Thanks to everyone who reviewed!
Disclaimer: Me no own Inuyasha. Or Jakotsu. Or Bankotsu. I do, however, own my Jakotsu plushie, who I have huggled to death.
Warning: This story contains yaoi, so don't read it if you don't like it.
Alike Opposites
Chapter 2: Training and a sleepover
Bankotsu's POV
A sliver of light shone through the partly open doorway, casting faint shadows on everything in the room. My eleven-year-old self huddled in the corner, desperately attempting to block out the sounds coming from down the stairs.
I heard a crash and then a scream- my mother's scream. I cried out softly and shut my eyes, imagining what that scream could have meant. If anything happened to my mother while she was protecting me, I didn't know what I'd do.
I strained my ears, trying to catch any sign that my mother was okay. Instead of hearing her pleas to leave me alone, I was met with silence.
'Mother?' I mouthed, wanting her to respond to my silent question. I didn't dare say anything out loud, lest he heard me.
My question was answered with the creak of the stairs- someone was coming up, and I doubted that it was my mom. I withdrew farther into my corner, hoping that I would be overlooked. No such luck.
A shadow moved in front of the light from the hall, taking up nearly all the room with its massive size. I gulped, knowing that my hiding place had been found.
The figure stepped into my room, closing the door behind it. Walking over to my corner, it smirked, as its breath washed over me, reeking of alcohol.
"Why, hello there, son." My father said.
I whimpered and tried to crawl away, but he snagged the back of my shirt and threw me across the room.
I hit the wall with a sickening crack and fell down on my bed, nearly unconscious. Through bleary eyes I watched as my so-called father came closer and closer, and the last thing I saw before I succumbed to the darkness was that of my father's arm coming down with a maniacal look in his eyes.
I sat up, gasping for breath. This was the third time I had had that dream in a month. It was always the same- I always relived the night my mother was killed and my father attacked me and left me for dead.
I glanced at my alarm clock- 5:00 am. Yet another night I had awoken early.
I pulled up my shirt, exposing my stomach and the horrid reminder of that night.
Stretching across my entire stomach was a livid scar, left from a wound that almost killed me. My father had a broken beer bottle in his hand the night he came into my room, and, half-crazed with alcohol, he had slashed it across my stomach.
Luckily a neighbor had heard the sounds of a struggle coming from my house and had called the police and an ambulance. I was rushed to the hospital and taken into the emergency room, where the surgeons had stopped the blood flow and stitched up the wound.
I was never expected to last the night due to blood loss and shock, but I pulled through and was released from the hospital a month later.
A lawyer had met me on getting out and told me that my father was in prison and that I was to live with my older brother, Renkotsu.
It was awkward at first, but once we learned more about each other-such as Renkotsu was an early bird and painfully cheerful in the morning and that it took me at least an hour before I was fully awake- we got along relatively well.
I sighed and attempted to go back to sleep, knowing that it was a lost cause. I had yet to fall back asleep after one of my dreams.
> > > > > > > > > > > >
Jakotsu greeted me as soon as I walked into view, cheerful despite the fact that we were at school. I waved tiredly and suppressed a yawn- I never fell back to sleep after the dream, just staying awake and waited for Renkotsu to wake up.
Jakotsu must have noticed my yawn, because when I reached him he asked me worriedly,
"Are you okay? You look really tired."
"I am tired. I woke up at 5 am and couldn't go back to sleep." I replied.
"Why did you wake up at 5 am?" He wondered.
"Bad dream." Jakotsu seemed to get the hint that I didn't want to talk about it, and didn't press the subject.
I wasn't sure if I wanted to tell him about my recurring nightmares. I hadn't told anyone about them- not even Renkotsu. I could trust Jakotsu with my sexuality secret, but that's because he's the same way and I knew he wouldn't tell or anything. However, I didn't know what he would do with my secret about my dreams.
I pushed all thoughts leading in that direction away from my mind, instead focusing on getting to my class in time for the last bell.
> > > > > > > > > > > >
As I walked into PE, the last class of the day, I immediately noticed that things were set up differently. The bleachers were all put into one corner, and mats were spread out all over the floor. Beside each mat was a wooden sword and body padding. There were a few other people milling around, but they looked like they didn't know anything about it either.
