http://clampfix.fanworks.net/re-fix/bf1.txt </head><body><pre> Between Friends Part One "Eagle...." "Lantis...." The two stood staring at each other, violet eyes meeting gold, and gold returning the violet gaze. Lantis' hands rested upon the younger boy's shoulders while Eagle's right hand reached to softly brush Lantis' cheek. The garden was empty save for the two of them, and merely moments before they had been comparing literature from their respective worlds. Now.... "I like you, Lantis," Eagle quietly confessed. "I mean, I really like you a lot. I think of you a lot more than I should. I'm probably going to fail my Mental Energy Theory class because I think of you too much." "Eagle...." Lantis stopped and paused. "You shouldn't think of me that much...." "Have you ever been in love?" Eagle softly asked. "I never have, but I've read about it. I think that's what I feel about you, Lantis. I think I'm in love with you." Lantis remained stoic. Eagle pondered on his friend's many moods and what internal conflicts they usually reflected. "Lantis," he said simply, and reached up and kissed him. What surprised Eagle the most was that though Lantis did not *return* the kiss, he did not break it either. But out of respect for Lantis' Cepherian sensibilities (which Eagle was tempted to think were entirely too limited, except he was too polite to), Eagle gently broke away. "Sometimes I wish I was a girl, so that you would like me, but then you'd never have paid any attention to me in the first place." "I'd have danced with you at one of your father's balls," Lantis offered, the backs of his fingers gently brushing Eagle's cheek. "You're a good dancer, Eagle." "I didn't think you'd watched me enough to notice," Eagle murmured. "I notice everything," Lantis replied. "Especially since you normally manage to trip over things when there's nothing there." Eagle could feel his cheeks reddening slightly. "You don't like me the way I like you, do you, Lantis?" he asked softly. "You are only interested in girls, aren't you?" "I'm afraid so, Eagle," Lantis gently replied. "If it helps, you're the best friend I have." He paused, then asked "Am I that special to you, Eagle, or do you like other men on a regular basis?" Eagle smiled softly. There were many, many, words and subjects that his parents would not let be used or discussed inside their home, for reasons of their own that Eagle had never quite figured out. Nonetheless, during the course of his schooling he'd managed to pick up what they meant. "Am I gay?" he asked softly, speaking the word out loud for the first time. "I honestly don't know, Lantis. All I know is that I like you." Eagle rested his head lightly on Lantis' shoulder. "I wish I hadn't told you how I felt." "No," Lantis corrected, his arms holding Eagle. "I'm glad you told me. If I could love you back, Eagle, I would. I'm sorry. If you want me to go away, I will." "No," replied Eagle. "I won't let what I feel get in the way of our friendship, Lantis. I promise." <And I couldn't stand it if you went away,> Eagle thought to himself, feeling a tear soak into Lantis' cloak. The fabric was both thick and dark enough that Lantis would never notice. He had known that Lantis would not return his feelings, but the heartache Eagle was feeling on this confirmation of that fact was so much more than he had planned on. "Maybe it would be best if we just forgot about this," Eagle quietly suggested. "I'm sorry, Lantis." "If that's what you want," Lantis agreed. Eagle smiled and stood straight again. "It is. Thank you, Lantis, for being so honest with me." He could feel pain welling up in his chest, more even of the body than of the heart. He had to leave, NOW. Eagle wouldn't let any of his friends know of his illness. "I'm sorry to have troubled you." "Eagle..." Lantis said, watching his friend depart quickly. He sometimes wondered about Eagle. Of the four of them (himself, Eagle, Geo, and Zazu), Eagle was the most sheltered, the most delicate. Lantis hoped that his rejection hadn't hurt Eagle too much, but doubted it. Eagle would hurt quite a bit, but keep it all inside with the strength of character that made him in some ways the strongest of all of them. "I am the one who is sorry this time, Eagle," Lantis murmured. Outside, Eagle curled up, bracing himself against the wall, his thin frame racked with pain as he coughed violently, blood splattering onto his hand. Salt water spilled from his eyes onto the floor as he cried. ********* Questioner: This is a prequel to RayEarth2, right? Author: Yup! Questioner: Well, is it based off the anime or the manga? Author: Both, kind of. I am using the manga translations for the basis of it, though. Questioner: But only the first volume of RE2 is translated! Author <nodding affably>: Mmm. I patiently await Rika-san having enough time to translate the latter two tankouban and prove me horribly wrong with all assumptions and ideas in this story. Thank you, by the way, Rika-san! Questioner: What will you do if you really are wrong about this? Author <shrugging>: Change it, maybe. Maybe not. It depends upon the degree of the error. Questioner: So does this fit into RE2? Author: Yes. At the end of part four, anyone can stop and it will fit perfectly as a prequel. Questioner: And after that? Author: After that, my wild etchi-romantic mind takes over and has a field day. Questioner: Oh dear. Will the Magic Knights show up in here? Author: Not a whit. This is a story about Eagle and Lantis during Lantis' stay on Autozam. Questioner: Will Geo and Zazu show up in here? Author: Yeah. Questioner: Is there going to be any H or yaoi? Author: Dunno. Maybe. Maybe not. Shounen ai is definitely a theme, though.... Questioner: I take it you've got more of this story ready? Author: Yeah. I've got the first nine pieces racked up, and, no, it's not like TB:Song. It has no set length or story. It could go on for quite a while. Anything else? Questioner: Not at the moment. But I'll think of something. Author: I'll be here. </pre><p><a href="./">Back</a></p><p><a href=http://www.dreamhost.com/donate.cgi?id=216><img border=0 alt="Donate towards our web hosting bill!" src=https://secure.newdream.net/donate1.gif></a></p></body></html>