Chapter 3
This is about where we started off. -smile- Takuya sighed. He leaned back in his chair and looked at the clock. It flashed 12:00 because he'd just plugged it in... but he knew it had to be around there with the lack of sunlight outside.
He sat up and turned around. The parents each had separate rooms. One for the Minamoto's and one for the Kanbara's. But then they had a third room for the 'kids'. The two beds in the room were fine for Takuya. As long as he didn't have to sleep with Kouji.
Looking over the room he saw Kouichi on the floor between the two beds and Kouji sleeping in the left one. Those twins.. They argued for 20 minutes straight on who got to sleep on the floor. It seemed neither of them, not even Kouji surprisingly, even considered that Takuya could sleep on the floor. And why 'twins' couldn't share a bed was also confusing.
Takuya got out of the chair and walked toward his bed. He stepped over Kouichi and paused. It was that calm air again. He turned to Kouji. Why was it that he felt as though Kouji were trying to help him?
'I just want you to be happy, Taku.'
Takuya blinked repeatedly, confused. What was that? Some kind of memory he didn't remember? Climbing into bed, unconsciously looking at Kouji, he could only wonder who the young voice belonged to.
– – – – – – – – –
Kouji sat in a tree, in the cool shade of this nice day. He sighed contentedly and brushed his stray hair out of his face. Opening his eyes, he saw Takuya walking with his hands behind his head and talking with Kouichi. He seemed happy. Kouji's eyes narrowed slightly as he wished he could get that kind of smile from Takuya.. Instead of the look of uncertainty and anger whenever he was noticed.
– – — – –
Takuya and Kouichi were walking along, talking, a good 10-15 feet from the tree containing Kouji. The conversation went silent.
"Hey Kouichi?"
"Ya?"
"Would you consider me you're best friend? I mean, I know you have other friends, I just..."
"No. It's okay. And I would.. But.." Kouichi's eyes caught a glimpse of Kouji in the tree.
"But?" Takuya paused in walking, looking the older twin who stopped walking.
"But if I considered you my best friend, I know a guy who wouldn't be too happy about it.." Kouichi smiled a small and slightly sad smile. Takuya blinked in confusion, he seemed to do that a lot lately.. His mind raced through people.
"Oh, you mean Kouji? Ah come on. You cant pass judgement like that just cause your brother doesn't like me!" Takuya said, exasperated. Kouichi seemed to be laughing slightly inside, but Takuya didn't catch that. "Aw, come on! You can't be serious!" Takuya threw his hands in the air and sighed.
"Come on, Kouichi... we'll be late for dinner.." Takuya grumbled, turning and leaving. Kouichi looked over to where his brother sat in the tree.
'No Takuya. I can't be your best friend,... because it would break the heart of someone who used to be close to you..' Kouichi scanned the tree but Kouji wasn't in it. The boy had already gone from his post.
"Yo! You comin' or what!" Takuya called back to him.
"Coming!" Kouichi yelled back, running to catch up.
"Ah, don't worry Kouichi. Don't feel bad for telling me no. I'll get over it." Takuya tried comforting him when he saw the twins far off look. He got no response.
"Aw come on! If you keep staring like that, you'll end up like Kouji!" Takuya groaned. Upon hearing his brother's name, Kouichi snapped out of it.
"Oh, I'm sorry. Were you saying something?" he asked with a smile. Takuya gave him an 'You've got to be kidding me' look as they kept going.
– – – – – – – –
Up in the room, Kouji was staring out at the night sky. Kouichi had told him about the conversation between him and Takuya. Kouji sighed and rested his head on his hand, which held the corner of the chair he was in. The clock still flashed wrong numbers on the desk.
'So.. You really forgot? Takuya?' Kouji asked.
A door to the bathroom opened behind him and Takuya walked out yawning. Kouji instantly stopped whimpering and turned around. He just stared at Takuya as though surprised he was there. Takuya saw the lingering feeling of sadness in his eyes. Why was he trying so hard to hide his obvious pain? Takuya could feel the sadness in the air.
'It must be hard.. Not being able to hide it..' Inner Takuya felt like crying. The unshed tears of Kouji effecting him. But outside, Takuya had to stay normal.
"Oh. I forgot you were awake." Takuya said in a somewhat snappy way as he turned to grab the shirt he'd forgotten on the way to the bathroom. Unlike the usual Kouji, who humph-ed and left him alone, this one actually spoke while he climbed into bed.
"Ya... thought you'd feel lonely. Scaredy Cat." he pulled the covers up as Takuya paused in dressing. Kouji turned his face toward his pillows, to hide any emotion on his face. He heard Takuya get into bed and his steady breathing told him he was asleep. He said he didn't want to, but the warm tears ran down his cheeks as he remembered life 10 years earlier.
"It's.. all my fault.." he mumbled into his pillow before finally dosing off.
– –
Takuya, still very much awake, turned slightly when he heard Kouji's tears. They were soft and silent, but he heard them. And felt them. Why? Why was it.. That even though it was his enemy doing all this, he found it harder and harder to think harshly around him. Was this sorrow always around him and Takuya just hadn't noticed or was this new?
"It's.. all my fault.." he heard Kouji mumbled, muffled by his pillow. Tears laced his words. He let out a final sob before sleep took him. Takuya sat up and looked over at the bluenette. He only noticed his own movement when he was on Kouji's bed, brushing hair and tears off his face. A shiver visibly went through Kouji's body. Takuya lay down beside him and wrapped his arms around him, trying to warm up his unnaturally cold body.
'God. He feels almost as cold as a corpse..' Takuya realized, in shock. He held Kouji closer. Said boy leaned into the warmth, his head just between Takuya's shoulder and chest. He was like a child... so peaceful. Takuya leaned his head on Kouji's and closed his eyes, smiling softly.
"It'll be alright." he heard himself say.
Takuya woke early the next morning, to remove himself from Koji's bed. The boy had a normal body temperature again, but as soon as Takuya was at his bed, Kouji woke up. He saw Takuya fixing his own bed and felt the area next to him, where warmth still ran.
Onee-chan: I love you Takuya. You are my only loyal fan.. -hugs-
It: she still thinks her first chapter was boring and not very interesting..
