A/N: Hi again, people. You certainly deserved a faster update. My, oh my, eleven reviews!! I wanted to update, like, as soon as I saw how well you responded, but it's four times harder to work on two things at the same time (this and the devil's epilogue). Somehow the numbers don't add up, but I'm not lying. Besides, I,...me as in, *myself*, went on a date on Monday. A *date*! It sucked, but never mind. I don't date!! *blush*
I've come across a little problem. I have next to no idea of how the school system works in Japan (or the U.S, for that matter.) So I'm gonna keep details to a minimum or use whatever I can from the St. Michael's arc; but if you read something and go all, "WTF? That's so not how it is!" That's because I needed to pour some detail and so I use my own high school experience. Our system is completely different from yours, you see, so bare with me.
Ah, and I finally got the Kyoto arc on VHS!! Kawaii!!!!! It was so great!! I almost cried! Ne, I *did* cry!!
One more thing and I'll leave you alone. Do not be scared by this chapter. I know it may look slightly suspicious, but it's just your imagination. I'll be sticking to the pairings posted on the summary, ok?
Enjoy!
A SMILE UPON MY FACE
~"For this year's program you'll have to read a few selected works of various occidental authors as well as Japanese. I expect for everyone to read the actual books and not the resumes that are going around. I warn you; I've read them, and I can spot answers based on them a mile away..."
The teacher went on and on, but 93.33 % of the class had zoned out at *good morning*. The remaining 6.66 % of the class, namely Hisoka and Tatsumi, took about ten minutes more than their classmates to realise about the futility of it all.
Everyone was counting on their friends to ask what the teacher had said and not one of them realized that their friends were counting on them for exactly the same thing. It was the first day after all. Wasn't like institutionalised that you didn't have to use your brain until the second or third week of the school year? Wasn't it enough that they had to do homework during their vacations?
Tsuzuki was sitting on the last row, behind Tatsumi. His boyfriend's blue eyes were focused on the blackboard, but to someone who knew him, it was obvious Tatsumi had his mind elsewhere. Surely scheming some plan about god knows what- if even. Not that he wanted to know. He suspected that, if he ever found out what went on in his koibito's mind during those moments, he'd have to die.
For someone as reliable and trustworthy as Tatsumi, he sure kept his share of secrets.
He sighed, completely and utterly bored, and rested his chin on his hand. His eyes landed on the boy sitting next to Watari who, in spite of paying next to no attention to the teacher's ramblings, was still scribbling on his note book like crazy a few rows to Tatsumi's right.
As the oldest student on the school- both in age and years spent in it- Tsuzuki knew *everyone*; and this guy, he didn't know. He'd seen him chatting politely with Watari as they entered the classroom, so it didn't take a genius to figure out he was probably his new roommate.
Curiosity sparkled inside him. There was something about that boy; his entire demeanour spoke of an exaggerated seriousness for someone so young, and his eyes- beautiful, round and impossibly green- that at the moment were focused on the window, held a depth to them that Tsuzuki rarely saw; in guys their age as well as adults.
"So..." he leaned over and whispered to Tatsumi's ear. "...that guy..." he trailed off, pointing at the new student.
Tatsumi remained still- as if he hadn't heard- for a few seconds, until he registered that someone had talked to him, shook himself from his thoughts and turned to Tsuzuki.
"Huh?" The older boy's finger hadn't moved and the blue eyes followed the direction it was pointing at, until he spotted the light brown hair and the green eyes. "Ah, yes...I saw him. Must be new." he finally said, detachedly.
"He looks cute, doesn't he?" Tsuzuki went on, unfazed by his boyfriend's lack of attention. "I think he's 'Tari-chan's new roommate. I saw them talking when they walked in."
This got Tatsumi's attention, but Tsuzuki didn't think much of it. The taller boy frowned.
"Oh? You think he's 'Tari-ch...Watari-kun's roommate?" Tsuzuki nodded and Tatsumi's frown deepened. "Well...he certainly looks better than that Kyota character. God, I hated that guy."
Tsuzuki wrinkled his nose.
"Smelly." he said, and Tatsumi nodded in full agreement. Tsuzuki went on. "Anyway, he seems nice." he pointed back to the oblivious boy. "And good looking too." The older boy got a mischievous glint in his eyes.
"What?" Tatsumi asked suspicious.
"Maybe 'Tari-chan could ask him out!" Tsuzuki cheered; always keeping his voice down, of course. "Wouldn't that be romantic?! Kinda like you and me! We have to help him. He's been so lonely!"
Tatsumi's reply was a low grunt before turning his attention back to the blackboard.
"What was that?" Tsuzuki asked confused.
Tatsumi didn't turned around and spoke in an even, controlled voice that gave Tsuzuki the creeps.
"We won't do such a thing. As strange as it may sound being as we are in *this* school, there's a chance that guy isn't gay. And besides, he looks too young for Watari-kun. And stop calling him 'Tari-chan."
Tsuzuki slumped back on his chair, mumbling something down the lines of 'spoil sport', and sighed loudly. Of course, he didn't notice Tatsumi's tense muscles; neither did he see his boyfriend's frustrated expression or how he clutched his pen tight.
Tatsumi, jealous? Nah...
----------------------
The classes eventually ended; not fast enough if you asked any of the students who'd had to endure it, but ended anyway and it was time for lunch brake.
