Ichii was breathing steadily somewhere to my side, chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm. He was sprawled on the bed, eyes closed, lashes a stark contrast against his skin. Unlike usual, he didn't stir at the slightest noise. It was so refreshing to see him so relaxed, at peace, compared to the weight he was carrying before. My heart warmed to see him so carefree.
I, myself had my head resting comfortably on Zero's lap, body curled in close to the blue-haired boy, seeking his warmth. Perfectly content to allow me to doze, Zero's attention didn't waver from his game, though he deliberately reeled in his usual jerky movements and excessive cursing as not to disturb either of us.
"You should rest." I mumbled drowsily, fingers fiddling with the bracelet Zero had finally presented me with early this morning, a present from the Magical World.
Absently, his hand dropped down to pat my head. "I'll be fine."
I acknowledged this with a little hum, yet still concerned, I continued to protest. "You'll be tired later."
"Look who's talking."
"M'not that bad."
"You're practically sleeptalking." I pouted, yet couldn't deny that. "Look, I caught a couple of z's while you were busy beating the poor punching bag half to death. I can handle being up for a couple more hours."
My pout remained, still fiercely intense.
He paused his game, and entertained himself by repeatedly flicking my ponytail over my shoulder. "You're like a cat."
"Meow." He purred back, with every ounce of cheekiness he possessed.
We collapsed into giggles, with me lightly punching his shoulder. Once our laughter subsided, I became serious once more. "Would you do it for me?"
He could never resist the puppy-dog-eyes.
"Fine, fine. Once Ichii wakes up, I'll sleep. But no earlier than that, you hear?" His voice lowered darkly. "Someone's gotta keep watch, after all."
Smothering a yawn, I mumbled an incoherent agreement, settling further down on his lap. He straightened my hair out with gentle fingers, prodding a slender digit into my cheek. "Sleep."
"M'kay."
"I got you." Those three words were filled with such uncomparable sweetness. "Nothing's going to happen with me here."
"Thank you."
He remained perfectly still until he was certain I was comfortable, then resumed his game, very deliberately turning down the volume even more.
Thinking about it, Zero had been far more attentive since the whole scare last night. He followed me everywhere, but not at a smothering distance. Evidently he just had an incessant need to have me in his sights at all times, which was understandable, considering all that had happened.
With that, the blue haired boy seemed to be noticing things he otherwise would have overlooked. Normally Zero wouldn't be so forceful about resting, merely shrugging it off as our own fault if we're dead on our feet, yet today he threatened arson, murder and the end of the world should we refuse.
And then there was his utter nonchalance about me using him as a pillow.
Not that Zero wasn't affectionate, because he'd become increasingly so over the time I'd known him. It was just that snuggling wasn't something I'd necessarily think he'd like. Ichii, sure. He was a cuddle bug the instant you gave him the chance, but not Zero. The younger boy was more fond of hair ruffles and casual leaning, with the occasional hand-holding in especially emotional situations. The only subversion was after being parted. He was perfectly happy to tackle me into the snow then.
The solution to this great mystery, I assumed, was that, just like me, he needed to be reassured by physically feeling the presence of another person.
"Is this okay?"
The tip of his tongue was poking out the corner of his mouth. I had to bite back any and all reaction to his adorableness. His concentrating face was the cutest thing I'd seen to date. "What'd you mean?"
"Should we… be doing something?" Peeking up through my hair, my lips were pursed in thought.
"Like?" He prompted, with alarming patience.
"Um. I don't know… But we got attacked, so-"
"You got attacked." He corrected. "There's a difference. S'why we're itching to blast the bastard straight into Hell."
"Yeah… that." My fingers absently pulled at the hem of his shirt. "Should… we being doing something about that? Like… finding them or trying to get the house safe… I mean, is this okay?"
"Course it is." He assured, without missing a beat. "Ichii's our wards master, so letting him rest up is best right now. He'll secure the house once his energy's back." There was a pregnant silence in which Zero dissected the his next words with the utmost care. "No matter how pissed I am, I'm not gonna go out and search for them. S'more important to stay here with you. So yeah, this is okay. Scratch that, it's great."
"This is not great!"
A split second of heat flared across my skin.
I blinked.
Zero expertly diverted Pearl's flames towards his hand, blowing them out like a candle. "That was rude." He scolded, shaking his head at the little dragon. "Don't go breathing fire when they're sleeping, idiot." The two instantly engaged a volley of insults.
Ichii's eyes fluttered open. He mumbled something that must have intended to be "What's going on?" but in reality was far from it.
Zero still understood him, regardless of his slurred words and the general commotion. "Pearl's throwing another tantrum."
"Am not!"
"Are too!"
Displaying incredibly maturity, Zero stuck his tongue out at Pearl, smirking when Ichii sighed and dragged himself between them, before the argument could escalate further. "Cut it out, you two."
