Only A Moment
Chapter 4: Blondes Do it BetterAN: Lol. I love my titles. Oh yesh, I don't own Faruba. Or like I normally say, Rin would be shot. Or squired. Or shish kabob. Or any other painful way of death. :shrugs: You can always give me suggestions. I am determined to kill her when I find the Sohma's hidden away in Japan one day. So your ideas are helpful. Anyways, I own all animals (no, none were harmed in the making of this fic, though Kiyoshi keeps trying to type… x Dumb monkey!) , Jono, Karl, Karin, and their stuff. Which Ayame will criticize Jono's decorating skills here. Anyways, this is a chap I devoted solely to Jono/Karl/Ayame. Jono/Karl pairing MUST go. To make way for Jono/Ayame pairing. That is final. Karl must leave, but he shall be back later to beg. I Luvs it when men beg, don't you? Ok, now that that's done, on with the fic and feel free to review!
From: Child of the Dark Wood w00t! you updated! so glad i could help...i love the animals...hee hee i like how you have the Sohmas talking to their respective animals like that...i especially love that you made Hatori the 'Sea King' smiles i love it! jumps for joy anyway for the great job i think you're doing here hands you a black rose with a red ribbon attached...fades away behind a shower of black and red rose petals...farewell
Um…Ok. Thank you for the compliments! -.- Makes me happy. Yesh, my brother inspired the Hatori-san bit. He showed me an article from a folklore mag (he's WAY into Jap. Folklore. Don't ask.), and it said that the dragon was king of the seas, thus, Hatori became the 'Sea King'. snuggles her rose and ribbon Aw, how nice! I love roses! - - Um, is this rude of me to ask…but are you a guy or a girl? I could probably go on your profile, but I'd like to know from you. Truthfully. Otherwise, I'll think I'm flirting with a girl, and you don't know how creepy feeling that is for me…OH! Not to say it's bad for people who ARE like that! bows sorry if this has offended anyone now…now I feel horrible for asking that mean, mean thing…sigh I suck when it comes to tact…Dear God, I'm turning into Tohru…screaming to the sky SOMEONE SAVE MEEEEEEE! Lol. But really, thanks. It was a nice gesture. pokes the guy who's shaking the box of rose petals in a shower of them Dark Wood is gone bub, you can stop throwing around the special effects. ; p (sorry, couldn't resist.)
Jono stood dumbfounded as Karl stood there in front of them, frazzled and his tear-stained face openly full of fear and shock. Karl only looked at Jono and Jono could only look back as Ayame looked back and forth between the two. Jono noticed out of the corner of his eye Karin getting stiff and rigid. She didn't like the thought of a confrontation in front of the family. But Karl wouldn't allow them to have a quiet conversation.
"W-Where were you? I've been calling everyone w-we k-know! I was so worried that something had happened, and I tried calling your cell Jono-chan, but you didn't answer, same with Ka-chan!" Karl said, still gasping from crying.
He seemed surprised to see the man he assumed was Jono's old flame, but he thought that Jono still wanted him more than anyone. Jono just looked frantically into the eyes of the man who he'd been calling his lover for quite a while now. He couldn't make himself tell him to calm down and that he loved him and it was all ok, not in front of Ayame. He knew that was what Karl wanted to hear, but he just couldn't. Karl noticed his hesitant nature too, and his expression changed from fearful yet relieved, to hurt.
"Jono-chan?…what's going on? I thought you told your family you were gay. Why aren't you speaking to me?" Karl said, his voice wavering ever so slightly, fearfully anticipating the inevitable. Jono felt horrible, he'd known this would happen. He'd just never expected Karl to find out so quickly he was hanging out with Ayame again. It tore him up to an extent to see the blonde German man crying and despairing silently for what was bound to come soon, but he still held a faithful, and strongly burning flame for Ayame. He couldn't help it. He hadn't chosen to fall in love with the snake, it just…happened. One day, he'd just realized that he adored all of Ayame's little quirks, movements, gestures, and whatnot. That could NEVER be changed. And Karl had thought that it had.
"Karl…please, can we talk about this in the kitchen?" Jono pleaded with a sigh. Karl, for once, shook his head with an icy stare.
