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Story
+ Angel Hunt ~ Streifen +
Future Effects
Twenty Years brings many changes...
A story collaboration between Angel Hunt and Streifen
Twightlight
[Book 03 : 01]
Ripping it back into place when he realizes he’s awake, a loud gasp is torn from full lips as it crashes inside of him to burn fiery paths throughout every nerve. The pain it causes is visible for only a moment before he manages to lock it completely down. Before he can stop himself, long shaking fingers slide suddenly up to wrap around the raven haired Dark’s wrist, stopping the motion of his hand in its earlier path towards him. Grey eyes stare at him for a moment before quickly shifting free of his gaze as he slowly pulls his own hand away from the Bright’s new grip.
[I’m Sorry… if I woke you…] Lan’s words are quiet in the surrounding room and he spends another moment staring up at the figure seated besides him, the one whose eyes are glued to the hands he now holds in his own lap. He hadn’t meant to do that… to stop the other man from touching him but for a minute there, the remnants of the dream had still been with him and the residual fear left from the ones that work to strip him away had bled over. He hopes that the Dark doesn’t misunderstand… Milky eyes slide closed and white haired Selestarri turns his head down into the pillow that now smells so strongly of smoke, allowing the softest of sighs to slip free of his mouth. [I wonder… if a day will ever come when I’m free… of them.]
Sashi: He doesn’t look up as Lan shifts on the bed, keeping his gaze trained downward to mask the embarrassment and hurt that floods through him. Even when his intentions were only to comfort and help just as he would want someone to do if he were gripped by a nightmare, he still fucked things up by not understanding that the Bright did not wish for the same. Somehow he always manages to do this—to do or say the wrong thing and wind up with the opposite reaction from what he intended. It’s a large part of why he usually stays away from others and keeps to himself up here in the mountains. That’s more difficult to do, though, with the person who shares your bed and living space, so instead he just keeps making a mess out of things.
Zeph and Jun’s return to their home a few days ago had relaxed the Dark a little since the threat of another fight breaking out at any moment went with them, but it hadn’t done a thing to ease the chaos that’s going on inside. Sashi continues to feel incredibly guilty about the way he handled things when he and Lan had been up on the mountain, when the Bright had said that he wanted to love him and the only thing he could say in response is that he needs time. He still doesn’t understand what’s going on in his head, but he hates this, hates knowing that he’s hurt someone he cares about because he isn’t able to explain how he feels without shutting completely down. He wants to try though, because it’s not fair to the other Selestarri, but he doesn’t know how to bring it up without everything getting worse. So he just stays close, wanting to be near him even though he doesn’t have the right to want anything and trying to figure it all out…
Thundercloud-tinted eyes lift slightly to trail over the face of the one who lies beside him in the twisted sheets, the sadness that’s so visible rekindling the desire to touch and comfort. That’s obviously not what Lan wants, the grip of the Bright’s fingers on his wrist and the look of fear in his yellow eyes still lingering, and so Sashi has to be content with curling his fingers around the fabric of the jeans he wears. [The nightmares will ease eventually, it just takes time,] he promises quietly. [But they’ll never really leave you. The rawness of the events will fade, but memory is long because it makes us who we are and shapes our lives. It’s much harder to forget then it is to deal with what’s happened.] If anyone could speak from experience there, it’s him. The telepath’s gaze returns to his hands and he frowns. [What we’ve been through… it’s not something that just goes away because it’s too deep, too lasting, so the only choice is to find a way to live with it, and to try not to let it control you.] The pain of struggling against what he’d endured had almost killed him more than a few times in the past, and there are still some days even now that he wakes up from a nightmare of the Seeker or the touch of the men in that barn and it all floods back. The frequency has thinned over the years, but it still happens and he won’t lie to Lan and say that it doesn’t. Better that he knows the full scope so that he can deal. [I’m sorry… I don’t have anything better to tell you…]
Lan: the white haired Selestarri doesn’t say anything for a few moments after Sashi’s words trail, sun warmed eyes shifting away from a face partially obscured by long strands of inky black and traveling slowly down to the tattooed fingers curled so tightly around coal colored jeans. Pulling his hand free of the bedding, the Bright reaches out to slide lightly trembling fingers over the other man’s and offer him a soft smile when that grey gaze travels over to meet his the moment they touch. [It’s enough... thank you.] Lan says quietly before slipping his hand away and turning onto his back with a small sigh. Sashi’s gaze falls back down to his lap and the Bright pulls a scarred arm up to rest across his forehead as he closes his eyes a moment later.
