Chapter Nineteen
K-chan stepped from the theater, arm intertwined in Fuyu's "It's raining," K-chan said this with a smile and quickly stepped into the downpour "Let's go for a walk,"
Fuyu laughed at how spontaneous the girl was "Alright,"
K-chan was off before he agreed and Fuyu had to go into a jog just to catch up to her. She kept her face to the rain, allowing it to soak her face and neck. Her arms swung slightly, soaked as well, the droplets of rain sliding from the slick surface of her windbreaker. Her dark brown hair was plastered to her back and forehead and her camouflage pants where weighed down by the abundance of moisture in the air.
"Kyuusei," Fuyu spoke in an attempt to slow her down, taking her by the arm and pulling her so that her back was pressed against his body.
K-chan laughed and stopped, running her fingers over the leather of his gloves and the sleeves of his jacket "Let me go," she said playfully batting at his arm.
"Promise to walk at a normal pace?" Fuyu asked with a teasing smile.
"Possibly," K-chan gave crossed her arms and made herself look as though she were considering it seriously.
Fuyu released his arms from around here.
"Whew-hoo!" K-chan was off "Sucker!"
Fuyu laughed "Hey!" He ran after her weaving through the crowd of people as she had and down the sidewalk. At last she came to a stop in an alleyway. The alleyway was void of people but surprisingly broad, illuminated by the lamp light. Fuyu stepped onto the old-fashioned coble stone where K-chan was leaning against the bricks of one of the buildings that made up the passage "Finally," Fuyu leaned against the wall beside her "I do hope you're done,"
K-chan sighed and looked to the sky once more. The rain was falling harder than ever "Yes," extending her arms K-chan slid down the wall and into a sitting position. Fuyu followed her "Fuyu?" K-chan pulled her knees close to her chest.
"Hm?" Fuyu looked to the brunette, bending his knees a little so that he could fully lean against the wall.
"What's your relationship to Aki?" K-chan asked "I mean is he you're brother...a friend?..."
Fuyu paused a moment in thought "I suppose you could say he is my brother,"
K-chan nodded "Okay a little excess sibling rivalry going on then,"
"Huh?"
"That little Aki gets acquainted with the wall scene back at the antique shop,"
"Oh," Fuyu smiled weakly "Yeah...we...don't get along so wonderfully...in fact I don't believe we've ever really gotten along..."
K-chan moved tilted her head to the side resting it on her own shoulder. She would ask why they didn't get along but that would just be rude.
"Long story,"
"Huh?"
"I know that's what you're wondering and I'm not going to tell you,"
K-chan chewed on the side of her mouth in frustration. This amused Fuyu and gently he rested a hand on K-chan's shoulder then removing to beside her hand "I'm sorry if I said I shouldn't have that day when you drove me to school,"
"It's alright," Fuyu rested his hand on hers "I'm not going to explain that either though,"
K-chan repeated her earlier action.
"Neither will Aki,"
"But,"
Fuyu looked at her, studying her features seriously "Is that the only reason you wanted to come with me tonight?"
"No!" K-chan straightened "I won't say I wasn't curious but-"
Fuyu began to stand.
"Fuyu! If you must know I...don't really know..." K-chan was standing as well and Fuyu who had been walking had stopped "From what I've seen of you I just thought you were kind of sweet...save a few choice moments around Aki...and very attractive,"
Fuyu looked genuinely surprised "Really?"
"Yeah," K-chan had used up all of her courage in that sentence but shrugging it off approached Fuyu nervously.
Fuyu froze his entire body tensing as he looked at her. There was a kind of hidden longing in his eyes as she looked back. He couldn't stand it any longer. Quickly he pulled away "Kyuusei please leave,"
"But," K-chan reached toward his cheek only to be thrown backwards before she touched his skin. K-chan's head struck against the opposite wall and she slipped into unconsciousness.
Fuyu felt his chest tighten and closing his eyes leaned to the wall and slid to the ground powerlessly.
"You knew it would happen," Aki stood siluetted against the distant streetlights, his hand still raised. Fuyu said nothing and instead suppressed a sob, allowing his head to loll to the side.
