I was hoping to get part four done first, but oh well! Part three...! Enjoy X3
Child-like... Beautiful...
Kudou Kazahaya...
Rikuou smiled to himself as he stared up through the darkness, unable to sleep. He felt sure that by just imagining him it would help, but instead it had only acted as a distraction.
No. He wanted... he needed the real thing.
He needed him there, laying next to him... with him... just his presence would be enough...
And he couldn't help but wonder if Kazahaya was feeling the same way at that very moment. When he had kissed him, he felt as if they were almost the same person... that they felt the same... wanted the same thing for the same reasons... But there was always that hint of doubt at the back of his mind that made him...
Afraid...
He was afraid... afraid... of loosing him...
They were different. There was no question about it. Even though the other boy was a clumsy excuse for a thief, or maybe even homeless, he was still more normal than he would ever be... no... he was.
Rikuou held his hand out before him, reaching upwards with his fingers out-stretched...
This power...
He refused to let him get involved with that. With this...
He closed his eyes, exhaling heavily. He couldn't risk anything that would put Kazahaya in danger... But how could he do that when it was his up most desire to be with him...? Just knowing him was dangerous enough... Yet the risk of getting close to him...
Too late.
Yeah... far too late for that now...
A faintly amused smile graced his lips. It was strange... getting so attached to someone he had only just met... And already they were on 'first name' terms... If he wasn't so completely infatuated with the guy, he thought that maybe he would see that this was all so stupid... and reckless...
Yet he ignored all that. What he knew was he was happy when Kazahaya was there. It was a simple as that. And he would never let him get hurt... emotionally or otherwise... He would protect him.
Even if his life depended on it... nothing was ever going to harm him...
Nothing...
-
It was almost certainly expensive, the penthouse room looking out across Tokyo. So high up that only someone believing themselves to be truly superior could have stood to live there without even the slightest feeling of ill ease. Indeed… the one who lived there believed himself to be far superior than those specks below… going about their everyday lives without a clue of the 'others' that walked amongst them… The arrogant smile mocked them all as he gazed out overbearingly...
He was generally known as 'Amano', although many felt certain that this was not his real name. He was one of those 'others'… those with gifts that made them far superior to the ones they walked amongst…
He commanded respect from the majority of those 'others', granted that there were still a handful or so that resisted him…
But still…
The fact that they resisted him…
He made it habit to immediately crush those who resisted him, no matter who they were…
Even if it was his own brother…
The sudden ringing of the phone was enough to snap him out of his state of contempt.
"Hello?" He said darkly upon answering, "…Ah, Kudou…What seems to be the problem…?"
"Um…" the hesitation in the boy's voice was enough to make Amano smile but also cringe at such pathetic uncertainty.
"Yes…?"
"I… I wasn't able to get the item you sent me to retrieve…"
A frown appeared on his face, "Oh…? And why was that…?"
"I… was disturbed… Someone almost found me, so I thought it would be best to… to leave…"
"…"
"Uh… Amano-san…?"
"Well now, Kudou…" Amano lowered his voice, putting extra effort into making the other uncomfortable. He somehow got the feeling… he wasn't telling the truth… no, to put it another way…he knew… "What do you propose we do about all this, hm…?"
"I don't… know… If you want me to try again tomorrow night, I'll go back…" There was a pause. "…O-or if you want, I could go there tomorrow and look around…? You know, scope the place out to see if I could plan it better…?"
Amano went silent for a moment. "… It may be my imagination, Kudou… but you seen rather eager to return there…"
"Ah, no…! Its nothing like that…!" came the somewhat alarmed response, "I just want to get this job done right… To prove myself to the others… Th… they've been giving me a bit of a hard time recently, and I just want to get this job done the best I can so they'll accept me…"
The smile once again curved upon the man's lips. "Very well, Kudou. If you wish to try so hard to fit in, I shall give you until the end of the week to get this job done…"
"Thank you Amano-san! I promise I'll do my best!"
"Glad to hear you are so enthusiastic… I hope to hear from you soon, Kudou."
"Yes sir! Goodb-"
Amano had hung up before he could finish.
He sighed, shaking his head in dismay, "Kudou… what on Earth do you take me for…?" the smile widened, hazel eyes taking on a dangerous tint, "You have no idea how dangerously close you're playing to the cliff's edge…"
Kazahaya just couldn't keep the smile from his face as he walked cheerfully down the street the next morning. He still couldn't believe that Amano had given him permission to carry out what he felt certain screamed 'ulterior motive'. But that didn't matter. He wasn't even the slightest bit bothered by the way the others had ignored him again that morning, and the hard stares being sent not so discretely his way during breakfast had just rolled straight off of him. The only thing on his mind right now was that he was but moments away from seeing someone who actually treated him like he mattered.
