Disclaimer: No, Fushigi Yûgi isn't mine. It belongs to Shogakukan Comics, Pierrot Studios, TV Tokyo and Pioneer. No copyright infringement is intended.
kuroi hane- Thank you again! :) We all love our naughty bandit don't we? :P
KittyLynne- Thank you for the review! Mean's a lot to me! And if those questions about the plot would result in constructive criticism I would absolutely love to hear them. And I'd just like to state how much I love all of the stories I've seen you write.
MaryDFair- Thank you very much! :) I'm glad you like it!
ame- :D Thank you! And what would Miaka be without Yui to keep her stable, hm? Yui is soon to make an entrance as well as other warriors! ;)
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Miaka grinned playfully as she watched her blonde haired, cerulean eyed companion's cheeks fade from their normal ivory color to a faint shade of scarlet.
"Tetsuya and I are just friends!" Sticking her tongue out in a jaunty fashion, Yui felt confident that she had finally swayed Miaka's thoughts on her and Tetsuya's relationship.
"Alright, Yui-chan. You've convinced me!" Miaka giggled with skeptical amusement. It was clear as day to Miaka that her best friend had some feelings for Tetsuya floating about in that heart of hers. Feelings that weren't strictly platonic. Miaka continued to giggle as Yui looked down at the ground with a sheepish smirk. Yui knew she had finally been caught and there was no denying it any longer.
"Fine! You want the truth, Mi-chan?" Yui spoke up as her friends giggles finally began to subside. They reached their lockers and Yui pretended to study her shiny, ebony school shoes while she tried to find the appropriate words to approach the subject. After all, she didn't want to sound like she was writing a letter to a superstar she was obsessed with. A wave of teasing remarks from her best companion was not what she was looking for. Heaving a sigh, she tried to speak calmly, but the nervousness in her voice gave away how hard it was to talk about the subject. "I...really like Tetsuya..."
"I knew it!" Miaka's voice rung with triumph as she gave her friend a strong hug and an encouraging smirk. "I approve! I say go for it, Yui-chan!"
Cerulean eyes sparkled at her friends acceptance and she couldn't help but giggle along with Miaka and give her a confident hug back.
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Hotohori stood a few feet away at his own locker, marveling at Miaka's beauty from a far. New day. Same old thing. He listened as Miaka's chipper voice danced around him, encircling in a great feeling of warmth. Ah, he cherished that warmth that she graciously granted him. Oh, what he'd do to be in those slender, gentle arms of her's. Letting out a content sigh, he continued to watch the exquisite beauty behind the shelter of his locker door. 'A devine fruit I will never be able to taste.' He mused in the sweet serenity of his mind. Reluctantly averting his gaze from the beauty he teased himself with, he began to stock his backpack with the books he'd need for the day.
As he finished up at his locker, he caught the sight of beauty that approached him. He shut his locker door and watched through golden eyes with a small, content smile as she continued towards him.
"Good morning, Hotohori!" Miaka's eyes closed as her whole face seemed to smile along with her delicate lips. For a second he imagined himself encompassing those full, lush lips with his own, but quickly dismissed those thoughts with a soft chuckle.
"Well good morning, Miaka. How are you today? Doing well I hope." Oh, how much he hoped that she was doing well. He already knew her answer was yes, but he couldn't help but ask. Fear wasn't an emotion he revealed very often, but when it came to Miaka, he just wanted the best for her. Unless there was a good reason, tear's didn't have a right to adorn her long eyelashes or stain her beautiful face. And after yesterday's mishap, he just had to be sure that everything was alright in her world, otherwise his world would come crashing down as well.
Her response was a cheery one. "Of course I am! Thank you for asking." She beamed with confidence, feeling much better about what had happened the previous day. Eiken was gone and they had a sub until they found a replacement.
