tagging @twoandahalfdimes because she's a queen and I love her >:)
Here's a new au, a school au. I have so many ideas HEHHH
The Rain Knew Our Names - Part I
WC: 1k
Tags: Young love, oc shipping, school au, thunderstorms, oc x oc, short fic, ocs, original characters, own characters, fluff, fluffy
Note: you have to admit: That's a wicked title
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William flicked his pen at his desk mindlessly as he listened to the teacher’s monotone voice, trying desperately to keep himself awake. He listened to the quiet pitter-patter of the rain as it hit the window. The air was chilly, for radiators were a luxury that the school couldn’t afford. He sighed, taking a sip of water. He felt the lukewarm liquid hit his tongue as he rolled his eyes, wishing he’d brought a flask of warm tea instead.
Rayna sat directly behind him, bouncing her leg up and down underneath the desk. She paid attention to the teacher, occasionally jotting down notes with the knowledge that she couldn’t even read her own handwriting. She had buttoned up the first few buttons of her blazer, as she too felt the chill in the air. She shivered every once in a while, her teeth chattering as the air from the corridors blew into the classroom. She watched the water in her plastic bottle sway from side to side as her leg jounced, accidentally hitting the table every once in a while.
RING!
“Bloody hell!”
“Holy crap!-”
Both students were jolted out of their daydreams by the peeling of the lunch bell, their peers immediately stood up, grabbing their bags and walking out of the classroom eagerly. The teacher sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, seemingly irritated by his lecture being cut short.
William cocked his head to the side at the keenness of his classmates, standing up as he grabbed his coat and bag, glancing out of the window, which was now displaying the pouring rain, no longer a light shower.
Rayna simply shrugged, trying to seem unbothered by the abrupt sound as she stood up, mentally cursing herself for being fooled by the warm weather that morning, which had caused her to leave her coat at home. She let out a long sigh as she picked up her rucksack and walked out of the room.
✯¸.•´*¨`*•✿ ✿•*`¨*`•.¸✯
The corridors were crowded and stuffy, the warm bodies heating up the corridors as the occasional sneezes and coughs broke through the sounds chatter and shuffling. William sighed, watching couples meeting each other in the middle of the hallways, throwing their arms around each other as if they hadn’t spoken for years.
William scoffed. How could people be so lovesick? To him, relationships were frivolous. He didn’t have time, anyway. He had plans for his life, and he’d be damned if he let himself get sidetracked and heartbroken by a… girl.
Rayna huffed as she shoved past people in the halls, squeezing her way through as thunder cracked in the distance, eliciting gasps from a few people. She, however, remained calm.
Eventually, she made it to the end of the corridor, and made her way outside into the courtyard, and towards a tree, unperturbed by the thunder and rain that echoed in her ears. As she neared the tree, she instantly broke into a sprint and sheltered under it. She leaned against it with a sigh, knowing that her food would probably get soggy if she were to start eating it. She didn’t feel that hungry anyway.
As William pushed through the halls, he finally made it into the courtyard and sighed, looking around the area and noticing the lack of students, causing a small smile to form on his face. He wrapped his coat around himself and walked towards a tree, it seemed no one was sitting under it, so why not?
He approached the tree and sat under its shelter, resting his head against it as he chuckled at the absurdity of the situation. He considered just going into the lunch hall like any normal person, but he decided against it. Besides, he enjoyed the smell of petrichor.
Rayna fiddled with the bark of the tree before going to pull at the grass, the leaves of the tree managing to keep it fairly dry. As she reached further around the trunk, she felt something different. She raised a brow as her heart skipped a beat. Had she found a worm? She prodded at it curiously, despite the fact that she couldn’t fully see it.
As William enjoyed the solitude, he felt a sudden pain in his finger, his reflexes causing him to instantly pull it away.
Rayna raised an eyebrow as the mysterious object suddenly retracted. She raised a brow, peeking her head around the tree.
William was now intrigued. What on Earth could that of been? He sighed, sitting up slightly and peering around the tree.
BASH!
Heads collided as the two fell back in shock.
“Ow!”
“Christ!”
They exclaimed, rubbing their heads and staring at each other in surprise.
“William?”
“Quinn…”
Rayna huffed, “What on Earth are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be studying?” She muttered, rubbing her head.
William scoffed, “I could ask you the same thing. You could easily catch a cold, you know.”
“Oh, and you’re immune to germs?” She spat back.
“Where, pray, is your coat?” He asked, knowing full well what the answer would be.
“I don’t need a coat.” She murmured petulantly, crossing her arms as if it were proving the strength of her immune system.
William raised an eyebrow in confusion, as well as slight amusement, “A strange girl.”
“A strange boy.”
“Hm, you give as good as you get, i suppose.” He smirked, “We should go inside.”
