Story Title: BRoKen ORaNGeS
Chapter Title: Chapter One Rattler's Fangs
Rating: PG
Pages: 12
Words: 5, 051
Characters (With Spaces): 28, 037
Paragraphs: 151
Lines: 536
Disclaimer: I do not own Legal Drug or any other related characters.
This story is actually based off a movie I once saw. I don't remember what it was it was a low budget thing, but the plot was interesting so I decided to take it up. The plot is the same, however, everything else, including the characters introduced and the dreams are all my original creations.
Now, on to the story. I really like this one, I think I did well, however it is not up to me to decide. Constructive criticism is welcomed; but nobody likes a flamer. So, please R&R, and read at your own risk.
"Cause when push comes to shove,
You taste what you're made of,
You might bend 'till you break,
Cause it's all you can take,
On your knees you look up,
Decide you've had enough,
You get mad, you get strong,
Wipe your hands shake it off,
Then you stand."
-Rascal Flats
Something so small, such a tiny little thing, can have enough power to control a person's will. Masking itself with a pretty exterior of a silver ring, it was not at all a beautiful artifact, but instead something made of an evil substance, curling around the person's finger and taking over their soul. Uttering three simple words it would cast its spell, and catch you in its grip, the person uttering those words now in complete control.
Of course, Kakei did not inform the two of this. He simply told them that he had a new side job for the pair, and that they were to obtain the Constriction Ring for his client. He was glad for Kazahaya's naivety, for that was what allowed him to get what he wanted from the two teens (aided by Kazahaya's urgent need for money).However, he can not say he did not warn them, for prior to them heading out he had gave them one of those icy grins of his and simply let his eyes do all the talking.
Now the two had gone to the city of Hyoga, a minute friendly place which was one of those neighborhoods where everyone knew each other. The houses were unusually small and brightly colored, looking inviting, and a little unnerving, they were also very similar to the ones next to them. The only places that did not look the same were the markets, which were only larger in size and differently colored, though still bright and friendly.
The two teens took a bus there with small suit-cases, seeing as they had been informed that they were going to be staying at this town for a couple days, maybe even closer to a week. Kakei then informed that they already had a motel room assigned at the "Rattler's Fangs." At the station they met Hirotsuzu, who had been heading in the same direction, and lead the two to the front of the motel before leaving to do her own thing.
"It's kind of eerie..." Kazahaya muttered to himself, refraining himself from shivering. He was looking directly at the motels sign, which had a bleeding heart being constricted by a rattlesnake. Though Kazahaya had never been much of a snake fearing person, the sign looked so vivid that it almost made him regret asking around to find it.
"Don't like snakes?" Rikou asked, glancing at Kazahaya and sensing his reaction to the sign. His cold eyes searched him over before a grin spread across his face. "Are you phallophobic?"
Kazahaya's eyes widened at Rikou's statement. "Wha!?" He cried, before blushing a deep scarlet. "You asshole!"
Rikou only snickered at Kazahaya's only comeback. The lightly-colored boy had been too flustered to come up with anything better, which only made him look even cuter in Rikou's opinion. He never got enough out of teasing Kazahaya (until he got a headache caused by Kudo-kun's yelling of course).
However, causing a scene in the middle of a town full of bustling people was not Rikou's idea of a first impression, and though he would have loved to tease the smaller boy some more, he decided to leave the flustered teen and head into the motel. Kazahaya fumed at the taller boys back, cursing colorfully in his head and calling him all sorts of decorative names, before following him inside.
Inside the main building they found a small desk and a large man sitting behind it. The man was shaped like a ball and was wearing haggard over-alls and a t-shirt. He was currently engrossed in a book until the bell rang as the front door opened and alerted him of the two's entrance. The nearly-bald man smiled when he saw them with his tobacco stained teeth, closing his book and sitting straight.
"Hello! How may I help you two?"
Rikou took the initiative. "We already have a room booked?"
"Ah!" The man replied. "You must have been sent by Sôhi-san!" He grinned and stood up, reaching for the nailed up sets of keys behind him, and handed Rikou one with a tag that read 'room 13.'
