“Yukio?!”

Around the young teen were three others that Haru recognized as Roku, Todd, and John, a troublesome trio who he had loose ties to. When Yukio heard his name called, he looked up and stared at the raven haired teen for a good, long moment before recognizing who he was and giving him a goofy grin. He seemed to have totally forgotten the fact that he and Haru been fighting earlier.

“Hiya Haru.” He hiccupped while waving the bottle of alcohol he had in the air to greet him.

“You’re drunk off your ass!” Haru exclaimed, snatching the beer away from the younger teen.

“Hey! Thaz miiine! Gibbit back!!” Yukio whined in a slurred voice.

“What the hell are you doing here? What’s going on?” Haru yelled in confusion while raising the bottle of beer out of reach from Yukio’s wanting hands.

“I invited him.” Roku sneered, hooking his arm around Yukio’s neck.

“You what? But…Yukio wouldn’t go to a rave…I don’t understand.” Haru said, completely befuddled.

“He wasn’t filled in on the details. He probably wouldn’t have come if he had been. Didn’t know there were such naïve teens like him around.” Roku snickered. Yukio didn’t appear to have a clue of what was going on.

“And why wasn’t I invited, huh?” The black haired teen growled, anger rising within him.

“Because I knew you’d spoil our fun. You never were into the stuff we like to do.” Roku snorted obnoxiously.

“Because all you idiots are into are drugs and alcohol! You call getting some ignorant kid smashed fun?! Don’t you losers have anything else better to do with your time?!” Haru was seething now, his eyes fiery, and fists clenched.

“Well looky here; aren’t you so high and mighty, turning down your nose at our despicable actions. You’re too good for our kind.” Roku spat back trenchantly.

“Wus da matter Haru? You don wanna party?” Yukio’s almost incoherent voice arose amidst the arguing. Haru stared at him in horror, as if the realization of him being drunk had just hit him for a second time.

“You are leaving!” Haru declared, grabbing Yukio’s wrist and beginning to drag him away.

“Noooo, stop, I wanna stay, I wanna stay! Leggo, leggo!” Yukio wailed stubbornly.

“You heard him. He wants to stay.” Roku said with a smug smirk as John and Todd blocked Haru’s path. “Besides,” He began tauntingly, “We’re not done having fun yet.” And then the brunette with red bangs grabbed Yukio by his jacket and sharply tugged him back, away from Haru. Haru tried to reach back towards the smaller teen, but Roku’s friends seized him by the arms, preventing him from moving any further.

“I suggest you relax my friend. I wouldn’t want you getting hurt.” Roku chuckled cockily while taking an ambiguous bottle of pills out of his pocket. Haru gasped and his eyes widened in fear. He desperately struggled to escape from his holders.

“What the hell are those Roku?! What are you doing?!”

“Shut your trap.”  Roku hissed before turning to the dazed Yukio with a friendly smile. “Hey buddy, want to try some candy?” He said in a warm voice as he handed the bottle to the oblivious periwinkle haired teen.

“Candy?” Yukio cooed as he observed the mysterious pills, Roku smirking in amusement the whole time.

“They’re great with beer.” Roku snickered, snatching the beer bottle Haru still held and returning it to Yukio.

“Roku! Roku, stop! You’re being reckless! Mixing drugs like that could kill him! Are you listening?! He could die, you asshole!” Haru shouted in distress, face full of panic and rage simultaneously. He watched helplessly as Yukio’s jittery hands popped the cap off and shook a half a dozen pills into one of his palms. Something in Haru’s mind finally snapped, and strength flowed through him from his fury. He swung his elbow backward, sharply catching one of his captors in the gut, and then he nimbly spun around and socked the other in the face. Both teens tumbled to the floor, groaning in pain. He swiftly lunged over to Yukio and smacked the pills and beer out of his grasp just in time, the bottle shattering on the floor and pills scattering in every direction. Haru let out a small sigh of relief, happy that he wasn’t too late; however, his small dose of relaxation was soon over when a fist came flying towards him, striking him squarely on the cheek.

“You should’ve stayed out of this!” Roku snarled fiercely with a crazed look in his eyes.

“And let you murder my friend? I don’t think so.” Haru spat back before returning Roku the favor of a nice punch in the jaw. John and Todd were up on their feet now, and both tried to grab Haru again, but the raven haired teen shoved them both back, knocking them into a few groups of nearby partiers. The clusters of people were all pissed, causing a major commotion. It wasn’t long before an all out brawl started between a few dozen people, random objects being tossed across the rooms, and furniture being converted into makeshift weapons. Roku tried to get another hit in on Haru, but someone else involved in the massive fight smashed a vase over his head before he got the chance, causing him to crumble to the floor. Haru got a firm hold on Yukio’s arm and dredged him through the violently drunk and/or stoned mass of individuals, barely avoiding a flying plate and several attempted punches and kicks. Yukio barely comprehended the chaos that was happening around him, and this time, followed Haru without a fuss. When the two teens finally reached the outside of the house, Haru felt like he had gone to hell and back, and then forgotten something important in the fiery depths, therefore forced to go to hell and back again. He panted heavily for a half a minute to catch his breath before speaking.

