queerpassion

Moving

2006-10-07T19:36:47Z

I feel like this journal is festering. Don't ask me why, I'm just being irrational, but the result is that I'm moving to bloomyeglantier

I need a fresh start maaaaan.

SO if you would like to continue reading my stuff, please add me there!

Much appreciated, sorry for the bother!

Untitled - Ni~yaxSakito - Chapter One

2006-10-05T21:17:53Z

Title: Under Consideration
Author: etoilerose
Band: Nightmare
Pairing: Ni~yaxSakito
Rating: 12 (I feel English today 8D)
Disclaimer: None of this happened and they aren't miiine
Genre: AU, supernaturally
Notes: I have this slight obsession at the moment, as well as a want for experimentation that led me to write this. Remembrance... I don't know what's happening with that. We'll see. I have a feeling the writing descends in standard as we go along. Um... think of a title for me? T___T;

C H A P T E R O N E

Sakito pulled the creamy fabric of his soft, thick blazer tighter to his slender frame as he walked, watching the paces of his urgently hurried feet as if any terrifying person or mere shadow that stalked the darkened streets would be deterred merely by the simple fact that he could not see them. He hated this route. Hated it so that he always walked in such a manner- wrapped his arms tight around himself in simulation of another’s comforting embrace, striding as if he could deny the presence of his surroundings through simple feigned ignorance. But as uncomfortable as it made him, this was by far the quickest way to reach his home and with it, the soft, warm bed that he so craved after such a long day; and for once he was not willing to weave a detour through major streets as often he would.

Anxious, his fingers tapped a rhythm against the waist they were pressed against; daring his limbs to try and match the rate and quickening the moment they got anywhere close. Somehow the night had a different aura to that of its usual, and the dirty buildings either side of him leered down at his inability to discern whether the change was for better, worse or… merely a change. Much to Sakito’s irritation, their scorn was not dispelled, for the only difference he could notice in the air was that it was colder than the last time he had travelled the course earlier in the year- too cold. His watering eyes told him, squeezed shut against the chilling wind, and the whipped red hue of his cheeks and ears. Too cold, far too cold. Surely he was almost home now?!

It didn’t take him long to slip into a daydream of said destination, but just as he was contemplating the toppings for a well-deserved hot chocolate, something vaguely soft hit his foot and, even as his arms flailed out for something to maintain upright posture, his knees connected jarringly with the icy, hard concrete, all too quickly followed by bare palms that were the only barrier between his face and a painful imprinting of gravel.

For a moment he was still, not daring to move as he willed the pain of impact to subside. However, as it began to ebb, he slowly pushed himself up, removing his feet from their perch on the cause of his fall. He dusted his jacket down subconsciously, before halting the movement as his downcast eyes registered the form of the obstruction.

It was a man. Such an irony that a simple, everyday sight- something he saw thousands of on a daily basis could be so astounding when uncovered in this certain place, time and way. Yet as Sakito leaned closer, warning bells jangling in his head and preparing him to leap away, the situation continued to get furthermore outrageous.

For this person below him was a true oxymoron. There he lay, sprawled across the filthy street unconscious in the undeniably true manner of a (to put it correctly, Sakito thought to himself) homeless person; and yet his clothes were terribly elegant, even in the eyes of the discerningly fashion-savvy observer, and seemed to be utterly unworn but for a recent splattering of mud barely perceptible beneath the dim amber streetlights from the dark fabrics that clothed his entire body. However, even more so than the respectable attire, it was his face that captivated Sakito’s attention, convincing him beyond doubt that he was dealing with no common vagrant. Totally, utterly, ashen white. His skin was beyond the pallor even of one who had not once been exposed to sunlight, and the bleached tresses that fell to dirty themselves in slushy puddles near matched the hue, seeming all the paler for the contrast provided by their roots- deeply raven in a manner which seemed purposeful, and perhaps was. But it was the expression that commanded the fallen’s features that truly fascinated the eye- for even though his were obscured it held a startling resonance uncommon when the so called ‘windows to the soul’ are curtained. He held the look of someone who truly believed himself to be above the world, yet, though such an assumption would usually sour Sakito’s prejudging at once, in this instance he found it captivating, and all the more so for the undercurrents that it barely, barely revealed- the fear and pain whom had obviously been so painstakingly suppressed until finally they had risen enough to steal away awareness even as the stony façade was maintained.

It was this striking confusion of emotion, as well as the starkly pallid state of his complexion, that convinced Sakito he was obliged to aid the man in some way, and could not possible merely evacuate the scene and pretend they had never crossed paths, so to speak. So it was that he knelt swiftly, pressing a palm to a portion of exposed arm before his eyes widened in horror and he flinched back. The skin was utterly devoid of warmth, chilled as if the last dregs of life had seeped into the ground hours past and if it were not for the steady though slight rise and fall of his chest, it would have been beyond belief that he clung still to life. Yet this small sign was enough to convince Sakito to brave the unsettling sensation of the other’s flesh and to grip him once more, hands shaking slightly.
‘Excuse me? Are you alright?’ he inquired, mentally shooting his senseless query down the moment it left his lips. Of course he was not alright! And it was made evident, for he stirred only in the slightest, parting his lips a fraction as if he intended to continue the motion and speak, but never proceeded to this stage.

Eyebrows furrowing slightly in an instinctive display of concern, Sakito shook the arm again, releasing his hold to burrow desperately into his pocket when there was no response. How had this man ended up so?! It was a bitter night, but surely not severe enough to cause such malady, and there was the matter of his attire- so unsuited to the backdrop against which he lay. Who was he, and why of all places, was he here? Before he could begin to consider the answers to the questions he had posed himself, Sakito’s fingers closed around a rounded, plastic object and he pulled it out with relief, flipping up the cover and keying in the number of the local hospital, something he knew by now justified precaution rather than former necessity.

Typical.

No signal. Cursing under his breath, he dialled the number again, stuffing the phone back into his jacket when the effort once again proved to be fruitless. For a moment he was motionless, at a loss. A statue of good samaritanism as he tried to come to any conclusion other than the one that came to mind… but it was useless. His only option was to move the man- it wasn’t far to his apartment now after all- and just pray to the heavens that he was no axe murderer with a very cunning game plan. Of course, this was all very well, Sakito mused, but the matter of whether he could in reality transport him was quite another. Anticipating failure he braced himself, attempting to lift the upper half of the other’s body, before almost dropping it as he found, to much astonishment, that it proved to be barely an endeavour at all.

With utmost care he tried to hoist the limp figure upwards, thinking as he did so how much of a good job it was that it’s condition did not appear to be the result of some physical fall, and that he really should have considered that. Either way, it was too late now, and the matter at hand was getting to somewhere warm, safe and in possession of a telephone.

Sakito was never entirely sure of how he managed to get home, but supporting, dragging and near-carrying; he arrived and fumbled the door open with numb, tired hands, finally releasing his burden onto an invitingly squashy sofa. Turning, he made to grab his landline in yet another bid for medical help, and froze. For so suddenly he was almost compelled to check his heart was still beating, a hand had flown out and clasped his wrist, tight, and there it remained, sharp nails digging ever so slightly into the tender skin that veiled his arteries.

‘Don’t call them.’

Sakito twisted to see his rescuee, head raised slightly and eyes brimming with the senseless request. His voice was weak, yet held the assurance of one who knows how to get their way that his demand would be followed. And of course, it was, though with great unease.

‘Are you sure…?’

The man did not speak, did not even dip his head in response, but he regarded Sakito with eyes that clearly held the answer.

‘I will just rest here.’ He finally replied, giving no sense of requesting the pleasure of such an action before relaxing his neck and lying once more, darkly ringed eyes sliding closed without the suggestion of a flutter. And there stood his host, astounded and not a little irritated, for he had not at all intended to put up the stranger for an entire night and was hardly thrilled at the thought of trying to sleep with god-knows-who camping out in his living room… yet he could really think of no alternative now. Already he seemed to be sleeping once more, and he could hardly just be dumped off outside the doorstep now. Even ignoring the ethics of the situation Sakito was deeply opposed to going against the proud, confident undercurrents of the voice with which he had just spoken. No… it was best to leave the situation for now, and have an extensive gripe to Hitsugi over the qualms it had caused him in the morning, when he could hopefully ensure his surprise guest long gone.

Therefore, after watching the sleeper for perhaps another minute in an attempt to still his suspicion, Sakito made his way with slight reluctance into his bedroom, changing his dampened clothes with fatigued relief. Rasping a toothbrush around his mouth and washing his face, he was finally able to slide beneath his duvet and, even as he thought bitterly that he could never get a moment of respite under the conditions, he slipped into a heavy slumber.

Remembrance - Ni~yaxSakito - Chapter 2

2006-09-07T20:32:32Z

Title: Remembrance
Author: etoilerose
Band: Nightmare
Pairing: Ni~yaxSakito
Rating: PG-15
Disclaimer: Don't own them, didn't happen D: No need to rub it in!
Summary: Ni~ya is a person who lives in the present, and right now it's doing him just fine. However, with his long lost slightly-more-than-best-friend Sakito from a decade past suddenly crashing back into his world, memories are sure to try and surface once more.
Notes: Aah I know I said I'd update fast, sorry!! I'm not going to say that this time because I'm back at school, and I feel ill all the time, and I don't want to be half-heartedly writing NiSaki! I hope this is up to scratch.

Previous Chapters

C H A P T E R T W O

‘Ni~ya..?’

The utterance was barely a question, yet it held such a note, along with the breathy sound of incredulousness and the tentative reaffirmation that it was in fact he standing awkwardly in the doorframe. For Ni~ya had changed. The former mottled silvers of his hair had been dulled by a natural monotone black, and though the fall over his face was of a similar nature, the eyes it shadowed were no longer lined in black and there lurked a tiredness within them that spoke clearly of a demanding career. Nevertheless the sight brought to Sakito a twinge of the being that was almost physically painful. For a moment the two stared at each other, as if neither had yet come to terms with the bizarre coincidence leading to their reunion, until before either could consider it, the silence was broken for them as a curious head popped up over Ni~ya’s shoulder.

‘Oh, you found a tenant then!’

The raven haired man looked backwards with an annoyance of the long suffering form in which one simply looses the will to retaliate.

‘No Ruka, I haven’t, so if you would get your nose out-’

But before he could complete his request, Sakito, whose eyes had widened considerably at the former statement, found his voice, and the words came out in a rush before he could think to hold them back.

‘I’ve been looking for an apartment here for ages!!’

His incredulous beam was mirrored by the brunette new arrival, but met by Ni~ya with a surprise only accented by an uneasy smile that was not the most natural of gestures.

‘Well… I’m not actually…’

‘What?! For the past month you’ve been moaning about the rent, and the place being too big for one person anyway… we haven’t heard the end of it!’

Ni~ya’s expression became increasingly terse, though with the near childlike delight of the current occupant of his dormant so apparent, he had no choice but to maintain a friendly expression. When he did not answer, his friend- debatable as the term was- continued.

‘Then that’s settled! Welcome, um…’

He proffered his hand, and it was taken with a grin that as radiant as it was, did not express the full range of suppressed pleasure that was felt by the instigator as he replied warmly.

‘Sakito’

All this was moving too fast for Ni~ya, much too fast, and after watching his neighbour and… whatever the other had been or was to be exchanging pleasantries with a slightly open mouth, he finally tried to put it to the more conventional use.

‘Ru- Sakito- this isn’t- I really wasn’t-’

But the stuttered protests fell on dead and deafened ears as Ruka took over, leading the way to Ni~ya’s abode as if it was his own whilst he trailed behind dully, trying to adjust himself to the idea. He was having trouble paying the rent after all, for though his pay was substantial the price of a home was equally so, but… this was just going to be so awkward! They could never be the same, not ever, and even after all the years the sight of Sakito’s still youthful face produced such stabbing guilt that he could barely look him in the eye. It was a ridiculous situation that he just should not be in, and yet here he was having unconsciously accepted it, how could he get out of it now? It looked as if he must resign to his fate, and hope his premonitions would prove to be wrong.

After a brief flight of stairs Ruka pushed open Ni~ya’s door airily, and Ni~ya at once knew, as he knew every time he left his apartment unattended for the slightest moment, that he was going to have to start locking up no matter what.

‘Yomi!! What are you doing?!’

He pushed past both of his companions, and Sakito peered curiously into the room to see a rather small of stature man sprawled across a sofa, idly skipping over channels and seeming completely unabashed by his discovery.

‘Oh, back already? Just checking out what’s on Sky.’

He continued to press the buttons, until looking up, scandalised, when Ni~ya snatched away the remote, effectively confiscating his control of the television.

‘On my television?!’

‘Well yours has a bigger screen…’

Ruka watched in amusement as one heated retort was met with another, before suddenly remembering the slightly intimidated looking Sakito behind him and moving further in to allow him through the doorframe.

‘So, this is the living room!’

He spoke as if he was selling Ni~ya’s property for him, which was probably a necessary thing in view of how occupied he was in berating an indignant neighbour on the merits of staying in his own apartment over receiving a fist in his face. Leading the way around the assortment of rooms, it would appear he treated the place in much the way as Yomi did, for he knew his way perfectly and acted with a similar amount of respect.

‘Here’s the kitchen… and now we have Ni~ya’s bedroom!’

Eventually they had worked their way back into a loop, to where the argument was still going on, one side taking distinct amusement from the other’s anger.

‘It’s no wonder I’ll never find a roommate! You two practically live here, leaving mess all over the place… who would want to live here at all?!’

Sighing, Ruka walked over and, grabbing Ni~ya’s shoulders, twisted him around to face his visitor, standing timidly amid the unfamiliar surroundings and further so under his gaze.

‘…Me?’

*

Leaving his home, and doing so with his belongings safely under lock and key, seemed to relax Ni~ya, and he even began to exchange snippets of conversation with Sakito as they walked, the small phrases and questions met in earnest. It took some time before his slender brunette companion recognised a familiar signpost, and was posed with the question of whether they were indeed heading anywhere at all.

‘Um... Ni? Where are we going?’

A slight colouring of the face in response to the term of endearment was the only answer given, for a destination had not entered the thoughts of the one leading the way, his sole, overriding aim having been to escape the ever irritating presence of his two ‘friends’. Their footsteps seem to resound clearly in the space of silence that followed, before Sakito broke it without ceremony, his hand moving to Ni~ya’s arm on impulse.

‘Let’s go in there then!’

Starting, the other averted his gaze from the paving before him, his eyes following Sakito’s pointed finger to a… play park?!

‘… It’s a children’s park.’

He examined Sakito’s face as if he had just grown several extra nostrils, though in reality the visage was as perfect as ever, and radiating delight, despite the accompaniment of slight confusion.

‘…So? Come on, it’ll be funny!’

Before there was a time for reaction, he grabbed Ni~ya’s sleeve and pulled, managing to drag him to the bright yellow gate before he escaped, looking disgruntled.

‘It says under twelves only! We can’t go in there!’ he exclaimed, but undeterred, Sakito snatched up his arm again, swiftly shutting the metal entrance behind them as they tumbled in, as if Ni~ya could not simply give it the slightest push and gain his freedom.

‘Don’t worry; just say you’re big for your age! There’s no one here anyway…’

He grinned, eyeing the varied assortment of vibrant, though slightly worn, apparatus.

‘Doesn’t this just take you back? Hey, let’s go on the swings!’

He bounded over to the spindly framework, before looking back with the yearning of a puppy deprived of its favourite plaything when his surly companion refused to follow.

‘Come on!! Please!’

Falling back onto one of the noir seats himself, he kicked his legs to rock to and fro slightly; watching Ni~ya dejectedly as he first folded his arms in concluding refusal, before finally giving in and scowlingly plonking himself on the adjacent swing, barely moving it with natural motion as he sat in total displacement. Apparently though, Sakito was satisfied, for he propelled himself higher, until the flight through the chilled Autumnal air stung his eyes and they squeezed shut of their own accord.

‘Why are you doing that?’

Squinting down, he slowed his swinging until he was more or less level with the speaker.

‘Do you remember when we used to stand on that beach whilst the wind would whip our faces crimson?’

He lapsed into silence, scuffing his shoes on the tarmac.

‘It’s a poor imitation…’

He unveiled his eyes fully, fixing them on Ni~ya as he examined his knees and replied.

‘Things have changed since then though… don’t you think that?’

Sakito’s gaze fell automatically, but after a moment devoid of motion he leapt up, chains creaking in his wake.

‘Hey… what are you d-.. aah!’

Twisted around to face Sakito as he darted to the back of him, Ni~ya found himself grabbing at the swing’s anchors for dear life as it was pulled back with considerable effort, before being released with a forceful push that send him forward, rebounding like a lacklustre pendulum to be send upwards again.

‘Sakito!!’

Showing his protest in the only way he could, he slipped down from the seat, realising only how foolhardy the action was when he landed on the ground with a thump, wincing as a lump of black rubber ricocheted off his head. A horrified gasp sounded from somewhere behind him and the next moment a concerned form was knelt and fretting beside him.

‘Are you okay?!’

Ni~ya’s first impulse was to shrug away the searching hands, and none too gently at that, but when Sakito’s wide, anxious eyes met with his the frustration seemed to drain from him, and he could not remember a time at which he had felt more exhausted.