"Zero was being mean!" Pearl whined.
"You shouldn't be breathing fire at us like that, Pearl. It's not polite." Ichii reprimanded, lightly. Then he turned to the younger boy. "Zero, don't antagonise him, alright? Now behave, both of you."
"Fiiiiiine." They chorused, reluctantly.
Ichii rubbed the sleep from his eyes, pulling an object from his pocket. "Almost forgot. I've got a present for you, Pearl."
With slight difficulty, Ichii managed to secure the collar around Pearl's neck. "Oh, it looks good." My bright smile mirrored Ichii's.
"I'm not a pet." Pearl grumbled, more to himself than anything. It was obvious he was pleased with how it looked, so we took no notice.
"I'll set up some protective spells, then we can talk more about Pearl's little problem, okay?" We were all happy to agree.
While Ichii paced the room, muttering quietly under his breath, Zero and I made were content to watch. After we made ourselves comfortable with an abundance of blankets, the arms Zero draped loosely around my shoulders gently drew my back to rest against his chest, our legs tangling together in an unruly mess.
"Nap." he suggested, apparently noticing my sluggishness. "It'll take him a while to finish."
I nodded blearily, the security of his embrace already lulling me to sleep.
Some time later, their low mumbles roused me. I was greeted with an extra blanket, Tabby, and a drink, while a far livelier Ichii updated me on what had already been discussed. Which, from what it seemed, wasn't much. Ichii had enjoyed teasing Zero far too much for any serious talk to take place.
"So, to our knowledge, in order for Pearl to grow, he needs to feed off Hikari's magical power. Which, at the moment, she doesn't have."
"Right."
"So we need to find a way for you to gain power."
Excited, I perked up. "You mean like me doing magic and stuff? Like you guys?"
"Hopefully, yes."
"How'd you suggest we do that?" Zero questioned, frowning. "S'not like it's easy, you know."
Deep in thought, Ichii absently tapped his index finger against his chin. "Well… I once read a book about a special dragon that could impart revelations to a wizard…. Maybe if Pearl had the same ability, we could quickly find a solution?"
"Good idea. How's it sound, Pearl?"
"Let's do it now!" Zero agreed, enthusiastically. Pearl only blinked back from his perch, utterly speechless. "... What, can you not do it or something?"
"I… I can!"
"Great, go on then."
"Zero." Ichii cautioned, hesitantly. "He doesn't have to if he doesn't want to."
"No way! I'm the dragon who is probably the most powerful of all familiars. I can totally impart revelations!"
"Then show us."
"Fine!"
I traded a cautious look with Ichii, who looked set to step in at any moment. Pearl, bless his soul, was still trying desperately, when suddenly there was a sharp flash of light, and a perfect little ball hung suspended in the air.
"Is that… a revelation?"
Pearl's tail thrashed warily. "I have no idea."
Regardless, I took it anyway, inspecting it curiously. "Oh, there's writing on it."
Suitably awed, Zero peeked over my shoulder while I read aloud. "Your love luck is on your side tomorrow. You'll team up with the boy you're interested in, and your friends will acknowledge you as a couple…?" By now, the brunette was utterly bewildered. "Also, you could see a new side to a boy you may think of as just a friend. But cheating is a big no no! He might accidentally catch you with another boy. If you get the chance to be alone with him, aggressively attract his attention, you might progress into a mature relationship…"
"There's more." Zero reported, without missing a beat. "Apparently your Lucky Item is a Handkerchief, and Lucky Number is 7."
The brunette could barely reel is his facepalm. "I think this is more like a divination."
Affronted, Pearl barked back that it was most definitely a revelation, and the boy shouldn't doubt him. To save any more heated arguments, the boy conceded, distracting himself by playing with Tabby, who had become quite bored of being ignored.
Zero must've seen my regarding it with a hint of worry, for he reassuringly patted my head. "I doubt it'll come true."
"Yes it will! You'll see for yourself tomorrow!"
Zero only rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Ichii, is the house secure?"
"Should be. We'll know the moment someone tries to slip in."
Relieved beyond belief, Zero was finally content to settle down and rest without further protest. I joined him not long later. Under Ichii's protective gaze, I couldn't have felt more safe.
"Hikari! Come on, we'll be late!"
Zero, who had already been on edge today, practically leapt forward as I leaned a little too far out of my window. "Okay! I'll be down in a sec!"
Hurtling down the stairs while pulling my hair into a messy ponytail, I collected my bag from my mother, rushing out to meet the boys, barely remembering to grab my handkerchief from the mantelpiece as I passed.
"Finally!"
"Sorry for keeping you, I couldn't find my homework."
Zero lightly rapped his knuckles against my head. "Idiot."
