#dmmdsecretsanta2014

Koujaku's mind completely became blank, and his blood rage quickly dips before coming back full force, now becoming mixed with a new emotion. Hours ago Noiz "invited" him to the abandoned house on the outskirts of Old Resident district- a house that is beyond condemned and thrown in its own category- during the heat of the moment. The heat of the moment that Koujaku now regretted having with every fiber of his being. It was a night like any other, the streets bussed with the usual chatter, and the people of Old Resident District prepared for their night time activities. Koujaku, Aoba, and Clear talked and laughed among themselves, excited for their planned night at the Black Needle with Benishigure team members. On the alley on his right, Koujaku noticed Noiz casually leaning on an alley wall, clicking quickly on a glowing green keyboard hologram.

Before he could distract Aoba from noticing the brat, Clear eagerly greets Noiz with his trademark enthusiasm. Following Clear's lead, Aoba quickly greeted Noiz with a friendly smile. Silently cursing under his breath, Koujaku avoided Noiz as Aoba and Clear chatted about their recent comings and goings. Koujaku messed with his sword strap, adjusting and readjusting it, but he stopped once the sense of unsettlement reached uncomfortable levels. Unwillingly, Koujaku redirected his attention from the strap to the talking group, only to immediately notice Noiz's piercing green eyes starring directly at him. Noiz's eyes, his gaze, seem to pierce right into Koujaku's mind and burrow into his conscious.

Even without saying one single word to Koujaku, the damn brat strangled Koujaku's nerves and completely shattered his cool exterior. Thinking about something else, or at least attempting to, Koujaku shifted around on his feet, rolling back and forth from the balls of his feet towards the tips and back again, and with every movement, new waves of goose bumps erupted on his skin. The waves became stronger and stronger, strong enough to shake his very bones, until he could not take anymore, and he fidgeted uncomfortably. Agitated, Koujaku firmly gripped onto Aoba's shoulder from behind, cutting the conversation between the group short, and, with a tense smile that seemed far too wide for his face, he said quickly near Aoba's ear, "Aoba, Mizuki and the others are waiting for us."

Turning to look at Koujaku while he furrowed his brow slightly, Aoba responded, "I know, but.." Aoba quickly glanced back to Noiz before continuing.

"I want to catch up with Noiz. You can head first, and tell the others I will join soon."

Before returning his attention back to Noiz, Aoba turned around to face Clear, and he added with a gentle smile, "Clear, would you like to go with Koujaku or stay here with me?" The edges of Aoba's eyes crinkled softly as he talked to Clear; Aoba's gentle smiles, his laughter, and happiness toward the ex-gas mask wearing man, apparent to Koujaku ever since the collapse of Platinum Jail, failed to fill the void that Aoba's smiles used to fill. A void that remained tucked away in the shadows of his heart, and he momentarily becomes distracted by a new kind of tension. He felt his throat clench, a knot burned into life in the pit of his stomach, his mouth dried, and his heart raced. Koujaku refrained from shaking his head in confusion. He never felt this way between Mizuki's and Aoba's friendship, however...No, Koujaku struggled to tear his eyes away from Aoba's smiling face, a face that emanates a soft glowing light of happiness, a light directed to someone other than him. He forced himself to look at Noiz instead, and he swore that he saw a ghost of a smirk before Noiz flashed him his regular poker face. Agitation bubbling in his heart again, Koujaku snapped at Noiz.

"What do you want, you brat?!"

Koujaku's voice shook slightly, causing the words to come out with great difficulty, and even he heard the uneasiness lacing his usual voice. Noiz simply shrugged but a sly smile erupted from his lips and his eyes glinted mischievously.

"Oooh?"