“Scared of a bit of rain?” She grinned back at him playfully.
He huffed out a laugh, “Scared of a natural occurrence? Hardly. I’m simply wise enough to know the dangers of staying outside in a rainstorm.”
She rolled her eyes, “I bet you wouldn’t stand in the rain with me.”
“I’m not an idiot.”
Rayna smirked, standing up and pulling him into the rain and towards a bench which was situated out in the open.
“Yes you are.”
“Fine.” He sighed, unzipping his bag and pulling out an umbrella. He unwrapped the Velcro strap from around the handle, and opened the umbrella, standing up and lifting it above their heads.
William’s eyes widened, “Hold on!” But before he could protest any further, he was already sat down on the cold, wet bench. He groaned in annoyance, “Really?” He exhaled, shifting uncomfortably in his wet trousers.
She grinned, sitting next to him, clearly unbothered by the rain now soaking into her skirt. She leaned closer in attempts to get under the umbrella, “Having fun?”
“Getting my ass wet? Hardly.” He complained, changing the position of the umbrella so that it would shelter both of them.
“Boohoo, big deal. Can’t handle the rain?” She teased as thunder was heard once more, a bit closer this time.
“You really need to shut your mouth.”
She chuckled, “Well I’m not the one getting wet.”
He growled in vexation, cupping her face and pressing his lips against hers, the umbrella slipping from his hands and hitting the ground with a loud clang.
He was surprisingly gentle considering his temper, he held her as if she were a rare gem.
Rayna was shocked as she felt the rain hitting her body, causing her to shiver, however the sudden kiss bewildered her even more. She reciprocated it nonetheless, however. Her body being warmed very slightly by him. Her heart was also warmed, but it was not by his physical heat, instead it was by his caring nature, and the way he ensured her comfort in the intimate moment.
He pulled away slowly, gazing at her with heavy eyelids. Slowly, a smirk formed on his face as he whispered, “Who’s getting wet now?”
(I wrote this at school, using This writing prompt)
3. The sun is so much brighter when viewed as you drift through space.
The Last Golden Gift [FNAFtale]
So many years have passed since we were freed from the underground by the human. I have seen
the sun “for the first time” over…. I’ve…. Huh. I’ve lost count. There were timelines before this, the
human has proceeded. Some, where they had freed us…. Others…..? Not so pleasant. I have
witnessed dustspread and bloodshed like no other has, except for the human. This is the longest
pacifist timeline I have seen… So far at least. There goes my pessimistic mindset again…. I wish I
could trust Frisk more, but they have killed me so many times….
At least they let us have the sun for this long this time. But the price we paid for it was immense.
There were so many murders… So many lives lost just so we could stay on the surface. So we could
keep the golden glow worth so much more than what it was all taken for granted for. You don’t know
how much something is worth till it’s taken from you… And you don’t know how much you’re willing
to sacrifice in order to keep it once you finally get it back. ‘How much did you sacrifice for the sun?’
That’s a question that we animatronics and monsters get. We get it a lot. The humans that had hurt
us… They have long since died. But we won in the end, we still remain despite their efforts, and we
have peace. The price for it? Well, when we escaped, the population we had was over three hundred
fifty billion people… In over a few years the number went down to only a little under seven million….
The number kept getting lower each day, the mass murders were so bad….
But that price….? Was it worth it? Well, I don’t want the dead to think their sacrifice has been taken for
granted… When we had already lost it once. Thanks to them, I am a person once again. They died,
and their murders were labeled as ‘property damage’ in court, while I, and many others get to live
free. Free and unafraid. For the first time in millions of years, we get to have our golden light in
peace. After The Era of Depression, The Era of Ecstasy, and now The Space era. We’ve lost so many
people over the years… Humans don’t live that long… Only one-hundred years, and that’s if they’re
lucky. While those of us that are left…. Are still here…. I’ve seen so many humans be born, live, then
die… Many of my friends didn’t wish to see more of their friend’s families die… So I lost those friends
as well…. I’m just glad that there’s now a new king in heaven… They now have a place beyond the stars.
It’s been over twenty-eight billion years. The sun remains still, but not for long. I have seen many a
star die during this time. Each death, more spectacular than the last. The sun lasted much longer
than we all had expected, but the time was welcomed. We all had evacuated earth a long time ago.
Taking our homes we didn’t want destroyed, and the patches of earth we wanted to take to our new
homes. I personally took a patch of earth from my favorite spot in the underground, the two graves
that belong to my human family. My father that built me, and the body of my sister that was laid
down to rest. I didn’t want to leave them behind… Many of my people did the same. Not wanting to
lose the people we loved yet again. Others left the bodies. Their destruction being their final way of
rest. My father and sister are both now, long since turned to dust. But it’s still nice to have graves to
go to and mourn.
