Hello! This is my first Legal Drug fic, so please forgive me if the characters are a bit... odd. I did try to do my best.
I don't usually read Legal Drug fics, but if one does present itself upon me, I read it. And I was just reading one, when suddenly out of nowhere (seriously, out of nowhere. The fic was about something entirely different) I got the idea for this. I mean there seem to be a lot of fics, and a lot of theories, about Tsukiko. But not about Kei.
I used a good part of one of my afternoons searching if someone has written something like this before, and there were nothing. I don't know if there is some forum somewhere where some people have disussed this idea, or is it just pure utter idiocy. I hope not. I mean, if you think about it, the ladies of Clamp just might pull something like this off. Really, when you look at what they did to TRC, it is a possibility. A very slight possibility, but a possibility nonetheless.
There were some things (three, actually) that I thought might be a bit confusing, so I put some explanations at the end. And the dates are: DD/MM/YYYY. Just for your information.
Enjoy!
Warning: Although I don't really think it that necessary (quite a lot of the fics of Legal Drug seem to be like this...), I should warn you that there is some shounen-ai at the end. A little bit.. Okay, maybe not that little. Also, this contains something that is so unbelievable you will either flame me or laugh at me. Don't know which I would prefer, actually.
Disclaimer: I do not own Legal Drug. Or Gohou Drug. Or how you like to call it. I only own the twisted idea for this story...
25/01/1980
¨Kei! Kei!¨ The voice was reassuring and absolutely wonderful. ¨Don't worry, Kei! You're going to be fine!¨
Kei's eyes opened, seeing the exited face of a boy leaning over. ¨...Nii-san? ...What happened?¨ The light coloured eyes closed again, too tired and weary to do else.
¨You passed out. And you were hurting really much. I couldn't even touch you.¨ The boy above sounded worried and frightened now. He glanced to the side. ¨Father is seeing someone now. He's going to be able to help you, Father says.¨
¨...Really? My head hurts...¨ Kei felt how hard it was to breathe, the sickness getting worse and worse by the day.
¨...Kei...¨ A hand, a soothing, calming hand belonging to the boy, started to stroke Kei's light coloured hair gently.
I wonder what happened in my dream... Kei's eyes closed again.
02/03/1980
¨But I don't want to!¨ Kei pouted at the strange old man sitting in front of him. His brother was lying on his stomach near the two.
The old man smiled. ¨Keitetsu-kun, it is going to work. You will feel better.¨
Kazahaya looked up, his light coloured eyes filled with worry. ¨Kei... Please, at least try it.¨ He crawled over to Kei and rested his head on his lap. The lithe hands of the boy encircled his little brother's waist. ¨I don't want you to be hurt anymore...¨
Kei watched his brother and sniffed. He really didn't want to do it, but if Kazahaya looked like that at him... He glanced shyly at the man. ¨Is it really going to work?¨
Another smile from the man, the wrinkles around his golden eyes becoming pronounced. ¨Yes. I know people who have tried it and it worked for them. Especially if the one to try it has a link with the supernatural.¨
Kazahaya looked surprised at the man. ¨You know what we can do, Doumeki-san?¨
The man shook his head. ¨No, not your explicit gifts. But I gathered that, as you are your parent's children, there must be something.¨ He smiled again. ¨I have a gift as well.¨
Kei and Kazahaya both stare at the man with more shock than before. ¨You do?¨
Kazahaya let go of Kei now and crawled over to the man, getting on his knees and leaning his hands on them. ¨Really? You can do something too? Can you feel things like I can? Or...¨
¨Nii-san! Father said we shouldn't speak of that to others!¨
Kazahaya, realizing his mistake, turned red as a beetroot. He backed away from the man a bit, as if it would help take the words back.
The man laughed. He put his hand on Kazahaya's head and ruffled the hair a bit. ¨Don't worry boys. I won't tell anyone. And no, I cannot feel, Kazahaya-kun, whatever it is you mean by that.¨ Kei had the uncanny notion that the man might actually have known what Kazahaya had meant. ¨I see spirits and I can also exorcize them.¨ He smiled at Kei. ¨That was the original reason I was called to help you.¨
¨Huh?¨ The both of the brothers look puzzled at the man, Kazahaya tilting his head to the side.
¨In some cases when people get sick, it is caused by spirits rather than an imbalance in the health of their bodies(1). Your father thought with your link to the supernatural it might just be that. So, he called for me.¨
Kei's heart started to beat faster with hope. The same hope could be seen on Kazahaya's face as they stared at the old man. Could it be that easy?
¨Ah, I'm terribly sorry, Keitetsu-kun, but your sickness really is an imbalance of your health. The only thing that I could think of that will have any effect, even a small one, would be this.¨ The man's voice and expression was apologetic, the smile small meant to give comfort to the two brothers.
Kazahaya let his shoulders droop as Kei gave the man an accusing stare.
The man stood up, ignoring the stare. ¨Come now, Keitetsu-kun. I'll help you get dressed.¨
Kei looked wildly around himself, wondering if he could still make an escape. He really didn't want to do it...
