The Longest Day
#4 of The Friendship
Author Notes: First, I am terribly sorry for the lateness of this chapter. A couple of writer blocks, a period of completely losing the interest in writing, and procrastination contributed GREATLY to this series almost stopping. But, thanks to an inspiring story from one of my friends here makes me realize that I have to finish what I started. So I started writing again, slowly writing sentence by sentence while trying to re-grasp the basic of writing a fiction again.
There is no yiff in this chapter. This chapter serves as a bridge to the finale.
Finally, I am sorry if this chapter isn't as enjoyable as the last ones. I'll try to make it up in the finale.
Guest character :
Ace (c) Ace_Wolf (many hugs and thanks to you, Ace^^)
.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.
Hikaru splashed the warm water to his face. Hoping to get rid all the dried sperm, especially the one in his lip and mouth. The toothpaste did little to get rid the foul taste in his mouth. But, it's better than nothing.
Dugsworth had given Hikaru time to clean himself. So that he didn't look too much like he was just raped. But Hikaru know too well, there is nothing that can clean the stain completely. No matter how hard he washed, he is still dirty.
But somehow he didn't feel so bad about it. If all this will save Yami, he can do it all day if needed. After all the blue fox didn't deserves any of this, he will make sure the coyote will pay for what he had done.
"Karu, I am bringing your clean clothes." Yami suddenly opened the bathroom door. And thanks to the suddenness, Hikaru didn't have time to cover his lower part.
The situation becomes awkward, quickly.
"I, I am sorry," Yami quickly covered his eyes with the clothes he brought for Hikaru, blushing heavily, "I thought you are inside the bathtub already."
"T, that's alright, I understand." Hikaru too blushed, despite already being naked twice in front of his friend. This condition is still embarrassing for him.
"I, I'll, excuse me then..." Yami tried to run out of the bathroom, but Hikaru caught his hand.
"No, it's alright... Err, if you don't mind... It would be nice if, if you could join me in the bath... I've set the water temperature." Hikaru's blush is getting redder. He himself didn't understand what he just said. It just flows out of his mouth.
"S, sure. I don't mind." Yami removed all his clothes, then joined Hikaru in the bathtub. Both of the foxes just stare at the other way and blushing. Nobody said anything.
"How is the water?" Said Hikaru trying to break the silence.
"Perfect."
Both of them fell silent again.
Hikaru sighed, "Yami, do you know? I feel our condition right now is quite strange."
Yami blurted, still blushing, "Of course it's strange. Kids our age don't take a bath together."
Hikaru shook his head, "No, not that. We are still in a tiger's den. Yet everything is so peaceful here."
Yami looked at his friend confusingly, "What are you trying to imply, Karu?"
"You see, we are in a house of a rapist. Both of us had been raped. Yet what are we doing here? Forgetting that both of us already fifteen and took a bath together like when we were still cubs. Aren't both of us should be scared? Cowering? Or maybe hiding in a closet while hoping that the rapist just forgets about us?"
Yami giggled, "I am still fourteen. Besides, I am not scared because I have faith in your plan, Karu."
Hikaru laughed joyfully, "Thanks. By the way, how could you stand all this for five weeks? I mean, twice is more than enough for my entire life. Yet you endured five weeks and still able to laugh. It requires serious determination, Yami."
"Well," Yami turned his head away once again, "You can say I have something... an anchor..."
"Nice metaphor. And what this anchor happens to be?"
Yami looked at Hikaru in the eyes. His face is red from the massive blushing, "...You..."
Hikaru fell silent at the sudden revelation, "W... me?"
Yami nodded, "You are my childhood friend, my only friend. At the same time you are also my brother, my protector, and someone I look up to. You are everything for me. More than once I wished to die in those nights. Yet when I think of you, saw your smile, talk with you, I forgot all those pains. You, Hikaru, are my anchor to life." Yami bowed his head, "That's the truth. Now you must be thinking that I am a queer."
Hikaru, seeing the sadness in his friend's eyes, couldn't help but embraced the blue fox in a tight hug. "No, Yami. No I don't. You too are my precious friend. No, more like a little brother. I can't see you getting hurt. All I want is to see your happy face, and I will go to great length just to see you smile again."
"But, why? I am not impressive. I am more a hindrance than a friend."
"Because you are honest with me. Most of my other so-called-friends befriend me because they want something from me. They didn't say it, but I can read it from their face. But you, you came to me because I am me. You were always there with me, not just when you need me. You were there when I was scolded for breaking my mother's vase. You were there when we were lost in the hill. You were there with me, good or bad, happy or sad. That's what matters to me. That's what makes you precious for me."
