Forever & Ever 8.1
Title: Forever & Ever (Miseinen Sequel)
Author: Zion Shadowlet
Beta: butterflysaga(the bitch)
Characters: Aoi, Uruha, Ruki, Reita, Kai and many OCs (Fuwa etc.)
Pairing: Aoi/Uruha and more~
Genre: Drama, Romance, Friendship, Comedy
Rating: NC17
Summary: Six years have passed since the summer at the Dazai Bright Future Retreat for Troubled Children. The boys meet in an unexpected way perhaps bound by fate in the underground world of Visual Kei. With broken hearts and promises; the boys-now young men look to regain some of what they lost by the wild and reckless pursuit of the same dream.
Previous Parts: Part 1.1 | Part 1.2 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4.1| Part 4.2| Part 5| Part 6| Part 7.1| Part 7.2
Uruha rose early every morning. He didn’t sleep well, never could. As soon as what little light filtered into the room from the rising sun, his eyelids delicately resting would flutter against the glow and he would be brought prematurely from his dreams.
He didn’t care though. They weren’t dreams he would care to lose.
And every morning, he would open his eyes and stare at the white of the ceiling. He could hear the birds outside of the window singing, the various sounds of people heading off to work, the first trickles of the downpour of the city’s immense energy at the start of a new day. And here he was, waking up with no place to go, next to no one.
Every morning, he would lie there and think. Often time, he would think of his guitar, of what he might have done wrong during a show, a phrase that came to him in his sleep, or something he saw another musician do. Once he grew tired of just lying there, he would lift up a heavy hand and slowly grab the bottle of sake that he kept near his bed. Sitting up, he would bring the lukewarm drink to his mouth and down it to its end.
This morning however, was different. He woke up with the energy of the sun itself that once it started to rise would not cease. He sat up quickly in his bed and forgetting even to finish his drink, went to the bathroom and started a shower. Washing his hair and soaping himself, he started singing. At first he was singing the lyrics to Rosier and then he tried singing Kurenai and when he could no longer remember the lyrics, mumbled and somehow was able to turn the song into hide’s Ever Free. Getting of the shower, he dried himself off quickly and got dressed just as fast throwing on a white tank top, an old sweater and some ripped up jeans.
He was in such a good mood, he even started coffee for Kumiko and started preparing breakfast even to the extent of setting out the dishes and pouring orange juice in each glass. His sister still a member of the undead, dragged herself slowly into the kitchen roused by the sweet smell of coffee threading in the air. “Cof…” she muttered, sitting down. “Fee.”
He poured her some and handing her the cream and sugar, said in a sweet voice “here.”
She stared at him unable to blink. “What happened to Kouyou?”
“What?” he tilted his head, the coffee pot steaming in his hand.
“What happened to Kouyou? Who are you?” She sounded completely serious.
“Kumiko…” He poured himself some and put the pot back where it belonged.
“Why are you acting like this?”
“Like what?” he said as he set her food in front of her, hot waffles with strawberries placed charmingly in their center.
“You are shitting sunshine and making me food….God, Kouyou…you are making me food. THIS. HAS. NEVER. HAPPENED,” she leaned in as if they were in the middle of a dire situation and the fate of the world was held in the balance.
“I can’t do something nice for you?” he sat down across from her and started eating.
“Kouyou…people just don’t wake up like this after years of being a spoiled bratty baby brother. That isn’t reality….maybe…maybe this isn’t reality….maybe this is a dream. Yeah, this-”
“I’m happy,” he interrupted her. “I’m just happy that’s all.” An innocent smile arched its way across his beautiful face.
Kumiko narrowed her eyes and stared at her baby brother suspiciously. “What made you happy?” she asked slowly. “Did you have sex with that talking tangerine?” She muttered.
“Don’t call Seiko that…” he looked down and rearranged the food on his plate with his chopstick.
“So you did?”
