YAN-PARA au master post

[earthflames]

WHAT IT SAYS ON THE BOX.

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[weddingcupcake]

[Noooo you won't.

Tomorrow, Tokiomi will fake sick for the first time in his life. It's not that hard to do. He's so well-behaved that his parents don't even suspect he'd ever lie to them like that.

But he can't keep doing that. He can't let someone like Cyrus get between him and his own goals and reputation, so the next day he goes to school as planned. He's more withdrawn than usual, but he's determined not to draw the attention of the teachers or let anything abnormal happen.]

[blinged]

[...unfortunately for Tokiomi, even when he lies low, his absence was duly noted - and oh, Cyrus had time to meditate on this rare absence.

He allows Tokiomi peace and quiet for most of the day, but by the time classes end, he drapes an arm over Tokiomi's shoulder to announce his presence]

Hey, I missed you yesterday.

[weddingcupcake]

[The invasion of personal space is a surprise, and it makes him jump. The fact that it's Cyrus makes him pale, and he shrinks in on himself a bit to escape that arm.]

I wasn't feeling well.

[blinged]

Because of me, right?

[weddingcupcake]

What does it matter to you?

[blinged]

I'm curious and I have a captive audience!

[weddingcupcake]

Will you leave me alone if I'm honest with you?

[blinged]

It would be unwise to guarantee anything - but if I'm satisfied, I might.

[weddingcupcake]

Fine. I had a bad day because of you, so I got a stomach ache. Now go away.

[blinged]

Ah, as I thought - you realize all this could be solved if you simply were better at tolerating me.

[weddingcupcake]

I don't want to tolerate you. I want to have nothing to do with you.

[blinged]

Just because of one bad habit of mine.... how intolerant!

[weddingcupcake]

It's because you've been bothering me.

[blinged]

Ah, I see!

...say, if I said I'd leave you alone for a price, what would you do?

[weddingcupcake]

It depends on the price...

[that's very suspicious!]

[blinged]

You should know of my demands by now.

[weddingcupcake]

No.

[He is pretty sure he can handle the harassment in that case. It can't be that bad...]

[blinged]

Well, if you're certain. You should know by now that I don't take kindly to being denied - are you certain you still want to do that to me?

[weddingcupcake]

I don't take kindly to being manipulated. We'll see who lasts longer.

[For now he plans to be stubborn until Cyrus gets bored.]

[blinged]

Oh, so you're looking for some sport, then! Very well.

[weddingcupcake]

[No, he's looking for you to go away! But of course Cyrus isn't going to listen, so he just runs off again.]

[blinged]

[That's fine - at this point Cyrus doesn't expect much else from Tokiomi. In fact, he even makes himself scarce for a few days, going about his business the way he did before he decided to toy with Tokiomi.

Then the notes begin to appear - and while they begin as completely innocent confessions, the sexual innuendo begins to sneak in, and the worst part of it is rumors are staring to go around. People will whisper and speculate, naturally, an sometimes Cyrus carefully, purposefully takes a moment to look up from the girls he likes to surround himself with and give Tokiomi a knowing sort of grin.]

[weddingcupcake]

[Little rumors do a lot. For someone as uptight as Tokiomi, it feels like having the world he's carefully crafted for himself chipped at ruthlessly, pulled to bits right out of his arms.

Being stared at is hard. Being laughed at harder. The assumptions that go with the rumors are quick to go beyond their starting points, and soon enough he finds people he doesn't even know making the kinds of faces and gestures at him that he generally considers rude to make in public.

It's all behind the teachers' backs, of course. But classroom bullying is quick to spiral -- after a few weeks he's feeling both humiliated, frustrated, and scared. A hand where it doesn't belong in the hallway is the last straw, and he finally finds himself marching up to Cyrus after school feeling closer to violence than he ever has been.]

Stop.

[blinged]

Stop? But I thought you liked being left alone!

[His feigned innocence is paper thin - things panned out just as he wanted, and he has no reason to keep up much of a front anymore]

Could it be you've missed me?

[weddingcupcake]

You know what I mean!

[He's more than a little desperate, and it's making his pretensions dissolve.]