A/N: Sorry, I think this chapter is a little shorter than the others. I'm so happy about the reviews I've gotten! You guys are so awesome, thank you! And kudos to the people who have been taking the time to read my notes. I... I love you!
I was gonna hold off a little on the interactions between Ikki and Kazu but you guys are just so cool to me and you all have been really supportive of a story with such a struggling pairing in this world... so I stuck in a cute little bit between the two of them, though nothing big. In fact you might have to squint... I hope you enjoy it, regardless.
Also, I like to stick with the characterization of Iron Clock based on the anime and other fictions. And in other fictions, he's considered a college student/late teens, early 20's. I'm really not sure. Does anyone know how old Sano is? Just so you know, I stuck with the 'college student' age in this chapter.
And again I'm really afraid that you might find Sano slightly OOC. Don't worry though, I'll be getting to that eventually! Promise!
The title is to be taken figurativly and literally, fyi.
ALSO! Let's play a little guessing game. What do you think is going to happen in the future of Folly and Sin? What kind of love complications will take place? What's got Kazu acting so strange? What does Ikki plan to do with murderers on the loose? I wanna know what you think!
Also, don't forget, I'm always open for suggestions! I would LOVE to hear what you have to say. I'll do what I can for you as long as it doesn't mess up the plot I have in store.
Thank you:
Emi Sue: Of COURSE he's adorable. I wouldn't put that in the story if it wasn't true! And I must say, I DO feel a tiny bit guilty with Emiri's crush on Kazu. Lord knows I think the pairing is cute and I love Emiri with all of my heart, so I just HAD to give her a moment with the kid. But the readers and I both know she's just setting herself up for dissapointment city. She really is squeeable, though, isn't she? Don't worry, I'm gonna do what I have to do to give her some sense of closure.
Blizzaris: Mawww, your long reviews make my heart soar. SOAR! I love how much you observe and look into my stories. It flatters me so! I'm also glad you pointed out Sano's slight OOC during his conversation with Ikki. I actually planned to touch on that in the next chapter or so (depending on how the story pans out and how long it takes me to reach that point). And I liked the idea of Sano making something as trivial as a sandwich because the image was just too funny to me to not use it.
E-san: You are too cute. You would just LOVE to see Kazu squirm when it comes to Sano, wouldn't you? I can sense it. Well if it makes you feel any better, this chapter may just be what you're looking for! ;) Iron's such a lovable pervert.
Harushi Karasunaki: Thank you! Stay tuned – it can only get better from here! Or worse...
Ryouko: What's that, you say? The world needs more Ikkazu? AMEN TO THAT! What else? You want to start writing Ikkazu now? By all means, dear, I would love to read something from you. I hope to hear from you soon.
darissa: Why thank you! And thank you for taking the time to review! I'm glad you liked the conversation between Sano and Ikki, as well, because I was really afraid of screwing it up.
Now, onto the fic!
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Air Gear
a fiction by Crimson Vixen (I love how that sounds XP)
Human Contact
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Hopefully Ikki had gotten the idea last night. That was Sano's intention anyway; to indirectly make the boy realize that he had to be more careful. Think things through more. To stop putting everyone around him in danger until he figured it all out. Something was going on around here, and Ikki was doing an amazing job at playing the denial game. He'd never seen such an accurate display of ignoring important matters. But maybe now, after their little 'talk', he would keep a better eye out.
Well, during the daytime, anyway. At night, that was his job. It was why he was here. To look over the ungrateful rider and his crazy excuse of a family and make sure nothing happened to the boy that was supposedly the next Sky King. Funny, how such an arrogant, cocky brat who hadn't even been riding for half the time that he had would hold such a place in the AT world. Who knew someone like him would be given the responsibility...
Then again, maybe it truly was… meant to be.
Sano shook his head and repositioned his glasses. He was in no place to judge people by the way they looked. He had learned that lesson a while back and it wasn't one he planned on forgetting any time soon.