Hisoka waited for Watari to get out too. The blond had promise him to show him around and introduce him to his friends, but everyone had left the classroom and Watari showed no signs of following his classmates. Even when the blond had paid as much attention in class as him, he'd spent the period writing on his note book. He glanced over his shoulder to see what was he was writing and got a migraine alert as soon as he saw all the formulas and numbers.
"What are you doing, Watari-kun?" he asked curiously and, to his surprise, startled the blond, making him jump.
"Huh?!" the blond's pen flew of his hand and his glasses slid of his nose, hanging crookedly from his left ear. Hisoka had to suppress a chuckle; the younger boy looked undoubtedly cute. Even Hisoka would have to admit it. Watari looked around and scratched his head in confusion. "Oh, dear. The class ended already?"
This time Hisoka couldn't help his lips curling upwards.
"Yes, Watari-kun. Everyone left five minutes ago. I didn't say anything because you seemed busy."
Watari shrugged and got up, closing his note book and reaching under his seat to retrieve the pen.
"Don't worry about it. Last time I did this I missed lunch brake and stayed in the classroom all through a class I wasn't suppose to be in."
Hisoka smiled amusedly. He was liking this guy more and more with each second.
"So, what is it you were doing? You forgot to do your homework?"
The two walked out of the classroom and made their way through the now deserted hall.
"Oh, no! It's just this theory I have." The taller boy got really serious; Hisoka could tell that he was enjoying talking about it, though. "As you may know, all living creatures are composed by a combination of elements. Everything in the universe can be reduce to a chemical formula if you want. I'm pretty sure that, given the correct chemical reaction to said elements, you could change the molecular structure of a creature and turn it into something else. The problem is..." Watari stopped, a worried look on his face. "...I can't think of a way to do that without killing the subject in the process. Maybe when I'm in college!"
Watari smiled happily, with a strange gleam in his eyes that caused a shiver down Hisoka's spine. It would have been real easy to assume that the blond was talking out of experience and not just a hypothesis. Hisoka would have to remember not to eat or drink anything Watari had made.
To Hisoka's surprise, they weren't headed torth the cafeteria. Watari commented that, seeing as it was such a pleasant day to be outside, that was were they'd be eating. And it wasn't such a weird occurrence either, because each and every student was outside as well. There were several round, stone tables and benches- all occupied by six or seven students- scattered on the back of the main building, just a few meters away from the basket ball and soccer courts and the pool.
The two boys walked through the mass of students. Watari stretched his neck as much as he could, trying to find his friends from over the sea of heads. Hisoka, on his part, was trying very hard not to show how uncomfortable he felt. It took a tremendous amount of dexterity to avoid bumping into anyone and his adrenaline was at an all time high. God, he hated crowds!
Before either of the two could register it, three really big, tall guys bumped into them, taking special attention to direct their 'accident' towards Watari. The blond fell backwards and bumped into Hisoka before falling on the ground, startled.
"Hey, four-eyes, look where you're going!" the larger of the three said, with a smirk on his face.
Hisoka saw the utter humiliation on his new friend's face; this hadn't been any accident, he realised, and it obviously wasn't a first. The blond quickly gathered his stuff and stood up, bowing deeply.
"Sumimasen Hiyama-senpai. It won't happen again."
The bully and his companions smirked some more, as if they were really cool or something for harassing someone they didn't even knew, and the leader poked Watari forcefully on the shoulder.
"Look at this. Now that Tatsumi-kun isn't around he's all apologetic and submissive. Go figure; the little shit."
The three turned around to leave, laughing stupidly. Hisoka clenched his fists tight and was about to charge at them when Watari stopped him, grabbing his arm and looking pleadingly at him.
"It's ok, Kurosaki-kun. I don't give a horse's ass about them. Don't get in trouble about this."
"What are you talking about?!" Hisoka scolded, more upset than what the situation entitled. "And why in hell were you calling that monkey 'senpai'?! He's not your senpai! You're a senior, remember?!"
Watari smiled wholeheartedly. He placed a hand on Hisoka's shoulder.
"Don't let appearances deceive you, Kurosaki-kun. I'm not a push-over. I just rely on...shall I say, 'different' means of retribution." With that, he winked at him and went ahead. "I don't seem to find my friends." he continued, unaware that Hisoka had staggered behind, trying to even his breathing and cool down. Hisoka shook his head at last, running to catch up with the blond. "I wonder where they ran off to? I hope I'm not missing on the fun...they tend to leave me behind sometimes." The last was said with a hint of sadness.
Hisoka would have wanted to ask about it; he'd wanted to help Watari find his friends, but the crowd was quickly getting to him; what with his emotions going all berserk a moment before thanks to the three stooges and all. He gently tugged at the younger boy's sleeve, trying very hard not to appear as ill as he was starting to feel.
'Just hold on a bit more, baka!' he told himself, feeling the bile rising up his throat.
Watari turned to look at his with his usual smile, that quickly melted away seeing how pale his friend looked.
"Are you ok, Kurosaki-kun?"
Hisoka nodded.
"Bathroom?"
Watari's expression soon turned from concern to panic.
"Oh, dear! Are you sick? Did I hurt you when I bumped into you?! Oh dear, oh dear..."
