Bitter/Sweet [Chapter nine] Reita/Ruki
Bitter/Sweet
Chapter9/?
Previous Chapters
Reita/Ruki
Rated PG-13
Takanori makes the mistake of hanging around his old school and Akira takes interest.
Takanori didn’t much like people. Not because he had anything against them personally, but because he knew that in the end, they wouldn’t like him. The few friends he did have while he was in school had quit talking to him once he opened up to them. So he gave up on trying.
-
They were still in the park, a not-so-but-just-awkward-enough silence stretching out between them. Takanori had opened his mouth to speak a number of times, but he couldn’t find words to express what he was feeling. He was happy, excited, anxious, confused. He was very confused.
Why had Akira done that? Why had he broken away so suddenly after only a few short [heavenly] moments? Why had he walked away? And why the hell was he pacing, muttering to himself?
“Akira?” Takanori finally got the courage to speak, though he wasn’t sure what he would say if the other actually responded.
Akira didn’t respond. He either hadn’t heard his name being called or he was choosing to ignore it.
Takanori watched the other pace, a mess of emotions stirring inside him, mingling with his thoughts and making him feel queasy.
Did he regret it? Was there any meaning in that kiss? Or had he just acted on impulse. If it was impulse, though, didn’t that mean there was something behind it? Maybe he was just trying to cheer Takanori up. If this was the case, Takanori certainly didn’t appreciate it. He was emotional enough without this being dropped on him.
“God dammit Akira, stop that and talk to me! Say something!” He was tired of replaying the scene in his head. No answers were coming of it and Akira’s constant movement was making him nervous.
The blonde stopped, looked down at the other, sighed.
“Sorry, I guess I just…”
“You just what?” Takanori assumed this was the part where Akira states how his actions had been a mistake.
“I surprised myself I guess.”
“You wish you hadn’t done it,” Takanori mumbled as he rummaged through his bag, searching for the one thing that might help calm his nerves.
“You’re an idiot.”
“I’m actually quite intelligent. And I can read people well. Your face shows regret.” His own face was blank, not wanting to clue the other in to just how emotional he was.
“It isn’t regret. It’s… This is just new for me. I hadn’t realized… I guess…”
“Stop stuttering. You’re the one sounding like an idiot.” He had finally dug his cigarettes out of the bag and was puffing away, his eyes on a dry patch of grass beside him.
“Fine. Let’s put it this way. Up until a few minutes ago, you were a friend. But seeing you hurt like that, it hurt me. I wanted to make it better. That was the only thing I could come up with.”
“Nice effort,” he said with a bitter chuckle.
“I want more,” Akira whispered.
Takanori looked back at him, eyes narrowed and brows furrowed. He said nothing; instead waited for Akira to say more, to be sure he hadn’t misheard.
“I felt something,” Akira said, this time more clearly. “I felt something that was… It was amazing. I know I sound stupid right now, but Takanori, you are just… I can’t explain it.”
“Still not making sense.”
Akira rolled his eyes and sat down, looking up.
“Your tree is dying.”
“She’s not dying. She’s going to sleep. And when she wakes up, she will become more beautiful than before.”
“Like Sleeping Beauty?”
“Like Sleeping Beauty.”
“Taka, I’m sorry.”
Takanori said nothing.
“I guess I’m confused. Right now… well, since I’ve known you actually, I’ve wanted to do nothing but cheer you up, comfort you somehow. I want you to see that things will get better and that life is so much more than what you know.”
Takanori sat there, smoking.
“You aren’t going to help me out here?”
“I can’t help you, Akira,” he said with a sigh. “I don’t know what you want. I don’t know what you’re thinking. I just know that you kissed me and right now you’re confusing the fuck out of me and I don’t know what to say.”
The two looked at one another, each trying to read the other; each failing.
“Do you…” Akira started.
“Want more?” Takanori finished, a smirk playing along his lips.
They kissed again and a silent agreement was made. For now, it was better not to talk, only to do. After all, actions did speak louder than words.
---
They tried to keep things to themselves, neither really knowing where this (whatever this was) was headed. It wasn’t easy though; not with stolen glances, soft smiles, not-so-innocent nudges in the hallways. Akira’s face lit up when he saw Takanori. Takanori got butterflies when he saw Akira. Yuu noticed right away.
