*Okie... 10th chapter. Y'all ready for it? XD Hahaha. Heehee. Anyway, I STILL don't own Furuba. u.u; Oh well. I'll deal. ^_^ Oh, and this chapter is mostly Ayame-centric. n.n;;; I wanted him to have his own chapter, anyway. On with the chapter!*
Aite - Chapter 10 - Hopeless?
"Akito-san?!" Ayame exclaimed as he lowered himself to the boy who hadn't moved from the spot he'd been left in. Slender digits ran through the dark hair that belonged to the god as the snake's other hand lightly brushed him off. "What happened? Why are you here? And in Yuki's room, no le--" he cut himself off, golden eyes going wide as it dawned on him. It all made perfect sense -- why Akito was in this room and Yuki and Kyo weren't anywhere around.
Akito growled and pushed Ayame away, sneering as he pushed himself to his feet and shuffled out of the room. Both brows furrowed, he turned his head to the side to glance over at the white-haired boy, "Don't ask me all those damn questions! You annoying idiot! Where's that disobeying rat?!" Arms down at his sides, slender digits curled into fists and he shook his head, only growing more angered at the snake's sudden decision to fall silent. "Never mind!" he snapped as he exited the room, leaving the other alone. He'd take his anger out on that disgusting and vile cat!
Ayame just sighed and hung his head as he ran fingers through his hair, trying not to let the fact that he'd been shunned get to him. It was hard to accept the obvious -- that Akito had a ...thing... for his brother. It was hard to accept the fact that no matter how hard he tried to get Akito's attention that he never would. I wouldn't matter. He would never matter to Akito. Yuki was special. Yuki was untouchable to anyone but Akito.
Pushing himself up to his own feet, Ayame exited the room, as well -- golden eyes downcast as he crossed his arms over his chest. "There's no point in this. No point in complicated love matters like this. Yuki loves Kyo, Kyo loves Yuki. Akito loves Yuki, I love Akito..." he told himself out loud, hanging his head as he whispered it numerous times before moving on and slipping into his thoughts. /...Why not Gure-san or Ha-san? I grew up with them! We're like brothers.. Why not one of them? Maybe that's the problem -- we got so close that it'd seem odd if one of us paired off with another. But then why am I head-over-heals for Akito? That heartless bastard who only seems to be interested in making us suffer and ... and my brother./
He blinked as he turned a corner into an empty room, a slender brow raising at the bowl of water and mat resting on the floor. "They must have been here," he commented as he shoved his thoughts aside, "But where are they now?" Shuffling across the floor, he inspected the semi-empty room before shrugging and leaving, deciding the two must have gone elsewhere... /I know!/ he thought rather enthusiastically as he hopped down the hall towards Kyo's room, /They wouldn't have left! Where would they go? No where! They're right where everyone thought they wouldn't be! Right under our noses!/
Quickening his steps, he made his way to Kyo's room, sliding the door open before stepping into the room. "Yuki? Kyo?" he asked as he slid the door shut and crept ever-so-slowly to a bundled-up heap in the nearest corner. Stretching out an arm, a small hand grasping a rather heavy blanket before he slowly pulled it out towards himself, revealing the two boys. He blinked and released his grip on the blanket before falling to his knees and pulling both of the equally frightened and courageous lovers into his arms. "Nene, you two! I'm so glad to see you're alright! But it seems you need some clothes…."
Yuki blinked, a slender brow raising as he raised his head to glance at his older brother, "Ayame-kun…"
The snake blushed rather deeply at that name and only tightened his grip on thy younger ones as he placed a kiss atop Yuki's head. He was extremely happy that Yuki had decided to address him as he would have if they would have had a better relationship -- perhaps some things weren't so bad, after all. "My little Yuki," he whispered as he placed yet another kiss atop the boys head before averting his attention to the sleeping red-head.