“Let’s haul ass outta here.”

“Huh?...But, I-I was havin’ fun.” Yukio murmured with a pout. Haru shook his head exasperatedly before snatching the younger boy’s hand and pulling him to his car. At that point, Yukio was barely able to walk at all from his drunken state, but managed to stumble into the passenger’s seat. Haru hopped into the driver’s seat and buckled Yukio’s seatbelt for him before accelerating out of the neighborhood like a bat out of hell on steroids. It wasn’t long before Haru realized he had no idea where Yukio lived. He figured asking would be pointless with the state Yukio was in, and came to the conclusion he would have to take him over to his own house.

“Christ Almighty Yukio, what were you thinking, going to a party with those bastards?” The black haired teen scolded.

“I-I thought they were yer friends.” The smaller teen mumbled with a baffled expression.

“Well they aren’t anymore. Fricken loser druggies.”

“I liked em’. They said you hadda funny nick name. I think it was Huh-huh-Haru.” Yukio giggled, emphasizing the ‘huh-huh’ part in a sexually suggestive manner. The car came to a screeching halt, nearly veering into a stop sign.

“What did you just call me?!” Haru yelled angrily at the boy, roughly grabbing the collar of his shirt.

“Roku said it was a joke, since ya had a lotta experience in the sack.” Yukio explained with a silly looking smile.

“He told you that? That son of a…wait…you thought that was funny? Wow, you really aren’t yourself.” Haru grumbled with an arched eyebrow before releasing Yukio’s shirt and resuming driving. “Well, you most likely won’t remember any of this anyways, with as sloshed as you are.”

            After about ten minutes, they pulled up to a nice looking, relatively large house painted white and grey with a neatly trimmed lawn and a curved driveway paved a reddish color. No lights were on inside, and no cars were parked in the driveway. Haru got out of his convertible and walked around to the passenger’s side; he opened the car door and Yukio came tumbling onto the hard ground, making a small grunting noise of discomfort.

“I can’t walk.” The periwinkle haired teen whined.

“Well that’s what happens when you get as boozed up as you are.” Haru snorted as he lifted Yukio off the ground bridal style and carried him into his house. When they were inside, he set the smaller teen down on the living room floor. Yukio spotted a couch not too far off in the dark room and began to crawl over to it, until he was stopped by Haru’s hand pulling him back.

“Hold on there kid, you smell to high heaven with the stench of beer. It’s all over your clothes, and there’s no way you’re messing up that clean sofa.” Haru chided. “He’d replace the upholstery with my hide if he caught a whiff of beer on anything in the living room.” The dark haired teen muttered to his self as he led Yukio down a hallway into a bedroom mainly decorated with the colors black and red. Rock band posters lined most the room, one of the walls holding a twenty inch flat screen television. A sleek laptop sat on a desk with a rolling chair and a stereo system was set up on top of a dresser. The area was less than organized, with miscellaneous articles of clothing, CD cases, and video games littering random spots. Haru dug through one of the drawers of his dresser, pulling out a set of black pajamas and handing them to Yukio, who was swaying unsteadily while he stood.

“Change into those. I’ll be waiting out in the living room.” Haru instructed before heading out. As soon as he left the room, he heard a thud and turned back to find Yukio lying on the carpeted floor.

“Hey, what are you doing?” Haru inquired with a furrowed brow.

“So tired……Help me?” Yukio asked with groggy, half lidded eyes. Haru blinked and stared.

“Er…I don’t think-”

“Please?” Yukio asked again with pleading eyes. Haru stared at him again, this time longer than the last.

“…Alright…” The raven haired teen sighed, kneeling down beside Yukio. He removed his shoes and socks first, and then unzipped his hoodie, assisting Yukio in sitting up so he could slip off the jacket and his shirt. He had to gather up every inch of willpower inside him to not think of doing anything perverted as he glanced over the younger boy’s chest and stomach. He took his time taking off Yukio’s pants; he did not want to make the mistake of accidentally pulling down the boy’s underwear as well. Well at least the non-lecherous part of him didn’t. After Yukio was completely undressed, except for his boxers, Haru ogled him up and down for a few good long moments, taking in every part of him.

“…Haru? I’m cold…” Yukio mewed when there was a long silence and lack of movement from the elder teen.

