less gracefully. Syaoran had forgotten about the piece of pineapple in his mouth and almost choked on it...
'...shit!' Syaoran panicked for a moment, but managed to force the piece of fruit down his throat with a struggle. He gasped in a breath of air, his face tinted a slight red from post-panic. And if things couldn't have gotten worse, he pulled back too much – till he fell off his stool. Syaoran tried to catch himself, but his hand flung out and tipped over the bowl of fruit, instead – causing it to fall with him.
Oh, and then he fell onto the floor with a finishing, rather painful thud.
The entire class stopped what they were doing when they heard the sharp sound of shattering glass. Also, when Syaoran hit the ground –
"UWAA~!!" – the 'trio of fan girls' all let out a simultaneous shriek of horror. And if detail is wanted – yes, birds did fly from the trees, windows did shatter, etc, etc, etc.
Syaoran felt a sharp pain run up his hand and around his wrist, but he totally ignored it as he felt the blood rush to his face in embarrassment...he could sense that all attention had turned to him. And obviously, he never liked being the center of attention – especially under the circumstances.
"Uwaa! Li-san!" Katsuga-sensei let out a cry, peering over the countertop and down at Syaoran.
"I'm all right – " Syaoran said quickly, thinking that Katsuga-sensei was worried about him...but, well...
"What a beautiful fruit salad! And such sweet-smelling lemon-and-lime juice! I can smell it from here! Excellent job! I'll give you two boys an A-plus!" Katsuga-sensei clapped her hands together in delight; she seemed oblivious to the fact that one of her students nearly choked on a piece of pineapple, and even more oblivious to the fact that he was on the floor surrounded by broken glass and pieces of fruit.
"... ..." Syaoran's mouth slightly hung open in disbelief as he stared up at his insane teacher.
Hearing Eriol slide off his stool, Syaoran shifted his gaze away from the insane teacher and at the navy-haired mage. Standing before the fallen brown-haired wolf, Eriol held out his hand to Syaoran; the smile on his gentle, porcelain face never wavered. Syaoran stared up at the offering hand with a blank expression. Apparently, Eriol didn't seem to even notice the silent stares or the shrieking trio of horrified girls or the babbling Katsuga-sensei.
That was pretty damn impressive in Syaoran's opinion – of course, he'd never admit that.
"You're hurt, Li-kun." Eriol said quietly, his voice only seemed to reach Syaoran's ears. His smile was comforting compared to the countless eyes – and even more comforting compared to those damn screams and shrieks of panic from the rabid fan girls.
Syaoran narrowed his eyes, his lips twisted into a frown. He decided to ignore Eriol's helping hand. He was about to stand up himself, but...he slipped again. The floor was sticky and wet from the fallen fruit salad. He felt a sharp jolt of pain in his wrist again.
'...k'so...!' Syaoran cursed as he felt himself grow hot with embarrassment again. He quickly stood up (without slipping this time), clenching his teeth and staring down at the ground with a sullen look.
"Do you need to go to the clinic, Li-san?" Katsuga-sensei asked happily. "After all, you're bleeding!"
"...I am?" Syaoran glanced at his hand, seeing his palm smeared crimson.
"Just kidding! It's only what's left of an unlucky strawberry!" Katsuga-sensei laughed loudly – and to no one's surprise, she was the only one laughing. "Ah, but what the heck! Take a break from class, and go to the clinic, Li-san!" she walked around the table and began to push him toward the door.
"...take a – what?" Syaoran looked at Katsuga-sensei with disbelief before she disappeared behind him and started to push him forward with her hands on his back.
"Go on, go on!" Katsuga-sensei said happily as she pushed him toward the open door. "No need to fight the temptation!"
"But – !" Syaoran began, feeling somewhat annoyed and helpless.
"Oh, you're right!" Katsuga-sensei stopped pushing him, as if she suddenly changed her mind.
