Un musicien parmi tant d`autre

Okay so here I am. I`m actually glad I managed to get this done before Sunday like I thought I would. However, I`m kind of mad I didn't get to send it a little earlier this weak. After I sent the last chapter I felt really bad for the cliffhanger. I swear that this one as a much less stressful end.

littleonelost- Yeah, sorry I feel bad about that. To cut it there was really a druken three in the morning decision. But I can't swear I won't ever put you guys into a cliffhanger again. I mean, it keeps you guys eager! Thanks for the comment.

Lisa- You're right, Ren's parents are a bunch of stuck assholes and Yuuri would not have been Yuuri if he hadn't reacted the way he did right? So it's a scene I thought was very funny. I also thought that Ren should have at least one nice relative, he was probably always over at her place! Now, if you're worried about my little darling Kuro chan, I don't think this chapter will make you any less worried.On and about that comment in your correction where I made the character say "right" instead of "N'est ce pas" You're rigth, he's not using proper French but Quebecer French is not always proper French, we mix in English in our vocabulary. I you think that the French you learned is making you confused you'd have trouble understanding the French I speak. I mean, French people from France have trouble understanding us!- Thanks for the correction, love!

kylee- Sorry, I don't want to be a evil author!! Forgive me! -sobs- I'll try to be a little nicer with you guys. I can't guarantee you'll like me for what I'm doing for these two darlings. I can at least promise that the second half of this chapter and the next are going to be a little more light-hearted. I'm sorry if I make you sad again!-Thanks for the comment, it's really appreciated.

I only have one essay to do! So I'm sure that I will be able to post next chapter next week around the same time! Now you guys probably want to go one and read the chapter so I'll shut up!

Chapter 17

It’s been bothering me for a long time now. For the way Gianni and Tyler reacted when we were at the hospital and from the way people seem to fuss around him sometimes. He put his cup down and refused to meet my gaze. I bit hard on my lip in attempt to keep my shaking under control.

“I’m not healthy.” He simply said.

“What is that supposed to mean?” I snapped. “Kuro how sick are you?” I asked. I couldn’t believe how fear grew in the pit of my stomach when I thought of all the possibilities around this. Is he going to die? He took a deep breath with his eyes closed; I could tell he didn’t want to tell me but I wasn’t going to let this go.

“Primary immunodeficiency.” He said quietly. I stared at him intensely not quite knowing what it implied, but sure not liking the sound of it. “My system is not strong enough to fight off infections or viruses. A common cold could…” He stopped there, noticing how my hands were shaking on the table.

“Are you going to get better?” I asked, my voice was rendered almost useless, barely coming out above a whisper. He just looked down and shook his head. He brought his knees to his chest and rested his head on his knees. I tried to read his expression but he was as blank as he always.

“I get treatments, but it’s not getting any better, in fact, they make me feel horrible.” He said, almost mechanically.

He was really ill. If a common cold could… I didn’t’t want to but I couldn’t’t stop the tears from welling up my eyes.

“Don’t make that face Yuuri, please.” He said as he finally looked up at me, his brows were arched slightly in concern.

“Are you going to die?” I asked, clenching the fabric of my jeans.

“I might, tomorrow, in a week, a year, two years, I don‘t know. It’s not too optimistic.” He said truthfully. I bit into my lip, probably hard enough to draw blood. Now I couldn’t stop the tears from falling freely down my cheeks.

“Yuuri, don’t cry.” His hand reached out to touch my cheek from across the table. He’s the one that’s sick but he’s still trying to comfort me. “You of all people, please don’t cry over this.” He pleaded

“Shut up!” I snapped, slapping his hand away and I stood up abruptly. “How can you ask this of me? Shit, Kuro, why haven’t you told me this before!” I shouted. “How can you think that this wouldn’t affect me?” I asked covering my eyes with one of my hand, trying to hide my embarrassing tears for the second time today.

“Yuuri please calm down.” He said standing up as well.

“Shut up!” I snapped again. “You’re going to fucking die how am I supposed to fucking react?” I asked grabbing his arm harshly. He’s probably the best friend I’ve ever had, the person I feel the safest around. How am I supposed to react to this, he could die really soon. It’s obvious he’s sick; he’s pale and thin, shaky even sometimes. How could I have gone on thinking everything was fine. Why was he going to leave me just like every other person I’ve ever cared about?

When I looked up at him I saw it, a look of pure despair on his face. The pain, the fear, the resignation, for a few seconds it was there. This was the look of a man that knew that death was coming and he was just patiently waiting for it. I couldn’t take it. I let his hand fall out of my grasp and turn my back on it. As fast as I could I grabbed my coat and I hurried out of the room.

“Yuuri, please.” I heard Kuro’s quiet voice as he was following me.

