Matsu ran to catch up with Nino who had already walked straight out of the school. The white haired man said nothing as he walked next to his dark haired companion, and yet both men knew what the other was thinking on the current situation. Matsu allowed himself to force a laugh from his throat. “Aiba certainly hasn’t changed,” he smiled lightly wondering if his choice of words would allow Nino to react without the usual negativity that the dark haired man shared for his brother. However, instead of answering this, the dark haired man simply chose to ignore the statement all together. Matsu forced another laugh as they both turned down the street. “I find it ironic that he appears as soon as Aoi does,” he started again. Nino let out somewhat of a dark sigh that caused Matsu’s face to finally relax into a somber expression. “The Vessels might be gathering again… maybe we’ll even see Sho and Ohno sooner or later.”
“It doesn’t matter if we see them,” Nino answered darkly and then fell back into his silence as he walked. Matsu sighed to himself and stopped walking completely. For a moment, Nino continued walking but then stopped completely a few meters from Matsu. A current of breeze moved through the area, and Nino’s head moved downwards darkly as he all but addressed the ground. “They have different jobs, and they mean nothing to me.”
“You’re a bad liar, Nin-kun,” Matsu said as the air died again. “You can act soulless around those that don’t know you, but I do. Don’t try to lie to me. It won’t work and you know it.” The white haired man reached up and brushed the sudden hair from his face that had decided to beat against the flesh of its owner as spurred by the wind. “I’m not that easily fooled.”
“Matsujun,” Nino said darkly looking forwards.
“What did Aoi say to you?” Matsu asked after a moment of silence that had managed to roam into them both.
“It doesn’t matter,” Nino answered back starting to walk again. “She spoke to you too.”
Matsu found himself frozen by this and sighed forcing his eyes away and continuing to stand in a tight position on the street. His eyes had moved away and were now sailing the buildings despite the fact that the dark haired man continued to walk away. After another moment, he took a step forwards and caught up with the dark haired man. Seizing Nino by the shoulder, Matsu froze the dark haired man. “I miss Aoi too….” Matsu said with a dulled voice.
Nino said nothing but reached upwards and took Matsu’s hand from his shoulder. Turning around to the light haired man, Nino stared for a moment quietly. Those that moved on the street in the still early morning were oblivious to this notion around them. After another moment, Nino side stepped and began to walk down the street again. Matsu made no motion to follow this time.
“Leave me alone,” Nino said darkly as he walked.
Matsu turned his head and felt defeated. “I’m sorry…” Matsu said quietly more to himself than anyone else. “I tried…..”
~*~
Nino walked down the street alone. He had turned a corner and was now out of view from Matsu. Yet the dark haired man remained frozen in his state for a long time as he walked with no direction in mind. Taking several corners and walking down several streets that the dark haired man was not observant enough to look for, Nino turned inwards of an alleyway. The dark haired man stood frozen for a long time before allowing himself to walk somewhat in a diagonal pattern towards the side of the alleyway. At the point that his shoulder nearly made contact with the dark wall, Nino reached outwards and seized a part of the wall with one hand and his face with the other. Silent tears rolled down the face of the dark haired man.
“Aoi…..” he said quietly.
~*~
Time elapsed, and Matsu found himself walking up the steps of his apartment tiredly. In truth, he had not slept well all but laying on the floor. His hand reached up to the doorknob, but in that instant, a flash of the stuffed animal that he had been clinging to ran through the light haired man’s mind. Putting a hand to his head and shaking it after another moment, Matsu forced a pained laugh from his throat. I do it so much now… but it doesn’t even help anyone…..Another somewhat colder laugh escaped the young light haired man. Matsu opened the apartment door and walked inwards to find that it was just how he had left it. Turning his head to the side, the white haired man inspected kitchen lightly. It had been only a few days, and yet somehow there appeared to be grime and filth on it. Forcing himself into work, the light haired man walked over to the kitchen and began cleaning.
Hours passed, and still the dark haired man had yet to come back to the apartment. Matsu refused to allow himself to accept what had come to his mind and rather forced a smile always and continued to clean the entire apartment. It was far more spacious than he had previously anticipated, and it provided enough manual work for the white haired man to keep his thoughts adequately busy. Hearing the door open again, Matsu turned his head sharply upwards expecting the face of the dark haired man he was waiting for.
Instead of Nino standing within the confines of the apartment, Matsu found himself staring face to face with Aoi. The brown haired girl smiled perfectly back at him as she continued to stand in the archway. “Hello, Jun, long time no see,” she laughed lightly in the melodic tone that Aoi had been known for all of her life and remembered for in the days after.... Matsu shook his head and stared back once more only to find that the girl had gone, and the arch way was empty. The door appeared from every angle to have been opened by the air, and with that, the white haired man shook his head sharply trying to draw his thoughts into composure once more.
Suddenly Matsu was on his knees, and the white haired man seized the counter sharply. Bile was working its way up into the white haired man’s system, and yet he was fending it off as best as he could. No…… stop….Matsu forced his thoughts through the sudden feelings and managed to regain composure once more. It was just… an illusion…..
~*~
Nino stepped back into the apartment with a dark but calm visage. The time had dramatically shifted to nearly four o’clock already, yet it mattered little to the dark haired man. The white haired man who stood in the apartment building was cleaning in a strange and furious fashion as one who demands to be the best at something will train towards it. Somewhat thankful for this quality in Matsu that allowed him to act in this way, Nino sighed tiredly.
“Welcome home,” Matsu smiled lightly as he faced Nino with a sponge and spray in hand. “Hah… it’s funny to say that since it’s an apartment… and I haven’t said it in so long hahaha.”
Nino said nothing but walked over towards his bed and lay down on it. Neither man spoke, and with that, the rest of the time passed slowly.
____________________________________________
=p so neither Nino nor Matsu ended up going to the party <.< figured as much.