Noiz dragged out each and every syllable in a sing song voice while he straightened himself from slouching on the dirty alley wall. Noiz moved around Aoba with quick steps that barely left a sound, and with the sleekness of a fox, he approached Koujaku with a smirk. Noiz's blond hair stood out from the surrounding darkness, shining brightly even as the dingy light from the alley near by struggled to remain lit, and his sharp green eyes glistened like a pair of dancing dragons. Those eyes lit a fire somewhere deep in Koujaku's stomach, completely blasting the anger in his heart to only replace it with unwelcoming emotions. Koujaku's mind becomes completely blank, and before he knows it, his feet shoot backward in awkward successive steps, crashing Koujaku against the alley wall opposite from the one Noiz previously leaned on. His feet scraped against the wall, as if they tried hard enough Koujaku would be able to travel through solid matter and diffuse away from this situation. Noiz closed the gap between them in a matter of seconds, already becoming too close to Koujaku before Koujaku could get a handle of the situation. Aoba and Clear shoot each other worried looks, and Koujaku's and Noiz's pervious encounters flash back in their minds. Clear sprinted toward the two, with Aoba not far behind him. With panic encoded transparently in his voice, Clear aimed to dispel the almost visible tension gaining around Koujaku and Noiz.

"Uwah! Noiz-san! Koujaku-san! Please don't fight!"

Aoba, arriving after Clear, adds, "Seriously, guys, we haven't seen each other in so long. Can we please just get along for a couple more minutes?"

Regaining his bearings, Koujaku mouths the words "the brat started it first" at Aoba, a childish comeback that would most likely amuse Noiz rather than insult him. Noiz, retaining his stoned expression, shifts his attention from Koujaku to Aoba, and a mutters a small "tsk". Contracting his eyebrows in annoyance, Noiz shifted away from Koujaku slightly, but not enough for Koujaku's complete comfort, and starred at nothing in particular before commenting in a monotone voice, "Not my fault old men like him are so easy to read." He shrugged his shoulders.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean, bean sprout?!" Koujaku threatened Noiz, his right hand already holding the handle of his sword.

"I am not a bean sprout. Use your brain. Or is your brain turned to dust because you are so old?"

"Fuck off, brat."

"Your old brain cannot even make good comebacks."

The petty and childish insults hurled back and forth between them like a verbal version of hot potato, and Aoba, both annoyed and worried over the worsening of the already toxic environment between the two, squeezed between them, and pushed both them arm's length apart. Clear, not knowing how to remedy the situation, flailed his arms along with his pleas for peace between the quarrelling men. Then, a bright idea comes into fruition in Noiz's brain, and he suddenly hugged Aoba side, resting his chin on Aoba's shoulder blade, causing Aoba to tense from the sudden physical contact. Confused, Aoba stammered but Noiz cut Aoba's sentence short with a peck to the cheek. Aoba's cheek burned with a mix of shock and embarrassment, and Koujaku stood there, not even processing what just occurred a few moments ago. For Koujaku, the action of Noiz's lips touching Aoba's cheek replayed over and over in his mind, and each replay became grainier and grainier. Did this brat just kiss Aoba and now smiled like he made the biggest accomplishment in the world? Koujaku's mind raced with questions of disbelief, denial, and shock. No. No. No.

Koujaku lurched forward, prying Noiz from a utterly dumfounded Aoba. Koujaku needed no words, rage completely blinding him from any form of rational thought, as he traded violent and messy jabs and kicks with Noiz. If the atmosphere between them was toxic, now it is passed toxic into being radioactive. Still at a loss, Clear noticed the failure at peace, and resorted to subconsciously come between Aoba and the tussling men. Aoba, from behind Clear, yelled at the men to stop, to behave for at least one day, but the shouts and grunts between Koujaku and Noiz overshadowed Aoba's pleas. Koujaku upper cut Noiz, landing his fist hard on Noiz's left check, causing Noiz to taste blood in his mouth. Noiz laughed, repeatedly tasting the blood in his mouth, and he repeated the favor full force, sending Koujaku to the ground.

With swift movements, Noiz landed on top of Koujaku and straddled him with full force, using his thighs to restrain Koujaku's legs. Still dazed from his previous fall, Koujaku failed to prevent Noiz from pinning his arms above his head and completely restraining the older man. Noiz leaned forward, letting his hair fall around Koujaku's face, blocking all of the weak light so that Koujaku only sees Noiz's shifting green eyes since everything else hides in shadows. Noiz's intense breathing twisted Koujaku's stomach, enough that Koujaku had difficulty ignoring the strange sensation, and Koujaku felt Noiz mouth whisper the words, "Want me to do this to Aoba?"

