[ShouxHiroto] RUMWOLF [Track 25: Consequences]
TITLE: RUMWOLF
CHAPTER: 25
RATING: R (Overall Story)
GENRE: AU; Romance (BL), Drama&Comedy, Action/Adventure, slight Supernatural/Paranormal
PAIRINGS: ShouxHiroto, previous/mentions of Hirotox??, implied/hinted ToraxSaga
BAND: Alice Nine
SIDE BANDS: the GazettE, Danger Gang, SuG, Dir en Grey
CAMEOS: N/A (Ch. 25)
SUMMARY: Four years ago, there was an accident affecting two entirely different worlds of two individuals. This accident led Ogata Hiroto to grow into a jaded young adult who becomes entangled in the dark, cold world of a nightlife he never expected to lead in order to fulfill his personal ambitions. One fateful day, on a morning walk with his pet Pomeranian, Mogu, he meets a young man who calls himself Shou. Will Hiroto's four years of hard work and effort to reach his goal be thrown away to waste or will it finally be rewarded through this meeting?
WARNINGS: Intimate actions between men, sexual references, language, violence, racing, mentions of heavy chain-smoking and alcohol abuse...err, I don't think that's the end.
PREVIOUS CHAPTERS: Prologue // 01 // 02 // 03 // 04 // 05 // 06 // 07 // 08 // 09 // 10 // 11 // 12 // 13 // 14 // 15 // Interlude // 16 // 17 // 18 // 19 // 20 // 21 // 22 // 23 // 24
Track 25: Consequences
The first day in Hiroto's hometown was spent lazily and idly without much of a concern about getting caught by Shou's father. The blonde showed his lover around town, but instead of Shou experiencing everything, it seemed that Hiroto was being exploited to his childhood town. Where Hiroto was content with just showing Shou his way around town, the taller man took it to an even deeper level. It seemed that the simplest things Hiroto hadn't paid much attention to was being opened wider to Hiroto's eyes, or perhaps it was the other way around -- where Hiroto's eyes were opening wider to the simplest things.
Earlier, Shou had stopped for ice cream, purchasing it with the money he took from his bedroom before he had escaped, and Hiroto shared a banana split with a lover for the first time -- in the most affectionate way. Then Shou pulled Hiroto aside to relax at an arcade, where Shou continued his reign of victory over Hiroto with fighting, racing, and even dancing games. For the first time, Hiroto had lost a game on a date. Afterwards, when Hiroto showed him to the florist's, Shou casually strolled in and bought Hiroto a single red rose in full bloom. For the first time in four years, Hiroto was able to smell the roses again.
The two of them were currently at the park, watching the children play with Mogu after being worn out by games of hide and seek, tag, and other classics, before the puppy ran back to them -- finally exhausted. Hiroto picked up his little Pomeranian, settled him onto his lap, and clipped the leash around Mogu's collar as Shou announced to the children that they had to take Mogu home now. They awed -- obviously showing their disappointment -- before being ushered away by their mothers, who thanked Shou and Hiroto for playing with their kids. It was the first time Hiroto had ever played with children at his age.
They returned to Hiroto's childhood home in a leisurely stroll as a tranquility danced between the two of them. His grandfather was out working at his watch repair shop, leaving the couple alone. That gave them enough time to rest on Hiroto's old bed after taking a peaceful, relaxing bath together. (Initially, Hiroto had protested sharing a bath until Shou reminded him that his grandfather was a good two or three miles away and not next door.) The two of them laid down upon the bottom mattress of the bunk bed, which happened to be the larger of the two, with Hiroto's head resting on Shou's chest. Lying on top of Hiroto's stomach was Mogu, who was being stroked delicately to a deeper sleep by one of his owner's hands, while Shou's arm rested against Hiroto's torso, and his fingers entwined with Hiroto's other hand. Hiroto hadn't stopped loving Shou's hands after all of this time. He probably loved them even more now that he knew they would always be there to support him.
"Which one is your bed?" Shou asked Hiroto curiously. His voice was heavy with exhaustion. "You said you and your brother shared this room, right?"
