White Rabbit

Lin: I like this story very much! The idea is so interesting! Please continue! I want to know what will happen! And soon. :P

Thank you! I am continuing, fast as I can (while still trying to keep track of where I'm heading). I'm trying to keep up a steady post rate!

Luinquesse: Oh, this is a good one. Me likes! I hope you'll update soon, I can hardly wait. I love Ashis character, he so cute and strong at the same time. Keep this story going!

^_^ Yesh, he's fun to write for! I love the tougher pretty ones...*chuckle* Here's your new chapter!

Falcon Bertille: Great story! I really like the two main characters. Garnen seems so real to me, especially the way he still mourns for his dead wife. The scene where he and Ashi go through her things was very touching -- this small, unspoken way that he shares a bit of his grief with Ashi. It really shows the potential of a very deep, loving relationship between these two, despite the vicious (and hilarious) bantering. I eagerly await the next chapter!

You asked about the html. Here are the two commands I remember:

italics
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And thanks for your lovely review of "Candy Kisses"! As a fellow writer, I'm sure you know how much feedback is appreciated!

Love,
Falcon

O_O Oh my gosh! My favorite writer ever! I'm serious, I love your stories...thank you so much! You have no idea how much it means to see you posting here. Your reviews are so detailed too, it's great to have someone who you know really read through your work. I hope to at least eventually get them into a deep relationship, though currently their just bickering far to much for anything. :gonk: Thank you again! (Oh, and the html thing...*happy dance of victory* I can fix my stories now!) I look forward to seeing if you write anything more...and...just curious...is 'To Please the Wind' as finished as it's ever getting? Or do you ever plan to write more? I love reading whatever you write, thanks!

memorietrail: oh please more ,please it very good and i want to see what is going to happen next?

Here you go! Thanks for reviewing! ^_^


Chapter Five

Ashi glared ahead determinedly, violet eyes scanning the empty campus as he moved forward, in no real rush. The mid-morning sun came down brightly, cheerily, but the rabbit got no real consolation from the fact. The empty, well cut grass before him had only just began to fade from the cooler days, but he had no attention for the weather.

The only thing currently bothering him, was the overall lasting feel from the instant he left the department headquarters till now, as it still hung over him. Originally, he blamed it on the fact that he hated police, for good reason, and any sensible person from his ‘walk of life’ as one might put it, would naturally feel uncomfortable inhabiting such a police ridden haven.

But, as the feeling refused to subside, and every other thought tumbled him back into that morning, he couldn’t help but suspect it had nothing, in fact, to do with the police, and everything to do with one, specific, police officer. He growled lightly and increased his pace.

The campus stretched far and wide, and, to his great displeasure on this particular morning, his class lay at the far back of the entire thing. By the time he reached it, he was over half an hour late. Twenty-some-odd faces turned to face him the instant he entered, and the professor glanced up, his arrival interrupting the previous near perfect silence of the room.

“Mr. Tekieri...” The words came calm, almost tired, as the teacher noted his presence, pushing up low riding spectacles in the process. His teacher, a young, blonde man, likely not out of his twenties yet, often looked tired at his appearance, as if the sight of the rabbit somehow drained his energy and stressed his system.

He had angular, pointed features, a thin, but not quite scrawny figure, and light rimmed glasses, usually hanging low on his face as if he had not the time nor will to keep them in place. His scattered, almost white blonde hair never fell out of disarray, giving him the scatterbrained, unorganized appearance that fit so well to his personality.

“So nice of you to join us today...” He didn’t sound as thrilled as his words might suggest as he blinked, with a small frown, over the figure of the man in the doorway. “Unfortunately...unless you have some great godly reason for your absence...the school board expects you to come more frequently than Santa Claus and provide us with your lovely face more than once a year. Is that understood?” Giving a last glance to the man before moving back to his book he added quietly. “Unless of course you prefer the Easter Bunny...”

A chuckle rose from those in the class who caught the comment but Ashi looked unfazed, taking his usual seat with a small smirk. “Sorry to disappoint you, Mr. Bracks...I’m afraid something kept me and I left my basket of eggs at home...but by all means, if there’s something I can do to make it up to you-“

“See me after class, Mr. Tekieri. Your continued absences are taking an effect on your grade.” The man interrupted abruptly, before finally dropping his book and getting back to the class to work on returning it’s previous state. “Return to your work as usual, I expect you prepared for the exam this coming Friday. If you want credit for the class on record you need to go out with a passing grade on the class and the final. One or the other won’t count fully. Your final credit is the end of this month, prepare now.”