"We would've helped you look." Ichii's smile was soft, forgiving. He absently checked his watch, grimacing weakly. "We should run or we won't make it."
"Last one there gets called ugly for a week!"
Zero's words had barely stopped echoing before the three of us had charged forward, at exactly the same time. The wind, I noticed, was blowing strongly. Zero was in the lead, his unbuttoned jacket billowing behind him.
I was still gripping my handkerchief, observing it with a subtle tilt of my head. Even despite Zero's doubt, I'd brought it along anyway. Honestly, I wasn't even sure myself why I bothered.
The tip of my shoe caught on the ground. I pitched forward, hands outstretched. My startled cry was cut short, an arm around my middle stopping my rapid descent. It remained as a constant pressure, only retracting once I was steady. Returning Ichii's bright smile, he clapped his hand on my shoulder. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah. Just tripped a little, I'm good now. Thank you."
"Let's go." Zero instructed, taking my bag from me.
"Ah, Zero-"
"I'll carry it." He swung it deftly over his shoulder, tone leaving no room for discussion. "Don't go falling for us again, kay?" And there he was again, all bravado and teasing.
I poked my tongue out at him, chiming "Like I would." before taking off running, because there was no way I would be called ugly for the whole week, goddamn it!
Both boys were several paces behind as I burst through the school gates, giggling uncontrollably. Hiro was ahead, watching me with an expression that made it clear that he thought I was certifiably insane. "Whatcha doing?" The green-eyed boy asked, jogging alongside me.
"In a race with Zero and Ichii." I explained, between pants.
"I take it you're winning?"
Behind, the two boys were playfully jostling each other, which cumulated in Zero springing a headlock on the older boy. "Yup."
Stifling a laugh, Hiro patted my back. "Good luck with that. I'll see you in the classroom."
I threw a distracted wave over my shoulder, because Zero and Ichii had finally remembered there was a third participant in this race and had began hunting me down.
I won in the end, mainly due to Zero mysteriously falling down somewhere on the first floor, Ichii whistling an inconspicuous tune and snatching up my bag as he passed. The brunette recieved the biggest glare in existence once he finally caught up, at which point I was already too far through the doorway for Zero to really do much.
Once seated, we began recovering from our little marathon, sipping water occasionally, me smirking victoriously the entire time.
"Looks like someone's ready for the athletic festival." Ayumi noted, from the seat beside me.
"Oh, that's today?"
She lightly smacked my head with her rolled up magazine. "Get your head out of the clouds for once, girl. Kei's been buzzing about this for literally the entire month!"
Sheepishly, I rubbed my neck. "Ah, of course. Can't believe I forgot."
Ayumi affectionately rolled her eyes. "What are we going to do with you?"
Before she could clarify that vastly wide spectrum of answers (One end ranging from murder all the way down the scale to complete worship) Kei had commanded the attention of the class. "As you all know, it's time for the Athletic Festival again. We're deciding boy-girl teams for the three legged race, so everyone pick a raffle!"
"She always gets excited about school events." I commented to Ayumi as we waited in line for our raffle, the both of us smiling as our enthusiastic friend bounced around.
"Yeah, she loves them." She pulled her ticket out, taking a quick glance. "I'm four. What'd you get?"
"... Seven." My lucky number…? "Shall we go find our pairs?"
"No need." Ayumi was just barely holding back her amusement.
The next moment, I had been pulled in for a noogie, knuckles gently grinding against my head. I managed to squirm out with a little difficulty, glaring half-heartedly at Zero as I fixed my hair. "What'd Ichii tell you about that?"
He stuck his tongue out. "Spoilsport."
"What is it? You look like you're on a sugar rush."
"We're on the same team!" I smiled at his obvious excitement, returning his fist bump. "We gotta beat Ichii, okay?"
"Is this because you lost the race earlier?"
His ears turned a subtle shade of pink, a pout becoming noticeable from my teasing. "... No."
I took pity on the boy, and turned to Kei, Ayumi having wandered off to find who she'd matched up with. "Who's your pair?"
Her head snapped back round. She was grinning, hands cupped over her mouth, voice raised to a parade ground bellow. "Oi, Hanari, what's your number?"
"You already have it!"
"Are you an idiot?" Hiro honestly seemed to debate it, but simply shrugged in the end. "Your ticket number, moron!"
He ooohed a long, two note candace, shooting a glance at the crumpled paper, before holding up three fingers. "You my partner?"
"Hell yeah I am." They traded a high five the instant both were in range. "Don't let me down, you hear?"
"Yes, ma'am." Hiro smiled goofily. "Looks like Ayumi's with Aki. Hika, you with Zero?" At my nod, his flashed Zero a stern look. "Don't go overboard."
