CHAPTER 7
One Love
Takuya and Kouichi didn't move immediately. Takuya was he first to stand. Kouichi looked at him as though asking what happened next.
"We should go help your father." Takuya responded to the unasked question and held his hand out for Kouichi.
Together they walked back up to the institute and down the many stairs in silence until they came to the last room. Inside Kousei was crying. Kouichi put his hand on his father's shoulder and gave him a small smile.
"Come on dad.." He beckoned his father to stand and follow him from the room. Takuya stroked Kouji's cheek, tears threatening to fall again.
So Kouji was really gone this time.. The sadness he'd felt in the dream couldn't compare to now. Kouji was really gone. And this time, he'd known and.. and he'd loved him. He cupped Kouji's face in one hand and he leaned down and kissed him softly.
He stayed there, leaned over Kouji's body, his tears hitting Kouji's face and rolling down. He almost didn't hear it over his sobs. It was so quiet. So unimaginable. Breath. Such a small thing..
Takuya felt warmth beneath his hand, still holding Kouji's face. Felt the slight rise in the skin as though it were coming back to life. He stopped his tears and opened his eyes slowly. He was met with dazed looking navy orbs staring back at him.
"Kouji?" he asked, breathlessly. Kouji took this quiet moment to blink and smile slightly.
'Takuya...' he thought and felt the relief wash over him.
Kouichi, who was almost out of the door, heard the slight beeping noise and walked over to a monitor in the little side room. The heart rate machine tracking Kouji was beeping. Slowly at first. So very slowly. An eternity between beeps. But it regulated and Kouichi brought startled eyes up to look through the glass at Takuya by the bed.
"K... Kouichi!" Takuya called hoarsely, finally finding his voice through his tears and smile. Kouichi instantly ran to him, his heart beating rapidly.
"Hey..k-Kou." he heard a tired voice greet him and Kouji smiled at him. He looked exhausted.
"Hey.. Kouji." he replied, hardly believing what was taking place. Kouji had suffocated right before his eyes, and yet here he was.. Talking to him like nothing had happened.
"I.. wanna go home.." Kouji said, turning his head back to just staring at the ceiling. "I'm so tired.." he added, his hand griping Takuya's, which was already holding his by now.
When his eyes closed and he stopped talking, both boys panicked. Takuya felt Kouji's face and sighed.
"He's just sleeping..." he explained happily.
– – – – – – –
It must have been a sight to Miss Minamoto. Her 'dead' son being carried into his room by her live son's friend. Takuya ignored her when she gasped loudly and continued what he was doing. Kouji lay limply in his arms unless he was leaning in toward Takuya's chest...toward the warmth.
Kouichi stayed outside the room to explain everything to both parents, in vivid details. Takuya brought the cover up to Kouji's chin, making sure he was comfortable. Once again, he smiled and kissed Kouji lightly. He didn't understand completely why this didn't bother him. But Kouji seemed to like it. He smiled like he was feeling giddy and turned to his side in his sleep.
– – – – – –
"Ya and now I think he's in my room, kissing him while he sleeps." Kouichi completed. He was on the phone with Zoe. Said girl found the whole story beautiful and adorable. He heard her cry when he told her about when they thought Kouji had died again.
"Oh! Kawaii! Really, I want to meet him!" she exclaimed delightedly.
"Ok. But not until he settles into living again.. He might not enjoy meeting new people so soon. Remember, he's been asleep since he was 6.." Kouichi reminded her. She nodded, though he couldn't see.
"Right. I don't mind. I gotta go. Talk to you later, Kouichi!" she said goodbye in Italian and then they hung up.
"I wonder what Kouji's thinking.." he muttered to himself before grabbing two makeshift beds (probably futons) from the closet and going into his room. It was still morning, but he would set up anyway.
– – –
Kouji opened his eyes, feeling pretty refreshed. He could even move a little now. Like a new born exploring what he could do, Kouji wiggled his fingers and then his toes. He smiled and then looked around.
Where was he? It was dark and strange. He sat up, the covers falling off of him, and looked at the ground where his brother and Takuya lay sleeping.
'It must be really late..' he thought, going with the thought that this was Kouichi's room. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and tried to stand up. He instantly fell and caught himself just before he hit the floor. He didn't want to wake anyone up.
He tried again and stretched a little before finally being able to clumsily walk to the door. He walked down the hallway and into the kitchen. He couldn't remember ever being this hungry. Although, upon arriving in the kitchen he remembered he didn't know how to make anything so he resorted to sitting dejectedly on the floor.
"Kouji?" he heard behind him. He turned and looked up at who was speaking to him. His father. Although he'd blamed his father for his death, probably feeling Kouichi's anger, he found himself just staring at the man from his position on the floor.
To Kousei, it was like seeing his little boy all over again. Helpless and hungry, asking for food. He opened a cabinet and pulled something out, Kouji watching his every move. Then he poured a glass of milk and helped Kouji off the floor. Kouji sat at the table and saw his reward for living. Pocky! He grinned, quiet unlike himself, and began to eat. Kousei watched silently until the milk was drained and the pocky was almost gone.
"Look, Kouji. I wanted to.. Apologize.. I was.. Wrong. It wasn't your fault for anything and because I was so mean to you.. You ended up.."
"It's okay. Really. I already forgave you.." Kouji said, his first time speaking to his father.
"But.."
"Look. Takuya opened my eyes to some pretty important things. I realized it really wasn't your fault anyway. I mean, you always said the ocean would be the death of me.. Just never thought you were being literal." he added under his breath, popping the last pocky stick into his mouth.
