Disclaimer: I don't own KHR. Unfortunately.
Usual Warnings apply. Also, slightly slow chapter.
Anyway, hope you enjoy~
Well that's not exactly the best way to start the day…
Alex trailed off, bemused, listening in on the tell-tale staccato of the rain banging onto the window nearby. It seemed that, no matter how far away he was from the United Kingdom; there was no escaping the weather that it was so lovingly named for, and all he could do was grin and bear it. The clouds raged, water droplets cascading down, and it seemed as if there would be no end to it – at the very least, not in the near future.
"I thought I would have escaped the rain by getting out of the UK. Guess like I was wrong…" Sighing, he got out of his warm, comfortable bed and made his way to his desk.
Guess like I should at least get ready. I don't want to look like a hobo on my first day; lord knows I need to be made a social pariah on my first day.
Why on Earth he decided that it was a good idea to go to school the very next day was beyond him, even if it was he that made the decision. All he could blame was Nana's slightly panicked expression, eyes glinting with something he couldn't quite place, as the normally happy-go-lucky woman warned him of the bloodthirsty Committee.
Apparently, he's a tyrant. A beast. The Bogeyman of Namimori.
Alex personally thought that he deserves a good slap.
Already dreading the amount of questions he'll receive about his hair, maybe he will be better off not going in today. Make an excuse, say that he still feels jetlag or that he is ill or maybe just forgo phoning in altogether, instead returning to the safety and security of his bed. Though in saying, it wouldn't do to not come in on his first day; he already had enough problems as it was – not being related in any way to anybody Japanese
That, and how are you supposed to act? Alex didn't really now. All of his (relatively) short life, he had lived in England, and with it all it had to offer.
That included education.
The education in the U.K may have had high school and all that, but there was no such thing as a middle school.
Brows furrowed, he trudged out of the room, sleep clinging to his eyelashes as the teen tried to navigate the landing in the darkness. With a grunt, a hiss, and only one muffled scream of pain, he triumphantly traversed the stairs, aiming directly for the kitchen.
Only to be met by Nana.
"What are you doing up, hmm?" Nana didn't even spare him a glance, masterfully cleaning the hallway, but that didn't affect her mood – the woman's teasing lilt coming through despite the task at hand.
"What?" voice husky and rough from a bizarre mixture of jetlag and drowsiness, Alex growled out. He was too tired for this in the morning.
"Calm down Mr Growly Pants. I'm just surprised to see a teenage boy up so early. I don't know how they do it in England, but I'm not used to seeing teens up at 5:30 in the morning." her omnipresent smile didn't seem to change, but it didn't take a genius to hear the thinly veiled venom in her tone.
"…I'm just going to go put some rice on."
The smile lost its edge, the warmth returning to it, and she gestured towards the kitchen.
"No need, dear, I've already put the rice on. Why don't you have a shower, get yourself sorted out for your big day?"
It was only later, whilst he was in the shower that he realised that Nana Sawada had echoed the very same words that he had said to himself, and all he could do was chalk it up to the enigma that was the kind-hearted woman.
The oblivious woman that, somehow, seemed to be able to read everyone.
I'm screwed.
With the desperation of a dying man, a damp Alex tipped up the contents of his crimson bag, haphazardly sorting through the mess that littered his once pristine bed. His sheets were drowning in the remnants of his old school, drawings and pictures and old work strewn carelessly over the baby blue sheets. Without care, all of it was pushed to one side, and in its stead were the essentials.
Pencil cases were thrown in alongside sticky notes, pads and stencils. Finishing up, he zipped up his bag and pulled out his uniform. There wasn't anything interesting to say about it, to be perfectly honest. It was just like any other Namimori uniform, sadly enough.
The uniform wasn't anything special - a crisp, white polo shirt, and plain black cotton pants. Wearing it, he looked like he had just walked out of a Noir film.
It was as if he was a splash of monochrome in a world of colour.
As he was dressing, it was as if his insecurities were waiting for that moment to strike.
Will he be able to make friends?
Will he do well in studies?
Bloody 'ell will he even like it there?
Questions that he just cannot answer plagued him, tormented him.
But he hadn't come all of this way for nothing.
If they didn't like him then tough, he would make them like him.
If he didn't do well in his studies then it was no-one's fault but his own.
