[FIC DUMP]: KHR - 6918, 10051; DRRR!! - Shizuo/Izaya, Shinra/Celty; YGO - SYY, gen; PH - Vincent/Gil
HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY, kisproductions! ♥♥♥ You're one of the major reasons why I write Kanda/Allen and why I OTP Byakuran/Shouichi so hard, so, I'm really glad I got to know you! <3 I *can* list out the reasons why you are awesome, but I'll probably sound like a frothing fangirl 8D more than usual anyway Anyway, I'm hoping I can finish my RL responsibilities soon so I can finish writing out my gift-fic to you! <3 well, it'll probably be so epic fail, b-but, it's the only thing I can do OTL
In other news, I just finished my entry for the byakushou exchange! *w* I'm very excited :3 The other fics for my New Year's fic request are still not finished, but at least, *all* of them are at 50% done! :)) *gets shot*
So, contents! It's my first time writing for Durarara!! and Pandora Hearts, so I hope I didn't butcher it too much *o* SILHOUETTE_68's request for a YGO fic with the Bakuras and Maliks are also done! \o/ Two short (super late) fills for khrfest are also done! \o/ And of course, "the midnight dead", my 10051 fic for the week is also up! :D
•••
• Yu-Gi-Oh! - Seto x Yami (153 words); bring him down;
When they first met, he was kneeling, throat dry despite the amount of water he consumed just a few moments ago, head bowed down respectfully for possibly the first time in his life. But then, he said "My High Priest" in a voice richer than all the fine wine he has sampled, in a tone sweeter than any honey he has come across. So he brought his head up and his sapphire eyes greedily drank in the sight of his King. And swore that he would be the most powerful warrior in the entire kingdom just so he can protect this god.
When they first met, he wasn't kneeling at all, but his eyes were burning with intense ice-blue passion all the same. His vow may have changed with the passage of time, but he would still be the most powerful, the best, just so he can bring that King of Games down.
•••
• Durarara!! - Izaya x Shizuo (634 words); the worth of hate;
When they first met, Izaya *knew* that he hated him. The hatred burned even more with each passing day-with each disagreeable group assignments, each bump of shoulders in the hallways, each cling-clang of adjacent locker doors, each not-so-accidental brush of arms during the Sports Festival, each subtle kick of shoes against the legs of the chair in front.
He tried-still tries, actually-to manipulate the other into doing what he wanted, what he wanted to see and observe and dissect and push away once he's bored. He managed to frame the other for several crimes already, managed to land the other in series of landmines that all blew up spectacularly in the face of authority and innocent people, managed to tinker with the twists and holes of the other's past-present-future. He is an awesome information dealer after all-and getting what he wanted is simple play.
But he still hasn't quite succeeded in getting him to c-c-rack or b-b-b-break in the way he expected him to. He was unlike all those boring bodies that sailed through air and dropped-cracked-broke in the angles and planes and lines that Izaya calculated them to. He was unlike those lovely dolls that would give up their everything-and oh, how they easily gave up everything-for the sake of him and his wonderful words and sturdy puppet strings. He was unlike those humans with simple-complex-simple emotions that slinked away in the face of danger and hid behind the comfort he offered like a key to paradise.
No.
He always landed on his feet-and never on his knees-and always ready to deliver the next punch-kick-bash. He always guarded his everything with fierce shouting and smoldering glaring and destructive fighting. He always charged forward-forward-forward, never bothering with detours or pretenses or anything that doesn't involve violence and inflicting said violence on him.
It saddened Izaya, as much as sadness actually existed in his vocabulary.
He still tries at every possible chance, to mess with him, but there is a small flicker of 'oh, but he'll remain unpredictable, how lame' that settles and bubbles in his gut.
When they first met, Izaya just *knew* that they'd be stuck trying to kill each other.
"I-ZA-YA-KUUUN~"
"A sing-song voice doesn't fit you, Shizu-chan." He tries a cocky grin, voice faltering slightly when the hand wrapped around his neck tightens, hand not hesitating to extend the line he made with his knife on the arm pressing him against the wall.
"What are you doing here in Ikebukuro?" Even though the nails are blunt, the power behind them is enough to make them feel like ten-inch talons. "I told you to stay away from Ikebukuro, didn't I?" Shizuo continues choking Izaya, even though his arm is bleeding profusely. "And I told you to quit it with that nickname."
Instead of continuing his futile struggles, Izaya instead lunges forward and half-bites, half-licks his captor's cheek. "I wanted to see Shizu-chan~❤"
A blatant lie, but Shizuo hesitates for one brief moment-from embarrassment? from anger? or from-?-and it's all Izaya needs before he successfully pries the fingers off his neck.
Izaya's feet are quick, from natural talent, from years of practice. Shizuo's animalistic rage-filled yell of "COME BACK HERE, YOU SCUM" and the ensuing array of vending machines and gigantic sign boards thrown at him only serve to fuel the happy spring in his footsteps.
Sure, he'd have to use a different coat to hide the unsightly marks in his neck and forearms, but the knowledge of Shizu-chan hesitating just because of that one line, the knowledge of Shizu-chan's violence-filled eyes clouding up a tiny bit with confusion, the knowledge of another one of Shizu-chan's weakness that he can exploit-
Ahh, it makes all the hate all worth it.
•••
• Durarara!! - Shinra x Celty (239 words); alien phobia;
The first time they met, Shinra was but a young boy of four years, still wide-eyed but not so innocent anymore, not unlike kids who have never seen naked bodies, dead bodies, beaten bodies. She was a mystery to him, a mystery that he'd be stuck obsessing over, worrying over, for the rest of his life.
It is now far from the first time they met, but Shinra still feels that spark of admiration and interest whenever he sees another side of her. For a fairy hailing from the other side of the world with supernatural powers, she is so adorable sometimes.
"Yes, Celty," he says sweetly and tries to reign in his chuckles, "the aliens sometimes abduct people from their beds."
He has long stopped imagining a facial expression to match Celty's messages. She's fine the way she is, really.
[Really? I only saw from the documentary that aliens abduct people who look up at the sky at night.]
"Well, this is more like an urban legend," he explains, any guilty feeling he might feel squashed by happiness, "so we should share the bed from now on! I'll protect you from the aliens, Celty!"
He knows that Celty finds the whole thing suspicious, but he quits thinking about that, since Celty is already moving gingerly to the edge of his bed, and he can't help but thank his luck for making Celty so adorably scared careful of aliens.
•••
• Pandora Hearts - Vincent x Gil (warning: contains Vincent, my favorite yandere, like, ever.) (574 words); the world with only two people;
Everything I do, I do for nii-san.
