Story: Somewhere Between Midnight and Sunrise: Chapter 2
Title: Somewhere Between Midnight and Sunrise
Chapters: 2/?
Band: The Gazette
Pairings: Aoi/Uruha, Reita/Aoi, Ruki/Kai (bolded are present in this chapter)
Rating: R/Light NC-17
Genres: Drama, mystery, suspense, angst
Warnings: Sexual situations, Violence
Summary: Humanity is a vulnerable condition and only more so when emotional factors are thrown into an already delicate balance.
The silent one pushed water in my direction. “Oh thanks.” I beamed. “I was starting to get thirsty.” My energy had not waned and I was only more eager by that point to speak further on the matter. I liked talking, I always have. “Right, so Uruha…” I said gulping the water and sighing comfortably contented by it.
“Actual scratch that, lets go back to Reita for a minute - Reita and Aoi in fact. Ya see, it just so happens that that history I was telling you about is one thing that kept Reita focused in his work and the absence of Aoi is what kept him doing it. Because a long time ago Aoi was all he’s got and that’s what he’s thinking as he stands there like a bump on a log while he’s supposed to be killing them both. He’s considering how he can take it back, how can he get away with his life if he lets theirs go - well if he lets Aoi go. I’m sure he didn’t much care about Uruha...not yet at least. Amyway," I waved a hand, "when they were younger, and I mean much younger-”
“STOP!” The interrogator, the mouthy one, jumped up from his seat again and my eyes followed him starting at his somewhat soggy middle up to his face. I must have looked more put off than I was because he smiled, but I hardly noticed that as I was a little shocked by being interrupted. “How could you possibly know all that?”
I blinked. “Whadday mean?” I asked with a little shrug and a passively bored expression as I reached for the cup. I didn’t understand what he was talking about in the least. I leaned back in my chair and took a long sip while I waited for him to elaborate. When he didn’t I shrugged again. “Everyone knows the story.” I rolled my eyes after grimacing at the bottom of my empty cup before I dismissed it off to the side. I finally let my eyes settle on the two men across from me. “Everyone who knows them knows it, that’s what I’m trying to show you. What I’m trying to tell you. Just wait until I get to Ruki…or Kai, it’ll get to be too much for you. So take a load off and listen.”
I nodded to the silent one and causally asked out of sheer curiosity, “He ever talk?” The scowl I received in reply made my hands shoot up in defense and I grinned wide again. “Okay, so it’s about the strong and silent type - which Aoi was not - he was more the loud energetic type…”
____________________
“My father said that these woods are spiritual.” Aoi’s hand comfortably slipped in against Reita’s, squeezing his fingers softly as they moved through the underbrush of the trees around them. They had stolen time away for as much as they possibly could as, in their youth, there was nothing more precious than just spending time with a lover. “They have a certain magic about them--he never really said what that meant, but I think he was talking about how it makes you feel. So…” He swung their hands lightly between them as they walked along “…what do you feel, Reita?” He asked teasingly.
Reita’s eyes flickered over towards Aoi before he tucked his chin against his chest. “You know how I feel.” He answered simply, though there was an echo of a smile on his in his voice even if it didn't show fully on his face. Aoi paused for a second before he grinned wide and bowed his head in agreement.
“Come on--” He urged Reita, tugging briefly before he let it go of his hand and moved swiftly forward, using the leverage of fallen timber to climb up to one of branches on a still standing tree. Reita had hesitate only because Aoi took him off guard; but a moment later, he was moving after him just as swiftly and agilely. He was competitive by nature, though not in an unhealthy way. He liked the idea of challenging himself and the games that Aoi enjoyed balanced well against Reita’s affinity for competition. Aoi was perched on the branch, his feet dangling as he held tight to the bark below him; a hand held tight on either side.
“You take it for granted, you know.” Aoi told Reita swiftly as the younger man plopped down beside him, their bodies side-by-side. The dark haired man leaned over and poked Reita lightly in the side, getting him to squirm a little. For Aoi he would let his guard down enough to be open for such antics as playful poking for a reaction. “That I know what I know--what comes of the day that I forget, even just for a moment? Can you say it? Reita-san? Can you tell me that you like being around me? Or…that I make you feel good? Or that you love--” In an instant, however, Aoi’s lips were silenced when Reita’s captured them in a sweet kiss.
