Yup... as some people may have noticed, I am absolutely and positively in love with SORATA ARISUGAWA!!! KYAAAAAAA!!!! *coughs to restore image* *realizes that I DON¡¯T have an image* sob sob... anyway... since I love sorata, this means I hate arashi... even though I think I¡¯d think theyr cute if I didn¡¯t love sorata so much... but since I do I killed off arashi! Buhwahwahwa~! *Ducks to avoid flying vegetables* well obviously its not the only reason, but that¡¯s one of the reasons y I would write a romance fanfic about sorata WITHOUT arashi...

Anything else? O yes... I don¡¯t own any character and place in the book except Ayanami Rei... (have I been going by Rei Ayanami or Ayanami Rei? Does it matter??)

Enjoy...

[[ chapter three : the protection ]]

¡°SORATA!!!!!!!!!!!!¡±

¡°WHAT?!?!?!?!?! IT¡¯S FIVE IN THE MORNING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!¡±

¡°PHONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!¡± Sorata distinctly heard Yuzuriha¡¯s voice slice coldly through the warm, sleepy air of his room. He yawned and then walked downstairs, cursing just loudly enough (so nobody would wake up) about what idiot calls a growing boy at five a.m. However, when he got to the kitchen, he kind of felt bad about that last part. Yuzuriha, who barely came up to his chest, had been up since 4 and was not appreciative of the ¡°growing boy¡± still growing.

A bit apologetic, Sorata grabbed the phone from the counter.

¡°What?¡± Sorata said irritably into the phone.

¡°Sorry to wake you up so early,¡± Seiichirou¡¯s voice spoke from the other end. Sorata realized that he couldn¡¯t curse off someone more than 10 years older than him and immediately sank into a deep fantasy about Japan without the classic ¡°be polite to your elders¡±.

¡°Sorata? I¡¯ve been thinking. About Rei.¡± Sorata snapped up immediately, pausing at the part of the fantasy where Seiichirou was tied to a long pole with logs strawn around the base and Sorata holding a flaming torch performing some kind of ritual Indian execution dance around the pole. Or was it a witch hunt dance?

¡°Rei¡¯s clearly been sent from Arashi. She¡¯s probably been sent TO you. And since she¡¯s a healer, she doesn¡¯t have anything to attack with if a Dragon of Earth decides to attack her...¡±

Sorata considered this. Ayanami had been sent to HIM? He couldn¡¯t even look this girl in the face. Why couldn¡¯t he look at her, anyway? It wasn¡¯t like she said something menacing to him. It wasn¡¯t even like she said ANYTHING at all...

¡°You should protect her,¡± Seiichirou said. ¡°You need to accompany her pretty much everywhere... Oh, I¡¯ve got to go. My deadline is in twenty minutes, and I haven¡¯t even started this article. Remember what I said, Sorata!¡±

Sorata stared at the phone in his hand. Follow around a girl that he couldn¡¯t even talk to??

¡°So what was with the war dance around the table?¡± Yuzuriha said anxiously, who had found a small book of psychiatrists¡¯ phone numbers and was dialing frantically.

¡°Good morning!¡± Kamui said as he walked down the stairs. He went into the kitchen to witness (yet another classic) Sorata-Yuzuriha breakfast cooking. Sorata had cooked well with Arashi, and Yuzuriha did all right with Kamui. However, Sorata and Yuzuriha were NOT a good combo. There were fried eggs plastered to the ceiling, and the centers were runny and dripping on Kamui¡¯s head. Inuki was trying to lick the ketchup off the walls, and bacon (and grease) splattered the floors. (note: I doubt this could ever happen, but I like to c manga characters being not perfect at SOMETHING)

¡°Sorata, maybe I should cook...?¡± Kamui took the spatula from him and got to work. Sorata looked around for something to do, and looked up just as a dark shadow descended the stairs. Ayanami Rei was coming down... in Arashi¡¯s school uniform.

¡°Yuzuriha?¡± Sorata called, trying to keep his voice even. ¡°Why is Ayanami wearing Arashi¡¯s uniform?¡±

¡°Good morning, Rei!!!¡± shouted Yuzuriha, who had heard her footsteps. (note: you¡¯d think she¡¯d glide down, but noooo... she WALKS! And she TALKS! –eventually-) ¡°Well, she needs to go to school, doesn¡¯t she?¡± Inuki barked, broke the web of ketchup forming on his snow-white fur, jumped and landed on Rei¡¯s head. Rei actually kind of giggled a tiny bit as she petted the small spirit dog.

¡°Good morning,¡± Sorata said. He figured he should TRY to talk to her, even if she was completely blank. To his great surprise, she replied, ¡°good morning.¡± She sat down at the table, still holding Inuki. Sorata sat down across her. He stared at her clothes. Arashi had worn them... Would she want someone else to wear them?

Sorata snapped out of it when the smell of burnt eggs reached his nose. He looked up to see Kamui and Yuzuriha carrying a plate of eggs that seemed to have been chipped off the ceiling. Sorata looked into the kitchen, and indeed, there was a long ladder fitted into the center of the room.