Eventually the Drugstore came into view, Kazahaya blinking at the sight of it. It seemed so much different during the day… Still relatively quiet and still, but then… Somehow more alive…
Not that any of that mattered whatsoever. He laughed nervously to himself, looking about cautiously before bounding over to the store, walking in brightly.
He had been right in thinking it was quiet… There didn't appear to be any customers at all… It was practically deserted save for… He blinked, approaching the till cautiously to find a man in shades sat perfectly still, smoking... or... was he sleeping...? "um..." He murmured nervously.
"Can I help you...?" came a calm, kindly voice from somewhere behind him.
"Huh?" he blinked, turning to find the shop's owner watching him with interest, a gentle smile upon his lips. "Ah, I'm sorry... I'm... uh... looking for Rikuou? Himura Rikuou...?"
"I think he's gone to get some shopping..." Kakei's eyes sharpened a little as they passed over the smaller boy's face, smile widening ever so slightly, "But he should be back soon if you don't mind waiting..."
"Oh... no, I can wait..." There was a moment's silence, Kazahaya glancing about nervously due to the lack of conversation, "umm..."
"Would you like anything to eat or drink at all...?"
"Oh, I-I don't want to intrude-"
"You're not intruding at all." the shop's owner beamed.
"Um… Are you sure…? I don't want to get in the way or anything…" The lighter haired boy murmured politely.
"No, no, you're not in the way…" Kakei let out a small, quiet laugh, "We're hardly busy right now, anyway…"
Kazahaya nodded in understanding, smiling tentatively. There was something dangerous about that smile… So kind and gentle, but somewhere behind it all came the feeling that he could really do something nasty. And then… that voice… He couldn't quite place his finger on it, but that voice somehow sounded so… familiar… He bowed his head a little in embarrassment. All that aside, he was beginning to feel like he was meeting Rikuou's parents or something. "Then...uh... please could I have some orange juice...?"
"Of course...! I'll be right back…"
The shop's owner soon disappeared to the back of the store, Kazahaya regarding him discretely, staring edgeways.
Isn't that…
He looked up a little, careful to keep his head bowed.
…where that box is supposed to be kept…?
"Well, well, who do we have here…?"
Kazahaya inhaled sharply, looking up in surprise to find the man behind the till leant on the counter, apparently watching him with interest from behind his dark sunglasses. Kazahaya smiled nervously, bowing as if by habit, "H-hello…"
The smirk on the man's face didn't let up at all as he spoke in a deep, amused voice, "What's your name, BOY…?"
Kazahaya paused, uncertain as to whether he should actually give out his name or not. "Um…I-I'm"
"He's a friend of Rikuou's…." came the docile yet firm tone of the shop's owner as he returned to the main shop with a glass of orange juice in one hand. "Here you go…"
"Ah, thank you…!" Kazahaya said quickly, grateful that he had been momentarily spared from a crisis.
"Don't mention it," Kakei beamed, tilting his head so that a few stray wisps of hair fell back into place, "For a boy his age, Rikuou doesn't seem to socialize at all… Its nice to know he does actually know someone outside of this shop…"
He lives and works here… Sounds so dull, but at least its secure…
Kazahaya beamed back, awkwardly trying to disguise his nervousness, "H-how long did you say he was going to be…?"
Kakei just smiled, looking past the lighter haired boy.
"Um…?" Kazahaya blinked, turning to find Rikuou just entering the store with a despondent expression on his face, "Ah, Rikuou…!"
"Huh?" the darker haired boy looked up quickly, eyes widening at the sight of the other boy, "Wh…what the hell are you doing here…?"
In an instant Kazahaya looked down trodden, loosing his nerve at the other's seemingly unfeeling words, "Um… I… that is…"
"Be careful, Rikuou!" came Saiga's up-beat tone, "its not nice to make beautiful people cry…!"
Kazahaya was quick to feel the blush appear on his face, Rikuou glowering angrily in Saiga's direction before sighing irritably, turning back to the other boy, "Have you had Breakfast today…?"
"Oh, uh… kinda…"
"Good, then I'll make you lunch."
"Huh? But its only quarter to eleve-" Kazahaya gasped as the taller boy walked past him quickly, grabbing his arm in the process and dragging him urgently from the shop, leaving Kakei and Saiga stood smiling as the frantic cries of surprise gradually became fainter, "R-Rikuou…!"
Saiga grinned turning to Kakei, "I don't think I've ever seen Rikuou so embarrassed before…!"
"Hm, well…" the shop's owner smiled thoughtfully, "I don't think he's ever met anyone like that boy before…"
"How interesting…" Saiga smirked, moving to embrace him from behind, "…and you're certain that it's him…?"
The knowing smile curved silently upon Kakei's lips, "Without a doubt…"
"What the hell do you think you're doing, coming here…?" Rikuou sighed, closing the door behind him.
