From Blue Sky - Chapter 14/15
Mar. 9th, 2017 08:32 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
h_itoshiTitle: From Blue Sky
Status: 14/15
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: 4183
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~
Hikaru's hands are still shaking as he reaches up to undo his necklace. They're standing outside a door in a normal, not so fancy apartment complex, and even though the door doesn't have Yamada's name on it, it has the name he'd written on Hikaru's arm.
He manages to get the key off his necklace and hands it to Yabu, not trusting himself not to drop it if he gives the lock a try, then lets the necklace slip into his pocket because he doesn't think he can put it back on right now.
Yabu's resting a hand on Chinen's shoulder, looking focused but a little pale. Chinen's just staring blindly at nothing and Hikaru's really worried about him.
Yabu accepts the key and unlocks the door without problem, opening it and letting the other two enter before him, then locks it properly behind him.
There's some mail on the doormat that Hikaru almost steps on, but sees last minute and moves aside, pulling Chinen with him.
It's a small apartment, but surprisingly light and well furnished, making Hikaru wonder if someone else lives here too.
“Sit down.” Yabu practically orders, gently guiding Chinen towards the dark grey couch that's visible from the hall. He gently pushes on Chinen's shoulder to make him sit, then looks up at Hikaru as if to tell him that goes for him too.
Hikaru obeys, taking a seat next to Chinen and looks up at Yabu questioningly.
“You're in shock.” Yabu explains, and Hikaru wonders who he's speaking too, if it's both of them.
He looks down at his own hands that won't stop shaking still, then glances over at Chinen, his heart hurting a little when he notes how he's so pale he looks grey.
Yabu disappears through a door in the hall for a moment, then returns with bed covers in blocked black and white and dumps them in the couch behind Chinen. “Hikaru will you make sure he's warm? I'll see if there's anything to drink.”
“Okay.” Hikaru agrees, leaning over to start untangling the duvet enough to drape it over Chinen's shoulders as Yabu heads to the kitchen area and opens the fridge.
Chinen barely reacts, only grabs the textile once it's around him to hold it in place.
“Hey.” Hikaru says softly, nudging Chinen carefully because he's not that familiar with how to treat a physiological state of shock. “Are you there?”
Chinen nods and blinks slowly, drawing the covers closer around him. “... This smells like Yama-chan.”
“I guess it would if it's his.” Hikaru says, smiling in relief that Chinen's not completely gone.
Chinen swallows, carefully turning his head to look up at Hikaru, his eyes honest. “Will he be okay?”
Hikaru doesn't reply at first, not sure what to say, images flashing before his eyes that he doesn't want to see, the panic starting to crawl up his chest and he gets a feeling of being choked.
“I hope so.” Yabu says, thankfully interrupting as he returns with two mugs that he sets down on the table for them, then goes to get his own. “I found chocolate milk that seemed okay.”
Hikaru glances at the mugs, noting that the design is simple and fashionable like everything else in this apartment. The walls are a pale grey that matches most of the interior, like the couch and an armchair, accented with reds and white and it looks very thought through.
“Does he live here alone?” Hikaru asks out loud, because he can't picture Yamada in his worn leather jacket going into a home interior store to buy decorative pillows. “There's somehow a vibe of a female presence, isn't there?”
“Only one way to know, isn't it?” Yabu looks up over the rim of his own mug where he's settled opposite them on the floor. “Check the bathroom.”
It makes Hikaru laugh, and it feels odd, like his muscles can't remember how it's supposed to be done and it's too much effort to keep it up.
Yabu seems to notice, looking at him with concern in his dark eyes. It makes Hikaru feel ridiculous because he is an adult, Yabu shouldn't have to be worried about him. Chinen on the other hand is more of a worry, sitting almost too still while staring at the mug before him on the table, like he can't keep his eyes focused for too long and instead spaces out.
Hikaru sees Yabu watch Chinen for a long moment, before he clears his throat.
“... If there's anything you want to ask you can do so.” Yabu says finally, voice soft. It makes Chinen focus his eyes on him and he appears to actually see him. “Or just something you want to talk about.”
