Chapter Text
"Are you kidding? That is just stupid", Kiyoteru looked like he'd just been suggested to wash his clothes with soy sauce, "why would an adult do such a thing?"
Luka looked at him with an amused smile from the other side of the table.
"People who've been leading a straight edge existence all their lives and wants to know what it's like on the other side", she stated calmly.
"And the other side involving hang-overs, uncountable vomits and things that you either don't want to remember or actually regret remembering is such a desirable destination to reach then", Kiyoteru raised a meaningful eyebrow.
Still grinning Luka shrugged her shoulders.
"I guess the unknown thrills just as much as it scares", she said.
Kiyoteru gave a low snort as he turned his head away.
"Well, personally I am not thrilled by the temptation of a one-day hang-over in the slightest", he said, "so there's no need to worry yourself".
Luka looked at him quietly, the corners of her lips twitching and her shoulders moving violently with the laughter she tried to hold in. Unfairly enough her boyfriend was the most adorable when he was being serious and slightly cranky and even though she to found the issue of over-consumption of alcohol to be a serious matter she couldn't help but be amused by that heavy frown, lips that resembled two slim lines and that furious borderline offended glare as he looked away from her.
"I don't distrust you with alcohol", she said softly, "it was just a silly joke. I believe that you will do just fine tonight".
"Promise?" he looked at her suspiciously, a slight pout on his face.
Luka had to struggle not to let out another giggle as she looked at him. Jeez, she was the one dealing with the fact that her boyfriend was going on a boy's night out. Shouldn't the reactions be reversed?
"Yes", she said softly, "the only reason I brought it up was that you doing such a thing would be so unlikely that it's downright laughable".
"Hm...", Kiyoteru looked at her with narrowed eyes for a while before finally sighing, "okay then", he said, "I guess I have to believe you then".
"So, so", Luka patted him on the head, "now, you just make sure to put on your nicest shirt but not nice enough for me to have to battle hundreds of women to get to you".
"Okey", the brown haired man gave an amused smile of his own, "I am not going to make you bring the gun and sword and go out on your way in the middle of the night".
"Good", Luka smiled calmly, "because I'm expecting to actually get some sleep tonight".
"You mean, you minded last night?" Kiyoteru gave a meaningful wink.
"Oh, no!" Luka gave a matching smirk as she looked back at him, "but I have to be properly rested for next time don't I?"
"Oh, of course you do", Kiyoteru's gaze lingered on his fiancée as he lowered his voice, "I have some new things planned".
"Can't wait to see", Luka's smirk lingered on, " go fix yourself up so you don't get late".
"Sure", Kiyoteru gave another wink before adding with a low voice, "don't miss me too much".
"I'll try", Luka chuckled as Kiyoteru rose from his chair.
_._
"Oh there he is!" Kaito called out with a cheerful smile as the brown haired man came walking towards them.
"Right on time as always", Gakupo grinned as he raised his hand to greet their friend.
"And you're both early", Kiyoteru raised a meaningful eyebrow as he reached the two men.
"Well", Gakupo smirked as he greeted the other with a handshake and a slap on the back, "we wanted some time to talk behind your back. Didn't we Kaito?" he sent the blue haired man a meaningful glance.
"Of course", Kaito grinned, "how else would we make it through the night?"
Kiyoteru shook his head as he looked at his friends with a tired yet amused smile.
"Well, now the fun is over though", he said, "because now I'm here. So, should we get that drink before the night is over?"
"Sure", Gakupo nodded.
"Absolutely", Kaito smiled, "I know a great place nearby".
_._
"Yeah, so basically it's kind of a combination of a fun-park and a circus", Kaito continued, gesturing ecstatically.
Kiyoteru and Gakupo exchanged an amused smile as they looked at each other from opposites sides of their friend. The three men had found a cosy new bar close to the water and they were amazed by what delicious beers it served. The place had admittedly not looked like much to the world, a small building with an interior that almost looked like it was taken straight from the average Japanese-family's kitchen but they once again supposed that looks were deceiving"
"And where is it?" Gakupo grinned meaningfully.
"Nowhere as of yet", Kaito shrugged his shoulders, "but there will be I can assure you".
"And you seriously believe any fun-park would allow Gorilla piggy-back rides and roller-coasters driven by lions?" Kiyoteru raised an eyebrow.
