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The Epic	By : kyochan Category: +S to Z > Spiral Views: 1747 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Spiral, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 11
- 12
- 13
Title:� The Epic

Chapter:� 12/ many

Authors:� Kyo-chan and
Koko-chan

Genre:� Shounen-ai

Disclaimers:� We do
not own the characters or the series.�
They belong to Kyo Shirodaira and Eita Mizuno.� This fanfiction is written by fans purely for
the enjoyment of fans.

Summary:� Eyes
continues his efforts to gain ground in his and Kanone's silent opposition
while Ayumu and the other Blade Children spend some quality time together.

Note from the authors:�
So sorry about the delay on this chapter, dear readers!� The holidays and a side order of real life
came about, but we're back on track, and we hope you enjoy the show!

~*~

�� The door
opened on the penthouse level, and Eyes didn't even spare a greeting for anyone
that was in the vicinity. He made a straight shot for his room, the blue coat
and soft white collar fanning out behind with the pony tail. He was so upset he
was nearly shaking, but holding it back so that no one would see it before he
made it to somewhere safe.

�� Kousuke
watched him as he rushed past, and got up to follow him once he realized that
Kanone was nowhere near. He could sense Eyes's turbulent emotions, all snarled
together in a horrible tangle, and he worried.

�� Eyes rushed
into his room, but didn't bother to shut the door, as if he somehow knew that
comfort would come following. He practically tore the coat from his shoulders,
his hand going up to rip the hair tie from his hair. He let out a growl of
frustration as it got caught in the fine silver strands, tugging uncomfortably
at his scalp and turning the growl into a whimper.

�� Gentle but
calloused fingers suddenly covered his own, helping to take out the tie without
yanking Eyes's scalp off in the process.�
Eyes knew immediately from that roughened touch who it was and he didn't
fight, dropping his hands to his sides helplessly. Kousuke got the hair tie
untangled quickly, then stepped back, looking concerned. �He was still dressed in the loose white
t-shirt and faded blue sweatpants from that morning, since he'd forced himself
back into human form and promptly passed out from the exhaustion of the change.
"Eyes...?" He didn't bother to ask if the pianist was okay, since it
was obvious he wasn't. But Kousuke was not about to leave him alone with it if
he didn't have to.

�� Eyes only
needed to hear the sound of his name to feel invited to Kousuke's comfort. He
closed the gap between them in a few short steps, pressing himself to the
redhead and burying his face in Kousuke's shoulder. It was then that he let the
walls down, shaking almost violently against the other.

�� Kousuke's
eyes widened at the other boy's unexpected reaction, and wrapped his arms
around the shaking frame, holding him close. He held tightly to Eyes, not to
stop the shaking, but to give the musician the security needed so that he could
continue to do so, or anything else he needed to work the fear and anger
out of his system.

�� Eyes's arms
circled Kousuke, fingers curling in the fabric of the t-shirt and clutching it
as if it were a lifeline. "Kousuke...I..." Even though his body shook
so hard, his quiet voice was surprisingly stilled. "..I don't know if I
can do this..."

�� Kousuke
sighed sadly, laying his cheek against the top of Eyes's head. It was strange,
but only now did he realize that he was actually taller than the other boy.
Usually, Eyes's personality and self-assurance made him seem the taller of the
two. "I wish I could help you. But the best any of us could think of was
making sure you were alone with him as little as possible. Well, and Riku
suggested smuggling you out of here and telling Kanone you were abducted by
aliens, but somehow, I don't think he'd buy that."

�� "I
don't think so either." Hearing Kousuke admit that he and the others had
already been looking for ways to get him away from Kanone was like a double-edged
sword. Relief and shame both stung at him for not having the strength to stand
up like he always had. It shook the foundation he'd very carefully created, and
he wondered if this would make them think less of him. If Kousuke would think
less of him... "I can withstand him as much as my strength allows, and
then the rest is up to my luck."

�� "We're
going to do our best to make sure that he can't corner you too much. Riku and I
already plan to make a right nuisance of ourselves. And Eyes..." He freed
one arm to gently tilt Eyes's face up to meet his, that gentle calloused touch
brushing along the silver-haired boy's skin. "If he does manage to
hurt you, I'm coming in to stop it, even if he does mop the floor with
me."

�� Eyes held
Kousuke's gaze, his blue eyes dark with the turmoil beneath the surface of that
careful expression. "Kousuke..." He never felt more grateful for that
touch, letting it brush away the smooth, possessive way Kanone had touched him
before. He almost felt as if he was using the redhead, and that hurt worse than
anything. "You...deserve better than me...both as a leader and
as...someone to love..." There was resignation in his voice. Even with the
way that Kousuke held on, reassuring him, comforting him, Eyes still expected rejection.
Especially since it was so plain in his own actions and thoughts that part of
him was still bound to Kanone whether he wanted it or not.

�� "Don't
say that. Don't even hint at it." Kousuke growled, tightening his hold on
the pale boy. "It's not your fault, what Kanone does to you. It doesn't
make you any more or less worthy of being who you are, and the only one who'd
likely disagree with me happens to be the bastard one floor below us." He
leaned forward and brushed a light kiss over Eyes's forehead. "Besides,
it's not a matter of 'deserving'. I love you. That's all there is to it, and
that's not going to change anytime soon."

