This was my first attempt at a serious GD fic and I wrote it around summer 2003... But Reading over it recently, I changed a few bits because I really HATED how they read. I originally drew ideas from the Move card of Cardcaptor Sakura and Volume 2 of Tokyo Babylon, but not too much. Warnings include shonen-ai, angst and more angst. So ha.
Kakei smiled at his two dedicated workers.
It was clear what it signalled.
"So what is it you want us to do?" Kazahaya looked apprehensive and excited all at once.
"A client…" the shop's owner started, pulling out a photo, "Lost this. All you need to do is find it."
The lighter haired boy took the photo, looking at it curiously. "A doll?"
"Un."
"Where about did they loose it?"
"Tokyo Tower."
Kazahaya's eyes lit up, "HEH? REALLY?"
Rikuou looked a little exasperated. "How can you get so excited over something like that?"
"I've never been before!" Kazahaya turned quickly back to Kakei, "And all we have to do is find it?"
"Yes."
"WAI!"
-
On the train…
"Ah! There it is…!" The lighter haired boy smiled happily with his hands pressed against the glass as the tower came into sight.
"You really are an idiot…"
"WHAT?"
"I would have thought you'd have learnt by now there's no such thing as 'all we have to do is find it'…" Rikuou sighed.
Kazahaya pouted, "At least we get to go to Tokyo Tower!"
The darker haired boy raised an eyebrow, his eyes becoming tainted with an unrecognisable emotion.
"You act like a kid…"
"HRMF." Kazahaya turned angrily back to look out the window, blushing ever so slightly.
Rikuou always did this…
His words made him mad, but then his eyes…
…they just made everything get mixed up… It was confusing.
"Teme…" He muttered to himself.
-
"Waa…!" Kazahaya gasped happily as he looked through the viewing goggles, "The view's amazing…! We're so high up, I can see most of Tokyo!"
The darker haired boy continued to watch his companion look out across the city in near rapture, gasping and smiling like he was a small child again. A thoughtful smile formed on his lips.
"You're such a kid."
"NANI?"
"Only a kid would get so excited about something so simple." Rikuou stepped forward to put his hands over Kazahaya's which continued to grip the goggles. Slowly, he leaned to whisper in his ear with a smooth, breathy voice, "Its kinda cute…"
Kazahaya went red, eyes widening, "Ge…GET OFF OF ME YOU JERK!" he yelled, pulling away, "I don't want you touching me!"
"Oh?" Rikuou continued to smirk, putting his hands on his hips, "Not even if it's to save you?"
Silence. The lighter haired boy looked completely dumbfounded. What sort of answer was he expected to give, anyway?
"Thought so…" Rikuou turned to look out the windows, "We've got another 2 hours or so until sundown. Do you want to get something to eat?"
"Ah…uh… yeah, ok…" Kazahaya nodded, a little relieved at having escaped. One thing he could count on was Rikuou changing the subject once he had embarrassed him enough… It seemed he didn't like to linger on the same insult for too long. Like the incident with the schoolgirl's uniform… He'd expected him to tease him about it non-stop, over and over… but all he'd said was just 'It was good'…
Then again, that had been enough.
-
Kazahaya sighed, sitting on the floor with his drink in hand.
"Just 5 minutes to sundown now…"
"Un…"
At first the whole idea had been exciting, but then… after 3 hours or so it just got dull.
He glanced over his shoulder at the city. The sun was starting to sink over the horizon, rays of red and orange washing over the buildings whilst the clouds in the sky twisted like fire.
A small smile passed over his lips. It was a pretty romantic sight…
"You look like you've never seen a sun-set before."
"Huh?"
Rikuou leaned against the wall beside him, arms crossed. "But…I guess the higher you are, the better they look."
Kazahaya blinked, examining Rikuou's expression as he gazed out across the city. His eyes were reflecting the last points of light, a warm glow bathing his face…It was strange, but… he seemed gentler… Handsome…
NO. The lighter haired boy shook his head, angry at himself.
"Hm? What's wrong?" Rikuou asked, glancing down.
"N-nothing…"
"Oh?" the amused smirk reformed, "You know… you're pretty weird…"
"WH-WHAT? LIKE YOU'RE NOT?"
The last rays of light faded, the city becoming alive with a neon glow as electricity flowed through its streets.
"-AT LEAST I HAVE A PERSONALITY!"
"Yeah" Rikuou closed his eyes, "A weird one."
"TEME! Huh?" The lighter haired boy blinked, gasping, "There it is!"
"Huh?"
Kazahaya pointed desperately at the other side of the room, "The doll!"
Slowly, a little sceptical, the darker haired boy also turned to find a china doll wearing a white frilly dress with curly black hair and blue eyes, sitting limply on a railing.
"Quick!" Kazahaya rushed forward, reaching out to grab it.
He wasn't exactly sure what happened next, but when he went close his grip, nothing but air passed through his fingers. The doll was gone.
He blinked.
"heh?"
Rikuou looked around. He wasn't certain what had happened either… but he had a feeling the next few minutes weren't going to be much fun.
Then he spotted the doll sat on the floor by another of the viewing goggles.
"Oi, its over there."
"Huh?" Kazahaya looked confused, slowly walking over to the doll's new location. "But… I was sure that…"
Never mind. He reached out again.
Just as his fingers were about to touch it… They passed through nothing but thin air.
"eh?" he blinked, "WHAT THE? WHAT THE HELL'S GOING ON? Huh?" He turned, finding the doll sat on the counter of the café. He growled, clenching his fists. "That's it!"
Rikuou sniggered to himself as Kazahaya continued to chase the doll around the room, each time he went to grab it finding that it had moved again to a new area, constantly reaching for something that wasn't there.
He was starting to get very, very angry.
"MATTE!" the lighter haired boy yelled, diving to the last known position of the smiling china face. He landed with a thud, face down on the ground.
This was NOT fun.
It was then Rikuou's amused sniggering came to his attention. He snarled, pushing himself up.
"STOP LAUGHING AT ME YOU JERK! YOU COULD AT LEAST HELP!"
"Its more amusing this way…" The darker haired boy smiled, "anyway, I see no reason why we should both look like complete idiots."
"WHAT?" Kazahaya clenched a fist at his companion, "How the Hell do you get away with stealing half my pay when I do all the work?"
"Because you don't."
"YOU!"
"Its up there now."
"Huh?"
"Look." Rikuou pointed up at the ceiling, the doll sitting innocently on a beam.
Kazahaya looked bemused. "No way."
"I'll help."
"Heh?"
The darker haired boy stepped forward, "You're too short to reach it on your own."
"I.." Kazahaya stopped mid-complaint, realising that this time he had a point. "What're we going to do?"
"You'll have to get on my shoulders."
"NO WAY! I'LL FALL!"
"Really? I though cats have good balance…"
"I'M HUMAN!" The lighter haired boy hissed.
"Whatever. Look, I promise I'll catch you if you fall."
"LIKE I'M GONNA TRUST YOU!"
"Why not?"
Kazahaya blinked. Come to think of it… Rikuou had never let him down… he'd always saved him, protected him… It made him feel even worse.
"FINE."
The darker haired boy knelt down, Kazahaya carefully climbing onto his shoulders before Rikuou rose up.
"WA!"
"Calm down will you?"
"NO! I'M GOING TO FALL! I JUST KNOW IT!"
"Stop screeching and hurry up and get the doll already…"
The lighter haired boy snarled, trying to keep his balance. Slowly, fingers stretched, he reached out to grab the doll.
"Just… a little…more…" He reached out further, fingers only inches away.
Then it disappeared.
His eyes widened. "HUH? Ah…AH!" He swayed, desperately trying to regain balance before falling forward.
But the sensation of rushing air swiftly halted.
"Oi, are you okay?"
"nn…huh?" Kazahaya carefully opened his eyes to find himself clutching Rikuou's shirt, his saviour glaring down at him with a cold expression. He blushed.
"I…IT DISAPPEARED AGAIN!"
"Excuse me…" came a little voice.
"Huh?"
Both boys turned, finding, to their surprise, a little girl of about 6, standing shyly with the doll clutched to her chest.
Her skin was a little pale, and her dark brown hair tied back in a ponytail with a blue ribbon, one or two wisps falling over her chocolate brown eyes. She blushed, holding the doll tighter.
"Who are you?" Kazahaya asked in complete bewilderment.
"Ano… I'm Hitomi Izuka…" the little girl lowered the doll from her face a little, "Are you nice people?"
"Huh?" Kazahaya looked a little pensive, "I… I guess so… My name's Kudou Kazahaya…ano ne… is that your doll?"
"Un!" Hitomi nodded cheerfully, "Usagi-chan"
"USAGI?" The lighter haired boy turned nervously to Rikuou, "ano… what should we do?"
"How should I know…?"
"Ne…" the little girl continued, "Is Kazahaya-kun my friend?"
"Huh? Uh… yeah… I… suppose so…"
"Ah…!" Hitomi smiled, running over, "You'll protect me…!"
"Eh? Protect you from what?"
"The bad men! They keep chasing me! They want to hurt me so I have to keep hiding! Please protect me from them…!"
"Uhh… don't you have a mummy or daddy? Maybe an older brother or sister we could take you home to?"
Hitomi blinked innocently. "No… Mama and papa both died years ago. The bad men got them and now they want to get me…" She looked a little tearful, "Please protect me Kazahaya-kun…!"
Rikuou smiled. "What're you gonna do, KAZAHAYA-KUN…?"
