If Kikumaru Eiji could be described by any one word, normal wasn't it
So anyway, here's the new chapter. I'm trying to make this understandable so please bear with me.
Akamatsu-san, gomen nasai. I was just itching to post this chapter and could not overthrow the temptation. Gomen, next chapter I will definitely await your approval before rushing into things.
Oh, by the way guys, Akamatsu-san is my beta. I suggest you check out some of her stories because really they're awesome (mostly shounen ai though so homophobes be warned). Her identity on is Midane-hakose.
Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing except the strange powers and the honey and milk (mmn (;).
Hajimari: Jigoku Tasu Sannin
If Kikumaru Eiji could be described using any one word, normal was definitely NOT it. One can not be normal when one is on the verge of turning into Oishi (not of course that he'd show it in public).
He glanced over at his precious Ochibi who was almost blurry due to the intense glare of the afternoon sun. The boy was not performing up to his usual standards but he covered it up so well hardly anyone noticed. No one besides Eiji himself seemed to see it anyway though his movements were getting slower and slower and his swings not totally accurate. He frowned.
Darn you sun! Why'd you have to be so bright nya!
He was brought out of his thoughts when he heard Oishi's worried voice and saw his little kouhai on the ground.
"OCHIBI!" Eiji tried to wrestle out of Momo's grip (Oishi had told him to hold off the red-head when Seigaku's resident acrobat started freaking out). "LET GO MOMO I NEED TO GET TO OCHIBI!!"
By some miracle, Eiji finally managed to squirm free (0.0!!) and squeezed himself past the crowd that had already gathered around their freshman ace. Most of the initial panic however had worn off by now so he was a lot calmer (not that that was saying much, but still at least he was no longer spazzing quite so badly). Before anyone else had realized what was happening, Eiji had already picked up the boy and ran into the club room.
"When did Kikumaru-senpai turn into Kamio?" Momo wondered after a while? The others could only nod their agreement. They were too stunned to do much else. Oishi tried to run into the room with them, but Eiji had locked the door.
They also couldn't see anything because the shades had been pulled down and the lights turned off.
Eiji on the other hand had no problems whatsoever with the dark. Actually it was a relief for him to be out of the sun. With ease, he made his way into the back room where there was a mini fridge where the club stored water. Yanking over the freezer, he reached way in the back and pulled out a black package. Rushing back, he tugged the unconscious boy's cap off and quickly unraveled the dark piece of cloth before tying the thing around his kouhai's head. It was a few minutes before the boy stirred.
"Hot day today huh?" The raven haired boy leaned appreciatively into the cool fingers running through his sweaty hair.
"Senpai, what happened?" a muffled voice inquired from beneath the black velvet scarf. "Aah ittai……"
"Hoi hoi, don't talk for a while, it'll only make it worse." Eiji scolded him gently. "Did you get some shut eye in any of your classes today?"
The boy shook his head. "Well, then there you go. That's why you're in such horrible shape. You've exposed your eyes to direct sunlight for too long. Ochibi you really should be more careful. You scared me back there."
"But……"Eiji stopped stroking his hair. To his chagrin, Ryoma did miss his senpai's petting.
"What did I say about talking?" Hearing no more from the younger boy he began running his fingers through the black locks again. "This is your first year spending more than two hours outside on the summer solstice, isn't it? Without resting your eyes during school? Mataku and we had morning practice today too."
Suddenly black letters started appearing in front of his face. Eiji laughed softly.
Then how did you stand the summer solstice, ne Eiji senpai?
"Nya so you found a way around my little rule, stubborn kitten." He paused for a little to remove the now rather warm cloth with a new cooler piece. "My eyes aren't as sensitive as yours, so I don't suffer as much. And besides, I slept all the way through math class. Now come on, I'll let the others in now, kay?"
A nod and that was all Eiji needed. "Just go back to sleep. I'll handle them for you."
Obviously his doubles partner was the first one in followed by Momo and Kaidou (as surprising as that was) then Taka-san with Fuji, Inui and Ryuuzaki-sensei bringing up the rear.
"Eiji what's going on here?" and in a second he was bombarded by questions. Oh the things he'd do for his Ochibi. He used the excuse he always did.
"Nya Oishi!! It was too bright!" Ryoma marveled how his senpai could go from soft spoken 'nice' mode to five-year-old-loudmouth-little-brat mode in less than two seconds. "You can't blame him! I was getting a headache too."
