From Blue Sky - Chapter 9/15
Feb. 20th, 2017 11:39 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
h_itoshiTitle: From Blue Sky
Status: 9/15
Fandom: Hey! Say! JUMP
Pairing: None. Main characters are Yabu, Hikaru, Yamada and Chinen.
Overall rating: PG-15 for minor character death and depictions of violence
Warnings: AU. I made Chinen 11 years old which is what the plot revolves around.
Wordcount: 3854
Summary: "He's a cute boy, isn't he?" Takaki says, his voice dangerously low as his eyes follow the young boy, probably around ten years old, walking next to his classy mother and seemingly trying to nag her into something. "I think he'd be even cuter lying at my feet with his throat sliced."
Notes: This is inspired by the Mayonaka no Shadow boy PV and a movie which I won't admit to ripping the plot from until someone calls me on it. I love the atmosphere of the PV and wanted to write something similar to it, and I've had this plot lying around for years, so I thought it was finally time. I'm planning on posting twice a week if you want to stick around~
Yabu wakes with a jerk to a hand on his shoulder at what seems to be the crack of dawn, cold all the way into his bones and he's pretty sure he's got something foresty stuck on his face.
"Get up, we should leave." Yamada's voice tells him, but he doesn't sound like it's a matter of life and death, so Yabu relaxes a little and sits up, trying to force his brain awake faster than it wants.
When he's finally aware enough, he sees Yamada standing before him and holding up his hand to show something, a satisfied expression on his face.
Yabu squints in the little light there is since the sun hasn't risen yet, and makes out a metal form that couldn't be anything else than what he thinks. "Is that... A car key?"
"It is." Yamada confirms, putting the key in his pocket and heads over towards where Chinen and Hikaru are curled up together much closer than they were yesterday night. Probably due to the cold. "The earlier we can leave the better."
Yabu adjusts his clothes, yawning, and he raises a hand to rub his cheek, where there was apparently a needle stuck. He's cold and the moisture from the night and early morning clings to his clothes and hair and skin and it doesn't make anything better. All he wants to do is light the fire and cuddle up next to it, but Yamada's right, they should definitely leave.
He watches Yamada shake Hikaru and Chinen awake and firmly tell them to get up and that they can sleep again soon.
"Did you steal it?" Yabu asks suspiciously, standing up to start gathering their things together.
Yamada scoffs. "What do you think?"
That answers no questions at all, but Yabu decides he's probably better off not knowing how Yamada came in possession of that key.
"What's going on?" Hikaru yawns loudly, sitting up on the ground and his scarf falls off of him in the process. Yabu would like to laugh at how Hikaru's hair looks, but he's too wrung out to actually do it. Sleeping outside wasn't a very good idea.
"Yamada's got us a car. Get up and we'll head for Tokyo." Yabu explains, picking up blankets and shaking the forest off of them before stuffing them in his bag.
“A car?” Hikaru blinks, not quite having both eyes open yet, and he looks between Yabu and Yamada like he doesn't know what that is. “How?”
“Does it matter?” Yamada asks in his ordinary grumpy mood, then frowns as he looks at Chinen who promptly went back to sleep. “Get him up so I don't have to, will you?”
“Sure.” Hikaru agrees with another huge yawn, and spends the next two minutes waking Chinen and then trying to hush his whines about being tired.
By the time Yabu and Yamada has efficiently erased the traces of them being here, Chinen's standing up but still whining and looking mostly asleep as he leans against Hikaru.
“Come on.” Yamada orders after a quick assessing look at them, and turns to guide them out of the forest.
Yabu tries not to yawn as they walk, but he can't keep from shivering as his body tries to get back to normal temperature, and Hikaru has no restraints with his yawning and it's contagious. Chinen keeps mumbling in a small voice about how tired he is and that they're mean and he wants to go home, which Yabu's just grateful that Yamada doesn't hear.
Or so he thought at least, since when they can spot rooftops through the trees, Yamada abruptly stops and turns around.
“Hey.” He snaps, staring straight at Chinen. “You need to be quiet now. You can sleep again in five minutes in the car, okay?”
Chinen looks up at him, blinking helplessly, but nods since Yamada's eyes practically says that if Chinen doesn't shut up on his own, Yamada will make him.
