Chapter 3: Oh Brother!
A/n: This is the part where I would introduce more characters… I don't know why these characters are here… It's just that I deemed them as someone who could provide more… 'zest' in the plot. And, I so got into it I made some of the paragraphs too long. This got longer than I thought… oh and Fai's last name is Kinomoto, while Kurogane's would be whatever his younger brother's is.
So far, everything seemed to be normal, besides the confusion and all, but that's beside the point. Well, what could be defined as normal if you were just a bystander in Kurogane and Fai's friendship. It seemed the blond had been ditching Kurogane suddenly at times. He would always answer his phone and after, hurry off.
Kurogane hated to admit it, it seems there are a lot of things he hates to admit, but he felt intrigued as to why Fai would neglect him. Neglect? Was Kurogane feeling neglected? Of course not! He didn't feel lonely that Fai wasn't with him when he would be heading home. He wouldn't feel anything when Fai would suddenly leave him hanging in the middle of their conversation. Or when he'd approach the blond and said blond would run to the opposite direction after answering his phone, throwing apologies over his shoulder saying he'll make it up to Kurogane next time. Also for the fact that it was only when he was with Fai would he talk openly and also for the other fact that Kurogane and Fai spend more time together than some of their classmates' parents. In short, they spend an awful a lot of time with each other. No neglecting, sadness or loneliness felt here, no, no.
He now spent his free time cooped up in his room for the reason he didn't have anything to do. It was always Fai asking Kurogane if maybe they could go to the mall or anything, just to hang out. It's not that Kurogane was looking forward to their outings, he was just really bored. Okay, so maybe having a lot of homework papers piled up on his study table and a ton of projects to finish as well would seem as an excuse for not being bored to hell, but he was a teenager and he wanted to play at the arcade or something.
Kurogane sought for his phone. He checked the pockets of his pants; he checked his blazer jacket's pocket and found it in neither. Now, he had also checked his school bag, rummaged through his things, and even looked for it in the places in his room he was sure it wouldn't be there. 'Great… I misplaced my phone.' He tried to remember where he had left it.
Why would our dear Kurogane be looking for his phone anyway? It's not that he was waiting for a certain blond person's messages; he just wanted to have his phone with him at all times. What if his parents got in an accident? What if his younger brother had called him to ask Kurogane if he could pick him up at school? It was best to have your phone with you at all times if you want to be prepared. He so was not going to check it if he had received messages from the Fai. Wait… What if Fai was in trouble all along? Kurogane remembered that before, he was kind of … an accident prone. It was just recently that it had become unlikely now that Fai would be in an accident; actually, he turned out to be very graceful now. Still, there was a saying that it was better safe than sorry.
The doorbell rang and Kurogane felt a little too aggravated. He came stomping down the stairs, if only he had heard that his younger brother had said he would be the one to answer the door. But the raven-haired boy was too caught up in his world of worry and anger to have paid any attention. Now, the person at the door had deemed to knock. Oh, was the noise irritating Kurogane's ears. Not only could he not find his phone but someone had to bother him when he was on the verge of remembering where he had put it as well.
Putting his hand on the knob, he turned it to open the door. Something hit the raven-haired boy's chest, particularly a hand. A petite hand that was draped over his chest on a night before. A hand that had belonged to a certain blond teen who had been causing Kurogane's uncertainty about his feelings. The blond teen who he was kind of worried –and by kind of, meaning it in a very miniscule way, it would be so small that it'd be in the deepest and darkest depths of his eyes if you were wanting to read his emotions. But those depths were never unreached for this blond boy had read them, except for maybe one particular emotion.
Kurogane stared into the cerulean eyes he had somehow learned to love… I mean like, it's so not love. He hadn't noticed a cell phone being dangled in front of his face.
"Oh, Fai-san! Where have you been lately? I haven't seen you around." Kurogane had only regained his senses when he heard his younger brother had spoken beside him, well at least some of it. His brother had a smile on his face but… was that a blush? Why would he be blushing?
