Arise on the Occasion
Chapter X
SIN Productions
Rowen awoke to the annoying, and loud sound of the cheap, plastic telephone ringing on the stand next to his queen-sized hotel bed. And the damned, inferior thing kept ringing, and ringing, and ringing...
Besides the obnoxious noise of the phone, his head hurt from a vodka-induced hangover. As soon as his groggy mind began churning, memories from last night surfaced and Rowen Hashiba couldn't help but grin like an idiot at the thought of Sage back in his life.
Sage had spent the entire night with him.
It was nothing short of fucking amazing.
It had started at the Black Horse Pub again where they had ordered greasy, fried food and mugs of beer. The evening ended with Ryo and Kento joining them in rounds of vodka.
It was like old times like the way things were supposed to end up, minus the fact that Cye had skipped out on a perfectly good 'guys night out' because he had a so-called meeting early the next morning.
Things between Sage and him couldn't be better. They were laughing and talking as if the ten-year separation had never occurred. They were reminiscing about the old days: Mystical armors, beings not from this world, and their good wholesome teenage years.
But there was something different about the previous bearer of Halo. Something subtle that he picked up on since he remembered the old Sage, the cocky attitude he always carried. But now he was no longer the sturdy, unbreakable, soldier he had been in the Talpa-days. He was somewhat a shadow of the man he used to be, and it was unnerving that he was able to pick up on it.
Of course Halo and Strata had always shared a special bond, a bond that even now couldn't be broken. Not with time, not with distance, not with petty human differences.
Sage was the same old Sage. Same untamable blonde mane, same striking, bold eyes, same irritating clipped replies. It was his personality that proved to be different. As if Sage Date was lacking his invincibility. Oh he played it off pretty damned well acting as if every human was underneath his royal majesty, but there was something else...
Rowen groaned loudly as the phone continued its repugnant pursuit.
Hastily throwing the covers off him, he grabbed for it. "God damn it," he muttered under his breath as he lifted the receiver to his ear, "Yeah?"
Nothing.
He frowned at the dead line and with an annoyed look he began to replace the damned thing when...
Well at first he thought he imagined the meek female voice that seemed to squeak out of the receiver, especially since the very vivid beginnings of a hangover began to throb persistently in his skull.
And then he heard the voice again.
"Um hello?" it was definitely feminine, and very timid.
Bringing the phone back up to his ear to hear better, he returned a startled, "Yeah?"
She seemed to be just as shaken, "Rowen?"
Rowen attempted to match the vaguely familiar voice to a face but he came up blank. It wasn't Mia; it lacked the mothering tone. And it wasn't Mei because it was void of the Chinese accent...
Like a sudden bolt of lightening streaking out of the blue it hit him who it was on the other end.
The American accent gave her away.
Immediately Rowen sobered as he asked, "Vigil?"
"Didn't take you too long to figure that out." She sarcastically put, but it was hard to say for sure what she said because there was so much background noise.
"Where in the world are you?" he questioned trying his best to put two and two together.
"Um the airport." She hesitated.
He blinked beyond confused. "Are you picking someone up?"
"No, not exactly." She didn't offer a better explanation and for a full minute Rowen tried to ignore his pounding head while on the other side of the line Vigil shifted her weight nervously from one foot to the other as she held a death-grip on the innocent pay phone.
"Not to sound rude," he carefully started, "But do you need something Vigil? I'm kind of in the dark as to why you're calling me. Shouldn't you be calling Sage?"
More silence and the tension was undeniable.
The beginning stirs of uncertain dread made Rowen's stomach churn with anticipation. Finally he spoke the question that had been laid out for him to ask, "Is something wrong?"
"Yes." She didn't deny it and decided for the straightforward approach, "In fact I need you to meet me here at the London International."
"Wait, wait!" he demanded, "Where the hell is Sage?"
"Um at work."
"Vigil I think in this circumstance it would be more, you know, appropriate for you to call him-"
"Fuck." She whispered under her breath, nearly losing her nerve again. Gritting her teeth and with the last bit of determination she felt she raised her voice to make sure he heard her very clearly, "Rowen trust me on this, if you know what's good for you. Get your ass down here pronto and I think I'll leave it at that, and no, incase you were wondering Sage does not know I am here and its going to stay like that."