And he liked it well enough here, and that was enough for him.
"There's no point in thinking about it now and getting worried," Alex muttered, beating away the negative thoughts with a metaphorical stick. Before exiting his room, Alex grabbed a brush and pocketed it.
After all, you never know when you need a brush or a comb to smack someone in the back of the head with.
With a small smile, the red-head knocked on Tsuna's door, waiting for a reply that would tell him that he could come in. However, hearing none, he knocked again. There was still no answer.
Quickly getting worried over this, Alex barged into the room, hoping against the odds that he had not left without him. Scanning the room for his prey, his eyes locked on the sleeping form lying spread-eagle on the bed, snoring lightly as if there wasn't a care in the world.
Oh. He hadn't gotten up yet.
He turned around to leave before double-taking.
WAIT HE HASN'T GOTTEN UP YET? It was almost time to leave!
With a glare that promised a swift but painful murder, he ran up to the bed, trying futilely to wake the innocent teen up. He tried calling his name, shouting at him (which made Tsuna grumble a little bit) and even shaking him. Deciding that physical pain might do the trick, he looked around for anything he could hit him with that wouldn't hurt too much.
Paper? No, too flimsy. Stab him with a pen? Would leave a mark. Brush? Could work, but that's only for idiots though…
Quickly running out of ideas, Alex decided to do the most logical thing and drag him, kicking and screaming, out of the bed. Noticing him finally start to wake up, he relented on tugging his hair and took to relentlessly poking him instead.
Alex never said that he was above petty things. He just didn't enjoy them.
The brunette's eyes finally managed to crawl open, caramel eyes staring in tired delirium at the angry Brit's visage, and Tsuna did the one thing that he was known for.
Scream. Loudly.
Alex had moved on from anger, into something more, and it laughed at the thought of homicide and instead promised genocide. Eyes burning, brow twitching, he was about to show why he was so mad to the clueless boy.
"Tsuna-kun… WHAT TIME DO YOU THINK IT THIS IS! WE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE LEAVING THE HOUSE NOW AND ON OUR WAY TO SCHOOL," Alex stared down at the cowering kouhai, panting, somewhat glad to get the explosion out of the way now.
The sleepy boy, otherwise known as the source of Alex's ire, 'HIEEEEEE'D' once again, before running around his room madly in search of his uniform. Bemused, the still slightly wet teen launched Tsuna's polo shirt at the back of his head, with enough force to send the nervous kid to the ground.
Frankly unamused with the whole thing, he could hardly contain the sigh threatening to break free, leaving the room - but not before telling the rushing adolescent that he'll get his breakfast sorted out and grab his bento's.
See, he could be nice, if he tried. Emphasis on the tried.
"Hi Lexie-chan," cheerful, it seemed that Nana had completely forgotten about what was said this morning, waving happily at the feminine teen.
Who, suffice to say, wasn't amused with the nickname.
"Lexie-chan?" spitting it out venomously, the force behind the word could puncture diamond.
"Friends are supposed to give each other nicknames, aren't they? You can call me mama." if he didn't know better, Alex would say that she was patronising him, but he just chalked it up to another of Nana's eccentricities.
"…Fine." this was one of those battles that he couldn't win, he knew, and all he could do was grin and bear it.
Conversation soon dried up, the duo returning to what they were doing before the interruption. Nana returned to her crossword, tapping a rhythm out onto the table as she pondered over the answers whilst Alex spooned various delicacies onto a plate, well aware of the passage of time.
"What's seven letters and means 'reaching a high or the highest degree; very great.'?" she even punctuated the statement with her hands.
"Hmm?"
"I'm doing this crossword, in English, and I don't know the answer," Nana even pouted.
"Oh, extreme." dismissing the conversation, he returned to his task, unprepared for the blow to the head.
Did she just…?
Eying the object on the floor anxiously, as if it was a bomb ready to explode, he could only stare at it in confusion.
"Clingfilm, right?" smirking with pride, she answered the question that was painted clear as day on his face.
"Before you ask, it's for when you are done. Just wrap it up and give it to me later on." letting out a soft 'oh' in comprehension, he didn't question just how she knew, as he knew he would not like the answer, and instead chose to wait at the door for Tsuna to arrive.
