One Plus One
by Lethe Seraph
Chapter Four: In which our protagonist interrogates his tutor and finds out many interesting things
---
Sorry it's been so long! TT__TT
Aw, jeez, whatever happened to I'm-gonna-train-you-to-be-evil-like-me Eclipse?! He's like an Honor Student Goth or something. Auuuuuuh!? I blame it on the different environment. But he still should keep his Evilness, darnit. I'm going to have to work it in somehow. He is so out of character right now. But I shouldn't make him a Perverted Evil Honor Student Goth. Just… yeah… I'll shut up now.
Doesn't Raenef just cry out 'dominate me!' to you?
XD I am sooo fluffheaded. Eclipse really did say Thursday. So I'm the one cracking up. :P I'm going to go back and change it now, so there aren't as many plot holes…
Mwaha. Mwahaha.
Cookies to those who figured out it was the Fruits Basket theme, and to those who reviewed in general. ^_^;; I should probably reply to reviews, but uwaa~! that would require more writing/time/energy. And… I'm late enough getting this out as it is. So, thank you all! And I shall give you little magnetic-handed Raenef and Eclipse plushies! Look! They grope each other!
---
"Eclipse?" said Raenef curiously. Several weeks had passed, and the two had become more comfortable with each other. They were more like friends now than tutor and student, though Eclipse still retained most of his calm stoicism. Raenef figured it was how Eclipse was with everyone. Raenef, for his part, had improved dramatically in school. He could almost pay attention for the entire class now that he knew what was going on. He always looked forward to Eclipse's visits.
"Yes?" replied the dark-haired man. He looked up from Raenef's worksheet. The garnet eyes still startled Raenef – they were so sharp and full of knowledge, one would guess by the eyes that Eclipse was much older than he actually was. Was he still in his teens? Raenef couldn't remember. He had asked once, and then promptly forgotten. But he knew other things now, like Eclipse's favorite color was black, and he liked the sugar cookies the best, and he smiled whenever Raenef completed a particularly difficult problem which always made Raenef feel really warm and bubbly inside – but Eclipse had answered him, so he had to remember what he wanted to say.
"Do you live nearby?"
Eclipse was caught off-guard, and Raenef grinned at the slight change in his expression. "Relatively."
"It doesn't take too long to get here, right?"
"Not at all," Eclipse said. "Why?"
"Curious," said Raenef brightly. "What's your house like?"
"An apartment. It's like yours, except larger."
"Do you live with your parents?"
Eclipse was blunt. "No."
"Why not? Are you in college?"
"Yes. They don't live near here."
"Do you miss them?"
"Are you trying to avoid working, Raenef?" sighed Eclipse.
"Not at all! Although I do deserve a break," said Raenef. "You know, you can call me Rae if you want to."
"…Rae?"
"Short for Raenef!" said Raenef.
"I supposed as much. I rather like your name in full, though."
Raenef blinked.
"I hope you don't mind."
Raenef beamed and echoed Eclipse. "Not at all! So, you're in college?"
"I suppose there's no way around this interview, then?"
"None!"
Eclipse sighed.
Raenef beamed.
"Yes, Raenef, I am in college. It's my first year there." Eclipse continued, as though to ensure that there would be no more questions from the boy. "I am one of the top students. I am in no clubs, but my hobbies include writing and archery. I am single, and my parents are divorced. I have no siblings. I don't cut my hair because I prefer it long. I don't drink, I don't smoke, and I don't do drugs of any sort."
"Wow…" said Raenef, shiny-eyed. "You're really smart." For some reason, though, a thought ran through his mind over and over again. Single? He's single. Why is he single? He's so cool! He shouldn't be single. I wonder if he's ever dated. Wow. He's single?
"That would be why I'm tutoring you," said Eclipse. He met Raenef's eyes and gave him a small smile. "Is there anything else?"
The words were out of Raenef's mouth before he could stop them. "Why are you single?" He blushed.
"Because I'm not dating." Eclipse didn't seem fazed by the question at all, but then, he was Eclipse.
"Why aren't you dating?"
