My Best Friend ~ Accompany fic to Memories of Another Day
[Kyousuke]
"Kuroudo, where are you going?"
He grabbed hold of the taller boy's arm and forced him to turn around and face him. The latter did, with cold, sober eyes trained on him. He felt an icy chill run down his back as he averted his gaze. Those eyes...
"Kuroudo, where are you going?" he repeated his question, a pleading tone now mixed in. The sounds coming from the backroom of the Tobita Club HQ faded away into silence as the answer came, indifferent but suffering:
"I'm going."
"Where?" he asked again, taking a step back as the doors suddenly burst open behind Kuroudo with a strong gust of wind. His grip on the other's arm started to loosen and he stared down unbelievingly at his hand.
"I'm going," Kuroudo said once more, beginning to back away. "Away," he finished as he crossed the threshold of the club. His hand on his arm finally failed, letting go. Kuroudo turned around and began to run away. He wanted to shout out at him, to call him back, but he couldn't, his voice stuck in his throat. He just watched, watched as his best friend ran away and then –
"KUROUDO!"
~*~
"No, don't go...don't go..."
"Kyousuke? Kyousuke, wake up!"
His eyes shot open to meet light blue ones filled with concern. It took him a few seconds to realize who they belonged to, and when he did he grabbed Kuroudo by the front of his shirt and held on to him tightly. He felt his best friend register surprise and then a hand gently stroking the back of his head. After a while, he finally let go.
"Are you okay, Kyousuke?" Kuroudo asked as he shifted from a kneeling position into a cross-sitting one in front of him. They were in the blonde's room, down on sleeping bags laid side by side. "Were you having a nightmare?" It was more of a statement than a question.
"Yeah," he answered vaguely, sitting up himself. "It was..." he trailed off, unable to finish.
"Was..?" Kuroudo prompted.
He shook his head. "Never mind."
"Well, if you don't want to," Kuroudo said, shrugging his shoulders. His best friend pushed the golden strands that have fallen on top of his eyes with one hand and then began to settle back down into his sleeping bag. "Hey, listen, don't think of Lan Fan's arrival tomorrow too much. Stress can cause nightmares and worse things, you know."
"Kuroudo!" he exclaimed, blushing as he settled into his as well. The whole Si Xing Hu Tuan team was arriving tomorrow morning and that was the main reason why he was sleeping over at Kuroudo's tonight, so that Lilika and Takeshi could pick both of them up here.
"Just kidding," Kuroudo replied, turning off the desk lamp he had placed on the floor next to the two of them. The room was plunged into darkness once again.
"Kuroudo?" he called in a soft voice after a few seconds of silence. "We're best friends and we will be forever, right?"
A pause. "Of course."
"Promise?"
"Yeah, Kyousuke, sure." Kuroudo sounded very sleepy already, barely awake. "Don't think too much...night, Kyousuke..." his best friend mumbled, drifting off to sleep.
~*~
[Kuroudo]
The airport was filled with the usual crowd that day - people either seeing someone off or meeting someone arriving. A young pick-pocket of about fifteen or so of age wearing a black leather jacket glided through the throng nonchalantly, stealing the wallets of randomly picked victims until he was caught by security. He looked terrified as the officer led him away with one hand firmly clasped on his left shoulder, eyes the color of obsidian darting from left to right as he searched for a chance to get away. When they were far enough away from everybody else, the officer stopped and turned around to glare at him.
A few meters from where they were, a person with light blue eyes watched curiously. The young thief had his eyes cast down, mumbling answers to the questions barked at him by the officer under his breath. Both man and lad's voices were subdued, as to not cause a scene and catch everyone's attention, but he heard their words clearly nonetheless. He supposed it's not a becoming trait, to listen in on other people's conversations, ones that didn't concern him at all, but it is really not one's fault if he 'overhears', is it?
"...that m-man in the b-blue suit...n-no, sir...that w-woman, the one in the r-red dress..."
Now the young man was pointing out the people he had stolen from, voice trembling. It was quite a list. He listened on for a few minutes, his own eyes trying to pick the ones described out of the crowd, of boredom more than anything, until he finally lost interest and glanced down at his watch. He shook his head upon seeing the time and crossed his arms in front of him.
He was there with some of his friends, waiting for the arrival of some 'acquaintances'. To conform with tradition though, the certain plane they were on the look-out for was late, half an hour late to be exact. In truth he cared not to stay - not that he really needed to actually, despite a certain brown-haired someone's reasons and justifications too complex to be repeated - but had decided to, if only to keep his best friend company. And speaking of his best friend...
"Jirou, why don't you put a leash on Kouya now and I'll put one on Kyousuke?" he asked, turning to the one beside him, his face a mask of pure seriousness as he spoke. The slightest shadow of a smile flickered across his face as he jerked his head towards where the two aforementioned hyper-active boys rocked on their heels a few feet from them, too much excited to stand still. "I'm afraid they will both hit the roof at the rate they're going."
Upon hearing this, his best friend, the renowned gearmaster Kyousuke Jin, quickly stopped fretting, looking calm and cool as he shot an icy cold glare towards their direction. For some reason, maybe because of the likeness of their shades, Kyousuke's eyes reminded him of those of the pick-pocket's, only that the latter's were terrified as his best friend's will never be. He turned away and saw, on the other hand, Kouya laughing, stepping out of the reach of Jirou, who was doing a 'putting on a leash' movement. He laughed as well and turned back to the still fuming gearmaster.
