Was going to be longer, but I got lazy and decided to cut it off a little early. I'll pick up again on the next chapter.
Sesshy's Goth – Wow, I just posted the last chapter and you instantly wanted an update. I can only write so fast, lol.
ChibiKitsune – Heehee, it was cute. Poor oblivious Amou-chan doesn't know why they don't like each other.
Chapter 4: Jealousy
Amou's eyes were blinded by tears as he ran down the alleyway. He didn't know where he was headed; all he wanted was to get away from being forced into a decision so soon. There was just no way he'd be able to choose like that in an instant, and he didn't want to have to choose. Tsukasa loved both of them and didn't want to end up hurting either.
Not watching where he was going, he slammed into something solid, falling back onto the ground. He looked up to see a man standing over him with black hair brushing slightly over his eyes. A cigarette was clamped in his teeth, and he removed it, blowing out the smoke and regarding the young boy in front of him.
"You really shouldn't run off on your own. It's dangerous." He gave a sadistic grin and Amou saw the air ripple around the man's fist.
'A psychic!' he thought in panic, but couldn't fully get up before the blast slammed him back into the rough brick wall. Amou crumpled at the base, his body aching from the shock of the impact. He didn't get much chance to move before he was lifted off his feet by his throat and held against the wall.
"You don't look like anything special," the psychic stated, looking Amou over critically. "Really, I don't know why Lafayel didn't just deal with you himself."
Something about that name rang a bell in Amou's head, but he couldn't figure out how he had recognized it. Tsukasa doubled over as the stranger rammed his fist into his gut while still holding him against the wall. Again and again the fist connected, and Amou could taste blood as he pleaded for the man to stop.
Meanwhile, Tomonori was following as closely behind Gabriel as he could. His stomach lurched and he hoped that Tsukasa was alright. Quite suddenly, Gabriel stopped. Tomonori ran past him only to crash into some sort of invisible wall. He fell backwards, feeling his broken glasses with a sigh. They always shattered so easily.
"A psychic," remarked Gabriel, feeling the wall. He placed his palms against the invisible surface and closed his eyes. A soft glowing emanated from his hands, and Tomonori could see splintering cracks forming and streaking up the barrier. There was a soft tinkling sound as it shattered, falling into a million sparkling pieces before fading away. Gabriel didn't hesitate and continued to run down the alley. Tomonori stood up and pocketed his glasses, following once again.
The figure paused as he felt the outer wall shatter. "I guess I better finish this up quickly then." He hauled Amou farther up the wall by his neck, drawing his fist back and preparing to connect it with the boy's fragile face. He froze when he saw the change that had come over Amou. The blonde's eyes were now powerful and hard, and large white wings sprouted out from either side of his head. The psychic regained his composure and grinned. "So this is your ERASER form, eh?"
Amou said nothing and instead brought his hand up to place on the attacker's chest. The psychic screamed as an unbearable burning sensation coursed through every nerve in his body, and he released Amou, falling away. He could still feel the place where Tsukasa's hand had inflicted the damage, and it felt like it was burned into his skin. The once helpless boy stepped over him, now donning flowing white robes. His hand moved in front of him and began to glow eerily. The psychic's pupils constricted, he didn't think he'd be able to teleport away fast enough to evade the attack.
At that moment, Gabriel and Tomonori came running around the corner.
"Tsukasa!" Tomonori yelled out, surprised at the change that had come over the blonde.
Amou paused and looked behind him, distracted. The dark-haired psychic wasted no time teleporting and making his escape from the would-be fatal attack. Amou turned back to where he had been to only find empty ground. The glowing in his hand faded.
"Israfel, are you alright?" Gabriel wrapped his arms around the ERASER, stroking his hair and examining for any signs of injury.
Tomonori watched the two. He had seen Tsukasa in this form before, but something was different. Before, it was like he was just dressing up and playing the part, but now Tomonori could clearly see that this was who Tsukasa was. He displayed a greater confidence and comfort in this body now. If Tsukasa had suffered any wounds, they were healed now, and he thanked Gabriel for his concern before turning to the priest.
As Amou's eyes met his own, Tomonori could not help but feel that he was looking at a complete stranger. These weren't the eyes of a child. He felt slightly out-of-place when Tsukasa approached him.
"Tomonori-san, your glasses. Are you okay?"
It was strange hearing Tsukasa's voice coming out of such a being, but Tomonori was grateful for it. He pulled the ERASER towards him into a hug.
"I'm fine. Don't run off like that again, I was so worried."
"I'm sorry, Tomonori-san," the angel replied, wrapping his arms around him and hugging the priest tightly. He looked back at Gabriel. "Would he be able to come back home with us, Tomonori-san?"
"Whatever makes you happy," responded the priest, though he knew that it wouldn't make himself all that happy. He could do it for Tsukasa, though.
Amou smiled and it was one of the most gorgeous things Tomonori had ever seen. The ERASER stepped away and took Gabriel's hands.
"Please come back with us and then we can talk and figure things out. It's too much too soon; I just need some time to think things through."
"Very well, Israfel." Gabriel placed a chaste kiss on his forehead. "Lead the way, and I will follow."
Amou smiled and took both their hands, heading back towards the church. For the moment, he felt like he was able to grasp the best of both worlds at the same time.
- - -
"That bastard." Mizunagi snarled, examining the scorched handprint on his chest.
"You went through all that effort and you couldn't even kill him?"
"Shut up. I wasn't about to stick around outnumbered with his hand glowing the way it was. Now thanks to him, I have this goddamn mark on me." He scraped at the print, but the skin was so badly singed that it would not come off. "Next time, you take care of your own crap, Lafayel."
