It's awkward, it's OOC BUT WHATEVER I DO WHAT I WANT D< I'll rewrite this later.
Once Again Kusanagi stared up at the sign that floated near their heads in stone. The way the atmosphere was around them with the sun shining and birds flying everywhere it almost looked like a joyous day.
Once again they were at this place.
Once again, they were at the cemetery.
Not to say they were burying anyone, no. This had been a request to the bartender. An unlikely request from an unlikely person.
And that person was with him and two others.
As he stubbed out his cigarette he looked over to the side. Totsuka and Fujishima were waiting patiently just like him for the other to make any sort of movement on where they were to go. Inside, or outside. In the cemetery, or back to the bar.
Kusanagi vaguely thought this was the longest they had lasted so far as he eyed the growing blond in between the others. Eric’s look was of either concentration, fear, confusion or anger that all managed to go into the face of the normally masked young man.
Two months ago, Kusanagi had received the strange request. He had almost saw it coming from the week of restlessness that was radiating off of him. So when he was closing and he spotted Eric taking a seat at the counter and speaking softly, unsure of any of the words coming out of his mouth, the bartender listened intently, willing to aid the younger one in whatever he was trying to ask. He was not, however, ready for what was to come.
‘I want to see my parents.’
Kusanagi could not remember the last time he had to ask a more awkward question then: Aren’t your parents, well, dead?
The whole conversation turned from awkward to silence when Eric tried to explain that indeed, they were departed, but he had no idea where they had been buried. And that it was during the funeral he had been taken by his previous gang. He wished to see where they had been buried to pay respects.
Kusanagi wasn’t going to ask what spawned this question, or the very reason why he wanted to see his parents tombstones, the only thing he did ask were names, and anything that may help deciding where they might have been buried. To have watched Eric struggle remembering his father’s name would have been quite amusing if it weren’t so sad. He supposed just calling them ‘mom’ and ‘dad’ were more natural to a young child but from the frown appearing on Eric’s face, he doubted that would’ve been any consolation.
They were quite easy to find by last name alone. There weren’t a lot of foreigners in Japan, let alone just in Shizume City and they did not exactly have a very common last name either. Within just a few days of calls and searches he finally came to find the two. When he went to notify the other of his findings, the myriad of emotions that went in and out of his eyes was confusing as it was concerning. Totsuka and Fujishima had also been told of this small request and offered their support to the blond, which at least made him a little more comfortable. Kusanagi mentioned that he would help by driving them there whenever he was ready to see them.
The first visit lasted less than twenty minutes and they barely got out of the car before Eric began snapping at everyone, refusing to leave the van until they were safely back at the bar with more questions than answers. Kusanagi couldn’t believe how patient Fujishima was, as the red head tried his best for hours trying to get the other to calm down and not try to attack Yata after a small comment. He was more than glad that his bar was safe from any scorch marks or damages.
The second time, Eric had managed to get out of the van to walk a few feet until the cemetery came into view then he stopped. Fearing for another fistful, snapping attack the three escorts were prepared for anything. Except for watching the blond shake his head and begin to tremble. The bartender didn’t realize that Eric could move so fast as he ran off to who knows where, Fujishima shocked as much as he was and Totsuka jogging lightly to see where the other was off to.
It took half the day to find him. Chitose had managed to locate him in between a bunch of crates and a large garbage dump. When he was brought back he was greeted with relieved worry and positive energy. Another day he began to eat a small amount again. Two more before they finally heard him speak. As Eric napped on the couch one rainy fall evening Fujishima wondered if doing this was a good idea at all, seeing the struggle that was going on inside the young man. Kusanagi could only wonder the same thing.
Here they were, once again, the third time. That one was usually the charm, no? They had gotten farther than the last two combined. Himself, along with Totsuka and Fujishima, were expecting anything to happen. It was a waiting game at this point.
“W-where…”
The eldest turned to look at the person with the small voice. Eric was looking down, hands clenched and visibly stiff, but there was something else there as well. Determination. He wanted this time to go well too.
“Where, are they? In there…” He mumbled out, looking at Kusanagi for the answer.
Kusanagi gave him an encouraging smile. “I can show you where, they shouldn’t be too far in.”
