A/N: Minna, I'm so glad that you guys liked the lemon part! I was so sure
that people were going to say something like "it's not bad but. . . .".
Thank god nobody did! Anyway, to celebrate, here's a little. . . gift for
everyone. Read this chapter and I'm sure you'll realize what the gift is!
(If anybody doesn't, then just enjoy the lemon!)
Lil Yaoi Kitten: Aww, thanks. . . *blush*I'm glad you liked the way I did the lemon. I didn't want to make it into just another roll in the hay, I wanted it to be special and I'm glad you noticed! ( ^ . ^ )
Ice-Phoenix: Thanks! I hope you enjoy the various lemons in this chapter too!
Ruby-Tears: Your wish is my command.
Rinny: If you thought that Taka was kinky in the last chapter, wait till you read this one! Wahahaha!
Warning: Fluff, fuff, lemon, fluff, Dreams.
Pairings: Kyo x Taka
Disclaimer: Do I have to keep doing this? The song is The Calling's "Could It Be Any Harder" from their Calmino Palmero album. Lovely song.
_______________________________________________________________________
CHAPTER 11: Of Tied Hands & Dreams
{You left me with goodbye and open arms
A cut so deep I don't deserve
You were always invincible in my eyes
The only thing against us now is time}
________________________________________________________________________
They were laughing at him behind his back, he knew it. Every time he turned around, there would be calculatedly innocent looks pasted on their faces with the stupidest smiles on. Even Terazuma seemed to be smirking at him. Terazuma! Thankfully, Hisoka didn't seem to participate in their idiotic little game but even the green-eyed boy, who was normally quite reserved and serious, had a small smile lurking just at the corners of his mouth.
Kyo twitched.
His co-workers were acting as though he had just lost his virginity but they, being too polite to say anything, were pretending to calmly acknowledge it while smirking up their sleeves and saying "Our little Kyo is a grown up now!". If that wasn't bad enough, the choice of food for the party this morning simply screamed their amusement and delight at how their Kyo was now a man (as if he never got any when he was alive. . . )
Every piece of food was made of lemon.
LEMON.
The implications of their choice of a main ingredient was abundantly clear and he knew without a doubt who were the masterminds behind the menu.
Watari. And Tsuzuki.
The two of them had been giggling non-stop since he and Taka arrived that morning and when Kyo had gone over to the table laden with food and saw what was on it, they had clutched their sides in hilarity as expressions ranging from surprise, to thoughtfulness, to realization and finally, the slight narrowing of the eyes that indicated Kyo was ready to kill someone.
The table had been groaning under the weight of a variety of lemon-based dishes. Lemon meringue pies, lemon cheesecake, cupcakes with lemon frosting (he knew, he had tried it), lemon flavoured swiss rolls. . . . and of course, the choice of drink available was ice cold lemonade.
He growled and threw a glare at the pair who was now laughing so hard, they were clutching at each other for support. Hisoka had seen the look on his face and had prudently made himself scarce. He was just about to stalk his way over to them when Taka came up behind him and slid an arm about his waist. "What's up?"
Kyo waved in the direction of the table. "Look for yourself."
Taka did, and the same realization came to him as he looked from the table, to Kyo and finally, to Watari and Tsuzuki and back to the table again. "Ah."
When Terazuma asked him later if he wasn't going to save Watari and Tsuzuki from Kyo, who was chasing them around the room, brandishing a shinai, Taka had just smiled and said, "But he's so cute when he gets angry."
Wakaba had popped up then and immediately latched on to Terazuma's arm, who rolled his eyes in mock disgust but made no move to shake her off. She agreed enthusiastically with Taka's view and was considering taking pictures of the slaughter for a Christmas album. Taka then said that if she did, he'd be the first in line to get it. And could she perhaps blow a favourite one up to a glossy poster size?
Kyo had now managed to pin down Watari and was threatening to do some bodily harm to him when Taka decided to step in. He wanted the scientist in one piece as he had gotten very interested with his research into gender- changing. . . . would he still be attracted to Kyo sexually if Kyo turned into a female? It would certainly prove entertaining to test and if it didn't work out, it would at least add a whole new dimension to their love- making. . . .
Ah, he looks so good when he's bending over like that, Taka sighed quietly in appreciation. With one swift move, he swept the younger boy off Watari, pinning his body easily with one arm and as Kyo threatened to take his head off too with the shinai, Taka grinned and ran his other free hand through Kyo's raven hair slowly, with just the right amount of pressure.
Every one's mouth gaped in astonishment as the recently furious boy was immediately reduced to a mewling, nuzzling affectionate kitten with that one simple gesture.
Watari looked up from where he was lying on his back on the floor and watched in amazement as Kyo dropped the shinai from his hands and was being contentedly carried and cuddled in the sensei's arms.
I wonder just how many forms of chibi can he actually turn to, Watari thought.
"Thanks for rescuing me," Watari said, as he picked himself up from the floor and dusted himself off. "How did you do that?"
Taka shrugged. "Practice." He grinned at the scientist. "You should have known that Kyo can get pretty upset when it comes to. . . . lemon."
Watari wrinkled his nose in remembrance of the fit Kyo had thrown after Akuma had. . . .touched him. He wondered if Kyo had told Taka about that. "Aa, but we couldn't resist it. He teased me enough that I decided a little payback wouldn't hurt." He looked curiously at the now purring chibi-kitten Kyo. "Does that work for everyone?" indicating the hair stroking. "That could really come in handy the next time," he said brightly.
Taka looked thoughtful for a moment. "I don't really know. No one else has ever tried it. Would you like to try?" with that, he stopped stroking Kyo's hair and held him out to Watari. Kyo's eyes immediately narrowed again and he started to hiss. He was just about to launch himself at Watari again when Taka quickly hugged him back and resumed the hair-stroking. Kyo purred.
Sweatdrop. "I don't think I'll try it today, thanks," Watari said apprehensively. "Maybe some other time."
Taka grinned and looked down at his favourite kitten. "Want to have some lemonade, Kyo?"
________________________________________________________________________
An hour later after the party had finished, Kyo, Taka, Tsuzuki and Hisoka found themselves in Tatsumi's office, a new case file lying open on his desk. He gestured for them to take any available seats and quickly assured them that this case had nothing to do with Akuma.
In fact, with an eyebrow twitching slightly, Tatsumi assured them that they probably wouldn't even have to use any magic to solve the case.
"Ano, Tatsumi?" Tsuzuki asked, his amethyst eyes filled with puzzlement. "If it's just a simple case, why send all four of us together? I mean, I know you want Takashi to get some field experience but surely Kyo could take him through that himself."
