Name: Chiaroscuro
Pairing: Eventual Joshua x Neku
Rating: R - for language and blood; possible NC-17 in later chapters
Summary: AU – In a world where the RG and UG have always been one, and Reapers feed off the Soul of humans, Neku stumbles upon a supposedly safe Shibuya and the silver-haired Lord who protects it. But are things always so black and white…?
Just to clear things up, because there was a reviewer who pointed this out, Misaki is not Shiki Misaki. Misaki is her first name – and it's complete coincidence that she similarly has brown hair. She's a completely new character made pretty much just for this story.
With that being said, I bring you chapter two. c:
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Chapter Two
- Ataraxia -
Neku tugged uneasily at the blue tie around his neck, finding it more bothersome than useful. In fact, the blasted thing had no use whatsoever. Neku had doubted that nowadays there would even be schools, let alone uniforms and...bah. The redhead disliked the whole 'dressing up' thing, but went along with it. Misaki and Beat had been so kind to him the past few weeks so it seemed rather rude to refuse the generous uniform and schooling.
Still...
Neku sighed and gave another tug to the tie, loosening it as he walked onward. He had already put his jacket over the white uniform, not wanting to broadcast over the streets that he was a school-kid. He preferred the enigmatic lifestyle, really.
Speaking of enigmatic...
"I bet Josh would love to hear how hell went for me today," he joked to himself, heading towards the temple out of instinct. He had grown accustomed to visiting the Lord almost every day.
Before arriving here, he barely had friends--and the ones he did make either fled to areas unknown or were slaughtered by Reapers--so it felt weird having someone to constantly talk to, laugh with, and just spend time with. It wasn't unpleasant...he actually liked it. Joshua seemed like an okay guy--correction, a saint, probably. Protecting the city, giving him protection against Reapers...
Neku shook his head, willing the lingering thoughts away as he waved to the familiar guards and headed inside.
The guards, as always, greeted Neku cheerfully - a big change from the low murmuring and awkward greetings during the first few days the brunet visited the temple.
But by the time Neku made his way to the center room, familiar with the few turns through the halls, there were no guards near the pair of sliding doors. In fact... the entire temple seemed bare of people, save for the ones outside in the garden. There was a heavy, dangerous air about the place, contrasting fiercely with the calm aura that seemed to accompany every inch of the temple.
A few indescribable noises were heard from within the room, followed by a strange otherworldly sound, and harsh, dissonant music.
Followed by a scream of terror and agonizing pain.
Neku lingered in the hallway outside the main temple room, brows arched in puzzlement. A brow arched at once. Was that a scream?... He paled, uncertain whether or not to enter. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on edge, tickling the collar of his uniform and making it horribly uncomfortable to just stand there.
Figuring that maybe he was just hearing things, Neku stumbled into the large room, looking around in confusion. "Josh?"
The moment the doors carefully slid open, the screamed died down to an eerie silence, two figures in the back of the room only barely lit by the familiar candlelight. The faintest hint of silver hair, a tall man with metallic handcuffs.... Or at least, he was tall, before his limbs went limp, and his body fell to the ground with a sickening 'thud', as still as the dark shadows around him.
"Oh, Neku." The Lord spoke easily, turning around to greet the brunet at his door, a casual smile on his face. "Sorry to say you've got a knack for rather... uncomfortable timing." His words were sweet as they always were, stature confident but somehow still rather meek.... but his eyes; his usually dark violet eyes flickered with white light. Or perhaps... it was just flame from the candles?
Neku paused, a rush of an odd smell greeting his nostrils. It faded after a moment, but it was enough to cause the teenager to flinch and creep uneasily until the room until his gaze made full contact with the now deceased, gruesome body. "What the hell!?" he stammered in shock, fumbling backwards, eyes wide. "W-what d-did you…did you?..." he attempted, choking on words of stun as a cold sweat formed on his body.
"Calm down, dear." Again, Joshua's words were calm and collected, even whilst in the presence of the dead. The body of the man lay mere inches from his feet, eyes wide open, frozen with terror. "It is merely a purification ritual. This man was sentenced to death for the crime of murder within the city."
Neku blinked, eying the man and then eying Joshua. So that's what that odd light was when he got here? Ancient magic in some kinda ritual thing? God, he never understood Joshua when he talked about this stuff...but maybe that was for the best. "You scared the shit out of me," the redhead confessed, slowly calming down, but not completely, still uncertain regarding the now deceased being.
"I had no intention of you seeing this; your timing was less than impeccable." The Lord sighed, closing his eyes for a moment as if in deep thought - before opening them once more and making his way across the room towards the familiar brunet. "What's done is done, I suppose."
Neku inhaled deeply and nodded, though the look of hesitation lingered in his eyes. Regardless, the teen dipped his hand into his slack pocket and took out a folded piece of paper. "...Got bored," he explained, passing the note to the Lord with a small laugh, trying hard not to allow his gaze to wander back to the body. Damnit, this was awkward.
The silver-haired teen took the paper delicately, placing a hand on the brunet's back to lead him out of the room. "Sanae?" He called, seemingly talking to the air.
"Yes, my Lord?" A voice came from the room - wait, were there three people in there before?
"Dispose of the body. Neku came to play with me and I hardly want to make him see something so grotesque."
"As you wish."
Joshua silently stepped out of the room along with Neku, sliding the door closed behind them. "We will return in a minute." He spoke, smiling despite the grim situation. Eagerly he immediately unfolded the paper the brunet handed to him, curious to see what was on it.