Okay…I thought. This is different. I curiously walked over to one of the swords and picked it up, noting that it was heavier than a normal wooden sword. With all of the fighting that I had done over the years, I knew my fair share about them.
I started twirling the sword around, getting the feel of it. The balance seemed good, and I couldn't detect any weak points in it. I nodded to myself, pleased with it.
Just then the coach, Ayuda-sensei, strolled into the room. The rest of the class slowly trickled in after him.
He blew the whistle hanging around his neck, motioning for us to come over to where he was standing. Once we were in a semi-circle around him, he began,
"Now, I know you're probably all wondering why there are swords and mats all over the place." He stopped for the many nods of confirmation. "Well, we are going to start a self-defense program that will continue throughout the rest of the year. We will learn how to wield a sword and the basic offense and defense maneuvers of the sword. We will also be learning how to fight hand-to-hand.
"I want you all to choose a mat and put on the padding beside it. I don't want any of you getting hurt in this class. The eleventh graders will be joining us shortly, as they have had this class before and can give you one-on-one training. It will be much more efficient than if only I did it. Now go find a mat and get ready!"
Everyone dispersed and went to their respective mat. I made my way to the one that I still had the sword from.
About two minutes later, after everyone had the padding on, the eleventh graders came in. They were an exceptionally loud group, and almost all of them came in whooping and hollering. I grimaced at the thought of being paired up with one of these dumbbells.
Then I caught sight of Jakotsu. He was standing a little apart from the rest, a frown on his face.
The coach gave the signal for the eleventh graders to pair up with one of us.
I waved my hands in the air to get Jakotsu's attention. He looked my way and grinned, jogging over to me and saying,
"I didn't know you would be here!"
"I didn't even know we were doing this. I'm just glad that I'm paired up with you instead of one of those peabrains over there." I replied, tilting my head to where the others were making fools out of themselves. Jakotsu and I sweatdropped at their antics, choosing instead to focus our attention on better things than seeing who could carry the most swords in their mouths.
"So, have you had any practice with a sword before?" Jakotsu asked me.
"I've had some practice with it out on the streets, but never any formal training." I answered. Jakotsu nodded and picked up my sword, holding it with both hands on the grip.
"The main thing is to never show signs of your next attack. Try to fool your opponent, and finish the match as quickly as possible." Jakotsu adopted the tone of a teacher.
"When you do that, it gives your opponent less time to do his own special attacks and it doesn't give your opponent time to fully anticipate your next move. Move swiftly and silently, confusing your adversary with your speed. Watch me."
With that, Jakotsu got into a stance that I had never seen before, with the hand holding the sword by his shoulder, his other hand by his side, and his knees slightly bent. He paused for a second before quickly running forward; slashing with his sword four times, and doing a back flip towards me.
"Now, how many times did you see me slash the sword?" he asked.
"Four times, why?" I replied, wondering what was the big deal about that.
Jakotsu chuckled and said appraisingly,
"You actually did better than most people. I slashed my sword twelve times. Usually people only see one, if any. The fact that you saw four proves that you are skilled already. I want you to see all of my attacks and be able to parry them. The only thing I have against you is speed. You get that, and you'll beat me. Now let's see what you've got."
He handed me my sword and picked up another one from a different mat.
"I'm going to go slower, but don't expect me to keep doing that once you get better." He said, getting into his stance again.
I smirked and lowered myself into my own stance- my left arm extended with my fingers slightly curved, my right arm holding my sword parallel to the ground, and my knees bent.
We stayed like that, waiting for the other to make the first move. Jakotsu moved first, running towards me with his sword raised. I barely had time to block his first strike when he was aiming for my stomach. I jumped back and stumbled slightly, not used to moving so quickly.
Jakotsu charged at me again, aiming for my neck but he switched directions at the last second and almost hit me in the side. He twirled around be and pressed his blade against my back, indicating that he had won.
He lowered his sword and came around to the front of me. I was amazed that he could do all that and not be out of breath.
"Remind me never to get on your bad side. Are you sure that you slowed down?" I asked suspiciously.
"I was actually going at about 40 percent of my normal speed. Not to brag, but I can go really, really fast when I want to." He answered truthfully.
"No kidding." I let out a sigh and stretched my arms above my head. "Well, that's my workout for the day. Since school's over, want to go get some ice cream?"
Jakotsu grinned and said,
"Of course."