"The bottom one is mine, actually," Hiroto answered. "Aki liked to be on top of everything. I guess it's kind of a reassuring thing -- to know what's going on and what's supposed to be going on. He liked to be secure and safe. I'm the exact opposite. I like thrills, and danger just keeps coming after me...even you are dangerous, Shou."
Shou chuckled, causing Hiroto's head to bob up and down with Shou's chest. The grip on his hand loosened and moved to his chin. Hiroto's head was tilted to face Shou. "Is it because of the family I'm from or is it because I do things like this?" Shou lifted Hiroto's head with his other hand as he sat up and kissed Hiroto's lips fully and tenderly.
"It's everything about you," Hiroto told him.
The door knob clicked, and Hiroto scrambled to the far end of the bed after setting down Mogu, who whined softly from the shift in position, as far away from Shou as possible. He cringed as he saw the hurt cross Shou's features.
"Hiroto? You're here?"
"Aniki? What are you doing here?" Hiroto blurted out at the sight of his older brother standing at the doorframe with a backpack slung over his shoulder. "Are you visiting Gramps, too?"
Aki sighed. "I got fired at the company, so I thought I would spend some time here to contemplate future moves," he answered. A bitter smile tainted his lips as he said, "When I asked why I got fired, my boss only said it was because of the President's son running off again. I have no idea how it relates to me though, so when I tried getting through to the President, his secretary told me, 'It's because of your younger brother. He could have been raised to be a splendid young man like you, but you couldn't prevent him from growing into a thug.'"
"I'm not a thug though," Hiroto stated clearly and confidently before it dawned on him that the reason why Aki was fired from the company was because of him. He helped Shou run away. Aki worked at Kohara Company, the company where Shou's father was the CEO. Shou's father may really be out to get him and his family. Aki had nothing to do with anything though, Hiroto thought bitterly.
"That's what I said," Aki replied all the same. "I think that made it worse though. She wanted me to leave the company as soon as possible after I said that. It still doesn't make sense though. What do you have to do with the Kohara kid?" He nodded his head towards Hiroto and Shou. "So what are you guys doing here?"
Hiroto pursed his lips, wondering if he should tell Aki the truth. Aki deserved to know after all. He was fired from Kohara Company for no reason other than being related to Hiroto, one of the "criminals" who helped "kidnap" Shou. It wasn't fair to his older brother at all and explaining was the least he could do.
A large warm hand grasped his hand and squeezed it lightly away from Aki's line of sight. "Go ahead," Shou whispered. "Tell him that it's my fault he got fired."
"It's not your fault," Hiroto whispered back. "It's mine... If I hadn't suggested that you run away, none of this would have happened."
"No," Shou argued as his hold on Hiroto's hand tightened. "I've always wanted to run away from home. If I did it once, I would do it again. That enough is obvious. It's because I got you involved that this happened."
"What are the two of you whispering about over there?" Aki demanded skeptically. "It looks like you two are exchanging naughty words, you know? It's unsettling. If you aren't going to answer my question, I can leave."
Before Aki could back away from the door and pull it closed, Hiroto blurted out with eyes burning with unshed tears, "I know why you were fired! It really is because of me! I helped Kohara Kazumasa run away from home, and he's right here sitting next to me right now!" Even though his eyes were itching with warmth, tears wouldn't spill out -- not in front of Aki. He had to tell his brother before he would lose the chance to ever say anything at all. Hiroto couldn't count how many times words have been lost between the two of them. That had to come to an end.
At Hiroto's outburst, Aki averted his gaze directly towards Shou, who wore a calm, cool exterior. He didn't flinch as Aki stared him down, scrutinizing him, the source of his problems.
"You kidnapped someone then? That's how the company sees it," Aki remarked with a smirk playing on his lips. "Well played, Hiroto. I really didn't expect this from you. You were always such an adored kid back in high school." He leaned against the doorframe with his arms crossed. "Explain this to me. What is your relationship with him? How did you do it? What's the situation like now? What are you going to do? Answer all of these questions under one minute."
