Shiro & Clarice and Shiro & Alex, Thursday afternoon

[x-sanfuaiyaa.livejournal.com]

Shiro and Clarice have a talk. Not just any talk, A Very Important Talk. A Talk that involves anxiety and loud voices, and ends in property damage. But in a good way.


It looked like a settled snow globe around Xavier's School. Everything was covered in a layer on fluffy white snow. Except for one spot underneath an oak tree by the frozen lake, where the snow had melted and revealed dead grass and mud. Sitting on the ground was Shiro, legs crossed and eyes closed, surrounded by his golden aura that signified he was using his powers. He was still trying to master that fireball technique he'd discovered in December, but so far had made little progress. He was half-tempted to go inside and grab Alex to help, but decided against it, because Alex was a crutch he didn't require.

Clarice saw Shiro outside and headed out to see him. It seemed like he'd been avoiding her since the dance, even though she knew he'd had a good time. So maybe it was her. Either way, she needed to know. "Hey."

Shiro heard the snow crunching underneath someone's feet but ignored it, keeping his concentration on the task at hand. When he heard the voice address him, he opened one eye and upon seeing Clarice, opened the other one too. "Hi." Had she come out here to talk to him? Or was she just wandering and happened to find him? And which answer did he like more?

"What's up?" she asked trying to sound casual, standing over him. She was not about to go sit in the snow, even if she was bundled up like an Eskimo
.
"The sun?" Shiro answered lamely. Yeah, smooth one, baka. "Anoo, I could melt the snow for you if you would like to sit down."

Nodding in agreement, she sat down on the wet ground Indian-style and picked lint at her leg-warmer. "Are you avoiding me or what?" she asked bluntly, not sure what she wanted to hear the answer. "I mean, I thought we had fun at the dance and it was good and I thought maybe but I guess I'm wrong? I don't know..." she babbled, preventing him from answering.

His aura flared at the unexpected question, and Shiro didn't answer until he'd calmed it down to a faint glow, just enough to keep him warm. "I did have fun. I am not avoiding you." Aren't you? he silently asked himself.

Rolling her eyes, she fidgeted angrily, "Then why are you avoiding the fencing hall? You keep going when you know I'm in the medlab - I saw you!" she tried to shake her finger at him, but was prevented by her mittens. It was almost comical if she hadn't been so serious.

The Purple Pixie was angry. So not good. "I need to be alone," he replied slowly, pulling an excuse out of thin air. "The stances and techniques I am reviewing now are difficult, and . . ." No, Shiro never was very good at outright lying.

"Bull fucking shit, Shiro," Clarice stood, ready to leave, "I saw you do the same damn katas you always do! I'm a teleporter, remember? In and out before you knew it! If you're mad at me, just fucking tell me!"

Shiro got to his feet and considered approaching her to physically stop her from leaving, but she was pissed and getting too close could be hazardous for his health. Why was she so angry about this anyway? Was she . . . "Oh. Clarice, I-I am sorry. I am not angry, I am just . . ." Afraid? Nervous? Petrified? Stupid.

She looked at him expectantly, arms crossed over her chest. She was not about to make this easier on him. Yes or no.

What he wouldn't give for another demon invasion or for Magneto to suddenly declare open war. But alas, for once it seemed that the universe wasn't conspiring against all mutants, just Shiro Yoshida. "We are friends, Clarice, and I like you, maybe a little more than that. I just have no idea what to do or say in this situation."

Clarice visibly relaxed, he didn't hate her. And he even liked her more than a friend. Exercising an enormous amount of restraint, at least for her, she stepped forward slightly and kissed him.

The tree behind Shiro burst into flames. Ignoring that but keeping a check on the energy inside him, he tentatively returned the kiss. "Sugoi," he breathed.

Giggling slightly she stepped back, "Uh huh," she agreed, "'cept Mr. Marko might get upset if you set the school on fire."

"Um, yeah. We might want to find somebody to take care of that." He scratched the back of his neck nervously, in true anime young male fashion. "So, etto, would you like to go out sometime? Uh, Saturday night, if you do not have plans already?"

"Saturday would be very good," Clarice nodded, trying not to bounce or jump Shiro and hug him. This was an every day occurrence after all, at least for some people, "I ah....fire. Be right back!" she teleported off, bringing a glaring John back with her.



And set not too long after, Shiro seeks out some reassurance from Alex, but instead gets laughed at. Which is, of course, what best friends are for.


Shiro wasn't entirely coherent when he went to the suite Alex shared with Lorna and knocked on the door. His mind was still floating in Another Place, a purple place full of glitter.

Yawning, Alex groaned as he stood up from the couch, where he'd fallen asleep watching a movie. Lorna was out, training or something, and without class work...he was bored. He opened the door and grinned when he saw who it was. "Hey dude, what's up?"

"I made a tree burst into flames this afternoon," he said, entering the room. "Clarice and I kissed and then boom!"

Alex really really couldn't help it, he burst out laughing, suddenly very awake. "Shiro, that's awesome! Dude, I so told you so!" He flopped back down on the couch, patting the spot next to him. "Dude, spill, details, now!"

