A/N: Hello there and welcome to my second story to be published on FictionPress! If you have not read my first one, please look for it on my profile. Both stories are completely different from each other, but they are enjoyable. This story is in the setting of a typical high school anime, so keep that in mind when reading to avoid confusion. If this is like any of the thousands of anime out there, please send me a message about it. I may very well watch it at your suggestion since I loved working on this so far.

~~~HereWeGo!~~~

Our story begins in Evergreen City, at the opening ceremony of Twin Hearts Academy. The school is nationally acclaimed for its high marriage rate among the graduates, creating a whole wave of specially determined workers called 'Twin Hearts', who seemed to work at their best no matter what. Everyone is chatting away the morning under the oak trees when suddenly, a red-and-white sports car pulls up along the sidewalk and a handsome young man steps out with smooth brown hair and dashing blue eyes. He kept his white school uniform neat as he wore it casually. Though he was not known for his natural charm, the girls still adored him and the men simply ignored him. His name was Caso Nova and not only was he popular, he was also the highest scorer in the entrance exams for the freshman year. He simply walked up to the girl of his choice and said,

"Will you accept my love?"

However, this is not the real story. Let's go back a bit to the real story...

Our story itself takes place in a small neighborhood within a rather noisy house.

A stray practice arrow, seemingly flying through the air at random, seemed to be traveling to a high window on the house at high speed. Unaware, one of the two residents of this house, got a rude wake-up call.

"Ow! Ouch! Ohh! What the hell!" The formerly sleeping boy screamed in a voice loud enough to stir the city awake.

The boy quickly got up in pain, cradling his now struck loins while cursing loudly towards his open window.

"Why?! Why?! What did I do to deserve this!?" He shouted, before being overtaken by a louder voice.

"Suzu! Wake up! You're gonna be late for school!"

"Okay! Okay! I'm up!" The sleepy person responded.

The louder of the two voices was obviously in a hurry.

"Honestly, I'll just leave now if you're not coming."

That was Kira, the little sister to our sleepy hero: Suzaku. She's always been with him in his class at school, making higher marks and generally bothering him. Both siblings are just about to start their freshman year at Twin Hearts Academy and sadly for our hero, they are to be in the same class. It's about time he got to school, so in a whirlwind of clothes and a wolfed-down breakfast, he hurried off after his little sister as she walked out of the door on the road to their new school.

~~~TimeForSchool~~~

By the time they got to the opening ceremony, they saw their close friend Vash be violently rejected by a girl as he usually does. It appeared to happen like this:

"Hey baby, if that skirt gets any shorter, I might just snap a pic."

Her response was fiery.

"Back off pervert!"

At that point he got slapped in the face and after seeing Suzaku, came crawling to him.

"Hey Suzu! How's it hanging? And who's this cute little angel?"

Suzaku never could understand his sarcasm.

"Don't act like you've never met her. Or else I'll have her reject you like last time."

He instantly dropped the matter and scurried off to find more girls. Kira never liked him for his obsession with girls and asked Suzaku,

"Why do you still hang out with him?"

Her brother told her the same thing he does every time.

"Because he's nice once you get to know him."

About a minute later, a red and white sports car showed up and a handsome guy stepped out and tried to flirt with a random girl. His line was bold:

"Will you accept my love?"

Her response was a surprising and burning "No way ever!"

He, along with his confidence, quickly collapsed after that, but Suzaku didn't care. He just stood by and laughed his heart out with Kira. After they had their fun, the siblings proceeded to the main entrance of the school to receive their ID badges, just so teachers can recognize the new students. Everyone was lined up next the second-year line who was doing the same and waited for about 15 minutes to get badges. The man giving out badges was a tall, handsome, and kind man, who didn't even look like he belonged in a school.

"Here you go, sir." he said as he handed Suzaku his badge with his outstretched hand.

"Thank you." Suzaku politely responded.

Right after he took the badge from the kind man's hand, however, the beginnings of a fight were starting to break out. A freshman seemed to be challenging a junior. The siblings overheard the argument before the fight.

"Hey old man! Make way for the real deal." The troublemaker shouted.

The junior, having dealt with this on more than one occasion, was not angry, but instead tried to show his authority.

"Watch it freshman. Keep quiet before you get hurt." He spat.

The new freshman was eager for a fight.

"Oh yeah? And how are you gonna handle this?" The freshman taunted.

Before Suzaku knew it, the man from behind the desk was already on the scene, holding back both students as others calmly walked by.

"Hey Suzu, we should be friends with that guy. You could learn a thing or two from him." Kira told him, teasingly.

There was no way Suzaku would be friends with that man. His skills in mediating were nonexistent at best and his fighting skills were sub-par as well.

"Sure, Kira. We might as well have him as our homeroom teacher." Her brother said in a sarcastic tone.

~~~ThanksForTheIdea~~~

And at this point, fate has a cruel way of working. They did have him as their homeroom teacher. Once they walked into the class, that kind man from the tables was at the teacher's desk. Before that though, some unexpected things happened in the noisy hallways. Vash was hitting on yet another girl when a female student council officer appeared out of nowhere to begin lecturing him about how to treat girls. Luckily the pair bailed him out but as Suzaku explained things to the officer, he started to get an odd feeling; it was as if he had known her for a long time. He dismissed it and soon the officer let them go. Soon after, the three friends hurried into homeroom.

"Thanks for bailing me out back there, I couldn't have done it without you man, or your little sister's charm if you know what I mean."

Suzaku really didn't feel like telling him off, so he just gave Vash a warning.

"Easy there, you wouldn't want your 'girlfriend' to know you're cheating…" Suzaku retorted.

He grimaced at that answer because he knew what would happen to him if 'she' found out.

"Oh, that's low even for you. But I guess I'll stop, at least for a while. I've gotta save these looks for the real prizes." he finished with a wink to Kira.

"For the sake of all girls, I should just tell your girlfriend about all this." Kira threatened, determined to make Vash's life miserable.

"Eep!" was all Vash could say as he hurriedly took his seat at the near the windows at the front of the classroom. Looking at the clock, Suzaku noticed there was only 5 minutes left until the start of homeroom at 8:00 AM.

"We'd better take out own seats before homeroom starts, Kira."

"Okay, sure thing Suzu."

Kira walked to her seat in the back near the classroom door while her brother sat next to the windows in slight pain from the morning's events.

~~~GoodBye!~~~

A/N: So, it is a typical start to the new year with the same cast of characters in a high school anime. This was intentionally done so that it is easy to follow and because I love watching anime! :) As you can guess, this school is pretty normal as far as high school goes, but watch out; I've got a few minor plot twists to jam this machine with.

*Points to a machine labeled 'Twin Hearts Plot' while holding a jar labeled 'Plot twists'*

But don't worry about it, they won't have a huge effect on the story at that moment, and I'm a very benevolent author, so just keep reading on and I'll keep updating this story.

2: Home Room Antics

A/N: Chapter 2! This story is proving easy to work with, considering how hard it usually is to come up with a good plot line. Chapter 9 of Rise of Decay is also up, so don't forget to check that out if you want some fantasy action. As always, please R/R this story and keep my morale raised. :P Imagination! It flows freely!

~~~ChapterStart!~~~

As he patiently bode his time looking out the window, a small voice made its way to his ears.

"Um...excuse me. T-that's my seat you're sitting in..."

"Hmm? Isn't this the 2nd seat in the 4th row? Which one are you looking for?"

"O-oh...I am looking for the 1st seat..." she timidly spoke as she looked down, embarrassed.

"Then that would be...here, next to me and close to the windows. Don't worry, it's a simple mistake." Suzaku reassured her.

"..." as she made a sort of groaning sound while she sat down.

As soon as that conversation was over, the teacher stood up and announced the start of homeroom.

"Good morning everyone and welcome to high school!" he said with a grin.

Everyone in the room watched with some interest, though most of their attention was focused on their wasted summers and the dread of going back to school. Even so, they gave the teacher their full attention because he seemed to be a strong presence in the classroom.

"Before you all go back to thoughts about the past summer, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Cyrus Everest or Mr. Everest as my title may be. However, I would prefer if you all called me either Cy or Ev, just to make it easy on yourselves. Obviously I am your homeroom teacher, but I am also both a freshman math teacher and the freshman English teacher. So, if any of you need any help in either subjects, please do not hold your breath. Now that my introduction is over, I would like everyone to introduce themselves to the class while I take attendance. When I call your name, please stand at the front of the class and tells us a bit about yourself along with your name. I'll be calling by row and seat number, so the front row will be first." He finished with a pause.

The whole room groaned in unison as they realized that Mr. Everest was not one to joke around so often even though he may seem like it. His words were not unheard though, as he started to call attendance and listened to the students' introductions.

~~~Intros!~~~

"Vash Nova!" Ev called and with a jump, Vash moved to into place.

"Hello ladies, gentlemen (mostly ladies)! My name's Vash 'The Love' Nova and I'm always available to the lovely public, especially for sudden encounters. Anyways I like to read and take moonlit walks on the beach as well as make new friends wherever I go. I hope we can all be well acquainted as time goes on." He finished as the introductions went on.

As flirty as always I see, and he just signed a death warrant from all the girls in the-

Suzaku's thought was interrupted when he saw movement just outside his field of view and a girl sitting in front of Kira starting write vigorously on a sheet of paper. Kira seemed to be unaware, more focused on remembering the people in the class. Suzaku was about to leave the girl alone when he came upon a revelation in his mind.

Wait a minute...she started writing the moment Vash finished his speech. So that could mean one of two things: either she is practicing to say her own introduction, or more likely she is writing a love letter to Vash!

"..." Suzaku made a quiet sound as he visibly cringed at his mind's steady workings as well as in discomfort for his loins.

Kira was the only one who saw this and began wondering about what he was thinking about.

What could he be thinking at a time like this? Nothing's really been happening so far, so it has to be something else. He looked over here and then started blushing a little. No...it couldn't be. There's no way he could be thinking about doing that with me?! No, no, no, no! I'm not ready yet, I've wanted to be like that with him at some point, but not now!

All the while as Kira turned a deep shade of red, Ev called another name, "Anastasia Cieri!"

The girl whom Suzaku helped before the start of homeroom rose and walked to the front of the room.

"H-hello everyone. My name is Anastasia Cieri, but please just call me Ana. My only real interests are reading...and singing, as well as a little...sword fighting and archery, but most of all I want to make as many friends as I can here, so I hope we can all get along well these next four years."

Ana quickly hurried back to her seat as she gave a passing glance to Suzaku that was filled with embarrassment, and some happiness. Suzaku responded by giving a small smile to her. As she sat down, she began to wonder how she came to sit next to such a kind person on her first day of high school.

"Suzaku Takanaki!"

Suzaku casually walked to the front the class, hands in his pockets while catching some admiring looks from some the girls in the class. Kira merely looked on with a critical eye as her brother began his introduction. Ana watched Suzaku with interest as he started speaking while Vash tried unsuccessfully to woo the girl sitting next to him.

"Suzaku Takanaki, at your service. I practice martial arts and like to sketch in my spare time. Also, I like to relax in quiet and calm places, so you can probably find me napping or studying in places like that. But other than that, I don't really have a plan for the future except for finding new friends and possibly a girlfriend, if I'm lucky but who knows?" He finished.

When started to walk back to his desk towards the back row, all the girls in the class look upon him with adoring eyes and if one looked closely enough, tiny hearts began to float out of their heads.

~~~WhatAGuy!~~~

A/N: Ah, it does me good to invoke anime cliches... don't worry, this story is original, I just like to use high school anime tropes. I did say that this was styled like an anime, so expect some more silliness to come about. I've got a bag full of tropes and I'm not afraid to use'em. Stay classy everyone and be sure to check back next week for the next chapters in my stories!

3: The Infirmary

A/N: Here we go, next chapter in our (somewhat) peaceful school life! After introductions are over, things are taking a turn for the worst. Let's find out! Also, special thanks to Jmin.A for being the first reviewer on this story. I hope many more of you will join in on the fun and show your support!

~~~Begin!~~~

Kira, however, looked at her brother in contempt and started to feel an urge to kill him on the spot. But, as fate would have it, another stray arrow was flying through the air, this time heading towards their classroom on the 1st floor. Instead of hitting Suzaku as it did this morning, this arrow seemed to be for the front of the classroom and whoever was sitting next to the windows at that time. Vash Nova was no less off-guard when it entered the classroom and struck him directly in the head, rendering him unconscious. Ev made no reaction as everyone shuddered in unison at this turn of events.

Great, another one. Must be her again...*sigh* I was hoping to get through the first day without her messing up, but I guess that was asking for too much. Might as well ask someone to take him to the infir-WHAT!?

Ev joined the class' reaction this time, as everyone was surprised when the girl who had previously been writing at her desk rose and promptly dragged Vash by the collar and proceeded to 'walk' him to the infirmary without a sound. Vash, being unconscious, could make no protest as he became the captive of this new girl for the time being. Ev took control of the class after he regained focus, wishing to end home room on that note.

"Okay, well that was weird but I feel like the rest of you are now, so I'll end home room early for today, giving you about 10 minutes of free time to spend. Don't disturb the other classrooms or get into any trouble while outside this room. Other than that, feel free to go where you please, I'll let the hall monitors know what I've done here." He announced, leaning back in his chair, hoping to catch a quick nap before going to his first class.

Suzaku, worried and curious about Vash, got up from his seat and started for the infirmary. Ana, also worried about Vash, but wanting to get closer to Suzaku, followed him out of the classroom. Kira was blissfully unaware of everything that had happened in the last 10 minutes, still trying (or not) to recover herself from her thoughts about her brother. Suzaku had mixed thoughts as he walked down the hall towards the infirmary, mostly focused on Ana.

I wonder why she looked at me like that right after giving her introduction. She's cute, but I feel like there's something else I'm missing here, something important...wait, she said she likes to read and sing, as well as sword fighting and...what was it? What was that last thing? I get the feeling that it has to do with what happened this morning. Oh, my poor groin, I'm pretty sure it's going to hurt when I have to take a piss...

~~~LookOut~~~

Just as Suzaku passed by classroom 1-D, a certain blonde-haired student council officer just happened to be watching the hallways outside of her class. With a strong grip, she pulled Suzaku out of his thoughts and back into reality with the purpose of asking him what he was doing in the halls at this time.

"Well, if it isn't Pervert #2, why aren't you in home room now?" She asked.

"If you're gonna call me a pervert, I might as well not answer. Besides, it's quite rude to suddenly grab someone you don't know." Suzaku coolly responded.

"Would you like to me to get the disciplinary committee involved?" She asked in an unnerving sweet voice.

"Okay I'll talk, just keep it to yourself though. My homeroom teacher ended it early, so I'm on my way to the infirmary to check on a friend." Suzaku hastily answered, slowly starting on his path again.

"Really? And who would that be? Pervert #1, I'm guessing?"

"Don't ask a question you're gonna answer, weirdo" Suzaku blankly said as he turned the corner.

Unknown to Suzaku however, the officer began to give off an icy aura that quickly made some frost on the nearby classroom doors. As he made it halfway to down the hallway towards the infirmary, Suzaku was suddenly tackled by the pursuing officer, causing him to stumble ahead a few steps. He turned around to retort, but as he opened his mouth the window next to the two broke, and the officer felt a sharp pain in her leg and started to collapse. Luckily, Suzaku was able to catch her and help her to her feet, but due to her new injury, she needed him to support her. Spotting a wooden practice arrow just out of his view, Suzaku began to wonder why there was such a large chance of being struck by an arrow today.

What is with all these arrows today? I'm obviously not the only one to get hit, but why did everyone else get hit in a less sensitive spot than me?! Seriously, every time there's an arrow, someone always manages to get hurt and usually in a vital area. And how come this always happens near a window? It's a new year, I get it, but I'm pretty sure that the archery club isn't this terrible at shooting...

"Thanks for the help." The officer said after a pause.

"It's no big deal, I'm just glad you aren't hurt that bad." Suzaku absently responded.

"...Alex."

"What?"

"That's my name. Alexa Stark. Alex is short for Alexa, but no one really calls me that anymore."

"It's unique name, but I think I will just call you Alex. My name's Suzaku Takanaki. Just call me Suzu to make it easier on yourself. So are we off to the infirmary, Alex?"

"Yeah, this leg is going to slow me down for a while."

"I'll try to go as carefully as I can, but since we don't have much time I may have to rush us a little, is that okay?"

"Yes, as long as we get there."

"Hold on tight to me then, let me take up most of the work." Suzaku finished as the two started the long-awaited walk to the infirmary.

~~~NiceGuyToTheRescue~~~

As the two reached the infirmary doors, a girl burst through them in a hurry, covering her face and rushing past several students without a second glance. Curiously, it seemed there was a dark presence following her as she weaved through the sea of students to her next class. Suzaku decided to ignore the odd presence he saw and went inside the infirmary to help Alex lay down. He set her on the closest bed to him and moved a chair next to the bed to watch her condition and safety.

"Thanks for taking me here. You're not such a bad guy after all." Alex said with a smile.

Before Suzaku could open his mouth the curtain separating Alex's bed and the next was drawn open, and sitting in the next bed was Vash, a newly wrapped bandage around his head.

"Oh come on! I thought I was hearing a pretty girl's voice and all I get is you? Things just never go my way..."

"Things don't go your way because you're a jerk. You seriously need to get it into your sick head that girls hate shallow guys."

"Oh really? Then how did I get a kiss on the first day of the year?"

Vash smiled, shocking both Suzaku and Alex into a petrified state. Suzaku recovered first and walked to Vash, holding him by the collar and asked,

"What are you talking about? We just saw a girl run away crying from here, was that you?"

"Damn right it was, I must have done my job rather well to get that kind of reaction from her-ow!"

Suzaku planted his fist into Vash's head without another word.

"You're the most perverted Casanova wannabe I've ever known, but I never would have guessed you had the guts to force a kiss on some random girl. I hope you're ready for the worst once I'm finished with you."

Vash visibly blanched and set his mind to work, trying to piece together what had actually happened.

"Wait! It's not what it looks like! She kissed me!"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Alex added.

"I didn't say anything to her, she just kissed me when I was waking up."

"Really? You sure spout a lot of lies, Vash, but this is the worst I've heard" Suzaku threatened.

"Would I lie to you, man? I'm telling you right when I came around some girl was pressed up against my body giving me a kiss, I couldn't move! Then she got off me and made some weird signs with her hands before dashing out the door."

"That girl that we saw running out, was she in your class?" Alex asked to Suzaku.

"I think so, she sits in front of my sister, Kira. I remember her writing a lot once Vash finished his introduction." Suzaku answered.

"Oh boy, I think I know who she is and why she might have kissed this pervert." Alex said as she looked down at her hands.

~~~EvenPervertsNeedLove~~~

A/N: Hmm...Vash is a such a player, isn't he? He gets a kiss on the first day of high school and he didn't get slapped either. So who was that girl that brought him to safety just to kiss him? I'll let you speculate that, in the reviews. Please don't forget about my other (and much more popular) story, Rise of Decay, to satisfy your fantasy needs. Thanks for reading!

4: First Classes and a Vampire?

A/N: Sorry, sorry for such a slow update! I've been very busy writing ahead for Rise of Decay, that I haven't given this story much love. But I want to keep this story alive, no matter what, so even if this is not as popular or well-written as Rise of Decay, I will continue this story. Now, onto the story and the flowing imagination...

~~~LoudStart~~~

"What!?" Suzaku and Vash both yelled loud enough to cause a slight tremor around the school. They could not believe what they had just heard, especially since it is such a rare event in this school.

"Quiet you idiots! Do you want the world to know?" Alex whispered, barely containing her concern for the two boys.

"So you're telling me that the reason she kissed me is because she's royalty? What kind of reason is that for kissing someone?!" Vash bellowed.

"Shut up you, I wasn't finished yet. She obviously likes you since she kissed you, but it's not that hard for her to do it since she's royalty. We all know how crazy upper class people can get, so why else would she kiss you and no one else?"

"My heartbreaking good looks?" Vash said while flashing a smile.

"She's looking for a fiancé, dumbass." Alex flatly spat.

There is a long silence in the room, so long that the warning bell rings to announce the start of first period.

"Seriously, what. The. Actual. Flock..." Vash rambled, a blank look on his face.

"What?" Alex asked with a questioning look.

"Vash has a no-swearing rule. He says it's to be polite to the 'lovely people'." Suzaku explained, having known Vash since they were children.

"Uh-huh, well first period is about to start, so shouldn't you get going Suzu?" Alex asked.

"Nah, I'm gonna skip it. I'm not really feeling like going just yet." Suzaku shrugged.

"You do realize that it affects your grades right? And eventually you'll have to repeat the year?"

"I'm not gonna repeat the year and I'm not gonna fail my classes. I'll go to class enough to keep my attendance up, but it's not like I'm actually doing work there."

Alex started to stand, shocking Suzaku with her rapid recovery. She held up a fist and pointed it at him before threatening,

"If you don't get back to class now, I'll make you wish you had never met me. Now, you wouldn't want that would you?", causing Suzaku's eyes to widen.

"No ma'am, I'll go now!" squeaked Suzaku as he rushed out of the infirmary to his first period class, just as the 2nd bell was about to ring.

"I figured you were a violent girl, never thought I'd be right since I first met you today. You really think he's gonna listen to you, even if you threatened him?"

"He'd better if he wants to see tomorrow."

"Yeah...listen, I've known the guy practically since birth and he is not the kind of guy who'll just do whatever someone asks. Me and him, we work using a respect system, so you have to earn the right to order us around and you, my violent lady, are far from it-OW!" Vash wailed as Alex dropped a heavy fist on his head.

"Shut up already, will you? I'm sure I've earned that right for a while now." Alex said as she laid down on the infirmary bed.

~~~LateForClass~~~

"Crap, crap, crap, crap!" Suzaku shouted as he sprinted down the hallway to his first period class, bowling over at least a dozen students in his haste.

He gave a quick glance to the classrooms to find his own and nearly busted down the doors upon finding it. Just as he entered the classroom, the 2nd bell rang, signaling the arrival of late students from now on. Suzaku looked around at his classmates, all of whom were in his home room period, and caught a majority of the class giving him a dumbfounded stare. Not wanting to be caught in the awkward atmosphere any longer, he swiftly walked to his seat and started to take notes on the lesson at hand. It was English class and a certain cool-headed man was teaching the class with a level of enthusiasm.

"Okay can anyone read this passage for me? Hmm...you there, in the back!" Ev shouted as he pointed to Kira, who stood and began to recite the phrase.

"He watched as she placed a lone hand on his chest, feeling all that he was as his secrets were laid bare for her unseen eyes...'please', she said, 'let me know who you are and why I love you so', he smiled and again he pulled her into a deep, passionate kiss." Kira spoke as she pronounced each word with perfect fluency and articulation, blushing slightly at the suggestive phrase she just read.

"Excellent; that may have been that best English I've heard all year! Haha!" Ev joked as the class laughed at his attempt in comedy.

"Someone kill me already...I hate being here; this class sucks." Suzaku groaned quietly as he laid his head on his desk to try falling asleep.

"Please, don't say that. We just started the first class of the year, shouldn't you at least try to enjoy it?"

Ana, who sat beside Suzaku, tried gesturing him to stay awake as long as possible before giving up once he made soft snoring sounds. Laughing quietly, she looked upon his sleeping face and took in the features of this most unusual boy next to her.

Let's see here...black hair, not as dark as it gets, but it has a mysterious blue shade to it. He's got such a cute face when he sleeps too, almost like he's a little kid. And those sparkling green eyes...those get me every time I try to talk to him. Oh how I want to ask him to hang out after school... Ana finished in her mind as a small heart absently floated from her and a deep blush set upon her face. She could do nothing but look down at her desk and occasionally steal a glance at the sleeping Suzaku, smiling to herself.

