kingkpglitz

[kingkpglitz]

Blue Christmas

Tick, tock. Tick, tock.

Pale moonlight drifted through the window and reflected off the surface of the clock suspended above the room’s doorway, illuminating the numbers in the otherwise dark room. Whiffs of sugar and cream leaked from the plastic containers sitting snugly in a makeshift nest of blankets. Standing over the containers, Marinette glanced at the clock and bit back a tiny smile.

‘Only ten minutes until I need to leave,’ she thought, taking a considerable amount of care into tying the blankets together with the containers inside. This makeshift sack she slung over her shoulder and gave a little hop in order to see if the knot would come undone from her movements. When she was satisfied with the results of her blanket-sack, she took one more survey of her room to make sure she hadn't forgotten anything; her eyes landed on two thermoses set next to her computer keyboard. Why she had set them there where they could potentially spill all over her computer was beyond her, but she shrugged and picked them up too. They were tied together with the strongest twine she had in her sewing kit, which also made it easy to carry them both.

A tiny beep sounded from her pocket, and Marinette quickly went to silence her phone; she couldn't afford to allow her parents to hear she was still awake. Her midnight phone alarm shut off at the slide of her finger across the screen. Time to go. She outstretched her hand and whispered for her kwami to transform her, embracing the familiar tingling sensation as her suit covered her body. It was always pleasantly warm when it formed on her skin, like a towel that had been soaked in hot water. Climbing the steps upwards to her balcony, she moved stealthily to ensure that none of the steps squeaked when she placed a foot on them.

A sudden gust of wind slapped her in the face no sooner than she had stepped outside. Almost instantaneously, her body shivered from the abnormally chilly weather. It was one of the coldest nights Paris had gotten in the past few years, complete with a fresh batch of snow. Outstretched before her when she fully stepped outside of her room was a glistening expanse of ivory whiteness, which muffled the usually-blinding lights of the city. Although her spotted suit was warm against her skin, she decided it would be best to venture out with proper snow gear. The extra minute it took for her to bundle up in one of her handmade down jackets made her impatient, but definitely warmer for it. Her fingers itched to fling her yoyo across the rooftops and sail through the air, and so she hastened her retreat from her room. Once more she made sure she had all her provisions, and then she flung herself off her balcony and into the stinging night air.

--*--

Adrien was incredibly nervous. He had been on this upstairs patio for the past twenty minutes trying to not explode from the butterflies in his stomach. To think he was lucky enough to spend Christmas night with his lovely lady, and on a date, no less! Well, at least he considered it to be one. He wasn’t quite so sure that Ladybug would feel the same way, but he did intend to make it a night equal to her splendor. They had agreed to meet on the upper floor of the cafe at midnight, but he had arrived early in order to set the mood. Dusting off the snow from the chairs and tables, he cleared space for him to start on the real preparations. At first he had feared that his lavender-scented candles wouldn’t light because of the wind, but his mind was put at ease when he discovered the cafe was secluded enough by the nearby buildings that the wind posed no problem. He strategically placed the smaller candles on the surrounding tables where they would give off a soft, warm glow in the harshness of the night. On the middle table he had arranged a set of crisply cut roses and more candles, making sure they were spaced out and not too close to Ladybug’s seat so that she would have some elbow room. Above their seats and as garnish for the surrounding tables, he tied bundles of bristly mistletoe together in what he thought to be vain hope.

For a final touch, he tapped his cell phone screen and scrolled over to where he kept his music. It had taken him four days (and some assistance from Nino) to create the perfect romantic playlist, and he set down his phone on the table so it would be ready to go when Ladybug arrived. Now that his preparations were complete, there was nothing to keep him from wondering about how the night would progress. Would Ladybug chastise him for putting this much effort into their meeting? Would she be angry at him for making it too romantic? Would she even be impressed at all? What if she laughed?

His stomach flipped and his murmured under his breath to keep it together. A glance at his watch told him she would be here any minute, and he reluctantly called out to his kwami. Plagg poked his head out of Adrien’s pocket and drily commented on the lack of cheese there was in compensation for this, but transformed him into his alter ego Chat Noir anyway. It only took a minute for a faraway figure to bound across the rooftops towards him, and he almost didn’t recognize that is was Ladybug. Slung across her shoulder was a sack that made her look like a trim Santa Claus. He bit his lip in order to contain his laughter, but he could tell Ladybug noticed in a heartbeat.

“What’s so funny, Chat? Cat got your tongue?” Her lips curved into a teasing smile, and he let the laughter he had been holding loose. Over the years she had taken to his puns and even threw some his way once in a blue moon--he loved her even more because of it. As his laughter died into tiny chuckles, he mentally traced over her rounded cheeks and her gleaming, cerulean eyes. Now that she was directly in front of him, he could see that the sack she was lifting was actually two blankets tied together. His eyes only lingered on the blankets for a moment, because what caught his eye was her petite figure enveloped in something different than her Ladybug suit. Of course she still was in her suit, but on top of that she was wearing a stylish ski jacket that he thought looked a bit familiar. He examined her so intensely trying to figure out why the jacket was familiar to him that he nearly missed her lips agape and her eyebrows raised in amazement. It registered in his mind that she was gazing at the candlelit table for two behind him, and he thrust his chest out with pride.

“Are our dinner reservations to your liking, my lady?” He purred, and he knelt down to peck her hand. Her cheeks were a muted pink colour, and he was unsure if it was due to his actions or the cold.

“You’ve certainly been hard at work,” she replied, slipping her hand away from him coyly. Grinning, he fell into step behind her as she confidently strode towards the table and settled down in her designated seat. Opposite her, he tapped his phone screen and sweet saxophone notes began to swirl around them as his playlist began. In front of them both he set down a giant plate of spaghetti; it was from a famous Italian restaurant on the corner and he had gotten it on the way home from modeling this afternoon. He microwaved it to make sure it was fresh and warm before he left home.

They each picked up a fork and Chat Noir watched as Ladybug twirled hers around noodles until they were transformed into bite-sized balls. He felt a little embarrassed that he was slurping the noodles into his mouth instead of eating prim and proper as he did at home, but soon enough he saw Ladybug copy him that he grinned at her in a silent thank you. With both of their mouths full, there was little room for small talk, but Chat Noir didn’t think it was necessary. He hardly had the chance to just sit down and admire her delicate facial features or her toned body since they were always fighting akumas when they met. It was a welcome change.

He jabbed his fork into the plate to take another bite and brought it up to his mouth. Chewing his mouthful of spaghetti, he started to slurp the last noodle and noticed it was stuck on something. His eyes flickered up from his fork and felt his face turning crimson as he saw the noodle connecting to Ladybug’s mouth. Both of them stared at each other for a few moments, their foreheads bumping into one another as they leaned over the plate. Thinking she would bite off her end of the noodle, he continued slurping until their mouths were a few centimeters away from each other. Just as he was about to bite down himself, Ladybug sucked the remainder of the noodle into her mouth and brought their lips together for a brief moment. A hint of vanilla brushed his lips as her mouth gingerly twisted away from him, and he longed to keep their lips together for even a second longer. His mind flew somewhere else entirely as he was left with his mouth slightly ajar, dribbles of spaghetti sauce dotting around his mouth.

“L-Ladybug…? What was that?” He stammered and did his best to contain the blush encompassing his entire face. His heart was soaring so high it was beginning to hurt, and he thought that all of his life he had been waiting for this moment. It was a second full of warmth and affection that were given only to him; it was someone who had cared so deeply for him that they had given him a piece of themselves. That one second had been his everything.

“Merry Christmas, Chat,” she whispered, and she leaned back in her seat once more--out of his reach. The next minute passed by in absolutely blissful silence for the both of them as Chat Noir struggled to contain his need for more air than his lungs were taking in at the time and Ladybug was bending down beneath the table to reach something. Ladybug kissed him. This was not an elaborate scheme his mind had conjured up while sitting in his lecture hall being taught by his dreadfully mundane calculus professor. She actually kissed him without their lives being in jeopardy! When Ladybug surfaced from underneath the table, she placed a thermos in front of him and nudged his hand towards another plastic container she’d retrieved.

“I figured this would warm us up,” she shyly murmured, and it took a moment for Chat Noir to return back from his thoughts and realize the biting chill of the winter’s night was eating at his skin. Rather quickly, he scooped up the thermos and unscrewed the cap; steam billowed out from the flask and warmed his face rather nicely, although he had felt perfectly thawed ever since their lips had touched. Her voice had gotten uncharacteristically quiet since that moment too, and he absently took a swig of his drink while he stared at her round, comely eyes. He couldn’t pin where exactly he’d seen those eyes before--as he was sure he would remember such exquisite diamonds--but coupled with her more demure attitude it sparked a memory within him that he couldn’t grasp.  

His thoughts were interrupted when a hand holding tightly onto a napkin entered his vision, and he blushed as Ladybug began to dab the smudged spaghetti sauce around his lips. He gulped down the hot chocolate that was resting in his mouth and shuddered. It was excellently crafted, but it was a bittersweet sort of flavor. Tastes of cream and powdered sugar dazzled his tongue, but it couldn’t overpower the bittersweet chocolate in the cocoa.  

“Silly cat, you’ve made quite a mess of yourself. I do hope you’ll hold back with the cream,” she giggled, and Chat Noir’s ears perked up at the mention. She indicated to the plastic box she had been pointing to before, and he opened it greedily without a second thought. The smell from the box was one of the first things to hit him, and if Ladybug hadn’t kissed him earlier he would consider this to be heaven. At first he tried to contain himself, he really did. But after the first two scoops of whipped cream, he went berserk--half the container was upturned into his hot chocolate in a matter of seconds.