He knows the Dark is right, and no matter how much he wishes at times that he could find a way to escape the things that continue to plague him, everything that he’d endured since the time they’d taken him in, everything that he continues to endure since the time he’d broken free has just been shaping his life to be what it is now.
This life… the one that’s filled with scars that run deeper than his mutilated body, this life that’s devoid of the Eyrie, the home he had there and the partner he’d loved and who’s now gone for eternity. This life that’s filled with screams that ring so loudly in his ears each time he closes his eyes, the one that’s filled with a consuming fire that streams throughout him and foreign genetics that do nothing but fight his own. This life where he can’t always tell what’s real and what’s not, the one filled with a world he’d never known to exist before it happened. This life that he’s found, the one that holds a bed he shares with a person who’s come to mean so much. This one filled with someone who touches him gently and offers him comforting words when the lingering pain of that life that was thrust upon him spills over into the moments when he’s awake. A life filled with a person he knows he wants to hold and protect, a person who’s filled so many holes and eased so much pain…
[I think…] Lan’s eyes slide back open and he stares up to the ceiling above [that living with it has been easier since the day that I met you…]
Sashi: Ebony colored hair slides forward to completely mask the Dark’s face, his thundercloud gaze focused on the tatami mats visible just beyond his knees. Fresh warmth cascades through him in sheets when Lan says that dealing with everything he’s been through has been easier since that night they met on the road. There’s no denying this feeling, this lightness that springs up each time the Bright talks like this or touches him so carefully. It’s more then just a physical reaction, it ties in his emotions and creates a sense of being… special. Whether that’s what the other man intends to happen or not, Sashi can’t ignore it or explain it away as anything else.
Even recognizing all that, however, doesn’t sort out any of the confusion that still swirls through his head. He doesn’t want to hurt Lan any more then he already has, nor does he want to push him away. These past few weeks he’s really come to enjoy having the white-haired Selestarri close and he values the talks they have and the times that they just find the comfort that each of them needs within the arms of the other. He wants to have his cake and eat it, too—to continue this life they’ve shared since their meeting in the roadway, but not to have to explain the reasons behind why he shuts down whenever the Bright says anything about deeper emotions. It’s not right or fair and Lan doesn’t deserve it, not after he’s eased the loneliness and brought kindness and warmth into the telepath’s life.
So why the fuck is it so hard? Why can’t he just say what he wants instead of causing this odd tension between them? He’s done this before, not spoken when he needed to, and it ruined so many things in his life, things he won’t ever be able to recoup. Now it’s happening again, the walls are shutting out someone he cares about and for what? Fear of being hurt? Rejected? Hated? The Dark frowns and his hands grip just a little tighter on the jeans he wears. Yes, if he’s being truthful, all those things and so many others. Twenty years ago he was miserable and it came very near to breaking him. If all of this turns out to be a similar experience, he doesn’t know if he can live through it a second time…
Slowly, tattooed fingers slide into coarse black strands to push them from his eyes, the subtle shaking of his hand annoyingly weak. [It’s been the same for me… since you came…] Sashi’s voice is barely a whisper, the words careful and hesitant. He needs to say all this, to get at least some of it out even if he shatters into a million pieces under the weight of the walls and even if Lan decides he’s not worth the trouble in the end. The Bright deserves better then to be closed off. [The other day, up near the shrine… I asked you for more time to think… to straighten out the mess in my head.] Gray eyes remain fixed on his lap, unable to look up out of fear that he’ll lose his determination. [When you said that you want to love me… I have only ever heard that in seriousness from one other person, but…] Sashi’s words drop off for a moment and he takes a deep breath before continuing. [But I didn’t think that I deserved his love, even though I felt the same, and so I pushed him away and ran as far as I could. By the time I realized how wrong I was, it was too late and he had found another.] The feelings are old, but a shadow of it creeps up anyway, an edge of pain that the telepath quickly dissolves.
