Now, I know what you're thinking…SHE FINALLY UPDATED!? Lol, well it's true I'm back from the dead and bringing chapter 5 with me. Again, I'm sorry guys for making you wait that long it really kills me to think of all the people who were waiting and waiting for me to update. (Not to mention I left you guys with a cliffhanger) But I will prove that good things happen to those who wait! Thank you to everyone who is still here with me! You guys left me some wonderful reviews and for that I think there should be a little reward for all of you! You'll have to read to find out and no cheating! So without further delay, here it is chapter five! Enjoy!
Special thank you to: All of my wonderful amazing fans! You guys don't know how much you make my day!
Disclaimer: Sadly, as much as I would love to I do not own Wolf's Rain! Please don't sue me!
WARNING: This story contains strong language, violence, and yaoi! I'm telling you now in this warning! If you don't like yaoi or have never even heard of it PLEASE press that pretty little button called the back button and find something else! I'm sorry but I really didn't write this story for people giving me crap cuz they don't like yaoi!
Awakened By The Moonlight
Chapter Five: A Simple Misunderstanding
"Yo…" Holland greeted smiling at Toboe's obvious confusion when the young boy had finally opened the door. "Y-you?" Toboe shook his head trying to push this off as a dream. "It just can't be…what are you doing here?"
Holland shrugged. "I was in the neighborhood you know? Thought I'd drop by." Toboe still looked at him with mild confusion. "Um…how did you know where I lived?"
At this, Holland smirked making Toboe even more curious for his answer. "A very good friend of mine did a little digging for me." Toboe paused for a moment when, out of nowhere, the memory of what had happened at the hideout entered his mind.
The older man was confused when Toboe looked away from him, a scarlet blush tainting his cheeks. Toboe gulped as he now remembered that it was this man's intrusion that had made him and Tsume separate. He had seen everything!
Toboe's face seemed to turn an even deeper shade of red while Holland only smirked at him. "Listen kid, we could stand here all day discussing um…"personal matters" or if it wouldn't cause you any trouble, could you let me in?" He stepped closer to Toboe, his voice no louder than a whisper.
"I've got something I want to talk to you about…" He paused, closing his eyes as a grin appeared on his face. "Besides the old lady in the pink bathrobe next door keeps staring at me like I'm holding you at gunpoint."
Toboe tried but couldn't stop the laughter that escaped from him. He smiled up at Holland before he began to make his way through the front door. He normally never trusted any stranger to come into his home but for some reason he felt as if that wasn't the case with Holland. He was actually a pretty good judge of character and when he looked into Holland's eyes he didn't feel afraid, that had to count for something. "Sure come on in…um…" He turned back to the slightly taller figure in front him.
"Holland." Toboe moved to the side and gestured for Holland to enter the apartment. "Nice place you got here." Holland scanned the room smiling when his eyes fell upon the snow white kitten sleeping peacefully on the floor. Toboe closed the door behind both of them and went to where Holland was standing.
"Thank you, you can sit down if you like." Toboe began to walk towards the kitchen, stopping at the table to watch as Holland took him up on his offer.
"Thanks…you wouldn't believe how hard your place is to find!" Holland replied before he took off his leather jacket and hung it on the back of his chair. He then sat down, sinking into the comfortable piece of furniture letting out a content sigh as he closed his eyes. Toboe let his gaze drift to Holland's leather jacket. It was almost the same style as Tsume's from what he could tell but had a lot more buckles and zippers to it. It was easy to see that it was much smaller too, showing the difference in Tsume's and Holland's body type. Toboe quickly felt uncomfortable when Holland's eyes opened and were staring directly at him.
"Would you like something to drink?" He rushed out watching as Holland sat up and crossed his arms. "Sure." Toboe broke the eye contact, searching the kitchen for a moment before his eyes fell upon what he was looking for. He went over to the counter and picked up the beautiful china kettle that Granny usually used when making tea. He shook it delicately for a bit confirming there was still a good amount when the contents could be heard swishing into the walls of the kettle.
He put the kettle down before he brought out two coffee mugs, filling them both to the top until the kettle was empty. "So Toboe…" Holland began."Do you live here by yourself?" Toboe picked up both of the mugs and began walking towards the table.
"No, my grandmother lives here with me." Holland grabbed the mug from Toboe, thanking him quietly as he took a sip. "Hey, this is good!" The young man exclaimed as he closed his eyes, bringing the mug back to his lips. Toboe placed his mug on the table, next to the seat beside Holland, when his mind suddenly thought of something.
"Hey Holland…" He began watching as Holland brought his attention back to him."Um…how did you know my name?" He silently watched as the young man paused for a long moment staring down into his lap as if debating on what to say before he let out a deep sigh.
"I heard it from Tsume…" Holland noticed when Toboe froze for a while before he quickly snapped out of his thoughts.
"Oh…" Holland studied Toboe's tense posture for a moment before he started to laugh. "Don't worry kid, I'm not like Tsume…you can relax you know."
Toboe smiled at him before he remembered something, his face flashing with complete worry. "How's Tsume's shoulder?"
At this, Holland stopped laughing completely turning to Toboe with nothing but absolute shock in his eyes. "His shoulder? What the HELL happened to his shoulder?!" Toboe cringed when he noticed Holland's face change from total shock to fury within two seconds. Now that Holland knew the outcome, he would be expecting the whole story. Toboe knew he wouldn't let him change the subject. He had to tell him now.