"Uhh…" The lighter haired boy looked pensive, rubbing the back of his neck, "Who… exactly are the bad men?"
"They're scary! They wear black suits and have red hair…! They're always wearing sunglasses!"
"Uh…huh? And… just how many of them are there?"
"Ano…" The little girl looked thoughtful, "I'm not sure… lots… lots and lots and lots…"
Kazahaya looked bemused before turning to Rikuou, "Ok, that's it. I've had enough. Lets just take her back to Kakei and let him figure out what to do..."
The darker haired boy raised an eyebrow.
"Ok", Kazahaya smiled nervously, holding out a hand to the little girl, "lets go, ne?"
"Un!" Hitomi gave a bright smile, reaching out to take his hand. p
Suddenly she froze, eyes widening, her smile fading.
She was shivering.
"Huh?" The lighter haired boy blinked, "What's wrong?"
The little girl took a step back, pale faced. "Th… THEY'RE HERE!"
Rikuou turned to be confronted with the sight of about 5 men, very similar in looks with short spiked red hair, black suits and mirror shades, standing across the room with their hands in their pockets casually.
"Who the hell are they?" Kazahaya muttered in confusion.
"I think… They could be those 'bad men'…."
"HEEEH?"
"Don't let them hurt me! Please Kazahaya-kun!" Hitomi cried, hugging the lighter haired boy's legs tightly.
The 5 men smiled cruelly, slowly starting to walk forward. Rikuou snarled.
"Run."
"What?"
"I said run you idiot…"
Kazahaya blinked as Rikuou lunged infront of him, facing the advancing strangers.
"R…Rikuou?"
"Get the hell out of here! Both of you! I'll try to hold them off!"
"Ah… u-un…!" Kazahaya nodded, scooping up the little girl before running towards the elevator, pounding the button.
The darker haired boy scowled hard as the men continued to walk calmly forward. It was only when they were a couple of metres away that they stopped, watching him carefully as his reflection glimmered on their dark shades….
"Hurry up!" Rikuou yelled without turning.
Slowly, almost fluidly, the 5 men took their hands from their pockets, a strange, fiery aura burning around their outstretched palms.
Rikuou's eyes widened.
"But…" He took a step back, "No way…"
-
There was a ping, the elevator doors sliding open.
"Ok…" Kazahaya gently set down the trembling little girl, smiling kindly as he stepped in, the doors closing behind him, "We're going to get out of here, alright? Away from the bad men…"
"But… Kazahaya-kun…" Hitomi's eyes quivered as she held the doll up to her face, "What about your boyfriend…?"
"Heh? HEH?" The lighter haired boy went red, hair on end, "WHAT'RE YOU TALKING ABOUT?"
"You like him…" The little girl muttered.
Kazahaya sighed, calming. "I can't stand him…"
"But… Don't you worry about him?"
"Huh?"
Yeah… It was true… He couldn't help but worry about that jerk… No matter how much of a cold, insensitive, black-hearted bastard he was… He HAD saved him… Several times… Even now…
"I…"
Kazahaya looked speechless, turning to face the closed elevator doors.
"I guess… I do…"
-
Rikuou dived across the floor as another blast was sent blazing towards him, rolling limply before swiftly pushing himself up, swinging his arm towards his attackers with a psychic blast being the result.
Two of the men disappeared in the flames, but the four more soon appeared from no-where... Their numbers just kept increasing…
"Dammit…" The darker haired boy growled, breathing hard. He couldn't win this… Every time he had managed to get rid of one of them… two more appeared… It was impossible…
-
Outside…
The dark night clouds passed over the glowing moon, one or two stray rays of light shining down.
"Ok, come on!" Kazahaya yelled, running from the tower with Hitomi close behind.
She stopped.
"Huh?" The lighter haired boy turned in confusion, adrenalin pumping through his veins, to find the little girl staring up at the tower, "What're you doing? COME ON!"
"But…"
Her chocolate brown eyes quivered as a loud crash echoed, shards of glass falling a short distance away. Kazahaya scowled, rushing forward to grab her arm.
"We have to go…! I thought you didn't want to get cau-AH! RI-RIKUOU!" He gasped, eyes widening at the sight above. The darker haired boy was hanging from the window of the observation deck, clutching the jagged frame with one hand… crimson blood pouring from his many wounds.
Kazahaya went pale, "RIKUOU!"
"H…He's going to fall…" Hitomi whispered.
-
Rikuou gasped for breath, hand still clinging tightly though the jagged glass penetrating his flesh stung and was causing agony to run through every nerve in his body.
He shut his eyes tight.
He knew he couldn't hold on forever…
Eventually, weak from the loss of blood, his bloody fingers slowly uncurled, the frame's shattered glass tearing his skin.
-
Kazahaya gasped, his pupils shrinking in terror.
The Rikuou was falling.
"NO! RIKUOU YOU IDIOT!" He screamed, rushing forward.
