"Ready, Sophia?" Fayt smiled at her sincerely, nearly giving her a heart attack as she sat at the kitchen side thinking about him as she always did, full of doubt and pessimism.

"Aieee!" Sophia jumped off her seat, and backed away a pace. "Oh, Fayt!" she panted, holding her heart.

Fayt smiled again- in amusement. "What's wrong, Sophia?" he asked pleasantly.

Did he enjoy doing this to her- probably not- he most likely had no idea what he was doing to her and all of the students in their school- a naïve kind of unawareness to his own influence.

"Oh, um…nothing…you just scared me, that's all, coming up from behind like that- I mean-!" she put a hand over her mouth.

"Okay, well, do you want to go now?" Fayt asked again, extending his hand.

"Oh, well… um…I…" Sophia stuttered.

Fayt's hand withdrew, realisation spread over his face- and she trembled- did he know?

"Don't you like walking with me?" he folded his arms, as if in discomfort- and from the most confident person Sophia knew, this was very surprising to say the least.

"What?" Sophia gasped.

"Well, I notice, that when we walk together- all of the time in fact- you never really talk to me…and when I try to talk to you… you don't even look at me- I could be reading into that wrong- I might've been able to dismiss that as you not being a morning person but- well- it's all the time. You do like me, don't you?" Fayt asked Sophia, his eyes straight down at hers.

"Fayt…I didn't know you felt that way…I'm sorry…it's just that- when I'm around you I…I ……I can't say it- I'm sorry- I don't want to hurt you!" and she turned away quickly, picked up her bag from the side and fled from the room.

"Sophia!" he called after her, seeing her fleeing around the corner.

He got the same feeling every time he was in school- around every corner people were watching him- talking quietly.

When he approached other groups, their conversations would end- usually he would counter his in his own forced confidence by starting a new topic- but why did they do that? Was he that notorious- why couldn't he just walk up to a crowd of students and blend in- why couldn't he be invisible for once?

Did they know how insecure he really felt?

He moved quickly and slid round the corner- finally he was alone.

He usually liked being with others- he usually ignored these feelings of paranoia- it was only for 6 hours anyway, until everyone walked home and let him be- all the attention- for whatever reason he had it- was gone. It was the same in the morning- name shouting didn't start until he was at the gates of the school- or just inside. He stopped; or until Sophia left him.

He thought it was strange- but the one day Sophia ran off- the one day when he was left alone on the way to school- it was the one day that he was surrounded as soon as he left his street and people saw him on his own. Was it because they were confused at the change of routine?

"Fayt," a girl from his own year- always sugary sweet and nice to him, "where's Sophia?" she asked, joining him with a few of her friends as they neared the block their school was on.

Fayt looked down with a grimace and their eyes followed instinctively.

"Oh, she's walking on her own today, that's all," he replied quietly, looking up and giving them a smile that could not hide his pain, especially from those with eyes like hawks- so sensitive to his every expression.

"Something's wrong, we can tell!" a young man from the fourth year placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I know Sophia- you two fell out, didn't you!" an insistent first year exclaimed. "Did Sophia say something mean? I could talk to her if you want!"

And then Fayt burst.

"No!" he exclaimed, walking out of the circle that had been formed around him, and then he turned back to their shocked faces. "I mean, no… thank you for your concern but I'm really alright," he told them- but it didn't get any easier on the way.

And now he had been driven to some kind of last resort- a deserted place- the back buildings- where he could feel insignificant and invisible- where he could think.

'Did she say something mean?' Not really, in fact- she hadn't said anything- something was bothering her the whole time and all he could be worried about was himself.

Stupid- she was so stupid. All this time she had bought into the same perceptions as all her classmates and the entire school- didn't she know him better? Why hadn't she noticed that Fayt was so nervous and worried too- he was, taking aside all the views and opinions about him being perfect and godly- everyone's first crush- a normal student. Why couldn't Fayt be insecure and shy sometimes?

