I lock the door behind me before I head down the stairs, glad I�m the only one with the key. That way there�s no interruptions.
Harada�s selective about opening up to others and even myself sometimes. If I get him to talk and someone else accidentally barges in or something, he�ll fall silent and I may not be able to get him to continue what he was saying later.
It�s pretty much only one shot, hit or miss, with him, but I don�t really mind.
I finally reach the bottom of the stairs and spot Harada laying on my bed staring up at the ceiling. I sit next to him on the floor, leaning back against the side of the bed, but don�t say anything yet. If he wants to talk, he�ll talk. And if he just wants me near him, I can handle that too.
�It�s not fair,� he says slowly as I turn my head to the left in order to see him, �that he knows Ara better than I do. Knows my brother better than I do or should.�
��Should?� You were three, and he was already twenty, when they kidnapped him. You were only with him for three years, and two of them you probably can�t remember now.� I shake my head slightly, continuing after a brief pause. �Then Raidien took him from you and he eventually met Adel. He was with Ara for five years; they had to rely on each other and they bonded through the chaos. Of course he�s going to know him better than you.�
�I guess�I guess I�m just jealous,� Harada tells me with a small sigh, �someone who�s a stranger to us knows the most important person to me better than I do. Or will, due to the state of things.�
�Then you should get to know him through Adel. Ask him about it, you know? I�m sure he�d tell you; he seems rather fond of Ara.� Harada rolls onto his side, left arm supporting his head, to glare at me with a look that suggests he�s insulted by such a thing.
�It was just a suggestion,� I mutter, glancing away, �and besides, think of it this way�even if you had known Ara well before they took him, he�s a completely different person now, and not just because he�s been killed and forgotten. If he still remembered, he wouldn�t be the Ara you�d remember. You can�t stay in a place like that while they do God-knows-what to you and not change.�
He doesn�t answer, so I chance a look back. The glare is gone, but the pout is in place.
�Point made, but mine still stands,� he sighs, then stands and stretches before smiling down at me, �though I suppose I can get over it. I�ll fix it when we get Ara back.�
�So, you�re feeling better then?�
�You�re the one who can read my mind,� he replies with a smirk, sliding into a sitting position beside me, �you tell me.�
�Well, good, because I have to tell you something.�
�Yea?� Harada�s head tilts slightly, curious look in his eyes, �And what�s that?�
�Adel came back and I let him stay. Also, Sora had nothing to do with it. He swears.�
He just stares in disbelief, so I take advantage of his shocked state and lean over to steal a kiss. Turns out to be a long one too, because unlike I expected, he returned it.
�Traitor,� he says softly, slipping his arms around my neck to prevent from pulling all the way back, �what�d you have to go and do that for?�
�I�m not entirely sure myself.�
He blinks at this, surprised for some reason, then shrugs slightly. �Well, whatever.�
��Whatever� is right,� I tell him, brushing stray strands of hair out of his face and following with a light kiss, �now shut up and come here.�
