Long time no see! I was stuck with a depressing writer's block (as I am always, as soon as I finish writing a chapter..so sad) If anyone has ANY tips on how to escape writer's block PLEASE tell me! :D
"Alright. Stop it" Miyagi was staring at himself in the bathroom mirror, his brows furrowed in intense concentration.
"You're not a whimp. You're not some love-sick school-girl. You are a man," Miyagi tried maintaining a serious expression.
His tightly-shut lips quivered as he stared at himself. He saw the true image of himself: a man so desperately in love, with another man, who he could never have. Shaking his head, Miyagi washed his face, and shut the door behind him.
Walking into his kitchen, Miyagi saw that Hiroki and Nowaki had long left. He had spent a while trying to calm down. He didn't know that he could get that emotional. And over a man at that.
"They left," Shinobu said coolly, leaning against the doorframe.
"Huh?" Miyagi spun around, grabbing his heart in exaggeration. "You scared the crap out of me,"
"Haha," Shinobu mumbled.
Shinobu gasped quietly, seeing Miyagi's red-ribbed eyes. The black-haired man turned away, quickly, setting to washing the dishes.
"Miyagi..." Shinobu mumbled, his hands fidgeting.
Miyagi furrowed his brows, trying to ignore the slight sting in his eyes. Shinobu made his way to the table, sitting down. He stared at the back of Miyagi's bowed head.
Shinobu stared at the elder, trying to figure out the source of the other's strange tension.
"Miyagi, is everything okay? You seem kinda...down," Shinobu said quietly with caution.
With the peculiar strain in the air, Shinobu felt as if was stepping around mines.
Miyagi shook his head, shutting his eyes, "Don't mind me, Shinobu. I'm just feeling a bit under the weather."
"You were fine earlier," Shinobu mumbled, his cheeks flushing.
"I'm fine. Don't worry about it," Miyagi said slowly.
"Are you sure? If you're upset-," Shinobu tried again.
"Shinobu," Miyagi barked, snapping around, "I'm fine. Stop being so nosy,"
The honey-haired boy sunk in his seat, "Sorry."
Miyagi ran his fingers through his black hair, sighing in agitation.
"Sorry," Miyagi grumbled, taking a seat across from his brother-in-law.
He hung his head, gritting his teeth. Miyagi didn't want to seem like even more of a dick than he already did. This was his brother-in-law for heaven's sake.
"I-It's alright. I just care," Shinobu blushed furiously, "that's why I asked."
The silence was incredibly awkward. Shinobu felt terrible that talking to his love was so difficult.
'If we can't start a normal conversation, how are we supposed to start a relationship?'
The two men snapped their heads to the entrance as they head the tapping of nails on wood. Risako stood in the doorway, staring coldly at the pair.
"Morning. Did you wake up a long time ago?" Miyagi inquired without much interest.
"Just now," Risako said, surveying the mood in the room.
Shinobu narrowed his eyes. Risako's eyes were rimmed red and bloodshot.
"You have allergies or something?" he mumbled.
'It's so embarrassing to talk to her. I feel like I'm putting myself down each time I do. She looks at me as though I am nothing,' Shinobu swallowed thickly at his own admission.
All he really wanted was to be closer to his family, but he didn't know how to fit in.
"N-no...it's nothing like that," Risako said, a slight blush forming on her pale skin.
"If you don't wanna say it then don't," Miyagi shot coldly, "don't play hard to get. It's annoying."
Risako scrunched her face, willing herself not to cry from the bitter remark. She quickly straightened out, regaining the cool gaze, grabbing a bowl, and pouring soup into it. The woman took a seat across from her brother.
"How'd you sleep?" Shinobu inquired carefully, fearing rejection.
'Why the fuck would you care?' Risako thought angrily, but she knew better. 'As long as Miyagi's in good disposition with this slut, I have to be nice to him,'
"Fine...thanks," Risako averted her eyes from her brother.
'Oh god...is this the price to pay for keeping Miyagi from despising me? Oh...that's right...'
"Miyagi..." Risako turned towards her husband.
"Yea?" Miyagi's voice was tired.
"Where is Kamijou-san and Kusama-san?"
Shinobu noted the sudden shift in the already awkward atmosphere. Miyagi was way on edge. Just by the mention of their two mysterious guests, Miyagi's mood jumped from irritated to strangely anxious.
