Touma VS Ikea. Ikea:1 Touma:0
They all believed they handled the loss of their armors well. They all lied about that. But they all found distractions in their lives to hide their own thoughts on the matter. But it was always there, the memories, the nightmares, the feeling that it would never be over.
Until they where dead.
But for a short time they found peace. Just for a short time.
Touma's distraction came in the form of someone who's headstrong nature actually made him a rather passionate and dedicated lover. Someone who truly believed they would be just fine together. But they both knew they would have to hide what they where to each other from others.
Family mostly, their friends knew rather quickly. They where supportive when they found out.
They had all shown up at Ryo's new apartment to help him move in. Helping Ryo move in actually meant watching Shu carry everything into the apartment and everyone else unpacked Ryo's stuff.
Except for Touma and Seiji who took to assembling a desk Ryo had bought, from a company called -IKEA-. Never before had the two Troopers ever wanted to just destroy anything so badly before.
"IQ of 250 and I'm being beaten by self-assembly furniture." Touma sat on the floor re-reading the assembly instructions. "This does not look right." Touma looked at the desk he was attempting to assemble.
Seiji tilted his head, "I think that's upside down." He flipped the piece of wood over and looked at the directions, "Is this?"
Shu looked over Touma's shoulder, "That goes there."
"What." Touma looked at Shu, confused by the man's ability to understand the gibberish of Ikea instructions.
"It's not that hard. Look." Shu sat down beside the two men and assembled the desk, correctly and rather quickly.
Seiji just stood up and decided that helping Ryo and Shin unpack would be the best course of action, Shu moved the newly assembled desk to where Ryo wanted it.
Touma however just sat there, "How."
"If I'm good at anything, it's following directions. Sometimes." Shu smiled at Touma and sat back down beside him. He looked over at their friends, who where busy and not looking in their direction. He reached over and tugged Touma closer to him, catching Touma's attention. Shu kissed him, just a short kiss to remove the -I'm supposed to be smart but furniture outsmarted me- look off his face.
"Whoa." Ryo had turned around at that moment. Shin and Seiji looked back and stared.
Touma pushed Shu back and looked away from him, they had been caught. Shu however didn't seem as bothered by getting caught as Touma was. "What?"
Seiji just smiled, "That took long enough." Shin didn't say anything, he just slipped into the kitchen to make something for everyone to eat, and to hide his own smile.
"Touma I expected, but Shu?" Ryo walked over to a box pulling out books to stick on a shelf.
"Wait." Touma looked at Ryo, "What do you mean you expected?"
Ryo grinned at him, "Touma."
"Did you expect before or AFTER?"
"Before, I saw you and Seiji kiss." Ryo folded his arms and chuckled.
Seiji's eyes went wide. "What." He didn't know anyone saw.
"You kissed Seiji?" Shu looked over at Touma.
Touma put his head in his hands, "Please stop."
Shu looped an arm around Touma's shoulders and tugged him closer, messing up his hair, "Sorry." He looked over at their friends, "Besides, I'm not gay!" Shu protested, "I'm...I don't know. Just, this feels right." His hand slipped into Touma's.
Touma groaned, "We're not having this conversation. " He leaned against Shu's shoulder and gave his hand a squeeze.
The conversation happened anyway, Touma explained he was pretty much bisexual, leaning towards men. Seiji was heterosexual but could find men psychically attractive, while having no sexual attraction towards them. Ryo believed that a person's heart was more important then what they had between their legs, so he went with the blanket term of Bisexual with equal attraction to both men and women. Shin was mostly heterosexual but admitted he found certain men psychically and sexually attractive, but doubted he would ever do anything intimate with a man. Shu didn't quite know, he had never been sexually attracted to men before, but he knew he was attracted to Touma. Though he admitted he had maybe checked out a few guys before, but he liked girls better.
"So I'm 'special'" Touma looked over at Shu.
Shu grinned at him, "Is that bad? You are my boyfriend now, I guess." He folded his arms, "We did have sex."