“Oh, sorry.” Haru chuckled half heartedly before grabbing the sleepwear he had picked out for the periwinkle haired teen and quickly redressing him. “Let’s go out to the living room; you can crash on the couch for tonight.”

“But the bed looks comfier.” Yukio argued while giving the soft looking bed a longing look.

“N-No, we’re staying on the couch.” Haru demanded and helped Yukio get to his feet. The younger’s stance was incredibly wobbly, so Haru had to serve as a crutch for him until they reached the sofa, where they both plopped down heavily. They remained like that for a long time without saying anything. Yukio finally piped up.

“I’m bored.” He murmured. Haru glanced over at him dully.

“So rest your head on one of the cushions and try to get some sleep. You’ll be blowing chunks all morning.” Haru mumbled before letting out a yawn and leaning back on the sofa, closing his eyes in an attempt to fall asleep. He listened to the rustling sounds of Yukio trying to get comfortable and almost managed to doze off, except he suddenly felt something weighing down his lap. His eyes shot open and he peered down to see a head full of periwinkle hair perched on his thighs.

“Hey, hey, whatta you doing?” He yipped in surprise.

“You’re warmer than those dumb pillows…” Yukio purred contentedly and snuggled his face into Haru’s lap.

“Yukio, you shouldn’t-” He was interrupted by the boy’s light snoring. He gazed down at Yukio’s peaceful sweet looking face, and silently wondered why he had resisted the urges he had been having since Yukio had entered his home. “I could have my way with him right here and now, and he wouldn’t be able to do a thing about it…But even I’m not so bad as to take some innocent kid’s virginity and have him not even remember it.” Haru whispered to himself. He reached his head down to where Yukio’s face was and inched his lips closer and closer to the smaller teen’s. At the last second, he stopped, and kissed Yukio’s forehead instead. He roughly sighed and leaned back once more. “Okay, the sex thing I get, but I shouldn’t feel guilty about just kissing him. I really hope I’m not getting soft…nah…besides being a little younger, he’s no different from anyone else I’ve dated….right?”

 

Daylight filtered through the curtains of the living area, leaving the room in a soft luminous glow. Birds chirped noisily outside, and the distant sound of a lawn mower could be heard. It was morning. Yukio’s face scrunched up slightly as he began to arouse from his deep slumber. He slowly sat up and rubbed at his eyelids. He opened his eyes briefly, but his vision was blurry from sleep. A sudden sharp pang hit his head, and he slammed his eyes shut at the pain.

“My head…my head is pounding…” He moaned, rubbing one of his temples with his hand. He slowly reopened his eyes, this time able to see his unfamiliar surroundings clearly. “W-Where am I?” He uttered in complete confusion. He heard what sounded like deep breathing, and turned his head to the direction the sound came from. For about ten seconds, he was completely frozen, his eyes impossibly wide, and his lower lip quivering in shock. And then his lungs gave way to an enormous, house shaking, shriek-like yell that lasted another fifteen seconds. Yukio’s body sat rigid in absolute horror as he watched Haru stir beside him. The raven haired teen blinked to clear his sight and then looked over at the terrified Yukio.

“Morning sexy.” He chuckled with a smirk. Yukio’s mind went into extreme panic mode. The boy let out another blood curdling scream before frantically jumping off the couch, and in his haste, tripped over his own feet. He resorted to scrabbling on the floor in a frenzied attempt to get away. “Yukio, wait!” Haru called out to him, suddenly aware of the lack of sensitivity he had just handled the situation with. Haru leaped off the couch and bounded after Yukio, grabbing him by the ankles.

“Let go!” He cried, violently kicking until he freed himself and continued to crawl away like his life was in danger.

“Cut it out!” Haru shouted, and leaped onto Yukio’s back, restraining him for the time being.

“What have you done?!” Yukio wailed while thrashing underneath the black haired teen. “What have you done to me?!!!”

“Yukio, calm down.” Haru said softly.

“No! I will not calm down! I hate you Haru! How could you do this? You’re evil! I hate you, I hate you!” Yukio sobbed. Haru got off of Yukio’s back, pulled him up, grabbed him firmly by the shoulders, and locked his silver eyes with the other’s turquoise ones. Haru’s face was serious, but kind as he looked upon the mortified, baffled, and tear-streaked face of the smaller teen.

“Listen to me. Nothing happened between us. I’m only trying to help you.”

“You’re lying!”

“No, I’m not, I swear Yukio, I didn’t do anything to you.”

“How can I believe you?”

“I guess you’re just going to have to trust me.”

“Why should I have any reason to trust you?”