"Sophia?" and she turned, she often came here when she felt that she was so invisible to her chattering friends that they wouldn't even notice if she faded away.

Perhaps one of her friends had noticed that she had gone- but this was in fact a group of first years she didn't know- not that she knew many people.

"Yes?" she bleated, shocked as they came right up close.

"You didn't walk to school with Fayt today; why?" came the indignant voice of one girl.

"Umm… what?" Sophia stepped back nervously.

"Don't avoid the question! Fayt looked really upset this morning- and he's never usually like that- so what did you do? The only thing different about today is that he didn't walk to school with you!" another girl pried.

"Well, I don't think that's any business of yours- I think you should ask Fayt why he's so upset- I didn't say anything to him- there may have been a small misunderstanding- but that's between us," Sophia replied, going to walk away.

"Oh no you don't!" a third year who had appeared cried, grabbing Sophia by the arm and pulling her back; at which Sophia shrieked, pushed against the wall that surrounded the school- and now Sophia was surrounded by demanding, passionate girls.

"What do you want from me!" Sophia yelled.

"Don't you know how lucky you are! First, none other than Fayt Leingod is staying at your house to be closer to this school!"

"Yeah! That's reason enough for us to be annoyed with you! You see him all the time! Before we were hacked off that you got to walk to and from school with him- who wouldn't be! Then again- it's not like you ever talked to him in that time- so we didn't say anything to you,"

"But now you've hurt his feelings- we had no idea that he liked you so much- we should have realised it sooner- so we could have prevented something like this from happening to him!"

"Yeah- you either walk with him or not- but that you reject him- when all the other girls would kill for a chance to be with him- that's why we'll hate you for doing this!"

"It's not like you're anything special! I would never turn down a chance to walk to school with Fayt!"

Now all the girls looked menacing and pugnacious- shaking in fury as she trembled in fear, her pupils wide.

"Sophia?" came a voice from behind them, and they all spun in surprise to see the very one they all doted on, confused , "What's going on?" he inquired, looking on at the scene in vex.

"F-Fayt-san!" one of the girls gasped; seemingly ashamed, they all shifted sheepishly.

"Well we were just talking-!" another began, when Fayt looked her way harshly and her voice stopped.

"I think I know what's going on here," he frowned to them, "but actually, I was talking to Sophia," he added, walking through them like they weren't even there and taking her by the hand, "come on, and let's go get some lunch, ok?" he asked, to which Sophia nodded quickly and they walked away together.

"Umm, Fayt…" Sophia began quietly, when Fayt turned to her in demand.

"Sophia, why didn't you tell me you were being bullied?" he asked her suddenly. "You know I hate that kind of thing- is that what this was about, you thought that I would be bullied too if we were together- you thought I'd get hurt too- Sophia- I don't want you to be upset-!" which was when Sophia couldn't take it anymore either.

"That's not true! Fayt, you don't understand anything! I hate myself- I used to think you were so lucky because everybody else looks to you and likes you- I was just like them. But this morning you said something that really confused me- you sounded like you cared whether or not I liked you- why would you care about something like that when there are so many other people who like you just as much?" and she looked away as his face cleared.

"You look so confident and unaware of all the attention you're given- that's why everyone likes you- how you appear. But they don't know that you're really just as nervous as everyone else! And then I was ashamed- I don't know you any more than they do- and we're supposed to be close- I didn't realise how you felt- what was going on. You shouldn't be some kind of icon- you're the same as everybody else." Sophia avoided his gaze sadly. "I don't deserve to be your friend- if I didn't even know that!"

He held her back by her hands, and their eyes met.

"I want you to be my friend- that's all that matters to me- and that you want to be my friend too- they say they care about you me… but how can they? They wouldn't have hurt you like that if they knew- how much you mean to me.

You see, Sophia? This just proves that most people here are just influenced by their own feelings for me- so how could any of them really get to know me when they just make all that up about me and are willing to do something I am so against?"

