Smooth Teaching

My name is Takashiro Koga. I guess I’m your average guy; I’m a sports mogul and not too good with the academics, but I have plenty of friends (kinda) and the teachers of Seishii High seem to like me. My parents were killed a while ago; they went on a cruise ship and a tsunami hit it before it pulled into port. Now, my sister Sayuri takes care of me. I love her so much – she’s a bit over protective, but I adore her all the same.

I’m a senior at Seishii High this year, seventeen years old, and captain of the soccer team. Entering this year, I figured out that I was missing a class – an easily remedied problem, right? Yeah, easy enough. But somehow, the easily remedied problem turned into something that was a bit too hard for me to handle on my own.

~*~*~

The bell rang, and the students that were milling about the classroom took their respective seats, according to the chart at the front of the room. Design and Color was one of the few classes in Seishii High that encouraged the students to express what they were really thinking, without any reservations whatsoever. People who came out of it said it was a journey that helped them ‘find’ themselves, and it got other students curious as to what it offered.

But if you were Takashiro Koga, it was just an easy extra class to fill up an empty spot in the schedule.

He tapped his pencil on his table, resting his elbow on it and his chin in his hand. His emerald eyes glanced around with mild interest, taking in all of the other students. Geeks, geeks, geeks… no jocks, a few mindless girls… eh, this was going to be a fun class all right. Letting out a sigh, he briefly wondered what kind of kook the teacher was to be in charge of such a class.

The door opened, and when he raised his gaze his eyes widened slightly, his pencil dropping from his grip completely as he froze and watched the teacher enter.

Male? Female? Koga couldn’t quite tell; the teacher had lighter colored hair, with naturally lighter highlights in it, resting just past the shoulders, and warm honey eyes that sparkled at the class. The teacher was small, and had a feminine figure; the first teacher Koga had ever seen wearing something other than the ‘professional’ wear.

“Good morning, class.”

Ah, and that voice was like silk… Koga smiled, a bit hazed, as he leaned forward slightly in his seat.

“My name is Mitsuo, and I’ll be your instructor for the remainder of the year.”

Koga picked up his pencil once again as Mitsuo’s eyes passed over him, and he blushed as he tried to pretend he wasn’t openly staring. But, the rest of the class was gawking at the teacher – probably trying to figure out the gender.

“Please be nice to me,” Mitsuo said, smiling lightly and offering a slight giggle. “This is my first real teaching job.” Ah, so it was a permanent stand-in for the previous art teacher, who left for some reason or another.

That giggle! It made Koga’s heart flutter and he could have sworn his eyes turned into little swirling hearts. One of the mindless girls in the front raised her hand, and Mitsuo nodded towards her.

“Mitsuo-sensei… no means to offend, but,” she bit her lip and twirled her hair idly. “Are you a… man or woman…?”

Mitsuo blinked, and then laughed again, covering those perfect lips with a delicate hand. “Oh, I’m terribly sorry. I’ve been asked that about twenty times today.” The angelic head tilted slightly, “I am male.”

CLATTER.

About fifteen pens, pencils, and other scholarly items fell to the desks/floor in shock, as mainly the boys of the class stared wide-eyed at Mitsuo, who was still smiling calmly.

Koga wanted to gouge his eyes out; he was fawning over a MAN!? All of the girls were giggling insanely and asking Mitsuo question after question and a tentative glance around the room showed Koga that the guys were all having the same thought: “I feel disgusting.”

“Okay kids, settle down.” Mitsuo waved his dainty hands and moved to the whiteboard to start writing things down in neat, feminine-like writing, and Koga thought that the man advertised “GAY” with every motion he made.

But it wasn’t the obnoxious feminine gay – like the men that were bitches and commented on your clothing. Mitsuo’s femininity was almost… motherly. And that made something inside of Koga twist. The rest of the class must have felt it as well, as it fell silent without more than one word from Mitsuo.

That day they were learning the basics of drawing, and for now they were demonstrating what they knew by creating a name tag. A bit… elementary, but everyone was having fun anyway. You were supposed to draw out your name, and then make a background that represented who you were.

Koga’s tongue was sticking out of his mouth as he drew; God knew that art was not his forte, but he was trying his hardest. His background was all of the different sports he played; soccer, tennis, swimming, and track. He got a little caught up in drawing, and didn’t notice when Mitsuo leaned over his shoulder.