“No. I haven’t even seen her in a couple days. Besides, we had sex a long time ago.”
“GOD NO! She has been molesting my baby-”
“Please stop being so dramatic,” he said in a soft voice. “It’s not funny.”
“I’m sorry,” she said and resting a hand on his asked “So, what happened?”
“I met up with another friend yesterday and…”
“Was this friend different than the other 3?”
“No, it wasn’t necessarily him…” he looked up and directing his gaze toward the window noticed that the tree in front of his house was beginning to bloom. “It’s supposed to be warm today,” he said out of nowhere.
“The weather? The weather made you happy?” Kumiko wanted to know for sure. Kouyou wasn’t necessarily depressed like he was when they were younger but there was still something about him, some kind of sadness, some kind of shadow that still clung to him, that casted itself over his face when his smile faded away. But now, he was different. She had never seen him like this before and she wanted-no needed to know. If she knew what it was, she would do everything in her power to surround Kouyou in it.
“Aoi…he…played with us last night…and…”
She moved closer.
“And…he was really happy. I haven’t seen him that happy in a long time. I wondered if he could still get to that place…you know?” he looked up at her. She nodded, telling him with this small gesture that she understood. “And it was like…old times…a bit.”
“Oh, Ko-chan,” she squeezed his hand . “Baby B,” she felt the wind go out of her, her stomach pulled down by the tenderness and sadness that lied behind Kouyou’s happiness. Something sunk inside of her like a falling feather.
“He called me Ducky…not Ducky Baby…but Ducky and…I don’t know. I’m just happy about it. Is that pathetic?” he looked up at her.
“No. No, Ko-chan,” she shook her head and smiled.
Kouyou didn’t know if he wanted to continue talking about it. The more he tried to shove his feelings into words, the more it felt that he was betraying his feelings. He wanted to leave it like that. “You have 40 minutes,” he said. “You should eat and take a shower.”
“Right.” She understood her brother. She knew that he didn’t want to talk anymore. “What are your plans for today?”
“Well, nothing really. Tomorrow, we are supposed to have a get together, the five of us…”
“Really?” she smiled. “That’s great! I’m so happy for you Baby B,” she leaned over the table and planted a wet kiss on his forehead. “Fuckkkk,” she whined looking at the clock. “I have to go wash out this musk and make myself look a least bit human.” Shoving more food in her mouth and downing her coffee, she headed toward the bathroom. “No, Ko-chan,” she said before going in. “I’m really happy that things are getting better for you”
He looked up at her and smiled.
“This is ghey and all but I love you Baby B.”
“I love you too.”
***
He was told to wait the at the Mori garden, a startlingly peaceful place nestled in between the tall buildings of the downtown area. The weather was warm, the trees a charming color of pink in the beginning stages of their bloom. The sun warming the cool early Spring air, glittered off the glass windows that surrounded him, reflecting the clouds and the sky.
In the center of the garden was a large pond that like the surrounding buildings, mirrored all the things around them: the trees, the people strolling through, the blue above them. Petals blowing in from the trees were sprinkled on the water’s calm surface. Butterflies fluttered about, landing on blossoms.
Ruki watched the graceful glide of their flight. Their beautiful colorful wings for several seconds fluttered and then landing on a flower, sat still, their wings as still as statue. But no matter how peaceful the garden was on that early spring morning, no matter how calming the flight of butterflies, he couldn’t quite quell his nerves.
He ran his hands through his hair, half of it was a stark bright red, the other black. His ears were littered with silver earring and his clothes, torn and ragged looking. His jeans had various things drawn on them, some words in English saying profane things, other crude drawings of skulls and cartoon people. To say the least, he didn’t fit in here around all these respectable people. He must look insane to the old woman who sat on a nearby bench, staring off dreamingly into the pond.
