Damn, none of you wanna post comments on this story. It makes me sad because I live for the energy in those comments, haha. Let's see if we can spice it up with some romance.

... please comment, I'm lonely.

.oOo.

"Rin-kun," Izumo asked from beside me, and I turned my attention toward her. Shortly after the new year, Adachi-sensei had rearranged our seats. He wanted to have a few students who had been struggling closer to the front. While I appreciated his effort as a teacher, I couldn't help but feel sorry for Renzo-san as he had basically been called out. My new seat was much closer to the back, and Kamiki-chan had been stationed beside me. My eyes met hers and she cleared her throat quietly, doing her best not to draw our teacher's attention. "Can you help me with our Pharm homework?"

I blinked in surprise, but nodded in response. "Yeah, sure, but why do you want my help?" Surely she could ask someone else. Hell, she could simply ask Yukio to explain it her. My eyes wandered to to other side of the room, my eyes landing on Suguro. "Bon has the highest grades in class, I'm sure he could explain it better."

She did her best to conceal her sneer, but I still caught onto it. "Idiot, I don't sit next to him in any classes." Ah, I suppose that would make things a bit more difficult. "And," she continued, "he has the highest grades in most classes, not all. You're not far behind him, right? And you understand Okumura-sensei's class better than anyone else."

She wasn't wrong. Over the last couple months I'd somehow managed to climb may way up toward the top of the class. The only one who sat above me was Suguro-san. However, I held no ill-will toward him for it, he was far smarter than I was, and had earned his spot. As for her statement about my grade in Yukio's class, it couldn't be helped. My brother basically drilled the information into me. He would hover over my shoulder as I did my homework. Shaking his head or humming in approval at my answers. It was only natural I'd excel with that kind of pressure.

She snapped her fingers in front of my face and I blinked, her expression slightly pissed with how I zoned out on her. I had to hold back my scoff. What a bitch. After I thought of it, I realized I didn't mean it with any sort of disdain. Actually, I was quite fond of her snarky attitude. She was very forward, and didn't say or do anything that she didn't mean. It was quite admirable.

"Well?" She quipped, and a small smile pulled at my mouth.

I snickered, "you're so bold, I like it. Yeah, I can help you."

Her eyes widened and the beginnings of a blush flooded her cheeks. Her feistiness was something to be appreciated, however, it seems as though no one really told her just how tenacious she was because of it. I wondered just how often she was complimented, and just how much it would take to make her shy.

I cast a few wayward glances her way as class droned on. I must not have been discreet because she caught my gaze eventually. We both jerked our heads away from each other and I felt my face warm.

The bell rang and she scurried to gather her things. "U-Um," she stammered, and I turned to look at her, chewing on my lip. "Can we meet after cram?" She turned to look away from me, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. The action made butterflies swirl in my stomach.

Jesus Christ, Okumura. A girl asks for your help and you go all soft?

I pushed my palm into my fluttering stomach, putting on a aloof front. "Yeah, my place? It's nice and quiet there."

Her eyes widened and she shot me an incredulous look. "Usually, one would suggest the library; which is just as quiet, stupid." I flinched at her words, realizing just how dumb my offer had been. She sighed, her cheeks a flaming pink hue, "but fine, it's not like the library will have any books we will need, anyway. What room number are you?"

It was my turn to be surprised, and I pushed myself out of my seat, stammering over my words as I grabbed my things. She wrote down the number on her palm and we turned away from each other. I resisted the urge to slap myself on the forehead, my own stupidity and embarrassment was overwhelming at times.

.oOo.

After Yukio's class was dismissed, I walked back to the dorm in a haze. I realized halfway through class that we didn't discuss what time we'd be meeting. I shook my head in disbelief. This may be the first time I'd studied alone with a girl, but that didn't mean I had to act like a imbecile because of it. I pushed open our bedroom door and walked to the closet, my familiar jumping down from the desk and asking me about my day.

I sighed as I opened the closet, pulling out one of my black long sleeves and a pair of jeans. Usually I would grab my pajama bottoms, but I didn't want to look like a hobo when she go here. Kuro questioned my fashion choice as well and I turned to him, rubbing the back of my neck. "One of my classmates is coming over, so I'd rather not look frumpy."