Yabu is actually a little surprised that Chinen agrees, but then sees how Hikaru holds his hand and figures it could have something to do with that.
“Calm down.” Yabu says, because something about Yamada is way too stressed for it to be good.
Yamada just sends him a look Yabu can't read and turns around again.
Even though Yabu told Yamada to calm down, he does the complete opposite himself when they walk a graveled path between two gardens and onto the street. He keeps looking from one dark window to the next, convinced that someone will look out at any moment and report them. He wonders where the police assumed they went. Since they think there's only him and Chinen, they could still think they stayed in town somewhere. He just hopes there are no roadblocks.
Yamada simply steps up to a black shiny car and unlocks it, and except for once glance around, he seems perfectly confident, like this is his car and no one should question it.
Yabu knows he should act the same, tries to, but there are too many windows that could be watching them right now.
“We'll be in the back.” Hikaru says and opens the door to the backseat without waiting for an answer, letting Chinen in before him.
Yamada opens his mouth to say something, but then seems to decide against it, and turns to look at Yabu instead.
“... You're driving?” Yabu asks, not exactly surprised but he can't help but think about that Yamada has probably slept the least of them.
“Is there a problem?” Yamada raises an eyebrow, and his voice is challenging enough that Yabu gives up and simply walks around the car to take a seat on the passenger side.
Chinen is already asleep against Hikaru's side, while Hikaru doesn't look far from it as he peers out the window.
It's a fancy car, pale leather seats and shiny details, and Yamada looks a little out of place as he settles in the driver's seat in his worn leather jacket and unwashed hair.
“You should change your clothes.” Yamada says as he adjusts mirrors, and for a moment Yabu doesn't understand what he means. “In case someone sees you you could at least try not to look exactly like you did at the station.”
He's right, Yabu supposes, and even though he's still freezing he shrugs out of his jacket as Yamada starts the car and they both glance around for lit windows. There are none.
“Hikaru, give me a shirt.” Yabu leans back to ask as soon as they're out of sight from the house this car definitely belonged to.
Hikaru blinks and needs a few seconds to focus on Yabu. “We're out of clean shirts by now.”
“Whatever, just give me something.” Yabu tells him, even though the idea of putting on dirty clothes isn't exactly making him happy.
“You need to read the map first.” Yamada says, nodding pointedly towards the glove compartment, and as Yabu gets a green T-shirt that smells like sweaty Hikaru put on his head at the same time as he picks out a huge map from the compartment, he wonders if he shouldn't have chosen the backseat instead.
~*~
When Hikaru wakes up, they're already on a highway and the sun is on its way up, lighting things in beautiful gold and it makes him think of all the early mornings he's seen in wonderful places.
There's no sound, besides the low ones from the car, but no one is speaking and it's surprisingly peaceful. Chinen is still sleeping heavily against Hikaru's side and it doesn't look very comfortable. In fact, Hikaru's not very comfortable himself, squished against the car door and his cheek rests just below where the window starts. He shifts, groaning a little at how his neck feels, but at least he's more awake now than he was earlier. And warmer, which is definitely the best part.
He sits up properly and then gently adjusts Chinen's position against his side to make it more comfortable.
“Good morning.” Yamada says so suddenly Hikaru jumps even though his voice isn't loud.
He looks up and meets Yamada's eyes through the rear view mirror, and he doesn't look nearly as stressed as he did earlier this morning. Now he just looks tired.
“Good morning.” He smiles back, ignoring how his hair looks like he's been a week in the jungle and starts needing a root bleach. “Where are we?”
“Frankly, I don't know.” Yamada replies quietly. “Yabu's asleep so I just follow the signs.”
“... I'm happy Yabu-chan's sleeping, he needs it.” Hikaru says softly, glancing at Yabu and notices that his posture is too relaxed for him to be awake. Yabu looks much younger when he's asleep. “He worries too much.”
“You've never considered you're the one worrying too little?” Yamada asks, but he's more interested than spiteful.
Hikaru just grins. “Nah. I've always done fine like this, and worrying is just a needless pain.”
Yamada is quiet for a moment, and when he speaks, Hikaru is not sure exactly what they're talking about anymore. “I think everyone worries about their lives.”
