Soba ni Ite - Part Three
Title: Soba ni Ite
Author: Shattered Tenshi
Rating: NC-17 (PG-13 this chapter)
Fandom: JE
Genre: AU, Romance
Pairing: Yokoo Wataru x Fujigaya Taisuke...read to find out
Warnings: Nothing much this chapter
Part One | Part Two
Soba ni Ite
By Shattered Tenshi
Part Three
Taisuke was starting to lose count of the number of times he had woken up in Wataru's arms. To be honest, he felt as though Wataru had found a new toy, and that was him. Slowly, he was taken away from his kitchen duties and found himself serving Wataru more and more. Of course, if Hiromitsu was there, or Wataru was visiting the other, Taisuke would be there as well.
Maybe he should already feel grateful for the fact that the two didn't always tease or touch him. If they did...
Taisuke felt his cheeks burning up. He buried his face against Wataru's chest, only to pull away a second later, realizing what he did. Starting to wriggle around, he tried to unwrap Wataru's arms from his waist. He yelped a little though when Wataru did just the opposite.
"Wataru-sama," Taisuke whispered. "I got to go back..."
Wataru pulled Taisuke closer to him and mumbled, "Don't go..."
"I have to..." The other servants were already wondering why Wataru suddenly became so close to Taisuke. If he didn't stay in his own section of the room for the night, or at least be back there before everyone wakes up, then rumours might start coming up and Taisuke definitely didn't want that.
Hesitant, Taisuke pressed his hands against Wataru's bare chest and tried to push the other away harder. "Wataru-sama..."
That's when Wataru’s eyes opened. A smirk tugging on his lips, he said, "Why don't you give me a kiss then?"
He lost count of the number of times this has happened as well. Wataru never let him go that easily. Even though the room was dark, he was sure Wataru noticed the blush on his face.
"Well?" Wataru was waiting.
Taisuke licked his lips nervously before leaning in and pressing his lips against Wataru's softly. Just when he was about to pull back, Wataru wrapped a hand around the back of Taisuke's neck and deepened the kiss.
Taisuke whimpered and struggled, but it only took a few seconds for him to lay limp in Wataru's arms, responding to the kiss. Breathless when they broke the kiss, Taisuke's mind felt hazy.
Wataru chuckled lowly, "You really like it when I do that, don't you?"
Redness covering his cheeks, Taisuke shook his head. He quickly got up - this time Wataru let him go - and started to get dressed despite the pain he was feeling.
Propping himself up on his arm, Wataru just watched with an amused smile. "I'll see you later then, Tai-chan."
Taisuke stumbled for a moment, feeling flustered at the nickname before mumbling something and rushed out of the room. As he got closer to the servants' rooms, he tried to walk more carefully, more quietly. There were probably some light sleepers among them, and he didn’t want to wake them up.
Considering how many times he had this though, he probably has gotten a little better at being quiet, so perhaps, it'll be fine.
Or not. Taisuke froze when he heard some movements from inside the room when he tried to slide open the door as quietly as possible. Holding his breath, he remained standing at the doorway for more than a few minutes until he deemed it was safe enough to move once again.
Sliding the door a little wider, just enough for him to slip in, Taisuke closed the door behind. Then, he began to tiptoe again, this time back to his own area. He was almost too lazy to roll out his futon, but it would be weird, and he didn't plan on getting sick again anytime soon. Rolling out his futon then, he slid between the sheets and curled up.
Taisuke didn't immediately fall asleep though. His mind was still awake, and he couldn't stop thinking about Wataru and Hiromitsu. It was weird how their relationship - if he could call it that - turned out this way. It was a mystery, really.
The longer he spent time with Wataru and Hiromitsu, the more Taisuke wondered about the two. It wasn't just because how the two differed from his impressions of them. (He had a pretty good impression of Hiromitsu too, which kind of broke to pieces after that.) He wondered how long Wataru and Hiromitsu had been...together that way. How they can let a third person, him, into their relationship? It doesn’t make sense, right?
It was always awkward, sitting between the two, with Wataru smirking at the two of them while Hiromitsu returned the smirks and gave him looks that told him he knew everything, and Taisuke never quite knew what everything exactly meant and included.
