Wolf's Rain Fan Fiction ❯ Love Object ❯ Chapter 33 ( Chapter 33 )

Chapter Thirty Three

Toboe stood in front of the bathroom mirror, he slowly pulled his hat free from his head. His left eye winced in pain, feeling the woolly material of the hat, brush over a cut on the side of his head, from when he had fallen off his bike. Great. How'm I gonna explain this to Kiba? He touched a finger to the bruise and sighed.

"Hey runt, you in here?" Asked Hige, knocking on the door.

"Um... Uhhh?" He looked around for the first aid kit his brother usually left in there, but it was suddenly nowhere in sight. "Uuum, just a minute." He called.

Hige rolled his eyes knowing that the kid was in there doing something he wasn't supposed to- that was obvious. "On the count of three Toboe." He called through the door.

Panicked, Toboe reached for his hat, hearing his friend counting from three to one before he violated his privacy by pushing the door open. Sliding the hat back on his head, he pulled the door open before Hige could. "What?" He asked innocently.

Hige looked him over with a suspicious eye. "I wanted to talk to you." He mentioned, still keeping an eye on him.

"I have nothing to talk about?" Toboe replied. He walked out of the bathroom, and down the hall to his bedroom with Hige clean on his heals.

"Now see, with that attitude it tells me that you do." He closed the door behind them. Toboe had crawled across his bed, so Hige did the same. The two of them sat beside each other; one with grumpy arms across his chest, and the other mocking him playfully by copying. "So... talk?"

"Please Hige... I'm feeling kind of sensitive right now, can you just go away?" The young boy pleaded.

"Nnnope, not until you tell me what's bothering you...?" The red head bargained.

Toboe thought about it. He had so much to say, he wanted to tell somebody something- anything about what's been going on. Lying and secrets weren't exactly his favorite thing to do, especially now considering that his brother or Tsume was lying to him in a, gross and rude manner, in which he wanted answers. He shook his head, mumbling softly.

Hige sighed, pulling the boy against him so that he lay on his shoulder. Toboe winced in pain, baring his teeth from it as he felt his bruise hit the teens shoulder. "What's with the face?" Asked Hige, the boys pain not going unnoticed.

"I fell off my bike..." He sniffled. "and I scratched my head on the ground... I looked for the first aid kit and-" He shrugged.

"No wonder you couldn't find it, it was in here." He got up from the bed, grabbing the first aid kit from the boys dresser. Kiba had left it in his brothers room when he bandaged Toboe up yesterday. "Let me see," He sat back down on the bed, opening the kit. Taking out the necessary supplies then looked the boys cut over. "So... tell me about what happened?" Asked Hige while fixing the boys bruise.

"You're gonna be mad at me, and you won't even listen to what I have to say." Looking into the red heads brown eyes with sincerity, causing Hige to pause his actions when the bruise was moved from his reach. Toboe sighed, adding. "Nobody ever does."

"It's true... we don't listen, but it's just me your talking to here. Man to man, and I swear whatever you say will never go to anyone else’s ears." He held up his boy scout fingers. "And I won't be mad at you- or yell. I promise."

Toboe bit his lips in question. He was feeling so vulnerable right now, could he really trust Hige? Nodding, he sighed to find his voice through the lump that had gotten in his throat, then he began. "I went to see Tsume earlier." He paused to see if Hige would yell. When he didn't he went on. "He's my friend and I... like him, a lot."

Hige swallowed hearing that. He promised he wouldn't say anything.

"It wasn't the only time I had seen him either, I saw him everyday at school... He waits for me behind the fence. We had lunch together on the half day." He lowered his eyes feeling ashamed for having lied for so long.

Hige remained silent, but his jaw was beginning to tighten with every word the boy was saying. "Go on." He said through bared teeth."

Toboe gathered more strength as he began to speak again, sure that he would cry at any second, he spoke slowly so he wouldn't let the tears drop from his eyes. "At the park I saw him again... he just showed up there," He paused. "We talked about ice skating and things then he took me to his car. We were warming up- from the heater!" He rushed out feeling Hige move beside him. "And we had a hot chocolate...."