Using all his strength, Koujaku yelled as he forcefully smacked his forehead against Noiz's face, but Noiz barely held on. Koujaku managed to pry the younger man from him with a swift kick to Noiz's crotch, a dirty move that Koujaku rarely, if ever, used, but, this time, he rationalized, it was justified. The two continued to fight, eventually causing a small crowd to gather to ward off any form of boredom. Different scenarios flashed in Aoba's mind to get the two to stop, but, in the end, Aoba sighed and admitted defeat. He rubbed his neck and formed the words on his lips, as if making sure his vocal cords worked, and hoped that his voice still contained the same power as before the collapse of Platinum Jail.

Before he could shout at the men to stop using a voice different, yet like his own, another, familiar, yet unwelcome, voice broke throughout the shouts of the small crowd edging the two to fight. Akushima. Aoba's mind raced when the crowd dispersed and people ran in all directions, shouting and hollering cries of disappointment and panic, causing a sea of chaotic bodies to fill the already narrow alley way, and the very air to become thicker and heavier to breathe. Surrounded by a sea of bodies, unfamiliar blurred faces filled Aoba's vision, and as if being pulled in a vortex at sea, and Aoba lost all sense of direction. Shouts and yells become louder and louder.

"AOBA-SAN!"

Finally, a familiar voice shattered through the storm, and Aoba felt someone as they picked him up from behind and carried him bridal style before dashing through the patchy sea of people. Aoba, blinking several times, looked up and saw Clear as he expertly sprinted through the maze of alleyways, navigating through the mass of panicked people. Akushima, yelling through his megaphone, shouted threats of arrest and death to the dispersing crowd. The police followed quickly behind them. Suddenly, a bullet whizzed right by Clear's right ear, nearly hitting the robot. Clear messily dodged the projectile, causing him to almost drop Aoba as he sloppily shifted to the right, but Aoba jumped out of his grip and firmly grasped Clear's hand. Without saying anything, they both ran through the alleyways, almost being hit by bullets along the way. They lost Akushima and the police as they went through the maze of alleyways and emerged to a much larger and busy street; they heard Akishima yell in the distance, "Desist your unlawful running or we will shoot!"

Koujaku heard Akishima and the police's arrival, and Noiz stopped fighting him with an annoyed "tsk". Koujaku still firmly clenched onto Noiz's collar, now dotted with flecks of blood, and Noiz violently shook and pulled at Koujaku's hands, trying to make Koujaku release him, but someone, in a daze, accidentally shoved him right into Koujaku, causing them both to tumble and fall right near a dumpster. The disguising stench of the dumpster brought the both of them to their senses, and Koujaku quickly released his grip from Noiz's collar, however, Noiz, in a move that even surprised him, clamped onto Koujaku's upper right arm.

"Old man, I know of a good hiding spot near here. Unless you want to turn into Swiss cheese, I advise to follow me."

Noiz yelled through the shouts of the crowd and the police at Koujaku who, in a quick moment decision, decided to follow the brat that was already running through the crowd of people. This, he thought, was the lesser of two evils and he would much rather not die today, especially since this part of Old Resident District is not one he spends much time in. Noiz sprinted through the crowd, while occasionally quickly glancing behind him, using the map of the alleyways stored in his memory as guidance, and he eventually reached his destination.

Out of breath, he leaned on the weak wooden structure of an old building, most likely one of the older houses erected before the Old Resident District was called the Old Resident District, making the wood moan and creak loudly. Koujaku reached the building a few moments afterward, and he also opted to rest on the weak wooden frame of the abandon building. but their rest was cut off short when they heard a police officers running towards their direction, yelling something about stop or they will shoot. Both of them dashed into the condemned building.

The old, worn wooden floors screamed in agony as the two men ran on it, as if it yelled that it would give up at any moment and collapse. However, both Noiz and Koujaku did not pay any attention to the cries of the building, since all their current lives depended on finding a good hiding spot from the local police. One crack turned into two, and those two turned into four, and so on until, with one final cry, the worn wooden floor gave up underneath their feet, and it broke into several pieces.