"He's been sleeping for a while now, but he's regained enough of his strength to turn back…" Yuki paused, trailing off for a few seconds as he shot the sleeping boy a worried glance, "I can't wake him up. I've been trying to but I just can't. He wants to take him away… I have to wake him up, he has to get away from here…" Tears were welling up in the boys eyes as he spoke, crystal-clear streams of the salty liquid then allowing themselves access to the boys cheeks.
"Calm down, Yuki. It's not as bad as it seems…"
"Yes it is!" Yuki retorted as he wrapped his arms around Kyo, glaring rather evilly at his brother as he did so. "Or doesn't it matter to you?! The fact that he and I are going through hell?! I'm not putting up with it!"
"YOU HAVE TO DEAL WITH IT!" the snake snapped in response as he threw his gaze to the floor, "…He's our God, Yuki. We are his followers."
"Prisoners."
"…Regardless, there's nothing we can do but deal with it. He's not as bad as he seems, though… maybe if you just headed his words… maybe if you got to know him."
Yuki sneered, "the way you know him? I'm sorry, but I don't plan in getting to know him so well that I fall in love with him." Huffing and puffing, the mouse ran his fingers through the cats hair as he watched him sleep before slender digits fell to trace the marks left behind by Akito's aggressive behavior. "And I can't ever just love someone who hurts those closest to me."
Ayame blinked in confusion a few times as he looked down at the silver-haired boy, golden hues half-lidded as he slipped into his thoughts, /…He knows how I feel about him? How? It's not obvious at all… I haven't hinted anything… How could he know?/ Sighing, he hung his head and released his grip on the boys before standing up. He turned on his heels and started for the door, a hand reaching up to brush snow-white filaments that had strayed themselves away from his face.
"You know the outcome of this. You know what's going to happen… he doesn't see you… And you wont ever get past that cold exterior, he'll never let you that close to him."
Ayame paused in his steps for a few seconds, lowering his head as he rubbed at the back of his neck, "I'm getting Gure-san…and then I'll call Ha-san so he can do what he must, you two can try fleeing but you wont get very far. I promise you that. Yuki," he said as he started towards the door again, a hand casually sliding it open as he prepared to make his leave, "…don't do anything else that will screw up your life even more than it already is. You're on Akito-san's hit list now… be careful."
Yuki sighed, tumbling over onto his back and pulling Kyo atop him as he watched his brother leave, "He'll be here soon, Kyo… hopefully he'll fix you up."
. . . . . .
A melancholy Ayame made his way down the hall, peeking into each room as he past it while he made his way through the home. He'd managed to keep quite silent as he walked, small shoed feet gliding along the wood of the floor as he went about his search. He'd thought all too much about what Yuki had said but he wasn't the type to just give up when it came to matters like this -- matters of love.
Sure, he loved Shigure and Hatori, too… and Mine… but Akito… he was different. Akito ruled him, everything he did… The way he lived his life, his daily routine. Akito had a dominance over him that no one else had -- Ayame was fascinated by that dominance, by that power… By those eyes that shimmered with both cruel hatred and hidden love… Akito… Akito was the only person who could play the role he did.
He perked up and slid next to the wall, sliding to the corner as he listened to faint voices that trailed from the next room. Brushing snow-white filaments behind his ears with a few gestures from his hands, he placed an ear against the wall and listened in -- the familiar voices of Shigure and Akito interesting him all too much… but then poked his head out a bit around the corner as if to catch a glimpse of what was going on.
"Just calm down, there's no reason to make yourself sick!" Shigure half-shouted as he placed his hands on the boys shoulders, "Please, Akito-san…"
"Don't tell me there's no reason! He disobeyed me! He went against my words! I can't allow this… I wont take this lightly. I must remind him of what happens when he steps out of line."
"…But… you're taking this too harshly and you're already sick… You're making it worse!"
"I'm not! You don't know what you're talking about!"
"I caught you coughing up blood just a few minutes ago after you ranted and screamed your lungs out! Don't tell me I don't know what I'm talking about!"
