Truly Heaven

A dark cityscape stretched out before them. The two figures lay together in the open air, exposing their restless hearts to the impure world. She reaches her hand out to touch his cold cheek, their bare skin too close for comfort. They can both feel the aching, primal longing for each other- but there is nothing that will satisfy this feeling.

"You..." She looks into his dark eyes, so black they might suck her into them. "Do you know how long I've waited?"

He ignores her question, holding her close and kissing her neck to her shoulder. "A long time, was it?"

The man bites down on her pale skin, holding her tightly. These are the feelings he's been holding back; the urges he has suppressed for her sake. Her heart beats fast, and she realizes the state that they are in.

---

Yoli sat up in bed, her eyes darting around the room fearfully. Holding herself, she calms her ragged breathing and lies back down.

"Masao..." his name escapes her lips. She had a dream about him that night. It was a forbidden dream, something that she could not comprehend. The sadness she feels is real, though.

The heartache of her dream self carries over to the real world, and she began to cry. All she wanted was to be near him again. The days she spent with Masao in his small apartment were the happiest of all. That was her home, the place she felt safest. Seeing him again, even if only in a dream, stirred up feelings she couldn't name.

His face was so adorable, his voice so comforting, and his touch was a familiar sensation. Tears gushed out of her eyes, which became redder with each passing moment. She whimpered his name over and over again like she would forget it if she stopped.

Her heart wavered, unreasonable questions swirling through her head.

Is he looking for me? Does he care that I am gone? Will he save me?

She stared at the ceiling for what seemed like hours, thinking about him and imagining the times they shared. The doorknob began to jiggle, breaking the silence in the room.

She sat up, staring at the door as the person on the other side tried to open it. The door swung open, and the light from a dim bulb outside the door cast a harsh shadow onto the new arrival. A man holding a gun stood in the doorway.

- - -

A group of men walked down the street, kicking everyone and everything out of their way. The guns they held knew no mercy, and they were on a mission to find something important to them. The blond boy leading them bit his lip nervously, looking around the area with uncertainty.

"Think like Masao! Where would he be...?" Kei said anxiously. The men behind him were getting impatient. They had been wandering around the city for hours, and still had no idea where their beloved ex-leader was.

A phone call from a particular older brother had informed them of Masao's situation, hinting that he might need some help. When Masao hadn't shown up at the gang's building for a while, they decided to go look for him. Now in the dead of night, it was clear that something had gone wrong.

Hideo stepped up to help Kei lead the gang. He felt bad for the boy and was still helping him learn to be a leader.

A few minutes later, they found themselves on Dead Man's strip, a street notorious for being a crime central and a haven for addicts of all sorts. "My, my, what do we have here?" Hideo said smoothly, nearing a man lying on the street.

He placed his foot on top of the man's bloodied head. He slowly ground his foot against his skull, his dirty shoe rubbing dirt into the man's wet hair. The surrounding area was covered in blood and vomit. The members of the gang grimaced, getting a good view of their pathetic ex-leader.

Masao groaned deeply, his hand twitching slightly. Not even Hideo's teasing could get him conscious. His body was motionless, and he looked so terrible that one might mistake him for dead. Hideo sighed and removed his foot from his head, bending down beside him to get a good look at his best friend's blood-covered face.

"What the hell happened to you?" he said quietly. He carefully lifted Masao off the ground and hoisted him onto his back. He was shocked at how light he was. Masao had truly been starved and malnourished after his accident, and was the furthest thing from how he was in his glory days.

The gang turned around, their ex-leader now in their protection. Nobody said a word as they went back to the apartment building they resided in. There was nothing to say that would lighten the mood. Masao had been completely defeated.

Masao was still out cold when they laid him down on his old bed in the gang's place. Kei slept in Masao's old room now, but they left it basically the same way it had been three years ago. They had bandaged up the wound on his head, but that was the most care they gave him. He was still a complete mess.

"So, are you going to go get the girl back?" Kaho asked the boys as they stood around in the doorway, watching Masao sleep.

"I don't see what other choice we have. You guys could tell...how much he needed her, right?" Kei said quietly.

There was no denying that Masao had feelings for Yoli. It was obvious to anyone observing their relationship. It didn't help that, as his close friends, they were already well aware of what types of girls he was into.

"I'll go," Hideo finally spoke up. "I'll go get her."

Nodding in agreement, they shut the door to Masao's room and went back to their usual late-night activities. Hideo knew it would be impossible for them all to sneak into COT together. He was the only one of them who was intimately familiar with COT's headquarters. Being one of the only members who didn't fear death, he was often sent to break into COT's buildings to steal things. He could imagine the layout of each floor.

As he rode his motorcycle through Central City, he was lost in thought. He felt jealous, and slightly upset, but he didn't want to admit it- even to himself. Masao had always been his role model, the guy whom he admired and sought to impress.

