February is a Fanfiction challenge.
Romantic Friday Writers Link
While the general idea of the challenge is known lovers, it's a little harder to find m/m known couples unless doing the slash fanfiction that creates the idea of "what if" the character was gay instead of straight. So, I'm still doing fanfiction but going with a less known item.
My fanfiction comes from the source of an anime, one that even the people I know who go to anime conventions on a regular basis don't know about but I found as one of the coolest ones I've seen so far. That anime/manga (it was manga then an anime) is:
Monochrome Factor
The Manga link:
http://mangafox.me/manga/monochrome_factor/
The Anime link:
http://www.anime-planet.com/anime/monochrome-factor
Quick Explanation:
I've never read the manga, so am just going off the anime series that I watched a few times online. The basics of the story can be found on the sites listed and my fanfiction attempt takes place after the series ended. Once the Shadow King had retreated, Shirogane has returned with no idea whether he will survive in the shadow world, and Akira is back to a normal life with his friends and less demon fighting. The manga is a bit different story wise, with some different characters shown and didn't have the m/m aspect, which is another reason I went with the anime. In my attempt, Akira has been trying to leave the life of a normal, older teenager, closely to adulthood, and that includes dating, but he has found the whole endeavor boring.
My Fanfiction, Dating in Monochrome
Akira stared out across the water, watching the calm surface lap against the rocky edge. It had become his spot over the years; a place to be alone and contemplate his life. Even Kengo knew not to bother him there, which almost made up for all the times he hung around whether he was wanted or not. While Akira fumed at times over his persistent friend, deep down he appreciated that persistence, that his friend would have his back no matter what happened. With Kengo and Aya, deep down it almost made up for his loss, for his family never coming back to him.
"It's so calm and peaceful out here." The boy named Yokai interrupted the silence as he sat on the rock next to Akira.
Looking at the boy, Akira simply nodded. He still didn't know what to do. He'd been trying to date and have a normal life after the struggles he had endured fighting the Shadow King, but while having some boring days had felt great at first, things had gotten dull again. He had even tried dating, going out with a number of different girls but they had all brought nothing to him but lack of interest. But he didn't see why the last one had insisted he try dating a guy. Yet there he was, out on a date with Yokai, a new student to the school.
While nothing bad had happened on the date, it didn't feel any different really, he had found himself doing something he never would have planned. Instead of saying goodbye after the quick dinner, he had asked Yokai to join him near the water. But the boy reminded him of something, a feeling from someone he'd experienced before.
The last time he'd shared the spot near the water, it had been with Shirogane. Though he hadn't decided to share it, more the shadow wouldn't leave him alone. During those days he'd felt annoyed by Shirogane's shadowing of him and never leaving his side. He'd lashed out a number of times, fighting back against the man's claims of liking him but in the end, when he returned to the shadow world, Akira regretted never trying to say that he liked him in return. Part of him had wanted to, but he could never admit the words. Losing yet another had taken its toll and he still struggled to deal with the doubt and confusion.
A hand touching his own drew him back to the present. He looked over to see Yokai sitting closer with one of his hands resting on his shoulder and the other the one that had interrupted his train of thought.
Yokai moved back again. "Sorry. You looked sad so I thought..."
"It's okay. Maybe we should head back." Akira tried to shrug it off, feeling a strange buzz flicker across his hand.
They started walking, not saying anything for most of it. Not many people were out, it had already started to get late so that the lesser amount of light lead to the streetlights trying to illuminate small sections of the sidewalk even though daylight still made it easy enough to see. The park felt empty, trees moving to the slight wind.
"Want to see my spot? Since you shared me yours."
Akira stopped. "You have a spot already?"
"The spot isn't as great as yours, but yeah, I have a place I go to in order to get away and be alone." Yokai smiled at him. "It's nearby."
"Sure." Akira followed as the boy took him away from the path, walking through the bushes and trees, going through the park to the other side. Then they stopped and he watched him sit down on the ground near a group of short bushes. He sat down, not sure what else to do and waited.
Nothing happened at first, they both sat on the ground staring out across the park. However, when Akira was about to push up from the ground and suggest they end the night, Yokai surprised him. The boy pushed him to the ground.
Normally he would have fought back at once, Akira stared at the boy instead. "What?"
"Shh.. Stay here and do me a favor, don't look up until I tell you to, okay?" Yokai pushed away, moving across to the next open section of grass.
Despite the instruction, Akira looked up, annoyed at the strange situation until he saw something he hadn't expected to happen that night. A small group of kokuchi, shadow demons, approached the boy, who had seemed so defenseless against the other boys just the day before. He wanted to get up and fight but the sight of the blades that appeared in Yokai's hands stopped him.
Stunned, he watched the boy move with ease, taking out the shadows in quick, skilled motions. After they were destroyed, he approached. "Wow."
Yokai paled, looking around, his hands now empty. "That probably looked strange. It's hard to explain."
"I know what you were doing. I've fought kokuchi before."
"You could see them?"
"I can do more than see." Akira didn't know why he moved so close to the boy, but found himself leaning in and pressing his lips against his surprised date's for a second before making his offer. "Next time, you have to let me fight too."
