All right, thanks for all the reviews, people! I'm working on Tai and Yama's meeting, but I want to make it special, so it'll take a little longer... so Shin gets to talk. Yup! That's right, Yama's half-brother gets his own chapter... about his past, and three of his best friends. By the way, Shin means truth, Ai means love, Nozomi means hope, and Anshin means peace. You'll see.
Oh, and special thanks to my best friend, Tenmei, who gave me the idea on how to end this with a slightly happy twist and without abusing too many characters!
Shin's POV
Ha. I'm so stupid sometimes. Trying to help Taichi talk to Yamato. Talking to Taichi about Yamato. TELLING Tai about... well, almost telling him about all the shit I'm involved in. I guess I wasn't THAT stupid, right?
I mean, I don't think he'll figure it out.
"Shin-chan? Daijoubu?" a soft voice drifts forth as I walk down the filth-cluttered streets of the shitty, beautiful lower side of Odaiba. That voice, so gently concerned, so soft, yet full of edge all at once. An androgynous voice, bringing forth images of that just as androgynous beautiful face, softly sharp. Teasing almost pure black eyes, long dark hair drifting and caressing down to the hips. One of my gang. The only one who actually came from a good family.
Anshin.
"An, what're you doing this far uptown?" I shoot back, worried as we drift to an alleyway together. Our territory is further down, where people go for a different kind of pleasure than the drugs and stuff that're so easy to get when you know how to. My An, my beautifully dark, androgynous lover, Anshin. My second in command of our gang, and the one who keeps an eye out on everything going on when I'm too preoccupied with other stuff. "Where's the girls?"
"They're still at home," he replies, brushing a light, teasing kiss over my lips. Strange how he calls our little alleyway home, but I suppose it is. It's where we go when we're lost, a place we can run to when we're hurt or scared, a place we always know will be open for us. An and I made sure no one would come there without a specific invite when we first met. "Nozomi's old enough to take care of Ai, and they'll be safe for an hour or so. I haven't been gone too long."
I guess he's right, but I can't help the tinge of fear. Nozomi's three years younger than me, my sweetly gentle little sister who thinks she can mother everyone. Her pale skin teamed with carmel brown, gently wavy locks dancing around her face, setting off beautifully green eyes shining with innocence even after fourteen years of living on the streets.
I don't know what I'd do if something happened to her.
And Ai, everyone's baby, our darling. A mere nine years old with eyes as gold as the full moon in the summer and curls of spun starlight. Ai carries a mysterious wisdom in her innocence, so unlike Nozomi. If you ask her a question, you'll get an answer you'd expect from someone who's studied for years in philosophy, not some nine year old kid off the street living with a pair of whores and the girl they took in.
"Are you ok, lover?" An asks again, holding me close, whispering soft words of comfort in French or German or whatever soft language that is. "I hate it that you're going to that school! Every time we see you now you're like this, lover, shaking and acting like someone destroyed you!" He rains soft kisses all over me, and I begin to finally relax in his sweet embrace, inhaling his distinctive scent.
"I'm fine, An, but I've got a job tonight." I have to whisper the words so I won't startle him or make him angry. We promised each other we'd stop. Hell, we have enough money now, even though we ARE supporting Nozomi and Ai and sending them to school on the upper side. And if we need something, we can always steal it, An's long, delicate fingers just as good for picking the pockets of those rich snobs as seducing them.
He stiffens slightly, but he doesn't question me. He rarely does, but this time I'm more than relieved he doesn't.
I need to help Tai.
"How long?" he asks, his normally smooth voice slightly rougher with something that could be related to the sudden wet chill I feel where his head leans on my shoulder, holding me closer and closer, as if he's afraid he'll lose me. "I'll keep the girls from asking where you are."
"Six to twelve, lover," I whisper softly, begging him to understand. Of course, he won't, I know that, but... it's worth a try.
He's silent for a moment, and I know he doesn't want me to go. I almost wish he'd tell me to stay, but at the same time we both know I'd leave anyway, no matter if he asked me to stay or not. "Will you be home before you go to school, or should we not expect to see you tomorrow either?" he murmurs his voice soft and smooth again, every syllable vibrating through my body.
"I'll come by after school, lover, I promise."
"The girls miss you. I'll tell them you'll stop by."
"Lover..."
He shakes his head, pulling away slowly, his eyes telling me gently that he's not angry. "I'll go see your other friend, that Izumi guy. He said he needed to talk last time I dropped by..."
I nod slowly. An will forgive me for whatever happens tonight. Hell, I think An would forgive me for almost anything. He trusts me that much, he trusts that I have a good reason for what I do. He abandonded his loving, caring, rich family with three houses on the upside of town, two in the country and one on the beach, to spend a life down here in this hell hole with me because he wanted to. He sold his body and any chance at heaven to stay by my side.
And at the same time, there's so much I want to give him and can't.
He brushes another light kiss against my cheek and then seems to disappear, moving so fast I barely see him as he leaves the alley.
And now time to brood over Kyousuke.
I have to shudder at him. Remembering him coming to me in that club An and I used to work at, so insistent... how after I'd done the job, he wouldn't let me go...
An rescued me from him after two days. But that's what finally made him say we had to quit.
He'll kill someone if he finds out Kyousuke's the job tonight. My gently sharp blade of a lover, so protective, even though I'm supposed to be the one who takes care of everyone. I may lead our gang, but without An we'd be nothing. Without his sharp love, I would never have escaped being just another whore off the street. Without his gentle strictness, Nozomi never would've been allowed to keep her naïvity, her soft laugh would've been tainted with that harsh seductiveness. And without his caring, Ai would never have come to us in the first place.
We can't lose him. So he can't find out.
It's as simple as that.
Damn.
I hate my life sometimes. I mean, at school I'll smile and all that shit, but... I only do it to be like Tai. Everyone knows Tai. Everyone LIKES Tai. Ok, maybe not everyone, but... the vast majority. So, if I'm gonna fit in on the upper side, I should just act like the person most people like. Well... the first person who they like is Kyousuke. So, I chose the second person. Tai.
On top of which, he was close to Nii-san at some point, so... it'll all work out.
I hope.
Am I evil? Please tell me... can I ask for 55 reviews at least? I'm working REALLY hard on the next part, I promise!