I look to the sun from the ship we are floating in. The sun shines for a few more moments through
the windows. Giving us their final riches of beautiful gold. A goodbye gift in a way. The gods and
goddesses of our beautiful star have grown tired, and weak. It’s time for them to rest. We are the first
to watch the immortal grow old. In the final moments of the life of our small solar system, we all
watch the sun one last time.
I feel a tug at my leg, and hear a small, beautiful voice. “Great Grandpa…? Is the sun really dying….?”
Down at my leg, my great granddaughter looks up at me, with tears forming in her eyes. Oil starts to
well in my own, as I give my answer.
“Yes… The sun’s dying kiddo… Ra has grown tired…. Along with Sol, Helios, Arinna, Surya,
Huitzilopochtli, Inti, Kinich Ahau, Lugh, Mithra, and so many others… They may be the gods of the
sun… But the sun wasn’t supposed to last…. At least…. We’re getting a chance to say goodbye to it….
And to them… Right, Arpina?”
She thinks for a moment, as my grandson and her father, Nebula, picks her up. She looks at me,
upset, but with a look of understanding. “I guess so… Still…. It’s gonna be hard to say goodbye…. Both
to the sun, and our god friends….”
Nebula holds her close, trying to comfort her. He pets her gently, making my tiny great grandcub purr.
She nuzzles his paw, wiping some of her tears in the process. My daughter, Stellaursa, clings to my
husband, Fell. She may be built to her full size, and so is her son Nebula…. But, they are still cubs at
heart… Or soul in our case. “Papas….? I’m gonna miss the sun…. I’m gonna miss the earth….. I already
miss all of my friends….. Why must we all live through so much loss….?”
I gently nuzzle her. Wiping her tears with my face, trying to give her some comfort. “It’ll be ok…. Most
of the gods aren’t dying…. Just going to sleep…. They’ll wake up again some day…. As for the ones
that are dying… It’s time for them to rest…. It’d be selfish of us to want them to stay…. But also
understandable….. This is just how it is…..”
‘This is just how it is….’ That’s something I used to say all the time…. When we would get beaten in
the streets… When I would have to explain to humans passing by why I wouldn’t step in to save my
own daughter from bullies, till the royal guard showed up…. When I had to explain to Satan himself
why many of the damned kept asking him if they made it to heaven, because there was a greater hell
on earth…. I hated saying that. But, heh, this is…. Just how it is….
I hear my brother, Springbonnie walking over with their family. He spoke loudly, but calmly. “HELLO
BROTHER! NICE TO SEE YOU AGAIN….. WAITING FOR THE FINAL MOMENTS OF THE SUN,
FREDBEAR?”
His partner Funtime Foxy stands near him, wearing unusually casual clothes. Next to Spring, on the
other side of him was his daughter, Funtinnie. With her, is her Wife Wendy Wolf, and their child Bexy. I
smile at them, but I am unable to hide the pain in my face. “Yeah…. Just like everyone else….”
We all stand at the window, watching and waiting for the end. I start to hum a melody, to pass what
seems to be an endless amount of time. My husband follows my tune, then my brother, his partner,
my daughter, my niece, then their cubs as well. The humming is heard by other passengers of the
ship we are on. The song spreads through the ship. We hum for hours, before we begin to sing.
“Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy~
Sunshine in my eyes can make me cry~
Sunshine on the water looks so lovely~
Sunshine almost always makes me high~
If I had a day that I could give you~
I'd give to you the day just like today~
If I had a song that I could sing for you~
I'd sing a song to make you feel this way~
Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy~
Sunshine in my eyes can make me cry~
Sunshine on the water looks so lovely~
Sunshine almost always makes me high~
If I had a tale that I could tell youI'd tell a tale sure to make you smile~
If I had a wish that I could wish for you~
I'd make a wish for sunshine for all the while~
Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy~
Sunshine in my eyes can make me cry~
Sunshine on the water looks so lovely~
Sunshine almost all the time makes me high~”
We didn’t even notice how close the sun was before- BOOM!!! ….The sun shone it’s brightest, for the
very last time. A supernova…. With tears streaming down our faces, we sang one last time.
“........Sunshine almost always~”
The sun was the brightest it had ever been…. The sun was so much brighter now that we were
drifting in space, as it gave it’s last show…. It’s very last golden gift… Then the sun was no more.
“It was so very hard to pretend like I didn’t want to jump him right on the spot and rip that stupid sweater into pieces with my teeth, but that was a thought psychopaths or cannibals had, and I was fortunately (probably) neither.”
