Chapter Four: Class and Enigma
There is something dreadfully treacherous about saying goodbye to those you cherish.
To release one that you love, a piece of your heart -even for a moment- holds some level of ache. For a short time perhaps it is only a slight twinge, something easily forgotten in the business of life from day to day…but when it becomes a longer period; a week, a month, a year? With each passing day the hole left by that deficiency of warmth grows. Some people say time makes distance easier, to them I say you are only fooling yourself.
The phrase that 'absence makes the heart grow fonder' is a cruel one…for I find myself already smitten with that which is being so ruthlessly kept from me. I do not need time to know that I want to spend each moment, each day and night next my chosen love…absence cannot not strengthen what already cannot be broken.
And so my tears, should you see them, are ones of anger, sadness bred from the lies of those whose love is less strong than mine…
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The resemblance to Hojo was uncanny.
Kagome found herself staring at Lezard as he headed out of the boys locker room dressed in the uniform for the male students of her school. His hair was brown though just a shade lighter and he let it grow longer than hojo and fall into face a tad more. His eyes weren't the boring brown color of hojo's, instead she was met by a steely violet gaze from behind the intellectual glasses. Though his features were similar otherwise, he had the same basic build and height.
From a distance it would be easy to mistake him for Kagome's old crush, it was several moments before she caught herself staring and looked away, doing her best to act like the pink on her cheeks wasn't actually there by picking up some conversation.
"There, it fits you well. We'll need to pick you up a second uniform before we leave but as we're already late to class we should probably hurry so Ms. Hanamoto won't be angry with us. "Come on."
She started away, expecting that he would follow. The morning had actually gone amazingly well, the way people just seemed to listen to whatever story Lezard told them and then respond as if it were complete truth was nerve-racking. Sure, he'd told her that he wouldn't use it unless needed…but he didn't seem to have any guilty feelings about playing around in people's heads either. It made the high school girl a little nervous, her attitude only stressing her further whenever she looked at him and he seemed bored when they reached her classroom.
"What did I get myself into?" She pondered before shaking her head and speaking up. "Lezard, I'm going to get the teacher and pull her outside so we can explain. Okay?"
Lezard was still pondering his new outfit, it wasn't nearly as elegant as he would prefer, and the shoes were very uncomfortable compared to his usual leather boots. The school had thus far been tedious and he didn't expect actual classes to vary much from his days back at the academy. "Sounds fine Kagome. I'll continue the same story as we have set it up thus far. Exchange student from Germany and such…"
He offered her a light smile, however irritating the farce was beginning to become he needed to offer a friendly face, he could sense that she was starting to have second thoughts. "I wonder if you have any idea what I really am? Just how much can she sense with those holy powers of hers?"
He pondered the girl as she disappeared into the classroom, violet eyes glancing it over…he had to admit that while the state of dress wouldn't be smiled upon in his normal dimension that he wouldn't mind seeing Lenneth in one of these uniforms. Perhaps this country wouldn't be completely intolerable after all, he would need to make sure to attain one of the outfits before his return. The way Lenneth would respond when he asked her to wear such a thing alone would be worth the trouble in attaining it.
The teacher came out alone and Kagome returned to a seat in the classroom, raising her hands and seeming to be a little sheepish about whatever she was saying to the other female students around her. Her smile was a little strained. "She doesn't like to lie. Hmm."
"Excuse me, are you listening?" The teacher had been forced to address him a second time. The older woman having similar features to most of the locals here, dark hair and almond eyes…shorter than him but with a serious expression on her face. Dressed in a longer skirt and different colored clothing than the other females - likely a sign of her higher status as an instructor.
He offered a more polite but still softened smile and bowed a little as he had observed many people do during his few minutes on the train that took them here. "I apologize ma'am, it was a long trip. I have the paperwork here to induct me into the class. My Japanese is still at a rough level but I am certain I will develop it quickly."
He handed over the folder that had been given to him by the principle after their talk earlier…that exchange had required more magical influence but he didn't feel the need to use energy he didn't have now. Even the memory-altering enchantment he'd tossed out earlier had left him dizzier than he would like. It wasn't something he planned to make a habit of - at least until he was adequately recovered.
The teacher offered him a skeptical glance and read over the notes in the folder, he heard her sigh and mutter. "They need to let me know these things ahead of time."
Lezard meanwhile just waited.
