A series of you and me [CHAPTER 24]
Title: A series of you and me
Chapters: 24/?
Genre: Angst. Romance. Smut.
Warnings: Angst.
Ratings: PG-13 to R
Pairings: AoixUruha - ReitaxRuki (?)
Disclaimer: I only own my imagination ♪
Synopsis: Kouyou finds his life ruled by the glimpses of him he can see.
Comments: BE SURE TO CATCH UP! I didn't post the 3 previous updates in communities. lazy
Akira had barely slept 2 hours since he had gone to bed around 6am. Being a bartender had its advantages of course but little by little, all he could see about his job was only from a negative point of view. In fact, he had grown so lonely these days that he couldn't remember when had been the last time he had seen his friends, apart from the time when Taka was here and left abruptly for no reason.
The loneliness was creeping especially at dawn when the sun will rise.
It was now 9 and Akira had spent the last hour thinking and thinking again about what kind of direction he should take about his life. Could he be a bartender all his life? Hell no. He dreamt of nice evenings in front of the tv, eating and cuddling. With who?
Pink hair vaguely appeared but was quickly replaced by a round baby face and a cute smile.
Yet all the time, Akira would just send this idea off because friendship was more important to him. And he missed the little man strongly, but, at the way he ran off the other day, he didn't know if he could dare contact him or not.
The doorbell rang and Akira sighed.
Who would disturb at such an hour? Really? Who?
He dragged himself out of bed and went to the door, exhausted. And soon bewildered.
- What are you doing here? Now of all hours?
The other laughed, embarassed.
- I need to talk to you. Were you asleep?
Akira scratched his head, a little annoyed:
- Not really you're lucky. But if I had been asleep indeed, I'd have kicked that ass of yours so strongly you'd be on Mars already!
Kouyou laughed again, heartedly this time and came in as Akira opened wider for him.
- Come in the kitchen, will you have breakfast with me?
Kouyou smiled:
- Why not.
Few minutes later they were both sat with a fuming cup in front of them, with toasts, marmelade and butter.
- What brings you here? It's rare you come to see me.
Kouyou smiled shyly:
- Well I'm sorry, I know that it's not right for me to be here because I neglected you lately...
Akira shook his head, embarassed:
- It wasn't a reproach! I felt lonely it's true but this work is killing my social life.
Kouyou continued:
- Well...Are you interested about working to another place? You will have your evenings, but you'll need to be up early, around 6 or 7.
Akira raised his eyebrows, surprised:
- It's like everything I dream of lately! I mean, going to bed when the sun rises is so depressing. I have to close my eyes over what is the most beautiful thing on earth!
Kouyou smiled, touched:
- The coffee shop is currently closed because it's being renovated. It will be bigger and we need to hire someone to help me in the morning. I will be supervising the coffee shop from 5 to noon and Sakai from noon to the closing. What do you say?
Akira smiled widely:
- Do you have the contract on yourself?
Kouyou smiled:
- No, not yet. If you're ok with it, I will report it to Sakai today. You can come along so you can have an interview right away.
Akira agreed and asked:
- It's nice that you thought about me.
Kouyou shrugged his shoulders:
- You deal with customers at the bar, you have warmth and a good contact with them so I knew that you could do the job for us. You'll have the chance to prepare Taka's coffee every morning.
Akira smiled but Kouyou seemed to have another thing to say:
- Akira, it will be a bit sudden to you but...I will be moving out of my place soon because I need to find another place where to live and I need a place to stay for few days or so...
The bartender frowned:
- So?
- Could you let me stay here?
Akira seemed so surprised:
- Why do you ask me? I mean, why not to Taka instead of me?
Kouyou suddenly looked down, sad even.
- Because I don't want Taka to ask questions about few things. It could really help, and of course, I will pay my rent, groceries, do the housework and all!
Akira took few seconds to think about it. He didn't mind Kouyou staying, in fact, he'd feel less lonely and this place wouldn't be so quiet. The only thing that seemed to worry him was the fact Kouyou came to him instead of Takanori and he didn't know if it should be discussed. And as he didn't want to create chaos later, he directly asked the other:
- Should I tell Taka?
Kouyou shook his head:
- Don't tell him where I'm staying please. I don't want him to worry or something like that. Him not knowing that I'm moving out is better too...And I'll always be grateful to you for what you're going to do for me.
Akira agreed, thoughtful and suddenly declared:
- Blond hair...It suits you well.