‘I’m fine…’

Remembrance - Ni~yaxSakito - Chapter 1

2006-08-29T21:37:11Z

Title: Remembrance
Author: etoilerose
Band: Nightmare
Pairing: Ni~yaxSakito
Rating: PG-15
Disclaimer: Don't own them, didn't happen D: No need to rub it in!
Summary: Ni~ya is a person who lives in the present, and right now it's doing him just fine. However, with his long lost slightly-more-than-best-friend Sakito from a decade past suddenly crashing back into his world, memories are sure to try and surface once more.
Notes: Sorry it took so long, I got ill and then exam results came and then... well it's here now anyway!

Previous Chapters

C H A P T E R O N E

Ni~ya had always thought the idea of surprising news practically bowling one over as some form of old wives tale, yet that name, and the voice in which it was spoken, reverberated in his ears until his head was spinning wildly and he truly was forced to step back, seeking an anchor with the rational world in the form of the sofa stationed behind him. For a moment he stayed steeped in his silence, before eventually he pulled himself up, knowing he had to say something to save the other from his state of fearful apprehension.

‘Um… Hi.’

Eloquent Ni~ya, eloquent… but his mind had been entirely blank of suitable words and indeed still he could not locate the phrase that would have been ideal for the situation. A short pause, before the other’s voice once again channelled its way to him, his voice a tentative and self-conscious laugh.

‘I-… I don’t think I was really expecting this to be you and now… I don’t-’

He stopped as if interrupted, but it was only silence commandeering the vacancy left by his lack of speech.

‘You do remember me… don’t you?’

Remember… oh yes. If somehow the question had occurred to him a week ago, he would have thought the recollections vague and unsure, but with the focal point of them linked to him even over the indefinable distance they surfaced with all possible vivacity, and he had to struggle to think over the effort of forcing them down.

‘Sure I do...’ he finally replied, before realising the half hearted nature of his answer and adding to it hastily.

‘Sakito! Yeah! I couldn’t forget you!’

The earlier panic in the opposing voice seemed to placated, though Ni~ya could still imagine his face- a youthful, fifteen year old face in his mind- throat palpitating in a fruitless attempt to bring some morsel of liquid to a barren tongue, and his lips, trembling… a mirror image of that time, the first time they- no.

Not the time to be thinking of this, never the time.

He had to get off the phone.

‘So… I guess we should- are you free any time?’

No! Not the-.. Ah what was the use? It was going to come to that anyway- a meeting, a reunion. He just had to get off the phone, end this conversation and think… or more to the point stop thinking. He could always bail out anyway.

‘Anytime you are!’ came the reply, and it was obvious that this was exactly what Sakito had been hoping for, even if the surprised tone suggested it remained unadmitted even to himself. Frowning at the successful passing of the hurdle, as much as he had expected it to be so, Ni~ya continued, his voice gaining in speed until it was surprising he could even keep up with himself. He rattled off a date, a time, and in the absence of sufficient thought to pick a venue, his address, finally approaching his destination. On the home run, the finishing line in rapidly increasing view; only a swift goodbye and he broke through the crimson ribbon, the beep and click of a disconnected phone ringing in his ears.

And as if he really had sprinted that distance, he collapsed backwards into the waiting chair. Sakito… what was he going to do now?

*

‘Goodby-’

With a crackle, a long monotonous drone interrupted Sakito’s words of farewell and regretfully he placed the phone in its original position, a small smile playing on his lips nevertheless. Ni~ya… Ni~ya!! The slight expression broke out into a beam and he stretched out his arms, knocking the phone book from the futon and arching his body gracefully as he twisted over onto his back, eyes flickering shut to bask in a softer image than that of the ceiling above. For a moment he stayed frozen in the position, until the sound of approaching footsteps shifted him, and he opened one eye quizzically as the door swung open, iris flicking to the bounds of its enclosure for an enhanced view of the scene.

‘Saki have you seen the phone? Oh... I didn’t wake you up did I?!’

With a smile accustomed to the concern of the voice, Sakito twisted up into a sitting position, hands falling into a loosely crossed lap as he looked up, squinting slightly as vibrancy from the overhead light bulb glanced jarringly into his eyes.

‘Don’t worry so much ‘Sugi! I was awake.’

He widened his grin to emphasise the point, dipping his head before reaching down and proffering the telephone. His companion took it gratefully, but by the way he merely turned the handset languidly over in his hands it appeared his need for the object was not overly urgent, and he soon spoke again, eyes falling on the open directory with interest.

‘What are you doing up here anyway?’

Before Sakito could help it, a slight blush spread over his cheeks. Somehow he was hesitant to release the truth of his actions, embarrassed at the seeming… desperation of them. He coughed, flipping the book shut.

‘Oh… just calling about an apartment.’

If the deceit of his explanation was suspected, it was not shown, for Hitsugi accepted it without question.

‘Ahh... any luck? I’m really sorry you can’t stay here! I mean, its fine while you’re trying to find a place but long term there just wouldn’t be enough space!’

Accepting the earnest apology with a kind dismissal and a thank you, Sakito watched as the man left, already beginning to tap in a number as he closed the door. The catch snapped shut and he released a wistful sigh, pulling his legs up to his chest and peering over his knees at the scrap of paper now the bearer of precious directions in scribbled biro. The day after tomorrow- it would be the termination of a chapter of his life that had run for ten years, he could feel it. As for the opening of the next… he could only hope that it would reintroduce that old persona, and Ni~ya would become a part of him once more.

*

The Saturday before their scheduled reintroduction it seemed as if the whole world was coming to a standstill the moment Sakito turned his back, swiftly jumping back into an imitation of flowing time for his suspicious glances. However, eventually the next day rolled in- though far from being restful as he fretted through a still half-suitcased wardrobe, a sickening knot of nerves coiled in his abdomen. Passing through once, twice, and finally for a third time, Hitsugi finally paused inquisitively, the beginnings of a knowing grin already tweaking at his features.

‘Do you have a date or something?’

Sakito looked up in surprise, his face colouring even before he dropped his gaze back down, replying with a slight stutter.

‘No!! I’m just… meeting an old friend, that’s all.’

He busied himself with fidgeting through clothes, drawing out with finality a bland top and pink hooded jacket of questionable masculinity.

‘See! If I was going on a date I wouldn’t wear such casual clothes, would I?’

‘Well I wouldn’t know! If you’ve had a date in the eight years I’ve known you, then I sure didn’t hear of it!’

For a moment the other looked up ready to argue, before merely muttering something incomprehensible under his breath and scooping his selection up, heading for the bathroom. His slight indignance soon evaporated as he focused on adjusting his hair in the mirror, engrossed it seemed in the placement of every strand. It took some time, but soon he was at last prepared to leave and tapping his foot through the extremely long minutes that had to pass before he could catch the bus.

The journey of course, was too long. As fleetingly as the scenery flashed behind the window his destination seemed no closer, as if the vehicle was merely travelling a cruel loop with Ni~ya’s location just out of reach. The monotony of buildings soon lulled him until they merged into one and his mind began to wander, forming its own images for his eyes to see. Ni~ya. It had been so long yet he could still recall his face perfectly without need even of the photographs he cherished, snapshots of the two smiling in blissful ignorance of their impending separation. In all of them there were the fundamental details- Ni~ya with his drastically dyed hair and distressed clothing, the ‘punk’ attitude of his appearance softened by the smile that graced his lips as he leaned towards the smaller, slender Sakito, an arm draped oh-so-casually around his hips.

Would things be the same now? He consciously dismissed the notion, shaking his head as if the decisive action could dispel the hope that clung to him so persistently. With such time Ni~ya must have changed, it was inevitable, and with the manner of the desertion conversation was bound to be uncomfortable at first… retrievable though surely? That was the one expectation Sakito would not rob himself of. He had found Ni~ya and he would be damned if he didn’t win him back.

These thoughts seemed to draw out for aeons, and Sakito became so absorbed in them that it was merely by fluke that he was startled into awareness at the correct stop, hurrying out onto the concrete before trying to gather his bearings, address and internet-obtained directions clutched in sweaty hands.

It took some wandering for him to locate the correct apartment block, perhaps due to his nervous reservations as well as unfamiliarity with the area. Eventually however his finger was poised over a doorbell on a fairly upmarket structure, and as if in slow motion he pressed the smooth white plastic down, causing a ring that resounded in his ears long after its departure from the air.

And then all there was to do, was wait.

Remembrance - Ni~yaxSakito - Prologue

2006-08-16T08:12:18Z

NiSaki Icons

2006-08-13T19:19:00Z

[9x Ni~yaxSakito]

1	2	3

4	5	6

7	8	9

Real Cinderella - Ni~yaxSakito - Epilogue

2006-08-07T17:07:21Z

Real Cinderella - Ni~yaxSakito - Chapter 12

2006-08-01T18:30:52Z

Title: Real Cinderella
Author: etoilerose
Band: Nightmare
Pairing: Ni~yaxSakito
Rating: PG-13 OMG naughty wordsss.
Genre: AU (School)
Disclaimer: That's right. I own them and we have tea and crumpets together every afternoon, with the mad hatter and- oops, wrong universe.
Summary: The only child to a superfluously rich couple, whatever Ni~ya wants, he gets it. But when he meets the shy, stolid and somewhat less fortunate Sakito, things may not be so easy...
Notes: Comments are very much appreciated, or I'll worry even more about it xD Please look out for the.. epilogue, I believe? ;___;

Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11

Chapter 12

“... And as a new student to the school, I expect to see a much more impressive attitude towards your studies from now on…”

Sakito released a weary sigh as he emerged from his maths classroom for the second time that day, having endured a lecture whose pointlessness only aggravated his distaste towards the matter. Dusk was already falling, and for a moment he felt reluctance at the thought of walking the sizeable distance home, as he usually would, before dismissing the worry with a firm hand. He wasn’t some skimpily-dressed woman risking roaming perverts, was he? Besides, the only other way was the bus and aside from not knowing the timetable, there was cost to take into account as well.

He instinctively hoisted his bag further onto his shoulder, before recalling the distasteful contents and removing it, upending the thing over the nearest bin and shaking until the last of foliage was reluctantly dislodged. Not one of his possessions remained. With a frown he replaced the distinctively lighter object, and set off through the school gates.

As it turned out, perhaps the earlier misgivings over following his usual homeward route were some form of premonition… either way, Sakito wished he had listened to it as he spotted a group of figures emerging from the horizon of the path he was following, their voices loud and instantly nerve-inducing. It was impossible to see faces from such a distance, but that was no requirement for identification. It would be Ichiro; yet another perfect icing finish to the day.

Teeth clamping onto his lip, Sakito threw a glance at the road before crossing, his head dipped in the vain hope that he may remain unrecognised.

Hopeless.

There was too far to go, enough time for the frontman of the gang to look up, to smirk, and nonchalantly pass over to the adjacent pavement, clashing exactly with Sakito’s pace and giving him no option but to stop, eyes cast to the ground.

“Out a bit late for a gay boy, aren’t you? Shouldn’t you be sat at home waxing body hair or something?”

A hand connected with his arm, sending him stumbling back with a calculated shove.

“Or maybe you should be at NI~YA’s home, doing your filthy-“

“Shut up!”

Sakito’s expression barely had time to change into dismayed and astonished disbelief at what he had allowed to slip out before he was cannoned into; his back hitting the wall that wound with the pathway seconds before his head did; making him yelp as his skull slammed into the uneven brickwork.

Don’t you EVER talk to me like that!”

The voice infiltrated Sakito’s ears at a lessened rate than usual, the vehemence barely striking him though as his surroundings began to swim and waver. He thought he could feel a hand clasped at his neck, and there was certainly a grip on his arm; muscles crushing his wrist paralysingly as if trying to break it. It was hard to say how long the moment lasted, or what other threats it may have contained, but when Ichiro stepped back, his victim’s legs seemed to just fold beneath him, and he sank to the ground, breathing heavily.

By the time he opened his eyes, he was alone.

Again. Was this just all part of an average day now? Wincing, Sakito raised a hand to the back of his head, the hair there was sticky and wet, staining his fingertips scarlet when he withdrew them back into his field of vision. The spinning sensation beginning to abate, he pulled himself back up onto his feet. Time to get home. He wouldn’t cry; not now. Not here.

***

Sakito had always been one to awaken freshly and optimistically, yet that morning it was proving a hard task. The trials of yesterday were weighing on him, and even when Ni~ya practically ambushed him half way through his walk to school and insisted they walk together, barely cheered him; fears of one of Ichiro’s tricks being played whilst he was present dampening the pleasure. For a while, Ni~ya seemed almost oblivious to the other’s withdrawal, until he shattered the illusion by slipping a concerned arm over his shoulders, taken aback as Sakito twisted immediately into the contact, his arms wrapping around Ni~ya’s chest as he buried his face into his shirt.

“Saki… are you alright?”

He frowned as the only answer he was given was a nodding of the head that nuzzled against his collar, but before pursuing the question he raised a hand to the back of his neck, petting the sensitive skin delicately for a moment, before sweeping his fingertips comfortingly up through rich tresses. For a moment Sakito seemed lulled, leaning against the stronger form, until suddenly there was a change in the scalp over which Ni~ya traced and his face contorted in pain as he started backwards instinctively, pulling himself out of the embrace. Suspicion was only natural.

“What was that?!”

Sakito was cornered.

“I- It... I fell over and I-”

But his partner was already shaking his head; the realisation was far from difficult to reach.

“Ichiro… why in the hell didn’t you tell me?! I said I’d look after you, didn’t I?!”

His eyes burning, Sakito reached out in an effort of consolation, but his hand was knocked away.

“I’m going to fucking kill him…”

“Ni~ya! Don’t! It’s just-”

Another contact to brush away, before the infuriated blonde began to storm down the road, breaking into a run as Sakito’s footsteps sounded behind him.

“Ni~y-AAH!”

He tripped, scraping his knee through the black fabric that clothed it and imprinting pieces of gravel into his palms that he did not even bother to brush away before stumbling upwards to shakily continue the pursuit. At the cry Ni~ya had seemed to falter, but when Sakito’s footsteps recommenced he continued at the original pace, now pulling ahead so that Sakito could only just catch a glimpse of him as he rounded each corner, and eventually passed into school grounds.

“Ni- Sakit- what’s happening?!”

But neither halted for Ruka’s bemused cry and he was left with no option but to join the curious trail that was beginning to pursue the pair, soon joined by a ready to faint with worry Hitsugi and Yomi, who seemed to be enjoying the excitement immensely. Ni~ya continued to maintain the distance, breath searing painfully through chest with every jarring footfall that pounded on the asphalt.

Sakito turned the corner of the building just in time to see Ichiro’s face in the moments before Ni~ya’s fist threw it backwards, wiping his usual sneer into confusion, astonishment, and finally pain. He stumbled backwards, raising a hand to the struck jaw with a curse, but before Ni~ya’s satisfaction had even begun to thrill through him the taller retaliated, flinging his own knuckles to impact beneath the eye and sending his opponent crashing straight into the wall.

“Ni~ya!!”

Sakito’s eyes were wide, his heart pounding in disbelief. A crowd was swiftly gathering, pushing him backwards in their endeavours to get the best view of the action. For a moment he was frozen, until suddenly he found his view obscured and his only clue to the happenings was an instinctive call of pain and he thrashed forwards, desperate to somehow part the mass of people and get to Ni~ya. But even as he forced himself through he found the spaces before him filled as others slipped in eagerly, ignorant to his desperation. His vision clouded, burning, and he tried to shove forward again, before feeling a hand grip his arm firmly and he turned to see Hitsugi, the familiar calming expression on his face causing the first layer of liquid to spill over dark lashes.

“Shhhh, you’re panicking.”

Sakito’s eyes widened.

“What do you expect?! Ni~ya’s...”

He cut himself off, pulling away and finally being graced with a glimpse of the scene through the swarm and instantly wishing that he had not. Ni~ya was barely visible now, and set upon by Ichiro and the entirety of his gang, each one wildly overtaken with the need to feel his flesh writhing in pain between their fingers.

Acting on instinct, Sakito tried to bolt to his lover, beyond acknowledging that there was nothing he could to still the beating, but as he reached the front of the crowd he felt hands grabbing at his clothes and pulling him backwards- strange hands- and he wondered what had suddenly jogged them into caring about whether Sakito received injury or not. Certainly it seemed the ones who had laughed jeeringly as he clung- soaking and ashamed- to Ni~ya in the corridor had experienced a dramatic change of heart, eyeing the violence before them with discomfit though none seemed prepared to try and intervene.

In reality it did not take long for the police car to forge through to the scene, pulling away the thugs, many of whom seemed to loose their nerves at the sight of the uniformed officers, but to Sakito it seemed like an eternity. Encapsulated just within the crowd, freeing his arms over and over only to have them grabbed once more, his face contorting with every movement that flew at Ni~ya somewhere in the writhing mass. It was exactly what he had hoped to prevent, and yet his efforts had done nothing.

The moment Ni~ya was exposed Sakito flung himself forward, near dislocating both his arms as he wrenched them away. The boy was on the floor, and something was bleeding, yet though he looked somewhat dazed as he looked up at the one who now clung to his hand desperately, it didn’t seem as if too much harm had been done. Nevertheless it took a great deal of support to transport him to the school medical room, where naturally he refused to respond to anything not given by the family doctor. None of the haughtiness had been beaten out of him then. Eventually the staff left in exasperation to call said practitioner and deal with the other contributors to the tussle, entrusting his lying form to Sakito’s obvious concern.

“Idiot.”