"Oh Kyousuke, you know I didn't mean it," he chided, shaking his head as he grinned at him. Kyousuke grinned back.
"Yeah, I know."
"Besides, even if you do hit the roof, that won't make them suddenly appear in front of us. Lilika and Kao-"
He broke off, hearing familiar voices a distance behind him. He grinned and side-stepped so as not to block anything from Kyousuke, who was a tad bit shorter than him. His eyes caught Kouya's and he nodded, grinning as he turned around.
It was like those slow-mo, over-exaggerated scenes in movies where the crowd seems to shift and divide in half, the people you are waiting for cutting through them as they approach you. Lilika, Takeshi, Kaoru and the four members of the Si Xing Hu Tuan - Wang Hu, Lan Fan, Li Chun and Ma Ran - were met by shouts from the four gearfighters of the Tobita Club Team.
His eyes first made contact with that of the gearmistress Lan Fan, the two of them being around the same height. She smiled at him and nodded her head slightly, he smiled back as he regarded her. She didn't look like she has changed at all. Same warrior stature in clothes of pale pink and that spear - it's still by her side even though he doubted Customs had allowed it inside the plane with her, it probably got stuck with the cargo. Her hair flowed down past her shoulders today, unbound, accenting her dark black eyes which, when he looked back to again, were now fixed on his best friend. He smiled and turned to his side, wondering what Kyousuke's reaction would be like, only to see him looking down with a slight blush across his cheeks. He laughed and pushed him forward. Kyousuke turned his head and glared at him as he stumbled, managing to catch his balance just before he landed on top of Lan Fan. Kyousuke then shot him a pointed look and he turned away to give the two some privacy.
~*~
[Kyousuke]
"Wang Hu's staying with Kouya while Ma Ran's hanging around at Jirou's. Li Chun's with Kaoru, I suppose, I'm actually beginning to suspect he has a crush on her. The other night in the plane..."
Kyousuke glanced down at his watch as he half-listened and nodded his head to Lan Fan's ranting on the whereabouts of the rest of her team, glancing up and down the street. He shook his head when he still couldn't find a sign of his best friend anywhere and then took off his glasses and wiped off the beads of perspiration on his forehead. His dream last night still bothered him to no end, and it drove him crazy whenever he looses sight of Kuroudo. It is a very unfortunate thing then for his sanity that the group had decided to split up earlier that lunch and in his conversation with the blonde, the other had the last say.
"Kyousuke?" Lan Fan called, glancing at him worriedly. He had gotten lost in his own world of thoughts. "Are you okay?" He smiled at her and then nodded his head in assurance. She smiled back. The two of them walked on in silence.
...Kyousuke? I just have to do a couple of things at home. I'll meet up with you guys at the amusement park...nah, not that one that held the Illusion Cup...wha-? Oh come on, Kyousuke. Besides, it'll give you some time alone with Lan Fan...okay, just kidding. But really, I think she's only waiting for you to admit it or something...if you say so, but I still think you should go for it. ..alright. I'll see you later. 'Bye...
He ran his best friend's words earlier that day in his mind and then blushed, the faint pink streaks across his cheeks luckily not so out of place under the hot glare of the sun. They came to a crossing point on the road and he trailed a way off behind Lan Fan and then –
"Lan Fan?"
"Yes, Kyousuke?" Lan Fan asked, stopping and turning around to look at him. She tossed his hair behind her shoulders then smiled at him sweetly. "What is it?" He swallowed.
"L-Lan Fan, I-" he stuttered, reddening some more to an extent that neither the weather nor the elements could be blamed any longer. He took a deep breath. "I love you."
"KYOUSUKE! LAN FAN!"
~*~
[Kuroudo]
He followed stealthily, not at all use to spying but doing a pretty good job nonetheless. The pair walked a few yards in front of him and he tried his best to keep up with them without being seen, wincing once in a while as he had to pull hard on his hair earlier to be able to conceal it within the cap he was wearing. There were far too few flaxen-haired young men in Japan.
Tilting his head a little, he lowered the sunglasses he wore with his right index finger and thumb, looking over at his best friend and the Chinese girl carefully with brilliant blue eyes. Kyousuke was checking the time while listening to Lan Fan talk – that must be a good sign, the two have always been quiet as mice when together before or maybe because there had been others with them?
The black-haired gearmaster would probably kill him if he knew, but he just couldn't help it. And he's not listening in on what they're talking about anyway, even though he could if he really wanted to. He's just had this strange feeling ever since the day they found out that the Si Xing Hu Tuan would be coming to visit, an odd sensation he just couldn't seem to shake off no matter how he tried. Something bad is bound to happen, and he knows it.
He smiled as he hid behind a tree, just in time to avoid being seen as Kyousuke finally pried his eyes off his watch and searched the surroundings for something or someone he couldn't quite figure out who or what. His best friend has looked around so many times now that he's beginning to think that the young man knows that they're being watched. Seconds passed and he ducked out again, fixing the cap that had begun to fall off with his sharp moves. "Oh, the things I do for you, Kyousuke," he mumbled under his breath. He continued walking, tailing them and at the same trying to look casual.
Both were silent now, he noticed as he crossed the road after being certain that the two would too after a few blocks and then a corner. He smirked, remembering his earlier conversation with Kyousuke and wondering if his best friend would actually consider doing what he told him to do.
