The Glimpse of a Blue Hood
I wrote this at random one day and, since it didn't turn out horribly I decided to post it. It's a cute one-shot and I hope you enjoy it.
Disclaimer: I don't own the any characters from Tokyo Majin.
It was nothing more than the glimpse of a blue hood, but Kyoichi immediately knew who it was walking along the road on his way to school. He hopped down from the tree he frequently used as his lookout and walked over to his brown-haired friend.
""Morning, Tatsuma," he said when he had reached the boy and was now in step with him. Tatsuma flashed him a quick smile from inside of his hood.
"Good morning," he said, "You ready for class today?"
Kyoichi grimaced and said, "Am I ever?"
Tatsuma laughed at this and turned as he heard a female voice calling their names.
"Tatsuma-kun! Kyoichi-kun!"
It was Aoi Misato, the student council president, and current member of their so called 'gang'. Reflecting upon it, Tatsuma had to admit that their group was a strange one…especially when it came to dealing with the creatures that they did. It had not been long ago when he, Kyoichi, Aoi, Daigo and Komaki had first received their strange powers.
Ever since that fateful day, they had been fighting alongside one another although, more
often than not, things had a tendency of ending in a heated argument.
"Why, good morning princess," Kyoichi drawled sarcastically and walked a little faster.
Aoi, being used to his comments or at least trying to appear so, shifted her gaze to Tatsuma and waved.
The brown-eyed boy smiled and said, "Good morning, Misato-san, and to you as well Sakurai-san."
Komaki, who had been slightly behind Aoi, grimaced, "Quite it with the formality, Hiyuu."
Tatsuma, however, just shrugged and caught up with Kyoichi.
"See you later."
Komaki shook her head.
"Those two are the strangest pair. Horaiji's a total jerk and Hiyuu, well, I'm not really sure about him," she said.
Aoi watched the two boys ahead of them and said, "I think Tatsuma-kun is a kind and gentle person. He's just much quieter than Kyoichi-kun and, thus, goes unnoticed most of the time."
Komaki shrugged.
"Maybe, maybe not," she said.
Kyoichi was having trouble keeping a straight face. It was only first period and, already, Tatsuma was fast asleep at his desk. The highly amused delinquent couldn't wait for Alucard-sensei to notice. Class was almost over and she had yet to discern the sleeping boy.
Turning to face the class she began, "Now, for today's homework…Hiyuu!" Her eyes narrowed as they fell upon the sleeping boy and she grit her teeth so hard Kyoichi swore he could hear them crack. She reached for a slim piece of chalk but decided against it, and grabbed a mop instead.
"It worked the first time," she mumbled and threw it in his general direction. Tatsuma was on his feet at once, gracefully catching the mop. Alucard-sensei stared at him open-mouthed for a few seconds before breaking into a towering rage.
"How do you even manage that?" she screamed as the bell rang. Tatsuma merely placed the mop on the wall, grabbed his stuff and hurried out of the room. Kyoichi was close behind and laughing.
"That was awesome! Did you see her face! And thanks to you we don't have any homework," he said enthusiastically, "That's it, let's go eat ramen tonight, my treat."
Tatsuma glanced his way.
"Sounds good. Now let's get to the cafeteria before there's no strawberry milk left," he said and Kyoichi followed a smile on his lips the whole while.
"Yeah, yeah."
On their way to their usual spot for lunch, the top of a three-story staircase, Tatsuma and Kyoichi ran into Daigo, Komaki and Aoi.
"What do you guys want?" Kyoichi growled. Aoi stepped forward.
"Hisui says he wants to talk to all of us after school today. We just came to make sure you two will show up," she informed them. When Kyoichi said nothing and acted as if no one had spoken, Tatsuma stepped forward.
"Don't worry, we'll both be there," he assured her. Kyoichi looked at Tatsuma in surprise.
"What? You can't be serious! I don't feel like wasting my time with these guys," he said, a scowl on his face. Tatsuma said nothing to him and continued drinking his flavored milk. Komaki had a smug grin on her face as she said, "Well, I guess we'll be seeing the both of you after school."
"See ya," Daigo said before turning his back to them.
"Bye," Aoi hastily added before descending the staircase along with Komaki and Daigo. Kyoichi was pacing the staircase looking irritated.
"Damn it, Tatsuma. What the hell was that for? You don't really want to go to listen to that bore Kisaragi lecture us to death, do you?" he asked.