Blood… Rikuou's crimson life was pouring from him…
A strong sickness rose in Kazahaya's stomach at the thought…all life escaping from him… Death was not something he was willing to welcome… And as far as he was concerned, Rikuou shouldn't die… he had saved him… When he couldn't guard his own life, he had done it for him… And feeling as helpless as he was right now, unable to return the favour…
He just wanted to cry.
"Kazahaya-kun would be sad if you died." Hitomi whispered calmly to herself, watching as the taller boy continued to plummet unconscious to the ground, "Its not fair… he just doesn't want to see this…"
Slowly, she closed her chocolate brown eyes, clasping her hands together.
"Please…"
A sphere of pale golden light encircled Rikuou's body, causing him to fall much slower until he eventually seemed to be floating gently to the ground.
"Rikuou…" The lighter haired boy blinked, unsure at what was happening.
No… whatever it was, Rikuou was safe now… He ran over to the taller boy as his body was laid carefully to the ground, the light around him fading.
"…" He bit his lower lip, "…idiot…"
He couldn't help but feel the tears rising in his eyes at the sight of his companion laying so still, unconscious, blood staining his skin and clothes… so close to death… but most of all out of genuine relief…
"IDIOT!" He cried, collapsing to his knees and wrapping his arms tightly around Rikuou's unconscious body, sobbing onto his shoulder as he pulled him tight against him. "RIKUOU YOU DAMN IDIOT! IDIOT!"
Hitomi stood, smiling sadly.
-
"Nnn…"
White… everything was so white… blurry… a haze…
And pain… Sharp…
"Are you okay?" Came a confident, familiar voice.
Rikuou blinked, regaining consciousness. The details slowly came into focus. Saiga and Kakei were standing over him.
"What am I doing back here?" He groaned.
"Try not to talk too much, ne?" Kakei smiled kindly, "That was some fall you had… Few people could probably have survived a fall like you did…"
"Fall..?"
"Yeah…" Saiga grinned, "All the way from Tokyo Tower itself…"
"What?"
Everything came rushing back.
Rikuou gasped, trying to sit upright, "What happened to-AGH!" He fell back, a stabbing pain running through his body, his limbs shivering from the wounds.
"Stay still please." Kakei shook his head, "In your condition I expect it probably hurts just to breath… let alone anything else… Try to save your energy."
"But…" The darker haired boy gasped for breath, forcing his eyes back open, "What… what happened to the little girl… and Kazahaya…?"
"They're fine…!" Saiga placed a hand affectionately on Kakei's shoulder, the shop's owner smiling cheerfully. "Why don't you get some rest now, ok?"
Rikuou glared before his eyes weakly closed. "Make sure those guys don't come here…"
Kakei blinked, suddenly more serious "Guys? Rikuou, what did they… oh, he's asleep again…"
Saiga leaned down, resting his head on Kakei's shoulder.
"Do you think he means the Bakeyakuzajin?"
"… Some of the wounds he's got… Normal people couldn't have done that…"
"Then it could be?"
Kakei nodded, "un…"
-
"That idiot…" Kazahaya muttered angrily, sitting in Kakei's office.
It was bad enough when that jerk teased him, annoyed him… but scaring him like that was just wrong…
"Rikuou…" he sighed in concern, closing his eyes.
"Ne, Kazahaya-kun?"
"Huh?"
Hitomi jumped up beside him, smiling cheerfully.
"Does Rikuou-kun know you like him?"
Kazahaya went red.
"L-LIKE HIM?"
"Un!" The little girl beamed giving a bright nod.
"I DON'T like him!"
"But…you were crying…!" Hitomi pressed on, "And you hugged him so tightly… The way you looked at him…! And you always blush when I ask if you like him…!"
"I…I…" Kazahaya went swirly eyed. He just knew he wasn't going to win this.
"… Ne… is it because he's a boy too?"
"WHAT?"
"Are you embarrassed because he's a boy too?"
Kazahaya glared before turning away in a huff. "Hrmf."
"I think… that if you like him you should say…" Hitomi swung her legs, "What if he gets hurt badly? Really badly… You might not ever see him again… then you'll never be able to tell him how you feel… That'd be bad… because then you'll wish that you had told him… And you know he feels the same way…"
"Huh?" The lighter haired boy looked up in surprise.
"Un…! He really likes you…! When he looks at you his eyes say it. He wants to protect you. He cares about you Kazahaya-kun…"
"Hitomi-chan…" Kazahaya eyes quivered in shock at the sudden maturity in the little girl's thoughts.
No-way… If Rikuou liked him, he wouldn't tease him like he did… It was true that he protected him, but that didn't mean he liked or cared for him… did it…?
"You can't be serious", he said eventually, crossing his arms protectively.
"But…"
"Kudou-kun." Came Kakei's thoughtful voice.
