Chapter 16
(A.N: I haven't updated in exactly two weeks. PLEASE READ THE NOTE I'M ADDING TO THE END OF THE CHAPTER! 'This means thoughts.' TT means time passing or scene changes. R&R? You know the drill).
TT
They were roasting marshmellows over the fire they had created.
"Alright...I'll ask. I'm going to ask, because everyone else wants to know..." Fuuma's voice interrupted the silence that had overtaken the group. He turned his attention to Fai,
"The tattoo. What made you want to get it?"
The blonde hadn't been expecting the question. He was surprised that everyone was so curious about it...But he didn't know if he should get into details with them...
"Are you sure you want to get into that story? My history is pretty dark..."
"No one here has a good history," Seishiro spoke up now,
"Except Subaru."
Said male looked bothered at becoming the spotlight.
"And Hideki," Chi spoke up, though it was rather softly.
"Oh?" Fai was curious now. He hadn't known that the others had disturbing stories to tell...He thought he was all alone.
"Mine isn't as bad as some of the stories you'll hear," Sakura murmured,
"My Dad died, when I was younger, and I've never known my Mom...She died giving birth to me...So, I've been living with my older brother and his boyfriend."
"My story is similar. I don't know what happened to my Mom...But my Dad died when I was still pretty young," Syaoran spoke up from his position next to Sakura.
Shogo took a turn now,
"I've got both of my parents...But they're controlling as hell. I can never do anything to please them."
Primera squeezed his hand,
"My Dad died a few years ago...And ever since then my Mom's blamed me for his death...And on the days that she's not blaming me – she's forgetting who I am."
"I'm sorry..." Fai murmured, feeling bad now, that he'd asked at all.
Watanuki looked to Doumeki, who nodded. The smaller of the two spoke,
"Doumeki's Mom moved away a long time ago...And his Dad neglects him because of who he is..."
'Well, we have more in common than I first thought,' The blonde mused in silence.
"And my parents died in a car crash when I was younger," Watanuki's voice sounded again,
"I live with Yuuko – hence I know so much about everyone already."
"My parents died in a car accident too," Tomoyo spoke up, softly.
"Same," Kamui agreed from his place next to Fuuma.
Silence overtook the campfire. Fai didn't know if he would hear any more stories, but he wasn't going to force them out of anyone. He stayed curled up against his boyfriend, reflecting on what he'd already learned.
The silence stayed that way for a few minutes, before the thought hit the blonde,
"Wait..."
Fuuma seemed to be predicting what was coming, but he wasn't speaking.
"...Subaru's life isn't affected at all...But Kamui just said that his parents died in a car accident..."
Fuuma gave off a knowing smile, as Kamui lifted his head from the book he'd been reading,
"Alright, who told him I was a twin?" No one answered. The dark haired male sighed, bookmarked his page, and set his book aside,
"I'm not related to Subaru – at all. My parents died when I was very young. They were out on a rainy night...Lost control of the car...And the next thing I knew, I was standing at a double funeral." His attention was on Fai – completely,
"I've known Subaru my whole life, so I've always seen him as a brother. Plenty of people have made the assumption of us being twins in the past, so it became an introduction for us – a trick we played on people. We're a year apart. I'm older. After my parents died, Subaru's family took me in."
Fuuma's arm wrapped around Kamui's waist, and the shorter male turned his gaze on him,
"Why are you trying to comfort me? Your story is worse."
"I still have my Dad..."
"He's a terrible person though. I'd rather have dead parents than a Dad like yours." It sounded bitter to the others, but Fuuma just laughed and said that he understood what the male meant. But Kamui knew that beneath that smile, there was a part of his boyfriend that ached daily, for the pain his Father caused. He took Fuuma's hand into that of his own and murmured an apology.
"Our Mother died a few years ago...And our Dad...Well, he neglects us – because of who we are." Fuuma had decided that he might as well explain what Kamui was talking about.
"Our Father did this to me," Seishiro aimed a finger at one of his eyes. It was cloudy, while his other eye was clear. Still pointing to the clouded eye, he added,
"I'm blind in this one."
A few people were surprised, because they hadn't realized that the male was half blind. It gave Fai a knew respect for him. Half-blind, but still being himself...Still staying with Subaru – because he loved him.
Nothing his Father did, or tried to do, would change that.