Kyo glanced in surprise at Tatsumi. Tsuzuki was right. Why so many of them to retrieve just a girl? If it was possible, Tatsumi's face was now slightly pink and he assured them again that the case was easy but it was IMPERATIVE that the four of them go together. They'd understand when they get there, he said.
The eyebrow twitching seemed to have intensified.
With more puzzled looks, the four of them left the office and with shrugs passed around, they teleported down to Chijou.
The girl was in her bedroom. Shizuru Hisaki. 17 years old. She had died in a car accident. When they found her, she was lying on her stomach on her bed, face propped in her hand as she idly flipped through a magazine.
When they materialized in her room, she looked up in surprise and gave them a big smile. "Konnichiwa! Are you guys Shinigamis?"
They were a bit taken aback. While they were glad that what Tatsumi said was true, that apparently no magic or banishing was required, they were a bit nonplussed at how cheerful the girl was. Considering the fact that they were Shinigamis, about to send her on and she was an earthbound spirit.
"Ano, Hisaki-san?" Tsuzuki spoke up hesitantly.
"Call me Shizu!" she said cheerfully and sat up on the bed, legs swinging back and forth. "Can I help you?"
. . . . . .
"Ah, Shizu-san, we're here to help send you on. You can't stay here," Kyo said softly. The girl was ignoring him though as she looked them up and down carefully, her mouth pinched in concentration and a little frown marring her forehead.
"Wow! I didn't know Shinigamis were supposed to be as good-looking as you guys! I thought you'd be wearing kimonos or something and holding some spirit-light or whatever. You know," she said, a sincere expression on, "to guide the souls and all."
Hisoka gave up on tact and went straight to the heart of the matter. The girl was frighteningly like Saya and Yuma; the only way to get through to her was to be as direct as possible. "Shizu-san, why are you still here? Do you still have some unfinished business? We can help you out with that you know."
The girl quickly turned to face him then, brown shoulder-length locks flying at the sudden movement. "You're darn right I got unfinished business and I'm not going anywhere until I get it done!" she declared firmly.
"So what's unfinished? Can you tell us?" Kyo crouched in front of the girl and studied her intently. According to reports, she had a pretty happy, normal life. What could the business be?
"Look!" she had rummaged around underneath a pillow and took out a piece of pink stationary and waved it in his face.
Ah, things became clear to him now. A letter that she wants to send on to a loved one but wasn't in time to make it then. Fairly simple. He took the paper still waving in his face and read it carefully.
It wasn't a letter. It was a list. It went something like this;
10 THINGS TO DO BEFORE I DIE (SHIZURU HISAKI)
1. Wear a frilly dress
2. Matchmake somebody with somebody
3. Go to Okinawa and catch come crabs.
4. Get Yashizaki to fall in love with me
5. Get Yashizaki to kiss me
6. Kiss Yashizaki
7. Get my hair cut really short
8. Get Yashizaki to ask me on a date
9. I should ask Yashizaki on a date
10. Witness firsthand how guys make out with other guys.
All of the items on the list had been crossed off except item no. 10.
With a sigh, he gave the paper to Hisoka who read it rapidly and a moment later, turned fire-engine red. He started to splutter and Tsuzuki, curious, took the paper and read it for himself. He too, turned that interesting shade of red and choked.
"What's wrong?" Taka asked. He crouched down beside Kyo and smiled at the girl.
Kyo rolled his eyes. "She has a 'to do' list of things she wants to experience before passing on. Only one item has yet to be crossed off. Which, after reading it, comes as no surprise why Tatsumi sent the four of us."
"What is it?"
"She wants to see for herself how guys make out with other guys," Kyo explained.
Taka paused. A thoughtful look crossed his face. "Ah. So which one of us would you like to see do it?" he asked the girl cheerfully.
Shizu practically fell off the bed at that. Kyo quickly caught her and settled her on the floor carefully. Spirit she may be but one must always be polite to the ladies.
Her eyes widened in excitement as she asked them, "You'd really do it? Really? For me?"
Taka shrugged modestly. "It's not too much trouble. Say, Tsuzuki-san, do you and Hi-oops, they're gone."
Kyo turned around too. Sure enough, the blushing pair had disappeared. Probably when Taka had announced that they would be happy to help fulfill her wish. Sometimes his Taka had quite a hentai streak in him. . . .
Ah, well.
________________________________________________________________________
"So I take it everything went well?" Tatsumi asked. The four of them had made it back a few minutes earlier and Kyo and Takashi were the ones to report in to him. Hisoka had actually gave him a dirty glare and stomped off to the dojo while Tsuzuki buried himself in the office's supply of doughnuts. Both of them were still spouting steam from their ears.
Takashi grinned at the secretary, an arm casually slung around Kyo's waist. The boy had a slightly glazed look on. He raised an eyebrow questioningly.
"The girl was more than happy to move on. She even made us promise to look her up when we move on," Takashi smiled.
"I wonder why," Tatsumi murmured to himself. "Alright, well done. Don't forget to send in the report by tomorrow morning," he said, by way of dismissal.
Takashi took the cue and pulled the unresisting boy gently to the door. "Aa! I'll type it up nice and proper, don't worry!"
Sweatdrop.
"Takashi-san," Tatsumi said in a painful tone of voice. "Please remember that there's no need to get in TOO much detail in your report."
"Haaaaiii!"
________________________________________________________________________
Life (or was it the unlife?) had settled down peacefully in the Shokan division. Summer passed uneventfully into autumn on Chijou, the days turning crisp and cool, while the leaves burned deep golds and reds. In Meifu though, it was, as always, eternally spring, the never-changing sakuras still drifting down in a gentle rain.
To everyone's surprise, Akuma had yet to make his move. No new murders were reported, no letters were sent through murder mail and no mysterious notes inviting the Shinigamis to a new round of game-playing appeared. Taka had been briefed by Kyo on the Akuma case, though Kyo had left out certain parts in the alley scene out of his retelling. Like the part where Akuma had practically kissed and sexually harassed him, for an example.
But they enjoyed the respite from the case that had them tied up into knots before. For once, nobody complained about the everyday mundane cases of sending normal spirits on. So life was good, for now, and everybody was happy. Taka had settled in to their routine comfortably and everyone felt as if he had been around forever. The sensei had a kind touch and a caring word for everyone and even Hisoka was seen more and more in his company. Takashi was like a caring older brother that he never had and he liked the feeling. Always, he could have talked with Watari or Tatsumi about his problems but Takashi was more *real* in the brotherly sense.
