The characters in this RP are students at a war school in the seventh level of training. They've been there since the age of three, taking two year levels of war and combat training until 18. As they rapidly approach their coming of age, the students become more and more anxious in the face of the unknown final exam. But even after the exam is over, and the chosen few have survived... what awaits those who are chosen?

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Up. Down. Up. Down.
The ball went up and down, Grey tossing it repetitively. She'd done it since she was a child, but never as much as she did now. She took a glance at Shinomori's backside, trying not to glare.
"Grey! Grey, wake up! GREY!!!"
She tried not to remember the cruel blue eyes she'd seen, the first time they'd sparred, and Fake's screaming for her to awaken.
He was just so god damned nice, now. Their final exams would be soon, and then they'd finally be able to leave this fucking war academy behind.
Perhaps together.
She tried not to think of the possibility. It sickened her to think of him that way, sometimes.
"Himura?"
"Hai, Shinomori-san?" She quickly asked, standing. There had been something wrong with him since the morning. He'd refused to eat, been absent-minded in class(a first for him), and had even reverted to the old "Shut up, fuckin' dog," phrase when angry with her.
However, the fear in his eyes when he turned brought her to the question.
"Doshita?" The word meaning "What's wrong" in Japanese cut through the air, and silence fell as he looked at her for a moment.
"Of course I'm in control of her, Domo. I'm the one assigned to fight in the final exam with her as my team mate, not you. You'd do best to mind your fucking business."
"She's not ready..." he thought, looking away. Would she die? Would he let her die to advance?
... Would he die for her?
"Grey... Grey, I'm sorry..."
"... Shinomori? Shinomori, what've you done?" She questioned, looking at him.
"I... You're not strong enough, Grey... you'll die..."
"Stop it, Shinomori! You're going against your training, forgetting the face of your father like this! I'm stronger because of you, and I'm confident that we'll be able to beat some stupid test. We just have to work together." She inched towards him, putting a hand around his.
She hadn't realized until it had happened, that he'd pulled her into his arms. "I don't want you to die..."
"A-Aoshi, I... I won't, Aoshi... I won't... Aoshi..." He'd be beaten for it, if someone found out what he'd done. Her, too, but that was nominal.
But she couldn't pull away. Not now, not ever.
Not even at the swing of the door as it opened.

((Whoever wants to be the person who opened the door, can.))

Domo walked in, Yahiko trailing.
"Well, well, well, the once enemies are becoming lover's. Saw this coming the first time you two trained together."

"... Domo, you won't tell anyone, right?" Aoshi asked, looking at him with a sudden, slight fear in his eyes.

"^_^ It's safe with me, don't worry. As much as I have never liked you, Shinomori, my best freind seems to be happy and that is all I care about. Yahiko, ready for bed? Training was a killer today."

Yahiko nodded, walking off to bed.
"... Thanks, Domo." Grey whispered, holding onto Aoshi.

Domo walks off to bed with Yahiko, grunting as a "You're welcome."

Grey looked back at him, before quickly closing the door, moving towards her bed. She looked back at Aoshi, who'd followed her to the door but frozen when he'd seen her final destination. A silence fell between them for a moment before Grey whispered, "C... could you just... stay with me, tonight?"
He looked at her for a moment, before nodding, pulling off everything but his boxers and slowly easing in, holding Grey tight.

---

"Oi! Himura! Wake up!" Came a sudden voice, followed by a pounding on the door. "How can you still be asleep at this hour?!"

Grey's eyes went wide, and she was disoriented for a moment. Aoshi? What the hell-
Oh. Memory is a good thing, sometimes. Perhaps not for him, who'd, upon the age of five, had stumbled upon the aftermath of that year's final exam and had been different since, but she was fine with it.
"Aoshi! Aoshi, wake up, we slept in!" She quickly whispered, shaking him. His eyes slowly opened, looking at her, before he sat up.
"Shit, what time-"
"5:49."
"We'll be late!" He suddenly cried, jumping out of bed and gathering his clothes, pulling them on quickly. He tossed Grey's uniform to her, the shirt accidentally covering her face. "Uhh, sorry." He quickly said, turning away and hurrying into the bathroom, Grey quickly changing into her uniform. They both quickly finished up their morning routine, but it was 5:57 by this time. "Come on!" Aoshi cried, pulling her out the door before they took a dead run to their Battle Mechanics class, getting in just as the bell rang.

Cuth threw a paper airplane at Grey as she walked in. " 'Bout time you got here, Himura." He said as he leaned back in his chair.

A guardian whacked Cuthbert sharply over the head. "No talking, maggot." Grey rolled her eyes, sitting down, Aoshi next to her in one of the two person desks that each cell shared.

"Ow!" Cuth rubbed his head after the blow to the head. "Freakin jerk." He muttered, slowly looking over at Roland.
"-_-" Was all Roland did.

The guardian quickly whacked him again. "I said, no talking."

