What a Life This Is - A Collection of Short Stories

Fall into My Arms - Part 2

Kojiro rescues Kaoru from his parents.
— — —

Kaoru's breathing was heavy and shaky as he frantically packed, rushing around his bedroom and haphazardly tossing yukatas and shirts into his suitcase, and his Ipad and other small items into a backpack. Kojiro had told the pinkette that he'd arrive at precisely 11:45, and at 10:50 Kaoru had woken up in a cold sweat, immediately jumping out of bed and getting dressed to leave.

Kaoru knew he should be over the moon about what was about to happen. He'd finally be released from his parent's harsh iron grasp, and free to do what he wanted with his life! He'd be able to simply exist without the fear of doing something wrong, or breaking the veil of perfection his parents made him wear at all times.. He'd be able to be with the person he loved more than anything..

...

But..

A small part of him didn't want to leave.. A very small, scared part of him. The part of him that feared for both his and Kojiro's safety. The part of his brain that was telling him to stay put, to change back into his pajamas and go back to sleep, to continue obeying his parents despite how much it hurt him..

However, the stronger, louder, and more defiant part of his brain, a part that hadn't had much to say since his teenage years, said that he had to do this.

He had to leave, for his own sake.

At exactly 11:43, he stood at the guest house door, a single suitcase beside him and a backpack on his shoulder as shafts of moonlight filtered into the dark foyer from the full moon behind him. Inhaling deeply, Kaoru calmed himself, grabbing his suitcase with one hand and the cold doorknob with the other, and closing his eyes as he pulled the door shut.

In that moment, it was more than just closing the door to the guest house. It was closing the door, turning the page on this chapter of his life. A dark, painful chapter he hoped he'd never have to re-read.

He turned away from the door quickly, pulling up his hood and opting to pick up and carry his suitcase rather than roll it across the ground out of (slightly irrational) fear his parents would hear it, and scurrying to the wall that surrounded the Sakurayashiki Estate.

His feet crunched on the rough grass, and despite Okinawa being a tropical island, there was a chill in the air that made Kaoru shiver nonetheless.

Just as the pinkette reached the wall, he heard the sound of a car pulling up to it; 'Right on time,' he thought, and he heard the sound of a car door open and shut, then footsteps approaching the wall.

"Ko..-Kojiro?" Kaoru squeaked, a bit put off by how meek and timid his voice sounded in the looming darkness surrounding him, as he set his suitcase down and moved forward to press his hands against the cold bricks.

"Yeah, it's me," Kojiro's familiar voice wrapped around Kaoru like a warm blanket, "You okay?"

Kaoru nodded, "I'm fine.. I'm ready to leave."

"Go ahead and throw your stuff over" Kojiro's voice replied, "I'll catch it, and then you can climb over."

Kaoru turned and leaned over to hoist his suitcase up, grunting a bit as he slowly inched it over the top of the wall until it was teetering on the top.

"You can push it over."

Kaoru did this, and he heard Kojiro grunt as he caught the suitcase, "Anything else?"

"Just a backpack, but I can bring it over myself," Kaoru replied, backing away from the wall a bit so he could get a jogging start before he jumped and grabbed onto the top of the wall, letting out a huff as his body hit the rough bricks. Ignoring the slight pain, he began to do an awkward shimmying-jerking motion, attempting to move his hands further on the top of the wall and swing his body to the side enough to hook his feet on the edge.

Eventually, he succeeded, and he made sure his backpack was on securely as he moved into a sitting position, his legs hanging off the wall as he came face-to-face with Kojiro.

The other man was wearing all black, from his sweatpants to his hoodie to the black beanie covering his wild green curls, and Kaoru couldn't help but smile and chuckle a bit, "Heh.. You look like some kind of cartoon robber."

"Very funny," Kojiro replied with a smirk as he held out his arms, "Jump, I'll catch you."

Kaoru was about to. He really, truly was.

But then he froze.

The scared part of his brain had spoken up again.

What if this went wrong?

What if his parents woke up, went over to the guest house like usual, saw Kaoru was missing.. and then went through with the threat they'd spoken into existence years ago..

The threat that if Kaoru didn't kick Kojiro out of his life.. they'd take Kojiro out of his life themselves.

Kaoru didn't want to think about what his parents might do to Kojiro, or to his family.

"Kaoru?"

Maybe he shouldn't do this.

Maybe he should just give up. Tell Kojiro to go home and head back to the guest house-

"Kaoru.. it's okay," Kojiro's voice broke through his jumbled thoughts, and Kaoru looked down and made eye contact with him.

"I've got you," The other man said in a soft, soothing tone, "I promise."

nodding, Kaoru took a deep breath, one of many over the course of the night, and slowly, inch by inch, scooted off the top of the wall until he was falling, falling, falling-.. okay it wasn't that long of a fall, but it felt like it in the moment.

Anyway, he was falling through the darkness, until he stopped when someone caught him, warm arms wrapping around him and holding him safely..

"Hi." Kaoru said quietly as he was held bridal-style in Kojiro's arms, and the pinkette's heart melted when the other man gave him a kind smile, that same smile from years ago in highschool, the one that made Kaoru feel safe no matter where they were in the moment, "Hi."

A few seconds of them just staring at each other went by, and then Kojiro cleared his throat, "Uhm-.. You wanna get in the car? I-It's a good drive back to my place, so.."

"O-Oh! Yes, of course," Kaoru stammered, avoiding Kojiro's gaze as the other man set him down. The pinkette hugged himself as he made his way towards Kojiro's car, opening the passenger door and sliding into the seat as Kojiro put his things in the back.

Kaoru gazed through the front window of the car, up at the large, looming estate, shrouded by the darkness in a way that gave it a sort of "foreboding evil fortress" vibe.. and honestly? That fit perfectly.

Just then, the driver's side door opened, and Kaoru turned to see Kojiro get inside, "Ready?" The man asked, and Kaoru took a second before nodding.

"Yes, I am."