�� Eyes didn't
have enough control left at the moment to stop himself from flinching at the
growl. "I need you, Kousuke. It's your touch that makes me smile now;
being with you that settles me and reminds me why I fight. Of course the other
Blade Children are family, but if you're willing to love me, then it's you I
need the most. You and...Little Narumi... but in different ways."

�� Kousuke
just sighed, letting go of Eyes and leading him over to the bed so that they
could sit down. The pale Blade Child must have been more unsettled than he'd
thought, to flinch at nothing more than a harsh tone. Once they were settled,
he pulled Eyes into his arms again, one hand rubbing gently at the shaking
boy's shoulders in hope of calming him a little. "We need you too. Even
Ayumu does, though he probably hasn't realized it yet. If nothing else, you're
the only link to his brother that he has. And if you need me, then I'm happy.
I'll stick by you as long as I'm needed or wanted."

�� The shaking
had calmed some, and Eyes shifted himself on the bed so that he was laying on
it, his head resting on Kousuke's thigh. His eyes closed as he began to rebuild
his cracked foundation, reserve coming to the surface again. In just the short
time he'd been in the room with Kousuke, he felt more reassured, better than he
had when he first arrived. "Don't lose faith in me. It's all I have. I'll
fight Kanone, but I can't do it alone."

�� Kousuke
gave a wry little smile, his hand moving to stroke the fine silver hair.
"I'm not good at keeping faith in things," he murmured, running a
thumb along one pale cheek, "but for you, I'll do it. Somehow, it's easy
to believe in you. You're not alone anymore."

�� "Thank
you." Eyes still wasn't sure how well he'd cope while Kanone was here, but
knowing that he wouldn't have to go through it alone eased him enough to regain
his composure. He would be ready to fight again.

�� Kousuke
smiled and bent down to brush a chaste kiss along the corner of Eyes's mouth.
Ah, the flexibility of the nekojin! "Get some sleep. I can't promise to be
here when you wake up, but I can at least be here until you nod off."

�� "That's
all I need then." Eyes nestled more snugly against Kousuke's body, taking
a slow deep breath to clear some of the tension. By the time he'd stopped
shaking, he was already asleep, assured by Kousuke's presence that he was safe
for the moment.

�� For a long
while, Kousuke just sat there, watching over Eyes and stroking the fine silver
hair. He was still worried, but for tonight at least he could make sure Eyes
stayed safe. Right now, it was all he could do.

~*~

�� Kousuke
stepped onto the roof of the school, breathing a soft sigh of relief. One
of the classes was having a Parents' Day thing, and he'd been beset on by
crowds of well-meaning adults who had pelted him with questions. It was
irritating, to say the least, and he'd escaped to the top of the building the
moment the lunch bell rang. Really, it wasn't even his class that
invited the parents! Why had they descended on everyone else?!

�� He very
quickly became aware that he wasn't the only one on the roof, a lone figure
standing at the rail, leaning over and watching the events below. An
opened lunch was spread on the ground by the girl's feet, wind ruffling short
brown hair and tugging lightly at her uniform.

�� Ryoko.

�� Kousuke was
surprised to see her here, considering that she normally preferred to eat in
her classroom. But then again, if his experiences were any indication,
perhaps it wasn't such a shock to encounter her, after all. And now that
he thought about it, he had some questions for her, anyway. So he walked
over, leaning on the fence next to her. "Hey."

�� "Yo,
Kousuke," she said, refraining from her usual, more violent
greetings. "Much quieter up here, isn't it?"

�� "Very.
If I get asked one more time what I want to be when I grow up, I might throttle
someone. Two more times for the question about whether or not I'll stop
dyeing my hair. Is it so hard to believe that it might be natural?
Sheesh."

�� Ryoko
couldn't help but laugh, giving him a vicious little smirk. "Well,
you do look like a J-rock reject..."

�� "Shut
up!" Kousuke protested, "Eyes fits that bill way more than I
do!"

�� "Only
because he wears more leather than you do," she retorted, nudging him with
her elbow. "You guys are hardly subtle about the way you look."

�� "Come
on, that's hardly my fault."

�� "Sure
it is! It's always your fault."

�� Kousuke raised
an eyebrow. "Is the fact that you're still involved with all the
violent stuff that you hate my fault, too?" he asked, lowering his voice a
little, just in case of listeners. "I asked Eyes to send you
somewhere safe."

�� Ryoko
turned to look at him, her brown eyes softening some, and maybe even looking a
little guilty. "I know. Kinda surprised me that he changed his
mind so quick, but I knew it was because of you. You don't have to
protect me Kousuke."

�� Don't
I?" the redhead asked softly. "Sure, you're violent tomboy who
takes a positive delight in kicking my ass, and a thousand times better than me
in most physical stuff, but I also know that you hate fighting, and that you
still blame Eyes for my first kill. If there's anyone who I'd rather not see
dragged into the bloody mess that is the life of a Blade Child, it's you."