The blond stared at his hands helplessly, as if they had anything to do with his dilemma, his eyes dancing franticly. Hisoka shook his head, his breathing becoming a little erratic. If he didn't hurry he'd puke in front of everyone!
"No, I'm...ok, just...bathroom, ...please...*now*" His hand covered his mouth as soon as he'd said that and Watari noted he was turning a sickening shade of green.
That shook the blond out of his stupor and, without another word, he took Hisoka's hand and dragged him to the facilities as fast as his feet allowed. To tell the truth, Hisoka felt pretty much like a flag all the way to the bathroom; his body felt wobbly and weak and Watari was dragging him at such speed he was sure his feet had left the floor at some point and now he was just flying.
--------------------
"Are you alright in there?" The last of a series of dry hurls was heard; this one a lot weaker and less violent, as Watari knocked gently on the cabinet door. "Do you need a hand?"
The door opened and Hisoka stepped out. His hair was slightly mussed and there were tiny droplets of sweat on his forehead; his tie was loosened and he had bags under his eyes. But Watari could already see the colour returning to his friend's cheeks.
"Thank you." Hisoka said weakly, as Watari handed him a tissue.
"So..." the blond begun. "What was that all about? Did you eat something rotten or something?"
"No," the boy shook his head. "It's crowds, I..." he stopped, trying to think of a way to answer without lying, but without ratting himself out. "I don't do well in big crowds, is..."
Watari arched an eyebrow in surprise and mild understanding.
"What? You suffer from some type of social phobia?"
Hisoka nodded dazedly, thanking the gods for his friend's providing of an excuse better than what he'd come up with. He'd just have to find out what the hell social phobia really was.
"That's it,...exactly."
"Sou desu ka." Watari then patted his back in sympathy, with a mild scolding look in his eyes. "Why didn't you tell me? I would have understood! Of course! Most people can be scary by themselves so, logically, lots of people can make you throw up!! You should have told me!!"
The slender boy smiled. His friend's deranged logic and cheerful manner lifted his mood immediately.
"Gomen nasai, Watari-kun. And sorry for causing you so much trouble. I hope your friends won't get angry with you because of me."
Watari waved him off.
"Nah. Don't worry. Sure thing we weren't going to find them, unless we started looking in broom closets." The meaning of that was lost on Hisoka, but he still saw a hint of hurt crossing the blond's eyes for a split second. Then Watari sighed and shook his head. "Never mind that. Are you feeling better? Can I get you anything?"
"Yes, I'm fine but...A glass of water would be nice."
He hadn't even had time to blink that the blond had nodded and ran out the door. He was left alone in the men's room to contemplate on what had happened.
"That was a close one, baka." he whispered to himself, resting his back on the cool tiles to comfort his sore muscles. His eyes landed on the mirror in front of him. He looked a fright! He walked towards the mirror and the sinks below it, to take a closer look of the shadows of his face. "Social Phobia, eh?" he smiled as the cool water splashed over his face.
A yelp tore him out of his thoughts and, recognising Watari's voice, he ran out of the bathroom, ready to beat the crap out of anyone who had dared to bully his new friend again.
As soon as he was out he saw the blond sprawled on the floor next to the shattered glass of water and a tall, dark haired guy standing next to him. He would kick first and ask later, Hisoka decided as he charged towards the 'bully'.
In one swift motion, he'd managed to pin the considerably taller boy on the ground, twisting his right arm behind his back in what was surely a painful position, and pressing his face to the floor; it wasn't for nothing he'd taken up on almost every martial art known to men.
He heard the boy yelp in surprise, as well as Watari shrieking.
"You think you're so important?!" Hisoka hissed, hitting the boy's head on the ground once more. "Who the hell do you think you are?! Who died and made you better than him, huh?!"
"What did I do?! What did I do?!" the other boy cried helplessly, utterly shocked and not one bit scared to death.
"Kurosaki-kun! Stop!! You got it wrong! He..." Watari said very distressed.
"Stop protecting these assholes!! They think they can push people around? Well, I'll show him pushing!!"
"I suggest you let go of him." came an even, deep voice that not for the lack of emotion in it let any room to the imagination. Whoever owned that voice meant business.
Hisoka looked up to see a pair of blue eyes directing a look that could have frozen hell all over.
"And what are you? His cleaver side kick?!"
Watari rushed to Hisoka's side, placing a hand on the older boy's arm, trying to make him come to his senses.
"Kurosaki-kun, please!...You really, really got it wrong! I wasn't looking and I bumped into him...this..." he pointed to the blue eyed boy, then to the other. "This is Tatsumi-kun and the boy you're attacking is Tsuzuki-kun...these are my friends!"
Hisoka blinked confusedly and stared at Watari's face dumbfounded. His friend wasn't lying, so he let go of his victim, taking a few steps backwards. As soon as he did, the blue eyed boy rushed to the tall boy's side and helped him sit up, throwing daggers at Hisoka with his eyes.
Hisoka saw his "victim's" face for the first time. The poor guy was staring at him; his eyes- big and filled with tears- were of a deep violet. Never in his life he'd seen eyes so beautiful and expressive. If the situation hadn't been so awkward, Hisoka would have probably stared at them for a much longer time.
Tsuzuki rubbed his sore arm, whimpering, as Tatsumi comforted him whispering something to his ear.
"I...I'm sorry...I..." Hisoka felt the colour rising to his cheeks.