Kouyou forced a smile:
- Ah but, I think I'll be back to brown soon though. I feel like I'm not being myself.
Akira didn't reply, only drank a sip of coffee. He remembered his talk with Takanori, the fact Kouyou was this guy of Yuu's past life. He remembered and felt a lot of empathy for Kouyou. In the name of his love, Kouyou had been around Yuu yet, like a ghost, he had haunted this street they were living in for the sake of what? Hell he wondered. He wanted to ask Kouyou but it wasn't right at all. If Kouyou was willing to tell him, Akira would listen.
Akira saw Kouyou with brand new eyes. The man in front of him was like a child when it came to loving someone. It was innocent, pure.
- What defines you isn't the color of your hair. Nor your clothes or looks. It's what you decide to be, the choices you make and the path you walk that define you. Appearance is an illusion.
Kouyou smiled sadly and suddenly stood up:
- I'll be going now. We'll be at the coffee shop until 6 so make sure to give a visit today. I'll bring my things tomorrow since it's a day off for me.
Akira agreed, walking along with Kouyou to the door. Before he turned around to leave, Kouyou smiled and thanked him a last time.
When his silhouette disappeared in the stairs, Akira sighed:
-It's sad that Yuu doesn't know how lovely you are.
Kouyou was walking to the coffee shop. Behind the window of a beauty salon he put a coat on and quickly ran outside to meet him. Kouyou froze at the sound of his steps and smiled weakly. Takanori put a hand around his arm and smiled back:
- How are you? I called you yesterday but you ignored all of my calls.
He pouted and Kouyou grinned:
- I'm sorry I didn't pay attention. I went straight to bed.
Taka knew it was an excuse, yet, continued:
- We need to talk.
Kouyou looked at his watch:
- Now? Because I have few things to discuss with Sakai first.
Takanori sulked:
- Now, because if I propose we see each other later you'll find another excuse to avoid me.
Kouyou mentally told himself that Takanori knew him too much.
- Let's go to the coffee shop then, around a cup of coffee.
After telling Sakai that he needed a little break they sat and Kouyou showed he was ready to hear his friend. The hairdresser pursed his lips and looked rather uncomfortable.
- Well, I...I know about your secret.
Kouyou felt anxious with the sudden revelation.
- What?
- I know you're Uruha. I know you're the one Yuu couldn't forget. That day you came at the salon to get your hair bleached...The day after I met with Yuu and he told me Uruha came back. It was only a matter of coincidence but, I discovered it myself. And I was at first, really mad, that you didn't tell me.
Kouyou sighed.
- I'm your best friend Kou.
Kouyou didn't want to get angry at him but the feeling was stronger than his reason:
- So what? So you can save me? I didn't tell anyone because it's in the past! I don't need it to be brought up because it belongs to the past!
- So if it's the past then, why are you still in Yuu's life? Why are you still around if it's your past?
- I couldn't get up every morning not knowing if I could make it to the end of the day. Do you even know how it feels to constantly think about death?
Takanori didn't want to hear those words. They were so hurtful, so unlike the happy Kouyou he loved.
- So when I met him, I felt like I could live for the first time in my miserable life. That's why I clang onto my past like this. That's why I lied to Yuu, to you, to everyone else. I wanted to live even if he would never acknowledge me. I was clinging to this idea.
Takanori almost whispered:
- And now?
Kouyou looked away, on the edge of tears:
- Now is still the same as before. I could preciously spend time with him again, and because happiness doesn't last for too long, it's all over again. So, I will go on with my life knowing that as long as Yuu is around, I can carry on.
Takanori put his head on the table, desperate. He couldn't understand how Kouyou could be so faithful, so passionate about someone when this person was turning his back on him without regret.
- You're pure. Do you know that?
But Kouyou laughed:
- I'm not. I'm covered in filth, I need sex and dark things to keep myself going or else I'd be dead already.
Takanori insisted:
- You may sin but in your heart, you're pure Kou. Your love defeats everything. You may not be loved back but, it doesn't even matter. You love and love and love. Undefeated.
Kouyou looked through the window, Takanori's words ghosting his mind.
- From your point of view maybe. But to me, I'm the biggest loser.
He stood up and left as Sakai was waiting for him.
Takanori closed his eyes, afraid a tear will fall.
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I hope you enjoyed it after all this time! And that you re-read the previous chapters to get into the flow of the story again!
With LOVE ♥