[Fanfic] Convenient Misfortunes
Title: Convenient Misfortunes
Author: Sunaina
Fandom: NewS
Main pairing: Koyama/Shigeaki
Category: AU, Angst, Romance, Crack, Mystery
Rating: R (for language)
Summary: It has been 2 years since the last time Kato talked to Koyama.
Chapter 1: Realization
Chapter 2: Confessions
It was dark inside the bathroom, a strong essence of cleaner getting into their nostrils.
Kusano felt Shige’s trembling hands still clutching at his arm. The boy reached blindly for a switch in the tiles of the wall with his free hand.
The lights went on and Shige released his friend.
“What did you do that for?” Kusano stared quizzically when his friend turned to lock the door. “I hadn’t finished with my food… and you know it was kind of rude to leave Kei alone like that too… I guess.”
“I have something to tell you.” Shige’s voice came clear, his eyes looking straight at the younger boy.
“What is it? There’s something wrong?” Kusano sounded worried, his eyes widening.
“No!” Shige almost whined. “It’s about Koyama.”
“He’s being weird.” Kusano grinned and sat on the bathroom counter.
Shige looked at the way Kusano swung his hanging legs.
“I hadn’t talked to Koyama in two years… until today.”
“Why? I thought you guys were good friends.”
Shige sat on the closet toilet, silky strands covering his eyes.
“Two years ago Koyama tried to… he tried to…” Shige bit his lower lip. “…he tried to have sex with me.”
Kusano stopped every of his moves, his eyes suddenly meeting with Shige’s figure.
“What?” The corner of Kusano’s mouth twitched into an awkward smile. “He tried to force you?”
“No!” Shige almost yelled and then continued talking in a low voice. “I was willing… at first.”
“And what happened?”
Shige’s gaze focused on his knees. “He just wanted my body… and I couldn’t do that to myself.” The answer came in a tiny voice.
“How are you so sure?”
“When I said ‘no’ he just left and did it with someone else.” Shige closed his eyes.
“Oh! That explains a lot… but that doesn’t explain why we just left Kei alone… with my food.”
Shige breathed long and deeply, there was a long pause and Kusano understood it all.
Shige was in love and he wasn’t about to give in when he was sure it was going to hurt badly.
Kusano stood up and walked towards his friend, Shige’s sad expression calmed when he felt a hand ruffling his hair.
“I couldn’t stand the way he was looking at me.”
-----
Kusano opened the door and Koyama was there leaning against a wall, waiting. His expression didn’t look too pleased when he caught sight of the way Kusano’s arm was circling Shige’s waist, but changed into a frown almost immediately.
“Are you okay?” Koyama asked, approaching the boys.
Shige simply nodded, not looking back.
“You’ve got so thin.” Koyama’s voice trailed off, becoming into a mere whisper. “So brittle…”
Shige reddened, looking at the side. He wished Koyama could stop saying such awkward things in front of Kusano.
But the youngest boy didn’t say anything and that just made the silence even more uncomfortable.
“Would you like to stay?” The brush of hot air on Shige’s forehead made him realize how close Koyama was.
And then there was a hand on Shige’s shoulder and he looked up, he couldn’t answer, he couldn’t move anymore. Not when Koyama’s hand was so heavy and warm on him and his calm gaze was so demanding, not when he was feeling so gawkily numb and his face felt so hot, his fists clenching to his own shirt.
“Sure, man! The bags are in my car.” Kusano answered and Koyama smiled, not looking at the youngest boy.
Kusano started to walk, dragging his friend along, out of Koyama’s touch and gaze. Shige let out a long sigh he didn’t know was holding.
As they were approaching the living room, small sounds and whispers were heard, stepping in, Shige noticed a couple near the couch laughing without restraint.
Realizing they had company, the couple turned to face them, calming their laughs and parting almost immediately as if they were caught doing something bad.
“Shige!” a small black-haired boy called him in a contented tone.
“Yuya?” Shige waved his hand slowly as the small boy started to walk toward them, being followed by a taller guy.
Tegoshi Yuya had known Shige since they were just children, they had been really good friends, even more than just friends. But Tegoshi was now with Masuda.
”How are you?” Tegoshi asked as he embraced Shige, burying his face on his chest, “I’ve wanted to see you for so long,” the boy smiled “I’ve got so much to tell you.”
Shige smiled back, surrounded by Tegoshi’s familiar essence and calming aura.
“Why haven’t Notti and Shige returned any of my calls?” Tegoshi mirrored Kusano’s frown and pouted.
“Cause Massu threatened us…” Masuda sent Kusano a glare as Tegoshi held a confused expression. “He threatened us to not call you or else you will… you will… and then, uh…oh, screw it! Just hit me already!”
Masuda merely rolled his eyes and punched Kusano in the arm.
“By the way, Ryo is here too, isn’t it great?” Tegoshi talked in excitement to Koyama, ignoring Kusano’s whines.
“What the fuck is he doing here?!” Koyama growled harshly and Shige felt the boy beneath his hold shivering slightly.
“Visiting my best friend, of course.” a voice spoke behind Shige and Koyama.
All the eyes in the room turned to it.
Ryo was there, the same as Shige remembered him. His eyes black as coal were looking at Koyama blankly as a heavy atmosphere roused between them. Ryo had always possessed this inherent air of wickedness, cunning and elegance in every single of his acts and thoughts.
The compensation of his character was standing next to him: a tall, thin boy with a kind smile, named Uchi Hiroki.
