Disclaimer: I don't own Code Lyoko. Otherwise, I would so do this! But I don't, so I can't...

Pairing: OxU, UxO

Warnings: This is a SLASH fic. Which means a male/male relationship. As in, more than friends!

Title: Skipping Stones

Chapter: 1-1. One-shot.

Author's Note: Since I have officially warned everyone about the contents of this fic, I would appreciate NO FLAMES. Please. This is my first Odd and Ulrich fic. And I'm not sure if it's exactly great, but I'm proud of it for being my first. Please read and review.

The scanner doors opened and he stumbled out. Yumi was curled up in her scanner and he walked over to her, helping her up. "Are you alright/" he asked. Worry was evident in his tone and she smiled a little.

"I'm fine Ulrich. Really. I'm alright."

"I'm so glad Yumi. I thought I lost you. I thought..." he trailed off as he felt the others gather around to see if she was okay. "I love you Yumi," he whispered. She had smiled then. Smiled so beautifully. The perfect smile and he'd fallen in love with her then and there. All over again. And so he'd done the only sensible thing:

He had kissed her.

Ulrich sighed as he sat on the bridge that led to the factory. Street lights cast hazy reflections into the slowly moving water and a gentle breeze played lightly with his hair. It sent a shiver through his body but he didn't seem to notice. Instead he picked up another rock and threw it into the river below. Already the pile had diminished from the thirty-or-so he had picked up on his way here to somewhere around fifteen.

He stretched, looking up at the sky and started counting the stars. Trying to lose himself in the numbers. Trying to stuff away the memories, but they just kept coming back. With a vengeance. Each one more painful than the last.

When they'd broken apart he glanced around the room. Jeremie and Aelita were grinning and Odd grinned, going up and hitting him playfully on the shoulder. "It was about time. Man, I thought you two would never get together," he laughed, nudging them. They all joined in, laughing somewhat louder than what was needed.

"Thanks Odd, thanks," he replied. He glanced into his eyes and paused, smile slowly fading from his face.

"What? Is my hair coming down? Am I shrinking?" Odd asked, laughing. His eyes flickered away, then back. But it didn't matter, because in that previous second, Ulrich had seen all that he needed to. His eyes had held such a mixture of emotions, pain, fear, solitude, even...jealousy? Was he just hopeful? Looking for things that weren't there?

Wait...hopeful? Why would he be hopeful that Odd was jealous of him? Or Yumi?

"Look, I gotta get back and check on Kiwi. I'll catch you all later. See ya!" Odd called. He entered the elevator and hit the 'up' button. Ulrich glanced at Yumi, kissing her cheek, saying a rushed good bye, then got into the elevator with Odd before the door finished closing.

"Ulrich? What're you doing?"

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing Ulrich. Nothing." The doors opened and Odd turned, storming away before Ulrich got to say one more thing.

He sighed again, picking up a smooth rock and hurling it over the edge. It plunked softly as it hit the water and sank to the bottom, settling in with the other sixteen or so stones he'd already tossed in.

Soft footsteps echoed off the concrete and he looked up, smiling a little. "Hi."

"Hi. I um...got your message." Ulrich gestured for him to sit and he sat down, swinging his legs idly through the bars. The wind whistled softly around them and Ulrich sighed, arranging the pebbles into different geometric shapes.

Rectangle...

Diamond...

Square...

Circle...

Tria-

"You always do that when your nervous."

"What?" Ulrich sat up, looking over at his friend. "What do you mean?"

"You play around with things, fidget. I notice small things," he said, smiling a little. The gentle light provided by the stars and moon and the street lights farther away, softened his features. His hair appeared less spikey, clothes a deeper shade of purple, and his eyes glittered brightly.

"Really?" Ulrich laughed a bit. "Never noticed." He shrugged and then sighed.

"There's a reason you wanted to meet out here, this late at night, with no one else around. What is it Ulrich?"

"I think we need to talk Odd..." he trailed off at Odd's look and swallowed. "You've been avoiding me these past few months. Ever since...ever since we almost lost Yumi," he muttered.

Odd shrugged. "I've had a lot of work to do. It's not like you're my first priority or anything," he replied. He picked up a stone, disrupting the pentagram Ulrich had been making, and hurled it into the water.

"Odd...I broke up with Yumi today," he whispered quietly. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Odd glance at him in surprise.

"That...uh...that didn't last long," Odd said, trying to joke. His voice rose an octave and he looked around.

"No, it didn't," Ulrich agreed.

"I don't understand Ulrich...why? I thought...I thought we were happy together," Yumi whispered.

He looked away from her, searching the ground for answers before finally sighing and looked up and met her eyes. "I'm sorry Yumi," he whispered, taking her hand. "But...but I don't think I love you. I don't know...I think. I'm almost positive, that I... That I love someone else. I just, need time to sort out my feelings. I'm sorry Yumi."

She turned away, hiding her face behind her hair and he swallowed. "I've got to go Ulrich. I'll see...you later." She turned and slowly walked away and deep down he knew that she wanted him to stop her. But he...couldn't.

"Why'd you end it?" Odd asked, drawing Ulrich out of the memory. "I mean, you two seemed you know, really into each other..."

"I realized that I didn't love her. I don't know if I ever did. But I know that I don't now," Ulrich replied. He half turned, watching Odd. The blonde was sitting there, feet still, staring out at the shimmering water, then slowly letting his gaze travel across the town in front of them.

"How'd you realize that?" he asked. A tinge of hope entered his voice, but he refused to look over at Ulrich.

"I...found someone I...liked...better," he replied.

Odd turned, looking at him. "Really?" he asked softly.

"Yeah," Ulrich replied softly. His gaze fell to the concrete beneath them and he swallowed. Maybe this was a bad idea... he muttered silently. His fingers twitched and he rapidly began fiddling with the stones again.

Odd reached out, gently grabbing Ulrich's hand, stopping him again. "Do I know this person?" he asked. Forced lightness flowed through his question, eyes dancing, yet serious at the same time.

"Yeah," Ulrich replied. He turned his hand, lightly grasping entangling his fingers with Odd's. "You know him quite well," he whispered. He glanced up, catching Odd's shocked expression.

"I...I do?" Odd stammered.

"Yeah..." Ulrich murmured. He gave a small, nervous smile, fingers twitching a bit. "It's you."

Odd grinned and Ulrich gave a small smile. "Really?" he asked. Ulrich just smiled and leaned forward, kissing Odd gently.

"Really," he whispered when they broke away.

Author's Note: How was it? Please let me know!

Starr