No, you are not dreaming this is in fact chapter six! We have now made it here, can you believe it?! What's even crazier is that this story has made it to fifty-one reviews! WOOHOO! I never dreamed that people would love my story so much. I thank you my reviewers for making me feel like one very happy and appreciated gal. I treasure dearly every reader who takes the time to read my work. Thank you so much! I feel really bad that I've taken so long with this one but I hope you guys will forgive me! For some reason, this chapter was probably one of the easiest ones to write because well…I'll let you be the judge of that. It's definitely one of my favorites. So here…we…go.
Special thank you to: Shadow315 for being the fortieth reviewer and making my goal a reality and to Hope4TheBrokenHearted for being the first person to pass it! P.S Merry Christmas to all of my amazing readers! Love you all!
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 Six: Friends
Toboe groaned, his senses beginning to return to him as he clutched the soft material beneath his hands. His body seemed to be locked in place underneath the covers of the bed. This place that surrounded him was filled with a comforting silence. Toboe tried to open his eyes but stopped when he found that this was close to impossible.
He kept his eyes closed, deciding to rely on his other senses. Toboe inhaled deeply, taking in the familiar scent all around him. He felt himself relax as a wonderful warmth began to envelop his whole entire body, filling every crevice of it, and breathing life into him. Toboe strained for a moment as something suddenly registered through his mind.
The scent was…familiar. Everything inside of him was put at ease because of this comforting scent. He felt safe from anything and everything in the world. Toboe didn't want to wake up from this peaceful state, but he knew that he couldn't stay here in this dream.
Toboe's eyelids fluttered open cautiously as if he was afraid of what he might see when he opened them. After a few blinks of his eyes, his light brown orbs grew wide as something came to his mind. He had absolutely no idea where he was.
He quickly sat up on the bed, his eyes going over every inch of the room in the span of a single second. The room was cast in complete silence except for the soft pattern of the rain falling outside the nearby window.
Toboe paused for a moment, trying for the life of him to remember what happened. His eyes widened when the memory passed through his mind. He finally glanced down at the dark blankets he was under.
I must have passed out…
He paused for a moment, allowing his hands to pass through the soft material. Toboe thought back but could only remember strong arms encircling his entire body and then that scent…Toboe's mind pieced together that the two scents were the same. The question was who did they belong to?
Toboe pulled the covers away from his body and brought his legs over to the side of the bed. He pondered for a bit before he slowly rose from the bed. Toboe stretched letting out a content sigh as he felt the full effects of rest settle over him. His body felt completely restored after what could only be described as an interesting day.
He looked across the room at the door before he slowly made his way to it, stopping only once to take one last look at the bed where he once lied. I wonder whose room this is. He questioned silently before he turned to face the door and slowly opened it.
Toboe stepped through the open doorway and quietly looked around, his eyes widening and his heart racing when they fell upon the familiar ledge where he and Tsume had once stood. That's right…this is Tsume's room.
The younger boy blushed a deep scarlet when he realized that he had been resting in the leader's bed. He paused when his eyes fell upon the book on the table, a strange feeling passing through his body.
Toboe remembered picking it up and reading the title…but nothing else. The boy shook his head before his gaze locked with the opened ledge once more.
He kept staring, a slight pang of sadness going through his heart as he remembered the soft touch of Tsume. He slowly closed his eyes as the scene replayed in his mind. He could almost feel the warmth of Tsume's hand tilting his chin up and his lips hovering over his.
Toboe almost brought his fingers to his lips but stopped when the image of Tsume's hateful glare appeared in his mind. He quickly brought his hand down by his side as he stayed silent, the only sound in the room being the falling rain.
What am I doing here? I know I wanted to see Tsume again but…
He jumped when the door beside him creaked open slowly. He froze until a pair of familiar jade green eyes entered his mind. "Hey kid, you're finally awake!" Holland chuckled when his eyes connected with Toboe's. The boy looked up at him and smiled, glad to see a face that didn't have eyes glaring back at him.
Holland stepped closer to Toboe, stopping when he was right in front of him. He watched as Toboe struggled for a few moments with what he wanted to say before he finally said it. "Holland, um…what happened?" The older man didn't look surprised at the question.
"Well, we were looking at that damn book and then you just sort of fainted into my arms. It was so cute!" Holland laughed when Toboe's eyes grew wider than ever before.
"W-WHAT!?" Toboe half-screamed at the taller man. Holland brought his hands up in front of him in a pose of surrender. "Calm down kid sheesh…it was just a joke!"
Toboe stared back at Holland, anger flaring in his eyes. "I'm not a kid!" At this, Holland brought his hand up. Toboe watched the wandering hand until it finally came to rest on his head. Holland smirked mischievously before ruffling his hair making Toboe growl.
"Yes, you are." Toboe grabbed his hair but couldn't help smiling as he was reminded of Blue. Holland smiled back at him as Toboe was drawn back to the older man's account of what happened. Was it true? Did he really pass out?
As if he knew what he was thinking about, Holland broke the silence. "You probably were exhausted or something but…" He paused making the decision not to tell Toboe about what happened before. "You just looked really tired."