Neku attempted not to pay any more attention to the randomly appearing people and dead bodies, figuring it was best. He didn't want an ulcer, after all. Instead, his gaze settled upon the note in his friend's hand, a smile appearing. As he had said, he had gotten bored in class, and decided to write a letter to Joshua explaining how boring school was, the amusing conversation with the Bitos the night prior, a small thanks, again, for Joshua's kindness, and at the end, a small mention of something to do with his past. Just a tidbit involving what city he came from before it was invaded and destroyed.
The Lord's smile softened as he read, snickering a bit to himself about Misaki tried to get Neku to be their adopted son. His expression fell a little though at the end, wincing a bit before he looked over to Neku. "I'm... sorry to say I was curious of your past, Neku. I hope it was not... painful to write this. I feel so selfish now."
Neku shrugged. "It's the past, isn't it?" he suggested, his own expression falling as well. "That's what Misaki keeps saying every time I look sad. She says the past is important, but if I continue clinging to it more than I do the present...I'm going to be miserable and miss out on a lot." The teen scratched his nape uneasily. "...So I guess I may be staying here longer than I had originally thought." A faint smile.
Joshua seemed to regain more of his usual confident smile, reaching out to gently touch the brunet's arm. "It means a lot to me," He spoke sincerely, looking down at the note once more. Whether he was talking about Neku's declaration of an extended stay, or the note itself, it wasn't quite clear; perhaps it was both.
It was sort of childish, writing notes like this... but he remembered doing the same thing to those close to him when he was younger. Mostly for different reasons, he was sure (like being too prideful to say 'sorry' out loud, and having to write it instead), but still. "You're so cute, Neku." He giggled.
Neku groaned at the statement and playfully shoved at Joshua's hand. "Ugh, the cute thing again?" He frowned and looked off to the right, down the hallway. "...I was wondering if, you weren't too busy purifying stuff and whatnot...if you wanted to go for an early dinner with me? Mr. and Mrs. Bito are both working late so...."
"....Dinner?" The Lord tilted his head some, before looking back at the room they were just in. "Sure, I suppose. I can have the chef here make your favorite, if you like."
Neku shook his head. "No, I meant I take you out somewhere in the city," he explained stubbornly, a smile appearing on his lips.
For the first time, Joshua was clearly caught off guard, eyes wide and cheeks blushing ever so faintly. "Wh-what?" He stuttered, brows furrowing. "I've never eaten out in public..."
"Then now's a great time to start, huh?" Neku laughed softly and playfully took his friend's wrist. "Come on, I promise it won't take long. You can come back to the Bito's place, we can disguise you so you don't stick out like a sore thumb, and we'll eat."
Joshua was silent for a long moment, head tilting down, hesitance written all over his face. "...I don't want to." He said simply. "I...I am not used to being around other people."
A frown immediately stretched across the boy's face. "....Oh..." He trailed off and awkwardly looked away. "...But when I first met you, you were fine around everyone?..." He paused, almost laughing despite himself. "You fake stuff a lot, huh?"
"I am to practice composure in front of others... but it does not mean I find it any more comfortable." The silver-haired teen's eyes wandered on the ground for a moment, before looking up slowly at Neku. "...But, I suppose if it's for you, Neku," A smile. "I will give it a try."
Neku's face lit up at once, a grin appearing on his teenage visage. "Great," he declared and tightened his grip on his friend's wrist. "You can see what Misaki has been doing with the room I'm staying in and the clothes she helped me pick out--you can wear whatever you want."
"If they're yours dear, I'm sure they will smell funny." Joshua made a face, still teasing nonetheless as he walked beside the brunet. "I would rather wear Misaki's clothes."
Neku rolled his eyes, wandering down the memorized hallways. "Misaki's?" he laughed. "No, you're wearing mine. As much as I know you love to cross-dress, Josh, I'm not going to let you." He tossed the Lord a smirk.
"Now what makes you say I love to cross-dress?" The silver-haired teen huffed, but tensed immediately as they walked through the front door, light pouring from the outside. He took a few steps closer to Neku, glancing around warily. Hands went up to his hair, making sure he wasn't wearing the headdress or flowers, then looking down at his robes. He still stuck out like a sore thumb, but maybe if they hurried....
Neku kept hold of Joshua's wrist as he led them back to the apartment, making certain to fast-walk for the Lord's sake. As he walked, a thought occurred to him. In the duration of a few weeks time, he had gone from a quiet, distant shell of who he once was into the person he had been, for the most part, before chaos struck. He never imagined having friends again, never thought he'd allow it. Never thought he'd be able to go two minutes without shivering in fear. It felt nice to be safe like this again--to be a teenager in a remotely normal life.
"I think you'll look good in my clothes," the redhead declared as they walked, almost at the Bitos' residence.
Joshua was unable to reply, looking around as a few people stopped in their tracks to stare, murmuring a bit nervously about the odd boy toting around their Lord. Did something happen? What's going on?
At the last stretch, the silver-haired teen bolted forward, hiding under the remote security of the open apartment building. Ugh... he hated being stared at like that. "...Which one is it?" He asked, pretty much altogether ignoring the brunet's previous statement.
"Hm? Oh the third one on the left," Neku responded, having been lost to his own day dreams and plans for the rest of the day. He frowned some. "Josh, you okay?" He walked over to the door, unlocking it with the key Misaki had given him.
"Yeah," He replied with a bit of a nervous fumble with his hands. "I just.... I don't like being the center of attention is all. I think there were more people watching me more than usual because I was with you."
Neku tilted his head as he pushed open the door to his home and walked in, letting Joshua in before the man had a breakdown. "...Why would they stare more if I was with you?"