Kazahaya sprang up and, with a wide, sparkling smile, turned to Kei. ¨I'll help, Doumeki-san! Up we go, little brother!¨ He grabbed Kei's hand and gently hoisted the younger boy to his feet.
Kei, albeit only a few years younger than Kazahaya, was distinctly smaller and more fragile of the two brothers. He resisted feebly as Kazahaya and the man took his clothes off. Stark naked, he stared in dismay as the man took a bundle of clothes from his bag. Kazahaya put his arms around Kei and started to whisper soothing things to his ear, sometimes pleading with the boy to do it for him.
Kei swallowed and closed his eyes, finally letting his brother and the man to dress him without a fight. He felt something being tightened across his small waist, made thinner by the sickness that had started to waste him away almost a year ago. He opened his eyes again, just in time to see the man and Kazahaya take a step back and regard him appraisingly. ¨Wh-what?¨
Kazahaya gave Kei another of his wide smiles. ¨It looks good on you!¨
The man chuckled. ¨I doubt that that is what Keitetsu-kun wanted to hear, Kazahaya-kun.¨ His golden eyes watch Kei with amusement, as the boy gave his brother a half-pout half-glare.
¨Huh? Why not?¨
Kei ignored the two others and looked down at himself. The light blue fabric of the kimono was soft, the cotton keeping him a bit cool under all the swaths he was wearing. The obi was dark green and tied expertly around his waist in a... Kei assumed that was an asagao musubi(2), though he could not really be sure. Thankfully, the man hadn't brought a yellow or, heaven forbid, a pink kimono with him. That might have actually been better, for Kei found to his dismay that the blue cloth was filled with small purple bunnies, smiling in this slightly disturbing and crazed way.
¨Do you want to look in a mirror?¨ The man was smiling at Kei again.
The boy shook his head. He definitely did not want to see himself dressed in this. ¨Uh... Doumeki-san...¨
¨Yes?¨
¨Couldn't... Couldn't you have found a better one? This...¨
Kazahaya smiled at his brother and hugged him. ¨I really think it looks good on you, Kei.¨
The man laughed a little as he watched the dark expression on Kei's face. ¨I'm sorry, Keitetsu-kun, but I had no time to find a better one. I had to return immediately or your father would have never let me inside again.¨ His eyes, changed from merry to solemn, told Kei the rest: And then you might not even get this chance.
Kei looked away, into Kazahaya's light coloured eyes. His brother, older than him and still so much more childish, hadn't stopped smiling, trusting the man and his... belief with all his heart.
It made Kei a bit jealous.
03/03/1980
It was late afternoon when Kei woke up from his nap. He'd had a rough day and weak as he was from his sickness, he had tired himself out very quickly. It had been only yesterday when old Doumeki had come back to tell his father and Kei more about the method to help in his illness. It had been only yesterday when Kei for the first time put on a kimono, and already after having worn it for one day only, he had become tired of that as well.
As Kei sat up on the bed, he brought his hand up to his head. The headache was back with a vengeance.
¨Kei...¨
The boy looked up to find Kazahaya sitting in a corner of the room, his legs drawn up to his chest and his hands circling his knees. His brother's expression was sad and worried.
¨Nii-san...¨
¨Kei.¨ Kazahaya stood up and walked over to the bed, sitting down on the edge. ¨You were asleep for five hours. Father doesn't know yet, but I think we should tell him that this,¨ he indicated the kimono Kei was wearing, ¨isn't working.¨
Kei took hold of Kazahaya's hand. ¨Wait, Nii-san.¨ He drew a breath as well as he could with his illness and the kimono weighing down on him a bit. ¨Don't tell father that.¨
¨But why?¨
Kei bit his lip lightly, seeing the slightly lost look in his brother's eyes. ¨Please?¨
¨But it's not working! You slept for five hours, Kei. That's longer than you usually do.¨
Except that it is. Or rather... ¨Nii-san, please. It's been just a day. Let's give it some more time before we say that it isn't working!¨
Kazahaya looked Kei in the eye. Finally he nodded, the lost look diminishing from his eyes a little. ¨Okay.¨
13/09/1980
Kei and Kazahaya were laying on the grass, the sky dark and the tree above them a riot of colours.
¨Hey, Kei, watch! There! Can you see?¨ Kazahaya laughed and pointed at the sky.
Kei tilted his head a bit, trying to see what his brother was pointing at. Then he smiled as he saw the firefly moving slowly in an erratic manner. He noticed another one close by it, and he indicated it to Kazahaya.
The two had had wanted to come see the fireflies last year as they had done the year before that with their mother, however Keis illness had made it impossible then. But now, surprisingly soon, he had been strong enough to stand the late day and its chilliness.
The two fireflies were joined by more and more, the sky becoming more and more spotted with small yellowish-green lights. The fireflies flew around, weaving around each other, making strange pictures in the darkness.
Kei watched the little bugs for a while, completely entranced by their sluggish dance. He started to laugh when they descended on Kazahaya, outlining the older boy with their greenish light. He was having so much fun he didn't even notice the slight drying of his mouth, the way the air wheezed out of his lungs as he laughed. The telltale signs of a coughing fit.
