Adult-FanFiction.org : Anime

Our Beginning	By : Eliza_Kitty Category: +S to Z > Wolf's Rain Views: 2797 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or series of Wolf’s Rain. They belong to BONES & Keiko Nobumoto. This story is non-profit for my own and others’ enjoyment. Thank you. :)

Chapter List
- 23
- 24
- 25
Please check out my deviant art account- deviantart.com/~dearmisskitty … I uploaded this chapter, as well as a fanart of what Tsume and Toboe look like since they’ve aged... among other fanart. ;)

:D Otherwise… Enjoy! Comments please-they only inspire me to write faster. ;)

FYI: If you prefer the "uncut" version, please check out adult fanfiction dot net or deviant art.

Caution: Further chapters will contain mature content such as language and yaoi, Tsume/Toboe. Be forewarned.

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or series of Wolf’s Rain. They belong to BONES & Keiko Nobumoto. This story is non-profit for my own and others’ enjoyment. Thank you. :)

Together

“What?!” the boy exclaimed, throwing his hands on the counter.

“Like I said, there are no buses at this hour, son.” The man sighed, rubbing his temples. “You’ll have to wait until morning.”

The boy grimaced, “Do you know when the first bus gets here?”

“Nine o’clock… Which is seven hours from now…” came the weary reply. He could tell the boy in front of him was anxious and in a hurry for reasons he did not know. He smiled, trying to make up for the current predicament, “If you like, I can call the town motel and get you a room for the night?”

“Thanks, but I should get going…”

The man glanced over his shoulder at the storm, which was still coming down outside. He frowned, “In that? How? Are you going to get a ride?”

Sighing, the boy turned around and stepped over to the window. He sighed, leaning against the wall as he watched the rain dripping from the roof, street drains swallowing the rushing water as soon as it poured down. “If I can…” he frowned, “If I have to, I’ll walk.”

“Son, the next town is twenty miles from here! Please,” he spoke, “Let me get you a room.” He picked up the phone next to him, proceeding to dial before he heard a bell chime. Looking up, he shook his head, seeing that the boy had already left.

As he ran across the street, he pulled his jacket hood over his head, trying to avoid getting too wet. He proceeded to make his way out of town, walking hurriedly past the small shops and businesses, all closed for the night.

The night wind howled, the rain soaking into his clothes as he clutched his backpack over his shoulders. This would be the last time he’d ever set foot in this town, the last time he’d ever see Miri and the others. This was it.

He didn’t even look back as he ventured east, following the highway that would lead him to his destination. His thoughts raced to a familiar face and he smiled. But all though his decision was made, to find him again… he was still afraid. What changes had taken place? Was he still there?

Shaking his head, he nodded in determination.

“I’m coming, Tsume. …Please wait for me.”

…

The ceiling fan blades whirred around very slowly, their sound inaudible. He laid on the ground, blankly staring at the ceiling. His mind was beginning to recall what had happened and where he was…

Everything around him seemed like it was going in slow motion. He couldn’t hear anything either aside from muffled noises. Had he lost his hearing? …That gunshot. It must have gone off right by him. Was he hit? He couldn’t feel anything …

And what was more… he could only see out of his right eye. He slowly brought his hand up to touch his face. He could feel the slashed flesh beneath his fingertips, tracing it from his lower lip to his left brow. His left eye had already swollen shut.

When he pulled his hand back to look, it was covered in dripping in his blood.

He groaned, beginning to feel the pain now taking place. He then began to hear the muffled noises turn into voices. Turning his head to the side, he saw Santi lying on the ground a few feet away from him. Her expression was blank, her eyes hollow as blood dripped from her lifeless body.

Frowning in anger, he realized that she was dead, a gunshot wound gaping wide open in her chest.

He could feel that there were others in the apartment with him. The sound of rummaging through drawers and cabinets could be heard from the other rooms. Glancing to his right, he saw one man lurking through his refrigerator. “Hey, did you find anything of worth?” he called out, grabbing a bottle of beer.

