Want a Pineapple, Sensei?
Chapter Seven

'December 8th, Tuesday,' Fran wrote. 'I'm writing in the morning for my own amusement. I woke up twenty minutes early. I'd like to say that I've become a good provider for the family, but no one will get what I mean, unless _ reads my diary. That's all for now.'

Fran, smiling, closed his book, and tossed it onto the night stand, before standing up and stretching, his eyelids fluttering as a sharp, yet pleasant, chill ran up his spine. The teal-haired boy hopped to his closet and started to get dressed, and when Pineapple-sensei moved to leave the room, Fran ran over and kissed the cat on the forehead before the tabby left.

Pineapple-sensei was simply glad that there was a minor change in the morning routine.

"Fran, hurry up and get out of your room, you have to take a shower!"

Fran groaned, seeing he'd just gotten dressed, and shouted, "Can I jump in the river?"

"No! You have to be presentable for school!"

"Can I dunk my head in?"

"No!"

"The other parts of my body?"

"Only if you get dressed before any neighbors see you bathing in their fishing waters!"

"Whatever, Grandma!"

It took less than a half-hour for Fran to get ready and start on his way to school- this time, however, he managed to get on the road a little earlier than the usual. As he was walking, however...

"Psst! Fran! Stop for a sec, come here!"

Fran walked over to the bush that was talking to him. "Yeah?" he asked. He could just barely make out the wild, tense gaze of Lancia in the silhouette he saw.

"What was that with you and sensei?" he asked, "Were you being assaulted?"

"Tsk tsk, he told you not to talk about it," Fran pointed out, before adding in a low voice, "but I'll tell you that I'm fine, and sensei was not, nor will he ever, hurt me. Okay?"

"You're lucky you can think like that," Lancia murmured, his voice quivering, "You're lucky sensei doesn't hate you like he does me."

"What did you do to step on his leaves?" Fran asked. Lancia gulped.

"I don't know," he whispered, "I guess it's just because I was born."

"Lancia, why would that-"

"Shh, I can't talk now... Bel's coming. I'll tell you another time..."

Fran glanced at his princely friend, and, a rustle's notice later, Lancia had vanished. "Fran, were you talking to that bush again?"

Fran stood up straight, then glanced back at the bush, and said, "Yeah. We had a funny conversation about polotics."

"Really."

"Yeah. I personally want to have a dictatorship, instead of this crazy monarchy we have. I mean, the people have too much power!"

"Fran, just be grateful we don't have a democracy, that would drive you nuts," Bel said, grinning crazily. Fran shuddered at the thought.

"No, it would drive me squirrels. Come on," he replied, taking the prince's hand and pulling him away from the bush.

They walked along the path, until they found themselves joined by Daisy, a man from the Millefiore neighborhood. He was definitely a weird one, but that was probably why he and Fran got along. "H-hey, you two," he greeted, "H-how's school been?"

"Hi, Daisy. It's been pineapples- I mean cats- I mean good," Fran said, the entire sentence in monotone. Daisy gave a small laugh.

"Yeah. Same here... except... professor Lambo is kind of strict."

"Why doesn't anyone call him by his last name?" Bel asked. Daisy shrugged.

"He prefers to be called by his given name. But the kids who don't like him still call him Bovino-sensei."

"Hm. By the way, are you still friends with that Byakuran guy?" the blonde asked, "Cause he's been pissing Fran off lately."

Fran elbowed the prince in his gut.

"Uhm... well... I wasn't very happy when Byakuran threw a tomato at Bluebell. She's my friend, too, and that made her cry... so I don't know. I haven't been hanging out with him..." A string was woven around Daisy's hand as he spoke- one of his many nervous habits.

"And did you not get enough sleep last night either?" Fran said, "Those look like 1.2 hours of sleep circles."
Daisy laughed, reaching his hand up slowly and brushing his fingertips over his cheek. "It's makeup...," he whispered, "but I don't really sleep anyway."

