Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Orenji no Taiyou ❯ Laundry Sucks ( Chapter 7 )

Outside the Minamino household there was a little baby bird that had fallen from its nest. It really should not have hatched yet, but the small being could only stay encased in its cage for so long; after all, it was suppose to be spring.

 

Snow still blanketed the ground, cushioning the bird's fall. Though the chick had escaped immediate death, it would freeze within the hour. Its young life would be cut short while its parents watched, unable to do anything.

 

Yeah, it was supposed to be spring.

 

The back door shook as Shuuichi kicked his friend off of him and against the door. “Calm down Yuusuke!” The redheaded teen found his long ankle-length jacket and put it on over his pajamas. Yuusuke glared as he put his shoes on. “Come on.”

Yuusuke was pushed aside by his friend and glared as the redhead left the house. Shuuichi stared in at the raven-haired boy until he came out.

”What?” Yuusuke spat at the other.

”I don't know, you tell me,” Shuuichi retorted and set off to walk down the driveway. Yuusuke shoved his hands in his pockets and treaded behind the older boy silently, a scowl on his downcast face. The pair turned and walked wordlessly down the street.

 

The raven-haired Yuusuke finally looked up and took a deep breath, a little more calm. It had only taken him a few blocks with the redhead to release his anger. A hand rubbed his slick, gelled hair back into place.

”Are you ready to tell me what that was about?” Shuuichi asked, looking over at Yuusuke.

Yuusuke stayed silent longer and didn't say anything for a few more blocks yet. He could feel Shuuichi's eyes bearing down at him, trying to see into his soul. “Keiko left me,” he said abruptly, stopping in his tracks.

 

Shuuichi also stopped and stared at him for a moment before grasping his friend into a hug. Yuusuke started to break down a little in his arms, hugging back. He got himself to calm down before his sorrow really started to show. “I'm sorry,” Shuuichi murmured. “What happened?”

Yuusuke pulled away from Shuuichi and started to walk again. Shuuichi followed and waited for Yuusuke to talk without being prodded. “She thought I was cheating on her…because of those panties you gave me.”

Shuuichi remained silent before looking away. “I'm sorry.”

”Man, Kurama, it's not your fault...” Shuuichi looked up at Yuusuke's statement. “How are things going with you and Dai?”

”She broke up with me a few hours ago… she found someone else…” Shuuichi smiled.

”You don't seem too broken up about it.” Yuusuke kicked a rock down the semi-melted side walk.

 

“Yeah, well, it's not like we were together for years like you and Keiko. Besides… we were planning on it.” Yuusuke stopped in his tracks and looked to Shuuichi, waiting to hear the rest of it. Shuuichi, however, would not say more.

 

“Shuuichi?” Yuusuke tried, but the older boy just turned and kept walking. Yuusuke, in turn, accompanied the redhead.

 

Yuusuke and Shuuichi walked down the urban side walk, making their way to the city. Shuuichi, being in only pajamas and a light jacket, was freezing. Yuusuke, noticing this, offered the other his jacket. Shuuichi took it happily.

 

Yuusuke did not try to make Shuuichi talk as they walked, allowing the other the luxury of silence, hoping that he would eventually choose to talk.

Shuuichi's thoughts were in turmoil. A war was being waged about whether or not he should come clean to his crush. To his friend.

 

On one hand, if he kept quiet, he would be secure in their friendship. He knew the other would not go anywhere and that they would always remain close, as long as his secret didn't spill. But he'd be living a lie.

 

Then, there was taking the plunge and the risk. Tell Yuusuke his feelings, tell him that women aren't his type, and risk loosing him as a friend. And even if he didn't loose Yuusuke as a friend, he knew Yuusuke was straight.

 

Shops, stores, and restaurants passed them as they walked. The black pavement clashed terribly with the grey concrete and the white crosswalk lines were dull and worn. A big pothole made a loud bumpy noise every time a car hit it.

 

Shuuichi's eye wandered to the shops as they passed. There was a Harajuku fashion shop. This week's color was evidently red. It went well with the Lolita store right next door. The black embraced the red. The darkness embraced the blood.

