RELENTLESS

By: animeluvr999

Entry #10: Eyes Wide Open

Natsuo had been awake in his room ever since Youji left, staring at the ceiling and… talking to himself. "What could be wrong…? Why would he just leave me in here? And what the hell would he have to think about all alone in this tiny room?" Natsuo whispered angrily at the air. "Damn it!" He rolled over on the futon. "What could possibly be keeping him occupied in the kitchen for so long? He hasn't come back for hours…" Natsuo sat up, staring at the closed door. "Should I go out there…?" He sighed, lying back in the bed.

"Maybe I should wait…?" There was a pause before the fighter got up from the futon and strode over to the door. He opened it quietly and looked around. He slunk out into the hall, closing the door behind him, and walked slowly out to the kitchen. But when he reached the sitting room, he stopped. He couldn't move, let alone breathe. His heart felt as though it were twisting and ripping apart as he watched his sacrifice deepen the kiss. He felt like doing the same to them as they were doing to his soul.

Then his breath came back to him as a gasp. He put his hand to his mouth, making his weight shift and the floorboards below his feet creak. The two pulled away and Youji's eyes widened, Soubi looked almost as surprised. Natsuo's world became a blur as his body moved forward… leaving his mind far behind. "You!" He screamed as he stormed up to his sacrifice.

Youji stood up quickly and backed away against the wall. "Natsuo. I-"

"Shut up! How could you! You said there was nothing, nothing between you and him!" Natsuo's eyes were hard and concentrated only on Youji. Everything else had faded except his anger towards his sacrifice.

"I'm sorry!" Youji whimpered as Natsuo's hand collided with the wall next to his head.

"No! You aren't! I know you aren't! You never were!" Natsuo's hand drew back and Youji's eyes grew wider then before. He was remembering… The whip was drawn back…

"Please… don't…" Youji said, a look of horror painted across his skin. …and thrown forward.

"You're trash…" Natsuo snarled before his fist thrust forward, aimed directly for Youji's face. The sacrifice's eyes screwed shut and his hands flew up around his head. The sound of skin hitting skin sounded through the room… but there was no impact. Youji opened his eyes and his breath caught in his throat. Natsuo's fist was stopped just centimeters away from his face by Soubi's hand, which was gripping Natsuo's wrist tightly. "Get off of me!" He screamed at the blonde. By then Kio had gotten out of bed and was standing in the hall staring at the scene in front of him.

Youji sank to the floor, a look of absolute terror resting on his face. "He… he almost hit me… Just like her." Natsuo's body was half flung backward by Soubi, his eyes cold and sharp. The blonde grabbed the boy's shoulders, restraining him from the sacrifice.

"What were you thinking…?" Soubi said, staring into Natsuo's eyes. "Do you want to ruin all chances of being with him?"

"Shut up!"

"You were about to punch his face in." Slowly the boy's world started to sink back in.

Natsuo looked away from Soubi to his sacrifice and back again. "No…" He breathed, pushing past Soubi's binding arms as his heart filled with worry.

Youji watched as his fighter walked towards him. When Natsuo got less then a foot close Youji quickly moved away. "Youji please-"

"Get away from me…" Natsuo stopped, looking into his sacrifice's scared eyes.

"I'm sor-"

"Get away!" Youji screamed up to his fighter, backing into the corner. For a few moments, everything was silent… And then, he spoke. "Just… don't touch me. Don't come near me. You're just like her. I hated her." Natsuo took a shuddering breath and watched as Youji shakily stood, inching towards the others. Towards Soubi. Natsuo was too sad to cry… instead he just stared at his life turning into ruin.

Youji's eyes closed as he fell into Soubi's strong protective arms. He snuggled deep into his chest and could feel the fighter's hands close around him, closing him off from the rest of the world. Something Natsuo had never done… and now, would never do. Youji's frail fingers gripped tightly at the man's shirt. For once in a long time… he felt small, insignificant. Things were breaking around him but this man, Soubi didn't.

A small tug on his shirt and Soubi's gaze turned from Natsuo to Youji. He kneeled down to be eye level with the frail figure. "Yes?" He whispered softly so no one else could hear.

"Could I… you know…" Youji blushed slightly and looked away from Soubi's eyes.

"Sure." The blonde responded before picking up Youji in his arms. The sacrifice snuggled in close to the man's shoulder, wrapping his arms around his neck loosely.

