Wax Candles

“I hope Huyu didn’t scare you as you came in. I forgot to mention he was here,” Massu said, getting up from his cushion that was used as a seat at the low-lying table in the kitchen. The table was barely raised half a foot off the ground and I wondered why the boys would want to eat like this for every meal, bending over and such. I watched Massu open one of the few cabinets, pulling out a cup that could have almost passed as a shot glass, though it was slightly bigger. He then turned on the water from the sink and stuck the little glass under the miniature waterfall that was pouring from the spout. Turning off the water, Massu sat back down in his seat across from me, his purple eyes shining. “So what do you think?” He gestured towards the bowl of rice in front of me; a pair of wooden sticks (which I now knew to be called chopsticks) sticking out from the middle.

“Rice is always a good food to eat after a hard day,” I commented, nodding and picking up another chunk of rice with my chopsticks. Huyu had made us both a meal before he went to bed; I would have never guessed by the look of him that he could cook. “What are you eating?” I asked, seeing Massu didn’t have a bowl of rice like I did.

“Chopped vegetables and fruit,” he replied, popping what looked to be a cube of green apple into his mouth. “I’m a vegetarian, see.” I looked up at him once he said that, half a rice chunk hanging on my lips.

“You don’t eat meat?” I said, poking the grains of rice into my mouth with the chopsticks. “I’m a girl and even I like meat.”

Massu scrunched his eyebrows together. “Does it really matter what gender you are? Girls are allowed to like meat as well,” he chuckled, picking up another piece from his bowl. That, of course, was true, but men were known to prefer meat more than women. Well, maybe only in my head though.

A small, single lamp hung above the center of the table as we ate. I often blinked up at it, wishing it was the sun so that it would burn my fears away. “So how did you and Huyu become “brothers”?” I questioned Massu. Okay, I’ll admit it: I’ve been thinking about Huyu ever since this afternoon and I just want to know as much as I can about him.

A smile lit up Massu’s face as he moved a few green slices to the side in his bowl in order to get a yellow piece. “My mother and father found him when he was still a baby. His mother had left him in the center of the market, hoping someone would take him. He had been out there all day and he was going to die soon if no one took him in, so my parents did. After that my mother and father had me--” He stabbed a fruit cube, slightly aggravated. “And my older brother went off to England on a merchant ship or something and we haven’t seen him since.” Massu angrily stuck the fruit in his mouth; his eyebrows pressed together in thought. “I guess I don’t miss him, now that I have Huyu and all. Oh, and a few months after my brother left, my parents died--” I watched Massu’s face; he didn’t seem bothered by their death at all. “And then my aunt took care of Huyu and I until we were about fourteen, but then she was killed in a pirate raid.” He set his bowl down on the table. “A lot of betrayal and death, but that’s all the past holds really when you think about it.”

It took me a moment to find the right words. “How--how do and Huyu live here then? How do you get enough money?” That wasn’t exactly what I had wanted to ask, but that’s what came out. My question was legitimate though; this house was pretty large and nice, how could two boys be able to keep it up on their own?

“Well.” Massu rocked back and forth slightly as he sat crossed-legged. “Once my aunt died I received all her money and such; I also have job. Not much more to it.” But there was more. There was so much more that Massu wasn’t telling me and yet I didn’t have the guts to call him out on it.

“Lucky they gave you all of your aunt’s things,” I muttered almost matter-of-factly. Angrily, I pushed another rice chunk into my mouth, knowing that if I spoke again on the subject I would get myself into trouble. “So how old are you and Huyu?”

“I’m seventeen; Huyu is eighteen.” Massu stood up with his bowl and still full glass, setting them in the sink to clean later. My eyes followed him, slightly shock.

“Huyu is eighteen?” I chocked out from behind the rice. “He seemed to be my age at most, and I’m sixteen.”

“Nope, he’s eighteen,” Massu replied, walking back over to the table and sitting down. “I hate to leave you here by yourself, but would you mind if I went to bed? I’ve got to get up early and--” I cut him off.

“Of course, go right ahead,” I muttered, mouth still full and eyes glued to my bowl.

A smile peeled across his face. “Thanks for understanding, April.” He then walked past me and down the hallway, a door closing a few moments after he left the kitchen. And now I was alone.