�� "Look,
I get it, really I do. But Blade Children like us are outnumbered as it
is. Rutherford promised that I wouldn't
have to kill, and it meant that I could finally be useful." She
shrugged a little, glancing out over the school's courtyard again.
"It wouldn't be fair if I just ran."

�� Kousuke
sighed, turning to also gaze out across the schoolyards, his slender fingers
wrapping around the links of the fence. "I wouldn't blame you if you
did. Out of all of us, you have the best chance for a real life.
You should be working towards that. Heh...I may not believe that we can
be saved, but for some weird reason, it's easy for me to believe that you could
probably avoid Fate somehow. Maybe by outrunning it..."

�� "Kousuke..."
she murmured, turning her head a little more so that he wouldn't see her bite
her lip. She wasn't very good at letting him see her upset. At
least not without fists and loud demands involved.

�� Kousuke
could tell she was upset, could sense it with that strange new power that the
Hunter had forced onto him. He didn't let on, however, knowing she'd
likely hide it by hitting him. It was just their way. "Well,
just promise me you'll be careful. Quite frankly, the idea of you
suddenly going Rambo on us kind of scares me."

�� At that,
she let out a chuckle, giving him another nudge. "Would it...really
make you feel better if I...ran for a little longer?"

�� Kousuke
nodded. "You're special to me, Ryoko," he whispered, not liking
to bare himself like this, but knowing he needed to, "You're my sister and
my best friend. I don't want to see blood on your hands, because I know
it would break your heart."

�� "Then
don't you dare do something stupid," Ryoko said after a long moment of
silence while she tried to keep her composure. "Losing you would
break my heart too. And then I'll make you very sorry."

�� Kousuke
chuckled. "Yeah, that sounds like you. Maybe I should
introduce you to Riku. You two are a lot alike."

�� "Good,"
Ryoko said with a matter-of-fact nod. "Someone's gotta babysit you
while I'm gone."

�� "Hey!"

�� "'s
true." She caught him in a headlock, which reluctantly became a hug
once he was close enough.

�� Kousuke
yelped and struggled at first, but then relaxed and hugged back.
"Well, maybe you're not totally alike...her breasts would smother
me. You're safely flat."

�� Ryoko gave
a familiar growl, pulling back to slug him. "Jerk."

�� Kousuke
just grinned, pulling away from her and rubbing the sore spot on his
head. "Always and forever," he agreed cheerfully.
"So, how about we eat lunch together? I'm pretty sure that Rio's going to eventually find her way up here as well,
just as soon as she loses interest in being cute at grownups."

�� Ryoko
nodded, letting him go without much protest. "Yeah. What did
you bring me?"

�� "What
are you talking about? You've got your lunch right there! I don't
have to bring you anything!"

�� Before he
knew it, Kousuke was in another headlock, Ryoko deigning to enlighten him on
all the things he had the privilege of bringing her.� When Rio
joined them, also trying to escape the hordes of noisy parents, she plopped
down for a front row seat to Kousuke's abuse and happily unpacked her food.

�� In the
meantime, Ayumu had been looking forward to a relatively quiet lunch. Even
though he did have Hiyono in tow, going up to the roof for some alone time with
his bento and a bit of normalcy seemed to be what he'd need to prepare himself
for whatever tonight would bring. So finding out that his usual spot on the
roof was taken up by, not one, but three Blade Children didn't exactly thrill
him. He took one look at Rio, Kousuke, and
Ryoko before turning on his heel to leave again. Maybe he hadn't gotten enough
sleep, but he didn't think they should be subject to his sour mood, and in
return, he shouldn't be subjected to them seeming to be everywhere he went
these days.

�� Unfortunately,
the Blade Children noticed him. Kousuke might have just let him go, had
it been up to him, but he was currently in Ryoko's choke hold and not in a
position to decide anything.

�� Ryoko and Rio had other ideas. "Narumi!" Ryoko called.
"Come over here and explain what manners are to this idiot.� You obviously have no problem providing for
Ryuizaki-chan."

�� "Can't
I just have an hour to myself these days?" Ayumu asked in response.� The brunet didn't even want to touch the idea
that he "provided" for Hiyono, even if he had been bullied into
bringing her lunch these days.

�� "Not
today, I'm afraid," Rio sighed. "Trust
me, we wouldn't be up here bothering you, but class C is having one of those
parent day things. There's no room anywhere else."

�� Ayumu
sighed, earning a nudge from Hiyono.

�� "Stop
being such a grouch, Ayumu. It's not going to kill you to have lunch with
them," the girl insisted.

�� "You
say that now," Ayumu said under his breath. Nevertheless, he trudged over
to where they were sitting and nestled up against the wall, placing the bento
box in his lap.

�� "It's
better than down there," Kousuke said, finally managing to squirm out from
Ryoko's iron grip. "Down there, it's a bunch of nosey adults talking to
you as if you're five-year-olds, asking who your parents are and what they do.
It gets really boring for us at least, to have to keep saying over and over 'I
didn't know my dad, and my mom is dead'. The first few stunned looks are funny,
but after that, it's just tedious and a little depressing."

�� "I can
imagine," Ayumu said, actually sympathizing a little bit.