“Why did you ever make me care for you if you knew?” I snapped at him. He stopped dead in the hallway and fell to his knees in shock. At the moment I was too blinded with rage and sadness to realise just what I had said to him. But I would come to regret it later; it was probably the worst thing I had ever said to him, and the thing that hurt him the most. But at the time, my head was too full so I didn’t stop, I just dashed out of the house. Leaving him alone in the hallway, probably hurt beyond words.

I quickly made it to my house. Managing to hold my emotions back until I got there, but the moment I closed the door I collapsed to my knees and let out a long painful cry. I gripped the edge of the counter with enough force to leave marks in my flesh later. “Fuck Kuro!” I cried. I had trouble putting my thoughts together. How was I supposed to, my best friend just told me was most likely going to die soon!

How could I have not noticed his readiness to die before? He’s always so calm and so fearless, I’ve always had this feeling of someone living by the day when I was with him; so this is why. The reason he got so uncomfortable, it wasn’t because he hated school, far from it. It’s because he believes he won’t live up until then, and if he did, he doesn’t feel like he’s got enough time to go through it. Kuro’s fear, it’s the future, the one thing that probably keeps him up at night.

“Fuck.” I said grabbing my blue hair with shaking fingers. I tried without success to calm myself down. I couldn’t stop crying after I’ve heard these words out of his mouth. My best friend is fucking dying, the person I care for even above my girlfriend. He’s dying.

I sat there against the counter for the longest time, crying miserably. My eyes were red and sore from rubbing them too much. When I calmed down a little I was immediately overwhelmed by guilt. I was heartless enough to leave him alone like that just after he told me something like that. I left him after I saw such a heartbreaking look on his face. God knows how long he might have stayed in the hallway like this. And the words I said to him, how could I even think that? Kuro’s always been there to help me and support me no matter what and the moment he needs my support the most, I run away. What a good friend I am!

I picked up my phone and I tried calling him but the moment I saw his name next to his number I couldn’t help but burst into tears again. What would I say to him after running out on him? Fuck, I don’t think I can even compose myself enough to talk to him. Especially since he’s the one that would end up comforting me even though he’s the one that needs it.

I don’t think I ever cried that much for someone in my whole life, not when the most awful things were done to me, not even when Haruka sama died. I managed to drag myself to my room. I grabbed the colourful kimono that usually hangs on my wall and I held it close to me; Haruka sama’s gift.

“Haruka sama, what should I do?” I asked to the empty room. It’s not like I would get an answer anyway since I doubt Haruka sama would come back from the dead to answer. But I did feel better speaking his name, asking him questions like he would be there to comfort me. “My best friend is dying and I don’t know what to do. Seems like his eyes gave up so long ago and it seems like that’s what I can’t stand the most.” I said clenching the fabric, dropping my head on my knees I felt the soft silk against my forehead. I was careful not to stain it with my tears. I soon managed to stop the stream of tears and calm down enough to make a cup of tea.

I’m leaving for work in half an hour, so I started pulling myself together. I took a warm shower and managed to fix myself enough to look presentable. My face still looked pretty awful though. I’m glad I don’t work with Nestly tonight, she would probably notice right away. She was acting so much like a big sister lately. However, she never saw me cry before so she would probably be worried as hell.

I’m grateful that I work tonight and tomorrow again at ten for twelve hour shifts. This will at least keep my mind off of things for a little while. I’ll have to face him sooner or later but for now I need a little bit of time to get over my emotions or else we would only end up having the same kind of scene again. After my shift I barely got any sleep, I laid on my worned out couch with an arm over my eyes, trying to keep his face out of my head.

The next morning when I went to work I was dead tiered and Nestley kept shooting worried glances at me. I just shrugged it off saying I had a bad night. After all, I did manage to get through my tweelve hours shift alright.

Also, I was surprised at the lack of shifts the boss gave me over the holiday season. Last year I worked almost every night but now I don’t have a shift again until after New Year’s Day. It’s frustrating; how am I supposed to pay my rent if he only gives me less work? He just told me he didn’t have a lot of work lately, but usually around this time it’s over crowded! I sighed in frustration as I walked out of the boss’ office.

“Is everything alright Yuuri?” Nestly asked as I walked by. I know she'd been dying to ask me that all day, it's a good thing she didn't see me last night with red eyes and everything, she would have never let the matter go.

“The boss won’t give me more work, it’s frustrating that’s all.” I explained while I was removing my apron.

“It’s true that I haven’t seen you in a while.” She pointed out. It might have been better that way though because lately she seemed very distant towards me. She probably had a boyfriend now, what other reason would there be for her to suddenly stop sleeping with me. It’s not like I really minded. After all, it was decided since the beginning, that we were just going to have casual sex. I don’t see why she was so stressed out over this, she knows I’ve been sleeping with Chantal too.

“Did you have somebody to spend Christmas with? I wanted to ask you to come over but I didn’t get to see you.” I frowned, that was a lie; if she really wanted to see me she knew where I lived. This was nothing but pretending she was concerned for me. It angers me but I try not to show it in my face. “You were going out with a redhead girl right? The one with the truck.” She asked.

“We’re not really going out anymore; she left for Japan about two weeks ago.” I said.

“Oh, sorry, that’s unfortunate.” I clenched my fists, she just shuffled from one foot to the other. Why was I making her so nervous?

“It’s alright, I’ve spent some time with my friends from high school. They have really nice families and invited me over.” I explained.

“That’s good then! You never made friends at your other school so I was a little worried about you.” She said with a smile, her usual big sister attitude was slowly coming back. She must have been nervous since we hadn’t talked in so long. At least that’s what I concluded.

“I’m starting to like the school I’m in, I made interesting friends there.” I said finally returning the smile.

“You’re off early too, do you need a ride home?” She asked taking her car keys out of her purse.

“Nah, somebody’s already picking me up.” I said. I couldn’t help but sound a little sarcastic when I thought just who was coming to pick me up.

“Is there a problem with that?” She asked with a laugh as she saw my face change. It simply showed when I’m talking about somebody I don’t like.

“No, but there might be. I’m not always on the same page with that person.” I said with a sigh, more like I’m never on the same page with him. “It’s not like we’re good friend’s or anything but we’re going over the same friend’s house.” I explained. And no, I was not talking about Kishimoto, since I do get along with the sexy bastard to some extent. However, I never got along with Abe Hibari.

“Sounds like you’re having a lot of fun with these guys.” She said brightly.

“What the hell was that supposed to mean?” I asked shaking my head. There was no way I ever had any fun with that rich prick. “Anyways, he’ll probably ignore me all night if I make him wait.” I said grabbing my clothes and quickly changing out of my work clothes. Hibari rarely expresses it verbally when he’s pissed at someone, but he’s got a way of letting you know he’s angry!

“You’re late.” He calmly pointed out. He was leaning back elegantly against a black sports car, with a cigarette in-between his lips. Now, that black car had nothing to do with the king’s black car, it was brand new with the leather seats and everything. That guy just enjoys showing how rich he is.

“I didn’t know you smoked.” I noticed. I found it a little odd for him since he was like the perfect daddy’s boy type, but it suits his cold attitude.

“It’s a bad habit I need to lose.” He said taking one last drag before throwing his cigarette away. “Couldn’t you dress a little more nicer?” He asked raising his brow at my ripped jeans. That’s why I hated this guy; he was always ready to make a snide comment. I glared at him.

“Sorry for not being rich enough to wear everything only once.” I said opening the door to the car. He didn’t say anything and just slipped into the driver’s seat.

“Hurry up, Tooru’s waiting.” He said. I closed the door and put on my seat belt, it took all the will of my being not to growl at the senior. That jerk! And why doesn’t he call the pink haired teen Santa like everyone else does. Every time he uses his last name Santa looks hurt, can’t he tell, haven’t they been friend for long enough? The only reason he bothers talking to me is because Santa loves me too death, if it weren’t for him, Abe would not see me as anything more than the dirt below his feet.

Being alone in a car with him made me nervous. He didn’t speak a word, there was only the soft hum of some jazz music. He was looking off into the road with a cold stare. After a few miles he stopped by a convenience store. I gave him a questioning look.

“Tooru will want some snacks later.” He simply answered.

“I just don’t see someone like you walking into a place like this.” I said with a cocky smirk.

“It’s only because Tooru likes it.” He said getting out of the car gracefully. I’m surprised; Abe seems to make a lot of exceptions when it come to Santa. I see him doing pretty much anything the pink haired teen would come up with. Heck, I see Abe get in a dress if it were to make Santa smile! I jumped when my phone suddenly started ringing. I looked down at the number and my hand instantly starts shaking and my breath quickens, I knew I would eventually have to talk to him but not so soon. Fuck, I’ve barely been able to sleep for the last night because I couldn’t help thinking back to that look he gave me. I couldn’t help thinking back to the words he said to me.

“Hello?” I said putting the phone to my ear; my voice was shaking too much.

“Hi.” He said softly. He’s had that same annoying monotone voice he always did. He didn’t sound any different or as uncomfortable as I do. I just can’t read him.

“Oh it’s you.” I said softly. I just wanted to kick myself. “Are you feeling any better?” I asked. I was almost losing the use of my voice.