"Can you NOT say that around our friends!" Touma's face was quite red.
"As long as you both are happy, that's all that matters." Ryo laughed at the two.
As supportive as their friends where, the same couldn't be said about both their families. Touma's parents where fine with it. Shu couldn't tell his, he knew they would not approve of it. So he didn't say anything about it, too worried about a bad reaction from his family if they found out he was involved with another man.
Touma knew that would some day be their breaking point. But right now, it would be ok, as long as he didn't think about the future they most likely didn't have together. And if they did, it wouldn't be an easy one.
"I can't believe you reserved us a room." Touma stretched out on the bed of the room in the fancy love hotel.
"I wanted one of the themed rooms." Shu pulled his shirt off and eyed the clothed man on the bed.
Touma sat up and watched him, "I appreciate the space theme, but it's the bondage stuff that has me troubled." He picked up one of the wrist cuffs that was chained to the bed.
Shu crawled onto the bed and pushed Touma down. His hands worked quick to strip his lover of his shirt. "So you can't get away from me." He kissed him, "I want to hear you make all sorts of sounds."
"You are lewd." Touma laughed before he gave in and embraced their time together. "But, I appreciate the thought. I'm not going anywhere Shu." He took Shu's face in his hands and returned the kiss.
They didn't see each other much during school semesters, only during breaks. Even then it was at Touma's apartment or at various Hotels that Shu planned out before hand.
However, their lives changed when Suzunagi appeared. She didn't lie to them, their future was going to be a hard one. With the new armors they stood a chance, not a good one as it would come to be, but a chance never the less.
They got two years of peace, two years. They didn't know that by gaining new armors they attracted the attention of a foe who had his own motives for attacking them. Perhaps the worst motive of all.
Their own personal amusement. They had a plan, an army. The means and power available. With Arago dead, as far as the vast Spirit World knew. The entire dimension was in chaos for the years since his defeat at the hands of the Troopers. Factions at war against each other from various areas and kingdoms. Kayura had managed her best and kept what she could safe. She still lived as did the three surviving Mashos. However they had no choice but to flee, hide, and wait for the worst of the battles to end. She watched helplessly as a new power took over.
Kayura wasn't stupid. She knew this new foe posed a real threat. She went to them, she found them again. She asked for their help and of course they agreed.
They where back there again, the world where they had hoped to never return to.
And they began losing. "We're going into this blind!" Seiji was frustrated. They had to HIDE. "We haven't even seen this, Whoever we're fighting, we don't even know WHY. Just waves upon waves of soldiers and those giant beasts. That seem to be tailored to us."
Those beasts he spoke of, large monstrous creatures, armor and dark energy fashioned into elephant-sized monsters, That closely resembled the shape of bears, with long tails that ended in spikes, and claws and teeth. Eyes that glowed in dark pits on their heads. Sharp teeth with no tongues.
"I'm sorry." Kayura was beside herself.
"Look. It's not your fault. But, " Ryo looked over at his friends, hiding out in a half ruined building. "Go, with the Mashos. If we..." He had to face the reality of it. "If we fail, someone will need to help keep our world safe, find someone else to defend it." He forced a smile. "Is there a safe place you can go?"
"Arago's old castle, it's been left alone." Kayura looked up at Ryo, and over at the exhausted Troopers, in their new armor. "But?"
"We'll be fine. This is what we're supposed to do." Touma looked over at her, from where he was. Checking up on Shin who most likely had a few broken ribs, that where healing.
With that she and the last three Mashos fled the battles.
Their foe finally made his grand appearance. Their hiding place surrounded, all of them recovering from exhaustion and injuries.
"He's.. human?" Touma stared at the man who stood before them.
Dressed like an old Daimyo, but with long white hair, he was quite handsome, and looked just a few years older then the troopers themselves. "Close Tenku. But whatever was human in me is long gone. Except for this form I keep. But let's stop talking about me, and let's start talking about you boys."
Ryo opened his mouth to speak. But stopped when the man looked at him and begun to laugh, "What's so funny?"