"How does it being bright have anything to do with headaches?" Momo asked. Silently, the red-haired boy cursed his friend. Luckily Inui came to his rescue (and didn't even know it).
"By analyzing his style of play, I've reached the conclusion that Eiji's eyes are better than anyone else's." He read from his notebook. "Therefore there is a 40.8 chance that they are much more sensitive to light. Since Echizen's eyes are at least as sensitive it would be relatively easy for the both of them to get severe headaches from being out in this heat."
That shut Momo up, but it had a bad effect on Oishi who promptly paled.
"EIJI! WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME?" Oh great, another one of his famous panic episodes. As if once a day wasn't enough. "Oh dear, are you alright? Is Echizen-kun alright? Do you need to see a doctor?"
"Nya OISHI! We're fine now." For once it was the acrobat who calmed his hyperventilating partner down. "But I think I should take Ochibi home for today. Can I use your phone? I forgot mine this morning."
"Ne senpai." Stupid Momo, well, at least he waited until the call was over. "How come Echizen fainted but you didn't?"
"He hasn't shut his eyes all day, Momo." He tried to be patient. Unfortunately, this did not come very easily for the acrobat. "I slept all through last period."
"And that's supposed to be a good thing? And Echizen sleeps at least as much as you do if not more." Eiji was getting frustrated now. AND HE HAD BEEN TELLING THE TRUTH TOO!
Luckily Inui decided to come up with a real plausible answer. "Echizen is younger and therefore much more susceptible to overexertion.
By the time Eiji managed to shake off all the other regulars, his ride had arrived. It actually wasn't too much of a hassle to carry Ryoma to the car. He was very light. Maybe, much too light. However, instead of taking Ryoma home like he promised the others, he decided to go to his house, and maybe rescue a few of his fellow victims along the way.
Muromachi Touji breathed a sigh of relief as Minami FINALLY gave up and announced the practice for Yamabuki Jr. High officially over. For a second, he shielded his stressed out eyes with his hand. Sunglasses certainly helped, but that didn't mean that there was significantly more light filtering through than he would have liked. It really was too hot to be out today. Dear god he did not want to be in his vice-captain's shoes right now. Poor Kiyosumi, that must have been torture. Suddenly someone tapped him on the shoulder.
Turning around, he found the smiling face of his dear fukubuchou Sengoku Kiyosumi. Before Muromachi could ask what the senile fool could possibly be smiling about a slender finger pointed in the direction of the parking lot where a very familiar sleek black Mercedes had just pulled over. "Oh, I see, looks like we got a free ride today, huh?"
With a loud "COME ON!" from his fukubuchou, Muromachi found himself nearly levitating towards said car. He couldn't help feeling that maybe buying Sengoku Gatorade for lunch had been a bad idea.
Eiji too seemed pleased as two green blurs squeezed themselves into the back seat of his car. They'll never change.
"Dear god Eiji I can't thank you enough for coming." Lucky Sengoku wasted no time in making himself comfortable. "I swear I was going to die before practice was over."
"Nya me too. I actually left early, my eyes hurt so bad!" Then he gestured at the curled up bundled of red black white and blue on one of the plush seats. "Ochibi's actually over loaded and made him collapse during a match."
"Really? How is he? Did you get him into shade in time?", Muromachi immediately leaned over to check on the sleeping twelve-year-old. "Mah, I really can't understand why you won't just get glasses like me. Wouldn't it be a lot easier that way?"
But then Sengoku reached out and picked them off his teammates face.
"And have your tan lines, Touji?" He indicated his friend's face. To his credit the other boy did look like a raccoon in reverse. "I'd rather not."
"Kiyo! Give those back!" He made a furious swipe for them. However Kiyosumi managed to hold the precious tinted glass and frame out of his reach. Curse his taller figure. Just when he almost reached them the redheaded idiot decided to pass it along to the other one. Eiji was in the front seat so there was no way he could have wrestled them back. "Guys come on."
"No way! You look so cute that way Nya!" But the giggling and teasing stopped as they heard a rustling coming from the car's youngest occupant. For a split second their various colored eyes turned gold as they watched the boy carefully.