He raised a hand, touching his fingertips to Ni~ya’s cheekbone, where the skin was already beginning to colour, causing the blonde to hiss backwards much in a similar way to that which Sakito had earlier. The smaller boy withdrew nervously, before a hand on his wrist pulled him in once more and he wrapped his arms gingerly around the wounded form, causing Ni~ya to wince slightly despite his caution. Of course, neither pulled away, and when the reply came the slight annoyance was clearly masked with tenderness.

“Shut up... You’re the idiot.”

Real Cinderella - Ni~yaxSakito - Chapter 11

2006-07-28T08:15:01Z

Title: Real Cinderella
Author: etoilerose
Band: Nightmare
Pairing: Ni~yaxSakito
Rating: PG-13 OMG naughty wordsss.
Genre: AU (School)
Disclaimer: That's right. I own them and we have tea and crumpets together every afternoon, with the mad hatter and- oops, wrong universe.
Summary: The only child to a superfluously rich couple, whatever Ni~ya wants, he gets it. But when he meets the shy, stolid and somewhat less fortunate Sakito, things may not be so easy...
Notes: About time, eh?

Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Sakito had a contented half-smile on his face as the sun warmed his skin through the thin white shirt clothing his back, thick dark lashes low and shading his eyes from the harsh light. Partly propped up on his elbows, he could vaguely hear Yomi and Hitsugi arguing over something punctuated with occasional comments by Ruka, though he was much more aware of Ni~ya’s touch resting on his arm, occasionally stroking the skin with the most minute movements, apparently as off in his own world as Sakito himself was.

A soft sound of contentment emitted from the other’s lips brought him into the present, and he felt a stab of guilt for hiding the earlier Ichiro incident, but then what else could he have done? Had Ni~ya known, there was no doubt he would get worked up and try and take the entire gang on alone, the only result being either another demeaning episode as their last episode or- if his bravado persevered- a hell of a lot of bruises. Either way, Sakito did not have long to dwell on his thoughts, for at that moment a foot came down square on his back, making him yelp and try to wriggle away, dislodging Yomi’s mistaken foothold and sending him stumbling to the side. However the small brunette did not complain, continuing to squint at something that had obviously captured his extreme interest.

“Is that a…. it’s a GIRLFIGHT!”

Sakito squinted up in confusion, but Yomi was already off and dragging a violently protesting Hitsugi off towards a large crowd that indicated some form of commotion nearby. He smiled in amusement as Ni~ya shot him a confused look that clearly questioned his choice of companions, whilst their remaining cohort looked vaguely after the receding pair, until Yomi’s voice came drifting back over the field to them.

“Yeah!! Take your top off!”

In an instant Ruka’s head perked up and he leapt to his feet, somehow dragging the seated Ni~ya up as well.

“Come on Ni, I’m sure there’s a bit of straight in you yet!”

“Wha-? I thought you wanted me to be gay- hey wait! Wait! Sakiiii!”

He just had time to make a wild grab at Sakito, who had begun to scramble up in confusion, before he too was dragged off towards the fray, clinging to the boy who trailed behind him for dear life.

Finally they arrived breathless at the scene, Ruka looking distinctly disappointed when Yomi’s shout was shown to be a request rather than an announcement. He began to cast about for the short, excitable young man but was spared the bother as he came pushing through the crowd, an expression of pure enjoyment radiating from his face.

“Oh my God guys, Aimi so totally just told Yuri she’s a slut, even though it was Aimi who completely stole Yuri’s boyfriend and then cheated on him! It’s only a matter of time until the action begins!”

A sea of blank faces.

“Who? How exactly do you know all that?”

Scandalised, Yomi turned his gaze to Ni~ya, who was looking utterly nonplussed and not particularly interested anyway.

“Common knowledge!! The whole school has-“

Before he could continue, Hitsugi finally made it, panting, through the throng from which Yomi had emerged.

“Yomi that is their personal business! You can’t just spread it all around like that! For all you know, the facts could be COMPLETELY wrong, information can so easily be twisted to a bias you know and do you want to be responsible for spreading lies about people? Just because Aimi and Yuri are having a slight argument doesn’t mean you have to assume…”

Sakito started as he felt Ni~ya tug at his arm, discreetly pulling him away from the commotion whilst both Ruka and Yomi were preoccupied with the lecture they were concentrating on ignoring. Eventually they left earshot without detection and Ni~ya grinned.

“Let’s go for a walk…. Over there!”

Following the brandished finger, Sakito let out a peal of soft laughter. The secluded and officially off-limits destination, mainly hidden behind an old, now out of use classroom hut, left no doubt that he was yearning for more than a stretch of the legs. At what he interpreted as rejection, Ni~ya frowned, causing Sakito to squeeze the hand he was still holding.

“We just… probably shouldn’t do that stuff around here.”

The other’s brows furrowed further, his mouth twisted in sceptic thought.

“But they haven’t done anything else… it was just a one-off thing surely…”

Sakito flinched distinctly as his words induced a pang of guilt, but luckily the movement was disguised as surprise as Ni~ya moved into sudden proximity, their lips so close that even with his reserves the other was tempted to lean forward and eliminate the slight space. When he spoke, his voice resounded with a breathy confidence that Sakito was sure was put on for the benefit of both of them.

“Anyway, they can’t keep you away from me… and I won’t let them do anything to you ever again…”

At the reference to his earlier failure at protecting the delicate brunette, his eyes flickered down in remorse, and by the time their gazes connected again Sakito had again concealed his heart-rending regret at hiding the latest happening. Shakily, their faces moved closer, until the ringing of a bell made them both start, noses bumping together before they pulled away.

“Ah! I need to get my bag!”

Ni~ya looked at his companion in confusion for an instant, before remembering that their belongings had been left stranded in the wake of Ruka’s excitement. He nodded slightly in affirmation and they walked back in slightly awkward, but not wholly uncomfortable silence, Sakito swinging his bag over a shoulder from its abandoned placement alongside the others’, Ni~ya grabbing his simultaneously. Satisfied, they headed for registration.

***

Sakito smiled as he approached the Mathematics block, seeing that Hitsugi was already there and again feeling glad that he shared the class with such an irrefutably likeable guy. Without his help, the assignment he had found himself charged with (rather unfairly, he thought, seeing as the majority of the class had had many more weeks to work on it) would have been completely impossible. Though he had no particular problems with the subject ordinarily- as with all of his lessons- it had been on a topic not covered in his previous school and the sheer bulk of it had caused him to work late into the night. However, he was utterly content with the effort now, knowing the stack of paper was now secure inside his bag and ready to be handed to the demanding educator.

On the arrival of the above, they filed in and after a dismissal seated themselves, before beginning to withdraw pens, pencils, books, and of course the wedge of orderly algebra that was their outstanding project. Sakito reached downwards, before pausing as Hitsugi spoke.

“Did you manage to get it done?”

He replied with a nod and a confident smile before reaching for his bag again. Suddenly, the assured look froze, his eyes widening and head thrumming suddenly as he looked down frantically.

It was gone. Everything was. Dismay clasped at him and he dug his hand further into the mess of dry grass and mud his bag was now overflowing with before recoiling as all it connected with was something slimy that he did not want to identify at all.

“Sakito? Is something wrong?”

Concerned on instinct, Hitsugi leaned over, releasing a soft sound of understanding as his eyes connected with the accumulation of torn-up vegetation. Sakito groaned in the back of his throat. The teacher was already making his way down the class list, a role call uninterrupted as every student stood to hand over the task. Finally, Sakito recognised the incantation of his own name and he spoke, stumbling over his own words.

“I- I… I’m sorry Sir; I couldn’t finish the assignment... in time...”

He examined the intricacies of desk in front of him, knowing exactly how sour the expression on the other’s face would be right at that moment.

“And you couldn’t even trouble yourself to bring ANY of it? This is NOT the impression you want to be giving of yourself at this school! I will expect to see you here for detention at…”

The voice droned on, intercepted by occasional apologetic nods. Eventually however, class was recommenced, and Hitsugi spoke, worry clear in his tone.

“Don’t you think you should tell a teacher about this? Or at least Ni~ya should really know… I get the impression he wouldn’t want to be uninvolved in this…”

Sighing, Sakito looked down at the bag again, before scrutinizing his hands, pulling the cuffs of his blazer over the palms in thought.

“He’d get so angry though… It can’t go on forever… if I just ignore them, they’ll stop.”

His voice trembled on the last sentence; somewhat ruining his impression of assurance, but Hitsugi ignored it, merely nodding in much less decided affirmation. Relieved, Sakito went to delve into his bag again, before faltering.

“Ah... Can I borrow a pen?”

***

The final lesson of the day dragged out for Sakito, receiving as he did yet another scolding for his absence of materials, and even as the dismissal bell resounded through the corridors he had no reason to rejoice, his maths teacher having inconsiderately scheduled his punishment for the very same afternoon. He was just preparing himself to head back to the department as a figure in the crowds made his heart leap in two opposite directions. He couldn’t help but smile despite his slight reserve though as Ni~ya pushed his way over; the boy could barely remember his own timetable and yet he knew exactly where Sakito was scheduled to be? He shook his head incredulously, amused.

Finally reaching the lightly smiling brunette, Ni~ya made a half-hearted attempt to regain his composure and nonchalance, causing the other’s lips to spread wider at his suavity.

“We should do something fun tonight. C’mon, I’ll take you shopping again!”

Sakito’s smile faded rapidly.

“Oh… I have a detention…”

Ni~ya frowned slightly, before his face cleared and he snorted.

“You’re joking right? No one goes to them; don’t bother! There’s this new shop in town and…”

His voice trailed off when Sakito looked unimpressed and far from convinced.

“YOU don’t go to them Ni~ya… look I’m going to be late, ta-.. Take me out tomorrow okay?”

Before he could receive a reply, the boy had disappeared and Ni~ya was standing alone, his eyes fixed on where he had disappeared into the throng of people. Sakito in detention? Somehow the two words did not gel together. People as shy and hardworking as he just didn’t draw attention to themselves like that… Something didn’t add up, but Ni~ya was at a loss to where his suspicions would lead… With a sigh he turned away, heading for home and an infuriatingly lonely night on his own.

Real Cinderella - Ni~yaxSakito - Chapter 10

2006-07-13T17:42:26Z

Title: Real Cinderella
Author: etoilerose
Band: Nightmare
Pairing: Ni~yaxSakito
Rating: PG-13 OMG naughty wordsss.
Genre: AU (School)
Disclaimer: That's right. I own them and we have tea and crumpets together every afternoon, with the mad hatter and- oops, wrong universe.
Summary: The only child to a superfluously rich couple, whatever Ni~ya wants, he gets it. But when he meets the shy, stolid and somewhat less fortunate Sakito, things may not be so easy...
Notes: I don't like this chapter x_x; It seems I wrote it badly but maybe someone will make of it something different. I'm itching to start the next fic that I have planned and I feel like this is tapering out? Either way we are probably nearing the end.

Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9

Chapter 10

When Sakito woke up in Ni~ya’s arms it was not with a lurch, starting upwards in a desperate attempt to place his surroundings and work out what had happened and what had not. No, he slipped from dreams to reality in a smooth and natural movement, his eyelids raising with slight lethargy to reveal to him no more than a close-up of Ni~ya’s nose thanks to their proximity. He could remember how far their actions had travelled just as well as he could the maddeningly perfect sensation of Ni~ya’s hands against his skin, and he knew that, even with it being that their experience had not reached total fruition, they had sealed a bond he would no longer be able to disregard.

He drew his gaze away to the window, frowning slightly as he saw that dark had already fallen. His mother would be throwing anxious glances from their window now, worry infiltrating her thoughts- the natural response of a parent, particularly that of a single child. Ni~ya groaned in an entirely different way to that which he had done earlier as Sakito tried to detach his arms from around his waist, wriggling from the grasp with equal reluctance.

He half-expected to be pulled back down, but Ni~ya was obviously too drowsy to react as he untangled himself and stood up, the cold air hitting his bare, but thankfully now dry, skin and causing a tremor. Once he had adjusted to the change in level, he identified his shirt lying crumpled at the side of the bed, obviously having been completely dislodged from his shoulders and discarded to the floor at some point. Bending down for closer inspection, he found the garment to be still considerably damp, and was considering what to do when a white parachute whooshed down onto his head and he squeaked in surprise.

“Wear mine.”

Sitting up languidly, Ni~ya watched as the boy on the floor untangled himself from the thrown clothing, slipping his slender arms through the sleeves and relishing the feel of the fabric that was so ingrained with the scent and touch of Ni~ya against his skin.

Once Sakito was once more fully dressed, the blonde stood up, throwing an arm around his shoulders before letting his hand slide downwards to hook around the waist.

“C’mon, I’ll take you home.”

Sakito cast an eye over his bare upper half, which he obviously did not intend to clothe, and tousled hair, raising a hand automatically to try and smooth his own messed locks.

“You’ll be cold! And if anyone sees us, they’ll know… they’ll think…”

Ni~ya used his grip to pull the worried boy closer with a grin.

“So what? Let them think! Anyway, it’s warm in my car.”

Let them think… Sakito winced as he remembered the results of one’s thinking earlier. The whole Ichiro event had obviously escaped Ni~ya’s head now, maybe that was just his way of dealing with things. Either way, for Sakito, it kept on rearing its ugly head again and again, casting a wet blanket over his emotions. Those guys surely weren’t going to leave them alone yet, and he found he was equally worried for Ni~ya as he was for himself. Ni~ya and his ridiculous sense of confidence… he had been certain that nothing could break it and now he wasn’t so sure; all he knew was that he didn’t want it to leave. Not in the slightest.

As Sakito fretted, Ni~ya led him downstairs, the loose contact that remained around his waist making him flush and hang back as they passed an obviously disapproving household member. Soon though, they escaped out into the dark air, Ni~ya seemingly unaffected by the slight chill, and after a swift call they were headed for Sakito’s house- an address the chauffeur was becoming increasingly acquainted with.

When the thrumming vehicle pulled up, Sakito could see his mother at the kitchen window. Any other youth may have faced a lecture now, an irritatingly long sermon on the worries of an estranged parent and lost trust. When Sakito pushed open the door however, she had set aside her earlier concern and met him with a slightly teasing smile.

“Coming home in someone else’s shirt eh?”

Sakito’s eyes widened and he flushed in embarrassment, making her laugh lightly.

“Mothers know these things. Anyway don’t worry, you’re a teenager I know, hormones, you have certain urges you can’t-”

“We never-… we didn’t do that!”

He spluttered, increasing her amusement, though he was sure she concealed a great deal of relief beneath it- for that was how she was, and no parent likes to see their child growing up in such a genre. Sakito smiled incredulously, making for the shower and some time later, bed. He tried not to think about the day that lay in wait for him.

***

Sakito could not help but be confused when, as the lunch bell rang, nothing remotely out of the ordinary had happened. He had been sure that those thugs would be making hell for him, and yet not one had crossed his path for the entire morning… had he somehow been wrong? Giving a dismissive shrug, he stood up and hoisted a pile of textbooks too bulky for his shoulder bag into his arms and began to make his way down the corridor; hurrying to stow the burden in his locker before he met Ni~ya.

It was only when he was half-way there however, that he was given cause to falter and regret ever bringing the topic of Ichiro’s gang into his head, for there they were. Walking towards him, they dominated the space, making opposite traffic squeeze unquestioningly to the side. Sakito gulped.

Already knowing it was hopeless, he tried to meld with the crowd and siphon off around the group, but he was swiftly blocked by a solid frame that had him stumbling backwards, barely daring to look up.

“Oh look, it’s Mr Model-Student! You might as well give up, whatever grades you get; no one’ll give a job to a fag like you.”

Ichiro’s hand connected with the load of books, making Sakito’s grip buckle and sending them crashing down, soon scattered across the floor when he kicked the vaguely intact pile viciously. Before he could follow his impulse and drop down to retrieve the tomes, he was almost sent tumbling to the ground himself as he was shouldered past, and the mob carried on past, some idly kicking his property further up the hallway as they went.

Exhaling shakily, Sakito knelt to pick up the first book, frowning as his hands trembled towards it. He could feel his eyes prickling as the event finally drilled it’s way into his mind, and as he cast about for his possessions nigh hopelessly among the legs of passing students. Legs that moved ever onwards, even the sets that let out a laugh or jibe at his expense did not falter. He bowed his head further, making his hair fall forward and conceal his face from the crowds. Why did they have to do this?! He surely would be floating amongst the clouds with these thoughts of, moments with Ni~ya, were it not for these people so intent on ruining it… He blinked repeatedly, trying to will back the burning, but nevertheless he was still almost crying when a hand gripped his hunched shoulder, and he flung himself around in surprise to see the culprit.

“Sakito! What happened?!”

It was Hitsugi, his face a picture of concern as he lowered himself to help gather the scattered belongings, casting an annoyed look at Yomi after a few moments, who was standing watching with his arms crossed.

“Help us will you?!”

Yomi released a burdened sigh but obeyed, albeit slightly uselessly, so that it was mainly Sakito and Hitsugi who ended up with a pile of books once more.

“The canteen is going to be shut soon…”

Hitsugi turned a blind eye to his friend’s whining however; focusing on gleaning information from Sakito, again touching his shoulder lightly in worry.

“Because Ni~ya and I are… Well, that guy doesn’t like it.”

At the unfinished statement, Yomi perked in interest.

“You and Ni~ya are what?”

Sakito coloured, stammering slightly until it was only too obvious “what” the two were, and finally Hitsugi intervened.