“A sports fanatic, eh?”

The smooth voice in his ear made the teen jump, and that caused Mitsuo to jump slightly and produce a cute squeal as he covered his mouth and giggled.

“I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to frighten you.” He said, crossing his arms loosely over his chest. The pale pink off-the-shoulder sweater he was wearing bunched under his movement, and Koga quickly diverted his eyes.

“Its fine,” he mumbled, as he picked through the colored pencils to find a suitable color to fill in his name with.

“Very good, Takashiro-kun.” Mitsuo placed a warm hand on his shoulder that spread a fuzzy, tingling feeling throughout Koga’s body, and when it was removed Koga shivered slightly. Mitsuo walked away, and Koga ran his hands through his hair.

This was definitely not turning out to be the ‘easy’ class he was looking for.

~*~*~

Some odd hours later found Koga in the lunchroom, sitting at a table with the rest of the soccer team. They were eating and fooling around loudly, flirting with girls and talking about their latest conquests. For once Koga was a bit silent, his mind still mulling over the fact that he had the hots for his teacher – a male teacher, at that.

Burying his face in his arms, Koga felt his appetite go away, and could hear his friends picking at his abandoned lunch.

“Naaaaa, Koga-kun~”

Oh, shut up Mozuko.

“Koga-kun! Have you seen that new teacher? The art one? MAN she’s hot!

Uh-huh, yeah. ‘Man’, ‘she’s hot. “Mozuko…”

Mozuko ignored his friend and continued to speak loudly to the table.

“She’s got amazing curves, and a face that I bet looks wonderful when fixed in pleasure, yeah?”

A few hoots and hollers, and Koga groaned once more as he tried to disappear into his arms.

“And she doesn’t dress like the rest of the teachers! She’s wearing LOUNGE clothes! A sweater and yoga pants!”

“Mozuko…” Koga tried again, but his friend plowed on, now making motions in the air with his hands.

“Her body is just amazing; you don’t see curves like that anymore.” More hoots. “I’ll bet she’s great in-"

“What seems to be the uproar?”

Koga squinted his eyes; no, no don’t be here, ugh…

The whole table went silent and Koga raised his head to blink blearily at Mitsuo, who had his arms crossed delicately over his chest, a small smile on his face that just screamed ‘I know what you were talking about.’

Mozuko cleared his throat and bowed. “Mitsuo-sensei.”

“Mmm,” Mitsuo’s fine brows rose and he nodded, glancing around the table. “Do any of you have girlfriends, gentlemen?”

All of them shook their heads, and Koga just stayed as plaintive as possible.

Mitsuo smiled, “Good.”

The insult hung in the air, and the teacher beckoned Koga to follow him. The teen wordlessly got up from his seat and grabbed his book bag, trying to ignore the stares his friends were giving him. Mitsuo lead him towards the hallway that went to the art room, and once they were there Mitsuo shut the door behind him and leaned against it.

“Takashiro-kun,” he said softly, his features slightly concerned. Koga shifted and tried to look away, but Mitsuo’s tone made him look back. “I’m a bit worried about you.”

Koga raised a brow, “Eh…? You are?”

Mitsuo nodded, and then moved to his desk to sit down in the cushioned rolley-chair, gesturing for Koga to sit on the stool in front of the desk.

“Your friends… they’re not good students.”

Frowning, Koga tilted his head slightly. “I… don’t quite see where you’re going…”

“They’re pigs, Takashiro-kun.” Mitsuo laid it out, and Koga nodded his head. “You obviously don’t like being around them. Why not choose other friends…?”

“No one really wants to let me in,” he said with a shrug. Mitsuo’s brows rose and Koga continued. “It’s because I’m a ‘jock’. Stereotypes, you know? They think I’m a bastard like the rest of them.”

“Language,” Mitsuo reprimanded off-handedly, and Koga nodded just as distractedly. “Have you tried proving that you’re not an idiot?”

“Not really. I don’t see the point when people won’t see what they don’t want to see.”

“Takashiro-kun,” Mitsuo smiled and leaned forward, folding his hands and speaking calmly as he gazed softly at Koga. “You are a kind, intelligent person. Whoever doesn’t see that doesn’t deserve to be your friend.” He leaned back and rummaged through his drawers, and then pulled out a folder. “But that’s not all I wanted to talk to you about.”

