The Library | Kazuscara

Chapter 2

After locking up at the end of the night, Kazuha shimmied over to the door adjacent to the bar door, unlocking it slowly. He lived above the bar, which was a blessing and a curse.

Pushing open the door, something caught his eye. Behind the door, a bright orange book was pushed through the mail slot. Kazuha bent down and picked it up, letting out a quiet laugh. "Of course."

Kazuha tucked the book under his arm and locked the door behind him before ascending the stairs. Once at the top landing, he heard his cat meowing beyond the door.

Kazuha turned the nob and pushed the door open, his cat immediately jumping onto his shoulder from the entry way table. "Hey Haru." Kazuha raised his bandaged hand to pet the cat gently.

He walked slowly over to the couch where Haru jumped off his shoulder and waited for him to sit down.

Kazuha plopped down on the couch and pulled the bright orange book out to read the title. "Threads of Fate" he read the title quietly, while tilting his head. He set the book down on the coffee table and pulled Haru into his lap. "I missed you too." He whispered, scratching beneath his chin.

✦

The sun trickled in through the curtains, waking Kazuha from a deep sleep. He had fallen asleep on the couch again, too tired to walk to his bed after reading through some of the book Xingqui had left for him.

He stood up, a little too quickly and felt as if he was going to fall back down. He steadied himself, then stretched in the morning sun. Once in the kitchen, he opened a can of wet cat food for Haru and set it in a small glass bowl next to his water.

He grabbed a cider from the fridge, and returned to the couch. Sipping from his drink, he began to read where he had left off in the book. After finishing his cider, he found himself laying back on the couch holding the book above him. He bandaged hand rested on his forehead that he soon dropped to brush away a stray tear.

He shut the book and set it down on the coffee table, swinging his feet to the floor. "That's so.... sad." Kazuha said quietly, pulling Haru into his lap for comfort.

✦

Kazuha glanced at Xingqiu, who was sitting at the end of the bar in his usual spot. His face was buried deep into a new book, eyebrows furrowing. The blue haired man lowered the book, taking in a deep breath as he fanned himself with the pages.

"Kazuha, you should really give this one a try."

Kazuha finished polishing a glass before moving to the end of the bar. "Oh yeah? What is it about?" he asked curiously.

Xingqiu smirked, setting the book down on the bar. "It's... spicy-"

Kazuha shoved his hand over Xingqiu's face, shutting him up quickly. "I don't want to know." he laughed softly, leaning forward on the bar.

"Did you like the book I left for you?" Xingqiu asked, finishing off his coffee.

Kazuha took the mug and topped it off before sliding it back to Xingqiu. "Any particular reason you picked something so, sad?"

Xingqiu folded his arms in front of him as his eyes filled with emotion. "It's one of my favorites. It reminded me, of you." His shut eye smile warmed Kazuha's heart.

Kazuha leaned against the bar top on his elbows, his hands cradling his face. "I brought it with me to read during the slow times later tonight." he admitted, pulling the book from beneath the counter and setting it in front of Xingqiu. "It doesn't remind you of me, it reminds you of Tomo." Kazuha said quietly, putting the book away as the door opened.

Kazuha turned his head to see Scara approaching the bar. "Hey, stranger."

Scara shifted nervously as he stood close to Xingqiu. "Hey." he said quietly, flashing his dark purple eyes at a very curious Xingqiu.

"The usual?" Kazuha asked, pulling two shot glasses from below. Scara nodded, and he began to pour the shots. He cracked open a sour ale and sat it next to the shots, secretly hoping he would sit at the bar tonight, instead of in the dark corner alone.

"Thank you." Scara said softly, downing the shots before pulling out the chair next to Xingqiu. "Do you mind if I sit here?" he asked, waiting for a nod before sliding into the chair.

Xingqiu flashed Kazuha a curious look before taking a long drink of his coffee. He set the mug down gently and then extended his hand towards Scara. "Nice to meet you, I'm Xingqiu."

"Scara." he said, giving a small forced smile before taking a drink of his ale.

Kazuha went to attend to more customers that filed in, keeping a close eye on the two at the end of the bar. He felt a small tinge of sadness cloud his mind from the mention of Tomo.

Pushing past his feelings he finally served everyone that had come in, finding a moment to idly stand. He looked down at his hands, fumbling with the band adages that covered his scarred fingers.

Xingqiu flashed concerned eyes at Kazuha, as he approached them again. "You okay?"

Kazuha nodded, leaning forward lazily on the bar. "I'm fine."

Xingqiu picked up his book once more, hiding his eyes behind the bright yellow cover. He knew the book he had given Kazuha would surface certain memories, but he also wanted him to open his mind to the possibility that his life wasn't condemned to sadness.

"Can I have another round?" Scara asked, pushing his empty can and shot glasses towards the edge of the bar.

Kazuha was thankful for the distraction, giving a small smile to Scara as he poured the shots. He cracked open the top of the can and set it down gently.

Scara quickly took the shots and slid them back, then held the beer can in his hand. "What are you reading?" Scara asked, turning towards Xingqiu.

Kazuha laughed and leaned on the bar in between them. He shook his head and then locked eyes with Scara. "Trust me, you don't want to know."