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Coincidence	By : Kiba Category: +. to F > Ai no Kusabi Views: 9481 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Ai no Kusabi, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 25
- 26
- 27
***

All spelling and grammatical errors are the responsibility of the Beta.*

*Author�s Note: Only the first part of the chapter is betaed and includes changes for which I'm grateful to my Beta. I tent to confuse her with second versions of the same chapter and somewhere down the line the second part of this one went unbetaed. I will edit it, as soon as the corrections are done. So no blaming the beta - the errors stay mine.

To cocoko5:

Thank you! I hope, I didn't make you wait too long. Work kept me busy.

To llyoung:

Thank you very much and welcome!

***

chapter 26: reunion

Raven rode the bike down Orange Road, admiring the stars of the night sky.

So many.

Fresh air brushed pleasantly cool against his skin. The clothes he wore hung loosely. Since he borrowed them from Guy, they were too big. Even with a belt and undershirt, they couldn't hide his scrawny features. While he kicked the bike into high gear, Raven realized how oddly pampered his life had been ever since Danae. Back then he had had his share of food, could roam around relatively free and even do work he enjoyed. These were luxuries that were not easily obtained by non-citizens and lowly mongrels who counted as non-human yet he has had it all and had ended it by his own hands.

And I would do it again.

But even though he became a little nostalgic, and it became worse the closer into view the old pharmacy came.

~

He moved the bike to the far wall hiding it as good as possible in the pavement. Balling his hand into a fist a couple of times, he realized the knuckles still hurt.

It was worth the trouble.

Raven had nearly laughed his ass of when he realized the vehicle being his own. The very one that carried him to the wasteland four years ago.

He edged his way towards an old window, wiped some dust from the sill and lifted himself up to settle on it. Nothing had changed. The pharmacy looked all the same , but Raven could not bring himself to enter Katze's apartment yet.

I so missed the sky and the calm.

Lucius Point was never tranquil - too many people and even if he managed to slip away for a while, the sky was never clear. So he enjoyed it for the time being.

~

Click

Click

Raven pressed himself against the wall, trying to hide in the shadows. He had in fact fallen into a light slumber, there under the starry sky and with the balmy breeze. Realizing the futility of hiding now, he bit his lips.

Click

He knew that calm and steady footfall.

Click

Click

The sound cut deeply into his brain, nearly immobilizing him. It was an old familiar cadence. There was no doubt who was being announced by that sound.He knew, even before he saw the aristocratic appearance that made Raoul. Still his heart missed a beat and his flesh crept when the Blondie's gaze met his. Raven's world stopped. It started moving again when Raoul wrapped his arms tightly around him, engulfing all his senses with his scent.

"You ran." Raven murmured with disbelief in his voice and with eyes wide open.

"I missed you."

Holding back upwelling tears, Raven pressed his head against Raoul's chest in pure shock. No matter how hard he wanted to collect himself, the trembling of his knees did not disappear. The Blondie ran a hand through his dyed hair and his breath caressed Raven's skin when he added, "my love."

Such simple words, yet potent in their underlying layers of meaning that Raven broke apart.

How did he always end up in an emotional maelstrom?

Thus they seemed frozen in time, none daring to move or say another word. The downpour that suddenly fell in torrents, accompanied by thunder and growling and scourging rivulets through the broken window pane, woke them from their stupor, at least Raoul, who urged the mongrel deeper into the building towards the hidden door in the elevator.

~

Raoul was reluctant to release Raven from his tight hold , but the mongrel's hair and back were soaked. He ghosted a finger over the contour of Raven's face noting the subtle changes brought by time's hand. In its final caress fingers gently removed a wet strand from one of Raven's eyes.

Those eyes .

He found himself distracted by the light hair color. That he didn't like the shade at all surprised him.

Raven swallowed the lump in his throat and pointed to the bathroom, "I go dry off."

The Blondie just nodded. Rushing the mongrel at this point wouldn't do him any good but anyway it tugged at his heartstrings that Raven practically fled the room. He turned in the opposite direction to gather some clothes from Katze's bedroom.

Once in the bathroom, Raven's determined steps grew hesitant. He needed a moment to collect himself. His body felt totally numb, and he did not have the energy to move, no less to take off his wet clothes. He rummaged through the cabinet in search of a towel. When he took one out, something fell to the floor with a metallic clink. He bent down taking the object with shaking fingers.

"That thing..."

It was the ring, his pet ring, the one he had Guy return. A movement, mirrored in the glossy tiles, caused him to turn around, looking scared.

"Raoul!" How long had he been standing there watching?

He hid the ring behind his back. The Blondie approached him slowly and wriggled it free from his hand.

"I already wondered."

The glint of sadness in his eyes stabbed Raven right in the heart. He murmured, "I'm sorry." but Raoul simply stated, "Don't be." and crushed the ring with what looked little more force he would have used to crush an egg.