In their younger days, Masao had been a player. He was constantly drooling over girls, messing around with women at parties, and acting like a fool in general. Outside of those moments, he was a mature and wise guy, though. Hideo never thought of Masao as the type to get seriously invested in a girl.

He knew that his best friend was still a virgin, and that was slightly confusing to him. Masao played with women's feelings, twisted them around his finger so he could have some simple fun, but never committed to anything seriously physical. Was he scared? Was he waiting for something?

Seeing Masao become suddenly so enamored with a girl stirred up painful feelings. He didn't know Yoli or what her intentions were. She'd suddenly come into Masao's life and become his most important, treasured person. That was what Hideo hated. He was being replaced by a small, fragile girl.

He cursed loudly as he rode through the black night, his anger echoing through the maze of tall buildings.

"Yoli...Yoli...who the hell does she think she is? If he had just let me help him after his accident...he wouldn't need her lame ass "wife" performance!"

That night flashed through his mind. He'd watched his best friend carry that girl to his motorcycle, his arms holding her carefully like she was a priceless treasure. He saw his friend leave him again, but this time Masao had someone with him- someone who was capable of filling the emptiness in his heart.

It wasn't romantic, nor was it some twisted obsession; it was simply the desire to be important to Masao again. Just like when they were young, and Masao was the center of his world.

- - -

The man covered in shadow surveyed the room and slipped the gun into the front pocket of his pants. Yoli cowered in fear, covering her face with the bed sheets. He walked over to her, slowly and quietly. She was scared to even breathe.

He put his hand on her shoulder and whispered in her ear. "Be quiet, and walk quickly. I won't be coming back for you if you can't keep up," he said.

"Wh...at?" she tilted her head. He didn't seem to have any malicious intent towards her; in fact, what he was saying made it seem like he might help her.

"Well, come on then," he hit her back lightly and stepped towards the door. She complied, getting out of bed and following his lead. She was only wearing a nightgown, which was black and had a lace border.

When they stepped into the light, she could see who he was, and her fears were immediately calmed. She followed behind the blond man, a smile spreading across her face. She didn't dare say anything since he told her to be quiet, but she admired his helpfulness in silence.

Hideo led her through many staircases, hallways, and doors. They made their way through the headquarters, avoiding areas that could have employees in them. Since it was late at night, there weren't many people awake.

They still had to be careful not to trigger the security systems. Hideo was able to avoid most of the cameras that might catch them.

Once they got to the third floor, they entered a dark room. It was a mostly empty office. Boxes were stacked to the ceiling around the room, and it seemed like nobody had used them in a while.

"You're gonna have to climb down from here," Hideo whispered.

One of many windows inside the office was propped open. Yoli peered out of it, butterflies forming in her stomach as she realized how far from the ground they still were. Hideo had tied a rope to the window after he got into the room. She guessed that he had scaled the wall using the edges around the windows as a grip.

"I'll go first. Are you ready?" he said. His voice sounded slightly annoyed. He could tell how scared she was, but he didn't make any attempt to calm her fears. She nodded, and he climbed out the window, slowly making his way down the rope. When there was enough room for her to start climbing down, he signaled for her to begin.

She was frozen in place. Her body wouldn't allow her to move. She knew that if she didn't hurry up, they could get caught, and she would never escape COT. However, seeing how far the fall would be terrified her. She had never climbed down a rope before, and she wasn't very strong. She didn't know if she would be able to do it without falling off.

"What are you waiting for?" Hideo snapped.

She heard footsteps outside the room and knew she had no other choice. She climbed out of the window and took hold of the brown rope. Clutching it tightly, she used her legs to keep herself up. Hideo continued to make his way down the rope, and Yoli slowly made progress. She wanted to cry, but she didn't want to look weak in front of Hideo.

Hideo wasn't a person whom she felt safe being vulnerable around.

A while later, he made it to the ground. "Jump down," he instructed. She turned her head to look at him from above. She was still quite high off the ground, but not so far that she would die if she fell. Still, jumping from this high was scary for her, and she didn't think it was safe.

"Jump! I will catch you, okay?" he said with frustration. She immediately let go of the rope and fell backwards. For a second, the flame of her life felt like it could be blown out by even the weakest breeze.

"There you go," he said. She fell into his arms just as he said. Hideo's harsh words, his snappy attitude, all of it was uncomfortable to her. Knowing that he stayed true to his word, though, comforted her. This was Masao's trusted companion and best friend. She smiled as he put her down, admiring his strength and courage to rescue her.

He risked his life for a girl he barely knew.

"Where is Masao?" she asked.

Hideo scowled, checking his watch. "He's at our place. Don't worry about it," he said. Just the way he said it hinted to her that Masao was in rough condition. She choked back tears and followed after Hideo.

