Exposed

Since it was already late, they put off the trip until the next night. They would leave once they'd closed the store and take the car. Kazahaya couldn't try to run if they were in the car and not on the train but of course they hoped he would come willingly. Besides, Saiga needed to rest and Kakei had to make arrangements for someone to run the store while they were gone. Then of course, they needed the supplies for the banishment spell. Rikuo went to the new age store the next afternoon.

There were quite a few people there shopping and browsing. As he walked into the shop he saw candles, miniature alters, wands, crystals, crystal balls, books on witches and spells, robes and rows upon rows of tiny bottles filled with who knew what. Rikuo felt totally out of place.

"Himura-san?" Hikari-san asked of the tall young man looking like he would catch something if he got too close to the spices. She smiled up at him. "Come this way, I have your things in my office."

Rikuo followed the diminutive woman out of the store and into the normalcy of her office. He found himself breathing easier once away from all the 'mystical' stuff. A rueful smile appeared on his face as he reminded himself that he too had 'mystical' powers. On a separate table, he noticed several bags and his eyebrow rose up. "Will we really need all this stuff?"

"Probably not but I wanted you to have a little of everything, you know – just in case. I've been keeping up with Seki and I know about the missing people. The last I heard it was six people." Hikari-san sighed and sank into her chair. She was quite short so she almost disappeared behind the huge desk. Curling her hair behind one ear she looked up at Rikuo, "Please sit."

He didn't want to. Rikuo wanted to take the stuff and leave. Again he checked his watch, there were four more hours until the store closed and they were heading for the coast. He would see Kazahaya the next day. A heavy breath deflated his lungs, "I should go…"

"No. Sit. I want to talk to you." It didn't look as if such an authoritative voice could come from the small woman but Rikuo obeyed the command. Hikari-san smiled as the teen sat cautiously down in the chair.

"You want to talk to me about what?" Rikuo couldn't seem to keep eye contact with her. Her gaze was too direct like she knew his every thought and desire.

Hikari-san leaned her elbows on the desk and rested her chin on her upraised hands. She studied his aura and confirmed her suspicions. "You're depressed. It's the same as your friend, Kazahaya – only you feel guilt as well as great sadness."

Rikuo stiffened and made to get up. "Please stay. I think you need to hear this before you face him again. You love him don't you?" Hikari-san rose quickly as Rikuo got up and went to get his bags. She grabbed his arm holding him in place.

"What are you afraid of? Are you ashamed of loving him? Was he right to leave you?" Hikari-san asked quietly.

"Look, why are you asking these questions? Me, Kazahaya – we don't concern you! None of this is your business!" Rikuo felt the tremors in his body and wondered why he just didn't pull away from the light touch on his arm.

"You're wrong it is very much my business! It's mine and this city's business! That shadow is taking people and grows more powerful each time. It is up to Kazahaya to send it away and he can't do that if his mind is not focused on the spell." At his confused look Hikari-san sighed. "You want to bring him back but you haven't resolved your feelings for him. Do you think you can just get him to come here and not have him wondering how you feel about him? If he is in any way confused or upset because you won't talk to him, things could go horribly wrong. Your friend, your lover Kazahaya will die and so will everyone else.

"Kakei told me some of what's happened and I've been able to guess a lot. You need to settle things with him one way or another before you come back here. I'm serious Himura – Rikuo. Deadly serious. He's needs to be firm in his desire to cast the spell. Even if you break things off with him, Kazahaya will be able to do this because his greatest desire will be to get away from you.

"If Black Shadow senses hurt and confusion in Kazahaya, it will use that against him and pull him inside. I don't believe you want such pain and torment for him or for your other friends do you? You must decide now, today what you are going to do. Break up or make up. His future, all of our futures are in your hands Rikuo."

No words, no movements, no air and no heartbeat. Rikuo had none of those as his eyes locked onto Hikari-san's. "No!" It wasn't a shout so much as a disbelieving whisper. Rikuo stumbled away from Hikari-san and she had to move quickly in order to help him to a chair before he hit the floor. He sat heavily and bent forward with his hands holding onto his head.

Everything rests on me! His life, his death is in my hands! Kakei and Saiga too! The city…will live or die because of me?! Rikuo shook his head from side to side.