Gone was Aoi’s teasing words and joyous smirk only to be replaced by the warm lip-lock of two lovers. It was a wonder that they kept their balance as they moved deeper to one another. Reita’s tongue had penetrated Aoi’s lips and they tasted the familiar parts of each others kiss, savoring the sensations. Their hands moved along the contours of each other’s bodies; it seemed the only thing that kept them on the branches was the angle in which they were perched, the sheer direction of their bodies against each other kept them up in the tree as they used each other as balance.
They were young and they were prosperous, their lives virtually revolving around the future they could have individually and together. Aoi adored Reita and Reita worshiped Aoi since before they’d even shared a single kiss--the relationship they had now, deep seated in affection and respect, had morphed from the close, almost brotherly friendship they had before to a solid reflection of what they hoped for. It was an image, a direct correlation, to the dream they had for the future. Their future.
Their lips parted naturally, as they both tried to catch the breath that had been stolen away by the other, and Aoi let his forehead rest against Reita’s for a moment. “That works--I can take that answer for a little while longer. I make you feel that good?” Aoi whispered against his lips and a legitimate smile crossed Reita’s before they met again, their hands still roaming each other’s forms. Aoi’s excited hands slipped lower to his waist, brushing against the swell against his pants. In that moment, however, Reita jerked away from Aoi, their lips parting suddenly and Aoi grabbed to the branch tightly to keep from wobbling out of the tree.
“Did you hear that?” Reita asked swiftly, his eyes wide as he looked at the trees surrounding them. He held up his finger in front of his lips, urging Aoi to be quiet so they could listen to the serene silence of the woods. Aoi had even held his breath for a beat, straining his ears to hear whatever had made Reita jump so easily.
He was seconds from speaking before the sound of rustling leaves and muffled whimpering could be heard; both their eyes snapped in that direction. Reita had stiffened beside Aoi before he crouched on the branch, lowering himself down out of the tree quietly; Aoi followed suit behind him. Just as his feet hit the ground, the muffled voice stopped and the woods went silent again. They didn’t take more than a few steps before they could see, through some of the trees, the figure of two people, one of which was hunched over the other.
Reita reacted first, moving quickly forward to stop them; but his feet caught against the leaves, ruffling them so that the sound cut through the stillness of the air. In a moment, the apparent predator sprang from their crouched position and glanced upwards towards where they stood. It ran, cutting rapidly through the trees before either Aoi or Reita could step any further. “No, stop.” Aoi instructed Reita swiftly as he had moved to follow the aggressor. Tugging on Reita’s sleeve, Aoi led him towards the person lying on the ground instead.
It was a woman, small and delicate in her beauty, but her face was pale and her veins seemed to bulge against the softness of her skin.
Aoi swallowed hard against his throat, stepping swiftly backwards at the sight of the stone-cold body. His hand slipped in against Reita’s again, though this time it was shaking. “Reita…”
________________
“So she was dead?” The particular hot-headed one spoke up, his face just as angry but no less entertaining to me. I tapped the table lightly with my fingers and smirked wide.
“’S what I said, isn’t it? Figured you guys knew about that one. Ah well, if ya didn't then ya didn't. I'm telling you now it was there. Yeah, yeah--she was dead. Just like that too” I snapped my fingers. “Scared the shit out of Aoi I’ll tell you that much. He says it doesn’t now, but I think its half the reason he does the things he does, to tell you the truth. Reita though--Reita wasn’t scared, he was disgusted. You don’t have to be a genius to figure that out--that guy has seen some shit and the world has turned him into what seems like a hard, uncaring bastard. But really…he cares. He cared enough to hate that creature that hurt that woman--it was creature too, by the way. Did I say that? Ahh well--
“They called for help, but they couldn’t do a thing for her--by then, her soul was long gone. That’s when it started though--when Reita wanted to find out what exactly they’d seen. And…he did…and Aoi, well, he followed. He would have followed Reita anywhere. And he did too, they both did…”
A/N: Well, here is more to what makes this story and builds either foundation. A peek at the past. Again, thank you for reading. Please, comments - of any sort - are encouraging. Thank you.