Maybe I should I have dyed my hair black and bought new clothes, he thought, shaking his leg anxiously. Yeah, but with what money? He couldn’t help but laugh at his own poverty. There was a point when hitting the lowest of the low that all one could do was laugh at the general bitchassness of life. Well, at least he found the others and they were going to see each other tomorrow. Even if he couldn’t have Reita, he could still be his friend. When they finally found more members, he was going to start a new band. Be optimistic, he told himself. You have to keep running, keep trying.
He had spoken to Kawai last night over a payphone telling him that Fuwa would meet him there. He was always at the Mori garden when Isao was at work. He still works? Ruki had asked Kawai over the phone. Of course, you dipshit, the man said on the other line. Just cause you are going to die doesn’t mean you stop living. Right, he replied. Right.
11 AM. Mori Garden.
Does he expect me? He asked Kawai. Yeah, he knows you will be there. Then he hung up. He didn’t say anymore.
What time is it? Ruki wondered.
“Excuse me,” he called out to the old woman. Slowly, she lifted her pale face and smiled sweetly at him. “Do you know what time it is?”
She looked down on the small silver watch around her tiny wrist and answered in a gentle voice “10:45.”
“Thank you,” he bowed and smiled at her. Nervously, he stood up and walked over to the pond. Squatting down, he dipped his hand into the cold water, hoping that the temperature would distract his mind and calm him. He ran it back and forth, feeling the pressure of the water as it wrapped itself around his skin, leaving no place hidden and untouched. Pulling his hand out, he looked at it. Beads of water ran down his pale hand. To his great surprise, a butterfly out of nowhere landed on the curl of his finger. “Hi,” he said quietly to it. It was black butterfly with yellow stripes. “You are pretty,” he said to it as it flew away as suddenly as it had landed.
In the distance, he could see in the haze of his unfocused eyed someone enter the garden, a tall man, with his arms behind his back, looking up at the pink trees.
Mr. Fuwa.
The last six years seemed to have made it him tired. He was paler, his hair greyer. As he walked into the garden, the expression on his face was unreadable but all Ruki could understand of it was that it seemed to break his heart.
Fuwa let his eyes fall to the pond and in its reflection he could see a young boy with black and red hair and recognizing immediately who it was looked at him. They stared at each other for several silent moments before Fuwa smiled, his face changing from that of incomprehensible sorrow to vibrant joy.
“Mr. Fuwa!” Ruki said, his cheeks bubbling and his large eyes smiling in black half moons. He rushed over to him throwing himself against him and squeezed him tightly. Burying his face into his chest, he breathed in his comforting scent of old books and aged wood.
“Ruki,” Fuwa said with a small laugh. With one arm wrapped around the boy, he hugged him back; his other hand ruffling his hair. Ruki refusing to move just held onto him tightly. Fuwa placing that same hand on Ruki’s head, lowered his own and rested a kiss on the top of his crown.
Neither of them believed they would ever see each other again in their lifetimes. Fuwa knew that the Matsumotos would never let him speak to their son and as soon as he was old enough to leave, he figured that their lives would have been grown so far from one another that they would exist merely to each other as distant, beautiful memories.
Fuwa could feel a dampness seeping through his shirt. A small, suppressed whimper left the boy. “Ruki, don’t cry,” he said stroking his silky hair.
He looked up at him, his pale cheeks tear stained. Fuwa with the gentleness of saint, smiled down at him. Ruki removing his arms from his waist stepped on his tiptoes and wrapped them around Fuwa’s neck. It was a bit of a stretch. Fuwa was so much taller than him. Ruki pulled him down into his embrace and Fuwa with a laugh, wrapped his arms around Ruki and picked him up off the ground causing the boy to yelp and giggle.
Finally, Ruki let go and just looked up at him with a smile that refused to go away.
Fuwa lifted up his hands and wiped the boy’s face. “Look at you,” he said. “All grown up. You are even taller. Still tiny but…”
Ruki lightly pushed him as he teased him about his size.
“Your hair was blonde the last time I saw you,” he laughed and fixed his hair for him.