Hikari-san stood at his side and pitied him. Kakei and Saiga had been unwilling to say these things to him because they loved him but if he wasn't told, they could all end up dead. She watched him try to deny the truth and knew that was his whole problem.

"Is it so very hard to love? Your friend craves love; he needs it like he needs air. Of course he's at fault too for not staying and trying harder to get you to love him. You've loved and been hurt, maybe you lost someone or they left you, that's normal. It happens every day. Will you let past hurts rule you?" Hikari-san squatted next to him and pulled his hands away from his face. "It's time to let go. Either let go of the fear and love him or let him go so that he can find love. Only you can do it Rikuo, you have the power."

Rikuo stared at her face which was smiling softly at him. Her words had seared his soul and he felt the weight of several thousand lives on his shoulders. Hikari-san's expression was kind now that she'd broken him but it was too much to handle so he once again looked at the floor. Suddenly he felt lips against his forehead and he began to cry.

"It's okay. Let it all out. I said some hard things but it wasn't anything you didn't already know. It's time to stop running and face your problems head on Rikuo." She stroked his bent head. "I've got to get back out front. Stay as long as you need to. Now don't forget this stuff when you leave and we've got a backdoor you can go out if you wish. Good luck Rikuo." She gave him one last kiss then quietly left the room.

He sat unmoving. There were background noises of cars, people, a ticking clock but Hikari-san's words where the only sounds Rikuo heard. Time had stopped for him as he sat listening to the arguments between his head and his heart. Finally he became aware of where he was. Rikuo looked for and found the ticking clock. Hurriedly he stood; they would be leaving for the coast in little under an hour. He grabbed the bags holding the ingredients needed to kill something otherworldly and ran out the backdoor.

Outside he filled his lungs with air and looked towards the sinking sun, "I'm coming Kazahaya. We have to talk." Rikuo moved with purpose, for he had made a decision.

Since they started out fairly late, they made good time on the roads. Kakei and Saiga took turns driving because no one wanted to stop overnight. Rikuo dozed on and off. He was tired after his meeting with Hikari-san but he was also anxious to see Kazahaya again.

They arrived at the coast just as the sun was peeking out over the horizon. The plan was to show Kazahaya's picture around and learn more about his life here. It was a relatively small town but since he'd lived there for a couple months, someone should recognize him. After that, they needed to get him alone and talk to him – that was going to be the hard part.

"Look, they're open." Saiga said as he pulled into restaurant parking lot. "It's not yet 5am."

"It's a fishing town. Folks rise early here. See that van full of men over there? Fishermen heading for the docks for a day of fishing. Might as well start here, we could get lucky." Kakei explained.

They were going to find Kazahaya on the beach but it was way too early and they wanted to be cautious so that they didn't cause any unnecessary trouble. He'd been accepted here and Kazahaya had a way of making people feel protective of him. Better they learn the lay of the land before charging in and trying to take him out by force, if it came to that.

Sitting at a window table, they could see several boats leaving the harbor setting out for the open sea. None had eaten much since their stomachs were too jumpy. When the waitress came 'round to fill up their coffee cups, Kakei turned on the charm.

"Excuse me; I was wondering if you could help us? We're looking for a friend of ours and we think he may be living here. See, this is a picture of him." Kakei handed her a color photo of a laughing Kazahaya.

The waitress was a teenage girl and after topping off their coffee, she obligingly took the picture. She blinked repeatedly then let out a startled laugh. "Oh my, this is Kei! Wow, he's changed so much since he first got here." With wonder she said, "I've never seen him look like this before. He's so happy." She continued to stare fondly at the picture.

Rikuo looked to Kakei and Saiga. Kei? "So he is here then?" He asked.

"Oh sorry, it's just that it's such a good picture of him. Yes, he lives here but you just missed him." She nodded to the water. "He and Izanagi-san just went out. They'll be gone all morning. They won't be back until this afternoon."

Saiga's mouth dropped open, "He fishes?" For some reason he was having trouble picturing the gangly teen working on a fishing boat.

The girl laughed. "He's learned how. It was pretty funny at first but Kei was determined to learn. I guess you could call him an expert now." Her smile disappeared. "But with his arm…he won't be able to work much longer. It's like his arm is dying. Kei said he would have to find some other type of work." Someone called for coffee. "Excuse me." She gave the picture back and got back to work.