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An aggravated groan escaped Tasuki's lips from behind a battered schedule. He had to run back into his apartment to retrieve it from yesterday's pair of jeans after he had missed the bus. One quick review of the schedule revealed the number and combination of his locker. His eyes snuck out from behind the worn-out paper and watched as a turquoise haired man turned the meticulously turning the knob to his locker.
Tasuki cleared his throat loudly, clearly annoyed that someone was trying to break into his locker when he hadn't even filled it yet. He began to growl and his temper began to flare, but when the mans smiling face turned to great him, he quieted down quite a bit.
"You must be the fellow I'm sharing my locker with, no da." He carried an air of wisdom about him, clearly enlightened and educated beyond his years. "The name's Chichiri, no da." The front of his hair was spiked up like a mohawk and hung in a large arc over his face while the rest of his hair was secured tightly in a pony tail at the base of his head.
"Tasuki..." He said his name quietly, feeling subdued by the man's outgoing demeanor.
"Oh, you must be the one that got into the fight with Tamahome, no da!"
'New's spreads that quickly 'round here, eh?' A fang crept out from behind his lips as he grinned. Feeling a bit proud that he was already making a name for himself, his response was a cocky one. "That's me! The one 'n only!"
Chichiri saw through Tasuki's hot-headed exterior and smiled warmly. He instantly took a great liking to easily-angered teen. "What do you have first period?"
Tasuki glanced down at the paper in his hands. "Chemistry..." His tone was a gloomy one. Everything having anything to do with learning never was held as much importance in Tasuki's mind.
"Then we have first period together! And since Eiken-sensei was fired, we'll have a sub, no da."
Amber eyes glistened with mischief. "Sub, eh?" A devilish grin found its way onto Tasuki's lips as a single fang once again poked out from behind their protective barrier.
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Chichiri went ahead as Tasuki reached into his backpack, unexpectedly pulling out a small cellular phone. He grinned for a moment but it quickly left his face, leaving him with a hollowed feeling. A sigh escaped his lips, feeling empty. There was something he wanted to search for, something he desperately needed to find. But what was it? His hand encompassed the tiny object roughly as his teeth grinded against each other.
"What's wrong with me?" He mused out loud in the deserted hallway. All the students had gone to class and seeing as it was his first day here, why not make a dramatic entrance. But thoughts of how to arrive late had quickly left him in a state of desolation. He groaned as his teeth continued to grind together in frustration and shoved the cell phone back into his bag before hastily slinging it over one shoulder. Slamming his locker roughly, he let out a bit of his resentment towards the cell phone and the strange feelings it gave him. His forehead came in contact with the smooth surface of his locker's door. The cool surface seemed to relax him, but it couldn't take away the void within him.
'It's 'cause of that damn chick Miaka!' He closed his eyes as he began an argument within the confines of his mind.
'Oh come off it! This has nothing to do with her.' He voiced to himself reluctantly. Deep within himself, he knew damn well that it did, but he was to stubborn to realized that she had tickled one of his nerves in a blatantly pleasant way.
Remembering the feminine sent that had mingled with her faint perfume from yesterday, forced a smile to creep across his dismal features. His spirits lifted as the wall came down, letting himself be reminded of how sweet she seemed to be. 'I'll make her mine...' He vowed to himself in silence with a soft smile which slowly turned into a captivating grin.
Finally lifting his head from the locker, he headed for the bathroom.
Standing in front of a long mirror in the bathroom, Tasuki checked if his appearance looked alright. He pulled his two colorful necklaces out from within the confines of his white dress shirt. 'I don't care what that Grandma said. There's no way I'm gettin' rid of my jewelry.' Plastering a seductive grin on his face, he took in his features. Pulling his tiny pony tail of molten red hair from behind him and slinging it over his shoulder, he thought of how great he made the uniform look. He playfully flicked at one of his earrings that hung limply from his ears. From head to toe, he looked marvelous. His white tee-shirt clung to his strong torso underneath the loose black, button-up jacket which was rolled up at the sleeves. The soft black material of his pants hung loosely around his legs. 'I'm even doin' alright without my boots!' He mused as he thought about another one of his prized possessions. Glancing down at his watch, he realized that he was already 10 minutes late for first period. Groaning, he reluctantly left the school bathroom and headed off to class.