Tatsumi scrutinized Hisoka's face. His cold glare softened a bit and he pushed his glasses up with one finger, getting up.
"I see there seems to have been a misunderstanding. Why don't we start over? I'm Tatsumi Seiichirou. One of Watari-kun's friends" The taller boy stretched his hand and Hisoka took it hesitantly.
"I'm Kurosaki Hisoka; Watari-kun's roommate. I'm terribly, terribly sorry. I thought..."
"It's ok." Tatsumi smiled slightly. "I think I know what you thought. You shouldn't be so impulsive, though. You gave Tsuzuki the scare of his life." Tatsumi then moved to talk to Watari.
"Watari-kun," he whispered, gently taking the other boy a few meters away from their companions. "Has Hiyama been bothering you again? How did this boy knew you're being bullied?"
"It's ok, Tatsumi." he said rather dreamily. "Don't worry about a thing. I can take care of myself."
"I'm going to have a word with that asshole again." Tatsumi's voice was angry, and Watari couldn't help but to feel flattered.
"Let me try to handle it, please? And, just out of curiosity, where were you? I looked all over for you guys."
Tatsumi eyed him curiously.
"We were looking for you! When you didn't come out we started worrying. After ten minutes we decided to go find you, in case you'd forgotten to leave the classroom again."
"Oh." Watari smiled and blushed a deep crimson.
Hisoka couldn't hear what was being said, but he saw the stars that appeared on the blond's eyes as soon as Tatsumi spoke to him. He would storage that tid bit of information for future references. He then moved to the amethyst eyed boy, who was still sitting on the floor, in order to apologize. Tsuzuki recoiled immediately when Hisoka approached him.
"Don't hurt me!!" Tsuzuki cried dramatically, putting his arms over his head defensively.
"I'm not going to hurt you, baka." Hisoka grumbled. "Didn't you hear? It was a misunderstanding."
"Waaah!" Tsuzuki ran to Tatsumi, hiding behind the taller boy. "Watari! Keep your roommate away from me, he hates me!!"
Watari just shook his head and sighed.
What a mess.
TBC
Mwahahaha!! See were I left the story? Am I evil or what? Did this chappy stunk as much as I think it did?
It's just that this chappy wrote itself. It wasn't in my plans. but we'll go back to the original plan with next chappy. Next update should be quicker. But you can't complain about this one; the only reason I took so long is because half of you are pestering me to finish the epilogue of a devil's thrill. Grrrr. j/k-
Anyway, here are the answers to the reviews.
Kaiser-chan01, I am not that fond of the Tatsuki pairing, but for some reason I can't seem to ignore it. Anyway, things will be changing into Tsusoka Tatari soon enough. At least that's the idea. And I'm glad you like this. I personally hate AU most of the time, but this was nagging me so much I had to write it and, in all honesty, it's not really AU. You'll see what I mean soon enough.
Not so innocent bystander; kewl name but, I had an Innocent passer-by around here somewhere. That's not you being cleaver, is it? Anyway, I'm glad you're liking this.
Loki'sRose, I honestly loved your review. I loved your explanation of why Tari-chan is the youngest. I just did it to mark that not everyone was the same because, as I mentioned before, this isn't entirely AU. And wow I hadn't thought about making Tari-chan and Kazu-kun roommates. That would be neat!!
Sheera's Greywolf! Hi there, glad you found this!! Hope you like it too! *huggles*
Raz, what are you saying this has no angst? Just you wait, heh, heh. And what do you mean it was my fault? You read ADT too? Wow...Anyway, glad you like it!
Miko? The same Miko from b4? Where had you gone to? You really like the way I write? Isn't it repetitive and too naive? Stick around this time, 'k? Even if it's just once every three chappies?
Lina, I hope you aren't annoyed by the way I wrote 'Soka-chan in this chappy. I promise it has a reason. It all has a purpose, I think. And Tsuzuki and 'Soka have met. what did you think? Thanks for saying the fic is good. Let's hope I don't spoil it. *.*
Maia8, as I said before, this is not entirely AU. But I'm glad you could look past it because I totally get the not liking AU fics; I'm the same. There are some great AU fics, but sometimes they are just too OOC and the take the essence of the original story. And the epilogue of the devil's thrill is here already. Check it out.
Cofi, you don't think my writing is too simple? I really should take a course or something because I love writing the most. I don't write fanfics only, you know? Anyway, if you have a fic I'll read it. I'm sure they're great cuz I can tell for the reviews that you're a smart chick. I'm checking them out, k? Review land is a two way street after all.
Kyraille Fade, you know? After all this time, I have to ask. Where did you get the name? I love it. And don't worry, we both know we're not copying each other and that's what matters, ne? Like, the other day I read a fic that put me in a bad mood because it reminded me of CLOCKS too much but I would never accuse anyone of ripping me out because these things happen. And I even think that story got more reviews than mine, grrr. But anyway, post yours so I can read it cuz I love ur writing!
Kitsuneblood, ah, I can't see your name without thinking about Rukawa Kaede. I'm too obsessed with anime bishies. When did that happen? I was never an otaku!! T.T And I'm so glad you weren't annoyed with the gypsy. I'm always afraid of putting original characters because of all the mary sues walking around. I'm an amateur writer, I can come up with characters that aren't like me, or so I hope. But you guys don't know me, so how would you know she wasn't a mary sue? Anyway, thanks for your review.