�� "My
parents are abroad," Hiyono said, munching on a carrot stick from her own
lunch box. "It's one thing to be all right with that answer, but they
don't stop there. They just keep asking questions like, 'is it for work?',
'what do they do?', and 'aren't you lonely?'." She shrugged. "It
probably really is better up here."

�� Ayumu
remembered what Kousuke had said about all of the Blade Children not knowing
their fathers...and then he thought about the story of Sayoko and her mother
that Raizo had explained in the locked room murder. Could it be that another
piece of the puzzle had to do with their mothers dying too?

�� Ryoko
shrugged. "I've never experienced being raised by two parents. Just my
mother."

�� "Ditto."
Kousuke mumbled absently, finally digging into his own lunch now that he wasn't
being mangled.

�� Rio tilted her head. "My mother died at birth, so
I've mostly raised myself. What's it like to have a father, Hiyono-san?"

�� The blonde looked thoughtful
for a moment, pressing a finger to her lips. "It's hard to say since I
don't have anything to compare it to, but... I would say that it's nice. He and
Mama are usually really busy with their work and they go abroad a lot, but when
they are home, we try to do a lot of things together to make up for it. I get a
lot of my best traits from him, Mama says. We're both stubborn." She
laughed and shook her head. "I wish you all knew what it was like."

�� "Hm...I
dunno," Rio said with a small smile.
"After all, Kousuke's mother often threatened to sell him to the Gypsies.
If she'd had a husband to spend the free time with, she might have actually
done it."

�� "Oi!
Kaasan had more restraint than that." Kousuke protested, waving his
chopsticks at her in a mock attack. "She would have waited to get a good
deal from the Turkish bordellos first, at least."

�� That got a
hearty laugh out of Hiyono, and even Ayumu had to crack a smirk.

�� "So
you knew each other before...?" Ayumu asked curiously.

�� Kousuke
nodded, taking another bite of rice before answering verbally. "I've known
Rio since...about a year before my mother
died. Mom liked her, and tended to just go nuts, dressing her in ribbons and
frills and feeding her sweets at every opportunity. I think she had a secret
dream of matching us up."

�� "Somehow,
I don't see that happening anytime soon," Hiyono giggled. "She'd walk
all over you, Kousuke."

�� Kousuke pulled a face.
"As if she and Amazon Ryoko don't already?"

�� Ryoko answered that by kicking
him.

�� Ayumu winced. "You bring
it on yourself, Asazuki."

�� "As if you don't have
your own problems with crazy girls?" Kousuke retorted, nodding towards
Hiyono. "She beats on you almost as much as Ryoko beats on me."

�� "Yes, but my punches are
at least a little bit padded."

�� "Dude,
she hits you with teddy bears. And there's no power behind them. How can you
respect a girl who hits with stuffed animals?"

�� "Excuse
me! I demand plenty of respect, Kousuke Asazuki, and it has nothing to do with
how I hit people!"� Hiyono huffed in
Kousuke's direction, crossing her arms.

�� Kousuke was
about to tease her further, but Ryoko got him in another choke hold, and Rio stole his bento box.

�� "So what about your
parents, Ayumu?" Hiyono asked, nudging the brunette again. "You don't
talk about them much at all..."

�� Ayumu
ducked his head a little, but he didn't answer, popping a piece of homemade
sushi into his mouth.

�� Kousuke
noticed the reluctance, but was distracted from anything else when he realized
his lunch had been pirated. "Hey...!"

�� "You deserve it for
insulting a girl." Rio replied tartly,
happily eating.

�� "Mou...!"

�� Hiyono grinned,
but she still glanced at Ayumu, who didn't seem to be giving her an answer yet.

�� Kousuke
looked annoyed, and then resigned. He turned to gaze at the suddenly silent
Ayumu and wondered if it was really a good idea to push him, if he didn't want
to answer. He knew he wasn't going to be the one to do it.

�� "My parents...died in a
car accident when I was twelve," Ayumu finally answered, looking up but
not really at any one of the other teens. "It was Kiyotaka that raised me
after that, and he was already seeing Madoka at the time. Mother taught me how
to cook...and my father kept me interested in learning things. A lot of the
focus shifted to Kiyotaka when he started working with the police force. I
don't really resent him or them for it, but it does make me wish that I'd had
more of a chance to overcome that shadow he'd put over my head." The boy
snapped out of it, blinking a few times and shrugging. "I didn't want to
be a downer on the conversation." He shoved another piece of sushi into
his mouth.

�� "Hey,
at least you had them, ne? And you never doubted that they cared for you."
Kousuke said. "With me, Kaasan would suddenly get this really sad look on
her face, every now and again, and I always wondered if maybe she'd have been
happier if I wasn't her kid."

�� "Don't
think like that!" Hiyono snapped, and for once, it wasn't in an annoying
way. "Unless you can say with certainty that your mother had no feelings,
there's no way that she could have regrets about having you! Mothers love their
children, and even if they don't always show it, they're happy to have a child!
You shouldn't think that way!"

�� "Whoa!"
Kousuke said, holding up his hands in defense. "I never said she didn't
care. I know she loved me." His expression shifted to something wistful, a
soft smile on his face, the first real one Hiyono had ever seen, and only the
second or third for Ayumu. "I could hear it when she sang. Kaasan could
sing like a bird, and played her harp in perfect harmony with her voice. She
used folk songs from her grandmother's country to lull me to sleep at
night."