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The sub stood up from behind his desk, gathering a handful of papers in his hands.
"Today will just be a worksheet on getting to know you all better. Since I have accepted this position as a permanent one."
A universal groan echoed throughout the classroom at the teacher's declaration of his new job. The man's long silver hair rolled down his back gracefully. His face was pale and one of his cold, stern eyes was hidden by a black eye patch. Even with the obstruction, he still had an icy, penetrating stare.
That stare shot icy arrows from out of their depths to subdue the displeased groaning. "If you have such a problem with it, switch out of my class. Otherwise, I suggest you keep quiet."
The teenage class read the teacher's name off the board as they respectfully complied with his statement. "Yes, Hikitsu-sensei."
Just as Hikitsu was about to distribute the papers to his students, the door swung open causing everyone's attention to be averted toward the doorway.
His eyes were shadowed, but one of his trademark fangs that clamped over his bottom lip while he grinned gave away his identity. Tasuki casually strolled in, one hand shoved in his pocket, the other tossing Miaka's cell phone into the air. He had no control over what he did next. Not knowing why he was walking towards Miaka, he felt as if he was watching himself from outside his own body. Wandering over towards Miaka, his coy grin widened with bliss.
He gently placed the cell phone on her desk. His palms then flattened on her desk as he leaned over, face becoming level with hers. "I believe you dropped this yesterday when we first met..." The huskiness of his voice danced in her ears and mingled with a teasing tone as well. Miaka couldn't understand if he was trying to flirt or to taunt her. Either way, she hastily grabbed her cell phone and sat back in her chair to create distance between their faces. She felt her cheeks heat up a bit as she mumbled her thanks.
A firm interruption from Hikitsu rang throughout the now silent room. As he finished clearing his throat, his eye met Tasuki's two amber ones. "Shunu-dono, correct?" Hikitsu's eyebrows lurched upwards as he questioned the newcomer. "Have a seat behind Yuki-dono." Inside his temper was rocketing upwards at an alarming rate. 'This boy had the nerve to walk in 15 minutes late to my class and then have a private conversation with one of my students.' He thought as he menacingly watched the boy take his seat.
Tasuki grunted and took his seat behind Miaka. He wasn't quite sure if he should be happy about his seating placement or not. For one thing, he was closer to her warmth and unique, yet intoxicating smell of hers. Closer than he would have been if he was across the room at least. Yes, it was faint with the distance that was now put between them, but it was still there, no matter how faint. He was happy about being this close to her, but wasn't sure if it was a good thing either. Another thing that troubled him was the man who sat next to her. His rival.
Tamahome.
Groaning inwardly, Tasuki thought of how he'd have to witness the stolen glances and flirtatious smiles that would most likely be exchanged between the couple. It was enough to make him sick, although he didn't quite understand why. Letting himself think that it was all too mushy for him, he sighed heavily and tried to relax by leaning back in his chair. Throughout the whole class he unconsciously shifted his weight back and forth in an attempt to ease his stomach as it lurched around in his body.
A set of bronze eyes watched from beside Tasuki, wondering a bit why he hadn't cared to send a greeting his way. Chichiri gazed at him as he fidgeted about in his seat, sensing some emotions he was sure Tasuki didn't even know he harbored. As a small grin played on his lips, Chichiri thought of how much fun it would be to occasionally poke fun at Tasuki for having such feelings. He felt they would become close friends in the upcoming months seeing as how they shared a locker and hoped that Tasuki wouldn't mind his silly childish demeanor, along with his strong, philosophical one.
