Hi, Red here, and this is yet another way for me to procrastinate on my Spirited Away Fanfic. To those of you who actually read Tales of Long Ago, please enjoy this one instead. I had this idea and it couldn't be ignored. Even though I argued with my brother about College/High school AUs, I present you all with one. For those of you who didn't read the description, this is basically a KonoShin fanfic. There will be smut, but not until….oh…maybe chapter ten. But I might add a jerking off scene featuring one of the two.

But enough of that. On with the story!

Chapter One: Kuroha Visits

It was impossible for Shintaro to argue the fact that he had never been in love. He might state that he felt a sort of emotional attachment to his friend equivalent to love for family. But never had he felt an ache in his chest, his hand wanting to reach out to grasp something he couldn't have. Shintaro Kisaragi had never been in love with another human being, living or dead.

This often stressed out the young man, causing long nights of no sleep. He tried to deduct why he never felt a simple flutter in his stomach or a small skip in his heartbeat. At first, he thought he was asexual. But after watching a few videos, that idea was thrown out the window. He certainly felt sexual attraction for people, but the bulge in his pants ached more than his heart ever did.

The next idea was that he didn't know he was in love. He could have loved someone before and passed it off as a stomach ache. He asked his closest friend, Haruka—the only softy Shintaro knew—what it was like to be in love. He knew how much Haruka loved Takane, a rude childhood friend of theirs with cold eyes that often would soften at the sight of Haruka. She also chocked up around him, but that was something entirely different. His description horrified Shintaro. "It's sorta like having an upset stomach. It keeps you up all night, and there isn't really any remedy to it. You stay up so it won't sneak up on you, so you won't dream of them again. When it's gone, it feels sorta nice but the attention you got made you feel better. And when that person ignores you, your heart slowly makes its way down your throat and into your stomach with a splash. The feeling won't go away until they notice you again. And eating can be the hardest thing."

After deciding that he had never felt anything as horrific as that, Shintaro just settled with the idea that he had never been in love. With how awkward he was, being the only one that couldn't hold a conversation with a stranger, he was sure he would never meet anyone. He accepted that he would be alone his entire life.

That was what he thought before Kuroha came back into his life.

It was a Saturday and Shintaro was 'enjoying' the dry British TV he was watching. He deemed it better that watching animals hump each other on the Discovery Channel. He used his roommate's, Konoha's, lap as his pillow, the albino not really minding when he did. Konoha was reading a book about evolution he was assigned as homework, not fazed when Shintaro groaned at yet another joke about Americans. He never understood why the British hated Americans. Must be some kind of war thing.

Hopping up to grab a bag of chips, he heard Konoha sigh. In his usual monotonous voice, he asked, "Why is this whole evolution theory so tiring?" He let out another sigh, closing his book.

Shintaro chuckled, resuming his previous position on the couch with his chips. "Want some? They're barbeque," Shintaro offered. He held a chip up for Konoha to take. He had learned what Konoha liked to eat over the many years he had known the albino, knowing that barbeque was his favorite. Though he didn't know him as well as his brother Haruka, he still knew him pretty well. Watching him take the chip, he smiled. "Good, right?"

"Isn't that just sweet? What cute lovebirds."

That voice…Shintaro thought, scowling as he sat up to look over the back of the couch. Sure enough, Konoha's cocky little brother stood in the doorway of the living room, a hand on his hip. A suitcase was on the floor next to him, his girlfriend Marry hiding behind the entryway wall. "What are you doing here, Kuroha?" And why did you let yourself in?

Kuroha sauntered—yes, sauntered—over to the couch, sitting on the arm. "I'm just here to see my big bro and his twinkie roommate. Can't I have family time?" Shintaro glared at him through his bangs, feeling the weight on the couch become unleveled as Konoha got up.

"I thought you were staying with Marry. And you never called…" Again with the flat tone. Shintaro left before he could hear any more.

"Maybe if you'd stop fucking your roommate, you'd hear your cell. I did fucking call, you-"

"I don't do that to him…I listen to music." If you looked closely, I mean extremely close, you would be able to see a tinge of red on Konoha's pale cheeks.

Shintaro had been able to draw Marry out of the entryway, bringing her into the kitchen. "I heard you got a job at the high school as a teacher, Marry. How's that going?" He asked, pouring some hot water over a teabag in Marry's favorite cup. Each of his friends had cups that they liked when staying at his apartment and Marry's was a pale pink mug with a silver handle.

"It's been wonderful. I've been teaching Home Economics and Creative Cooking. All my students are nice to me, and not one has made fun of me for how shy I am." She smiled, sitting on a stool by the island. "I heard from Momo that you've been writing a composition. Will it be finished soon?"

Shintaro gave the cup to her with a sigh. That was true—he had been writing a song for Ayano's memorial ceremony. "I was…Until Ene spilled coffee on the papers. It ruined the ink…"

Marry's face softened a bit more, her hand reaching out to touch Shintaro's. "I'm sorry, Shintaro. Was it…" she hesitated, "Was it for her?" Shintaro nodded, his eyes darkening slightly.

