Our Romanesque - Chapter 8
Title: Our Romanesque
Notes: Final chapter!
The tyres swivelled and swerved down the road to the Chiba Lake Festival. Despite having my seatbelt on, I was gripping onto the side handles of the car as Maru spun the wheel every five seconds. I’d heard this festival was romantic for couples, which left me giddy with excitement, almost bouncing into Subaru’s lap.
“It hurts so fucking much when I sit!” Ryo complained.
“I didn’t fuck you that hard, honey.” Uchi pouted, stroking Ryo’s head.
“It’s not that, fucking Yoko took the pleasure in spanking me for hours on end when he… y’know.”
“Guys you’re saying fuck too much! I don’t like it!” Maru whined as he almost crashed into a Volva at the roundabout.
“Well I don’t like your driving! Are you trying to get us fucking killed?!” Subaru pointed out.
“For once the guy has a point, yo.” Hina muttered. “You idiot! You know you’re a paper driver yet you jump straight in the drivers seat anyway!”
“He’s right,” I butted in. “You’ve been driving for two hours and we‘re in the middle of nowhere!”
“Stop bullying me!!” Maru yelled as he pulled over and got out, letting Hina take over the wheel.
With Hina driving we were there in ten minutes, (with Maru it would’ve been another half hour.) We all jumped out one by one, and began walking up the pebbled path lined with lanterns, to the large colourfully-decorated Festival gates. Security officers checked our bags for non-existent drugs, before letting us through; you wouldn’t believe how crowded it was. Hundreds of people bustling everywhere from arcades to karaoke to the beautiful lake which you could hire a boat for.
Subaru must’ve caught me gazing at the lake as he soothed a “We’ll go there later.” down my ear before kissing my neck and clasping his hand around mine. We ran off together deep into the festival, leaving the others behind us.
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“What do you wanna do?” Subaru asked, looking around at the vast variety of amusements.
“Hmm…” I looked around, searching for something that caught my eye. “Over there!” I pointed ahead of us and pulled him along.
“Wha - What’s this?” Subaru asked, gawping at the tall booth door.
“It’s kinda like karaoke. There’s a guitar and a mic, and you can record your own song!” I gleamed, pushing him inside.
“But what am I supposed to sing?” Subaru asked, confused.
“The song you always sing to me. The one without a name. What else?!”
“Oh. Well only if you sing it with me.” he winked, and I grinned back, shutting the booth door behind us.
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When we finished, the CD popped out of something that looked like a vending machine, and I zipped it in safely in my leather bag. We walked around hand in hand, and spotted Ryo playing ‘scoop the goldfish’ to try and win Uchi a pink panda teddy.
“This paper’s too fucking flimsy! Its faulty, I tell you!” Ryo held out the paper scoop to the Panda Man, ushering him to get him a new one.
“I can assure you there’s nothing wrong with the scoop sir. I’m afraid your just not good enough.” the Panda Man sniggered, handing Ryo another paper scoop.
Uchi growled at him. “Just you watch! He’ll definitely win me that teddy!” and began cheering Ryo on.
Towards the opposite end of the festival we found Maru and Hina singing Name of Love on the big karaoke stage, with a cheerful crowd applauding for them. They were so damn cute.
“Lets go up next.” Subaru nudged, wiggling his eyebrows.
“No no no no no!! I can’t! I get really bad stage fright and last time I nearly pooped myself!!” I exclaimed frantically, certain he was going to drag me up there anyway.
“Calm down, its okay! You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to.” my lover soothed, caressing my cheek. “But did you seriously nearly poop yourself?”
I felt myself blush as I fumbled with some lace on my jacket, and Subaru tried to stifle his giggling.
“Aww its okay. We’ve all been there before…”
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Baru walked up to the shack and paid the old man with a goat beard the exact amount for a boat, (for some reason Subaru hated getting change) and came back dangling the key, a wide grin spreading across his face. He bent over and unlocked the chain attached to the small rowing boat, before leaping in first and then steadily helping me over as I wobbled in after him.
Floating in the midst of a moonlit lake together - this was most definitely the perfect place for couples. We talked for what must’ve been hours. About sad things, happy things. About the past, and the future. About our dreams and goals. We told each other so much until there was simply nothing left to say - and our bodies did the talking. It happened so naturally, as he kissed me with those strawberry sweet lips, as he pulled my shirt over my head, as he unzipped my trousers…
I let him take complete control.
The first time I had had non-violent sex. Wow.
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I woke up naked in my lovers arms, my head on his chest. Shivering, I got up and started putting my clothes back on before almost toppling over the edge into the freezing water; but Subaru miraculously woke up and grabbed my arm just in time to save me.
“Your so damn clumsy.” Baru mumbled affectionately, ending with a yawn. “How long have we been asleep?” he asked.
I reached for my bag and checked the time on my phone.
“Oh my God it’s midnight in ten minutes!!!” I completely freaked out. We must’ve been asleep for ages.
Subaru nodded and grabbed the oars, and started rowing us back to the river edge. We clambered out, before realising that Subaru was still naked. He hid behind me and shoved his t-shirt and jeans on before the old man in charge came over to see what I was shielding. Subaru had his trousers buttoned just in time as the old man poked his head around my reluctant shoulder, and Baru gave him back the key for the boat.
We ran hand in hand to where the big crowds of people were heading; to where the firework display was going to be. I found the Maru, Hina, Uchi and Ryo and we ran up to them, panting for breath.
“Your just in time!” Uchi cheered, and everyone around us suddenly began counting down.
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
“HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!”
Fireworks shot off into the sky, and I held onto Subaru as I kissed him passionately in the crowds.