"Hey Suoh-kun, I've just been very busy. I had to accommodate my cousin." His hand was still in mid-air in front of Kurogane's face, with the cellphone that was being looked for in it. He gave a soft giggle. "Kuro-pii's been staring at my face for a long time now."
"Uh…huh?" Finally, Kurogane spoke. Actually, it might not even be considered speaking at all to some people. But at least he has acknowledged that Fai was really in front of him, not an apparition or illusion. "Give me that," he took the phone from the other's hold. "Where did you find it?"
"Well, it was under the couch, you left it there."
Kurogane noticed a blond standing beside Fai. This blond, however, looked younger. Maybe he was around Suoh's age but he looked exactly like Fai except for the hair. Albeit both had blond hair, the younger had curly locks.
"Oh yeah, this is Nokoru-chan. He's my younger cousin; he's going to studying in Suoh-kun's school." Fai had an all knowing smile on his face. It seemed it was directed to Suoh. 'Awe… Suoh-kun's cute when he's shy.' Fai though. "This is Kurogane and to his right is Suoh-kun."
"Isn't it the middle of the school year? Wouldn't he feel uncomfortable or out of place?" Kurogane intervened. He was confused with the situation, it's like there was something he was supposed to notice but he didn't.
"Don't worry Kurogane-san, I can easily adapt. And anyway, Suoh-kun would be there to help me around? Right Suoh-kun?" Nokoru was practically beaming.
"R-right…" Suoh stammered.
"Anyway, I just came here to give Kuro-puppy's phone back. See you tomorrow Kuro-chii!" Fai left heading for his house with Nokoru's hand in his. Why? Why did something in Kurogane's heart make it pound so hard fast when he saw that Nokoru kid with Fai? What's wrong with him?
Before Kurogane's brain could comprehend anything, his body had moved on its own and his hand had closed the door. He left his brother downstairs, who seemed to be staring at the door meaning his mind was pre-occupied as well.
He sat by his window when he had reached his room, his eyes locked on to the retreating figures of the two blonds. His cell phone suddenly rang, but sadly, he had accidentally dropped it for having been surprised. "Oh shit! My phone!" His phone dropped to the ground, inevitably not being able to check the message he had received.
'Kurogane-sempai, what if Fai said he liked you? Would you be mad at him? What if you don't like him back, would you still be his friend?'
How unfortunate…
***
Upon opening the door, Fai saw Touya sitting on the couch with Yukito snuggled up against his chest fast asleep. It seems that Touya had just been on his phone, seeing as he just turned it off and put it aside. This intrigued Fai's curiosity. Who would his beloved younger brother be on the phone with when the only times he would be was either because of something important, wanting to check on the people he considered dear, or to just have a chat with his lover (which had increased since the last time, Fai noticed)? And seeing that Fujitaka-san was upstairs and Fai and Nokoru (maybe Nokoru was already important to him) were here, and his lover was currently snuggled up against his chest, that would leave the reason that he was on the phone was because it was something important. It must be really important as everyone knew he had very high standards for something to be deemed as such.
Surely… Touya didn't have another lover! He couldn't possibly be two-timing! He already had Yukito, and he was someone to be loved dearly though not enough to suffocate him.
Fai scanned the whole scene before him, he took back what he said, there was no possibility Touya would do something like that. His eyes landed on a detail that would make any older sibling happy for their younger sibling –though some would want to beg to differ- and any parent worried or maybe even disappointed –again, some would want to beg to differ.
"Touya-chan, don't you think it would be better for Yukito-chan to sleep in a bed? He might feel uncomfortable if he wakes up after having slept like that." Again, his infamous all-knowing smirk.
Touya hadn't heard what Fai had said and now began to kiss Yukito. He pressed his lips on the younger boy's forehead, eyelids and them cheeks in a feather-like manner. At this action, Yukito had slowly opened his eyes with a light blush on his cheeks. He had practically been sitting on top of Touya's lap, he kissed the tip of the older boy's nose and Yukito was awarded with a warm smile.
