Utah.
Dry, arid, desert.
The fort they were being taken to was like the old frontier, similar to the large wooden fortresses brought with the US army to try and tame the Wild West.
Though no one saw the reason for the over accentuated large fortress walls to hold them in. One, Gilbert and Arthur, the two with wings, could easily and almost effortlessly raise themselves into the air and bypass the wall to what lay beyond, and god knows what anyone else was capable of after the mutations. Mathew would probably even be able to sneak out easy as 1 2 3.
And secondly, there was no where within a sixty mile radius that had any known form of food or water. They would be dead within three days of walking under the unforgiving eye of the hot desert sun. Their bare feet, as they still had no shoes, would be stripped bare by the burning sands as they ploughed on.
No. The most sensible thing, whether for right or wrong, was to stay at the fort and survive.
"Wow… looks kinda cool…" Alfred said, looking out one of the barred windows to the bus they were on. Unlike the bus that had transported them from Tunguska, this bus's wheels did not glow red. As a matter of fact, it had no wheels to begin with, hovering inches above the ground with magnetic repulses. They kept the bus up with the negative kinetic energy it shared with a magnetic rail beneath the desert sand. It was covered so that it couldn't be tracked by the enemy, hence they could not be found.
Or… find the true way back… Those kinds of thoughts plagued a few sensible people, but Kiku didn't expect Arthur to be one of the people to voice the thought.
"Oh shut up you git… How do we even know that we can trust these people? It's been a thousand bloody years. How do you know that we're not being equipped as some weapon to mass murder a load of innocents…?" Arthur huffed and looked back out his window at the impending fortress. He had been a lot grumpier since they had been pushed off of the plane and onto the bus. Kiku seemed to be the only one to note this. But at the Englishman's comment, Alfred toned down and looked forlorn at his own words.
"I'm sorry… but I've been told stories about the Wild West and cowboys and stuff… so I can't help it if this is pretty cool to me… This is the kind of stuff every American child used to dream about." Alfred adopted a pout of his own and sunk into his seat. Ivan looked at him curiously.
"Don't worry Alfred… Arthur just likes the plane a lot… he doesn't like bus travel, da?" The Russian turned to Arthur for his confirmation and the blonde nodded.
"Yes Ivan… I enjoy the plane more than the bus by a long shot."
"See Alfred…?"
"Oooh… Ok… I get it now… Sorry Iggy… But hey, I mean, you got those wings of yours right? Why not learn how to use 'em and then fly. It'd be kick ass."
"Hmmm…" Arthur looked over his shoulder at the furled wings. "I… never actually thought about that… And why did you just call me Iggy?!"
"Huh…?" Alfred looked up and smiled. "But isn't that Japanese for England…? And your English, so I thought that it fits… Isn't that right Kiku…?"
Kiku looked up and saw a few, various people looking at him expectantly.
"Um… I… Actually Alfred-san… it is, Igirisu… But that was good enough for a guess." The Asian shrunk into his corner.
"Iggy it is then!"
'Iggy' scowled and drew his knees up to his chest, hiding his face between them to combat the motion sickness that was threatening itself unto him.
"You're nick naming people by their country…? Ve… I wanna know what Ludwig is…? And me?" Feliciano smiled and practically bounced in his seat with wide happy eyes, staring at Kiku.
"Um… Ludwig-san is from Germany… that makes him Doitsu… You are Italian… Itaria…" Kiku blushed again as more people began to look at him.
"Yay~ Ve… Thankyou Kiku… um… Kiku-san…?" Feliciano looked at him, confused.
"Hai…" Another confused look. "Um… yes…"
And then everyone went back to their thing… It wasn't interesting anymore and that suited Kiku just fine.
Until someone whispered a question to him.
"What is… Japan…?"
Kiku looked up and felt burning and deduced that someone had set alight to his face, because Arthur was looking at him with bright green eyes.
"U-Um… N-Nihon…"
The Englishman swallowed before bowing his head with a polite smile.
"It suits you Kiku."
