Yahoo! I'm finally done with this chapter. Oh gosh! My assignments are burying me. *landslide of books*
*muffled by books* Thank you, Chey-chan! *hand pop up from pile to wave* Hahaha… I've been slightly addicted to Plants vs Zombie lately.
Look at Me, Only Me chapter 6
Breakdown
'How long would it take for a broken heart to bleed until it finally stops beating?'
….
He closed the door quietly behind the lady editor Aikawa as she walked out, skipping with joy, a thick folder of Sensei's fresh new manuscript tucked tightly in her bag. In the living room, on the sofa, Akihiko sat lifelessly with his head lolling backwards. Just as Misaki was approaching, the man's mouth fell slack and his half burnt cigarette fell. The boy immediately jumped at the stub and snuffed it out in the ashtray. He silently stood there, staring at the man, debating on what was best to do about him in his mind.
Finally, he decided to wake the man despite knowing how bad his attitude was when he didn't get any sleep. Misaki softly patted the strong shoulder only to earn a grunt. He tried again with even worse return, no response. Sighing faintly, he got up and went upstairs, taking a blanket to cover the slumbering man. As he tucked the sides of the blanket around Akihiko, the older man suddenly threw off a side of the blanket, his arm circling around Misaki's waist, swallowing him into his embrace before conking out completely.
"U-Usagi-san…" Misaki blushed scarlet as he was held to that strong chest but the one holding him captive was totally deep in dreamland. The boy with emerald eyes relaxed slightly, snuggling nearer to the pounding sound of the man's heart. He wondered if indulging in this little happiness, even if it meant lying to himself, was alright. And yet, it took only a single word from this man to shatter his tiny piece of hope.
"Takahiro." Biting down on his lips in order to endure the tearing pain in his chest, the boy's eyes began to grow rounder and rounder, seeing absolutely nothing. His consciousness was retreating deeper and deeper into the safe darkness of his mind. He then fell neatly, oblivious to the world, onto the man's shoulder.
….
He woke up, feeling tired but still somewhat rested compared to the moment when he finally completed the last sentence of that damn manuscript. Akihiko swore that Aikawa was just trying to kill him, if not wring his soul out, squeezing and pushing him like that. Realizing that his surrounding was really silent, he at last felt the weight on his lap. Peering downward, he saw the boy he brought with him from that small, dark apartment few weeks ago. He smiled at the serene look on the younger man's face. For a moment, he was content but for the next, a small twinge in his heart made him felt slightly uneasy. The boy's lips were pale. There wasn't much color in his face as well and he was too still.
"Hey…" He patted lightly on the thin cheek. The boy didn't stir but continued to remain unconscious. Panic began to build up in the older man. He straightened up, moving the slender frame of the boy into the crook of his arm, feeling even more worried when Misaki shifted so easily, so lifelessly.
"Hey, wake up." He touched Misaki's too white cheek again, rubbing and pinching it a little, trying to put color in it. The younger man did not respond.
"Takahiro!" he shouted, shaking the slight build in his arm. The boy's eyes snapped wide open. Akihiko blew out a sigh of relief but it did not last long. The boy sprang away from his arms and dashed to the bathroom. Following his sprint, Akihiko found the boy throwing his insides out into the toilet.
"Are you alright?" Akihiko asked the heaving boy, rubbing his thin back to soothe the convulsing motion. The boy choked another round of puke out before nodding ever so slightly, taking the wet cloth from Akihiko to wipe his mouth. He got up and went to the sink to gargle, all the while with the older man hovering over him like a mother hen. When the younger man finished cleaning, he turned to the man.
"Hey, I'm alright, okay?" It was his turn to calm down the agitated man. Akihiko was not convinced one bit, his frown deepening.
"I probably ate something wrong," Misaki told him gently, trying to coax him to a better mood. Though he was still not totally convinced, he unwilling believed the boy, even when Misaki smiled sweetly at him.
….
He could not help him but swear that ever since that puking incident a week ago, the boy was even more pleasant than usual. He was worried over this new behavior and yet, he couldn't help savoring the pampering he got. It was like getting addicted to that smile and that cute laughter of the boy. Whenever he was tired of sitting in front of the computer, he'd go downstairs with his mug, even if it's still three quarter full of coffee, and demand a new, hot cup. Or, sometimes, he would just peep outside of his study, watching the boy bustling around with a basket full of laundry or some cleaning products.
However, once in a while, he noticed the boy would look outside, beyond the balcony, with an extremely sad expression, like he was longing for something far away in the sky. Unconsciously, Misaki would clutch a fistful of the fabric over his heart, biting his lips as if he was enduring something painful.
There was also another thing he observed. Though the boy ate normally, he seemed to be getting thinner until Akihiko could feel nothing but bones when he embraced the younger man. As he sat there pondering what could he do to help the boy, he suddenly became aware of the silence in that huge penthouse. He could not sense the soft pattering of the boy's feet. He got up, opened the door a tiny crack to sneak a look outside his room. Indeed, there was no sign of Misaki anywhere. Fear and worry began to build up rapidly.
Akihiko began searching any clues, listening hard for any signs of the boy but to no avail. His anxiety rose exponentially. He sprinted around the big place, slamming doors and opening others until he found the boy in his guest room, where he placed all his photo albums. Misaki was lying on the bed with a photo album flipped open but it was obvious that he wasn't looking at it. He was staring blankly at that particular page with his mind somewhere else.
"Takahiro," Akihiko began softly, not wanting to frighten the boy as he approached but Misaki did not hear him. Instead, he curled up into a fetal position and began trembling. The older man immediately rushed forward but when he touched the boy, Misaki jerked away. When he tried again, this time, the boy plastered himself to Akihiko, clawing at his shirt, gasping for air but that did not seem to do any good for the fervent shivering.
"Takahiro…" Akihiko muttered. There were no words, nothing except for the labored breathing. The boy's pale fist gripped Akihiko's shoulder tightly. Carrying the light weight of the boy in his arms, Akihiko ran out of the house and caught the nearest taxi to the nearest hospital.
….
Well, I'm pretty sure there's more bashing for Usagi-san. Bear with it for a little while longer. And don't kill me for always putting Misaki into the hospital. The sadist me does that. The next chapter will be depressing as well since I'm gonna work on it today and I'm depressed. My Japanese teacher is going back to Japan! Boohoo…
That's it. Review if you want. Cheer me up a little, will ya?
Twilight Cherry