Warnings for implied sexual content, bondage and knifeplay. Nothing explicitly described, but it's there. Also, I was experimenting with a slightly disjointed style as far as the flow of time goes. That is all. On with the show.
"You'll never forget me, right?"
It's always the same question, and Edo has perfectly trained himself to smile, not even tugging at his bonds anymore, while he quietly murmurs back, "Never." And it's certainly not a lie, because whatever might happen, Edo will never, ever, forget about Fujiwara Yusuke.
And Fujiwara will smile back (quite obviously half-mad) and let that knife of his trail along the scabbed over cuts on Edo's chest. Once again tracing his name over Edo's heart and Edo still gasps and flinches a little at that part, it's hard not to give into the reflex reaction to pain, but he always keeps smiling. Smiles and whispers, "I love you," and Fujiwara laughs.
"No you don't. You can't love. You're broken, just like me. That's why we're perfect." And in the end, Edo can't disagree with that.
o o o
They meet the first time because Edo is at Ryo's apartment, discussing Ryo's plans for a new league (or more, Edo is ranting, "Are you insane, Hell Kaiser!?" while Ryo grins and assures Edo that he's not) when Fubuki comes by with Fujiwara in tow. Edo smiling as politely as he can manage when it comes to Fubuki and nodding slightly as he's introduced to Fujiwara, Fujiwara nodding back and saying quietly, "I remember you. When the Darkness…" his voice trailing off as what he's saying sinks in and a strained sort of silence falls. A silence that is eventually broken by Fubuki making some asinine comment or another and the tension soon enough bleeds away.
Edo doesn't forget though, and as soon as he gets a chance he slides in close to Fujiwara and asks, low enough that no one else can hear, "The Darkness took a lot of people, why would you remember me?" A vaguely unnerving sort of smile slowly curving Fujiwara's lips as he studies Edo in silence for a moment before replying, "Because you're like me."
"Orphaned?" Edo asks, remembering that Ryo had mentioned that about the older boy and unable to stop the defensive sneer that creeps into his voice.
"No," Fujiwara looking far too pleased with himself as he looks Edo square in the eye, "broken."
o o o
Edo knows that Fujiwara's assessment of him is absolutely perfect. He's a damaged mess, who more than likely deserves everything that has ever happened in his life.
(and Edo still remembers yelling "I hate you!" in a childish fit and running off to his room mere hours before his father was murdered and although it's been so long that he's not positive that he selfishly wished his father harm, it's likely)
Sometimes Edo thinks the only reason he's still sane is because he has come to recognize that he's poison to whoever comes near him and has long since locked himself off.
Edo also knows that Fujiwara is right when he says that they're perfect for each other, because it's plainly obvious that Fujiwara is just as much of a mess as Edo is, maybe even more so. A detached mess who can't (won't) connect out of plain and simple fear.
Everyone winds up alone in the end, and no one will care when you're gone.
And as Fujiwara idly trails a finger through the blood slowly oozing from the cuts on Edo's chest, Edo can't help but wonder if the reason he continues to fling himself so hard into his career even now is due to a desperate stab at immortality.
If enough people know his name maybe someone will care when he's gone.
o o o
Edo doesn't know why he slips Fujiwara his private cell number on that first day they meet. God knows he thinks the other boy to be entirely unnerving, but all the same he does and a few days later Fujiwara calls and Edo finds himself welcoming the new distraction. Because that's all anyone ever is in his life, just another distraction.
The first time they hook up, Edo snidely asks Fujiwara what that idiot Tenjoin would think of all this and Fujiwara simply smirks right back and says, "I could ask the same about Marufuji."
At that point Edo decides that, vaguely creepy or no, Fujiwara Yusuke is someone who can fit into his life quite nicely. Not to mention the sex is good, and Edo tells himself that is the most important thing.
He's had far more sex than he knows someone his age should, most of it passable, some of it very good, some of it forgettable and some…. Well, some he just wishes he could forget. Fujiwara falls easily into the "good" category. Maybe not the best he's ever had, but easily the best that doesn't involve him sitting in bed feeling like his skin is a size too tight and wanting to run from the room just to get away from the uncomfortable pressure settling in his chest (a fist wrapped around his heart.)
In short, it's nothing like sex with Hell Kaiser Ryo, and that's definitely a good thing because ever since the whole heart-condition-brush-with-death thing Ryo's been different and it scares the hell out of Edo.
And if Fujiwara has strange little kinks, well, so does Edo. Edo's the one who asked to be tied up first, after all. Things just seemed to escalate from there and soon enough Fujiwara has that knife lightly kissing Edo's skin while he demands to hear the words, "I love you," just so he can say, "You're lying," in return and remind Edo that they're both broken.
Edo can't help but find a strange sort of comfort in the pattern. And if Fujiwara doesn't want Edo to ever forget him, well, then…
Then Fujiwara will never leave him.