"All right, Lezard." She took a moment to pronounce his name as it had been written in the folder. "There are a few open desks in the back of the room. Sit where you will until I can get the class seating reassigned. We are just starting the math portion of the class, there are some extra books on the shelves under the windows near the front. I will have Kagome get you copies of the rest of the textbooks you'll need during lunch. Come inside."
She seemed in a hurry to get back to work. Though hard work in teachers was something Lezard could respect after some of his lazy professors at the magic school his parents had sent him too. He moved inside and ignored the dozens of eyes on him as he went over and got the book she'd mentioned before heading toward a seat. Smiling lightly when he noted some of the stares he was getting.
"Class. This is Lezard Valeth. He is an exchange student from Germany that will be joining our class for the rest of the semester. Kagome's family was kind enough to take him in for that time." The teacher explained as he walked toward his desk. "You will have time to speak socially later, we need to get started on our algebra work."
"He's a cutie Kagome." Yuki whispered to her from the desk beside her.
"Yeah, you get all the good ones." Ayumi complained in a small whine. "You aren't getting out of talking about this though after class. He looks like Hojo."
"I like his eyes." Eri observed.
The girls giggled until they were quieted by the teacher glaring at them threateningly…
"Why always me?" Kagome wanted to sink into her desk. "I knew they would be interested but god…I didn't really think this through. I should have made him wait somewhere else during the day while I was in school…I need to learn to disappear…"
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The school day was only more troublesome from there. She was ducking questions and weaving around the various comments being thrown her way after lunch when Lezard stuck around her to eat as opposed to moving to speak with any of the other boys. It wasn't a common thing for her class to mix genders during the school meal and it just had created a larger buzz.
She was frazzled and glad to be sitting as the train took them toward their stop. Lezard meanwhile was lost in one of the many books they checked out of the school's library. She had to smile some, he was such a nerd, he hadn't put any of the books down sense they picked them out.
"Nerd or not he's smarter than me." She admitted to herself with a pout. "In class today I think he could have taken over for the teacher on some of the subjects when he was asked questions."
Though when he'd kept going on about the answer to one particular science question the teacher had finally interrupted him and he seemed pretty angry about it and stopped offering free answers. She had stopped calling on him though after one of the sessions and Kagome wasn't aware he'd augmented her brain to ignore him for such things, he had better things to do than worry about things he already knew.
"Anything useful?" She finally asked him after several minutes to relax after the jumpy day, curious about his research - she missed her friends in the feudal era far more than she wanted to openly admit - even Inuyasha despite his betrayal.
He didn't even glance up from his reading, though he registered the question. "There are some interesting things here but none thus far that have the qualities I would consider what we need."
"Um…before you get too involved, will you help me some tonight with my Algebra…you seemed really good at math and I'm not nearly as gifted with it. The teacher even mentioned moving you to a more advanced math class for parts of the day." She asked, she didn't want to bug him too much but she had fallen so far behind during her months fighting Naraku and the influence of the sacred jewel.
"You are intelligent." He paused to consider her, he knew people back in the academy that needed tutors but usually they were a complete loss for mental capacity. "Why aren't you doing well?"
That made her blush a tinge and she shook her head. "I just missed so many days of class that all the lessons seem so jumbled. It's really hard to make sense of the notes that my friends give me so I'm barely passing right now."
It would take time away from his research…but even Lezard Valeth knew that the world was all about trading, usually he didn't have to lower himself to do so but it seemed a fair thing to help her with given she was giving him food, shelter, and money while he was staying here. He didn't wish to irritate his good luck of late by being negative toward one of it's sources. "I will help tutor you with it. Though I am a strict teacher and won't abide nonsense."
For a moment she wanted to giggle at his comments, his features were so boyish that such a serious statement was sort of adorable - in the way a child being very frank would be. Though she only smiled at him, grateful that he would help and a little afraid if she laughed he would take back the help. "Thank you Lezard, you are a lifesaver."
She went back to looking out the window then as if he'd made her whole day better. Which only gained her a lingering violet pair of eyes a moment longer before he shook his head at her odd behavior and turned back to the text. "Well, lifesaver…I can honestly say no one has used that word to describe me before."
He was a tad amused at the totally mistaken description of his person, she was certainly a unique individual herself compared to the normal company he kept. He would do his best not to harm her, she reminded him some of the gentler sides of his dear Valkyrie and that was a trait too many humans were without.