"Well, sorry if I wanted to see a jerk like you again!" Kazahaya huffed, collapsing back onto the other's bed with his eyes shut irritably, "I had to go to a lot of trouble to get over here, you know! If you're just going to act like a jerk about it, then I might as well-" He was cut off as Rikuou leant down to kiss him suddenly, his eyes flicking open.
The taller boy smirked as he leant away, crossing his arms in a somewhat superior fashion, "You know… I'm curious as to why you headed straight for my bed, Kazahaya…"
Kazahaya pushed himself up immediately, face reddening, "Sh-shut up! I'm not like you!" The smirk quickly faded from Rikuou's face, Kazahaya inhaling sharply, "Ah, are you okay…?"
"I'm fine." Rikuou murmured, turning away. He would rather not have been reminded of something he was trying so hard to put to the back of his mind. "What do you want for lunch?"
"I didn't come here to eat, I came here to see you dammit!" the lighter haired boy gasped, blushing hard as the other reached out to move his hand down his chest to his stomach, "Ah, uh…"
"You're wasting away. Now, what do you want to eat…?"
"Um…" Kazahaya averted his eyes shyly, "I don't mind… whatever there is…"
"Strange…"
"H-huh…?"
Rikuou walked over to the stove, a faintly amused smile on his face, "You look like the type to be a fussy eater… But I guess if you don't have much money, its easy to eat whatever you can, huh…?"
The lighter haired boy returned the smile, laughing nervously, "Well… I guess…"
"So… are you going to explain to me just what you were doing here last night…?"
"Uh… No…"
"Suit yourself…" Rikuou sighed, pouring some rice into the pot, "Although I think you should know that being mysterious really doesn't suit you…"
Kazahaya smiled brightly cocking his head, "Look who's talking, Mr 'Glower, glare, frown and repeat'…"
"Very funny…"
The lighter haired boy gave a small laugh before glancing sideways, blinking, "...hey…"
"What?"
"I've been meaning to ask... whose bed is that?"
"No-one's…"
Kazahaya blinked once, leaning forward with his elbows rested on his knees, "Then what's it doing here…?"
"How should I know…? It was there when I got here…"
"How long have you been living here…?"
Rikuou turned his head a little to smirk cruelly, "I don't see why I should tell you that when you wont even tell me what you were doing here last night…"
The lighter haired boy flashed a charming grin, "Looking for you."
"I find that hard to believe considering the fact you seemed so surprised to see me…"
Kazahaya almost fell back. He didn't seem like the type to be so perceptive… Oh well, it was worth a try. He sighed, bowing his head, "…This is strange…"
"What is…?"
"We've only known each other for a couple of days or so… and already we're talking like…"
"Like what?"
Kazahaya blushed, looking up thoughtfully, "Just… like we're close…"
Rikuou remained silent, continuing to cook the rice. Eventually he spoke, voice slow and calm, "Yeah, its strange but…" He added some salt to the meal, eyes narrowing hazily, "…I'm not complaining…"
"Y…yeah…" the lighter haired boy murmured in embarrassment.
I'm not complaining at all…
-
Kazahaya had had to return back 'home' by late afternoon, for fear that such a long absence would provoke unwanted questions from the others. Then again, nowadays he didn't even notice them anymore. If they were just going to ignore him, act cold and distant, then he would just have to ignore them in return. They hadn't been particularly nice anyway… out casting him and such… Anyway, he would only be returning for a short while until night time, when he could continue his 'investigation'…
Dusk soon set in and he was back at the Green Drugstore before he knew it.
"Hey…" Rikuou murmured, pulling the other closer against him as they lay together.
"Wh…what…?"
"… Explain why you act so nervous about coming and leaving…?"
"Hmm, what do you mean…?"
"I mean how you seem almost reluctant to come over here…"
"I'm not reluctant! Its just those guys…" Kazahaya trailed off, hesitant to continue.
"What 'guys'…?"
"Uh… the people I live with…"
"What problem do they have with you coming over here…? You're not part of some cult are you…?"
"No…" the lighter haired boy huffed, elbowing the other softly in the ribs, "I don't look the mysterious type but I look like a member of some cult…? Ugh you're such a jerk…"
" Well what the hell is their problem with you coming over here?"
"When did I say they had a problem?"
"You didn't." Rikuou sighed, pushing himself up onto his elbows to smirk down at the other, "You really don't trust me, do you…?"
"Yeah, well how about you?" Kazahaya turned his head, pouting irritably, "You hardly treat me with the up most faith or you wouldn't be asking these kinds of questions…!"
"Maybe that's because I want to know more about you than just your name…"
"…" the amber green eyes opened slowly, melancholy.
Believe me, you don't…
He sighed, curling up, "Well… I want to know more about you, but you wont say a word…! Why should I tell you about me when you wont do the same…?"
"Point taken…" Rikuou gently took the others chin in his fingers, turning his head to plant a tender kiss on his lips.