"My brother and I are six years apart," Chi spoke up now,
"Our Mom died of cancer four years ago...And our brother died too – of a disease...One Doctors don't have a name for just yet...Our Dad is still alive...But we don't see him much...And, I'm afraid that even though Fai and I have lost the same people...His past is still much darker than mine."
He hated being the center of attention,
"Like I said...I don't know if you want to get into that story..."
"We shared our stories with you. Come on, play fair!" Fuuma teased.
The blue orbs clouded over, and everyone noticed. Kurogane tried to bring the blonde back to reality, but the male just shook his head; no.
"I was twelve when I told my Father that I was gay. I know that's a young age to be coming out, but I just...I just knew. My brother was gay too, but he never told anyone – except for Chi and I. He was my identical twin...I remember reading somewhere that when you have twins...And one is gay...There's a 70 percent chance that the other one will be gay as well..." He swallowed hard,
"It was our curse that we should both be everything my Father hates."
"Fai..." His sister spoke up gently.
"...The cursed twins..." He whispered. He took a moment, before he was able to speak again,
"I've suffered child abuse from my Father for as long as I can remember. First he didn't want me because twins were considered a curse – his family had stories about twins bringing about misfortune...And so when I told him I was gay...He punished me more severely...I've been sent to the hospital with my skin in different colours...Blue, purple, black...I've been told how useless and unworthy I am – my whole life..."
"Fai..." His sister spoke the name again, her heart aching.
"All because I was born...And my story only gets worse from there. My Mother and twin both died when I was fourteen...And not long after their deaths, two boys I went to school with, attacked me...One drew intricate designs on my back with a flamable substance...They set me on fire, and left me for dead...I had to get prosthetic skin...And it scarred...The tattoo is covering those scars..." He sighed before he continued,
"I was so miserable because of everything I'd lost...So I started cutting...When I turned fifthteen, I also started drinking...I was hospitalized three times because I'd overdosed on alcohol...When I turned sixteen – everything stopped...Except for the abuse from my Father..." When he stopped this time, he didn't start up again. His eyes stopped looking cloudy. His focus was back.
"...Wow..." Fuuma looked guilty. He seemed to be feeling bad for having asked at all now,
"And I thought we had it bad."
Fai smiled a bit, and shrugged. He hadn't realized that everyone else had had it hard...Or that he would have so much in common with Doumeki, Seishiro, and Fuuma.
Kurogane didn't speak. He didn't want to remember his own history. He didn't want to think about his family. Losing them had been too painful...
He subconciously held on a little more tightly to his boyfriend.
Fai noticed.
"Kuro-rin? What's the matter?"
Tomoyo was quick to understand,
"Kurogane. You don't have to talk about it, okay? Don't think about it. Don't focus your attention on the past. Okay?"
He didn't appear to be listening. She was worried about Fai, more than anything. She'd seen the raven get angry before. Seen him break down entire wall sections with just his fists...
And right now, the blonde was wrapped up in his arms – completely oblivious.
"Kergs?" He took note of the males hands. His hands had curled into fists – tight fists, with the knuckles turning different colours...
"Kuro-rin...Breathe..." Fai removed himself from the ravens embrace easily.
"Fai...Please, stay away from him. Just until he calms down...Please..." Tomoyo spoke up, getting to her feet.
But her words confused him. He shook his head; no. He couldn't leave his boyfriend in his time of need...And there was nothing that he could do to him physically that his Father hadn't already done...
Well, minus one thing. But that was another topic.
Fai sat himself back down in Kurogane's lap. This time, he sat facing him.
"Kergs? You need to calm down..."
The raven had his eyes closed. His scowl was deep, and his hands were balled up tightly into fists. His knuckles had changed colour already...
Fai slid his fingers through his boyfriends hair. Kurogane's fists were shaking violently.
"Fai...Please..." Tomoyo begged from somewhere in the background. She knew her cousins anger levels were skyrocketing. When his knuckles changed colour – that was a bad enough sign. But when his fists shook...
Fai didn't leave him,
"He won't...Hurt me..." The blonde took his chances. He leaned forward, pressing his lips against those of his boyfriend.
The whole gang froze. Everyone waited in silence.
Kurogane's hands shook for a moment longer, before the shaking slowed down to nothing. His fists unclenched, and he placed one hand in the blondes hair, and his other on the males back. Their lips moved together in a way that they were both familiar with...
