Déjà vu - Chapter 4/11 [The Gazette - Reita/Ruki]
Title: Déjà vu
Author: shir0ukun
Rating: PG15 (in this chapter)
Genre: AU | Romance | Fluff | Angst | Slight Humour | Science Fiction | Drama
Chapter: [4/11]
Warnings: MxM sex | Witch Hunts | Time Travelling
Band[s]: The GazettE
Pairing[s]: Reita/Ruki (Akira/Takanori)
Synopsis: Akira is a historian who has spent much of his life unraveling the many dark histories of Great Britain. The dirty secrets of the past have tainted his soul, and just as his senses are to become completely numbed, he sets sight upon a beautiful inventor that keeps appearing in his dreams. Things get a little more complicated when this stranger he falls in love with turns out to have died- no less than three centuries ago.
Comments: GAH this was supposed to be posted last Friday. Don’t shoot me. ;A; Enjoy!
Previous Chapters:
[Chapter 3]
[Chapter 2]
[Chapter 1]
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Chapter 4: Omen
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After they made their way back to the house, Akira and Takanori spent their first night together. Huddled under the blankets with only each other’s warmth for company, Akira stayed awake and counted his lover’s breath. Slowing down, Takanori was falling fast asleep. Akira took the opportunity to explore the vulnerable man in his arms. With a pleasant jasmine smell to it, Takanori’s tangled hair was soft to touch, twirling around Akira’s fingers as he ran them through the locks. Akira noticed that Takanori’s body temperature was warmer than most. He tightened his hold around his lover.
Before long, the slightest rays of sunlight started to creep in from between the window cracks, embracing the land in warmth. But it was a kind of warmth Akira didn’t need. Takanori was all that mattered, and he would have given up anything else for the night to last longer. Time was passing too fast- even more so than he’d expected. He closed his eyes, pushing dreadful thoughts out of his mind and savoring the few moments spent in silence without concerns. Akira exhaled deeply and felt Takanori stir in his arms. He didn’t let go, and he wished he never had to.
“… It’s morning already?” Takanori wriggled around to look at the windows, weary from the winds from the night before. Akira felt his heart skip a beat as his hands fell limp from Takanori’s sudden movement.
No. Don’t let go.
“Yeah,” The hazel blonde choked out a reply. And one day is all we have together, was what Akira wanted to add; but he decided otherwise and turned to face away from Takanori. The feeling of loss seemed even greater now than before, and he was starting to wonder if his decision to travel back in time was right.
“Hey?” Takanori tugged on Akira’s sleeve from the back, his sweater still around the latter. He could sense something was wrong, and Akira only seemed more upset with each passing moment, “Akira?”
The hazel blonde didn’t budge.
“Turn around, will you?” Takanori pulled on Akira’s elbow until he rolled over. He couldn’t read the incomprehensible expression across Akira’s features, “What’s wrong?”
Cradling Akira’s cheeks in his own hands, Takanori swept his lover’s bangs upwards and placed a kiss on his forehead. He was burning- and reeking of worry. A sad smile found its way across Akira’s cheeks.
“Nah, don’t worry about it,” There was no way he could let Takanori know about his identity, “It’s nothing much.”
Takanori wasn’t convinced, but he did not pursue the matter. Pursing his lips, a pop sounded when he released his lower lip rather violently.
“I’ve got an idea,” He threw the covers off himself and took Akira’s hand in his, “Come with me.”
He felt like he was visiting a place in his memory. The river, like in his dreams, ran downstream smoothly and sparkled under the rising sun. The scenery was not as breathtaking as it was during sun set, but just standing by his lover and enjoying the breeze felt like paradise to him. Shaded from the glaring sun rays, Akira leaned against the tree- the one that Takanori always stood by in his dreams, and watched as the latter take in a deep breath. He exhaled slowly, repeating the cycle until he felt eyes on him. He turned around and held out a hand.
“Come,” Amused, Akira took Takanori’s hand and found himself being led towards the river bank, “I come here whenever I feel upset or when I need someone to talk to.”
Akira chuckled.
“I’m serious!” Akira did not doubt him, “The trees are listening- can you hear them whisper? They might not be able to speak, but in truth, they’ve seen and heard much more than any one has.”
Akira rose an eyebrow.
“You can come here too, if you’d like. I’ll lend you my sanctuary,” Takanori smiled, “Talk to the trees, Akira. Tell them why you’re upset?”
“You’re kind, Takanori.” Akira smiled, lacing his own fingers with his lover’s.
