Universal Law of Bromance
Summary: A dude must make efforts to provide his fellow dude with protection.
Author's Note: Alice Academy is an all boy's school. Girls/Females do not exist in this story.
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Act One: Natsume & Ruka
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"Don't leave." His blond friend pleaded as his cerulean eyes made contact with his friend's red ones. They sat down under a tree that had been rooted ever since Alice Academy was established. They had been together ever since they were eight. Now that they were sixteen, they were still together. As friends, of course.
"Ruka," He called nonchalantly. His blank expression caught Ruka's sight, making him tear a bit. "I can't always be by your side." His hand landed softly on Ruka's cheek, caressing him to lessen the tension that filled in the air.
"Don't go," He appealed one more time. He had a bad feeling about this. He could feel his stomach doing summersaults. "I have a bad feeling about this."
Natsume scoffed. "You always have a bad feeling whenever I do my missions," He commented. "This will be the same like the previous missions. You should stop worrying for a change."
His eyes looked downcast. All he ever wanted to do for him was to take care of him and protect him. "I can't, Natsume." His fists curled into a ball. He looked up to him and held his shoulders tightly, letting the raven-haired boy gave out a groan. With a dominative tone, he said, "Let me do your missions!"
Natsume's blank expression turned into a horrified one. He slapped his friend's hands away and rose from his spot. With his back facing Ruka, he promised before he leaving, "I'll always come back to you." In a matter of seconds, he disappeared from Ruka's sight.
"Come back to me alive." He prayed.
There was a loud knock on Ruka's door. It was already one o'clock in the morning but he managed to get up fast. He knew who it was. After all, there was only one person who would visit Ruka this late. Natsume.
He tore open the door and was surprised to see his friend covered in bruises. You would notice that fatigue was swelling up already. Burn marks covered his bare skin while weapon marks were traced on his face.
"Natsume!" He cried in panic as he placed the boy's arm on his shoulder and half dragged and half carried him all the way to his bed. He gently laid him, putting a pillow onto his head.
He launched toward the bathroom and grabbed a couple of bandages,a towel soaked in cold water and bottles of painkiller. This kind of incident happened often to both of them. It somehow became a usual occurrence.
Ruka observed Natsume's uncomfortable expression etched on his face. He swallowed. He unbuttoned his shirt and wiped the bleeding wounds. He studied his body carefully as his hand made way to Natsume's chest. He noticed a couple of fading scars on his chest. It was his first time seeing those and it frightened him deeply.
"Natsume," He whispered, hoping his buddy would come to his senses. "Drink this." He poured a bottle of painkiller in Natsume's mouth but it did no good, considering the liquid just flowed out. He had no choice. He drank the liquid but careful enough not to swallow it. He planted his lips onto Natsume's and transferred it.
It worked on movies, so why not in real life?, he thought. He wiped the dripping liquid from his mouth and concentrated on his friend more. He saw him shifted on the sheets and he heave out a relieved sigh.
"I'll protect you." he swore to himself as he ran his fingers through Natsume's hair.
But he should have known better that promises are meant to be broken. Including his.
The moment Natsume woke up, he found himself lying on Ruka's bed with nothing but sheets covered him. Ruka was nowhere to be found. When he tried to get up, he felt the pain on his stomach throbbed madly. Memories of last night's mission flashed back into his mind. The killings, the unexpected bomb awaiting him and being captured. Of course, he managed to get away but it was difficult.
When he arrived on the school grounds, the first place that entered in his mind for him to recover was in Ruka's room.
"Ruka?" He called but no one answered back. He went to the kitchen to grab a drink but was stopped midway, when he heard a hurried pound on the door. He limped towards the door and opened it. A small physique was revealed behind the oak door. His light brown, spiky hair was combed scrappily but he still looked good. His brown orbs stared onto Natsume's red eyes. It was Koko.
"Natsume," He uttered as he panted. Sweat covered his face; it was as if he ran all the way to Ruka's room. "You need to hear this. It's about Ruka."
Like a reflex action when he heard Ruka's name, he jumped on his spot and shot an intense stare at Koko. "What happened?"
"He got transferred to the Dangerous Ability class and you got kicked out." He told him. The news struck Natsume. He felt his body stiffened and turned numb. It can't be. He wouldn't. He can't. He shouldn't.
He couldn't let Ruka do those dangerous things for him. After all, he did those missions for him to be safe from the grasp of Persona's and the Elementary School Principal's. He knew they had been eyeing him years ago along with him, but he joined that class for Ruka. For him not to be recruited. For him to be away from danger.
Now, all his efforts were put to waste.
"Ruka." He whispered.
He pushed Koko out of the way, making him fall flat on the ground. He didn't muster an apology; his mind was solely focused on Ruka alone. He knew that there was only one thing left for him to do. He ran through a hallway that had always been familiar to him—the hallway that led to the Dangerous Ability class. As soon as he spotted the door, he kicked it open and walked in.
All eyes were on him. He felt their piercing stares at his body.
The problem was: Ruka was nowhere in sight.
"Where is he?" He hissed through his teeth as he shot a deadly glare at Persona's direction.
Bits of light could barely enter the room, curtains covered the sunlight that kept on creeping inside the room. It was almost pitched black inside, if it weren't for the candles glowing all over the place.
Persona's lips formed a sly smile. As if he was anticipating for this moment a long time ago.
"You don't have to know."
Natsume's eyebrows crossed. His narrowed his eyes onto him but was wary that several Dangerous Ability students were slowly surrounding him. "Why?" He questioned as he conjured a fireball.
"Because you'll be dead soon." He slowly removed his mask and snapped his fingers.
A body fell over to the ground, bruises marked on his bare skin. He was grasping for air, but his lungs failed him. And it wasn't Persona.
Tears found its way to his eyes. He couldn't believe on what he heard. It was impossible.
"S-Stop lying."
Students backed away from him. They saw him turned pale as he said those words. They pitied him, knowing he couldn't do a single thing.
He saw his body lying cold and motionless on the floor. He was dead. He bit his lower lip as the image of Natsume's dead body sunk into his mind. He looked peaceful, as if he was sleeping, the difference was: he was not breathing anymore.
He knelt next to the body and gave it a jerk. "Hey," He called. "Natsume, wake up." The body remained unmoved. It was to be expected but he didn't take it quite easily.
"You promised you'll come back to me," He roared as he kept on yanking Natsume's arm. "You promised!"
His promise is dead and so is the avower.
End of Chapter