Everyone was nervous until Fai pulled out of the kiss gently,
"Welcome back."
Kurogane's lips were soft against the blondes once more as he kissed him again.
TT
"Anyone up for a campfire game?" Fuuma questioned. Everyone was curled up with their significant other – minus Tomoyo, who was talking to Chi.
"A campfire game?" Fai inquired, confused. He'd never played a campfire game before. He hadn't been aware of any existing.
"Why don't the gay boys play top ; bottom?" Sakura teased, trying to contain her laughter.
"What is top ; bottom?" Fai was confused.
"It's a game where we try to guess who's the top, and the who's the bottom in the relationship," Fuuma answered, shaking his head.
"...Ohh..." The blonde felt embarrassed for having to ask.
"I don't know if we should bother...I think all of us are pretty obvious...I mean, in my brother's relationship-"
"—Say another word, and I'll kill you." Seishiro's threat rang clear.
Fuuma grinned,
"Well, I guess you know where I was heading on that one. And with Doumeki and Watanuki, I think it's also pretty obvious..."
The shorter male in question blushed and hid his face in his hands. Doumeki smiled a little, and ruffled up his boyfriends hair.
"...Idiot..." Watanuki mumbled from behind his hand shield.
"Then with you and Kurogane..."
"..." Fai looked away. He hadn't done anything sexual with his boyfriend yet. Was there some kind of code that he was unaware of? If you were gay, did you have to be sexual-physical with your partner?
"Back off Fuuma. We haven't done anything like that," Kurogane's voice sounded near Fai's ear, and the blonde blushed at the males honesty.
"Really?" Fuuma looked surprised.
"Like I said: Back off Fuuma. We haven't done anything like that. I've already explained to Fai that I'm not in this relationship because of a sexual attraction. He knows I won't do anything."
"Unless he wants you to," Tomoyo added. Her smile said she knew that he'd been leaving that out of the sentence.
"Alright. I buy it. But, if you guys ever do get into all that...It's pretty clear who's leading." Fuuma smirked.
Fai placed his face in his hands. He and Watanuki were doing the same actions.
"Welcome to my world," Watanuki announced from his position next to Doumeki.
There was laughter from around the circle of friends. Fai uncovered his face.
"And then I think it's pretty clear who's who when it comes down to Kamui and I."
"How about we don't discuss our sex life in front of our friends and your brother," Kamui spoke up – he was looking down at the pages of his book, which he'd opened somewhere after his explanation to Fai.
"What? I'm just saying-"
"—How about we don't say?" Kamui slid a hand into his boyfriends hair, wrapped his fingers around some of it, and tugged downward.
"Ow, ow, ow..."
"Are you done saying yet?"
"Ow, ow, ow!"
"Are you finished now?" He kept his hold on his boyfriends hair.
"Ow, ow, yes, ow..."
Kamui released him and returned to his book.
"Yes, I'm finished telling them that I'm top."
Fuuma receieved a glare, and was promptly shoved over backwards. He landed on his back with a rustling thud.
"And now you're bottom," Kamui told him simply.
"Ow..."
"I don't know what hurts more right about now; his body, or his pride," Kurogane's voice sounded.
Fuuma grabbed Kamui and hauled him back so that he was lying down next to him.
"You dick..." He muttered, glaring at his boyfriend.
"Hey now, don't talk about my dick in front of my brother and our friends," Fuuma murmured, climbing on top of the shorter male – straddling him.
"Redemption!" Fuuma cheered. He leant forwards to kiss Kamui – who deflected this action with his book.
"Looks like your redemption, just turned into a, rejection," Shogo teased from across the fire.
"Yeah, I guess so—Whoa!" Fuuma was flipped onto his back. Kamui sat on top of him – looking rather victorious. Said male set his open book down in the grass, stole Fuuma's semi-shades and set them down on the book, and then leant into a kiss.
Tomoyo snapped a picture before anyone could realize that she had a camera. No one knew how they'd missed it either...It was an old looking camera...One where the picture came out after you shot it.
Kamui got up and took his book back to his original sitting area. Tomoyo squealed like a fangirl at the picture that came out.
"This is so..." She couldn't even finish her sentence.
"You're really kind of scary, Tomoyo," Fuuma admitted, sitting down next to Kamui.