Apologetically, Chat Noir scooched the rest of the whipped cream over to Ladybug, whose face simply looked stunned. To ease the recklessness of his actions, he started to stir the cream into his sacchariferous drink and eyed his phone. One of his selected songs was winding to an end, and for a few seconds there was no noise to cover the sounds of their breathing. A few keyboard notes sang through the air as his phone booted up another song. A look of recognition crossed Ladybug’s face, and she smiled as she rummaged through the bundle of blankets at her feet.

“That’s ‘I’ll Be’ by Edward McCullen, isn’t it?” She asked as she withdrew another plastic container and set it on the table in front of her. Popping the lid off of it, puffs of sugary goodness reached her nose as she offered one of her macaroons to Chat Noir. Unsurprisingly, he leaned forward and took a bite out of it directly from her hand. Crumbs dusted the front of his suit, but he hastily wiped them off as he reached out to take her hand.

“Isn’t it an absolutely purrfect song?” He gently lifted her hand and tugged her out of her seat, his playful eyes softening into soulful pools of emerald stardust as he cradled her closely to him in time with the beat. At first she tensed up, but after a few seconds she allowed her body to relax against his. While one of his hands grasped her waist, the other lifted up to caress her jawline. Her own hands hesitantly slid up his back and rested on his shoulder blades.

--*--

Puffs of their intertwined breath mingled in the air around them as they began to dance. Amidst the music, she swore she could hear catches of Chat Noir’s voice whispering in her ears sweet melodies and poetic words. Candlelight reflected in her partner’s eyes as they stepped in time to the music, and somehow she could not quite catch her breath despite their slow pace. Chat Noir’s hair curled around his face like grapevines on a trellis, and she was tempted to wrap some of the glossy strands around her fingers. His hair had been cut and styled differently over the passing years, but it was still long enough that snowflakes caught the tips of his hair and slid down onto her cheeks. These changes his body had undergone she had noticed, but she tried her best to ignore them; no matter how handsome he was, her heart still could not be his. If she allowed love to blossom with Chat Noir, they would only be jeopardizing the city and themselves. But now, twirling under the stars, Ladybug felt her chest constrict with pain as she stared into his eyes and no longer wanted anything else but to hold him tightly. Soon enough the lights in Chat Noir’s eyes and the lights blinking around them began to blur. Her gaze was fixed upwards on him so intently she didn’t think that if an akuma attacked she would be able to see it at all--and she didn’t want to.

At the climax of the song, Chat Noir’s feet suddenly started to pick up the pace as he swung her around in an arc and dipped her down into his arms. The hand that had been so tenderly caressing her cheek now pulled away to grasp one of her hands, melting the frost on it with its warmth. The dizzying lights of the candles around her began to still into their rightful places, but her head still spun when she gazed back into Chat Noir’s radiant eyes. The waning moon in the sky reminded her that there were only a few more hours left until their midnight spell wore off and left them at the mercy of their daytime schedules. It was a thought she did not care to dwell on for long, and she soaked up every image of him that she could between blinking snowflakes out of her lashes. If she had known love hurt this much, she would have stayed away from the black cat before they met.

‘No,’ she thought, ‘I would rather be stuck in this endless cycle of good and bad luck than give him up.’

While she was lost in her thoughts, Chat Noir’s head bent closer towards her until their foreheads were touching. Ladybug wanted to close her eyes and remain in his arms for however long she could. All she wanted was to be with him. His lips snugly nestled against hers for a few tender moments before withdrawing. Her first instinct was to mash their lips together again in a passionate embrace, but she maintained control over her body and felt her mind numb with shock. Even though this is what she wanted more than anything, she knew they could not put the city in jeopardy by having this relationship. She knew that; Chat knew that.

“I thought it was about time to give you your Christmas present,” he winked, and her tense muscles relaxed. Although his mouth was turned upwards in a grin, she saw a deeper melancholy reflected in his eyes. It struck her that this was painful for them both. She curled her lips into a smile mirroring his, and stroked the nape of his neck with her fingers. Everything would be okay as long as she could see his smiling face. Everything would be okay in the end.

Slowly drawing him back down, her lips were about to brush his when a deafening explosion of noise blasted her ears. A strong gale of wind followed the noise and sent them both tumbling to the ground; all of the candlelight vanished within seconds of the chilly gust. Snapping her head around to peer in the direction of the perpetrator, her jaw dropped as she took in the sight before her. The city was burning.

[kingkpglitz]

To my followers:

My sincere apologies go out to all the followers on my stories. I have let college get the best of me, but I can assure you that the final chapter to my Ishimondo fanfiction will be up this weekend. Thank you for sticking with me this far and please continue to support me as I go on with writing!

[kingkpglitz]

Thank you so much for writing another Bubblegum Rock fanfic! Your writing style is very enjoyable to read and it's always a lovely treat to find some fanwork of your OTP. So thank you for making my day that much brighter and I hope you have a wonderful day too! ^_^

Thank you for your kind message! I hope to continue bringing my followers as much fanfiction as I am able!

[kingkpglitz]

where are the first two parts of the leon souda fic? sorry for bothering you, just want to read the whole thing!

You can find the other two parts on my blog or on fanfiction.net! The first chapter is called Best Day of My Life and the second chapter is called Always on My Mind. Thank you for reading!

[kingkpglitz]

Daybreak (A Leon x Souda Fanfic, part 3)

Something was not quite right with the scene in which Souda found himself. Muscular arms gripped him with an intense strength he didn’t dare defy, unlike the gentleness he was used to from his girlfriend. Along with the scent of rust and metal from his workshop, there was a hint of men's deodorant and cologne coming from the person attached to him. The tears that stained the man's pristine, white jacket didn't bother him at all (or if they did, he didn't let it show). With each hiccup that came from the mechanic, the other man squeezed him briefly and allowed him to continue his sobbing. And for some reason--even though he was being comforted by a man--all of this was not something he could despise. Maybe it was the fever talking. Had to be. Souda Kazuichi was not attracted to men.

After a long while, the mechanic finished flicking the remaining tears from his eyes and scrambled away from the man beside him. He could tell his entire face was flushed from his fever, but there seemed to be another reason for his red face he couldn't pinpoint at the moment. Now that they sat a few feet apart on the bed, Souda could gaze at the man he'd met only a few days ago at the baseball stadium. Spiky, scarlet hair burned across the top of his head and resonated with Souda's palpitated heartbeat. Like a siren song, the mechanic couldn't help but be drawn to the baseball player's deep voice as he spoke.

"You okay?" Those simple words echoed from Leon's mouth, breaking the spell between them. A few bouts of uncomfortable laughter erupted from Souda's mouth, but this only stung his throat and brought more sickly coughing.

"Hey, man, maybe you'd better lie down..." Leon hesitantly uttered, his hands hovering around his companion, unsure of how or if he should touch the sick man. In the end, his calloused hands rested back on the quilted covers of the bed and he didn't press the issue any further.

Now that there was a lull in their actions and words, Souda peeked across at the baseball player and noticed his eyes fervid with curiosity. Right, he hadn't even explained anything. But he couldn't muster up the courage to talk about the incident yet. It still was a wrench in his heart that he couldn't fix. So, in shame, he turned his head away.

Maybe Leon picked up on his cues, or maybe his intuition told him something was amiss. Either way, Souda yelped as the man snagged his upper arm and lifted him into a standing position. What the hell was he doing?! Cheeks reddening, he was about to chew Leon out when the baseball player winked at him confidently.

"C'mon, we're goin' out, bro!"

Pfft, he probably didn't even have an idea of where to go.  Still, Souda unsteadily jogged behind him. It took a lot more effort than he imagined it would to keep up with his fellow teenager since he’d heard rumours that Leon hadn’t showed up to baseball practice even once. If he was this in shape then he probably worked hard during his free time to compensate for his lack of training. But did he? Maybe he was just naturally athletic and had the intuition to make the right choices during a baseball game. A real genius. Not like Souda, who’d been training in the garage ever since he was a child. Locking himself away in the musty area, shutting out everyone and everything in order to concentrate and block out his memories for a duration of time. Souda never would be a genius.

Well, it didn’t take a genius to figure out that Leon had no clue where to hang out. Although they kept jogging down the streets, the baseball player’s head swung every direction, taking in every shop or stall they passed. Breath caught in his throat, Souda had to cover his mouth to contain his laughter.

“Kuwata, it’s okay, man. We don’t have to go anywhere,” Souda chuckled, tugging on jacket sleeve. “I’m fine, so let’s go back to my little junk-filled garage.” Even from behind him, the mechanic could tell how red his ears were getting! He became a little smug, knowing he took out a little of the genius’ pride.

“S-Shut up, man! I already have something planned, alright?!” He trudged forward more impatiently, his eyebrows creased together. It seemed as though the mechanic’s words had an effect on him, because the teen’s face illuminated for a brief moment and he charged towards the nearest drug store.

“Wait here!” he commanded, plonking Souda down on the steps outside the store’s front doors. Bewildered, he just went with the flow. For the next half hour or so he remained right where Leon had set him like a loyal mutt, but he was growing antsy. What the hell took so long to buy in a drug store?! Right when he struggled to his feet and marched up to the front door, the baseball player crashed into him.

“Watch it!” Souda scowled, brushing off his sleeve as if it had been smudged with dirt. Really, it was just to look cool. “Hurry up or I’ll leave ya behind!” The redhead retorted, barreling past him and ducking down a side street. Time for a game of cat and mouse, eh? This mechanic never backed down from a challenge!

It became apparent soon enough that the two were chasing each other further and further from the central plaza of the city and were now in the slums. Souda didn’t notice it at first--he was too absorbed in trotting after the baseball player--but the putrid stench of unbathed, disease-ridden bodies soon seeped into his nostrils. Their journey was becoming increasingly dangerous with every step they took forward. Knees shaking, he desperately wanted to dash forward and warn his friend, but he couldn’t find the strength to do so.

