[fic] untitled

[elydesia]

Title: untitled
Author: haruka (kiwa-chou) elydesia
Word count: 2,010 words
Rating: PG
Summery: He returns.

Late. He was late, again. How many times had I told him to arrive early? It always took us ten minutes to set up before class starts. How foolish of him!

Then the bell rang, and he walked into the science classroom. I stood quickly, nearly knocking down my chair. "You're late," I told him, and then this stupid grin slid its way onto his face.

"No, I'm not. I'm right on time." He glided into his seat and pulled out his mobile phone. "See? It's 11am, right on the dot."

I placed my hands on my hips. "We have a lab today. You're supposed to arrive early so we can prepare!" He chuckled. He wasn't paying me any attention; instead choosing to text on his phone. What was this guy thinking? How far was he willing to go just to prove he was a so-called badass? "And put that way. Class has started. Stand up, let's get to work."

 "Um, not yet." His voice was aloof and held hints of indifference. He continued to text someone. My eyes narrowed at his phone. I deliberated whether or not I should take it away.

From the hallway a sudden loud commotion made its way to our classroom. It caught George's attention and for an instant I was furious. He was more interested in aimless hallway chatter more than our biology lab? Our grades were important! They decided our future! I looked from the door to George and then back again, deciding to shut it. As I got closer to the door, I could hear more distinctly what the other students were saying:

"Who's that?"

"He's kind of cool looking..."

"It's the oldest Carrall!"

"Great to see you back in town!"

The mention of the oldest Carrall made me freeze in my tracks. The oldest? That could only mean...

My steps and hands gained had gained an uneasy quickness and I reached for the door, but just as I did so he arrived.

"Yo, Anna," he said, a huge grin on his face. My grip on the door tightened and I attempted to slam it in his face, but he placed his hand on it and kept the barrier I had hoped to place between us, open.

"Leave, Felix." My voice was low and my hands shook. I didn't want to see him. Not here, not in front of everyone. Not after...

"You don't have to be so unkind," he said and grabbed my shoulders. Before I could react, he pulled our faces together and his lips touched mine. I could feel the stares from my classmates and my cheeks grew hot.

I tried to push him away but his grip on me was firm.

Just as the teacher attempted to intervene, our kiss broke and I tried to shove him away. His grip was too firm on my upper arms. It actually began to hurt... "Mr Carrall, it's good to see you again after so long, but could you please refrain from--"

"Nope! My apologies, Mr Fitch! I have to steal the lovely Edwards away for a while." The teacher was speechless. He stared at us and scratched his bald head.

"Oh, no you're not!" I said and squirmed within his grasp.

He turned to his younger brother, who looked on with amusement. "Hey, George, thanks. Sorry about borrowing your lab partner."

George gave a salute with a wide grin. I glared at him. "George! You sold me out!"

"Let's go, Anna." Felix wrapped an arm around my waist and lifted me. I squirmed and fidgeted, but no matter how much I moved his grip was solid and unyielding. He was not going to let me go so easily, I realized.

"My father will hear about this! Your career will be over! You hear, Felix? Over!" In all the years I'd known Felix Carrall, there never seemed anything more important to him than his future career.

All his life, Felix wanted to be a famous detective. My father, who was chief of the city's police, was someone Felix immensely looked up to. Whenever the three Carrall brothers came over, Felix was never interested in playing. He was more interested in listening to my father's boring cop stories. Nevertheless, the the four of us had formed--what had seemed like--an unbreakable bond.

And then, a week before Felix's high school graduation, the information reached me via George. Felix was going to a special post-secondary academy for aspiring detectives after graduating, and it was my father who had set him up with the initial interview. I was heartbroken, for Felix was someone who I had thought would always be by my side. He was someone I had grown to love, ore than a brother

But that was three years ago, and many things had changed. The feeling of betrayal had disappeared a long time ago, instead being replaced with the determination to surpass him. With Felix's departure, my mind was made up: I would become a forensic scientist. Without me, Felix could not do his job completely. I had decided I would become someone Felix could not operate with.

Felix's grip tightened. I was surprised. He had ignored my words. I had clearly stated his career was at stake, and he had dismissed it without hesitation.

He threw me into a running convertible and handcuffed me to the car door. I stared down at it with uneasiness. "What is the meaning of this, Felix!" He once again ignored my words and hopped in. He put the car in drive, skillfully maneuvered out of the complex school parking lot, and sped down the road.

I yelled at him. I threatened him. I tried to get out of the handcuffs but they were too eager to follow their owner. I was so angry, and frightened, too. What was he thinking? I stared at him, his face devoid of emotion. It looked as if he didn't have a care in the world, and yet his eyes were fixed on one destination in particular. Where was he taking me?

