Trick Questions
Katekyo Hitman Reborn!
(Byakuran x Shoichi)
Irie Shoichi sighed, leaning back in his chair. All around him students hastily scribbled down the teacher's lecture, soaking in as much information as they could in hopes of understanding.
They were not like Irie.
He could probably pass this class with his eyes closed.
Jade green orbs glanced around the lecture hall behind the glint of his slim-framed glasses, gaze falling on a man across the room who looked equally bored. This guy was the star of their class, easily the smartest and the most popular. He was tall with fair skin, gorgeous platinum hair that laid in messy spikes around his face and pale eyes a shade of lavender. They almost looked gray until the light hit them right, showing inner hues of amethyst. Those unique eyes were looking at him now as the man smiled and waved back at him.
"Gesso-san, perhaps you'd like to explain the theory on the next equation since you're so busy making googly-eyes at Irie." Their teacher was sharp, but he also had it out for them.
Irie blushed, completely embarrassed as the class snickered around him.
"Sure, sure~" The tall blonde got to his feet, and proceeded to make a mockery out of their teacher as if it was as easy as breathing. Akibara-sensei hated every second of it, judging by his scowl, and finding no fault with Gesso's explanation merely reprimanded them again for disturbing his class.
They were used to it. Both could have taught this class themselves if they wanted to. Irie Shoichi was a genius. But Gesso Byakuran was an anomaly.
They had met and became friends. Shoichi had been sixteen. Byakuran was twenty-one. Shoichi was starting college while Byakuran was finishing his bachelor's degree with honors. They quickly became close and Byakuran confided in him that he was part of the mafia.
A mafia boss to be precise.
"Sho-chan, are you coming back to school this semester?" Byakuran had asked him a few months back.
"Eh?" Shoichi had blinked. Their mafia family had grown tremendously in recent months and between all of the technical work he had been doing, school had been the last thing on his mind.
"You should!" The blonde grinned at him. "If you're having problems with your tuition and board I'll cover you."
"I have a full scholarship." The redhead had reminded him, typing away at his computer to avoid looking straight at him. "Besides I can't let you do that!" Money had never been an option for Byakuran, but Shoichi had a modest upbringing and had learned to value everything. "I'll get a part-time job and pay for my dorm myself."
His response had been a clap on the shoulder. "You're full time job is helping me run the Family." He said, ever smiling. "It's a boss's job to take care of his subordinates. Let me handle the money issue. You just stay by my side, kay?"
Irie had blushed and said nothing. It was only shortly after that that he found out that he and Byakuran would be sharing a studio apartment together that was within ten minutes from the school by bus. He had wanted to protest but he kept his comments to himself.
This was how Byakuran was. He took everything in stride like the world moved around him, and maybe, it just did. His charisma and ambitions could intimidate the hell out of Irie, but he never flaunted them in front of Shoichi.
"Sho-chan!"
The bell had barely rung and the blonde was at his desk, his backpack slung over one shoulder. Irie doubted he had even bothered taking a pen and pencil out for this class. Shoichi had at least had the decency to act like he was partially taking notes.
He packed his things up, looking up at the tall man after a minute. He was smiling down at him waiting patiently. With his gorgeous face and pale eyes and hair, he could have been a model. He certainly dressed like one; the most fashionable brand names and all in pale characters to compliment his fairness.
Byakuran wore his ever-present smile. "Let's go get some lunch, mn? This place nearly put me to sleep!"
Shoichi smiled back at him as he gathered his things and shoved them in his bag. "Yeah." He agreed and stood up. He barely came up to his friend's shoulder, and he wasn't a particularly short man either, though he was still growing. Byakuran's Italian lineage had come into play and given him a more Caucasian appearance overall; broader shoulders, taller height, thicker muscle build and pale features, though his almond shaped eyes and face held distinct Asian qualities.
They walked out of the building together, Byakuran leading the way to their usual spot; a sit of picnic tables on the outskirts of the dorm grounds. It was usually the place people came for a romantic outing or lunch but the boys frequented this spot a couple of times a week.
Shoichi made food for them as always and the bento boxes were handed out. Byakuran always seemed delighted with his food, but insisted on eating things out of Shoichi's capacity and so he had learned how to cook a variety of foods, just to please his boss's whimsical appetite. Today was beef sandwiches and the usual assortment of fresh fruits and vegetables and a small bag of Byakuran's favorite thing in the world- marshmallows.