Not everyone sees it. Sometimes, not even nii-san sees it. But everything I do, it's all for the sake of my one and only brother. Of the only person who never abandoned me, who never let go of my hand, who never will leave me ever ever ever.
Oz-kun should be thankful, really. If not only for the fact that nii-san would become a pretty, empty shell, I would have erased his existence already. (and empty shells are not interesting at all, but wouldn't nii-san make a really pretty shell? yes he would, wouldn't he?) But oh, it makes my heart go 'thumpthumpkillkillkillthumpthump' whenever I see nii-san's eyes look at nobody but him.
But, hmm, it should be fine then, hmm? If I let someone else take Oz-kun away. That way, nii-san will not hate me. That way, I can play detective games with nii-san, as we both hunt down the people responsible. I want to see more of nii-san's serious face when he's in a 'detective mood'. I've seen glimpses of it during the years he worked for Pandora, but it's not enough. (it's never enough, when it comes to nii-san.) I'll help nii-san follow the trails of blood, follow burned evidences, follow wisps of shadows, and maybe I can distract him, play with him, dance with him because I know the answer to the mystery already (because I was there in the sidelines, helping the enemy~). But short-cuts are always boring. So I'll play with nii-san first~
But that can come a bit later, ne?
I can first take care of all the other pests who try to touch my nii-san without any permission. Of the dirt that who try to cling to my nii-san's sleeves, to my nii-san's arms. Of the people who try to make my nii-san forget what it's like to live on the streets, alone, without anyone else but each other. Of those worthless, useless humans who try to take my nii-san away from the world that only has the two of us.
But that's okay. There's a time for everything, even though it's a bit tiresome to wait for *that* time. I suppose I can amuse myself with the one-two-thousands of stuff toys filling the rooms of the mansion, stuffing all bleeding out of their cases, beads-and-ribbons all clawed out and missing, shapes all mangled beyond recognition with stabstabstabbing motions.
Or better yet, I can play with them, taking them apart one-by-one-by-one.
I already started with that one woman-I forgot her name, aah, I'm getting kind of sleepy hmm, I can't even remember her face-whose only trait I can remember is her innocence and how much I want to dip her gold-white-silver radiance into the murky depths of-aah, so sleepy-
I feel my heart leap. Ahh, I'll be able to meet nii-san later! I must sleep now so I can be awake later! Meeting nii-san is infinitely better than simply seeing him, even though the act of holding back to touchwhat'smineminemine is going to be a lot harder. Yes, meeting nii-san is going to be pleasant, because I can sit close to him and hold his arm and hug him and he'll hug me back, even though young master Oz is there and aah-
Sleep comes.
(And I dream of the world where, once again, there's going to be only the two of us.)
Soon.
•••
» Title: 心 Series: cafe x double x insanity
» Summary: Due to Mokuba's insistence, the Kaiba brothers visit the new cafe. [686 words]
» Request: by SILHOUETTE_68 ; [ request]
» Classification: gen! :o (okay, so it has a hint of Marik/Bakura LOL) ; PG ; general/humor(?!)
» Notes: I haven't written any YGO fic in forever! I kind of forgot the naming conventions already orz But I definitely enjoyed writing bitchy!Kaiba though :D
He didn't pay much attention to the way Mokuba's eyes kept darting on him while they were walking towards the 'very nice cafe Yugi and the gang recommended'. Now, Seto Kaiba is regretting that decision, since his eyes instantly zeroed in on the sight of not just one or two, but four familiar faces working in the cafe.
"Let's go, Mokuba."
Like hell he'd drink coffee made by axe-crazy thieves and mind controllers who dared disrupt his Battle City. (Not that he believed in that mind control business.)
"B-but, niisama!" Don't turn around, don't turn around, don't-shit! Mokuba's big eyes grow even rounder, more pitiful. Kaiba knows that it's just an act, but- "Please, niisama?"
Damn it.
"Fine!" He barks out, voice gruff but eyes gentle when Mokuba beams up at him, puppy-dog-eyes successful as always.
The sanest-looking of the four approaches them with a timid smile. "Hello, Kaiba-san, Mokuba-kun." Mokuba returns the greeting, shooting a look that asked (wheedled, really) him to refrain from insulting these idiots to their faces. "I'll take your order, okay?"
"Ryou, there's no need to be all nice to that rich asshole!" The white-haired thief yells from his spot behind the cashier. Whoever trusted him to man the cashier probably had less brains than Yugi's band of friends combined.
The timid smile twitches.
"No, seriously! Just give them whatever and then let's charge them the whole menu!"
The blond Egyptian with the less crazy hair returns from taking the order of the group from the other end of the cafe. "That's an excellent idea, Bakura-kun."
"It would have been better if the dimwit didn't announce that plan for the priest to hear." Yet another blond.
Really. Having two versions of yourself seemed to be a major requirement for joining Yugi's friendship club. Not that he ever wants to join them-he's only interested in kicking Yami's ass. (And maybe Yugi too, sometimes. That shrimp has improved, though his level is still far from Yami.)
"Would you shut up! Bakura, stop stealing money! Marik-san, please start bringing back the orders! Malik-kun, the other tables still need their orders to be taken!"
Kaiba raises an eyebrow, a little surprised at how the timid one snapped. What's more surprising is that the other three actually obeyed.
"Ryou-kun can be very scary when angry," Mokuba tells him in a conspiring whisper. Kaiba isn't really interested, though he remembers the saying 'it's always the nice ones' and thinks that it can apply to this situation.
Kaiba first tastes the coffee and dessert brought to them by 'Marik-san', frowning suspiciously, before deciding that they're safe for Mokuba's consumption.
"Relax, priest, if I wanted to kill you-and I do! I will! But you come after the pharaoh-I won't do it using poison. That's so tasteless."
Kaiba rolls his eyes. The only thing stopping him from retorting and challenging them to a duel and kicking their asses is the silent plea in Mokuba's eyes. Damn his weakness.
But Kaiba couldn't help it, couldn't stop the really childish thirst for vengeance, couldn't stop his leg from stretching out and nonchalantly tripping 'Marik-san'. Said 'Marik-san' actually tripping and landing on the thief cleaning the table nearby is just a bonus.
"Oww, what the fuck?!" The thief yells, overlapping with the not-so-goody-goody's chastising "Don't use swearwords, Bakura!".
"Ryou's right, Bakura-chan." The blond sprawled on top drawls. Kaiba is starting to regret giving in to his desire for petty retaliation. Especially since 'Marik-san' doesn't really seem humiliated or anything. And he seemed far too comfortable over there, leaning even closer to the pale thief, whose cheeks are slowly becoming as red as the carpet. "You shouldn't use swear words."
Kaiba makes a disgusted snort. "We're leaving, Mokuba-"
...With the other blond by his side, Mokuba doesn't seem inclined to leave, since he's busy taking photos of the pair on the floor.
He doesn't want to step inside this cafe ever again. But looking at Mokuba, corrupted by the questionable sanity of Yugi's band of friends, Kaiba has a sinking feeling that this is now Mokuba's new favorite cafe.
•
» END
•••
» Prompt: khrfest: II-70. Mukuro/Hibari - skin, "It's unfair that this ugly world should have such beautiful things."
» Title: beautiful world
» Summary: Mukuro is all for preserving this world's remaining beauty. [346 words]
» Notes: I can't even call this PWP *cries* not enough porn, not enough plot;;;;;
"It's unfair that such an ugly world," Mukuro breathes into the junction of shoulder and neck-pale skin unscarred and unmarred despite the countless battles this person seeks-hands tightening around tense forearms, "contains such beautiful things."
Hibari beneath him snarls, teeth bared as a sign of animosity (no surprise there) and impatience (a pleasant surprise). "I'll bite you to death."
Mukuro chuckles, the melodious sound that warms the cheeks of his followers (mere children) only adding to the steadily-building rage of his the one who wishes to be his hunter. He tilts his head to the side carelessly, an eyebrow cocked invitingly, lips curved challengingly. Uncombed-yet-still-silky strands of long navy blue hair fall over mismatched eyes, but fails to hide his heated expression.
Hibari takes the invitation without a pause, teeth latching onto the offered skin-and quickly moving up to bite Mukuro's chin, Mukuro's cheeks, Mukuro's lips.
Mukuro chuckles again, feeling the skin break (such a weak sign of humanity) and feeling the blood flow out in droplets. He wasn't expecting this man to find him so quickly after he returned from one of the rare missions he did that coincided with Vongola's. But it certainly amused him, to watch the furious fire in those icy eyes, to watch the impatient movement that brought their now-partially-unclothed against each other.
Hibari rakes blunt nails deep against the skin on Mukuro's chest, pale from genes and from years spent away from sunshine, raising angry red lines. Mukuro doesn't bother to return the favor, smirking knowingly when Hibari's grip becomes tighter against his wrist, against his neck, against anything he touches. He lets Hibari release his frustration (at the fact that he so obviously missed him, kufufu) and confusion (at why he missed him, Mukuro's sure), and he simply traces the planes and lines and angles, reverently memorizing them with roughened fingertips and softened lips, marking with burning kisses and freezing touches.
After all, while his dear Hibari doesn't agree, Mukuro is all for preserving this world's remaining beauty.
(Before he takes over this world, that is.)
•
END
•••
» Prompt: khrfest: IV-17. Byakuran/Shouichi - Past; "I could never abandon you."
» Title: LIAR LIAR
» Summary: Byakuran owns him to the point that Shouichi knows that nothing belongs to him anymore. [253 words]
Byakuran lies to him so many countless times-to the point that Shouichi can hear an underlying mechanical voice singing "LIAR LIAR" accompanying the other's speech; to the point that Shouichi automatically translates every drop of sweet honey dripping from the other's words to acidic poison; to the point that Shouichi doesn't believe him anymore.
Byakuran manipulates him so many countless times-to the point that Shouichi knows that his feet are nothing but an extension to further stomp on anyone who even harbors the smallest degree of dissatisfaction with the Millefiore's reign; to the point that Shouichi knows that his hands are nothing but additions to the research of getting what the other wants; to the point that Shouichi knows that nothing belongs to him anymore.
Byakuran lies to him so many, many times. Crushes him. Breaks him. Laughs on the carnage and the broken dolls and the collapsed buildings and the burning hopes.
Byakuran asks him to swear his loyalty, asks to promise him everything, to give him everything. He complies, submits, swears with a knee to the ground, with a hand to the heart.
Byakuran lies to him so many, many, many times.
So this one time, Shouichi says-
"I could never abandon you."
-it's nothing but the truest lie.
(The next day, Shouichi meets the Vongola and prepares for his kingdom's fall. He won't be there to catch Byakuran, he reassures Vongola Decimo and his Cloud, and once again, Shouichi hears the faint murmurs of "LIAR LIAR")
•••
the midnight dead;
He could have returned to Japan, to Namimori, to the simple life. But he didn't. He stays in the American engineering university. And Shouichi has no idea why.
•
More than anything, Shouichi doesn't know why he stayed.
He could have gone home, really. He could have returned to Japan, to Namimori, to the simple life.
He hates engineering, hates formulas, hates angles and planes and hydraulics and quantum mechanics. He hates those things, yet here he is still, in an acclaimed engineering university that has been present for nearly five hundred years. It's not even the best engineering university - his home country has a higher-ranked university. But. The old age brings fame and glory-along with spooky tales of ghost haunting and heartbreaking sobs that wreck the night corridors.
He stays here, doing a double-thesis for what feels like forever, a project that nobody wants to fund because of its sheer ludicrousness.
He graduated from this university already, but he went ahead and took another degree.
He could have gone for a degree in Music. He could have chosen another field. He could have chosen anything other than mechanical engineering-which has a lot of physics, robotics, quantum mechanics.
He could have.
But he didn't.
Truth be told, Shouichi has no idea why.
*
"...I promise." A blank face with a cheerful smile promises, even though the surroundings are all burning, burning, burning. "We'll always be together, no matter what."
*
Different from all the other mornings, Shouichi wakes up a lot more energetic, rather than feeling bogged down by lethargy. He usually hates mornings; the caffeine in his coffee never manages to wake him up in time for the morning rush. But today, it's as if there's something with the dream he had yesterday, like there's something with the way the sunlight filtered into his room.
He walks down the hallway towards his research laboratory-hoping that his professor will show up because he wants to discuss the content of his monthly progress report-when it happens.
He bumps into a stranger-
(and he feels light, feels thrilled, feels complete)
-with white clothes, white skin, white hair.
*
"No way~! This university is important to me." The pure white man says simply, shooting down the requests to demolish the university and establish the Millefiore's North American Headquarters there. "This is where I met Shou-chan, after all."
*
It takes Shouichi days to hack the university's student records; it should have been something laughably easy for someone like him whose talent lies in binary numbers and electronic data. But it takes Shouichi a long time and a lot of effort before he can bypass the first level of security.
Shouichi sighs in frustration, wondering whether he has become too rusty. He resolves to spend more time in finding out the pure white person's identity. He refuses to call it stalking, because stalking is for guys with creepy disguises and leering smirks and disgusting panting. He isn't a stalker. He just wants to quell the strange spark that he felt when he first saw the guy.