At the same time, at the same time, was it weird for him to long to know more about the two? After all that they did, shouldn't it be normal for Taisuke to want to stay away from them? Instead, despite the embarrassment he always felt around them, he was waiting. Waiting to spend more time with them, to know them properly.
Taisuke had been washing dishes outside the kitchen, a large basin containing the dirtied dishes with another basin filled with water and soap, when a voice disrupted him from work. He felt his eyes widened and his cheeks darkened in colour. Standing up while feeling flustered, he tried to do something about his soapy hands, though hesitant to wipe them against his hakama.
Wataru chuckled in amusement. "Did I scare you that much, Tai-chan?"
"D-don't call me that," Taisuke mumbled.
"Whatever," Wataru said, waving a hand vaguely in the air. "Are you done with work? Let's go out."
"E-eh?" Taisuke looked down at the amount of dishes still needed to be washed. What did this look like to Wataru?
Wataru grabbed Taisuke's wrist. "Whatever. Let someone else do it. We're going now."
"B-but...!" Wataru didn't let Taisuke say anymore as he dragged the other along, heading out of the estate.
It wasn't until they were some distance away from the mansion that Wataru let Taisuke's wrist go. Taisuke quickly wiped his hands against his hakama, seeing he had no other choice left anyways. He bit down on his lip, wondering if he should ask his young master about their destination.
When Wataru kept on walking without saying anything and Taisuke almost tripped to follow him properly, he finally spoke up, "A-ano, Wataru-sama...? Where are we...going?"
"Secret!" Wataru turned around and grinned at him.
"E-eh?"
Wataru slowed down a little so their pace matched. "Well, for now, let's go eat something. You like dango, right?" Taisuke blinked a few times before nodding slowly. "Great! Let's go then."
Following Wataru, Taisuke still felt confused. Why does Wataru always end up doing things that he didn't understand? Maybe it was one of those born-into-an-upper-class-family things. Was Wataru spoiled by his parents a lot so he ends up doing whatever he wants? He didn't hear anything from other servants though...
"Oi, what are you thinking about?"
Taisuke looked up in surprise when Wataru's hand was suddenly around his wrist again. "Eh?"
"You're falling behind!" Wataru tugged on Taisuke's arm. "Come on. We still have somewhere else to go after eating dango."
Today was going to be different then? Their destination didn't seem to be the room of Hiromitsu, and it didn't seem like the other would join them either. Taisuke's heart sped up just a little at the thought of it. Was it a chance that he has been hoping for, to know Wataru better?
Soon, Taisuke found himself sitting at a table of a small teahouse with Wataru, a plate of dango in front of him. A hesitant glance towards Wataru, Taisuke finally started to eat as well.
"Good?" Wataru asked with an expecting smile.
Half a dango between his lips, Taisuke nodded his head.
"This is the best place to eat dango I know around here. Next time, tell me what you want to eat, and I'll bring you around."
Taisuke blinked before nodding his head. He didn't want to mention how little shops there were around and in the town center anyway, so really, Wataru wasn't exactly bringing him around to eat various things.
Maybe Taisuke spent a little too long thinking and Wataru started to kick him under the table. "Oi, if you're going to eat, I'm going to have to feed you!"
"E-eh?" Taisuke turned to look at Wataru with wide eyes, quickly shaking his head. Definitely no feeding out in public. Or, not in private either, but definitely not here where everyone can see them.
Wataru grinned. "Eat up then. Don't waste my treat for you."
Giving Wataru a somewhat shy smile, Taisuke nodded his head and started eating again.
Wataru didn't give him too much time to rest after eating, and soon, they were on the way to somewhere once again. They were now quite far away from shops, and Taisuke tried to recognize where the path they were on led to. They were heading towards the woods...?
That's when Wataru stepped off the path and actually started walking towards the trees.
Taisuke stopped in his steps. "W-Wataru-sama?" Did the other know where he was going? He was just a little worried about not being able to find their way back.
"Mh?" Wataru turned around and chuckled when he noticed the worried expression on Taisuke's face. "Don't worry. I've been here hundreds of times. We won't get lost."
His heart beating just a little faster, Taisuke nodded his head slowly. Still feeling uncertain, he took a step forward and another before he started to follow Wataru once more.
With the tall trees and its leaves blocking from sunlight reaching them properly, their surroundings were quite dark. At least Wataru was walking around like he knew the area very well, and that was a little bit more comforting for Taisuke.