Noiz and Koujaku felt for a brief second as if they were weightless, and a ringing sound replaced the sounds of their raspy breaths and the scream of shattering wood. In an instant, all they felt was the sensation of their bodies tumbling down into the old building's wine cellar. Among the sounds of the wood breaking apart around them, was the snapping sounds of several bones breaking and Koujaku's cries of pain. Koujaku opened his eyes in shock, this may be the worst physical pain he felt since his father's wife "accidentally" shoved him down two flights of stairs. A loud crash vibrated throughout the building, and like the building, a painful shock that traveled from Koujaku's left leg to the base of his skull.

Finally a silent darkness settled around them as the dust settled and several objects came to rest in the shadows. Koujaku immediately lost consciousness after that; the body of Noiz next to him was the only thing that Koujaku saw before darkness engulfed his vision.

With a shaky gasp, Koujaku awakened, momentarily lost, before he remembered the day events, however darkness caressed his every sense, not even his hand could be seen in front of his face. Then, a strong sharp pain pulsated from all corners of his body, sending waves, after waves of pain. How many bones did he break? How many muscles did he bruise? However, the strongest wave came from his left leg, and, for the moment anyway, Koujaku thanked whichever gods for the darkness surrounding them; seeing a possible twisted leg or bone protruding from his leg would most likely not help with the current situation, and he did not need his body to go into shock at this very moment, thank you very much.

"So, the old man awakens."

The voice next to him startled Koujaku and it momentarily distracted Koujaku from the horrible never ending waves of pain. Right, Noiz. Koujaku, laying on his back on the cold, stone floor, turned his head toward the source of the voice, barely making out a possible outline of the younger man, who may be sitting down and resting on a barrel or wall. The shadows around Noiz flicker and dance awkwardly, making Noiz's body difficult to separate from the surrounding darkness. What a day, Koujaku recalls sarcastically, first a woman slapped him for looking at another woman while cutting her hair- and even after explaining that it was simply his friend, Aoba, and not another woman, the woman simply pouted-, then was the whole business of a mess of feeling regarding Aoba's smile at Clear, and now he is laying in an abandoned building next to the most annoying brat he ever encountered. Maybe, just maybe, he would have been much more happier being turned, as the brat said, into "Swiss cheese." With a moan, Koujaku retorted sarcastically, "Unlike brats, I need my beauty sleep."

"Oh, well, you should get your money back, because the "beauty" part of the sleep is totally not working."

"Shut up, bean sprout."

"I am not a bean sprout."

Not wanting to waste any more time on this source of annoyance, Koujaku tried to get up, but the fresh pulsating waves of pain immediately stopped him from doing so. Noiz simply watched as Koujaku struggled to get up, not really knowing what to do. After a while, Koujaku asked, almost to silent for Noiz to hear, "So, um, did you break anything?"

Noiz snorted in response.

"What's so funny, brat? Do you enjoy pain or something? I bet a brat like you would be a kinky bastard."

Noiz's eyes flickered briefly before returning to their usual stoic expression, and he shrugged before remembering that the darkness prevented Koujaku from seeing his actions. Sighing, Noiz answered, "You would probably like that."

Laughing,  lungs contracted erratically sending new waves of pain to rock his body, Koujaku retorted, "Unlike you, I have dignity."

"Dignity? Is that what old men call sleaziness? How many women did you make cry with your dignity?"

"I make women happy, since they are the treasures of this planet."

"Tsk, Ridiculous. Why even bother? What would you gain from something like that?"

"Of course a brat like you would not even know about the gentle touch and smile of a happy woman content in the hands of a gentleman."

"Old men like you are delusional."

"Not my fault you got no skills to make women swoon."

"Those skills don't work on Aoba."

Koujaku sputters, a comeback fumbling out from this mouth, "I don't swing that way, brat!"

Noiz's laugher started out small, from barely audible to uncontrollable levels of intense laughter, causing Noiz to double over, his head resting between his knees. Tears formed in the corner of his eyes, cascading down on his cheeks and falling onto the dirty, cold stone floor. Koujaku, enraged by Noiz's sudden burst of laughter, felt the heat rise on his face, and, again, he thanked whichever god or gods that the cellar was pitched black, since it would hide his blush at the very least. Angered, Koujaku felt his stomach churn bitterly, but, in his current condition, the pain prevented him from completely taking a swing at Noiz's face. Instead, Koujaku growled bitterly, directed both at the pain and at Noiz's smug face, and he spat, "Did the fall scramble your brain too?"