“K-Kuwata!” he managed to choke out, flinching away from a passerby that stepped a little too close to him. If the boy had heard him, he gave no notice that he did and kept jogging around the corner of the street. As petrified as he was, there was no way he was going to remain here alone. At least there would be one person to guide him; Leon wouldn't abandon him. Trusting in that, he rounded the bend and skidded to a halt on the asphalt.

"We're here!" Leon chirped, proudly waving his hand to the heaps of scrap metal towering above them. This was the...junkyard? To anyone else, this would have seemed like a cruel joke. For Souda, this was equivalent to paradise. As the sun began to dip in the sky, its final hours of light were reflecting off the rusting auto parts jumbled together; the sight made Souda speculate if this was how his cookie-cutter neighbors gazed at their wind chimes in the summer breeze. No matter where he looked, mounds of discarded tools stood before him and he longed to simply sit down and tinker to his heart’s content. Ah, what could he build out of that bent bicycle? That new car he’d been working on could sure use that spare column switch. It was the junkyard, so maybe no one would notice if he snagged a few goodies on the way home…

Dammit, this place was so cool! It was definitely where he’d go Christmas shopping for himself come next winter. He was so passionate to work he had to forcefully grab onto Leon to keep his hands from caressing every machine he laid eyes upon.

“Hey, man, are you okay? You haven’t said a word since we got here,” his companion prodded, trying to snap Souda out of his sparkling daze. “I thought you’d like it here, but, well, I guess I was wrong. I’m so stupid! Who would ever want to go to a place like this?” Unsure laughter rang out from his mouth as the baseball player tried to brush off his error.

“No, it’s perfect.” He’d underestimated the redhead--maybe he was more attentive than he’d figured. It was almost like they were friends. A slight smile mirrored his elated thoughts, and he stretched out his hand to steer Leon into a lone trailer car that appeared as though it would be perfect for investigating. Both of their strengths combined was enough to scrape open the rusted sliding door, leaving them to peer into the shadowy enclosure with a sense of uncertainty.

“Close your eyes.” “Why?” “It’s a secret, just close ‘em.” The order made Souda scowl, but he obeyed. If it had been dark before, now it was simply a black void that drained away every fragment of light around him. It would be appropriate to call it ‘nothingness.’ Noises echoed around him and the mechanic deduced that his friend had braved the corridors of the trailer. Or, at least, his footsteps had carried him away from Souda. With every second that ticked by, images of the baseball player fleeing and deserting him flashed through his mind. What if he’d befriended the mechanic for the laughs and all this was simply a trap? It wouldn’t be the first time.

Just as the loneliness crept into his heavy heart, a calloused hand tapped his arm and snapped him out of his thoughts. “Open your eyes!” Ghosts. There were fucking ghosts surrounding him. No, wait, they were just violet LED candles. They were positioned on top of tables and chairs alike and all had dusty curtains and tablecloths draped over them. If they weren’t supposed to be ghost candles then he had no idea what Leon was doing with them. Fucking Leon and his fucking ghost candles scared the daylights outta him.  

“What’s wrong, man? You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” Leon prodded, and the mechanic swore he did that on purpose. Just to get a kick outta him. “What the hell are the candles for?” he hissed, jabbing a finger at the spectral silhouettes. To his incredulity, the soft glow of the candlelight was enough to betray the redness on the baseball player’s cheeks.

“I thought it would be dark by the time we came here, so I stopped by the convenience store for these. But I’ve never bought candles before, so I wasn’t sure what kind to get. It took me a while to find these, but I thought you’d like ‘em,” he mumbled, his fingers running through his hair--a gesture Souda interpreted as embarrassment. The mechanic’s smile was lost in the dim lighting, but he plopped his butt down next to his companion and rested his head against his shoulder.

“Not to be gay or anything, but I like ‘em. ‘Cause you bought ‘em just for me. I’ve never had a friend do that for me before.” It was unsettling to admit this to someone so sought-after, but he regarded Leon as not only a comrade, but a guiding light that lead him outside of his confining shell. Someone who protected him. A bulwark.            “Why not be a little?” The voice belonging to his friend seemed oddly close to his ear, and he shivered.            “Be a little what?” he couldn’t help but inquire, his curiosity bubbling up inside his warm body. Dammit, it was hot in here. Even though he knew the LED candles weren’t heating up the room any, their romantic light seemed to kindle a fire within his chest and melt any rational thoughts he had away. With his shoulder brushing against Leon, his heart was dancing recklessly about and he couldn’t pinpoint the reason why. After all, he was dating Sonia so there was no reason for him to desire anyone but the bottle-blonde bombshell. Right?

“Be a little gay,” Leon susurrated, his hand stroking Souda’s flushed cheeks. And when their heads dipped towards each other, the mechanic ignored the dissenting thoughts in his mind and jocundly allowed their lips to press together. A slight tang of something--bubblegum, maybe?--peppered his tongue as they both willingly shared this intimate moment. Leon fuckin’ rocked at this make-out business.

“W-Wait,” Souda coughed, managing to wriggle his hand between their mouths for a moment. Before his eyes, the baseball player he’d so admired looked like a complete mess. There was a desperate longing in his eyes, his hair unkempt (which Souda realized was his fault for his hands had been tangled up in it until just a moment ago), and a trail of saliva flecked his chin. And all of this was because of...him? There was no way a star baseball player could want him so much that he’d be this disheveled after one kiss. If there was a mirror in front of him, he figured he would definitely be just as bedraggled.

“I’ve finally got the girlfriend I’ve been wanting after so many years, so--” He was cut off by Leon snagging him by the collar and glaring at him. “Your ‘girlfriend’ is still hung up over her ex-boyfriend! She doesn’t truly love you and you know it. You can’t win against a dead man!” The baseball player’s voice was heated and his words cleaved through him painfully. He hadn’t wanted to admit it after all this time, but he knew Sonia was only dating him to try to forget her love that perished long ago. There would only be room for one in her heart, and it was reserved by the deceased Gundam Tanaka.

“H-He died last year in a plane crash. That bastard had finally grown the balls to board the plane to visit Sonia-san. She couldn’t leave her country to see him, so he promised her he would cross Hell and back for them to meet. He told me he was going to propose to her in her home country so the gods would accept their love. She waited six months for him to board that goddamned plane, and then...he died. Just like that.”

Gross choking noises caught up in his throat as tears matted his cheeks. He and Sonia were the same--so devastated by Gundam’s death that they could only seek comfort in each other. Their relationship was nothing more than a facade to camouflage their loss. Touching each other was merely pain, knowing fully well that what they were doing wasn’t right.

“There’s still time. Dawn hasn’t broken yet, right? His spirit should still be there, so you and Sonia-chan can settle this!” Leon proclaimed, dragging the mechanic outside their candle-lit trailer car. As they dashed down the streets, Souda noticed that this time Leon wasn’t jogging ahead of him, but kept pace next to him. Racing together, hand-in-hand, struggling to beat the sun’s arrival, they were out of breath by the time they reached the coastline. And thankfully, the sky had yet to burst into the array of morning colours.

A figure was crouched down in front of the colossal headstone, which he instantly recognized as Sonia. Her grieving face paralleled his own, stained unceremoniously with tears. When she glanced up, their gazes locked and he crashed to his knees beside her.           “Tanaka...I don’t think we ever hated each other. Sure, we argued a lot and were rivals ever since we met, but I never hated you. You kept me going. You kept us both going,” he gestured to Sonia, “through the tough times. Without you, both of us lied to ourselves. We thought we could replace you with each other, and I’m sorry. I’ve come to realize that we both won’t ever forget about you. We can’t, no matter how painful it is. And so, I have to confess to you both that I’ve found someone I love as equally as you two. Sonia-san, I can never be the one in your heart, and you no longer can be the one in mine. We both deserve to move on from this standstill we’ve put ourselves in, don’t you agree?”

“As the princess of Novoselic, I could not have phrased that better myself, Souda-kun,” she proudly acknowledged, hastily wiping her tears away. “Our relationship has ended, and you are free to love Kuwata-san just as I still love my beloved Gundam.” Tucking a strand of her golden hair behind her ear, she ducked forward and formally pecked Souda on the cheek. A simple gesture between companions. He realized he may not have been as friendless as he had previously thought.  

And so the two of them quietly remained kneeling in front of the grave (with a strangely placid Leon behind them) until the sun peeked out from beneath the waves of the sea, surrounded by stray animals that had been drawn to the grave and the four little hamsters that Sonia had been raising in place of their master. Splashes of colour--lavender, vermillion, beryl, peach--swept across the ocean’s surface, signaling that daybreak had arrived at last. Even though such a resplendent sight should be something celebrated, the two of them could only think of it as something bittersweet, for with the coming of dawn also came the time when the spirit of their loved one would need to return from whence it came.

[kingkpglitz]

Leave Me to Sleep {Bad End} (An Ishimondo Fanfic, part 4)

His lover was falling. Mondo had been in front of him only a moment ago, and his mind was a blank slate as he tried to register what had happened. He’d been backsliding off the edge when Mondo had catapulted him back onto safe ground, and then he...Petrified for only a moment, Ishimaru dropped to his knees and leaned down over the cliff.

  “Mondo!” he shrieked, desperately screaming his name as if he could hear him from this height. He knew that logically it was no use to keep doing this, but he couldn’t stop shouting his name over and over again in between his sobs. Eventually his voice faltered as the sight of Mondo's impaled body on the rocks shook him to the core.