Kazahaya glared sceptically as he leant away, muttering under his breath, "That wasn't an answer, you jerk…"
"Fine, if you're going to act like a brat about it…"
He huffed, turning onto his side, "Huh. I'm going to sleep."
"Brat…"
"Shut up, JERK."
Why can't we trust each other…?
Kazahaya moaned quietly in his sleep, clutching the bed sheets tightly with trembling fingers. It must have been gone midnight… Rikuou too was sound asleep, an arm held loosely yet possessively around the other boy. But Kazahaya's subconscious had started to trouble him. He just couldn't understand… Through selfishness he couldn't understand why Rikuou wouldn't tell him a thing about himself… Whenever he was near him, it felt so right… but then, he felt so anguished at the thought that they were keeping secrets from one another. Granted they had gotten so close in such a short amount of time… it didn't feel right knowing nothing about him…
You really don't trust me…?
He gasped quietly, flinching.
If only I knew why you look so sad… Maybe then…
…I could figure out how to make you happy…
It was enough that his mind let down its guard for even a split second… the unconscious desire to find out more… The visions had arisen before he even knew it.
His fingers clutching the bed sheets… The arm around him… The vision hit him, and it hit him hard...
In an instant, memories not of his own being came flooding into his mind like a great wave, pulling him deep down below the surface.
BLOOD?
There was blood everywhere... The walls were drenched in the dark crimson... The floor covered in pools of scarlet... the furniture stained with the deep, dark red... The air tainted with the metallic stench...Kazahaya almost threw up as he bolted upright, gasping for breath as the vision continued its assault.
"B...Blood..." he managed, clutching at his throat.
All the images... the smells... the overwhelming sensation of nausea rising up inside of him as he trembled, frantically grasping for his own consciousness amongst the invading thoughts and feelings, trying with all his might to pull himself out from the water's depths.
Stop…STOP...
He cried out in distress, hurling himself desperately onto the floor in an attempt to somehow get away from the vision that was tearing him apart.
Red...
Red...
RED...
The metallic stench...
The irremovable stain...
THE BLOOD...
Its everywhere!
"Blood!" He screamed, collapsing on the floor, sobbing hysterically, "The blood! Its… Its…!"
"Kazahaya?" Rikuou found himself awake in an instant, moving immediately to hold the smaller boy tight against his chest as he sobbed and writhed, "Kazahaya, wake up!"
His eyes were wide, staring incoherently ahead with tight, fearful pupils, entire body shivering as if in terror… and the only words escaping his pale, trembling lips…
"Blood…its…"
Rikuou felt is heart tighten. What was he supposed to do? He felt so helpless… He had promised to protect him, but what could he do to protect him from something he couldn't even see? Something that wasn't even tangible? His eyes narrowed as he tried desperately to find some kind of solution. "Kazahaya, please, wake up! Kazahaya!" He repeated over and over in hope that, even if it was a long shot, he could reach him…
"Blood…blood…"
"Kazahaya!"
R…Rikuou…?
Kazahaya gasped, blinking as he sat bold upright, breathing hard.
Those memories… they couldn't have been…
He turned, trembling, to regard the anguished face staring at him so hard.
Rikuou…?
Oh no…
It wasn't…
It couldn't have been…
"Kazahaya, are you alright?" Rikuou asked eventually, failing to disguise the quiver in his voice.
Kazahaya just stared, eyes quivering.
Rikuou…
I'm sorry…!
In a flash, he had leapt to his feet, grabbing his trainers and coat before running from the room. Rikuou was quick to pursue, "WAIT! Kazahaya, where are you…!"
But by the time he reached the steel stairway, he had already gone. He halted, staring out at dimly lit street, racked with both confusion and concern…
Please be alright…
"Kazahaya…"
Kazahaya rushed into the park, darting behind a cherry tree. He felt weak… so weak…
Suddenly he became aware of the damp, cool sensation of tears as they started to stream down his face… Before he knew it, a sob had escaped his lips, entire body shivering when he collapsed to his knees, burying his face in his hands and crying.
It was bad enough when he imposed upon the thoughts and feelings of people he didn't know… But prying into Rikuou's past like that… He hated himself… He hated himself so much…
If only I hadn't let my guard down… This whole stupid thing could have been avoided…!
He inhaled shakily, drawing in his knees and burying his face. There was no way he could face Rikuou after all of this… And after running off without a word… He should have known that it wouldn't have worked out. It just couldn't have… He belonged with the 'others', it was as simple as that… Rikuou was normal. He deserved to live a normal life and not have to ever deal with people who were anything but normal. Being close to him would only cause him hurt… Especially if he ever found out about what had happened…
He'd hate me… He'd hate me…
There was no way he would take it well… If he ever found out that Kazahaya had seen his past… Glimpses of a memory so painful… He would no doubt hate him forever… And he just didn't want to hear those words…
I know I promised… But even if it's a cowardly thing to do… I can't face you… I'd die… I'd die if I ever heard those words from you…
He sobbed softly, curling up tighter.
