His hunger had left him because of the running that he had done earlier so, Tamahome sat in his room and pulled out a small sketch tablet, beginning to draw. He sat listening to loudly playing “Luna Sea” music which came from the other boy’s room.
 It was 3:00 in the afternoon and time for two certain men to get off of work. Tamahome thought his watch to be fast when half an hour passed and the two weren’t home.
 “What could be taking them?” he thought to himself while dropping his pencils to the floor and walking into the hallway.
 The door to Nakago’s room seemed welcoming as it was completely open. Tamahome walked slowly to the door frame and peeked into the room to find the bishonen fast asleep and curled in a ball on his bed. He smiled at the lovely sight and entered to lower the loud j-rock and cover the sleeping boy.
 Tamahome leaned against a wall facing Nakago, and stared. His eyes, his hair, his body, everything about him seemed to eat Tamahome’s thoughts. All that he could think about was, Nakago!
 Slightly ashamed of himself, Tamahome turned away and headed towards the door, only to be halted by a smooth, soft voice.
 “Where are you going?”
 “I’m sorry....if I woke you.”
 “You did but it doesn’t matter. I have a question.”
 “........?”
 “Why do you stare at me? Why did you come into my room...” Nakago walked towards the terribly blushing boy and took his soft face in his hands. “....and stare at me?”
 Tamahome’s eyelids slowly fell as Nakago, smiling wickedly, leaned closer to his face.
 “Holy--Shit!” he thought. “What’s going on?! He’s gonna’.....he’s gonna’....kiss.....me----”
 “Would you like a popcicle Tamahome? I feel like having one.”
 “What?!”
 “You heard me.” Nakago gave his evil smile and dropped Tamahome’s face.
 As the blond left his room, Tamahome stood perfectly still, staring at the wall with huge eyes and a hot blush scraped across his entire face. The boy’s heart raced in his chest as he breathed heavily.
 “Well, are you coming?” inquired the silky voice now in the hallway.
 “....No. I don’t want one.” Tamahome responded somewhat snappishly.
 “Well fine. You don’t need to blush anymore. You can stop being stupid.”
 Nakago could see Tamahome’s blush fade and turn to a frown at his last words. The sight pleased him. He couldn’t help but chuckle to himself which only angered Tamahome more.
 The two boy’s walked along side each other to the kitchen where Tamahome seated himself at the table and Nakago, onto the counter top.
 Tamahome hung his head and tried his best to pay no attention to Nakago, which he found very hard to do. He watched his swinging feet and listened to the odd boy rummage through what sounded like glass products of some sort. He could smell the sulfur from a lighted match which was followed by the sickening smell of a pine tree scented candle.
 Tamahome could no longer keep his eyes from the beautiful blond. He wanted to know what sort of strange idea the boy had come up with this time.
 Tamahome slowly turned around in his chair and wasn’t very surprised to find Nakago sitting on top of the counter, removing his left hand glove, and pouring hot melted wax into his palm. The boy winced only slightly and blew over the smelly green wax to help it cool off.
 “Weird.” Tamahome thought as he continued to watch with puzzled expression.
 Though he thought the boy to be more strange then when he had first met him, Tamahome was somewhat amused and entertained.
 The boy’s eyes caught sight of the nicely glowing candle which sat melting in a foggy, star shaped candle holder on the counter. His violet eyes saddened as he stood from his chair and walked over to Nakago who cracked hunks of wax in his hand.
 Tamahome pulled himself onto the counter aside Nakago and took the warm candle in his hands.
 “So, you come to sit by me.” Nakago stated, locking eyes with the boy who seemed to be on the verge of tears. “Problems Tamahome?”
 “You have no room to ask me that.”
 “Oh? And why not?”
 “Well.....what were you doing with this candle?”
 “What were you thinking about when I invited you for popcicles? Ecchi little boy.”
 “Don’t say that.”
 “Ec-chi!”
 “Leave me alone.”
 “No.” Nakago smiled as he enjoyed himself. “You entered this house and now your stuck with me!”
 “What will you do if I try to escape? Shoot me?”
 “Maybe.....I have a whip that could come in handy too.”
 “........I didn’t have to know that.”
 “Well you would have found out sooner or later.”
 Tamahome looked at the boy from the corner of his squinted eye, unsure of what he was talking about and uninterested in knowing.
 “You know Nakago,” he began “You’re very different from what I expected.”
 “You expected?”
 “I mean, you seemed mean and rude at first.”
 “And, I’m not now?”
 “Well, not so much as you are evil.”
 Nakago’s laughter filled the room as the word “evil” fell from Tamahome’s lips. He was evil? How very funny!
 “You are the first to openly admit that to me you know.” he laughed “I kind of admire you for that.”
 Tamahome closed his eyes while thinking to himself, “...Admire me...” and jumping at the sound of the ringing doorbell.
 “Ah, Hikitsu-san. Finally home.” Nakago whispered aloud and smiled.
 The boy slid down from the counter top and briskly walked towards the front door, pleased to finally have Hikitsu home.
