Chapter 3

Kouji didn't see Takuya all that next week, and he found himself constantly wishing for the boy's company. He found himself often holding the goggles tightly in his grip and closing his eyes, only to see the fire boy in his mind.

'Hey, Kouji. What's up?'

'Yo, Kouji! The guys wanted to meet up at the movies, what do ya say?'

'You just hopeless aren't you, Kouji. Heh heh.'

'You just can't stand being nice can ya?'

'Kouji!'

"Kouji!" Kouji opened his eyes to find identical ones staring back. His brother was right above him, trying to wake him up. "Morning. Or.. Afternoon. Dad let me in." Kouichi explained.

"What do you want?" Kouji asked as he yawned and woke up. He remembered how Takuya would always rub his eyes looking pitiful when he woke up, tears coming from his tired eyes.

"You've been invited to the movies." Kouichi explained.

"Don't wanna." Kouji rolled over and pulled the covers over his head.

"I thought you'd say that, so I brought the person responsible to convince you." Kouichi left the room and a minute later, the door opened to let him back in. He sat on Kouji's bed and waited.

"I still don't want to go, Kouichi." Kouji grumbled.

"Oh. I thought it's be a good chance to hang out." Kouji pulled the covers down and looked at the speaker. Takuya sat there, goggle-less of course. He wasn't looking at Kouji and he seemed to be gaining courage for something.

"Takuya.." Kouji blinked then reached under his pillow and pulled out the goggles. He handed them to Takuya. Said boy stared at them before smiling and taking them.

"Hey thanks! I've been wondering where they were!" he laughed as he put them on to complete his look. Kouji kept his stare neutral but inside he was smiling. He ended up enjoying moments like these. Takuya was always so carefree it seemed.

He was loud and proud and like a kid in a candy shop. They way he ate, the way he laughed, everything about him seemed to make Kouji fill with the strangest feeling. And he liked it.

Takuya grinned at him. "Movies then, Mr. Lazy?" he asked. Kouji shrugged then nodded.

"Whatever." Takuya went to get up but arms went around him and he noticed Kouji hugging him from behind and laying his head on his back, half asleep. He relaxed and smiled.

"Kouji.." he said softly. Said boy blinked his eyes open and dropped the hug.

"Movies. Right." he got up and went to change his clothes. Takuya just waited patiently on the bed, a content feeling refusing to let him move.

– – – – – – – –

While Kouji sat in the movie theater, he noted that he was often watching movies with Takuya.. Ones that kept everyone's attention. Was someone trying to tell him something by dragging him into a dark theater with the person he loved more than anyone else to watch a movie that everyone would glue their eyeballs to? Takuya was wondering about the same thing, but with a more.. Interesting twist.

'Oh my god. I can't believe he said he'd come! And then that hug thing.. Maybe he.. Nah. He was half asleep.' the lights dimmed. 'Oh.' Takuya's eyes scanned the theater. As the commercials for other interesting movies came on, his eyes were pulled to his hand. Kouji's was right there. 'I'm thinking like such a wuss.' Takuya inwardly groaned.

The movie started and Takuya was already freaking out. How did Kouichi convince them to go see The Grudge? Kouji smirked at Takuya's sudden tensing. The boy was already scared? Heh heh.

Kouji's point of view on the movie was as follows. 'Stupid girl is going to climb into an attic which will obviously spell her doom. Hasn't she watched a horror movie!'

Kouichi was tense like Takuya. '...I know it's gonna happen but.. STOP, DANG IT!'

Takuya was freaking out. 'No! Don't go!' Scream. 'AH! Holy freakin! DID YOU SEE THAT?'

He had grabbed Kouji's hand somewhere in there and Kouji was now staring at it instead of the movie. For two reasons. He could hardly feel it. And Takuya had grabbed his hand.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

The movie was nearing the end.

'He's so dead. Going into that house.. She'd better hurry...' Kouji tried not to show how the movie was starting affect his subconscious.

Takuya was holding his hand tightly and his arm. Kouji almost thought the boy would die of heart attack. '-huff huff- Run.. Stop him.. He doesn't deserve to DIE!'

'...' Kouichi took a gulp and side glanced at Kouji and Takuya. He paused slightly. Kouji looked slightly pale.. Slightly..and Takuya seemed beyond salvation. He noted the obvious strain to Kouji's arm and wondered if that's why Kouji was paling. He heard a sudden noise from the movie and his head snapped back to attention.

— — — — — —

And the movie cut to it's credits.

"There's definitely gonna be a sequel." Kouichi commented to his two companions.

"Ya.." Takuya took a deep breath and then released Kouji's arm. Kouji relaxed but his arm seemed to be in pain. Everything from his right shoulder down.

"Ya." he hissed out, hiding the hiss so it was more of a whisper.

