Summury: Naoya Itsuki is not what he appears. He is a powerful pyschic. He is also involved in the frightening tournament known only as 'Chess'. His only guardiens are three other boys Mana and her friends don't know about. In fact, they don't know anything at all. But when Kaname is pulled into the tournament secrets can no longer be contained. The lines of loyalty, friendship, and love start to blear. Naoya's deadly secret is revealed. He is a Mind Breaker. Will contain yaoi.
Disclaimer: Juvenile Orion belongs to Sakurako Gokurakuin. The tournament and how it works belongs to Clamp. I own nothing in this story expect the idea of Grafters and the OCs. Please do not sue.
Black King
Chapter 4
Kaname blinked when he heard the doorbell ring. He shot a quick glance out the window and frowned at the night sky. Who would be visiting this late? He stood quickly and padded to the door. Opening it, he was surprised to see Itsuki standing before him.
The boy was wearing a baggy black hoodie and jeans. His hands were stuffed into his pockets and there was a sickening twist to his lips that Kaname couldn't quite call a smile. His eyes were dark and filled with remorse.
"Hey, Kaname." Itsuki whispered in a tone he didn't want to say sounded defeated but had no other word for. Kaname nodded slowly. "Hey. You, uh, want to come in?" he asked, stepping to the side.
Itsuki shook his head, his expression pained. "Actually, I was hoping we could talk." He turned slightly and requested. "Walked with me?"
Kaname nodded after a minute. "Yeah, sure. Just let me grab my shoes." He replied. Itsuki smiled faintly, sadly.
As the y walked, Naoya thought back to the night before:
The Night Before:
Naoya frowned as he watched the representative walk away. He looked at the other three boys with him. "What do you think?"
Li frowned in thought. "They're defiantly raising the stakes. The system of chess is based entirely on the connection between the mind breaker and the mind breaked. The collars we wear enhance our bond so our strength and speed are determined by the strength of our master's will. If our master is weak so are we.
However this technology isn't meant to be used between two people who do not share this connection. The collar can build it but the master has to sustain it. This will drain the master, making it harder to control the mind breaked 'pieces''.
There is also, of course, the matter of trust. The more the master trusts his team the stronger the connection and the less energy it will take to power it. We need someone we can trust."
Howl frowned, "But everyone we trust is here." He said. Lapuda stepped forward. "Not exactly." He turned and looked at Naoya. "There's your friend, Kaname-kun."
Naoya hadn't been able to get that conversation out of his head. He knew Lapuda was right. Kaname was his only choice. But he didn't want to drag Kaname into this. Into this dangerous, bloody tournament where he could so easily die.
He didn't want to break his heart when this ended.
Kaname stretched and looked at his friend. "Is everything okay, Itsuki?" he asked.
The boy stopped walking suddenly and turned so he was facing away from him. He wrapped his arms around himself protectively. "I need your help." He whispered.
Kaname stepped forward, closer. So close he could feel the heat radiating from his friend's body. "What's wrong? Are you in some kind of trouble, Itsuki?"
Itsuki bit his lip and seemed to shrink into himself. "I don't know how to tell you." He whispered. Kaname wasn't sure why but he raised his arms and wrapped them around Itsuki's shoulders. He felt him shiver as his breath ghosted across the brunette's ear. "Start at the beginning." He suggested.
Taking a deep breath, Itsuki nodded and whispered out his greatest secret, "I'm a mind breaker."
Kaname froze as his mind slowly processed those words. "That's not funny." He hissed. Itsuki replied in a calm, monotone voice. "I'm not laughing."
The darklore remained still for a long moment, during which Itsuki got tenser and tenser, before he nodded. "Alright, you're a mind breaker. Now what?"
Itsuki's breath came out in a rush and he nearly collapsed against Kaname's chest in relief. But he held onto what was left of his composure by his fingertips. Slowly he started to explain everything, gaining speed as he talked. "Lapuda and howl and a boy our age named Li and I, we're taking part in a tournament known as 'Chess'. It's dangerous, even lethal. We're good at the game…but now…."
Kaname frowned. "You want out?" he asked. When Itsuki shook his head rapidly Kaname's frown deepened. He was missing something here. Itsuki continued. "I want to win." He stated firmly. "The semi-finals are about to start though and there's been a change of rules. I need a new team member. Someone I haven't mind-breaked."
And just like that, everything made sense. Itsuki wanted him to join the tournament, wanted him to help him. "Itsuki…" he breathed. Itsuki turned in the embrace and looked up at him. His eyes were wide and glowed in the dim light of the moon. Kaname watched as the shadows danced across his friend's flawless skin, partly fascinated.
"I can't expect you to do this for me." He whispered, raising a hand to brush against the side of one of the hands holding him so close. Kaname was shocked to feel him trembling. "But I can't do this without you. You're the only one I can trust to do this."
Itsuki took one big step back, breaking the embrace. "Please," he begged. "Think about it." And with that, Itsuki walked away, his shoulders hunched, his head bowed, and his body tense.
The Next Day
Kaname looked up when Itsuki sat down beside him in school. The boy wasn't looking at him and was being unusually quiet. "Itsuki." He greeted.
The mind breaker turned his head away, a silent message that he didn't want to talk. Kaname sighed but gave Itsuki his space. As the day went on he found himself glancing over at his friend several times. Itsuki was always tense, always turned away from him, and always with his head bowed. Despite the fact that Kaname tired to speak to him over and over, Itsuki never said a word back.
After school ended, Naoya slowly climbed the stairs to the roof. He knew that's where Kaname was. He hadn't meant to avoid him as ha had but he knew it was for the best. When-if, he corrected, beating down the part of him that was convinced Kaname wouldn't deny him this- Kaname joined the tournament, he would need to be able to distance himself from his friend. Not being able to would spell disaster for them both.
Despite that, he had been hyper aware of Kaname all day.
He pushed open the door to the roof and entered calmly. Meeting Kaname's eyes, he smiled hesitantly. A silent message passed between their locked eyes.
"Forgive me?"
"Always."
Naoya smiled more confidently and walked towards his friend. Sliding down next to him he sighed and leaned his head against the railing behind him in contentment. With Mana around he had forgotten how it felt to merely sit in comforting companionship with Kaname. He had forgotten what it felt like to talk to his friend for hours and leave happy, even though neither of them would remember what they talked about.
Now, with Mana having gone home and left them alone for a while and his secrets out in the open, all the walls around them, between them, separating them, feel away. The deep friendship they had had before Mana had come and his secrets had started to pile on had finally reappeared. And until then, Naoya hadn't even realized there was a change.
But this wasn't the time for casual conversation.
"Listen, Kaname about the tournament," he said, shifting uncomfortably. "Just forget it. I'll find some-" Naoya stopped suddenly when Kaname finally spoke. "When's your next match?"
Naoya blinked and whispered, "Huh?" Kaname turned and smirked at him.
"You're not getting rid of me that easily. I'm in."
