Chapter Thirteen: Antidote
In a black abyss, water flowed around Honda and began to cover his being. The clear blue engulfed him and made him choke. He cried out, only to receive a mouthful of water in return.
It didn't take long before Honda was staring up at the surface. His eyes slowly shut until a bright light shined from the darkness. He reached up, swimming with all of his might. It was his savior; his way of escaping.
A voice called out his name. It sounded so familiar. Honda parted his lips to respond, but he felt his last breath slip away…
"Damnit, Honda! Wake up!"
Chocking and gagging, Honda sat up in the porcelain bath tub. He rubbed his eyes and frantically looked around. He wasn't home and most definitely not in his own bath tub. He looked again and came face to face with Otogi. It all suddenly came back to him; including why he was there.
"…Otogi." Honda said with tears shining in his eyes. Before they mixed in with the water, Honda already had his arms around Otogi's shoulders.
Otogi said nothing. He had nothing to say. He wrapped his arms around Honda's body, not caring that he would get wet. He rocked the other boy slightly and rubbed his back to try and comfort him.
They sat awkwardly for awhile. Honda hadn't sobbed, but he had let his eyes become agitated by the tears. It was a comfortable moment. He had never felt so safe. He nodded to himself and decided that this was who he needed the help from. He couldn't think of anyone better.
The water eventually became lukewarm and Honda began to shiver from the cooling. He pulled away from Otogi and whispered hoarsely, "Thanks."
Otogi shrugged, "Don't worry about it. Though, do you mind telling me what the hell happened?" his face suddenly became very hard, "Did it have to do with…them?"
Unplugging the drain, Honda nodded. He picked up a towel from the tiled floor, "I work for Seto Kaiba."
"I know." Otogi replied.
Honda continued, "I was practically his personal mail boy." He laughed a little darkly. It sounded so stupid to say aloud, "He and I were becoming so close. I had almost forgotten."
The dice gamer dried Honda's hair for him, "So, you and he were perfectly happy until Jou decided to butt in, right? Oh yea. That's so unfair." There was venom in his tone; a sarcasm that was slightly usual for Otogi. He rolled his eyes, "What did Jou do? Deliver flowers? Mail a dirty letter?"
Honda's eyes peered out from under the towel. He felt his lips tremble, "Do you still love Jou?"
"Do birds fly?"
"Have you ever imagined what it would be like to have Jou under you, moaning like no tomorrow from all of your pleasure?" Honda winced a little. The only image he could ever think of when he remembered his best friend now haunted him.
Otogi's eyebrow arched up, "It's happened once or four thousands times."
Honda stood from the tub and let the liquid trickle into the draining water, "Well…I never would think of such a thing." He wrung out his shirt, "and now I'll never have to." He face became blank.
A gasp made Honda jump a little. Otogi covered his mouth with his hand, "They were-? In his office?" his eyes went wide, "Oh Honda!" he felt sympathetic for his friend.
"Yea…" he swallowed hard, "Do you have any dry clothes for me?" he removed his shirt.
Otogi had his back turned to him while he grabbed the pile of clean clothes, "I put you in the bath when you got here. I didn't think you'd like me to undress you. You were burning up with a fever too. You shouldn't run out in the rai- whoa!" once again his eyes grew large, "Honda, how much do you weigh!"
What had happened to Honda was forgotten. Otogi was more concerned about Honda's sickly frame. It had gotten worse. Honda tried to cover himself. He had completely forgotten how hideous he had become. He looked away from Otogi; wrapping his arms tightly around himself to hide. He felt exposed with Otogi's stare on him, "Don't look at me." He ordered, though his voice had started to quiver.
The other boy was surprised, but he didn't let that affect him. He smiled warmly, placing a hand on Honda's bony shoulder. "Don't touch me!" He felt Honda throw his hand off. He only continued to smile, replacing it, "Why not?"
Honda clenched his eyes shut, "I don't want you to touch me." He opened one eye and nervously glanced at the other boy, "Please don't."
Nodding, Otogi removed his hand, "Alright." He said softly, "I won't." he sighed and returned his voice to normal, "Get dressed or your cold is going to get worse." He shoved his hands in his back pocket and glanced from the tiled floor to Honda's eyes, "I'm making soup."
"I'm not hungry." Honda replied while he pulled the shirt over his head.
A small laugh left Otogi's lips, "I don't think you understand." His eyes became a little cold, "I wasn't asking it if you wanted it or not." He opened the bathroom door, "I expect you in the kitchen in ten minutes." He said and disappeared down the corridor.
