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venomouslibertyPart B
The next song began to play just as small feet stepped out of the elevator, the high-pitched cry of electric guitars and the deep beat of the bass and drums filtered through the tiny holes of his earphones, rendering him oblivious to the sound of hurried footsteps, hushed conversations and the incessant clicking of quick fingers flying over keyboards. Baby blue eyes ignored the unfamiliar souls clad in formal suits, high heels and leather shoes, as well as the bright fluorescent lights, the pristine walls and the immaculate white floor, intent on reaching his destination and getting out of the place as soon as possible.
Takanori Matsumoto hated offices, especially offices filled with business-minded or workaholic people, specifically an office where he knew his father was working. He always tried to stay away from such places because he hated the idea of doing paperwork or being stuck in a 4x4 cubicle all day. Basically, the idea of seeing his father.
With a deep breath and shoving his hands deeper in the pocket of his hooded jacket, he picked up his pace and walked faster, the rubber soles of his old sneakers squeaking against the tiled floor as he turned to a corner, only to end up landing on his butt when he bumped into something big and hard. A sharp hiss escaped him as he felt pain shoot up his backside and even before he could glare at the cause of his not so graceful fall, papers were suddenly flying everywhere, raining down on him like giant confetti. Takanori blinked in surprise and wonder and before he could fully comprehend what was happening, the sound of an angry voice immediately yanked him back to reality.
“Watch where you’re going! Damn it!” Akira yelled furiously as his bronze-coloured eyes glowered at the petite individual that suddenly came out of nowhere and had caused all his presentation materials to fly into the air. He had to deliver a report regarding their team’s new project in five minutes and this just had to happen. He momentarily ignored the stranger who was still on his ass before him and began to gather his papers, his hands trembling from immense hatred.
Guilt immediately shot through Takanori’s chest. Usually, he’d feel mad if someone would talk to him in a loud voice, but he really had no right to be equally angry at that moment because he really wasn’t focused on where he was going. Thus, he was at fault. “I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!” He quickly apologized and began to help the man he had inconvenienced with by picking up the scattered papers around him, his face burning in shame. He had wanted to keep a low profile but with the sudden situation he was in, he could feel hundreds of eyes staring right through his soul, probably wondering as to what a shady outsider like him was doing there
“Give those to me!”
The person’s voice roared in Takanori’s ears and he immediately turned around and held out the papers he had gathered, lowering his head to hide his shame and as an act of respect and honest apology. For all he knew, the man was probably a couple years older than him. It was just right that he treated him as a senior. “I’m really sorry! I didn’t mean to, sir!”
Akira growled and snatched his materials from the other man’s trembling hands. He didn’t even bother paying attention to the stranger’s appearance, immediately assuming that the man was probably a visitor or the water delivery boy. They usually looked rugged and messy with their poorly bleached hair, vintage t-shirt and torn jeans and sneakers. Nope. He wasn’t going to waste more of his time dealing with someone unimportant. “Thanks to you I’d have to arrange these again!” He retorted, missing the wide cerulean eyes that gazed up at him.
Surprise wasn’t really the exact adjective that described Takanori’s emotions when he first had a good look at the huge wall of a man that had sent him flying to the hard tiled floor. It was more like astonishment or marvel mixed with great curiosity. The irate male had messy blond hair with dark highlights, a pair of intense chocolate-coloured eyes and a set of beautiful lips. But what made him so mysterious was the strip of white cloth that covered his nose. Why the heck was he wearing that on his face? Was it some sort of fashion statement? A fashion accessory? Or was he hiding something? Did he have an ug--
“What the hell are you looking at?!”
The smaller male almost jumped out of his skin, a blush slowly creeping up on his cheeks when he realized that he had just been caught staring. “I’m not looking at anything! I swear!” He immediately blurted, which he knew was definitely a lie.
Akira glared darkly at the smaller man, his chest burning in fury. He was used to people giving him strange looks because of his noseband but he couldn’t help but feel annoyed, especially because it was coming from someone who had just added another pile of worries to his already tower-high work. He huffed and immediately stood up. “Look at where you’re going next time, you idiot!” He harshly spat before walking away, missing the amused smile that curved up Takanori’s lips.