Between fits of laughter, Noiz chocked out, "The only thing scrambled here is your brain, old man. You are so obvious, yet full of denial, that it's hilarious."

"Obvious? What in the world are you spouting, brat? You have gone completely insane."

"You stupid or something?"

"You can't fault me when you are not making any sense."

Noiz said nothing in response, and he looked away, eyebrows furrowing in thought, lips pressed into a hard line. Slyly, Noiz takes the frequent glances at Koujaku's direction, hearing his pained gaps and quiet moans as he fights through the pain, but the darkness prevents Noiz from observing Koujaku more directly. Koujaku noticed that the cellar became lighter and lighter, the moonlight penetrating the seemingly never ending darkness, making Noiz, and his surroundings more visible. Koujaku, again, tried to stand up, but the shock of another set of numbing pain sent an uncomfortable hiss to escape his lips before he collapsed onto the hard ground. Frustrated, Koujaku rubs his face. He feels Noiz's penetrating gaze on him again, and he snaps his full attention towards Noiz, disgust showing very clearly on his face.

"What, asshole?"

"I am just praying that I won't be as feeble as you when I reach your age."

Koujaku wanted to retort with "I am not feeble" or with a "mother fucker" but he sighed instead. This brat drained his energy, and his desire to fight and argue diminished, to be replaced with a sense of loss and tiredness. Both of them remained quiet for a while, saying nothing to each other, the dust around them glistening with the help of the increasing moonlight fighting to penetrate the weakened building. Noiz stole a glance at Koujaku, his expression not wavering at the slightest, and, with the help of the moonlight, he finally took in his surroundings. The wine cellar, as broken as the surrounding foundation, decayed to a point where barrels became discolored and warped, barely resembling barrels anymore.

Again, Noiz stole a look at Koujaku, who has his face covered by his hands, and Noiz finally looks at the state of Koujaku's body. With the help of the moonlight, Noiz noticed that Koujaku's left leg twisted into an unnatural angle, almost bent backwards. Other people would think that such an injury must hurt, and, if any of his previous experiences has told him, people should be in a state of panic right now. People in Koujaku's condition would most likely be screaming something about how much it hurts. Noiz, however, thinks about how inconvenient it must be to have your leg twisted like that, and how much it would be inconvenient to wait for such a large injury to heal. Koujaku's other injuries, the blue and purple bruises covering his body, don't seem as inconvenient.

Noiz hums softly, he wanted to escape here, but as much as he wanted to leave the old man behind, something inside him made him stay. Besides, he convinced himself, he already searched for a way of escape, and the cellar ceiling stood a proud ten feet above the highest cabinet he could reach. He sighed. The injuries on his own body ebb on the back of his mind, and, as long as movement remained intact, the injuries remain in the back of his mind. The largest injury barely makes his skin tingle, causing a sensation of an itch, but it is nothing that Noiz could not handle. He sighed again, and he stands up, rubbing his neck, causing dust to scatter and glisten more randomly than before. He approached Koujaku, who released his hands from covering his face when he heard Noiz's not so silent footsteps approaching him, and he stared at him. Koujaku awkwardly lays there, not knowing whether to yell at the younger man or punch him, most likely both, until Noiz broke the silence.

"Why did you ask if I broke anything, anyway?"

Surprised by his sudden question, Koujaku knits his eyebrows. What? Koujaku stammers a weak response.

"I, what? I mean, it's only human."

"Is that so."

"Yeah."

Confused by this sudden turn of events, Koujaku searched his brain for conversation, as Noiz still starred at him as he bent down to kneel beside him. Koujaku finally asks, "Is my concern that much of a shock? I am not a uncaring dick, you know."

Koujaku noticed as Noiz's eyes churned from his response, moving and mixing with the shadows casts by his nose, and Koujaku's stomach slightly tingled as he observes Noiz's eyes. Noiz responds after a while.

"Why would you ask if I was okay if you are obviously in worse condition? What do you have to gain from it, anyway? You should be worried about yourself."