[I feel just as confused now as I did then,] he confesses, eyes slipping closed for a moment. [It’s not your fault and I know I’m asking a lot of you, but I just… I don’t…] The Dark falters, grasping at words and emotions that don’t want to make any sense before just shoving things out. [I haven’t had anything like this in a long time and I don’t want either of us to get hurt just because I can’t make sense out of the shit in my own head. I’ll understand though, if you don’t want to wait… and if you don’t want to put up with any of this…] He’d understand completely, but he knows that it would be too late to avoid being hurt if Lan were to walk out the door right now…
Lan: slowly, the white haired Bright lowers his arm, yellow eyes shifting over to the figure seated besides him while hesitant, faltering words spill free. Pushing himself up, he reaches forward to touch heavily scarred fingers along long, layered strands of inky black [Sashi…I don’t expect you to…] trailing before finishing his words, he pulls his hand back only a little when the Dark’s head sinks further forward and soon the slender Selestarri finds himself unable to stop from sliding his arms around the other man’s front and gathering him close against his body. Despite the momentary tensing that wracks the telepath’s frame when he does this, he quickly sinks against the one that now holds him and Lan smiles softly in response.
That day… the day nearly a month ago when he’d woken up inside of this man’s home, he’d never dreamed things would be as they are now. When he’d seen Sashi’s darkened figure standing in the doorway of that room, he never imagined that after nearly twenty years of being alone, it would suddenly change and he’d be spending his days in the comfortable presence of another of a kind that he’d been so convinced to be completely wiped out or that he would also be spending each night sharing that same person’s bed. He thankful for every moment that he wakes to find Sashi still in his arms, grateful for each second that doesn’t strip him away and he wants nothing more than to be able to explain that to the other man in a way that doesn’t continuously hurt him like he’s managed to do… The Dark has become so unsure around him these last few days and even though he’s been so kind, and taken so much care since the day they’d been up near the shrine when he’d almost lost control of the fire once more, the reservation he sees reflected back at him now has only grown and the Bright has once again begun to wonder if he’s projected entirely too much and actually crossed those lines he’d been assured he hadn’t crossed…
[I didn’t mean…] Lan’s voice drops a little low as his face sinks against the neck of the one he holds so tightly. […to cause you any confusion by what I’d said that day… I didn’t want my words to cause you any pain and I’m sorry if that’s all I’ve done… but I’d just wanted you to know,] squeezing the other man tighter against him, the white haired Selestarri’s face shifts further down, his breath warm against smooth tanned skin. [How important you’ve become to me… so please, don’t worry that you’ve asked too much of me…] quite the contrary as it’s he who keeps pushing harder than he should, it appears. [Because you haven’t… you never could...] he’d be willing to wait forever, if that’s what it would take and he wishes he could somehow convey that to the telepath without hurting him further than he already seems to have done.
Sashi: Wrapped in the familiar strength of the white-haired man’s embrace, he slowly relaxes, and gray eyes slip closed as he turns his face against Lan’s chest. God, he’s such a fool and if the Bright seriously chose to walk away right now he wouldn’t blame him in the slightest. For years he’s wanted this: someone to love him, to know the flaws and damage he carries within and to see beyond them and now that that person has finally arrived, he gets stuck. Why is it so difficult to decipher what’s in his head? Shouldn’t he at least be able to figure that out? Lan is sitting here telling him that he cares for him, that he’s important, and apologizing for something that is in no way his fault and it’s shameful that he’s let it get to this point to begin with. Everything inside is such a fucking mess and Sashi hates that he’s hurting the other Selestarri in any way, especially since Lan has been so kind and patient with him from the beginning. He wants to get things sorted out, he needs to, but he doesn’t really even know where to start, the unfamiliar situation giving him no clues as to how to unravel it all.
A quiet sigh escapes the telepath when Lan’s face touches at the back of his neck and causes a tiny shiver to travel down his spine. Sashi slowly shakes his head when the Bright’s words trail off, his hands curling around the fabric of the sheet that’s still wrapped around his guest’s waist. He feels so relieved to know that he isn’t asking too much, that Lan isn’t already fed up with his insecurities and pathetic problems. Thundercloud tinted eyes open to stare at the strands of shaggy white that intermingle with black, their bodies so close and the sense of comfort sinking deep inside. This always feels right to him, this nearness, even when he’s hurting or the walls have closed him off, somehow the comfort and the kindness of the taller Selestarri always gets through. The Dark leans just a little further into Lan and the Bright hugs him tightly once again. [The confusion I feel isn’t your fault, so don’t apologize… Not when I’m the one who can’t work things out on my own… you’ve been nothing but patient with me…] He’s trying though, he truly is, and he hopes that Lan can see that before any more pain is caused.
