A/N: I decided to start posting this up since I've already gotten a few chapters of it finished, but I'm concentrating more on my Mai-HiME fanfic, The Circle of Sin. Still, updates for this shouldn't be too sparse!

Also, I apologise for the shortness of the first few chapters, they will get somewhat longer as the story progresses, I promise!

Last comment, this is somewhat AU I guess, since I started writing it after reading Volume 4 of the manga, and the time frames are sort of wonky, but apart from that, all's good, right?

Genshiken:
Through the Cracks

Things seem to keep slipping out whenever I'm around her, I just can't help myself.
It's like she pulls a hidden me out through the cracks.

Long strides carry me down the corridor, my pace hurried as I race towards this confrontation. I don't think I can take this any more; I've had to put up with his freak attitudes for too long. I can put up with the game playing, I can ignore his hentai games, I can even accept the chronic masturbation but last night was the final straw. After what happened, I just walked out, absolutely horrified. It's the last straw upon my back and I've finally had enough. Today is the day I end it between us, and escape from the freaks and geeks convention that is known as Genshiken.

As I reach for the door handle, I hear sounds from inside the clubroom. He'd already left for college when I reached his place, so he must be here. I take a deep breath and then burst inwards, words on my tongue but I swallow them as I see Ohno sat there, a book in her hands.

"Oh? Here by yourself again Saki-san?" she asks, looking up from what I assume to be another of her mucky queer doujinshi thingies.

"Kousaka's not here yet? Arg, the idiot!" Pulling a chair out from under the table, I sprawl into it, frustrated. I can't be bothered chasing him all over the college; he's probably in either the anime or manga clubrooms, but I'm loath to go to either. He'll come here sooner or later, and we can talk then.

"Are you alright Saki-san?" Ohno interrupts my thoughts.

I hesitate for a moment, what business is it of hers? But she's a friend I guess, even if she is a total otaku cosplay freak. "I... I don't think I'll be coming around here anymore after today."

Shock covers her face and I'm a little saddened by it. I guess what with all that we've been through together over the last few years, we're pretty close. "What? You're leaving Genshiken? What about Kousaka-san?"

"Yeah, I'm going to break up with him today. I don't want to do this anymore." I look downwards, studying the table intensely, trying to avoid Ohno's gaze. I don't know why, but I feel I'm kind of letting her down. Well, I will be leaving her alone in this den of wolves, but then, I doubt any of them have the guts to actually do anything to her, and she's going out with Tanaka now, so he'll protect her.

"What actually happened?"

"Ah, I don't want to talk about it." Again, I see her expression change, and it pains me a little. "Well, I mean, not here. We can go to a bakery or something later? Or are you going to be busy with Tanaka?" I have to admit, that while I dislike Tanaka - I think he's even more obsessive than Madarame in his own freakish way - he's pretty good for Ohno. I like seeing her make that cute little blushing face of hers, the one she makes whenever she's embarrassed, hiding away behind that ridiculously long fringe, and she seems to do it a lot more often recently.

"Oh... um, we don't have anything planned for today, so sure, we can." She gives me a small tight smile, showing me that she's still a little bit upset about that, but that it can be fixed with pastries. Hell, what can't?

"Y'know, talking about Tanaka," I continue, seizing upon this opportunity to turn this conversation away from my troubles, "shouldn't you make more of an effort with your appearance now that you're actually in a relationship?"

Ah, she just did it! That blush again, honestly, it makes me just want to cuddle her up and take her home with me. It's just too adorable, I swear. "Hmm, how about I give your hair a bit of a restyle? Ah, I know, I know," I say at her expression, before she can comment, "you keep your hair that long for cosplaying, but still, we can do a bit more with it than you have at the moment, can't we?"

I stop and take a good look at her; hand over heart, I have to admit that even I'm a little attracted to her, and certainly jealous. Her hair, while in an awful style, is really quite nice; her skin is pretty clear, which brings out her beauty spot; her lips are fairly full, her lashes are fairly long albeit a bit thick, but they work well with her large doe-like eyes. And of course, she's got those huge boobs: always an eye-catcher, those. Actually, I wouldn't be surprised if she's a bit jealous of those with more, I don't know, average-sized breasts?