"And...?" Hige edged him on. This was all too trippy and he was sure nothing was gonna throw him now.

"He... he..." He squeezed his eyes tightly together, feeling tears stain his bed. "And, he kissed me."

This time Hige did jump up. He stared down at the boy in horror, before reaching out and grabbing Toboe by his arms. "Toboe, he should not have done that! Period! The guy's too old for you it's rape!"

"He did not rape me Hige! I..." He lowered his voice from the yell. "He loves me, I know he does... And besides you said you would listen to me and not get mad!"

Hige was about to retort to that, but he relaxed himself. Sitting back on the bed, he let go of Toboe's arms and held him fondly instead. "I know, I'm sorry. Go on."

Toboe couldn't stop now, his tears were streaming down his face. He knew that he shouldn't have told Hige that, now he was gonna tell Kiba because he had no choice. The two of them kissing is wrong in everyone's eyes but the people doing it. Why would he expect anything less than telling Kiba and maybe blowing it out of proportion. "Hige... I really like him, I like him the way you like Kiba."

"Now wait a minute. I doubt you like the guy- he seduced you! You're too young to know what you want." The red head argued.

"He didn't seduce me." He stated plain and simple. "I really do like him."

"Okay...." Hige accepted. "But then what happened that got you so upset?"

"It was when I left from his house, he didn't show up at school and I wondered where he was" Toboe explained weakly. "so I lied to Mrs. Cher and asked her if I could ride my bike at the park and she said yeah. It was a lot faster to Tsume's house than the park so we hung out."

"Then?"

"Then I... I showed him my birthmark."

"You took your shirt off!?" His eyes went wide with horror. Anything could have happened to the poor boy. Especially if it got to the point where the guy made him take his shirt off.

"I showed him on my own, nothing happened while I was there nothing at all." He didn't want to freak Hige out more by saying they had sex, he'd never understand. "He looked at me funny and asked me..." He started to cry.

That's it, this jerk is mine! Hige growled mentally. "What'd he do to you Toboe, you can tell me."

"Will you stop it, he wouldn't hurt me!" The boy snapped. "It was what he said that made me mad."

"What'd he say?"

"He said that my birthmark wasn't a birthmark... he said that... he said that it was a burn." He explained. "He practically called Kiba a liar and my brother loves me! He would never lie to me about something like this."

And then it all came to him. A- a burn? Could it really be a burn mark? Now it was Hige's turn to feel guilty, he would have badgered the boy mercilessly an hour ago, until he had seen him crying then he'd just kind of forgotten about it. And if Toboe was this mad from Tsume thinking it was a burn mark, he could only imagine how pissed the kid would be if he told the boy he thought it were some sort of disease.

"So that's why you want to talk to your brother." He stated hugging the boy close.

"Yeah, I mean... I don't believe Tsume, but now... I have to know that Kiba wouldn't do that to me."

"Toboe!?" He heard his brother shouting suddenly. "Hige where are you?!" He sounded panicked.

"I'm up here!" He called in a distant voice. "In Toboe's room!"

Kiba practically teleported upstairs, he'd ran so fast. Once he had made it to the room, he flung the door open looking around with a panicked expression until he saw the two just sitting on the bed. "Toboe, why are you crying?" He gathered the boy into his arms hugging him, dearly. "Are you alright? Hige..." He looked at his boyfriend. "What happened?"

"I think it's better that Toboe tells you." He smoothed a wet strand of hair from his boyfriends eyes. It must have started raining already.

"Toboe... come on kid, tell me what's wrong?" Kiba said in a quiet and soothing tone. Noticing the bruise, he panicked again. "Has somebody hurt you?" He held his brothers chin up, so that the boy looked him in the eyes.

"Why Kiba...?" Toboe began. "Why did you tell me to forget about that dream I had? Why did you practically laugh it off when I was telling you about it? Why did you make me stop half way?"