Tattooed fingers trace absently along the folds in the sheet before slipping up to rest lightly on the white-haired man’s scarred chest. [You have the right to say any words that you wish, and… hearing you say them makes me happy…] Even if he sometimes acts like they don’t, it’s completely the opposite from the way he really feels. There’s always this warmth that springs up when Lan says how he feels, so very different from the heat that the fire brings to his body and he cherishes that more then he can really describe. Sashi’s hand touches above the Bright’s heart and he spends a moment just feeling Lan’s steady heartbeat beneath his fingertips. His voice dropping to a whisper, the telepath finally finds the courage to lift his head and meet sun warmed yellow eyes with his own storm gray. [You’re important to me, too, that much I know, and I don’t want to push you away and I don’t want to run… like I did last time…]
Lan: tattooed fingertips touch just above the heart beating beneath his heavily scarred chest, the pause of the other man’s words while he takes in the steady drumming brings a soft smile to the white haired Selestarri’s lips. Eyes the color of thunderclouds finally lift to meet his gaze and Lan slides his own fingers up to cover the hand that still rests on his skin. [Even if you ran Sashi…] the Bright’s squeezes the other man’s hand a little tighter and his own voice drops to a quiet whisper. [I would catch you.] Sliding his freehand up, marked fingers slip into long coal colored strands and he leans forward to bring his mouth in so very close to the Dark’s. [I will always be here to catch you…] tilting his head only slightly, he quickly closes the gap to complete a kiss that comes gentle and slow…
The streaming sound of the sleek jet slowly begins to wind down as it comes to a halt at the edge of the blue lit strip of runway. Within minutes it’s made its steady way to a sectioned off patch of exclusive ground, the engine’s roar shut completely down and wheels blocked and secured. Several workers dressed in unusually immaculate uniforms move swiftly forward, rolling the wheeled, shining stairwell out and securing it to the jet’s side just as the door swings open and a tall figure emerges from inside. Cerulean eyes sweep across the runway, fixing on the gleaming black car steadily approaching from the distance before the cold winter air hits Aki hard, causing a rather notable shiver to wrack his slender frame. Turning around, the ginger haired Selestarri sinks momentarily back into the warmth of the jet, met with a quirked eyebrow of the leather clad figure still seated within.
“Ready to return before this… social call of yours has even begun are we?” Jenova muses quietly while the slightest hints of a smile forms on pale lips. “I do not suppose this will make that friend of yours very happy when you fail to show…”
Aki smirks. “No, I’ve been looking forward to this for a while now. I do miss Sashi and I want to make sure he is doing ok out here. I just didn’t expect it to be so cold.” He walks back over to where the Demon is seated, propping himself on the arm of the chair. “You know, I’m still not used to flying when it’s not me who’s doing it.” Leaning down, long ginger tails fall forward as he meets Jenova’s lips with his own. “I do appreciate you bringing me all the way out here. I want to make sure you know that.”
“I am unsure that this will be enough of a show of that appreciation…” the Demon says directly into Aki’s mouth as the smaller man leans even further down in order to complete a kiss that starts soft and slow before quickly deepening. By the time the Eclipsed manages to break, he finds himself panting in the slightest and the amused smile that’s pasted on the pale lips he remains so close to even wider. “…or perhaps... I was mistaken… this once.”
“You’ll get my full appreciation later, I promise.” The Eclipsed chuckles a little before pulling away and moving to the other side of the cabin to grab his sweater. He looks back at the rising Demon a bit slyly. “Though next time remind me it gets so cold here, I can’t appreciate anything with frostbite.” He throws his sweater on, wincing as his muscles stretch and the fabric presses against the Gioa shard. The two move towards the cabin exit, looking down towards the servants waiting patiently for them with their eyes plastered to the ground. Even after all these years, Aki still wishes it wasn’t so formal.
