WHAT IS THIS? WHAT?
After... what, a year? I bring you the next chapter that's been in storage. The only reason it was never posted was because of the awkwardness of its structure, making it difficult to find just where to chop it in half into two chapters. But, whatever. I don't know why I didn't just post it as one huge chapter on steroids.
Without further ado~
Chapter Four
- White -
When Neku scampered out of the temple, the roaring wind gushed over him. It wasn't as strong as the day prior when the barriers broke, but it was enough to cause him to lose his breath and slow down a fraction. The guards were still nowhere to be seen, and the streets, for the most part, were barren. He could hear cars, still, and people, but they all seemed to be nestled away somewhere safe within the city he had grown to love.
Pushing away the nagging thoughts of everything he could of, should have done, Neku began running again, descending rapidly down the steps of the temple and towards the Bito's. He made it halfway home before remembering what day it was and the note. They weren't home, they were at work, which would make it even harder. Cursing everything, and trying to keep it together, Neku sped off to the closest work place from where he was--Misaki's.
He'd convince Misaki to go with him, leave Shibuya, bring Beat, and they'd go off to find another city to stay at for awhile. They'd all be safe, his new family, and he'd be happy. So he ran, pushing aside a few passerby's that actually dared to venture out.
When he finally arrived, sweating and looking horrid, he shoved open the doors to the small building, not bothering to knock or anything. He sprinted up the main entrance room and towards the small reception desk--he hated that girl that worked there-- and all but collapsed against it. "M-misaki Bito...c-can I speak to her?" he asked in a strained voice, gasping for air.
The tan woman behind the counter raised an eyebrow, obviously deterred by the state the young boy seemed to be in. Ah... Neku, was it? Misaki would hardly shut up about him during break. "She's in a meeting right now. Come back in an hour, she should be free then." She replied with indifference, completely ignoring the urgent tone and utterly worried look the brunet wore. He was just a kid... probably whining about a lost concert ticket or something just as trivial.
"But it's important!" Neku pressed, face flustered and hands shaking by his sides. "Can't you call into the meeting?"
The blond-haired girl rolled her eyes and huffed loudly. Might as well humor the boy than get snapped at by Misaki later.... "Hang on," She sighed, leaning over and pressing a button on an intercom. "Misaki Bito, Neku is here. I believe it's an emergency."
It took all but thirty seconds before footsteps were heard scurrying down the hall, a very flustered Misaki appearing around the corner, immediately rushing up to the brunet. "Neku!" She exclaimed, resting her hands on the boy's arms, surveying him with an increasingly worried look. "Are you okay, sweetie? You look horrible!"
Neku opened his mouth to ramble on about a hundred miles an hour, but closed it and passed a glance to the receptionist. His gaze returned to Misaki and he lowered his voice into a hushed, urgent whisper. "J-josh...I went to see him today...h-he's going to destroy the barriers...h-he's going to destroy Shibuya."
Misaki looked at the brunet like he grew an extra head, taking a small breath in and gripping the sides of the boy's arms softly. "Neku..." She whispered, keeping her voice low. "That's crazy. Did you two get into a fight?"
"Sorta, kinda...No," Neku rambled and feverishly shook his head, looking to Misaki desperately. "He was being serious and...and we need to get out of here. Me, you, and Beat."
"Sweetie, calm down." She stared at him incredulously, completely lost and obviously not convinced their Lord would ever knowingly harm Shibuya or any of its people. "Joshua has protected this city for a hundred years, there's no way he would destroy it. Is he sick? Is there something that's weakening his power?"
"He means it," Neku reiterated and shook his head. "He doesn't care about anything...about anyone but his stupid Reapers...and we have to go, please. We don't have much time."
"Neku...." Misaki bit her lip, suddenly worried the boy was going to do something rash if she didn't calm him down. "Even if the barriers are in trouble," Her heart skipped a beat at the thought. "Where do you suppose we go? It's safer to stay here, where we have a chance."
"No it's not! They'll all flood in and they won't stop and we need to run," Neku breathed rapidly, eyes widening. "Please...don't make me go alone. I'm not staying here....please come with me."