"Did she have too much sugar, or something?" Fai questioned, looking to Kurogane. The raven shook his head; no.
"This is normal for her."
"Alright, before you guys get into Tomoyo's fangirl-like-insanity...Maybe you should play another game?" Sakura tried to avert the disaster that she felt building up.
"Date swap maybe?" Primera chimed in, hoping to help.
"What is date swap?" Fai wasn't sure if he liked the idea of that.
"It's a game my girlfriends and I used to play when we were younger. You just pick the person you would want to date, if you didn't have your current boyfriend. Don't worry, you won't even have to leave Kurogane's side. You just have to say a name, and explain your reasons."
"Sounds like a dangerous game," Subaru spoke up, looking kind of shocked that Primera had ever played this game before.
"It is. But it's also a game of trust. You should already know that your boyfriend won't leave you – no matter what you say, right?" She curled herself closer to Shogo,
"In fact, I'd play it with you guys now...But, almost all of the guys that are here...Are gay. And Syaoran's too short – no offense Syaoran – and then Hideki is engaged...And Shogo is already my boyfriend...So, I can't really play. So, it'll be the gay boy version!"
Chi facepalmed, sensing disaster.
"I'll play," Seishiro murmured, sounding rather amused.
There were sounds of agreement from the rest of the group, except for...
"Count me out," Kurogane spoke up.
"Awww Kergs, why don't you want to play? It's just a game..."
"I don't want to play, because I don't have an interest in anyone – besides you."
"But it's just a game..."
"I know. I just don't want to play it."
"No one can force him to play, Fai. Come on, he's not going anywhere, you're still going to be right there with him. It's not like playing the game requires you to move away from him, so, just play," Fuuma tried to be encouraging.
The blonde nodded gently and agreed.
"Lets start down at Doumeki and Watanuki," Fuuma continued, grinning.
"I don't really have any interest in anyone...Other than Watanuki..." Doumeki spoke up, shrugging.
"Then just pick someone at random," Fuuma answered from across the fire.
"...Subaru, I guess."
"Alright, and why?"
"Because he's a good guy. He's nice, even though he's quiet a lot..."
"Sounds like someone else we all know," Watanuki replied, looking up to his boyfriend.
Doumeki ruffled his hair,
"Your turn."
"Me? Hm...It's a tie, between two people."
"A tie? Between who?" Sakura spoke up, clearly interested.
"Fuuma, and Fai."
"Oh this I've got to hear," Sakura's voice sounded once more, and she leaned forward, grinning.
Watanuki blushed,
"Uh...W-Well...Fuuma would be a choice, because he's funny...And outgoing...And that's just...I don't know..."
"Cute?" Sakura supplied the word.
"...And Fai's...Got something about him. I don't know what it is really. He's a good guy...He puts everyone before himself...He's so...Selfless...Even after everything that he's been through...I admire that aspect..."
Shogo did a wolf-whistle, and Watanuki buried his face in his hands. The group laughed.
"Thank you, Watanuki-kun," Fai laughed.
"Subaru, you're up," Seishiro reminded him with a nudge.
"Oh...Well...I guess if I had to choose someone other than Seishiro...Fuuma...Because he's a real goofball. And if I couldn't be with Seishiro...I'd want to be with someone who was his polar opposite...Because I could never be with someone who reminded me of his personality...It would feel like a betrayal..."
Seishiro tightened his arm around his boyfriend,
"You and I share that quality then. Because I would probably choose Kamui."
Kamui looked up upon hearing his name. But then his attention was back on his book.
Fuuma was up next. He looked like he was seriously thinking it through...
"Alright. My number two choice...Number two, because Kamui will always be my number one..."
"Please stop kissing my ass," Kamui muttered.
"That's not what you said last night," Fuuma teased.
Kamui went to pull the same move he'd pulled earlier, but Fuuma caught his hand,
"Okay, please, not the hair. Please...I'll stop it."
His boyfriend retracted his hand.
"Alright. So, my number two pick, would probably be...Fai."
"Me?" The blonde looked amused.
"Yeah."
"You have to give reasons," Sakura reminded him.
"Reasons. Right. Well, Fai is...Well, he's brilliant really. I mean, have you heard this guy sing? He's amazing...And then there's the whole selfless thing that Watanuki mentioned. Plus we have something in common. We both have jerks for Fathers...Maybe that's why we get along so well. I don't know...He just has an alluring atmosphere. And he's cute. Bonus points for being cute."