Nokoru cleared his throat. "Ehem… Touya-sempai, if you plan to sleep, please do it in your room." He made sure to put emphasis on the word sleep, as if he was trying to imply something. Yet, at the subtle implication, a smile (-cough- smirk –cough-) had draped over his lips. (he should really stop spending too much time with Fai, or rather, maybe it was him who had influence the older blond? Hm… most would want to think it's because of their similar personalities.)
"Oh, Nokoru-kun and Fai, I didn't notice you were there. I didn't hear anything."
"Hm? Is that so, Touya-kun? Well, you must be really tired then, huh? Just head upstairs, if you would please?" Fai had this weird tone in his voice.
"You're right." He looked down to Yukito who seemed to have cuddled only closer to Touya and now hid his face in the crook of the older boy's neck. "Hey Yuki, wake up. Why don't you just continue sleeping in my room?" He nudged Yukito so that he would wake up.
"Touya, can't you just carry me there?" Yukito said as he wrapped his arms around Touya's neck. "Please?" Yukito, what all ukes are famous for doing, puts on a puppy dog face, irresistible to all semes.
Touya bent down, pressing his forehead against Yukito's. "As much as I'd want to do that, it'd be too dangerous going up the stairs with you in my arms." Touya stood up, after having seated Yukito in the couch. No way would he let Yukito get hurt.
When Yukito saw that Touya was already at the foot of the stairs, he followed suit. They went up. As they were going up, Fai couldn't help but say something about the minor detail he had seen a while ago.
"Touya-chan, please don't make things too obvious." And with that, Fai sat in the couch with his back to the stairs.
Touya didn't know what he was talking about, so naturally, he asked Fai. "Huh? What was that?'
The oldest blond in the room giggled, and Nokoru giggled as well. Nokoru pointed at his own collar bone, and Touya had stared. What about Nokoru's collar bone? He looked to Yukito and was surprised to see that even he was giggling! What were they all giggling about and what was perceived to be funny?! Are all blonds (believe it or not, there was something that read CLAMP considered and designed Yukito to be blond) like this? Touya looked to Yukito with the 'what-the-fuck-I-don't-get-it' face.
Yukito had stopped giggling, save a few fits here and there, and tried to regain his composure. He pointed to Touya's collar. The other boy did not look down; he wasn't going to fall for that joke. "Touya, you know I won't play that joke on you."
"I won't be able to see it still." Touya said in a matter-of-factly tone. And again, the three blonds had giggled.
"Ehehe… Why don't you look at yourself in a mirror, Touya-chan?" Fai said. At the moment exactly after that sentence, Nokoru had climbed the stairs and handed Touya a pocket mirror. Touya took it from him, without even a thought saying how peculiar it was for a young boy to carry a mirror around.
Touya looked into the mirror. He saw that he had left the two top most buttons of his school uniform undone. 'I must've left it like that,' he thought. Then he saw what had caught the three's attention. So it was just a red ma- wait… what the fuck?! Touya hastily buttoned up his uniform to cover up the small red bite mark. Now that he thought about it, Yukito's neck was practically glowing with the red strawberries here and there. If you know what I mean… and assuming that you don't… oh well.
Touya cleared his throat while a blush had set itself on his cheeks. "I think I'll go to my room now."
He headed for his room leaving the three. After he was in his room, the three blonds looked at each other. They then let their gazes follow Touya as he had retreated to his room. They started giggling… again.
Touya peeked out of his room and stepped out, immediately making the three cease their giggle fits. They all thought he was going to suddenly lash out at them. "Yuki, are you still tired?" Well that was… unexpected.
"Uh… yeah… a little." Yukito replied, having thought that Touya would be pissed off.
He proceeded to climb the rest of the stairs but was stopped as a voice had spoken up. "Yukito-chan~! Please take good care of my younger brother."
The bespectacled boy had a cheery smile on his face. "Why of course Fai-san! Don't worry!" With that comment done, Yukito had giggled and Touya had blushed.
Touya should really lessen the time Yukito spent with the eldest blond, seeing as it would be very, very troublesome. But of course, that didn't mean Touya doesn't like Fai. Of course not, how could anyone hate him when he had such a lovable aura? Then again, the three blonds that Touya knew were all lovable, or maybe it's just that he has a natural born affinity with them…
The bespectacled blond had now stood beside his lover. Before entering the room, Touya had draped an arm over Yukito's shoulders and whispered something into his ear.
