What would it take,
for things to be quiet,
quiet like the snow?

Kyouya sighed silently and walked over to the window. Three weeks already. Somehow the world had been suspiciously quiet ever since. Every moment he was expecting loud voices, but everything remained silent. On the first days it still appeared pleasant. But as time passed it started bothering him. It wasn't so much the silence in itself, as the fact that he couldn't do anything else but expect noise and voices, at any moment.

Kyouya was angry with himself. He'd softened too much in the last time. Back in the day, he wouldn't have had to look over his shoulder every two minutes, for sure.

And this was exactly why he needed this time away.

Always being with the others did him no good, it made him weaker, formed him to a different person. He didn't want to lose his Fangs of the Heart though. Tategami Kyouya could live alone, better than anybody else.

And that was why it was better to leave the others, another time. He needed these days alone, without them he'd run insane.

It was warm outside and the sun was shining. Kyouya grabbed his launcher and turned towards the door. The city was covered in burning lights and he began majestically walking through the crowd. Nobody in this town knew him and it was good that way. All these people could live their lives and it didn't concern Kyouya in any way at all.

He felt how someone bumped into him from behind and twitched in anger. Couldn't these people pay attention to where they walked?

Somehow it was strange, being touched at the back. It practically never happened, because Benkei was always behind him. Kyouya never had to honour the world behind him with his attention, he practically always had someone watching his back.

"Hah", Kyouya grimaced angrily. Such nonsense. If Benkei always had to run after him, than it was his problem, not Kyouya's. What Benkei did, didn't concern him.

It was good that he hadn't heard from Benkei in three weeks, maybe he finally understood that Kyouya did not need him. Not him, not anybody.

I know, this isn't much,
but I know, I could,
I could be better.

Evening came and as Kyouya stepped out of the shower, finally freed from the dirt of the road, it was already dark outside. He rubbed a towel over his hair, but not too long. Way too much effort. Instead he put it around his shoulders and sighed.

There just weren't any interesting opponents in this city. He'd won all his battles with ease. It was boring. Launching, fighting, winning, without anybody who cared. Not even Kyouya himself had much attention for it.

He layed down on the bed and listened. Everything was silent. Earnumbingly silent. If Kyouya hadn't known better, he would have thought he'd turned deaf.

He closed his eyes. Tomorrow he'd move on, there was nothing to keep him here. Dust and heat weren't too attractive as the only notable aspects of a place.

He hadn't stayed like that for too long, but even so he dozed off. As it knocked on the door, he awoke in a bit of too much shock, to have been awake before.

Who would want anything from him, at a time like this?

Kyouya strolled over to the door and opened it just a bit.

The silence was torn about and for a moment Kyouya wished to be deaf after all.

"Kyooouuuuya-saaaaaan! I finally found you, thank goodness!"

In all his confusion, Kyouya opened the door a tiny but further, a mistake as it turned out, because Benkei tried to hug him immediately.

"I searched for you so long!"

For a moment Kyouya couldn't do anything and Benkei's arms wrapped around his shoulders. He could feel the other shaking. A little too late Kyouya raised his arm and shoved it against Benkei's chest to push him away.

"Benkei. Who told you to run after me?"

Benkei rubbed the back of his head. "But, Kyouya-san, I…"

I dont think I deserve it; selflessness.
find your way into my heart
all stars could be brighter,
all hearts could be warmer.

How much would he have to do? How much until even Benkei left him alone? What would he have to do to him for that?`

Kyouya didn't get it. He'd never treated Benkei well. He'd ignored him, insulted him, kicked him unconscious. Benkei never accused him of any of it, not one single time.

Such behaviour was stupid. Benkei was just so stupid. As if Kyouya'd ever give him anything back for all his devotion.

But even so, Kyouya turned around and walked back into the room, leaving it to Benkei to shut the door.

Wherever he would go, Benkei would come along. Maybe it was right like that.

"Tomorrow, we're leaving", he said, without looking at his friend again, "So try to get some sleep until then."

Without even looking, Kyouya could feel Benkei's face lighting up. He had to grin himself.

"K-kyouya-san! Of course! B-b-bull, I'll give my best for staying with you!"

Kyouya wasn't good in keeping in touch. He sent people away, on purpose as well as unintentionally. But Benkei had never let that stop him. Benkei forgave, turned a blind eye to every single one of Kyouya's faults.

Kyouya decided that he didn't have to understand it. Why should he? Tomorrow he'd leave the durt of this city behind and Benkei would walk behind him, always watching his back.

It would be loud again.

What would it take,
for things to be be quiet,
quiet like the snow?