Raven's gaze dropped. He felt small and the heaviness of the atmosphere became suffocating. It was not such a simple thing to destroy that thing when it held so many meanings when it symbolized so much. Some of the meanings held dark tones, painful memories, but there were lighter notes, lighter shades with happy memories. A part of Raven’s mind echoed back the ghost of the ring's true nature: conditioning... behavioral modification... dirty tricks used to control and subjugate. Eventually Raoul took pity on him and started toweling his head.

"We should get you out of these clothes."

An impulse to surrender himself to Raoul took possession of Raven, sprouting from the depths of his being and extending through his whole body like liquid fire. On the edge of yielding to this desire from the very moment the Blondie appeared in front of him, he gave in and threw himself into his welcoming arms.

"Raven," Raoul breathed, hugging the shattered mongrel as tight as possible. When it became clear he would do nothing to get rid of the wet fabric, he wore, and Raoul peeled him out of the shirt. Angry bruises in the shape of fingers became visible, once the collar was removed. It stirred an irrational strong anger in Raoul, making his lips twist. He traced the bruises moving down to the calloused lines on his shoulders.

Zero gravity modules.

The mongrel shivered under his touch.

"You are awfully thin."

Raven let out a muffled sigh. Raoul caught his face with booth hands and kissed him sweetly, gently nibbling the lower lip. There was no denying it, Raven started to melt. He bit his lips in a futile attempt to oppose the Blondie's embrace.

Desire... guilt... two opposite poles, yet potent emotions tugged at Raven's mind. One word... one name resounded clearly in his mind while an image implanted in his mind's eye came into focus.

Kris

It seemed as though the Blondie had never kissed him so sweetly before. Raoul stroke his face and ran his fingers through his hair.

Kris

Raoul started drying him again, rubbing the towel in circles down his back. There was already nothing to do. Raven's extremely sensitive body moved on his own accord, seeking Raoul's caresses, and Raven began to sob, piteously impotent before his own nature, that left him defenseless in the Blondie's embrace.

"Long time..."

Katze's wet frame appeared in the door, a cigarette dangling from the corner of his mouth.

Raoul answered, "We took the liberty of waiting inside."

"I intended to wait next door but could use a towel."

Raoul handed him one from the cabinet.

"I didn't think there was much to surprise me anymore, but you manage this quite effective, " his aloof gaze bore into Raven's seemingly meek eyes. He turned to Raoul, "You might want to get yourselves out of here."

"Kyle?"

The dealer nodded, "Most likely, the auction is doing badly."

Raven got a feeling he missed something. Well, that was to be expected after three years but it seemed somehow important. When he passed the dealer, Katze asked, back to that indifferent tone of his, "Why have you come?"

Raven stilled and looked first Raoul than Katze in the eyes, "I need your help ... and advice."

The dealer crossed his arms in front of his chest. Only few people would manage to remain a picture of dignity soaked wet with a puddle gathering at their feet; Katze on top of this managed without effort or rising his voice to look intimidating. His tone remained cold and distant, very different from what Raven was used to,

"For my advice, leave Tanagura."

In his irritation Raven's eyes had gone wide, "Katze?"

"That's all."

I see.

Katze's words resonated in his ears. His mouth curved in a bitter smile.

What did I expect?

He was done illusions. Together with the feeling over being rejected a certain guilty feeling chafed his heart. Raoul's hands, placed on his shoulders, didn't lessen the pain. The Blondie gently nudged him past Katze, when his feet wouldn't move.
The dealer let out a heavy sigh, causing violet smoke to rise and waver between him and Raoul.

“Call me!”

Katze nodded and lit himself another cigarette even before finishing the one in his mouth.

At least something , Raven realized with a strange anxiety in his heart. He picked his shirt up, ignoring the one Raoul brought and followed him to his car. The Blondie stowed the bike in the trunk while Raven struggled back into the wet clothes. He fingered the bruises at his throat. Ajax could have killed him with lesser effort than Raoul moved the heavy vehicle around with.

~

Driven by the Blondie the car made its way towards Eos. Halfway turning off, Raoul got them to his Apatia-condo. He run a bath, anticipating it would warm Raven better than a simple shower and leaving the young man some much felt needed time to get his nerves settled. If possible. He wasn't surprise to see him go out on the balcony and briefly wondered if he shouldn't be the one confused but decided to put his emotions aside and see to them later. He could do that.

Raven could not. He turned his head up towards the nocturnal sky and bit his lips. He could no longer turn back now, if ever, but what him drove insane was his immediate response to Raoul. Facing his unwilling, no his willful blindness to the true dimension of his feelings towards the man, he felt himself surrender, his heart beating loudly in his chest as if to mock him; and he couldn't hide hit, he couldn't ... He was down on his knees.

Kris. I'm so sorry.

Even with his back turned to the apartment, he felt Raoul observing him attentively. The knot in his throat had grown to such an extent that it was impossible to swallow it down one centimeter.

Maybe a bottle of Stout would help with that. No. He was done illusions.

