burningdarkfire (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
burningdarkfire) wrote2011-01-30 12:20 am
burningdarkfire) wrote2011-01-30 12:20 am
Falling For You - 18. Witch [TRC; KuroFai]
Title: Falling For You - Witch
Series: TRC
Pairing: KuroFai
Rating: PG
Length: about 2000 words, chapter 18 (18/26)
The first time he really noticed her was when he had to shoulder past her to reach Fai, who was already surrounded by a new crowd of high school admirers. Although their gazes had only met for a second, Kurogane had been shocked to see that her eyes were a red just like his. He swore he saw the girl's lip curl upwards in a smirk before he was past her.
"Fai!" He called out to his friend, shaking all thoughts of the strange girl from his mind. "Hurry up or we'll be late!"
To the delight of his surrounding posse, Fai pouted cutely. "Aww Kuro-pyon, don't be so grumpy! We still have plenty of time!"
Just as Fai finished speaking, the bell rang. He glanced up, looking mildly surprised, and then shrugged cheerfully as Kurogane grabbed his arm and dragged him along. "Who were they?" Kurogane wanted to know.
"Just some nice girls I met yesterday," Fai responded slyly. "You're not jealous, are you, Kuro-pyon?"
"Not at all," Kurogane replied through gritted teeth. "I couldn't care less if you were constantly being mobbed by girls, but next time, could you not be late?"
Fai laughed. "But Kuro-pyon doesn't have to wait for me! I can find my way to homeroom by myself."
"It's only the second day of school," Kurogane snapped defensively. "I don't want you tripping over some crazy fangirl and knocking yourself out, okay?"
"Alright, Kuro-pyon," Fai agreed easily. Kurogane was not convinced and told Fai so with his piercing glare. He didn't have time to say anything else as Fai tore free and skipped into class ahead of him.
"Good morning, everyone!" The blond chirped energetically. "Sensei, I'm sorry that we're late; I was held up in the halls and Kuro-pyon waited for me like the gentleman he is!"
Kurogane slunk through the door, desperately hoping that no one would notice his tall and muscular frame sneaking towards his desk. He could feel his face burning and was sure that it was bright red. "I am not a gentleman," he muttered indignantly.
Someone near the back of the class snorted and he whipped his head around to stare at the perpetrator, only to find himself looking into indifferent red eyes. He opened his mouth and snarled grumpily at the stranger from the hall.
"How uncivilized," she sniffed daintily, although Kurogane was sure this was the kind of girl that wouldn't hesitate to get her hands dirty. "Just like a dog."
Kurogane swiveled his head back at a gasp from Fai, who had moved to stand beside him. "You're right! Kuro-woof is just like a dog! Just as loyal and as huggable as a big doggy!"
"Don't call me that!" He batted away Fai's hand that had risen to pet him. In alarm, he saw Fai's face fall and wondered if he had hit him a bit too hard. "Sorry," he muttered.
"Don't worry about it, Kuro-woof!" Fai chirped, a smile plastered on his face again.
Kurogane growled but restrained from saying anything else to Fai. Instead, he turned his head towards the girl again. "Who are you?"
"How rude," she said, though her mouth curled upwards in a smirk. She stood up, surprising Kurogane with her height. She was nearly as tall as he was, which was saying something since he towered over most other people in their year. "My name is Yuuko Ichihara."
"I've heard about you," Fai said, tilting his head to the side curiously. "They say you grant wishes."
Yuuko laughed. "It's good to know my reputation has preceded me to high school. Yes, if it's within my power, I will grant you whatever you wish – for a price." She seemed to be looking right at Kurogane while she talked.
Kurogane scoffed. "'Within your power'? Who actually believes you can grant wishes?"
Yuuko shrugged, her long flowing black hair spilling over her shoulders. "Everyone that comes to me does. They call me the Far East Witch."
Kurogane snorted in disbelief. "That's ridiculous."
"Don't you have any wishes you would like me to grant?" Yuuko studied him closely. Kurogane glared back at her, determined not to let this crazy girl think she could best him.
"Ichihara-chan, Suwa-kun, Fluorite-kun, we're still in the middle of class!" The teacher barked out. "I don't know what you're talking about back there, but stop it and sit down!"
Yuuko shot him another smug smirk before sitting back down. "Think about it."
Kurogane huffed before sliding into his seat right in front of Yuuko. Fai chose to sit next to him, although Kurogane barely looked at him all lesson.
