Wolf's Rain Fan Fiction ❯ Love Object ❯ Chapter 41/Epilog ( Chapter 41 )

Chapter Forty One

Toboe was silent for a long time. It was almost as though his voice had just been snatched right out of his throat. N-nooo.... He didn't say that... The boy couldn't believe it. It just couldn't be true. He just couldn't have said that.... He blinked several times, still nothing coming out of his mouth.

Tsume was beginning to think that Toboe hadn't heard what he had said. Opening his mouth, he began to speak again. "Toboe... Did you hear what I said?"

"I did, I just.... Don't believe it...."

Tsume swallowed, pulling the boy closer- if that were possible, and he began to rock him back and forth. "I'm sorry love... but it's true."

"But how? It doesn't make any sense. Kiba said that he started that fire." He shook his head, the tears falling every which way he did. "How could you have even been there?"

"Eleven years ago, I was fourteen years old... I had just started out modeling for children’s magazines and my agent told me that I was a natural."

// "Tsume, you're adorable kid. I really think that you could make it far in this business." His former agent said to him.

"What business?" Asked a young Tsume, bright eyes looking up at the man who he came to see almost as an uncle.

"Modeling son. Stick with me and I can see to it that you have more money and fame than you know what to do with."

Tsume seemed to be considering that. Money and fame? He pondered. "But my parents get my money every time I get paid. They need it."

"Sure they do, but you could have so much money that even with their gree- uh," the man corrects himself. "need, you can still have a pretty penny in your pocket as well."

Tsume thought it over, his mind jumping to a pinball machine that he had seen in a store once. A smile appeared on his face thinking about finally being able to own one. "Okay, so what do I have to do?" He wondered, ready to sign or do an AD for whatever would get him to where he needed to be.

"Let's go to your house, we'll go over the paper work." //

"I had no idea what was going on in my life. I was young." He shrugged. "My agent told me I could be big- would be big. But I wasn't. Not in my eyes...." The model narrowed his eyes, remembering the next week after that. All of the bad memories, one after the other.

// "Tsume... son, I have some bad news." His father, Adei Keina , bent down to his level, placing a hand on his sons shoulder. "It's about your mother."

"Mom? What's happened to her? Is she sick again?" Tsume asked.

"I'm afraid so son. And with my money I can't entirely afford to pay for all the medical bills, but since your fine agent got you a new contract and you're making so much more money than me-..."

"How much do you need?" He asked right away. Tsume didn't know that his mother was sick again, of course, he hadn't really seen her looking anything less than healthy his whole life. But how would he know between school and work getting in the way.

"Son I'm glad you asked me that." His father stood up. "I'll show you how to use a check book, come on." //

"I had no idea that my fucking parents were screwing me over. My mother was never sick a day in her life, except maybe once when I was five, but it was nothing more than a common cold."

"So they lied to you?" Toboe asked, though his mind was still wondering how any of this would make the end result.

"They lied so that they could get my money. Yeah..." Tsume tried to calm his tone back to a neutral one so that he wouldn't further upset the boy. Then he spoke again. "I slowly began to realize what my parents were doing, especially after I heard my father over the phone talking to my mother about some place they wanted to get in Okinawa. Those damned bastards were using my money to buy a house which they probably never would have told me about had I not brought it up."

// "I'm telling you Biora, you were a genius to get Tsume into modeling. I've never seen this much money before and the poor kid doesn't know what hit him. Pretty soon we'll be out of here and he won't ever have to know a thing about it." He slightly laughed.

His mother spoke, while his father quietly listened. Tsume tried to hear what she was saying but only made out some of the words. "I'm not.... Tell him.... He may just.... No more money...."

"I doubt it, he loves us too much to think that, he'll understand." Adei replied. "Once he's gone we'll be happy again, just you and I in Okinawa."

"Okina-...?" Tsume scrunched his eyes. //

"It was after that that I stopped giving my parents money, I didn't listen to a word they said and I rebelled against them. I started drinking and smoking and slept at hotels as much as I could." He started to rub the young boys back. "I couldn't do that anymore because my parents would find and bring me back home- or call the police and tell them to be on the look out for me."

"That must have been awful."

"It was...." The model rests his chin atop the boys head. "It was then that I decided to do my drinking and what not in the forest, nobody would think that I'd go there. It was the perfect place to go."

"And that's when you found the cabin?"

"Yeah."

// The first time I went there it was through the window. It was always quiet and dark when I went there I figured it was abandoned. I had such a nice time that first day that I kept going back, it was like my own private house where no one could disturb me- ever.

