Title: Made of Scars
Authors: xme_chanx and Shirito_Ano
Chapter: 5/?
Rating: PG-13 to NC-17
Pairing: Tora x Saga
Genre: romance, angst, true setting
Warnings: the usual.
Disclaimer: seriously, they are people, who owns people? do you own people?? slavery was outlawed, but if it wasnt...we'd have us some pretty asian boys! :D
Summary: In life we collect many cuts, some are deeper than most and can leave scars, but its not until we can rise above and move on with our lives that we are truly healed.
X-Posted: my journal, aliceinloveland, xaliceninex, alicenine_yaoi
Prologue Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Tora is eating soup and I wander towards the kitchen to feed Chiko. Chiko jumps up from his bed near the dinner table and wags his tail at me.
“Ohayou, Chiko!” I say absently, scratching him behind the ears.
Tora looks a lot better than last night, and I think he’s on the recovery path. I need to take Chiko out, but I want to be sure Tora will be ok alone for a bit. So I ask him
“I need to walk Chiko… I kind of forgot last night in all the hype and he left me a present. Will you be ok for a while by yourself? I’ll take my keitai, of course. You can call me if you need me, Tora-kun.” I look him over carefully, he isn’t shivering, and he has plenty of blankets.
“I’ll be fine, Saga-kun.” He assures me. I smile thankfully at him.
“Thank you, Tora-kun! I’ll be back soon!” I call Chiko and clip his leash on.
“I’ll be right back!” I call. Tora nods and waves, making me smile as I step out with Chiko.
“We won’t be out for long, boy.” I tell Chiko, who wags his tail happily.
~~~~~~~~~~
Chiko runs off to his bed in the kitchen when I let him off the leash.
“Tora-kun! Tadaima…” I call softly, with no response. He must have fallen asleep again. I creep into the living room, seeing him asleep on the couch. I smile, and check his forehead to see if he’s fevering. His eyelids flutter open and he smiles at me.
“Okaeri, Saga-kun.” He says sleepily.
I feel my heart flutter at that smile, and that terrifies me.
The fact that I would love to hear “Okaeri, Saga” every day from those lips is unrealistic at best. Sometimes I think Tora likes me the least. He and Shou go way back, he and Hiroto play the same instrument, and Nao is too loveable for his own good. But me…
I shake my head to clear these thoughts.
“Do you want more soup, or some tea? Oh, I brought you something!” I smile and hand him a plastic bag.
“Arigatou, Saga-kun. Tea would be good.” Tora says as he opens the bag. He grimaces and holds up the cardboard box.
“Really Saga-kun? Day-quil?” I grin and nod.
“You need to get better, or Nao-chan will have my neck! Besides, it’s supposed to make you feel good and taste better than cough syrup.” I say proudly. I leave out the fact that I made the pharmacy girl show me all the cold products and recommend the best, based not only on performance, but taste, because Tora obviously is a baby when it comes to things like insects and unpleasant-tasting medicines.
“Gross. Get me something to chase it with, ok?” Tora says, frowning at the orange goo.
I laugh and hand him a glass of water.
~~~~~
“Moshi Moshi?”
“Nao-chan!” I say happily into the phone.
“Saga-kun! What do you need?” Nao’s so professional, even over the phone.
“Tora’s feeling better and I though we could all have dinner over here tonight.” I say.
“Ah, hai. Jyaa, I’ll call Shou-san and Hiroto-kun. What time?” Nao asks.
“About 7?” I approximate.
“Hai! Jyaane, Saga-kun!” The line clicked and I hung up.
“Tora-kun!! We’re having dinner at 7ish with the others, k?” I called.
“Huh? 7? Alright. Are my clothes clean?” He asks. I laugh and go to retrieve them.
“Here.” I hand him his freshly laundered clothes, feeling silly at the fact that I liked him wearing mine.
“Hmm, I’m going to clean up a bit before they come.” I tell Tora.
“Do you need any help?”
“No, no. You’re recovering still, so go watch a movie or something.” I tell him, mostly because I can’t stand it when others get in the way while I try to clean.