"Hey Sho-chan," Byakuran paused to pop a cherry tomato in his mouth. "You got plans for tonight?"
The question was casual. They usually had this discussion once a day. Shoichi was studious and in love with his computers. If he could hole himself up in a room with a bunch of PCs he would probably never see the light of day again. Byakuran on the other hand was the social-elite party boy who would probably be up all night and somehow manage to make it to his nine am class looking well-rested. They spent a lot of their nights together at the apartment but every now and then they had nights where their other interests took over and they were out of the house.
"Was heading over to Spanner's after my last class." Shoichi told him, shoveling salad into his mouth.
The blonde's pale eyes narrowed behind his long ivory bangs. It went unnoticed. He huffed, leaning back. "Guess I will go out with Kikyo then."
That tone of his voice Irie had picked up on. He lifted his head from his food, blinking his green eyes. "D-Did you have something planned?" He stammered out, his heart lurching. For a moment those violet irises had stared at him in contempt.
But then Byakuran smiled again and the expression faded. "Nah." He said lazily. He picked up the bag of marshmallows and popped a handful into his mouth, completely disregarding his lunch box of half-eaten food.
Shoichi looked at the lunch he had made him and let out a small sigh. "My cooking goes to waste again."
"It was not a waste Sho-chan! It was good!" Byakuran replied lightly, popping another cushy white sweet into his mouth. "These are just better."
"You really didn't have anything in mind tonight?" He asked after a minute. He was letting the subject slide again but something about the situation had rubbed the blonde the wrong way and he had become good enough to recognize the subtle change in him.
"No plans." Byakuran shrugged, standing up and putting his box back together, all the while munching on his prized dessert. His pale eyes danced and then his smile turned mischievous. "I'll just go out and party again. Get drunk, prolly sleep with Kikyo again…" He outright grinned. "These things happen."
Shoichi stiffened in his seat and looked up at him. His eyes widened behind his thin glasses. "W-What?!" He gaped. This was the first he had ever heard of this. "Byakuran-san-"
"My next class is getting ready to start." He cut him off swiftly and efficiently. "If you get home before I do tonight, don't wait up." He smiled at him as he walked backwards, waving to him. "Later!"
The younger boy just sat there stunned, as if Byakuran had just slapped him right across the face. He knew what kind of man his friend was, and he'd heard rumors about wild nights that he'd had and stories of girls he had slept with…but this was different.
Kikyo was one of the Millefiore Family; one of their own. He was also a guy, which hadn't seemed to phase Byakuran but to Irie that surprisingly hurt. Kikyo adored Byakuran, that was easy to see but Shoichi had always thought that he was Byakuran's best friend. Why hadn't he told him, in the least?
It was hard to concentrate on anything after that. Shoichi spent the rest of the afternoon in a daze. He spaced out in his classes. He was hurt, and he was angry, and he wasn't sure why. What did he expect? Byakuran was a wild streak who held all the authority over their heads. As their boss he didn't have to tell them anything, especially when it came to his private life. It hadn't bothered him before when Byakuran had exploits with other women. Perhaps because they were always short-lived. Kikyo was in a position to go nowhere. He was in their Family for life and that was evident by the weight of his resolve. He could very much end up as Byakuran's right-hand man.
Which was where Shoichi was now.
Of course when he left the building that afternoon, he found the odd couple standing out front, surrounded by some of Byakuran's usual groupies. Kikyo was with them. He was taller then Byakuran even, with long wavy hair a beautiful shade of teal blue. He was an art student and it showed in his flashy clothing and the fact that he wore more eye-shadow then most girls. Despite his weird fashion habits, he was pretty and he was popular as well, though because of his schedule he moved in different circles then them at school.
Something one of the girls said made Byakuran laugh and Kikyo smiled down at him, the soft look in his blue-green eyes that awed expression as if the young man next to him was the greatest thing on the planet. It was in that heart-wrenching moment Shoichi realized how good they looked standing next to one another. Byakuran brought out the more masculine and gentle side of Kikyo and he looked completely boyish when he stood next to him. They were both extremely pretty too- it was no wonder the girls crowded around them.
