[[NOTE: Sorry - the spacing here is really messed up and I hate it. I can't even have dashes on a line? D: Not fair. So I'm sorry if you get confused reading it ): ]]
The corridor was overpowered by the sound of synchronised footsteps as us prisoners were herded like cattle into our cells. It was mid-Autumn but the air was so stuffy as all of us were packed closely. The bald man in front of me started to pant, similar to a dog, due to the sudden heat as we transferred from the canteen to our current whereabouts. I watched as tiny beads of sweat started to form on the glaring surface of his head and it seemed like he was crying inside. I know that he tries to hide his pain though – I sometimes hear him weeping at night in the cell next to my own. I tried talking to him once, to see if I could cheer him up but all he told me was that he wasn't meant to be locked in with us crazy criminals. I don't even know his name. I don't like to think of myself as a 'crazy criminal' either. Sure, I'm trapped within these bone white walls because of a sudden outburst but those heartless dickheads got what they deserved. However, I do believe that some people in here could class as a 'crazy criminal'; Shiroyama Yuu to be precise. That guy is just impossible to understand. He once yelled at me for rolling around too much in my sleep, apologised later in the day but had a go at me again in the evening. Nevermind, maybe he's not crazy; just angry. I don't think my other two cellmates could be counted as 'crazy criminals' either. Suzuki Akira barely says anything and keeps to himself while Matsumoto Takanori is just a youngster compared to us convicted for stealing or something similar.
We finally arrived at our cell and suddenly the heat dissipated. Instead of hundreds of men in a crowded area, there was just the four of us in our space for the night. Shiroyama and Suzuki did not waste time with saying 'goodnight', we just received grunts as they arrived at their bunks.
"Ah, well, goodnight. See you in the morning," I said to Matsumoto with my usual smile. I was about to turn around and head to my own bed but then he said,
"Um, Uke? Why do you always smile? You're in one of the worst places you could be. Don't you think you seem a little too cheerful?"
I was a little surprised. Wasn't smiling a good thing? Why should it be questioned?
"A while ago, someone that I cared about a lot told me that I had a bright smile. I guess I thought that I could use it to make this place a bit better. Try and make the circumstances a little less horrid?" I replied.
I received a small smile and nod in return. "I guess. I was just curious is all. I think you should keep smiling, Uke. Your smile really is amazing." Matsumoto hurried to his bunk on top of Suzuki and I laid down on my one under Shiroyama.
Darkness. Lights out.
I was in trouble. Serious trouble. I had lost all of my money at the betting shop and I did not have enough to pay back the leader of the gang from the next city over. He went by the name of Michael at that time just like I went by the name of Kai. I needed to find money fast and by any means. I grabbed anything worth a decent value from my bedroom and threw them into a tattered backpack that I owned from my days as a boxer in high school. I included two handguns, just in case. All set to go, I made my way to the abandoned apartment structure on the South end of the city. There must be some expensive stuff laying around in the dark over there.
It was pretty easy to find a way into the lonely building and I trekked through room after room, floor after floor only to find several out of date condoms, a ripped pillow and empty vodka bottles. It was not the outcome that I was hoping for. I climbed up the stairwell again to the next floor - 18th. I checked the first few rooms and found nothing but as I approached the sixth door on the right hand side, I discovered that it was locked. After several failed attempts of opening it, I moved onto the rest of the rooms. Again, nothing. I accepted my defeat and headed back to the stairs but saw that the room that was locked was now open. The slight crack in the door was inviting so pushed it open all of the way.
To my surprise, there was a dark figure outside on this 18th floor balcony. I took a quick glance of my surroundings. There were two blankets and a school uniform folded neatly near the corner of the room with a couple of pillows to accompany them. A first aid kit and schoolbag were also present on the floor. I continued to head towards the balcony until I could see who was leaning on the barrier, the only thing preventing that person from falling 18 floors to the murky grey concrete below us. I finally stepped out onto the balcony and also rested against that barrier. I looked at my company and was greeted by the most perfect face I have ever seen to this day. Chocolate brown eyes enveloped in black eyeliner against pale, flawless milky skin. Smooth lips that could have been classed as rose petals due to their pink colour and velvet looking texture. Honey blonde hair that just touched the shoulders that curved and curled in every right way. Truly beautiful.
"Hi," I began to say but I was cut off.
"If you're here to bully me on behalf of my classmates, get it over and done with already. The sooner it's over, the better. And who sent you? I think I have the right to know who hates me enough to send out a stranger to do their dirty work," he said in a harsh tone.
I was shocked. Who in their right mind would want to bully such a perfect creation as the one that stood before me?
"I'm not here to bully you. I actually came to this building to steal stuff," I giggled, "but why are you bullied? You're beautiful so surely you must be popular among your classmates?" I edged closer to the schoolboy whose cheeks quickly matched the same colour as his lips. He broke the eye contact that we had and looked down at the empty car park beneath us.
"Um, thank you but that's not the case. I've never been well-liked wherever I've been. That's why I come here every day. It's away from everyone – my classmates, family, people in general. No one finds me up here either. Well, except for you." He turned back to look at me with those deep bronze eyes.