Another set of eyes, delicate gold ones, watched from across the room. Hotohori exhaled slowly as the class disappeared in a mess of colors and he and Miaka were the only ones left in the room. Imagining his hands weave themselves through her brunette locks as gently as the wind, Hotohori closed his eyes with a content sigh. Suddenly he was pulled from his reverie as gentle words were caught by his ears. Nuriko was whispering to him again. As a sullen sigh escaped his lips, Hotohori gave up on his fantasy and turned to Nuriko, wondering what it was he wanted this time.
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Miaka hated the way the vacant hallways of the school seemed to deepen their gloomy feeling after hours. The shadows appeared as if they were creeping up behind you, just waiting for you to blink so they could swallow you whole. It all gave her a feeling of loneliness.
She had stayed after school to wait for Tamahome who was staying late for extra help. Cruising the halls aimlessly as she waited for her beloved, she let her mind wander off into the secluded paradise of a sweet daydream.
Her daydream didn't turn out to be as pleasant as she'd hoped. She thought about how many times Tamahome had to cancel dates for 'job opportunities that he just couldn't pass up.' Yes, Tamahome had an unusual obsession with money, but shouldn't a date with her be an opportunity in itself? One that was just of equal importance?
Miaka thought about how her life was two years earlier when she had just entered high school. Meeting Tamahome had been like a dream come true and they quickly became friends. At first, she didn't mind the was he treated her like a younger sister, but when she realized her deep feelings for him, she just had to come forward and confess. And that was what she did. Tamahome avoided her for a while which crushed her heart, but when he finally confronted her, things were better than ever. They'd been going out since then and she thought life couldn't get any better. She was doing alright in school (with the help of her best friend Yui, of course) and she had an amazing boyfriend. But up until six months ago, she felt as if her and Tamahome were drifting apart. Tamahome started to treat her like a younger sibling again, even though they were still considered an item. They continued to share the occasional kiss and the exchange of loving smiles, but that was about it. The truth was, Miaka couldn't even remember the last time he had called her on the phone just to chat like he had used to. She missed those phone calls that kept them both up into the wee hours of the weekend mornings.
As much as she refused to believe it, feelings of loneliness were starting to take root inside her heart. What if change is what she needed? 'Don't think like that, Miaka!' She scolded herself fiercely 'You love Tamahome with all your heart!' Miaka decided that she'd ask Tamahome if they could go out together on Saturday. "Everything will be like it used to be." She murmured out loud before a husky whisper met her ears.
"What will, Miaka?" Turning around, her jade eyes met lavender ones right before strong lips encompassed themselves around her own. She closed her eyes as she melted into Tamahome's secure embrace as her previous thoughts seemed to liquify and drip away.
Tamahome pulled his face away from hers slowly. "What were you talking about, Miaka?"
"I was just thinking..." Her eyes opened to watch a sweet affectionate smile as it danced across his lips. That was the smile that made her fall in love with him all over again every time she saw it. It made her feel protected and warm and those were feelings that she didn't think anyone else could provide her with. "Maybe we could go out this weekend? Like on Saturday. We could go out to dinner to you're favorite restaurant."
Because of her words, his smile widened pleasantly. "Of course, Miaka."
Inside she was jumping up and down ecstatically, but her heart was a little weary. After all, she had been hurt and disappointed so many times before, what would make this time any different? She just had to believe.
Her face radiated all of her happiness as they walked hand-in-hand towards the exit.
"So what are you going to do about that Chemistry report." Tamahome inquired. "Hikitsu-sensei did pair you up with that new guy didn't he? Tasuki? Yeah, that was his name." Try as he might, Tamahome couldn't bring himself to talk about the man in a friendly tone.
"Well..I'm supposed to be going over to his house later to decide a topic." As they left, Miaka couldn't understand why her stomach was twisting into nervous knots. Tamahome couldn't understand why jealousy was beginning to well up inside of him.
'Miaka is as loyal as they come. She won't let that scum bag Tasuki do anything to violate her.' The arm he had slung around Miaka's waist tightened possessively around her.
To be continued....