"Sure", Kaito gave a radiant smile, "if the animals were properly learned and had good work-conditions".
Kiyoteru and Gakupo exchanged another meaningful look as they silently chuckled at their friend.
"What?" Kaito frowned as he gave them a look of disbelief, "you don't believe me?"
"Sorry to say", Kiyoteru gave the blue haired man a pat on the back, "but I kinda don't".
"I can't believe it", Kaito muttered, "here I'm sitting with my friends explaining with the utmost sincerity everything that..."
The blue haired man was interrupted mid-sentence as a man with pink shades and oddly colored clothing came towards them.
"Wazz up bros?" he said in a slow, slurring voice as he placed a loose hand on Kiyoteru's shoulder.
"Errhm....", Kiyoteru frowned, "good, thanks for asking", he exchanged a glance with Kaito who was looking every bit as puzzled as Kiyoteru himself felt and Gakupo who was smiling an amused half-smile before asking the question he knew to be good tone, "and yourself?"
The man grinned but the expression in his eyes was impossible to read due to those thick shades.
"Swell, just swell thanks", he replied now shifting to supporting his entire weight on the poor teacher's shoulder, "top-notch place, isn't it?"
"Yeah", Kiyoteru nodded, trying his hardest not to let his uneasiness shine through.
"Absolutely", Kaito who wasn't made uncomfortable easily gave the man a cheerful smile, "this is probably the best beer I've ever drunk. Damn it", he smiled dreamily, "I should bring Mei-chan next time. She loves sake".
Kiyoteru glared angrily at his blue haired friend. What on earth was Kaito doing starting a conversation with such a man? With that slurry speech, the slumping posture and those thick shades that man could for all they knew...
"Does this Mei-chan like mushrooms?" the man grinned so broadly that multiple gold teeth peeked out.
Silent horror appeared on Kiyoteru's face and he could see Gakupo frown heavily behind Kaito. It was clear that they thought the exact same thing. Damn it! There was apparently a reason this place was nearly empty.
"Well, I guess she does", Kaito replied thoughtfully, "she does use them a lot in her cooking".
Kiyoteru wanted to slam his half-filled mug into Kaito's head right then, right there. Could anyone seriously be that slow?
"Well", the man chuckled knowingly in a way that made the blood freeze in Kiyoteru's veins as he placed his hand into his pocket and picked up a small bag, "see, I am in a generous mood today".
Kiyoteru was surprised if the disgust on his face wasn't visible to the most inobservant of people as the small bag was placed practically right under his nose. Gakupo however looked far more annoyed than frightened as he watched the man's last gesture.
"Usually these comes at a high cost", the man continued, "but since I had a great day and sold more than half my share I thought it was about time I showed some goodwill. See this as a test-sample", he grinned again to the point that those ugly gold teeth showed, "I can promise you", he lowered his voice into a whisper as he lent down over Kiyoteru to come closer to all of them, a gesture Kiyoteru most certainly did not appreciate along with the man's rank breath, "these are good stuff. Really good stuff".
"So if I may ask", Kaito smiled like the naive fool he was, "how do you cook them?"
Seriously, someone should just shove that entire bag down his throat. How dumb could you seriously get? Kiyoteru could see Gakupo glaring daggers at the blue haired man and was somehow quite relieved that he hadn't brought his katana. If so he had no idea who'd lose his head first, the stinking man crushing Kiyoteru's shoulder or Kaito, although somehow Kiyoteru suspected that they'd both already lost them long ago.
"Oh!" the man grinned knowingly, a borderline predatory look in his face, "I think those are better off eaten... raw".
Kiyoteru could see Gakupo half rising from his chair and was needless to say beyond relieved once the man casually raised his hand and turned around.
"Anyway", he said, "I better get going. Make what you want of those. Just make sure you dispose of them properly".
"Absolutely", Kaito's smile practically radiated with joy.
Kiyoteru drew a deep breath as the man walked away from them.
"Free stuff", Kaito said happily as the man walked out of sight.
But the smile didn't stay on his face for long because before he'd known it he'd been slapped behind the head from two sides.
"Idiot!" Gakupo and Kiyoteru exclaimed with one mouth.
_._
"More like ten", Gakupo continued saying as he Kiyoteru and Kaito made their way home from the bar.