That’s when it happened. I felt his tongue suddenly go stand-still in my mouth. I opened my eyes, “Happy New Year, Babu! I love you.” I smiled. But he didn’t smile back.
Worry hit my face, I was confused. But when his knees finally buckled in and my lover tumbled down, I held onto him and the tears overflowed as I realised what was going on.
“This can’t be happening” I managed to gasp out, as I desperately covered the slice in his back as the blood began to pour out.
“SOMEONE CALL AN AMBULANCE!!” I screamed.
“Holy shit.” I heard Ryo say, followed by a number of gasps as everyone gathered round to watch my lover bleed to death on the floor. Hina punched in the emergency service number as soon as he gathered what was going on - at least someone could keep a clear head.
Someone had stabbed Subaru.
I blinked the tears out of the way, my eyes panicking; trying to find the culprit. It didn’t take long.
Tadayoshi’s back haunted me, as he turned his head in the distance with a grin; the knife clenched in his hand. I saw Yokoyama pat him on the back and say what sounded like “Your father is gonna be so proud.” and the both walked off beyond sight.
The anger, the fear, the hatred, everything exploded from me like a volcano with an ear-splitting cry, as I sobbed into my lovers chest.
“Please don’t leave me. I’ll be nothing without you Baru. You can’t do this.”
Subaru managed to open his eyes for a second, squinting in pain. “I love you Shota.”
“I love you too.” I cried.
“Po - pocket” He managed to spit out.
I reached into his jacket pocket, and pulled out a beautiful silver ring.
“I wanted us to get married.”
“We still can.” I put the ring on my wedding finger.
“I’m sorry.” Subaru gasped out in pain.
“Don’t say that.” I sobbed. “You can’t leave me. Please don’t leave me. Please!” My tears dampened his chest as I cried.
“I’ll never leave you. Because I’ll always be in here.” And he gently poked his finger at my chest, before closing his eyes. I leaned over, his head in my chest as I smelt the beautiful smell of his hair; for what could be the last time. I kissed his head as I sobbed my heart out, praying for this not to be true.
The paramedics finally arrived, pushing me out of the way and lifting my lover into the back of the ambulance.
Everything went black as I shut my eyes, hoping to wake up and this all be a dream.
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My face was swollen with tears. I’d cried so much that I had nothing left to cry out. My eyes were blackened with deep circles from staying up endlessly all night. Subaru had been in the hospital for two whole days, and the doctors still refused to say a word about his condition. They’d simply brush it off as “We’re doing the best we can.”
Everyone had taken turns staying with me. Uchi stayed with me the first night, then Maru, and now Hina was ‘looking after me’. He marched down the corridor, returning from the café around the corner and handed me a coffee.
“Thanks Shingo.”
“Good news - Tadayoshi and Yokoyama got arrested. It seems Tadayoshi was laughing so hysterically that when he walked past the security guards to leave, he didn’t even realise he was still holding the knife. So atleast he got caught.” Hina smiled.
“That bastard. He’s going to pay for this. It’s bad enough trying to kill my lover, but laughing afterwards?!”
“Well he’s in the cells for life now. I think that’s good enough punishment. Anyway, any news on Baru’s condition yet?” Hina asked, glancing at me worriedly.
I shook my head. My eyebrows furrowed in sadness, as every bit of hope I had of Subaru recovering was starting to slip away.
Just as Hina was probably about to say “Nandeyanen” a nurse sped towards us.
“You can go and see him now.” The nurse nodded at the door.
“ERIKA?!” Hina exclaimed at the nurse. “Since when were you a nurse?! You bitch! You told me you were with the police force!” The nurse scurried away, with Hina chasing her, spouting off random abuse. I shook my head and went in to see Subaru myself.
The doctor was in there.
“He’s been on life support as he lost too much blood. But he suddenly started breathing on his own.” he told me.
“Is he going to be okay?” I asked.
“Definitely. He’ll have to move around in a wheelchair for a few weeks though, as he’ll stress his back too much if he tries to stand up just yet.” the doctor advised, before leaving the room.
I pulled up a chair next to the bed and squeezed Subaru’s hands. His eyes shot open.
“I knew it was you. I could tell by the feel of your hands.” Subaru smiled.
I wiped my tears - tears of joy - as I leaned over and kissed him on the forehead. “You’ll be home soon.”
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*Three weeks later.*
Subaru had argued with me for so long about wanting to get out of the wheel chair, and I’d finally given up.
“You’re so stubborn!” I exclaimed.
“I know I’ve been cranky, but three weeks with NO guitar and NO sex is TOO much for me!!” Subaru retorted.
“How does your back feel? Are you okay like that?” I asked worriedly as he sat on the floor and leaned against the sofa.
“Its fine, Shota.” he smiled. He nodded at his guitar, and I understood immediately as I handed it to him, sitting cross-legged in front of the fire. I’d had to wait three whole weeks for him to play for me again; and there was nothing I loved more than the sound of his plectrum strumming along the strings.
He played our song for me, and I clapped along and sang with him, giggling. It seemed like forever since I last had this much fun.
He strummed the last chord and ended the song, as I applauded him.
“You’re so easy to please!” he giggled.
“You know what? You still haven’t given this song a name.” I reminded him.
“You got any ideas?” He said as he scratched his head in thought.
“Ah! I know! How about Osaka Romanesque? It totally fits in with the lyrics.” I squealed.
“No.” Baru grinned. He leaned over and kissed me. “Its Our Romanesque.”
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/Thats it people! I hope it doesn't seem rushed and I hope you liked it. I was really struggling with this chapter, because I had all the images in my head but I didn't know how to put it in words.
I'm sorry I made you wait so long everyone. If I ever do a fic again, I'll make sure I have it all written before I post it XD.
Thankyou so much for staying with me through this story!
ILYSM2U <3