(I know I said I'll do a Toko x Suoh next, but I completed the surge series and I've kept the Shu x Lane request for too long. Btw, if you're asking why I'm here, I took a short break from studies and here I am!)

"Do you think you would be able to handle my flare?"

"I do."

Maybe he was right after all.

Because it was only him who stayed by my side, no matter how evil I turned. At least 97% of my new flare was credited to him. Valt's way of fighting must have lit a little spark in me, and those twins' flares must have inspired me, but it was his last push and never ending coaching and concern which made me the better blader that I'm now. Guess I had needed him more than I let out. The blank space I always have felt little more bearable with him. The same blank space which kills me inside, just because I couldn't figure what it is.

The first time we met, he saw that I was very less sociable to other people. And no matter how hard he tried to make me get my own friends, I would never end up having one. So in the end, he did the unexpected.

"Lane."

I turned. He looked at me and smiled.

"Seems like you have difficulty at making new friends-"

"I think we already discussed that." I said coldly. His smile faded for a split second, but it was back.

"Yes, I was thinking of it and I thought-"

"You're just my blading coach!" I said a little louder, but it made him flinch, "You have no right to decide who I be friends with or not! Got it!?"

He remained silent, and after a minute, when he still hadn't uttered a word, I turned my back on him and continued staring at my bey. After a while, I felt movement and knew he was going away. So in his absence, I decided to practice.

Exhausted from a whole 3 hours of practice, I sat at my usual place and panted, still staring at my less than a week old evolved Lucifer, until a small squeak caught my attention.

I raised my head to see a rather adorable hedgehog sitting a few feet away from me. It sniffed the air slightly before racing up to me and climbing my hand to my shoulder and snuggling inside my fur coat. I smiled and petted it's head and it responded back happily by leaning on. We both just stayed like that for a while until a rather odd question popped into my mind. What is a hedgehog doing here? I turned my head slightly to see him leaning against the wall and smiling at the scene of me and the little creature together. Of course, I thought, Who else would bring in a hedgehog just because their student doesn't have any friends? Shu Kurenai would.

"Lane."

Oh. Lane turned to see his one and only coach Shu Kurenai staring at him as he zoned out during practice. Lucifer The End was already outside the stadium with a ring out finish and the purplette didn't even notice. World Spriggan was spinning ever so energetically around the stadium, impatient as his opponent was not at all concentrated.

"What's wrong, Lane?" The albino asked. Lane just looked away. He have been zoning out too much these days thinking about Shu and everything he have done for him. Why he didn't know.

Ring.

Shu's phone rung loudly, echoing through the room. The excused himself and took the call. Lane noticed Shu's smiled and happy remarks. After a few minutes, he cut the call.

"W-who was that?" Lane blurted out. Shu looked at him and smiled.

"Just an old student of mine. We've been off contact for a while, so he'll be coming to meet me in a few hours."

Lane wondered who was this student who made Shu so excited about his arrival.

Almost by evening time, when they both were practicing in Shu's room in the Raging bulls, a knock was heard and Shu smiled brightly, "Ah, that must be him." Lane couldn't help but feel a little unknown jealousy to the unknown student. Shu went towards the door and opened it. revealing a blonde with red eyes smiling back at Shu.

"It's been a long time, Shu-san." He said enthusiastically. Shu smiled at him, "It has."

The blonde noticed someone else in the room and frowned, "Who's he?". Shu gave a start, "Ah, sorry. Lane, this is Fubuki. And Fubuki, this is Lane.

Fubuki frowned at the other student, who was giving off a glare. Then he realised.

"Oh I know you. You both went to the tag team battles together. It was really cool!" He said enthusiastically. Shu smiled, "I'm glad you liked it..."

They kept on chatting like that, leaving Lane to third-wheel and stare at them. After a long time, Shu noticed him.

"Oh, and Lane. Let's continue the practice tomorrow." He said, but the purplette didn't budge, making the other two red-eyes frown.

"Lane?"

"Lane..."

"Lane!"

Lane gave a start. Did he zone out again?

"Y-yes?"

"We can practice the rest tomorrow." Shu said, but still wearing a frown. But Lane misunderstood it. He thought Shu might be embarrassed of him now, zoning out in front of his student who he haven't met in so long. Maybe even Fubuki would think low of him, and he didn't like being thought low of.

They parted ways, Lane to his lone tower he made in America like he did in Japan and Shu with Fubuki to Fubuki's new rented apartment.