"Did you know he was a fisherman?" Saiga's voice was still incredulous.

"Well it explains his new look." Kakei said but shook his head at their questioning looks. "You'll just have to see him. It's a whole new Kazahaya."

Rikuo wanted to see his Kazahaya, not a new one. He sighed and looked back out the window. "So what do we do until he comes back? It's still very early and the waitress said he wouldn't be back until this afternoon and what if the fishing is really good? It might be really late when he gets back." Under the table one of his legs was jumping uncontrollably.

"No, he'll be back early. The sun will still be high in sky when we come across him. We…" Kakei broke off as the waitress returned followed by four other people.

"Hope you don't mind but I told everyone that you're friends of Kei's. He doesn't like to talk about himself much and we were wondering if you could tell us more about him?" Ten pairs of expectant eyes stared at them. There was another young waitress, two older men and a woman who looked as if she was the restaurant's cook. They all seemed genuinely interested in Kazahaya.

Kakei looked at Rikuo. "Looks like we'll have something to do while we wait." He then turned back to the waiting people. "Sure, we'll tell you a little about…Kei."

They stayed in the restaurant for about two hours. Other locals came in and once they knew that the strangers were friends of Kei's they sat down and joined the conversation. Of course they were careful not to go into too much detail about Kazahaya since he'd chosen not to share his past with these people but they were able to share fun memories. In turn they were told about Kazahaya's life here. He was mostly silent and reserved but a good listener and once engaged in conversation, he would become animated and quite fun to be around. Everyone was worried about his arm but they got the impression that Kei wasn't. He was resigned to not being able to use it. None liked his situation but what could they do?

As the morning wore on, people got up and went on with their normal activities. Kakei, Rikuo and Saiga finally got up and walked around the town a bit. They discussed how best to talk to Kazahaya but nothing seem right.

"Maybe we should go see the couple he's staying with." Saiga suggested. "We're going to face them at some point; maybe we can get their help in convincing Kazahaya to come back with us."

"Yes, that just might work. What was their name again?"

"Izanagi." Rikuo said as he again looked to the water. He didn't even know which boat he was on but somewhere out there was Kazahaya. Never before had the urge to go swimming been this strong. "Someone said they live about a mile down this way." Rikuo pointed left. "Nice sized house with a beautiful garden out front. Let's go." He turned without noticing their surprised looks. Every word spoken about Kazahaya and where he'd been living had been imprinted in Rikuo's brain. If Kakei's timing was right, they had just a few more hours before he would lay eyes on Kazahaya again.

"I'm home! We got back sooner than expected. The first few hours were great but then the fish up and left us. Couldn't find anymore in none of my favorite spots so we gave up and came home. It's okay though because it'll give Kei a chance to rest his arm. He didn't say but I could tell it pained him. So…" Izanagi-san walked into his wife's parlor and saw three strange men drinking tea. "I'm sorry. I didn't know we had company." Izanagi again wiped his hands on a towel he'd used when he washed his hands in the kitchen.

Kakei and the others stood and bowed while Mrs. Izanagi introduced them. "They know Kei, say they're his friends. Apparently his arm can be healed." Mrs. Izanagi was a pretty woman with well-rounded curves. She was happy to hear the news that Kei's arm wasn't a lost cause but she was sad too because she didn't want to loose her substitute son.

Sitting across from the three men, Izanagi-san stared at them. They were a different bunch. One wore sunglasses inside, one looked a little feminine and the third looked antsy. "You say his arm can be healed? If Kei knew this then why would he tell us it couldn't be?"

"Because he ran away from home and doesn't want to face us. He thinks we don't care for him but he's wrong. Kazahaya is like a son to me." Kakei spoke leaning forward.

"Kazahaya? Is that his real name?" Izanagi looked over at his wife and nodded. "It suits him don't you think? I did wonder but he always responded to Kei with no hesitation but he only gave us the name Kei, just Kei." He looked back at Kakei and Saiga. "Why did he run away? Did you hurt him? When I found Kei – Kazahaya it looked as if he'd been beaten." The fisherman flexed his hardened hands as he remembered the cuts and bruises on his young friend.

"We would never touch Kazahaya in that way. Although we did hurt his heart. We have a friend who is missing and we were trying to find her. Well, we concentrated too hard on finding her and ignored him. We didn't mean to but before we realized how out of place and unloved he felt, Kazahaya was gone. It's taken us four months to finally find him."