Shige had always thought Uchi was too good for Ryo. Not like Ryo had ever been mean to the boy, quite the contrary. It was just that Uchi was too lenient and benevolent while Ryo, as for everyone’s believes, couldn’t care less about the world and the people inhabiting in it, except for himself, Uchi and Tegoshi.
Although it wasn’t like that always. Ryo and Koyama, as the young man said earlier, were really good friends.
But people changed.
Koyama looked at Ryo with a sickened expression. “Well then… fuck off.” Koyama’s tone was rude, appalled by Ryo's calm and impassive behavior.
Shige frowned. They did find out that Koyama and Ryo had a fight, everyone had. But he didn’t know they hated each other that much.
Koyama stepped aside, letting Ryo and Uchi enter the living room. Shige and Kusano moved apart from the building tension as well.
Tegoshi released Shige and walked to the doorway “Hiro!” And as it was the boy’s custom, he hugged Uchi.
“So you know Uchi asked me to come with him to your pathetic excuse for getting drunk and have sex with nameless people.” Ryo smirked, but kept his serene appearance.
“You are not staying, get it through your thick head.” Koyama flopped onto the couch, looking defeated by the whole situation.
“Let him stay.” Tegoshi sat next to Koyama, giving him a pout.
“How can you ask me that?” Koyama asked skeptical by what he just heard. “I don’t want that asshole to stay in here.” Koyama looked at Tegoshi for a second, shook his head and sighed. “Whatever.”
Tegoshi smiled, clueless of what he just caused and the consequences of his action. As for the rest, they just kept silent, unsure of what was going to happen next.
“You are too good for him.” Masuda took a seat next to Tegoshi and whispered into his ear, it was certainly a whisper you want everyone to hear, but say it in a low voice just to not look rude.
“Speak for yourself you miserable asshole.”
Masuda stood up, facing Ryo. That was the kind of thing every person in the room was expecting to happen. For, even when everyone tensed up, no one actually looked surprised.
“Watching how you go out with Yuya is like giving a million dollars crystal antique to a blindfolded gorilla.” Ryo merely looked back at Masuda.
“Oh, man! That was a good one!” Kusano’s comments would usually spoil the moments of tension, but Masuda didn’t look about to forget what Ryo just said.
Masuda clenched his fist, withdrawing his arm, fully prepared for hitting Ryo straight in the face.
“No! Massu!” Tegoshi clung to the boy’s arm, stopping him.
Every person in the room was quite sure that Masuda was more than capable of turning Ryo into an unconscious mass of bloody limbs. But they were also sure that Masuda wouldn’t do anything to upset Tegoshi.
Koyama, by the time, looked in such anger that Shige was afraid he was going to stab Ryo with one of the many decorative, rusty swords from the Middle Ages that were hanging on the walls, but instead he stood up and grabbed Ryo by his collar shirt.
“Look you midget… as far I’m concerned Yuya asked me to let you stay, but that doesn’t mean I cannot beat the crap out of your pathetic ass so bad you will beg me for letting Massu to take care of the rest.” Koyama shook Ryo’s body. “You don’t want me to get angrier.”
“You are not one to speak you son of a bitch!” Ryo merely smiled, looking rather pleased for the entire circumstances. “At least I don’t act as if nothing has ever happened. You’ve got no sense of shame.”
“Shut up.” Koyama’s threat was calm, slow.
“Then you don’t mind if I just let it all out, do you?” Ryo’s smile got wider. “…why don’t we just tell him already?”
Ryo turned to look at Shige for a brief second before Koyama pushed him hard.
Shige knew something was going on the moment that strong gaze lay upon him. He knew he was involved somehow.
“Hiro, you have to stop them.” Shige whispered to Kusano as Koyama and Ryo were getting closer to them.
“Are you crazy? I’m too young to die!” Kusano paused for a moment. “The only way for me to stop them would be if there’s a muffin baking between them.”
It certainly wasn’t a good idea to count on Kusano’s help in this kind of situations.
“Cut the crap already!” Ryo almost screamed as his smile disappeared. “I cannot believe Kato’s been buying that shit for so long!”
Shige’s brow furrowed, trying to suppress the questions that were urging to be asked. What had he done to make them act that way?
“I told you to shut up.” Koyama hissed, not looking at anyone but Ryo.
“Admit it… you are so desperate for that whore.”
He shouldn’t have said that.
Shige closed his eyes in anticipation as a wet, cracking noise hushed every person in the room. Opening his eyes, he saw Ryo’s hand covering his nose as a river of blood made its way down his chin, warm drops falling to the carpeted floor with heavy thuds.
Ryo stumbled backwards and fell heavy on a couch, his face into a such expression of pain that it looked as if he was about to cry.
It took Uchi almost five seconds to recover from his shock and move toward Ryo. Putting a hand on Ryo’s own hand and face, he tilted his head back, his sleeves soaking with the dense blood.
It was a rather pitiful scenario to see, Uchi was at the edge of tears, his brow furrowed as he constantly wiped the blood from his hand onto his clear jeans, leaving strange and red patterns on it.
Footsteps were heard over the heavy sound of Ryo’s breathing.
A boy appeared at the doorway of the living room, but stopped to survey the sight in front of him through his dark sunglasses. Everyone ignored the newcomer, except for Shige and Kusano.
“I guess I’m late for the party?”
“Yamapi?” Kusano asked slowly, seldom times before Shige had heard his friend talking in such a surprised tone.
Yamashita took off his sunglasses as he approached Kusano. Without even saying a word, he leaned over and kissed the younger boy, his hands roaming over the smaller boy’s sides. Kusano’s eyes snapped open as he tried his best to protest, but just a muffled sound was heard.
