君は無敵 (Kimi wa Muteki - You are Invincible)
Title: 君は無敵 (You are Invincible)
Pairing(s): HayaRyu
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Death
Genre: Angst
Disclaimer: Do not own the characters or anything related to JE.
Summary: “Someone tell him, he’s supposed to be waiting at the end of the subway platform… Tell him ‘I might be a bit late but I’ll definitely come, so wait…’”
N/A: Based on “Andalucia ni Akogarete” by Kondo Masahiko (Matchy), which was also sung by KAT-TUN in Summary and various TV shows. Too bad in KT version, a couple of verses are missing...
Hayato had a little smile floating discreetly on his lips as he walked the narrow alley that was his usual way home. It had been a long time since he hadn’t gone home alone; usually, Take, Hyuuga and Tsucchi would tag along and they’d go the farther they could before separating. But today was a special day and he had pushed the others away before grabbing his bag and leaving, and nobody stopped him: everyone was too scared of their class leader when he was in a bad mood. It was probably preferable to leave him alone for a while, until he cooled down a bit.
But the thing is Hayato was not in a bad mood. He was in fact in the best mood he had been for a few years.
He looked at the setting sun. The orange rays reflected in his eyes, and he had to close them, reducing them to a slit to avoid being blinded. The warmness surrounded his handsome face and he stopped walking, dropping the hand he had on his shoulder, holding his bag, to his side. His eyelids shut tighter and he let himself bathe in the golden light, forgetting everything about the time or the place.
Being alone meant a lot to him at the moment. As stupid as it might sound, he had reserved his evening to Ryu and when he made a promise, he didn’t execute it half-measuredly. He wanted to prove his friend he didn’t cheat on his promise by going home all alone, like the big boy he was, since he told Ryu he’s spend the evening with him and him only. He’d rather get whipped than going back on his word.
“I’m home!” he sang happily as he opened the door to the apartment he shared with his little brother and mostly-absent father.
Taku peeked from the kitchen with a surprised look. His brow arched when he saw his older brother humming a tune from the current charts with a soft smile on his face as he removed his golden-painted shoes. Taku had never seen his brother with such a content, almost cheerful aura surrounding his whole body. When their eyes met, Hayato pouted.
“At least say something!” he complained childishly, making his little brother choke on his own saliva.
“Uh… Welcome back. How was your day?”
Hayato hopped to the kitchen and sat down on one of the chairs, leaving his school bag to rest against the table’s leg. Taku went back to the frying pan, which’s contents was beginning to smell delicious, and couldn’t see his brother have another dreamy grin.
“Okay, I guess.”
‘At least he didn’t turn awfully talkative,’ thought Taku as he put the vegetables and meat he had just fried together in two plates. When he served though, he was forced to remark his brother was surely in another state of mind, and while he didn’t like him being his usual violent and sarcastic self, he couldn’t help but being a bit worried.
“Are you okay, nii-chan?” he asked as he put the plate and chopsticks in front of Hayato.
“Of course.”
Hayato ate quickly and even took the time to thank his brother for the meal before locking himself in his room. Taku heaved a slight sigh; at least, this part of Hayato didn’t change.
Hayato undressed from his school uniform and quickly chose better clothes in his narrow closet. He settled for a pair of faded blue jeans full of holes and a black t-shirt, on top of which he threw a simple checkered shirt. He took a peek at the clock on his bedside table: it showed six. He and Ryu had agreed upon meeting at seven at the end of the platform of the subway station in Shibuya, and getting there would take about forty-five minutes. He had to hurry; his last wish was to make his friend wait.
He left his room and waved his brother goodbye before putting on his best shoes, black and shiny loafers. Just as his hand reached for the doorknob, his cell phone rang in his pocket. He happily fished it with his right hand and flipped it, only to face a great deception when he saw the call wasn’t from Ryu but from Take.
“Take?” he said as he picked up.
“Hayato… you’ve got to help us! Tsucchi and Hyuuga… they’re in trouble…”
In the background, Hayato could hear pants and the sound of punches, as well as metal bars knocking against each other. What the hell was going on? He felt his heart starting to race in his chest and his grip on his cell phone strengthened, his teeth clenching. He knew he had promised Ryu to meet with him, but at the same time, he could not leave his best friends in a dangerous situation without regretting.