"Why aren't you liked? Maybe you're mistaken and people just feel overwhelmed by your gorgeous looks and lose all words to say?" I suggested, looking deeper and deeper into the bottomless orbs in front of me. The schoolboy stayed silent. His own eyes were staring right back into mine. We stayed like that for a couple of minutes, the only noise being the faint sound of cars beyond the neighbouring buildings. Then he blinked and shook his head; the honey blonde hair being caressed by the gentle breeze.
"Anyway, why did you come here? Just to steal things?" he enquired, pointing at my bag.
I nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I'm in a bit of trouble and I needed a place to stay as well so these apartments seem to be perfect at this moment in time. Mind if I become your neighbour for a while?"
His cheeks flushed again. "Uhh, yeah...yeah that's fine. I see no problem with that. As long as the trouble doesn't follow you here."
"Trust me, I'm trying my best to avoid that from happening. Oh! How rude! My name's Kai. Yours must be something like Uruha, right? It suits you," I responded, flashing a smile again.
"Ah. It isn't," he looked to his feet.
I didn't want to make the situation anymore awkward. This boy seemed to have really low confidence so I had to be gentle with my words and avoid anything that could be taken the wrong way. "Do you mind if I call you Uruha? It really does suit you."
I saw a small smile shape itself on the boy's face as he looked up. The smile then blossomed as he nodded.
"Great! It's a pleasure to meet you, Uruha!" I exclaimed as I held out my hand. Uruha grabbed it enthusiastically and shook it. However, it was short lived as it was cut off by LUNA SEA's 'True Blue' as it started to play. The schoolboy answered his phone, said 'yes' and then hung up, his smile disappearing.
Uruha looked at me and apologised. "I'm sorry, Kai. I have to go now. Thank you for your company today." He displayed a cute smile and picked up his schoolbag and clothes before turning back to me. "Also, you can use these blankets and stay here, if you want. I'll be back tomorrow after school, if that's okay?"
"Oh, thank you! You have no idea how much that helps me!" I ran forward and hugged Uruha while grinning. "I'll see you tomorrow then?"
The honey blonde nodded, waved goodbye and walked away, leaving me alone. I dropped my bag onto the floor and grabbed a pillow to rest on. I laid there for the rest of the night and fell asleep at one point.
I woke up early and headed out into the city centre with my backpack. I managed to sell all of my valuable belongings and earned a small sum but it still wasn't enough for Michael. That meant that I was still in need of a place to hide and I wanted to see Uruha again, so I returned to the 18th floor of the abandoned building and waited for him. He arrived an hour later with an extra bag.
"Hey there, Uruha! Want a hand?" I asked while standing up.
"Ah, don't worry, Kai, I've got it," he replied as he set all of his bags on the floor. "I've brought some stuff for you. There's some basic food which should last you a couple of days in here and in this bag is my PSP, some games and a charger. You can still get electricity from that plug over there," he explained, pointing to the relevant objects.
"Uruha...you didn't have to do this..." I started to say.
"No, it's fine. You're the first person to compliment and show any kindness towards me in years. I really appreciate it," he smiled. "Let's eat! You must be hungry!"
Uruha unpacked several little boxes and placed them in the middle, handed me a pair of chopsticks and we dined together. We discussed his life at school but avoided the bullying problem and it turned out that he was in his final year of high school; the same age as me. We finished the food relatively quickly but continued to chat into the early hours of the evening. It was then that Uruha had to return home but this time, it was him that hugged me.
"Thank you for being my friend, Kai. Thank you very much. See you tomorrow," he said and closed the door on his way out. I was touched. I could still feel his fingertips against my back after he was gone. It was crazy; I couldn't be falling for someone after knowing them for two days surely.
But I was.
I looked forward to Uruha's visits every day, wasting the lonely hours on the PSP he let me borrow and thinking up schemes to earn some money. This continued for a few weeks but in the end, the only things advancing were my relationship with him and my progress through the video games. There were times when Uruha tried to give me money from his wallet but I refused on every occasion. I wanted to avoid getting him even more involved. Of course, I should have just left as soon as I realised anyone was on that balcony. Maybe I wouldn't have ended up in this jail-cell if I did; maybe people wouldn't have died by my hand. Maybe I would be dead instead.
One day, Uruha arrived a little later than usual. As soon as he opened the door, he apologised. "Sorry I'm late. I ran home to pick up this CD player and then I bought a small cake. I thought we could celebrate today, if that's okay." He placed the cake box down gently and plugged in the CD player.
I closed the door behind him and sat down. "That sounds great! What are we celebrating?" I asked as he sat across from me.
"It's been a month since you arrived at this apartment," he explained, opening the box to reveal a perfect snow white cake. The icing around the edges curled just right and it presented two strawberries resting delicately in the centre. Uruha handed me a small fork and went back to his CD player. "I brought my LUNA SEA albums, is that okay?"
"That's awesome, they're a great band!" I responded as the album Mother began to play. Uruha crawled back to me and we started to stab the cake in the tidiest way possible. It was truly delicious. It had been so long since I had eaten icing that did not taste like plastic; it melted as soon as it touched my tongue.