"Karu..."
Hikaru released the hug, once again putting his signature smile. "You are my special friend, now and forever. Now let us finish this bath quickly, the water is getting cold."
Yami laughed, "Can I wash your back? Just like old times?"
Meanwhile, a black four door sedan stopped in front of Yami's house. The driver, a yellow fox around the age of twenty, checked the number of the house with the note in his hand. "Yep," he said to himself, "This is the right house."
The yellow fox then removed his shades before turning the car engine off. He has azure blue eyes. Coupled with his yellow fur, he looks exactly like the older version of Hikaru. People often mistook him as Hikaru's big brother, or even father. Unless he learned to reproduce at seven years old, there is no way the latter is true, as he had just passed his twenty two mark a few days ago.
He examined his car again after locking it up. It's powerful, expensive, shiny, a real chick magnet. Too bad it wasn't his. Even ten year salary from his current job will never be enough for the car. At least he is happy serving the community.
Casually the fox made his way to the front door, pressed the door bell, then waiting. His waiting didn't take long as couple seconds later, Dugsworth opened the door.
Usually, Dugsworth will greet his guest grumpily. But this time, his guest managed to make his jaw drop. Even thought his preferences are younger furs, the fox in front of him are beautiful enough to make him eager to hump him right there and now. But he keeps his composure, forcing a smile to make his guest comfortable with his first impression, "Can I help you?"
The fox bowed a little to show some respects to the master of the house, "I am sorry for disturbing your afternoon Mister. My name is Lucius L. Luminaire, and I am here to pick up my nephew who was having a sleepover here last night."
Dugsworth smiled at the opportunity. This is the good time to make his first step, "Lose the formalities young man. I know right away you are related to the little fox, thought I kind of expecting you are his big brother, not uncle."
"Many people said that, believe me. My parents were a little late when they finally decided that they wanted one more member for the family. That's why my age gap is quite big compared with my other siblings."
"My, where are my manner, I shouldn't keep my guest standing by the door, come inside" Dugsworth moved to the side, giving way for Lucius to get inside the house, "What do you want to drink?"
"Anything is fine Mr..."
"...Dugsworth, just Dugsworth." Dugsworth walked to the kitchen after showing where Lucius should sit, "Is cola alright? It's all I have right now."
"Sure, it's alright."
"Oh, there are some magazines there. Make yourself comfortable."
"Right, thanks." Lucius took a magazine and start flipping the pages. Behind him, Dugsworth stealthily moved behind Lucius, with a club in his right hand.
Upstairs, Yami and Hikaru had finished their bath. They are now clean and fully clothed. Ready whenever the pick up comes.
"Geez Yami, you don't have to scrub that hard. Now my back is aching in pain."
Yami chuckled, "Sorry, the last time I washed your back was seven years ago. I didn't know that my hand gained so much strength after all that time. Maybe the problem is not in my arm strength, maybe you are getting old."
"For crying out loud, I am just fifteen. I am supposed to be at the peak of my physique."
Just before Yami could respond with his own joke, a loud smack sound came from downstairs. Both of the foxes startled at the sound, wondering what could have produced that sound.
"Stay here, I'll check it." Hikaru swiftly moved from the bathroom to the stairs. If his ear is right, whatever produced that sound isn't far from the stairs. And to his horror, he saw his uncle lying face down, blood pouring from his head, with Dugsworth, still holding the club, standing right beside his uncle. Two seconds is all he need to deduce what happened here. The smack sound he heard just now is the sound of his uncle getting introduced to Mr. Club.
"UNCLE!!!" Hikaru shook his uncle's body, hoping to wake him up. "Uncle, please wake up."
"Awww, don't worry little cub, your uncle is fine. In fact, we are going to have fun together."
"Just how many people you planned to do that... sick thing... with? What kind of MONSTER are you?"
"Monster? This is just how adults do their business, cub. They dominate the weaker ones then FUCK them in the ass. It's that simple."
"You are no adult. You are just a deranged psychopath!"
"What do you know about adults?"
Yami heard the commotion below. One voice obviously belongs to his stepfather. While the other one, he wasn't so sure. Was it Uncle Luce? Or was it Hikaru? Then there is a loud sound like someone is slammed. He decided to take a peek. He's curious, although he is terribly afraid at the same time.
Downstairs, Yami saw Hikaru is pinned on top of the unconscious Lucius by Dugsworth. Dugsworth already has his pants down and now trying to remove Hikaru's pants while he struggled with all his might.
"You see cub. Maybe if I fuck you on top of your uncle, you'll feel what being adult feel like."