He said the words, like he knew no one would follow or care, save the few over achievers. But those, in themselves had already started, and his speech made no difference. Despite all this, as a teacher, he hoped for each and every pupil’s efforts to come a success, though he knew it impossible.

As the man returned to his seat and his book at the regained silence, Ashi settled more fully and glanced over to the boy beside him. “What are we working on, anyway?” He questioned quietly and the boy looked up, black short-cut hair a distinguished contrast against a bright, opal gaze. He grinned at the question.

“What made you forget the chocolate eggs, Shi? You’re not usually so careless...” His grin shone bright, full, and mischievous, much like the rest of him. A single, silver hoop hung from his right ear, the only visible piercing on him.

Ashi chuckled. “I had a little...trouble with the police.”

The other raised an eyebrow curiously. “Again, Ash? You need to be a little more careful...one of these days your ‘girlfriend’ story won’t work...and you’ll land in some serious trouble. You gotta know I can’t bail you out again if-“

“That was a one time thing. They’ve got nothing on me...they were actually looking for another killer...and I did promise I’d pay you back for that.” He bit his lip with a tiny frown. “I am sorry it’s taking so long...” His frown deepened as he glanced back over his shoulder briefly. “Damn, I’d kill for a cigaret.”

The other didn’t look pleased. “Another killer? Why drag you in? Ash...you’re not...getting yourself deeper into this are you? You promised-“ Ashi’s gaze snapped up.

“I’m fine, Tray. My...most recent client...apparently had some money problems...but whatever they needed out of him they didn’t find in my pants...the man shot him.” Tray stared.

“Ashi...I think you really are getting to deep in this...it’s past the money, man...if you keep up with this...you’re gonna get hurt, and-“

“What is it with people and my welfare? I can take care of myself. I did, I have been, and I will continue to do so, no matter how many tell me I can’t.”

“Shi...it’s not that I don’t think you can...it’s just...when you hang around people like that...and get yourself into these situations...I’m worried, Shi. I really am...I mean...first it’s just the bar...then the night jobs...and the smoking...you’re money’s gone in a flash...if you’re doing drugs, you can-“

“I’m not doing drugs, dammit!” Ashi shouted loudly and only realized his mistake at the sudden great silence in the room, all eyes on him as the professor lifted his head from his book and coughed slightly, frowning.

“We’re all glad to know that, Mr. Tekieri. Now if you’ll please refrain from saying so to the class, and get on with your assignment, you may be able to put something on my desk by the end of the day...” Ashi flushed unintentionally and glared turning back to face forward.

“Yes, sir.”

Tray still looked worried. “Shi...if you-“

“Just forget it...I can handle myself.” Ashi said quietly, finding it harder now to convince even himself of that fact. The other sighed and shook his head.

“Page 318, Ash. He wants a brief, report form summary on the chapter by the end of class.” Shi nodded. “I need to talk to you after class.” The rabbit frowned, staring blankly at the cover of his textbook, not even opening it.

“Bracks wants me after...”

“I’ll wait.”

It came firm, steady, with insistence and Ashi knew he would. Sighing he shook his head and made no comment, opening his book with at drudging pace. He felt no hurry to get to writing some long dreary essay at the moment, and though writing usually brought him peace, at the moment, his mind felt blank, a desolate, scattered pile of foreshadowing nothingness.

As he turned the pages, instead of the letters and tossed in numbers of the information before him, his mind drew up different images, thoughts, and his eyes blurred over the pages. Before he knew it, or cared to stop it, his thoughts left completely anything related to yellow journalism and it’s effects on World War I, and fell back to that morning.

Regularly, Ashi made a point to avoid men like the commanding lieutenant, not just his position with the police, but his overall manner. It made no sense. He was rough, violent even, when angry, demanding and forceful, not to mention religious and straight.

He said he wasn’t religious anymore, but Ashi doubted his complete loss of conviction. He’d said himself he hated the idea of homosexuality! Didn’t find it possible...thought it wrong, disgusting. Shi frowned and glanced down to his wrists, hardly still sore, but the memory lasted. He had a death grip. The rabbit bit his lip in worry at the memory, and circled his thumb absently over the spot.

He sighed again and dropped his head to the desk before him. “Fuck.”

