imagine the GazettE boys in Versailles costumes, well Hizaki's aside, since he was too girly, while I still imagined these boys in manly costumes, even for Uruha! Since I see Uruha as a metal-brother-person! (anybody, ever see him without makeups would understand this…lol).
Imagine the GazettE boys were living in some kind of Victorian era or something similar to that (sorry, I had a bad mark for history..lol). OH! And, mind you, Aoi was younger than Reita here. Again, mind you, English is NOT my first language. So, if you find any weird-words-using, PLEASE do let me know…*Japanese dogezaaa*
It's an old fanfic, actually. I posted this first in my Livejournal account. Here: . Well, anyway, ^o^/ happy reading!
Dime Novel
"That's him…" Uruha whispered as he bended a little to his left, juxtapose his head a little toward Reita.
Reita, Uruha, and several other people sat behind a long dining table that placed on some kind of stage, so the people who sat behind the said table could have a perfect view to every corner inside the vast hall, right facing to the hall entrance. Reita, as the person who held the massive feast that evening, sat in the middle of the table. Meanwhile, Uruha, as Reita's right-hand man, sat on the right. Aside from the two men, there were still another important people sat at Reita's left, and Uruha's right.
The great hall had several round tables, which sized enough for four to six people each, which organized at the left and right sides of the hall. Then, at the corner of the great hall, there were the musicians group with their violin and viola, piano, and cello. They played beautifully for the guests who danced on the dance floor.
Those invited guests were wearing their best clothing that evening. The ladies danced, walked, moved with their long and wide skirts. The gowns were very beautiful; each adorned with ribbons, laces, or silk flowers at the tip of their skirts, sleeves, or at the tip of the low neckline. Yes, they were so proud of their smooth shoulder lines, and their long neck line. Several of those ladies wore pearls, blood-red rubies, or emeralds that even greener from their own eyes to adorn their necks.
The twang of the piano could be heard as the climax part of the song. The dancing ladies spin and their long gowns made beautiful colourful waves. The red skirts made it looked like a spreading rose petals, the blue one made it looked like rippling water, and the white one made it looked like teasing pigeons.
Reita enjoyed the evening feast view very much. But still, there was nothing in this world that could beat Reita's interest for the slender figure who sat on one of the round tables that placed far enough from his own table.
The figure had stolen Reita's attention since the plenum of his clan two weeks ago. The figure was actually not part of Reita's family. He's just a colleague from his cousin, Ruki. Ruki trusted his colleague very much, and Reita just trusted his cousin very much, so he let Ruki invited the said colleague to the plenum before. Aoi, was the name that Ruki said when he introduced the figure to Reita. Ever since Reita met Aoi for the first time, Aoi never escaped from Reita's attention.
Aoi was an interior designer. The young man was already made several important people in Reita's clan dazzled to his skills by designing their home interior. Reita thought maybe that was why Ruki had the nerve to engaged Aoi to Reita's clan circle.
Or… Ruki had other intention, perhaps?
"Didn't he attract your attention Reita?" Uruha asked as he smiled.
"Yes, indeed. Of course," Reita answered when he played with the red liquid inside his slim crystal glass.
"So, which portraitist will you hire to print the lovely figure, Reita?"
"Why should I hire a portraitist—" Reita asked as he pushed his chair backward. "—if my own mind can engrave every detail indentation of his body inside my head?" Reita smiled. He arose from his chair and walked away, leaving the long table that filled with many delicious expensive foods.
That moment, Aoi was talking with someone that Reita couldn't memorize the name. Too many members inside his grand clan just too much for him. Reita should thanking Uruha later if he had the will to remind Reita about the person's name.
When Reita walked slowly toward the table, he kept locking his gaze to where Aoi sat. Aoi was still as attractive as the first time Reita saw him. Aoi was still in the same beauty like Reita saw him several times when he had an errand with Ruki.
Then a waiter came to Aoi's table and filled the empty glasses on the table. Aoi looked to the waiter and smiled. From the distance, even when Reita couldn't hear Aoi's voice, add it with the music that was still playing and with voices from several people who talked around him, Reita could still read Aoi's lips movement when he muttered "thank you" to the waiter.
Aoi's lips. The plush lips that looked so flushed always made a shivers down to Reita's spine. Reita thought that it seems that Aoi treated every span of his body so, very well, including his lips. Aoi's lips always looked so wet and rosy, just like when Reita saw him smiled.
Aoi returned his attention to the person he talked to before. Reita was wondering what they were talking about. It looked so interesting. Aoi smiled. Sometimes he nodded and made his long black hair – that always looked so soft and made Reita wanted to caress it so bad – moved to every gesture he made. The long black hair was framing his face perfectly. Yes, every single thing that adhered to Aoi was so, very attracting Reita's attention. It made Reita wanted to know more, deeper, about the figure.
The song in the great hall ended, and the musicians started to play another song. Now, the current music was like flaunt to the pianist. When Aoi heard the intro of the music, Aoi looked at the pianist. Aoi smiled for the song choice and he raised his glass to the pianist.
Was this his favourite song? Reita thought. Reita loves music but he's not very good at memorizing titles – and names. All he could remember was the piano tones that Reita thought – if he's not mistaken the title – as Nocturne in E Flat Major Opening 9 no. 2.
Several pairs of eyes were looking into Reita's direction when the feast owner walked past them. A man in front of Reita took a hold of his lady's hand, making the woman realized that she blocked Reita's – the feast owner, the clan leader – way. The lady shifted her position and looked into where Reita directed his steps to.
All the people in the hall respected Reita very much. They would even do the slightest thing to please the feast owner's heart. No, they were not bootlickers. They were also not the kind of people who wanted to look for advantage by doing good things in front of Reita. They just did what they could do as their respect to their clan leader. They knew that Reita was a good leader, and they were actually felt very lucky that they could be part of a great clan, with a leader that had a great charisma, like Reita. That's all.
That moment, Aoi still didn't realize that Reita was walking into his direction. Aoi was still focusing his attention to his partner's words. Reita couldn't blame Aoi for that though. Since Aoi didn't directly facing him at that moment. Reita could only see Aoi's face perfectly when the haired young man turned his head. If only he would do that exactly as Reita think of it.
Then, it was Aoi's partner who stopped the conversation when he realized that Reita was coming into their table. Reita could see it when Aoi looked confused when his partner suddenly stopped talking. Aoi looked into his partner's eyes direction, and Aoi followed it. Aoi turned his head, and that was when he saw the feast owner stood near his table, stood very close to him, and smiled to him.
Aoi couldn't return the smile. It was not because he didn't want to. He was frozen, and gasped. Aoi was too surprised to see the most important person in the hall like the clan leader was actually standing this close to his table, and was actually looking directly into his eyes. To the contrary, in Reita's position, Reita could feel that all eyes on him or maybe on Aoi too. They were waiting, what Reita would do after this.
Reita smiled. The clan leader couldn't take his eyes off of Aoi. That was when Reita realized, that Aoi was far more beautiful if Reita looked at him this close. Reita couldn't compare it to any of Reita's imaginations before. Reita realized, that there were no other meetings that could be this perfect if he had to compare it with the one he had with Aoi that evening.
"There are several things that I want to discuss with you… Aoi…" Reita said as he put his right hand on his chest, the gesture he always showed to the person he admired, while the said person was still glued to his chair.
Aoi was so surprised for the invitation. His eyes were wide-open. Who am I? He thought to himself. Aoi felt that he didn't have that high position, neither had the important role in the clan to be able to talk to the clan's leader. He's not the representation from any other famous family inside the clan. He was just Ruki's colleague; he was just someone who Ruki trusted. Aoi DID remembered that Ruki was Reita's cousin. But that won't make Aoi's position in the clan got higher, would it? Then, what kind of discussion that Reita – the leader of the clan – wanted to have with commoner like him? Aoi realized that several people who sat or stood near his table suddenly felt silent after they heard what Reita said to him.
"Wh… I don't see I deserve any moment with you, but, what kind of discussion do you want to have with me, My Lord?" Aoi asked, almost whispering, for he too scared about his own situation. He tried to act courteous and tried to muffle his fast-beating heart in the same time. His fingers that were still holding his wine glass were trembling a little for his nervousness.
Reita could see the blush that adorned Aoi's cheek. If Reita could exaggerate a bit, he could even notice that the people were holding their breath while they witnessed the occurrence. No one could help it. Reita knew that no one would expect that Reita would in fact talk to Aoi. No one would expect that Aoi actually had the chance to talk to the clan leader.
But Aoi did actually have the chance, that evening, after Reita just gave it to him.
In the distance, Uruha just smiled with the sight. It's great, wasn't it? For someone who didn't have the important position in the clan could actually steal the leader's attention. Moreover, Aoi was not part of any family in the clan. Sometimes Uruha thought that Aoi was a lucky outsider. Or maybe that was the case. For Aoi precisely not part of the clan, it made him stand out. It made him different, the unique person in the clan, the special one.
The appealing one.
Aoi was still casted down his eyes. He was shocked by his own question. He was not supposed to question the invitation from the clan leader. He shouldn't be so impudent to question the most important person in the clan.
The dark haired young man suddenly felt even more scared than before. He was thinking about the cause of why suddenly, out of the blue, the clan leader was approaching him. Aoi thought that he made a mistake without realizing it. Then Aoi thought that he might do something that annoyed the clan leader. Another thought appeared inside Aoi's mind that he shouldn't be in the hall in the first place. Aoi was not part of the clan and the clan leader, who was also the feast owner, didn't want him to be in the clan leader's luxurious ballroom.
"What I want to discuss with you—" Reita started his words. Reita stretched out his hand to Aoi. "—I'll say it to you ONLY, Aoi." Reita smiled. "Come…" The clan leader then touched Aoi's cheek a little. He pushed some strands of the bangs off of Aoi's eyes.
Whispering started to arise behind Reita. 'The young man, he's so lucky…' was one comment that Reita heard. 'Lucky' they said. Reita thought about it. Who was the luckier one actually? Was it the young man because he was there to be found by Reita, or was it Reita who at last found the pretty young man?
"Oh, I…" Aoi looked at the stretched hand before him. The hand that touched his cheek and hair earlier was still there, waiting for him to answer. Aoi took a deep breath before he said finally, "Your… wish… is my command, My Lord…" Aoi welcomed, and put his own hand on Reita's and accepted the invitation.
Reita smiled. He waited when Aoi pushed his chair back a little and rose from it. There, the clan leader and the young man, hand in hand, walked past several people toward the hall entrance. "Please. Carry on!" Reita said with his gallant voice to all the people in the hall, and to the musicians at the corner. But several pairs of eyes were still looking at them as the two men exited the great hall. That moment, Reita could careless for those eyes. He could only enjoy the softness from the hand he held very much.
Still on his chair, Uruha took the initiative to give the code to the musician group leader to continue the song that no one realized had stopped. Uruha knew that their leader's behaviour that evening was stealing anyone's attention including the musicians. When the invited guests heard the music and looked at Uruha – the vice of the leader – stood from his chair, they continued the music playing and the dancing.
There, the two young men stood on the vast balcony on the third floor of the building. It was the main balcony where Reita usually use it when he had to deliver important announcements as the clan leader.
"Is there anything I can do for you, My Lord?" Aoi asked with his head down.
"Of course there is," Reita answered with a smile. "In fact, there are so many things that you can do for me, Aoi. I want to talk about several things with you. And first, one thing you can do for me right now is… answering my questions."
"Yes, My Lord."
Reita smiled as he lessened the distance between him and Aoi. "Were you confused when I asked you to discuss several things?" Reita asked. Aoi nodded slowly. "I saw you when I visited Ruki's residence. At first, I thought you were his sibling," Reita said as he chuckled. "Ruki told me back then; you're there to help him changed his home interior?"
"That's right, My Lord…"
"So… you ARE the interior expert, aren't you? I guess you understand every detail in each building and the rooms you saw?"
"Oh, no, My Lord. I'm not an expert. I… I'm still learning…" Aoi stuttered.
"But I think we both know that Ruki had this high taste for his house's magnificence. If he trusted you that much, it means that you have great taste too."
"Well… I guess it was just because we shared the same taste, My Lord. I think, somewhere, out there, there are still people who don't like the designs I made." He still didn't have the courage to look into Reita's eyes.
"But you can recommend the right design to anyone who hire you, can't you?"
"I tried my best for each design I made, My Lord. I tried my best to not disappointing anyone."
"Then, will you help me?" Reita asked with a smile. He took another step to get closer to that black haired young man. "There are several places that I want you to change the nuance."
"If you don't mind, My Lord, may I know what room do you want me to change the interior? At least, I can make a sketch for it first."
"I'm not sure you can make a sketch of the room image I meant, Aoi," Reita said as he stretched his hand again. This time he didn't wait for Aoi to answer receive it. He reached Aoi's hand. Reita could feel Aoi flinched a little by it, but he didn't let the hand go. "Well, can you, Aoi, change the interior of a room… in my heart?"
The sudden question made Aoi lifted his gaze and looked into Reita's eyes in surprise. The black haired young man found another surprising thing when he saw his leader staring back at him intensely. The blush returned to Aoi's face and Aoi diverted his gaze to any other thing than Reita. "I beg your pardon, but what do you mean, My Lord?" Aoi stuttered again.
Reita then walked behind Aoi. He let Aoi's hand go, and placed his one hand on Aoi's hip from behind. It shocked Aoi very much. But when Aoi felt Reita's other hand touched his upper arm softly, Aoi felt it as a sign that he shouldn't go anywhere. Aoi didn't have the courage to move away from THIS Reita. He didn't have the courage to even turn his head to look at his leader's face. Aoi just stood there, without doing anything, and enjoyed every single heart-beat that was getting faster inside his chest.
Reita juxtapose his face to Aoi's right ear. He took a deep breath, inhaled and enjoyed the scent from the young man's body that was in his touch. "Maybe one picture of you can decorate the wall of my heart, Aoi?"
"My Lord…" Aoi could feel his face was getting warmer when he heard the leader's words. He didn't expect that the man with the great charisma could say something so sweet. One thing that Aoi couldn't understand: why the leader did that to him?
"Or… maybe the one of your necklaces shape that adorned your beautiful neck can be very beautiful as pattern on the wallpaper of my life?"
"W-wait, My Lord—"
"Oh, I have another idea," Reita said as he stroked Aoi's upper arm softly. "How about your voice as the colour of the ceiling of my dreams every night? Hm?"
"My Lord..!" Aoi called as he turned around and took a step, backing away from the leader. He felt so audacious that moment. But Aoi was afraid that the feast owner was drinking too much when they were in the great hall earlier and he just didn't realize with what he just said.
"What is it, Aoi?" Reita asked in concern. There, Reita's beautiful brown orbs were still penetrated Aoi's defence. Despite the concern Reita showed to Aoi, the leader's face was still looked so composed. His breath was still so restrained, no smell of liquor either from it. Both of the handsome man's feet were still tread unwavering on the marble floor. There was no sign of alcohol controlling the leader's movement.
"My Lord…" Aoi called carefully. "Please forgive me if I'm too frank about this… b-but… wh-what do you mean with those words?"
"Was it not clear enough for you?" Reita took one of Aoi's hands in his hold. "I need your help, Aoi…" Reita said in serious tone.
"F-for..?" Aoi was still trying to keep save distance to his leader.
"Complete my days?"
Aoi was getting more nervous. "Please, My Lord… I… I don't understand… I—"
"Aoi," Reita cupped Aoi's hands. "May I ask you one thing?"
"What… is it, My Lord?"
"When the first time you saw me, what do you think of me?"
"You're a great leader, My Lord. You know how to deal with everyone, each with their own thoughts. Your leadership could crush anyone who wanted to go against you with their snobbery," Aoi explained. His words flowed without any hesitation, as if all of those words were already imprinted inside his head.
Reita smiled. He then caressed Aoi's cheek with the back of his fingers, again, made Aoi gasped. "You said all of those things very smoothly, Aoi," Reita said with a low voice. "How long did you pay attention to me?" The smile didn't leave the handsome face. Reita was still smiling.
"Since I heard your words in one of your cousin's funeral, My Lord…"
"Which words?"
"Your words that reminded me death wouldn't be enough to be the end of every single important life, My Lord. There were no such things as vain in this world. Even if our life DO has to come to an end, but the role we had during our life is the important thing that can change the world into a more beautiful place to live…"
"You remembered…" Reita was dazzled. "You remembered everything I said that time."
"Yes, My Lord," Aoi said slowly. "It was because the words you said that time was so reassuring my heart… that was the fact. The death of your cousin… it caused a lot of grief for many people inside your clan, but I, who am not actually part of the family, could felt it too." Aoi hung his head down again. He closed his eyes. Reita could feel the trembling from Aoi's hands that were still in his hold. He could feel that Aoi was trying to clench his hand, just his other hand that clenched in front of his chest and squeezed his shirt a little. Aoi then continued his words. "But the things you said that time was succeed in making our entire spirit rise again…" With that sentence, Aoi lifted his head and showed his sweet little smile. "You, your words, and the charisma you hold within you, all of those were enchanted us that when your cousin left us, left the clan, your cousin was actually leaving the lovely dedication to the world."
"Beautiful…"
"My Lord..?" Aoi was surprised with Reita's words.
"It's you," Reita caressed Aoi's cheek again. "You looked so beautiful when you said those words, Aoi, as if all of those are your own," Reita explained. "I guess… aside from interior expert, you're also an expert in warming other people's heart with your beautiful words."
Aoi blushed for the umpteenth time.
"Oh, no. Look what you've done to me."
"My Lord..!?" Aoi was shocked when he heard the words.
"I think, if I can't reach my goal tonight, my dream about you after this might be more frantic, Aoi. And I hope you're not going to laugh at me for this."
Aoi blinked. He looked at the leader with confused gaze. "I beg your pardon, again My Lord, but, what do you mean..?"
"One more century, if I'm gone and reborn into a new man in the new life, is there any possibilities to find you again, Aoi?" The question was surprising Aoi very much. "If there's a possibility to it, in our other life, can I make you agree with me to share our hopes and sorrows together in our hands? The two of us?"
This time, Aoi smiled. "The only thing I know, My Lord, when we dare to dream, there will be the possibility to fall for the effort we did to reach the dream. We might get slammed here and there. But as long as we still have our heart, and of course we still have the pages of our book of life, we will be able to rise again, for that is not the end of everything…" Aoi's explanation again, made Reita unnerved. "Isn't it, My Lord?"
"Those words… wasn't it…"
"It's your words when several people in your clan refused to acknowledge Kai-san for entering the family. There were so many people who oppose Kai-san for he had so many different ways in reaching the clan's goals. Kai-san was really unlike your deceased cousin who was very colourful and was very warm to everyone. But the methods that Kai-san offered, though it had a different way of approaching, to the clan was actually a good method too, weren't it? There was nothing wrong with it. There were too many people who wished your cousin's substitute to be exactly like your cousin. Whereas… that was exactly the most impossible one, wasn't it, My Lord? To have similar things in two different beings it is…"
"For the love of Venus and its entire beauty…" Reita whispered. "You remembered all of my words, Aoi? Reita asked disbelievingly with what he just heard.
Aoi blushed, again, but he smiled. "Yes, My Lord. There are always special spaces inside my mind for every single word you say."
"Wait, Aoi. Hold on," Reita said carefully. "Tell me, Aoi. And please, be honest. How long have you live inside the clan?"
"I've already lost counts of nights I've been through since I heard your very first speech, My Lord."
"I see…" Reita said as he nodded slowly. "So far… was there anyone ever hurt you, Aoi?"
Again, Aoi blinked and tilted his head a little. "Again, I beg your pardon, but, what do you mean, My Lord?"
"If there's anyone in this world dare to hurt you, they must end kneeled before me." The words made Aoi fell silent at first. Then, Aoi didn't know what encouraged him, but he let out a chuckle from his sweet flushed lips. It made Reita smiled. "Look at that laughter," Reita said with admiration. "I'll do anything to be able to see that laughter again and again. If I have to, I will sing, I will voice out any songs of false flattery as long as I can make you smile again and again, Aoi."
Aoi was really loss of track about how many times the leader succeeded in surprising him. That time also, the intention that the handsome man had proposed, again, it made Aoi gasped. Aoi was shocked even more when he found the leader kneeled before him. "My Lord..!?"
"Or, should I deafen my own ears from any other voice than yours, Aoi?"
"No..! No, you don't have to..! Please, My Lord, I beg you… please stand up..!" Aoi tried to hold his voice volume. If there was anyone heard him and came to see them both with that kind of position, what he must say to explain the reason of their leader kneeled in front of a commoner?
"Then, be my sun…"
"My Lord..!? But what—"
Reita smiled. "Whatever your colour is, Aoi… even if you're not as white as the usual sun we saw every day, even if you're not as blinding as the real sun, I don't care, as long as you want to be my one."
"My… Lord…" Aoi said slowly. All of the cheesiness that heaved from the handsome man's lips was already turned into stunning strains of music in Aoi's ears. What could be more of a pride than received such a demand from a clan leader?
Aoi followed his leader and kneeled before him. Both of them were on their knees. Then, Aoi held Reita's hand just like Reita held his all of the time. They took both of their hands into each other's hold in front of their chest. Their fingers were intertwined between their chests. The blush was getting even redder on Aoi's cheeks.
"My Lord… if you don't mind to share hopes and sorrows with me, I will try with all of my might to be a person who deserves to stand beside you."
"Don't. Don't be someone else," Reita said as he held Aoi's cheek. "Be yourself…" Reita said as he juxtaposed his face to the black haired young man's face in front of him. "I will force you to share your sorrow with me, and I hope you will accept all the happiness I'll offer you."
As the beginning of the sweet pledge, Reita place a delicate kiss on Aoi's rosy one.
=fin=
_...+++***+++***+++..._
A/N: oh, dear… what did I just wrote here… ok, Reita… it was pretty hard to make you turned into some false flatterer like this. *spreading roses petals here and there*
Well, please, please, give any review, comments, critics, or whatever you want to say to me about this fanfic. Thank you very much. It will be so much love for me.