They ran through the city, avoiding busy streets and walkways. COT could realize she was missing at any time, and that would spell trouble for them.

- - -

They entered the apartment together, the members of the gang greeting them as they came in.

"Oh, you poor thing! How do you feel?" Kaho asked, immediately hugging her. Kaho pressed her face against Yoli's, cooing about how worried they all were.

Hideo retreated to his bedroom, avoiding the antics surrounding Yoli's return.

"Where is Masao?" she asked. She looked around the living room, looking for any sign of her purple-haired roommate.

"He's...in his old room," Kaho said, her voice becoming more mellow. "You can go see him if you'd like to."

Yoli nodded and walked towards the bedroom that they pointed to. She held her hand on the doorknob, hesitant to open the door. What state was Masao in? She was afraid of what he would look like.

Her heart was still beating furiously, and the fear in her stomach only built as she anticipated seeing his face again.

"Why...do I feel this way?" she said out loud. None of the gang members was paying attention to her anymore, so they didn't hear her voice her inner turmoil.

She stepped inside the room and closed the door behind her. It was completely dark inside, apart from the faint rays of moonlight shining through the curtains that covered a small window.

The walls were covered in posters of girls in revealing outfits. The floor was covered in dirty magazines, empty noodle cups, and other miscellaneous items. Whoever was living in this room was just as much of a pig as Masao was.

She felt tears build in her eyes as her gaze fell upon Masao's sleeping body. He was lying on his stomach, his hair wet and dirty. He looked like a mess. He wasn't even completely under the covers, and his leg was sticking out from under the dirty blankets.

Her mouth hung open slightly, a shiny glaze over her eyes. Even in his wrecked state, she could only find him beautiful. Masao's disgusting, beaten, and bruised body was breathtaking. Each step she took towards him only increased her anticipation. She couldn't believe that this was real.

The night without him felt so lonely, but here he was, the same Masao she'd known before. She sat down beside him, watching his restful face. She reached out her hand, placing it on his head and gliding her fingers through his long hair. Masao was truly the most pathetic man she'd ever met.

A burning desire had been lit within her. She felt drawn to him like a moth to a flame, unable to resist his boyish charms.

He was approaching a healthier weight because of the meals she was cooking for him. Even his overall hygiene had improved.

"Masao..." she said his name quietly. She moved closer to him, her back touching the side of his body. She ran her hand down his back, rubbing him lovingly.

He grunted quietly, shifting his body. He opened his eyes wearily, his hurting body reacting to her warm touch.

"Yo...li?" he stared at her in his half-asleep state, unable to believe that she was real.

"Masao has done a lot for me," she said simply. He grabbed her hand with his shaking arm. He was weak, weaker than usual. His tired eyes focused on her. "Masao has been a very good boy," she said.

He opened his mouth, but words would not come out. His voice was caught in his throat. He wanted to grab her in fear that she might disappear if he didn't. His body was in so much pain that he could not summon the strength to make that reality.

"It's okay. I am right here..." she smiled sweetly. "May I...spend this night with Masao?"

His eyes widened. He had to say yes, but he couldn't. Yoli got up, straightening out the blankets on the bed and covering him properly. He watched her with interest the whole time. Then she pulled up the blankets and got in next to him, snuggling up against his chest.

He brought his hand up to hold her head against him. She sighed, melting into his embrace.

"I was...so sad. I thought that I would never see Masao again," she said softly. "Please, never leave."

She knew she was out of her mind. A normal person would be disgusted by him. He was wet, dirty, and smelled terrible- not to mention how weak and pathetic he was. Masao was the definition of a slob, and on top of that, he was injured. Yet she wasn't disgusted even in the slightest.

This man meant more to Yoli than any other. This man was her world. She whimpered, wrapping her arms around him and pressing her body against his. She was only wearing the black nightgown that Wataru gave her, so she had been cold when making her escape. Now cuddled up with Masao, she was warm.

She could feel his hot breath against her neck. Something was stirring inside of him, and his right hand slowly trailed down her back to rest on her rear.

"I won't leave," he said once he had calmed down. "I said I would protect you, but I couldn't. I failed..."

Yoli pressed her hand to his chest, the spot above his heart. "Masao protected me the best he could. I learn so much from him, and he does everything he can to protect my heart from evil things," she said fondly.

"Guh- I guess that's true," he said. His thumb rubbed her skin, touching her mindlessly.

"I will help Masao clean up tomorrow. For now...let's..." she said, drifting to sleep. He chuckled, rubbing his nose against the top of her head.

"Being so intimate like this...with you," he smiled to himself. Yoli was adorable, and he knew it. He fell asleep with her in his arms, and that alone was enough to make all of his wounds hurt less.