"Gain?"

"We despise each other, and if anything, you would probably enjoy seeing me injured."

"Brat, I may hate you with every fiber of my being but I am not sadistic. I don't want you dead."

"Why?"

"Why? What do you mean why? I don't wish death on anybody, including clueless brats."

"You seemed to want to kill me when I kissed Aoba on the cheek."

Koujaku stammered uncomfortably. Why did the brat bring this up now? Burning up with a new wave of anger, Koujaku sighed loudly that it bounced off the walls. He could not tell anybody about his uncomfortable feelings surrounding his childhood friend. Feelings that surfaced at an all time high when he entered his room once, to only see Aoba's resting face as he listened to music- most likely his favorite band Goatbed. That day, not even the smiling face of his costumers could shake that image from his mind. Since then, he felt his stomach twist and flip flop whenever Aoba did the most simplest of tasks, like cook or even brush his bangs from his face, and he resisted the urge to do the most indecent of actions with Aoba's smiling face outlined perfectly in his mind. He disliked it. He hated it. No, these feelings have been there since they where younger. No, he simply liked Aoba like a older brother liked his younger brother. He simply loved Aoba like a brother. Nothing more or less. However, he could not ignore the questions burning in the back of his mind. The words, "Are you sure?" rotated again and again like an out of control Farris Wheel spinning faster and faster. Koujaku glared at Noiz.

Noiz raised an eyebrow before asking "What? Did you want to be the one to kiss him?"

Ignoring the creaking and lava burning sensation emerging from his body, Koujaku bolted up, face redder than he had in a while, and he intensely glared at Noiz.

"I don't swing that way. I like women"

Koujaku emphasized each and every word through his clenched teeth, spitting, making sure that each word sounded loud and clear. Noiz blinked slowly.

"So?"

"What the hell do you mean 'So'? I said that I like women."

"Do I have to spell it for you? Sometimes a door swings both ways."

"What the hell are you implying, brat? I don't swing that way."

"I am implying that you...never mind. I think actions speak louder than words when it comes to old men."

Noiz, then, leaned forward, getting his face as close to Koujaku as he could before Koujaku reflexively bolted back. The soft moonlight illuminated Noiz's facial structure, his high cheekbones and green eyes particularly stood out, and his lips shined and sparkled. Something in Koujaku stirred, and a little voice in the back of him mind whispered in his ear, "You know, Noiz is kinda attractive. I wonder how it would feel to kiss him?" Koujaku buried these thoughts immediately and turned his head around, to face away from Noiz as much as he could. However, Noiz immediately clutched Koujaku's face with his hands to make Koujaku face him, and, then, he crashed his lips against Koujaku's in messy kiss. Panic coursed through Koujaku's already stressed body ,but he clearly took in the feeling of Noiz's lips against his own before clutching his right hand into a fist and bringing that fist onto Noiz's face.

The fist landed on Noiz's face with a crunching thud, hitting him straight onto the side of his face. As a result of the full force of the blow, Noiz's face swung to the side. Noiz, instead of grunting in pain as Koujaku would expect, smugly smiled. A smile that turned into a super smug grin. Koujaku growled in anger, and clenched his fist so tightly that his nails dug into his palm, almost causing blood to erupt from his skin. He snarled, "What the fuck?! What part of 'I don't swing that way?' is hard to get into your thick skull?!" Koujaku wiped his lips roughly, trying to erase the feeling of Noiz's lips from his own, even though a small part of him felt a bit empty. Noiz smirked even stronger.

"Let me tell you a story."

"What-"

Noiz cut him off before continuing.

"I see the way you look at Aoba, with eyes full of lust. Don't think I don't notice. I am pretty observant."

Koujaku could only spat in response. Noiz continued.

"You totally want him, but you have a little obstacle in the way called Clear."

"I don't want him!" Koujaku's voice raised to an octave that even he thought was not possible with his vocal range, but he continued," What about Clear?" Crap, now even his voice shook and he felt his throat become tighter and tighter, being wrung around until it felt like his vocal cords strained with each and every syllable. He managed to choke out, " Seriously, brat shut your mouth before I punch it." Koujaku is pretty sure only dogs would be able to hear his last remark, as his voice reached the highest octave levels that humans could make.

