Disclaimer: I don't own Kamen Rider, but the potential inherent in the stories and characters keeps me coming back.
Author's Note: Spoilers for basically all of the DaiShocker movie, and full of angst, because though the Rider fanservice in the movie was fun, they put these guys through the emotional wringer and then… well… happy ending time! I haven't seen Movie War yet and I've avoided spoilers for it, so any contradictions with that are my fault. Comments and constructive criticism always appreciated! (And if whoever requested Hibiki fic of me once upon a time reads this—it's coming.)
Tsukasa
Yuusuke's screaming, and he can't get him to wake up.
"Yuusuke! Yuusuke, look at me."
"Stop stop stop please stop—" The young Rider's voice cracks, barely-coherent mumbling lost in another scream.
"Yuusuke!" Tsukasa shakes the young man, hands slipping on Yuusuke's sweat-slicked arms. All of Yuusuke is soaked in sweat, his hair and T-shirt clinging to his body despite the relatively cool temperature. "Damn it, wake up."
He slaps Yuusuke.
He doesn't think about doing it. Wouldn't have done it, if he'd thought about it. But he'd been asleep himself until sixty seconds ago, and it bothers him, hearing Yuusuke cry out, and he just wants him to wake up and be back to himself again.
Back to acting like nothing happened. Acting like Tsukasa didn't betray them; like Kuuga wasn't used as a dark, rampaging puppet; like people weren't slaughtered by Tsukasa's organization, possibly by Kuuga's hand…
It's a stupid, selfish wish, and he knows, looking into dilated brown eyes that might and might not be seeing him, that it's never going to happen.
"Yuusuke…" He reaches out to touch the other man's arm, just trying to make sure that he's really awake and aware and not going to start screaming again.
He jerks back when Yuusuke flinches away, whimpering low in the back of his throat, eyes darting frantically around the room.
"Yuusuke?" Natsumi's voice precedes her by a second, the door to their room sliding open with a soft sigh. She blinks, eyes adjusting to the light, hands fidgeting with her yukata. "Tsukasa? What's…"
"You shouldn't run toward us if we're yelling, Natsumikan." He glares half-heartedly at the woman. "Good way to get yourself…"
He doesn't bother to say 'killed' because she's completely ignoring him, kneeling down on the tangled mess of fabric that Yuusuke's bedding has become and wrapping her arms around the trembling man. Yuusuke tries to flinch away from her, too, but she doesn't allow it, burying her head in his chest and holding on tight.
Tsukasa sits back on his heels, watching as the other Rider finally settles down. Yuusuke blinks, once, twice, pupils contracting back down to a normal size. His left hand ends up on Natsumi's hair, his right hovering awkwardly for a moment before finally settling onto the ground as a brace.
"Natsumi-chan? What's wrong?" It's Yuusuke's usual tone, light and pleased with the world, though the edges of his words are still rough, either from sleep or screaming.
Tsukasa smirks, a dozen bitter comments rising to his tongue, but he bites them back. Throwing bitterness at Yuusuke is usually like trying to warm the Arctic with a match. And if it's not, now… if it's not, Tsukasa doesn't want to know.
"Are you all right?" Natsumi loosens her grip on Yuusuke, raising her head to look at him.
"Ah… I'm fine." Yuusuke's smile is still bright, though it falters after a moment. "I think… ah. Sorry. I woke you both, didn't I? Sorry, sorry."
"Don't apologize. Idiot." Natsumi runs a hand over his hair, leaving it spiked on the left. "Think you can sleep again?"
Yuusuke tenses, a subtle but definite shift in his body, though he's still smiling as he nods. "Yeah. You should go back to sleep, too."
"I should." Natsumi stands slowly, her gaze not rising to meet Yuusuke's.
Dark circles ring her eyes, and though her hair is tussled Tsukasa doubts very much that she's slept at all.
"Tsukasa?" Yuusuke's hand twitches toward him, though the other Rider doesn't actually move. "I'm really sorry."
"Mmm. I do need my beauty sleep, after all." He can fake a smile with the best of them, and he's actually feeling rather proud of himself before Natsumi's hand connects with his cheek.
They freeze like that, Natsumi's face red, eyes bright; Yuusuke with his right hand stretched out, whether to help her or stop her Tsukasa can't say; him with his cheek stinging and his eyes burning for some ridiculous reason.
"Tsukasa." Natsumikan's quiet voice breaks on his name. "Tsukasa…"
She hugs him.
He doesn't respond. They've moved far beyond the point where he can understand the meaning of people's actions, and Yuusuke isn't in any shape to be his psychological compass right now.
Maybe won't want to be, after everything that's happened.
Maybe can't be anymore, because he's not quite the same person who shared a room with the young Rider mere days ago. Then he didn't know anything; now he's guilty.
"Tsukasa, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have… I didn't…" Natsumi's hands are buried in his shirt, holding him in place, keeping him from seeing her face. "I just… Grandpa and you, and then Yuusuke, and now… and I know you came back, and you didn't kill anyone, but I…"
Yuusuke finally moves, placing his hands on her shoulders. "Natsumi-chan. It's all right. Tsukasa-kun understands. And I'm sorry. I shouldn't have left you alone. I should have been able to do something."
"Idiots." Her left hand abruptly releases him, snaking around to grab Yuusuke and pull him around to her front.
For a moment they all half-sit, half-kneel there, and it should be incredibly awkward, but there's something comforting about it. Having Natsumikan holding onto him, close and alive and not hating him; having Yuusuke pressed against his side, not screaming and not apologizing, his usual dangerously empathic self.
"You both came back." She raises her head finally, and he can't tell if she's been crying or not. "You both came back, and you're both you, and that should be all that really matters, right?"
"Right." Yuusuke grins, his left arm going over Natsumi's shoulder, his right arm over Tsukasa's. "That's all that really matters."
He lets them stay like that, let's them hold onto him and, maybe, enjoys being held for a few minutes. But they don't know what world's going to be waiting for them tomorrow, and he's never been one for open emotional scenes. "We're home. It's night. We should be sleeping."
They agree, separating with a few sheepish looks and mumbled apologies, settling down as though nothing had happened.
But he doesn't sleep. Not for a long time, too busy listening for the first hitches in Yuusuke's breathing that will mean he's dreaming again, for any muffled noise that would mean Natsumikan's having nightmares too.
They're trying, so hard, to pretend that nothing's happened.
And he'll do anything he can to make that possible.