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The teacher shrugged as he turned around and started stacking the papers on his desk.

      Tasuki took a step forward before realizing just what the teacher had said… Math, science, and the Romeo books were missing? Now that was odd. He looked at the guy beside Kyoko suspiciously. “What do you know about all these new guys that showed up today?” He quickly asked.

      â€œNot much. Just that there are five of them… adopted into the same family and all in the same grade. They’ve been home schooled up until now.” He laid the papers back down on his desk and shrugged, “Just ask them to share.”

      Tasuki’s shoulders slumped and he was suddenly feeling out numbered. As he closed the distance between them, he felt a little taller at the smile Kyoko gave him. Handing her the book he leaned down and whispered next to her ear, “There’s only one copy… sorry. But if there is homework then we can both use my copy and do it together.” He hid his smile when the guy next to her flashed a dark look in his direction.

      â€œThanks,” Kyoko mouthed the word then turned to the guy beside her. Her lips parted to tell him that they had to share but the words stuck in her throat. He was looking directly at her while pulling his shades off. His eyes were ice blue… not the normal pretty blue that people lusted over, but really like a deep blue ice. It reminded her of the color of a black light but bluer.

      She felt her hair move against her cheek as if a slight wind was blowing even though they were inside and she wondered at it. “We have to share.” Kyoko’s voice was breathless.

      â€œI’ll be Romeo if you’ll be Juliet,” Kotaro said in a voice that was meant for seduction.

      *****

      Kyoko walked beside Tasuki on the way to drama class. She was still tripped out that a guy that looked like the leader of the bad boy biker gang could read Romeo as if he’d practiced it all his life. She snapped out of her daydream when they entered the doors of the school auditorium and she realized it wouldn’t be a classroom they were having drama in.

      â€œThe class has been getting things together to decorate for the masquerade ball Friday night,” Tasuki clued her in. “It’s going to be in the old school building just behind this one.” He noticed all the boxes lined up on the edge of the stage and the students that were grabbing them up and walking out the back door with them. “I guess it’s time to decorate.”

      Tasuki grabbed two boxes and paused at the end of the stage waiting on Kyoko to join him. When she picked up a box without looking to see what was in it, he watched her stagger from its weight. Before Tasuki could set his boxes down and run to her, someone was already there.

      Kyoko cringed knowing she was going to drop everything as she fell. She blinked when the weight of the heavy box suddenly vanished. The box was back on the stage as if she hadn’t moved it and two strong arms were around her from behind to keep her from falling.

      Warmth… she felt so warm. Strong arms, she could feel the hard muscles of his chest and couldn’t help it as she leaned back against his strength. She had never felt as safe in her life as she did right at this moment and she wanted to stay.

      â€œAre you alright?” Toya asked as she melted against him. It was all he could do not to bury his face in her hair and kiss the soft skin at the arch of her neck. Everything within him wanted to keep her. ‘Mine,’ Toya whispered inwardly when he felt their heartbeat pound at the same time.

      Kyoko started to close her eyes but someone grabbed her wrist and pulled her out of the warmth.

      â€œKyoko?” Tasuki couldn’t hide the panic in his voice. “Talk to me. It looked like you almost passed out just now.”

      â€œI’m fine.” Kyoko blinked and glanced behind her. Her hero was leaning over to pick the box back up when their eyes met. Electric eyes like melted gold… just like Kyou’s. He had ebony hair with that same color of silver highlighting it, this time in streaks and very long layers. She instantly wondered if he and the guy from calculus class were brothers.

      He’d felt so strong… unmovable, even though he wasn’t much bigger than Tasuki. But something about the way he moved gave him a sleek, predatory grace that reminded her of a panther when it was on the hunt. The way he was looking at her made her feel like the prey.

      Seeing the other guy giving him a hard steady look from over Kyoko’s shoulder, Toya picked the box up and started past them. “I’ll carry this one.” As he moved around them, he swallowed the taste of jealousy when he noticed that the guy still hadn’t let go of her wrist.

      As soon as he was out of their sight, Toya leaned against the brick beside the door and listened to make sure she really was going to be okay. Satisfied that she was, he closed his eyes savoring the way she’d felt against him. He pushed away from the wall feeling for the first time in a long time that he had a reason for existing.

      Kyoko’s lips parted realizing she hadn’t even told him thank you. Stepping back from Tasuki, she started to grab another box so she could catch up with him, but Tasuki held onto her wrist and swung her back around.

      â€œKyoko stop. Take a moment to breathe and tell me what that was,” Tasuki insisted when he noticed the panicked look in her eyes and the way she was suddenly shaking.

      Knowing he was right, Kyoko leaned back against the stage and took a deep breath to steady herself. “I’m sorry Tasuki. The box was too heavy and I think maybe I did almost pass out. I really haven’t eaten much the past couple days because of the move.” She wasn’t lying so maybe that had been it.

      Kyoko glanced again toward the door. “I didn’t even get to thank him for catching me.” The thought saddened her. “Do you know him?”

      Tasuki’s eyes darkened as he shrugged, “I suppose he’s one of the five brothers that started today. It’s strange how every single one of them has found a way to be close to you on their first day.” Seeing Kyoko’s frown, he tried to turn it into a joke. “I guess they just want to be near the prettiest girl in the school.” He winked and checked the weight of the boxes behind them until he found one that was almost empty. “Here, you can carry this one.”

      When he placed the box in Kyoko’s arms, she held it up with one hand. “What am I? Five?” She giggled as they went across the school grounds toward the older rundown building. Her mind backtracked to what he had said about the new guys. “Brothers? Then how come they’re all in the same grade?”

      Tasuki smiled, secretly thanking the lose-lipped teacher that had answered his questions. “Adopted, and until now, home schooled.” He quickly changed the subject not wanting to share her any more than he already had today. “Are you coming Friday?”

      â€œWhere?” Kyoko lost her train of thought.

      â€œTo the masquerade ball,” He nodded toward the box she was carrying, “It’s Friday, Halloween night.”

      â€œI don’t know,” Kyoko smiled as she thought about the freedom of finally getting to go somewhere like a normal teenager, but at the same time she hadn’t a clue where to buy a costume. “Is there a place that sales costumes this late in the game?”

      â€œThe mall has a costume shop that only opens up for a couple weeks out of the year. Since this masquerade party is a school tradition, they have a very wide selection.” He wanted to ask her to go with him but the thought of her saying no actually made his stomach hurt. He had a vision of one of the new guys asking her to go and he stomped the vision into a greasy spot within his jealous mind.

      â€œIt might be a lot of fun if we go together,” Tasuki held his breath mentally kicking his own ass.

      â€œOkay,”

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