Misaki just watched him with a horribly torn look, wanting so badly to trust in the brunet, to be able to take his word for all it's worth. Neku had never lied to them, he's always been such a wonderful young man with integrity and sincerity.... but this.... she just couldn't believe this. Joshua purposely taking down the protective wards? That just wasn't right. There had to be something clouding Neku's perception, there had to be some sort of gruesome misunderstanding. "You're not going anywhere, Neku." She finally replied, voice firm but laced with dread and worry. "Stay with me if you want - I can go home with you until you've calmed down, but please.... don't do something you'll regret."
Neku's eyes filled to the brim with alarm, guilt, and remorse. "Misaki..." he whispered, tears forming in the corner of his eyes before he flinched away, breathing heavily. "I'm sorry... I have to," he whispered, feeling just as cruel as the Reapers for not being able to convince Misaki. He turned his back, eyes shutting painfully.
"Neku!" Misaki gasped, reaching for him with a swift hand, afraid that if she didn't hold onto him, he'd disappear right before her eyes.
Neku flinched away a second time. "I'm sorry," he whispered, voice audibly breaking. "...I can't stay..." He quickly headed for the door. "Please...be safe...." Unable to say anymore, knowing it was a lost cause, Neku fled.
Misaki quickly followed at the boy's heels, calling and crying his name over and over again, hoping to somehow get through to him - but Neku had been running all his life... and he was fast, much faster than the older woman. With a loud curse and tears forming in her eyes, she shakily grabbed her cell phone from her pocket, continuing to run desperately through the sparse crowds in Shibuya's streets. She had to call Beat... she had to get help, she had to do something! This boy she loved... her son was going to die if he fled the city! "Neku!" She cried, voice cracking in pain and horror, losing sigh of the brunet all too quickly, leaving her to stand in the middle of the street, arms and legs shaking, clutching her phone tightly and praying, just praying he'd be okay until they found him.
By the time that the phone call did go through, Neku was already at the outskirts, debating whether or not to leave in the end. He figured that a plethora of Reapers would be eagerly waiting...but no. It looked like a clear run over the burnt and barren field. With a deep breath, and a mental shove, he stepped outside of the city, outside of protection, and was bombarded by the sounds of Reapers already. His heart cried in growing agony and desperation but he began running regardless, wondering why he had even decided to stay here all this time.
The land outside the city was barren, desolate... devoid of life save for a few hardy plants and scarce scurrying critters beneath the ground. The wind rustling amongst sand and dirt, the few cries of solitary birds, and the ever alarming Noise was the only sound the brunet could hear, familiar and yet at the same time, as terrifying as it had always been. The danger of living without security, the peril of running endless upon endless days - his nightmare was starting once again. And this time, he didn't just have Reapers tailing him.... the Composer was also out for his soul.
Neku stopped running after a few moments, Shibuya still being in his line of vision if he turned his back. He stared at the desolate land and then the ground, a sob raking his body now that no one could see him. "Why?" he whispered brokenly, hands clenching by his sides.
The barriers in the still visible city were slowly cracking, slowly deteriorating and threatening the lives of everyone who found solace, who found safety within its walls. It wouldn't be long until it broke completely, and the constant buzzing of the Noise was proof enough that the Reapers were all too aware of the encroaching disaster. There were few of them, hardly any at all compared to the population over a hundred years ago... but they were desperate. They were starving, and finally, their long wait was finally over.
Today would be a glorious feast. Today, the Reapers would rule over Shibuya, and Japan, once more.
"Well would you look at that," A cocky voice came from behind the brunet, the Noise suddenly almost deafening in Neku's ears. "Looks like they sent us an appetizer before the main entree."
Neku felt his heart prickle in fear, but all around hate and anger. Instinctively, he raised his head and turned around, blue eyes forcing themselves to meet the face of what he truly loathed. "Sorry, but you're going to have to wait until your 'leader' lets you in. I'm not on the menu," he growled.
"Ohoho, we've got a feisty one!" The Reaper laughed, wings flexing as he stood tall and strong, watching the brunet with the amused expression of a predator. "I'm willing to share if you are, Ren."
"Well, we wouldn't want to spoil our appetite, now would we Mikhel?" A second male voice came from behind Neku, following by a sadistic chuckle. "It's only a matter of time before the curtain rises."
Neku shuddered a bit, looking between the two with wide eyes. Impulsively, he fumbled for the first pin Joshua had given him six months prior. He shut his eyes tightly and weakly made a small ring of fire. If it hadn't been for the fact that it was weak little flames, it probably would have been impressive and a semi good protection.