He sat up, trying as hard as he could to draw breath as the choughs raked his small body. These coughs were not the kind that came from a cold. These coughs were unique to his sickness, dry and horrible sounding. The saying 'it sounds as (s)he is coughing their lungs out' described perfectly how Kei sounded as Kazahaya put his arms around his brother to try to ease some of the pain.
¨Kei...¨
The fit having ended, Kei looked at Kazahaya. That look was back, that horrible lost look in the older boy's eyes. ¨Kei, I don't think we should have come here after all...¨
¨No, Nii-san!¨ It was still a little hard for Kei to speak, the words coming out of his mouth weak and breathless.
Kazahaya stood up and looked down at Kei. ¨We should go back home now...¨
Kei pinched his lips. ¨But I don't want to, Nii-san.¨ Kei was never the one to cry, but now, seeing that lost look in Kazahaya's eyes and the pain of the fit were making his eyes water.
Kazahaya smiled reassuringly at his little brother. ¨Kei, what would you say if you got something from this as a gift?¨
Kei frowned up at him. Was Kazahaya trying to bribe him? ¨Like what?¨
Kazahaya shrugged. ¨Anything you want!¨ He smiled again down at the boy.
Maybe... Kei held out his hand to Kazahaya, letting the older boy help him to his feet. If he looked deep in his brother's eyes he could still see the lost look there. ¨Nii-san... I want you to have faith, to believe that I'm going to be fine. I need you to do that.¨
Kazahaya's eyes grew huge. ¨Kei...¨ Then he smiled again and took Kei's hand, interlocking their fingers. ¨Of course I believe that! I never stopped!¨
Kei snorted a little. Never stopped? What happened that very first day? He was too caught up in his thoughts to realize at first that Kazahaya had started to tug him back toward home. ¨Nii-san..!¨
Kazahaya laughed happily. ¨Kei, instead why don't you stop calling me Nii-san all the time?¨
¨...What?¨
The wide smile directed to Kei was filled with love and adoration. ¨Stop calling me Nii-san. Okay?¨ Kazahaya turned back forward, humming something happily to himself.
Kei was in shock. But Nii-san is Nii-san! How can he be anything else but Nii-san?
¨...Okay, Kazahaya-nii-san...¨
16/03/1981
The room was the same as last year. Empty wooden floors and plain walls. Kazahaya was laying again, on his back this time, his eyes watching the ceiling like it was the most interesting thing in the world. Kei and the man were sitting in front of each other again, Kei's legs tucked beneath him and holding his brother's hand loosely.
The man smiled. ¨So, Keitetsu-kun. How have you been?¨
Kei gave the man a smile as well, most likely his first one. ¨It works, Doumeki-san. I'm getting better.¨ Even though he still was sick, he felt better than he had for a long, long time. He wanted the man to know that he was sorry for his actions last year.
Now Kazahaya held his head up a bit and grinned happily. ¨He is! He really is!¨ He closed his eyes and let his head fall back to the floor with a faint thunk.
The man laughed. ¨That is good to hear. I was wondering if...¨ Now he looked a bit worried himself.
¨If what, Doumeki-san?¨
¨My own grandson... I was wondering if I would have to use it on him as well.¨
Kazahaya sat up and looked at the man surprised. ¨He is sick?¨
At the same time, Kei blinked a little and asked, ¨You have a grandson?¨
The man laughed a little sadly. ¨Yes, I have a grandson. Thirteen days old. Shizuka is his name.¨ He shook his head as he spoke, ¨But, no, you could not really say that Shizuka is sick. More like he might become a weakly child. There were some complications at his birth...¨
¨Oh.¨ Kei turned his gaze away from the man, for some reason feeling embarrassed from the man's worry.
Kazahaya did not have any inhibitions on his feelings. He crawled over to the man and hugged him. ¨I'm sure your grandson will be fine, Doumeki-san.¨
The man laughed again and hugged the boy back. ¨Thank you, Kazahaya-kun. I am glad you feel that way. I am sure he will be fine as well. He is a Doumeki, after all.¨ He turned his golden eyes to Kei and smiled. ¨Another year and then you should be as well as you had been(3).¨
Kei nodded. He'd be ten next year and that was when the old man had said he could stop.
Kazahaya let go of the man and scooted backwards a bit. ¨By the way, what do you think about Kei's kimono?¨ He gave the man an innocent smile.
The kimono that Kei was wearing was a light green colour, no patterns or bright colours to stand out horrifyingly. The obi was light brown. These subdued kimonos were the only ones Kei had agreed to wear last year.
¨Kazahaya!¨ Kei could not help the pink tinting his cheeks. Truth be told he was so used to wearing a kimono now that he was not aware of it anymore. He even felt more comfortable in them than in normal clothes.
The man smiled at Kei's expression. ¨I noticed. It is very pretty and it suits you, Keitetsu-kun. It goes well with your hair.¨
Kei's cheeks were a deep red now. He had hoped that the man would not have noticed his hair as he nowadays felt disinclined to cut it. Kazahaya had been on his side in the small war he and the maids and nurses had had about the topic.
