Title: I Thought I Knew You
Author: Ari
Notes: Uh…tea…unrecognized jealousy on Albel's part.
Warnings: FaytxSophia fluff, gallons of tea downed in seconds! Sleepy, disheveled Albel, magic tattoos.
Disclaimer: Thanks for once again forcing me to remind myself that I do not own Albel, much less Star Ocean. I hate you all now, and refuse to write anymore!
NOTE TO SELF: THIS IS A YAOI FIC! I KNOW THIS…I'M WRITING IT! SO SOMEONE TELL ME WHAT ALL THIS FAYTXSOPHIA STUFF IS!
Other Notes:
Papillon: Thank you! I was waiting for someone to ask that! Thank you for the spelling correction also. Fayt's food poisoning didn't turn into pneumonia he caught if afterwards. This happened to me once, don't really get it, but I came down food poisoning, and since my body's immune system was out of it, I caught pneumonia afterwards. At least that's what the doctor told me. It isn't likely, but I need him to be sick for a couple days. Sorry. In chapter 2, Nel was horridly OOC; I also mentioned that in the warning. Maria isn't as bad I feel, but neither really plays much of a role, so it shouldn't be a big deal. Plus, it's an AU story, so if I want Albel to dance in a pink, spandex leotard, while singing love songs to Peppita, than he will! (Even though I would never do that!)
THANKS EVERYONE FOR REVIEWING! YOUR COMMENTS MAKE ME FEEL ALL SQUISHY INSIDE!
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Chapter 4:
Symbology Part 1
Monday morning, the most hated day in existence. The normally loud, crowed halls could, at the moment, be seen with students sitting on the floor, fighting in vain to say awake. The noise level was considerably lower, no one had the extra energy to talk; Fayt was not an exception.
With his head lying on his arms, he could feel his body start to drift off, the voices of the teacher and students started to sounded far away, like a TV program. Fayt made sure to breath through his nose so he wouldn't drool all over the already germ infested desks. He could vaguely hear the teacher talking about their most recent test, but it was all fuzzy…so why pay attention…?
"Mr. Leingod! Would you kindly rouse yourself in my class? I'm sure you haven't heard a word I said!" the teachers pale face had turned red and splotchy as Fayt slowly raised his head to look at her. He sat up as straight as possible, face starting to blush with shame.
"You were saying…something about tests?" he tried to remember what she had been saying, but his befuddled brain wouldn't conjure the voices again. Damn brain.
"I said, anyone who scored lower than a C must do a retake." She smirked in triumph. "That means you, Mr. Leingod. Maybe you would pass if you could stay awake." The class started laughing loudly, it seemed the only way to get and keep their complete attention, was when one of them was made a fool.
"For some reason, I doubt it…" Fayt mumbled angrily, his eyes narrowed at the desk.
"What was that?" the teacher asked quickly, a little too eager to hand out punishment on a Monday morning. Yes, Fayt could tell it was going to be a long, awful day.
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Albel watched in rapt fascination as Fayt was, for a third time, yelled at for sleeping. From the few words the boy had said to him that morning, he'd been out late that night. Albel reached back behind his head to rub the nap of his neck, where Fayt had childishly chopped off ten years of his life (1) as mere revenge for a little washable hair dye. The boy was insane, and he was reckless, acting before thinking. But there's a fine line between genius and insanity, and Albel felt that Fayt teetered on that very line.
The boy had pulled two remarkable stunts in the span of a day. He managed to escape his wrath/revenge for his hair, and he'd also, somehow, stolen Mr. Wiggles. Well, Albel had no proof, but who else would steal a stuffed animal from The Wicked One, and not announce it to the world?
"Come on, Fayt! You need to stay awake!" Albel glanced up to see Mr. Lasabard towering over the boy yet again. "What were you doing last night? Shagging your girlfriend?"
Albel rolled his eyes that kid didn't have a girlfriend, but when Fayt didn't answer, Albel's head snapped back around.