Part 3 of my beautiful enemies to lovers novel based on my friend harley and a guy in my class named ethan
Ziyu and harley have a talk on the phone before harley has to go to the hospital about how the plan was to dump slime in his house not send him to the hospital but the damage is done so harley might as well visit him since the principal highly advised her to and she does.walking to the hospital she thinks of how ethan should really not be hurting her like this all the time and how it’s unfair that she has to visit this man.meanwhile ethan on the other hand is thinking of how he really shouldn’t have thrown a book at harley and ziyu.although he made it looked like an accident it was obviously on purpose and what that purpose is?he dosent know.maybe to get her attention but he thinks that harley despised him at the momment so his only motive must have been to annoy her,he tells herself but he just cant seem to get her off his mind for some odd reason.he was shocked to see her when harley got there.also annoyed that the person who sent him to the hospital now wants to see him.”nice seeing you here”said ethan sarcastically“well i really didnt wanna come here i was just uhm pressured, and made to..and im suspended so you know,more time to visit you”harley explained.ethan then smirked at harley’s ridiculous explanation and thought to himself,this chick is so crazy and into me she sent me to the hospital just so she could visit me.well im not easy and ive also got zofia so she can be crazy all she wants.meanwhile harleys convincing herself that ethan really might have learnt a lesson and wouldn’t bully her anymore.that’s all she wants of him.she has long forgotten about the even slight thought of being in a relationship with ethan by now and she really couldn’t care less what he may think of her after this.the air grew akward as they both thought about why harley even came to visit.harley then asks him the question he’s been dreading “why did u throw a book at me and ziyu in the first place” “because im madly inlove with you” ethan says jokingly,but it really didn’t sound like one ”well its because i really just hate you,the way you look the way you act the way your so fat. “So what if im fat?”replies harley,clearly offended. “i dont even know why i came here-“ethan cuts her off,”to meet me obviously,since your so inlove with me” “IM SORRY,YOU THINK IM INLOVE WITH YOU? YOUR ACTUALLY INSANE “screams harley,loud enough so that the whole hospital could hear.
Btw I started posting a new fanfic on ao3! It's called June (and here's the link). I wrote it a few years ago and I decided to translate it since it's a special one to me.
It's a school fic, but I prefer calling it mountain romance - sounds lovely. If you're interested in reading about Naruto and Sasuke endlessly falling for each other, please give it a try! Thank you <3
Summary: No summary is provided but this is an ongoing M-RATED TEACHER/STUDENT fic in a high school!verse.
Review: I normally don’t go for AUs but I felt like I needed a small break from serious canon fics to something more “squeal-able” and this fic DEFINITELY did the trick!! Includes your adorable aspiring doctor Sakura and your hot kuudere!Sasuke sensei. I really found myself fangirling over the two’s interactions in almost every other chapter. This fic is currently INCOMPLETE, but the author updates somewhat monthly. Very nicely executed and I’m definitely excited for the upcoming chapter.
Hetako Academy is an internationally famous boarding school where students are locked up for eight years. What mysteries await here? An italian who cannot get hurt? A freezing cold Russian? A Chinese with a lighter? Those teens are far from normal and eight years give plenty of time to get to know each other.
Also on AO3
The bus station was crowded, that Saturday morning. The girls were running to the dress rental shop, and the boys to the costumes. The romantics were flower-shopping for their partners. The first real party of the year was an event at the academy, and even the new kids understood that.
The shuttle was struggling to carry all the students, there weren't enough seats for everyone. Romano, brought there by his brother, had shown off his best curses when the driver asked them to step out and to wait for the next trip. Feliciano was also a little disappointed but waiting was not that much of a problem to him.
So they were several kids waiting for the bus to unload its passengers into town and come back to take them next. Romano was sulking, as always, and Feliciano was in the middle of a seducing Sophie, a young second-year Monegasque who gave amused answers to all of his pick-up lines. There was also Elizaveta, kind of pissed by the waiting the shuttle had imposed on them, Kiku, the Japanese boy who was apparently appointed "official shipping club camera-man" considering the large camera hanging around his neck, and half a dozen other impatient students.
Everyone turned to the road with hopeful eyes as they heard the sound of an engine coming their way, but to their surprise, it wasn't the shuttle that parked in front of the dorm building. It was a black ordinary Ford, the kind that could belong to any citizen. Had they been anywhere else in the world, the students would have thought that was a kid's parents coming for an appointment with the principals. Except they were at Hetako Academy and seeing a car outside the town was as normal as seeing white tigers in New York. Curious whispers drifted around the students as the car came and parked just a few feet away.
Two businessman-like men with suits, ties and leather suitcases wiggled out the front seats. Give them sunglasses, futuristic guns and a laser and they would be perfect Men in Black. They probably tried to be stealthy with their townsman car but it would have been hard to be any more suspicious.
One of them opened the backseat door and a young boy jump out like a spring. He was barely out before he stretched with a pained wince. "Seriously, guys, you need to do something about the seats. Sleeping in here was hell," he grumbled as he bended himself in every direction to crack his joints.