“I missed you Fuwa,” Ruki said.
“I missed you too,” they looked at each other, still in disbelief. “Hey, let’s go sit down,” Fuwa said gesturing to the bench.
Ruki nodded enthusiastically and followed him over there, sitting as close as possible to him. The older man laughed amiably at the boy’s charming enthusiasm.
“You are still as cute as a baby,” Fuwa said grinning from ear to ear. It was amazing the transformation from the weary man that had entered Mori garden and the man that was sitting next to Ruki now.
Like a child being praised, Ruki made his smile even bubblier and cuter as if to play up to his compliments.
“How are you?” Fuwa asked.
“Better now.”
“Now?”
“Well…my parents…they haven’t been that understanding.”
“I see,” Fuwa just stared at his face, examining all the changes. There was a big difference between a 14 year old boy and a 20 year old young man. Ruki’s voice was significantly deeper and his face, although still round had thinned out and gave his face a delicate prettiness. “Did you and your family move to Tokyo?”
Ruki shook his head. “I am on my own. They kicked me out,” he laughed bitterly.
“Really?” Fuwa seemed shocked. He took a deep sigh. “You are living alone?”
“Crashing at friends’ places mostly,” he smiled embarrassedly.
“So, you are homeless?”
Ruki didn’t answer.
“I see. You are 20 but you know, you are still a kid in many ways.”
“Fuwa, don’t call me that, please,” Ruki said in all seriousness.
Fuwa nodded. “Okay,” he said softly.
“There are so many things I want to talk to you about but I don’t know where to begin. I don’t want to talk about them or how I have no place to live though. Not right now. I’m too happy.”
“I understand,” Fuwa reached over and pushed Ruki’s hair out of his face.
“I met the other 4.”
“Really?” Fuwa grinned.
“Yeah. Me and Uruha and Aoi are going to be in a band together. Hopefully, we can talk the other two into joining us.”
“Wow. Who plays what?”
“Kai drums. Reita plays the bass. Uruha and Aoi play guitar and I don’t know why but Uruha thinks I should sing. I used to play drums in my old band but… I don’t know,” he smiled shyly. “He suggested I sing.”
“From what I remember, you have lovely voice.”
Ruki looked down. “I don’t know. I don’t know what I want to say.”
“You don’t have to say anything. We can say things later if you want,” Fuwa said wrapping his arm over Ruki’s shoulders and pulling him closer into a comforting hug. Next to him, snuggled up like that, Ruki felt like a child. His father never brought him close like that when he was small. But he had seen it happen to others, seen it on television. He didn’t care that he was in public; he rested his head against Fuwa the way a small child might.
The wave of his breathing and the sound of his heartbeat were comforting and in the chill of the Spring morn, his body warmed him.
Unlike the others, Ruki felt that nothing had changed between them. Maybe it was because their relationship was so different; maybe it was because Fuwa was older and to him, 6 years wasn’t as long. Whatever the reason, Ruki felt so much contentment, he thought he was going to fall asleep right then in there, protected as he was by the sheer profundity of Fuwa’s presence.
“Ruki,” Fuwa said.
“Hm?”
“Come stay with me.”
“What?” he looked up at him.
“Come stay with me.”
“But Isao…”
“He will be irritated by you at first but I think having a young person around will make him happy.”
“Are you sure?”
Fuwa nodded. He kissed him softly on the forehead. “You need a home. You need someone to take care of you-and don’t tell me that you are man now,” he laughed. “We all need someone. And even if you aren’t a child anymore, you can still need someone to look after you.”
“Fuwa…” he murmured and laid his head back down.
“If not just for you, my selfish reason is I want you around,” he laughed and rested his hand on the top of Ruki’s head.
With his face smooshed against him, Ruki agreed. A cute “okay” was all he needed.
[A/N My chapters must be getting longer because every day, LJ tells me my post is too large -___- so....don't forget to read 8.2!]