Kazahaya laughed. ¨Kei wanted to get rid of the kimono you brought immediately. He said it was horrible.¨
The man raised an eyebrow at Kei, but kept smiling all the same.
¨No, it wasn't! It just... I didn't think it suited me that much...¨ Kei mumbled, crossing his hands over his chest, not meeting the man's gaze.
¨It's alright, Keitetsu-kun. I-¨
A shoji door opened to the side and a woman entered. ¨Doumeki-sama, forgive me, but the master wants you to leave now.¨ She kept her gaze on the floor, her hands clasped in front of her respectfully.
The man stood up. ¨Yes, of course. We had already discussed what was needed, right?¨ He smiled at the two boys, still sitting on the floor.
Kazahaya nodded, smiled and waved to the man goodbye. Kei nodded slowly, his light coloured eyes never leaving the man's figure as he left.
The older brother lay down again, spreading his arms. He sighed. ¨It was nice to see Doumeki-san again...¨
¨Yes...¨ Kei stood up and walked over to the closed door. He opened it again.
¨Kei? Where are you going?¨
Kei didn't look back at his brother, afraid that the empath might feel even from across the room his apprehension at what he was about to do. ¨I forgot to tell Doumeki-san something. I'll be back soon.¨ He stepped into the corridor and closed the door behind him.
31/10/1986
¨It has been decided.¨
Kei and Kazahaya were sitting in Kei's room, the older boy in the chair by the desk and the younger boy on the bed. They were worried, their faces drawn.
Kazahaya lifted his eyes from the floor to look at Kei. ¨Are you sure? I mean... Uncle would not-¨
¨Kazahaya!¨ Kei sprang up, disregarding the fact that he might rip his kimono. ¨Uncle has made the decision! It cannot be revised!¨ His face filled with sadness. ¨It can never be revised...¨ He hung his head.
¨Kei...¨ Kazahaya bit his bottom lip. ¨Kei, I'm sorry.¨
¨...¨
¨Kei, it's all my fault, I'm sorry. If I weren't-¨
Kei clenched his hands into fists. ¨If you weren't what, Kazahaya? Like... you?¨ He made a violent movement with his fist to indicate his brother. ¨And anyway, if someone is to blame, we might as well blame me. No! Let's blame father!¨
¨Kei...¨ Kazahayas eyes grew huge and moistened with grief. ¨We can't blame father! It's not his fault that he died!¨
¨I know. I know...¨ Kei whispered the last sentence, the fight and grief and anger passing, leaving him almost empty. ¨That doesn't change the fact that it hurts.¨
¨Kei...¨ Kazahaya stood up and walked over to his brother, hugging him and gently stroking the long, light coloured hair that cascaded down to the small of Kei's back.
-/-/-
Kazahaya was walking.
The trees he walked past were blurry, like they were not actually real. But they had to be. They had to. It would be strange... No, frightening to think that the place Kazahaya was walking through was not real.
The beautiful clearing he came to was not like the trees had been. Everything was in focus. Almost too in focus, because he could swear that he saw every blade of grass, every crack and smudge in the strange stone in the middle.
Kazahaya stopped. He was a little out of breath; a small puff of moisture could be seen coming out of his mouth with every exhalation. He stared at the stone, his face pulling off perfectly an expression mixed with puzzlement, fright, tiredness, desperation and curiosity. He took a few shaky steps forward before collapsing completely, his jeans becoming even more soaked with the newly fallen snow.
The stone just sat there, not doing anything.
He wasn't sure if stones even were supposed to do something. But as this was still, maybe, perhaps, the Kudou estate, it might as well be one of those stones that were supposed to do something.
Kazahaya, after a while, stood up again, keeping his eyes locked on the strange stone. He started to move toward it, taking small, still slightly unsure steps. When he was a few feet away from it, he stopped. This was definitely a stone of the latter kind, the kind that could do something.
It didn't take long before the boy was standing right before the stone, still gasping for breath. It had been at least a quarter of an hour since he first stepped into the clearing, but he had not calmed down. Actually, being near the stone seemed to bother him quite a lot.
Kazahaya stretched out his hand as if to touch it, but held back at the last minute. He drew his hand to his side again, the emotions still showing strongly on his face. ¨Oh, damn...¨ He muttered to himself, before looking around, checking that there was no one beside him in the clearing.
He touched the stone.
His eyes rolled back into his head, his knees giving out on him as he collapsed on top of the stone.
-/-/-
At some point, Kazahaya fell off.
24/02/1987
The door opened and a woman stepped in. She opened her mouth to speak, but before she could utter a word, Kei spoke, ¨Let him in.¨ The woman bowed and returned to the hallway, closing the door behind her again.
Kei could hardly contain his urgency, his desperation. Ever since Kazahaya had disappeared he had been as if sitting on needles. His brother was an airhead, completely capable of harming himself in some way. Without knowing what he was doing even!
He looked up again when the woman returned, a man following her into the room. As she left again, Kei noticed that he wasn't actually a man, more like a boy. He was just so large that he had at first thought of him as a man.