Keeping his eyes on the other's back, he wondered what could be waiting ahead of them. This wasn't an area he had been to before. When he had free time, the town center was most definitely the first place he'd go, and not a place like the woods.
Taisuke tried not to let Wataru get too ahead, making sure he kept close to the other. He didn't like the idea of being left behind and the thought made his heart clench. He thought he didn't care though. That it was okay for Wataru to stop bothering him. Was it not the case after all?
Too submerged in his own thoughts, Taisuke barely heard the hissing. Suddenly, there was something slithering against his feet and immediately, he yelped and jumped away, heart pounding.
Looking down, he felt himself froze at the sight of a snake which was staring right back at him. Trembling, Taisuke didn't know what to do. Was the snake poisonous? What if it bit him? Should he just run away? But Wataru was-
Taisuke didn't have to decide since the next moment, a knife was stabbed through the head of snake and it stopped moving. Letting out a shuddery breath, he looked up slowly to see Wataru holding the sheath of a knife.
Wataru frowned. "You should be careful when you're walking around the woods, you know."
"I..."
Wataru waved his hand. "Never mind, I know you're not used to this." He bent down and pulled out his knife, knitting his eyebrows together at the sight of blood on the tip. Turning towards the nearest tree, he wiped it against the trunk, mumbling something about he'll clean it properly once they went home.
While Wataru did that, Taisuke just tried to stop himself from shaking. He had never realized he was that afraid of snakes before. Maybe it was the surroundings that caused his fear as well?
"Did you get bitten?"
Looking up at his young master, Taisuke blinked before shaking his head quickly. "I-I'm fine," he said shakily. He was pretty sure the snake just slithered passed him and didn't bite him at all.
Probably noticing how Taisuke was still shocked, Wataru smiled softly. "By the way, do you have a knife of your own?"
"Eh?" Taisuke shook his head. He was a servant. Of course he didn't own a weapon of his own. He didn't have the money to buy one, and well, he didn't see the point of owning one anyways.
A nod like he expected the answer, Wataru reached into the folds of his hakama and pulled out another small knife. "Here. Have this then."
Taisuke's eyes widened. Shaking his head, he pushed the weapon away from him. "I can’t take this, Wataru-sama."
"Why not? This is just one of my spares. It's not as well made anyway. Take it." Wataru grabbed Taisuke's hand and made the other hold on to the knife. "It's better if you have a weapon of your own in the woods and such. I trust you won't stab me," he grinned.
"I..." Taisuke looked down at the knife, the symbol of the Yokoos standing out to him even with the lack of proper light.
"Just take it, and it'll make me happy." Before Taisuke could answer him, Wataru grabbed Taisuke's hand again, this time making their fingers intertwine. "Come on, let's go."
Letting out a surprised sound, Taisuke could only let Wataru drag him along. He stared down at their connected hands before looking back at Wataru again. For some reason, this action, the joining of their hands made his heart feel warm...
When he realized it, the woods had suddenly ended, and Taisuke had to shut his eyes from the sudden flood of sunlight.
"Open your eyes!"
Taisuke knitted his eyebrows together, but after a few seconds, did what he was told. His eyes widened at the sight before them. Across the horizon, the sky and ocean touched, while the sun continued to hang somewhat high up in the sky. The water somewhat sparkled from the sunlight and to Taisuke, it was a scene he had never seen before.
He took a few steps forward, letting go of Wataru's hand. "It's so beautiful..." That's when he realized that they were situated on a cliff. Perhaps, that's what made the scene even better. Sometimes, things looked better from higher up after all. Was this the secret surprise Wataru had in mind earlier on?
"It'll look even better later," Wataru said with a proud grin. "Not a lot of people come here, so I've pretty much claimed this as my own secret spot."
"Your secret spot?" Taisuke turned to look at Wataru with slightly wide eyes. Why did the other bring him here then? Certainly, there was no reason for the other to bring a servant here. A secret spot should be kept secret.
Wataru nodded. "Mh, it's a good place for me to relax when I don't want to be in my room or be surrounded by people. Don't you think so?"
Still not able to figure out why he was here with Wataru, Taisuke just nodded his head slowly. He wondered if Hiromitsu knew about this place then, considering how close the two were.