"Because I'm sure they were wondering where I found such an adorable date." The Lord cooed as they set foot in the small apartment, calming considerably now they were inside. "They're all jealous of me, obviously."
Neku snorted in amusement, closing the door behind them and heading down the hall to his room. "I'm sure once you change into something of mine, they won't recognize you as easily." He tossed Joshua a hopeful smile.
"Well, my hair sort of stands out, too...." Joshua pondered aloud, twirling a stand of silver between two fingers. "You would not happen to have a hat of some sort, would you?"
"Hm..." Neku pondered for a moment. "I have another jacket you can wear that has a hood. It isn't that heavy, so you won't get too warm." He lightly nudged the door to his room open.
The silver-haired teen smiled, following Neku into his room. ".... This room really suits you." He giggled, looking over at a poster that had a graffiti-style cat drawn on it.
"Thanks," Neku laughed gently and took a seat on his bed and pointed to the dresser. "That's where all my clothes are--pick whatever you want."
"Oh, you trust me to rummage through your things?" Joshua hummed, but stepped over and did such, looking through a few articles of clothing. At last he picked out a normal pair of jeans, a blue t-shirt and black hoodie. Well, perhaps this would work. Without missing a beat, he reached up and untied the top ribbon of his robes, letting it fall open to reveal a good portion of his chest.
Neku, who had been fiddling with a book of art he had bought, glanced up when he heard the rustling of fabric. The teen blinked. His throat at once went dry and he blushed, looking back down to the book awkwardly.
Just as the Lord reached behind him to untie his sash, he looked down at the jeans with a bit of apprehension. "Perhaps I can borrow some of your undergarthings?" He asked innocently enough. "The pants look a little... restricting."
"Underthi--? Oh! Uh, bottom drawer," Neku coughed and lifted the book higher, all but burying his face into it.
The silver-haired youth did such, opening the drawer with a bit of a smirk as he noticed a pair of boxers with pink hearts and wings on them. No doubt the Bito's version of a joke. With that, the Lord shed his robes completely, obviously not uncomfortable in the slightest being completely nude before pulling on a pair of simple plaid boxers. "Ah," He noticed his own robes on the floor, unaccustomed to not having someone right behind him to pick them up. So he bent down, grabbed them for a moment... before deciding to plop them down on Neku's head with a grin.
Neku frowned, eying the clothes on his head. "Huh?" He plucked them from his spikes and shot Joshua a frown. "I'm not your coat-rack!" he all but pouted, which was rare, but amusing nonetheless.
"You're so cute when you pout. " Joshua giggled, before pulling on the pants and t-shirt.
Neku's frown grew as he inspected the discarded robes, marveling at how soft they were and how they had the soft aroma of the Lord. Quickly, he folded them and placed them at the corner of his bed.
"Well then," Joshua pulled the black hood over his head, concealing most of his silver hair. "Shall we head out?"
"You look good," Neku commented, getting up and tossing his friend a playful grin before heading over to the door with a nod.
"Uwaa~ you flatter me, Neku." The Lord cooed, reaching over to loop an arm around the brunet's as the door opened. "So what are we eating?"
"Ramen, obviously," Neku hummed and headed out with Joshua, inhaling the city scent once outside. "Beat showed it to me a few days after I got here--it's great."
"Beat?" Joshua echoed curiously, but seemed to catch on quickly. "Ah, Daisukenojo." He giggled faintly, obviously more comfortable now that they walked the streets with hardly any eyes on him. "I don't think I've ever had ramen before. What is it like?"
"It's…noodles, and they're drenched in whatever kinda broth you want. It's so good," Neku praised and lightly leaned against the Lord, pointing out random places and objects as they walked.
"I've had noodles." The silver-haired youth said proudly, almost like a child.
"Then you'll like ramen," Neku laughed, glancing at his friend with a smirk. "That is, if you're not weird and like noodles."
"If Neku likes it then I'm sure to like it." The Lord spoke simply, still clinging to his friend's arm. For someone who wasn't used to physical contact, he seemed to latch onto Neku quite frequently...
"That's a good philosophy to have," Neku snickered and looked ahead at a small cart on the side of the street. Curiously, Neku steered them over to it, at once noticing the collection of odd charm necklaces made of some type of stone or another. "...Huh, these look really familiar," he murmured.
"Hmm?" Joshua inches closer, pulling at his hood once to make absolute certain his hair was covered. He was rarely out, so if no one saw his hair, surely no one would remember his face. "What is it?"
Neku carefully plucked a necklace from the cluster, inspecting the design etched and cut out. "I dunno, it just looks familiar." He shrugged and glanced to Joshua. "I should totally buy you one," he laughed.
The Lord said nothing at first, only looking over towards the brunet with an expression of awe and admiration. "R-really?" He stuttered a bit, placing a hand to his mouth.
Neku tilted his head. "Hm?" He blinked and shrugged before looking to the salesclerk. After a few moments of idle conversation, and the exchange of a few coins he had made around the Bito household doing chores. "He told me what it meant--it means Love. I remember where I saw it before, now. Mom used to wear something that had the same symbol on it. It's an archaic writing form, " he explained and tossed the Lord the necklace.
Joshua was struck with another bout of silence, looking at the necklace with a warm smile, gently running his fingers over the surface. His mother... huh? With an overjoyed grin, he reached behind his neck, putting the necklace on so that it fell just below the collar of his t-shirt, wearing the simple accessory like it was made of gold and diamonds. "Thank you..." Was about all he could muster at first, before he looked up at the brunet with a teasing light in his eyes. "So I'm your new mom?"
