Bitter/Sweet [Chapter thirteen]
Bitter/Sweet
Chapter 13/?
Previous Chapters
Reita/Ruki
Rated R
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.
-
Takanori stormed out of the house, not even bothering to look back. His feet were moving on their own, his mind lost in an inner conflict of ‘was I over reacting?’ and ‘he’s going to fucking America, of course I wasn’t over reacting’. But he felt bad. Fighting with Akira was the last thing he wanted to do. Takanori cursed himself for blowing up like he did.
“Stupid,” he mumbled. “I’m a fucking child. He’s probably thinking twice about us now. Fuck I hope I didn’t ruin it…” His monologue was cut off by the sound of a guitar being played. Takanori stopped walking and listened. The sound was coming from the park, near the pond.
He walked over, looking up to the barren branches of his tree, then down to the source of the song.
“Ishihara?” Sitting against the trunk was the art professor. He had laid down a flannel blanket and was plucking lazily at the strings of the acoustic Takanori knew too well. The boy cocked his head, confused as to why his teacher was in the park in the middle of the night.
“Takanori,” Ishihara replied, still playing his song.
“W-what are you doing here?”
“Singing.”
“Why? It’s cold out. Couldn’t you do that inside?”
The man looked up at the boy, a smile touching his lips. Takanori noticed that he had his lip ring in and chuckled. It was still weird seeing a teacher with piercings.
“I suppose I could,” said the man, his voice soft. “But I guess I just like to escape sometimes.” There was something in his eyes that told Takanori something was off; Ishihara wasn’t being his normal cheerful self. He didn’t pry though. It was none of his business.
“Can I join you?” he asked instead, rubbing at his arms to keep warm. Ishihara nodded and Takanori sat down beside him.
“Something is wrong,” Ishihara stated, not bothering to look at the boy. “Need to talk?”
Takanori stayed silent for a moment, sniffling against the cold, then sighed.
“We had a fight,” he said simply.
“Ah, that’s no good.”
“Yeah.”
“Was it a big fight? Or something silly?”
“Well, I’m not really sure.”
“Want to talk about it?”
“Well, Akira thought that it would be a good idea to apply for a school and not even tell me about it until after he got accepted. He also assumed that I would just follow him like a lost puppy. Like he can drag me around and do as he pleases.” Takanori scoffed and grabbed for a cigarette, not caring if Ishihara saw him smoking or not.
“I’m assuming this school isn’t near by?”
“America.”
“Ah, I can see why that would be a problem. So you’re upset he’s going to America?”
“Yeah, I mean, everything was going great. So fucking great. I felt like I was actually wanted and now he’s just.. Abandoning me. Like everyone else.” His eyes were burning now, with rage and hurt. He had come to rely so much on Akira these past months and now he was just going to leave?
“But you got upset that he wanted you go to?” Takanori looked over to the man and nodded. “Well,” Ishihara said softly, “how do you think he’ll feel if you tell him to stay? Isn’t that the same as him asking you to go more or less?”
“I-” Takanori bit his lip, realizing that Ishihara was right. Who was he to get in the way of Akira’s education? Especially after he worked so hard to get where he was. “Fuck,” he said with a sigh.
Ishihara chuckled and shook his head. “Ah, the troubles of young love. Care to sing with me? It might help.”
“I would love to.”
Ishihara played his guitar, Takanori sang along. A kind of peace came over the boy as he sang, his voice carrying out all the pain and hurt, not only from that night, but from the past months, years even. As he sang, a single tear rolled down his cheek.
---
Takanori spent most of the next day in his bed, buried by the pillows and comforter. He ignored his mother, who had decided that Takanori was sick and had been insisting for the past three hours that he go see a doctor. He ignored his phone, which was going off every ten minutes with texts from either Akira or Yuu, both asking why he wasn’t in school, one apologizing over and over again. Takanori simply didn’t want to deal with any of it; people, problems, how he was going to fix what he had so grandly fucked up.