I don't think I've ever felt so alone… As I do right now…
-
The next day…
"Hm…?" Kakei looked up, curious as Rikuou wearily made his way into the shop, "Rikuou, what's wrong…?"
The darker haired boy glanced up tiredly. After Kazahaya had left, he had quickly decided to go after him in pursuit, searching every street, every alley for him… He had had no luck. In the end he had had to return back to the store, not sleeping once for fear of what could have caused Kazahaya to have left in such a hurry… It was almost as if he had had a nightmare that he couldn't wake up from…
"I didn't get much sleep…" he managed eventually, voice low with fatigue.
Saiga soon emerged from the back of the shop, baring an amused grin, "Up all night with that boy, hmm?"
Rikuou shot a sharp glare in his direction, clearly unamused at such a remark when he was in the midst of a crisis concerning the one being spoken of.
Kakei tilted his head slightly, "Something happened…?"
"What…?" Rikuou turned quickly, eyes wide with alarm, "What did you see?"
"I saw nothing…" Kakei said slowly, closing his eyes, "Although I can tell from the way even the very mention of him shakes you up… something must have happened between you to…" His eyes opened calmly, narrowing in a dangerous fashion, "I wonder what it could have been…"
Rikuou just stared, helpless.
"You really care for this boy… don't you…?"
"…" He closed his eyes, voice quiet but completely firm, "Yes…"
"I thought so… You know, Rikuou…" Kakei raised his head, giving a reassuring smile, "I think that this boy could be good for you…. Make sure you take good care of him…"
"…Yeah…"
No matter where you run to…
He clenched his fists in determination, inhaling deeply. There was no doubt about it. He would always protect him… Even if he no idea what he was protecting him from…
I'll protect you…
-
Kazahaya collapsed heavily onto his bed, burying his face onto the pillow. He still hated himself for what had happened. Every time he so much as blinked he could see the blood…The nausea rising up within him… And that look of concern on Rikuou's face, totally oblivious to what he had just seen…
I wonder if he would've still been concerned about me if he knew…
He sighed sadly, turning his head to the side. Why did he have to go and ruin something that was actually going well in his life…?
The phone rang, Kazahaya blinking once before reaching warily to answer, "h…hello…?" He murmured weakly, trying to hide the fact he had been crying.
"Kudou, how did things go yesterday…?"
"Oh, Amano sir…" he sniffed, rubbing his nose with his free hand, "Yeah, they went okay… I might need a little more time though…"
"As long as you get the job done by the end of the week…" He paused for a moment before continuing, "…Are you feeling alright, Kudou?"
"I-I think I'm just getting a cold… Nothing serious really…" He felt his grip around the phone tighten, eyebrows furrowing. It seemed unusual for Amano to sound so… concerned… It made him wary.
"Good good…"
Kazahaya could hear the smile on his face,
"I hope to hear of your progress soon, Kudou."
"Yes sir…" He sighed, putting down the phone. That conversation had been far too uncomfortable. He had gotten the feeling that Amano knew something, and that quite simply it was something that could get him in a lot of trouble…
Does he know that I went to see Rikuou…?
"Kudou…" came a low voice from the doorway. Kazahaya turned, startled to find Kazuo watching him coldly.
Wh…what…? Why is he talking to me all of a sudden…?
"Uh… yeah…?"
"Y'know… I haven't seen you eat recently…" Kazuo turned his head arrogantly, arms crossed, "I wonder why…"
Kazahaya frowned, pushing himself up, "What the hell are you talking about!"
"Hm…?" The other boy blinked, eyes shifting to glare at him, "Kudou, have you been crying…?"
"N-no!"
"You suck at lying." Kazuo smirked, walking forward, "You just yelled with the stifled tone of someone either with a cold or who's just been crying their eyes out… And your eyes still have tears in them… Your pillow's all wet… and your sleeve…" Kazahaya, leant away as he pressed on, standing over him threateningly.
I never even thought about what the others' powers were…but…
His eyes widened.
He can't be a mind reader…
Suddenly Kazuo grabbed his wrist, preventing his escape, "L-LET GO OF ME YOU BASTARD!" In a flash he struck out at the other with his free hand, Kazuo pushing him back onto the bed before he could make contact, "W-WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"
"Huh… aren't we pathetic, getting so emotional…?"
"What…are you talking about? Get off of me!"
"You know… I saw you the other day with some guy… Just who was that, Kudou…?"
Kazahaya gasped, scowling hard, "N-no-one!"
"It didn't seem like no-one from where I was standing…" he smirked at the other's desperate struggles to get free, "I mean… would you give looks like that to no-one…? I don't think so…"
"He was just some guy who bought me a meal dammit!" the lighter haired boy cringed hard, trying with all his might to pull free, "Believe what you want, but that's the truth!"