“My family worried enough for my sake.” Hikaru shrugs, because it's true, then frowns when Yamada's eyelids flutter once. “... Do you want me to drive for a while?”
That has Yamada raising an eyebrow sceptically. “You have a driver's license?”
“Of course I do.” Hikaru laughs. “Well, not with me obviously, but I can drive. You don't think much of me, do you?”
“I don't know anything about you.” Yamada retorts, but it seems like he's looking for somewhere to stop. There's not much traffic at all, so it must still be really early. “Just your birthday.”
“See, that's something.” Hikaru smiles. It's nice talking to Yamada without the snappy tone.
That disappears when Yabu stirs and cracks his eyes open, looking like he's upset he fell asleep.
“You were supposed to wake me if I fell asleep.” He accuses, voice heavy with sleep and Hikaru can't help a small laugh. “Do you even know where we are now?”
Yamada rolls his eyes and the snappy tone is back in place. “Yes. Go back to sleep or something, I'm letting Hikaru drive.”
Yabu turns to look at Hikaru over his shoulder, his facial expression almost pained, and Hikaru smiles back at him questioningly.
Yabu turns back with a groan. “Well then I won't be sleeping anymore.”
~*~
Yamada wakes to something tugging at his jacket, and it's not a pleasant awakening since he immediately sits up straight, ready for anything, but just faces Chinen's surprised expression. He hates being woken up, since he always expects the worst when he's not fully conscious.
“What?” He mutters under his breath, falling back against the backrest and closes his eyes as he wills his heart rate to calm down.
“We're in Tokyo.” Chinen says, and he can't keep the excitement out of his voice as he tugs at Yamada's jacket some more.
It makes Yamada open his eyes and look out the window, recognizing the city setting even though they're definitely at the outskirts of town. They're also not moving.
“Where are we?” He asks, voice still rough as he turns towards the front seat where Yabu and Hikaru are studying a map.
“Good morning.” Hikaru looks up and smiles, clearly not very invested in the map after all. “Yabu's working on that right now.”
“In Tokyo.” Chinen says again, looking across Yamada out the window, and if Yamada wasn't so tired Chinen's excitement would have been amusing.
“We should leave the car somewhere.” Yamada mutters, since it's apparently already morning and it's definitely reported stolen by now.
“I want to take the train!” Chinen exclaims, and Yamada liked him better when he was asleep.
“I want coffee.” Hikaru looks longingly out the window, and Yabu breathes an irritated sigh without taking his eyes off the map. It doesn't look very detailed.
“There's a train station two blocks from here.” Yabu finally says, and they all agree that just leaving the car and heading there is their best shot.
“We don't exactly look city chic though.” Hikaru points out with a worried frown as they've made sure there's nothing incriminating left in the car and are heading towards the train station after Yabu's directions.
He's got a point, Yamada thinks as he looks at them. Their hair and clothes are dirty, and they all look exactly like they slept in the woods and haven't had a shower in days.
“We're not exactly going to blend in.” Yamada mutters, and Yabu frowns.
“We'll fix it somehow.” He mumbles, his concentration clearly on Chinen who's looking at everything with wide eyes and a small smile like he's never seen anything like this.
They meet a few people, mostly businessmen since it's still early in the morning, but since every single one gives them weird looks, Yamada is getting more and more convinced that they need to freshen up somehow if they don't want to be caught by the first policeman who walks by.
They turn the corner and see the station sign, which is about as relieving as it's unnerving, and after another woman gives them a weird look, Yamada leans over to Yabu again while they're waiting for a green light to cross the road. “We need to fix it soon, this isn't working.”
“We'll just check in somewhere-” Yabu starts, but they're interrupted by a hesitant voice from behind.
“Hikaru?”
Both Yabu and Yamada turn like the word had burnt them, quickly enough to see Hikaru's eyes widen in shock before he turns around too.
“Inoo-chan?” He asks, facing the man who had apparently asked.
There are two men, both staring at Hikaru like they can't for their life figure out what he's doing here. The one Hikaru addressed has a fancy black coat and fluffy brown hair, the other dark hair and he looks more concerned than surprised. They both look overdressed for an early morning walk, and their entire ensemble makes Yamada certain they've been out all night rather than felt like an early walk.
“What are you doing here?” The brunette asks, eyebrows knitting together in confusion as he looks first at Hikaru, then the other three. “Are these... Friends of yours?”
