Full Moon Typhoon

Chapter One: The Black and The Blue

Kamijou Hiroki was sitting on a bench in the park. It was nearing dusk and the lengthening shadows mirrored the darkness he felt in his own heart. Hiroki grimaced as tears welled in his eyes. His mind was still reeling from the terrible humiliation he'd experienced just hours earlier.

Since he was ten years old, Hiroki had been in love with his best friend, and today, at the age of twenty-two, he had finally confessed his feelings.

Well okay, maybe it wasn't exactly a confession.

But he had offered Usami Akihiko, the man he loved, his body as a stand in for another man, one Takahashi Takahiro. A man Akihiko also loved in an unrequited manner.

Hiroki had been sure that the weight of his flesh against Akihiko's, his burning touch, would be able to communicate the depths of his feelings. And he'd foolishly convinced himself that once Akihiko felt this, Akihiko would surely turn his affections away from Takahiro and reciprocate.

However, it had turned out he was mistaken. He'd given Akihiko his body (his heart and his mind had belonged to his friend for years already) and the man had walked away after they'd fucked offering no words except a request that Hiroki leave him.

The bastard's sperm wasn't even cool on my thighs before he dismissed me.

To say he was crushed wouldn't even begin to cover the extent of what Hiroki felt.

A brusque swipe of the back of his hand across his watering eyes did not dissuade the gathering tears; instead it seemed to only encourage them.

Hiroki was at a complete loss for what to do now, he had determined his love for Akihiko was over the moment his unrequited had pushed him off and walked away. Now he was floundering, trying to desperately determine what he was going to use to fill the space that his love for Akihiko had occupied in his heart.

Maybe I'll just apply myself more to my studies, Hiroki thought.

He had just started his graduate track in literature and was working as a T.A. at "M" University.

Hiroki sighed with the terrible realization that at this moment, even the idea of literature offered him no solace. He was berating himself internally when all of a sudden a strange noise caught his attention.

Hiroki looked up and was startled to see a large black dog, rather wolfish in its appearance sitting in front of him. The first thing he noticed was that despite the animal's dark color, the dog had amazingly intense blue eyes. The next thing that caught Hiroki's attention was the beast had something in its mouth. The sound that had caught his attention initially was the animal trying to pant around this.

Upon closer inspection, Hiroki ascertained it was some kind of toy rocket. How in the hell the dog had gotten a hold of it was anybody's guess. The graduate student sniffed loudly and made another pass with his hand to wipe away his tears.

The dog tipped its head to the side as though studying him. This movement jingled the worn tags it sported on a beat up-looking old leather collar.

The sensation of being scrutinized by so humble a beast made Hiroki decidedly nervous. He had never been much of an animal person in the first place. When the hound continued to sit there, regarding him with its unblinking blue eyes, Hiroki flapped his hands at the creature.

"Shoo! Go on!" he growled loudly.

Unless Hiroki's eyes were playing tricks on him, it seemed as though his outburst amused the dog. Its panting grin widened and a thick fan-like tail began to suddenly thump happily against the ground.

Hiroki's breath caught in his throat as the dog suddenly stood and began to pad towards him on its huge paws. The black beast walked straight up to him stopping less than a foot away. Here it seemed to pause and study him again for a minute.

Then without further ceremony, it dropped the rocket at Hiroki's feet. One good nudge of the cylinder with a shiny black nose pushed it forward, making clear the dog's intention that Hiroki should have it, just in case the man harbored any doubts.

Looking down at the slobbery missile and then back up into the hound's cool blue eyes, Hiroki frowned.

"I said go away," he growled again, though there wasn't nearly as much snarl in his voice as he'd hoped.

At his words, the dog sat down again, its tail taking up once more its canine cadence. A stiff breeze wisped suddenly past, ruffling the creature's shaggy black coat.

Hiroki fiercened his scowl at the dog. In response it merely thumped its tail a bit stronger.

I always knew that animals were dense, but this is ridiculous.

Speaking of dumb animals. Hiroki sighed as a chubby middle aged man, suddenly shouted out at him as he strode over to the bench.

"Hey, you there! That your dog?" The man called out drawing nearer. His expression was rather fierce. "Stupid thing stole our rocket!" he shouted.

At these words the black dog stood and with surprising speed bolted, disappearing into some nearby bushes.

The man finally reached where Hiroki had remained sitting. "You know it's against the law to have a dog off leash! I mean the fine for that is huge and your animal could be confiscated!"

Hiroki looked up, face impassive. "Not my dog," he said simply. He did however reach down and pick up the sodden missile between gingerly pinched fingers.

After all, who knows what kind of germs an animal like that might be carrying.

"Here," he offered the rocket, knowing he was being rude by not standing and acknowledging the man properly, but the guy had been rude himself by shouting at him in the first place. Besides Hiroki's heart was feeling so heavy, he didn't know if he even had the strength to stand at the moment.

The fellow took the rocket with a look of distaste. "You know you're lucky I don't call park security and report you!"

Hiroki's forehead furrowed. What part of "not my dog," did this guy not understand?

Hiroki sighed and repeated, "That thing's not mine."

"Yeah, right!" The man standing before him sneered. Then he turned his eyes to the sky for a moment before looking back at Hiroki with a renewed expression of accusation.

"You know you're lucky; my friends and I were almost done with our launching. The wind's getting too strong to keep things on course. Once this storm really moves in it's just going to get worse."

The way the guy said this made Hiroki feel as though he was now somehow now being held responsible for the weather too.

The pseudo astronaut looked at Hiroki once more and then snorted in disgust when the graduate student didn't respond to his comment. Finally he turned and began walking away. "Besides, it's getting dark and I don't know anyone who is an idiot enough to stay in the park after sunset these days."

Hiroki watched the man disappear and breathed a sigh of relief once his portly figure had disappeared in the distance. Another gust of wind plucked at his jacket. Hiroki raised his eyes to the quickly darkening sky and thought about what his accuser had said.

He supposed he should head out too, the guy was right; a storm was moving in quickly and the light fading in its wake. The park had already been abnormally quiet, which was one of the reasons he'd had sat down where he did.

There had been a rash of violent killings that had occurred in the area over the last several months. The authorities had been very closed mouthed about the details but Hiroki had read the presses' whispers about terrible mutilations.

But so far the deaths had only happened under the cover of darkness, so Hiroki had figured he would be safe as long as the light lingered.

Lowering his tear-weary head into his hands, Hiroki closed his eyes. Despite the crisp edge to the breeze he didn't mind it.

Maybe it will blow some of the cobwebs out of my brain and I'll be able to think a little more clearly. Behind his closed lids, Hiroki listen to the wind rattling the early spring-budded branches. Whistling through them, the sound was actually rather soothing.

Though Hiroki knew instinctively it was time to get up and move on, he allowed himself another five minutes to rally.

After that I'll go home, he promised

Home.

Home to what? A shabby apartment filled with books and little else. He had few friends and even fewer visitors.

And now that I've so so fucked things up with Akihiko…

You need to get off your ass and stop feeling sorry for yourself, Hiroki chided himself.

Still he didn't move. Instead his mind continued to drift in the comforting blackness of his closed eyes.

"Just five more minutes," he said out loud this time.

I'm sure you smart readers can see where this is going already… But I have wanted to do a fic like this and since I finished College Daze today… well, even though I know I shouldn't be starting anymore stories I did.

As always I love hearing from you… so please review.