That class passed slow, agonizingly slow, not that he wanted it to end, but that he knew it would and couldn’t focus, couldn’t even start on the blank page before him as thoughts of his hectic, recent past circled him. What had passed in the last two days felt like far longer, and he wondered briefly if he really had escaped the watch of the police, Garnen in particular. Somehow, despite his exit of the department just earlier that day, he had a strong feeling that he had, most definitely not seen the last of that man, or any of his realm for that matter. As he stared at the blank pages before him, he wondered briefly if that should have bothered him more...

The bell rang, a universal sign of freedom, but Ashi kept his head to the desk dully, glaring silently in frustration as Tray stood. “I’ll wait for you, Ash...don’t keep to long.”

“Right.” The rabbit sighed and lifted his head, waiting as each student pulled out. The man at the head didn’t even give him a second glance till everyone had departed. As the last student turned from the room, and Ashi stood alone again with the single other inhabitant of the class, the man finally lifted his head from his book, speaking as if noticing him for the first time.

“Mr. Tekieri...I don’t see an essay from you...”

“I couldn’t concentrate.” Hazel eyes lifted, a frown dotting the man’s brow as he lowered his book and repositioned his glasses lightly.

“Mr. Tekieri...I’m afraid you can’t afford another-“

“Cut the crap, will you? You know my name! It’s not ‘Mr. Tekieri’...it’s Ashi. And no...I can’t afford anything right about now...are you happy?” The man at the head sighed and his frowned deepened as he stood.

“Stand up, Ashi. Come over here. I need to tell you something...” The smaller man complied easily, leaving his few supplies at the desk and moving forward, not in the mood to question. As he arrived at the front, he felt the weight of the teacher’s gaze on him, like a sudden heat, heavy, but he turned away and the sensation left. “You’re a good student, Ashi...your writing is intelligent, interesting...when you get into it, you know just how word things, pull on emotions, enrapture an audience...and that means something, means a lot, for a writer. To grab someone’s attention...but I can tell when you don’t care, when you’re bored or lost...Ashi...you have to put the same energy-“

“I can’t.” The man frowned.

“You can. You have every ability to write...and write anything you like...you wouldn’t have to write for a journal or the newscast...you could write for anything, Ashi. Anything, and make good money. You don’t have to-“

“Is this another attempt at ‘saving’ me from myself? I don’t need another lecture.” The man sighed in frustration at his loss.

“You can’t keep doing this.”

“I can, and I will...as long as you’ll let me.” The blonde man stood over him, not tall in particular, but above him nonetheless, his look sad, guilty almost, as he brushed a hand lightly over a smooth cheek, gracing, tentative. Ashi’s gaze flickered briefly to the move, then back up to the almond-silver of the gaze above him.

“Do you blame me?” The question came quiet, unsure, much as the rest of the man’s personality, and for a brief moment, Ashi regretted it, regretted dragging him, so many times, into the guilt trip that became his life, but then it passed, because he couldn’t think of that right now, he had to focus...on the task at hand.

“No.” The man nodded and their lips met. Hesitant, the teacher never pressed, never took over and Ashi, as he often did, lead the kiss, even from his lower height. It always took something to get the other more comfortable, and Ashi, in the end, always felt the slight weight of guilt himself, like it was he using the blonde, and not the other way around. Perhaps it was.

His lips parted and openly welcomed the other’s tongue, offering entrance, leading it in. No quarreling, hands gripped tightly at his waist, holding for support, balance, and stability. Ashi slid his own touch down, over the man’s side’s, feeling the shaky response, obvious and needy. When he reached the waistband though, pressing his hand to the front of the man’s pants, the recipient gave a startled moan but broke off instantly.

Shaking his head quickly, his raced breath came more than slightly choppy. “Don’t, Ashi. I can’t do this to you.” Curious violet scanned over the panting figure.

His glasses fogged and fallen slightly, now hung at an off angle, which the man took that brief time to fix, situating them once again on his nose properly, and frowning at their hazed state. His tousled blonde hair looked mainly in it’s regular state, possibly slightly more amiss than usual, the only true sign of anything out of the ordinary being his usual pale cheeks heated and pink. Not for the first time, Ashi noted the man could be quite attractive when it came down to it.

With a small frown he said quietly. “I can assure you, professor, you’ve done nothing to me yet.” Hazel eyes snapped down in warning, roughly as he finished wiping the haze from his spectacles and replaced them neatly. In that small instance, he returned to the role of teacher, upheld, firm, and unrelenting, losing every bit of hesitancy as he took back the position he played best.