“I’m doing pretty well.” He said. I closed my eyes to hold back the tears from coming up again. “Don’t worry that much.” The tone he used just now shook me to the very core. Such a calm and comforting voice, for the first time in two days a smile finally spread across my face. It was a small smile but one nonetheless. Despite everything, he was trying to comfort me. Because even though Kuro’s sick, he’s the same kind hearted person he’s always been. I realised I’m the only one that was changing after what he told me. This shouldn’t change our relationship. It should only make it stronger. Abe came back into the car with a bag full of snacks. He glanced sideways at me. “You’re at Santa’s place right?” Kuro asked.

“Not yet but that’s where I’m going.” I said. The smile spread a little, his voice was so calming.

“Kishimoto and I are going skating tomorrow, are you going to come?” He asked. Skating, I shuttered, as in on ice… I never even put on skates before, how did he expect me to go skating?

“I don’t have skates.” I said in my defence.

“Kishimoto got some for you, don’t worry.” He said. “I’ll show you how to skate, don’t worry.” He said figuring right away what the nervousness in my voice meant.

“I can skate just fine, Kowai Kao Kuro.” I growled. Abe’s glare darkened as he realised who I was talking too.

“There’s no problem then.” He concluded.

“Not at all.” I said in a huff.

“Tell Hibari senpai and Santa they can come too, alright?” He said. I’m sure he was cocking his head to the side right now.

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll see you tomorrow.” I said trying to sound annoyed now.

“Take care okay?” He asked. My cheeks reddened a little, why the hell was I smiling at this?

“You take care too.” I finally said. Why was my hand shaking so much when it was time to end the call? I bit my lip, I only wanted to hear that soothing voice more. But now that the conversation was over he just hung up. I closed my phone and clenched it in my palm. I turned to Abe in question wondering what he was waiting for. I met his gaze with a pair of cold amber eyes. “What’s wrong with you?” I asked. He didn't start up the car, seems like he was waiting for something. The silence was getting eerie.

“Don’t you dare touch him.” He said.

“What?” I asked.

“I swear if you try to make a move on him Inoue, I will kill you.” He said. I fought back a shiver because he sounded very serious.

“What are you talking about’ I’m not going to hurt the brat, we’re friends after all.” I said trying not to sound nervous. The senior’s eyes never left mine.

“If it were just me, I’d make sure you wouldn’t even talk to him.” He said. I glared back at him. What the hell was he going on about? Why couldn’t I be friends with Kuro? What the hell was his problem? He slammed me against the door of the car roughly. “Namikaze has enough trouble already; he doesn’t need you making his life any harder. A punk like you will never deserve him.” He said darkly. I remained silent, not really knowing what to say after this blatant show of anger from him. When did the two of us hanging together became a problem for him? Did he know about what happened at his place the last time? Was Kuro more hurt then he let on and he would have told Abe?

No, it seems to be before that. I vaguely remember the night we brought Kuro back to his place and I started undoing Kuro’s shirt. How he glared at me; he looked just about ready to get aggressive. I remained silent the rest of the way. I knew he hated me a lot, and I understood why he wouldn’t want me to be around somebody he cared for. It’s true that I didn’t deserve Kuro’s kindness but still. It’s not like I was planning to make him my lover; he’s a guy anyway. I just don’t see what he’s getting so agitated about.

After that outburst he calmly started up the car and drove us to Santa's place.When I walked through the door I got tackled by a hyper- active pink haired fiend. I stumbled and fell back on my ass under the weight of the teen. He seemed to be his usual bubbly self, but worse. I guessed that he must have had a good Christmas.

“Be careful there Santa.” I said with a groan.

“Sorry about that Yuukun, it’s been a while since I’ve seen you.” He said with a laugh. He took both of my hands to pull me back up to my feet. I rubbed my lower back.
“It’s only allowed to tackle people in anime from now on okay.” I said. He pouted. “Don’t make that face okay; it’s only been one week after all.” I said crossing my arms.

“Well, I got used to seeing you every day.” He said, the grinning again. Then he noticed the bag in Abe’s hands. “Ah! You thought about me!” He said pointing the bag.

“Of course, when did I ever forget about you?” He asked.

“I knew I could count on Hiba kun.” He said, smiling up at the senior, who blushed a little at this. “You’re so reliable!” He added hugging the vice-president’s arm and snuggling into his sleeve.

“I got tones of new anime this Christmas, let’s watch some!” He announced brightly. Abe nodded. Those plans didn’t seem to bother him, unless he was just holding back from saying so. I didn’t really mind watching anime with Santa if it could make him happy. I’m not a big fan of watching television so I didn’t mind what we watched.

“Oh by the way, Kuro wanted to know if you guys wanted to go ice skating?” I asked, as I took off my coat.