'...thank you...' Syaoran thought with relief. He was about to return to his seat –
"Yes, yes, you're right, Li-kun! I should send someone with you to the clinic! I can't forget about the BUDDY SYSTEM!" Katsuga-sensei exclaimed brightly.
"Wh – what?" Syaoran's face faltered, all relief draining from him.
"Hiiragizawa-san, please go with your partner to the clinic!" Katsuga-sensei said, her eyes closed in happy crescents as she walked back to the front of the room.
"What – ?! Partner – ?! Him – ?! No – ! WAIT – !!" Syaoran sputtered, not able to his put words together in a coherent sentence. Syaoran even desperately reached out his hand toward Katsuga-sensei to stop her, but when his hand almost touched her shoulder...
"Saa, let's go, Li-kun." Eriol said calmly as he grabbed Syaoran's outstretched hand by the wrist. His grip was very gentle, but Syaoran glared at him with a deadly eyes. Of course, Eriol simply smiled that 'counterattack-smile' of his.
"Or perhaps you would prefer if...one of them...go with you?" Eriol asked innocently and politely as his gray eyes shifted toward three certain girls.
Atsuki, Mayuki, and Sasuki were all waving at Syaoran with tear-stained tissues, but they fluttered their eyelashes shamelessly – which was none other than a flirtatious gesture, unfortunately. Syaoran half-hoped that an eyelash was caught in each of their eyes.
"... ..." Syaoran mentally cursed. He turned away stiffly and walked out the door. "...hurry up, damn you. If you're even THINKING about holding my hand, I will make certain that you..." Syaoran looked over his shoulder, giving Eriol a threatening glare.
"...you will make certain I am tossed out the closest window. Right." Eriol finished as Syaoran looked away. Eriol smiled, but...there was a certain gleam in Eriol's gray eyes that would have made Syaoran suspicious – if he saw it.
Sliding open the door, Syaoran peered into the empty clinic. Everything was so white, clearly showing how everything was so clean. Eriol walked past Syaoran, his shoulder slightly brushing against his. Syaoran then walked toward the wide window, deciding not to just sit and wait. '...AND not look at or talk to that damned Hiiragizawa!'
Eriol, on the other hand, decided to sit on the cushioned seats patiently. He followed Syaoran with his eyes. '...funny little wolf. Does he think I'm going to bite if he stands too close to me?' his smile slightly grew. '...so very funny, indeed.'
Syaoran leaned forward and rested his forehead against the cool windowpane. He tenderly massaged his sprained wrist with his other hand, slightly wincing. His eyes followed a trail of cherry-blossoms petals that danced on the wind.
"Li-kun?"
"What the hell are you still doing here, Hiiragizawa? You can go back to class, you know. I think I can manage without the 'buddy system'." Syaoran growled sarcastically as he turned around, looking at Eriol with sharp amber-brown eyes.
"Do you mind if I see your wrist?" Eriol asked, his voice light with suppressed laughter. He was clearly amused with Syaoran...for some odd, unknown reason.
Syaoran frowned, slightly confused and very angry. Hiiragizawa Eriol NEVER seemed to get offended! In fact, Eriol always seemed very polite and unnaturally always calm. It was absolutely amazing – in an annoying way.
"Do you?" Eriol asked again.
"Yes, I mind!" Syaoran snapped, glaring somewhat suspiciously. "I don't want your useless help!"
"But I really would like to help you though..." Eriol remarked patiently, a smile on his face. The way his eyes caught the pure sunlight was simply amazing – like gray diamonds, clear and flawlessly faceted.
Syaoran hesitated, almost submitting to Eriol's offer...but turned away sharply, facing the closed window again. "Look, my wrist is fine. Just get outta here, Hiiragizawa, you're wasting your time." Syaoran's gaze fell upon a swirl of cherry-blossom petals that whirled past the window.
Eriol got up from his seat and walked forward till he stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Syaoran. "Please reconsider, Li-kun. I would like to help you...with more things than just your injured wrist."