“Life is short, Akira,” Takanori’s eyes met Akira’s, but he failed to notice the horror within the latter’s orbs, “We’ll all die eventually. Let’s live our lives happily, alright?”
You don’t know, Takanori,, you don’t know just how freaking short life is, was what Akira wanted to tell his lover. His expression was unreadable, but inside, he was screaming. And he screamed at the fact that what Takanori said was true. He wanted to save him; he wanted Takanori to not die so that they could have a future- but all this was pointless. A mere person like him can do nothing; Akira knew that well. And yet at the same time, he wanted to do something- anything for Takanori. He forced a sad smile when he realized that the best he can do now is to leave within Takanori the best memories of his life.
“Will you live the rest of your life with me?”
Takanori blinked, before he broke out into a series of chuckles.
“You never fail to surprise me, Akira,” Takanori jabbed his lover on the forehead, “We just barely knew each other for hours.”
“And even so, we spent the night together on the same bed.”
Akira was pushing it. He wandered since when did he become so unreasonable.
“And I trust you,” Leaning in, Takanori closed his eyes and placed a simple kiss on Akira’s dry lips, “I trust you, Akira; even though you are a complete stranger. Something’s wrong with me.”
Akira blanked out in an attempt to remember Takanori’s kiss. He would have never imagined touching the latter- much less actually feeling his lips on his own. It was just a simple kiss- but it was nowhere compared to the kisses Akira had shared with his previous girlfriends.
“You love me.”
“I might.”
“You do,” Akira cracked a loving grin, “You said that life is short, didn’t you?”
“I did.”
“So promise yourself to me,” Akira snuck his arms around Takanori’s waist and brought the latter closer against himself, “Tell me you’ll spend the rest of your life with me.”
Takanori’s eyes glistened in the sun for a moment, but he blinked whatever water that was welling up in it away. Akira identified the series of questions that swam within the dark orbs, but not surprisingly, Takanori did not ask. A mischievous smile darted across his features before the small blonde pulled away from his lover.
“I won’t,” He backed away carefully, “Unless you fight for it.”
And in an instant, Takanori was tearing away towards downstream, leaving a series of lively giggles in his wake. Receiving his cue, Akira snorted to himself and chased after his lover, marveling at the wonders of being young.
“Don’t say I didn’t warn you, but I’m a great runner!” Akira shouted after Takanori, careful in choosing his words. He was one of the champion runners back in High School- but he highly doubted that sports carnivals even existed in the nineteen centuries.
“We’ll see about that!”
Clichéd, Akira remarked to himself, catching his breaths every now and then. He felt like he finally understood where the romantic scenes of guy-chasing-girl-into-sunset originated from.
“You’re good.” Takanori collapsed, breathless, onto the grassy bank with Akira’s hands around his form. It was a long time before the both of them managed to catch their breaths and resume conversation.
“I told you so.”
Takanori didn’t reply, wiping perspiration from his vision. He wanted nothing more than to take a shower then.
“So … I caught you,” Akira supported himself from the ground with his arms behind him, “Where’s my deal?”
“I want to know more about you.” Takanori sat up and crossed his legs before him.
“Still playing hard-to-get?” Akira chuckled, “I love it.”
“Hey, I mean it,” Takanori shifted closer to his lover, placing a hand on his lap, “Tell me more about yourself- anything at all. Simple stuffs are fine with me… What are your favourite foods? Do you read? Are you afraid of insects? Do you have any childhood phobias or scars on weird parts of your body?”
Akira held up a hand.
“Okay, okay. I like… sea foods,” It wasn’t true- but Akira wasn’t sure which foods existed and which foods hadn’t been invented yet, “I read a lot, more literature than sciences. I must say I find most insects revolting. ... Scars, huh?” He smiled, “That’s for me to know and you to find out.”
Takanori ignored the ambiguous answer, eager to know more about Akira. They spent the day simply sitting by the bank, Takanori doing the questioning and Akira choosing his answers carefully. Akira had been fidgety, nervous that Takanori would ask about his background; but the man never did. Takanori never asked questions that made Akira uncomfortable or delve too deep into what he refused to talk about.
I don’t understand this person.
“Come on,” Takanori got up from the ground, brushing grass from his clothes, “It’s getting dark. Let’s head back soon.”
“So. What about yourself?”
“Me?”
“You’ve been interrogating me the entire day but I don’t know one thing about you. That’s not fair.”
Takanori chuckled, leading the way back to the house.
“Trust me- there’s nothing interesting about me to know about.”
