(no subject)
Title: Lost Boys
Genre: Romance, (Angst maybe later?)
Pairing: Ryo/Uchi, Subassan
Summary: A story about youth, love, and relationships that mark you for life. Haha, that sounds too epic. Really, it's just the fic where K8 are all orphans.
Disclaimer: Um.. slash XD
Notes: So, um, this is part three. Once again not beta checked so forgive the crazy grammar I'm sure I missed when editing. Also, when I first came up with the idea for this story this is as far as I got which means now I actually have to plot. So updates from now on will most likely be slower.
Part 1
Part 2
The night it happened Yasuda, Maruyama, and I had gone to Subaru and Hina’s small apartment to work on some songs. We were all in a band together: Subaru, Yasuda, Maruyama, Ohkura, and I. Subaru and Ohkura had long since stopped living at the orphanage but we still met up weekly to rehearse. Murakami Shingo, or Hina as we called him, wasn’t technically in the band, but the fact that he was Subaru’s best friend and that he’d been around since the formation of Kanjani back in Junior High School made him an honorary member in our eyes. He liked to call himself our manager. If ever we made it big Hina’d be the perfect man to handle business and money, as it was, all he handled were our teetering emotions and pesky attitudes. In most of our eyes he was the Father we’d never had. When things got rough we’d run to Hina for a pat on the back and sensible advice.
We finished later than usual that night. Ohkura Tadayoshi, or “Tacchon” as we called him, had been late to begin with - something about not being able to get keys to the car from his adopted Father. Tacchon was a lucky bastard. He was an exception among orphans. He’d been adopted at the age of fourteen. It’s a known fact that most parents-to-be prefer to adopt their kids young so they can mold them as they please, but Tacchon had managed to achieve the unthinkable and had landed himself parents as a teenager. Unlike most adoptees, he didn’t turn his back on us completely once he got out. There were parts of his world we’d never be a part of, things that belonged exclusively to “Those With Parents”, but we didn’t care. The music kept him coming back and that was enough.
As expected Subaru and Yasuda had gone at it the minute we’d finished planning the set list for our upcoming live. In true fashion, the two made out noisily and unabashedly on the couch - oblivious to our presence. Had it not been for Hina, and the numerous tsukkomis he’d bestowed upon Subaru throughout the night, they would’ve gone at it much sooner and the set list wouldn’t have gotten finished. None of us even blinked an eye at the pair. We’d been privy to the same scene so many times before that the whole deal had become mundane. The only one who expressed any kind of disapproval was Ohkura. But that had more to do with the well-known fact that he’d been crushing on Yasuda for ages. I seriously doubted it was due to some upstanding sense of morality.
On the nights Yasuda didn't stay over we knew to give him thirty minutes make-out time before we began our poking and prodding for him to stop. Anything less than that only got you angry!Subaru and grouchy!Yasuda. Neither of which were pleasant, especially when combined.
Uchi hadn’t come that night, though Yasuda and Maruyama had urged him to join us. Yasuda had been hell bent on getting Subaru and Uchi to meet. He was convinced that they’d get on musically and wanted to hear them sing in harmony. For reasons I still don’t quite understand, Uchi was determined to stay in that night and assured us he’d take a rain check. Jin, Pi, and two other boys from the orphanage, Tegoshi and Masuda, had invited Uchi to join in a card game and he’d taken to the idea quickly. Yasu had pouted and Maru had whined, but Uchi had just laughed. I’d given him a questioning look but had only received a shake of the head in response as we’d been pushed and ushered out the door.
By the time Tacchon dropped us off back at the orphanage it was nearing 9pm. Yasuda was giddy as he squirmed and hummed in the back seat next to a dozing Maru. Tacchon sang along to a song on the radio and tapped out the beat on the steering wheel. I watched the dirty lights of the city blur outside the passenger seat window and wondered what Uchi was doing. The car came to a halt rather suddenly in front of a tall, well-kept house that sat nestled between a ramen shop and a parking lot. Two vending machines sat lopsidedly on the sidewalk next to a gate that led into a small courtyard. From the gate you could see a stone laid path and heavy double doors under a large, wooden sign with “Johnny’s Orphanage” carved and painted in white letters.
There was a yelp from the back seat as Maru was startled into consciousness by Ohkura’s less than stellar parking and I sent Ohkura an amused glance. We always made fun of him for his driving.
“What?” He asked me defensively. “He needed to wake up anyway!”
Maru reached over the headrest and flicked Ohkura on the head. “I hit my head because of you! I could be BLEEDING!”
“Yeah right. Not with that hard head of yours!” Ohkura shot back.
I laughed and opened the passenger door, stepping out onto the sidewalk. Yasu chuckled heartily and stepped out of the back seat. I leaned forward to grab my guitar from the car and shook my head at the two arguing boys. “Now, now you two… we all know Tacchon can’t drive and that Maru has nine lives. No need to argue!” I pointed out with fake cheerfulness.
“Do you want to keep getting rides or not?” Ohkura said petulantly. I patted his head like an adult would a child and Maru cackled. “YES, 9 LIVES. I’m a cat! NYA!” He meowed and pretended to claw at Ohkura.
We all laughed and Ohkura hit Maru upside the head. “Okay, get out of my car, kitty-chan.”
Maru complied happily and practically bounced over to where Yasu and I were waiting on the sidewalk.
“You wanna come in for a bit?” I asked, before closing the car door. I asked every time, and every time I got the same answer.
“Nah, it’s okay. I should be getting home. I’ll see you guys next week.”
Ohkura would always drive away before any of us could try to change his mind. I guessed that aside from us he didn’t want to have any relation to that part of his life. I didn’t get why. For me the orphanage would always be a part of me. Turning my back on it would be like turning my back on myself. I’d been dropped on Johnny’s doorstep at the age of four and after the first year of wanting and hoping and lamenting I’d never wanted to look back. I’d worked hard to forget the few memories of the woman I assumed was my mother, and I’d decided a long time ago that my life had begun the night I opened my eyes in an unfamiliar bed and realized I was all alone. I only had a year left inside the orphanage’s walls… but I’d never truly leave.
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The minute we stepped inside the house Tegoshi, a cute, shy kid with a sweet personality, came running up to us and grabbed me by the arm.
“I’m so glad you guys are back! Oh my god, you have to hurry. Come on!”
“Wha-“ I started to ask, but I didn’t get a chance to finish as I was dragged up the stairs. Maru and Yasu followed close behind me and we all exchanged worried glances.
“What’s going on Tegoshi?” Yasuda asked, sounding as confused as we all felt.
“It’s Hime-chan and Jin. We were playing and they just started fighting. Uchi punched Jin and---“ I tore myself from Tegoshi’s grasp and didn’t stick around to hear the rest of the explanation. I rushed to the half-open door at the end of the hallway that I knew led to Jin and Pi’s room and pushed it the rest of the way open so hard it shook on its hinges. I didn’t think. I went on instinct. My eyes flew around the room and when they didn’t find their target they finally landed on Jin who sat on a bed nursing what I could see was quickly becoming a black eye. Yamapi was fussing over him like a middle-aged housewife and their other roommate, Masuda, sat on the edge of the mattress looking worried and holding a bowl of ice.
I strolled over to the bed and pinned a hard look on Jin. “What did you do? Where’s Uchi?”
Jin bristled and swatted at Yamapi’s hand which was busy pressing a bag of ice cubes to the skin below his right eye. “I didn’t do anything,” he scoffed. “Your roommate’s a psycho.”
I glared. I wasn’t in the mood for Jin’s attitude. “What. Did. You. Do?”
“What the fuck Ryo?! Don’t lay it all on me!” Jin exploded angrily. “I asked him if it was true his family had been murdered and he flipped!”
“It’s true,” Yamapi cut in. “Jin actually wasn’t being insensitive for once. He asked Uchi what had happened to his family and Uchi yelled that Jin didn’t know anything and punched him.”
“So where is he?” Yasuda’s voice broke in.
Maruyama, Yasuda, and Tegoshi’s entrance had slipped my attention but a quick glance to my side revealed that my two roommates were now standing not far from where I stood. Tegoshi had moved to sit cross-legged on the bed across from Jin’s.
“He rushed out of here after punching Jin,” Masuda explained. “Pi had to restrain Jin from going after him and I went to get ice so we don’t know where he went.”
“I was going to try to find him but then you guys came home and I thought it’d be best to just let you deal with it,” Tegoshi added from his perch on the bed.