Kei and his guest stared at each other for a few minutes, assessing the other. No doubt that boy wanted to find out everything he could about him, the Kudou family having been very mysterious for the last three decades. As their eyes locked, he noticed that the boy had the most amazing eyes Kei had ever seen. They were beautiful and alarming at the same time. One of his eyes was purple, the colour so vivid it seemed manmade, while the other was a grey that was not exactly boring, but hinted on uninteresting.
The boy smiled and bowed. ¨Good afternoon. I had heard that the late Kudou-san, your father, had pretty children, but I had not imagined that his daughter could be quite so beautiful.¨ The smile widened to a small grin, his eyes dancing with mirth.
Daughter? Kei wanted to glare at him, to tell this stupid child to leave, but he needed him. So instead, he smiled coldly. ¨I thank you for the compliment, even though it seems you have made an elementary mistake concerning it.¨
The boys eyes widened in surprise. Although Kei looked like a girl, he definitely did not sound like one. ¨That's odd...¨
Kei raised an eyebrow at the mutter. ¨What is odd?¨ He finally remembered to be polite and indicated the sofa across from him. ¨Please seat yourself.¨
The boy sat down, his brow still wrinkled a bit in thought. ¨I'm sorry, but usually my¨, he gave Kei a crooked smile, ¨gift would have noticed immediately your gender.¨
Kei frowned a bit as well. ¨But it didn't?¨ He received a sigh from the boy and a shake of the head as an answer. His fingers toyed with the sleeve of his light blue kimono as he considered the boy again. ¨Does this mean that your gift is not to be trusted? Because Doumeki-san, he is the one who told me of your... expertise, advised me that you would be the best person to help me in my... need.¨
Again the boy shook his head. ¨No, I can be trusted to do whatever you ask, granted that it really is in my power to do so. Something about you just shook me off...¨ He gave Kei a contemplative stare. ¨Not anymore though.¨
Kei looked at the coffee table between the two sofas. ¨I see...¨
¨May I ask when you were born?¨
Kei aimed his light coloured eyes sharply to the mismatched ones of the boy. It was surprisingly hard to keep them locked. ¨Why do you ask?¨
The boy tilted his head in thought. He shrugged. ¨Guess, I just want to know. You look like a girl. But you are not. So I thought it would be nice to know if I am speaking with someone my age or someone younger.¨ He blinked and smiled at Kei. ¨Or older than me, for that matter.¨
Kei leant backwards. This one was a lot more easygoing than he had expected. ¨I will be fifteen this year.¨ He was not stupid enough to tell the boy his date of birth, but... this would suffice.
The boy grinned. ¨Sixteen for me.¨
Kei was surprised again. He really does look older than he is! And he's very handsome too... Frowning at the stray thought, he stood up, the boy following his lead. ¨I think... I think I will accept your help.¨ He held out his hand.
The boy took it and grinned from ear to ear. ¨Fine by me! I'm Konoshima!¨
Kei raised an eyebrow in inquire. ¨Just Konoshima?¨ At the boys nod, he smiled a little. ¨A pleasure, Konoshima-san. I'm Kudou Keitetsu.¨
32.11.1987
Konoshima was lounging on the bed. ¨So, now that we have established that your errant brother will not be found this way... I guess we need to do it the oldfashioned way... Hmm... Where should we start?¨
Kei sat on the chair, the book he had been reading before Konoshima had rudely infiltrated his room on his lap. He shook his head desolately. ¨I don't know, Konoshima.¨
The boy turned his head to watch him. ¨Don't make that face, Kudou. Nobody that pretty should make a face like that.¨ It wasn't unusual for Konoshima to make retorts like that, in view of their first meeting. At first they had made him extremely angry. Now... Kei gave the boy on the bed a look, his lips twisting in a smile at the attempt to cheer him up. In the time that he had known Konoshima, his humour had stuck to him, until he had become a little more easygoing than before.
¨Don't joke around¨, he gently admonished the other.
The boy sat up, his face serious. ¨I'm not.¨ But before Kei could say anything about the unusual behaviour, the solemnity had been replaced by another of his grins. ¨Back to topic, Kudou. Your brother.¨
Kei shook his head again. ¨I told you, Konoshima. I don't know!¨ He scowled in irritation that he could not tell the boy anything.
¨Relax! You don't need to know.¨ Konoshima laid down on the bed again. ¨Think, Kudou. What's your brother like? If he needed to go somewhere, what would be the foremost thoughts on his mind? What would he know he needed?¨
Kei opened his mouth and then closed it, blinking in thought. ¨Well... Father always said...¨
¨What?¨
Kei ignored Konoshima. He bit his lip. It couldn't be that simple...? Like with his sickness, it just could not be that simple.
¨Kudou, damn it! If you think it matters even a little bit then tell me!¨ The older boy had propped himself on his elbow, looking fiercely at Kei. Sometimes it scared him a little, how impressive Konoshima could look when annoyed, his purple eye flashing dangerously and his grey eye giving the impression of being able to smother a person to death.