"Here," Uruha said, raising his strawberry covered fork towards me with a grin. I leaned forward and opened my mouth while the red fruit was popped in. As I chewed it, I skewered the remaining strawberry and fed it to Uruha ever so gently. We continued to devour the cake, occasionally feeding the other until he stopped me. "You are covered in icing, Kai. You're such a messy eater!" He used his thumb and cleaned around my mouth before licking his own hand. His skin was even smoother than it looked and his tongue. No words can describe how amazing it looked. Then my attention escaped to his lips once again.
"If only I could kiss them...just once," I thought.
"Hey Kai, do you mind if I change it to the SHINE album? That one's my favourite," Uruha asked, still smiling.
"Go ahead," I replied, continuing to eat the small cake but more carefully this time. The music stopped and then started again before Uruha went over to his bag, rummaging through it.
"I've been thinking, Kai. You won't accept my money so I went and took some from my parents. Please, you're in trouble. Take it," he explained while turning to face me, holding out a large amount of money.
I set my fork down and my eyes grew wide as I stood up. "What? Uruha, you know that I can't!" I exclaimed and walked over to him.
"Why not? It's not like they'll miss it or anything and you need it!" he shouted at me.
"How much did you take?"
"I think there's 50,000 Yen here but I counted it quickly so I'm not sure," he said, pushing the money into my chest and his dark brown eyes staring deep into mine.
"I really can't take this. I know you mean well but I'd feel guilty. You've already done so much for me, allowing me to stay here, bringing me food and making sure I'm not bored. I'm the one that should be giving you money."
Uruha's hand pushed harder against my chest and he looked down at the floor. "Just take it, Kai. Then you'll be able to leave. I feel like I'm keeping you a prisoner here."
His voice was quiet and I saw a tear run down his perfectly carved cheek.
With my right hand, I grabbed the wrist that was still pushing against my chest and pulled Uruha in closer. With my left, I wiped away the chilled tear from the beautiful face now staring directly at me, shocked.
"Funny that. I've been feeling the same way about you. Remember, I'm the one who came to you in the first place and I can leave whenever I want to but I never have. I like your company too much. I like you too much. And even if I did become a prisoner, I couldn't think of a better captor. Hell, I'd even go to prison for you, Uruha!" I smiled.
Uruha's cheeks flushed but he refused to break the eye contact between us. We stayed like that until the end of the song and well into the start of the next one, 'STORM'.
"Kiss me...in the stormy...Kiss me...in the stormy..."
"You know, Kai, you don't have to wait for a storm to kiss me," Uruha told me quietly, allowing Ryuichi's vocals to continue passing through the room. I let go of his wrist and brought it up to the other side of his face before I pulled our faces together, planting my lips on his. They really were filled with divine texture, just like I had imagined. Arms wrapped around my waist and hands grabbed the back of my shirt. I brought my own hands away from Uruha's cheeks and rested them against his shoulders, slowly stroking his neck. I twisted my head slightly and I felt the other follow before his lips parted slightly, allowing my tongue to enter. The taste of iced sponge lingered in his mouth so I assume that I tasted of it as well. Our tongues did not battle for dominance; they danced with each other instead. The grip against my back grew tighter and I pulled Uruha in closer. I withdrew my tongue from his delicious mouth and gave his lips a peck. We cuddled in the middle of the room and I felt his head rest against my shoulder. I stroked the honey blonde hair and inhaled its scent. Coconut.
"Thank you," I heard Uruha whisper. "Thank you for being my first."
"It's my pleasure," I murmured into his hair. The two of us started to rock gently to the music from side to side; our bodies still intertwined. While 'SHINE' played, we sang along softly, exchanging small kisses when we weren't.
"Kai, can we lie down?" Uruha asked as he pulled his head out from the comfort of my neck. I nodded gently with a smile as we made our way to the folded blankets. I quickly laid one out as a base, set out the two pillows and rested against one. While I was doing this, Uruha was closing the curtains that hung by the balcony door and windows. There was still some light outside which managed to penetrate through the material but that meant that I could still look at the other man's beauty. He came over and laid down beside me, placing his head back near my neck in a similar position as before. I was on my back and Uruha was on his right side with our arms wrapped around the other. I kissed his soft forehead but did not move my lips away from his skin.
"Uruha, it's going to be dark soon. I don't want you to be walking alone in the dark," I explained quietly.
The grip around my body got tighter. "Is it okay if I stay here with you tonight?" a voice asked back, even more quietly.
"Yeah, I'd love for you to stay. Will your parents be okay with it?" I asked with concern. There was no reply. I peeled my lips away from Uruha's forehead and brushed his honey blonde hair with my fingers. "Uruha?"
"We had a fight," he said bluntly, pulling away from my arms and then rolled over, his back now facing me. I sat up and reached out for his right arm which did not protest. I massaged his palm and played with his fingers.
"What about?"
"Over the past month, my grades have dropped a little and my teacher spoke with them," Uruha replied reluctantly.
"How much is a little?"
"It doesn't matter."
I grabbed his right hand with both of my own and shouted "Of course it matters! I've been staying here for the past month! It's my fault, I'm sorry, I'll-"
"It's not your fault, Kai," Uruha responded. "The bullying has increased over the past month. I've been finding it hard to pay attention in class because of it."
Uruha sat up and turned to face me. My grip on his hand loosened and he cupped my cheek with it. "It's not your fault," he said with a sad smile.