"You where going ask who I was and what I wanted? It's very typical of you. But I'll humor you. You may call me Kaoru. Who I am other then that is of no actual concern of yours. What I want is amusement. All of this was done because I was bored, and I truly just wanted to see if I could do it."
"This? was for your own personal amusement?" Seiji stared in shock, such a selfish answer.
"Of course. Not for power or gain, but for amusement. Though this is growing boring. I won I took over, I have a force so strong it scared even the little peacemaker Kayura, which was yes one of my goals. " He laughed, "I wanted to meet you boys, see who was it that defeated Arago, oh yes. He was at one point a force even I would not bother with. But pride and arrogance makes one weak, so he fell to a bunch of children. So I waited, waited for the children to become men, to become worth my time. You are all quite impressive now." He stepped closer to them, watching the five put themselves on guard. "Now, I'll be honest. You five do have it in you to kill me, to defeat all of this. But you won't survive. You will be very lucky if even one of you walk away from this alive."
Shu narrowed his eyes and forced a grin, "We'll just have to see about that, won't we?"
Kaoru smiled at him, "That attitude will get you killed. Now then, as fun as it would be to watch each of you die protecting your crimson clad leader there. Sacrificing each of your lives, shedding tears..." He looked over at Touma and then to Shu, "As lovers die in your arms. Bittersweet to die with someone you care for, to save others, so they can keep fighting." He walked towards Ryo and stood in front of him. "I'd rather prolong my own life, and my own amusement. So I have a deal, I'm going to suggest you take it. I will stop my war, I will hand over my army to Kayura, in exchange for one of your lives. Just ONE of you."
Ryo took a step forward but was pulled back by Seiji. "Ryo, no."
"But don't worry boys. I'll give you time to choose your fate. 48 of your hours, to decide. Just one, or we play the long game and all of you will die, alongside me. Your families will never know what happened to any of you, and with my own death, this world's fate will be once again at war. Have fun." He laughed as stepped back and vanished. The troops pulled back, and left them Troopers alone.
Silence between them, They had all screamed at each other only hours before, each one claiming they should be the one to sacrifice themselves.
All of them fought, but one stayed quiet. He waited till the screaming and fighting was done. He had listened to everything they all said and made his own choice. He had sleeping problems, he wasn't sure why he brought them along, but they now came in handy.
Touma waited until Shin had managed to make them something to eat, Kayura had left them supplies. He laced every dish but his own with crushed sleeping pills.
He was careful not to overdose them. He watched them fall asleep. His heart broke, "I'm sorry." Touma whispered. He moved each of his friends into more comfortable positions. He sighed when he laid Shu down, brushing his hand against his cheek. "I can't let you do what I know you wanted to do. I could never let you give up your family for me." Touma had heard his lover talking to Shin about his plan. Shu wanted to give it up, his role as the family's heir. For him. Shu knew the risks, he knew he'd lose so much, but he was willing to do it to keep Touma. "Someday, forgive me?" He knew Shu couldn't hear him, he kissed him gently and couldn't stop himself from holding him for a minute, he buried his face into his neck. He was scared of what he was doing.
But to save them? That would be worth it. Shu had his family to go back to, his future as the head of his family. Seiji was also going to take over as head of the Date clan, Shin would be head of the Mouri clan, Ryo always would put himself in harms way for them. It was time for Ryo to be saved instead of always saving and sacrificing himself. He finally pulled back letting Shu go, "I really, really liked you Shu." Touma let him go and activated his armor.
"To.. Touma?"
The archer looked back and saw Ryo, struggling to wake up. "Ryo." He walked over and kneeled down beside his friend, who wore only their new sub gear.
"Why?" Ryo grabbed Touma's hand, he was so confused.
"Because, Shin, Seiji, and Shu are needed by their families. Because, I can't let you give yourself up for me, or any of us again. Because I never knew real friendship or love until I found you guys. You're my family, so I'm going to keep you safe. I'm sorry Ryo." Touma pulled his hand back and as hard as he could whacked Ryo on the head knocking him out.