The blonde blushed at his friends words.
"Kamui, you're up," Fuuma turned his attention to his boyfriend.
"I'm actually with Fuuma on this one. I'd probably pick Fai as well."
Well...That was unexpected.
"He's talented as a singer, and that's a unique quality. He's actually rather funny when he wants to be...He's very kind. He also just has a way about him that's...What was the word you used Fuuma?"
"Alluring?"
"Ah, yes. He just kind of...Reels people in. I don't really know why..." Kamui said all of it with his eyes trained on his book.
"The non-eye contact thing is Kamui's little way of being embarrassed," Fuuma spoke up now, he moved some of his boyfriends hair,
"And his ears go red."
"Dick."
"I thought we already discussed this? We're not to talk about my dick in front of our friends, and my brother."
"It's Fai's turn to play the game."
"Oh...Right..." The blonde looked around the campfire. He fidgeted for a moment before he answered,
"I guess I'd choose Fuuma."
Shogo wolf-whistled again. Fai blushed a deeper shade.
"Reasons. You have to give your reasons," Watanuki reminded him.
"Reasons...Right...Well...Fuuma is...Lovable, he's got this great sense of humour...It makes the mood lighter. And then he's just a nice guy on top of it all. He's got a good atmosphere...And he gets bonus points for being cute...Though, I also find Kamui to be a really interesting person...He seems like he's actually really deep."
Fai was hoping that Kurogane didn't take anything he'd said to heart.
"Are you sure you don't want to play Kergs?"
"I'm sure."
"Care to explain this whole thing to me a little bit better?" Fai turned his attention back to his boyfriend.
"...Well, I can't choose another guy...Because I'm not gay."
"...You're dating me..."
"Yeah, let me finish. I'm not gay. Guys don't interest me...It's just you. You're the only one I see. I don't even look at girls in the way that I look at you. I'm not interested in girls...Or guys...Just you."
"So you're Fai-sexual?" Tomoyo questioned.
"See? It's his allure..." Fuuma spoke up once again,
"He's got Kurogane hooked on him. Like a drug, or something."
"Kergs..." Fai whispered, not entirely comfortable with the conversation. He had just learned that other people would consider him date-worthy if they didn't already have boyfriends. And he'd just admitted to two out of three of those people that he'd probably date one of them if he didn't have Kurogane.
Of course, the only way to seperate him from the raven would be death...
And death reminded him that he might end up dead if his Father found out about his living situation...
But hadn't he already promised himself that his Father would not control his relationships anymore?
Yes, but he hadn't seen him in ages, which meant that he was due to show up soon, right?
Which meant that his life was going to be over soon...
Whether or not he actually died, it wouldn't matter.
If his Father came back around, then he would be leaving his boyfriend behind...
Oh how he hated his pathetic little life...
"Fai? Can you come back to Earth please?" Kurogane's voice was bringing him back to the surface.
"Kuro-rin..."
"Did you just go to that little off-limits place in your head again?"
"Mm-hm." He looked away. He knew that his boyfriend didn't want him to think about the things that made him miserable.
"Fai..."
"I...I don't want to get into that conversation again, okay? I'll try to stop thinking about it."
The blonde sensed that this was not the end to the conversation. He stood up and Kurogane followed suit.
"Sometimes I forget how tall he is," Fuuma murmured as the two males walked away from the group.
TT
"How many times do we have to have the conversation before you get it through your head?"
Fai didn't answer.
"I know that when you get that look in your eyes, you're thinking about your Dad. And I know that it's scaring you – the idea that he might come back. I say; let him. He's not going to be able to stop you from living in our house. He's not going to be able to stop us from caring about each other..."
"...Caring? Is that what this is?"
"You know what I mean. Loving each other. Dammit Fai, stop trying to make me look like the bad guy for not saying the right word."
"Oh, so I'm the bad guy for having a terrible Father?"
"No. Your Father's the bad guy for being a terrible Father."
"Well that makes it all better then."
"I didn't say that it did. I was just saying that you're not the bad guy, and I'm not either. I'm just so tired of feeling like this Fai...Feeling like no matter what I do, or say...You're still not going to rely on me in the way that I need you to."
"And what way would that be?"
