Adult-FanFiction.org : Gundam, Beyblade, DBZ, FMA

Afraid of the Light	By : Resting-Madness Category: Beyblade > AU - Alternate Universe Views: 195 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I don't make a profit from this story. I do not own any Beyblade character mentioned or used in it.

Chapter List
- 2
- 3
- 4
Ozuma and his new friends of the Shield Breakers sit on the floor in his new bedroom, eating lunch with him. The four boys are gathered in a small circle around the styrofoam containers, each carton open showing off the steaming hot food inside: a batch of fried rice with big bits of beef stirred into it, and a little pile of pot stickers in the other. Beside them lay a clear little bag with two egg rolls inside. What more could they want. Only problem was that the carrying bag only came with three sets of chopsticks.
"No big deal." Max picked up a pair of the thin wooden sticks. "Ty' and me can share. I don't care."
"No, you're the guest. I think you should have them."
"But then what will you use?" Asks Zeo.
Ozuma shrugged a response, he really didn't want to be rude. Damn those people at that Chinese place. Although, they are just a family of three. How were they to know they'd be eating with spare persons?
Zeo fidgeted beside the boy, wondering what he should do. "Listen, it's fine. I'll just-..."
Tyson groaned loudly, saying. "Sticks, hands, as long as food reaches my mouth, I don't care how it got there." He was already helping his self to one of the pot stickers, digging his fingers into the bunch.
Blushing slightly, Ozuma turned to his penpal friend, saying "...Zeo?"
"I don't mind sharing them with you." The boy replied without the question being presented.
But he suddenly looked down at his lap, almost as though the idea of it were a little odd and he really didn't plan on using the chopsticks either way. So with that settled, and Tyson busy with the container of pot stickers, Max took the second set of chopsticks and dug in. Zeo playing with his fingers before reaching for the pair he shares with Ozuma.
"So," the blue haired teen started conversation to ease the tension. "Does your family move around a lot? Or is this your first time?"
"It's my first time," replied Ozuma, keeping his gaze on the greasy egg roll between his fingers. "My family was never really big on the moving scene."
"So why move now?" Asked Tyson, his eyes focusing on the new boy.
Ozuma shrugged. "I guess it was just time for a change." He took the offered sticks from Zeo. Electricity ran up his arm when their fingers touched briefly.
He had to get a hold of his self or he'd surely ruin his friendship with him, and over the years it had become so strong. He didn't want to lose it because his penpal thought him disgusting or weird.
"My dad got an offer to work down here, I know that much. But usually, he just says no when it comes to switching locations."
"It's a good thing too," Max chimes in with a wave of his hand. "Bakkirri Street is the best place to live, we've got tons of stuff to do around here." The blond's eyes shot up to the ceiling as he thought out loud with his fingers marking each statement. "There's movies, cheap deli's and diners and they have a go-kart track in the city!" He seemed the most proud of that. "A community center where my mom works..." He continued to name places off.
Ozuma nods. An image ran through his mind of the couple at the lake. "I saw this lake on the way over here, there were two guys there."
"Two guys...?" Tyson paused his chewing. "What'd they look like?"
"Did one of them have a patch of gray in his hair?" Zeo asked.
"Yeah, he did! Do you know him?"
Ozuma took another bite from his egg roll, it was impossible to focus on chewing when he had this many knots in his stomach. Better to switch to a lighter food. Leaning the chopsticks toward the rice, he felt Zeo's hand intercept with his hand, he nearly dropped the sticks to the floor from the touch.
"Sorry," He muttered.
"No, it was my fault." Zeo retorts, giving a little bow.
Tyson and Max nearly laughed out loud at how obvious their two friends were. You could cut their feelings in half with a knife it's so thick.
Clearing his throat to save the two- which Ozuma was glad for- Max states to the new boy. "That was Kai and Rei, they're pretty cool-..."
"Tch!" Interrupts Tyson. "They're jerky loners! You'd be better off getting along with a cranky dog, when it comes to Kai.. and Rei- well, he'd be all right as long as Kai wasn't around, other than that he's just as bad- maybe worse."