Aki walked toward K-chan, stopping to check her pulse and then nodding propped against the wall "Fuyu?" Aki approached the young man next. His voice changed to concern "Are you alright," Fuyu began to cry now, his tears vanishing in the rain and his shoulders shaking violently "Great," Aki muttered kneeling and pulling Fuyu's trench coat aside. Palm extended Aki pressed his hand against Fuyu's chest. Fuyu's back went into an arch and a blinding bluish light coursed into Aki's hand, traveling through his arm and then body. Fuyu's sobbing ceased and Aki let out a sharp cry. His eyes filled with tears and he tightened his down on Aki's shirt. The light at ast ended and a much dimmer and smaller light coursed from Aki and with the last of his strength he pushed himself from Fuyu and collapsed to the ground.
"Uh," Fuyu opened his eyes as the dim glow of different oranges and reds vanished from his body "Aki," his voice was angered as he saw the teen unconscious on the stone...and then..."K-chan?!" Quickly he rushed to her side and with a sigh of relief realized she was all right although a bit of blood stained the wall and cobblestone around her.
"Way to go,"
Fuyu looked up to see a woman. Her hair was a bright red and her eyes green. Her lips were full and her lashes long. She wore a dress of red silk that was dry despite the rain. An embroidered shawl was draped over her shoulders and soft shoes of the same red silk covered her feet.
"I believe I warned you of this," the woman said, her voice like sweet honey but her expression firm.
"How long have you been here?" Fuyu looked almost frightened, still kneeling on the ground.
"Long enough...as soon as you reached this place...We followed Aki," the woman looked to the young man lying on the ground "I'll take K-chan back to the store. Take your brother home," and then she was gone and K-chan as well.
Fuyu stared for a moment and then stood walking to Aki "You idiot," he sighed gathering the teen in his arms and then looking from left to right phased away.
"Bad form Fuyu," Akushou stood in the center of the large, dome shaped black room as Fuyu suddenly appeared.
"Lord-I-"
Akushou smiled "It's alright...I trust you have learned your lesson Fuyu?..."
Fuyu lowered his eyes and nodded.
Akushou nodded as well and then phased from the room.
Fuyu stood for a moment longer then looked quickly at Aki who was still unconscious in his arms. Sighing he walked towards one of the walls. An arch formed, pillars of a blackish stone formed, carvings of demon like beings etched in the side. Fuyu's eyes flashed and the doors flew open. He stepped inside the doors closing behind him. The room was fairly large nothing really defining about it. An elegant four-poster bed was in one of the far corners, the posts looked as though they were ebony looked as though it had melted into the ceiling, the two combined as though another elaborate sculpture. A table sat in the far corner, dark in color as well, several chairs scattered around it. That was all in the room save several oil lamps that lit the room, suspended in mid air. Fuyu laid Aki carelessly on the bed "Idiot," he repeated under his breath "Ugh," he pulled away from the bed and took a step towards the double doors.
Aki let out a sharp cry and jerked violently.
"Aki?!" Fuyu turned quickly to the bed and seeing Aki's chest rise and fall let out a sigh of relief. With another quick glance he looked back to the door. Fuyu sighed again, this time in annoyance, and turning to the other wall crossed the room "I hope you're happy," he said dragging one of the chairs across the room and addressing Aki even though he knew he couldn't hear him "I'm not going to get any sleep because of your sorry ass," Fuyu sat, crossing his arms and glancing threateningly at Aki with every other word. Aki moaned again and Fuyu's hard stare softened and became shadowed with concern "You better not have killed yourself,"
Zel let out a breath as he opened his eyes "What?" he looked around, he was lying in his bed and looking to the window he realized it was still night. What had happened? Zel tried to remember. The last thing he could recall was standing on the bridge with Lina and then...Zelgadiss sat up with a start. What had he seen?! He had seen himself but not as he was now and not where he was now. He hadn't seen much...he remembered seeing a glimpse of Lina and someone else...
"Zel?" Rezo opened the door a bit and looked in "Oh your awake," smiling slightly he switched on the light and then seeing Zel-"Are you all right?"