Jenova follows silently behind the Eclipsed as he finally makes his way out of the plane, heavy leather boots making little sound against metal as the two make short work of each step. The door to the waiting town car swings open to allow them in and the Selestarri slides forward against the imported leather seats, joined soon after by the larger pale man. Crystal clear eyes slide over to watch as Aki fidgets carefully against the seats before leaning completely back himself and crossing a leather clad leg over the other just as the car’s engine starts up to carry them along their way.
“Remind me, boy…” the Demon says as his gaze slips to his front and he crosses his arms casually over his chest. “How long it is you plan to stay so that I know the time frame in which I must amuse myself as I anticipate that appreciation you have promised me…”
“Only a few days, long enough to catch up and for me to make sure he’s doing ok.” Aki smiles a bit nervously. He’s always nervous now a days when visiting Sashi and he doesn’t really know why. They’ve grown farther apart over the years due to the distance and Sashi becoming a Warden. The Eclipsed always still sees that trace of sadness in the Dark whenever he visits and it pains him that there is nothing he can do to comfort him. He only wants his ex partner to be happy in the end.
Cerulean eyes look back to clear red. “You won’t be waiting long… What do you plan to do here during then?”
“Hm…” The Demon muses thoughtfully for a moment before speaking. “Most likely I will seek out items to purchase for Fuan as he rather enjoys this country’s particular brand of merchandise and I do not wish to subjugate myself to another of his… lectures should he find that we have come and I have returned empty handed…” a quiet amused laugh leaves him at the very thought.
Aki laughs as he shakes his head. “Seems like a good idea, I know how harsh Fuan’s lectures can be. I should probably look for some tea for Ikkairius while we’re here as well.” Cerulean eyes slowly move to the window, watching as they leave the gate of the small airport and begin driving down a lightly used road. “I always forget how little there is in this part of Japan and how far away Sashi lives from people.” He smiles. “I guess it’s not too different from home, actually.
“I suppose it is not…” the Demon says quietly while the scenery continues to shift by beyond the tinted windows that surround them. “Seclusion appears to be a naturally sought after commodity by creatures such as ourselves as we… age… so it would seem” Clear red eyes narrow in the slightest and a hint of a smirk crosses his lips “…I gather this is especially true of that friend of yours...”
Lan: Sun warmed eyes stare out into the snow covered grounds from the porch, a half burnt cigarette resting within the scarred fingers of one hand while the other remains wrapped loosely around his own slender waist. Light grey tendrils stream steadily up from the glowing tip, twisting and curling before him until they dissipate away into the crisp winter air. A light blue streak catches his eye far out and he smiles, pulling the cigarette up to his lips and taking a slow drag as he begins walking forward. The blanket of white melts around bare feet as he makes short work of the steps and moves towards the snow covered forest that frames the boundaries of Sashi’s home.
Just as he clears the first tree, Kiri blinks into view to bump a hakama covered leg and send the Bright back a single step, pulling a soft laugh from his mouth. Steadying himself once more, Lan’s gaze shifts down in time to see the Hound deposit a small, dead animal at his feet and he can’t help the smile that forms as he stares into solid metallic eyes. Pulling the smoldering stick up, he cups it in-between his lips and bends down to run long fingers through the creature’s shaggy powder blue pelt. [Your master will be happy to receive your gift…] sliding a hand away, the Bright pulls the cigarette free and sits back as the exhaled smoke streams up into the air. Pulling a leg up as his back comes to rest on the tree behind him, the white haired man slides his arm casually across his knee as the Hound moves to his side. A soft sigh slides free of his lips and he closes his eyes, allowing his head to fall back against the tree while he begins stroking idly in Kiri’s fur while he nuzzles in close.
After he and the Dark’s conversation in the morning, the day had begun normally as it had for the last near month he’d been here… but again the reservation he feels from Sashi seems to have kicked in hard and despite the other man telling him that his words do make him happy and that he doesn’t want him to stop saying them, his actions seem to portray completely the opposite effect. He’s come to understand that the raven haired telepath is very inexperienced in these matters, something that Lan finds rather endearing but even still… he’s finding himself more and more unsure of what he should do. Sashi has been making him so happy; he’s brought a light to a world that had been nothing but darkness before they’d met and he wants to return this favor and do the same… but every time he opens his mouth to convey his feelings, it only seems to close those walls the other Selestarri had spoken about further and he just doesn’t know how to get it to stop.