"That room is the very last one on the left side." The man informed before sitting back down and getting engrossed in his book again. Rikou nodded in acknowledgement before heading out of the room, Kazahaya following him close behind, too afraid of the man behind the desk in order to ask for his own room.
Rikou walked along the elongated porch of the motel, passing rooms on one side and small under-developed cars on the other. Indeed the last room was room 13, and it was all the way on the left of the stretch of the small amount of land occupied by the motel. He fumbled and jingled with the keys before unlocking the door.
Kazahaya stepped inside as Rikou fought with the keys, for they had gotten stuck in the key lock of the door knob. Obviously the room had not been used very recently considering the key's had done so.
The room inside was gloomy, with a small white bathroom, a small fridge on one side, a small dresser for clothes, and one small bed. At first it went unnoticed, both the men (by then Rikou had pulled out the keys and shut the door behind him) looking around the bland room with curiosity, before Kazahaya's curious nature dimmed due to the void of emotion from the undecorated mood and set his eyes on the bed.
The covers were just as gray, however it was still a bed, and Kazahaya dropped his suit-case and flopped down on it. "Ah…!" He sighed happily.
"Not really my idea of a room." Rikou commented as he placed his suit-case on the table and began to unpack his toiletries and clothes. "It's musty."
Kazahaya however had his mind on something else. "That strange man behind that desk had said 'Sôhi-san' had reserved the room for us… Who's Sôhi-san?"
Rikou glanced at the blonde man on the bed, annoyed that the younger teen hadn't been listening. However, he had a valid point, so he couldn't blame Kazahaya for wondering about it. "These jobs are supposed to be confidential. It's probably Kakei's alias."
"Oh…" Kazahaya muttered in response. "That makes sense."
Rikou snickered. "You forgot about that didn't you?"
Kazahaya sat up and growled at the taller man, his cheeks flushing pink. "I did not!"
Rikou only snickered some more and continued to unpack his stuff. Kazahaya fumed to himself and had to refrain from throwing something at him (seeing as there was nothing within reach for him to throw anyway). He turned to side, giving Rikou the cold shoulder, and listened to him walk around the room, putting clothes in the dresser and his toothbrush in the bathroom.
"Hey idiot, are you asleep?" He heard Rikou call after his foot falls thudded from the bathroom and toward his bed.
"No!" Kazahaya answered, sitting up to glare at him. "And I'm not an idiot!"
Rikou was obviously surprised that Kazahaya had answered him. The two had arrived late in the evening, and Kazahaya was the type who fell asleep as soon as it got dark outside if it was permitted. And by the time they had reached the room the sun had set and night was starting to fall. Surely, with the two being far away from the Green Drug Store, Kazahaya should have caught up on some extra sleep by now.
Kazahaya was glaring at him expectantly, and when Rikou said nothing he got annoyed. "What do you want!?" He growled out impatiently.
Rikou had nothing to say really, so he said the most obvious thing. "You're taking up the whole bed." He said bluntly. It may have been obvious to him, but it was not obvious to Kazahaya.
"What?" Kazahaya said in confusion, before noticing that the room only held one bed. "ARGH!" He shouted, jumping up from it as though the bed was a vile creation. "What do we do!? There's only one bed!"
Rikou smirked and leaned in toward Kazahaya's face, mere inches away from his mouth. "We could share it."
"PERVERT!" Kazahaya shouted, pulling sharply away from the other man. His face flushed, betraying his anger.
Rikou had expected the reaction, but not the twinge of pain in his head as Kazahaya did so. "Keep it down!" He scowled cringing as pain pulsed in his temple. He crawled into bed and pulled the covers over himself. "You're giving me a headache."
Kazahaya fumed to himself as he grabbed his suit-case and headed for the bathroom. He undressed himself and got into his pajamas (which were really baggy clothes he owned which he dubbed pajamas) and brushed his teeth, before tossing the suit-case onto the table by the dresser, all the while cursing the older teen in his head.