She piqued his insatiable curiosity and he barely hesitated. "Where at the airport?"
"There's a coffee shop near American Airlines..."
He licked his dry lips feeling the hangover even more, "So Sage doesn't know you're there, huh?"
For a moment she seemed to question her motives and considered all the consequences of what she was about to do.
And decided she didn't care anymore about her pride.
Slowly she relayed, "He doesn't know I'm here because I'm leaving in an hour and a half..."
--
Vigil had given up pacing in the gloomy corridor in a stupor twenty minutes ago. She had already checked in her luggage and double-checked her flight status to make sure she was going to leave on time.
London weather had gone from perfect to horrible; somehow reflecting her mood. Due to an unseasonable hard rain her flight was leaving an hour later which could be considered good fortune since he still hadn't shown up.
Not that it mattered, she reminded herself, she probably couldn't sulk anymore than she already was. Her Starbucks Mocha Latte was cold and although on normal circumstances she adored the caffeine-filled drink today she couldn't stomach the sweetness. A bland coffee with no sugar, no cream would've suited the situation better but she didn't harbor the strength to get back in line to get one.
And that's exactly how Rowen found her. He himself was the one sopping wet from the downpour outside, but she was the one that looked utterly heartbroken.
With a twinge of guilt and reluctance he almost wished he had called Sage about meeting his fiancée at the airport in a state of distress. In fact, he added grimly, his friendship with him could very well be on the brink again because of this current unforeseen dilemma. Before when he had opted to meet Vigil alone Sage and him weren't talking so there was no risk.
Now though he was torn between helping Vigil or doing the responsible friend-thing and turning around and informing Sage that his dearly beloved was about to split the country with unknown whereabouts.
And Rowen was well aware of the fact that he owed her, and big time. If it wasn't for her careful scheme to get Sage to "meet her" at the Black Horse Pub then he wouldn't even have Sage's friendship to consider.
Even worse what if she took off and Sage was miserable without her! Sage's interest was above Rowen's own in his book.
Vigil suddenly felt his presence and she caught his eye. She gave him a weak smile and offered for him to take a seat.
He silently obliged.
Glancing over at the man who held Sage's undying love she couldn't help but feel the bitter taste of jealousy. Of course Rowen was what Sage wanted with his adorable blue locks and flawless features, he was a handsome creature all right and she felt helplessly self-conscious around him.
He studied her glazed-over eyes and bit back a frown. "Are you getting cold feet about the marriage?" it seemed the only logical explanation for her sudden erratic behavior. "I haven't a clue why you'd call me for encouragement or relationship advice. That's Cye's department."
She ignored him and his ludicrous comments about her so-called 'marriage.' She also ignored the drops of water dripping off his bangs onto her plane ticket lying, for the moment, forgotten on the table. "Actually I am hardly the one with cold feet." She said sourly and felt like slapping Rowen stupid.
His demeanor changed entirely, "Sage dumped you?!?"
She blinked and then she let the stress of the last few days dissolve in a warm, musical laughter. "You really thought Sage wanted to marry me?"
When her giggles became louder Rowen's expression went from incredulous to bafflement.
Between her fits of laughter she managed to tell him, "That's why I made you come all the way out here." She was definitely spitfire, he thought. She gave him a sideways smile, "I wanted to tell you our engagement was a joke, is a joke and it was better to tell you in person then over the phone." She carefully watched as his eyes lit up in understanding, "We were never going to get married." She sighed, "We never even dated."
He swallowed, his throat feeling dry, and without asking he reached over and picked up her discarded drink and sipped the cold contents.
When Rowen finally accepted the truth (or came to the conclusion she wasn't lying) he asked, "How do you know Sage then? Are you one of his employees?"
She scowled, "Hardly. We've been best friends since Sage moved out here. And I know everything about him."
When she said the word 'everything' it struck a nerve in Rowen and he downed the rest of the latte. "How much of everything do you happen to know Vigil?"