He barely goes to his laboratory, but that's fine. It's not like his professors are even dropping by to see how his project is; it's not like his labmates are motivated to finish it up; it's not like the university's board is willing to give them more funding to continue.
So Shouichi follows him around campus instead.
*
"Good thing Shou-chan is my wonderful ally, no?" The pure white man chirps, way too lively considering that they had just gotten back from a chain of business trips from four different continents. "I'll leave all the complicated technical stuff to you then~"
*
He doesn't shriek or scream when he realizes that the pure white person isn't human at all.
If anything, Shouichi welcomes it, because anything else feels unnatural.
No, he doesn't shriek or scream at all.
*
"T-That's...!" The protest dies in his chapped lips, heart sinking as thoughts of betrayal and unfairness swings overhead like a long pendulum, dingdingdong. "He might die if you remove his powers!"
"I'm sorry," says the deliverer of the news, red-and-blue and one-and-six, and he knows that he's not sorry at all.
*
Dizziness grips him, but he follows the pure white ghost anyway.
Shouichi wonders if anyone else sees the ghost like he does, wonders if they can see how brilliantly white and soft the colors look whenever the ghost is nearby.
He's not a fan of things occult and paranormal, but even he knows (from hardbound books of classic literature) that ghosts tend to do the stalking, not the other way around.
However, the strange dreams probably explain the reason for his stay in this engineering university, despite coveting a career in music. The ghost is probably looking for him, waiting for him. That also explains, probably, the reason why he was so bent on studying the parallel worlds concept and making a transporter that can cross the countless branches of different dimensions.
Moreover, Shouichi wonders why he can't seem to think of anything else but following the ghost around, wonders why he can't summon the energy to drop by the research he was so hell-bent on finishing, wonders why the ghost doesn't seem to be noticing him much lately.
Shouichi wonders, but decides that those are unimportant concerns.
*
"Even if there comes a time," a pause, "for us to be enemies-"
"I'll always stay with you," a (naive) fervent (unsuspecting) promise, "even if there's a need for me to leave you, I'll-"
"-I'll return to you."
"Then," a sliver of (sadness) somber (suspicious) sigh, "I'll wait for you."
*
A semester passes and it's Shouichi's turn to graduate already.
The days-months-weeks tumble by in a blur of ByakuranByakuranByakuran-Shouichi can't even remember setting aside time to finish his thesis.
All Shouichi remembers is following the ghost -Byakuran- around-be it in the library where the ghost simply runs his hands over the books' spines; be it in the computer portal where the ghost just plays various computer games in the computer farthest from the door; be it in the classroom where the ghost sometimes attends a lesson, a strange perimeter forming around him, and hands not even jotting down anything.
But Shouichi is graduating soon and he's nowhere near solving the mystery of the ghost and its connection to his dreams. So on the last day of classes, Shouichi trails behind the ghost, who is surrounded by a couple of students.
The students are boisterously talking, but Shouichi can hear the underlying nervous chattering of their teeth, can hear the ominous beating of their hearts. Most of them are freshmen, though he can see some upperclassmen with them. It's a huge group of students. Shouichi wonders why are they shuffling around in the long corridors leading to the research building.
He is about to ask, when the girl nearest to him jerks, as though electrocuted. "D-D-Don't you think it got a bit cold?"
There's some mumbling from the group. The clicking and clacking of teeth grows louder. Shouichi personally thought that it's not really that cold, but...
Shouichi glances at the ghost and finds the ghost walking ahead of the group. Almost belatedly, Shouichi realizes that the destination is his research laboratory. What do they want? Whatwhatwhaaaaat-
"B-Byakuran-sama," one of the students says meekly, "are we really going to enter?"
Shouichi is surprised. How can these students talk to the ghost? Are they part of an occult club or something? And what do they want with his laboratory?
The ghost doesn't look nervous at all. "Aah~ we're here already anyway~ I just want to see if it's really true~"
What's really true? Shouichi is so confused and he marches up to the ghost, opens his mouth and is about to demand an answer, when the ghost actually opens the door to the research laboratory Shouichi is subtly trying to avoid.
Instead of stacks of binders filled with various calculations, instead of mountains of wires connected to different circuit boards, instead of mugs filled with brewed coffee-
"Aah, so it's really true, huh?"
Shouichi feels the pendulum slowing to a stuttering stop.
He hears sobs-footsteps-cries. He doesn't turn around, but he knows that the students that accompanied Byakuran are all gone. He faintly recognizes the midnight moon high up in the sky-the pale luminescence as the only light in the dustydirtydead research laboratory.
There is a suffocating smell of a long-decayed body, but Shouichi doesn't notice that. There are yellowed papers that have graphs of molecules undergoing a hyper-excited state in perfect synchrony with the quantum waves of another dimension. There are painstakingly drawn diagrams that showed a giant round machine. There are bookcases filled with books and research papers with the headings of 'Time Travel' and 'Phalaenopsis Paradox'.
"...Ne, so you're the ghost that keeps on following me?"
Aside from those two headings, there are two more names that appear in most of the papers scattered around.
Project GHOST. Reviving Byakuran.
After five hundred years.
"...Yes." Shouichi feels his heart break when he reaches out, an unseen hand passing through the other man's pale cheek. The dingdingdong of his heartbeat's midnight chime falls heavily to a thudding stop.
"Yes, I am."
But the man who isn't Byakuran Gesso anymore doesn't hear anything, not even the last ghostly whispers of
i waited for you
*
"Death can't stop me, I promise." Shouichi smiles as cheerfully as he can, because he needs to smile for the both of them, because Byakuran-san can no longer smile-even though the surroundings are all burning, burning, burning. "We'll always be together, no matter what."
•
» END
...yeah, Shou-chan was the ghost |D
I might make an accompanying drabble/ficlet of a Tsuna POV but I feel that a vague-and-confused take is better? Since this is from Shou-chan's (distorted) POV after all. But the main gist is that, after Byakuran is defeated, Vendicare attempted to remove his parallel-world powers, which unexpectedly (?) killed him. Shouichi goes crazy steals Byakuran's body from Vendicare and resolves to "correct that" and has spent the rest of his life trying to remake his time-machine, trying to access parallel worlds, trying to remake GHOST-tries various research to resurrect him. But it all fails and when he dies, he's unable to move on, since he still remembers the promise he made with Byakuran, so he got kinda stuck in the university.
...It sounded a lot better in my head pffffft @___@
» Title: the midnight dead
» Summary: He could have returned to Japan, to Namimori, to the simple life. But he didn't. He stays in the American engineering university. And Shouichi has no idea why. [10051] [after-canon AU] [1596 words]
» Classification: after-canon AU • 10051 • Romance, Drama • PG-13 • BL, Reincarnation (?), Mindscrew (!)