"Oh? Who are they?" He questioned, his tails waving behind him happily.

"Uh," I blushed, and I inwardly cursed my bodily reactions, "Her name is Kamiki Izumo, she just wants some help on our homework."

He gave me a look, "a girl?" A mischievous look sparkled behind his eyes and I groaned. "Do you like this girl?"

"Kuro," I ground out, "don't even think about doing anything weird while she is here."

He cackled, and the sound didn't seem to fit his usual innocent personality. However, the action wasn't devious, if anything, he seemed excited. I turned away from him and made my way to the bathroom, deciding to quickly shower before she got here. I had both gym classes today and didn't want to smell like a locker room.

When I exited the bathroom, a towel on my damp hair, my eyes scanned our bedroom. It wasn't messy by any means, but it certainly looked lived in. I bit down on my lip, warring with myself. Would it come off as I was trying to hard if I cleaned up, or would I look like a slob if I didn't? I clicked my tongue, realizing I wouldn't be trying to hard at anything because I wasn't trying for anything at all. I walked over to the hamper and threw my towel inside, pausing for a moment as I thought over things.

I suppose it wouldn't hurt to clean up, but only because I had the time.

I grabbed any discarded clothes on the floor and tossed them into the hamper before heaving it onto my hip. I shot a quick glance at the clock, not really sure how much longer I had before she would get here. I made my way down to the ground floor, opening the laundry room door and going over to an empty washing machine. I threw the clothes inside and added the needed cleaners before hitting the button. The machine whirled to life and I grabbed the empty hamper. I pushed open the door and went to go turn toward the stairs, however, I collided with a body.

There was a squeal and a thud as we fell to the floor, I had just enough sense to loosen my grip on the hamper and catch my fall with my hands. I was glad that I did, or else I would've landed straight on top of Kamiki-chan.

However, that didn't make our current position any less of a predicament. My cheeks flamed as I realized I was hovering over her, her legs entangled in mine. Embarrassed, my eyes shot up to hers, and her own maroon eyes seemed to reciprocate the emotion. I shoved myself off of her, blurting out my apology. She just told me to shut up and watch where I was walking. I grabbed the books that had emptied onto the floor and handed them back. She put them back into her bag and we were silent as we got to our feet. I grabbed the hamper and propped it on my hip, telling her I'd show her where the room was.

Kuro met us at the top of the stairs, a puzzled look in his eyes. "Are you okay?! It sounded like you fell. Did you get hurt?" I was about about to answer him, but his eyes shifted toward my guest and I saw his expression change. "Ah, I see, you fell because of her." He quirked an eyebrow, "or should I say 'for?'"

I almost choked on my own spit, "Kuro," I ground out. "Behave yourself."

"He's around all the time?" Izumo piped up from behind me, and I turned to face her as we reached the top of the stairs. I gave her a curious look and she continued her thought. "Your familiar, you have him out all the time? Mine only appear when I call them."

I'd forgotten her chosen miester was Tamer, and I realized my situation wasn't quite orthodox. "Ah, about that. It's a little confusing." I pushed open my bedroom door and walked over to the closet, setting the hamper down in it's usual spot. "Kuro was my Dad's familiar, and after he died, Kuro decided to stay with me." Said familiar walked behind Izumo, and I bit back the urge to tell him to get out. He seemed to have some sort of idea of what was happening, but he was wrong, and I didn't want him embarrassing me. "I'm not a Tamer, and I don't even know how to use those Tamer circles, so it's not like I called upon him to be my familiar. He just kinda chose to stay with me."

She pondered my thoughts as she walked toward the other side of the room, looking out the window. "That's sort of sweet, though. Tamer's and demons don't get a choice in who they are matched with. It all depends on what the circle chooses." She turned around, but she didn't focus on me. Instead, she knelt down, her hand outreached toward Kuro. "It's cute that he chose you. I wish my familiars liked me that much." My two-tailed feline walked toward her, bumping his head against her palm. She took that as an invitation and stroked his fur, scratching behind his ears and making him arch his back as she itched the spot right in front of his tails. The action was adorable, and I committed it to memory as Kuro's purrs sounded in the room.