The dark-winged boy leapt down from the place where he was sitting to land next to the irritable psychic. "It was your choice. I told you that you should be cautious."
"You didn't tell me he was so strong!"
"Tch. You had no problem beating him up in his human state."
"Yes, and then he took on his true form and—"
"You got your ass kicked." Lafayel turned away and looked up at the bright stars. "Never mind, if you can't handle that pitiful ERASER, then I'll just have to do it myself."
"You should've done that before volunteering me," grumbled Mizunagi.
Lafayel turned his piercing eyes back towards the dark-haired man and a slight wind ruffled the boy's blonde hair. "You wanted to fight. It's been a while since you've had the opportunity. Remember that you were more than willing to do it."
"Yeah, but with the way you talked about him I thought he was completely weak and helpless." Mizunagi took a drag of his cigarette, exhaling it gradually and willing himself to relax.
"His soul is weak, and if you can't crush it correctly than I will. In fact, I think I'd rather like to do it myself anyway."
"You jerk. You sent me in there knowing I would loose. You were just using me to test the waters."
Lafayel turned and sadistically smirked at his colleague. "Think whatever you wish. Either way, that bitch is going to fall. I won't rest until he does." The dark-winged ERASER curled his lip and watched the city below him from the roof.
- - -
Amou sat with Gabriel on the couch while Tomonori went to get them something to drink. It was strange having him there in the house where he grew up after loosing his memory, but Amou was glad he had come. If only Gabriel and Tomonori could get along. Tomonori certainly was a gracious host as he came back with the drinks, but he still came off rather cold and distant with Gabriel. The long-haired ERASER was much the same way, and appeared disinterested with the entire ordeal, except when Tsukasa was speaking to him.
Tsukasa was upset that the two most important people in his life seemed to be predisposed to hate each other. When Gabriel took his hand, Tomonori shot him such a dirty look that Amou was in shock for a few moments. He hesitantly removed his hand from Gabriel's, which only proved to transfer the look from the priest to the blonde.
"Can you at least try to get along?" he finally asked, when the tension had become too much. "You haven't known each other for long and already you two have decided to not like the other. Please, at least give yourselves a chance."
Tomonori sighed and looked up at Tsukasa, who once again looked like a child. He didn't want to give Gabriel a chance, because that person threatened to take away the only family the priest felt he ever really had. He also felt jealousy surge in him with the way he saw the ERASER watching his Tsukasa. Amou would also return a similar look to the blonde, making Tomonori feel worse.
It was his own fault. Several times, Tsukasa had pleaded with the priest to express his love for him, and each time Tomonori only denied it and sent the boy away. There was no reason to feel jealous now that Amou had found someone. But he did. Now, at the prospect of loosing Tsukasa forever, Tomonori found he could not let go.
He knew he loved Amou, but he had restrained himself because it was seen as wrong. He was a priest and Tsukasa was just a boy. It had all been an excuse because he was afraid. Tomonori was scared of tainting such purity, and the possible treatment Amou could possibly face if anyone found out about the socially forbidden relationship. Why did he turn away someone so important to him? Now he was paying the price. Even still, Tomonori was not going to give up fighting. He would not loose Amou so easily.
"How long do you plan to stay? It is getting late and Tsukasa has school tomorrow." He remarked, hinting politely for Gabriel to leave.
"I'll leave whenever Israfel is ready," the ERASER said coolly, retaking Amou's hand.
"You are not taking him anywhere. He has school."
"And just what can this 'school' teach him? All the important lessons in life are learned through experience, not classes. Trivial facts are useless in the real world during this time of fighting. Your opponent doesn't care whether you can list off the six largest countries in alphabetical order."
"Tsukasa has school," Tomonori insisted firmly, ignoring what Gabriel said.
Amou looked down at his hands and sighed. They were fighting again, and running away once more wasn't going to stop it. "Gabriel," he said softly, trying to think of a way to mediate the fight so that it was fair for the both of them. "I have to go to school tomorrow, I'm registered for the remainder of the year. Besides…I like my studies." Tomonori gave a triumphant look. "But I want to spend time with you again, so tomorrow after school I'll go with you wherever you wish."
Tomonori instantly began to protest, unhappy that Tsukasa was once again thinking of going out after dark again, despite what had happened less than an hour ago.
Gabriel raised his hand to cut him off. "There is no way I would let any harm come to Israfel while I'm there. Very well, my love, I shall come by tomorrow night to collect you." The tall man stood and bent down to give Amou a small kiss. Tsukasa leaned up towards him, hesitant to break away, but did when he saw Tomonori watching with a scowl.
"Okay," he said softly, smiling. "I'll see you then."
Tomonori watched as Amou walked Gabriel to the door, and more whispers and brief kisses were exchanged at the threshold before Gabriel walked off into the night. Tsukasa walked back with his cheeks slightly flushed and smiled at his guardian.
"I'm going to bed. You should get some sleep too, you look exhausted."
Tomonori nodded, not feeling tired at all despite the previous night. He wanted to bring Tsukasa into his arms and hold him for all eternity, so he would never have to let go. But Tsukasa was gone down the hall and into his room. The priest sighed and gathered up the beverage glasses. Heading to his own room, Tomonori paused at the Amou's open door and watched the boy sleeping soundly in his bed.
"I love you," he whispered to the sleeping form, walking over and brushing a light kiss on Amou's head. With that, he left for his own room, quietly shutting the door behind him.
Author's note:
For the purpose of this fic, I'm going to say Tsukasa's first encounter with Lafayel (vol. 1-2) did not happen.