They didn’t know he was conscious, did they?

“Yeah!” a man’s voice answered back, coming into the room. “What do ya think?”

The man on the ground’s eyes widened when he heard the familiar clinking sound. It was the kid’s silver bracelets. He’d forgotten to pack them in his bag… His mind began playing memories in his head once more… those bracelets being the only thing he’d left behind. Had it been an accident? …Or was it on purpose?

Even if it wasn’t intentional, he’d kept them with him until now. Every now and then, he would pull out the drawer by his bed and pull out those silver bracelets. He’d play with them in his hands, examining the scratches and listening to clinking sounds they made as he remembered what he had lost.

And now, he wanted those bracelets back. They were worth more to him than anything.

He could feel the numbness fading from his body, the pain increasing in his face. As he closed his eyes, he could feel his pulse racing. What would be the plan now?

“Sure, they might get something.” the first man’s voice answered, “Any money?”

“No… maybe in his bag?”

He could hear the second man walking over to him, a continued search still going on in another room by the third man. Could he take all three men, regardless of his wounds?

“I’m gonna see what he’s doing… We’re not getting paid by the hour.” the first man spoke, the sounds his steps leaving the room.

This was his chance.

As soon as the second man bent over to check his backpack, he shot his eyes open, causing the man to gasp. In that second, he quickly grabbed the man’s legs, pulling them out from under him. The man landed with a heavy thud, a black boot suddenly crashing into his head, knocking him unconscious before he could call for help.

“What’s going on?” a man’s voiced called out from the other room.

The silver haired man bit his lip, bending over to pick up the silver bracelets that the second man had dropped when he was attacked. Quickly slipping them onto his left wrist, he grabbed his backpack and hurriedly took off out the front door.

As he made his way down the flights of stairs, he could hear the men in the apartment above him, “SHIT! SHIT! SHIT!”

This made him run faster, making it out the front door and onto the street. Immediately he saw a black jeep parked on the curb, the doors taken off the sides. He further saw that the keys were in the ignition. This must have been their car.

Hearing hurried footsteps from inside the apartment building, he made an impulsive decision. He threw his backpack in the front seat, quickly jumping in next to it and starting the vehicle. He didn’t look back as he took off. They were stupid to leave their car like this. How could he have been so lucky?

But no… he wasn’t lucky.

He groaned, biting his lip as he thought of his friend, Santi… her body still lying on the floor of his apartment... It was his fault.

But wait! What about Bastian and Sam?!

Horns blared wildly as the jeep suddenly swerved right and made its way, turning sharp around a corner with a screech. The man drove as fast as he could, making his way back to the restaurant. The streets were busy that night, the lights and people blurring past the jeep in a colorful whirr.

What seemed like hours were only minutes before he finally pulled up, parking the jeep on the curb. He hurried pulled the keys out of the ignition, jumping out and running into the building. The bar door swung open, revealing what he was worried about.

There lay Bastian, his body slung over the counter as blood dripped down the wood paneling. He ran over to him, hoping to do something but it was too late. When he approached him, he saw that his throat was slit open, the blood now caked and dried around the wound.

He moved the lifeless body off the counter and laid it on the ground. “I’m sorry…” The man grimaced, the guilt beginning to overwhelm him.

It was then that he heard groaning from the back and stood back up. He rushed to the back room, anxious to see where the sound had come from. Upon entering the kitchen, he saw legs stretched out behind a counter. Gulping, he stepped over, seeing his friend leaning against the wall, his hand pressed over a bloody wound in his stomach.

“Sam…” he breathed, running to his side and kneeling next to him. “Sam, I’m so sorry…”

“Tsume,” the man coughed, blood trickling from his lips, “Yo’ face…”

Tsume remembered his own wounds and frowned, “Forget that, you-“

“No…” Sam slowly choked out each word, “Dey told me… to tell ya,” he coughed again, “Keith doesn’ fo’git his promises.”

Tsume looked down, growling, “Don’t... Just stop talking.” He began to stand, “I’m going to call an ambulance-“ He stopped then, feeling a hand gripped onto his arm. Looking back, he saw Sam’s face… smiling at him, “I ain’t mad… Dis is nothing.”

“Sam…”

“You still alive. You gotta… keep livin’. Okay? Jus… keep livin’…”

Tsume stood up, looking away as the light left from Sam’s eyes. His life faded away from him, leaving nothing behind but a bloodied body with hollow eyes, still smiling as it lay there.

Suddenly, the sound of a car pulling up caused Tsume to jerk his head up, rage filling his face. With a determined grunt, he swung open the kitchen door and headed to the front. He took a moment to stop at Bastian’s body, kneeling over and searching for a gun. He knew he kept one on him for protection dealing with the fighting bets.

Finding it in the body’s right pocket, he pulled it out and stood back up. Checking that he was loaded, he cocked the weapon in his hand and walked over to the front door. He could hear them outside. It was now or never.

The front door of the bar swung open, the silver haired man stepping out. Blood trickled down from the wound on his face, soaking into his shoulder blade and dirtied white tank. His face was set in a furious scowl, glaring at the two men stepping out of a red car. It wasn’t theirs.

“What? You didn’t think we’d follow you? Your little girlfriend was nice enough to leave it for us.” the first man smirked, “Stupid here forgot the keys to our jeep.” He nodded to the man next to him who frowned, “Hey!” he replied, right before a gunshot rang out, sending him flying to the ground with a gaping hole in his head.

“What the fuck?!” the first man shouted, looking to the dead body next to him and then back at the silver haired man. He was shocked, his eyes wide as he bit his lip. The man in front of him stood calmly in front of him, cocking the gun in his hand once more. The look in his right eye was gone, nothing but menace left.

“Y-you…” the man spoke worriedly. Then he growled, “You can’t just do that!” he shouted angrily, right before the man came at him, sending him crashing against the red car behind him. He gasped out in pain before noticing that his attacker now had him pinned, his gun pressed into his throat. He began to sweat, panicking.

“Can’t what?!” the man screamed at him, “This?!” he yelled before firing the weapon, taking the man’s life. His blood splattered onto the car behind him, the body slumping onto the concrete below to join the other one.

Tsume stood straight, sighing as he looked down at the two bodies, laying in their own blood. It had to be done. This was the only way to end it. They killed his friends. This is what they deserved… wasn’t it?

It was then that a car drove past, causing him to recall his situation. He shook his head, groaning.

Shit…

Running back into the bar, he ignored the body of his friend on the ground. He went past the counter, pulling out a drawer and searching for something. When he found the first aid kit he grabbed it, deciding he didn’t have time to go to the hospital, nor did he want to. He gritted his teeth and stood back up, running back out to the jeep.

He started the car as soon as he jumped in.

As he drove away from the mess he’d created, he realized that he didn’t feel relieved like he should have been. He now had more lives to account for… And here he was again, running away. Nothing would ever change.

He would leave this city, see how far he could get once again… before Keith caught on. He wasn’t going to stop until he was dead, his revenge fulfilled. All he could do was keep running.

When would it end?

It wasn’t go to… unless… Images of mountains, fields of flowers and a running stream flashed into his mind. He shook his head.

Not now, he thought. Not now…

…

The sun was unbelievably hot, beating down upon the boy that walked along the highway, no view of his destination in sight. The land stretched on forever, visible steam rising off the cracked and dried dirt. The desert wind was still with no clouds in the sky, making the heat unbearable. He was wearing a tanned hat and a long sleeved white shirt to shield his skin from the sun.

The sound of his water jug sloshed about as he walked along with it tied to his waist. His backpack was heavy on his shoulders and he could feel the sweat dripping beneath his clothes. He groaned, sticking his tongue out to try and quell his exhaustion but to no use.

