Disclaimer: well, yeah, you know the drill

OMG YAY! it's my 1st all-Rikkai chapter!!

Hajimari: Marui no Gaamu wo Awarende

Kirihara Akaya always fancied himself as special, and really he was quite justified. His type was very rare nowadays. So you can imagine that he was hit hard by the realization that he was common, ordinary, everyday, run-of-the-mill brat. It took a meeting with Marui Bunta to show him that he was simply another face in the crowd. Sure, it was a very distinguished, mischievous, devilishly handsome, demonic face, but definitely not one-of-a-kind.

No, that description was reserved for his red headed senpai (though Akaya was technically far older than Marui was)……and maybe Mura-buchou (who manages to be much more frightening than Sanada-fukubuchou even while smiling).

Marui, now he was something special. Akaya liked to think that what drew him to this strange person can be found in three possible reasons.

Firstly the boy was human (HUMAN! As in sickeningly vulnerable paranoid arrogant hypocritical idiots who are even more helpless than NEWBORNS!), but he was tough and slippery. He could defend himself against those like Akaya if the need arises.

Secondly, he was easy going and careless, a combination of traits that would have killed him if it weren't for his bipolar personality. That's right, Marui is bi-polar, as in happy-go-lucky arrogant tensai one minute, and hardened world weary prick with the emotional capacity of a mirror the next.

Finally, he was very well aware of the mythical creatures that mingle with humans in this world as well as fully aware of what lay beyond this reality. And yet, Niou's stupid petenshii-ing still manages to freak him out. Honestly, Akaya has never in all his life met a more controversial person (except maybe Mura-buchou and that closed-eyed sadist from Seigaku).

And then there were his powers.

There were few people (this includes the non-human population as well) who could transcend space, fewer who tear holes in the fabric of reality and safely pass through. Before Marui, Akaya had only known one person who could slip from one dimension to the next.

……Himself.

In a way it scared him. He, who was considered abnormal even in the demon community, was intimidated by this teleporting idiot.

And speaking of the devil……

"OW! AKAYA!!" the red head whined at his kouhai, whom he had just smacked into. "That hurted (English)."

"It's not my fault you don't watch where you're going, Marui-senpai!" scratch intimidated, now he's just annoyed. "And what did you just say!?"

Marui smirked as he snatched the opportunity to tease his friend. "Oh, you wouldn't want to know."

"Why wouldn't I?"

"Trust me." He ran ahead.

"Hey wait a minute, MAAAAAARUUUUUUIIIIII-SEEEEEENPAAAAAAIIIIII!!"

And they bickered all the way to school.

Marui inwardly smiled as he argued with his kouhai. He never got tired of spending time with the boy (not, of course that he would ever tell that to anyone). Akaya was just too much fun to tease, and too predictable. Besides, he was the only one who knew about Marui's secret (outside of the family of course), and had promised to never tell.

He ruffled Akaya's hair as he made his way to the 3rd years' building.

And now it was time to sleep (and play with his gum once he woke up).

Akaya was taking out all of the days frustrations on the innocent little lime green ball that was starting to become slightly distorted (yes, he was THAT angry).

No, it wasn't because stupid Marui-senpai smacked into him this morning (he did that EVERY morning). As a matter of fact, the seaweed haired boy didn't mind his senpai at all. In his mind, he unconsciously counted all the good things about the red-head.

He certainly wasn't as bad as Niou-senpai (Akaya often wondered where the petenshi misplaced his brain. It was SO obvious that Sanada was some kind of alien. No one on Earth could be THAT quiet for THAT long!).

He wasn't as weird as Yagyuu-senpai (how could anyone imitate NIOU-SENPAI and be NORMAL? Marui was weird though).

He didn't tail him everywhere like Jackal-senpai (he did NOT need a baby sitter NO MATTER WHAT NIOU-SENPAI SAID!).

As Akaya was obviously too occupied with his mental Niou-senpai-is-such-a-crazy-jerk-rant (hey, be glad it's not the fukubuchou-is-an-evil-alien-attempting-to-take-over-the-world-with-inhumane-bitch-slaps-rant.) he didn't notice something creeping up behind him. Suddenly everything around him was flooded with blinding white light.

Marui was on the edge today, Yukimura noticed. True, it was their last practice before their match against Midoriyama (in the manga they replace Jousei Shounan) on Sunday, but it was a half-assed, small-fry school, not enough to put an over-confident tensai like Marui into an uneasy mood.

His observations were only strengthened by Marui's crazy smash against Renji. It had been almost hard enough to knock the racket out of his hands and nearly as fast as Akaya's knuckle serve. That worried the blue haired captain slightly.

Marui was not often one to bring power into a tennis match, but here he was abusing the ball.

Marui wouldn't use a smash if he could help it, but he had smashed four times in this practice match.

Marui wouldn't refrain from using any of those special volleys he was so insanely proud of, but he hasn't used one yet.

Marui, wouldn't dream of playing aggressively (almost like Akaya), but today his shots were hard enough to leave scuff marks on the court.

MARUI BUNTA LOVED bubble gum, but he hadn't blown A SINGLE BUBBLE SINCE HIS GAME STARTED!

Now you see why Yukimura was slightly confused and slightly irritated. Marui's behavior was putting everyone on the edge because no one really knew whether or not the red-head would blow up. He couldn't very well punish Marui for the distraction. The boy was only doing what he was told to do (albeit in a completely different way). In fact, his playing was better than it usually was (at practices anyway). There was just no plausible reason to assign the red-head 50 laps (though he really wanted to).

