The sound of him underneath me. Moaning my name. This was what I've longed for.
Who knew he liked me? But here I was, there he was. Lost and tangled in the forest vines made of emotion we each felt for the other.
"You'll never defeat me! Just give it a rest already!" He yelled.
"Never! I will never give up, Ryuga! The day I give up is the day I die, do you hear me?" He yelled back at the other.
Ryuga looked at the boy standing before him, his fierce blue eyes not giving way to his equally determined gaze. "Fine, Tategami. If you don't want to give up, I'll do it for you! L-Drago, now!" He yelled. His bey lashed out at Leone with one powerful and unforgiving hit, sending it flying like a green blur through the air, past its owner's head and into the wall behind him.
Ryuga watched as the furious teen boy turned his back to him to gather his chipped and cracked bey into the palm of his hand. And that's where it started.
"Kyouya, pleeeeeaaaase!" Gingka squealed.
"No, Gingka. I'm not going with you to that stupid party or whatever. It's just some kid's birthday."
Gingka stared at me with that familiar gaze he gave anyone when he was thinking something over. "It's Masamune's birthday and everyone's going," he pleaded.
"I don't care. It's not like Masamune's been my best pal for any time at all," I said, making Gingka flinch at the emphasis put on the last four words.
"Why won't you just come? You're always doing this!" He yelled.
"Doing what?" I spat.
"Pushing people away!"
"I'm not pushing anyone away. I have to train, okay!" I said. I picked up my bag and swung it over my shoulder, then swept myself from the room without a backwards glance.
"Why didn't Yoyo come?" Yuu asked me as we were walking to the party.
I sighed and shrugged. "He said he had to train."
"I dunno, Gingky. He always says that now and then he acts all weird after," he told me.
"I know, Yuu, but what can I do? Kyouya is stubborn and mean and there isn't anything we can do to change him."
Yuu sighed at my words and walked lazily with his hands behind his head and his lips stuck out in a pout.
"Come on, Yuu. You know I can't change him."
"I know, I just wish he'd quit being so mean all the time and come do something fun."
Again and again. Never quit. Again. Again... Again! I work constantly now. I don't care what they want. I'm going to defeat Ryuga, I will if it kills me!
-flashback
"You really think you're going to defeat him at this rate?"
"What does it matter to you?! I will defeat him, I'll defeat both of them until I'm the greatest, the strongest!"
Doji just laughed. "Both?" He asked almost deliriously. "You can't defeat not a one as it is! You're WEAK!" He spat.
"I'm not weak! I'll defeat everyone if I have to! I'll destroy anyone and anything that stands in my way, too!"
"Then why don't we test it? Last time I saw you, you were just being released from my organization, but that was three years ago. Surely, you've gotten stronger? You are on your way to defeating Nemesis, no? Mr. 'Legendary Blader'," he laughed.
"Of course I have! Who do you think I am?" I yelled in pure fury.
"Oh, I know who you are, Kyouya. I know very well. I read every one of your movements, every thought, every action. I know everything about you."
'Doji...' I growled under my breath.
He held up his launcher and aimed at me, let his bey launch without warning. It was all a blur. I didn't even have time to reach for Leone, no, I couldn't even 'think' about reaching for it, before I blown into the nearest wall and rubble had piled on top of me. Then, he left. Laughing his delirious laugh, he left me there with a gaping gash on my neck and as I was sure, broken ribs.
-end
"If it kills me." I echoed myself aloud.
"Training again?" I heard a familiar voice say behind me. I caught my bey and turned to see none other than the very one who I strived to defeat most: Ryuga.
"What do you want?" I asked as I sat down, wincing in pain and clutching to my stomach.
"You look beat up. What happened two days ago?" He asked as he sat next to me, tracing the semi-healed gash on my neck with the tips of his fingers.
"Why do you care?" I mumbled and looked away.