He sounded so serious and she didn't expect it. But she didn't have to answer him. He saw it in her emerald eyes.
She knew of the armors, Rowen thought fast, and no doubt she knew why Rowen and Sage's friendship had ended.
He paled. "Why did you tell me all this?" his brain was running a mile a minute at her confession and he had no idea what to think.
"The whole scam Sage set up was wrong." Again she was watching him with those expressive eyes of hers. "And I don't think it was right for us to lie to you and hide what he really is, especially if Ryo, Kento, and you have been through all that you have."
His head snapped up, "What he really is?"
Time seemed to stop for Rowen as she nodded. "And I am not talking past mystical armor bearers, saviors of the known world." She baited.
Rowen held his breath as the realization of what Vigil was hinting at hit him full force. "He's gay." He whispered eyes open wide in surprise.
"Rowen he's always been gay, nothing's changed that since he moved from Japan." And then her defensive friend mode kicked in, "And what's wrong with that?"
He felt like his world was upside down, inside out, twisted and tangled, spinning like crazy.
Maybe Sage hadn't changed at all.
Maybe Sage still-
Vigil was eager to find out Rowen's response and decided that would dictate her own reaction.
And so she waited.
It was slow at first and then Rowen's shock turned into a full-fledged grin. He felt like he could burst any moment, "No there's nothing wrong with being gay." He finally related.
Vigil smiled and her eyes sparkled like they had when he had first met her at Cye's condominium.
"I take it that was the answer you wanted to hear?"
"Something like that." She didn't deny it. She made a grab for her plane ticket, "Now that that was taken care of..."
Now that Rowen had a clear shot of heaven he realized that his guardian angel was trying to make a quick exit. "You know you don't have to leave. Ryo, Kento, and Mia will understand the situation completely and why you-"
"I'm leaving." She firmly interrupted. She winked at him and gave him an encouraging smile but her aura seemed to darken. "There's nothing that can change my mind."
He caught her hand as she stood to leave and pulled her back into his arms. He embraced her and gave her his infamous cat-like grin, "Thank you Vigil, I- I don't know what to say, or how to thank you-"
"Thank me!?" she laughed on the brink of tears, "If you found out that I had selfish intentions when I first met Sage- that I, I love him, I would've married him if he just asked but..." and then something snapped inside her and tears started to stream down her flushed cheeks, "But, but...he's only got eyes for one blue-haired, blue eyed-"
The hug became crushing and Vigil could hardly breathe. When Rowen finally let go his face mimicked hers.
"I- I..." he helplessly wiped at his eyes, but she put a knowing finger to his lips to quiet him.
"If I didn't think you two were yin and fucking yang I could've given you one helluva race for blondie."
"Thank you, thank you, thank you." He blurted, "Thank you, thank you, thank you..."
Vigil pulled away and quickly stood up. She smiled a tear-stained smile and said simply, "Good bye Rowen. I'll be rooting for you." And with that she turned around and left him standing there with a worried look on his face.
She never looked back.
--
It was nearing five o'clock when Cye arrived at the impressive building Sage called work. By all means it was a towering sky scrapper that should've dotted the Shinjuku skyline. It was impressive and striking in all its twenty-three floors glory. The windows reflected the outside world and all in all Sage's Japanese heritage was a major influence on the architecture since its surroundings were that of the quaint English-style. Not at all the superb business-like domain that Sage reigned over.
The native British man looked up expectantly at the twenty-third floor, searching for the all too familiar face of one of his best friends. But of course he didn't seem him, just the reflection of the stormy sky.
More hesitant then he ought to be, he made his way inside.
A receptionist on the main floor glanced up at him with a curious expression, "May I help you?" she inquired.
Cye had never seen this particular employee in earlier ventures to Sage's office so politely he said, "I don't have an appointment but I am a close friend of Sage Date's and its imperative for me to have a word with him."
She gave him a blank look and then after a moment considered the consequences if this was an acquaintance of Sage. "Let me confirm this with his secretary."