'Come on, deny it… You can't have a girlfriend!' Albel paused his thought to wonder why he cared. 'I don't, he's just too…uh…pathetic to have a girlfriend before me.' Albel nodded to himself, he was too sexy and wantable to be out done by some puny freshman. He glanced across the room again. 'Puny freshman with really, really fine arm muscles…'
Albel's eyes narrowed on Fayt as the boy blushed and stammered out an excuse. He felt his fists clench and he could feel some sort of acid rise in his throat. He wasn't sure what it was, but he squashed it down, turned away, and refused to acknowledge it.
The bell rang and Albel watched Fayt practically fly from his seat and out the door. Albel stood, much more refined than Fayt, slung his backpack over his shoulder, and followed the boy.
Albel ended up next to the football field, and he watched Fayt pull himself into a large tree and wait there. Several minutes later, a brown haired girl walked up and craned her neck back to find Fayt up the tree. Said boy dropped to the ground and embraced the girl, laying a quick kiss on her lips before pulling away. They began to talk quickly and quietly to each other, but Albel couldn't hear what was being said. All he knew was that his hands were clenched and the bile was rising in his throat again. Sharp pricks behind his eyes were giving him a headache and he had to bite his lip to keep from growling loudly at them.
Fayt and the girl turned, the blue-haired freshman slinging his arm around her shoulders to pull her closer as they walked away. When they were far enough off, Albel stood and slammed his clenched fist into the tree next to him. Wood splinters flew in every direction and his knuckles split open, but he ignored it.
He didn't know why, but it just made him so angry. It was…disgusting!
Fayt was so much better than that air headed girl. Not to mention Fayt wasn't allowed to date! Albel himself had claimed the boy the very first day he arrived here.
He paused to take a breath, then spun on his heels and began to walk back towards the school in the opposite direction.
"Keh! Why should I care?"
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"Today we're starting a new project! I've split you into pairs, according to how I've seen you act in class." A collective groan was heard throughout the classroom. "Now don't be like that class! It'll be fun!" not a single person believed a word he said. The teacher sent the class a…look, because it wasn't a scowl, teachers couldn't scowl at students. A girl in the far back snorted and turned away from the teacher, her waist length black hair swooshed dramatically to the side.
"Just tell us what this 'fun' project is so we can leave…" the teacher smiled in a rather evil kind of way.
"Thank you for asking, Rei. There is a good deal of new freshman in the class, so I've come up with a quick, 'Get To Know Your Partner' project. You have this week and weekend to learn what you can about said partner, then you will give a report on what you learned."
"What if we don't want our privet lives spewn out in front of the class?" Rei snapped, her purple eyes narrowing at the teacher. She was in a bad mood, PMSing sucked…
"You will be allowed to have a say in what is said and what is not, of course."
"How does this relate to Symbology?" Rei glanced at her nails in a rather bored way, proving just how stupid she found this. Mr. Lasabard smiled again, a weird twinkle in his eyes.
"Oh…I'm sure you'll figure it out. Now," he shuffled some papers around. "All pairings are same gender, allowing for over night examinations. Any deaths are not my fault…" his eyes glanced towards Albel, who simply ignored the ignorant man. "Pairs are posted in the back. Have a nice day." The bell rang, sending a teeth-grinding screech throughout the building.
Albel glanced at the posted sheet, and scowled with delight. He figured he'd try and make the best out of a bad situation. Fayt however, had to stop and process what he saw.
"Mr. Lasabard, are these pairings final?"
"Wha…? Oh, yes. Yes, they are." Fayt hesitated for a moment, trying to find a way to voice his opinion without getting himself into trouble. A glance at the paper again confirmed that it wasn't an illusion.
"Then, why am I paired with Albel? You…are aware of our…fights?" Mr. Lasabard glanced up from his paper shuffling to glance at Fayt. He shrugged nonchalantly and went quickly back to his work. He was a teacher; teachers didn't need to keep eye contact. They were above that.