“Ice skating! Let’s go ice skating Hiba kun!” Santa exclaimed turning to the taller boy.

“I don’t know Tooru, I might have something planned tomorrow.” He said with a frown.

“Can’t you come, even for a little while; you’re so good at skating after all.” Santa said with a pout. Abe looked as if he was trying to pull his eyes away from the boy, but he couldn’t stop the cheerful teen from affecting him with that face.

“I’ll see what I can do.” He finally gave in; he was so soft when it came to his fellow student council member. After some fussing around we finally settled in front of some anime in Santa’s room. The pink haired boy was sitting in-between the two of us. He had gathered a mountain of blankets to bury us under and put the snacks into bowls.

The show we were watching was about a kid who sees spirits and one day he wanders in a shop where the owner claims she can grant any wish. In order to be able to stop seeing spirits he has to work for her until she says the payment was enough. The long haired woman was funny; she drove the poor kid around doing impossible stuff and she was an alcoholic. It was called xxxHolic. It was quite interesting since it had a darker feel to it and it was centered around Japanese mythology. It felt good to hear something in my own language for once. It made me realise how long it’s been since I spoke it.

Santa was funny to watch since he was so into it. Abe also seem to hold a general interest in the show. I was surprised he was into this kind of thing. He even coaxed Santa into putting ‘just one more episode’ as it was growing late. They made me a bed on the floor while they shared Santa’s single bed. Abe seemed passed being uncomfortable in the small bed since he’s spent the night here so many times before. I could hear Santa chuckle when the lights went out.

“Do you have to be so close Tooru?” Abe asked.

“Of course.” He said. He must be smiling. Abe sighed deeply. He shifted a little and Santa sounded pleased at their new position. The both of them stopped talking. I closed my eyes. I was still troubled at what Abe said earlier; he looked so serious about him not wanting me to touch Kuro. He didn’t get half as touchy when I was around Santa and I know he likes him. I don’t think he has any romantic feelings toward Kuro, so what’s the deal?

Ok, remind me why I accepted to go ice skating again? When we got up the next morning Santa made us pancakes. He said something about having a good breakfast since we were going to spend the entire day outside. Santa’s pancakes were sweet like you wouldn’t believe. He put so much maple syrup on his that I could smell it from across the table. I only put a little on mine because I don’t handle sweet things well.

At around noon I found myself in skates, in Kishimoto’s grandparent’s backyard, where they had a skating rink. I had difficulty staying up on my two feet. I wasn’t even on the ice yet. They had backed up the car right besides the ring and that’s what was supporting me. Santa was quick to put on his skates and he was already skating happily along with Abe. The skates I had were borrowed from Kishimoto. Him, Fiori, Kuro and Nomi were also present to enjoy the nice weather. And by nice weather I meant, it was sunny; it was still cold, but bearable.

“Come on Inoue, you can’t hang on to the car all day. Show us the skating skills you were so proud of last night.” Kishimoto said with a grin. I sent a death glare his way.

“Honestly Yuuri, do you really know how to skate?” Fiori asked, patting my back in a friendly manner.

“Of course I can.” I growled menacingly.

“Don’t even try to deal with him bro.” The cocky bastard said with a chuckle. All these guys seemed to be doing this effortlessly, heck they even skated backwards. It’s not my fault I never even stepped foot on an ice rink before! Counting to three in my head I took a deep breath and slowly managed to let go of the car. I successfully managed to walk all the way to the rink. I was getting confident because I was able to walk in the snow without being too wobbly and of course the moment I stepped on the rink my ass made an ungraceful contact with the rink.

“Are you alright there Yuurinii?” Nomi asked, sliding easily my way. I winced.

“I’m fine.” I groaned.

“Why do you say you can skate when you obviously never set foot in a rink before?” Abe asked coldly.

“Mind you own business!” I snapped. I tried to get up in order to show him, only to find myself on my ass again a moment later. I hit the ice in frustration.

“Don’t be too harsh on him Hibari, it’s his first time skating.” Kishimoto said, half out of pity, but his other half was clearly teasing me.

“I’ll show you both I can do this!” I said pointing at them confidently. Kishimoto smirked in a way to accept the challenge. This time when I stood, I kept my balance until I tried to move a little, then I slid again. Kuro was remaining close out of curiosity, a little too close. In a reflex I grabbed on to his arm. He proved to be quick and skillful, he grabbed my other arm and managed to steady the both of us. For once I’m not on my ass but I blush regretting grabbing on to him. This is so embarrassing.

“Want me to show you?” He asked cocking his head to the side. Now he was holding my shoulder to keep me up.