Another Reaper whistled from up in the sky, looking down at the boy with a giggle. "Is that human using Reaper magic?" She called, the shadows of more otherworldly predators crawled across the barren landscape, swarming like flies to a fresh kill. "Now I've seen everything."
"Oh, come on kid," The first laughed, stepping closer to Neku with a look of sadistic pleasure covering his expression. He reached out, the flames licking his hand and sizzling the skin for a moment, a temporary sting of pain. "I'll give you points for effort, but that isn't stopping anyone."
Neku's fear continued to grow in volume with each and every addition to the cluster of Reapers. The redhead gripped the pin tighter, flames scorching around him, only a fraction hotter, before he tried to bolt between a pair of Reapers, wanting to run again. Stopping was stupid, and now he was going to pay the price.
The Reapers just laughed at his feeble attempt at an escape, flexing their wings and taking to the air, cackling like crazed hyenas enjoying the sport of the hunt. "What happened to all that courage, boy?" One of them called, sending down a flame twice as powerful as Neku ever hoped to accomplish in his broken state, blowing dirt and sand in a miniature explosion beside the brunet's feet, but not quite close enough to hit him. They weren't done yet. This was their first catch in a long time... and they were going to enjoy it.
Neku yelped and struggled to avoid stepping into any of the flames, sweat pouring down his face from both the heat and exhaustion. "I won't die!" he spat at them weakly, struggling to run but finding it nearly impossible with all the torrents of fire the Reapers continued to hurl at him, and the fact that he had just dropped his pin.
The chase lasted far, far too long. The Reapers seemed to have endless energy, keeping up with the brunet without even breaking a sweat, gliding easily ahead of the boy to turn him in a different direction, live a pack of hungry wolves just waiting for the perfect moment to strike. The Noise was so loud, the deadly intent was so thick in the air it was a wonder Neku was even moving at all anymore. Most would be paralyzed with fear, their bodies breaking down to escape the horrifying experience of feeling one's soul being forcefully extracted from their body.
"Getting tired yet?" One of them hit the ground with steady feet, stopping the fleeing teen with a harsh grasp to his shoulder, claws digging into his skin and tearing the fabric of his shirt. "You're sweating something fierce... perhaps you should take a break, hm?"
Neku hissed in pain, trying to wrench his shoulder free, but found that doing such only caused the claws to pierce his skin harder. "Never...I'll never..." he whispered, head spinning a bit from the constant exertion of energy. He was falling apart, mentally and physically, and the pain of the claws and the sounds were becoming too much. If he was going to die here, everything would be in vain. But then again, what did he expect?
"I think he's about ready to break, Mickhel." Another Reaper laughed with sick amusement, landing in close proximity of the 'flock'. "Make him last much longer and the Soul will lose its light."
"Thanks for letting us have some fun, boy." The former chuckled, pressing a claw to the center of the brunet's chest, lips turning into a sadistic grin. "But I do believe we've worked up quite the appetite...." Slowly, familiar blue light began to swirl around the Reaper's claw, traveling up and out, pulsing with life. It was so much brighter than before... the smoky whisps continued to flutter out, before the claw dug further in... and slowly, the hand retreated, a tiny glowing orb resting within its deadly grasp.
Neku barely managed to gasp, eyes wide. He tried to thrash, tried to run, tried to cry, even, but he couldn't. He fell to his knees, then all he could do was stare, unblinking, at the whisp of color and life. His body felt weightless, as if in a dream, and he felt tired all of a sudden. But he couldn't sleep or close his eyes...he could only watch.
"Leave some for us!" The female Reaper called, hovering not a few feet away from the suddenly paralyzed boy. "Don't be such a glutton, Mickhel."
"Oh shove it, Uzuki. The barriers will be gone in a matter of minutes." The Reaper snapped back, slowly bringing up the tiny glowing orb of life to his lips, watching the terrified brunet with far too much amusement. "Thanks for the meal, kid."
"N-no..." was all Neku could manage to choke out, mind further numbing as he focused dully on the Reapers clustering around him and the pulsating light at one Reaper's lips. Maybe staying with Misaki and facing death with her, with Beat, with everyone else, would have been a better way to die.
A flash of bright white light shot across the sky, the sound of the barriers cracking echoing through the air. Or... was it really Shibuya's barriers?