He’d known with Hail… what to do and what to say, but with Sashi, everything seems to come out twisted and wrong –taking him to a place where words mean one thing, and the actions that accompany them don’t coincide. Another sigh slips free of his mouth as his summer colored gaze slides back open, the cigarette once again brought up to his lips as his eyes shift to the creature who’s fur his hand remains tangled in. [She called me stupid.] he smiles as he begins carefully stroking the Hound’s pelt. [She was probably right… but…] his fingers still and the smile fades from his lips, his voice dropping down to a whisper as his eyes slip back closed. [It doesn’t change the fact that I’ve fallen in love with him and …I don’t know what I’ll do if he can’t ever love me back…]
Sashi: Storm tinted eyes pass over the bill held in tattooed hands for the third time before the Dark sets it onto the table with a sigh. Closing the household ledger book, he lowers his head down to the paper-strewn surface of the kotatsu and threads his fingers into long ebony strands. Lan had gone outside to the grounds a little while ago, but he can still feel the Bright’s body pressed against his and the warmth of his lips when they’d shared a kiss. God, he’d messed things up this morning… again. He’d been trying so hard to explain himself, to try to make his actions and words a little clearer for Lan, but he doesn’t think he accomplished it in any way. Why can’t he get things right? Why can’t he just say that he’s not sure if he’s in love with the other Selestarri or if it’s just his desperate mind convincing him of the feelings and that he doesn’t want to get them both caught up in something that will only end in hurt? Everything that he says just comes out wrong and the knowledge that he’s causing Lan pain when he’s trying so hard not to is just frustrating.
What the white-haired man said about catching him if he ran, about always catching him is still making him so warm inside. Anytime that the Bright says something like that it always makes him feel like this, so light and so… cared for. Its different then the care that Aki and Zeph show him even if he can’t really describe how. He can’t deny that he loves it though, and that it feels as if he’s being protected in a very gentle and kind way. Lan is putting it all out there, has said it again and again that he wants to love him, that being near the telepath has made him happy and the only response that Sashi can get out of the mess in his head is that he does care for the other Selestarri and that he needs time. God, he’s such a fucking fool… This is what he’s wanted for so long, someone who can understand his past, someone who can see through the damage and scars and accept him, someone who might be able to finally break the walls, and after years of waiting and being lonely, he’s fucking it up so badly.
Another long sigh echoes through the room that serves as his temporary study and the raven-haired Dark lifts his head to stare down at the scattered bills and household records. The numbers and columns don’t give him an answer to the turmoil in his mind and he slowly begins to gather them up into neat piles. This is really a task that he should delegate to an accountant, but he’d done it since moving here because it was something to do, something to keep his mind off of being so lonely. Since Lan has arrived there’s been no need for tasks to keep him occupied, there’s just been warmth and the happiness he feels when the Bright holds him so close. Gray eyes slip closed for a moment and Sashi shakes his head before rising to his feet and crossing the tatami mats to a large bookshelf that houses a number of manila files. Depositing the papers, he turns back to the kotatsu and switches on the laptop, the electric blue light of the screen immediately popping into view.
The telepath reaches for a tea cup from the neatly assembled tray sitting next to the sliding door when a very familiar magical presence crawls across his senses. Sashi instantly freezes and the barest trace of a smile ghosts across full lips. It’s still faint, but he would know this person anywhere—Aki. Seriously though, what is it with both him and Zeph dropping in without any warning? A sleek black cell phone drops into the Dark’s hand and he flips it open, waiting a moment for it to power up. Three missed messages, three voicemails, three texts, all in the last two days and all from Aki and his brother. Oh. Banishing the phone, he closes the top of the computer and exits the room, his steps leading him toward the kitchen and Yamashita-san to tell her that they could expect a guest…
Lan: padded feet keep pace besides him as the Bright takes casual steps through the snow covered grounds, the fire within him keeping a constant bubble that melts everything within his immediate radius as he walks. The small dead animal bobs lifelessly in the Hound’s mouth, secured by strong, canine teeth. Grey smoke spirals free from full lips as he pulls the last remnants of the smoldering cigarette away, the butt combusting before his hand has even fully returned to his side. Clearing the side of the hot springs, the white haired man comes to a halt just as he reaches the base of the steps leading to the covered porch up above and turns around to stare up at the blinding light that reflects off of the covered mountains cresting just above the blanketed forest beyond.