"I'm not here to fight, Kyouya," he said as his fingers took my chin into their grip and turning my head to face him in the dark of the night. The glow from the moon and stars were the only things illuminating him. The only things allowing me to look him straight in the eye.
I sighed. "Doji happened. Stupid son of a bitch attacked me without warning."
He growled. "Damn guy," with a mutter under his breath I couldn't quite make out.
"Why are you so worried all of a sudden?" I asked after a minute or two of silence.
He looked at me for a few more minutes. "Why shouldn't I care?"
"Because just three days ago you hated me."
"Who said I hated you? I may act like it, but that doesn't mean it's true. What was I supposed to do? Proclaim my love to you in front of Gingka and the others and hope that I wouldn't get ridiculed for the rest of my life?" He said without breaking the gaze.
"No, I never... Wait..." I said. He noticed the look of puzzlement in my eyes and the note of confusement in my voice. His strong, yet not harsh, but soft, gaze lulling me into a sound melody that was one with his own bodily movements, his heartbeat; Suddenly, I was at a loss for words until my senses came back together. "Proclaim your love?" I asked in a small voice.
He looked as though he was ashamed and embarrassed by what had just escaped his mouth. He looked away from me with a slightly sad look in his eyes and stared with this expression at his lap.
"You love me?"
He looked back up at me with the same sad puppy-dog eyes and took my hand into his. "Yes, I love you. I love you a whole lot more than you may have thought... Which considering that you thought I hate you that may not be a lot in your eyes, but it is in mine. I love you, Kyouya Tategami."
"R-Ryuga..." A small moan could be heard in the dark, if only anyone else was there but the two.
Ryuga kept himself held up on his palms and kept the pace, not wanting to stop or slow what he had going. 'The sound of him underneath me. Moaning my name. This was what I've longed for,' he thought to himself as he looked down into the darkness and made out the outline of the one who he loved most, who had given in to his will as well.
'Who knew he liked me? But here I am, there he is. Lost and tangled in the forest vines made of emotion we each felt for the other,' Kyouya thought to himself. He felt the sensation in his stomach and softly called out, "Ry-uga-a... I..."
"I know," Ryuga said and lowered himself to where he and his lover were only separated by the warmth of their breath, and kissed him as they released their 'tensions.'
Once the ordeal was over, Ryuga pulled out and rolled onto his back on the left of Kyouya. He pulled the younger boy into his arms.
Kyouya buried himself into Ryuga's chest and was calmed by the light motions his chest made with each breath.
"Kyouya..."
"Hm?" He hummed lightly in response.
"You're mine. Don't ever let anyone else take advantage of you. I don't want to know that I've fallen for you, but to have someone else take you away from me," Ryuga said.
Kyouya looked up at him and smiled for the first time in what had seemed like forever and a day. "I'd never dream of it."
Their night clothes resumed their normal occupants, soon after as they both crawled back into bed. Kyouya in his semi-baggy and wrinkled capris and no shirt, Ryuga in his warm-ups and T-shirt.
Ryuga smiled at his new-found love and wrapped his arms around him and drew him tighter to himself.
They stayed like that for a while, in perfect harmony. Then, Kyouya woke from his little dozing session with wide eyes, gasping for air. "Ryuga, Ryuga let me go!" He said in a panic.
"Kyouya, what's wrong?" Ryuga asked with an equal amount of concern as he let go of him.
Kyouya didn't answer but instead turned to his right side where he faced away from Ryuga, his face at the edge of the bed, and curled into a ball and clutched his stomach. His body sweaty and moving with a jerk each time he arched his back against the pain or resumed his position curled up; his arms were crossed over his stomach and he was clawing at the skin, overwhelmed by the pain that was now showing in his face. Then, he puked.
Ryuga got up immediately and turned on the bed-side lamp and ran to the other side of the bed and noticed something that horrified him. He had puked up blood, blood, and more blood. Kyouya went still and lay with one wrist dangling over the bedside, the other limp at his side.