Chinen bites his lip, looking like he can't think of anything even though he wants to say something, and Hikaru feels Yabu's eyes on him for a moment before he can manage to turn away from Chinen and meet them.
“You, too.” Yabu says sincerely, and Hikaru suddenly understands Chinen's feeling. There are so many things he saw today that he never thought he would ever face, things he'll have nightmares about, and he wants to ventilate them but he doesn't know where to even begin.
Yabu seems to know, his eyes so understanding that Hikaru almost breaks out in tears. “Talking about it will help.”
Hikaru pauses, turning to look at Chinen who actually looks back at him with wide eyes, as if asking for help. And Hikaru finds himself speaking. “... I shot someone.”
His own voice sounds oddly toneless, but he can't stop talking once he got the initial words out. “I didn't think. I just saw Yama-chan and that he needed help, and I was holding a loaded gun. So I did what he taught me to. I never thought I would actually hit. It hit his shoulder, and he dropped his gun.”
“And then Yama-chan shot him.” Chinen adds in a small voice, and Hikaru looks at his pale cheeks, knowing they can both see it before their eyes. Yamada scrambling in panic for the gun on the floor, grabbing it and pressing it up against the man's chest. The blood spraying out from between shoulder blades. The ringing sound. The body falling heavily forward half across Yamada's lap.
“... You saved Yamada, didn't you?” Yabu says, voice gentler than Hikaru's heard it this far. “You did what you could.”
Hikaru bites his lip because he feels his throat tighten with tears and he doesn't want to cry.
“That man. In the library.” Chinen speaks up, voice shaking. “He was so scary.”
“Yes. He said all these things that gave me chills.” Hikaru agrees, thinking about the mocking tone and crazy smile. “And he also called him Yama-chan. I think they were close.”
“He called me Yuri-chan.” Chinen says, sounding horrified.
“I know who he is.” Yabu says slowly, voice calm. “And I think he's close to Yamada, too. When he saw Yamada down on the floor, he turned and left. I think he might have gone to help him.”
Chinen looks up at that, eyes wide like he can't believe it. Hikaru has troubles believing it too. He can't help thinking the man might have gone to do the opposite of helping Yamada.
“... Really?” Hikaru asks, hoping his disbelief doesn't come out too obvious.
“I do.” Yabu says, sounding convinced that he's right and it helps, it really helps. “There was something in his eyes. Something that made me sure he wouldn't go down there to hurt Yamada. I don't think I would have let him go if that was the case.”
“... I hope you're right.” Hikaru says, praying that Yabu's perception about this is the correct one. But he has a feeling Yabu's very good at reading those kinds of things.
“I just want him to come back.” Chinen says, sounding more in pain than Hikaru's heard him since he cried about his mother, and it feels like the words physically stab his chest.
“We'll see him again.” Hikaru says comfortingly, deciding here and now that they will. That Yamada has to be okay and that they can meet again. “We'll just leave something behind that tells him where and when. He has to come back here after all.”
Chinen looks at him with wide eyes for a few moments, like he's trying to make out if Hikaru's lying.
“That's a good idea.” Yabu says, and when Hikaru turns to check his expression, there's something like a faint smile on his exhausted features. “We just need to find a really good way in case anyone else comes here first.”
Hikaru looks around, distracting himself with trying to think of a good hiding place for a note that no one else but Yamada would find. Then remembers the pile of mail on the doormat.
“Why don't we write a love letter?” He suggests.
“... What?” Chinen asks, looking up at Hikaru like he doesn't understand what a love letter even is, but he's got the chocolate mug in his hands now and there's a faint hint of colour returning to his face.
“A love letter, Yama-chan's an attractive man after all? And just add it in with the mail on the doormat?” Hikaru explains, thinking that it's in fact a brilliant idea if he can say so himself. “We'll write some sweet stuff and then tell him that we're waiting for him at our favourite café or something? That one with the chocolate cake by the east exit.”
Yabu looks so positively surprised Hikaru has to smile, his muscles doing it a little more willingly this time. “... That's great. I can't write love letters though.”