Toboe took all this information in. I guess Blue was right…all I needed was sleep. He was brought out of his thoughts when Holland walked to the door his figure blocking the lit hallway.
"Hey, why don't you come down and hang out with us for a while until Tsume gets back?" Toboe quickly brought his eyes to Holland.
"Did Tsume come while I was asleep?" He was a little confused when Holland smiled a sweet comforting smile. "You could say that…" He whispered before he turned away to face the open doorway.
"Come on, come downstairs and meet the whole gang." Toboe thought about it for a few moments before he took a deep breath and stepped out into the doorway with Holland. The older man grinned down at him before he took a single step forward signaling for Toboe to follow him.
They walked slowly together through the hallway until they reached the stairs. Toboe could hear very clearly distinct voices coming from the bottom of the steps. He glanced up at Holland, surprised when the older man seemed to show no signs of hearing them.
While they slowly made their way down, Toboe paused on one of the steps as second thoughts about what he was about to do flowed through his mind. Holland noticed the lack of sound coming from behind him.
He turned around, his eyes descending to the youth before he smiled sweetly at his transparent nervousness. The older man walked over to Toboe stopping when he was right in front of the boy.
"Don't worry kid they don't bite…well, most of them anyway." He smirked when Toboe looked up at him angrily. "Relax kid, if any of them try to mess with you…they'll have to deal with me."
Toboe's eyes grew wide as Holland smiled big at him. "Why would you do that?" He could only watch as the man in front of him placed his pointer finger on his forehead grinning mischievously.
"I have to protect you." Holland whispered softly before he withdrew his finger and turned around. Toboe stopped to think his mind racing as he finally looked up at Holland's back. He snapped out of it when he noticed the older man continuing to walk down the remaining steps.
Toboe continued to follow him, a question repeating itself over and over again in his head until he couldn't take it. "But, why do you have to protect me?" They had finally reached the bottom of the stairs, the room next to them filled with many different voices.
Holland paused for a moment before he turned back to him and smiled. "Tsume asked me to." Toboe's eyes grew wider than ever before. He quickly stared down at the floor, a scarlet blush quickly forming on his cheeks. Tsume asked him to protect me?
Before he could ask any more questions, Holland moved forward and grabbed his hand and pulled him into the nearby room. Toboe froze completely when all the eyes in the room seemed to gravitate towards the pair.
Some stares were filled with confusion, some with curiosity, and some with cold animosity. Holland met every stare as he stood in front of the boy protectively. "Alright alright you assholes knock it off!" He ordered in a stern voice glaring back at those who did the same to Toboe.
Toboe scanned the entire room surprised when every one completely turned away and continued with what they were doing. Some of the men were at least twice Holland's size and yet when he gave an order there was absolutely no sign of rebellion in any of them.
The young boy focused on Holland's back. There was more to this man than he let on. The room's silence was broken when the men's previous conversations started to pick up again. Holland turned around, a big smile spread across his face.
"Well, I wouldn't exactly call them the welcoming committee but don't worry after a while you'll get used to them." Toboe glared at him hardly believing that. The older man chuckled as he saw the doubt in the young boy's eyes.
He shrugged his shoulders before he grabbed Toboe's hand and pulled him towards a nearby group of people. Toboe felt slightly uncomfortable when every pair of eyes turned directly towards him. Holland put his hands on his shoulders pushing him forward until he stepped to the side.
"Guys, this is Toboe!" Holland exclaimed with a big grin. Toboe completely froze when he felt everyone's eyes all over him. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and looked up. There were three men in the group. One man that caught Toboe's attention right away looked older than Tsume and had many scars all over his face. His eyes were black as coal and his hair, long and also black, was tied back into a ponytail.
He gulped when his eyes fell upon the man's enormous muscles. There was no doubt in his mind that if this man flexed, his shirt would be ripped apart. Toboe jumped when a deep and booming voice reached his ears.
"Don't worry kid, I would never waste my strength on a little thing like you." Toboe frowned angrily at him making everybody in the group laugh loudly. He was still angry but couldn't help laughing at the joke himself. By his tone, he knew the man was just teasing him like a brother would to a brother.
In truth, this guy really reminded him of Pops. Toboe looked up at the kind smile that was on the much older man's face. He watch as the man extended his hand to him. The young boy hesitated for a moment before an encouraging push from Holland made him almost collide with the hand in front of him.
Toboe smiled back as he brought his hand to the older man's. His eyes widened when the older man gripped his hand tightly before he pulled him to his chest bringing his arms around and crushing him into a hug. "It's so good to see a new face around here!"
The younger boy felt the air being pushed out of his lungs as the man continued to crush him tighter to his chest. Toboe's mind began to panic, wondering if this was how he was going to die. He could almost see Granny's and Blue's reactions when his cause of death was revealed.
Thankfully, he felt someone's arms come in between him and the deathtrap, ripping them apart from each other. "DON'T KILL HIM, JET!" Holland shouted when Toboe began breathing deeply, compensating for the lack of oxygen in his lungs.