"Kagome, there you are." Ayumi headed over, Yuki and Eri rode different trains home but sometimes Ayumi went to her mothers and other times her fathers as they were separated. So some days she was on this train - which this just happened to toss Kagome back into the odd lying demeanor she'd been forced to have all day. "Keeping this cutie all to yourself huh?"
The compliment, while heard and taken in, didn't draw Lezard from his book, he new he was the best, other people confirming it didn't usually require his attention.
"Um, he's staying at my house Ayumi." Kagome reminded, holding up her hands in her usual embarrassed manner. "It makes sense we would ride together, besides, you usually don't go to your dad's on Thursdays."
"Yeah I know but my mom is out of town." She answered, holding one of the grips from the roof of the train car and still standing. "Glad that you are feeling better though, did it hurt getting your tonsil's out?"
"At least that was fairly original and sane." Kagome considered her grandfather's latest excuse. "Hope I never really need them out. Right when grandpa gets good at the excuses he won't have to use them anymore."
"Yeah, I recovered pretty quick the doctors said." Kagome returned, hating to lie but having gotten very good at it over the past few years. "My throat still hurts a little."
"I'm not surprised. Your brother said the surgery was just last weekend." Ayumi stated. "I guess getting sick all the time is helping you get better faster."
"Maybe." Kagome agreed. "And so much for giving Grandpa credit, should have known it wasn't him I need to thank Souta for all the covering he's helped do."
"Oh hey, we were gonna have a party this weekend at one of the parks with a bunch of the kids from class. Before it gets too cold you know?" Ayumi exclaimed, putting a fist in her other hand as she remembered. "We thought we let everyone know, but you just got back to school. You should come and bring Lezard, the kids got a fund together to order a bunch of pizza's and we're setting up beach ball and some other games."
"Oh, um, I dunno…" Kagome started but was interrupted by Lezard.
"That sounds nice, I'd like to go…" Lezard looked up from his book then, pizza had gotten his attention - that was such a good food. "If Kagome can make it that is."
"We'll try to be there Ayumi." Kagome agreed with a bit of surprise at his reply. "I'd like to be able to get out more while I'm feeling better."
"Neat! Well, this is my stop. I hope you both can make it, but if not, see you at school tomorrow." She waved and dashed off when the doors slid open.
"You really want to go? It'll take away from study time…" Kagome mentioned, curious as to the young man's motives.
"I can still read while I'm there, and you seemed as if you'd like to be with your friends more often. That and we can have pizza…seems like a wonderful idea." He replied, already back to reading. "If you'd rather not go, then we do not need to go."
"Okay…so all men think with their stomachs." She observed after that comment. "Maybe Inuyasha wasn't so uncommon of a guy after all…"
That thought was sobering, she shouldn't be comparing everyone she met to Inuyasha…though her heart was still hurting the busy time she'd been having was a welcome distraction. She had barely had a few moments to herself to think, more or less cry, though the sudden recall of her first crush was bringing tears to her eyes and making her hate herself and him more…she didn't want to burst into tears in public.
Not about him, not about anything…it was so embarrassing…but now that she had thought about it again it was like the visions wouldn't leave her…she kept seeing him kiss Kikiyo…and she hated it, and she hated herself for hating them…and it was so frustrating that it was hard to keep the tears back. She was digging her nails into her legs to keep them back when the feel of cloth against her hand drew her moist brown eyes up to meet Lezard's violet ones.
His expression was hard to read but the gesture was the first kind one she'd had while feeling so dejected, she fought a moment longer but her willpower failed her…she needed to cry. She burst into tears and leaned on his shoulder, leaving a completely bewildered Lezard with his arms awkwardly on her back, the text temporarily forgotten in face of this new enigma.
End Chapter
The opening for this was inspired from rl happenings atm (my husband is currently away from home for the military and I'm sad to be without him)…I did however alter it to fit a more Lezard styled mindset. I'm not quite as much of a nutter. I think I write better when I'm sad - which is sort of…well sad I guess for lack of a better word.
-Nera
P.S. Thank you for the reviews minaseiko1, it's nice to see at least one person is interested in my really odd pairing. And yeah, lezard was fiddling with people's brains left and right so he could tolerate Japanese school society. I figure he'd have an array of spells that weren't in the games if he was so good at working in a discreet way when he wanted.