¡°Um... I have no appetite. Thanks,¡± Sorata rushed upstairs and grabbed his backpack. Did he have a test today? He considered this. WHO CARES?? He was about to run back down when he stopped in his tracks, looked at Ayanami, and went into the girls¡¯ room. He quickly spotted Arashi¡¯s backpack, threw a few notebooks and pens into it, then closed it. He went back down and handed Ayanami the backpack.

¡°Here you go,¡± Sorata said. ¡°Let¡¯s go now. I don¡¯t think you want to eat these...¡±
¡±HEY!!!¡± Yuzuriha yelled, seemingly offended. Kamui came out with her and saw Rei smiling slightly at Sorata and Yuzuriha arguing. He stared at her, looking reminiscent.

Rei, who had been looking at Kamui, suddenly swept toward him. She stopped in front of him and touched his left temple. Kamui stared at her.

¡°Do I remind you of Kotori Monou...?¡± She said, and everybody stared. Kamui blinked stuttered, ¡°How do you...¡±

She continued without answering. ¡°You¡¯ll see her again... Don¡¯t be sad. She¡¯s watching you from heaven... Destiny will bring you together after life. Have hope and be happy...¡±

Kamui looked at her and smiled slightly. ¡°Thanks, Rei...¡±

She smiled back and walked away. Sorata hurried after her, looking confused. Kamui just smiled after her, and Yuzuriha stared at Rei.

Sorata and Rei entered Clamp Academy. The recognization system at the gate let Sorata through, and after Sorata explained that she was a new student, let Rei come in too. They walked to the senior building, and here Sorata wondered what to do with Ayanami.

¡°What do you want to do, then?¡± Sorata asked her, and immediately regretted it. She stared at him just as blankly as the day before.

¡°Well, then... I guess you¡¯ll come to my class...¡± Sorata took her three floors up. They walked through the marble corridor and entered the bright wooden door. Sorata approached the young woman sitting at her desk.

¡°Teacher?¡± the teacher looked up. ¡°There¡¯s a new student... Her name is Ayanami Rei. She¡¯s... um... my cousin¡¯s sister¡¯s friend...¡±

¡°Oh, that¡¯s nice!¡± she said. She approached Ayanami. ¡°Hello! My name is Keiko Akamatsu. You can sit right there next to Sorata then...¡± she sat her down. Sorata sat down next to her. The classroom door opened, and three boys walked in, chattering. They stopped at the sight of Rei.

¡°Hey, Sorata,¡± said the tallest one. His name was Tori Kaneyama. ¡°Who¡¯s the girl?¡±

¡°...She¡¯s my cousin¡¯s... friend¡¯s... sister?¡± Sorata said. The teacher yelled from her desk, ¡°I thought she was your cousin¡¯s sister¡¯s friend!¡±

¡°Your girlfriend, then?¡± Tori said, smirking.

¡°No,¡± Sorata said flatly. ¡°she¡¯s just my cousin¡¯s...¡±

¡°Yeah, yeah,¡± Tori said. ¡°Listen, Sora, can you set me up with her then? She¡¯s one hell of a beauty.¡±

¡°Um...¡± Sorata had absolutely no intention of letting Tori go out with the girl he was supposed to ¡°protect¡±. Tori was his friend, but he could be trouble sometimes. ¡°No... Well, I don¡¯t...¡°

¡°Well, if she¡¯s not your girlfriend, why not?¡± Tori persisted. Sorata was spared answering by the teacher getting up and starting class. Sorata opened his book and pretended to be immersed in the lesson.

¡°Hey! Arisugawa! The teacher wants you!¡± a girl called to Sorata as he was about to leave the room. School was finally over for the day, and Sorata had been about to hurry home and get some sleep.

¡°All right!¡± Sorata walked out of the classroom, Rei behind him. ¡°Ayanami, can you wait out here?¡± She stared at him blankly (what else is new?) Sorata took that as a ¡°yes¡± and walked to the office.

It turned out that he had failed his last math test. Rolling his eyes at having to study math when he was fighting for the Earth, he walked out to see Tori talking to Rei in front of the classroom. He hurried toward them.

¡°Hey, Ayanami, you want to go to the dance with me?¡± Tori was saying, his face very close to hers and his hand next to her head on the wall. She stared at him blankly. (*sigh* when should I make her more interesting...) ¡°Come on... It¡¯ll be fun! And you¡¯ll make new friends... and you can come to my house after that...¡±

Sorata rushed toward Rei at this. He seized her wrist and pulled her out of Tori¡¯s reach. ¡°I told you not to hit on her!¡±

¡°What! I was just trying to make friends with her!¡± Tori said in an innocent voice. Sorata seized the front of Tori¡¯s shirt and pulled him upwards.

¡°Ahhh! What are you doing??!?!?!?!¡± Tori struggled to get off.

¡°If I ever catch you doing this again... I¡¯m going to kill you!¡± Sorata dropped him. Tori crumpled onto the floor. When Tori managed to get back up, Sorata punched him straight in the face. Tori was knocked to the floor. Sorata stood there seething at him, and when Tori didn¡¯t get up, he left him there.

¡°Let¡¯s go, Ayanami!¡± he stormed off, still gripping her wrist.

¡°Not your girlfriend, huh?¡± Sorata heard Tori saying as he walked out of the school.