The older man now known as Jet backed off immediately as Holland glared at him. He looked down at Toboe, who was coughing a little into his hand. "Sorry about that kid, sometimes I don't even know my own strength." He brought his hand to Toboe's back patting him roughly, making the small boy jerk forward.
"JET!" Holland warned pushing the older man away from the young boy. "See?" Jet replied, a huge grin plastered on his face. "It wouldn't be a problem if the kid wasn't so damn delicate!"
Toboe turned angrily at him, his breathing trying to even out. "I'm not…a kid! My…name's Toboe!" He glared when the men, including Holland, laughed loudly at his outburst.
"This one's got a little spirit in him!" Jet directed to Holland when the rest of the laughter finally died down.
"So, Toboe huh? That's a pretty interesting name." Toboe didn't mind the turn of the conversation, even if the remark had been meant badly. It would never change the fact that he loved his name even if it was interesting.
He watched as Jet stepped closer to him. "So kid…" He continued even when Toboe glared at him yet again. "You thinking about joining the gang or what?" Toboe was about to answer but Holland beat him to it.
"He's more of a guest." Jet scanned the boy over for a second before turning to the older of the two. " How the hell did you get Tsume to agree to this?" He motioned to Toboe with his head, keeping eye contact with him.
Holland placed his hand behind his head laughing nervously. "Actually, I haven't told Tsume yet...it's sort of a surprise." Jet closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"And then you wonder why Tsume wants to kill you sometimes." Holland began to object when suddenly a third voice entered the conversation. " Tsume wants to kill who?"
Toboe gulped when the person that had greeted them at the door appeared right next to him and Holland. Maybe it had been just his imagination, but he could have sworn that he heard Holland gulp at the exact same time that he did.
"Holland." Jet casually replied to Chris unaware of the tension between the three. At this, Chris smirked glancing at Holland's reaction through the corner of his eye. His smirk turned to a small smile when he caught Holland's eyes on him, making the younger man turn away blushing.
Toboe silently watched the exchange between the two men, questions bombarding his mind. Is this the man that Holland was talking about? He felt a smile on his lips when he noticed the deep scarlet blush on Holland's face. So it is him...
He turned to Chris, Holland's words repeating themselves in his mind. A fool in love. Toboe frowned when he remembered the sadness in his voice. He also remembered when he and Holland had passed by Chris when they had first arrived. Why had he been so angry?
His eyes widened when he pieced everything together. He's my date. Toboe groaned. He didn't think that…he wasn't…he couldn't have…
He snapped out of his thoughts when a hand waved in front of his eyes. "You there?" Holland asked smirking down at him. "Oh sorry!" Toboe exclaimed laughing loudly to try and clear the air. It was after that when Chris opened his mouth.
"That reminds me…Jet, where's Tsume?" Holland immediately looked at Jet as well ready to bring in his information. "I saw him take off but he never said where he was going, not even to me..."
Jet looked at the both of them before answering. "All I know is that there's some trouble going on with the police. It's not just that though. Apparently, every gang in this city is in an uproar over our…" He paused to find the right words. "Current situation."
Toboe stared at the group silently watching as the mood suddenly became very serious. "Pretty soon, people are gonna turn against each other." Jet paused breathing out a deep sigh. "It'll be every man for himself."
At this, Toboe scanned every face listening to Jet, their eyes betraying what they felt inside. "Then will be the time to separate the men from the dogs." There was nothing but silence following these last words. The young boy watched as all of their eyes burned with pride.
He couldn't look away. There was something deep inside of him that stirred when he looked at them. They were men…comrades…friends who were willing to die to protect their home and their leader.
"Tsume…" Toboe whispered unaware that he had spoken out loud. He froze when everyone's attention turned to him. The youngest of the group blushed when Holland smiled as the name went through his mind once more. He quickly turned away and looked out the window, watching the slow steady descent of the rain.
Tsume finally came to a stop, halting his bike when he reached his desired destination. He slowly took off his helmet, placed it on his bike, and began walking towards a nearby park. The rain had not let up at all causing everyone to retreat into the warm safety of their homes.
The leader checked over his shoulder before he put his hands in his pockets and continued to silently walk in to a deserted alleyway. He kept his gaze forward until his eyes fell upon a high rusted fence. Tsume slowed his steps before he turned and pushed his back against it gazing up at the dark sky above him.
"Were you followed?" He whispered waiting as the person standing on the other side of the fence shifted before he answered.
"No."
The man replied lying back into the fence. Tsume closed his eyes and listened to the sound of the rain falling all around him. His senses focused on the voice that finally spoke surprised when he realized that it was much easier than he was used to.
"Tsume, you have to realize this is probably the last time we'll meet like this…what with the cops watching every damn corner…it's just not safe anymore."
The leader smirked before answering, his deep voice clear even through the rain. "Just tell me what you know." He knew it would be like this. Once things got complicated, they would all run eventually. It was human nature.
Cowards. Tsume growled as he waited for the shady character to reply. He heard him take a deep breath before he continued. "No word of your raid has hit the cops yet Tsume. Though don't expect it to be so easy."