~~~SecretAdmirer?~~~

The class proceeded as expected without any further events worth mentioning. The next class was Algebra, something Suzaku dreaded with his whole being. Rather than sit around without any sort of clue of the complex math before him, Suzaku quietly slipped out of his classroom during the transitional period and looked for a remote spot on the campus to relax in. His search led him to a central garden, hidden by the school building's four wings. Looking around for a shady place to lay in, he settled on a corner of the garden underneath a large tree and looked up at the clear sky with the sun beaming down on everything.

"It must be great being able to do what you want to do without anyone to complain, huh? If only that were possible for us just like it is for you, bright one. I only wanted to live a life at peace, but it seems there are forces at work that do nothing but get in my way. What can I do though? There's nothing more limited than the life of a human being. Wake up, go to school, talk to some people, work, find a nice girl, get married, have a kid, and have them repeat that same experience all over again...it's so boring." Suzaku mused, addressing the sun.

"...It is, isn't it?" Came a voice next to Suzaku.

"..."

Suzaku froze as he looked at the source of the voice. It was a girl who was much too close to his face for any sort of comfort to be okay. He abruptly sat up and stared at the odd girl lying on the grass. Lustrous white hair covered her face and reached down to her shoulders, stunning red eyes, light cream-colored skin, and a small glint from pointed fangs,

"Vampire..." Suzaku realized, trembling in his tracks as he desperately tried to will his body to move.

"Yes indeed, that is what I am. But I don't think I gave you my name yet. Erica Orso, pleased to meet you, human." She greeted with an extended hand.

"...S-suzaku T-takanaki..." Suzaku responded as he barely managed to move his own shaky hand into hers.

"Do not worry yourself Suzaku; in the sunlight I lose all of my vampire power, even my fangs", she reassured him, taking a moment to show him her now human teeth, "I was surprised when I found someone else here, and during the middle of class too. It's the first day of the school year, and I've already found someone else who likes this spot...I'm happy to have met you." She smiled, somewhat calming Suzaku's rapidly beating heart.

"Why were you so close to me when you first spoke to me? It scared the life out of me..." He said, casting his eyes elsewhere.

"I just wanted to bask in your company, that's all." She said eagerly, earning a shiver from Suzaku.

"That crest...you're a freshman, right?" Suzaku absently asked before attempting to make eye contact with her.

"Yep, and I've already found a boyfriend too!" Erica blushed, smiling to herself.

"Do I even wanna know who that would be?" Suzaku sarcastically asked.

"It's this cute guy that got hit with an arrow in home room. I swear, it must have been an arrow of love...ever since I first saw him introduce himself, my heart was about to burst from thinking about him. He is the man I've been looking for all my life...", she let out a deep sigh before continuing, "Vash 'The Love' Nova, he really is..." Erica blushed furiously as she said his name.

~~~VampireLikesHuman?~~~

Suzaku's eye twitched, then twitched again as if that was the only response he could muster to this girl's dedication to his flirty best friend.

"Can I ask you for a favor?" Erica interrupted.

"W-whatever could it be?"

"Can you ask Vash to wait for me in front of the school gates?"

"...No." Suzaku plainly said.

"Why not? I promise I'll repay the favor."

"It's not that, it's because I'm not comfortable just handing my best friend over to a bloodsucking maniac. And why can't you ask him yourself then?"

"...Um...because I can't talk around him..." She nervously whispered, shifting in her seat on the grass.

"What?" Suzaku raised an eyebrow.

"Whenever I get really nervous in front of someone, I can't talk, so I use...sign language."

"Wait, what did you tell Vash in the infirmary then?" Suzaku asked, curious about the connection between this girl and the one who ran from the infirmary.

"I told him how I felt." Erica admitted, her face still flushed immensely.

"I don't how to tell you this gently, but he had no clue what you were trying to say to him."

"Huh?"

"Yeah, he described it as 'some weird signs with her hands' and ignored it."

"...How dare he!" Erica angrily growled, obviously embarrassed and beyond upset at Vash's ignorance to her feelings.

"Don't take this too seriously; not many people know sign language and Vash happens to be one of them. I'm sure if you just tell him somehow, he'll understand."

"So...will you tell him then? To meet me in front of the gates?"

"Sure, it's the least I could do for someone Vash is too dense to notice." Suzaku coolly said.

Erica squealed with joy before pulling Suzaku into a tight hug, crushing his frame slightly with overwhelming emotion.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you! I'll never forget this and I promise to help you however I can!" Erica squeaked, too focused on meeting Vash to care about anything else.

Suzaku silently sent a prayer to Vash, hoping that he was prepared to meet this girl who so desperately craves him.

~~~SaveVash?No~~~

A/N: I know what you're all thinking, 'Ugh, vampires? Really? So cliché...', but I only put that there to add a little more flavor to the cast. There is a latent supernatural element in this story, and fortunately, the vampire is only a *very* minor part of it. Please continue to wait and read this and don't forget to check back on Rise of Decay once you've read this since it's a double update (yay!). Review, favorite, follow, whatever you want, PM me even, let me know how you feel so far about me or my work. Thanks!

5: A Past Meeting and Ninjas!

A/N:Yatta! It worked! And all I needed was a few days away from this story! I'm very pleased with how this chapter turned out, especially since you guys seemed to be liking the story so far. I know it's not as good as Rise of Decay, but I'm starting to get some of my novel magic back and pouring it into this! Also, what's an anime without ninjas and gratuitous Japanese? Enjoy, and imagination will run wild here!

~~~Hajime!~~~

"So why are you here, exactly?" Suzaku asked after his prayer.

"The same reason as everyone else: to graduate and go to college."

"But...you're a vampire. Doesn't that mean you're immortal?"

"It's a lot more complicated than that. Vampires are nothing like the ones you see in movies or video games. We are able to go out during the day, we just choose not because we get really bad headaches. And we do have long lives, but nothing close to immortal. Mostly, vampires are just regular humans with a few special quirks that make us seem magical; I'm no different. I understand why you wouldn't want to let me talk to Vash, but I really do love him, especially since I met him when we were kids..."

~~~PopcornAnyone?~~~

(Flashback, 10 years ago)

Suzaku and Vash were both 5 years old and they had been friends for at least 2 years. It was during their summer that they would first be exposed to a rather...unusual turn of events. Both boys were walking through their neighborhood on a warm afternoon chatting about plans for the rest of the day, seeing as how they'd already gone to the beach that morning.

"I'm thinking we could go to the arcade! There's some really cute girls from our school that hang out there..." Vash proclaimed.

"Sure, that sounds fun. Two problems though: One, we don't have any money and two, I'd have to bring Kira along which we know will be a bad thing for you." Suzaku sarcastically pointed out.

"Aw jeez, why do she have to hate me so much? I told her I was only kidding and I really didn't think that she would confess to me..."

"Well, you did tell her she was, and I quote, 'the cutest girl I've ever seen' which led to this huge thing with our parents." Suzaku dryly said, glaring slightly at his friend.

"Okay, okay but it's all settled now! So, what'll it be? My house or Alex's? I heard he's got that new game that just came out, Call of Calderon; I wanna play it so bad!" Vash excitedly shouted, jumping in anticipation.

"Hmm...let's go to Alex's. Your parents kind of like me a little too much." Suzaku gently answered.

"Well yeah, they were the ones who wanted that whole 'marriage' thing the most and we could've been brothers if it worked! Not that I'd want you as a brother, anyway since Caso's on the top of my enemies list..." Vash spat, trying to think of another topic.

"Why do you hate him so much? I thought he was everything you wanted to be, you're 'idol' to worship." Suzaku questioned.

Though the two boys were about three-quarters of the way to Alex's house, unknown to them while they had talked, a third person had joined their walk and listened to the exchange between them. Once Suzaku had asked about Vash's dislike for Caso, this third member knew it was the time to strike.

"Caso tries too hard to impress girls, that's why." A soft high-pitched voice called out form behind the boys.

They turned around and, listening to their first instincts, screamed as loud as they could at the sudden appearance of this new person. After 1 whole minute of continued screaming, the boys ran out of breath and held their chests, trying to calm down. Another minute passed before the boys stood up again to look upon their scary new guest. A girl about their same age with white hair and a soft-blue sundress was confidently standing there, a mischievous smile on her face as she stared at the boys, specifically Vash with her crimson-red eyes. She rocked back and forth on her heels as she tried to talk to the boys again.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Erica." She told them.

"I'm Suzaku and this is Vash." Suzaku cautiously responded.

"Hmm...those are weird names, but I'll definitely remember them."

"Why were you behind us just now? We don't owe you something, do we?" Vash hastily asked.

"No, I just heard you guys wanted to do something fun, so I decided to listen closely to your conversation. Doesn't seem like it got anywhere though..."

"And whose fault is that?" Vash strongly wondered.

"I just wanted to have some fun with you guys, that's all." Erica nonchalantly said.

"Do you have any ideas for fun, then?" Suzaku asked.

"I do. We could just go to my house; I've got a ton of toys there and even a cute doggy that loves to play! My parents always like it when I bring friends over, so they won't mind at all!"

Vash pulled Suzaku aside and leaned in close to whiper into his friend's ear.

"Do you think this is a good idea? Normally I'd jump at a chance to go to a girl's house, but you're usually better at thinking stuff through, so should we or not?"

"We don't know who she is or how far her house is. She seems like she'll trouble, but her house does sound like a lot of fun...I think we should be okay. Just let me ask Kira if she wants to come too, you know how she gets when I'm gone for a long time."

"How could I forget? Let's just go to your house quickly then, and start heading to Erica's house already."

~~~ThePlanIsSet~~~

"Okay, set!" Both boys shouted, almost like a ritual for their friendship.

Erica did not need to say anything else for she heard everything the boys said due to their rather loud whispering. The trio turned around and walked for about 5 minutes before arriving at Suzaku's house. Suzaku's house was not too large or too fanciful either. It was quite modern, with two floors, a spacious backyard, a white stone gate in the front and two short hedges that separated the house from the ones next to it. Leaving his friends at the gate, Suzaku went inside to look for Kira. It wasn't hard at all since she typically liked to pass the time by reading in the living room, which was right next to the small foyer of the house.

"Ah, Suzu, where have you been? Mom and Dad have just left for work, so they won't be back for a while."

"Kira, how long have you been here?"

"About 3 hours. I've almost finished 3 books by now."

"Listen, I know you like your reading, but do you want to hang out with me for the rest of the day?"

"Really?! Of course I want to! Thank you, thank you! You have no idea how much I've wanted to Suzu!" Kira squealed, putting away her books in a hurry before grabbing her brother's hand and dragging him out the door.

"Well, about time you got out here! Me and Erica were just getting to know each other. Turns out she and I have very ideas of fun, which means double the trouble!" Vash barked with a wide toothy grin plastered on his face. Erica held a small smile as she held Vash's hand firmly.

"...Why is he here...?" Kira spat as she glared with pure venom at her brother.

"I...forgot to tell you that he's...coming...too." Suzaku choked out as he nervously looked at the ground.

"You must really want to die now, don't you Suzu? Kira slowly said, clenching her fist with extreme force.

"Let's get going then, shall we?" Suzaku quickly said as he ran ahead of his sister to rejoin Vash and Erica.

(Flashback End)

~~~MovieOver~~~

"And that's about it!" Erica simply said to a now-stupefied Suzaku.

"That's about it...what the hell did I just listen to? What happened after that?" Suzaku asked, clearly irritated by the story being cut-short.

"After you brought your sister outside, we walked for about 10 minutes to get to my house. Then I introduced you guys to my parents who loved everyone, mostly Vash. We went into the backyard to play with my dog, Maxamil, where Vash tried ride on his back and fell off; that was funny. Once Vash fell off Max, my parents gave us snacks and we talked a lot for the rest of the afternoon until you all went home. Then, I moved away without another word. Before I moved, Vash came to tell me that-*cough*, ooh that's a secret only between me and Vash." Erica mused, blushing at the thought of 'that secret'.

"I don't even want to begin to think about what it might be. It seems we've met before though; I'm sorry if I didn't recognize you right away."

"No no, it's perfectly fine. It's been over ten years after all, one can hardly remember every little detail of it. I'm just glad I found out Vash was in my class. Now we can rekindle the love we shared as children..." Erica let out a relieved and longing sigh.

"There's still some time left before the period ends, do you want to go check on him?" Suzaku asked, not wanting to go to Algebra at all.

"Er, I don't know...I acted so stupidly in front of him when I helped him; I think he hates me now."

"Trust me, I've been with him long enough to know that this won't upset him. He can never stay mad at anyone for long, especially someone he made a promise to. You can count on him keeping that promise he made, no matter how childish it might have been. All you have to do is remind him about it and I'm sure he'll remember you."

"...", Erica groaned, "Okay, I'll give it a shot but you have to come with me."

"Anything to miss class is fine with me." Suzaku shrugged, grateful for this excuse to avoid Algebra.

The two picked themselves up from the warm grass and climbed out of the garden back into the hallways. Then, they sneakily attempted to reach the infirmary unseen. Unfortunately, several hall monitors had spotted the pair and quickly approached with deadly intent. Silently like ninjas, even dressed like ninjas, the hall monitors drew their pens and pads in preparation to start launching a barrage of write-ups for the unlucky pair of friends. A select few monitors carried large paper fans which served to disable the more resistant students though it seemed unnecessary since the scribe ninja have already trapped the two in a tight circle.

Fortunately for Suzaku, their tactics were painfully simple and he already saw at least 6 different weak points in their formation that he could exploit to aid in his and Erica's escape. Though a lazy student, Suzaku was a genius in terms of his martial arts and strategic attack plans, something he takes a great deal of pride in. He estimated that this would take no more than five minutes, given the right conditions. The leader ninja, an imposing figure with a red headband stepped forward from the ninjas surrounding the pair.

"You have both been found guilty of skipping class, loitering in the central garden, and running in the hallways. Do you have any last words before we strike you down and drag you away?"

"Yeah...If ninjas can't be caught, what does it mean if I catch you?" Suzaku confidently boomed before launching himself towards the ninjas closest to the windows.

"Ike!" The boss shouted, signaling the attack to begin.

Suzaku slid at the ninjas at the windows, dodging their projectiles and managing to collapse their legs with a strong sweep from his own. He then dashed to the right without looking back and spun left, hooking two enemies within his arm before sweeping them to the ground. The fan holders came at him this time, holding their fans high overhead to come down with a merciless strike. Yet at the last deciding moment, Suzaku crouched low to the ground and spun to his left, grabbing a ninja by the heel and lifted his opponent upside down, allowing him to block all the fan strikes with the hapless foe he held. Then, Suzaku slid his opponent at the fan squad's legs, tripping them and leaving them unconscious. Erica could only look on in awe at this display of martial arts, wondering happily if Vash could be just cool as Suzaku. In he own fantasies, Erica was utterly unaware as one of the fan holders came behind her to strike with great force.

"You lose, girl!" He said, thinking he would easily strike down Erica.

"Oho, Vash, you shouldn't do that so quickly...oh what naughty boy you are..." Erica fantasized about Vash doing who knows what.

As the strike came down, there was a loud smack that caused Suzaku to pause for a moment to look back at Erica. There she was, still continuing her fantasies about Vash with the fan phased through her and hitting the ground! The fan holder was dazed for a second, then he lifted his fan again for another strike. Still, it would just phase through Erica, who had absolutely no clue what was happening behind her, and hit the ground. Every time the fan came down, it would just pass through Erica and strike the ground instead, Erica still unaware of anything beyond her current fantasies.

"Why. Won't. It. Hit. Her! Chikusho!" The ninja swore before he accidentally lifted his weapon too fast and hit himself in the face, "I will remember this...teme.", he said before falling unconscious.

~~~YayNinjasAndPaperFans~~~

"Yamete!", the lead ninja called out to everyone, "This fight has gone on long enough. The period is over, so we'll let you go. But if we do meet again, you can't hope to win. Now get to class. Minasan, ikuzo!"

The ninjas disappeared quickly after picking up their fallen comrades, just as students began to fill the hallways. Erica ran up to Suzaku and squealed her amazement at his skills, having just returned from her fantasy world. Both were having an energetic conversation on the way to their third period class,

"That was awesome, Suzu! You didn't even break a sweat against them! It was so cool!"

"Ehehe...I wouldn't say that was cool at all, compared to what you did."

"Huh? What did I do?" Erica asked, cocking her head to the side.

"You don't remember? They couldn't even bother you at all when you were doing it!" Suzaku added, interested by this odd power that he saw.

"Hmm...was there someone after me?"

"Yeah, a very persistent someone."

"Oh, it must have been that." Erica quietly said.

"That?"

"Ever since I could remember, I've never been sneak-attacked before. I wonder if this is the same thing..." Erica pondered.

"Well whatever it is, it just saved your life." Suzaku tensely commented.

"Oh by the way, what's our next class?"

Suzaku reached into his pocket and pulled out a detailed sketch of his class schedule.

"Hmm...it seems to be 'Ancient History', boring..." He said as they turned the last corner and approached the classroom.

~~~BackToClass~~~

A/N: In the very likely case many of you haven't watched enough anime, 'Yatta' means 'We did it', 'Ike!' is a bossy 'Go!', 'Chikusho' is the equivalent of 'Dammit', 'Teme' typically translates as 'Bastard', 'Yamete' = 'Stop', 'Minasan' is 'Everyone', and 'Ikuzo' means 'Let's go'. A great chapter in my opinion, but please don't hesitate to say otherwise. Really it won't upset me, I'll just cry and induce vomiting, minus the vomiting. Thank you all for the interest in this story and keep me updated with anything you'd like to see next or anything you liked or disliked!

6: Vash the Lady-Killer

A/N: Fighto! While Rise of Decay is being voted on, I've decided to go for an extra update on this story, seeing as how I've got the creative spark for this now. Also, I just finished a near-perfect anime, so I'm feeling exceptionally cheerful! Thanks for the extra views on this story despite its shortcomings. May the imagination surge forth like the oceans!

~~~ClassTime~~~

Just as the Suzaku opened the door for the Erica, he was pulled further inside by an unknown pair of hands. Breaking free of the grip on his arms, he turned to face none other than his best friend, Vash, still looking injured but healthy enough to attend class. Suzaku gave him a slight nod as he looked to Erica who entered the class next, immediately spotting Vash standing close to Suzaku. Reddened by the sight of him, Erica quickly rushed to find a seat find her seat, hoping that Vash would spare her at least a passing glance or maybe even a long stare. Meanwhile Vash, who had no idea what was going on, slung his arm around Suzaku's shoulders and walked with him to find their seats.

They both decided that when class started, they would use their secret code to talk to each other. As they sat down, they each pulled out some index cards from their bags and grabbed their pens to keep up a disguise. The best friends tested the system by sending just one message between them: 'Ready?'. How it worked was simple, they wrote on index cards and passed them back and forth between their seats. It was a very simple system that anyone could do, but what set them apart from all the others was the extreme distance between their seats, and the fact that both boys mastered their art so well that they could send the cards like bullets and always catch them without looking. The two tricksters nodded, fully aware of the work ahead of them. The teacher entered the class soon after the boys worked out their plan and started taking attendance. Vash was sent the first card across their line with a very simple comment,

"This class is gonna be so boring..."

"Well obviously, it's called 'Ancient History' for a reason; you think I wanna be here?" Suzaku responded.

"By the way, what took you so long to get here? I know you like to skip, but you're never late when you do come..."

"Long story, I'll talk about it after class. Why are you out of the infirmary so soon? Shouldn't you be taking the day off?"

"Yeah I wanted to, but that crazy girl kicked me out saying, 'I was healed enough to go to classes since I could still make offensive comments'. Such violence for a guy who got hit in the head...with an arrow no-less! My head's still swimming from that slap this morning and the arrow really did not help."

"But you did get your first kiss already, that's a plus right?"

"Yep, and I'd do it again given the chance! Too bad that girl is so shy, she might have interested me otherwise..."

"...You do realize that she walked in with me and blushed when she saw you, right?"

"Hmm? You came in with a girl? What is this blasphemy?"

"You can so dense, sometimes I think you're made of lead."

"Hey! I take offense to that; I'd rather think I'm made of diamond."

"You still admitted that you're pretty dense either way. Oh by the way, are you doing anything after school?"

"Not really, besides looking to score, why?"

"Can you wait for me at the front of the school gates? I've got something big to tell you."

"Wait a second...I don't swing that way, dude. I mean we've been friends since about...birth, but I'm still not okay with the idea of being that way with my best friend. Sorry man, but I gotta tell you directly: I'm only interested in the female race."

"What? No! No no no no! What the hell are you thinking of? Why would I ever do that if I'm still looking for a girlfriend myself!? I'm just telling you to wait at the gates so we can talk about...*sigh* the ladies."

"Well, why didn't you say so! I'm always up for strategy talks about the ladies! I'll be there as soon as school's over so we can get right down to it!"

"Good. I'll probably be a little late, but it's nothing you haven't done before. I guarantee that you'll have a girlfriend before the day is over."

"Yes! Flock yes! I must have all the beaches!"

"Dude, shut up before you get us caught! Your cover is falling apart!"

"I'm just so pumped though! This is what I've trained for my whole life!" Vash accidentally said out loud as he abruptly stood up from his seat at the front of the class.

"Oh? You know what else you should have trained for? The future! Now be quiet, get back into your seat, and start writing down notes since I haven't seen anything on your notebook since this class started!" The teacher yelled at Vash, causing the rest of the class to quietly laugh at him in unison. Vash sheepishly sat back down and the class resumed without many more disturbances.

~~~TheHunterIsHere~~~

About ten minutes before the end of the class period, Vash noticed something strange coming from the other side of the class room. He felt a kind of ravenous hunger in the air when he looked towards that other side. At first he ignored it, but then it quickly started to bother him, so he passed a bored glance over everyone else in the room until he found the aura coming strongly from a certain part of the room, near the door towards the back. Then he saw her; the white hair, the light skin, the red eyes...his assailant from this morning. In a frenzy Vash sent notes to Suzaku who was hardly left any time to respond.

"Dude, it's her!"

"Yeah about that-"

"She's looking at me like I'm her next meal! It's freaking me out big time!"

"That's because-"

"Why, why, why, why? Why is she looking at me like that!?"

"She wants to-"

"You said it! She wants to consume, to ravage me, to feast on me! And not in a good way either! It was cool that she kissed me and all, but I not trained to deal with attachment! What am I supposed to do? What can I do!?"

"Vash, shut up!"

"..."

"Calm down, man, you're having a panic attack. Take a few deep breaths while I explain things to you."

"..."

"I told you to meet me after school, right? This is one of the biggest reasons why I did that: to cover you from girls like her. Now just relax and try to stay calm; we've only got 5 minutes left of class, so you only need to act natural and avoid looking at her so that you can survive, got it?"

"...Yes."

"Okay, let's stay silent for now and really focus on class."

~~~CanHeReallyFocusThough?~~~

The last five minutes of class felt like an absolute eternity to Vash even if he was actively paying attention to the class. With each ticking of the clock, the hunger that he felt before just grew stronger and even more uncomfortable; it was almost as if the girl was right next to him though he knew she wasn't. He resigned to just keeping his head down at his messily scribbled notes just as another minute passed, but it was useless in quelling the feeling he was getting. Another minute passed as Vash attempted to shut off his mind to the world, just to escape the intense gaze he was assaulted with. Ding-dong dang-dong "Yes! Woo-hoo!" cried Vash as he rushed out of the class room at a speed capable of rivaling an Olympic runner. The wind he stirred up lifted the skirts of all the girls he passed, but he didn't care, he just had to get away from that girl. Thinking of all the places he'd seen around the school, only a few came to mind as practical hiding spots: the roof which seemed too obvious, the infirmary but he didn't want to run into that violent girl again, and the music room which may or may not be in use now. He made a quick decision in his mind and decided to head there.

Aw fog it, I'm gonna take the risk! There's no place worse for me than in the sights of that girl!

The music room: a modestly-sized room housing a concert piano and several rows of chairs, as well as enough instruments to supply a professional marching band. It was here that Vash stormed his way in, not at all caring whether the room was in use. Luckily for him, it wasn't going to be used at all that day, since they had announced it in his first period class. Sadly he was in the infirmary during that time, so he missed this important announcement. Breathing heavily as he shut himself inside, Vash leaned against the door thinking about what his next plan of action.