He couldn’t even believe that this was the same land that was beating down rain that night. Now everything was dried up again. He couldn’t stand this desert weather… unbelievable heat during the days and freezing nights… of course with a rare storm once in a while.

Sighing, he thought to himself. It had been what, five days now?

He had been beating himself up ever since he left that town. He wasn’t just stupid and impatient for not waiting for the bus. Ten hours later, after he made it to the next town, he realized that he’d forgotten his checkbook and debit card back at the village. He was too far off to go back.

Luckily, he had some cash on hand. But it wasn’t enough to get him as far as his old city, which was about a week away of non-stop driving. Two days later, he couldn’t afford to stay in a motel any longer, let alone bus rides. He also didn’t even have any forms of identification. So it wasn’t even like he could even stop at the next town’s bank and try to get his funds. He felt hopeless.

And he still had a long way to go… By then he had decided to walk the rest of the way, thankful that he had a sleeping bag on hand. Without motels, he could save as much money as he could for food… until he made it back to Tsume. He remembered that he had left another checkbook with him. Yes, that would work… as long as he was still there.

He sighed again. It was something that kept bothering him. He knew he was on the right path, but… what if he wasn’t waiting anymore?

Moaning, he shook his head. No, he thought, I have to keep going… I have to try.

He stopped for a moment to take a break, bending over. Maybe he could try to hitch a ride? …And get killed by a crazy person. Yes, that was a great idea. He frowned. Even if a car did come along… It was so rare that one would even drive through. Not even the buses…Wait a second… His eyes widened.

Dropping his backpack on the ground, he unzipped the front pocket, pulling out a pamphlet of paper. Hurriedly unfolding the map, he could feel his pulse racing. Where was he?!

Scanning the map, he bit his lip. “No, no, no…” he spoke out loud.

Glancing up, he turned his head to look around, trying to find his bearings. He was at two cross streets… which happened to be dirt paths. No… when did he go off the highway?!

He grabbed his head, feeling tears in his eyes as began to panic. “TOBOE!” he shouted at himself, his voice echoing throughout the dried up land.

How could he have been so stupid, not paying attention?! How long had it been since he went off track?! …

Trying to calm down, he looked at the map again, tracing his finger along the drawn streets and structures. So it must have been about an hour ago… he must have just taken one wrong turn. That was it. He could go back, just trace his steps backwards. Yes, that would work!

… But… He looked down at his feet, then from side to side. No! Which way did he even come from?!

Before he began to panic once more, he remembered what he needed. His compass! He bent over, searching the front pocket of his backpack. It had to be here. No, maybe the other pocket? No… the other one then! He was frantically searching by now, his breathing heavy, his eyes wide. Growling, he took the backpack and turn it upside down, spilling everything out.

Glancing at the emptied contents he realized that it was not there.

Toboe whined, sitting on the ground and bringing his legs up against his chest, burying his head into his knees. How could he have been so forgetful in a time like this… he had been in such a hurry that he left what he really needed. …But at least he had the map… what good it did him…

He was going to die in this desert. Nothing left but bones and dirt… No more searching. No more paradise. No more Tsume.

Tsume…

Wait a second…

Lifting his head up, he wiped away the tears from his face full of determination. He wasn’t going to give up that easily. He could do this!

Going into his true form, the red wolf began sniffing the ground. He padded around the cracked earth for what seemed like forever before he finally caught something. Lifting his head up once more, a boy now stood straight and ran to get his backpack. He pulled the bag over his shoulders again, nodding to himself.

But just as he was about to go back the direction he had come, he heard the cry of a hawk overhead. He stopped in his tracks, glancing upwards. The sun immediately blared into his eyes and he brought his right arm up to cover his face.

Toboe could see the bird now, soaring above him. It flew away a good distance before it turned around, coming back to him. Circling above him, the hawk cried out once more before it left him again, flying in the opposite direction.

What was this? Did he want him to follow him?

He couldn’t just… He looked back in the direction of where he had caught the scent, back to the bus route. No… Looking down, he frowned. This was the right way, he was sure… but this bird was telling him otherwise.