He rubbed absentmindedly at his nose, taking in a deep breath of the fresh night air. The wind was calm tonight, making things seem quiet. Too quiet for anyone to try to pull anything, he tried to reason with himself. Everyone was in the house, sleeping, and he was out here, on the rooftop, watching the stars shine and the moon glow in a clear sky. It was beautiful, simply beautiful. Funny, how he never looked at the sky with any admiration until he'd met him. Heh, that boy certainly was a lot more than he came across to be.
He leaned back and spread himself flat against the roof tiles and admired those stars and their stunning nature. No rider, no matter how high he or she could ride, would be able to reach something so unreachable. But it sure was nice to dream. Tch, even that sounded like something he would say.
However, no matter how amazing the sky seemed to be tonight, it just wasn't enough to capture the Iron Clock's attention long enough. In spite of his newly found liking of it, he grew easily bored with it as well – after all, they didn't do anything. They just sat there – and he pulled himself into a sitting position and drummed his fingers along his knee.
"Hmm…" he hummed, bored. Then he shimmied quietly down the roof and snuck his way into the nearest window. Thankfully the floor was not a creaky one so he was able to make his way around the second floor hallway without much noise.
He poked his head into Ikki's room only to find the boy sleeping, arm flung over the side of the bed and blankets twisted and mangled and anything but neat or orderly. His mouth hung open and let out mild snoring, soft mumbles creeping out every so often. He apparently moved around a lot in his sleep. Whatever, at least he was staying put for once.
He moved to the next room, which he assumed was Akito's. How long had it been since the boy had made this place his home? He took a glance inside and sure enough, there was the small boy, wrapped like a cocoon in his blankets, not really snoring but not really quiet. A quiet breather, sleeping with a smile, who softly hummed his outward breath.
Next room was one of the girls'. Ringo of Sleeping Forest. The girl was also a semi-calm sleeper, only moving her head or arms every so often, with light hints of barely audible sleep talking.
With a deep breath, Sano shut the door and made his way downstairs. Everyone was fine.
Maybe a late night snack would be good. He was so damn bored walking around in a house where no one was awake and he had nothing to do. He had tried playing some of that Mikan girl's video games but most of them needed two people to be any fun. That and he had to keep the volume down so that took away a bit of the fun. He could watch television but for some reason he had a hard time finding anything worth watching.
And besides all that, video games and watching television were hard to do ever since another body started taking up the couch. So he usually went to eating food to take up his time. Not that peanut butter and jelly sandwiches were always an appetizing thought. Like tonight for instance, they just didn't sound all that great since he already had one earlier today. That's just how it went, you know. Had to be in the mood.
He wandered over to the couch and peered over the cushions to look at the sleeping blonde boy. Kazu looked as angry in his sleep as he did during the day, his body relaxed yet defensive even in his slumber. Sano leaned in closer for a better look, and Kazu must have unconsciously sensed him or something because the thin boy groaned and threw the covers over his head.
Heh. Just adorable.
Sano hummed and placed a hand on the boy's concealed head, stroking it with his thumb. He really was an attractive person. In fact…
Gently as he could, he grabbed the edge of the blanket with tender fingers, easing it down to uncover the boy's face, then his neck, then his shoulders. He stood there for a moment, watching the blanket rise and fall to his breathing, how his dark lashes twitched in his slumber.
He just couldn't help himself. He reach forward, letting the pads of his fingers graze the blonde's slender neck, tracing it upwards to the jaw line and over the jut of his chin. Kazu made a sound but didn't stir. The Iron Clock continued to roam up to the soft hat – he wore it in his sleep? – teasing it off so he could play with those light golden locks of soft hair. He leaned in closer still, close enough for Kazu to feel the other boys breath on his face, even in slumber. He made a discontent noise and shifted on the couch, rolling fully onto his back and craning his neck to Sano's touch.
