Chasing butterflies, Chapter 3, AoixReita
Title: Chasing butterflies
Author: yukigafuru
Rating: PG-13 for now (will be adult)
Chapter: 3/?
Pairings: Aoi/Reita
Bands: Gazette
Warnings: none for now
Genre: angst, romance
Summary: Life is short. You try to catch it and it slips through your fingers. Life is also beautiful. It astounds you at every step. And it only takes one minute, one encounter to change it forever.
Chapter 3
That weekend turned out to be one of the most peaceful he had ever had. On Saturday, the three of them had a picnic with Reita's parents in the hospital's garden, and on Sunday they got to enjoy a private concert Uruha gave in the patient ward of the hospital. Reita had been right, Aoi found: Uruha was damn good.
Also, on Sunday, Aoi's sister came to visit and she just managed to time it in one of those moments he was busy with other volunteering jobs. If he'd known she'd come, he wouldn't have left Reita's side because knowing his sister...
He was proved right when entering the room, he found the two of them giggling, Reita red as a tomato and his sister's eyes literally shining with mischief. Did he even want to know?
“Chieko, how nice to see you.” He ground out, all the while praying she hadn't said anything too embarrassing.
“Hello, little brother. I was just telling Rei here how cute you were as a child.”
Aoi punched himself. Of course she had been... He shouldn't have hoped otherwise.
“Did you actually try to hug a bear at the zoo?” Reita asked. Ah, that memory...
He had been way too young, and the rules concerning animals at the Ueno Zoo had been quite different back then. As were the cages. So for a naughty child as adept at climbing as Aoi, it hadn't been too much of a stretch to get his parents go buy him some candy while he climbed over the cage and into the bear's cage. The bear hadn't even been disturbed from his sleep by Aoi getting in, but it did wake up moments later when Aoi's frantic parents started yelling for the keeper to get their son out. Chieko, in her defense, had tried to stop him; at first. Considering things from a slightly more mature perspective, Aoi figured he had been really lucky. The bear had just been fed a half an hour earlier and enjoyed a nice nap. He had almost no interest in Aoi as food and more of an interest in Aoi as a plaything, so when the bear woke up it only sniffed the air and started to approach timidly. Aoi didn't even get to touch the thick fur because in seconds flat, he was being dragged out of the cage and placed into the arms of his parents. It was a good memory, but Aoi figured Chieko had managed to turn it funny somehow.
“How was that funny? I could have died, you know.” Aoi tried to play the victim.
Reita looked at him with wonder in his eyes and Aoi found he really liked the look on him.
“Chieko says that's why you've been addicted to gummy bears ever since and why you throw some at the bears in the Zoo cages even now. You actually throw bears, carnivorous animals, gummy bears?” He giggled. Aoi cringed. So he still did it from time to time... He glared at his sister.
“What else did you tell him?” He asked her. She grinned her devilish grin, which could only mean one thing...
“Plenty more. And to think there's even more where that came from.”
“You really were a handful, weren't you?” Reita asked.
“I guess.” He honestly replied.
“You guess? How many times did our parents have to drag you home after getting naked in the streets? Remember that time you were covered in bird poop...”
“Oh no you don't. He doesn't need to know that.” He literally flew towards her and put his hand over her mouth. Reita had already gotten huge eyes and was staring at him pleadingly. Damn him!
“I will not sit here while she tells you all the demeaning things she knows about me. And if you don't stop, I swear I'll get every secret you ever had out of your sister.” That seemed to sober Reita up for a moment, before he chuckled.
“Sorry to disappoint, but I was a fairly average kid, so I don't think you could learn much. Me, however...”
At that point, Aoi really did leave the room. Because there was no way he was going to be present to the dragging of his name through the mud. He met Uruha in the cafeteria.
“Hey.” He greeted the blond.
“Morning. How's it going?”
“I've been better.” Aoi replied. “You? Settled at Reita's parents' yet?”
Uruha nodded and answered the question. “Yeah. They wouldn't even hear about me getting a hotel room. Thought she'd rip my ear out or something.”
“It must be a comfort that you're there now. Makes the house seem less empty.”
“Yeah.” They sipped their coffees. Aoi had gotten a taste for the beverage since starting volunteering. “Listen...” Uruha started and Aoi thought he sounded hesitant. “I know we just met and all, but if you ever need to talk...” He offered but Aoi smelled a rat.
“Something on your mind?” Aoi asked.
“How did you know?” Uruha whispered his question. “That you're gay, I mean. Rei told me you told your parents and everything.”
“Something troubling you?”
“Not exactly. Everything's changed so sudden and...”
