I'm so sorry for the delay! I wanted to update this sooner, but you know… life happens.
Anyway, enjoy!
13
"Hotsuma?"
The blond turned around and once again saw Tsukumo. He always seemed to appear when something big was happening anymore. The concern he felt for Hotsuma was comforting, but now, Hotsuma thinks he's becoming overbearing.
"What is it now, Tsukumo?" He asked with slight irritation.
"Takashiro wants you to live here now. He thinks it's imperative now that you know. With your power it could be dangerous if you're out there an alone. Not to mention the duras." The boy explained.
"Listen, there's something I need to do. I'll come back. I swear. Just please let me do this." Hotsuma knew Tsukumo understood his meaning.
"Hotsuma," Tsukumo starts, "I get it. Really, I do. Just please be careful. You don't know what memories you might trigger. Things could get…bad…" He lets the last word linger hoping it gets through to Hotsuma to be wary. He walks up to an irritated Hotsuma and grabs his hand.
Hotsuma feels Tsukumo place something tiny and cold in his hand. He opens his palm and sees two silver rings. One is engraved with his name. The other is Shusei's.
"How did you get these?" Hotsuma asks.
"Let's let that be our little secret." Tsukumo winks playfully at him.
Hotsuma slips his ring on, instinctively placing it on his thumb. He pockets Shusei's ring, and lets his hand linger on it to make sure its safe.
Tsukumo smiles at this and says as he sees Hotsuma rush to the door, "And if you need anything don't hesitate to call me." Tsukumo smiled as he pointed to his ears.
"I will never get used to this psychic thing…" Hotsuma turned away and left, slamming the door and stranding Tsukumo in his room. The door creaks open and Hotsuma sticks his head in, "And stay outta my head!"
Tsukumo laughs at his roughness and then whispers to the air, "Bring him home, Hotsuma."
….
"So what's on the agenda for tonight?" Steele asks, looking at Shusei who is picking at the meal on his plate.
"You ask the same thing every night, and my answer is always the same. The usual." Shusei smirks in both annoyance and amusement.
"Just trying to keep you on your toes. Plus, the boss isn't around. That's unusual." Steele shivers after mentioning Tanaka.
"It happens from time to time." Shusei says.
Cherish this short moment of peace while it lasts.
"Where does someone like him go anyway?" Steele asks absentmindedly.
"I'm not sure myself. I know better than to ask." Done with the food he hasn't eaten, Shusei gets up.
"You'll keel over if you don't eat, ya know?" Steele says growing tired of Shusei's constant reluctance to eat.
"I know." Shusei says staring off.
He stares off into the distance, letting his mind wander from one thing to the next, too drained to focus on one particular thing. He suddenly feels the need to just up and leave this place. Like his old life was slowly strangling him and the only way to take a deep breath and feel relief was to just go somewhere.
"Maybe, today will be different." He sighs to himself. This sudden and unexpected idea begins to wake him up some.
"What do ya mean?"
"I think…I'll go to Tokyo." He says like he rehearsed it.
"What?" Steele says, shocked, "You can't do that!" he knows Tokyo is the kind of place Shusei would want to avoid, so his change in attitude startles him.
Shusei ignores him and begins to walk away almost in a daze, letting his body move independently from his brain.
"Shusei!' He calls again.
"Don't worry, I won't be too long." He reassures him, but he really doesn't know.
Maybe he won't come back at all.
….
Shusei doesn't know what possessed him to venture out into Tokyo. . Maybe just the change of pace was refreshing. Or perhaps the glance at what life could have been like while staying at Hotsuma's made him wish to see the city like a normal civilian.
He passes by a building with crystal clear windows and shudders fearing images flashing into his mind. Lately they have been relentless, any reflective surface has been a source of pain for him. Fortunately he's spared this time from the images.
The nightmares have been brutal lately.
But before he looked away he catches his face in the reflection.