“That doesn’t matter, what matters is that-”

“Yeah… whatever. So, you two are going to get beaten up now?”

Sakito’s head flipped to him, looking shocked and slightly worried.

“Yomi!! That’s not the way to-”

But Hitsugi was once more interrupted.

“Well, nice knowing you.”

Both of his companions stared in amplified confusion as Yomi turned and started walking away, until Hitsugi reached out a hand and caught his collar, halting his movement and pulling him backwards.

“What?! I don’t want to get beaten up!”

Hitsugi made a slight noise of incredulousness, jerking at Yomi’s collar as he released to turn the short boy to face him.

“You know Yomi, every time you open your mouth I think, ‘that’s it, that’s the lowest he could possibly go’; and every single time, you prove me wrong! Sakito is our friend! You can’t just abandon him when he most needs you! We are going to stand by him and help him beat these people!”

Yomi raised his eyebrows, not even appearing to consider Hitsugi’s put out explanation.

“But I don’t wanna get beaten up.”

Sensing another outburst from Hitsugi however, he ducked away almost as soon as he uttered the words, and as anticipated Hitsugi went after him, indignant about his utter lack of moral integrity.

“Oh fine, fine… I’ll stand by him and everything, let’s just eat already!”

***

After an impatient wait at Sakito’s locker, Yomi was granted his wish and they entered the dining hall, Ni~ya’s eyes connecting with them by default. Hesitating, Sakito glanced over, loath to abandon Yomi and Hitsugi when they… when Hitsugi had been so kind to him. Thankfully however he was spared the decision when Ruka hopped up from his seat and over to them, earning a glare from his blonde friend as he ushered all three over to the table. After a slightly awkward start, Hitsugi was soon nattering on about his cat (something Sakito and in particular Yomi now knew to note as a regular lunchtime topic) whilst Yomi endeavoured to explain the rules of Tiddlywinks to Ruka, who was leaning forward intently in what could have been mock or true interest.

As the conversation progressed, Sakito began to notice with slightly self-conscious amusement that all three of his companions were focused greatly on his proximity to Ni~ya. At first he smiled, but the expression soon wavered as he realised that the majority of the hall was in fact doing the same thing. He felt a lurch in his stomach and quickly scanned for a sight of Ichiro that luckily turned out to be fruitless. He relaxed again fairly swiftly, but not enough to avoid Ni~ya’s attentions, who was becoming increasingly attentive by the day it seemed.

“He hasn’t done anything else, has he?”

Of course, no specification was needed as to who ‘he’ was, and Sakito replied smoothly.

“No, I haven’t seen him all day.”

He threw a swift warning glance at Hitsugi, who, judging by Yomi’s sudden shocked expression had stamped on his foot as he opened his mouth to speak. Ni~ya did not seem to notice this at least though, and nodded slightly in satisfaction.

“Good. ‘Cause they won’t get away with it like that next time. I’ll- I’ll-”

Sakito smiled in affirmation, brushing his fingers over the other’s wrist in what couldn’t quite be seen as an accidental act. The touch shot him through with guilt, but he quickly reaffirmed his judgement. As tough as Ni~ya was, as much money as he had… coming up against that enormous gang of hostile people would not bode well at all; and he didn’t doubt at all that Ni~ya would try it. Best to ignore these things, wasn’t that what they said? Ignore it and they get bored and go away. And Ni~ya doesn’t do anything… stupid. Sakito nodded again, inwardly. It was the best thing to do.

Real Cinderella - Ni~yaxSakito - Chapter 9

2006-07-05T06:16:35Z

Title: Real Cinderella
Author: etoilerose
Band: Nightmare
Pairing: Ni~yaxSakito
Rating: PG-13 OMG naughty wordsss.
Genre: AU (School)
Disclaimer: That's right. I own them and we have tea and crumpets together every afternoon, with the mad hatter and- oops, wrong universe.
Summary: The only child to a superfluously rich couple, whatever Ni~ya wants, he gets it. But when he meets the shy, stolid and somewhat less fortunate Sakito, things may not be so easy...

Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8

Chapter 9

After emerging into fresh air, the two boys faltered to a stand still, seeming almost disorientated; as if they had escaped from some limbo where anything were possible and the winds were still engaged with their endeavours of awakening. Sakito was panting, hot breaths billowing out into vaguely chilly air, his eyes occasionally shifting to his companion, fleetingly, as if he was afraid to remind him of his presence. Ni~ya’s hand had shifted slightly, loosening so that Sakito could see the row of angry purple half-moons that now adorned his arm, the skin torn up slightly in places from being dragged along. The marks smarted, but not enough to distract him from the way the liquid from his clothing was now trickling against his skin and making him shiver; nor the uncomfortable set of Ni~ya’s jaw.

“Ni~ya..?”

He reached out again with the damaged hand, tugging uncertainly at his sleeve, instantly wincing at how pathetic he sounded. Ni~ya looked at him, slight confusion in his expression at first. It fast dissolved, but Sakito had never heard that voice sounding so weary when he spoke.

“Let’s go home…”

Sakito frowned, slowly releasing his grasp.

“But we still have lessons…”

“And you’re going to go to them like that?”

He didn’t wait for the other to reply, turning and leaving him to trot hurriedly in an effort to catch up. They walked in uncomfortable silence, until the turn-off for Sakito’s usual route home cropped up, and he tentatively broke away from his trailing of Ni~ya; finally breaking him from his reverie.

“My house.”

His fingers parted the air between them, entwining with a fellow set and not letting go. The contact seemed to calm him, and his breath evened, his shoulders relaxing downwards as Sakito in turn began to feel less on edge. By the time they arrived at the extravagant building, both were sufficiently recovered to offer genuine, if slightly terse smiles as they pushed the door open and walked upstairs in common agreement, despite the entire abode being empty.

Sakito was sure that he would have been undeniably lost were he alone by the time Ni~ya pushed open the door to his bedroom, allowing him to step in. Vaguely, he thought of the changes that had taken place in the short space of time since he had previously entered the room- a tangled mess that he could not begin to unravel. Perhaps his shyness was masked by the events of the day, or he had merely had an influx of self-assurance around Ni~ya for he was less diffident than before, flopping onto the bed in a position that made something inside of the one still standing twinge distinctly.

“Don’t do that!”

Sakito looked up at the growl naively, before giving up on trying to decipher the meaning and letting his gaze fall back down, his expression saddening as he was painfully reminded of earlier events.

“I should never have come here…”

Before he could sink into regret however, a hand connected with his head, buffeting it lightly to the side.

“Don’t be such an idiot! You’ll let that prick make you think that?!”

Away from the ‘prick’ Ni~ya sure seemed to have a lot more confidence… but Sakito let it pass by with a small smile that was obviously not assertive enough for Ni~ya, or else he found it undeniably erotic, for within seconds he gave up his resistance to the allure of his supine companion and Sakito found his legs inexplicitly parted, barely touching in places the one who had pushed his way between them and now leaned right over to commence a forceful kiss. A tremor forced its way through him at the sudden movement, making him release a tiny whimper that had Ni~ya doubling his attentions, his lips pressing down almost bruisingly.

After the initial shock, Sakito’s slightly tensed muscles relaxed back into the duvet and he found himself enjoying the contact, distinctly in fact, although nervousness still gnawed at his stomach. From Ni~ya’s confident movements, it would be impossible to know that he was experiencing that same edginess, yet the anxious anticipation was there, making him feel vaguely sick even as it made the experience they were sharing ten times more enjoyable.

Sakito drew in a shaky gasp and Ni~ya took the opportune moment, delving forwards into his mouth. He had to hold back a moan as their tongues slipped over one another like folds of the same velveteen material, lowering himself gently to free his arms- almost trembling with ardence. His hands moved to Sakito’s face, stroking the skin there until it shivered delicately, the invisible hairs bristling underneath his touch. Tracing his jawbone with gentle caresses he marvelled at the smoothness that flowed beneath his fingertips, so beautifully pale it seemed it would glow in the moonlight. It was fascinating to follow the jugular vein downwards, almost as if he could feel the thrumming of blood beneath the silken membrane.

Unfortunately the path was blocked all too soon by the collar of Sakito’s shirt, and Ni~ya was forced to tug open the first constricting button, fast tiring of trying to unlatch it and merely pulling the material apart. The first loosened conventionally by fluke, though some were far from being as lucky and flew away as he made his way down the shirt, finally reaching the bottom and pushing the separate halves back as far as he could. For the first time, Sakito reacted with more than a barely discernable sound, arching himself upwards and making an effort to pull Ni~ya’s own top upwards, hands splaying out over his milk-like stomach. For an instant a segment of their bare skin connected, and Ni~ya shuddered as the other released a needy mewl, wrapping his arms around the waist of the one who lay above him.

After a brief tussle, Ni~ya too was relieved of the restrictions to his upper body and he relinquished his contact with Sakito’s lips to nuzzle his head vigorously beneath his chin, making him groan and lengthen his neck to maximise the contact between sleek, silvery hair and skin. At the positive reaction he twisted his head, pincering his canines in a territorial nip to the side of the exposed throat before travelling downwards.

His lips halted at Sakito’s collarbone, pausing as he tasted the skin there- still damp and now beginning to bead with perspiration. With his face pressed so tightly to the other’s chest, he was enveloped by his scent, a vague flowery cologne underlain with a musk that drove his senses insane. He buried his face further down, disentangling his hands to run down sensitive sides, pausing to caress jutting hips that pressed up into the contact. Slowly he continued to trace southwards, ghosting down half way to the knee before letting his fingertips slip languidly into the inside of Sakito’s thigh. However, as Ni~ya began to return the contact upwards, the body beneath him squirmed, turning to dislodge his hand with a nervous whimper.

“Ni~ya…”

The addressed moved his hand with a slight sigh, gliding upwards against Sakito’s slick chest to press a delicate kiss to the side of his slightly parted mouth, cupping his cheek gently and releasing a soft hushing sound.

“You’ll be fine…”

When he seemed to relax, Ni~ya made a second attempt, pushing his fingertips beneath the other’s waistband, but again Sakito tensed up, pressing his legs together and trying to writhe away. When he spoke his voice contained a hint of fear.

“Don’t… Ni~ya! It’s too fast!”

And Ni~ya did what Sakito knew that the boy whom he had met that first fateful morning would never do, relinquishing his desires to wrap his nervous lover in a comforting embrace. Sakito closed his eyes in blissful relief and inconceivable thanks, nestling closer. For a moment his head swam and he was sure he was going to cry, merely for the fact that he had never felt so sheltered and adored in his entire life, but the feeling passed as his awareness drooped. The last thing he could remember thinking before his consciousness finally fell away, was that he would have gladly died just to maintain the moment forever.

***

However, even as Ni~ya and Sakito lay entwined, sleeping and basking in the pleasure of their celestial moment, they were already being worked against. A group of faint silhouettes against the now darkening sky that exude asociality. Thin streams of smoke trailed their way up into the sky, alcohol bottles clinked and the most forward of late-night pedestrians quickly averted their path from crossing with the youths. Another normal night for Ichiro and his followers.

The undisputed leader of their gang seemed cheerful tonight as he threw back a gulp of cheap beer, laughing loudly at a comment from the masses. Those who had not been present to witness the earlier events of what Ichiro perceived as hilarity, had now been updated and were punctuating their guffaws with words that invariably revolved around making Ni~ya’s life hell. Ichiro listened for a while, amused, before butting into the discussion.

“No, we go for the new kid. He’s got all the self-assurance of a mouse! We could have him in tears and legging it to a different school in five seconds- and the other one gets left behind.”

“All heartbroken!”

Ichiro grinned around his cigarette. He had to hand it to himself, it was a good plan. Send one of them packing and break up their sick little love games. The added bonus was of course, that picking off Sakito would probably cause Ni~ya more pain than being targeted directly, judging by his reaction earlier. And watching the effects of unconsolidated malice on the former would no doubt prove to be entertaining too…

Forcing back a rasping smoker’s cough, he sent down another draught of intoxicant before discarding the bottle and its dregs thoughtlessly to the floor, watching it slosh out discoloured liquid as it rolled jarringly across the concrete. Those fags would soon find out what he was made of.

Real Cinderella - Ni~yaxSakito - Chapter 8

2006-07-02T12:00:56Z

16 Icons

2006-06-21T07:28:56Z

[5x Nightmare]
[11x Gazette]

Teasers:

Sakito	Sakito	Sakito	Ni~ya

Ni~ya	Aoi	Aoi	Kai

Uruha	Uruha	Uruha	Uruha

Uruha	Uruha	Ruki	Ruki

Real Cinderella - Ni~yaxSakito - Chapter 7

2006-06-20T17:01:08Z

Two wallpapers

2006-06-14T20:42:17Z

Two Ni~yaxSakito wallpapers for your pleasure or lack thereof. Both 1024x768 because I am desktopsizeist.

Real Cinderella - Ni~yaxSakito - Chapter 6

2006-06-14T14:19:29Z

Title: Real Cinderella
Author: etoilerose
Band: Nightmare
Pairing: Ni~yaxSakito
Rating: PG-13 OMG naughty wordsss.
Genre: AU (School)
Disclaimer: That's right. I own them and we have tea and crumpets together every afternoon, with the mad hatter and- oops, wrong universe.
Summary: The only child to a superfluously rich couple, whatever Ni~ya wants, he gets it. But when he meets the shy, stolid and somewhat less fortunate Sakito, things may not be so easy...
Notes: Oh the sap! As before, though I may not reply to all comments I really do appreciate each one phenomenally.

Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Although Sakito spent a great deal of the remainder of that week trying to come up with an excuse to get out of the arrangement, it did not really surprise him that he found himself waiting for Ni~ya’s arrival on Saturday morning, his hands writhing together anxiously. His stomach had been churning since he had woken up, an unfamiliar mix of apprehension and excitement that he had tried not to acknowledge as he delved fruitlessly through his wardrobe, eventually throwing on a thin white tank top that hung from his slender form and a pair of old, stonewashed jeans. It was only shopping, right?

Just as he was beginning to think he would implode from anticipation, the shrill ringing of the doorbell assailed his ears. He jumped up immediately, before catching himself, as if there was someone observing, shaking their head at his lack of suavity. By the time he had got downstairs to open the door, Ni~ya was already looking impatient, but he smiled lightly as Sakito stepped out, his hand automatically brushing against his wrist as if he needed the lingering nudge to guide him to the waiting vehicle that ferried Ni~ya around.

As soon as they were settled in the back of the car, an awkward atmosphere settled over the three occupants, Sakito’s presence perhaps upsetting the usual amiable silence that may have existed between Ni~ya and his driver. In any case, the quiet drew out uncomfortably for Sakito, interrupted only by the occasional apologetic cough, and he began to fret. He barely knew Ni~ya, and their encounters so far had either involved an ambience such as this, an argument or those… other situations that Sakito was not keen to classify. How were they going to spend the day together without it being a complete disaster? He knew well from experience that he was shy, not one to find it easy to make light conversation with others and Ni~ya’s demeanour, dancing between arrogance and surly abashment, did nothing to put him at ease.

His anxiety must have crept onto his face, for as they unloaded into the parking lot of a towering shopping mall that was completely unfamiliar to Sakito, Ni~ya threw him a concerned glance that was, after a pause, knocked back with a strained smile. Shrugging, the patchy blonde grabbed hold of his hand possessively, fingers curving around the delicate wrist.

“I know exactly where to take you!”

***

Ni~ya dragged Sakito through the complex like a pro. It made sense, in theory, with so much money ready to blow there was no reason why he would not be so fully acquainted with retail therapy, but Sakito was still taken aback by his swiftness, he knew exactly where everything was, what was worth a look and what should be bypassed. Sakito was swept up in his backwind, and he thought he would never get a moment of respite, until Ni~ya finally located a shop deemed worthy of resting within, and he released the other’s now slightly clammy hand to leaf through the racks, occasionally pulling something out only to replace it with a slightly deeper frown.

“There’s just nothing very… you.”

He turned around to look at Sakito, who twisted his face in sympathy though he didn’t really know what the other meant. He was just thinking that he should probably offer to speak when Ni~ya’s eyes caught on something in the other size of the shop and dashed over, leaving Sakito to pause for a moment, before pursuing.

“Ni~ya!! That’s the women’s section!”

His companion shrugged indifferently as he rifled through a row of coat hangers, casting an experienced eye over Sakito’s form before guessing at a size. Finally, he pulled out a silky black top that buttoned down the front, and contained far too little material for Sakito’s liking.

“Don’t even start; you’re going to try it on.”

Ni~ya stated before the other could even begin to complain, guiding him to the changing rooms as if he were a stubborn child. He seated himself as Sakito entered a professionally lit cubicle, drawing the curtain over as far as it would stretch before slipping reluctantly from his simple t-shirt. A battle soon ensued with the numerously miniscule buttons, but he was eventually able to slip the shirt on, the silky fabric sensuous against his skin though he refused to admit it. It proved to be easier to fasten that to unfasten, and he was soon frowning into the mirror at the carefully crumpled decoration and lace accents, and at the portion of his abdomen that was uncomfortably exposed.

He made up his mind to quickly remove the item and tell Ni~ya it had not fit, but when he came to unhitch the buttons he found it was even harder at such an awkward angle, refusing to give no matter how much he plucked at the in frustration. Eventually he heard Ni~ya’s voice filtering in from outside.

“Saki? Are you done?”