Takashi had resumed his former studies into medicine and spent a lot of time closeted in the lab with Watari. The blond had been more than happy to have the additional expert help into his research about the Akuma case. He was still trying to work out how Akuma had managed to arrest their healing powers with his spell. The next time they met him, Watari was worried that he'd truly be able to kill them. The Gushoushin still haven't turned up anything on Akuma's background either.
The two of them were in his lab that fine day. The sun was shining, birds were singing in the trees and a new batch of his improved gender-changing formula was bubbling merrily away in a beaker.
Well, all work and no play makes Watari a dull boy after all.
Takashi had proven to be valuable too in this area. When he had found out about Watari's latest attempts in producing a more effective formula for gender-changing, he had happily provided his medical expertise for the project. Needless to say, the two of them got along really well together.
Watari was whistling happily as he measured out some chemical X to be added later on when the potion had dried up and Takashi was at another work station, adding a humming counterpoint to his melody. Ah yes, life was good.
Until, a few seconds later, rapid footsteps could be heard pounding down the hallway and a moment later, Kyo burst in through the open door and screeched to a halt, bent over and gasping for breath.
"What's wrong?" Taka asked, alarmed. He quickly dropped his work and strode over to the boy.
Kyo had gotten his breath back and stood up, a frightened expression on his face. Watari was more than a little surprised to note that his hair was disheveled, his shirt was torn open with half the buttons missing and that his hands was tied behind his back.
"Saya. . . Yuma!" Kyo managed to blurt out as he cast wary glances over his shoulder. "They pinned me down for another makeover and I only just managed to get away! Help me!" he begged Taka, a pleading look in his eyes. "Can you cut these ropes for me?" he showed them his hands which were tied expertly with what looked like Boy Scout knots.
Watari could have sworn then that a positively gleeful expression crossed Takashi's face as he took in the torn shirt and ropes but he must have been daydreaming because the sensei was patting Kyo's back soothingly, a frown creasing his forehead.
That is, until he heard Takashi say next, "The ropes looks too tight to unknot, we have to cut it off. Let's go find a knife!" with that, he gently shepherded Kyo out of the lab and threw an apologetic look at Watari. "Gomen, Watari-kun. Do you mind if I take a few minutes off to help Kyo?"
"No, no!" Watari waved a hand reassuringly. "Take all the time you want!" he grinned at them.
Takashi gave him a nod of thanks and still murmuring words of comfort to Kyo, herded the boy down the hall. 003 hooted then, a questioning note in his tone and Watari looked over to see his pet owl hovering over Takashi's work station. The man had been cutting up some herbs he had gotten from Hakushaku-sama's garden and a knife lay gleaming on the chopping board.
Watari just grinned back in reply.
________________________________________________________________________
"Are you sure there's a knife in here?" Kyo asked doubtfully. Taka had taken him to a 'supply room', with boxes stacked neatly against a wall and a small table at the opposite side, It was barely the size of their kitchen. Taka nudged him in gently and he slipped in behind Kyo and with a barely perceptible click, locked the door softly, and slipped off his glasses, pocketing them in his lab coat.
Kyo was still looking the room over in confusion and had peered into a box suspiciously. "It's all just cleaning materials, Taka. I don't think you can find a knife here," he said doubtfully. He turned around and suddenly found his sensei face to face with him.
"Wha-?"
Taka kissed him then and Kyo was momentarily distracted as Taka's tongue played havoc on his brain. He noticed though, when Taka pushed him gently back until Kyo was half-sitting at the edge of the low table. He broke the kiss off and tried to glare at Taka who was grinning unabashedly back.
"We're at work!" Kyo hissed. "What if someone comes in and finds us?"
Taka shrugged nonchalantly. "I locked the door from the inside."
Kyo's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "You never were planning to get a knife were you?" he demanded.
Taka considered that thoughtfully, tapping a finger to his chin. "No," he said after a while. And smirked.
"Baka! We're at WORK!"
Taka answered that by silencing him with another kiss, this time, the really slow and serious type which, Kyo was furious to admit, turned him into something with the consistency of a pudding. Despite himself, he leaned into the kiss and a moan escaped his throat.
After a few minutes, Taka broke off the kiss again and asked him with a twinkle in his eyes, "Still mad?" his voice mild.
Kyo drew in a ragged breath and gave him a glare. "Yes!"
His sensei sighed then, mock regret on his face. "I guess you leave me with no other choice then but to do this," he announced mournfully. With that, he nudged his leg in between Kyo's and pushed them apart gently. Kyo tried to break free but the man had him pinned against the table and with the sensei's leg in the way and his hands tied behind him, he was, effectively, trapped.
With a low chuckle, Taka leaned down and kissed Kyo's neck softly, just above his rapidly beating pulse. He licked the spot and sucked gently, eliciting a soft moan from the boy. After a slow, tortuous minute, he finally moved on and trailed kisses down Kyo's smooth chest, his hands pushing the torn shirt away and his mouth lingered exquisitely over a nipple, suckling and tasting it with delight. Kyo drew in a stuttered breath and he leaned back slightly, his tied hands propping him up.
"No. . " Kyo protested weakly. "Work. . ." his words were lost as Taka transferred his mouth to another nipple. He arched his back and gasped in pleasure as fingers gently caressed and teased the other one.
Taka sighed. "You're very stubborn today, love." With that, he took off his lab coat and tossed it negligently over one shoulder and took off his tie, loosening it from its knots. Kyo watched, bemused.
"What are you doing?" Kyo's voice was heavy with languor. Somehow he felt that he should be alarmed but he felt too heavy to care. He did care though, when Taka tied it across his mouth.
"What the hell are you doing??!!" he shrieked. Or at least, tried to. What came out was "mmph mmh phhr mmpgh??!!"
"Well, we don't want anyone to hear you do we?" Taka reasoned, cheerfully ignoring his muffled protests and while his mouth was busy decorating Kyo's neck with kisses, one hand sneaked down and started stroking the part where Kyo's pants bulged. The boy whimpered.
Feeling that Kyo was sufficiently subdued, Taka quickly unbuckled the boy's pants, letting it slide down his legs to the floor and pushed Kyo back, so that he was lying on the table. He took Kyo's arousal in his mouth, and with the gentlest of touch, lovingly sucked it, feeling it grow harder and harder in his mouth.
When Kyo started thrusting his hips however, Taka lost control. With ragged gasps, he unbuckled his own pants. He surprised himself when he didn't need any lubricant to slid his own arousal in gently into that hot, deliciously wet warmth and started to thrust rhythmically, slow gentle motions first, while his hand stroked Kyo's and finally, feeling his need mounting, he thrust faster and faster and with a deep moan and a final thrust, he poured his seed into Kyo and a moment later, he felt the hot, sticky liquid trickling down his thigh as Kyo came, bucking and moaning.