"Release me, You, You SICK COYOTE!!!"
"My, my, an adult will pay attention to what comes out of their muzzle. Maybe I should shut that muzzle of yours."
"LEAVE HIM ALONE!!!" Yami lunged to Dugsworth's arm. He used the only weapon he had at that moment, his teeth. He bit deep and hard. Deep enough that blood started to leak from the bitten spot.
Dugsworth flailed his arm in order to shrug Yami off. But it has little effect as the blue fox still hinging on his arm. Instead, he uses a different method, he punched Yami in the gut with his other arm, then used the split second Yami shrieked in pain to slam the poor young fox to the kitchen table. It worked.
Yami coughed. The pain from the impact is unbearable. He couldn't get himself to stand as his head is still dizzy. He could see Dugsworth, obviously unhappy, walked slowly towards him.
Hikaru though, had other opinion. He threw a bag at flour straight to Dugsworth's face. He used the seconds Dugsworth startled by the attack to drag Yami out of the kitchen and to the stairs. He took a mad dash upstairs, and then jumped inside Yami's bedroom, dragging Yami all the way.
Hikaru closed the door quickly. Just when he wanted to lock the room that he realized the key is not where it supposed to be, "Yami, where is the key?"
"D, Dad has it. He is the one who locked us here yesterday, remember?"
"Damn, damn, damn" Hikaru decided to use an alternative way to block the door, namely by barricading it with Yami's desk. He knows that it's just temporary solution, the coyote will break it. "Yami, do you have some kind of weapon here? Any weapon will do!"
Yami quickly leaped to his bed, pulling a wooden baseball bat from under it. "This thing is the closest to a weapon I know."
Hikaru took the wooden bat and readied himself, hoping that his times in baseball team will pay off now.
Yami on the other hand, too scared to do anything except cowering in fear behind Hikaru.
Dugsworth, as expected, easily broke through the barricade with his sheer strength. He, literally, kick the door down, destroying both the door and the desk behind it. He saw his two preys, scared, but ready to fight him. He laughed at the ridiculousness, "You do realize that you will never win against me, do you? Even with that toothpick."
Hikaru didn't bother to counter the coyote with cheesy one liner. Instead, he swung the bat as fast as he could. His plan is if the first hit connects, Dugsworth will be disoriented and vulnerable for a follow up combo, and then he just needs to keep hitting until he won.
But Hikaru forgot to count that if that first attack fails, the consequences are dire.
Dugsworth blocked the attack, counters with a hard slap, then grabbed Hikaru's shirt collar and slammed him to the wall. Not stopping right there, he grabbed Yami who was right behind Hikaru and threw him to where Hikaru is.
Both of the foxes are still recovering from the collision, but Dugsworth didn't give them any mercy. He grabbed them both on the neck, carried them to the hall, and then slammed the poor foxes to the wall again while keeping them on his grasp. "You see now whores? You can't win against me! You fight me, and now you'll die."
Hikaru struggled as hard as his remaining air supply allows him, which is not much left. He saw Yami too struggled with his life, but getting weaker and weaker each passing second. He needs to think something, do something, anything before his consciousness fading completely.
Dugsworth tighten his grip to both foxes. His rage has blinded him. He didn't care anymore even if his actions will lead him to two dead teenager bodies right on his carpet. He watched in delight as his victims desperately grasping for air. Maybe he could try necrophilia before dumping their corpses somewhere it couldn't be found. But a tap on his shoulder ruined his train of thought.
A tap and a hard hook on his cheek, by none other than the fox he smacked not too long ago, Lucius L. Luminaire.
Dugsworth released the near-dead foxes. By the hook he received earlier, the fox in front of him pose far greater threat than the previous small fries. He readied his menacing stance, acting as if the previous attack didn't hurt him at all, "I liked it more when you are sleeping on the floor."
"Cut the crap, asshole. You dared to hurt my nephew, now face the consequences." Lucius raised his fist in a boxer way. He will make the dreaded coyote pay for what he did.
Dugsworth laughed, "Consequences? You gotta be kid..." Dugsworth's word is cut by a well placed jab to his face by Lucius. It send him back cringed.
"I said, cut the crap, ASSHOLE."
Hikaru, thought still grasping for breath, saw how cool his uncle looks right now. His fighting stance is similar to a boxer he idolized years ago, famous for the countless winning streak. The death glare and the gaping wound on his uncle's head just make him even cooler.