/Akito…/ Ayame slid down to the floor, folding his legs beneath him as he watched the two, having half a mind to make an entrance… but the other half wanted to hear more -- the all-too-worried tone in Shigure's voice hinted something a little off-chord.
"You…" Shigure started as he noticed the rather depressed look on Akito's face after he'd stated what he had, "You're the most precious thing in the world to me, I don't want to loose you any sooner than I must." He placed a hand on the boys cheek as he moved closer, his free hand falling to snake around Akito's tiny waist.
Golden eyes shot wide open at Shigure's obvious love confession and Ayame found himself slipping back in the direction in which he came, only to bump into a rather hard object. Turning his head to look over his shoulder, tear-filled eyes met legs and, after glancing up, those quivering lips of his parted at he whispered "…Ha-…san…"
"A..ya? Is everything alright?" he asked as he helped the other up to his feet, "What's wrong? Why are you crying?" A bent index finger carefully wiped the tears from those golden eyes of Ayame as he spoke, "I'm not used to seeing you upset…"
"Ah," Ayame started as a smile played its way across his lips -- one that would surely cover up anything all-too horrible. "It's nothing, Ha-san… just silly matters that don't mean a thing when looked carefully at." He then paused as he choked more tears back and wrapped his arms about himself. "You're needed upstairs…"
Hatori gave a worried nod as he headed in the direction Ayame started off in, only to pause halfway up the steps and sigh. "Ayame."
The snake blinked, raising a brow as he turned and tilted his head at Hatori only to have himself pulled into a rather tight hug. Golden eyes went wide as he felt Hatori's arms tighten around him, lips parting ever so slightly as he felt the dragons fingers rake through his hair.
"I can see right through that mask you're wearing, that pain's too evident in your eyes. A simple smile can't hide that from me, I know you too well. Kyo and Yuki are fine, they know how to take care of themselves.." he paused and leaned in closer to Ayame in order to rest his chin on his shoulder, "Sometimes just talking is the best remedy for things like this. …Care to let me try to ease that pain of yours?"
"I'll tell you everything… after I make us some tea…"
*There. The end of chapter 10. Sorry it took so long to post it. -____- I can be so slow sometimes! Actually, I was caught up in school work. XD Oh well.*
Aite - Chapter 10 - Hopeless?
"Akito-san?!" Ayame exclaimed as he lowered himself to the boy who hadn't moved from the spot he'd been left in. Slender digits ran through the dark hair that belonged to the god as the snake's other hand lightly brushed him off. "What happened? Why are you here? And in Yuki's room, no le--" he cut himself off, golden eyes going wide as it dawned on him. It all made perfect sense -- why Akito was in this room and Yuki and Kyo weren't anywhere around.
Akito growled and pushed Ayame away, sneering as he pushed himself to his feet and shuffled out of the room. Both brows furrowed, he turned his head to the side to glance over at the white-haired boy, "Don't ask me all those damn questions! You annoying idiot! Where's that disobeying rat?!" Arms down at his sides, slender digits curled into fists and he shook his head, only growing more angered at the snake's sudden decision to fall silent. "Never mind!" he snapped as he exited the room, leaving the other alone. He'd take his anger out on that disgusting and vile cat!
Ayame just sighed and hung his head as he ran fingers through his hair, trying not to let the fact that he'd been shunned get to him. It was hard to accept the obvious -- that Akito had a ...thing... for his brother. It was hard to accept the fact that no matter how hard he tried to get Akito's attention that he never would. I wouldn't matter. He would never matter to Akito. Yuki was special. Yuki was untouchable to anyone but Akito.