"Ah, h-hai…!" Kazahaya leaped to his feet, running from the office.
Hitomi watched him in distain.
"Kazahaya-kun…"
-
"He's lost a lot of blood… But he's strong enough to pull through. Right now the best policy would be for him to sleep and eat plenty of food with high iron content…"
"So… he'll be alright?"
"Yeah."
Kazahaya sighed heavily with relief.
"I'm so glad-" he gasped, quickly clutching his hands over his mouth in embarrassment.
Kakei just smiled.
"A-anoo… What's going to happen to Hitomi-chan?" The lighter haired boy rubbed the back of his neck.
"Oh, she'll be staying with us for a while."
"But… What about those men that attacked us?"
"Bakeyakuzajin."
"Heh?"
"Don't worry, they won't come here."
"If they do then-"
"Kudou-kun, they WON'T…"
"ah, u-un…"
Kazahaya hung his head a little, wisps of hair falling over his eyes. "But... Rikuou can't protect himself... if they do come here…"
"You really worry about him don't you?"
"HUH?" The lighter haired boy felt knocked back, "I? HIM?You're not going to lecture me too are you?"
Kakei gave a small laugh, waving his pen. "Its nice to see you do really look out for each other. Its important that you have someone to care about."
"Huh?"
"Don't you agree…?"
"I…"
"…" A sly smile slowly curved Kakei's lips as he regarded the lighter haired boy. "Or… is it love maybe?"
"WHAT? NOW THAT REALLY IS JUST TOO MUCH!"
"Denial is the first sign…"
"NO, NO, NO!" Kazahaya cried, shaking his head.
"Kudou-kun… Is it really such a bad thing?"
"YES! I HATE HIM!"
"Do you?"
"I…"
No… The lighter haired boy clenched his fists. No, he didn't hate him. But love was too much…
He didn't want to fall in love…
Somewhere, in the back of his mind… that feeling… that emotion of love… Somehow, all of a sudden, he couldn't help but feel a strong sense of despair at the whole idea…
Love… Not now…
It was all just too much…
"I don't want it…"
"Hm?" Kakei blinked, a little confused.
"I don't want to fall in love! I don't to fall in love, or have anyone else love me!"
"Kudou-kun…"
Without a word, Kazahaya turned and ran.
-
He reasoned, the despair he was feeling… maybe it was because he really was afraid of it. Only one person had ever said they loved him, and she…
No. No, this was all because… he wouldn't have anyone love him ever again. And falling in love would make it that much harder to enforce that…
He burst into his room, out of breath, throwing himself onto his bed, face buried on the pillows.
"Rikuou you idiot.. you IDIOT…"
"What's wrong with you BOY?"
"H…huh?" he pushed himself up, leaning on one elbow.
Saiga was seated on the other side of the room beside Rikuou's bed, watching the lighter haired boy with interest.
"It… It doesn't matter…"
"Oh? Hey, why don't you take care of him for a couple of hours?"
"Me? But I…"
"Come on, you've done it before! I'll be back around lunchtime, ok? Ja ne!"
"But!"
Too late. Saiga had already left the room, the tail of his black trench coat billowing behind him. Kazahaya sighed. This really wasn't where he wanted to be right now. There was still too much on his mind… too much confusion…
Slowly, he dragged himself over to Rikuou's sleeping form, collapsing on the chair beside his bed. He glared darkly. There were still scratches on his face, and bloodstains tainting his skin… all the pain he had been through… his skin torn, his blood shed…just to save him… because he cared for him…
"I hate you." He whispered, his eyes quivering with anger. "If you love me, I'll promise to hate you… I'll despise you… I'll spend every second with you in agony…"
His heart began to pound hard, his fingers brushing subconsciously over the darker haired boy's throat.
"I couldn't stand that… I couldn't stand being so close to someone I hate so much…" His fingers curled, clasping Rikuou's neck. "Why? Why won't it die? Why can't love just die and go away forever… just leave me in peace…?"
His other hand clasped his companion's throat, both his hands tightening.
Rikuou flinched subconsciously, straining to breath.
Kazahaya continued to stare coldly, tightening his grip further. "And you… you had to care about me… why couldn't you have hated me? Just hate me and leave me in peace…"
His eyes suddenly became tainted with a wild madness, possessed with hatred.
Kill him.
That's what he was being told…
KILL HIM NOW.
"WHY COULDN'T YOU HATE ME?" he yelled.
Rikuou's lips had started to turn pale, his breaths strained, eyelids flickering as his life started to fade.
"WHY? WHY DID YOU HAVE TO BE SUCH AN IDIOT? WHY COULDN'T YOU HAVE JUST LEFT ME TO DIE SO I DIDN'T HAVE TO FEEL LIKE THIS?"
"Kaza…ha…ya…"
The lighter haired boy gasped.