A terrified cry of pain came to the far right as one of the Reapers fell, blood spilling and bones crunching in a sickening array of cracks, making all the Reapers jump and curse, suddenly on edge as they searched for the offender, whatever the hell it was. Something was attacking Reapers? Impossible! There was nothing on the face of this tiny, sad little planet that could-
Another gut-churning crack filled the air, and slowly.... blood seeped from Mickhel's stomach, his eyes going wide and face turning pale as a ghost. With shaking legs he looked down slowly, the life suddenly draining from him.... and he fell, dropping the glowing Soul to the barren ground, where it chimed like a tiny bell against the sand and rock.
"C-COMPOSER!" One of the Reapers cried in utter horror, the sounds of their beating wings and now erratic Noise only drowned out by the screams of pain and death, sickeningly similar to human's. One by one the Reapers fell, the air of death and dread hanging heavy in the air.... until soft, even footsteps came up from behind the brunet and slowly, a familiar pale hand reached down, picking up the tiny orb that was once at the Reaper's feet, not once turning to face the brunet, silver hair rustling softly in the wind.
'Even after I ran...even after I tried to get away, he's going to be the one that kills me...' Neku was reduced to an immobile statue, eyes wide and heart beating erratically in his chest. The Noise of the Reapers faded with each that had died, and the only thing left was an eerie silence, and the sound of his own fear and blood pounding in his ears. Still, he could not move. Then again, he doubted that he would if he could. Joshua had come to kill him, it seemed, and he couldn't even cry or close his eyes--it was all too much.
The Composer didn't move at first, merely holding up the tiny glowing orb, watching it pulse with strong will, and still beating with life. Slowly he turned, violet eyes gazing at the brunet intensely, devoid of any and all emotion. He took a step forward, eye closing and he lifted the Soul, lips parted...
...But no. With a final step towards the fallen boy, he placed on knee on the ground solidly – and his hand moved to Neku's chest, pressing the small light back into his beating heart, blue whisps tangling around his pale fingers momentarily before the Soul nestled back within the younger boy's body.
After a moment, Neku's body lurched, and he began to cough, nearly sputtering out blood as he held at his chest, vision blurry and head dizzy. After a few moments of coughing and shaking, he weakly looked up to Joshua, red bangs drenched in sweat and blood. "Why?...." he whispered, lips remaining parted, even after his question.
The silver-haired youth simply closed his eyes, getting to his feet and turning back towards the breaking city, avoiding the intense gaze of his once friend. Strange, how we wanted to talked, oh how we willed to speak... but nothing came forth. He simply stood there in utter silence.
Neku said nothing. The urge to run was gone, and he just stood there, staring at Joshua's back for a long while, body calming from his near death experience. Awkwardly, the teen finally stood and stepped a fraction closer and rested his forehead against the older's back, eyes shutting before he allowed himself to wordlessly, soundlessly cry.
The Composer tensed visibly, fists clenching at his sides. ".... If you don't run," He finally spoke, words somehow cracking underneath his powerful, determined voice. "I'll kill you."
"Josh..." More tears fled from the boy's eyes and he weakly circled his arms around the older from behind, refusing to move his head away. "Don't do this...don't kill me...don't kill them..."
"You're nothing more than food to me." He retaliated, not moving any closer, nor any further from the brunet's hold. "The only reason you humans are still alive is because we farm you."
Neku winced, knowing it was probably the truth, but not caring. "You've had plenty of times that you could have killed me...you could have just a few minutes ago," he whispered, tears staining the back of Joshua's shirt.
Joshua didn't reply at first, letting the eerie silence engulf them both. "...You were lucky again." He stated simply. "That's all."
"Then kill me now," Neku whispered. "Turn around and kill me. Prove to me that we were never friends and you don't care at all. I can handle it." His voice quavered and his arms fell away, but he didn't move away.
The Composer clenched his fists tightly, arms and shoulder shaking ever so faintly.... before he turned suddenly, shoving Neku down harshly on the barren ground, violet eyes glaring as he pressed his palm to the boy's chest, the familiar whisps of light curling about his fingers. He would kill Neku..... He would kill him, and finally end this pointless, this tormenting charade..... Shibuya would die. And Neku.... Neku......
Joshua's hand quivered, a small drop of water hitting the fabric of the brunet's shirt in between his fingers. A few solitary tears ran freely down his cheeks, the usually calm and composed Lord's expression now wracked with guilt and sorrow, his own voice catching in his throat as he willed down a cry. He couldn't say anything. He couldn't move, he could hardly even breath. "N-Neku...." He stuttered in barely a whisper, staring down at him with shaking limbs.