» Notes: ...This is meant to be read with the story details last, to not spoil anything *shot* Oh! And the first letter of each start of the "scenes" spell out the title :D *shot shot*
••• EDIT: KHR 278 - B-Byakkun bleeding = *_________* He looks so insane there hahahaha 8D Though LOLZ super powered Tsuna.
In other news, I just finished my entry for the byakushou exchange! *w* I'm very excited :3 The other fics for my New Year's fic request are still not finished, but at least, *all* of them are at 50% done! :)) *gets shot*
So, contents! It's my first time writing for Durarara!! and Pandora Hearts, so I hope I didn't butcher it too much *o* SILHOUETTE_68's request for a YGO fic with the Bakuras and Maliks are also done! \o/ Two short (super late) fills for khrfest are also done! \o/ And of course, "the midnight dead", my 10051 fic for the week is also up! :D
•••
• Yu-Gi-Oh! - Seto x Yami (153 words); bring him down;
When they first met, he was kneeling, throat dry despite the amount of water he consumed just a few moments ago, head bowed down respectfully for possibly the first time in his life. But then, he said "My High Priest" in a voice richer than all the fine wine he has sampled, in a tone sweeter than any honey he has come across. So he brought his head up and his sapphire eyes greedily drank in the sight of his King. And swore that he would be the most powerful warrior in the entire kingdom just so he can protect this god.
When they first met, he wasn't kneeling at all, but his eyes were burning with intense ice-blue passion all the same. His vow may have changed with the passage of time, but he would still be the most powerful, the best, just so he can bring that King of Games down.
•••
• Durarara!! - Izaya x Shizuo (634 words); the worth of hate;
When they first met, Izaya *knew* that he hated him. The hatred burned even more with each passing day-with each disagreeable group assignments, each bump of shoulders in the hallways, each cling-clang of adjacent locker doors, each not-so-accidental brush of arms during the Sports Festival, each subtle kick of shoes against the legs of the chair in front.
He tried-still tries, actually-to manipulate the other into doing what he wanted, what he wanted to see and observe and dissect and push away once he's bored. He managed to frame the other for several crimes already, managed to land the other in series of landmines that all blew up spectacularly in the face of authority and innocent people, managed to tinker with the twists and holes of the other's past-present-future. He is an awesome information dealer after all-and getting what he wanted is simple play.
But he still hasn't quite succeeded in getting him to c-c-rack or b-b-b-break in the way he expected him to. He was unlike all those boring bodies that sailed through air and dropped-cracked-broke in the angles and planes and lines that Izaya calculated them to. He was unlike those lovely dolls that would give up their everything-and oh, how they easily gave up everything-for the sake of him and his wonderful words and sturdy puppet strings. He was unlike those humans with simple-complex-simple emotions that slinked away in the face of danger and hid behind the comfort he offered like a key to paradise.
No.
He always landed on his feet-and never on his knees-and always ready to deliver the next punch-kick-bash. He always guarded his everything with fierce shouting and smoldering glaring and destructive fighting. He always charged forward-forward-forward, never bothering with detours or pretenses or anything that doesn't involve violence and inflicting said violence on him.
It saddened Izaya, as much as sadness actually existed in his vocabulary.
He still tries at every possible chance, to mess with him, but there is a small flicker of 'oh, but he'll remain unpredictable, how lame' that settles and bubbles in his gut.
When they first met, Izaya just *knew* that they'd be stuck trying to kill each other.
"I-ZA-YA-KUUUN~"
"A sing-song voice doesn't fit you, Shizu-chan." He tries a cocky grin, voice faltering slightly when the hand wrapped around his neck tightens, hand not hesitating to extend the line he made with his knife on the arm pressing him against the wall.
"What are you doing here in Ikebukuro?" Even though the nails are blunt, the power behind them is enough to make them feel like ten-inch talons. "I told you to stay away from Ikebukuro, didn't I?" Shizuo continues choking Izaya, even though his arm is bleeding profusely. "And I told you to quit it with that nickname."
Instead of continuing his futile struggles, Izaya instead lunges forward and half-bites, half-licks his captor's cheek. "I wanted to see Shizu-chan~❤"
A blatant lie, but Shizuo hesitates for one brief moment-from embarrassment? from anger? or from-?-and it's all Izaya needs before he successfully pries the fingers off his neck.
Izaya's feet are quick, from natural talent, from years of practice. Shizuo's animalistic rage-filled yell of "COME BACK HERE, YOU SCUM" and the ensuing array of vending machines and gigantic sign boards thrown at him only serve to fuel the happy spring in his footsteps.
Sure, he'd have to use a different coat to hide the unsightly marks in his neck and forearms, but the knowledge of Shizu-chan hesitating just because of that one line, the knowledge of Shizu-chan's violence-filled eyes clouding up a tiny bit with confusion, the knowledge of another one of Shizu-chan's weakness that he can exploit-
Ahh, it makes all the hate all worth it.
•••
• Durarara!! - Shinra x Celty (239 words); alien phobia;
The first time they met, Shinra was but a young boy of four years, still wide-eyed but not so innocent anymore, not unlike kids who have never seen naked bodies, dead bodies, beaten bodies. She was a mystery to him, a mystery that he'd be stuck obsessing over, worrying over, for the rest of his life.
It is now far from the first time they met, but Shinra still feels that spark of admiration and interest whenever he sees another side of her. For a fairy hailing from the other side of the world with supernatural powers, she is so adorable sometimes.
"Yes, Celty," he says sweetly and tries to reign in his chuckles, "the aliens sometimes abduct people from their beds."
He has long stopped imagining a facial expression to match Celty's messages. She's fine the way she is, really.
[Really? I only saw from the documentary that aliens abduct people who look up at the sky at night.]
"Well, this is more like an urban legend," he explains, any guilty feeling he might feel squashed by happiness, "so we should share the bed from now on! I'll protect you from the aliens, Celty!"
He knows that Celty finds the whole thing suspicious, but he quits thinking about that, since Celty is already moving gingerly to the edge of his bed, and he can't help but thank his luck for making Celty so adorably scared careful of aliens.
•••
• Pandora Hearts - Vincent x Gil (warning: contains Vincent, my favorite yandere, like, ever.) (574 words); the world with only two people;
Everything I do, I do for nii-san.
Not everyone sees it. Sometimes, not even nii-san sees it. But everything I do, it's all for the sake of my one and only brother. Of the only person who never abandoned me, who never let go of my hand, who never will leave me ever ever ever.