“Even better. They'll never suspect it.” Hikaru nods, standing up to go off in search of paper and a pencil. They'd left both his and Yabu's bags in a safety box in the small shopping mall, aware that they might not be able to go back and retrieve them.
He can write love letters, no problem. He's just a little concerned about his man-handwriting, but figures what the hell. Yamada could just as well have a boyfriend.
~*~
It's surreal to sit on a train again after everything that just happened. Yabu watches Chinen and Hikaru on the seats opposite him, how Chinen's reading commercial signs somewhere above Yabu's head, feet dangling because he's too short to reach the floor. Hikaru looks absently out the window where it's already dark, but he doesn't look like he's taken too much damage from what happened.
Yabu hasn't really let himself think about it yet. Mostly because he's not sure what kind of feelings he'll find in himself if he does. So he tries to focus on that they made it out alive. Hopefully all of them.
Yabu genuinely hopes that Yamada made it, that the tall man went to help him. But he remembers what that wound looked like, how much blood he must have lost, and it makes him very uneasy thinking about the odds.
At least no one has appeared to be looking for them now. They didn't dare stay for too long in Yamada's apartment, supposing it really was his, only made sure everyone had a stable blood pressure and cleaned themselves up enough for public transport.
Hikaru offered Yabu to read the letter he wrote, but Yabu declined. He has all the faith in Hikaru to write a decent love letter. He even let Hikaru sign with his given name since that might as well be a girl, and he didn't get the feeling that anyone knew who Hikaru was.
They'd stacked the folded note in between mails to make it look like it had been there for a while, then left and taken the key with them.
Yabu is certain that Yamada has another way of getting into that apartment if he has to. He just hopes he finds the letter. They'd settled to write that they'd be at “their favourite café every Sunday at 4 as usual”, which Yamada should have no problems understanding. Question is if he would turn up even if he understood. Yabu has a weird feeling about going there once a week just to maybe see Yamada, not even sure he wants to see Yamada again. But he knows that Hikaru will go, no matter how long it takes for Yamada to show up, and that thought is somehow encouraging.
Since after this, there will be no reason for them to be together anymore. They're returning Chinen home after all.
He has no idea how this is going to turn out. Their plan is to just go to police headquarters where Chinen's father works and make sure he ends up in the right hands, since Yabu has no clue how else to do it. The easiest thing for them would be if they just dropped Chinen off and let him go inside himself, but that feels wrong. He has an urgent need to see that Chinen goes where he should be, even though he's very aware that the risk of him and Hikaru being arrested and charged with god knows what is massive if they willingly step into the police headquarters.
He made this clear to Hikaru, but Hikaru just claimed that they technically didn't do anything wrong. They found Chinen, cared for him and made sure he came to his father.
It's not a defence that would hold in court, Yabu thinks, but it's so pure in a way only Hikaru could see it.
For himself, he doesn't have anything in his life he wants to protect anyway. Jail or not doesn't matter to him.
The announcer calls out the name of their station, and Yabu takes a deep breath. This is it.
He expected there to be guards swarming this area, but apparently nobody assumed they would make it this far, since they don't encounter a single one. Besides, it's late.
When they turn a corner and see the massive concrete and glass building with most of the lights still on, Hikaru suddenly pauses.
“Hey.” He says, and Yabu has time to take a full 360 look around them before he sees Hikaru's small smile. “Shouldn't we properly say goodbye now? In case we can't do it later?”
Chinen's frown is one of confusion, like he hasn't realized before now that this is where their adventure together ends. “... I don't want to say goodbye.”
His voice is clear, honest, and Yabu's reaction almost scares himself with how much his chest tightens.
“Just for now, isn't it okay?” Hikaru asks, and Chinen still doesn't look like he approves at all, but accepts the hug Hikaru leans down to give him.
“We're going camping.” Chinen says as Hikaru lets go, looking up at him as if he just betrayed him.
“We are. Later on.” Hikaru agrees. “We definitely will.”
Chinen looks at him for a moment, that suspicious look as if to see if Hikaru's lying to him. Yabu silently wonders how often he's been told things that never happened and he doesn't want to return him to his father. Not at all.