 On opening the door, Nakago was greeted by the lovely Tattara who smiled at the boy while holding a tiny, potted cactus.
 “Hello.” he said softly, blinking repeatedly in confusion as Nakago stood, frowning angrily in the doorway.
 “Why are you not Hikitsu-san?!”
 “Because I’m Tattara. Isn’t it obvious?” he raised his eyebrows and smiled. “May I come in?”
 “I suppose.”
 Nakago walked from the door, allowing his uncle to enter the cozy little house.
 “So what brings you here anyway?”
 “Well, I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t miss Tamahome-chan’s birthday for anything. I want to make a good impression on him, make him feel wanted.”
 “Tamahome’s birthday? Today?” Nakago began to mumble. “No wonder.”
 “Didn’t you know? I thought that maybe he would have told you. And if not, the orphanage papers say everything.”
 “Well, the orphanage papers didn’t tell me.......and neither did the boy.”
 “Well now that you know, are you going to be nice about it?”
 “...Define nice.”
 Tamahome sat with his head in his hands while listening to the conversation going on in the living room. It was obvious to him that Nakago cared nothing about him or his feelings.To Tamahome, the other boy didn’t seem to care about anything or anyone......except for Hikitsu. He didn’t even care for himself.
 “I’m pretty sure that I do.” he thought.
 As the two seemed to argue with each other in the living room, Tamahome snuck behind them, walking to his room and closing the door.
 Nakago’s sparkling blue eyes caught sight of the sad boy and he began to wonder the usual, “what’s his problem?”
 “Did you happen to water the bushes, Nakago-chan?” Tattara’s words pulled Nakago from his daze of wondering.
 “Why would I water the bushes?” he snapped, looking at the older man as though he were some kind of fool.
 “Don’ know. Guess that means I have to. I’ll be outside!”
 The suddenly genki man dashed out of the back door after placing his cactus’ little terracotta pot on the kitchen table.
 Nakago was left alone with Tamahome yet again and wondered what he should do. For some strange reason he wanted to run to the boy and piss him off with some sly remark of his.
 “Tamahome.” he began, speaking through a crack in the boy’s bedroom door. “May I come in?”
 Nakago leaned against the door frame for several minutes. Still having no response from the sulking boy, he slowly walked in.
 “You don’t talk anymore?”
 “You have already informed me that you won’t leave me alone so, what’s the point?”
 The younger boy sat on the floor, leaning against the back of his bed. He gazed out of the window and into the deep, blue afternoon sky.
 “It looks like rain.” Nakago stated.
 “......Yeah.” Tamahome answered in his head. “The sky reminds me of you.”
 “So, birthday huh? That means that you’re now 14 doesn’t it?”
 Tamahome sat completely silent, continuing to stare out of the window and ignore the older boy.
 “Now I know what’s keeping Hikitsu-san.”
 “What do you mean by that?!” Tamahome threw himself around, breaking into harsh sounding speech.
 “Oh. You can still talk I see. It sure is easy to get you riled up.” he smiled.
 “Please tell me what you meant.”
 “Only that Hikitsu either went to buy you something or, avoid you and your birthday all together. The same goes for Tomite-san. Maybe they sent Tattara over here to throw you off, make you think that they----”
 “Stop it! You’re heartless.”
 Tamahome’s violet eyes pierced Nakago’s soul as he found them riveted on him, glaring.
 “........Tamahome!.......You’re crying.” he whispered, loosing his smirk.
 “So what if I am?!” the boy burst as he jumped up and started hurriedly for the door.
 Nakago’s strong grip to the boy’s arm halted him.
 “Let go of me.” he said with beating heart and eyes never looking upward.
 “What’s the matter?”
 “Like you care. Let go of me!”
 Tamahome lightly placed his hand on that of Nakago’s and pried open his strong fingers.
 “His hand is so soft...and cold.” he thought, before running to the bathroom to cry on his own.
 Nakago stood dumb founded and alone in the boy’s room. He took some time to think before snapping back to reality.
 “I can’t let him rub off on me. I don’t care!” he said aloud. “I really don’t.”
 The tall boy ran his fingers through his soft, golden strands of hair as he walked to the kitchen.
 Sitting on the counter, the little green candle melted away and scented the large room. Nakago noticed his glove laying aside the candle and retrieved it in one hand while lifting the warm, juicy candle in the other.
 Tamahome’s eyes were red, he noticed as he looked into the bathroom mirror and dried his face with a towel.
 When walking back to his room, he noticed a soft glow flooding what was not a pitch black area. All of the lights down the hallway and in his room had been turned off.
 Tamahome cautiously entered his room and walked towards the soft glow which sat on his window sill. The familiar smell that was then being carried through the air in his room forced a frown upon the boy’s face.
 “He brought me the candle.” he whispered aloud. “I don’t know weather to be happy or insulted.”
 The boy knelt down and thought to himself, “I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt.” and blew the flame out with his eyes closed. “I wonder if wishes come true.”

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