“Not true,” Akira stopped in his tracks, “Your entity itself, Takanori, intrigues me to no end.”
“Like how I find you entertaining?”
“Even more than that.”
“So am I right to say that you’re attracted to me?” Takanori stopped at the door, turning around when he realized Akira was not behind him. Akira cornered Takanori against the door before he could even register what had happened, placing his arms against the house on both side of his lover’s neck. He leaned in until their faces were barely inches away before he spoke.
“That, I’m afraid, would be an understatement,” He closed in, feeling Takanori’s lips on his for the second time that day. Determined to take their relationship just a tiny step further, Akira closed his eyes and licked along Takanori’s lower lip, prodding and nibbling the soft flesh. Takanori did not struggle, parting his lips for Akira’s tongue when he asked for entrance. The hazel blonde made sure he started out slow, stroking his lover’s tongue and exploring the walls of his mouth cavity. He felt along his tongue and across the warm cavern, wanting nothing more than to scorch the feeling of Takanori’s kiss into his memory. Takanori heaved a sigh of satisfaction, and that was when Akira received the green light. His movements got more aggressive and they engaged themselves into a fierce battle for dominance, Akira attacking and Takanori fighting back just as passionately.
“You’re really something.” Takanori commented when they pulled away, gasping for air.
“The kiss?” Akira asked, following his lover into the house and shutting the door behind him. Takanori collapsed onto the couch, patting the empty space beside him.
“Everything.”
“You’re in love with me.” Akira settled beside Takanori, wrapping his arms around his lover and bringing him closer.
“Get over yourself.”
“What do I have to do to make you admit it?” Akira brushed his lover’s locks behind his ears affectionately.
“Admit what?”
“That you’re head over heels in love with me,” The hazel blonde leaned in and whispered into Takanori’s ear, earning himself a series of chuckles, “You’re madly in love, aren’t you? You want me so bad, just like how I want you.”
“Maybe,” Takanori gave Akira a hard shove and got up from the couch, “Oh brother. I’ve been so caught up playing with you that I actually hadn’t started work…”
Takanori droned on about a new invention and mentioned something about working until midnight.
“Hey!” Akira shouted after his lover, who was just about to leave the house for the shed, “You’re just gona leave me here?”
Takanori cracked an apologetic grin.
“Sorry, I’ll be back before you sleep, I promise.”
And with that, he was out of the door and running towards the shed.
Liar.
From the moon hanging high in the sky, Akira could tell it was already midnight. For hours since Takanori left to work on his invention, Akira had simply sat on the bed and stared into space. He’d tried exploring the house, but its interior was so cramped and messy that his endeavor didn’t even last an hour. He settled for spacing out and waiting patiently for his lover’s return. Liar. Akira would have been worried about Takanori had he not dropped by the shed and peered through the window. The inventor was so engrossed in his research that he hadn’t even noticed foreign eyes on him. Sneaking back into the house, Akira could only lament that he’d fallen for an inventor. They were all the same- Kouyou and Takanori, always in oblivion to their surroundings once they get their minds to work.
With a sigh, the hazel blonde wriggled under the covers and stared into the ceiling- the very one he’d woken up to just twenty four hours ago. Akira felt with his hands the empty space beside him where Takanori was supposed to lie. It didn’t seem like the latter was going to return very soon, and he felt his eyelids become heavier with each passing moment. He thought of the memories they shared for the day and the daring conversations exchanged. Touching his lips with his index, he reminisced about the feeling of Takanori’s lips, so soft and so kissable. Closing his eyes, it was no longer the image of a sad stranger that painted the red of his lids, but the smile of an inventor, so bright and so kind. Finally, his conscious slipped away fully and he fell into a deep slumber.
He woke up to the loud pounding of the door.
Akira’d experienced this violent disturbance before, when Takanori had found him by the river. But this, he decided, was nowhere near the line of safety. Forcing his eyelids open when the pounding continued, Akira was met with a sleepy Takanori holding a cup in his hands. Akira caught a glimpse of fire through the murky windows. He panicked.
“Stop!” Takanori’s hand froze on the door knob, “Stop, Takanori! Get away from the door!”
Tearing out of bed, Akira grabbed his lover towards himself, the cup dropping and smashing into pieces from the movement.
“What? Akira?”
“What’s today’s date?”
“The… 11th of January,” Takanori frowned when the pounding got louder, threatening to break the door anytime soon, “What’s wrong?”
“This is bad.” Akira’s eyes widened in horror, looking from a bewildered Takanori to the door beyond which he was certain stood a huge angry mob.
This is… really bad.