(no subject)
Title: Like old times.
Author: Muinteor
Character: Seiya
List: B (night)
Theme: #26. “Past”.
Warnings: none except that this one continues from my previous tale.
Disclaimer: the same as always.
The bustling, late evening chaos of Narita International Airport’s Terminal One contrasted so much to the peace and quiet of Sanctuary that for the first time, it dawned on Seiya that he was in another world. He didn’t bother joining the other passengers waiting for their baggage, since all he had was in the rucksack that hung from his shoulders.
Sanctuary seemed so far behind him, and he felt somehow detatched from everything to do with that place. The past was just that... the present was a sterile place he wanted to put behind him as quickly as possible, and the future was a mystery. He wondered briefly what Saori was doing just then, and after a deep sigh, he put the thought out of his mind.
He looked around, wondering what steps to take, and where to go. He stood in the centre of the throng of people rushing to make connecting flights, ignoring impatient pushes and shoves as he thrust a hand deep into the pocket of his jeans, to take out a folded paper. He looked around, and located what he wanted to find, a public telephone.
He paused before dialing the number. Kido Mansion... Seiya wasn’t sure it was the place to go... but it was the only place he knew. He hesitantly dialled the number, and waited for someone to answer. Somewhere almost fifty kilometres away, a telephone rang in the dark vestibule of a silent mansion.
“Taxi, sir?” Someone with a nasty, rasping voice said, tapping him on the shoulder. Without turning, Seiya waved the man away, frowning. Why didn’t anyone answer the phone? The individual walked away, and Seiya gritted his teeth impatiently. Where was everyone?
“Taxi, sir?” Another voice, deeper and with a familiar quality that made Seiya’s eyes widen. He turned, and smiled seeing a friend standing in front of him, smiling back at him.
It was Ikki, but he was different to the way Seiya remembered him. He was dressed in black, wore a grey tie, mirror shades and shiny black shoes. Seiya could only blink as he looked him up and down.
“Seiya.” Ikki said bowing slightly, an arrogant smirk on his face. “Good to see you again. We were told you would be coming.”
Seiya, uncertain, supressed the urge to rush forward and embrace his friend. There was something in Ikki’s smile which made Seiya uncomfortable. He swallowed hard.
Something told him that this homecoming would not be quite like old times.
“Ikki... it’s good to see you, too.” He bowed lower that his friend had done, trying to come to terms with the change in the other. The rings on Ikki’s fingers, the gold chain around his neck, the slick look of his hair, all told Seiya that his friend had become quite prosperous.
“Come on, Seiya. We have all been looking for you.” Ikki’s suave voice was entrancing, he put a hand on Seiya’s shoulder, and took him away from the phone booth. Seiya let himself be guided across the crowded space, and he soon saw another of his companions.
“Seiya!” Shun called, running towards him, to end up in his arms, hugging Seiya’s neck, and burying his young face in his friend’s shoulder. Seiya closed his eyes, enjoying the contact that no one else seemed to want to share with him. He squeezed Shun in his arms, smiling, noting the fresh scent of the other’s hair.
“Shun!” Seiya grinned, holding the other at arms length, looking into his eyes, into his smile, before hugging him again. He looked around, and saw that the others were also present. Hyoga and Shiryu were approaching. There was a calm smile on Hoyga’s serene lips, and a serious glint in Shiryu’s dark eyes.
He felt Shun cling to him, and in his soft voice whisper. “We thought you weren’t going to come back to us, Seiya.” Then Shun stepped back, and there were other greetings. Hyoga shook his hand energetically, welcoming him home, and Shiryu, who simply nodded curtly.
“Ah, so you’ve found him.” Seiya turned to see Tatsumi approach from another direction. There was nothing inviting in the bald man’s voice, no hint of any pleasure in their reunion, only irritable impatience. “Let’s be on our way, then, shall we?” His dour voice seemed to throw a bucket of cold water on an otherwise warm welcome. Only Ikki smiled on hearing Tatsumi’s comment.
“I’ll take the Lambourgini.” Ikki said with a sly smile, glancing at Tatsumi, who scowled and caught the keys that Ikki tossed him, then slipped a hand into his own pocket to fetch out the keys of the elegant sports car, and he stepped forward, the key chain dangling between his thumb and forefinger.
“Don’t crash it... it’s an expensive vehicle.” The bald man hissed between his teeth.
“Don’t worry about your car. We’ll take care of it.” Ikki held out his hand and Tatsumi let the keys drop into his open palm, and when his fist closed around the keys, his smile became a wolfish grin. “Come on, Seiya, I’ll take you back to the mansion. See you guys later.”
“But I thought that Seiya would come in the Jeep with us...” Shun protested, taking his brother’s arm.
“No, Shun. I think Seiya’s coming with me. Mister Tatsumi will drive you guys back in the jeep.” Ikki’s grin twisted in an unpleasant way.