~*~
He felt a hand close around his wrist and he turned around, surprised to see his best friend standing in front of him when he looked up. "Kyousuke? I just have to do a couple of things at home. I'll meet up with you guys at the amusement park," he said before the other could say a word, motioning with his other hand to the rest of the Tobita Club and the members of the Si Xing Hu Tuan who were having light conversation over a half-finished lunch at one of the tables at the Marino Café.
"Amusement park?" Kyousuke echoed, tilting his head to one side and frowning. "Do you mean the old one? The one where we-"
"Nah, not that one that held the Illusion Cup," Kuroudo cut him off, a smirk already playing its way to his lips. He had been watching Kyousuke throughout lunch and it was pretty obvious that his best friend's attention had been focused neither on the food nor on the plans for the afternoon the two teams were making. Rather, it was on Lan Fan alone. Right then and there was the perfect opportunity to tease his best friend some more, but Kuroudo mentally sighed, letting it pass. He had more important things to do.
"Ah, yeah, I remember now," Kyousuke replied, nodding his head. "But I thought you were going to stay with me and Lan Fan until then! Kuroudo?"
"Wha-? Oh come on, Kyousuke," he said, looking down at the deathgrip his best friend had on his right wrist. He grinned. "Besides, it'll give you some time alone with Lan Fan." Okay, so maybe a little teasing before he goes.
Kyousuke turned a cute shade of pink and glared at him.
He only laughed. "Okay, just kidding. But really, I think she's only waiting for you to admit it or something..."
"Oh, shut up," Kyousuke answered, not managing to prevent the small smile from forming on his face. "No way."
"If you say so, but I still think you should go for it," he said in return, taking the opportunity to shake his hand free as his best friend's grip loosened a little. "Alright. I'll see you later. 'Bye." And with that, he was out of there before Kyousuke could say anything more to stop him.
~*~
Kuroudo started to run the blocks and then stopped at the point where he knew Kyousuke and Lan Fan would be crossing. After a while he finally saw the two of them round the corner and he waited, leaning casually against a light post as if waiting for someone with his arms crossed in front of him and his sunglasses firmly in place. He's taking a large risk with this, but it just can't be helped. He just has to see how Kyousuke is doing so far.
To his surprise though, Lan Fan started to cross the street on her own. The young girl didn't seem to realize this and from his position he could see him still standing on the other side with a variety of different emotions flashing on his face. In a while Kyousuke seemed to have made up his mind though and called out to Lan Fan. He smiled as the girl turned around and his best friend walked towards her – it's time.
"Yes, Kyousuke?" he heard Lan Fan ask and he blushed a little, belatedly realizing that he was close enough to the two now that he would hear even if he placed his hands over his ears – something which he couldn't of course, being a dead giveaway.
"What is it?"
He no longer heard what Kyousuke's reply had been, another sound had caught his attention, the sound of a motor. His head turned to the side instinctively to see a car roaring fast towards the two - the driver talking to the girl on the passenger seat beside him, showing off how fast his car was, and not looking on the road. He'll hit-!
"KYOUSUKE! LAN FAN!" he screamed, his body moving on its own as he ran towards the two with unusual speed and pushed them out of the way. He ended up down on his knees and hands on the road. The driver had finally spotted them, tried to hit the brakes...but too late...too late. He closed his eyes and bit down on his lower lip, wishing it over quickly.
"Kyousuke," he whispered, feeling the impact and the pain.
~*~
[Kyousuke]
Someone shouted their names. His head snapped up to look from who they came from -from behind Lan Fan? – but before he could properly see, something or someone rammed into them with such a force that he crashed to the ground with Lan Fan right on top of him.
He moaned with pain and closed his eyes.
~*~
"KUROUDO!" he screamed, watching in horror as his best friend got hit by the car from the side, his body flying on top and against it, breaking most of the windshields, and finally coming to a land on the floor as the vehicle roared away to be swallowed by the darkness. The Tobita Club HQ blurred away into nothing behind him, and with trembling feet he approached Kuroudo's battered body, kneeling down beside him and supporting the flaxen-haired youth's upper body off the ground with his arms. His best friend stared back up at him with distant blue eyes, tears mingling with blood as they streamed down his face.
"I told you I'm going...going away," Kuroudo whispered to him weakly, one bloody hand coming up to touch his cheek. "I'm so sorry. Good-bye, Kyousuke."
"No!" he shouted, eyes widening as his best friend's hand suddenly fell from against his cheek. He held the other closer but no matter how close he did he could not feel his breathing. Tears started to stream down his face. No matter how close he held him, he felt his best friend slipping away.
"No, don't go...don't go..."
~*~
His eyes snapped open and what he saw past Lan Fan's silky black hair made his heart stop beating. He saw his best friend on all-fours in the middle of the street, his eyes closed and then-
"KUROUDO!" he cried, tears spilling from his eyes as a repetition of his dream happened right before him. Except this was real, and the pain and certainty a thousand times worse. He tried to close his eyes from it but couldn't, screaming his heart out as Kuroudo hit the top of the car and finally landed on the pavement behind it. His scream died in his throat just then and he felt like he was choking, he couldn't breathe, couldn't...