�� There was a
moment of quiet as they let Kousuke sit with the memory. Ayumu closed his eyes,
his face not so much indifferent as it was blank. The tiny crease in his brows
proved he wasn't just ignoring them; instead, he was focused on a tiny tingle
in the back of his mind. How easily he recalled his own mother so quickly, and
the way she'd hum while she fixed dinner for his father. Ayumu lifted another
bite of his lunch to his lips, eating thoughtfully now.

�� Ryoko
looked at Rio. "Did he also get his sick
sense of humor from her?"

�� Rio shook her head. "No, that little quirk is purely
Kousuke. His mother had a much gentler personality...though she could be called
on to give one hell of a spanking when he deserved it."

�� Kousuke shot her a glare, but
didn't contest the claim.

�� "It's
really a shame you had to lose her, Kousuke," Hiyono said sadly.
"What about you, Ryoko? Your mom too?"

�� Ryoko shrugged. "My
mother died two years ago, but it wasn't much of a loss for me, to be brutally
honest. My mother was always very distant, as if she couldn't bring herself to
let me close. Probably for the same reasons why Kousuke's mother would look sad
at times. They both knew they'd likely lose us when we grew up. But she did her
best with what little of her heart she could give me, and she was the one that
first enrolled me in sports, so I have that much."

�� Ayumu
seemed to bring himself back to the present, having heard what Ryoko said.
"Does that mean that...all of your mothers knew what you were?"

�� Kousuke
nodded. "So far as we know. There might be a few that didn't, but most
seemed to be aware of what we were, and what we could become. That's why Kaasan
tried to teach me a few things about the musical arts. She'd hoped I'd have at
least something to interest me besides survival or bloody murder."

�� Rio suddenly snickered. "Oh, like those dance
lessons?"

�� Kousuke
groaned and buried his face in his hands. "Don't remind me. Those were awful!"

�� Ryoko
smirked. "Let me guess, you sucked."

�� "Big
time." Rio chimed.

�� "Somehow,
I can't picture you ballroom dancing, Asazuki," Ayumu commented with a
shake of his head.

�� "Not
ballroom. Kaylee. It's a little like square dancing, but Irish." Kousuke
sighed. "Very traditional. Kaasan was big on getting back to our
roots."

�� Hiyono snapped her fingers,
grinning. "So that's where you got the red hair!"

�� "What, you doubted the
naturalness of the color? Kaasan's was even brighter than mine."

�� "I
never said I doubted," she replied with a giggle. "But you have to
admit that it's not common to this area unless you're a J-rock fan."

�� Kousuke
wrinkled his nose in a very catlike--and unconsciously very cute--fashion.
"Bah. J-rock and J-pop are pretty boring. Give me international stuff any
day. European stuff especially."

�� Rio smirked. "Oh, so that's why you love
Eyes, huh? Just for his music?"

�� Kousuke
went red. "O-of course not! Stop that!"

�� "EEEH?!"
Ryoko cried, "When did this happen?!"

�� "They
just made it official a few days ago! Eyes looked so cute in Kousuke's
nightshirt!"

�� Kousuke
sighed and buried his face in his hands. Rio
was in yaoi girl mode again...

�� Hiyono
looked shocked, but not really put off by the idea. "So you and Eyes
Rutherford are a thing, huh? What's it worth to you for me to keep it out of
the paper..? I could get half the front page with a scoop like this..."

�� Kousuke
didn't just look alarmed. He went as white as a sheet. Even if it was just a
school newspaper, the likes of which were notorious for being more rumor and
gossip than fact, if that ever got into Kanone's hands....

�� "You'll do no such
thing!" he squeaked. Actually squeaked.

�� Ayumu shook
his head. "Relax, Asazuki, she knows better. And you just fell right into
her ploy."

�� "It's
not easy to shock you, you know," Hiyono added.

�� "Eeeesh..."
Kousuke uttered, clutching at his chest. "Don't scare me like that. Eyes
has a really jealous ex, and if he finds out, he'll skin me. As it is,
both Riku and I have been wearing ourselves to threads, making total nuisances
of ourselves and popping up wherever those two are when Kanone tries to get
Eyes alone. I feel sorry for her. I can take a break during school, but she
doesn't attend, so she's got to pick up my slack."

�� "And
besides," Ryoko said, turning to Hiyono, "who'd believe a weedy
little nerd like Kousuke could have landed someone like Eyes? No one would
believe it. You couldn't make it less credible if you popped Narumi in there
for a threesome."

�� Kousuke
choked and so did Ayumu.

�� That just
made Hiyono laugh harder at them. "You might be right about that. Forget I
mentioned it."

�� Rio tilted her head, considering. "I don't know...if
you think about it, it actually makes a really nice image..."

�� "Riiiiiioooo..."
Kousuke whined. This was doing nothing more than putting Ayumu on the spot,
even if she didn't know it.

�� "It
wouldn't be a very readable story or realistic image," Ayumu stated,
finishing the last of his lunch calmly now and packing the box away. "I'm
not gay."