Zero snapped his a salute, focusing back on Ichii, who had finally found his pair in the tentative form of Ai, who blinked up at the boy with innocent grey orbs. Ai looked so tiny against the already tall brunette, cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
"Let's try our best." Ichii encouraged, sweetly. "I leave myself in your hands."
Ai nodded a little frantically. "Y-Yes. I'll be in your care."
Zero only snorted. "Can we go get ready? Can't look at them much longer, I'll get diabetes."
I rolled my eyes, scoldingly jabbing him in the side. Zero stifled his little whine, yet followed me down to the track, chatting absently.
After a couple of minutes, I could feel that something was off with the blue-haired boy. His smile, which had been bright and beaming, had disappeared completely, replaced by a thin, grim line, and his concentration frequently wavered as he glanced around, eyes narrowed warily.
"Zero…" I voiced, uncertainly. "Is everything okay?"
He was slow to focus back on my face, a troubled atmosphere plaguing him. "Y… Yeah." Normally so sure of himself, his lack of confidence had my pulse quickening.
"Are you sure? Do you sense something?"
Despite how nonchalant he must have thought he was being, I could tell Zero was looking directly over my head.
"Zero?"
"I dunno…" He managed, eventually. "Something just doesn't feel right."
"D'you think it's that person from before?" I could already feel myself panicking.
"Hey, hey, calm down, alright? I'm not picking up any traces of magic, 'cept Ichii's and Pearl's- troublemaker must've followed us here. S'just a weird feeling."
"Maybe we should tell Ichii."
"Was planning on it." Zero assured, patting my head. "Don't stress, it's probably nothing."
"Okay…" My hands were still twisting nervously, as I forced out a smile."
"Atta girl. I got your back, in any case."
"Yeah, thanks Zero. But... You-... You look really pale. Should we sit out the race?"
"No way!" He denied, immediately. "I'm fine, I promise." After a beat, something seemed to strike him. "Unless you want to?" I shook my head, frantically. He was finally smiling again, a weak, fleeting little thing.
Although Zero tried to assure me as best as he could, I was still worried. He was distracted, constantly looking around when he thought I wasn't paying attention. Ichii had lost his cheer, too, yet was hiding his distress far better, so that Ai wouldn't pick up on it.
As we lined up for a practise race, I was struck with the urge to persuade Zero to sit it out again. He was calm, methodical, strapping our legs together with the velcro binding. Jaw set determinedly, he smiled at me, but it came out as more of a grimace.
Swallowing down my protests, I steadied myself with an arm around his middle, nervously gripping a little harder than necessary. His anxiousness with finally getting to me, yet Zero seemed to interpret it as worries about the race.
"Inside legs first, okay?"
I nodded faintly, and then we were off, Zero abruptly having to change his pace to match my own. Having long lanky legs meant bigger strides which I couldn't keep pace with.
For a brief moment, I deluded myself into believing everything was fine. But Zero's ragged intake of breath had that notion collapsing quickly. Face pale, eyes wide, he suddenly looked very scared and very vulnerable.
Our speed increased. Dramatically. It was like he wanted this to be over and done with as soon as possible, all excitement from the competition crushed.
"Ah, Zero slow down." I murmured, struggling to keep up. "You're going too fast!"
He was muttering under his breath, more wild than I'd ever seen him. Suddenly, his head snapped to somewhere just over his right shoulder, as if seeing something there that no-one else could.
My breath caught in my throat.
Pain throbbed through my ankle. The next thing I knew, I was falling.
Falling.
Falling.
The velcro binding our feet sprang undone. The tension was too much, too late. While our legs were now free, I was still hurtling towards the ground. Zero, equally unbalanced, had pitched forward as well, arms outstretched to halt his descent. His right foot, still in the motion of walking, caught my jaw with a glancing blow. I tasted a metallic tang across my tongue.
We hit the ground mercilessly, at speed.
My unprotected knees took the brunt of the force, and I tumbled forward into a crumpled heap, upper body sprawled over Zero's legs.
Frozen with shock, the bluenette's brain had yet to compute the situation, leaving him gaping uselessly, not comprehending how he had gone from running to completely floored in less than two seconds.
Amidst the anxious shouting of classmates, Zero pushed himself into a sitting position, eyes ringed wide with surprise. "H-Hikari? Are you okay?"
Hand cupped over my mouth, I guiltily raised my head. "Uh… Yeah, I'm fine."
He noticed my defence, suspicion setting in. "Move your hand."
"W-Why?"
"I wanna see." Blunt. He was being so terrible blunt, but I could tell he was just scared. "Do it. Now."
Hesitantly, I lowered it into my lap, the palm smeared with crimson. Blood dribbled from my split lip, oozing down my chin. "It's not that bad." I attempted, flinching at how it irritated the wound.
"Holy crap."
"M'okay."
