Young Again
Chapter 4
By Wildfire
He walked slowly down the hall, he'd made the walk countless times, but never like this. Slowly he opened the door to the silent bedroom. The room wasn't clean but neither was it extremely messy. The moon was full that night and shinned into the room. The sole occupant didn't seem to be bothered by it as he slept on the bed. He debated on if he wanted to enter the room or go back to his own. Cautiously he took a step into the room, once he made that first step the others quickly followed. He found himself standing beside the bed looking down at the teenage sleeping boy. His dark raven hair was a tangled mess around and on his face. He moved down gently kissing the cheek. He watched as the tiger blue eyes opened and blinked. They stared at him for a second than a small smile came to those perfect lips.
"Sage, what's up? Why are you awake?" He asked sleep still heavy in his voice.
He was oblivious he still didn't get why he was in there, but that was ok with him. That was why he liked him. He leaned in again sealing his lips to the other boy's. He watched as the eyes widened than softened than closed.
Sage's eyes snapped open. It was dark out, he was in his bed. Why had he woken? A small creek sounded from beside his bed. He bolted up ready to fight, he teetered a moment seeing the little boy standing beside him.
Ryo's eyes were red as were his cheeks. He still wore his night shirt but was naked below that.
Sage kneeled down. "Ryo why are you awake?"
The little boy sniffled. "Pee…"
Sage chuckled. "You peed in your pull-up? You know that's what they're there for. Just in case this happens."
Ryo sniffled and held his arms up to Sage. Sage hesitated, "Let's get you cleaned up first." He took Ryo's hand leading him to the bathroom. "Where's your pull-up?"
Ryo pointed down the hallway toward his room. Sage nodded as he helped the little boy clean up, wash his hands and put on a new pull up. Than—and only than—did he pick the little boy up. He walked back to Ryo's room, checking the bed first to make sure there wasn't a wet spot before laying Ryo down on the bed.
"You know, I was dreaming about you before you woke me up." He covered the child up before sitting on the bed. "It wasn't that long ago that I came in here when you were big. That night didn't end well. You kind of freaked out once you woke up a little bit." He sighed, "I'll admit it wasn't the wisest way to wake you up. You did return the kiss though for a moment. That following day was the most awkward day of my life. You kept trying to talk to me about it. I wouldn't let you."
The little boy yawned and started sucking his thumb.
"Eventually you just let it go and we went back to friends. It was never brought up again. I know Rowan knows but he won't bring it up either. It's become like this taboo discussion something no one dares mention. But you want to know a secret?"
Ryo blinked sleepily at him.
"I don't plan on just letting it be. I will win you over, some day." He leaned down and kissed the top of Ryo's head. "Night." He left the little boy in the room, leaving the door cracked open.
Rowan stood in the hallway, waiting. "That was touching. Little creepy but touching." He said dryly.
Sage ignored him and walked past him. "Want a cup of tea?"
Rowan smiled. "Sure it's two am, perfect time for tea." He followed his stoic friend down to the kitchen.
Sage made the tea in an almost mechanical way, he'd done it so many time he hardly thought about it any more.
"How do you know he's gay?" Rowan asked leaning against the counter waiting for the tea.
"I don't." Sage replied casually pulling down the tea cups. "But it hardly matters."
Rowan snorted. "Geeze Sage it matters quite a bit! I don't think Ryo's going to change his entire sexual preference just because you asked him too."
Sage gave him a side long look. "Don't you?"
Rowan's eyes narrowed. "Don't you dare guilt him into it." He pushed away from the wall. "You know the rest of us would slaughter you in a second if you did."
Sage smiled ever so slightly. "It'd be worth it." He leaned against the counter. "But I won't… I won't need to. He had kissed me back."
"And than freaked out." Rowan leaned back against the counter again. "Just, be careful Sage, for both of your sakes."
Sage started steeping the tea, he stayed silent for a bit before handing Rowan a cup with a spoon full of sugar. "It's weird you know… I find my self thinking of him at the oddest times. I remember my mother teasing my older sister when she got her first crush. They were talking about how she thought about him constantly. I thought it odd, that it must be a woman thing. But here I am now. Thinking on him-- constantly." Sage sipped is own tea, he didn't add sugar or cream to his. "It's odd, how happy he is now. I mean he was happy before, but he was always worried about something or upset or angry. He smiled a lot but he thought he had to fix everything."