"Fayt…" Sophia's eyes watered.

"Listen to me Sophia- I should have paid more attention to your feelings- I was so wrapped up in myself that I didn't stop to think what you were upset about- I assumed it was because you didn't like me, not because you felt that way," Fayt smiled, when Sophia jumped forwards and hugged him tightly.

"No! That's not the only reason I was upset - Fayt, I like you…lots and lots- much more than a friend…would- in a different way… do you understand now? But I knew I was just like ever other girl- that was only enforced when it was proven to me how little I knew you and how I saw you like everyone else does.

Even now- I ask myself- how you could be so nice to someone so two-faced- only interested in her own feelings…" and from beneath him came a sob as she went to pull away, when he held her in place, in their hug.

"I like you too Sophia, I knew you were shy- but I guess I couldn't see what would be so wrong with being out of everyone's way- I sometimes wish that less people would notice me- just one quiet day,"

"Fayt, that's the same with me! I just wished that someone would notice me around- some days I would just walk around and no one would say a word to me- I wished I could have what you do- maybe not all of the time but, and the one time I felt that way was when I was with you!" she smiled happily.

"Yeah, the only time I'm left alone is with you- I guess I got kind of upset when you didn't say anything to me- I felt like once again I was doing all of the talking- that's not how it used to be Sophia. I think I understand now why you might have not said anything- so…you really like me?" he grinned suddenly.

"Y-yes…" Sophia nodded, when she was drawn in again- and she closed her eyes.

It was a while before his lips left hers, and the drifted mere centimetres apart before she opened her eyes again.

They were whole; acknowledged; special; quiet; peaceful; equal.

Bah! I am so ashamed- a sappy SophiaxFayt story- and nearly as good as FaytxAlbel! I am forever tainted! Must go to write more F and A's! By the way, this is the intro to the story, but no one likes a long winded intro that explains what you can basically grasp in the story in a whole essay- but just in case some were still a little stumped.

Sophia was considered the luckiest girl in the first year of the 2nd district Tokyo grammar school.

Two years before Sophia had been allowed to join the prestigious school, a young boy joined with the highest grades ever achieved by anyone transferring there.

This boy also happened to be the cutest boy that had ever transferred to the school, girls and boys alike fell hopelessly in love with him and strong affections flew about for him wherever he went.

If Fayt Leingod was not someone's first crush, or their first love, then it was assumed automatically that you hadn't known him for very long, and you had your first crush before you had a chance to, on someone with much lower qualities.

Fayt Leingod was the most popular and famous student in the school and was currently in his third year- and like every girl- Sophia had a crush on him.

Sophia was considered by many jealous girls to be the school's luckiest student.

Why? Because Fayt Leingod and Sophia Esteed were childhood friends and had been around each other since birth; because Fayt walked her to and from school; because he let her eat lunch with him; because he held her hand and pecked her on the cheek- or was it because Fayt Leingod was currently living in the same house as her, one room down from her, one wall between them at night?

Sophia was less optimistic about the situation- yes, she was infatuated with Fayt- but being so close to her crush did not make things any easier like many friends claimed.

In fact, knowing him for so long only made her feelings grow stronger in that time until they were about to burst inside herself.

Being with him only exposed her shyness and nervousness around him- she couldn't fully look him in the eyes or speak openly to him. When he held her hand- like he would a younger sister's- she was sure that's how he saw her.

As for living with him, eating with him, greeting him first thing in the morning and saying goodnight before bed, it did not bode well with trying to keep her mind on other things for the rest of the day.

Other things would be like actually studying to keep up with the grades of such a high ranking grammar school.

It was because of the school's reputation for attaining the best pupils that Fayt had even come to stay in the first place, as Tokyo grammar was too far away from the Leingod residence to commute.

Then there was the impossibility of Fayt actually liking such a plain girl when there were so many other girls in the school much prettier than her and in Fayt's year.