Ahhhh! I haven't updated in a while! I'm sooooo sorry but I've been sick for almost two weeks, and I still am, so I'm going to include all my review replies in my next chapter. I am so so so sorry but I think I'm going to die if I stay out of bed any longer…
Chapter Seven
A blinding headaches and sore limbs greeted Tai as he slowly woke up. An unfamiliar, but pleasing scent came to his attention, and he opened his eyes to see a strange room. Where was he? As Tai struggled to get his bearings, a long tan arm draped over his side, and he felt a body snuggle up into him. For a second, he knew exactly where he was, and was completely at peace.
With an enormous smile on his face, Tai turned around and saw the blond haired boy sleeping serenely, with a secretive smile on his face. A sigh softly escaped his lips, and Tai found himself drawn close to the older boy. For a second, he put his face on the pillow right in front of him and studied carefully. An inexplicable urge overtook his senses, and he found himself softly pressing his lips down on the sleeping beauty in front on him.
Tobias's eyes flew open so quickly that Tai knew he had been awake the entire time.
"I-I…uh…sorry…I just…" He was cut off by Tobias grabbing his waist and flipping him over to his back.
"What a pretty sight to wake up too." The older boy smirked down at him, and leaned over to whisper in his ear.
"Have you changed your mind?"
"No." Tai rolled over, pushing Tobias off his stomach and onto the bed. His feeling of peace evaporated quickly, leaving him in a crappy mood.
"Sorry, I just assumed when you kissed me…"
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to, it just…I dunno, felt like the right thing to do. I couldn't help it…" He shrugged helplessly.
"Ok, I think I can forgive you…" Tobias grinned as Tai shot him a glare, "But you owe me a kiss…"
"Whatever." Tai tried to stand up, but a wave of dizziness hit him hard.
"You okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine, I just need a second…"
Tai slowly walked towards the bathroom, nursing a sticky bump on his head. He looked in the mirror, and blushed to see that he was only wearing a pair of boxers.
"Where are my pants?" It sounded even worse than in his head.
"Over there by the window."
"…And my shirt?"
"Ummm…by the dressers."
"God, what were you doing with them?" A giggle escaped Tobias's mouth, and Tai found himself thinking how cute it sounded.
He gathered up his scattered clothes and quickly dressed. Ignoring Tobias's inquiring look, he headed for the door.
"Where are you going?"
"Back to my room." Tobias shot up in bed.
"What about that tiny problem of the two assholes that also live there?"
"I can't just never go back, all my stuff is there."
"Fine, but I'm coming with you."
"Yeah, because they're so much happier with you than me."
"Two against two if I come."
"You sound like an elementary school student."
"You fight like an elementary school student…"
"There won't be any need for fighting if you aren't there to provoke them!" Tobias stared at him for a long time, with a cryptic expression on his face.
"Ok, I won't come in, but I'm going to wait in the stairway for you."
"Whatever." But before he left, Tai turned and flashed Tobias an unexpected, grateful smile, and then walked out without a word.
As he walked through the hallways, Tai tried to imagine how he would react if Dan and Greg were in the room. What if they attacked him right there? What if they just totally ignored him…what if Colin totally ignored him? And Alin, would he ever talk to Tai again?
But to his delight, when he got to the room, nobody was there. He let out a breath that he hadn't known he was holding, and his body began to relax. He could hear shouts and screams from the courtyard that his window looked out onto.
"Sounds like someone is having a good time…" The idle tone is Tobias's voice, didn't distract Tai. He was angry that the older boy had come in, but he found himself glad for the company, and didn't say anything about it.
"Hmm…it's like last night…" His voice trailed off into a gasp as he pulled open his drawers.
"What? What's wrong?" Tai ignored him and raced around the room, upending drawers and looking under the beds.
"What's wrong?"
"My stuff, where's my stuff!"
"Uh…?"
"Check the bathroom!" There was nothing in there but a tube of toothpaste on the counter and three towels hanging on the rack.
"Nope, nothing in here…"
"Where the hell is my stuff?" Just then, a small cough came from the doorway. The two distraught boys turned to see Alin cowering against the frame, nursing a black eye.
"What do you want?" Alin shrunk back even further at the tone of Tobias's voice.
"Where's his stuff?" A whimper escaped the small boy's mouth.
"Where the hell is it!" Tai glared at Tobias, and walked over to the trembling boy.
"It's okay," he said in a soothing voice, "Do you know where my stuff is?"
"…yes."
"Can you please tell me?" Alin mumbled something under his breath.
"Pardon?"
"I tried to stop them, I swear!"
"What, tried to stop what? Where is my stuff?" Alin pointed a trembling finger out the window.
"What?" But Tobias had already strode over to the window, and was looking into the courtyard with a hateful look on his face.
Tai ran over to the window, and saw what had gotten Tobias so upset. His mouth hung open for a moment, then he looked back to Alin, who was now sobbing uncontrollably.
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Eiri stood outside the gate onto the plane. It was the same spot that he had raced by with Shuichi two months earlier, holding each other's hands in an attempt to not be separated. He had come early this time, and took a seat by the entrance. People rushed by in groups, dragging suitcases and kids, and various other objects.
Eiri turned his head to check the clock on the wall, and a flash of pink on the wall beside his chair caught his attention; he leaned in to inspect. As he read the message sloppily written in marker, a flood of emotions came rushing back to him.
Flashback
"I'm bored."
"We just got here!"
"I know, but I'm bored."
"What did you bring to do on the plane?"
"Colouring books!"
"Well then take them out now! Baka!"