-
After class, Yuuko caught up to Kurogane in the hall. He had raced out of the classroom, even leaving behind Fai in the hopes of getting away from Yuuko, but he had been unsuccessful.
"Have you thought about it yet?" Yuuko asked him.
"You can't grant wishes, witch," Kurogane hissed quietly. "You're crazy."
Yuuko grinned at him lazily. "How would you know what I can and can't do?"
"No one can grant wishes! That would be magic, and magic doesn't exist!" Kurogane nearly shouted, throwing his hands up in exasperation.
Yuuko swatted his arm playfully. "No one said I used magic. Maybe I'm just very good at what I do."
"How can anyone be good at granting wishes?" Kurogane asked in disbelief.
"Everyone has wishes," Yuuko explained. "Most of them aren't hard to predict or hard to grant; we are only in high school, after all."
"I don't have a wish," Kurogane told her. "Not one for you, anyway."
"So you admit you have one?" Yuuko raised an eyebrow.
Kurogane shrugged. "What's it to you? Aren't you the one that said everyone has a wish?"
"Most people would also jump at a chance to see their wishes realized," Yuuko shrugged too, although Kurogane couldn't tell if she was mocking him. "I suppose you're different?"
Kurogane paused for a moment, long legs still striding towards his next class. Yuuko easily kept pace with him. "No, not necessarily. Of course I want to see my wish granted, but I believe that if I can't earn it myself, then I don't deserve it."
"I think I know what your wish is," Yuuko grinned at Kurogane, who immediately flushed and glared at her.
"No you don't," he snapped back angrily. "No one does, except for me."
"Not even Fai?" Yuuko asked, a twinkle in her eye.
"No, not even Fai," Kurogane mumbled. Fai had plenty of secrets from him and he kept a few from him as well. In the past few years, they had developed a system – neither would push too far, and they would stay content with the present without delving into painful areas.
"But I thought you two were best friends!" Yuuko's grin stretched out even wider. "Shouldn't best friends tell each other everything?"
"He's not my best friend!" Kurogane replied, wondering where this girl was getting all her ridiculous notions. "I can't stand him sometimes; he's so annoying. He's always getting on my last nerve!"
"Kuro-woof!" Fai sprang out of nowhere and ambushed Kurogane, wrapping himself around the teen's arm. "What did you just say?"
"Nothing!" Kurogane said quickly. "Don't worry about it."
Fai gave him a long look, but eventually shrugged it off and smiled. "Kuro-woof, did you ditch me to hang out with Ichihara-chan here?"
"Not a chance!" Kurogane stepped away from Yuuko. "She's the one that followed me! And I thought I told you to stop calling me that?"
"But Kuro-woof is so cute when he pouts and tries to be scary," Fai poked his cheek. "Besides, Ichihara-chan was right when she said you're just like a dog!"
"Fluorite-kun, please, just call me Yuuko." The witch traded smiles with Fai.
"Well then, Yuuko-chan, you must call me Fai," he responded teasingly.
"Fai-kun it is," she agreed. She seemed about to say something more, but Fai spotted someone and made a happy exclamation.
"There's Souma-chan! She's in my next class with me." Fai waved energetically at the girl, who spotted them and came over."
"Hello, Fai-kun, Kurogane-kun," she greeted them, and then turned her attention to Yuuko. "Who's this?"
"I'm Yuuko Ichihara," she introduced herself. "I'm in Fai-kun and Kurogane-kun's homeroom."
"Ah, the witch," Souma looked her over, seeming rather unimpressed. "I've heard about you."
Yuuko inclined her head in acknowledgement. "It seems a lot of people have."
Souma turned to Fai. "Come on; let's not be late for class." The two walked off together, leaving Kurogane with Yuuko. He tried to sneak off, hoping to lose her in the crowds before she noticed, but a firm hand clasped him on the arm.
"We're not done talking," she said firmly.
"Why do you care so much?" Kurogane asked, exasperated. "What does this have anything to do with you?"
Yuuko shrugged, and then shot a question back at Kurogane. "What do you have to hide?"
"Nothing more than a regular person," Kurogane retorted. He entered his next class, glad to have a reason to say goodbye to the witch, only to remember that Yuuko shared all his morning classes.
"But you wouldn't know how much a regular person keeps hidden," Yuuko pointed out. "It's hidden, after all."
"Whatever you say, witch. Just leave me alone," Kurogane brushed her off.