> > > > > > > > > > > > >
Licking our ice cream cones- strawberry for Jakotsu and mint chocolate chip for me- we made our way towards the park. It wasn't anything fancy, just a clearing half-surrounded by woods with a swing set, slide, four benches, and a few picnic tables. Jakotsu led the way to one of the benches under a giant oak tree. The tree cast patterns of shadows on our skin, making us look like two members of a warrior tribe painted with war paints.
"Jakotsu?" I asked, interrupting the silence.
"Hmm?" he replied.
"Why did you tell me the real reason why the secretary didn't like you instead of making something up? I would have believed you if you said that it was because of your pranks, or something."
"I dunno. I just felt like I could trust you for some reason. Even though I haven't known you for that long, it seems like I've known you forever."
"Really? It feels like that to me, too. I think that's why I told you about me."
"Heh, we're the two weirdoes who think that total strangers are our best friends forever."
"But we are, though. What do you say, BFF?"
"Always and forever."
We shook hands and gave each other a friendly hug.
After finishing off our ice cream, Jakotsu and I started walking towards my house, and I assumed his house, also. I began thinking about dinner, and remembered that Renkotsu said that he was making oden. I hoped that he was making extra, because of what I was about to say.
"Jakotsu, do you have any plans for tonight?"
"No, why?" He replied curiously.
"Do you want to come over to my house for dinner? Renkotsu's making oden."
"Sure! But who's Renkotsu?"
"He's my older brother."
"Oh. Why is he making dinner? Is he like, the cook of the family or something?"
"Well, I can't cook worth beans, and he's the only other one. My parents died when I was eleven."
"Oh, sorry. My parents died, too. My cat and I live by ourselves."
"Wow. I can't imagine what it would be like to have nobody."
"It's okay, I guess. The government pays for all my bills, so I don't have to worry about them."
I nodded and kept walking. Soon we arrived at my house- a one-story building with bushes surrounding the entire house. The grass was slightly overgrown, but it wasn't that noticeable. I rummaged through my backpack for my keys, finally finding them in the front pocket. I unlocked the door and stepped inside.
It looked like Renkotsu was home- his backpack was tossed aside haphazardly, and I could hear the TV on in the living room. I removed my backpack and set it beside Renkotsu's, motioning for Jakotsu to do the same.
Once we were rid of the essence of school and had gotten a can of soda from the kitchen, I lead Jakotsu into the living room.
It wasn't anything special, just a TV against one wall, a recliner in one corner, a coffee table, and a sofa that my brother was currently residing on. I stepped into the room and made my way to the couch. Renkotsu didn't even notice that I was home until I said,
"Renkotsu! Could you please join the world of the living already? I brought a friend over."
Renkotsu scowled at me and commented sourly,
"Oh? And were you going to tell me that you were bringing friends over?"
"First of all, it's only one friend. And second, I didn't know Jakotsu was coming over until about fifteen minutes ago. Can you make extra oden?" I added in uber-cute puppy dog eyes for good measure, complete with teary eyes and a quivering lip.
"Fine. Just never do that again. It's freaky…" he got up off the couch and headed to the kitchen.
I grinned and pumped my arm up and down. Jakotsu watched me, amused, before he asked,
"Didn't think that he would make extra?"
"No, wasn't sure if the puppy dog eyes worked. But they did, and I'm going to store that information for later. So…what do you want to do while dinner's being made?" I replied.
Jakotsu shrugged, and said,
"I guess we can just watch TV. Hey, have you seen that new show on TBS?…"
> > > > > > > > > > > >
Renkotsu called us to dinner about an hour later. We gathered around the oval shaped dining table, Renkotsu across from Jakotsu and me. It seemed he had gone all-out with the oden, making it better than I had remembered. The meal was spent in silence until Renkotsu decided to play twenty questions.
"So, Jakotsu, is it?" he asked.
"Yes. Jakotsu Iida." Jakotsu answered somewhat nervously.
"How long have you known Bankotsu?"
"About a week, I guess. I helped him out, and we became friends soon after."
"I see…Where do you live? In case I have to pick up Bankotsu sometime."
"My apartment is just down the street. You turn left from your driveway, go straight until you reach Sakura Lane, take a right there, and keep going until you get to the Kaijou apartment building. My apartment number is 234."
"Okay, I know where that is. Who do you live with?"
"It's just me and my cat, Paki."