"I will have to punish you for conspiring against me." Touya nibbled on Yukito's ear.
Yukito did not blush, why would he? In fact, he had a cheery smile on his face still.
Oh, he was really spending too much time with Fai.
The last exchange between the lovers had gone unheard to Fai and Nokoru. The younger blond had taken it upon himself to sit beside Fai. The older blond had felt uncomfortable as he sensed Nokoru's scrutinizing gaze. It seems that, someone had actually surpassed Fai with his teasing? Okay, so maybe they were on the same level. But there are some things that Fai knows about Nokoru that the younger one himself didn't know, it might as well go the same for Nokoru. Some of his feelings and reactions might not be noticeable to others; maybe someone with the same level of his understanding would come to know if something was out of place.
These common traits they have might just have something to do with their personality, one could say it just has something to do with how they would spend time with each other or maybe both just had good observing skills, but that's beside the point.
"Fai-san, you like Kurogane-san, don't you?" Why was it that Fai felt the room was stuffier than before?
'Maybe I should open a window,' Fai thought.
"Fai-san…" Nokoru fake whined. "Please tell me the truth; I can see that he likes you…"
"No, Kurogane doesn't like me." Fai had said in a straight tone, needless to say, he really was dejected about it.
Anyone who knew Fai very much could tell he really was disappointed with the current happenings. Fujitaka-san and Touya, seeing as they are his family, would immediately know he was sad. They knew Fai would never call Kurogane 'Kurogane'; he would always be referring to the other by his nicknames he had made to show as a sign of his affection.
"Kuro-pipi doesn't feel like that," he seemed to have noticed himself that he was sounding unsatisfied. He had put on a smile that would somehow hide his true feelings. "I think he might even hate me." Fai said rather grimly.
Nokoru shrugged his shoulders, "But isn't it said that 'to have hated someone, you must've loved them first'? I mean, would Kurogane-san even hate you when he has no reason to? Do you have any proof he does?"
Fai was perplexed to have heard those words coming out from the mouth of his cousin. He wasn't shocked about the fact that Nokoru would speak as such, rather the fact that Nokoru had a found a loop in his reasoning. He wasn't exactly sure if Kurogane did hate him, but maybe saying that would finally convince the younger one that there was nothing else to talk about, to stop dwelling on the subject.
"Even if he doesn't hate me, he doesn't like me anyway"
"So, does this mean you do like Kurogane-san?"
"…" Fai thought for a moment.
Nokoru slightly fidgeted nervously from where he sat. He was nervous as it seemed that he had offended Fai. He had grown close to the older blond, looked up to him like an older brother and found it enjoyable whenever they would play together. "Uh… I didn't mean for that to offend you… It's just that, the way you were acting around each other a while ago."
Fai then looked at Nokoru with a blank face, then a cheery smile replaced the blank look. "Nokoru-chan is absolutely right! I absolutely like him!" He clapped his hands together. "But," Fai pouted, "I don't know how he feels." There may have been cheeriness in his voice, but the sadness radiating from him told something else.
"Maybe you should tell him, then ask if he feels the same. And if suddenly, he shuns you, he's not your real friend at all!" Nokoru raised a fist in air, Fai sweat dropped.
"I don't want to ruin my friendship with him."
"But don't you practically shove your feelings to his face every day?" He had already placed his fist down, and now placed his index finger under his chin. With that, he looked like he was pondering over something very important. Though to him, this would be considered as something very important, seeing as it involved his beloved older cousin.
"But… I don't want him to hate me more…"
Wait a minute…Nokoru repeated the statement in his mind: '… hate me more…' Doesn't that mean there was always hatred, but it just increased its degree? Fai still thinks Kurogane hates him??!! He's still stuck on that??!! Sure there is a fine line between hatred and not liking someone but hatred means you'd hate their guts with no means for them for you to be able to like them in some way. Not liking someone means that there are just some quirks that you wouldn't want to be there.
