[Multi-chapter] Change (3/??)
Title: Change
Authors: syunikiss1990
Bet: andreja1989 ArigaPYON~!
Pairing: SakurAiba, Aimiya (friendship), Yama (friendship), Junba (friendship)
Genre: AU, Romance, Drama, School
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: They are not ours, they belong to themselves...
*MASTERPOST*
"Masaki, where the hell were you during lunch?!" Nino asked annoyed when his friend sneaked back into the classroom. For a short moment Aiba froze but then he smiled.
"So you finally noticed."
"What do you mean you finally noticed? And why are you avoiding my question?" Aiba laughed softly, never able to take his smaller friend serious when he was mad like this. He just looked so funny when he was mad.
"I haven't been around for lunch for almost two weeks. You were totally caught up in your new game so I made a game of my own: see how long it takes for Nino-chan to finally notice I'm not around." The face his friend made was truly comical, making him laugh even louder.
"What? You were... What?"
"Don't worry Nino, I'll forgive you if you forgive me for sneaking away." His friend didn't have time to reply as their teacher entered the room and everyone turned silent. Aiba was grateful for him showing up as he hated lying to his friend. He didn't even really know why he wasn't telling Nino the truth about where he went during lunch this passed two weeks. His friend probably wouldn't be happy if he knew, especially not after his warning about Sakurai, but Aiba just had to find out by himself if this boy was as bad as everyone described him. He turned out to be not as bad as everyone was saying or at least Aiba thought he wasn't. Sure, the older student yelled at him every time he showed up and walked away, but underneath it Aiba could sense something else. Maybe it was just his colored opinion because he started to like the boy but to him it felt like Sakurai was putting up a facade to keep everyone away. If he would only know why the older boy kept it up he might be able to break through it. He might become friends or maybe even...
"Aiba-kun, could you read the next sentence please?" His teacher's voice disturbed his thoughts, pulling him back to the classroom. His cheeks turned brightly red as the attention of the whole class was on him.
"Aiba-kun, pay attention. Page 36, third line." Stuttering he started to read the sentence, pushing his thoughts about the older student away for the rest of the class.
***
Sakurai was nowhere to be found in the beginning of the next week and Masaki wondered if something had happened. Maybe he was just sick but what if he got into a fight again and got more than only a few bruises after? He had done some research during the previous week as his daily visits to the older student in the gym hadn't gotten him any information. The only slightly reasonable thing he had heard about Sakurai was that the older boy was involved in a lot of fights in school. He had seen the fight wounds on his body and he had heard the doctors warning which made clear it was not the first visit Sakurai had paid to Ohno. Now, after Sakurai mysteriously appeared again without any signs of sickness of a recent fight. The rumor that the student always disappeared without a reason for a day to even a week seemed true as well. On the other hand, he could hardly call that a rumor as it appeared to be true. The only rumor side about it would be why and where Sakurai disappeared for those days as there were many different theories about it.
"Why do you care so much?" He softly muttered to himself, using the same words Sakurai had used to him during lunch today. He didn't really know why, he only knew there was something about Sho that pulled him towards the older student. Masaki liked being around the other boy, even when all he did was either yell or ignore him. Thoughts spooked through his head as his feet led him to the training field. Running always cleared his mind and even though he still wasn't allowed to run for too long (Ohno had told him to slowly build up his training schedule to make sure his ankle could slowly adjust) he wanted to run for just a while.
He was pulled out of his thoughts when he heard some angry voices coming from not too far away. He didn't recognize them but he could hear that the one they were yelling against was in big trouble. Torn between going towards where the voices came from or just ignore it which was probably better for his own safety, he stopped walking completely. Until one of the voices yelled something about revenge and added a name loudly and angrily at the end of his sentence. Without thinking twice he dashed towards the direction the voices came from, revealing four figures around the corner of the building. Two of them were holding an annoyed looking Sakurai against the wall, the last, big and strong looking student standing in front of the trio. His fist landed on their captives face and Aiba didn't need to hear the smack that followed to know that the hit was hard. Not sure what he had to do, he froze again, looking around if there might be someone around who could help him. When he didn't see anyone and when he saw Sakurai being pushed to the ground and feet started to kick him everywhere they could reach, he ran towards them.