"Thanks for the snack, dad." he gave his dad a smile as he got up from the chair and headed back to bed. Kousei made sure to give him a big hug before letting him go. He'd missed 10 years of watching his little boy grow up.
– – – – – – – –
A week later, Kouji felt like a human again. He had full use of his body now. At night, Takuya would give him kisses when he thought Kouji was asleep. Kouji likey that part.
Kouichi tested how much Kouji knew and found he knew near as much as a normal 16 year old did. He would probably enroll into their highschool soon. Kouji said it was easy to learn when he was a ghost because people chose to do homework at the institute.
Today was the day Kouji met Zoe.. He was a little worried. Kouichi said she might be hyper.. More hyper than Takuya. Kouji hid behind Takuya as Kouichi greeted Zoe and J.P.
"So?" J.P. asked. Kouichi cleared his throat.
"Takuya, please move." he asked softly. Takuya did as told. Kouji just stood there, somewhat of a glare on his face to make it seem he wasn't afraid of the girl at all. Zoe instantly squealed and latched onto Kouji, knocking Kouji down.
"Oh my god!" she jumped off him. "Takuya was right! You really are kawaii!" she giggled. Kouji's eyes followed her after he stood up. She had taken to circling him.. Like a vulture.. J.P. shrugged.
One thing for certain, Kouji was going to make life a lot more fun.
– – – – – – – –
Takuya was walking Kouji home that night. Both were exhausted. Zoe had drained them both. Silence rested on their shoulders as they walked.
"Ya know.. I got to watch my brother grow even when I was dead. He used to visit the institute all the time. He did homework there, he ate there, and then he went home with father at the end of the day. Like he knew I was around, subconsciously." Kouji spoke suddenly.
"Well, your brother's an interesting guy.."
"Ya. But he didn't come back from the dead." Kouji smirked.
"Yep. You're one of a kind Kouji." Takuya laughed. Kouji pressed his lips against Takuya's and then walked away smiling knowingly. Takuya was shocked. "Hey!" he called, running after Kouji. And they played this game until Kouji was safely home again.
– – – – – – –
Takuya looked at his hand, raised above him on his bed. He looked through his fingers at the ceiling like he had so very long ago.
'I really understand now.' he breathed. 'Kouji. I love you.'
– – – – – – –
Takuya walked up to a cliff over looking the ocean. At the end he saw Kouji. He walked up silently and stood a few feet away, just watching him as the wind blew through his long navy hair.
"You know. It's amazing. After all that's happened to me... I still can't stay away from this place.." Kouji said. Takuya sat down slowly and gently by him. They sat looking out at the ocean like that for a little over 20 minutes.
"Takuya..." Kouji said, looking down at his hand to twiddle a strand of hair he must have pulled out when Takuya wasn't looking.
Kouji stared intently at the hair, only slightly aware that he'd called to Takuya. His situation was like this hair. Fragile. The slightest wrong move and you would break it. He felt his heart beat against his chest and his took a silent breath to calm himself.
He pulled off his bandana and then began to pull out his hair band. Takuya watched with slightly widened eyes.. It was like slow motion to him. As the bandana slipped away into Kouji slender hand and the hair band let loose the long navy hair. Even the hair as it fell against Kouji's back seemed to hold some power over him and he took a deep intake of breath.
Kouji blinked and stared, slightly surprised by Takuya's presence. He'd been so wrapped up in his thoughts he'd forgotten.. Then he realized he'd taken his hair down in the vicinity of someone else. He'd even refused to take it down at home until Kouichi had fallen to sleep. He blushed slightly and looked down, feeling like he'd somehow shown a weakness.
Was Kouji blushing? Takuya smiled gently. Kouji was so cute. And with his hair down he was even more beautiful. Why was he blushing?
"Kouji...?" Takuya called softly. Kouji looked at him slightly, trying not to stare at him. Takuya pressed his lips against Kouji's and enjoyed the kiss while he waited for Kouji's reaction.
Kouji blinked till the situation cleared itself. Takuya was kissing him and not when he thought Kouji was sleeping. He smiled and Takuya felt it and his heart sped up and relief washed through him.
Kouji wrapped his arms around Takuya and pulled him closer as he kissed him back. And for once he didn't mind that his hair was down around someone else.. Cause it was Takuya. And it just didn't seem to matter anymore.
When they broke, both blushed furiously while they gazed into each other's eyes and rested their foreheads against each other. Takuya laughed softly and Kouji smiled. This was why people lived...why he'd refused to die so many times...
Kouichi leaned on a rock.. A really big rock.. (It: onee-chan 2, that was a pathetic idea. OC2: maybe, but you're the one who used it..) He sighed and ran a hand through his hair.
'This is gonna leave me the only one without a relationship.' he laughed to himself as he left toward the street where a car was waiting with it's new owner. An Italian blonde who smiled and waved for Kouichi to hurry.
"So? Did they finally admit it?" she asked as Kouichi climbed in. Kouichi laughed.
"It's almost scary how you like their relationship so much.. Ya. They admitted it.. Without words." he touched his lips and blew a kiss back at them as Zoe smiled and stepped on the gas.
It: hm. So what did everyone think?
Onee-chan: Yes! That's the end, sadly. Guess what! I would've posted sooner but my Ubs/Usb that holds this story on it so I can post it... got lost.. went through the wash... and STILL WORKS! Wheeeee! -happy dance-