Hiroto's eyes darted back and forth, searching desperately for an answer to his brother's question. "H-He's my lover," Hiroto responded. "I asked for help from Aoi and from RUMWOLF's Uruha and Reita. You know them, right? I'm--"
"Their top racer, I know," Aki snapped. "Even though I left the gang, the gang hasn't left me alone. Get on with it."
Hiroto pursed his lips. Aki knew? For how long then? Now he had his own fair share of questions, but he supposed he would have to answer to Aki first, "My apartment is surrounded by guards. We're hiding out here because everyone thinks that I wouldn't dare come back to Kanagawa after how I left. I don't know what to do. We're going to stay here for a few days then we'll come back to see how the guards are going to move. Aniki, how long have you known--?"
"Ever since you joined," Aki answered nonchalantly. "Everyone has been letting me know how you've been living. You were the baby of the family after all. Everyone's been worried about you. I knew you'd be okay though. You're my little brother. You've got survivor's blood in you."
"Dad...didn't survive," Hiroto pointed out. "He was killed in action."
Aki's eyes darkened. "He was getting old," Aki grumbled. "All he had to live for was to see his newborn's face, but he didn't even manage that."
"Ani--"
Aki shook his head, telling Hiroto not to say anything anymore. "He was a good man, Hiroto. That's all you need to know about him. He was a good man," Aki stated before making an inference. "I'm guessing that since you know about Dad, you know about who's been paying Mom's hospital bills." Hiroto nodded his head, making Aki sigh. "I only found out today. The Kohara family is going to stop paying. They're not asking for any retribution. They're just going to stop because you're Mom's son, the person who supposedly kidnapped the heir of the company. Stupid, isn't it? They shouldn't even be paying in the first place."
Aki rolled his eyes before jerking his thumb behind him. "I'm going to greet Gramps and see if I can crash at Mao's place." The moment he turned his back to Hiroto, he added, "Piece of advice: everything can be settled if you just flat-out tell Kohara's folks that you don't plan on returning him and that he doesn't plan on returning if you're serious about this elopement thing. The President might be stubborn, but he's not invincible."
After that, Aki had long disappeared.
Beside Hiroto, Shou burst out laughing. "I knew I wasn't the only one who saw this as an elopement!"
&&
Hiroto's grandfather had returned from his shop and was preparing a grand feast for the four of them -- Hiroto, Kazumasa, Aki, and himself. Currently, Kazumasa and Hiroto relaxed on the back porch of Hiroto's family home, sitting on a wooden swing that Hiroto's grandfather had constructed long ago. Meanwhile, Mogu was resting in Hiroto's bed -- still building up his lost energy. After listening to Hiroto brag about his talented grandfather, about how he was excellent in areas of construction and repair and about how he had made a wonderful tire swing when Hiroto was younger, the two of them were swinging back and forth gently while watching the sun set beyond the horizon, beyond the flower beds his grandfather had planted himself.
Kazumasa was rather envious of his lover's family. They all truly loved each other. His grandfather cared for his daughter as much as Hiroto and Aki did, and he loved his grandsons equally. Even Aki and Hiroto had their own way of expressing their concern for each other, no matter how cruel the other might seem. It was a family Kazumasa often saw on TV and often read in books. He never thought he'd actually meet one in real life. After all, when he attended his parents' dinner parties, there were always spoiled rich families whose members simply used each other to reach their goals. You could hardly feel the love in the air.
Seeing how Hiroto interacted with his family made Kazumasa reluctant to tell his grandfather -- and even Hiroto's mother -- about their relationship. He didn't want to break Hiroto away from his family, and he definitely didn't want to cause them any more trouble. Even though they had hardly stayed here for one day, Kazumasa already knew what he had to do. It was clear the moment Aki had given his advice.
"Hiroto," Kazumasa addressed his lover, who rested his pretty little head on top of his shoulder.
"Hmmm?"
"I don't think we should stay here for long," Kazumasa stated softly, gently, as if his words would hurt the smaller man.
"Why?" Hiroto inquired. "Is it because Aki is here?"