Zel placed a hand to his chest as if in a futile attempt to slow the pace of his heart "Yeah...I'm fine..." Zel put a hand to his brow and closed his eyes.
Rezo looked skeptical.
This was not going well. Zel looked to Rezo through one open eye, still cradling his head in his hands "Really," Zel made a quick motion with his hand "Go shoo...if it's as late as I think it is I need to get to sleep..."
"Oh you're not going to school tomorrow,"
"WHAT?!" Zel had to talk to Lina.
"Oh yeah-I just passed out on a bridge for no apparent reason. I want to go to school right away so K-chan can brutally tackle me," Rezo mocked his voice deadpan and then added-"Thank God it was Lina on the bridge and not...her..."
Zelgadiss was about to object when a wave of dizziness overcame him and he was forced to lye back down on the pillows.
"See," Rezo smiled triumphantly and switched the light back off, closing the door "Good night,"
"'Night," Zel muttered angrily and looking from his current apparel of street clothes and then to the drawr gave it up. Zelgadiss closed his eyes and then thought again to his "dream". What...who...had he seen. He could have sworn he had seen Rezo.
"If you so much as move during the night I'm throwing you out on the street," Zelas pointed at the sleeping form of K-chan on the antique daybed out in the main room of the store. K-chan moaned and rolled over in her sleep "Yeah that's what I thought," Zelas pulled down the sleeves of her intriqet woven, silken, night gown and crossed the distance from the hall to her bedroom. Yawning she pushed open her door and entered only to once more see..."Akushou,"
"What do you want?" He sat at the end of her bed, his head bowed and shoulders hunched.
"What do you mean?" Zelas demanded "I never-"
"You called me here Zelas," his voice sounded surprisingly weak.
Zelas realized what he meant. She had called him...though by accident...she hadn't stopped thinking about him since he had left her room the last time. Actually she hadn't stopped thinking about him since...
"What do you want?!"
"I didn't mean to..." Zelas moved foreword her white gown billowing behind her.
Akushou looked to her and suddenly Zelas felt her heart move to her throat as she remembered...everything..."Akushou...I..."
Aku looked away.
Zelas took a sharp breath in as she saw her necklace. Hurriedly she stuffed it into her neckline "Aku I'm so sorry, I never meant to-"
Akushou stood angered "You knew what you were doing! You can't convince me otherwise! You can't even convince yourself,"
"You're right," Zelas admitted "But I never wanted to,"
Akushou was even angrier "But you did!"
"But-"
"-but you could have stopped yourself,"
Zelas turned on him now "You would rather me be-"
Akushou looked away once more.
"Gods I hate you!" she pushed Aku with a burst of force into the wall "Do you know how rarely I show kindness to-"
Akushou had slid to the ground, his knees drawn up and his head bowed. He was frightened...by her words...but not because of their meaning or that she was saying now. He remembered as well. Zelas felt a rush of guilt "Akushou I'm so sorry," she stepped forward, afraid to touch him.
Akushou bowed his head further, burying his face in his arms.
"Akushou," she cautiously reached for him.
"I've got to leave," Aku swept past her and then was gone.
Again.
Zelas watched Aku vanish and then felt her own salty tears pour onto her cheeks. It had been so long since she had cried though she remembered the last time clearly. Still sobbing she fell to her bed, tears now spilling onto the pillows and her silken sheets twisting around her body as she struggled to overcome her sobbing...until at last she cried herself to a restless sleep...
Um who votes I change the secondary genre from comedy to drama because there hasn't been anything really comical since the first chapter...well...anyway. I'm sorry it took me so long to get this chapter out. I've been REALLY busy and I've had buy-back(it's an after school program where I live that you have to attend if you miss more than four days of school...unfortunately for me I was so unlucky to miss five...I now have to attend buy-back for three days from three-thirty to five-fifteen) that and I have a few projects coming up. Well the next chapter should be the one I've promised. It'll be a bit long...and...er it might take a while. I'll try to get it out as soon as possible. Please R&R!