Syaoran's eyes slightly widened, but his surprise quickly melted into anger. He snapped his head toward Eriol, looking at him with narrowed, dark eyes. "...are you trying to pry into my business, Hiiragizawa?"
Eriol simply smiled, he continued to calmly look out the window. Suddenly Eriol reached his hand out through the window, right through the glass as if it were a sheet of water...and caught a scatter of cherry-blossom petals in his hand. He pulled his hand back into the room, fully aware that Syaoran was watching his every movement with suspicion.
Syaoran let out an unimpressed snort, clearly...well, clearly unimpressed. However, Eriol still smiled as if Syaoran had complimented him for such an amazing trick.
"Li-kun...I am not prying into anyone's business. As always, I simply observe from a distance," Eriol smiled, this time a sad, little smile, "which makes me very...upset, sometimes."
"What the hell do you mean?" Syaoran narrowed his eyes, but...he was quite curious at how Eriol could have such a sad smile.
"...it means I simply watch, and I do not act." His gray eyes almost seemed to sink into Syaoran's amber-brown ones...but Syaoran's fierce emotions of anger and suspicion kept Eriol at a mental distance. A notably LONG mental distance.
"Good! You should just mind your own business!" Syaoran snapped harshly.
"Perhaps, you are right..." Eriol's sad smile suddenly disappeared, and it was replaced with his usual unreadable mask. "But I am rather tired and bored of seeing you so miserable, Li-kun."
"I'm NOT miserable – !!"
"The Cherry-Blossom trees were particularly beautiful this past month," Eriol interrupted wistfully, glancing out the window, "it's a shame when you see their petals fall like this..."
"... ..."
Syaoran's words got caught in his throat, suddenly rendering him speechless. His emotions of anger and suspicion quickly were over-swept with guilt and hurt. Syaoran was completely aware of Eriol's 'hidden meaning' underneath those wistful words; he knew that Eriol purposely touched a...personal and sensitive subject. Syaoran swallowed hard, mentally pushing back the vulnerable emotions with much effort.
Eriol faced Syaoran again, his gray eyes seemed more penetrating this time. Eriol seemed to study Syaoran's face, which no longer was able to hold the mask of anger. "Though...the fallen cherry-blossom petals are very beautiful, too, don't you agree?" Eriol reached up his hand, his fingertips slowly inching toward Syaoran's cheek...
Syaoran's breath stopped to a quiet, ragged halt. His mind went blank. His muscles became tight with impulsive suspicion...but also with...anticipation, as well? He could only watch, waiting for Eriol to do whatever he was planning. Syaoran was nothing more than...helpless.
Just when Syaoran felt the slightest warm tickle of Eriol's light fingertips against his cheek, the mage's hand suddenly brushed away and did a quick flourish; a puff of cherry-blossoms emerged like magic from his outstretched hand, falling before Syaoran's face like sparkling, pink confetti. This seemed to break the spell and Syaoran's mask of anger quickly took place.
"What the hell was that supposed to be, Hiiragizawa?" Syaoran growled, wiping off the pink petals from his shoulders. "Since when did you practice such cheap parlor tricks?"
Eriol smiled, but then he took Syaoran's wrist and pressed something onto Syaoran's palm. Syaoran let out a soft grunt of pain, but quickly silenced himself. He grit his teeth as Eriol applied slight pressure to his injured wrist. Syaoran reflexively curled his fingers around the object placed in his hand, hoping that Eriol would let go. Eriol's smile slightly widened when Syaoran accepted the object. Well, Syaoran was literally forced to accept it, anyway – but that was beside the point.
"My offer to help still stands, Li-kun." Eriol gave a slight bow after letting his fingers loosen from Syaoran's trembling, sprained wrist. "So, perhaps next time...we will be able to chat more."
Syaoran couldn't take his eyes off the mage, even with his wrist aching in sharp pain. His brown eyes were hard and cold, yet confusion seemed to soften his features.
Eriol turned away, walking toward the exit of the clinic.
"I don't want your help!" Syaoran growled. "I don't need it!"