After waiting ten minutes for Sage's secretary to relay that yes indeed Cye Mouri knew the almighty Sage Date, Cye made his way up to Sage's office and continued his wait as Sage finished up in a meeting.
Plopping down in Sage's leather chair and idly tapping his fingernails on his expensive designer oak desk, he felt oddly out of place. Hanging around the room were various degrees in business that Sage had masterly acquired, but what caught his eye were the different pictures of Vigil gracing the immaculate room.
In total there were three pictures of her- two on the walls along with pictures of various members from Sage's family, and one framed of her on his desk.
In all of them she had her usual mischievous glowing smile and Cye couldn't help but frown.
She was so wrong for Sage...
And with that disapproving look on his normally exuberant face is how Sage found him.
Unaffected Sage merely arched a perfect blonde eyebrow at Cye's mysterious appearance. He didn't ask Cye why he had come; instead he gently placed a manila folder on his desk and grabbed a bottle of water from a nearby mini refrigerator.
When he still had said nothing, Cye's disapproving look turned dead serious. "There seems to be a problem Sage."
Vice-President Sage Date didn't blink an eye. "Yes?"
Cye never resorted to violence and now he suddenly was on the verge of giving one very hard slap to the head to the unknowing businessman before him. Digging his nails into the arms of Sage's chair he stated in a deadpan voice, "Are you really that stupid Sage or is this all an act like you're sudden engagement to Vigil?"
Sage's eyes slanted dangerously, "Excuse me?"
Throwing his hands in the air, feeling very fed up with this tirade Cye demanded, "You don't have a bloody clue what's going on do you?"
"No Cye please enlighten me." And with a glance at his watch he added, "And hurry it up please I have to look over that file before I go home for the night."
Cye shook his head so outraged that he barely could see straight. About to blurt out Vigil's disappearance he decided that it would be better to state that last in Sage's present ignorant mood. "Sage what if I told you that I can sense Rowen's feelings, that I still can tap into Torrent's power even without the use of the orb."
"I'd say you need to find yourself a new hobby Cye."
"Sage I know this is hard for you to believe, even coming from me, and even knowing that I don't lie." He emphasized, "But I'm telling you the truth, it's written all over his face. I'd almost feel sorry for him if he hadn't blown his chance years ago with you. He really did make a mess of things. For you, and especially for him. He was so close to ruining his life with alcohol and unmentionable activities but he's pulled through and Vigil is the one to thank."
Cye saw that he was starting to gain Sage's attention. "And how exactly did Vigil do that?"
"For one thing she tricked you into meeting him at that bar which in turn patched up things between you two."
Sage didn't deny it.
It was a start.
It was also appropriate for Sage to guard his heart into thinking there could ever be more than just friendship between Rowen and him, because letting two blows to his heart and ego with one man could break the rigid businessman although Cye doubted he would admit it.
But sometimes people just had to take chances.
"And another thing," Cye stood up from the chair and let the anger towards Sage seep out of him. There really was no reason to hold a grudge because in all honestly he couldn't point a finger at him just for obliviousness. "Vigil had a talk with Rowen today."
Sage's intense violet eyes focused solely on the Brit.
"She told him the truth Sage. She told him you two were never engaged that you are just friends."
Sage's jawed clenched closed and he stared at the floor. "And?" he demanded angrily.
"And she told him that you have always only been attracted to men."
Sage said nothing but Cye saw his body stiffen.
"I think she did the right thing." Cye admitted softly, "You can't keep lying to everyone forever."
After a moment of quiet reflection Sage shook off his disappointment, "It doesn't matter, I've done without them for ten years, I'm sure I can manage for another."
"Sage," Cye lectured, "You're missing the point."
Like a blast of ice Sage gave Cye a look that could only be described as frigid. "I'm not missing anything Cye. If it makes you feel better I'm not mad at Vigil. I do understand her reasoning for telling the truth. I don't need your speech on how it was wrong of me to coerce her into a fake engagement because I'm not mad at her."
"You're still missing the point." Cye continued, cocking his head to the side to hide his amusement.
"Please Cye, I appreciate your concern but I really need to get through this file." And with that said he side passed him and sat down in his chair and opened the manila folder.