Kei waved his hand calmly. ¨Sorry. But I never really took notice of anything of the sort. It just didn't always seem... logical. Not to me, at least.¨ He sighed. ¨It would figure that Kazahaya would think it logical...¨
Konoshima practically growled, ¨What?¨
Kei gave the boy a little smile. He was surprised that he would react this way. It was nice, to know that he could cause this in Konoshima. He knew that to find Kazahaya he needed to tell the older boy immediately what he had figured, but the thought of making him even more disconcerted was quite sweet. He widened his smile teasingly. ¨Oh, it was just something father would say... How you always needed something to live.¨
¨Like what?¨ The steely look in Konoshimas eyes told Kei that if he did not speak now, there would be consequences.
Kei sighed again and put the book on the desk next to him. ¨Money. He was always saying that money was important.¨
Konoshima frowned. ¨But money is important.¨ He flopped back onto his back, covering his mismatched eyes with the back of his hand.
The younger boy nodded. ¨Of course, but he was saying that money was the most important thing. That people should know how to support themselves. And you obviously cannot do that without money.¨ Kei's voice became sarcastic and derisive as he spoke.
Konoshima sighed. ¨Soo...¨
¨What?¨ Kei recieved no answer.
He listened intently as Konoshima started to mutter to himself, obviously thinking furiously. Soon, he snapped his fingers, getting up in a flash. He grinned at the seated boy. ¨I know!¨
Kei felt hope flare up inside him. It had already been almost a year since Kazahaya left and all of their previous attempts at locating the boy had brought up nothing. He stood up as well, taking Konoshimas hand to stop him from leaving immediately. ¨What? Konoshima, tell me!¨
¨What would you do if you needed money?¨ When Kei looked confused, Konoshima burst into laughter. ¨You get a job, silly! And what better place to get a job that Tokyo?¨ He gently tugged his hand from Keis grip and left.
Kei watched in shock the now empty room. Tokyo? His eyes widened in understanding. ¨Wait!¨ He ran out and yelled after the retreating back of the other boy. ¨Konoshima! I'm coming with you!¨
15/08/1991
Kei opened his eyes. The ceiling above him was highlighted with little splotches of light, entering from the half covered window. He turned his head to the side. Konoshima was lying next to him on the bed, the older man's arms wrapped securely around him.
Two eyes found his and filled with mirth and happiness. ¨Morning, Kei.¨ The man grinned slowly.
Kei smiled gently back at his lover. ¨Morning...¨ He sighed and nuzzled himself closer to Konoshima. Warm...
A hand started to move up and down his side. Kei grinned and moved himself, straddling Konoshimas waist. The hand kept its caressing, now on his hips. ¨Tut tut. Not so fast.¨ He laughed.
¨Why not?¨ Came the amused question.
Gods, he looks hot like this... Kei leant forward and kissed Konoshima on the corner of his mouth. He sighed again. ¨There are thing I need to do today.¨ He would prefer to stay here, in bed, but these things were important. They needed to be done, for Kazahaya... And the two of them.
Konoshima frowned. ¨What things? You said yesterday that you had no plans for today.¨
Kei shrugged. ¨I was wrong.¨ He looked at the wall in thought as his own hand and fingers traced light patterns on the chest of the man beneath him.
¨You? Wrong?¨ Konoshima laughed at the absurdity of the thought. ¨Again. What things?¨
The younger man smiled teasingly. ¨To do those things, I need to borrow your clothes first.¨ He moved to sit on the edge of the bed, before standing up. He stretched his body, having grown tall and finally looking like a male rather than having the almost small look of a female.
The older man blinked in surprise. ¨Why?¨ The tone was curious.
Kei started to rummage around in the closet. ¨I need a haircut.¨ He gathered his heavy fall of light coloured hair into his left hand and showed it to Konoshima. ¨And some new clothes. I don't want to look like a girl anymore.¨
¨Why not? You've been wearing a fucking kimono for the last... ten years!¨
Kei took out a pair of jeans and a white t-shirt that was undoubtedly too small for his lover now. ¨Eleven years¨, he said absentmindedly as he threw the jeans on the bed and put on the shirt.
¨Kei!¨ Konoshima took hold of his wrist and pulled him toward the older man. ¨Why would you need to do that?¨
Kei wrapped his arms around Konoshima's shoulders and smiled. ¨What? Don't you want me as myself? Or do you prefer me in women's clothing?¨ That was a low blow, but just the thought of it being true hurt Kei more than he wanted to admit.
Konoshima scowled at his lover. ¨No! I love you, no matter what you wear! I just want to know the reason you suddenly want to change after being like this for so long.¨
He smiled gently and cupped Konoshima's cheek. ¨I'll tell the reason later, love.¨
¨All right¨, the older man sighed back. ¨But do you really have to cut the hair? I like it the way it's now...¨ He took a few strands into his fingers and played with them.
Kei laughed and sat on Konoshima's lap, wrapping his legs around him. ¨Fine, your choice. Hair or neck?¨ At the raised eyebrow, he turned his head to the side slightly in offering.
Konoshima moved his hand from playing with the strands to hold the back of Kei's head. He buried his face in the hair of his younger lover. After a while he pulled back and, using both hands, he gathered the long hair to Kei's other shoulder, baring the thin neck to his lips.