“I can’t undo the buttons!”

His aggravation added to the volume and he blushed slightly as he realised how many people must have heard him, before starting and twisting as the curtain behind him swished open. Ni~ya inhaled sharply.

“The buttons- won’t-…”

He trailed off, pouting unconsciously. Ni~ya coughed slightly, hesitating before raising his hands waveringly to the top- and fairly low down- button, freeing it fairly swiftly. As he made his way downwards though his fingers became increasingly more uncertain and he fumbled slightly as he tried not to look at the slow exposure of milky skin. Sakito stood with his arms half-raised, flushed and nervous as if he guessed that Ni~ya was fighting the urge to throw him against the mirror. Finally the blouse was unhitched, and Sakito sought refuge in his familiar tank top.

“We’ll buy that one then.”

Ni~ya finally announced, his calm manner returning as he sling the clothing back onto its hanger.

“I can’t wear that!”

His objection only earned a grin and a ruffle of his slightly dishevelled hair as Ni~ya turned to leave, nodding to an overeager supervisor as he made for the counter. The fancy boutique bag was in his hands before any arguments could be made.

Sakito eventually gave up trying to hold back Ni~ya’s shopping spree. No matter how much he insisted the other continued to add to the medley of purchases, and besides, his face was lit up with an almost childlike cheerfulness as he held Sakito in an unconscious grasp, picking out clothes as if he were choosing collars for his first puppy. He smiled, talked animatedly, and Sakito just didn’t want to shatter this new side of Ni~ya into pieces, as he knew his protests would. So as guilty as it made him feel, it seemed there was no option but to let himself be spoilt until eventually Ni~ya’s feet began to tire as Sakito’s had hours ago and they collapsed dizzily into the nearest coffee shop to sip at the life-giving liquid. The time flew past them, and despite his fears the conversation seemed to come naturally to Sakito, and he relaxed back into his plush chair with a tranquil smile until both had drained their beverages and gathered up the bags once more for the return drive.

***

Sakito had fallen into his house a few hours earlier, with Ni~ya’s promise to pick him up at seven. It was not far to the mark now, and he found himself trying to adjust his outfit repeatedly, though no matter how he tugged at it the material would cover no more of his stomach. Ni~ya had coupled the top with a pair of dark trousers and an equally swart jacket, for Sakito had refused to expose his entire middle half.

Words probably couldn’t explain his mother’s surprise when he returned with such a collection of prestigious name brands, though to his surprise he had not received the lecture he was expecting when he explained haltingly that they had been bought for him, and only a light smile when he had named the culprit. She had agreed easily to the meal that night and he could hear her now, clattering around in the kitchen as she spent most of her time since she had started work. It left little time for anything else…

A sudden impulse occurred to him from seemingly nowhere, causing him to break away from his thoughts. He turned away from the mirror, opening a drawer and revealing a familiar box. He flipped open the lid to peer in at the rose-beaded necklace for the second time, thinking of his initial reaction to the gift. Perhaps Ni~ya had been trying to buy him, unconsciously, but now it was the memory of his carefree grins earlier, even that scowling face that had so often greeted him, god forbid, that made him raise his hands, fastening the clasp seamlessly at the back of his neck. He traced the circlet with his fingers, feeling the beads roll against his skin, until the noise of his door creaking open slowly made him look up.

His mother stepped in, a warm expression on her face as she looked at her son, now returned to the mirror vicinity, one hand still held loosely against his throat.

“Here, let me straighten your hair.”

She brushed through his vaguely wavy tresses as if he were a child again, running the heatened irons over the strands to bring them to lie sleek and gleaming against his head, her fingers still delicately charming the style into doting submission. Finally she stood up with a sigh.

“When you find the right person Sakito, don’t you ever let anything get in the way.”

He twisted around to see her softly affectionate countenance, but before he could reply their doorbell called to him for the second time that day, and he once again opened the portal to reveal Ni~ya on his doorstep. Even though he had picked out the outfit himself, his eyes lingered long enough on Sakito’s form to show that he was taken aback by the other boy’s appearance, and a jolt of pleasure thrilled through him as he recognised the choker encircling his neck. He smiled, and because he knew that the situation allowed it somehow, he raised a hand to push back the luxurious mahogany locks that fell across the other’s face, his fingertips brushing tenderly against his skin. They turned to the burnished ebony vehicle, watched with knowing affection by a fond face as they slipped into the backseat and slowly pulled away.

***

“You know, I’ve never known a guy to order a salad.”

Ni~ya commented idly as they relinquished the menus, making Sakito’s ever sensitive cheeks flush as he looked down, examining the rows of cutlery before him- probably enough to last him a week under usual circumstances.

“I’m used to salads...”

The reply came out as a mumble, conveniently missing out the fact that he felt so out of place among the linen falls, the crimson roses and star-crossed couples around him that he wasn’t sure he could swallow a thing; and that the salad had the closest to reasonable price that he could see among the selection.

When he lifted his head, Ni~ya was smiling at him, and he offered a tentative response before his unsettled gaze wandered over his shoulder.

“Everyone’s staring at us...”

“They’re just jealous of me.”

Sakito bristled.

“To be honest I think they have just as much money as-”

Ni~ya shook his head, cutting in before he could finish.

“You twit. They’re jealous because I’m the one with you.”

“Oh…”

Sakito looked slightly dumbstruck, before dipping his head, raising a hand to the side of his neck as he pretended to observe the creamily blanched tablecloth before him.

“You must be blind…”

Before he could elaborate, the food arrived, and Sakito stared wide-eyed at the fancily garnished array that was placed before him, picking at a single leaf as if he was scared to ruin the design. Ni~ya allowed himself an incredulous inward chuckle as he watched, before lifting his own fork, spearing at the dish in between soft conversation.

***

After bullying Sakito into dessert and paying for a bill that would have made his companion splutter had he seen it, Ni~ya stepped out from the restaurant, the cold air hitting him refreshingly in the face. The familiar dark motor was pulled up further along the road, but he did not think about it for a second before he grabbed Sakito’s hands as he followed him out, turning him to face him. He seemed to be trying to say a million things, but only one phrase would emerge.

“… Thankyou.”

The brunette nodded self-consciously, hiding his face slightly behind silky forelocks. His wrists were released suddenly, and he looked up to see Ni~ya withdraw two familiar bands of metal, linked on a chain, from somewhere within his jacket.

“I forgot, I was going to give this to you earlier… got it back from the school office.”

He remarked, and Sakito took the necklace, looking at it for a long moment, before pocketing it.

“Thanks. I think though… I think I like wearing this one…”

Before Ni~ya knew it he had gathered the other in his arms, holding him in a loose tender grasp, and for the first time, Sakito relaxed into the embrace, burying his face softly into Ni~ya’s shoulder as his hands rose uncertainly to his waist. He sighed, the tone containing hints of both relief and contentment, his legs suddenly feeling weak as if he would simply sink to the floor if he were to be let go. But Ni~ya maintained the grip, his face tickled by the sepia strands it rested against, only drawing away when a car horn blared a hole through his reverie.

“Do you have any idea how long I’ve been sitting here? Time to go!!”

Real Cinderella - Ni~yaxSakito - Chapter 5

2006-06-11T20:53:17Z

Title: Real Cinderella
Author: etoilerose
Band: Nightmare
Pairing: Ni~yaxSakito
Rating: PG-13 OMG naughty wordsss.
Genre: AU (School)
Disclaimer: That's right. I own them and we have tea and crumpets together every afternoon, with the mad hatter and- oops, wrong universe.
Summary: The only child to a superfluously rich couple, whatever Ni~ya wants, he gets it. But when he meets the shy, stolid and somewhat less fortunate Sakito, things may not be so easy...
Notes: Not much going on in this one I'm afraid.. I haven't been replying to all my comments as I used to, with studying and all supposedly taking up all my time, so I would just like to say in advance that I appreciate every single comment immensely, and thankyou for any suggestions or opinions you may have ♥

Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Ni~ya opened his eyes blearily as the sound of running water penetrated his dreams, bringing him gradually into the present as he vaguely wondered where he was.

Sakito’s house! He couldn’t help but feel his heart jump as he remembered. The other must have risen early for a shower then, judging by the continual drumming of liquid from the en-suite… Ni~ya sat up, distracting him from the types of thoughts that would have occurred had he allowed himself to lie and ponder. Just as he was about to put a final load of effort in and pull himself onto his feet, the water flow abated and after a long moment of hesitation the door creaked open and Sakito stepped out tentatively, blushing as Ni~ya looked over despite the fact he was swathed in towels that covered more of him than most clothing would.

Feeling remarkably self-conscious, he hurried over to where his forgotten uniform was stacked, but his long strides dislodged the arrangement of the material fastened around his waist, and he felt it whooshing mortifyingly over his hips. With a sudden, desperate grab, he just managed to protect his pride, knocking the other towel from his shoulders in the process. Thoughtlessly he bounded back into the bathroom, locking the door and sinking to the ground in humiliated despair, leaving Ni~ya to desperately try to control his amusement. When he finally reined back the laughter that had threatened, he spoke.

“Sakito? Do you want your clothes?”

A long pause.

“… yes”

***

Before long Sakito had overcome his humiliation, and Ni~ya was also showered and dressed in something akin to the school uniform- derived from the other’s spare clothes. The school was just within sensible walking distance, and so not wanting to cause his mother undue trouble Sakito regularly travelled by foot; though it soon became apparent that Ni~ya was somewhat less accustomed to the early morning exercise.

“Sakitoooo! Can’t you walk any slower?”

Sakito lessened his brisk pace very slightly, before regulating the strides again as Ni~ya loped forward to catch up.

“We’ll be late if we don’t hurry.”

Ni~ya snorted his disdain at the threat before letting his argument sink down into mutinous grumbling about what Sakito thought cars were for, becoming furthermore sulky when his complaints were unacknowledged. After what seemed like a considerably longer time to him than it did to Sakito, the school gates loomed into view and they walked into the grounds, with, as Ni~ya pointed out, a significant amount of time left until the registration bell. Sakito automatically opened his mouth to retaliate, but was cut off as he saw Hitsugi and Yomi, who had obviously been waiting for his arrival.

Hitsugi was obviously surprised to have seen the pair walking in together, but he made his way over immediately with a welcoming grin. His companion however, was quite a different matter. Yomi was glaring at Ni~ya as if he could make the boy drop dead with a look.

“What are you doing with him?”

Hitsugi’s eyes widened and he went to apologise for his friend’s behaviour, but Ni~ya just looked down in contemptuous confusion.

“Do I know you?”

Yomi’s face darkened further and he muttered something that was no doubt threatening. Desperate to disperse the tense atmosphere that had grown between his new friends and… whatever Ni~ya was to him, Sakito spoke, his voice containing a little too much animation to be natural.

“Eh, Ni~ya, I’ll see you in class, hm?”

Before the other could reply he dragged Yomi away, Hitsugi in tow, leaving Ni~ya to watch his back incredulously. He’d left him, just like that! He acted as if that glowering little brat was somehow of more importance than he was! Huffing, he turned away, only to have his shoulders tackled by an exuberant Ruka.

“So, did you have sex yet?”

The moment that they were out of earshot, Hitsugi turned to Yomi, looking scandalised.

“Yomi! You are so rude!! You can’t talk to Sakito’s friends like that!”

But the chastised refused to back down.

“Sakito is… he your friend?”

Yomi asked, spitting out the pronoun as if it were poison. Sakito looked vaguely confused.

“I… I guess so… kind of, but-”

Before he could continue, Yomi interrupted.

“Why does no one listen to me?! He’s a filthy, no-good cheat and don’t think he won’t do it to you! Don’t you think it’s weird that he’s bothering to talk to someone who doesn’t have a fountain of money spewing from his ass?”

“Look Yomi, it was-”

But the huffy boy refused to listen to Hitsugi’s soothing logic, and the ringing of the bell saved him from having to answer. With a final affronted look, he flounced away, leaving Hitsugi to raise his eyebrows before following, and Sakito to venture out in the opposite direction.

One of the first to enter the classroom, Sakito had been sat daydreaming hazily for some time when Ni~ya entered, looking distinctly disgruntled.

“Parents still haven’t rung!”

He muttered, mostly to himself as he pulled back his chair to drop down, throwing another glance at the phone in his pocket as if it could vibrate at any second. It was inconceivable to him that his mother was not begging for his return after he stayed out for the previous night, but he had not heard a single thing! Sakito jerked out of his reverie, slightly unsure of whether Ni~ya was talking to him or not.

“Why don’t you just go back tonight and apologize?”

He offered, but Ni~ya’s expression informed him immediately that this was a no-go.

“No way!! They are not winning this!!”

He lapsed into a dark silence after this forceful reply, and after a few long drawn out moments, Sakito tentatively attempted to break the ice.

“You never said why they got so angry…”

Ni~ya almost hesitated, the reason clouding his mind, but his reply was a smooth avoidance of the implied question.

“It doesn’t matter, it was stupid.”

“…Well… I guess you can stay another night. I mean, if you need to. If-”

He halted his hesitations before he became completely tongue-tied as Ni~ya fixed him with a rare, genuine smile.

“Thanks …”

If he was going to continue, he lost the opportunity as a slamming door announced the arrival of their snappy-as-ever form tutor and he resigned himself to her ranting with a sigh

***

The rest of the day passed without particular event, and before long Ni~ya was once more lagging behind on the way back to Sakito’s house, repeating many of his earlier complaints and repeatedly informing deaf ears of his usual chauffeur. In fact, even Sakito was feeling slightly uncomfortable, the heat had grown to a rather unbearable level and his trousers were beginning to stick to his legs. He was almost as relieved as Ni~ya when he finally burst into the house, pouring out two deliciously chilly beverages.

Finally changing into soothingly thin clothes, Sakito’s relief was short-lived as he stood awkwardly in his own bedroom as if he were the guest, Ni~ya obviously waiting for him to suggest some form of initiative.

“I guess… I have homework to do…”

He finally said to break the silence, although his assignments were not due in until later in the week. Ni~ya looked surprised for a moment, as if he found it hard to believe that anyone really did such things, before shrugging and watching Sakito as he chose a book at random from his bag, stretching himself out on the bed in what was obviously a gesture he was too well accustomed to to question and flicked through the pages.

After a moment, Ni~ya became bored with his lack of attention and leant over Sakito’s shoulder, though he was not particularly interested in what the contents of the book may have been when it had ‘Physics’ splashed across the front page. Sakito found himself having to repress a shiver as warm breath billowed out onto his cheek; the other’s head so close to his own that he could have sworn their hair was touching.

Almost as if he could sense Sakito’s reaction, Ni~ya smirked ever so slightly and lifted a hand, extending polished black tips to languidly trace down the other’s back, finally lifting after a short rest at the very tail of his spine. This time, Sakito could not restrain his shudder and he looked up, something akin to fear dancing apprehensively in his eyes. With the same tantalisingly lethargic pace, Ni~ya knocked the book away, Sakito’s grip instinctively loosening as it fell, and he felt himself being discreetly and yet persuasively turned as Ni~ya leaned in closer and closer, until soft strands of hair were tickling his forehead and he could see nothing else but that loomingly attractive face.

It were as if he were in a trance, and the part of him that was screaming for flight was deadened as Ni~ya’s lips moved in closer, until he could feel the cold hook of metal that decorated them pressing against his mouth. When Ni~ya spoke, his voice sounded distinctively different, husky and yet still infused with that arrogant assurance that was just so… Ni~ya.

“There’s something about you on a bed, that…”

Suddenly a shrill ringing penetrated the atmosphere and he jumped back with a curse, causing Sakito to jolt upright as if he had just received an electric shock. He watched Ni~ya guardedly as he fished for the cell phone in his pocket, answering and speaking into it with irritated monosyllables. When he finally hung up, he acted as if he had completely forgotten the earlier incident.

“I knew they’d give in! I guess I should go back home then…”

Was that disappointment penetrating Sakito’s gut? He dismissed the notion immediately, not after what had just happened surely!! He didn’t want that! Nevertheless he couldn’t help feeling regretful as Ni~ya turned towards the door.

He put his hand on the doorknob, before faltering, turning back to Sakito, an ounce of his earlier confidence suddenly lost.

“Uh Saki… there’s a new restaurant downtown, looks pretty classy… why don’t we check it out?”

Sakito looked cornered, shifting slightly. He could only imagine how high-standard the place must be for Ni~ya to consider it ‘classy’

“I uh… I don’t really- I don’t really have the right clothes…”

He finally managed, but Ni~ya did not seem to consider it a worthy excuse.

“Well then we can go shopping too! Like a... thank you, for letting me stay. Saturday, okay?”

Sakito frowned, but somehow he mumbled an affirmative and Ni~ya grinned in reply, letting Sakito escort him out and waving with a rather unfamiliar lightness as he went to meet his precious chauffeur. Watching his back recede into the landscape, Sakito heaved a sigh. What was he getting himself into here?

Real Cinderella - Ni~yaxSakito - Chapter 4

2006-06-08T11:42:18Z

Title: Real Cinderella
Author: etoilerose
Band: Nightmare
Pairing: Ni~yaxSakito
Rating: PG-13 OMG naughty wordsss.
Genre: AU (School)
Disclaimer: That's right. I own them and we have tea and crumpets together every afternoon, with the mad hatter and- oops, wrong universe.
Summary: The only child to a superflously rich couple, whatever Ni~ya wants, he gets it. But when he meets the shy, stolid and somewhat less fortunate Sakito, things may not be so easy...
Notes: I haven't been replying to all my comments as I used to, with studying and all supposedly taking up all my time, so I would just like to say in advance that I appreciate every single comment immensely, and thankyou for any suggestions or opinions you may have ♥

Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3

Chapter 4

“What happened?”