Shige gaped for a few seconds and then, looking around the room, he noticed how no one was really concerned about Yamashita’s arrival and his way to greet people.
Tegoshi was motionless, holding an expression of horror, continuously opening and closing his mouth as if he was about to speak, but no sound came out. Masuda, on the other hand, was smiling.
Koyama was looking down at the floor and Shige couldn’t see his eyes, his fist still clenched. His knuckles were tainted with specks of dry blood.
Shige looked at him for a long time as he tried his best to ignore the weird sounds Kusano and Yamapi were making next to him. Shige knew Koyama was aware of his eyes fixed on him.
And, for the first time, Koyama refused to look back.
-----
The dinning room was dead quiet.
Just the sound of metal hitting against porcelain was heard as everyone ate in silence, the smell of tomato getting present every time Kusano poured more sauce over his spaghetti.
Shige sat immobile, staring into space, his food untouched.
“Aren’t you eating that?” Kusano’s voice was stifled from all the food he had in his mouth, his cheeks and chin dirty with sauce.
Shige blinked, taken aback by his friend’s words. He realized he was looking at Koyama’s empty seat.
“No.”
Kusano smiled and took Shige’s plate, placing it over his own, small dots of greasy sauce on the white tablecloth.
Shige sipped more of his water and remained silent, his chin resting on his palm. The earlier situation had been forgotten by everyone. At least that was what it looked like.
The noiseless atmosphere suddenly spoiled by Tegoshi’s giggles.
Masuda was stealing Tegoshi’s food. The small boy pouted, trying his best to look mad, but failed at the moment Masuda placed apology kisses on his cheeks.
It was easy to get drawn in by the soothing aura that enclosed them.
And it was also hard to ignore the way Masuda smiled, looking pleased, every time he caught sight of Ryo’s beaten face.
Ryo’s nose stopped bleeding; just a dark bruise was left on it.
“What the hell are you looking at?” Ryo asked Shige in a snappish tone.
Shige averted his eyes, feeling somewhat responsible for the whole situation, like the cause of the rift between Ryo and Koyama.
For some reason, he knew he was, but he wasn’t sure how.
“How can you be so clueless?” A voice murmured close to his ear, making Shige turn to it.
Shige gazed quizzically at Koyama’s cousin.
“Your look really confused… I guess then you haven’t found out yet, have you?” Yamashita just smiled, his flawless face framed by silky black hair.
Shige understood why Kusano asked him to sit between the two of them, not wanting to be near the older boy.
It was hard to be close to him and not feel intimidated by the boy’s strong presence and piercing eyes.
Yamashita had this way of making people feel lightheaded and dizzy. Poor Kusano.
“What do you mean?” Shige whispered back at him.
Yamashita frowned, holding a thinking expression. Then, putting his index finger on his full, pink lips, he just shrugged.
“I have no idea.”
Shige cocked a brow at him. “Hey, two seconds ago you had a pretty clear idea. Someone better tell me what’s going on.”
Yamashita shrugged again.
“Yes.” he poked Shige’s cheek. “…but I’m not the one who should tell you that.”
Yamashita leaned over and whispered slowly into Shige’s ear. “That’s a secret Koyama told me. More like a confession of his past sins.”
Shige gulped, feeling a tickling sensation in his belly.
“You blush like a virgin.” Yamashita smiled, straightening up on his seat.
Shige shook his head, as if with that he would make the flush on his cheeks go away. “I need to know.”
Yamashita came to a halt, looking thoughtful. “Well…Kei did something…something wrong and…”
The whisper died in his lips as Koyama entered the dinning room, stopping shortly to look at the two of them.
Shige lowered his head, hiding slightly behind Yamahita’s figure.
“I’m sorry for being late.” Koyama spoke in a barely audible voice as he sat at the edge of the long table. “I already ordered the dessert.”
“You look stressed.” Yamashita said, not sounding worried at all. “Want me to do something for you?”
Koyama smiled sadly. “There’s nothing that can be done.”
-----
Even when it was summer, the nights were quite cold.
Shige shuddered when a breeze hit his skin through his thin shirt. Pulling at his long sleeves to cover more of his hands, he embraced himself, rubbing at his sides.
Shige was alone in the dimness of one of the many living rooms, gazing at the still surface of a pond in the distance.
The yard looked surprisingly huge through the large windows of the room.
“Shige!” A voice called him from the distant, Tegoshi’s voice.
Opening the crystal door, Shige stepped outside into the cold air, walking toward the small boy.
Tegoshi was crouching under a tall tree, watching the fireflies with bright eyes.
“They are so beautiful.” The smaller boy said, fascinated.
“Where’s Massu?”
“Over there.” Tegoshi pointed at the boy who was settling down on the stairs near a house doorway. “He’s afraid of bugs.”
Shige smiled and crouched next to Tegoshi, feeling the warmth of his body. They spent a long time there, just watching the fireflies in comfortable silence.
“I’m sorry for all the things Ryo said.” Tegoshi decided to speak.
Shige looked at him, confused. The fireflies illuminating their faces.
“It’s not your fault.” Shige patted his head. “You don’t have to take the blame only cause he’s your cousin.”
“Maybe… but you see I told Ryo already.” Tegoshi squirmed, looking uncomfortable. “I told him that I didn’t care what you did, cause it’s all gone now and I just want to be your friend… no matter how you feel about me.”
