Different Shades of Grey
By: GinRyu-chan (well, no duh)
Ku ku ku, an EnzanxNetto angst fic (er...probably angst and humour and romance, but still...) the genre isn't important. What's important, is that this is an EnzanxNetto ficlet. Why? Because there aren't enough of those out there. Which is sad really. The coupling is so adorable.
And I will stop babbling nonsense before I write a whole page of it.
Warning(s): There may be some mild OOC, there will definately be shonen-ai, so if you're disturbed by that, or don't like the pairing, then, please, by all means, you're free to press the back button, or read, just don't send me a flame saying how you hate shonen-ai, or one about how this pairing is horrible. And I think that just about covers it (unless you all want me to add "will be fluffy" to the list).
DISCLAIMER: ...if I ever own Rockman.EXE, I'll leave you all a memo.
Remember: This is set after the fourth game, so ther might be some mild spoilers.
I hope everyone enjoys this fic.
(Just so you know, after writing a bit, I decided it wasn't angsty at all, so the genre is now romance...with a hint of humour)
It was now night time in Akihara, and everyone sleeps well knowing that the world was safe [1], everyone that is, except one Hikari Netto. Who was currently lying in bed, awake.
"Netto-kun." The worried voice of Rockman floated [2] from the desktop. "You really should go to sleep now. It's getting late, and you have school tomorrow."
Netto sighed, still staring up at the ceiling.
"Are you all right, Netto-kun?"
Criminals judging criminals... [3]
Giving another sigh, he proceeded to sit up. "Don't worry, I'm fine. I'm going downstairs for a glass of water." Maybe that would help him sleep...
(insert symbols used to signify scene change that no longer shows)
Netto really had only been planning to get a drink, then go back to his room. Somehow though, the drink was abandoned and Netto found himself outside, leaning on his front door.
"Evil will never...vanish..."[4] Once again repeating the words that had been spoken by Regal.
Was he really a criminal like Regal had said? Even though it had been for the sake of saving Roll, was it really right of him to have hurt [5] that Navi?
He let out a frustrated sigh.
If he hadn't done that, Roll could very well had...well, for the lack of better terms, been eaten. He couldn't have just stood around and watch his friend's Navi be eaten by a crazed-vampire Navi.
But...thinking that didn't really make him feel any better.
"Why can't things ever be simple?" He asked out loud to no one in
particular, not expecting any kind of answer.
"I thought everything was in your world, Hikari." [6]
Netto could almost swear someone up above hated him. He closed his eyes, wondering briefly whether or not he should just go back inside. "Leave me alone Enzan. I'm not in the mood."
Enzan was, to say the least, slightly surprised at the lack of response. He opened up his PET; after exchanging a look with Blues, the Navi nodded, and disappeared from the screen [7]. Strolling over, he stood beside the other boy with his arms crossed. There was a silence between them that was broken by none other than Netto.
"What are you doing here?"
"Hmph, I could ask you the same."
"What?! I live here!"
"Tell me: how many people stand outside of their front door at eleven o'
clock at night, in their pajamas?"
And to that, Netto had no reply; or more like he didn't want to give one [8]. He considered if he should just go back in, and slam the door in Enzan's face. Oh yes, the thought was not only entertaining and tempting, it would also be very easy. It's like minimal effort, for maximum satisfaction.
"Don't tell me you're mulling over what Regal said."
Netto hid his annoyance...or tried to anyways. He looked Enzan in the face, some degree of anger present in his eyes.
"So what? Don't you wonder? I mean, what if what he said was true? That what we're doing is wrong; that we're cri--"
"Grey."
Netto blinked, more confused than irritated by the cut-in.
"We're grey. Not white, not black; [9] [10] just grey."
When Netto thought about it a little, it made sense. There was no absolute good, or absolute evil. Everything was simply...
"Grey, huh?" He leaned back against the door and grinned. "I guess I can live with that." There was another moment of silence; but this time, it was a content silence. This silence was also broken, by the faint sound of thunder yet to come [11] "Looks like it might rain..." Netto mused. Enzan then pushed himself from the spot he was leaning against.
"I'm going then."
He headed out towards the street, and Netto got the overwhelming urge to stop him. Netto shook off the thought...
"What are you doing Hikari?"
...but we all know Netto tends to act faster than he thinks.
"I...um...well..." He was not blushing. He was not grabbing onto Enzan's sleeve. And this was all just a dream...no, a really horrible nightmare. And a pig flew into the night sky from his roof. "You might...get caught in the rain. Yeah...wouldn't want that to happen." He let out a nervous laugh.
"And how does that explain you holding onto my sleeve?"
He was still holding on? Oops. "Well...I could at least get you an umbrella...right?" Yes, an umbrella; because Enzan helped him think things through. Yes...that was it, he wanted to thank Enzan by lending him an umbrella. He went up to the door after releasing Enzan's sleeve. Having not looked Enzan in the face the entire time, he didn't notice the blush that stained Enzan's cheeks, nor did he know both of them were thinking the exact same thing.
"Why the hell am I blushing?"
