Part 2 of 2.

--
A Day in the Life
part 2
John C Fiala

    Right.  Left.
    Right.  Left.
    Right.  Left.

    Touya's mind felt like it was going to fall apart.  He wanted to think of something, anything, than what Yuki had done to him, but he couldn't think of anything but running.  So he ran.

    He ran up to the bike rack and vaulted it one-handed, landing without breaking his stride and continuing back into the streets.

    Right.  Left.
    Right.  Left.
    Right.  Left.



    Tomoyo walked slowly down the street, camera to eye, filming the wall she was walking beside.  Although she loved to film Sakura, she knew that realistically she was going to need to film a number of different things to make a movie, and one of those was interesting backgrounds.  So, from time to time, she would go out and randomly wander the streets, filming possible locations for her first movie.

    She wasn't sure if her first movie was going to be a fantasy movie (with special effects courtesy of Sakura) or a drama, but she suspected a drama would be a better idea.  The pool of possible actors who already knew about Sakura's powers were small, and although the thought of dressing Sakura up to play every one of the characters was tempting, she didn't think that was wise.

    Hearing someone running up, she turned around, and saw Touya looming large in the viewfinder.

    WHAM.  The two of them went down in a tangle of limbs.  Tomoyo lay under Sakura's brother for a moment, winded, and then checked her camera.  She had held it up and out of the way, so it was fine.  Then she checked Touya.

    Touya had apparently bumped his head against the ground, and was out cold.  On his face was the most odd expression: a mixture of fear and desire.  Looking around for any witnesses, she quickly filmed the odd expression for a few moments before pulling out her cellphone and pressing the button to summon her bodyguards.  They did her the courtesy of remaining out of sight, and she did them the courtesy of calling them when needed.

    Janice and Mitaka almost immediately appeared from around the corner, and after checking her out (she was fine, she told them, but they were paid to make sure) they checked out poor Touya, who apparently would be fine in a few moments.  "Should we take him home?"

    Touya still had that odd expression on his face.  "No," Tomoyo said, her voice trailing off speculatively.  "Let's take him to the house."

    "Yes, ma'am."



    Touya felt his head swimming, and opened his eyes slightly.  The light in the room had been dimmed, but it still smarted a bit.  "what?"

    "You're awake," a soft voice said happily.  "Here, drink some of this."  A cup was pressed to his lips.  After a sip or two, he realized it was tea.  "Mother?"

    "I think not," an amused voice that he then pegged as Sakura's friend Tomoyo spoke.  "But Sakura's shown me pictures, so I think I'll take that as a compliment."

    Touya tried to sit up, and as his eyes finished adjusting, realized that they were in a nicely appointed room.  Expensive, but not ostentacious. "Where?"

    "After we collided, I thought it would be best to bring you back to my place.  You looked... odd."

    He blinked, and then the events of the day rushed back to him. "Yukito!"  He winced as the sudden movement hurt.

    "Yukito?"  Tomoyo sat down across from him, and picked up her own cup.

    Touya nodded, and then bit his lip.

    Tomoyo watched Touya, facinated.  So similar to Sakura.  "If you need someone to talk to - I promice I won't tell anyone else."  She held out her pinky to him.

    He looked at the finger, and then up at Tomoyo.  On the one hand, he didn't want anyone to know what had happened.  On the other hand, he'd go nuts if he didn't get this out of his head.  Hesitantly he reached out with his own hand, and wrapped his pinky around hers, remembering doing this when he was younger.

    Tomoyo smiled, and poured him more tea.




    He explained in soft tones what had happened, his tea forgotten to cool in front of him.  He started at the beginning of the day, Tomoyo's smile at her friend's early morning antics intreguing him, glossing over classes and picking up at the meeting in the park.  "And then I ran."

    Tomoyo tilted her head to the side, slightly, supporting her head with her hand delicately cupping her chin.  "Why?"