  Scarlet lights resembling the blood staining the rocks below bounced off of the figures swarming the scene. In reality, everything was blaring loudly, but to Ishimaru is was all drowned out by his own shaky sobs. Remorseful faces surrounded him as men peeled the body off of the rocks and loaded it onto a stretcher. Mondo’s chiseled face was no longer bearing the grin he usually wore--his mouth was set in that same serene smile he’d seen only at funerals. His pompadour had come undone by the torrential rain and his hair plastered to his neck. With his hair gone limp, he was a sad sight to Ishimaru, who knew he prided himself on making his hair similar to his brother’s. Along with his suddenly pale complexion, Ishimaru noticed the gaping hole in his chest caused by the deadly rocks below. The sight of the blood coating his beloved made him gag when they wheeled him past, but he chased after the stretcher anyway.  

  “Mondo! Mondo!” His feet skittered across the slippery ground, and he snapped out of his numb observation. They were taking Mondo away! Unable to bear being parted with him like this, he quickened his steps to try to reach the stretcher. He needed to be there with him, he wouldn’t let anything get between them. It didn’t matter if people found out about their relationship, he didn’t want to leave his lover alone anymore. Just as he reached out to grab the stretcher, strong hands locked across his chest from behind; he whipped around fiercely to see who dared try to stop him.

  “Father?” Biting his lip, he wriggled around in hopes of breaking free, but the man gripped tighter. “I need to go to him. I-I-” he was cut off by his father’s soft chiding, and the wizened man spun his body around in order to hug him. It was warm here in his father’s arms, and he realized that he was soaked to the bone from the torrential rain. Prickles crept down his skin, enunciating the throbbing of his bruises from his previous scuffles. With excruciating pain, it dawned on him that Mondo wouldn't ever feel this warmth again, and he shook his head to clear the thought. The gang leader was going to pull through; he was as tough as a mother chicken defending its babies! There was absolutely no way he would leave him all alone.

  "Thank you," he mumbled to his father, his thundering emotions settling like the pattering of the rain around him. Everything would be okay. Stories always had happy endings, didn’t they? He released his father from his tight hug and inhaled a few breaths of the fresh air. All of the dizzying worries faded from his mind just enough for his muscles to untense and for his heart to stop aching a little. His father nudged him towards the ambulance, and Ishimaru understood his wordless support.

  As if sensing his intention, the ambulance driver beckoned him over to where they were loading the stretcher inside the vehicle. Would he really be able to ride with such a fragile patient? Surely they had to follow protocol for this--

Without warning, he was lifted alongside the stretcher and they closed the metal doors behind them with a resounding clang.

             Chemical odors spun Ishimaru's head until he felt like he was going to suffocate, but he knew whatever they were they were keeping his beloved in a suspended state of life. So rather than sniff disdainfully at the overwhelming stench, he breathed it in as if it was his own life that depended on it. It seemed so artificial--this life--but it was all he had to rely upon.

            Soon enough the ambulance jerked to a stop, much to Ishimaru's dismay since it

caused the stretcher to nearly tip over on its side. Although he was used to enforcing safety precautions at school, his mouth could not form a single word of protest here. He wasn't sure if it was because it wasn't his place in the presence of these professionals or if the shock was still clamping his mouth shut like a clam. Either way, all he could do was meekly follow after the stretcher as it was propelled through the hallways towards the emergency room. It reminded him so much of chasing after Mondo in the hallways whenever he was skipping class or sneaking away to another gang fight.

               When the stretcher clattered into the emergency room, the caretakers silently held the breathless hall monitor back. A few minutes went by. Then a few hours. Eventually he had to take a seat in the rigid chairs lined up against the wall or he would have passed out from exhaustion. His parents were able to rendezvous with him after they'd cleared the situation up with the authorities, and they whispered reassuring words to him throughout the night. Even when dawn broke and the windows allowed streams of pale light into the hall, Ishimaru was still awake. He didn't dare sleep.

              At last--just as the morning birds began to chirp out their wake-up calls--the door to the emergency room creaked open. A doctor of some sort stepped out, words calmly echoing from his mouth. Either Ishimaru chose to ignore him or he couldn't hear his words, because he blindly rushed towards the door without acknowledging the doctor at all. While the doctor chatted with his parents in a hushed tone, he trotted forward until his feet crossed the threshold of the room.

               Light bounced off of the white sheets spread crisply over Mondo's figure, which were rolled up to about the middle of his chest. Scratches dotted his skin, and Ishimaru could see a few stitches peeking out from where the bed sheet ended. Shuffling closer, the edges of his mouth curled upwards in a smile when he noticed the gang leader wasn't hooked up to any machines. That meant he was well enough not to need any life support!

             "Oowada-kun! Oowada-kun, wake up!" He called softly, gently rocking his lover by the shoulder. Footsteps behind him made him turn around impatiently, wondering who was bothering their reunion. Perhaps a doctor letting him know Mondo would be asleep for a little longer? However, he was disappointed and slightly bewildered at the sight of his parents entering the room with a bouquet of flowers that looked more than worse for wear. His puzzlement only deepened when his father handed it to him, his face harbouring a sober countenance.

            "What's this?" Ishimaru demanded, his throat closing up when an ominous feeling of dread welled up within him. The bundle of flowers was clutched tightly to his chest, its delicate fragrance smothered by the hospital air.

           "Oowada-kun left these for you before the incident," his father explained, deliberately not locking gazes with the petrified teen. "I'm sure he'd have wanted you to have these in this time of mourning."

            "Time of mourning? What are you talking about?" He choked out, his eyes brimming with tears. "Oowada-kun is right here, they treated him all night. There's nothing sad about that!" His arguments reverberated around the white-washed walls surrounding them, gaining conviction until they died out.

  "Kiyotaka, he didn't make it."

  Ishimaru's heart stopped, cracks spidering through it until it threatened to simply disintegrate. What his father just uttered was a lie. Mondo was right here next to him, he wasn't dead. But there was doubt in his mind now, and he began to notice little details that seemed to confirm his father's claim. How Mondo's chest never rose and fell in a rhythmic pattern as one did when breathing, or how his skin was unnaturally pale and marble-like. Ah, that was the answer! The gang leader hadn't died, he'd become one of those immortal, ladykiller vampires!

  "Ha...ha...that's the reason. He's still alive. There's no way he could die,” his voice rose a few octaves, daring for his father to contradict this. Everyone was just teasing him again. That’s all this was--an elaborate prank. A gang leader like Mondo couldn't die, especially not so pitifully. Not to save him.

  Collapsing beside the bed, Ishimaru clung to the bed sheet in a fit of tears. His collective weight dragged the sheet down so it bared the body's shredded chest, lacerated with the stitches of surgery. All of a sudden Mondo's muscles no longer bulged with the firmness of iron sinew. No longer was a grin etched onto his face, or his furrowed brow when they argued about their usual trivialities. He looked dead.

  What his father divulged had been true, there was no way to deny it now. A pitiful wailing erupted from his throat, mourning the loss of his rival, his best and only friend, and his lover. Smushed to his chest, his bouquet of flowers cast off a few stray petals onto the floor, already wilting as if it understood Ishimaru's grief. The person who he'd wanted to spend his entire life with had already passed away, leaving him a broken hall monitor with no one to chase after through the barren halls.

[kingkpglitz]

Please Realize That You're Beautiful (A Chihiro and Alter Ego Fanfic)

The faint hum of the laptop was the only signal of life in the darkened room, the whirring almost like a flatline on a heart monitor. Just the mere mention of death sent Chihiro Fujisaki into an uncontrollable bout of shivers; already he’d witnessed three people succumb to the eternal sleep, and the sight of their frozen figures burned into his mind. If the artificial intelligence he was programming worked, no one else had to die. They’d be able to taste freedom and step through the barred doors into the welcoming sunlight again. His eyes began to flutter to a close as he was absorbed in his fantasy, but the glaring light of the laptop monitor wouldn’t let him fall asleep just yet. He was almost done--just a few more lines of code and then error checking. Despite his sleep-strained eyes, his fingers typed at the speed of light and he smiled in relief as it was complete. He’d done it.

  Shakily, his finger tapped down on the START command, and he joyously watched with tears speckling his eyes as the program flickered to life. A face perfectly mirroring his own popped up on the desktop of the decrepit laptop, and he stared at it with his mouth agape. Both Chihiros shyly peered at each other, unsure of how to begin chatting. It was the Chihiro on screen that eventually spoke up, just as the real Chihiro was about to meekly introduce himself (which would have been silly, as this program was created to be modeled after him anyway).

  “You’ve really done it, Master! You created me after all your hard work,” the computer Chihiro piped up, a smile etched on its face. This time tears really did drip down Chihiro’s face as he was congratulated, and it seemed like all the lonely nights secluded in the locker room were worth it after all. Ah, he’d forgotten the time in his relief; if he stayed in the locker room much longer, Monobear would grow suspicious!

  “Uhm,” he mumbled, fidgeting with the hem of his skirt and occasionally glancing up at the pixilated figure on the screen. “Master, I understand. You have to leave, right?” the computerized Chihiro asked, looking only a little dejected. It was a bit sad to leave right when he’d finally created the AI, but he couldn’t alert Monobear to its existence with so much on the line.

  “Master, come back safely!” it warmly called as Chihiro tucked the laptop inside one of the lockers. He gave it one last wave goodbye and hurried out of the room, remembering to douse his caramel hair in the sink to appear as if he’d actually bathed.  As he exited, he could feel the video monitors tracing his every movement down the darkened hallways. Wondering if someone else was roaming the hallways in search of a helpless victim, his legs quivered in fear and he hustled the last stretch towards his room.

  Fumbling with his key, he managed to squeeze through the door at long last when it turned in the lock. His body collapsed against the downy blankets heaped on his bed--he hadn’t been able to straighten his room lately since he’d been preoccupied with his coding--and he curled up inside the nestled folds of the comforter. Waves of sleepiness hit him almost immediately, and he had no reason to deny his body rest any longer. Content with his day’s work, his eyes blinked to a close as he lost himself in dreams that were for once not laced with images of despair.

