☆Wish Upon A Star☆

☆~Chapter 21~☆

Kiku sighed, holding his head and resting his elbows on the polished dining room table, staring at the pale boy, with half-closed, dark-circled eyes, reddened by tears, who shook under his lover's gaze; the boy his reflection showed.

"Did he... kiss you?" Yao repeated after Kiku spoke, widening his eyes in a mix of indignation, compassion and surprise.

Kiku nodded. Alfred had kissed him. That was the only part he remembered from his restless night at the club. Alfred's hands messily looking for his bare skin, the heavy and nauseous stench of alcohol flooding Kiku's senses as their lips pressed together.

He could almost hear Yao's frown, even when not looking at him; he was too familiar with that disappointed expression. But Kiku's frown was deeper and more pained.

He had endured a long scold from Yao when he came home, trying to hold his tears back under the worried yelling from his former brother, and actual lover. But he had time to explain everything in the quiet Saturday morning, when the Western member of the household were still asleep.

"It was scary, Yao..." He sighed shakily, holding himself.

Yao nodded, laying his hand on Kiku's back to calm him. "It's okay... I'm sorry for yelling at you last night, I'm sorry..."

Kiku shook his head, biting his lip and looking away from him. He was ashamed of himself, in some way- he had thought he was a responsible boy, but Alfred's manipulation over him had destroyed that image.

Yao sighed, understanding Kiku's feelings and pulling away from him. He took Kiku's clothes from last night from the bathroom, making sure to eye Kiku when he walked past. The boy was picking at his breakfast, sighing.

Yao carried the clothes to the washing machine, humming under his breath to calm himself down, like a caged bird in a rainy day. He threw the shirt into the machine, picking at the pockets. "Did you remember to take your wallet out of your trousers?" He called.

Kiku chuckled humorlessly, eating properly now. "I can't even remember how I got home,"

Yao rolled his eyes, taking the boy's wallet out to prevent it from drenching in the washing machine. He raised his eyebrow as his fingers grazed a piece of wrinkled paper, taking it out too. He widened his eyes slightly, trying to straighten it to read.

'20:00 at the beach
next to the rocks of the cliffside :3'

"Kiku? Who gave you this?" He checked his pockets for other stuff water could ruin, walking to Kiku.

The boy tilted his head, taking the note.

At first, the message sounded empty in his mind. Slowly, its echoes into his head formed a memory once lost; and he could remember Elizaveta.

He widened his eyes, staring at Yao. "I-I remember more!"

☆☆☆☆☆☆

Ekaterina glanced at his brother.

He had been a nervous mess since Matthew Williams had given the news about the Honda boy. And controlling Ivan's eagerness was becoming harder and harder everyday.

She couldn't let him go until Toris had informed her that Kiku and Yao were safe at the Mission's bunker, far away from Ivan's target by the coast.

"We can't attack yet. In the first place, you need people to attack with," She sighed.

Ivan growled. "I'll do it myself!"

"The attack won't be for their lives. I thought we agreed on playing for them for a while before striking,"