"You really can be a stubborn bastard Sage." Cye blatantly put, "Unlike last time Rowen found out that you liked men in that way, he wasn't disgusted." He put both of his hands on the desk and leaned down to make sure Sage was listening to him, "He was elated."
Sage waved an annoyed hand in the air to silence him, "I'm sure you are mistaken Rowen's sick sense of humor."
"I'm not Sage. And I'm not the one who found out for sure, your dear Vigil did. The two of them laughed and cried and I am just the bearer of news since Rowen confided in Mia the truth."
"And you heard it through the grapevine?" Sage was not impressed.
"I'm your second piece of proof. If you want to call Mia and ask her herself, be my guest. But the exact moment Vigil talked to Rowen I felt his confusion, I felt his feelings, and when it was all over I felt his joy."
Sage's vague expression melted and his eyes were full of wonder. "Are you sure Cye?"
Cye smiled, "I'm sure Sage."
Suddenly the ever cool, ever confident Sage was full of questions and doubt. "Should I call him? Or should I stop by in person?" he was on his feet and the folder forgotten. With a fresh surge of emotion and energy he started throwing papers into his briefcase as he reached for his keys hanging on the wall, "Should I invite him to dinner? Should I invite him for a drink?"
With a sad expression Cye watched him for the first time in ten years radiate nervousness. "Rowen needs to sort through his feelings right now. If you push him Sage, you'll scare him away." When Sage nodded in understanding and the briefcase packing began to slow, he dropped another bombshell, "Besides you have more pressing issues to take care of."
Sage froze not expecting more news out of him.
"You broke the girls heart you bloke." It didn't come out the way Cye had wanted, but it was the truth. "She loved you Sage, loved you more then she would even let on. She confided it to me a while ago. She loved you so much she made things right between you and Rowen because you loved him, and not her."
"She did what!?" Sage nearly shouted.
"She flew out of London International two hours ago."
Cye didn't need to explain more to him. He simply bowed out of his office as Sage paged his secretary.
Sage firmly told her that he needed to be booked on the next flight out to Minnesota.
He could literally feel Sage's frustration as he argued, "No, a flight tomorrow won't be acceptable. I don't care what airlines I'm put on as long as it's heading to the States within the hour or two!"
The secretary looked grimly pale as Cye walked out of Sage's office and let the door close behind him.
It was still raining when Cye found himself back outside of the massive building and he huddled underneath an umbrella as he held out a hand to flag down a taxi.
As one began to pull up to the curb he noticed that there was already somebody sitting in the back. Figuring the cab was dropping the young woman off, he stepped up to open the door for her before he himself got inside. But when he held his hand out he came face to face with Mia.
"Get in." she said and pulled on his coat.
Cye barely had enough time to fold up his umbrella as he was ushered into the cab.
"Well this is a surprise." He smiled half-heartedly.
Mia leaned over and slammed the taxi door closed. "London International." She told the taxi driver and the car smoothly began its ride back into England traffic.
Cye simply stared at her.
"There's no arguing Cye." She gave him a knowing look, "And don't tell me you didn't see this coming. You're going to the U.S."
"Mia dear, Sage is already going after her. There's no point in me tagging along." He sounded defeated.
"I figured that as well."
"Oh?" Cye asked, his blue eyes clearly giving away his doubt.
"When Sage apologizes to Vigil and she forgives him she's going to convince Sage to fly back to England for Rowen. I'm sure of that, from what you've told me of her." She glanced over at Cye's impressed expression, "And when that happens you need to be there for her. To comfort her," her eyes narrowed in a challenging sort of way, "To love her."
Cye was quick to argue, "But what if-"
"Don't live your life with 'what ifs' Cye. If you don't reach out and grab the one thing that will give you eternal happiness you're going to wonder down the road what if you had."
And that was all the encouragement Cye needed to take the plane ticket Mia handed him for one Delta Airlines flight headed to Burnsville, Minnesota leaving in exactly one hour.
From the taxi Mia waved her goodbye as she relayed, "Go charm the girl Cye, I have faith that you'll outdo Sage this time."
to be continued...