/
The fort was just like a frontier style old American military fort. Constructed of pine logs and even a corral where horses would be trained… except that there were no horses. Captive animals were a thing of the past. Even dogs and cats had turned loose only a single hundred years before.
But that isn't part of the story… yet.
What would have originally been the open air stables had been set up as the strange company's quarters. And then to take away from the entire old pine frontier style, was a large metal bunker that looked to spread deep underground. All the scientists that would monitor them, and all the soldiers that would keep and eye on them would sleep there. As well as Jason. They would do everything from there but the group of twenty would remain solely outside.
It was then that they realized, as Jason disappeared beneath the bunker and they were left with their things, that they would be treated as animals. The head scientist, General Winter, had said to become friends with each other, and it became apparent why when even the scientists and soldiers distanced themselves. All they had now was each other.
But friendliness was another thing all together, with soldiers posted around the fort to keep an eye on them and the scientists gone, the desert heat seemed to compress down and weight on their shoulders heavily, pushing in on the temples of those from colder climates and giving them headaches.
Alfred started complaining that the only ones who didn't suffer from the heat was Antonio, who merely smiled and said nothing was wrong with the temperature, that it was a lovely day, and Ivan, who merely smiled and shrugged, letting out an airy chuckle and wrapping his scarf, that had come among the items in his bag, tighter around his neck and saying that he wished it weren't so cold.
Frowning, the American pressed a hand to Ivan's cheek and his eyes widened in surprise, figuring that he hadn't noticed it before because of the cold Siberian wastelands they had passed through and the air-conditioning on the bus.
"You're like… a fucking ice man or whatever… do something cool…" The blonde stared at the Russian like he expected an avalanche of popsicles to happen or something.
"Like what…? I don't know what has happened to me in the tests… Therefore I do not know what I can do." Ivan tilted his head.
"Hm… whatever. You're still my side kick."
Ivan chuckled and nodded as if agreeing to a child's demands, that which they could have very well been.
But then their attention was called forth when two people approached them, one dressed in blue and the other in black.
The shorter one of the two was the one in a blue sort of sleeveless tunic that was buttoned down his chest but flared open halfway down his stomach to show that he was wearing black leather pants and big black Goth boots with little silver chains hanging loosely from the ordained silver buckles. His skin was fair and he had silver blonde hair with blue eyes. There was a little iron or silver cross, pinning some of his fringe out of the way and up and down his arms were black rune tattoos ringed in an icy blue that glowed even in the daylight and pulsated slightly, the glow dimming and growing, dimming and growing.
The second was far taller with blond spiky hair, blue eyes and a grin that could only be described as Gilbert like. He wore a large black trench coat… but at closer inspection it was the coat from the Danish uniform from world war two. There was no visible difference about him unless you counted the giant axe on his person that he seemed to carry as effortlessly as if he were wielding a feather.
"Who the hell are you?" Gilbert asked.
"Well that's a nice greeting then isn't it?" The taller male laughed and the shorter one looked bored and kind of irritated. "Well I'm Mathias Kohler and this is Alexander Nelson. We're like you but you're still the first… we only became like this about fifty years ago…" He paused and turned to look a the smaller male before looking at them once more. "That chemical solute they put in your system… it put you in a kick ass long coma… but by the time they began recruiting again, they'd managed to get the time down to five years."
"So… you're like us…?"
"Um… yeah… Sort of… but you spent the longer amount of time developing… so you've had the extra chance to adapt, mutate, evolve… whatever you want to call it…" The tall blonde grinned again, the platinum blonde at his side rolled his eyes and turned away.
"If you want to see where you'll be staying, then I suggest you follow us…" He said and Mathias shrugged happily, turning and following the shorter male. A few of the people in the group exchanged wary or nervous glances, but it seemed none of them had a choice on what to do… So, they followed, albeit cautiously.
/
Kiku sat up suddenly, frantically looking around. He'd been having THAT dream again… It left him feeling empty and covered in a cold sweat. Sighing softly, he swung his feet over the edge of the bed and decided to go get some fresh air.