Kio and Natsuo just stared after them as the two disappeared down the hall and into Soubi's room. After a few moments the two turned to each other and Natsuo dropped to his knees, holding his head in his hands. "Wh… What have I done?" The tears came like the rain… In one big rush. Kio moved forward and sat down near the fighter who leaned against him, falling apart and crying all over his shoulder. "Everything… All of it. It's finished."

"Ssshhh… Come on, he'll get over it. Right?" Kio said, trying to comfort the distraught fighter.

"No… He said I was like her… He remembered what she was like. The torturous nights. What she did to him remained unrepeated… until now." Natsuo had begun to shake slightly. His body felt so cold. Kio looked down at the boy and placed a comforting arm around his shoulders.

"But he loves you…" Natsuo looked up into the blonde's eyes.

"Does he really…?"

- - -

Soubi closed his door behind him and walked over to his bed, placing Youji gently on it's surface. "You didn't have to carry me…" The sacrifice said looking away from Soubi, who sat next to him on the bed.

"Sorry… It's just the way you looked…" Youji glanced into his eyes but they quickly left Soubi's gaze again. "I'm sorry. It's my fault this is happening." The sacrifice looked back into the man's eyes.

"No, it isn't… It's mine. I should've pulled away, but instead of thinking I… I don't know what happened." Youji said softly.

Soubi smirked. "You were enjoying it."

Youji blinked. "I was not!" Youji scoffed.

Soubi's eyebrow rose slightly. "Oh, really?" He said leaning a little closer to the sacrifice's face.

"W-well…" Youji blushed slightly and looked away again. "Maybe a little." He couldn't help but smile. He felt so awkward when alone with Soubi and yet… at peace. Soubi's smile turned a little more innocent. "But only a little bit!"

"Of course." Soubi said before getting up from the bed. He walked into the bathroom and turned on the shower. Youji's ears perked up slightly at the familiar sound. Soubi's bathroom had two parts to it… The part with the sink and mirror and the part with the toilet and shower. A sliding door separated the two small areas and it was very tempting for Youji to go and open that door.

Suddenly, he found himself thinking of a showering Soubi… His tall naked body standing there… getting drenched. His long blonde hair falling about his shoulders. Soap running down the man's arms and legs. Shampoo running down the fighter's bare back and chest as he rinsed his soft skin free of the sweet smelling foam. Youji quickly realized that he was smiling to himself and biting his lip with enjoyment. A small blush spread across his cheeks as he shook the image away… Or at least tried to.

Soon the door opened to reveal a fully cleaned and gorgeous Soubi yet again, only covered by a towel. The only thing hotter than him at that time was probably Youji's cheeks as he looked the man up and down. The lighting from his bathroom made his skin glow slightly. Soubi smiled at the look on Youji's face as his eyes took in every inch. Then the boy realized he was staring and looked away quickly.

"It's okay to look. I don't mind." The fighter said with a hint of a laugh. "In fact…" He said as he sat next to Youji on the bed again. "…I kind of like it." Youji's cheeks flared and Soubi just smiled in response.

"Kio's right… you are a perv." Youji said with a smirk.

"Oh, stop the playful banter… If we continue I may have to kiss you again." Youji glanced at his eyes and then away again. Soubi wasn't wearing his glasses. They acted like shields to the true power of the deep blue enchanters, but when they were gone…

"The only one being playful is you…" Youji said before Soubi took his chin in his hand. The fighter tilted the boy's face up towards his own and looked into his eyes. His blush faded slightly as the magic of his gaze seeped in.

"Hardly." Soubi said softly. A loud creak was heard outside the room and the two moved away slightly, looking at the door as they did. The creaking moved across the hall and the sound of a door opening and closing touched their ears.

"Natsuo…" Youji breathed. The memory of the fighter's fist flying towards his head flashed across the sacrifice's mind and his breath came back with a shudder.

"Are you alright?" Soubi asked with a hint of worry.

"I'll be okay…" Youji flopped back on the bed and curled up into a ball.

"Do you want your own bed or no…?" Soubi suggested getting up and walking over to his closet.

"It depends, what are you planning on doing?" Youji said with a yawn, rolling over to look at Soubi.

"Nothing… unless you want me to do something." The fighter replied and Youji laughed slightly. Soubi pulled out his boxers and went back into the bathroom to dry off and change.

After a few moments, Soubi reemerged and a soft smile spread across his face. He walked over to his bed and pulled the covers up over Youji's sleeping form. He looked so peaceful. It was strange, seeing this side of a Zero. Soubi turned out the lights and lay down, making sure not to awake the sleeping boy as he did. Then, soon enough, he too fell to the hands of sleep.