So. It's been a while. School and stuff. Though it's also because I've lost interest in writing for anything really (I'm not a writer, I'm an artist *3*).

As a warning, I'll just say I might never write this story to the end, but thanks for reading anyway.

Also another warning, this chapter is not part of "A year later" but of another KanaYuuki AU I struggled to write last year called "Across the Window." This was when I was still trying to write stuff but was losing interest over time, and ended up dropping a lot of unfinished stories. Even this one is unfinished, haha.

Sorry if you wanted a new chapter. You get a completely unrelated old story.

1

Their first encounter is on a hot summer day, windows open to let in some cool relief.

Kaname wakes up to victory music. Outside his window, his new neighbor is playing video games, languidly relaxing in the last few days of freedom. The volume is obnoxiously high at 11 in the evening and Kaname is so mad he forgets to even grab his glasses on the way.

He confronts the boy across from his window, and even without clear vision, he can tell he is pretty. That doesn't matter at the moment. He hopes his squint looks like a glare.

The boy doesn't even acknowledge his presence. This, by the way, makes Kaname even angrier. He stares at the somewhat illuminated space between the houses, wishing he can close the space between them so he can strangle his pretty neck.

While Kaname fumes quietly, the boy across looks at him from the corner of his eye. He's noticed him the whole time, too busy (lazy) to make some sort of sign that he has.

The boy across from him is cute. His messed up hair and troubled face, nose scrunching in unvoiced anger. He takes it all in stride too, knowing this neighbor's frustration is directed at him. Maybe he'll get to know him. Later. But at the moment, he's busy saving the world.

Kaname finally goes back to bed when he thinks he's nagged the other boy's ear off. It didn't do much damage, seeing as he can still hear the music streaming through the window space he left open. Status effect in play, sleep does not come as easily. He'll defeat this enemy one day.

Yuuki just thinks that was quite an introduction.

2
The next time Kaname sees him, he has a mirror image walking next to him on the way to school. This might not go well, he thinks, but catches up to them anyway.
They hear him at the same time and turn. Kaname isn't surprised at how similar they look, despite the fact that he's never met twins before today.
"You. Names." They aren't even stunned at his bluntness.
"Yuuta, Yuuki." They point to the opposite brother, faces annoyingly blank, trying to get a rise out of him.
He scrutinizes both carefully, looking much like an antagonist pushing his glared glasses up. He chooses one and pulls him ahead on the path.
Yuuki watches them chat. Well, mostly Kaname, while Yuuta nods like a prince. They both look so similar; it's obvious they would be mistaken once in a while. Yuuki laughs inwardly, imagining Yuuta's confusion.
But when his brother comes back, there is none. He just looks slightly pleased and humored.
"He said to take better care of my brother, if he's so lonely he plays late into the night." If it was anyone else they might have thrown their head back in laughter. Yuuki follows Kaname's back with his eyes until he turns a corner. Looking back to Yuuta, there is a slight smirk in his brother's eyes.
"I think he's taken a liking to you."
Yuuki pushes him, and they walk in amiable silence.

3

"Hey did you see those new twin boys? So hot."
"Kyaaa! I know! Should I go talk to them?"
"I wanna come! But I don't wanna call them both Asaba-kun..."
There's something in the air, Kaname thinks. I mean, what kind of person would fall in love with those emotionless bricks? Sure they're attractive, but maybe if they had more personality, I wouldn't mind...
"Kaname?" Shun appears beside him, long hair and all. He kind of reminds Kaname of flowers drinking up the sun after long bouts of rain. In short, very girly things.
Shun's face softens. "You were mumbling to yourself." Damn it.
Kaname rubs his face sullenly. If there's one thing he can't stand on the first day of school, it's fangirls crowding the hallways to sneak peeks at the new kids.
"You see the crowds, Shun?"
"Erm, yes. Everyone wants to talk to Yuuta and Yuuki Asaba."
"What do you think of them?"
"Oh Kaname, you dislike them already."
"Not gonna deny it."
"Maybe if you got to know them-"
"Wait. Shun, have you fallen in love too?"
Shun's cheeks color. "No, but Yuuta-kun is very kind. I tripped around all those people and he picked me up."
"So you were already swept you off your feet, huh?"
"Noooo..."

4

Kaname is almost out of the school courtyard when he is intercepted by Shun.
Damn. So close. The twins trail behind Shun silently. He glares at them for a moment before looking back at the pink-haired boy.
"What do you want Shun?"
The boy takes a moment to gather his courage.
"W-well, since Yuuta and Yuuki are new around here, I asked if they wanted to go someplace. S-so we, um, decided to go to the aquarium."
"And you are telling me this because...?"
Shun puts on his most determined face.
"Please come with us!" Behind him, the twins stare relentlessly. Kaname suppresses a flinch.
His first thought is to walk away and pretend Shun never asked. Then he realizes he has no clue what kind of characters the twins are. What if they bully Shun and call him names? Shun's mother would never forgive him! Heck, Kaname's own mother and every mother that knows Shun would never forgive him!
"Fine."

5

"You have a really lecherous look on your face right now." Yuuki waves a hand over Yuuta's eyes. His brother raises an eyebrow.
"Do I?" The blank face turnes into a hint of a questioning look.
"Yeah, it's really creepy. What if Shun notices?"
"...Is that a threat?"
"I didn't say it was."
Up ahead, Kaname lists the many reasons on why Those Twins are Dangerous. Shun only nods politely in return.

6

The aquarium is washed in a serene deep-sea blue. The lack of people, considering it is a weekday after school hours, contributes to the silent calmness. The few inhabitants even sense this blanketed stop in movement. One couple sit on a bench, shoulders brushing, almost unmoving, just enjoying the other's presence.
Kaname almost wishes the twins would stomp around to disturb this, give him something to complain about. But when he looks back, they, too, are coloured in azure brilliance. His gaze is always attracted to Yuuki, the obvious troublemaker, but the boy only stands out more in his ennui.
They are like otherworldly princes: they don't belong at all, but the change in scenery only serves to make their existence grow brighter by the minute.

7

Somehow, they get separated. Kaname doesn't mind, as long as Shun's fine and those twins aren't making any trouble that might get him kicked out.
He stares into the blue, blue glass, watching a pretty fish he can't name float delicately. Beside him, a finger traces the transparent wall, almost despairingly.
"Don't you wish you could live like this?" The finger taps once.
"I don't understand." And really, he doesn't.
"To just simply live your entire life. Always swimming without a care in the world."
Kaname turns to look at him, really look at him. Yuuki's close enough to the glass that the light reflected writes patterns on his skin. Kaname's breath locks deep in his throat. Something flutters in his insides and maybe he regrets looking away.
The fish languidly darts away.

8

In a month, school already feels like a weight on the shoulders. Kaname works himself tirelessly, because each mark is important, each ace contributes to his successful future. He does not permit himself any all-nighters he often hears about from his fellow classmates. Such behaviour will lead to their eventual downfall.
Yet, there are some moments that Kaname will never admit to.
On the rooftop, eating lunch with his- as uncomfortable as it makes him thinking it- friends. Petty conversation that he'd rather not partake in but is included in anyway.
The little things that would irritate him somehow become the things he looks forward to the most.
And it's these things that relieve the weight, just a tiny bit.
"Kaname, you're smiling a lot nowadays."
"Sometimes it's kinda creepy."
"Shut up, Yuuki."