Toboe then proceeded with the long story of what had happened that night, stopping at some points to look at Holland's reactions for the older man had not said a word since he had begun. He couldn't help but feel a heavy weight on his heart when he got to the part where Tsume had taken the bullet for him, remembering the absolute devastation he had felt when he saw the blood pouring out of Tsume's shoulder.
When he was finished, Toboe looked up at Holland trying to prepare himself for anything that could happen. He was completely surprised when Holland met his gaze smiling sadly. "Damn, you'd think after the many years we've been together that he would have at least…said something to me."
Toboe felt as if his whole world came crashing down right then and there. Those words had cut a deep wound in his heart as he pictured the worst possible scenario in the world. This man…was Tsume's lover. He tried to shake this thought out of his head but when he actually thought about it…it did make sense.
When he had followed Tsume back to the hideout that night, Holland had seemed a bit pissed off when he came to find them both standing outside together. Not to mention, when he had walked in on him and the leader almost kissing, he had seemed shocked beyond words. Probably because he had caught Tsume being unfaithful.
Toboe looked down at the floor his hair covering his eyes as his hands were clenched tight into fists. That meant that…Tsume had used him. He was nothing more than a simple toy and nothing more. That's why Tsume had pushed him away when Holland had left. The game wasn't fun anymore now that he'd been caught.
Toboe couldn't help it as his body began to shake. This must've been what Holland had wanted to talk to him about. He wanted to make sure that he would never see Tsume again.
Holland ran a hand through his hair, forgetting his thoughts. He gazed back at Toboe confused when he noticed the boy's shaking body and he could have sworn he saw a tear escape from Toboe's concealed eyes and land on the floor.
The older man tried desperately to search his mind for any reason of what was going on. For some odd reason, a certain set of words kept repeating themselves.
"We've been together for so long…"
Oh shit!
"Whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa kid!" Holland called out, waving his hands frantically in front of him. Toboe looked up but stopped to wipe his eyes with his sleeve before he turned his attention back to Holland.
"I'm not with Tsume like that! No! Never! He's like my asshole of a big brother!" Toboe's eyes widened with shock before his face turned a scarlet red out of embarrassment.
"I'm sorry!" He blurted out to Holland over and over again. "I didn't mean to jump to that conclusion but…" Holland only shook his head as Toboe sat down in the chair right next to him looking down at his mug, not daring to look at Holland after what had just happened.
Holland couldn't help the smirk that came to his face when he broke the silence. "Nah, he's all yours." He laughed when Toboe immediately stared at him with his big light brown eyes.
"What are you t-talking about? I-I hardly know him!" Toboe replied nervous when Holland looked at him with a "you're full of it" look.
"Sure kid sure…" Holland murmured sarcastically. "Don't think I don't remember that little show you two put on for me the other day. He peeked over at Toboe who quickly looked away from him when he spoke.
"Nothing happened…" Toboe whispered surprised when Holland only laughed. "You mean nothing happened because I came in." Toboe stared at him before he locked his gaze to the floor once more.
"I gotta say though, I never thought a kid like you would get that close to Tsume." Toboe turned to Holland. "What do you mean?"
Holland picked up his mug and took another long sip, breathing out a sigh before he continued. "I mean that well…Tsume…" He paused trying to find the right words. "Isn't exactly a people person. I honestly think he'd rather sit in his room and think than interact with someone."
Holland smiled sadly. "It's been three years…and I've barely even made a dent in that shield he surrounds himself with all the time." At this, Toboe frowned. Now that he put it that way, Toboe couldn't help but feel guilty. Here was a person who had known Tsume for years while he had only known him for a few days. Did he even have the right to be so friendly with him?
Holland should have been the one who Tsume showed his true emotions to…not him. He listened silently as Holland continued. "I wanted to ask you something if you wouldn't mind."
Toboe looked up at him, curiosity reflecting in his eyes. "Sure, go ahead." Holland paused for a moment before he looked Toboe directly in the face.
"I want to know what happened the night you met Tsume."
There was nothing but silence as the words sunk into Toboe's mind. He thought about it for a mere moment before he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He knew in his heart that Holland deserved to know the absolute truth about that fateful night.
"I was walking home after I had just finished a late night shift at work." I stopped for a few minutes just to think about some things." He watched as Holland crossed his arms once more before continuing.
"I-I heard something break and when I turned around…there was Tsume." Holland nodded his head slowly. So I was right. This kid must have been the voice but then…why didn't I hear it? Suppose he did believe that there had been a voice calling out to Tsume that night; why would it lead him to a kid like Toboe? It didn't make any sense.
He stopped his busy thoughts when Toboe continued. "We just kind of looked at each other. He looked so familiar to me…like I'd seen him before." He paused to pick up his mug and took a sip. Holland smirked when he noticed that the boy had begun to tap his fingers against his mug.
He's nervous about something because he won't stop fidgeting…
"Tsume walked over to me and just kept staring at me and…" Holland raised an eyebrow when Toboe stopped watching as the boy looked indecisive about something. Toboe turned away from Holland, focusing his gaze on the table.
"Well…u-um…Tsume…he touched me on the cheek." Holland stared wide eyed at him. "I couldn't run away from him but he ended up pulling away from me…I guess he didn't know what he was doing either."
Toboe concentrated hard on trying to figure out how to tell the next part of the story. "Then, there was this pain, like my head was splitting in two but that's not it…" Holland listened closely waiting for the finished part.
"There was a sound going through my head…it sounded like someone was screaming. The pitch was so high it hurt my ears…" Toboe paused remembering her miserable voice.