Noiz simply continued even though Koujaku starred daggers into Noiz's very soul.

"I know that gay relationships are not as open here as Germany, but it is totally obvious. Clear lives with Aoba and his grandmother, and Aoba spends all the time with him. Clear even makes Aoba cute little lunches-I know mainly because I visited Aoba at work once for a computer part and Clear was there."

Koujaku could not even speak, he was at a loss for words, all those repressed feelings surfaced even stronger than before, crashing into the fore front of his mind. Noiz noticed Koujaku shaking, but he continued.

"You can say that Clear is being overly friendly like always, but I saw them on a little date in this park. They were swinging, and laughing, pushing each other and making out on the slide."

"What...?"

"Like I said, making out on the slide."

Suddenly, Koujaku's feelings crashed and burned inside of him, the thought of Aoba with someone else. No, he should be happy. Sure, Aoba being with another man shocked him, but he should be happy for his friend's happiness. But, Koujaku could not, instead of happiness, he felt bitterness and hatred bubbling inside him. Hatred toward someone that Aoba held precious to him. Why would he feel....No. Noiz needed to shut his mouth right this moment. Koujaku could not take anymore, and all he wanted was for Noiz to shut his mouth and stay out of his business. Koujaku immediately launched forward, not caring on whether his body cried in pain or not, all he could see was red and all he felt was anger. His blood boiling higher than ever, he aimed at Noiz in a trembling swing, causing the dust around them to move around erratically, however, Noiz easily evaded the attack. Koujaku prepared to take another swing at Noiz, to hit him right on his smug face, and hopefully shatter some teeth, but before his hand could form a fist, Noiz opened his mouth.

"You are in love with Aoba, aren't you?"

Noiz voice lacked the usual smugness that it carried up to this point, instead a hint of something else was laced in his voice. The world stood still for a brief moment as Koujaku took in the word. Love. Is this true? Did he love Aoba? Anger quickly bubbled in him, escaping from every pore of his body, and it sizzled on his skin and increased the surrounding temperature around him. Anger squeezed his very heart, tugging and twisting it, warping it to the point of breaking it.

Koujaku barely let anger and hatred show on his face, but in the end, who did he hate? He glared at Noiz, but the shadows on Noiz's face wrapped and danced until it took the outline of an entirely different person. A person that he knew very dearly. This person stares at him, judging his every move with a mocking sense of superiority, and the person's piercing eyes stabs him in the heart. Suddenly, he feels every nerve ending in his leg ignite and send flashes of panic directly to his brain. Pain sadistically giggles behind his eyes, happily shortening his breath and increasing his heart beat, and Koujaku know notices the twisted angle of his leg. The muscles in his leg contract violently from merely noticing the broken state of his leg. His voice becomes raspy as the very air choke him, and dizziness strike him like a car crash. Wave after wave of panic tab him over and over again.

He does not even care anymore. He looked at the state of his twisted leg, bent almost backward with the bone cutting his very own muscle fibers, and blood coloring the already red of his kimono even redder. Waves of panic hit him over and over. The world becomes dark. He might die. He is going to die.

"Fine whatever, brat! You win, isn't that wonderful? I love Aoba, okay? I want to love him and care for him. I want to take him out on dates and kiss him. I want to pin him down and do things to him that I really should not do to him. Aoba does not deserve me. Everything that I touch turns black. Black you hear me? I will do nothing but taint him with these crashing feelings! And you know what, you stupid brat? I don't even care anymore! I am going to die next to the most horrible person in the world. And that person is me! Me! I am barely alive, and I live my day by day by remembering Aoba's face and seeing his smile. In truth, I am alone. I am a monster that destroys everything that I touch. Why should Aoba deal with a monster like me?! A murderer. A raging beast. A beast that did not even have the guts to end my life. Aoba keeps me alive, but I don't even know anymore. I am jealous of Clear, of someone that Aoba loves, and I want Clear gone, but I want Aoba happy. I am a big pile of contradictions. Oh, and for the cherry on top, want to know something else? I find you attractive. Disgusting, no? "

Koujaku's erratic breathing violently jackhammers back and forth in the cellar, and, soon afterwards, Koujaku laughs strongly, completely drowning the echo of his pervious erratic breathing. Tears stream from his eyes, completely blocking out his vision, and everything blends into a mess of tumbling and breathing shadows. Koujaku raises his hands in a dramatic wave before letting his body crash down onto the uncaring stone floor, his head hitting the concrete with a unsettling thunk. Then, Koujaku's laughter becomes replaced with wet, sickly coughs.

