RyuXHayato FFS – 2,599 words (about)
What haunts us from our past
Part 1: Apartment Hunting
He was lying on the hard pavement, unable to move. He felt as though his whole body was paralyzed; he could feel the slow drip of blood running from the wound on his forehead. But he wasn't unconscious. Looking around him, he saw Ryu, lying on the ground several meters away.
Hayato's heart pounded violently in his chest. Ryu needed him. They had both been thrown to the ground by the boy's beastly father, but it was Ryu the man was now approaching with such formidable purpose. He knew what was going to happen before it did and his mind screamed in protest as the man raised his foot, bringing it down with all his might to kick Ryu in the side.
Hayato screamed in pain as Ryu's father continued to kick his boyfriend where he lay on the ground. Ryu was screaming too; he was screaming Hayato's name over and over, begging him to do something, anything. Hayato felt as though icy daggers were plunging into his brain, stabbing him with a numbing force that kept him from moving or seeing.
He felt his eyes close against his will and he frantically tried to force them open again; to keep Ryu within his sights. But he couldn't. All he could do was lie motionless and listen in agony as Ryu continued to call out his name, unable to help him at all.
Hayato opened his eyes to the subtle sunlight creeping around his curtains and through the bedroom window. The light cast everything in his room in a pale shade of peach, softening the sharp outlines of his furniture. He sighed, calmed by the normal appearance of his surroundings, and tried to forget the dream he had been having.
It was a difficult task because unlike most of his nightmares, this dream was a real event; something that had happened only days ago. Since then, he had been tortured by the scene of Ryu being beaten in his dreams every night. Gently, he wrapped his arms more tightly around the boy next to him.
Ryu was still asleep with a peaceful expression on his face. Hayato gazed admiringly at his boyfriend's delicate features and once again couldn't stop himself from thinking about how beautiful Ryu was. Careful not to wake him, Hayato buried his face in the crook of Ryu's exposed neck, inhaling deeply to smell that scent which he loved so much. Ryu always smelled like warmth, and sweet things. I was hard to describe. He pressed his lips to the boy's neck gently, wanting to feel his soft skin.
"Hayato…" Ryu breathed softly, still sleeping. The larger boy stopped and raised his head cautiously to look down at his dreaming partner. He watched Ryu's lips quiver gently as he breathed in and out. Taking his finger, Hayato lightly traced the edges of the sleeping boy's mouth.
"Ryu," he murmured aloud to himself. Ryu shifted slightly. "I love you." Hayato held completely still as Ryu turned in his arms to face him, still asleep. He had to bite his lip to keep from chuckling. He really is too cute this way, he thought adoringly. An angelic smile graced Ryu's visage as he relaxed against his larger friend.
"I'm not really asleep, you idiot," he whispered quietly, his smile broadening into a full grin. His eyelids fluttered open and he looked up at Hayato, making the boy's heart race erratically. Meany, Hayato thought. Deciding that Ryu deserved some sort of punishment for tricking him, he leaned forward abruptly and violently smashed his mouth against the other boy's.
Ryu's eyelids fluttered again in surprise as Hayato thrust his head back against the pillow with the force of his kiss. Soon, however, he relaxed and allowed the larger boy to force himself into his mouth, teasing Ryu's tongue with his own. Ryu suddenly shuddered with what felt like an electric current pulsing through his body as Hayato's fingers lightly traced over his stomach; he could feel his body reacting to that touch and he wanted more. Without warning, Hayato pulled away.
"That's all you get," Hayato whispered evilly as Ryu whined in complaint. Still, he knew there was no way Hayato would take things further considering his fresh injuries. Damn! Ryu thought, frustrated. I'm going to have to wait twice as long now! But he knew Hayato was stubborn enough that there was no way he would change his mind about something like this. Feeling him start to get out of bed, Ryu turned to watch as Hayato began searching his drawers for a shirt.
"You know what?" Ryu stated matter-of-factly from where he lay, still twisted up in the bedcovers, his hair tussled. "You have a very nice body." Hayato turned to give him an exasperated look, masking his amusement at his boyfriend's comment.