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This chapter was a little longer than my other ones. Phew. It took a little while longer. I had really big problems with writers block. :sigh: But it's all done now. So review, review, review! I'll have another chapter posted soon!
kuroi hane- Thank you again! :) We all love our naughty bandit don't we? :P
KittyLynne- Thank you for the review! Mean's a lot to me! And if those questions about the plot would result in constructive criticism I would absolutely love to hear them. And I'd just like to state how much I love all of the stories I've seen you write.
MaryDFair- Thank you very much! :) I'm glad you like it!
ame- :D Thank you! And what would Miaka be without Yui to keep her stable, hm? Yui is soon to make an entrance as well as other warriors! ;)
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Miaka grinned playfully as she watched her blonde haired, cerulean eyed companion's cheeks fade from their normal ivory color to a faint shade of scarlet.
"Tetsuya and I are just friends!" Sticking her tongue out in a jaunty fashion, Yui felt confident that she had finally swayed Miaka's thoughts on her and Tetsuya's relationship.
"Alright, Yui-chan. You've convinced me!" Miaka giggled with skeptical amusement. It was clear as day to Miaka that her best friend had some feelings for Tetsuya floating about in that heart of hers. Feelings that weren't strictly platonic. Miaka continued to giggle as Yui looked down at the ground with a sheepish smirk. Yui knew she had finally been caught and there was no denying it any longer.
"Fine! You want the truth, Mi-chan?" Yui spoke up as her friends giggles finally began to subside. They reached their lockers and Yui pretended to study her shiny, ebony school shoes while she tried to find the appropriate words to approach the subject. After all, she didn't want to sound like she was writing a letter to a superstar she was obsessed with. A wave of teasing remarks from her best companion was not what she was looking for. Heaving a sigh, she tried to speak calmly, but the nervousness in her voice gave away how hard it was to talk about the subject. "I...really like Tetsuya..."
"I knew it!" Miaka's voice rung with triumph as she gave her friend a strong hug and an encouraging smirk. "I approve! I say go for it, Yui-chan!"
Cerulean eyes sparkled at her friends acceptance and she couldn't help but giggle along with Miaka and give her a confident hug back.
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Hotohori stood a few feet away at his own locker, marveling at Miaka's beauty from a far. New day. Same old thing. He listened as Miaka's chipper voice danced around him, encircling in a great feeling of warmth. Ah, he cherished that warmth that she graciously granted him. Oh, what he'd do to be in those slender, gentle arms of her's. Letting out a content sigh, he continued to watch the exquisite beauty behind the shelter of his locker door. 'A devine fruit I will never be able to taste.' He mused in the sweet serenity of his mind. Reluctantly averting his gaze from the beauty he teased himself with, he began to stock his backpack with the books he'd need for the day.
As he finished up at his locker, he caught the sight of beauty that approached him. He shut his locker door and watched through golden eyes with a small, content smile as she continued towards him.
"Good morning, Hotohori!" Miaka's eyes closed as her whole face seemed to smile along with her delicate lips. For a second he imagined himself encompassing those full, lush lips with his own, but quickly dismissed those thoughts with a soft chuckle.
"Well good morning, Miaka. How are you today? Doing well I hope." Oh, how much he hoped that she was doing well. He already knew her answer was yes, but he couldn't help but ask. Fear wasn't an emotion he revealed very often, but when it came to Miaka, he just wanted the best for her. Unless there was a good reason, tear's didn't have a right to adorn her long eyelashes or stain her beautiful face. And after yesterday's mishap, he just had to be sure that everything was alright in her world, otherwise his world would come crashing down as well.
Her response was a cheery one. "Of course I am! Thank you for asking." She beamed with confidence, feeling much better about what had happened the previous day. Eiken was gone and they had a sub until they found a replacement.
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An aggravated groan escaped Tasuki's lips from behind a battered schedule. He had to run back into his apartment to retrieve it from yesterday's pair of jeans after he had missed the bus. One quick review of the schedule revealed the number and combination of his locker. His eyes snuck out from behind the worn-out paper and watched as a turquoise haired man turned the meticulously turning the knob to his locker.