Shiro realized that he was smiling bashfully, and took the seat next to Alex. "You are such a girl, asking for 'details' like that." He shrugged. "She approached me about why we have not said much since Saturday, then I told her that I like her, and then she kissed me. And then came the fire."

"Literal fireworks...!" He really couldn't help his grin, he was so happy for Shiro. "Hey, best friend privileges here! I want to here all the details, especially since I told you you had nothing to worry about. Now you see that Clarice doesn't bite." Alex gave Shiro a playful wink.

"Now I have no idea what it is that I ought to do. We are going out on Saturday. What is a good first date?"

Alex couldn't help but think about how 'cute' the whole situation was. Then he shook his head and decided to stop thinking like Lorna. "Dinner and movies are always a safe bet. Anything out you think Clarice would like? Oh! There's that Hide and Seek movie, can't go wrong with something scary!"

Shiro felt very out of place. "Isn't the point of scary movies to get your date to whimper and cling to oh." He nodded knowingly. "I see."

Alex grinned. "You’re learning, padawan. And dinner shouldn't be anything to fancy, just go somewhere fun."

"How are we going to get there, though? I do not drive. She does, but if I am taking her out, then I should be the one to get us there." Shiro bit his lip as he thought. "Maybe I could fly us there?"

"Dude, after all the FOH stuff going on, I really wouldn't, plus you might get her clothes sooty and you know how much Clarice loves her clothes." Alex thought for a moment, then smirked at Shiro. "You know...I bet I could convince Scott to let us use one of the sports cars...and I bet I could convince Lorna to go out on a Saturday..."

Shiro raised his eyebrows, a doubtful expression on his face. The last thing he needed was for Lorna and Alex to tease them as they drove him and Clarice on their first date. And besides, being chauffeured in anything less than a limo was far from romantic. "Or maybe we should just teleport. It is her power, but that mode of transport is not as emasculating as having her drive."

Rolling his eyes, Alex put a hand on Shiro's shoulder. "Dude, if you want, I'll drive you, by myself and I'll behave. I know how important this is too you."

Shiro sighed and fell back, taking one of the throw pillows and placing it firmly over his face. "This has to go well. Extremely well, at that. No fucking up."

Alex couldn't help the giggle. "You will be fine! Why are you so unsure about this? It's obvious Clarice likes you, a lot!"

"Because Bushido does not cover how to date young, purple, American girls." Shiro threw the pillow off and shot up, eyes widening. "Kuso, what if someone confronts us because of her mutation? I would not just let it go, and I would defend her honor. But what if it escalates . . ."

"Dude, calm down!" Alex shook his head. "I wouldn't be worried too much about that. Just don't flaunt your mutations and you should be fine. Most people are accepting of us...just those few exceptions to make our lives hell..." His voice grew darker as he remembered the talk about the coffeehouse. "The most important thing is you too have fun and are sickeningly cute."

"I am not cute," Shiro insisted, his thoughts still on the possibility of mutantphobes ruining his first date in at least two years. "Do not worry, we will not be stealing the title you and Lorna share with Doug and Marie-Ange, and Jamie and Kitty."

"You know what I meant. Worry about Clarice and not those idiots. Plus, if I drive, I won't be that far away if you guys need any help." He gave Shiro a firm a look to show he was serious. "I help you anyway I can dude, you know that."

"I know," Shiro muttered before falling back down (sans pillow because it was on the floor and too far away from him). "You should have seen her when she came outside. She was so angry. Remind me never to piss her off."

"Why was she pissed off?"

"Because I had been avoiding her since Saturday. I was, you know, frrd," he mumbled.

Alex blinked, trying very hard to suppress a giggle. "Shiro, I swear I thought you just said you were afraid of her...that is what you said, isn't it?"

"Not of her!" Shiro protested. "I was afraid of the prospect of having the conversation we had. I still did not know what she felt."

"You were afraid of a conversation that ended with you two kissing and having plans for a date on Saturday?" Alex raised an eyebrow, grinning. "I'm sorry, but that's pathetic..."

"No, I was afraid of the opposite outcome, of telling her that I am interested and her rebuffing me."

"But what was the point of being afraid of something that might not happen? Doesn't sound like you, that's for sure."

"If Clarice was a big purple monster trying to eat people, or a band of glitter-ninjas attacking the school, then I would not have been afraid. Girls and monsters ought to be handled differently. Or so I am told," he joked (at least he hoped it was).

Alex noticed the attempted joke on his friend’s part and smiled. "Usually it helps to treat them differently, but there's nothing to be afraid of. Really."

"~I am way out of my league~," he mumbled in Japanese as he got back up. "I have to go finish up my homework, assuming I can concentrate."

Alex cocked his head suspiciously at the Japanese, but he knew better then to push right then. "Alright then...and if you guys want me to drive, I'll be happy to. I need to get new shocks for my board anyway." Then as they both stood up, Alex again put his hand on Shiro's shoulder. "Dude, I'm happy for you, I really am. You deserve this...really."

Shiro returned the smile, albeit cautiously. He wasn't so sure if he deserved anything, and he was still hung up on the potential badness that could result of this arrangement. But on the other and, he had a girlfriend, and that was very nice. "Thanks. I will see you later, Alex."

Still smiling, Alex opened the door for Shiro. "No problem Shiro. I'll see ya."