"I fell to the floor…it hurt so much. I think Tsume felt it too but I'm not sure." "I-I started screaming…Tsume just kept yelling at me to shut up but it was just too unbearable." Toboe knew what happened next but didn't want to say it.
"Then?" Holland was much closer to him than he remembered.
"Then…he kissed me."
Toboe felt his face turn bright red; he couldn't bear to look at Holland out of fear for his reaction. What happened next was something he never expected.
"How was it?"
Toboe felt himself almost pass out. "What?!" He half screamed as he looked at Holland pure shock etched on his face. He backed away when Holland began to inch closer and closer to him, a smirk evident on his face.
"You know what I mean…was it good? Did he use his tong-
Toboe slammed his mug on the table. "No! It wasn't…it wasn't anything like that!" He blushed even harder when Holland only continued to smirk, raising an eyebrow at him. Toboe didn't know what he should say but couldn't help it when his mouth blurted out his thoughts in a low whisper.
"It was…gentle… and then he just kept his lips against mine. I've never been kissed before…everything was so new to me but it just felt so…"
"Damn good?" Holland interjected a peaceful smile on his face. Toboe couldn't help but smile. It wasn't exactly what he was going to say but that didn't mean that it wasn't true.
"Yeah… then he put his arms around my waist and I didn't know what to do. I mean…I should have screamed or something but I didn't…he just felt so familiar and his arms felt so warm." Toboe stopped to let Holland take in all that he had said before he continued.
"Then we broke apart…and that's pretty much where you came along."
Holland chucked at this information. "Damn, I messed it up just when it was getting good." Toboe smiled finally concluding that there was nothing left to say.
"So, you're gay right?" Toboe turned to him, his eyes widened to the size of saucers. No one had ever just come right out and ask him about it before. He didn't know how to respond.
"Um…I don't know…I mean I'm not really into girls but then again I've never really been with a guy either." Toboe breathed out a deep sigh as the realization hit him. When he had told Granny and Blue about it, he had been so sure but now…he was trying to think of all the emotions running through him when Tsume had kissed him and compared it to the time with the girl.
He realized right then and there that there was no comparison.
When she had tried to kiss him, it had just felt so wrong but…what if he had just not liked her? Just because he didn't want her to kiss him, did that automatically make him gay?
"I'm new at this…" Toboe almost whispered after a long moment of thinking, embarrassed when Holland only smirked.
"Yeah, that's how it starts…but then you meet someone that makes you feel so right that you realize you would risk everything just to be with them." Toboe stared back at Holland, his stare lingering on the sad smile that now formed on the older man's face.
"Holland…your-
Toboe stopped himself when Holland looked away from him. "A fool in love." He muttered to himself so low Toboe was surprised when he caught it. Holland leaned back in his chair, his hands resting on the back of his head.
"Been there…done that." Toboe couldn't help it as the question he was thinking came out of his mouth. "Do you love someone Holland?" Toboe bit his tongue when Holland closed his eyes and sat quietly for a few minutes before finally answering.
"I do…but it's complicated." Holland opened his eyes turning his attention back to Toboe. "He's sort of a womanizer who never thinks things through before he does them. Not to mention, he's always toying with me and then rubbing my face in it but…he's been my best friend this whole time." Toboe nodded slowly making Holland smirk.
"I thought I was going to be the one asking questions here." They both met each others gaze smiling at each other. It was strange. Toboe felt so comfortable talking to Holland about all of this. Maybe it was because they were going through the same thing. All he knew was that Holland had come so far from being the stranger at his doorstep. Toboe concluded that it was nice having someone to talk to about this besides Blue.
He sighed when he realized that, when it came to friends, he didn't have many not including her. Holland cleared his throat bringing Toboe's attention back to him. "It's hard when you care so much about someone but always have that scared feeling to get closer to them." Toboe nodded in agreement but did so when Holland wasn't looking.
He stared at the figure in front of him, a feeling of sadness suddenly filling his heart. Why was everything so complicated? He stopped his train of thought when Holland let out a deep breath. "Anyway, that's not really all I came here to talk to you about…" He drank the last of his tea placing the now empty mug on his side of the table.
Toboe turned to Holland, a certain feeling rising inside of him. "What did you want to talk to me about?" Holland looked down at the ground for a moment before he brought his gaze sharply back to Toboe. "It's about Tsume."
Toboe paused for a moment before he slowly nodded for Holland to continue. "When I told you how I knew your name well…it wasn't exactly the truth." Toboe looked at Holland, confused about where the conversation was going.
"What I mean is, I did hear your name from Tsume but…he wasn't conscious at the time." He looked up at Toboe whose mind was still so full of questions. "Tsume, he has these nightmares…he always screams out your name."
"NOT LIKE A WET DREAM OR ANYTHING!" He blurted out frantically, causing Toboe to blush a deep scarlet red as he turned away from him. Holland waited until Toboe calmed his heart and nodded for him to continue.
"He has really terrible nightmares…I've never heard him scream like that before." Holland looked at Toboe, his eyes never straying from the boy in front of him. "In the building where we live, I have the room right next to him. I always knew that he had nightmares but…they've never been this bad before."
Toboe stared at the ground as an overwhelming feeling of guilt washed over him. Had he done this to Tsume? It made him feel like it was his entire fault. "What should I do?" Toboe wondered aloud, causing Holland to breath out another sigh.