"How could anyone just abandon such a nice place?" He asked himself. Walking around the little cabin he decided to smoke in the master bedroom, it was the most comfortable.

I had been going there time after time, so much so that I had left the front door unlocked sometimes. It was about a month after that when I heard a car pulling up outside. The first thing I heard was a little boy talking, thinking about it now it must have been Kiba.

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. //

"I heard your family talking and I was stuck. Peeking out into the hallway I saw Kiba heading towards the bathroom. I wasn't sure if I could go downstairs or not, so I snuck into your bedroom and out the window. It was a little tough to climb out because I was still holding a six pack in my hand." He slightly laughed at the thought, wishing he could have fallen back then and maybe hurt his leg so that he wouldn't have gone back for anything.

// "Shit!" Tsume looked back up at the house. "I forgot my lighter." The kitchen light came on causing the boy to run behind a tree. He couldn't let the family spot him, or they'd discover that he had been in what apparently is their cabin. I have to get my lighter back... maybe when they go to sleep... //

"I couldn't have asked for a better opportunity than to see your parents leaving for some reason. But they locked the doors."

Toboe began to cry again. He didn't want to hear this. He didn't want to believe that Tsume, the man he loved, is the one responsible for ruining his and his brothers lives. "Tsume please stop..." He whispered. Tears still streaming, steadily down his cheeks and nose.

The model wanted to stop but he couldn't. He couldn't feel that guilt in his chest anymore. He couldn't! "I waited until I saw the bedroom light go off before I snuck back over to the gutter pipe- beer still in hand, and climbed the thing."

// Nimbly climbing up the long metal pole, Tsume forgot that he had the six pack tangled between his fingers, and just as he got up to the window one of the cans of beer decided to dislodge itself from the set and go plummeting down onto a set of trash cans. //

Toboe's eyes widened, remembering what his brother had said about hearing a Raccoon knocking over the trash cans outside.

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. //

"I quickly climbed into the house when I saw that your brother was moving and hid in the closet. All I wanted was my lighter back honest. I didn't want anything bad to happen."

More of what Kiba had told him, flooded the boys mind. It was all coming into place now. He couldn't believe that it truly was Tsume's fault.

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

"The lighter was yours....?" Toboe mumbled, numbly.

"Yes," Tsume cried quietly, though Toboe could still hear the pain in his voice.

// 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." //

"I heard your brother talking to you, I guess you were cold because the room suddenly began to get warm. I felt it even from the closet." Tsume spoke again. "Realizing that your brother had climbed back into bed, I walked out into the room noticing that he had started a fire in the fireplace."

// It's not that cold. Thought the model. Kiba had been gone for so long, the young model had opened a can of beer to drink while he waited for the boy to either fall back asleep or be gone long enough for him to search the kids parents room for his lighter.

"Hn. Look at you." He walked over to the bed where the sleeping children lay. "I'll bet that you're one of those fucking wholesome, disgusting families, that take vacations with each other and tell one another that you love each other." He shook his head in distaste. "Well it's all a fucking lie... just like life."

Turning his head, he noticed his lighter sitting on top of the fireplace. Walking over to it, he set the beer can down on top of the mantel and reached for the little lighter. "Enjoy it while you can kiddies, because sooner or later you'll realize you have no one but yourself." Pulling the lighter away without looking at what he was doing, the small can of beer fell to the floor splashing sloppily from the can. //

"I didn't notice it at the time," Tsume was saying when he felt Toboe's breathing picking up.

"Get out..." The boy breathed with heat and anger.

"I climbed out of the window, I had what I needed and the next thing I knew I was walking away from the house. That's when I heard you screaming."

Aaaaaa!!! Toboe's screams rang through the night.

"You were a baby,"

"Get out!" Toboe shouted a little louder.

"Babies cry,"

"Shut uuuppp!!!! Get ooout!!!" He pushed the model away, sitting on his bed. His tears were burning his eyes now as he felt anger rushing through his veins. How could Tsume do that to him and his brother?! How could he say the things he said to people he didn't even know?!

"Toboe... I want you to know that I'm sorry... I never meant to say those things, or hurt you." Tsume stood from the bed when the young boys fist began to pound at him. "I was hurt, but I never wanted to hurt anyone else."

"Just get out!" He cried harder. "Goooo!! Leave me alone! Just leave me alone!! I hate youuuu!!!" The young boy nearly screamed. He fell back onto his bed, curled against his pillow.