I look so old…
It's not like he has wrinkles or grey hair. But it's the look in his eyes that makes him seem mature. The pale skin accentuating the darkness under his eyes and the almost constant frown on his face have aged him. Not to mention the fading bruises.
At this, he realizes he doesn't even know himself anymore. Who is the person reflected in the glass? What is his purpose? His reason for living? If he were to drop dead right here and now, no one would know. No one would care. Sure there were be some who would be in awe at his sudden departure, nonetheless they would carry on with their day with that thought now lost in the back of their minds.
His shoulders sag as his pace slows. The thoughts feel like a physical weight dragging his body down.
Again he peers through the windows of the stores he passes by allowing himself to be distracted by the items inside. Through them he sees all the things he'll never have. Cozy furniture, electronics, and more.
But you could have that… You could have and do anything you want.
He mentally smacks himself, "Look at me, becoming bitter." He laughs darkly, "You should never have helped me. Here I am, jealous of your lifestyle."
Continuing to look into the shop windows he catches an unusual reflection, one that shouldn't be there.
Red…eyes?
He looks around, trying to identify the source. No obvious sign of what caused the red looking eyes are in sight.
Must have been a street light.
He shakes the image from his mind, blaming it on the fact he is tired. He stops near the corner and laughs, "What am I doing here?"
….
Running through Tokyo like his life depends on it is Hotsuma, weaving through people and objects with a swiftness he never knew he had. A sense of urgency filled him and now he knows why.
Duras…
He recalls how Takashiro and Tsukumo told him of the demons that infiltrate their world and how they and the Zweilt are natural enemies. When the area is dense with duras a Zweilt can sense their presence.
This makes him nervous, remembering his first encounter with the creatures. But he takes comfort in Tsukumo telling him how he monitors the area with his "God's Ears" and that there is nothing in the area that can cause Hotsuma harm, just some low level duras that cause mischief and nothing more.
But now, Hotsuma knows the truth about his past and what Shusei really is to him. They weren't just strangers, they were partners and even if Shusei doesn't remember, Hotsuma decided that doesn't matter. He will look out for him and make sure he is safe from the duras. And not just duras, but everything.
So this is what it means to be a Zweilt, huh?
Even though he's never been in battle, at least in this life, he already feels the pull of partnership. He knows now why the Murasame siblings are hardly ever apart. This isn't a feeling that can be tempered nor can it be withered by time. Being a Zweilt is forever and the feelings only grow stronger with time.
He looks down to the silver ring on his thumb, feeling whole.
Hotsuma only comes back to the present when he turns a corner and runs right into another person.
He initially curses the object but is silenced when he identifies the figure as Shusei.
"Shusei? What the hell are you doing here?"
….
"Easy, Hotsuma, "Shusei regains his balance after what felt like being hit by a car, "What's the rush?"
"What are you doing acting so casual? Hotsuma yells at him, "Hell, you even look almost normal!" He said referring to Shusei's casual clothes.
Shusei smiles a bit, "Am I not allowed to be here?"
"No, that's not it…" Hotsuma stands there awkwardly. He intended to go find Shusei but now that he's here he isn't sure how to handle the situation.
"Is something wrong?" Shusei asks.
"No."
Shusei's eyes questions him.
"Yeah. Actually, yeah… there is." Hotsuma turns on his feet avoiding Shusei's eyes.
They stand in silence for a moment, Hotsuma shuffling his feet while Shusei studies him.
"So?" Shusei starts.
"Things…have been weird lately." Hotsuma says quietly.
Shusei chuckles, "It must be hard to be you."
"Shut up!" He bites back, "You don't look so good either, ya know?"
Hotsuma fidgets a little more then realizes Shusei is waiting for him to say more.
"Hey, Shusei?"
"Yeah?"
"Can we talk?"
Boring chapter is boring, I know. But I promise next chapter will be the start of much drama! And the next chapter is half written so it shouldn't be too long!
Also, as a little gift I wrote another little unrelated one shot which I will upload by the end of the week, so please look out for it!