Tasuki cleared his throat loudly, clearly annoyed that someone was trying to break into his locker when he hadn't even filled it yet. He began to growl and his temper began to flare, but when the mans smiling face turned to great him, he quieted down quite a bit.
"You must be the fellow I'm sharing my locker with, no da." He carried an air of wisdom about him, clearly enlightened and educated beyond his years. "The name's Chichiri, no da." The front of his hair was spiked up like a mohawk and hung in a large arc over his face while the rest of his hair was secured tightly in a pony tail at the base of his head.
"Tasuki..." He said his name quietly, feeling subdued by the man's outgoing demeanor.
"Oh, you must be the one that got into the fight with Tamahome, no da!"
'New's spreads that quickly 'round here, eh?' A fang crept out from behind his lips as he grinned. Feeling a bit proud that he was already making a name for himself, his response was a cocky one. "That's me! The one 'n only!"
Chichiri saw through Tasuki's hot-headed exterior and smiled warmly. He instantly took a great liking to easily-angered teen. "What do you have first period?"
Tasuki glanced down at the paper in his hands. "Chemistry..." His tone was a gloomy one. Everything having anything to do with learning never was held as much importance in Tasuki's mind.
"Then we have first period together! And since Eiken-sensei was fired, we'll have a sub, no da."
Amber eyes glistened with mischief. "Sub, eh?" A devilish grin found its way onto Tasuki's lips as a single fang once again poked out from behind their protective barrier.
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Chichiri went ahead as Tasuki reached into his backpack, unexpectedly pulling out a small cellular phone. He grinned for a moment but it quickly left his face, leaving him with a hollowed feeling. A sigh escaped his lips, feeling empty. There was something he wanted to search for, something he desperately needed to find. But what was it? His hand encompassed the tiny object roughly as his teeth grinded against each other.
"What's wrong with me?" He mused out loud in the deserted hallway. All the students had gone to class and seeing as it was his first day here, why not make a dramatic entrance. But thoughts of how to arrive late had quickly left him in a state of desolation. He groaned as his teeth continued to grind together in frustration and shoved the cell phone back into his bag before hastily slinging it over one shoulder. Slamming his locker roughly, he let out a bit of his resentment towards the cell phone and the strange feelings it gave him. His forehead came in contact with the smooth surface of his locker's door. The cool surface seemed to relax him, but it couldn't take away the void within him.
'It's 'cause of that damn chick Miaka!' He closed his eyes as he began an argument within the confines of his mind.
'Oh come off it! This has nothing to do with her.' He voiced to himself reluctantly. Deep within himself, he knew damn well that it did, but he was to stubborn to realized that she had tickled one of his nerves in a blatantly pleasant way.
Remembering the feminine sent that had mingled with her faint perfume from yesterday, forced a smile to creep across his dismal features. His spirits lifted as the wall came down, letting himself be reminded of how sweet she seemed to be. 'I'll make her mine...' He vowed to himself in silence with a soft smile which slowly turned into a captivating grin.
Finally lifting his head from the locker, he headed for the bathroom.
Standing in front of a long mirror in the bathroom, Tasuki checked if his appearance looked alright. He pulled his two colorful necklaces out from within the confines of his white dress shirt. 'I don't care what that Grandma said. There's no way I'm gettin' rid of my jewelry.' Plastering a seductive grin on his face, he took in his features. Pulling his tiny pony tail of molten red hair from behind him and slinging it over his shoulder, he thought of how great he made the uniform look. He playfully flicked at one of his earrings that hung limply from his ears. From head to toe, he looked marvelous. His white tee-shirt clung to his strong torso underneath the loose black, button-up jacket which was rolled up at the sleeves. The soft black material of his pants hung loosely around his legs. 'I'm even doin' alright without my boots!' He mused as he thought about another one of his prized possessions. Glancing down at his watch, he realized that he was already 10 minutes late for first period. Groaning, he reluctantly left the school bathroom and headed off to class.