Tsume looked down at the boy, truly hurt by his words, but he didn't want to leave him crying. But he told him to leave. "Toboe, I'll take full responsibility for my actions, if you tell Kiba or want to call the police I'll go to jail.... I'll go for you...."

"Just leave, please...." Toboe continued to cry into his pillow. "I don't ever wanna see you again. Please just go away..."

Tsume bit his tears back, even though his face was already stained. He couldn't cry, not here otherwise he would never leave, his tears would consume him too much to move. "I'm sorry, Toboe.... Goodbye." He heads towards the bedroom door.

Toboe heard the mans footsteps, popping up from the bed he lunged at the man. "No Tsume don't go!" He cried even harder, clinging to whatever part of the man he had grabbed a hold of. "Don't gooo. I'm sorry, Tsume.... I love you... please don't go...."

The man wrapped his arms around the young boy, both clinging to each other with tears mixing together. "I'm sorry, Tsume... I'm sorry I yelled." The young boy rambled through sobs.

"Sssshhh, don't say that. You have nothing to apologize for." He rubbed the boy gently, rocking him back and forth. "I'm the one who's sorry. For everything I've done to you and your family...."

Sniffling, Toboe shook his head against the mans chest whispering. "I don't want you to go to jail... I'd be," He cried a moment his tears getting in the way. "I'd be too sad!" He clung to the man tighter.

"I'm sorry...." Was all Tsume could say, but no amount of the words could ever heal the boy or his brother. He just wished there was something he could do.

"Will you sit with me?" Toboe asked.

"Of course." The two slid up to the top of the bed. Tsume held the child close, rocking him, making soothing hushing sounds, while the boy cried. When Toboe had finally cried his self out and fell asleep. Tsume left.... Leaving behind his heart and soul.... and a single letter, addressed to Kiba on the kitchen counter.

THE END

..........................

Epilog: Three months later....

It's been three months since the whole thing with Tsume had began and ended. I found the letter addressed to me first when Hige and I came to drop of Toboe's dinner that evening.

"It's from Tsume." He informed Hige, who was watching him at his left.

"Tsume? What the hell does he want?"

I didn't have time to figure it out by reading the note. I just knew that right now my little brother needed me more than ever right then.

"Toboe?" Kiba called heading upstairs. He expected to hear crying, screaming or anything but the room was silent. Causing Kiba to panic thinking that the model may have just taken Toboe with him. He knew that he was leaving the country. Who was to say that once Toboe found out he wanted to go with him.

But when he got inside the boys room, he saw him sleeping peacefully on his bed, though his face was twisted in sadness. Walking over to the bed, Kiba sat down pulling his little brother into his arms. "Toboe?" He shook him gently. "Toboe wake up."

"Hhhuuu?" The boy began to come around. His vision blurred and mind slightly blank, he looked up seeing the face of his brother looking down on him. "Kiba?" He muttered, still half sleep. Coming to his senses, Toboe hopped up to a sitting position looking around his bedroom. "Where's Tsume?! Tsumeee?!" He called out thinking that the man might still be around.

"Toboe," Kiba interrupted.

"Tsume?!" He called again.

Grabbing his shoulder, Kiba turned his little brother around to face him. "Toboe, Tsume is gone."

Tears spilled from the boys eyes before his emotions could even catch up to them and he began to cry again. "Ssshhh, it's ok." Kiba wondered if it really would be ok. He didn't want the man around but he also didn't want Toboe carrying these sad feelings with him all the time.

"Why did he have to go?" The boy cried, clutching his brother harder as though if he let him go he would walk away from him as well.

"I don't know."

"It's my fault, I told him I hated him... but then I took it back. I swear." He cried his explanation. Positive that he had told Tsume he loved him sincerly enough for the man to believe him.

"Ssshh. It was nothing you said... Didn't Tsume tell you that he was leaving the country?"

That only made him cry more. He had been so busy yelling at him and telling Tsume to shut up, he probably never got the chance to tell him. Now he was never going to see him again. This made Toboe cry harder than ever.

He cried his self to sleep again, he did almost every night. It felt bad, because most of it was my fault. Maybe not that he was probably naturally going to leave but the fact that I hadn't tried to understand what my little brother felt or was going through.

That night after I made sure that Toboe was ok, I went into my room and read the letter Tsume had left for me. It made me sick at first, than angry. How that lying bastard could know something like that and just keep it to himself made me hate him all over again. It wasn't until at the end of the note when he wrote that he had just recently found out about starting the fire and that he was truly sorry and ready to accept his punishment.