"They seemed pretty normal to me, they were even smiling."
Tyson shrugged. "Who wouldn't be when you're about to get your-..."
"Shut up, Tyson." Max shoved an egg roll into the Japanese boy's mouth. Giving his head a shake feverishly to his boyfriend's bold way of expressing his self.
"Whu-..?" Tyson's muffled voice tried to ask. With a few adjustments from his jaws he began to chew the greasy food with ease. "Worried wart. I wasn't gonna say anything dirty."
The three boys laughed at the hungry male as he pounds his chest with his fist to get the egg roll into his stomach safely.
Downstairs, the screen door closed with a loud bang alerting them that his parensts were back.
"I'd better go help them," Ozuma stood.
"I'll come with you." Zeo volunteered. That got a smile from his Indian friend.
Tyson looked horrified suddenly. "Listen Ozuma, I'd love to pay you back for the food, but maybe another time. Come on Max, I think I hear my mom calling." Hopping to his feet, he pulls Max up and the two waved good bye to their new friend as they exit the room.
"We'll be back tomorrow, Ozuma. See you later." Max called from the hall.
"Bye."
Zeo was still beside the food, packing it up, closing the lids to the containers. "They may seem strange at first sight, but when you get to know them they're pretty sane."
"Who, Max and Tyson?" Ozuma joined him in a crouch, stacking up the containers so he could carry them downstairs to the fridge.
"Mm-mm." He shook his head. "Kai and Rei, they're pretty nice guys. Tyson doesn't like them because he was kicked out of the lake by them one day." He shrugged. "Tyson doesn't let things like that go unforgotten, so the reason they're loners is because no one else will talk to them."
"Because Tyson says so?" Ozuma thought about the boy a moment. Goofy, maybe a little spontaneous with a dash of arrogance, but he would never peg Tyson an instigator. "He must be really popular."
"There aren't really that many kids around here our age, so aside from us, everyone else is 12 and under." He stood, holding the cartons. "Hahaha, so saying something to them and having them believe it is kinda easy."
"Oh."
His mother and father hadn't called him yet, so he figured they must be fairing alright by themselves. That was good because he wanted some alone time with Zeo. The two had talked about so much to each other over the years, a little of this- a lot of that, but never the important stuff like-... sexual preference.
"So... Rei and Kai... are they... together?" He asked trying not to make eye contact.
He couldn't bare to see anger flaring up in Zeo if he didn't take well to people being gay, and even though their conversation had been cut short the other day, Ozuma was fairly sure that Zeo had mentioned a girls name to him. Could she be his girlfriend or someone like that? A secret crush maybe?
"They're together, yeah." He walked out of the room. "So're Max and Tyson." He threw in like it were the most natural sentence in the world.
"They are?!" Ozuma was shocked.
Zeo laughed as though he had a secret joke going. Or, that it was funny of Ozuma not to have noticed how obvious the two were with each other.
"How long have they been together?" He followed after him.
"Hmm? About... two months."
This time it was Ozuma's turn to laugh. "You make that sound like mold, is being with Tyson for that long hard or something?"
Zeo paused in his steps, making Ozuma stop suddenly, nearly crashing into the boys back. "No, not really. I think he just isn't very good with lengthy relationships- check out before you're the one whose dumped, that kinda thing."
Ozuma made an audible sound as they began to walk again toward the stairway. The Indian boy swallowed hard to get his nerves together before saying, "What about you? Do you have a girlfriend?"
"No. I have a female friend, Mariam, she's alright." He replied casually, giving no hint as to which 'no' it meant.
Zeo could have meant, 'No- and I would never want one', which will make Ozuma beyond happy. Or, he could mean 'No. I haven't asked her yet?' The questions ran through his mind with cleats on, scraping away, just waiting for the wrong answer to plant itself in his mind so that he'd feel shunned forever.
"I tried to tell you over the phone, that the two of you might have something in common," Zeo went on as though the question had been thoroughly answered. "Because she comes from Kita as well."