Neku arched a brow and lightly swatted at his friend. "...Misaki's the closest thing I have to a Mother, sorry, try again," he laughed, tossed Joshua a smirk, and began walking away innocently.
"Ehh?" He giggled, following Neku closely. "Then perhaps your father?" There was a pause as he looked up at the sky. "... Mm I guess great-grandfather is closer."
Neku paused. "Great-grandfather? The hell did that come from?" He glanced over his shoulder curiously. "You're too young to even be my dad."
"...Too young?" Joshua questioned, tilting his head slightly before grinning and running up beside the brunet, their shoulders almost touching. "Neku dear, I'm over one hundred years old. "
Neku at once paled in realization. "O-one hundred?" he echoed, sputtering a bit before he began furiously rubbing his warming cheeks. "T-that's interesting?..."
The Lord laughed, highly amused by his friend's reaction. "It's a side effect of my magic." He explained simply, like it was the most normal thing in the world. "I'm sorry... I thought Daisukenojo would have told you before. Is that... weird?"
"No, not weird," Neku coughed, still rubbing one cheek with the back of his hand, awkwardly staring ahead. "Just stunned, that's all." He quickly hurried to the Ramen shop a few buildings ahead, tugging Joshua along, eager to end that conversation.
Joshua easily distracted himself with the colorful signs at the ramen shop, looking around like a child. "Smells odd." He commented offhandedly, scrunching up his nose a bit. Odd, but not.... bad. He supposed.
"Everything smells weird to you, recluse," Neku teased and lead Joshua to a small booth nestled in the corner of the shop, knowing it would probably relax the Lord more. Regardless, the redhead hopped in the comfortable booth, inhaling deeply, glad to be sitting again,
Joshua tilted his head a bit, reaching out and picking up just the corner of the menu set in front of them (there were four... was there supposed to be four? Because they were only two...), peering at it curiously. "....What's this?" He pointed to a picture of the shio ramen beside a short description and price.
He peered briefly. "It's really good--Kinda salty," Neku explained and leaned over to inspect and get a better look at what Joshua was pondering over. "I've had it before, it's great."
".....What is it?" The Lord questioned again, a hint of annoyance in his voice after having to repeat himself. "I see noodles but there's.... other stuff in there. It looks odd."
"Oh uh…" Neku chuckled uneasily and leaned closer again. "Some seafood, some vegetables..." His finger lightly trailed over the text. "It should say/"
Joshua grumbled a bit and held the menu up higher, as if that would make it easier to read. "Mmm," He bit his lip, before setting it down, tensing as a cheerful waitress came up, smiling brightly.
"What can I get for you two today?" She asked sweetly, holding up a small pad and pen.
"Uhm...I'll have the Shoyu Ramen and a glass of water," Neku stated brightly, looking to the waitress with a gentle smile.
"What he's having." Joshua stated quickly, tugging at his hood a bit and pointing at Neku. "Do you have tea?"
"What kind of tea, ma'am?" The waitress asked cheerfully, writing down the brunet's order.
The Lord coughed and blushed, mumbling something under his breath.
"Huh? What was that, Josh?" Neku asked curiously, head tilting before catching on and turning a dark red. Ma'am.. Oh. His face turned a shade of crimson and laughed awkwardly.
The waitress blinked, obviously a bit confused. "Um... how about green tea?" She asked sweetly.
"Mm," Joshua just made a sort of ambiguous grunting noise, looking away.
"Ah... green tea it is. I'll serve it cold for you." The girl stammered a bit, walking off with a bit of a peevish look on her face. What was with that customer? She was so rude....
"Uh..." Neku said awkwardly after a moment. "If it helps, you make a really pretty girl?" he whispered.
The silver-haired teen turned to glare at Neku, cheeks still red, expression saying clearly 'no, that doesn't help'. "I don't look like a girl." He pouted.
"Maybe," Neku admitted sheepishly and shrugged, looking away. "It doesn't matter, though. Girl or guy, you're still my friend."
"Wench is blind." The Lord mumbled, looking down at the table and playing with his new necklace a bit. "......thanks." He added quietly at the end.
"You're welcome," Neku responded gently, voice soft and reassuring, rarely.
"....." Joshua bit his lip a bit, before speaking again, still quietly. "...Are you thinking you'd rather me be a girl?" Came the rather blunt question.
"Uh...it really doesn't matter," Neku confessed. "It's just a gender."
"Oh," The silver-haired youth was obviously deep in thought, still fiddling with his necklace, other hand in his lap, oddly avoiding Neku's gaze a little more than usual. "I just thought..... umn, never mind."
"Mhm..." Neku looked down at the table, awkwardly twiddling his fingers together. Well, that was surprisingly awkward.
"So, ah..." Joshua broke the awkward silence, looking up at the brunet with a smile. "You're going to school now?"
Neku nodded at once. "Yeah. The uniform sucks." He laughed and gave a tug to the bothersome collar he was wearing.
"I think it's cute." The Lord giggled some. "I never got to wear one, so I guess I'm a little jealous..."
"It's not cute," Neku complained and looked down, tugging at his tie some. "It's so annoying."
"Have you never worn a tie before?" Joshua questioned, tilting his head some.
"First time," Neku confessed, biting his lip. "Can't you tell?"
"Not really. Never worn one myself, so I guess it's hard to say." The silver-haired youth shook his head a bit, tensing a few seconds before the waitress returned, placing down drinks, then bowls of steaming hot ramen.
"Enjoy," She smiled, and turned to leave. Why did that girl keep looking away from her every time she walked up? What a weirdo...