Koga tensed slightly; those looked like the folders the dean had. Was Mitsuo going to talk to him about his permanent record?

“Your history grade is dropping.”

Green eyes widened, and he nearly breathed relief. “And?”

Mitsuo took in a breath as if trying to remain composed, “And that means that if it gets below a C, you’ll be kicked off of the soccer team.”

Right now, Koga was teetering between a C- and a D. Definitely not a safe position, and he knew that, but history just wasn’t his subject.

“Are you struggling?” Mitsuo asked, looking genuinely concerned.

Koga shrugged, “I guess. It’s just hard remembering all of those dates.”

Mitsuo placed a hand on one of his cheeks, slender fingertips tapping his skin idly. “What if I were to help you?” He asked, and Koga blushed lightly.

“I- … why?”

The teacher smiled. “You’re not the only person I’m offering help to, Takashiro-kun. I’m helping many others pass their other classes. I want my students to be successful in everything they do – not just my class.”

Koga rubbed at the back of his neck; he knew he should take the offer – he loved being on the soccer team despite the idiots, and Mitsuo was offering to help him…

“I… guess…” he said a bit tentatively, before glancing at Mitsuo. “When could we start…?”

“I have an opening today after school at three-thirty. Do you think you could meet me in the study hall?”

It was Friday, which meant no one was going to stay after school to study. Koga was a bit apprehensive; in the library alone with this teacher… with any other teacher he would have agreed right away, but this was Mitsuo-sensei. A nice, caring, compassionate teacher that aroused feelings inside of Koga that the teen would rather not tread into at the moment.

But his soccer profession depended on it.

“Yeah, I can meet you.”

Mitsuo smiled and nodded, and then the bell rang for the next class to start. Koga stood and bowed, Mitsuo bowing in return and offering a small wave, and then the rest of the day was a complete blur.

He found himself standing at the library doors at three twenty-eight, and was hesitating to go inside. Maybe Mitsuo would be late? Maybe he’d change his mind and go back on his decision? Maybe Koga should just skip, and say that he had something he forgot to do? The teenager’s hand was on the door, and the trepidation overwhelmed him. He brought his hand back and turned, shaking his head.

I can’t do this.

“Takashiro-kun!”

… Damn it! Koga turned around with a small smile, greeting Mitsuo who looked slightly out of breath. The teacher’s pale cheeks were slightly flushed and his eyes glittering, as he caught his breath and straightened with a small giggle.

“I’m sorry; I got caught up in the lounge and just barely left on time.”

It’s not like you made me wait or anything.

“It’s fine,” Koga said, his smile widening some.

“All right, here we go~” Mitsuo smiled and walked past him into the library, turning on the lights. Even the librarians were gone. If this was an open invitation, Koga was trying his best to not notice. “Here.” Mitsuo sat down at a desk in a corner by a window that illuminated the table further, and he set his bag down. “Book?”

Koga sat next to Mitsuo, and leaned over some to pull his history book out of his bag. Mitsuo shifted a bit to get something and a whiff of his cologne – perfume? –wafted into Koga’s senses. It smelled nice… like flowers and an open breeze. Shaking his head, he placed the book on the table and brought out the class binder, opening it to the assignment section.

Mitsuo’s eyes slid over the papers, and he made a slight clicking sound with his tongue. “Takashiro-kun, you’ve hardly done any of the assignments. And your test grades…”

Blushing lightly, Koga shrugged. “I’m just really bad at this stuff…”

A smiling Mitsuo shook his head, and placed his hand on Koga’s forearm comfortingly. “I can fix that, hm?” He removed his hand, to Koga’s great pleasure, and tapped his fingertips on the table. “Sports are your passion, right?”

“Aa.” Koga nodded.

“Then let’s relate your passion to something that you’re not that interested in, hm?” Mitsuo flipped to the page that started that nights’ homework assignment, and pointed to the date. “The 1800’s,” he said, speaking for himself and not from the book, “were a time of huge reform in Japan. People were revolting, the government was changing – there are many dates that you’ll need to remember. Does the year 1863 ring a bell?”

The teen rested his cheek in his palm and thought for a moment, and then blinked. “It’s when the Football Association in England was created, for soccer.”