Tatsuma, the straw of his drink still in his mouth, said indifferently, "It might be important." Kyoichi narrowed his eyes and threw his hands behind his head.
"Whatever! But forget about me paying for your ramen," he said grudgingly.
Tatsuma finished his milk and said, "That's what you think." He began descending the spiral staircase. Kyoichi started after him.
"And just what the hell is THAT supposed to mean?"
Kyoichi was brooding the whole way to the place where Hisui held all of their meetings, his antique shop. Tatsuma, meanwhile, was eating sweets as he was often seen doing.
"You're going to get fat one of these days. Where the hell do you get all the money for stuff like that anyways? I never see you working or anything," Kyoichi growled as they turned a street corner.
"I could tell you, but leaving you in the dark seems like more fun," Tatsuma answered, his face totally serious as he took another bite of a strawberry flavored pocky stick. Kyoichi's brows knit together.
"Damn it, you're impossible today," he said as they reached the shop's door. Tatsuma did smile at this.
"But you still love me anyway, right?" he said before walking into the shop, the devilish smile still on his face. Kyoichi ran in after him yelling, "And just what the hell do you mean by that, Tatsuma!"
Komaki glared at Kyoichi, "What in the world are you yelling about, Hiyuu? Shut it!"
Then, Tatsuma did the most unexpected thing. He laughed. This action made everyone in the room fall silent. They had never, ever seen Tatsuma laugh. Kyoichi was surprised most of all and decided to let his anger towards his friend go. If it made Tatsuma laugh, it was worth it. The boy always seemed so distant, even when he had become Kyoichi's closest friend, he always seemed far away. It was almost as if there was a wall between him and the world. The laughing was over and Tatsuma had gone silent again. He seemed slightly embarrassed.
Aoi noticed and spoke up.
"So, Hisui, what did you want to talk to us about?" she asked. Hisui cleared his throat and, wasting no time, said, "I will be away on business for a few weeks and, thus, would like you five to take care of any demons that may appear in the city will I am gone."
Komaki's eyes fell. Everyone in that room knew she didn't like all this dangerous fighting.
"But you said we shouldn't get involved in stuff like that," she mumbled.
"Yes, but the five of you seemed not to heed my words and have been at every other attack since. If you would have listened before I would not suggest this but you didn't so, you must take the consequences," he said. Aoi stepped forward.
"We'll do it, Hisui. There is no one else. I can't stand to think of all the people who might suffer or, worse, die if we are not there to protect them," she said and turned to face the other four members of their group, "Right?"
Tatsuma nodded.
Kyoichi said, "This time, I agree with you Madame President."
Daigo said, "We'll look after things here, Kisaragi." All eyes fell on Komaki. She looked at them and nodded, but said nothing.
Hisui sighed.
"Then, you are free to go. I leave in two days so be on the look out come Wednesday," he said then added, "And be careful, Lady Misato." The girl in question smiled and said,
"Don't worry Hisui, I'll be fine."
As everyone cleared out of the antique dealers shop Aoi walked past Tatsuma.
"I…think you have a beautiful laugh," she told him before rushing off, clearly embarrassed. Tatsuma watched her until she was out of sight, looking surprised.
"Tatsuma, what the hell are you doing?" Kyoichi asked, standing beside him. Tatsuma looked at him and said absent-mindedly, "It's nothing." Kyoichi started forward.
"Then let's go get some ramen," he said and then, staring at the ground, added, "And, yeah, it's on me."
Tatsuma smiled widely and followed.
At the ramen house, Tatsuma and Kyoichi took a seat and didn't even need to order their food before it was given to them. Kyoichi was friends with the man who ran the shop and has been eating there for years. They ate in a comfortable silence, then paid for the ramen and left the shop. Upon seeing how dark it had become outside, Tatsuma said, "I should head home…" Kyoichi thought about this.
"Where do you live?" he asked. Tatsuma looked sheepish.
"I'm still not familiar with the street name," he said.
Kyoichi grinned then said, "Well, you can show me." Tatsuma was silent. He wasn't sure he wanted anyone to know where he lived. But he guessed that for Kyoichi he could make an exception because he knew deep down that he did want to show him.
"Okay, let's go," he finally said and began walking. Kyoichi followed but seemed troubled.