"You're the only person he speaks to. I've even heard you two in a rather normal discussion that didn't involve him killing you or someone else." Mr. Lasabard paused, trying to think of how to word what he would say next without being fired. "I couldn't pair him with any other student. Their life would be in danger! We cant have that!" Mr. Lasabard made a waving motion with his hands. "Now off with you, you're taking up valuable work time." Fayt turned and left, grumbles of how little his life meant dripping from his lips, but Mr. Lasabard ignored it. It was only silly teen anguish, after all.
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"Leingod? Well, it could've been worse…" Albel told himself. "It could've been that self centered Rei chick…ugh…" he shivered a little. The amount of make up that girl wore sent off more toxic fumes than a forgotten, unlit, gas fireplace. Not to mention the hair products. Wasn't one bottle of hairspray a day enough? Obviously not! Albel would never understand women.
'That's why you're still single.' His mind informed him politely.
'Shove it. I've never listened to you before, why start now?'
'Well, you're holding a conversation with me after all.'
'You are me! What's the difference and what's your point?'
'That I'm always right.'
'No, I'm always right.'
'But I am you. It's the same thing."
'No. You're stupid; I'm not. I'm done listening to you.'
'You're stupid?'
'No, you!'
'You?'
'You, fool!' Albel paused. 'Why am I talking to myself?'
'I don't know, seems pretty stupid to me…'
Albel's head hit the desk rather loudly, and he smirked as his forehead started to burn a little. Masochist? Maybe…but who cared? He needed his mind to focus on the important things; like Mr. Wiggles. And Fayt.
Always Fayt. Never let Fayt get ahead. Never let Fayt win! Never let Fayt-
Two sharp knocks on his door jerked Albel back to reality, and he glared at the bothersome barrier of wood. He liked his little daydream, where Fayt never won… Albel stood and almost pouted as he made his way to the door. Almost, make no mistake; because The Wicked One could never actually pout…He flung open the door to see his daydream standing before him, a light frown on his face and shifting nervously back and forth.
"I'm coming over tomorrow morning. We'll get this damn thing done as soon as possible and as quickly as possible. Thanks. Bye." Fayt spun around and stomped back down the hall.
"Wait! Mornings are not good! Ugh…" Albel's head dropped and he resigned himself to the doom that awaited him tomorrow morning. 'Must make A LOT of coffee. Or tea. Yes, tea has lots of caffeine…' and Albel the Wicked closed his door with a soft click and a chuckle at himself. He really needed some friends. This talking to himself thing wasn't cool.
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He was having a pleasant dream. He really couldn't tell what was going on, but he was all warm and wrapped in something soft and fluffy. His brain had given him a serene fog to stay in, and he was blissfully unaware, cozy in his perfection. Except…there was that…that…annoying thingy in the very back of his mind. You know the place, where the cobwebs forever reside because you NEVER use that part? Yeah, you know that place…
Albel blink a couple times, his mind drifting out of the warm, happy, fuzzy place he had just been moments ago, eager to escape the annoying thingy…though…he could still hear it! He swung his feet off the bed and rubbed at heavy, itchy eyes. 'Ugh! Mornings suck!'
Albel was trying to force his mind to process properly like it did when he was appropriately awake, mainly because he finally recognized that the 'annoying thingy' was knocking at his door.
He yanked it open, almost letting it slam against the wall, but manage to catch it and still look absolutely cool and suave at the same time. Albel the Wicked did not fumble!
'Ha! I defy you door!' he thought for a moment, and then turn to face the rude person who'd dragged him from the warm fuzzy place in his dreams. Albel probably knew the person, why else would they be at his door on an evil Tuesday morning? And they didn't even have class that day! How…evil! He wanted to voice that opinion, really, he did, but morning weren't his best time, and he still couldn't make a connection between the face and a name.
Albel made sure to put on his ever-placed scowl, but he wasn't so sure how it looked in his foggy sleepiness.
The person was a boy; Albel could see that, with blue hair. Weird. Big green eyes stared at him in utter shock and Albel wondered if the person had knocked on the wrong door. If so, he would die for needlessly waking him up.