 

The sweet smell of plum rice balls filled the air as they passed a food shop. Shuuichi's memories immediately went to the times when he was a child. Back when his dad was alive, his mom would make sweet plum treats all the time. Plum was his father's favorite food, and his own as well. Every spring his mom would make plum rice balls and pack them into baskets. They would go cherry blossom viewing at Sakanaya Park. Shuuichi would crawl onto his dad's lap and get rice all over himself and his dad's kimono.

 

Shuuichi was snapped back into reality when a buzzing sound reached his ears. He looked across the street and saw a tattoo shop.

”Hey Yuusuke,” he grabbed Yuusuke's hand and pulled him across the street. “I've got some money in my coat pocket… Let's get a tattoo.”

Yuusuke, a bit dumb-struck at being dragged across the road, was a bit amazed at his friend. “We're not old enough… I don't have my fake ID…”

Shuuichi shook his head. “Come on, we'll make them do us…” He dragged Yuusuke inside. “What do you want to get?”

The raven haired boy cocked his head to the side a little, taking in the view of the room. The walls were a rich orange-brown color. The floor was hard wood and all of the detail work was in black, just like the black leather chairs and latex gloves. There were giant paintings on the wall, faces and caricatures. There was a fern in the corner. It reminded him of a coffee house.

 

“Yuusuke?” Yuusuke looked at Shuuichi. “I have a question…”

”Shoot.”

Shuuichi felt foolish asking this, but at the moment he felt he needed reassurance. “You're my friend, right?”

Yuusuke raised an eyebrow. “Maybe your break up with Dai affected you more then you thought.”

No. “Maybe…”

Yuusuke thought for a moment, “Let's get the kanji for kitchen tattooed on our biceps…” he grinned.

 

Shuuichi smiled. Kitchen, that was perfect. He had invited Yuusuke over one night when he was first figuring out his sexuality. They had rented MoonChild together and watched it, having a big laugh when the American walked into the bar with a new tattoo. The American was showing everyone, convinced it said ninja, when in reality, it said kitchen. The pair of them had laughed for the rest of the night, despite the sad ending to the movie. That night was the night Shuuichi's crush on Yuusuke had formed.

 

“Alright, that's perfect.” Shuuichi walked to the counter and began his convincing performance. I am eighteen. I am eighteen. I am eighteen. The tattoo artist agreed to tattoo them. He sat Shuuichi down first and free handed the kanji on with a sharpie before starting the tattoo. Shuuichi had to wince at the needle poking at his skin. It didn't hurt, but it did sting. It was annoying and repetitive. Yuusuke place a hand on his shoulder to steady him.

 

Then it was Yuusuke's turn. Yuusuke screamed out in pain when the needle started, and Shuuichi couldn't help but giggle a little, hiding it behind his hand. He took the other's hand and let him squeeze it as the artist finished the tattoo up. Shuuichi paid, they got bandaged up, and they left.

 

“Shit, that hurt,” Yuusuke groaned and rubbed his arm gently.

 

“You can take a headbutt from Chuu, but you can't get tattooed? Am I missing something?” Yuusuke glared at Shuuichi but the two continued to walk down the street, nonetheless.

 

Shuuichi led Yuusuke back across the street. The more he thought about it, the more he wanted a plum rice ball. His mom had stopped making plum treats after his dad had passed away.

”What now?” Yuusuke asked as he found himself being dragged back across the street.

”I want a plum rice ball. I'll buy you one too,” Shuuichi said, looking ahead, focusing on the shop.

 

Yuusuke nodded and cracked his back. Shuuichi smiled. He loved the sound of bones popping. It reminded him of a good sparring match. It reminded him of Yuusuke.

 

The two entered the shop and a little bell on the door rang. They were greeted by a shop keeper and Shuuichi put the order in for a box of four plum rice balls. The shop keeper went about making them as the redhead sat against the beige wall in the brown chair. The floor was a white-grey tile. The food was behind some glass on a wooden base. The back wall was littered with photos of baseball players.

 

Yuusuke looked outside the glossy window. He saw girl after girl, couple after couple walking by. Everywhere he looked he was reminded of Keiko.

 

“Your food's ready.” Yuusuke was snapped from his thought. Shuuichi got up and paid, taking the food. “Let's go to the park to eat this…” Yuusuke nodded and walked with Shuuichi, who was holding the box up at breast height.

 

They walked with each other. It began to snow. Shuuichi yawned and shrugged the jacket up higher. He hated the cold; it made him sleepy. Little white flakes settled in his hair.

