It was a long night...
Black eyes snapped open and he held his breath, analyzing the darkness around him. Where is he? He could feel the pain of his roommate but it was so faint...Taiki had been expecting this reaction for a couple of weeks but the depth of the grief was staggering. Leaping from his bunk he snatched up a blanket that was folded at the foot of the mattress and made a beeline for the door. Letting his senses guide him he raced down the deserted hallway towards the stairs, taking them two and three at a time. It was nearly two thirty in the morning and Dorm 2 was fast asleep with the only exceptions being himself and the source of the pain that pulled at him like invisible strings.
Taiki froze when he rounded the corner to the common area on the first floor. His right hand tightened its hold on the blanket as he struggled to control the other’s grief that was taking over him. If he didn’t get a grip he would never be able to help the other boy. Swallowing, he closed his eyes and focused on pushing aside Nakatsu’s emotions and allowing the void it left behind to wash over him.
He had never been able to completely handle the intensity of Nakatsu’s emotions; especially when it came to his extremes. The athletic boy’s perpetual happiness and bright aura had been what had first drawn Taiki to him; like a moth to a flame. Never had he seen such a bright and beautiful aura in his entire life and it held him entranced if he wasn’t careful. Nakatsu’s feelings were the only ones he was unable to hold back in his mind; always before he had viewed the emotions of others objectively and with no more than mild curiosity. But his roommate was so honest and intense with his feelings that his emotions soon invaded every corner of Taiki’s soul. Now, where ever the soccer-obsessed teenager was Taiki knew exactly how his mental state was. He was linked and most of the time it was to his benefit. He had never had emotions of his own and the constant cheerfulness was very pleasant. But it was a long fall when he went from such concentrated warmth and happiness to deep heartache and pain.
The lights were off in the common room but he carefully wound his way around the furniture until he came to a bench near the vending machines. Careful not to startle the boy, he gently draped the blanket over the slumped shoulders. Nakatsu slowly raised his head and Taiki was pulled in by the haunted red-rimmed brown eyes.
“She loves him.” His hoarse voice cracked and Taiki nodded once, a grim set to his lips. “I don’t have a chance against him.” The matter of fact tone was painful and this time he didn’t respond. A hollow, defeated sigh escaped the pale lips and with great effort the boy stood, head hanging and strands of blond hair hiding away the tortured face. Taiki stretched out a hand and hesitantly wrapped it around the larger teen, guiding them down the hall and back towards their room.
His entire being ached at the pain that was radiating from Nakatsu. He had often wondered how he would react to this inevitable event; he had been sure he would celebrate the time when the blond would be forced to give up Mizuki. But all he felt now was a deep, throbbing pain that did not wholly belong to the athlete beside him. Taiki had loved Shuichi for so long...And now that the emotive teen was willing to accept that he could have feelings for another boy...And it was obvious that Mizuki was unattainable...
But it was all that he could do not to break down himself. He would give anything right now for his best friend and roommate to be happy. He wasn’t sure where the part of him ended and the part of Nakatsu began that wanted to run to room 205 and beg the girl to reconsider. But they silently passed by that door and he pushed open their own, pulling the lifeless blond into the dark dorm they had shared for two years.
Nakatsu all but collapsed beside the lower bunk, pulling his knees up to his chest and staring miserably at the floor in front of him. Taiki kneeled and wrapped the blanket securely around the listless teen, silently sharing in his heartache. The blond head dropped heavily onto Taiki’s narrow shoulder and he paused, swallowing back the torrent of conflicting emotions. A long, soft sigh blew against his neck when he wrapped his arms around Shuichi’s shoulders and after a moment of hesitance he relaxed, leaning his cheek against the soft mop of unruly hair.
The degradation of the normally vibrant aura prepared Taiki for the soft hiccupping sob that shattered the dark, silent room. His grip on the large teen tightened and he was suddenly engulfed by strong arms as Shuichi clung to him, the hot tear streaked face burrowing into the curve of the smaller boy’s neck. He had long since lost feeling below his knees and the muscles in his arms and back were stiff from holding the same position for so long. But he refused to be the one to pull away from the embrace; if he was able to give the grieving teen any ease from this, then the discomfort was nothing.
It didn’t take much convincing to get Shuichi to climb into the lower bunk. Lifting the blanket, he slipped in next to the large teen and once again wrapped his arms around the exhausted athlete. They laid in silence, Taiki’s long fingers gently petting the blond hair as he prepared himself for the long night ahead.
“I really loved her.” The voice against his neck was rough but the tone was dull. It was as if all the life had been sucked from his best friend. His own deep ache intensified and onyx eyes stared into the darkness in front of him.