"Fai-san… he doesn't hate you!! And you always hug him so…" Nokoru trailed off.
Fai sighed, "Nokoru-kun, hugging can be done to anyone, and especially towards people you have an affinity with." He had a grin on his face, "Like this!" He tackled Nokoru onto the couch. "See, see! I love hugging everyone, including Nokoru-chan!"
Nokoru tried pushing hi older cousin off, tried being the keyword. "Mmph-mmn…" The younger blond said something inaudible against the other blonde's shoulder seeing that Fai was cuddling him too tightly.
"Come again?" Fai released Nokoru from his death-grip.
"Fai-san, look, if you think Kurogane-san hates you or something, why would he always be with you? I remember you telling me the two of you have been friends for three years, and yet here you are, telling me he hates you. Why's he hanging out with you then?"
"I really don't know." And so he didn't discuss about it with any further. One reason was, he wasn't sure about how things really are and the other reason being he was afraid of talking about his feelings.
He may want to comfort people around him when they would be sad, but he doesn't like it when it would be him to be comforted. It's not that he's a hypocrite; he just doesn't like being the cause of someone's worry. He doesn't want to be a nuisance to anyone. Especially if that someone was would be younger than him and is still recovering from his own sadness. He might be called masochistic, but if he keeps the people he treasures happy and worry free, then masochistic he is.
***
"Suoh-kun!" Good morning!" Nokoru came running just as Suoh and Kurogane had exited their home and the older teen had been locking the front door. Fai was walking in a leisurely pace behind him. Nokoru had glomped Suoh.
"G-good morning Nokoru-san." Suoh stammered, causing Fai to giggle and Kurogane to gape. Kurogane somehow grasped the situation but was hoping he was wrong.
"Suoh-kun, it's not 'Nokoru-san', that's too formal…" He puffed out his cheeks while he had been clinging to the golden-eyed boy's arm. "And I'm not older than you by a lot you know…" He faced the other with a smile gracing his lips. "'Nokoru' would be fine."
"Yes… Nokoru-kun…" Suoh said in a voice that sounded like he wasn't quite sure.
"See? That's better now." Nokoru had a giddy look on his face.
Kurogane and Fai walked side by side behind the younger ones. The taller paid no mind as it looked like the blond was walking closer to him than usual. Maybe the silence coming from Kurogane might have something to do with him being shocked because of his younger brother's actions, or maybe it could also be because he was overwhelmed with Fai finally walking with him again.
Not that he cared whenever Fai would be walking beside him, or to be with him in general.
Because he didn't.
"Kuro-tan seems to be quiet today." Kurogane snapped out of his thoughts, still not saying a word. "Kuro-sama…" Fai spoke up again, whining this time. "Are you mad at me?" Why would Kurogane be mad at him? Okay so maybe him suddenly leaving the taller teen whenever they would be together, but he already explained to Kurogane that he had to accommodate his younger cousin. "Humph… Kuro-sama hares me," he pouted.
Kurogane sensed the tears in the other's voice. He looked to his side to find that Fai had settled his gaze onto the ground, his eyes hidden by his blond hair. "Hey…" Kurogane spoke out softly, "I'm not mad, okay?" the other still not looked at him. "Hey… c'mon, look at me." He draped his arm along Fai's shoulders. Placing his hand on the other's cheek, he made the blond lean slightly against his shoulders. "I was just…" Kurogane looked over to the other side, gazing away from Fai's face, "thinking. I'm not mad or anything."
Fai blushed at their close proximity, a goofy smile then appeared on his lips, the frown on his lips having disappeared. "Then, what were you thinking of?" He leaned more on Kurogane, moving into the touch.
Kurogane had just realized how intimate they were being. 'Shit… what did I do? But, it's not entirely bad. He smells like… vanilla. Must be his body wash.' Just then, a mental image came into mind. A naked Fai with water dripping down his body, his lips slightly parted while enjoying the bath. 'Oh god…' He mentally bashed himself for having thought of such… a sexy image. Of Fai, no less!
"Kuro-rin? Why aren't you answering my questions? What were you thinking of?" Fai inquired. He poked Kurogane's side. 'He's spacing out a lot today,' he mentally giggled, 'and it's just the start of the day…!'