“You feel left out. Please don't tell me you're thinking about turning gay because Reita did. Not even Ruki went that far.” He frowned. Maybe he shouldn't joke about this? But dates with girls and Uruha had been brought up before so...
“You make me sound... Who's Ruki?” He changed the topic. Aoi figured he must have made him uncomfortable.
“My best friend. He's a bit crazy about me but don't tell him I told you that.” Aoi almost whispered. He had a weird feeling that if he'd say it out loud, Ruki would pop up and frighten his pants off him. “And to ask your question, without being too awkwardly romantic... I was never really interested in girls to begin with, but meeting Reita that day... It felt as if in those few moments I spent with him helping him to his room, my heart had beaten wilder than on all the dates or non-dates I had ever had with girls. It really was as simple as meeting him and falling for him.”
“So if I like girls...” Uruha concluded.
“You're at least bi. Definitely not gay.” Uruha seemed to breathe relieved. “Do you like someone that way?” Aoi ventured to ask.
“No.” Uruha thought about it for a bit and Aoi thought it was a good sign he hadn't denied in immediately. Because then it would have been a lie. “It's just that the possibility kind of scares me. All of a sudden, everything I knew about the world seems to change while I remain the same. It feels as if I'm missing something or doing something wrong.”
Aoi chuckled and noticing Uruha's doubtful looks he explained. “Ruki would probably say the world had finally seen some sense and started revolving around him as it should.”
They both laughed a bit at that. Uruha seemed intrigued. “I'd like to meet him. He seems... unique.”
“Yeah.” Aoi agreed. “You'll probably get to do that pretty soon. Consider yourself warned.” They cradled their still warm coffees.
“So Rei tells me you want to become a professional musician. Does that mean with an orchestra or a band or something?”
“I don't know for sure yet.” Uruha sighed. So he wasn't decided. “The Conservatory, it's stuffy, and although learning it hands on, on tours with a band sounds interesting, you depend too much on other people then. I feel as if when I choose one, I'm going to lose something at the same time.” Aoi thought about it for a while.
“Why can't you do both?” He asked, trying to understand the problem better.
“There's no time for that.” Uruha summarized.
“What about taking it one step at a time. You still have high school to finish and I bet a lot of opportunities will pop up meanwhile. Just go with what feels best for you. I definitely didn't have my life planned out before me and if I had... look at me now.”
“Are you happy?” Uruha asked and cringed. It was a difficult question and it could sound insensitive in the situation.
“I'm not unhappy. And a lot of times I'm really happy. That's enough for now.”
The silence was comfortable. A while later they got something to eat and spent some time talking about random things like the weather, the funniest actor on TV... stuff they didn't need to worry about, a conversation that would put them at ease and let their minds and hearts rest for a while.
Later, Chieko came to the cafeteria and Uruha left them alone.
“You didn't have to tell him all that now, did you?” Aoi complained.
“It made him happy.” She honestly replied and Aoi knew it, as well as he knew that that was precisely the reason he wasn't actually upset.
“I know.” He replied simply. “So?” He knew she was just dying to share her wisdom with him. She had to have an opinion about everything and spell it out. He was often the test subject for that, even when it didn't concern him directly.
“I was surprised you know. When I came home and found mum crying that day. Don't get me wrong, I never felt like you did anything wrong. On the contrary, I'm glad you're so balanced and honest with you and those around you. But maybe for a moment, I resented Reita for making things hard. You must have realized things will never be easy if you go down this road. Japan is not exactly China or anything but it's still... not approved.” Aoi nodded. He knew all that and even though it didn't hit home at the moment, he was sure it eventually would. “But he's... hard to coin actually. He's certainly special and seeing your faces in there... You have to make this work, because I honestly can't see you looking like that at someone else again.”
For Aoi, it was sobering to hear his sister so serious all of a sudden. It was hard to reconcile the image of the woman he had in front of him with the little girl that had actually goaded him into much mischief in his earlier years.
“Remember the time with the frogs?” He actually spoke his thoughts out loud.
She laughed, a crystalline laugh that always managed to warm him inside out.
A/N: Although my bunnies are head over heels for the lovely commentors that wrote so much (they bow to you) they are also a bit peeved at the other readers and well, a bit hungry. So, even though the post is a week later as promised, it's shorter. I hope it's still the same quality though. My bunnies are nothing but professionals.
I don't think I ask too much, do I? I really am sorry there's no like button on LJ, so I'm going to put either a poll or a message board, to make the whole commenting thing easier. For now, I'll go with the poll (and it might change, to give you guys a say in the fic or make the whole commenting thing more interesting) and see how it goes.
But, my bunnies diet requires comments, really, the longer the better. So... well, we'll see how it is.
On another note, I think I really like how this is going. It's taking shape. Or it feels like it. What are your opinions?
