Love Episodes - Episode 4: A Nightly Visit

[yoru-no-hikaru.livejournal.com]

Rating: PG-13
Pairing: KinKi Kids
Disclaimer: Don't own KinKi Kids, or anything JE-related
Warnings: Swearing, dark
Multi-Chapter


Introduction: In this episode something terrible and traumatising happens to Tsuyoshi. It takes place very shortly after the last episode.


Note: I know it's cruel doing this before they can get any "closer", but I think it'll add to their bond.

The house door flew open and a woman was standing in the frame, looking at Tsuyoshi first in confusion, then rather worried.

“Can I….. help you?” she asked warily.

“I’m sorry,” he answered in a low voice. “I…. I work with your son, I….”

She looked more closely at his soakingly wet figure, then her eyes went wide. “Tsuyoshi-kun,” she breathed in utter shock.

“Again, I’m sorry, it’s just…. Is Koichi…”

Tsuyoshi couldn’t even finish his question as the woman turned around, shouting into the house. “Koichi!”

 

The second later there were some trapling sounds and Koichi’s frame came into sight as he hurried down the stairs halfway to see what was going on.

“What is it?” he asked, confused.

Then he blinked as he saw Tsuyoshi standing in the door, shaking and wet to the bones.

“Your friend got caught in the rain. Go, get a towel and some fresh clothes for him. And put something decent on, I’ll set up some tea.”

 

Koichi hesitated for a second, still looking at Tsuyoshi’s miserbly looking figure, but then nodded silently and rushed back upstairs.

“Come on in,” Koichi’s mother told Tsuyoshi, stepping aside to let him in.

The boy nodded his thanks. “O-jama shimasu,” he mumbled. He sighed, then continued, “Actually, I didn’t get caught in the rain, it’s….”

“No matter. That’s not important right now. You go in there, that’s the bathroom,” she said, pointing in the according direction. “Koichi will get a towel and dry clothes for you. Then we can sit and talk,” she decided, nodding firmly.

 

“Sorry,” Tsuyoshi muttered, “can I?” he asked, pulling at his backpack.

“Just put it here,” Koichi’s mother told him, pointing at the floor, where all the shoes were standing as well.

“Thanks,” Tsuyoshi croacked out, bowing.

“It’s fine,” Koichi’s mother assured him. “Now, go, go, you’ll catch a cold.”

The trampling could be heard again as Koichi flew down the stairs to meet them still in the hallway. He looked at his boyfriend more closely and stiffened at the sight.

“What…?” he wanted to ask, but his mother interrupted him firmly.

“Not now,” his mother insisted. “He needs a hot shower. There you go, dear,” she said, taking what Koichi had brought from his grip and handing it to Tsuyoshi.

With another bow Tsuyoshi turned around and went for the bathroom. Koichi blinked after him.

 

Wtf?!?!?!

 

Koichi’s mother shot him a look as though she knew exactly what he’d been thinking and scolding him for bad language.

“Well, you never brought him here to meet your family,” she analysed teasingly. “You’re too much of a mystery, maybe that’s why he came to see for himself?”

“Mom,” Koichi said, shaking his head in disbelief. “I think something’s seriously off. Did you see him?”

 

She smiled at her son sympathetically. “Let him get dried off and warmed up a bit. Then you can talk, ne?”

Koichi nodded, still feeling very uneasy.

“You go sit in the living room,” she told him. “I’ll set up tea for you.”

“Arigatou-na,” Koichi said absentmindedly as he went to do as his mother had said.

 

 ___________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

It had actually been about fifteen minutes, but to Koichi it felt as though he’d been sitting alone for an hour as Tsuyoshi stood in the door of the living room, dry and with a pair of slippers on.

“I’m really sorry to intrude like this,” he pressed out, sounding a bit choked. “I just didn’t really know where else to go….”

 

Koichi gulped. “Come here,” he told his band mate. “Sit down.”