He gently helped Kyo to sit up on the table and hugged the trembling body close. With one hand, he took off the tie from Kyo's mouth and gave him a last, long, lingering kiss. When they had calmed down enough, he took out his handkerchief and carefully wiped themselves dry.
In satisfied silence, he buckled his own pants and helped Kyo with his. His hands Taka freed expertly, not even needing a knife in the first place to slip the ropes free. He almost expected Kyo to harp about that but the boy kept silent. Concerned, he took a close look at Kyo and chuckled when he noticed Kyo had a glazed look on his face.
Smug, Taka congratulated himself for not losing his touch. He frowned though, when he finally realized that his Kyo had gotten even more mussed up in the last few minutes and that his shirt was hanging on him by a shoulder only. He bent down, picked up his coat, dusted it off, and covered Kyo with it. Good. At least this way, other people won't be able to ravish his Kyo visually.
They were walking down the hall, back to Watari's lab, Taka pulling Kyo gently along who still had that dreamy look on his face, when they met Hisoka, walking down their way.
"Konnichiwa, Hisoka-kun," Taka called out, smiling.
"Konni-what happened to Kyo?" Hisoka stared in shock and surprise at the older boy who was standing quite still, looking more than a bit lost. The coat he had on could not exactly hide the fact that Kyo's shirt was torn, with the buttons missing.
"Ah. Saya and Yuma got to him. Another makeover. They even tied his hands."
"T-t-tied his hands?" Hisoka spluttered. Apparently, the girls were going one step further in achieving their mission of dressing Kyo up. And if it was that bad for Kyo, how worse could it get for HIM??
"Aa," Taka nodded, a beautifully wry expression on his face. "I'm thinking of getting a restraining order for those two. Poor Kyo is traumatized by his experience."
Anything else he might have said was lost as Hisoka suddenly ran off down the hall.
"Gomen, Watari. For taking so long. I had a hard time getting the ropes off," Taka called out as they walked into the lab. The blond scientist was sitting on a stool, sipping a cup of coffee.
Watari just smiled benignly. "Yes, I could understand that. Ropes can get quite tricky. They have a way of doing that."
"You're so right."
He led Kyo over to the battered couch that sometimes served as the blond's bed when he was too tired to bother going into his small bedroom beside the lab and sat Kyo down on it. Kyo seemed to snap out of his dreamy contemplation for a bit, looked down at the couch, yawned, and said, "I'm going to sleep."
With that, he laid himself down the length of the couch and Taka gently tugged the coat over him.
"So, how did it go?" Taka asked. He crossed the lab to Watari's side and Watari proudly held up a beaker, the liquid inside shimmering a quartz rose pink, seeming to burst with sugar and spice and everything that was nice.
"The new and improved universal gender-changing potion is officially finished!" he announced with a triumphant fist.
"Yokatta!"
On the couch, Kyo gave a groan.
________________________________________________________________________
{I lie down and blind myself with laughter
A quick fix of hope is what I'm needing
And now I wish that I could turn back the hours
But I know I just don't have the power}
________________________________________________________________________
As he sleeps, he dreams.
He dreams not of faraway lands nor of lands created solely by the night but he dreams of his life.
They flash past him in vivid colors, seeming to him even more vivid than going through the actual experience itself when it happened. In his dreams, he was 17 again, watching the man he loves from afar. His eyes linger over the way the man gently bandages a girl's bleeding knee, his touch soft and caring. He wonders what it would feel like to have those same hands touch him. Would it be as soft? As caring?
Flash.
Now he was 16. He was at school and it was Valentine's Day. He blushes as a shower of cards fell out from underneath his desk in class and he laughed along with the rest of his friends as they tease him about his many admirers.
Flash.
15. His birthday. The day had been spent with his friends. Night had fallen and now he was alone in his apartment. His only company was a small cake with a single burning candle on it. A card lay on the table, wishing him many happy returns of the day, from his guardian whom he only saw once a year.
Flash.
14. Another lonely birthday.
As his mind dreamed, his awareness begs for the return of reality. He didn't want to relive his memories. Especially those of when he was young. In the real world, his hands clutched the bed sheets in tense anticipation of the memories he knew he'd be forced to face again soon. He whimpered softly, unconsciously.
Flash.
He was 13 years old. He sat alone in his room which his appointed guardian had given him. His guardian and his wife and kids meanwhile, sat in the living room, toasting each other with glasses of eggnog as they celebrate Christmas. He was alone.
Flash.
12 years old.
{Please, no. . .Please?}
Flash.
11 years old.
{No.}
His hands clenched even tighter, twisting the fabric between sweat-soaked fingers as another whimper escaped his throat. He didn't want to see what was coming. He didn't want to. He didn't want to.
FLASH.
He saw the flames again, licking their way through the floor as black smoke poured boiling in beneath the door. He hears the cracking of timbers weakened by the fire and the crash of something heavy falling through the floor. He saw flames.
The pictures came to him in a fast forward motion, jumping from one scene to the next of that night and superimposed on it, he sees again the moment of his death.
/Taka! Taka, where are you?/
His hands were blackened by soot and one palm was throbbing with pain from where he had accidentally touched a red-hot knob. Tears streamed slowly down his face and his mother wipes them away, whispering in his ear that everything will be alright-
/I can't move! My legs are broken! Get out of here!/
The fire was coming closer and closer. He could feel the floor getting uncomfortably warm even with his bedroom slippers on. Using a grubby hand, he wipes away his tears. He'd promised mommy that he wouldn't cry-
He was falling through the air, his hands hugging Taka close to him as they plummeted down to the waiting rescue bed when a second explosion rocked the air. Pain blossomed suddenly in his chest and he couldn't breathe-
He lay still. Very very still. Maybe, if he was very good and kept very quiet, everything would be alright again. He heard the roar of the fire as it ate through the house, and he heard too, the flames crackling, spitting and snapping savagely in the cold night air. He heard other things as well but he didn't want to know what they meant. He didn't want to. He didn't want to he didn't want to didn't want to didn't want to didn't want to-
Gasping, he awoke with a start, shivering as the air kissed his sweat- drenched skin. He turned his face towards his pillow to muffle his gasps so that Taka wouldn't wake up. He lay there for long minutes as the chills raked him through and through and when he was able to take a deep breath, he released his fingers from their death grip on the sheets.
With another whimper, he sidled close to the warm heat that was Taka and the still sleeping man mumbled something incoherent and hugged the boy closer in his sleep.
Outside the window, the rain fell softly in a gentle patter as the heavens cried their grief.
