The Love That He Wants | By : Resting-Madness Category: +S to Z > Wolf's Rain Views: 814 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0 |
Disclaimer: I do not own any locations or characters created in the world of Wolf's Rain. Rights go to their creators. I also make no profit from this, it's just for fun. I also don't endorse any existing product brands. |
Gasper blinked. Toboe blinked. There was a silent, charged, stare down. Gasper broke first.
"Why would you think that?" His brows scrunched. "Because of your precious Tsume?"
"No. Because of my own conclusion." Toboe scrunched up his face, matching intensity as best as he could.
He's not sure of how intimidating he is, but he figured, if need be, he could be scary and intimidating. He's taking boxing lessons after all. His roommate scoffed and waved him off. He seemed intent on leaving, but Toboe stopped him.
"Don't you wanna know why I suspect you?" Asked Wolf.
"No. Because it's baseless, and I'm not gonna let you antagonize me just because I had a crush on you."
Toboe noticed the tense used. Had not have. He could imagine a dwindling in emotions; he's not exactly being very attractive lately. Good. Let the flames die away to nothing, not even ashes. Gasper sighed from his nose then dropped his need to leave. He looked at Toboe and then shook his head. He just didn't know what to say.
"Ok, look," Toboe began. "I'm sorry for accusing you. But what do you expect? You've had a secret crush on me, you're no fan of Tsume's, and you have every opportunity to steal from me. It all adds up."
"You think I took your stuff?"
"I never did search your things, under he assumption that I could easily have searched your things. You wouldn't risk it, is what I thought, until you admitted to liking me."
Gasper scoffed. "I sure know how to pick 'em.." He mumbled. "Go ahead. Search my things, if it'll make you feel better."
"It will."
He opened the closet door and rifled through the pockets of shirts and hidden jeans folded over the little bar of the clothes hanger holding the shirts. A mother trick. Toboe suddenly felt bad for condemning a guy based on his liking him. But, he stayed firm. Something just didn't add up.
Gasper couldn't believe Toboe was seriously doing it! It was like watching a cop frisk someone. He isn't even sure what his roommate is looking for. All his things were returned to him. Wolf, pawed and squeezed, tugged and shoved this item and that around the closet and dresser space occupied by Gasper's things.
"Gimme your phone."
Now he was offended, though he complied. Gasper waved his hand over to his phone that's on his bed. Toboe swiped the screen to wake up the display. He was surprised it had no lock. He searched photos and documents. Gasper could have been keeping a secret blog about him. But, there was nothing. If Gasper was his stalker his phone would be swarmed with photos of him. It's the cliche in movies and television. The only pictures of him in the phone are group photos or shots they took together. They're on his phone too, so that's no evidence.
He set the phone down, and made one last search dive. But all he found was a bangle under the pillow. He hated having that in common. Guys wear wrist jewelry but none he's ever met wear bangles as well. Great. Now he has to apologize. He looked at Gasper who seemed upset. No. That's not right.. it's more.. pissed plus embarrassed.
'It's jewelry, calm down.' Toboe made sure to use his jewelry glad arm to gesture around the room. "Sorry, for all this.. I just think that it's all too much too soon, and it's stressing me out. Even if I'm not with Tsume, I don't hate him. I don't want his life screwed up just because he cares about me." He sighed before apologizing again.
"I understand your issue, but I'm still hurt. I just... I wanna be your boyfriend. If you won't let me, ok, I'll get over it. But you could at least gimme a shot."
Toboe rolled his eyes. "I'm not in the mood to be in a relationship right now." He declared. "And aren't you worried about my stalker coming after you if he catches on that I'm dating again?"
"I thought I was your stalker? Why should I be worried?" He joked.
"Ok, ok..." He rolled his eyes. He hated when people milked something.
"Please, just one date?" He put his hands together in prayer. "Please?"
Toboe's expression read: No. But his posture was weighed. Should he? Just one date. No. It's wrong. 'I'm with Tsume, and, even if keeping with appearances, it feels wrong.' He sighed. 'Plus, he's backing me into a corner. I told him no, he shouldn't persist.' Toboe shook his head.
"Forget it. I'm embarrassed I asked. Sorry. Geez." He scooted Toboe from his bed; swiping the bangle he was still holding onto absently playing with. Slipping it onto his wrist, he fell back onto his bed. "But, seriously, is it all right if I still like you?"
"As long as you don't get pushy about it."
"Really this time, I promise I won't."
Toboe was glad that declaration of swearing didn't result in another liplock. "I have classes."
"Ok. See you at the park."
"Yeah." He still planned to fill in for the missing dance member. But, he sincerely hoped Dwayne would either reconsider or Gasper would just carry-on without him. He's the choreographer, make necessary changes to work without a certain number of dancers. He's gotta get a new roommate. Things are going to be too awkward.