"The; if your Father comes near you, he's dealing with me, way. I dare him to come too close. He won't like what happens if he does."
"You talk big, but can you back it up?"
"Who got rid of Mikail?"
"You...But that's different. Sure, he harassed me at school...But he only hurt me severely once. My Father's more persistent. He's put me in the hospital before Kergs..."
"So I'll put him in the hospital if he gets too close to you."
"Yes because hospitalizing him fixes everything."
"Well what else can I tell you Fai? Why won't you just trust me?"
"Because the last time I trusted someone...They died..."
"That's not fair Fai. Your brother was sick. He wasn't healthy...And I am, and you know it."
"..."
"Fai, I've broken down walls with my bare fists – and that's not an exaggeration. I've taken out every bully Tomoyo has ever encountered. I've been in fights, and have won every single time. I rarely get hurt. Your Dad doesn't scare me."
"..."
"Would you trust Fuuma over me? Or Kamui?"
"I knew you were going to bring them into this! You can't even handle me playing a stupid game, Kurogane. Now you're bringing in something that's completely irrelevent to the conversation, and trying to guilt me into trusting you. They're not involved in this, so leave them out of it."
"Awful defensive over them though, aren't you?"
"Wow. I can't believe you've actually sunk down to this level. You're making accusations now, really? Remind me again; Who do I spend almost all of my time with? Who do I live with? Who was trying to reassure me that my Father couldn't tear us apart a few minutes ago? Oh, well that's just amazing...The answer if you...Every single time. Isn't that just incredible? Because you can promise me that my Father won't break us apart – which will be his goal if he finds me again – and yet, you're willing to fight with me over a game played with friends around a campfire. That's surprising. It really is. You're so solid about not letting my Father get between us...Yet your jealousy is standing between the two of us right now." The blonde headed back towards the campfire.
"Where are you going?" Kurogane followed him.
"Back to the group, to get a flashlight. And then I'm going inside."
"Why?"
"Because you're an asshole. You're fighting with me for overthinking, and then your jealousy steps between us, and I'm still being blamed. You know, if you want to fight with someone, why don't you look in the goddamn mirror?" By now, he'd reached his friends. He grabbed a flashlight from the pile,
"Excuse me everyone. My boyfriend has decided to be an asshole, so I'm going to retreat to the cottage for a little while." The blonde didn't waste any time in doing exactly as he said he would.
Kurogane stepped into view. He was met with Sakura's glare, Tomoyo's pity, face, and a mixed expression between sympathy and annoyance from Chi.
Everyone else was just confused.
But Fuuma's eyes said he knew what was going on.
"Should I go after him, or does someone else want to go?" The raven was getting used to this routine. He hated it.
Chi shook her head; no. She signalled for him to follow her.
He knew this wouldn't end well.
TT
He burst through the door, with tears rolling down his cheeks. He slammed the door behind himself, and listened to the satisfying bang. He kicked off his shoes, and half-stumbled through the cottage.
"I can't keep this up...I just...I'm so sick of this...I..." He tried taking deep breaths,
"I...I...I need something sharp..."
TT
"You guys..." Watanuki spoke up from the silence that had taken over the campfire.
"What is it?" Sakura inclined her head in his direction, only to find the male standing up,
"Watanuki?"
"...Chi is with Kurogane...And the rest of us are here..." He swallowed hard,
"...Which means that we've just left a miserable Fai in a house full of sharp ocjects and lockable doors..."
Sakura was on her feet in no time,
"Stay here, all of you...Except...Watanuki, Doumeki, Syaoran, and Fuuma. Everyone else, stays here." She grabbed a flashlight and ran in the direction of the cottage.
"Kamui?" Fuuma turned his attention to his boyfriend, who looked up from his book. The male read the question in his eyes, and nodded. His attention returned to his book.
The five of them were running in the direction of the cottage. Their feet pounded against the ground as the wind whipped past their faces. Self-created wind. Wind that came with running fast...As fast as your legs would carry you.
It never seemed to be fast enough.
They half-stumbled, despite the flashlights. Weeds scratched along their ankles.
Sakura ran with the chilling image of Fai – bleeding. Syaoran ran along behind her, because he knew that she was terrified. Even as she ran, she was trembling. Doumeki wasn't far behind, with Watanuki a foot or two behind him. They both ran knowing that their friend could be in trouble. There wasn't Doumeki could do...But Watanuki was a good talker – when he set his mind to it.