"Hey stop that!" He yelled loudly. To his surprise the bullies did stop and turned around with surprise written all over their face. Now that he was close Aiba recognized two of them from the football team and by the looks on their faces they recognized him as well.
"What do you want?" The biggest student, and apparently the one in charge, asked.
"I want you to leave him alone. I don't know what happened but whatever it is he doesn't deserve to be hit like this. Nobody does." The tallest boy smirked and walked closer to Aiba, looking down on him.
"And why would you care? Huh?! I would just walk away if I were you before we beat up your pretty face as well." He was pulled back a little by one of the other two who whispered something in his ear. The eyes of the bully widened as he looked at Aiba, his face paling a little. He turned towards his other friend who nodded before turning towards Sakurai who was still on the ground.
"Looks like you are lucky today scumbag." He spitted towards Sakurai, missing his face by just an inch before he turned back to Aiba and smirked. "Alright we will leave but I wouldn't get involved with this guy too much. You might get hurt by someone who isn't as smart as us." Aiba crooked his eyebrow but didn't say anything. He watched the three bullies leave in silence before turning his attention to Sakurai. The older student was slowly crawling up on his feet again, wiping the blood out of the corner of his mouth. Quickly Aiba walked over to him, trying to help him but he got pushed away.
"Go away. I don't need your help or your pity. I told you many times before, leave me alone!"
"A simple thank you would fit the situation better you know." Aiba said, refusing to be pushed away.
"I don't remember asking you for help so I see no need to thank you for what you did. Especially not when you are so goddamn annoying and not listening to anything I say at all. Now if you would be so kind to let me go, I want to go home already." Masaki grabbed the other boy's arm quickly before he could get away.
"I'll take you to Ohno-sensei's office, you need to get those wounds disinfected." Sakurai pulled himself free and looked at him with fire burning in his eyes.
"You can not tell me what to do! I can take care of myself."
"I'm sure you can, but for now you are going to the doctor. Period." He grabbed Sakurai's arm again and pulled him towards the big school building. He could hear the boy behind him mutter some things on the way but didn't pay much attention to it. To his surprise Sakurai didn't pull himself free anymore. In fact, he didn't put up much resistance at all. Masaki couldn't stop the small smile that formed on his lips, wondering if this might be a first small step to become friends with the older boy. When they reached the doctor's office he knocked and opened the door when he heard a soft 'enter' on the other side. The surprise on the doctors' face was almost hilarious as Masaki pulled Sho inside and pushed him on the bed of the doctor.
"What happened?" Ohno asked confused, looking from Sho to Masaki and back. When Sho didn't look like he would explain anything Masaki sighed.
"I saw Sakurai-kun getting beaten by three other guys but they had already done this much damage by the time I was there. Can you please treat his wounds?"
"Don't make it sound like you performed some super heroic action. I didn't ask for your help, I could have handled it myself."
"You weren't even defending yourself! Why is it so hard for you to accept help?" Before Sho could say something back Ohno interrupted the two of them.
"Stop it you two. If you want to quarrel you can do it somewhere else, not in my office." Sho looked at Masaki with annoyance written all over his face, ignoring the doctor's words.
"You are going to stay?" Masaki folded his arms in front of his chest.
"Until you can at least say thank you."
"I didn't ask for your help!"
"You are right, you didn't but that is no reason to treat me like this! I am not your enemy!" Was it just his imagination or did he see a flash of surprise mixed with some other emotion he couldn't really define in Sho's eyes?
"Just leave me alone already! Why can't you just let me be, I don't need your pity or your help! Leave. Me. Alone!" Before Masaki could even think of a reply Ohno interrupted them again with a soothing voice.
"Aiba-kun, I know this is rude to ask, especially when you took care of bringing Sakurai-kun here, but can you please leave? I need to treat his wounds and if you two keep fighting while I try to do my work I'll get too distracted." Aiba sighed and nodded understandingly. It would only get worse if he would stay here, it was pretty clear that Sakurai didn't want him around. His tiny spark of hope of having a first step in creating a friendship with this boy was crushed. As he closed the door of the doctor's office behind him he sighed deeply, his eyes saddening as he shook his head and walked away.