~~~~
Finally, the apartment is spotless and Nao’s bringing ramen over. My stomach growls loudly and Tora laughs at me. We’re perched on the couch, watching TV.
“I’m hungry!” I whine.
A loud knock comes from the door and I practically fly off the couch to answer it. Nao looks terrified as I snatch the bags he’s holding out of his hands. Tora looks over at us.
“He’s hungry.” Tora explains. Nao nods and exhales loudly.
“I didn’t mean to scare you!” I protest.
Nao nearly hits Hiroto as he attempts to close the apartment door.
“Konbanwa!” Hiroto says cheerily, walking straight inside. He sits down next to Tora on the couch, so I usher Nao into the kitchen.
“Can I eat?” I ask Nao excitedly.
“Sure, Saga-kun, I don’t care.” Nao smiles. “You took good care of Tora-kun, ne?” Nao asks knowingly. I choke on the ramen and blush furiously. Thankfully, Shou has decided to arrive. I gladly flee the kitchen to answer the door for him.
“I come bringing gifts!” Shou shouts, handing bags off to me and Nao.
“Is all of this liquor, Shou-kun?” Nao asks.
“Hai! In celebration of Tora-kun’s recovery!” Shou grins.
“So we’re celebrating Tora’s recovery by getting smashed?” Hiroto asks, raising an eyebrow.
“Now now, Hiroppon, nobody has to get smashed. We’re simply going to…relax.” I say.
Nao shakes his head and we start to unpack the black bags. Nao pulls out a bottle of pale yellow wine, and I gasp.
“Ah, sugoi!!” I grab the bottle from Nao and hold it like a baby. “This is mine,” I say, narrowing my eyes.
“I bought that for you, Saga-kun!” Shou says happily. I kiss him playfully on the cheek and he swats at me. Tora is watching and he frowns, making me worry.
“Tora-kun! Are you ok?” I ask, running over to press the back of my hand on his forehead.
“I’m FINE, Saga-kun!” he grumbles. I laugh and brush black hair out of his face, pressing the tip of my nose to his.
“You aren’t jealous, are you?” I wink at him and giggle. He frowns at me.
“Whatever.” He mutters. I frown, feeling awkward. I withdraw, walking back to the kitchen to rejoin Shou and Nao without looking back at him.
I pick up the chardonnay from where I abandoned it on the counter and stick it in the freezer.
“Anything else you guys want to stick in here to chill?” I ask. Nao immediately hands me a bottle of some fruit-flavored rum and a bottle of red wine.
“You don’t chill reds, Nao.” I say, handing the bottle back to him. Shou sticks a bottle of sake in the freezer and grins at me.
“Here.” Hiroto hands me a six-pack of Corona and I glare at it. It’s Tora’s. I stuff it in the fridge rather inelegantly. Hiroto looks at me funny and I flip him off.
“What’s his deal?” I hear him asking Shou. I grab my ramen bowl and sit huffily at the kitchen table. I’ve lost the mood to be social.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
It’s been a little under an hour, and I’ve already had two glasses of chardonnay and a shot of sake. I’m nursing a third glass now. I haven’t spoken to Tora since making an idiot of myself by asking if he was jealous. I seem to be trying to get completely and utterly wasted. I can feel the beginnings of a buzz, and shake my head to giggle at the dizzy feeling it gives me.
“Saga-kun, you may want to slow down…” Nao says hesitantly. I smile and wag a finger at him.
“Iie iie, Nao-chan!! I’m fine!” I giggle as I nearly knock my wine glass over on the table.
“Yeah, he’s fine, Nao-kun. And red as a strawberry.” Hiroto says snickering. Little brat. I glare at him, then laugh.
“Be quiet koropokkur!” I slur. Hiroto’s eyes widen.
“I am NOT!” He says frowning. Shou rolls his eyes and comforts the tiny guitarist.
“Hiro-kun, he’s drunk, he didn’t mean it. Besides, the fans think you’re really cute.” Shou smiles encouragingly. I snicker at them and turn my head as I hear a cap popping. Tora grins at me as he opens another Corona. I stick my tongue out at him and make a point to ignore him.