"Kyou-Kyousuke?" Lan Fan called, pushing off the ground with both hands to get off of him. There were tears in her eyes, and one that slipped down fell on his cheek. She didn't need to have seen it, the feelings around her and the sounds were enough. And even if she had been numb and deaf, the disbelief and horror in the young man's eyes beneath her was enough to tell of what had happened. And his tears enough to express his pain. "Kyousu-"
"Excuse me, Lan Fan," he interrupted quietly, trying to keep his voice controlled. Slowly, he sat up and gently held her by the shoulders until she could finally stand on her own. He stood up after her.
All around them people were running to and fro, one man shouting for somebody to call an ambulance. The car that had hit his best friend was parked beside him, the driver down on his knees, saying things he could not hear from where he was. In the distance, he could hear the shrill alarm of the paramedics.
He felt a warm arm wrap around his own and he glanced to his side to see Lan Fan's tear-streaked face. She was still crying uncontrollably and he knew full well that so was he. He shook his head and then stepped away from her. He took another step and another, each one taking him closer to his best friend. He seemed so faraway and that was what he wanted. He wanted the spot to be so faraway that he'll never reach it, never have to face the truth. But in the end, he reached Kuroudo, and he kneeled down beside him just as he had in his dream. Someone tried to stop him, but he felt Lan Fan behind him holding them off.
"Kuroudo?" he called silently, completely taking off the half-fallen cap from his best friend's head. Golden hair framed Kuroudo's face, quickly soaking up his blood. His eyes were still closed. "Kuroudo, it's me, Kyousuke. Please, please open your eyes. Look at me, Kuroudo. I'm here. Open your eyes, please," he pleaded, one of his tears rolling off his face to be absorbed by Kuroudo's blood-soaked shirt. "Please," he said again, and finally, Kuroudo did open his eyes.
"Kyousuke?" he asked, smiling as sapphire eyes met obsidian ones. "Are you okay?"
"I should be the one asking you that!" he screamed in hysteria and frustration, leaning closer for Kuroudo's voice have gone so weak and faint he could hardly hear him. "And yes, I'm okay and so is Lan Fan. Don't speak anymore, Kuroudo. Save your strength. You're going to be fine, right?"
"No, Kyousuke, I need to tell you something, listen," Kuroudo barely managed to reply, blood trickling out of his mouth with some of the words. His best friend's breathing turned shallow and labored, his face beginning to loose color. He felt his heart stop beating once more when Kuroudo's eyes started to flutter to a close.
"No, Kuroudo, don't go! I'm still here, Kuroudo! Kuroudo, open your eyes!" he shouted frantically. Kuroudo's eyes opened again but they weren't looking up directly at his now.
"Kyousuke? Stay with me."
"I'm here, I'm not going anywhere," he replied, reaching for one of Kuroudo's hands and grasping it firmly with his. A new batch of tears trailed down his cheeks as he found the once strong kendo sword-gripping hands of his best friend so frail and cold. "I'm right here beside you."
"O-okay," his best friend answered, his other hand coming up feebly to rest on his tear-streaked cheek, but he still wasn't looking at him. "It's just that I can't see you anymore..."
"No..!"
"Kyousuke, I...you're my best friend and you've always been there for me," Kuroudo said in a rush, gasping for air afterwards. "You're the gearmaster and I'm just a gearfighter, there wasn't ever anything I could do for you...maybe this time I've actually done something...for my best friend..."
"Kuroudo, no, please…"
By now, the paramedics have arrived. The ambulance had been parked right next to the car and the doors were opening, people in white clothes jumping out. They caught his attention momentarily, but it was soon returned to his best friend as he felt him squeeze his hand tiredly.
"I'm sorry, Kyousuke," Kuroudo told him, tears now spilling from his eyes as well. Those eyes, they looked so blank and so much in pain. "I have to go now...and I don't have time anymore to be your best friend, to thank you for everything and show you how much I...I have to break my promise to you last night, I'm sorry. Farewell, my best friend."
"Kuroudo, you-" he began, but a hand clamped down on his shoulder before he could finish and he was gently pulled away. Lan Fan was by his side in a moment, a man in a long white coat standing in front of them. Behind him, he saw other men smoothly transferring his best friend's battered body into a stretcher and loading the stretcher into the back of the ambulance.
"Well, the two of you don't seem to be injured," the medic spoke as he checked the two of them over. A shout came from the ambulance and he looked back then nodded. The man then gave Kyousuke a reassuring pat on the shoulder and said: "We'll do our best. Don't worry, your friend will be alright." He nodded slowly and the man ran towards the ambulance and got in. The vehicle drove away swiftly with no delay.
He watched it for a while and then turned around and began to walk aimlessly. He could feel Lan Fan's sorrowful eyes on the back of his head, but he didn't turn around and assure her that he was alright. That's because he was not alright...how can he be alright?!
...I have to break my promise to you last night, I'm sorry. Farewell, my best friend...
His best friend was going, there's nothing the doctors would be able to do.
Why?!
Why?!
...maybe this time I've actually done something...for my best friend...
"Kuroudo..." he whispered softly, stopping in his tracks. And then he began to run, run as fast as he can from that place, his tears carried by the wind off from his face.
~*~
...You were being my best friend just by being there for me, beside me. I've never asked for anythimg more. Just...just stay with me, Kuroudo. Stay...
~*~
Notes: (Quick ones, mind you). First, I wasn't able to format this with HTML so you'll see it's plain text (sorry, I'm really lazy). Second, please excuse any grammatical errors and mispelled words, I had to type this stuff in a jiffy. My regards to all CGT fic writers and readers, and all my thanks to my soulmates and friends at the CGT Community.