Eriol stopped at the doorway, softly laughing. "Yes, I think we will talk sooner than later, Li-kun." And with that, he left.
'Stupid idiot! ...think he's so damn mysterious and...and...' Syaoran thought, though he sincerely was confused. '...grr...kisama!'
Syaoran looked down at his hand that hung limply by his side, wondering what Eriol gave him. Syaoran regarded the object and his eyebrow arched immediately. He raised his hand up before him, looking at the 'object' more closely.
"...a...a banana?" He stared at the bright, yellow banana incredulously. "...what the hell...?" Syaoran was beginning to think that Eriol's 'cheap parlor tricks' got even cheaper.
Suddenly the door slid open. Syaoran raised his head, seeing it was the clinic nurse.
"Konnichiwa! So, what's the matter, child?" the elderly clinic nurse, Nagai-san, asked Syaoran as she placed a pile of white towels on her desk.
"My wrist...its just a little sprained." Syaoran replied absently, still looking at the banana with thoughtful curiosity.
"Sprained wrist, eh? Well, I'll give you a pack of ice...but it seems someone is already taking care of you!" Nagai-san laughed good-naturally.
"...what do you mean?" Syaoran asked slowly, afraid that she saw and heard what happened between him and Eriol.
"A friend of yours gave you that banana, I believe?" she asked. She clearly wasn't aware of Eriol's and Syaoran's little chat – for which Syaoran was grateful. Very grateful. He had more than enough embarrassment for the day...
"Friend? Er...yeah, I guess...maybe." Syaoran mumbled, slightly frowning, yet a pinkish hue crossed his face.
"Well, it's a very thoughtful gift." Nagai-san glanced at the banana, then looked at him with sincere smile.
"...what makes you think that?"
"Oh, you really are adorable! Clueless, but certainly adorable!" she chuckled fondly. "Well, bananas are very high in potassium – so they naturally helps injured bones mend and recover faster...but I'm already boring you with all this nutrition talk, aren't I?"
"...no...no, you aren't." Syaoran's eyes slowly lowered back down to the banana again, regarding it with a more meaningful look.
Nagai-san laughed again, handing Syaoran a pack of ice. "Here, this will help the swelling go down, but you eat that banana...just for some extra help...on the inside." Nagai-san smiled meaningfully, her gentle eyes twinkling.
Raising his eyes and mental defenses, Syaoran regarded the nurse with slight caution. He was beginning to think that Nagai-san really did see what happened between Eriol and himself...
"After all, you have to keep healthy on the inside to be happy on the outside! ...oh, wait, or is it the other way around..? Oh, well, you know what I mean." Nagai-san looked away, returning to her work.
'...help...help on the inside, huh...?' Syaoran looked at the banana again, his cold amber-brown eyes seemed to soften. '...Hiiragizawa, you...you damn bastard...'
-t-b-c-
-Black Poe's Ramble-
I hope that wasn't too monotonous...I don't want Eriol or Syaoran to get particularly frisky – not yet, anyway.
I hope you all understood Eriol's quiet way of helping Syaoran with that whole banana thing (no hentai thoughts). I really want the plot to have more 'body' to it, so you'll see that Syaoran will have a few problems – okay, okay, many problems. [smiles, and receive glare from Syaoran in the background]
Ahem...so you'll see more body to the plot in the future chapters, hopefully – but don't worry, I will add in as much fluffiness/kinkiness between Eriol and Syaoran as possible. [receives angry blush from Syaoran and calm-happy-wave from Eriol]
To all, thank you very much for reading the first and second chapters. And yes, Sakura and Tomoyo will be showing up in this fic, ruriruri-san.
Please leave your thoughts and/or curses behind, all is enjoyed and appreciated.
-Glossary-
Uwaa – oh, my!; oh, dear!; oh, no!; *gasp*Konnichwa – hello; good morning
Kisama – bastard; damn you; etc
K'so – short for 'kuso', meaning 'damn'