The two men in suits didn't answer and powerwalked past the students' inquisitive looks towards the academy's front door. The boy didn't follow, he just started to jump up and down on his heels, looking around like he was wondering what to do. He was about thirteen or fourteen years old, had reddish hair, a strange angular curl and the academy's uniform. A cry sounded among the students at the bus stop. "Ah! It's Romeo!"
And everybody minus the first years started whispering about him hurriedly. Feliciano turned to the kids around him, looking lost. "Veveve, what, who?"
"Romeo. He's a second year. He disappeared at the beginning of summer without a warning and the principles didn't explain anything," someone said to him. "I hear he ran away."
If it was the case, he looked rather happy to be back. His eyes scanned his surrounding like he was looking for something and he had a large smile on his lips. He did not look like a runaway. His uniform was clean, slightly crumpled by his night in the car but still in a good state, his hair was combed and he seemed healthy. His eyes suddenly stopped on the group waiting for the bus and his smile grew larger as he ran up to the students who didn't know how to react.
"Wow, everyone, I missed you guyyyyyys!" he exclaimed, grabbing anyone he could put his hands on, especially the girls. When he faced the Italian twins, there was like a pause as all three of the shared a gaze. Two older ones thought there was something very familiar about the boy but couldn't tell what it was. "Well, I see we have new faces! What are your names?" he said eventually.
They introduced themselves and both received a greeting hug. Feliciano was glad. Romano wasn't. Then Romeo turned as he seemed to look for someone that he found very quickly. "Sophie!" he shrieked, throwing himself at the Monegasque. "How are you? Did you miss me?"
He didn't let her answer and stuck a beautiful kiss on her lips. A couple of kids catcalled them. Sophie quickly recovered from the surprise and firmly pushed him away. He took a step back but kept holding her waist. She wasn't smiling, her expression a perfect poker face.
"You are still beautiful," he complimented with a wink.
She squinted at this, like she was thinking intensely, but the rest of her body didn't move. She needed a moment to answer. "Thanks."
Romeo smiled sheepishly and ran a hand through his hair before scratching the back of his head. "You're mad?"
"Yes."
"Oh. And what can I do for you to forgive me?"
She went quiet for a few moments which he took advantage of to snuggle up to her and kiss her forehead with fondness. "Tell me what happened."
He laughed nervously and looked away. "I can't."
"Why?"
"Because I'm not allowed to. I could tell you but I'd have to come up with something and you'd know right away that I'm telling bullshit and we'd fight and you wouldn't let me celebrate coming back tonight and…"
"Okay, okay, stop," she interrupted, blushing and a few snickered around them.
He laughed and played with a lock of stray ash-blond hair that fell out of her braid. Then he stopped and stared at her breasts. "Wait, isn't that the bra I got y…"
A slap to the face cut him short. "Romeo! What was the deal?!" she cried furiously, stomping out of his embrace.
"Ahah, sorry, I forgot," he said, rubbing his cheek."
"What was the deal?!"
"No x-ray vision outside of lessons," he replied with a bored look. "Sorry, Sophie, I won't forget again, promise."
She didn't answer, going back to her poker face. She turned her back on him, pretending to ignore him. Romeo sighed loudly but his playful smile grew back almost instantly. "If that's what you're worried about," he said charmingly, "I didn't look at any other girl while I was away…"
She stayed perfectly still for almost a minute, like she hadn't heard him. But eventually, she held out her hand to him without looking back and he held it with a knowing smile. "Lier…" she whispered.
"Not at all and you know it," he replied, snaking his free arm around her shoulders.
They argued a little more until someone in the group stopped them in favor of asking Romeo to tell where he had been all this time. Romeo refused with a grin, claiming that it was a secret, but the other students joined in and, quickly, the entire group was begging him loudly. There was a short respite when the shuttle finally arrived but, once they were in the bus, they all started asking again. After all, it was exceptional for the principles to allow a school trip outside the campus's limits, so it was absolutely phenomenal for a student to leave for over two months.
"Okay, okay, fine," he conceded after at least fifty demands.
He stood in the middle of the bus to make sure everyone would hear him, pleased with all the attention the whole thing was bringing him.
"So here's the story," he announced. "My grandma died at the beginning of summer and I absolutely had to attend the funeral. My mom called the principles to ask them if I could spend the vacations with her, to comfort her, you know? At first they refused but my mom can be super convincing. She has tons of family in Italy and they could do a vendetta if she asked. So the principles said I could spend a week with her but no more, so you guys wouldn't hear about it. And I had to keep it secret or everyone would want to do the same and it had to stay an exception. But my mom outwit them. I went to Grandma's funeral, the week passed but instead of sending me back here she took me on a car trip around Italy and France. It was great, we'd never spend two nights in the same town, it was like a spy movie! Since I wasn't coming back, the principle sent those two gentlemen you saw after me but they couldn't find me until last Monday. The thing is I hadn't realized school had started again so I was pretty happy they found us. So… Yeah, that's how I spent my vacation!"