"NO! What ever you have to say to me, you can say it in front of Ka-chan, and the people I'm assuming are Shigure-san, Ritsu-san, Momiji-san and…" Karl said, hesitating with a sad wince at the last name, "Ayame-san."
"No…I CAN'T. Ka-chan knows THAT all too well, but no one else does! So just come into the kitchen and act like a responsible adult for once Karl!" Jono said, growing impatient with his boyfriend's childish jealousy. He was acting like a high school girl that was jealous over an ex-girlfriend. His voice had lowered to a threatening hiss without his knowledge, and Karl followed meekly with a nod, but not until after Karin gave him a small hug. Jono didn't catch what she said clearly, but it was somewhere along the lines of 'Be strong Karl-chan.' He watched his sister set the rest of the family down as he closed the door so they wouldn't be heard, and stared icily at Karl, ready for a fight.
Ayame looked to the door, hoping to catch little bits of the conversation. He had to say, he really didn't think that this "Karl" person lived up to Jono's regular standards. Ayame scoffed. 'Not like I'm jealous…right? I mean, I AM a bit attracted to Jono-chan…but that's just my raging gay hormones talking. It's like that with Shigure-kun and Hatori-kun too, isn't it?' Ayame thought to himself, studying the door, as if his eyes would somehow grow x-ray vision and see them. He almost didn't want to see it anyways. He saw the look that Karl had displayed. It was the look of a man who KNOWS he's going to get dumped. And Jono had lost his patience with him, which wasn't a good sign. Ayame wondered whom Karl had been worried about. Was it he, or Shigure that Karl had been concerned Jono was paling around with? He sighed and listened to Karin and Ritsu's timid conversations. He smiled, they were STILL the cutest couple he'd ever seen. Which meant that the experience was all the more romantic, because they'd almost been childhood sweethearts, only to be parted by fate, and be brought back together.
"Um, how's Okami-chan been Koi-chan?" Karin said with a blush, while the monkey jumped onto her shoulder and Ritsu smiled at it's gesture. Ayame smiled as well, Ritsu had probally told the monkey to do so to make Karin more relaxed. Kagami now invaded his thoughts, and he realized that she was still with Jono.
'Big Sssssnake? Why is your mate fighting with the blonde two-legger? He ssseems angry with him…he ssssays that the two-legger almost revealed that he was your mate. But he's sssssssaying that he "lovessssss" you, and now the two-legger is bleeding water from his eyesssssss, why? What is this "love"?' Kagami asked quietly.
Ayame was dumbfounded. Jono loved him? Truly? Was HE the reason that the only other gay Sohma was banished from the Honke? Maybe Kagami had heard wrong? But then again, Ayame himself knew how clever snakes truly were. Some of his most intelligent conversations were with snakes.
He couldn't believe that Jono would have thrown everything away, just so Jono would never have to be apart from him. This kind of devotion Ayame was unused to, and he felt warm all over. It was a feeling of wholeness, of a long awaited completion. Then an idea struck him. Could he have felt the same way the whole time? He'd never been aware of this, but could it have been true? Kagami pried him from his thoughts again, with a worried tone in her voice.
"'Big Sssssnake? Are you all right? You ssssseem upssssssset…" she asked. He sighed and smiled into his hand, thankful for her concern. "I'm fine, Kagami. Just…a little surprised. Jono has just made me very happy, is all…" he answered tenderly. Kagami, receiving his love waves in his tone of voice, quieted herself and returned to watching Jono and Karl. Ayame just smiled as he drank his tea. Karin looked his way and cocked her head curiously.
"Ayame? Are you ok? You can't stop smiling…your enthusiasm is kinda creeping me out…" she said warily. He smiled and shook his head, getting up and walking silently to the kitchen. He looked back with a small smile.
"No, I'm fine. I'm just going to check on Jono and his friend…Karl, was it?" he said, his voice a bit icier than he'd intended it to be. Karin's eyes, he noticed, as well as Shigure's, grew as wide as saucers in recognition. They recognized the jealousy in his voice. He blushed slightly and walked quickly into the kitchen. Kagami looked his way, alerting Jono of his presence. The door closed with a click behind Ayame as he let it fall behind him, amazed at how protective and angry Jono seemed. He felt a bit flattered, and his heart skipped a beat.