"You're the first one I actually brought here."
"Eh?" Taisuke couldn't stop himself from sounding surprised this time. He blushed lightly.
Laughing, Wataru waved a hand vaguely. "Well, Hiro knows about here too, but that was because he followed me. You're the first one I brought here willingly."
Taisuke was hesitant to ask why. He wasn't sure if he wanted to know why Wataru treated him like he was special or something, when he was just a servant or a toy of some sort to Wataru. Even if he wanted to know Wataru more, properly, maybe one day, Wataru will just get tired of him and they'll stop talking to each other.
Wataru plopped down on the grass and grabbed Taisuke's wrist, pulling the other down as well. "Lie down with me. It feels really good on days like this where you can feel the breeze."
Now lying on the grass, staring up the blue sky, Taisuke found himself agreeing with Wataru inwardly. It really did feel nice and he could hear the sound of waves crashing against the shore as well. Not too loud, just the perfect background sound.
"I give you permission to come here without me," Wataru said with a chuckle.
Taisuke turned his head, feeling blades of grass brushing against his cheek as he gave Wataru a confused look.
Wataru didn't look at him and continued to stare up at the sky. "When you feel like you need to be away from people, have a moment of privacy or something, you can come here, okay? You don't have to mind that this is my secret spot."
It was getting harder to hold back his questions, and Taisuke had to bit down on his lip. All these things Wataru was telling him was making his heart beat just a little faster and he had a hard time figuring out if it was a normal reaction. Keeping his head turned, he studied the side view of Wataru's face, as if doing that might help him understand the other more.
He might have been staring a little too much though because Wataru turned his head and grinned at Taisuke. "Is my face that handsome to look at?"
Taisuke quickly blushed and shook his head. "I...um, no, I mean..."
"You should just be honest and admit that you like staring at me," Wataru continued to grin.
"I don't!"
"Oh?" Wataru raised an eyebrow and Taisuke turned his head to the other side so he couldn't see Wataru’s face. That was why he didn't have time to react when Wataru was suddenly half-lying on top of him, his hand on Taisuke's chin, making their eyes met. "If you don't like my face, maybe you like something else about me more..."
Taisuke's eyes widened. Surely Wataru wasn't thinking of doing that here, right?
"You're so adorable, Tai-chan..."
Before Taisuke could reply, Wataru had already leaned down, pressing their lips together, a hand sneaking into the folds of Taisuke's hakama.
When Taisuke opened his eyes again, he was surprised to find himself still staring up at the sky, but this time, it was tinted orange. Did he faint or fell asleep after that? He struggled to sit up, only to find a layer of clothing sliding down his body. He blinked, recognizing this as the outer layer of Wataru's hakama. Ignoring the slight pain he was feeling, he grabbed the clothing and looked around, spotting Wataru not too far ahead, staring at the sunset.
Taisuke sucked in his breath, his eyes taking in the sight of the sun sinking into the ocean. That's what Wataru meant when he said it becomes more beautiful later on. He stood up, taking his time and fixing his own clothing before walking up to Wataru, placing the hakama back on the other’s shoulders. "You'll catch a cold, Wataru-sama."
Wataru turned and gave Taisuke a smile. "Well, you would have gotten sick a lot easier than me, considering you were sleeping."
A light blush appeared on Taisuke's face. "T-thank you..." he mumbled.
Chuckling, Wataru pecked Taisuke on his cheek. "Let's come here again some other time together. Maybe sunrise would even be prettier." With that, he turned back towards the ocean and sky, probably mesmerized by the scene.
Taisuke, on the other hand, found himself staring at Wataru yet again. He wasn't sure why his heart was thumping against his chest. Maybe the sunset was too beautiful or maybe it was the person beside him. He wasn't sure anymore if he got to know Wataru a little better, or the other just became more confusing to him.
The sun continued to sink into the ocean.