He had drifted back to sleep sometime between a text from Yuu asking when he was going to stop ignoring him and his mother asking if he wanted anything to eat. Images of Akira filled his mind; his smile, his wink, the expressions he made when their bodies were pressed together, limbs tangled, sweat making their skin stick in all the right places…
A soft moan escaped his lips just before he was awakened by a loud chuckle. His eyes opened to see Yuu standing at the foot of his bed, a smug look on his face.
“Watcha dreaming about Taka?” he teased, plopping down on the bed.
Takanori groaned and put a pillow over his head. He didn’t bother to ask how Yuu got in or even what he was doing there. Ignore him and he will go away.
“I bet it was Aki. And I bet it was something dirty.” Yuu’s index finger was now poking at Takanori’s side. Obviously ignoring him wasn’t enough.
“Yuu, go away.” It was muffled, but Takanori knew the other could understand him. He heard another laugh and sighed loudly as he sat up. “What? What do you want? Did you not get that I wanted to be left alone? I didn’t answer you for a reason.” He was snapping, but Yuu didn’t seem to be bothered by it in the slightest. He was still smiling. So annoying.
“I know. But, I didn’t want to be ignored. It really bugs me, you know? Especially when we had plans to study today. Finals are coming up and I need this grade.” Yuu shrugged, then stretched his body out, laying his head right beside Takanori’s. The younger growled and again, Yuu laughed.
“You don’t scare me little man.” The older yanked the blankets off the other and his eyes widened, a smirk growing in place of his smile. “Wow, that dream must have really got to you.”
Takanori rolled his eyes and grabbed the blanket back, wrapping it snugly around his body.
“Go. Away. Yuu.”
“No.”
Takanori looked over to him, their faces merely inches apart. He was scowling, Yuu was smiling.
“Fuck you.”
“I don’t think Akira would like that too much.”
“GO AWAY!”
Yuu burst out laughing and sat up, reaching for the book bag he had thrown on the floor.
“I can’t. You promised me I would pass this exam, so we’re going to study. Even if it’s the last thing either of us want to do.” Yuu had dumped the contents of the bag onto Takanori’s bed and the covers were now littered with loose sheets of paper, folders, stray pencils, and a single notebook that looked so beat up it should have been in a trash can.
“God Yuu, haven’t you heard of a thing called organization?” Takanori gathered up the sheets of paper and stacked them neatly, putting them in the folder. “And this notebook…” The boy sighed loudly and leaned over his bed, opening one of the drawers of his dresser. “Here,” he said, holding out a brand new notebook, “use this one instead. You’re going to stab yourself on the binding and I don’t want to be stuck cleaning up the blood.”
Yuu took the notebook and shook his head, mumbling something about how he didn’t care what his notes were in, as long as the information was in his brain. Takanori ignored him and opened the text, taking a deep breath before starting what he knew would be a very long night.
---
Three tedious and tiring hours later, Yuu had finally gone home, leaving Takanori to return to his thoughts. He had calmed down since the night before and had begun to feel overly guilty about his actions. He was just about to call Akira when there was a soft knock at his door, followed by a blonde head peeking through the crack. Takanori couldn’t help but smile, waving his hands for the other to come in.
“Hey,” Akira said, his eyes at his feet.
“Hey.”
“So-”
“So-”
They both stopped speaking, each waiting for the other to finish. When neither did, the pair laughed and Akira sat down next to Takanori, taking the smaller boy in his arms.
“I’m sorry,” he said, nuzzling his face into the other’s hair. “I should have said something sooner. I don’t know why I didn’t.”
Takanori shrugged and leaned into him. He didn’t want to argue anymore, didn’t want to even talk about Akira leaving. He just wanted to sit there, surrounded by Akira and his warmth. No words, no apologies, no explanations; just them.