The rest few hours had passed rather peacefully and no one had mentioned the mysterious bag Kaito had received but yet all three of them would have lied if they denied that it had made some engines shift place in their heads.
"Well, good luck making room for that", Kiyoteru frowned as he continued with the conversation they all pretended to have their minds set on "how does she think 10 rally-cars are going to fit into her garage?"
"Don't ask me", Gakupo shrugged his shoulders, an amused half-smile on his face, "it's Gumi-chan's garage, not mine".
"Indeed", Kiyoteru shook his head, "I'll never understand that whole collector-mentality".
"I don't know", Gakupo shrugged his shoulders, "sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. Rally-cars", he frowned thoughtfully, "not really though. They take up way too much space".
"Really?" Kaito exclaimed, looking at them as though they'd completely lost their minds, "and personally I'd love to have an entire roller-coaster on my backyard".
Both Kiyoteru and Gakupo chuckled as they exchanged a look. They couldn't really say they were surprised.
"And I suppose a house for the lion who's going to drive it", Gakupo smiled calmly.
"I wouldn't mind", Kaito shrugged his shoulders, "it'd have to live somewhere".
They all fell silent as they approached the all familiar park the one Kaito and Gakupo had so elegantly named the 'Philosopher's park' the place where their paths usually separated. Gakupo and Kiyoteru usually went to the left and Kaito to the right, and after a few meters Kiyoteru would wait for the bus while Gakupo kept walking but somehow Kiyoteru felt as though they all had some unfinished business which he couldn't put the finger on.
"So I guess this is it then", Gakupo said as they stopped, "its been good seeing you but unfortunately all good things come to an end", he chuckled, "can't make Hio believe that I've been spirited away can I?"
"Yeah", Kaito nodded thoughtfully, "I definitely should be going now. Mei-chan is going to worry about me otherwise".
"Not to mention", Kiyoteru filled in, raising his index-finger, "tomorrow's still a Thursday".
"Yeah", both Kaito and Gakupo nodded.
"So I guess this is good night then", Kiyoteru said.
"Absolutely", Gakupo agreed, "see you tomorrow".
"Yeah", Kaito smiled, "see you tomorrow".
Yet none of them made any attempt to leave.
"I can't believe he gave you mushrooms", Gakupo said after a while, an amused grin on his face as he looked at Kaito.
"And above all", Kiyoteru raised an eyebrow, "I can't believe you accepted them".
"So what?" Kaito looked at them with a puzzled frown, "I couldn't know they were THOSE kind of mushrooms, could I? Plus I wanted to surprise Mei-chan".
Kiyoteru and Gakupo exchanged a glance.
"Yeah", Gakupo smirked, "because people usually carry around raw tofu in their pockets. And yeah", he added with a raised eyebrow, "Meiko-san will definitely be surprised, surprised enough to make you sleep on the couch tonight".
Kiyoteru nodded. Meiko liked sake. No, correction. Meiko LOVED sake but loving sake didn't mean loving to lose your mind and definitely not loving any kind of drugs and Meiko happened to hate drugs every bit as much as she loved sake.
"Yeah", a sudden troubled look on Kaito's face, "we should really dispose of this".
"Definitely", Kiyoteru nodded, "this is a dangerous thing you're holding onto".
"Yeah", Gakupo agreed, "let's say we bury it...", he grabbed his chin thoughtfully, "in the park. No one ought to find it if we bury it deep down by the tree".
For some reason Kiyoteru couldn't help but think that this idea was absolutely excellent and there were no words for how badly he wanted to follow through with it.
"Absolutely", he agreed, "let's do it right now".
"Perfect", Kaito smiled like a 6 year old on his way to the amusement-park, "evidence-burial I haven't done that since sixth grade. To the big tree!"
Gakupo and Kiyoteru exchanged an amused glance but somehow Kiyoteru knew that they were both every bit as excited as Kaito.
_._
"So where do we start?" Kiyoteru said as he looked at the ground around the big white tree.
They'd all bothered going those extra steps to get here and they'd all sacrificed those twenty minutes they'd already stood here and yet no one made any effort to actually do what they came for.
"I suppose as close to the roots as possible", Kaito answered thoughtfully.
"Like here?" Kiyoteru nudged at a spot of the ground with his foot.