I grabbed his waist and pulled him into me, kissing his neck. Uruha returned the hug and whispered into my ear, "Even though I've been bullied a lot more, it's still been the best month of my life. It's because I've been able to see you, Kai."
"Stay with me tonight; I'll protect you. I can't be there for you at school but when you're here, no one will hurt you. I promise, Uruha," I explained. He pulled away from the hug and looked at me, his eyes watering. I smiled as wide as I could and asked, "Why are you about to cry? I told you that you won't get hurt while you're here with me."
Uruha began to giggle and he nodded. "And whenever I'm at school, I just think of Kai's smile. It will block out all of the bullying with its shine," he said, poking my dimples. I started to laugh too and went back to lie down. Uruha lowered himself and kissed my lips lightly before lying down completely next to me. "Goodnight, Kai," I heard him say and he burrowed into my neck. I kissed his forehead again and got myself comfortable.
"Goodnight Uruha."
The light seeping through the curtains woke me up the next morning. I opened my eyes and looked at the slim sleeping man next to me. He still looked gorgeous. The light settling on his hair made it appear a shimmering golden colour and his mouth was open slightly which outlined his lips perfectly. I moved my body closer to his and embraced him gently, not wanting to disturb him. His light breathing against my skin made me tingle. I wish we could have done this more often when we had the chance – just the two of us alone, not disturbing or needing anyone else as the distant sound of cars was proof of that. About half an hour later, Uruha began to stir. His eyelids started to flutter and then his hazel iris' welcomed me. I kissed his lips lightly and murmured 'good morning' against them. However, Uruha did not let my lips leave easily as he clasped my face in his hands and deepened the kiss. I rolled his body over and trapped him between my knees. I looked down and saw his innocent smile beam up at me. I pulled my shirt over my head and then slid my arms under Uruha's shirt, feeling his abdomen. He brought my face close to his and began to kiss me again before letting his hands roam my naked back. His lips opened and I wasted no time in letting my tongue acquaint itself again. Uruha's small moans excited me and I massaged his chest to make him moan more, which he did. Getting irritated at his shirt getting in the way, I broke from the kiss and removed it completely. Just like the rest of the honey blonde's body, his chest was beautiful and soft to the touch. I started to kiss around his navel and then led a trail of pecks up to his neck. I leant on my hands that were positioned at either side of Uruha's head and his arms dropped down to his sides. "Let's go outside," I whispered, stroking his cheek.
I stood up and then helped Uruha to his feet. He opened the curtains delicately, allowing the city's light to rush into the room. I opened the door and led him outside by his hand. When we reached the edge of the balcony, I wrapped my arms around his waist and caressed his check again. Uruha trapped my back between his arms and I kissed him again. We did not delve deep into passion with this one but it was sweet nonetheless, perfect in the sunlight. We broke the kiss gently and smiled at each other. Suddenly, Uruha's attention diverted and he ran back into the apartment. I followed after him and heard him almost yell out.
"What's wrong?" I asked, becoming really worried.
"I'm not going to make it to school on time if I don't hurry!" he responded while quickly buttoning up his white shirt.
"Oh yeah. It's Thursday," I thought to myself, pouting. Uruha saw my expression and skipped over.
"Don't worry, I'll come back as soon as I get out. I'll just take my schoolbag so then I'll be faster, can I leave my stuff here?" he asked.
"Yeah, sure. Have a good day at school," I replied.
Uruha grinned and kissed my cheek. "I'll see you later, Kai," he said affectionately and left the room, closing the door behind him.
I went onto the balcony to see him dash out into the car park. "Just be careful, okay!?" I yelled down to him.
He stopped and looked up to me. "The thought of coming back here to you will get me through the day!" he shouted back, waving.
And with that, the honey blonde raced towards the city.
I wasted the day playing on the PSP I was borrowing but when the colour of the room faded from natural to orange, I realised that Uruha was absent. I turned off the game and went out onto the balcony. There was no one in sight.
"Maybe he spoke with his teacher? He did contact his parents so he must be asking Uruha about his grades and the bullying," I thought to myself. Then I looked at the time on the PSP which read 20:54. "No, it's too late for that. Maybe he went home for a change of clothes but got grounded?" I tried to convince myself. Soon, the sky lost its colour and the stars appeared. I laid under the blankets and fell asleep waiting for Uruha's arrival. When I woke up, there was no sign that anyone but myself had been in the room. It was now Friday. I decided that I would wait in the apartment until Monday, in case Uruha came back during the daytime. By Sunday afternoon, I had finished all of the food that was in the room (all that remained were a few bottles of water) and I was getting really worried. If I had a mobile phone, I would have called him but it was one of the items I had sold when I first moved into the 18th floor.
Monday morning. I decided that it would be best to ask around the city to see if anyone had seen Uruha. It was a long shot but seeing as I was disconnected from everything, any information would be valuable. I spoke with shop owners but no one had seen my honey blonde love. I thought about going to his high school but Uruha had not told me which one he went to or his real name. I was still determined though; I looked around the city until Wednesday when someone approached me.
"Excuse me, I overheard you talking to that woman over there. Did you say that you were looking for someone?" a man wearing a black bandana over his hair asked.