The man stopped to tug his coat closer to him as the rain continued to fall. Tsume paused for a moment his mind taking in all of the information. The man looked over his shoulder at the leader's expression before he chuckled.
"Same old Tsume," He began his face returning to its original somber expression. "You aren't afraid of anything…even when it's staring you in the face."
The man slowly straightened up and walked away from the fence without another word, Tsume silently watched him raise his hand in the air as a farewell before he finally disappeared into the shadows.
The leader paused, the man's last words echoing in the depths of his mind. He glared at the sky his instincts giving him fair warning for what was coming. Tsume simply smirked before he turned and began to make his way back to the only truth he knew.
The man watched from the darkness as the tall figure turned away, his eyes filled with a deep shame at his actions.
"I'm…so sorry…Tsume."
He whispered as a sad smile slowly spread across his face. The lone figure walked for a short distance, before his steps gradually stopped.
He glared at the two men before him, anger flaring through his eyes when they fell upon their smug expressions.
"It's done."
Toboe smiled big when Jet began another story of his, "glory days in the gang", as he liked to call them. The young boy couldn't help but lean in closer, his curiosity making him want to know everything about it. He was a little bit surprised when he found out that Jet was one of the very first members of the gang, shortly recruited after it had first been established by Tsume.
The boy couldn't help but become even more interested whenever the leader's name would enter the conversation, trying to take in any detail about him that he could from Jet's stories.
He had chosen to sit next to the older man, with both Holland and Chris sitting right beside him. Toboe grinned whenever he would catch the pair glancing up at each other, before Holland would turn away, a scarlet blush tainting his cheeks.
He focused back on the older man, who was busy telling the story of how he got a certain scar across his left eye. Toboe couldn't focus for a moment, however, when a certain question continued to plague his mind.
"What do you think of Tsume?" Toboe froze when he realized he had asked it out loud. Jet paused for a moment, taken back a little by it, but only for a second.
He smiled warmly at the younger boy before answering. "What can I say about Tsume…" Jet closed his eyes slowly leaning back into the couch.
"He might be a little temperamental at times." He stopped, chuckling at his own words. "But he's a leader if I've ever seen one. I've never seen anyone with such determination and damn courage before in my entire life."
"That's why he's the leader despite his young age." He looked up at Toboe with a raised eyebrow, causing the younger boy to gulp.
"Why the sudden interest in Tsume?" Toboe looked away embarrassed, while Holland smirked at the scene before him. He watched him look down at his lap nervously, not sure at all how to answer Jet's question.
"I…um…w-well…I…"
Toboe froze when an unfamiliar sound reached his ears. His eyes widened when he realized that he was listening to the sound of footsteps. He could hear them perfectly even through the pouring rain.
The boy quickly fixed his gaze to the main entrance of the hideout. Toboe began to feel a strange, yet familiar warmth envelope his body. He felt his heart beat rapidly from beneath his chest as the footsteps grew louder and louder. Only one person could do this to him. Toboe kept his eyes focused on the door, a million thoughts racing though his mind. Was it really…
His heart stopped when the door opened, revealing a tall figure drenched from the rain. Jet's attention was immediately drawn to the arrival. His curiosity turned into a big grin, when he recognized him.
"Hey Tsume! You're back!" Tsume shook his whole body, dispelling some water from his clothes before he looked up at Jet. He froze when his eyes connected with wide, light brown orbs across the room.
Their eyes stayed captured in each other's for what seemed like an eternity, Toboe felt his whole body shake from those fierce amber eyes taking in what seemed to be his entire being. The room grew quiet to witness this strange exchange, not knowing of the secret ties that had already binded their two souls together.
The leader, realizing what was going on, broke the trance. He closed his eyes and shoved his hands into his pant pockets. Everyone watched as the leader turned and slowly made his way to the stairs gracefully climbing each step until he disappeared to the second floor.
The silence broke as soon as the main event was over. After the tide of conversations continued, Jet tuned quickly to Toboe. "What was all that about?" He stopped when he realized that the boy was still shaking.
"Hey kid…are you okay?" Toboe never got to answer as he was brought suddenly to his feet by Holland. The older man gave him a sly smile before he practically dragged him away to the stairs leaving Chris and Jet behind with confusion in their eyes.
Toboe looked up before he felt a strong tug on his wrist, forcing him to run behind Holland up to the second floor keeping him held up even when he tripped.
Finally, he felt Holland's grip loosen as they reached the outside of Tsume's room. He watched as Toboe merely looked at him, apprehension above all else in his eyes. The older man smiled at him trying to calm him down.
"You said you wanted to see him well, here you go!" He then pointed towards the door. Toboe felt his heart beat faster when he glanced at the only thing that seperated him from the one he knew he had to face.
"Don't worry…I'll be right here if you need me." Holland reassured him. He took a deep breath silently holding on to all the courage he had. Toboe then reached out his fingers ghosting over the doorknob before his mind reminded him of something.
He had been wondering all night who was the one who had placed him so gently in Tsume's bed. Toboe turned towards Holland, a small sweet smile on his face.
"Holland." He whispered looking up at him. "Thank you…for watching out for me, after I blacked out, I mean."
