Lessons Well Learned

By Violet Ice

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Everybody needs to trust me. This will turn into an Aoshi/Misao fic. I tend to get long-winded when I write…so there should be a lot of chapters…^^;;

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Aoshi sat staring out the window of his car, an almost dazed expression on his face.

He had nearly hit some one, and not just any one. He'd nearly just run down the thorn in his side.

It had happened so fast, he wasn't sure what exactly had happened. She had run out into the street, that ridiculously long braid whipping out behind her, not paying any attention to the world around her. This didn't really shock or surprise him; she always seemed to be in need of a good reality check, but it had unnerved him that he'd nearly killed her. He'd floored the brake just as she realized she was about to be annihilated, causing the car to die and smoke to spew from somewhere under the hood.

Now he was staring out the window, hands gripped around the steering wheel, knuckles white. I nearly killed her…I nearly killed her…I don't like her, but…I nearly killed her.

She had collapsed on the sidewalk once her mind started working again and she realized she hadn't just died. She was wet, she was miserable, her best friend hated her, she had nearly been killed by the person who aggravated her most…Can things get any worse?

He got out of the car.

They just got worse.

"Are you all right?" He looked down at her, looking like death himself wrapped in that trench coat, the same emotionless look on his face as always.

I feel like hell…Shit, I'm scared as hell. What do I do now? I've never had any one yell at me like that before. Never. Every one loves me. Every one loves…my money…"I'm fine." She said automatically.

"What the hell were you doing? Is there anything in that head of yours? Even Miru's three-year-old brother knows that you have to look before running right out into the road. I could have killed you!" Once he knew she was all right, it seemed only logical to berate her stupidity.

"Maybe it would have been better if you had!" She shot back, "You hate me so much, why didn't you just do it and be done with it? You could have easily made every one think it was an accident!"

"I never said I hate you." He replied evenly, "I just think you're hopeless." His expression softened the tiniest bit when he realized she was still badly shaken. "Are you sure you're okay? You look pretty shaken up. Come on, I'll walk you home. Or is that bad for your reputation? Should you not be seen with me the way you won't associate yourself with Meibi?"

"Hell if I care." She shrugged, "But why can't you drive me?"

"My car's not going anywhere after the stress I just put on it. See all that thick steam spilling out from under the hood? That's what happened when I braked so hard to avoid running you over." He said dully, "Now get up. I won't tell any one if you don't."

"Why are you doing this? I've done nothing but treat you like scum?"

"Oh? I hadn't noticed."

In spite of everything, she smiled. He had a sort of dry sense of humor about him and it made her want to laugh a lot. There was something about him, something that made her wonder what there was outside the wrought iron fence surrounding her house. Perhaps the grass was greener on the other side…

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"Go to sleep!"

"No!"

"Go…to…sleep." Meibi gritted her teeth, pointing menacingly at her little half-brother's bed. When he turned three, her father had bought him a "big-boy bed" and he was still leery of sleeping in it at times. Or else he was just being difficult because he knew that Meibi had little patience with him. He was clever for being only three.

"I dun wanna!"

"Too bad!" She roared, grabbing him by the arm and hoisting him into her arms. He was a nasty little kid when he wanted to be, but perfectly sweet for Dad and Shinju. It made her so angry to see him cute and loveable when she wasn't the one taking care of him.

"Noooo!" He howled. "Noooo…" The second protest dragged off into a long yawn.

"Look, you're tired. Just cut the dramatics and go to sleep already. I'll tell Mommy you weren't being good."

He pouted as she settled him on the bed, handing him the stuffed dog he liked to sleep with. Then she pulled down his blind, shut off the light and closed the door. She knew from experience that he'd fall asleep quickly. It was the same situation every day; he always put up a fight.

On her way to the kitchen, Meibi passed by the den, the room where she knew her sibling and his significant other would be held up for the next several hours until both their parents were home.

"Why didn't you cry? Why didn't you cry, Kamatari? Why the hell don't you ever fight back? You just stand there and let them hurt you…" Miru's voice, angry and confused, drifted out through the door, which was ajar a crack. He sounded worked up; as if he was extremely emotional, and she knew that sometimes things went on it that room that no one was supposed to know about.

Miru cried in there.

Meibi wasn't exactly the kind of person who was into blackmail. She was just acutely aware of her surroundings and made it her business to know everything that went on around her house, every little detail of everybody's lives. She knew the days her father had come home drunk and fought with Shinju, even though they thought she was asleep. She knew that Mitsu still wet the bed on occasion. She even knew that, contrary to every one's belief, Miru was highly emotional and a rather breakable person. He hid this well, but it's hard to hide something like that from the people you live with.

She knew everything about everybody except herself.