"I-I don't know…" Holland thought about it for a minute until the answer suddenly came to him. He snapped his fingers making Toboe almost jump at the unexpected noise. " I have an idea." Holland looked back at Toboe, a big grin plastered on his face.
"I think that maybe if you were with Tsume…he'd be a whole lot happier." Toboe looked at him his reply coming out louder than he had intended.
"WHAT!?" Toboe half screamed, completely confused at how Holland came up with that answer. The said genius lay back in his chair, the grin still on his face as he placed his hands on the back of his head once again.
"Well…the way I see it, before he met you, Tsume hadn't been himself for the past couple of months." Holland paused looking up at Toboe. "I remember when I first met him…god he was an asshole." He chuckled.
"I was sixteen when I joined the gang. I had no parents or anything but…right away I felt right at home." Holland smiled as he concentrated on the memory. "Anyway, I had heard stories about the great Tsume from the other members. I ended up finding out that some members of the gang that had been there had never even seen Tsume."
He fumbled with his mug on the table as he continued. "I later was informed that the new recruits had exactly one chance to prove themselves. One mission…and as luck would have it a couple of days later, it was my turn." Toboe's concentration was broken when he spotted the sleeping kitten lying on the carpet. He smiled before he quickly turned his attention back to Holland.
"I wasn't scared…actually I was pretty excited. I wanted to prove that I could do this." Holland closed his eyes picturing a certain part of his memory. "I just remember waiting at the door and when I turned around…there was Tsume."
Toboe's head perked up. "I knew it was him because…he just had this fire in his eyes." Toboe smiled when the image of Tsume's beautiful golden eyes came into his head. " Man, I just remember freezing. I mean…he was the infamous Tsume and all I wanted to do was let him see what I could do."
He closed his eyes. "Let's see, it was me and a few other men including Tsume. Now usually Tsume never came on a mission with us "rookies" but for some reason, he was there that night. Holland stretched for a little while until his body relaxed into the chair once more.
"It was only a small hit, child's play compared to all the stuff Tsume had done. We thought it'd be easy for us too." Holland closed his eyes for a moment before opening them. "When we got there, I ended up being the one who could disengage the alarm. Tsume was the one who gave me the command."
"But one of the younger recruits wasn't thinking clearly and he ended up tripping the second alarm." Holland eyes grew darker making Toboe feel like what he was about to say next, wasn't good.
"All I heard was Tsume yelling at me to run. It all happened so fast. I couldn't hear anything else with the sirens blocking out everything. I didn't look around until me and Tsume had turned a corner into an alleyway."
"Tsume ended up being the only one with me." Holland felt his fists tighten when flashes of images appeared in his mind of what happened next. "I-I heard gunshots…all of my friends were being killed. I tried to run to them but…Tsume held me back. Toboe heard Holland's voice shake with emotion. "All of them were…"
Holland stopped when he became aware of Toboe's hand on his. He quickly smiled at him, trying to leave all of what had happened in the past. "Sorry about that, I didn't mean to drop all of that on you." Toboe shook his head, keeping his hand on Holland's.
"Don't apologize…it's alright." Toboe smiled up at him, making Holland keep his smile on his face before he remembered something. "There's…something else I wanted to tell you." Toboe retrieved his hand still smiling down at Holland.
"Sure, go ahead." Holland stopped for a minute before he went closer to Toboe, a deep emotion rising through his eyes. "Please…don't give up on Tsume." Toboe froze unsure of what to say until Holland spoke first.
"I know that at first, he's a little rough around the edges but…I know that he can't forget you." He watched as Toboe looked down at the tiled floor. "I know it seems like he doesn't give a damn about anybody but himself but inside…he wants to protect everyone."
Holland reached up touching Toboe's shoulder reassuringly. "Toboe…I know you care about him…don't even try and say that you don't." Holland whispered, smirking when he noticed the younger man blush.
"But…" Toboe began. "He doesn't want to see me…things just got so complicated between us…" Holland kept his hand on Toboe's shoulder when he replied, his voice filled with compassion.
"When you want to be with someone sometimes it's always complicated…" Holland exhaled loudly before he continued. "But that's what makes it an adventure." Toboe looked the older man in his jade green eyes. Holland's comforting smile grew on his face when a sudden idea occurred to him.
"Do you want to see him?" Toboe looked up at him with widened eyes taken back for a split second. Truth be told, he had been contemplating in the back of his mind on whether or not to go see him all day but every time he made the decision to go, all he heard was Tsume's angry voice and his eyes…
He shuddered when he pictured them. There was no warmth in them at all. Would Tsume be furious if he went to see him again? What do I do? He told himself. He wanted to see Tsume but…
No…
His heart told him. I want to see him even if he does get angry. I don't care. He brought his gaze back to Holland's. "Yes." He replied one hundred percent sure in his decision. Holland was taken back a bit when Toboe said yes, his eyes gleaming with certainty.
"Are you sure?" Holland asked only going to ask once. Toboe looked down at the floor once more absolutely sure with all his heart that this was what he wanted . He then looked up at Holland with a complete look of determination, his light brown eyes shining beautifully.
"Let's go."
Tsume kept riding through the streets only locking his gaze with the road in front of him. The rain kept falling on him as he rode against it. He always loved the feeling of freedom. The feeling of leaving everything behind and just being free…there was nothing quite like it. He tried to focus his senses, silently listening for the voice that had called out to him before. At first, he hadn't heard anything at all until suddenly out of nowhere a small whisper reached his ears. "Tsume?"