He stood up and he left.
Touma found himself standing in a rather ornate looking room, he had been escorted to a single building and lead inside.
"Remove the armor please, all of it. You won't be needing it." Kaoru wasn't facing him, he was looking into a strange glowing ball that hovered in the middle of the room. He waited for a few moments and turned around to face the Trooper in question. "Touma." He smiled as Touma walked over to him, wearing only his normal clothes.
"What now?" Touma sounded exhausted, not defeated, just tired. He watched as Kaoru waved a small box over to them, it hovered in the air beside them.
"Personal items in the box please. Including your armor."
Into the box went his armor, wallet, and rather reluctantly - the 100 days couple ring he had. Shu had it's twin. They had been a typical couple in some ways. They never wore the rings, just carried them. "They'll be safe, you won't hurt them?"
"Your friends will wake up back in your world, safe and alive. I do keep my promises." Kaoru shut the box and had it float away. "You, on the other hand." He reached out and placed his hands on either side of Touma's forehead, his thumbs gently rubbed small circles on his temples. "Won't remember any of this. Killing you would be too easy."
Now he was confused, "What?" Touma found himself unable to move.
"This is for my amusement remember? What fun would it be to kill you? Your friends would mourn you and move on, carry your dead body away and visit your grave." He smiled at him. "No Touma, you'll live. Not that your friends will know. What should I take from you? Your name, your memories, Leave you with enough to survive and live. I'll leave the emotional attachments you have to your memories, but take the memories." Kaoru leaned in close to him, "Five years Touma. I'll take five years of your life away from you. Just enough to give you a life where you are not you. Just enough to change you and your entire life. Then I will take you back and return you to your life, memories and all. I'll leave you somewhere, they can't find you." He watched the look of horror on Touma's face.
"Why?" Touma was realizing what was going to happen to him.
"You understand now? Just enough time for them to give up, not enough time for you to be declared dead. Enough time for your lover to move on, and you'll come back after five years, still feeling everything you feel now. What will you find when you return? What pain and heartbreak will you endure? You are what? 19 now? You'll be what around 23 or 24? Enough years to ruin the life you had planned, enough years to remove you from his heart? Will you return to see the one you love.. oh."
Touma had closed his eyes, he thought, he thought he was dying for them. He didn't regret his choice, but he feared this. He feared the unknown coming to him. He feared what he knew would happen. He'd come back, remember and feel everything. He'd look into the eyes of his friends, and know how much he lost and wasn't there for. "Just..get this over with."
"Did you ever tell him you dreamed of his hand in yours? Even though you knew, you couldn't have that." Kaoru watched tears form and fall, watched the trooper open his eyes and glare at him. "Too bad you won't remember this conversation. I'll see you in five years Touma." He pulled his hands away from Touma's head and snapped his fingers.
Touma's world went black as he collapsed to the floor.
He didn't know, that image, of Touma falling to the floor where he lay motionless but breathing, would be given to his friends. Encased in a small crystal ball. For them to watch and dwell over the final fate of their friend.
But Kaoru kept his word, his army went to Kayura, the Troopers awoke in a forest outside Nasuti's home. Minus one. And he? Kaoru vanished with Touma.
Ryo held that crystal ball in his hands, unable to stop the tears. Shin was slumped up against a tree his head in his hands, hiccupping through his own heavy sobs. Seiji had dropped his sword to stop himself from lashing out in sheer anger, instead he stood there, eyes closed unable to speak. But also unable to stop his own tears.
Shu, however had stormed off after actually punching a tree so hard it splintered and broke. "Damn you, Touma." He tried to wipe his tears away, only to find more. He broke down in tears, disengaging his armor completely, pulling out the twin to a ring Touma had. "I miss you." He sobbed clutching it in his hands, mourning his loss. He understood one thing, his heart was broken.
Again and again, Ryo watched. He watched Touma's eyes close and his body fall. He watched him breathe. Touma was alive, somehow he was still alive. He was taken from them, but he was alive.