The room they had been given to stay in was what looked to be once a stable, for horses, each person with their own stall with a bed and shelf in it. The windows were paned with black glass which gave them some retreat in the day time when it got too hot. The tow bigger stalls had been allocated to Gilbert and Arthur… because of their wings taking up so much space… and sure enough in the far right one, Kiku saw a red-black leather wing, awkwardly propped up against the wall. Yet he saw no sign of Arthur's… but it didn't bother him all too much… Arthur probably wasn't as much of a space invader like Gilbert was fast becoming known as.
Sighing softly he shook his head and made his way outside, breathing in the fresh air that was fairly crisp and cool for the desert. He moved over, out of the way of the door and sat down, leaning against the wall and looking up at the stars. He wasn't quite sure why, but the stars and their patterns helped him to relax when he needed it most of all.
Right now, he connected the stars to create his favorite constellation. The Archer, who wore Orion's belt… He'd been taught from the time he was small that the Archer's arrow always pointed east… it was a compass, like the southern cross or big dipper… but he just like the archer itself… And Orion's belt… it was also known as the three kings and the Ancient Egyptians had used them as a guide to build their three greatest pyramids, the pyramids of Giza. He had always wanted to go see them, but the third world war had damaged them and it became harder to see them. He wandered if he'd ever get the chance to see them or if even, after a thousand years of wars and such, would they even still be there…?
"What are you thinking about?"
Kiku jumped, out of his thoughts to find that tortuously wonderful pair of green eyes staring at him curiously.
"A-Arthur? What are you doing up?" The Asian asked, doing his best to contain his surprise and any other flustered emotions that remained from his dream.
"I… couldn't sleep… nightmares…" He smiled and shrugged, before sitting down beside the shorter man.
"Oh… so um… were you flying just now…? I didn't see you around when I came out…" Kiku muttered softly.
Arthur tilted his head slightly before looking up at the two appendages protruding from his shoulder blades, a few feathers rustling in the light breeze. "No… I can't figure it out… I was just stargazing on the roof…"
"How'd you get on the roof?"
"The water tank…" The blonde said with a small smile, pointing over to the green-blue metal cylinder, the down pipe next to it was probably what the Brit had meant.
Kiku smiled, kind of like he was hearing a rebellious child's daily adventure. "You stargaze?"
"Hm…? Oh… yeah… I've been doing it since I was a small child." The blonde looked up at the stars with a kind of wistful smile. Kiku knew, or hoped he knew, how he felt. It was one of the only connections they had left to the world they had left behind. "It was really hard to stargaze in London because of all the pollution… but whenever we went on a trip to the country or a night drive, I'd always take the opportunity."
"Do… you have a favorite constellation?"
Arthur blinked and looked at him before smiling warmly and giving his reply. "yes… Cygnus..."
"The swan…?"
"Yes… my mother used to say that I was born under the Cygnus… ever since then, I've been looking to it for guidance, kind of…"
Kiku giggled softly. "Well, in my eyes, that is kind of ironic…"
"What do you mean…?" the Englishman was confused for a moment before he looked up at his new appendages and smiled. "ah, I guess you're right. And what about you? What is your favorite sign?"
"Hmm… I like the archer…"
"Why…?"
"Well… I'm born under Orion's belt… the Archer wears it… and his arrow points due east… it will always guide me home…" The smaller male smiled over at the blonde who returned the gesture.
The two men sat there silently for a while, until a chilled desert night breeze blew and Kiku shivered. Arthur looked over at him curiously.
"Cold…?"
"… A little…"
Kiku blinked when he felt a large feathery wing, warm with life natural and unnatural alike, cover his back and side.
"How does that feel…?"
"… Strangely satisfying…" Kiku smiled at Arthur. "Thank you…"
"You're welcome… It feels good to put them to use somehow…"
They said nothing more for a time and it was not long before the very edge of the horizon turned light blue then pink by the light of the dawning sun.