“Right!” Mitsuo smiled brightly and nodded. “Now, can you tell me something about Japan in 1863?”

Koga tilted his head some, his gaze rolling towards the ceiling. Hm… 1863? Nothing was really coming to mind, and he shook his head.

“The Meiji Era was starting to gain control.”

The teenager blinked, and glanced down at the book. “Both those things happened then?”

Mitsuo nodded. “Yes. You can connect almost anything with each other – every year so many things happened, in history, that it’s hard to not be able to make a connection.” His smile widened some, and over the next hour or so he explained many things to Koga, which the younger male related to events in the history of sports.

Sitting back with a content sigh, Koga smiled and ran a hand through his chocolate locks. “Wow, that’s a lot easier than I thought!”

Mitsuo giggled, and shut the history book. “See? If you make it interesting, then it is interesting.”

Nodding, Koga started to pack his things in his bag. “Thanks, Mitsuo-sensei.”

“Oh,” Mitsuo waved a hand. “It was nothing. To see you understand what I was teaching was enough for me.”

Pushing out his chair and standing up, Koga slung his bag over his shoulder and regarded Mitsuo as the teacher gathered his things. “How come you know so much?”

Standing as well, Mitsuo hugged his briefcase to his chest as he smiled broadly at Koga.

“Art isn’t my only passion, Takashiro-kun.”

Koga smiled back, somewhat amazed at Mitsuo. The man was so intelligent, and nice… glancing out the window, Koga rolled his eyes and grumbled.

“Great, it’s raining…” he sighed and bowed to Mitsuo, who bowed in return, and then exited the library. He zipped up his jacket and pulled the hood onto his head, sighing in frustration as he stepped out into the rain. It poured down on him heavily, and the chill instantly went to his core.

Wrapping his arms around him and shoving his hands into his armpits for warmth, he scowled as he started the eight mile trek home. His mind ran over what happened that day at school – there was so much. Meeting Mitsuo, figuring out that his friends were idiots, understanding the history that he’d struggled so hard to comprehend… his feet sloshed through mud puddles as he walked the busy streets, humming lightly to himself.

A honk came from behind him and he nearly jumped out of his skin, turning around to see where the danger was. The door of a black Porsche opened and Mitsuo stepped out, waving his hand.

“Takashiro-kun! Get in!”

Smiling, Koga jogged to the car and slipped inside, pulling off his hood and running his hands through his soaked hair.

“Thank you so much, Mitsuo-sensei,” he said, smiling at his teacher, who just shook his head and shrugged.

“I tried to stop you, but you’d already left by the time I got outside.” The brunette smiled and put the car into drive, and then turned on the news station. “It’s really coming down…”

The voice of the news anchor came through the speakers, and Koga watched the radio as if he could see the man while he listened to the news.

“Flash flood warnings have been issued over most of downtown, and all citizens are advised to stay inside, lock up, and barricade doors and windows.” The voice droned on, and Koga clenched his fist slightly.

Downtown… that’s where he lived. Mitsuo looked over and bit his lip, before speaking.

“Takashiro-kun? Are you okay?”

“I live downtown,” Koga said, glancing over towards his concerned teacher. “With my sister.”

“… Cars are advised to stay off of the roadways, as they could suffer damage and may be swept away by the current…”

Mitsuo stared at the radio, before tightening his grip on the wheel. “Do you have a cell phone?”

Koga nodded, and Mitsuo stared out ahead. “Call your sister and make sure she’s okay. You’re coming home with me.”

The teen blinked, and then gawked. “I- what?”

“I can’t drive my car down that far, and if it’s so flooded that a car could get swept away I’m not going to have the risk of you getting swept away as well.”

Sheesh, the guy really went all out for his students. Koga withdrew his phone from his pocket and dialed, waiting for his sister to pick up.

“Koga! Where are you?” His sister’s voice came through, and he sighed in relief.

“I’m in a car right now,” he explained. “I got some tutoring after school. Are you all right?”

“Yeah,” there was some commotion, and then his sister spoke again. “We’re damn lucky we live on the sixth floor.”

“Yeah. Hey, Sayuri? I’m not coming home; the news says that it’s too dangerous for cars and people to be outside. I’m going over to Mitsuo-sensei’s house.”