 

Yuusuke looked to Shuuichi. “You look pathetic.”

”Nyaaa,” Shuuichi headbutted Yuusuke's shoulder gently, yawning again. Yuusuke shook his head and put an arm around him. It was just a friendly gesture, after all.

 

“You look sick…”

”I think I'm getting sick,” Shuuichi had a weird smile on his face, “but that's okay.”

Yuusuke gave him a look but quickly shook it off. “You were affected by your break up.” Shuuichi decided to let Yuusuke think what he wanted as he laid his head on Yuusuke gently. They walked to Sakanaya Park and took a seat on a bench after Yuusuke pushed the freshly laid snow off.

 

Shuuichi sat up and pulled the jacket around him, opening the box and handing a rice ball to Yuusuke. Yuusuke's eyes wandered to the play set, neglected and forgotten by the children who would rather be warm inside then outside playing in the snow.

 

Shuuichi ate his rice ball quietly. Yuusuke looked at his for a moment before taking a nibble off the top of his own.

 

“This was my dad's favorite food…” Shuuichi tried. Yuusuke looked up at him quietly. He had never heard the other talk about his human father. “It's mine, too, but mom never makes them anymore… They remind her of dad. She doesn't want to remember him after being remarried.”

Yuusuke finished off his first rice ball. “Why not?”

”She views it as cheating on her new husband… I hate him.”

”I've never heard you speak of him so spitefully before.”

Shuuichi finished his rice ball and handed Yuusuke a second one, taking the last for himself. “I'm feeling talkative tonight… Can I tell you something…?”

Yuusuke nodded, biting into the next rice ball.

 

“I…” Shuuichi stopped. He had always been a man of logic. His whole thought process was logic based. Everything he did was logical and yet… and yet, here he was, about to do something completely illogical. “You promise not to hate me? Not to judge me? Not to let anything change between us?” His hand immediately went to his bandaged arm.

”Yeah, why would I hate you? What's going on with you?” Yuusuke looked to his friend, a little worried about him. This was very un-Kurama-like.

 

“I'm…” He shook his head. “I can't.”

”You're my friend, right?” Yuusuke asked calmly.

 

“Yes.”

”Friends don't keep secrets.”

Shuuichi nodded. “Well…” he bit his tongue. Could he do this? Yeah, he could. “I'm gay.” There, he said it. Shuuichi felt an invisible weight lifted from his shoulders.

 

Yuusuke choked on his rice. It took him a moment to regain his composure from the shock of this sudden confession. “W-what!?”

”I'm gay,” Shuuichi said again with a softer voice.

Yuusuke shook his head. “What the hell?!”

Now it was Shuuichi's turn to be taken aback. “Remember what you said… You won't hate me…”

”Fuck no,” Yuusuke looked at Shuuichi in disgust. “Why the hell did you date Dai…” Yuusuke's eyes got wide. “Whose panties were those?”

Shuuichi was silent.

”Well?”

”…”

”WELL?”

”Mine…” Shuuichi's voice was soft and upset. He didn't have his rice ball anymore, it was on the ground.

 

Yuusuke stood up. “You're disgusting.” He growled, ready to hit Shuuichi. Shuuichi in turn just stayed, looking down at the ground. Yuusuke lowered his hand. “Faggot.” He left angrily.

 

Shuuichi sat there in the snow. He didn't notice as a few flakes landed on his eyelashes. He held back tears. Why had he done that? He was an idiot. An idiot. He had always relied on logic. As soon as he stopped relying on it, his best friend and crush leaves him.

 

A thundercloud rolled overhead. Shuuichi stood, still wearing Yuusuke's jacket. He walked back home, his head hung low. The rice ball box was left discarded in the snow, next to the fallen rice ball.

 

The sounds of the city seemed muffled to him. Nothing fully broke its way through his shell. Girls' giggling, friends' laughing, thunder rolling; it was all three worlds away. The sights and smells didn't even register in his brain as he mindlessly walked home.

 

He walked back to his home, stopping in the front yard. He looked down and saw the baby bird, flapping its wings helplessly; but like everything else that evening, it didn't register. He walked inside, unable to think of anything other than his best friend hating him.

 

He was quickly remedied of that.

 

“WHOSE PANTIES ARE THESE?”

Oh shit. The laundry.