Everyone cheered and Romeo bowed like an actor who just played the role of his life. He went back to sit down next to Sophie who was looking absently through the window. "What did you think of my story?" he whispered.
"I wasn't listening," she answered just as quietly. "I'm not interested in lies."
"I thought you liked my stories."
"Stories. Not lies." He laughed and kissed her cheek. She smiled and blushed a little. "You dirty lier."
"But you like that about me, don't you?"
She didn't answer but leaned onto his shoulder, swearing to herself that she'd make him spit the truth out sooner or later.
If there was one thing Young Soo was adamant about, it was how necessary it was to have K-pop music for a party to be good. And he did not accept that Ling, the appointed DJ, wouldn't play any. So he had written a formal demand to the principles in order to be allowed to choose a few songs.
But just when he was about to knock on Gaia's office's door, he heard voices inside. Two men and two women, and all seemed extremely tense. His curiosity took over the rest, he pressed his ear to the panel to listen. The wood was thick and he couldn't get all the words but he made out most of the muffled conversation.
- … absolutely unacceptable!" said Luna's voice, obviously angry. "Your part of the deal was always clear!"
"No need to blame us," one of the two men firmly answered. "We are only telling you about the council's decision. Please understand we are not trying to upset you."
"Well so much for that," Gaia sighed, almost to herself.
"You can probably guess our answer," Luna continues. "Gentlemen, I believe you know where the door is…"
The other man raised his voice. "Miss Chrones! Maybe this wasn't clear at first but I'll be a little more explicit: this is not a favor we are asking but an order you both have to follow in accordance to the contract that, may I remind you, you both signed. So please stop wasting our time!"
There was a long moment of silence and Young Soo figured out that the principles were whispering with each other. The two men didn't react, waiting patiently for them to finish their debate. After a few minutes, there was a very long sigh and the sound of a chair scraping the floor.
"Very well. We'll fulfill your request in accordance with the contract," Luna said. She spat the last word like an insult but nobody called her out for it.
"Thank you for your cooperation," said the first man with a monotonous voice. "Please be assured of our utmost esteem."
"Right, now get out."
That was Gaia's voice and before he could step back the door suddenly turned, making him fall forward. Gaia, her hand on the handle, threw a fit of laughter when he fell face first on the floor of her office. Her sister and visitors looked slightly less pleased about the presence of this spy. The men stood, throwing a rebuking look towards the older woman, and left like everything was normal, stepping over the Korean boy's body as he was too scared to stand up again. He sent a pleading look towards Luna and winced at her furious expression.
"I guess I don't get my request either?" Her brows knitted together. He stood and dusted his pants.
"You won't tell anyone about this conversation, right?" Gaia said with a peaceful smile.
"Pr-promise."
She stepped away from the door and he didn't wait for an invitation to run out, ashamed of being caught spying.
Tino was waiting on a chair, next to a still and silent Berwald. He did not know what to do. It had been two weeks. Two weeks that Berwald had been following him everywhere, or been making him follow him outside his lessons. Two weeks that he'd been trying to tell him he was creeped out by a stranger doing that to him. But to no use. Each time he started talking about that, Berwald would have this terrifying expression and he'd start stuttering apologies when he wasn't too scared to even talk. He really didn't know what to do.
"Sorry for the delay! I found it!"
Tino jumped and looked up. The shopkeeper had just come back from the stockroom and was proudly dangling a light grey costume in front of him, along with a dark shirt and a tie. Tino stood to go and try it on. The tie was too short and the pants would fall on his shoes. When he stepped out of the changing room, Berwald gave him another one of his scary looks and Tino shivered but the shopkeeper stepped close. The Finnish boy didn't really see what she did but when she stepped back again with a satisfied smile the entire costume fit him perfectly.
"Magic!" she smiled as only explanation. Tino burst out laughing.
When they left the shop, it was almost noon. Tino wanted to go back to the bus station but Berwald offered in his incomprehensible gibberish that they'd stay a little longer. He didn't refuse. It was a nice day, although the wind was blowing, bringing the temperature down to the autumn norm. Compared to what both Nordics had known at home, it was like a heat wave.
They wandered through the streets. Tino was making all the small talk by commenting nervously what he could see, like every time he was alone with Berwald. The taller boy was as mute as usual, only using little "uhums" to communicate. Sometimes, he'd open his mouth to say something but, in those moments, his face was so terrifying Tino would let out a strangled cry and the Swedish boy had second thoughts.