“Are you ready to go inside?” Fujishima asked quietly, looking at Eric with encouragement as well as concern.
There was a long pause as the three looked and waited for a sign of yes or no. It seemed like forever but the blond finally nodded. “Let’s go…”
~
It didn’t take too long at all.
The one tombstone erupted from the ground in a field of others. Laid out simply, some groundskeeper had kept to its upkeep it seemed, though it was bare from flowers or any sorts like so many others were until recent. Totsuka had decided to bring flowers so they decorated the stone delicately.
Eric stared at his parents grave with a mask on his face.
Fujishima was beside him, Totsuka and Kusanagi just a little behind the two. The bartender couldn’t help but notice the dates, not of the birth of his parents, but of the death. More than six years ago…Eric had been ten when he had lost them. Too long ago he thought, way too long.
“What should I…”
A calm mumbled whisper made it out of Eric’s mouth. Fujishima and Totsuka took it to quietly explain a few things for ceremony, doing the actions as they were said. Eric followed along silently. Kusanagi himself did the same affects, if only for out of respect to the blond for coming here. Not a few minutes went by after a small pray went through did things go silent again.
Eric still blankly watched his parents grave, as if staring at it long enough would make sense to him.
“What…”
Another mumbled mess was spoken and Fujishima this time couldn’t decipher it, none of them could. Eric had his face looking to the ground, his fists clenched and latched onto his sweater, something was wrong.
“What is it?” Totsuka asked, smiling. Even he was concerned about the sudden change in his attitude.
“What should I, be feeling, right now?” Eric asked, slouching even more. “What should I be doing?”
The others each exchanged glances, not sure what they themselves should be doing or even how to answer.
“What do you mean, Eric?” Fujishima broke the silence, getting closer to the blond in case of anything.
“Should I hate them, and not even mourn them?” Eric snapped out, his body all but rigid, his head dipped so that his bangs covered almost his whole face. The three of them were taken aback by the sudden outburst. “Because if they hadn’t done what they did, I could’ve…They could’ve still been around.”
“Eric…”
“Or should I laugh at them, because this is what they deserved? Everything that they had done, all the bad things, came back to bite them. Or…or should I…”
Only now did Kusanagi realize that Eric was shaking, his voice had begun to crack at the end. He slumped his head somehow even further as he bit his lip, turning it into a sad smile.
“I miss them…”
The English words were said before a sob broke out and Eric doubled over. Fujishima grabbed him instantly and carefully held him. Enough grip to keep him afloat, but not enough that it was unbreakable. The red head was good at that.
The blond cried, anytime he drew a shaky breath he tried to speak broken words. All of it was in English. As Fujishima rubbed circles on the younger one’s back and as Totsuka knelt beside him for comfort, Kusanagi stared at the grave of the two adults that were Eric’s parents.
Though Eric didn’t hate them as he thought he did, the bartender couldn’t say the same for him.
~
“What did Eric say?”
Kusanagi did a quick glance to the passenger side of his van before setting his eyes back on the road. Totsuka was staring out the front window with a strange expression on his face. Fujishima and Eric in the back, Eric leaning up against the other as he slept, exhausted from all that had happened.
“What d’you mean?” He asked, though he already had a bit of an inkling.
“At the end he spoke in English, I couldn’t understand it but it looked like you had.” Totsuka tore his eyes away from the flying scenery and looked to the elder member.
Kusanagi stopped at a red light and blew out some smoke from the cigarette he had lit. He heard Fujishima sit up a bit as well, curious to what he was going to say.
He sighed. “A lot was just some mumbled gibberish.” He started, running a hand through his hair. “He said he missed them though, he was sorry, and that he still loved ‘em.”
He couldn’t help but snort a bit at the last part. Eric had gone through a lot, a lot more than any human child or anyone should ever have to go through. All because his parents made the stupid decision to join a gang, and one that had gotten them killed for that matter, leaving behind a son that would learn to survive so cruelly.
He looked up to his rear view mirror and saw Fujishima look at the sleeping form, anger and worry in his eyes as well. Eric’s steady rise and fall of his chest was a comfort as it wasn’t racked with sobs and hyperventilating as it had been just a short while ago. Once again they had adopted another broken human, and once again they watched as he was slowly being rebuilt for the better.