--- A few months later ---

"You know, Cuth, I really don't understand you at times."
"Why's that, Roland?" Cuth asked as he laid sprawled out on his cot.
"You act like a fool sometimes, yet we all know you know the work."
"What do you mean?"
"You get punished for not doing work... you know the work. You don't do it. Or you do things that'll get you punished. Talking in class, improperly sitting in your chair, and managing to get gum and chewing it in class."
"... What's your point?"
"... Forget it."

"Ahh, leave the lazy non-conformist be." Grey said, lying down in her own cot, Aoshi in his. They couldn't very well let Cuth and Roland find out, if they hadn't already figured it for themselves.

Roland sighed. "Alright... whatever. Be right back." He quietly walked out.
Cuth smirked and looked over at Grey and Aoshi. "I'm quite happy we were given the same bunk. Especially since I've been meaning to ask the two of you about all the crap that's happened in the last couple months. Both of you coming to class at the same time... Especially when I pounded on Himura's door. Guess I woke Shinomori up when I did that... Or is there a reason you both ran to class at the same time?" He asked, a look saying, caught you, in his eyes.

"There isn't a reason at all, Allgood." Aoshi quickly said. "She's been waking me up. I've been having trouble sleeping with exams coming up."

"Oh, really? I know... for a fact, that it wouldn't be possible for her to have woken you up after getting dressed and wait for you to get dressed, or for her to have woken you up then both of you got dressed together."

"I get dressed in the bathroom, and her, in here. We wait until we're both ready."

"So you sleep together. Not possible any other way."

"No. We sleep in the same room, but not in the same cot. She wakes me up. I go into the bathroom, carrying my uniform, and get dressed. She gets dressed while I'm in the bathroom, and we both tell each other when we're ready. Then, we head to class together. After class, we get back here, change into training clothes in a similar manner, and go train for 3 hours, afterwards, we change into bed clothes one last time, and go to sleep. In seperate cots. End of story."

"Mmm-hmm... I'm sure that's the truth." He replied and winked. "I get you completely." He rolled back over. "How'd y'all do on the last test?"

"Badly. That asshole Kenjo hates me and despises his own god damned son."
"He hates everyone, Grey."
There was silence for a moment, before Aoshi quickly said, "I-I mean, Himura-san."

Cuth laughed quietly. "I aced the test..."

"Because Roland's fucking crazy and you're a genius. The two work well."

Roland walked in. "._. Did you just call me crazy?"
Cuth bursted out laughing.

Grey blinked. "Yeah, so?"

"... Asshole." Roland muttered as he walked over to his cot and fell asleep.

Grey rolled her eyes, heading to sleep.
---
"Are they asleep?" Grey whispered to Aoshi.
"I'm rather sure of it." He whispered, moving to sit on his cot facing Grey, putting his hand on her face. He caressed her gently, smiling down on her. "We'll have to be more careful now, with Allgood on our asses."
"Yeah..." she said, taking his hand and smiling back.

---

Cuth smirked as he looked down at Aoshi and Grey. "Hey, Shinomori! Hey, Himura! Wake up!" Roland suddenly flipped both their cots over.

"MM!" Grey mumbled, her and Aoshi both trapped under their cots. "Let us go! Let us go!"

"Should we, Crazy?" Cuth asked.
"Of course not, Smarty." Roland replied.

"Guys, please!" Aoshi quickly yelled. "She's afraid! That's the only reason I've been... tell them, Grey!"
"... Well, I... I..." She suddenly took on an apprehensive, embarrassed tone, not wanting to say. "I'm sort of... well, I mean, it's funny really... I had it since I was a kid, and I never... I mean, it's not that bad-"
"Honestly, Grey. She's afraid of the dark."

Cuth and Roland busted out laughing. "You've gotta be kidding me!" Cuth yelled, laughing like crazy.
"Even I find this hilarious!" Roland laughed.

"See, Aoshi! I told you! I told you they'd make fun of me!" There's a soft, almost inaudible sniff under the cot. "Why don't you listen, Aoshi?! I told you!"
"I'm sorry, Grey!" He said, pushing the cot off him. "I'm sorry! I just thought if they knew the real reason, they wouldn't be so critical of us!" He added, pulling the cot off her and pulling her into his arms. "I'm sorry..."
She shook in his arms, the fact that the room was pitch black returning to her quickly, but he tried to quiet her. "Grey, please..." he whispered, before looking at Cuthbert and Roland sharply. "See! See what you've done!"

"We didn't do anything wrong." Cuth replied.

"Whatever, asshole." Aoshi said, Grey starting to calm down in his arms.

"Let's go tell the others." Roland smirked.
"... Nah... I say blackmail's the better call..." Cuth grinned. "What say you, Grey?"

"Fuck off." She whispered, holding onto Aoshi tight, moreso than a mere friend would. However, neither her and Aoshi noticed what they were doing.

Cuth laughed. "Gosh, Grey. Just fuck him right here infront of us! It'd make it easier, eh?"