As they walked by a toy store, Tino stopped before a little stuffed animal at the window. It was a small white dog, sitting down, with large black button eyes and a pretty blue ribbon tied around its neck. Tino couldn't repress a fond smile as he looked at this cute furball. He only managed to walk away after a couple minutes. He was going to apologize for the delay when he realized Berwald wasn't there anymore. He looked around, confused and slightly worried, but couldn't see him. That's when something move at the shop window. A shopkeeper moved the cardboard scenery that separated the little scene from the rest of the shop and took the toy he'd been admiring earlier before disappearing again. Tino barely had the time to feel disappointed before Berwald came out of the shop less than a minute later, holding the little dog.
The Swedish giant walked up to him and handed him the stuffed dog, slightly blushing. "F'r you."
Tino took it, looked at it and needed a moment to understand what had happened. His eyes widened when he realized Berwald had just offered him the toy. "Th-that wasn't necessary!" he exclaimed, panicked. "I promise there was no need for a present I… It's too much, it's…"
"You d'n't w'nt it?" Berwald still had that scary expression but, this time, watching closely, Tino could see something like disappointment and felt guilty immediately.
"No! That's not what I meant! It's… It's very pretty, thank you so much I love it, but I… I don't know what to do in exchange, I…" He did not want to owe him anything.
Berwald seemed to calm down from behind his glasses. "It's f'r you. You d'n't h've t' do an'thing."
Tino was hesitant but Berwald was insisting so he couldn't refuse. He looked at the stuffed toy and melted as he watched those big dark eyes. A happy smile settled on his face and he hugged the little dog close. "Thank you," he said.
Berwald watched him as he cuddled the toy silently, a short while, without looking away for even a second. Tino felt a little uneasy under his insistent gaze but pretended he wasn't. "F'ling bett'r?"
"Huh?" Tino looked at him, not sure he got it right.
"Ah, no, I assure you, I'm fine! Well… Alright, I am a little tense but it's… probably because of school or…"
"Th't's n't wh't your aur' says."
Tino needed a little more time to decipher that sentence. Berwald seemed to be mumbling more and more. "My aura? What do you mean?"
"'t s'ys y'or sc'r'd."
"What?"
Berwald closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "You. 're. Scared," he articulated slowly.
Tino needed a few seconds to piece the whole conversation together. When he finally understood what Berwald was saying, he mentally slapped himself for how slow he was. The Swedish boy could see auras, so he knew for a while now how he was feeling about his company. Well that was one thing down, now he just had to ask for an explanation. Go Tino, you can do it! "It's nothing it's just that I don't understand why… You're following me around all the time… We barely know each other but you suddenly decided we were together and I don't know what to think and I want to know why you're doing this."
"'cause you're m' w'fe."
Tino frowned and pouted. "I'm not a girl. And I… Don't love you."
Berwald went silent for a moment. His eyes seemed deeper here, like the color of the sea. Tino held his gaze, determined not to back off again. He thought to himself that, when you looked at them long enough, Berwald's eyes weren't actually that scary. You could see emotions in their icy color. Right now, there was sadness, surrounded by a halo of determination.
"It's 'kay," he eventually said. Tino didn't answer, he wasn't sure what to say. Berwald didn't wait for an answer and continued : "Wh'n you meet your soul m'te, you c'n f'll 'n l've 'mmediat'ly b't, m'st 'f the t'me, you need t'me t' 'nderst'nd…"
Berwald stopped. Tino couldn't understand a thing he was saying, it showed on his face. He sighed and let it go. Instead, he reached out and slowly touched Tino's hand. He didn't push it away. "Ev'n 'f 't t'kes t'me, ev'n 'f you're n't read' yet, I w'nna stay w'th you. B'cause I've kn'wn s'nce I've m't you…"
Tino thought through Berwald's words. He barely understood half of them, at best, and wasn't sure what he meant by that. Could he really trust him? Berwald barely ever spoke about himself. No, really, Tino didn't know what to think of it.
So he just stopped thinking about it. He held his little stuffed dog close with his right arm and started walking again down the street. "We need to hurry, the next bus is coming soon," he said like the whole conversation never happened.
Berwald was walking close, and there was a reason for that: Tino still hadn't pushed him away.
At the corner of the street, half-hidden behind a flowerpot, Elizaveta was frenetically writing something down on a notepad. "I hope you didn't miss anything," she whispered."
Kiku appeared from behind a trashcan and gently tapped his camera. "It's all in the box, Elizaveta-senpai."
Eduar, Toris and Raivis were alone in the music room. It was kind of like their private hangout, safer than the common room were the Russian boy was bound to be. If someone came to bother them, since they were part of the music club's choir, they could pretend to be practicing so that they'd be left alone. Eduar was surfing on the web, Raivis was reading a comic and Toris was working on his future visions that he'd note down step by step on a sheet of paper.
