Cardfight! Vanguard - Our Beginning
The Circuit was over, but their paths were far from it. Kaichi oneshot.
Winters always seemed to fly by; the creeping nights making the most of their time, bringing darkness over the skies early. But that always wore Aichi out much earlier. It was barely half-five when the lights flickered on inside Card Capital, reflections of the occupants strengthened in the glass wall connecting the building to the street. A howl from Morikawa quickly followed, cards scattered across the table. Kamui leapt up from his seat, punching the air smugly over his latest victory over the deluded Middle School fighter. The noise irked Misaki, whose shoulders jumped higher behind her book, reaching the end once the inevitable argument broke out between the two.
"Knock it off!" she snapped.
The two flinched, apologizing quickly for their disruptive behaviour. Miwa chuckled at the display and transferred the playful expression towards Kai, who was seated with arms folded tightly over his chest. As usual, he distanced himself from the frolicking fighters, who threatened a chase among the tables. Before Kai, two decks were set out – one Kagero, one Narukami. Mere weeks had passed since the closing of the Fight Circuit, but he had yet to decide upon which deck he was going to progress with. Miwa's grey eyes shifted to the blue-haired boy visible over Kai's shoulder – his decision had been made up by the literal transformation of his Royal Paladins to their successors. And it seemed a good thing – Aichi was slumped at the table, the white jacket he had worn at the Circuit folded on the desk in front of him should he toppled forward and fall asleep in spite of all the chaos around them. Miwa's grin widened at the sight – Aichi looked so small and naïve; much different than how one would have pictured one responsible for saving two worlds from destruction.
"Looks like it's too much for someone," the blonde chuckled.
Kai sounded his puzzlement by Miwa's statement and rotated to find Aichi's head bobbing above the table, eyes already closed. Kai dragged his chair away from the table and climbed out, circling around the desk behind with his sight locked onto Aichi the entire time. Miwa's smirk widened; a teasing expression shot towards the brunette without letting him catch on. Neither of the boys nor Misaki, who observed from the counter, could be sure when it was Aichi would drop off completely, but Kai towered over him, watching the scene with intrigue. Aichi was normally full of life, but as soon as evening settled and the sun took its early leave, he was dozing. And in public. Kai simply couldn't fathom how the boy worked.
One more sway and Aichi's head descended forward; the signal he needed. Kai's arm shot out, hand landing on Aichi's far shoulder, allowing the boy's face to bounce against his forearm. The interruption jolted Aichi, who snapped upright and searched his surroundings to gather his thoughts. To find Kai leaning over him was a surprise to say the least; he had been seated in front with his back to the exhausted blue hair just moments before.
"Aichi…" the brunette muttered.
"K- Kai-kun…" Aichi spluttered, swallowing the lump quickly built in his throat. "I- I'm sorry. I didn't mean-"
"It's fine," Kai interrupted, voice retaining its standard calm in stark contrast to Aichi's flustered state. "Come on, I'll get you home before you fall asleep for real".
"A- Ah…" Aichi sounded, tucking his head between his shoulders.
"Don't sweat it," Miwa laughed. "You're getting ready for graduation, aren't you?"
"Y- Yeah…" Aichi exhaled. He reached forward, lifting the black and white jacket from the table, locking it between his arms and chest. "Thank you, Kai-kun… I'm sorry to make you go out of your way-"
"You're not," Kai answered prematurely. "Let's go".
Kai strode towards the transparent doors, giving Aichi enough time to bid farewell to the others and totter off after him. Once he jogged outside, Aichi flinched, struck by the chill that had stolen all heat clinging to him. Kai paused, turning his head to find Aichi hastily throwing on the thin jacket. It would do little; his turtleneck would be thick enough to protect him from the winter cold. There was no communication between the pair, a panicked rustle of Aichi's zip and slapping footfalls separated the pair. Aware that Miwa was watching the pair, Kai intentionally avoided casting even a glance in the direction of the shop where the rest remained and subtly hurried from their view, forcing Aichi to adopt a speedy walking pace in order to keep up.
"Kai-kun, I really am sorry about what happened back there," Aichi uttered.