Holland stood silent before he looked into Toboe's kind eyes. "Kid…there's something you should know." He took a moment before he smiled down at the younger boy standing beside him. "Tsume's the one you should thank, not me."
Toboe stopped stunned completely. It was Tsume? The younger boy could hear the words echo in his mind and yet…he couldn't help but smile. It was the leader's strong arms that had carried him so gently to such an intimate place.
The warmth that had encircled him had a name and he found that deep in his heart, he didn't want it to be anyone else but him.
Holland watched the boy's sweet smile light up his entire face. The older man smiled back before he placed his hand on Toboe's shoulder.
"Go thank him then!" Holland chuckled as he gently pushed him towards the door. The young boy glanced down at the doorknob and took a deep breath. He felt a rush of courage envelope his heart as he slowly let his fingers ghost over it once more.
He turned the knob and slowly stepped inside the room, the steady sound of the door closing behind him echoing in the silence. Toboe looked up at the sight of Tsume sitting on the ledge, gazing out at the city below him as the rain continued to fall.
The leader reached his room in anger contemplating everything that had just happened as he returned to his place of refuge. He was driven away from his mind when he heard the door shut behind him.
A deep feeling awakened inside of him when he recognized the scent. He turned towards the door causing Toboe to freeze under his gaze. Moments of silence passed between them before Tsume finally broke it.
"What are you still doing here kid?" Toboe stepped closer to Tsume, fierce amber eyes watching him the entire time.
"Tsume…I...Holland told me what happened…and how you took care of me…" Toboe began walking closer to him as his words were spoken softly into the darkness. He watched the leader only shake his head. Damn it Holland.
"I just wanted to thank you…I know you didn't have to do that…" He looked up at Tsume, his eyes betraying everything he felt deep inside his heart. There was no going back. He knew he wouldn't run away this time no matter what happened.
Tsume turned away, the emotion from Toboe's eyes piercing through his built-up walls. "Listen, it was only to return the favor…nothing special about it. I damn well don't want to owe you anything."
He brought his hands behind his head and leaned against the wall. "You patched my shoulder up and I saved you from being raped by Holland. I'd call that pretty even." He smirked when Toboe's eyes grew wide and his face turned scarlet red in less than a second.
Toboe shook his head before he stepped closer towards Tsume. "No, that's not what happened!" He watched the older man turn towards him a hint of confusion in his eyes.
The boy took a moment to scan the room for what he was looking for. When his eyes spotted the tattered book, he pointed to it bringing Tsume's gaze to it. "Holland came to my apartment, he said he wanted to talk to me…and we ended up coming here to the hideout. We came up here to your room to look for you."
Tsume paused listening to Toboe's soft spoken words. He waited until he felt Toboe's voice almost right next to him. "I wanted to see you."
The leader's eyes widened but he refused to turn to him. It was enough to just hear his voice but if he did...if he brought them any closer…he didn't know if he would be able to stop himself this time.
"You weren't here so I…anyway I must have passed out…I guess I haven't been sleeping well lately but nothing happened." Tsume looked down at the boy's eyes, innocence and honesty staring back at him. Toboe took another step closer his mind racing with everything he had saved for this moment. He stopped, only one thing coming to his mind that he desperately wanted to ask.
"Tsume…what do you dream about?" The leader glared at Toboe but was surprised when the younger held his ground.
"Holland says you have these really bad nightmares…" At this, Tsume smirked closing his eyes for a moment before he kept glaring at Toboe.
"Glad to know the wellbeing of my personal life was entrusted to a kid." Toboe immediately glared back at Tsume.
"Stop calling me that! For the last time, my name is Toboe!" Tsume couldn't help but laugh at his obvious annoyance, causing Toboe to growl with rage.
"It's not funny!" Toboe tried to bark but couldn't stop himself from smiling. This was really the first time he had ever heard the leader laugh and he found that he really wanted to hear more of it. His laughter seemed to be contagious as Toboe began to even laugh at himself. Tsume was even surprised, he figured it was just the fact that he hadn't laughed at anything in a very long time.
There was a silence that followed it but the younger of the two was more than happy to realize that it wasn't uncomfortable at all. Tsume sighed deeply. At least they had gotten off the subject of his dreams. He just didn't think that a conversation about how Toboe died would have put anyone at ease. No, there was no way he would ever tell him that.
He watched as the boy locked his gaze with the floor. "But it really wasn't like that Tsume…" The older man couldn't keep his smile hidden when even in the darkness; he could see the deep scarlet blush forming on his cheeks.
Even though Tsume didn't want to admit it, he had felt an unexpected relief to know that the thing between Holland and Toboe was nothing he had thought it was. The boy brought his eyes slowly to the older man.
A voice inside of the leader's heart reminded him of what had happened before in this exact place. How their lips had almost brushed against each other. With this thought, Tsume rose extending to his full height which, when compared, was much taller than the small figure before him.
"You shouldn't be here."
Toboe held his breath, his eyes filled with unbelievable hurt and sadness at Tsume's words. He shook his head not going to let him get away with it this time. "Why do you always do that?" Toboe whispered, his soft voice reflecting his sorrow.