“A teacher?” She asked, and a few more bangs came from her end.

“Yeah, he’s a good guy.” Bang. Bang. Clatter. “Imari? What are you doing?”

“Cleaning~” Ah, right. His sister was a bit manic if a little bit of dust showed up. “Make sure you eat and get enough rest, okay? They say the flood should dry out in a few days. Probably by Sunday.”

Oh, wonderful. He was going to spend the weekend with his hot teacher. Mitsuo glanced over and smiled a bit apologetically, shrugging. Koga shook his head and waved his hand, before returning his attention to his sister.

“You be careful, okay Sayuri?” She assured him she would, and after exchanging ‘I love you’s he hung up. “Sorry about this…” He said, turning to Mitsuo, who shrugged as they pulled into a driveway that had about six inches of water moving over it.

“It’s not your fault, Takashiro-kun.” He said, reaching into the back to grab his briefcase. “Come on~”

They rushed into the house, trying to stay as dry as possible. Koga was already soaked, and Mitsuo had gotten drenched in the few seconds they were outside. Standing in the entry way and tugging off their shoes, Mitsuo started to pull off his layers.

“I can’t believe this weather,” he said, pulling off his sweater to reveal a white tank top beneath it. “Ridiculous!” He wrung out his shirt and glanced up at Koga with a smile. “Take off your clothes and I’ll get them in the dryer, ne?” He continued to strip and wring out his clothes, and Koga blushed lightly as he proceeded to do the same.

This is just great, he thought as he pulled off his uniform jacket and squeezed the water out of it. God must really, really hate me.

Before either of them got completely naked, Mitsuo reached into the linen closet and pulled out two fluffy robes. He pulled one over himself and tied it before slipping off his boxers, and Koga did the same. The teacher gathered the sopping wet clothes and hummed as he walked through the house and to the back.

“There’s hot cocoa mix in one of the cupboards~” He called from the washroom, and Koga took that as direction to make some warm drinks. He toed into the guest slippers and went into the kitchen, glancing around.

Mitsuo’s house was very… homey. It was warm and smelled good, and tidy as well. He must live by himself; there were no other signs of someone else living with him. Something in Koga was happy about that – why, he wasn’t quite sure.

Locating the cocoa mix, he followed the directions and brought out two white mugs from the cabinet and made the hot confection. Mitsuo returned a few moments later and smiled as Koga handed him the drink, sipping on it and humming in appreciation.

“I love cocoa,” he said, sitting down at the kitchen table. Koga followed and sat opposite of him, sipping his cautiously. “It’s the perfect medicine for an icky day, don’t you think?”

Koga nodded, “I haven’t had it since I was a little kid…”

Mitsuo smiled and opened his mouth to say something, but his sentence was cut off as the lights flickered and the power abruptly buzzed out. The light from the cloudy day barely provided any light inside, and Mitsuo sighed.

“I’ve been meaning to re-wire the place, but haven’t had time…” he stood up and moved into the kitchen again, opening and closing drawers. Koga set down his cup and stood as well, offering help. “Nah, I’ll just get a few candles.”

The click of a lighter was heard, and then the kitchen was bathed in light as Mitsuo held up a cup with a candle in it. He smiled lightly and set the candle on the table, and then turned to Koga.

“There are candles in every room; could you please go around and light them?” He held out the lighter to Koga, but the teen beat him to it as he moved to his bag to pull a lighter from a pocket.

At Mitsuo’s raised brow, Koga shrugged sheepishly. “I smoke occasionally…”

Mitsuo said nothing, and merely smiled lightly. “Handy. I’m going to the basement to grab some flashlights and a heater, okay?” He disappeared through a door and Koga moved through the rooms, lighting all of the candles he saw. He grabbed a few from each room as well, to bring them out to the living room where they’d most likely be for the remainder of the evening.

After he lit up the main room, Mitsuo came back into sight carrying a small heater and a large flashlight, smiling as he set them down in the living room.

“Ah, wonderful.” He amended, as he turned to a small fireplace. Grabbing the poker and prodding the contents a bit, he went to the stack of wood next to it and stocked the mouth, before lighting it. “Much better.” He stood once more and moved around, and Koga wondered if the man ever sat still. He always seemed to be doing something.

Pulling blankets from the linen closet, he handed one to Koga and set the other on the floor, before retrieving their cocoa.