“Come on Yukio, I’m your friend. You know I wouldn’t do something like that to you. I wouldn’t hurt you like that.” Haru said in a soothing voice. Yukio seemed to be winding down a bit from his freak out, though he hadn’t stopped crying completely. “Now will you please come sit down and talk with me?” Haru asked in the nicest way he could muster. Yukio nodded reluctantly, and let Haru lead him back over to the sofa by the hand. Yukio’s body trembled as he sat stiffly, his hands clasped together tightly in his lap, and his eyes darting back and forth from Haru to his lap.

“What’s going on?” He squeaked.

“Can you tell me the last thing you remember?” Haru asked, trying to get Yukio to put the pieces together.

“I’ll try…um, I remember having a fight with you at school….”

“Good. What about after that?”

“Well, I ran into the parking lot, but my bus was already gone. Then a few of your friends saw me, and came up to me.”

“Who?”

“Roku, and the two guys he usually hangs out with. He invited me to an overnight party.”

“And you agreed to go?”

“Well, yeah…I didn’t want to seem babyish…I figured going would make me cooler. So I told my parents I was going to an all night study session.”

“And they believed you? You have some gullible parents.” Haru scoffed.

“They aren’t gullible, they just trust me.” Yukio defended.

“Do you remember anything else?”

“No…everything after that is blank.”

“Not surprising with as much as you dr-” Haru stopped himself before finishing his sentence. He would make sure to break the news to Yukio about his drunken espionage in a gentler way.

“My head hurts.” Yukio grumbled, his face contorted into a frown from the ache.

“Wait here.” Haru told the younger before disappearing into another room, and then returning with an ice pack. Haru had thought about giving him some aspirin, but decided it wasn’t a good idea since it was more than likely that a wave of nausea would be hitting Yukio very soon, and that he’d just end up throwing it up anyway.

“Where are we?” Yukio murmured while putting the ice on his throbbing head.

“My house.”

“How did I get here?”

“Uh…I guess it’s time to fill you in on everything thing that’s happened. Brace yourself, cuz the truth kind of sucks.” Haru said with a small sigh. Yukio stared at him intently, desperate for answers. “Last night I was driving around because I was bored, and I passed by Roku’s house. The house was filled with people and the music was blasting so loud the ground was shaking. Roku didn’t mention anything to me about a party, so I decided to check it out and find out what was going on. The place was chockfull of druggies and-” Haru stopped when he saw the look of horror on Yukio’s face.

“Druggies?! I went to a party with drugs?!”

“If it makes you feel better, I don’t think you were very involved with the drug part…the alcohol part though…”

“Alcohol? W-What are you saying?”

“Yukio…when I found you, you were totally plowed.”

            Yukio gaped.

“What?! That can’t be!”

“That’s why you have a migraine. You have a hangover from last night. My guess is that Roku started you out with some spiked punch or something. You never would’ve seen it coming.”

“Why would they do that?”

“Because they’re losers.”

“They’re your friends!”

“Not anymore. The bastards can burn in hell for all I care. They tried to get you to take some strange pills, knowing how dangerous it was. I managed to get them away from you, but then Roku got pissed and punched me in the face. Guess he wasn’t too happy I screwed with his plans.”

Yukio noticed for the first time that Haru had a purplish bruise on one of his cheeks and gasped.

“Are you alright?!” He asked in worry. Haru smirked at the concern the younger had for him, but avoided saying anything smug that might discourage the teen from displaying that care in the future.

“I’m fine. Roku hits like a pansy.” The black haired teen chuckled.

“How did we get out of there?”

“I had to drag you through a mass of macho potheads and drunks trying to kill each other for no logical reason. Let me tell you, that is not an easy task.” Haru laughed and managed to get a small giggle-snort out of Yukio. “And then I drove you here. I didn’t know where you lived; honestly, I’m glad I didn’t. The last thing I wanted to do last night was explain to two gullible parents as to why their teenage son was drunk out of his mind.”

“So, we slept on the sofa?”

“Yep.” Haru replied nonchalantly.

“And that’s it?”

“Pretty much…”

It was then Yukio realized that he was wearing pajamas that were at least two or three sizes too big for him.

“This is definitely not what I was wearing!” Yukio hollered with a mix of anger, embarrassment, and fear. Haru coughed nervously as Yukio glared menacingly at him.

“Oh…right. Well, you see, you’re clothes were damp with beer, and I didn’t want you to ruin the couch, so I lent you my PJ’s, that’s all.” Haru said with an innocent smile. Yukio’s brow furrowed in doubt.

“So I was able to undress and redress myself in my drunken state? That’s pretty amazing.”

“Well, you’re just one amazing kid Yukio.” Haru chuckled nervously.

“Haru…”

“Alright, alright, I changed you okay? But I didn’t do anything stupid, I promise.”

“Your definition of ‘stupid’ is obviously flawed! What were you thinking?!”

“I told you why I did it!”