"Mmnn… I…Ik…" he mumbled softly, slurred and jumbled behind his heavy lips. Sano didn't stop. He put both hands to work, cupping the sleeping boy's cheeks and tenderly rubbing his thumbs underneath those closed eyes. Smooth skin, flawless complexion. Yeah, attractive indeed. Though even sleeping, it seemed like Kazu was half aware of the contact. His brows lowered angrily and determinedly, reminding Sano of when they had their first battle. He was pretty back then, too.
Before he knew what he was doing, and quick to blame it on being bored and Kazu being there and so temptingly vulnerable at the time, Sano was on the couch with the younger boy, straddling him, though very lightly, and leaning in close. He took a small whiff of the blonde's hair and then ran his fingers through it. It must have been a little too much though, for the boy began to move around a little more than expected. Perhaps he had misjudged his sensativity. The jet gritted his teeth once and then relaxed again, mouth now very slightly agape.
Sano smirked, unable to help himself. An open invitation, it was.
With little to no thought, he traced Kazu's lower lip slowly, finding it to be soft and plump and irresistible because of those factors. He brought his face in, practically hovering an inch away from the other speed rider's.
That's when Kazu's eyes blinked open, and when they saw Sano, the Iron Clock and well rounded homo pervert, they sprang wide. He gasped but Sano put a lithe finger to his lips before he could even yelp.
"People are sleeping," he whispered with a teasing smile. Oh, this boy was just too much fun to watch.
Kazu's face grow hot with rage, sweat already dripping down his temple and eyes jittering in anger, and he gave a giant shove to the larger body to get their hips apart and everything else that shouldn't have been touching in the first place, and Sano fell promptly onto the floor.
Mindful of the house full of sleepers, Kazu sprang to his feet behind the couch with an accusing finger pointed at his offender, and he let out a harsh whisper.
"What the hell do you think you're doing!?" He was nearly frothing at the mouth, heart running a million miles a second in his chest from the shock. One of the last things he wanted was for his friend and the people he lived with to wake up and find him pelvis to pelvis with a college student with an unhealthy urge to touch things he shouldn't. "I knew you were messed up but I didn't think you'd actually do something so… so…"
He put a hand over his face and breathed heavily into it to calm himself down. Who knew what that bastard did to him before he woke up? He was probably lucky he opened his eyes when he did. Everyone knew the guy had a thing for little boys, or ok maybe just boys in general, and that he didn't really have a high level of self control, but still…
"Is that what you do in your spare time? Molest people when they're not expecting it?" the blonde crossed his arms defensively, taking a single step back. For all he knew Sano was undressing him with his eyes.
"Not usually," Sano said calmly, bringing himself to his feet. Somehow he had forgotten how much shorter the boy was than him. It was somewhat cute, being stood up to by him. In fact, Sano smiled and tried to conceal it by pushing up his glasses and hiding it behind his hand. "But there's nothing to do. And you are just too delectable."
"Would you shut up?" Kazu retorted, a little loudly, a lotta snarl. He hushed himself and tried again. "I don't like it when you talk like that. It's creepy." Couldn't he find someone else to probe at?
He tried to stifle a small laugh. A laugh.
"…Are you poking fun at me?" the blonde blinked, offended. "You make it hard to have a normal conversation when you act like that. You make it hard to be in the same room, now that I think about it. …Actually, how can you feel so comfortable being like that?"
This again?
"Like what? All I'm doing is being myself."
"Not comforting."
The two just stared at each other for a moment, until Sano started picking up the fallen pillow and blanket and walked them over to Kazu, who took another step back, hands held out to snatch the materials quickly before Sano could get any closer. Did the guy actually expect him to go back to sleep? He offered the brunette a growl and a nasty glare before turning sharply and heading for the stairs. Before he went up he turned his head.
"You're so lucky I'm tired," he grumbled in his defense, straightening out his loose shirt and pajama bottoms before climbing the steps.
Sano watched him until he turned the corner and was out of sight. Younger boys didn't understand that it was ok to be so open about what they wanted. That it's not a bad thing to crave things that the rest of the world will scoff at. That you can do or want something that feels right when it's supposedly wrong. Maybe one day... one day they would understand. It wasn's so strange, was it? To see something you want and go for it?