----
“Are you okay?”
Kouyou paused at what he was doing when he heard the monotonous male voice of Yuu’s voiceover application. So far, the mute had been using the software to relay instructions and give tips and even though he wasn’t used to communicating with Yuu using it, it did make things easier for the both of them. Nonetheless, he still prefered feeling the other’s writing on his palm. The bond between them seemed so special because of how they communicated with each other and he didn’t want technology to change or replace it. His plush lips quirked up to a smile and his deep russet eyes that saw nothing but darkness regarded the other’s concern. Yes, he couldn’t see but he knew Yuu was looking at him and he could feel the mute’s care for him. “I’m alright.” He replied with an assuring smile before going back to his task of placing his fingers on their right position on the frets and strumming on the strings.
He was currently learning his first chord, the G major , which was one of the basic chords. He had heard about it during his research last night and was immensely glad that he finally had an idea on how he could do this chord. Of course, Yuu had to work hard to get him familiarized with the parts of the guitar, especially the neck, frets and strings. Frankly speaking, he struggled to feel his way around the neck since his only markers were the thin vertical bars that protruded along the neck and he could only feel them around the edges, but he knew he’d eventually get used to identifying which fret is which as long as he’d keep on practicing and learning. He pushed his fingers harder against the strings. Second finger on the third fret of the sixth string, first finger on the second fret of the fifth string and third finger on the third fret of the first string, he repeated in his head for the twentieth time before flicking the wrist of his strumming hand downward, the pick he was holding between his fingers clashing with the metal wires and creating a bright and clear sound, a vibration that was definitely better than its predecessors.
Yuu’s full lips curved up to a wide smile. A sense of pride and joy instantly filled his chest at Kouyou’s new accomplishment. He quickly typed on his phone, his fingers flying over the smooth screen like lightning, eager to express his glee to his extraordinary student. “That was perfect.” The emotionless voice said but despite the flatness of the tone it possessed, it still reached the blond’s heart and caused the smile on that beautiful face to expand.
“Really?”
The raven released an amused laugh and placed his phone down on the table. He actually felt strange talking to Kouyou using a voiceover app and he very much prefered writing what he wanted to say on the blind’s palm. He felt he shared a special bond with Kouyou because he was the only one who could interact with the blind that way. Carefully, he took the blond’s strumming hand on his own and began to write. “Yeah. I think it’s time for you to learn another chord.”
Kouyou’s face further brightened at the suggestion, excitement surging inside him once more. “Okay!” He happily agreed and let out a low groan when he removed his hands from the neck of the guitar, a sharp throbbing pain slicing through his fingertips. He slid his thumb along the pads of his remaining four fingers, noting that the skin had become swollen and tender, a minor injury caused by the metal strings and was usually experienced by beginners. He flexed his fingers and tried to ignore the pain, hoping that there was no broken skin and that his digits were just swelling, that it wouldn’t get in the way of his training. But this had happened to all beginners, right? Or to everyone who had successfully learned how to play, even to Yuu who had been-- His thoughts were suddenly cut off when he felt calloused fingers curl around his wrist, the simple and familiar touch sending a warm sensation through his body. His wide eyes blinked in wonder as he tried to figure out what the mute was trying to do.
Yuu closely inspected Kouyou’s fingers, his piercing onyx saucers slightly narrowing as he saw red and tender marks that marred the blind’s fingertips. The skin was still intact and there weren’t any wounds but he knew that it was definitely painful. He remembered his first few days learning the guitar when he was twelve years old and his hands had also went through the same wounds and biting pain. It was part of learning, a challenge that was needed to be conquered in order to learn the guitar. He ran his thumb over Kouyou’s bloated fingers, hoping that the simple massage could make it feel better and reminding himself to tell the blond to apply an ice pack on them to ease the swelling.
The smile on Kouyou’s lips widened, feeling pleased at the momentary relief his tumid fingers were receiving. “That feels nice.” He silently said, secretly surprised that he managed to keep his composure despite the fierce thrashing of his heart inside his ribcage.