Author's Note: Did I mention I fail at descriptive writing? DDD= And um, for some reason, this is getting more and more like a cheesy romance novel or something. //dies// I really hope I finish this before I lose my inspiration and runs off to write something else instead. I did mention I have short attention span or 3 minute heat or something, right? >>''
And my chapters just keep on getting shorter each time, wth //fails//
...I um, don't have anything interesting to say. I hope my next chapter doesn't take another two months to write. =.=
Comments are love and appreciated~
Part Four
Author: Shattered Tenshi
Rating: NC-17 (PG-13 this chapter)
Fandom: JE
Genre: AU, Romance
Pairing: Yokoo Wataru x Fujigaya Taisuke...read to find out
Warnings: Nothing much this chapter
Part One | Part Two
Soba ni Ite
By Shattered Tenshi
Part Three
Taisuke was starting to lose count of the number of times he had woken up in Wataru's arms. To be honest, he felt as though Wataru had found a new toy, and that was him. Slowly, he was taken away from his kitchen duties and found himself serving Wataru more and more. Of course, if Hiromitsu was there, or Wataru was visiting the other, Taisuke would be there as well.
Maybe he should already feel grateful for the fact that the two didn't always tease or touch him. If they did...
Taisuke felt his cheeks burning up. He buried his face against Wataru's chest, only to pull away a second later, realizing what he did. Starting to wriggle around, he tried to unwrap Wataru's arms from his waist. He yelped a little though when Wataru did just the opposite.
"Wataru-sama," Taisuke whispered. "I got to go back..."
Wataru pulled Taisuke closer to him and mumbled, "Don't go..."
"I have to..." The other servants were already wondering why Wataru suddenly became so close to Taisuke. If he didn't stay in his own section of the room for the night, or at least be back there before everyone wakes up, then rumours might start coming up and Taisuke definitely didn't want that.
Hesitant, Taisuke pressed his hands against Wataru's bare chest and tried to push the other away harder. "Wataru-sama..."
That's when Wataru’s eyes opened. A smirk tugging on his lips, he said, "Why don't you give me a kiss then?"
He lost count of the number of times this has happened as well. Wataru never let him go that easily. Even though the room was dark, he was sure Wataru noticed the blush on his face.
"Well?" Wataru was waiting.
Taisuke licked his lips nervously before leaning in and pressing his lips against Wataru's softly. Just when he was about to pull back, Wataru wrapped a hand around the back of Taisuke's neck and deepened the kiss.
Taisuke whimpered and struggled, but it only took a few seconds for him to lay limp in Wataru's arms, responding to the kiss. Breathless when they broke the kiss, Taisuke's mind felt hazy.
Wataru chuckled lowly, "You really like it when I do that, don't you?"
Redness covering his cheeks, Taisuke shook his head. He quickly got up - this time Wataru let him go - and started to get dressed despite the pain he was feeling.
Propping himself up on his arm, Wataru just watched with an amused smile. "I'll see you later then, Tai-chan."
Taisuke stumbled for a moment, feeling flustered at the nickname before mumbling something and rushed out of the room. As he got closer to the servants' rooms, he tried to walk more carefully, more quietly. There were probably some light sleepers among them, and he didn’t want to wake them up.
Considering how many times he had this though, he probably has gotten a little better at being quiet, so perhaps, it'll be fine.
Or not. Taisuke froze when he heard some movements from inside the room when he tried to slide open the door as quietly as possible. Holding his breath, he remained standing at the doorway for more than a few minutes until he deemed it was safe enough to move once again.
Sliding the door a little wider, just enough for him to slip in, Taisuke closed the door behind. Then, he began to tiptoe again, this time back to his own area. He was almost too lazy to roll out his futon, but it would be weird, and he didn't plan on getting sick again anytime soon. Rolling out his futon then, he slid between the sheets and curled up.
Taisuke didn't immediately fall asleep though. His mind was still awake, and he couldn't stop thinking about Wataru and Hiromitsu. It was weird how their relationship - if he could call it that - turned out this way. It was a mystery, really.
The longer he spent time with Wataru and Hiromitsu, the more Taisuke wondered about the two. It wasn't just because how the two differed from his impressions of them. (He had a pretty good impression of Hiromitsu too, which kind of broke to pieces after that.) He wondered how long Wataru and Hiromitsu had been...together that way. How they can let a third person, him, into their relationship? It doesn’t make sense, right?
It was always awkward, sitting between the two, with Wataru smirking at the two of them while Hiromitsu returned the smirks and gave him looks that told him he knew everything, and Taisuke never quite knew what everything exactly meant and included.
At the same time, at the same time, was it weird for him to long to know more about the two? After all that they did, shouldn't it be normal for Taisuke to want to stay away from them? Instead, despite the embarrassment he always felt around them, he was waiting. Waiting to spend more time with them, to know them properly.
