Chapter five is up. It may, um, ramble a wee bit, I'm not sure. Let's just say I'm not in the best of form writing this. So, anywayz, R&R, all you lovely people you? Thanks to all you wonderful people out there who reviewed! Go raibh maith agat!

Chapter V

Hanako felt an unexplainable rush of rage when she heard the princible openly threaten Kai with expulsion. This was not the way to go about the situation, not with someone like Kai. If Kai was expelled, then she was sure that his already dodgy home life, as well as his ... kleptomanic ... tendencies would be enhanced tenfold. But if he was left in the school, the he would rebel so openly and violently against the princible that the entire staff would be running for cover.

Kai was not someone who responded well to threats. People threatening him seemed to make him believe that people were trying to control him. Kai didn't like people being in control off him, that was so obvious in his behaviour that she was sure even Mr S. Dickonson would've spotted that.

She opened her mouth to protest, but didn't get there in time.

"That's not fair!"

Her heart nearly stopped. Kenny ... oh dear sweet God ... Kenny get some common sense and shut up, please! her mind screamed, hoping the kid wouldn't get himself in more trouble. Kenny wouldn't handle dentention, suspention, any punishment. Kai had been in trouble so many times it was routine, Kenny wouldn't be able to hack that.

Kai was staring at Kenny, a slate eyebrow raised in utter bewilderment. Someone actually backing him up? Hanako was sure that had never happened before in all the times Kai had wound up in this position.

"Sir, you can't blame Kai for this situation. It was mostly my fault, I started the fight."

Hanako couldn't help but stare, Kai was so confused at this turn of events that it didn't seem he could make the story look plausible. He blinked slowly, his eyes melting from crimson to a chocolate brown, flected with rust. A strange emotion flickered through the liquid brown pools.

"Kai? Is this true?"

This was a moment for the history books, Kai Hiwatari, rendered speechless against his will. Slowly, the blue head nodded.

"Kenny, are you aware of the punishment for fighting in the corridors?"

Now a brown head nodded slowly. Then, it seemed Kai felt he had to speak up, some unwritten code of honor, even from a 'bad-boy' to a 'nerd'.

"The little nerd may have started the fight, but I finished it. You're just desprit to punish someone for something big today, aren't you?"

Hanako blinked, watching Kai spin an act of kindness into an act of defince. The princible sighed, then swung his eyes onto Kai's face.

"Mr Hiwatari, you are in enough trouble. If you don't want more, then I'd suggest you be quiet right now."

Kai squared his shoulders. "Since when have I ever listened to anything you suggested?"

"Never, Hiwatari. Why do you think you've ended up in this office so many times?"

Hanako stepped up to end the conversation as quickly as she could. She'd seen what could happen when a conversation with Kai Hiwatari got out of hand.

"Sir, are you going to punish the boys?"

The question ended up coming out in the way Kai would have said it, not the way she'd intended it to sound. She watched the princible's eyes focus on her face, question rising in his eyes. She stared right back, feeling Shinji step up to her shoulder.

Shinji? She'd forgotten he was in the room. The princible nodded.

"I'll send them both home for today, and I'm talking to their guardians. When they come back in tomorrow I expect better behaviour."

"Home? What the hell for?"

Kai, Hanako noted was struggling to remain calm.

"For fighting, Kai. And I hear you caused trouble today from the moment you set foot in here."

"And that little nerd over there? What's he done to deserve a half day suspension?"

"He started a fight, Mr Hiwatari."

"For the first damn time! You send him off on suspension for his first damn offence? You that scared of trouble makers, you damn coward?"

"Kai ... It's alright. Really, I don't mind ... I deserve it. I hurt you ... " Kenny tried to break up Kai's hysteria tinged rant. No such luck, Kai just directed his coldly furious voice onto Kenny.

"I don't give a flying toss about that! What gives him the right too ..."

"Kai! Silence!" Kai jumped slightly, and turned his large eyes onto Shinji. Hanako noted with relief that Kai didn't open his mouth again, just glared. She sighed, and took both boys by their upper arms and started guiding them.

"They'll stay in my room until their guardians arrive. Their home numbers are in the ledger under my notes there, sir."

Mr Dickonson nodded, surpressing his anger towards Kai.

xXx

Kai had never felt this terrified at this time of the day. Morning, yes. After five pm, definate yes. But not now. His insides were squirming, and he was having to fight to keep his hands steady. Damnit, what would his grandfather say when his school record was blown wide open. What would his grandfather do?

He didn't even want to think about it, not with what his grandfather had tried to do this morning. He swallowed discreetly, and stole a quick glance around the room.

Miss Nakawaga actually looked angry for once. He sighed, he supposed he had over reacted a little bit out of fear. But, the little brown haired kid did not deserve this kind of shit.