“Taka I-” Takanori cut him off by turning his body and pressing a finger to his lips. He positioned himself to where he was straddling Akira and he pushed the other down, their eyes locked. An understanding passed between them, forbidding words. Only actions were allowed now. Akira reached up and ran a hand through Takanori’s waves, pulling the boy down to him, mashing their lips together. Eager, needy, soft, sweet, angry, demanding; every emotion that had been felt by Takanori over the past two days were translated into that single kiss and Akira felt every one of them.
Takanori’s hands went down the length of Akira’s chest and made their way under his shirt, tugging it over his head. He broke away from their kiss to admire the other.
“You are so beautiful,” he whispered. Akira looked up at him and chuckled.
“Nah,” he said, pulling Takanori back to him. “I‘m not that great. If anything, I‘m lucky to have you.”
“Lucky? How?”
“You. Everything that you are. I’ve never met anyone more… Well, words can’t really describe it. The instant we met, I knew there was something about you. I…” he paused for a moment, chewing on his lip. “Something about you. I don’t know, it just drew me to you I guess. It’s weird, you know? A complete stranger doing something like that.” He looked away, obviously struggling with his words. “I just… you’re so… Everything about you amazes me. I can’t get enough of you. When I saw how upset you were, it hurt. I never want to do that to you.”
Takanori looked down at him, not sure how to respond. No one had ever talked to him like that before. Sure, Akira had complimented him plenty, but not like this. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out.
“I love you,” Akira finished. Takanori’s heart was pounding. He was overwhelmed. Those words had been spoken many times between them, but this time it was different. This time, Takanori knew it wasn’t just puppy love. It was real. Something that would last, regardless if Akira went to school in another country. At least, that’s what Takanori hoped.
“Go to America,” he finally said, his voice hushed. As much as it hurt to speak those words, he knew he had to. “Go and do well in school and I’ll follow you. I will.”
“Shh,” Akira whispered. “We don’t have to talk about that now. In fact,” he said as he tugged at Takanori‘s shirt, “I don’t want to talk anymore at all. I’ve gone through hell today and I want it to just go away.”
“But,” Takanori said in protest, his hands pulling his shirt back down.
“Taka, you are beautiful. Don’t fight with me. I want to see you, to see all of you.”
Another moment of hesitation, then Takanori slowly took off his shirt. Akira smiled and shook his head.
“I honestly don’t know why you were so shy in the first place. You are perfect.”
Akira lifted Takanori by the hips, moving them to where he was leaning over the other.
“I just… I guess I’m just self conscious,” Takanori mumbled.
“No more talking. Right now, I only want to feel you.”
They clashed again in a wonderful way; their bodies complimenting each other like jigsaw pieces, their breathes and sighs letting each now how much they were needed and wanted. They were drowned in waves of passion, bodies hurting for the oxygen that was their touches, their kisses. Akira was gentle, making sure Takanori was ready; Takanori begged for more.
“I need you,” the younger gasped, repeating Akira’s earlier words. “Please Akira, I need you.”
The blonde nodded and eased into the other, shivering at the sensation. Takanori’s body responded instantly, his back arching, forcing the other deeper. They moved as one, melding together completely. Takanori was getting high from Akira’s touch, from the feeling of his tongue on his skin and his body ached for more. He wrapped his legs around the other, pulling him closer still. His teeth clenched at the slight pain, but when Akira stopped to make sure he was alright, he only shook his head, demanding him not to stop.
“Keep going,” he ordered. “I don’t care if it hurts, I want it.”
No more hesitations. Akira finally gave in to his own urges. They acted on pure instinct, letting their thoughts slip completely away. Nothing mattered right then. Only the feeling of pure bliss that they were both working at.
It hit them simultaneously. Their voices fused together, the result being a mix of Takanori’s hushed moans and Akira’s not-so-quiet grunts. Takanori was numb by the time Akira finally collapsed on top of him. Neither spoke. Words weren’t needed nor were they wanted. The feeling of their chests heaving into one another was more than enough.
The pair fell asleep in each other’s arms. At that moment, to Takanori at least, everything was right. For the first time in his life, he felt completely at home.