Dugsworth advances, he intended to grab and smack the fox to the wall like the two foxes before. But he forgot to count that Lucius is far agile and stronger and smarter than his former opponents. Dugsworth get his ass handed to him when Lucius sidesteps, sweeps at his leg while pulling his arm. Instead of taking Dugsworth full force, Lucius performing a full judo counter on him. It looks like the boxing stance just now is only for show anyway. As Lucius is intending to judo-ing Dugsworth sorry arse since the beginning.
Dugsworth, who get tossed behind Lucius, realize that they are fighting on top of the stairs. He landed face first before rolling down the stairs, inflicting injuries enough to send him unconscious.
Upstairs, Lucius fights the urge to stomp on the deranged coyote some more. Instead, he walked towards his nephew, checking both Yami's and Hikaru's condition, hoping there are no permanent damage. He breathed a sigh of relief, "Thank god, there are just small bruises. But we should call the ambulance just to make sure."
Yami took a glance downstairs, towards where his stepfather lay unconscious. The monster who had plagued his life now lay defeated. Tears formed around his eyes, "Is it... really over? Is the nightmare really over?"
Hikaru fell silent. He approached Yami and hugged him close. "Yes... It's over."
Yami, unable to contain his emotion anymore, hugged Hikaru back then cried to his heart content. It's not a tear of regret, it's not a tear of sadness, it's a tear of joy. He endured it all, waiting for this day to come. That's why he didn't hold back now.
Lucius smiled at the sight. He didn't understand what's going on, but if both of them are happy, that's enough for him. He rose up, "Karu, I'm going to call the ambulance and the police, and maybe looks for some rope to tie the trash below. You stay here with Yami, okay?"
Hikaru nodded in agreement. He didn't want to go anywhere for now after all.
It doesn't take long before the police came. The sirens blaring, making the neighborhood who planned to spend their afternoon in peace and quiet, coming out of their house to see what happened. The police quickly formed a barricade to prevent the curious onlookers from disturbing the crime scene. Some journalists have sniffed the accident and now the crowd is getting even bigger.
Lucius just sighed at the crowd. Yami and Hikaru have been carried to the hospital for proper treatment. His head too had been treated by the paramedics before they left with the two small foxes. He had called Hikaru's family and now they are on their way to the hospital. Now all that left is helping the investigators to build a case against Dugsworth, and he knows it will be easy.
Fortunately, Yami and Hikaru had briefed him on what happened. And he remembers how he wanted to break the coyote's neck upon hearing it.
"Luce, this is supposed to be your day off." A big black wolf approach Lucius. He looks so friendly despite his large and intimidating figure. "Let us handle the rest."
Lucius smiled at the black wolf, his partner at work, still as friendly as usual, "I can't do that Ace. I have to make sure the coyote get what's getting to him."
Ace punched the fox playfully, "What? You didn't trust me? I already know he was guilty for physically assaulting two underage kids, and you. I don't even have to see the investigation report."
Lucius sighed, "Follow me."
Lucius walked upstairs, straight to the room at the end of the second floor. Ace followed the yellow fox, expecting him to show some evidences that would amuse him, like he always did. But to his surprise, this room, the room with many pictures of Yami, shocked him beyond the realms of reason.
"What the HECK are these?" was all Ace can say about the bizarre room.
Lucius almost laughed at his partner's response. The exact same response the investigation team showed when he showed them this room, "You know Ace, this guy is a sicko. Nah, perhaps sicko is too good. He sexually abused his underage son, and proud of it. These pictures should tell you that much."
"Say What?"
"And if you are wondering why he smacked me square in the head," Lucius inserted a title less tape to the player, "This might answer your question."
Ace, still in suspension of disbelief, watched the pictures that appear on the monitor. It just took him seconds before he understands what the video will show him. He pressed the stop button immediately, "This is sick."
Lucius took the video and put it back to the stack of Dugsworth's video, "If Hikaru didn't fought bravely. Expect to find me in the next video he made."
"Thank God. Looks like you owe your life to the brave boy, Luce."
"Brave and clever. He prepared a recording device." Lucius took a tape from his pocket, showing it to the black wolf, "He recorded the night when that stupid coyote ‘touched' him, if you know what I mean by ‘touching'. I can let you hear it if you want."
Ace shook his head, "No, that's enough. All these evidences are enough to send any child protection organization going ballistic on him."
"My thought exactly. These overwhelming evidences will crush the coyote flat in the court, and those child protection organizations will be more aware from now on. They had done well."
Ace just smiled, then hugs the smaller fox. "Alright, now I have seen everything. Leave the rest to me and go to the hospital immediately. I know you are worried sick about that little nephew of yours."
Lucius just smiled, "I know I can count on you."