That little kid, Kai stared at him from around Miss Nakawaga's shoulder. Why did the boy just help him back there? Pull him out of what was certain to be expulsion? Get himself into trouble doing it? The boy was a nerd, for crissake! Nerds squealed, they did not get themselves into trouble for another student.

Okay, so the boy had deserved punishment. Kai had actually never been scared of someone outside his home for ages. For once, he hadn't actually started anything, just paniced.

Paniced. Like the stupid, pathetic weakling I am. Yeah, I'm gonna get that shoved in my face so many times tonight ... no. Just don't think about that. Lying didn't get you out of this, Kai Hiwatari. He's at home, the asshole in the office is gonna call him, and all you can do is relax in the knowledge that it was somebody else's fault for once.

xXx

Kai didn't want to go home. Kenny saw that from a mile away. Why else would he completely blow his top at Mr Dickonson? He sighed gently, watching the other boy flop carelessly into a seat, somehow making the move look graceful. Kenny could've practiced until he was blue and still not have managed to pull of a move like that.

Miss Nakawaga disappeared through the door, obviousely to wait for someone to come and get them. Kenny wasted time observing the other boy, wondering vagualy what made Kai so intimidating.

Kai seemed to notice him staring, and turned his eyes onto Kenny. His sharp, well defined, somewhat delicate features didn't look remotely like his rep said they should. His eyes were large and, though guarded, strangely innocent. His nose was small, pointed, and slightly to the left of centre. His mouth, scowl and all, was full and seemed to be the unfortunate kind that always pouted. His face was smeared with dull blue paint, his fringe long and thick, the longest of the sky blue strands brushing the tip of his nose.

"Are you scared?" Kenny ventured to ask.

"Hm?"

"Scared. You nearly got expelled, and your par ... guardian's coming in. Aren't you scared of what's going to happen?"

"Hn."

Kenny was beginning to feel that this was pointless. The answers Kai gave weren't even words! No wonder teachers hated this kid ... Kenny stopped himself. Hate was too strong a word, even for Kai.

"Are you?"

Kenny started, and looked up to meet Kai's eyes again. Then, he nodded.

"My mam's going to kill me for this, I'll never hear the end of it. This is the first time I've ever gotten in trouble."

Kai was staring at him, and Kenny realised how strange that sounded. Of course, Kai had yelled in the office that it was his, Kenny's, first offence. But that didn't count all the small things, like being late or forgetting homework. Kenny had, honestly, never done anything wrong a day in his life. He knew how it felt to be ... wronged, but had never done anything bad.

Kai lowered his eyes. Kenny realised, somehow, that there was something significant behind that, but didn't know what it could be.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, taking the bluenette by surprise. Kenny responded to the silence, talking quickly just in case someone came to fetch them.

"For ... for the fight. I'm sorry."

"Hn, it wasn't a fight, whatever 'Mr S. Dickonson' believes."

"I pinned you to the floor!"

"So? You ran into me, and couldn't get up. End of story."

"I scared you ..."

Kai's scowl deeped, but didn't answer. Kenny blinked, suddenly realising that Kai had shut him out because the conversation had taken a nasty turn. He smiled, amazed that he could figure that out.

Kai was looking away again, and for the first time Kenny noticed the way he held himself. Any other person wouldn't have noticed it, but Kenny did. It looked normal, hell it even looked 'tough', but the taunt muscles, the slightly hunched shoulders, and the wary eyes told another story.

It was a defencive position. Kenny knew because he'd spent several months doing the exact same thing. The question left his lips before he could stop it.

"Has ... has 'he' ever ... ever ... touched you?"

All Kenny could say after that was it was lucky Miss Nakawaga walked in then. Kai was shaking so badly that Kenny was sure the floor beneath them was fibrating. Rage, filtered through an almost perfect mask, shone on his delicate face.

He seemed to restrain himself, once someone else was in the room. But, Kenny saw that the shake in the other boy's shoulders never ceased. It was different now, rage still obvious, but something older and blacker had seeped in as well.

xXx

Kai couldn't believe the nerve that little ... how dare he! How dare he just assume that ... that he had a right to ask that kind of stupid question. He couldn't ... just couldn't ... it couldn't have been that ... he stopped himself, and held his breath as the office door was shoved open.

Angry, angry eyes. Kai felt them burn a hole in the top of his head. He felt sick, upset, and so afraid his stomach was doing summersaults. He couldn't bring himself to look up, even as he casually lent against the wall.

"Has he ever ... touched you?"

Kai felt his lips twitch in a desprit smirk.

No. No, never.

Okay, so you're probably all sick to the back teeth of hearing this, but was anybody OOC? Tell, please. Just in as nice a way possible ... other then that, comments, constructive crit, responses. No flames, I don't like them.