He headed towards the bed and hesitated, wondering if it was the best idea to get in the bed with the other man. He decided that the floor was not really a better option (besides, Rikou now had the only blanket) and blushed as he got into the bed with Rikou, facing away from him. Being as exhausted as he was from traveling and working the day before, he fell asleep almost instantly when his head hit the pillow.
She was running, as fast as her legs could carry her. A bright young woman, obviously an accomplished one for she wore jewelry only a woman with plenty of money could own, a dress made of the finest silks and colors, made perfectly to every stitch, and expensive high heels. Her long hair flowed behind her like cascading ribbons, the color of a golden hay field.
She was running down a long bridge, resting above a wide river, trying to get as far away from the city of trees behind her as she could. Her blue eyes, as beautiful as they were, were filled with an unspeakable terror. And her movements were that of distress, and it was obvious that her veins were being pumped with the urge to escape.
"Why do you run my sweet?" Rang a voice echoing through out the gloomy bridge. "Won't you stay with me?"
The woman seemed to become even more frightened, and she tripped over something on the ground. She turned over and scrambled away from the city of trees, emerging from them a tall dark figure. She continued to scramble as the dark figure approached her, a long scythe in its hands.
"My pet, what are you so afraid of?" It asked.
The woman continued to scramble frantically, now covered in sweat and a strand of hair falling over her right eye. "Please…" She begged. "Please just let me go!" She cried, tears falling from her cerulean eyes.
The black figure said nothing and instead raised the scythe, preparing to strike. "You have been a very bad girl." It said. Something silver glinted off of one of the hands of the figure as it was raised into the sunlight with the scythe, before the scythe was brought down upon the girl in front of it.
Kazahaya woke up with a start, panting heavily and sweat pouring off his forehead. He glanced around him, looking for the girl in his dreams, or maybe the dark figure with the scythe. It took him mere moments to figure out that it had simply been a dream, and that no such murderous thing was any where near him.
He sighed and rubbed his face with his hand. "Aw… man…" He moaned. He had dreams before, even bad ones, but never before had he had a dream like that! It was unnerving, and he found that when he lay back down and closed his eyes again, he couldn't get back to sleep, the black figure and the scythe flashing before his closed eyes.
He rolled over on to his back and sighed, his hand resting on his forehead, before glancing at the clock. It was nearly dawn, and he decided to get up. He headed for the bathroom and undressed himself, starting the shower, the warm water hitting his skin and not only cleaning him, but calming his nerves. He then got dressed, brushed his teeth and fixed his hair, before proceeding to finish unpacking.
By the time he was done the sun had come up, and Rikou had started to mumble and move around in his bed, about to wake. Kazahaya sat at the small table by the dresser and sat patiently, waiting for him to wake, his gaze distant and resting out the window. His mind had wondered back to his dream, wondering where it had come from, and what exactly had it meant.
"You're awake?" Rikou asked suddenly, causing Kazahaya to jump with a yelp.
He turned toward the older teen, whom was looking at him suspiciously, and blushed. "I couldn't sleep." He muttered in reply.
Rikou said nothing and got up from the bed while stretching. He too headed for the bathroom, took a shower, and proceeded to get ready for the day. He preferred not to confront Kazahaya about his nightmare, for indeed he had heard him muttering and thrashing in the bed, for who could sleep in the same bed with that?
He had sat in bed and listened to Kazahaya get up and get ready for the day, and waited until he was sure that the other teen was comfortable with his nerves before deciding to pretend to get up. He then offered a chance for the teen to tell him about it, but Kazahaya didn't take it, therefore he figured that whatever the nightmare was, it must have been small and well, to put it simply, silly enough to be ignored.
It took him less time to get ready then Kazahaya for he had unpacked last night, and by the time he exited the bathroom fully dressed it was early morning. Kazahaya was still sitting at the table, a lost expression on his face, and Rikou grunted in order to get his attention.
It worried him the Kazahaya was so silent, and so he came up with a question he knew would get Kazahaya back into his normal spirits. "In the mood for breakfast?" And without waiting for an answer he opened the door and headed outside.