This was the beginning of Honda's recovery and as bittersweet as it felt for him to admit it, he knew that now was the time to finally get it done. He looked at himself in the mirror and the corner of his lips turned up. Hopefully, in due time, he could find someone to like on the other side of that glass.
x-x-x
Honda didn't recognize the corridor he was walking down. It looked like a school, but he knew it wasn't his. Nevertheless, he kept walking. He tried to stop himself, but his feet seemed to know where he needed to go.
They led him to a classroom that looked exactly like his own. Honda recognized everyone in the room; each talking and laughing with their friends. He looked back over his shoulder and saw that the door had magically shut by itself. He reached out, wanting to reopen it, but before he got there, he heard a familiar voice.
"You bastard!"
Honda's eyes went wide. Jou was coming at him with a burning rage blazing in his eyes. He prepared for the blow, expecting a punch across his face, but it never came. He opened an eye, seeing Jou covering his face with his hands. His body began to shake as he sobbed. Honda reached out to touch his friend, "Jou, what-?"
"Shizuka!" Jou's voice was muffled from his hands, "Shizuka…" he raised his tear stained face to scream, "SHE'S DEAD BECAUSE OF YOU!"
The room shifted to a hospital room. Honda saw a small form under the clean white sheet that lay on the surgeon's table. He crept closer to it; his breath quickly left him and a cool sweat seemed to layer over his entire body. He swallowed hard as his hand grabbed the top of the sheet. He prayed that he wouldn't see her. He hoped that what Jou had said wasn't true.
In a flash, he threw the sheet off of the body and to his dismay, Jou was true to his word; Shizuka was dead.
Honda backed away, unable to believe his eyes. Was this really what he saw? No, not Shizuka. He felt heaviness in his heart. Was this his doing? He took a step closer and examined her face under the bright light. He pressed his lips to her forehead and lingered, staring at her eyelids as if they would open again.
Her eyes snapped open wide and Honda gave a yelp in fear. He quickly stepped back, watching her with shock. She turned her face to at him and bore into him with her cold eyes. In a hoarse and rough voice she said, "If only you loved me!"
Honda screamed, sitting straight up in his bed. He tried to catch his breath as he attempted to recall his dream. It was a nightmare. Shizuka's corpse coming alive before his eyes made Honda's stomach turn. He quickly pulled back the covers and dashed to the bathroom. He almost didn't make it and the soup that Otogi had forced him to eat came back up into the toilet. He took a couple minutes to rinse his mouth out and do his usual ritual of washing his face. When he went to look up at the mirror, he realized there was nothing there but shelves. He blinked, distinctly remembering it being there before. Had Otogi removed it? He must have.
He didn't let it confuse him as he traveled down the hallway. He had one foot in his room when a feeling began to gnaw at him. He went down to the kitchen and grabbed the phone. He didn't care what time it was. The only thing he wanted to hear some comfort. He waited for someone to pick up on the other line. He tasted the blood that seeped from his bitten lip when he heard his mother's yawning, "Hello?"
"Hi." Was all Honda could get out.
"Hiroto!" she was suddenly wide awake, "Where have you been? I tried Jou's and work and I was so worried! Are you alright? Are you hurt?"
"I'm fine." Honda suddenly felt very tired, "Can I ask a favor from you?"
He didn't have to say much, but there were certain tones that Honda would speak in that made his mother understand a whole lot, "Of course."
"Can you pack a couple bags for me?"
She didn't question anything. She nodded to nobody and responded, "Where am I dropping them off?"
"I'll get them tomorrow."
"Fine." She paused, "Hiroto?"
The boy felt tightness in his throat at the sound of his name, "Yea?"
"Are you in trouble?"
"No, Mom." Honda tried to sound happier for her, "Just…helping out a friend. He uh…he really needs me."
"Well, I hope it's nothing serious."
Honda sighed, "Yea…I do too. I'll see you tomorrow."
His mother understood, "I love you, Hiroto."
"I love you too." He couldn't help but smile. He hung up and the smile instantly faded. His hand was still gripping the receiver. Something was still not right.
He picked it up again, dialing a number that he didn't even have to think about. Another tired voice answered, "Hello?"
A wave of relief went through Honda. He hung up, not even responding to her. She was alive and that's all the peace of mind he needed to go back to bed.
x-x-x
A month later and the update's done! I'm so sorry I took forever. I've already started the next chapter and I hope to have it up soon. Thanks for being so paitent!