Bel and Fran weren't convinced of that.

By then, they'd come up to the school, and were, suprisingly, just in time for the bell to get to class rung. Daisy took off, his long wavy, pine-colored hair, called 'the rat's nest' by Lussuria, flowing behind him as he ran.

"Let's go," Fran said to Bel, his lips twitching as he resisted a smile. "Sensei's waiting."

"Well, someone's excited today. Did something happen between you two?" Bel asked, leaning closer to Fran.

"Something involving bodily contact?"

"Pfft. Yeah, sure. Just like how Lussuria's a man."

Class...

"... and after you're done, you can read silently, or, in Fran's case, go outside and think about why I'm giving you detention for a week," Mukuro concluded, ending his lecture with a sigh.

"Aw, c'mon, sensei, that's not cool!" Fran complained, "Why do I have to go to detention? I think it's about time I go on strike."

"Fran, please, just start your test, I've had a rough day," Mukuro said, looking into the other's eyes. Fran shut up immediately, and nodded, then looked down at his test, groaning when a couple girls giggled over an unknown topic.

"Ladies. Your test," Mukuro sighed.

And the classroom was silent.

Fran finished the health test quickly, and, after handing it in to Mukuro with some remark about his smoke-free-for-the-most-part life, walked outside to do as told.

He sat down in the hall, and used his emergency pencil and emergency notebook to start doodling. He started by drawing a pineapple, then erased some of the more fruity details in order to make Mukuro's head.

Shortly later, Mukuro stepped outside, a finger over his lips, and knelt down beside Fran. "Have you been thinking about it?" he asked.

"Uhh, sure," Fran replied. "If 'it' means 'the pineapple who teaches me.'"

"Well then I suppose you're a little confused. I put you in detention for one reason, and one reason alone."

"'Cause I'm a bad kid? Or 'cause you wanted to make Grandma angry with me?"

Mukuro leaned in, and pressed his lips against Fran's for a moment. Fran closed his eyes to savor it, but the other pulled away much too soon. "Does that give you an idea?"

"I dunno, do it again," Fran said, blushing lightly. Mukuro smiled and stood up.

"Sorry, Fran. Can't."

He gestured to the classroom. "Would you like to come back in, or stay out here?" he asked. Fran glanced at his notebook.

"I'll stay out here," he replied. Mukuro chuckled that weird laugh of his.

"Okay. I'll see you after lunch, right?"

"Then detention is only after school?"

"Yeah, because then I can keep you longer," Mukuro said in a deep voice that made Fran's heart skip a beat.

"Okay," he answered, "Can't wait."

"Kufufu. See you, Fran... oh, wait, one more thing, have you spoken with Lancia?"

"Uhh, yeah?"

"Has he told you anything?" Mukuro asked, his glasses glinting dangerously. Fran blinked.

"Yeah, just a couple things about how I'm lucky and stuff."

"And stuff," Mukuro repeated. "Come back into the classroom," Mukuro said. Groaning, Fran stood up and walked into the classroom, then jumped slightly as Mukuro called, "Lancia! Lunch detention!"

Lancia dropped his pencil the second Mukuro raised his voice, then stuttered, "O-okay, Rokudo-sensei."

"Hey, hey, what did Lancia do this time, hm?" Zakuro challenged. "I may have just realized it, but you're always giving him detention for no reason at all!"

"Shut it, Zakuro, students are taking tests," Mukuro snapped, "This is a warning for you."

Fran couldn't help noticing that Byakuran quickly passed a note to Zakuro as if to shut him up, and he turned his eyes on Lancia as he took his seat. The student was obviously shaking as he picked his pencil back up, and clenched his teeth when Mukuro walked by and tapped his head with a ruler.

The teal-haired boy, confused and a little irritated, decided that he was going to show up at lunch detention uninvited.

-End Chapter

Woo! How dooya like dat? I have SUBPLOTS! XD