Hah, so cute. Ikki could really be blind at times.
He smiled a little and plopped down on the couch and reached for the remote. Maybe there would be something on television tonight.
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Kazu crept up the stairs and through the hall. He stopped right in front of Ikki's bedroom door and held his hand up to knock but held it there. Man did he feel awful for doing this. And embarrassed. But… For some reason, it was the safest place he could think to be at the moment.
He rapped three times, and then slowly pushed the door open enough to poke his head in.
"Ikki?" he asked softly, not wanting to scare the other boy if he was still sleeping. "Ikki."
There was rustling and then a pause. Then…
"Nnn…"
"It's me," Kazu said stupidly, shoulders going tense. "Uhm… I was wondering…"
Ikki cleared his throat, a little more aware of his surroundings, and Kazu heard him shift in his bed to face him. "Kazu."
"Yeah, listen. Can I… please sleep on the floor?" the boy bit his bottom lip, hating how pathetic he sounded right now.
"Hmm…" came the groggy response. "Go for it. Why?"
Kazu stiffened a little more as he let his pillow drop to the floor. He didn't really want to tell the crow that he had just been molested in his sleep, so he went for the next best thing closest to the truth.
"Damn Iron wouldn't let me sleep."
And in Ikki's sleepy state, it was all the explanation he needed. He waved his hand heavily in the air and made a short humming sound that Kazu interpreted as approval and he plopped himself onto the floor with a sigh. Now he could get some rest without having to worry about that guy. There was no way he would do something like that again with someone else in the room.
Kazu pulled the sheets up to his chin, only just realizing that his hat was missing again. He silently cursed to himself, angry that he'd have to wait until the next morning to get it back, and then he let his eyes drift shut.
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The first thing Ikki noticed when he woke up the next morning was that it was afternoon and he had slept in. The sun lit up his room, which was annoying since he was just getting up, and the only reason he rolled out of bed that morning was because his stomach was howling at him. He wiped at his eyes and when he pulled his hands away, he saw the lump on his floor.
Oh yeah, that's right. Ikki remembered faintly Kazu coming in last night and requesting to spend the night on his floor, because Iron was being annoying or something like that. He recognized the messy tuft of fair locks sticking out from underneath the lump of sheets and stepped over him easily, but paused before he reached his door. Kazu's feet were sticking out from the blankets and well, it was one of Ikki's little quirks. It bothered him.
So he pinched the blanket between his fingers and tugged it down just enough to cover Kazu's cold looking feet. Now he could see his friend's face, tucked neatly into the crook of his elbow and still sleeping soundly. He stepped out then, shutting the door quietly behind him to let the other boy sleep. From the smell of things, someone was already making food.
As he made his way down the stairs, he made out the smell to be ramen, so it was only natural that it was Mikan that was making it. But that also meant she was only cooking for herself, so Ikki was going to have to fend for himself again, it seemed.
Before he could even take one step into the kitchen, however, tiny arms with extra long sleeves wrapped around his waist from behind.
"Good morning, Ikki!" chirped Akito, nuzzling his face into Ikki's side with overflowing affection. "You slept in today! I hope you're feeling alright!"
"M'fine," the crow muttered groggily, trying nicely to pry Akito's limbs off from him. "I guess I was just really tired last night."
"I'm glad!" Akito bubbled, like it was the greatest news in the world. "Oh Ikki! I saw Kazu go into your room last night!"
Ikki froze. Talk about blunt. Was there anything Akito didn't catch? His eyes immediately jumping to Mikan, who was at the stove, already smirking about Akito latching onto the crow. Now her grin grew wider, enjoying Akito's implications and awaiting Ikki's explanation.
"Err.."
"I'm jealous, Ikki," the tiny rider pouted, arms still circled around him and face still buried in the crow's shirt. "You never like it when I come into your room at night, or even when I climb into bed with you."
At this point, Ikki could see Mikan's shoulders shaking from suppressed laughter.
"But Kazu walks into your room last night and he never came back out. I'm so jealous!"