"It doesn't matter," Kai insisted plainly. "You've been through a lot lately".
Although he wished not to make a fuss, Aichi couldn't figure a suitable argument against the idea – he couldn't deny that the Circuit had been a stressful period. The pair had been separated for weeks with virtually no contact other than brief days spent together with their teams united and, although he had been with Kamui and Misaki, Aichi couldn't help but feel lonely. Kai had wandered off down another path, swearing their roads would intertwine and bring them back together. But, deep within his heart, Aichi had been longing for Kai to stay with him rather than walk away and test his character. Kai's deck had also been altered; he had been attacked and memories rewritten, recalling nothing of Blaster Blade. Aichi had been eager to stand as close to the brunette just to remind himself that he hadn't gone crazy – Kai had handed him that card; their fates were bound together and nothing would tear that apart. It wasn't a dream.
Standing there that time, he had doubted it as well. Kai smirking in spite of Aichi's clear distress; they were alone, but the distance felt as great as ever.
"You're wrong. It can't be! The Kai-kun whom I know wouldn't use such a move. Kai-kun uses Kagero; he would use Dragonic Overlord. Remember it, Kai-kun!"
"Remember it, Sendou Aichi…"
"Yes, I do remember it, Sendou Aichi".
"Then Kai-kun…"
"But the current me is not the person you knew".
He repeatedly wrote himself off, perhaps trying to keep them apart in fear of becoming too close and risk losing someone he cared about. His parents, Ren; Kai had been hurt on numerous occasions in the past and he was simply afraid of it happening again. It had almost been a reality between the two of them, after all. They were building bridges again, but Kai was always difficult to read. Was he going to push Aichi away again as part of his plan to protect them both?
"Kai-kun…" Aichi sounded hesitantly.
"What is it?" Kai inquired without shifting his sight from the road ahead.
"T- There's somewhere I'd like to stop by on the way home," Aichi confessed sheepishly, wishing to possess the courage to look the brunette in the eye as he spoke. But mere images of Kai's potential expressions pushed more colour into his cheeks.
"It's fine. Where are we going?" Kai asked.
He didn't receive a verbal response, but slowed his pace in order for his blue-haired partner to lead the way. The route was familiar, oddly familiar; taking the pair away from the wide concrete roads and amidst shrubbery. The park possessed such a different aura once vacant of children and blanketed by darkness. Kai's sharp eyes fell onto the back of Aichi's head, perplexed by what the boy was trying to pull by leading him here.
Aichi peered over his shoulder – a brief look that shrank away immediately once he registered that Kai's eyes were on him. Quick steps forward led him across the dirt clearing, sandbox ahead emptied but not without the evidence of children earlier on in the day. Aichi smiled, pressing his arms against his sides and falling onto the green wooden bench behind, marvelling the scene with the lake situated nearby glistening under the final remnants of dying sunlight. Kai followed at a gradual pace, eyeing the distracted teenager in front whose eyes flickered from the majestic lights floating on the distant water's surface.
"What did you bring us here for?" Kai questioned, sliding his hands into the pockets of his dark jacket.
"This is the place where you first brought me when we met," Aichi reminded him with a gentle tone. His head rose, averting a soft gaze up to Kai. "This place is somewhere very important to me because I know you'll be here. This is where you always come when you sleep. And where we talked after the clans were sealed. I know that no matter what happens, I'll be able to find you here if I need you".
"I was with you the whole way here," Kai mumbled.
Aichi's head shook slowly. "It's not just physical. Even when we were together during the Circuit, it felt like there was something keeping us apart. Takuto-kun sealed your memories of Blaster Blade and the Royal Paladins; you called yourself a different person, but I knew that wasn't true". A small hand climbed up from the wooden panels, burying itself against the white fabric over Aichi's chest, clenching into a loose fist. A pointless observation, but Kai registered the location as where Aichi's heart would be hiding. "But I knew you were there, Kai-kun. You wouldn't leave forever, but you would come back. Just like when you left this city".
"What are you talking about?"