"Ah, yes! He is-" I was cut off by a fist meeting my stomach, throwing me backwards. He picked me up as I tried to normalise my breathing and threw me into a nearby alley. In there, he hit me with a blow to the head, knocking me out.
When I regained consciousness, my body was hurting all over. When I say hurting, I mean some of the worst physical pain a person could experience. I opened my eyes but even that brought pain. When I finally sat up, I was in a dirty bathroom. The walls and floor were a covered in blue tiles but stained with grime. The mirror was cracked and the taps were rusted. I refrained from looking at the toilet and bathtub. I stood up with the help of the sink and looked into the mirror. My lip and cheek were bleeding, my left eye was bruised. I pulled up my shirt and saw bruises forming there as well.
"Shit," I mumbled.
Almost as if on cue, I heard footsteps approaching the door. I was in no state to put up a fight so I stood in the centre of the bathroom, looking at the entrance. A key turned and I saw two men. One was the bandana man from before and the other was covered in dark facial hair. In fact, his whole body appeared to be covered in thick fur-like strands.
"Michael wants his money, if you hadn't guessed already," the hairy man told me.
"Thanks for letting me know," I replied, with a smile.
The man with the bandana came towards me and grabbed my jaw with his hands, causing great pain. I flinched and he whispered aggressively down at me, "What are you smiling at?"
"Nothing," I mumbled and he shoved me towards the door, in front of the half gorilla. They led me out of the room and down an equally dirty corridor. We stopped in front of a door with the paint flaking off it. Another key was turned and they pushed me into the corner of this smelly room. The stench was a mix between body odour, cheap perfume, blood and sweat. I looked up to see what on earth could have provided this gruesome scent and all that was in this room was a double bed accompanied by a small bedside table. When I looked back to the bed, I saw that it was covered in almost grey sheets with a red pattern on them. Then I realised that there was a body on the bed, tied to the headboard. That was blood on the sheets. The majority of the body was underneath the stained sheets with only the top half of their chest onwards visible. It was a male body that was confined to the furniture. He was alive. His ribcage was moving ever so slightly; he must have gone through a lot of pain. His skin was also bruised like mine but his marks were a lot worse. They were probably inflicted over a longer period of time. My attention then moved onto the man's face. It was covered by long hair. Honey blonde hair.
The prisoner on the bed was Uruha.
Even though I was in no physical state to do so, I wanted to jump up and release him so we could run away together. But I was no match for the men standing at the door watching us. I had to refrain showing any emotion. I knew a lot of men like the ones that were here with Michael. Uruha had already been through enough because of me, I wanted to stop anything more that was preventable from happening.
In order not to look too suspicious, I looked back at Uruha's sleeping body. The expression on his face was so different to the one he wore when he was sleeping next to me. He was in pain even though he was not awake. I wanted to take away all of that suffering and inflict it upon myself if it meant that he would be okay.
Footsteps again. The two men that brought me here stepped aside and in walked the familiar face that belonged to Michael. He approached me with a sly smile and crouched down so he was level with my face. He was a blonde man wearing a blue suit with a black shirt and tie.
"Hello there, Kai," his sickly sweet voice sung out. "You're in a spot of trouble, aren't you? I wonder why that could be." He stood up. "Oh yeah. You owe me quite a lot of money, don't you? You probably forgot, like usual, hmm? Anyway, we've been keeping an eye on you, cutie. Don't think that we don't know the bond between you and that beautiful creature on the bed because we do. We've hurt him, Kai. And it's your fault," his face and tone suddenly serious. I wanted to punch him so badly but it would only make things worse.
"I'm sorry that I don't have your money, Michael, but I've been trying to get it back to you. Please, let Uruha go. He really has nothing to do with this," I coughed.
Michael started to laugh. I disliked it. "Oh, so that's his name? It suits him."
"That's what I said," I replied bluntly.
"Well it did suit him. Now he's beaten ugly with bruises. And he has everything to do with this, Kai. If it wasn't for him, we would have taken you a lot sooner! But this bitch was hiding you and taking care of you. I think he's learnt his lesson now though," Michael explained but then he went on to say, "Actually, maybe he hasn't learnt his lesson. What do you think, boys?" directed at the two other men in the room. They nodded in reply. Michael smiled again and whispered in my ear, "You should watch this, Kai."
The two men blocking the door closed it and locked it from the inside, sealing all five of us inside. Michael removed his blazer and tie and handed them to the bandana man. He walked back to the bed, unbuttoning his shirt on the way. When he reached Uruha's body, he traced it with his fingertips until he reached his hidden face. Michael brushed away the honey blonde streaks and then stroked the skin previously hidden beneath. His hand then grabbed Uruha's cheek, similar to what happened to me in the bathroom. "Wake up, baby," he sang. Uruha began to wake up and Michael continued, "Today we have a little audience. Are you excited?" He kissed those perfect lips and then twisted Uruha's head until he saw me. The once passionate hazel eyes were now hopeless orbs. They widened once they saw me and I felt so small. I was sure Uruha felt that way too, having people witness him in this state. I glanced back at Michael and he was only wearing his underwear. He was fiddling around in the bedside table and I looked at Uruha again. His face only showed one thing: fear. His eyes were locked on me, searching for salvation. If I only I was able to give it to him.
