Disclaimer: Standard stuff. Hikago doesn't belong to me. Don't sue me! Really, I'm not worth it. : sigh : That's the truth too.
Author's notes: I apologize again for the last chapter. It was kind of bland. : thoughtful look : But I guess something like that would have still had to have happened. : shrug : I hope this one is better for everyone. Read and enjoy. (Reviews are appreciated.)
Chapter 5: Mistakes and the Mistaken
As the first rays of pale, yellow sunlight began to filter into the room, Akira felt himself awaken naturally and become gradually more aware. Yesterday, he had the wildest dream that Hikaru had come and . . . Blinking his eyes hard, he found that it had not been a dream and that the other boy still slept peacefully next to him. Not only was Hikaru sleeping next to him, but his hand grasped the other boy's lightly.
"Shindou?" he whispered softly with half the purpose to wake and the other half with the purpose to begin asking an unspoken question that was plaguing his mind. When the other boy didn't stir, he repeated himself more loudly, squeezing his fingers slightly.
"Mmmm," the other boy finally responded, coming too, olive green eyes opening slowly. Sleep haze still showed in the wide eyes.
"T-touya!" Hikaru asked surprised, eyes looking at his hand that was still tucked into the other boy's.
Akira caught Hikaru looking and immediately felt his face flush. Quickly, he withdrew his hand. Feeling defensive, he propped himself up to a sitting position, ignoring every fiber of his being that told him to remain lying down in his relaxed manner. "What are you still doing here?" he asked eyes downcast, voice cold.
"What? I was worried about your health," Hikaru defended.
"Who invited you to stay?" he badgered.
"I … I wasn't about to leave the door unlocked," Hikaru protested.
"We have a lock that locks from the inside," Akira replied quietly. "You should have left without worrying about the deadbolts."
"But … I … I thought that they only locked on the outside."
"Not my house," Touya responded, wondering if the icy tone he heard was really his.
"Mmm," Hikaru wondered aloud. "Must have been Waya's then."
"W-waya?" Akira asked, face losing all sense of any good humor at the mention of a certain golden-eyed boy who was always particularly nasty to him. With an angry pause, he gathered his thoughts. "Well, I'm awake now. There is no longer a reason for you to be here."
With that he turned away from Hikaru, turned away from him because he was somehow bothered by the fact that the boy spent some of his nights at Waya's, turned away because he didn't want to look at the other boy's adorably sleep rumpled head. He didn't want to see dark green eyes searching his face earnestly.
"Fine," Hikaru returned, hostility entering his voice. "This just tells me that I should have never been worried about you in the first place."
"I didn't ask for you to be worried."
"I know!" Hikaru exclaimed, blood boiling. "That's why I'm leaving!" With that, he rose from his position on the floor, movements jerky and filled with barely contained anger.
Just as Hikaru was about to retreat, Akira turned his head to call for him to stay, to apologize. But even before he could say the other boy's name, Hikaru had already stormed off.
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Akira scolded himself for what must have been the millionth time that day. Even while playing his last game of tutoring Go for the evening, he was still thinking about the events of that morning. Someone is nice to you, so you pick a fight and throw him out, he berated himself. Running on automatic, he smiled and reviewed the game with his customer as calmly and politely as always. By the time he had left the salon, he was dying to see if he had any messages on his cell phone. He had left Hikaru a message saying that he was sorry for being rude that morning, and now he wanted to see if his gesture had be accepted.
Nothing, he thought dejectedly, flipping up the cell phone. With a shake of his head, he felt his mood dip dangerously low. Sighing, he shoved his phone roughly into the pocket of his slacks, fingers still clenched tightly around it. On his way home, he passed by the mini-mart near his house. He decided that he might as well stop by and get food, since at this time of night he was in no mood to prepare any himself.
While in the market, Akira rummaged through the produce. Eventually, he would have to cook for himself again, and so he added things to his basket while looking around.
Ahh, he thought, when he discovered a bento box. Katsu-don, a dish he didn't particularly like, or hate for that matter, but lazy people couldn't be choosy. With that, he added it to the basket. After paying for his groceries, he walked out to discover that the sky had dimmed greatly since he had begun his journey home. The last sign of the sun, vivid orangey-pinks that tinted the horizon line, was being devoured as deep purples of twilight spilled over like a spreading ink blot.
I just want to go home and take a shower, he thought, weary from yet another draining day. I hate feeling like this. Shaking his head, he could only remember his callous actions towards Hikaru. A heavy sigh leaving his lips, he decided to take a more direct route home, through backstreets and alleyways. As he headed on his way, he was stopped, much to his surprise.
"Hey there, can you give us a hand," one of the men asked him. Another one stood behind the first holding a paper bag, filled presumably with a bottle of alcohol. They looked to be about his father's age.
"I'm in a hurry," Akira told them, polite mask in place.
"Don't be like that, babe."
Babe, Akira thought, anger flaring up at the mistake. It had been a while since he had been mistaken for female; he had thought his shoulders were starting to fill out. Even if they had, his frame was still lean, slender, and a bit willowy. "I'm a boy," he corrected.
"Pretty thing like you?" the one with the paper bag asked incredulously taking a swig out of the paper bag.
Even while cringing in distaste, Akira noticed that his perception about the two guys was correct: drunkards, the both of them. "I'm a male," he said more firmly, nodding his heads towards them. "But, as I said, I'm in a hurry to get home, so please, excuse me."
"A young gal like you with the groceries," the first man commented, ignoring Akira's affirmation to his gender. "Must not have people to go home to."
"I'll be leaving now," Akira gritted through clenched teeth proceeding past them. It was times like this that he wished he could wear his school uniform at all times.
"I think you should help us first," one of the guys said, grabbing Akira's wrist, tugging him back.
Surprised, Akira felt his grip on his shopping bag falter, watched as his groceries spilled to the floor skidding across the dirty pavement…
Author's notes: Muahaha! I told you I'd correct for the locked door situation. So what's going to happen in the next chapter? No one knows! … Well, except for me, and it's probably going to be something predictable. LOL. Anyways, I hope you all stay tuned.
A special thanks goes out to my reviewers. Thanks for taking the time to let me know what you think.