"Yeah", Gakupo nodded, with the same abscent-minded gaze as Kaito, "I think that will do".
The three looked silently at one another as Kaito slowly brought forth the small transparent bag.
"I guess... time to dispose of some evidence then", he said.
Yet he made no sign of loosening his grip around it and not Gakupo, nor Kiyoteru made any effort to take it away from him.
"I wonder how strong these things are", Kiyoteru started, "I mean... he wouldn't just GIVE them away like that..."
"Probably not", Gakupo looked thoughtfully at the small transparent bag, "he wouldn't give something that efficient away because... he wouldn't want to miss out on a good sum of money, right?"
"Maybe they aren't so strong after all", Kiyoteru rubbed his chin, an equally as thoughtful look on his face.
"Maybe", Kaito said, eyes narrowing slightly, "it's just candy".
"Yeah", Gakupo and Kiyoteru nodded.
"I still think we should throw it away though", the blue haired man looked at the bag in his hand, "it might be dangerous after all".
"Yeah", Gakupo nodded, "let's do that".
But no one made any effort to dispose of the bag.
_._
"Oiiihhh!" I'm flying Kaito exclaimed as he ran down the hill, arms pointed to the sides.
It had been 2 hours since the three men had decided to burry the bag and to keep matters simple they had after all agreed on the idea that it may only be candy after all. Very bitter-tasting candy. But still...
"Kiyoteru-san you should get up here!" Gakupo called out from where he stood balancing on the 2 inches high stump, "the view is absolutely wonderful".
"Really?" the teacher narrowed his eyes as he looked his friend´s direction, "because all I see is this chessboard we're standing on".
"What are you talking about?" Gakupo laughed as he looked out over the still very much green grass, "I can see all the way to..." he cupped a hand above his eyes, "bloody China!"
"Really?" Kaito's eyes widened as he stopped in the midst of his flapping to look at the other men, "is that what it is? I thought it was... Sri Lanka?"
"Psst!" Gakupo snorted as he made a quick movement with his hand as if waving of a fly, "you're looking at the wrong side", he pointed ahead of him, "here is China!"
"Aha!" Kaito's eyes widened as he looked towards Gakupo's hand, "I think I can see it now. And errhm... Gakupo..."
"Yes?"
"Why are there two of you?" Kaito had a puzzled look on his face as he looked at the to normal eyes completely empty spot next to the purple haired man.
Gakupo frowned as he to looked next to him.
"I don't know", he said, "I guess it's just my inner-self escaping or something. Or it is my brother who...", the samurai's eyes narrowed an expression of murderous intent on his otherwise so peaceful face, "Kagura! How dare you not only show yourself in my presence but further more impersonate me?" the grey eyes were suddenly burning with fury as he glared at the spot next to him, "wasn't breaking into my apartment and eating up all my food last year enough?"
Kiyoteru and Kaito frowned as they looked at the sight.
"Please don't fight", Kiyoteru said, "we can talk this thr..."
"To hell with talking!" Gakupo snarled as he looked at that spot next to him, "this bastard needs to be taught a lesson. And what? Where are you going?" he exclaimed, still looking at that in reality empty spot, "don't think I'm letting you get away!"
Kaito and Kiyoteru's eyes widened as Gakupo jumped down from the stump, furiously running after his supposed double.
"Sh... should we go after them?" he asked.
"Nuh", Kaito frowned, "I'd rather stay away from family-fights and besides, Gakupo's punches are pretty nasty. I'd rather not he missed and hit me".
"True", Kiyoteru nodded, a slight raise of his eyebrows, "I'm glad he didn't bring his sword".
"Me to", Kaito gave the teacher a look in consort before giving a smile that practically radiated with joy, "oh look!", he pointed ahead of him, "the flower-gorilla! Should we ask him if this fun park has opened yet?"
"Sure!" Kiyoteru gave a smile in return and without further do he followed the blue-haired man to the sakura-tree.
_._
"I wonder why they haven't called yet?" Meiko frowned as she looked at her cellphone, "knowing them they would be on their way home by now".
"Relax!" Luka sat back in her chair, "they've probably just ran into an arcade", she gave a calm smile, "don't you remember how they are with these things?"