Shige frowned. “Yuya… I don’t know…”
“It’s okay, really!” His words didn’t sound too happy though.
Tegoshi smiled and leaned closer, placing his lips over the other boy’s.
Shige flinched slightly in surprise, but he didn’t stop Tegoshi. Instead, he just closed his eyes, feeling the familiar sensation of his moist lips caressing softly his own, ignoring that Masuda was just a few feet away.
The kiss was chaste and short.
“I loved you so much.” Tegoshi whispered to Shige and gave him another quick kiss before standing up and leaving him.
Shige also stood up, looking at how Tegoshi reunited with Masuda in the stairs.
The couple stared at each other for a moment. Tegoshi’s eyes filled with uncertainty and guilt.
Masuda took one of Tegoshi’s hands and dragged him closer, kissing him deeply and long, with desperate desire. Not the way Tegoshi kissed Shige a few moments ago.
“I’m sorry.” Shige heard Tegoshi’s voice as a distant whisper.
”I love you.” Tegoshi rested his forehead on Masuda’s shoulder. “I love you so much.”
Shige smiled, feeling somewhat a nostalgic happiness.
He left the couple alone and headed to the house in slow pace.
As he stepped into the warmth of the mansion, he realized one thing: what he felt back then in the garden wasn’t jealousy.
It was envy.
-----
“You look confused.” Kusano cradled into bed and lay down next to Shige. “And when you are confused, it means some deep shit is going on.”
Shige smiled when he heard those words, Kusano always thought Shige was too intelligent for any kind of problems.
“Tego-chan told me something… weird. What are you doing here anyways?”
Kusano smiled dumbly. “I just thought about keeping you company tonight.”
Shige stared.
“Okay, okay! Yamapi is wandering freely out there. What if he wants to… you know, jump me in my sleep? I should feel scared! That guy has this weird power that makes him irresistible to any kind of life form and the next thing you know is that you are having sex with him on the backseat of his car while listening to some shitty piano solo!”
Shige wasn’t about to deny those facts. He didn’t even want to start thinking about those facts.
“So… what did Yuya tell you?”
There was a pause as Shige thought about what to say.
“Well… basically, Yuya said he was sorry for what Ryo said in the afternoon, that he shouldn’t have said that cause he had already forgiven me for what I did to him.”
Kusano sat on the mattress, taking full heed of Shige’s words.
“He so wants you to join him and Massu in a threesome.”
Now, that should have surprised most of people, but Shige was already immune to Kusano’s logic.
“Sorry.” Kusano apologized when Shige stared at him stoically. “… but seriously, you guys were together like 3 months, no sex and then he shows up and breaks up with you.” Kusano reached out his arm and turned off the light of the night table lamp. “Maybe you are being paranoid.”
“Koyama broke Ryo’s nose when he called me a whore, Yamashita told me that Koyama had done something bad that, I’m more than sure, it concerns me and then Yuya said he didn’t care what I did... something fishy is going on.”
“Hmmm… fish…”
“Hiro, are you even listening to me?!” Shige snapped.
“…no?”
Shige sighed, collapsing into the bed.
“What about Kei?” Kusano whispered into the darkness.
Shige kept silent as the soft noise of the air conditioning was heard.
“What about him?” Shige’s voice was so soft and weak it looked as if he was asking permission to speak.
Kusano breathed slowly through his mouth and shifted positions to face his friend.
“Does it hurt…” Kusano reached for Shige’s pale cheek in the dark. “…to love him?”
Shige leaned into the touch, getting close to the other’s figure. “Sometimes it gets hard to breath.”
-----
“Yamapi?”
Yamashita stirred slowly when he heard someone whispering his name. He felt the bed move under somebody’s weight.
Rubbing at his eyes, he saw Shige sitting on the mattress. “Shige? What are you doing here?” He straightened up in the bed, looking at the bright numbers of the digital clock on his night stand. “It’s 3 a.m. in the morning.”
“I need to speak with you.”
Shige turned on the light and Yamashita narrowed his eyes at the sharp brightness. “…and I feel like I can speak openly with you… about anything.”
“It’s about Kusano avoiding me?” Yamashita yawned as he fixed his perfectly messy hair.
“Is Koyama seeing someone?” Shige asked hesitantly, pouting like an angry child.
“You can call him Kei, you know.” Yamashita put a finger on Shige’s mouth. “You’ve got pretty lips.”
Shige moved his head to the side and Yamashita’s hand stayed in the air for a moment before he pulled it back.
“Just answer me.” The younger boy wished he didn’t sound so whiny, he was desperate for knowing.
“No. From where did you get all those ideas?” Yamashita rested his head on the bed headboard, smiling as a sudden realization just hit him. “Are you in love with Kei?” Short chuckles followed it. “Kei is bad for you.”
“What do you mean?” Shige crawled, getting closer to the other boy.
Yamashita crossed his arms over his bare chest, his expression turning serious. “He’s in love with you too, that’s obvious.”
Shige stared at the boy with a dumb smile. “Really?”
“Are you blind? Did your constant embarrassment disable you of seeing what’s in front of you?”
Shige shook his head, biting his lip to stop himself from smiling.
“Don’t do that.” Yamashita put his index finger on Shige’s bottom lip, pulling it away from the teeth. “Why are you so happy because he loves you anyway?” Yamashita gave him a disapproving look. “You are so naïve.”
Shige frowned, but kept quiet.
“Love can be good, but it also makes people do bad things, really horrible things … and I’m sure you wouldn’t love him when you find out about what he did.”
To be continued...