# #
"Are you sure about this, Keina? I mean, you're a top biller?"
"I'm positive. I don't want anymore parts. I quit."
"But you're not thinking about the bigger picture here, what am I gonna do?"
"You've still got Morris, Brookes, Santiago, and Seto. You don't need me."
"I do need you, Tsu', don't be so down on yourself as irreplaceable."
"I'm never down on self-appreciation. It's everyone else that's the problem." He wasn't wrong. He's given fame his all no matter what field he's in. The moment others are involved his situation gets screwed. Modeling agencies think people should age-out despite their appearance, at least back in the early years. Acting, ha, one scandal and you're fired, replaced, and left for dead due to others seeing you as an issue. He was proven innocent, but they still see him as suspicious just for the charges.
Bardrom sighed. "Well, let me remain your agent... Come on, we'll find another way to rebrand Tsume Keina." He chuckled. "What'll it be? Huh? Sports star? Singer?"
"No." Came the vehement verbal cringe.
"Ok, no singing." He only suggested it because of Faye Valetine being Tsume's best friend.
"Dancer? Team owner? You could be famous for your snide demeanor, like on those judging shows."
"Bard... If anything, I plan to get back into modeling." He looked out the window. "And even then I play to hold out for a bit."
"But what about us? We're a team."
"Hn. A team, huh? Teams cuss each other out when one thing happens?"
"Yes! What are friends for?"
"Not that." Leaning his buttocks against the couch, he said. "We'll see." Hanging up; he let his phone slide to the couch. Walking to the window, he looked down again. No one was around. Time for an outing. He grabbed his key for his car then left for a drive.
At the college campus.
Toboe had no interest in going back to the dorm, so he hung out in the courtyard reading with his earbuds in. He really wanted to call Tsume and tell him what had happened. He felt he should. Plus, as annoying as his day has been due to his roommate, Toboe could use a pick-me-up. He was already warmed with happiness that he had it back. Removing his phone from his pocket, he was about to make the call but stopped when his space was suddenly invaded.
Looking up from his screen, he smiled kindly; he removed his music to hear. "Hey, Dwayne."
"Hey..."
Noting the bitterness in his tone, Toboe asked. "Is something wrong?"
"So are you dating? Huh? Did his stupid plan work?" Dwayne questioned. He was clear on what he was talking about but Toboe was in the dark.
"Plan?" There was no way he was talking about himself and Tsume? Does no one want them together? Do they all think he's some creep taking advantage of him just because of an age gap?
"Yeah, because of you Gasper told me to leave the group." He huffed, his breathes showed in the cold seasonal change as the spike of aggression has him breathing deeply. "I just.. he's all.. "You don't do enough or gain enough attention anyway. Just take it as a compliment that your strengths are elsewhere. I'm a good friend for doing this", then after he says that he just wants to recruit you so he can smoothly ask you out."
"What?" His gaze squinted in anger. "He told me that you wanted to leave to focus on studies and follow in your father's footsteps as a businessman."
"Yeah, businessman, my father works as a barista at Starbucks. What business?" He spat. "Little lying shit."
"Yeah." He really is a little shit. "Hey, lemme ask you something. Has Gasper ever worn jewelry? How long have you two known each other?"
He shrugged. Taking a seat beside Toboe, he shrugged again. "Umm, second grade. And, no, he's never worn like jewelry-jewelry. Earrings out the shit, occasionally a chain, but nothing else."
"No bangles?"
"What's a bangle?"
Toboe shook his wrist.
"No," he shook his head. "Nothing but a Smartwatch." He snapped his fingers. "I did see him wearing something a short while back, but I thought it was a new strap for his watch. I didn't think it was actual jewelry." He rubbed the corners of his mouth as if he felt a growing agitation tightening the areas. "Why? Do you think it was yours? Did he steal it?"
"No. I've never seen it before, I was just asking because I thought it was weird he'd suddenly wear jewelry. I think he's trying to bond through common interest."
"Yikes. I don't know about you, but if I knew him as much as you do instead of how much I do, I'd get a new roommate." He clapped him on the back. "Sorry you have to see this side of him. He's usually a good guy, normal too." He stood.
"Sorry he kicked you out of.."
He cut him off. "Fuck him. Doing dumb shit like that over a love interest. I've joined a new crew, I don't need him."
Toboe thought that was good for him. He'd do the same. And finding out all of this, he - bangle included - he felt himself completely wanting nothing but distance from his roommate. How did he not see the string of weirdness about him from the jump? His instant rude behavior when even his own brother was around him. His obsessively trying to police his thoughts and feelings. Why is he so dense to odd behavior? Tsume had even pointed it out that he'd stalked him, and just because things turned out well, doesn't flower the fact that he had been in a dangerous situation with a stranger many times and basically went along with it. He'd rebel just to knock his brother off-kilter that he wasn't an immature idiot. No wonder.. just.. No wonder...