"If you'd rather I stay behind its fine. I just let my damn curiosity get the better of me," he said. Tatsuma shook his head.
"I'm sorry if I seemed rude. I…haven't had many friends, so I'm used to keeping to myself," Tatsuma explained. Kyoichi found it strange that he talked as though no one else lived with him.
"Your parents won't mind? That's not why you don't want me over, is it?" Kyoichi asked. Tatsuma stopped dead in his tracks. He turned to look at Kyoichi. To the red-haired boy's surprise, Tatsuma looked at him with brown eyes filled with sadness.
"I never had real parents. I've been an orphan for as long as I can remember," he said, trying unsuccessfully to suppress the quiver in his voice. This statement was followed by a long, painful silence. Kyoichi felt ashamed of himself.
"Damn…damn it, Tatsuma, I shouldn't have said that. What the hell was I thinking?" he said.
"Don't worry about it, Kyoichi. How could you have known?" Tatsuma said as his eyes softened and he flashed Kyoichi a smile, "Let's keep moving." Kyoichi nodded but could not bring himself to say anything.
They did not speak another word the rest of the way to Tatsuma's home.
"You can come in, you know," Tatsuma said to Kyoichi who was standing in the doorway of his small apartment. So the boy did and, once he had taken off his shoes, walked into the living room and took in his surroundings.
The place was really bare and was comprised only of necessities. There was a couch; a coffee table, a small radio, a lamp and a bookcase (empty of books). Tatsuma's kitchen suffered from the same emptiness and as Kyoichi peeked inside the refrigerator he became worried. There was barely anything in it other than a jug of water and a few, expired looking, fruit. The place hardly looked lived in. Tatsuma was changing in his room and Kyoichi walked in and said, "What the hell do you eat, Tatsuma? There's nothing in your fridge!"
Tatsuma, who had been in the middle of removing his shirt, threw it on his bed and said, "I just haven't done groceries." Kyoichi glared at him, hardly looking convinced.
"And that explains why you as skinny as a toothpick?" he asked. Tatsuma stared down at his skinny torso. His ribs were clearly visible beneath his skin. He sighed and turned away from Kyoichi.
"I've always been like this, Kyoichi," he said and began searching his draws for a clean shirt. Kyoichi was standing behind him, looking at the sole picture Tatsuma had displayed in his house.
"Are these…?" he started to ask.
"My foster parents," Tatsuma answered quietly without turning around. Kyoichi stared at Tatsuma. In just one day he had learned so much about him and he could see that the brown-haired boy was suffering.
"Tatsuma," he began, grabbing his wrist, "Are you lonely?"
The boy in question turned to stare at Kyoichi. He then struggled against his grip. This was a terrible idea. He should never have invited Kyoichi into his house. Staring at the ground, he whispered (his throat to constricted to do much else), "Please leave."
"Why?" Kyoichi asked in a gentle tone that Tatsuma would have never thought possible coming from such a rowdy boy. He said nothing.
"Is it because I was right? Because you're scared that if people realize how you feel they'll consider you weak?" the red head said, each word only heightening Tatsuma's distress. His eyes were stinging as Kyoichi forced his chin upwards so that they were face to face.
"Never feeling like you belonged, then being sent to Megami high school as a new student who knew no one and, on top of that, living here all alone. It must get lonely after years of feeling that way," he said. The tears Tatsuma had been desperately trying to hold back now slid down his cheeks.
"It is lonely! I hate it! There's no one in this world who would give a damn if I suddenly disappeared!" Tatsuma sobbed, giving in to the feelings that had been eating away at his heart all these years. He fell to his knees, his hands shaking against Kyoichi's covered chest. Kyoichi sighed, sat on the bed and, because he had never thought of doing something like this to anyone before, awkwardly pulled Tatsuma into a hug. The other boy sobbed onto his chest. They stayed like that for a long time, Kyoichi clearly looking uncomfortable. When Tatsuma had been quiet for a good five minutes Kyoichi said,
"You still alive?" He looked down at the boy when he received no reply and blushed furiously.
"That little – he frickin' fell asleep!" he whispered angrily.
After placing him in his bed, Kyoichi thought about what Tatsuma had said and bent down to whisper in the sleeping boy's ear.
"I'd care," he said softly before grabbing his bokutou and hurriedly walking out the door feeling really, really stupid.
"There's no way in hell I'm ever doing that again."
I hope you enjoyed it. R&R.