“I can do it on my own.” I said slowly glaring at him. Stubbornly, I pushed him back. He safely slid back while I found myself on my ass…once again. I growled in frustration letting myself fall on my back. I looked up at the endlessly blue sky and breathed in winter’s scent. Such a cold and deadly season yet it’s so beautiful and it smells so nice. His shadow hangs over me. The sky is suddenly blocked by a mass of red hair. He looks down at me. He’s got a foot on each side of my waist. I’m almost wondering how he can manoeuver himself so easily.

The light around him made it seems like there was a halo of light around him. With his pale skin and stoic face he fit well with the background. He looked good today; his cheeks had a very healthy tint because of the weather, it made me feel relieved. I thought I would just end up crying again if I saw him but in fact it’s comforting, even more so than hearing his voice over the phone. A sigh escaped my lips and I found myself smiling up at him.

“What are you smiling at?” He asked gently, cocking his head to the side. I blushed a little realising how I was smiling up at him.

“Nothing.” I said turning my head away. “I was surprised the sky could be so blue.” I lied, blue like the colour of his eye, a very calming colour. He looked very alive today.

He held his hands out for me, this time I didn’t hesitate before grabbing onto them. He skated back to pull me back up to my feet. Now that I was on my feet I was shaky and held on to him. I was holding on for dear life. He took longer strides backwards, forcing me to follow.

“Don’t go too fast.” I said, panicking slightly, but he wasn’t letting go so I straightened up a little.

“It’s okay you’re not doing too bad.” He said guiding me across the rink. I looked up at his calm mismatched eyes and I felt very reassured. He promised he would save me, he’s not going to leave so soon.

“You’re getting the hang of this Yuukun.” Santa said skating around us.

“See, I told you I could do this.” I said starting to get confident on my skates.

“It’s that cheating Inoue?” Kishimoto said giving me a little push. I grabbed on tighter to Kuro’s arms and swayed a little, but managed to stay on my feet. I glared at Kishimoto.

“It’s not cheating; I need to learn it before I can kick your ass!” I threw back at him with a grin.

“I’ll give you a little credit for that. You’re doing good for your first time.” He said. I smirked. Now I felt a little too confident and let go of Kuro’s arms. The redhead kept his hands out in case I would fall. I didn’t think I needed it and went a little faster until my skate hit a bumpy spot and I launched forward. Unfortunately for the redhead, right into him. We went too fast and he didn’t manage to save us, and we both went flying onto the ice. Him on his back and me… on top of him, where else!

My fall was broken by his body but he wasn’t as lucky. I heard him groan under my weight. It took a moment for me to shake off the confusion and realise I was laying on top of him. I quickly pushed myself on my hands and knees.

“Are you okay?” I asked. He sat up under me.

“It’s alright, I didn’t break anything.” He said rubbing the back of his head with a groan.

“Wow, you two did quite the stunt there.” Fiori said, skating around us to get to my side and pulled me to my feet. Abe sent a deadly glare my way. Kishimoto helped the redhead up, now that I wasn’t on top of him anymore.

“You two should stay away from each other when you’re around ice!” Santa said with a laugh. “If I recall, something like that happened before too.” He added, I blushed a little. He was right; I did slip on some ice and fell on top of him in the school yard once.

“So true!” Kishimoto said, laughing at us.

“Are you hurt?” Abe asked coming up behind the short redhead.

“I might have a bruise later but I didn’t hurt myself.” He said shrugging it off. It wasn’t that bad of a fall after all. A cell phone suddenly started ringing, I knew for a fact that in wasn’t mine since I left it in the car. Abe took his phone out of his coat and skated away from the group to answer the call. He came back a short time later.

“I’ve got to go, my father needs to see me.” he said. Santa pouted a little. “I’ll call you later okay?” He asked the pink haired boy while putting a hand on his head.

“Yeah!” He said smiling up at him, Abe smiled back. His smiles were almost exclusive to the younger student council member. He went back to his car to change back into his boots and left.

“Now that Inoue somewhat knows how to skate we should play hockey.” Kishimoto said with a grin. I could only smirk at this. I never played hockey before but at work we watch a game when there’s one on tv. So I had an idea how it worked. And anything that would involve a fight between Kishimoto and I got me roused up. Fiori got us each a hockey stick.

“Want to make teams?” The white haired teen asked.

“I don’t mind as long as it’s you against me.” I said.

“Okay, so I’ll get Kuro and Nomi on my team and you play with my bro and Santa.” He said. I nodded. The arrangement didn’t seem too bad. Fiori looked like a good sportsman and I knew Kuro could be a worthy adversary. On our team Fiori went for the goal and on Kishimoto’s team it was Nomi. This was a cheap moved since he knew I wouldn’t go all out against the boy.