"Dammit you two are way too loud." The darker boy complained as he reached out and softly smoothed Ryoma's bangs out of his eyes. His eyes shifting back to their normal violet and a certain gentleness stole its way onto his face. Soon it infected the other two boys as well and they fell into a companionable silence.
In his head, Eiji started to muse. Before, none of the three would give it a second thought if they were bothering someone, but ever since the little one joined their little group, well things had changed. For one thing, they had gotten significantly quieter less likely to cause absurd disturbances at strange hours. Then there was the arrogance factor that no longer showed up so clearly anymore (they had a kouhai now after all and for all intents and purposes, the brat was cocky enough). But all that was weak compared to the real deal.
With a glance back at his friends, he knew they were all thinking the same thing.
He had become a part of them. Before they were really just three individual units in the same place at the same time. They assisted each other when they felt like it and ignored one another when they didn't. But ever since they met……
Flashback
"Hoi." Kikumaru grinned down at Muromachi from his position on the roof. Too bad the other couldn't jump up here due to his injured foot, really. Sengoku was dancing around chanting to his own bizarre rhythm.
"Get your ass down here and fight me like the cat you're suppose to be." The dark one growled.
"Why don't you come up here then Muromachi?" He sneered back
"FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT."
But suddenly they heard approaching footsteps, and like the true cats they are, the three slipped quietly into the shadows. Suddenly, there was a small boy thrown into the alleyway (their alley way, Eiji recalled with a frown) by one of the neighborhood gangs.
"What are you doing?" He stood up and brushed the dirt from his jacket. The boy looked very calm, but he was slightly shivering and his knuckles were clenched so hard they were practically white.
"Taking our revenge kid." The gang members approached. One punched him. "You'll soon learn that nobody makes fun of us and gets away with it."
"I recall you being the one to challenge me to a tennis match. And you never did give me that 5,000 yen" Kikumaru was trying to telepathically scream at this idiot to shut-up.
"Shut up brat!" He was punched in the gut so hard he flew back and slammed into an alley way. Eiji was debating on whether or not to help when a black blur tackled down the nearest gangster and left three bloody claw marks across his face. That was all the persuasion Eiji needed and he too attacked.
(Time skip)
"Nya," Eiji woke up to a pounding head and protesting ankle. "What happened?"
"Where are we?" There was a flaming orange kitten trying to test his weight on what was obviously a twisted knee. "Ittai! Kikumaru, you're up, finally."
"Where's Muromachi?" Eiji reached up and absently scratched behind his right ear. An orange paw pointed to a spot some few feet away where the black cat was still sprawled out unconscious. He was bandaged up and his previously leg was now in a splint. "That idiot. I swear he's going to get himself killed one of these days.
"Oh, come on Kikumaru, you know him. Mr. Hero-man can't stand by when there's a kitten in trouble, human or not." He continued licking his paw. "I'm itchy."
Eiji reexamined Sengoku and himself a second time and realized that they too were in bandages. He also noticed that they were in cat beds (you know those basket things they sell for pets to sleep in).
'creek'
Both kittens feigned sleep again as the door to the room opened. Their eyes widened as the boy from the previous night entered balancing three bowls in his hands.
"Still sleeping huh?" He calmly walked to his window and drew the curtains close. "But sadly you still need to eat."
He prodded the healthiest looking one awake and took the cat into his arms. Sengoku forgot he was supposed to be asleep and protested heavily. At least, until the eye dropper full of warm sweet milk was emptied into his mouth. Eiji too gave himself away by chortling merrily. Sengoku would always be Sengoku. (Of course since this is his flash back Eiji would neglect to mention Sengoku's very clear memories of Eiji himself purring delightfully when it was his turn at the sweet milk and honey.)
"So not as sleepy as I'd thought, huh?" If they were human they would have both pouted. But alas, cats don't really do that. Although they each did let out an indignant 'Nya" (this is what a Japanese cat is supposed to say as opposed to meow). "Is he actually knocked out?"
Sengoku who had finished his milk nodded. "Muromachi's not in such good shape. He was hurt even before last night."
Then he remembered that normal cats don't talk...damn.
"I knew there was something not right with you" The freshman smirked. "Hajimemashite. Echizen Ryoma."