~to be continued~
________________________________________________________________________
A/N: So how was it? How was it? Hmm? Hmm? Pay special attentions to the dreams, they're a clue to what's going to happen soon! (Yes, Kyo-Torture!) As always, review! Ja ne!
Lil Yaoi Kitten: Aww, thanks. . . *blush*I'm glad you liked the way I did the lemon. I didn't want to make it into just another roll in the hay, I wanted it to be special and I'm glad you noticed! ( ^ . ^ )
Ice-Phoenix: Thanks! I hope you enjoy the various lemons in this chapter too!
Ruby-Tears: Your wish is my command.
Rinny: If you thought that Taka was kinky in the last chapter, wait till you read this one! Wahahaha!
Warning: Fluff, fuff, lemon, fluff, Dreams.
Pairings: Kyo x Taka
Disclaimer: Do I have to keep doing this? The song is The Calling's "Could It Be Any Harder" from their Calmino Palmero album. Lovely song.
_______________________________________________________________________
CHAPTER 11: Of Tied Hands & Dreams
{You left me with goodbye and open arms
A cut so deep I don't deserve
You were always invincible in my eyes
The only thing against us now is time}
________________________________________________________________________
They were laughing at him behind his back, he knew it. Every time he turned around, there would be calculatedly innocent looks pasted on their faces with the stupidest smiles on. Even Terazuma seemed to be smirking at him. Terazuma! Thankfully, Hisoka didn't seem to participate in their idiotic little game but even the green-eyed boy, who was normally quite reserved and serious, had a small smile lurking just at the corners of his mouth.
Kyo twitched.
His co-workers were acting as though he had just lost his virginity but they, being too polite to say anything, were pretending to calmly acknowledge it while smirking up their sleeves and saying "Our little Kyo is a grown up now!". If that wasn't bad enough, the choice of food for the party this morning simply screamed their amusement and delight at how their Kyo was now a man (as if he never got any when he was alive. . . )
Every piece of food was made of lemon.
LEMON.
The implications of their choice of a main ingredient was abundantly clear and he knew without a doubt who were the masterminds behind the menu.
Watari. And Tsuzuki.
The two of them had been giggling non-stop since he and Taka arrived that morning and when Kyo had gone over to the table laden with food and saw what was on it, they had clutched their sides in hilarity as expressions ranging from surprise, to thoughtfulness, to realization and finally, the slight narrowing of the eyes that indicated Kyo was ready to kill someone.
The table had been groaning under the weight of a variety of lemon-based dishes. Lemon meringue pies, lemon cheesecake, cupcakes with lemon frosting (he knew, he had tried it), lemon flavoured swiss rolls. . . . and of course, the choice of drink available was ice cold lemonade.
He growled and threw a glare at the pair who was now laughing so hard, they were clutching at each other for support. Hisoka had seen the look on his face and had prudently made himself scarce. He was just about to stalk his way over to them when Taka came up behind him and slid an arm about his waist. "What's up?"
Kyo waved in the direction of the table. "Look for yourself."
Taka did, and the same realization came to him as he looked from the table, to Kyo and finally, to Watari and Tsuzuki and back to the table again. "Ah."
When Terazuma asked him later if he wasn't going to save Watari and Tsuzuki from Kyo, who was chasing them around the room, brandishing a shinai, Taka had just smiled and said, "But he's so cute when he gets angry."
Wakaba had popped up then and immediately latched on to Terazuma's arm, who rolled his eyes in mock disgust but made no move to shake her off. She agreed enthusiastically with Taka's view and was considering taking pictures of the slaughter for a Christmas album. Taka then said that if she did, he'd be the first in line to get it. And could she perhaps blow a favourite one up to a glossy poster size?
Kyo had now managed to pin down Watari and was threatening to do some bodily harm to him when Taka decided to step in. He wanted the scientist in one piece as he had gotten very interested with his research into gender- changing. . . . would he still be attracted to Kyo sexually if Kyo turned into a female? It would certainly prove entertaining to test and if it didn't work out, it would at least add a whole new dimension to their love- making. . . .
Ah, he looks so good when he's bending over like that, Taka sighed quietly in appreciation. With one swift move, he swept the younger boy off Watari, pinning his body easily with one arm and as Kyo threatened to take his head off too with the shinai, Taka grinned and ran his other free hand through Kyo's raven hair slowly, with just the right amount of pressure.
Every one's mouth gaped in astonishment as the recently furious boy was immediately reduced to a mewling, nuzzling affectionate kitten with that one simple gesture.
Watari looked up from where he was lying on his back on the floor and watched in amazement as Kyo dropped the shinai from his hands and was being contentedly carried and cuddled in the sensei's arms.
I wonder just how many forms of chibi can he actually turn to, Watari thought.
"Thanks for rescuing me," Watari said, as he picked himself up from the floor and dusted himself off. "How did you do that?"
Taka shrugged. "Practice." He grinned at the scientist. "You should have known that Kyo can get pretty upset when it comes to. . . . lemon."
Watari wrinkled his nose in remembrance of the fit Kyo had thrown after Akuma had. . . .touched him. He wondered if Kyo had told Taka about that. "Aa, but we couldn't resist it. He teased me enough that I decided a little payback wouldn't hurt." He looked curiously at the now purring chibi-kitten Kyo. "Does that work for everyone?" indicating the hair stroking. "That could really come in handy the next time," he said brightly.
Taka looked thoughtful for a moment. "I don't really know. No one else has ever tried it. Would you like to try?" with that, he stopped stroking Kyo's hair and held him out to Watari. Kyo's eyes immediately narrowed again and he started to hiss. He was just about to launch himself at Watari again when Taka quickly hugged him back and resumed the hair-stroking. Kyo purred.
Sweatdrop. "I don't think I'll try it today, thanks," Watari said apprehensively. "Maybe some other time."
Taka grinned and looked down at his favourite kitten. "Want to have some lemonade, Kyo?"
________________________________________________________________________
An hour later after the party had finished, Kyo, Taka, Tsuzuki and Hisoka found themselves in Tatsumi's office, a new case file lying open on his desk. He gestured for them to take any available seats and quickly assured them that this case had nothing to do with Akuma.
In fact, with an eyebrow twitching slightly, Tatsumi assured them that they probably wouldn't even have to use any magic to solve the case.
"Ano, Tatsumi?" Tsuzuki asked, his amethyst eyes filled with puzzlement. "If it's just a simple case, why send all four of us together? I mean, I know you want Takashi to get some field experience but surely Kyo could take him through that himself."
Kyo glanced in surprise at Tatsumi. Tsuzuki was right. Why so many of them to retrieve just a girl? If it was possible, Tatsumi's face was now slightly pink and he assured them again that the case was easy but it was IMPERATIVE that the four of them go together. They'd understand when they get there, he said.