"Mmm."
It seemed that Renkotsu was done asking questions, so I excused Jakotsu and myself. We went up to my room and started playing video games.
> > > > > > > > > > > > >
After six rounds of Nascar racing, four rounds of Pac Man, and five rounds of Fighter Pilot 2, the score was Jakotsu- 12, Me- 3. What can I say, the guy could really use that controller!
I groaned and slumped down in my bean bag chair. I had seriously thought that I could beat him, but he sure proved me wrong.
I glanced at the clock hanging above my TV, gaping at the time. It was already 10:30! I didn't think that we had been playing video games for that long! I didn't want Jakotsu to walk home this late at night, and Renkotsu was already in bed, so I offered,
"Hey, want to spend the night over here? It's already 10:30, and I doubt that you want to walk home in the dark."
"Are you sure it's okay? I've walked home in the dark before, and it's not really a big deal." He said.
"Of course I'm sure. You can use the spare bedroom across the hall. Thank goodness it's Friday, otherwise three people would have to take showers in the morning." I reassured him.
"Then I suppose I'm staying! Can I borrow some pajamas?" Jakotsu asked.
"Sure, but they'll be a little small on you. You're taller than I am." I said, going over to my chest of drawers and rummaging around in the top drawer. I took out an overly large T-shirt and a pair of black boxer shorts.
"This okay?" I asked, holding them up. Jakotsu nodded and took them from me, heading towards the bathroom to change.
While he was in the bathroom I switched my school outfit with a black tank top and red flannel pants. I had just finished unbraiding my hair when Jakotsu came out.
The boxers fit him perfectly, even if they were a little short and the T-shirt hung loosely off of his frame. He had taken his hair out of its customary loop and it fell down his back in loose waves. All in all, he was hot!
I tried not to stare, turning back to my mirror and brushing out my long locks. I sensed Jakotsu walk up behind me and take the brush from my hand. He started brushing my hair and gathered it on top of my head, doing a loop like he usually wore it. He stuck the hairpin from his hair into my own, and stepped away, admiring his work.
I picked up a hand- held mirror and turned around, looking at the back of my head. It actually didn't look that bad.
"Now that you did my hair, I get to do yours." I said, getting up and motioning for Jakotsu to sit down where I was. He complied, and I started brushing his hair.
I separated it into three thick strands, crossing them over and under each other as I went along. Soon his hair was in a braid almost as long as my own.
I smiled at my work and handed him the mirror so he could see. After inspecting it, he grinned and mock clapped. I bowed, and said jokingly,
"Thank you, thank you very much." We laughed and joked around some more before heading to bed. Jakotsu went across the hall while I made myself comfortable in my own queen-sized bed.
> > > > > > > > > > > > >
I awoke to the sound of my door opening. I looked over to my window, noting that it was still dark, and mumbled,
"G'way, Renkotsu. It ain' time fer me to ge' up yet." I pulled the covers over my head, trying to go back to sleep.
The person who opened my door padded softly over to my bed, coming to a stop right beside me.
"Bankotsu? Are you awake?" a voice whispered, shaking me gently. I removed my head from under the covers, gazing at Jakotsu with half-lidded eyes.
"Wha's wrong?" I asked sleepily. I yawned, and rubbed the sleep out of my eyes. I fully opened my eyes and looked at Jakotsu. He seemed nervous, and a bit scared, even. I sat up straighter, wondering what had happened.
"I had a nightmare about my parents dying. Do you mind if I stayed in here for awhile? I just need to know someone's with me." He said.
"Of course I don't mind." I replied, scooting over and making room for him to get in the bed.
"Thanks." Said Jakotsu, crawling in beside me and getting under the covers. I smiled at him and burrowed into my pillow, sighing. I felt Jakotsu move around, getting comfortable before nodding off to sleep.
I stayed awake a little longer, listening to Jakotsu's even breathing. I smiled to myself and slung an arm over his stomach, soon falling asleep myself.
Yay! Another chapter done! I've got a good system going on- I type up a page a day, so I can be finished with a chapter in a week. I actually made this one a little longer than I intended, but I'm sure no one will complain! I already have a good idea of what's going to happen in the next chapter, so it should be easier to write.
Thank you to all that reviewed! I love hearing from my readers, and constructive criticism is welcome! Just no flames. I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter:P
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