One Plus One
by Lethe Seraph
Chapter Nine: In which our protagonist is stuffed to the brim with sugar and decides to pop the Question, and our side characters Realize Something
--
XD To save time, I'll use the opening from the last chapter: "I'm so sorry! It really has been a while. ::sweatdrops:: Sorry about that. I became wrapped up in other things. Please forgive me! TTTT
Heh. I know, I know, his secret hasn't been revealed yet. Heh heh heh. I wonder how long it'll take. Maybe he'll tell Raenef himself! (Suuure.)
Let's see how this goes…
Ah, cliché. I sigh. Darnit…"
One more comment, though: Neil Gaiman-y? This? Oh, you flatter me. :beams: I take that as a very high compliment. You'll inflate my ego until it bursts through the top of my head, I swear…
--
"I trust you kept yourself entertained?" prompted Eclipse politely, drawing out Raenef's chair.
Raenef grinned. It made him feel kind of special. "Yeah. You have a lot of interesting books, Eclipse! You read a lot?" But that one book was really interesting … I wonder what was on the next page…?
I guess I'll find out later.
"Yes," said Eclipse. He took his own seat and gave Raenef a small smile. "I rather enjoy it."
"I should have guessed," said Raenef. "Well, now I know what to get for your birthday!" He laughed.
The taller man occupied himself with a mouthful of rice, unsure of how to answer.
"Uh … when is your birthday, anyway?"
"In about a month, actually," said Eclipse.
Raenef beamed and, using his own particular brand of magic, caused half of the contents of his plate to disappear in one mighty gulp. "Cool! I have time to shop!"
"You don't have to-"
"I'm going to! After all, it's only good manners to get something for my tutor, right?" Raenef grinned. "And that's that."
"Thank you," said Eclipse after a moment, giving Raenef a small smile of his own.
-
"Can I hang around for a bit?"
"Of course. Keep in mind, though, that I am to be driving you home and would like to get a good night's rest."
"Okay!"
The two had just finished a very delicate and tasty dessert (courtesy of Eclipse, Master Chef). Raenef, spurred on by the sugar and his own usual tendencies, decided that now was as good a time as any to ask Eclipse the Question.
Ruby eyes fixed on Raenef. "Is something the matter?" inquired Eclipse.
"I have a question," said Raenef.
Eclipse shifted on the velvety dark couch. They had moved to it upon finishing the very delicate and tasty dessert. "Another question?"
Raenef nodded. "And, uh, if it makes you uncomfortable, you … um … you can tell me, all right?"
Eclipse was almost becoming nervous. "All right." Had Raenef, perhaps, overheard his conversation with the damnable crossdressing teacher?
"Well… I…"
The tutor was forced to move incrementally closer in order to hear Raenef's soft words. "What is it?"
"I…"
Just get on with it already…! "Raenef, you can ask me anything. Don't be nervous."
Raenef looked up at the young man, innocent eyes sparkling with emotion and suppressed desire. He reached out and brushed a stray lock of raven hair from Eclipse's face. Eclipse drew in a sharp breath. "Eclipse … I wanted to know…"
They were so close. Why was Eclipse suddenly feeling lightheaded?
Raenef blushed. "May I play with your hair?"
-
And, thusly, the previously prideful and superior being called Eclipse was reduced to a wincing mass of black tresses sitting at the foot of the couch.
"Oh! Sorry!" said the blonde cheerily as he tugged through a tangle he had made himself some five minutes ago.
Eclipse sighed. Why was he even doing this?
…Because, when it didn't hurt, it actually felt kind of nice.
"Ow!"
"Sorry again! Okay, I'll be more careful now."
"You weren't being careful before?"
"It's just hard from this angle!" said Raenef. What with his being positioned on the couch and Eclipse's head being a good few feet beneath him, he was forced to lean down in a most cumbersome manner. "There's got to be a better way … Oh! I have an idea!"
And, thusly, the previously pained and wincing being called Eclipse was reduced to a very embarrassed and strangely comfortable mass of tangled black tresses resting on the couch, with a headrest named Raenef.