Kiri’s head drops in the slightest and the creature nudges the tall, slender Selestarri, his action pulling a slight smile to Lan’s lips. His gaze slides down to meet the metallic eyes below him and he nods before turning around to continue up the steps he’s stopped at only moments before. Long scarred fingers reach for the door only to have it slide open before he can touch and reveal the telepath’s lightly shadowed frame. Sashi stops abruptly and says nothing despite Lan knowing he must have sensed him just as he’d been sensed in return, the other man’s expression holding a mix of light surprise coupled with they very hint of an excitement that he can’t quite place.
Curling his hand slowly back, yellow eyes remain fixed with thundercloud grey as the two stare at each other for a few seconds in silence before the Hound pulls both gazes away from one another. Padding forward, the light blue furred animal sets his offering down at the raven haired Dark’s feet and Lan smiles at the gesture just as his eyes travel back up. [He’d tried to get me to deliver it…] the Bright’s tone remains light despite the turmoil he still feels inside. […but I told him this was a gift you’d be able to appreciate better when it came from him…]
Sashi: Nodding at the Bright’s words, he drops down beside the large animal, tattooed fingers slipping up to stroke the silken fur on Kiri’s head. [Thank you,] he says quietly, leaning in to rub his cheek alongside the Hound’s. [I’m honored that you thought of me.] Remaining still, the telepath continues to pet Kiri, not quite ready to stand back up and face Lan just yet. He knows he made things worse this morning, despite the fact that he was trying so hard to explain. The hurt and confusion is plain in sun warmed eyes even though the taller Selestarri is trying to hide it. God, how much more could he fuck this up before Lan has had enough and decides to just walk away?
Kiri turns his head to give Sashi a lick before sliding back and bounding out toward the woods, his task apparently complete. Leaving the dead animal for the gardeners to dispose of, he slowly rises to his feet and turns toward the Bright. Lan is giving him that same soft smile, but it doesn’t match his eyes and the Dark isn’t sure what to do. Every time he opens his mouth it just creates more issues and he hates that he’s hurting someone he cares for even when his intentions are good. Thundercloud pools lift to meet the other man’s and for a moment Sashi almost opens his mouth to apologize, even though he knows it will come out wrong. He manages to keep silent and instead reaches hesitantly for the Bright’s hand. For a second he’s afraid that Lan will pull away from him as he did this morning, but his fingers slip over scarred skin to settle in the warmth of the white-haired Selestarri’s palm. None of his words seem to be working out correctly, so maybe he’ll just try actions right now.
A minute passes as they simply stand on the porch, gazes locked as the rest of the world fades into white noise. He can almost forget about how badly their conversation went this morning, the approach of the Eclipsed, and the chaos that’s making a mess of his head. There’s just this man who makes the sharp pain dissipate, who has warmed parts of him he thought long since lost to the cold, who has ended the loneliness and promised him so many things. He’s been happy since Lan arrived a month ago and that’s something he hasn’t felt a in long time. It’s a debt he’s not sure he’ll be able to repay no matter how long the Bright stays here with him.
The raven-haired Selestarri wants to apologize for fucking things up and hurting Lan, to say he’s sorry for not being able to talk about his emotions like everyone else can. But it will just make things worse, and so he gently squeezes the Bright’s hand and pulls him toward the house. [We… have a guest,] he says quietly, pushing aside the door and stepping into the hallway. [He’s not nearly as disruptive as Zeph and Jun were, but just as important…]
The black town car comes to a halt just outside a small village in the valley of a large mountain range. Before the driver has time to exit, Aki has already opened the door and begins to climb his way out, Jenova exiting the other side when the door is opened for him. This place always looks the same whenever he visits, like it’s been trapped in time at a prior era despite the progressions around it. It was somewhat comforting that old traditions still remained. He smiles slightly as the Demon steps up next to him, turning to meet clear red eyes.
“I’m hoping he’s not going to be too upset by me just showing, he’s impossible to get on the phone nowadays. I worry when I don’t have any contact from him for a while. If he does I guess I’ll just find you here, but at least I’ll still know he’s ok.” The Eclipsed tries to maintain his smile, his anxiety not settling the closer he gets.