"You're always pushing people away…why?" Tsume froze, taken back by the extraordinary boy in front of him. No one, not even Holland, had ever asked him that question. There was a long stretch of silence between the two as Tsume thought of what to say. Before he could answer him, a distinct noise reached his ears.
He looked passed Toboe's shoulder to the door. The younger of the two looked up confused until the sound finally reached his ears. He quickly turned his head and focused on the door. Tsume's attention was switched to Toboe. He studied him for a few moments before something clicked in his mind.
He knew that his ears had been really sensitive lately but every time he would never be able to find anyone else who heard the same thing. It was a strange detail, but Tsume had found that he could pick up many sounds at any time much faster than anyone else could.
He glanced down at Toboe's focused eyes, now realizing that he wasn't the only one. How that had happened, he had no idea. Figuring that discussion would be better for later, Tsume broke the silence.
"Holland, how many damn times do I have to tell you, stop fucking eavesdropping!" At this, the door gave out, throwing Holland along with Chris right onto the floor. The older of the two quickly rose off the floor, offering his hand to help the other up.
Holland took his hand gratefully smiling at him, before he got up and turned around sending an angry glare at Tsume. "I tell ya, you have the ears of a damn dog!"
The older man only glared back at him while Chris chuckled in the background. Tsume's eyes then drifted back to Toboe who was smiling the entire time. Tsume couldn't help but smile down at the younger boy, completely forgetting about their audience.
He realized this mistake when he turned back to Holland who was smirking up at him, his eyes betraying that he knew even more than Tsume wanted him to know and Chris who just stared in complete shock. Tsume glared at them both, causing the pair to focus their attention on Toboe.
"Hey ki-" Holland stopped when Toboe turned angrily toward him. "I mean Toboe. Maybe you should head home, it is getting kind of late don't ya think?" Toboe's bright brown eyes widened, in less than a second. "You're right! I have to get home!"
He quickly ran over to the couch and grabbed his things before he stopped in front of Holland about to say goodbye to everyone, but the older man only smiled.
"Toboe, why don't you let Tsume take you home?" There was a long pause as Tsume let out a quick growl of protest before Holland turned to face him.
"Oh come on Tsume! It's late and who knows what could happen to him especially in this damn neighborhood! Besides, you're the better one with directions and all that!"
Toboe brought his hands up, waving them frantically. "No, it's okay really! I'll be fine! I've walked home plenty of times before. It's…
"Fine."
Toboe's eyes widened when he heard Tsume voice his agreement. He stared at the leader unable to say anything as Holland's smile grew even bigger. "Alright, you two better get going then!"
Holland announced before he grabbed Toboe and began pushing him towards the door, leaving Chris and Tsume to follow behind them. Holland glanced back at the silent leader completely shocked that his plan had actually worked. Now, despite Tsume's denial, he knew for a fact that he truly did care about Toboe.
When they finally reached the entrance, Holland held his arms open for Toboe which the boy gladly took. "Thank you so much for everything Holland…" The older man only smiled, holding on tighter to the figure in his arms.
"Any time…hey, whenever you feel like dropping in, do it alright?" He watched as Toboe's smile faded a bit. "I don't think Tsume would want me here anymore."
He broke away before Holland could say anything else. After all, he had come here only to talk with Tsume but the leader showed no signs of wanting him there at all. Despite the many friends he had come to make, Toboe felt that he just couldn't do it anymore.
"Let's go." He was brought out of his thoughts by Tsume, who now stood holding the door open for him. Toboe said his final goodbyes to Chris and Jet (who rushed over to give Toboe one last bone crushing bear hug).
When Toboe finally caught his breath and felt that all of his organs were going to make it, he waved to them until both him and Tsume were submerged into the downpour of the rain. The young boy turned to Tsume who was already walking towards his motorbike.
He ran quickly trying to keep up with the leader, until a sudden realization dawned on him. If they were riding on Tsume's motorbike…that meant they would have to…
Tsume turned around confused when he could no longer hear the light footsteps behind him. He watched Toboe's expression, silently following his gaze to the motorbike. So, he's nervous about that?
He smiled at the young boy's innocence. Truth be told, he didn't know what he had been thinking when he had agreed to this. Tsume only knew that when Holland had brought up the dangers of the city, his thoughts ended up drifting back to that night when he had almost lost him.
He looked back at Toboe, anger rising through him. The leader felt his pride push it aside as a guilty conscience but he knew it was a lie. Tsume couldn't hide that, deep in his heart, he wanted to protect the boy from all the sorrow and cruelty of the world they lived in.
Tsume stopped himself before he went too far. He walked slowly over to his motorbike before he swung his leg over and turned his cold amber eyes to Toboe. "Hurry up kid, I haven't got all day."
Toboe glared back at him but silently obeyed, tentatively making his way towards the bike. Tsume picked up the jet-black helmet and placed it on the side of his bike. He stayed silent as he waited, turning his attention to the road ahead of him.
He felt his eyes close when the boy finally swung his leg over and sat behind him, his body heat so close as if it were reaching out and softly embracing every part of Tsume. A steady silence enveloped them, both listening to the familiar beating of each other's heart despite the rhythm of the falling rain.