Taking advantage of the fact that their men were going on a boys-night out Luka and Meiko had decided to take a girl's night at Luka and Kiyoteru's place with a bunch of movies that they'd never look at with Kiyoteru and Kaito (such as The Ring, Tomie and The Host of course since non of their men could sit through the first minutes without waking the neighbors with their screams) as well as a bottle of saké and a bag of crisps which Luka had made a vow in front of her boyfriend never to get near since it according to him was both poisonous and dangerous to the environment. Needless to say the two women had very much enjoyed the evening. The first or so 4 hours... but now the clock was 15.15 and they hadn't gotten a single message which was an unusually strange occurrence considering Kiyoteru tended to send Luka a text an hour telling her how much he missed her and since Kaito tended to send Meiko one picture per hour of whatever store, hotel, car and poster he walked by as a cover for the fact that he missed her.
"Don't you think we should call them?" Meiko frowned, "maybe something's happened?"
"Oh, don't worry!" Luka shrugged her shoulders, "Kiyoteru wouldn't even be able to cross the bridge without panicking and running screaming back and you know Gakupo and Kaito would never go anywhere without him. They're probably just found an arcade version of Dance Universe and are tripping over their toes to beat each other".
Meiko sat quiet for a moment before dropping her frown and smiling softly.
"You're probably right", she said, "you want to watch The Grudge?"
"Sure", Luka held up the DVD which was still covered in plastic since Kiyoteru had been too frightened even look at the cover.
And just like that they forgot about their worry again.
_._
"This was the best Merry-go-round I've ever taken", Kaito exclaimed as he stopped spinning on the ground.
"Was?" Kiyoteru called out as he continued to spin at a violent pace, "it is still running!"
"Well, my horse has stopped in any case", Kaito frowned.
Kiyoteru didn't have time to finish because a furious Gakupo came running towards them.
"I can't believe it!" he exclaimed, "the damn bastard got away again. And what is even worse", he gestured demonstratively towards his dirty white shirt, "he took my suit because I sure can't find it!"
Kaito gasped loudly.
"What an ass!" he said, "let's go tell the flower gorilla. I'm sure he knows where he's at?"
"Flower-gorilla?" Gakupo muttered, "what flower-gorilla? And Kiyoteru", he looked at the still very much spinning teacher, "what are you doing, standing in the middle of the air like that? You could fall down any second".
"What?" Kiyoteru stopped right in the middle of his spinning as he looked down at his feet, an expression of pure horror suddenly replacing his excited smile, "Damn it Kaito!" he yelled as he glared at the blue-haired man, "you told me this thing was safe!"
"It was", Kaito frowned, "but apparently not anymore. Oh look!" a euphoric smile replaced his puzzled expression, "a rainbow!" he paused as he drew a deep breath, eyes widening like those of a child on Christmas Eve, "a double-rainbow!"
"Damn it! You're right!" Gakupo exclaimed as his eyes widened, "when did that get here?"
"I wonder if there's a treasure at the end just like they say in the west?" Kaito starred in awe ahead of him.
Gakupo shrugged his shoulders.
"Why don't you climb up and find out?" he said.
"Oh, I totally will!" Kaito clapped his hands together, childlike excitement reflected in his eyes.
"Hello!" Kiyoteru called out in an annoyed tone, "need help here!"
"Don't worry!" Kaito said cheerfully, "I'll grab you on the way down".
"Damn it!" Gakupo starred in amazement at the not so existent rainbow, "Hio needs to see this! I'll go get my cellphone".
A violent spin made Kiyoteru loose his glasses and stare ahead of him in pure terror.
"Oh no!!!" he yelled, "I'm blind!"
"Damn it!" Kaito called out from where he stood, a somber look on his face, "they've lied! There's no treasure up here", he stood quietly for a while before his eyes widened, a sudden smile on his face as he bent down to pick up the object in front of him, "never-mind. I've found an invincibility-mask", he called out as he put Kiyoteru's glasses on his nose. Upside down.
"No!" Kiyoteru yelled as another violent spin made him loose his footing, "oh no!!! I'm falling! Falling into oblivion!!!" he yelled before falling backwards and hitting his head on the ground.
"Double...", Gakupo said in a low voice as he focused on the cellphone screen in his hand, "... rainbow", he ended with a triumphant smile on his face as he pressed send, "Hio is going to be so impressed".
_._
"I'm telling you! I'm kicking your ass this time!" Maika glared at her pink-haired opponent as she accepted the Xbox-control from Hio.