"Let me at least guess what you wish for," Yuuko insisted, the grin returning, wider than ever.
Kurogane eyed her nervously. He had had experience with Fai and Tomoyo that whenever anyone was so happy when asking something of him, it would usually end up with him wanting to dig himself a hole and bury himself in it (or the others). However, he couldn't think of any other way to get Yuuko to leave him alone. "Fine," he agreed at last. "Let's hear your delusional ideas about me."
Yuuko leaned in close to whisper in Kurogane's ear. "I think you secretly want to see Fai naked."
Kurogane recoiled swiftly, his cheeks flaring up to a respectable shade of red. Sputtering, he frantically denied what Yuuko had just said, but she looked at him knowingly. "Absolutely not! I do not – not ever – look at Fai that way. I mean, it's like – well you know, it's just – he's Fai."
"You never struck me as a homophobe, Kurogane-kun," Yuuko inspected him, frowning.
"I'm not," he responded hastily. "That's not the problem. I just don't look at Fai that way. I don't look at anyone that way. I don't want a relationship."
"You're still young," Yuuko said, shaking her head sadly. "You don't know what you want yet."
"You're the same age as me," Kurogane replied. Yuuko only gave him another condescending smile. "Stop thinking whatever you're thinking!"
Yuuko poked his cheek, much like Fai had done before. "You're still blushing bright red, Kurogane-kun."
A very, very deep hole would be nice.
-
Now (21 years and 5 months old)
Kurogane rarely knows whether to smile or scowl at the thought of Yuuko. She was the catalyst for so many different events in his life, both good and bad, but all important. She had brought him to where he was now.
Kurogane realizes that if he had never met Yuuko, or if Yuuko hadn't had such an interest in him, his life would be nothing like it is now. He squeezes Fai's hand again, hating the cold skin and lack of strength in his.
Yuuko had been the one to prod him in Fai's direction all the time, with a wink and smirk on her face. She had had the tendency to plant ideas and suggestions in his mind, most of which, Kurogane sees now, involved him and Fai together.
He can't hate her for it.
-
A/N - High school now *evil Tomoyo laugh* Just a quick warning that I'm tweaking things here and there in the coming chapters so there might be a week or two where I don't update because I'm rewriting ^^'
I'm sick and it's exam week ... orz
Series: TRC
Pairing: KuroFai
Rating: PG
Length: about 2000 words, chapter 18 (18/26)
Witch (14 Years and 8 Months Old)
April 2, 15: 14 Years and 3 Months Old
April 2, 15: 14 Years and 3 Months Old
The first time he really noticed her was when he had to shoulder past her to reach Fai, who was already surrounded by a new crowd of high school admirers. Although their gazes had only met for a second, Kurogane had been shocked to see that her eyes were a red just like his. He swore he saw the girl's lip curl upwards in a smirk before he was past her.
"Fai!" He called out to his friend, shaking all thoughts of the strange girl from his mind. "Hurry up or we'll be late!"
To the delight of his surrounding posse, Fai pouted cutely. "Aww Kuro-pyon, don't be so grumpy! We still have plenty of time!"
Just as Fai finished speaking, the bell rang. He glanced up, looking mildly surprised, and then shrugged cheerfully as Kurogane grabbed his arm and dragged him along. "Who were they?" Kurogane wanted to know.
"Just some nice girls I met yesterday," Fai responded slyly. "You're not jealous, are you, Kuro-pyon?"
"Not at all," Kurogane replied through gritted teeth. "I couldn't care less if you were constantly being mobbed by girls, but next time, could you not be late?"
Fai laughed. "But Kuro-pyon doesn't have to wait for me! I can find my way to homeroom by myself."
"It's only the second day of school," Kurogane snapped defensively. "I don't want you tripping over some crazy fangirl and knocking yourself out, okay?"
"Alright, Kuro-pyon," Fai agreed easily. Kurogane was not convinced and told Fai so with his piercing glare. He didn't have time to say anything else as Fai tore free and skipped into class ahead of him.
"Good morning, everyone!" The blond chirped energetically. "Sensei, I'm sorry that we're late; I was held up in the halls and Kuro-pyon waited for me like the gentleman he is!"
Kurogane slunk through the door, desperately hoping that no one would notice his tall and muscular frame sneaking towards his desk. He could feel his face burning and was sure that it was bright red. "I am not a gentleman," he muttered indignantly.