"Jackal," Yukimura called over their defense specialist and Marui's doubles partner. "You know him better than I do. What's the problem?"

"All, I can say is that he's worried." Jackal sighed. "Which is ridiculous; he was fine just this morning. He didn't get like this until practice."

"Maybe, it's a home issue?" Yagyuu (who had overheard) suggested.

"Can't be." The petenshi shook his head (because where would Yagyuu be without Niou?). "I managed to bribe him into helping me drive our biology teacher insane in 5th period. Normally that only works when he's in a good mood."

Thinking a little more, Yagyuu asked. "Do you think it could be connected with Akaya's absence?"

Yukimura certainly did not miss the strange flash in Niou's eyes, and neither did Sanada; though it was soon replaced by a mock exasperated look. "The bratling? How?"

"If you think about it, Masaharu, they do spend quite a bit of time together." Niou bit back a scowl. As if he didn't know that already. Layering on a façade of nonchalance, he simply shrugged and headed to wards the club room after muttering how the bratling probably landed himself in detention. Honestly, he just didn't want to hear the input of Yanagi (who had just beaten Marui, but just barely) and practice was just about over anyway. Rikkai's three monsters (or two if Yanagi doesn't count) looked at him with a small measure of pity.

Niou was a layer of masks. That was just how he was. Not to say that, that was all he was, but like steel to silk, his masks were much stronger than he was and acted as his defensive wall. And yet, one of the cherished qualities of silk is that they can hold a lot before giving away. In the same way Niou was capable of containing a lot of different emotions before he gave away.

They had yet to see their petenshi break.

They never want to.

The truth of the matter was Niou was more worried than anybody. He was rather fond of the brat dammit! And neither did he like seeing Marui freaking out.

Yes, you heard right Marui (the arrogant little arse) was freaking out in a big way. Niou had been friends with Marui long before Jackal even met the boy, so he could tell (take that Jackal!). He hadn't seen Marui this shaken up since he lost his youngest sister in the park three years ago.

And then there was Akaya. Their relationship was a strange one. It was hatred at first sight for the both of them (they smacked into each other on the first day of school). It didn't get any better in the following week. In fact, after a month, Niou found himself nose to nose glaring at the brat for dominating all his time with his best friend since elementary school. The brat was just so clingy. If it wasn't Marui he was latched onto, it was Yukimura who had taken a liking to the little intruder. As time went on, he found himself getting used to the brat as he slowly got over his playground crush for the effeminate tensai. By then Niou had found Yagyuu to divert his attentions to and actually started to like the brat after Marui brought him along on a couple of their…ahem…excursions (to torture various people who will remain unspecified). He was alright.

Niou found himself taking the long way home, wandering through the neighborhood park.

When Yagyuu left him behind (it was an unspoken but mutual agreement. The gentleman did not need him anymore) that he began to once again be annoyed at the little devil. This time however, it wasn't about being Marui's friend. This time in fact it was just an unknown illogical force that made him detest the brat. God, the boy was so aggravating.

He just had to make Niou fall in love with him.

Marui too did not go home right after practice. No he went on a frantic search for his demonic friend (not Niou). Last night's encounter still fresh in his head.

They were being hunted, plain and simple. It always happened that way in movies, and Marui wasn't a fool enough to believe otherwise. Humans were scared of anomalies. Humans attempted to eradicate whatever they were scared of. Just look at all the wars that had already happened. If they couldn't spare fellow human beings, how would a youkai like Kirihara fair?

In his head, it was so obvious what had happened.

Someone had found out that Akaya was a demon.

Someone had kidnapped Akaya.

Someone might kill Akaya.

Marui wasn't entirely sure what led him into the park, but suddenly he found himself stumbling over a tree root (damn he thought he cured himself of things like that when he took up tennis). His eyes widened.

Something has run away, the escape was almost completely silent, and a lesser being wouldn't have recognized it, but he did. In his paranoid state, nothing could have escaped the tensai.

Quickly he stood up and ran.

The person who had just escaped Marui was cursing under his breath. He wasn't sure just what exactly possessed him to run from the tensai. Cradling his precious bundle against his chest he began to slow down, it wouldn't be a good idea to jostle it.

"GOD DAMN IT, YOU GET BACK HERE NIOU MASAHARU!" A panting Marui can into view leaning against a tree. "Why the hell were you running from me?"

Turning his body so he obscured whatever he had wrapped inside his school jacket from view. Hearing a small crooning, he looked up.

On pure will alone, Marui dashed in front of Niou and parted the jacket before the silver haired boy could react. His eyes widened slightly but then softened.

"You haven't changed after all, ne?" he petted the little thing in Niou's arms. "Come on, my house is closer, we'll treat him there."

"How do you know it's a he?"

"I'm a tensai remember?"

DEMONKIDDEMONKIDDEMONKIDDEMONKIDDEMONKID

Okay, let me try to clear things up.

Niou was Marui's chicldhood friend. Niou liked Marui and hated Kirihara for taking up Marui's time which should have been reserved for Niou. Then he found Yagyuu and ceased hating Akaya so everything was alright with the world. But Yagyuu left him (in their 1st match against Seigaku Niou said somehtign about Yagyuu not needing him anymore and so I played on that) so he was back to hanging with the other two. Now he's fallen for Akaya.

Sorry to you Petenshi-fans out there for making Niou so OCC, but yeah in my story, he's a softie at heart. And Marui's the only one who knows.