Neku stared up at the other, eyes widening not in fear but shock. His breath hitched and he was unable to move or speak for a long while. "Josh..." he whispered back and didn't move to push him away or run, but instead circled his neck, eyes shutting as he tried to calm himself down.
His fingers caught on the cord of something, and he opened an eye weakly, noticing the necklace from six months ago on the Composer's neck. His stomach churned and he traced the black cording down to the pedal and then up to Joshua's face. "Josh...I..."
Joshua's eyes winced shut, the light around his fingers dying down, disappearing completely under a shuddered breath. "This is how things always are...." He whispered, voice strained and shaky from tears. "But I can't.... I can't watch you die.... Neku..."
"Then don't leave me, d-don't kill me, " Neku all but whimpered, eyes shutting again as his fingers dropped from the pendant and returned to around the older's neck. His body shook with nerves and silent sobs, emotions pouring from his breath.
The Composer quivered, eyes shutting tightly as he leaned down, resting his head just above the brunet's shoulder, choking back a sob as it rose up his throat. He had to.... there was no way he could disrupt the balance for one small human. Neku meant nothing to him. He was food - he was disposable and replaceable. He was...
"I won't," He whispered, the words burning his lips as he spoke. Courage, no matter how small, sparked within him, overpowering all other senses. He had to do something. Shibuya was going to break, he was going to lead the Reapers into another glorious era. He had to.... "I'll protect you, Neku. I'll stay with you.... I'll always stay with you." He took in another shaky breath, his hands moving up to grip the sides of the brunet's shirt. "I-I'm sorry.... I'm so sorry...."
"Don't push me away again," Neku murmured in response, eyes shut tightly as he tried to cease his crying and just focus on the conversation. Focus on what Joshua was telling him. "Please don't," he added on, the arms around Joshua's neck tightening, afraid that if he let him go, the Composer would change his mind and leave him again, friendless, hopeless, and for the Reapers.
"I-I wanted..." Joshua began slowly, voice still horribly wracked with guilt, another tear falling from his cheek and onto the brunet's shirt. "I wanted to make you leave Shibuya... before it fell...." He bit his lip, leaning his head more against the younger teen's. "But I... I can't sit there and watch you die... I won't let you die..."
Neku blinked in slow realization. "Y-you...wanted to save me?" he whispered, the other's absurd actions from the day prior and this morning making sense, slowly but surely. "Even...even when you said you used me...I couldn't hate you...I couldn't even lie and tell you I hated you," he whispered.
The Composer's grip on Neku tightened, words falling to the tip of his tongue, but he bit them back... and instead, he leaned up, unable to look the brunet in the eye. "...You're going to be the death of me." He muttered with a remnant of a chuckle, before he reached up and unlatched Neku's arms around his neck, holding his wrists gently. "...We need to go back." He spoke, looking out towards the city in the far distance. "The barriers... are almost gone."
Neku blinked, not doing anything to remove his arms from Joshua's touch and hold. "...But what does going back solve? You're...going to put them back up?" he asked hopefully, blue eyes searching his friend's face.
There was a long, painful silence as the Composer's expression contorted into that of distraught and worry. "Your life.... is there, right?" He asked in barely a whisper. "I won't let you die."
"Thank you," Neku whispered, tilting his head up to graciously kiss his friend's cheek. "Thank you so much, Josh..."
The Composer tensed a bit at the contact, before he coughed a bit, sitting up and firmly getting to his feet. "Come on," He held out a hand cautiously, looking down at the brunet with a hint of a sympathetic smile. "Let's go back home."
Neku smiled gently and took the hand, getting up as well. "We'll figure out something so everyone's happy...somehow," he stated gently, hand not detaching itself from Joshua's despite him now being on his feet.
"I'm breaking all the rules." He laughed softly, shaking his head. "But.... I suppose this world could use a little change, huh?"
"For all of us." Neku breathed and nodded in response, gaze not falling away from his friend.
Joshua grinned, before yanking the brunet closer, wrapping an arm around his shoulder. "You may want to hold your breath," He advised with a smile, something shimmering from behind them both, barely seen but catching the sun's rays with every fluid movement. "This is going to be fast."