"A-Aya! I'm sorry you had to see me like this…I didn't want you to see me loose control like this…" Jono said quietly, his head looking at the floor in shame. Karl, Ayame noticed, was glaring daggers at him. He knew now, as his suspicions were slowly confirmed, that he'd been the reason for this outburst. Karl's face grew stony and cruel as he opened his mouth to talk.
"FINE! IF YOU WANT TO LEAVE ME FOR THIS…THIS…MANWHORE, THEN GO AHEAD! HE'S PROBABLY BEEN SCREWING THOSE OTHER TWO FRIENDS OF YOURS, HATORI AND SHIGURE! YOU'RE A STUPID FOOL TO THINK HE'S FELT THE SAME THINGS FOR YOU FOR SO LONG! DO YOU HEAR ME? YOU'LL NEVER BE HAPPY BEING SMOTHERED IN THAT GODFORSAKEN SOHMA HOUSE! DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND THAT I JUST DON'T WANT YOU HURT? I LOVE YOU! HAS HE EVER SAID THAT WITH EVERY DROP OF EMOTION IN HIS HEART LIKE I HAVE! I DON'T HEAR YOU JONO!" he screamed, his frustration and sorrow coming out in one long, hurtful speech that bashed Ayame quite a bit, and it must have hit a nerve in Jono, because Ayame saw an emotion in his eyes that he'd only seen once. And that had been when the school bullies for looking so feminine had picked on Ayame himself. Ayame remembered that time, the time that Jono lost all control and went bezerk.
Ayame had just been thrown against the wall of the school, with three young men that went to their high school looming over him. Ayame was afraid. He knew what they were planning. They were always making jokes about how much he looked like a girl, and were always asking if he screwed like a girl too. But he'd never thought that they'd go as far as assaulting him, and ganging up on him like this just to mess with him. He knew he was attractive, but this was borderline psychotic. He scrambled to press himself against the hard security of the brick wall, but one of the boys, the tallest and often most physical, grabbed his wrists and held them over his own head. Another, the one who made the most comments about his girlish looks, kissed him harshly. Ayame struggled not wanting this kind of harsh treatment. It was public knowledge that he was gay, but he'd never wanted to be preyed on like this. He tried to be heartless and strike out quickly, like the zodiac animal he turned into, but he couldn't. he didn't want to become like them. The last started to undo his jeans, and they all started harshly kissing him, but then stopped abruptly when Ayame loosened and accepted his cruel fate. A shadow fell over Ayame's eyes. It was a silhouette of a person. He looked up and whimpered, half in joy and half in pain from the abuse.
"Get your damn hands offa him!" Jono growled, standing in such a way where he made the other three look like dwarfs, or scared children. They didn't move though. He leaned down, picked up one of them and pressed him to the wall and gave him a violent punch in the middle of his face, making him bleed profusely.
"What are you? Deaf? I said get your mitts offa Ayame!" he yelled again, fire and anger in his eyes. Ayame's heart leaped for joy. He knew what Jono was capable of. He would tear through these thugs like a hot knife through butter. But in their stupidity, they continued to brutally fondle Ayame.
He didn't like this kind of attention. He'd always thought that the first time he was touched per say, would be gentle, sensual, and full of tender love. Not this harsh, cruel, manhandling that he was experiencing now. He saw Jono rip off the other two, and as he collected himself and made himself decent, watched as Jono wrenched the arms of one, leaving him crippled and moaning in pain. The other, Ayame turned away for all the screams emitted from the poor soul who'd been actually 'touching' Ayame. Jono must have known who it was, since that boy was later admitted to the hospital.
Ayame felt a gentle hand tap his shoulder and looked up. Jono's hand was out with a calm, relieved smile, waiting for him to take it to get up. From there on in, they walked home, joking and laughing as they always did. But Ayame felt a new closeness, a new warm, secure feel around Jono from that day foreword.
Jono had that same look in his face as he had back then. Ayame watched his hands clench in anger, and Jono whipped his head up, sending a glare Karl's way.
