No Money, No Love
By: Witch Baby
A/N: I'm gonna keep it short and sweet. Nothing much goes on here, but next chapter (which I've got ¼ of the way done!) is the beginning of the exciting climatic parts! Yay! And I really had no set song for the chapter, so I threw up this Bowling For Soup song that I like and kind of fits… anyway, enjoy! :D
"Try not to talk, when there's nothing to say,
Kept bottled up, we get carried away
Then I fall, then I fall down,
Then we fall down
And you know that it makes me feel so ridiculous
A pocket full of posies, we fall down on the inside; pretty on the outside,
Turn it around, can we turn it around?
Try to make a comeback with nowhere to start from now
But it's looking up…"
Chapter 15: World Keeps Turning
The silence in the room was stifling, and Ayase couldn't help but feel it was all his fault. Skyler was turning out to be such a good friend, and then he had gone and dumped his emotional baggage right on the table. Ayase knew he had a bad habit of sharing too much, especially when he was emotional. Nothing was normal about this whole situation, his whole life even. He was just glad that Skyler seemed understanding of it, and had asked no more questions. Being in such an emotional state, Ayase was unsure he could keep from spilling the whole story.
As the younger male finished up in the kitchen, Ayase distracted himself by taking in Skyler's apartment. The space was small, and yet, despite such limited space, it was still quite cozy. The walls were covered in odd music and movie posters, with a large shelf on one wall filled with books. Another wall had another shelf, this one with an older looking stereo system and stacks of CD's. There was no TV that he could see, though a beaded curtain led off into what he thought might be the bedroom. "You have a very nice place here." he commented politely.
"Thank you," Skyler replied with a smile, setting down a bowl of miso in front of him, "It's small, but really close to both my brother's dojo and my jobs."
"Jobs?"
"Yeah, I'm a dancer and a part time bartender at Club Star. It's mostly a weekend thing though."
"Club Star?"
Skyler smiled mischievously. "It's a local gay club. We should go out sometime. Meet some cute guys!"
Ayase's cheeks reddened at Skyler's provocative tone, disliking the idea instantly. "I d-don't think so. I'm not much of a dancer…"
"Aw c'mon Ayase, go out and have fun! What's stopping you?"
The older blond grew quiet, eyes falling to the floor. What was stopping him? The thought of Kanou was instantly in his thoughts, but then again, he had told himself that'd he wouldn't let anyone else rule his life. So why was he still holding back? Or worse, running back to him like the night before.
'I guess its easier to say things then do them.' he thought with a sigh.
"Uh-oh, have I lost you to the world of thought again?" Skyler interrupted with an amused smile.
"Sorry," Ayase replied sheepishly, "I've just got a lot on my mind."
"That's okay, I understand."
They shared a small smile and continued eating, talking idly. Ayase still felt a little tense, but Skyler seemed so understanding, and little by little he let himself relax. His emotions and concerns where still present in the back of his mind, but like everything else, he would enjoy this moment now, and deal with things as they came.
A knock on he door interrupted their conversation, and Skyler frowned as he stood. "I wonder who that could be…"
Ayase tensed, thinking for a moment it might be Kanou. It wouldn't surprise him, Kanou found his flat so easily, and had probably been watching him from the beginning.
"Open up Sky-chan, I know you're home." said an unfamiliar voice behind the door.
Ayase relaxed, glad that Skyler wasn't running into his past again so soon, until he noticed the tense set of the younger blonds shoulders. The blond swore softly under his breath, throwing a nervous glance at Ayase. "I… I need to deal with this real quick, okay? Just stay here."
Ayase nodded, nervousness twisting in his stomach as he saw Skyler's fear. All he had seen from the younger blond was strength and confidence, and seeing him so worried was unsettling.
Skyler opened the door slightly, and Ayase could see a sketchy looking male standing just outside. He was wearing a dark gray casual suit, towering over Skyler with a dangerous leer. "Hey there Sky, it's been awhile."
Skyler squared his shoulders, doing his best to seem unafraid, but even Ayase could see the way his hands slightly shook. "What do you want Eito?"
"Nothing, just thought I'd drop by. We haven't seen you at the house in awhile and Ginji was getting concerned."
"Ginji had no reason to be 'concerned', I've been keeping up with my payments, so he can leave me alone."
Ayase frowned, his concern growing the more he continued to listen. Who was this Ginji? And what were these 'payments' ?
"Still, he misses you Sky-chan. He says its boring without you. And you know how he gets when he's unhappy." Eito reached out his hand, skimming his fingertips down Skyler's cheek, making the younger blond flinch.
Ayase stood, not sure what he could do, but feeling like he should at least do something. "S-Skyler…?"
The younger male turned to look at Ayase, and he could see the fear and hurt in those dark blue eyes. Unfortunately, Ayase had also brought Eito's attention to himself. "And who do we have here?" he said, eyes roaming lustfully over Ayase's figure as he pushed his way through the door, "Aren't you a pretty little thing?"
Skyler stood in Eito's way, trying to push him back out. "Just go Eito! You have no business being here!"
"You can't tell me what I can and can't do you little slut!" he hissed, grabbing Skyler's arm and yanking him forward.