"There is nobody that interests me at the time being."
"Nobody?"
"Nobody."
"No cute girls at your college?"
"I wouldn't say that."
"Don't any of them like you?"
Eclipse paused. "…Perhaps." He turned the conversation back around. "I should be allowed to question you, now."
"Okay!" Raenef didn't even notice the change of subject. "Ask me anything!"
"What is x minus two, in parentheses, multiplied by x plus four, also in parentheses?"
Raenef twitched. "Er, anything personal?"
"Answer first."
"Um, um… first, outer, inner, last… x squared… plus four x… um… minus two x which makes it two x… so it's x squared plus two x…" He thought for a moment and wrote numbers in the air. "Uh, x squared plus two x minus eight?" he said hopefully.
Eclipse smiled. Raenef felt heat rising to his face, and hoped that Eclipse hadn't noticed. He looked really sweet when he smiled. If Eclipse weren't wearing black… but, then, he wouldn't be Eclipse. "Good job, Raenef."
"I was right?"
"You were right."
"So ask me something!" demanded Raenef, eliciting a chuckle from his tutor.
Eclipse thought for a moment, and a wicked expression filtered its way into his smile. "Why do you care whether I'm single?"
--
"This is so boring," groaned Erutis. "Whose idea was it to go to the mall, anyway?"
Chris smirked. "Yours."
"I knew that."
"Why did you bother asking, then?"
"To make sure you knew."
"Like I need any help remembering just how stupid you are."
"Hey!" Erutis glared at Chris.
"That is no way to talk to a young lady," came a voice from behind them. Chris and Erutis both flinched. There could only be one voice that annoying, that evil, that fruity…
And they were right.
"Krayon…" muttered Erutis. "Keep out of this."
"That's Great Teacher Krayon to you!" said the wiggly-haired man, offended. Passersby were giving him the strangest looks. Well, what could you expect when you were a middle-aged man dressed like a high school girl from a dating sim?
"Yeah, whatever." Erutis was the only person Krayon actually allowed to talk back to him. Chris thought it was because he had a crush on her, and resented him for it. Deeply.
"We have to get going, Erutis! We're going to be late!" said Chris quickly, but Krayon wouldn't be abandoned that easily.
"Hold it, mate. Where's your friend Raenef? He isn't ill, is he?"
"Is that concern I detect in your voice?" said Erutis sarcastically. Chris grinned.
"He's at home being tutored," said Chris.
"Well!" said Krayon. "He's actually applying himself to his studies! I am proud. Who's the tutor? I may know him – it is a him?"
"Why so nosy, 'Great Teacher'?"
Krayon sniffed. "I'm concerned for his well-being. If he has a second-rate tutor, he could become even worse than he is now!"
They all shuddered at the thought.
"If you must know," said Erutis, "I recommended the tutor. His name is Eclipse, and he's supposed to be one of the best."
"Eclipse?!" cried Krayon in surprise. "He is the best! I'm amazed that you could get a hold of him! I do know him, personally! He-" Something seemed to dawn on Krayon, and he fell silent.
"He…?" said Erutis dangerously.
"What is it?" said Chris. "He's not a serial killer or something, right? Is Rae in danger?!"
"I shouldn't say…" said Krayon. "It would be… well, are he and Raenef alone?"
The two loomed above their teacher and glared him down. "TELL."
"Oh, all right." Krayon took a deep breath. "Eclipse is…"
-
A stunned silence, and then the explosion.
Poor Krayon didn't have any time to cover his precious ears.
"HE'S WHAT?!"
Five miles away, birds fluttered from their respective trees, and people winced at the noise.
And, yet further away, Eclipse sneezed.
-
"Bless you!" said Raenef.
"Answer," prompted Eclipse.
"Um… I don't really know…" mumbled Raenef slowly. "I was just curious, is all… I think. Maybe. You're too good a person to be single. So… I was curious. I think."
"I see."
"Would you like a cookie?"
"Perhaps. What kind?"
"Sugar!"
Eclipse took one, and smiled again. "Thank you, Raenef."
Raenef just blushed and took a cookie for himself.