Since Gakupo was out this night Hio had taken advantage of the opportunity to spend a Soul Calibur night with his friends. Since Gakupo even when expressing it lightly kinda sucked at the game and his pride as both an IT-technician and a swordsman suffered way too many blows when loosing 9/10 to his otherwise disastrously untechnical boyfriend Hio seldom played it in his presence so needless to say he'd very much enjoyed playing with people whom although at times sore losers (he wouldn't mention any names but her name started with M and ended with Aika) actually offered a proper fight, the first or so 5 hours...
Hio had attempted to call Gakupo several times and had Maika not convinced him that the music may have been too loud at whatever place he visited and that Gakupo as well needed some proper friend-time he would have been prepared to send out a search-party for him. In fact he almost still was...
"Sure", Roro shrugged his shoulders in response to Maika, "if you think you can get past my Setsuka that is".
"I can and I will", Maika's eyes narrowed as she looked at the screen, "I choose you", she paused before saying in a theatric voice. "Yoshimitsu".
"Good luck", Hio smiled as he watched his friends start another game of SC3, "that guy is hell to play".
"Only because you only play that Mitsu-bastard", Maika rolled her eyes.
"So what? He's good", Hio shrugged his shoulders.
"Nope", Roro smiled calmly, "you play him because he reminds you of Gakupo".
"Yeah", Hio replied matter of factually, "and isn't that good?"
But Roro didn't have time to answer because the voice from the TV loudly announcing that this round had started interrupted him and had Hio immediately returning to watching his cell. Should he or should he not attempt to call his boyfriend again? But the *pling* in his phone made the decision for him.
Smiling softly Hio opened the message with the name Gaku written on it. Maika was right his hubby was perfectly fi...
Hio's eyes narrowed as he looked at the absurd writing.
'Hey, Hio! You no gonna believe dis but look at the pcture. Kto found dis epic thing and now hs looking for the trasure at the end of a thts right! A double rainbow'
Hio's mouth fell wide-open as he looked at the image. The image of a completely empty green lawn and a Kaito who was standing with one leg in the air as though walking up a stair.
"What the hell!" he exclaimed, "Maika, Roro!" he called out to the two others who was in the midst of the game.
"Yes!" the white haired girl and the pink-haired boy turned towards him with curious looks on their faces.
"I'm afraid you have to continue without me", he gave a deep sigh, "I need to make a few calls".
_._
"Hell!" Kiyoteru groaned as he with painful efforts sat up to grab the back of his head.
The last thing he remembered was loosing his sight and falling into darkness so he guessed that the sight of Gakupo lying asleep with his mouth wide-open and missing both his suit and his shoes and Kaito snoring loudly with Kiyoteru's up-side down turned glasses on his noes was a way better view in comparison but he'd lie if he said that there weren't a million other things he'd rather see, his grandmother's ill-colored living-room included.
He looked around him. Green grass, sakura-trees, a few benches and then that particular tree, the big white one where they were supposed to bury... Oh shit!
The memories returned to Kiyoteru in an instant. That plastic bag, the strange man at the bar, their HUGE mistake.
Oh why, oh why did they have to follow that stupid little voice in the back of their heads. Above all, why did KIYOTERU have to follow it?
"Aaaaah! My head!"
A loud groan made Kiyoteru look Gakupo's way. The purple haired man was sitting on the ground with his face twisted in a painful grimace a hand pressed to his forehead. Looking at his white socks, the white tree and the loudly snoring Kaito his pain seemed to turn into pure horror.
"Oh damn it! Hell!" he exclaimed, "did we really...?"
"I'm afraid so", Kiyoteru's voice sounded miserable to say the least.
"Bloody hell!" Gakupo muttered, "Hio is going to kill me!"
With an unbearable fear Kiyoteru placed his hand inside his coat-pocket, slowly, painfully slowly picking up the black device.
Oh no! 6 missed calls from Luka and 3 texts, one which said 'hope nothing's happened to you :(' which was an extreme amount of concern considering as it was Luka they were talking about.
"Oh damn it! Noooo!" Gakupo called out from where he sat, holding his cellphone away from him as though it been a toxic plant, "double rainbow? Seriously Gakupo?"