Taisuke had been washing dishes outside the kitchen, a large basin containing the dirtied dishes with another basin filled with water and soap, when a voice disrupted him from work. He felt his eyes widened and his cheeks darkened in colour. Standing up while feeling flustered, he tried to do something about his soapy hands, though hesitant to wipe them against his hakama.
Wataru chuckled in amusement. "Did I scare you that much, Tai-chan?"
"D-don't call me that," Taisuke mumbled.
"Whatever," Wataru said, waving a hand vaguely in the air. "Are you done with work? Let's go out."
"E-eh?" Taisuke looked down at the amount of dishes still needed to be washed. What did this look like to Wataru?
Wataru grabbed Taisuke's wrist. "Whatever. Let someone else do it. We're going now."
"B-but...!" Wataru didn't let Taisuke say anymore as he dragged the other along, heading out of the estate.
It wasn't until they were some distance away from the mansion that Wataru let Taisuke's wrist go. Taisuke quickly wiped his hands against his hakama, seeing he had no other choice left anyways. He bit down on his lip, wondering if he should ask his young master about their destination.
When Wataru kept on walking without saying anything and Taisuke almost tripped to follow him properly, he finally spoke up, "A-ano, Wataru-sama...? Where are we...going?"
"Secret!" Wataru turned around and grinned at him.
"E-eh?"
Wataru slowed down a little so their pace matched. "Well, for now, let's go eat something. You like dango, right?" Taisuke blinked a few times before nodding slowly. "Great! Let's go then."
Following Wataru, Taisuke still felt confused. Why does Wataru always end up doing things that he didn't understand? Maybe it was one of those born-into-an-upper-class-family things. Was Wataru spoiled by his parents a lot so he ends up doing whatever he wants? He didn't hear anything from other servants though...
"Oi, what are you thinking about?"
Taisuke looked up in surprise when Wataru's hand was suddenly around his wrist again. "Eh?"
"You're falling behind!" Wataru tugged on Taisuke's arm. "Come on. We still have somewhere else to go after eating dango."
Today was going to be different then? Their destination didn't seem to be the room of Hiromitsu, and it didn't seem like the other would join them either. Taisuke's heart sped up just a little at the thought of it. Was it a chance that he has been hoping for, to know Wataru better?
Soon, Taisuke found himself sitting at a table of a small teahouse with Wataru, a plate of dango in front of him. A hesitant glance towards Wataru, Taisuke finally started to eat as well.
"Good?" Wataru asked with an expecting smile.
Half a dango between his lips, Taisuke nodded his head.
"This is the best place to eat dango I know around here. Next time, tell me what you want to eat, and I'll bring you around."
Taisuke blinked before nodding his head. He didn't want to mention how little shops there were around and in the town center anyway, so really, Wataru wasn't exactly bringing him around to eat various things.
Maybe Taisuke spent a little too long thinking and Wataru started to kick him under the table. "Oi, if you're going to eat, I'm going to have to feed you!"
"E-eh?" Taisuke turned to look at Wataru with wide eyes, quickly shaking his head. Definitely no feeding out in public. Or, not in private either, but definitely not here where everyone can see them.
Wataru grinned. "Eat up then. Don't waste my treat for you."
Giving Wataru a somewhat shy smile, Taisuke nodded his head and started eating again.
Wataru didn't give him too much time to rest after eating, and soon, they were on the way to somewhere once again. They were now quite far away from shops, and Taisuke tried to recognize where the path they were on led to. They were heading towards the woods...?
That's when Wataru stepped off the path and actually started walking towards the trees.
Taisuke stopped in his steps. "W-Wataru-sama?" Did the other know where he was going? He was just a little worried about not being able to find their way back.
"Mh?" Wataru turned around and chuckled when he noticed the worried expression on Taisuke's face. "Don't worry. I've been here hundreds of times. We won't get lost."
His heart beating just a little faster, Taisuke nodded his head slowly. Still feeling uncertain, he took a step forward and another before he started to follow Wataru once more.
With the tall trees and its leaves blocking from sunlight reaching them properly, their surroundings were quite dark. At least Wataru was walking around like he knew the area very well, and that was a little bit more comforting for Taisuke.