"Is there a problem here?"
Immediately Ayase could feel his tension drain away as he recognized that voice. "Homare…" he sighed with relief, knowing that things would be all right now that he was here.
Eito turned to where the Kuba twin was standing in the doorway, looking completely at ease despite the hard glare he fixed on him. His dark eyes settled on the tight grip he had on Skyler's arm, and his hand twitched to grab the gun tucked at his side.
"I don't know who the fuck you are," Eito replied, tightening his grip and causing Skyler to whimper, "But I suggest you get out."
It happened too fast for Ayase to follow. It was always frightening to see the way Kanou or the Kuba twins could take someone down. One minuet he was frozen in fear in the kitchen, watching Eito overpowering Skyler, then Kuba had him on his back, gun ready to fire in his face. Skyler looked on a few feet away, a mix of shock and fear on his face.
"W-what the hell man?" Eito shrieked, flinching back as he heard the gun click.
Homare said nothing as he stared down at the man, his emotionless façade never wavering. Eito could see that begging or pleading would not invoke any type of mercy. He began to shake , his eyes darting from the gun, to Homare's cold expression.
"K-Kuba-san?"
The quiet, tentative call of his name tore him away from the man beneath him, his dark eyes flickering to the quivering figure nearby. Ayase reached his hand out, laying it lightly on his shoulder. "M-maybe you should just let him go…"
With a small nod, Homare lowered his gun, standing aside. Eito wasted no time in scrambling to his feet and running out the door. Ayase sighed in relief, immediately going to Skyler's side to see if he was all right. "I'm fine." he assured, getting to his feet and running a slightly shaky hand through his blond hair.
"Are you sure?" Homare asked, impulsively taking his hand to examine the bruises around his wrist.
Skyler snatched his hand back. "I said I'm fine." he assured quietly, a slight dust of pink coloring his cheeks as he turned away.
Homare paused, almost taking a step closer, before he too turned away, turning his attention back to Ayase. "And you are all right as well?"
"I'm okay, you came in just in time."
"Very well, I'm glad I came here first."
Ayase's brows furrowed in confusion. "What are you doing here anyway Kuba-san?"
"Kanou-san wanted to speak with you. You weren't home so I volunteered to look for you."
"K-Kanou… wants to talk to me again?" Ayase asked, the apprehension evident in his voice.
"Only if you want to talk to him. He assured me he'd wait until you were ready."
"Was he… angry when you left him?"
"He was fine, just waiting for you."
The blond bit his lip in contemplation, bright eyes searching Homare's face for assurance as he asked, "Do you… think I should talk to him?"
Ayase always put up a brave front, but Homare could tell that being on his own was taking a toll on him. The Kuba twin thought back on all the times he walked in on Kanou's brutish behavior, the borderline abuse he inflected. There was nothing healthy about their relationship, the co-dependency and the blurry lines of wrong and right. Homare could easily end this, direct Ayase attention elsewhere until he was able to take a chance. "It's really not my place to make decisions for you…"
And yet, even as he thought this, Homare looked at Ayase carefully, taking in the dark circles under his eyes and the tired sag of his shoulders. He thought of Kanou's haggard look, his desperation of the last few days. He hated to say it, but they needed each other. Their roots had became so intertwined, it was almost hard to see where one ended and the other began. Ayase was the only one that could pull Kanou away from the edge of madness, and Kanou was the only one that could truly appreciate what that compassion meant. Maybe that was why Homare never really interfered. He knew, deep down, that in their own little misguided way, they fit perfectly.
" However, I think you should talk to him," he finished, meaning every word, despite the ache it left in his chest. "He needs you, even if he's not sure how to say it." .
He saw the way Ayase's eyes lit up, could almost hear the thought of 'He needs me…' echoing in the blonds head. "Thank you Kuba-san. Let me say goodbye to Skyler and then we can go."
Homare nodded, watching the two younger males exchange a few words, Skyler giving Ayase a reassuring hug, and telling him again that he'd be fine. "And thanks again Kuba-san." Skyler said, a mischievous glint lighting up his blue eyes, "For everything you've done for me."
Homare gave him a curt nod, unsure if he'd be able to say anything should he open his mouth. Skyler, a new problem entirely. Not just for the night before, but for the sudden introduction of that stranger Eito. Homare had planned on doing some research on him the night before, but had ended up doing something else entirely.
"Ready?" Homare asked, suddenly wanting to hurry and escape the intense dark blue gaze.
There was still a hint of uncertainty in Ayase's eyes, but with it was a strong sense of determination. Homare led the way outside, sincerely praying, for the first time in long time, that things would work out.
A/N: Sorry guys, no review replies. I got so many it was hard to sit down and pick through all of them. Plus, I really just wanted to put this chapter out for you readers. You people have been so patient and understanding about everything going on in my hectic life. I'm hoping that I can pick this up again and turn out the chapters quick like I used to, but we'll have to see.
Please read and review! I love it!
Oh, and I've decided that if I can reach 200 reviews, I'll do another gift-fic. I know I'm a long way off, and I don't expect to reach it this chapter, I'm just giving the world and FYI. :3