Kazumasa shook his head. "It's because he had a point," Kazumasa clarified. "If I don't make things clear with my mother and father, we'll always be on the run. I don't want that, Hiroto. I don't want you to constantly be on the move. I want you and Mogu to finally settle down. I want the both of you to relax."
"Together with you?" Hiroto questioned warily, grasping one of Kazumasa's hand with both of his. "I just want to be with you, Kazumasa...you and Mogu."
A delicate smile graced Kazumasa's lips as his heartstrings were pulled gently at Hiroto's simple words. It wasn't often Hiroto called him by his real name, and it was even rarer to catch Hiroto in the act of calling out his petname and being affectionate. "Of course," Kazumasa promised. "We have to go back and settle everything, Hiroto, together, or else this peace will never last."
Hiroto nestled his head against Kazumasa's shoulder as his arms wrapped around Kazumasa's. He was ready to fall asleep, but not without showing Kazumasa a single nod of understanding. "I get it," he muttered as his eyes closed.
"You shouldn't sleep out here, Hiroto," Kazumasa chided lightly.
"Mm..."
"Dinner time!"
The two lovers parted from each other upon hearing the warning boom from Hiroto's grandfather's tiny and frail frame. The glass sliding doors to the backyard slid open energetically as the small elderly man urged the two boys to come into the house for a meal.
"Aki's already here!"
Kazumasa helped Hiroto onto his feet and supported him until they made it into the dining room, where there were only four seats available at a square table. Kazumasa could only imagine it being extremely lonely to dine at this table if he was Hiroto's grandfather. His two grandsons have already flown the nest, and his daughter had fallen into a place he couldn't reach. It must have been lonely indeed.
That was why Kazumasa's resolve to pretending to be a friend of Hiroto's strengthened. He certainly didn't know how his lover's grandfather would react if he learned about Hiroto's sexuality even though his older brother had dismissed it with a shrug of his shoulders.
Aki took a seat next to his grandfather and across from Kazumasa. Hiroto settled down across from his grandfather and beside Kazumasa. They bowed their heads and thanked Hiroto's grandfather for the meal before beginning to eat. An unfamiliar warmth ran through Kazumasa's body. He couldn't exactly identify the feeling before realizing, Ah, this is what it must be like to eat with your family. He had never really sat at a dining table with his parents before unless it was at a dinner party, where the tension was thick and uncomfortable.
"So, Hiro-chan, I've been wondering," Hiroto's grandfather started, causing Kazumasa to raise his eyes away from his rice bowl and glance at the old man. "Is this young fellow your lover?"
Kazumasa's eyes widened as Hiroto began to choke violently on his food. He immediately set aside his food and patted Hiroto's back softly, hoping to ease his lover's fit in some way. When Hiroto calmed down, Kazumasa offered him a glass of water, which the blonde took gratefully. Across from Hiroto and Kazumasa, Hiroto's grandfather and brother were observing the scene with much amusement.
"S-Since when did you know?" Hiroto blurted out. "How did you know, Gramps?"
"Ahh... Back in high school when you never brought home any girls! It was suspicious, you know? Young, healthy boys such as yourself at that time would have shown interest in one or two girls in your class," his grandfather answered -- although Kazumasa wasn't quite sure that was the answer Hiroto was looking for. "Of course, when you had Waka-chan as a girlfriend, I started doubting that you were homosexual, but then you broke up with her at a time when you should have needed her the most."
Aki looked just about ready to die of laughter.
Well, at least his grandfather seemed to be okay with Kazumasa and Hiroto's relationship. After all, he's been debating Hiroto's sexuality since the blonde started high school.
Wait, did that mean I worried over nothing? Kazumasa thought to himself wryly. All of this time, he could have been a little bit more intimate with Hiroto.
&&
A/N: I didn't get very many comments on the last two chapters. I'm kind of heartbroken, but that shows me I probably shouldn't update off-schedule. I only managed to update today because I've been sick and, thus, I'm stuck at home. Otherwise, I'd probably be out playing basketball or playing music with the band. XD Anyways, this was a cutesy-cutesy chapter though. It acts as a transition for the upcoming events because things are finally going downhill. There's minus-three chapters left until the end! Any thoughts?
[Next Chapter]