  Sharp pounding on his bedroom door woke Chihiro from his subterranean slumber. Bolting up, he groggily wiped the crust from his eyes and checked himself to see if his clothes were wrinkled. Thank goodness they were fine! A sigh of relief escaped him--he wouldn’t know what to do if he’d needed to change clothes. All he had was this outfit and a couple regulatory school uniforms, and no one really wanted to wear those.

  He bounced off of the bed and hurriedly rushed to his door, opening it a crack to see who was outside. Not surprisingly, it was their resident hall monitor Ishimaru Kiyotaka here to wake him. Was he late for their daily breakfast in the cafeteria? His question was answered almost immediately when the hall monitor frowned and pointed towards the clock in his room, which indicated it was already an hour past their meeting time.

  "Fujisaki-san, you are late for our scheduled meeting! I expected more from you, and here you are skipping along with Oowada-kun!" He scolded, to which Chihiro could only hang his head in shame. Still, it was shocking that Oowada was the only one absent today. Well, without Leon...

  Thankfully Ishimaru barked at him to continue towards the cafeteria while he hall monitor searched for the other troublemaker, and he scurried without a fuss. Despair lurked at the edges of his mind at the thought of the redheaded baseball player Leon Kuwata, but he managed to bury those thoughts and lock them away for the time being as he poked his head into the cafeteria. Several faces stared back at him at once, each expression unique towards his arrival.

  "Fujisaki-san, thank goodness you're safe! We thought..." A brown-haired boy trailed off, not finishing his sentence because he knew everyone else had been thinking the same thing. Trembling, Chihiro nodded wordlessly and stumbled inside. It easily could have happened to him last night.

  "Hmph, if you had been killed we'd at least have something interesting to do," Togami jabbed, the disdainful eyes of the heir trained on Chihiro. "Someone so weak and meaningless is only a hindrance to us." Jaw slightly ajar, the programmer felt tears pricking his eyes at the barbed comment. Weak...yes, he was weak. That was why he’d needed to shamelessly hide himself behind the facade of skirts and blouses, for no one would criticize a girl for her ineptitude. Or at least, that’s what he had thought all these years, but now it seems it had caught up to him--these people could see through his shield and expose all his insecurities in a single moment.

  “Fujisaki-san isn't weak!" Naegi piped up, his sense of justice as strong as ever. Gratefully, Chihiro blinked his eyes up at the defensive man, although he knew it wasn't true. It was at that time that the remaining two students stepped into the cafeteria--Ishimaru Kiyotaka and Oowada Mondo. Naturally, the hall monitor instantly sensed something was amiss among them and began to scold the shouting students. Heh, he was just like an older brother to them all.

  After a thorough lecture by Ishimaru (which no one really took to heart), the students dispersed and flocked to their usual groups: Naegi and Kirigiri suspiciously heading towards the male restroom; Yamada preparing tea for his princess, Celestia; Sakura and Aoi skipping hand-in-hand to the cafeteria; Fukawa creeping behind pillars to stalk Togami back to the library, when really she could have just as easily walked by his side; Hagakure aimlessly peering into his crystal ball; Ishimaru tagging along behind Mondo, bent on watching his every move. That left Chihiro alone to his thoughts. But this didn't get him down, because this also gave him a chance to converse with his newly-created program, which he finally decided to dub as Alter Ego.

  As soon as he entered the changing room, he flipped up the screen on the laptop and powered up the device. Since the computer was a bit outdated, it took a few minutes for the screen to finally flicker to life. Settling down in the corner with the device propped up against his knees, he greeted the program cheerily.

  "Good morning, Master!" Alter Ego chirped back, its face a perfect reflection of Chihiro staring at the monitor. To think he'd be one of the only programmers ever to create such a beautiful AI! Although, this program was far from perfection--after all, he was the one who had created it. It'd be impossible for such a weakling to forge something so grand. Togami had hit it right on the dot when he'd assessed him at breakfast. Maybe it would be better if he disappeared...

  Alter Ego must have sensed something amiss with its master because it peered up at him with perplexity and queried, "Master? Is something wrong?" Chihiro hesitated, debating on whether or not to divulge his insecurities. But the application continued to plead with him until he relented. Pouring out all the details of his past few days with his fellow classmates, Chihiro sniffled and allowed Alter Ego to process the information.

  "Master, never say that you will give up like that!" It fiercely rebutted, frightening Chihiro with its unexpected intensity. The program even looked a little enraged at him for the mere notion of surrendering to despair.

  “But…” Chihiro wavered, “I’m only hindering our group. I’m the outcast, and I can’t even do anything to help us escape! All I am is weak, just like I have been ever since I was a kid. At first I thought that even someone like me could change, but now I see that that could never happen.” Eyes downcast, he began to reach for the laptop in order to close it, but Alter Ego apparently did not think the conversation was over. Not by a long shot.

  “Master is not weak!” it declared, not even a sliver of hesitation in its words. “Only a strong programmer would be able to create me. And even if it was for a moment, you wanted to change! If you have the will and determination to do it, you will be able to accomplish that goal! So, do not give up, Master!”

  Its passionately alleged words rang out in the stunned silence between them. When the dumbfounded Chihiro still didn’t utter a word after several minutes, the application nervously fidgeted inside the screen.

“Master, I really want you to realize the fact that you are a strong person. I don’t know where your fortitude and self-confidence has gone, but don’t worry. You have me here whenever you need a little boost, and you also have them. Your friends.”

      Alter Ego registered the bewilderment on its creator’s face and giggled. Scowling, Chihiro was about to demand an explanation when the program chattered on willingly.

“You may not realize it, Master, but you already have made friends in your fellow classmates. They’re deeply rooted in your heart, and your feelings for them have grown into something so powerful. You aren’t alone. Not anymore, Master.”

      Such reassuring words...Chihiro couldn’t stop the tears from dripping off his fluttering eyelashes and onto his flushed cheeks. Was he truly not alone anymore? Could he become the secure, tenacious young man he’d been longing for after all this time? Something inside him bubbled up and his body began moving on its own. He spun on his heels and began dashing towards the sauna’s exit, intent on seeking out Mondo to begin his transformation. Just before his foot stepped outside the door into the brightly-lit corridor, a faint voice behind him whispered from the fading glow of the laptop screen, “Thank you for bringing me to life, Master. It would make me extremely happy if you could realize your own strength is what brought me here to you.”

[kingkpglitz]

Do you have a main blog?

I do have a main blog! It isn't extremely exciting, though, and I don't have much activity on it.

[kingkpglitz]

who sings the song Tomorrow, I will go to see you? I like it

Wakaba1, I believe!

[kingkpglitz]

Always on My Mind (a Leon x Souda fanfic, part 2)

Beads of sweat trickled down the pale set of cheeks belonging to the baseball player as he nervously dangled his cell phone from his hands. Was it too soon to call him? It had only been a day since he’d last seen the goofy mechanic, but he was already twitching with anticipation at their next meeting. His head was bombarded with negative thoughts, weighing him down until he gritted his teeth and thought, ‘What the fuck?! I’ve always been able to call up chicks without a problem before. What’s wrong with me now?’

    Although the cerise-coloured hair that belonged to the mechanic was certainly silky smooth, it didn’t mean the source of his dilemma was in fact a girl. No way in hell--that Souda Kazuichi was most certainly male. And this circled Leon right back to the starting point, where he frantically asked himself why he couldn’t make a simple phone call to the guy. ‘Cause how could the notorious womanizer ever fall for a guy? Regardless, he gulped and jammed his finger down on the call button, intently holding his breath at every ring. The faint echo of heavy breathing alerted him to an answer on the other side. It connected!

    “Yo, Souda! It’s me, Leon,” he casually chimed, not wasting a moment to awkward silence. “I was wondering if ya wanted to hang out today.” There were a few more deep breaths on the other end, and he could’ve sworn there was a sneeze or two. “M’sorry, Kuwata. I’ve got a cold, and I shouldn’t get outta bed today,” the weak voice on the other end croaked, and Leon felt his heart wilt in sympathy.

    “Gah, ditchin’ me already? You’re so cruel, dude. But seriously, nah, it’s cool! You stay in bed, alright? We can hang out anytime,” he reassured the sick mechanic over the phone, his sagging shoulders conveying his disappointment. There went his plans for the day. He’d mustered up all that courage for nothin’.

“Once I get better, I’ll make it up to ya,” Souda wheezed through the phone, snapping Leon out of his moping. His efforts didn’t seem to be in vain, so he cheerfully said his goodbyes to the mechanic and ended the call. A massive sigh escaped from his lungs which contained all his bottled-up nervousness from speaking with Souda. If he wanted to keep his sanity, he really should stop calling him. Nevertheless, his body felt ten times lighter than it had been. In fact, he was feelin’ pretty generous.

Wallet in hand, he closed the door to his home and sauntered down the sidewalk towards the downtown area. If he bought some medicine for Souda he might be able to hang out with him sooner--and rack up a few brownie points. There was a tiny pharmacy just around the corner he frequently visited (the chick behind the counter usually gave him discounts, and he had a general understanding on the reason why), and he entered without a moment’s hesitation.

There was only a slight problem with his visit here. Since he usually came here for vitamins and didn’t get sick often, he had no idea which bottle out of the thousands on the rack was the correct one for a cold. Did he even have the cold? Maybe it was the flu? Just thinkin’ about it made his head spin. Still, he was determined to buy the right concoction for his boyfr--mechanic friend. Yeah.

Maybe they’d both caught a cold. Leon couldn’t seem to think straight ever since he met Souda. It was like all the girls in the world suddenly lost their attractiveness, or maybe it was his lack of desire for their attractive bodies. Either way, it was actually pretty shitty. He had intended on asking the counter lady out one of these days.