"It's nothing…" The blush on Kurogane's face had not gone unnoticed.
"Awe… Did Kuro-wanwan miss me that much?"
Nokoru had been hearing the way his older companions had been conversing and he just had to giggle. They were unconsciously flirting with each other and were acting so sappy. 'They're so cute!' Was what had gone through the young blonde's mind.
"Nokoru-kun, why are you giggling?" Suoh asked.
"Uh… it's nothing, ehehehe…" Nokoru suddenly tripped. "Uwai!" He let out, he pulled down Suoh with him as he had been clinging to the golden-eyed boy's arm. Suoh landed on one knee while Nokoru fell flat on his face. "Ow, ow, ow, ow…" Nokoru rubbed his aching forehead.
"Are you okay?!" Suoh asked Nokoru as he was still on one knee beside the blond; Nokoru had sat on the ground.
Fai ran to Nokoru like the worried Fai-mommy he was. "Are you all right?" Fai asked.
"Don't worry Fai-san… I just slightly bumped my head." Nokoru said massaging his beet red forehead.
"No, let me see." Suoh checked on Nokoru, their faces precariously close. Both blushed and looked away from each other, making Fai giggle.
Fai nudged Kurogane. "Awe, aren't they cute? You'll never notice how time can fly by so fast…" Then the blond acted as if he was tearing up. "Kids grow up so fast…" He then turned to Kurogane, "Don't they, Kuro-daddy?"
Kurogane's face began to flare up, it was either because he was embarrassed or he was furious. The latter would be more probable. The aura surrounding him darkened, he glared at Fai. "What did you just call me?!" He stomped towards Fai, seeing that the shorter teen had backed off a bit, maybe the blond was fully aware that that would Kurogane pissed? Figures… "I dare you to repeat what you called me again!!"
Fai had already started to run away. "Uwah! Kuro-daddy's mad~~!" His face now had on a smile that could only be described as a statement of him fooling around.
"Get back here you stupid blond!" Kurogane chased after Fai.
Suoh and Nokoru looked at the running figures of the two. Their older comrades were already heading for the direction towards their school.
Fai then looked over his shoulder. "Go to school safely you two! Kuro-daddy and Fai-mommy are quite busy right now!" If there had been a perv around at the moment, they would have totally misinterpreted the last statement.
Suoh turned his head to look at Nokoru, but the blond didn't notice and had still continued to stare at a distance. Nokoru sighed dreamily. "They grow up so fast…"
Suoh sweat dropped, "Nokoru-kun?"
Nokoru seemed to have stopped his day dreaming and turned his gaze to Suoh. "Yes, Suoh-kun?"
"Do they like each other or hate each other?"
"Hmmm… they love each other!" Nokoru beamed.
"They sometimes act like that but sometimes I think otherwise. Sometimes they would act like everything is awkward between them then the next thing I know, they're already flirting with each other… Fai-san would always end up teasing aniki…" Suoh sighed exasperatedly.
"That is just like Fai-san and Kurogane-san!" He pulled out a fan from gods know where and snapping it open, 'love has many faces' was written in kanji.
Again, Suoh sweat dropped and then stood up, he dusted himself. After, he held out his hand for Nokoru to take. "Thanks Suoh-kun."
AS their hands met, they both felt something. It was very familiar, both knew that feeling and yet… how come they knew? It was something indescribable.
Great…
***
Kurogane finally caught up with Fai, when they had already reached the school gate that is. He grabbed Fai by the arm and pushed him against the wall, thought he made sure that is wasn't too hard to hurt the blonde's back. The taller boy pinned him against the wall, the one exactly beside the school's gates, he placed his hands on the wall on either side of Fai's head. He had him trapped now.
"You…" Kurogane huffed.
Fai giggled. "Don't hurt me Kuro-daddy." He placed his hands now on Kurogane's chest as if telling him to stop.
A group of students passed by them and some began to whistle. "Finally! Takamura made his move!" One shouted.