A/N: sorry for the delay, please to forgive me D:
Author: Sunaina
Fandom: NewS
Main pairing: Koyama/Shigeaki
Category: AU, Angst, Romance, Crack, Mystery
Rating: R (for language)
Summary: It has been 2 years since the last time Kato talked to Koyama.
Chapter 1: Realization
Chapter 2: Confessions
It was dark inside the bathroom, a strong essence of cleaner getting into their nostrils.
Kusano felt Shige’s trembling hands still clutching at his arm. The boy reached blindly for a switch in the tiles of the wall with his free hand.
The lights went on and Shige released his friend.
“What did you do that for?” Kusano stared quizzically when his friend turned to lock the door. “I hadn’t finished with my food… and you know it was kind of rude to leave Kei alone like that too… I guess.”
“I have something to tell you.” Shige’s voice came clear, his eyes looking straight at the younger boy.
“What is it? There’s something wrong?” Kusano sounded worried, his eyes widening.
“No!” Shige almost whined. “It’s about Koyama.”
“He’s being weird.” Kusano grinned and sat on the bathroom counter.
Shige looked at the way Kusano swung his hanging legs.
“I hadn’t talked to Koyama in two years… until today.”
“Why? I thought you guys were good friends.”
Shige sat on the closet toilet, silky strands covering his eyes.
“Two years ago Koyama tried to… he tried to…” Shige bit his lower lip. “…he tried to have sex with me.”
Kusano stopped every of his moves, his eyes suddenly meeting with Shige’s figure.
“What?” The corner of Kusano’s mouth twitched into an awkward smile. “He tried to force you?”
“No!” Shige almost yelled and then continued talking in a low voice. “I was willing… at first.”
“And what happened?”
Shige’s gaze focused on his knees. “He just wanted my body… and I couldn’t do that to myself.” The answer came in a tiny voice.
“How are you so sure?”
“When I said ‘no’ he just left and did it with someone else.” Shige closed his eyes.
“Oh! That explains a lot… but that doesn’t explain why we just left Kei alone… with my food.”
Shige breathed long and deeply, there was a long pause and Kusano understood it all.
Shige was in love and he wasn’t about to give in when he was sure it was going to hurt badly.
Kusano stood up and walked towards his friend, Shige’s sad expression calmed when he felt a hand ruffling his hair.
“I couldn’t stand the way he was looking at me.”
-----
Kusano opened the door and Koyama was there leaning against a wall, waiting. His expression didn’t look too pleased when he caught sight of the way Kusano’s arm was circling Shige’s waist, but changed into a frown almost immediately.
“Are you okay?” Koyama asked, approaching the boys.
Shige simply nodded, not looking back.
“You’ve got so thin.” Koyama’s voice trailed off, becoming into a mere whisper. “So brittle…”
Shige reddened, looking at the side. He wished Koyama could stop saying such awkward things in front of Kusano.
But the youngest boy didn’t say anything and that just made the silence even more uncomfortable.
“Would you like to stay?” The brush of hot air on Shige’s forehead made him realize how close Koyama was.
And then there was a hand on Shige’s shoulder and he looked up, he couldn’t answer, he couldn’t move anymore. Not when Koyama’s hand was so heavy and warm on him and his calm gaze was so demanding, not when he was feeling so gawkily numb and his face felt so hot, his fists clenching to his own shirt.
“Sure, man! The bags are in my car.” Kusano answered and Koyama smiled, not looking at the youngest boy.
Kusano started to walk, dragging his friend along, out of Koyama’s touch and gaze. Shige let out a long sigh he didn’t know was holding.
As they were approaching the living room, small sounds and whispers were heard, stepping in, Shige noticed a couple near the couch laughing without restraint.
Realizing they had company, the couple turned to face them, calming their laughs and parting almost immediately as if they were caught doing something bad.
“Shige!” a small black-haired boy called him in a contented tone.
“Yuya?” Shige waved his hand slowly as the small boy started to walk toward them, being followed by a taller guy.
Tegoshi Yuya had known Shige since they were just children, they had been really good friends, even more than just friends. But Tegoshi was now with Masuda.
”How are you?” Tegoshi asked as he embraced Shige, burying his face on his chest, “I’ve wanted to see you for so long,” the boy smiled “I’ve got so much to tell you.”
Shige smiled back, surrounded by Tegoshi’s familiar essence and calming aura.
“Why haven’t Notti and Shige returned any of my calls?” Tegoshi mirrored Kusano’s frown and pouted.
“Cause Massu threatened us…” Masuda sent Kusano a glare as Tegoshi held a confused expression. “He threatened us to not call you or else you will… you will… and then, uh…oh, screw it! Just hit me already!”
Masuda merely rolled his eyes and punched Kusano in the arm.
“By the way, Ryo is here too, isn’t it great?” Tegoshi talked in excitement to Koyama, ignoring Kusano’s whines.
“What the fuck is he doing here?!” Koyama growled harshly and Shige felt the boy beneath his hold shivering slightly.
“Visiting my best friend, of course.” a voice spoke behind Shige and Koyama.
All the eyes in the room turned to it.
Ryo was there, the same as Shige remembered him. His eyes black as coal were looking at Koyama blankly as a heavy atmosphere roused between them. Ryo had always possessed this inherent air of wickedness, cunning and elegance in every single of his acts and thoughts.
The compensation of his character was standing next to him: a tall, thin boy with a kind smile, named Uchi Hiroki.
