Author's Note: Thank you to those who reviewed. I thrive on feedback. And...YamatoFangirl, all I have to say to you is that I hope your family hid all the knives REALLY well...
I actually think this chapter's somewhat okay, surprised? O.o
My Inferno
Chapter 4
3:47 PM
Yamato peered around the corner.
Nothing.
So far, so good.
One more hallway, that's all there was between him and freedom. Just a little bit further...
"Your coffee tasted horrible."
Yamato jumped, and bit back a stream of curses.
Taichi leaned casually against a row of lockers. "You didn't think I'd just leave without you, now, did you, Ishida?"
"Stop pissing me off, Yagami."
The other boy smirked. "Did I ever tell you that you are cute when you are mad?"
"What the hell do you want from me, Yagami?"
"You are blushing."
"LEAVE ME ALONE!"
Pause.
"You know, being this anti social can't be good for you."
"I'm not talking to you. I'm going to close my eyes and count to ten. You are not going to be here when I open them."
[Ten seconds had elapsed]
"Oh, pretending I don't exist now, are we?"
Silence.
"Fine then, don't accept help for your essay. But I never thought of you as the type to be afraid."
Pause.
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"I thought you weren't talking to me?"
"I am not afraid of you, Yagami."
"Really," the other boy leaned close so he could stare into Yamato's eyes, dropping his voice down to a provoking whisper, "then why won't you come with me?"
"Because..."
"Yes?"
"I'm just..."
"Scared?"
"No," it was a hiss. Taichi was attacking his pride, and Yamato couldn't have that.
"Ok, then," the other boy gave him a gentle push in the direction of the exit, "prove it."
Don't be patient and don't be kind. I'll never forgive you.
OOOOOO
Yamato shivered.
What had possessed him to come here? He didn't belong, didn't want to belong. This place. It was warm and loving and it commanded him to let his guard down. This place was dangerous.
The woman before him smiled. The look in her eyes, he had seen that look when Mother looked at TK. It was affection.
He trembled.
"Are you Taichi's new friend?"
She wasn't supposed to be nice. Nobody was supposed to be nice.
"Where...where's Taichi?"
He was ashamed. Ashamed that it was Taichi's presence he clung to now. He'd sank low enough to reach for the other boy as the only familiar thing in this terrifying new world. He didn't know how to act, didn't know what to say.
"Oh, he just went to his room to drop off his stuff."
Awkward. The very air was awkward. She must have sensed it too. Was she displeased? Her son must be so much better than he was.
"So," she turned back to the kitchen counter, "I'm trying this new recipe tonight, and it's gone completely wrong."
A short little laugh, real, not forced.
Her face was so kind. It made him want to cry. For no reason at all it made him want to cry and seek comfort in her arms. And she would comfort him. He knew, without knowing why he knew, that she would draw him against her warm body and whisper soft, tender things into his hair, as if he were her own child.
Hold me, he wanted to say, hold me and let me cry.
"Just look at this sauce," she held out a bowl, "a complete disaster."
He took a look. It wasn't that bad. He knew exactly how to fix it. After all, hadn't he made those same mistakes when he first started making sauces?
Yamato caught himself just in time. There, they'd almost tricked him! Almost made him smile shyly and offer to help her with dinner! But he wanted to, he realized. He wanted to get closer to her, to see what it would feel like. He could pretend, for a few minutes at least, that she was his mother, that this nice, warm, place was his home. He wanted to see what it would feel like to cook for someone else, an adult, without being afraid, without the pressure over his chest that made it hard to breathe.
"I...I can try to fix it," his voice sounded small. Frail.
She looked surprised, but in a good way. "Really? You know how to cook?"
"I...I can try..."
OOOOOO
Taichi walked down the hall, pausing midway. It smelled good. Something was completely wrong here, because he could count using the fingers of his left hand the number of nights his mom didn't burn something.
There were sounds in the kitchen. Walking silently past his sister's bedroom, Taichi looked into the kitchen.
Yamato was stirring something on the stove while his mom looked over the boy's shoulder. She had a loose arm around his waist in a motherly hug and the blonde didn't even notice. For the first time since Taichi met him, Yamato looked comfortable.
Taichi smiled.
OOOOOO
10:00 PM
"I hate English."
"It's not that bad. You just have to explain your argument there."
"Can't I do it with an equation? Like...'F = ma'?"
"No, Yamato. And what the hell is that?"
"You haven't taken Physics, have you?"
"No."
"So you don't know about Newton's laws?"
"No."
"And you don't really care, do you?"
"No."
"Then shut up, Yagami."
"...Okay..."
"...His pride proved to be an obstacle in their love...and this act of the play might have served as an ideal beginning for a tragic play..."
"Don't forget to define the terms."
"But how would you define love? I mean--"
"Yeah, how would you?"
Pause.
"Taichi?"
"...Yeah?"
"Stop staring at me."
Pause.
"This really bothers you."
"What?"
"Being noticed by other people. You kept squirming at dinner, as if we were all plotting to kill you."
"I'm not used to this, that's all."
"Then what are you used to?"
Silence.
"Yamato?"
"We should get back to the essay."
OOOOOO
1:00 AM
"In conclusion..." yawn, "...in conclusion..."
"Focus, Yamato, focus!"
"What's my essay about again?"
Taichi banged his head against the wall three times.
"Pride, Ishida. You are talking about pride."
Yawn, "...right...so...in conclusion..."
Sigh.
"It's due first thing in the morning, Yamato. You have to finish it now."
"I...I knew that...just...your pillows are so comfortable...and...Mmmm..."
"Yamato!"
"Conclusion...pride...Mmmm..."
Pause.
"Yamato?"
"...Mmmm?"
"You are beautiful when you sleep."
"...Mmmm..."
OOOOOO
7:52 AM
"CRAP!"
"...Hmm? Somebody pushed you out of bed, angel?"
"I haven't finished the essay AND we are going to be late!"
"Yamato..."
"I'm going to be KILLED! This is just..."
"Yamato."
"What am I going to do? I don't even have an EXCUSE!"
"Yamato!"
"WHAT?"
"I finished the conclusion for you AND mom's driving us so we are not late."
"Oh."
"You need to relax, darling."
OOOOOO
"This school is way too big."
Taichi looked around the school grounds. He kept telling himself he just wanted some fresh air, just wanted to see all the parts of the school he's never noticed before. But his eyes against his will scanned the area for golden hair. Golden hair and blue eyes.
Taichi stopped suddenly. He thought he could hear something in the distance.
A harmonica.
He followed the lonely melody to a little clearing in the trees surrounding the school. Here the red yellow leaves of autumn fell like rain and swirled with the wind. Here Taichi found his golden hair, his blue eyes.
The song ended as Taichi watched, and Yamato lowered the instrument from his lips. His eyes remained closed while the sun showered his slender frame with light. Leaves danced around him as if they too knew him to be a fallen angel.
The blonde leaned back against a tree and smiled.
Yamato was gone then, in Taichi's eyes. Yamato had disappeared, and was replaced by Yama.
OOOOOO
"He looked like Adonis, like he could be carried off by Aphrodite the goddess of love at any moment. Except Adonis wasn't filled with darkness, except Adonis couldn't ever smile like that, and shine with breathless golden light."
OOOOOO
Author's Note: Bwaaaaaaahhhhhhhhaaaaaaaaa. I need to write something more cheerful next time...
Rubisco. Is. An. Enzyme.