“We will.” Yabu agrees, and Chinen turns to him, the surprise obvious on his small features. But it seems to help that Yabu agrees, and he nods before coming over to Yabu to hug him too.
Yabu holds him tight and tries to believe that this is not the last time.
~*~
The glass doors are fancy, Hikaru thinks as he pushes one of them open to step inside the lobby. It's a huge hall with a matching huge reception desk and several doors leading into the building, elevators and stairs everywhere. Everything is marble and golden steel, looking expensive and authoritative, and there are a few people in there despite it being late in the evening by now.
Chinen makes a small impressed sound, and Hikaru smiles. He's holding Chinen's hand, just in case.
Then things happen in a matter of seconds.
“Hey!” Someone calls, someone else reacts, and suddenly Hikaru finds himself at gunpoint once again.
There are two men in black suits pointing their guns at them where they stand just inside the entrance, and he sees the receptionists quickly speak into their phones, the people who were walking across the room suddenly backing away, all faces scared or set.
He hears a rustle and then metal next to him, and turns to look at Yabu with his gun drawn, steadily aimed at one of the men pointing a gun at him.
“Don't move.” Says one of the men in black, looking like he's thinking hard about the procedures he's supposed to follow in a situation like this, and Hikaru hears people moving at several of the entrances to the lobby.
“If his father comes to get him, we won't.” Yabu says calmly, and Hikaru glances back at his face, finding his expression calm but determined, no trace of that scary expression he'd seen earlier.
Chinen holds onto Hikaru's hand, taking a step closer to him, but he doesn't come off as afraid this time, only a little anxious.
There are some talking among the policemen, several more rushing in, and Hikaru stands right where he is, knowing better than to interfere with whatever Yabu is planning right now. He looks around at everyone staring at them, sees their wide eyes go from Hikaru to Yabu to Chinen, the most common expression seeming to be confusion. Hikaru smiles back at those who look at him, which doesn't appear to clear any confusion at all.
They probably don't look like kidnappers, he thinks. If they were, they wouldn't walk in here after all. He's a little surprised the security isn't higher if he's honest, but figures it get worse the higher up in the building you get. This floor is a public place after all.
They're almost surrounded after just a minute, the entrance right behind them leaving the policemen in a half circle at a safe distance around them, and Hikaru hears the doors click in a way that indicates they're being automatically locked.
“He will be here.” A man in a grey suit at the back of the half circle says, and he doesn't look like the kind of man who works as a policeman, Hikaru thinks. He looks more like a business man that got a bit comfortable after a while in service.
“Then we'll wait.” Yabu replies, continuously looking around but keeps his gun pointed at one man. Hikaru wonders if it was a good idea to take out the gun, but figures they probably wouldn't still be standing here if Yabu hadn't.
He feels a tug at his sleeve and looks down at Chinen's uncertain expression. “I don't like this.”
“I don't, either.” Hikaru says quietly to match Chinen's tone, gently squeezing his hand. “But we'll be okay.”
A few excruciatingly long minutes go by, and Hikaru wonders how everyone manages to hold their guns so still. It must be rough on their arms.
Then there are running steps approaching, and Hikaru knows it's Chinen's father the second he sees him. They're not that alike, Chinen has more of his mother's softer features, but there's definitely a resemblance. Also, the man is not too tall.
He has a few important looking people running behind him, but he doesn't seem to care about them or the half circle of policemen blocking his way. It just makes Hikaru even more certain it's Chinen's father; only a parent can look that focused on finding their child.
“Yuri!” He calls as soon as he sees them, seeming to go even faster towards them.
“Dad!” Chinen calls back, sounding almost surprised. Hikaru has a feeling he's never seen his father with this lack of composure before, and for a moment he's uncertain if Chinen dares going to him. Then the little hand in his slips out.
Chinen's father pushes past the men with guns even though his followers stop short, holding his arms out a+s Chinen meets him halfway.
Hikaru smiles as he watches Chinen's father hug his son so tightly his knuckles pale, and he hopes that if something good comes out of this family crisis, it's that they grow closer. Chinen hugs him back, even though he seems a little uncertain of what he's allowed to do and it's cute.