And thanks all, keep it up and you'll have another update by Monday or Tuesday. I feed on reviews.
Ja ne!
I've come across a little problem. I have next to no idea of how the school system works in Japan (or the U.S, for that matter.) So I'm gonna keep details to a minimum or use whatever I can from the St. Michael's arc; but if you read something and go all, "WTF? That's so not how it is!" That's because I needed to pour some detail and so I use my own high school experience. Our system is completely different from yours, you see, so bare with me.
Ah, and I finally got the Kyoto arc on VHS!! Kawaii!!!!! It was so great!! I almost cried! Ne, I *did* cry!!
One more thing and I'll leave you alone. Do not be scared by this chapter. I know it may look slightly suspicious, but it's just your imagination. I'll be sticking to the pairings posted on the summary, ok?
Enjoy!
A SMILE UPON MY FACE
~"For this year's program you'll have to read a few selected works of various occidental authors as well as Japanese. I expect for everyone to read the actual books and not the resumes that are going around. I warn you; I've read them, and I can spot answers based on them a mile away..."
The teacher went on and on, but 93.33 % of the class had zoned out at *good morning*. The remaining 6.66 % of the class, namely Hisoka and Tatsumi, took about ten minutes more than their classmates to realise about the futility of it all.
Everyone was counting on their friends to ask what the teacher had said and not one of them realized that their friends were counting on them for exactly the same thing. It was the first day after all. Wasn't like institutionalised that you didn't have to use your brain until the second or third week of the school year? Wasn't it enough that they had to do homework during their vacations?
Tsuzuki was sitting on the last row, behind Tatsumi. His boyfriend's blue eyes were focused on the blackboard, but to someone who knew him, it was obvious Tatsumi had his mind elsewhere. Surely scheming some plan about god knows what- if even. Not that he wanted to know. He suspected that, if he ever found out what went on in his koibito's mind during those moments, he'd have to die.
For someone as reliable and trustworthy as Tatsumi, he sure kept his share of secrets.
He sighed, completely and utterly bored, and rested his chin on his hand. His eyes landed on the boy sitting next to Watari who, in spite of paying next to no attention to the teacher's ramblings, was still scribbling on his note book like crazy a few rows to Tatsumi's right.
As the oldest student on the school- both in age and years spent in it- Tsuzuki knew *everyone*; and this guy, he didn't know. He'd seen him chatting politely with Watari as they entered the classroom, so it didn't take a genius to figure out he was probably his new roommate.
Curiosity sparkled inside him. There was something about that boy; his entire demeanour spoke of an exaggerated seriousness for someone so young, and his eyes- beautiful, round and impossibly green- that at the moment were focused on the window, held a depth to them that Tsuzuki rarely saw; in guys their age as well as adults.
"So..." he leaned over and whispered to Tatsumi's ear. "...that guy..." he trailed off, pointing at the new student.
Tatsumi remained still- as if he hadn't heard- for a few seconds, until he registered that someone had talked to him, shook himself from his thoughts and turned to Tsuzuki.
"Huh?" The older boy's finger hadn't moved and the blue eyes followed the direction it was pointing at, until he spotted the light brown hair and the green eyes. "Ah, yes...I saw him. Must be new." he finally said, detachedly.
"He looks cute, doesn't he?" Tsuzuki went on, unfazed by his boyfriend's lack of attention. "I think he's 'Tari-chan's new roommate. I saw them talking when they walked in."
This got Tatsumi's attention, but Tsuzuki didn't think much of it. The taller boy frowned.
"Oh? You think he's 'Tari-ch...Watari-kun's roommate?" Tsuzuki nodded and Tatsumi's frown deepened. "Well...he certainly looks better than that Kyota character. God, I hated that guy."
Tsuzuki wrinkled his nose.
"Smelly." he said, and Tatsumi nodded in full agreement. Tsuzuki went on. "Anyway, he seems nice." he pointed back to the oblivious boy. "And good looking too." The older boy got a mischievous glint in his eyes.
"What?" Tatsumi asked suspicious.
"Maybe 'Tari-chan could ask him out!" Tsuzuki cheered; always keeping his voice down, of course. "Wouldn't that be romantic?! Kinda like you and me! We have to help him. He's been so lonely!"
Tatsumi's reply was a low grunt before turning his attention back to the blackboard.
"What was that?" Tsuzuki asked confused.
Tatsumi didn't turned around and spoke in an even, controlled voice that gave Tsuzuki the creeps.
"We won't do such a thing. As strange as it may sound being as we are in *this* school, there's a chance that guy isn't gay. And besides, he looks too young for Watari-kun. And stop calling him 'Tari-chan."
Tsuzuki slumped back on his chair, mumbling something down the lines of 'spoil sport', and sighed loudly. Of course, he didn't notice Tatsumi's tense muscles; neither did he see his boyfriend's frustrated expression or how he clutched his pen tight.
Tatsumi, jealous? Nah...
----------------------
The classes eventually ended; not fast enough if you asked any of the students who'd had to endure it, but ended anyway and it was time for lunch brake.