He was… that was who he was… He wasn't like this…he wasn't a murderer! What was he doing?
His mind suddenly pushed through the invading thoughts of despair and hatred, grasping desperately for self-control… for himself…
"Rikuou! Oh god, Rikuou, are you ok?" He yelled, pulling his hands away and shaking his companion's shoulders. "RIKUOU!"
No… no something wasn't right… He wasn't himself… His thoughts… they weren't his own… He wasn't him…
Some relief hit him at the sight of Rikuou's chest rising as his lungs filling with air, but still… What was wrong with him? What had he touched today to become so hateful, so…
"Hitomi…" He whispered, eyes quivering in disbelief.
But she… how could a little girl, so cheerful and idealistic be the source of such pain and anger? It just didn't make sense… Maybe he was wrong, but who else could it have been? Rikuou wasn't like that… It had to have been her…
He glanced sadly down at the darker haired boy who now slept on peacefully, chest rising and falling gently with each breath. He leaned down carefully.
"Rikuou…I'm so sorry…" He whispered, gently kissing him before leaning away with a blush, tears welling slowly in his hazy, amber green eyes, "You… you'd better not tell anyone about that…ok? I'm not ready for it… and you'd probably just tease me anyway, so… forget it… But… maybe someday I'll kiss you when we're both awake…Until then… just keep it quiet…" He closed his eyes, biting his lower lip as the tears trickled down his pale face. "Oh god, I can't believe I nearly just killed you…"
The fear he had felt stabbed hard at him, clasping his hands over his mouth in pain.
Love hurt.
-
"What?"
"You know what I mean."
Kazahaya stared hard at the little girl who continued to stare innocently up at him with large brown eyes. He knelt down.
"Your hate for love… It… When I carried you earlier, I somehow absorbed it… It made me do stuff I wouldn't normally do."
"…" Hitomi closed her eyes sadly, "I'm sorry…"
"Huh?"
"I'm sorry you had to feel like that… like love is wrong, but…" She bowed her head, "It really is y'know…"
"Why do you think that?"
"Because…" the little girl shrugged.
There was something unconvincing in her voice.
"Hitomi-chan…" Kazahaya whispered, "did… something happen?"
"People… um…" Hitomi bowed her head lower, seeming embarrassed, "People say they love you… but… but… they just want to hurt you… isn't that true?"
"No… I don't think so… not always…"
"But… someone said they loved me… they wanted to be with me, but they… hurt me…"
"Huh?" Kazahaya blinked. That maturity… It was just like earlier…
"He… he hurt me… He said he loved me, and…and…" tears had started to trickle down her cheeks, "He did things… Terrible things…"
"Hitomi."
"Huh?" The little girl looked up with tearful eyes…
There was something older about those eyes…
"You…" Kazahaya stared deeper into them, "You're... not a little girl… are you?"
Hitomi stared back, eyes quivering in surprise before slowly shaking her head.
"How old are you?"
"…"
"Hitomi?"
"I'm a little girl."
"No, you just-"
"Kazahaya-kun, please… please could you take me somewhere?"
"Huh?" Kazahaya blinked, "where?"
-
The dark streets of Tokyo…
Kazahaya followed Hitomi down towards the park. He still wasn't absolutely certain what she was… A young woman in a little girl's body perhaps, but… If he could help her then that would be fine… And Kakei had said he should do all he could to make sure she would get what she wanted.
"How much further?" He asked quietly.
"Just over there… by the river…"
The lighter haired boy crouched down, staring into the dark night water.
"Can you see it?"
"Anoo…" he looked closer before spotting a small silver necklace, caught amongst the reeds, "ah… yeah…"
"Please could you get it for me?"
"Right…
Carefully, to avoid loosing the piece of jewellery to the current, Kazahaya stretched out to unhook the item.
"There…" he sighed, leaning back with it tangled around his fingers, "What now?"
Hitomi took the necklace, face calm.
"Ne… Has Rikuou-kun ever given you anything?"
Kazahaya resisted the urge to reply 'A headache', simply shaking his head.
"Oh… the boy who loved me gave me this… But…" her eyes glossed over with nostalgia, "He wasn't kind at all…"
"What happened?"
"He was in a gang."
"Heh? Ano... how old was he?"
"17."
"ANO…" the lighter hair boy looked overly confused. When you hear something with the appearance of a 6 year old girl tell you her boyfriend is 17… it makes you feel that way… "MY age? RIKUOU's age?"
"Un."
"But…"
Hitomi's eyes widened.
"THEY'RE HERE!"
Kazahaya gasped, looking around desperately to find the bakeyakuzajin had surrounded them. "DAMMIT!"
Kakei had explained, before they had left… these were the souls of gangsters who had died in an undocumented supernatural disaster 10 years ago… They were like a gang for hire from beyond the grave kind of thing, unable to die, perfect assassins… not the sort of people you want to run into on a dark night.