He stopped his bike, skidding it to a stop in front of an unexpecting cab. The angry driver rolled down the window and stuck his head out. "HEY BUDDY! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TRYING TO PULL!?"
Tsume didn't listen. He only kept staring in the direction of where the voice was calling from. He tried to ignore it, to pull away from it but…he couldn't. Tsume was brought out of his thoughts when the cab driver honked his horn loudly. He glared at the driver, watching as the man cringed when Tsume's amber eyes fell upon him angrily.
He smirked when the cab driver stuck his head back in, turned the car around, and speeded away not even daring to look back. Time to go. Tsume thought as he turned back and rode off in the direction of home.
Holland scanned up and down Toboe as they walked together side by side. You know…he really is just adorable…I can see why Tsume's going crazy over him. He smirked before turning back to Toboe. "Come on kid…this way." He turned the corner into an alleyway, stepping through a few puddles along the way.
Toboe kept up with Holland, taking the time for the buildings to register in his mind. He couldn't remember passing by any of them when he had followed Tsume. Toboe smiled when he remembered why. You were focusing all of your attention on Tsume. He paused suddenly when he noticed that Holland was staring at him.
"What?" He asked when the older man wouldn't quit. Holland only smirked before he shook his head. "No wonder…" He whispered softly to himself. Toboe turned his body fully to Holland.
"No wonder what?" Holland gaped at the smaller figure in front of him. Damn, the kid has good ears! "Nothing!" Holland brought his hands in front of him, waving them back and forth.
"It's nothing really…just thinking out loud." He replied casually. Toboe continued staring at him for a few moments before Holland turned back around, facing the road in front of them. He looked over at both the left and right directions, taking a moment to think.
"Now, which way was it again?" Toboe stared at the man in front of him with absolute bewilderment. Holland brought his hand up pointing to the left and then the right. "Hmm…" Holland thought quietly to himself.
Toboe was watching him occupy himself with this task, when a feeling overwhelmed his entire body. He looked passed Holland towards the right. He felt a force almost pulling him towards that direction. Toboe began to walk slowly to it, catching Holland's attention.
"Hey kid, what's up?"He stepped closer to Toboe, only to remain silent when the boy completely ignored him. Holland stared as Toboe walked closer and closer to the right, his eyes reflecting a trance like state. Toboe tried to focus on the feeling inside of him, his eyes widening when the image of someone entered his mind.
Tsume…
He quickly ran following this feeling that guided him. "Hey!" Holland called after him when he suddenly disappeared. Toboe kept running, the buildings passing by him in a blur. He followed the narrow alleyway until he turned another corner and began to follow the path, ignoring the calls coming from behind him. I have to make sure. Toboe kept running until he felt the pull inside his body cease completely. The young boy gazed up at his surroundings and gasped.
There before him was the exact same building he and Tsume had come to before. Holland froze beside Toboe when the tall structure came in to view. "How the hell did you…" Holland began, only to stop when he noticed Toboe's equally confused face. He decided to drop it.
"Well, whatever it was…thank God!" He exclaimed before he ran past Toboe and made his way to the main entrance. He stopped when he realized that the boy wasn't following behind him. Holland's eyes traveled back to him, frowning when he noticed that Toboe was staring down at the floor. He's probably remembering what happened last time…
The older man slowly walked over to Toboe before he stood right in front of him. "Hey…" Holland called sweetly before he placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. Once he touched him, Toboe jumped from the contact. The rain had lessened into a slight drizzle as it came down softly around the two figures.
Toboe only shook his head and continued to walk with Holland towards the door. They both jumped in surprise when the door was quickly pried open revealing a tall brunette dressed in nothing but black leather. "Hey Holland." He greeted a big grin on his face when he turned his whole attention to the shorter man in front of him.
His smile stopped when he noticed Toboe next to him, a look of curiosity taking its place. "Who's this?" Toboe felt nervous when the taller man's eyes fell upon him. He grew MUCH more nervous when Holland wrapped an arm around his shoulders and pulled him a little too close for comfort.
"He's my date." Holland stated confidently, staring Chris in his eyes. Toboe stared at Holland, his eyes wide with shock while Chris's mouth hung open. "This kid?" Toboe cringed when Chris's gaze sharply turned to him. He froze when he saw the rage shining through his eyes.
Holland, oblivious to this fact, turned back to Toboe a big smile on his face. "Shall we go then?" He asked more to himself then to anybody else. Before Toboe could even think about answering, he felt himself being dragged into the building. When the pair passed Chris, Toboe gulped loudly at the scene before him. Though his dark black hair was covering his eyes, Toboe could almost feel the anger pulsating from the taller man.
Why is he angry? The naive young adult asked before Holland rushed him up the flight of stairs. The duo walked through the second floor until finally they halted in front of Tsume's room. Holland looked at Toboe for a moment before he nodded and turned towards the door. Toboe felt like his heart was going to explode out of his chest when Holland reached out and began to turn the doorknob slowly. When the door was finally completely open, they both stepped into the room.
It was empty. Toboe scanned the large room, a strange feeling of sadness filling him when he realized that no one was there. "Damn…" Holland muttered when he too came to this conclusion. "I should have checked to see if his bike was outside." He walked over and planted himself on one of the nearby couches.
"Oh well…we'll wait here until he shows up." He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a stray cigarette. Holland then reached into his pant's pocket and dug out Tsume's lighter. (Thankfully, Tsume hadn't noticed yet that it was still missing) He flicked the switch, lighting up the cigarette. He stopped for a moment to glance at Toboe.