"That's cool."
They headed down the stairs in brief silence. Ozuma looked around for his mom and dad seeing no one. He was beginning to wonder if that were them he'd heard at all. It might have been an intruder or a raccoon- are there raccoons in these woods?
"Here's some more boxes," Zeo points out. "Must be yours, your names on it."
Ozuma's mind was else where so he barely heard what the boy had said. Bending down, he picked up the box giving it another hoist to secure it in his arms and with Zeo on his tail, he wandered back up the stairs. Once inside his room, they put the boxes down on the floor. Ozuma ripped away the duct tape that held it closed, praying to God that there wasn't anything embarrassing inside the unmarked box.
Next time we move, I'll label my things better than just my name. He assured his self.
The box flaps dropped open, there were a few things inside: his lamp, his night lights, an alarm clock and a couple packaged batteries. Beside them was the object he used them for, his CD player and next to that was a small case of CD's.
Zeo picked up one of the night lights studying it a bit. "I thought you were joking about being so afraid of the dark... there's a lot of night lights in here." Holding it so that Ozuma could see it. "Do these turn on when the lights go out?"
"Yeah, they have a censor." He replied, trying to keep the humiliation from his voice, wishing that Zeo wouldn't make a case out of it and just put the light back into the box.
"Cool..." Placing the light into the box, he sat back on his knees and sighed. "...Ozuma? Can I ask you a personal question?"
"...How personal?" Questioned the Indian boy. He didn't usually like that particular sentence because what came after it was never good.
"Kinda very personal."
"O...kay."
Zeo closed his eyes, to ready his self for the answer. "Are you gay?"
Now his heart was racing, Zeo seemed shy but he also seemed a bit cautious of the question. "...I think so- I've never had a boyfriend to know but... Is there anyway to answer that, if you don't know?"
"I don't know..." Zeo looked down at his lap after a quick glance to his friend. "I know I am."
Ozuma smiled at that, releasing his held breath. "You are?!"
Zeo nods mekely.
"That's great!" He flung his arms around Zeo's shoulders.
"It is?" He hugged him back, smiling at the close contact. It was still a little trippy seeing his penpal in person like this. It usually is for some people.
"It is because..." The Indian boy cocked his head from side to side. "I didn't want you to feel uncomfortable when I told you that I was gay." He let go of his hold, looking the boy in his beautiful blue eyes.
Zeo smiled into a laugh, he just felt so relieved! "And all this time I was worrying about telling you! I don't know why I never brought it up before when we wrote to each other."
"I guess we were just a little uncomfortable with how the other person would react that's all..."
They sat in an awkward silence, wondering what new possibilities have just opened up to them. How many new things were going to happen, now that they both know the only secret they had ever kept from each other over the years.
"Ozuma." His father's voice travels up the stairs.
"I'm coming!" The young boy called back.
"I'll stay if you want my help, and" he stood. "I'm sorry for being so weird before, I just kept thinking about telling you and the wrong reaction came up every time. It got me a little bottled up."
Ozuma shook his head. "Me too so, don't worry about it." He pats the other boy on the shoulder.
"Ozuma!" His father called again.
"I'm coming!" He walked out of his bedroom.
Zeo touched his shoulder where Ozuma's hand had been fondly. Maybe he could show him the lake in person someday and then he could tell his penpal his true feelings for him.
...
Ozuma, Zeo, and his mom and dad were busy most of the afternoon putting boxes into the correct room so that unpacking would be easier. Luckily, Ozuma's parents had a better packing sense than he did making the task go a lot quicker.
Eventually Zeo had gone home. He said goodbye to his friend and started away as the sun began to set. That's when the first problem cropped up.
"..." His father flicked at a light switch. "Damnit." Setting down the box he held, he flicked it again as though the box were the obstruction. "Tsu'... Do you have that box with the light bulbs?!" He called out into nowhere, not knowing the location of the house his wife were in.
"I was gonna ask you the same question, there are no light bulbs down here! I can't see a thing!"