Ni~ya looked at Ruka from the corner of his eye, slowing his chewing in deliberation over what the other meant.

“Huh?”

“I just accused you of staring at Sakito and you didn’t deny it. What happened?”

Snorting in obvious dismissal to the question, Ni~ya righted his gaze back onto the delicate boy sitting further down the food hall, riveted as if the sight of him monotonously placing food in his mouth as if he were watching some high-action TV drama.

“If you don’t tell me, I’ll ask him.”

Ni~ya shook his head infinitesimally.

“No you won’t.”

But before he had even finished his sentence, Ruka leaped up and strode over to Sakito’s table, leaving his companion to stumble to his feet, toppling his chair with a curse and bounding in his wake.

“What happened with Ni~ya?”

Sakito’s face instantly flooded with crimson, and Ruka grinned a knowing, suggestive grin before Ni~ya arrived, cuffing him around the head.

“Nothing happened you fucking ass!”

Rubbing his injured skull, Ruka ignored the glares and questioning glances he was receiving, leaning into Sakito and speaking in a stage whisper.

“Do you want to get into Ni~ya’s pants, too?”

The effect on Sakito’s already burning face was devastating, and Ni~ya shoved his friend out of the way. He had been intending for a slightly more comfortable setting, but better to get all awkwardness over in one go…

“Meet me on the green at 5, okay?”

He said abruptly, making the request sound a lot like an order. He paused, but before any of the others could speak he turned away, dragging Ruka by the wrist and stomping back to his table stonily. Hitsugi turned to Sakito in confusion.

“What on earth was that about?”

“Well it doesn’t really matter, cause he isn’t going.”

Yomi slipped in before Sakito could react, making him frown in confusion.

“What do you have so against him?”

His inquiry was met by a dark expression from Yomi, and Hitsugi rolled his eyes with a long-serving weariness.

“Eleven years ago, Ni~ya-”

Hitsugi, we are not talking about this!!”

The smaller interrupted indignantly, causing Hitsugi to sigh and Sakito to look increasingly perplexed.

“Fine, go off with the scumbag, but don’t come crying to me when you realise who is in the right!”

***

Despite Yomi’s forceful indignance, and his own personal misgivings, just a few hours later Sakito found himself crossing the recreation field to where Ni~ya was seated, vaguely wishing he had the time to change out of his uncomfortable uniform as the other had. As he approached, Ni~ya stood up, a scowl on his face.

“You’re late.”

Sakito flinched slightly at his blunt statement, and Ni~ya’s face cleared a little, revealing something that was almost akin to regret on his face. He looked down, examining the slowly greening stems of grass in which his feet nestled.

“Look, I’m… sorry… about Saturday. I-”

His voice cut off abruptly, he opened his mouth to continue his speech, but eventually snapped it shut, grabbing a box from his pocket and thrusting it at Sakito like a weapon.

“Take in then!!”

At his impatient command, Sakito started, reaching out to take the item. Flipping the lid open hesitantly, he revealed a necklace, the chain short enough to encircle the neck closely, and composed of burnished silver links holding together argentite beads, each painstakingly carved into a delicate rose. His eyes widened at the obvious value of the adornment, bringing a vaguely patronising smile. Slowly his taken aback expression developed into a slight frown, concealing hints of suspicion.

“..Why? It’s so…”

His voice trailed out and Ni~ya shuffled, ignoring the nagging urges that thrilled through his body, driving him to just envelop the boy before him.

“Just… sorry. Think of it as a replacement for the one that was confiscated.”

He knew instinctively by the way Sakito’s confusion darkened that he had said the wrong thing.

“You think you can just buy everything, don’t you?”

He murmured softly, almost to himself.

“You can’t buy sentiment… you can’t buy people, Ni~ya!”

His voice rose slightly and he turned, walking away before he could see the hurt that flooded the other’s face. He heard something shouted after him, an angry, injured tone, but the words did not reach him.

It was only when he got home that he realised that the gift was still clasped tightly in his hand.

***

Ni~ya kicked the door open hard, the pain it caused in his launched foot only amplifying his intense aggravation. What did that kid want?! He had apologised- actually apologised! He had bought that beautiful choker; sure that Sakito would be happy, and for once caring about emotions outside of himself… And for what? To have everything thrown back in his face! He booted the unforgiving wood again, before slamming it behind him. The little jerk hadn’t even returned it either! Probably scampering off to pawn it away right now, he certainly seemed to need the money. Commoner.

He snorted, and was just about to storm upstairs when a raised voice halted his progress.

“Ni~ya!! Your father wishes to see you.”

The youth froze immediately, his eyes narrowing. His father was barely even home, spending most of his time jetting around the world engrossed in business deals. The last time Ni~ya had the pleasure of an audience with him; it was after he had been caught smoking, and the times before that had been no more pleasant. His mother appeared to be mulling over the same facts, for her mouth was drawn in apprehensive worry, and she looked at her son in a way that stated clearly, ‘what have you done now?’. Eventually, Ni~ya nodded, following her down the corridors and into one of the many living rooms that he was accustomed too, the familiar forbidding figure seated in a towering armchair. He didn’t waste any time in beginning, that was the way Ni~ya’s father was. Blunt, abrupt, and quickly brought to anger.

“So, Yuji. This is the way you decide to repay your family is it?”

That name again. Ni~ya winced, glowering at the floor as he waited for the rebuke.

“All we’ve ever asked of you! We’ve built the perfect life up around you, and all in exchange for such a simple thing, just to carry on the family’s name!”

His voice was rising, and Ni~ya sunk into resignation, realising where the rant was going, he really didn’t want to talk about this…

“One of the maids saw you with your little boyfriend. You thought you could get away with doing… that! In your own house?! I don’t know what kind of teenage rebellion this is, but its stopping! You are never seeing that boy again, you hear.”

Ni~ya’s eyes flashed upwards, and for once he met his father’s condemning gaze, glaring back with vehemence.

“I’ll see who I want!! Just you try and stop me!”

He spat out, the words fuelling his earlier anger into an inferno. The other’s eyes widened incredulously, and in a sudden movement he cleared the distance between them, raising his hand to bring the back of his palm resoundingly upon his son’s cheek, throwing his head to the side.

Ni~ya instantly flipped his infuriated gaze back, his eyes burning with uncontrollable indignance and rage.

“I’m not staying here. And I’ll sleep with 10 men every night just to spite you!”

His voice was reaching fever pitch. Before anyone could react he bolted from the room, instilling every fibre of his fury into the pounding of his footsteps. Oh, he would regret that…

***

After an hour wandering breathlessly through the streets, Ni~ya’s emotions began to abate into exhaustion, and he was reluctantly beginning to see the folly of his actions. He had left with nothing but the clothes he was wearing- the thin material becoming increasingly chilly in the fading light- no money, no nothing. He slumped to the floor, his back pressed against a no doubt grimy wall, ignoring the few people that passed by, looking at him strangely. He couldn’t go back, not tonight. It would be defeat, and yet what other options were there open to him? Sleep through the night on the pavement? He stretched out his kinked legs, not caring that he was obscuring the entire pathway, they could always walk around. Gingerly, he lowered his head onto the cold grimy concrete. So that was a no-go. He was just about to raise himself again when he felt something buffet against his shin, and a cry was released as someone landed on the other side of him with a thud, scattering the contents of two overloaded shopping bags.

Ni~ya sighed in irritation, supposing that he was expected to help the clumsy idiot to pick up all their groceries. He lifted his head, before fighting the urge to slam it back down. Not now, this was NOT the time!!

“Ni~ya..? Why are you lying on the pavement?”

Sakito stopped his recollecting of products, staring dubiously at the irritated looking, dusty-haired guy.

“Kicked myself out... or something”

He finally replied grudgingly, not wanting to discuss his somewhat unadvantageous position. Sakito frowned.

“Well where are you going to go?”

Ni~ya’s raised eyebrows answered the question for him, and he spoke exasperatedly.

“Well you can’t just sit here all night!! Who knows what could happen!”

Continuing to look at him with a faked nonchalance, Ni~ya shrugged. Sakito raised his eyes, his expression going through a thousand alterations as he tried to work around the only solution he could think of. Finally, he had to give in.

“Fine, you’ll just have to stay with me.”

“What if I don’t want-“

“So your going to sit on the streets all night? Don’t be an idiot.”

Ni~ya glared in the face of his logic, but picked himself up off the floor, allowing himself a final snipe to preserve his pride.

“I thought you were all pissed off at me?”

Sakito paused.

“… I am.”

***

After taking great pains to escape his mother’s astonishment and pandering when she recognised her guest, Sakito let his companion into his bedroom, feeling self-conscious as he remembered Ni~ya’s luxurious sleeping place. Sakito’s was small, dominated by a double bed that had come with them from their previous house. Everything was neat, though some of the objects were a little old and shabby, and there was a faint aroma of vanilla dancing in the air.

“You can have the bed, I’ll sleep on the floor”

Sakito announced quietly, causing Ni~ya to look around, looking confused and somewhat disappointed.

“Surely there’s enough room…”

“-It’s okay”

The other unbundled an old duvet from the cupboard whilst Ni~ya assured him that he could sleep in what he was wearing. Dumping the bedding on the ground, he retreated to what he identified as a small en-suite bathroom, eventually returning in an old t-shirt and boxers that gave Ni~ya a breath catching glimpse of his leggy figure before he concealed his slender limbs, curling up like a cat in the tangled sheets.

With a final, regretful yawn, Ni~ya slipped into the bed, feeling his exposed skin tingle against the material that had enclosed Sakito for night after night. He heaved himself over onto his side, his eyes, already drooping, automatically fixing on the other’s slightly upturned face, his lids down as he attempted to slip into unconciousness. For a while, Ni~ya traced lines across the uncovered skin with his eyes. His neck, jawbones, an arm curling up towards his body and a tantalisingly exposed portion of stomach. He smiled lightly, returning his gaze to the peacefully angelic face as he spoke, his tone cracking just above a whisper.

“Sakito… I really like you.”

He did not move, but Ni~ya could tell by the way his cheeks damasked slightly that he had heard. The smile breaking wider, he turned over, surrendering himself to the sweet dreams and oblivion of slumber.

---

Now, to the English exam!!

Real Cinderella - Ni~yaxSakito - Chapter 3

2006-06-06T21:17:55Z

Title: Real Cinderella
Author: etoilerose
Band: Nightmare
Pairing: Ni~yaxSakito
Rating: PG I guess.
Genre: AU (School)
Disclaimer: That's right. I own them and we have tea and crumpets together every afternoon, with the mad hatter and- oops, wrong universe.
Summary: The only child to a superflously rich couple, whatever Ni~ya wants, he gets it. But when he meets the shy, stolid and somewhat less fortunate Sakito, things may not be so easy...
Notes: I haven't been replying to all my comments as I used to, with studying and all supposedly taking up all my time, so I would just like to say in advance that I appreciate every single comment immensely, and thankyou for any suggestions or opinions you may have ♥

Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Ni~ya’s feet beat an irritated rhythm as he walked, straight through the school gates without even considering surreptitiousness- nobody would stop him and he knew it. His mind worked too fast to strike a tempo with his footsteps, coiling in cantankerous circles, though he barely knew what had piqued his temper so. Ruka? Himself? The new kid? Sakito, with the blush, glossy lips that seemed to call for him in parting… He shook his head as if he could clear the image that easily, only bringing more. Frustration, when he had turned for help with mahogany eyes that could not be met, when he had looked up from beneath him with an innocence that screamed to be cradled, or else ripped away and possessed. He made Ni~ya uncomfortable, edgy as if something was tugging him from his own skin, imploring him to step out and stand exposed and awkward beneath the sun. What kind of name could be given to such feelings?

Not attraction, Ni~ya assured himself too quickly. An attraction to that clumsy little commoner was not even feasible. Not for a person like him, whose money and handsome features could win around any girl he may take a liking too. And yet he felt the beginnings of an arrogant smile fade as some niggling part of his conscience stabbed him in the back, a curt statement that Ni~ya could hardly deny. He had never tried once to put such an advantage into play, ignoring the fawning and giggling suitors proposed by both his parents, or in the more confident cases, themselves, with derision. It was so like brutal chance for the one person he- no! There was nothing there! Nothing!

He wasn’t sure quite how long he wandered for, but just as his feet began to ache his autopilot directed him into familiar territory, not far from where he had started, and he sunk down into an often-frequented bench. He was contemplating striking for home when another weight shifted the wood beneath him and he turned to see a familiar face.

“Missing out on chemistry Ni, what are you thinking?”

Knowing what was coming, Ni~ya averted his eyes from his friend’s face, knowing exactly what was coming.

“Before you start, I don’t like Sakito and I don’t need your love advice.”

But despite his blunt manner, Ruka was undeterred.

“You know that name was like honey on your tongue, and of course you need my advice, you two are like Cinderella all over again.”

“Only Cinderella is a little dork-”

“And Prince Charming isn’t so charming”

Ruka cut in smoothly with a light smirk that dissolved into a pensive smile as he continued talking.

First you need to drop the attitude, being nice doesn’t hurt that much you know! Talk and ask questions and don’t do that bitch-glare thing.”

Ni~ya went to interrupt indignantly, but his words were stemmed by a raised hand.

“You glare at that kid like he’s the puppy who nicked Alpha Ni~ya’s meat. Stop that, oh and be patient. And remember the protection.”

“Ruka I am not going to need protection!!”

His indignance only increased as he was fixed with a slightly patronising grin, and a ruffle of the hair that made him instantly and gloweringly take the bait and attempt to rearrange the style.

“Anyway, see you Mr Skiver.”

And before Ni~ya could protest about the conversation, or the hypocritical insult, he was gone, leaving a confused and considerable seething young man in his wake.

***

Sakito had received distinctly more pleasant Saturday wakeup calls that the unmistakeable sound of violent vomiting, but the concern it elicited in him was certainly more effective than any trilling alarm and he sat up, rubbing sleep from his eyes to bring the room into focus. Standing up slightly unsteadily, he closed his door behind him just in time to see his mother emerging from the toilet, her skin pallid and sickly, stained beneath the eyes. She turned to him with despairing eyes.

“24 hour bug… I’m supposed to be working today! What are they going to think if I have to take leave already?!”

Unable to offer any words of suggestion or consolation, Sakito frowned sympathetically, casting his gaze to the floor, before raising it again as one, slightly uninviting prospect occurred to him.

“What if I covered your shift for today or something?”

He offered, rewarded by an extremely relieved rush of gratitude.

“Are you sure, oh Sakito you are a star! I’ll-”

She broke off as her face blanched once more, and her son winced as she ran back into the toilet, the noises making him feel positively ill himself. Maybe getting out wouldn’t be such a bad idea…

***

It soon became apparent to Sakito why his mother had been so vague with her directions, the place really was unmissable. From the moment he had stepped down from the bus he had seen it and now it towered above him intimidatingly, resplendent in restored, stony granite. He gazed up uncertainly; just looking at the highest reaches made him feel dizzy, as if the colossal structure could somehow come toppling forwards onto his head. However, after his moment of hesitation, he moved onwards to the forbidding gate, eyeing it confusedly. How was he going to open that?

“Excuse me, who’s there?”

The crackly voice startled him and he jumped, casting over his shoulder for the invisible speaker before noticing the intercom on the wall and moved towards it awkwardly.

“Uh… my mother usually works here, she’s ill and I’ve come to cover for her.”

There was a moment of pause, and Sakito wondered whether he was going to have to repeat the statement, or whether anyone could hear him at all, before another crackle broke through his thoughts.

“Very well, that was thoughtful of her. Supplies are in the utility room, left corridor on entering, you can begin with the dining area.”

The voice replied briskly, as if he had had no part in the arrangement, and with a resounding finality, the intercom cut off, and Sakito turned to see the gates swinging open smoothly. He stepped forwards into the grounds, eyeing the long path to the front door with trepidation. He felt distinctly out of place among the perfectly coifed shrubbery that flanked him… and was that a swimming pool even? He had never seen one bigger! His marvelling soon took him to the entrance and he pushed the heavy wood ajar gingerly, slipping inside.

A magnificent staircase stretched out above him like something out of a film, the handrail gold-enamelled and the carpet a deep, cliché red that looked as plush as it felt beneath his feet. Drawing in an awestruck breath, he turned left, padding as silently as he could down the hallway, soon passing onto richly varnished wooden floorboards.

Within a mere few seconds, he was hopelessly lost. He seemed to have passed a thousand doors already, how should he know which was the utility room? Sighing in frustration, he swivelled back around to retrace his steps, half expecting the corridor to have done some bizarre Harry Potter-esque switching act to leave him wandering astray somewhere deep within the house. However he soon saw the convenient landmark of the stairway looming ahead, and now decorated with a barely discernable form descending bouncily. His heart lifted, as embarrassing as it may be to ask, there was at least someone to give him directions.

He prepared himself to speak, but as the figure swung itself around on the banister to face him, all words fell away and he stared, slack jawed in disbelief.

Ni~ya?!

Judging by the other’s double-take and drastically widened eyes, he was equally taken aback, and he hung onto the handrail as if it were the only thing preventing him from falling over from the shock.

