Sage was the only one awake in the entire Koji household. Unable to take the silence, he decided to do something.
"I'm going out!" he called, knowing that no one could hear him.
He slipped out the door, snuck down the path, and was soon out of sight of all those in the house.
Except one.
Rowen had, for once, gotten up early. He had just woken up and gone over to open his window, when he spotted Sage creeping down the path like a felon on the run, looking over his shoulder every few feet. Instantly worried, Rowen tossed on some clothes and ran down the stairs and out of the house after him.
Sage sighed, content now that he was out of the noise and restlessness of the Koji mansion. He slowed to a walk. As he strolled through a clearing with no apparent purpose, a stick cracked behind him.
"Sage?" a voice asked.
"Yeah, Ro?"
"Why are you out here?"
Sage gave a small smile. "Just too noisy in the house."
"Oh, okay. Um.... are you sure that's the only reason?"
He closed his eyes and shook his head slightly. "Yes, I'm sure Ro."
"Sage." It was a statement, one that demanded an answer.
"What, Rowen?" Sage was starting to get annoyed, something that almost never happened.
"You know what."
"No, I don't. Please, enlighten me." The sarcasm in his voice was too obvious to miss.
"You know.... Last time you said nothing was wrong you.... you...."
"Tried to kill myself?"
"Yes. So what's wrong?"
Sage sighed and turned around to look Rowen in the face.
"Nothing, Rowen. Now go home." His voice was cold.
Rowen gulped. "You know I can't do that, Sage."
"Yes, you can."
"No, I can't."
"Yes, you can."
"Fine," Rowen admitted. "I can, but I'm not going to."
Sage looked right at him. His usually warm violet eyes had become icy and unwavering.
Rowen gulped slightly and broke the staring contest.
"All... Alright, Sage. If.... If that's what you want."
"It is."
"O.... Okay. I'll just go back to the mansion. Will... will you be coming back in time for supper?"
"I'm not hungry."
"Alright Sage. I'll see you in awhile, then." His voice was defeated and sad.
As Rowen walked away, Sage whispered, "Don't count on it."
Suddenly, Rowen turned and looked him in the eyes.
"Sage? What... made you like this? This isn't the Sage I used to know... The one I fought with."
"People change."
"No one else has. Only you. Why?"
This time Sage was the one to break the gaze.
"I... I... It's not important, okay?"
"Sage?"
The light warrior looked away, and when he spoke, his voice shook.
"What, Ro? I told you, it's not important."
"I... I just want you to know that I... I love you. Okay?"
Sage's head flew up. "What?"
Rowen stared at the ground and shuffled his feet. "I... I love you. All the guys do. And Mia, too. And Yuli."
Sage's one visible eye was wide in surprise.
"Sage?"
"Wha... what?"
"I'm going to miss you if you're gone."
"I'd... I'd miss you too. If I was gone."
Rowen made a funny noise in his throat. Suddenly, he ran up to Sage, hugged him, and ran away down the path.
Sage just stood and stared at Rowen's back as he sprinted away through the trees.
"Rowen?" he whispered. "I love you guys too."
He shook his head, then yelled, "Rowen! Wait up!"
He trotted down the path after Rowen.
"I'm going out!" he called, knowing that no one could hear him.
He slipped out the door, snuck down the path, and was soon out of sight of all those in the house.
Except one.
Rowen had, for once, gotten up early. He had just woken up and gone over to open his window, when he spotted Sage creeping down the path like a felon on the run, looking over his shoulder every few feet. Instantly worried, Rowen tossed on some clothes and ran down the stairs and out of the house after him.
Sage sighed, content now that he was out of the noise and restlessness of the Koji mansion. He slowed to a walk. As he strolled through a clearing with no apparent purpose, a stick cracked behind him.
"Sage?" a voice asked.
"Yeah, Ro?"
"Why are you out here?"
Sage gave a small smile. "Just too noisy in the house."
"Oh, okay. Um.... are you sure that's the only reason?"
He closed his eyes and shook his head slightly. "Yes, I'm sure Ro."
"Sage." It was a statement, one that demanded an answer.
"What, Rowen?" Sage was starting to get annoyed, something that almost never happened.
"You know what."
"No, I don't. Please, enlighten me." The sarcasm in his voice was too obvious to miss.
"You know.... Last time you said nothing was wrong you.... you...."
"Tried to kill myself?"
"Yes. So what's wrong?"
Sage sighed and turned around to look Rowen in the face.
"Nothing, Rowen. Now go home." His voice was cold.
Rowen gulped. "You know I can't do that, Sage."
"Yes, you can."
"No, I can't."
"Yes, you can."
"Fine," Rowen admitted. "I can, but I'm not going to."
Sage looked right at him. His usually warm violet eyes had become icy and unwavering.
Rowen gulped slightly and broke the staring contest.
"All... Alright, Sage. If.... If that's what you want."
"It is."
"O.... Okay. I'll just go back to the mansion. Will... will you be coming back in time for supper?"
"I'm not hungry."
"Alright Sage. I'll see you in awhile, then." His voice was defeated and sad.
As Rowen walked away, Sage whispered, "Don't count on it."
Suddenly, Rowen turned and looked him in the eyes.
"Sage? What... made you like this? This isn't the Sage I used to know... The one I fought with."
"People change."
"No one else has. Only you. Why?"
This time Sage was the one to break the gaze.
"I... I... It's not important, okay?"
"Sage?"
The light warrior looked away, and when he spoke, his voice shook.
"What, Ro? I told you, it's not important."
"I... I just want you to know that I... I love you. Okay?"
Sage's head flew up. "What?"
Rowen stared at the ground and shuffled his feet. "I... I love you. All the guys do. And Mia, too. And Yuli."
Sage's one visible eye was wide in surprise.
"Sage?"
"Wha... what?"
"I'm going to miss you if you're gone."
"I'd... I'd miss you too. If I was gone."
Rowen made a funny noise in his throat. Suddenly, he ran up to Sage, hugged him, and ran away down the path.
Sage just stood and stared at Rowen's back as he sprinted away through the trees.
"Rowen?" he whispered. "I love you guys too."
He shook his head, then yelled, "Rowen! Wait up!"
He trotted down the path after Rowen.