“So, what’s with you two?” he asked, lounging on the couch in Akira’s garage.
The space was now filled with Takanori’s belongings. He had been staying there for a week now and despite Akira’s constant pushing, declined the offer to take the blonde’s bedroom. Takanori was perfectly content just having a roof over his head.
Akira looked quickly to Takanori, then back to Yuu.
“What do you mean?” he asked, trying to sound as innocent as possible.
Yuu smiled a devious smile.
“You guys finally did it, didn’t you? You kissed.”
Akira choked on his drink and shook his head.
“Y-you’re crazy, we didn’t.. I mean-”
“Yes, we did,” Takanori stated matter-of-factly. “And we’ve done so many times since.”
Akira shot him a look that Takanori could only take as a fuck you and he smiled, sticking out his tongue.
“I knew it!” Yuu exclaimed, pointing at Akira. “So, are you guys like a thing now?”
The two looked at one another for a moment, Takanori staying quiet, waiting to see how Akira responded.
“I… I guess we are,” he said softly, his eyes still locked with the other’s. Yuu looked at the two for a moment, then stood up.
“I’ll just… leave you two lovebirds be. I’ve got homework anyway.”
Takanori and Akira didn’t notice him leave. They were lost to the world.
Akira reached out, grabbed Takanori’s hand, laced their fingers together, drew the boy closer. He ran his free hand through the other’s auburn strands, trailed his fingers down his face, tickled his lips. Milky cheeks turned crimson, lips pouted, eyes widened. It was like this every time Akira touched him. Takanori didn’t think he would ever get used to it.
“Did you mean it? What you said?”
Akira smiled and nodded. “I did.”
“So…”
“So now, I’m yours.”
---
Autumn passed, Takanori and Akira spending as much time as they could together, Yuu tagging along when he wasn’t busy with his studies. Apparently his grades had dropped and he needed to raise them to get into the college he wanted. Takanori had begun helping him study after the art sessions with Ishihara. Today, Yuu had joined him in the art room and was watching him paint.
“How many of those things has he made you do?” he asked, doodling in his notebook.
Takanori shrugged, not looking away from the canvas.
“I don’t know. He doesn’t really make me do them though. I like it. It helps sometimes.”
Yuu hummed and flipped open his physics text, sighing at the numbers and words before him.
“I hate math,” he groaned. Takanori chuckled and set his brush down, walking over to look at the problems.
“Aw Yuu, those are simple.” He took Yuu’s pencil and worked out an example problem, explaining as he went. Yuu watched, a disgruntled look on his face.
“I guess if you look at it that way. I still hate it though.”
“Just do your work,” Takanori said with a laugh.
Ishihara walked out of his office and studied Takanori’s current piece. He smiled and nodded.
“I think we’re done,” the man stated.
Takanori looked up at him, then to the canvas.
“What? That one isn’t even finished yet.”
“Maybe not, but I do believe we accomplished our main goal. Your art is alive again and I can see something now that wasn’t there before.”
The boy walked over to his work and raised an eyebrow.
“Color?” he said, a hint of sarcasm in his voice.
Ishihara rolled his eyes and laughed.
“No, not just the color. It’s not weighed down by bad feelings. Look,” he said, pointing to the edge of the canvas, “even the brush strokes are lighter, more natural. When we started, your strokes were full of anger, sadness. Like I said, change.”
Takanori looked again and nodded. “Yeah, I guess you’re right,” he said softly.
“Well, if he’s done, can we go?” Yuu asked.
Ishihara nodded and Yuu hurriedly gathered his things, grabbing Takanori’s arm.
“Come on, I’m starving.”
“Isn’t there a time when food isn’t on your mind?”
“Um, probably not.” They boys laughed and walked out. As they did, Taknori heard Ishihara begin to hum, then sing.
“You were only waiting, for this moment to arise.”
Takanori smiled and sent a silent thank you to the man. In a way, Ishihara had become a father figure to him and he held a certain admiration for the professor. He had been there when his real father hadn’t, had helped Takanori when he hit a low. The boy was a bit saddened that he wouldn’t be doing the paintings anymore. He had enjoyed the odd conversations he and Ishihara had. But he also new that all good things had to end eventually.
“C’es la vie,” he said quietly.
“Salad? I don’t want salad. I want real food.”
Takanori looked at Yuu and rolled his eyes.
