I do not own anything or the song 'Handbags And Gladrags' by Stereophonics.

This takes place after the events of 'Project Justice'. It's a drama/angst/romance fic. Sorry for any errors.

(4/28/05) Since fanfiction dot net has banned the printing of other people's song lyrics, I have been forced to remove the lyrics from this story. But it's really nice listening to the song while reading this at least!

Enjoy.

Handbags And Gladrags

…

It was over. The evil, the injustice, the pain and the anger that had for so long boiled inside Kyosuke's dear brother had finally been conquered. Yet at the very same time Kyosuke lost his soul as the young man slowly slipped away into the heavens above in his brother's warm and gentle arms. It was believed from Kyosuke, that just before Hyo passed away, a bright light shone down on him from the morning sky, it's bright and burning ray ridding all the evil deeds and sins he had committed. Kyosuke himself could feel the energies of evil spawned by his demonic father be unleashed and destroyed by the powers of good. The last shouting cries of his father echoed throughout the atmosphere around him. It was the final plea of evil before it vanished for all eternity, never to surface or spawn again. All gone.

Kyosuke wanted to cry in the wet beach on which he sat upon. The rain showering down on him, as if it gave no respect for him and loathed this person greatly. The raindrops splattered on his wet new clothes and they struck him constantly trying to make him feel ashamed of everything he had done. They stung violently on his back as Kyosuke was curled up in his cuddled up position. His head facing down to the dark and cold ground, covered by his arms and legs. The only thing that came through his limbs were the cold winds of the sea that blew into him, voicing that there was no escaping the truth that he had to witness. Hyo was gone. That was that. There was no way he could return. There was no promise that Hyo could ever laugh, cry, get angry, have feelings, emotions……..or even have a heart. No more.

The pain of the stinging inside Kyosuke's eyes trickled down his soft and dry cheek. The grains of sand he looked darkly down upon blew into his face every so often. Kyosuke did nothing but allow the particles to fly upon his red eyes and enhance the pain he had for so long possessed. How much worse could the physical pain cause effect upon his mental problems? His eyes burned with rage. He thought to the memories of his abusive father. How he beat him up, how he humiliated him, how he made him feel ashamed of everything the world had to offer, but most important of all, how he treated his innocent brother, the boy that would pass down his evil from father to son. The father was not his father, but a demon wanting to unleash the inner mind and power of Hyo and not Kyosuke. Hyo would never have become the person he used to be if the father had never ever existed, yet meaning that neither himself nor Hyo would have never been born. In fact, things would have a whole lot better that way for Kyosuke.

His life meant nothing to nobody. Not even his friends could understand the suffering inner scars he had possessed. They would never leave him. They would always be there to remind Kyosuke of the monstrosity in his family. Kyosuke continued to cry some more. The only voices he heard were the soothing sounds of the waves of the ocean beyond from where he was sitting and the high singing wind of the air, trying to calm the poor man down. No use. The stars in the dark blue sky behind the dark clouds shone down and tried to emit its bright and optimistic glow. Still no use. Kyosuke realized that there was no use to live on his life. Everything was shattering to pieces. His brother was gone. His family had been corrupted and there was nobody to make him be happy ever again…….and never more.

Kyosuke continued to sulk in the heavy rain when he heard the echoes of soft footsteps approach him, getting louder as the seconds flew by. Kyosuke made no reaction. If there was someone going to rob him, let him rob. If there was somebody going to kill him, let the guy kill him. There was nothing more in the world Kyosuke could stand. For there was nobody who could really understand his true and deep sadness. His life now was something Kyosuke was willing to forget. He only wanted to die in peace.

"You know, you're going to catch a cold if you stay there too long." A female voice said. Kyosuke turned his head slowly, only to face the wet face of Sakura Kasugano, standing in the rain. The young girl didn't seem to mind getting herself wet. She was almost as soaked as he was. And she didn't look too ashamed of such an appearance.

…

"Go away, Sakura." Sighed Kyosuke throwing his head back between his knees, staring into the dark ground of sand once again. The one thing Kyosuke never liked was company at times like these. On these occasions it was better for him to be lonely. That's what HE thought. Kyosuke never truly had anybody close to him. And this feeling of closeness, Kyosuke didn't really like. It seemed somewhat different to him. It was something that just didn't sit comfortably with him. He was never born to learn such an experience. And he knew he would never truly understand the meaning of it all.