But this person wasn't moving, so Albel glanced behind himself into his room to see if there was something wrong. Then he noticed his lack of clothing. Albel noticed the boy was blushing and sighed, some people were so stupid, and this boy probably slept nude sometimes too! Albel wanted to yell that very thought at him, but there was that morning thing…
'I'm sorry. Are you embarrassed by my gorgeous and naked body?' he wanted to say, but it was morning, so all that came out was a mumbled 'Sorry,' with a gesture at his lack of clothing. The rude awaker-person shrugged.
"No…it's hot…I mean! It's okay, it's been hot lately!" Albel simply raised an eyebrow, and choose not to look too far into that comment.
'What brings you to my wonderful, and probably much more extravagant and spacious than yours, room? Of course…his problem…
"Ya want something?" Albel was utterly embarrassed.
"Well, I came about our project." Said the intruder, looking faintly baffled, "I didn't expect to see you so…so…" he didn't finish but trailed off in a laugh.
'Look, I'm really sorry, but mornings are just awful for me! My brain isn't actually functioning at the high level it usually does. Judging you and your statements we're fairly familiar with one another, so maybe if you could inform me of your particulars we could have a more two-sided conversation over tea, which successfully wakes up my head?'
Yeah right, like that would ever come out of his mouth at 6 am.
"Mornings…suck…you are?" Albel watched the kid blink a couple times, a creepy smirk crossing his face.
"Fayt. Your Symbology partner and worst enemy."
Fayt. Crap.
'Following me around, are you? Stalking me? Obsessing? You want me don't you!'
"Wha ya doin' here?" Nice, Albel. Very smooth. Complete weakness in front of the enemy.
"Symbology project! Remember?" Fayt had the decency to laugh at him again.
'Ah, yes you did tell me! What a coincidence! A sneer 'what the hell do you think your doing here at 6 am? We do not have class, we also have a week to do this 'project,' did you really feel the need to rouse me from my happy dream with your annoying badgering and tapping, only to be followed by you laughing at me?'
"Right." He mumbled and stepped to the side, allowing Fayt to enter so he could close the door.
"I can come back later, when you're able to form coherent thoughts if you want…" Fayt suggested, a little scared of what an out of whack Wicked One might do.
'You already woke me up, you fucker! You are not going anywhere until this god forsaken project is done.'
Albel blinked and without another word, turned around and stomped back into his room. Fayt noticed a rather large tattoo on his shoulder blade of a pretty, gothic fairy, which was sleeping. He looked closer, eyes narrowing a little, and suddenly realized she was actually moving!
Snoring and drooling, and she tossed from side to side once in awhile with a scowl not unlike Albel's on her face, in fact.
"Nice tattoo." He mumbled timidly, a little scared of a magic tattoo.
"Sm'logy…reflects mood." (2.) Albel shoved a cup of water in the tiny microwave to make instant tea, only to move to the bed and jerk on the blankets till the bed was made. Fayt shifted from foot to foot nervously while Albel pulled on a rumpled pair of jeans that were lying on the ground. He watched The Wicked One run a hand through his hair and frowned at the lack of rat-tails, he felt kind of bad about that now.
Albel yanked the cup out and dropped the tea bag in the water, mixed it up and slammed it before it even cooled. He took out the wet packet and repeated the process several times.
"You're different today." Fayt mumbled while watching him with hidden amusement.
"I tried to warn you yesterday. Mornings aren't my strong point." Albel replied between gulps. The man could literally feel his brain waking up as the drink slide down his throat into his stomach.
"Yeah, mornings suck."
"Tea and coffee helps." Albel paused for a second and glanced down at the cup under his nose. Fayt choked back a snort as Albel went cross-eyed for a moment. "You want a cup?" he demanded. Fayt nodded and they sat for a while quietly sipping instant tea.
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1. Line from a reviewer named Kaorustalker30!
2. Symbology is what he tried to say. Yeah, I know, weird, but possible! I'm the author and I wanted it in there! AUSymbology a little different!
Author Ramble: I hate this chapter. It's one of those pointless filler chapters that exist only so then next one will make sense. I'm really sorry for forcing you to read something so pointless. R&R