"Double rainbow?" all of a sudden Kaito sat up, eyes wide-opened and filled with excitement, "where?"
"Only in your imagination, unfortunately", Gakupo muttered, as he pointed towards the white tree, "do you know how we ended up here?"
Kaito's eyes widened possibly twice as much before his facial expression as well turned into pure horror.
"Oh no!" he exclaimed, eyeglasses falling to the ground, "we must dispose of this bag quickly because if Mei-chan finds out..."
"Finds out what?"
The three men stiffened immediately as they heard the feminine hiss behind them. As they slowly, painfully slowly turned around they were met with none other than Meiko, the one and only dressed in a signature red coat and a look in her brown eyes that could turn Hawaii into an ice-town.
"Well errhm... well", Kiyoteru started unable to former proper words.
"Oh... Errr... Mei-chan", Kaito smiled stupidly, a forced laugh coming out of his mouth, "I didn't think you'd come here so early".
"Really?" Meiko's practically annihilating gaze was directed at her fiancé, "so you'd say that 6 in the morning is early then?"
"Well errhm...", Kaito was almost literally sweating, "well... morning is early so... and look sweets, I know that this looks bad and everything. But I can explain I... it's not as bad as it looks like".
"Really?" Meiko's eyes narrowed, "because what 'it looks like' is that you in the midst of your double-rainbow high put on Kiyoteru's glasses, upside down may I add", she snapped as she approached the blue-haired man.
"Oh", Kaito frowned thoughtfully, "so that's why I see everything so strangely".
"And why I don't see anything at all", Kiyoteru muttered.
None of them had any time speculating further on that though because Meiko had snatched Kiyoteru's glasses away from Kaito and was currently looking directly at the teacher.
"Please be careful with those they're...", he started.
But he didn't have time to finish the sentence before the glasses came flying at him like a projectile, landing straight in front of his feet.
"...fragile", he ended in a miserable voice as he watched the by now completely crushed glass.
But Meiko ignored him as she now directed her venomous gaze straight at Gakupo.
"And that Gakupo in some spur of the moment decided to throw away both his coat and his shoes", she continued, "perhaps as some kind of sacrifice to the gnomes in exchange for the treasure at the end of the rainbow".
Gakupo and Kiyoteru looked back at the furious woman in a mixture of shame and terror but Kaito however had an absent-minded almost dreamlike expression on his face.
"Maybe", he said in a voice that seemed as far away as the end of the rainbow they'd just spoken of, "that kind of thing would do the trick. But I'd prefer it if I didn't have to give away my sca..."
Not a good move. Kiyoteru watched on in silent terror as Meiko directed the glare of a thousand daggers towards the blue haired man.
"If you want to you can try to find out", she said in a calm that contrasted the fury in her eyes in an almost absurd manner, "go by rainbow if you want but personally I'm going home by car".
Without another word she turned her back on the three men the sound of her heels filling the air in an almost horror-movie like manner. Kaito's eyes widened, a shocked and instants after mortified expression on his face.
"No!" he called out, "Mei-chan I'm sorry... I didn't mean to..."
Kiyoteru watched in silence as Kaito in a painful effort rose to his feet, unsteadily stumbling after his furious fiancée. A few falls from the blue haired man before the brunette turned around muttering something unhearable as she turned around and helped her man to his feet.
"Pew!" Gakupo stretched his arms to his sides pure relief reflected in his grey eyes as the couple was out of sight, "I'm really glad that wasn't u...."
But said relief didn't last for long as the black suit flew through the air, hitting him straight in the face.
"Here's your stupid suit!" the angry tenor voice split the air.
Kiyoteru cringed as the second article of clothing flew through the air, missing the samurai's head only by a centimeter.
Kiyoteru followed the samurai's wide-eyed stare as it fixated on the slender black clad figure running towards them.
"And there's your stupid shoe!" Hio screamed as he glared at his boyfriend.
Kiyoteru watched practically paralyzed as the scene unfolded before them. He had never even been capable of imagining Hio's aim being this good and above all he'd never even been capable of imagining Hio this angry. Usually the blond was a ray of sunshine with a huge smile on his face and brown eyes that only expressed good will. But now however he was more like a ray of deadly laser with eyes which were more red than brown and currently settled on annihilating anything in their path. Needless to say Kiyoteru was glad that it wasn't his KATANA that Gakupo had dropped in the forrest.