“I know.” A warm arm slid around his middle and Shuichi held him tightly for the rest of the night. The puffs of hot breath at his neck eventually slowed and soon a peaceful blue settled over the teen’s aura. Taiki continued to run his fingers through the blond strands as he watched over the boy, only slipping into a fitful sleep when the sun finally peaked over the horizon.
Taiki froze when he rounded the corner to the common area on the first floor. His right hand tightened its hold on the blanket as he struggled to control the other’s grief that was taking over him. If he didn’t get a grip he would never be able to help the other boy. Swallowing, he closed his eyes and focused on pushing aside Nakatsu’s emotions and allowing the void it left behind to wash over him.
He had never been able to completely handle the intensity of Nakatsu’s emotions; especially when it came to his extremes. The athletic boy’s perpetual happiness and bright aura had been what had first drawn Taiki to him; like a moth to a flame. Never had he seen such a bright and beautiful aura in his entire life and it held him entranced if he wasn’t careful. Nakatsu’s feelings were the only ones he was unable to hold back in his mind; always before he had viewed the emotions of others objectively and with no more than mild curiosity. But his roommate was so honest and intense with his feelings that his emotions soon invaded every corner of Taiki’s soul. Now, where ever the soccer-obsessed teenager was Taiki knew exactly how his mental state was. He was linked and most of the time it was to his benefit. He had never had emotions of his own and the constant cheerfulness was very pleasant. But it was a long fall when he went from such concentrated warmth and happiness to deep heartache and pain.
The lights were off in the common room but he carefully wound his way around the furniture until he came to a bench near the vending machines. Careful not to startle the boy, he gently draped the blanket over the slumped shoulders. Nakatsu slowly raised his head and Taiki was pulled in by the haunted red-rimmed brown eyes.
“She loves him.” His hoarse voice cracked and Taiki nodded once, a grim set to his lips. “I don’t have a chance against him.” The matter of fact tone was painful and this time he didn’t respond. A hollow, defeated sigh escaped the pale lips and with great effort the boy stood, head hanging and strands of blond hair hiding away the tortured face. Taiki stretched out a hand and hesitantly wrapped it around the larger teen, guiding them down the hall and back towards their room.
His entire being ached at the pain that was radiating from Nakatsu. He had often wondered how he would react to this inevitable event; he had been sure he would celebrate the time when the blond would be forced to give up Mizuki. But all he felt now was a deep, throbbing pain that did not wholly belong to the athlete beside him. Taiki had loved Shuichi for so long...And now that the emotive teen was willing to accept that he could have feelings for another boy...And it was obvious that Mizuki was unattainable...
But it was all that he could do not to break down himself. He would give anything right now for his best friend and roommate to be happy. He wasn’t sure where the part of him ended and the part of Nakatsu began that wanted to run to room 205 and beg the girl to reconsider. But they silently passed by that door and he pushed open their own, pulling the lifeless blond into the dark dorm they had shared for two years.
Nakatsu all but collapsed beside the lower bunk, pulling his knees up to his chest and staring miserably at the floor in front of him. Taiki kneeled and wrapped the blanket securely around the listless teen, silently sharing in his heartache. The blond head dropped heavily onto Taiki’s narrow shoulder and he paused, swallowing back the torrent of conflicting emotions. A long, soft sigh blew against his neck when he wrapped his arms around Shuichi’s shoulders and after a moment of hesitance he relaxed, leaning his cheek against the soft mop of unruly hair.
The degradation of the normally vibrant aura prepared Taiki for the soft hiccupping sob that shattered the dark, silent room. His grip on the large teen tightened and he was suddenly engulfed by strong arms as Shuichi clung to him, the hot tear streaked face burrowing into the curve of the smaller boy’s neck. He had long since lost feeling below his knees and the muscles in his arms and back were stiff from holding the same position for so long. But he refused to be the one to pull away from the embrace; if he was able to give the grieving teen any ease from this, then the discomfort was nothing.
It didn’t take much convincing to get Shuichi to climb into the lower bunk. Lifting the blanket, he slipped in next to the large teen and once again wrapped his arms around the exhausted athlete. They laid in silence, Taiki’s long fingers gently petting the blond hair as he prepared himself for the long night ahead.
“I really loved her.” The voice against his neck was rough but the tone was dull. It was as if all the life had been sucked from his best friend. His own deep ache intensified and onyx eyes stared into the darkness in front of him.
“I know.” A warm arm slid around his middle and Shuichi held him tightly for the rest of the night. The puffs of hot breath at his neck eventually slowed and soon a peaceful blue settled over the teen’s aura. Taiki continued to run his fingers through the blond strands as he watched over the boy, only slipping into a fitful sleep when the sun finally peaked over the horizon.