Someone near the back of the class snorted and he whipped his head around to stare at the perpetrator, only to find himself looking into indifferent red eyes. He opened his mouth and snarled grumpily at the stranger from the hall.
"How uncivilized," she sniffed daintily, although Kurogane was sure this was the kind of girl that wouldn't hesitate to get her hands dirty. "Just like a dog."
Kurogane swiveled his head back at a gasp from Fai, who had moved to stand beside him. "You're right! Kuro-woof is just like a dog! Just as loyal and as huggable as a big doggy!"
"Don't call me that!" He batted away Fai's hand that had risen to pet him. In alarm, he saw Fai's face fall and wondered if he had hit him a bit too hard. "Sorry," he muttered.
"Don't worry about it, Kuro-woof!" Fai chirped, a smile plastered on his face again.
Kurogane growled but restrained from saying anything else to Fai. Instead, he turned his head towards the girl again. "Who are you?"
"How rude," she said, though her mouth curled upwards in a smirk. She stood up, surprising Kurogane with her height. She was nearly as tall as he was, which was saying something since he towered over most other people in their year. "My name is Yuuko Ichihara."
"I've heard about you," Fai said, tilting his head to the side curiously. "They say you grant wishes."
Yuuko laughed. "It's good to know my reputation has preceded me to high school. Yes, if it's within my power, I will grant you whatever you wish – for a price." She seemed to be looking right at Kurogane while she talked.
Kurogane scoffed. "'Within your power'? Who actually believes you can grant wishes?"
Yuuko shrugged, her long flowing black hair spilling over her shoulders. "Everyone that comes to me does. They call me the Far East Witch."
Kurogane snorted in disbelief. "That's ridiculous."
"Don't you have any wishes you would like me to grant?" Yuuko studied him closely. Kurogane glared back at her, determined not to let this crazy girl think she could best him.
"Ichihara-chan, Suwa-kun, Fluorite-kun, we're still in the middle of class!" The teacher barked out. "I don't know what you're talking about back there, but stop it and sit down!"
Yuuko shot him another smug smirk before sitting back down. "Think about it."
Kurogane huffed before sliding into his seat right in front of Yuuko. Fai chose to sit next to him, although Kurogane barely looked at him all lesson.
-
After class, Yuuko caught up to Kurogane in the hall. He had raced out of the classroom, even leaving behind Fai in the hopes of getting away from Yuuko, but he had been unsuccessful.
"Have you thought about it yet?" Yuuko asked him.
"You can't grant wishes, witch," Kurogane hissed quietly. "You're crazy."
Yuuko grinned at him lazily. "How would you know what I can and can't do?"
"No one can grant wishes! That would be magic, and magic doesn't exist!" Kurogane nearly shouted, throwing his hands up in exasperation.
Yuuko swatted his arm playfully. "No one said I used magic. Maybe I'm just very good at what I do."
"How can anyone be good at granting wishes?" Kurogane asked in disbelief.
"Everyone has wishes," Yuuko explained. "Most of them aren't hard to predict or hard to grant; we are only in high school, after all."
"I don't have a wish," Kurogane told her. "Not one for you, anyway."
"So you admit you have one?" Yuuko raised an eyebrow.
Kurogane shrugged. "What's it to you? Aren't you the one that said everyone has a wish?"
"Most people would also jump at a chance to see their wishes realized," Yuuko shrugged too, although Kurogane couldn't tell if she was mocking him. "I suppose you're different?"
Kurogane paused for a moment, long legs still striding towards his next class. Yuuko easily kept pace with him. "No, not necessarily. Of course I want to see my wish granted, but I believe that if I can't earn it myself, then I don't deserve it."
"I think I know what your wish is," Yuuko grinned at Kurogane, who immediately flushed and glared at her.
"No you don't," he snapped back angrily. "No one does, except for me."
"Not even Fai?" Yuuko asked, a twinkle in her eye.
"No, not even Fai," Kurogane mumbled. Fai had plenty of secrets from him and he kept a few from him as well. In the past few years, they had developed a system – neither would push too far, and they would stay content with the present without delving into painful areas.
"But I thought you two were best friends!" Yuuko's grin stretched out even wider. "Shouldn't best friends tell each other everything?"
"He's not my best friend!" Kurogane replied, wondering where this girl was getting all her ridiculous notions. "I can't stand him sometimes; he's so annoying. He's always getting on my last nerve!"
"Kuro-woof!" Fai sprang out of nowhere and ambushed Kurogane, wrapping himself around the teen's arm. "What did you just say?"