Seiya seemed to detect that there was something Shun wanted to talk to him about, and when he looked at Shiryu, he could see the annoyance in his eyes. He glanced at Hyoga, and in those ice-blue eyes there was something that seemed wrong... but what?
“Look, Ikki, if it’s all the same to you, I’ll go in the jeep. I’m a bit tired, and I don’t think I’m up to a sports car.” Seiya took a couple of steps to one side, placing himself between Shun and Hyoga. “You enjoy your ride, and we’ll talk later, okay?”
Shun seemed relieved, but he hid his elfin smile for a moment as he stepped forward to kiss his brother on the cheek and wish him well. “Drive carefully, Big Brother.”
“So, where’s this jeep?” Seiya asked, putting a hand on Shiryu’s shoulder, as Shun hugged him again, then Hyoga smiled and led the way. “I want to get back to the mansion. I want it to be just like old times.” Seiya said, smiling at Hyoga and squeezing his shoulder in his hand.
“Coming, Mister Tatsumi?” The nordic blond called, looking over his shoulder at the older man.
Tatsumi replied taciturnly. “You boys go to the jeep. I’ll be along in a moment.”
Tatsumi and Ikki enchanged surreptitious glances as the four youths departed, noting how Seiya looked at them as he left accompanied by the others.
“What do you think?” Tatsumi spoke out of the side of his mouth when the others were out of earshot.
“You worry too much, old man.” Ikki frowned. “I’ll get to Seiya, and I’ll see where he really stands.”
“You’d better. There’s too much at stake.” The older man responded nervously.
“You’d better follow them. We don’t want them putting strange ideas in Seiya’s head.” Ikki toyed with the keys of the sports car. “I won’t be back for a while.”
Just then Tatsumi grabbed Ikki by the arm. “I don’t like your liberties, young man, remember who’s boss.”
“And who would that be, you?” Ikki responded, quickly taking Tatsumi’s wrist in a vice-like grip and spinning him around roughly. The other winced in pain, trying in vain to break the other’s grip, until Ikki himself let go. “I’m a big boy now, Mister Tatsumi, and you came to me because you needed me, and you did right. We’ve both benefitted greatly, but let me tell you that if you push me, you’ll find out who’s really boss around here, and something tells me you won’t like the answer.”
Ikki left Tatsumi nursing his wrist, and he smiled as he walked away. It all depended on Seiya... the others didn’t matter. Seiya was the key.
Author: Muinteor
Character: Seiya
List: B (night)
Theme: #26. “Past”.
Warnings: none except that this one continues from my previous tale.
Disclaimer: the same as always.
The bustling, late evening chaos of Narita International Airport’s Terminal One contrasted so much to the peace and quiet of Sanctuary that for the first time, it dawned on Seiya that he was in another world. He didn’t bother joining the other passengers waiting for their baggage, since all he had was in the rucksack that hung from his shoulders.
Sanctuary seemed so far behind him, and he felt somehow detatched from everything to do with that place. The past was just that... the present was a sterile place he wanted to put behind him as quickly as possible, and the future was a mystery. He wondered briefly what Saori was doing just then, and after a deep sigh, he put the thought out of his mind.
He looked around, wondering what steps to take, and where to go. He stood in the centre of the throng of people rushing to make connecting flights, ignoring impatient pushes and shoves as he thrust a hand deep into the pocket of his jeans, to take out a folded paper. He looked around, and located what he wanted to find, a public telephone.
He paused before dialing the number. Kido Mansion... Seiya wasn’t sure it was the place to go... but it was the only place he knew. He hesitantly dialled the number, and waited for someone to answer. Somewhere almost fifty kilometres away, a telephone rang in the dark vestibule of a silent mansion.
“Taxi, sir?” Someone with a nasty, rasping voice said, tapping him on the shoulder. Without turning, Seiya waved the man away, frowning. Why didn’t anyone answer the phone? The individual walked away, and Seiya gritted his teeth impatiently. Where was everyone?
“Taxi, sir?” Another voice, deeper and with a familiar quality that made Seiya’s eyes widen. He turned, and smiled seeing a friend standing in front of him, smiling back at him.
It was Ikki, but he was different to the way Seiya remembered him. He was dressed in black, wore a grey tie, mirror shades and shiny black shoes. Seiya could only blink as he looked him up and down.
“Seiya.” Ikki said bowing slightly, an arrogant smirk on his face. “Good to see you again. We were told you would be coming.”
Seiya, uncertain, supressed the urge to rush forward and embrace his friend. There was something in Ikki’s smile which made Seiya uncomfortable. He swallowed hard.
Something told him that this homecoming would not be quite like old times.
“Ikki... it’s good to see you, too.” He bowed lower that his friend had done, trying to come to terms with the change in the other. The rings on Ikki’s fingers, the gold chain around his neck, the slick look of his hair, all told Seiya that his friend had become quite prosperous.