"Were you scared, Kouji? Ha! I wasn't!" Takuya laughed as they left. Kouji grimaced. "Ok.. So maybe a little.."

"Maybe a lot.." Kouji tried pushing the doors open with his numb arm without thinking.

"Kouji, I wouldn't..." too late. Kouji's face showed brief flash of great pain before he swallowed it. Kouichi hurried them outside and to the side before Kouji took in a sharp breath and screamed.

"Kouji! Are you okay?" Takuya asked, even more worry this time than when Kouji almost choked. "What happened!" He obviously didn't know about his strangle hold on Kouji's arm.

Kouji had fallen to his knees and was holding his right arm. Kouichi didn't think he could get Kouji to the car but he was going to try before calling an ambulance.

"Come on, Kouji." he said, helping his brother up as Takuya watched helplessly.

— — — — — — — —

Kouichi had gotten Kouji to the car and then the hospital with no more screaming from the boy. Tears seemed to be welling up from the pain or something of the sort, but that was it.

Takuya didn't get the confidence to speak again until he and Kouichi sat alone in the waiting room.

"It's all my fault, isn't it?" he asked. Kouichi shook his head. "Tell me what happened then."

Kouichi paused.

"I guess his numb arm couldn't take the strain of opening a strong door like that." Kouichi said quietly, glancing up at the desk nurse.

"And I made his arm numb. I held onto him throughout the movie, but I held too tightly and now he has a broken arm." Takuya looked down and pulled his goggles off. He held them in his hands as he rubbed his eyes.

"No. We don't know that. It may just be a bit bruised. It's not necessarily broken." Kouichi comforted him. Takuya pulled his hands away from his face and his eyes focused in on the goggles in his hands.

'Kouji..'

– – – – – – – – – – – –

"Takuya.." Kouji blinked then reached under his pillow and pulled out the goggles. He handed them to Takuya. Said boy stared at them before smiling and taking them.

"Hey thanks! I've been wondering where they were!" he laughed as he put them on to complete his look.

'Kouji.. You kept them with you even when you slept. You even cleaned them...' Takuya blinked away oncoming tears as he noted once again how clean his goggles were. 'You go through so much because of me.. Why are you still around?..'

...he was helped up by Kouji, who just smiled down at him.

–

Both Takuya and Kouji paused as they saw each other.

–

Lips pressed against his but when he opened is eyes a split second later, no one was near enough to kiss him. He looked around before looking back at Kouji standing before him.

"Forgiving guy, eh?" he scoffed, shook his head.

'Kouji.. Do you..' Takuya was brought out of his thoughts by Kouichi jumping up.

"Yes. That's us." he told the desk lady. "Come on, Takuya. They said we could go back and see him."

They walked down the hallways until they found the room Kouji had been left in after his appointment. Takuya paused at the door as Kouichi went in.

"Hey. How's your arm?" Kouichi asked. Kouji shifted positions on the bed he'd been given.

"Fine, I guess. I don't see how this thing is helping the circulation of blood to my arm, though." Kouji raised his arm, which was now in a sling and slight cast.

"Ya.. Are you allowed to leave today?"

"I think so. The doctor just said to wait for him."

"Good. Look. Can I have a favor?" Kouichi asked cautiously.

"Sure."

– – – – – – – – – – – – –

So Kouji sat in his bedroom by the window. Kouichi put down two mats like before and left to get a snack. Takuya was standing in the corner, silent and still.

"It wasn't your fault." Kouji said 3 minutes later. Takuya didn't respond. Kouji turned to him and Takuya's gaze lifted. Kouji motioned for the boy to come and sit beside him. He pointed out the window where it was starting to rain. Takuya sighed.

"I'm sorry."

"I told you. It isn't your fault." Kouji smiled at him. Takuya looked into that smiling face and tears welled up in his eyes. He almost dove into Kouji's chest, crying into his shoulder and being cautious of his arm.

"How can you smile at me like that?" he asked through his tears. "After all the pain I put you through! It's my fault you broke your arm! It's my fault you went to see that movie in the first place!" he took a couple deep breaths to calm himself down. "And I.. I..."

He was pushed back slightly and cut off by lips connecting with his. Kouji was kissing him! Kouji broke away and smiled softly again.

"It's your fault I found the rest of my family. It's your fault I've never felt happier that it was going to rain. It's your fault.. That I think I love you." the last one was barely audible but Takuya's mind froze upon hearing it.

"Kouji.. I.." his mind started up slightly. "I love you... too...and I have... for the longest time." he felt the warm smile on Kouji's face warming him from the inside out. Kouji kissed him again and this time, he kissed back.

A figure at the door smiled and walked away.

It:..hm...

Onee-chan: so? 4th chp? what's it gonna be about? i got nothin. It might be thinking of something but i highly doubt it. any ideas here?