�� Kousuke
inwardly grimaced. Damage completed. Ouch. "Eh, I don't know if
being gay has so much to do with mine and Eyes's relationship as it does with
mutual affection. After all, I'd probably be bi if every woman or girl I knew
wasn't psycho..."

�� "Teme!"
Ryoko growled, chorusing with Rio's annoyed
"Kousuke!" They both socked him at once, sending him to the cement
floor of the roof.

�� "Ow...see
what I mean? Sure, breasts are nice, but the ones carrying them are usually
violent and crazy..."

�� "Now
wait just a second! Women only have such survival instincts because men can't
think on their own!" Hiyono said, crossing her arms defensively.

�� "I'm
going to be the intelligent one and bow out of the conversation while I have
the chance," Ayumu said, getting to his feet. "I'll be over later for
this...meeting thing with Kanone. I'm bringing dinner, so he won't have the
option of leaving the building with me."

�� "Thank
goodness for that," Kousuke muttered, rubbing his sore head. "I'll
tell Eyes of your decision." Though it wasn't obvious to anyone else,
Ayumu knew which decision Kousuke meant, and it wasn't about meeting Kanone.

�� Ayumu
nodded and went back into the building, wondering why something wasn't settling
right in the back of his mind...

�� Of
course, Kousuke thought to himself, his gaze fixed on Ayumu for an
unguarded moment, conveying the idea without words; it won't stop us from
hoping. The doors are always open.

�� Open
doors.. Ayumu sighed to himself as he jogged down a couple flights of stairs to
plop down at the top of one of them. "Why are all of my open doors ones
that I don't think I can walk through? The ones I want to open are the ones
that are always locked." He ran a hand through his hair, having the
distinct feeling that things were only just starting to get complicated.

~*~

�� For at
least a couple of hours, Eyes saw peace, and he took grateful advantage of
it. Sitting at his desk, glasses perched lightly on the end of his nose,
he jotted down notes for the upcoming concert, pondering the order of his
songs.

�� Eventually,
the door opened a crack, and a familiar head of red hair peeked inside.
"Is it safe?" Kousuke asked, his green-gold eyes peering suspiciously
around the room for any scary German Blade Children.

�� Eyes lifted
his head, giving the barest of smiles. The lines around his eyes were
tight, his shoulders a straight line across. "For now. He is
gone on errands," he replied, lowering the pencil.

�� The redhead
nodded and stepped inside, closing the door behind him. "How you
holding up?" he asked, a little of his concern for the musician
showing. "Unlike me, you don't have school as an excuse to
escape."

�� "It's
tense," Eyes said, leaning back in his chair. Once the door closed,
he relaxed a little. "I'm glad he's gone. How was
school?"

�� "Bah,"
the older Blade Child snorted, "Stupid classmates, teachers who know less
about the subjects than I do, and special for today, nosey parents who bunches
of personal questions."

�� Eyes
wrinkled his nose. "Let me guess, something like parent day
nonsense."

�� "Right
on the dot," Kousuke agreed, walking over and leaning against the edge of
Eyes's desk, crossing his arms. "I had lunch on the roof with the
girls and Ayumu."

�� Eyes
couldn't help himself, resting his hand on Kousuke's thigh, needing the contact
more than he wanted to admit out loud. "That must have been the
pleasant part of your day then."

�� "Eh,
sorta yeah, sorta no. I got bullied by Ryoko and Rio,
and they stole my lunch for disrespecting them or something like that."

�� "Isn't
that normal?"

�� The redhead
shrugged and rolled his eyes. "Rio
made an ill-placed comment that had Ayumu declaring his not-gayness, so I'm not
so sure."

�� Eyes
blinked, pulling off his glasses with his other hand. "It isn't as
if that sort of conversation comes up often." He tried not to let
his disappointment at Ayumu's declaration show, though he'd gotten a hint of
that when he'd gotten so uncomfortable the night he'd saved Kousuke.

�� "Rio put him on the spot without realizing it, I
guess." Kousuke sighed. "It doesn't mean I'll give up, but we
did promise to give him space, so I can hardly tie him up and lock him in my
closet."

�� "Much
as I'm sure you're tempted." He shifted, resting his head where his
hand was on Kousuke's leg. "Much as we tease, it's just a matter
of...being around him."

�� "Yeah,
it is." Very gently, Kousuke stroked Eyes's hair, running his
slender fingers through the silver silk. "Just like I need to be
near you."

�� Eyes sighed
softly, the tight line of his shoulders relaxing some. "Did you tell
him...about Kanone?"

�� "I
did. He's agreed to meet with him."

�� Eyes face
almost looked pained before it evened out again. "Of all the times
for him not to be stubborn. I had hoped very hard that he'd say no."

�� "I
think it's more that Ayumu's curious. He hasn't gotten answers from us,
so now maybe he's hoping that Kanone will tell him something." Kousuke
replied.

�� "Kanone...says
that he knows not to." Though his hesitation and his tone said more
than words what he really thought of that.

�� The redhead
sighed and caressed Eyes's cheek. "I wish he was gone," he
groaned, "He's the scariest guy I've ever met, and he leaves us all
feeling like we've been through a meat grinder."