Oz-kun should be thankful, really. If not only for the fact that nii-san would become a pretty, empty shell, I would have erased his existence already. (and empty shells are not interesting at all, but wouldn't nii-san make a really pretty shell? yes he would, wouldn't he?) But oh, it makes my heart go 'thumpthumpkillkillkillthumpthump' whenever I see nii-san's eyes look at nobody but him.
But, hmm, it should be fine then, hmm? If I let someone else take Oz-kun away. That way, nii-san will not hate me. That way, I can play detective games with nii-san, as we both hunt down the people responsible. I want to see more of nii-san's serious face when he's in a 'detective mood'. I've seen glimpses of it during the years he worked for Pandora, but it's not enough. (it's never enough, when it comes to nii-san.) I'll help nii-san follow the trails of blood, follow burned evidences, follow wisps of shadows, and maybe I can distract him, play with him, dance with him because I know the answer to the mystery already (because I was there in the sidelines, helping the enemy~). But short-cuts are always boring. So I'll play with nii-san first~
But that can come a bit later, ne?
I can first take care of all the other pests who try to touch my nii-san without any permission. Of the dirt that who try to cling to my nii-san's sleeves, to my nii-san's arms. Of the people who try to make my nii-san forget what it's like to live on the streets, alone, without anyone else but each other. Of those worthless, useless humans who try to take my nii-san away from the world that only has the two of us.
But that's okay. There's a time for everything, even though it's a bit tiresome to wait for *that* time. I suppose I can amuse myself with the one-two-thousands of stuff toys filling the rooms of the mansion, stuffing all bleeding out of their cases, beads-and-ribbons all clawed out and missing, shapes all mangled beyond recognition with stabstabstabbing motions.
Or better yet, I can play with them, taking them apart one-by-one-by-one.
I already started with that one woman-I forgot her name, aah, I'm getting kind of sleepy hmm, I can't even remember her face-whose only trait I can remember is her innocence and how much I want to dip her gold-white-silver radiance into the murky depths of-aah, so sleepy-
I feel my heart leap. Ahh, I'll be able to meet nii-san later! I must sleep now so I can be awake later! Meeting nii-san is infinitely better than simply seeing him, even though the act of holding back to touchwhat'smineminemine is going to be a lot harder. Yes, meeting nii-san is going to be pleasant, because I can sit close to him and hold his arm and hug him and he'll hug me back, even though young master Oz is there and aah-
Sleep comes.
(And I dream of the world where, once again, there's going to be only the two of us.)
Soon.
•••
» Title: 心 Series: cafe x double x insanity
» Summary: Due to Mokuba's insistence, the Kaiba brothers visit the new cafe. [686 words]
» Request: by SILHOUETTE_68 ; [ request]
» Classification: gen! :o (okay, so it has a hint of Marik/Bakura LOL) ; PG ; general/humor(?!)
» Notes: I haven't written any YGO fic in forever! I kind of forgot the naming conventions already orz But I definitely enjoyed writing bitchy!Kaiba though :D
He didn't pay much attention to the way Mokuba's eyes kept darting on him while they were walking towards the 'very nice cafe Yugi and the gang recommended'. Now, Seto Kaiba is regretting that decision, since his eyes instantly zeroed in on the sight of not just one or two, but four familiar faces working in the cafe.
"Let's go, Mokuba."
Like hell he'd drink coffee made by axe-crazy thieves and mind controllers who dared disrupt his Battle City. (Not that he believed in that mind control business.)
"B-but, niisama!" Don't turn around, don't turn around, don't-shit! Mokuba's big eyes grow even rounder, more pitiful. Kaiba knows that it's just an act, but- "Please, niisama?"
Damn it.
"Fine!" He barks out, voice gruff but eyes gentle when Mokuba beams up at him, puppy-dog-eyes successful as always.
The sanest-looking of the four approaches them with a timid smile. "Hello, Kaiba-san, Mokuba-kun." Mokuba returns the greeting, shooting a look that asked (wheedled, really) him to refrain from insulting these idiots to their faces. "I'll take your order, okay?"
"Ryou, there's no need to be all nice to that rich asshole!" The white-haired thief yells from his spot behind the cashier. Whoever trusted him to man the cashier probably had less brains than Yugi's band of friends combined.
The timid smile twitches.
"No, seriously! Just give them whatever and then let's charge them the whole menu!"
The blond Egyptian with the less crazy hair returns from taking the order of the group from the other end of the cafe. "That's an excellent idea, Bakura-kun."
"It would have been better if the dimwit didn't announce that plan for the priest to hear." Yet another blond.
Really. Having two versions of yourself seemed to be a major requirement for joining Yugi's friendship club. Not that he ever wants to join them-he's only interested in kicking Yami's ass. (And maybe Yugi too, sometimes. That shrimp has improved, though his level is still far from Yami.)
"Would you shut up! Bakura, stop stealing money! Marik-san, please start bringing back the orders! Malik-kun, the other tables still need their orders to be taken!"
Kaiba raises an eyebrow, a little surprised at how the timid one snapped. What's more surprising is that the other three actually obeyed.
"Ryou-kun can be very scary when angry," Mokuba tells him in a conspiring whisper. Kaiba isn't really interested, though he remembers the saying 'it's always the nice ones' and thinks that it can apply to this situation.
Kaiba first tastes the coffee and dessert brought to them by 'Marik-san', frowning suspiciously, before deciding that they're safe for Mokuba's consumption.
"Relax, priest, if I wanted to kill you-and I do! I will! But you come after the pharaoh-I won't do it using poison. That's so tasteless."
Kaiba rolls his eyes. The only thing stopping him from retorting and challenging them to a duel and kicking their asses is the silent plea in Mokuba's eyes. Damn his weakness.
But Kaiba couldn't help it, couldn't stop the really childish thirst for vengeance, couldn't stop his leg from stretching out and nonchalantly tripping 'Marik-san'. Said 'Marik-san' actually tripping and landing on the thief cleaning the table nearby is just a bonus.
"Oww, what the fuck?!" The thief yells, overlapping with the not-so-goody-goody's chastising "Don't use swearwords, Bakura!".
"Ryou's right, Bakura-chan." The blond sprawled on top drawls. Kaiba is starting to regret giving in to his desire for petty retaliation. Especially since 'Marik-san' doesn't really seem humiliated or anything. And he seemed far too comfortable over there, leaning even closer to the pale thief, whose cheeks are slowly becoming as red as the carpet. "You shouldn't use swear words."
Kaiba makes a disgusted snort. "We're leaving, Mokuba-"
...With the other blond by his side, Mokuba doesn't seem inclined to leave, since he's busy taking photos of the pair on the floor.
He doesn't want to step inside this cafe ever again. But looking at Mokuba, corrupted by the questionable sanity of Yugi's band of friends, Kaiba has a sinking feeling that this is now Mokuba's new favorite cafe.
