"..." spoken
//...// thought
Chapter V
A HELPFUL NUDGE
It felt as if his ears were betraying him. "With whom?" He asked again.
"You heard me Rukawa..."
He looked down and whispered. "Why?"
"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN WHY?!" Youhei shouted and grabbed his collar. "It's been nine years Rukawa!!! Nine. Fucking. Years!!! Do you expect my friend to just come back to you with open arms?! Do you expect him to forget every damn thing that you have done to him?!"
Kaede just stared at the raging boy... "I... no..."
But Youhei continued. "HELL NO!!! Why don't you just let him go huh? He's been a prisoner of your love for so long! What is it in you that he can't find in any of us? What do you have that makes you so great that even Kiyota doesn't have?!"
Kaede looked up. "You don't mean... that Hana..."
"Yes! He still loves you dammit! He still loves you despite everything that you have done to him! He still loves you even though he's marrying Kiyota.
"Then why is he marrying Kiyota?!"
"AND WHY THE HELL NOT?!"
"Does... does... Kiyota know?"
Youhei quieted down and sighed. "Yes. In fact he was him that persuaded Hanamichi to go back and assess his real feelings for you."
"Then he..."
"If I were Hanamichi I would never have come back. I would have just been contented with the person I love and loves me in return."
Kaede felt jealousy fire up inside him. "Then Hana loves... well..."
"Kiyota? Of course..."
"Sou ka..."
"But not as much as he loves you."
Kaede was silenced. And then he managed to blurt out. "But I love him, too..."
"Heh... do you?"
He ignored the sarcasm in the other man's words and looked up. "Yes."
He saw Youhei shake his head and smile sadly. "If I were Hanamichi I would never have come back."
Kaede nodded and looked away.
"Hell if I were Kiyota I wouldn't have persuaded him to return..."
He nodded again. "Aa... I understand."
"But if I were you I wouldn't let him go for the second time...
"A~..." Kaede's head snapped back to meet the other man's eyes.
Youhei finally smiled and patted Kaede's shoulder. "You heard me. You'd be pretty stupid if you let him go again..."
"But... you... you said..."
"Who cares about what I say? Hell even my cat doesn't listen to me..."
But Kaede is still confused. "But what about Kiyota?"
"I think he's aware of the consequence even from the beginning when he persuaded Hanamichi to come back here to see you..."
Kaede smiled at the redhead's bestfriend. "Thank you..."
"Don't misunderstand me. I'm doing this for Hanamichi not for you."
"Aa."
"Now get your ass off my property and go to him. He's probably still at the airport."
"Aa."
"What are you still standing there for?" Youhei waved his hand impatiently. "You don't have much time!"
"Right." Kaede turned abruptly and proceeded to leave.
"Oh... and Rukawa..."
He turned back and saw Youhei smiling at him for the second time.
"Good luck."
Kaede smiled back and nodded. "Thanks."
Then he turned back and left quickly.
Youhei watched the former ice-prince get inside a taxi in an amused but hopeful silence.
Then he shook his head, still smiling and went inside his house... //Trouble-makers...//
//Now where is that stupid cat?// He wondered as he searched for his pet. Seeing an orange fluff trying to get under his couch, he smiled and picked the little creature up.
"Do'aho..." he smiled as the cat struggled in his grasp, "its already time for your milk..."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"How long before we reach the airport?" Kaede asked the taxi driver in panic.
"Well be there in about 45 minutes sir." The driver replied politely.
"Can't you go faster? I'll double the fare..."
The driver shook his head and smiled... "I'm sorry sir but we already reached the speed limit. We can't go any faster than this..."
Kaede sat back on his seat restlessly... then he uttered a small prayer... //Onegai... please let me be there on time...//
//Please let me see Hana again...//
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Meanwhile...
"We are requesting all the passengers of Flight 110 to now board the plane. We will be leaving in 30 minutes..."
Hanamichi stretched his back as he stood up and walked towards the entrance...
//Goodbye Kaede...//
He smiled as he thought of his present lover waiting for him in the airport in Tokyo.
//Sou yo... how can I ask for more when I already have someone?//
Upon reaching the stewardess he smiled and gave her his plane ticket...
//Nobu-kun... it won't be long till I'll be back...//
And was escorted by another to his seat.
