Salvage
Title: Salvage
Chapter: One-shot
Author: kiroyo
Genre: Angst, Drama
Warnings: Abuse
Disclaimer: I own this page of lies.
Rating: G
Pairing: Kai x Reita, Ruki x Kai
Synopsis: How do we rescue someone who has abandoned himself?
Comments: Sequel to Masochist, or can be read as a stand-alone.
“You deserve better!” Ruki had yelled through the door, his small fingers balled up into fists at his sides. He had his eyes squinted shut, and his breathing was hard, fast, and angry. However, despite the rage of white noise blaring at his ear drums, he could still hear the faint sound of a worn man’s back sliding down the wooden pane.
“What does better mean Ruki?” a voice barely above a whisper rasped. “Does ‘better’ mean one less punch, one less kick or just one embrace?”
Ruki’s heart clenched and he knew that wasn’t just a procedural beating of his organ. Kai’s voice was heart wrenching.
Eyes downcast, Ruki muttered “You don’t need anyone else but me.”
Just then, Ruki thought he heard the allusion of a smile. Instead, what came into his mind was the image he had been seeing for the past half a year: Kai’s smile which didn’t reach his eyes. He bit his lower lip hard as that mental picture shifted upwards to the drummer’s dull eyes which had lost all its luster.
And Ruki knew, he knew that he was the one who could bring it back.
He could revitalize the lost hope in Kai’s life again. He could. If only Kai would let him…
“Kai I-“
“You should go Ruki. He should be back soon.”
Ruki’s voice died.
“I’m sorry.” The broken whisper ensued, and slight shuffling indicated that Kai had gotten up and walked away from the door, from Ruki who refused to budge.
Don’t apologise to me you dumbass! Ruki’s inner voice shouted. You owe me nothing! It’s me. Me, who is too useless to do anything.
A drag of grey fumes dissipated into the grey ceiling. Ruki rolled over, not caring that glowing ashes from the stick in his hand had fallen and turned coal upon impact onto his sheets. It had been 2 weeks since then and that memory had been on loop, always bubbling on the surface of his consciousness and bursting his streaks of concentration.
As he brought the cigarette closer for another puff, it died in his hands. Ruki’s eyes crinkled as he laughed at the irony of it being compared to the one person on his mind. How funny it was that the more Ruki tried to save him, the closer Kai’s soul got to being extinguished.
He sighed and blindly reached over for the box and his ears perked. The softest knock from down the hallway resounded. Swinging his legs over, Ruki clumsily ran to the door and flung it open.
A half-zipped luggage with sleeves spewing out of the opening sat slumped beside the drummer’s legs.
Ruki buckled a step forward.
“I’m sorry Ru-“
“Don’t.” Ruki hushed. He moved forward and slowly, carefully, wrapped his arms around Kai’s brittle skeletal frame.
“Just one embrace…” Ruki thought, and that materialized as a quiet murmur into the shell of his ear.
Ruki pulled back and despite their dim surroundings, he saw the hint of a sparkle in Kai’s eyes. The one which Ruki thought was too far gone to revive.
Ruki stooped down and picked up the baggage, and his other hand reached out for Kai’s when he got up. “It will be better from now on.”
And Ruki saw the smile his heart had been yearning for.
Chapter: One-shot
Author: kiroyo
Genre: Angst, Drama
Warnings: Abuse
Disclaimer: I own this page of lies.
Rating: G
Pairing: Kai x Reita, Ruki x Kai
Synopsis: How do we rescue someone who has abandoned himself?
Comments: Sequel to Masochist, or can be read as a stand-alone.
“You deserve better!” Ruki had yelled through the door, his small fingers balled up into fists at his sides. He had his eyes squinted shut, and his breathing was hard, fast, and angry. However, despite the rage of white noise blaring at his ear drums, he could still hear the faint sound of a worn man’s back sliding down the wooden pane.
“What does better mean Ruki?” a voice barely above a whisper rasped. “Does ‘better’ mean one less punch, one less kick or just one embrace?”
Ruki’s heart clenched and he knew that wasn’t just a procedural beating of his organ. Kai’s voice was heart wrenching.
Eyes downcast, Ruki muttered “You don’t need anyone else but me.”
Just then, Ruki thought he heard the allusion of a smile. Instead, what came into his mind was the image he had been seeing for the past half a year: Kai’s smile which didn’t reach his eyes. He bit his lower lip hard as that mental picture shifted upwards to the drummer’s dull eyes which had lost all its luster.
And Ruki knew, he knew that he was the one who could bring it back.
He could revitalize the lost hope in Kai’s life again. He could. If only Kai would let him…
“Kai I-“
“You should go Ruki. He should be back soon.”
Ruki’s voice died.
“I’m sorry.” The broken whisper ensued, and slight shuffling indicated that Kai had gotten up and walked away from the door, from Ruki who refused to budge.
Don’t apologise to me you dumbass! Ruki’s inner voice shouted. You owe me nothing! It’s me. Me, who is too useless to do anything.
A drag of grey fumes dissipated into the grey ceiling. Ruki rolled over, not caring that glowing ashes from the stick in his hand had fallen and turned coal upon impact onto his sheets. It had been 2 weeks since then and that memory had been on loop, always bubbling on the surface of his consciousness and bursting his streaks of concentration.
As he brought the cigarette closer for another puff, it died in his hands. Ruki’s eyes crinkled as he laughed at the irony of it being compared to the one person on his mind. How funny it was that the more Ruki tried to save him, the closer Kai’s soul got to being extinguished.
He sighed and blindly reached over for the box and his ears perked. The softest knock from down the hallway resounded. Swinging his legs over, Ruki clumsily ran to the door and flung it open.
A half-zipped luggage with sleeves spewing out of the opening sat slumped beside the drummer’s legs.
Ruki buckled a step forward.
“I’m sorry Ru-“
“Don’t.” Ruki hushed. He moved forward and slowly, carefully, wrapped his arms around Kai’s brittle skeletal frame.
“Just one embrace…” Ruki thought, and that materialized as a quiet murmur into the shell of his ear.
Ruki pulled back and despite their dim surroundings, he saw the hint of a sparkle in Kai’s eyes. The one which Ruki thought was too far gone to revive.
Ruki stooped down and picked up the baggage, and his other hand reached out for Kai’s when he got up. “It will be better from now on.”
And Ruki saw the smile his heart had been yearning for.