Part 5

The morning light teases me, but I refuse to open my eyes and start the day. A little conversation is to be heard, so I do pretend to be still asleep - Koji and Taku wouldn't like my eavesdropping I bet.

Koji holds Taku close to his chest, hugging him gently. His voice is calm but sounds also resigned.
"Hit me, curse me, whatever.
But don't act like that. I'd prefer for you like our sex, but if you hate it then fight. Or protest. Right now, you are only offering me your body and you, yourself are gone. Please, I want you ... don't behave like that."

Taku sighs: "I'm tired, Koji. Tired of fighting and being overwhelmed and used. Tired of being pushed around like a broken toy. If you like me, let me go. I can't go back to my old life, but perhaps I can build a new one for me. If you can't stand the thought, kill me. Anything is better then being broken every night."

I can almost feel how much these words hurt Koji. His next question is nearly desperate. "Did I hurt you last night?  Did I?"
"No."
"So, why are you acting like that? You do enjoy it, at least sometimes."
"I don't want any of that. All you are looking for is a toy and I'm none. Why do you insist?"
A soft sigh washes through the room, somehow Koji gives up. "I want you, that's all. There is no use in discussing this. I won't hurt you anymore so you better get used to the fact that you are my toy. My most favorite, most cherished plaything ...."

Before Taku can reply something, Koji claims his mouth in a long kiss and hugs him close. There is one little mistake: He doesn't hold him like you would hold a toy - he holds Taku just like a lover would.
I sigh inwardly. They can be so stubborn!
Afterwards, both stay silent.
It's the perfect time to 'wake up'.
Yawning, I move out of my sheets and smile at them. "Good morning! How about breakfast?"

__

Taku looks at me and instantly turns deep red. He sinks a little deeper under the sheets, or better, into Koji's arms, avoiding me. Koji, this Bastard, uses the situation to his advantage. He grins broadly at me while he covers Takuto nearly completely and obviously enjoys his embarrassment. "Morning Shibuya. Breakfast would be a splendid idea. Do we have some?"

I twitch. "As far as I know, the cupboards are quite empty. Someone has to go and buy something for it."

Koji rubs his cheek with great relish over Taku's face, dragging him out for his refuge. "How about fresh rolls and hot coffee, just for us?"

Without waiting for an answer, Koji jumps out of the bed and hurries into his clothes. "I'll get some. But first …"
He takes handcuffs out of the drawer and chains Taku's right wrist at the heater - maybe the only thing in this building, which is solidly embed in the wall.
"Just in case, you get jumpy … Don't run away until I'm back with breakfast. I'll free you as soon as I return, little one."
He brushes his lips gently over Taku's forehead and puts a quick kiss onto his nose tip for good-bye.
"Shibuya, you keep an eye on him."

The next moment, Koji vanishes through the doorway. I grin a little; he really is in a hurry to return.

Turning to Taku, all I see are sparkling eyes burning holes into me under a shock of dark hair.
Uuups - it seems that he didn't like the role I played last night ...

"That Koji is a pervert, I've known - but you! Katsumi, why did you stay? I thought at least you would respect me. Tell me, what am I to you? Really a whore? Or just a toy?"

Despite his harsh words, tears are shimmering in his eyes, bright crystals in amber depths.

No way to blabber around.
He needs a serious answer now.

"You are Koji's lover and part of the gang and someone I do respect. No toy - and definitely not a whore. I care about the two of you - last night was just a different way of caring. Taku-chan ...."
Slowly, I reach out to touch his shoulder.

The boy turns harshly away and stares at the wall. I hear a hissed "I'm not Koji's lover!"
Even the air feels angry.
Well, understandable.
With a sigh I step back and settle down, lean against the wall to wait for Koji's return.
A few minutes pass.
Suddenly, Taku lifts his head and drags a sharp breath in through his nose. Then another.
"Katsumi, don't you smell something?"
No, I don't. But if it calms him and I can talk again to the boy - I open the door and step into the floor to check.
Now it's obvious, a very fine smell of smoke lingers in the air.
Hastily, I storm in direction of the smell, down the stairs. At different places in the ground floor, fire bites its way into the old, wooden walls. The wood is so old and dry, it burns nearly without smoke, but frightening fast. Just as I try to extinguish one, two other fires appear a few steps ahead.
No way to stop it on my own!
Even as I run up the stairs and knock on every door on my way, screaming "Fire", the flames eat their way into the building, smoke and heat directly on my heels. The gang and a few other tenants, mostly old people, assemble in the hallway.
"Get out! The fire is rocking fast, we don't have much time! Take everything you need, but fast!"
The gang has its few belongings soon grabbed, but Kimie has to almost knock out an old lady to get her to leave her flat - she can't decide, what to take. My own bundle is easy - money, a few clothes and some hardware. Now I can leave!
Let this building burn down for all I care.
I've forgot something ...  NO!

The next second, I'm in Koji's bedroom. Everywhere is smoke now, Taku sits upright in the bed, looking silently at me. His eyes are dark and clear, he realizes the situation completely.
I push Koji's money and his bank keys from their hiding-place into my bag, then I turn to Taku and throw some clothes at him.  

"Where are the keys to the handcuffs?"

Dreamily, he takes his Jeans.
"Dammit, we have no time! Where?"

"Around Koji's neck."

"What?" I stare openly at the boy, who one-handedly puts the Jeans on.

Without looking at me, he answers. "Koji keeps them always around his neck. If you don't have a spare one or tools to crack them, there is no way to open these handcuffs."

Alternating, I stare at the boy, the cuffs and the solid heater.
With all my might, I hang myself on the chain and pull.
Nothing.
Taku watches me silent. He is absolutely calm.
"Forget it. Get out and save yourself, Katsumi. Without Koji, there is no way to open them."
Screaming, I hammer on this damned piece of metal.
"I won't leave you here to burn, there has to be a way!"
The smoke flickers thick through the room, signal horns fill the air and the sounds of people outside take our attention. The boys have noticed our missing and scream our names.
"You should go now. Surely the firemen have some heavy tools to crack this. Get them up here."
The idea sounds good. Hastily, I grab my bundle and storm out.
The walk is hardly to see, the smoke so thick, I can't breathe. Coughing, I stumble downstairs. I can only feel my way. Where is the exit? Panic rises as a huge shadow appears in front of me and carries me out of the building. I hadn't noticed that I was already on the ground floor. The heat is enough burn the air.

The fireman shakes me a little. "Are you okay?"
I take some deep breaths and point at the building. "One of us is still inside. He can't come out. We need a bolt cutter to free him, fast!"

The man looks at me with sorrow in his eyes. "Sorry boy, I was the last one. The building can collapse any moment. We prevent the other buildings from catching fire but that's all we can do now. Your friend has to make it on his own."
"He can't!" I scream, Tears sting in my eyes. The chief stomps up to us.
"Quit it. You can be lucky, that we came in this rotten quarter. I don't risk a good man for a shitty lowlife, forget it."
He pushes me aside and calls his men to the other houses.

We stare at each other, the gang has no idea, what to do now.

Koji - where are you?