“All right. This won’t be that bad,” he said, sitting on the floor and leaning his back against the couch, wrapping up in the blanket and bringing his knees to his chest.

Koga followed suit, only he crossed his legs as his eyes got drawn to the fireplace cackling in front of them. The warm light spread throughout the whole house, and the burning cedar mixed with the scented candles was a pleasant smell. Silence settled over them like a blanket of comfort, and Koga was glad that nothing was awkward. Mitsuo had handled the situation so calmly – Sayuri would have thrown a fit and caused more of a ruckus before anything got solved.

Glancing over at his teacher, Koga drank in all of his features. The warm glow of the fire warmed them up even more, his light-colored hair glowing and his doe eyes glittering. His skin had a golden shine about it, though Koga knew it was naturally pale. There was a slight flush on his cheeks, from what who knew, and Koga found his eyes traveling all over the man’s features.

“Takashiro-kun?”

Koga snapped out of it and blinked, his eyes finally focusing on the general picture. Mitsuo was still staring at the fire, and for that Koga was thankful.

“Hm?” The teen hummed to show he was paying attention and he sipped at his drink idly.

“Do you have a girlfriend?”

Brows knitting together in slight confusion, Koga shook his head. “No… I don’t.”

“If you did…” Mitsuo’s head tilted and he set the mug on the floor, resting his chin on his knees. “What would she be like?”

Blinking a few times, Koga relaxed against the couch as he looked up at the ceiling. “Well… funny, of course. Kind and considerate… it doesn’t matter if she’s pretty, but it’s a plus. She would smell nice… her smile would light up a room. Whenever she would come near I’d melt on the inside… and become a complete bumbling idiot.” He tilted his head, a small smile forming on his lips. “She’d have warm, inviting eyes and soft hair that smelled fresh, like flowers…” His eyes closed. “She’d be intelligent and able to relate to me, on any subject…” He trailed off finally, and then opened his eyes as he glanced at Mitsuo. “Why do you ask?”

Hugging his knees tighter to his chest, Mitsuo’s eyes hooded slightly at he looked at the fire.

“Would she have to try, in order to get your affection?” He asked softly, and Koga could barely hear the question with the blanket in front of Mitsuo’s mouth.

“Well… no, I think I’d be drawn to her right away. If she was the right girl, that is.”

“So…” Mitsuo’s head tilted. “If she wasn’t the right girl… but had those qualities, and tried, what would you do?”

Not quite knowing where Mitsuo was going with this, Koga answered as honestly as he could. “Well… I’d still be friends with her, if she allowed it. I’d appreciate the effort of her trying…”

“What if…” Mitsuo’s voice softened even further. “What if… you decided to ignore her completely, because she wasn’t what you were looking for?”

Koga bit his lip, “I don’t think I’d ever do that. She tried, and it’s worth at least being friends with her.”

Mitsuo turned to face Koga, a soft smile on his lips and his eyes glistening. “You’re a very good person, Takashiro-kun. Any girl would be lucky to have you.”

Blushing lightly, Koga returned his gaze to the fire to avoid looking at Mitsuo’s slightly sad face. Had he done that to a girl and now felt bad? Or maybe… because of Koga’s earlier hunch… maybe he’d done that to a boy?

“Why are you asking this, Mitsuo-sensei?” Koga finally asked, turning to face his teacher, who had returned his soft gaze to the fire.

“It hurts…” the elder said softly, his eyes drooping even more. Koga set his mug down on the floor and leaned towards his teacher some, wanting to comfort him. “It hurts when you try so hard… and he denies you so coldly…”

Ah, so it was a man. And it wasn’t Mitsuo who hurt him, he had hurt Mitsuo. The pieces clicked together, and Koga felt his chest constrict slightly. Mitsuo… trusted him enough to say these things? When it would be just as easy for Koga to announce to the whole school that their androgynous teacher was gay?

Leaning forward some more, he placed a careful arm around Mitsuo’s shoulders. They quaked slightly, and when he heard the small sob leave the man’s throat he tossed aside all reservations and pulled his teacher to his chest. Mitsuo clenched at the material of Koga’s robe and cried quietly, and all Koga could do was rub his back and rock the man slightly, trying his best to comfort him.