“I really don’t know about you sometimes.”
Chapter9/?
Previous Chapters
Reita/Ruki
Rated PG-13
Takanori makes the mistake of hanging around his old school and Akira takes interest.
Takanori didn’t much like people. Not because he had anything against them personally, but because he knew that in the end, they wouldn’t like him. The few friends he did have while he was in school had quit talking to him once he opened up to them. So he gave up on trying.
-
They were still in the park, a not-so-but-just-awkward-enough silence stretching out between them. Takanori had opened his mouth to speak a number of times, but he couldn’t find words to express what he was feeling. He was happy, excited, anxious, confused. He was very confused.
Why had Akira done that? Why had he broken away so suddenly after only a few short [heavenly] moments? Why had he walked away? And why the hell was he pacing, muttering to himself?
“Akira?” Takanori finally got the courage to speak, though he wasn’t sure what he would say if the other actually responded.
Akira didn’t respond. He either hadn’t heard his name being called or he was choosing to ignore it.
Takanori watched the other pace, a mess of emotions stirring inside him, mingling with his thoughts and making him feel queasy.
Did he regret it? Was there any meaning in that kiss? Or had he just acted on impulse. If it was impulse, though, didn’t that mean there was something behind it? Maybe he was just trying to cheer Takanori up. If this was the case, Takanori certainly didn’t appreciate it. He was emotional enough without this being dropped on him.
“God dammit Akira, stop that and talk to me! Say something!” He was tired of replaying the scene in his head. No answers were coming of it and Akira’s constant movement was making him nervous.
The blonde stopped, looked down at the other, sighed.
“Sorry, I guess I just…”
“You just what?” Takanori assumed this was the part where Akira states how his actions had been a mistake.
“I surprised myself I guess.”
“You wish you hadn’t done it,” Takanori mumbled as he rummaged through his bag, searching for the one thing that might help calm his nerves.
“You’re an idiot.”
“I’m actually quite intelligent. And I can read people well. Your face shows regret.” His own face was blank, not wanting to clue the other in to just how emotional he was.
“It isn’t regret. It’s… This is just new for me. I hadn’t realized… I guess…”
“Stop stuttering. You’re the one sounding like an idiot.” He had finally dug his cigarettes out of the bag and was puffing away, his eyes on a dry patch of grass beside him.
“Fine. Let’s put it this way. Up until a few minutes ago, you were a friend. But seeing you hurt like that, it hurt me. I wanted to make it better. That was the only thing I could come up with.”
“Nice effort,” he said with a bitter chuckle.
“I want more,” Akira whispered.
Takanori looked back at him, eyes narrowed and brows furrowed. He said nothing; instead waited for Akira to say more, to be sure he hadn’t misheard.
“I felt something,” Akira said, this time more clearly. “I felt something that was… It was amazing. I know I sound stupid right now, but Takanori, you are just… I can’t explain it.”
“Still not making sense.”
Akira rolled his eyes and sat down, looking up.
“Your tree is dying.”
“She’s not dying. She’s going to sleep. And when she wakes up, she will become more beautiful than before.”
“Like Sleeping Beauty?”
“Like Sleeping Beauty.”
“Taka, I’m sorry.”
Takanori said nothing.
“I guess I’m confused. Right now… well, since I’ve known you actually, I’ve wanted to do nothing but cheer you up, comfort you somehow. I want you to see that things will get better and that life is so much more than what you know.”
Takanori sat there, smoking.
“You aren’t going to help me out here?”
“I can’t help you, Akira,” he said with a sigh. “I don’t know what you want. I don’t know what you’re thinking. I just know that you kissed me and right now you’re confusing the fuck out of me and I don’t know what to say.”
The two looked at one another, each trying to read the other; each failing.
“Do you…” Akira started.
“Want more?” Takanori finished, a smirk playing along his lips.
They kissed again and a silent agreement was made. For now, it was better not to talk, only to do. After all, actions did speak louder than words.
---
They tried to keep things to themselves, neither really knowing where this (whatever this was) was headed. It wasn’t easy though; not with stolen glances, soft smiles, not-so-innocent nudges in the hallways. Akira’s face lit up when he saw Takanori. Takanori got butterflies when he saw Akira. Yuu noticed right away.
“So, what’s with you two?” he asked, lounging on the couch in Akira’s garage.