"Whatever you're thinking, you're wrong!" Ikki growled, finally breaking free from Akito's grip. "Freakin' Iron was being an idiot last night and kept him from sleeping, so he went where it was quiet! That's all! He didn't come near my bed, either!"
Mikan's giggling settled a little but didn't fully stop. She continued to stand at the stove and watch her noodles cook.
"Geez, Ikki. Can't you see you're upsetting your boyfriend?" she mused, unable to resist.
"He's not my anything!" Ikki whined, too tired to deal with this kind of torment already. He made a face while Akito tittered at the comment and gave him another hug.
"Ikki, are you alright?" came a new voice. Ikki turned to see Ringo enter the room from outside, sliding her hat off of her head and adjusting her glasses. Good, at least someone in the room wasn't trying to make his life hard. "You look flustered."
Mikan laughed again as she poured her ramen into a bowl and walked away while Ikki grew redder and Akito bounced around him, humming.
"…Nothing," he blurted, heading for the front door.
"Where are you going? And in your pajamas?" the girl pondered aloud, but Ikki didn't answer her. She grew worried at Ikki's seemingly cold behavior and put her hat back on. Akito gave her a curious look and she was quick to respond.
"I'm going to follow him," she said, and she too, was out the door before Akito could get a word in.
Ikki was fast when he wanted to be, so Ringo had to really pay attention to where she was going when she chased after him. In a straight line, Ikki was faster than her, so she was thankful he had made so many twists and turns as he moved, even though after a good look at the familiar surroundings, she had a feeling she knew where the boy was heading. And she wasn't very fond of it.
"Does she even still show up here?" the girl asked out loud to herself, face twisting into thought. She slowed to a stopped at the area she unfortunately recognized and peered after Ikki from the shadows. Yup, this was definitely the spot, and Ikki was definitely sitting on that same ledge, looking up at the same sky, undoubtedly waiting for that same person. Ringo suppressed a curse; there was no way she was still meddling, was there? Something in her gut was telling her things she didn't want to hear.
After a quick glance to her watch she heard it. The scraping of metal, the swishing of air. She looked to Ikki, who was leaning back and gazing upwards, waiting. Sure enough, a flash of pink brushed across the sky, and that damn swallow was soaring just over the crow's head. And Ikki… oh and Ikki looked just as fascinated as he did back then.
Time had passed, yet it felt like she was still stuck in the same place.
As if on cue, the same feelings from that time resurfaced. Ringo's chest tightened in a painful way, and she clutched at the clothing just over her heart as if to sooth its aching. She mouthed Ikki's name and forced herself to look again, forced herself to watch as Simca made a graceful landing in front of the boy, hands tucked behind her back and standing in such an obvious flirtatious way.
She took a single step forward, ready to break it up before anything began but then… what would she be doing other than ruining her own chances? Making Ikki's decisions for him, the same thing she had scolded Simca for before. And if she showed any jealously towards that girl, Ikki would catch onto her feelings. Isn't that what she wanted? But no! They were like brother and sister, right? That's how Ikki saw her, right? It would be weird if it were anything else. So why did thinking that way bother her so much? No matter what, she just wanted Ikki to be happy. In the end, that was all that mattered.
Ringo's head started to pound and she shook it angrily, gritting her teeth so she wouldn't make any sound by mistake. When she looked back, Simca was right in front of Ikki, who had gotten to his feet himself when she wasn't paying attention.
The swallow was saying something to him, and Ringo strained to hear it but most of it was lost in the distance between them. But she had that lust filled smile on her lips and that evil glint in those dark eyes. Her hands reached out and cupped Ikki's face in her palms like some child.
However, part of Ringo cheered, Ikki didn't seem as interested as he had when he had first started to crush on Simca. His face looked dull, bored, and he waved an indifferent hand in the air. And to add onto Ringo's enjoyment, the boy looked off to the side, away from her and he said something that apparently offended the girl, because she placed her hands on her hips but kept that smug grin on her face.