Author: Zion Shadowlet
Beta: butterflysaga(the bitch)
Characters: Aoi, Uruha, Ruki, Reita, Kai and many OCs (Fuwa etc.)
Pairing: Aoi/Uruha and more~
Genre: Drama, Romance, Friendship, Comedy
Rating: NC17
Summary: Six years have passed since the summer at the Dazai Bright Future Retreat for Troubled Children. The boys meet in an unexpected way perhaps bound by fate in the underground world of Visual Kei. With broken hearts and promises; the boys-now young men look to regain some of what they lost by the wild and reckless pursuit of the same dream.
Previous Parts: Part 1.1 | Part 1.2 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4.1| Part 4.2| Part 5| Part 6| Part 7.1| Part 7.2
Uruha rose early every morning. He didn’t sleep well, never could. As soon as what little light filtered into the room from the rising sun, his eyelids delicately resting would flutter against the glow and he would be brought prematurely from his dreams.
He didn’t care though. They weren’t dreams he would care to lose.
And every morning, he would open his eyes and stare at the white of the ceiling. He could hear the birds outside of the window singing, the various sounds of people heading off to work, the first trickles of the downpour of the city’s immense energy at the start of a new day. And here he was, waking up with no place to go, next to no one.
Every morning, he would lie there and think. Often time, he would think of his guitar, of what he might have done wrong during a show, a phrase that came to him in his sleep, or something he saw another musician do. Once he grew tired of just lying there, he would lift up a heavy hand and slowly grab the bottle of sake that he kept near his bed. Sitting up, he would bring the lukewarm drink to his mouth and down it to its end.
This morning however, was different. He woke up with the energy of the sun itself that once it started to rise would not cease. He sat up quickly in his bed and forgetting even to finish his drink, went to the bathroom and started a shower. Washing his hair and soaping himself, he started singing. At first he was singing the lyrics to Rosier and then he tried singing Kurenai and when he could no longer remember the lyrics, mumbled and somehow was able to turn the song into hide’s Ever Free. Getting of the shower, he dried himself off quickly and got dressed just as fast throwing on a white tank top, an old sweater and some ripped up jeans.
He was in such a good mood, he even started coffee for Kumiko and started preparing breakfast even to the extent of setting out the dishes and pouring orange juice in each glass. His sister still a member of the undead, dragged herself slowly into the kitchen roused by the sweet smell of coffee threading in the air. “Cof…” she muttered, sitting down. “Fee.”
He poured her some and handing her the cream and sugar, said in a sweet voice “here.”
She stared at him unable to blink. “What happened to Kouyou?”
“What?” he tilted his head, the coffee pot steaming in his hand.
“What happened to Kouyou? Who are you?” She sounded completely serious.
“Kumiko…” He poured himself some and put the pot back where it belonged.
“Why are you acting like this?”
“Like what?” he said as he set her food in front of her, hot waffles with strawberries placed charmingly in their center.
“You are shitting sunshine and making me food….God, Kouyou…you are making me food. THIS. HAS. NEVER. HAPPENED,” she leaned in as if they were in the middle of a dire situation and the fate of the world was held in the balance.
“I can’t do something nice for you?” he sat down across from her and started eating.
“Kouyou…people just don’t wake up like this after years of being a spoiled bratty baby brother. That isn’t reality….maybe…maybe this isn’t reality….maybe this is a dream. Yeah, this-”
“I’m happy,” he interrupted her. “I’m just happy that’s all.” An innocent smile arched its way across his beautiful face.
Kumiko narrowed her eyes and stared at her baby brother suspiciously. “What made you happy?” she asked slowly. “Did you have sex with that talking tangerine?” She muttered.
“Don’t call Seiko that…” he looked down and rearranged the food on his plate with his chopstick.
“So you did?”
“No. I haven’t even seen her in a couple days. Besides, we had sex a long time ago.”