A satisfied smile cracked on the mute’s handsome face and without even thinking, he brought the blind’s hand to his lips and ever so slowly, placed a small kiss on Kouyou’s fingers, causing the owner of those digits to gasp in surprise. The blond’s skin felt warm against his chapped lips, the scent of metal and something fruity wafted through his nose when he pulled away.
Kouyou felt his entire face burn, his full lips parted in confusion and disbelief as he tried to wrap his mind around the fact that he had just felt Yuu’s soft lips on his skin. Did Yuu really just do that? Why would he do that? Was the mute teasing him or did he do it on purpose? What the hell was happening? But even before he could entertain any of those questions, the fleeting moment had already ended and the next thing he knew, he could feel Yuu’s fingers slightly trembling.
A sliver of worry began to fill Yuu’s chest, fearful that he might have offended Kouyou with his reckless action. He didn’t mean to do such a thing. His body just moved on it’s own and his mind was unable to stop it. He bit his lip hard and mentally kicked himself, hoping that he didn’t scare the blond. He took a deep breath and tried to calm down, thinking if he should apologize or act as if it was nothing. He wrote the first thought that popped in his head, a hopeful, stupefied and idiotic expression present on his gorgeous visage. “Did that make it feel better?”
Kouyou just stayed still at the question, then, his plush lips formed a small ‘O’, amusement quickly drowning the confusing emotions he harbored just a few moments ago as he finally understood why the mute had done that. He released a low chuckle, his eyes twinkling in understanding. “Yes... Yes, it did.”
Yuu fought the sigh of relief that tried to worm out of his throat, his lips quirking up to a huge, ridiculous smile as he saw the breathtaking expression on Kouyou’s face, a realization dawning on him. What he wanted from the blond was not just friendship, but something so much more than that.
----
Comment: Is anyone still reading this? LOL. Uh... so yeah, sorry for the late update. RL had been busy and I honestly lost my muse for this story for a couple of weeks so it took me time. Also, this chapter and heck, this entire story is a killer. You should read my desperate rant on Twitter about how I think this chapter had failed. *awkward chuckle*
Anyway, please feel free to comment or point out any mistakes or give tips in guitar playing. I’m not really good at the guitar and actually, I am still just a beginner. *sweatdrops* I based Kouyou’s situation and actions from some articles and discussion threads I read from the internet and asked the opinions of some friends who know how to play the guitar. (Thank you, ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif){kind=small}
candicecandy and Analyn!) I’m not going to dwell too much on the technicalities of how disabled people learn how to play musical instruments because it’s such a difficult subject to tackle and I was close to deactivating my LJ account for writing this fic. Ugh... I know. I’m so weak. TT___TT Feel free to slap me, punch me, whatever.
Also, since my dearveroxion is very busy these days, this chapter is unbeta-ed. So, sorry for the mistakes. I opted not to look for another beta because veroxion is my beta for this fic and that will never change unless she says no or she can’t do it anymore. Okay? Okay.
So yeah, I hope you enjoyed this update and the little Reituki moment (Yes, there will be Reituki!) and the small fluff at the end. Thank you for reading and please give my plot bunnies some love? Or maybe not. *goes back to digging her own grave*
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
30/4/13 05:22 (UTC)(no subject)
30/4/13 06:17 (UTC)(no subject)
30/4/13 10:19 (UTC)Thank you for reading~ ^^
(no subject)
30/4/13 11:30 (UTC)(no subject)
30/4/13 20:21 (UTC)Thank you for the very cute comment. Writing them being all cute towards each other is such a joy~ ^^
(no subject)
30/4/13 22:06 (UTC)And this is going to be a really special relationship.
I love it! <3
(no subject)
2/5/13 10:34 (UTC)They are really cute ne and I hope I can achieve that 'special relationship' ^^
(no subject)
1/5/13 02:11 (UTC)(no subject)
2/5/13 10:35 (UTC)(no subject)
2/5/13 02:57 (UTC)I absolutely LOVE where this is going! It's so cute!! The innocence of them both! Totally adorable!!!