"Where else are you hurt?" I shook my head, lowering my gaze. "Hikari, please."
Dejectedly, I gestured vaguely towards my bloody knees. "It... looks worse than it is." Sure the ravines were bleeding twice as normal as they should be, but it wasn't like I couldn't handle it… right?
"I'm taking you to the nurse." He waved away my protests, scooping me up like I was made of china. "No complaining, you hear? You need to get that looked at."
I relented, admitting defeat. He was careful, striding importantly through the crowd, which parted around him like the Red Sea. With a furious glare that promised death, Hiro made a very obvious slitting-throat gesture, Kei shaking her head at his side, equally venomous.
Zero made a little squeak that would've been adorable had I not been in pain, and he so concerned.
We made it to the Infirmary relatively undisturbed, where Zero settled me gently down on the bed and reluctantly allowed the nurse to see to my injuries, obediently collecting materials when asked. After a stern look from me, he even allowed her to check the slight grazes on his hands. After a quick wash, he was deemed fine, without even the need for any plasters.
Foot in his lap, Zero was holding the compress against my twisted ankle with alarming care. "Are you… okay?" He ventured, breaking the silence that had fallen.
"Mhm. It doesn't hurt too bad anymore."
"Good." There was definitely relief there.
After a little while, I couldn't stand his pitiful attitude anymore, and channeled my inner-Kei. "Wipe that kicked puppy expression off your face before I really do kick you." I ordered, bossily. "Ugh, and quit feeling all guilty, this atmosphere is so depressing, I can feel it slowly killing my insides."
"I can't help it." He mumbled back, head bowed. "This is my fault!"
I rolled my eyes, already impatient."So I got a little hurt. Big deal! It's not life-threatening, for god's sake. In a couple of days, it'll be like it never happened."
"But it did."
"So? No need for you to get all angsty about it. I'm not dead, or dying, so stop being a little drama princess and lighten the hell up. I swear, if you make me throw a lamp at you, I will not be happy."
He snorted half-heartedly at that, finally looking me in the eye. "Why not a drama queen?"
"You need a lot more practise before you can even think about trying to claim Ayumi's throne."
Zero was really laughing now, looking much more free than before. "You're not mad?"
I dropped the attitude, smiling brightly at the boy once more. "Of course not. Look, the one and only thing I'm mad about is that I'm going to have to lean on you two to get around, 'cause I don't like bothering you."
"We don't mind."
"I know, and I love you to bits for it, but still… You guys taught me to be more independent, so I kinda like it sometimes."
He acknowledged that with a little hum. "I'm really sorry. At least let me say that," he added, when I went to scold him. "I'll stop my little pity party, but I still get to apologise."
"Fine." I allowed, good-naturally. "And don't worry about the others, I'll make sure they don't kill you."
"Much appreciated. Really wasn't looking forward to such an early death." At my small gesture, he guided me to my feet, keeping a firm hold as I tested my weight on my injured ankle. "You good?"
"I'll survive."
"Want me to carry you back?"
"No, that's okay."
Halfway down the corridor, we were confronted with an entirely new problem. Shippers.
"Your friends will acknowledge you as a couple." I recited, under my breath, among the general clamour of our classmates. Zero must've heard, because he sighed in a long suffering way, once again denying that we were a couple. I tugged on his sleeve, and murmured, "Carrying is okay."
A split second later I was in his arms and we had burst through the crowd. He set my down once we'd reached the classroom, where I successfully prevented all murder attempts from the Hikari Protection Squad.
This is going to be a long day…
Lunch took forever to arrive. The instant it did, I was hobbling out of the classroom, eager to buy some food and curl up in a secluded corner for some peace.
And just when I thought I might be able to catch a break, the universe replied 'haha yeah right, fuck you'.
There were a crowd of students in different classes twittering anxiously together. Fearing an attack, I approached cautiously, fingering the phone in my pocket, ready to dial the boys at a moment's notice. "What's going on?"
"Oh, Hikari. My uniform's been stolen."
"Mine too," the girl with pigtails added. "We know we left them in the locker room. We're searching for them now. Will you help us look?"
"Sure." I agreed, smiling uneasily. After shooting off a text to Zero explaining what was going on, I went on the hunt.
I didn't expect to stumble into a familiar face. Forte broke out into a relieved smile, gesturing wildly for me to follow him into the reference room he was peeking out of. Forte slumped against the now closed door, cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
After a long moment, I spoke. "So, you do like to crossdress?"
"No!" He denied, loudly. "This is San's doing!"
I smiled, surrendering. "You two must have the stolen uniforms, then. There's been a mass hunt for them, you know."
"That's why I was hiding in here. San wanted to play, and she dragged me along, too. I'm stuck here till I find her, 'cause she's got my clothes, and I really don't want to get caught."
