Meet Me In Cali

His labored breathing shatters the still air with all the subtleness of a screeching car alarm. His heartbeat is drumming in his chest, practically calling danger to him. He is betrayed and, potentially, doomed by his own body, though it is guilty only of doing its damnedest to keep him alive.

"Ironic..." the word drifts through his lips on the back of an exasperated huff. Yuri swallows down hard, attempting to bring his breathing under control, but it only results in a short coughing fit, his spit conveniently making itself known in his previously dry mouth just in time to create more chaos.

He clasps a hand over his mouth, his entire body shaking as he calms himself. None of it seems real. He regains control over his body as best as he can, all the while his mind fighting to reconcile this unforeseen reality.

"Quiet!" He looks up to see Kei standing above him, dark eyes narrowed as he peers carefully through the cracked door. A moment passes before he releases a long breath, shoulders relaxing noticeably as he turns back toward Yuri.

"You have your phone?"

"My - yeah, yeah..." Yuri reaches into the pocket of his jeans, pulling out his cellphone, smudging the pearly white protective case with bright red as he offers it up to Kei.

"Call 911, man!" Kei barks out a sharp laugh, giving Yuri an incredulous look before turning his attention back to the outside.

"Right." Yuri draws the phone closer to his face, bypassing the pin and hitting the Emergency Call option he'd never imagined he'd have to use. Thankful that he only needs to dial three numbers, he hits send and holds the sleek device to his ear.

"C'mon, c'mon..." The ringing stops almost immediately, though it feels like ages, and the clear feminine voice that greets him sounds like a sweet reward.

"911. Do you need police, fire, or medical?"

"Medical. Police. We need help, please, we -"

"What is your address?"

"Oh, um... the old barn by the Lackhorn Grain Elevator, I don't know the exact address, it's -"

"Tell her it's by the railroad crossing!" Kei's attention is fully on Yuri now, even though one hand is still gripping the corner of the door tightly, ready to either open it and flee or slam it shut on whoever may want to come through it.

"Near the train track at the edge of town. I don't know! Don't you guys have a way of tracking us or something?" He can hear the woman typing quickly on a computer, and if his side wasn't causing him so much pain he'd probably be up and pacing by now.

"Okay, sir, I have a unit en route. Can you tell me the nature of your emergency?"

"We've been attacked. These guys we got into an argument with two nights ago -"

"Three."

"Three nights ago. At the Chipped Mug. They showed up at my house and -"

"Can I have your name, sir?"

"Oh, uh, Yuri. Yuri Hamada." An exasperated sigh draws his attention to Kei, the other man rolling his eyes in annoyance.

"Yuri, are you near these men now?"

"No, ma'am, they pulled up into my yard in an old Ford truck. Blue, I think." He looks to Kei who nods in agreement. Yuri opens his mouth to continue, but pauses, noticing he no longer hears her typing.

"Shit." Yuri pulls the phone away from his ear, looking to confirm the dropped call.

"Dammit! The reception is such shit in this town!"

"Told you that you should've moved to L.A. with me."

"Stop. You know I couldn't leave my sisters." Yuri shakes his head as he slips his phone back into his pocket, wincing at the pain the movement causes him.

"How ya doing?"

"Stupendously."

"I'll bet." Kei looks him over, stepping away from the door and walking past him.

"Come on. Can you walk?"

"Yeah, I'm good." Yuri grunts as he pushes himself up, the blood dripping from his soaked shirt, crimson droplets landing softly upon the packed straw. He follows Kei toward the back of the empty barn, absently noting the feathers collecting along the base of the wall, wondering if chickens were once kept here.

"They're sending someone?"

"Yeah, she said a unit was on the way."

Kei stopped in front of an open pen, gesturing for Yuri to enter before following him in, closing the swinging door behind them.

They both settled down in the corner, Yuri leaning against his friend for support, pushing his palm down on his wound with as much pressure as he could manage.

"Why did our parents have to settle in B.F.E.?"

"Why in the hell did you stay?"

"The fresh country air." Yuri chuckles, tipping his head back against the wall and closing his eyes.

"Yeah, well next summer you're getting your ass on a plane and coming to Cali."

"Fair enough." Yuri's voice is soft, and he finds his mind drifting, sleep pulling on him despite their predicament.

"Hey."

"Hm?" He opens his eyes, rolling his head to the side and focusing on Kei.

"Remember that old swing that used to hang from that beam? How you and I used to play on it even though our parents said it was dangerous?"

Yuri follows Kei's gaze to the broken rope dangling from the ceiling.

"I mean, they were right. How many stitches did you have to get from busting your skull against the floor? Ten?"

"Twelve, thank you. I'm pretty sure that raised me to thug level."

"Don't you mean yakuza?"

"Moron." Kei smiles, humming softly and reaching out to gently ruffle Yuri's short black hair as he continues to gaze up at the frayed rope. The moment feels impossibly peaceful, even as blood begins to stain the golden floor beneath them and Yuri's eyelids begin to grow heavy.

"Remember that summer when you went to bible camp?"

The words shake Yuri from his half-slumber, and he leans into Kei's side a little more, responding with a soft murmur of agreement.

"I wrote you a letter every day, but I didn't trust the counselors to give them to you so I kept them in a box until you got back."

"Yeah... best birthday present I ever got." Yuri smiled fondly at the memory. It had always been his job as the eldest of his siblings to look after everyone else, but Kei had always been there to give him the attention no one else did. Best friends since birth, just like their mothers.

The sound of tires approaching brings their reminiscent journey to a halt. They both sit up a little straighter, listening carefully as a vehicle pulls to a stop just outside.

"Hey, Yu."

"Hm? I think they're here." Yuri pushes himself up and leans forward, his heart drumming loudly in his ears again. He prays silently for their deliverance, all the while dreading the alternative.

"Yu, save your letters for me, okay?"

Yuri turns back. He hears the doors swing open. Voices begin shouting, heavy footfalls creating more noise than this barn has known in decades. Slowly, he lays his head down on the empty space beside him, a streak of warmth cutting its way through the dirt and gore that paints his olive skin.

Next summer... next summer he'll go to California. After all, he did make a promise, didn't he?