The eyebrow twitching seemed to have intensified.
With more puzzled looks, the four of them left the office and with shrugs passed around, they teleported down to Chijou.
The girl was in her bedroom. Shizuru Hisaki. 17 years old. She had died in a car accident. When they found her, she was lying on her stomach on her bed, face propped in her hand as she idly flipped through a magazine.
When they materialized in her room, she looked up in surprise and gave them a big smile. "Konnichiwa! Are you guys Shinigamis?"
They were a bit taken aback. While they were glad that what Tatsumi said was true, that apparently no magic or banishing was required, they were a bit nonplussed at how cheerful the girl was. Considering the fact that they were Shinigamis, about to send her on and she was an earthbound spirit.
"Ano, Hisaki-san?" Tsuzuki spoke up hesitantly.
"Call me Shizu!" she said cheerfully and sat up on the bed, legs swinging back and forth. "Can I help you?"
. . . . . .
"Ah, Shizu-san, we're here to help send you on. You can't stay here," Kyo said softly. The girl was ignoring him though as she looked them up and down carefully, her mouth pinched in concentration and a little frown marring her forehead.
"Wow! I didn't know Shinigamis were supposed to be as good-looking as you guys! I thought you'd be wearing kimonos or something and holding some spirit-light or whatever. You know," she said, a sincere expression on, "to guide the souls and all."
Hisoka gave up on tact and went straight to the heart of the matter. The girl was frighteningly like Saya and Yuma; the only way to get through to her was to be as direct as possible. "Shizu-san, why are you still here? Do you still have some unfinished business? We can help you out with that you know."
The girl quickly turned to face him then, brown shoulder-length locks flying at the sudden movement. "You're darn right I got unfinished business and I'm not going anywhere until I get it done!" she declared firmly.
"So what's unfinished? Can you tell us?" Kyo crouched in front of the girl and studied her intently. According to reports, she had a pretty happy, normal life. What could the business be?
"Look!" she had rummaged around underneath a pillow and took out a piece of pink stationary and waved it in his face.
Ah, things became clear to him now. A letter that she wants to send on to a loved one but wasn't in time to make it then. Fairly simple. He took the paper still waving in his face and read it carefully.
It wasn't a letter. It was a list. It went something like this;
10 THINGS TO DO BEFORE I DIE (SHIZURU HISAKI)
1. Wear a frilly dress
2. Matchmake somebody with somebody
3. Go to Okinawa and catch come crabs.
4. Get Yashizaki to fall in love with me
5. Get Yashizaki to kiss me
6. Kiss Yashizaki
7. Get my hair cut really short
8. Get Yashizaki to ask me on a date
9. I should ask Yashizaki on a date
10. Witness firsthand how guys make out with other guys.
All of the items on the list had been crossed off except item no. 10.
With a sigh, he gave the paper to Hisoka who read it rapidly and a moment later, turned fire-engine red. He started to splutter and Tsuzuki, curious, took the paper and read it for himself. He too, turned that interesting shade of red and choked.
"What's wrong?" Taka asked. He crouched down beside Kyo and smiled at the girl.
Kyo rolled his eyes. "She has a 'to do' list of things she wants to experience before passing on. Only one item has yet to be crossed off. Which, after reading it, comes as no surprise why Tatsumi sent the four of us."
"What is it?"
"She wants to see for herself how guys make out with other guys," Kyo explained.
Taka paused. A thoughtful look crossed his face. "Ah. So which one of us would you like to see do it?" he asked the girl cheerfully.
Shizu practically fell off the bed at that. Kyo quickly caught her and settled her on the floor carefully. Spirit she may be but one must always be polite to the ladies.
Her eyes widened in excitement as she asked them, "You'd really do it? Really? For me?"
Taka shrugged modestly. "It's not too much trouble. Say, Tsuzuki-san, do you and Hi-oops, they're gone."
Kyo turned around too. Sure enough, the blushing pair had disappeared. Probably when Taka had announced that they would be happy to help fulfill her wish. Sometimes his Taka had quite a hentai streak in him. . . .
Ah, well.
________________________________________________________________________
"So I take it everything went well?" Tatsumi asked. The four of them had made it back a few minutes earlier and Kyo and Takashi were the ones to report in to him. Hisoka had actually gave him a dirty glare and stomped off to the dojo while Tsuzuki buried himself in the office's supply of doughnuts. Both of them were still spouting steam from their ears.
Takashi grinned at the secretary, an arm casually slung around Kyo's waist. The boy had a slightly glazed look on. He raised an eyebrow questioningly.
"The girl was more than happy to move on. She even made us promise to look her up when we move on," Takashi smiled.
"I wonder why," Tatsumi murmured to himself. "Alright, well done. Don't forget to send in the report by tomorrow morning," he said, by way of dismissal.
Takashi took the cue and pulled the unresisting boy gently to the door. "Aa! I'll type it up nice and proper, don't worry!"
Sweatdrop.
"Takashi-san," Tatsumi said in a painful tone of voice. "Please remember that there's no need to get in TOO much detail in your report."
"Haaaaiii!"
________________________________________________________________________
Life (or was it the unlife?) had settled down peacefully in the Shokan division. Summer passed uneventfully into autumn on Chijou, the days turning crisp and cool, while the leaves burned deep golds and reds. In Meifu though, it was, as always, eternally spring, the never-changing sakuras still drifting down in a gentle rain.
To everyone's surprise, Akuma had yet to make his move. No new murders were reported, no letters were sent through murder mail and no mysterious notes inviting the Shinigamis to a new round of game-playing appeared. Taka had been briefed by Kyo on the Akuma case, though Kyo had left out certain parts in the alley scene out of his retelling. Like the part where Akuma had practically kissed and sexually harassed him, for an example.
But they enjoyed the respite from the case that had them tied up into knots before. For once, nobody complained about the everyday mundane cases of sending normal spirits on. So life was good, for now, and everybody was happy. Taka had settled in to their routine comfortably and everyone felt as if he had been around forever. The sensei had a kind touch and a caring word for everyone and even Hisoka was seen more and more in his company. Takashi was like a caring older brother that he never had and he liked the feeling. Always, he could have talked with Watari or Tatsumi about his problems but Takashi was more *real* in the brotherly sense.
Takashi had resumed his former studies into medicine and spent a lot of time closeted in the lab with Watari. The blond had been more than happy to have the additional expert help into his research about the Akuma case. He was still trying to work out how Akuma had managed to arrest their healing powers with his spell. The next time they met him, Watari was worried that he'd truly be able to kill them. The Gushoushin still haven't turned up anything on Akuma's background either.