Tsuyoshi went over to the table, seating himself. He opened his mouth again, but that was when Koichi’s mother came in with a tablet in her hands.

“There you go,” she told the two boys, putting the tablet on the table.

Tsuyoshi blinked warily at her as she sat down at the table as well, starting to pour tea..

“Ano….” Tsuyoshi dragged out, licking his lips.

“Don’t you think I’m leaving you two here,” she told Tsuyoshi. “You might not be MY child, but when a young boy such as yourself comes tumbling into my flat in the middle of the night and soaking wet from rain, I am still a mother and need to take care of both you and my son.”

“It’s okay,” Koichi assured him, smiling. “Tell me what’s wrong. My mother won’t mind – well, maybe she will, but in a good way.”

“How do you know?!” Tsuyoshi demanded harshly. “You don’t know what happened. Maybe it’s something I can tell only you.”

Koichi blinked for a second, then his look went stern. “If you can’t tell my mother, then don’t tell me either,” he shot at the other.

 

Tsuyoshi blinked at that.

“What if I get you into trouble too?” he asked warily.

“That’s for you to assess,” Koichi shrugged. “If you think it’s worth getting me into trouble for, go right ahead, I’ll bear it.”

“No such thing is gonna happen,” Koichi’s mother interfered. “Tsuyoshi-kun, whatever happened to you, I assure you, there will be no judging you and it will have no negative consequences for Koichi whatsoever.”

 

“But you don’t even know what it is about,” Tsuyoshi tried to argue.

“That’s immaterial,” she told him, still smiling, but sounding firmer. “It’s a promise.”

“Even if I sold drugs to a minor on the street who collapsed and Koichi knew about my business?” Tsuyoshi dared.

“Is that it?” Koichi’s mother asked, raising her brows.

Tsuyoshi hesitated for a second, then blurted out, “Yes.”

Koichi’s head flew to his boyfriend. “WHAT?!?!?!”

 

His mother gestured for him to be quiet, though.

“I see,” she said evenly. “Well, that is indeed a serious problem. We will drive to the hospital immediately to tell the operating doctors what exactly the child has been given. You will have to turn yourself in, Tsuyoshi-kun, there is no avoiding it. As for you, Koichi, I’m afraid a week’s being grounded is actually due under these circumstances.”

Tsuyoshi blinked. “What, you…. You want to go….. now?”

“Yes, I’ll just get my keys,” she said firmly.

“No, no, no, wait!” Tsuyoshi yelled out. “That is not what happened.”

Koichi’s mother blinked at him. “Well, that’s good. You had me seriously worried, there,” she said, smiling again. “But I’m actually quite sure that you are a good boy and you can say what actually happened and we will find a good solution.”

Tsuyoshi sighed in defeat. “Okay. Koichi,” he directed at his friend, looking at him.

“Hm?” Koichi made.

“You know how I told you about that girl my parents had me date?” he asked.

“Yeah, you said she was a bit annoying,” Koichi mused.

 

“Well,” Tsuyoshi continued, “she got even more annoying – to the point where I refused to go out with her anymore. My parents actually wanted me to marry her.”

“What?!” Koichi burst out.

“Yeah,” Tsuyoshi nodded. “I said I didn’t really like her and my mother told me that she had already started the wedding arrangements.”

“No way,” Koichi gasped.

 

“We had a big fight. A huuuuuuuge fight…..” he paused there, licking dry lips again. “A fight that…. wasn’t merely about getting married to that girl…. it was about something much bigger, actually….. my mother had searched my room…. she found stuff and she….. and then my dad came home too and said….” The boy shook his head, tears welling up in his eyes. “In the end they both said I either get married to her, or I leave the house.” He heaved a bit. “So I packed some stuff and…. they just…..” He broke off, sobbing. “I’m sorry,” he choked out, “I… didn’t know where to go…. It was raining so bad…. and there I remembered where you live and I…..”