Chapter 13/?
Previous Chapters
Reita/Ruki
Rated R
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.
-
Takanori stormed out of the house, not even bothering to look back. His feet were moving on their own, his mind lost in an inner conflict of ‘was I over reacting?’ and ‘he’s going to fucking America, of course I wasn’t over reacting’. But he felt bad. Fighting with Akira was the last thing he wanted to do. Takanori cursed himself for blowing up like he did.
“Stupid,” he mumbled. “I’m a fucking child. He’s probably thinking twice about us now. Fuck I hope I didn’t ruin it…” His monologue was cut off by the sound of a guitar being played. Takanori stopped walking and listened. The sound was coming from the park, near the pond.
He walked over, looking up to the barren branches of his tree, then down to the source of the song.
“Ishihara?” Sitting against the trunk was the art professor. He had laid down a flannel blanket and was plucking lazily at the strings of the acoustic Takanori knew too well. The boy cocked his head, confused as to why his teacher was in the park in the middle of the night.
“Takanori,” Ishihara replied, still playing his song.
“W-what are you doing here?”
“Singing.”
“Why? It’s cold out. Couldn’t you do that inside?”
The man looked up at the boy, a smile touching his lips. Takanori noticed that he had his lip ring in and chuckled. It was still weird seeing a teacher with piercings.
“I suppose I could,” said the man, his voice soft. “But I guess I just like to escape sometimes.” There was something in his eyes that told Takanori something was off; Ishihara wasn’t being his normal cheerful self. He didn’t pry though. It was none of his business.
“Can I join you?” he asked instead, rubbing at his arms to keep warm. Ishihara nodded and Takanori sat down beside him.
“Something is wrong,” Ishihara stated, not bothering to look at the boy. “Need to talk?”
Takanori stayed silent for a moment, sniffling against the cold, then sighed.
“We had a fight,” he said simply.
“Ah, that’s no good.”
“Yeah.”
“Was it a big fight? Or something silly?”
“Well, I’m not really sure.”
“Want to talk about it?”
“Well, Akira thought that it would be a good idea to apply for a school and not even tell me about it until after he got accepted. He also assumed that I would just follow him like a lost puppy. Like he can drag me around and do as he pleases.” Takanori scoffed and grabbed for a cigarette, not caring if Ishihara saw him smoking or not.
“I’m assuming this school isn’t near by?”
“America.”
“Ah, I can see why that would be a problem. So you’re upset he’s going to America?”
“Yeah, I mean, everything was going great. So fucking great. I felt like I was actually wanted and now he’s just.. Abandoning me. Like everyone else.” His eyes were burning now, with rage and hurt. He had come to rely so much on Akira these past months and now he was just going to leave?
“But you got upset that he wanted you go to?” Takanori looked over to the man and nodded. “Well,” Ishihara said softly, “how do you think he’ll feel if you tell him to stay? Isn’t that the same as him asking you to go more or less?”
“I-” Takanori bit his lip, realizing that Ishihara was right. Who was he to get in the way of Akira’s education? Especially after he worked so hard to get where he was. “Fuck,” he said with a sigh.
Ishihara chuckled and shook his head. “Ah, the troubles of young love. Care to sing with me? It might help.”
“I would love to.”
Ishihara played his guitar, Takanori sang along. A kind of peace came over the boy as he sang, his voice carrying out all the pain and hurt, not only from that night, but from the past months, years even. As he sang, a single tear rolled down his cheek.
---
Takanori spent most of the next day in his bed, buried by the pillows and comforter. He ignored his mother, who had decided that Takanori was sick and had been insisting for the past three hours that he go see a doctor. He ignored his phone, which was going off every ten minutes with texts from either Akira or Yuu, both asking why he wasn’t in school, one apologizing over and over again. Takanori simply didn’t want to deal with any of it; people, problems, how he was going to fix what he had so grandly fucked up.