Luckily they could be repelled with a charm Kakei had provided, the sigils unlike any Kazahaya had seen before, but… if they did the job, that'd be just fine.
"Chi…" He scowled hard quickly pulling it forth and gesturing for Hitomi to follow. "OK, lets get out of here!"
"U-un!"
The bakeyakuzajin had started to slowly back off as they felt the charm's power, Snarling as their prey escaped across the road.
"Right!" Kazahaya turned to Hitomi as they ran down an alleyway, "Where to now?"
"Down here! Just down this alleyway!"
-
Ashes. The walls were burnt and any reminisce of wall paper had long since faded. Shards of glass were scattered across the floor, and dry, dark blood stains tainted the skeleton remains of what had once been furniture…
Kazahaya stood in silence, a melancholy gaze crossing his face.
" Hitomi…"
"This is where I used to live. With my Mama and Papa…" the little girl murmured quietly, "We were so happy…"
Kazahaya closed his eyes. He's wasn't absolutely certain that he really wanted to do what he was thinking… but…
Slowly he knelt down, taking Hitomi's hands.
There was a flash of light.
-
"Mama! I'm going to the shops!"
"Ok dear, just make sure you're back for dinner!"
"Yeah!"
Kazahaya turned to look into a mirror, a girl of 16 staring back… Chocolate brown eyes… brown hair falling over her eyes…
Hitomi…
She beamed.
"Perfect!" she laughed, tossing back her hair cheerfully before rushing out the front door.
-
The park…
Hitomi ran quickly, desperate to get somewhere… to someone…
She called.
"KAZUO!"
Gradually the boy in question came into sight. Tall… Long black hair tied effortlessly back with more than one strand loose… his cobalt blue eyes staring tiredly at the ground… He turned, smiling.
"You're late again Hitomi!"
"I'm so sorry!" the girl gasped for breath, hugging him, "I got here as soon as possible though!"
"Ok then…hey, I got you a present…" He held up the silver necklace, Hitomi gasping with joy. "Because I love you…"
"Oh Kazuo! Its beautiful!" she cried, immediately taking it, "I'll wear it everyday!"
Kazuo smiled. "I'm glad you like it… shall we go?"
"Un!"
The two walked away, hand in hand.
Kazahaya's eyes watched hazily.
Happy… that was what she felt… had felt… She loved him, and she had thought that he loved her too… but… Why did she hate love so much?
-
"Let me go! I said I didn't want to!"
"You think I'm going to take no for an answer?"
A struggle…in an alleyway…
Hitomi was trying to pull away from Kazuo, her shirt torn open. Tears were streaming down her cheeks and she was shaking with terror… Her heart was pounding hard…
So hard…
"Kazuo, NO!" She cried, slapping him across the face, nails making deep, bloody scratches down his cheek. He immediately let go, Hitomi running desperately.
The fear was over whelming.
Kazahaya felt he could be sick any second with the fear that was rising up within him…. The absolute need to escape at all cost…He couldn't stand it…
Hitomi soon reached the park, tearing off her necklace and throwing it hard into the river before running on.
She wouldn't stop until she got home.
-
"That boy will pay for what he's done!"
Hitomi was sat on the sofa back at her apartment, wrapped in a towel, sobbing uncontrollably whilst she clutched Usagi-chan… her doll… her childhood memories…
Her innocence…
Her father was pacing back and forth whilst her mother was seated beside her, hugging her tightly.
"Don't worry… Don't worry… We'll tell the police…. They'll get him…I promise…"
Pain… So sharp… strong… as overwhelming as the fear…
The hate of love…
-
Hitomi screamed.
Blood… blood everywhere…
Her parents lay slaughtered on the floor… And the bakeyakuzajin were getting closer every second…
She ran, Usagi-chan still clutched to her chest…
Blood…
The blood was everywhere…
-
Tokyo Tower…
"KAZUO! KAZUO!" Hitomi screamed, desperately trying to get away from the bakeyukuzajin. Kazuo smirked, grabbing her wrists and pulling her against him.
"Its ok… I'm here…"
"Kazuo…" Hitomi whispered, pupils still tight with terror.
"Shhh… Its ok… everything's ok…"
Hitomi gasped as she felt the cool steel blade against her throat.
Kazahaya screamed.
-
"Kazahaya-kun! Kazahaya-kun!"
The lighter haired boy slowly opened his tightly shut eyes to find himself curled up on the floor, tears streaming down his cheeks.
"Hitomi…" he whispered, "Hitomi, you're…"
He pushed himself up, wiping his eyes dry. He still felt so sick…
"Hitomi …"
"They didn't kill me… The bakeyakuzajin…" Hitomi bit her lower lip, "But that's just what Kazuo hired them to do… And they won't stop until they fulfil their contract…"
"So you're going to be hunted for eternity?" Kazahaya weakly got to his feet, sweat dripping from his forehead. He felt like he could pass out at any second…
"The only way I'll be free is if the contract is terminated…. Cleansed by fire… "
"Then where is the contract? We'll burn it then all this'll be over!"