“Sa-… What the hell?!”

He finally managed, leaving Sakito to blush crimson; trying to stammer an answer until Ni~ya stepped forward with an air of assertion and resignation, pushing his hand into the small of the brunette’s back and guiding him up the stairs. After a number of turns that Sakito could not follow, he pushed open a mahogany door to reveal a regally dark room with hints of aubergine, centre pieced with an imposing, canopy bed.

“Sit down.”

At the abrupt invitation Sakito moved further in, perching delicately on the rich velvet bed throw that had been gestured to. Ni~ya moved as if to join him, before veering away, standing slightly uncomfortably, as if agitated. When it appeared he was not going to break the awkward silence, Sakito found his voice.

“Sorry… my mum works here but she’s ill, I’m supposed to be covering for her, I should go and-”

He made to stand up again but Ni~ya dismissed the idea with a sweep of his head, and he relaxed carefully back down.

“I’ll tell them you don’t have to.”

He finally replied, as if daring anyone to challenge his judgement. He paused slightly awkwardly, before continuing.

“So your mum has to work as a maid? You must be damn poor!”

Sakito’s face tensed as he was once again struck with the backhand of the other’s arrogance, and he replied tersely.

“We get by.”

Ni~ya’s eyebrows lifted at his tone, as if he had done nothing to invoke it. His eyes flickered away, darting down onto the carpet before returning to the figure now sitting upon his bed, travelling across it slightly before flitting away again. Annoyingly, he found himself casting back to Ruka’s words the previous day. Talk, ask questions…

“So you’re uh... new here?”

What was that?! Sakito’s brow furrowed and he nodded slowly, wondering whether he had missed something. Mentally slapping himself, Ni~ya paced a few steps. Distracting, distracting… oh what’s Ruka know anyway?!

“Sakito...”

His voice had changed, and the other looked up questioningly. His adorably confused expression was all that Ni~ya needed.

Before Sakito could react his back was pressed against the bedclothes, and a pair of lips crushed against his own hungrily, their owner leaning dangerously over his prone form. Taken aback, Sakito reacted instinctively, returning the pressure with a feather light touch that he barely realized he was applying. For a moment, he felt as if he were floating, until his tiny force was answered with a sudden, rough push and Ni~ya’s tongue was exploring his mouth, his hips falling jarringly against Sakito’s as he moved the arms that had been supporting them, his fingers moving to push up the hem of his worn shirt. The nails raked devastatingly against Sakito’s porcelain skin and sudden fear caught back his breathing.

With a hazy attempt to vocalise a protest he jerked his head to the side, only to have it brought back into line with a sharp, possessive nip to his bottom lip that made him squeak in the back of his throat. Ni~ya’s weight was pressing him down, crushing him into the slightly giving duvet until he was overcome with claustrophobia and squirmed desperately, his movements increasingly restricted by Ni~ya’s burning desire to hold, to possess.

Just as his panic reached tether hold, his leg somehow forced its way upwards and connected with stomach, giving him the fleeting chance to scramble out and upright. His face was streaked with tears he did not seem to notice as he stood frozen, eyeing Ni~ya like a rabbit caught in the eyes of a fox. After a moment, he seemed to regain his composure and his nervously poised shoulders straightened. With a carefully controlled calm, he turned and walked from the room.

“Wait… Sakito…you should be flattered!”

He heard footsteps behind him, hurried, and he broke into a run, streaking along the corridors and if by some subconscious miracle finding himself at the head of the staircase. He stumbled downwards; driving himself onwards on hearing the increased rhythm of Ni~ya’s feet as he reached the steps too. With none of his former restraint, he flung open the front door and fled out into the open air. As he ran he threw a glance behind him, holding it when he realised he could not see his pursuer, surely he was there… but he couldn’t see-

He was utterly unaware that he had deviated from the path until something slipped underfoot and he was sickeningly weightless. For a split second he was suspended, and then suddenly he had plummeted downwards and the water was above his head, a splash still resonating in his ears. Shock instinctively made him draw for air and he choked on the chlorinated liquid, his arms flailing until a firm hand gripped his wrist and he was pulled up to the surface.

***

“You know, I never thought that anyone could do that sort of thing in real life.”

Ni~ya marvelled, casting a look at his companion who was seated in the same position he had bolted from, shivering and pulling uncomfortably at his borrowed Vivienne Westwood shirt.

“Couldn’t you have found something a little less… expensive?”

He implored, ignoring the earlier mild insult in favour of his awkwardness. Ni~ya closed his eyes in and incredulous search for patience.

I don’t. Have. Anything a little less expensive. It really doesn’t matter.”

He finally replied, seeming to give Sakito no comfort, although he did stop fiddling with the unfamiliarly superior fabric, letting his arms fall down to his side and lapsing into a silence that Ni~ya instinctively recognised as housing thoughts to the earlier events. For a moment he let the quiet stretch out, before breaking it almost tentatively, and for once his tone was not laden with his usual self-assurance.

“I wasn’t going to-… I wouldn’t have-”

Sakito looked up.

“I- I know...”

He finally responded, but he spoke with a careful reserve that made Ni~ya’s heart sink, for it held the distinct note of something that was not going to be easily dispelled.

20 Icons and 1 wallpaper

2006-06-03T13:40:59Z

A non-fic related post? *le gasp!*

[8x Nightmare]
[8x Gazette]
[2x Ayabie]
[1x Antic cafe]
[1x Alice Nine]

Teasers:

Sakito	Sakito	Sakito	Sakito

Hitsugi	Ni~yaxSakito	Ni~yaxSakito	Ruka

Aoi	Aoi	Aoi	Kai

Uruha	Uruha	Uruha	Uruha

Aoi	Aoi	Bou	Saga

And also, since I have been changing my background every 5 seconds since I got this laptop, I decided to take a shot at a wallpaper.

Sakito Wallpaper

Thankyou to Hybrid Genesis for textures and to blitzx17 for lyric translations.

Real Cinderella - Ni~yaxSakito - Chapter 2

2006-05-31T19:00:53Z

Title: Real Cinderella
Author: etoilerose
Band: Nightmare
Pairing: Ni~yaxSakito
Rating: PG I guess.
Genre: AU (School)
Disclaimer: That's right. I own them and we have tea and crumpets together every afternoon, with the mad hatter and- oops, wrong universe.
Summary: The only child to a superflously rich couple, whatever Ni~ya wants, he gets it. But when he meets the shy, stolid and somewhat less fortunate Sakito, things may not be so easy...
Notes: Neh. Don't like this. Sorry if it is shorter. Oh also, I haven't been replying to all my comments as I used to, with studying and all supposedly taking up all my time, so I would just like to say in advance that I appreciate every single comment immensely, and thankyou for any suggestions or opinions you may have ♥

Prologue
Chapter 1

Chapter 2

A sense of finality and relief assailed Sakito as he stepped into his home, throwing down his bag in a manner that would soon become familiar and smiling as he exalted.

“I’m hooome!”

A muffled sound of surprise and his Mother had joined him in the entranceway, her expression of worry dissolving at his cheerful face. Nevertheless, she still asked the required question.

“How was your day?”

Sakito’s grin widened and he stretched his arms out, letting them fall into relaxation at his sides once more.

“Fine! How was yours?”

It was his mother’s need for a job that had brought them to the area; along with that to escape bad memories. The sudden departure of her husband with another woman had thrown her greatly as well as forcing her into work once more after years of dependence. It was an event that confused Sakito, even now. Perhaps he had been so blinded by a blissful early childhood that he had not seen the relationship falling apart, not noticed that suddenly just the other’s presence would snap a fuse and send his father raving. He became suddenly aware of the metal loop around his neck, which had encapsulated twin bands of matrimony ever since the day his father had wrenched his wedding ring from a stubby digit and left it jangling upon the concrete in his wake; his distraught wife throwing hers beside it, as wet with tears as the rest of her seemed to be. Some instinctive emotion had guided him in retrieving them, dusting them down to preserve the memories of a happy family close to his heart. Cheap sentimentality, but he was loath to let it go.

Before the corners of his mouth could begin to slide down, Sakito averted his thoughts from the father who had abandoned him to the more positive topic of her first day as a maid- perhaps not the most glamorous of careers, but the family was a prestigious one and they paid well.

“It went well, so well! You should see the house Sakito, it’s… beyond words! Enormous!”

Sakito felt knots untying in his stomach at her enthusiastic tone, though he would not admit it to her, he had worried, just as she had with him.

“I like our apartment all the same. What’s for dinner?”

And so they settled into the usual routine, albeit minus the one; the man who had once beamed, propelling Sakito high into the air on a swing until he squealed with exalted delight, who had squeezed his hand as he passed through the gates of a school for the first time and much later had struggled just as much as his son over algebra homework. The man who brought him into being before tiring and leaving him half-nurtured.

***

The next morning, Sakito walked into his tutor room with a renewed sense of confidence, barely glancing at Ni~ya as he slipped in beside him, focusing his attention forwards in a firm attempt to glean something from the day. However, as fate often has it, the way in which Ms. Kobayashi’s hawk-like eyes zoned in on him told that something would soon be along to ruin his positive attitude.

“Sakito!! You may be new but don’t think just because of that I am going to let you off lightly; jewellery is a breach of the school dress code!”

Starting, he glanced down, only for his eyes to meet resolutely with the ring necklace, hanging defiantly over his stiff, white collar. Before he could even open his mouth to plea or protest, her lips tightened, palm whipping out to snatch away the offending item, and he had no option but to unclasp the chain, pooling the silvered links into her hand and watching as she fisted them, marching away. For the first time, Ni~ya made a sound without prompting, a snort that had Sakito turning to face him, dejection clear on his face.

“I don’t see what you are so worried about. My socks probably cost more than that thing.”

His eyes fixed on the other’s derisive jeer, Sakito felt coils of anger unfurling in his stomach, rising to wash over his body until his face was as terse as his irate teacher’s. He wanted to bite back with a comment that would bring Ni~ya to his knees, but he could think of nothing effective to force between his clenched teeth.

“Shut. Up.”

He finally managed, snapping his head away with an invisible shudder. Surprisingly the words seemed to have an effect on Ni~ya and he froze, staring at the back of Sakito’s head incredulously.

“You can’t tell me to fucking shu-”

“Okay class that’s enough… Enough!!”

Completely ignoring Ni~ya’s affronted reply, Sakito watched Kobayashi stonily, leaving Ni~ya to seethe alone, his vexation bubbling up with no available outlet. How dare that… that brat try to order him around! He threw a resentful glare at his oblivious desk mate, eyes narrowing petulantly. Ratty little urchin. Even that “new” uniform was probably second-hand. He cast his eyes over the slightly too commodious blazer, disappointed to see no visible signs of bedragglement. All the same, probably cheap... Muffling his annoyance, he drew his gaze away to stare at his usual favoured spot of the desk. Shut up… Shut up!

***

In what seemed like far too little time, Sakito found himself standing awkwardly alone in a sports hall, his legs cold and exposed in the regulation shorts of the kit as he watched everyone around him dividing seamlessly into pairs, Ni~ya standing out like a sore, distinctly more stylish, thumb in the blue basketball shirt and tracksuit pants that only he seemed to escape with wearing. This sense of distance from the others was starting to get tiresome… were Hitsugi and Yomi the only friendly people in this place? With everyone grouped up, everyone seemed to avert their eyes from him, as if they could pretend they had not noticed his isolation, and he shifted uncomfortably, estranged and ashamed.

“Ni~yaaaa, your new pretty boy is all alooooone.”

Ni~ya batted Ruka’s intrusive hand away, only to find it rising again to poke insistently at his arm. A few seconds later, when it became obvious that no one was going to step in, Ni~ya released a taxed sigh.

“Sakito. Come here.”

The alienated boy turned in surprise, an expression of shock and confusion on his face that made Ni~ya instinctively reach out, grabbing his wrist and yanking him towards himself and Ruka, who looked somewhat pleased with himself.

“Hey! I don’t want-”

Sakito began, before falling reluctantly into silence at a murderous look from Ni~ya. Even he was better than nobody at all… wasn’t he?

Their PE coach paused uncertainly, before beginning to talk with relief when Sakito made no more protest, instructing them in some overly complicated drill that seemed to make absolutely no sense, but that Ni~ya and Ruka seemed to master perfectly, leaving Sakito to blushingly apologise each time the basketball flew through his fingers.

“For God’s sake! Are you eyes closed or something?!”

Ni~ya snapped, watching the orange orb bounce its way solo across the hall once more and causing Sakito to finally raise his frustratedly embarrassed face.

“Well maybe if you hadn’t dragged me over here-”

Ruka raised his eyebrows as the two continued to counter each other, departing to fetch the ball from where it had finally rolled to a halt against the opposite wall. When he returned they had broken apart and Ni~ya looked as if he were about to start twitching in self-righteous exasperation. As his friend approached he edged towards him, his eyes still on Sakito as he leaned to the side to speak, but was interrupted by Ruka’s mildly interested voice.

“You know, considering you dislike that boy so much, you sure are spending a lot of time ogling his legs.”

“I’ll do what I wan- Hey!! I wasn’t ogling his legs!!”

Ni~ya erupted, dismissing the sizeable amount of looks he gained and glaring at Ruka who just grinned and tossed him the ball languidly. Finally, he attempted to recommence the game, throwing in turn to Sakito who, miraculously in his opinion, caught it, having to run forwards a few paces in the process. Ruka opened his mouth in a ‘yay’ for his success.

“See Ni~ya! He’s not that bad!”

He gave Ni~ya a playful push that would have only send him a step or two sideways; had Sakito not been in the way. But knocked off balance, the other grabbed the first thing his fingertips came into contact with in an attempt to stay upright- a handful of blue shirt.

The pull had Ni~ya crashing to the ground, his weight pushing the slender brunette down until he squeaked as his back and head connected with the wooden floorboards. A thinly clad knee was digging into his bare, lower thigh, the rest of his legs pinned, and a stray arm ended up crushed against his neck, fingers just nestled in his hair.

For a moment both were to shocked to move, and then Sakito felt his captor shift against him, warm air billowing out tremblingly over his lips and wide eyes.

“Idiot. You pulled me over.”

In a sudden and decisive movement he stood up and turned away, too abruptly for the action to be casual. Sakito struggled upright, watching dazedly as Ni~ya strolled nonchalantly from the room, earning a swift look but no cautionary words from the sports coach. After watching his friend’s back for a pensive few moments, Ruka crouched down beside the confused, abandoned boy still sat upon the floor, whispering conspiratorially.

“Hey Sakito… are you uh, only for the ovary variety?”

The other twisted to face him, looking puzzled.

“Wha…?”

Ruka clapped him on the shoulder, before standing and pulling Sakito up in one motion, casting about for the once more lost ball with a private smile.

Oh my gawddddd a poemmmmm.

2006-05-27T20:42:53Z

Persona XD As I'm sure you can tell XD

Birdwatching (Modern Love)

A songbird, alighting 'pon the pews.
Would it please you to watch her?
Flexing out burnished quills
with a bill raised to greet in the morning.
She is resplendent.
Praying for deference in a waltz
the sunbeams dance, polishing highlights into perfection,
adjusting their careering to the slightest rhyme.

Her delicate chassis thrilling with essence
she lifts a defined countenance,
unleashing the expert verse that will set alight
an electrifying charge in our veins,
send blood singing in a wild refrain
of no assonance to her own.

Eyes, sharp with blissful naivety, cast about,
the unconcious quest for a starcross'd lover
with whom to share the twilight.
And we wait.
Vulpine predators veiled by the shadows,
Poised to pounce. Possess.
Crawling with a rampant desire to rend open
that delicate form.
To scatter innocence beneath the unforgiving sky.

Real Cinderella - Ni~yaxSakito - Chapter 1

2006-05-27T20:36:15Z

Title: Real Cinderella
Author: etoilerose
Band: Nightmare
Pairing: Ni~yaxSakito
Rating: PG I guess.
Genre: AU (School)
Disclaimer: That's right. I own them and we have tea and crumpets together every afternoon, with the mad hatter and- oops, wrong universe.
Summary: The only child to a superflously rich couple, whatever Ni~ya wants, he gets it. But when he meets the shy, stolid and somewhat less fortunate Sakito, things may not be so easy...
Notes: Sorry about the wait! School and all... I couldn't use MS word for this chapter so if it is a little shorter than usual or typoed, that would be whyyyyy.

Prologue

Chapter 1

It came as a blessing when, after a considerable amount of time being lectured on topics that Sakito had already forgotten about, the class was dismissed. He jumped to his feet as a tinny bell reverberated in his ears, watching Ni~ya’s already receding back with mixed feelings of apprehension. He had no clue where he was supposed to be going, and this guy was supposed to be helping him right? After a quick glance at the unsympathetic expressions that filled the room, he hoisted his bag onto his shoulders, forced into a loping trot to catch up with the fast escaping boy. Better to annoy just one person than many…

“Uh... Ni~ya? Excuse me, Ni~ya?”

Attempting to unfold his timetable whilst maintaining the pace, Sakito tripped, colliding into the now stationary figure and stumbling backwards a few steps, his face reddening distinctly under the other’s cool gaze.

“I was just wondering where uh… maths room 5 is?”

Ni~ya’s dark eyes connected with his before darting away swiftly, and he shook his head forward in a customary gesture, making his coloured hair fall in curtains over his countenance.

“Over that way.”

