Gaining Your Love: a Heisei Kumi fanfic (3/14)
Author: ryosukekoibito
Pairing: Ariyama
Rating: PG-13
Genre:Romance
Disclaimer: I do not own anyone, c'mon guys.Summary:Long before the Heisei Kumi knew Keito Daiki makes it his mission to make the stunning Yamada Ryosuke fall in love with him, and it's going to be much harder than Daiki expected. So! For anyone who read my Heisei Kumi fic, this is the Ariyama spinoff I said I'd write! And if you didn't read it, please go check it out. The first chapter can be found here.
A/N: Here's the third chapter! I'm not going to say much...I'm really tired. I had a busy day. Thank you though, for reading, and I appreciate every comment I get~ Thank you again~ I hope you like this chapter!
Previous Chapters: 1 | 2
He woke the next morning still feeling fatigued, as though he hadn't gained any rest from his time asleep. Blearily he walked to the bathroom, and was startled to see that his eyes were puffy from crying. He moaned and pouted a bit; he didn't need everyone knowing he had cried-it was embarrassing. He splashed water on his face, attempting to wake himself up, and meandered downstairs to find food. The only others in the kitchen were Yamada and Yuto, everyone else out already. Daiki checked the clock; 10:37 wow. He'd slept in late. He thought about all of this, trying to distract himself from the sensations going on in his stomach; the squeezing feeling that was both light and heavy at the same time, and the rapid beating of his heart. He thought, and tried to avoid, and not avoid what he knew he was going to do. Going to say. He let his eyes trace over Yamada's face, noticing similar puffy eyes, the younger boy sitting quietly next to Yuto at the table, not looking in Daiki's direction. Eventually it built up until it spilled over, and he vowed
"I won't let you get hurt anymore." Both Yamada and Yuto jerked their heads up, looking at him in bewilderment. He searched Yamada's face, scrunching up his eyebrows like he did whenever he was serious and nervous about something he was going to say.
"I won't hurt you anymore." He continued, and Yuto sent him a look that said What the hell are you doing?!
"I'm gonna leave you alone...and let you approach me if you want to hang out with me; that way....I won't mess up anymore. Okay?" The last word was uttered weakly, and after staring at him for a few moments, Yamada nodded a small nod, and Daiki sent him his most gentle smile, standing up and walking out of the room, leaving a chunk of his nervousness behind.
In the weeks that followed, Daiki practically ignored Yamada, barely even acknowledging the boys presence...when Yamada was looking. He couldn't help but stare once in a while. Three times a week or so Yamada would ask to play chess or cards, and Daiki would always agree, trying not to seem too excited, careful to never touch Yamada during their games. One of these nights when they were playing, Yamada, who had been in the middle of a story about something he and Yuto had done earlier that day, froze, listening. Daiki listened too, but didn't hear anything.
"It's raining." Once Yamada had pointed it out, he noticed the barely audible sounds of the raindrops on the roof, their sound a gentle one. He nodded.
"Yup. Takaki said we were supposed to get a thunderstorm soon. Why'd you bring it up?" Yamada glanced up at the ceiling nervously, as though it was going to cave in.
"Oh, no reason..." He mumbled, moving his pawn, taking out one of Daiki's knights, bringing Daiki's focus back to the game.
Daiki forgot all about the little talk they'd had about the weather until the next morning, when Yamada came downstairs looking gloomy, with dark circles under his eyes.
"What happened?" He asked Ryutaro, who looked at him like he was talking in German for a second, before compression lit his eyes.
"Oh, you mean Yama-chan? He's always like that after a storm. He doesn't mind the rain, but thunder terrifies him. He always hides in the closet. I usually try to console him but....I slept through the whole thing..." Daiki's focus returned to Yamada, concerned. He continued to watch the younger boy through the rest of the day, until around three o'clock, when he simply had to say something.
"Why don't you go take a nap?" He suggested. Yamada had been trying to play a game of cards; he had a winning hand, and hadn't even realized it. It was sad. Yamada shook his head mildly, but Daiki persisted.
"You just need to sleep for a few more hours. Besides, we have the raid at the end of the week. You need your sleep....c'mon Ryosu-Yamada." Eventually he managed to convince Yamada to go to bed, promising to wake the younger boy up for dinner; a promise he wouldn't keep. Yamada needed the sleep. Even Chinen said to just let him be. Due to this Yamada was found in the kitchen a little past ten that night, searching the fridge for leftovers, bleary eyed.
"We ate it all." Daiki confessed, and Yamada nodded, looking slightly dejected.
"But I'll make you some Miso soup, okay?" Daiki offered. He had been about to go to bed, his pajamas (which consisted of nothing but a pair of lose basketball shorts) already on. But Yamada looked so cute, and he wanted to do something for him. He quickly got to work, and soon there was a bowl of the traditional soup sitting in front of the younger boy, steam billowing out into the air in puffs. Yamada smiled at the sight of it.
"Eat with me?" Daiki nodded, getting himself his own bowl and sitting across the table from Yamada. They ate in silence, it only broken when Yamada said quietly
"Arioka-kun, you have..." The younger boy leaned forward, wiping off a droplet of soup from Daiki's cheek, his finger barely touching Daiki's bottom lip, lingering for a heartbeat, before he pulled back, sitting back down. Daiki grinned, the happiness ballooning inside of his chest, and he knew he must look like a fool as he sat there, staring into his soup, but he didn't care. Yamada had touched him of his own accord. His idea was working; he was managing it-building Yamada's trust. His determination grew; he would win Yamada's heart. Become someone worthy of it.
The next few days flew by in a whirlwind of preparations for the raid, and before Daiki knew it twilight was knocking on the door, and they were getting ready to leave.