Toboe stayed quiet, trying to keep as much distance from the striking leader as possible. His heart was pounding so much that he couldn't think of anything to say. Tsume, keeping his composure a lot better than the smaller figure sitting behind him, finally broke the silence.
"Toboe…"
The young boy turned his head towards Tsume, his bright brown eyes widening as if he had just seen the most beautiful thing in his entire life. The only time that Toboe had really heard the older man whisper his name like that was the night that they had met underneath the splendor of the full moon.
Tsume continued, completely oblivious to this detail. "Unless you want to break every bone in your body, I suggest you hold on to me." Toboe paused staring at Tsume's back, a deep blush quickly forming on his face.
He hesitated for a moment before he slowly brought his trembling arms around the older man's waist. After a while of trying to calm his nerves, Toboe finally relaxed his arms. He then took a deep breath before he moved closer to the leader.
Tsume fought back a groan when he felt Toboe press up against him. He closed his eyes, thoughts running rapid at the feeling of having him so close. What the hell is happening to me? How is it even possible that he could have such a strong effect on me?
He quickly started his motorbike and rode out into the alleyway. When Tsume accelerated, Toboe held on tighter, closing his eyes and gently laying his head on the older man's back. They rode out for quite some time, Tsume making daring sharp turns around the tall buildings seem so easy. Even though he was nervous, Toboe slowly willed himself to open his eyes, a sudden rush of excitement flowing through him at what he saw.
All his life, he had never known how it felt to see the world pass by in such a vivid blur. The neon lights of the bars and stores merging together to form one color. It almost seemed like they were traveling back to some distant land in time. The buildings and the lights being left behind with nothing to remember them by but only their place in his memory.
In a way, Toboe felt happy that it was Tsume who got to show him this new world, even if he didn't realize it. He smiled to himself before he felt his eyes drift to Tsume's back. The leader could feel the heat radiate off of the boy's body and pass on to him, making it almost impossible to concentrate as they finally stopped at a red light.
"Which way?" Tsume asked, waiting as Toboe took a look around. He took in the street's details for a moment before the directions clicked in his mind. "Make a left at the next light and then just keep on going straight. I should be able to point it out to you after that."
Tsume didn't answer making Toboe try to focus on something else. Anything else. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't forget the fact of how close together they were. He stared at the older man's back as the rain continued to fall all around them.
After a few minutes of the light still glowing red. Tsume unexpectedly accelerated. Toboe, being pushed by the sudden force, felt his entire body press against the leader completely, even more than he thought possible. Tsume kept his eyes on the road, feeling Toboe's warm breath on the nape of his neck. At this point, he knew two things.
One…this was absolute torture.
Two…He was going to kill Holland.
The leader tried to focus as he followed the boy's directions until he heard Toboe call his name from behind him. "It's right there Tsume!" The older man glanced to the side of the road, his eyes finally connecting with the tall building from his memory.
He slowed down and turned into the apartment's parking lot. Tsume circled around once before bringing the motorbike to a stop. Toboe looked up at the familiar building. He frowned when he noticed that none of the lights were on. It was much later than he thought.
I hope Granny went to sleep.
He was snapped out of his thoughts when he realized that he was still holding on to Tsume's waist. Toboe quickly let go, the older of the two chuckling the entire time, as the rain continued to cascade all over them.
The young boy tentatively swung his leg off the bike and stood up, his eyes widening when the older man did the same. They both stayed quiet as they walked beside each other towards the stairs, Toboe glancing at the calm leader with every step he took.
When they reached them, the two stopped and stared at each other, their eyes speaking so many words they couldn't say themselves, whether out of fear or pride. Toboe felt a deep sadness in his heart when he realized that this might be the last time he would see Tsume.
The leader had already made it clear that he didn't want him there from the very beginning. He felt a hurtful tug at his heart when he thought of how much he really wanted to stay by his side. Toboe wasn't sure if he would see him again after tonight.
What if this was goodbye?
Tsume was confused when he noticed the transparent sorrow in Toboe's eyes. The younger boy quickly looked down at the floor for a moment before he gazed up at the older man, a false smile he had used many times before on his face.
"Thank you for everything Tsume…I-I'm really glad that I met you…" Tsume stared at the younger boy, already feeling like something wasn't right. Why is he telling me this? Toboe felt Tsume's amber eyes looking deep within him, searching for a reason. He quickly changed the subject trying to block the leader from his aching heart.
"Ummm…and about the other night…" Toboe paused when the memory of their interrupted kiss passed though his mind.
"I'm sorry."
Tsume felt his eyes transfixed upon the young boy, allowing the memory to pass over him as well. He could hear the vast emotion in his voice, something inside him desperately wanting nothing more than to help him in any way that he could. He tried to push it back but with each passing second, it became stronger and stronger.
He waited as Toboe continued, rain slowly dripping from his soaked hair. "I know you didn't want me there but…I just…I just had to see you. If I make you angry then…I should just stay away right?"