Fuuma ran with the horrific thought of this being his own fault.
They had to stop Fai.
Even though it felt as though they were running towards a cottage that seemed as though it was moving away from them...They kept moving. Panting and pushing themselves forward. Even when their lungs felt heavy, their pounding fear kept them moving. Adreneline they weren't aware of existing propelled them onward.
"FAI!" Sakura screamed, nearing the cottage. She didn't know if he'd hear her or not. Was he even conscious?
She bounded her way up the steps, and opened the door with fumbling fingers. When it was open, she tore off her shoes, and ran into the cottage.
"FAI?"
She listened for his voice. She could hear his muffled sobs. That was okay then...He was conscious...And he hadn't locked himself in a bedroom...If he had, they wouldn't hear him. Kurogane's cottage had soundproofed bedrooms – his parents used to have some crazy guests.
"Fai! Where are you?" She listened for the sobs again as she walked through the cottage. They were getting louder. Good...She was getting close...
She stepped to her right when a turn came ahead of her, and froze. A light...A bathroom...
"FAI!" She rushed to the door – not at all surprised to find it locked. Just terrified.
"FAI! It's me, open the door...Please Fai, open the door!"
Sobbing. He sounded so broken. He was worn out from all of the fights. He was tired of arguing...
"Fai, please..."
"Sakura-chan!" Watanuki announced, rushing over to her,
"Fai-san? It's Watanuki. You've got five people out here who are terrified...We told the others to stay behind...And Chi is still near the campfire...She's got Kurogane with her, I'm guessing she's scolding him for you...But listen...Sakura-chan, Doumeki, Syaoran, Fuuma, and I are all standing out here terrified...Please..."
"...I'm not coming out..."
"Then can one of us come in?" Watanuki motioned for Sakura to back up. She didn't want to, but Syaoran silently urged her to follow the males orders.
"..." Fai didn't answer at first,
"...One..." He agreed to the offer.
"Who do we send in?" Sakura questioned.
"..." Fai didn't answer again. He didn't speak at all.
Watanuki looked to Fuuma and nodded.
"Okay. We'll send one person in," Watanuki answered. He turned his attention to Syaoran,
"Hold her back."
The male did as he was instructed.
Fai unlocked the door – trusting Watanuki's word.
Fuuma stepped forward and the door was opened. He stepped into the bathroom, and locked the door behind himself.
"Hey..."
"..." Fai didn't answer. He just pointed to the sink. There was a rather large knife sitting there. Fuuma picked it up carefully.
"Watanuki?" The male in questioned answered to his name.
"I need you to do something for me." He unlocked the door, and opened it slightly,
"Take this." He held it out with the handle aimed at the shorter male. Watanuki took it carefully.
Fuuma closed and locked the door.
TT
"Where did they go?" Chi questioned, stepping up to what remained of the group. Seishiro was still sitting with Subaru, and Shogo was still with Primera. Hideki was sitting with Tomoyo – just as Chi had left them. But Kamui was all alone...
"Where's Fuuma, and Sakura...And..."
Tomoyo gave her a look. One simple look that said it all to her.
"Oh...Oh god..." She didn't wait any longer. She ran in the direction of the cottage. Kurogane stepped into the area shortly afterwards, and it didn't take him long to understand.
He was after Chi in no time.
TT
"Fai...Do you want to talk about this, or...?"
"I...I feel so stupid...I played a game...A simple game...And he just...He over thought the whole topic...And...Can we talk about this somewhere else?"
"Yeah, yeah, sure thing. No problem...One sec, alright?" The blonde nodded.
"Hey guys...Back up, okay? Fai and I are doing a room transfer." He heard shuffling. Unlocking the door, he pulled it open, and motioned for the blonde to come with him.
"You might want to hurry...We've got company on the way..." Watanuki informed them.
His eyes told them that Kurogane was on the way.
Fuuma directed Fai up to the bedroom that he was meant to share with Kamui. When the door was locked behind them, he sighed.
"Okay, this is how this works. If that's closed," he gestured to the glass door that lead to the balcony,
"No one can hear you...Except for me. So, if it's closed...Feel free to yell. Scream about how angry you are. Whatever you want. As soon as it opens...Your privacy is gone again."
