Chapter Nine: Contain

Yuui's hand rested on the desk. "He said he'll be over in an hour. The planetarium is a ways away from west campus. He's fine, so you shouldn't worry."

Ashura looked up from his sketchbook. "Thank you." The senior ran a hand over his eyes tiredly. "I should've gone after him at the gala…even if he screamed at me…again, why did I let Kyle…?"

"It's Kyle," Yuui said quietly. "What else could anyone have done? The best we can do is hope he doesn't invite Fai to the New Year's Eve masquerade, and that he doesn't break Mioru that badly."

"That's all I've ever done," Ashura murmured. "Just hope. I've never been able to actually help him. I don't think he and I'll ever be able to…." He sighed.

"Stop," Yuui whispered. "You shouldn't say that. Fai's getting better. If it weren't for last year….he might've been able to by now. And you've done more than enough—much more—for both of us. If it weren't for you, Fai might…." Yuui shook his head.

Ashura smiled wearily. "In any case, you're probably tired, too. Tomoyo can be quite a handful at times. You probably have your own winter break assignment to work on. I have to gave the outline of this piece done in two days…" His long fingers brushed over the surface of the smooth paper.

"What is it?" Yuui stood behind the artist's chair. "It's beautiful," he laughed. "As always. Though…what inspired you to draw…wings?"

"Why not?" Ashura gazed at his work. "Fai was telling me a few days ago how he wished he could simply grow wings and fly away. Maybe then, he said the wings could be his memories, and he could get rid of the ones he didn't want—so he could forget."

Yuui sighed. "An avid imagination he's got."

"Still—it does wonders for my muse," Ashura chuckled.

"What does?" Fai breezed into the room, closing the door behind him, and twirling Ashura's second set of keys round and round his index finger. He lightly touched a lock of Ashura's hair and leaned over behind the artist.

As Ashura answered, and Fai laughed, Yuui silently left the dorm. He zipped his coat, and unlike his brother, who let his infamously angelic hair air around his face, Yuui covered it with the hood of his dark jacket. He ignored the steady piercing against his heart as he walked towards the private editorial chambers. Being alone in his dorm was the last thing he wanted at the moment.

Yuuko Ichihara, expectedly, was easily browsing the Internet, sorting through this and that and arranging her many newspapers and magazines. Yuui sat just a few spaces away from her, watching her sip her glass of wine. Yuuko adjusted her Gucci scarf and glanced at the junior. "By the look on your face, I'll hazard and guess and say it's Ashura and your brother? Again?"

Yuui laughed, shaking his head, and pulling down his hood. "When is it ever not?"

"I don't see why you can't just tell him—tell both of them. Fai doesn't seem too in love with Ashura—it's just a safety thing for your brother. He needs to feel safe, and that's what Ashura gives him."

"Yes you do," Yuui rolled his eyes. "Don't pretend." Yuuko smirked, but continued typing. "You know exactly why."

"Of course. The tragic tale of the Fluorite twins," Yuuko said sarcastically. "When will you tell Fai that Kamui and I know about it? I thought twins were supposed to tell each other everything—telepathically."

"Someday, your sarcasm will get you in trouble." Yuui leaned back and stared at the ceiling. "Kamui and I are just here to make sure you don't write anything in that ridiculous bWitch blog that'll make Fai have a heart attack."

"Rest assure," Yuuko held her wine flute out to him, "That won't happen. I've been so good lately—I'm sure you agree?"

"Of course." Yuui sighed, wringing his fingers around in his lap. "It's just…Fai allowed himself to be broken a thousand times over and over again to help me….he didn't even think about it twice or give himself a choice….because he wanted to keep me so badly—for him, there was no 'if' or 'but maybe' about it. It's because of me he's like this….even if he doesn't love Ashura….the least I can do is let him have this one thing."

Yuuko eyed him critically with the wisdom that most didn't ever realize a flighty journalist could possess. "Ashura isn't a thing. He's not to be passed around like a toy. He might be kind….but everything has to come to an end." She shrugged. "Fai doesn't love him. You do. It's that simple."

"Not even close, bWitch," Yuui snorted. He put his face into his hands, resting the elbows on the edge of the table. "Not even close."

"You've loved him since…when was it again?" Yuuko was smiling.

Yuui had to grin back. "Freshman year, high school?"

"Nearly eight years then."

He ran a hand through his hair. "Nearly eight years," he echoed wearily. "But Fai put up with Kyle for longer than that—or at least just as long. And twice as worse, too."

"You're suffering just as much," Yuuko pointed out. "Fai won't be happy with you when he eventually does find out. He'd want you to tell him this."

He shook his head determinedly. "No. Nothing could be worse than what Fai had to go through. This is nothing compared to that."

She snorted. "Well, who knows? Maybe you'll be lucky this year." Her eyes narrowed slyly. "We've got a new player on the chessboard, from the looks of it. And he's got a thing for your brother."