"Flattery isn't going to get you anywhere," he scoffed and resumed his search. Silently, Ryu got out of bed and came to stand behind Hayato, wrapping his arms gently around his waist. He stood on tippy-toes to lean over the taller boy's shoulder, as if to talk to him, but instead pecked him sweetly on the cheek.
"I mean it, really," he assured him. He slid his hands slowly up Hayato's muscled torso, marveling at how his chest could be soft and hard at the same time. Taking Ryu's hands in his own, Hayato turned to face him. He stared down into the smaller boy's eyes, catching a glimpse of longing in their depths. Then his eyes strayed to the ugly, blotchy bruises that were clearly visible, splattered across Ryu's ribcage and chest. Hayato leaned forward and kissed him lightly on the forehead.
"Breakfast," he ordered, before grabbing a T-shirt from the drawer behind him and marching out of the room. Ryu sighed and grabbed a shirt for himself before following Hayato into the kitchen. Seating himself on a high stool near the counter, he wrapped Hayato's too large shirt around his bony frame and winced; he was a bit sore this morning. Glancing up, he saw Hayato watching him with an anxious expression.
"Ne, Hayato?" he asked as his boyfriend began moving around the kitchen making breakfast. "Do you want to help me go look for apartments today? It's Friday…" He watched carefully to see if Hayato was going to get upset by this suggestion, but to his surprise, he didn't.
"Sure," he answered. As he carried the food into the dining room, he grabbed a newspaper off the counter and tossed it to Ryu. They looked in the advertisements section to see if there were any nearby apartments for rent while they ate their breakfast, circling the ones that seemed appropriate. Before long, Taku was up, already dressed for school. He waved goodbye to his brother and Ryu, grabbing some food before he rushed out the door. Hayato sighed.
"Ready?" Ryu nodded his response and the two of them quickly dressed and left the house with their list.
It was a long, tiring day. The two boys went from apartment building to apartment building, looking at the facilities and evaluating the rent. By the time it was two o'clock and they still hadn't found anything Ryu liked, Hayato was almost ready to give up. Still, he knew this was important to Ryu and decided they could look at at least one more place before he started to complain.
"Here," Ryu announced excitedly as they stopped outside of a bland looking brick building. Hayato shook his head, puzzled. Why is this one so special? he thought. It looks the same as all the other ones. Shrugging, he followed Ryu inside and up a narrow flight of stairs to the top floor. They stopped outside apartment number four and knocked. It wasn't long before a short saleswoman appeared and ushered them in.
"This place is just newly on the market, and the owners are motivated," she told them as she gave them a tour. Hayato looked down and found himself walking on plastic, covering what looked like brand new carpet. Impressed, he glanced up at the saleswoman who immediately noticed his interest.
"The entire suite was recently renovated," she explained, smiling. "You'd really be getting your money's worth with this one." Still smiling, she started to back out of the apartment. '"I'm going to let the two of you look around for as long as you want. I'll be downstairs in the front office when you're done, ok?" And with that, she left. Ryu sighed comfortably, now that they were alone.
"What do you think?" he asked Hayato, gesturing vaguely at the rooms around him. There was a small kitchen, living room, and dining room all set together. Off to the right was a short hallway with three doors: one to the bathroom, one to the bedroom, and another to a small storage room. Hayato paced over to the windows and peered out of them; they had a good view.
"I think it's nice, but I don't see how it's any different from the other places we looked at. Aside from being remodeled…" he trailed off, trying to decipher the look Ryu was giving him. What? he wondered silently. Did I miss something?
"All the other places were single person apartments," Ryu began hesitantly. He watched as Hayato glanced up quizzically and sighed. Walking ahead of him, he led the larger boy into the bedroom and spread his arms wide as if to make his point more clear.
"This bedroom is the only one so far that can fit a double bed," he continued quietly. "That's why I like it." He waited for Hayato to say something, and when he didn't, Ryu kept talking. "I want you to be able to stay here with me whenever you want to," he explained. "I know you still have to live at your house, but I want you to feel like where I live is your home too. Is that ok?" He jumped in surprise as Hayato hugged him.
"As long as it's ok with you," he whispered into Ryu's neck, squeezing him tightly before releasing him. Ryu grinned at him, almost shyly, and pecked him quickly on the mouth. He was already imagining how the room would look with a large, double bed in it. Ryu felt his face heat up as he imagined the two of them in here together. Hayato noticed and smirked.