-
"Bye, Erutis. I'll see you on Monday," said Chris.
"Yeah, but you won't see Raenef. He'll be dead," fumed Erutis. She was still angry as anything, and who could blame her? She had suffered through the Attack of the Elevator for nothing.
…Well, not quite nothing.
But … she was still going to kill Raenef.
She began devising her plan of attack, even as Chris kissed her cheek lightly and said goodnight. First, she would rip out every strand of shiny blond hair, one by one. Then she would glare into those big, shiny eyes before ripping them out, and ask him why the hell he had been over at Eclipse's when they had been looking for-
Wait a moment.
Eclipse's apartment?
Raenef was going to Eclipse's apartment to have dinner with him?
As in, Raenef and Eclipse were going to be alone in Eclipse's apartment?
She cursed. "Chris! Get back here!"
They had another mission.
And this time, they wouldn't fail.
-
Raenef leaned down to look upon Eclipse's face. He looked different with his hair down … younger somehow. He could almost imagine what Eclipse had looked like when he was Raenef's age – not that it had been that long ago. He could almost see Eclipse as a teenager, going to his school and learning from a younger Great Teacher Krayon.
Raenef leaned a bit too close, and his bangs met ivory skin. Eclipse's eyes opened – he had rather been enjoying himself, once the pain had stopped.
What a sight that must have been! Eclipse looked into the upside-down eyes of Raenef, marveling silently at the length and volume of the boy's eyelashes, and blinked. "Raenef?"
"Has anyone ever told you that you're really pretty with your hair down?" murmured Raenef, still running his fingers through long midnight hair.
Eclipse smiled. From such a close distance, it was almost overpowering. "As a matter of fact, yes. Thank you."
"Not that you're not pretty otherwise!" added Raenef. "I mean …"
A small sigh escaped Eclipse's lips. He closed his eyes. "Feels nice," he said quietly.
"Yeah," agreed Raenef.
-
"Has anyone ever told you that you're quite pretty with your hair down?"
"No," admitted the teen, a small blush forming on his cheeks. "That's very kind of you to say."
"I'm telling the truth. You really do. You should wear it that way more often."
"I'm not sure how to take that," said Eclipse, laughing. "After all, you're the one suggesting it."
"Are you insulting me? Just because I dress differently from other men-"
"No, no, you look … nice. In a strange way. …Don't take that any way other than platonic, you fiend."
"Fiend? Me? Surely you jest."
"Not at all. I've seen your comic collection, remember?"
"Ah, right. You nosy little student."
"You're the one who invited me over in the first place. As I recall, you told me that I could look at anything in the house."
"And you went straight to the gay comics? Who's the fiend?"
Eclipse sighed. "I don't know why I like you."
"Come again?"
"…As a friend! I mean … teacher. Krayon."
"Aha … so Eclipse hides something from me after all …"
"What are you-"
-
"Eclipse? You awake?" Raenef waved a pale hand in front of the tutor's face before deciding that, based upon the slow evenness of his breathing and small moans that he continued to make, he had indeed fallen asleep. How about that.
(It was stated previously that Raenef is a curious, curious boy. He enjoys discovering things, and will often act upon impulse whether he thinks the outcome will be good or not.
(Having been reminded of that fact, it would be prudent to note that, at the moment, Raenef was eyeing Eclipse's sleeping face with fascination.)
"Eclipse?" he said one last time for good measure.
His cheeks looked really soft…
-
"But you don't even know where his apartment is!" whined Chris, wringing his seatbelt as they nearly nicked another lamppost. "Let's go home! We'll see him on Monday, right?!"
"I do know where it is, and Monday might be too late," said Erutis determinedly. "You do remember what Krayon told us, don't you? Do you really trust the two alone?"
"Don't you trust Raenef to figure out when something's wrong?"
There was a long silence.
"…What's wrong with you, Erutis?! Drive quicker! We have a crisis on our hands here!"