"Sir, we want to apologize to the kid and ask him to come home with us – to stay." Saiga said scooting to the edge of his seat. "We realize it might be too late for that but we can see that his arm gets healed. It's the least we could do for treating him so badly."

Rikuo was breathing deeply as he sat and listened to the conversation. Somewhere outside this house, Kazahaya sat waiting to be found. He didn't know how much longer he could stand all this talking. A cool hand rested on his forearm and Rikuo looked up to see Kakei shaking his head.

"You're pretty anxious. It's been four months, a few moments spent telling me you won't hurt him again shouldn't be that hard." Izanagi told Rikuo.

Rikuo stood and stared down at the man. "It is. It's damned hard. I'm anxious because I'm in love with him and I can't wait any longer to tell him that."

"Think we're doing the right thing?" Mrs. Izanagi asked as they watched the three men walk off down the beach.

"I don't know but how could we stop them? They know Kei-Kazahaya better than we do and the boy does miss them. I've seen him staring at pictures that he keeps with him at all times. Then there's his arm. What kind of people or parents would we be if we kept him here with us as a cripple when they could save that arm? And that guy Rikuo? Hmph, who'd have thought that?!" Izanagi shook his head in surprise.

"Well it does explain why he never responded to any of the girls we introduced him to. He was already in love. I just hope this Rikuo really is in love. I don't want our Kei hurt again." Husband and wife would watch. They wouldn't interfere but they were going to be sure there was love there and not people who only wanted to hurt their boy.

Kei sat in the sand with his back resting against a dune. He wore a black tank and khaki shorts. One arm lay in a sling against his chest. Sighing he stretched out his legs and closed his eyes. Kei knew he should probably be in bed resting after working this morning but he preferred being out here in the bright sunshine and watching the sea. He yawned, maybe he'd nap right here, it wouldn't be the first time.

He was dozing when he heard his name being called. Kei jerked his head up but it fell back down to his chest but then he heard his name again. Blinking rapidly he tried to wake up but sleep had a tight grip on him.

"Kazahaya!" Rikuo yelled. It was him but he'd changed. Yes, Kakei had told him this but to see it with his own eyes – incredible! Muscles strained against the shorts, tight and firm. Rikuo could see despite the sling, the hard biceps and six-pack that Kazahaya now sported. His hair was so short now and bleached somewhat by the sun. Gone was the pale skin Rikuo remembered. Kazahaya was now golden – he was the best damn thing Rikuo had ever seen. "Wake up Kazahaya!"

Saiga grinned when he saw the desire on Rikuo's face. Surely the kid would see that Rikuo wanted him. He couldn't refuse Rikuo now. He looked down the beach and nodded at Kakei who was also smiling. They had decided to surround Kazahaya in case he tried to run. He and Kakei were coming at him from opposite sides while Rikuo approached him from the water's edge. Nowhere to hide.

Kazahaya? Nobody here knows me by that name! Finally he broke free of sleep's grip and opened his eyes. "AHH, NO!" Complete shock overtook him at seeing Rikuo walking towards him. Quickly Kazahaya looked to his left thinking to run that way as he scrambled to his feet but Kakei was there! On his right was Saiga!

"NO, no, no, no, NO! You can't do this to me! I left! I let you go! I let all of you go! YOU…CAN…NOT…BE…HERE! DAMN YOU!" Kazahaya's body wouldn't be still. It jerked left then right and tried to move backwards but the dune impeded his progress. Behind his ribs, his heart raced and he felt as if his lungs were on fire since he was breathing so hard. In just moments Rikuo would be close enough to touch!

Kazahaya shook his head back and forth then ran forward. He didn't have a plan, didn't know where he was going except away. He ran towards Rikuo but at an angle. Strong leg muscles carried him easily through the sand and he was able to bypass Rikuo's outstretched arms.

"Cut him off!" Rikuo yelled. He marveled even as panic hit him square in the chest. Kazahaya was even faster than before!

Kakei moved in closing off Kazahaya's escape. He watched as the boy headed for Saiga only to again be forced to stop. Rikuo was now behind Kazahaya and closing fast. That just left the water.