"Nothing!" Kurogane said quickly. "Don't worry about it."
Fai gave him a long look, but eventually shrugged it off and smiled. "Kuro-woof, did you ditch me to hang out with Ichihara-chan here?"
"Not a chance!" Kurogane stepped away from Yuuko. "She's the one that followed me! And I thought I told you to stop calling me that?"
"But Kuro-woof is so cute when he pouts and tries to be scary," Fai poked his cheek. "Besides, Ichihara-chan was right when she said you're just like a dog!"
"Fluorite-kun, please, just call me Yuuko." The witch traded smiles with Fai.
"Well then, Yuuko-chan, you must call me Fai," he responded teasingly.
"Fai-kun it is," she agreed. She seemed about to say something more, but Fai spotted someone and made a happy exclamation.
"There's Souma-chan! She's in my next class with me." Fai waved energetically at the girl, who spotted them and came over."
"Hello, Fai-kun, Kurogane-kun," she greeted them, and then turned her attention to Yuuko. "Who's this?"
"I'm Yuuko Ichihara," she introduced herself. "I'm in Fai-kun and Kurogane-kun's homeroom."
"Ah, the witch," Souma looked her over, seeming rather unimpressed. "I've heard about you."
Yuuko inclined her head in acknowledgement. "It seems a lot of people have."
Souma turned to Fai. "Come on; let's not be late for class." The two walked off together, leaving Kurogane with Yuuko. He tried to sneak off, hoping to lose her in the crowds before she noticed, but a firm hand clasped him on the arm.
"We're not done talking," she said firmly.
"Why do you care so much?" Kurogane asked, exasperated. "What does this have anything to do with you?"
Yuuko shrugged, and then shot a question back at Kurogane. "What do you have to hide?"
"Nothing more than a regular person," Kurogane retorted. He entered his next class, glad to have a reason to say goodbye to the witch, only to remember that Yuuko shared all his morning classes.
"But you wouldn't know how much a regular person keeps hidden," Yuuko pointed out. "It's hidden, after all."
"Whatever you say, witch. Just leave me alone," Kurogane brushed her off.
"Let me at least guess what you wish for," Yuuko insisted, the grin returning, wider than ever.
Kurogane eyed her nervously. He had had experience with Fai and Tomoyo that whenever anyone was so happy when asking something of him, it would usually end up with him wanting to dig himself a hole and bury himself in it (or the others). However, he couldn't think of any other way to get Yuuko to leave him alone. "Fine," he agreed at last. "Let's hear your delusional ideas about me."
Yuuko leaned in close to whisper in Kurogane's ear. "I think you secretly want to see Fai naked."
Kurogane recoiled swiftly, his cheeks flaring up to a respectable shade of red. Sputtering, he frantically denied what Yuuko had just said, but she looked at him knowingly. "Absolutely not! I do not – not ever – look at Fai that way. I mean, it's like – well you know, it's just – he's Fai."
"You never struck me as a homophobe, Kurogane-kun," Yuuko inspected him, frowning.
"I'm not," he responded hastily. "That's not the problem. I just don't look at Fai that way. I don't look at anyone that way. I don't want a relationship."
"You're still young," Yuuko said, shaking her head sadly. "You don't know what you want yet."
"You're the same age as me," Kurogane replied. Yuuko only gave him another condescending smile. "Stop thinking whatever you're thinking!"
Yuuko poked his cheek, much like Fai had done before. "You're still blushing bright red, Kurogane-kun."
A very, very deep hole would be nice.
-
Now (21 years and 5 months old)
Kurogane rarely knows whether to smile or scowl at the thought of Yuuko. She was the catalyst for so many different events in his life, both good and bad, but all important. She had brought him to where he was now.
Kurogane realizes that if he had never met Yuuko, or if Yuuko hadn't had such an interest in him, his life would be nothing like it is now. He squeezes Fai's hand again, hating the cold skin and lack of strength in his.
Yuuko had been the one to prod him in Fai's direction all the time, with a wink and smirk on her face. She had had the tendency to plant ideas and suggestions in his mind, most of which, Kurogane sees now, involved him and Fai together.
He can't hate her for it.
-
A/N - High school now *evil Tomoyo laugh* Just a quick warning that I'm tweaking things here and there in the coming chapters so there might be a week or two where I don't update because I'm rewriting ^^'
I'm sick and it's exam week ... orz