¨Neck.¨
Kei laughed again as Konoshima grinned crookedly at him. ¨Told you! Now... I think I'm going to have to borrow a belt too. I'm thinner than you.¨
15/08/1991
Kei placed two blank papers on the table in front of Konoshima. He sat next to his lover.
¨What's this?¨ Konoshima asked, looking at the papers.
Kei put his elbows on the table and leant his chin on the back of his intertwined fingers. ¨Papers. What'd you think they are?¨ He watched as Konoshima stared at the papers and then turned his stare at him.
¨What am I supposed to do with them?¨
Kei took out to pens and placed one on top of the paper closer to the older man. ¨You know how we both told each other our real names when we met?¨ He was more nervous than he really needed to be. It wasn't like he was murdering anyone! ¨Well, we can't be doing that anymore, so I thought that we might...¨ He shrugged, looking into Konoshima's mismatched eyes and smiling. ¨Change them.¨
Konoshima frowned down at the papers. ¨Take aliases?¨ He raised an eyebrow. ¨Why now and not before?¨
Kei shrugged again. ¨It's part of those reasons I mentioned earlier.¨
Konoshima rolled his eyes. ¨Oh, really. Well, aren't you full of surprises today.¨ He drew the paper and pen closer to himself. ¨So... A name?¨
Kei smiled a little. ¨Yes. A name.¨ He looked down at his paper. He wasn't sure what he wanted to call himself, what would sound right. But it had to be done. For Kazahaya. That airhead no doubt would make a scene when he found out... But also for the two lovers. Kei did not want his uncle finding them, and the last four years of hiding from him had been hard enough already.
So unfair... Kei felt angry again, angry at their uncle for having made that decision when their father died. It had not really been his right to do that. Kazahaya was father's heir, not him! And Kei was right after Kazahaya in heirship.
He glanced at Konoshima. The man was staring at the paper intently, a few squiggles already written on them. He bent down and wrote a character clearly in the middle of the paper, circling it even.
¨What are you doing?¨
Konoshima grinned at Kei. ¨I want my new alias to have a connection to my real name. So I'm thinking of different ways to read and say my current name that might help me.¨ He turned back to the paper.
Kei nodded in understanding. ¨That sounds like a good plan. I think I'll do the same.¨ Except... Kei and Kazahaya both never went to middle school. It might be a bit hard for him to know how to read or write something in a certain way. But if he went methodically about it, then maybe he would get somewhere.
He wrote 'Keitetsu' on the paper. Clear… No, that doesn't sound right… Kei stared down at the character of his name for a few minutes.
¨That can be read as 'Kei', you know¨, a low voice next to his ear whispered. He shot a look at Konoshima, who had, apparently, already decided on his new name.
¨Nobody asked you…¨
Konoshima laughed and leant back in his chair. He grinned at his lover. ¨Tell me if you need any more help. I'd be more than happy to do so.¨ Kei wasn't surprised to see the grin change almost infinitesimally into a leer. That happened quite often. ¨In any way you'd like.¨
Kei answered his leer with a sweet smile of his own. ¨Maybe later, love. In a couple of weeks, for instance.¨ That earned another laugh from Konoshima.
¨You really have become cruel, Kei...¨
Kei ignored the man and stared at the character again. So, it can be read as 'Kei'... Are there any other ways to write 'Kei'?
He closed his eyes and drew a deep breath. Sometimes it amazed him how easily he could take a breath, especially when he thought about that night when they went to see...
His eyes shot open.
...Firefly? He wrote the character down, a small smile grazing his lips. And the rest of the new name? Maybe something else like that, something that Kazahaya might find... familiar? He started to tap the end of his pen against the tabletop. Or maybe something that is important to me? Something that had great impact..? Kei frowned and glanced at Konoshima. The man was still leaning back, his hands behind his head and his eyes closed. Something to remind me of today?
He stared at the paper and finally wrote 'flower' before 'firefly'. ¨Done.¨
Konoshima opened his eyes. ¨Good.¨ Then the man pulled Kei's chair closer, wrapped his arms around him and kissed his neck. Kei closed his eyes and enjoyed the feelings his lover was giving him.
Konoshima drew back a little. ¨Having your hair cut was a good idea.¨ The older man's breath felt hot on his neck, before he turned Kei's face to himself and kissed his lips hungrily.
¨Thank you...¨ The younger man murmured against those lips, his own widening to a knowing little smile. Then he kissed back.
To just break from it seconds after.
¨Kei...!¨ Konoshima groaned.
Kei laughed and tried to push the older man away. ¨Remember, I'm cruel. This is your divine punishment for being you.¨ He grinned happily at the expression on Konoshima's face.
Konoshima narrowed his eyes and tightened his hold. ¨You can be as cruel as you want, Kei, but it is only fair if you pay me back for helping you earlier.¨ Despite the small resistance, he drew his lover back to himself and the kiss. ¨This will be the first instalment of that payment...¨
Kei happily gave up.