Michael was ready. He had sprayed Uruha's body with the cheap perfume I could smell earlier and pulled the bedsheets down to his waist. He climbed onto the bed and positioned himself over the prisoner on the bed. Michael inhaled Uruha's chest and a look of pleasure struck his face. He started to lick the nipples in front of him, causing their owner to writhe on the bed in rebellion. Michael slapped Uruha across the face, causing his eyes to water. He was still looking directly at me. The blonde continued to play with the nipples with his mouth now that he had disciplined the other. When he had grown bored of Uruha's chest, Michael worked his way down the honey blonde's body with his tongue, stopping at the sheet border that blocked off his pelvis. His left hand threw away the bloody sheet, revealing Uruha's entire body. As a result, he turned his head as far away from Michael as possible and began to cry.
"Did I give you permission to cry?" Michal asked, slapping Uruha's bruised thigh, causing the prisoner to whimper. I myself flinched when his hand made contact with the leg. The blonde took the cock in front of him and began to use his fingers and tongue to play with it. In order to spare some of Uruha's pride, I refused to look at the bottom half of the bed and focused on the man that I loved. I told myself that he was going to get through this and then I was going to save him somehow. I would make it up to him and make it all better but we had to wait. I could not do anything at that moment in time. I lost track of the time and before I knew it, Michael was reaching for the lubricant he placed on the bedside table. The fear escalated in Uruha's face. The honey blonde's body tensed as the other entered his fingers but when Michael was really going for it, the pain on his face was unbearable. I looked away.
Then the screams came.
I closed my eyes and tried to block out the sound but it was no use. Uruha was still in pain and I could not save him from it. I promised to protect him but there I was, not keeping my word.
It seemed like an eternity before Michael finally released his seed into Uruha's body and ending the horrible experience. The blonde kissed the prisoner on the cheek before dismounting the bed and throwing the sheet back over him. Michael dressed himself quickly and got ready to leave the room with his two henchmen. He looked at me and said, "Now Kai, I think you'll be wanting to get my money back a lot faster now, right?" and laughed. The three of them left the room and locked us two beaten men inside.
I wanted to run to the bed and embrace Uruha but I could not. I did not deserve to. So I remained sitting in the corner, not even looking at him. I knew that if I did, the tears I was trying hard to hold back would fall. I realised how selfish I was acting. In comparison, I had gotten off lightly while it was my innocent boyfriend that was raped because of my actions. I lifted my head up and saw the figure on the bed staring at me, emotionless. My body trembled with guilt.
"Uruha..." I said quietly, in a broken voice. I started to cry before I could say anything else and I frantically tried to wipe the tears. I took a deep breath and continued. "I'm so sorry. I know that words are meaningless right now and nothing that I can ever say will make this better. No. Nothing that I can ever do will make this right. This is all my fault and I should have left you alone as soon as I saw you. That way, you wouldn't have suffered as you have. I don't expect you to forgive me and it's okay not to speak to me again. You deserve someone that can keep their promises to you."
Uruha cried again and hid his face from me. I did not blame him. But then I was surprised when I heard his quiet voice speak out. "Does my name still suit me? Am I still beautiful to you now that I've been marked by that man?" He pulled his face out from the security of his arm and looked at me, waiting for a response.
I held onto the wall for support and stood up slowly before I approached the bed. I perched on the edge and reached out for Uruha's damp face that was gazing up at me. "Those men out there could blind me and I'd still see you as a beautiful man. There will never be a moment when you are not a breathtaking being," I whispered. The man below me tried to smile but continued to cry as I wiped away his glistening tears. I tried to hush him but ended up joining him with water streaming down my face. My head dropped and I placed it on Uruha's shoulder as gently as I could. "I'm so so sorry," I cried into his skin.
"Kai, you don't have to say that anymore. It wasn't your fault that this happened to me. I know you wouldn't want to hurt me. What's going to happen now? I'm scared," the honey blonde asked.
I sat up and looked down at him. "We're going to escape. Then we'll make them pay. You just have to hang on a little longer, okay?" Uruha nodded timidly in response. "Is Michael the only one that does that to you?"
"Yeah. It happens once a day."
"Do you know how many men he takes around with him?"
"There have always been two, I think. I'm not sure though, I'm sorry."
"No, you've been a big help. Right, the next time they come in for you, that's when we'll make our move. If they make me leave this room, I'll get over here somehow, set you free and we'll run. I promise you, I'll get you out of here or I'll die trying," I explained, almost smiling.
"But that's what I'm afraid of, Kai," Uruha said, a look of sadness in his face.
"That's how determined I am," and I kissed him softly on the lips but we were interrupted by the sound of footsteps. We heard a key turn in the door and the same two henchmen appeared. I gave them a death glare as they grabbed my shoulders and pulled me away. They led me back down the hallway to the grimy bathroom and locked me inside once again. I hit the door with all of my strength and screamed at the men on the other side, "If you and that Michael ever touch my Uruha again, you'll be the ones paying me!" All I received was a laugh in return. When I was certain that they had left me alone, I walked over to the sink. I took one of the rusted taps within my hands and wobbled it. Thankfully, it was weak and gave into the force. I managed to break it away from the sink and had myself a small weapon. "If I hit someone with this piece of metal hard enough, I should be able to knock them out. Now that I've yelled at Michael's men, I should be brought to Uruha's room again tomorrow in order to torment me," I thought. I sat down on the floor which eventually turned into lying down against the tiles. I quickly fell asleep.