End Flashback
They had ended up staying at Ochibi's house for three days. To recover. Good thing it was summer vacation at the time. It had been almost a breath of fresh air staying with Ryoma who treated them better than he treated his own father (although they later learned that this wasn't saying particularly much…...but it was still funny as hell). He played with them, fed them, replaced their bandages, and introduced them to his beloved Karupin. In fact, it felt so nice that about a week after they left his place, well, let's just say there was too much temptation for them to stay away.
The fact that they found out Ryoma played a mean game of tennis (and then attended Seigaku of all places) did nothing to keep them at arms length.
"Oi Eiji." He snapped out of his reverie to find that he was already home and dear Kiyo-kun was waving a hand in front of his face.
"Ah gomen, gomen." He climbed out of the vehicle and bade his driver a good day. Oh yeah. He was loaded. Not quite as rich as Atobe, but then again, few families had the capacity to own half of Japan.
Touji had already taken the sleeping boy in and set the boy in his room. He was now sitting in a chair pulled up near the bed just watching the boy. Yes, though Eiji doted on him as if he was a baby and Kiyosumi was almost the perverted big brother nobody likes to talk about, Touji still felt that Ryoma was primarily his, his precious little kitten.
After all, it was he who took action first out of the three. It was he who had first spoken to Ryoma (before he fell unconscious, which is why Ryoma was fully aware of their situation). And it was he who primarily looked after the poor boy (though Eiji certainly had no right comparing him to that human from Seigaku, He did NOT have a mother hen complex!). Besides, there had to be somebody to bail those fools out of trouble.
In the dark, Ryoma was just as wild as his two partners in crime. The boy felt safe in the darkness, he knew, and the darkness even went out of its way to protect him somewhat. However, darkness is only the absence of light, and by itself can only do so much (in terms of defense anyway. Offense and pranking however, well, that was a different story). Really who could blame him for being worried? It's not as if either of the two flashy idiots had an ounce of responsibility in their veins, opting instead to pull off ridiculous stunts that even left Touji (who was use to them by now) smacking his head against a convenient wall.
'Dear god Ryoma, look how much you've changed me.' He thought silently.
After all, they were attached, and it was all this chibi's fault. Half a year ago, he wouldn't have given a damn. The whole world could go and die for all he cared, as long as they left enough food for him. How did six months make him worry about some snarky brat's exhausted eyes?
Touji stood up and left the room. He wanted to get some shut-eye too before the real fun began.
It had been four hours since their ochibi fell victim to slumber. The boy's golden eyes creaked open to the gentle orange skies of a magnificent sunset just seconds before it totally disappeared. Smiling at the crimson yet darkening skies he made his way to the mini fridge Kikumaru senpai had installed into his room (why he didn't know), and poured himself a glass of ice water. They should be coming for him soon.
"Ne Ochibi!" And he was tackled by two hyperactive red headed bullets going at what felt like 2000 kilometers per hour. "Wanna go early? I mean you are already up, nya."
"Eiji, Kiyo." Touji frowned. "I don't want you playing with his powers when was dead tired a few hours ago. If anything, we should head out later tonight. At least then there's less of a chance we'll be spotted if something happens."
"Come on Tou-chan!" Oh great their stupid eyes, must resist the goddamn cuteness. Curse them. It was for Ryoma, just keep thinking that, Touji. Its for Ryoma. "When does anything ever happen?"
"Nee Touji-senpai, I don't really mind." Ryoma smiled. He was the deciding factor. "We'll be okay. I'm much better now, anyway."
The heavy sigh was taken as a sign of surrender and the two red heads, jumped and shouted for joy. Ryoma just smiled and began to banish the light from his body and letting darkness wrap around them.
There were few things he wouldn't do for his surrogate family, his Neko-Musoko.
As they disappeared from sight, they all turned and smiled at their ochibi, their little brother, their Hell Bringer.
HELLBRINGERHELLBRINGERHELLBRINGERHELLBRINGERHELLBRINGERHELLBRINGER
In case I confused anybody, well, Ryoma basically has the inverse of the powers that Atobe has but it manifested in a different aspect. Keigo's abilities manifested by calling light to him so he's used to it (hence no headaches) Ryoma's manifested by surrounding him in darkness (and I'll go much more into this later, but he can also turn invisible like what Atobe did in chapter 3). However since darkness is only the absence of light so in theory they can do a lot of the same things (like turn invisible).
I also just want to make it perfectly clear that these guys know nothing whatsoever about Atobe and gang.