Previous: One
Next: Three
Chapters: 2/?
Band: The Gazette
Pairings: Aoi/Uruha, Reita/Aoi, Ruki/Kai (bolded are present in this chapter)
Rating: R/Light NC-17
Genres: Drama, mystery, suspense, angst
Warnings: Sexual situations, Violence
Summary: Humanity is a vulnerable condition and only more so when emotional factors are thrown into an already delicate balance.
The silent one pushed water in my direction. “Oh thanks.” I beamed. “I was starting to get thirsty.” My energy had not waned and I was only more eager by that point to speak further on the matter. I liked talking, I always have. “Right, so Uruha…” I said gulping the water and sighing comfortably contented by it.
“Actual scratch that, lets go back to Reita for a minute - Reita and Aoi in fact. Ya see, it just so happens that that history I was telling you about is one thing that kept Reita focused in his work and the absence of Aoi is what kept him doing it. Because a long time ago Aoi was all he’s got and that’s what he’s thinking as he stands there like a bump on a log while he’s supposed to be killing them both. He’s considering how he can take it back, how can he get away with his life if he lets theirs go - well if he lets Aoi go. I’m sure he didn’t much care about Uruha...not yet at least. Amyway," I waved a hand, "when they were younger, and I mean much younger-”
“STOP!” The interrogator, the mouthy one, jumped up from his seat again and my eyes followed him starting at his somewhat soggy middle up to his face. I must have looked more put off than I was because he smiled, but I hardly noticed that as I was a little shocked by being interrupted. “How could you possibly know all that?”
I blinked. “Whadday mean?” I asked with a little shrug and a passively bored expression as I reached for the cup. I didn’t understand what he was talking about in the least. I leaned back in my chair and took a long sip while I waited for him to elaborate. When he didn’t I shrugged again. “Everyone knows the story.” I rolled my eyes after grimacing at the bottom of my empty cup before I dismissed it off to the side. I finally let my eyes settle on the two men across from me. “Everyone who knows them knows it, that’s what I’m trying to show you. What I’m trying to tell you. Just wait until I get to Ruki…or Kai, it’ll get to be too much for you. So take a load off and listen.”
I nodded to the silent one and causally asked out of sheer curiosity, “He ever talk?” The scowl I received in reply made my hands shoot up in defense and I grinned wide again. “Okay, so it’s about the strong and silent type - which Aoi was not - he was more the loud energetic type…”
____________________
“My father said that these woods are spiritual.” Aoi’s hand comfortably slipped in against Reita’s, squeezing his fingers softly as they moved through the underbrush of the trees around them. They had stolen time away for as much as they possibly could as, in their youth, there was nothing more precious than just spending time with a lover. “They have a certain magic about them--he never really said what that meant, but I think he was talking about how it makes you feel. So…” He swung their hands lightly between them as they walked along “…what do you feel, Reita?” He asked teasingly.
Reita’s eyes flickered over towards Aoi before he tucked his chin against his chest. “You know how I feel.” He answered simply, though there was an echo of a smile on his in his voice even if it didn't show fully on his face. Aoi paused for a second before he grinned wide and bowed his head in agreement.
“Come on--” He urged Reita, tugging briefly before he let it go of his hand and moved swiftly forward, using the leverage of fallen timber to climb up to one of branches on a still standing tree. Reita had hesitate only because Aoi took him off guard; but a moment later, he was moving after him just as swiftly and agilely. He was competitive by nature, though not in an unhealthy way. He liked the idea of challenging himself and the games that Aoi enjoyed balanced well against Reita’s affinity for competition. Aoi was perched on the branch, his feet dangling as he held tight to the bark below him; a hand held tight on either side.
“You take it for granted, you know.” Aoi told Reita swiftly as the younger man plopped down beside him, their bodies side-by-side. The dark haired man leaned over and poked Reita lightly in the side, getting him to squirm a little. For Aoi he would let his guard down enough to be open for such antics as playful poking for a reaction. “That I know what I know--what comes of the day that I forget, even just for a moment? Can you say it? Reita-san? Can you tell me that you like being around me? Or…that I make you feel good? Or that you love--” In an instant, however, Aoi’s lips were silenced when Reita’s captured them in a sweet kiss.