"When we were on Cray, there was so much I wanted to say. But our time was limited and you were gone before I could even think about everything," Aichi wistfully confessed. "But now, we can be together whenever we want without something dangerous lurking around. Kai-kun… you scared me".
"It was a fight that got out of hand," Kai huffed, shrugging his shoulders.
"No, it was more," Aichi protested softly. "I could feel it; the whole time. You were fighting for Blaster Blade and everyone, you believed me and tried to help me. It meant so much, but you were hurt and I… When you started to vanish, I felt alone and afraid; just like when you left before. You vanished and I heard something terrible had happened. I was afraid you were never going to come back and we could never fight. The world was just opening up and then it was snatched away. I reverted into the kid you first saw and let everything get on top of me. It was horrible, but… but I knew that you were out there somewhere. And even if you didn't come back, I wanted to find you".
"You were thinking like that on Cray?" Kai asked.
Aichi nodded, the bottoms of his eyes growing damp with bittersweet tears of that moment; Kai was there, before him, having fought as hard as possible for the same cause. Not someone claiming the old Kai was gone, but his. Defeated, he let loose his true feelings and the trust he put into Aichi made his heart race. His voice trembled with regret, body shivering from fatigue; his eyes quivered and facial expression were much different than normal – the stoic mask discarded in order for their final moments together on the alien planet to say what needed to be wholeheartedly.
Even though the resolution was pleasant and order had been restored, the moment of desperate clinging and sobbing for his inspiration to stay haunted Aichi. His shoulders shuddered; not from the cold, but sorrow. Kai turned and seated himself beside the boy, avoiding eye contact should Aichi burst into tears once again.
"Aichi; it's as you said back then," he mumbled. "Our paths didn't end there and they're not going to end soon. They began here and they'll cross over time and time again. There won't be a definite ending, so you don't have to be afraid. I don't plan on leaving".
"I can't tether you to me for the remainder of your life though," Aichi sighed with a saddened smile. "It wouldn't be fair on you".
"It doesn't matter to me," Kai sounded, the digits of his right hand flickering against his lap. "Even if not side-by-side, we'll still be here. Together".
Aichi nodded, brushing away the tears that clung to his lashes with a single finger and slouched against Kai's shoulder, resting his head on top of the blade. Kai's sight shot to the boy, discovering that within seconds, he was asleep once again. His breathing had slowed to a peaceful rate, his tiny shoulders steadily climbing and sinking rhythmically.
It was as Miwa had said on numerous occasions – Aichi wasn't anything like one would have expected from a fourteen year-old boy; he was sensitive and selfless, considerate and calm. Many others would be wild with pride, but Aichi had much more self-control. A flash jumped across Kai's eyes, his twitching fingers moved away from his lap, snaking around behind the boy and around, landing against the opposite side of his head, caressing the long strands of hair between them. Aichi had reported that his hair would be cut before entering High School; it was a shame, really. The style added to his youthful appearance, although there was the side-effect that he could easily be mistaken for a girl. But… in a way, Kai enjoyed that about it; it showcased Aichi's personality for all to see and maybe… he would miss it. His fingers stroked along the curved tips, returning to the top of the sleeping boy's head to slide down once again.
He had sworn not to allow himself to get too close after Ren's succumbing to Psyqualia. It terrified him to see Aichi sink under the same and he ran away to avoid watching the terrible transformation. But Aichi was strong – much stronger. He could overcome anything now. Kai's neck twisted, driving his cheek into the raised hairs bunched above the curved strands that cupped Aichi's, the scent of the boy wafted into his nostrils; he allowed it, embraced it perhaps and allowed his own eyes to sink into darkness behind their covers. All there was for him was the sound of Aichi's gentle breathing and that was all he needed. Because just as he would never leave, Aichi would always remain. Blaster Blade may have taken on a new title, but he was still the embodiment of their relationship, he existed even if in a new form. Kai retreated from Aichi's hair, his strokes on the other side slowly narrowing to a small patch which his fingertips travelled through numerous times.
"Aichi…"
The boy's eyebrows flickered, suggesting that his nap was already over. Kai's fingers withdrew from the blue mess and rapped against the wooden boards beneath in a hasty retreat. Aichi's eyes slid open gradually, his face glowing with embarrassment after realizing he had fallen asleep against Kai once more and pulled away.
