Of Hearts and Swords
Their breathing was ragged, the tension in the air high, spots of blood had blotched the ground of the music room. Yu was near the piano, leaning on his sword slightly for support as Yosuke was now near the bench of the piano.
It wasn't something that either of them wanted to do, but it had to be done.
Someone had to continue forward. The mass of chaos and uncertain events that were unfolding, it was starting to mess with their minds. It was clear that someone or something was manipulating every situation. Any word spoken by the other in an initial meeting would become twisted, only invoking the sense and need to cross swords.
To have two best friends go against one another, it had been the ultimate test.
Yu had tried to go as easy on him as possible, but he had to at least defeat him in order to progress forward. With Nanako's life possibly at risk again, there was no questioning that he had to sort all of this out.
Letting his sword fall to the ground, he wondered over to the figure that was still taking heavy breaths and sitting on the small bench in front of the piano. As he knelt down to one knee, he saw those brown eyes staring over at him with a normal gleam to them.
"Y-You didn't have to be so harsh man."
Looking beyond confused, the more-composed of the two couldn't help but to subconsciously run a hand over his friend's forehead, brushing a few locks of auburn hair away.
"Do you not remember anything you just said to me Yosuke?"
Brown eyes emitted a look of similar confusion. It took a few moments for them to redress what just occurred, but they both realized that their words hadn't been true. Sighing with relief, Yosuke began to lean up to sit more upright. He watched as his friend's hand was still lingering close to his face in a worried mannerism.
"I'm all right. You should keep going though partner."
Yu nodded. As his hand lowered back to his side, he was about to get up, but a hand stopped him.
"Nurses aren't that bad-right?"
Remembering how he was being teased and rudely taunted about his preferences made Yosuke feel a little shaken up with his masculinity. With a low chuckle, Yu found himself hesitating to move and ended up staying in the same position as before.
"You know there was another reason why I didn't get you that magazine, right?"
Blushing at the sudden overlay of the topic, Yosuke was running his hand over the back of his neck nervously. Doing so, he realized how sore his back was from how he had hit the ground earlier.
"I can imagine why man. But trust me, I wouldn't think of you in a nurse's uniform. That's just weird."
Becoming intrigued with the idea, Yu pressed onward.
"Oh? Then what would be coming to mind?"
"D-Dude this isn't the time or place for stuff like that, besides I wouldn't think of you like that." Yosuke was moving his arms as if to push his friend away. "You should get going."
Yu returned to being serious, grabbing onto both of the other's forearms that had been trying to push him away. He tugged on them, pulling the other closer by a few inches just as he leaned his face in to stare at him closely.
"I want to make sure you're all right first."
Stammering, Yosuke was trying to find words but was definitely caught off-guard at his friend's reaction. Why was he being so overly worried? Sure they were best friends and it was natural to worry considering they just had to beat the shit out of each other, but still.
It made him feel strange, and staring at those grey eyes was making him feel a nervousness that he had only ever felt when a cute girl passed by.
"I-I-I'm fine. Just get going." Normally he would've lightened the mood somehow, but he was far too uneasy to do that now.
Yu's grip only tightened at this. Noticing the intensity growing between them out of nowhere, their eyes locked. The unknowing circumstances that lay before them had made them both anxious. Yu was going to continue forward, but what if something happened along the way? They couldn't go together like they normally would, they couldn't fight side by side and have each other's back in battle.
The prospect made not only Yosuke, but Yu scared as well.
It was more so the idea of leaving him alone in this unsettling music room. Yu already knew that his friend couldn't leave with him, and he would be stuck here-alone-until all of this was sorted out. He knew he had to continue forward because of Nanako, but something was keeping him tied to not leaving the room yet.
"Yu you really should-"
"What if something happens?"
"Huh?"
"What if something happens to you while I'm gone? Or what if I lose or worse?"
"Don't say things like that man. We've gotten through way worse, it'll be fine."
"You don't know that."
The tension increased ten-fold, and gaze consisting of grey eyes became smoldering.
Yosuke was starting to become fretful now, all of these worries spilling out from their leader. If he crumbled then it was only a matter of time before he did as well. They had built so much reliance on one another. The prospect of possibly losing his best friend made him feel more than uneasy.
"Yu I…"
Neither of them moved from the close proximity they had been lingering in. A minute or so passed, their eyes silently saying so many things that only they could ever understand. It was as Yu moved that same hand up from earlier and let it run down the other's face and then stopped to rest at his neck, that was when Yosuke found himself unconsciously moving his right hand up to grip at the other's jacket.
Yu leaned in subtly at first, but as he drew nearer to the other the action was clearly an eager one. His lips pressed onto Yosuke's in a bruising force that was only mustered in the battle they had engaged in moments ago. Gasping in surprise, Yosuke found himself clutching at the fabric in between his fingers, his head tilting inward to let himself return the kiss with just as much force.
The kiss was composed of desperation, desire, and an underlying feeling that had yet to be labeled properly. It was growing though, with every second of contact their lips made. Yu towered over the smaller figure, letting his hands grasp roughly at the sides of his face. His fingertips caressed at every inch of skin near the jawline and along the neck, the kiss only growing more passionate as their bodies drew closer.
Yosuke began to fall back, his arms coming into contact with the surface of the piano. The keys were jammed on as his elbows slid over the edges of the instrument, and the noise echoed throughout the isolated area. Neither cared as their lips began to part, letting their tongues meet for the first time.
Gasping softly at the initial touch, Yu felt the hands on his jacket pulling him forward even more. His knee took a place on the bench directly between the spread legs of the other. Leaning on that knee for support, he let himself press his body downward so that their chests were touching as their tongues ran along each other's in a lingering yet meaningful way.
Their mouths were moving together as if to speak the words that had been hidden in their actions. They meant so much to one another, and their bond was far too strong to ever imagine breaking. It scared them to lose something so precious. The pressing of piano keys caused more noise to brim through the area, but it was unnoticed once more as Yu pressed closer still, his knee brushing against a certain area between his friend's legs that caused a moan to be heard amidst their tasting of each other's mouths.
It was just as fair-skinned hands began to trace further down, absentmindedly running over the frontside of a hardness that the grey-haired persona-user had that the reality set in. Yu slowly withdrew, much to his disliking. His grey eyes stared deeply into brown ones that were half-lidded.
"There's no time for this." Yu's voice was low, slightly heavy, and it was tinted with regret.
The circumstances were dire, even more so since neither of them knew just what was truly going on. More than anything, he wanted to continue forward with whatever had just began to develop between himself and his best friend. But he had no time to be wasting time, much less energy to spare doing such..activities.
"I know, you should get going." The other was breathing a bit uneasily but he clearly held a look of understanding in his eyes. He knew that this was probably the worst place to even think of doing something like this, and certainly not the time.
"We can finish this when we leave this place."
Yosuke was still dazed as to the amount of overwhelming emotions that had just been uncovered. It took him less than a second to respond though.
"I'll be waiting for you. I know you can do it."
The assurance was needed, and it was twice as encouraging coming from his best friend. Well, as he let his hand run back over the soft tone of skin, he wasn't sure what to discern him as. Still his best friend, partner, and now…something more. The feeling in his chest told him so, and it made him lean in to kiss those lips once more before turning to head towards the exit that only he could pass through.
"I'll see you soon."
The leader disappeared. The hallways of Yasogami High School lay before him. This wasn't how he imagined starting off his holiday during Golden Week. And as his footsteps led him forward to the next area, he could only hope that it would all be over soon. He had someone waiting for him, and he was more than ready to return to him.
~ fin.