Yamada glances at Yabu to see that he's hauled Chinen in close to him.
“Oh, long story.” Hikaru smiles, and Yamada wonders who this is and if they should run or just smile and wait. Not that he's smiling anyway. “But yeah, they are.”
“... Okay.” The brunette still looks hesitant, but keeps focusing on Hikaru, which is more than can be said about the other man. Yamada feels his stare and stares back, which makes the man quickly look away, but unfortunately that makes his gaze wander, and when he sees Chinen his eyes widen in recognition.
“Kei...” He starts, sounding on edge as he steps closer to the brunette. “Look at the kid.”
The brunette does, and after a second his eyes widen, staring from Hikaru to Chinen with slightly open mouth.
Yamada glances at Yabu, who looks back at him and with a few glances and raised eyebrows they agree on how to proceed if this turns bad.
Chinen looks confused, which seems to by default make him open his mouth. “Are you Hikaru's friends?”
Both men startle, like they didn't expect him to be able to speak, and exchange a look of confusion, before the brunette seems to collect himself and smiles. “Yeah, we are.”
“Do you live here?” Chinen asks, smiling back, his Tokyo-excitement taking over any confusion.
“... Yes, just a few blocks from here.” The brunette replies, still giving Hikaru weird glances.
“... Do you have a bathroom?” The question is a little embarrassed, and it makes Hikaru laugh, while Yamada and Yabu exchange another look.
The brunette breathes an awkward laugh too. “Ehm... Sure. Come along, we were heading home anyway.”
“Can we really?” Hikaru asks, and the other man looks like he's about to protest, eyes wide in shock, but the brunette nods with a small, almost affectionate smile in Hikaru's direction.
“Yeah. I have some things that are yours anyway.”
~*~
This wasn't going like Yabu had planned at all, he thinks as the apartment door close behind them, but in a way, it could still work. They still don't know who these people are, except that Hikaru apparently knows them.
Yabu had fallen into step with Yamada at the back once they started walking, deciding that if this turned out to be a trap, Yamada would take Chinen since he knew Tokyo better, and settled a place to meet up. The dark-haired man with the suspicious eyes kept glancing over his shoulder at them, while the brunette who seemed to know Hikaru best listened to Chinen's Tokyo questions with a small smile.
“The bathroom is over there.” The brunette points towards a door, and Chinen hurries over there as soon as he's gotten his shoes off, leaving the five adults in the hall, the brunette's smile slowly fading.
“What's going on here?” He asks after a long look at the three of them, but he seems much calmer than the dark-haired who keeps looking like he wants to run away. “He's that missing kid from the news, isn't he? And who are they?”
“He is. We found him.” Hikaru starts, explaining how he'd met Yabu since he didn't have any money, which makes the brunette cringe guiltily, then how they'd found Chinen and his mother at the shore of the river, and how Yamada had come to help.
It's probably a good thing that Hikaru's telling the story, Yabu realizes where he's standing closest to the door, because it sounds honest and innocently logical coming from him. The brunette seems to eat it up, while the dark-haired doesn't appear quite as convinced.
Another thing that Yabu is impressed by in Hikaru's version is how he doesn't mention any characteristics in him or Yamada, nothing about the guns or how they've been watching each other all the time. It sounds like they're all just friends.
“Well, that's... Wow.” The brunette says when Hikaru's finished, looking at the dark-haired like he needs some kind of support.
“How do you know each other?” Yamada asks, his voice not exactly hostile but still demanding, and the dark-haired gives him a long, strange look.
“Oh, uhm...” Hikaru bites his lip, and the brunette looks a little sheepish.
“Well?” Yabu raises an eyebrow too after a moment of silence, wondering what could possibly render Hikaru speechless.
“Well, we were...” Hikaru starts, motioning pointedly between himself and the brunette, and he actually looks a little embarrassed. “But then... Yeah.” He motions half-heartedly towards the dark-haired, who mostly looks awkward, and it takes Yabu a while to understand. The realization hits him pretty hard, but he tries not to let it show on his face.
“... These are the friends who left without you, yeah?” He asks instead, crossing his arms, and the brunette's guilty look is all the answer he needs.