Kazahaya felt the cold, wet sea on his legs and feet as he ran. There was nothing before him but water and behind him a past he wanted to forget. He had begun to live again! Why had they come? It didn't occur to him that he couldn't swim with his arm in a sling. The only thing on his mind was getting away.

He'll kill himself! Rikuo thought as he chased after Kazahaya. As he watched Kazahaya tripped and fell in the water. He splashed around and took water into his mouth. "Kazahaya be still! I'm coming!" Rikuo reached him and pulled the teen up by his good arm. When Kazahaya's body went limp, Rikuo picked him up and carried him back up the beach.

"Kid!"

"Is Kazahaya okay?" Both Saiga and Kakei knelt in the sand beside the boys. Rikuo rolled Kazahaya on his side and hit him heavily on his back. They all watched as Kazahaya coughed and spit up water. After a few minutes, he was quiet and shivering refusing to look at them.

"Kazahaya." Rikuo rolled him onto his back and stared down at his crying face. "Still cry easily don't you? Some things never change." He said with a soft smile.

"Why? Why are…you here? Why come…to me…now? I left. Changed. Why hurt me…again?" Kazahaya raised himself on his good arm and posed the question to all of them.

"Because we love you, idiot." Rikuo spoke for everyone. He moved until he was over Kazahaya's prone body. Gently he wiped sand from Kazahaya's face and felt the fine tremors that racked the teen's body. "I'm sorry for all I've done to make you doubt me. You may have left and changed but that doesn't stop me from loving you." Rikuo's gaze changed to that of a lover as he looked Kazahaya up and down. "No matter where you go or what you do to this body – it's mine. I love it. I love the soul it holds. Your body and soul are mine Kazahaya. Only now that we're this close do I feel whole. I hope it's the same for you. You complete me."

Rikuo watched as hope flared in Kazahaya's eyes and more tears rolled down that tanned cheek. "Don't cry baby. We don't have any use for tears now that I've found you." Slowly he moved lower. Rikuo's thumb caressed Kazahaya's trembling bottom lip. "I pray you'll forgive me and please love…me." He kissed Kazahaya.

It was as if the air was charged with electricity. Saiga and Kakei joined hands as they watched the boys kiss. Two boys, one heart. It was beautiful. They moved together, each knowing what the other wanted and needed. Kakei laughed as he cried. Saiga made himself comfortable.

"Hey, we missed him too. Can we at least get a hug? Rikuo?!" Saiga laughed too as Rikuo waved a hand at him as if to say 'go away.'

There was a giggle, something they hadn't heard in so long. Kazahaya finally broke the kiss. His eyes sought Rikuo's as if to confirm that this was no dream. Rikuo gave him another kiss before backing away and letting Saiga crush Kazahaya close.

"Saiga his arm!" Kakei reminded the man and Saiga immediately eased his embrace but didn't let go.

"I love my apron. I'll cook you a huge meal when we get home." Saiga promised as he finally looked down into the face of the boy he'd missed. "Damn you, I'm never letting you leave the store again!" He gently shook Kazahaya's shoulders.

Kakei took him next. He knelt holding Kazahaya's head on his shoulder as he rubbed the teen's back. "I'm with Saiga. You're going to stay home and never, ever leave again." He kissed Kazahaya's forehead. "Thank you for the crystal. It helped us find you, you know." He laughed as Kazahaya's looked up at him surprised. "God we missed you!" Kakei pulled him close again.

Kakei, Saiga and Rikuo they're here. They're really here! Kazahaya felt his strength leave and he slid from Kakei's embrace.

"Kazahaya!" They all yelled. Rikuo gathered him close and turned worried eyes to Kakei and Saiga. "What's going on? What should I do?" He looked down again and his heart started again to see Kazahaya looking up at him.

"I'm…okay. Just…really tired. You…them…too much." Kazahaya's hand had reached up to touch Rikuo's cheek but if fell heavily to the sand. He was unconscious.

The Izanagis wanted them to bring Kazahaya into their house but Kakei said they'd take him to the shack Kazahaya had been calling home. They'd just gotten him back and didn't want to share him. Besides Kazahaya might still try to run and with the four of them squeezed into that small space, he'd have no choice but to talk to them.

Izanagi-san didn't like it but after seeing that scene on the beach, he could understand. He took his wife back to their house and let the men go. It looked as if they would lose yet another child.