Kiba let his breath out. There was no emergency, Toboe was still thinking about that dream. "Toboe it was just a dream. Nothing more." He explained, with a bitten tongue.

Hige remained silent through the whole ordeal, though he wanted to say something- anything to help the kid out. But his tongue seemed to swell tenfold.

Toboe shook his head. He didn't believe it now. He wanted answers. "Kiba... I'll explain everything later but right now I need to know the truth.... Tsume,"

I knew it! The Wolf teen thought. That asshole's hurt my brother! His eyes narrowed. "What? What did Tsume do to you?"

"Stop saying that! Both of you! Tsume never hurt me, he never would...." He sobbed a moment. "But maybe you did, either him or you... But why? Why would he tell me that my birthmark was a burn?"

Kiba froze, his eyes shading over. "It's because..." He swallowed a lump in his throat. "It's because its the truth."

The rain seemed to sense the mood in the air as it made itself known pounding on the window glass. The three boys were silent, uncomfortable and unsure of what to say next. A sniffle from Toboe brought everyone out of their thoughts as the boy leaned into his brothers arms. "Why did you lie to me?" He cried. "Why did you lie!?"

"I lied.... I had to lie, because.." He bit his tongue. "I had to lie because it was my fault." The Wolf teens eyes scrunched and he began to tear up and cry silently himself. "It was all my fault."

"Oh Kiba...." Hige caressed his lovers dampened hair, pulling him into a hug.

Kiba accepted it for a moment, then he pulled away. "It was so long ago... painful memories are all I have..." He stood up walking towards the window that looked as though it too had tear streaks soaking it. "But I did it... I'm... I'm the reason our parents are dead and you and I have these burns...."

Hige's eyes widened, he couldn't believe that he was finally going to find out why Kiba was so secretive all these years. Although, he wished that it didn't have to come out in this way.

"It was eleven years ago." Kiba began, a distant look in his eyes. It was as though he were opening a safe inside of himself that he never thought he would and now he was horrified to see what had manifest inside after so many years. "I was six, Toboe was only three."

Suddenly Kiba's voice seemed to fade into nothing but background as the picture played out before the teens sad eyes.

// We were all going on vacation to the family cabin we owned out in Fuji forest. Dad was driving, Mom was knitting while listening to Dad ramble about what was on the radio and Toboe and I were in back.

"There's never anything good on the radio." Said their father. It sounded as though he were turning the nob from left to right as the radio stations began to fuzz up before coming in clear. The jeep drove steadily along the road before it hit a dirt path into the forest.

"Here," Their mother leaned over shooing her husbands hand away. "better let me do that, we're getting into the forest now."

"Alright, alright..." The man muttered, handing over rights to the radio.

Toboe had fallen asleep and I was going on about some singer or actor I wanted to see on tv.

"Daddy?" A young Kiba called from the back seat.

"Yeah sport?" Kiba's father asked, kindly.

"When we get to the cabin, can I stay up late and watch tv?" The child asked. "Chin Xiao is gonna be on late, I saw a commercial yesterday-..."

"Now Kiba," The man began.

"Pleease Daddy, he's my favorite singer!" The boy protests.

"Maybe this one time." His mother interrupts.

"Really? Wow thanks mamma!" The young boy smirked with satisfaction.

"This just in... A severe thunder storm is heading in the direction of Freeze city. All people on the roads are asked to remain calm and drive safely." The man continued on saying something about people at home to find all the matches or candles they could and to unplug anything electrical.

Dad hurried the car through the woods. He wanted to get us to the cabin before the storm had hit. //

Hige could almost hear the crash of thunder and the snap of lighting. He remembered that storm. It was the strongest one Japan had ever seen. Standing from the bed, he walked over to his lover and placed a hand on his shoulder. Toboe remained where he was, ears on full attention but his eyes seemed to swim as he heard the truth.

// "You kids get to bed now." His mother hurried Kiba into the house with her free hand, while the other was securely wrapped around the sleeping boys waist. "Your father and I will be downstairs if you need anything."