“Come on, Seiya. We have all been looking for you.” Ikki’s suave voice was entrancing, he put a hand on Seiya’s shoulder, and took him away from the phone booth. Seiya let himself be guided across the crowded space, and he soon saw another of his companions.
“Seiya!” Shun called, running towards him, to end up in his arms, hugging Seiya’s neck, and burying his young face in his friend’s shoulder. Seiya closed his eyes, enjoying the contact that no one else seemed to want to share with him. He squeezed Shun in his arms, smiling, noting the fresh scent of the other’s hair.
“Shun!” Seiya grinned, holding the other at arms length, looking into his eyes, into his smile, before hugging him again. He looked around, and saw that the others were also present. Hyoga and Shiryu were approaching. There was a calm smile on Hoyga’s serene lips, and a serious glint in Shiryu’s dark eyes.
He felt Shun cling to him, and in his soft voice whisper. “We thought you weren’t going to come back to us, Seiya.” Then Shun stepped back, and there were other greetings. Hyoga shook his hand energetically, welcoming him home, and Shiryu, who simply nodded curtly.
“Ah, so you’ve found him.” Seiya turned to see Tatsumi approach from another direction. There was nothing inviting in the bald man’s voice, no hint of any pleasure in their reunion, only irritable impatience. “Let’s be on our way, then, shall we?” His dour voice seemed to throw a bucket of cold water on an otherwise warm welcome. Only Ikki smiled on hearing Tatsumi’s comment.
“I’ll take the Lambourgini.” Ikki said with a sly smile, glancing at Tatsumi, who scowled and caught the keys that Ikki tossed him, then slipped a hand into his own pocket to fetch out the keys of the elegant sports car, and he stepped forward, the key chain dangling between his thumb and forefinger.
“Don’t crash it... it’s an expensive vehicle.” The bald man hissed between his teeth.
“Don’t worry about your car. We’ll take care of it.” Ikki held out his hand and Tatsumi let the keys drop into his open palm, and when his fist closed around the keys, his smile became a wolfish grin. “Come on, Seiya, I’ll take you back to the mansion. See you guys later.”
“But I thought that Seiya would come in the Jeep with us...” Shun protested, taking his brother’s arm.
“No, Shun. I think Seiya’s coming with me. Mister Tatsumi will drive you guys back in the jeep.” Ikki’s grin twisted in an unpleasant way.
Seiya seemed to detect that there was something Shun wanted to talk to him about, and when he looked at Shiryu, he could see the annoyance in his eyes. He glanced at Hyoga, and in those ice-blue eyes there was something that seemed wrong... but what?
“Look, Ikki, if it’s all the same to you, I’ll go in the jeep. I’m a bit tired, and I don’t think I’m up to a sports car.” Seiya took a couple of steps to one side, placing himself between Shun and Hyoga. “You enjoy your ride, and we’ll talk later, okay?”
Shun seemed relieved, but he hid his elfin smile for a moment as he stepped forward to kiss his brother on the cheek and wish him well. “Drive carefully, Big Brother.”
“So, where’s this jeep?” Seiya asked, putting a hand on Shiryu’s shoulder, as Shun hugged him again, then Hyoga smiled and led the way. “I want to get back to the mansion. I want it to be just like old times.” Seiya said, smiling at Hyoga and squeezing his shoulder in his hand.
“Coming, Mister Tatsumi?” The nordic blond called, looking over his shoulder at the older man.
Tatsumi replied taciturnly. “You boys go to the jeep. I’ll be along in a moment.”
Tatsumi and Ikki enchanged surreptitious glances as the four youths departed, noting how Seiya looked at them as he left accompanied by the others.
“What do you think?” Tatsumi spoke out of the side of his mouth when the others were out of earshot.
“You worry too much, old man.” Ikki frowned. “I’ll get to Seiya, and I’ll see where he really stands.”
“You’d better. There’s too much at stake.” The older man responded nervously.
“You’d better follow them. We don’t want them putting strange ideas in Seiya’s head.” Ikki toyed with the keys of the sports car. “I won’t be back for a while.”
Just then Tatsumi grabbed Ikki by the arm. “I don’t like your liberties, young man, remember who’s boss.”
“And who would that be, you?” Ikki responded, quickly taking Tatsumi’s wrist in a vice-like grip and spinning him around roughly. The other winced in pain, trying in vain to break the other’s grip, until Ikki himself let go. “I’m a big boy now, Mister Tatsumi, and you came to me because you needed me, and you did right. We’ve both benefitted greatly, but let me tell you that if you push me, you’ll find out who’s really boss around here, and something tells me you won’t like the answer.”
Ikki left Tatsumi nursing his wrist, and he smiled as he walked away. It all depended on Seiya... the others didn’t matter. Seiya was the key.