Shoichi ducked around the side of the building and went out the back way towards the school entrance, having to tear himself from the scene in front of him, and nearly ran down the street to the bus stop. It was with a leaden heart that he assessed the situation.
He was in danger of losing his best friend, to some girly-looking art student. The thought that they were both men didn't even disgust him. It was more the fact that they were stuck with Kikyo and the closer he got to Byakuran the further apart Shoichi would be sent from him.
When the bus passed through a tunnel to get off school grounds, he found himself staring at his reflection in the glass and after a second of self-evaluation he turned away and put his back to the window. He had never really cared about his looks to begin with but he was about the definition of normal. Wasn't exceptionally handsome or pretty and still looked very boyish. He had green eyes that seemed bigger because of his glasses and sandy crimson hair that held vibrant streaks of red and also subtle gold highlights in it. He was lean built as he didn't excel in sports and he was about average height for most Japanese men. In a simple t-shirt and jeans, his bookbag slung over one shoulder he looked like a student, and still very much a nerd. That realization made him sigh. One of the brightest young minds in the country and he was suddenly conscious of his appearance.
He had knocked five or six times before he tried the door and found the handle unlocked. Letting himself into the small apartment, he smiled, the atmosphere lifting his spirits. Robot parts and computers were scattered across the floor in the living room, which was set up in an impressive attempt at a machinery hanger. Through the metal laying everywhere he found his friend sitting among the piles of wreckage, his head downcast as he was typing away on the computer.
Shoichi put his hand on his shoulder and he jumped. Blue eyes turned to look at him and he blinked. "I didn't hear you come in."
Irie smiled and let out a small smile. "I only knocked eight times." He moved aside the multiple USB cords streaming from the laptop and sat down next to him. "What are you working on?"
Spanner took the lollipop out of his mouth so he could talk more precisely. "To be honest I'm not sure." He said running a hand through his short blonde hair. "It started as a new program for the Mosca but I kinda got carried away."
That was completely like him. Spanner was Shoichi's age, a kid who had grown up in Germany and become obsessed with robotics. He was a fan of Japanese history and culture and was currently staying in the country on a scholarship with a tech school. He was about the only person who was nerdier then Shoichi and that thought was comforting in the least, though Spanner looked nothing like a geek who hid behind a computer screen twenty hours a day.
Shoichi pulled his own laptop from his bag and the two went to work on Spanner's code. When he could drown himself in something he loved like this, Byakuran and his own empty insecurities faded away and he became focused on nothing else but working his magic on the keyboard. Hours faded and just like usual they lost track of time.
It was Spanner who got up and stretched, though he had probably been sitting twice as long as Shoichi had. "It's quarter after one in the morning." He said his brows arching. "Totally forgot about dinner."
"Me too." Shoichi smiled up at him, taking his glasses off and wiping them on his shirt to clean them. Now that he thought about it, he was hungry.
"You should probably go home soon, if you have class tomorrow morning. If not you can just crash here." His friend told him, walking into the kitchen to raid the fridge.
Irie flinched. Thinking about home meant thinking about Byakuran…it was their place after all. He had had enough fun for one night, and he did have class tomorrow, though not till the afternoon. "Yeah, I should probably go home."
"Is something wrong?" Spanner's voice picked up and the redhead realized he had come back to the doorway, his blue eyes glinting with concern. "You've been quiet tonight."
Shoichi blinked, surprised that he would pick up on it when he was usually oblivious to everything else. He realized he couldn't underestimate Spanner- he too was a genius after all. "Just something bothering me…but it's not important." He told him with a sheepish smile. "Sorry."
The blonde took the lollipop out of his mouth….his sixteenth one since Irie had arrived. He looked like he wanted to say something and then abruptly closed his mouth, shaking his head. "You know you can talk to me if you need to."
"It's nothing like that." He assured him, packing his things back into his backpack. "Just a bad feeling I have."
His bad feeling did indeed ring true. It was almost two-thirty when he got back to find the apartment dark. He turned the dimmer on in the living room. It didn't look like anyone had been home since they left this morning. He peeked his head in the master bedroom but found it empty and dark. Byakuran wasn't home. Go figure.
He went through the motions of getting something to eat and cleaning his face before hopping in to bed an hour later and still, his roommate wasn't home. This happened often but back then he hadn't even bothered to think about it. That was before he knew Byakuran was sleeping with one of his subordinates.
Did that really bother him that badly? It wasn't the shock of him sleeping with a man…that was wearing off. Was he really that afraid that Kikyo would take his place or was it…
…that it wasn't him that Byakuran shared a bed with.
His heart leapt into his throat and he shook his head furiously, heat flaring his cheeks as red as his hair. It was ridiculous to think that way. That would obviously mean that he was jealous, and maybe he was a little bit, but that was because they were best friends right?
His pounding heart resounding in his ears seemed to answer the question for him.
In the end Byakuran never did come home that night. Irie nearly missed his late- morning class after spending half the night restlessly worrying and thinking and brooding over his emotions. He checked Byakuran's room again before he left but it was still empty and there were no signs that he had been there…he was known to leave a mess in the kitchen whenever he attempted to make anything for himself.
Shoichi tried to manage through classes but he wasn't doing any better then the previous afternoon. He found himself actually taking notes so that he could remember what was going on in class because his mind was in a daze. He didn't know why he was so affected by this, but it was eating him alive.
The class before their lunch break was the one class he shared with Byakuran, and he was half expecting him to not show. One look in the class though and he was shocked to see that his friend was already there. Where he had gotten the change of clothes Shoichi did not know but his eyes went wide at the blonde as he turned to him.
"Afternoon Sho-chan." He said pleasantly, the same as always, with the same easy-going smile.
Irie was transfixed on something other than those lavender eyes for once. There, just barely visible above the top of his collar, was a small reddish purple mark on the young man's skin. The redhead felt his jaw want to drop and he ducked his head away, murmuring a small hello as he sat down in his seat to hide his embarrassment.
Byakuran's smile grew just a bit.
This class may as well not have existed in Shoichi's mind. It was a good thing he was going to ace it because he didn't remember a damn thing the teacher had said. When class broke, just like usual his friend was at his desk to meet him for lunch, but he had no appetite.
"Did you have fun at Spanner's last night?" Byakuran asked, his light tone sounding interested.
Shoichi said nothing for a long moment, shoving his stuff haphazardly into his bag. "I did." He said, getting to his feet. "I can see you and Kikyo must have had a blast." He couldn't keep the bitterness out of his voice.
Byakuran seemed to ignore it. "We did. We started at a bar and ended up…well…" He chuckled. He stuck his hands in the pockets of his jeans. "So, what do you wanna do for lunch? I see you didn't bring anything today."
Irie lifted his head and looked over at him, his green eyes wavering. He felt betrayed, in the sickest way. "I'm not hungry." He snapped.
At that the blonde seemed to actually look at him and he stopped mid-stride, his pale eyes widening. "Sho-chan-"
"Save it." Shoichi cut him off. He had never talked back to Byakuran out of anger, not like this. Every now and then he had to scold him to keep him in line but he never was insubordinate, unless his feelings were involved. He glared at him with all the fury he could put in one look and then turned to walk off.
A hand clamped down on his shoulder. "Shoichi-" he started his voice a more serious tone now.
"I don't want to hear it." The redhead jerked free of his grasp and took off down the hall before the blonde could follow him.
He knew Byakuran would. He didn't take no for an answer.
The redhead ended up leaving school then, taking the bus back to the apartment and slammed the door to his room shut. He had the worst stomachache of his life, his chest hurt and his eyes stung. He tossed his glasses on the night stand and pounced his bed, pulling the covers up around him. He felt sick all over and all he wanted to do was get some rest.
He didn't know how long he was out after that. He remembered waking up sweating and hot and shivering all at once before he had rolled over toward the wall. It was dark outside. He couldn't tell if it was morning or evening but the darkness hid the tears that finally did come and then exhausted, he fell back asleep.
Byakuran had respected his privacy and left him alone, though he had come home right after Shoichi. Kikyo had come over after class let out, having heard the rumors that Byakuran had left earlier.
He found the silver-haired man sitting on the couch nearest to the door of his roommate's, simply just waiting. He had never seen him look so solemn and it made his heart ache looking at him.
"Byakuran-sama…" He had started, not knowing what to say to comfort him.
"I deserved it." He told him, propping his chin on his knee, wrapping his arms around himself. "Whatever it was…I deserved it. Sho...ichi is never like that with me."
"He is your subordinate." Kikyo told him lightly. "If it bothers you, order him out here and make him talk." Those violet eyes narrowed and they flashed at him, a clear warning. Kikyo bowed his head. "I'm sorry. I've said too much."
"You can leave." Byakuran told him dismissively, averting his gaze from him.
Kikyo opened his mouth to speak, to protest and found that he couldn't. He merely just bowed his head again and slipped out, leaving the young man alone.
Darkness fell and Byakuran continued to sit there waiting. Shoichi couldn't stay mad at him forever, could he? Maybe he was afraid of his boss's wrath but eventually he would have to come out of that room. He would need to eat and go to school. His friend would never miss a day of school. And when he came out, they would talk.
During the night though, Byakuran succumbed to exhaustion. He hadn't gotten much sleep the night before and even with Shoichi on the brain he slumped over on the couch. Before he knew it light was filtering through the wide windows and there had been no sign or sound of his roommate.
Byakuran sat up, ruffling his white locks sleepily. Now he was slightly annoyed. He got up and went to his friend's door. "Sho-chan~" He called in that melodious tune he always used. "You can't stay mad at me forever." He found the door was unlocked and pushed it open, waiting for a pillow assault. "Come on, we're gonna be late for class-" he said cheerfully, trying to smooth things over with his playful tone, but his eyes fell on the bed and he immediately sobered.
He moved to the bedside in an instant. "Shoichi." His voice was serious as he looked down on him.
The man was huddled up in the blankets, his body shaking. Byakuran didn't need to feel that he was running a high-fever, the evidence was obvious. The redhead's face was flushed and his reddish-brown locks were plastered to his face and head with sweat. The green eyes fluttered for a second and half opened. He gave him a soft smile.
"I've seemed to come down with something." He said softly.
The blonde frowned and reached out, pushing back the man's bangs from his forehead. Guilt racked him, though he'd never show it out loud. "I'm going to heal you alright? You'll be feeling better soon." His voice was confident as he spoke, brushing the back of his hand on Shoichi's cheek.
Those green eyes closed again and he mumbled something that sounded like a reply.
Byakuran concentrated, his resolve hardening into pure energy. Those like him could harness their willpower as a weapon, or in his case, a cure. There was the sound of strained fabric and his wings burst from his back, tearing his designer shirt into tatters, the emblem of his power. Some wore their flames on their firsts or above their head. His took the form of these ethereal wings that suited his fair beauty.
He placed his hand back on Shoichi's forehead gently and concentrated. To treat someone was tedious and delicate work. He had to force his will flame into them and if he was to rough the damage would be more severe then the injury itself. For someone as whimsical as Byakuran this was when he became his most serious. Not only was this important it was for someone he cared deeply about.
Emotions were not something he was used to. He didn't get mushy around people, and he had trouble being soft-hearted. He felt like he was missing that part of him that made him human and yet when Shoichi was around, he felt complete. This man, who was so shy and quiet had the stubbornness and courage to stand up to him, to bicker with him, to treat him like he was normal, when everyone else looked at him with admiration or adoration. There were few people in this world who would defy him and he respected and liked them for that.
Shoichi though, for being as smart as he was, was oblivious to the affections Byakuran rained on him. He doted on him, kept him close and utterly valued his opinion. They were best friends that much was true, but for a long time he had wanted more, and he was convinced that Shoichi had feelings for him too, however reserved or unaware he was. He teased and flaunted in front of Shoichi as a way to get his attention, but this time had been too much. He had been jealous of Spanner for a while- he and Shoichi shared so much in common and when he chose him first Byakuran reverted to his cruel tactics. Kikyo was a distraction and a way to relieve frustration but his heart was not there. It never had been.
But, he had forgotten his friend's weak constitution. Shoichi was not a fighter, not by a long shot. He got sick easily, especially if there was a lot of pressure placed on him. This was Byakuran's fault, for stressing him out and making him angry and he knew that. The only thing he could possibly do was try to make it right.
He soothed the redhead's fever, assessed his organs and tried to comfort his body. His stomach always bothered him and he stopped its obsessive churning, slowed down his quickened heart and gave relief to his aching muscles.
He flinched when he felt the briefest of touches across his sensitive wing. His concentration fell and the dying will flame dispersed in Shoichi, stopping the healing process. He blinked his eyes open and found the redhead staring back at him with jade green eyes and a small smile. His fingers were slowly caressing over the soft feathers, running along the spine of the white pinions.
"You really are beautiful you know." Shoichi said softly his voice still strained.
Byakuran's heart skipped a beat, rare and new, and relief flooded through him. He leaned close, cradling the back of Shoichi's head in his palm and pressed a kiss against his sweaty forehead. "Get some rest." He ordered.
The redhead blushed despite himself, wondering if that had really happened or if he had imagined it. "Are you going to be here when I wake up?" He asked in his fever daze, as Byakuran wings' folded tightly across his back and disappeared.
The response he got was a puzzled look. "Of course." Byakuran responded as if that was the dumbest question ever. Without warning he stood and simply climbed in bed with him.
Shoichi's green eyes widened and he coughed, scooting over to put space between them. "You'll get sick." He protested weakly.
"I don't get sick." Byakuran smiled at him, making himself comfortable. His pale eyes closed. "Besides, now you can tell everyone I slept with you too."
Irie blushed again. "Completely different meanings, Byakuran."
An eyebrow went up at the lack of an honorific there, especially when Shoichi was a stickler for those sort of things. "We can change that when you're better if you like."
"Mmn." Was the only response he got and he smiled, hard to see if that was a yes or a no.
"Sho-chan?" He asked after enough time had passed and the redhead had drifted back off into a half-sleep haze.
"Mn." The soft response was shorter this time.
"Do you love me?"
Shoichi's brow furrowed. He sighed softly, his brain too muddled to think. "What kind of question is that?" He answered sleepily.
"I'll take that as a yes." Byakuran ran his fingers along the boy's jaw, tilting his face upward to place a soft kiss on his lips. It probably went completely unnoticed but the slight twitch of his brow made him think the young man was conscious enough to know what had happened.
"Sho-chan!"
Irie turned around just in time to be pounced. Arms wrapped around him and pulled him close and for a moment he was helplessly held against that lean muscular chest. His eyes widened and he blushed horribly, pulling him off him. "Not while we're on campus!" He squeaked out.
Byakuran beamed at him, finding no wrong. "You're so cute." He said, completely ignoring the scolding.
Shoichi swallowed, pushing his glasses back up his nose. Ever since he had gotten over his illness, he and Byakuran had been inseparable again, like they had been when they had first met. The redhead had come to terms with the fact that he had developed a bit of a crush on his mafia boss, but he was not about to let Byakuran simply have his way with him.
And he had tried, several times by now. Shoichi wasn't completely comfortable with the idea but he was willing to try and work things out with his heart and trust in the blonde a little more. If he was willing to be patient, Shoichi was willing to meet him halfway, with both his heart and his body.
Meanwhile Kikyo hadn't been around lately and when he was he was spitting fire in Shoichi's general direction. Irie felt bad for him but he was happier this way with Byakuran's completely affections back on him. He had been jealous and knowing Byakuran was going to tone down all the partying for his sake was something he respected. He found the more he realized the other man's feelings the more he realized how much he was ready to put aside for him.
Byakuran held him at arms length, looking down at him with stars in his eyes. "Do you have plans tonight?"
Shoichi wondered if this was a trick question. He had talked to Spanner and told him that he wouldn't be able to hang out as much, not with this crazy new layer of his life going on. His friend had seemed a little disappointed but he understood. With nothing outside of school and mafia business going on now, of course he had no plans tonight. "No…?" He asked slowly.
"Good!" Byakuran said and took one of his hands into his own, squeezing his fingers tight. "Because we're going out tonight!"
The redhead looked at him startled before eyeing him warily. "Not you're kind of 'going out' I hope." He said referring to the bar and the night clubs.
The blonde smiled, his violet eyes softening. "I was thinking more like dinner and a movie. You know, like a date."
Irie turned the color of his hair and couldn't stop the shock from registering on his face. All at once he looked away. Had this been what he wanted last week when he had asked? And Shoichi had completely botched that one. All at once he felt a little guilty. "That sounds nice." He told him sincerely.
The free arm wrapped around him, pulling him close so that he could feel the contour of the taller man's body. "And afterward-" Byakuran started with a purr and found a finger to his lips, silencing him.
"Don't press your luck."
END
I take fic requests all the time! Feel free to contact me.