“That’s an idiotic reason! You just wanted an excuse to take my clothes off! Heaven knows what else you did to me!”

“I didn’t do anything to you! I never would’ve done it in the first place, but you practically begged me to do it!”

“Liar! Why would I do something like that?!”

“Newsflash, you were DRUNK!”

“Well then why did you listen to me?! I didn’t know what I was doing!”

“Maybe not, but you know what they say; peoples’ true feelings come to light when they’ve had a few! I mean, you even wanted to get into my bed, but I insisted on the sofa! You’re subconscious wanted me, and it still wants me! You want me!”

A long, tense and awkward silence ensued after Haru’s outburst. It was finally broken by a dejected sigh from the elder.

“Look, I’m sorry. I crossed the line when I said that. You’re right; I shouldn’t have undressed you when you were pretty much helpless. But I meant what I said before; I wouldn’t have done anything I thought would hurt you.” Haru mumbled uncomfortably.

“You’re right; you did cross over the line. You acted like a complete ignoramus.” Yukio huffed. “…But… I can’t thank you enough.” His voice had softened, as did his facial expression. Haru stared at him in befuddlement. “If you hadn’t of been there last night, I might not be alive right now. I owe you a lot.” The periwinkle haired teen said with a warm smile. Haru returned it with a grin of his own.

“No problem kid.”

“…So, are we the only ones here? There’s no one else home?” Yukio asked curiously. Haru nodded in agreement, chewing the inside of his cheek in thought. “Where are your parents?”

“Oh…they’re on a trip. They won’t be back for a while.”

“They left you all alone?”

“No, my older brother watches me. He just had to leave for an overnight business trip.” Haru explained.

“Oh…I never knew you had an older brother. You never talk about him.”

“Well he’s not near as hot as I am.” Haru snickered conceitedly. “And he’s straight.”

“I see….” Yukio murmured dazedly, swooning from side to side slightly. Haru eyed him in concern.

“Are you okay?”

“No…not really…I feel really nauseous.”

“Oh, crap, the hangover. Maybe I should get you a bucket or something…”

At that moment, the squeal of tires sounded from the outside of the house. Haru rushed to a window next to the front door and gasped, face aghast.

“It’s my brother! He’s home early!” He rasped. He shot back over to the green faced Yukio and pulled him up off the couch, shoving him into the nearest bathroom. “Stay in there!” He whispered before shutting the door and sitting back on the living room couch, switching on the television set in front of him, and trying to act natural. Haru’s forehead perspired as the doorknob of the front door jiggled. The door swung open to reveal a young man in a professional-looking, clean cut suit. He almost appeared to be an older version of Haru, with very similar facial features and body type, the only differences being that he was more muscularly built, had shorter, dark purple hair, and golden yellow eyes that reminded one of a snake. He held a leather briefcase in his hand and had reading glasses on.

“You’re home early.” Haru said casually as his brother entered the home.

“My trip was cut short.” The man replied curtly, setting his briefcase on the living room coffee table.

“You could’ve called”

“I did.” The older sibling growled while pointing to a telephone on a side table adjacent to the couch. A little red light was blinking, signaling that there was a message.

“Oh…” Haru mumbled after looking at the stationed cordless phone. The plum haired man began to head towards the restroom Yukio was in, and Haru practically flew in front of his brother to block his path.

“Whatcha doin bro?”

“Well, I was going to go take a shower, but then you stood in front of me and asked me a stupid question that I’m now answering.” The older sibling chided in irritation. The sounds of vomiting arose in the bathroom, so Haru made retching noises of his own to cover them up.

“Jeez, how much cologne do you have on? What did the ozone layer ever do to you?” Haru joked lamely, becoming more and more desperate to keep his brother out of the bathroom.

“You’re hilarious, now kindly move the hell out of my way.” The elder snapped and tried to move forward, but Haru obstructed his walkway again.

“W-Wait! You really don’t want to go in there!”

“And why is that?” The older brother asked flatly.

“Uh…well…you see…” Haru perused his mind for a halfway decent excuse. “…Last night I had some bad Mexican food, and this morning in the bathroom I-”

“Ugh, spare me the details. I get the point, I’ll shower later.” The elder muttered in disgust and walked away. Haru heaved an enormous sigh of relief and followed his brother into the house’s kitchen. The elder sat down at a round oak table and began to read a newspaper. Haru scratched the back of his head awkwardly, trying to think of a way to strike a conversation up with his brother. Usually he wouldn’t bother making the effort, but he wanted to keep the man busy and away from Yukio for as long as possible, until he could think of a plan.

“Hey Hitori?” Haru addressed the elder while heading over to a refrigerator.

“Hm?” The man newly identified as Hitori mumbled, absorbed in whatever he was currently skimming in the newspaper.