'I really need to get my head on straight. Figure out what's going on in my life.' He frowned. And he was going to start by getting rid of a certain fungus growing.
# #
Tsume had decided just to take a walk around the area. He wasn't going to allow himself to think. He just wanted to exist. And it had been working out rather well. The scent of Fall morphing into winter was in the air, meaning no more mowed lawns and weed killer, no dog shit, or heat, just crisp air that stung the nose a bit. He's looking forward to winter. Especially now, with Toboe back in his life. He's going to take him on a holiday trip. Somewhere beautiful that they can just relax and be themselves without judgement.
"Hey, Keina!"
Tsume heard his name but decided to ignore the person calling for him, because the tone was not one he wanted to address. It was combative and self-inflated. And he was in no mood to be either. He called again and again until finally the caller just rushed upon him and grabbed his arm, spinning him around.
"Oh.. It's you."
Gasper Lee looked as though the run to Tsume had been an hour-long sprint as opposed to a total of twelve steps. But he's that emotional and in his head with frustration that it may as well have been a solo marathon during the entirety of the longest day. "Leave Toboe alone."
Tsume's thin brows rose. This was amusing. Did this kid really think he could ask that? Demand that?
"He's not your property. He's not someone you can take advantage of just because you're older than he is." He flung his arm out in gesture. "Have your senior moment with anyone else but him."
"My senior moment?"
"He's... Let him be with someone his own age." Gasper balled up his hands. "I wanna go out with him. He shouldn't be shackled to someone just because they asked him out first. He should be able to date anyone until he's who he likes."
"Tch. Someone like you? Do you really think Toboe would care about you?" He shook his head. "He can't stand anyone trying to smother him, and you strike me as a serious Weighted Blanket."
"No. I'm not. Toboe would have nothing but freedom with me."
"Define freedom." Tsume smiled. "How many times have you told him I'm a piece of shit he shouldn't be with since you found out we're together?"
Gasper glared. "Whatever. That's different."
"It's not different." And this conversation was over. He wasn't going to entertain this immature simpleton.
"It is. I'm his friend, and friends look out for each other."
"But you want to be more, to the point of being pushy." And he went to the point. "Toboe told me you helped yourself to a kiss."
Gasper looked taken aback by that. But he didn't let it bluster him.
"Forceful. Decision making. Clingy." Tsume laughed in good humor. "You sound like the perfect formula to create a stalker. The kind who get unhinged because their fantasy doesn't match the reality." He rattled off examples through snipe. "In a relationship. Social. Independent thinker."
"Don't act like you know me."
"I know you." Tsume snarled. "I know you but under a different name. That person comes around all the time, in odd waves." He sounded as if that person was lurking not far. "So don't act as if anyone like you is so left field, you're everywhere - unfortunately for those of us who have to suffer you."
"Stay away from him, or else.."
""Or else", what?" He crossed his arms.
...
Tsume spent the last 30 minutes ripping apart his apartment. It had to be somewhere that it would go completely undetected. Completely ignored. Where? Where? Where? Where? He slid the drawers open and checked the bottoms. He turned over the couch cushions. Rummaged through the closets, there are coats he hasn't worn in ages. Something could be in there, right?!
That smug little shit! Tsume thought he'd had him. Was ready for him to fuck off. But no... He had an ace up his sleeve. He revealed that he'd broken into his home. Tsume was ready to tell him he'd press charges for the break-in; however, the little pest then revealed that he'd hid a bug. And he, when speaking to his friend Spike, revealed to Gasper everything. Everything that happened between Toboe and himself from then to earlier months back today.
'Where is it?!' He wanted to hollar! Become a beast and level the place which would in-turn break the bug.
He felt his skin frying against his bones. He was too angry. It was radiating off him. He hasn't been this angry since Darcia Rosalini. And pretty much nothing could top Darcia. But here he is feeling like a puppet on some douchebag's strings, dancing about his apartment like a crazy person in search of a recorder. He grabbed removed his phone that buzzed in his pocket.
"What?!" He barked.
"I wanna come over!" Toboe barked back with just as much anger, however, it was mock anger and he chuckled returning his usual optimistic demeanor. "What's with you, did you not see my number?"
"No." He actually hadn't. "What's going on?"
"I just wanna see you."
Tsume stopped talking and instead began to text.
TS: Gas-bag was the one who broke into my house. He bugged it. He knows about us, because I stupidly told Spike. Meet me at his gym.
Toboe spoke through the receiver. "What?! I'll go to Spike's."
He hung up.
Tsume looked around one last time then slowly started fixing his furniture. He reached down for the remote that fell onto the floor. His fingers missed it then again, he finally knelt down rather than lean. And there it was. Strapped to the leg of the sofa. He pulled it free then turned it off. There was no need to say anything. No need to make threats to the little prick listening on the other end. He likely already knew Tsume was at home searching for it and would destroy it. If only that would fix things.
At spike's gym. Tsume and Toboe stood silent as they thought of what to do. Gasper pretty much had them by the short-and-curlies. There was no way to cover up a recording. He could say it was voice altering equipment, but would that work? How? The police let him go on the previous charges, but if Gasper explains to them about the recording it will all come crashing down.
"It was him... It was him the whole time. I even confronted him about it earlier."
Toboe explained his conversation with Gasper. How he accused him of being his stalker but he denied it. He had good excuses, as well. And he'd believed him up until he spoke to Dwayne. Gasper lying about his leaving the dance group was completely ridiculous. Trying to get close to him like that. What a dirty plan. Thankfully he'd only half succeeded and that was by convincing him to fill-in until he found someone else. Ha! He supposed that was never going to happen. In Gasper's sick world they'd of gotten together before that was necessary.
"I feel so stupid." He mumbled.
"You're not stupid."
"Yes I am. I don't know how to read the room until it's too late." He crossed his arms.
Spike listened tot he exchange. Thinking himself what could help them out.
"I need to know if that's the only copy, what's on the USB he showed you." Toboe plotted. "Then I can get it away from him and destroy it - I'll wreck his laptop if I have to!"
Tsume knew that was the best course of action.
"That's not gonna work." Spike joined in. "Say he does only have one copy, say he doesn't have it backed up anywhere.. He won't show it to you and willingly give it up." He shrugged out his hand. "For all you know he's got it mailed to the police station but has it on hold to be sent off at a certain date. Then what?"
"You need a sure-fire say-so that it's the only copy."
"How're we gonna get him to admit it?"
"Obviously, Toboe is going to give him what he wants."
"Are you trying to get punched?" Tsume asked.
"Not at all. I just think if the little idiot believes Toboe will do anything to save his precious Tsume from jail, he'd give in." He smirked. "Wouldn't you? Get what you're after all for the answer of a single question. Is it the only copy."
"But I don't wanna sleep with him." Toboe of course agreed with Tsume on that sentiment. He was not getting into bed with Gasper Lee.
"You don't have to." Spike stated. "Make him believe you, then you get it from him, and beat him to a pulp."
"What if he tells the cops?" Toboe worried. "He could tell them I beat him up and why."
"He broke into Tsume's home and planted a bug, not to mention the theft."
"No. He didn't steal anything." The young man shook his head.
"He did." Tsume confessed. "A bangle, that I'd bought for you. I... it was an engagement piece."
Toboe felt his body warm over. An engagement gift. Tsume was going to ask him to marry him? Wait a minute. Stolen jewelry... "Tsume.. was it brown with intricate etching?"
"Yeah. Why?"
"I saw it. He has it under his pillow in the dorm." He felt sick. "He's worn it a couple times, maybe more. All this time... I actually thought he'd bought one just to have something in common with me. But, he stole it from you when he broke in." He felt like he could scream. "I just know that he's my stalker. Some things just make too much sense."
"Like what?" Tsume wondered.
"My things had gone missing, then they showed up ruined just because you and I got back together. I didn't put that into consideration because how would he know? I lied to him about us because we were going incognito about us. But he knew. He heard us get back together. That's why he was so mad when I met him back at the dorm." He gave another example. "And the creep who'd suddenly kissed me... I think he put one of his dance buddies up to it. He just happened to show up when it happened and he scared him off? Gasper hadn't even shouted to alert my attacker that he was seen by someone. That's common behavior to stuff like that."
Tsume and Spike considered that. Toboe was right. Just about everyone calls out not just to let the person know they were caught doing something but to have others know so those closest can stop it.
"And one of his friends, Abe, anytime I'm around he seems uncomfortable. Like I'll notice something about him and ID him as my attacker for hire."
"And there you have it."
"Yeah." He balled up his hands. He felt an intense need to slug someone. "He probably made that fake Twitter account to slam Tsume and pretend it was me. Nobody was pressing the topic of canceling Tsume harder than he was. I thought he was just overprotective in the friend department - courtesy of his being with Leara."
"You have to set him up. He'll never stop trying to expose Tsume until he's taken down."
And the plan was devised.
X x X
Commentary: Why am I so bad at just ending things lol. Okay.. one more chapter and that'll be the end. Thanks for reading, reviewing if you choose to, and just being here. You may not hear it ever, but you should know the care is there from those around you. But don't just rely on others for validation and recognition. Recognize yourself and take care of that person. Because that's you, silly. And there shouldn't be anyone more there for you or accepting of you than the person with you all the time, knowing your struggle and knowing your changes and the ones still left where you're getting there. Have a good week.
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