"You jerk!" Hio called out, "I call you over and over and once I finally get a reply it's a completely idiotic incomprehensible text about some double rainbow and a picture of Kaito standing with his leg in the air like the biggest moron of the century. You promised me, didn't you?"
Alcohol yes, Kiyoteru thought to himself, not mushrooms but seeing as he didn't feel like having the deadly red laser beams directed at himself he kept his mouth shut.
"Oh, Hio sweetie. I'm so sorry", Gakupo looked back at his boyfriend with a gaze that made him look like a kicked puppy, "I really didn't mean for it to..."
"But it did!" Hio snapped, "I'm sorry but I just can't see the incredible difficulty in NOT opening a bag full of mind-altering drugs".
"I'm sorry", Gakupo said in a low voice, head hanging down and gaze directed at his white currently unprotected socks, "I swear. It was just a one-time..."
"Whatever!" Hio interrupted, voice nothing but a snort as he turned his head away from the two men, "put on your stupid suit and shoes and come along or sit here and keep counting double-rainbows or what do I know, how many mushrooms are left in that bag because I've got about two hours left to sleep before work tomorrow".
"Sure", Gakupo frowned as he looked at the object which nearly hit him in the head an instant ago, "but there's only one of them. I mean... the shoes".
"That's because you lost the other one in the forrest, genius", Hio's muttered as he sent his boyfriend a dark look.
"I can't argue with you on that", Gakupo gave a deep sigh as he looked regretfully at his boyfriend, "because I probably did. But could you please...", he looked pleadingly at the furious blond, "let me use your shoulder as support?"
Hio looked at him quietly, nose upturned.
"Nope", he said, "it's your fault you lost it so you can face the consequences yourself".
Without another word the blond turned around, with loud steps leaving the scene.
"But I haven't even...", Gakupo looked after his boyfriend with wide eyes as he held the shoe in his hand, "... put the shoe on. Good luck!" he said in a low voice as he turned his gaze towards Kiyoteru, "see you tomorrow".
With a movement that looked extremely painful Gakupo put on his only shoe, and in a move that seemed even more painful started jumping after his boyfriend on one leg. While Kiyoteru had to say he was impressed by the man's surprising amount of balance he wasn't surprised when Gakupo had to put his leg down and rather clumsily run out of the park.
While Kiyoteru was really glad that he wasn't Kaito right now he wondered if he wasn't even gladder that he wasn't Gakupo. Hio seriously wasn't as sweet as he looked, and Kiyoteru had no problems believing that walking the entire way home in only one shoe would be the least of Gakupo's problems the following day. Speaking of which... Kiyoteru really did not look forwards to seeing Luka's reaction. Sure, Luka usually wasn't the worrying kind but such a fatal mishap as this one could have Kagamine Len yell until his shout reached China.
But Kiyoteru didn't have to wonder for long for he could se the figure with the long pink hair and white coat walking towards him. His girlfriend was walking slowly, frighteningly slowly almost like the main-villain in a horror-movie and he could only speculate on what horrible fate awaited him. The fact that her hair partly hid her face gave her an almost 'the ring'-like appearance, and the white fabric of her coat moving in the air almost looked like a ghostly extremity.
The minutes felt eternal as she finally reached him and painfully slowly sat down next to him. As he at last met those lovely grey eyes the silence was almost painful until she...
...laughed. Laughed! Laughed so hard she nearly lost her footing.
Kiyoteru's eyes widened as he starred at his girlfriend.
Luka had the broadest smile on her face and her eyes sparkled as though she was watching the funniest slap-stick comedy ever as she bent forwards, shoulders moving violently with her laughter.
"I can't believe it", she managed to squeeze out between the giggles, "I can't believe it'd be you of all people. It seemed someone had a certain hidden desire for the other side after all".
Kiyoteru starred at his girlfriend, mouth and eyes wide-open. Wasn't she going to yell at him and to quote Hio tell him to 'put on his stupid glasses and go home'?
"Trust me!" Luka held up a meaningful index finger, a gleeful smile on her face, "you are going to hear this for a long time to come".
He wouldn't want to be Kaito Kiyoteru decided in that very moment and even less so Gakupo, but above all he truly didn't want to be himself right now because 'I told you so'-Luka was worse than any flying shoes in the world.