Shuichi opened his suitcase and pulled out a colouring book and a package of markers. Flipping open the pages, he selected one of a dog sitting on a mushroom and started colouring it in completely pink. Eiri rolled his eyes and pulled out a magazine.
For a few minutes, the writer immersed himself into the not-so-exciting writing, sneering at the horrible talent displayed in the articles. Then he was interrupted with an announcement over the P.A system.
"Plane 317 will be departing shortly, if all passengers could check into the plane please."
"Ok baka, that's us."
"I'm almost done Yuki!"
"What are you—" Eiri looked over to see Shuichi scribbling madly away on the wall.
"What the hell are you doing?"
"One second, I'm almost done…THERE!" Shuichi pulled back from the wall, and bent over so that Eiri could read it.
"Shuichi + Yuki Love! (I love you Yuki!)"
Eiri stifled a chuckle. "You're going to get us in trouble baka…"
"But it's true!"
"Whatever, let's get on the plane."
End Flashback
Eiri ripped his eyes away from the declaration of love on the wall, and roughly brushing the tears from his eyes walked into the lineup to get onto the plane.
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Tai ran through the back gates into the courtyard, closely followed by Tobias, and then Alin. They all headed straight for a thick column of black smoke in the middle of the lawn. Gathered around the fire were Dan, Greg, Colin and various other boys that Tai hadn't met yet. And he hoped he never would.
As he came closer to the bonfire, he saw that his empty suitcase was lying on its side right at the edge of the blaze. There was no sign of his stuff anywhere on the ground, so Tai could only assume where it was.
"What the fuck are you doing?"
The other boys, who were until that point ignoring him, turned and smirked in his direction.
"Tsk, it's not nice to swear…bad boy." The mocking expression on Dan's face drove him crazy.
"It's not nice to burn people's stuff." A wary look crossed their faces as Tobias drew up close behind Tai, then they were back to their cocky selves.
"Well, his stuff was so old and boring, we figured we were doing him a favour." In a quick motion, Greg reached out and snagged Tai by the shoulder. Dan blocked off Tobias while his friend held Tai over the fire.
"How about it pretty boy, do you want to join your crap in the fire?" Greg's breath blasted against Tai's ear and he shrunk away in terror.
"Put him down Greg!"
"Oh, you mean like this?" Tai couldn't help a high shriek as he was lowered closer to the fire.
"Let me go, please, let me go!"
"Mmm…don't think so…"
A young boy came over and whispered something into Greg's ear. Something flitted over his face, and then he dumped Tai onto the ground.
"Let's get the hell out of here." And in moments, they were gone, leaving Tai to mourn over his ruined possessions.
"Are you okay man?...Tai?" The younger boy just stared into the fire, watching his only links to his forgotten memory turn into ashes and blow away. A hand on his shoulder brought him out of his morbid thoughts for a second.
"Shit man, here comes Ms. Hift…come on!"
"…hnn…"
"Come ON! We have to go, we are going to get in SHIT!"
"I don't care." Tobias grabbed his friend's arm and tried to drag him to his feet, but Tai went limp and collapsed onto the ground again.
"Fine, I'm out of here. Come by my room as soon as you're done your punishment…" He ran off.
Ms. Hift arrived to find the courtyard deserted, save for a lone, motionless figure, kneeling by the fire.
"Mr. Retsuri! What in the name of the High Heavens do you think you're doing!"
"…"
"Fine, come with me young man, we have issues to discuss in my office."
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A few minutes later, Tai was unhappily settled in an old, but comfy armchair in Ms. Hift's old, but comfy office.
"Mr. Retsuri—"
"Tai."
"Ok, Tai. I do not want you causing anymore trouble like this. That was an immature, ridiculous thing to do, and it did not solve any of your problems."
"Would you believe me if I told you that I didn't do it?"
"Well who else would do that? One of the boys already here? I'm sorry to tell you that I have a little more faith in them, some of whom I've known for years, than with a boy I meet only a day ago."
"…That's what I thought…"
Ms. Hift gave him a long look.
"Tai, when your parents contacted me about their will, and asked me if you could stay with me in the event of their death, I was hesitant to agree, but I did because of the special circumstances."
"Special circumstances?"
"Well, since I'm your…second cousin, I believe?…yes, well, I felt obliged to take care of you."
"I was told that I had no living family."
"Yes, well, they wouldn't tell you about me…"
"Why not?"
"It's a long story, and I am not in the mood to tell it."
"Whatever."
"Anyways, the point is, I had expected you to be a little better behaved, and I expect more from you in the future. I will not be punishing you this time, because I'm sure you're a little out of sorts with all the confusion, but next time…"
"…yes Ms. Hift."
"That's a good boy…Oh! I almost forgot, I got your message; Dan gave it to me…the poor boy, I can't imagine what he must think of your manners, transferring out of his room after the first night!"
"My…message?"
"The one about how you wanted to change rooms…up to…Tobias's room?"
"I didn't—oh…"
"Hmm?"
"Nevermind…when do I move?"
"Well, gather up whatever you have left, and then you can head upstairs."
As Tai walked out of the room, he wondered how Ms. Hift could be so blind to what was going on at the orphanage…or maybe she knew, and wasn't doing anything about it? Either way, he didn't want to dwell too long on the subject.
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Author's note: Uhoh! What's going to happen now that Tai and Tobias are living together…? Damn this chapter was too long…my finger's hurt…w/e it's all good, I just needed to find SOME reason to explain Tai being left to an orphanage lady in the willl…no, it's not a good reason, but it's a reason…OKAY?...R….&…..R!