A figure stepped into the medicine aisle as he stared blankly at the rows of medicine. His eyes flickered over to glance at the person and was surprised to see it was someone he recognized. It was the chick from the baseball game! She was the one that accompanied Souda near the end. In almost no time at all, she spotted him and sprinted over. Oh, damn.

“Kuwata-san! It is a pleasure to meet you in such a fascinating place!” she gushed, her body sickeningly close to his. Normally he’d be all over such a stunning beauty, but he himself was ill for some goddamn reason. “What brings you to this shop of wonders? Are you unwell?” she placed a hand on his forehead, comparing their temperatures. It seemed very out of character for this lady to be touching someone so familiarly. Was she one of those fans?

“I’m fine, no worries,” he reassured her, scrutinizing her appearance as inconspicuously as possible. This girl had some connection to Souda, and he wanted to find out what it was. Turning up the charm, he lilted, “So, what brings such a lovely lady to this shop? Perhaps you’re buying medicine for a friend?”

“No such thing!” she smiled, and Leon’s hopes fluttered as he realized he wouldn’t have competition in this task. He would be the one to bring medicine to Souda after all! “You see, I am actually purchasing this for my boyfriend.” And then his hopes shattered like the time he smacked a ball through his neighbor’s garage window.

“Boyfriend…? Would that person happen to be…” he gulped as she gazed at him expectantly. “Souda?” She ecstatically clapped her hands and nodded, remarking on how perceptive Leon was. While the compliment should have boosted his pride, it really had no effect after the shock of finding out Souda and this girl were dating. Resentment and perhaps a bit of jealousy wormed its way into his heart, but he forced it back. There wasn’t a legitimate reason for him to hate such a dazzling girl, and this just puzzled him even more. Maybe it was because she was already taken? No, more importantly, she knew where Souda lived (a key point he’d forgotten on his excursion)!

“Er,” he struggled to remember her name, not even sure if she told him or not. Luckily, she was keen enough to figure out what he was searching for from her. “Sonia,” she supplied helpfully, and he lightly clapped a hand on her shoulder. “Sonia-chan! Where does your boyfriend live again? I was thinkin’ I’d also like to give him some medicine, y’know, as his friend,” he grinned tightly, his friendliness somewhat tentative.

“I shall escort you there, Kuwata-san!” she tugged on his arm, only stopping when he had to pay for the medicine bottle he’d grabbed randomly, the lady behind the counter eying Sonia dirtily. Then they were dashing off again, hand in hand, down the grimy city streets until they suddenly paused at the outskirts of town. At the very edge of the city a garage was erected, a place he imagined where Souda lived and worked, breathing in the polluted air and car fumes.

Just as he suspected, Sonia lead him up to the rusty doors of the garage and strode in without even bothering to knock. There was a noble air to her, he noticed. Like a goddamn princess. How could he compete with that? As royally as he could, he entered behind her so as to not be shown up to the mechanic. When he gazed inside the bedroom attached to the shop, he realized Souda wasn’t in any condition to even look at him.

Sweat soaked the sheets of his bed and drenched his quivering body, reminding Leon of his teammates after a grueling game. Sonia immediately began to order him around, telling him to fetch a wet towel while she administered the medicine they’d bought. Scrambling to find the bathroom, he eventually located it and snatched up the towel she requested. Once he returned, he carefully pressed the cloth to Souda’s forehead, kneeling beside the bed to examine his flushed face.

Being this close to Souda started up that anxiety he had in the presence of the mechanic, sending his heart palpitating rapidly. Without the beanie on his head, Leon could twirl Souda’s pink locks of hair absently and without worry. His hair was coarse, not so much so that it was unpleasant, but definitely strange compared to the girls he’d dated. Even though Souda’s face was slick with sweat, for some reason he was enraptured by it. It was completely unintentional for him to space out like that, and Sonia tapped him on the shoulder insistently. Her entire demeanor seemed frazzled and oddly solemn.  

“I have urgent business to attend! Take care of Souda-kun!” she barked, hovering over Leon with her hands on her hips. Damn, she was kinda scary! He nodded to show he comprehended what she was saying and she strode out of the door unexpectedly. Was that ‘urgent business’ really more important than her sick boyfriend? Not that he was complainin’! Just as he was about to settle down and spy on Souda some more, the mechanic stirred.

“Ungh,” he moaned, his voice crackled and low as he peered up at him. “Kuwata-kun? What’re you doin’ here?” he mumbled, and he heaved himself to a sitting position. Even looking like he just climbed out of a gutter he was still smokin’ hot! Leon brushed away such thoughts in a hurry and averted his gaze.

“Err, I came to bring you medicine. Your girlfriend brought me here, but she said she had to leave,” he scowled, still pissed that she didn’t think twice for Souda’s health. Even though he thought this, a look of sympathy crossed Souda’s face. Was he missin’ somethin’ here?  

“I forgot that was today…” Souda mumbled, wiping his face with the back of his sleeve. It seemed he was thinking about a far-off memory, something he didn’t seem too damn happy about. Leon opened his mouth to ask about it, but his question was answered before he could. “Today is the anniversary of her previous boyfriend’s death.”

There was a long pause as Souda concentrated on his dangling legs and Leon gaped at the news. Her previous boyfriend...died? That would explain her behaviour earlier about her urgent business. She was probably visiting his grave right now before it began to rain tonight. Contrary to Leon’s curiosity, Souda cradled his head in his hands. “Tch, that bastard...just dyin’ and leaving Sonia-san all alone,” he growled, but there was a deep sadness reflected within his eyes. Tears streamed down through the cracks between his fingers and Leon’s heart ached for him. Souda didn’t seem to have gotten along with her previous boyfriend, but they probably still had a bond that he couldn’t stand to lose like that. It made Leon a little jealous.

Not jealous enough for him to lash out at Souda, though. Instead, he couldn’t help but reach up and gently stroke his tear-stained cheeks. It was crazy, here he was comforting a man like himself over his dead rival when he could’ve been chasing after a domineering beauty. “Souda-kun,” he whispered, wriggling up onto the bed to sit beside him. His arms reached out to envelop him in a hug. Sure, guys didn’t usually have this kind of contact, but somehow it just seemed right to him.

Souda’s arms squeezed him back gratefully, and Leon smiled at his response. All that echoed throughout the room were Souda’s sniffles and hiccups, and they remained in their embrace until the sounds quieted and eventually lapsed altogether. In the silence, music drifted in from the garage radio, lyrics dancing in the air about coffee shop dates and cuddling together under the stars. As sappy as it was, Leon didn’t feel it ruined the situation at hand. And then everything clicked in his mind. Everything that had happened today, ranging from his nervousness and jealousy and his obsessive thoughts on the pink-haired mechanic. It all made sense now. This must be the moment they describe in those hit songs on the radio...this thing called ‘love’.

[kingkpglitz]

part 4 please yes thank you

Yes, there definitely will be a part 4! It just depends on when exactly I get around to it.

[kingkpglitz]

Question: Fighting Dreamers Fanfic

Well? Should there be a Part 4 to end it?

[kingkpglitz]

Fighting Dreamers (an Ishimondo fanfic)

Steam from the showerheads clouded inside the packed locker room, the air thick and humid. Another thing was heating it up--tension. A skinny hand shot out and thrusted Mondo away, knocking him back into the malodorous gym lockers. A few of the men in their class crowded around them, anxiously wanting to end the fight.

"I'm sick of this!" Mondo shouted, raising a hand to try to buckle down the thrashing Ishimaru. “When we’re alone everythin’ is just damn perfect, but once we get to school you ignore me like I’m the plague or somethin’!”

Face slick with sweat, Mondo aimed his piercing glare at his boyfriend. He couldn’t take this puppet shit anymore, like someone was controllin' Ishimaru during the day. His boyfriend's scarlet eyes reflected his anxiousness and silently defended himself from Mondo's words.

"Is somethin' goin' on that I should know about? Or do you just hate my guts?!" Mondo pressed on, continuing with the questions that were like daggers to his heart. A lapse of silence crackled between them, tears spattering Ishimaru’s cheeks and pure rage thundering in Mondo’s eyes.

    “Chill out, man!” A redhead sporting baseball boxers wrestled Mondo back, and the other men protectively stood between the two warring lovers. Only the shy boy still fully clothed stood on tiptoe to comfort the sobbing hall monitor. “C’mon, dude, let’s go take a breather,” the redhead continued, steering Mondo outside to the pool deck. All of the girls had already finished swimming and were inside showering, so it didn’t matter that they both only stood in their boxers.

    “Fuck you, Kuwata,” Mondo grumbled, kicking an inflatable ball with all his strength into the chlorine water as he pointedly stared at the redhead. Although Leon Kuwata wasn’t the sharpest kid in his class, he could at least sense that Mondo didn’t want to discuss the situation. A long ten minutes stretched between them until their classmates emerged from the locker room, Ishimaru’s eyes dry and his body shielded by a plump teenager so much that Mondo could not even catch a glimpse of his figure as they walked down the hallway. After seeing the human defense brigade in action, Mondo was fuckin’ pissed that the hall monitor would go through such lengths to ignore him. Back inside the locker room, he slammed his fist against the wall and sent Leon shrinking further and further away. Eventually the baseball player just waved him a speedy goodbye and exited the sweat-slicked room to leave Mondo to get dressed alone.

Needless to say, Mondo skipped school the rest of the day to brood on Ishimaru’s painful actions. Now that his head was cooled, he could see he was equally in the wrong for confronting him in the locker room like that. Of course he’d be fuckin’ petrified if his boyfriend suddenly assaulted him in front of his classmates. Mondo wasn’t cut out for the life of a lover after all. Sighing, he checked a nearby clock and returned to the school; the bells had just rung, signaling it was time for classes to be let out. His conscience urged him to go apologize to Ishimaru before the hall monitor was too disgusted to speak with him anymore. Stomping up the stairs, he sped for the one place Ishimaru loved to hang out after school the most: the classroom.  