Gone was Aoi’s teasing words and joyous smirk only to be replaced by the warm lip-lock of two lovers. It was a wonder that they kept their balance as they moved deeper to one another. Reita’s tongue had penetrated Aoi’s lips and they tasted the familiar parts of each others kiss, savoring the sensations. Their hands moved along the contours of each other’s bodies; it seemed the only thing that kept them on the branches was the angle in which they were perched, the sheer direction of their bodies against each other kept them up in the tree as they used each other as balance.
They were young and they were prosperous, their lives virtually revolving around the future they could have individually and together. Aoi adored Reita and Reita worshiped Aoi since before they’d even shared a single kiss--the relationship they had now, deep seated in affection and respect, had morphed from the close, almost brotherly friendship they had before to a solid reflection of what they hoped for. It was an image, a direct correlation, to the dream they had for the future. Their future.
Their lips parted naturally, as they both tried to catch the breath that had been stolen away by the other, and Aoi let his forehead rest against Reita’s for a moment. “That works--I can take that answer for a little while longer. I make you feel that good?” Aoi whispered against his lips and a legitimate smile crossed Reita’s before they met again, their hands still roaming each other’s forms. Aoi’s excited hands slipped lower to his waist, brushing against the swell against his pants. In that moment, however, Reita jerked away from Aoi, their lips parting suddenly and Aoi grabbed to the branch tightly to keep from wobbling out of the tree.
“Did you hear that?” Reita asked swiftly, his eyes wide as he looked at the trees surrounding them. He held up his finger in front of his lips, urging Aoi to be quiet so they could listen to the serene silence of the woods. Aoi had even held his breath for a beat, straining his ears to hear whatever had made Reita jump so easily.
He was seconds from speaking before the sound of rustling leaves and muffled whimpering could be heard; both their eyes snapped in that direction. Reita had stiffened beside Aoi before he crouched on the branch, lowering himself down out of the tree quietly; Aoi followed suit behind him. Just as his feet hit the ground, the muffled voice stopped and the woods went silent again. They didn’t take more than a few steps before they could see, through some of the trees, the figure of two people, one of which was hunched over the other.
Reita reacted first, moving quickly forward to stop them; but his feet caught against the leaves, ruffling them so that the sound cut through the stillness of the air. In a moment, the apparent predator sprang from their crouched position and glanced upwards towards where they stood. It ran, cutting rapidly through the trees before either Aoi or Reita could step any further. “No, stop.” Aoi instructed Reita swiftly as he had moved to follow the aggressor. Tugging on Reita’s sleeve, Aoi led him towards the person lying on the ground instead.
It was a woman, small and delicate in her beauty, but her face was pale and her veins seemed to bulge against the softness of her skin.
Aoi swallowed hard against his throat, stepping swiftly backwards at the sight of the stone-cold body. His hand slipped in against Reita’s again, though this time it was shaking. “Reita…”
________________
“So she was dead?” The particular hot-headed one spoke up, his face just as angry but no less entertaining to me. I tapped the table lightly with my fingers and smirked wide.
“’S what I said, isn’t it? Figured you guys knew about that one. Ah well, if ya didn't then ya didn't. I'm telling you now it was there. Yeah, yeah--she was dead. Just like that too” I snapped my fingers. “Scared the shit out of Aoi I’ll tell you that much. He says it doesn’t now, but I think its half the reason he does the things he does, to tell you the truth. Reita though--Reita wasn’t scared, he was disgusted. You don’t have to be a genius to figure that out--that guy has seen some shit and the world has turned him into what seems like a hard, uncaring bastard. But really…he cares. He cared enough to hate that creature that hurt that woman--it was creature too, by the way. Did I say that? Ahh well--
“They called for help, but they couldn’t do a thing for her--by then, her soul was long gone. That’s when it started though--when Reita wanted to find out what exactly they’d seen. And…he did…and Aoi, well, he followed. He would have followed Reita anywhere. And he did too, they both did…”
A/N: Well, here is more to what makes this story and builds either foundation. A peek at the past. Again, thank you for reading. Please, comments - of any sort - are encouraging. Thank you.
Previous: One
Next: Three