“I'm Inoo Kei, this is Okamoto Keito.” The brunette introduces a little awkwardly.
“I'm Chinen Yuri.”
Yabu quickly turns to see Chinen standing there next to Hikaru and he wonders for how long he's been there.
“Pleased to meet you.” Inoo smiles, while Okamoto looks suspiciously between Yabu and Yamada.
“Yabu Kota.” Yabu says, since Hikaru simply addressed them with the nicknames he'd made up for them.
Yamada doesn't seem very keen on saying anything, arms crossed and looking much more suspicious than Okamoto does, but eventually gives his family name, even though both Inoo and Okamoto seem to wait for a given name.
Hikaru just laughs and says Yamada's a very private person, which makes at least Inoo smile.
“Look, Hikaru...” Inoo starts, glancing around and his tone is apologetic. “Sorry about leaving you like that. And about accidentally taking your bag.”
“It's okay, it's okay, don't worry Inoo-chan.” Hikaru smiles. “I'll forgive you. We'd appreciate it if we could just freshen up a little now that we're here though?”
Either this Inoo Kei is a very generous person, or he has a really bad conscience, Yabu figures when he's sitting by a kitchen table in borrowed clothes while his own are in the laundry. Hikaru's in the shower, Chinen's walking around the apartment and looking out windows along with Okamoto and babbles happily since he's had breakfast, while Yamada sits opposite Yabu and has refused to even remove his jacket.
“Here's his bag, so I don't forget.” Inoo says and sets a leather shoulderbag down on the table. It looks exactly like something Hikaru would own, pretty worn and old but somehow it fits him.
Yamada grabs the loop of the strap and pulls it towards himself, shamelessly lifting the lid to look inside.
Inoo opens his mouth to say something, but Yamada raises his eyebrows in an obvious 'yeah so what?' glare, so he closes it again with a small awkward smile, seeming uncertain of what to do with himself.
“Tell me about Hikaru.” Yabu asks Inoo on a whim, because if anyone in their little group is a mystery, it's Hikaru.
Inoo looks surprised for a moment, then sits down on the chair next to Yabu with a small smile.
“Holy shit.” Yamada says suddenly, and Yabu looks up to see him holding an open wallet and several 10,000 yen bills.
Yabu just gapes for a moment before remembering to control himself, because he'd just accepted Hikaru as not even owning a wallet.
“... He's from a wealthy family. You didn't know?” Inoo asks, looking surprised.
“I know his birthday.” Yamada comments calmly, picking out a card that looks a lot like a driver's license from a pocket and looks at it.
“Sounds like the first thing he'd say about himself.” Inoo smiles softly.
“Does he have a job?” Yabu asks, leaning back a little in the chair to be able to glance over his shoulder to see Chinen still looking out the window with Okamoto.
“He has an education?” Inoo replies. “He just got the degree though, then ran off to travel around abroad instead. His family was furious, but I don't know that much about it, honestly. I met him in Indonesia.”
It sounds like Hikaru, Yabu thinks, and the way he so easily decided to attach himself to Yabu makes much more sense now.
“A fantastic trip in many ways.” Hikaru suddenly says and Yabu looks up to see him toweling his hair dry in the doorway, grinning. “Want to shower Yabu-chan?”
~*~
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Hi
Date: 2017-02-21 04:59 am (UTC)I thought you would never include him in your story haha but here he is.
But wait was Hikaru and Inoo chan couple before? And now he is with Keito?
Can I hope some background story about them please ;)
And thanks for writing about my country, I am so happy (sorry just silly me lol)
Can't wait to see what happens next ;)
Re: Hi
Date: 2017-02-21 03:45 pm (UTC)I literally cast this story a month after getting into hsj so idek why some people ended up where they are, but. I guess it works xD
Oh, I didn't know haha, glad the mention makes you happy <3
(On another note, I started your cat fic. It will happen. Sometime)
Re: Hi
Date: 2017-02-22 02:50 am (UTC)Then I read that chapter lol
If Inoo appears in the next chapter I think I have to change my intention :D
But so far I like Hikaru character the most, his easy going attitude and doesn't care what people think about him attitude ia kind of cute. I am waiting for what Inoo's role in this story lol (I hope he get more attention)
And thanks for writing me fanfiction. I will wait for it too
Love
Arin