Author: yukigafuru
Rating: PG-13 for now (will be adult)
Chapter: 3/?
Pairings: Aoi/Reita
Bands: Gazette
Warnings: none for now
Genre: angst, romance
Summary: Life is short. You try to catch it and it slips through your fingers. Life is also beautiful. It astounds you at every step. And it only takes one minute, one encounter to change it forever.
Chapter 3
That weekend turned out to be one of the most peaceful he had ever had. On Saturday, the three of them had a picnic with Reita's parents in the hospital's garden, and on Sunday they got to enjoy a private concert Uruha gave in the patient ward of the hospital. Reita had been right, Aoi found: Uruha was damn good.
Also, on Sunday, Aoi's sister came to visit and she just managed to time it in one of those moments he was busy with other volunteering jobs. If he'd known she'd come, he wouldn't have left Reita's side because knowing his sister...
He was proved right when entering the room, he found the two of them giggling, Reita red as a tomato and his sister's eyes literally shining with mischief. Did he even want to know?
“Chieko, how nice to see you.” He ground out, all the while praying she hadn't said anything too embarrassing.
“Hello, little brother. I was just telling Rei here how cute you were as a child.”
Aoi punched himself. Of course she had been... He shouldn't have hoped otherwise.
“Did you actually try to hug a bear at the zoo?” Reita asked. Ah, that memory...
He had been way too young, and the rules concerning animals at the Ueno Zoo had been quite different back then. As were the cages. So for a naughty child as adept at climbing as Aoi, it hadn't been too much of a stretch to get his parents go buy him some candy while he climbed over the cage and into the bear's cage. The bear hadn't even been disturbed from his sleep by Aoi getting in, but it did wake up moments later when Aoi's frantic parents started yelling for the keeper to get their son out. Chieko, in her defense, had tried to stop him; at first. Considering things from a slightly more mature perspective, Aoi figured he had been really lucky. The bear had just been fed a half an hour earlier and enjoyed a nice nap. He had almost no interest in Aoi as food and more of an interest in Aoi as a plaything, so when the bear woke up it only sniffed the air and started to approach timidly. Aoi didn't even get to touch the thick fur because in seconds flat, he was being dragged out of the cage and placed into the arms of his parents. It was a good memory, but Aoi figured Chieko had managed to turn it funny somehow.
“How was that funny? I could have died, you know.” Aoi tried to play the victim.
Reita looked at him with wonder in his eyes and Aoi found he really liked the look on him.
“Chieko says that's why you've been addicted to gummy bears ever since and why you throw some at the bears in the Zoo cages even now. You actually throw bears, carnivorous animals, gummy bears?” He giggled. Aoi cringed. So he still did it from time to time... He glared at his sister.
“What else did you tell him?” He asked her. She grinned her devilish grin, which could only mean one thing...
“Plenty more. And to think there's even more where that came from.”
“You really were a handful, weren't you?” Reita asked.
“I guess.” He honestly replied.
“You guess? How many times did our parents have to drag you home after getting naked in the streets? Remember that time you were covered in bird poop...”
“Oh no you don't. He doesn't need to know that.” He literally flew towards her and put his hand over her mouth. Reita had already gotten huge eyes and was staring at him pleadingly. Damn him!
“I will not sit here while she tells you all the demeaning things she knows about me. And if you don't stop, I swear I'll get every secret you ever had out of your sister.” That seemed to sober Reita up for a moment, before he chuckled.
“Sorry to disappoint, but I was a fairly average kid, so I don't think you could learn much. Me, however...”
At that point, Aoi really did leave the room. Because there was no way he was going to be present to the dragging of his name through the mud. He met Uruha in the cafeteria.
“Hey.” He greeted the blond.
“Morning. How's it going?”
“I've been better.” Aoi replied. “You? Settled at Reita's parents' yet?”
Uruha nodded and answered the question. “Yeah. They wouldn't even hear about me getting a hotel room. Thought she'd rip my ear out or something.”
“It must be a comfort that you're there now. Makes the house seem less empty.”
“Yeah.” They sipped their coffees. Aoi had gotten a taste for the beverage since starting volunteering. “Listen...” Uruha started and Aoi thought he sounded hesitant. “I know we just met and all, but if you ever need to talk...” He offered but Aoi smelled a rat.
“Something on your mind?” Aoi asked.
“How did you know?” Uruha whispered his question. “That you're gay, I mean. Rei told me you told your parents and everything.”
“Something troubling you?”
“Not exactly. Everything's changed so sudden and...”
“You feel left out. Please don't tell me you're thinking about turning gay because Reita did. Not even Ruki went that far.” He frowned. Maybe he shouldn't joke about this? But dates with girls and Uruha had been brought up before so...