"Don't worry, I'm on it. Stay here, okay? I'll be back soon."
Grateful, Forte ducked behind one of the shelves as I left. Almost directly outside the door, I bumped into Zero, who went searching for San upon my request. I returned to the hideaway without suspicion, Forte looking relieved beyond words to see me again.
"Are you alright?"
"Yeah. Did you find San?"
I shook my head. "No, I asked Zero to go look for her. I'm pretty much useless at the moment. He'll get her much faster than I would."
"If you say so…" He still seemed unsure.
"Here," I said, passing the clothes to him. "You should change into that, for now. It'll be too small for you, but it's better than staying it that uniform."
"Thank you!"
"I'll look the other way."
"Okay." His voice sounded far more jovial than before. I congratulated myself on my small victory.
"Hikari?"
At the sound of my name, my gaze snapped back to the boy. Forte had paused in the process of putting on the jumper, and only had his arms pulled through the fabric. His chest was still completely bare, not that he seemed too bothered about it. I blinked, then looked him firmly in the eyes, smiling brightly. "Yes, Forte?"
"Um… Can I ask you something?"
"You can ask me anything."
He was slightly perturbed by my limitless cheer. "You… sure?"
"One hundred percent." I assured. "Fire away!"
"Okay, well, it's just..." He seemed so terribly uncertain. "San and I… How do you feel about us?"
"Hmmm… Are you looking for anything specific?"
"N-no… Just in general…"
Thoughtfully, I tapped my finger against my chin. "Well, you're not trying to kill me anymore, so it's fun to hang out. Even if we have to stop San and Zero from making a mess of things. Ah, what else...? Oh, yeah! You're smart, and a good cook, too. You have to teach me some of your recipes someday!"
"I'd be happy to."
I rocked back on my heels with a happy hum. "Is that what you meant?"
Looking relieved, he nodded. "Yeah."
His fingers picked at the hem of the jumper. After a sizeable pause, I spoke once again. "Was that not everything you wanted?"
"Um…" His hands stilled. "So you don't… hate us or anything?"
"Why would I hate you?"
"Well, 'cuz we tried to kill you and everything... Multiple times."
"Oh, right. That. To be honest, I never outright hated either of you. You guys were just scary, yeah?"
His expression flickered with guilt, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah."
"I mean, I was kinda new to the whole magic-y thing, and just barely got over freaking out over Zura flying, the giant owl and everything, then all of a sudden I've got people itching for me to die. So… yeah, what I'm getting at is that it was all pretty scary."
"I get you. And we're really sorry about all that. We went way overboard."
"It's fine. It's all in the past, water over bridges and all. Anyway, you guys are my friends now."
"We are?"
I nodded, turning somewhat downcast. "Of course. You don't think the same?"
"I do." He corrected, hurriedly. "I guess it's weird. I've never really had many friends, and San… well, she didn't have anyone before me. S'why we stick together so much."
"Not anymore!" I replied, brightly. "You can add me to that list."
"Right." He was definitely becoming brighter.
"Hmm, Zero make act tough, but he definitely has a soft spot for San. And Ichii only pretends to be angry with you now, since you haven't tried to hurt me for ages. And Hiro likes anyone that I like, 'cause he trusts me to make good decisions. You can consider them friends as well! Now you have three more people you can rely on."
He smiled gingerly. "You're so nice. I can see why you're so well-liked."
"You're not too bad yourself."
"Thanks."
I stretched my arms up, feeling my back give a pleasant pop, when a sudden thought struck me. "Hey, one question from me."
"Yeah?"
"Why're you asking so suddenly, anyway?"
The same tightening of muscles around his mouth greeted me. "Uh… Just wondering, I guess?"
I frowned, planting my hands squarely on my hips. "Don't."
"Eh?" Confused, he perked up. "Don't what?"
"Don't lie to me." I clarified, disapprovingly. "I don't like it. You know, you're not very good at hiding things, Forte. Is there something you're not telling me?"
"'S nothing."
"You can trust me."
"I know-"
"Then why won't you say? Is it something bad?"
"No, it's just..." He exhaled, shoulders slumping in defeat. "It's about San."
My brows furrowed with concern. "San? Is something wrong with her? She's not sick, is she?"
He waved away my worries. "No, no, no. She's not hurt, or sick. She's fine, really. Completely fine."
"Then… what?"
"I dunno… I guess I expected her to be upset or something. We didn't pass the exam, after all, so it'd be justified."
"Oh, I see. She hasn't been, I take it?"
"Yeah. She's been scarily happy lately. It's kinda creeping me out, actually."
"Well, San's always happy. I'm used to it by now."
"True. Probably feeling a lot better now we don't have to fight for the Pearl."
"Seems like a lot of pressure. I'm surprised San was as cheerful as she was."
