Fushigi Yuugi Fan Fiction ❯ Sunrise Reminiscing ❯ Stitching n' Patching ( Chapter 9 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Sunrise Reminiscing

Chapter 9. Stitching n' Patching

By:: Gator A. Ri

Again Thank you for the reviews!!! I soooo appreciate them!

And to show you how much I love those reviews here is chapter 9 for your

reading pleasure. I did mean to have this up sooner but…well let's just say

I was working 30-50 per week all month and classes have now started.

Now lets see how many tomatoes I receive after this. *evil grin*

The month of vacation went all too quickly, as did the one that followed. And in that time I was able to avoid Tasuki pretty much the whole time, the only exception being the lessons.

Yes, they were still on, much to my dismay. But I guess his parents were pretty pleased with his improvement last semester so they thought why give him a chance to screw up?

I shook my head this, for honestly I didn't care.

I went straight to the library again with out supper, it had become a habit of late on the nights that were lessons with him.

Taking a seat at the usual table I pulled out my book for Eastern Art History and proceeded to read, waiting for the time to pass.

"Hi," came the voice of none other than Tasuki, all too soon for my likeing as well.

I nodded in his direction but didn't look up from reading until he sat down and got a book out, only then did I quit my own work to help him.

The session went pretty well considering whom I was working with. And like the other nights after he left I stayed until almost midnight before packing up my studies and heading slowly towards the room.

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As I walked out of the library I made up my mind, I had given Chichiri enough space it was time to confront and corner him and what better night than tonight?

Especially since Jon had pointedly told me that he wasn't going to be around. I snorted there was a rat in there somewhere and it reeked of deceit.

I quickly shook my head to free it of those thoughts for now I had to keep my attention on what I wanted to say to Chichiri tonight. Not only on what I was going to say but how I was going to say it as well along with how to corner the bastard with out giving him heads up that I was up to something.

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A yawn escaped from me as I reached the door to my room all of this staying up late and getting up early to avoid Tasuki was starting to catch up with me.

Unlocking the door I walked in and left it open behind me so I could see to get a light on. I had no worries about waking Tasuki up he was a heavy sleeper.

As I flipped a light on and dropped my bag, I heard the door shut behind me which caused me to jump.

Whirling around I looked over to see Tasuki standing there with arms crossed over his chest and a determined look on his face.

"You…" I started but he cut me off.

"Sit down we need ta talk."

I shook my head and snorted, "Talk? Talk about what? I have nothing that I want to say to you."

His look darkened, "Ya know what we need ta talk abou'. Th' whole reason ya've been avoidin' me."

My face paled at the words, yes I knew that reason very well, too well.

"Oh…that," I tried to sound flippant, like it didn't matter, but was very unsuccessful dut to a slight tremor in my voice.

"Ya can' fool me, Chichiri, ya're only foolin' yerself."

I said nothing fir it was the truth and what could one say to that?

"So, will ya sit an' talk?" his tone sounded hopeful.

Sighing I finally nodded my head after a few moments of tense silence, sure why not? I had nothing else to do that is except sleep.

I took a seat on my bed and scooted back so that my back rested against the wall and my face was in shadow.

I watched him as he came and took a seat on the chair to his desk, arms lying on the back as it was turned backwards.

I looked at him from my dark place as a few moments of awkward silence, I was waiting for him to start since this was his idea after all.

He licked his lips as his eye went to the floor, "Guess we should star' from the' beginnin'."

I just shrugged, "Whatever."

His mouth twitched and eyes hardened at my words but he held whatever it was in check, which amused me to a point.

"Yeah, wha' ya said but if ya have any better suggestions speak up," he waited a few moments then before continuing, "I personally would like ta know why n' th' hell ya haven' given me a chance."

I blinked slowly, possibly surprised but I guess I should've seen this one coming.

"I don't know. I guess because you look like a trouble-maker," I said this in a flat emotionless tone.

His brows lowered, "How so."

I scowled, "Let's see, you come in and make a ruckus in my store and then come into my room and make it into a chaotic mess."

He seemed to turn this over for a moment in his mind before he finally spoke, "Well, maybe I like ta have a lil' fun. Maybe chaos works fer me."

I gave a soft snort.

"Also maybe ya need ta learn ta lighten up a bit," he finished.

This last hit be a bit harder than the previous and left me blinking rather numbly for a few moments as it sunk in. Was I really strict on following the rules? I didn't think so and I told him as much, "Maybe you should just keep to yourself," there was a bite in my voice that made it sound as defensive as I wanted it to. I could tell that this left him thinking for a bit, which made me wince, did I go too far? For if I wasn't careful…

"Okay…so I went ta far tha' time," he said rather slowly, "How 'bout if I put it this way. Ya shouldn' have jumped ta conclusions so fast. Tha's how mistakes are made."

This time I blinked and rubbed at my eyes and blinked again before looking at this boy before me, Was this the same one who had acted like a fool? It was, even I knew that, it was just a different side than I had ever seen from him. This made it hard to hear those words come out of his mouth.

"And what do you have to say for yourself in the way you acted towards me?" I quirked an eyebrow, though he could not see it.

"I tired ta be nice but when ya keep gettin' knocked down ya kinda jus' give up n' turn mean, coz then it don' hurt as much," his amber eyes then tried to search out mine, "An'…I-I'm reaally sorry fer doin' what I did ta ya. It's not me ta act like tha' an' I promise I'll never do it agin."

I absorbed this in, actually relishing in the words, it was the first apology I had ever really gotten from a peer before. I could tell that he was being sincere and really meant what he said. Taking in a deep breath I held it for a moment and then let it out slowly as I found the hurt that had been caused a few months ago start to heal a little bit. There was only one way that I really could think of making up for my behavior.

