"Charm is... a way of getting the answer yes without having asked any clear question."
- Albert Camus

Chapter 9: It starts

"Thank the gods yer okay!"

He was shaking, clutching Izuru in his arms and shaking. Grateful for the fact that his fukutaichou was alive and breathing again.

"Taichou… err…"

"Hm?"

Gin then looked down. Only his eyes moving and not his head. He just smiled again, ignoring the awkwardness of the situation.

"I'll go get ya some clothes," He then said, handing Kira a towel. "you dry off."

Kira didn't need to be told twice. He was starting to get cold and if he didn't dry off now then he would get ill. But at least this meant that he was alone again, even if just for a few minutes. He took a look down at himself, the cuts on him were deep. He padded over to the mirror. The cut on his neck was the worst. Whoever did this did it out of pure desire to hurt him. They wanted to make him bleed. It looked like his throat had been slashed, but then again the cut was fresh. So it would probably look a lot worse than it actually was. Cuts and bruises covered him. And in the mirror he could see just how small and vulnerable he really was.

When Kira had eventually dried himself off he poked his head out of the door and walked out, just as Gin was making him some tea. Kira walked over slowly in his towel, and while the water was boiling Gin went into the closet and handed him a spare hakama.

Noticing Kira's sudden feeling of awkwardness he then said cheerfully, "Tis okay, ya can put it on 'ere ya know, I seen it all before."

That was true; Gin had dragged him out of the bath not long before. And even then Kira had been naked. So it really didn't matter now, there was nothing to hide, since his taichou had already seen everything. But even so, Kira turned away when he dropped his towel and dressed. It just seemed right to him to turn away. After all, he still wanted some privacy, even after his ordeal. He didn't want his taichou to look and see all of his body, or all of those cuts and bruises. Not that Gin ever did look, he seemed to understand.

Once dressed, he then sat down on the bed. The fire was on, and Gin had brought him a cup of tea and a couple of blankets to keep him warm.

"Arigato… Taichou…"

"We're on our own now, ya can call me Gin if ya want."

"Okay… Gin."

Maybe they could be friends now that Kira's fear had lessened.

"Gin… I, I owe you my life."

Izuru then was handed his tea and Gin sat on the chair opposite the bed. Gin looked worried and anxious, he was concerned for Kira. He was still soaking wet from having rescued him, but he didn't seem to care, the only thing on his mind was looking after his fukutaichou right now.

"Izuru-kun… yer bleedin'. Gods Kira yer bleedin!'"

He looked like he was about to cry. Kira's wounds where bleeding heavily now, the blood was slowly coursing its way down Kira's pale arm. Gin took the bleeding arm in his hands and looked intensely at it, the red mingling in with his pale skin as he looked at the wound. And the blood on his hands.

"Ta- taichou, are you okay?"

Tears were falling. Was this pain? Anguish?

"I'll be okay…"

Kira tried to reassure him. Kira was strong, he could survive anything.

"I'll be fine Taichou, you should really look after yourself right now… I don't want you getting ill."

But still the tears fell. He broke down completely, sobbing even while he was trying to smile.

"Izuru-kun… I… I'm just glad you're okay."