[Kyousuke]
"Kuroudo, where are you going?"
He grabbed hold of the taller boy's arm and forced him to turn around and face him. The latter did, with cold, sober eyes trained on him. He felt an icy chill run down his back as he averted his gaze. Those eyes...
"Kuroudo, where are you going?" he repeated his question, a pleading tone now mixed in. The sounds coming from the backroom of the Tobita Club HQ faded away into silence as the answer came, indifferent but suffering:
"I'm going."
"Where?" he asked again, taking a step back as the doors suddenly burst open behind Kuroudo with a strong gust of wind. His grip on the other's arm started to loosen and he stared down unbelievingly at his hand.
"I'm going," Kuroudo said once more, beginning to back away. "Away," he finished as he crossed the threshold of the club. His hand on his arm finally failed, letting go. Kuroudo turned around and began to run away. He wanted to shout out at him, to call him back, but he couldn't, his voice stuck in his throat. He just watched, watched as his best friend ran away and then –
"KUROUDO!"
~*~
"No, don't go...don't go..."
"Kyousuke? Kyousuke, wake up!"
His eyes shot open to meet light blue ones filled with concern. It took him a few seconds to realize who they belonged to, and when he did he grabbed Kuroudo by the front of his shirt and held on to him tightly. He felt his best friend register surprise and then a hand gently stroking the back of his head. After a while, he finally let go.
"Are you okay, Kyousuke?" Kuroudo asked as he shifted from a kneeling position into a cross-sitting one in front of him. They were in the blonde's room, down on sleeping bags laid side by side. "Were you having a nightmare?" It was more of a statement than a question.
"Yeah," he answered vaguely, sitting up himself. "It was..." he trailed off, unable to finish.
"Was..?" Kuroudo prompted.
He shook his head. "Never mind."
"Well, if you don't want to," Kuroudo said, shrugging his shoulders. His best friend pushed the golden strands that have fallen on top of his eyes with one hand and then began to settle back down into his sleeping bag. "Hey, listen, don't think of Lan Fan's arrival tomorrow too much. Stress can cause nightmares and worse things, you know."
"Kuroudo!" he exclaimed, blushing as he settled into his as well. The whole Si Xing Hu Tuan team was arriving tomorrow morning and that was the main reason why he was sleeping over at Kuroudo's tonight, so that Lilika and Takeshi could pick both of them up here.
"Just kidding," Kuroudo replied, turning off the desk lamp he had placed on the floor next to the two of them. The room was plunged into darkness once again.
"Kuroudo?" he called in a soft voice after a few seconds of silence. "We're best friends and we will be forever, right?"
A pause. "Of course."
"Promise?"
"Yeah, Kyousuke, sure." Kuroudo sounded very sleepy already, barely awake. "Don't think too much...night, Kyousuke..." his best friend mumbled, drifting off to sleep.
~*~
[Kuroudo]
The airport was filled with the usual crowd that day - people either seeing someone off or meeting someone arriving. A young pick-pocket of about fifteen or so of age wearing a black leather jacket glided through the throng nonchalantly, stealing the wallets of randomly picked victims until he was caught by security. He looked terrified as the officer led him away with one hand firmly clasped on his left shoulder, eyes the color of obsidian darting from left to right as he searched for a chance to get away. When they were far enough away from everybody else, the officer stopped and turned around to glare at him.
A few meters from where they were, a person with light blue eyes watched curiously. The young thief had his eyes cast down, mumbling answers to the questions barked at him by the officer under his breath. Both man and lad's voices were subdued, as to not cause a scene and catch everyone's attention, but he heard their words clearly nonetheless. He supposed it's not a becoming trait, to listen in on other people's conversations, ones that didn't concern him at all, but it is really not one's fault if he 'overhears', is it?
"...that m-man in the b-blue suit...n-no, sir...that w-woman, the one in the r-red dress..."
Now the young man was pointing out the people he had stolen from, voice trembling. It was quite a list. He listened on for a few minutes, his own eyes trying to pick the ones described out of the crowd, of boredom more than anything, until he finally lost interest and glanced down at his watch. He shook his head upon seeing the time and crossed his arms in front of him.
He was there with some of his friends, waiting for the arrival of some 'acquaintances'. To conform with tradition though, the certain plane they were on the look-out for was late, half an hour late to be exact. In truth he cared not to stay - not that he really needed to actually, despite a certain brown-haired someone's reasons and justifications too complex to be repeated - but had decided to, if only to keep his best friend company. And speaking of his best friend...
"Jirou, why don't you put a leash on Kouya now and I'll put one on Kyousuke?" he asked, turning to the one beside him, his face a mask of pure seriousness as he spoke. The slightest shadow of a smile flickered across his face as he jerked his head towards where the two aforementioned hyper-active boys rocked on their heels a few feet from them, too much excited to stand still. "I'm afraid they will both hit the roof at the rate they're going."
Upon hearing this, his best friend, the renowned gearmaster Kyousuke Jin, quickly stopped fretting, looking calm and cool as he shot an icy cold glare towards their direction. For some reason, maybe because of the likeness of their shades, Kyousuke's eyes reminded him of those of the pick-pocket's, only that the latter's were terrified as his best friend's will never be. He turned away and saw, on the other hand, Kouya laughing, stepping out of the reach of Jirou, who was doing a 'putting on a leash' movement. He laughed as well and turned back to the still fuming gearmaster.