Young Kiba hurried up the wooden staircase, he loved being in the cabin. It was so comfortable there, peaceful too. Not to mention, if the storm didn't hit so soon, he'd be able to stay up and watch his program. "Hmm hmm hmmm, mmm hmmm hmm." He hummed merrily.

"Ssshh, sshhh. Toboe's asleep." His mother reminded him.

"Toboe's always asleep." Kiba said playfully in a hushed tone.

His mother put the boy down on the big soft bed, tucking the blanket under the young boys body, she turned to her oldest son. "Do you have your pajamas?" She asked.

"I put them on the top like you said." He dug through his suit case. Dropping his pants, he slipped into his cotton pajamas, removing the shirt next.

Kiba's mother went through his things to find the boys tooth brush. "Here you go, and make sure you do the back ones this time. I'm on to you Kiba."

"Yes, mamma." He walked out of the room and into the bathroom.

Everything was so great that night, we were all happy to be on vacation- even if it wasn't too far from home. It was still a pleasant trip... He sniffled wiping tears away with his sleeve. I finished in the bathroom and decided since it wasn't too long before the show I should get some rest- so that I wouldn't fall asleep half way through.

"We'd better get to the store before the storm gets too strong." Thier father mentioned as he slipped on his coat.

"Right, let me just make sure the boys are okay?"

"They're fine, dear. Don't worry so much about them."

The woman seemed skeptical, but gave in. Grabbing her coat as well the two left the cabin heading out to the store.

I heard a raccoon. It sounded as though it had knocked over a trash can or something, I can't be sure. That's what woke me up from my sleep... it seemed so late but it was only ten o'clock. I saw that the window was open and Toboe looked kind of cold so I got out of bed and shut it. But he continued to shiver. //

Kiba paused at that, his tears getting the better of him. Hige wrapped his arms around him, resting his head against the boys shoulder. The Wolf teen closed his eyes tightly, crying with his head down. Wrapping his arms around himself, Kiba rubbed his biceps to calm himself down.

A low sniffle from behind them, turned Hige's head. Toboe had walked over to his brother, stepping up beside him with a glassy look in his eyes. "Go on.... What happened Kiba, what happened next?" He urged him on.

// The young boy walked downstairs into the kitchen. He searched the drawers of the kitchen for a match book.

I searched everywhere- up and down. There was nothing I could use. I went back upstairs and searched the drawers of the rooms. Mom and Dad may have had something. He sniffled miserably.

There was a lighter on the floor- I found that kind of odd because neither of them smoked.

Young Kiba hurried back to his and his brothers bed room. Kneeling down in front of the fire place, with shaking fingers he sparked a flame to the lighter. "There Toboe, you warm up now. I don't know if I'm supposed to light this without Mom or Dad here."

The storm outside was becoming noticeable and Kiba cringed hearing the sound of thunder fill his ears.

I climbed back in bed and rubbed his back. Eventually, I started to become tired again, so I closed my eyes. That's when.... His breathing became ragged as he spoke. That's when it had happened.

"Aaaaaa!!!" Toboe's screams brought the boy from his sleep. He heard the smoke detector before anything else. Kiba's eye snapped open and he sat up, wishing right away that he hadn't. He began to cough from all the smoke that had filled the air.

Beside him, his little brothers cries wailed on. "Toboe!"

I didn't notice at the time, a board had fallen on you. He began to move his arms as though he were right there again, right there patting the flames away. I tried so hard.

"Toboe!" The young Kiba cried out. He smacked brutally at the flames not knowing what else he could do. His brother cried on, both from the flames and pummeling of his brothers little hands.

The fire had been put out, but the bedroom was filled with smoke and flames. I picked Toboe up and ran, I ran as fast as I could out the door, but a nail caught my pajamas and I fell....

"Aaaa, aaaahaaa." The young boy struggled against the nail, as he tried to keep a hold on his little brother. One of the flames bounced onto the boys forearm and he cried out in pain shaking it violently to remove it.