"I thought they would never get together!" a girl squealed. "Crap… where's a camera when you need one!?" Her friends sweat dropped, they guessed another yaoi fan girl was born…
Fai and Kurogane separated from each other, Fai's face coloured red and Kurogane's with a light tint of pink. Kurogane glared the group's direction. The other shyly and lightly puts his hand on the ruby-eyed boy's arm, wanting to calm him down. "Hey-hey!" Fai cheered, "Let's go before it's too late. Classes are about to start."
"Yeah, yeah…" If before, Kurogane would've detached his arm from Fai, now, he didn't because… the touch was too light, Kurogane didn't feel a thing. What, did you expect that he had liked the touch? As if! He would scoff at you and say you were crazy.
They began walking, with Fai chit-chatting away. When it was quiet, Kurogane finally spoke, being quite daring to ask the question that had been bugging him for a while. "Why is the blond kid…" Kurogane paused.
"Nokoru you mean?" Fai cut in.
"Yeah the blond kid," Fai sighed. Kurogane still doesn't call just anyone by their given name not unless they had gained his trust. "Why is he staying with you guys right now? Is it temporary or what?" Kurogane couldn't help but ask. Hey, he was curious! And he was going to transfer to his brother's school? There must be something up.
"Oh it's permanent… He's going to start living with Fujitaka-san, Touya and I!" Fai said with a somehow forced joyous expression.
Kurogane hadn't noticed the reaction of his companion. And so, he asked once more, "Why?" He looked to Fai, and that's when he had noticed the sadness surrounding Fai.
Fai looked to the ground, crest-fallen. He looked like he had lost everything, as if everything he held dear was taken from him. The last time that happened was when he and Fai were… When Kurogane had slipped asking him… oh my…
"Nokoru-chan, he…" a tear trickled down Fai's face. "I'm… I'm sorry…" He wiped the tears that were threatening to come out with his hand fisted. They stopped at they're trekking as Fai had begun to slowly sob.
'He kept all this sadness inside?' Kurogane thought. Walkers passing by began to whisper.
Kurogane pulled on Fai's arm and they went behind a tree. The taller boy had let the blond lean on the trunk while he stood in front of said blond, "Would you stop crying?!" He didn't mean for that to come out harshly, he just wasn't used to dealing with emotions or feelings. He didn't even know how to deal with his own.
"It's… It's Nokoru-chan… he's my only living relative left." Fai sobbed and wiped more his tears.
"Wh-what?" Kurogane was surprised with the blonde's revelation. He thought that Fai didn't have any more relatives, at least relatives that Fai knew of. Hey, you might find out that your best friend had always been your third cousin or distant relative and you just hadn't known.
"His parent, months ago… the-they," Fai hiccupped, "died in a fire accident… Their house su-suddenly…" His cry became more… hysterical, in lack of a better word. His back slid against the tree trunk slowly, him finally sitting on the ground. He brought his knees against his chest. A fire accident… Fai's parents were in a fire accident as well.
Kurogane bent down on one knee. He reached out a hand to put on Fai's shoulder. But he was hesitant, his hand hung in mid-air. Fai looked up from having rested his head on his knees. Fai suddenly hugged Kurogane, making the taller boy lose his balance and land on his rump. Kurogane didn't know whether or not to wrap his arms around the blond. He didn't know what to do or say. What was he supposed to say? That he understood Fai? No, of course he didn't. He still had his parents and the presumptuous sadness he could just imagine would never compare to the realness of a feeling like that.
"Kuro-pii…" Fai sobbed against the other's shoulder. "He might be so lonely… He has no one left…"
Kurogane patted Fai's back. "You idiot." He whispered softly, "He's not alone, he has you." He gathered Fai on his arms and leaned against the tree.
They simply stayed like that, even after the bell had already rang signalling that first period was already about to begin.
T.B.C…
A/n: remember when I demanded a number of reviews in the previous chapter? I don't demand reviews, I just wanted to know what it would feel like. Hehehe… anyway, if you want, please review, if you don't, I can't do anything about that. I'd still write stories anyway.
Next chapter to be posted, fourth chapter: fiery play, a reminiscence of the past?