"Get out. Get out now. You're not welcome here when you say that about him. Now get your face out of my damn line of vision, or I'll punch it in for what you just said about Ayame!" Jono yelled, anger flashing in his deep eyes. Karl was visibly shaking and nodded, running out the door in tears. Ayame could hear Karin question him what happened to make him so upset, but it was answered with a slam of the door. Ayame ignored that man's pain, and looked to Jono timidly. Now he knew why Jono had throttled those boys so soundly. It was because he'd loved him. And Ayame realized that he loved him for that protective nature.
"Jono…Thank you. I'm glad you got rid of him. I mean, he just can't compare to me, can he? Poor thing was doomed from the start…" Ayame said melodramatically with a small smile in Jono's direction. Jono picked up on it and smiled weakly.
"So you knew I loved you…huh. Didn't expect that…I guess that you'll want me to leave you alone, call me a freak and whatnot?" he said sadly, tiredly, as if he'd figured this would happen one day. Ayame shook his head, his silver locks flying around his face as he smiled.
"No! By any means, I'd like to stay with you. And actually, Kagami there told me. I didn't know before a few minutes ago. But you know…" Ayame started, then walked over and planted a gentle kiss on Jono's lips, his voice barely a whisper, "I've realized that I loved you since the moment you saved me in High School."
Jono's face lit up with joy, and he smiled broadly. Both were blushing a bit, and it would have been a sweet moment between the two had Karin not come storming in to ruin it.
"WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM? You totally blew up at Karl for no reason! And now he's running out in tears! What did you do to him you jerk?" she yelled. She watched as Ayame clung to Jono's arm and knew instantly what had happened. Karl had learned the HARD way that Jono was still in love with Ayame. And apparently, Ayame felt the same way. The scene had occurred in her mind once before, but she'd never expected it to end happily between Jono and Ayame. She doubted it still would. Akito would get in the way. He always did. She felt two hands on her shoulders and looked around.
Shigure was looking down at her softly, as if knowing her shock, yet still being open to Jono and Ayame's relationship that had seemed to bud in the last few seconds. The second, on her right, was Ritsu. He looked timidly to her, his brown eyes questioning and curious as to why she acted angry at her brother's love for another, even if it happened to be a man whom was cursed by the zodiac. But that really didn't matter to her, she just was irked that he hadn't broken the news to Karl a bit easier. It was cruel to send him out sobbing pitifully. She sighed under the two soft brown gazes and gave up the argument with a wry smile.
"I guess…I should say congrats. So, are you and Aya-chan a couple now?" she ventured, her mood slightly better now that she knew that Ritsu and Shigure were there to calm her nerves. She wasn't really angry, just distressed at the thought of Akito finding out.
"Y-yeah…if…if he'll take me…" Jono said shyly and with a blush. Karin knew her eyes had grown wide at this sight. She'd never seen Jono so flustered or nervous looking. Ayame just looked up at him, smiled, and kissed his cheek briefly, which only made Jono's blush deepen.
"Of course I'll accept you. How could I not with such an innocent proposal as that?" Ayame smiled. Karin smiled softly, she was glad now.
They were all finally happy. They'd gotten what they wanted, well partially. She STILL didn't have Ritsu in her arms. But she figured he'd come in time, or at least she hoped. Outside, the sun was setting the sky on fire in a blood red color. Karin couldn't help but feel uneasy, as if that sunset was a foreboading sign of warning to all of them. A dark cloud settled on her shoulders, yet she tried to mask it. 'Shigure-nii will probably figure it out though…' she thought, fully expecting an interrogation on her fears later from Shigure. But something in her heart told her that this peace they'd achieved after so long, wasn't fated to last long.
And she prayed, and hoped beyond hope that her feelings were wrong for once. Though she knew they weren't.
AN: Woot! Look, I put in a fluff! Go me! Hope you don't object to that. This chap WAS about Jono/Aya. So I had to put in something sweet, and that just came to my little blonde brain.sheepish smile don't kill me if you don't like it. You may flame if you wish. Or not. Either way, it's okay. Well, keep reviewing, and keep giving me advice! I need it, since I'm running out of ideas! Later!