Hisoka waited for Watari to get out too. The blond had promise him to show him around and introduce him to his friends, but everyone had left the classroom and Watari showed no signs of following his classmates. Even when the blond had paid as much attention in class as him, he'd spent the period writing on his note book. He glanced over his shoulder to see what was he was writing and got a migraine alert as soon as he saw all the formulas and numbers.
"What are you doing, Watari-kun?" he asked curiously and, to his surprise, startled the blond, making him jump.
"Huh?!" the blond's pen flew of his hand and his glasses slid of his nose, hanging crookedly from his left ear. Hisoka had to suppress a chuckle; the younger boy looked undoubtedly cute. Even Hisoka would have to admit it. Watari looked around and scratched his head in confusion. "Oh, dear. The class ended already?"
This time Hisoka couldn't help his lips curling upwards.
"Yes, Watari-kun. Everyone left five minutes ago. I didn't say anything because you seemed busy."
Watari shrugged and got up, closing his note book and reaching under his seat to retrieve the pen.
"Don't worry about it. Last time I did this I missed lunch brake and stayed in the classroom all through a class I wasn't suppose to be in."
Hisoka smiled amusedly. He was liking this guy more and more with each second.
"So, what is it you were doing? You forgot to do your homework?"
The two walked out of the classroom and made their way through the now deserted hall.
"Oh, no! It's just this theory I have." The taller boy got really serious; Hisoka could tell that he was enjoying talking about it, though. "As you may know, all living creatures are composed by a combination of elements. Everything in the universe can be reduce to a chemical formula if you want. I'm pretty sure that, given the correct chemical reaction to said elements, you could change the molecular structure of a creature and turn it into something else. The problem is..." Watari stopped, a worried look on his face. "...I can't think of a way to do that without killing the subject in the process. Maybe when I'm in college!"
Watari smiled happily, with a strange gleam in his eyes that caused a shiver down Hisoka's spine. It would have been real easy to assume that the blond was talking out of experience and not just a hypothesis. Hisoka would have to remember not to eat or drink anything Watari had made.
To Hisoka's surprise, they weren't headed torth the cafeteria. Watari commented that, seeing as it was such a pleasant day to be outside, that was were they'd be eating. And it wasn't such a weird occurrence either, because each and every student was outside as well. There were several round, stone tables and benches- all occupied by six or seven students- scattered on the back of the main building, just a few meters away from the basket ball and soccer courts and the pool.
The two boys walked through the mass of students. Watari stretched his neck as much as he could, trying to find his friends from over the sea of heads. Hisoka, on his part, was trying very hard not to show how uncomfortable he felt. It took a tremendous amount of dexterity to avoid bumping into anyone and his adrenaline was at an all time high. God, he hated crowds!
Before either of the two could register it, three really big, tall guys bumped into them, taking special attention to direct their 'accident' towards Watari. The blond fell backwards and bumped into Hisoka before falling on the ground, startled.
"Hey, four-eyes, look where you're going!" the larger of the three said, with a smirk on his face.
Hisoka saw the utter humiliation on his new friend's face; this hadn't been any accident, he realised, and it obviously wasn't a first. The blond quickly gathered his stuff and stood up, bowing deeply.
"Sumimasen Hiyama-senpai. It won't happen again."
The bully and his companions smirked some more, as if they were really cool or something for harassing someone they didn't even knew, and the leader poked Watari forcefully on the shoulder.
"Look at this. Now that Tatsumi-kun isn't around he's all apologetic and submissive. Go figure; the little shit."
The three turned around to leave, laughing stupidly. Hisoka clenched his fists tight and was about to charge at them when Watari stopped him, grabbing his arm and looking pleadingly at him.
"It's ok, Kurosaki-kun. I don't give a horse's ass about them. Don't get in trouble about this."
"What are you talking about?!" Hisoka scolded, more upset than what the situation entitled. "And why in hell were you calling that monkey 'senpai'?! He's not your senpai! You're a senior, remember?!"
Watari smiled wholeheartedly. He placed a hand on Hisoka's shoulder.
"Don't let appearances deceive you, Kurosaki-kun. I'm not a push-over. I just rely on...shall I say, 'different' means of retribution." With that, he winked at him and went ahead. "I don't seem to find my friends." he continued, unaware that Hisoka had staggered behind, trying to even his breathing and cool down. Hisoka shook his head at last, running to catch up with the blond. "I wonder where they ran off to? I hope I'm not missing on the fun...they tend to leave me behind sometimes." The last was said with a hint of sadness.
Hisoka would have wanted to ask about it; he'd wanted to help Watari find his friends, but the crowd was quickly getting to him; what with his emotions going all berserk a moment before thanks to the three stooges and all. He gently tugged at the younger boy's sleeve, trying very hard not to appear as ill as he was starting to feel.
'Just hold on a bit more, baka!' he told himself, feeling the bile rising up his throat.
Watari turned to look at his with his usual smile, that quickly melted away seeing how pale his friend looked.
"Are you ok, Kurosaki-kun?"
Hisoka nodded.
"Bathroom?"
Watari's expression soon turned from concern to panic.
"Oh, dear! Are you sick? Did I hurt you when I bumped into you?! Oh dear, oh dear..."
The blond stared at his hands helplessly, as if they had anything to do with his dilemma, his eyes dancing franticly. Hisoka shook his head, his breathing becoming a little erratic. If he didn't hurry he'd puke in front of everyone!
