****
Bounty
Part 2
By Splash
****
*_*! Thanks shout-out!: KAWAIIROXY, miya wada, Redrum, Sarah, CC, Jen Minamoto, You'll know eventually, kinu-uni and Rika, thanks a ton for the wonderful feedback. ^^
CC: This one came on sudden inspiration like Enigma, and I hope it keeps coming. ~_^
You'll know eventually: Thanks for pointing out that spelling mistake, I read it over last night and found some other stupid typos... there was supposed to be bird-watching books on Kouji's clothes, not bird-watching birds... ack. XD Usually I revise a few days after publishing. X_X;
Contrast time! Saving plot development for the next chapter, this one's just... Takouji... *_*;
****
" So how do you expect to make sure I don't run off in the middle of the night?" Takuya groaned, facing the doorway as he layed on the bed.
" The door locks on the inside of the room, Takuya," Kouji replied, yawning and turning opposite of the brunette. " You won't be getting hold of the key anytime soon, I can bet."
" How about the window?"
" It's not shatter-proof. If you want to try going through it you can enjoy a more excruciating and gory death than the syringe."
" Well, I'd like to syringe you..." Takuya muttered to himself.
" Not gonna happen."
Takuya remembered the impact of the blow on his back (he could feel the pain of it now), then decided against trying to escape. He was still confused on why there was a guy residing in the room instead of his bounty... and if he had the wrong information, why did Kouji look just like the picture...?
****
He woke up to the smell of fresh bread looming in the air, and got up as he usually did. His first thought was, ' I ought to get some information out of Kouji somehow. Perhaps he knows what happened to Izumi...'
No sooner had he left the bed, when Kouji tossed him an entire half chunk of French bread from the doorway. " Here's breakfast."
Takuya just stared at the mass of food for an instant. " How do you eat so well when you live in a place like this?"
Kouji finished the piece he was eating first, his eyes closed in contemplation. " This is exactly how. I don't have any electricity or water bills to pay for, and people don't even know someone lives here. That's why I can't let you free, I can't trust you to keep this place secret. The money from my job goes completely into my necessities and any extra is saved for emergencies."
It was then when Takuya noticed the boy's wardrobe had changed; he was wearing a nice blue overcoat over his yellow shirt. All in all, he looked quite fine...
Kouji turned deep red again, probably not even aware of what his face was doing. " Aren't you going to eat?"
" Huh? Oh..."
The bandana boy felt slightly relieved as Takuya set his tasks to the food.
" So how did you usually manage as an orphan, Takuya?"
" Sa..." the brunette thought for a moment, " I did singing acts for a friend..." ' this pretending's harder than I thought, even though I'm not telling complete lies.' Kouji looked at him for a while, an analyzing stare piercing through him... For a moment Takuya thought Kouji knew he wasn't telling the absolute truth.
" Ah," Kouji said, ending the matter, " We'll head off to the park in about an hour. I'm going to read for a bit."
" The park...?" but Kouji didn't answer as he took a bird-watching book from the pile of clothes on the floor, and casually hopped onto his bed.
Takuya found himself staring at the boy again, the angle of his shoulders, the flowing movements of his hands... Takuya couldn't keep his eyes off. ' Why the hell,' he thought, ' I don't know what's happening to me...'
He spent the entire hour slowly eating his breakfast and thinking about Kouji. He thought of all the possibilities of the dilemma, but he was unable to confirm any of his ideas with giving out his cover. Or perhaps he could try a different approach...
" It's been an hour, time to head to the park," Kouji said, interrupting his thoughts. He put down his bird-watching book (Takuya noticed that it was a book from the town library) and unlocked the room door. " Come."
Takuya thought to defy him again and make a run for it, but his legs refused to run. Kouji's stare had a strange hold on him, as if some invisble hands were tying his legs up. He followed Kouji down the long outdoor hallway, unable to hear any street sounds. He noticed there were barely any cars in the complex lot even though there were hundreds of rooms... in fact, the entire area was verging on the outskirts of town.
The park wasn't a far walk from Kouji's place, and the sun was only high enough to make a slight chill in the air.
" What time is it?" Takuya asked out of the blue as they walked on the grass next to the sidewalk. Many morning runners went past them, their walkmans dangling at their sides.
" Top of the morning to ya, Kouji," a man appeared near them, the ranger of the park. " Is that friend of yours looking for a park keeping job, too?"
" Yes, sir, he is," Kouji replied, an unusual sense of formality hanging about him.
" Hmm, I can make a 1.5 time increase for your salary to fill that up. Thanks for bringing him, I can the leave the rest up to you."