"You nervous?" Yamada asked him, straightening his tie and slinging the strap attached to his katana's sheath over his chest. Daiki shook his head. He wasn't. He knew that he would be fine. He just had to beat up some guys; that was his specialty.
"Are you nervous?" Daiki asked, and Yamada attempted a smile, the result a queasy smirk. Daiki frowned.
"Don't worry. I won't let you get hurt." He said, almost reaching out to pat Yamada's head, but pulling his hand back at the last minute, apologizing. Yamada looked at him, almost wondrous for a minute, and Daiki wanted to lean forward and kiss him so badly...Daiki left the room, biting his bottom lip between his teeth, willing the feeling inside of him to die down. He took a deep breath, and forced himself to concentrate on the task at hand; casting off the newfound gentleness blooming from a previously unused corner of his heart and returning to the self he had become long ago; brutal, focused, and cold. He didn't need his heart for his job tonight. For the first time he found that he couldn't immerse himself in it as completely as he had in the past. Now his front had a gap in it; a weakness. He had something to protect now. Something precious.
"C'mon, we're heading out." Takaki announced, and they all grabbed their weapon of choice and filed put the door. Twenty minutes later, by the light of the moon they arrived at their destination; the set of warehouses that the Wakaba called home. Daiki took the lead, bursting in through the main door, letting out a beastly roar as he did so, knocking out two boys right off the bat, their bodies crumpling to the ground. Numb, he continued on, fighting the faceless enemies and making his way through the concrete jungle until he was at the heart of the place, no other companions in sight. Through the blur of unfamiliar bodies and bloody punches a voice caught his attention. An unfamiliar voice calling out an all too familiar name.
"Ryosuke～ Come see me." Daiki felt a chill roll down his spine, and he glanced over, surprised to see Yamada at the entrance to the space he was in, the younger boy fighting off three attackers, spinning and slashing deftly, concentrating; yet there was an underlying tension in his movements, one that the boy who had spoken seemed to be feeding. That boy needed to be disposed of. Daiki crept up on the duel, tackling the younger kid, the one Yamada had seemed so afraid of, and elbowing him in the face, kicking him in the stomach and slugging him as he sunk to the ground; a complete victory. Yamada meanwhile had been slowly backed into a corner by his other two attackers, his back now pressed against the wall, trying to ward them off, frustrated tears rolling down his cheeks, an awful almost resigned look beginning to flush onto his face, and Daiki could sense the despair. The frustration. Just as Yamada aimed a slash at one of the other boys stomachs Daiki chose to jump in, kicking the boys legs out from under him, Yamada's katana ripping through his right side, blood seeping onto his suit. Daiki crouched down, knocking the other boy unconscious; attempting to ignore the stinging burning feeling that was threatening to split him in two. Yamada was shaking, eyes wide.
"I'm sorry!" Yamada yelled, but Daiki didn't respond, grabbing another boy in a headlock and ramming him against the concrete wall a couple of times before letting his limp form join his companions.
"Why'd you?! Why-I....you got yourself hurt! And..." Daiki fought to stay on his feet, as he began to feel dizzy and lightheaded, the blood staining his clothes expanding in an ominous blotch.
"I told you didn't I?! I wouldn't let you get hurt. I'm just keeping my promise. I'm gonna protect you. No matter what." Daiki fought to sound strong, realizing that he needed medical attention, knowing he wouldn't manage to keep his consciousness for much longer. Yamada stared at him, eyes wide, amazed, and they stood still, taking each other in, until a yell announcing a retreat shattered the moment, and they headed for an exit; Daiki managing to make it to their designated meeting spot, and even managing to wave to Hikaru, before collapsing, blackness creeping at the edges of his vision. Yamada wasn't yelling, but his voice was forceful, muttering his name over and over, apologizing and willing him to hold on.
"We're almost there, Arioka-kun. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry..."
Takaki was carrying him on his back, and they raced back to the house, a hand pressing against Daiki's sliced flesh, putting pressure on it, trying to stop the bleeding. He had long since closed his eyes, shallowing his breathing, attempting to focus on his surroundings through sound. He heard the door open, and a flurry of orders from both Hikaru and Chinen's mouths, Chinen explaining that he simply couldn't take anyone to the doctor; Shoon had made a connection in the medical field, but the previous Kumi-cho's connection had moved back to his home town in Hokkaido. He felt himself being set down on the wood of the dining room table, and he moved his own hand down to where the other persons was, putting his hand over theirs, helping to press it firmly to his side, feeling his own blood cover his fingers. After a couple of seconds Inoo's voice told him to let go, and let Hikaru take over. Weakly, he let his hand fall, taking the other persons hand with his own, the person slipping his hand into Daiki's intertwining their slippery fingers tightly, giving his hand a squeeze, the blood hot and sticky on their skin. A breath whispered in his ear, and he could sense their body as they leaned in
"Thank you." Yamada breathed, giving Daiki's bloody hand another squeeze as Hikaru began stitching his gash closed. Daiki forced a smile onto his lips, trying to assure Yamada that he would be fine, and reveling in Yamada's concern for him, but he was exhausted, and he really wanted to simply go to bed, he decided. He forced his eyes open and examined his surroundings, trying to pull himself into a sitting position; but Hikaru and Yabu both yelled
"Hell no."
"Lay down Daiki, you're just gonna make it worse." Hikaru added, but Daiki didn't listen, still struggling to sit up. Ryutaro sighed, forcing him to lay flat on the table, and holding him down with one hand, a weird look in his eye. Yamada noticed it too.
"What're you-?" Ryutaro slugged Daiki in the face, and Daiki's consciousness was lost.
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