"She's always been like that. Likes to smile through her pain, even if I tell her it's alright to cry."
"San's strong like that." Studying the boy intently, I hummed a two note candace. "That's not it, is it?"
"Well… The exam's over."
"So...?"
"We're still here." He shrugged, then realised how that sounded and backpedaled. "I mean, don't get me wrong, it's not like I hate the place, but it's weird, you know? S'not like we have a reason to stay, yet here we are. Makes me wonder whether she wants to leave or not."
"Would it bother you if she stayed?"
My question seemed to pierce him. He took a long moment to debate this. "I don't know…" He started, tentatively. "I mean, it's cool here and all, and San's awesome, and I love her to bits, but I dunno."
"You two are really close, aren't you?"
"That's putting it lightly." Suddenly serious, he appraised me with deadly calm. "I'd die for her. Without hesitation."
"Living for her sake is just as good."
"Yeah, you're right." He sighed deeply. "Whatever she decides, I'll stick with her. I don't want her to be alone again. She deserves so much more than that."
"San is really lucky to have you, you know. You're a really good friend." He glowed from my praise. "Forte, have you even asked her about this?"
Sheepishly, he grinned. "Not really. I kinda got interrupted."
I rolled my eyes. "You're hopeless."
"You think I should? She wouldn't get mad, right?"
"You know her better than I do. If you really want an answer, your best bet is going to her directly."
"I get it. I'll try asking her again." He smiled gratefully. "Thanks, Hikari."
"It's no trouble. You should get changed though, you must be cold like tha-"
The next thing I knew was a rush of cold air. Then I was on the ground. Forte's arm slammed against the wall above my head. He was curled over me, like a shield. In the sudden commotion, I caught his breathless gasps, and the strong arm around my back that pulled me further into his protective embrace. Disorientated, the erratic rise and fall of his chest was all I could focus on.
For a moment, there was silence.
"F-Forte?"
Wincing, the blond boy straightened up somewhat to allow us room to breathe. His head was bowed remarkably close, arm still leaning against the wall for support.
From what little I could see, boxes now littered the floor, contents upturned haphazardly.
"Wha… What happened? Where'd all this stuff come from?"
"The shelves." He explained, eyes scanning them cautiously. "One of them was unsteady, it must've gave out just then."
"I... didn't even notice."
"It's high up, you wouldn't have seen it unless you were searching for it. Might've even been the weight of all this that brought it down, now that I think about it." Concerned, his fingers brushed against my cheek. "You've got a lota dust on you."
"So do you."
"Any injuries?"
I shook my head, relieved. "None. Not even a little bump, thanks to you." Now it was my turn to be worried. "What about you? I heard them all bouncing off your back, that must have hurt."
"Maybe a little," He allowed. "But it's just bruises, I'll survive-"
The door clicked open. "Hikari," Our heads snapped to the side. "I've brought San for you-" He stopped short, demeanour turning deadly.
Forte audibly gulped. I was close enough to see his adam's apple bob with the movement, and felt my own blood run cold. To the already paranoid Zero, how must this position look?
Burning heat seared across my skin.
Forte paled considerably.
"Get off her." He all but snarled. "Now."
The blond boy jumped up so quickly, his head span. Still, that didn't stop him from extending a hand to help me up, too. Unfortunately for him, his act of chivalry wasn't taken all to kindly by Zero, and a wall of flames sprung up between us as the bluenette himself lifted me to my feet.
"Did he do anything weird to you?"
"What? No!"
"Are you sure?"
"Yes!" Growing irritated by his behaviour, I pushed him away. Forte looked every bit a helpless puppy, under a furious barrage from both San and my would-be protector. "Don't you think you've got the wrong idea?"
"All I saw was that asshole pinning you down."
"Don't call him that."
Zero was losing his cool, that much was obvious. He was coated in a thin veil of fire, which flickered ominously as he raised his voice. "What, you expect me to be calm after that? He put his hands on you!"
"Stop it." I instructed, becoming more distressed by the second. "You shouldn't burst in and start making assumptions like that."
"I'm not blind! That's what I saw!"
"Well you obviously saw wrong." I argued, hands on my hips.
His expression tightened, and I saw a brief flash of hurt. "Are you calling me a liar!?"
"Of course not!" I backpedaled quickly. "I'm saying you're being unfair!"
"How am I?"
Groaning, my hands fisted in my hair. "Listen to what I'm saying, will you? Forte wasn't trying to hurt me! You're angry at him for no reason!"
"Goddamn it, Hikari! Why are you still so naive? You're too easy, that's probably why he-"
"Shut up!" I yelled, stamping my foot. "Don't you dare patronize me like that, I'm not a child. I don't need your stupid lecture, and I sure as hell don't see why it's any of your business anyway!"