"No, I'm...ok, just...bathroom, ...please...*now*" His hand covered his mouth as soon as he'd said that and Watari noted he was turning a sickening shade of green.
That shook the blond out of his stupor and, without another word, he took Hisoka's hand and dragged him to the facilities as fast as his feet allowed. To tell the truth, Hisoka felt pretty much like a flag all the way to the bathroom; his body felt wobbly and weak and Watari was dragging him at such speed he was sure his feet had left the floor at some point and now he was just flying.
--------------------
"Are you alright in there?" The last of a series of dry hurls was heard; this one a lot weaker and less violent, as Watari knocked gently on the cabinet door. "Do you need a hand?"
The door opened and Hisoka stepped out. His hair was slightly mussed and there were tiny droplets of sweat on his forehead; his tie was loosened and he had bags under his eyes. But Watari could already see the colour returning to his friend's cheeks.
"Thank you." Hisoka said weakly, as Watari handed him a tissue.
"So..." the blond begun. "What was that all about? Did you eat something rotten or something?"
"No," the boy shook his head. "It's crowds, I..." he stopped, trying to think of a way to answer without lying, but without ratting himself out. "I don't do well in big crowds, is..."
Watari arched an eyebrow in surprise and mild understanding.
"What? You suffer from some type of social phobia?"
Hisoka nodded dazedly, thanking the gods for his friend's providing of an excuse better than what he'd come up with. He'd just have to find out what the hell social phobia really was.
"That's it,...exactly."
"Sou desu ka." Watari then patted his back in sympathy, with a mild scolding look in his eyes. "Why didn't you tell me? I would have understood! Of course! Most people can be scary by themselves so, logically, lots of people can make you throw up!! You should have told me!!"
The slender boy smiled. His friend's deranged logic and cheerful manner lifted his mood immediately.
"Gomen nasai, Watari-kun. And sorry for causing you so much trouble. I hope your friends won't get angry with you because of me."
Watari waved him off.
"Nah. Don't worry. Sure thing we weren't going to find them, unless we started looking in broom closets." The meaning of that was lost on Hisoka, but he still saw a hint of hurt crossing the blond's eyes for a split second. Then Watari sighed and shook his head. "Never mind that. Are you feeling better? Can I get you anything?"
"Yes, I'm fine but...A glass of water would be nice."
He hadn't even had time to blink that the blond had nodded and ran out the door. He was left alone in the men's room to contemplate on what had happened.
"That was a close one, baka." he whispered to himself, resting his back on the cool tiles to comfort his sore muscles. His eyes landed on the mirror in front of him. He looked a fright! He walked towards the mirror and the sinks below it, to take a closer look of the shadows of his face. "Social Phobia, eh?" he smiled as the cool water splashed over his face.
A yelp tore him out of his thoughts and, recognising Watari's voice, he ran out of the bathroom, ready to beat the crap out of anyone who had dared to bully his new friend again.
As soon as he was out he saw the blond sprawled on the floor next to the shattered glass of water and a tall, dark haired guy standing next to him. He would kick first and ask later, Hisoka decided as he charged towards the 'bully'.
In one swift motion, he'd managed to pin the considerably taller boy on the ground, twisting his right arm behind his back in what was surely a painful position, and pressing his face to the floor; it wasn't for nothing he'd taken up on almost every martial art known to men.
He heard the boy yelp in surprise, as well as Watari shrieking.
"You think you're so important?!" Hisoka hissed, hitting the boy's head on the ground once more. "Who the hell do you think you are?! Who died and made you better than him, huh?!"
"What did I do?! What did I do?!" the other boy cried helplessly, utterly shocked and not one bit scared to death.
"Kurosaki-kun! Stop!! You got it wrong! He..." Watari said very distressed.
"Stop protecting these assholes!! They think they can push people around? Well, I'll show him pushing!!"
"I suggest you let go of him." came an even, deep voice that not for the lack of emotion in it let any room to the imagination. Whoever owned that voice meant business.
Hisoka looked up to see a pair of blue eyes directing a look that could have frozen hell all over.
"And what are you? His cleaver side kick?!"
Watari rushed to Hisoka's side, placing a hand on the older boy's arm, trying to make him come to his senses.
"Kurosaki-kun, please!...You really, really got it wrong! I wasn't looking and I bumped into him...this..." he pointed to the blue eyed boy, then to the other. "This is Tatsumi-kun and the boy you're attacking is Tsuzuki-kun...these are my friends!"
Hisoka blinked confusedly and stared at Watari's face dumbfounded. His friend wasn't lying, so he let go of his victim, taking a few steps backwards. As soon as he did, the blue eyed boy rushed to the tall boy's side and helped him sit up, throwing daggers at Hisoka with his eyes.
Hisoka saw his "victim's" face for the first time. The poor guy was staring at him; his eyes- big and filled with tears- were of a deep violet. Never in his life he'd seen eyes so beautiful and expressive. If the situation hadn't been so awkward, Hisoka would have probably stared at them for a much longer time.
Tsuzuki rubbed his sore arm, whimpering, as Tatsumi comforted him whispering something to his ear.
"I...I'm sorry...I..." Hisoka felt the colour rising to his cheeks.
Tatsumi scrutinized Hisoka's face. His cold glare softened a bit and he pushed his glasses up with one finger, getting up.