Then the pink haired girl nodded and wagged a finger at him as she spoke, something about the old days, and then she opened her top to reveal her flawless, soft breasts. Man, she worked fast.
Ringo had to grab her mouth to keep herself from squealing her anger too loudly as she watched Simca make a grab for Ikki's head and drag him into that death trap. With a huge smile, Simca buried the boy in her breasts and cradled him, while Ikki bristled in what was probably pleasure and he melted right there when Simca finally pulled away.
That slut! By now Ringo was biting at her lip to keep silent. She was sure that by the time she got home it would be bruised at the least. She took a moment to pull back into the shadows and fan herself with her hand. They couldn't know she was here, Ikki couldn't know she was spying on him, even if that wasn't her original intention.
Once she had found her calm again, she poked her head around the corner. Only now Ikki was alone, and walking her way. And, now, Ringo wasn't ready to confront Ikki about anything like she was intending. The talk about his attitude lately, and… about her feelings… could wait.
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He had been out all day, doing nothing.
Walking back, Ikki was pretty damn sure he was being watched around the time he'd left home... He didn't know who it was or why, but he didn't particularly care, either. All he knew was he could feel it. He buried his hands in his pockets and kept his strut slow. Whoever was watching him was gone now; he didn't feel them anymore. He had a few ideas of who is could be, as well as their motives, so he didn't feel the need to feel threatened. They were all harmless.
That was hours ago, though. It was already getting dark out now, and with so much on his mind, he didn't really notice it right away.
Maybe he was just losing his ability to run around town without drawing too much attention to himself. After all, Simca the Swallow had seen him, and he didn't intend for that to happen, either. She was even still trying to flirt with him, in a very skilled manner, dare he say, and proceeded with her usual ways.
And yeah, it was nice. It was always nice. Simca's breasts were soft and warm and plentiful, with lots of bounce and smooth as a baby's bottom. Ikki laughed briefly at himself for being able to describe them in such a way. But even though it was something most boys would crave, and he was one of those boys a while ago, it just didn't hold that same satisfaction as it used to. There was nothing behind it other than lust. Time had eventually taught Ikki that he was being toyed with. That Simca had a thing for power, for making boys want her, and a weakness for a cute face, and her body helped her with getting what she wanted and she knew it, but he had accepted that the girl was mostly after lustful goals.
She liked to make him smile. Which was different than wanting to make him happy.
Another thing time had given him was a sense of logic and maturity. He saw the world with better eyes, so to speak, and Simca's methods were rather obvious once you took the time to stand back and look it up and down. So no, having his cheeks sandwiched between her breasts felt empty, useless, and all around unnecessary. But the swallow was just so full of herself and her looks, that she couldn't resist the chance to try to get the hopes of some boy up. Especially if that boy was him – the said soon to be Sky King.
Not that Simca's body wasn't a good pack of eye candy, but that's not the point.
It was true that she had placed a sure confidence in him and his ability. She knew the things he was capable of. Maybe she really did have a small spot in her heart that really loved Ikki for who he really was. But it just wasn't enough.
So why did he go there in the first place? To settle things once and for all between them? To call her out and see what the hell it was she really wanted? She didn't take it too well, however. But no, that wasn't why he was there. He needed a place to think, and that was all.
Ikki turned a corner just as the street light above him started to flicker. After meeting with Simca he had done nothing but waste his time running around and doing nothing of any particular interest. Somehow his sense of security lessened. As he got close to home he heard noises. Not the wind or anything like that. Not late night joggers or drivers. Not even animals roaming the streets. It was a sound he knew like instinct; the sound of wheels rolling over concrete.
It made him nervous, though he couldn't pinpoint a specific reason. It was night, but that didn't mean people weren't allowed to be outside. And as Ikki got close, his mind played worst case scenarios. Someone breaking into his house, with people inside, for instance.
The crow dipped down low and moved as quietly as he could. In about a minute or so he saw it; a figure, lean and agile moving around in the twilight. He moved swiftly, with grace and preciseness, and it only took a moment for Ikki to understand it was Kazu he was looking at. No one else moved like the blonde boy did, and it was easy for Ikki to identify Kazu's style and speed.