"Hinata asked me to look for you." Said the innocent voice of Sakura again. "Everyone else is worried about you, Kyosuke. Nobody's seen you for the entire day." Kyosuke gave no reply and just sat still in his crouched up position. The waves of the ocean began to grow fiercer with its rising tides gripping the surface of the land and the rainstorm released more of its eternal fury among the land it flew upon. Kyosuke ignored how wet he had now become. It only made his heart turn colder and his mind switch off from everything that surrounded him. Sakura, on the other hand, didn't seem to mind getting wet. She in fact enjoyed the cold particles of rain fall onto her. It didn't seem to upset her in any sad way. She remembered sometimes when she was young that she and Hinata would splash around the rain and just…..be themselves. Sakura saw that Kyosuke didn't seem to enjoy the weather. But she knew what was troubling him. Everybody knew that. It was no big secret. Kyosuke had changed into a completely different person since Hyo's death. He had transformed from the once happy and peaceful man to the grotesque and shameful beast. His heart no longer possessed the same power of love and friendship it once had. It was all gone. Shattered like glass within just a few seconds. The young Tamagawa High School girl stared at Kyosuke's hidden face buried in his own black shadows of mystery. All she could see was a dark sadness and hidden emotions sealed within the young man.

"You miss him, don't you?" Sakura asked yet she received no reply from Kyosuke. Sakura did nothing but sigh and made her way to the sandy beach to sit next to the silent figure. She cuddled herself up in the same crouched up position as Kyosuke and raised her head high above into the sky. The sprinkles of rain splashed onto the girl face softly. Sakura liked the touch of rain. It always made her feel better at angry times. She thought it was nice way of trying to 'cool down'. Kyosuke still remained silent like a statue that represented nothing but shame itself. Sakura gazed upon the gentle student again and locked her arms firmly round her legs. Her head leaning against her cold and wet kneecaps.

Kyosuke knew she was there. He still didn't want to be disturbed by anyone, not even by a girl. He just wanted to cry and let nature itself take care of him alone. But it seemed like nature didn't accept the depressed Taiyo High School student into it arms. Kyosuke didn't want to believe so and just stay put of where he was. He wanted quietness. He wanted to get away from all he saw. He wanted to be on his own. But no, there beside him sat the cheerful hazel haired girl looking at him in pure curiosity. Kyosuke wanted to say 'go away' again or 'leave me alone' to her to make things back to when they were minutes before. But he was suddenly interrupted he was asked a question from Sakura. A question he'd never expected anyone to ask him before in his entire life.

"Kyosuke? What's it like to be alone?" The meek girl asked in a soft voice, "What's it like being without your parents and nobody around to look after you and love you?" Kyosuke opened his eyes from his own dark realm between his legs and lifted his head. His face immediately turning to Sakura's with blankness and expressionless.

"Why do you care?" Kyosuke answered back angrily giving a stern look upon his uninvited visitor.

"I'm just trying to make conversation here, Kyosuke." Replied Sakura still in her calm voice. "You know, they say that you shouldn't keep everything boiled up in yourself. You should try talking about it all with somebody you really trust. It'll make you feel better."

"How would you know?" Said Kyosuke still angry looking upon Sakura's sad face.

"Kyosuke, we've known each other since were three, along with Batsu, Hinata and Ran. I'm your friend. Friends help each other out. No matter how much effort it might take." Sakura watched Kyosuke's long stare into her eyes.

"They're not really my friends." Said Kyosuke to himself. "They're just people I know. That's all." But why did he suddenly feel different with Sakura? Maybe there was something about her in some way that caught his attention. It would be disgraceful to disappoint the girl next to him with a harsh 'no' for an answer. That would probably hurt her feelings too much. Perhaps it would be better if Kyosuke did as Sakura asked.