"You have such a dirty mind Ryu," he laughed, taking his boyfriend by the hand. Suddenly, Ryu felt a sharp tug on his arm and found himself pressed up against the wall. Hayato had him pinned between both arms, which the larger boy held up against the wall on either side of his head. His heart began pounding erratically as Hayato's face moved closer and closer to his.
Within moments, they were connected in a passionate kiss. Hayato was roughly forcing Ryu's mouth open and when he finally managed it, he darted with is tongue inside the other boy's mouth. Ryu's head was reeling and he released a muffled groan as Hayato's tongue rubbed against his own. Why is he so good at this?! he asked himself. It's not fair that he can control me so easily. As if trying to regain the upper hand, he jerked his head to the side, breaking the kiss, but at the same time exposing his neck.
Hayato grinned at his boyfriend's reaction and quickly attacked the bare skin at the base of his throat, sucking harshly and eliciting gasps of pleasure from Ryu, who felt his knees go weak. Feeling himself begin slipping down the wall, Ryu quickly gripped Hayato by the hair and held himself up. Hayato grunted and wrapped his hands around Ryu's hips in response, keeping him firmly in place. Before he could stop himself, Hayato moved his hands around Ryu's lower back and down over his ass, coming to rest finally on his thighs. Slow down, he warned himself, but he had already lost control. With a jerk, he pulled the boy's legs up around his waist and held him to the wall with his own body.
Ryu was beginning to get carried away himself. Almost forgetting where they were, his fingers tugged themselves out of Hayato's hair and began playing with the collar of his shirt, gently undoing the buttons. He whimpered in an undignified way as the larger boy thrust him harder against the wall with his hips. Suddenly abandoning his neck, Hayato reclaimed his lips and completely flattened Ryu's slender body up against the wall. It was only after hearing the door of a neighboring apartment slam shut that he came to his senses and pulled away abruptly, his breathing harsh. Still, his mind had trouble disengaging and returning to normal.
"Get the apartment," he ordered, not caring how it sounded. Just look what the thought of being here with Ryu led to, he realized. There's no way he's getting out of this one. I feel like I can't wait any longer! Ryu looked exactly as Hayato felt; his eyes were full of disappointment that they had stopped.
"Just get the apartment," Hayato repeated, this time whispering in his boyfriend's ear, "and we'll be back here soon enough." Immediately catching his meaning, Ryu couldn't help blushing a few shades darker than he already was. As he straightened himself up, he felt the smallest of twinges in his side and winced. Fortunately, Hayato didn't notice.
"Let's go get a form," he agreed, and walked out of the room without another word. As they headed back down the stairs and towards the main office, Ryu tried to hide his concern as he felt sharp jabs of pain with every step. What's going on? he wondered, worried in spite of himself. Hayato wasn't THAT rough…
He managed to keep his composure as Hayato helped him fill out the lease form. The nice saleswoman promised to contact them as soon as she heard the renters' decision, and the two boys left, excited by what they had accomplished.
"So, soon you'll have your own apartment, just like you wanted," Hayato commented. He sounded as though he was trying to get around to saying something, but Ryu wasn't honestly paying attention. The pain in his ribs was steadily increasing and he was afraid that he wouldn't be able to hide it for much longer. Hayato's going to be mad, he thought sadly.
They kept walking and Hayato kept talking for several more blocks before Ryu's pace started to slow considerably; it was getting harder to breathe and he was really beginning to panic. Suddenly, he stopped walking all together. It took Hayato several meters to realize that the other boy wasn't walking with him anymore and he turned around in confusion, only to be stopped as he saw a seriously pale and frightened looking Ryu standing in the middle of the street.
"Hayato," he gasped in a pained voice, "I'm…" But he was unable to finish. Icy coldness shot through Hayato's veins as he started running towards Ryu just as he began to fall forwards. Luckily, he managed to catch the boy before he hit the ground and he quickly gathered his light body in his arms, prepared to run with him to the hospital if necessary. Ryu was still conscious, but barely.
It was then that Hayato spotted the red stain on Ryu's white shirt and watched as it spread rapidly; it was then that he panicked.