I woke up quite abruptly the next day after a large spider crawled across my face. It scuttled towards the locked door which was suddenly opened. There stood the two familiar men again, ready to escort me to Uruha's room. I hid the tap in my jacket sleeve and allowed them to take me away. When we entered the room, I looked towards the bed. The prisoner looked even worse than before as more life seemed to be sucked out of him.
"Is this going to be the same as yesterday?" I asked the two henchmen, who smirked at me. I let the tap drop down my sleeve and into my right hand before I hit the large hairy man in the face with it. He tumbled backwards and hit the floor unconscious. The bandana covered man was more prepared but I put enough force behind the metal in my hand to shove him against the wall. He hit his head with the impact and got knocked out. I rushed to the headboard of the bed and untied the ropes binding his wrists to it. I took off my jacket and slipped it on Uruha's slim frame. I removed the shoes and trousers from the smaller henchman, the bandana man, and quickly dressed the honey blonde. They were too big for him but they were good enough for us to escape. I took his hand and we dashed to the door, quickly making sure the hallway was empty.
"Let's go this way," Uruha insisted, pulling me around a corner and thankfully there was a door at the end of this corridor. When we reached it, we discovered that it was sealed with a chain. I attacked the lock with my tap a few times and it broke, allowing us to escape. We followed the sound of the city and soon enough, we reached civilisation.
We ran across the city and I noticed that Uruha was slowing down. "Just a little bit more, Uruha, I promise! Then we can stop!" I reassured him and he gave me a small smile in return. We reached the familiar abandoned car park and reduced our running to a walk, entering the old apartment building. 18 floors later and we finally arrived at our door. As soon as we entered, we locked the door and then Uruha laid down against a pillow on the cold floor. I rummaged through the bags that the honey blonde had left behind the week before in order to find some clothes. I found a pair of jeans and a black shirt, grabbed the first aid kit and rushed back to the body lying on the floor. "I know you're exhausted but let me clean you up," I said while reaching for a water bottle and a cloth inside the kit. I received a nod in response.
I unzipped the jacket that Uruha was wearing and stared at the bruises and scratches on his chest. As gently as I could, I wiped the damp cloth over his pale skin, removing the sweat and perfume from it. I felt the body underneath my hands tense up and I kept muttering apologies. I grabbed another cloth and dried off Uruha's body with it before giving him the clean shirt to put on. He did so while I wetted the cloth again. "Can I see your legs, please?" I asked quietly.
"Yeah," Uruha replied with his head down. I slipped off the large trousers he was wearing along with the shoes and repeated the process of cleaning his skin. When I reached his thighs, I had a tough time releasing his skin from the large amount of dried blood. I continued going up his leg until I reached his hips.
"I won't touch you there, you've been through enough. However, that area still needs cleaning and it will be tender so you'll have to do it, okay?" I explained, handing Uruha the cloth. "Don't worry, I won't look." I took one of the water bottles and walked to the other side of the room, taking off my shirt. I blocked out the sounds of Uruha wincing by washing my face with the water and then patting it dry with the last cloth we had. I looked down at the now formed bruises on my own chest and pulled a face. I poured the water into my hands and scrubbed my skin and then dried it off.
"Come back over here, Kai. I'll wash your back," a fully clothed Uruha said. I walked back over and sat down in front of him, giving him access to my body. He was just as careful as I was with his skin and used the cloth gently.
"Uruha, I'm so-" I started.
"Stop it. Don't apologise anymore," Uruha interrupted. "I don't blame you for what happened to me in that horrid place. So what if you and that man have a bad history? I got taken away because I wasn't careful enough on my way to school. That's all. And now...now you've rescued me from that hell so thank you." His hands appeared around my abdomen and I felt his head against my shoulder. I took away the cloth and replaced it with my hand while I used my right hand to caress his head.
I loosened his grasp on me and pulled him beside me. I lowered myself to lie on the floor and Uruha planted his head on my stomach, looking at the ceiling. I took a hold of his hand again and rubbed his hair like before.
Uruha broke the silence when he asked "What's going to happen now?"
I tightened my grip on the hand I was holding and the honey blonde turned his head to look at me. I could not see him but I suspect that he wore a worried expression. "I wish I knew. But I know that it's not over yet so you'll have to stay strong for a little while longer, okay?" I replied.
"I'll try to."
"I know that you can do it. Are you scared now?"
"Yeah. I want to sleep but I'm scared that if I do, those men will come," Uruha said quietly.
I continued to stroke him and told him "It's okay to be scared; we're human. But you need to sleep. As long as I'm here, I won't let anyone come near you."
"Thank you, Kai," he said as he turned his head again. Soon, I heard his breathing deepen and I assumed that he had dozed off.
Feeling exhausted myself, I whispered, "I love you, Uruha, and again, I'm so sorry."
When I woke up the next morning, it was still dark outside. I felt something brush against my chest and when I opened my eyes, I noticed that Uruha had moved to lie against my body. I wrapped my arms around his fragile frame and inhaled the scent of his hair. It no longer had the scent of coconut; instead it was that of the cheap perfume Michael sprayed.