…

"I never knew my mother." Kyosuke said quietly laying down on the wet sand on the beach as the rain began to calm it's furious temper slightly and the waves of the ocean didn't happen to splash as heavy as before onto the sandy surface. Sakura too lay in the same position as Kyosuke and listened to the sad words of what his mysterious mind had to uncover one by one. "My mother died when Hyo and I were very young. Our father was not the sort of man you'd probably expect." Kyosuke almost lost breath once he mentioned the word 'father'. The seed of the evil that had caused his brother to drive insane. His abusive words. His violent beatings. His aggressive behavior. His evil thoughts. His strong ruthlessness. It was all inflicted onto the child that never wanted to turn to the side of evil at all. The mistaken demon forming inside the soul of Hyo. It was all so wrong. Kyosuke was there the entire time. His father treated Hyo worse than he did with Kyosuke. He indeed did the most unbearable things to him that anybody could ever possibly imagine.

Sakura caught sight of a well hidden scar which surfaced the wet skin across Kyosuke's right cheek. It was a scar his father gave him when he slit a sharp silver knife across his face at the early age of five. The scar would be there forever on his face. A face which had witnessed unjust angers, painful cries and unexplainable torture. A single tear trickled down one of Kyosuke's red eyes. Though his father was long gone never to be seen or heard of again, there still remained the scar that would haunt him for the rest of his life. Nobody could ever possibly realize how unhappy he really was. That's what he thought. Having the loss of everyone in the family. To be lonely and isolated from the ones that gave life to you and those who are related to you. Sakura would never have any idea of what his life was like. He felt like an outcast to the world. He felt like an outcast upon everyone. And if Sakura was even thinking of saying 'I understand how you feel', he would just go beserk, for he knew himself that they really don't know what family pain and depression is like. Nobody.

…

"It's okay, Kyosuke." Said Sakura trying to soothe down the angry yet sad person. Her face began to turn more depressed when she looked deeper into the tear shedding eyes of Kyosuke. "I can see you've gone through a lot. It's not easy." Sakura gave a deep sigh and took a deep breath trying to prepare for what she was about to say. It was something that she never revealed freely to anybody. Only Hinata and Natsu knew about Sakura's real past. The words to find it for Kyosuke was most hard. It almost made Sakura cry whenever she came to think about it. It was certainly something difficult to cope with and still was. She felt ready and thought it was the right time to say it to Kyosuke. "I understand how you feel…..well…..because, I never knew my parents at all……"

…

Kyosuke was about to bolt from his long lazy position and shout loudly at Sakura, but instead, he was suddenly calmed when he heard the last few words of the sentence she said. Words of true speech and painful feeling. Kyosuke got up from his position slowly along with the now timid and nervous girl. Kyosuke couldn't believe what Sakura had just said. Was it possible that she was also suffering the same kind of agony like him? The eternal pain of loss? Kyosuke now stared to Sakura who tried to keep her tears back, but her efforts soon proved unsuccessful. Kyosuke saw tears fall down her dry face, that hit the ground hard onto the sand making small water spots on the particles.

"Sakura?" Said Kyosuke in a somber tone. Sakura spoke on before he could say any more.

"I'm adopted, Kyosuke." Said Sakura sniffing her cold red nose. "My parents died when I was a baby. I never really saw them and I can't…….remember them very much………" Sakura tried to control herself as she looked back at Kyosuke's shocking face. His pale face showed signs of nothing but fright and terror. The same kind of when Kyosuke saw his father. The secret was almost as scary as him. How could Sakura be still happy when she hasn't even seen or known her true father or mother? He now realized that behind that smiling face of hers there was another dark and cold side of her that never wanted to reveal itself until now. But he knew that it would go back to its secret cave and lock itself up once more from the other people that Sakura knew. "I absolutely have no recollection of them. I bet you don't know how that feels?"

Kyosuke almost jumped from what he had just heard. Could Sakura have a cold side to herself too? One that seems more serious than Kyosuke's himself? Perhaps she felt that nobody could understand her either. No one could realize the loss between her and her parents. The only child of a deceased couple. The pain and anxiety for her true love could not be found. It was lost and gone with the wind. And it can't be realized how strong the power of love truly is between child and parent until it has completely vanished.

…

"Sakura……" Kyosuke was interrupted again when Sakura suddenly spoke out once more. Now she was getting very nervous with herself and Kyosuke. She needed to change subject, fast. And as a result and from the top of her head, she came up with the very first that spawned out from her mind and conscience.