He had drifted back to sleep sometime between a text from Yuu asking when he was going to stop ignoring him and his mother asking if he wanted anything to eat. Images of Akira filled his mind; his smile, his wink, the expressions he made when their bodies were pressed together, limbs tangled, sweat making their skin stick in all the right places…
A soft moan escaped his lips just before he was awakened by a loud chuckle. His eyes opened to see Yuu standing at the foot of his bed, a smug look on his face.
“Watcha dreaming about Taka?” he teased, plopping down on the bed.
Takanori groaned and put a pillow over his head. He didn’t bother to ask how Yuu got in or even what he was doing there. Ignore him and he will go away.
“I bet it was Aki. And I bet it was something dirty.” Yuu’s index finger was now poking at Takanori’s side. Obviously ignoring him wasn’t enough.
“Yuu, go away.” It was muffled, but Takanori knew the other could understand him. He heard another laugh and sighed loudly as he sat up. “What? What do you want? Did you not get that I wanted to be left alone? I didn’t answer you for a reason.” He was snapping, but Yuu didn’t seem to be bothered by it in the slightest. He was still smiling. So annoying.
“I know. But, I didn’t want to be ignored. It really bugs me, you know? Especially when we had plans to study today. Finals are coming up and I need this grade.” Yuu shrugged, then stretched his body out, laying his head right beside Takanori’s. The younger growled and again, Yuu laughed.
“You don’t scare me little man.” The older yanked the blankets off the other and his eyes widened, a smirk growing in place of his smile. “Wow, that dream must have really got to you.”
Takanori rolled his eyes and grabbed the blanket back, wrapping it snugly around his body.
“Go. Away. Yuu.”
“No.”
Takanori looked over to him, their faces merely inches apart. He was scowling, Yuu was smiling.
“Fuck you.”
“I don’t think Akira would like that too much.”
“GO AWAY!”
Yuu burst out laughing and sat up, reaching for the book bag he had thrown on the floor.
“I can’t. You promised me I would pass this exam, so we’re going to study. Even if it’s the last thing either of us want to do.” Yuu had dumped the contents of the bag onto Takanori’s bed and the covers were now littered with loose sheets of paper, folders, stray pencils, and a single notebook that looked so beat up it should have been in a trash can.
“God Yuu, haven’t you heard of a thing called organization?” Takanori gathered up the sheets of paper and stacked them neatly, putting them in the folder. “And this notebook…” The boy sighed loudly and leaned over his bed, opening one of the drawers of his dresser. “Here,” he said, holding out a brand new notebook, “use this one instead. You’re going to stab yourself on the binding and I don’t want to be stuck cleaning up the blood.”
Yuu took the notebook and shook his head, mumbling something about how he didn’t care what his notes were in, as long as the information was in his brain. Takanori ignored him and opened the text, taking a deep breath before starting what he knew would be a very long night.
---
Three tedious and tiring hours later, Yuu had finally gone home, leaving Takanori to return to his thoughts. He had calmed down since the night before and had begun to feel overly guilty about his actions. He was just about to call Akira when there was a soft knock at his door, followed by a blonde head peeking through the crack. Takanori couldn’t help but smile, waving his hands for the other to come in.
“Hey,” Akira said, his eyes at his feet.
“Hey.”
“So-”
“So-”
They both stopped speaking, each waiting for the other to finish. When neither did, the pair laughed and Akira sat down next to Takanori, taking the smaller boy in his arms.
“I’m sorry,” he said, nuzzling his face into the other’s hair. “I should have said something sooner. I don’t know why I didn’t.”
Takanori shrugged and leaned into him. He didn’t want to argue anymore, didn’t want to even talk about Akira leaving. He just wanted to sit there, surrounded by Akira and his warmth. No words, no apologies, no explanations; just them.