~~~UhOh~~~

Meanwhile, back in the class room, Suzaku was faced with a distraught Erica. Just as Vash left the room, she ran to Suzaku with teary eyes asking what she did wrong. Suzaku felt uncomfortable around Erica's misery and noticed that rumors also started to spread about himself and Erica. Most of their class mates speculated that the two were dating and they just had a fight. However Suzaku knew exactly where Vash would go so to escape the rumors and possibly the next class, he grabbed Erica by the arm and lead her out of the room. Once in the hallway, Suzaku narrowly dodged several slaps from Erica as he explained to her where Vash could be hiding.

"Stop trying to slap me and listen! I know where Vash could be hiding and the second I feel your hand hitting my face, I'm not telling you." Suzaku said in between dodges.

"Fine, but never grab me again. Only Vash is allowed to do that." Erica warned, putting her hands down.

"Good, I only grabbed you because I didn't want to make you feel worse. Now do you know what kind of person Vash is?"

"Funny, handsome, smart, charming, sexy-"

"Okay, that's enough. You know a little about his personality, but not too much. We grew up together, so it only makes sense that we have close interests. And just like how I enjoy relaxing in quiet places, so does Vash. Except, he likes the indoors and I like the outdoors, so that narrows it down doesn't it?"

"I remember him saying that he liked to read...maybe he's in the library?"

"There's a problem: Vash doesn't like libraries. But he does like to play piano..."

"The music room!"

"Yep, and it's only a few minutes away, so let's go."

"Vash Nova, you will finally be mine!"

"By the way, why do you like him so much? You said it was 'love at first sight', but is it something else?"

"He's...my fiancé."

Suzaku was suddenly overcome with a tightening pain in his chest as he felt too much surprise at the moment. He picked himself up a few moments later and tried to stay clam as he continued questioning Erica.

"I heard you were looking for a fiancé, but what's the reason behind that? Couldn't you just pick someone else?"

"Even if I could pick someone else, I'd still pick Vash. He promised me after all that we would get married if we ever met each other again."

"Wait a minute...is that what he promised you all those years ago?"

"Aww, you figured it out. He was so serious about it when we were kids, I fell in love with him on the spot. And it just so happens that my parents are very close with his, so they all suggested that we get married. I couldn't have been happier when I heard the news..." Erica sighed, blushing deeply.

"Then what were you writing when Vash finished his introduction this morning?"

"Oh, that was the marriage paperwork. I was so excited seeing Vash again that I just started filling it out."

Suzaku stood frozen at how forward and dedicated Erica was to this whole arranged marriage.

"Let's just go find Vash, okay?" He finally said.

~~~We'reOffToSeeThePervert!~~~

A/N: Another cliche! An arranged marriage is almost as old as dirt and it's been played with in so many ways. I know, this situation has probably happened before, but I'm going to be adding my own little twist to it in the future, so check back then!

7: New Love Comes With New Friends

A/N: "Ahh~" New chapters always make me feel good...not in a pleasurable way, but in a 'I finally got this done!' kind of way. Now, where were we? Ah, Vash is about to get caught by his unofficial girlfriend with his best friend tagging along, so I wonder what will happen? Read, find out, leave a comment, and let yourself get lost in those warm, fuzzy feelings you get when you read a nice story!

~~~Commencez!~~~

The two friends walked down the hallway and turned a few corners until they heard the sounds of a piano being played from one of the closed rooms. It was a slow, smooth melody that conveyed feelings of longing and a soft tone of love which put Erica into a trance as she closed her eyes and wandered aimlessly towards the source of the song. Suzaku, having heard Vash play piano before, was immune to the enchanting song and just followed behind Erica to his best friend's hiding spot.

“Such a beautiful song...why do I feel so lost now?” Erica asked aloud.

“They do say that one's heart is reflected in the songs one plays. Any listeners who can relate to the player's feelings must be able to understand those feelings on the deepest level.” Suzaku absently explained.

“Yes, that's what it feels like. It's like I can reach out and hold him, feeling everything he feels...”

The music slowly started to die down as Suzaku let out a small snicker and cleared his throat.

“Actually you can do that right now; it's just the perfect moment for it.” Suzaku joked as he focused all of his attention to the terrified occupant in the music room.

“Dude, stop, stop! You're only gonna kill me by doing this! Why do hate me so m-Ahh!” Vash pleaded in a hushed voice. Erica pulled Vash into a tight hug, opening her eyes as soon as she heard his voice. They looked at each other and the awkward position they were in for several minutes. The blush on their faces was evident, even when Vash turned his head to glare at his traitorous best friend. Vash was about to say something to Suzaku, but Erica cut him off in what was the boldest statement either of them had ever heard: “Will you marry me, Vash?”

~~~SuzuIsAJerk~~~

A few minutes had slowly passed by before Vash and Suzaku regained their focus and now stood there, speechless. Erica just looked adoringly at Vash, shifting ever so slightly towards him as he backed away in response. Suzaku was blown away at Erica's forwardness in reminding Vash of their promise; this was the first time in his life that he couldn't figure out what to do. Usually he would always know the best way to handle a situation, but this time there was no 'best' way.

What do I do, what do I do!? If I sided with Erica and pressed the issue, there's no doubt that Vash would hold it against me for the rest of his life. On the other hand, helping Vash would just upset Erica which could stir up a huge controversy between their families. However, if I tried to steer attention away from the topic itself, there would be no stop to Erica's attempts to capture Vash and I would be blamed for all of it...

Just as Suzaku was having his own mental breakdown, Vash tried to avoid the discussion he was having with Erica while the two were still locked in a hug.

“Are you sure about this whole marriage thing? I mean, I'm pretty sure you've got the wrong guy. I'm not marriage material at all and I don't even know-”

“Don't say that!” Erica shouted harshly.

“Why then? Why me?”

“You really don't remember, do you? You made a promise to me once; you said we would get married if we ever met each other again. You said I was everything you liked in a girl and then you gave me the warmest hug I've ever known...was that all a lie?” Erica softly whispered as she looked at Vash with a faint frown.

“Look, I don't even know you so there's no way I can answer your questions. Now if you could let me go, I'm sure we can clear this whole misunderstanding up.”

“I won't. Now that I've found you, there's no way I'm letting go; you might run away again.”

“I have no more reasons to run away now and even if I did, it would be after I'm done with him.” Vash strained as he gestured to the dazed Suzaku. Erica let go of Vash and held his hand with a firm grip as he shook Suzaku back to reality.

“Hey! I've got a few words for you after school, but right now consider yourself lucky, bastard.” Vash softly said, cracking a smile as he glared angrily.

“Oh right, I probably should have told you ahead of time. Oh well...” Suzaku simply shrugged off the obvious threat that Vash presented.

“I hate you so much right now, it's not even worth hiding.”

“I love you too, man.” Suzaku joked, laughing before he felt a searing pain come across his face.

“I'm the only one allowed to love Vash, so stay away.” Erica spat, readying another slap.

Vash grinned as he saw Erica in a new light and entertained the idea of letting her be at his side.

I wanted something a little more humiliating for Suzu, but I guess a slap to the face works too. One of the few times that Suzu can be slapped and it still never gets old. This girl is not afraid of getting physical; hot. It makes for a much more interesting challenge than those quiet girls I see all the time. Now that I really got a good look at her, she looks cute. The white hair I definitely like and the red eyes, oh, those get my heart pumping every time I see them. She's pretty well-endowed too, just enough for my liking. If only she wasn't so obsessed with this whole 'marriage' thing, I might have asked her out. Oh well, Suzaku got what he deserved, so I'm happy. Wait, what's this weird feeling on my lips-

Vash's mind was completely blown away as he discovered Erica kissing him with passionate force. As sudden as it began, it ended as Erica rushed out of the room in embarrassment and haste to make it to class.

~~~HeJustGotClaimed~~~

The two best friends stood there, dumbstruck at what just happened before their eyes and trying so hard to process it all in their thoughts. After a few minutes, only moments before the third period bell rang, the boys slowly willed their legs to carry them back to their class room still with a shocked expression on their faces. As they entered the class late, they ignored the rant of the teacher and sat down silently, unwilling to spare a glance at a certain girl who smiled at the both of them. The teacher shifted her expression and resumed the class, talking about the topics that would be discussed in this year's history class. The class seemed to go on routinely, the teacher would be talking about her methods of teaching with the students watching with some slight enthusiasm, save for a certain few who still experiencing a troubling set of problems.

“And that class, is how I hope the year will turn out.”, she said proudly, “That aside, I would like to get to know you all on a personal level, so don't worry acting very formal around me unless I'm giving a test or explaining a project. Now, just so I can get a good idea of who you all are, I'm putting a question on the board that I would like you all to answer by the end of the period. Think hard about it and try to answer it on your own terms.” The teacher finished, writing on the board the question, “On a normal weekend, how do you like to spend your time?”.

With that, everyone opened their notebooks and began writing, some finishing in seconds while others took a little more time to really think about this seemingly simple question. Vash and Suzaku managed to hold off their shattered focus long enough to start answering the question with simple answers.

~~~ClassAgain!~~~

“H-Hey, are you a-alright Suzu? You seem kind of...distracted.” A voice softly entered Suzaku's ears. Ana, who watched Suzaku with concern since he entered, decided to speak up and try to find out more about the curious boy she had taken an interest in.

“H-Huh? N-No, no I'm fine I totally didn't just see my best friend make out with a girl we just met today. No no, I didn't see anything weird today, so there's nothing wrong at all. Thanks for asking though, Ana, I appreciate your concern.” He blurted out, his mind slowly recovering as he spoke to Ana.

“I-I see. I guess it's not something you can prepare for, especially when you've never kissed anyone yet.”

“How did you know that?”

“It's only fair to guess that almost everyone here has not had their first kiss yet. You seem like the kind of person who holds his first kiss as something precious, so I can imagine how you might feel.”

“Then...does that mean you've already kissed someone?”

“No, but I've been around people kissing enough to be comfortable with it.”

“Oh...well okay then.”

“No, I-I didn't mean it like that. I still want to kiss someone, but it's just lost its touch for me, so I'm hoping I can find someone who can make my first kiss really special.”

“Ah, I see. Good luck with that, I'm sure you'll have no problem finding a guy for yourself, since you're nice, cute and just a great girl all-around.” Suzaku grinned.

“T-Thanks S-Suzu, I-I didn't know you felt that w-way...”, Ana began as she got dizzy from her sudden deepening blush, “O-Oh my...I-I'm not prepared for t-this at all, b-but I'm happy that you told me this since I've been feeling t-this way about you too. I hope w-we can enjoy each other's c-company from now on.”

“Hm? Of course, I mean we're already friends so why not help each other out in times like this?”

“H-Huh?”

“I'm behind you one-hundred percent, so there's no need to worry so much. But, you also need to help me find my special girl. With enough luck and cooperation, we should get there in no time!” Suzaku chirped, clapping a hand on Ana's shoulder.

“...” Ana made an uncomfortable sound as she buried her head in her hands.

“Um, did I say something wrong? Why are you so down about it?” Suzaku was as clueless as ever.

“You...you...y-you idiot Suzu!!” Ana shrieked as she let loose a heavy slap.

On instinct, Suzaku moved his head back and avoided the hit, but as he did that, he hit his head on the students sitting next to him who was not a happy person to begin with.

“What the hell do you think you're doing?” He spoke up in a booming voice, eyes burning with fury.

“I didn't mean to hit you like that. It was an accident, I'm sorry.”

“That's not gonna work, you coward. I was just trying to rest up a little until the end of class and you had to go and ruin all of that. There's not a chance that I'm letting you go.”

“Please, I'm not trying to start anything, I just wanted to not get slapped. Surely you can understand?” Suzaku pleaded, hoping that this large boy would leave him be.

“What I 'understand' is that you decided to mess up my whole sleep schedule, so you know what that means?”

“I really don't want-”

“After school today, at the outdoor track. Be there, or I'll hunt you down myself and trust me, it won't be pretty.” The boy said as he turned his back to Suzaku to talk to another student.

Suzaku gave Ana a condemning look as she shrunk in her seat under his gaze.

“You're coming with me for this, you know? I'm not gonna take all of the blame just because I happened to hit him while avoiding your slap.”

“...Please let me go, Suzu? I promise I won't try to slap you again.” Ana looked at him with the cutest face she could make.

“No. You are just as involved as I am, so that means you should at least watch the results of your mishap. And I'm pretty sure that you'll slap me again in the future, so that was an empty promise, wasn't it?” Suzaku glared, irritated at Ana's lack of responsibility for the ordeal he had to go through now.

~~~ScrewTheDoubleStandard!~~~

A/N: Oh no, Suzu's gotten himself into another fight! This time it's with his classmate, but I think he should be fine, considering it's a one-on-one bout. I mean, you all saw how particularly badass Suzu was in Chapter 5 when he fought the ninjas, so there should be no challenge right? "Wrong!" This student has a few surprises stashed away that'll even give Suzu a hard time...

8: Never Forget Love

A/N: Okay, this is where the real drama of the story starts to take place, so please prep yourselves for a chapter of conflict. That being said, this story is progressing much faster than Rise of Decay (don't forget about that!) since it is now the one-week warning until I've promised to update Rise of Decay. I've yet to receive any reviews or even a single PM about an answer to my proposal, so I'm conferring with another site while you lazy people are just reading for the sake of reading. Anyways, please enjoy the chapter.

~~~Go!~~~

Class went on in silence until the bell rang as usual, and now it was time for lunch to start. The lunch period would be a rather long twenty minutes, but no one really cared about that as they enjoyed the break from the harsh studies. A majority of the class stayed in the room while some went to the cafeteria to brave the growing lunch lines. Suzaku idly sat sulking about Ana and thought about where he should go for the period. Vash interrupted his thoughts with a light tug and pulled his friend out of the room.

The other students, in particular the girls, looked on and started whispering energetically about the reason why those two were so physical with each other. Kira, having been focused on classes since the day began, followed the boys out trying to ask her brother to have lunch with her. Erica left shortly after, for obvious reasons. Only Ana stayed behind, feeling guilty at causing such a problem for Suzu that he alone had to deal with. She reached into her bag and brought out a small lunchbox wrapped in a flowery napkin. As she unwrapped her lunch, she began thinking about how she should approach Suzu, if she could still do that.

Hmm...what do I do? Suzu looked really mad even though he's usually so calm and distant. Can I even talk to him anymore or will he ignore me when I try to? *Groan* I need to apologize to him, that's the first thing I should do! Then...I don't know what will happen next, but I won't find out unless I try. Hopefully I can ask him to have lunch with me sometime and maybe learn some things about him. Wait, that's right! There's that girl that was always looking over at him during class, so maybe she knows him. I could ask her about him instead! Now where did she go...

Unfortunately for Ana, Kira had left at the start of the lunch period and so Ana sat alone at her desk, dealing with a multitude of problems on her own.

~~~HallwayClash!~~~

“Dude, you have to help me; I think I might be going crazy.” Vash cried as held Suzaku against a wall in the hallway.

“Really? I thought you were already there.” Suzaku's sarcasm has never failed him before.

“No, that's girl-crazy. I'm talking about the normal kind of crazy.”

“Uh-huh, and why do you think you're going normal-crazy?”

“Because I've only been able to think about that crazy chick that kissed me! Twice! On the lips!”, Vash shouted, startling everyone passing by them, “I think I've been infected with her crazy virus.”

“First off, there's no such thing as a 'crazy virus'. Secondly, don't you think you might be falling for her instead?”

“Hahahaha! That's rich dude, seriously it is. But what the hell is wrong with you? Do you not know who you are speaking to? I've told you before that I don't plan to fall 'in love' with anybody, especially not her!”

“...Ah...Um...Vash...” Suzaku manage to say as he looked with horror at the girl who stood behind Vash and heard everything that he said.

“Vash...you really mean that, don't you? No matter how much it couldn't be...I wanted to believe that you would marry me one day, but...the truth is never wrong, is it?” Erica choked out, tears rushing down her cheeks as she softly cried.

She ran away from them, not caring where she would end up, as long as it was somewhere she could be alone and far from the only boy she had grown to love in her life. Past all of the confused students, in the middle of a group of angry onlookers, Vash stood there with a dark expression on his face as a single tear fell from his otherwise cold eyes.

~~~VashYouJerk~~~

Suzaku took this opportunity to grab Vash and dragged him to the music room, knowing it was the perfect place for what he was about to do. Kira followed the two, staying hidden from them as she was curious about what that whole conversation was about. The group made it to the music room in record time, with the lunch period just barely reaching the halfway point. Shutting the doors, Suzaku turned to Vash with a furious gaze and threw a raging fist straight into his friend's chest, the impact resulting in several sickening cracks. Suzaku threw another punch at Vash's face, bruising his cheek, and then again assaulted his friend's stomach. Vash knew in his mind that what he deserved much worse than this and that the damage to his emotions far outweighed what Suzu was doing to him.

I knew she was that same girl I promised to marry when we were kids. I knew that I still loved her. I never forgot the promise I made to her and I wanted to fulfill it. And yet when I first saw her today, I just pushed her away. I couldn't let her be with me, knowing what kind of person I've become. If I started dating her, who knows when I'll dump her for some other girl and just leave her behind. Every time I see that smile she uses as she looks at me, I can't help but turn away in shame, knowing that I'll hurt her even more if I accept her. So why, God? Why did you put her back in my life again? She's done nothing wrong and yet you bring her here just for me to hurt her!? I love her! I love her so much it hurts to think about her! I love her knowing that she could never have someone like me, who will only hurt her! There, I said it, so why do you continue to torture me like this? Haven't I thrown away my life enough?

~~~ItWasAllYouInTheEnd~~~

“You okay now, Vash?” Suzaku asked, noticing that Vash's expression softened slightly.

“...Yeah, thanks a lot, man.” Vash responded, grateful to have Suzaku in his life.

“Anytime. You know, she really does love you and not because of that promise. She wants to be with you, even if it's a arranged marriage. I asked her who she would pick if she could and do you know what she said? 'Even if I could pick someone else, I'd still pick Vash. He promised me after all that we would get married if we ever met each other again' and guess what, you just-”

Suzaku was silenced with Vash's own powerful blow, somehow causing Suzaku's heart to skip a beat before falling back into its regular rhythm.

“Don't tell me what I did. I know what I did!! Now tell me, where...is she?” Vash barked in a voice of steel.

“Hmm...there's only one place I can think of right now, and another two only available after school, which one will it-Ack!” Suzaku yelped as Vash pressed his fist harder into Suzaku's chest.

“Now.” Vash spat, not wanting to miss his chance due to his best friend's tricks.

“The central garden, I'll take you there.” Suzaku smiled, knowing exactly what Vash was about to do and how his best friend felt from the start. He had known just what was going on in Vash's thoughts so he knew just how important this would be.

~~~Cliffhanger~~~

A/N: Not much to say here, the chapter kind of explained itself, especially that monologue from Vash's thoughts. Who knew he wasn't such a jokester after all?

9: A Promise

A/N: Hai Hai! Domo~ (Yes yes, greetings!) By the time you all are reading this, I'll have two more chapters stashed away, ready for their moments of glory when I release them into the wild. It's kinda like the Nuzlocke challenge if you think about it! Releasing chapters I kept and raised the minute they become dead to me...oh the tragedy~! I'm having so much fun with this story if you all haven't figured it out yet. *Ahem* Right, whenever I'm having fun, I tend to act a bit...out-of-sorts, so deal with it since I'm the author and these notes are my only time to shine! Moving on to the important stuff, the thrilling conclusion to Vash's love problems is here! Read, review, PM! As long as you don't start any flame wars, I'm okay with it. Enjoy! (P.S. Look up the Japanese words I used if you have to, but they should be easy to understand)

~~~She'sBack!~~~

Suzaku stormed through the hallways with Vash (and Kira) in tow, determined to get his friend there in time. Every time he looked back, Vash was always right behind him, impatiently awaiting this important moment in his life. Sometimes Suzaku would see a flash of dark red hair just outside his view, but he dismissed it knowing Kira would never be able to follow him at this speed. The two boys disappeared into a blur as they stirred up a massive tailwind behind them that rustled everything and everyone they passed.

A certain blonde girl was harmlessly talking to some friends outside of her class when suddenly all of their skirts were flipped up. Her friends blamed an ominous wind, but she was able to catch the sight of the two boys flashing past them, gritting her teeth as she raced off after them.

“You guys again!! I'm not going easy on you just because you helped me, Suzu!! Pervert #1, you have gone too far this time!!” Alex shouted as she slowly closed the distance between her and the boys.

“Hey, be quiet! They're gonna see me!” Kira whispered as she came alongside Alex.

“And why are you after them?”

“I'm Suzu's little sister, even though I have to act like the older one most of the time...”

“I know how you feel. That brother of yours can be a bit of a klutz sometimes.”

“Let me guess, you were with him when he was goofing off before first period?”

“Yeah, he walked me to the infirmary after my leg got injured, but then he insisted on skipping class so I persuaded him to do otherwise.” Alex flashed a quick smile at Kira as the two turned a corner along with their targets.

“It's good to know you're still around Alex, Suzu needs you more than ever now.” Kira grinned.

“Thanks Kira, it looks like he's still up to his old tricks. It's just like when we were kids, huh?”

“Yep and this time, we'll make sure he doesn't get into too much trouble.”

“Okay, fine with me! I may be a Student Council officer, but I'll let this slide since it's Suzu.”

“Did he remember you when you first saw him today?” Kira asked as they rounded another corner.

“Sadly, no. I even told him my full name, but he still didn't figure it out.”

“That's my brother for you. He's so aloof, he forgets all the important stuff.”

~~~NinjaTime!~~~

As Suzaku and Vash neared the door to the central garden, they stopped. Less than 20 feet in front of the them stood at least 30 ninjas blocking the door, all with pads and pens out. The lead ninja, wearing his trademark red headband, called out to the pair.

“Y-you...Baka-kun! We meet again, here in this very same place. I knew you would be back and though you caught me off guard the first time, this time I've brought-”

Vash sprang into action, quickly grabbing a paper fan from one of the ninjas and dispatching four more.

“The-”

Then Vash swept the fan in a forward arc, pushing aside 10 more opponents which Suzaku then swiftly struck into submission.

“Entire-”

Vash blocked a wave of incoming demerits by opening the fan, closing it again to knock out three more ninjas.

“Ninja-”

Suzaku seized a pad quickly threw the edged demerits at his foes, overwhelming two of them.

“Force?”

The lead ninja looked around in disbelief at his fallen comrades who were so easily defeated by two mere students. He glanced at his remaining subordinates and noticed their frightened stances as their limbs shook at the sight of the slaughter that just took place.

“Bucho...can we just surrender now? I don't wanna die.” One of the survivors spoke up.

“Tch, not a chance. We die with honor!”, he barked as he turned to face the pair of demons before him, “I'll give you one last chance to surrender, Bakas, or else I'll get really seri-Ahh!”

That was all that the boys heard as Vash and Suzaku launched the remaining ninjas into orbit with a single blow.

In the background, Kira and Alex laughed silently to themselves at how foolish the whole scene was and how pointless it was to try and stop the boys' advance.

“Suzu still does his martial arts, doesn't he?” Alex asked, already knowing the answer.

“Yeah, he won the regional in sparring this past summer.”

“Oh? If that's the case, I'll need to ask him for a match sometime. Maybe he'll be a worthy opponent this time around.”

“Just because you've won the national tournament once doesn't mean you're good...”

“No, but it means I have talent and that's what I want to find out in Suzu.”

“Whatever, just don't send him to the hospital again, okay?”

“Fine; just a broken rib that's all I'm going for.”

“Deal.” Kira agreed as they shook hands and returned to their position behind a crowd of passing students.