"The freshman? Yeah…I know. And Fai looks interested, too…and if Ashura…" Yuui groaned. "God, why when one problem is solved, another one comes up?"

"Welcome to Akamizu, babe," Yuuko said bracingly.

Yuui closed his eyes, inhaling and exhaling deeply—recalling how once upon a time, he wasn't able to do that without first wondering if he'd be alive afterward. Fai wasn't the only one with irrepressible memories. Although, Yuui's memories instigated guilt rather than terror.

Yuui breathed in and out carefully, and smiled to himself. Kyle's medicine was really working. He was such a nice doctor—and so smart. None of the orphanage doctors had ever been able to keep the asthma attacks away for so long. He stretched his arms and legs and swung into a sitting position on his bed. Where was Fai? It didn't take that long to shower, did it?

He shook the sleeves of his pajamas down to cover his arms—why was it so cold? He went out to get his brother—and maybe ask Kyle to turn up the heat a little bit.

It was already dark in the halls, which meant that Kyle probably already went to bed. But…Yuui squinted…Kyle was walking towards him right now. Kyle knelt down to the young boy's level and smiled. "Have you taken your inhaler for the night yet?"

"Uh huh. It's kinda cold in here. Could you make it warmer?"

Kyle ruffled his blond hair. "No problem. Be sure to drink some water before heading to bed. Oh, and your brother's still in the bathroom. He needs some help, but keep quiet, all right? I'm going to turn in now."

"Okay. 'Night."

"Good night." Kyle gave him a swift embrace, straightened, and then headed down toward his bedroom and study on the second floor.

Yuui continued on toward the light coming from the bathroom. What did Kyle mean by "help"? Was Fai all right? It was probably something minor….like a tear in his clothes or something…if it was anything really bad, Kyle would've taken care of it already.

The bathroom door was open, and Yuui had to muffle his mouth with his pajama sleeves in order to silence his scream. His brother…his mirror image…his twin….his other half…Fai was curled up on the ground, blood seeping out of his lower half, some whitish yellowish liquid mixed with it….his brother was naked and wet….the water on the floor swirling around him….

Not caring that he himself was getting wet, Yuui fell to the tiled floor, checking Fai's expression. It was a mixture of shock, terror, disbelief….confusion…and his eyes were dazed….half-lidded, and pained. Yuui tried to stop his hyperventilation. It would just make the asthma worse. He had to stop. Something was wrong with Fai. Why didn't Kyle help him? This was…serious.

"Fai," Yuui realized that his brother was crying—the tears simply dripping out of his eyes without any sobbing or sound. "Fai….what….? Fai….?"

Fai didn't move. He glanced up at Yuui, shut his eyes and screamed. Yuui winced at the desperate, grating sound. Fai continued to scream. He screamed until his screams began to die down into violent sobs. Yuui was terrified. His hands hovered above Fai's battered body uselessly. What was he supposed to do? What had happened? What? What could've caused Fai to become like this? Yuui couldn't think of anything….

Bruises covered Fai's body, forming a trail from his neck, across and over his back, and toward his butt and upper thighs. Plenty of them surrounded his torso, but Yuui couldn't get a clear view, as his twin had his arms wrapped around himself so tightly. There were a few bleeding cuts on his back, too….

"Fai," Yuui's voice shook so awfully, that it sounded like he himself was about to cry, too. "What…" he swallowed, "Happened?"

Fai's eyes flew open, staring at Yuui as if just realizing he was there. He made to hoist himself up, only to whimper and fall back. Yuui's arm shot out instantly to catch him. "Kyle," Fai's voice broke. "Kyle…"

"You need Kyle for help? Should I go get him? Are you sick? Are you—"

Fai shook his head slowly. "Kyle….he….did…."

A sickening feeling hit Yuui in his lower stomach. "He…did this to you? Kyle?" Yuui stared. He traced his brother's features gently—the features he shared with his other half. "What…exactly did he….do?"

Fai closed his eyes, and then opened them, staring at Yuui with eyes agonized to such an extent…it frightened Yuui. What could Kyle have done to him? Even a beating wouldn't have caused this. "What he do to you?" Yuui repeated more firmly.

"I…" Fai began hoarsely. "I don't know."

Yuui opened his eyes. "We've got to get Fai to give that evidence some day," he said to Yuuko. "We have to. Kyle's not just a pedophile at this rate. He can be charged for rape to nearly any degree, and I'm pretty sure he can be charged for illegal drug dealing and abuse, too."

Yuuko smiled genially. "Finally. I thought boys around here would never get their balls back."

A/N: A little short, but your reviews drove me on, and I couldn't really have lumped anything else with this. This was just a little revealer to the plot. The next chapter is from Mioru's point of view, so we'll see some Kyle in that.