"Do you mind if I smoke?" When Toboe shook his head, Holland brought the cigarette to his lips. He took a deep satisfying drag before blowing out a big puff of smoke. Toboe felt his nose take in the scent, his hands instinctively going to block it out. He stopped them, trying to occupy himself with something else. Holland let out a content sigh as he relaxed more into the couch.
Toboe began to look all around the room, his gaze stopping when it fell upon a tattered book on the nearby table. "What's this?" Toboe asked curiously while Holland looked over to where Toboe was standing, his eyes drifting to the book.
"Oh that's just a little something me and Tsume swiped a long time ago." Toboe slowly reached for the book, a strange feeling of nostalgia washing over him when his fingers touched the tattered cover. He picked the book up and brought it closer to him to get a better look at the title.
Tsume pulled up to the side of the hideout, making sure to park his motorbike where there was a shaded haven from the pouring rain. He took off his black helmet and placed it on top of his bike. He then stopped to gaze at the structure that was before him, his amber eyes drifting to the highest room…his room.
His eyes narrowed when the familiar feeling he had felt earlier returned. Something was waiting for him. He just knew it. Tsume walked up to the main entrance, his eyes focusing sharply when they fell upon the slightly open door. He put his hand in the opening slowly pushing the door open before he stepped inside. Tsume quietly walked through to the main room, his left hand already reaching for his knife.
He stopped when his eyes fell upon a figure on the nearby couch. His hand drifted away from his weapon when the man's identity registered in his mind. Tsume watched as Chris kept staring at a particular spot on the floor, a cigarette hanging from his mouth. The leader frowned when the strong scent of smoke filled his senses. He wasn't even that close to him and already he could smell the stench.
"Chris, how many times have I told you to close the damn door!?" Tsume smirked when the man jumped off the couch, dropping his cigarette to the floor. "FUCK TSUME!" He began when he realized who stood before him, his hand resting on his heart.
"Don't do that!" Tsume only stared at him his eyes glaring at him coldly. "What the hell has you so worked up?" Chris froze before he breathed out a deep sigh not making eye contact with Tsume, even when he answered his question.
"Nothing…it's nothing alright?" Tsume only studied the figure before him. Chris's body posture was more tense than a piece of wood and his eyes were basically proclaiming to the world that something was wrong. He stopped his observation, taking the time to survey the empty room.
"Is Holland back yet?" He watched when Chris's expression completely changed in the span of a few seconds. He quickly grabbed another cigarette from the pack on the nearby table. Before Tsume could even blink, Chris had already lit the cigarette and brought it to his lips. Once this was done, he turned away from Tsume taking the cigarette in between his fingers and breathing out a big puff of smoke.
"He's probably upstairs with his boyfriend…" Tsume couldn't help but smirk at the obvious anger and jealousy that passed through his lips with every word that he spoke. So that's it. Tsume turned away from Chris, gazing up at the staircase on the other side of the room. He made his way over to it before he slowly began to walk up the steps.
He froze mid-step when an overwhelming feeling of warmth enveloped his entire body. Tsume felt the sensation course through his veins as he continued up the stairway. With each step he took, he felt the warmth grow stronger and stronger. His thoughts ended immediately when he heard a cry of pain coming from the second floor. Tsume's eyes widened when he recognized the scream. His body reacted quickly before his mind could even think as he raced up the stairs.
There was only one objective on his mind.
"The Book of the Moon?" Toboe read, the feeling of unknown nostalgia washing over him when he repeated the title. Holland locked his gaze with the boy, noticing the strange tone that Toboe's voice had taken. He quietly observed him while taking another drag of his cigarette. Toboe looked at the book, his mind trying to trace back where he had heard of it before.
His eyes widened when what seemed like a floodgate of emotions burst open, rushing through his mind. His body started to shake as fragments of voices began to fill his head.
I never meant to kill anything…
You mean she kept you as a pet…
Why do you have to lie about everything?
You're right, you're not my friend…
Yeah I forgot you're only friends with humans…
Toboe closed his eyes and brought his hands to his head trying to block out the voices. Holland got up concerned when the boy began breathing heavily. He walked over to Toboe watching his face strained from an unknown force.
"STOP IT!" Toboe screamed when the voices became so loud he felt like his head was going to explode. Holland now ran in front of him, trying to bring Toboe out of his hysteria. "What is it? What's wrong?" Holland cursed when Toboe's eyes strained even harder. He quickly panicked when the boy let out a terrible scream of what seemed like excruciating pain.
Then…the voices stopped.
Toboe opened his eyes for a moment, bringing his hands down away from his ears. He panicked when his vision grew blurry. Holland stared wide eyed at the younger boy in front of him. "Are you okay, Toboe?" Holland began, a deep sense of worry etched in his voice. He stopped when the boy turned to look at him for a minute.
I'm so tired…
Toboe thought, his voice echoing in his mind. Holland quickly kept his eyes on him, his precious cigarette still in between his fingers. "Are you okay?" He tried to reach out to Toboe but was alarmed when his eyes rolled back and his entire body fell forward. Holland quickly grabbed him with both hands, causing his cigarette to slip out of his fingers and land on one of his legs, dangerously close to a certain part of his anatomy.
Holland yelped as the cigarette burned through his jeans and onto his skin. He held on to Toboe while he jumped around trying to quell the pain. He cursed when his foot tripped over Toboe's, sending the duo crashing onto the floor with a loud thump.