As I waved my hand back and forth my shirt tore and ripped away from the nail. I ran downstairs just as Mom and Dad had gotten back. They were just getting out of the car.

"My sons!" Their mother shouted, scooping both boys into her arms.

Their father stood before the cabin, seeing that his sons were injured he went back inside intent on using the phone.

"Isao come back!" Their mother called.

"Put the boys in the car, Mikado! I have to try to put this out." Isao replied.

"Noo!" The woman yelled. Isao came back and helped his wife put the boys into the jeep, the both of them crying in pain and fear.

"Take them to the hospital, please I'll be fine."

Mikado frowned at her husband, but did as she was told. Climbing into the car she started it up.

I don't know what had sent Dad back inside, but he came back out just as fast...

"Mikado, let's go." He said to his wife climbing into the passengers side. Seeing his weeping wife, he helped the woman out of the jeep as quickly as he could, trading places with her. She was in no condition to drive.

We were out... but then... Kiba's words seemed barely audible now, as he pressed a hand against the window. Lightning hit one of the trees, Kiba seemed to cry harder if that were possible.

"Mommy! Daddy!" Kiba screamed. //

"The-... the tree was hit and it..." He felt his knees weaken and he dropped to the floor.

"Kiba?" Hige said with concern, kneeling down as well. Toboe stood where he was, paralyzed. He just couldn't believe it.

"The tree... it trapped them in the front of the car.." Kiba sobbed. "It's all my fault.... It's all my fau..." He planted his face into his hands.

"Oh Kiba, I'm so sorry." Hige whispered. He tried to remain calm and strong but now even he was crying.

"Dad unhooked Toboe and he said... Protect him, take Toboe and protect him." He reached out into air space, as though he were taking his brother into his arms all over again. "I tried to do my best and push the tree aside, but he shoved me away."

"Kiba don't..." Hige whispered.

"I ran with him, and I put Toboe on the grass away from the flames... I wanted to get them back- I wanted our parents to stay alive I couldn't do it on my own... But the car... the fire had gotten to it."

The last image faded from Kiba's mind as the engine had ignited. "I picked you up, piggy back style and carried you, in tears to the road." He wiped his tears standing up, facing his little brother. "I couldn't walk much further, I had inhaled too much smoke and I collapsed."

Toboe looked away from his brother, he couldn't believe it. He just couldn't believe it.

"When I woke up, I was in the hospital... Mrs. Cher, she was coming back from who knows where when she saw us."

"You mean Mrs. Cher knew too?" The young boy finally spoke.

Kiba nodded, closing his eyes. "She took care of us, she knew our parents and we knew her...." He began to dry his tears. "I told her about what happened, and she helped us. She paid the bills at home and took me to school." He grabbed his brothers shoulders, looking into his eyes.

"I never wanted to lie to you, never... But you were in the most pain and spent the most time in the hospital, you cried a lot and called out for Mom and Dad but I was always there, eventually you had just stopped asking, when you were old enough to understand, I no longer had the heart to tell you and that's why I lied."

"So you could keep our parents to yourself?" The boy asked.

"Toboe?" Hige said, giving the boy a stern look.

"No.. no it wasn't like that. I just didn't want you to feel the pain that I did." His brother explained through tears and confusion. "I took care of you and made sure you never felt pain again if I could help it. I thought it was the right thing to do, at the time. You were always so happy."

Toboe was silent. His face was scrunching as though he were thinking about it all. Dropping to his knees the tears ran from his eyes, pouring down around him. The young boy reached out for his brother and cried into his shirt.

"I'm sorry, Toboe... I'm so sorry."

"I'm sorry, too, Kiba." Hige mentioned quietly. He didn't know it was such a painful memory to him. And he never would have constantly tried to force it out of him.

"I'm okay." The Wolf teen replied. Opening an arm to his lover and pulled him into a hug.

Toboe moved away, wiping his eyes. "It's... it's n- not your fault Kiba... and I'm glad for a brother like you." But something in his voice told Kiba that he had lost something with his little brother. Something that he loved about him, dearly. His trust.