I stuck my chopsticks back into the rice, irritated how Massu seemed to duck any further conversation tonight. I didn’t blame him though; he had probably had a long day of cleaning after Romeo came through the store, smashing the bottles and such. I fiddled with the cushion I sat on, tracing the pattern of a snake on the fabric. I was thinking about so many things at one time I got a headache and that’s when I knew I needed to get some fresh air. Stiffly getting to my feet, picking up my half eaten bowl of rice and placing it next to the sink, I wandered over to the main door. The handle was cool and smooth as I grazed my hand over it, trying to decide whether or not to leave at such an hour. Oh what did I care, it’s not like I could get into that much trouble, and I would only be gone for a couple of minutes and no more. My feet were cold once they felt the cobblestone streets outside the door and into a part of town I hadn’t seen yet. Every store and house was dark inside, only a few oil lamps hung outside houses.

The night air wasn’t too humid, yet I could feel myself starting to sweat after I had been walking for minute or so. I smiled; I liked this part of town, well, so far. Ha, caught myself this time. The buildings were so close together and yet it was all picture perfect, just how my mind liked to see it. As I skipped down the street, the slightly breeze grazing through my hair, I came upon a little brown dog lying outside one of the shops. He was half asleep and I could tell by the look in his eyes he was more than famished. I didn’t stop though, afraid that it was so hungry it would even make do with a piece of me to eat. It wasn’t long until I reached the beach, which surprised me. How small was this town? Once arriving at the beach, I sat in the sand, letting the warm waves lick my toes. The scene was so peaceful that it seemed as if it was from a story; nothing could go wrong. And yet it all went downhill.

“Look who we have ‘ere,” a cold voice snickered behind me, making the hairs on the back of my neck stand up with a start. “Little Miss Montague alone on the beach? What? And you didn’t bring one of your new chew toys along?”

At first I tried to just close my eyes and tell myself it was all a dream, but that never worked anyway so why start trying now? “Excuse me,” I said bitterly, turning around to face my confronter. “But who do you think you--” I stopped dead. “Yu!”

“Yes, me, now get up,” the red and black haired man ordered me. “Come on, get on your feet. Come on now!” I staggered to my feet, sending him a death glare. “Oi, Kiro! I found our runaway,” he called up the bank, a disgusting grin plastered to his face. Kiro bounded down the beach with ease a moment later, something long and thin in his pale hands.

“How did you find me?” I asked, frustrated I was stupid enough to go out by myself. Why didn’t I just decide to come here tomorrow with Huyu or Massu? Now after all their hard work, my kidnappers tracked me down and reclaimed me.

“It’s called a scent, darling,” Yu snickered. “Everyone leaves one. Yes, even the pretty, rich people.” He was mocking me. That tall, stone-hearted freak was mocking me. Oh the nerve of that man. Kiro was behind me moments later, pushing my hands together and tying them together with rope.

“We hate being so forceful, Miss Montague,” Kiro explained, pulling the knot tight. “But we just can’t risk you running away yet again.” And how I hated this boy, but not for the same reason as Yu. Kiro was not as nearly as rude as Yu, and I thanked the heavens for that, and being as cute as he was, Kiro still got on my nerves.

“Don’t you boys have anything better to do then chase poor little girls?” I hissed, wrenching my hands from Kiro’s grasp. I looked over at the two of them once Kiro stood next to his shipmate; my eyes blazing.

“Technically were not boys; we’re twenty one. And isn’t that what men are supposed to do? Chase girls, chase pigs, what’s the difference?” Yu shrugged, his cold eyes mocking me once again. Kiro shifted uneasily on his feet.

My jaw dropped at his comparison. The nerve of this man! “There is a very big difference,” I informed him, exasperated and infuriated. “And I’ll have you know--” Yu leaned forward, and flicked my nose as if trying to stop an annoying dog from barking. “What was that?” I hissed, attempting to bite his finger, but he pulled it back as soon as I blinked.

“I’m going to treat you like a dog if you keep acting like one. So if you would…” Yu swept his large hand towards the docks. I groaned as I saw the faint outline of the Luminor. “Proceed.”

I growled, stepping in and out of the thick sand carefully, taking my time. But Kiro didn’t follow, instead he stood where he was, as still as a statue, his gaze drifting towards a section of brush.

“Come on, Kiro,” Yu called back over his shoulder. “Shin is making dinner and I don’t want a spoiled glass.” I scrunched my eyebrows together. Glass? Yu didn’t want a spoiled glass? What was wrong with these boys? Oh, wait, pardon, men. I snorted; they sure acted like boys. Yu pushed me forward, a cunning grin sown onto his lips and his eyes looked like the ones of that dog I had passed earlier. They were hungry and willing to eat anything, even me.