“Don’t tell me that, Shi. You know I can’t live with it.”

“So it’s all about you?” Ashi questioned lightly and the man instantly spun into a glare.

“Don’t do that, Shi! No, it’s not. It’s about you, and you don’t need this. You don’t need one more problem over your head-“

“I don’t need a savior...and you’re far from a worry on my list. Don’t fret yourself about it.” The teacher looked unconvinced and finally Shi shook his head. “About my tardy today...”

“You were here the whole time.”

“Thanks.”

“About your grade, Mr. Tekieri-“

“Don’t change it.” The man frowned.

“I wasn’t going to...but Ashi...even if the absences don’t count on your record...your loss of work-“

“I’ll handle it.”

“Ashi...”

The rabbit looked up. “Don’t get emotional on me. I said I can handle it, I will.”

The man sighed, running a hand worriedly through tossed blonde with a concerned and disapproving expression. “Sometimes, you’re to stubborn for your own good. You’re a smart man, Ashi. Brilliant even, at times...but when it comes to the little things...”

“I’m an idiot. That’s comforting professor. Spare me the pleasantries. I don’t need to be brilliant, I just need to get by. I think I do my part.”

“You don’t understand, Ashi...you could do so much more than this...you don’t have to submit yourself to...” He frowned. “...to any of this. You could get a job, a well-paying, serious-“

“They don’t want a playboy bunny, Bracks. No one wants portal trash.”

“You’re smart, Ashi. You can figure it out.” The rabbit laughed, but his eyes showed no humor, an almost hopeless glint to them as he shook his head.

“No one want’s a smart whore either.”

“Don’t call yourself such filthy names...you are no such thing.” The man snapped irritably, though it contained little bite, the fight near lost in him as he sunk to his chair.

“Don’t tell me what I am...you have no idea. Go back to your wife, live your life...and forget about me, professor. You don’t deserve my problems.” The man watched as the smaller man turned from him, turned from the room, from his help, and passed up any aid he could give. As a teacher, he never picked favorites among his students, but he worried for that one, worried so much, but could do nothing, and simply watched as he left, never having felt more helpless.

Ashi felt the man’s gaze on him, locked, all up till he turned the door, out of sight. In a way, the loss relieved him, but in another, he never escaped the guilt. The deserved more than a few petty kisses in an empty classroom, and he could never give that. In a way, he prayed for the day he no longer needed such methods of getting by.

As he exited from the building, thoughts of the nervous professor left his mind and Tray’s dark form made over from under the tree he lay previously propped upon. “Shi! You’re finally out...what did you do? Bend over a desk?”

The albiri frowned. “No. Nothing that far. He’s as uptight as ever...but I did get rid of the tardy.”

“Why do you bother? You don’t even work on your grade, just the absences.”

“I want to know what my grade is. I want to earn it...and not by bending over a desk.” Ashi went for a smoke and muttered quietly. “What is it you want me for anyway?” He pulled out a lighter and set the strip easily, placing it in his mouth as he waited for the reply.

Tray looked displeasingly at the smoke but said nothing. “The man that shot you-“

“He didn’t shoot me, he shot the other man...”

“What do you know about him?”

Ashi shrugged. “Hispanic I think, young...or...middle-aged at least, he sounded attractive...but he was a real asshole.”

“Sounded attractive?? How can a man sound attractive? And he almost blew your brains out! How could you think about attraction in a time like that? Wait...what do you mean...you didn’t see him?”

Ashi rolled his eyes. “No. I didn’t. I was blindfolded and chained to the bed, remember?”

“No. You never told me anything. So you don’t know what he looked like?”

“No.”

“His name?”

“Carlos...I think.”

Tray frowned but seemed satisfied. “Where are you going tonight?” Ashi glanced up and shrugged, blowing out a light stream before replying carelessly.

“The bar. My apartment. Why?”

“When?”

“I don’t know, I’ll probably go to the bar now...Toni’s gonna wonder where I’ve been.”

“Whatever. Just...don’t get yourself in trouble again, ok Ashi?” The rabbit shrugged and leaned up off the wall he’d taken as support.

“Trouble tends to come looking for me. I’ll do my best.” As Ashi left down the campus, Tray muttered quietly.

“Maybe it does...but that doesn’t mean you have to welcome it with open arms...”


Note: Thank you so much to all who reviewed! I'll have a new post up Friday! Hope you like it!