The quick encounter done (Kouji knew the ranger well), the ranger headed back to the central lodge. " The park is pretty much my second home," Kouji commented, heading towards the lake nearby. Kouji went into a building in the shade (although in the afternoon it would be receiving run rays) and Takuya read the label over the door: bathhouse.
" This park gets tons of funding, the water here is great," said Kouji, echoes bouncing back from the house walls. " We can shower off in here after a day's work, but for now, I just need a refresher."
Takuya quirked his mouth. ' No wonder he doesn't have a water bill.'
Kouji went to one of the sinks and splashed some water onto his face, then swung his face to the sides to shake off the water. Takuya resisted another staring bout and washed his face, too.
They spent the day cleaning litter around the park, tidying up the flower arrangements and cleaning the benches. As the day drew on, and more people came to the park, Kouji went across the park, bringing Takuya to lunch. There was a small café that sold inexpensive sandwiches, so Kouji bought two instead of his usual one, and gave the extra to the brunette. They ate in the café, listening to conversation surrounding them and watching people pass by the window outside.
" It's not so bad, is it," Kouji half-asked Takuya when he finished his sandwich.
" I guess not," he answered, in all honesty. Kouji wasn't as mean as he first thought out to be. Takuya thought he would be a slave-driver type, but instead he was much more compassionate...
When they came back from lunch, Kouji went to a storage building near the central lodge. Within the disarray of items, the bandana boy pulled out a bag of bird food and carried it out, Takuya following. They passed a small fountain with two ducks swimming in it, and reached a bird-feeder post. He filled up the feeder without haste, but as he headed back to the storage building, he stopped to see that a bird was already at the the bird feeder. He and Takuya gazed at it within their distance, as it chirped contently and fed itself.
Takuya saw the look of satisfaction on Kouji's face, and wondered... ' He's not a bad guy at all...'
" Hello again, boy, is that your friend?" said a voice from a nearby bench.
Kouji turned around and made his usual hint of a smile, which was the most of a smile anybody got from him. " Hello, Mr. Shizuma," Kouji said, " This is Takuya."
" Nice to meet you, Takuya."
" Nice to meet you too, Mr. Shizuma."
" Beautiful weather we're having today, no? The springs in this town are always delightful," said the businessman, still in his greysuit, his suitcase sitting next to him on the benches. They chatted for a few minutes before the businessman had to return to his office.
" I see him often. The guy's a nature lover, but was transferred to this town a few years ago. Usually I just listen to him complain about his work, but I don't mind," Kouji said, heading over to a large tree. " Time to enjoy the park for a bit," he continued, heading over to a large tree and climbing a few limbs. He climbed onto a particularly wide limb and layed down on it, putting his arms behind his head.
Takuya wasn't sure of what to do. He was tempted to run off again, and it would have been perfect... Kouji was obviously letting his guard down. However, he couldn't bring himself to actually leave, and found himself rooted to the tree Kouji was resting on. ' I can't just leave him now...'
He ended up staying with Kouji at the tree. For dinner, Kouji let Takuya pick any of the restaurants near the park. Even though they ate at McDonald's, it seriously was the best tasting meal Takuya had had for a long time. Perhaps Kouji's presence had something to do with it...
They showered in the bathhouse right before heading back home (Kouji said he had just gotten his weekly payment so he didn't have to find the ranger), and as if they had been living together all their lives, settled into the small bed and bid each other goodnight.
And thus it went for three days. Takuya spent every waking and sleeping moment with Kouji, and every day Takuya became more fascinated with the other boy, learning more about him with every passing minute. Whether it was bird-watching, eating at the café, talking to Mr. Shizuma or just lazying around doing nothing, Takuya grew more fond of Kouji with everything they did. His hatred quickly melted into a rather different feeling...
They were at the old resting tree again, Takuya sitting on the same limb as Kouji. Takuya leaned back on the trunk of the tree while Kouji faced him as he stretched out against the limb itself. He said nothing to Takuya, as he didn't need to, and closed his eyes to doze off.
Takuya was certain that Kouji was aware that he could run off if he wanted to and would get away with it. But the fact that Kouji trusted him to that extent was enough to keep him around, and something deep inside Takuya truly didn't want to leave Kouji... ever.
' He's got grace...' Takuya noted as the wind blew across Kouji's light features. He felt a strange gut turning in his stomach... At that moment, he completely forgot his bounty hunting duties, and he could only see the boy resting on the tree limb...
He didn't believe until he truly saw it. The gentle curves of Kouji's face, the loose way his clothes clung to his skin, his aura of calmness... Takuya had never met someone so captivating. Right then and there, he came to a conclusion that he had probably known ever since he set eyes on Kouji.
' Kouji's beautiful...'
