Utena, Revolutionary Girl Fan Fiction / Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Toki ni Ai wa ❯ Dueling Again ( Chapter 3 )

Disclaimer: Okay, am I Togashi Yoshihiro, Saito Chiho or Be-Papas? Obviously, I'm not so I don't own.

Tsumi: Hey minna! Thanks to my computer's wonderful glitches (which also seem to be in tune with Fanfiction.net's) , I couldn't post this as soon as I would have liked. But, here it is, as I promised, chapter three! And keep the reviews coming minna! I truly appreciate them!

Onto the fic!

Chapter Three: Dueling Again

Yusuke cursed under his breath as the bell rang, ending fourth period. [Damnit, I hate P.E.] His mind grumbled. He noticed though, that Utena looked excited about their next class. Thinking over his options quickly, he sighed and thought [What the hell?] and hurried off to P.E.

A few minutes after all of the students had changed into their P.E. uniforms, the teacher came out, carrying a pile of . . . something. "Class, today we start a new unit." She took a piece of the pile and held it up. "We will be learning how to duel."

Yusuke caught the half-ecstatic, half-horrified look that passed in Utena's eyes, and wondered about that briefly, before the teacher asked, "Who here has had experence in dueling?"

Utena sighed and raised her hand hesitantly. "Tenjou-san? You know how to duel?"

*~*

Utena hat to choke back a laugh as Yusuke muttered curses under his breath all the way to the gym. [He must really not like P.E.] she thought as she entered the girl's locker room.

A few minutes later, as she walked out in her P.E. uniform, she noticed that quite a few people, both boys and girls, were staring at her, or more exactly, her figure. She sighed and shook her head and sat down next to Yusuke as the teacher waddled in, carrying a large pile of something.

"Class, today we start a new unit." She took a piece of the pile and Utena felt her heart thudding painfully in her chest. "We will be learning how to duel."

She could feel Yusuke's eyes on her, and she supposed that she looked both scared and excited. [Once a duelist . . .] she thought wryly as the teacher asked "Who here has had experence in dueling?"

Utena took a quick glance around and, seeing no other volunteers, sighed and raised her hand. "Tenjou-san?" The teacher asked. "You know how to duel?"

She stood up. "I was in Ohtori's . . . dueling club." She said as the teacher handed her a sword. [Yeah right. That's creative story telling.] she noticed the sword that she would be using was a little lighter than the Sword of Dios, much like the one Miki used in his duels. Utena bit her lip for a second before preparing to duel. "Excellent form, Tenjou-san!" The teacher praised. Utena smiled as the teacher took a similar stance, and by some common silent consent, the duel began.

Everyone watched in amazement as the two bantered back and forth. Even Yusuke had his mouth slightly agape as Utena blocked another blow. She slid her sword down the teacher's giving it a little flick and the sword flew out of the teacher's hand [1].

Everyone sat in stunned silence until the teacher applauded. Soon, everyone else joined, the girls, who were all part of the Utena Swooners Fanclub, cheered like their lives depended on it.

"Very good, Tenjou-san." The teacher congratulated. Utena placed her sword back in the pile and smiled. That smile faded as she looked out the window behind everyone. There, she thought she saw a child-like face, set in a scowl, with bright red eyes and untidy raven black hair, its color interrupted by a thatch of white. But in the moment she blinked, he disappeared. [Who was that?] She thought.

She looked over to Yusuke, who was also staring out the same window, a thoughtful frown on his face. [Did Yusuke see . . .?]

*~*

Yusuke watched with his mouth hanging open as the duel between Utena and the teacher reached staggering heights. [Damn, she could maybe be a match for Hiei in a fair fight.]

As soon as he had thought that, he felt the dark youki of his comrade. His eyes darted to the window, where the fire spirit sat on the ledge, looking in at the class, more specifically, Utena. Yusuke ignored the cheering of the class as he studied his ally. He seemed to be considering the idea of taking the ward around his Jagan off to get a better look at Utena.

However, he suddenly jumped away in a black blur. Yusuke frowned. [What the hell was he doing?] The teacher interrupted his thoughts before he could make sense of the Koorime's actions.

Tomorrow class," she said, "We will all be in standard dueling uniform and will all learn the basics of dueling. You may go to lunch early."

There were many cheers at this announcement as everyone left to change.

For his part, Yusuke waited patiently for Utena outside the gym. When she finally walked out, she was just finishing buttoning the last few buttons on her uniform jacket before she ran her hands through her hair. "Hey!" Yusuke yelled. Utena blinked and looked to where he was standing, and smiled before walking over to him. "Wanna go get lunch?" When Utena nodded, he grabbed her hand and left the school grounds.

When Utena shot him a confused glance, he smiled and said, "Wouldn't want you to get food poisoning from the cafeteria."

Utena laughed. "It can't be that bad!"

Yusuke raised an eyebrow and gave her a challenging look. "Wanna bet? Go eat some, I'll send you flowers when you're in the hospital."

Utena laughed again, and Yusuke couldn't help but smile as well. It was strange, but it felt as if Utena and himself had been lifelong friends, instead of just meeting yesterday. As the two rounded the corner, Yusuke's next step faltered as he caught sight of who was in front of him. [Oh hell . . .]

Utena blinked at the sudden change in Yusuke's mood, and looked over to what had stopped him cold in his tracks. There, Keiko stood, hands on her hips and a throughly pissed off look on her face. She marched up to Yusuke and slapped him across the face hard. "Yusuke you pervert! Here, I was going to give you the chance to apologize and now I find you laughing with another girl?!"

