Wednesday, November 1, 2006

   If You Love Me Like Music 2
Keigo thought quicky and ducked into an alleyway, watching the shrieking fans run past him. He still held the girl in his arms. The girl stirred, turning on her side, her head laying in Keigo’s lap. Keigo glanced downward, along the hemline of her pants, and realized with horror that this was not a girl. How could he think it was? No, this was most definitely male, for Keigo didn’t think that girls had that extra baggage. Keigo flushed a deep red as the young man fluttered his eyelashes, his eyes opening.

He sat up. “W-what happened?”

Keigo smiled and rested a hand on his shoulder. “You passed out.”

The stranger groaned. “Not again...” He tried to stand but fell back into Keigo’s arms. “Who are you, anyway?”

“Keigo Akamaru. Lead singer of Darkwave, at your service.” Keigo wanted to bow but couldn’t very well sitting down. The stranger did not smile but bowed his head.

“I’m Touru Ootohri. Nice to meet you.” Still no smile.

“Hey, how old are you? You look like you’re sixteen.”

“I’m nineteen. But I consider myself old for my age.” Touru finally smiled. It was a beautiful thing. “Sorry I fainted. I do that a lot. I’m diabetic.”

“Oh, I’m sorry...”

“It’s all right. I don’t care.” Touru’s smile dissapeared once more.

“Didn’t you take your insulin shot this morning?” Keigo asked, trying not to pry.

“No. My mom doesn’t let me sometimes.... she can be.... difficult.” he looked down at his scar-ridden arms.

“You can’t be saying... that your mother, your own mother, gave you all those scars?” Keigo asked, concerned.

“Not just her. My dad, too.”

Keigo wrapped his arms around Touru in a hug. The younger man stiffened.

“Sorry.” Keigo gushed, embarrassed. “I hug random people. It’s a problem I have...”

Touru shook his head. “That’s fine.”

“Hmm.... you need to move out of your house.” Keigo stated matter-of-factly. “You’re too old to be forced to stay with your parents, right?”

“I have to. My mother sats that if I leave she’ll hunt me down and kill me.” Touru confessed, looking at the ground. He was still sitting on Keigo’s lap. “I’m too scared to leave.”

“That’s ridiculous! Isn’t there anywhere else you can go?”

Touru’s eyes fulled with tears as the great blue river turned into a waterfall. “No.” He stood unsteadily. “I’d better go.” He started to walk away.

"Wait!" Keigo called after Touru pitifully.

Touru turned, his sleek black hair glinting in the dull moonlight, the PVC of his corset also shining. Keigo dismissed these thoughts from his head immediately and continued.

"You..... your parents are that violent, yeah?" he asked, moving closer to the timid young man.

He nodded slowly. "Yeah. But it's not as bad as you think. Hey, I'd better go, or they'll lock me out again...."

"Lock you out?" Keigo repeated in bewilderment. "It's below zero out here! It's the middle of December!"

"They don't care." Touru replied, gazing at Touru with his liquid cool eyes again. "They don't want me... all I do is mess up. I know that. It's my fault..."

"No." Keigo scolded, grabbing Touru's arm. "It's never your fault. Look at you! You're sick from being left out in the cold, and you're covered in wounds!" To prove his point, Keigo pulled up Touru's sleeve. There was a long, still-fresh cut along his arm, from his wrist up to his elbow. The cut appeared to be sewed shut with something... maybe fishing wire, and Touru's pale skin was reddened all around the cut and where the fishing wire was threaded into the skin.

Keigo looked up at Touru. "They did this?"

Touru nodded, tears coming to his eyes. "Yeah.” He was now shaking uncontrollably. "My doctors say that I'm a serious case, and that all my insulin reactions are caused by stress." Keigo wasn't sure what to do, so he stepped forward and embraced the younger man, letting him sob on his shoulder. Passerbys stared, some even stopped to gawk at the sight of the two men embracing, one crying and beaten, the other in stage attire, including light eyeliner and some  blush so he didn't look dead onstage.

"Keigo...." Touru whispered.

"Touru...." Keigo pulled away slightly and looked down on the thin young man he was holding.

"This is so weird...." Touru tried to pul away but collapsed against Keigo's chest again. "I don't even know you...."

"Come here, hun." Keigo said kindly, scooping Touru into his arms and carrying him down the street. "Come home with me. You'll be safe."

Touru closed his eyes and whispered. "Thank God."
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