“You want something to eat?” The younger brother offered. Hitori lowered his paper to glance at Haru briefly.

“No. I’ve eaten already.” He grumbled and resumed his reading.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

“How about some coffee?” Haru persisted.

“If I say yes, will you stop pestering me and let me read in peace?” Hitori hissed in a vexed manner.

“I was just trying to be nice!” Haru retorted, growing angry at his brother’s unnecessary cynicism.

“What would be nice is some silence.”

“How much silence could you possibly need?! It’s not as if we ever talk!”

“You seem to talk plenty! You never know when to shut your mouth!” Hitori snarled, briskly standing up from his chair and tossing the newspaper in his hand at Haru. The man then stormed out of the kitchen and headed for the front door.

“Where are you going?” Haru called after him.

“None of your business.” Hitori barked back, swinging the front door open and stalking outside to his car. Haru raced to the open doorway and yelled out to the man again.

“When are you coming back?”

“Whenever the hell I feel like it.” The plum haired man sneered before getting into his jet black Benz and speeding off.

“Bastard!” Haru shouted despite the fact Hitori could no longer hear him. The raven haired teen slammed the door shut and let out a frustrated growl. He took a moment to regain his composure before deciding to check up on Yukio. When he got to the closed bathroom door he lightly knocked, waiting for a reply. The only response he received was the sounds of barfing and retching. Wincing at the grotesque noises, Haru decided it was best to let him get it all out of his system and just watch television for a while. For about an hour, Haru sat back and watched rerun cartoons on TV with the lovely background soundtrack of upchucking and the flushing of a toilet.

“Poor kid. The first hangover’s always the worst.” Haru sighed sympathetically. When the regurgitating noises ceased, Haru went back over to the bathroom and tried knocking again. The door handle wiggled briefly before the door creaked open to reveal a very groggy looking Yukio. He almost immediately staggered forward, Haru catching him in his arms before he could hit the ground.

“I think I’m dying…” The periwinkle haired teen moaned.

“You’ll be fine.” Haru chuckled while helping Yukio limp over to the couch. “You sure you’re not going to hurl anymore?”

“I couldn’t if I tried. I think I threw up my entire digestive system. My mind feels like it’s going to implode and leak out of my ears.”

“You’ll start to feel better in a few hours.” Haru assured. “How long were you supposed to stay at Roku’s? Won’t your parents be expecting you home?”

“Oh god…my parents…they’ll be so disappointed in me.” Yukio whined, partly from thinking about how his parents would react, and partly from the massive migraine he had.

“Not if they don’t find out.” Haru laughed with a mischievous grin.

“Huh?”

“Are your parents supposed to pick you up?”

“Yeah…”

“Around what time?”

“Noon.”

“Great, we still have a nice chunk of time. Good thing we woke up early. Or rather, you woke up early and then jolted me out of my peaceful slumber with your banshee scream.” The elder teased, causing Yukio to glare indignantly at him. “Do you have a cell phone?”

“Yes, I have it in my pocket.” The younger teen patted the side of his leg to reach for his phone, but remembered he wasn’t wearing his own clothes at the moment. “Or at least I did. Where are my clothes?”

“They’re in my room. I’ll get them.” The black haired teen replied and sprinted to his bedroom where he found the pair of pants Yukio had worn yesterday still lying on the floor. He picked them up and slid his hand into one of the pockets, retrieving Yukio’s cellular phone. He jogged back to the living room and tossed the phone to Yukio, who caught it clumsily. “Tell your parents that Roku’s older brother has offered to drop you off at noon.” Haru instructed.

“Older brother?”

“Me.”

“What? You’re going to pretend to be someone who doesn’t exist? And besides that, how could you be his older brother when you look the same age as him?” Yukio argued doubtfully.

“Look, don’t question me, just do as I say and you’ll get off scotch-free.”

“I think you mean scot-free.”

“Scotch-free just seemed like an appropriate pun for the situation you’re in.”

“………..”

“Just call them.”

“Whatever you say.” The smaller teen sighed before dialing his home phone number and holding his cell up to his ear.

“Remember, sound normal.” Haru whispered. There was a brief silence before Yukio greeted his mother and begin talking to her as casually as he could. Haru listened and tried to follow the conversation by hearing Yukio’s replies.

“ I’m fine, just wanted to check in with you….Yes, the studying went well….Um, you don’t have to pick me up; Roku has an older brother  who offered to drive me home. That’s okay right?...Yeah, he’s an adult….I always wear my seatbelt mom. I have to go now….Love you too. Bye.” And then the aqua eyed teen flipped his phone closed to end the conversation, sighing in relief. “It worked Haru!” He beamed through the pounding pain of his headache.