"Ishimaru!" He thundered, flinging open the door  with the determination of a baby bird trying to take flight. A deafening silence greeted him, the room void of human life. Damn, this was it then. His shoulders slumped in defeat and he hobbled over to Ishimaru's desk, laying his head on the smooth surface and drinking in the hall monitor's scent. Not even being able to apologize face to face, how could he call himself a man?

Little shrivels of paper poked at Mondo's hand, and he curiously removed the crinkled papers that were so out of place in Ishimaru's desk. Surely he must have been in a rush to just crumple these up like that. Either that or it was something that made him angsty, and judging by the words on the paper, that was definitely the cause. Animosity flared in his eyes as he read the note threatening Ishimaru that if he kept hanging around Mondo then he’d be exposed as consorting with gang members in order to revoke his hall monitor status. Another wrinkly note taunted him about their fireworks date and challenged Ishimaru to meet them outside behind the storage room after school. Checking the clock, Mondo gritted his teeth and bounded out of the classroom to the school grounds outside. It was already the meeting time, he wasn’t gonna fuckin’ make it...!

Already sounds of a skirmish coasted into his ears as he rounded the corner towards the storage shed. An entire gang of thugs circled around a lone figure in a resplendent uniform, their malicious grins fixated on his drooping body. While the solitary boy managed to elbow several of the goons away, they swiftly overpowered him and locked his arms behind him. Straining to buck away in the man’s grasp was Ishimaru, covered in pulchritudinous black bruises. More of his creamy skin was bespattered by blood, and the scarlet liquid leaked from his mouth and nose as a man slugged him in the gut. An agonizing grunt escaped Ishimaru’s bloodstained lips as he fought back tears. It looked like he was in so much fuckin’ pain, and he was still bravely takin’ every swipe they threw at him.

Choler painted Mondo’s face as he charged forward, sweetly relishing the sensation of his fist connecting with the man’s head. The hall monitor might not have been able to take on a horde of gangsters, but this was a piece of pie for a gang leader like Mondo. Kick after jab, he barreled past the front lines and knocked his entire body into the one pinning Ishimaru. They both pummeled into the concrete, and Mondo flashed his boyfriend a confident smirk as he whaled on another unsuspecting victim. It took only a few minutes to dispose of the rest of their numbers, his surprise attack getting the better of them. A huge sigh of relief exhaled from the hall monitor as he collapsed against the wall.

“Oi, Ishimaru! Hold on!” Mondo knelt down beside him and lifted him piggyback style, trotting carefully with his most precious package strapped against his body. With Ishimaru in this poor condition, there was no way he could drive them on his motorcycle, so he settled for sprinting down the algid roads and urgently ramming people aside that were in his way. Luckily for his sore legs, Ishimaru’s house wasn’t too distant from the school and he safely arrived on the front stoop. Air pressured up in his throat as he rang the doorbell, where a distraught mother answered. While he did the best he could to explain the situation in his flustered voice, Ishimaru’s mother treated his wounds with dabs of cleansing alcohol and bandages. Naturally, Mondo confessed about their argument and the contents of the notes he’d found to the worried parentals. Draping his treasured jacket over his boyfriend, he tenderly caressed his cheek and whispered a goodbye; Mondo couldn’t hang around the unconscious hall monitor’s frenzied parents any longer and he excused himself from their cozy home.

But hey, it wasn’t like he was fuckin’ runnin’ away. He was a man on a mission. Another abrupt detour back to the school later, he was in possession of his motorcycle again. He coasted down the streets, finally pinpointing what shop he was looking for downtown. It was a floral boutique, the entire shop window springing with blossoms of delicate buds. he conversed with the wizened shopkeeper on what bundle of flowers to buy--and after his thoughtful recommendation--he carried with him a bouquet of healing peonies. Trudging back to his motorcycle, he cracked a little smile in the midst of his worriment. These didn’t symbolize just healing Ishimaru’s physical wounds, he also wanted to mend their rocky relationship. Granted, it was his own damn fault for asking him out in the first place and then disregarding Ishimaru’s wishes for it to be kept under wraps. Their time together was short but sweet, and he wanted to make these memories worth something. If Ishimaru was a princess, Mondo had rescued him from the confinement of homework, rules, and deadlines and rode off with him on his white-washed motorcycle. It was their dream world where no one could snap them apart--not by violence, not by deceit, and not by hate.

His thoughts shattered as he pulled up into the Kiyotakas’ driveway, the front door looking as if it had been forced entry. He crept up the porch stairs and peered inside the home, expecting to find a bloodbath and a trio of dead bodies. Shivers that had been creeping up his spine disintegrated as he noticed a sobbing mother crouched in the corner of the room and the father comforting her blindly in an embrace. The room lacked a distinct body that Mondo had come for: Ishimaru. The couch was bare, and he chucked the specially-bought bouquet of flowers harshly onto the torn fabric. Several lamps were dismembered on the floor, shards of the fine glass strewn along the carpeting. No, everythin’ wasn’t fine at all.

“They took him,” Ishimaru’s mother stumbled over to Mondo, her eyes darting back and forth madly. “They took my son! T-They were going...to toss him into the river...” she kept blubbering, and Mondo couldn’t bear to gaze at the heartsick woman. He reassured her that he would get him back, and just as he stepped outside he caught Ishimaru’s father dialing the police. At least they would go to jail for this, if they were brought to justice at all. With the heavy rain that had rolled in the fog, he wasn’t sure if they would be able to spot them at all. Mondo had been wrapped up in all the drama he hadn’t noticed the weather turn for the worse, or even that the stars had already begun to pop in the night sky. It made it easy for Mondo to track the intruders though, since the mud left imprints of their sneakers leading down to the bluff near the river.

       All of the beaten-up gangsters thirsted for revenge as they clustered at the edge of the cliff with the struggling Ishimaru. Once they descried Mondo stomping towards them, they threateningly nudged Ishimaru closer to the plummeting cliff face.

“Don’t come any closer, fag!” One of the members shouted relentlessly, jabbing the hall monitor’s sides. This brought Mondo to a halt a few feet away from the ruffians, a panicking glare on his bruised face. “You think you two can be happy together? How the fuck do our school’s hall monitor and the gang leader get together and think they can hide it? You wanna spread your homo germs around our fuckin’ school?! Oowada Mondo, you’re condemning every gang member alive by dating this freak! Do you want him ruining our lives any more than he already does by giving him information about our hideouts and fight locations?!” It seemed the crowd was so consumed with their rage that the man dangling Ishimaru nearer to the cliff slipped on the mud. Ishimaru’s shocked face peered at Mondo as he toppled backwards over the edge.

A desperate cry burst from Mondo’s lungs as he lunged past the gangsters, his hand stretching out as far as it could reach. The horrified members scattered as Mondo bustled past, police sirens wailing in the distance.

“Ishimaru!” He screamed, his fingers snagging the jacket he’d lovingly wrapped him up in only a few hours before. Their dream world was crumbling apart as each second passed. All of his strength was used to haul Ishimaru backwards as his own momentum carried him forwards. Their gazes locked one last time as Ishimaru safely backpedaled onto the muddy earth.

But it must be known, dreams no matter how beautiful are just an illusion. Mondo tumbled headfirst towards the raging river, closing his eyes tranquilly as he understood Ishimaru was secure and out of harm’s way. A needle of rock jutting out of the water speared his chest as he reached the foamy water. Blood coughed out from his lungs in a spray mirroring the waves itself as they crashed against the shore. His breathing faded as he was suspended half-above the water, black dots swarming his vision and water seeping into his throat. Even if he died, it was worth it to rescue Ishimaru from this watery fate. Even now, he could hear Ishimaru’s wailing from the top of the bluff as he leaned down to look at the stabbed gang leader. Heh, it was so like him to be concerned for his well-being.

“Ishimaru...it’s just a scratch...don’t fuckin’ worry about me,” he spluttered to himself, just as the police hooked Ishimaru around the waist and dragged him away. Mondo’s hearing faded as they called for backup to drag him off the rock and onto shore, but by then he had already slipped into unconsciousness. It was time for the nightmares to begin.

[kingkpglitz]

Whispers I really want to read more of the Lean on Me Fic

Really? I guess I can work on part 3 again if you want to read more...I hope it'll satisfy you!

[kingkpglitz]

Question: Lean On Me Fanfic

Should there be a part 3? If there is, it’ll be written much more quickly this time, for sure.

EDIT: Since there isn’t much support, I’ll be dropping this.

[kingkpglitz]

Lean on Me (an Ishimondo fanfic)

A wad of crunched-up notebook paper soared through the air and hit the back of the teenager in the white uniform--his scarlet eyes flicked back to glare at the person that launched it at him. Waving his fingers to him from across the room, Mondo Oowada flirtatiously winked at his lover, Ishimaru Kiyotaka. With a scowl, Ishimaru turned his back on him, to his chagrin. He'd been avoiding Mondo all week, and he couldn't fuckin' figure out why. Especially after they’d both confessed to each other and agreed to date. Mondo hadn’t broken rules more than usual, and exams were over so that couldn’t be the reason. As these thoughts circulated in his mind, the bell rang, signaling class was over.

“Oowada-kun!” Ishimaru stomped over, an irritated expression plastered on his face. He was gonna get chewed out for sure. Pointing an accusing finger at his face, the hall monitor berated him, “You need to pay attention in class! Merely being counted as an attendee does not help your studies!” At this, Mondo furrowed his brow and glared down at him, using his full height to intimidate.