Finally Raoul reached his limits and joined in on the balcony, his face an unreadable mask but his eyes, those eyes, spoke a different language.

"Thank you for bringing me here. This place serves nothing but good memories."

"And yet you prefer to stay outside, your head away in the distance."

"Actually there's a simpler reason to it. I haven't seen a starry night for years, which I admit, I missed."

"Did you miss other things too?"

"Yes. ... Why don't you come straight out? Did I miss you? I did but I haven't acknowledged until recently. Straight out, until now, just a moment ago."

"All those word for one silly phrase? That's unlike you." He pulled Raven into a comfortingly warm embrace, resting his chin on top of his head, "See, I'm lost here myself."

"Confessing a weakness ... is unlike you."

"I don't longer consider it a weakness."

Raven stared up at Raoul in his full glory, at a loss for words. This was not the Blondie he was used too. The newfound emotionality suited him. It really did.

"Raoul?" he whispered.

The Blondie pressed a chaste kiss to his forehead. He wanted to proceed but he couldn't ignore Raven's shivering any longer,

"Your body is very cold. If you don't want to bath, change at least into dry clothes."

Raven stretched himself on tiptoes to place a kiss on Raoul's cheek.

"Thank you ... I missed bathing, we don't have enough water."

Not enough water? Even the slums have enough water.

Raven made his way inside with Raoul staring forlornly after him and both reminded of their early past. They had come thus far...

Suddenly Raoul realized the reason for his displeasure with Raven's dyed hair. It was the shade of Mimea's color. He pinched the bridge of his nose, slightly shaking his head.

Only Raven could manage this.

~

When has a bath ever felt that good?

Raven sank into the large tub with a hiss. His flesh crawled up at the sudden intrusion of warmth. Once settled he gradually relaxed and the more the heat sunk in, the more relaxed his stiff muscles.

Kris would have enjoyed this.

Raoul even scented the water and placed a bottle of shampoo on the tub lip. A rumbling that sounded suspiciously like rattling with dishes became audible and only moments later, Raoul showed up with a rice bowl. Raven hunched forward and encircled his knees while his stomach reacted with a rather loud growl to the prospect of food, causing him to blush a deep crimson. The Blondie ignored all, his hectic up-sitting and covering himself, the blushing and the stomach rumbles. He moved one of Raven's hands away from his knees and forcefully shoved the bowl into it before he seated himself on the tub lip, slightly behind Raven, so that their eyes wouldn't meet.

"Eat, you are awfully thin."

He was tempted to answer, 'one bowl wouldn't change that' but found he couldn't, mumbling, "Thank you." instead, he took the spoon from the Blondie and started eating. After all, the chewing gave him an excuse for his silence.

Raoul poured a small amount of water over his shoulders. He traced the bruises from Ajax ' assault; concern and curiosity along with something else leaped from his fingertips, crawling right under Raven's skin. The goose bumps were back. He forgot to chew and Raoul stilled his movements. He swallowed the bite down and Raoul's fingers wandered to the bruises nearer his neck.

While Raven's mind, still in denial, positively turned blank, his body had no problems remembering. Raoul took another bowl and rinsed his hair, careful not to interfere with dining. Despite all hunger, chewing seemed suddenly extremely hard a task, not to talk of swallowing.

Something became clear in his mind, despite three years, despite having been his own man in the Wastelands, still he allowed this man: a Blondie, to sway power over him. So easily did he fall back into old familiar patterns of submissiveness? Something tore at him; he had to break free of the ghost of his pet years. Kris would surely shake his head in disappointment but still be supportive.

Kris

If he only voiced this, it would put an immediate stop to Raoul's ministrations. That he didn't find the will did not set his mind at ease.

Pretend if you must, but please, don't push me away.

I wasn't pretending.

The bitter realizations, accompanied by the memory left a bad taste in his mouth. His assertions to the contrary not withstanding, Kris was right, though not in every regard. The moment he truly faced it, he realized his feelings towards the Feron were, despite Kris assumptions, indeed equal to the ones towards Raoul.

It was sort of soothing but even though, he burst into shivers. Raoul, not witnessing the wetness on his cheeks, mistook the reaction and stole himself with a sigh out of the room. With a hint of self mockery, Raven considered the possibility of drowning in the bath. Then he angrily started the warm water, as if to drown his thoughts.

By the time Raoul got impatient enough to return, Raven was fallen asleep, his hair back to black.

Better.

Raoul gently lifted him from the tub without waking him and carried him out of the warmth of the bathroom into the bedroom.

What happened to you?

As soon as the cold air kissed Raven's skin, he pressed himself close to the Blondie, his hands coming around his neck. He inhaled deeply, in his overtired state murmuring without being oblivious to it, "Raoul." His dazed mind only registered Raoul's scent and warmth - the safety he provided.

The Blondie gathered him into an even tighter embrace, tugging Raven's head under his chin, sighing. His body remembered too.
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Coincidence