Holland ended up on top of Toboe, his mouth dangerously close to Toboe's while their legs were intertwined with each others. Before Holland could even think about getting off of him, the door was flung open. Holland's eyes widened to the size of saucers when they met amber eyes. He cringed.
He had never seen such ferocious wild eyes in his whole entire life. "Tsume!" Holland called out only to then realize the position that he was in at the moment.
"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE!?"
The whole building seemed to rumble as the leader's furious voice rang through it. "T-Tsume! T-This isn't what it looks like!" Holland cursed himself. Stuttering was just going to make it seem like he was guilty! The dead man quickly scrambled to his feet, separating himself from the now unconscious Toboe.
Holland began to panic when Tsume's eyes darted from him to Toboe in less than a second. Tsume glared at the younger man in front of him, dark anger rising from deep inside of him. "GET OUT!" He barked at Holland, making the younger man shake with fear.
"Wait Tsume! Let me explain!" Holland desperately tried to walk closer to Tsume but yelped when the leader grabbed him roughly by the shoulders and threw him out the door. Holland realized he had hit the floor when a sharp pain ran through his head. He turned around only to have the door shut in his face. He clutched his head trying to stop the aching that continued to course through it.
"Holland, are you okay?" He quickly turned towards the familiar voice. "Chris…" He whispered while his brain finally caught up with the rest of his body. "I heard something crash." He began, focusing his attention on Holland.
"Yeah, it was me…" Holland replied chuckling. Chris smiled when the younger man's eyes shined with laughter. He stopped when something suddenly clicked in his mind, changing his expression into a serious one.
"Did that kid do this to you?" Holland stared at him for a long moment making Chris anxious for his answer. He grew confused when Holland bit his tongue, trying not to burst out laughing. "Have you seen that kid? He replied not holding back any of his laughter before there was silence.
"It was Tsume…" Chris stared at him for a moment before signaling him to continue. Holland understood him but shook his head, breathing out a deep sigh in the process.
"It's a long story…" The older man sighed before he got up from the floor, offering a hand to Holland. The younger man gave him a look of gratitude before he slowly grabbed it. Holland felt his heart beat a little faster from the contact as he looked up at him. Chris met his gaze briefly until finally he pulled him off the floor.
Having been pulled too hard, Holland rushed forward landing right into Chris's chest. He blushed when his hands felt the older man's toned chest underneath his clothing. Holland couldn't help it when his stare lingered up to the man before him. Chris swallowed hard when Holland looked up at him with his beautiful intoxicating green eyes.
They quickly broke apart from each other when they realized how close they actually were from one another. There was a deep silence between the both of them, neither one sure of what to say to the other.
"Um…I don't think your boyfriend would appreciate that." Chris whispered to Holland, his eyes hiding his true emotions. Holland's eyes snapped quickly back to Chris. "He's not my boyfriend!" He yelled making Chris stare back at him.
"Sure he's not…" The older man replied sarcastically. Holland sighed loudly. This is all I need right now. He thought for a moment before he turned away from Chris and looked down at the floor. "Trust me, the kid just isn't my type…" Holland kept his gaze locked with the floor, not daring to look at Chris.
His eyes widened when he heard footsteps coming towards him. His heart practically jumped out of his chest when Chris's hand reached his chin, slowly tilting it up to meet his gaze. "And what exactly is your type Holland?" He whispered seductively in his ear as he smirked at him. Holland swore that the only thing he could hear was the rapid beating of his own heart.
The spell was completely broken when the older man started laughing. "You know I'm just messing with you Holland…" He murmured to the younger man in front of him. Holland glared at him before slapping his hand out of his face and turning his back to Chris. The older man's eyes widened when Holland separated from him completely. He tried to step closer but Holland only moved further away from him.
"Holland…" Chris whined when the younger man continued to ignore him. A sudden smirk grew on his lips when an idea struck him. He tried to focus on staying as quiet as possible while he walked closer and closer to the figure in front of him. He suddenly had the feeling that he was the predator and Holland was his prey.
Said prey grew nervous when silence enveloped all around him. He gasped when he felt two strong arms reach around his shoulders and pull him close to the other's body. Holland couldn't help but shiver when he felt Chris's warm breath come into contact with his ear.
"I'm sorry…I couldn't resist. You're just so cute…" He finished his sentence with a quick kiss to his cheek. Holland immediately turned a deep shade of red when he felt Chris's lips on his skin. He was saddened when Chris withdrew from him completely and turned before walking away. The older man smirked as he continued to walk slowly down the hallway to the stairs.
He suddenly stopped, taking the time to take one last look at Holland. He couldn't help but smile when he watched the younger man bring his fingers to his cheek, lingering on the exact same spot where he had kissed him.
Tsume looked down at the unconscious boy resting on his floor. His eyes grazed Toboe's entire body. He growled when the image of Holland on top of him came into his mind. The leader shook his head, trying to make the image disappear. He was angry at the rage he had felt when his eyes witnessed Holland almost kissing the younger boy. Tsume turned to look at the boy's peaceful face.
He looks like an angel when he sleeps…
Tsume growled angrily at himself, his pride trying to make him look away. This time…he ignored it and continued to look at the boy. Toboe's chest was rising and dropping slowly as Tsume walked towards the sleeping form on the floor. He then knelt down, bringing his body closer to Toboe's. His amber eyes took in all of Toboe's small body. He reached out and let his hand lightly touch the boy's forehead.