“GOD NO! She has been molesting my baby-”
“Please stop being so dramatic,” he said in a soft voice. “It’s not funny.”
“I’m sorry,” she said and resting a hand on his asked “So, what happened?”
“I met up with another friend yesterday and…”
“Was this friend different than the other 3?”
“No, it wasn’t necessarily him…” he looked up and directing his gaze toward the window noticed that the tree in front of his house was beginning to bloom. “It’s supposed to be warm today,” he said out of nowhere.
“The weather? The weather made you happy?” Kumiko wanted to know for sure. Kouyou wasn’t necessarily depressed like he was when they were younger but there was still something about him, some kind of sadness, some kind of shadow that still clung to him, that casted itself over his face when his smile faded away. But now, he was different. She had never seen him like this before and she wanted-no needed to know. If she knew what it was, she would do everything in her power to surround Kouyou in it.
“Aoi…he…played with us last night…and…”
She moved closer.
“And…he was really happy. I haven’t seen him that happy in a long time. I wondered if he could still get to that place…you know?” he looked up at her. She nodded, telling him with this small gesture that she understood. “And it was like…old times…a bit.”
“Oh, Ko-chan,” she squeezed his hand . “Baby B,” she felt the wind go out of her, her stomach pulled down by the tenderness and sadness that lied behind Kouyou’s happiness. Something sunk inside of her like a falling feather.
“He called me Ducky…not Ducky Baby…but Ducky and…I don’t know. I’m just happy about it. Is that pathetic?” he looked up at her.
“No. No, Ko-chan,” she shook her head and smiled.
Kouyou didn’t know if he wanted to continue talking about it. The more he tried to shove his feelings into words, the more it felt that he was betraying his feelings. He wanted to leave it like that. “You have 40 minutes,” he said. “You should eat and take a shower.”
“Right.” She understood her brother. She knew that he didn’t want to talk anymore. “What are your plans for today?”
“Well, nothing really. Tomorrow, we are supposed to have a get together, the five of us…”
“Really?” she smiled. “That’s great! I’m so happy for you Baby B,” she leaned over the table and planted a wet kiss on his forehead. “Fuckkkk,” she whined looking at the clock. “I have to go wash out this musk and make myself look a least bit human.” Shoving more food in her mouth and downing her coffee, she headed toward the bathroom. “No, Ko-chan,” she said before going in. “I’m really happy that things are getting better for you”
He looked up at her and smiled.
“This is ghey and all but I love you Baby B.”
“I love you too.”
***
He was told to wait the at the Mori garden, a startlingly peaceful place nestled in between the tall buildings of the downtown area. The weather was warm, the trees a charming color of pink in the beginning stages of their bloom. The sun warming the cool early Spring air, glittered off the glass windows that surrounded him, reflecting the clouds and the sky.
In the center of the garden was a large pond that like the surrounding buildings, mirrored all the things around them: the trees, the people strolling through, the blue above them. Petals blowing in from the trees were sprinkled on the water’s calm surface. Butterflies fluttered about, landing on blossoms.
Ruki watched the graceful glide of their flight. Their beautiful colorful wings for several seconds fluttered and then landing on a flower, sat still, their wings as still as statue. But no matter how peaceful the garden was on that early spring morning, no matter how calming the flight of butterflies, he couldn’t quite quell his nerves.
He ran his hands through his hair, half of it was a stark bright red, the other black. His ears were littered with silver earring and his clothes, torn and ragged looking. His jeans had various things drawn on them, some words in English saying profane things, other crude drawings of skulls and cartoon people. To say the least, he didn’t fit in here around all these respectable people. He must look insane to the old woman who sat on a nearby bench, staring off dreamingly into the pond.