"Ah," Joshua looked down at the bowl, nose scrunching at the new smell. ".... This is ramen?"
"Of course," Neku answered, already beginning to twirl his noodles around. "Try it," he chuckled jovially and nudged Joshua's foot with his own to encourage the Lord.
"Hmph," He grinned a bit, nudging back slightly. "....Is this meat?" He poked at a piece of pink something in the noodles with his chopsticks.
"A kind of meat, yes." Neku leaned over to inspect the bowl with a grin. "Stop being so hesitant. It won't kill you."
"I can't eat meat." Joshua frowned, picking around it and grabbing some noodles. "I am not supposed to eat anything hot, either." Warm was okay, but certainly not as hot as this was right now.
"...Why's that?" Neku tilted his head, suddenly extremely curious.
"They say it will hinder my powers." He played with some of the noodles, blowing on it a bit. "But I think it's okay if I just eat around it....." He picked up a piece of the meat, dropping it in Neku's bowl. If the brunet liked it, he could have it.
Neku snickered at that and playfully prodded the meat. "Is that some special Lord way of hitting on me?" he joked, taking a bite pleasantly.
"Hitting? Why would I hit you?" The silver-haired teen looked absolutely dumbfounded.
Neku coughed and took another bite, larger this time. "...Never mind," he murmured cheeks a soft red in embarrassment.
Joshua just shrugged, before taking a bite from the noodles he let cool in the air a bit, cringing at the odd taste at first. "....It's good." He smiled, picking up some more and blowing on it.
"Told you," Neku hummed triumphantly and began spinning his noodles around in the bowl. "Your face was funny, though."
"Hm?" The Lord looked up while still slurping some of the ramen. After that though he seemed to dismiss Neku's teasing observation, taking a sip of the tea. He cringed a bit at the watered-down taste, obviously wanting to say something, but held it back. "Well," He began, taking another small bite. "Despite being out in public, and the service here.... this is nice. It's... fun."
"Yeah, it is fun," Neku agreed with a soft smile before looking back down to his meal, swinging his legs under the table absently, uncertain what to say.
"Thanks for dragging me out of that temple," Joshua smiled, picking another piece of hidden meat from his noodles and flinging it into Neku's bowl. "I mean, not like I'd go out without you, but..."
"Perhaps we can do it again sometime," Neku beamed brightly, tossing his friend a grin before resuming consuming his meal.
"Of course," The silver-haired teen agreed, picking away at his meal a bit slower than his companion. "Any excuse to get into your underwear drawer. "
Neku sputtered for a moment, face turning a nice shade of red. "Heh...uhm yeah..." He awkwardly shoved his mouth with a few chunks of meat.
"Ahh! Neku's blushing!" The Lord giggled, waving the ends of his chopsticks at the flustered brunet. "His cheeks are the same color as those pink heart boxers~"
Neku gulped down a rather large amount of food and nudged the Lord beneath the table with his foot. "Cut it out, Josh... those were a joke..." His cheeks continued to grow redder.
"Oh, I'm sure they were." Joshua grinned, but there was no sarcasm in his voice. "Seems like something the Bitos would pull."
"Mhm.." Neku took another bite, attempting to will the darkness off his cheeks. He swallowed quickly and then added, "...After we eat, do you wanna hang out at my place for a bit or?..."
"I'd love to." The Lord smiled, finishing up the last few bites. There were some noodles still left in the bowl, but he never ate that much in a single sitting.
"There's not much to do but...it'll get you outta that place for a few more hours," Neku laughed gently and took a quick sip from his beverage and peacefully closed his eyes.
Joshua nodded, agreeing silently. He didn't like the atmosphere after a purification ceremony... but they didn't happen too often. "Ready to go?"
It was magic, the Lord decided, when the waitress appeared seemingly out of thin air and placed a paper on the table. "Your bill," She spoke, glancing at the silver-haired teen with a slightly unpleasant look. Joshua just replied by looking away again.
"I'll pay," Neku laughed under his breath and took out a few coins and tossed it on the bill to cover the bill and the tip. His gaze traveled across the table to his friend and then to the waitress. "Thanks."
The silver-haired youth stood up, waiting for Neku to follow suit, before he turned back to the waitress with a very stubborn look strew across his delicate features. "By the way," He actually spoke to the girl, who looked a bit surprised just by that, "I'm a guy. Get some god damn glasses."
The waitress just froze, cheeks going pink before she turned to take her tip and scurry away back to the kitchen.
Neku snickered under his breath and lightly nudged the Lord in the side as they walked towards the entrance. "You could have been a bit nicer, Josh," he murmured under his breath, trying not to laugh.
"Do I look like a girl?" He questioned, even though he asked the same thing a while back. "No, I don't." He huffed indignantly, folding his arms as they exited the ramen shop.
Neku shrugged. "Maybe she thought we were on a date," he reasoned with a slight chuckle as he began to lead them back.
"Oh..." The Lord blushed visibly, looking away with obvious embarrassment. "Well.... I guess it was pretty similar," He began, laughing softly. "I mean, you buying me a present, taking me to lunch and all."
Neku instantly mirrored the Lord's shade. "Uh...well..." He trailed off and flexed his hands by his sides. "Funny how those things happen, you know? I guess I can't blame her..."
Joshua blinked, smiling faintly as he reached over, fingertips brushing Neku's hand hesitantly for a moment, before he grasped it softly. "Well then," He spoke quietly, gazing over at his companion under silver bangs. "It was a wonderful date, Neku."
Neku's eyes momentarily widened before he grinned. "Yes, it was wonderful," he laughed softly, torn between further joking or just letting the conversation die.