He's burning up…
Tsume thought with a frown. He looked down at Toboe's clothing before he reached down and began to unzip Toboe's light orange jacket, revealing a red long sleeve sweater underneath. No wonder this kid's burning up. Tsume smirked before reaching down to remove his bright yellow scarf, carefully separating it from him exposing Toboe's slender neck.
Tsume couldn't stop staring at the revealed skin before he strictly reminded himself that this was the same kid he had sworn to stay away from. With this thought in mind, he stopped his ministrations. The older man paused as his mind raced with thoughts and memories.
He's probably upstairs with his boyfriend…
The leader was irritated when these specific words repeated themselves in his mind. He had no idea why they now pissed him off so much. There was something inside of him that was refusing to believe that Toboe belonged to Holland. No way in hell! Wait…why should I care?!
He shook his head trying to focus on something else besides the past. This thought echoed softly in his mind as he slowly reached out and grabbed the boy gently. He then stood up, holding Toboe bridal-style in his arms. He couldn't help but smile when the young boy snuggled closer to his body heat.
Tsume halted in his steps, making sure that Toboe was really asleep before he continued. There was great warmth exceeding itself all over Tsume's body as he held the boy closer. "What is this?" He began, whispering softly to Toboe. "This warmth? What the hell have you done to me?" It was more of a question to himself if anything.
He silently continued walking until he stopped in front of a hidden door. Using his strength to balance Toboe with one arm, he stretched out his other hand and opened the door revealing a large bedroom. Tsume glanced down at Toboe, smiling when the boy snuggled deeper and deeper against his chest. His heart grew cold when the lifeless Toboe from his nightmares became the one lying peacefully asleep in his arms.
Tsume grew silent, his footsteps echoing louder and louder throughout the room. He held on to Toboe tighter before he laid him out gently on his large bed. Reaching around to pull the sheets from under him, Tsume placed the dark colored covers over the boy. He looked down at the tiny figure in his bed watching silently as Toboe moved around curling into a little ball before his breathing regulated again.
Tsume stared at Toboe's auburn hair as it fell around the pillow. He sat down at the edge of the bed beside him as he continued to watch the sleeping youth. What are you doing!? The leader's prideful inner voice shouted in his mind. Tsume felt a smirk on his lips as he answered. This kid helped me out when I was hurt. I refuse to owe him anything. He placed his hand over the now healed wound.
I'm just returning the favor. That was the reason he had come up with. Just a simple returned favor, nothing spectacular about it. His hand was still encased over the wound when his eyes connected with Toboe once more. He could almost hear Holland's sarcastic tone. Sure…that's why he's here, in your bed I might add. His eyes closed as a growl almost escaped him. Not to mention, you've been staring at him ever since you got here.
"Shut up, Holland…" He murmured aloud before he took a deep breath. Tsume froze when the image of Toboe's tear-stained face appeared in his mind. He sighed deeply. Things are gonna get very complicated when he wakes up. He looked down at the sleeping boy. His mind went completely blank as he reached out and gently stroked Toboe's face. Tsume gasped when he snuggled closer into his touch. Despite his pride, Tsume smiled tenderly at the dreaming boy in his bed.
Tsume's smile seemed to spread to Toboe, for the youth smiled back at him. The leader withdrew his hand, smirking when the boy frowned from the lack of warmth. He exhaled deeply before the whole room was enveloped in silence. Something in Tsume's senses told him to turn around. He did and immediately cursed himself for it.
For there was Holland, standing against the wall with his arms crossed. What really got Tsume's blood boiling, was the smirk that was plastered on his face. "Simply adorable…" He opened his eyes revealing his trademark "I told you so" look. Tsume glared at him, warning him to back off. Holland only laughed.
"Come on Tsume, what else do you expect me to think?" Tsume kept glaring at him. The nightmare had begun. The voice in his head had now become reality. He silently got up from the bed and slowly walked past Holland.
"Tsume…I know about your shoulder." The leader halted his steps, not saying a word. There was a long silence enveloping the entire room. Holland waited quietly for Tsume's response while his eyes focused on the small figure in his bed. He almost jumped when Tsume's deep voice reached his ears.
"I have to go take care of something…as soon as the kid wakes up, make sure he gets home safely." Holland's eyes widened at the tone of the leader's voice. It almost sounded like...Tsume was concerned. The younger man turned around to face Tsume's back, only to watch as the tall leader slowly walked out of the room.
"Tsume…" Holland whispered sadly to himself as he glanced down at the sleeping form of Toboe. He closed his eyes, silently listening as he heard the door slam shut echoing loudly though out the room.
Tsume stayed outside the closed door for a few minutes, allowing all of the day's events to pass in his mind. So many things had changed in the span of just one day. Tsume smirked at the irony of it all. He shook his head. Once that kid's gone…it'll all go back to the way things are suppose to be. Something in his heart seriously doubted that but…now was definitely not the time to be second-guessing himself. He breathed out a deep sigh before he turned towards the direction of the stairs and walked away.
So after a long eternity of separation, our boys are finally reunited again! Thank God! It seems things are really turning interesting, don't you think? What will happen when Toboe wakes up? Anyway on another note, this chapter ended up being the longest one that I've done yet, which is good because I'm still trying to make it up to you guys for taking such a long time to update. Okay this time, I am POSITIVE that the next chapter will be up much faster than this one, so keep those wonderful reviews coming! They really do help! Like I said, things are going to get very interesting around here…
Until we meet again,
Hana no Shojo