“You make me sound... Who's Ruki?” He changed the topic. Aoi figured he must have made him uncomfortable.
“My best friend. He's a bit crazy about me but don't tell him I told you that.” Aoi almost whispered. He had a weird feeling that if he'd say it out loud, Ruki would pop up and frighten his pants off him. “And to ask your question, without being too awkwardly romantic... I was never really interested in girls to begin with, but meeting Reita that day... It felt as if in those few moments I spent with him helping him to his room, my heart had beaten wilder than on all the dates or non-dates I had ever had with girls. It really was as simple as meeting him and falling for him.”
“So if I like girls...” Uruha concluded.
“You're at least bi. Definitely not gay.” Uruha seemed to breathe relieved. “Do you like someone that way?” Aoi ventured to ask.
“No.” Uruha thought about it for a bit and Aoi thought it was a good sign he hadn't denied in immediately. Because then it would have been a lie. “It's just that the possibility kind of scares me. All of a sudden, everything I knew about the world seems to change while I remain the same. It feels as if I'm missing something or doing something wrong.”
Aoi chuckled and noticing Uruha's doubtful looks he explained. “Ruki would probably say the world had finally seen some sense and started revolving around him as it should.”
They both laughed a bit at that. Uruha seemed intrigued. “I'd like to meet him. He seems... unique.”
“Yeah.” Aoi agreed. “You'll probably get to do that pretty soon. Consider yourself warned.” They cradled their still warm coffees.
“So Rei tells me you want to become a professional musician. Does that mean with an orchestra or a band or something?”
“I don't know for sure yet.” Uruha sighed. So he wasn't decided. “The Conservatory, it's stuffy, and although learning it hands on, on tours with a band sounds interesting, you depend too much on other people then. I feel as if when I choose one, I'm going to lose something at the same time.” Aoi thought about it for a while.
“Why can't you do both?” He asked, trying to understand the problem better.
“There's no time for that.” Uruha summarized.
“What about taking it one step at a time. You still have high school to finish and I bet a lot of opportunities will pop up meanwhile. Just go with what feels best for you. I definitely didn't have my life planned out before me and if I had... look at me now.”
“Are you happy?” Uruha asked and cringed. It was a difficult question and it could sound insensitive in the situation.
“I'm not unhappy. And a lot of times I'm really happy. That's enough for now.”
The silence was comfortable. A while later they got something to eat and spent some time talking about random things like the weather, the funniest actor on TV... stuff they didn't need to worry about, a conversation that would put them at ease and let their minds and hearts rest for a while.
Later, Chieko came to the cafeteria and Uruha left them alone.
“You didn't have to tell him all that now, did you?” Aoi complained.
“It made him happy.” She honestly replied and Aoi knew it, as well as he knew that that was precisely the reason he wasn't actually upset.
“I know.” He replied simply. “So?” He knew she was just dying to share her wisdom with him. She had to have an opinion about everything and spell it out. He was often the test subject for that, even when it didn't concern him directly.
“I was surprised you know. When I came home and found mum crying that day. Don't get me wrong, I never felt like you did anything wrong. On the contrary, I'm glad you're so balanced and honest with you and those around you. But maybe for a moment, I resented Reita for making things hard. You must have realized things will never be easy if you go down this road. Japan is not exactly China or anything but it's still... not approved.” Aoi nodded. He knew all that and even though it didn't hit home at the moment, he was sure it eventually would. “But he's... hard to coin actually. He's certainly special and seeing your faces in there... You have to make this work, because I honestly can't see you looking like that at someone else again.”
For Aoi, it was sobering to hear his sister so serious all of a sudden. It was hard to reconcile the image of the woman he had in front of him with the little girl that had actually goaded him into much mischief in his earlier years.
“Remember the time with the frogs?” He actually spoke his thoughts out loud.
She laughed, a crystalline laugh that always managed to warm him inside out.
A/N: Although my bunnies are head over heels for the lovely commentors that wrote so much (they bow to you) they are also a bit peeved at the other readers and well, a bit hungry. So, even though the post is a week later as promised, it's shorter. I hope it's still the same quality though. My bunnies are nothing but professionals.
I don't think I ask too much, do I? I really am sorry there's no like button on LJ, so I'm going to put either a poll or a message board, to make the whole commenting thing easier. For now, I'll go with the poll (and it might change, to give you guys a say in the fic or make the whole commenting thing more interesting) and see how it goes.
But, my bunnies diet requires comments, really, the longer the better. So... well, we'll see how it is.
On another note, I think I really like how this is going. It's taking shape. Or it feels like it. What are your opinions?