"Oh Kyousuke, you know I didn't mean it," he chided, shaking his head as he grinned at him. Kyousuke grinned back.
"Yeah, I know."
"Besides, even if you do hit the roof, that won't make them suddenly appear in front of us. Lilika and Kao-"
He broke off, hearing familiar voices a distance behind him. He grinned and side-stepped so as not to block anything from Kyousuke, who was a tad bit shorter than him. His eyes caught Kouya's and he nodded, grinning as he turned around.
It was like those slow-mo, over-exaggerated scenes in movies where the crowd seems to shift and divide in half, the people you are waiting for cutting through them as they approach you. Lilika, Takeshi, Kaoru and the four members of the Si Xing Hu Tuan - Wang Hu, Lan Fan, Li Chun and Ma Ran - were met by shouts from the four gearfighters of the Tobita Club Team.
His eyes first made contact with that of the gearmistress Lan Fan, the two of them being around the same height. She smiled at him and nodded her head slightly, he smiled back as he regarded her. She didn't look like she has changed at all. Same warrior stature in clothes of pale pink and that spear - it's still by her side even though he doubted Customs had allowed it inside the plane with her, it probably got stuck with the cargo. Her hair flowed down past her shoulders today, unbound, accenting her dark black eyes which, when he looked back to again, were now fixed on his best friend. He smiled and turned to his side, wondering what Kyousuke's reaction would be like, only to see him looking down with a slight blush across his cheeks. He laughed and pushed him forward. Kyousuke turned his head and glared at him as he stumbled, managing to catch his balance just before he landed on top of Lan Fan. Kyousuke then shot him a pointed look and he turned away to give the two some privacy.
~*~
[Kyousuke]
"Wang Hu's staying with Kouya while Ma Ran's hanging around at Jirou's. Li Chun's with Kaoru, I suppose, I'm actually beginning to suspect he has a crush on her. The other night in the plane..."
Kyousuke glanced down at his watch as he half-listened and nodded his head to Lan Fan's ranting on the whereabouts of the rest of her team, glancing up and down the street. He shook his head when he still couldn't find a sign of his best friend anywhere and then took off his glasses and wiped off the beads of perspiration on his forehead. His dream last night still bothered him to no end, and it drove him crazy whenever he looses sight of Kuroudo. It is a very unfortunate thing then for his sanity that the group had decided to split up earlier that lunch and in his conversation with the blonde, the other had the last say.
"Kyousuke?" Lan Fan called, glancing at him worriedly. He had gotten lost in his own world of thoughts. "Are you okay?" He smiled at her and then nodded his head in assurance. She smiled back. The two of them walked on in silence.
...Kyousuke? I just have to do a couple of things at home. I'll meet up with you guys at the amusement park...nah, not that one that held the Illusion Cup...wha-? Oh come on, Kyousuke. Besides, it'll give you some time alone with Lan Fan...okay, just kidding. But really, I think she's only waiting for you to admit it or something...if you say so, but I still think you should go for it. ..alright. I'll see you later. 'Bye...
He ran his best friend's words earlier that day in his mind and then blushed, the faint pink streaks across his cheeks luckily not so out of place under the hot glare of the sun. They came to a crossing point on the road and he trailed a way off behind Lan Fan and then –
"Lan Fan?"
"Yes, Kyousuke?" Lan Fan asked, stopping and turning around to look at him. She tossed his hair behind her shoulders then smiled at him sweetly. "What is it?" He swallowed.
"L-Lan Fan, I-" he stuttered, reddening some more to an extent that neither the weather nor the elements could be blamed any longer. He took a deep breath. "I love you."
"KYOUSUKE! LAN FAN!"
~*~
[Kuroudo]
He followed stealthily, not at all use to spying but doing a pretty good job nonetheless. The pair walked a few yards in front of him and he tried his best to keep up with them without being seen, wincing once in a while as he had to pull hard on his hair earlier to be able to conceal it within the cap he was wearing. There were far too few flaxen-haired young men in Japan.
Tilting his head a little, he lowered the sunglasses he wore with his right index finger and thumb, looking over at his best friend and the Chinese girl carefully with brilliant blue eyes. Kyousuke was checking the time while listening to Lan Fan talk – that must be a good sign, the two have always been quiet as mice when together before or maybe because there had been others with them?
The black-haired gearmaster would probably kill him if he knew, but he just couldn't help it. And he's not listening in on what they're talking about anyway, even though he could if he really wanted to. He's just had this strange feeling ever since the day they found out that the Si Xing Hu Tuan would be coming to visit, an odd sensation he just couldn't seem to shake off no matter how he tried. Something bad is bound to happen, and he knows it.
He smiled as he hid behind a tree, just in time to avoid being seen as Kyousuke finally pried his eyes off his watch and searched the surroundings for something or someone he couldn't quite figure out who or what. His best friend has looked around so many times now that he's beginning to think that the young man knows that they're being watched. Seconds passed and he ducked out again, fixing the cap that had begun to fall off with his sharp moves. "Oh, the things I do for you, Kyousuke," he mumbled under his breath. He continued walking, tailing them and at the same trying to look casual.
Both were silent now, he noticed as he crossed the road after being certain that the two would too after a few blocks and then a corner. He smirked, remembering his earlier conversation with Kyousuke and wondering if his best friend would actually consider doing what he told him to do.