~~~HaHaWeakNinjas~~~

“This is it, man, you sure you're ready for it? Just say it if you want to think about this a little more.” Suzaku grimly warned as he look at his friend with a serious face.

“I'm not gonna back out of this, not when I'm so close to it. Thanks for the offer Suzu, but I won't let it end this way, not with her.”

“You have always been a good man, Vash. I'm sure you'll make things right with her. Now go, I'll deal with our two stalkers while you go tell her how you really feel. Don't let her go this time, and listen with your heart, not your ears.”

“Suzaku...I'll never forget what you did for me today. I feel like the luckiest guy alive to have a brother like you.”

“Get going, and don't forget to find a girl for your wonderful brother!”

“I'll keep that in mind.” Vash grinned as Suzaku turned to address the two girls hiding just around the corner.

~~~CanHeSayIt?~~~

“Erica!!” Vash cried out, dashing as fast as he could to her resting form in the shade underneath the great oak that rested in a corner of the garden.

Erica did not stir at all even when Vash called her name again. As he approached her, he was able to see why she couldn't hear him: she was asleep, with tears continually rolling down her cheeks in small streams. He brushed aside the tears with his hand and cupped her face, feeling her turn into his palm. Smiling, he stayed there for a few more minutes, before deciding to wake her up the only way that fit this scene: with a kiss on the lips. Almost instantly, her eyes opened and saw Vash, but she understood how he was feeling through the kiss and didn't move anymore. Vash was the first to end the kiss, leaving Erica to feel sad for a moment before remembering what Vash had said as she started to cry once more.

Vash put his hand on her shoulder and eased her head up with his other hand until their eyes were locked together in a potent stare before he spoke.

“Erica, I'm sorry. I always remembered you and the promise we made as kids. I was serious about it then, and I've never stopped being that way since. I know I made it seem like I lied to you all those years ago, but I didn't want to hurt you anymore than I had to. Someone like you could be with far better guys than me; you've got so much to look forward to in the future. Me, I'm nothing more than a pervert trying to have some fun. I'm nowhere near as accomplished as you and I won't ever be. But I've always loved you, whether it was 10 years ago or now, I've never stopped loving you. How could I forget about the first girl I ever loved? I know you wanted to fulfill that promise with me, but how could I go through with it knowing how much I've screwed my life up? You deserve to marry someone who will always be there for you and not me, who would do nothing but hurt you. Seeing you like this was the last thing I wanted and it hurt even worse since I did this to you. I was the one who acted like I had no interest at all in marrying you when in fact, I would have done so without a second thought. I'm sorry.” He said as Erica's eyes widened, her heart beating furiously while she blushed redder than she's blushed before.

~~~ItFailed?~~~

“I...have to leave. I don't know if you could ever forgive me, but I want you to remember that I never forgot about you.” Vash finished as he got up without looking back at Erica and slowly walked back to class.

“Vash...” Erica whispered.

He didn't hear her, or rather he didn't want to as he steadily increased his speed.

“Vash.” She said a little louder.

He was walking at a fast pace now, almost halfway across the garden.

“Vash!” She shouted as she got up to follow him, running to stop him.

As he reached another tree, a small maple, he put his hand on it hoping that it could relieve some of the heavy burdens on his mind. Then he felt arms wrapped around his chest as closed his eyes and let sad tears flow from them, wondering if he had finally gone insane and was imagining all of this. He turned around finally and just as he did, he was pushed up against the tree as Erica kissed him with fierce passion.

Her tongue poked at his lips, begging for entranced which he happily granted, deepening the kiss between them. They wrestled for a few lust-filled moments, Vash letting Erica overtaking him with overflowing love before he slowly started pushing back in a slow, forceful tug that drove the experience into a new level of pleasure. Vash unknowingly lapped Erica's fangs, causing her moans to grow louder and her balance to falter as she was lost in a state of pure bliss. Vash held her close as she placed her hands firmly on his chest.

Unfortunately, the damage done to his chest by Suzaku was still fresh, so a few more cracks were heard as Vash broke the kiss in pain. Erica looked hurt, blaming herself for not controlling herself around Vash, but he gave her a quick peck on the lips to reassure her before speaking.

“You didn't do anything wrong. This is from that idiot Suzu punching me too hard. Don't worry about him though, he's got enough to deal with at the moment. Erica, what I'm about to say may hurt you again, but it is for the best, so please hear me out okay?”

“Okay Vash, but please, don't ever leave me...”

“I won't, never again. Erica...I can't marry you, at least not now. I mean I will love you no matter what, but marriage is just so sudden, I don't think we're ready for it yet. I know you've looked forward to spending your life with me, but I can't make that kind of commitment yet. I'm sorry, but I can't fulfill the promise we made all those years ago.”

“Then...why? Am I not good enough? Did I do something wrong? Why, why Vash?”

“You never did anything wrong and you are always the best in my eyes. But I can't marry you just for those reasons, I have to know what's happened between us these past 10 years, so that's why I won't marry you now. Instead, I'd like you to be my girlfriend so we catch up with each other and enjoy ourselves, until we're actually ready for marriage.” Vash tried to give a hopeful smile, knowing that this would have been the first promise he could not keep.

~~~HerResponse?~~~

Erica remained silent, not moving for a few seconds before grabbing Vash by the shoulders and kissing him again. She broke the kiss this time, flashing her fangs as she spoke.

“You always think about how I would feel before you say anything and you never push me away, no matter how much I love you. I can't go out with you, Vash, because we've already been doing that ever since we found each other today. Since we shared our first kiss, we've started going out as boyfriend and girlfriend. There's no other boy I would want to date than you, Vash!”

“I wouldn't want it any other way, my night mistress.”

“You remembered my special name! I love you, Vash!” Erica squealed in delight.

“Of course, you will always be my special girl. Do you remember what you used to call me?”

“How could I forget, my stars' light?” Erica purred when Vash brought her into another deep kiss.

~~~ArcComplete!~~~

A/N: Now isn't that a nice closing to Vash's arc? Yes, initially the story was about Suzu, and it still is, but giving some characters their own arcs really seemed to bring out their development, which is why I did it. Don't worry, we'll be getting back to Suzu momentarily, possibly in the next chapter. Thanks for reading so far, and please leave a review if it suits you. Come back next week for a new chapter and a new arc in this exciting high school life!

10: Cupid: The Angel Appears!

A/N: Ara, ara (My, my)...Vash has found his twin heart already, and all it took was that first moment when he got hit with the arrow. Before you ask, "no I didn't do that", I have control over many things, but I prefer to let the story play out. There's a reason the arrows are there, which you'll find out in this chapter. Also, I'm going to start speeding along with Suzaku's arc since the story is about him, after all. However, as many of you should have figured out, it's not going to be just his actions, but the actions of others towards him. Anyway, enjoy this latest installment to Twin Hearts. "Arigatou Gozaimasu!" (Thanks a lot!)

~~~WhatHappenedToSuzu?~~~

Lunch was just 2 minutes away from ending when the two lovers slowly broke their kiss. There was no need for words as they had developed an understanding with each other just from those scarce few moments that they had just spent together. Vash and Erica walked, hands locked together, back to the entrance of the garden where they encountered a peculiar sight.

Suzaku was holding Alex against the wall, his fist raised and somehow Kira was on the ground unconscious. Vash and Erica did a double-take of the scene and in a synchronized motion, kicked Suzaku with enough force to send him flying a few feet away. Vash offered a hand to help Alex up while Erica kept a deadly watch for Suzaku's movements.

“Are you alright, crazy girl?”

“My name is Alex, and yes, I'm fine.” Alex coldly said, giving a glare to the both of them.

“What did that idiot do this time and why is Kira involved?”

“He didn't do anything perverted if that's what you're thinking. We just wanted to ask him to have lunch with us. Well, I wanted to have lunch with him, and Kira had the same idea too...”

“Let me guess: you both tried to ask him when he came over here and...?”

“Kira went first since she is his little sister and said that she wanted to spend time alone with him. I obviously wanted to interrupt, but I waited for Suzu's response first. He said, 'If you wanted to spend some time with me, just say so. I don't mind at all, since you're my sister. It'll be just like when we were kids, only this time we're closer than ever!', then he smiled at her which made her faint and she's been like that ever since.”

“Okay weird, but it's happened before. Why did he have you against the wall with his fist raised?”

“Um...I let him try some of my lunch since he asked and the next thing I knew, he was holding me up against the wall, fist raised, with a smile on his face. I'm guessing he really liked my cooking, so he was probably being over-dramatic about it.”

“Oh...right, I'm his best friend and even I forgot that he does that sometimes when he eats really delicious food. Oh well, this isn't the first time he's been caught in an odd scene, so don't worry about him. I'll take Suzu and his sister to the infirmary while you two head back to class.” He announced while gesturing to Erica and Alex.

With a wink to Erica, he pulled her aside and whispered into her ear, “I'll be back fast so won't have to wait, my night mistress.” He blew gently into his girlfriend's ear, instantly bringing her body into a deep blush as she sheepishly walked ahead with Alex. Vash turned back to his two unconscious friends as he took a deep breath.

“I'm still doing this after all these years. You two never seem to give me a break, huh? At least you guys keep me fit, so thanks for not changing weight so dramatically since last time.” Vash smiled as he held a one-sided conversation with the two bodies, lifting Suzu onto his shoulders and carrying Kira in his arm with ease. Then, he walked to the infirmary in a light jog, almost as if the extra weight he carried did nothing to impede his movements.

~~~ALookIntoSuzu'sMind~~~

Suzaku painfully opened his eyes, blinking to shake off the sleep. He turned his head back and forth, but all he saw was white curtains and white beds. For a moment, he thought that this was what death is like, but then he heard snoring next to him and locked his eyes on the sleeping form of Kira.

Nevermind. If I died for real, it would definitely be a lot quieter than this. I really hope I don't hear her snoring when I do die though, that would be torturous. Ouch! My head...how did get here anyway? The last thing that happened was Alex giving me some lunch, Kira fainting, and I think Vash was there too. So where am I really?

Suzaku mused as his vision started to clear up. He noticed some medicine cabinets and a metal desk in front of him once he sat up. That's when felt it; a weight pressed up against him, bringing him back down to the bed. He glanced hesitantly to his right after feeling it again: that soft, warm feeling brushing up against him. Suzaku blanched when he found the source of the odd feeling: Alex had fallen asleep holding onto his arm, resting her head on the pillow next to him. Thinking fast, Suzaku carefully maneuvered himself out of Alex's grip and slid silently off the bed.

Checking his phone, he almost screamed when he saw the time. It was 12:45 PM, meaning his fourth period class was nearly over! There's no way he could have gone to class without looking like an idiot, so he decided that staying in the infirmary was the best course of action. Suzaku cast his eyes over at Kira on the bed next to him, feeling a tingling in his head as he continued to watch her sleeping form. Then he remembered why Kira was brought here as well: she fainted.

But why did she faint in the first place? She asked me to have lunch with her, but all I did was remind that she could always ask me anytime. Then...I think Alex gave me some food, which was really good, so good that I had a hard time telling her. And then...did Vash get back by then? I can't remember! What happened!?

~~~AnObserver?~~~

As Suzaku worked to straighten out his scattered memory, something stirred in the room. Where there appeared to be nothing at the nurse's desk, there was actually a being hidden from the sight of normal students whose existence is only a legend within the academy. Typically, the upperclassmen were most familiar with it since they dedicated their successful marriages to this mysterious observer. Now it had its sights set on Suzaku, who had the feeling of being watched. The observer carefully brought out a bow from its back and quietly nocked back a wooden arrow, aiming it for Suzaku's face. As Suzaku began to look around for anything out of the ordinary, the arrow was released and flew towards him at a high speed. However, through a stroke of luck, the shot barely grazed him as it went past his face and broke when it collided with the wall. Suzaku looked to where the arrow came from and ran to the desk, his arms out wide as he tackled the air in front of him.

“Ahh~!” Came a girl's voice.

“W-What the hell!?” Suzaku shouted as his eyes widened at the sight of a girl literally appearing from nowhere.

She was wearing a white robe that was lined with streaks of pink on the ends and a red laurel crown sat upon her head, her short white hair adding an even more graceful aura to her figure. Small white wings adorned her back flapping every so often as the scattered feathers that she made disappeared into flashes of light once they touched the ground. Suzaku blushed as he took in her beauty.

A quick glance made Suzaku realize his error in grabbing her: his hands were planted firmly on her breasts. Horrified, he released the girl and frantically backed away to his bed, knowing all too well what usually happens with something like this. Surprisingly, the girl just looked at him with a flushed face and a small smile upon her lips. She spoke to Suzaku in an odd language which he could not understand in the slightest.

“Uyo rae lleray utec nweh uoy tge so ggarsesvie.”

“...Um, what?”

“Ouy ndo't arendstnud em? Oh, I wonk!” She said as she realized that no humans could understand her native language. Holding a hand up to Suzaku, she looked into her pockets and pulled out a cell phone. Looking around the menus, she found the application she was looking for and enabled it, causing a ray of light to descend upon her while she put away her phone.

“Ahem, as I was saying, well done on finding me even though I was cloaked.” Her soft melodic voice rang out, this time in English.

“W-Wait, I can understand what you're saying? But, how? You were talking in some weird language just five seconds ago...”

“That was not 'some weird language', it was my native tongue. I forgot most humans are unable to figure it out, so I asked my boss to help me speak in your language.”

“Y-Your boss? You mean that light that came down just now? Is he...is he really-”

“Yeah, pretty much. He's that guy up there watching us all.”

“Then...y-you're an a-angel?”

“That's what my title is, yes. H-Hey, wait a second!” The angel's voice was drowned out as Suzaku fainted, his mind unable to process all of the weird happenings on his first day of high school so far.

~~~DoesThatMeanSuzuReallyDied?~~~

A/N: So, "insert writer's commentary here", huh? Very well, as you have just read, the angel Cupid has appeared before our lazy main character. Why didn't he faint before you ask? Well, being the lazy and apathetic boy he is, he plays videogames from time to time, meaning that the vampire didn't really phase him too much. Now the angel did because, well how would you react if someone just appeared right in front of you after trying to kill you? My point stands, but I know you all want to know what she really said. Any anagram readers and/or dyslexic people should have been able to figure something out, but for those of you 'normal people' (I consider myself 'above normal'), she said "You are really cute when you get so aggressive", followed by "You don't understand me? Oh, I know!". Don't believe me? Go ahead and rearrange the letters of each word in her dialogue until it makes familiar words. Next chapter will be up soon, so don't worry about waiting so long!

11: The Signals, They're Mixed!

A/N: "S-Sore wa... (That's...)" "Hai, sore wa Chapiteru Ju-ichi no Twin Hearts!" *Ahem* That's right, chapter 11 is here and not a moment too late! As I like to say, you can never have too many characters (or was it too many jokes? eh, never mind!). So, I wonder how many mixed signals will there be in this chapter, since Suzaku is obviously quite aloof to most things; not surprising since he has a lot on his mind. Anyways, this is also an introduction to a potential slash (maybe) pairing, but don't be surprised if I change it up!

~~~WakeUpSuzu~~~

“Suzu! Wake up. Wake up!” A voice came along with a shaking as Suzaku groggily came to his senses and saw the same familiar white ceiling of the infirmary.

“Ung...what? What...happened? What time is it?” He said, raising his head off the floor. He caught sight of Kira standing at the door and Alex hovering over him as he shifted his eyes to the clock that hung above the nurse's desk.

“Oh shi-!” Suzaku was cut off by Alex's finger pressed against his mouth.

“Not another word unless you want to get dragged on your face to the student council room. And it's very long way from here.” She stressed as Suzaku merely looked off to the side in silence.

It was 1:00 PM, meaning that fifth period was starting and they were all going to be late! He didn't care much about that, but he knew how much it meant to Kira to be on time and it was probably the same case with Alex, being on the student council and all. He wanted to ask the obvious question, but Kira seemed to read his mind when she suddenly spoke up.

“Suzu, get up. It's time to go to class and I don't want us being later than we are now.”

“But, you could have just gone to class when you woke up; why did you wait for me and risk being late?”

“Just because you like to slack off doesn't mean you can skip class all the time. I want you to start going to class more often and actually pay attention to what's being taught to us. This is your future too, so don't waste it. Also, I get annoyed every time the teacher asks me about where you are during class.” Kira explains, looking her brother in the eyes, hoping he could understand why she really wanted him in class. Sadly, Suzaku just wrote it off as another one of his sister's lectures and gave Alex an expectant look.

“Ahem. It's my main duty to make sure everyone in the freshman year is following the rules and since skipping class is against them, I have to make sure you are going to class. In addition, since you seem like the biggest slacker this year, I'm going to be watching you personally to make sure you really care about going to school. Expect me to follow you around during passing and be sure to have lunch with me when the time comes. Don't be surprised to find me at your door in the mornings either, Suzu.”

“What are you, a stalker? That's a pretty creepy obsession you've got there, Alexa”, Alex's spine tingled as a blush came upon her face, “Seriously, you aren't my girlfriend, I barely know you, and you claim to be doing this for 'my best interests'? That has 'stalker' written all over it. Kira, is this all okay with you? Do you even know her?” Kira glowered at her brother as he proved his ignorance to her with his question.

“Yes, she's a very good friend of ours if you forgot.”

“Really? Maybe for you, but I just met her today...” Suzaku was truly confused, having no memory of meeting someone like Alex. Alex took this time to comment, quietly boiling all the while.

“Suzu, don't you remember when you gave me-”

Then a loud thud echoed through the room as the door was slammed open against the wall. The two visitors were just as confused as the current group, whose eyes grew wide at this turn of events. (A/N: Guess who?)

~~~TheReturn!~~~

“O-Oh we're sorry, we thought this place would be empty by now.”

“You...!” Alex blushed, fuming as she let off an explosive mood while staring at her most hated enemy.

“Hey, my lover has not done anything wrong...yet.” His girlfriend vaguely defended.

“That's exactly what I'm talking about. There's no way I'd let you two do as you pleased even if you are a noble”, she pointed at the girl, “Or if you swear to reform your perverted ways, which you won't.”, as she glared at the boy before softly growling at the couple.

“Okay, I think you've scared them enough, Alex. We really need to get to class now, so please let us go just this once?” Suzaku cut in, bringing Alex's hand into his and prompting a deep blush from her. Kira simply smirked, knowing it was pointless to bother getting mad about the intimate gesture her brother just made.

“W-Well s-s-since y-you m-make a good point, I-I'll let this slide f-for t-t-the time being. Meanwhile, I expect to see you completely devoted to your girlfriend, since she went through so much trouble because of you.” Alex brushed it off, tightening her grip on Suzu's hand.

“Let's get going then, if we hurry, we should be no more than 10 minutes late for class.” Suzaku concluded as the group departed to their respective classes.

~~~RampagingToClass~~~

Sure enough, they all made it to class ten minutes late and with a small comment by the teacher, each student was working hard to catch up on what they missed and busied themselves with other things. That is, except for the vampire-human couple who just stared longingly at each other for the whole period. Kira went back to her usual routine of working in her own world, ignorant of things that happened around her as she payed attention to the teacher. Ana, who had grown used to Suzu's frequent disappearances, was even more surprised as she saw him working diligently in his notebook trying to take notes on the lesson.

Unknown to her however, was the fact that Suzu was actually sketching various anime characters and needed models, which explained his constant scanning of the room. He particularly liked to use Ana as a model, so he would often stare at her as he sketched, earning a growing blush from her each time he turned to look at her. He would sometimes smile at her, causing her heart to flutter in her chest and leave her stunned. Ana took this as a sign that maybe Suzu didn't hate her so much for the trouble she caused him. She would definitely ask to hang out with him after school that day, after his fight of course. Meanwhile, the boy that Suzu had to fight was dutifully sleeping, dreaming about how the fight would play out and especially how he would make Suzaku lose.

Just then, from seemingly nowhere a hand-held eraser bounced off the dozing boy's head. He twitched, then snapped his head up in anger as he looked immediately at Suzaku with hate-filled eyes. Suzaku was carelessly working in his notebook with a goofy grin on his face, so he couldn't be the one. As stupid as the muscular boy might have seemed, he wasn't at all ignorant to his surroundings, and concluded that the eraser had to have come from the front of the room. His eyes shifted to the students in front of him and there he saw him. A crop of blonde hair, a really flimsy body, and taunting green eyes as he looked directly at his assailant. This boy would be the next on the hit list of Galen Rennings.

Yes, ooh yes. This little loser will be begging me to end it before we even start. Heh, I'll be sure to refer him to the other weaklings once I'm done. Maybe if he can land a good punch, I'll let him use up all his strength...

Galen grinned happily as he looked at the boy, envisioning several ways that he would torture the poor soul.

The blonde haired boy smiled at Galen, wondering if he had finally made his first friend since coming to this school. He had never been good at making any friends, even if he loved talking to people; the connection just wasn't there. It was only be chance that his eraser slipped out of his hand and likely fate that it hit Galen squarely in the head. Whatever the means, it got the Galen's attention and now he was the sole focus of the handsome-looking boy. This day has just gotten better for Kris Harridan, who vowed to ask Galen if they could walk home together.

This boy seems really cute. I think he might just be the one for me. If he accepts my offer, then that means we can always walk home together! I have to know what he's doing after school though; there isn't a chance I will let him walk home alone. That would be too sad, and I want him to know how much it means to me to have made such a friend on my first day here.

A small heart unseen by everyone drifted away from Kris and floated to Galen, where it burst, dispersing its sincere contents into the air around him. Galen sniffed once and right away his pupils dilated; he knew this scent too well and they trouble it brought. He ducked his head quickly, hoping whoever was spreading the scent of attraction would stop.

~~~PotentialForSlash?~~~

A/N: Galen Rennings and Kris Harridan, two very distinct personalities. Too bad Galen's about to beat the crap out of Suzaku after school and too bad Kris is next on Galen's hit-list or else the boys could have been friends. I wonder what Alex's relationship is with Suzaku, and why she seemed happy that he used her real name... Oh well, I'll leave that for the next chapter, which will come by within the week!

12: I Won't Lose!

A/N: Chapter 12 and...it's a bit late, I know, but I did say there was no strict schedule on when I would update. So here you have it. Finally the first day is coming to a close and we can move on to a new plot, arc, whatever you wanna call it (episode?). It's last period finally and the entire class is so tired after the long first day. But what day would be complete without the usual gym class scene? Two more minor (maybe) characters have been added in this chapter just to mix things up a little. Read, review, let me know what you think and be sure to check out my newest completed work, The House of Animus: Prologue. Be sure to read the warning on it to find out if it's right for you!

~~~SixthPeriod~~~

The bell rang eventually and everyone sighed in unison. Their first day was dragging on even with all the strange happenings going on around them. Ana continued staring vacantly at Suzu, even as he laid his head down for a short nap.

“You've got your eyes on him too, huh?” A girl sitting in front of her asked.

“Yeah, he smiles at me when he looks over here, but I don't think I should ask him out or anything...” Ana automatically responded.

“Good, because that means there will be more of him to go around. I wouldn't mind hanging out with him though, get to know him better.”

“I was thinking the same thing; he might be really deep or maybe a fun guy. Who knows?”

“I'm Stella, by the way.” The girl said as she held her hand out.

“Ana.” She said as she accepted the handshake.

“So what else do you like about him? Hmm?”

“W-Well he doesn't treat me like anyone special; he more-or-less ignores me, which I'm thankful for. He's got this air of mystery around him, but that's probably from him vanishing all the time. Also, the way he carries himself is just...wonderful: he doesn't want to be noticed, but he can't help but gather everyone's attention wherever he goes. And he's very helpful even though he says he prefers to be alone...” Ana let off a vibrant blush as she talked about the sleeping boy not three away from her.

“Sounds like you've got a crush. Don't worry, I'm not interested in him at all; I've already got my special guy.”

“Really, who?”

“Him.” Stella mused as she pointed to a boy sitting next to Suzu.

“Oh no...”

“Oh yes.”

“No, I mean it's bad because that's the guy who wants to fight Suzu after school.”

“Are you serious?”

“Completely.”

“Well, what happened?”

“I tried to slap Suzu, then he dodged it but backed into your crush.”

“I think it was Suzu's fault for trying to dodge a girl's slap. There's really no place for guys to refuse getting slapped by a girl. Don't worry, I'm sure my man will go easy on him.”

“Your man? Are you two dating already?”

“...Not exactly, but we will soon. I just have to find the right moment to ask him.”

“H-Have you talked to him before?”

“Nope, it'll be my first time when I confess to him.”

Ana gave her new friend a concerned look, conflicted between telling Stella the truth or encouraging her by helping her talk to the boy.

“Oh don't worry, I've got this all planned out!”

“R-Really? H-How did you...?”

“You said he's going to fight Suzu after school, right?”

“Yes...”

“Chances are, Suzu will lose and guess who'll be the first fan-girl that talks to him!?”

“Please don't tell me anymore...”

“That's right, me! He'll be so moved at my admiration for a bad boy like him, he can't help but ask me to stay by his side!! Hahaha! ” Stella proudly declared, sending several love hearts to poor Galen, who was trying to hold on to his last breath before he held his head against his desk in clear pain.

Stop, please stop, whoever is doing this to me. I didn't do anything wrong today except sleep in class, so why am I getting tortured like this? All I wanted to do was train hard enough to be a great brawler, is that really something to be attacked for?? Ugh....