He raised a hand vaguely to indicate the direction and turned to walk away before Sakito could react, leaving him eyeing the corridor uneasily, chewing on his lip in agitation. He was just about to begin to try and find his bearings when something hurtled past his left side, catching his shoulder and sending him spinning to the ground with a resounding thump.

“Yomi you idiot! I told you not to run around like that!”

Sakito looked up dizzily, his eyes squinting as he saw a concerned face looming above him, lips peppered with removed piercings and strands tinted with a slight red falling into chocolate eyes. Taking the proffered hand dazedly, Sakito found himself back on his feet, facing the kindly looking boy and a short companion, who judging by his guilty expression had had something to do with that fall.

“Sorry about that! Um, are you new here? I haven’t seen you around...”

After a slightly bewildered pause, Sakito dipped his head, smiling automatically. After the hostile characters of his morning so far, the stranger’s kindly and open demeanour was distinctly comforting.

“Ah! Well then welcome! I’m Hitsugi, and this is Yomi! Do you need any help getting around?”

At the question, his lips split into a positive beam of relief.

“Please! This guy… Ni~ya? He was supposed to help me, but he ran off…”

The newly dubbed Yomi looked up at this, speaking for the first time.

“Well that’s cause Ni~ya is a conceited ass!”

Hitsugi winced slightly at the outburst, slightly laughing in apology.

“Yomi has something of a vendetta against Ni~ya, not that he knows… and before you ask, I’ve never managed to get a reason from him-“

“His stuck up face is reason enough!”

Yomi butted in again, looking slightly irked before his expression dissolved into a pleasurable one once more at Hitsugi’s frown.

“Anyway! Is it maths for you too? If so you’re headed the wrong way… Come on, we’ll get you there in one piece!”

***

A few hours later Sakito was once again struggling to read his timetable, his finger tracing down the Monday column before halting on the fourth square down.

“History. And… Ms. Kobayashi?”

He muttered to himself, his heart sinking slightly as he recognised the name of his tutor from the beginning of the day. His features creased into a slight frown, he hadn’t seen Ni~ya again so far, perhaps his luck would hold out? Then again, what if the woman found him someone even less suitable to tag onto? His muscles twitched in a dismissive shrug as he tried to recall Hitsugi’s directions to the Humanities department.

Following the corridors with a detached concentration, when he finally looked up to see the vaguely familiar door before him, Ni~ya was as he had feared slouched against the wall, irises cast down to the floor to deter conversation from any passing individuals. His expression tensing once more, Sakito joined the queue outside the classroom, awaiting the arrival of their snappy teacher.

When the group was finally permitted entry, he found himself once again ushered to the back of the class, where Ni~ya occupied the same seat as in registration. He showed no reaction as the flustered brunette perched down on the adjacent seat, just watching the window on the other side of the room, his disinterest in whatever the teacher had to tell firmly asserted.

The story of Communist Russia crawling slowly past his ears, Sakito threw a fleeting glance to the right, catching a glimpse of impersonality veiled by falls of mottled hair. He just could not understand this viewpoint. Surely, even if it was something of a pain, one should make an effort to be even a little friendly. He knew he would go out of his way to try and make a stranger to the area feel more comfortable, but this Ni~ya... Concieted, Yomi had called him. Certainly he must have a substantial supply of narcissism to act so coldly without a trace of guilt, perhaps he took on this approach with everyone- it was hardly as if he was all sweetness and light around anyone else. Yet, something about the behaviour have Sakito the instinctive feeling that there was something unfamiliar in the mix, something unplaceable and irking that enhanced his reserve.

A change in Kobayashi's consistent tone threw himself back into the present and he mentally berated himself for daydreaming, it would be hard enough to catch up with the other students without making things even harder. He keened his ears to the voice, ignoring the thoughts that tried to penetrate his conciousness regardless.

"...And discuss the disadvantages and possible solutions with your partner, before turning to page fourty-five to do questions..."

The instruction sent the turbulence bursting through once more and he snatched another look at his "partner", who was not looking particularily inclined to debate the shortcomings of Communism. As the group broke up into scattered yet focused chatter, and Sakito felt the condemningly frosty eye of his teacher regarding the awkward pair, he knew he was going to have to initiate something. He hesitated, before speaking haltingly.

"Well, maybe if Stalin had-"

"Well, maybe I don't care."

Ni~ya interrupted smoothly, adjusting his gaze away from the window after a pause, and Sakito noticed that once more he refused to meet his eyes, seeming to address his school tie rather than his face. A moment of edgy silence, and he flipped open the worn textbook on the desk, his irises flying to the corners of their bounds to avoid actually reading the words as he propped his chin on his wrist, leaving Sakito to sink into an angry disbelief. Who did this guy think he was?!

***

The remainder of the lesson passed by without considerable event, and before long Sakito was sitting in a foodhall that buzzed with conversation, picking at a rice dish and eyeing Yomi's chips enviously. The moment he had stepped in through the double doors Hitsugi had radared out his nervous form, offering him a comfortable place between the amiable natter of himself and his friend. Spearing a segment of cold chicken, he placed it delicately into his mouth, taking in his surroundings as he chewed. The place was so much bigger than his old school, yet he still found he could pick out already vaguely familiar faces who had offered him a tentatively friendly smile or a scowl over the course of the day. As chance would have it, Ni~ya was by far the most conspicuous, occupying an entire table with only one other person with equally outlandish bright caramel tresses and a relaxed expression on his face. Sakito found himself watching, surprised to see that Ni~ya was looking... almost animated, participating in the laid-back conversation with a slight smile, occasionally dipping his head in agreement.

"Ruka. The only person that Ni~ya considers worthy of talking to."

Yomi narrated over a mouthful of potato, following Sakito's line of view. Swallowing, he began to select a fresh batch of fries from his bowl, continuing the explanation in a cynical tone.

"I bet even the guys want to be him, Prince Ni~ya's approval, oh the priviledge! Of course, he's drowning in money too..."

On the other table, Ni~ya's mind was wandering, and consequently his vision, as Ruka became preoccupied with eating and the conversation slowed. His body tensing at the feeling of being watched, his eyes travelled over to where a brunette midget with cheeks stuffed full of food was glaring at him, and to the side of him, the new boy. Sakito's attention had been diverted and he was turned fractionally towards Hitsugi, chucking slightly at something the other had said as he raised a forkful of rice towards his lips.

"Is that the new kid you were talking about?"

Ni~ya started slightly at Ruka's voice, before grunting in affirmation.

"At least he's found someone else to hang onto. Thank God."

Ruka snorted slightly, causing Ni~ya to look back at his amused expression questioningly.

"The way you're looking doesn't seem as if you are too thankful."

"..HUH?!"

Ignoring his incredulous explanation, Ruka filled his mouth, grinning laughingly wide as he waved his hand to indicate his inability to reply to Ni~ya's confused, stuttered protests. After a few moments he caught himself, reassembling his face, fixing his best glower on the other and feeling it deepen automatically as it proved inneffective against his sniggering.

"Shut up."

Another smirk.

"Nope!"

Real Cinderella - Ni~yaxSakito - Prologue

2006-05-20T21:07:39Z

Stargazers - Ni~yaxSakito - Chapter 10 - Finale

2006-05-17T20:17:22Z

Title: Stargazers
Author: etoilerose
Band: Nightmare
Pairing: Ni~yaxSakito
Rating: More than PG wut?
Genre: AU (Boarding School)
Disclaimer: All fiction, don't own the hot stuff and I'm not getting any money. Darn.
Notes: Lastchapterpleasedonthurtme.

Prologue-Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Sakito rested his chin on his palm with a weary sigh, balanced on the end of a sofa that writhed with other people. From the moment he had stepped into this house, choking on smoke comprised of more than just tobacco, his heart had sunk into a fearful apprehension. Mere seconds before she had entered clinging to his arm, Leiko had disappeared into the crowd and now stood surrounded by a horde of intoxicated guys who apparently found something about her too-small, too-revealing baby pink dress remotely attractive. Well it looked like something from the pound store to him… after lying around in a dog’s basket for a year or two.

He quickly averted his eyes, not wanting her to think he actually cared or something, seeing as that was obviously the entire reason for this escapade. Drag Sakito along and then leave him self-consciously alone and sober in a horde of roaring drunks, whilst simultaneously trying to make him feel jealous. He was extremely inclined to just get up and walk out, but the dark, hazy atmosphere and pounding music made the room spin around until he could not even be sure from which direction he had entered. Why had he let himself get into this mess?

His eyes travelled across the room again, vaguely recognising faces in the crowd, surprised at how different a person could look in their own clothes and up to their eyeballs in intoxicants. His mind wandered, surely that was the guy who sat a few seats back in his Geography class, and that girl over by the speakers, where had he seen her…?

He was completely unprepared when someone snatched at his arm and yanked him down onto the couch.

Before he had time to breathe he was firmly pinned against the back cushions, crushed backwards by a large, strong body.

“All alone baby? I’ll keep you company.”

The husky breath billowed out over his face, all too close and reeking of alcohol. His squeal caught in the back of his throat before it could reach formation and his struggles were terrifyingly ineffective against the dead weight that held him down. A pair of hands grabbed intrusively at his form, the calloused hide rasping against his exposed arms, making his skin crawl with unbearable, terrified revulsion as the hem of his shirt was pulled up roughly. There was a panting in his ear, intense exhalations that clouded wetly on his skin as they formed words again.

“Why aren’t you showing off your pretty legs like the others precious? That’s not fair now is it?”

At the sudden, paralysing squeeze to his thigh, Sakito flipped. A sob hitched in his chest and he flung his leg out reflexively, desperate to escape from the touch, but the body of his capturer absorbed the strength from the blow as if it were nothing. Taken by panic he struggled like a rabbit caught in a snare, sinking further and further into irrationality as the other’s grip on him tightened. The pace of the heavy dance music in the background quickened, building into a heightened climax until the beats were thumping to the same frenzied rhythm as Sakito’s racing heart. And just as he was sure his chest was going to burst open, it stopped.

The lights flickered on, basking the room in a sudden clinical brilliance, and the pounding speakers were wrenched from the plug, a clean, refreshingly cold breeze rushing in from the now-open door. Still blazing with fear, Sakito wrenched himself from the suddenly slack hold, stumbling away from the sofa and into the centre of the makeshift dance floor that was now deserted. When his gaze finally met the crowd at the entrance, he was sure he was hallucinating.

Yomi, Ruka, Hitsugi… and was that Michael Wong? He blinked, but they were still there, standing tall like bizarre purveyors of justice, and then there was Ni~ya, oblivious to the crowd that watched as he ran past to jolt clumsily to a halt against Sakito’s shoulder, his hands instinctively gripping his elbows before releasing in embarrassment. He lowered his head, delving into his pocket to draw out a crimson velour box, flipping open the lid with slightly trembling fingers.

Nestled in the bed of cream silk was a band of pallid silver so vibrant it seemed to be made from molten starlight, engraved with intricately delicate patterns that mirrored the swirling gushing and funnelling of the wind in the twilight. Sakito watched with wide eyes as he lifted the circlet delicately from its resting place, slipping it carefully over his wrist. It seemed as if there were a million gawping stares fixed upon the two of them, and for a moment Sakito almost cringed beneath the glares, yet just as his cheeks began to colour, the entire assembly just seemed to fade away. He could take all of these people together and Ni~ya would still have a thousand times more beauty and integrity. What importance did such a sea of nameless, monotonous sea of faces have?

And so there, in the very centre of the awestruck congregation, he fell forwards, crushing his mouth against Ni~ya’s and winding his arms around his waist. Squeezed impossibly tight to Sakito’s slender form, Ni~ya felt blood rushing to his head like water and it was all he could do to hold back a stream of blissfully relieved tears.

With a final, sturdy press to his lips, Sakito drew away, his eyes fluttering open to meet Ni~ya’s, their identically deep sable irises locking in a moment of tender understanding. When he broke the contact, his gaze moved with purpose, finding a horrified Leiko standing frozen amidst the crowd. He spoke only loud enough to be heard.

“Tell who you want.”

Before she could think to react, the pair had walked out into the bitter night, leaving a frozen, awkward silence in their wake.

“… Yo yo yo! Wong in the hizzouse!!”

“Yeah maaan! Safe!!”

Within moments crowd was once again a jumble of voices, and a tribe of Burberry-capped youths were knocking fists with Michael Wong, who somehow managed to hide any flusteredness behind him well rehearsed ‘gangsta’ expression. At an impatient jab from Yomi, he pushed his way over to Leiko, who still seemed to be caught in a state of incredulous affrontation, and swung a casual arm over her shoulders.

“Hey, do you believe in love at first sight or should I walk past again?”

And Yomi looked down upon what he had done, and he saw that it was good.

***

As they re-entered the deserted room, Ni~ya automatically flicked the lock into the catch, turning to find Sakito’s face inches from his, lips parting instinctively as Ni~ya’s hand ran from the nape of his neck into his hair, his tongue gently caressing, exploring. He snaked an arm around the slender abdomen, Sakito’s back caving in willingly at the pressure, their bodies pressing together in a wave of motion.

Slowly, Ni~ya slipped beneath the hem of Sakito’s shirt, making him shiver as the chilled fingertips made contact with his skin, resting above the waistband of his slacks and delicately tracing the exposed portion of his hips until he released a barely discernable moan, pushing the vaguely jutting bone forward until there was not a speck of empty space between them. The memory of the same action from another, and the irrational writhing of abhorrence it had induced seemed an entire world away from Ni~ya’s supple, sensual contact; a hazy memory that only intensified his already heightened sensations.

As the lungs of both burning relentlessly for air, they were forced to draw apart, sweeping in deep draughts of oxygen that were still warm from the fleeting circuit through the other’s bloodstream. Taking advantage of the shaky moment of respite, Ni~ya nudged Sakito’s side gently, spurring him into a slightly awkward backwards motion before his feet were swept from beneath him and he was supine upon the soft mattress, his gasp cut off as Ni~ya pressed down a deep kiss from above, his free hand reaching to brush away stray hairs displaced by the swift drop. He was overtaken by desire, a deep primal craving that made his ears rush and womb, his vision, unveiling itself recurrently to drink in the sight of Sakito’s relaxed, receptive face, reeling as his mind struggled to keep pace with the torrential influx of sensitivity that seared relentlessly upwards, every touch pining after its own euphoric perception.

He raised his head, smiling slightly as Sakito tried to follow, his neck eventually collapsing backwards, the rest of his body being securely pinned and unable to aid in the instinctive endeavour. Adjusting his posture slightly, Ni~ya pressed a strong kiss to the moist coral tissue, snatching it away only to be fleetingly replaced by another, and another, each one gone in a moment yet leaving an ardently lingering message. Leisurely, he adjusted his aim, his lips tracing Sakito’s jawbone, alternately firm and subtle as they trailed over the ridge to dance across his throat, following the trail set by the frantic deluge of blood that raced beneath the gossamer membrane.

He paused as the release of a drawn out whine of desire made the skin vibrate, trembling like an insect’s wing in the breeze, before sweeping upwards once more, his hands simultaneously rediscovering the edging of Sakito’s top, tugging it persuasively upwards even as he felt nervously quivering fingers unhitching the first button of his own shirt. After a moment of impatient conflict, their skin was bare, pressed together and radiating heat into the cold atmosphere. Ni~ya’s muscles palpitated involuntarily at the sensation of Sakito’s luxuriously silken flesh brushing against his own, his nerve endings burning with fervour at the most trivial contact, flooding their receptors with voracity and yearning until his entire being threatened to overflow.

As he felt a tentative, determined caress sliding down his body, barely slipping beneath the waistband of his jeans, Ni~ya’s heart pounded almost agonisingly, his chest oscillating at a breakneck pace as he crushed their lips together, wrestling possessively against Sakito’s tongue. His hands seemed to be everywhere at once, stroking through the other’s hair, across his face and lean, exposed skin, drawing forth tantalisingly alluring sighs, mewls, whimpers that made his torso thrill with ardent delight. Each touch, each kiss, each sinuous arc and desperate digging of fingernails made him sure he would be pushed over the limits of anything he could possibly perceive, yet they persevered desperately. Letting go was inconceivable as their bodies contorted together, chasing each other further and further into the bounds of passion until in a single, blissful moment the entire world came crashing downwards with them, and they were spent.

It could have been mere seconds or an hour before Ni~ya shattered the quiescence, the chill air finally seeping through his smouldering skin and into his bones. Reaching out an arm, he grasped the duvet that had been misplaced and twisted by their tortured undulations, dragging it to conceal their vulnerably prone forms. In response to his movement he felt Sakito stirring, nuzzling against him, fragile and exquisite in the milky twilight. When he spoke, his breath clouded out over Ni~ya’s chest, strands of hair tickling the defined flesh.

“You’ll always be here… won’t you?”

In answer, he wound his arms around the slender, elegant chassis beside him, one hand rising to cup the back of his head, stroking softly through the hair, feeling Sakito’s eyelashes fluttering shut against his skin; lulled.

“Always.”

---

So that would be the end of my first ever fanfiction? I'm sad to finish it, but I never thought further than this point and I don't want to be dragging it out too far. In any case, I'm itching to start something else I have planned and with my exams coming in less than a week I don't think I could keep up with two x_x; Thankyou to everybody who has read and commented, your kind and enthusiastic words spurred me on like nothing else, and please look out for my next fanfiction and next Ni~yaxSakito, Real Cinderella ... And as a note the title has no more relevance than this one did XD.