“Hey, I was payin’ attention!” he defended himself, an irritated frown crossing his face.   

“If you were paying attention in class, then name one thing we discussed today!” Ishimaru demanded, a half-smug look on his face, since he thought he would win with this. “We, uh, talked about Oedipus and how he went blind and stuff. I remember ‘cause he and his mom were forbidden lovers, just like us!” A faint blush dotted Ishimaru’s cheeks and he quickly covered Mondo’s mouth before he could utter another word.

“Yeah, except I’m not your mother...although sometimes I feel like I am,” he commented dryly, his comeback covering up his embarrassment. Mondo saw through it, aware that Ishimaru had forbidden talking about their relationship in public because it made him distressed. Still, someone would find out eventually. It wouldn’t hurt to at least give him some attention, would it? “I am needed elsewhere. Goodbye, Oowada-kun,” Ishimaru curtly said, hustling out of the room before Mondo could get another word in otherwise.

Abandoned in the deserted classroom, Mondo kicked one of the desks and muttered a few curses under his breath when he stubbed his toe. It wasn’t fair that Ishimaru was acting so coldly to him. Torn between his irritation and his grief, Mondo glanced towards the door and called, “Ishimaru, wait!” As he caught up to the hall monitor, he blushed and scanned the area for any unsuspecting lurkers before stuttering, “I-Ishimaru, I’m sorry. Would you like to...go on a date with me?” For the first time in days, a grin exploded onto Ishimaru’s face as his eyes widened in regards to his question.

“I accept your proposal!” he gushed, enveloping his boyfriend in a tight hug, all tension forgotten. A sigh of relief escaped Mondo’s lips and he was glad Ishimaru was back to his dorky self. The strange distance between them really fucked with his mind. “And dude, I ain’t proposin’ to ya yet! Wait a bit longer, alright?!” Mondo berated him, covering his scarlet face with one callused hand as Ishimaru giggled. Same dorky self alright.

  “Tonight there’s supposed to be some festival or somethin’ with fireworks. You wanna go to that?” Mondo mumbled, his invitation hanging in the air for a few moments before Ishimaru eagerly nodded. “I can pick you up at around six. Cool?” “I will go to prepare for this date!” Ishimaru bounded away gleefully down the hallway, leaving a pale Mondo behind for the second time that day. Maybe this was a bad idea.

A few hours of carefully combing his hair and styling it, Mondo felt satisfied as he eyeballed the mirror closely. Hell, he was such a gentleman he even dressed up for this. Smirking, he twirled so his long Crazy Diamonds coat billowed behind him. Under that he donned a navy, striped polo and some tan cargo pants. Definitely not his usual attire, but if it made Ishimaru happy, he didn’t give a damn.

Admiring himself in the mirror, Mondo stole a look at the clock and his eyes bugged out of his sockets. Shit, he was late! His feet pounded down the stairs and the noise echoed around the barren room. Hurdling over his front yard’s fence, he revved up his motorcycle and sped off to Ishimaru’s house. He arrived just in time (with the help of speeding, of course) and knocked heavily on the front door. His mother answered and invited him inside for a quick cup of tea, which he politely refused. his stomach was already doing flip-flops as he grew even more anxious about their date.

“Oowada-kun, I am ready!” Ishimaru called from the top of the stairs, and he peeked up at him. Apparently he wasn’t the only one who dressed up for tonight. Here he thought he was incredibly stupid now, his eyes absorbing Ishimaru’s well-tailored, black suit. His jaw unhinged and he tried to speak, but was at a loss for words. Finally, Ishimaru’s mother nudged him and he wheezed, “Dude, you need to change. I am not takin�� you out wearin’ that!” Just looking at him sent longing shivers down his back; that and everyone would stare at them tonight. No one was eyin’ up his date on his watch.

“W-What’s wrong with my attire?” Ishimaru frowned bewilderedly, tugging on his suit sleeve. Winking at Mondo, Ishimaru’s mother ascended the stairs and wittily informed Ishimaru that he looked too charming for his date to handle. Scowling up at her, Mondo impatiently waited for the two downstairs and Ishimaru hustled back down wearing a much more casual outfit. It was a simple grey sweater, and he also donned a pair of cargo pants that must’ve been his father’s since they were a little baggy on him. With a sigh of pure bliss at his cute look, Mondo trailed outside with Ishimaru in tow to his parked motorcycle.

“Alright, I’ll get you a helmet so hang on tight,” Mondo flashed a grin as he dug around in his pocket for his keys. Pale and shaking, Ishimaru slapped his hand down and shouted, “Oowada-kun, this is hazardous to our health! I refuse to ride in this death-cage! We will take my car.” And then it was Mondo’s turn to be dragged over to a tiny purple cruiser. Proudly, Ishimaru showed off his car and Mondo simply raised his eyebrows, ducking inside the passenger seat.

Ishimaru started the ignition and rolled down the road slowly, driving at least ten under the speed limit. To make up for the awkward silence between them, Mondo tried to lighten the mood by flipping on the radio. He cranked the music volume to decently high and bobbed his head in time to the sick Aerosmith beats. Almost at once, Ishimaru slammed on the brakes and whipped around to glare hotly at the gang leader.

“There will be no tune-playing in this car!” he barked, jamming his finger down on the off switch. Raising his hands in surrender, Mondo inched away from him as far as he could with the seatbelt constraints, breathing a sigh of relief as Ishimaru knitted his eyebrows in concentration as he started up the driving again. His intensity was a bit cute, especially when Mondo thought to himself that the hall monitor was concerned with getting him to the festival in one piece. So he lounged back in his seat and closed his eyes peacefully, letting Ishimaru focus and he himself appreciate the ride.

“Oowada-kun, are you sure this is where the festival is being held?” Ishimaru coughed to get his attention as the car drifted to a halt. Poking his head out the window, Mondo swept the park and noticed it was abandoned. Not a damn soul was in sight. Shit, did he get the place mixed up? Just as he was about to tell Ishimaru to drive to the park next door, his eyes caught on a banner hanging from the swing set.

“Eh? Fireworks display tonight? It doesn’t say anything about a festival...” Ishimaru shifted his eyes to question Mondo, but he was already dumbstruck. There wasn’t even a shitty festival to begin with! He just assumed that every fireworks show had a festival or somethin’ beforehand, and now he’d dragged his boyfriend out with nothin’ to do. Grumbling swears under his breath, he was about to suggest they just return home when Ishimaru parked the car and unlocked the doors. “We can idly converse as we wait for the fireworks! The park is a beautiful location for dating!” he informed him, sitting beside Mondo on a swing.

A bit flattered that Ishimaru thought it was worth spending the time talking with him, he kicked off on his swing and laughed as they competed for who could swing higher. A few hours later of chatting, playground games, and intimate moments curled up in each other’s arms, the sunset glittered over the trees and it faded to darkness. It was time for the fireworks. People were starting to filter into the park, claiming seats and uproariously chattering to old acquaintances. It was a bit too much stimulation for his trembling date, so he gently took his hand and led him into the forest for a few minutes. Eventually he rounded a few corners and clambered up a grassy hill overlooking the park, which was cloaked from the peoples’ eyes and provided a spot for their comfort.

They nestled together on the hill, staring up at the starry sky in a solacing silence. Their bodies twined together at the sudden chill the night brought, Mondo protectively wrapping Ishimaru in his arms. Blinking gratefully at him, Ishimaru grinned and pecked his cheek, sending Mondo into a squirming fit of embarrassment. Jets of colour spiralled up into the sky then, signaling the start of the fireworks. At once they were both mesmerized by the patterns of spirals in the air dancing about until they fluttered down to earth in heaps of ashes. Although they weren’t vocalizing their awe, Mondo could feel Ishimaru’s tightening body when an especially raucous boom sounded in the still air. He clenched around him even more during these points, wanting Ishimaru to not feel frightened at all; soon enough the hall monitor’s body relaxed and he burrowed closer to his boyfriend to scrutinize the bursts of flames. The finale was magical as they both gazed at each other, trying to form words about the simple perfection that this event had been. With the array of fireworks exploding above them, Mondo tilted his face towards Ishimaru’s and softly compressed their mouths together. His lips lingered until the crowd roared with approval as the last firework popped in the sky.

Both boys heatedly averted their gazes as they dusted themselves off, shuffling back through the atramentous woods to Ishimaru’s car. They piled inside and for once Ishimaru commuted down the road at the exact speed limit he should have. The journey back to Ishimaru’s was painfully silent, but there was a deeper tenor to this reticence. When the car puttered up the driveway and the engine died down, they both scrambled out and faced each other. To his surprise, Mondo saw Ishimaru’s face was still rose-coloured from their kiss. Deciding to not end the fun yet, Mondo leaned forward and caressed his cheek, planting another smooch on his lips.

“G’night, Ishimaru. It was a treat, and, y’know, the best date I’ve ever had,” Mondo stammered, backing down the driveway to where he’d parked his motorcycle. A few tears dribbled down Ishimaru’s face as he called, “I had a most pleasant time as well! Drive safely, and...” The hall monitor paused before rushing up to Mondo and grazing his cheek with his lips. He stood on tiptoes to whisper in his ear, “...I love you. Goodnight.” Without glancing back at him, Ishimaru retreated inside and slammed the door shut. It would have been a little off-putting, except for the fact that Mondo caught him peeking through the curtains to stare at him boarding his motorcycle. Chuckling, he shook his head and kicked off the driveway, riding down the deserted roads. Love felt so damn right sometimes. Actually, it might’ve been the best thing that had ever happened to him. Especially since his boyfriend was a completely adorable dork that knew exactly what to do to keep his heart racing.

[kingkpglitz]

Question: Can't Help Falling in Love

I was thinkin' about makin' a sequel to my previous story. Anyone think it's good enough to make a part 2?