Even if Neku had tried to, Joshua still clung to the brunet's hand the entire way home, getting a few smiles thrown their way a more than a few double-takes considering how ambiguous Joshua was. It had to be a girl, right? Of course it was.
"Are you sure it's alright for me to stay?" The Lord questioned, finally letting go of his companion's hand so that he could find the key to the apartment door. "I don't want to be a burden."
"It's fine," Neku chuckled and shook his head, taking out his key. He fumbled to get the door open, palms only a fraction sweaty. He quickly opened the door and held it open for his friend, pink still laced on his cheeks.
Joshua nodded lightly in thanks, before walking in and setting himself down on the couch in the living room. "Hey," He grinned, looking up at the brunet. "How about I make another pin for you? You're really progressing with the flame one."
"Really?" Neku walked over after slipping his jacket off. At once, the redhead headed over to the Lord, arms crossed behind his head. "Sure, that'd be great..!"
"Hmm...." The Lord looked up at the ceiling and pondered. "What should I make? Maybe something with water? Or telekinesis?"
"Whatever you think I can handle," Neku responded, lounging on the couch beside the Lord.
Joshua smiled, obviously coming to a decision and clasping his hands together, a familiar light filtering through his fingers. "How about this?" He asked, reaching out a hand towards Neku, palm upturned with another new pin, two triangles decorating the surface. "Try it out."
"...What does it do?" Neku wondered slowly, eying the pin curiously. He slowly took it from the Lord and lifted it into the air, a shiver at once dropping down his spine. Weird. It was nice to have the protection of these pins but...it always gave him shivers for some unknown reason. Regardless, he looked to Joshua.
"Just concentrate on activating it. It will work on its own." The Lord was grinning a little too much.... something was up.
Neku nodded absently and closed his eyes, sucking in a deep breath. Curiosity fueling his actions, he continued focusing on the energy within him. He had used the fire pin quite a few times in practice with Joshua, but for some reason, he couldn't quite get the vibe from this one. It felt so different, so weird.
"Just think about the pin, and the magic flowing from it." The Lord spoke quietly as Neku concentrated.
"Mm...trying," Neku mused and focused more on the magic within. After a few moments of struggling to focus just on that one thing, and not the really amazing day he had had, something happened. Not fire, not water, not lightning.. something...furry?
Joshua only snorted, a hand clasping over his mouth as he tried so very, very hard not to laugh but failed quite horribly.
"Wha...?" Neku began but continued focusing, not about to let the pin show him up. his nose scrunched some, and after a few more moments, something else happened, but he couldn't quite pin point it. Damn...was he sitting on his tail bone all of a sudden?...
The Lord couldn't hold it in anymore, all out laughing with shoulder shaking horribly. "I-It...." He managed to giggled, tears almost forming at the corners of his eyes, trying to catch his breath. "It's s-so cute!!"
"...Huh?!" Neku's eyes snapped open. "What's so funny?" he demanded, arms folding to his chest. Utterly. Clueless.
The silver-haired youth just continued to laugh and brought his hands up, the tips of pointer fingers and thumbs touching, sparkling a bit in the center before something akin to a mirror appeared in the small space between. There really wasn't anything different.... except for a pair of feline ears poking up from the spikes of Neku's hair, and a long tail curling around to his knees.
"W-w-what?!?!" Neku demanded, hands flying up to his ears and paling. "W-what happened to me?!" the teenager sputtered, shaking some.
"It's not permanent, dear," Joshua couldn't help but continue to laugh, now more amused at the poor boy's reaction. "I... I didn't think it would work! Neku, it's so cute!" He reached forward, tugging at the tips of the new ears sitting atop the brunet's head.
A soft purr left the boy's lips before he knew it. "S-stop they're sensitive," he murmured, a soft blush appearing on his face again, his tail swishing without his permission.
"Ooh?" The silver-haired teen raised an eyebrow, leaning in just a slight, fingers sliding down the rim of one of Neku's feline ears, scratching at the base right behind. "Sensitive, are they?"
The purr grew deeper and louder, despite Neku's muttered protests, his head leaning into the scratch. "You're...so... messed up..." he managed through purrs.
"Mm, I can handle that...." Joshua giggled, placing a hand on the couch just beside Neku's leg, leaning closer with slightly lidded eyes. "Feel good?" He purred back.
"T-tease," the teen murmured, averting his gaze, unable to stop the soft rumbling from his chest and the hot blush on his face. Damnit, why did his best friend have to do these things?
"Really?" He spoke back, leaning up to whisper in one of the new, apparently sensitive appendages. "Now how am I being a tease...?"
Neku gently pushed at Joshua's chest, a visible shiver raking his skinny frame. "They're s-sensitive," he repeated, as if defending his 'tease' statement with his declaration.
The Lord smirked, raising a hand slowly.... before the ears and tail disappeared altogether in a puff of wispy smoke. Ah, well that was to be expected... after all, Neku was still new to his magic, and this was a new pin. It was barely even that.
"Ah," Joshua blinked, glancing down at the pin in the brunet's hand, watching it disappear in a similar fashion. So much for that. Maybe he can make another one, and spend a little more time on it. Looked like if he skimped out on quality, pins weren't worth much after a single use... "Hmph. That's a disappointment." He picked a bit at the younger boy's hair, as if looking for where the adorable kitty ears went.
"That was ...so uncalled for," Neku murmured, face stained a striking red as he began rubbing feverishly at his face, sucking in deep breaths. "What if...what if I had got stuck like that?!" he all but whimpered. Poor kid.
