Duel Masters – Heart on my Sleeve

-waves at her reviewers- Bah, I wanted to do some artwork and so forth, but unfortunately work has been getting in the way XD And my original stuff, which never seems to go away…that's a good thing, mind. I just wish they would slow down and stop dragging me everywhere.

ShadowDagger – Someone needs a nice, warm, hug.

Ray's Number Gurl – Hehe, I don't mind! We all have our lives to live, so I don't mind if you don't review a chapter or something – I just hope you keep enjoying yourself!

Taitofan – Your words of encouragement mean so very much to me. It is an honour to know that Rakka has slipped under your radar as 'harmless'. Hakuoh will find that out how harmless soon enough nn She's been evolving in my mind however as I write this (I'm a few chapters ahead and having a grand old time) and has gone under a few interesting changes. Kokujo's going to be kept on his toes in this one!

BattyGirl – Where would I be without your voice of reason? A wonderful day to you too, my dear. The only thing I ask is to be more specific when you decide to write down your feelings – Hel was the furthest thing from my mind in replying, because you made it seem like another run of the mill flame…thus dumbing you down. Hel however, rules death, not just hell, and decides where a person should go on the merits of their actions during their life…more importantly those in battle. Ah, and the blues. –smiles fondly- I think for the moment with the current world situations, she has her hands full…let's wait until the end of the story, my dear. I am pleased to see someone interested in the old ways. I'm also pleased to see you live comfortably – so many of us don't these days. As for the reviewing section, why bother then, with chapter one? Why not the last chapter you read, thus not exposing yourself to more of my apparent evil? And I'm still waiting on the email. Chatting like this is cumbersome, and I want to draw! And what's this about your brother…?

Oh my dears. Tonight is a night of roughness and waiting. I watch the stars with the key in my hand, wondering which door I shall be given, and what lays beyond it…

Chapter Five: Ya gotta do what ya gotta do…

For the next few days, Kokujo was on his best behaviour. It wasn't simply because he thought someone might be watching, it was a simple matter of getting into practise for when the representatives of the government might pop round, have a cuppa and then clear out his stuff.

This also meant no Hakuoh.

He had not taken it well.

"What the hell do you mean, we can't see each other anymore?!" Hakouh spat, his fists balled.

"It's not forever; it's just for the next few weeks-"

"Kyoushiro Kokujo, you are my property, and I don't care what's happening, you're here when I want you to be, and you will do as I say!" The smaller boy swung a punch that was easily caught by his older lover. Holding him close, Kokujo embraced him tightly while he struggled.

"No."

"Bah!" Came the growl from his chest.

"This is not about you, Hakuoh."

"Who was on the 'phone the other day?!"

Kokujo felt his face flush. "What? You were awake?"

"Are you seeing someone else?"

"God, why are you so clingy? I thought you liked it when I saw someone else!"

"Only if I could watch! You were talking to someone. Covering up about where you are." The pale eyes narrowed. "Am I not good enough for the great and terrible Lone Wolf?"

"NO. Hakuoh! Quit the emotional blackmail, will you?" Kokujo pushed him away. "It was my father."

Hakuoh stared at him, eyes wide, anger forgotten. "You have parents?"

"Of course I do. People just never really bother to find that stuff out. What did you think?"

"I thought you were in council care or something considering your image."

"Nooooo, of course not. I may be pretty loose when it comes to morals my dear, but I have family."

Slipping back into his cloud of misery and anger, Hakouh slunk to one of the chairs and stared at the duel table in front of him. "Just you and your father?"

"Yeah. For as long as I can remember. No, he doesn't know about us, and that's why I can't stick around."

"He doesn't approve?"

Kokujo winced. "He doesn't know."

Hakouh smiled.

"Look, it's like this. I have to keep my head down and be nice and quiet and stuff so that when the time comes, I will look and act like a normal fifteen year old. This is for reasons I don't want to go into with you, and I'm not hiding anything so stop staring at me." Kokujo sat at the other end, resting his chin in the palm of his hand. "I don't like this any more than you do, but hey, I happen to like my life being the way it is, y'know?"

"…I could always get Master to pull some strings."

"And reveal us?"

Hakuoh sighed. "Ah. I see."

"Yeah."

Another silence. Taking this as a hint, Kokujo got up and walked away, heading for the door. But before he got there, he heard Hakuoh move. He had stood up once more, and outlined in light he looked majestic. Or perhaps overdramatic. Kokujo couldn't really tell these days. "You'd better come back. I enjoy our games, but don't forget what you have here. Or else."

"Yeah." Kokujo waved a hand, completely ruining the moment. "Whatever."

oOo

And that had been that. Perhaps it wasn't the response Hakuoh was expecting, but what could you do? They'd separated for the moment, and now he was sitting in the park letting things go over in his head and making some decisions. He was not going to enjoy this period of celibacy, but things had to be done – what defined a person as normal? Would he have to get a haircut or something? His clothing would have to be changed, maybe even his duelling deck too…God, this was scary! But what was normal? What did it involve?