(no subject)
2/5/13 10:37 (UTC)Thank you for reading and for the wonderful comment. MY plot bunnies love you~ *^^*
(no subject)
3/5/13 02:38 (UTC)*gives plot bunnies noms*
<3
(no subject)
3/5/13 02:42 (UTC)They thank you for the treats! :D
I hope the noms will make them want to write the next chapter asap~ ^^
Thank you so much for your support. It means a lot.
(no subject)
2/5/13 10:38 (UTC)did i read this chapter right ldkflsdfkldsf "Did Yuu really just do that?" KouYuu never fails to amuse me -AAAA- and i will (im)patiently wait for reituki moments DD:
don't worry about it, no matter how late you update we will still read your stories :)
lablablab <33
(no subject)
2/5/13 20:22 (UTC)Thank you for the comment.
(no subject)
4/5/13 03:41 (UTC)(no subject)
4/5/13 06:18 (UTC)(no subject)
4/5/13 03:57 (UTC)Stop digging honey you did great! I love Akira's concern for his 'baby' brother and how Kouyou just sort of shrugs it off in a loving way.
The interaction between Yuu and Kouyou is still so sweet and tender and what makes this fic such a delight to read. The kiss to the fingertips was definitely an awww moment and poor Yuu worrying that perhaps he shouldn't have done so... 'did that make it feel better? nice cover up Yuu *grins*
Oh my Reita and Ruki! I have a sneaky suspicion as to who Akira's boss is, would be interesting if I'm right. And I believe our little chibi has his eyes set on our over protective big brother :)
It was a great update hon, please don't fret over it. I look forward to the next one whenever you are ready to write it :)
(no subject)
4/5/13 06:23 (UTC)YOU JUST MADE MY DAY.
I WAS ON THE VERGE OF THINKING THAT MAYBE I SHOULD STOP WRITING THIS MADNESS BUT READING YOUR COMMENT MADE MY PLOT BUNNIES AND MUSE FEEL ENERGIZED AGAIN. ;____;
Thank you.
Thank you so much for reading and I'm happy (and relieved) that you liked it. I was worried that no one will/liked the Reituki moment but I also love Reituki and Reita being an older brother to Uruha always amuses me since they're best friends in real life, sooooo... XDD
Oh, no. You probably saw through my plot twist already, LE GASP! XDD But let's see who's Akira's boss is. ne~ And I'm glad you liked the fleeting kiss they had. It's enjoyable to right small affectionate scenes like this, so I'm so happy it had affected you~ :)
Thanks so much again. You just made my weekend and saved my plot bunnies from starvation~ *gives you brownies and rubber duckies*
(no subject)
6/5/13 10:50 (UTC)/FLIPS MULTIPLE TABLES DUE TO FEELS GOING CRAY CRAY
I have a huge smile on my face. I can't stop smiling after reading this. And now I'm giggling.
What is wrong with me lol
The whole idea of Uruha and Aoi being disabled and yet communicating is beautiful (I think I said that before for the previous chapter but ohh well). I have a feeling I'll have liquid coming out of my eyes in the future chapters.
Reituki~ <33333
Hehe Reita seems manri and caring. Looks like lil Ruki has a crush on him awwwwww <3
Who wouldn't want more than being friends with Uruha? /coughs
Now go win that man's heart Aoi!