Toboe came into the room with me, climbed into bed and looked at the note that I held. Telling the police was more than tempting, but to give my little brother some peace and closure I decided not to. Maybe letting Tsume go was the best thing for right now, besides if he loved my brother as he said he did than the guilt he's feeling is more than enough punishment. And I should know since I've lived with it my whole life up until now.

It took a weight from my shoulders and suddenly it was as though my eyes had finally opened. I was still just as careful with my brother as always- how could I not be, he's my little brother and I love him. Always will. But I learned that he can take care of himself too.

After the first month, Toboe's night tears had stopped. Same with his coming into my room to sleep. Christmas was fine, he seemed really happy though I could tell he wanted to search every inch of the tree for a gift from Tsume. There wasn't one. The next month he seemed to be going back to normal, sometimes he looked sad whenever he heard something that reminded him of Tsume but other than that he was alright.

A week or so into the second month, I heard my little brother laugh again. An honest, happy laugh at something Hige and I were talking about. And slowly he began to be my little brother again, the things that made him sad suddenly didn't seem to do that anymore and he had a new friend, a little girl named Taki.

He, Cheza, and Taki were practically inseparable. And finally month three, I have Toboe back. My little independent brother being a kid again and enjoying life, just like he had told me to. He felt bad for Hige and me missing our three days together because Hige insisted that it could wait.

And now as the month comes to an end and Toboe and I race up to the house, there's a letter sitting in the mail box addressed to Toboe. I had every thought in the book to rip it up recognizing the hand writing to be Tsume's but I'd never have the heart to forgive myself if I did.... I can only wonder what that man would have to say to him....

Toboe walked into his room, stunned almost at what he held in his hands. He didn't think that he'd ever hear from Tsume again and he slowly began to accept that. But now, standing here holding a letter from the man. His hands tremble as he peels away the paper from itself. Beginning to get anxious as he wondered what Tsume wrote to him.

A single tear fell looking down at the mans pretty handwriting, and it read:

Dear Toboe,

I hate doing this sort of thing, never thought I'd have a reason to but I hope you remember me. I wanted to tell you that I miss you everyday. When I first met you I never wanted to give you up, having to say goodbye that day tore me apart but seeing you unhappy was worse. I hated saying goodbye when you and I were finally together, but I knew you'd hate me- tell me to go away, after what I had done....

I still love you so much, I hope you still feel the same. Hearing those words from you one last time meant the world to me. I was too hurt by what I did to tell you, how I felt back. Which is why I'm telling you now. I love you.

I waited a month for the police to show up, I would have waited longer but my agent told me we had to go. The police never came. I can only assume that you talked Kiba out of calling them. Thank you. But I still would have gone.

I'm in Naples Italy right now, working on a movie. Silent film, kinda artsy but I think you'd like it.

Hn. I'm forgetting everything I had to say.

Toboe sobbed a laugh, wiping a hand across his tears.

It's hard to think straight when I'm thinking about you... I'd love to see you again and... with spring break coming up I couldn't help but wonder if maybe you'd like to come and visit me- you and your brother and Hige. You can say no if you want I'll understand. I also understand if you still hate me but...

I wrote a blank check for you- plane tickets- or anything really. You could take every cent I own for toys or something... Maybe, a doctor could see you and your brother and maybe help you. If that was rude than I'm sorry but I feel like I need to give you something if not my being locked up.

I hope that you're enjoying life, and you're happy. I hope that receiving this letter from me hasn't made you sad.... I'll hear from you?

My love, Tsume

It was a simple request. Toboe was already mentally getting his pen and paper ready. The bottom of the note folded down one more time, a smaller note was written below in a language that Toboe couldn't understand. But underneath was a translation.

Toboe you mean the world to me. I am always yours and you are always mine. Always and forever.

Folding the note back up. Toboe bit his bottom lips. "Kiba?!" He called downstairs heading for the door. "Can we take a vacation for spring break?!"

End.

………………&hellip ;….

A.N: ….So. What d’ya think? Hahaha. I’d just like to tell you I appreciate you all voice or unheard. Thanks for reading along with me, while I let the voices in my head have fun typing it. I won’t be doing a sequel but if you want to you have my go ahead, just let me know I’d love to read it. J

I’ll be doing another Wolf’s Rain sometime this year if you wanna read that. I don’t have a title but the pairing will be Hige and Tsume. See ya around. Fantasy.