Hockey was fun, Fiori was a valuable ally, I could tell he was on a team. Santa, not so much but he was always pleasant to play with because he was just as lively as always. Kishimoto was also very talented. I could have put up a better fight against him but I was still finding myself on my ass most of the time. And Kuro just enjoyed driving me all across the ice; that quick little bastard is just as good on skates!

It was clear that I lost this one, however, I didn’t go down without a fight. Not that Kishimoto expected I would let him win that easily. After an hour of playing I couldn’t feel either my fingers or my toes, and the others were starting to get cold as well. I rubbed my hands in an attempt to get the feeling back into them.

“Let’s go back to my place and have some warm soup.” Kishimoto said, patting my back. He skated off toward the edge.

“We’re lucky to have such a nice day today; it’s pretty warm out.” Santa noticed. He’s right, it wasn’t all that cold and the sun was warm on my face. I probably even got a sunburn on my face. This kind of cold is somewhat enjoyable, I don’t hate this part of winter as much. And did the idea of warm soup sound appealing! I was glad to change back into my boots; they were so much warmer than the ice skates.

“That might be a problem.” Kishimoto suddenly said looking at the car.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“Well, I didn’t think about this when Hibari left, but you guys came with him and I don’t think we can all fit in my car.” He explained. I looked at the group and then at the car. He was right; there were six of us and his car could barely fit five.

“We can do this; it’s not like we live all that far, we can squish for a while.” Fiori said. And ‘squishing for a while’ involved shoving Santa, Kuro, Nomi and myself in the backseat, with the blond half sitting on me. It should have been fine, only for a few minutes after all, but this is Nomi we’re talking about. The bouncy blond could not sit still for two seconds, and I emphasized the word bouncy. It was a matter of minutes before the boy was pretty much sitting on me.

“Sorry Yuunii, am I too heavy?” He asked.

“No it’s fine.” I said nudging his back, but he just shifted again. Rubbing awfully close to my… I gritted my teeth. He was happily chatting with his brother, he didn’t realise what he was doing at all. This was getting uncomfortable.

“How come you never skated before? Isn’t there any snow in Japan?” Nomi asked leaning back against my chest. He was shaking his leg restlessly; I really didn’t like how close he was.

“It rarely snows in Tokyo, but we do have skating rinks. I just never tried. My friends were not all that interested in skating.” I explained. If it was even possible, he moved closer to me. Was he doing this on purpose? Probably not; Nomi is not that kind of person, at least he never seemed to have any kind of interests like those. Let’s just say I was happy the moment I finally stepped out of the car. Nomi just looked up at me and gave me a weird smile; a smile I didn’t like but I didn’t question it much, I figured I was just imagining things.

When we got to Kishimoto’s place there was already soup and sandwiches prepared for us by Julia. Kishimoto’s mom was gone to do some grocery shopping for the upcoming New Year’s Eve party. The soup was great after the few hours we spent outside in the cold. Fiori had to leave quickly after eating; he was going to his father’s place for the next few days. He took Santa back home since it was on the way.

“My mom made some chocolate chips cookies, so dig in!” Kishimoto said, cheerfully putting the plate in the middle of the table. Nomi was more than happy with the treat and Kuro will be with anything edible that you give him, but I declined politely when Kishimoto offered me some.

“Oh that’s right, you don’t eat chocolate. How thoughtless of me.” He said slapping his forehead. “What do you want? I’m sure I can find some kind of treat for you too.” He said standing up.

“No don’t, it’s fine; I’ve had enough.” I said holding up my hands.

“That’s no fun, I’m sure there’s something you would like.” He said pressing the matter. Kishimoto was always hospitable. Kuro tugged on his shirt a little for the white haired senior to bend down. Then he whispered something in his ear.

“Oh does he?” He asked. Kuro nodded and the senior escaped into the kitchen.

“What did you tell him?” I asked.

“Nothing.” He said, continuing to munch nonchalantly on his cookie.

“You clearly said something to him Kowai Kao Kuro.” I growled. Kishimoto came out of the kitchen with a plate in his hands, before I could argue some more.

“Here you go.” He said putting the plate down on the table in front of me. My eyes immediately brightened up.

“Pineapples.” I said staring down at the tasty looking fruit, then glancing over at Kuro. He cocked his head to the side. So, he remembered how enthusiastic I was the last time I ate those cookies at his house.

“Kuro said you liked them; you’re lucky we have some since Julia is making pineapple ham.” He explained.

“Thanks.” I said starting to savour the treat right away. I closed my eyes in pleasure as the sweet-acidy fruit almost melted in my mouth.

“If you’re going to make that face every time you eat them you can have pineapples whenever you want.” Kuro commented. A blush spread across my face. Was Kuro just watching me eat? I must have looked really stupid there savouring my treat.