THIS WAS NOT A FAIL OK OK OK
It is the opposite of a fail. Do't ever think about deactivating your lj. How'd we get to watch MELT DVD at the same time then? D:
The DVDs are out on CDJapan and YesAsia now. I'l be pre-ordering it in a few days ^___^
(no subject)
6/5/13 20:20 (UTC)Thank you for making my day and giving hope to my depressed plot bunnies. TT_____TT
I'm not sure if the future chapters will bring tears to your eyes but I hope it will. There's some angst bound to happen in the next chapters, but that'll happen soon, ne? ^^ And I'm glad you love the Reituki moment. Yes, Ruki has a crush on our manly overprotective Reita but let's see how far he's willing to-- Okay. I should stop now. I don't want to spoil things ne. XD
Ah yes, we're supposed to watch the MELT DVD together!!! I'm so excited for it wtf!!! And and I'm glad you'll be ordering yours one of these days. I'll wait till June because I don't want to have any issues with Yesasia again! ^_^;
Thank you for reading and the awesome food, bb~ *hugs and gives you rubber duckies*
(no subject)
7/5/13 09:51 (UTC)Most people are just busy with schools and exams. I for one am on vacation. ;O
Anytime bby <3 /feeds le bunnies carrots
It will! It will! I might have a river flowing in my house cause of my tears. O.O
Chib- Ruki will try to catch Reita's attention? Is t only me or does it sound like a 'sempai notice me' situation? <3
I'm excited too~ It'll be my first time watching a DVD with another human being and this will be my first band merch. Issues with YesAsia? What kind? D: I'll be ordering my DVD from there and it's my first time >__<
No prob! ^__^ <3 Food? I guess you meant feedback? XD /hugs back and names le duckies after Uruha
(no subject)
7/5/13 20:22 (UTC)Me too~ I saw the setlist yesterday and now, I'm even more excited. XD I'm still wondering how we can watch it~ Well, I've only had one issue with Yesasia and that's with payment. If you're going to use your credit card to purchase, don't do it a month before the release because there's this authentication thingy that credit card companies give to sellers and this is usually valid for one week or ten days. Once this authentication is given, Yesasia would of course accept it and you'll be automatically billed by your credit card company, when the date of the release comes, Yesasia will bill your credit card again because of their "charge/bill on the date your item is shipped" basically because the authentication has already expired at that time.
So, if you're going to use credit card, try to purchase maybe five days before the release. I'm going to purchase through paypal this time, but I think the validation for payment is a month, so it's safer. ^^
LOL. Yes, food = feedback for the lovely plot bunnies. XDD
(no subject)
8/5/13 08:37 (UTC)Ikr? I'm looking forward to listening to GABRIEL ON THE GALLOWS. I heard the visual effects especially for Yoin were pretty good. *___*
Maybe we could select a day and time when we'll both be free and then we could tweet each other whilst watching it so it'll be like we're together OwO
That sucked that you had to pay for it twice well this time the same thing won't happen again >3< Go paypa~l! I'll be using a debit card. Well actually it's my dad's debit card so I have to be careful.
Btw I just saw the DVD region and it says 'Region 2' auqaiqzoisoksod
It might not play on our DVD player. T__T
Lol you could eat the food too~
(no subject)
8/5/13 09:33 (UTC)Ah yes, we can communicate through Twitter. LEt's inform each other once we've gotten our copies ne and then decide on the time and day~ Yiiieee~ I'm really, really excited~ :D
Oh lord, you have to be more careful with debit cards, kay? If it doesn't have any funds to it, Yesasia won't ship your item unless it contains enough funds to issue another authorization. That's what happened with my MELT dvd. >_<
Awww... maybe you can watch it in your laptop or computer? Usually, dvd players on PCs have this setting wherein you can choose the region codes. I'm not sure how you can exactly do that, but I just read it from candicecandy. Anyway, if you can get your hand on a free coded dvd player, that'll be great. I'm not sure if its available there, but they're usually available here and they're very very cheap, like the smallest one costs only 30 dollars. Gaaahhhh! I really, really hope the DVD will work on your player~ *crosses fingers*
(no subject)
8/5/13 10:11 (UTC)I want June to be here already. Just 2-3 weeks until we watch our DVDs together. :'D
Thanks for the warning! Yes mam I will be careful (`･ω･´)ゞ
I just found out we can watch DVDs that belong to any region on VLC *tears of joy* I will be able to watch iiiiiit. About the DVD players I'm no sure but even if it's available it'l most probably be expensive orz Ohh well I have VLC so it should be fine.
(no subject)
8/5/13 20:12 (UTC)Awww... that's great, bb! Then we don't have anymore worries but wait for the release and have our beloved copies in our hands!!! Boahahahaha! XD
(no subject)
10/5/13 06:45 (UTC)Yeeeesh! I hope it'l reach safely into our hands. It'll be going on a long distant journey, crossing oceans, (maybe) seas and lands. The epic journey of multiple MELT DVDs in June will be coming soon... wtf am I blabbering about XD