"Well... I suppose it couldn't hurt, could it? Maybe then he'd..." she trails off, looking down at her hands in her lap. I've got a sinking feeling as to what she means.

"You're still..." I start to ask, but stop. Do I really want to hear the answer to this? Ah, she's blushing even harder now, it's pretty clear she did mean that. I won't force the issue; I make her cry all too often as it is already. "You have a brush with you I can use?" I say as I rise from my seat and move around the table. After a few moments rustling, she procures it from her bag and hands it over. I stand behind her and lift some of her hair in my hand, letting it fall back down strand-by-strand. It really is good, fine hair.

As I start to brush it, Ohno asks, "Uhm, you're not going to do anything weird to my hair are you, like, make me look really dumb or something?"

Now there's an idea... "Of course I wouldn't do such a thing! I'm offended that you'd even think that of me?" I cry aloud, all the while thinking of what I can do to her, but my heart's not really in it. "I mean, this is my personal pride as a woman on the line here you know. If I want to open my own clothing store, I've got to be stylish in all ways, not just in my attire, and that includes your hair. So, naturally, I'm going to do my absolute best to find a way to bring out your inner hotness!"

Her back straightens and, though I can't see it from behind her, I suspect that she's smiling. "You think I'm hot?"

"You could be easily, but you don't really allow yourself to be. It's kinda frustrating actually. I mean, you think I'm pretty right?"

"Uh, erm... yes," she mumbles.

"Well, I think you can definitely be a lot prettier than I am."

Now I'm sure she's blushing and giving that sweet little smile of hers.

"It's a wonderful feeling."

"What?" I ask, caught off guard by her abrupt statement.

"Having someone brush your hair." Ohno gives a sigh, a sort of melancholy contentment maybe? "It's been years since my mother used to do it. I never realised until now just how much I miss it."

"Why did she stop?" I ask, continuing the brushing.

"I don't know, I guess I just grew up too much. It's hard to be 'Mummy's little girl' when I've got boobs as big as her head." Her tone's a little bitter, and I can't say I blame her. It was probably bad enough in America, but especially here in Japan where we're generally of a smaller stature in the chest department, she must draw a lot of stares and catty comments because of her gigantic bust.

"Do you know why God gave you such a large bosom?" I ask, heavily tongue-in-cheek. Stopping my brushing, I drape my arms around her neck and lean against her back, my face beside hers. "It's to hold your large heart."

Somehow, I know what I've just done is a mistake, something I shouldn't have, but what did it really hurt? I should be nice to her more often really. I straighten up again before turning back to the task at hand; now that I've given it all a good brushing, I start platting her hair into two large braids.

"Th... thank you, Saki-san." More mumbling, but you learn to listen up when you're talking to Ohno. It's one of those things that while they could be somewhat annoying, actually end up endearing her to you I guess.

"Of course, you know this means I'll have to do something really mean to you in the not-so-distant future to make up for all this kindness," I deadpan. I carry on braiding in silence, and I just know Ohno is trying to think of just what mean things I might do to her. Once I finally finish - there was a hell of a lot to braid - I turn to what I think is the real problem, Ohno's fringe. Honestly, that thing is ghastly; I move to seat myself on the edge of the table, facing her. My fingers stretch out, brushing her hair away from her forehead. Making up my mind, I set about creating a central parting, hooking the fringe into arched bangs, carrying them away from her face.

Done with that, but still, there's something not quite right here. Not that she looks 'bad', quite the opposite, but it's just somehow incomplete. It takes me a few moments to realise what it is that's missing, and then I lean back and reach across the table to grab my bag. A little bit of rummaging and I find what I'm looking for. Lifting her chin with my left hand, I tilt her face towards mine and put some lipstick on her lips. I lean backwards, hand still holding her chin, and check out the effect the makeup has on Ohno, and it looks pretty good. My eyes feel stuck on her lips and I run my thumb over them softly.

The next thing I know, my lips are against hers; I don't remember leaning down to kiss her, but I know that I surely must have. I snatch myself away, standing bolt upright. I just stare at Ohno, while she stares right back, and before I know it, I'm leaning down towards her again. As her eyes flutter closed, I pause. What the hell am I doing? I turn away and leave the room, not daring to look back or even wait to grab my bag before going. I just need to get away from there for now.