"What?" Neku asked in confusion and looked to Joshua with nervous eyes. Regardless, he did as he was instructed, holding his breath and tightly shutting his eyes, leaning against the taller.
The Composer tensed and with a sudden burst of energy, the wind around them spun like a tornado, taking Neku's breath away and chilling him to the bone for all of two seconds, before suddenly the sun seemed to disappear, along with the Noise and the sound of the outside. "Sanae," Joshua finally spoke, letting go of his younger companion. The smell of incense, the dull light of candles and quiet tranquility... they were back in the temple.
"Yes, Composer?" A shadowy figure appeared near the back of the room, bowing in respect.
"Cease destruction of the barrier. Flow the music back into the wards." Joshua spoke sternly, walking towards the center of the room, his footsteps leaving a very faint trail of light. "We're going to keep this city alive."
Neku remained where they had reappeared, holding his head due to the slight dizziness he still felt. "The temple?" he asked himself dully, not really paying attention to the Lord or his conversation, but instead his spinning mind,
"Wh-what?" The voice stuttered, completely taken aback. "But Composer, the Reapers-"
"I don't really give a fuck right now, so just shut up and do as I say." Joshua snapped, allowing the white light to rise around his feet, his entire form beginning to glow. "Let one Reaper into the city and I'll kick your ass back up to Heaven."
There was a hesitant pause, before quietly he replied with a chuckle, "Yes... my Composer." And disappeared.
Neku glanced up, listening to the exchange with a subtle grin. He hesitantly walked over when the stranger disappeared. "...Heaven?" he echoed, head tilting curiously.
"Ah... yes." Joshua turned, giving Neku a bit of a grin. "Sanae is an Angel. They have always served Composers, since the beginning of time." The glow around him pulsed faintly, becoming slightly brighter. "Not quite the white-winged image of holiness you perceive them to be, hm?"
"Not exactly," Neku agreed and offered a weak smile before examining his friend's glowing form further. Curiously, he reached out and touched the seemingly warm light.
Joshua jumped a bit at the contact, but relaxed when nothing much happened. He was technically a Reaper, so he was a bit concerned his raw power would harm Neku, but... it seemed to do quite the opposite. At the timid contact, he felt a wave of warmth, comforting and protective. "...Neku?" He asked hesitantly, looking over at his companion with a somewhat perplexed look.
"Feels good," Neku answered honestly and shut his eyes, cautiously leaning against the Composer's chest, not paying much attention to Joshua's hesitation.
The Composer tensed again, freezing up completely at the younger boy leaned against him, his actions contrasting so greatly from even just a few hours ago. Slowly, he slid his arms around the brunet's back, setting them comfortably just above his hips. Well, it didn't seem to be doing any harm, and.... he enjoyed the comfort the young teen brought him with such a simple gesture. A smile tugged at his lips and he closed his eyes, letting his light wrap around Neku ever so slightly, protective and warm. "What am I going to do with you...?" He mused quietly, giggling lightly.
"Mm...not move for starters," Neku suggested with a lazy grin of his own and inhaled deeply, the warmth and light easing his tense muscles and sore body from having run so much. "I'm not freaking you out doing this, right?"
"Yes you are." The Lord replied truthfully, resting his forehead gently atop the brunet's crown. "You're insane to have trusted me so easily again."
"Why?" Neku murmured, a bit caught off guard, but didn't move away. "...Am I not supposed to trust you for some reason?" He understood that Joshua had lied to him, and scared him, and almost lead him to death, but he came through in the end…right?
"No, no you're not." The Composer laughed, but thankfully there was no sadistic undertone this time. "It makes about as much sense as a mouse befriending a lion." Not that he wanted to belittle his friend at all - but hell, he never really was good at metaphors. That was Sanae's rather annoying talent.
"...Thanks." He finally whispered.
"You're welcome," Neku beamed and finally pulled away from Joshua's intoxicating warmth. The teen smiled and then awkwardly rubbed his arms. "We're still friends...right?"
Joshua smiled warmly, his light still pulsing softly about him, whisps curling around the brunet's feet even as he pulled away. "Of course," He laughed a bit to himself, reaching to gently take Neku's hands in his own. "I mean, as long as you don't mind the age difference. Because, to tell you the truth... I lied about that."
Neku tilted his head. "...Lemme guess...you're even older?" he chuckled uneasily and shrugged. "Doesn't matter either way. I could care less about age, it's just a stupid number."