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The sub stood up from behind his desk, gathering a handful of papers in his hands.
"Today will just be a worksheet on getting to know you all better. Since I have accepted this position as a permanent one."
A universal groan echoed throughout the classroom at the teacher's declaration of his new job. The man's long silver hair rolled down his back gracefully. His face was pale and one of his cold, stern eyes was hidden by a black eye patch. Even with the obstruction, he still had an icy, penetrating stare.
That stare shot icy arrows from out of their depths to subdue the displeased groaning. "If you have such a problem with it, switch out of my class. Otherwise, I suggest you keep quiet."
The teenage class read the teacher's name off the board as they respectfully complied with his statement. "Yes, Hikitsu-sensei."
Just as Hikitsu was about to distribute the papers to his students, the door swung open causing everyone's attention to be averted toward the doorway.
His eyes were shadowed, but one of his trademark fangs that clamped over his bottom lip while he grinned gave away his identity. Tasuki casually strolled in, one hand shoved in his pocket, the other tossing Miaka's cell phone into the air. He had no control over what he did next. Not knowing why he was walking towards Miaka, he felt as if he was watching himself from outside his own body. Wandering over towards Miaka, his coy grin widened with bliss.
He gently placed the cell phone on her desk. His palms then flattened on her desk as he leaned over, face becoming level with hers. "I believe you dropped this yesterday when we first met..." The huskiness of his voice danced in her ears and mingled with a teasing tone as well. Miaka couldn't understand if he was trying to flirt or to taunt her. Either way, she hastily grabbed her cell phone and sat back in her chair to create distance between their faces. She felt her cheeks heat up a bit as she mumbled her thanks.
A firm interruption from Hikitsu rang throughout the now silent room. As he finished clearing his throat, his eye met Tasuki's two amber ones. "Shunu-dono, correct?" Hikitsu's eyebrows lurched upwards as he questioned the newcomer. "Have a seat behind Yuki-dono." Inside his temper was rocketing upwards at an alarming rate. 'This boy had the nerve to walk in 15 minutes late to my class and then have a private conversation with one of my students.' He thought as he menacingly watched the boy take his seat.
Tasuki grunted and took his seat behind Miaka. He wasn't quite sure if he should be happy about his seating placement or not. For one thing, he was closer to her warmth and unique, yet intoxicating smell of hers. Closer than he would have been if he was across the room at least. Yes, it was faint with the distance that was now put between them, but it was still there, no matter how faint. He was happy about being this close to her, but wasn't sure if it was a good thing either. Another thing that troubled him was the man who sat next to her. His rival.
Tamahome.
Groaning inwardly, Tasuki thought of how he'd have to witness the stolen glances and flirtatious smiles that would most likely be exchanged between the couple. It was enough to make him sick, although he didn't quite understand why. Letting himself think that it was all too mushy for him, he sighed heavily and tried to relax by leaning back in his chair. Throughout the whole class he unconsciously shifted his weight back and forth in an attempt to ease his stomach as it lurched around in his body.
A set of bronze eyes watched from beside Tasuki, wondering a bit why he hadn't cared to send a greeting his way. Chichiri gazed at him as he fidgeted about in his seat, sensing some emotions he was sure Tasuki didn't even know he harbored. As a small grin played on his lips, Chichiri thought of how much fun it would be to occasionally poke fun at Tasuki for having such feelings. He felt they would become close friends in the upcoming months seeing as how they shared a locker and hoped that Tasuki wouldn't mind his silly childish demeanor, along with his strong, philosophical one.
Another set of eyes, delicate gold ones, watched from across the room. Hotohori exhaled slowly as the class disappeared in a mess of colors and he and Miaka were the only ones left in the room. Imagining his hands weave themselves through her brunette locks as gently as the wind, Hotohori closed his eyes with a content sigh. Suddenly he was pulled from his reverie as gentle words were caught by his ears. Nuriko was whispering to him again. As a sullen sigh escaped his lips, Hotohori gave up on his fantasy and turned to Nuriko, wondering what it was he wanted this time.