"Arthur… you used to be a pilot… and I hear that flying is all you loved… when it was taken from you, you were heartbroken… now you have a way to reach the sky… yet… yet you speak of these gifts as if they are useless…" Kiku looked up the blonde, hugging his sides despite the extra warmth from the wing around him.
Arthur frowned a little, in mere thought as he tried to find the answer that fit the question. It was some time before he answered.
"Yes Kiku… these wings are a gift and give me a seemingly grand return to the sky… but as they feel a part of me, they also feel indifferent and strange… I doubt that they can hold my weight in the air… how much do they weigh themselves? I just don't see how they can possibly make me fly… And I'm still blind in one eye… even if I could fly, what good would it do me if I crash landed because I couldn't see…"
Kiku smiled. "You worry too much… right now, we're all alone in a world where we know no one but ourselves… people like Gilbert and Ludwig, Ivan and his sisters, and few others are lucky in knowing one another from the past… but all us freaks have in this time of loneliness, is each other… do you not think that Alfred and Ivan set example? They are already close and in the months to come I sense they'll grow closer still… I believe you are lucky, even if you deem your wings useless, the General will not… in the following weeks, I believe we will see to those who… did not successfully mutate…"
"You mean to say, those who didn't change…?"
Kiku nodded. "You clearly have, as have I… at least we are safe for the moment. For that I am thankful…"
"Well… I am thankful for something else…"
"What is that…?"
Arthur smiled over to him. "I am thankful that I got to meet you… I might never have met you if not for this…"
Kiku blushed and smiled with a slight not of his head. "I am thankful that I got to meet you as well…"
/
It was the sixth day they had spent at the base in the middle of the desert. And this day was particularly hot.
But the heat did not prevent Alfred nagging and nagging them to play volley ball. He had said how much he had reveled in the game when he was younger and had gone to the beach with friends.
A few people actually ended up agreeing and they managed to procure a net. They had trouble finding a ball though and a timid yet good natured Jason managed to procure a soccer ball to use as substitute. It was old and worn, but firmly pumped… They could only imagine why such a trivial thing for the people in the seventh world war would be cared for.
Asides from that, they had the ball, net set up, and guide lines scratched into the ground. Ten people agreed to play. The other ten would sit out either because they wanted to wait a bit for their go or they just wanted to watch.
The first team on the left side of the net was made up of Alfred, Ivan, Yao, Gilbert and Antonio. The right side team was made up of Sadiq, Heracles (sleepy as ever), Berwald, Mathias and Alexander.
And, the game was the most interesting thing Arthur had seen.
Left side team had its own quirks. Alfred and Gilbert were ferociously competitive. Yao and Ludwig believed it was dishonorable to fail and Ivan was… well… intimidatingly cheerful and barely broke a sweat.
Right side was equally as challenging in terms of interesting. Sadiq and Heracles nonstop argued, but that was a kind of teamwork between them and it was impossible to get the ball passed them. Mathias and Alexander were somewhat similar. Mathias was the stronger of the two clearly, and he took the front, delivering massive spikes. But his Norwegian counterpart was lithe and agile and used the taller for means of leaping into the air and returning the higher strikes. And Berwald… he kind of just stood there looking intimidating. And the ball never neared his corner.
The game continued for hours, morning until afternoon, whence by then everyone was panting, sweating(apart from Ivan) and… no one had scored.
"I can't believe it…" Arthur laughed as they watched Ludwig refuse a truce until he and his team had dominated the game with complete supremacy.
"Believe what?" Kiku smiled, taking a drink from his water canteen. "That Ludwig is still going for power and Ivan is still going because he doesn't feel any different to when they started…?"
"No…" Arthur chuckled softly. "That they'd go through all this fuss just because of a game.
Kiku giggled. "Let them have their fun…"
"What about you? What would you do for fun…?"
"Well… I'm not too sure any more… I have all my anime backed up on my USB and on my laptop… but I need to be sure that there's a place I can recharge it or I'll only have a couple of hours left of it for the rest of my life!" The smaller man exclaimed like it was the biggest issue in the world. Far more dire than attending to World War seven.