“What kind of trouble?” he quickly asked. “Where are you?”
“The guys from Ara High… They’re way too strong for us… Please…”
“Where?!” he repeated, getting impatient… and worried. Take’s voice was low like a whisper and Hayato preferred not to think about how badly beaten he had been.
“The third warehouse…”
Hayato hung up and removed his shoes in a hurry, dashing to his room. He looked around him, trying to remember where he had hidden it, emptying his drawers before his fingers finally came in contact with a cold metal object. Suddenly, he felt calm; Ara High’s students were rebels and junkies, and they fought like low-lives. Hayato always thought that though they, too, Kurogin’s 3-D, were rebellious enough, they didn’t fight only to cause problems. Yankumi had taught them to fight to protect what was important for them, and Hayato’s most important possessions were his friends. Hyuuga, Take, Tsucchi… Ryu.
And now that his fingers took a firmer grip around the pocket knife he had fished from his drawer, he thought that fighting with a weapon was lowering himself as low as his opponents. Like tossing his honor through the window. His knuckles turned white before he let go, the object falling down on the hard floor in a metallic sound that echoed for a few seconds in Hayato’s ears.
He ran with all his might, not even stopping to catch his breath, to the place where Take had directed him. His lungs were painful and his mouth dry, his knees weak and his stomach aching, but he ordered his feet to take him quicker, always quicker, so he could protect his friends. He soon reached the fence that prevented unauthorized people from entering the warehouse area, and climbed it swiftly, jumping from the top to the ground. He groaned; the shock on his feet and knees was hard but he refused to let himself being brought down by such a minor pain. He breathed deeply once, filling his sore lungs with air before resuming his run. His head was full with images of what his friends might look like right now and it killed him inside, infuriated him.
The sound of clinking metal guided his rushed steps towards the third warehouse, where were indeed present three of his best friends and a dozen of Ara High students. Most of them were carrying poles, bats or other potentially dangerous objects, and Hayato felt a fire burn his insides as his teeth clenched, so hard it was almost painful. He was soon noticed by the rebels when he got closer, and some of them chuckled without hiding their amusement.
“Look who’s there…” started one of them, getting the attention of their leader.
“Ooh… Yabuki-kun! Care to join the fun?”
Hayato simply glared at them, trying to make sure by a simple look that his friends weren’t too badly injured. Tsucchi and Hyuuga were still being mistreated by some of the Ara High students while Take had been discarded like an old tissue a couple of meters farther. No matter how much Hayato would have liked to see their still combative side, they seemed pretty much resigned to their fate and didn’t try to defend themselves from the feet, fists and bats for their opponents. Their blood had tainted the grey asphalt, creating dark spots that glinted in the last rays of the sun and the light of the street lamps.
“Don’t tell me you’re scared, Yabuki!” said the leader of Ara High’s boys and him and his lot laughed. “You’re such a coward!”
“I wouldn’t say so seeing you’re the ones ganging twelve against three.”
Ara High’s head arched a brow, looking angrily at the lone standing adversary. He tapped his iron pole on the ground a few times, his eyes menacing, and Hayato supported his glare without showing his fear. He might have been a good fighter, but he knew he couldn’t possibly win against a dozen of armed youngsters, while he had only his hands and feet to protect himself. Yet he didn’t give up, hoping, somewhere in his heart, that the others would give up on fighting with only one opponent. Maybe they could say it was boring or whatever other reason; Hayato wouldn’t care.
“Let’s teach him a lesson, guys.”
“…to…”
Hayato suddenly snapped out of what seemed to have been a deep slumber. His eyes still closed, he felt a soft hand seize his jaw to shake it delicately. Strands of his hair tickled his forehead, making him wrinkle his nose.
“Hayato!”
He groaned before his eyelids slowly opened, and his gaze met Ryu’s. The reddish-haired boy heaved a sigh, before a discreet smile split his thin lips.
“Good. I thought you were fainting on me right now,” laughed Ryu. “Am I so boring you fall asleep during our dates?”
