Take the Silence

"Reina.. Are you listening to me?"

A voice ever-so-slightly spoke as a piece of cooked broccoli was flung her way. The disgusting vegetable landed on her cheek, breaking through the brunette's thoughts. It was her elder half-brother Minato that flung it. He always had a knack for bursting through her imaginative world to pick her up and throw her back onto the plane of reality... Back to the streetside cafe that they were sitting at and enjoying their lunch. Well, trying their best to enjoy lunch; The weather had taken a turn for the worst and though it hadn't exactly started raining, a slight drizzle was hitting the street, and the sky had taken on a white hue.

"What??" She snapped, not really aware of the raise of volume in her voice. She took out the earbuds from her ears, turned off the soundtrack that was flowing through them, and promptly wiped her cheek with a napkin nearby. The weather itself was making her a bit cranky, and it reflected in her voice. Minato raised his eyebrow as he began to open his mouth to ask how her sandwich was, when her attention turned to a building across the usually busy street.

Not too far from a rehearsal hall, musicians spilled out of the building as they went on with their daily rituals. One of which caught her eye. A black tressed, lean man around his late twenties, carrying a guitar case with him.

"Find something interesting?" Minato queried. Reina only gazed at the man as he disappeared around the corner. He looked a bit familiar, but it was to be expected; She did live in Tokyo, after all.

"Yeah, I think I have...." she sighed. Minato made a face and changed the subject.

"Think it will rain tonight also..?"

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

There was one particular apartment that didn't seem to have a tenant across the hall from Reina's place. Not a soul walked through the door for the six months she had resided there. Though for the past month, in the middle of the night she could hear a guitar; the sound of someone practicing meticulously... guitar chords and riffs that seemed very familiar to the woman. Desolate sounds that resonated through the walls as she walked through in the early morning, yet no one came out. Until that night...

Torrents of rain crashed down onto the roof and the entire apartment halls went pitch black from a power outage. Not a sound could be heard in the building that night, save for an acoustic guitar still strumming. Reina traipsed out of her own apartment carrying a flashlight. She had to get a closer listen to the sound.... and the melody that was playing. It was so familiar... Almost like... like...

The music stopped suddenly and footsteps in the apartment made their way to the door.

Reina's heartbeat quickened. Finally after all six months of living there, she would know who was staying in that old apartment! The door creaked open slowly and a figure emerged from the inside.

"What are you doing out here?? You shouldn't be walking around while it's so dark.." spoke a voice that gave the woman tingles. A soft-spoken, raspy, very male voice.

"I was just.. curious... I always hear a guitar playing yet... No one comes out of this apartment...." She squinted to make out the features of the man, but to no avail; She only estimated him to be around his twenties, and if his voice was any indication of his looks, probably very handsome.

"Oh, that... I just come and go at odd times..." the voice replied, smooth as velvet. Reina felt a chill go down her spin. "I'm sorry, miss...?"

"Oh, my name?" she somehow managed to stammer. "Hara Reina... I live across the hall..." she spoke shyly, smiling with her words.

"Reina..." the man spoke, putting thought into each syllable. "A beautiful name to match a beautiful voice." Reina could feel her cheeks growing hotter by the second, and she thanked the stars that the two were cloaked in darkness. Then she remembered something important! The brunette fumbled with the flashlight in her hand in an effort to turn it on. She finally flipped the switch and the hallway was bathed in light for just a second.

'Damn, the battery must have been dead.. Nice going, Minato.' she thought to herself. She only got a glimpse of the man for that long, only really focusing on his eyes, a warm brown with a beautiful almond shape.

"No spare batteries?", the voice asked. "I think I might have a few lying around.. Why don't you come in?" Reina's eyes widened, but she couldn't say no. "I.. I guess it would be fine.. You aren't an ax murderer, are you?" she said flatly, mentally kicking herself for her very lame, very inappropriate joke.

He chuckled. "No, I'm not. Don't worry too much, Reina." he said, slipping into his apartment. The woman followed suit.

"Be careful where you step... Actually, just wait here." the voice faded off slightly.