The boy wanted to believe he was crazy, imagining this scene playing out in front of him… But he knew that wasn’t true.

Gritting his teeth, he clutched onto his backpack and took off after the bird. You better not get me killed, he thought. He glanced up once more as he ran, trying to keep up with the hawk flying overhead. He couldn’t care anymore… he didn’t care. This was his new path…

He just knew…

…

It had been hours since the hawk led him away from the roads and now it seemed that he was in the middle of nowhere. The sun was still mercilessly beating down upon him as he walked along. The hawk had flown out of sight a while ago, now replaced with buzzards that loomed above him.

He was far past the regretting stage as he stumbled along, reach for the water jug that hung off his side. He paused in his tracks, frowning. There was barely anything left… He let go of it, letting the little water that was splash around inside the jug as it hit his thigh. He should save it as a last resort.

Just a couple of hours to go before the sun would finally set… Being that it was in the late afternoon, the day was at its hottest.

He sighed, wiping the sweat from his brow. Once again… he’s made a horrible mistake. Or so it seemed…

If that was the case, why did he feel urged to keep going on the same path? He could have turned around long ago and gone back the way he came.

Turning his head back, he frowned. He felt so hopeless.

Shrugging, he turned back to the way he was going and continued on. Every now and then he would look up to the sky, watching those buzzards that were circling him. They were just waiting for him to die, weren’t they?

“Screw you!” he shouted in the air, a part of him wishing it would drive them away. But they only ignored his unsuccessful cries.

Whining again, the boy bit his lip, looking down as he stepped over the cracks in the dirt. It was several minutes later that his stomach growled. He wanted to cry. He had some bread in his backpack, but knew that once he ate it, he would be even more thirsty than he already was.

He shook his head and continued on, trying to ignore the pain in his gut. He hadn’t eaten since the night before when he stopped in the last town. He didn’t plan on going off the main roads, let alone no roads at all. He hadn’t seen any towns, not even cars since then.

Every now and then he was caught off guard, seeing images of places and people that he used to know. He’d heard of the desert before, the tricks it played out in the heat like this. Mirages.

At first he would spot lakes filled with water, towns, cars driving by… anything that his heart desired. But as he desperation grew… he began to see wolves, running along the desert scape. Kiba… Hige, Blue… They were enticing him to run with them, to join them on their search.

But it wasn’t them. He’d even seen Miri and her pack, waiting for him, just standing there and beckoning him to join them again in that field of lunar flowers. He was so tired that his mind had resorted to empty promises and delusions.

This was pointless.

The boy stopped in his tracks, dropping his backpack at his feet. Frowning, he sat down, crossing his legs and leaning over on them. It wouldn’t hurt to rest for a bit, at least until nightfall. Maybe then he could start again, the heat would be gone and he could move faster. But with little to no water…

He groaned, falling back onto the ground. He pulled his hat over his face, ignoring the sounds of the buzzards calling out overhead. Most likely they thought it would be any time now and they would have their feast.

The boy didn’t even notice as he began to drift off to sleep, exhausted from walking without much nourishment…

“Toboe…” a woman’s voice spoke gently, petting the little boy’s soft auburn hair as he leaned onto the bed next to her, shaking with tears. “Toboe, please don’t cry…”

He looked up, his face red with snot and tears soaking into his skin. It was when he looked at her smiling face that he bit his lip and cried again, “Mama, please don’t leave me…” He threw his arms and face onto the soft bedding once more, clutching at the blankets around her.

The woman stroked a delicate hand over his once more, going to his chin and gently pulling him up to face her. “Sweetie, it makes me sad to see you like this.” She was about to cry herself, but instead she remained strong for him. “You shouldn’t be sad,” she was having trouble getting the words out, occasionally coughing into her hand.

“But Mama, I don’t wanna…“ the little boy sniffled.

“I want you to be happy,” His mother smiled, “Don’t waste those beautiful tears.”

