Abandoned Driveways

2 - I'll Fill Your Lungs Until You Cannot Breathe

A/N: I probably had time to edit/revise this, but I never did...Sorry!  If you notice any problems with it, or with the flow of events, please let me know.

~*~

    The blond clearly wasn't listening to the teacher.  Instead he was staring out the window, tapping a blue pen against his rose-colored lips.  Even now, a fake smile hovered around the corners of his mouth.

    Kurogane studied him from across the room as if trying to physically see through his emotional defenses.  He had blocked the teacher out entirely, focusing on his attempts.  Besides, he could always read the textbook later.  Or, more accurately, skim it.

    As if feeling Kurogane's eyes on him, the blond turned.  Sapphire met crimson and the smile turned teasing while the frown deepened.  Kurogane glared at the idiot, trying to get that fake grin to drop or at least falter.  His attempts were futile, and the bell to end class rang moments later.

    The paler boy stood and began making his way across the room.  Kurogane stood as he approached, trying not to panic.  If that idiot said anything that gave the rest of the class the wrong idea...

    "Kuro-pii often watches me in class, ne?"

    He should've known it was too much to hope for this moron to be able to keep his mouth shut.  A couple girls nearby, Sumomo and Kotoko, glanced over at that.  Kotoko's usually bored expression held a trace of amusement, and Sumomo's eyes were sparkling with interest.  Kurogane found the urge to hit Fai almost impossible to resist once Sumomo's giggling started.

    "Will you just shut the hell up!?" the black-haired man growled.  He seized his companion's arm and dragged him from the classroom without protest.  Embarrassed or not, he had to find out what was going on in the pest's home life.

    "Hmm, does Kuro-myuu want something?" Fai asked, his tone bordering on suggestive.

    Kurogane rolled his eyes.  Did this guy ever listen when people told him to shut his damn mouth?

    ...Probably not.

    "Yeah, I want you to tell me how the hell you got these," Kurogane snarled, his voice rougher than usual to hide his concern.  He clarified his meaning by  shoving the other boy's sleeve up his arm to reveal the bruises he'd seen before and several more.  He was dismayed to see the impression of a thumb that looked as if it had just appeared.

    Fai's smile waned, but he quickly recovered.  "Silly me," he chirped, "Sometimes I don't know my own strength."

    "What strength?" Kurogane grumbled.  He could feel the muscle in the arm under his own strong fingers, and he could tell that the blond couldn't possibly have given himself those marks.  He also knew that even if he was being honest, the idiot wasn't actually stupid enough to bruise himself so many times.

    "Fine, whatever.  How old is this one?"  Seeing as he wasn't going to get a straight answer with the previous question, Kurogane moved on.  He tried to point to the fresh-looking blemish, but the blond managed to slide his arm from the other's grip before he could.

    "C'mon, Kuro-rin," Fai purred, changing the subject, "This isn't very romantic of you."  He leaned into Kurogane's personal space, a smirk settling on his features.

    "I'm not trying to be romantic!  And it's Kurogane!" Kurogane snapped, gritting his teeth in a way he knew would have his dentist griping at him later.

    Fai replied with a forced giggle and straightened up again.  Kurogane frowned at him, but followed the other boy back to class.  He only had an hour or so to go; maybe he could try to corner the blond before he left.