Moon Over Water

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"Class is over, Burskee" Yao scowled over the papers he was grading, "Shouldn't you go back to your dorm room?"

Ivan paused in his sketching and stared uncomfortably long at the Chinese before a smile graced his lips. "I thought I told you Professor. It's Bra-Gin-Ski," Ivan propped his elbow on the desk, resting his chin on his hand. His smiled grew into a teasing grin. "Or is it you want another reminder?"

Sorely remembering how the devil of a student taught him last time, Yao blushed, mumbling something under his breath. Ivan laughed at his obvious discomfort. Yao refused to acknowledge the shiver running down his spine and some other areas when he heard the low, husky rumble of the youth's voice.

Yao hastily went back to grading papers, refusing to answer. Ivan chuckled a bit more and simply let the matter drop. A few minutes passed in silence then a few hours. It wasn't awkward. They had, after all, spent half the time they were together in silence companionable silence. Yao loved tranquility. He hated to fill the room with meaningless chit chat while Ivan didn't speak at all. Of course that was before he decided to drop his little charade. Nonetheless, when all was said and done, they resume the habit of being together in stillness. It was amiable. Comforting.

The sun was already setting when Yao stretched his arms over his head, finally done with the grading. He glanced at the blond and found him fast asleep on his desk. Yao couldn't help but smile at the innocent sight. Quietly, he walked towards the student.

"Burskee," Yao whispered, gently nudging his shoulders to wake him. Just as Ivan rose from his tiny nap, Yao noticed the notepad he was sketching on.

(I'm falling asleep but I feel like posting this anyway... so I'm gonna continue writing....)

"What made you want to draw?" He asked, his fingers tracing the beautiful lines.

Time ticked by. Yao removed his gaze from the drawing to find Ivan closing his eyes as if blocking out a horrible memory. He didn't expect his question to make the other suffer. Just as he opened his mouth to apologize, Ivan spoke.

"Professor...you know my family background don't you?"

When he saw Yao shake his head, Ivan sighed and turned his head to face the window. "My family, for generations, gained it's wealth importing and exporting foreign good and artifacts...through legal or illegal means. With that money, we bought out businesses and corporations. It's not clean money. Maybe it's because of that my family it cursed. If it's not cheating someone from their money, it's countless love affairs. I've even lost count of how many cases of murder and suicide there is down the family tree."

"My mother...was born into that family. She was never a strong person. From childhood, she always had this illness haunting her. She was a recluse that stayed in her imaginary world, refusing to respond to anyone or anything. It's for that reason after she died that no one questions my actions."


Ivan smiled at his teacher. "I...don't know the whole story...but I think our gardener loved her. He treated me like his own child. He was the one who taught me how to paint actually. I remember my happiest childhood memories were being with him. While my family shunned me and my mother, he often went out of his way to make my mother and me comfortable. No matter what though, my mother never acknowledged him.

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EDIT: Oh I remember why I didn't post this now. I wasn't done explaining hahahaha. =w= too lazy to write it now though.