~~~PoorGalen~~~

Ana ignored all the commotion between her new friend and that boy as she focused solely on the sleeping Suzu. A low rumble erupted from his stomach, earning a small giggle from Ana who had remembered that she had some leftovers from her lunch and left her lunch box on his desk in front of his face. Slowly, Suzu's eyes opened and gazed at Ana with a certain softness, filling her with a deep heat as she blushed, stunned from explaining the lunch box on his desk. Suzaku understood right away what the lunch box was for and all the underlying meanings to it; he had read plenty of manga to know exactly what this seemingly innocent act meant.

Still, she really is beautiful, and I might be starting to like her a little more. These leftovers are just the first step, but they're a very big step; bold and beautiful...the world is just so mean. She blushing like a cherry, but it just makes her even more cute. Hehehe, I love messing with girls' emotions.

He lifted his head from his desk and looked at the wrapped lunch box in front of him, smiling as he unwrapped the patterned cloth and lifted the lid. Inside was four small sandwiches of egg salad along with a half-empty bottle of water. Gladly accepting the lunch given to him, Suzaku got to work on his late lunch, instantly finishing two of the sandwiches. Then, as he took a bite out of the third, he reached for the bottle of water and held it up to Ana. She nodded her approval and as Suzaku put the bottle to his lips, Ana burst into a massive blush as she started to feel dizzy from realizing that she and Suzu would have shared an indirect kiss. Suzaku knew what it meant, but truthfully he didn't care because he was hungry after skipping lunch to help Vash with Erica. After finishing the water and the rest of the sandwiches, Suzaku closed the lunch box and re-wrapped it before handing it back to Ana, who was still recovering from her earlier blush.

The bell rang again, marking the beginning of the sixth period as everyone in the class left the room and headed to the locker rooms to change for gym class.

~~~LockerRoomDiscussion~~~

“And that, my friend, is why we have to go peep on the girls!” Vash confidently declared.

“What? You literally just came up to me while I'm changing and said that, so I have no clue what you're talking about.” Suzaku was confused, but still knew what Vash was implying.

“You know you're a moron, right?” Galen commented as he pull his shirt off and reached into his gym locker.

“Who asked you, you bastard?” Vash retorted.

“...No one, just wanted to remind you, idiot.” Galen brushed off Vash's insults as he went on changing.

“Grr...anyway, come on Suzu, I need to see what kind of traps the girls have in our class!”

“You do realize you can just ask Erica if you wanted to-ugh!” Suzaku was interrupted but Vash's 'light' tap to his abdomen.

“Don't. Even. Suggest it. She is one beauty that will never be tarnished as long as I'm still alive.”

“Fine, fine but what if she sees you looking at the other girls? Wouldn't she go berserk on you?”

“Oh, that's right. If she sees me in that locker room, I'll cease to exist and I won't ever know what sunlight feels like ever again...but that's why you'll do it for me, right?”

“What makes you think I'm willing to be the most hated guy in our class? I'd also rather not be peeping on my own little sister if you don't mind!” Suzaku didn't like peeping at all, even if he hardly cared for girls.

“Would you two shut up already? Our first gym class is about to start and I really don't want to miss it because of you idiots.” Galen bellowed as he narrowed his eyes at the two arguing boys.

The boys stayed silent after that as they finished changing along with everyone else. The girls however, were having a much more intense discussion in their locker room.

~~~GirlsPlease~~~

“Suzaku's definitely looking at me!”

“Yeah right, he obviously likes me more!”

“No way, he prefers classy girls like me!”

“You're all wrong, Suzu doesn't like girls at all.” Erica calmly told them as she was changing into her gym uniform.

“...So he's gay? Aww...” The girls sighed.

“No, he's not gay. He's just not looking for a girlfriend right away.” Erica was already annoyed by the girls

“But don't you just love that about him? He's so cool and collected, nothing ever seems to bother him and that cold way he acts when you try to talk to him...” They fantasized.

“Right...can you girls at least keep it down? Some of us are actually trying to change.” Erica spat.

“Excuse me, but why aren't you interested in Suzu?” Ana sheepishly asked Erica.

“Hm? I already have a boyfriend and there's no one I can think of that's better than him.”

“Who's your boyfriend?”

“Vash Nova” Erica accidentally said out loud.

“Oh my gosh, you're seriously going out with the class pervert!? That guy's no good for someone as pretty as you. He's trouble through and through. I wouldn't be surprised if he was peeping on us this second.” One of the girls commented. Then the girls did a quick search of the locker room for any signs of Vash Nova.

“He's not all that bad, besides Erica will keep him in line.” Kira quietly added, focusing on getting ready for class.

“That's right, you need to keep your man on a tight leash or else he might cheat on you.”

“He wouldn't dare cheat on me; we made a promise to be together.”

“And how long ago did you make that, 10 years? Face it, he probably doesn't care any more about that promise and just acts like your boyfriend for bragging rights. I bet he's seeing another girl right now.”

“Just who are you to say these things, huh?” Erica was getting angry at this girl for throwing around her beloved's name.

“Karen Faye, and you are?” She smirked.

“Erica Orso.” Came the cold reply.

“Orso...I believe our families know a lot about each other don't they, Night Maiden?” Karen subtly challenged.

“And the Orso family is well-informed about the Golden Princess...” Erica returned.

“Ah, but is it not the most fitting title for someone with such grace as mine? Why would a lowly maiden dare attempt to challenge a noble princess?”

“This maiden has a knight with her, unlike the lonely princess I'm talking to.”

“...Hmph, I don't the time nor effort to bother with you. We'll continue this another time.” Karen turned her back to Erica to finish up changing.

“Likewise; I wouldn't want to keep Vash waiting.” Erica countered.

~~~YayGymClass~~~

As the students of class 1-C gathered on the school track, a devilish air soon overtook them. Turning around to the source, they all cringed as the gym teacher strolled up to the group of students.

This is gonna suck... The students all thought at the same time.

The teacher's features were imposing at the very least. He looked like he was a new college graduate, but he could have easily been a bodybuilder with his impressive frame. The man's red track suit tightened as it emphasized every one of his tight muscles, but the permanent scowl on his face drove people away from him. He held a clipboard in his right hand as he began to take attendance, calling out the names of each student. After finishing, he gave a short introduction to the class.

“Good afternoon, my name is Mr. Winters and I'll be your gym teacher from now on. Only address me as Mr. Winters or coach if that's what you prefer. I expect everyone at 100% when it comes to effort in my class. I know some of you are physically weak when it comes to exercise, but that's no excuse to do nothing all period! Now the first day will be a bit easy, but I expect no slackers. Now, 10 laps around the track, after that we'll have a game of soccer to wrap up the class. Hurry up so we can all go home!” Winters barked.

~~~ScaryTeacher~~~

The class proceeded as Winters planned, the laps taking about 30 minutes of the period, leaving enough time for a competitive soccer game to end the day. The class was split into two teams between the men, with the women either spectating or playing. Galen was chosen as captain for his team, picking members at random while Vash was chosen to lead the other team, letting Suzaku pick the members. The game was a tie for 10 minutes, with Galen and Suzaku as the lead strikers for their respective teams. After the 10-minute mark however, it became clear who had the upper hand. Galen, because he trains his body for raw power and overall fitness, easily overtook Suzaku, whose martial arts training mostly trained his arms and legs. At the end of the game, Galen's team won with two goals against Vash's team with one goal. Galen pulled Suzaku aside after the game for a few minutes to chat.

“Good game, I didn't think you could measure up.” Galen offered a handshake.

“Not too bad yourself, you had me going all out there.” Suzaku boasted as he shook Galen's hand.

“Heh, I hope you fight me with the same level of effort, maybe more, when the time comes.”

“I'd be disappointed if I didn't get the same from you.” Suzaku countered.

“I'm beginning to like you. After the fight, how about we compete in something else?”

“I'm not picky. Whatever you want is fine by me.”

“We're meeting back here after we get changed, so be ready and bring friends if you want. I wanna see how they'll react to you getting beat.” Galen started to walk back to the locker room as Suzaku followed after a pause.

~~~FightSoon?~~~

A/N: Mmm...kimochii! I love that feeling a writer gets when completing a satisfying chapter, especially when it is part of such a successful work! I got the same feeling from The House of Animus: Prologue, so please consider giving it a read. The next chapter will feature Suzaku and Galen's fight, so be prepared for some action, as well as some rivalries that start to pop up, and I don't just mean Galen and Suzaku! Be sure to favorite or follow either myself or the story since it will still be following this erratic posting schedule.

13: Suzaku vs. Galen

A/N: Se, No! (One, two!) New chapter desu~! Hahaha, yes chapter 13 and the moment you all have been anticipating: the fight between Suzu and Galen. One boy is a trained martial artist and the other is a delinquent street brawler, so this fight seems one-sided. However, Galen's got far more practical experience and an unpredictable fighting style. Both sides are confident in victory and their friends are caught in the middle. Let's find out what happens, shall we?

~~~PepTalkFromVash~~~

“Hey Suzu, what was up with you and that other guy? You two looked like you were out for blood or something.” Vash casually asked.

“Yeah, I'm fighting him as soon as we're done changing. You coming along to watch?”

“Hell yeah! Today's been so boring, I mean except for Erica of course, but still...what did you do?”

“I did what I usually did: not get slapped. But because of that, I bumped him awake and he got pissed off at me. So here we are...” Suzaku plainly explained.

“I've got your back if you need me, and Erica's probably coming too, so we're rooting for you! Does Kira know about this?”

“Are you kidding me? Do you know how upset she would be if she found out that I got into a fight? And for a stupid reason too! Could you please not breath a word of this to her? She's got enough to worry about with school and all.” Suzaku pleaded to his friend.

“Sure thing, she won't hear it from me or Erica. Just make sure you don't get too many bruises and everything should be fine afterwards.”

“Thanks man, you're a big help and I'm sure Erica knows that too.”

“Anytime Suzu, we're brothers till the end.” Vash smiled.

The two boys stopped talking after that and concentrated on changing into their normal clothes. Galen glared at Suzaku with expectation and impatience, annoyed with the delays the other boy grabbed at.

~~~StellaMeetsErica~~~

Meanwhile, in the girls' locker room, Ana grew more worried as the fight drew near. She hesitated for a moment, wondering how injured Suzaku would become at the end of it all. He would get hurt for something she caused and now she couldn't stop thinking about simply telling the truth to the boy Suzu would fight.

“Suzu...please be safe...”

“Sending him a wish, huh?” Stella teased.

“Oh, hey Stella. Aren't you going to send one to your crush?”

“Nah, he doesn't need it. There's no way he'd lose the fight to Suzaku. Besides...I don't think I can do anything for him except cheer him on...” Stella sadly said in a small voice.

“That's not true at all. Think about how alone he looks, maybe he just wants someone he can rely on and who can rely on him. You'll never know unless you talk to him.” Ana reassured her friend.

“Thanks Ana, I appreciate the thought.” Stella smiled slightly, still feeling mixed emotions about the boy she liked.

“Think about it: if your crush loses, then you could nurse him back to him by yourself and sooner or later you two are bound to start going out.” Ana whispered excitedly.

“That would be so...dreamy...” Stella sighed as a blush covered her face and an unnerving smile was starting to show.

“Ooh, drooling. Keep it up, that will get the guy of your dreams for sure.” Karen commented, as she passed by the two girls and walked out.

“I really hate her guts. One of these days I'm seriously gonna hurt her, you just watch.” Stella fumed once Karen was gone.

“Don't bother, she's too stuck-up for you to get any satisfaction.”, Erica said to Stella, “I've fought with her my whole life, but her whole personality is centered on being as bitchy as humanly possible, so it's really not worth it in the end. Don't worry though, I'll help you out in dealing with her.” Erica smiled at the prospect of having an ally in her 'silent war' against Karen.

“Oh, I recognize you: you're that girl that took that one guy in our class to the nurse's office. What was his name again?”

“Vash Nova, he's my boyfriend and fiancé.” Erica made it clear that Vash belonged to her and no one else.

“Oh right, he's the pervert, I remember now. Thanks for offering to help me out. I can tell you hate her just as much as I do.” Stella's eye gleamed with mischief.

“Anything to hurt Faye's pride is fine by me.” Erica proudly admitted.

“Um, is Vash going to be at the fight?” Ana meekly asked.

“Fight? What fight?”

~~~ThisFight~~~

On the school track, Suzaku and Galen were preparing themselves for the fight as the girls and Vash watched anxiously. Both boys stared coldly at each other, sending hidden death threats that only added to the violent atmosphere coming from the area.

“I can't believe Suzu got into a fight, and why does my Vash have to be here too? We were gonna walk home together...” Erica was sad that here plans after school got ruined by Suzu's fight.

“It's not all that bad. Hopefully they can come to some sort of agreement and skip the fight altogether.” Ana stayed optimistic, hoping there wouldn't be any violence between the boys.

“No way, my man's too stubborn to let this fight end with just words. You can do it, Galen!” Stella cheered, prompting a startled glance from both fighters. Both boys decided that this fight suddenly got ridiculous.

“H-Hey, do you know that girl?” Suzaku asked Galen, knowing no one else could hear them.

“Not at all. I never thought I'd have a girl cheering me on, and frankly it's kinda creeping me out.” Galen responded, barely sparing a glance at Stella.

“You and me both. Let's get this thing started; you ready?”

“Oh yeah, won't be long till you're tasting blood.” Galen raised his fists and got into a fighting pose.

“Big talk for a big idiot. I'll beat before you can even land a hit on me. Or can you prove me wrong?” Suzaku put his hands up, leaving them open as he settled into his martial arts stance.

“We won't know till we start, so let's go!” Galen shouted, dashing forward with his left hand.

Suzaku held his ground, sidestepping to his left and returning a swift kick to Galen's stomach. Galen shook off the blow and grabbed on to the leg as soon as it hit him, pulling himself into Suzaku to land a heavy punch across across his face. Suzaku backed his head away, but he was too slow and Galen's fist only grazed his cheekbone. However, as soon as the punch touched his face, the crackling of bones echoed out.

The two jumped back and glared intensely. Suzaku's cheek was already starting to blacken into a bruise, but Galen seemed untouched. This time, before Galen could react, Suzaku moved first as he ran at Galen. Slipping into a defensive pose, Galen was surprised when he saw Suzaku disappear in a blur. Flashing behind his opponent, Suzaku delivered a flurry of punches to Galen's back and head as the surprised boy started to turn around. Just as Galen's next punch was coming, Suzaku finished his attack with a powerful palm strike to Galen's right side, cracking several ribs as a result. The boy spit out some blood, but it didn't stop him as his punch threw Suzaku back several feet. Suzaku slowly got up, a small stream of blood clouding his vision and his breathing getting difficult. Galen was in no better shape, his cracked ribs causing pain with every movement and his legs were starting to give out.

The spectators looked on with horror and worry for the fighting boys. Vash was not too worried about Suzu, but Galen looked like he might have caused some real damage to his friend. Ana turned away from the sight, barely suppressing the tears that formed in her eyes. Stella continued cheering for Galen, giving him constant words of encouragement.

Off in the distance, barely out of view was Galen's next target Kris Harridan. The boy had just spotted the fight as he was leaving the school and, by curiosity and concern for his interest, stayed to watch.

What happened to him!? He looks like he's about to pass out! And that other boy is Suzaku if I'm not mistaken...what did he do to my friend!? I knew that Suzaku guy was bad news, and now he's about to send the first friend I made into the hospital! Grr, I can't wait until I get my hands on him; Suzaku, you're dead!

~~~TillNextTime~~~

A/N: Oh my, Kris and Stella are seriously into supporting Galen. Suzu's friends are barely doing any cheering...oh wait, that's being normal. So, Galen and Suzu are both capable fighters and they landed some good hits on each other. Who do you all think will win? Will Kris actually succeed in becoming friends with Galen? Can Stella actually confess to Galen when she finally talks to him? And where's Kira while all this is happening? (...) Scratch that last one, she's probably just studying at home. Thanks for all the views and reviews, everyone! Be sure to PM me if there's anything you'd like me to add in future chapters or if you simply want to talk to me.

14: One Word: Unexpected!

A/N: Gomen! (Sorry!) It's been one whole week since I've updated this and that is just way too long. Well, I have been sticking to a randomized schedule, and I have been working on The House of Animus, which is posted for Christmas by the way, but there is no excuse for my slowness! My anime-styled personality aside, Twin Hearts chapter 14 has some really juicy stuff here and it makes the first hints at Kira and Suzaku's home life and the reason why they are actually very close as siblings. Enjoy this latest addition to Suzaku's life, but don't forget to check out The House of Animus (not the prologue if you're underage!) and give me a PM or a review if you liked it and want me to make it a permanent story on SparkaTale.

~~~AndTheWinnerIs~~~

“Suzu, what the hell are you doing?!” A voiced cried out, paralyzing Suzaku with fear for he knew exactly who it belonged to. Kira pushed through the spectators and marched straight towards her brother and Galen. As if he was not bleeding from the head, Suzaku instantly straightened up and visibly cringed while Galen lowered his hands to his sides.

“K-Kira! It's not what it looks like! Uh, we were just, um, having a training session and I fell badly, that's all! There's no reason to get mad, it was my fault in the first place!” Suzaku stammered as he got more frightened by his sister's presence.

“The hell is this? You fight well, but get scared as soon as you see this little girl? I thought you were some kind of tough guy; guess I was wrong.” Galen narrowed his eyes at Kira, who glared just as fiercely at her brother.

“You there with the cracked ribs: stay out of this and go to a hospital, go home, I don't care as long as you get out of my sight. Now Suzu, I believe you promised we'd walk home together, right?” Kira put on a sweet face dripping with violent intent.

“Y-Yes, we promised this morning.” Suzaku gulped.

“Then how come when I'm waiting for you at the gates, you're over here having a fight?” Kira quietly boiled.

“I-It's because he challenged me! You know I can't back out if I'm challenged to fight-”

“Forget it! We're going home right now and getting those wounds treated.”, Kira then turned to Galen, who was silently observing the scene, “You, don't do this again. This could've ended badly for both of you and I'd rather be taking care of one person. You see that blond girl with the headphones over there? She's the only one that can help you as of now, so swallow your pride and go ask for for her help.” Kira finished as she slowly walked off the track with Suzaku.

~~~ByeSuzu~~~

Jeez, what the hell just happened? And right when it was getting good...that loud girl is the only one that can help me, huh?

Galen's mind was having mixed feelings about approaching his crazy fan for help in nursing his wounds, but he had no other choice; he just didn't want to go home yet. As he approached while cradling his poor ribs, Stella practically exploded with joy. She shook excitedly and blushed while Ana gave Vash a confused look.

“Who was that girl that dragged Suzu away?” She asked him.

“That would be his little sister Kira. Now normally, Suzu wouldn't get scared of her at all, but when it comes to promises those two make, there's nothing more terrifying for him. He's always looking out for her, in his own way, but don't worry about it. I'm sure Suzu will be fine after Kira patches him up and gives him an hour-long lecture.”, Vash smiled before turning to Erica, “Oh, Erica...wanna head into town for our date?”

“A-A date? Now? B-But-”

“No 'buts', for the rest of the day...you're all mine.” Vash whispered after he silenced Erica's stuttering with his finger. She fainted as Vash picked her up in his arms and quietly walked away, smiling.

“Damn it, I'm so jealous of Erica right now! How does she have a boyfriend already on the first day of high school! Why does she get to be all lovey-dovey like that so soon when I have yet to say one word to the guy I like! How can the world be so cruel to me during my finest day yet!? I don't get it, I don't get it, I don't get...” Stella rambled on and on about how jealous she was of Erica and Vash.

“Um, Stella...Stella?” Ana quietly tried in vain to catch her friend's attention.

Galen calmly watched Stella's rant and set his eyes on Ana, who focused her attention on him as well.

“S-Sorry about this. I'm sure she'll come around soon, so please bear with it.” Ana began.

“Okay.” Galen responded flatly.

“So...w-what's your name?”

“Galen Rennings. Yours?”

“A-Anastasia Cieri. Y-You can call me Ana i-if you want.” She was getting nervous after seeing the boy in such a beaten state.

“Ana...I'll remember it.”

“D-Does it hurt? Your ribs, I mean.”

“A little, but not badly.” Galen simply replied.

“That's good, I suppose. I have to get going now, could you please ask her to look after you? She really wants to help you.” Ana meekly requested as she walked towards the school gates to go home.

“Hmph.” Galen grunted and looked at Stella, who continued to rant, and put his hand on her shoulder. She swatted his hand away unconsciously, then began to shout a harsh remark at him, but her words caught in her throat as soon as she realized whose hand it was.

“I-I'm sorry, I-I didn't know it was your hand on my sh-shoulder and I was saying some stupid things, so I couldn't tell you got here and wow is it hot today...” Stella looked to Ana for support, but found none as Ana was gone by now.

Ana, I swear to God...you are the best friend a girl could ask for!

Stella smiled at Galen as the boy's expression instantly dropped after figuring out exactly what was waiting for him. Still, he really did not want to go home at this time, so he said two words before he was dragged away by the excited girl.

“Your house?”

~~~GoodLuckGalen~~~

At the same time of Galen going to Stella's house, Suzaku was at his home getting his wounds tended by his little sister Kira, though in a rather rough way. The pair of siblings sat on the living room couch with a medical kit, a few blood-spotted cloths stacked neatly on top of the open kit. Suzaku's injuries weren't severe, but close enough to it for him to be weakened for a couple weeks. The bleeding from his head stopped once Kira soaked up the blood and the bruise on his cheek looked bad, but it was already starting to heal.

“Honestly, just what were you thinking Suzu? You had me worried about you all day since you were gone from class most of the time. And then you decide that a fight is the best way to entertain yourself? I thought we agreed that you wouldn't fight unless it was necessary...” Kira said to her brother as she tightened the bandage around her brother's head, earning a yelp from him.

Despite his pain, Suzaku kept a calming, gentle face when talking to his little sister, glad to know that he was finally able to spend some time with her after a long day at school.

“Well he did want to fight me for no reason at all, and I kinda had to fight to protect someone, so I'd say it was alright.” Suzaku flashed a smile at his sister, but it had no effect on her concern for him.

“Alright? Alright!? You almost went to the hospital this time around! You nearly lost your life! You would've left me alone like Mom and Dad did...” Kira's shoulders slumped while she sat on the couch next to her beloved brother.

“No, no I won't. I promised you when they left that I would never leave you and I don't ever want to break that promise. Mom and Dad had their own reasons for leaving, but they never knew you like I do and if they ever did, then they would have seen why it was stupid to leave someone like you all alone.” Suzaku felt his sincerity flow out from him as he hugged Kira tightly, hoping to relieve some of the pain she was feeling from reliving the pain of their parents' departure.