//In your arms...//
//...// thought
Chapter V
A HELPFUL NUDGE
It felt as if his ears were betraying him. "With whom?" He asked again.
"You heard me Rukawa..."
He looked down and whispered. "Why?"
"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN WHY?!" Youhei shouted and grabbed his collar. "It's been nine years Rukawa!!! Nine. Fucking. Years!!! Do you expect my friend to just come back to you with open arms?! Do you expect him to forget every damn thing that you have done to him?!"
Kaede just stared at the raging boy... "I... no..."
But Youhei continued. "HELL NO!!! Why don't you just let him go huh? He's been a prisoner of your love for so long! What is it in you that he can't find in any of us? What do you have that makes you so great that even Kiyota doesn't have?!"
Kaede looked up. "You don't mean... that Hana..."
"Yes! He still loves you dammit! He still loves you despite everything that you have done to him! He still loves you even though he's marrying Kiyota.
"Then why is he marrying Kiyota?!"
"AND WHY THE HELL NOT?!"
"Does... does... Kiyota know?"
Youhei quieted down and sighed. "Yes. In fact he was him that persuaded Hanamichi to go back and assess his real feelings for you."
"Then he..."
"If I were Hanamichi I would never have come back. I would have just been contented with the person I love and loves me in return."
Kaede felt jealousy fire up inside him. "Then Hana loves... well..."
"Kiyota? Of course..."
"Sou ka..."
"But not as much as he loves you."
Kaede was silenced. And then he managed to blurt out. "But I love him, too..."
"Heh... do you?"
He ignored the sarcasm in the other man's words and looked up. "Yes."
He saw Youhei shake his head and smile sadly. "If I were Hanamichi I would never have come back."
Kaede nodded and looked away.
"Hell if I were Kiyota I wouldn't have persuaded him to return..."
He nodded again. "Aa... I understand."
"But if I were you I wouldn't let him go for the second time...
"A~..." Kaede's head snapped back to meet the other man's eyes.
Youhei finally smiled and patted Kaede's shoulder. "You heard me. You'd be pretty stupid if you let him go again..."
"But... you... you said..."
"Who cares about what I say? Hell even my cat doesn't listen to me..."
But Kaede is still confused. "But what about Kiyota?"
"I think he's aware of the consequence even from the beginning when he persuaded Hanamichi to come back here to see you..."
Kaede smiled at the redhead's bestfriend. "Thank you..."
"Don't misunderstand me. I'm doing this for Hanamichi not for you."
"Aa."
"Now get your ass off my property and go to him. He's probably still at the airport."
"Aa."
"What are you still standing there for?" Youhei waved his hand impatiently. "You don't have much time!"
"Right." Kaede turned abruptly and proceeded to leave.
"Oh... and Rukawa..."
He turned back and saw Youhei smiling at him for the second time.
"Good luck."
Kaede smiled back and nodded. "Thanks."
Then he turned back and left quickly.
Youhei watched the former ice-prince get inside a taxi in an amused but hopeful silence.
Then he shook his head, still smiling and went inside his house... //Trouble-makers...//
//Now where is that stupid cat?// He wondered as he searched for his pet. Seeing an orange fluff trying to get under his couch, he smiled and picked the little creature up.
"Do'aho..." he smiled as the cat struggled in his grasp, "its already time for your milk..."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"How long before we reach the airport?" Kaede asked the taxi driver in panic.
"Well be there in about 45 minutes sir." The driver replied politely.
"Can't you go faster? I'll double the fare..."
The driver shook his head and smiled... "I'm sorry sir but we already reached the speed limit. We can't go any faster than this..."
Kaede sat back on his seat restlessly... then he uttered a small prayer... //Onegai... please let me be there on time...//
//Please let me see Hana again...//
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Meanwhile...
"We are requesting all the passengers of Flight 110 to now board the plane. We will be leaving in 30 minutes..."
Hanamichi stretched his back as he stood up and walked towards the entrance...
//Goodbye Kaede...//
He smiled as he thought of his present lover waiting for him in the airport in Tokyo.
//Sou yo... how can I ask for more when I already have someone?//
Upon reaching the stewardess he smiled and gave her his plane ticket...
//Nobu-kun... it won't be long till I'll be back...//
And was escorted by another to his seat.
//In your arms...//