She rummaged through the fridge, searching for Chinese takeout leftovers from several nights ago, knowing they were there somewhere. She was forever brushing her bangs from her eyes so that she could see, forever pushing that pink hair out of her face. Sometimes she wanted to chop it all off because it drove her crazy, but then she had to remind herself the benefits of that shaggy mane. No one could ever tell what she was feeling. All they saw was that impassive smile while her eyes -which held every emotion- were hidden away under the bangs.

After a long search, she finally found the carton of fried rice. Pulling it triumphantly from the fridge, she zapped it in the microwave, hunting down a suitable drink while it heated, then took the snack back to her room in attempt to read the book for literature while she ate.

Passing by the den again, all was quite. She peeked through the door, only to wish she hadn't. Her step-brother was sprawled across Kamatari's lap and they both looked as if they were contemplating whether or not they wanted to start making out.

She wrinkled her nose. More than I needed to see…Then hurried on down the hall to her room.

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"What do you want to do after you graduate, Miru?"

Kamatari looked down at Miru, who was lying curled up on his lap. He was still toying with his friend's hair, the silky locks sliding through his fingers. He was comfortable like that, with Miru so close and warm, and wished he could stay that way forever. He knew when he went home, his father would ask him about the fresh bruises, then berate him for being the way that he was, saying if he were "normal" none of that would ever happen.

He hated going home.

"After I graduate?" Miru rolled over onto his back so that he was staring up at Kamatari, "I don't know. But it doesn't really matter. I can't go to college. There's no money for that. And I'm not smart enough anyway." He shrugged, "I'll get a job somewhere."

"I didn't ask what you're going to do. I asked what you want to do."

"What I want to do?" He reached up, pulling Kamatari down in a hug, "I want to be with you, of course."

"Of course." Kamatari smiled, his bangs brushing across his friend's forehead, "We'll always be together, no matter what any one says or thinks."

"You make it sound so simple…" Miru's fingers ran across Kamatari's cheek where the tears had long since dried, "It's really more complicated than that."

"As long as we want to be together, we'll be together." Came the firm reply. Kamatari didn't want to think about them ever being apart. What would he do without Miru? He frowned slightly, a little bit of panic starting to consume him. Miru wouldn't change his mind.

…Would he?

Miru studied his companion's face. Kamatari was very pretty, with those wide brown eyes, that pale, perfect skin, his dull hair framing his face. Even when he had still dressed as a boy, he had been pretty. Miru didn't think he could ever get tired of staring at that face and he couldn't remember a time when he hadn't been physically attracted to his friend. "Are you going to stay tonight?"

"Only if you want me to."

"I do."

"What will we be doing?"

"This."

"Oh? That's it?" Was it just Miru's imagination, or did Kamatari sound disappointed?

"Maybe a little more." A grin spread across his face as he sat up, his long hair tumbling around his face, "Whatever you want."

"What I want? Isn't it usually what you want?" Kamatari teased, his eyes sparkling as he tugged on a lock of his companion's hair.

"I'm feeling kind today. You had it rough…Lunch, then that…thing…after school." Miru snuggled up to Kamatari, clutching his arm, his head on his shoulder. He was feeling rather clingy after the scare he'd been given. What would he do if those damn homophobes decided to really hurt Kamatari? He would be lost on his own. Who would keep him in check? Who would keep him from getting so angry all the time?

Nothing scared him more than being without some one who understood him.

"I'm okay."

"No you're not." Miru said miserably, "You're not okay. I know you die a little bit every time some one does something like that to you. I hate watching people hurt you, but there's nothing I can do to make it stop. It's just not fair…"

Kamatari regarded the other boy for a moment. "Nobody ever said life was fair, Miru. We've all got our cross the bear. As long as you're with me, I can survive anything." He said softly. His forehead rested against Miru's and they stared at one another. A sudden urge to kiss the other boy washed over him; they had never done it before, he was usually too shy. "I-"

"Miru? Meibi? Mitsu? I'm home!"

Miru reluctantly drew away from his friend. "That would be my mom…" Dammit! He was about to kiss me…Oh well. Better luck next time.

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"Thank you for walking me home. I'll be fine now."

"Okay."

Misao had only permitted Aoshi to walk her as far as the front gate. They were standing outside the fence, she with her fingers twined around the gnarled iron, ready to swing the gate open and go in.

She, however, seemed reluctant to do so. "I'll see you next Wednesday?"

He blinked. "I suppose so, if you think it would be worth it. I don't see any reason to continue since you don't seem to care anyway. Just have your father slip them a couple hundred and you'll pass just fine." His voice was dry, unconcerned as he turned to leave.

She glared after him. Who did he think he was, telling her that? This was her future they were talking about and she didn't want to be one of those rich women who married rich and then just sat there looking pretty and having children. No reason to continue indeed. She'd show him who was worthless.

For the first time in her life, Misao actually wanted to learn.

She would prove him wrong. She would prove them all wrong.

She was going to ace that history final.