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Miaka hated the way the vacant hallways of the school seemed to deepen their gloomy feeling after hours. The shadows appeared as if they were creeping up behind you, just waiting for you to blink so they could swallow you whole. It all gave her a feeling of loneliness.
She had stayed after school to wait for Tamahome who was staying late for extra help. Cruising the halls aimlessly as she waited for her beloved, she let her mind wander off into the secluded paradise of a sweet daydream.
Her daydream didn't turn out to be as pleasant as she'd hoped. She thought about how many times Tamahome had to cancel dates for 'job opportunities that he just couldn't pass up.' Yes, Tamahome had an unusual obsession with money, but shouldn't a date with her be an opportunity in itself? One that was just of equal importance?
Miaka thought about how her life was two years earlier when she had just entered high school. Meeting Tamahome had been like a dream come true and they quickly became friends. At first, she didn't mind the was he treated her like a younger sister, but when she realized her deep feelings for him, she just had to come forward and confess. And that was what she did. Tamahome avoided her for a while which crushed her heart, but when he finally confronted her, things were better than ever. They'd been going out since then and she thought life couldn't get any better. She was doing alright in school (with the help of her best friend Yui, of course) and she had an amazing boyfriend. But up until six months ago, she felt as if her and Tamahome were drifting apart. Tamahome started to treat her like a younger sibling again, even though they were still considered an item. They continued to share the occasional kiss and the exchange of loving smiles, but that was about it. The truth was, Miaka couldn't even remember the last time he had called her on the phone just to chat like he had used to. She missed those phone calls that kept them both up into the wee hours of the weekend mornings.
As much as she refused to believe it, feelings of loneliness were starting to take root inside her heart. What if change is what she needed? 'Don't think like that, Miaka!' She scolded herself fiercely 'You love Tamahome with all your heart!' Miaka decided that she'd ask Tamahome if they could go out together on Saturday. "Everything will be like it used to be." She murmured out loud before a husky whisper met her ears.
"What will, Miaka?" Turning around, her jade eyes met lavender ones right before strong lips encompassed themselves around her own. She closed her eyes as she melted into Tamahome's secure embrace as her previous thoughts seemed to liquify and drip away.
Tamahome pulled his face away from hers slowly. "What were you talking about, Miaka?"
"I was just thinking..." Her eyes opened to watch a sweet affectionate smile as it danced across his lips. That was the smile that made her fall in love with him all over again every time she saw it. It made her feel protected and warm and those were feelings that she didn't think anyone else could provide her with. "Maybe we could go out this weekend? Like on Saturday. We could go out to dinner to you're favorite restaurant."
Because of her words, his smile widened pleasantly. "Of course, Miaka."
Inside she was jumping up and down ecstatically, but her heart was a little weary. After all, she had been hurt and disappointed so many times before, what would make this time any different? She just had to believe.
Her face radiated all of her happiness as they walked hand-in-hand towards the exit.
"So what are you going to do about that Chemistry report." Tamahome inquired. "Hikitsu-sensei did pair you up with that new guy didn't he? Tasuki? Yeah, that was his name." Try as he might, Tamahome couldn't bring himself to talk about the man in a friendly tone.
"Well..I'm supposed to be going over to his house later to decide a topic." As they left, Miaka couldn't understand why her stomach was twisting into nervous knots. Tamahome couldn't understand why jealousy was beginning to well up inside of him.
'Miaka is as loyal as they come. She won't let that scum bag Tasuki do anything to violate her.' The arm he had slung around Miaka's waist tightened possessively around her.
To be continued....
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This chapter was a little longer than my other ones. Phew. It took a little while longer. I had really big problems with writers block. :sigh: But it's all done now. So review, review, review! I'll have another chapter posted soon!