****
Yes, no, throw me off a cliff? =3
Splash
http://takouji.fateback.com
Bounty
Part 2
By Splash
****
*_*! Thanks shout-out!: KAWAIIROXY, miya wada, Redrum, Sarah, CC, Jen Minamoto, You'll know eventually, kinu-uni and Rika, thanks a ton for the wonderful feedback. ^^
CC: This one came on sudden inspiration like Enigma, and I hope it keeps coming. ~_^
You'll know eventually: Thanks for pointing out that spelling mistake, I read it over last night and found some other stupid typos... there was supposed to be bird-watching books on Kouji's clothes, not bird-watching birds... ack. XD Usually I revise a few days after publishing. X_X;
Contrast time! Saving plot development for the next chapter, this one's just... Takouji... *_*;
****
" So how do you expect to make sure I don't run off in the middle of the night?" Takuya groaned, facing the doorway as he layed on the bed.
" The door locks on the inside of the room, Takuya," Kouji replied, yawning and turning opposite of the brunette. " You won't be getting hold of the key anytime soon, I can bet."
" How about the window?"
" It's not shatter-proof. If you want to try going through it you can enjoy a more excruciating and gory death than the syringe."
" Well, I'd like to syringe you..." Takuya muttered to himself.
" Not gonna happen."
Takuya remembered the impact of the blow on his back (he could feel the pain of it now), then decided against trying to escape. He was still confused on why there was a guy residing in the room instead of his bounty... and if he had the wrong information, why did Kouji look just like the picture...?
****
He woke up to the smell of fresh bread looming in the air, and got up as he usually did. His first thought was, ' I ought to get some information out of Kouji somehow. Perhaps he knows what happened to Izumi...'
No sooner had he left the bed, when Kouji tossed him an entire half chunk of French bread from the doorway. " Here's breakfast."
Takuya just stared at the mass of food for an instant. " How do you eat so well when you live in a place like this?"
Kouji finished the piece he was eating first, his eyes closed in contemplation. " This is exactly how. I don't have any electricity or water bills to pay for, and people don't even know someone lives here. That's why I can't let you free, I can't trust you to keep this place secret. The money from my job goes completely into my necessities and any extra is saved for emergencies."
It was then when Takuya noticed the boy's wardrobe had changed; he was wearing a nice blue overcoat over his yellow shirt. All in all, he looked quite fine...
Kouji turned deep red again, probably not even aware of what his face was doing. " Aren't you going to eat?"
" Huh? Oh..."
The bandana boy felt slightly relieved as Takuya set his tasks to the food.
" So how did you usually manage as an orphan, Takuya?"
" Sa..." the brunette thought for a moment, " I did singing acts for a friend..." ' this pretending's harder than I thought, even though I'm not telling complete lies.' Kouji looked at him for a while, an analyzing stare piercing through him... For a moment Takuya thought Kouji knew he wasn't telling the absolute truth.
" Ah," Kouji said, ending the matter, " We'll head off to the park in about an hour. I'm going to read for a bit."
" The park...?" but Kouji didn't answer as he took a bird-watching book from the pile of clothes on the floor, and casually hopped onto his bed.
Takuya found himself staring at the boy again, the angle of his shoulders, the flowing movements of his hands... Takuya couldn't keep his eyes off. ' Why the hell,' he thought, ' I don't know what's happening to me...'
He spent the entire hour slowly eating his breakfast and thinking about Kouji. He thought of all the possibilities of the dilemma, but he was unable to confirm any of his ideas with giving out his cover. Or perhaps he could try a different approach...
" It's been an hour, time to head to the park," Kouji said, interrupting his thoughts. He put down his bird-watching book (Takuya noticed that it was a book from the town library) and unlocked the room door. " Come."
Takuya thought to defy him again and make a run for it, but his legs refused to run. Kouji's stare had a strange hold on him, as if some invisble hands were tying his legs up. He followed Kouji down the long outdoor hallway, unable to hear any street sounds. He noticed there were barely any cars in the complex lot even though there were hundreds of rooms... in fact, the entire area was verging on the outskirts of town.
The park wasn't a far walk from Kouji's place, and the sun was only high enough to make a slight chill in the air.
" What time is it?" Takuya asked out of the blue as they walked on the grass next to the sidewalk. Many morning runners went past them, their walkmans dangling at their sides.
" Top of the morning to ya, Kouji," a man appeared near them, the ranger of the park. " Is that friend of yours looking for a park keeping job, too?"
" Yes, sir, he is," Kouji replied, an unusual sense of formality hanging about him.
" Hmm, I can make a 1.5 time increase for your salary to fill that up. Thanks for bringing him, I can the leave the rest up to you."