The hat helped too.
The only thing that struck Ikki as odd was his expression. Angry and hot and bothered. Too much focus, too much thinking, not enough relaxation. He wasn't letting the wind push and pull him like he usually did.
Several cans lined up along the road, a technique that Kazu usually did when practicing on his own to perfect his turning. They were placed closely together – so close that Ikki wondered if it was even possible to turn so sharply. He watched as Kazu sped forward, legs bending in impossible looking ways to swerve around the empty cans, and as Ikki got closer and Kazu caught sight of him, the sound of aluminum falling onto concrete sounded.
From that, Kazu nearly stumbled over himself but caught his balance before anything happened. A sloppy curse flew from his lips as a single can went spinning over to Ikki's feet. He clenched his fists tightly.
"Eh, sorry," Ikki offered automatically, picking up the can.
"Not your fault," Kazu responded shortly, eyes cast downward and refusing to look up. "I should be able to do something simple like that even with distractions."
Ouch. Talk about beating yourself up. Ikki somewhat cringed.
"How long have you been doing this?"
"Not long enough, apparently" the blonde huffed irritably, more to himself than anything. He turned abruptly and fixed his eyes on the can. "Something like this shouldn't even be considered a challenge. And I screwed it up."
Ikki cleared his throat nervously. He couldn't really recall a time when he'd seen or heard Kazu sound so cold. Then again, it felt like he was beginning to act this way more and more lately. Why was he being so hard on himself? Ikki opened his mouth but then shut it again. Sometimes, words just didn't come to him the way he wished they would. An angry Kazu was something that, even after so many years of knowing him, he didn't fully understand how to handle. There were some things he just didn't like to confront.
Actually, he opted to walk away. Because he didn't know how to deal with it. So he tossed the can at Kazu, who in turn caught it easily. Then Ikki turned the other way, and made his way towards the house. He didn't even offer a farewell.
Only Kazu's voice stopped him in his tracks.
"I'm sorry, man."
And it sent a wave of relief over him. Kazu had just saved him the trouble of fixing the mistake he had just made. Ikki turned back around, small grin planted on his lips.
"It's cool, dude."
"It's just that, uh," Kazu uttered, putting a hand to the back of his neck and rubbing at it. "I dunno, I guess I'm a little wound up recently."
"I haven't noticed," Ikki smiled sarcastically, crossing his arms. "What's the deal?"
"It's hard to explain," the blonde responded rather quickly, somewhat catching the crow off guard. Like he'd been running through that phrase with himself for a while now. He quickly turned around to face the other direction, voice noticeably sunken a bit. "There's something I have to do. On my own, y'know?"
"You mean like something in your personal life?" Ikki questioned curiously, trying to make sense of Kazu's strange behavior. If something was going on in Kazu's personal life, it would make the dots connect a little better and paint a better picture of why he was acting the way he was recently. And on his own? Was he telling him to back off?
"Kinda."
"Kinda? Stop beating around the bush. It's not like you." And honestly, Ikki felt a little uncomfortable when people didn't act like themselves.
"Well you see, there's this…" Kazu began and then very abruptly cut himself short and looked to the ground. Something about this just felt wrong. Why was he burdening Ikki? Why was he allowing the other boy to see him like this? "Sorry, just forget it."
Although Ikki wanted to press the matter, he simply didn't. Respecting his best friend's wishes, and pretending to buy that oh so fake smile he wore, he kept his mouth shut, turned towards his house and left, leaving the blonde to stand in the darkened streets all alone with his training cans.
Kazu didn't have to see him leave. He could just picture Ikki walking away all on his own, see the look he probably had in his eyes and immediately questioned himself. He'd always been the type that was able to speak his mind. When it came to Ikki, though, it was a lot harder to express those feelings. Because, somehow, speaking about it with Ikki didn't feel like camaraderie or loyalty or trust. It felt more like weakness.
He despised that feeling.