While he thought about this, he shuffled his deck, and didn't respond when someone called his name. Maybe he did hear it, maybe he just thought it was the Kirifuda Cheering Squad, but when a hand waved under his nose he scowled and looked up.

"Oh…I'm sorry…"

The girl from the dare. Kokujo relaxed. "Oh. Right. Hey."

Rakka wheeled her bike to the other side of the bench and bit her lip. "Uhh, sorry about that. You look kinda down."

"No, I'm just off in another world. Uhh…" He searched his mind. "Hello?"

Rakka wasn't like Mimi or Saiyuki, so technically he had no idea how to talk to her. He'd tried, but she'd sort of got all embarrassed and stuff, and it made him feel embarrassed and then they'd both been looking at their collective shoes. He was used to yelling and ranting, even making evil comments, but being evil to the girl in front of him was like being evil to a pillow. It just flopped down and didn't fight back. Kokujo sighed.

"…I wanted to apologise-"

"Again?"

"Um, yes. I didn't mean to upset you yesterday."

"You didn't. You're just funny."

"Oh. Right."

Silence again. He moved over, allowing her to sit. She hadn't been to work that day he guessed, but she looked tired, and her voice sounded creaky. They stared ahead of them and didn't say anything, until he heard the rustle of fabric of someone looking over at him.

"…Kyoushiro, isn't it?"

Well that was a surprise. Kokujo smiled. "Hey, you remembered!"

"My head's always full of fluff." She opened her mouth to speak and then stopped, thinking. "I…Um, I just wanted to know why you said all that stuff the other day."

"About going out?"

"Uh-huh."

Well, well, well. Straight to the point. This was surprising and kind of nice. "I'd been having a bad day. Those kids I came in with dared me to do it."

"Oh." She swung her legs idly, the tips of her shiny shoes making hissing noises every time they came into contact with the grass.

Why'd she look so upset? Whoa, face change, she was smiling again. This was confusing. Kokujo continued to watch, but when he watches something as intently as he does his cards, it's quite intimidating. Now she looked worried.

"I-I just-"

"Nothing personal you understand." You can go now, he thought sullenly. Stop messing up my bad vibrations!

"Yes. That's what I thought." She got up, and went to get her bike again. "I mean, it couldn't be some random act of chance or something, or, let's say, a higher power or something trying to get us together for their own amusement. Just a dare, right?"

"Yeah. Not a good one either."

Hnh, if only it was this easy to make the other girls go away.

"Okay…well, thanks!" She said, hopped on her bike and rode away.

He watched her go, quite surprised again. Kokujo wasn't used to people just up and leaving like that. His experience with girls did go so far as having his own private fangirls who wouldn't leave him at school even if he yelled at them. He got used to them and just ignored them (making them follow him all the more) and they hadn't quite figured out about Hakuoh yet…or did know and liked the idea…but when someone goes off that quickly there had to be something wrong.

There was a crash.

He got up.

Something had clicked in his mind, and he was not enjoying the consequences. But hey, you gotta do what you gotta do, right?

Damn Toru.

oOo

There was much pointing and giggling as the end of the day rolled around, and not because it was wearing a funky new bowtie and had grass in his hair. Rakuda picked himself up and glared at Shobu as he dusted off his clothes and decided that from now on, he was going to stay well away from flailing arms. They were dangerous things and while the frequent flier miles he was clocking up were good, there were only so many times you could do this without suffering permanent damage.

Out of the corner of his eye, Rakuda saw something move, something dark and terrible.

Shobu continued to do his victory dance, regardless.

He tends to do that quite often.

As Rakuda straightened his glasses, he realised that the dark blurry shadow walking towards him was not Death but something far worse. With a face like a thundercloud, Kokujo entered the fray, grabbed Shobu by the back of his pants and lifted him up. The resulting squeal sounded vaguely piglike and Shobu twisted in his grip, only to be dropped. Grabbing the deck of cards, Kokujo threw them at the sky and smirked as they came down like rain and conveniently gave Rakuda a paper cut as they came down.

"ARRRRGGHHH! MY HAND MY BEAUTIFUL HAND!!!"

"GOD my pants…KOKUJO GET-" Down Shobu went, getting a mouthful of grass.

With a girlie squeal, Toru was upended and quickly shoved into a headlock. The two boys struggled, but Kokujo relaxed his body and let Toru's movement swing them both around, and on the right trajectory let the younger boy go headlong into a tussock of grass.

Then with a final snarl and a throwing of deck, Hurricane Kokujo left as quickly as he came, stalking up the path and looking like the slightest thing was enough to set him off again.

"Ummm…wow." Rakuda murmured. For once he had not been sent flying.

"What's eating him?!" Came the gasp from the grass.

"I have no idea."

to be continued.

Kyou's mad for obvious reasons. Geeeeeeeently pull it back, plink…