The quick encounter done (Kouji knew the ranger well), the ranger headed back to the central lodge. " The park is pretty much my second home," Kouji commented, heading towards the lake nearby. Kouji went into a building in the shade (although in the afternoon it would be receiving run rays) and Takuya read the label over the door: bathhouse.
" This park gets tons of funding, the water here is great," said Kouji, echoes bouncing back from the house walls. " We can shower off in here after a day's work, but for now, I just need a refresher."
Takuya quirked his mouth. ' No wonder he doesn't have a water bill.'
Kouji went to one of the sinks and splashed some water onto his face, then swung his face to the sides to shake off the water. Takuya resisted another staring bout and washed his face, too.
They spent the day cleaning litter around the park, tidying up the flower arrangements and cleaning the benches. As the day drew on, and more people came to the park, Kouji went across the park, bringing Takuya to lunch. There was a small café that sold inexpensive sandwiches, so Kouji bought two instead of his usual one, and gave the extra to the brunette. They ate in the café, listening to conversation surrounding them and watching people pass by the window outside.
" It's not so bad, is it," Kouji half-asked Takuya when he finished his sandwich.
" I guess not," he answered, in all honesty. Kouji wasn't as mean as he first thought out to be. Takuya thought he would be a slave-driver type, but instead he was much more compassionate...
When they came back from lunch, Kouji went to a storage building near the central lodge. Within the disarray of items, the bandana boy pulled out a bag of bird food and carried it out, Takuya following. They passed a small fountain with two ducks swimming in it, and reached a bird-feeder post. He filled up the feeder without haste, but as he headed back to the storage building, he stopped to see that a bird was already at the the bird feeder. He and Takuya gazed at it within their distance, as it chirped contently and fed itself.
Takuya saw the look of satisfaction on Kouji's face, and wondered... ' He's not a bad guy at all...'
" Hello again, boy, is that your friend?" said a voice from a nearby bench.
Kouji turned around and made his usual hint of a smile, which was the most of a smile anybody got from him. " Hello, Mr. Shizuma," Kouji said, " This is Takuya."
" Nice to meet you, Takuya."
" Nice to meet you too, Mr. Shizuma."
" Beautiful weather we're having today, no? The springs in this town are always delightful," said the businessman, still in his greysuit, his suitcase sitting next to him on the benches. They chatted for a few minutes before the businessman had to return to his office.
" I see him often. The guy's a nature lover, but was transferred to this town a few years ago. Usually I just listen to him complain about his work, but I don't mind," Kouji said, heading over to a large tree. " Time to enjoy the park for a bit," he continued, heading over to a large tree and climbing a few limbs. He climbed onto a particularly wide limb and layed down on it, putting his arms behind his head.
Takuya wasn't sure of what to do. He was tempted to run off again, and it would have been perfect... Kouji was obviously letting his guard down. However, he couldn't bring himself to actually leave, and found himself rooted to the tree Kouji was resting on. ' I can't just leave him now...'
He ended up staying with Kouji at the tree. For dinner, Kouji let Takuya pick any of the restaurants near the park. Even though they ate at McDonald's, it seriously was the best tasting meal Takuya had had for a long time. Perhaps Kouji's presence had something to do with it...
They showered in the bathhouse right before heading back home (Kouji said he had just gotten his weekly payment so he didn't have to find the ranger), and as if they had been living together all their lives, settled into the small bed and bid each other goodnight.
And thus it went for three days. Takuya spent every waking and sleeping moment with Kouji, and every day Takuya became more fascinated with the other boy, learning more about him with every passing minute. Whether it was bird-watching, eating at the café, talking to Mr. Shizuma or just lazying around doing nothing, Takuya grew more fond of Kouji with everything they did. His hatred quickly melted into a rather different feeling...
They were at the old resting tree again, Takuya sitting on the same limb as Kouji. Takuya leaned back on the trunk of the tree while Kouji faced him as he stretched out against the limb itself. He said nothing to Takuya, as he didn't need to, and closed his eyes to doze off.
Takuya was certain that Kouji was aware that he could run off if he wanted to and would get away with it. But the fact that Kouji trusted him to that extent was enough to keep him around, and something deep inside Takuya truly didn't want to leave Kouji... ever.
' He's got grace...' Takuya noted as the wind blew across Kouji's light features. He felt a strange gut turning in his stomach... At that moment, he completely forgot his bounty hunting duties, and he could only see the boy resting on the tree limb...
He didn't believe until he truly saw it. The gentle curves of Kouji's face, the loose way his clothes clung to his skin, his aura of calmness... Takuya had never met someone so captivating. Right then and there, he came to a conclusion that he had probably known ever since he set eyes on Kouji.
' Kouji's beautiful...'
****
Yes, no, throw me off a cliff? =3
Splash
http://takouji.fateback.com