Pushing himself up to his own feet, Ayame exited the room, as well -- golden eyes downcast as he crossed his arms over his chest. "There's no point in this. No point in complicated love matters like this. Yuki loves Kyo, Kyo loves Yuki. Akito loves Yuki, I love Akito..." he told himself out loud, hanging his head as he whispered it numerous times before moving on and slipping into his thoughts. /...Why not Gure-san or Ha-san? I grew up with them! We're like brothers.. Why not one of them? Maybe that's the problem -- we got so close that it'd seem odd if one of us paired off with another. But then why am I head-over-heals for Akito? That heartless bastard who only seems to be interested in making us suffer and ... and my brother./
He blinked as he turned a corner into an empty room, a slender brow raising at the bowl of water and mat resting on the floor. "They must have been here," he commented as he shoved his thoughts aside, "But where are they now?" Shuffling across the floor, he inspected the semi-empty room before shrugging and leaving, deciding the two must have gone elsewhere... /I know!/ he thought rather enthusiastically as he hopped down the hall towards Kyo's room, /They wouldn't have left! Where would they go? No where! They're right where everyone thought they wouldn't be! Right under our noses!/
Quickening his steps, he made his way to Kyo's room, sliding the door open before stepping into the room. "Yuki? Kyo?" he asked as he slid the door shut and crept ever-so-slowly to a bundled-up heap in the nearest corner. Stretching out an arm, a small hand grasping a rather heavy blanket before he slowly pulled it out towards himself, revealing the two boys. He blinked and released his grip on the blanket before falling to his knees and pulling both of the equally frightened and courageous lovers into his arms. "Nene, you two! I'm so glad to see you're alright! But it seems you need some clothes…."
Yuki blinked, a slender brow raising as he raised his head to glance at his older brother, "Ayame-kun…"
The snake blushed rather deeply at that name and only tightened his grip on thy younger ones as he placed a kiss atop Yuki's head. He was extremely happy that Yuki had decided to address him as he would have if they would have had a better relationship -- perhaps some things weren't so bad, after all. "My little Yuki," he whispered as he placed yet another kiss atop the boys head before averting his attention to the sleeping red-head.
"He's been sleeping for a while now, but he's regained enough of his strength to turn back…" Yuki paused, trailing off for a few seconds as he shot the sleeping boy a worried glance, "I can't wake him up. I've been trying to but I just can't. He wants to take him away… I have to wake him up, he has to get away from here…" Tears were welling up in the boys eyes as he spoke, crystal-clear streams of the salty liquid then allowing themselves access to the boys cheeks.
"Calm down, Yuki. It's not as bad as it seems…"
"Yes it is!" Yuki retorted as he wrapped his arms around Kyo, glaring rather evilly at his brother as he did so. "Or doesn't it matter to you?! The fact that he and I are going through hell?! I'm not putting up with it!"
"YOU HAVE TO DEAL WITH IT!" the snake snapped in response as he threw his gaze to the floor, "…He's our God, Yuki. We are his followers."
"Prisoners."
"…Regardless, there's nothing we can do but deal with it. He's not as bad as he seems, though… maybe if you just headed his words… maybe if you got to know him."
Yuki sneered, "the way you know him? I'm sorry, but I don't plan in getting to know him so well that I fall in love with him." Huffing and puffing, the mouse ran his fingers through the cats hair as he watched him sleep before slender digits fell to trace the marks left behind by Akito's aggressive behavior. "And I can't ever just love someone who hurts those closest to me."
Ayame blinked in confusion a few times as he looked down at the silver-haired boy, golden hues half-lidded as he slipped into his thoughts, /…He knows how I feel about him? How? It's not obvious at all… I haven't hinted anything… How could he know?/ Sighing, he hung his head and released his grip on the boys before standing up. He turned on his heels and started for the door, a hand reaching up to brush snow-white filaments that had strayed themselves away from his face.
"You know the outcome of this. You know what's going to happen… he doesn't see you… And you wont ever get past that cold exterior, he'll never let you that close to him."
Ayame paused in his steps for a few seconds, lowering his head as he rubbed at the back of his neck, "I'm getting Gure-san…and then I'll call Ha-san so he can do what he must, you two can try fleeing but you wont get very far. I promise you that. Yuki," he said as he started towards the door again, a hand casually sliding it open as he prepared to make his leave, "…don't do anything else that will screw up your life even more than it already is. You're on Akito-san's hit list now… be careful."