Shige had always thought Uchi was too good for Ryo. Not like Ryo had ever been mean to the boy, quite the contrary. It was just that Uchi was too lenient and benevolent while Ryo, as for everyone’s believes, couldn’t care less about the world and the people inhabiting in it, except for himself, Uchi and Tegoshi.
Although it wasn’t like that always. Ryo and Koyama, as the young man said earlier, were really good friends.
But people changed.
Koyama looked at Ryo with a sickened expression. “Well then… fuck off.” Koyama’s tone was rude, appalled by Ryo's calm and impassive behavior.
Shige frowned. They did find out that Koyama and Ryo had a fight, everyone had. But he didn’t know they hated each other that much.
Koyama stepped aside, letting Ryo and Uchi enter the living room. Shige and Kusano moved apart from the building tension as well.
Tegoshi released Shige and walked to the doorway “Hiro!” And as it was the boy’s custom, he hugged Uchi.
“So you know Uchi asked me to come with him to your pathetic excuse for getting drunk and have sex with nameless people.” Ryo smirked, but kept his serene appearance.
“You are not staying, get it through your thick head.” Koyama flopped onto the couch, looking defeated by the whole situation.
“Let him stay.” Tegoshi sat next to Koyama, giving him a pout.
“How can you ask me that?” Koyama asked skeptical by what he just heard. “I don’t want that asshole to stay in here.” Koyama looked at Tegoshi for a second, shook his head and sighed. “Whatever.”
Tegoshi smiled, clueless of what he just caused and the consequences of his action. As for the rest, they just kept silent, unsure of what was going to happen next.
“You are too good for him.” Masuda took a seat next to Tegoshi and whispered into his ear, it was certainly a whisper you want everyone to hear, but say it in a low voice just to not look rude.
“Speak for yourself you miserable asshole.”
Masuda stood up, facing Ryo. That was the kind of thing every person in the room was expecting to happen. For, even when everyone tensed up, no one actually looked surprised.
“Watching how you go out with Yuya is like giving a million dollars crystal antique to a blindfolded gorilla.” Ryo merely looked back at Masuda.
“Oh, man! That was a good one!” Kusano’s comments would usually spoil the moments of tension, but Masuda didn’t look about to forget what Ryo just said.
Masuda clenched his fist, withdrawing his arm, fully prepared for hitting Ryo straight in the face.
“No! Massu!” Tegoshi clung to the boy’s arm, stopping him.
Every person in the room was quite sure that Masuda was more than capable of turning Ryo into an unconscious mass of bloody limbs. But they were also sure that Masuda wouldn’t do anything to upset Tegoshi.
Koyama, by the time, looked in such anger that Shige was afraid he was going to stab Ryo with one of the many decorative, rusty swords from the Middle Ages that were hanging on the walls, but instead he stood up and grabbed Ryo by his collar shirt.
“Look you midget… as far I’m concerned Yuya asked me to let you stay, but that doesn’t mean I cannot beat the crap out of your pathetic ass so bad you will beg me for letting Massu to take care of the rest.” Koyama shook Ryo’s body. “You don’t want me to get angrier.”
“You are not one to speak you son of a bitch!” Ryo merely smiled, looking rather pleased for the entire circumstances. “At least I don’t act as if nothing has ever happened. You’ve got no sense of shame.”
“Shut up.” Koyama’s threat was calm, slow.
“Then you don’t mind if I just let it all out, do you?” Ryo’s smile got wider. “…why don’t we just tell him already?”
Ryo turned to look at Shige for a brief second before Koyama pushed him hard.
Shige knew something was going on the moment that strong gaze lay upon him. He knew he was involved somehow.
“Hiro, you have to stop them.” Shige whispered to Kusano as Koyama and Ryo were getting closer to them.
“Are you crazy? I’m too young to die!” Kusano paused for a moment. “The only way for me to stop them would be if there’s a muffin baking between them.”
It certainly wasn’t a good idea to count on Kusano’s help in this kind of situations.
“Cut the crap already!” Ryo almost screamed as his smile disappeared. “I cannot believe Kato’s been buying that shit for so long!”
Shige’s brow furrowed, trying to suppress the questions that were urging to be asked. What had he done to make them act that way?
“I told you to shut up.” Koyama hissed, not looking at anyone but Ryo.
“Admit it… you are so desperate for that whore.”
He shouldn’t have said that.
Shige closed his eyes in anticipation as a wet, cracking noise hushed every person in the room. Opening his eyes, he saw Ryo’s hand covering his nose as a river of blood made its way down his chin, warm drops falling to the carpeted floor with heavy thuds.
Ryo stumbled backwards and fell heavy on a couch, his face into a such expression of pain that it looked as if he was about to cry.
It took Uchi almost five seconds to recover from his shock and move toward Ryo. Putting a hand on Ryo’s own hand and face, he tilted his head back, his sleeves soaking with the dense blood.
It was a rather pitiful scenario to see, Uchi was at the edge of tears, his brow furrowed as he constantly wiped the blood from his hand onto his clear jeans, leaving strange and red patterns on it.
Footsteps were heard over the heavy sound of Ryo’s breathing.
A boy appeared at the doorway of the living room, but stopped to survey the sight in front of him through his dark sunglasses. Everyone ignored the newcomer, except for Shige and Kusano.
“I guess I’m late for the party?”
“Yamapi?” Kusano asked slowly, seldom times before Shige had heard his friend talking in such a surprised tone.
Yamashita took off his sunglasses as he approached Kusano. Without even saying a word, he leaned over and kissed the younger boy, his hands roaming over the smaller boy’s sides. Kusano’s eyes snapped open as he tried his best to protest, but just a muffled sound was heard.