As she started to cry silent tears, Kira looked up at her freshly-bandaged brother and reveled in the warmth of the wide smile he wore on his face. In that impossibly small moment of brotherly love, both Kira and Suzaku felt like something more was there, like a bright secret that was kept from them for all of their lives.

~~~BroSisTenderMoments~~~

A/N: Incest detected? Hmm...

1. Alone in a house, check.

2. Dangerously close to a kiss, check.

3. Promise never to be separated, super check.

Don't worry people, I don't plan on doing incest for a while; I'm not that awesome yet. Yeah, I pull no punches as a writer, so incest may well be one of the options for Mr. Suzu here. As you can probably tell, their parents haven't been around for a while. What I mean by that, I'll leave up to you guys. I won't come out and say it because leaving it to your imagination is much more entertaining, isn't it? Well, the next chapter should be up be up in a few days, so stay classy peeps and watch for the harem that Mr. Suzu's got going on in the next chapter!

15: That Crazy Fan-Girl

A/N: Okay, mixing things up a little here. This chapter will be from the view of the bad-ass delinquent himself, Galen Rennings, and focuses on what happened to him after he was dragged away by the fan-girl, Stella Reynolds. The House of Animus is still up for those of you who want to read it, so remember to do that since it will be removed on 1/3/15. Moving on, this chapter was a bit of a hassle to think of, but I'm sure you guys won't mind! Read, review, favorite, PM, all that stuff. Let's go, let's go, let's go!

~~~ChapterStart~~~

On a possibly unrelated side note, a boy on the other side of town found himself trapped against his will. Galen Rennings was in Stella Reynolds' house, resting in her bedroom and solely at her mercy. He met her parents and right away they liked him, agreeing with their daughter that he was the perfect man for her to marry. His only saving grace was Adrian, Stella's older brother by five years, who sympathized with Galen instantly since he himself had a history of arranged marriages to clear up. Adrian knew that Galen led a delinquent life and the fact that Stella would probably be turned down when she finally has the courage to ask him out.

However, Adrian suggested that Galen take her on a few dates to find out for sure, so that he knew his sister wasn't being hurt for the wrong reasons.

“Galen, promise me that you won't let her cry for you. You're the first crush that she's ever been this hesitant for, so please try loving her. She's a good girl once you really talk to her.”

“I...I promise. I'll go out with her on a few dates, but I can't guarantee that she'll like who I am.” Galen wanted to leave more than anything, but as much as Stella annoyed him, he found her amusing in the short time he had taken to know her.

“That's fine, as long as she's happy with you.” Adrian's face darkened for a moment before it returned to its usual sunny smile.

Now, Galen was lying down in Stella's bed waiting for her to come with a medical kit. He wanted to sit a chair, but she was very forceful in convincing him that he was better off lying in bed. It was quiet in her room, and very...simple. Aside from the queen-sized bed, the work desk, and the complete stereo sound system, there wasn't much else to look at in her room. Then he noticed the improvised dance floor in the middle of the room.

Resourceful girl, I like. Looks exactly like the ones in the clubs, but it's probably much cheaper and way more exciting. I'll have to ask her about it later.

Galen cracked a slight smile as he rested his head on a pillow and closed his eyes, starting to see Stella in a new light.

She's not so bad, just a bit forceful. Then again, I like girls who fight for what they want; it's a kind of courage I can respect. Maybe this won't be such a bad thing after all...

~~~NopeItIs~~~

“Mmm...you're such a bad boy, Galen.” Came Stella's voice as she slowly hugged Galen.

His eyes shot open and he narrowed his eyes at her. Though he was used to this kind of treatment, he still hated it.

“Get. Off. Me.” He stressed each word with strong authority and venom.

“Okay fine, I need you to sit up so I can take a look at your ribs.” Stella would not be denied when everything was going so well for her.

“Hmph.” Galen was starting to regret his choice to go with Stella.

“Now then...I'm just gonna feel them a little to see if any are broken. Don't worry, I won't try anything since you're injured and all; you can trust me.” Stella flashed a warm smile to her crush and nearly squealed as a faint blush started to show on his face.

Yes! He likes me! And I get to touch his naked body while he's on my bed! Thank you Suzaku for giving me this chance with my one true love! Wait a second...if he's too injured to walk home tonight, then that means he'll just have to sleep over here instead. When he's starting to feel lonely at night and just can't sleep, then...

Stella was looking at Galen with scary eyes and started to drool from the creepy smile on her face. Galen gulped and soon his image of Stella reverted back to his original impression: a crazy fan-girl with no shame whatsoever.

~~~Gulp~~~

“Ouch, that hurts! Be careful over there. Are you sure you know how to fix people up?” Galen was starting to feel worse once Stella started randomly poking at his injured ribs.

“Of course I do. Adrian would come home all the time with cuts and bruises when he was in school.” Stella answered him plainly.

That guy getting into fights? Nah...he's the cheeriest guy I've ever met. There's no way he would get into a fistfight. A verbal fight maybe, but never a real fight.

“Ow! Gently down there, it's tender.” Galen stifled another yelp as Stella tapped on his ribs.

“Come on, you're tougher than this, just take it. Alright, they're definitely cracked, but nothing too serious. It looks like Suzaku was trying his best not to hurt you because most of them are fine, only about four out of twelve ribs are cracked on your right side. You could walk home if you wanted, but I'll bandage these up so they don't decide to break on you.” Stella gently wrapped a bandage around Galen's waist with content.

“...Thanks Stella. You really do like me, don't you?” Galen bluntly asked.

“What!?” Stella was so startled that she jerked the ends of the bandage.

“Ack! Too tight! Are you trying to kill me!?” Galen's ribs were crashing into themselves from the intense pressure.

“Wha-Wha-What did you say?” Stella's face was flushed red as the heat rushed to her head.

“...Thanks Stella.”

“No, after that!”

“I didn't say anything else to you after that.”

“Liar! You asked me if I really like you! Well I do! I like you a lot!”

A very awkward pause between them settled until the door opened a few minutes later. Adrian came in wearing a set of teddy bear pajamas and yawned.

“Can you two please keep it down? I get that it's only 9:00, but I'm trying to get my sleep, so if you could turn it down just a little-”, he blinked before yawning again, “Am I interrupting something?”

Galen was the first to answer, “No, Adrian, we just finished talking and it seems I'll have to stay the night to nurse my injuries. Can I sleep in your room?”

“Well, sure. It's down the hall, second door on the right with my name on it. I'll show you.”

As Adrian turned back out of Stella's room, Galen walked to the doorway before turning back to Stella who was on the verge of tears as she finally confessed to her crush. Without pause, Galen turned back and came back to Stella, giving her a warm hug as he asked her out on a date with a whisper.

“11 o'clock, Saturday. Meet me at the cafe two blocks from the school and don't be so sad, I'm starting to really like you now.”

Galen rushed out of her room before she could say anything else as he called for Adrian to slow down. Stella was absolutely stunned as she was still trying to process what just happened in those few seconds after Galen hugged her.

Did he...just ask me out? As in, a date? And he said...he liked me too? He accepted my feelings?

What followed next was a few more minutes of disbelief, then a whirlwind of clothes and random objects, all while some insane babbling was coming from the suddenly ecstatic Stella Reynolds who managed to talked to Galen who happened to share her feelings at the same time.

In Adrian's room, the two boys were sharing a few words with each other as sleep would eventually come to them.

“I wonder what's got her so excited this late at night? You wouldn't happen to know, would you?” Adrian raised an eyebrow at Galen, who stretched out on the floor.

“Nah, I'm sure she's just having one of her crazy moments.”

“Haha, yeah she has always been a bit different from girls her age, but isn't that what makes her unique?”

“I have to agree with you there. Whoever she ends up marrying someday will be a very lucky guy...”

“I'm sure he won't be that far off. The world's a big place, but this city is quite small. Goodnight, Galen.”

“Goodnight, Adrian.”

~~~GoodNightStella~~~

A/N: Ah, the fan-girl gets her man...maybe. I only hinted that Galen is starting to like Stella, so that means he's still deciding whether or not she's worth dating. About his life at home, well...that's for another chapter. Thanks to all of you who waited patiently to read this and to those who have read The House of Animus! Next chapter, we'll be moving on to the next day and this time, even weirder things are gonna happen, so be ready for the worst!

16: An 'Interesting' Morning

A/N: Another chapter done! I'm slowly getting back into my rhythm. By the by, if you haven't checked on my profile, I've decided to keep The House of Animus up as a permanent story! *Applause* Please, please hold your applause since there is obviously a catch here: I'll only update it every two weeks, so it will come along much slower than Twin Hearts, but I'm sure it will be much more popular in time. That's enough random nonsense, on to the chapter!

~~~LoveTheHouseWife~~~

“Suzu...Suzu...would you like dinner? A bath? Or maybe, me...?” Kira seductively loosened the apron she had on as her curves came closer and closer into full view.

“...Is that supposed to be funny? What the hell is this!?” Suzaku shouted with enough force to shake the house, crumbling the dream that he was having.

He woke up in a cold sweat, holding his palm to his face and breathing heavily. Another nightmare had swam through Suzaku's mind again; the third time this week since his summer ended. Scanning the same simple room he had grown up in, he relished the feeling of comfort he got from it. The desk he's had since middle school with his laptop resting on it, his bookshelf stocked full of various manga that he liked to read, and his bed which he had loved ever since elementary school. It was a huge surface to sleep on back then, but now it was just perfect for his high school body. Even his sleeping little sister was-*squick*

Eh!? No way...there's no way that dream was reality, no freaking way. Okay, deep breath, think logically about this: I made sure she went to bed after we watched some TV, and I'm pretty sure my head was okay while we were having dinner...so either I fell asleep at my laptop and she dragged me to my bed, or she climbed into bed with me while having a bad dream...probably the latter.

Regaining his calm demeanor, Suzaku slipped out of his bed in one motion without disturbing his slumbering sister. He shut off the alarm on his alarm clock and merely went about his usual morning after seeing that it was 6:00 AM. He gently closed the door to his room as he stepped into the hall and walked across to the bathroom. Brushing his teeth and washing his face took no time at all and soon Suzaku put on his school uniform that he left to dry. After making some minor adjustments to his usual messy bedhead, Suzaku was ready to start his morning.

Breakfast first, then I'll wake Kira. What to make today...traditional Japanese should do; miso soup, grilled fish, some omelet, and of course, steamed rice.

As Suzaku got to work preparing breakfast for Kira and himself, the only other person in the house slowly woke herself from a rather pleasant dream. Still in her pink camisole, Kira got out of the bed and wandered into her room down the hall. The soft red wallpaper she had always lifted her spirits on tiresome mornings such as this one, but she felt well-rested despite how tired she was. Getting her school uniform together, she walked to the bathroom and sleepily went about her business as the kitchen downstairs was busy with activity.

~~~SkippingBreakfastScene~~~

After quiet and casual breakfast, Suzaku and Kira left the house and started walking in the direction of Twin Hearts. As they rounded a corner, someone new was standing to mess up their daily walk: Alexa Stark.

“Ah, there you are, Suzu. Ready to go to school? ...What's with the face?” Alex asked in response to Suzaku's slightly annoyed face.

“I wasn't even going to skip today...stalker. How long are you going to be following me again?” He asked, continuing his pace with Kira.

“As long as I have to so I know you'll be serious about school. Also, I haven't been getting much time in this story lately...” She said off to the side.

“So basically you've got some weird fetish for stalking me, huh?” Suzaku bluntly cut her off.

“Why you...” Just as Alex was about to hit Suzu, he sprinted off in a flash towards Twin Hearts.

“Suzu's trained a lot since you beat him that one time.” Kira casually said to her as they continued walking together.

“Yeah, no kidding. Was he really that broken up about it? I made sure to go easy on him...” Alex face fell as she thought about the one time she had beaten Suzaku in martial arts.

“Actually, he was happy you beat him. He said 'Alex has finally bloomed into such beautiful form' and just trained by himself for a few months. It looks like he's still waiting for you to reach him.”

“You mean he's...and you're?

“He's looking forward to sparring with you again and you'd better take the next step this time, or I'll sweep him away from you.”, Kira took a few steps ahead of Alex and turned back as she narrowed her eyes, “Watch out by the way, it's not just us looking at Suzu.”

~~~SuzakuFled~~~

“Hey bro, what's got you pumped this morning?” Vash asked his friend as he reached the school gates with Erica.

“...Crazy...girl...gonna...hit me...stalker.” Suzaku said in-between breaths.

“Ah, Alex wasn't it? What did you say to her?”

“I just made a joke that she likes stalking me, is all...”

“And that might be why you're having such a hard time finding a girlfriend.” Erica cut in, smiling gleefully.

“Eh, I'm pretty sure she understands. She doesn't look like the type to give up easily.” Suzaku looked over his shoulder and saw Kira and Alex in the distance just as he enter the school.

“Wait, you mean you don't...?” Vash cautiously questioned.

“Don't what? Come on, don't leave me hanging.”

“...Never mind, you'll find out sooner or later. I'll just say that the Alex we knew back in the day is going to this school, in our year. I'm going on ahead with Erica, try not to too late Suzu!” Vash called out before disappearing around the corner.

Jeez, I almost let slip what Erica told me yesterday...

~~~VashAndEricaOnADate~~~

(Flashback)

“Wait wait wait, say that again?” Vash said somewhat loudly in the cafe they sat in.

“I'm saying that Alexa Stark is the same girl you and Suzu knew when we were kids.”

“But we never knew a girl named Alexa, only a boy named Alex.”

“Exactly. That 'boy' you knew was actually a girl named Alexa. I figured it out when I talked to her: she knows you and Suzu very well and she talks to Kira so casually, that's the only explanation.”

“Whoa...to think that the cool boy we knew was actually a cool girl, then that means...oh no.”

“What?”

“No no no no no...that means Suzaku's training was all for nothing, and he hates wasted effort.”

“Okay, it's your turn to explain now.” Erica sipped her iced coffee as she watched her boyfriend attentively.

“Well, it's all hush-hush, but you that Suzu is a martial arts expert, right?”

“Yeah, I think he mentioned that.”

“He lost a sparring match for the first time a few years back to Alex, so he almost killed himself training to make sure he wouldn't lose again. The fact that Alex is really a girl changes everything...” Vash face-palmed, wondering how he could've been so blind for so long.

“It'll be okay. I'm sure Suzu already figured it out. Now, where should we go next?” Erica smiled slyly at her boyfriend's struggle for their friend.

(Flashback End)

~~~Whoa~~~

Suzaku put his shoes away in his locker and got his indoor shoes, but when he closed his locker, he met a sight that quickly ruined his otherwise pleasant morning.

“The hell you staring at, wimp? Want me to break the other cheek?” Galen Rennings threatened, though not very convincing with Stella interlocking her arm with his.

“Oh hey Suzaku! Good morning to you!” She happily shouted, earning a few confused looks from passing students.

“Right...good morning to you too.”, Suzaku slowly responded looking at Galen with a questioning look, “Are you...?”

“Don't even bother asking. I'm not, but she seems to think otherwise. It's just an obligation I have, that's it.”

“Okay then...” Suzaku left the area and walked down the hall to his homeroom.

~~~StellaIsWeirdRight~~~

A/N: Interesting morning indeed. Couples just seem to sprouting up like weeds; enjoyable, happy, wonderful weeds. But who really knew that Suzu and Vash knew Alex as a boy in their childhood, huh? *Hands raise* Oh, okay so a few of you maybe got the hint. Next chapter will have another shocking reveal, this time into Galen's life and why he hates going home/leads a delinquent lifestyle. A reminder to you all that The House of Animus is here to stay, and will be updated every two weeks. Happy New Years! Yaho!

17: The Game is On!

A/N: Hello to all you readers out there! Sorry (not sorry) for the minor delay, but here you go. Not really much I need to discuss, (I know, shocker.) so just enjoy the chapter. Thanks for the follows and favs, hope y'all keep the interest up and I'll be sure to keep putting these out.

~~~DayTwoOfSchool~~~

“Morning, everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful first day, especially in my class.” Ev called out to everyone, “Now, due to a little interruption yesterday that hopefully we won't revisit, we never finished the class introductions. There should only be about three of you left who haven't come up, so let's get that done. Galen Rennings!”

With some pained movements, Galen got up from his seat and staggered to the front of the room. The bandages Stella tied on seemed more to choke him than heal him, but he never let it show. Giving the room an uninterested gaze, he sighed and began his introduction to the class.

“Name's Galen Rennings. No relation to the Rennings Corporation. I'm not exactly a 'people-person' nor do I plan to be. Don't try to be my friend unless you want to get hurt.” With that, he walked back to his seat and sat back down.

“Well, that was interesting. Next is...I-Ir-Irea Luxford”

Suzaku happened to be paying attention and almost had a heart attack when he saw what this girl looked like: it was the angel from the infirmary. His face was the only one in complete terror while the other students stared in awe at her unnatural beauty and grace. The wind seemed to gather around her as her wisps of white hair gently swayed and her golden eyes added that small touch of mystery that attracted just enough attention to her without making the other girls jealous. Her small smile grew even brighter as her eyes caught sight of Suzaku trying in vain to hide himself behind the class. Winking at him, she collected herself as she once again spoke in her soothing, angelic voice.

“It is a pleasure to meet all of you for the first time. My name is Irea Luxford. I apologize for my absence yesterday and I do hope that you may all forgive me. I have interests in reading, archery, and romance as well as helping others. I've just arrived at this school from England, so I may not be familiar with everything. I humbly request that you all are able to assist me during my time here in America.”

Irea gently walked back to her seat as a dull silence filled the room, all of the students (except for Suzaku) having their breath taken away by this divine exchange student. Suzaku simply put in his ear-buds and looked out the window past Ana to try and ignore the obvious stare that Irea was directing at him. Ev decided to break the silence after a few minutes to call up the last person in the class for an introduction.

~~~Awkward~~~

Ana, who noticed Suzaku looking in her direction, flushed slightly as she fidgeted with her things to keep herself busy, eventually resorting to whispering to Stella who somehow had a fiery aura coming from her.

“H-Hey Stella...” Ana whispered, not wanting to interrupt her friend's thoughts.

“What? What is it and does it have anything to do with a guy?” Stella's fire blazed on.

“Well...it's about Suzu. He's staring at me and it's really bothering me.”

“Hm? I thought you both liked each other?” Ana was leading into something personal, which made Stella curious.

“I think I l-l-like him, but he never shows any interest he might have in m-me.” Ana's face turned red as she started stuttering shyly.

“...You'll be fine. Besides that British exchange student, I think you're okay with the competition.”

“Huh? S-She likes him?” Ana's face fell.

“Dunno. I saw her wink at him, that's for sure.” Stella stated, aware of Ana's worry.

“Do you think...you can...you know?”

“What? What do I know?” Stella teased, smirking slightly at Ana's discomfort.

“Could you...talk to him for me?” Ana let out a breath; she finally said it.

“Talk to him? When should I, what about, and why am I doing this?” Stella was not about to let Ana go after getting this much fun out of her.

“Whenever you can, talk to him about what he thinks of me. Please, you're the only one I can count on to do this for me and I really want to know if he's going out with anyone...” Ana's eyes sparkled with small hope as she pleaded her mischievous friend.

“Okay, I'll do it. But only if you help me out when I ask for it.”

“Deal.” The girls shook hands and smiled knowingly to each other.

~~~Rivals~~~

“Thank you for that wonderful speech you had for your classmates!”, Ev shouted to the last student to give an introduction.

I swear to God, these things get longer and longer with each kid I call up. But to think that she would be in this class...what the hell are they thinking up there? From what I can remember, they told me that she's still in-training, so that explains what happened yesterday, but it doesn't explain why she's enrolled in this school. 'Luxford'? Of all the names to pick, she went with 'Luxford'? And why did she use her real name on the application!? Everyone else is bound to notice that she's not exactly a normal girl just from her name!

“Hey Irea, how long have you been in America before enrolling here?”

“Oh, not very long. I have lived here for maybe one month since arriving from England.”

“Ah, how exciting!”

Scratch that, most of the students are either dense or just too distracted by her charms...

Ev continued having a small breakdown in his mind as the remainder of homeroom was used as free time.

Meanwhile in the back of the room, Galen was slumped over his desk, sleeping ever since homeroom started and not at all planning on waking up until lunch came around. Sadly, a certain blonde-haired boy sitting near the front would not allow that. *plunk* There it was, just as it happened yesterday. The eraser hit its mark and once again Galen awoke with a deadly roar.

“Who. The. Hell. Did. That?” He fumed to his poor classmates around him, all of whom shrank in their seats under his gaze.

“Over here!” called out Kris, waving his hand back and forth enthusiastically.

“You...who are you?” Galen barely contained his rising anger as he mentally prepared to put the scrawny boy next on his hit-list.

“Kris Harridan; how sweet of you to ask, handsome.” Kris teased with a wink.

This sent chills down everyone's spines, except for Galen who was only mildly annoyed. He raised an eyebrow as he continued his threats, “You got a problem with me or something?”

“Hmm...I'd go with 'or something', if that pleases you.”

“Then answer me this: why the hell did you just throw an eraser at me?”

“To wake you up of course.” This only pissed Galen off more.

“And why did you want to wake me up?” The muscular boy's hands clenched tighter and tighter as the veins in his hands became more prominent.

“...Let me show you, outside.” Kris then grabbed Galen's hand and dragged him out of the classroom.

“Why that bastard...” Stella steamed as she ran out after the two boys.

~~~AwfullyForward~~~

A/N: Hehe...Kris Harridan is a very forward boy when it comes to his tastes. Too bad Stella won't let him in on her (unwilling) man. Pay attention to Irea, people, because from Mr. Everest's thoughts, there's more to her than just being an exchange student. Next chapter will be up soon, remember to review and follow! PM's are always welcome if you have something to say, or if you just want to talk to me about something.

18: Bets, Family, and Juice?

A/N: Konichiwa! (Hello!) It's that special time again: new chapter! Excellence delivered once again. I really didn't know where to go with this starting out, but I'm pleased with it now. There is no perfect school life, so I've added some slight twists for flavoring. Galen and Karen are also revealed to be much closer than initially thought, so try to think about that. Next chapter should be out soon, so don't be gone for too long! R/R, F/F, PM's are also welcome!

~~~ChapterStart~~~

“Hey, Suzu. Suzu! Suzu!!” Ana gently nudged her sleeping friend.

“Eh? H-Huh? Oh, it's just you, Ana. Did you need something?” Suzaku looked at her with drowsy, but alert green eyes.

“U-Um, Suzu do you t-think y-you c-c-can meet me-”

Before Ana could finish what she wanted to say to her crush, the bell rang signaling the end of homeroom and the start of classes. Even though their first class took place in the same room, Suzaku felt bored and stood up to walk out of the room. Ana slowly followed behind him, softly talking to him about casual things. Kira noticed the two walking out, but paid no mind since she knows of her brother's lack of interest in romance.

At the front of the room, most of the boys were crowded around Vash's desk asking him a wave of questions. Erica, who until now was staring romantically at her boyfriend, popped a vein in her forehead in annoyance.

“Yo, Vash, how do I get a girl like Irea to like me?”

“Vash, you gotta tell me one of your secrets to getting a girl on the tennis team!”

“So Vash, how about you share some tips with me on impressing a senior?”

“Guys, guys, cool it. I'll talk to you all one at a time, just give me some breathing...room?” Vash's lady-killing confidence deflated as soon as he sensed his girlfriend's deadly aura flare up.

“Vash...could you come with me please?” Erica asked in a calm voice.

“S-Sure Erica, I've always got time for you...” He literally felt a sweat drop falling down his face as he watched his girlfriend's scarily smiling face.

Vash walked out of the room, dragged by his school tie by the peeved vampire. The other boys around his now-empty desk began to speculate what just happened to the illustrious class pervert.

“Who was that?”

“Dunno, maybe his girlfriend?”

“Nah, I doubt it. He wouldn't want to get held down some baggage.”

“Yeah, but what if it is his girlfriend? We might have to turn to someone else who knows how to impress girls.”

“You think Vash will still get us those copies of Swimsuits Limited?”

“He'd better, along with those pictures of the track team.”

“Five bucks says that he's whipped by that girl that dragged him out.”

“You're on.”

“Hey, let me in on this!” Another boy called out as he put three dollars down for Erica.

“I've got six bucks on Vash.”

“Ten on the girl!”

Soon, all of the boys in the class were making bets on Vash's relationship with Erica and the overall pot started to grow.

~~~BetsAreFun~~~

The last student to give an introduction in the class, a certain wealthy young girl, sighed and leaned back delicately in her seat as she softly smiled at the squabble.

“Boys are so noisy over such little things.”

“They seem to be having fun, at the very least, and it is something that unites them rather than divide them.” Whispered the graceful student next to her.

“Why are you talking to me?”

“You sounded lonely, despite all of the people around you.” Irea flashed the girl an understanding smile.

“Funny, that was the last thing I would've heard from an exchange student.” The girl scoffed.

“Your family has roots in England, so it would only be obvious that I know about you, Miss Karen Faye.” Irea kindly pointed out.

“You know about the Faye family, so I can assume your awareness of my status in this school.” Karen smirked, satisfied with the knowledge of an intelligent girl next to her.

“Of course. I am also aware of your current 'engagement', to put it lightly.” Irea's face flashed with mischief for an impossibly short moment, then reverted back to its warming smile.

“Ah, so you know about that too. Honestly, I don't care about that boy very much. He's violent, brooding, far too blunt, and plainly rebellious; it's a wonder he shares the Rennings name at all. If you know about my issue with him, then you must be able to help me.”

“I can and will, no strings attached.” Irea beamed at Karen with sincerity.

Karen stared at the other girl with narrowed eyes, but at the same time a small smile started to make itself known on her face.

~~~SneakyGirl~~~

*Ker-chunk!*

A can of mixed fruit juice landed at the bottom of the vending machine as Suzaku knelt down to retrieve it. He held the can out to Ana, who reluctantly took it after a pause.

“T-Thank you, Suzu. You didn't really have to buy one for me, I only wanted to talk to you.” She blushed inwardly, watching him taking small sips from his can of ice tea.

“I'll talk to you whenever you want, just ask. Besides, this juice tastes much better when I've got a cute girl to drink it with.” He flashed her a quick smile before taking another sip.

Ana could do nothing but blush at her...friend? crush? classmate? She didn't know what he was to her yet, but his kindness awed her every time she heard him speak. Suzaku never talks much at all but when he decides to do so, he stirs up so many feelings in everyone, herself included.

Is this what they call 'charisma'? The uncanny ability to draw others towards yourself without any effort at all? I know it's not his fault, but why can't I just tell him already? Stella told me herself that I only have to worry about that exchange student but still, with his skill, Suzaku could easily go out with anyone he wants. Is there an ex-girlfriend that he's still in love with? Is that why he doesn't care about dating anyone?

Suzaku simply stared at Ana with a practiced look of slight confusion as he sweat-dropped. Shrugging, he took another sip of drink but blinked rapidly when he felt none of the ice tea in his mouth. Looking at his hand, the can of ice tea that was there was gone and it only took one look at Ana to find it. He reached for it slowly, touching Ana's hand in the process and startling her out of her inner musings. Without thinking, she drank the rest of Suzaku's ice tea, forgetting that she set her juice down on the windowsill nearby.

“W-W-Why? My poor ice tea...”, Suzaku whined with false hurt, “Do you realize what you've done? How inconsiderate that was?”

“H-Huh? B-But isn't this mine-” Ana froze and lost all emotion when she saw the now-empty ice tea can in her hand.

Oh no, I kissed him! Indirectly, but it was still a kiss! What am I gonna do now!? This is second time it's happened...what if he thinks I'm weird and wants to stay away from me?

The minute Ana looked up, Suzaku was already walking back to class in slience.

“W-Wait, Suzu!” Ana called out as she threw away both cans in the trash bin.

“...” He slowed his pace, but turn his head as she came up beside him.

“I'm sorry, Suzu. I just get so nervous around you and sometimes when I'm thinking hard about something, I tend to grab things randomly. Please forgive me...” Ana looked at the ground, too scared to meet his eyes.

Suzaku's face became cold for a second, but he relaxed when he thought about what Ana said.

“The classroom, alone after school.” He said in a serious tone.

Not another word was spoken between them as they got back in time for first period to start.

~~~ColdSuzu~~~

A/N: A kiss!? Indirect, but still...nice one, Ana. Vash has got some serious issues ahead of him since he's 'renounced' (not really) his old perverted ways. Anyone figure out the connection between Karen and Galen? See the reason why Galen is the way he is? Next chapter, I'll be sure to address Galen's life a little more, as well as Kris Harridan's interest in him.

19: What Happened in Those 10 Minutes

A/N: Chapter 19! Part of my birthday celebration, so enjoy! This chapter is more-or-less about the mysterious Kris Harridan and his relationship with Galen, and well, you'll see once you read the chapter...

~~~ClassTime~~~

“Suzaku!”

“Yes, Ms. Smith?” He sleepily responded as he rubbed his eyes and stood up.

“Where was Hinduism thought to have originated from?”

“The Indus Valley, somewhere from 3300 B.C. to 1300 B.C.” He drawled, stifling a yawn.

“Correct.” Suzaku sat back in his seat once Ms. Smith turned back to the board and resumed her lecture on Indian history.

When Suzaku and Ana re-entered the classroom earlier, everyone was deathly silent even though it was a few minutes before first period. Vash looked somewhat injured while he listened to music while at his seat, Erica was scanning the room with harsh eyes, and Galen had a face filled with pure terror and shock as he simply sat, catatonic. Irea winked at Suzaku as he and Ana passed by, whispering something to him that sent chills through his body.

“Meet me for a rendezvous on the roof next period~”

Karen, sitting next to Irea, heard everything and chuckled softly at Suzaku's shuddering. One look at Galen brought her into a mocking grin, so she decided to stare at him in his misery until the period started.

My my, he looks so vulnerable now and so timid...wonderful. This deal between our families just might work out. If he stays this way from now on, he may be worthy of being a personal servant. Oh, what fun that will be once we get older. Mother told me that I would be marrying a handsome boy who is nothing more than a gentleman. She was half-right, I suppose. Galen is decently attractive, but not at all handsome, and he is in no way a gentleman. But I suppose I can tolerate him a little more if he would act like this more often...

Karen continued staring at Galen, studying him as if he was some sort of prize that she alone would receive.

“Grr...that bitch.” Stella growled on the other side of the room.

“N-Now Stella, c-calm down please...” Ana held her hands up and gently gestured to her.

“No way! First, that bitch acts all high-and-mighty and now she has the gall to be staring at my Galen! As if that blonde bastard wasn't bad enough, I have to keep another set of hands off my man...it's so freaking annoying!” Stella ranted.

“Wait Stella, who is 'that blonde...' you know?” Ana slowly asked.

“That blonde bastard, you mean? He's some creep who claims to be Galen's biggest fan. Like that will ever happen when Galen's my boyfriend! Kris Harridan, or Horriden, or Herridon can just go to Hell for all I care because he's not taking Galen from me!” Stella boldly stated to Ana before going into another rant. In the front of the room, Kris thought back to what happened five minutes ago when he pulled Galen out by the hand.

~~~NotQuiteNormal~~~

(Flashback)

Galen held a look of minor confusion as Kris dragged him through the halls until they made it to the infirmary. In Galen's mind, this was the perfect place to eliminate one more person on his hit-list, since the infirmary was surprisingly empty and the school nurse was nowhere in sight. However, even someone like Galen had his own set of rules, so he would not attack Kris without a good reason. It seemed unlikely that anything drastic would happen in here, considering the stood just in front of the door.

“Okay, you'd better have a good reason to wake me up and drag me out of class...” Galen cracked his knuckles menacingly.

“I had something important to ask you and this was really the only way to get your attention.”

“What is it then? Choose your words very carefully.”

“Will you be my friend and walk home with me?” Kris stood firm, confident in Galen's (rare) good nature.

“...What?”

“You're the first friend I've made at this school, so I thought it would be okay to ask if we could walk home together.” Kris explained, sensing nothing wrong at all with his request.

“...Heh, hahahaha!” Galen laughed heartily for a full minute at Kris' unusually calm demeanor.

After he calmed down, Galen smirked at the blonde-haired boy before him, “You really have no fear, don't you? Otherwise you wouldn't be able to say what you just said without the slightest pause.”

Kris smiled at Galen's positive response to such a sudden request and thought about telling Galen the other reason he was brought into the empty infirmary. With one look at Galen's face, he decided not to tell his new-found friend.

“So, where do you wanna meet up after school?”

“Hmm...how about the front gates? I might be a bit late since I have a few errands I have to run for some teachers.”

“That's fine, I can spare a few minutes waiting. By the way, care to explain to me why you were spying on my fight with Suzaku instead of just joining the crowd?”

“O-Oh, er, t-that's because-” Kris was suddenly shoved forward into Galen by the school nurse entering the infirmary.

“Sorry guys, I didn't see you there. I'm just getting back from my break, so could please not tell anyone that I was gone until now?”, the nurse held her hands close to her chest as she gently begged the boys, “Um, hello? Are you two listening?”

The nurse's words were drowned out by the massive emotional damage inflicted upon Galen and Kris. Hidden from the nurse's view, Galen's hand was on Kris' chest in quite the sensitive area. To make matters worse, the impact from the nurse caused Galen to suddenly squeeze for a moment, only confirming what he had not realized until now: Kris Harridan is actually a girl!

With nothing left of his dignity or anything even close to a stable state of mind, Galen brushed past the talking nurse and headed back to class, Kris following behind him since she couldn't think of any other way to respond to such an embarrassing way to reveal herself to her crush.

Once the boy and (now) girl pair got back to their seats, Stella walked into the classroom and with a single piercing glare at Kris, reluctantly sat back in her seat.

(Flashback End)

~~~Shocker~~~

A/N: Oh snap, that reveal! Most of you probably saw that coming, I assume. If not, well, there it is anyway. Sorry to you readers who dabble in homosexual pairings, I don't really do that stuff. Anyways, the next chapter should be up by the time my birthday comes around, which is on the 20th, so be patient and don't forget to check out The House of Animus, which is doing really well now. There is also a poll for those of you who read it, so please give that a try also.

20: The Angel of Love

A/N: It's here! Chapter 20 of this amazing tale! Whew, this was a challenge to get done, but I did nonetheless. My birthday is fast approaching, so I hope I can put out another chapter after this for the celebration. If not, well that's fine too. I'm moving this story along at a somewhat slow pace, I know, but I'm starting to speed it up without overlooking too many details. Anyways, thanks for the follows and favorites! Reviews and PMs are just as welcome, so please try to leave one. Enjoy!

~~~ChapterStart~~~

*Ding-dong ding-dong*

At the end of first period, Suzaku felt a little sorry for Galen. True, the violent boy gave him some harsh injuries for no reason and seemed generally moody, but if there was something that could put even Galen in a state of shock, then it must have been vaguely traumatic. Seeing no clear way for him to be injured again, Suzaku turned to Galen and tried to start a conversation with the poor boy. However, just as Suzaku opened his mouth to say something, he saw Irea staring at him with her golden eyes. It wasn't a mean stare, or a happy one but simply a judging one, as if talking to Galen now would be something important to her. Of course Suzaku remembered her whispered proposition, but he could always hold off on it to help out a (debatable) friend. He opened his mouth again, but he felt more than just Irea's eyes on him now. The vague hint of killing intent from behind him easily identified the owner, Stella, but the other source of hatred being directed at him was coming from the front of the room and he had not really talked to anyone there other than Vash.

Sighing in defeat, he faced his desk once again, taking out a manga he put in his bag before coming to school. Idly, he flipped through the pages not wanting to pay much attention to anything else. He glanced at the clock every so often, making sure he and Irea would have enough time for their meeting. Five minutes before second period, he saved his page and got up, slinging his bag over his shoulder. Ana saw him as he proceeded to walk out of the room, but decided to leave him after thinking about the awkward feeling that rises between them.

~~~ReallyAwkward~~~

“Where do you think you're going?” A voice rang out in the hall.

Great, I completely forgot about her... Suzaku inwardly groaned as he waited for his labeled 'stalker' to lecture him.

“I had the feeling you were gonna skip next period. Any good reason why?”

“I'm not feeling so well, so I'm heading to the nurse's office.” He told her with practiced belief.

“Liar. Experienced martial artists rarely have health problems.” Alex narrowed her eyes.

“Fine, I'm just going to teachers' lounge to ask something.”

“That's better, but don't think you're getting rid of me so easily. I have something to do there too, it seems.” Alex said in a prideful tone.

“Oh joy, a real excuse to continue stalking me.” Suzaku drawled.

“If it makes you feel any better, I can get you out of trouble from the hallway ninjas.” She joked.

“No thanks, it's rather amusing to see them try to take me down. Plus, it keeps my martial arts in good form.” Suzaku added.

The two started walking to the teachers' lounge, passing the stairs along the way. As soon as they were far enough away, Suzaku abruptly turned on his heel and dashed to the stairs, climbing them in a flashing movement. Alex clenched her fists in anger as she chased after her friend with a speed almost as fast as his, eventually catching up to him on the roof. What happened next astounded her: Suzaku was nowhere to be found as soon as she opened the door to the rooftop. It was like he vanished, but what actually happened was due to Irea's intervention.

Just as Suzaku left their classroom, Irea unfolded her angel wings from her back filling the classroom with a blinding display of heavenly light. With everyone covering their eyes from the light, Irea produced a silver cloak from her school bag and wrapped it around her. Instantly the cloak began to change its color to match that of the classroom and everything around her. This so-called invisibility cloak was the main tool in her trade both as an angel, and as a cupid. While Suzaku and Alex talked outside of the room, Irea sneaked out of the room, refolding her wings to halt the light display, and quickly scurried up to the roof.

~~~Stealthy~~~

Suzaku and Irea both had a few seconds until Alex would find them, but that was resolved when Irea pulled Suzaku tightly to her and wrapped her cloak around both of them. They waited until Alex would eventually leave, the sudden closeness to Irea unsettling Suzaku's normal air of calmness. With a small swear, Alex closed the rooftop door behind her as she descended the stairs. Both of them let out a breath as they separated from the cloak, Suzaku's voice being the first to break the otherwise tense silence between them.

“So...who are you really?”

“Aww, but didn't want that hug to last a little longer?”, Irea teased him, her face becoming more serious as she met his steady gaze, “My name is Irea, and I am an angel. A Cupid, to be exact.”

“A Cupid? Isn't there only one Cupid?” He looked at her quizzically.

“True, there is one Cupid that all humans are familiar with, but they say love takes many forms. 'Cupids' are actually a particular group of angels. Our job is to help mortals find true love.”

“Angels of love...then can you explain what this has to do with all of the wooden arrows yesterday?” Suzaku had an answer already, but he hoped it wasn't true.

“Ah...that. I'm actually a Cupid-in-training. I'm only allowed to use wooden practice arrows to help people find love.”

“...Do you happen to know what your marksmanship score is?” He ardently wished that it was just a bad day for Irea.

“15/100, why do you ask?”

That was it. The answer Suzaku didn't want to hear at all. He brought his hand to his face in absolute horror as everything made sense in his head. Everything that happened to him and the people around him yesterday, it was all because of this angel standing before him. Even if he knew nothing about her job or why she's here, he knew that marksmanship was the most important skill of Cupid.

“C-Can you answer one more question for me?”

“Sure, what is it?” Irea hardly tried to hide her amusement at Suzaku's shock.

“Why are you here in the first place?” This was the most important question he could think of.

“To uphold the legend of Twin Hearts Academy, that is my mission. The only reason I'm doing so poorly in marksmanship at the moment is...embarrassing to say.” Irea burst into a deep blush.

“Embarrassing? I thought you didn't find anything embarrassing.” Suzaku dryly commented.

“Well, I need to whisper it to you.”

“Fine, let's hear it.”

~~~ASecretIsASecret~~~

A/N: Want to know the secret, huh? I can always tell you guys through PM, but that'll ruin the fun of the reveal. The story has now reached the (sort of) end of its funny, laughing moments and it will now start to focus on Irea and Suzaku together as a pair. What kind of pair they are is for you all to find out in the next chapter. Bye! Oh and before I forget, please check out The House of Animus if you feel like switching up your tastes and want to vote in the poll I have set up on my profile!

21: First Case

A/N: "It's here! IT'S HERE! IT'S HE-YAR!" *Ahem* Having addressed my insanity, it is in fact the day of celebration that I've been heralding for about a week. Along with thmy growing older, here is the last part of my present to you all on this joyous day. The House of Animus will go back to being updated bi-weekly while I focus on Twin Hearts, which still sticks to its erratic schedule. Thank you all for joining me in this celebration!

~~~FastForward~~~

The lunch bell finally rang, signaling the day was halfway from being over. Most of the class left the room to go to the cafeteria, leaving a handful of students who brought their own lunches to enjoy a rare moment of quiet. In the front of the room, Vash was making some shady deals with the few boys crowded around his desk. Erica left him alone for once, opting to quietly read a book at her desk. Kira, as usual, ate her lunch by herself and savored the effort that her brother put in when he made it. However when she looked over to thank him, Suzaku was in an equally frozen state as Galen was since classes started. She worried about him, but knew he would rebound from it eventually. She turned back to her lunch, eating at a brisk pace.

At the back of the room, the two boys sat next to each other acknowledging the other's state of shock, but unsure of what caused it. Galen, having had more time to recover, tried to suppress the memory of his incident and turned to Suzaku.

“What happened to you?” A simple question, but a loaded one that could mean a number of things.

“I'd rather not talk about it right now.” Suzaku automatically responded.

“Fine with me.” Galen agreed, not wanting to continue.

For once, the two were able to have a civil conversation without turning to violence or insults. It was an excellent first step towards a friendship, but neither of them was in the mood for it.

“You wanna go eat?” Suzaku asked Galen hoping that food will be able to work off the shock he was feeling.

“Sure.” Galen obliged, catching Suzaku's idea.

After some wandering around school, mostly to hide from Alex, the boys settled on eating lunch in the secret garden in the center of the campus. Under the large oak tree, the boys sat with their lunches without another word. They ate in silence, not exactly friendly enough to start a conversation, but not so hostile to each other that they would avoid being in the same place. Galen had a wrapped sandwich with him while Suzaku calmly ate his own packed lunch that he had made that morning. Suzaku finished the last of his homemade lunch with a bitter taste in his mouth. He began to sip from his bottled water as he stared into space.

This silence is the only thing helping me cope. I'm glad Galen is a naturally quiet guy, or else I'd feel like having to spill all of my problems on him. He's got enough to worry about to still be traumatized up to this point.

“Hey.” Galen interrupted Suzaku's thoughts.

“What?” Suzaku answered.

“Is there any meaning to groping a girl?” Galen asked in a monotone voice.

Suzaku nearly choked on his water from Galen's extremely blunt question.

~~~What~~~

“W-What!? I mean, it's pretty rare, but I don't think there's any real significance to it. Other than eternal hatred, I suppose.” Suzaku was still recovering from his near-death experience, leaving him no time to think clearly.

“Not the vibe I'm getting. This was...different.”

“What do you mean?” Suzaku's curiosity took over now.

“I met someone different. Not bad or good, just different. I've done it before, but this was different.” Galen look down at his open hand, imitating the motion he made in the nurse's office.

“You've groped girls before?” Suzaku raised an eyebrow, thinking his (sort of) friend was lying.

“With their permission, of course. I thought nothing of it. This was different.”

“What was so different about it?”

“Fear and intent; there was none. No fear of my wrath, no real intent other than curiosity.” Galen's voice became more serious.

“If you knew about all of this, then why ask me?” Suzaku felt like this whole conversation was meaningless.

“Charm...you have it. I saw you during your intro; you asked everyone to face you as you spoke. No words, no hand motions, just being there made them listen. If you groped someone, it would probably be because they want you to.”

“Then what about you? How did grope girls before this?” Suzaku was interested in this topic now that he started to understand Galen's thinking.

“Fear and intent, of course. It was influence; the fear and the intent of it.” He said dryly.

“Whose?” Suzaku asked, knowing it was the sensible next step.

“The Rennings Corporation; my group.” He said after a pause.

A few minutes passed after Galen finished his sentence for Suzaku to process it all in his mind.

“You own the Rennings Corporation? They're the largest technology group in America! How is it even possible for you to own the whole thing!?” Suzaku had his suspicions during Galen's introduction, but never thought they were true.

“I don't own it. I'm only part of the leading group within it.” Galen elaborated.

“Can you...clarify that?” Suzaku saw Galen bristle at the question, so he scooted away a few feet.

“The Rennings family, I'm the next heir.” Galen managed to choke out while holding back his anger.

“I thought the Rennings family didn't have an heir.” Suzaku say the news report years ago about the last heir to the Rennings Corporation suddenly dying at home.

“They don't. Not anymore...” Galen got up and threw away the wrapper from his sandwich, gesturing to Suzaku that they should get back to class. Not one to complain, especially after hearing such a story from Galen, Suzaku cleaned up his lunch and followed.

~~~IWonder~~~

The rest of the day passed quickly without any other events in Suzaku's class. After the sixth and final period, Suzaku turned to Irea after Galen left the room. He had a serious look in his eyes that told her that he was determined to work on a job with her.

“I want to help Galen Rennings.” Suzaku asked.

“What reason do you have to help him?” Irea didn't seem at all surprised.

“His past; it's horrible. I heard him talk a bit about his family, but he hated them with every cell in his body. It was like he wasn't even a part of the Rennings family.” He remembered the dull and distant look in Galen's eyes as he talked about his family.

“Did he tell you himself or did you assume it?” Irea continued looking blankly at Suzaku.

“I assumed it, but he is still in need of our help.”

“No. I cannot join you in this endeavor. Unless he truly wants the assistance, it will not come to him; those are the rules.”, she looked down for a moment before placing a list on the desk in front of her, “If you ask for my opinion, I think she will be best suited as our first case.”

Suzaku looked at where Irea pointed on the list and read the name aloud, “Rena Smith...why does that sound so familiar?” He glanced at the small snapshot next to the name and tilted his head in confusion; it was a picture of his history teacher. The thought that Irea made a mistake crossed his mind, but it seemed unlikely given the accuracy of the rest of the names. He nods and goes back to his seat to think about how Irea will approach this.

Ever since she told me about that so-called 'secret' during second period, I can't keep my mind off her. I don't really mind being her partner on the job, but couldn't she consider my situation a little more? Well as long as she helps me find a girlfriend in the end, I guess I could help her play matchmaker for a while. 'Find people who seem lonely or saddened and add them to the list when you can. Feel free to make some comments to each name so that we know what we're working with.' So basically, I'm just her information source...annoying.

Suzaku then started thinking about who would be best suited for someone like Ms. Smith. Only one man came to mind and he just happened to be sitting at the teacher's desk with a bored, but satisfied grin on his face.

~~~OhNo~~~

A/N: Welp, that's that for my birthday gift to y'all. The tally would be (I think) "Twin Hearts: 3, House of Animus: 3" Nice work, considering my original plans. Poor Suzaku though, he's stuck helping out Irea in her training as a Cupid and the first case he has is the history teacher. The one man he's got in mind to match her with? He doesn't even look like he should be in a school. (I wonder where I got that from? *hint hint*) Thanks for all of the interest in Twin Hearts, especially during this birthday event which I'm sure you all enjoyed as much as I did. Next chapter should be out sometime near the end of the week.