 

“You don’t have to apologise,” Koichi’s mother said firmly, moving over and pulling the crying boy into her arms. “It’s a good thing you came here,” she continued, patting the back of his head softly. “Don’t worry. It’s okay, you can stay here – tonight and as ever long as you need to.”

 

Tsuyoshi shook his head against her shoulder and she smiled, embracing him firmly.

“Koichi,” she said in a lower voice. “Set up your spare futon, ne?”

Koichi bit his lip as he looked at Tsuyoshi, but then got up and left the room.

Koichi’s mother sighed. “Tsuyoshi-kun, listen to me,” she said in a soothing voice.

“I cannot understand what kind of parent will throw their child out of their house for such a reason, let alone on a rainy night like this. I will take you in and I will take care of you. This you should know, though: I know why you came here tonight.”

Tsuyoshi stiffened in her grasp, but she just held him tightly.

“Hear me out,” she commanded. “I know why you came here instead of going wherever else you would normally go, for Koichi has never brought you here before. I’m sorry, I cannot say I am happy about this, I would wish for my son to…. have a different life, but that is not for me to decide and again, I really think you are a good boy and my son is very lucky to have you…. in his life.”

 

She pulled back slowly and Tsuyoshi stared at her in wonder.

“How…?” he asked, breathlessly.

“A mother’s eye,” she said, smiling sympathetically. “And seeing how I will not get a daughter-in-law no matter what I do, at least here is a decent young man with sincere intentions.”

Tsuyoshi clung to her again, crying in earnest.

“Misbreed, he said,” the boy choked out. “Abnormal…. Sick bastard…..”

 

“No such thing,” Koichi’s mother assured him, closing her eyes to keep an upwelling outburst in. “ I know you love my son well, in whatever way, and that is one of the purest things I have ever come to know.”

Koichi flinched as he came back into the room. “Done,” he stated simply.

His mother nodded at him, smiling.

“Tsuyoshi-kun,” she addressed the other boy, pulling back again. “Will you go upstairs and wait for Koichi there? There is something I still want to discuss with him.”

Tsuyoshi nodded, getting up, while Koichi just blinked as the other went past him and strode up the stairs.

 

“With me?” Koichi asked warily.

“Well,” Koichi’s mother sighed, “since we’re at it we should set this straight as well, I suppose. What better opportunity?”

“Sorry?” Koichi blinked.

“You know, I’ve been wondering…..” she told him. “You will not get married either, will you?”

Koichi stiffened visibly at that.

“What – you have someone for me too?” he asked, trying to avoid the actual point.

“That’s not the core of the issue,” his mother told him. “It’s just a simple question with a simple answer to it. Are you going to get married, Koichi?”

The boy looked at his mother in desperation. His eyes started to get wet as he bit his lip in fear and guilt.

“No,” he breathed out.

His mother smiled at him. “Okay,” she stated simply. “See, now the matter is cleared.”

“Eh?” Koichi gasped out.

 

“You go, now. He needs you,” she said, gesturing upstairs. “Don’t be late for breakfast tomorrow. And if each of you will start looking for a place of your own, it’s gonna get too crowded in here eventually.”

Koichi nodded at his mother in wonder.

“Ne,” he mumbled out.

“Yes?” she asked.

“I…. I love you,” Koichi stated helplessly.

“Oh,” his mother snorted out, ruffling his hair and hugging him lovingly, “I love you too, stupid. Now go.”

Smiling thankfully Koichi turned to run after his boyfriend.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________








Okay, another one finished. I know it's dark and gloomy (and there's more to come), but the mood will definitely lighten again soon. This is how I tried to bring Tsuyoshi's psychological problems into the story. It is totally a product of my imagination (and interpretation of several song texts ^_~) , even though it is said that Tsuyoshi had some serious trouble with his dad. Please, comment, I'm always so happy! ^_^