"Well, you kind of lose track after.... oh say... three thousand? It's 2009, right? Somewhere around there." The silver-haired 'youth' looked up thoughtfully, but decidedly gave up after a few seconds. "...I'm sorry you had to find out like this. About me being Composer." He added in a quiet voice, violet gaze shifting downwards.
"You...could have just told me, you know," Neku murmured, awkwardly shrugging. "I mean, I'm not freaking out over your age or anything else." He inhaled deeply, wondering that maybe he was a bit too forgiving. Oh well. "'sides...you seem a lot more...real now, I dunno. Your words don't seem forced and fake."
There was an uncomfortable silence, the Lord's expression falling, making the glow around him dim ever so slightly. "I.... I was deceiving you, Neku. I pretended, I tried to become someone you would open up to... because I wanted your soul." His eyes closed. "But I promise, now.... I won't pretend anymore. I don't have to." He smiled warmly, albeit a bit forced from the embarrassment of admitting something so personal. "I... I really like you."
Neku inhaled deeply, eyes shutting as he processed the words. "I'm still mad you lied and all, yeah," he agreed and then allowed his eyes to flutter open, a nonchalant smirk sprawling across his youthful features, "but I really like you too." Smugly, the boy leaned closer to the Composer and gave a soft tug to the necklace around Joshua's neck, "And I'm certain that, even if you were pretending to be the world's sweetest guy, I still know the real you."
The Composer laughed softly, reaching up to gently touch his fingers atop Neku's hand. "The real me...." He spoke quietly, looking away from the brunet, his smile falling. ".... The real me.... at least, before I met you, is... not all that different from how I was right before you left." He admitted with a darker tone in his voice, hesitance and something quite foreign making his stomach churn in anticipation.
Neku blinked, his fingers lingering on the pendant. "The past is the past," the redhead murmured. "Like the old me....when I first met you. I didn't trust anyone, if you remember. I hated to be touched, hated to talk to people, to sleep inside...but that all changed after a few weeks. People can change," he reasoned sternly.
Joshua closed his eyes, and allowed his lips to form a remnant of his usual confident grin. "...You're an enigma, Neku." He chuckled, before looking up at the brunet. "I suppose that's the very reason why I've changed as well."
The light around the Composer pulsed once more, before slowly dying, the ethereal whisps around both his and Neku's feet sinking into the tatami mats, leaving only the sparse amount of candles to light the room.
Neku stared blankly and then proceeded to flush a soft shade of red. "Nah, you didn't change because of me--you just changed because you're a good person deep down," he reasoned in a stubborn murmur and casually dropped Joshua's necklace and took a step back, pretending to be absorbed by the familiar candles.
"A good person?" Joshua laughed, shaking his head with a somewhat.... cynical look. "There are two very distinct flaws in that reasoning, dear. For one, I'm hardly a 'person', and two - I've killed way too many people to be considered 'good' deep down. But whatever helps you sleep at night."
The brunet simply rolled his eyes, shaking his head softly. "People change," He repeated, hesitantly reaching forward to take one of the Lord's hands into his own. "And you came through for me at the end. Without this city, I probably would be dead by now…" He breathed in, letting out a quiet sigh. " I owe you my life. Everyone here owes you their lives."
"Composers deal with complex affairs." Joshua let his gaze fall, eyes dark but at least he continued to hold that weak smile of his. "It's not like we do what we do to save the lives of humans."
"You do though, don't you? In a way… keeping the Reapers at bay to keep them alive… you help us too." Neku could hardly believe what he just said. Perhaps… he understood a little better now. He knew Joshua does what he does to keep the Reapers from wiping themselves out, killing the mass of human population until there's nothing left for them to live off of. But by doing so, he also saves humans in the process. "Nothing's black and white."
The Composer sighed with a smile, unsure just how to process Neku's heartfelt words. He gave the boy too little credit, didn't he? Perhaps this was all for the best. Perhaps because of Neku, he can find the courage to take the first step towards a newer, brighter future. "Thank you, Neku…" He whispered, gripping the extended hand back in reply. "For trusting me."
"…Hey, what are friends for?" The brunet replied a bit sheepishly, watching their linked hands with a fond gaze.
Joshua chuckled, eyes closing. "Yeah…I suppose that's the sort of things friends do."