Once Again (This is very bad and such guilty pleasure)
Once Again
Kusanagi stared up at the sign that floated near their heads in stone. The way the atmosphere was around them with the sun shining and birds flying everywhere it almost looked like a joyous day.
Once again they were at this place.
Once again, they were at the cemetery.
Not to say they were burying anyone, no. This had been a request to the bartender. An unlikely request from an unlikely person.
And that person was with him and two others.
As he stubbed out his cigarette he looked over to the side. Totsuka and Fujishima were waiting patiently just like him for the other to make any sort of movement on where they were to go. Inside, or outside. In the cemetery, or back to the bar.
Kusanagi vaguely thought this was the longest they had lasted so far as he eyed the growing blond in between the others. Eric’s look was of either concentration, fear, confusion or anger that all managed to go into the face of the normally masked young man.
Two months ago, Kusanagi had received the strange request. He had almost saw it coming from the week of restlessness that was radiating off of him. So when he was closing and he spotted Eric taking a seat at the counter and speaking softly, unsure of any of the words coming out of his mouth, the bartender listened intently, willing to aid the younger one in whatever he was trying to ask. He was not, however, ready for what was to come.
‘I want to see my parents.’
Kusanagi could not remember the last time he had to ask a more awkward question then: Aren’t your parents, well, dead?
The whole conversation turned from awkward to silence when Eric tried to explain that indeed, they were departed, but he had no idea where they had been buried. And that it was during the funeral he had been taken by his previous gang. He wished to see where they had been buried to pay respects.
Kusanagi wasn’t going to ask what spawned this question, or the very reason why he wanted to see his parents tombstones, the only thing he did ask were names, and anything that may help deciding where they might have been buried. To have watched Eric struggle remembering his father’s name would have been quite amusing if it weren’t so sad. He supposed just calling them ‘mom’ and ‘dad’ were more natural to a young child but from the frown appearing on Eric’s face, he doubted that would’ve been any consolation.
They were quite easy to find by last name alone. There weren’t a lot of foreigners in Japan, let alone just in Shizume City and they did not exactly have a very common last name either. Within just a few days of calls and searches he finally came to find the two. When he went to notify the other of his findings, the myriad of emotions that went in and out of his eyes was confusing as it was concerning. Totsuka and Fujishima had also been told of this small request and offered their support to the blond, which at least made him a little more comfortable. Kusanagi mentioned that he would help by driving them there whenever he was ready to see them.
The first visit lasted less than twenty minutes and they barely got out of the car before Eric began snapping at everyone, refusing to leave the van until they were safely back at the bar with more questions than answers. Kusanagi couldn’t believe how patient Fujishima was, as the red head tried his best for hours trying to get the other to calm down and not try to attack Yata after a small comment. He was more than glad that his bar was safe from any scorch marks or damages.
The second time, Eric had managed to get out of the van to walk a few feet until the cemetery came into view then he stopped. Fearing for another fistful, snapping attack the three escorts were prepared for anything. Except for watching the blond shake his head and begin to tremble. The bartender didn’t realize that Eric could move so fast as he ran off to who knows where, Fujishima shocked as much as he was and Totsuka jogging lightly to see where the other was off to.
It took half the day to find him. Chitose had managed to locate him in between a bunch of crates and a large garbage dump. When he was brought back he was greeted with relieved worry and positive energy. Another day he began to eat a small amount again. Two more before they finally heard him speak. As Eric napped on the couch one rainy fall evening Fujishima wondered if doing this was a good idea at all, seeing the struggle that was going on inside the young man. Kusanagi could only wonder the same thing.
Here they were, once again, the third time. That one was usually the charm, no? They had gotten farther than the last two combined. Himself, along with Totsuka and Fujishima, were expecting anything to happen. It was a waiting game at this point.
“W-where…”
The eldest turned to look at the person with the small voice. Eric was looking down, hands clenched and visibly stiff, but there was something else there as well. Determination. He wanted this time to go well too.
“Where, are they? In there…” He mumbled out, looking at Kusanagi for the answer.
Kusanagi gave him an encouraging smile. “I can show you where, they shouldn’t be too far in.”
“Are you ready to go inside?” Fujishima asked quietly, looking at Eric with encouragement as well as concern.