"They already had lunch. I think they're in their room," Miyagi cleared his throat.
'Act normal,' he chanted to himself. 'My heart races at the mere mention of his name. I can't do anything with myself. Even though I have him now, the fear hadn't gone away. I feel him slipping away from me, before I could even truly posses him.'
"So when are they leaving? We all have work on Monday," as Risako said this, she kept a keen eye on Shinobu, who visibly shrunk back in his seat.
Miyagi turned to face his wife, "I told you, he's staying here. For a while," Miyagi noticed Shinobu's worried face, "so is Shinobu."
"And by he, you mean Kamijou, don't you?"
"Didn't we already talk about this yesterday? I have no desire to continue the argument."
Risako pursed her lips. She couldn't take the lies. She couldn't take the betrayal. The woman slammed her palm on the table, "Damn it Miyagi! Stop it!"
"Stop what?" Miyagi asked indifferently.
"This charade! I fucking know, okay?" Risako stared at her husband with animosity.
"You do? Everything?" Miyagi cocked an eyebrow in mild interest.
"You're amused?" Risako's voice was breathy with disbelief.
She shook her head, getting up, leaving her untouched soup. The brunette walked briskly past her husband, glaring at him, down the hall, and into the bathroom.
'Have fun," Miyagi thought, 'I've already visited.'
"Miyagi...do you maybe...want to talk?" Shinobu's voice was tiny.
Miyagi turned to glare at Shinobu in a state of angry bewilderment and disbelief.
"Does it look like I want to talk, Shinobu?!"
"I'm a good listener," the teenager tried again, flushing with shame.
"I don't need you! I need-" Miyagi's voice was shrill, his eyes stinging with oncoming tears.
The honey-haired boy gasped at the sharp words, staring at his clasped hands, thumbs nervously rubbing over one another.
"You don't get it!" Miyagi clutched his hair, shutting his eyes as a few tears escaped.
"What's wrong?" Shinobu whimpered.
"You don't know how it feels to see the one you love loving someone else," Miyagi seethed, trying not to sob.
'What the hell is wrong with me? Breaking down like that...that's not like me.'
Miyagi stared at Shinobu, grey fixed on midnight-blue. Miyagi couldn't take the emotions boiling up inside of him. As if on fire, he bolted out of the room, leaving a saddened boy behind.
"So I take it we're not," Nowaki kissed his lover mid-sentence, quirking an eyebrow, "fighting anymore?"
"Nu-uh," Hiroki murmured into Nowaki's mouth, sharing a bunch of short kisses.
"Oh, well then, I guess I can do this then?" Nowaki playfully pinched Hiroki's ass cheek through his pants.
The brunet squealed, his cheeks reddening automatically.
"Nowak-" his mouth was captured by the giant's lips.
The two explored each other's mouths, sitting on the plush double bed, fingers intertwined. Nowaki didn't push further. He wanted to just simply enjoy his lover's warmth and the mutual air of forgiveness that hung around them.
"I love you, Hiro-san. I don't want you to be mad at me. Please. I'm sorry I lashed out at you like that...I was being stupidly jealous..." Nowaki blushed.
"It's fine...I guess I'm no better..." there was that awkward atmosphere again, so Hiroki quickly added, "but it doesn't matter. You know why?" Hiroki smiled
"Why?" Nowaki asked, his blue eyes sparkling with happiness.
"Because now we found each other. And we're together. The details are trivial," Hiroki was smiling, blissful that he and Nowaki got over the massive blowout.
"Listen Hiro-san...what I said was selfish. Your safety comes first in my life. And...you were right to try and find help. If that ever happens again, please save yourself. Don't think of me," Nowaki said seriously, pursing his lips.
He received a smack in the head, "Way to ruin the moment, doofus!"
"I mean it Hiro-"
"I know. And you come first in my life too...forever and always," Hiroki spoke softly, "I'd sacrifice anything just so you could be happy."
Hiroki leaned in, placing a kiss on Nowaki's cheek. He felt tears stinging in his eyes, his mind flashing back to the man who made him give up everything just so he didn't touch Nowaki, and his little episode with Miyagi.
"Hiro-san, are you alright?" the younger man asked.