The two of them were in his lab that fine day. The sun was shining, birds were singing in the trees and a new batch of his improved gender-changing formula was bubbling merrily away in a beaker.
Well, all work and no play makes Watari a dull boy after all.
Takashi had proven to be valuable too in this area. When he had found out about Watari's latest attempts in producing a more effective formula for gender-changing, he had happily provided his medical expertise for the project. Needless to say, the two of them got along really well together.
Watari was whistling happily as he measured out some chemical X to be added later on when the potion had dried up and Takashi was at another work station, adding a humming counterpoint to his melody. Ah yes, life was good.
Until, a few seconds later, rapid footsteps could be heard pounding down the hallway and a moment later, Kyo burst in through the open door and screeched to a halt, bent over and gasping for breath.
"What's wrong?" Taka asked, alarmed. He quickly dropped his work and strode over to the boy.
Kyo had gotten his breath back and stood up, a frightened expression on his face. Watari was more than a little surprised to note that his hair was disheveled, his shirt was torn open with half the buttons missing and that his hands was tied behind his back.
"Saya. . . Yuma!" Kyo managed to blurt out as he cast wary glances over his shoulder. "They pinned me down for another makeover and I only just managed to get away! Help me!" he begged Taka, a pleading look in his eyes. "Can you cut these ropes for me?" he showed them his hands which were tied expertly with what looked like Boy Scout knots.
Watari could have sworn then that a positively gleeful expression crossed Takashi's face as he took in the torn shirt and ropes but he must have been daydreaming because the sensei was patting Kyo's back soothingly, a frown creasing his forehead.
That is, until he heard Takashi say next, "The ropes looks too tight to unknot, we have to cut it off. Let's go find a knife!" with that, he gently shepherded Kyo out of the lab and threw an apologetic look at Watari. "Gomen, Watari-kun. Do you mind if I take a few minutes off to help Kyo?"
"No, no!" Watari waved a hand reassuringly. "Take all the time you want!" he grinned at them.
Takashi gave him a nod of thanks and still murmuring words of comfort to Kyo, herded the boy down the hall. 003 hooted then, a questioning note in his tone and Watari looked over to see his pet owl hovering over Takashi's work station. The man had been cutting up some herbs he had gotten from Hakushaku-sama's garden and a knife lay gleaming on the chopping board.
Watari just grinned back in reply.
________________________________________________________________________
"Are you sure there's a knife in here?" Kyo asked doubtfully. Taka had taken him to a 'supply room', with boxes stacked neatly against a wall and a small table at the opposite side, It was barely the size of their kitchen. Taka nudged him in gently and he slipped in behind Kyo and with a barely perceptible click, locked the door softly, and slipped off his glasses, pocketing them in his lab coat.
Kyo was still looking the room over in confusion and had peered into a box suspiciously. "It's all just cleaning materials, Taka. I don't think you can find a knife here," he said doubtfully. He turned around and suddenly found his sensei face to face with him.
"Wha-?"
Taka kissed him then and Kyo was momentarily distracted as Taka's tongue played havoc on his brain. He noticed though, when Taka pushed him gently back until Kyo was half-sitting at the edge of the low table. He broke the kiss off and tried to glare at Taka who was grinning unabashedly back.
"We're at work!" Kyo hissed. "What if someone comes in and finds us?"
Taka shrugged nonchalantly. "I locked the door from the inside."
Kyo's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "You never were planning to get a knife were you?" he demanded.
Taka considered that thoughtfully, tapping a finger to his chin. "No," he said after a while. And smirked.
"Baka! We're at WORK!"
Taka answered that by silencing him with another kiss, this time, the really slow and serious type which, Kyo was furious to admit, turned him into something with the consistency of a pudding. Despite himself, he leaned into the kiss and a moan escaped his throat.
After a few minutes, Taka broke off the kiss again and asked him with a twinkle in his eyes, "Still mad?" his voice mild.
Kyo drew in a ragged breath and gave him a glare. "Yes!"
His sensei sighed then, mock regret on his face. "I guess you leave me with no other choice then but to do this," he announced mournfully. With that, he nudged his leg in between Kyo's and pushed them apart gently. Kyo tried to break free but the man had him pinned against the table and with the sensei's leg in the way and his hands tied behind him, he was, effectively, trapped.
With a low chuckle, Taka leaned down and kissed Kyo's neck softly, just above his rapidly beating pulse. He licked the spot and sucked gently, eliciting a soft moan from the boy. After a slow, tortuous minute, he finally moved on and trailed kisses down Kyo's smooth chest, his hands pushing the torn shirt away and his mouth lingered exquisitely over a nipple, suckling and tasting it with delight. Kyo drew in a stuttered breath and he leaned back slightly, his tied hands propping him up.
"No. . " Kyo protested weakly. "Work. . ." his words were lost as Taka transferred his mouth to another nipple. He arched his back and gasped in pleasure as fingers gently caressed and teased the other one.
Taka sighed. "You're very stubborn today, love." With that, he took off his lab coat and tossed it negligently over one shoulder and took off his tie, loosening it from its knots. Kyo watched, bemused.
"What are you doing?" Kyo's voice was heavy with languor. Somehow he felt that he should be alarmed but he felt too heavy to care. He did care though, when Taka tied it across his mouth.
"What the hell are you doing??!!" he shrieked. Or at least, tried to. What came out was "mmph mmh phhr mmpgh??!!"
"Well, we don't want anyone to hear you do we?" Taka reasoned, cheerfully ignoring his muffled protests and while his mouth was busy decorating Kyo's neck with kisses, one hand sneaked down and started stroking the part where Kyo's pants bulged. The boy whimpered.
Feeling that Kyo was sufficiently subdued, Taka quickly unbuckled the boy's pants, letting it slide down his legs to the floor and pushed Kyo back, so that he was lying on the table. He took Kyo's arousal in his mouth, and with the gentlest of touch, lovingly sucked it, feeling it grow harder and harder in his mouth.
When Kyo started thrusting his hips however, Taka lost control. With ragged gasps, he unbuckled his own pants. He surprised himself when he didn't need any lubricant to slid his own arousal in gently into that hot, deliciously wet warmth and started to thrust rhythmically, slow gentle motions first, while his hand stroked Kyo's and finally, feeling his need mounting, he thrust faster and faster and with a deep moan and a final thrust, he poured his seed into Kyo and a moment later, he felt the hot, sticky liquid trickling down his thigh as Kyo came, bucking and moaning.