The space was now filled with Takanori’s belongings. He had been staying there for a week now and despite Akira’s constant pushing, declined the offer to take the blonde’s bedroom. Takanori was perfectly content just having a roof over his head.
Akira looked quickly to Takanori, then back to Yuu.
“What do you mean?” he asked, trying to sound as innocent as possible.
Yuu smiled a devious smile.
“You guys finally did it, didn’t you? You kissed.”
Akira choked on his drink and shook his head.
“Y-you’re crazy, we didn’t.. I mean-”
“Yes, we did,” Takanori stated matter-of-factly. “And we’ve done so many times since.”
Akira shot him a look that Takanori could only take as a fuck you and he smiled, sticking out his tongue.
“I knew it!” Yuu exclaimed, pointing at Akira. “So, are you guys like a thing now?”
The two looked at one another for a moment, Takanori staying quiet, waiting to see how Akira responded.
“I… I guess we are,” he said softly, his eyes still locked with the other’s. Yuu looked at the two for a moment, then stood up.
“I’ll just… leave you two lovebirds be. I’ve got homework anyway.”
Takanori and Akira didn’t notice him leave. They were lost to the world.
Akira reached out, grabbed Takanori’s hand, laced their fingers together, drew the boy closer. He ran his free hand through the other’s auburn strands, trailed his fingers down his face, tickled his lips. Milky cheeks turned crimson, lips pouted, eyes widened. It was like this every time Akira touched him. Takanori didn’t think he would ever get used to it.
“Did you mean it? What you said?”
Akira smiled and nodded. “I did.”
“So…”
“So now, I’m yours.”
---
Autumn passed, Takanori and Akira spending as much time as they could together, Yuu tagging along when he wasn’t busy with his studies. Apparently his grades had dropped and he needed to raise them to get into the college he wanted. Takanori had begun helping him study after the art sessions with Ishihara. Today, Yuu had joined him in the art room and was watching him paint.
“How many of those things has he made you do?” he asked, doodling in his notebook.
Takanori shrugged, not looking away from the canvas.
“I don’t know. He doesn’t really make me do them though. I like it. It helps sometimes.”
Yuu hummed and flipped open his physics text, sighing at the numbers and words before him.
“I hate math,” he groaned. Takanori chuckled and set his brush down, walking over to look at the problems.
“Aw Yuu, those are simple.” He took Yuu’s pencil and worked out an example problem, explaining as he went. Yuu watched, a disgruntled look on his face.
“I guess if you look at it that way. I still hate it though.”
“Just do your work,” Takanori said with a laugh.
Ishihara walked out of his office and studied Takanori’s current piece. He smiled and nodded.
“I think we’re done,” the man stated.
Takanori looked up at him, then to the canvas.
“What? That one isn’t even finished yet.”
“Maybe not, but I do believe we accomplished our main goal. Your art is alive again and I can see something now that wasn’t there before.”
The boy walked over to his work and raised an eyebrow.
“Color?” he said, a hint of sarcasm in his voice.
Ishihara rolled his eyes and laughed.
“No, not just the color. It’s not weighed down by bad feelings. Look,” he said, pointing to the edge of the canvas, “even the brush strokes are lighter, more natural. When we started, your strokes were full of anger, sadness. Like I said, change.”
Takanori looked again and nodded. “Yeah, I guess you’re right,” he said softly.
“Well, if he’s done, can we go?” Yuu asked.
Ishihara nodded and Yuu hurriedly gathered his things, grabbing Takanori’s arm.
“Come on, I’m starving.”
“Isn’t there a time when food isn’t on your mind?”
“Um, probably not.” They boys laughed and walked out. As they did, Taknori heard Ishihara begin to hum, then sing.
“You were only waiting, for this moment to arise.”
Takanori smiled and sent a silent thank you to the man. In a way, Ishihara had become a father figure to him and he held a certain admiration for the professor. He had been there when his real father hadn’t, had helped Takanori when he hit a low. The boy was a bit saddened that he wouldn’t be doing the paintings anymore. He had enjoyed the odd conversations he and Ishihara had. But he also new that all good things had to end eventually.
“C’es la vie,” he said quietly.
“Salad? I don’t want salad. I want real food.”
Takanori looked at Yuu and rolled his eyes.
“I really don’t know about you sometimes.”