Lucky for him, he did not have to wait for long, as the boy in question literally fell down the stairs, landing in a crumpled heap by his foot. Not wasting any time Alex forced him to his feet, handing the bewildered boy the plate with his breakfast on.
"Umm…thanks" he whispered with gratitude, tucking into his breakfast as the duo made their way to the front door. With a cry of goodbye, the two boys escaped the house, but not before Alex armed himself with his umbrella. The two started the trek towards Namimori Middle in the pouring rain, with Tsuna in the lead and Alex following close behind, covering them both with his red umbrella.
Living in Britain means he's always prepared for rain.
"To get to the school, we pretty much just go in a straight line, and make a right. We just carry on down that road and make one more turn left, and we are there" Tsuna instructed, managing to drop his perpetual stuttering in favour of being understandable. Alex followed his every move, making a personal note to keep track on everything Tsuna is saying at the moment – after all he didn't want to get lost on the way to school.
Alex knew he didn't wear tardiness well.
"Is that all? I just assumed that it would be really far away, and that I would easily get lost or something." Alex replied.
So that's it? That's all I have to do? I should have just asked Nana where to go then and left by myself.
And no, he wasn't pouting. Honest.
Continuing on their way with mindless chatter, they followed the described path, ending up in front of Namimori middle.
Students were mulling around outside, talking to their friends in their own little groups as a few rebels hung outside. The gates stood tall, split open down the middle to allow entrance inside and the building itself looked immaculately clean. No litter, or graffiti, lined the pathway inside, and the sakura trees were in full bloom, even in this weather.
It was the sort of image a school wanted to show to the world, declaring to the world the discipline shown by their students. Alex could already tell that his new classmates were going to be disciplined, and their work-ethic top notch.
Inside was much the same. The floors, ceiling and walls were sterile, and the atmosphere was just like any other middle school – filled with the sound of students. Walking up to the reception desk that sat off to the side of the main entrance, they decided to find out just where the transfer student would be placed for lessons.
"Pardon me," Seeing that he had gotten her attention he pressed on, "Excuse me miss but could you do me a favour?" Alex asked, knocking on the glass separating them to get the woman's attention.
She was tall, approximately two feet larger than Tsuna and wore the stereotypical secretary outfit – white top, grey blazer with a pencil skirt and high heels. She obviously thought it made her look attractive, if the look on her face said anything, but it made her look more like a slut than anything else.
"Yes? What is it?" she replied, saccharine smile pasted on her face, whilst she threw a look at Tsuna that held nothing but contempt.
Alex found that he didn't like her. At all.
"Could you please tell me what class I am in? I'm new to the school, and I only arrived in Japan yesterday," Alex asked, speaking instead of Tsuna, though he was ignore, the woman staring at Tsuna with nothing but disgust.
Hearing the bell ring, Alex turned to Tsuna and sent him off to class, saying that he will go to class after he gets this done.
It looked like he was going to complain, but after placating the brunette and gifting him with the promise that he'll see him after school, he was off like a shot to his lesson.
Almost as if he was afraid of someone finding him not in class.
Ignoring the little niggling sensation that something was wrong, he turned back to the receptionist and reiterated the question, this time actually getting a response out of her.
"Oh? That's nice." With a quick glance at her computer, she soon got back to him, "You're in class 2-A." she said, voice patronising as she stared at him.
"Hmm? Cool. Now where is it?"
"Second floor, room A"
"Ok, thanks, bye."
He got out of there as quick as he could.
Okay is everything ready? Hair looks immaculate, uniform is perfect and my glasses are tucked into my upper pocket with my pens.
A quick look in his phone's camera told him that, yes, he was ready, and that yes, he was so going to smash it.
I am so ready to make that first impression.
Alex smirked, looking himself over one last time before knocking on his assigned class. Waiting for the call to enter, and when given the prompt he entered the classroom.
Walking towards the front of the desk, Alex couldn't help but to feel nervous underneath the gazes, unable to shake the feeling like he was some sort of exhibit at the zoo.
"Hello, I'm Ivy Alex, but please call me Alex. As the teacher stated, I am on an exchange trip from the United Kingdom. It's a pleasure to meet you all."
With the introduction said and done, he made his way over to his designated seat, a window seat, where he only had one neighbour – a boy with sterling silver hair who was, at this moment in time, locked in Morpheus' embrace, if the light snores were anything to go bye.