“Don’t celebrate yet. We still have some work to do if we wanna pull this off.” Haru explained, sorry to see the smile wiped off the other’s face.

“Like what?”

“Like getting rid of your hangover, for one.” The raven haired teen said before momentarily leaving the room to go into the kitchen; he returned with a bottle of Gatorade and a few pills and handed everything over to Yukio. “Aspirin for your migraine. Drink a lot of that Gatorade too; you need to replenish your body fluids after all that technicolor yawning you did.”

“Technicolor yawning?”

“What, you never heard that phrase for barfing before?”

“No.”

“Well you learn something new everyday.”

“That’s not something I particularly cared to learn.” Yukio mumbled before tossing the pills at the back of his throat and taking a large gulp of the drink Haru provided him.

“Hey, it’s not good to take medicine on an empty stomach; you want something to eat?” The elder offered.

“Ugh…don’t even mention food. I’ll be fine.”

“Suit yourself. Just focus on resting yourself for now. I’ll put on a movie. You have any particular genre you want to watch?”

“I don’t care…something light.”

“Comedy it is then.” Haru decided aloud before leaving to retrieve a DVD out of a chest in his room and placing it in the DVD player next to the living room television.  For an hour and a half, they sat and watched the funny movie that Haru had picked out, sharing a few laughs throughout, but not saying a whole lot to one another. When it ended, there was a strange silence, as if no one knew what to talk about. Yukio was the first to speak up.

“Haru?”

“Yeah?”

“Your brother…he came in earlier right?”

“He left.” Haru grumbled.

“Well that’s obvious, but I wanted to know why.”

“We had an argument.”

“Oh…I thought I heard yelling when I was in the bathroom. What were you fighting about?”

“Nothing really. We just don’t get along that great.” Haru sighed tiredly.

“Sorry to hear that.”

“Enough about my problems; how are you feeling?” Haru swiftly changed the subject, obviously not wanting to discuss his brother anymore.

“I’m okay. My head still hurts, but I feel better.”

“That’s good. The next thing you need to do is take a shower.” The dark haired teen declared. Yukio’s face paled substantially.

“What? No!”

“Yukio, I’m not being perverted; you really need to take a shower. When I say this, I mean it in the best possible way: you look like hell. Not to mention you still smell like beer. If you don’t wash up, someone’s going to suspect something.”

Yukio pondered what Haru said for a few moments before sighing dismally.

“Fine. But what about clothing?”

“Your clothes from last night are beer stained.”

“Well I’ll have to wear something of yours then.”

“Something of mine? My pajamas are barely clinging to you. No offense Yukio, but you’re kinda scrawny.” Haru chuckled. “Besides, I doubt I have anything that looks like something you’d wear.”

“It’s our only option, unless you want to go buy me a new outfit.”

“Fine, fine, I’ll try to find something decent you can wear while you wash up. Oh, and unless you want to wear a pair of my underwear, you’re going to have to either wear the pair you have on now, or go without.” The elder snickered. Yukio’s face contorted into one of disgust and embarrassment.

“I’ll go without!” He spat in flustered manner. Haru shrugged amusedly with a smirk.

“There’s a towel already in the bathroom, so go ahead.” The black haired teen murmured with a nod of his head in the direction of the restroom. He caught the look of hesitation in the younger teen’s face and continued. “There’s a lock on the door you can use; ya know, in case you don’t trust me.” He chuckled softly. Yukio glanced over at him with an unreadable expression; he slowly stood from the couch and padded over to the bathroom he had earlier been throwing up in, shutting the door behind him. He walked over to a large, clean, porcelain tub and started the shower by turning a knob. He held his hand under the water while adjusting the heat until it was just the right temperature. For a few moments, he merely stood, still fully clothed, while leering at the bathroom door, particularly the lock. He stepped over to the door and touched the lock gingerly.

…Sorry Haru. Yukio thought with a bit of guilt as he firmly locked the door, ensuring no one could enter. Haru heard the slight click of the bathroom door locking and sighed.

Can’t blame the kid. Haru thought with a shrug before journeying to his bedroom in search for something for Yukio to wear. Meanwhile, Yukio was washing himself thoroughly in the shower, relishing in the warmth of the water. After about twenty minutes, the periwinkle haired teen was finished cleaning his self; he stepped out of the tub, grabbed a white fluffy towel off a rack and wrapped it around his waist.

“Haru!” Yukio called from inside the bathroom. “Do you have clothes for me?”

“Yup!” Haru shouted back from the living room. He was holding an old pair of jeans and a plain white t-shirt. “Come on out and get them!”

“What?! No way!” The younger teen refused, very peeved.

“Aw, come on; it’s not like I’d snatch your towel away or anything!” The black haired teen laughed heartily.

“Absolutely not!”