After a long drive without stopping, we reached the ocean. I wondered what was going on back at school. I wondered what George and Philip were doing to smooth the scene over. I wondered, with the most intense curiosity, what Felix was thinking.

Earlier, he had kissed me. He had clearly stated to the Mr Fitch he would be taking me... and Fitch had done nothing! I scowled into the dashboard. What was with that school? It wasn't the first time a teacher stood by and did nothing as their students fooled around.

"Anna." His voice was calm. There was nothing dark or stern about his words. I looked up from the dashboard to his face. His gaze was focused far out into the ocean's turbulent waves. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

That's the kind of thing he wanted to say? Was that whole scene just so we could catch up? "Yeah, it has. I'm surprised you came back," I scoffed. I sharped my gaze into a glare, but it dulled when his eyes met mine. From him I felt ease, calmness... but at the same time, immense regret.

"They told you nothing. That's good." He smiled and the sudden brightness shone in his eyes. He was relieved? What was going on? There was nothing to be relieved about here.

"Felix, what are you talking about?" I set my free hand on my hip. "If you had something to say, it could have waited until school was over. Your behavior was completely inappropriate."

"I'm sorry." His reply was curt and I could tell he meant it, but there was no realremorsefor his actions. He might have been apologetic for disrupting class, but he felt no such thing for my kidnapping.

"You're sorry?" I nearly laughed. "You're sorry! Ha ha! The career-nut is sorry!" I couldn't stop now. My words were broken up. I would understand if he could not understand my words. "He runs away all of a sudden after graduation, to the academy of his dreams! Without parent consent, without notice! He was given the chance of a lifetime, a recommendation from the chief of police! Isn't that wonderful! Such an honor, right? Such an honor." My words became slurred as my face grew hot. A burning sensation bit at the back of my eyes but I fought against it. My chuckles became tearless sobs.

I could not stop my words. Instead of a waterfall of girly tears came a mountain of words.

"Felix, how could you  just leave like that? You knew how I felt about you. You knew! That was the worst part!" I paused to look at his face. Partway through my screams my eyes had wavered and shifted away from his own, but now that mine were locked with his they feared looking away. "You ignored me. I would have understood your choice if you had told me. I know how important being a detective is to you. But you never came to me. You never even visited me after you had left..." I could not fight the tears anymore and at last they broke free from their hidden chambers. "I... I... Felix..."

His face, which had looked nearly offended, softened. A slight smile graced his lips, the same ones my own had touched hours earlier; the same ones he had forced on me. And with those lips, he spoke, "I'm sorry." This time, I could feel the regret; I could hear the remorse and genuine concern within his words.

He rested a gentle hand on my head and petted me. I began to wail. I felt like a little kid. It was like so many years ago, when Felix would come and cheer me up if I was upset, like my own personal knight. He would force me to take a seat, and then he would pat my head, and he would tell me, "Everything is going to be all right."

"Felix..." I pleaded with my eyes. "T-take off the handcuffs... I p-promise I won't run awa-away!" With gentle eyes and a gentle touch, he leaned over and unlocked the handcuffs.

"Anna..." I didn't let him finish. I had waited too long...

I threw my arms around him and cried into his shirt. "I missed you, Felix! I missed you so much... please don't leave again. Please don't!" I felt his body tense. My grip tightened, and I could feel his hesitation before he wrapped his arms around my body. His arms were trembling, as if he were afraid he'd break me. I sniffled and nuzzled myself into the hollow of his neck. His scent had not changed. It was the same; he was the same.

"I missed you, too, Anna. I never intended to run away." His grip suddenly tightened. "After your confession, that day... I didn't know how I felt, and I was too embarrassed to face you. At that time, I was not a man. As if I could have been anything good for you. But, I knew you would wait. And I knew your father would not let anyone come near you." He chuckled. "I knew, and I trusted you to not fall in love with anyone else." He pulled away for an instant to get a good look of my face. I felt it redden. "Was I right? Do you still love me, Anna?"

The corners of my lips pulled down but I laughed. "Ha! Of course, I do." And his grin returned, the one from childhood.

"I do love you, Anna. I promise I'll protect you."

"Thank you. I'm glad you're back. I love you, too." And he kissed me, then.

...

The day was still bright, the ocean seemed endless, and time seemed infinite. I never wanted to return to class, but my determination to surpass him was still there. Right next to the love. We were competitors in the competition of life, and there was no way I was letting him get the upper hand.