Reina waited with her arms crossed. She couldn't even see the red Converse sneakers on her own feet, it was so dark! She took a step backward and tripped and fell on what was probably a stack of magazines close to the door. "Ouch!" she shrieked. Footsteps came bounding through the apartment. Suddenly the lights cut back on as the man came closer and stopped a few feet in front of her.

"I told you to wait..." the man spoke. Reina's eyes traveled upward to meet his own. Those beautiful, warm brown eyes peered down at her, the rest of his face was equally stunning; A small piercing was in his nostril and ebony tresses framed a a delicate oval face. He was clothed in a black t-shirt and jeans, both hanging loosely on his frame; His face looked like it didn't exactly match his body at that moment. Reina stifled a small giggle with her hand.

"I should have introduced myself to you before." he spoke. "My name is Shiroyama Yuu." her clear blue eyes sparked with recognition. Of course she knew the song he was playing, hell, all the songs he played... He was one of the guitarists from her favorite band, the GazettE.

"I think I'm familiar with your band.." she stated, trying to play it cool. Unconciously, she rubbed her damp palms on her jeans.. She had every right to be nervous at that moment.

"Really..?" he responded confidently, a boyish smirk crossing his face. "What makes you think that, Reina?" she wished all at once that the lights have never came back on; Her face was surely redder than an apple at that moment.

She tried her best not to stammer. "I... suppose that I might have seen you and your bandmates coming from the rehearsal hall once or twice..."

"Is that so?" he chuckled. She took a good look at the man standing directly in front of her as he held out his hand to help her to her feet. She took his hand hesitantly, and they stayed like that for what seemed like forever, until a voice rang out in the hallway, calling for her. It was Minato.

"Ah, is that your boyfriend looking for you?" the man asked slyly.

"Actually, no.. it's my brother Minato.. I guess I took off without really saying anything.. He's only here for a few days..." she felt herself rambling a bit and stopped short. A charasmatic smile had drawn across Aoi's face.. Aoi! She could barely believe that she had the fortune to be neighbors with him for so long and not even realize it.

"I see... Well if that's the case, I'm always practicing, but.. Would you like to go... out sometime..?" She tilted her head. Was he actually asking her.. on a date?!

"Sure, I wouldn't mind that." she was still trying to play it cool but a look of excitment was unmaskable in her eyes.

"Then I will see you another time, won't I..?" he asked. "I am a bit tired, it was a little... too much excitement for one night." he chuckled. A silence came between them and Reina noticed that the rain outside had let up almost completely. Then she heard Minato calling her name once more... It was well overdue for her cue to leave.

"Ah, yes... I'll see you another time then..." she smiled victoriously and left.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Yuu!! Tell me what you mean by that?" Reina was exasperated with the raven-haired man. He said that he would be gone for how long?? three months on tour?? How was she supposed to live away from him for that long?!

"It's not my choice..." Her heartbeat quickened as his voice fell flat. "I have to go, Rei..." he spoke softly and clenched his fists. They had both gotten close over the past two months, spending a bit of time with each other over coffee in the mornings and hanging out in the hallway for small talk whenever they caught each other. His feelings had deepened for her, but it wasn't the right time to... Not when he would be leaving so soon. Aoi had made up his mind to tell her once and for all when he came back just how he felt about her.

She felt tears prick the corners of her eyes. Oh great, she would be wailing over a guy that hadn't revealed the slightest interest in her...

"Yuu... please.." she was already choking back her tears. "I don't want you to go...!"

Aoi's eyes widened. "... Reina... Do you remember the night that we met...?" Why was he bringing up something like that of all things?!

"Yes..." she muttered, looking down.

"There was something I wanted to do... Call it an impulse, but..." he leaned in quickly and captured her lips in a gentle kiss that made her head spin. What seemed like forever passed by until he finally pulled away. "I didn't think you'd appreciate something like that, sight unseen." he grinned. Reina looked up with a slightly shocked face. "You mean you feel the same..?" she blurted out. He wrapped his arms around her and whispered into her ear:

"I was drawn in by the silence that night, but your voice... captured my heart."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*