I can't let anyone know about Rikuou…
I've already done so much to make him hate me, I just can't let him get involved in all this as well…
"Oh really… I thought that maybe he had something to do with why you've been crying…"
"YOU BASTARD, GET OFF OF ME ALREADY!"
Eventually, an air of disinterest about him, Kazuo leant away, pausing for a moment to regard the indignant glares being sent his way before turning to walk back out the door, "How pathetic can you get…?" And with that, he left.
Kazahaya screwed his eyes shut before collapsing back on his bed, one hand rested on his forehead. They knew more than they were letting on… That much was clear… He should have guessed that Kazuo was the one who had told Amano about him meeting Rikuou… Bastard that he was…
Dammit, how could I have screwed up things this badly…?
-
Soon, days had passed since the vision had occurred. Kazahaya had barely stepped foot from his room at all. No one had come to speak to him since that time Kazuo had spoken to him. He had hardly eaten either, not wanting to go anywhere where he might run into Rikuou… It seemed that before all this, no matter where he went, he would somehow run into Rikuou. It was almost as if… they were meant to meet each other… But none of that mattered now… Rikuou, however, refused to believe that was that. There was no way something so important to him was over before it had only just begun… He had had enough of loosing the things that were important to him. So he continued to wait, patiently, in hope that he would see him again…
Kazahaya blinked, awoken suddenly by the ringing of the phone. He actually debated for a moment as to whether he could answer it or not. He could almost certainly guess who it was… after all, only one person ever called that phone. Eventually he sighed, picking it up reluctantly and holding it to his ear. "…Amano-san…?"
"Kudou, how are you today…?"
"Okay…" He murmured, the weakness clearly showing through in his voice.
"The others mentioned that you hadn't been eating as of late."
"Yeah, I've… just been feeling a little ill… Its nothing serious…"
"…" the voice on the other end went silent for a moment before continuing, "Kudou, since you don't seem to have made too much progress on your current job, I will be reassigning you to another…"
"…" Kazahaya bowed his head sadly, closing his eyes. It was almost certainly for the best… That way he really could be sure that he would never see him again… "Yes sir…"
-
The East Private Gardens…
Kazahaya didn't even bother to wrap up particularly warm that night. The cold seemed to be the only thing that penetrated the overwhelming numbness he had felt since deciding he had destroyed everything going well in his life… It was also something that had drained any enthusiasm that he may have had for these jobs that he was sent on. In either case, he would do it none the less… After all, this was the only thing he had left now…
The item he had been sent to retrieve was a wind chime - one of perfectly clear glass. The fact that it was located in a garden seemed more heartening than when he had been sent to get the box from the Green Drugstore…But still, not something he wanted to do… The word 'private' made him especially cautious about the whole thing. Just hearing the word conjured up images of security guards and cameras…
He sucked in his breath, the main gate to the gardens coming into view. The whole compound was surrounded by a tall, greyish wall, the main gate made of silver steel that was glinting sharply in the moonlight. The next question was just how he was supposed to get in… the walls were far too high for him to jump or climb… the only thing he could think to do would be to scale the gate…
It was only upon approaching that he noticed something wasn't quite right. "H-huh…?" He blinked, reaching out tentatively to touch the main lock only to find the whole thing already completely snapped, "What…?"
How on earth…?
Well… for whatever reason it was broken, it still solved one big problem…He pushed it open silently, cat-footing his way into the gardens, careful to push the gate back to prevent any unwanted attention. The first obstacle over come, he turned to regard his surroundings. The gardens themselves were huge, filled with many different varieties of trees, plants and flowers… All strangely in bloom… the trees with all their leaves… He clenched his fists, biting his lip. That wind chime could be anywhere… Letting out a small sigh, he looked about warily before tiptoeing his way through the grass. There was a soft breeze on the cold night air, causing the branches of the trees to rustle and creak, ripples scattering on the ornamental carp ponds… He inspected each tree branch carefully, suspecting the most likely place for a wind chime to be on one of the trees.
Suddenly there came a snap, Kazahaya looking up in alarm.
…nothing…
He took a deep breath, looking around nervously just in case. Eventually, reasoning that it must have been the wind, he returned to the task at hand. It couldn't hurt to be over cautious now, could it…? A weeping willow tree stretching out across the largest of the ornamental ponds was his next target. Moving to search it, it was then he heard a soft tinkling carried on the wind…
Th…the chime?
He looked about urgently, searching desperately for his 'target item'. Kazahaya stood perfectly still, listening hard for some sign as to which direction the sound had come from. The wind soon died down, taking the chiming with it.
… Behind me… to the left…!
Quickly he turned, rushing in the direction he had been sure the sound came from. Soon he came to a halt before a maple tree he had already passed. He blinked, staring up into the branches.