Yusuke's fist clenched as he held one hand to his now red cheek. "I thought you were the one who broke up with me!" he replied, anger apparent in his voice, though it was only there to cover up the pain he was feeling inside.

Keiko just glared and sniffed before marching off in the direction of the school, her nose in the air.

*~*

Utena smiled as she heard Yusuke's voice calling her over. She finished buttoning her uniform jacket and ran her fingers through her hair before joining Yusuke. "Wanna go get lunch?" Utena nodded and Yusuke grinned, grabbed her hand and left the school grounds.

[What in the world is he doing?!] Utena thought. She guessed that something showed on her face because the next moment, Yusuke said "Wouldn't want you to get food poisoning from the cafeteria."

Utena couldn't hold back her laugh. "It can't be that bad!"

In response, Yusuke raised an eyebrow and asked, "Wanna bet? Go eat some, I'll send you flowers when you're in the hospital." Utena laughed again, not remembering when she had last laughed so hard, and Yusuke smiled back as they rounded a corner.

Yusuke step faltered, and Utena blinked at his sudden melancholy mood swing. She looked in the direction he was looking and saw a girl, about the same age as both of them, with brown hair and eyes. She wore the girl's version of the Sarayashiki uniform, had her hands on her hips, and actually looked quite a bit like Juri when she and Utena dueled for the first time. [Who is she?] Utena thought.

Without a word, the girl walked up and smacked Yusuke across the face hard enough that he stumbled from the blow. "Yusuke you pervert! Here, I was going to give you the chance to apologize and now I find you laughing with another girl?!"

Utena saw the look of hurt that flashed through Yusuke's eyes and was about to step in when Yusuke spoke in an angry tone. "I thought you were the one who broke up with me!"

The girl just glared at Yusuke and Utena, sniffed like a stuck up rich girl, and marched away, her nose high in the air. Utena glared at her as she left, her fist clenching. [How could that girl . . .] Her thoughts trailed off and she turned her attention back to Yusuke. "Are you alright, Yusuke?"

Yusuke, who had been rubbing the right side of his face, looked at her and tried to give a grin. "Me? I'm fine, just fine!" Utena frowned lightly at the obvious fake tone, but dismissed it as none of her concern. [It's not my place to pry into his personal matters . . .]

The rest of the trip to the corner store was left in silence. Utena, as much as she wanted to, didn't feel it was right to ask who that girl who had slapped him was. Yusuke was seemingly drowning in his thoughts, and looked as if he didn't want to be disturbed, so she didn't.

She was all too happy to see Shuiichi standing near the door to the corner store. He smiled warmly at the two. "Hello, Yusuke, Utena-san." He blinked and a concerned look crossed his features at the red mark on Yusuke's face. "What happened, Yusuke?"

Yusuke blinked and looked at Shuiichi. He muttered a 'nothing' and went to buy some lunch. Shuiichi's concerned look increased and he looked at Utena. "Utena-san, do you know what happened?"

Utena was also looking at Yusuke's retreating form. "This girl with brown hair slapped him as we were on our way here. She called him a pervert and he said that he thought she was the one who broke up with him." [I probably look as confused as I feel.]

"It must have been Keiko."

Utena's head snapped around to face Shuiichi, who had a somber look on his face. "Keiko?" Utena repeated.

"Yusuke's ex-girlfriend. They broke up last week."

Utena was shocked into silence. [Poor Yusuke . . .] she thought, biting her lower lip. She took a quick glance toward Shuiichi, who's eyes were focused on where Yusuke was sitting on a bench next to a tree. He looked back at Utena and smiled. "Yusuke will be fine. Why don't you go and get lunch." He suggested.

Utena nodded and went off to buy her own lunch.

*~*

[She wanted me to apologize? Why? I didn't do anything! Goddamn it! Why the hell does she have to make this so hard?!]

After that scene Keiko made, Yusuke had kept to himself. He took a quick glance at Utena and felt bad about making her worry, but he didn't think he could explain what the hell that was all about. He didn't notice that they had arrived at their destination, until he suddenly found Kurama's worried gaze in front of him. "What happened, Yusuke?"

Yusuke blinked, not knowing what else to do, and muttered "Nothing." before shuffling off to buy his lunch.

He could feel both Utena's and Kurama's gaze on him, and for some reason, he just wanted to turn around and yell at the both of them to keep to themselves, that he was fine, that they didn't need to worry about him. After he paid for his lunch, he went and sat on a bench under a tree, which, by some coincidence, Hiei was sitting in.

"Hey Hiei." Yusuke said, looking up to where he thought the Koorime was. "What are you doing?"

"Checking that power your new girlfriend seems to possess." Hiei's deep voice replied.

Yusuke nodded before he froze, all of the words finally making sense, and he glared at Hiei. "Utena's not my girlfriend! We're just friends!"

"Hn! I'm sure."

Yusuke glowered but said nothing more as he ate his food in silence, leaving Hiei to use his Jagan on Utena. He could see Hiei frowning lightly as the third eye looked over the girl and said, "What's wrong?"

"You and that baka were right, she positively glows with energy. But at the same time it's not there . . ." He frowned even more and muttered, "What the hell is that?"

"What is what?" Yusuke pressed.

"It's like a spirit around her body. A male spirit with dark skin and light purple hair."

"What?!"

He shut his mouth as he caught Utena looking at him in surprise. He laughed nervously, a sweatdrop running down his skull. Utena blinked a couple of times before shrugging and turning away.

He glared up at Hiei for a moment before he said, "Are you sure?"

"Hn. Idiot. Of course I am."

Yusuke frowned and looked over Utena again, who was talking with Kurama. [What are you really, Utena?]

*~*

Woo! Chapter Three done! Read 'n' review, minna!