“If you allow yourself to continue feeling as you do now… you will not be able to enjoy the time you have allotted for this particular visit…” Glass tipped fingers slide up and streak lightly through long ginger strands, the slight traces of a smile forming on pale lips as blue eyes meet red. “If you are in need of this One at any time…” sliding his hand down beneath the Eclipse’s chin, the very tips of the Demon’s claws lifting Aki’s head up as pale lips touch to full for a soft kiss. Cerulean eyes slide shut as it deepens, the Demon breaking away a few long moments after to whisper directly into the other man’s mouth. “…simply call and I will be there as always…”
With that, Jenova’s presence suddenly flicks completely out and Aki opens his eyes a moment later to find the larger man gone.
The Eclipsed smirks with a shake of his head. It still both amuses and amazes him how Jenova can do that. Taking a deep breath, Aki turns in the direction of the dirt road leading out of the village and towards to mountains. Where Sashi had decided to settle down at was beautiful, but rather far away from anything. Rather fitting for the Dark he thinks. Gives him piece and quiet, something he sorely needs. After taking in the scenery for the space of a few moments, Aki returns to the car as the door is held open for him. Settling back into the leather seats, he waits patiently as the driver starts up the engine and begins the drive down the long road. Cerulean eyes watch as the little village begins to slowly fade away.
Aki knew Sashi wouldn’t exactly be happy if they both showed up at his door, the Dark probably isn’t fond of Jenova in the end. A small sigh leaves full lips. It’s become longer and longer between visits but no matter when he shows, he still sees the same hurt in those gray eyes as he did twenty years ago when Jenova first came into his life. It has faded over time, but a trace always lingers. The Eclipsed just wants Sashi to be happy.
The rest of the ride goes by quickly and before he’s ready, the town car has pulled up to the Dark’s home. Aki removes himself before the driver has a chance and walks around to the trunk, waiting of it to be unlocked open. The metal pops open and the Eclipsed reaches in to fetch his backpack. He would only be here for a few days, he didn’t need much. Closing the trunk, Aki thanks and smiles at the driver who never once looks him in the eyes. It really was hopeless after all these years but he still can’t break the habit.
Sneakered feet make a slow trek over the crunching, snow covered ground, smiling when he feels the familiar presence of the Dark along with his personal Hound. Just as he reaches the steps, Aki stops short. A confused frown crosses his lips when he also senses that Sashi’s not alone here. The signature was weird. It has traces of Selestarri and … Angel. Perhaps Jun and Zephyr were here as well and the clean air was messing with him, but it felt like it was only a single extra presence. There was more that he couldn’t quite pin down either. No matter what it was, he hoped it was a friendly visitor. Aki quickly moves up the rest of the snow covered steps, reaching the front door and hesitating for a moment before knocking lightly.
Sashi: Sunlight streams in from the open door to illuminate the foyer and cast both the Eclipsed and the small Japanese housekeeper in a golden glow. The Dark comes to a stop just past the archway that leads to the rest of the house, Lan a silent presence at his back, their hands still joined together. A smile spreads across Aki’s full lips and he sets his backpack on the floor, stepping forward while Yamashita-san sweeps it up as she exits. Sashi ignores the slight nervousness he catches from his former partner, used to garnering that reaction from most people and having long since dealt with the hurt it used to cause him. He returns a ghost of the smile, happy to see the one person in the world who still knows him the best. Tattooed fingers slip from the Bright’s and he wraps long arms around the ginger haired Selestarri when Aki hugs him tight. [Sorry I didn’t know you were arriving,] he apologizes, [you know I never check my messages.]
Aki’s visits have become further and further apart over the years as his life with Jenova took precedence to all else, but it’s always good to see him no matter how long it’s been. The telepath unwinds himself from the Eclipsed and steps to the side, watching carefully as cerulean meets sun-warmed yellow. Unlike Zeph and Jun’s arrival there is no hostility between the two and Sashi pushes unruly strands of dark hair from his face before making the introductions. [This is Lan,] he tells Aki, [a guest who is staying here.] Storm tinted eyes turn to the tall, slender Bright. [And this is Aki, my best friend…]