Here…? But…
In an instant, he spotted the wind chime hung on one of the higher branches, shining as it caught the silver moonlight and chiming ever so softly on the breeze.
The moonlight?
He blinked, turning to look up at the moon just as the clouds moved to cover it… blocking the silvery light… And upon turning back to the wind chime, he found that the item had completely gone…
I need the moonlight to see it…
He smiled a little at his success, starting to climb the tree in order to reach the 'prize'…
There was another snap, shortly followed by the familiar crunching sound of footsteps on grass. Kazahaya jumped, a sharp gasp escaping his lips.
Someone's coming?
Swiftly, desperate not to get caught, he climbed effortlessly up into the tree's branches, hiding himself amongst the leaves.
Ugh, please don't let them find me…!
The crunching got closer, Kazahaya pressing closer to the tree. His heart had started to pound furiously at the idea of getting caught. Like his life couldn't get any worse, all he needed now was to get in trouble with the law…
The footsteps went silent for a moment, the wind blowing through the trees causing the branch Kazahaya was stood on to bend and tremble, making the lighter haired boy try with all his might to keep his balance as he clung hard to the tree itself. What was worse, the sudden gust of wind had caused the clouds stifling the moon to move, the entire garden becoming bathed in moonlight. He gasped silently, spotting the wind chime at the end of the branch he happened to be standing on, chiming gently.
I… I can reach it if I edge forward…
Tentatively, he edged his way a little down the branch, keeping the tips of his fingers a skins width away from where he had just been clinging to.
Just… a little more…!
In an instant the footsteps sounded once again, causing him to freeze and stare down through the leaves in terror. Slowly, a figure walked beneath him, regarding the tree for a moment before looking up into the branches.
Kazahaya's heart skipped a beat.
R…Rikuou?
He had soon clutched both hands over his mouth, stifling his gasp and shaky breaths. He couldn't believe it… what was Rikuou doing there, and at that time of night…? His eyes looked down sadly, quivering. It felt so hard even to have to look at him after what had happened… But at the same time… he just couldn't look away…
Rikuou continued to regard the tree carefully when he suddenly seemed to spot the wind chime, observing it for a moment.
H…huh…? He's looking for the wind chime…?
The dark green eyes narrowed, focusing hard on the tree.
Kazahaya blinked, turning slowly to observe the place where Rikuou was glaring. The air around the branch just behind him, the very spot where Rikuou was looking, seemed to become distorted, rippling… Before Kazahaya even knew what had happened, it had snapped in an instant, breaking clean in half. He gasped, tumbling to the ground with a cry of shock before landing with a soft thud on the tender grass.
Everything seemed dim for a moment… sensing only the gentle sound of the breeze in his ears…
When he became aware of his name being spoken by such a familiar voice…
In a flash his eyes flicked open, Kazahaya pushing himself up immediately to find Rikuou knelt down beside him with his face racked with concern… and… was that fear…?
"R-RIKUOU!" He gasped, going to run away when he found his arm grabbed tightly, "L-LET GO!"
"Shut up…! Do you want to get found?" came the sharp hiss of a reply. There was a pause, "…Do you really want to avoid me so much that you'd run away without a word…?"
The lighter haired boy froze, screwing his eyes shut, "R…Rikuou… I'm sorry…"
"Huh…?" Rikuou blinked once before grabbing his other wrist, pulling the other to face him, "What are you talking about? Why are you sorry…?"
"I…" Kazahaya gasped, eyes flicking open, "You… Were looking for that wind chime…?"
The darker haired boy appeared faintly alarmed by the other's remark, eyes widening a little, "Yeah, but how did you-"
"Did you make that branch snap?"
"What?"
"You did! You glared at it and something weird happened to the air around the branch and it snapped! Like it was a twig or something!"
Rikuou scowled hard, grip tightening around the other's wrists, "You avoid me for days, and the first thing you do accuse me of is breaking some tree? Do you have any idea how worried I was about you?"
Kazahaya bowed his head, flinching a little, "I…"
Please let me be right…
"I saw this vision…"
"What?"
"I have this power… I can touch things and get visions, and… and that night I stayed over with you… I got a vision… of your past…" He looked up quickly, desperate to clarify himself, "But I didn't mean to! I was asleep at the time, and I couldn't control it! Then, when I snapped out of it… I felt so bad about it I couldn't face you… I'm sorry!"
Rikuou stared, apparently overwhelmed at such a great amount of information being given all at once. "You… get visions…?"
"I don't expect you to believe me… And I especially don't expect you to forgive me… but… I just wanted to let you know why I avoided you…" Kazahaya averted his eyes sadly, voice almost a whisper, "I didn't want to hear you say... you hated me…"
There was a pause.
"…You…"
Kazahaya closed his eyes fearing for the worse.
"You're an idiot!"