"Oh come now, Neku..." The Lord smirked a bit, but his voice was a bit softer than before. "I wouldn't have let that happen. Sorry I picked on you." Slowly he brought a careful hand up to the boy's chest, fingertips just barely touching the fabric of his shirt. That was odd... something was a bit different. "You know that."
"Meh...it's fine," Neku sighed and glanced off to the right. "I guess even you are entitled to some fun," he mused and lightly exhaled, watching in amusement as his bangs fluttered above his forehead for a moment.
"I never get many chances to fool around," The Lord smirked a bit in good nature, pushing a stray lock of silver hair behind his ear. "Sorry that startled you. I should have been more considerate."
"No, it's fine," Neku chuckled and shook his head, rubbing the spot his ears had been self consciously. "I guess I just overreacted." He shrugged and slowly lowered his hand, offering a weak smile before relaxing.
"I probably would have acted the same way," Joshua responded with a sincere look, but still couldn't quite wipe the smile off his face. "Still.... there's something that kind of bothered me when you used the pin..."
"Huh? What's that?" Neku's smile faded and he tilted his head.
"Well, I know I just did this yesterday, but could I feel your soul again?" The brows on the Lord's forehead furrowed a bit as his expression became a slight more serious. "I think it may be because I had you use such a poorly designed pin. I may need to heal it a bit." He had only done this twice before, feeling Neku's soul to make sure there was no damage done, since a mere regular human was using ancient arts. Last time, after three hours of nonstop training with the flame pin, Joshua had to repair his soul just a bit to help him recover. It hurt at first, but he assured the brunet it did more good than harm. Like alcohol on a fresh cut.
Neku sighed. "Of course. I trust you," he breathed and shut his eyes, exhaling deeply in relaxation.
Joshua breathed a small sigh of relief, leaning over closer to the brunet, breaking every law of personal space he knew by doing so. He moved his hand off to the side of his friend's chest, lowering his head down as he carefully tangled his legs in the younger boy's to give him more stability. As his forehead touched the very center of the brunet's chest, a shiver ran down his body, licking his lips unconsciously. Yeah, that pin did a bit of damage, but nothing he couldn't fix. It was just like healing a physical wound when it was this miniscule.
"....Sorry," He whispered with traces of guilt in his voice as he gripped the front of Neku's shirt, a sharp pain shooting through his companion's body.
Neku's breath hitched, but unlike the cat-ear incident, it wasn't a pleasurable one. A soft whimper escaped the youth as he gripped tightly at the fabric of the couch, heart beating erratically.
A bit of a strangled sound also came from the silver-haired teen, grip shaking ever so slightly before his voice finally carried into something of a moan. But as soon as it happened, it ended.... leaving the two laying there in quite the compromising position, both a bit out of breath and gasping for air. That was just a bit more intense than the last two times...
The sound that had escaped Joshua, as fleeting as it was, danced in Neku's dizzy mind. His arms instinctively curled around the other for support, head tilting back to suck in deep, shaky breaths, legs still tangled with Joshua's. "Oh...god..."
The Lord took in a few more shaky breaths, steadily calming and pulse slowing to a normal rate, even if it did spike all over again from Neku's breathy moan. That was.... certainly uncalled for. "U-um..." He blushed harshly, speaking ever so quietly. "Neku...?" Oh lord he just hoped that-
"I'm home~!" A feminine voice rang through the air, just as the door swung open, revealing an always pleasant Misaki, a duffle bag slung over her shoulder. "Neku, I brought some-"
It only took about two seconds for tension to drown the room as she saw a feminine, familiar someone on top of her supposedly 'adopted son'. Joshua went pale just as she did.
"We weren't doing anything I swear!" Neku blurted out the moment his gaze met his 'mother's'. Despite his vertigo and weak body from that fixing Joshua had done, he managed to squirm beneath Joshua, trying to eliminate the compromising position before she could totally evaluate it.
Misaki blushed a bit, but couldn't help giggling as she watched the flustered brunet squirm about. She only knew the boy for a few weeks, but she could already tell when he was fibbing or not... and she was pretty sure she just walked in on something innocent enough, just at the wrong time. "Well, glad to see you're making some friends, sweetie." She teased, setting down her bag in the usual spot beside the small kitchen counter. "At least you have the decency to bring them over to meet the family before you start one of your own."
"W-we weren't-!" Joshua blushed darkly, horribly embarrassed and confused.
"I couldn't start a family! Josh is a guy!" Neku also blurted out, face growing redder by the moment as he looked to his friend and Misaki once more, jaw slacking. Could this get any more awkward? Well, the ears would have been worse.
Josh? Wait, that sounded....Immediately Misaki froze, eyes wide before she instantly dropped to the ground on her knees, bowing with a hand on her chest. "F-Forgive me for not noticing, my Lord. How terribly rude of me, I just didn't expect-"
"Think nothing of it, Misaki." Joshua laughed a bit uneasily, waving his hand at her. "Bring your head up, I've come here as a friend - not your Lord."
Neku blinked in utter surprise and continued rubbing at his cheeks, glad that the conversation had changed. Still...it was times like these that the redhead forgot his friend was a lord and bowed down to by...mostly everyone save for him. "Am I supposed to feel light-headed?" he murmured, cheek absently pressing against the Lord's arm as he offered a weak smile to his 'adopted mother'.
"For a little bit.... it should wear off in a few minutes, don't worry." The silver-haired teen assured, offering a sympathetic look. "Pardon my intrusion, Misaki Bito." He turned back to the woman who was hesitantly getting back on her feet. "Is it alright if I stay a while? I'd love to play with Neku some more."