05/07/2001
Kei was sitting on the sofa, reading a book Konoshima had given him for his birthday. It was really interesting too, something Kei had never thought would really hold his curiosity for more than a while. But then again, Konoshima could be surprising like that, knowing Kei better than he himself even knew.
He looked up when Konoshima came back in, slouching into the sofa without permeable. He rested his head on Kei's lap. ¨Look who has arrived.¨
The boy that came in after Konoshima was tall and dark, just like him, but younger. He had green eyes that appraised the two of them on the sofa calmly. ¨Are you the ones who maintain the Anything Store?¨
Kei smiled and closed the book, placing it on a side table next to the sofa. ¨Yes, we are. Is there something we can help you with?¨ He entwined his fingers in Konoshima's hair.
The boy looked around himself. ¨I heard that you can help people find other people.¨ Only now did Kei notice the slightly hurt look in his eyes. It seemed like this one has a few secrets inside him... All the better to be friendly with Kazahaya, he guessed.
¨Yes, he can¨, Kei said, indicating the sprawled form of his lover. ¨But you would need to pay us something for that.¨ Kei had never even asked Konoshima what he should pay him for trying to help find his brother and Konoshima, for some reason, had never brought the topic up either.
Now, it isn't needed at all anymore.
The boy pinched his lips tight. ¨I don't have any money...¨
Kei waved his hand. ¨Oh, that is quite all right.¨ He smiled sweetly at the boy. ¨Are you any good in physical work?¨
¨What kind of physical work?¨
Konoshima stuck his finger toward to door they had come through. ¨The kind you would need there, kid. Not anything else.¨
The boy glanced over his shoulder before staring at the man. ¨That never crossed my mind, sir.¨ He turned his gaze to Kei and answered his question, ¨Yes, I guess.¨
Kei smiled again and clapped his hands once. ¨Well then, it's decided.¨ He moved Konoshima's head from his lap and stood up. He walked over to the boy. ¨We have an empty apartment upstairs where you could live while you work for us.¨
The boy frowned. ¨Is that really all-¨
¨You would need to take on some small little tasks as well, of course¨, Kei interrupted him, still smiling sweetly.
¨Of course...¨ the boy sighed. ¨When do I start?¨
Kei's smile widened. ¨Tomorrow.¨
¨Hey, hey!¨ Konoshima had propped himself on one elbow and stared at the boy. ¨Wait a sec, kid! What's your name?¨ Over the years he had become strangely obsessive and protective. He did not want anyone who he did not know to be anywhere near Kei for longer than a few minutes. Kei still wasn't sure if the man's worry was for him or the other persons...
Kei hardly moved his lips in time with the name, saying it to himself a second before the boy spoke out loud, ¨Himura Rikuo.¨
So, easy...
Kei laughed, happy that finally, now that the players were set, he could finally meet that airhead of a brother of his! ¨A pleasure, Himura-kun. This here is Saiga and I am Kakei. We are the owners of the Green Drugstore.¨
The explanations:
(1) In Traditional Chinese Medicine it is believed that the body has a system for balancing many of the functions of the body, based on the yin-yang theory. The body is healthy if the balance is stable, and consequently if it's disrupted then the body becomes sick.
(2) lit. morning glory knot. Can be worn with a yukata. Needs a great length of obi to be tied, so it is usually only worn by little girls.
(3) Bhuddists belive that if a boy is dressed like a girl until he is 10, then he will become a strong man. Doumeki Haruka (crossover from xxxHolic) did that to his own grandson (Doumeki Shizuka, also in xxxHolic).
So, what did you think? Was that theory of mine as crazy as I think it is? At some point, there were (or might still be) all these strange and crazy rumours and theories going about that maybe Kakei was the future Kazahaya, but I took it a step further, didn't I? :D In the manga they never did show Kei's face, did they? It is completely possible.
I know that Kei was at first a bit different from Kakei, but he was young then. I tried to make him more and more like Kakei the older he got. I hope I succeeded.
By the way, 花 (ka) means flower and 蛍 (kei) firefly. And Keitetsu (炯) means clear, light. I did something similiar when I looked at what I could call Saiga, but I can't for the life of me remember what that was... Couldn't remember how I came to call Kakei Keitetsu, either. I had to drag up every page that I could find from the webhistory (is that what you call it?) that seemed to have anything to do with Japanese characters... Sigh...
I thought that the events in Legal drug must take place around the time Clamp first started to make it, so I made sure that december 2001 would be when Rikuo would find Kazahaya. Oh, and the stone Kazahaya touched was a stone where... I think someones time was put in or stopped or something. So, when Kazahaya touched it, his power of empathy kicked in and kept him from aging. Noticed how he fell off at some point and I didn't put a date on it? ;) It also made him befuddled and gave him slight amnesia. It would be so like Kazahaya to not even think that Kakei might be his little bro... :)
And don't ask me what the uncle decided. I thought about something, but then I completely forgot what that was... Yay, me... It did, however, have something to do with 'It was either you or me, Kei' that Kazahaya thought at some point in the manga.
I'm rather forgetful, aren't I? :)
Reviews would be very, very much appreciated! Thank you already for your input!