Yasuda sighed unhappily. “We’ll go find him,” he announced. He locked gazes with me and then Maru. “Come on,” he said, turning and heading out the door. I turned too but sent one last glare in Jin’s direction.
“Good going, baka,” I chided. Jin swore, but I ignored it and left to join Yasu and Maru in the hallway.
The two were waiting for me outside the door but I walked past them and headed towards the stairs.
“Hey!” Yasuda called out. “Where are you going? Our room’s this way. Don’t you think we should start there?”
“I’m going for a smoke,” I commented over my shoulder. I didn’t bother to stop or explain and strolled swiftly away.
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I shivered slightly at the chilly air that engulfed me as I stepped outside and pulled my jean jacket a little tighter around my body. I walked across grass still damp from rain and went to lean against my favorite tree. I always came here when I had a lot on my mind. A row of bushes hid most of the tree trunk from sight making it a good escape. The night was dark and chilly and it fit my mood. The only light was that of my cigarette as I took a deep drag. I closed my eyes and let my thoughts wander to the events of the evening.
“You shouldn’t smoke.”
I nearly jumped in surprise at the soft voice that cut through the dark night, and I would have had I not immediately recognized the voice.
“Uchi.”
The leaves of the bushes near my legs rustled and suddenly another person was standing next to me. I looked at him sideways, took another drag of my cigarette and blew the smoke in his face. He coughed slightly and gave me a disapproving look. I smiled wickedly.
“Smoking is disgusting and it will give you cancer,” he lectured.
I rolled my eyes and made a show of taking another drag. “Ah, but it feels so good!”
This time it was his turn to roll his eyes. “Hedonist,” he accused.
I laughed out loud. “Sadist,” I shot back. “I heard you punched Jin.”
His eyes darkened and I didn’t miss the way his fingers slid over the knuckles of his right hand. “Yeah well…”
“Did he hurt your feelings?” I teased.
“Fuck you!” He exclaimed angrily. I hadn’t meant anything by my comment but apparently I’d hit the nail on the head. He huffed and turned to leave but I caught his arm in a strong grip and pulled him back.
“Why did you hit him?” I asked, seriously this time. He eyes flickered up to mine and I could see there was anger still swirling in those depths. He didn’t try to break free or push me away but his fingers pulled at mine where they rested on his arm.
He shrugged and acted nonchalant. “He was asking about things that are none of his business.”
“So you punch people for being nosy bastards? That’s a bit much.” I gave him a questioning glance and he slouched against the tree looking unhappy. “What else do you punch people for? Is there a list I should be aware of? Should I watch out? ‘Cause this pretty face should never be marred.” I gestured to my face with a flourish and smiled sexily for effect. Uchi barely noticed.
“You don’t understand,” was his answer.
I turned serious and gazed at him intently. “So explain it to me.”
He looked up at that and locked his gaze with mine. His eyes searched mine and I started to feel that exhilarating tension that I never stopped feeling, even after years of looking into those eyes. I could tell he was sizing me up; carefully weighing the pros and cons of opening up to me. I met his gaze steadily and held nothing back. The moment became a heavy exchange and by the end I felt like I’d passed some sort of test.
“I know who murdered my family and I didn’t tell the police because I’m afraid they’ll kill me too.”
The bluntness with which he spoke caught me by surprise and I was speechless as I tried to process the information. He studied my face to gage my reaction and I could tell that the silence was making him nervous. I don’t know what he expected my reaction to be, but by the way he was squirming I imagined it to be something along the lines of condemning him to hell or turning him into the police.
I threw my cigarette on the ground and stepped on it.
“So you’re hiding a deep dark secret and will get touchy every time someone brings it up,” I finally spoke, breaking the silence. “Okay, I’ll keep that in mind. I’ll make sure no one bothers you about your family.”
He gaped at me. Obviously he’d been expecting me to grill him with questions but that’s not how I worked. I listened but I never pried. Yeah, I was curious, but part of me was happy not to know. Somehow I couldn’t reconcile the image of the boy in front of me with that of a troubled kid involved in some serious shit. I always did try to ignore that part of Hiroki’s life….until I couldn’t anymore.
The relief in his eyes was palpable and he looked entirely too grateful at not being forced to elaborate. It was a little embarrassing to be looked at like that, like the sun shone from me, or however it is that saying goes. The point is, it was endearing. And that’s when I decided I’d found someone I wanted to protect. I never did go back on that decision.
He edged closer to me and we huddled together in the chilly air. I looked up at the stars for lack of anywhere else to look at and felt his stare bore into me. My stomach fluttered and I couldn’t help turning my face in his direction. Our eyes met and we both grinned. The energy between us was comfortable but charged. We stood in silence for I don’t know how long until Uchi finally broke it with a quietly uttered, “Thanks.”
I bumped his shoulder playfully to hide my embarrassment and chuckled lightly. “Do you want me to call you Hime-chan like the rest of those bakas? Because that just now was pretty girly.”
“Saying thanks is not girly!” He protested passionately. “And I’d rather you not call me that like the rest of those perverts.”
“Oh, but I am a pervert,” I said, waggling my eyebrows and checking him out openly.
He rolled his eyes and shot me a look. “Just call me Hiroki, ok?”
It was dark sure, but by now my eyes had long since become accustomed to the dark and I swore I detected a blush on his cheeks. I smirked and admired the full lips that were pursed in annoyance.
“Not Hiroko?” I egged on. He punched my shoulder and pouted. I attempted to dodge his punch and laughed. He crossed his arms, clearly not budging and fixed me with an expectant stare.
“Okay, okay,” I gave in with a chuckle. “Hiroki.”
He grinned smugly. “Excellent,” he exclaimed. “Now let’s go back. I’m cold.”
He set off ahead of me and I lingered behind to watch him walk away. I couldn’t seem to stop smiling and that should have set off warning bells in my head immediately. It didn’t though. Hiroki turned back after taking only a few steps and looked at me curiously.
“Are you coming or not?” He questioned.
I was beside him in an instant and followed him to the house. We teased each other all the way back to our room and would have continued the banter had not Yasu and Maru accosted us the minute we’d walked in. True to my promise I’d helped him evade dangerous questions and by the time the four of us had gone to bed something solid had rooted itself between Hiroki and I.
After that things only got worse, or better, depending on your viewpoint.
Genre: Romance, (Angst maybe later?)
Pairing: Ryo/Uchi, Subassan
Summary: A story about youth, love, and relationships that mark you for life. Haha, that sounds too epic. Really, it's just the fic where K8 are all orphans.
Disclaimer: Um.. slash XD
Notes: So, um, this is part three. Once again not beta checked so forgive the crazy grammar I'm sure I missed when editing. Also, when I first came up with the idea for this story this is as far as I got which means now I actually have to plot. So updates from now on will most likely be slower.
Part 1
Part 2
The night it happened Yasuda, Maruyama, and I had gone to Subaru and Hina’s small apartment to work on some songs. We were all in a band together: Subaru, Yasuda, Maruyama, Ohkura, and I. Subaru and Ohkura had long since stopped living at the orphanage but we still met up weekly to rehearse. Murakami Shingo, or Hina as we called him, wasn’t technically in the band, but the fact that he was Subaru’s best friend and that he’d been around since the formation of Kanjani back in Junior High School made him an honorary member in our eyes. He liked to call himself our manager. If ever we made it big Hina’d be the perfect man to handle business and money, as it was, all he handled were our teetering emotions and pesky attitudes. In most of our eyes he was the Father we’d never had. When things got rough we’d run to Hina for a pat on the back and sensible advice.
We finished later than usual that night. Ohkura Tadayoshi, or “Tacchon” as we called him, had been late to begin with - something about not being able to get keys to the car from his adopted Father. Tacchon was a lucky bastard. He was an exception among orphans. He’d been adopted at the age of fourteen. It’s a known fact that most parents-to-be prefer to adopt their kids young so they can mold them as they please, but Tacchon had managed to achieve the unthinkable and had landed himself parents as a teenager. Unlike most adoptees, he didn’t turn his back on us completely once he got out. There were parts of his world we’d never be a part of, things that belonged exclusively to “Those With Parents”, but we didn’t care. The music kept him coming back and that was enough.
As expected Subaru and Yasuda had gone at it the minute we’d finished planning the set list for our upcoming live. In true fashion, the two made out noisily and unabashedly on the couch - oblivious to our presence. Had it not been for Hina, and the numerous tsukkomis he’d bestowed upon Subaru throughout the night, they would’ve gone at it much sooner and the set list wouldn’t have gotten finished. None of us even blinked an eye at the pair. We’d been privy to the same scene so many times before that the whole deal had become mundane. The only one who expressed any kind of disapproval was Ohkura. But that had more to do with the well-known fact that he’d been crushing on Yasuda for ages. I seriously doubted it was due to some upstanding sense of morality.
On the nights Yasuda didn't stay over we knew to give him thirty minutes make-out time before we began our poking and prodding for him to stop. Anything less than that only got you angry!Subaru and grouchy!Yasuda. Neither of which were pleasant, especially when combined.
Uchi hadn’t come that night, though Yasuda and Maruyama had urged him to join us. Yasuda had been hell bent on getting Subaru and Uchi to meet. He was convinced that they’d get on musically and wanted to hear them sing in harmony. For reasons I still don’t quite understand, Uchi was determined to stay in that night and assured us he’d take a rain check. Jin, Pi, and two other boys from the orphanage, Tegoshi and Masuda, had invited Uchi to join in a card game and he’d taken to the idea quickly. Yasu had pouted and Maru had whined, but Uchi had just laughed. I’d given him a questioning look but had only received a shake of the head in response as we’d been pushed and ushered out the door.
By the time Tacchon dropped us off back at the orphanage it was nearing 9pm. Yasuda was giddy as he squirmed and hummed in the back seat next to a dozing Maru. Tacchon sang along to a song on the radio and tapped out the beat on the steering wheel. I watched the dirty lights of the city blur outside the passenger seat window and wondered what Uchi was doing. The car came to a halt rather suddenly in front of a tall, well-kept house that sat nestled between a ramen shop and a parking lot. Two vending machines sat lopsidedly on the sidewalk next to a gate that led into a small courtyard. From the gate you could see a stone laid path and heavy double doors under a large, wooden sign with “Johnny’s Orphanage” carved and painted in white letters.
There was a yelp from the back seat as Maru was startled into consciousness by Ohkura’s less than stellar parking and I sent Ohkura an amused glance. We always made fun of him for his driving.
“What?” He asked me defensively. “He needed to wake up anyway!”
Maru reached over the headrest and flicked Ohkura on the head. “I hit my head because of you! I could be BLEEDING!”
“Yeah right. Not with that hard head of yours!” Ohkura shot back.
I laughed and opened the passenger door, stepping out onto the sidewalk. Yasu chuckled heartily and stepped out of the back seat. I leaned forward to grab my guitar from the car and shook my head at the two arguing boys. “Now, now you two… we all know Tacchon can’t drive and that Maru has nine lives. No need to argue!” I pointed out with fake cheerfulness.
“Do you want to keep getting rides or not?” Ohkura said petulantly. I patted his head like an adult would a child and Maru cackled. “YES, 9 LIVES. I’m a cat! NYA!” He meowed and pretended to claw at Ohkura.
We all laughed and Ohkura hit Maru upside the head. “Okay, get out of my car, kitty-chan.”
Maru complied happily and practically bounced over to where Yasu and I were waiting on the sidewalk.
“You wanna come in for a bit?” I asked, before closing the car door. I asked every time, and every time I got the same answer.
“Nah, it’s okay. I should be getting home. I’ll see you guys next week.”
Ohkura would always drive away before any of us could try to change his mind. I guessed that aside from us he didn’t want to have any relation to that part of his life. I didn’t get why. For me the orphanage would always be a part of me. Turning my back on it would be like turning my back on myself. I’d been dropped on Johnny’s doorstep at the age of four and after the first year of wanting and hoping and lamenting I’d never wanted to look back. I’d worked hard to forget the few memories of the woman I assumed was my mother, and I’d decided a long time ago that my life had begun the night I opened my eyes in an unfamiliar bed and realized I was all alone. I only had a year left inside the orphanage’s walls… but I’d never truly leave.
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The minute we stepped inside the house Tegoshi, a cute, shy kid with a sweet personality, came running up to us and grabbed me by the arm.
“I’m so glad you guys are back! Oh my god, you have to hurry. Come on!”
“Wha-“ I started to ask, but I didn’t get a chance to finish as I was dragged up the stairs. Maru and Yasu followed close behind me and we all exchanged worried glances.
“What’s going on Tegoshi?” Yasuda asked, sounding as confused as we all felt.
“It’s Hime-chan and Jin. We were playing and they just started fighting. Uchi punched Jin and---“ I tore myself from Tegoshi’s grasp and didn’t stick around to hear the rest of the explanation. I rushed to the half-open door at the end of the hallway that I knew led to Jin and Pi’s room and pushed it the rest of the way open so hard it shook on its hinges. I didn’t think. I went on instinct. My eyes flew around the room and when they didn’t find their target they finally landed on Jin who sat on a bed nursing what I could see was quickly becoming a black eye. Yamapi was fussing over him like a middle-aged housewife and their other roommate, Masuda, sat on the edge of the mattress looking worried and holding a bowl of ice.
I strolled over to the bed and pinned a hard look on Jin. “What did you do? Where’s Uchi?”
Jin bristled and swatted at Yamapi’s hand which was busy pressing a bag of ice cubes to the skin below his right eye. “I didn’t do anything,” he scoffed. “Your roommate’s a psycho.”
I glared. I wasn’t in the mood for Jin’s attitude. “What. Did. You. Do?”
“What the fuck Ryo?! Don’t lay it all on me!” Jin exploded angrily. “I asked him if it was true his family had been murdered and he flipped!”
“It’s true,” Yamapi cut in. “Jin actually wasn’t being insensitive for once. He asked Uchi what had happened to his family and Uchi yelled that Jin didn’t know anything and punched him.”
“So where is he?” Yasuda’s voice broke in.
Maruyama, Yasuda, and Tegoshi’s entrance had slipped my attention but a quick glance to my side revealed that my two roommates were now standing not far from where I stood. Tegoshi had moved to sit cross-legged on the bed across from Jin’s.
“He rushed out of here after punching Jin,” Masuda explained. “Pi had to restrain Jin from going after him and I went to get ice so we don’t know where he went.”
“I was going to try to find him but then you guys came home and I thought it’d be best to just let you deal with it,” Tegoshi added from his perch on the bed.
Yasuda sighed unhappily. “We’ll go find him,” he announced. He locked gazes with me and then Maru. “Come on,” he said, turning and heading out the door. I turned too but sent one last glare in Jin’s direction.
“Good going, baka,” I chided. Jin swore, but I ignored it and left to join Yasu and Maru in the hallway.
The two were waiting for me outside the door but I walked past them and headed towards the stairs.
“Hey!” Yasuda called out. “Where are you going? Our room’s this way. Don’t you think we should start there?”
“I’m going for a smoke,” I commented over my shoulder. I didn’t bother to stop or explain and strolled swiftly away.
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I shivered slightly at the chilly air that engulfed me as I stepped outside and pulled my jean jacket a little tighter around my body. I walked across grass still damp from rain and went to lean against my favorite tree. I always came here when I had a lot on my mind. A row of bushes hid most of the tree trunk from sight making it a good escape. The night was dark and chilly and it fit my mood. The only light was that of my cigarette as I took a deep drag. I closed my eyes and let my thoughts wander to the events of the evening.
“You shouldn’t smoke.”
I nearly jumped in surprise at the soft voice that cut through the dark night, and I would have had I not immediately recognized the voice.
“Uchi.”
The leaves of the bushes near my legs rustled and suddenly another person was standing next to me. I looked at him sideways, took another drag of my cigarette and blew the smoke in his face. He coughed slightly and gave me a disapproving look. I smiled wickedly.
“Smoking is disgusting and it will give you cancer,” he lectured.
I rolled my eyes and made a show of taking another drag. “Ah, but it feels so good!”
This time it was his turn to roll his eyes. “Hedonist,” he accused.
I laughed out loud. “Sadist,” I shot back. “I heard you punched Jin.”
His eyes darkened and I didn’t miss the way his fingers slid over the knuckles of his right hand. “Yeah well…”
“Did he hurt your feelings?” I teased.
“Fuck you!” He exclaimed angrily. I hadn’t meant anything by my comment but apparently I’d hit the nail on the head. He huffed and turned to leave but I caught his arm in a strong grip and pulled him back.
“Why did you hit him?” I asked, seriously this time. He eyes flickered up to mine and I could see there was anger still swirling in those depths. He didn’t try to break free or push me away but his fingers pulled at mine where they rested on his arm.
He shrugged and acted nonchalant. “He was asking about things that are none of his business.”
“So you punch people for being nosy bastards? That’s a bit much.” I gave him a questioning glance and he slouched against the tree looking unhappy. “What else do you punch people for? Is there a list I should be aware of? Should I watch out? ‘Cause this pretty face should never be marred.” I gestured to my face with a flourish and smiled sexily for effect. Uchi barely noticed.
“You don’t understand,” was his answer.
I turned serious and gazed at him intently. “So explain it to me.”
He looked up at that and locked his gaze with mine. His eyes searched mine and I started to feel that exhilarating tension that I never stopped feeling, even after years of looking into those eyes. I could tell he was sizing me up; carefully weighing the pros and cons of opening up to me. I met his gaze steadily and held nothing back. The moment became a heavy exchange and by the end I felt like I’d passed some sort of test.
“I know who murdered my family and I didn’t tell the police because I’m afraid they’ll kill me too.”
The bluntness with which he spoke caught me by surprise and I was speechless as I tried to process the information. He studied my face to gage my reaction and I could tell that the silence was making him nervous. I don’t know what he expected my reaction to be, but by the way he was squirming I imagined it to be something along the lines of condemning him to hell or turning him into the police.
I threw my cigarette on the ground and stepped on it.
“So you’re hiding a deep dark secret and will get touchy every time someone brings it up,” I finally spoke, breaking the silence. “Okay, I’ll keep that in mind. I’ll make sure no one bothers you about your family.”
He gaped at me. Obviously he’d been expecting me to grill him with questions but that’s not how I worked. I listened but I never pried. Yeah, I was curious, but part of me was happy not to know. Somehow I couldn’t reconcile the image of the boy in front of me with that of a troubled kid involved in some serious shit. I always did try to ignore that part of Hiroki’s life….until I couldn’t anymore.
The relief in his eyes was palpable and he looked entirely too grateful at not being forced to elaborate. It was a little embarrassing to be looked at like that, like the sun shone from me, or however it is that saying goes. The point is, it was endearing. And that’s when I decided I’d found someone I wanted to protect. I never did go back on that decision.
He edged closer to me and we huddled together in the chilly air. I looked up at the stars for lack of anywhere else to look at and felt his stare bore into me. My stomach fluttered and I couldn’t help turning my face in his direction. Our eyes met and we both grinned. The energy between us was comfortable but charged. We stood in silence for I don’t know how long until Uchi finally broke it with a quietly uttered, “Thanks.”
I bumped his shoulder playfully to hide my embarrassment and chuckled lightly. “Do you want me to call you Hime-chan like the rest of those bakas? Because that just now was pretty girly.”
“Saying thanks is not girly!” He protested passionately. “And I’d rather you not call me that like the rest of those perverts.”
“Oh, but I am a pervert,” I said, waggling my eyebrows and checking him out openly.
He rolled his eyes and shot me a look. “Just call me Hiroki, ok?”
It was dark sure, but by now my eyes had long since become accustomed to the dark and I swore I detected a blush on his cheeks. I smirked and admired the full lips that were pursed in annoyance.
“Not Hiroko?” I egged on. He punched my shoulder and pouted. I attempted to dodge his punch and laughed. He crossed his arms, clearly not budging and fixed me with an expectant stare.
“Okay, okay,” I gave in with a chuckle. “Hiroki.”
He grinned smugly. “Excellent,” he exclaimed. “Now let’s go back. I’m cold.”
He set off ahead of me and I lingered behind to watch him walk away. I couldn’t seem to stop smiling and that should have set off warning bells in my head immediately. It didn’t though. Hiroki turned back after taking only a few steps and looked at me curiously.
“Are you coming or not?” He questioned.
I was beside him in an instant and followed him to the house. We teased each other all the way back to our room and would have continued the banter had not Yasu and Maru accosted us the minute we’d walked in. True to my promise I’d helped him evade dangerous questions and by the time the four of us had gone to bed something solid had rooted itself between Hiroki and I.
After that things only got worse, or better, depending on your viewpoint.