Chapter 2. Holy shiz! It's 5 pages long. That's a new songfic record!
Hey Love by 12 Stones.
--
"Looking back on everything I've done.
I never thought I'd find the one…
To share the dreams that only I had seen...
Locked in the deepest part of me."
--
Misaki felt horrible. He couldn't bare being away from Akihiko for so long. But he had to keep moving on. For Takahiro.
Besides things were already over, he told himself. He'd completely shut Akihiko out of his life. Now he had to get up, find a job and live life.
Even if all he wanted to do was crawl into bed and cry.
--
He got a job a few days later at a small diner. The pay wasn't the best but he could afford his apartment. Besides, he was a good cook.
Not to mention he'd met a new friend there. A very cute, Akihiko-ish looking friend. And within a few months, they'd become very close.
--
"Hey, Misaki!" Shiki, the owner's son and full-time waiter, said steeping into the kitchen.
"Hi," he said, smiling at his friend. It was a slow day and neither had much to do.
"You know, Wednesdays are always the slowest. You wanna close up for awhile and just hang out?" he asked.
"No, it's probably not a good idea," Misaki said. He took work very seriously. It was a good escape from thinking.
"Oh," the boy sounded a little disappointed. But he quickly smiled and said, "Then how about you lose the hair-net and we had can hang out in the dining room until someone shows up?"
"I guess that wouldn't be too bad," Misaki said, not wanting to disappoint him again. He pulled off the annoying hair piece and followed Shiki to the dining room. They sat in the front, listening to the slow music the speakers played above them.
Shiki had just recently started at the university. He was going to the same one Misaki had, so they had a little in common. Mostly they chatted about Kamijou the devil. Misaki had only met him once outside of school with Usami. And he'd been with another guy. A really tall, good-looking guy who'd been watching him with moony eyes the whole time. It didn't take much brain power to realize they were going out. Plus it explained the limp Kamijou usually had. Of course he'd never told anyone about this, expect Shiki. He'd been fine letting everyone believe he rumors about him getting his knee busted in a yakuza gang fight, which only Kamijou had survived. Besides, Misaki himself half believed the stories. Mainly because they explained his wicked, deadly aim.
But today something was different. Shiki wasn't acting himself. He kept fidgeting and glancing at his dorky SpongeBob wristwatch.
"Shiki, what's wrong?" Misaki asked, holding the boys shoulders as if to shake him, "You look like you're awaiting your death or something."
He blinked at Misaki. He was actually kind of cute, Misaki thought.
No, he yelled at himself. He couldn't think of someone else that way. It just wasn't right.
"I just… It's stupid, forget it."
"Come on, you can tell me anything," Misaki said, giving him a comforting smile.
"It's just… I have this friend, okay?"
Misaki nodded to show he understood what Shiki meant. What he was going to tell him most be very personal, or embarrassing.
"Anyway, he likes this person. A lot. But it's really complicated because the person he likes is another guy. And he's really confused by it. But he still likes this guy. And he's afraid of being rejected by him, because he can't imagine he feels the same way."
Misaki smiled. So, Shiki's having those kinds of problems?
"Well," Misaki started, "The way I see it, love is love. I mean, no one can chose who they fall in love with, right?"
Shiki nodded, "And what about the other guy?"
"Well, he must be a very good person to have gained your… I mean, your friend's love. And if he rejects your friend, then maybe he wasn't worth it to begin with."
"So, you're saying he should try asking him out?"
"You'll never know unless you try,"
"Okay, well…" Shiki took a breath, "Will you go out with me?"
Misaki blinked in surprise. Shiki liked him?!
"Well… I just… I can't… I'm not…" he searched for something to say that didn't sound totally horrible. It wasn't that he didn't like Shiki; he just wasn't sure how he felt about Akihiko. He tried not to think about him, but he knew he still loved him.
Shiki looked down at his feet, knowing he'd been rejected. Misaki couldn't stand the sad expression on his face. It wasn't right for him to be so selfish, not if it made Shiki upset.
"It's not you, Shiki. I was just dumped… Well, actually I dumped him but it still isn't easy for me. I need some time."
Shiki nodded, "Yeah, I guess I need time too. I always thought I'd grow up and have a family and stuff. I never thought I'd see the day when I was asking another guy out." He gave a short nervous laugh. Then his head snapped up as a customer walked in and took a seat nearby. They both looked at each other before quickly retuning to work.
--
"Thinking back on everything we've done.
We watched the waves drown the sun.
We shared a dream that both of us had seen,
We made it our reality."
--
Misaki dreamed about Usami that night. He realized he could hide anymore. And he couldn't help if he was starting to think of Shiki that way too.
He couldn't stop being himself.
But Usami… He still loved him.
But hadn't Akihiko once told him, he couldn't stop loving Takahiro? You could never really forget that type of thing. It would always be there.
But that didn't mean Misaki couldn't let Shiki in. In fact, what he really wanted was to see him as soon as possible.
He wanted to let someone in.
--
"I took a chance to lay it on the line.
There was nothing left to hide behind.
If you never love then you may never lose.
And I hope I'll always be with you."
--
Misaki walked into the diner early, a smile on his face. He found Shiki in the front, cleaning counters.
"Hey, Misaki!" he said in his usual friendly voice. But Misaki could tell he was a little anxious
"Hi, Shiki," he said, equally nervous. "Well, I was thinking last night… And well, I think I want to try loving you."
The look on Shiki's face was priceless. Misaki couldn't believe his words could make Shiki so happy. He hadn't even said he loved him. He'd said he'd try to. And yet, Shiki looked as if he'd won the yaoi lottery. Maybe he had.
But also, deep down, Misaki felt like he wanted to see that face more often.
Wish me luck, Niichan, he thought as the smaller boy stood up on his tippy-toes to hug him.
--
"Now I'm screaming:
Hey love, won't you lean your touch
On this heart that's broken?
I can't breathe when you're not here.
Hey love, won't you left me up
On the wings that fly higher
Than the stars that shine above?
If darkness should fall upon our hearts,
Remember the dreams from the start."
--
Not too bad, right?
Ha-ha. Misaki found a new one pretty fast! But I can see him not wanting to disappoint anyone…
Poor Akihiko.