The boy nodded, wiping his face and rubbing his eyes. “You need to be brave… for Gran. Okay?” the woman continued and the boy nodded once more, “Soon,” the woman looked down, coughing into her hands once more, “We’ll all be together again in paradise.” She smiled at him again, wearily reaching out and placing her face on his cheek.

He could feel her skin growing cold and he bit his lip, placing his hands over hers, “Mama…” he began to cry again.

“Promise me, Toboe… we’ll only cry tears of joy from now on…” she breathed, the light slowly fading from her eyes, “…promise me.”

“Mama?” he waited, “…Mama?” he clutched onto her hands. “Mama?!” He kept calling her name, waiting for a reaction but nothing came. “No… Mama, don’t go, Mama!” he bit his lip again, tears pouring down his face as he shook his mother’s arm, her body not responding. “Mama, please, no!”

“…DON’T GO, MAMA!”

Toboe’s eyes shot open and he sat up, his hat dropping from his face and onto the ground. He brought his hand up to his head and groaned, finding that he now had a headache. That was another wonderful thing this heat could bring on.

“Ouch!” he exclaimed, feeling something hit his side. Glancing to his right, he saw one of the buzzards next to him and waved at it, growling. “Get away!” he yelled. He then heard the sound of a wrapper crinkling and his eyes widened.

Looking in front of him, he saw the other two buzzards in front of his backpack, which was torn open. Between the two of them, they were wrestling each other for what remained of his bread. “No!” he cried, leaping forward to stop them. But it was too late.

One of the birds dodged him, flapping away as the other grabbed the rest of the bread and flew off. “You fuckers!” Toboe screamed, trying to grab at the one with his food. That was all he had left!

All three of the birds flew up into the sky, screeching wildly as if to taunt him. All he could do was bite his lip and groan as he watched them soar away from him, leaving him there to starve and die. He watched them until they were out of sight before hanging his head, a tear dropping down his face.

“Dammit…” he muttered, “…DAMMIT!” his cries echoed across the land, the sun finally beginning to set in the distance. Growling, he stomped over to his ripped up backpack, kicking it away from him. He fumed for a while before finally sitting down.

Reaching to his side, he found his water jug and began to undo the lid before noticing the water was all gone. His face fell, realizing that the lid had not been tight enough. It must have slowly been leaking the whole time…

“This figures.” He sighed.

He felt like giving up, now more than ever. He’d come so far, only to sentence himself to a sure and slow death. It was only a matter of time before those buzzards would return for his carcass, perfectly roasted by the sun… How long could he last without water or food?

Sighing again, he stood up and walked over to his backpack. He found a shirt nearby and wrapped it around, tying it to close off the hole. The few things that had fallen out, he stuffed them into the backpack as well. Standing up, he slung it over his shoulder, proceeding to start walking again.

His throat was so dry, his stomach so empty… He was surprised that there were even tears in his eyes.

Suddenly, he noticed something from the corner of his eye. Glancing to the right, he saw a what appeared to be a wolf, walking his way. Shaking his head, he remembered the mirages from before. This was just another one, wasn’t it?

But when he looked back again, the wolf was now a tall figure.

Toboe growled, angry with the tricks the desert was playing on him. He’d had enough.

“LEAVE ME ALONE!” he yelled into the distance, turning the other way. He clutched onto his backpack, pulling his hat down over his head. Wiping his tears away, he began to walk in the opposite direction of the blurred mirage.

“Toboe?!” a distant voice called to him.

The boy stopped in his tracks, his eyes widening.

Wait… he knew that voice… No…

Toboe slowly turned around, seeing the figure that was headed his way. He gulped, unsure of what he was seeing. He could feel his heart beating faster as he looked down again. He knew that this was only the desert torturing him. No, he thought… it’s not him. There’s no way…

“Toboe!” the voice called again, getting closer.

When the boy looked up again, he could see the figure clearer this time. He stood there, standing still and frozen as the man began to run to him.

This wasn’t a delusion…

It was real.