•
» END
•••
» Prompt: khrfest: II-70. Mukuro/Hibari - skin, "It's unfair that this ugly world should have such beautiful things."
» Title: beautiful world
» Summary: Mukuro is all for preserving this world's remaining beauty. [346 words]
» Notes: I can't even call this PWP *cries* not enough porn, not enough plot;;;;;
"It's unfair that such an ugly world," Mukuro breathes into the junction of shoulder and neck-pale skin unscarred and unmarred despite the countless battles this person seeks-hands tightening around tense forearms, "contains such beautiful things."
Hibari beneath him snarls, teeth bared as a sign of animosity (no surprise there) and impatience (a pleasant surprise). "I'll bite you to death."
Mukuro chuckles, the melodious sound that warms the cheeks of his followers (mere children) only adding to the steadily-building rage of his the one who wishes to be his hunter. He tilts his head to the side carelessly, an eyebrow cocked invitingly, lips curved challengingly. Uncombed-yet-still-silky strands of long navy blue hair fall over mismatched eyes, but fails to hide his heated expression.
Hibari takes the invitation without a pause, teeth latching onto the offered skin-and quickly moving up to bite Mukuro's chin, Mukuro's cheeks, Mukuro's lips.
Mukuro chuckles again, feeling the skin break (such a weak sign of humanity) and feeling the blood flow out in droplets. He wasn't expecting this man to find him so quickly after he returned from one of the rare missions he did that coincided with Vongola's. But it certainly amused him, to watch the furious fire in those icy eyes, to watch the impatient movement that brought their now-partially-unclothed against each other.
Hibari rakes blunt nails deep against the skin on Mukuro's chest, pale from genes and from years spent away from sunshine, raising angry red lines. Mukuro doesn't bother to return the favor, smirking knowingly when Hibari's grip becomes tighter against his wrist, against his neck, against anything he touches. He lets Hibari release his frustration (at the fact that he so obviously missed him, kufufu) and confusion (at why he missed him, Mukuro's sure), and he simply traces the planes and lines and angles, reverently memorizing them with roughened fingertips and softened lips, marking with burning kisses and freezing touches.
After all, while his dear Hibari doesn't agree, Mukuro is all for preserving this world's remaining beauty.
(Before he takes over this world, that is.)
•
END
•••
» Prompt: khrfest: IV-17. Byakuran/Shouichi - Past; "I could never abandon you."
» Title: LIAR LIAR
» Summary: Byakuran owns him to the point that Shouichi knows that nothing belongs to him anymore. [253 words]
Byakuran lies to him so many countless times-to the point that Shouichi can hear an underlying mechanical voice singing "LIAR LIAR" accompanying the other's speech; to the point that Shouichi automatically translates every drop of sweet honey dripping from the other's words to acidic poison; to the point that Shouichi doesn't believe him anymore.
Byakuran manipulates him so many countless times-to the point that Shouichi knows that his feet are nothing but an extension to further stomp on anyone who even harbors the smallest degree of dissatisfaction with the Millefiore's reign; to the point that Shouichi knows that his hands are nothing but additions to the research of getting what the other wants; to the point that Shouichi knows that nothing belongs to him anymore.
Byakuran lies to him so many, many times. Crushes him. Breaks him. Laughs on the carnage and the broken dolls and the collapsed buildings and the burning hopes.
Byakuran asks him to swear his loyalty, asks to promise him everything, to give him everything. He complies, submits, swears with a knee to the ground, with a hand to the heart.
Byakuran lies to him so many, many, many times.
So this one time, Shouichi says-
"I could never abandon you."
-it's nothing but the truest lie.
(The next day, Shouichi meets the Vongola and prepares for his kingdom's fall. He won't be there to catch Byakuran, he reassures Vongola Decimo and his Cloud, and once again, Shouichi hears the faint murmurs of "LIAR LIAR")
•••
the midnight dead;
He could have returned to Japan, to Namimori, to the simple life. But he didn't. He stays in the American engineering university. And Shouichi has no idea why.
•
More than anything, Shouichi doesn't know why he stayed.
He could have gone home, really. He could have returned to Japan, to Namimori, to the simple life.
He hates engineering, hates formulas, hates angles and planes and hydraulics and quantum mechanics. He hates those things, yet here he is still, in an acclaimed engineering university that has been present for nearly five hundred years. It's not even the best engineering university - his home country has a higher-ranked university. But. The old age brings fame and glory-along with spooky tales of ghost haunting and heartbreaking sobs that wreck the night corridors.
He stays here, doing a double-thesis for what feels like forever, a project that nobody wants to fund because of its sheer ludicrousness.
He graduated from this university already, but he went ahead and took another degree.
He could have gone for a degree in Music. He could have chosen another field. He could have chosen anything other than mechanical engineering-which has a lot of physics, robotics, quantum mechanics.
He could have.
But he didn't.
Truth be told, Shouichi has no idea why.
*
"...I promise." A blank face with a cheerful smile promises, even though the surroundings are all burning, burning, burning. "We'll always be together, no matter what."
*
Different from all the other mornings, Shouichi wakes up a lot more energetic, rather than feeling bogged down by lethargy. He usually hates mornings; the caffeine in his coffee never manages to wake him up in time for the morning rush. But today, it's as if there's something with the dream he had yesterday, like there's something with the way the sunlight filtered into his room.
He walks down the hallway towards his research laboratory-hoping that his professor will show up because he wants to discuss the content of his monthly progress report-when it happens.
He bumps into a stranger-
(and he feels light, feels thrilled, feels complete)
-with white clothes, white skin, white hair.
*
"No way~! This university is important to me." The pure white man says simply, shooting down the requests to demolish the university and establish the Millefiore's North American Headquarters there. "This is where I met Shou-chan, after all."
*
It takes Shouichi days to hack the university's student records; it should have been something laughably easy for someone like him whose talent lies in binary numbers and electronic data. But it takes Shouichi a long time and a lot of effort before he can bypass the first level of security.
Shouichi sighs in frustration, wondering whether he has become too rusty. He resolves to spend more time in finding out the pure white person's identity. He refuses to call it stalking, because stalking is for guys with creepy disguises and leering smirks and disgusting panting. He isn't a stalker. He just wants to quell the strange spark that he felt when he first saw the guy.
He barely goes to his laboratory, but that's fine. It's not like his professors are even dropping by to see how his project is; it's not like his labmates are motivated to finish it up; it's not like the university's board is willing to give them more funding to continue.
So Shouichi follows him around campus instead.
*
"Good thing Shou-chan is my wonderful ally, no?" The pure white man chirps, way too lively considering that they had just gotten back from a chain of business trips from four different continents. "I'll leave all the complicated technical stuff to you then~"
*
He doesn't shriek or scream when he realizes that the pure white person isn't human at all.