�� "Yes,
I know that well. But all we need to do is let him sniff around, find
nothing and go. If Ayumu keeps his head, Kanone will be gone in a few
days." He frowned, his brow furrowing. "He keeps
changing. More and more, he's stronger, better at words, and...I know
there's more."

�� "More?
How so?"

�� "I
don't believe that Jhette's malfunction is a coincidence, not when Jhette had
begun to say that he knew Kanone." His brow furrowed a bit
deeper. "But...I have no idea how, and thus can't prove it."

�� Kousuke
tilted his head, thinking hard. "I can't think of a way either, but
that doesn't mean there isn't one. You and I haven't survived this long
by believing in coincidence. Besides, think about the gifts I've suddenly
got. What's to say that Kanone doesn't also have some secret
'talent'?"

�� "There
isn't anything to say so," Eyes murmured, turning his face so that Kousuke
wouldn't see how much it upset him. Somehow, the redhead would know, even
if his expression were blank. "But that just makes it worse."

�� Kousuke
sighed and pulled Eyes up, wrapping his arms around him, wanting the hug just
as much as he knew Eyes needed it. "We'll deal," he told the
musician. "We'll endure this, and survive it. And then once he
leaves, we'll throw a huge-ass party, get riotously drunk, and sleep until
noon."

�� As Eyes's
arms encircled Kousuke, tightening warmly, a soft laugh bubbled up from the
pianist's throat. "I will hold you to that."

�� "Do I
get to sell the pictures of you dancing on the table with a lampshade on your
head? I'd make a fortune off your fangirls." the redhead teased.

�� "We'll
negotiate that," Eyes said, "but first you have to catch me doing
that. For all you know, I could sing off-key karaoke."

�� "I'd
still get pictures. I have many hidden pockets, and cameras are easy to
hide."

�� "I'll
remember that."

�� "See
that you do," the redhead said with a chuckle, and followed it with a
quick kiss.

�� Eyes
returned it gently, then pulled back. "I'll speak with Jhette.
I'm hoping that even with his malfunctions, he can still watch over Ayumu when
we can't."

�� "We
can hope," the other Blade child sighed, letting go of Eyes with a certain
amount of reluctance. With Kanone there, it was a risk to get too close
to each other, but it was extremely frustrating not to.

�� Eyes also
looked hesitant to lose the contact. His eyes were fierce though as he
looked up at his lover. "I want everyone here tomorrow night when
Ayumu comes. The more of us that are here, the better I'll feel about
them being on the next floor."

�� "Everyone
who lives here will be here," Kousuke agreed, "but Ryoko doesn't live
here, and I want her out of danger. You promised me that, Eyes."

�� "I
have already made arrangements for her, Kousuke. She has not
listened," Eyes said, frowning.

�� "I
talked to her today. For now, at least, she's going to lay low."

�� "And
that's where she'll stay," Eyes said, touching his hand. "I do
not break my promises."

�� The redhead
smiled, taking Eyes's hand and squeezing it gently. "I know."

�� "Good."
He wrapped his fingers around Kousuke's hand and squeezed. "I'm glad
you came to see me."

�� Kousuke
flushed, very slightly. "I wanted to see you." he murmured,
feeling almost shy. "I worry about you when you're not nearby."

�� "From
you, it means so much to me," Eyes said. He gave another little
smile. "From anyone else, I might just be offended."

�� The redhead
stuck his tongue out at him. "Well, then I guess you're going to
hate to hear that we're all worried about you right now."

�� "I'll
tell you the same thing I would tell them," Eyes said with a firm
nod. "I'll be fine."

�� "We
still would worry. I'd worry about anyone who has Kanone's
attention. I'm already worrying about Ayumu, and they haven't even met
yet!"

�� "Trust
me, I know. But what Ayumu doesn't know, he can't tell," Eyes
said. "I'll have to hope that's enough."

�� "We
both have to hope that's enough."

�� "I
have to trust him."

�� "I
trust Ayumu," Kousuke protested, "It's just that I don't trust
Kanone."

�� Eyes
nodded. "Half of the equation is better than none. We will
watch over him. For now, we just have to wait Kanone out. You just
be careful also."

�� Kousuke
nodded. "I know. But for right now, I'm not so important in
his eyes as you and the Hope. I'll be fine."

�� "You'd
better be," Eyes said.

�� "Hai,
hai. I promise." the redhead replied, squeezing Eyes's hand one more
time before letting go. "But now, I'm going to go take a nap before
tackling my homework. It's a good excuse to hide in my room for a
while."

�� "I
don't blame you, and I only wish I could join you."

�� "Yeah,
so do I. I miss you."

�� "I'm
right here," Eyes told him, his eyes softening as they only could for
Kousuke. "And I'm not going anywhere."

�� "Maybe,
but I can't get close to you while Kanone's here, and it's driving me
nuts."

�� "Soon.
I swear it."

�� The redhead
grinned and tweaked Eyes's nose. "And I," he said, "shall
hold you to that. Now, I should go nap before I end up falling asleep on
my feet. I hate how tired I am all the time."

�� "Sleep
well, Kousuke," Eyes said, wrinkling his nose before smiling.
"I'll see you later."

�� "But just
see me, alas," the redhead sighed, but gave Eyes another quick smile
before taking himself out.