"Honestly Kiku, I think you'll find a way without much trouble. I mean, those markings you got in the mutation… they look kind of technical… like the inside of a computer chip…"
Arthur smiled as Kiku blushed a little. The Asian wasn't even sure how that was a compliment.
"I think their confusing…"
"… I think their unique."
"Weird."
"They're pretty…"
That's it. There was the compliment. And Kiku blushed again.
"Ok, ok… I believe you can stop now Arthur-san… but thank you."
"You're welcome… But I'll find my chance to start up again…" The blonde chuckled as Kiku jabbed him in the shoulder.
"And here I was the past few days thinking you decent."
"There's nothing indecent about a few compliments…"
"I call it teasing…"
"Alright Kiku, alright… I'm sorry… truce?"
"Hmm… truce…"
Arthur chuckled as he watched Kiku, the smaller male returning to watching the volley ball game. It had been five days since he had sat and watched the stars with the smaller man. And since that time, he had been spending most his time with him. And by god, did he enjoy it. The raven haired male made him feel… happy.
And he knew this, he'd do anything for Kiku right now…
/
Never before had his face been so clear. But now Kiku saw it. His jaw, his nose… the shape of his bejeweled eyes. Kiku hated himself for loving this dream.
Everything was taking clear form, at long last… And all he could do was stare at Arthur's face, drinking everything in. The only other thing really different was that light shone through parted curtains and the blonde lay sleeping beside him.
Entranced, he reached out and ran the end of his fingers over the soft, slightly parted lips. At the contact, the blonde frowned in his sleep, before his features relaxed again and he opened his eyes sleepily, smiling softly at Kiku.
"Morning love…"
Kiku blushed softly and smiled. "Morning…"
Arthur chuckled and wrapped his arms around the smaller, pulling him close and their bare skin pressing against one another was enough to make Kiku's already reddened cheeks darken further.
"I guess we'd better get up and start the day…" Arthur said with a smile and kissed Kiku on the forehead before releasing him and sitting up, stretching. And that's when Kiku cried out.
On Arthur's back, between his shoulder blades were to hideous torn scars with slight bumps in the middles of them.
"Oh my god, Arthur! What happened to your wings?"
Kiku sat up and reached out to him, eyes seeking to comfort or seeking to be comforted.
Arthur looked at him before frowning and moving away from him. "We agreed to never talk about it again… it's the past…"
Kiku watched, full of anguish as the taller slid out of bed, and started dressing, pulling some pants and a shirt on. Just as the scars disappeared under the white cloth, small fast paced footsteps grew nearer as if they were running up a hallway. And then the door creaked open to a crack, a pair of brilliant green eyes peering in.
Arthur's strange mood disappeared as he looked at the door and he chuckled softly, upon which the door was flung open and a little girl with the green eyes and dark as night hair ran up to the blonde and wrapped her arms around his waist.
"Good morning Mei…"
"Morning Papa… Morning Mama…" The little girl smiled brightly from her father's embrace over to a stunned Kiku…
And then just like that, Kiku sat up, eyes wide open as he trembled from how real the dream had felt. But looking around, he now confirmed he was back in the uncomfortable quarters with another twenty one freaks like himself… he looked over to the bed beside him.
Arthur lay fast asleep on his stomach, swans wings furled tightly, acting as a warm blanket everywhere but his feet.
Kiku smiled sadly. So one dream ends and another begins. But he firmly told himself that it was wild, overheated dreaming… Last time he'd looked, men were incapable of bearing children.
Sighing, he took his natural leave and crept outside, the cool fresh air hitting him like a wave of reality. He went around behind the water tank where he sat down and hugged his knees close to his chest.
"Stop it Kiku…" He scolded himself. "You cannot have such things…"
"What things?"
Kiku jumped and looked up at Arthur. Not even outside for five minutes and the blonde was out there with him, concern written all over his face. Biting his lip, the smaller man rose to his feet.