"Her…you know…ceremony is coming up soon. I thought it would be nice…" He rubbed the back of his neck, feeling a bit awkward talking about it. He cleared his throat, ready to change the subject. "Never mind that. How is it with Kuroha?"

"It's going fine…" She traced the rim of her cup with a manicured finger. "Just fine…" Marry sniffed quietly, trying to hold it in. But the dam burst. "I-Its horrible! I never get any respect, he cheats on me, and it's always something about you! It's always Shintaro this, Shintaro that. I like you, don't get me wrong, but it gets annoying when someone that's supposed to like you won't shut up about another man." Shintaro let out a rough breath.

"Why date him then? If I were in your shoes, I would've dumped him months ago."

"That's why we're here. Seto offered to let me move in with him and split the rent. I'm leaving him in your care until I'm done packing."

"Hold on, when did I ever agree to this?" Shintaro's eyes were wide. He couldn't even stand being in the same room as the raven-haired punk for a few hours.

"Please Shintaro! I can't turn to anyone else. I would leave him at Kano's, but he can't keep his mouth shut. He can't know about this. Anyways, he likes you! He was so excited when I told him that I needed the apartment alone for a few weeks and that he would be staying with you. I really can't stand him much longer, Shintaro. Please, do this for me."

With a sigh, Shintaro leaned against the counter. He really hated Kuroha. The punk would often sneak up behind him and grope him. He was still surprised that Kuroha wasn't facing any charges of sexual harassment. But this was for Marry. The wide-eyed sweetheart gave Shintaro a shoulder to cry on after Ayano. She was there for him in his darkest time, and listened to him. She never complained about how much he cried, or what he said, or how wet he got her shirt afterwards. If he wasn't there for her now, what kind of friend could he call himself? He shrugged, clearing his throat. "I guess he can stay…"

Almost instantly, Marry was on her feet with Shintaro in her arms. Hugging him tight, she kissed his cheek. "Really? Thank you so much Shintaro. I don't know how I can make this up to you."

"You don't need to. That's what friends are for. But I have one request." He would need something to calm Kuroha down each night.

"Anything."

"I need sleeping pills. I am not going to let him loose in my apartment while I sleep."

When the two brothers realized that Shintaro was gone, Kuroha scowled. "Look at that blonde bitch. She thinks I don't know what she's up to. I heard her on the phone with that frog boy. She's fucking ditching me for a vet."

"Kuroha, you need to be nicer to girls. This is why you can't keep a girlfriend for more that a few months. Marry is a kind person, she stayed with you for a long time." Konoha began to munch on ships, watching Shintaro talk to the girl.

"At least I have them. I mean, how low can you get? Lusting after your roommate is pretty cliché." Kuroha flopped on the couch, flipping through a magazine he found on the table. "If you want to fuck him, just get him drunk. That's how I banged that one actor friend of yours. What a slut. I mean-"

Konoha began to ignore him, the sound of his chewing drowning out any words Kuroha said. He tired not to think about a drunk Shintaro, his lewd hips rubbing up against him as he squirmed underneath him. The way his skin would look covered in love bites…Konoha swallowed hard.

"Dude, are you even listening to me? Stop daydreaming bro." Kuroha just had to ruin the wonderful image in his mind.

"…I don't listen to vegans." Konoha took the remote, sitting down to flip through the channels. He settled on a rerun of House.

Kuroha groaned. "That was a phase! You try going to a boarding school full of diehard hippies." He threw the magazine at the albino, the other not reacting as the waxy paper book hit him on the shoulder. He was used to stupid distractions. Kuroha turned to watch TV, not facing Konoha as he said, "So what are you going to do about your twink? If you don't take him soon, I'm going to start thinking of him as free game." Turning to see the look on his brother's face, he was met with an arm at his throat and a heavy Konoha pinning him to the couch. A faint glare graced his usual stoic features.

"If you touch him," he started, pressing his arm to Kuroha's throat harder "I will not hesitate to hurt you. You and your damn cocky attitude can't just waltz in to try to steal the one thing that makes me happy. Believe me; you have as much of a chance as Kano has with Shintaro. To him, you're just my cocky little brother with an ego too big for his own good. I actually mean something to him."

"To him, you're just Haruka's little brother and roommate. Unless you make a move, he won't know anything about how you feel. I'm only here to warn you: if you don't tell him how you feel, then I will." Shoving the albino off him, he got to his feet, grabbing his suitcase. He walked to the hallway, turning back to say one last thing. "You can't stake claim on someone who doesn't even know what it's like to be loved. This will be war if it has to be." Turning on his heels, he went to go unpack his stuff in the guest bedroom.

Konoha sat on the couch, not moving for a few minutes. His voice was soft and somewhat sad as he whispered, "…I won't let you have him…"

Love it? Hate it? Please review. I'm also working on chapter 2 at the moment, so don't worry. It should be up by Tuesday. And some of you are probably wondering what's going on. Marry was dating Kuroha. Kuroha is the youngest sibling, Konoha is the middle, and Haruka is the oldest. Since there was Haruka first, then Konoha, and Kuroha last in the manga, I decided to reflect that in their ages. Ene and Takane are twin sisters. And if anyone is wondering why Konoha is reading a book on evolution, he's going to be a biologist.