�� Eyes
lingered at his desk for another few minutes, then took the elevator down to
the lower level, where the garage was, knowing that a certain truck sat there.
It was the only way that he could communicate with Jhette at the moment, since
even Riku's attempts at putting him back online had been unsuccessful. After
talking to Ayumu and getting the boy's ultimate decision to go forward with
meeting Kanone, Eyes hoped that there were some precautions he could take.

�� Finding the truck, he gently
lay a hand on the hood, touching it gently as if it were a person's arm.
"Jhette, can you hear me?" he said quietly.

�� At first,
there was no reply. But slowly, a flickering image began to form, grainy and
indistinct, but obviously the best Jhette could do under the circumstances of
the odd malfunction he'd had earlier. "Affirmative, Eyes Rutherford."

�� "What
is the status of your systems? Are you still having troubles?" he wondered,
unable to help some of the concern he couldn't exactly voice. Riku spent more
than enough time in the short period she'd been in his home going out of her
way to encourage them to treat Jhette as a real person. It was difficult, but
Eyes had begun to believe that he deserved it, however unbelievable it seemed.

�� Admittedly,
Jhette didn't help matters by constantly insisting that he wasn't a real
person, as his programming dictated. It was hard to think of someone as human
when so much of that person had been subsumed by the machine.

�� "Affirmative.
Power nodes 5 and 7 are once again functional, but 8 was permanently damaged,
corrupting 67.946 percent of the functions it supported. Fortunately, none of
those were vital, but it does make certain things a little difficult.
Intrapersonal interactions can now only be had here, at my Core, and visual
imagery is seriously compromised, as you can see."

�� "I do
see." Eyes nodded, still puzzling over what had interfered that day when
he had appeared before Kanone. Trust himself to be so suspicious that it just
didn't settle as a mere malfunction when Jhette claimed to know who Kanone was.
"Is it a problem that can be fixed within the system?"

�� The faulty
hologram moved in a way that might have been a nod. "Affirmative. However,
the estimated time needed for complete restoration will be three days, two
hours, and thirty-four minutes."

�� Almost
exactly the amount of time Kanone was staying...

�� Eyes pursed
his lips, but he made no issue of the time frame, simply nodding his head in
acknowledgement. "Forgive me for asking a favor of your already-taxed
systems, but this task of high importance."

�� "If it
is within my limited abilities, I will comply. Please state the nature of your
request."

�� "I
need surveillance on the 22nd floor, as many rooms as possible. It's not
necessary as a permanent routine, but I need it from now until tomorrow
evening." Eyes closed his eyes, hoping that Ayumu would make it out before
the next evening, but he wasn't taking a single chance.

�� It may have
just been a glitch, or bad imaging, but...it almost seemed like the
computerized Blade Child smiled. "Confirmed. My ability to monitor the
building was not compromised, just the ability to freely manifest anywhere
inside to share the information. To get my findings, one must come down here
until repairs are complete. But I will make a point of observing the 22nd
floor. Is there anything in particular I must be on guard for?"

�� "You
can still access data for Ayumu Narumi, correct?" Eyes asked, tilting his
head. He was appreciative of the confident smile and the relief that even if he
couldn't be there to do it himself, Kanone would be on watch while he was with
Little Narumi.

�� "....Unsure.
Please clarify query."

�� "When
you were in Hunter Samantha's lab, a young man by the name of Ayumu Narumi
assisted you and Riku Sorashima. You should have a catalog of his
identification and personal appearance."

�� "Ah!
Affirmative. File on subject Narumi Ayumu is still online and accessible.
Currently, I am awaiting updated information from Riku."

�� "I
will have her get that to you. He will be on the 22nd floor this evening with
another man, who I believe is not in your data banks.. a certain Kanone
Hilbert.."

�� Jhette
paused. For a long moment, the image just stood there, still and quiet, until
the soft but mechanical voice spoke again, this time with a definite tinge of
regret. "I...know Kanone Hilbert...but the relevant files were corrupted
by the malfunctions, and the data is irretrievable."

�� "I
see. You'll know him as this man..." Eyes reached into the breast pocket
of the blazer he wore and pulled out a clear, yet worn, picture of Kanone. It
was recent, sent to him in one of the last few letters.

�� A small
beam of light shot from the truck that was Jhette's body, running up and down
the photo.

�� "Scanning....image
and information stored in new file. Subject: Kanone Hilbert."

�� Eyes
frowned, narrowing his gaze. He wanted to ensure that Kanone didn't get a
second chance to mess with Jhette's database. "Request special encryption
on file 'Kanone Hilbert'. Access restricted only to username: Eyes
Rutherford."

�� "Acknowledged.
Encryption set." Jhette replied.

�� "Perfect."
Eyes patted the hood before pulling away. "Thank you."

�� "Thanks
not required. I am only serving my function as a program." the virtual boy
replied.

�� "Hopefully,
your status can be changed to something more...system-friendly." He didn't
bother to explain himself, knowing that he would be unable to do it in terms
Jhette would accept. "I will check in later." With that, he left the
garage, feeling a little bit more at ease about the meeting between Ayumu and
Kanone..

�� But not
much.
- 11
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