~*~
He felt a hand close around his wrist and he turned around, surprised to see his best friend standing in front of him when he looked up. "Kyousuke? I just have to do a couple of things at home. I'll meet up with you guys at the amusement park," he said before the other could say a word, motioning with his other hand to the rest of the Tobita Club and the members of the Si Xing Hu Tuan who were having light conversation over a half-finished lunch at one of the tables at the Marino Café.
"Amusement park?" Kyousuke echoed, tilting his head to one side and frowning. "Do you mean the old one? The one where we-"
"Nah, not that one that held the Illusion Cup," Kuroudo cut him off, a smirk already playing its way to his lips. He had been watching Kyousuke throughout lunch and it was pretty obvious that his best friend's attention had been focused neither on the food nor on the plans for the afternoon the two teams were making. Rather, it was on Lan Fan alone. Right then and there was the perfect opportunity to tease his best friend some more, but Kuroudo mentally sighed, letting it pass. He had more important things to do.
"Ah, yeah, I remember now," Kyousuke replied, nodding his head. "But I thought you were going to stay with me and Lan Fan until then! Kuroudo?"
"Wha-? Oh come on, Kyousuke," he said, looking down at the deathgrip his best friend had on his right wrist. He grinned. "Besides, it'll give you some time alone with Lan Fan." Okay, so maybe a little teasing before he goes.
Kyousuke turned a cute shade of pink and glared at him.
He only laughed. "Okay, just kidding. But really, I think she's only waiting for you to admit it or something..."
"Oh, shut up," Kyousuke answered, not managing to prevent the small smile from forming on his face. "No way."
"If you say so, but I still think you should go for it," he said in return, taking the opportunity to shake his hand free as his best friend's grip loosened a little. "Alright. I'll see you later. 'Bye." And with that, he was out of there before Kyousuke could say anything more to stop him.
~*~
Kuroudo started to run the blocks and then stopped at the point where he knew Kyousuke and Lan Fan would be crossing. After a while he finally saw the two of them round the corner and he waited, leaning casually against a light post as if waiting for someone with his arms crossed in front of him and his sunglasses firmly in place. He's taking a large risk with this, but it just can't be helped. He just has to see how Kyousuke is doing so far.
To his surprise though, Lan Fan started to cross the street on her own. The young girl didn't seem to realize this and from his position he could see him still standing on the other side with a variety of different emotions flashing on his face. In a while Kyousuke seemed to have made up his mind though and called out to Lan Fan. He smiled as the girl turned around and his best friend walked towards her – it's time.
"Yes, Kyousuke?" he heard Lan Fan ask and he blushed a little, belatedly realizing that he was close enough to the two now that he would hear even if he placed his hands over his ears – something which he couldn't of course, being a dead giveaway.
"What is it?"
He no longer heard what Kyousuke's reply had been, another sound had caught his attention, the sound of a motor. His head turned to the side instinctively to see a car roaring fast towards the two - the driver talking to the girl on the passenger seat beside him, showing off how fast his car was, and not looking on the road. He'll hit-!
"KYOUSUKE! LAN FAN!" he screamed, his body moving on its own as he ran towards the two with unusual speed and pushed them out of the way. He ended up down on his knees and hands on the road. The driver had finally spotted them, tried to hit the brakes...but too late...too late. He closed his eyes and bit down on his lower lip, wishing it over quickly.
"Kyousuke," he whispered, feeling the impact and the pain.
~*~
[Kyousuke]
Someone shouted their names. His head snapped up to look from who they came from -from behind Lan Fan? – but before he could properly see, something or someone rammed into them with such a force that he crashed to the ground with Lan Fan right on top of him.
He moaned with pain and closed his eyes.
~*~
"KUROUDO!" he screamed, watching in horror as his best friend got hit by the car from the side, his body flying on top and against it, breaking most of the windshields, and finally coming to a land on the floor as the vehicle roared away to be swallowed by the darkness. The Tobita Club HQ blurred away into nothing behind him, and with trembling feet he approached Kuroudo's battered body, kneeling down beside him and supporting the flaxen-haired youth's upper body off the ground with his arms. His best friend stared back up at him with distant blue eyes, tears mingling with blood as they streamed down his face.
"I told you I'm going...going away," Kuroudo whispered to him weakly, one bloody hand coming up to touch his cheek. "I'm so sorry. Good-bye, Kyousuke."
"No!" he shouted, eyes widening as his best friend's hand suddenly fell from against his cheek. He held the other closer but no matter how close he did he could not feel his breathing. Tears started to stream down his face. No matter how close he held him, he felt his best friend slipping away.
"No, don't go...don't go..."
~*~
His eyes snapped open and what he saw past Lan Fan's silky black hair made his heart stop beating. He saw his best friend on all-fours in the middle of the street, his eyes closed and then-
"KUROUDO!" he cried, tears spilling from his eyes as a repetition of his dream happened right before him. Except this was real, and the pain and certainty a thousand times worse. He tried to close his eyes from it but couldn't, screaming his heart out as Kuroudo hit the top of the car and finally landed on the pavement behind it. His scream died in his throat just then and he felt like he was choking, he couldn't breathe, couldn't...
"Kyou-Kyousuke?" Lan Fan called, pushing off the ground with both hands to get off of him. There were tears in her eyes, and one that slipped down fell on his cheek. She didn't need to have seen it, the feelings around her and the sounds were enough. And even if she had been numb and deaf, the disbelief and horror in the young man's eyes beneath her was enough to tell of what had happened. And his tears enough to express his pain. "Kyousu-"
"Excuse me, Lan Fan," he interrupted quietly, trying to keep his voice controlled. Slowly, he sat up and gently held her by the shoulders until she could finally stand on her own. He stood up after her.
All around them people were running to and fro, one man shouting for somebody to call an ambulance. The car that had hit his best friend was parked beside him, the driver down on his knees, saying things he could not hear from where he was. In the distance, he could hear the shrill alarm of the paramedics.
He felt a warm arm wrap around his own and he glanced to his side to see Lan Fan's tear-streaked face. She was still crying uncontrollably and he knew full well that so was he. He shook his head and then stepped away from her. He took another step and another, each one taking him closer to his best friend. He seemed so faraway and that was what he wanted. He wanted the spot to be so faraway that he'll never reach it, never have to face the truth. But in the end, he reached Kuroudo, and he kneeled down beside him just as he had in his dream. Someone tried to stop him, but he felt Lan Fan behind him holding them off.
"Kuroudo?" he called silently, completely taking off the half-fallen cap from his best friend's head. Golden hair framed Kuroudo's face, quickly soaking up his blood. His eyes were still closed. "Kuroudo, it's me, Kyousuke. Please, please open your eyes. Look at me, Kuroudo. I'm here. Open your eyes, please," he pleaded, one of his tears rolling off his face to be absorbed by Kuroudo's blood-soaked shirt. "Please," he said again, and finally, Kuroudo did open his eyes.
"Kyousuke?" he asked, smiling as sapphire eyes met obsidian ones. "Are you okay?"
"I should be the one asking you that!" he screamed in hysteria and frustration, leaning closer for Kuroudo's voice have gone so weak and faint he could hardly hear him. "And yes, I'm okay and so is Lan Fan. Don't speak anymore, Kuroudo. Save your strength. You're going to be fine, right?"
"No, Kyousuke, I need to tell you something, listen," Kuroudo barely managed to reply, blood trickling out of his mouth with some of the words. His best friend's breathing turned shallow and labored, his face beginning to loose color. He felt his heart stop beating once more when Kuroudo's eyes started to flutter to a close.
"No, Kuroudo, don't go! I'm still here, Kuroudo! Kuroudo, open your eyes!" he shouted frantically. Kuroudo's eyes opened again but they weren't looking up directly at his now.
"Kyousuke? Stay with me."
"I'm here, I'm not going anywhere," he replied, reaching for one of Kuroudo's hands and grasping it firmly with his. A new batch of tears trailed down his cheeks as he found the once strong kendo sword-gripping hands of his best friend so frail and cold. "I'm right here beside you."
"O-okay," his best friend answered, his other hand coming up feebly to rest on his tear-streaked cheek, but he still wasn't looking at him. "It's just that I can't see you anymore..."
"No..!"
"Kyousuke, I...you're my best friend and you've always been there for me," Kuroudo said in a rush, gasping for air afterwards. "You're the gearmaster and I'm just a gearfighter, there wasn't ever anything I could do for you...maybe this time I've actually done something...for my best friend..."
"Kuroudo, no, please…"
By now, the paramedics have arrived. The ambulance had been parked right next to the car and the doors were opening, people in white clothes jumping out. They caught his attention momentarily, but it was soon returned to his best friend as he felt him squeeze his hand tiredly.
"I'm sorry, Kyousuke," Kuroudo told him, tears now spilling from his eyes as well. Those eyes, they looked so blank and so much in pain. "I have to go now...and I don't have time anymore to be your best friend, to thank you for everything and show you how much I...I have to break my promise to you last night, I'm sorry. Farewell, my best friend."
"Kuroudo, you-" he began, but a hand clamped down on his shoulder before he could finish and he was gently pulled away. Lan Fan was by his side in a moment, a man in a long white coat standing in front of them. Behind him, he saw other men smoothly transferring his best friend's battered body into a stretcher and loading the stretcher into the back of the ambulance.
"Well, the two of you don't seem to be injured," the medic spoke as he checked the two of them over. A shout came from the ambulance and he looked back then nodded. The man then gave Kyousuke a reassuring pat on the shoulder and said: "We'll do our best. Don't worry, your friend will be alright." He nodded slowly and the man ran towards the ambulance and got in. The vehicle drove away swiftly with no delay.
He watched it for a while and then turned around and began to walk aimlessly. He could feel Lan Fan's sorrowful eyes on the back of his head, but he didn't turn around and assure her that he was alright. That's because he was not alright...how can he be alright?!
...I have to break my promise to you last night, I'm sorry. Farewell, my best friend...
His best friend was going, there's nothing the doctors would be able to do.
Why?!
Why?!
...maybe this time I've actually done something...for my best friend...
"Kuroudo..." he whispered softly, stopping in his tracks. And then he began to run, run as fast as he can from that place, his tears carried by the wind off from his face.
~*~
...You were being my best friend just by being there for me, beside me. I've never asked for anythimg more. Just...just stay with me, Kuroudo. Stay...
~*~
Notes: (Quick ones, mind you). First, I wasn't able to format this with HTML so you'll see it's plain text (sorry, I'm really lazy). Second, please excuse any grammatical errors and mispelled words, I had to type this stuff in a jiffy. My regards to all CGT fic writers and readers, and all my thanks to my soulmates and friends at the CGT Community.