    Touya blinked.  "Because he kissed me."

    "No, I mean, why did kissing you make you run away?"

    Touya opened his mouth.  And stopped.  It wasn't because it was unpleasant. For a moment there, he'd felt joyfully warm inside.  And then...

    Tomoyo took a sip of tea, and watched him think.  "Are you mad at him?"

    He shook his head.  "No."  And he wasn't.  "I was... scared."

    "Of what?"

    "Of people.  What they'd say to us.  What they'd do.  Manga is one thing, but real living gay couples... he could get hurt."

    Tomoyo smiled.  "He could get hurt?"

    Touya looked back, and nodded.  He wasn't really worried about himself.  He was worried what raw hatred could do to his fragile friend.  "I... wasn't scared *of* him.  I was scared... *for* him."  The words came out with a gentle sense of wonder about them, as if he had just opened a closet door and found instead a hidden room.  "I need to use your phone!"

    Tomoyo nodded, and tossed him her own.  He called Yuki's number.

    Ring.
    Ring.
    Ring.
    Ring.
    Click.  "Hello, this is Tsukishiro Yukito.  I am not in now because I am chasing, or being chased by, bats.  Please leave a message, and I'll return your call when one of us is returned to our cage."  BEEEP.

    Touya looked at the phone blankly.  He really liked - no, loved - his friend, but sometimes Yuki's sense of humor escaped him.  "Ah, home!"  He quickly dialed his own phone number.

    Ring.
    Click.  "Hello, Kinomoto residence!"

    "Hi, Sakura.  Have you seen Yuki?"

    "Nnn!  He's about to leave.  He brought your bike by.  What happened?  He seems really sad, and won't say why!"

    "Ah... my fault.  Look, keep him there so I can apologize, okay?"

    "Touya no baka!  Yeah, I'll keep him here."

    He hung up, and tossed Tomoyo the phone.  "I gotta go."

    She grinned at him warmly.  "Go, then.  I'll see you later.  Good luck."

    She watched him run from the room, and then sighed wistfully.  "I hope things go better when I confess to Sakura."



    Six breathless minutes later, he tore up the street to his house, where he saw Yuki listlessly leaning against their front porch.  "Yuki!"

    Yuki jumped, and turned to see him, and a ghost of a smile floated across Yuki's face before it fell again.  "I brought you your bike."  He gave a deep bow.  "I'm sorry for what I did."

    Touya ran up, and had to grab his knees and gasp for air for a minute.  "No... wait... let... me...."

    A smile struggled out of Yuki's dour expression again, but fled just as fast.  "Breathe."

    Touya nodded, and after a moment straightened up.  "Come on inside.  We need to talk."

    Yuki followed him inside, and Touya saw him hesitate as he grabbed the boy's hand and pulled him up to his room.  The door safely shut, Yuki tried to apologize again.

    "Stop!"  Touya held up his hand.  "I apologize.  You... gave me something, and I dropped it and ran away.  I'm sorry."

    Yuki blinked.

    Touya sat on his bed.  "I... paniced.  I was afraid, and I ran away."

    "Afraid of what I did?"

    Touya shook his head.  "No.  Not really.  Afraid of what it meant.  The change between us, and what it would mean when others found out.  What other people might do to you."

    Yuki smiled softly, and the smile decided to stay.  "But To-ya, I already thought about that, before I kissed you.  It's alright.  I'll be alright."

    Touya smiled back.  "I worry about you sometimes.  You seem so fragile at times."

    "I'm not so fragile, To-ya.  Let me risk it."

    He stood, and looked at his friend.  A step, and he wrapped his arms around him.  A kiss, and he was wrapped in Yuki's love.

    Time stopped.

    And then a thought occoured to him, and he broke the kiss gently.  "Just one thing I want to know."

    "Yes, To-ya?"

    "How the devil did you get the bike lock open?"


-john, humorless toad
jcfiala523@hotmail.com

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