Yuki sighed, tumbling over onto his back and pulling Kyo atop him as he watched his brother leave, "He'll be here soon, Kyo… hopefully he'll fix you up."
. . . . . .
A melancholy Ayame made his way down the hall, peeking into each room as he past it while he made his way through the home. He'd managed to keep quite silent as he walked, small shoed feet gliding along the wood of the floor as he went about his search. He'd thought all too much about what Yuki had said but he wasn't the type to just give up when it came to matters like this -- matters of love.
Sure, he loved Shigure and Hatori, too… and Mine… but Akito… he was different. Akito ruled him, everything he did… The way he lived his life, his daily routine. Akito had a dominance over him that no one else had -- Ayame was fascinated by that dominance, by that power… By those eyes that shimmered with both cruel hatred and hidden love… Akito… Akito was the only person who could play the role he did.
He perked up and slid next to the wall, sliding to the corner as he listened to faint voices that trailed from the next room. Brushing snow-white filaments behind his ears with a few gestures from his hands, he placed an ear against the wall and listened in -- the familiar voices of Shigure and Akito interesting him all too much… but then poked his head out a bit around the corner as if to catch a glimpse of what was going on.
"Just calm down, there's no reason to make yourself sick!" Shigure half-shouted as he placed his hands on the boys shoulders, "Please, Akito-san…"
"Don't tell me there's no reason! He disobeyed me! He went against my words! I can't allow this… I wont take this lightly. I must remind him of what happens when he steps out of line."
"…But… you're taking this too harshly and you're already sick… You're making it worse!"
"I'm not! You don't know what you're talking about!"
"I caught you coughing up blood just a few minutes ago after you ranted and screamed your lungs out! Don't tell me I don't know what I'm talking about!"
/Akito…/ Ayame slid down to the floor, folding his legs beneath him as he watched the two, having half a mind to make an entrance… but the other half wanted to hear more -- the all-too-worried tone in Shigure's voice hinted something a little off-chord.
"You…" Shigure started as he noticed the rather depressed look on Akito's face after he'd stated what he had, "You're the most precious thing in the world to me, I don't want to loose you any sooner than I must." He placed a hand on the boys cheek as he moved closer, his free hand falling to snake around Akito's tiny waist.
Golden eyes shot wide open at Shigure's obvious love confession and Ayame found himself slipping back in the direction in which he came, only to bump into a rather hard object. Turning his head to look over his shoulder, tear-filled eyes met legs and, after glancing up, those quivering lips of his parted at he whispered "…Ha-…san…"
"A..ya? Is everything alright?" he asked as he helped the other up to his feet, "What's wrong? Why are you crying?" A bent index finger carefully wiped the tears from those golden eyes of Ayame as he spoke, "I'm not used to seeing you upset…"
"Ah," Ayame started as a smile played its way across his lips -- one that would surely cover up anything all-too horrible. "It's nothing, Ha-san… just silly matters that don't mean a thing when looked carefully at." He then paused as he choked more tears back and wrapped his arms about himself. "You're needed upstairs…"
Hatori gave a worried nod as he headed in the direction Ayame started off in, only to pause halfway up the steps and sigh. "Ayame."
The snake blinked, raising a brow as he turned and tilted his head at Hatori only to have himself pulled into a rather tight hug. Golden eyes went wide as he felt Hatori's arms tighten around him, lips parting ever so slightly as he felt the dragons fingers rake through his hair.
"I can see right through that mask you're wearing, that pain's too evident in your eyes. A simple smile can't hide that from me, I know you too well. Kyo and Yuki are fine, they know how to take care of themselves.." he paused and leaned in closer to Ayame in order to rest his chin on his shoulder, "Sometimes just talking is the best remedy for things like this. …Care to let me try to ease that pain of yours?"
"I'll tell you everything… after I make us some tea…"
*There. The end of chapter 10. Sorry it took so long to post it. -____- I can be so slow sometimes! Actually, I was caught up in school work. XD Oh well.*