DISCLAIMER: I do not own Monochrome Factor or any of the characters - They are all Kairi Sorano's property.
This is just a fanfic, made from a fan for fans.
AUTHOR'S Note: Rated M for language, explicit intimate scenes & yaoi.
After all this time how could he possibly think that he was joking whenever he said that he loved him. Akira sure treated him like he was only an immature man... And that pissed him off more and more lately. Shirogane was walking in the city streets for quite some time now and his steps brought him in front of a very familiar place. He walked in Bar STILL and saw the Master cleaning glasses a usual and preparing everything in order to open the bar later.
"Goodmorning Shirogane", said with a smiling face as soon as he sensed his presence.
"Goodmorning Master…", Shirogane mumbled gloomily after he took his seat at the bar and staring with a blank look at the bottles behind it. Master moved towards him with a frown.
"Why are you like that? Did anything happen?"
"No, just the usual."
"Hm… the usual as in fighting the kokuchi and preventing darkness expanding, or as in your constant fights and misunderstandings with Akira?"
Shirogane sighed in frustration and Master responded with a knowing smile.
"Wanna talk about it maybe? I don't know if I can be of any help, but at least I can hear you out."
"I don't know.. I mean.. I'm really tired from all those. Fighting the kokuchi and whatever comes our way all the time, trying to infiltrate the Shadow World, staying in this realm and being so damn weak, and… and then there's Akira-kun who just won't awake as the Rei King and above all he just refuses to understand me and aknowledge my feelings towards him. "
The Master chuckled a bit with Shirogane's last complaint.
"I understand, but as things are now I don't think you're left with many options. You and Kou are the best in fighting the kokuchi and teaching those kids how to do so themselves and how to react under pressure. And we can't exactly send Akira-kun to infiltrate the Shadow World, can we?"
Shirogane closed his eyes and shuddered at the thought of putting Akira in such dangerous situation.
"You're right…"
"It's understandable that you feel fed up, but I think what affects you the most is your relationship with Akira. Why don't you try to take it easy on him? Because from my point of view, his place is difficult too. You rocked his world and turned the tables upside down with all those things about the Shin and the Rei and the kokuchi… But he's not complaining. He just deals with everything that comes his way. Have you ever thought he might find it difficult too, to adjust in this kind of life?"
Shirogane took his hat off and laid it on the bar sighing deeply.
"You're right again, but … but… ugh… I don't like it! I don't like it at all! I feel like I'm going to explode! After all this time, no.. For the first time in my life, I actually have such feelings for someone and that someone feels nothing for me and on top of that things keep getting more and more complicated."
"Calm down. It's not like anyone will stroll in and steal him away from you. Though that would be interesting too." Master spoke to himself while continuing cleaning glasses.
The shadow gasped and his eyes nearly popped out.
"Do you think that this might happen? Someone can come and get my Akira-kun away from me? I can't let this happen! No one understands him and loves him more than me!"
"Now.. Now.. I think you're exaggerating a bit Shirogane. I don't think anyone can get close to Akira-kun at this point, at least none other than his friends and comrades. So, I believe you're safe."
"That Kengo is very suspicious now that I think about it." Shirogane said with a serious and deep in thoughts face.
"Even though Akira keeps pushing him away and treating him bad, he always sticks around and chases after him. Or Aya, she keeps saying she's a prefect and needs to tag after him and bring him back to order, but what if she actually has different thoughts. Or maybe that sneaky weasel Kou… No one can be sure about what he thinks! Maybe he's playing the big brother and protector in order to gain his trust and then… Oh no! Oh no! So many enemies want to steal my Akira-kun away from me..", the shin banged his head on the bar making the master jumping a bit.
"I can't lose him to no one!"
"That's the spirit, but please don't overdo it. It might destroy things for everyone. Besides I highly doubt any of those you mentioned have such feelings towards him. Just calm down and let things develop slowly. You're stressing out way too much over nothing."
"…maybe…", Shirogane mumbled in despair.
"..or maybe not."
The door banged open after that and Mayu came in running with a huge smile towards the two men.
"Master! Master! I'm here today again!", she dropped her handbag on the bar stall and took her seat on a stool next to Shirogane.
"How are you gorgeous?", she said after rubbing all over him.
"Something's wrong? Do you need Mayu to comfort you?"
The shin lifted his head slowly, and straightened his hair and clothes before he responded with a bright smile.
"I'm doing very well Mayu-chan. Thank you for your interest, but there's nothing wrong here. Just lack of sleep and too much tiredness piled up."
"Awww… and I thought you might need someone to make you forget. Oh wait or maybe now you'll need me to relax you?", she added cheerfully clinging all over him. The master cleared his throat while the shin shot her a weary look, trying to "unhook" her from him.
"Nee-san…why are you being like that again?", Kengo rushed in and tried unsuccessfully to take his sister away from Shirogane. After what seemed like hours, the two men managed to put some space between Mayu and them, with lots of protests on her part. They both sighed and Kengo sat exhausted beside the white-haired man.
"How are you Kengo? Can I get you something?", Master asked him smiling.
"Fine. Just a bit pissed off cause they've been up to something all day long and they don't let me near them.", Kengo replied pointing behind him, where Akira and Aya were sitting together, leaning close to each other, whispering and totally absorbed by their secret conversation.
"…And a cold soda would be fine. It was so damn hot today..", Kengo slouched on the bar stall, while Shirogane was staring at the said couple behind them. How could he not have noticed them and why the heck were they being so secretive? He rose from his seat, but immediately received a glare from Aya, who rushed to add, "Hi and ..bye! Please don't bother us for a few. We gotta talk with Nikaido about something important.", and continued talking to Akira like nothing had happened. Akira didn't even raise his eyes to that, but kept looking at Aya, nodding and talking a bit without bothering for his surroundings at all as usual. Shirogane sat down again even more depressed and pissed off than before. Suddenly Aya got up and left the place dragging Akira with her.
"Bye! We'll see you later guys or uh.. tomorrow!"
"Huh? What do you mean? Hey Ayaaaaaaa….", Kengo shot up, dropping his stool in the process and his glass of soda making a huge mess all over him and on the floor.
"Fuck! …Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! How did this happen now?", he got up trying to clean everything.
"I'm really sorry Master. I'll take care of it right away. Damn… I missed them now."
"You're so clumsy and dumb Kengo…", Mayu slurred out a bit.
"Ugh, don't tell me you're drunk already? Come on nee-san! You promised you'd stop!", Kengo whined.
"Ehhh…? You should talk better to your nee-san!", and with that Mayu punched him to oblivion. Master was trying to settle things down, while Shirogane was lost in his thoughts and absolutely dumb-founded about the scene that took place a little before. Was that how prefects approached students now to prevent them from skipping classes? Something seemed very off, especially after she asked him to stay away. And Akira didn't seem to care about the others, …no, about him at all. Just what the hell was happening…
In the meanwhile outside…
"Hey Aya.. Dammit! Stop dragging me like that! I can walk on my own!", Akira protested.
"What are you talking about lazy bum? You don't bother about anything if someone else doesn't make you and once again that someone is me! I'm tired of babysitting you all the time! Just become a man already!"
"I am a man! That's why I don't bother with bullcrap and stupid stuff.."
"Yeah.. Yeah. Well you asked for my help so you'll have to suck it up!"
"You're supposed to help me awake as a damn Rei king,", Akira said quietly through gritting teeth, "not dislocating my fucking shoulder. Just cut it out already! I'll do whatever you want, demon!"
At that last comment Aya released him and slapped his forehead.
"That was for the demon thing. Now walk!"
Akira rubbed his forehead ticked off but didn't say anything and followed her. It seemed safer like that.
"We need to ask Kou more about the Rei and how they work and turn into one. All we know so far is about the Shin - how you become one, what they are, how they work, what's their purpose - but not much about the Rei. Light beings, total opposites from the Shin and constantly working to prevent darkness from spreading into our world. But it can't be just that. I mean there must be something that will help us how to awake you or at least practice some of your original Rei powers. You'll need them and I get the feeling that the time will be real soon.", she kept talking without looking back, confident that he would definitely follow.
"Kou will know something for sure. Who can know more about Rei, than one of them? Though I don't really understand why you wanted us to keep it a secret from everyone.", with that she glanced back at Akira, who had been silent all along.
"Kengo won't be of any help and Shirogane doesn't really believe in me and what I can do. You saw last time how he rushed to help even though he was so weak. And that just because he didn't believe in me."
"I see… That's alright. I told you I wouldn't say anything and I'll help you with your case, but I don't think that Shirogane meant anything bad. He was just overly anxious and worried about your safety. You know he loves you.."
"Yeah right", he scoffed at that looking a bit down and sad.
"It's true and you should believe in him a little more maybe in the future."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean it's not a bad thing to show your feelings to someone once in a while. It doesn't make you less a man or weak in their eyes."
"Aya I have no idea what you're talking about. And I'm not in love with Shirogane."
"I saw him groping and kissing Kengo yesterday when we were at his place."
"…", Akira stopped moving, his eyes went huge and his jaw dropped open.
"Shocked much?"
"I… wah..", he was trying desperately to find the right words when a furious look spread on his face.
"He said he loves me and he goes around fucking with others? Pfff… and you dare to ask me again to believe in him!"
"I'm not in love with Shirogane… nya nya nya..", Aya mocked him.
"Shit! Were you lying just now?", Akira asked still nervous and frustrated about her previous statement.
"Of course. If you can't tell yourself how you feel about him, allow me to help you with that too!", she replied with a wicked smug grin on her face.
"No wonder everyone calls you demon. You …demon!"
"Tsk tsk! I'm just doing a perfect job as a prefect! Anyway, let's not hide behind our finger and admit that you return his feelings already. We're almost there.", she added while they were crossing a street near Kou's apartment.
"I don't know. I guess so. I'm used to having him drooling over me and chasing me all the time."
"Uh huh… I'm sure it's more than just that.", Aya said absentmindly pushing the yard's door open.
"I don't wanna talk about it now. Let's just focus on the task at hand first."
"You're right about that I suppose."
As soon as they reached the door of the apartment, it flew open and a grinning Kou rushed to welcome them with hugs and his usual.. harassment.
"Aya-chan… oh.. Ah.."
"Bump"
Aya 's fist landed with force on Kou's face and then a strong kick on his ass.
"You should really stop harassing her Kou. You know what's happening every time and I'm surprised you still got some teeth left after all that beating.", Akira said looking emotionless as usual. Kou got up and straightened his clothes smiling.
"You can't possibly believe, that something like that, can bring me of all people down. I am a Rei afterall."
"Good cause that's the reason we're here.", Aya said annoyed. The man stared at both of them not quite understanding what they actually wanted.
"I'm not sure…"
"We need you to tell us about the Rei.", she cut him.
"What about them?"
"Everything about them. What they truly are, how their powers work, their history. Everything that might help Akira to awake as a Rei king and prepare for the things to come. Or at least practice while trying to reach that point."
Enlightenment shone in his eyes.
"I see… Well then,.." he put one hand on Aya's shoulder, "..ladies and.." grabbed Akira next and crushed them both in a tight bear hug, "…gentlemen. Let the show begin!"
"Here it goes…", Aya and Akira mumbled gloomily.