"..." Fai sat down on the edge of the bed. Fuuma did the same. Fai waited. He was trying to figure out how to begin. Downstairs they heard Kurogane.
"Where is he?"
"He's upstairs, with Fuuma...Let him be for now. Fuuma might be able to calm him down a bit..." Watanuki answered.
"And don't bother with arguing...You started it!" Sakura announced.
Fai smiled at the childish sounding remark. Apparently, it worked. He could hear them sitting down downstairs.
"We can hear them, but they can't hear us." Fuuma reminded him quietly.
"...The argument was originally about trusting Kurogane. You see, my Father hates me, for being a twin, and moreover, for being gay...So he leaves me alone a lot...But he comes to check on me...And his visits never end well...I'm scared of him..." Fai wiped his eyes,
"Terrified, actually. And Kurogane keeps promising that nothing will happen to me...That he'll deal with my Father...But I didn't know if he'd really live up to his words...And I mean, saying you'll hospitalize somebody, doesn't solve all of the problems...So he tried to reassure me by telling me about his strength – as if I'm not aware of it already. And when I didn't answer..." The blonde scoffed. He couldn't believe his boyfriend was such an idiot...
"...When I didn't answer, he asked me if I'd trust you, or Kamui over him..."
"He really asked you that?"
Fai nodded,
"So he goes from saying that my Father won't split us up...To letting his jealousy stand between us. I just...Don't understand him sometimes..."
"...Fai?"
"Yeah?" The male in questioned turned his blue eyes to Fuuma.
"...Kurogane is really hot headed sometimes...But...It has to do with his past...I mean, I won't explain it to you myself, because it's personal...But...I'll say this much...The way we lost our parents...The way some of our parents have died...We were lucky...In comparison to what he went through...No one should ever have to go through what he went through...And after his parents died...He lived with Tomoyo and her sister, and their parents...And then they died in a car accident a couple of years later...But it's the death of his own parents that's really...Well, I'm sure he'll tell you when he's ready to..."
"...It was that bad?"
"Cancer looks like a Christmas present in comparison," Fuuma agreed.
"..."
"Come on, I want to show you something." Fuuma got to his feet and approached the glass doors leading to the balcony. Fai followed close behind.
Fuuma lead him onto the balcony, and they sat together, with the doors closed behind them, so that they had something to lean on.
"What is it?" Fai was confused now.
"The stars," the answer was simplistic. The blonde stared at the stars, awaiting some form of explanation.
"Do you know what my Mother once told me?" Fuuma's voice brought Fai out of his reverie. He shook his head; no.
"She told me ; look at the stars."
"...Why?" It still didn't make any sense.
"Because, they have constellations."
"Why constellations?" Fai laughed a little. It seemed like such an odd thing to be talking about. His heart was breaking, and here they were, talking about constellations...
"Because, constellations are stars that fit perfectly together."
"..." Fai didn't know what to say.
"And, who made them that way? Some sort of God? Or did the stars just naturally end up in specific places in the sky?"
"People drew the constellations together..."
"True. People drew the constellations out...But...They were only able to do so, because the stars had already found their place...Side by side. They were where they were meant to be."
Fai didn't know how to answer. He knew what Fuuma was trying to say.
The constellations may have been created by people...But the stars themselves were not. The stars had found their way together on their own...
And sure, he was human...But his feelings went beyond that, didn't they? He and Kurogane had found their way together on their own...
"...Thanks Fuuma..."
When the male turned his attention back to the blonde, he found him smiling.
TT
IMPORTANT NOTE: I went to my first ever con on Saturday, August the 28th. It was FanExpo 2010 – in Toronto – and I stayed at a friends for the weekend. So, here's the best part: Not only was it my first ever con...But who did I meet AT this con? GOD. (Though you all know him as VIC MIGNOGNA!) And of course...I had my camera with me. So here's what I'll ask you to do...You must go to Youtube, and type in: NekojinAmako – My con trip is up in two parts. Some of the footage isn't as good (it's decent), and my camera fucked up a little, so I'm sorry. But you can still see everything. SO PLEASE GO CHECK IT OUT. You'll know it's me when you see me. I don't even think I need to tell you who I went dressed up as for my first con ever.
TT
(A.N: Sorry I didn't give you guys any smex...Maybe next chapter...R&R?)