"Kai-kun, I- !"
"Calm down," Kai requested.
Aichi's shoulders sank, his body language reflecting his puzzlement at Kai's relaxed approach towards the repeated occasions of using him as a prop by which to sleep again. Briefly, just a second maybe, a smile was on Kai's face; his discreet way of allowing the incidents to occur. Aichi's lips parted, letting loose a gentle beat of surprise, but mustering nothing more. Kai picked himself up, stretching his legs while setting his sights in the direction of the sparkling lake.
"We should go; you wanted to get home, didn't you?" he sounded.
"Ah… r- right…" Aichi exhaled, quickly following suit.
The remainder of the journey passed by much more easily than its opening leg; a weight had been lifted from Aichi's shoulders and there was a lightness about Kai's aura. The boy smiled gently to the brunette, shrinking away every time it seemed Kai was checking on him. But mere moments after departing from the park, they were in the shadow of the wall lining the Sendou front garden. Aichi stepped ahead after Kai paused and spun around to his escort with a delicate beam.
"Thank you for coming all this way, Kai-kun," he chirped.
"It's nothing," Kai repeated. "Just remember what I said".
"I will," Aichi answered with a nod. "I promise".
"We may be getting older and our paths may not cross as much, but we're still with each other. Blaster Blade… no, Blaster Blade Liberator may have taken on a new role as a Gold Paladin, but he's still a part of each of us," Kai elaborated, appearing to deal with the moving words well for someone usually shut away. "It's a card I treasured when I was youngster and it's clear that you have as well; a card we have both called avatar. So… even when I'm not around and you're fighting, you know that I'm fighting with you".
"Hm," Aichi sounded brightly. "And I'll always be with you in battle, Kai-kun. I'll stand by no matter what happens and cheer you on".
"Then help show me me," Kai requested. "Kagero and Narukami; which do you believe I should continue with? Which path should I choose?"
"Um…" Aichi shrank with slight discomfort. What if he was to choose wrong? A minute of strained silence passed by before his attempts of speaking resulted in translatable words. "Well… I think that you can do amazing things with them both. It should be down to you what you want to play, Kai-kun. I always envision you Kagero because that's what I know; seeing you with Dragonic Overlord, with The End… it's the image of the brave Kai-kun I have with me, even if you go on with Narukami. Both Dragonic Overlord and Dragonic Kaiser Vermillion are cards that resemble how strong you are, no matter what the circumstances". He froze, aware that his speech had strayed from its original purpose and cast a nervous look up to Kai, who seemed unfazed. "I- I'm sorry. That's not what you were asking".
"That answer is what I needed," Kai responded. "You should get inside because you get cold. Just don't let yourself get distracted".
It may have been impulse overriding him, but Kai's hand rose once again, landing with his palm against the top of Aichi's head. The boy quivered underneath, small utterances leaking from his tiny mouth and eyed the brunette with confusion. Kai's hand slid to the down, travelling down the left curved hairs until slipping away at the tips, falling by back his side.
"You've become much stronger than I had expected, Sendou Aichi," he admitted. "We'll have to test our decks against one another sometime soon".
Aichi's eyes enlarged, illuminated by emotions that coursed through him all at once; the compliment had been unexpected and caught him off-guard. But Kai was already with his back to the boy and moving away before his brain could process everything within the simple sentences. His cheeks glowed once again, throat dry and tight with a more pleasant cause than previously.
"Thank you…" he whispered, overcome with tears of gratitude seeping along the bottoms of his sockets. "I'll keep growing, Kai-kun…"
A faint smile rested on Kai's face; he had the opinion that mattered. Change was good, but playing with Kageroes again felt right if it was what Aichi suggested. He could allow for a place for Aichi; so that they could exist within one another through their decks. Mutual feelings would never hurt.
I haven't written this kind of thing in about seven years, but did so last night for some good friends on Tumblr, so I hope it's done alright. Thanks for reading, please leave a review if you've the time.
- CuteYami, 28th January 2013