Shige gaped for a few seconds and then, looking around the room, he noticed how no one was really concerned about Yamashita’s arrival and his way to greet people.
Tegoshi was motionless, holding an expression of horror, continuously opening and closing his mouth as if he was about to speak, but no sound came out. Masuda, on the other hand, was smiling.
Koyama was looking down at the floor and Shige couldn’t see his eyes, his fist still clenched. His knuckles were tainted with specks of dry blood.
Shige looked at him for a long time as he tried his best to ignore the weird sounds Kusano and Yamapi were making next to him. Shige knew Koyama was aware of his eyes fixed on him.
And, for the first time, Koyama refused to look back.
-----
The dinning room was dead quiet.
Just the sound of metal hitting against porcelain was heard as everyone ate in silence, the smell of tomato getting present every time Kusano poured more sauce over his spaghetti.
Shige sat immobile, staring into space, his food untouched.
“Aren’t you eating that?” Kusano’s voice was stifled from all the food he had in his mouth, his cheeks and chin dirty with sauce.
Shige blinked, taken aback by his friend’s words. He realized he was looking at Koyama’s empty seat.
“No.”
Kusano smiled and took Shige’s plate, placing it over his own, small dots of greasy sauce on the white tablecloth.
Shige sipped more of his water and remained silent, his chin resting on his palm. The earlier situation had been forgotten by everyone. At least that was what it looked like.
The noiseless atmosphere suddenly spoiled by Tegoshi’s giggles.
Masuda was stealing Tegoshi’s food. The small boy pouted, trying his best to look mad, but failed at the moment Masuda placed apology kisses on his cheeks.
It was easy to get drawn in by the soothing aura that enclosed them.
And it was also hard to ignore the way Masuda smiled, looking pleased, every time he caught sight of Ryo’s beaten face.
Ryo’s nose stopped bleeding; just a dark bruise was left on it.
“What the hell are you looking at?” Ryo asked Shige in a snappish tone.
Shige averted his eyes, feeling somewhat responsible for the whole situation, like the cause of the rift between Ryo and Koyama.
For some reason, he knew he was, but he wasn’t sure how.
“How can you be so clueless?” A voice murmured close to his ear, making Shige turn to it.
Shige gazed quizzically at Koyama’s cousin.
“Your look really confused… I guess then you haven’t found out yet, have you?” Yamashita just smiled, his flawless face framed by silky black hair.
Shige understood why Kusano asked him to sit between the two of them, not wanting to be near the older boy.
It was hard to be close to him and not feel intimidated by the boy’s strong presence and piercing eyes.
Yamashita had this way of making people feel lightheaded and dizzy. Poor Kusano.
“What do you mean?” Shige whispered back at him.
Yamashita frowned, holding a thinking expression. Then, putting his index finger on his full, pink lips, he just shrugged.
“I have no idea.”
Shige cocked a brow at him. “Hey, two seconds ago you had a pretty clear idea. Someone better tell me what’s going on.”
Yamashita shrugged again.
“Yes.” he poked Shige’s cheek. “…but I’m not the one who should tell you that.”
Yamashita leaned over and whispered slowly into Shige’s ear. “That’s a secret Koyama told me. More like a confession of his past sins.”
Shige gulped, feeling a tickling sensation in his belly.
“You blush like a virgin.” Yamashita smiled, straightening up on his seat.
Shige shook his head, as if with that he would make the flush on his cheeks go away. “I need to know.”
Yamashita came to a halt, looking thoughtful. “Well…Kei did something…something wrong and…”
The whisper died in his lips as Koyama entered the dinning room, stopping shortly to look at the two of them.
Shige lowered his head, hiding slightly behind Yamahita’s figure.
“I’m sorry for being late.” Koyama spoke in a barely audible voice as he sat at the edge of the long table. “I already ordered the dessert.”
“You look stressed.” Yamashita said, not sounding worried at all. “Want me to do something for you?”
Koyama smiled sadly. “There’s nothing that can be done.”
-----
Even when it was summer, the nights were quite cold.
Shige shuddered when a breeze hit his skin through his thin shirt. Pulling at his long sleeves to cover more of his hands, he embraced himself, rubbing at his sides.
Shige was alone in the dimness of one of the many living rooms, gazing at the still surface of a pond in the distance.
The yard looked surprisingly huge through the large windows of the room.
“Shige!” A voice called him from the distant, Tegoshi’s voice.
Opening the crystal door, Shige stepped outside into the cold air, walking toward the small boy.
Tegoshi was crouching under a tall tree, watching the fireflies with bright eyes.
“They are so beautiful.” The smaller boy said, fascinated.
“Where’s Massu?”
“Over there.” Tegoshi pointed at the boy who was settling down on the stairs near a house doorway. “He’s afraid of bugs.”
Shige smiled and crouched next to Tegoshi, feeling the warmth of his body. They spent a long time there, just watching the fireflies in comfortable silence.
“I’m sorry for all the things Ryo said.” Tegoshi decided to speak.
Shige looked at him, confused. The fireflies illuminating their faces.
“It’s not your fault.” Shige patted his head. “You don’t have to take the blame only cause he’s your cousin.”
“Maybe… but you see I told Ryo already.” Tegoshi squirmed, looking uncomfortable. “I told him that I didn’t care what you did, cause it’s all gone now and I just want to be your friend… no matter how you feel about me.”
Shige frowned. “Yuya… I don’t know…”
“It’s okay, really!” His words didn’t sound too happy though.