“Okay, I guess you’ll just have to stay in there forever.” Haru was now directly in front of the bathroom door, smiling mischievously

“Haru!”

“Maybe I’ll give you them if you beg.”

“Come on Haru!”

“You’ll have to do better than that.”

“Why are you doing this?” Yukio whined while leaning his wet forehead against the door.  

“For fun. Still not hearing any begging.”

“I’m not begging you! I have some dignity you know!”

“Fine. But let me remind you that you have to be home at a certain time or your parents will worry and end up trying to pick you up at Roku’s house. Imagine their surprise when they discover you’re not there.” The elder taunted. Yukio let out an angry, helpless growl, and did not speak for a few moments. “Well?” Haru persisted.

“……Oh please Haru, please give me something to wear, I beg of you.” Yukio stated flatly through gritted teeth. “Now will you give me the clothes?”

“Well, I don’t know…”

“Haru!!!”

“Alright, don’t have kittens. Open the door a crack and I’ll slide them in.”

The door slowly opened a small gap, allowing Haru to slip the attire he had in his hands into the room. As soon as Yukio got hold of them, he slammed the door shut, nearly crushing Haru’s hand in the process.

“Jerk!” Yukio spat huffily. The elder teen rolled his eyes nonchalantly and headed back into the living room. After a minute, Yukio emerged from the washroom, sporting Haru’s old clothes, which fit his frame rather loosely. The younger teen walked to the area where Haru was, his light purple hair still damp. Haru glanced at the other, noticing the aggravated glare he was receiving. He thought about apologizing, but decided he was having too much fun being an ass.

“So how’s it feel to go commando in someone else’s pants?” The raven haired teen cracked with an amused grin.

“I’m not even going to dignify that question with a response.” Yukio snapped.

“What’s wrong kid?”

“What’s wrong? What’s wrong?! You are what’s wrong! How dare you make me beg for clothes! What kind of sick minded person are you?!”

“The sexy kind.”

“You’re hopeless!” The smaller teen sighed exasperatedly.

“No need to get worked up Yu-yu.”

“Don’t call me that! Can you please just take me home?”

“Fine. Just let me get changed.”

“Changed?” Yukio asked with a quirked eyebrow.

“Well I’m supposed to be Roku’s older brother, so I need to dress a little more mature looking.” The elder explained as he left the room and ventured deeper into the house.

I really hope Hitori doesn’t find out I not only went into his room, but borrowed his clothes too.  Haru thought anxiously as he perused his brother’s closet. Yukio waited patiently on the living room sofa until Haru returned. When the black haired teen did come back, Yukio’s face went completely blank. Haru’s appearance was so drastically changed it shocked the younger into silence for a short while. He wore a black business suit with a grey tie and polished dress shoes. His hair was combed neater as well. The older teen had a very unpleased grimace on his face, and his arms were crossed over his chest in a rebellious pose.

“Not one wisecrack from you, got it? I wouldn’t want to have to put a dent in your pretty face.” Haru growled.

“You look nice Haru.” Yukio said with a sweet smile.

“Quit making fun of me!” Haru yelled angrily.

“What? What are you talking about?” Yukio questioned with his face contorted in confusion and aggravation.

“You think I look like a nerd!”

“You’re crazy! I happen to think you look amazingly handsome in that outfit!” Yukio shouted back without thinking much of the content his sentence held. The younger teen’s face flashed red, and he quickly looked away. His eyes widened substantially when he felt two strong hands grab his shoulders from behind him.

“So the formal, clean cut look is what turns you on, huh?” Haru’s husky voice made its way into Yukio’s ear.

“I-I never said that…” Yukio muttered in embarrassment.

“No need to be shy.” The elder chuckled while tilting the other’s head backwards until they were face to face.

“Stop it! Please just stop and get me home!” Yukio yelled and broke away from Haru’s grasp. The dark haired teen frowned in discontent and then left the room without telling Yukio where or why he left. Yukio waited in awkward silence for him to come back, which he did after a minute. Haru tossed the smaller teen a plastic bag full of his clothes.

“Your stuff from yesterday is in there.” Haru mumbled monotonously.

“…Thanks.” Yukio murmured unsurely.

“Let’s go. What’s your address?”

“525 Rosebud Street, 55^th avenue. Is that anywhere near here?” Yukio inquired as he followed Haru outside the house.

“Not too far, I don’t think. Maybe twenty minutes away.” The black haired teen replied while putting on a pair of black, wide frame sunglasses.

“What’s with the shades?” Yukio chuckled as he opened the passenger door to Haru’s convertible.

“It’ll help hide my face. Your parents would definitely get suspicious if they recognized me later and I wasn’t Roku’s brother anymore.”

“Oh…” Yukio mumbled.