“Taka I-” Takanori cut him off by turning his body and pressing a finger to his lips. He positioned himself to where he was straddling Akira and he pushed the other down, their eyes locked. An understanding passed between them, forbidding words. Only actions were allowed now. Akira reached up and ran a hand through Takanori’s waves, pulling the boy down to him, mashing their lips together. Eager, needy, soft, sweet, angry, demanding; every emotion that had been felt by Takanori over the past two days were translated into that single kiss and Akira felt every one of them.
Takanori’s hands went down the length of Akira’s chest and made their way under his shirt, tugging it over his head. He broke away from their kiss to admire the other.
“You are so beautiful,” he whispered. Akira looked up at him and chuckled.
“Nah,” he said, pulling Takanori back to him. “I‘m not that great. If anything, I‘m lucky to have you.”
“Lucky? How?”
“You. Everything that you are. I’ve never met anyone more… Well, words can’t really describe it. The instant we met, I knew there was something about you. I…” he paused for a moment, chewing on his lip. “Something about you. I don’t know, it just drew me to you I guess. It’s weird, you know? A complete stranger doing something like that.” He looked away, obviously struggling with his words. “I just… you’re so… Everything about you amazes me. I can’t get enough of you. When I saw how upset you were, it hurt. I never want to do that to you.”
Takanori looked down at him, not sure how to respond. No one had ever talked to him like that before. Sure, Akira had complimented him plenty, but not like this. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out.
“I love you,” Akira finished. Takanori’s heart was pounding. He was overwhelmed. Those words had been spoken many times between them, but this time it was different. This time, Takanori knew it wasn’t just puppy love. It was real. Something that would last, regardless if Akira went to school in another country. At least, that’s what Takanori hoped.
“Go to America,” he finally said, his voice hushed. As much as it hurt to speak those words, he knew he had to. “Go and do well in school and I’ll follow you. I will.”
“Shh,” Akira whispered. “We don’t have to talk about that now. In fact,” he said as he tugged at Takanori‘s shirt, “I don’t want to talk anymore at all. I’ve gone through hell today and I want it to just go away.”
“But,” Takanori said in protest, his hands pulling his shirt back down.
“Taka, you are beautiful. Don’t fight with me. I want to see you, to see all of you.”
Another moment of hesitation, then Takanori slowly took off his shirt. Akira smiled and shook his head.
“I honestly don’t know why you were so shy in the first place. You are perfect.”
Akira lifted Takanori by the hips, moving them to where he was leaning over the other.
“I just… I guess I’m just self conscious,” Takanori mumbled.
“No more talking. Right now, I only want to feel you.”
They clashed again in a wonderful way; their bodies complimenting each other like jigsaw pieces, their breathes and sighs letting each now how much they were needed and wanted. They were drowned in waves of passion, bodies hurting for the oxygen that was their touches, their kisses. Akira was gentle, making sure Takanori was ready; Takanori begged for more.
“I need you,” the younger gasped, repeating Akira’s earlier words. “Please Akira, I need you.”
The blonde nodded and eased into the other, shivering at the sensation. Takanori’s body responded instantly, his back arching, forcing the other deeper. They moved as one, melding together completely. Takanori was getting high from Akira’s touch, from the feeling of his tongue on his skin and his body ached for more. He wrapped his legs around the other, pulling him closer still. His teeth clenched at the slight pain, but when Akira stopped to make sure he was alright, he only shook his head, demanding him not to stop.
“Keep going,” he ordered. “I don’t care if it hurts, I want it.”
No more hesitations. Akira finally gave in to his own urges. They acted on pure instinct, letting their thoughts slip completely away. Nothing mattered right then. Only the feeling of pure bliss that they were both working at.
It hit them simultaneously. Their voices fused together, the result being a mix of Takanori’s hushed moans and Akira’s not-so-quiet grunts. Takanori was numb by the time Akira finally collapsed on top of him. Neither spoke. Words weren’t needed nor were they wanted. The feeling of their chests heaving into one another was more than enough.
The pair fell asleep in each other’s arms. At that moment, to Takanori at least, everything was right. For the first time in his life, he felt completely at home.