If anything, Shouichi welcomes it, because anything else feels unnatural.
No, he doesn't shriek or scream at all.
*
"T-That's...!" The protest dies in his chapped lips, heart sinking as thoughts of betrayal and unfairness swings overhead like a long pendulum, dingdingdong. "He might die if you remove his powers!"
"I'm sorry," says the deliverer of the news, red-and-blue and one-and-six, and he knows that he's not sorry at all.
*
Dizziness grips him, but he follows the pure white ghost anyway.
Shouichi wonders if anyone else sees the ghost like he does, wonders if they can see how brilliantly white and soft the colors look whenever the ghost is nearby.
He's not a fan of things occult and paranormal, but even he knows (from hardbound books of classic literature) that ghosts tend to do the stalking, not the other way around.
However, the strange dreams probably explain the reason for his stay in this engineering university, despite coveting a career in music. The ghost is probably looking for him, waiting for him. That also explains, probably, the reason why he was so bent on studying the parallel worlds concept and making a transporter that can cross the countless branches of different dimensions.
Moreover, Shouichi wonders why he can't seem to think of anything else but following the ghost around, wonders why he can't summon the energy to drop by the research he was so hell-bent on finishing, wonders why the ghost doesn't seem to be noticing him much lately.
Shouichi wonders, but decides that those are unimportant concerns.
*
"Even if there comes a time," a pause, "for us to be enemies-"
"I'll always stay with you," a (naive) fervent (unsuspecting) promise, "even if there's a need for me to leave you, I'll-"
"-I'll return to you."
"Then," a sliver of (sadness) somber (suspicious) sigh, "I'll wait for you."
*
A semester passes and it's Shouichi's turn to graduate already.
The days-months-weeks tumble by in a blur of ByakuranByakuranByakuran-Shouichi can't even remember setting aside time to finish his thesis.
All Shouichi remembers is following the ghost -Byakuran- around-be it in the library where the ghost simply runs his hands over the books' spines; be it in the computer portal where the ghost just plays various computer games in the computer farthest from the door; be it in the classroom where the ghost sometimes attends a lesson, a strange perimeter forming around him, and hands not even jotting down anything.
But Shouichi is graduating soon and he's nowhere near solving the mystery of the ghost and its connection to his dreams. So on the last day of classes, Shouichi trails behind the ghost, who is surrounded by a couple of students.
The students are boisterously talking, but Shouichi can hear the underlying nervous chattering of their teeth, can hear the ominous beating of their hearts. Most of them are freshmen, though he can see some upperclassmen with them. It's a huge group of students. Shouichi wonders why are they shuffling around in the long corridors leading to the research building.
He is about to ask, when the girl nearest to him jerks, as though electrocuted. "D-D-Don't you think it got a bit cold?"
There's some mumbling from the group. The clicking and clacking of teeth grows louder. Shouichi personally thought that it's not really that cold, but...
Shouichi glances at the ghost and finds the ghost walking ahead of the group. Almost belatedly, Shouichi realizes that the destination is his research laboratory. What do they want? Whatwhatwhaaaaat-
"B-Byakuran-sama," one of the students says meekly, "are we really going to enter?"
Shouichi is surprised. How can these students talk to the ghost? Are they part of an occult club or something? And what do they want with his laboratory?
The ghost doesn't look nervous at all. "Aah~ we're here already anyway~ I just want to see if it's really true~"
What's really true? Shouichi is so confused and he marches up to the ghost, opens his mouth and is about to demand an answer, when the ghost actually opens the door to the research laboratory Shouichi is subtly trying to avoid.
Instead of stacks of binders filled with various calculations, instead of mountains of wires connected to different circuit boards, instead of mugs filled with brewed coffee-
"Aah, so it's really true, huh?"
Shouichi feels the pendulum slowing to a stuttering stop.
He hears sobs-footsteps-cries. He doesn't turn around, but he knows that the students that accompanied Byakuran are all gone. He faintly recognizes the midnight moon high up in the sky-the pale luminescence as the only light in the dustydirtydead research laboratory.
There is a suffocating smell of a long-decayed body, but Shouichi doesn't notice that. There are yellowed papers that have graphs of molecules undergoing a hyper-excited state in perfect synchrony with the quantum waves of another dimension. There are painstakingly drawn diagrams that showed a giant round machine. There are bookcases filled with books and research papers with the headings of 'Time Travel' and 'Phalaenopsis Paradox'.
"...Ne, so you're the ghost that keeps on following me?"
Aside from those two headings, there are two more names that appear in most of the papers scattered around.
Project GHOST. Reviving Byakuran.
After five hundred years.
"...Yes." Shouichi feels his heart break when he reaches out, an unseen hand passing through the other man's pale cheek. The dingdingdong of his heartbeat's midnight chime falls heavily to a thudding stop.
"Yes, I am."
But the man who isn't Byakuran Gesso anymore doesn't hear anything, not even the last ghostly whispers of
i waited for you
*
"Death can't stop me, I promise." Shouichi smiles as cheerfully as he can, because he needs to smile for the both of them, because Byakuran-san can no longer smile-even though the surroundings are all burning, burning, burning. "We'll always be together, no matter what."
•
» END
...yeah, Shou-chan was the ghost |D
I might make an accompanying drabble/ficlet of a Tsuna POV but I feel that a vague-and-confused take is better? Since this is from Shou-chan's (distorted) POV after all. But the main gist is that, after Byakuran is defeated, Vendicare attempted to remove his parallel-world powers, which unexpectedly (?) killed him. Shouichi goes crazy steals Byakuran's body from Vendicare and resolves to "correct that" and has spent the rest of his life trying to remake his time-machine, trying to access parallel worlds, trying to remake GHOST-tries various research to resurrect him. But it all fails and when he dies, he's unable to move on, since he still remembers the promise he made with Byakuran, so he got kinda stuck in the university.
...It sounded a lot better in my head pffffft @___@
» Title: the midnight dead
» Summary: He could have returned to Japan, to Namimori, to the simple life. But he didn't. He stays in the American engineering university. And Shouichi has no idea why. [10051] [after-canon AU] [1596 words]
» Classification: after-canon AU • 10051 • Romance, Drama • PG-13 • BL, Reincarnation (?), Mindscrew (!)
» Notes: ...This is meant to be read with the story details last, to not spoil anything *shot* Oh! And the first letter of each start of the "scenes" spell out the title :D *shot shot*
••• EDIT: KHR 278 - B-Byakkun bleeding = *_________* He looks so insane there hahahaha 8D Though LOLZ super powered Tsuna.