Rowan chuckled "Now it's us doing the fixing. Why did he wake you up anyway?"
"He peed in his pull-up." He paused and peered up the stairs. "I left the pull up sitting in the room…"
Rowan smiles "Maybe Kento will step in it?"
Sage sipped the tea. "As amusing as that may be I think I'll go and collect it before I go back to bed. You know… I was thinking. This person that snatched Ryo's body, finding him will be near impossible for us. He could have died Ryo's hair or cut it… could have left the country."
"We have to try Sage…" Rowan said with a slight frown not sure why he was hearing this from Sage of all people.
"You know during the battle with Talpa the warlords could always find us fairly easily." He sipped the tea again. "Ever wonder about that?"
Rowan stared at Sage, a smile blooming over his face. "It's certainly worth the try… summoning them without Ryo could be troublesome but not impossible. Even if they don't have a way to find Ryo's body in specific they should be able to track the power. Why didn't I think of that?"
"Because they're not someone you tend to want to invite over. Them trying to kill us time and time again tends to piss you off. Makes you not want to think of them as the solution." Sage sipped the tea again.
Rowen smirked. "It'll be weird. Not having him run around."
Sage cocked an eye brow at him. "You mean a relief?"
"No," Rowan chuckled. "I mean weird. I don't think of them as the same person, ya know? I got use to having a child dart about, screaming, laughing, crying. It'll be odd not having him about."
"I will be perfectly content to have our Ryo back." Sage moved away from the counter. "I have no interest in having a child, least of all for the said child to be Ryo."
Rowen smiled into his cup, "You know Ryo wants kids..."
Sage turned a nasty glare at him before rinsing the cup out into the sink and heading upstairs.
Rowan watched him go before frowning; he closed his eyes trying to picture Ryo as an adult again. He pictured the time Ryo traveled into space to get him, when he saw him through Talpa's eyes in his White armor for the first time, he saw him smiling as he beat Kento in some video game, or yelling as some injustice that happened. His eyes drifted up, that child wasn't their Ryo and yet at the same time he was. He had to be. Could he raise the boy now? Would he remember all the wonderful things he did? Did he still have his armor? Would he be able to wield the twin Katana's?
His attention turned to the stairs as he heard someone come down. Cye carefully looked around the corner. "Ro? Why are you still up?"
Rowan smiled, putting his cup in the sink. "Just trying to find ways to get Ryo's body back. All I can figure is at best we'll have Ryo back in his body and the body of a toddler."
Cye grimaced, "What will happen to the thing inside Ryo's body?"
"It'll die." Rowan glared outside, "Hopefully painfully."
"Rowan…"
"Cye, it tried to kill him in a way that he couldn't even fight back!" Rowan turned to, "In a way we couldn't even try and stop."
"But he did fight back… he didn't die. He's alive, and he's not hurt, he's happy. There's worse that could have happened."
Rowan sighed, "That was luck."
"Maybe you just nee to have some faith…" He said with a slight smile.
Rowan chuckled slightly. "In life force? Or perhaps I should have the wisdom to understand what is and not what might be, and deal the justice like wise?"
Cye smiled. "Something like that." He yawned moving into the living room and plopping down on the couch.
Rowan followed him in. "Why are you awake?" He peered down at the young man.
"Kento was snoring like… something loud."
"Eloquent."
"I thought so." Cye said around a large yawn. He nuzzled the couch pillow slightly. "Thought I'd sleep on the couch tonight, at least than I'd get some sleep."
Rowan smiled. "Good luck with that. I'm going to head to bed… you're welcome to sleep in my room, I'm sure Sage wouldn't mind."
Cye peeked one eye open at him before shaking his head and closing it again. "Nah, couch is great. Thanks though."
Rowan nodded again, even though Cye's eyes were now closed. He gave a backwards wave to the boy before heading upstairs.
Everyone that night went to bed hopping tomorrow they might find a way to finally help their now young friend.