He had a bit of a fever so they stripped him, wiped him down and put him to bed. Rikuo sat on the bed with Kazahaya's head in his lap while Kakei took the only chair and Saiga sprawled on the floor. It was while he was down there that he saw the kid's backpack. He pulled it out.

"Look at what I found." It was the box he'd bought from Hikari-san. Saiga stood and moved to open the door.

"What are you doing Saiga?" Kakei stood and stopped him.

"I'm going to toss the fucking charm in the sea! It allowed him to hide from us. He doesn't need it anymore." Saiga tried to go outside but Kakei stepped in front of him.

"No. You can't get rid of it. That's for Kazahaya to do. He has to want to get rid of it. I know it seems we've gotten him back but it's still too soon. We have to talk and give Kazahaya the time to make up his own mind. We can't make decisions for him and ignore what he wants. That's how this mess all started, remember?"

Saiga looked from the box to the bed where Kazahaya still lay knocked out. His shades met Rikuo's gaze. "What about you? Don't you want me to throw it away?"

Rikuo had been combing his fingers in Kazahaya's short hair. "I would like to burn it…but don't. I hope that Kazahaya will want to come home and stay with us but Kakei's right – he has to do it. After that kiss," Rikuo smiled, "I think he'll come back to me. Let's not give him any reasons to mistrust us, okay Saiga?"

"You know sometimes I can't stand logic. Sit down Kakei, I'm not going anywhere." Saiga turned and sat down still holding the box.

Kakei squatted next to him gave him a quick hug. "One step at a time. We have to make things right with him."

"Yeah, I know. I'll do better." Saiga returned the hug. Kakei joined Saiga on the floor and they waited in silence for Kazahaya to regain consciousness.

Kazahaya grimaced. It was his arm again, the pain was getting worse. He'd been having a dream. Rikuo had come for him, Saiga and Kakei too. It was a nice thought but it wouldn't happen. Yawning he opened his eyes and got choked.

"Hey." Rikuo smiled down at him. He helped Kazahaya to sit up.

Kazahaya looked at him then cautiously reached out and touched a finger to Rikuo's chest. He was real! Hearing laughter, Kazahaya turned his wide eyes to the sound and saw Saiga and Kakei leaning against the wall. They're really here?!

"Touch us too. We're real." Kakei said and went to Kazahaya. "See." He cupped Kazahaya's chin then felt the boy's forehead. "Good, your fever's gone." Kakei again kissed the tanned forehead. "Guess I need to touch you too."

Saiga appeared in front of Kazahaya. "So you're feeling a little better, then…" He reached out and with wiggling fingers attacked Kazahaya's ribs. Spontaneous laughter erupted from the teen and filled Saiga with happiness.

Kazahaya laughed, really laughed and wondered at it. He'd been happy here but not once had he felt this good. Saiga stopped and Kazahaya looked at them all again. Suspicions began to fill him. "You're here. Why now? And what about Tsukiko? …Did you come because you need my power again?" Pain replaced any good feelings he'd felt just seconds ago. "You need me touch something don't you? For her?! This is about her isn't it?! You're not here for me but for what I can do for you! You lie! You can't love me like you love her! I'm not - I'm not important to you! No, I won't go back with you so you, so you can shove her in my face over and over and… fucking over…again!" Kazahaya had backed away to the far end of the bed as he let them know his feelings. Now done speaking he turned to face the wall, cradled his aching arm and cried for the brief moments of actual joy at seeing his friends again only for it all to turn out to be a lie.

Rikuo's heart broke along with Kazahaya's. He looked up at Kakei and Saiga for answers because he didn't know how to fix this. Kazahaya was miserable and he was again the cause. "What now? How do I…? Kazahaya…I don't…it's not like that! Oh God… I'm sorry. I'm Sorry!" Unable to just watch Kazahaya try to make himself a part of the wall Rikuo went to him and took him in his arms. Even though Kazahaya struggled, Rikuo wouldn't let him go, he couldn't. They cried together but were divided because of their pain.

Saiga took Kakei's hand as they watched the tragedy before them. "This is going to be harder than I thought."

"Much, much harder." Kakei agreed as tears fell from his own eyes. A long night loomed before them full of questions, accusations and pain. Hope was left outside the door waiting for the chance to come in…