The darkness… seemed to bring out many things that wouldn’t ever be said in the light. It was a comfort, the darkness – a place where secrets could be told and swallowed up by the shadows.

Maybe that’s why Mitsuo chose this time to break down. All smiles at school, doing so much to keep his mind pre-occupied. Suddenly Koga had an urge to find the man that did this to Mitsuo, give him the what-for and then beat him into the pavement. Mitsuo was an amazing person, he didn’t deserve to be hurt so badly, be dejected so rudely.

“Taka…”

Koga blinked, shook out of his reverie when part of his name came out on a sob.

“Takashi…”

He pulled back as Mitsuo pulled away some and wiped at his eyes, hiccupping occasionally and sniffling.

“Takashiro… kun…” Mitsuo’s glossy honey eyes moved up to Koga’s, and a small, pitiful smile graced the man’s features. “I’m sorry… to dump this on you… but I c-couldn’t… keep it in any longer…”

“Shh,” Koga reached up to wipe a few tears from Mitsuo’s face, shaking his head. “Don’t worry about it. You needed to tell someone, right?”

“I… I knew…” Mitsuo hiccupped, a squeak that would have been cute in any other instance. “… that you were a good person… Takashiro-kun…”

“Koga,” the teen corrected, smiling softly. “Just… Koga.”

“Koga…” Swallowing and sniffling one last time, Mitsuo wiped his face and offered a true, genuine smile as he glanced up at Koga. “Thank you, Koga.”

What compelled him to do so, Koga would never know. But at that moment, with Mitsuo’s face blotchy with tears and some snot, the teen thought that his teacher was the most beautiful person in the world. And in that moment, his description of the perfect girl fit this man… as horribly cheesy as that sounded. With his hand still cupping Mitsuo’s cheek, he led the teacher forward slowly, and when their lips brushed lightly there was a small gasp from the elder.

Pushing forward a bit more, Koga pressed his lips more firmly against Mitsuo’s, feeling the warm softness beneath his own slightly chapped lips. The teacher was still clutching to his robe, and his grip slackened slightly. Tilting his head, Koga brushed his lips over Mitsuo’s gently, a tender caress, and nothing more. A sigh resounded from Mitsuo, and Koga pulled back slowly.

When his eyes focused on Mitsuo’s face, he felt a blush rise from his toes all the way to the tips of his ears. Dear Lord, he’d just kissed his teacher! What was he thinking!?

Mitsuo’s light eyes opened, a bit dazed, and he blushed and emitted a small squeal as he backed away.

“T-ta- Koga-kun…” He swallowed, and Koga glanced away with a bright red blush.

“I’m sorry,” he said quickly, biting his lip and running a hand through his hair. “I… I don’t know what came over me…”

A small giggle made him turn his head, and he blinked a bit stupidly as he saw Mitsuo in a small laughing fit, covering his mouth with a hand. It was good to see the man smile, really, but at his expense? Ugh. Koga glanced around a bit awkwardly, and Mitsuo waved a hand.

“Koga-kun,” he said softly, smiling brightly. “Don’t you know that it’s polite to ask first?”

Turning even brighter red, Koga coughed lightly and cleared his throat as Mitsuo scooted over to rest his head on the teenager’s shoulder.

“I’ll let it go, this time.” He said softly, his body warmth taking over as he shifted to make the two blankets cover them both comfortably. A yawn came after his sentence and he sighed, snuggling closer to Koga. “Thank you, again…”

Koga didn’t reply; he only swallowed the dryness in his throat as his teacher slumped against him, and shifted so that his arm wrapped around the svelte man once again. His head dropped back against the cushion as the sounds of the rain pelting the window and the fire crackling slowly lulled him into sleep, the teen’s mind whizzing with the events of the past eighteen hours.

--
A/N: This piece here was written back in April of 2007. I just stumbled across it and since my Alcoholics Anonymous Arc has been completed (for now), that I would pick this up and try my hand at it. It was originally an idea for a doujinshi that I wanted to create, a cute little yaoi manga, so that's why it seems kinda cheesy and whatnot. But uh. Yeah.

I'm stepping out of my box with this; it's less humorous than my usual writings and a bit more... adult? Somber? I dunno, haha.

Please leave a note and tell me what you think, and I'll start fixing up the second chapter right shortly.

♥
Camui