"Hey!" Kazahaya shouted. "Wait for me, asshole!" He growled as he followed him and slammed the door shut. Rikou smirked being glad that his plan had worked and locked the door. Shortly after he pocketed the keys and followed after the teen who was stomping off in front of him.
Breakfast was a bit unnerving for Kazahaya, considering that everything seemed opposite. Rikou sat with him at breakfast, and though he didn't say grace as was expected from him, he did not pick up a newspaper. The two had walked by a considerable amount of people selling them, he had had every opportunity to pick one up, and yet he hadn't. It surprised Kazahaya, but at the same time, though he liked the change of pace, it kind of worried him.
The two were now presently waiting for their orders to arrive, and even without a newspaper it was deathly silent. At least when the two were at home Kazahaya could distract himself from the silence by concentrating on cooking breakfast for them, but here it seemed to scream at him until it echoed in his ears.
"So…" Kazahaya muttered, blushing a little. The thick silence bothered him and speaking out like that made the air around them seem crack. "Did you rest well?"
Rikou looked over him with his cold eyes. "Yes." He answered after a long interval, creating another crack in the glass box of silence around them. "It seemed like you didn't."
Kazahaya looked surprised. Did Rikou know about his strange nightmare? "What do you mean?"
"You were thrashing and groaning in your sleep." Rikou smirked playfully, and Kazahaya blushed automatically, knowing a crude comment was coming. "You must have been dreaming about something real good if it made you moan like that!"
The glass box shattered. "I was not dreaming about that!" Kazahaya shouted defensively.
Rikou's smirk only seemed to grow in size and intensify to the point that it almost looked malicious. "I bet you it has something to do with a big,hard, snake."
"Pervert!" Kazahaya shouted, catching the attention of the tables surrounding them. His cheeks had turned so dark in color that his blush almost looked purple. "It had nothing to with any of that!"
Rikou snickered at the way Kazahaya's face turned color, succeeding in making the younger teen glare darkly at him. "Don't laugh at me, jerk off! Especially when you're the pervert!" He shouted, nearly jumping to his feet and pointing at him.
Rikou noticed the attention Kazahaya was attracting and decided to use it to his advantage. "Don't say that, dear. Now calm down and let's talk this over sexually."
"WHAT!?" Kazahaya shouted in pure horror, his face paling to the color of snow and then switching back to the ripe maroon color when he registered what Rikou had said and the looks he was getting from the surrounding tables. "YOU-!"
"Oops… I mean sensibly." Rikou interrupted, feigning embarrassment. He snickered after word.
Kazahaya opened his mouth to shout something at Rikou, probably a new adjective which he would make up by combing Rikou's name and some censorship, when a large tan hand covered his mouth. Kazahaya panicked and struggled, for whoever had caught him was not Rikou, for Rikou was looking at the person who grabbed him with an expression on his face Kazahaya had never seen before.
The mystery person whispered loud enough for Kazahaya's to hear with a musical voice. Gentle and heartwarming, it would have calmed him down if the stranger hadn't of grabbed him from behind and instead greeted him like most normal people do!
"Shh… You shouldn't cause such a scene in this place." The person let Kazahaya go, and the young teen breathed deeply before turning on the stranger, ready to yell at him. However, the man standing behind him took Kazahaya's breath away.
He was tall, like Rikou, and strongly built, just a little less then Rikou. He sported a sweat shirt which looked much too big for him and low rider jeans which revealed the rim of his boxers. His chestnut hair stood in every direction, looking wild and untamed, and all in all giving the man an almost breezy, daredevil appearance. Out of all these things though, his deep warm eyes held Kazahaya's own with a steady gaze, and they seemed to smile at him, reflecting the smile on the man's face in the same moment.
"My name is James." The man said, holding out his hand. "James Fletcher."
Kazahaya took James' hand and shook it, still a bit in shock over the person who had grabbed him. However he did regain his composure in time to notice the violent contrast of his pale skin against James' caramel skin. "Kudo Kazahaya."
"Correct me if I'm wrong…" James said, letting go of Kazahaya's hand and retracting it to rest at his side. "I'm from America. I learned how to speakJapanese there, but not much else… here in Japan it is the last name first, first name last, right?"