"Park…" The little girl took his hand, "Back in the park…"
-
"How long had you been trapped in the tower for?" Kazahaya asked, looking tiredly about himself. He hated to admit it, but things would be so much easier if Rikuou was there right now… He wouldn't have to worry… He would feel safe…
"3 years now…"
"That long?" he forced his eyelids open, leaning against a cherry blossom tree, "ok… which one is it?"
"That one." Hitomi pointed at a smaller tree, a symbol of some kind carved upon it.
"Right…" The lighter haired boy pulled out the lighter he'd bought, holding the flame to the marking.
In a flash, no sooner had the flame licked the bark, someone grabbed his arm.
"WHAT?" He turned, finding a bakeyakuzajin smirking at him, holding his wrist tightly before twisting his arm around until there was a sharp, sudden snap.
Kazahaya gasped, pupils shrinking as the pain threw his body into agony. "Ah…AHH!"
"Kazahaya-kun!" Hitomi cried in terror. The bakeyakuzajin were closing in on him, hands out as the aura around them burned a fiery red.
"No-way…" Kazahaya whispered, eyes still wide in shock, quivering. "No-way, I can't die like this… not now…NOT NOW…"
Everything was starting to fade… the pain just too much…the agony…
"KAZAHAYA!"
That voice…
A small smile formed weakly on Kazahaya's lips…
"Rikuou…"
Yelling…
Sounds of fighting… heat… Struggling…
Then black.
-
Rikuou quickly scooped up the unconscious body, breathing hard.
"Kazahaya! KAZAHAYA! WAKE UP DAMMIT!" He yelled.
The bakeyakuzajin had been driven off by the charm Rikuou had brought, but he was still weak… He should have stayed in bed… rested… But when he had felt Kazahaya must have been in danger… He had to go…
He had to…
He turned to Hitomi.
"What is it we have to do?"
"Huh?" she blinked innocently.
"Kakei said, we have to do what you need", the darker haired boy scowled, his vision starting to become blurred "What is it?"
"Ah! The lighter! You have to burn the symbol off the tree before they come back!"
Rikuou looked about briefly before spotting the lighter held weakly in Kazahaya's hand…gently pulling it free, he held it up to the trunk.
The symbol slowly turned black, blood starting to stream from the carving.
Rikuou flinched. He was getting weaker by the second.
"THEY'RE COMING!" Hitomi screamed, "QUICK!"
Still holding the lighter in place, the darker haired boy turned to find dozens… maybe even hundreds of bakeyakuzajin charging towards him… screaming like wild animals…
He smirked weakly, everything slowly blurring.
"Hurting Kazahaya…" he whispered, "...is not something you can expect me to let you get away with…"
The symbol slowly faded...
"You…or anyone…"
-
Kazahaya slowly opened his eyes.
The drug shop… No, his room above the drug shop…
He was back..?
"How are you feeling, Kudou-kun?" came Kakei's soothing voice.
"Ah…How come I'm here? What happened?" the lighter haired boy groaned.
"Saiga found you and Rikuou unconscious in the park…" The shop's owner smiled, "and…this." He held up a doll… Usagi-chan.
"Hi…Hitomi?" Kazahaya gasped, cringing, "What happened to?"
"Calm down Kudou-kun. You'll need to save your energy…" Kakei carefully mopped his forehead.
"But… what happened to Hitomi-chan?"
"She's… free now."
"…." Kazahaya slowly closed his eyes, "That's good…"
"You're lucky Rikuou got there in time…"
"R…Rikuou?"
"That's right. He saved you and Hitomi…"
"But…" Kazahaya's eyes quivered, "Isn't he…?"
Kakei closed his eyes. "He's not well… He really should've stayed in bed, but… when he found out you were in trouble he just wouldn't stay put…"
"He…"
"I'll leave you to get some rest, ok? Make sure you get plenty of sleep."
"U…un…" the lighter hair boy murmured distractedly, his eyes slowly closing as the shop's owner left the room.
He really did care for him… To do that… Risk his life… Put himself through so much pain… But did he… did he really love him?
He turned his head, glancing weakly across the room at Rikuou's still body. His eyes quivered.
"Rikuou…"
Ever so carefully, cringing all the while, he pushed himself up, walking over to his sleeping companion and kneeling down.
"You really are y'know…" he smiled, gently pressing his lips to Rikuou's hand before resting his cheek upon it, "The biggest jerk in the world…"
He sighed, closing his eyes. "But… I guess… I wouldn't mind if you loved me... Just don't forget I'll have to love you too… no matter how much it hurts…"
Rikuou smiled.
"Idiot."
OWARI