The lesson itself seemed to be about English – so he pretty much didn't have to do anything for the rest of the hour.
He tried, he honestly did, but he only lasted twenty minutes before caving in to the boredom, and fishing out the journal within its depths.
If they ask any questions I'm practicing English.
And so he scribbled away into that tiny book, determined, and to the rest of the world it looked like he was taking notes.
-…well, I do not have much else to say at the moment, other than 'Operation: Friend' is live and going smoothly. I'll report back later with more information about what happened.-
Checking the time, Alex belatedly realised that there was only five minutes left of the lesson, and everyone in the class assumed that you were taking notes all day. Staring at the guy next to him, who had still yet to wake up, he tried to nudge him up so the teacher will not get mad when he realises a student slept though his lesson.
"Pardon me, sir… sir… sir… Are you going to get up any time soon?" exasperated, he continued to prod the youth.
No response.
Annoyed, he flicked the boy's forehead – knocking him out of the delirium with pain. Noticing he was about to say something, Alex quickly forced a hand over his mouth to stop him. Placing his spare finger over his mouth, he made the universal sign for 'shut it or we are going to suffer', hoping that he would get the message.
Luckily enough, he did, and they went on unnoticed.
With it deemed safe, Alex removed his hand over the boy's mouth and turned back around to the teacher, not noticing the weird look that the boy gave him over what he just did.
The teacher at the front was still prattling on about tenses, and when they are used. Deciding to listen for a bit, he didn't have much to listen to until the bell rung. Homework was given out, and Alex turned to introduce himself to the other.
"Hello, sorry about before but I needed you to be quiet so you don't get us both in trouble. Anyway, the name is Ivy Alex, pleasure to meet you," he smiled, hesitantly, as the boy in question got excited.
"EXTREME! My name is Ryohei Sasagawa, captain of the Boxing Club in Namimori Middle. We need someone like you in our boxing club!" the now known boy roared out, leaning up close to Alex's face.
Wait what? Step back a second. Me – long haired, small, hardly any muscle mass – in the BOXING CLUB?
Obviously I am going to join!
"Ok, sure, I'll join. Who else is in it?" the newly inducted red head asked, if only for austerity's sake. Ryohei immediately brightened up, even more so than before when he introduced himself, unloading a spiel that was more like a presidential speech than anything else.
All Alex gathered was that there are only two others in the group, not that he was complaining - less chance for him to aggravate anyone.
"I'll take you to the club room during lunch, and we can train to the EXTREME!" Ryohei jumped up, pumping his fists up and down, before starting to shadow box in the middle of the class. The rest of the class ignored it, even if he was right in the centre of everyone's sight.
Shaking his head, Alex just watched on in amusement as Ryohei nearly knocked someone out by accident.
It certainly seems like it won't be boring, especially with Ryohei around to act like a hyperactive portable sun.
Now all he had to do was find a way to tell him that he was busy lunch and wouldn't be able to talk to him.
With his own private escort, Alex patiently waited for Maths to go by fast, praying that it all will go well.
Time seemed to go by at a snail's pace, until that glorious bell finally rung out.
Students flocked out of the classroom in droves, led by Ryohei Sasagawa as he dragged Alex down to the boxing room. Placing a dazed Alex down somewhere with surprising gentleness, Ryohei made his way towards the equipment in the back, hanging up an extremely heavy boxing bag filled with sand.
Before proceeding to punch it into oblivion.
Deciding to sit back and watch, Alex sat nearby watching as he beat it up, watching in awe as he completely and utterly destroyed the boxing bag.
I don't want to be on the end of that punch.
Knowing that this was something that he will regret in the near future, but going through with it anyway, he called out for the boy to stop. It seemed like he had completely forgotten he was there, as he looked remarkably sheepish when he noticed Alex call out to him.
"SORRY FOR FORGETTING ABOUT YOU, BUT SPEAK UP MORE," if there was thing Alex had learned; it was that Ryohei's default was earth-shattering loud. Seeing as that could get annoying quickly, Alex quickly made to stop it by covering his mouth with his hand.
"Ryohei-san, you don't need to shout. After all it's just us two here anyway." Alex smirked, amused at him. Leaving an embarrassed Ryohei behind, he made his way to the arena in the middle of the room.