He could see the man’s eyes now, those golden pupils glowing as they raced toward him.

“Tsu…” he breathed, dropping his backpack, “TSUME!” he cried.

Toboe began running as fast as he could, regardless of his exhaustion. He let go of everything that mattered, tears falling from his eyes as his hat flew off his head. “TOBOE!” he heard his name being called again and he bit his lip. Was he dead? Was this paradise?

The boy fell into the arms of the man when they finally met up upon the cracked earth. The sun was setting behind them as the man clutched onto his shaking body. He stroked the boy’s long auburn hair, running his fingers through it and gripping onto his back. “Toboe…” he whispered.

“Tsume…” Toboe sobbed, pulling back and gazing at the man’s face. He didn’t recognize him when he looked at him, his hair longer than he remembered, half of his face wrapped in bandages. The boy traced his lover’s right brow, his fingers grazing down and past his lips. Was this really him?

But when he looked into those golden eyes, he remembered everything. “Tsume,” he cried again as his lover’s eyes began to water. The man took the boy’s face in his hands, gazing into the boy’s hazel eyes. Holding onto his cheeks, he watched as the boy placed his hands over his, smiling at him through his tears.

Toboe closed his eyes then, lifting his head up to softly press his lips against Tsume’s.

When their lips parted, the man kissed the boy’s forehead, then the side of his head, followed by his neck and shoulder. His lips touched everywhere he could take in that ever familiar scent of peaches.

The boy couldn’t help but choke out small giggles at the man’s gentle touches, gripping around him and pulling him closer. He nuzzled into his chest, remembering what it felt like to be held like this… It had been so long ago... He couldn’t believe that this was real.

He’d finally found his paradise.

…

The fire embers glowed and twisted in the night, crackling sounds sparking from the wood that burned. The moon was half full, dully lit in the sky while the stars sparkled brightly. The desert air was cold, two figures huddled together underneath a blanket as they leaned up against the front tire of a black jeep. The fire cast shadows and light upon their faces as they watched the flames dance.

The boy nuzzled against the man’s shoulder, breathing in his scent of sweet musk and sweat. He was holding onto his hand, occasionally tracing his fingers along the man’s knuckles. His skin was just as rough as it was before, not soft like his. That was one of the many things he loved about him.

He frowned then, his thoughts running with curiosity. What path had led him here to him? Had he been searching for him all along? Or was this just fate? He wanted to ask him what had happened to his face, where he had been… what he had seen… But for now, he was just happy to be next to him… It didn’t seem real.

“Tsume,” he spoke gently, “Please tell me this isn’t just another dream.”

Tsume smiled and kissed his forehead. “This isn’t just another dream.” He repeated the words, rubbing the boy’s shoulder. He couldn’t believe he was in his arms again. A part of him wondered if he was asleep after all. There had been so many times before… it was just like this… and then he would wake up, feeling empty and alone.

He closed his eyes as he felt the boy tracing the lines of his fingers and knuckles. It felt so nice, the touch of his soft skin. As they lay in silence together he began to wonder why they were here. Was this the destiny that Toboe spoke of? Maybe it was real… this paradise.

The world was filled with so much grief, but this was worth every bit of it… even if it wasn’t going to last forever.

“Toboe…” Tsume frowned.

The boy didn’t say anything, which made him feel even guiltier. Another moment passed before the boy slowly pulled away from him. “The fire’s dying,” he spoke, tossing the blanket off. He stood up and stepped over to the fire, crouching next to it. He picked up a stick nearby and began poking at the embers, making the flames fly a little higher. “That’s better,” he commented.

“Toboe, I-”

“I’m still hungry.” Toboe continued, “Do you have any more hotdogs we could throw on here?” He was ignoring Tsume on purpose. He didn’t like the serious tone in his voice. It scared him.

“Toboe,” Tsume spoke again.

“What?!” the boy finally answered, glaring at him.

“I can’t stay here… I have to go.” Came the reply.