"I see why you like her," Kuro said through his purrs, "try and keep this one, Rin." I rolled my eyes at him, way to ruin a moment, dude.

I pushed aside my thoughts, grabbing my bag and sitting in the middle of the room. Izumo got the hint and copied my actions. I pulled out several folders and notebooks and watched as she did the same. We spread our assignments on the floor and got into studying. At first, she'd asked me several questions and I pointed to the sections in question with my pencil. She listened carefully as I explained my answers, before turning back to her homework and jotting down several things.

I didn't know how much time had passed, but eventually I heard her sigh. Lifting my head, I gave her a questioning look. "Okumura-sensei's class is too difficult. I get that a Doctor Meister means you have to understand human biology, but it honestly feels like we have to go through medical school." My lips formed a line and my brows furrowed. I uncrossed my legs and leaned forward, trying to get a good look at her textbook. "Ah," I knew what she was getting at. "While it is a lot of information, it'll be useful on the field." I continued my teachings, pointing at several diagrams. "Arteries carry oxygen and nutrients from your heart and veins bring deoxygenated blood and waste products back. Your lungs take in the oxygen and its transported to your heart. When you exhale, you breath out carbon dioxide; which is a by-product. Capillaries are what the homework is mainly about. Despite being the smallest of vessels, they are still important. They connect the arteries and veins together. Their thin walls allow oxygen, nutrients, carbon dioxide, and waste products to pass to and from your tissue in a process called perfusion." I pointed to the bolded word in the textbook before continuing my lecture. "Without capillaries, your muscles wouldn't get the blood they need, and there would be no pathway to connect arteries to veins. So, while they are labeled as different blood vessels, try to think of them as all part of the same system. Because, in reality, they are all one tube that just changes in size and direction." I pondered my thoughts as I looked at the textbook, flipping through the pages. "This textbook tries to simplify things, and while it might be nice for those who are just getting a grasp on biology. It fails to mention other blood vessels like arterioles and venules, which are just as important as capillaries. They are the continuation of arteries and veins, so I get why they may have excluded them. But if someone got hurt, it's good to know whether or not the vessel in question is arteriole or artery."

I realized I had been rambling and I felt my humiliation tingle in my cheeks. I turned my head toward Izumo and started to apologize, but stopped short when I noticed our proximity. We were inches away from each other, and I could smell her body wash. It was a mixture of sweet and earthy, maybe a a hint of vanilla? I swallowed, and my eyes met hers. Despite her maroon eyes appearing fairly dark from a distance, up close, I could see the streaks of red that surrounded her pupil - almost like fireworks.

She cleared her throat and the sound shattered me from my trance. I pulled away from her, my stomach lurching at how creepy I might have just been. I apologized quietly, grabbing my pencil and I started scribbling furiously in my notebook. Not really understanding what I was writing down.

"You smell nice," she whispered, and for once I was thankful for my demon side, because I knew I wouldn't have heard it otherwise. However, that didn't stop me from questioning her words simply out of surprise.

"What?"

"N-Nothing!" She copied my actions and snatched her pencil, her eyes meeting mine briefly. Before she turned away, I caught sight of the blush that tinged her cheeks. "Dummy, I didn't say anything, stop staring at me."

There was a sound outside the door and I turned in my spot, seeing Yukio pass through the doorway. He was rubbing his cheek, the shadow of a bruise underneath his fingers. He didn't seem to realize Izumo was here and he gave me a lazy greeting, mumbling under his breath about poorly executed plans. It didn't take long, however, for him to catch wind of the unusual body in our room. "Oh! Kamiki-san, I didn't see you there." Teal eyes shot down to meet mine, and I saw his obvious confusion.

I sighed, "She needed help with a few assignments."

He paused, his expression shifting away from his confusion. His eyes darted between us, before finally falling on me. And although his expression was more camouflaged, I saw something flicker inside. I bit back a groan when the look in his eyes matched the one Kuro had given me earlier. I wasn't planning on doing anything!

"Good evening, Okumura-sensei," Izumo said warmly from next to me.

My brother hummed and shrugged off his Exorcist jacket. "Please, when we aren't in class, call me Yukio."

This time, I couldn't help but groan. What was this; meet the family?