"Wh…what!" he roared, turning to scowl at the other, "I just poured my heart out to you and you call me an id-"
He was cut off as the other pulled him forward to kiss him roughly, his eyes widening in surprise.
Rikuou scowled back as he pulled away, holding Kazahaya's face firmly in both hands ,"Yes, I broke the branch, and yes, I did it using my so called power…"
The smaller boy's eyes widened as they remained fixed on the other's face, "Rikuou…"
"…And you're an idiot because you avoided me like that…" Rikuou pressed his forehead against the other's, closing his eyes, "Why can't you trust me…?"
Kazahaya had pulled free in an instant, wrapping his arms around the other tightly, "Okay! I-I'm an idiot…! I'm sorry…"
The darker haired boy smirked, returning the embrace, "You're an idiot for apologizing too…"
Then again… I'm an idiot for thinking that we weren't the same…
Kazahaya smiled, feeling the numbness thaw away.
We're exactly the same…
"Now…" Rikuou leaned away, crossing his arms, "Tell me… just what were you doing up in that tree, and what do you know about that wind chime…?"
"Uh…" The lighter haired boy glanced down nervously.
If we're going to be honest with each other…
"I…Uh… remember when I told you about my job…?"
"The one where 'work rarely comes up'…?"
"Yeah… well…" He smiled nervously, shrugging, "This is it…! My boss sends me on these little errands and stuff… to get these items… and… That night I was at the Green Drugstore…? He sent me to get a box or something from your boss' office…"
"…" Rikuou raised an eyebrow, "You really are a thief…"
"Yeah… I guess so…"
"Well… Work like this rarely comes up for me as well…"
Kazahaya blinked, eyes widening a little, "Wh-what?"
"Kakei… my boss… Although I work in the shop, he sometimes sends me out to do these jobs as well…"
"…Rikuou…" He beamed, rubbing the back of his neck nervously, "I feel so stupid…"
Rikuou closed his eyes, the smirk curving back on his lips, "You're an idiot, its only natural…"
Both, turned back to each other, smiling for a moment before kissing again, the wind rising up about them as the moonlight once again shone down to the gentle tinkling of chimes…
…But neither noticed the dark gaze watching them silently, unseen from across the garden…
Kazahaya let out a heavy sigh of relief, collapsing back upon his bed with a blissful smile upon his face. This was perfect… Right now… He had never felt so perfect in all his life… Rikuou cared for him, despite the stupid things he did… They both had unusual abilities… They were both 'different'…And most importantly, he could continue seeing him… Sure enough… He was starting to suspect that he felt a little more than affection for the guy… He turned onto his side, curling up tight. He had to see him again soon… So they could talk some more… He didn't care about his past…But if Rikuou ever wanted to tell him, he would listen with every ounce of attention he had… Really… what mattered now was the present… And at present, they were keeping nothing from each other…
His smile widened, fingers curling loosely around the bed sheets.
I wonder if this feeling will ever fade…?
"Kudou."
The sharpness of the voice that had spoken his name was instantly enough to snap him out of his state of blissful contentment. He blinked, turning to find Kazuo watching him from the doorway, "What do you want now…?" He sighed irritably, annoyed that someone had interrupted his moment of happiness.
The other just glared before closing eyes. "Amano-san wants to see you immediately."
"Huh?"
See me…?
"You mean, face to face…?" Kazahaya blinked, somewhat confused and at the same time concerned, "Why…?"
"… We think you know why…" came a second voice from behind Kazuo, the boy stepping aside to reveal the other four.
"Wh…what…?"
"Kudou-kun…" Kanna glowered, arms crossed, "You told someone other than us… about your gift…?"
Kazahaya's eyes widened in alarm, heart tightening.
But…But how?
"What the hell are you talking about!" He yelled, fearful at their accusations, "When did I-"
"About four hours ago in the East Private Gardens…" Kazuo continued, eyes narrowing, "You were talking to that guy… You told him everything about your power… and everything about us and Amano-san… I was there…"
"You…" Kazahaya stared in disbelief, frozen.
"I told Amano-san immediately… He made it quite clear that you were to be brought before him… immediately…"
"You did something bad Kudou…" Hanako smiled sweetly in an unnerving manner, "You need to be reprimanded… Its for your own good…"
"I think 'punished' would be a better word…" Ran murmured.
"P-Punished!" Kazahaya leapt to his feet, wondering what he was supposed to do next, "What are you, mindless drones? Why the hell do you have to do everything that guy tells you!"
"Kudou… You have no say in the matter…"
In a flash the others had moved to restrain him, Kazahaya trying to escape desperately before finding himself tripped, face pushed down hard upon the bed and his arms locked to prevent retaliation. "GE-GET OFF! DAMMIT, WHAT DO YOU THIN-"
In an instant a hard blow was struck to the back of his head.
Everything fading to black…
The only thing on his mind, calling out for help desperately as the darkness pulled him under…
Rikuou…
To be continued...