“Shut it Kowai Kao Kuro!” I snapped, in attempt to hide my embarrassment, but Nomi and Kishimoto only laughed at my reaction.

“What are you laughing at, you cocky bastard?” I asked glaring at the white hair senior.

“Now, is that a way to talk to me after I made you do such a face?” He asked teasingly. I growled and was about to pursue the argument when Julia came in with the phone in her hand.

“Kuro, it’s your mom.” She said handing him the phone.

“Oui?(Yes)” He answered, I noticed he tended to speak in French when talking to his mother. I didn’t notice his accent that much when he spoke English, but he was French; French was definitely his mother tongue. “Non, c’est beau, on vien de finir de manger.(It‘s alright, we just finished eating)” He said. “Pas de problemes du tout, passe une bonne soirée. (No problems at all, have a good evening)” she said something. “Oui, je t’aime aussi.(Yes, I love you too)” He said before hanging up and putting the phone down on the table.

“F-X is coming to get us.” He said looking up at his brother.

“Are he and mom going out tonight?” The blond asked. I frowned at Kuro in confusion. Who is this F-X person?

“Yes, but she needs to go to Jordan’s first so she can’t pick us up.” He said.

“I could have given you a ride Kuro.” Kishimoto said.

“It’s fine; it’s on his way.” He said cocking his head to the side.

“Do you want a ride to your place Yuuri?” He asked me.

“Only if it’s not a problem.” I said, Amy has driven me to my place before, it’s only about a fifteen minute walk, so it’s barely no difference by car.

“Not at all.” Kuro said shaking his head.

“You’ll get to meet F-X too!” Nomi said cheerfully. I looked at Kuro in a silent question.

“My mother met him about a week before Christmas and the two of them are seeing each other.” Kuro explained. So his mom had a boyfriend. The father of the two boys had passed away, so I don’t find it too surprising to hear that. Nomi seems to be pretty excited towards the whole thing and Kuro being Kuro; I’ve got no clue what he’s thinking.

“He’s super nice; he’s French and he comes from Joliette.” Nomi added. I was a little curious to see the man. He arrived after a few minutes. We were sitting outside so he didn’t have to wait. Like Nomi said, the man looked very nice. He looked really Quebecer; built like a farmer with curly dark brown hair, starting to turn grey but his head was still very full and his eyes were a tint of greying-blue.

“Est-ce-que vous êtes pret les gars? (Are you ready boys)” He asked, opening the door to greet them. He was smiling; like Amy he looked like a very jolly person.

“Oui! (Yes)” Nomi said rushing to his side of the car. He sat in the passenger seat next to F-X. I learned that F-X was short for Francois Xavier; I find it common for these Quebecer to have composed names.

“C’est lui ton ami? Il reste pas loin de chez vous, right?(Is the your friend? He lives close to your place, right?)” He asked Kuro. The redhead just nodded.

“Heureux de faire at connaisence, mon c’est F-X! (It‘s a pleasure to meet you, my name is F-X)” He said holding out his hand for me happily. I shook his hand.

“Moi c’est Yuuri, c‘est un plaisir de vous rencontrer. (I‘m Yuuri, it’s a pleasure to meet you too.)” I said in very broken French. He nodded in what seemed to be approval. I got in the car. Kuro was very quiet for the whole ride. He seemed to be a little uncomfortable around the man, but he and his mom have only been dating for a little more than a week, so I guess it takes a little bit of getting used to. I don’t know to what extent he’s used to see his mom with a man that isn’t his father. I guess Nomi was a little younger when his father passed away, so he’s a little less bothered by it.

They dropped me off at my place and I left the trio with a promise that I would see them on New Year’s Eve. I’m glad I got to see Kuro today; it made me feel a lot better after the way we left each other last time. He seemed a little tense today, so I know things are not completely back to what they were before. I, myself, had trouble looking at him today without thinking back to what he told me. and my heart squeezing painfully.

I’m going to have to put in so much effort if I want our relationship to get back to what it was. Also, if I want to support him, I can’t have him comfort me every time we see each other. And I don’t want him to hold his emotions back from me for the sake of not making me sad. This is probably hard enough on him, so I didn’t need him having to worry about me as well. He’s already given me so much support that I think it’s about time I start repaying the favour.
________________________
I think Yuuri starting to come around and it's about time I say, it has been seventeen chapters! That guy really got to start making a man out of himself don't you think?! I'm glad this is slowly getting together. Next week will probably a New Year-ish kind of chapter. Too bad I'm a little early for the holiday theme but it's not that bad, Christmas is in a month after all!

Anyways, you guys take care and I'll post again next week, and I can tell you that this fic is not coming to an end just yet! I'm eager to go deeper into Yuuri's past and I can tell you that it's coming soon!

-Clolymy