Maybe I should I have dyed my hair black and bought new clothes, he thought, shaking his leg anxiously. Yeah, but with what money? He couldn’t help but laugh at his own poverty. There was a point when hitting the lowest of the low that all one could do was laugh at the general bitchassness of life. Well, at least he found the others and they were going to see each other tomorrow. Even if he couldn’t have Reita, he could still be his friend. When they finally found more members, he was going to start a new band. Be optimistic, he told himself. You have to keep running, keep trying.
He had spoken to Kawai last night over a payphone telling him that Fuwa would meet him there. He was always at the Mori garden when Isao was at work. He still works? Ruki had asked Kawai over the phone. Of course, you dipshit, the man said on the other line. Just cause you are going to die doesn’t mean you stop living. Right, he replied. Right.
11 AM. Mori Garden.
Does he expect me? He asked Kawai. Yeah, he knows you will be there. Then he hung up. He didn’t say anymore.
What time is it? Ruki wondered.
“Excuse me,” he called out to the old woman. Slowly, she lifted her pale face and smiled sweetly at him. “Do you know what time it is?”
She looked down on the small silver watch around her tiny wrist and answered in a gentle voice “10:45.”
“Thank you,” he bowed and smiled at her. Nervously, he stood up and walked over to the pond. Squatting down, he dipped his hand into the cold water, hoping that the temperature would distract his mind and calm him. He ran it back and forth, feeling the pressure of the water as it wrapped itself around his skin, leaving no place hidden and untouched. Pulling his hand out, he looked at it. Beads of water ran down his pale hand. To his great surprise, a butterfly out of nowhere landed on the curl of his finger. “Hi,” he said quietly to it. It was black butterfly with yellow stripes. “You are pretty,” he said to it as it flew away as suddenly as it had landed.
In the distance, he could see in the haze of his unfocused eyed someone enter the garden, a tall man, with his arms behind his back, looking up at the pink trees.
Mr. Fuwa.
The last six years seemed to have made it him tired. He was paler, his hair greyer. As he walked into the garden, the expression on his face was unreadable but all Ruki could understand of it was that it seemed to break his heart.
Fuwa let his eyes fall to the pond and in its reflection he could see a young boy with black and red hair and recognizing immediately who it was looked at him. They stared at each other for several silent moments before Fuwa smiled, his face changing from that of incomprehensible sorrow to vibrant joy.
“Mr. Fuwa!” Ruki said, his cheeks bubbling and his large eyes smiling in black half moons. He rushed over to him throwing himself against him and squeezed him tightly. Burying his face into his chest, he breathed in his comforting scent of old books and aged wood.
“Ruki,” Fuwa said with a small laugh. With one arm wrapped around the boy, he hugged him back; his other hand ruffling his hair. Ruki refusing to move just held onto him tightly. Fuwa placing that same hand on Ruki’s head, lowered his own and rested a kiss on the top of his crown.
Neither of them believed they would ever see each other again in their lifetimes. Fuwa knew that the Matsumotos would never let him speak to their son and as soon as he was old enough to leave, he figured that their lives would have been grown so far from one another that they would exist merely to each other as distant, beautiful memories.
Fuwa could feel a dampness seeping through his shirt. A small, suppressed whimper left the boy. “Ruki, don’t cry,” he said stroking his silky hair.
He looked up at him, his pale cheeks tear stained. Fuwa with the gentleness of saint, smiled down at him. Ruki removing his arms from his waist stepped on his tiptoes and wrapped them around Fuwa’s neck. It was a bit of a stretch. Fuwa was so much taller than him. Ruki pulled him down into his embrace and Fuwa with a laugh, wrapped his arms around Ruki and picked him up off the ground causing the boy to yelp and giggle.
Finally, Ruki let go and just looked up at him with a smile that refused to go away.
Fuwa lifted up his hands and wiped the boy’s face. “Look at you,” he said. “All grown up. You are even taller. Still tiny but…”
Ruki lightly pushed him as he teased him about his size.
“Your hair was blonde the last time I saw you,” he laughed and fixed his hair for him.
