Flowers For An Old Friend; DabiHawks (DISCONTINUED)

Chapter 18; Keigo The Thief

Nine Years Ago

*Fifteen Year Old Touya's POV*

Usually, I don't get here late. I always leave home to get to the park as soon as I was done with breakfast and get home after lunch.

However, I had woken up late because of yesterday's extents. No one bothered to wake me up, said they wanted to give me time to rest and to let the burns heal.

So now, I was late. Two hours late. I don't really know why I was still going to the park though, Keigo probably isn't there. I guess I just wanted to go to the park.

As soon as I got there, I scanned the area with my eyes, and yet I couldn't see him. I sighed and started to walk back to the tree, opening the book I had brought and  begun to read. I usually brought it to read with Keigo, but he wasn't here now.

It was an okay story in my opinion. One with men with swords going against these horrible beasts. People would die trying to defeat the king of the beasts to free the land, so this young boy goes into the forest to save his father.

He meets all of these great friends, but his best friend is a little dragon boy. This friend gets "killed," halfway through, and I don't really want to get to that point. Kei said the dragon boy's his favorite character, which is kinda sad.

I've read it many times before, and it has great twists and turns. Me and Keigo had only started it a few days ago, but he loves it. I find it really amusing how much he likes it to be honest, and kinda ironic.

Honestly, he reminds me so much of the boy. It might be why he's my favorite character, but I'm not really sure.

I'm pretty sure he's gonna love the end. The boy learns that his friend was the king of the beasts the entire time and had been trying to get close to kill him, but found that he couldn't and had faked his own death.

In the end, love beats all.

Good message I guess. Good friends are a great thing to have, but that's the thing. They aren't always the answer.

Eh, it's the kinda shit Keigo likes, so it's fine.

I started to read where we had left off last time. I still had a bit until I had to go back home. Even if Kei wasn't here, I could still relax.

"Hey Touya!" I heard someone shout from above. I jumped, glaring up at the source of the sound. There, up in the tree, was Keigo. He was sitting dangerously on the branch, knees handing off with his arms raised above him to hold onto the branch above.

"What are you doing Birdie?" I asked, looking back down at the book. I heard the leaves shake as he adjusted himself.

"Ah well, I've just been hanging around a bit. It's pretty fun up here, you should join me." He said as I continued to read. I hummed in response, turning the page.

"Come on! Don't tell me you're reading without me!"

"I've already read this thing." I glared up at him before I felt the book slip from my hands. Looking back to the book, I saw that Keigo had used four or five feathers to steal it away. Before I could grab a hold of it, the feathers carried the carefully balanced book up to him in the tree.

"Hey! Give that back!" I shouted, shooting up off the ground. Keigo laughed, grabbing the book and holding it to his chest.

"Come and get it then." He said simply, standing up and balancing on the branch, smiling at me. I rolled my eyes before jumping up to the branch, starting to climb up. Keigo was probably a few feet above the lowest branch, so it shouldn't take long at all.

"You're a fucking bitch." I grumbled, starting to climb up towards the bird just a few branches higher now.

"But I'm a cute bitch, right?" He asked, watching me climb up to him. As soon as I got close, he held the book with his teeth and begun to climb higher.

"Sure, whatever, give me the book." I groaned as he got higher up into the tree.

Every time I would get close, he would go higher up, leaving me barley able to catch up. Soon enough, however, I finally cornered him. He was at the top of the tree, and I was finally catching up.

He was holding the book to his chest, smirking at me as I held onto the trunk of the tree with one arm. I held the other out for the book, but Kei refused to give it.

Suddenly, his wings shot open as he started to fly away.

In a (stupid) split second decision, I jumped at him, arms outstretched to grab him. I lost my footing and started to fall down to the ground.

As the ground got closer, I screwed my eyes shut and braced for impact. However, I felt one arm wrap around my stomach and I was pulled to the side, landing on top of something. I heard a yelp and immediately opened my eyes.

Keigo was on his back under me with one arm around me with the other spread out. He looked in pain, so I pushed myself off of him.

"Are you okay Birdie?" I asked as he sat up, holding his wrist. His wrist itself was red and was starting to swell slightly. He was starting to tear up slightly, but nodded. "What did you do?"

"I, I caught you, but I landed on my hand, it hurts." He hissed, not letting me see his hand. I slowly scooted closer, but he didn't notice.

"Can I see it?" His eyes snapped up to mine, but nodded, holding his arm out so I could see. It was red and had swelled slightly, but it didn't look horrible. "Well, I don't think it's broken, but you should get it checked out."

"But the book-"

"Well finish the book, don't worry."

We never did.

***

Yes I named the chapter this way on purpose.

I don't regret it.

Love y'all :)

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