Noiz says nothing throughout Koujaku's ordeal, his face remains the usual stoic demeanor it usually caries. A stoic face that falters slightly as he feels his lips tingle slightly and his hands clam up with a layer of sweat. His heart leaves its usual calm pace and increases, pulsating and pushing blood around his body in a quick and increasing tempo. He should not care, he should feel nothing but emptiness and disinterest but, no, Koujaku's words bounce around in his mind like a broken record, repeating the phrase 'I am alone. I am a monster' over and over again, burning the words in his mind.

Koujaku's red and, honestly, dirty face fill up his vision. Noiz whispers the words, "I am alone" and mouths them while Koujaku continues his coughing fit. A once stoic face contracts into a soft scowl as he analyzes his own feelings. Defeated, Noiz sighs, firmly rubbing his tired conflicted face. Surrounding to his feelings, Noiz quickly pecks Koujaku on the cheek. Ignoring the strained confusion in Koujaku's eyes, Noiz mutters, "I should get some help." Koujaku laughs while rubbing the feeling on his cheek away, thinking he is imagining the whole scenario, before saluting Noiz and wishing him luck. And the next thing he knows, darkness envelops him and embraces him. I should sleep. Koujaku thinks sleep sounds amazing right now.

--

Koujaku bursts open his eyes, and all he could see is a smudgy outline of a blob, because shadows completely obscure the true identity of the dancing blob. Koujaku strains his eyes, ignoring the ear splitting headache that rings throughout his brain, as the tries to focus more on the object. What is it? The blob mutters something to itself in a hushed tone, as if it does not wish to wake up Koujaku. The blob, noticing Koujaku's moan as he shifts head to obtain a closer look at it, stops its movement and splits in two. One blob hurriedly retreats away from the other blob, disappearing from view, until it reaches something. It opens the door, letting in the light from a hallway to lift the veil of darkness surrounding them, but, a veil of intense bright light replace the darkness, causing Koujaku to squint in pain and reflexively shield his eyes with a shaky hand. Koujaku grunts, his vision taking its time to adjust to the increased level of light, and pain makes its round through his already weakened body. In a state of blinded confusion, he is suddenly hugged from the blob closest to him.

"Koujaku-san! You finally woke up!"

With a yelp, Koujaku takes in the blob's pale features and white hair as he senses the soft blanket and futon under him. The familiar scent of fried donuts reach his nostrils, along with the familiar scent belonging to a certain childhood friend. He glances quickly around him, noticing the familiar furniture of the Seragaki household's living room, and he finally looks back to Clear's teary face.

"Clear?" Koujaku manages to choke out after a while of trying to form the word in his lips; his voice lacking the power to make his words audible for the first couple of tries. "What happened?" He adds after Clear finished hugging him, and after wiping tears from his face, he sits next to Koujaku.

"Well, after Akushima chased us out from the alleyway, me and Aoba ran into Mizuki. We told him the situation, and we went looking for you- mainly I heard your voices so it was not hard to find you- but the house you were in had police swarming all around it. I think they might have heard the loud crash and were looking to find you both. We camped outside, waiting for the police to leave, but they would not leave for the longest time. Suddenly, Noiz burst from the building, catching the police by surprise, and leading them all in a crazy goose chase. As he whipped by us, he screamed, 'Old Man down. Old man down.' It is amazing that Noiz-san could run so fast like than when his own leg was totally shattered, I think the doctor said it was fractured many times over, and lead the police away from you. Noiz-san! Huh? Where did he go? He was just here a moment ago. Maybe he went to get some donuts for you!"

Clear smiled happily, saying something about Aoba being in the shower, but that he would obtain a grand surprise, but Koujaku wondered if he should thank the brat. Maybe he should, after all who else would he punch for getting him into this mess?

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