“I missed you Fuwa,” Ruki said.
“I missed you too,” they looked at each other, still in disbelief. “Hey, let’s go sit down,” Fuwa said gesturing to the bench.
Ruki nodded enthusiastically and followed him over there, sitting as close as possible to him. The older man laughed amiably at the boy’s charming enthusiasm.
“You are still as cute as a baby,” Fuwa said grinning from ear to ear. It was amazing the transformation from the weary man that had entered Mori garden and the man that was sitting next to Ruki now.
Like a child being praised, Ruki made his smile even bubblier and cuter as if to play up to his compliments.
“How are you?” Fuwa asked.
“Better now.”
“Now?”
“Well…my parents…they haven’t been that understanding.”
“I see,” Fuwa just stared at his face, examining all the changes. There was a big difference between a 14 year old boy and a 20 year old young man. Ruki’s voice was significantly deeper and his face, although still round had thinned out and gave his face a delicate prettiness. “Did you and your family move to Tokyo?”
Ruki shook his head. “I am on my own. They kicked me out,” he laughed bitterly.
“Really?” Fuwa seemed shocked. He took a deep sigh. “You are living alone?”
“Crashing at friends’ places mostly,” he smiled embarrassedly.
“So, you are homeless?”
Ruki didn’t answer.
“I see. You are 20 but you know, you are still a kid in many ways.”
“Fuwa, don’t call me that, please,” Ruki said in all seriousness.
Fuwa nodded. “Okay,” he said softly.
“There are so many things I want to talk to you about but I don’t know where to begin. I don’t want to talk about them or how I have no place to live though. Not right now. I’m too happy.”
“I understand,” Fuwa reached over and pushed Ruki’s hair out of his face.
“I met the other 4.”
“Really?” Fuwa grinned.
“Yeah. Me and Uruha and Aoi are going to be in a band together. Hopefully, we can talk the other two into joining us.”
“Wow. Who plays what?”
“Kai drums. Reita plays the bass. Uruha and Aoi play guitar and I don’t know why but Uruha thinks I should sing. I used to play drums in my old band but… I don’t know,” he smiled shyly. “He suggested I sing.”
“From what I remember, you have lovely voice.”
Ruki looked down. “I don’t know. I don’t know what I want to say.”
“You don’t have to say anything. We can say things later if you want,” Fuwa said wrapping his arm over Ruki’s shoulders and pulling him closer into a comforting hug. Next to him, snuggled up like that, Ruki felt like a child. His father never brought him close like that when he was small. But he had seen it happen to others, seen it on television. He didn’t care that he was in public; he rested his head against Fuwa the way a small child might.
The wave of his breathing and the sound of his heartbeat were comforting and in the chill of the Spring morn, his body warmed him.
Unlike the others, Ruki felt that nothing had changed between them. Maybe it was because their relationship was so different; maybe it was because Fuwa was older and to him, 6 years wasn’t as long. Whatever the reason, Ruki felt so much contentment, he thought he was going to fall asleep right then in there, protected as he was by the sheer profundity of Fuwa’s presence.
“Ruki,” Fuwa said.
“Hm?”
“Come stay with me.”
“What?” he looked up at him.
“Come stay with me.”
“But Isao…”
“He will be irritated by you at first but I think having a young person around will make him happy.”
“Are you sure?”
Fuwa nodded. He kissed him softly on the forehead. “You need a home. You need someone to take care of you-and don’t tell me that you are man now,” he laughed. “We all need someone. And even if you aren’t a child anymore, you can still need someone to look after you.”
“Fuwa…” he murmured and laid his head back down.
“If not just for you, my selfish reason is I want you around,” he laughed and rested his hand on the top of Ruki’s head.
With his face smooshed against him, Ruki agreed. A cute “okay” was all he needed.
[A/N My chapters must be getting longer because every day, LJ tells me my post is too large -___- so....don't forget to read 8.2!]