It takes a few moments before Chinen's father lets go, but when he does, his eyes mean business as they go up to Yabu and Hikaru.
“Seize them.” He says, firmly, and there's immediate commotion around them.
Hikaru instinctively backs up against Yabu and grabs his arm, not wanting to be parted from him, while Yabu stands his ground with the gun still raised.
There are voices raised and Hikaru doesn't know where to look, squeezing tighter against Yabu when there's a man coming real close to him with that shiny weapon raised.
Then suddenly, there's someone calling out in surprise and all movement pauses, before guns are redirected and it takes Hikaru a moment to understand what's going on.
“Lower your weapons, idiots!” Chinen's father hisses, sounding almost panicked now, and Hikaru sees how they were aimed at the small figure standing a metre from his father, before they're lowered at the order. Again, the general expression is confusion.
Then the policemen back away slowly, and Hikaru gapes as he sees Chinen holding a gun that must be his father's in his small, slightly trembling hands. It's aimed at his father.
“I said you can't take them.” He says, his voice sounding small as he looks straight at his father, who appears about as shocked as Hikaru feels.
“Yuri, put that down.” Chinen's father says, clearly an attempt at calm but he can't quite cover the nerves in his tone, his face a little pale.
“No! You have to listen to me for once!” Chinen tells him angrily, almost like he's about to burst out crying in a minute and Hikaru wants to cry with him. “You can't take them. We're going on a camping trip. They promised.”
Chinen's father just stares at his son, then looks up at Yabu and Hikaru like he actually sees them for the first time.
“... Camping trip?” He repeats faintly, sounding like he doesn't understand the concept at all, then glances at Chinen holding the gun, clearly noting his technique and as far as Hikaru can see, it's correct.
“They promised. So you can't take them.” Chinen repeats, his voice starting to break a little, and Hikaru can't stop himself.
“We did promise.” Hikaru speaks up, and he feels Yabu's eyes on him. “We don't want anything besides that. We're just happy he's back where he belongs.”
Chinen's father keeps looking between his son and the two supposed kidnappers, then turns to exchange glances with those around him, but nobody seems to have any idea what to do.
Chinen breaks into tears finally, sobbing quietly but he's still holding the gun, and Hikaru wants to hug him so bad.
“Chi, it's okay.” He says, because even if he doesn't dare stepping forward, he wants to help somehow. “We'll be okay.”
Chinen looks over his shoulder at them before he nods, reaching up with one sleeve to wipe his eyes, and there's a moment of silence as he sets the weapon down on the floor.
“I'll give you ten minutes.” Chinen's father finally speaks up, his voice firm and determined.
“Sounds good to me.” Yabu agrees, and Hikaru is not entirely sure what that means, but he trusts Yabu.
“From now.”
Yabu immediately lowers his gun and kneels. “Chi. We're going now.”
Chinen's eyes are red and swollen and Hikaru is so tired of seeing him like this, but then he runs up to Yabu even though his father reflexively tries to stop him, slinging his small arms around Yabu's neck in a final hug.
Hikaru leans down for his turn, hearing Chinen's sniffs in his ear as he holds that small body tight. “We'll see you, okay?” He whispers, and Chinen nods. “We'll come get you when Yama-chan's back too.”
Chinen nods again, then lets go with a faint smile, and Hikaru smiles back, hearing the doors click again.
Then his wrist is grabbed by Yabu, who drags him out the door and they start running towards the train station.
~*~
Hikaru turns another page in the weekly fashion magazine he's taken up the habit of reading, pondering whether he should get a blue jacket. It would probably look good with his new auburn hairstyle. He's having caffe latte and chocolate cake, since it takes the longest to eat, and he chose his favourite table as usual. He's become quite accustomed to this place now, after something like five or six visits. The staff knows him, one girl even jokingly scolded him for being late last week when he arrived ten minutes past four.
It's nice, having his cake and reading the magazine takes about an hour, and he doesn't mind spending an hour at a café every Sunday. He doesn't hope for too much, but he still comes. If he said he would, he will be here.