Kazahaya tilted his head to the side a bit. It made sense, considering he didn't look like he came from Japan. He suddenly became intrigued and excited about meeting a student from America. "Yes. That's right."
James smiled a smile that was friendly enough that it could probably melt any defensive door ranging from someone blocking their secrets to a secret vault filled with cash. "Then I would be Fletcher James instead of James Fletcher!"
James then turned to Rikou, who prior to this had jumped to his feet glaring at James for grabbing Kazahaya from behind. (No one grabbed his Kazahaya like that but him!) Now he was sitting at the table again, reassured that Kazahaya was in no immediate danger, and looking bored, casting James a suspicious look one in a while.
"That's Himura Rikou." Kazahaya said automatically. "Ignore him though, he's a jerk."
James laughed quietly. "Oh! I see. Well, it's nice to meet you Himura-san." He said, bowing politely. He then turned back to Kazahaya with a large grin on his face. "Sorry about grabbing you from behind, but you were disrupting everyone's breakfast!"
Kazahaya glanced around and noticed that everyone had been staring at him. He blushed in embarrassment and scratched the back of his neck while laughing nervously. "Guess I should have lowered my voice a bit."
"I'll say." Rikou replied from the table succeeded in getting Kazahaya's fur to stand on end.
James laughed gaily in order to distract the two from what he could see was an inevitable fight, before inviting himself to sit at the table. Kazahaya watched him with surprise before returning to his seat while Rikou only glared at James, the thoughts going through his head now turning a bit murderous for imposing on the two companions.
"So…" Kazahaya started again, intrigued but also trying to be polite. "What's it like in America?"
James smiled at him with that trustworthy smile. "Not much different from here." He answered. "Except the food there isn't as…" James trailed off in order to think of something to describe Japanese food to the two teens.
"Salty?" Kazahaya asked innocently.
"Actually, I was leaning toward fishy." James replied. "But Salty works too."
"Rice-y." Kazahaya added.
"Oh yes! That's perfect! Did you know Japan, as well as the rest of Asia, exports 80 of the world's rice!"
Kazahaya's eyes widened in shock. "Wow…! That's amazing!"
Rikou was obviously annoyed by the pleasant chit-chat, and he turned toward James with a hostile glare. "Why did you impose on our breakfast again?"
Kazahaya bristled at Rikou's rude comment and blunt tone, but James only smiled. "To show you around of course! You guys are new here, neh?"
"We don't need a guide. We can find our way around jus-"
"That would be very nice of you, Fletcher-san!"
Rikou glared daggers at Kazahaya for interrupting, and Kazahaya simply smiled smugly, feeling triumphant for causing Rikou to look that way. James however, was oblivious to all of this.
"Why the formalities? Call me James." His smile seemed to get wider. "And sure, I'll give you a tour, but only if I can call you Kudo-kun."
"You got yourself a deal!" Kazahaya said enthusiastically.
Rikou could feel himself getting angry, the small little meter in his head slowly filling up. He knew that whatever was to happen in the near future was going to fill that meter, and by the end of that night, he had no doubt that it would probably burst. Either that or he would have a headache.
"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!" James said, getting to his feet.
Kazahaya joined him, stabbing the air with a joyful punch as he did so. "This is going to be so much fun!" He cried, feeling himself getting excited. He turned back at Rikou and beckoned him to follow before heading out the door after James. "Come on Rikou!"
Rikou stood and followed them, but not because he chose too, but because he didn't trust James. He had a feeling something was off about that man, and Rikou was sure that something bad was going to happen with Kazahaya concerning him. He didn't know what it was at the moment, but he was determined to figure it out before anything got out of hand.
"Mmm… Num! It's so good!" Kazahaya said happily before taking another bite of the caramel covered apple in his hand, swinging the small bag full of spare ones (for later) in his hand gaily as he walked in front of Rikou. "You should try one Rikou!"
When the smaller teen glanced back at Rikou, he found him scowling at the world. All night he had been acting like this, and Kazahaya couldn't figure out why. Though, if he had been in Rikou's shoes and had been forced to watch his person of desire flirting and having fun with some stranger with an ulterior motive, he probably would have been scowling at the world as well.