"Nowaki...I-"
There was the muffled sound of a doorbell, the shuffling of feet, and then a loud thud. Nowaki and Hiroki froze, listening intently to the mumble of voices in the hallway.
Suddenly, Shinobu burst into the room, "Nowaki..."
The tall youth cocked his head to the side, and then his eyebrows flew up in realization.
Hiroki stared at Nowaki, terrified of what was going on.
"Hiro-san...they're here. T-They came to take me away," Nowaki mumbled, his lips trembling.
"What?" Hiroki shook his head, "Who?"
"The guards," Nowaki was already standing up, his face expressionless.
"No..." the elder mumbled, shooting up to his feet.
His knees felt weak, his throat closed up. Hiroki gaped at Nowaki who stared at him with equal shock and fear.
"We'll be back there...with the guards, the slaves, him...I can't...oh god no please Nowaki! Let's run away, let's do something! Don't just stand there!" Hiroki cried hysterically.
"Hiro-san... let's just go out there and see what's going on?" Nowaki suggested, his voice rigid, his whole body tense.
The pair moved stiffly out of the bedroom, into the living room.
Risako stood to the side, with a confused and slightly frightened expression on her youthful face. Miyagi stood next to her, anxiously staring at the strangers who came into their home. Shinobu stood next to Nowaki and Hiroki.
Two well-built men were there, one of them holding a rope in his hands.
"That's the one," said the shorter one, pointing his thick finger at Nowaki.
"What the hell is going on here?" demanded an increasingly angry Risako.
"This man is the property of Usami Akihiko. He needs to be taken away immediately, as the master had requested," the other said sternly, challenging the woman's glare.
Hiroki was lost. This was unreal. He was dreaming. Any moment he would wake up next to Nowaki on Miyagi's bed. He and Nowaki had just found each other, and now his lover was being confiscated, back to the depths of hell. He stared dumbly at the two guards, who started bickering with Risako.
'Is she defending him? Why don't they want me? Why Nowaki? Why now?' Hiroki's mind was racing, his heart beating incredibly fast.
He snapped out of his trance when he heard Nowaki grunt. The two men had taken a hold of the giant, tying his hands quickly behind his back.
"Wait! Let him go! What about me?"
"Master didn't say anything about you, so you stay here. He only had orders for your boyfriend."
Nowaki felt numb. He was going back...without Hiroki.
"Hiro-san, I..." his voice broke, small hot tears pouring from his eyes, "I'm sorry." His voice was barely a whisper.
"No no no stop! You can't take him!" the lithe brunet shouted angrily, clinging to Nowaki's arms, refusing to let go off his lover.
One of the guards swung back, punching the smaller man in his nose.
"Agh!" Hiroki flung back, clutching at his face.
"Hiro-san!"
"Alright this is ridiculous! This man is not 'property'! Let go off him!" Miyagi had come out of his haze, now intimidating the guard.
The elder tried to pry Nowaki away, but it was no use. The men just shoved him off in the same fashion as they did the battered slave.
"Alright, enough of this show, lets go," one of them kicked the door open, shoving Nowaki out. With his arms tied, the tall man lost balance, falling onto the hallway floor.
"Ugh, really? Stupid slut," the taller guard said, kicking Nowaki.
Feeling the familiar feeling of bots on his ribs, Nowaki started to tremble. This was all too similar to the time in the club. The poor man continued shivering, being unable to stop small sobs that escaped him.
Hiroki watched sadly at his love. Why them? Why had this happened? Nowaki was pulled up, and dragged to the elevator, shoved inside, and that was it.
Hiroki stood, hand on his red, swollen nose. His mouth was dry, his heart almost stopping.
'I let him go. I could have stopped them, but I didn't...I'm so, so sorry Nowaki.'
Risako stood near the door way, with wide, shocked eyes. She never witnessed something like this. She fought for Nowaki all she could, but when the guards threatened to hurt her, she backed off. The woman observed from afar with guilt eating away at her. Miyagi was rubbing the back of his head, where he had hit the floor. Shinobu stood at the entrance to the living room, anxiously rubbing his hands together. It looked as if he was about to cry.
"Why hadn't he fought for himself? He's huge...he could have easily fought both of them. Why hadn't he?" Risako asked herself breathily.
The household was frozen with the aftermath of what they had just witnessed.
Was that okay? It's kind of rushed, but I had to write something or else I would go crazy...