‘Date?’ couldn’t help but think Hayato, but his mind was foggy, just like he was waking up from a long night of sleeping. But he managed to shake his head negatively, smiling back at his friend. Ryu sat back at his side and Hayato noticed they were sitting on the subway platform, on a bench, just like he had promised. So he had made it… Maybe the whole thing with the Ara High guys was the dream he had woken up from… Yes, that was surely it… and also the reason why his eyelids were still so heavy. Ryu’s fingers entwined themselves in Hayato’s as the latter’s eyes threatened to close again.
“Pull yourself together, Hayato!” he heard Ryu’s voice, the other boy’s fingers tightening their grip on his hand.
Then nothing.
“Ryu…” he mumbled, his voice hoarse and low.
Hayato’s body was aching like hell and he didn’t remember being beaten so hard, ever. He moved his hand slightly towards him and a dazzling pain raced through his arm; a pathetic whimper escaped his lips. Footsteps made themselves heard near his head, but he couldn’t open his eyes, afraid that the stunning ache would yet again run through his body.
“So he’s still with us, huh…” he heard an Ara High student spat, and a few others chuckled amusedly.
“Stand up you weakling!”
Hayato was gripped by his shirt and put on his feet, held by two of his assailants. He still couldn’t move his eyelids, would it be to look at who was about to hit him. He did not wish to let the tears that were slowly forming in his eyes flow freely on his cheeks; he might have already lost, he wouldn’t admit his defeat by crying in front of his opponents.
He couldn’t see what was about to hit him was not a feet nor a fist. The moment the cold metal hit his head, everything went black and he lifelessly hung on the arms of the boys that were holding him. None of the members of the opposite side heaved a breath as the two guys holding Hayato’s arms dropped him; his body laid motionless on the freezing asphalt and the Ara High students all came to the silent conclusion it would be better to leave.
“Fuck!” hissed their leader as he ran for dear life.
“…to…”
This voice again. Ryu’s voice.
“…yato… Hayato, you’re okay?”
Hayato’s eyes opened slowly, like it was necessary for him to use all of his strength. He once again met Ryu’s worried gaze, and he nodded affirmatively at his friend’s question, trying to etch a smile on his lips. But Ryu didn’t seem convinced and his fingers gripped Hayato’s stronger as he forced his classmate to look at him.
“Maybe it was a bad idea to make you got out today… I bet you’ve caught a cold.”
Ryu looked at his watch. He had been waiting for too long, and couldn’t join Hayato on his cell phone, even if he quit the subway area to get more reception. Sighing, he sat on the bench for what seemed the millionth time; he was tired but never the thought of leaving before Hayato came had crossed his mind.
He couldn’t reach Hayato, but maybe one of their common friends knew something. After another train passed, he took a run for outside, sitting on the sidewalk as he saw no bench. He quickly searched through his phone to find Tsucchi’s number. He let it ring a couple of times, and seeing he got no response, he abandoned, sighing. He repeated the search-and-found game for both Hyuuga and Take’s phones, but as if the world had leagued itself against him, nobody picked up to calm down his increasing worries. He had only one last resort. He dialed Yankumi’s number only to have her pick up in her usual cheery tone.
“Yabuki? I don’t know… He left school earlier than usual today though. Something about a rendezvous.”
He sighed and thanked her, apologizing for disturbing her at such an hour. He took another peek at his watch: ten were about to ring. The next train would probably come soon, and he might miss Hayato if he wasn’t back to the platform in the next minute.
Surely the boy had a good reason for being late and for being unavailable. Surely…
“Someone tell him, he’s supposed to be waiting at the end of the subway platform… Tell him ‘I might be a bit late but I’ll definitely come, so wait…’”
This is dedicated to pinkeuphoria1because she speaks awesome French ♥ I'll cherish this MP3 forever xDD I hope you liked it girl!!
On another note, I seem to be fancying sad/dramatic endings for some reason. I'm sorry in advance for all the sad endings, death-fics and other similar stories I'll write... Though I'll definitely write a lot of happy endings too because they deserve it ♥ I'm just a twisted author.