22: Saturday Shower

A/N: Sorry for the lateness, everyone! Things have become somewhat busy (not busy) for me as college is starting back up. The House of Animus is actually coming along much faster than I imagined, so don't be surprised if I released a few early chapters. Twin Hearts is somewhat moving, considering my steadily growing writers' block for it. And in other news, Rise of Decay may be making a revival from hiatus, so there may be hope yet for that story. Oh, and before reading this chapter, please note that my opinions are my own and they should not be attacked in any way. Thanks for the support and enjoy!

~~~INeedAdvice~~~

“Um...Mr. Everest?”

“Just call me Cy or Ev, no need to address me so formally.”

“Fine, Mr. Ever-Rest.”

“That's very funny. What did you want me for?”

“You graduated from here, didn't you? Are you married?”

“Not everyone who graduates from this school gets married or finds love; it's only superstition. Why are you so curious about it...Suzaku?” His smile hardened slightly, but he maintained a happy mood.

Suzaku held a neutral face, watching for any changes in his teacher's mood as he spoke, “I just assumed you could help me in finding my own 'twin heart', but since you could not find yours, I might regret asking.”

“No, it's good that you ask. I'm only worried that you might not be interested in this sort of thing.

The way you talked about wanting a girlfriend so casually yesterday, I thought the idea of love was lost on you.” Ev's face darkened for a second, then reverted to it's normal brightness.

“It's quite the opposite, really. I'm more involved in finding love than I ever imagined before; it's really bothering me now.”

“Huh...you know, I was in the very same spot as you are now during my time here. I got through class, built friendships, and one day decided that I wanted to find my own twin heart. It turns out that there may not be a 'twin heart' for everyone here...” Ev's eyes dulled with a sense of distance clouding them.

“I'm sorry if it brought up bad memories, sir.” Suzaku felt pity for his teacher.

“It's all in the past now, nothing to be addressed at this point. If you would like, I can talk to you some more about this on the weekend. Is Saturday sounding good to you?” Ev's eyes restored to their normal caring gleam as a smile stayed affixed on his face.

“Sure, I can talk with you on Saturday. Where will we meet?” Suzaku was getting somewhere with Ev. Maybe this first case wouldn't be as hard as he initially thought.

“How about the fountain in the center of town? I know a nice cafe where we can get lunch, if you want.”

“Okay, it's settled then. I'll see you Saturday.” With that, Suzaku left the classroom and headed home as Ev finished his work for the day.

~~~Saturday~~~

The morning sunlight peeked in through the closed curtains, illuminating the bedroom. Suzaku sat up in his bed and yawned, looking at the alarm clock beside his bed. “6:30 AM” it read, prompting a groan from Suzaku. He sighed, got out of bed, and walked across the hall to the bathroom. As soon as he brushed his teeth, he went back to his room and picked out some casual clothes for his meeting with Ev today. After placing the set of clothes on the bathroom sink, Suzaku started showering.

Unbeknownst to him however, Kira just happened to wake up at that same moment. Normally Suzaku would not be bothered at all by this, but this morning he just happened to leave the bathroom door unlocked in his tired daze. Kira walked to the bathroom yawning and in a daze, casually opening the door without noticing anything out of the ordinary. She went about her business on the toilet, yawning again before realizing that the shower was running. Suzaku couldn't hear anything over the sound of the shower, nor did expect Kira to be awake at this hour, so once he shut off the shower, reached for his towel and wrapped it around his waist...all hell broke loose.

“Aaaaahhhhh!!” Kira screamed so loud that it woke up Alex, who lived two blocks away.

“Hm? You're awake already Kira?” Suzaku was completely unfazed by the awkwardness of the situation.

“W-W-W-What the hell are you doing in here?”

“Isn't it obvious? I came here to take a shower and you just happened to walk in on me.” Suzaku was right, of course. No matter how awkward this whole moment might be, he cared little for being embarrassed with Kira; she was the one who walked in, after all.

“C-C-Can't you see that I'm busy here!? Just get out!!” Kira's face was a deep red as she watched her brother calmly pick up his clothes and walk out of the bathroom.

~~~BreakfastTime~~~

Suzaku put on a clean apron and got to work on preparing breakfast for Kira and himself. As he cracked eggs and set them into the frying pan, he couldn't help but think back to that accident with Kira just 5 minutes ago.

She had every reason to embarrassed, but it seems like it's a bit much. We've taken baths together as kids and that didn't really stop until we started middle school. I wonder what's got her so flustered lately...unless it's that. Yeah right, like incest would ever be on her mind. Still, she walked in on me and had she not been busy with her own business, I would have chased her out myself. I must admit, she's grown into a beautiful girl. I hope she can accept one of the boys that confesses to her this year...

The sounds of a sliding chair and soft footsteps pulled Suzaku out of his thoughts. He looked down at the omelet he was making and went back into his routine. Kira's intense glare at her brother gave the impression that she was looking through him and Suzaku felt it immediately. He couldn't delay breakfast any longer, so he concentrated on the omelets. Once the omelets were set on the table, Suzaku responded to Kira's staring with a confused look of his own as he sat down and started eating. Normally anyone who is caught under that stare would be intimidated, but Suzaku has experienced it enough to stare back. So, the staring match began between brother and sister.

It would have lasted longer than one minute, had they not been interrupted by the doorbell's ringing.

“Good morning~!” Alex stood in the doorway.

“That's beyond creepy, even for a stalker.” Suzaku ducked his head just as the punch came towards him.

“I told you I'm not a stalker. I'm only doing this to make sure you aren't getting into trouble.” Alex walked past Suzaku into his house.

“You know today is Saturday, right? There's no need for you to be with me on the weekends.” Suzaku continued the conversation as he walked with Alex to the kitchen.

“Yeah, but a certain someone's scream woke me up, and I'm pretty sure it was-”, Alex stopped mid sentence as soon as she saw Kira sitting at the table, “What did he do this time?”

“It was my fault, actually. I was too careless to notice the signs before it happened.” Kira answered in a cryptic tone.

“Hey could you not make it sound like that? She's going to get the wrong idea about us and it is not something to exaggerate.”, Suzaku turned to Alex and offered her a seat before continuing, “Kira...kinda walked in on me while I was taking a shower-” *whoosh* Suzaku dodged Alex's punch, as well as the following barrage.

“I ought to kill you right now! You have any idea how unbelievably close you are to losing any chance of having children!?” Alex fumed at Suzaku's oddly calm expression.

“Like I said, she walked in on me, while I was taking a shower so it's really her fault for not noticing the sound of running water when she walked in.” Suzaku was not going to be punished for being the victim, not even for this.

“Clench. Your. Teeth. Suzu.” Alex was furious at Suzaku's utter lack of care for the situation. She reared back her fist and in a flash unleashed the powerful punch at Suzaku's face.

“...Ow, that would've hurt if it landed. Nice flash punch, but you need to move faster than that to hit me.” Suzaku called from the front door just as his after-image vanished in front of Alex's surprised eyes. The time approached for Suzaku to meet with his teacher, so he left home and started walking to the center of town.

~~~WellPlayedSuzu~~~

A/N: Remember that disclaimer I put at the beginning of the chapter? Yeah, it's for the scene with Alex attacking Suzu. Kira walked in on him, so there should be no punishment at all in his direction, but with double standards these days...I won't say anymore. Suzaku shares my views on them, so I don't need to address it. Again, I must repeat, this is my opinion on them and by extension how much I think they are a complete waste. The next chapter will bring in some sneaky characters and if you remember Chapter 15, then you'll exactly what I'm talking about.

23: A Cupid's True Nature

A/N: I don't think I can apologize enough to you all for my lateness...so I'll spare you the trouble of having to read a page-long of apology. The main reason I haven't been updating Twin Hearts as frequently is because of my recent focus on The House of Animus, which recently is gathering momentum. I'm going to try my best to keep up with Twin Hearts, but I also plan to be ending this story in...about 20 more chapters or so. The House of Animus will be much shorter and ending much quicker than Twin Hearts, but if you all want me to change pace on any of these stories, PM me and I'll consider your suggestions. Enough dabbling now, enjoy the chapter, review it, send me hate mail, do what you please from this point on.

~~~SuzakuMeetsWithEv~~~

Suzaku browsed through his phone in boredom. Fifteen minutes of waiting took its toll on him, and he was just about to reach his threshold for patience before he considered walking back home to read manga. Luckily (or not), he saw Ev walking towards the fountain once he put his phone away. His teacher had a woman holding onto his arm in an affectionate way that made Suzaku question the supposed 'integrity' that all teachers should have. After waving away his escort, Ev turned to look at Suzaku but grew confused by his student's critical gaze.

“Hello to you too...?” He innocently asked.

“Are you sure you aren't married?”

“Yeah, I'm pretty sure my finger is free of any kind of ring.” Ev held his hand up to Suzaku, proving his point.

“You could've gotten married without the ring, so how am I supposed to be sure?” Suzaku would not let it go without some kind of rational proof.

“Just trust me on this. I don't think I would ever be this relaxed if I had gotten married.”, Ev started to laugh, but his facade faltered as Suzaku stayed silent, “When we get back in school, I'll show you the list of 'Twin Hearts' in my graduating class. You'll see that my name is not on there.” Ev's eyes dimmed slightly, but retained the same jovial quality they normally held.

“Okay, it's a deal then. My next question is, who was that woman you came here with?”

Ev started to sweat lightly as he opened and closed his mouth several times to think of a proper explanation. This only made Suzaku more suspicious, but he let his teacher think out of courtesy.

“That was...an old friend of mine from my graduating class. She insisted on having breakfast with me. Seriously, that's all; nothing more than that.”

“Hmm...that's mighty shady of you, especially when you're supposed to be helping me deal with love stuff.”

“Oh I am, I haven't forgotten what we're here for. So, tell me from the beginning.” Ev projected a small hint of a command, but kept the mood casual.

“Well, there's this girl in class that catches my eye, but I can't tell whether she really is worth the effort...”

“It's Irea, isn't it?” Ev's jovial nature vanished as he assumed a more serious face.

“How did you know?” Suzaku hadn't told anyone about his partnership with the Cupid.

“Anyone who graduated from Twin Hearts knows about her race and what they do. Trust me, Suzaku, she's not the kind of girl you should have feelings for. It's forbidden for her kind to pursue relationships, especially with humans like us. If she's thinking of getting close to you, then don't let her. The happiness of everyone else is more valuable than her own and she knows it.”

“...That's not true.”

“What are you saying? She's not human and her job allows no room for romance. I know it's sad, but if she gave up her work, then hundreds of other couples would cease to be.”

“It doesn't matter! She deserves the same chance as everyone else!”, Suzaku was just as surprised as Ev, but he couldn't stop himself when his friend was being attacked like this, “I don't know much about her or how important she really is, but to say she can't be a part of her work...it's unacceptable.”

“Is it really though? If you need to sacrifice the happiness of one person to ensure that of thousands more, wouldn't you do it? Irea may be a new face in all of this, but that is the one lesson that they burn into all of the Cupids. It's not something they can just ignore for their own selfish desires.” Ev knew exactly why Suzaku was angry, but he also knew that this is a terrible path to take.

~~~IsItReallyWrongThough~~~

Suzaku stood up after a long silence since Ev finished speaking.

“What I understand is that there will always be a hole in her heart and that she's going to be hurt no matter how many couples she forms. It's not fair that she has to harden her heart so much despite how closely she works with the love-lives of others.” the anger silently boiled within Suzaku.

“The world's not fair, you know that, and heaven's no different. I've been in the exact same spot as you are now and you know how I got through it? I left it alone. I didn't want to fight against the rules because I knew that it was for the best and I didn't want to see others around me looking as lonely. If an angel falls in love with a human, then they'll become fallen. Can you take the responsibility of knowing you took away everything that Irea knew as a pure angel?”

“I still stand by my decision. If she chooses to try and get closer to me, then I won't push her away. If she wants us to stay as friends, then that's fine too. At the very least, Irea should be allowed to choose what happens with her love-life.” Suzaku was not protecting Irea, merely defending his ideals; Irea's approval was a small part of it.

Ev did nothing but stare, critically observing his student's expression for any hint of the stagger he always saw after such absolute statements. He saw nothing but trie belief in Suzaku's eyes.

“...Despite how hopeless your choice sounds, it's not an impossible goal. I respect your judgment on this, but I only ask that you be careful. Heaven is not as forgiving as most people say, and they will stop at nothing to make sure their rules still stand.” Ev let go of his sternness and slowly relaxed into his normal joyful nature.

“Right...thanks for understanding, though.” Suzaku felt much lighter now that all of his stress with Irea over the last few days was out in the open.

~~~LetsMoveOn~~~

“Hahaha, tell that to me again!” Ev said in between laughs.

Both men sat quietly discussing their problems in a cafe that Ev often frequented.

“It's not funny at all. This is your future that we're talking about. Besides, you were the one who said 'Twin Hearts don't exist for everyone.' How can you not jump at the chance to finally find one after all these years? The legend goes that each person is unique belongs to one and only one other person, the respective 'Twin Heart'. If this is someone you've cared so strongly for in the past, then maybe you still have a shot at dating.” Suzaku couldn't understand why his teacher was so adamantly avoiding the topic.

“It's been 7 years since I graduated from Twin Hearts, do you really think that the legend still holds true after all this time?” Ev said after a sip of his coffee.

“What if you're wrong though, and that one person you loved still feels the same as you?”

“If you're so sure about this, then who is this person that's meant for me?” Ev narrowed his eyes in a kind and playful way only he could pull off.

“You'll meet her soon enough, once the weekend's over.” Suzaku sipped his ice tea as he calmly started to relax into his cool distant nature.

“You know, the cool guy act is fine in the classroom, but doing all the time is kinda much, don't you think?” Ev enjoyed this time with Suzaku all the same.

“Not really. I'm not the kind of guy who likes to have lots of friends, just a few close companions.” Suzaku's expression may have changed, but the kind nature underneath still remained.

“I know what you mean; I was the same way. I wonder if one of my friends is still able to talk to me after what I did...” Ev's eyes clouded partially, but it looked like an accepted pain instead of an unnecessary one.

“What did you do, if I may ask?”

“I asked her out just before exams, but she turned me down and we never spoke to each other again after that. Even now, there hasn't said one word spoken between us. The funny thing is, she's supposedly teaching at Twin Hearts just like me; I doubt that I would recognize her though.”

“What is her name?” This got Suzaku interested as this may be one of the rare chances that he could confirm the accuracy of Irea's list of pairings.

“Rena, Rena Smith. We've known each other since we were kids, so I thought it would be alright if we started dating, but I guess I was wrong.”

“If you say so; things can change faster than you think, Mr. Ever-Rest.” Suzaku gave a small smirk as he took another sip of his drink.

“Jeez, are you going to keep calling me that from now on? If this turns into a school-wide trend, then no one will take me seriously as a teacher...”

“Right...as if you weren't sleeping as school ended 3 days ago.” Suzaku drawled.

“S-Shut up!” Ev shouted, secretly enjoying this time he was spending with his now-favorite student.

~~~OhEv~~~

A/N: Not my best chapter, but it certainly moves the story along. What can Suzaku do since it's Heaven-decreed that angels cannot fall in love? I could get into religious debate, but that would take too long. Ev is definitely not the formal, boring, everyday teacher that we all love to see, but I think he's better this way. Even so, who would've thought that Ev would be destined to be with the history teacher? *Hands raise* Okay that was a rhetorical question, but whatever. The House of Animus will be held off for a bit while I focus back on this story. In the near future, I plan to release a poll for Twin Hearts, so I'd like all of you to vote on it once it comes out. Please review, favorite, follow, and PM me your thoughts on this story so far as well as anything else of mine. See you all again in the next chapter!

24: It's a Date, Then

A/N: Finally, after...1.5 weeks, I'm proud to bring you all this next chapter of Twin Hearts. If you all want to about why I've been so behind, please read my profile update but in short, this has been a slow month for me in general. The House of Animus will have its next chapter after this, so be ready to check that out as well. To all of you loyal readers out there who still stuck with me despite my slow progress, thank you for all of your support. I'm a writer, but I'm also human so there will be times where I will not be able to measure up to your expectations. Even still, I'm happy for all of the popularity that Twin Hearts has gotten so far and I hope it will continue that way. Enough sentiment out of me, let's move on to the chapter!

~~~BackFromLunch~~~

“It's about time, Suzu. I was starting to think you were avoiding me.”

The first sight that met Suzaku's eyes caused him to cringe so much that he almost wanted to go back into town. Unfortunately, all of the books he wanted to read were at home and a certain blonde girl just had to greet him as he returned.

“Why are you still here? I thought you would've gone home since I wasn't around for you to 'watch so closely'.” Suzaku did not openly hate Alex for doing her duty, but that didn't mean he couldn't tease her sometimes.

“Nah, I've got some business with you still and I wanted to see Kira anyway. It's a good thing you're already dressed today because you and me are going on a date-” Alex held her chest out triumphantly before being pushed out of the way by an oncoming Suzaku.

“Wake me when dinner comes around, okay Kira?” Suzaku merely ignored Alex as he started to climb the stairs to his room. Had he not been tired, he could've easily dodged the outstretched hand that seized the back of his shirt collar. Unable (more like unwilling) to resist, Suzaku let out an audible sigh and turned his head back to Alex, who wore a smug grin on her face as she basked in her minor victory over Suzaku's refusal.

Kira simply looked on passively while her emotions were mixing in a storm of general worry. She admired Alex for how direct she was at expressing her feelings, but disliked her at the same time. Alex would probably confess to Suzu first, but Kira wouldn't give up. After all, she lived with Suzu, so their already-strong bond can only get deeper from this point on. Ever since their parents had left them, she had always felt a tinge of loneliness, especially when they were at school and even now when she would be denied a perfect Saturday with her beloved brother. Despite all of it, Kira remained calm in her expression and kept thinking about how much of an advantage she has over any girl that her brother might encounter.

“Kira, want to come along?” Suzaku's voice jarred Kira out of her thoughts.

“Suzu, you understand what a date is, right? This is only for the two of us.” Alex raised an eyebrow at Kira's attempt to win Suzu over, but continued to drag him towards the door.

“Wait, I'll come; it would feel really lonely by myself without you here, Suzu.” Kira's response stopped Alex in her tracks as she delivered a dark glare from behind Suzaku. He felt the evil intent, but chose not to address it as he flashed a smile at Kira.

“I'd be lonely too, so that why we need to spend time together. Even if it's with a violent stalker girl who never seems to get enough of me...” Suzaku smirked at Alex, who silently stared back at him.

“...Fine, let's all go together; you're treating us, Suzu.” Alex let loose an unnerving smile, which oddly made Suzaku's smirk grow.

“Where do you want to go, Suzu? I'm happy as long as it's with you...” Kira fastened herself to her brother's arm and looked up at him with adoring eyes. Unfortunately, he took her statement as a show of love for him as a brother.

“I've got the perfect place for us to go.” Suzaku smiled as he led the girls to the center of town, where he first met with Ev for lunch.

~~~SurpriseGuestAppearance~~~

“What was your name again?” Suzaku asked to the girl sitting across from him.

“I told already, it's Stella! S-t-e-l-l-a! You know, Ana's friend and Galen's lover?” Just as Stella finished clarifying her identity, Alex inhaled too sharply and accidentally took in some of the juice she was sipping. Her sharp breaths continued as Kira tried to calm her down and stop the straw from getting sucked in as well. Galen only gave a brief snort in response while Suzaku laughed quietly.

Alex recovered shortly, only to burst into a blush and trip over her words as she looked between Galen and Stella, occasionally sending a glance at Suzaku, who sat next to her. Suzaku and Kira simply looked at her with slight surprise.

“L-L-Lover!? W-W-When did y-you two d-d-do it!? You know it's against school, no, moral codes to be doing that kind of stuff at our age!” Alex swayed slightly in confusion before starting to feel faint.

“Didn't we agree on this after you stayed over my house on the first day of school?” Stella asked Galen, oblivious to the huge misunderstanding that her question would cause.

“Hmm, yes. I believe we did.” Galen did nothing but further the confusion, despite knowing what was going through everyone's, mostly Alex's, mind.

“Okay, could you two knock it off? Alex is about two words away from fainting and it really sounds creepy the way you both are saying it.” As amusing it was for Suzaku, he didn't feel like having to watch over an unconscious Alex.

“Stella, was it? When you called yourself Galen's 'lover', what did you mean by that?” Kira tentatively asked.

“I'm his girlfriend, of course! We agreed on this date today when he stayed at my house after getting hurt from the fight.” Stella's bubbly mood continued on.

“Fight? What fight?” Alex fully recovered after the mention of a fight on school grounds.

“Suzaku and I fought. I won.” Galen took a sip of his iced tea as he looked on with apparent interest.

“Then I took poor Galen home to nurse his pesky scrapes~” Stella chimed in musically.

“Don't make it sound like I'm some stray puppy you just took in from the streets...” Galen raised an eyebrow, both at Stella and the fact that he was starting to speak in more than 2-3 words at a time.

Must be from hanging out with her too much. Not that I hate it or anything... Galen thought to himself as he resumed his silent sips.

“Suzu, why were two fighting in the first place?” Alex turned to the boy next to her, a dark tone in her outwardly calm voice.

“No reason, Galen just asked me to have a friendly spar with him. It just got so serious that he couldn't help but get hurt.” Suzaku gave a glance to Galen, who shrugged in response.

“You got a nasty cut though, plus a bruised cheek.” Galen countered with his own comment, further backing Suzaku into a corner.

“How are those ribs feeling?” If Suzaku was getting into trouble, at least he would drag Galen in with him.

“Healed barely, thanks to her.” He gestured towards Stella, who simply hugged Galen's arm, oblivious to everything around her.

~~~IWonderWhy~~~

“How did all of this happen again? How did we all meet here, today?” Kira asked aloud after a few minutes of casual conversation.

“Now that I think about it, it is really weird how much of a coincidence this was.” Suzaku wondered as well.

“Wasn't much to it, really. I asked Stella out today and we just happened to be coming to this cafe at the same time as you three.” Galen explained.

“What else have you two done? Have you made out yet?” Kira pressed Galen.

“We haven't-” Galen started to answer before being cut off by Stella.

“Of course, we made out great at my house! My parents and my brother approved of him instantly after that!”

“You two...made...out...” Alex flushed, but held her ground knowing about Stella's vague details.

“We both got permission for this date, is what Stella is saying.” Galen calmly interpreted for Alex's sake.

Suzaku drank the rest of his ice tea and waved his hand to the nearest waitress for a refill. His face fell as soon as she came by, and both met in a gaze of familiar faces. His shocked green eyes fell upon shrinking hazel ones as his jaw dropped open at the one person he had least expected to see on a Saturday afternoon: Ana Cieri. What's more is that her waitress uniform looked quite cute on her. Ana trembled lightly under her crush's look, but stood firm so that she would not drop the tray of drinks she carried.

“Would you like a refill, sir?” She asked warily.

“Uh, sure. Take your time, I wouldn't want to rush you.” Suzaku averted his eyes slightly without fully looking away, a soft blush appearing on his face.

As soon as Ana moved on to take other orders, Suzaku's attention was directed back onto Alex. She leaned her body against his gently, just enough to feel him without looking too romantic to their friends. Galen looked on indifferently, but said nothing since he had to worry about Stella first. He put his hand on her shoulder, silencing her from anything else confusing and pull her close. Stella visibly steamed as she felt Galen's hand and in that moment of her confusion, she did something that no one expected from the two of them: as soon as Galen touched her, Stella whirled to face him and kissed him with all of her passion.

~~~ThatIsMoreThanUnnerving~~~

A/N: Wow...that Stella. She's even more straightforward than Alex, and completely shameless. Alex had the courage to lean up against Suzaku, but Stella went straight in for the kiss with Galen! No one is getting out of this without some sort of emotional scarring. I'll make sure that the next chapter comes out soon, so bear with me. Thanks again for all of your support on this story thus far and I hope you can all forgive me for my slowness. The next chapter will have a focus on Suzaku's work with Irea, so that should be quite something to read about!