Tears immediately began appearing in Toboe’s eyes. He looked away from him, not stopping to stir the fire. Why would he say that? …They had spent over a year apart. They had finally found each other again. They were happy now… weren’t they?

“Why not?” he asked, even though he didn’t want to. He poked at the fire, trying to hide his discontent. But he couldn’t help it, the whining in his tone and the sad look on his face gave him away.

“I can’t be with you… I’m sorry…”

The boy bit his lip, sitting still. He wanted an explanation. “Why not?!” he repeated his words again, angrier this time.

Tsume looked down, frowning. “After tonight,” he bit his lip, “I have to go... I’ll drive you to the nearest town. Where were you going?”

How could act like he didn’t even care? It didn’t make sense… “I was looking for you!” Toboe spat at him, “Weren’t you looking for me?!” He watched as the man looked up at him, his eyes wide. Tsume hung his head again, “Honestly… no. I wasn’t.”

Toboe could feel his heart sinking. How could he say that?

“I…” the man sighed, “It’s too dangerous for you to be near me.”

Toboe bit his lip, dropping the stick in the fire. He watched as the embers began to eat away at it. He couldn’t understand how it had already come to this… Even though he felt sad, he could feel the heat in his cheeks rising. He was growing angry.

He stood up then, clenching his fists, “How can you… Why do you get to decide?” he bit his lip, “You don’t understand… what it was like…I-I don’t want to be alone anymore!” he huffed, tears trickling down his cheeks.

He frowned, turning his head away and wiping his face with his arm, “It’s not fair, Tsume…” he sobbed.

“Please don’t make this harder than it already is...”

“Well, I’m not leaving! …So just get used to it.” He crossed his arms, looking away from him.

“Toboe…”

“What?!” he yelled angrily.

“You’ll be dead because of me!” Tsume yelled back at him. The boy stopped crying and stood there, watching as the man rested his head in his hand. “…Do you remember those men I killed?”

“Yes…” he heard the boy mutter and continued, “Well, they found me… I’ve been on the run for over a year now, going from town to town and trying to stay alive…”

“Is that why you grew your hair out?” the boy asked, his tone softened now.

Tsume looked up at him, still frowning, “That’s part of it, yes…” he growled, “You see this?” he pointed to his face. Toboe nodded, grimacing at the thought of how that could have happened, what lied underneath.

It was when Tsume looked up at him, that Toboe found himself softening. He nodded and the man continued, “I was lucky that this was all they got…” he bit his lip, “But you… I would never forgive myself... I couldn’t keep on living if you… if…” he was looking away from him, his tone turning to sadness.

“Tsume…” Toboe breathed, kneeling next to him. He could feel that he was upset, his heart heavy. He almost regretted acting so angrily towards him. It wasn’t that Tsume didn’t want to be with him. It was that he couldn’t… He loved him too much to be close to him again.

The boy frowned. Was it worth risking everything?

…He had nothing without him. And then he remembered those wise words, …If life has no purpose, you’re already dead…

Toboe wrapped his arms around him then, resting his head against his. A moment later he felt the man’s arms gripping onto him and he closed his eyes. He could feel Tsume weaken as he held onto him. He didn’t know if he was crying. But he could feel that he was giving in; he was letting go.

The man breathed in the boy’s scent, clutching onto the soft fabric of his shirt. He could feel the anger inside of him dying down, his worst fears slowly melting away… But he couldn’t help but worry. He was risking too much… even now, just holding onto him. He didn’t want to go down this path again…

“Toboe, what am I going to do?” he asked, not expecting the answer that came.

“We’re going to find paradise.”

Tsume frowned, still holding onto him. “Paradise? Toboe…”

“They won’t find us there…” Toboe spoke softly, “So we’ll keep running.” He could feel Tsume’s arms wrap tighter around him and he smiled. Stroking his silver hair, he pulled him closer, hugging onto him.

“We’ll find it, Tsume… together.”

***

Kya! Love it??? ;)
- 23
- 24
- 25
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

Our Beginning