He'd cross out most of them that kept changing and had to give up on some that were too blurry to mean anything. Up until then, the only really clear image he'd seen was the BTT, obviously planning one of their awful pranks. He was desperately focusing on that one, trying to get details about when it would be time to be careful. He really hoped the three pranksters wouldn't do anything during the party. They'd probably bring some alcohol they found god-knows-where, like every year, but hopefully it wouldn't be anything more…
"Hey, Toris!"
The Lithuanian looked up. Eduar was still focused on his computer but he was sure he was the one who called him. "Yes?"
"You look deep in it, did you see anything interesting?"
Toris took a look at his papers. "I thing the BTT is planning something but I don't know when. There's… Elizaveta who keeps hesitating between a red and a green dress. And I can't see Ivan so maybe he won't be there tonight, but I have no idea why. Oh, and it's raining tomorrow."
"No Ivan tonight? Cool! We'll finally be able to party!" Toris smiled. Eduar was joking of course. Both of them were very introverted when it came to parties. "Do you think the BTT will bring drinks, like last time? I'll ask the girls to take pictures of the "shota" this time."
"I can hear you, you know?" protested said "shota" looking up from his comic.
This time, Toris laughed. "Shota" was what people called Raivis after the shipping club tried to match him with someone, the previous year. His two makeshift friends had heard the term in the yaoists' mouth and kept using it ever since. Although Raivis was the youngest of the three, he loved alcohol and drank every chance he got until he couldn't walk straight. At least, the drinks made him happy, even if he ended in… at least strange positions.
"What girl are you guys dancing with, tonight?" he asked.
"You know we don't dance, Raivis," Eduar said.
"Yes, but there's gotta be a girl or two you like! Parties are the best meet-cute settings!" Raivis was also a romance novel and lovey-dovey poem lover, and had no problem starting "girly" conversations about them.
"Well, if I had to choose one…" Toris started. He needed a moment to think, blushing. His two friends wondered who he was thinking about to look this embarrassed but he quickly turned back a normal shade of pink. "I'd say… Natalya." Eduar looked at him with wide, incredulous eyes. "Yes, I know she is obsessed with her brother but she's very beautiful. And if Ivan isn't here tonight, than there aren't as many risks as there could be."
"But Toris!" Eduar cried with an offended expression. "I was planning on asking her out!"
"Wha- Well yeah, me too!"
Eduar and Toris stared at each other straight in the eye for a few moments, in a staring contest that seemed like it could decide who would win the gorgeous Russian girl's heart. Raivis placed his comic in the middle to make it a tie. "You're not going to fight over her, are you?" he said, taking it back.
"No, you're right, it'd be stupid," Toris admitted.
"We'll just let her choose," Eduar finished. Raivis let out a sigh that made both the other boys turn to him. "What about you?"
"What, me?"
"You've got things to tell us too! Which girl would you like to go out with?"
Raivis blushed wildly and looked away. "Nobody."
The older one send him a dubious look and he sat back into his chair. "We told you who we were into so it's your turn, "shota"." Raivis frowned and muttered something they couldn't hear. "Sorry, what?"
"…-sha."
"Be even more quiet, maybe we'll hear it better."
Raivis tensed up even more, took a deep breath and finally said a name. "… Katyusha."
There was a long silence. Toris and Eduar stared at him with unfathomable expressions and the only comment the Latvian boy got was from Eduar: "She could be your mom."
"Don't say that, she's not that old."
"She can drive and you're not even fifteen. So she could be your mom."
"You know, if it's because of her breasts, there are other pretty girls…" tried Toris.
Raivis rolled his eyes and went back to his comic. He wasn't expecting his "friends" to understand anyway. Eduar and Toris started talking again about who had the best chances with Natalya.
"And why don't you try seducing your lovely roomie?" Eduar joked with a sly grin.
Toris rolled his eyes. "Leave her- him out of this."
"Beautiful slip up."
"Stop it."
"What, you look like you're getting along."
"He's nice but way too annoying."
"I thought you loved getting stepped on…"
"Not true! And I'm not even gay!" Someone coughed from the room's door, interrupting them. As one, they turned and spotted the Polish boy watching them with a mocking expression. Toris blushed, praying that Feliks had heard as little as possible. Then he wondered why it bothered him and blushed even more.
"I know you got, like, tons of stuff to talk about but Luna said that, like, Tor-Tor totally had to get ready because he's got to help preparing the party room."
Toris glanced at his watch and hurriedly put his stuff back in his bag. "Gosh, I didn't know it was already that late."
"See you later "Tor-Tor"," Eduar laughed as he walked to the door. Toris didn't answer and just followed his roommate.