Alex slipped through the ropes, entering the ring, before facing Ryohei once more.
"ALEX! What are you doing in there? Do you want to Box? I thought you didn't…"Ryohei rambled, playing the part of a human machine gun frighteningly well, firing questions at the bemused Alex before being cut-off once again.
"I just thought that you might want to train against someone who could move faster than a bag… I don't box but I can certainly move around fast when I need to." Alex offered, and before he could blink Ryohei was in the arena, ready and prepared in his boxing gear.
"Let's start then. EXTREME FIGHT!" he cried out, before dashing towards the stunned Alex.
Regaining his composure quickly, a curtain of auburn trailed behind as he launched to the left, barely avoiding the punch. He was quickly forced onto the defensive, as Ryohei rampaged, clearly dominating the arena.
Jumping away from him, Alex danced around the next blow before lashing out with a roundhouse. Ryohei blocked this deftly, gripping the foot tightly, before throwing a punch at his face. Seeing no way out of this, Alex manoeuvred one arm to cover his face, shockwaves of pain lancing out from his arm from where the bullet punch hit.
I really can't take another one of them.
Shaking it off as best he could, he used his captured foot as leverage to kick him in the face. Shock briefly covered the athlete's face, but he was prepared enough to catch it in his hand.
With an undignified 'eep' Alex was sent crashing to the ground, landing in the ring at an awkward angle, glaring up at the boy that was clutching his boots like a lifeline.
A seemingly uncharacteristic smirk graced Ryohei's face as a twinkle appeared in his eye.
"Guess like I win, to the EXTREME!" seeing the disappointment in the other's expression, he quickly tacked on a hasty 'maybe next time'.
Alex just glared, springing at the sterling boxer in the glomp of the century, knocking them both to the ground.
"What's this for? Why do I get an EXTREME HUG" he looked down on the kid in his arms with a exuberant smile on his face.
"No reason," he muttered in reply, before looking up at him.
"You don't need a reason to hug someone you know," yawning, he got up off of the surprisingly comfy Ryohei and made his way towards the door, "We should get back to lesson now; we don't want to be late do we?"
Walking out the boxing room, they left, rushing towards their next class as the bell rang.
"Oh look at this, ickle baby Tsu-Tsu got himself a girlfriend."
Oh?
Alex paused, foot about to leave the school premises, before the taunts reached him. Tsuna just blushed, tugging on the feminine youth's shoulder as if to say 'ignore it, just carry on with your life'.
"Just ignore it, please," Tsuna pleaded, body tired, "Let's just go home, please."
Alex didn't ignore it.
"Oh look, boys, Dame-Tsu Tsu's girlfriend is coming our…" he didn't get to finish, Alex's boot lodged firmly in his crotch. With a pained grunt, the guy sank to his knees, the Briton throwing a saccharine smile to the two goons at either side.
Alex made his way back over to Tsuna, smirk of pride emblazoned over his face, tugging the slightly stunned youth off the premises as if he hadn't just kicked a guy between the legs.
"And that, my dear Tsuna, is how you get rid of guys like that. A solid kick should do the trick, but sometimes another tap is necessary." Alex lectured, teaching the semantics of 'groin smashing' to the still stunned Tsuna.
"…oh," Tsuna tilted his head cutely, and Alex had to restrain himself – the urge to 'squee' like a pre-pubescent girl was strong, but he managed – "I just usually inform Kusakabe-san."
Alex was left in a slight stupor, as Tsuna finished off his statement.
"After all, those who disturb the piece of Namimori deserve to be bitten to death."
"…Is that really what Hibari says?"
"Yup."
"And this is supposedly the person that the entire town fears?"
"Yup."
Tsuna left Alex gaping in the dust.
Chapter 2, Fin~
Okay guys, first things first, if the line breaks don't show up I apologise, but I realise that it is a thing and I can't really fix it as it seemed to be random.
Secondly, I have a new story up. A Reincarnation ficcy. But to make it unique, 'Guy Falls into Girl' because Drama. Check it out xD
Thirdly, OMG THE RECEPTION! 3 Reviews, 6 favourites, 8 follows - Thank you so much for the support!
And remember, any questions just drop them in a review or in a PM and I'll answer :D
Signed, HalcyonNight.