"Seesh… Stop being such a sour puss." Kazahaya mumbled. In truth he was a little worried. Usually Rikou was emotionless, though he would occasionally show off something that resembled anger, and seeing Rikou so upset over something caused Kazahaya to become upset himself.
Rikou growled something incoherent and it made Kazahaya's pointed stare turn into something more of a look of concern. Usually when Rikou became slightly upset about something, trying to lighten the mood by acting the way Rikou wanted him to would make it better. But for some reason Rikou had become really upset, and he had no idea how to handle it.
The two walked back to their apartment in a tense silence, Kazahaya munching on his apple quietly, and Rikou withdrawing into himself. By the time they made it to room 13 the sun had set, and Rikou fumbled over the keys while musing about a day being lost to him self. Once again, Kazahaya fleeted past him and he fought with the door to get the keys out, resisting the urge to just break the doorknob.
When he finally got the keys out he slammed the door shut behind him and threw the keys onto the table. With an angry sigh he collapsed onto the bed and ran a hand through his hair, forgetting that Kazahaya was still in the same room and watching his every move timidly.
Okay… So maybe Rikou was really, really upset? Kazahaya tip-toed over to the bed and crawled over it, kneeling beside Rikou, looking at him with a hint of concern but mostly curiosity. He wanted to know what had made Rikou so upset, but more importantly, he wanted to know why he had become so upset.
"Rikou…?" He said softly, trying to get the older teens attention.
Rikou turned his head to look at him with those cold gray eyes of his, looking expectantly at Kazahaya, and that's when it dawned on the younger teen. Of course he couldn't ask what the matter was. It would reveal that he cared about Rikou instead of hating him like he always told the bear. So instead he asked the only question he could think of.
"Want a bite?" He asked, gesturing toward his half eaten caramel apple.
Rikou blinked. Was Kazahaya trying to cheer him up? Though Kazahaya had tried to hide it with a mask, his large amber eyes revealed all that he wanted to say, and Rikou couldn't help but feel relieved that Kazahaya was worrying about him. But at the same time it made him want to put even more distance between the two, for showing concern over someone meant attachment. Frankly, Rikou wasn't sure if he was ready for some more attachment because of what had happened with Tsukiko.
Kazahaya waited patiently, obviously waiting for Rikou to answer, and though he didn't want any attachment, he didn't want rejection to be part of the menu either. That would mean being alone again, and at least with Kazahaya, for the time being, he wasn't alone anymore.
"Do you have another one?" Rikou asked, sitting up.
Kazahaya let out a sigh of relief and smiled. "Yeah! James bought me a whole bunch!" He hopped off the bed and ran over to the bag he had placed on the dresser, pulled out another caramel apple, and headed back over to the bed. He handed it to Rikou with a large grin on his face. "You'll really like it!"
Rikou opened the plastic tipi that covered it and hesitated before taking a bite. Kazahaya watched him closely, like a cat does its prey, as Rikou chewed slowly, analyzing the taste. A few moments later he swallowed and turned to Kazahaya, surprised to find him anxious to hear what he had to say.
"It's good I guess."
"Ha! See! Didn't I tell you it was good!?" Kazahaya said in triumph, looking smug.
Rikou looked amused. "Aw shuddap and get ready for bed kitty."
Kazahaya glared at him. "My name isn't kitty!"
Rikou put his caramel apple back in the box and got up to put it in the small refrigerator before pulling off his shirt. "Do you need some warm milk and a bedtime story?"
"Bastard! I'm not a kid!"
Rikou ignored him as he pulled on some trousers he could sleep in and crawled into bed, nearly shoving Kazahaya off the bed. "I'm trying to sleep."
"You don't deserve to sleep!" Kazahaya shouted, stomping away from the bed and slamming the bathroom door shut.
"Good night to you too," Rikou muttered when Kazahaya was out of ear-shot, knowing full well that that was what Kazahaya had wanted to say to him as well. Soon after he let him self fall asleep.