His jaw clenched tightly, the muscle taunt like a steel cable. "You're right. Do whatever you want, see if I care."
Regret stung my heart like a thousand needles.
My hand reached out to stop him from leaving-
The door slammed shut between us.
Throwing an apologetic glance over my shoulder towards the terrorized blond, I hurried after him as fast as my injured leg would take me. "Zero, wait! I didn't mean that." The bluenette refused to acknowledge my presence, continuing to march ahead, utterly livid. "Zero, please! Hold on a second."
If you get a chance to be alone with him….
Red flashed across my vision, and I snatched his arm, forcefully making him face me. "Look, I'm so-" Aggressively draw his attention. "...rry. I- Um…" My ankle gave a terrible throb, and I grasped wildly at the boy to keep myself steady.
Despite his obvious foul mood, his strong hands still gripped my arms until I was balanced.
"T-Thank you…" Eyes blazing, he stepped away, crossing his arms heavily across his chest. "I'm sorry… I got annoyed… He, ah- F-Forte, he was protecting me. From the boxes. They fell. On… Me..." And you might progress into a mature relationship. "So yeah… Pleasedon'tbemadathim! He was just trying to help… But um… I gotta go, see you in class, sorry, bye!"
"Hikari…? "
I limped back to the classroom with rigid determination, flopping lifelessly into my chair once I'd arrived.
"Stupid Zero."
My stomach rumbled. Loudly and without any warning.
Damn… I missed lunch…
"Stupid stupid stupid."
My forehead hit the table with a solid thwack. A beat, then I was clutching the area, struggling to keep my whine internal. Pouting, with one hand still cradling my head, I half-heartedly scanned through my notes, hoping to distract myself.
I blinked, the paper I had been pretending to read was swept to the side, having been replaced by a packet of melon bread. Stars in my eyes, I returned Ichii's smile, the brunette straddling the chair in front, arms loosely hanging over the back. "You want that?"
"I can have it? Really?" In any case, I was already eagerly unwrapping the treat.
"I bought too much because Pearl insisted he could eat it all."
"Hey!" The muffled voice of the little dragon emanated from Ichii's bag, where two narrowed coal orbs were focused intently on us. "Don't tattle on me!"
"You're a lifesaver, Ichii!" Positively glowing, I took a bite. "This is great, I'm really hungry."
Chin resting on his palm, Ichii's smile dimmed somewhat. "So…. Did the divination come true?"
I almost sprayed him with crumbs. The brunette watched on with concern until I'd finished almost choking to death on the melon bread. "Uh… Y-You mean the divination Pearl shared with me…?"
"Yeah."
Let's see… Most of it has… The Lucky item, being paired up with Zero, acknowledged as a couple, the whole fiasco with Forte- Oh, rats! He'll be mad if he finds out that Zero and I were fighting just now! Act smooth, Hikari.
"W-Why do you ask?" My laugh couldn't have sounded more forced if I'd tried.
What the Hell was that!? Oh Lord, just leave, you're so awkward.
He regarded me suspiciously for a moment, then presumably disregarded it in favour of answering my question. "Why...?" His echo was uncertain, so unlike his usually confident tone. "Well… It's been bothering me, that's why…"
Ichii, I knew, always tried to be the composed one. Both myself and Zero were emotional, I was too sensitive, Zero too brazen. He acted without thinking, mostly in defence of the weak, of me, of those he treasured beyond anything. I was normally too powerless, who stood at the sidelines and cried at the drop of a pin. Ichii was the brains, the mother, the worrier. He mentored us, watched us grow with pride, hiding his own pain and troubles, instead focusing all his attention on everyone but himself.
"No," Almost immediately, he was more relieved. "I don't think it has."
"Impossible!" Pearl denied, crawling into the open despite Ichii's protests. "My revelations can't be wrong!"
Gnawing on my bottom lip, I stood my ground. "It hasn't all happened."
"No way, you're a liar!"
"No… It's true…"
"I hate you!" I flinched back, expecting a blast of flames. Instead, Pearl shot through an open window to my left, sniffling sadly.
Ichii failed to stop him, brows creased with concern.
My fists clenched, head lowering in shame.
I'm such an idiot…
A/N: By now we've probably established my utter inability to stick to deadlines. RIP me, my soul and all the college work I put off to finish this god forsaken chapter. At least it's longer than usual? Though very conversation orientated. Oops. Screw proof reading because this has already taken waaaaay too long.
Idk if it's boring or anything, ideas on improving/ pointing out any mistakes would be beyond helpful. As always, tell me what you think. I like hearing your opinions, it let's me know what you guys like to read.
Thanks for reading!
AkemiMimiA: I'm glad you like her! It's always good to have a protagonist the readers will support.
James Birdsong: It makes me happy to hear that!