"By all means," Misaki smiled with pleasant surprise. "Our home is your home, Lo-.... Joshua. Just let me know if there's anything I can do for you."
"...Burn those boxers you got me," Neku murmured under his breath, face still a subtle shade of red as he closed his eyes, trying to will away the vertigo. Man, his soul must have really got messed up because of that pin. Good thing Joshua was there, right?
"Oh, you love those boxers, sweetie." Misaki giggled, turning and walking into the kitchen and filling up the tea pot. "You were wearing them a few days ago, weren't you?"
"He was?" Joshua grinned, obviously far too amused by that little bit of information.
"He wore them to bed. " Misaki affirmed, leaning over the counter with a similar creepily amused smile on her face. "Neku's such a sweet kid."
Neku's face returned to its previous dark shade and looked away from Misaki, unable to form a proper argument. Instead, he all but pouted in defeat, avoiding both Misaki and Joshua's gaze, and instead sighed. "...I didn't..."
"You must really like the Bitos," The Lord turned back towards Neku, leaning against him with shoulders touching. "You have such a wonderful family."
"I do," Neku breathed softly. "They're so great to me," he went on to say, eyes shutting pleasantly.
Joshua's gaze fell ever so slightly, violet eyes fixing themselves to the carpet at his feet.
"Joshua dear," Misaki called from the kitchen again, fixing up her own personal blend of tea leaves. "Are you going to be staying for dinner?"
"Oh, I would love to," The Lord smiled, albeit a bit melancholy. "But Neku already took me out to eat, and I have things I still need to do today."
"I treated him to lunch," Neku declared rather proudly, smirking over at Misaki, eyes fluttering open in process. "Showed him what ramen was," he stated while grinning this time, staying close to his friend.
"Oh my, Neku..." Misaki faked a gasp, a hand coming up to cover her mouth. "You already took Joshua out on a date? Boys sure move fast nowadays..."
"He bought me a necklace too!" Joshua exclaimed in an almost giddy fashion, hopping up to his feet and stepping up to the side of the counter, showing off the simple but obviously treasured piece of jewelry. "Isn't it pretty?"
"I....I thought it was nice!" Neku stuttered in his own defense, getting to his feet as well, cheeks painted even darker now. Damn, could this get any more compromising or embarrassing?
"Oh, that's so sweet!" Misaki cooed, leaning over the counter to get a better look at the necklace. "Neku, you shouldn't be embarrassed. You did such a nice thing for your friend."
"It was so fun," The Lord fiddled with his necklace a bit, a slight flustered but nowhere near as much as Neku. "I've never really been out of the temple before, for anything other than business."
"He's making it sound like a date," Neku groaned in his own defense, flopping back down on the couch, arms folded. He wasn't ever going to win with these two, was he? The redhead inhaled deeply, and then added on, "...But as long as you enjoyed it...."
"I loved it!" The silver-haired teen smiled, sincere and simply overjoyed. "I hope we can do it again sometime soon."
"Well, perhaps I'll start giving Neku an allowance so he can take you out more." Misaki replied, pouring a few cups of tea and setting them on a tray. It's true that she and Beat have paid the brunet before for helping out with chores and errands, but since he's become more and more like family, perhaps it was time treat him just a little more like a son.
"An allowance?" Neku echoed, head tilting. It took the teenager a moment to blink in realization and chuckle awkwardly. "You guys don't have to do that. I'll get a job around the city, don't worry about it." He offered a small smile to Misaki and then glanced back at Joshua for a moment, gaze lingering on the necklace.
"Well that's great - then you'll have even more money." Misaki insisted, handing Joshua a cup of tea before bringing one in for the brunet as well. "You're only 15 sweetie, I think we can manage to give you a little bit each week."
Neku graciously took the cup, blew lightly on the surface, watched the ripples , and took a sip. His gaze softened at the delectable taste. "Mm...if you say so," he chuckled softly, smiling at Misaki as slowly sipped. "I think a few excursions during the day is a good escape from the temple and your duties, hm?" Neku lightly nudged his friend, flawlessly content.
"You're crazy," Joshua chuckled, nudging back. "...But you're right. I need to get out and have fun once and a while."
"Exactly," Neku laughed and closed his eyes, inhaling the scent of the tea. "...How about once a week?"
"How about every day? " Misaki called from farther within the kitchen.
Joshua laughed. "Once a week sounds good. Plus, I'll always be at the temple if you want to visit."
"You know me-- I visit every day regardless," Neku snickered and took another sip. "Maybe I should cut back," he wondered.
"Aww," The Lord frowned, reaching up and grasping at Neku's sleeves. "C'mon, you don't have to do that..."
A faint blush reappeared on the teen's face. "I dunno...sometimes I feel like a pest," he murmured with a shrug.
"You're not a pest." Joshua pouted a bit, furrowing his brows. "I love it when you visit. It always makes my day so much brighter."
"If you say so." Neku offered a small smile and continued sipping his tea, content to be around both Misaki and Joshua at once. Maybe this whole living arrangement in the city was turning out well after all.
It was only when the sun started to set that Joshua finally took his leave; he wanted to see Daisukenojo before departing, but Misaki insisted that he would be working late into the night, being on call at the hospital. Well, there would always be a next time.
----------------
Misaki is acting more and more like my mom. Hmm… wonder if that's some sort of transformation she's going through due to my own subconscious urge to give Neku a life similar to mine.
…Or maybe I just love making Neku squirm by giving him a maternal figure that showers him with things like pink heart-print boxers.