He's so into an article about neon colours that he nearly jumps out of his skin when there's suddenly a small metal item being laid on the shiny table surface just next to his magazine.
His natural reaction would be to look up at the presence he senses behind him, but instead he ends up staring at the little golden sun on a thin chain while his hand automatically goes up to his bare collarbone since he still hasn't gotten used to being without a necklace. Then he spins around so quickly he almost gets dizzy, looking up to face Yamada's knowing dark eyes and raised eyebrow.
“Hey.” He says, voice low and smooth just like normal, nothing like the frenzied screaming for them to leave like he last heard. “I know you said my smile is radiant as the sun, but I'm guessing that still wasn't intended as a present.”
~*~
Chapter 13
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2017-03-09 08:06 pm (UTC)Just....the first scene breaks my heart. How much Chinen and Hikaru are torn up from the situation that just happened. How they're both in shock and Yabu knows it. Also very smart of them to not stay there too long and Hikaru's idea of the love note was just brilliant ;~; he's so smart
AND THEN WHEN THEY RETURN CHINEN TO HIS DAD AND HOW MUCH YOU CAN TELL HIS DAD ACTUALLY CARES AND ONLY THINKS ABOUT PROTECTING HIS SON BUT THEN HE WANTS YABU AND HIKARU ARRESTED BUT THEN CHINEN STANDS UP TO HIM. MY HEART IS BREAKING. CHINEN WANTS TO STAY WITH THEM. HE DOESN'T WANT TO LEAVE BUT HE HAS TO. he just wanted his camping trip they promised ;~;
AND THEN THAT LAST SCENE JUST BROKE ME. HIKARU GOING TO THE CAFE LIKE HE'S SUPPOSED TO EVERY WEEK. HOW THE STAFF KNOW HIM. HOW HE'S SO DORKY AND IS CONSIDERING BUYING NEW CLOTHES
AND THEN YAMADA SHOWS UP. AND HE EXPECTS IT AND JUST. I'M SO GLAD THAT YAMADA IS ALIVE AND WELL AND CAME BACK AND THAT SNIDE COMMENT ABOUT HIS SMILE BEING LIKE THE SUN AND NOT BEING WHAT HIKARU INTENDED. OUR BOYS ARE FINALLY BACK TOGETHER AND I LEGIT CRIED WHEN YAMADA SPOKE TO HIM
also still waiting on my Hikaru backstory xD I guess we'll find that out in the last chapter? You weren't kidding when you said we had a while before it came forth.
Amazing as usual. I can't wait to see how everything wraps up
no subject
Date: 2017-03-09 08:48 pm (UTC)Well, I figured it's kind of traumatic seeing people die so. There was a need for speed-therapy orz.
PARENTS NEED TO CARE. (My own separation anxiety knowing they'd have to return him is not funny tbh)
LIKE I SAID I'm all happy endings Yamada needed to be back and besides it's canon he was supposed to be back ;_; I needed to blame something besides my own soft heart haha.
Next chapter will be The Chapter for Unanswered Questions, I hope x'D
no subject
Date: 2017-03-09 09:16 pm (UTC)They definitely needed it. Even if they weren't 100% sure if Takaki was alive or not the fact is they might have seen a man die in front of them. Good thing Yabu was a little pushy
THEY REALLY DO (i always hoped they'd keep him, but he's so young. he needs his dad even if his dad doesn't act like it)
I knowwwwww. My heart was just so happy to see that he returned, even if it was like...a month and a half later ;~;
I can't wait! It's going to be so good :D
no subject
Date: 2017-03-09 10:15 pm (UTC)Everyone is safe... I'm so relieved.
The scene with Chinen's dad! Really, Chinen surprises me every time!!
And I still love your Hikaru so much...
I didn't think you'd upload a new chapter when you're travelling lol
And now I don't want the last chapter because it means we have to say goodbye to the four.... :(
no subject
Date: 2017-03-10 08:13 pm (UTC)Chinen is a boy of surprises I guess.
Can't keep you hanging, can I~? No but I have free evenings and I already had this beta-read and done so xD
Haha aww, I kind of have separation anxiety for the last chapter too ;__;