Keeping his eyes on the other's back, he wondered what could be waiting ahead of them. This wasn't an area he had been to before. When he had free time, the town center was most definitely the first place he'd go, and not a place like the woods.
Taisuke tried not to let Wataru get too ahead, making sure he kept close to the other. He didn't like the idea of being left behind and the thought made his heart clench. He thought he didn't care though. That it was okay for Wataru to stop bothering him. Was it not the case after all?
Too submerged in his own thoughts, Taisuke barely heard the hissing. Suddenly, there was something slithering against his feet and immediately, he yelped and jumped away, heart pounding.
Looking down, he felt himself froze at the sight of a snake which was staring right back at him. Trembling, Taisuke didn't know what to do. Was the snake poisonous? What if it bit him? Should he just run away? But Wataru was-
Taisuke didn't have to decide since the next moment, a knife was stabbed through the head of snake and it stopped moving. Letting out a shuddery breath, he looked up slowly to see Wataru holding the sheath of a knife.
Wataru frowned. "You should be careful when you're walking around the woods, you know."
"I..."
Wataru waved his hand. "Never mind, I know you're not used to this." He bent down and pulled out his knife, knitting his eyebrows together at the sight of blood on the tip. Turning towards the nearest tree, he wiped it against the trunk, mumbling something about he'll clean it properly once they went home.
While Wataru did that, Taisuke just tried to stop himself from shaking. He had never realized he was that afraid of snakes before. Maybe it was the surroundings that caused his fear as well?
"Did you get bitten?"
Looking up at his young master, Taisuke blinked before shaking his head quickly. "I-I'm fine," he said shakily. He was pretty sure the snake just slithered passed him and didn't bite him at all.
Probably noticing how Taisuke was still shocked, Wataru smiled softly. "By the way, do you have a knife of your own?"
"Eh?" Taisuke shook his head. He was a servant. Of course he didn't own a weapon of his own. He didn't have the money to buy one, and well, he didn't see the point of owning one anyways.
A nod like he expected the answer, Wataru reached into the folds of his hakama and pulled out another small knife. "Here. Have this then."
Taisuke's eyes widened. Shaking his head, he pushed the weapon away from him. "I can’t take this, Wataru-sama."
"Why not? This is just one of my spares. It's not as well made anyway. Take it." Wataru grabbed Taisuke's hand and made the other hold on to the knife. "It's better if you have a weapon of your own in the woods and such. I trust you won't stab me," he grinned.
"I..." Taisuke looked down at the knife, the symbol of the Yokoos standing out to him even with the lack of proper light.
"Just take it, and it'll make me happy." Before Taisuke could answer him, Wataru grabbed Taisuke's hand again, this time making their fingers intertwine. "Come on, let's go."
Letting out a surprised sound, Taisuke could only let Wataru drag him along. He stared down at their connected hands before looking back at Wataru again. For some reason, this action, the joining of their hands made his heart feel warm...
When he realized it, the woods had suddenly ended, and Taisuke had to shut his eyes from the sudden flood of sunlight.
"Open your eyes!"
Taisuke knitted his eyebrows together, but after a few seconds, did what he was told. His eyes widened at the sight before them. Across the horizon, the sky and ocean touched, while the sun continued to hang somewhat high up in the sky. The water somewhat sparkled from the sunlight and to Taisuke, it was a scene he had never seen before.
He took a few steps forward, letting go of Wataru's hand. "It's so beautiful..." That's when he realized that they were situated on a cliff. Perhaps, that's what made the scene even better. Sometimes, things looked better from higher up after all. Was this the secret surprise Wataru had in mind earlier on?
"It'll look even better later," Wataru said with a proud grin. "Not a lot of people come here, so I've pretty much claimed this as my own secret spot."
"Your secret spot?" Taisuke turned to look at Wataru with slightly wide eyes. Why did the other bring him here then? Certainly, there was no reason for the other to bring a servant here. A secret spot should be kept secret.
Wataru nodded. "Mh, it's a good place for me to relax when I don't want to be in my room or be surrounded by people. Don't you think so?"
Still not able to figure out why he was here with Wataru, Taisuke just nodded his head slowly. He wondered if Hiromitsu knew about this place then, considering how close the two were.
"You're the first one I actually brought here."