Tegoshi smiled and leaned closer, placing his lips over the other boy’s.
Shige flinched slightly in surprise, but he didn’t stop Tegoshi. Instead, he just closed his eyes, feeling the familiar sensation of his moist lips caressing softly his own, ignoring that Masuda was just a few feet away.
The kiss was chaste and short.
“I loved you so much.” Tegoshi whispered to Shige and gave him another quick kiss before standing up and leaving him.
Shige also stood up, looking at how Tegoshi reunited with Masuda in the stairs.
The couple stared at each other for a moment. Tegoshi’s eyes filled with uncertainty and guilt.
Masuda took one of Tegoshi’s hands and dragged him closer, kissing him deeply and long, with desperate desire. Not the way Tegoshi kissed Shige a few moments ago.
“I’m sorry.” Shige heard Tegoshi’s voice as a distant whisper.
”I love you.” Tegoshi rested his forehead on Masuda’s shoulder. “I love you so much.”
Shige smiled, feeling somewhat a nostalgic happiness.
He left the couple alone and headed to the house in slow pace.
As he stepped into the warmth of the mansion, he realized one thing: what he felt back then in the garden wasn’t jealousy.
It was envy.
-----
“You look confused.” Kusano cradled into bed and lay down next to Shige. “And when you are confused, it means some deep shit is going on.”
Shige smiled when he heard those words, Kusano always thought Shige was too intelligent for any kind of problems.
“Tego-chan told me something… weird. What are you doing here anyways?”
Kusano smiled dumbly. “I just thought about keeping you company tonight.”
Shige stared.
“Okay, okay! Yamapi is wandering freely out there. What if he wants to… you know, jump me in my sleep? I should feel scared! That guy has this weird power that makes him irresistible to any kind of life form and the next thing you know is that you are having sex with him on the backseat of his car while listening to some shitty piano solo!”
Shige wasn’t about to deny those facts. He didn’t even want to start thinking about those facts.
“So… what did Yuya tell you?”
There was a pause as Shige thought about what to say.
“Well… basically, Yuya said he was sorry for what Ryo said in the afternoon, that he shouldn’t have said that cause he had already forgiven me for what I did to him.”
Kusano sat on the mattress, taking full heed of Shige’s words.
“He so wants you to join him and Massu in a threesome.”
Now, that should have surprised most of people, but Shige was already immune to Kusano’s logic.
“Sorry.” Kusano apologized when Shige stared at him stoically. “… but seriously, you guys were together like 3 months, no sex and then he shows up and breaks up with you.” Kusano reached out his arm and turned off the light of the night table lamp. “Maybe you are being paranoid.”
“Koyama broke Ryo’s nose when he called me a whore, Yamashita told me that Koyama had done something bad that, I’m more than sure, it concerns me and then Yuya said he didn’t care what I did... something fishy is going on.”
“Hmmm… fish…”
“Hiro, are you even listening to me?!” Shige snapped.
“…no?”
Shige sighed, collapsing into the bed.
“What about Kei?” Kusano whispered into the darkness.
Shige kept silent as the soft noise of the air conditioning was heard.
“What about him?” Shige’s voice was so soft and weak it looked as if he was asking permission to speak.
Kusano breathed slowly through his mouth and shifted positions to face his friend.
“Does it hurt…” Kusano reached for Shige’s pale cheek in the dark. “…to love him?”
Shige leaned into the touch, getting close to the other’s figure. “Sometimes it gets hard to breath.”
-----
“Yamapi?”
Yamashita stirred slowly when he heard someone whispering his name. He felt the bed move under somebody’s weight.
Rubbing at his eyes, he saw Shige sitting on the mattress. “Shige? What are you doing here?” He straightened up in the bed, looking at the bright numbers of the digital clock on his night stand. “It’s 3 a.m. in the morning.”
“I need to speak with you.”
Shige turned on the light and Yamashita narrowed his eyes at the sharp brightness. “…and I feel like I can speak openly with you… about anything.”
“It’s about Kusano avoiding me?” Yamashita yawned as he fixed his perfectly messy hair.
“Is Koyama seeing someone?” Shige asked hesitantly, pouting like an angry child.
“You can call him Kei, you know.” Yamashita put a finger on Shige’s mouth. “You’ve got pretty lips.”
Shige moved his head to the side and Yamashita’s hand stayed in the air for a moment before he pulled it back.
“Just answer me.” The younger boy wished he didn’t sound so whiny, he was desperate for knowing.
“No. From where did you get all those ideas?” Yamashita rested his head on the bed headboard, smiling as a sudden realization just hit him. “Are you in love with Kei?” Short chuckles followed it. “Kei is bad for you.”
“What do you mean?” Shige crawled, getting closer to the other boy.
Yamashita crossed his arms over his bare chest, his expression turning serious. “He’s in love with you too, that’s obvious.”
Shige stared at the boy with a dumb smile. “Really?”
“Are you blind? Did your constant embarrassment disable you of seeing what’s in front of you?”
Shige shook his head, biting his lip to stop himself from smiling.
“Don’t do that.” Yamashita put his index finger on Shige’s bottom lip, pulling it away from the teeth. “Why are you so happy because he loves you anyway?” Yamashita gave him a disapproving look. “You are so naïve.”
Shige frowned, but kept quiet.
“Love can be good, but it also makes people do bad things, really horrible things … and I’m sure you wouldn’t love him when you find out about what he did.”
To be continued...
A/N: sorry for the delay, please to forgive me D: