A Bohemian Tragedy

Past: Slavery

Aya stood with his head bowed, leaning against tall all of the balcony, staring at the city. A deep sadness filled him and refused to leave his soul. He couldn’t stop thinking about his sister, in the vile grip of Takatori, spirited away somewhere where he couldn’t find her.

The thought of having to pretend to like Takatori just to keep his sister safe sickened him, but he knew that he would do anything to protect Aya-chan. No matter what it meant to him. His life wasn’t important anymore, only hers.

He looked up hap happened to see Youji leaning out the window of the hotel across the way. Aya frowned. Youji…

He didn’t know what to think of the older man. There was something about Youji that defied description. Something sinuous and seductive. A dark passion that normally would have sent shivers down Aya’s spine. Given any other situation, Aya would have liked him. But now, he couldn’t afford to. He couldn’t jeopardize his sister’s life.

With a heavy sigh, Aya began climbing the stairs to the back of the elephant. He paused once, looking back toward Youji, but the man had disappeared.

Youji had seen Aya briefly, and although he couldn’t make out the redhead’s face, there was something in his demeanor that sadden Youji. Youji wanted nothing more than to comfort him, and before he knew what he was doing, Youji had snuck downstairs and back across the street to the Moulin Rouge.

He began the long trek up the side of the Elephant, using the same ropes that Omi and Ken had left there earlier. He arrived at the top to be greeted with the sight of Aya’s back, and just in time to hear the forlorn sigh escape Aya’s lips.

Aya heard Youji’s shoe grate against the side of the structure and darted to his feet, spinning, his eyes wide. When he saw Youji clambering over the small fence that ringed the top his eyes narrowed.

“What are you doing here?”

“Easy,” Youji said, stopping to catch his breath. “I just came to see you.”

“You shouldn’t be here. You need to leave.” Aya crossed his arms and turned his back to Youji.

“I just wa to to talk,” Youji said, taking a hesitant step toward Aya. “Something you said earlier intrigued me.”

Against his better judgment, Aya was glad of the company and was reluctant to send Youji away, even though he knew that he probably should. “What was that?”

“About your sister.”

Youji watched in consternation as Aya’s back stiffened at the words.

“That’s none of your concern.”

Youji took another step, reaching out and placing his hands on the tense muscles in Aya’s back, fairly surprised when Aya didn’t make a move to push him away. “It is if I make it so. What’s going on here?”

Aya didn’t answer for a long time. Youji waited in silence, expecting an answer and receiving none. He gently used his grip to turn Aya around and felt shock course through him at seeing tears on Aya’s face.

“What is it? What’s wrong?”

Aya became angry at himself for letting the other man see him cry and hurriedly tore free ofji’sji’s grasp, wiping the tears from his cheeks. “Do you think I do this for fun? For my own enjoyment?”

Youji was confused. “I don’t know…I don’t really know you all that well.”

“I’m a slave here, Youji.”

“Because of your sister?”

“Yes.” The word was barely audible and full of pain. “Takatori killed my parents and then kidnapped my sister. He forced me to work here, earning him money. I always knew one day he would come for me personally. It was his goal from the beginning.” Aya took a shuddering breath. “I want to kill him.” He wrapped his arms around his middle as a sob escaped him.

“It’s all right,” Youji tried to soothe, pulling Aya into his arms. He brushed his hand through the hair, amazed at it’s softness. “That doesn’t make you a bad person. Anybody would do the same, given your situation.”

For the first time in his life Aya gave into the pain and cried on Youji’s shoulder. “I don’t know what to do.”

“I’ll help you,” Youji offered, rubbing Aya’s back.

Aya tensed again and pulled back, his tear-darkened eyes searching Youji’s face. “You would help me? You would do that for me?”

“Of course,” Youji said, trying to joke his way out of the serious moment. “I do owe you for saving my life back there.”

Aya bit his lip and Youji’s heart began to sting at the vulnerability in his eyes. “I couldn’t repay you with anything.”

“Being around you would be enough.” Youji, spurned on by the soft look in Aya’s eyes, risked a chance and leaned down and kissed Aya.

Soft, warm lips met his, and a mouth that easily opened under his touch. Aya clung to Youji’s shoulders, offering himself. Youji took advantage and pushed his tongue into Aya’s mouth, desire rushing all the blood to his groin. He couldn’t get enough of the wonderfully sweet tast Aya Aya.

But Aya pulled back and looked at Youji, a new light in his eyes. “You’re going to be bad for business, I can tell.”

Present:

Pain fills Youji’s heart at the image of he and Aya, high atop the Elephant, immune to the world around him.

If only things could have been like that now. He pulls out a cigarette and lights it, the familiar smoke filling his lungs, adding a bit of calmness to his otherwise painful moment. With a sigh he exhales the smoke.

And so started my relationship with Aya. How wonderful life was, now Aya was in the world. But in Takatori, Persia had gotten much more than he had bargained for.