He brought his eyes to Tsume, silently wanting more than anything for the leader to try and stop him. To say something, anything that would ease the pain in his heart. Tsume froze completely speechless.
So many thoughts raced through his mind, until one finally whispered itself softly to him. He wasn't angry at Toboe. Deep down, he was angry with himself and his pride for pushing him away from the young boy. He realized that at that moment, looking into Toboe's beautiful eyes, his attempts to stay away had only left a missing piece within him.
He thought back to their meeting at the hideout, how his heart had not stopped pounding since the moment their eyes had connected.
Toboe felt his heart shatter when Tsume only stayed silent. He felt the tears he had so desperately been trying to hide break free. No…you can't cry.
He whispered to himself trying so hard to stop his tears. Tsume almost didn't notice when Toboe looked away from him, bringing his hand up quickly to wipe his face. He looked down at him everything calling out to the boy when his voice betrayed him. "I…I have to go."
He tried to smile when he looked up at the leader but found he couldn't do it anymore. Not when it was time for him to forget those amber eyes.
"Goodbye Tsume…"
With those last words he walked away his pain catching up with him, even though he had tried so hard to keep it hidden. The older man watched as Toboe slowly began to walk away. This wasn't right. His pride was screaming at him to stay away but…
Toboe stopped when he felt his wrist being grabbed. He froze for what seemed like eternity, before he finally turned back and looked up at Tsume with wide eyes. The leader returned his gaze, his amber eyes revealing for the first time all of his true emotions.
The two figures stayed watching each other, forgetting about anything else besides the person standing in front of them. "Tsume…what are you-"
He felt the older man pull him forward, bringing him to his chest as his arms wrapped around him holding him tight. Toboe was shocked, his whole body trembling when suddenly he felt Tsume's warmth surrounding him completely.
The young boy quickly brought his hands through the leader's arms and up his back having to stand on his toes to reach. He held him close against him as he gently placed his head on the older man's chest listening to the sound of his heartbeat. Tsume felt his eyes feel heavy as he drank in the moment. To hell with his pride.
At that moment, he couldn't remember another time he had ever felt such a feeling of peace before. Toboe felt the tears stream down his face, making Tsume hold on to him even tighter as he felt the warm drops through his gray undershirt.
Toboe held on to him feeling the cool leather against his cheek. They both closed their eyes, each one finding so much in the other, not one thought of letting go crossing their minds. Tsume slowly opened his eyes as he finally broke the silence. "Stupid kid…why are you apologizing?"
At this Toboe gazed up at the striking leader, his eyes revealing their true beauty in the night. "But I thought…" He stopped when Tsume playfully glared at him. "Stop crying Toboe, you're starting to look like a five-year old."
Tsume couldn't help but smile when the young boy quickly brought his arm up to wipe his face. "Jerk…who said I was crying?" He smiled back at him as they both finally let go of each other. The older man paused for a moment before he let out a deep sigh.
"I don't mind you coming over to the hideout." Toboe looked up at him with wide brown eyes before he smiled the biggest smile Tsume had ever seen before. The young boy didn't even think as he jumped at the leader, his arms wrapping tightly around his neck, making him stumble backwards.
"Damn it kid, what are you trying to do kill me?" Tsume growled when the ground seemed to even out again. At this, Toboe let go quickly, a smile still on his face. "I'm sorry Tsume." He replied, true happiness in his voice even when he was apologizing.
They both looked at each other one final time before Tsume thought back to why they had come here in the first place. "Kids like you are supposed to be in bed." He murmured, a smirk reaching his face when Toboe only rolled his eyes.
The young boy raced up the steps before he turned back to the leader. "I'll see you soon right Tsume?" He called out as he waved down to the leather clad figure below him. The older man kept his smirk as he shook his head.
"Not looking forward to baby-sitting!" He called back watching as Toboe didn't protest but only continued to smile. Damn it. That smile seemed to be the one thing that could cast aside his pride and break through the walls he had built up over the years around his heart.
He knew at that moment, he had let go of everything that had kept him away from Toboe. Tsume didn't know if this was permanent but for now, all he could think about was smiling back at the young boy. The leader silently watched Toboe walk up the rest of the steps and disappear into his apartment.
When he knew he was safe inside, Tsume turned and began to walk back towards his bike as the familiar and comforting rain fell all around him. The older man stopped for a moment and looked towards the sky, an unexpected smile returning to his face.
It continued to stay, assuring him that once there it would never be completely gone ever again and Tsume found that maybe just this once, he didn't mind at all.
Aren't they so cute!? I hope I was able to get at least one awww out there for all my wonderful readers! Seriously, you guys are my reason why I love writing this story I really couldn't do it without all of you! Sorry for all the sentimental stuff it's just I feel like I owe all of you so much for sticking with me even when I took almost a year to update thank you so much and I hope it was worth it! Anyways, see? Tsume does care! Everyone rejoice in celebration! But what will happen now that he has finally let his guard down? Just to let you guys know I'm really working hard on the next chapter I hope to get it to you guys soon so please please pretty please help me by sharing with me your reviews they are very much appreciated!
Until we meet again,
Hana no Shojo