"First I will accept your apology and pledge, although it doesn't undue what was done it helps," then before he could say anything I quickly went on, "I have to admit I am rather sorry for being such an ass but…" I let that hang in the air. "I am willing to start over, that is if you're willing to."

A slow smile played across his handsome face, lighting it up, "Ya got it an' I'll think of a way ta help make up for my behavior. Altho' I know that there isn' anyway I kin ever erase it."

I felt myself smiling slowly, "Then we have a deal."

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A few minutes later I was staring at the ceiling from my own bunk a slight smile still on my face.

'Congratulations, Tasuki,' I mentally gave myself a pat on the back, 'Ya finally cracked th' ice. Now let's jus' hope its stays tha' way. I really would rahter have him as my frien' than my foe.'

My mind continued running and spinning with these thought until I finally fell asleep and into dream of him.

Next thing I consciously knew was there was and alarm beeping, which meant it was interfering with my erotic dream. Groaning I picked up my pillow and threw it at the source with eye closed. That is until I heard an audible, "Oof."

I looked down to see Chichiri standing there and holding my pillow with a glare upon his face.

"Chichiri, I…" I didn't get a chance to finish as I suddenly got a face full of cloth.

Pulling the pillow from my face I looked at Chichiri's mischievous grin in shock. Then he started laughing.

"What!?" I half growled, "Wha's so funny!?"

He laughed a bit more his finger pointing at me, "Y…you."

"Me?"

"Y…you sh…should see the look….o…on your FACE," sputtered between laughter with a big burst of it at the end.

I grinned and chuckled a bit too, "Yeah? Well, this wha' ya get when ya wake me up ta early. Death by laughin'!"

A few moments later his laughter suddenly cut off, curious I looked to what had caught his attention, it was the clock.

Then his smile turned to a frown, "You are a trouble-maker. Now I'm going to be late."

I blinked in astonishment as his sudden turn of moods as I watched him get his clothes and shut the bathroom door quite firmly. Sighing I flopped back on my bed, well at least he had been laughing.

It was as I was dozing off that I realized whom my erotic dream had centered around. "What the fuck?" I burst out loud. How in the hell could this be! Had I…my mind turned to a few months ago when I was having dreams about him and just the nature of most of those dreams. Oh Gods! How could I! Was that the reason that I attacked him because I was attracted to him? And I didn't even know if he swung that way!

Later that day as I was eating my lunch and trying to fathom the cause of my dreams I got quickly jarred out of my thoughts as Derek and Jon sat down beside me.

"Hey, buddy."

"Hey," I responded and then suddenly got an idea, "could I come over after I'm done here? I wouldn' mind takin' a look at tha' tape agin."

Derek got a rather surprised look on his face but agreed, while Jon sat there looking a bit uncomfortable, which I gave no note to.

I smiled and quickly finished my food. Then followed Derek to his room with Jon trailing after.

I waited as Derek pulled out the tape and started to head towards the TV, "No, wait…I want to see it a moment."

The other got a skeptical look on his face and looked to Jon who just shrugged but handed over to me.

Taking it I grinned, "Ya know, ya've really been mean ta Chichiri. Even if he does act like a prick he doesn' deserve it."

Then opening the back of the tape I started to pull the film out as Derek tried to protest, "Bugger off you," I growled, "Ya've done enough damage ta him. You n' Jon both. I'm through with ya's. I ain't goin' ta stan' aroun' an' let others take advantage of someone jus' coz they happen ta be themselves."

Satisfied that I had enough of the film out I opened the door to his room and threw the tape against the opposite wall causing it to burst into pieces.

"There, there's yer precious lil' joke ya damn bastards."

Then turning I left them standing there with surprised looks on their faces. And as I walked away I wondered what in the hell I was doing. I wasn't sure about anything as far as where it concerned Chichiri. The only thing I could figure was that while I was so busy trying to hate him I was actually falling in love with him.

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As the few months passed after the talk with Tasuki I found myself actually liking him as person and found that he was a good friend, ready and willing to help or stand up for you. There were times though that I would catch him looking at me almost longingly, which never failed to confuse me to no end. It was one of those such looks that finally made me ask him what was wrong as we sat outside by one of the fountains in the warm spring air studying for our finals.

His face went a bit pink as he opened his mouth to say something and then closed it, his eyes dropping to the ground, "I-it's a…nothin'," he finally said.

"Don't tell me it's nothing, Tasuki, I've seen you look at me that way before. Especially after we agreed to try and become friends."

Sighing he closed his book as the pink continued to darken on his face and then put the text aside, "Ya sure ya wan' th' truth?"

I nodded, "It's either that or continue wondering why and besides your face is about to match the color of your hair."

He gave a choked laugh and then dropped all pretenses of joking, "Ya see…" his amber eyes looked up into my dark ones, "Chichiri…I-I like ya's a lot."

"Well, I like you too-" he cut me off and gave a shake of his head, "No, ya know. I like ya as more than a frien' should. Ya know where muh preferences lay but…," he took a shaky breath in and licked his lips, "I won' ask ya of it. I know that ya prob'ly don' even like guys."

He stopped and looked back down at the ground as I floundered to make sense of what he had just said. "Why….How…" I blinked at the top of his head and tried to find my voice again, not to mention my wits.

"I don' know," he said miserably as he looked back up at my dumb founded face.

Slowly I regained my ability to think and looked down at him with a mixture of emotions showing on my face, "I-I'm sorry I don't like you like that," he tried to say something but I shushed him, "not right now anyway." I gave him a smile one of my rare and heart felt ones.

I watched him as he tried to make sense of what I had just said and finally the light dawned in his eyes, "Ya mean there might be some hope?"

I laughed softly at him, "Yeah, there might be some hope even for such a pig as you."