There was a long pause as the three looked and waited for a sign of yes or no. It seemed like forever but the blond finally nodded. “Let’s go…”
~
It didn’t take too long at all.
The one tombstone erupted from the ground in a field of others. Laid out simply, some groundskeeper had kept to its upkeep it seemed, though it was bare from flowers or any sorts like so many others were until recent. Totsuka had decided to bring flowers so they decorated the stone delicately.
Eric stared at his parents grave with a mask on his face.
Fujishima was beside him, Totsuka and Kusanagi just a little behind the two. The bartender couldn’t help but notice the dates, not of the birth of his parents, but of the death. More than six years ago…Eric had been ten when he had lost them. Too long ago he thought, way too long.
“What should I…”
A calm mumbled whisper made it out of Eric’s mouth. Fujishima and Totsuka took it to quietly explain a few things for ceremony, doing the actions as they were said. Eric followed along silently. Kusanagi himself did the same affects, if only for out of respect to the blond for coming here. Not a few minutes went by after a small pray went through did things go silent again.
Eric still blankly watched his parents grave, as if staring at it long enough would make sense to him.
“What…”
Another mumbled mess was spoken and Fujishima this time couldn’t decipher it, none of them could. Eric had his face looking to the ground, his fists clenched and latched onto his sweater, something was wrong.
“What is it?” Totsuka asked, smiling. Even he was concerned about the sudden change in his attitude.
“What should I, be feeling, right now?” Eric asked, slouching even more. “What should I be doing?”
The others each exchanged glances, not sure what they themselves should be doing or even how to answer.
“What do you mean, Eric?” Fujishima broke the silence, getting closer to the blond in case of anything.
“Should I hate them, and not even mourn them?” Eric snapped out, his body all but rigid, his head dipped so that his bangs covered almost his whole face. The three of them were taken aback by the sudden outburst. “Because if they hadn’t done what they did, I could’ve…They could’ve still been around.”
“Eric…”
“Or should I laugh at them, because this is what they deserved? Everything that they had done, all the bad things, came back to bite them. Or…or should I…”
Only now did Kusanagi realize that Eric was shaking, his voice had begun to crack at the end. He slumped his head somehow even further as he bit his lip, turning it into a sad smile.
“I miss them…”
The English words were said before a sob broke out and Eric doubled over. Fujishima grabbed him instantly and carefully held him. Enough grip to keep him afloat, but not enough that it was unbreakable. The red head was good at that.
The blond cried, anytime he drew a shaky breath he tried to speak broken words. All of it was in English. As Fujishima rubbed circles on the younger one’s back and as Totsuka knelt beside him for comfort, Kusanagi stared at the grave of the two adults that were Eric’s parents.
Though Eric didn’t hate them as he thought he did, the bartender couldn’t say the same for him.
~
“What did Eric say?”
Kusanagi did a quick glance to the passenger side of his van before setting his eyes back on the road. Totsuka was staring out the front window with a strange expression on his face. Fujishima and Eric in the back, Eric leaning up against the other as he slept, exhausted from all that had happened.
“What d’you mean?” He asked, though he already had a bit of an inkling.
“At the end he spoke in English, I couldn’t understand it but it looked like you had.” Totsuka tore his eyes away from the flying scenery and looked to the elder member.
Kusanagi stopped at a red light and blew out some smoke from the cigarette he had lit. He heard Fujishima sit up a bit as well, curious to what he was going to say.
He sighed. “A lot was just some mumbled gibberish.” He started, running a hand through his hair. “He said he missed them though, he was sorry, and that he still loved ‘em.”
He couldn’t help but snort a bit at the last part. Eric had gone through a lot, a lot more than any human child or anyone should ever have to go through. All because his parents made the stupid decision to join a gang, and one that had gotten them killed for that matter, leaving behind a son that would learn to survive so cruelly.
He looked up to his rear view mirror and saw Fujishima look at the sleeping form, anger and worry in his eyes as well. Eric’s steady rise and fall of his chest was a comfort as it wasn’t racked with sobs and hyperventilating as it had been just a short while ago. Once again they had adopted another broken human, and once again they watched as he was slowly being rebuilt for the better.
Kusanagi went back to looking at the road.