Sighing angrily, Himani walked into the hallway. "Son, I'm gonna need a few of your night lights."
Ozuma already had his room well lit, as he sorted through his boxes and suit cases for the items he needs. "How many is a few?" He was serious too, because to Ozuma every light counted. And the fact that he never had to rent them out before, made him a little cautious of them.
"Stop fooling around. I need about two or three." His father held a hand out for them.
Sucking on his bottom lip, Ozuma sighed imward and reached into his box pulling three lights out. "Here."
Himani nodded a thank you. "I'll give them back once we find the light bulbs."
"You left them at the old house, you and mom were talking about it before we left."
"We were?"
"Yeah, you said we wouldn't need them anyway and who brings light bulbs with them."
His father seemed to recall the words and he frowned. "I did, didn't I?" Turning to leave the room he froze in his steps, slightly startled to see his wife standing there behind him. "Tsu-... Sorry sweetie, here's a li-..?"
Ozuma looked to where his father was standing, curiosity written all over his face. He didn't see anyone. "Who're you talking to?" He asked, seeing that his father was just as confused as he was.
"No one... I guess I must have had a little too much light in my eyes." He shook his head. "I thought I saw your mother in the hall." Looking back at his son, he held the night lights up as though to say thank you again. "I'll give them back once we locate the lamps."
"Okay."
He heard his mother downstairs, a loud sound following her voice. "I need some light now, please!" She called from the distance.
"I'm on my way!" His father made a mock angry face at his son. The young boy laughed as he continued to unpack.
That's right, I'd better put one in the bathroom. Taking out a light that had the brightest bulb wattage, he hurried down the dim hallway to the bathroom. Flicking the light switch up, he laughed a moment as he had just that quickly forgotten that there were no bulbs. Feeling around the walls, he tried to locate a socket but found there was none. Great.
"Ozumaaa! Your father and I are going to have to go to the store." His mothers tone seemed to have some agitation in it. "Apparently, we even de-bulb the-... Oh," She lowered her voice seeing her son coming down the stairs rather quickly. "lamps... are you alright?"
"Yeah, it's just there are no sockets in the bathroom."
"That's okay, just light a candle, they should be somewhere." She informed. "We'll be back as soon as we can."
"It's kinda late, are you sure there's even a store open?" Ozuma seemed to be stalling them. The last thing he wanted was to be left alone in a dark house, and all the night lights in the world wouldn't cure the panic attacks he was about to have.
"Honey it's..." She narrowed her eyes, "well, I'll know when I get in the car. You'll be fine, just go in your room and play that game thing you have."
"Why can't I come?"
"Better you put your bed together so you can sleep." His father dismissed. "We'll be back."
"Okay..." He sounded like a kicked dog, looked like one too.
His mother planted a kiss on his forehead. "It's not forever, just ten minutes." His father was hustling the woman from the house.
"Lock the door." He informed.
"I will."
It closed seconds before his response and he sighed. The lock turned on the door, and he looked into the darkness beyond. Who's bright idea was it to put the stairs in the kitchen?! He could smack his head against the wall all day on that one, but instead he decided to muster up the courage and return to his room.
'Did you hear that?' Someone said in the distance ahead. The voice was so raspy and paper thin, he almost couldn't make it out- almost.
Ozuma struggled with the knob, his hands desperate as he clung to the knob as though he had forgotten it was locked. Fumbling with the little lock, he managed to pry the door open and he ran outside. "Moooom! Daad!" He shouted but the car was already down the road. "Come baack!"
Panicking, he covered his ears backing up. If he was afraid inside, than he would just stay outside. Pressing his back to the house, he curled into the fetal position and began to sing.
"Ignore the words it's in your head, ignore the shadows under your bed..." He sniffled. "You're mommies here, and your daddy too..." His words faltered as he knew this part at the moment wasn't true. "And all there love will..." He rocked forward and back. "protect you."
He sang it over and over in a chant until his parents return...
- 2
- 3
- 4
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

Afraid of the Light