Lane couldn't sleep. His mind kept wandering to Shu and Fubuki and what they were. He have always been jealous of Valt whenever he made Shu smile in a different way from how he smiled to Lane. Valt was way different from himself. While the wonder boy was always cheerful and reckless, he was always so pompous and thought before he acted. It was obvious Shu would pick Valt over him any day, and that made him hurt and ashamed about himself. He hated himself because of his ways, but for some reason, it was hard to change because it was in his nature. There was always that blank space in him which he wanted to fill, and because he couldn't figure what it was, it always made him frustrated and mad.

When he was sure that he wouldn't get any sleep, he decided to walk in the midnight roads of America, which were colourful with lights and beautiful sceneries at this time. As he walked past a park, two people caught his attention.

Shu opened his mouth as Fubuki put the French fry in his mouth. The albino smiled at the blonde. He was very fond of Fubuki's caring ways, it made him comfortable. But he wasn't the type to take comfort from anyone and would rather comfort someone, if you know what he meant. And besides, Fubuki has a boyfriend.

"Shu..."

Both of their heads spun to the direction of the small voice to see Lane staring at them with big eyes. Fubuki was the first to react.

"Lane Valhalla! It's not what it looks like!"

"I saw what I saw." Lane said coldly. Shu frowned at the weird tone. Lane sounded kind of...jealous?

"No, I was just-"

"I'm happy for you guys", Lane said, but his tone was still the cold one, and his face looked like he was holding back something. Shu was worried for his student, but Lane continued, "You shouldn't have hid it, Shu." And he felt like that too. If Shu hadn't hid it, he would have never fallen in love. Yes, he finally found out what the odd feeling was when he walked in the American night to cool himself down. He was in love with his blading coach. And he knew he couldn't stop himself.

Fubuki frowned, "No, it was just-"

"If you're trying to pity me for falling for him, then I don't want any." Lane's cold voice slashed like Valkyrie's brave sword. Both Fubuki and Shu froze in their tracks. Lane...

But then Fubuki laughed. Like real loud, Making the other few people who came to enjoy the night in the park to stare at him sweat-dropping. After wiping off his tears of laughter, Fubuki said, "Dummy, hear me out first! I'm not in love with Shu-senpai. I have another boyfriend. My nature is just like this. I'm sorry you had to misunderstand it."

Lane's face flushed. He was so embarrassed. And he even confessed his love to Shu. He couldn't even stand facing the prodigy anymore. So he turned on his heels and ran away, hearing a cry of "Lane!" from Shu.

He sat alone at the top of the tower he inhabited. The place was quiet and calming at night. He loved thinking over here. He thought of his blank space, and it hurt more than ever. He really wanted Shu, but he didn't even thought he could face the other now. Maybe he could leave the Raging Bulls, and maybe even America, just to free the risk of seeing Shu around again.

"Lane."

The purplette's blood chilled hearing his blading teacher's voice. The prodigy sat next to him as Lane bowed his head down, hair covering eyes. He have shown this place to Shu a long time ago, but never thought that the albino would remember it.

Lane's thoughts got caught mid-air when he felt a hand snaking around his waist. He looked at Shu to see him still staring at the night. The hand pulled him closer to the red eyed male, until Lane was leaning on him. He closed his eyes, taking in the warmth of the other.

Shu's other hand made his way towards Lean and he hugged the other, comforting him with the warmth more in the cold night. Lane knew there shouldn't be any embarrassing words spoken as Shu's lips found his, and they made out in the roof of the tower. Lane's cheeks slightly flushed pinker than it already was in the cold. Shu looked the same. After their make out session, neither of them made eye contact and just stared at the night. After a while, Shu spoke.

"I'm glad", Then he smiled, and Lane finally got what he wanted the most- For Shu to look and smile at him just like he does to Valt. But it just got 100 times better with the kiss. Then Shu spoke again, a little awkwardly.

"S-so...what are we now..?" Lane's pink hue turned a bright red. So, are they boyfriends? Or anything else?

"I don't know..?" Lane said, "But I love you." He said, sounding cute to Shu.

"Love you too..." Shu said with a baby voice, which was too foreign to Lane, the albino have never even used this with Valt.

Lane smiled, feeling complete, his blank space got covered. And so did Shu's.

I've been writing this for a long time now. Glad I finally completed it.
I finally did the request I got a month ago too.
And I swear, LANE X SHU IS JUST SO FREAKING ADORABLE!!! LIKE, SHU'S ALWAYS HAVING A SOT SPOT FOR HIM!!! IT'S TOO CUTE!
Anyways, as I mentioned in the randomness, I won't have exams tomorrow. It got postponed and so I will be here for longer :)
Bye, stay safe and happy!
Fin.