"Kyosuke, do you have a girlfriend? I mean, a girl that you're close to? A girl that you……love?" Kyosuke's eyes flew wide open as he looked back at Sakura. Sakura instantly covered her mouth and almost tried to gasp. Her eyes opened wide like Kyosuke's in fright yet embarrassment. Her soft cheeks suddenly began to turn rosy red after hearing what she had said.

"Oh, great." Said Sakura to herself trying to keep quiet and ignore Kyosuke who looked at her painfully. "Now I'm really gonna get it. I bet Kyosuke's gonna hate me forever." Sakura took one small eye contact with Kyosuke's but suddenly turned back away from his glance. "Oh, God! Why the hell did I have to open my big mouth and say that?"

"I think I should be going now." Said Sakura meekly as she got up from the wet sand and cleared her shirt and skirt from all the sand that covered it. She tried best to be as fast as she could before Kyosuke would blow his top off. She even positioned her face downwards to cover the unbearable and shy color of her face.

Kyosuke looked back at the sky and discovered that the rain had stopped its angry falls down to Earth. The oceanic water of the sea had completely been silenced and with the soft tides of water reaching onto the sand to and fro remained. Kyosuke thought back to his beliefs about closeness. Maybe there was something about closeness that had another meaning to it. Perhaps closeness had the ability to evolve into greater powers and better feelings. This much Kyosuke knew. He learned it all from the young girl that stood beside him at the very moment. He knew now that his life was worthy of living and he must try to make the best out of it. No matter what circumstances things may turn out. He knew he was now able to truly love. And indeed, it seemed like Kyosuke in fact had found his perfect girlfriend to hold and care for as long as he lived. For he also knew now that he was not alone. And never would be. Ever again. There would always be somebody to understand him, just as he could understand 'her'.

"Sakura……" Kyosuke got up from the sandy floor as well and took Sakura's hand. His fingers touched hers with the feeling of passion and sorrow. Sakura paused and slowly looked down at her hand that touched Kyosuke's. There was silence for a few cold seconds before the two made eye contact with each other. And through their eyes, they could see how they felt, the experiences and emotions they had in their minds, all the dark secrets revealed like a toy box suddenly flying open, releasing all that had been for so long been locked up in cold hearted souls. Their tears shone on their eyes, showing how much they meant to each other. Loneliness was something the two had really thought was never going to vanish from their very hearts. But now it seems like that would not be the case anymore. They wanted to be together. Someone to understand them. Someone to make them feel happy. Their prayers had been answered.

"Kyosuke……."

"Sakura……"

The two of them walked together down the wet pavement, holding hands, along the dark gloomy night. Kyosuke was once afraid of the darkness inside himself. But now he has somebody who can help him conquer his inner fear. Sakura was once afraid of the dark itself. But now she has somebody who can make her feel happier about the wondrous aspects in life. Together they walked and together close they became………..

…

"That was ten years ago." Sakura Kasugano thought to herself lying in her bed in hospital. The diamond ring on her right hand shone like the sun from its rays from the window nearby. She wanted to cry and did so silently, in the arms of her husband who wrapped his arms round her gently sitting on a nearby chair. Sakura looked down upon the small bundle she held in her warm soft arms. The child had the eyes of her mother that shone the same hazel brown color. She had a single thread of orange hair growing from the top of her forehead and down into her face. Sakura smiled softly and kissed the forehead of her new born baby daughter. Her precious little girl.

Hinata Wakaba leaned against the front door of the room, smiling yet crying at the same time upon the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. Kyosuke had finally found somebody to be happy with. He had overcome the death of his brother and now could live a joyous life that he once could only dream about. She sighed deeply as she turned around and shut the door gently, leaving Kyosuke and Sakura with themselves along with their child. Just minutes after Hinata left the three were already fast asleep, already in their illusions of wonder and beauty. It is sometimes said that the parents and child were able to share dreams. Perhaps was happening right now.

"I love you, Kyosuke." Whispered Sakura.

"I love you too, my angel." Replied Kyosuke silently.

End

Okay, the song choice wasn't very good. Sorry, I just think that song has a nice tune.

Well, finally done! I really liked writing this story. I always thought Kyosuke and Sakura were a cute couple (they're my favorite characters too). Anywho, I'd like to hear all your reviews so please send them.

I know, the Rollerball remake really sucked. But I'm going to try make it better for my fanfic.