"I see there seems to have been a misunderstanding. Why don't we start over? I'm Tatsumi Seiichirou. One of Watari-kun's friends" The taller boy stretched his hand and Hisoka took it hesitantly.
"I'm Kurosaki Hisoka; Watari-kun's roommate. I'm terribly, terribly sorry. I thought..."
"It's ok." Tatsumi smiled slightly. "I think I know what you thought. You shouldn't be so impulsive, though. You gave Tsuzuki the scare of his life." Tatsumi then moved to talk to Watari.
"Watari-kun," he whispered, gently taking the other boy a few meters away from their companions. "Has Hiyama been bothering you again? How did this boy knew you're being bullied?"
"It's ok, Tatsumi." he said rather dreamily. "Don't worry about a thing. I can take care of myself."
"I'm going to have a word with that asshole again." Tatsumi's voice was angry, and Watari couldn't help but to feel flattered.
"Let me try to handle it, please? And, just out of curiosity, where were you? I looked all over for you guys."
Tatsumi eyed him curiously.
"We were looking for you! When you didn't come out we started worrying. After ten minutes we decided to go find you, in case you'd forgotten to leave the classroom again."
"Oh." Watari smiled and blushed a deep crimson.
Hisoka couldn't hear what was being said, but he saw the stars that appeared on the blond's eyes as soon as Tatsumi spoke to him. He would storage that tid bit of information for future references. He then moved to the amethyst eyed boy, who was still sitting on the floor, in order to apologize. Tsuzuki recoiled immediately when Hisoka approached him.
"Don't hurt me!!" Tsuzuki cried dramatically, putting his arms over his head defensively.
"I'm not going to hurt you, baka." Hisoka grumbled. "Didn't you hear? It was a misunderstanding."
"Waaah!" Tsuzuki ran to Tatsumi, hiding behind the taller boy. "Watari! Keep your roommate away from me, he hates me!!"
Watari just shook his head and sighed.
What a mess.
TBC
Mwahahaha!! See were I left the story? Am I evil or what? Did this chappy stunk as much as I think it did?
It's just that this chappy wrote itself. It wasn't in my plans. but we'll go back to the original plan with next chappy. Next update should be quicker. But you can't complain about this one; the only reason I took so long is because half of you are pestering me to finish the epilogue of a devil's thrill. Grrrr. j/k-
Anyway, here are the answers to the reviews.
Kaiser-chan01, I am not that fond of the Tatsuki pairing, but for some reason I can't seem to ignore it. Anyway, things will be changing into Tsusoka Tatari soon enough. At least that's the idea. And I'm glad you like this. I personally hate AU most of the time, but this was nagging me so much I had to write it and, in all honesty, it's not really AU. You'll see what I mean soon enough.
Not so innocent bystander; kewl name but, I had an Innocent passer-by around here somewhere. That's not you being cleaver, is it? Anyway, I'm glad you're liking this.
Loki'sRose, I honestly loved your review. I loved your explanation of why Tari-chan is the youngest. I just did it to mark that not everyone was the same because, as I mentioned before, this isn't entirely AU. And wow I hadn't thought about making Tari-chan and Kazu-kun roommates. That would be neat!!
Sheera's Greywolf! Hi there, glad you found this!! Hope you like it too! *huggles*
Raz, what are you saying this has no angst? Just you wait, heh, heh. And what do you mean it was my fault? You read ADT too? Wow...Anyway, glad you like it!
Miko? The same Miko from b4? Where had you gone to? You really like the way I write? Isn't it repetitive and too naive? Stick around this time, 'k? Even if it's just once every three chappies?
Lina, I hope you aren't annoyed by the way I wrote 'Soka-chan in this chappy. I promise it has a reason. It all has a purpose, I think. And Tsuzuki and 'Soka have met. what did you think? Thanks for saying the fic is good. Let's hope I don't spoil it. *.*
Maia8, as I said before, this is not entirely AU. But I'm glad you could look past it because I totally get the not liking AU fics; I'm the same. There are some great AU fics, but sometimes they are just too OOC and the take the essence of the original story. And the epilogue of the devil's thrill is here already. Check it out.
Cofi, you don't think my writing is too simple? I really should take a course or something because I love writing the most. I don't write fanfics only, you know? Anyway, if you have a fic I'll read it. I'm sure they're great cuz I can tell for the reviews that you're a smart chick. I'm checking them out, k? Review land is a two way street after all.
Kyraille Fade, you know? After all this time, I have to ask. Where did you get the name? I love it. And don't worry, we both know we're not copying each other and that's what matters, ne? Like, the other day I read a fic that put me in a bad mood because it reminded me of CLOCKS too much but I would never accuse anyone of ripping me out because these things happen. And I even think that story got more reviews than mine, grrr. But anyway, post yours so I can read it cuz I love ur writing!
Kitsuneblood, ah, I can't see your name without thinking about Rukawa Kaede. I'm too obsessed with anime bishies. When did that happen? I was never an otaku!! T.T And I'm so glad you weren't annoyed with the gypsy. I'm always afraid of putting original characters because of all the mary sues walking around. I'm an amateur writer, I can come up with characters that aren't like me, or so I hope. But you guys don't know me, so how would you know she wasn't a mary sue? Anyway, thanks for your review.
And thanks all, keep it up and you'll have another update by Monday or Tuesday. I feed on reviews.
Ja ne!