"I'm so sorry Arthur… I just… had a dream…"
"What kind of dream…?"
"A dream where… a dream that teases me with things that I cannot have… It's keeping me awake…"
"That's not the best thing… training is supposed to start tomorrow… you need to rest…"
Kiku smiled at Arthur and nodded. "Hai… you're right…"
The stood silent for a moment, each waiting for the other to either say something or make the first move to head back inside. Arthur spoke first.
"Kiku… might I ask… what is that you cannot have?"
Kiku blinked, staring up at him before looking away. "It's nothing… trivial is all…"
The blonde tilted his head, watching the smaller curiously before smiling. He wasn't entirely certain of what it was Kiku was convinced he couldn't have, so Arthur was probably just going out on a whim. Either way, he reached out and tilted the smaller male's head up to face him once more and he closed the distance between them mercifully swiftly, and pressed his lips to Kiku's.
Kiku didn't react for a moment, totally stunned. But soon the red grew behind his cheeks and he reached up to wrap his arms around Arthur's neck, returning the kiss and parting his lips slightly.
Oh god… he thought…
It was amazing… their tongues intertwined as breaths became heated and moist.
Kiku's dreams never showed him anything about the moon and stars being witnesses to what they did beneath the night time shadow of the water tank. Each struggled hard to remain quiet, yet they achieved it and made barely a sound.
Arthur had him on the ground within moments. Their clothing was rolled into a pillow to rest his head on and the other's wings acted as a cocoon of sorts, a shield from the outside world and it's troubles. It was just them in their own world and Kiku could earnestly say that his dreams had betrayed him… upon intrusion it hurt like hell, but the bliss he soon felt within was like nothing he had ever imagined.
He wrapped his legs around the Englishman's waist, allowing him to go deeper inside, and he took him to the hilt, finding silence the worst thing in the world to endure.
He could hear Arthur's heavy and uneven breaths above him, in contrast to his own light, fluttering ones. He felt his skin against the others, his own arousal being sated by a large warm hand and passionate kisses leaving marks across his neck and a warmth on his own lips.
All too soon, the place within him was struck and he felt as if he had exploded in bliss, heated seed spilling out across his stomach. Above him, Arthur groaned in a whisper and Kiku felt the other's hot essence shoot up within him, filling him.
Kiku shuddered, Arthur relaxed against him, and they remained as they were for quite a time. Then Arthur pulled out, leaving him empty, and lay beside him, wrapping his arms around him.
"… I'm sorry…" He whispered, pressing a kiss to the top of Kiku's head. The Asian smiled and curled up against him, needing the warmth of his body.
"Sorry for what…?"
"For… everything… the place, the timing… THIS…"
Kiku remained silent for a time before pressing a kiss to Arthur's chest.
"Don't apologize… the place and timing holds no matter over the person whom the act is performed with…"
They both smiled and he kissed him again, this time properly, and softly… without the previous passion.
"I do believe I can sleep now…" Kiku whispered with a smiled and it was Arthur's turn to blush.
"Then… we should dress, and return to our beds."
Kiku nodded in agreement and after a short while more in one another's arms, the detached and dressed, kisses and such shared in-between and they walked, hand in hand, back inside their 'home'… Everyone lay asleep and unsuspecting.
Now laying in their beds, a small space of air between them, they smiled across it at one another. If they dared talk and wake someone, they'd have nothing to say anyway. The most meaningful thing they did to convey all within was link fingers in the space between them until eventually they drifted off within moments of one another.
And Kiku had no dreams…
/
Sorry for the supreme lateness of this chapter. I have so many ideas for this story but alas, lost the gist to write. Anyhow, here is your second chapter… and no, it was not meant to progress so swiftly, but too bad, so sad… I like this chapter and this story is something I'm proud of.
Love forever, me… and please, could you review… I was a little downhearted when I got so few reviews for this story in the first chapter, despite the hits I was getting. It's just be nice to see what you guys think and if you have any ideas that would be much appreciated.
Thankyou, love you guys loads~!