He gently helped Kyo to sit up on the table and hugged the trembling body close. With one hand, he took off the tie from Kyo's mouth and gave him a last, long, lingering kiss. When they had calmed down enough, he took out his handkerchief and carefully wiped themselves dry.
In satisfied silence, he buckled his own pants and helped Kyo with his. His hands Taka freed expertly, not even needing a knife in the first place to slip the ropes free. He almost expected Kyo to harp about that but the boy kept silent. Concerned, he took a close look at Kyo and chuckled when he noticed Kyo had a glazed look on his face.
Smug, Taka congratulated himself for not losing his touch. He frowned though, when he finally realized that his Kyo had gotten even more mussed up in the last few minutes and that his shirt was hanging on him by a shoulder only. He bent down, picked up his coat, dusted it off, and covered Kyo with it. Good. At least this way, other people won't be able to ravish his Kyo visually.
They were walking down the hall, back to Watari's lab, Taka pulling Kyo gently along who still had that dreamy look on his face, when they met Hisoka, walking down their way.
"Konnichiwa, Hisoka-kun," Taka called out, smiling.
"Konni-what happened to Kyo?" Hisoka stared in shock and surprise at the older boy who was standing quite still, looking more than a bit lost. The coat he had on could not exactly hide the fact that Kyo's shirt was torn, with the buttons missing.
"Ah. Saya and Yuma got to him. Another makeover. They even tied his hands."
"T-t-tied his hands?" Hisoka spluttered. Apparently, the girls were going one step further in achieving their mission of dressing Kyo up. And if it was that bad for Kyo, how worse could it get for HIM??
"Aa," Taka nodded, a beautifully wry expression on his face. "I'm thinking of getting a restraining order for those two. Poor Kyo is traumatized by his experience."
Anything else he might have said was lost as Hisoka suddenly ran off down the hall.
"Gomen, Watari. For taking so long. I had a hard time getting the ropes off," Taka called out as they walked into the lab. The blond scientist was sitting on a stool, sipping a cup of coffee.
Watari just smiled benignly. "Yes, I could understand that. Ropes can get quite tricky. They have a way of doing that."
"You're so right."
He led Kyo over to the battered couch that sometimes served as the blond's bed when he was too tired to bother going into his small bedroom beside the lab and sat Kyo down on it. Kyo seemed to snap out of his dreamy contemplation for a bit, looked down at the couch, yawned, and said, "I'm going to sleep."
With that, he laid himself down the length of the couch and Taka gently tugged the coat over him.
"So, how did it go?" Taka asked. He crossed the lab to Watari's side and Watari proudly held up a beaker, the liquid inside shimmering a quartz rose pink, seeming to burst with sugar and spice and everything that was nice.
"The new and improved universal gender-changing potion is officially finished!" he announced with a triumphant fist.
"Yokatta!"
On the couch, Kyo gave a groan.
________________________________________________________________________
{I lie down and blind myself with laughter
A quick fix of hope is what I'm needing
And now I wish that I could turn back the hours
But I know I just don't have the power}
________________________________________________________________________
As he sleeps, he dreams.
He dreams not of faraway lands nor of lands created solely by the night but he dreams of his life.
They flash past him in vivid colors, seeming to him even more vivid than going through the actual experience itself when it happened. In his dreams, he was 17 again, watching the man he loves from afar. His eyes linger over the way the man gently bandages a girl's bleeding knee, his touch soft and caring. He wonders what it would feel like to have those same hands touch him. Would it be as soft? As caring?
Flash.
Now he was 16. He was at school and it was Valentine's Day. He blushes as a shower of cards fell out from underneath his desk in class and he laughed along with the rest of his friends as they tease him about his many admirers.
Flash.
15. His birthday. The day had been spent with his friends. Night had fallen and now he was alone in his apartment. His only company was a small cake with a single burning candle on it. A card lay on the table, wishing him many happy returns of the day, from his guardian whom he only saw once a year.
Flash.
14. Another lonely birthday.
As his mind dreamed, his awareness begs for the return of reality. He didn't want to relive his memories. Especially those of when he was young. In the real world, his hands clutched the bed sheets in tense anticipation of the memories he knew he'd be forced to face again soon. He whimpered softly, unconsciously.
Flash.
He was 13 years old. He sat alone in his room which his appointed guardian had given him. His guardian and his wife and kids meanwhile, sat in the living room, toasting each other with glasses of eggnog as they celebrate Christmas. He was alone.
Flash.
12 years old.
{Please, no. . .Please?}
Flash.
11 years old.
{No.}
His hands clenched even tighter, twisting the fabric between sweat-soaked fingers as another whimper escaped his throat. He didn't want to see what was coming. He didn't want to. He didn't want to.
FLASH.
He saw the flames again, licking their way through the floor as black smoke poured boiling in beneath the door. He hears the cracking of timbers weakened by the fire and the crash of something heavy falling through the floor. He saw flames.
The pictures came to him in a fast forward motion, jumping from one scene to the next of that night and superimposed on it, he sees again the moment of his death.
/Taka! Taka, where are you?/
His hands were blackened by soot and one palm was throbbing with pain from where he had accidentally touched a red-hot knob. Tears streamed slowly down his face and his mother wipes them away, whispering in his ear that everything will be alright-
/I can't move! My legs are broken! Get out of here!/
The fire was coming closer and closer. He could feel the floor getting uncomfortably warm even with his bedroom slippers on. Using a grubby hand, he wipes away his tears. He'd promised mommy that he wouldn't cry-
He was falling through the air, his hands hugging Taka close to him as they plummeted down to the waiting rescue bed when a second explosion rocked the air. Pain blossomed suddenly in his chest and he couldn't breathe-
He lay still. Very very still. Maybe, if he was very good and kept very quiet, everything would be alright again. He heard the roar of the fire as it ate through the house, and he heard too, the flames crackling, spitting and snapping savagely in the cold night air. He heard other things as well but he didn't want to know what they meant. He didn't want to. He didn't want to he didn't want to didn't want to didn't want to didn't want to-
Gasping, he awoke with a start, shivering as the air kissed his sweat- drenched skin. He turned his face towards his pillow to muffle his gasps so that Taka wouldn't wake up. He lay there for long minutes as the chills raked him through and through and when he was able to take a deep breath, he released his fingers from their death grip on the sheets.
With another whimper, he sidled close to the warm heat that was Taka and the still sleeping man mumbled something incoherent and hugged the boy closer in his sleep.
Outside the window, the rain fell softly in a gentle patter as the heavens cried their grief.
~to be continued~
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A/N: So how was it? How was it? Hmm? Hmm? Pay special attentions to the dreams, they're a clue to what's going to happen soon! (Yes, Kyo-Torture!) As always, review! Ja ne!