Broken Wings - BokuAka

Chapter 7

- Akaashi

When I awoke the next morning, the glare of the sun was the first thing that greeted me. I groaned as I sat up, and placed a hand against my pounding head. I looked around, and was shocked to see Bokuto's house, nearly burned to the ground. The once beautiful flowers that surrounded to property were now small piles of ash.

"What happened?" I wondered aloud.

"A Yokai burned down the house, my mother trapped inside it," a hoarse voice answered, and I turned to see Bokuto sitting against the fence, legs pulled up to his chest, his forehead resting against his knees while his arms were around the front of his legs. His enormous wings were pulled in tight, preventing me from seeing him too well.

"You're mother. . ." I started, but closed my mouth shut, not wanting to say it.

"Is dead," Bokuto finished flatly. "Do you even remember what happened last night?"

I looked away. I did remember. I remembered how my mother had killed my father in order to save my life, and how he had been dressed up as a Yokai.

"Wait a minute. . ." I said to myself, and suddenly, everything clicked into place.

He wants to. . . ruin your friendship with Bokuto-kun. . .

My father had dressed up as a Yokai and trapped Bokuto's mother inside his house, burning it to the ground. My mother had found out what he did and that he wanted to kill me, so in order to protect me she had killed my father, but not before he had mortally wounded her, too. By the time we discovered my mother, it was already too late on both our ends.

Tears prickled the back of my eyes once again, and I grit my teeth, putting my head in between my knees, hands gripping my hair. Why? I thought. Did you hate and fear me that much that you didn't want me to have a single friend, father?! Was that reason enough to kill mom?!

"I'll kill them all," Bokuto suddenly interjected, cutting of my thoughts. I looked at him again. Bokuto had angry tears coming from his golden eyes, which were hard with rage.

"Kill what?" I asked, my voice strangely quiet.

"The Yokai," Bokuto spat. "I'll kill every single last one of those monsters! Even if it's the last thing I do!"

I looked at the ground, unable to meet his eyes. I didn't have the courage to tell him that the Yokai weren't alive anymore, or that it was really my father that had killed his mother, because that was just as bad. This is all my fault, I thought miserably. If I hadn't become friends with Bokuto, none of this would be happening. He would be happy.

"Keiji," came a voice, and I looked up to see an old man limping towards us, a cold looking woman at his side. The man had pitch-black wings, which was the first time I'd ever seen such a wing color. His eyes had a deep hatred in them, a kind of hate I'd only ever seen in my father. I looked at the woman, who had the same face shape as my father did.

"Who are you?" I asked quietly.

"We're your father's parents, Keiji," the woman said, no particular emotion in her voice. "Come with us."

~~~

- Bokuto

"Well?" I asked blankly, still sitting against the fence next to my old house. Keiji's "grandparents" had shown up out of nowhere, and they had been talking with Keiji for a good ten minutes. The pain from the night before was still raw, but it wasn't just for my mother, it was for Keiji's mom as well. I had met her a few times, and she seemed to really love her son. She welcomed me with open arms, and I could tell that Keiji loved her a lot from the way he talked about her.

"Bokuto-san," Keiji started, looking nervous. "I, uh, I. . ."

"Just spit it out," I snapped, and Keiji flinched. I immediately softened my voice, silently cursing myself. "I'm sorry. What did they say?"

"They said I have to go with them," Keiji managed to say, and I stared at him in shock.

"What?"

"I have to go with them," Keiji repeated, and my mouth fell open.

"But, Keiji, they're your father's parents! Are you not worried about what they might do to you?!" I tried to reason, standing up, but Keiji just shook his head.

"Of course I'm worried," he said, and I then saw how truly scared he was.

"Don't go with them!" I pleaded. "You can stay with my family instead!"

"No," Keiji said, his voice cracking. "No, I have to go with them."

"But why?" I cried, close to tears again. "Why do you want to go with people that will just treat you badly?"

"Because I deserve it," Keiji said, and I stared at him blankly.

"Why do you deserve it? You did nothing wrong!" I protested, but I knew it was no good.

"I'm sorry," keiji said sadly. I just continued to stare at him.

"Will I see you again?" I asked, and Keiji bit his lip.

"I don't know," he admitted.

"Keiji, please! Think about what you're doing!" I tried again, but Keiji's mind was made up. I took a deep breath, trying to grasp the situation.

"Y-you," I started, my voice wavering. "You can't leave me."

"I'm sorry," Keiji whispered. "C-could. . . could you close your eyes for a second?"

"What? Why? What does that have to do with this?!" I asked, my voice pleading.

"Please?" Keiji asked again, and sighing, I finally gave in. Nothing happened for a few seconds, but suddenly, I felt soft lips on mine, and my eyes flew open to see Keiji, eyes closed, pressing his lips onto mine. It lasted only for about half a second, but to me it seemed like forever. When Keiji pulled back, his warm breath hit my cheek, sending a shiver down my spine. Our lips had fit perfectly together, and when he pulled away, had left me with an emptiness that I knew only he could fill. Keiji's perfect cheeks got pulled into a sad smile, and I swear I saw something in him break. Maybe it was just something inside me instead.

"Good-bye, Bokuto-san," he said, and with that, spread his wings and jumped into the sky, leaving me standing there, looking like a complete idiot. My fingers drifted to my lips, where Keiji's had been not even a minute before. His lips were soft like the feathers on his wings, brushing against mine ever-so-slightly, then disappearing with the wind. I brought my head back as a chuckle escaped the lips Keiji had teased just moments ago, my control cracking as my throat constricted, my eyes finding themselves damp.

"Damn you, Keiji."