"Eh?" Taisuke couldn't stop himself from sounding surprised this time. He blushed lightly.
Laughing, Wataru waved a hand vaguely. "Well, Hiro knows about here too, but that was because he followed me. You're the first one I brought here willingly."
Taisuke was hesitant to ask why. He wasn't sure if he wanted to know why Wataru treated him like he was special or something, when he was just a servant or a toy of some sort to Wataru. Even if he wanted to know Wataru more, properly, maybe one day, Wataru will just get tired of him and they'll stop talking to each other.
Wataru plopped down on the grass and grabbed Taisuke's wrist, pulling the other down as well. "Lie down with me. It feels really good on days like this where you can feel the breeze."
Now lying on the grass, staring up the blue sky, Taisuke found himself agreeing with Wataru inwardly. It really did feel nice and he could hear the sound of waves crashing against the shore as well. Not too loud, just the perfect background sound.
"I give you permission to come here without me," Wataru said with a chuckle.
Taisuke turned his head, feeling blades of grass brushing against his cheek as he gave Wataru a confused look.
Wataru didn't look at him and continued to stare up at the sky. "When you feel like you need to be away from people, have a moment of privacy or something, you can come here, okay? You don't have to mind that this is my secret spot."
It was getting harder to hold back his questions, and Taisuke had to bit down on his lip. All these things Wataru was telling him was making his heart beat just a little faster and he had a hard time figuring out if it was a normal reaction. Keeping his head turned, he studied the side view of Wataru's face, as if doing that might help him understand the other more.
He might have been staring a little too much though because Wataru turned his head and grinned at Taisuke. "Is my face that handsome to look at?"
Taisuke quickly blushed and shook his head. "I...um, no, I mean..."
"You should just be honest and admit that you like staring at me," Wataru continued to grin.
"I don't!"
"Oh?" Wataru raised an eyebrow and Taisuke turned his head to the other side so he couldn't see Wataru’s face. That was why he didn't have time to react when Wataru was suddenly half-lying on top of him, his hand on Taisuke's chin, making their eyes met. "If you don't like my face, maybe you like something else about me more..."
Taisuke's eyes widened. Surely Wataru wasn't thinking of doing that here, right?
"You're so adorable, Tai-chan..."
Before Taisuke could reply, Wataru had already leaned down, pressing their lips together, a hand sneaking into the folds of Taisuke's hakama.
When Taisuke opened his eyes again, he was surprised to find himself still staring up at the sky, but this time, it was tinted orange. Did he faint or fell asleep after that? He struggled to sit up, only to find a layer of clothing sliding down his body. He blinked, recognizing this as the outer layer of Wataru's hakama. Ignoring the slight pain he was feeling, he grabbed the clothing and looked around, spotting Wataru not too far ahead, staring at the sunset.
Taisuke sucked in his breath, his eyes taking in the sight of the sun sinking into the ocean. That's what Wataru meant when he said it becomes more beautiful later on. He stood up, taking his time and fixing his own clothing before walking up to Wataru, placing the hakama back on the other’s shoulders. "You'll catch a cold, Wataru-sama."
Wataru turned and gave Taisuke a smile. "Well, you would have gotten sick a lot easier than me, considering you were sleeping."
A light blush appeared on Taisuke's face. "T-thank you..." he mumbled.
Chuckling, Wataru pecked Taisuke on his cheek. "Let's come here again some other time together. Maybe sunrise would even be prettier." With that, he turned back towards the ocean and sky, probably mesmerized by the scene.
Taisuke, on the other hand, found himself staring at Wataru yet again. He wasn't sure why his heart was thumping against his chest. Maybe the sunset was too beautiful or maybe it was the person beside him. He wasn't sure anymore if he got to know Wataru a little better, or the other just became more confusing to him.
The sun continued to sink into the ocean.
Author's Note: Did I mention I fail at descriptive writing? DDD= And um, for some reason, this is getting more and more like a cheesy romance novel or something. //dies// I really hope I finish this before I lose my inspiration and runs off to write something else instead. I did mention I have short attention span or 3 minute heat or something, right? >>''
And my chapters just keep on getting shorter each time, wth //fails//
...I um, don't have anything interesting to say. I hope my next chapter doesn't take another two months to write. =.=
Comments are love and appreciated~
Part Four