All of a sudden, light was flooding through the room. I sat up and discovered that I was covered in a blanket and Uruha was no longer lying on me. I heard movement behind me so I spun my head around and saw the honey blonde searching for something.
"What are you looking for?" I asked.
Uruha continued his search and then looked at me, giving up. "There's no food."
"I know. I'll have to go out and buy some today. Then we can think about what we're gonna do until I solve the Michael problem," I explained while standing up. I took a hold of my shirt lying on the floor and slipped it on.
"Are you going to leave me by myself?" a scared voice asked.
I looked at Uruha and noticed how terrified he was. I made my way over to him and brought him into a hug, cradling his head. "For a little while, yes. I'll only be in the corner shop on the other side of that building though. I'll come straight back so don't you worry." I let go of him and continued, "You remember what I told you about being strong?" the other man nodded. I walked to my old backpack and searched for the two pistols hiding inside. When I found them, I pulled them out and gave one to Uruha. "That has to start now, okay? This is just in case. Don't hesitate in using it. If someone comes in here while I'm gone, shoot them."
The honey blonde gripped onto the metal in his hands and looked determined. "I understand," he said. "Take some of my parents' money, we need to use it now."
I found the money next to some empty bags and slipped into my pocket. The gun I held in my hand also went into my jeans, sandwiched between my flesh and denim. "You need to lock the door as soon as I leave, Uruha. Then come back into here and stay away from the balcony. Stay hidden, yeah?" I instructed as I hugged him again. His arms wrapped around my waist and he looked into my eyes. I pulled his face into mine and kissed him passionately. I broke the kiss quickly and then pecked his forehead. "I love you, Uruha, so wait here for me. I'll be as fast as I can."
The other man smiled and walked me to the door. I ran down the corridor and the 18 flights of stairs that led to the outside world. I continued running until I reached the shop and grabbed a basket to fill it up with readymade meals and a lot of snacks. When I got to the counter, the cashier gave me a weird look but scanned all of my items anyway. I handed him the money and took the carrier bags with me back to the street.
I started to jog when I reached the empty buildings and then sped up when I reached the old car park. I looked up at the 18th floor balcony, stopped abruptly and dropped the two plastic bags that were in my hands.
Uruha was on the platform with his back to me but both of his hands were on his pistol which was aimed at a vest wearing bald man with sunglasses who was also aiming a gun. I could not make out what they were saying but I could see that they were shouting at each other. Uruha was now backed up against the barrier. "Uruha! Shoot him now!" I yelled up at him and I saw his head turn at me. He looked back at the stranger up there with him and two gunshots went off. Both of the men on the balcony fell.
The bald man disappeared from my view.
Uruha toppled backwards over the barrier.
I screamed out his name and ran forwards, prepared to catch his body. As he hit me, it felt like someone had shot me as well all over my body. I knelt down on the concrete floor and brushed the hair out of Uruha's pale face.
"Hey, hey, look at me," I instructed the man being cradled in my arms. His eyes turned to me and a smile appeared on his face. I felt something cold seep through to my arm and I saw blood start to drip onto the grey rock beneath us.
"It...hurts...Kai," Uruha managed to say, breathing quickly. I hushed him, wanting him to save his breath. However, the man shook his head and said "I've got so...much to say...to you...not long...left."
I smiled down at him with tears in my eyes. "No! No, you have a lot of time. We were gonna run away from Michael, right? We'll still do that! Tell me everything when we get there, yeah?"
Uruha groaned as he started to cry. "My real...real name...is Kouyou. Takashima...Kouyou. But...I like Uruha better."
I could not hold them back any longer. Tears streamed down my face and shouted "I want more time with you! Don't leave me, please! I love you!"
Uruha raised one of his hands slowly and placed it against my mouth. I held onto it as his lips curled. "Keep...smiling...Kai. Don't...don't ever...ever...stop. I...love...you...too," his voice faded along with his smile. Eyelids covered those hazel eyes, sealing away my lover forever. I let go of the limp hand against my face and it fell down. I squeezed Uruha's lifeless body against my own and cried out all of my emotions.
My guilt.
My anger.
My grief.
My love.
I stood up carefully and trekked up the 18 flights of stairs. I finally came up to our room; the door broken down. I laid Uruha's body on the floor and propped his head up with a pillow. I covered him with one of the blankets in order to prevent him from becoming cold. I saw the corpse of the bald man so I picked him up and threw him off the balcony. His sunglasses slipped off his face so I chucked them after him.
My attention switched to the far end of the car park. Michael and two other men were approaching the abandoned apartments. I wasted no time and shot three times resulting in three more corpses joining the bald man's. I turned around and laid down next to Uruha's body. I kissed his lifeless lips softly and then burrowed my head into his shoulder.
He was still warm by the time the police arrived fifteen minutes later.
Someone nearby had heard all of the gunshots, got scared and phoned the cops. After finding the dead bodies in the car park, they searched the apartments and finally found me. They saw the blood on my own body and arrested me. I did not resist. When they walked me away, I looked back at my lover's body and, for one last time, smiled at him like I wished I would always be able to.