Enzan used the self control acquired from years of practice to rid himself of his blush. "It's just the cold..." He muttered. He was not blushing because of that idiot, and a couple of thousand kilometers underneath there feet, a group of raccoons planned to take over Earth. It was then, that he noticed Netto was still standing in front of the door.
"What are you doing?"
Netto looked back with a sheepish look on his face. "The door's locked."
This time, Enzan let out a frustrated sigh. He walked up the the door, and had Blues Plug-In to the house's system. His last command, "Find Rockman and see if he can open this door."
"Rock's a Navi...how could he open the door?"
Enzan didn't know what was worse. The voice telling him to bang his head against the door; or the one telling him Netto's stupidity was cute. "He can unlock the door." The dry tone implied that 'you idiot' was suppose to go on the end.
Netto huffed indignantly: he did not appreciate being belittled. Especially by Enzan. Instead of yelling back, he got an evil idea as it started to rain cats and dogs. "Ne, Enzan, would your PET still work if it fell?"
"Yes...why--" Before the sentence was finished, Enzan found himself pulled out into the rain. "What do you think you're doing Hikari?!"
"Aw...I'm just having a little fun."
"I'm might get sick, damn it!"
Netto faked a pout. "What about me?"
"Idiot's don't catch colds."
And so, the "friendly" continued for a few more moments before a click was heard coming from the door. Both boys stopped all insulting to take shelter at Netto's front door. The two went about different tasks. Enzan made sure his PET was all right, and un-plugged Blues from the house net-work. Netto went into the house to fetch the umbrella.
"Enzan-sama, why are you all wet?"
"Don't ask...just don't."
The red clad Navi just nodded. It wasn't a good idea to push conversations when Enzan used that tone of voice: It usually meant he was angry or annoyed at something or someone. And speak of the devil, here comes Netto with the umbrella.
He handed the blue umbrella over to Enzan. "Hope you make it home all right." He watched, as Enzan grumbled and opened the umbrella. Then, like with the sleeve incident earlier, he did something completely impulsive and maybe just a little random. He went up to Enzan, muttered a thanks, and kissed his cheek.
Netto stumbled a few steps back, blushing a tomato red, and went back inside after muttering a quick 'good-night'.
Enzan's hand touched his cheek where Netto had kissed, and after a short moment of contemplation; his lips formed a small smile.
(insert symbols used to signify scene change that no longer shows)
"Netto-kun, what were you thinking?"
Netto was sitting on the floor inside, still leaning on the front door. His fingers brushed over his lips.
"What was I thinking?"
"You might catch a cold from getting soaked like that!"
"Why did I kiss him?"
"Do I...like him?"
"Netto-kun, are you listening?!"
"Hai, hai, gomen. I promise, I'll never go out into the rain. Now...let's get some sleep." He grinned.
The Navi shook his head; and returned the grin, before leaving for Netto's desktop, via the house network [12]. Netto stood, took on last look at the door, and smiled. He had a feeling he'd sleep well tonight...
Next Day...
Enzan woke up to his daily dose of caffeine. He had been lucky: he didn't get sick from last night's little soak. He was still as healthy as ever.
"Enzan-sama, you have an e-mail."
"Nn." He grunted in reply. Which, meant he wanted Blues to read it out.
"To: Enzan, From: Netto. See, I'm not an idiot! I did catch a cold!"
Enzan blinked a few times, before laughing. When he was done, he instructed Blues to send a reply telling Netto he'd be over to visit him to return the umbrella...
You'd have to be crazy to think that's the only reason for his visit...
終 [owari]
1 - I was really tempted to put "It was now night time in Akihara, and everyone sleeps well knowing that the world was safe...at least until the next game anyways." But, even though Angst/Humour is more of my forte, it would ruin the atmosphere. Not to mention it would break the fourth wall, but who cares about that anyways? So many people have broken it, it might as well stay rubble.
2 - Floated...floated...floated!!
3 - I couldn't find any other quotes...and I'm not even sure that's right, it's off memory.
4 - Similar to foot note 3
5 - the Navi wasn't deleted, just knocked out. He was asking for it anyways.
6 - Ku ku ku...and Enzan comes into the picture.
7 - Yesss...finally I've gotten rid of both Rockman and Blues! Ku ku ku! Yay me!
8 - Fear the semi-colons. Ku ku ku ku. What? Blame Lynne Truss's "Eats, Shoots and Leaves" (really good book by the way).
9 - The semi colon strikes again!!!
10 - In this world, there is no a absolute good, or absolute evil, therefore: there is no white, and no black...unless it's Enzan's hair.
11 - sort of reminds me of "Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come"...
12 - I don't think they can actually do that...nieh, whatever.
That, folks, is the end of this slightly stupid, slightly random, and slightly strange EnzanNetto One-Shot. This is sort of what would happen before a confession One-Shot. This is where they figure out that they like each other...then comes the cliche (or maybe not so cliche) every other bloody person knows they love each other except the two soon-to-be lovers breaks into song The heavens know, they know, others know, only you don't know (this is actually a very badly translated line from a chinese song). Anyways, I hope no one hated this.