RELENTLESS

By: animeluvr999

Entry #11: the Next Morning...

Soubi sighed as he sat down in the chair opposite Kio. "You're going to ask questions, aren't you?"

"Yeah, like… What the hell happened!? And that kind of thing." Kio said, a little louder then necessary.

"You're not going to like the answer." Soubi said after taking a sip of his coffee.

"I knew that the moment I saw you sit down." Kio grumbled, taking a sip from his own cup.

"Should I give you the short or long version?"

"Short."

"Right, well…" Soubi paused bracing himself for Kio's reaction. "I kissed Youji."

"You WHAT!?" Kio shouted as he stood quickly, knocking his chair backwards as he did. "I thought you liked Ritsuka! What the hell happened with him!? And why were you kissing Youji!?" Kio closed his eyes and his fist collided with the table, making their mugs shake slightly.

"Breathe Kio…" Soubi said, jokingly.

"Breathe…?" Kio snarled through gritted teeth. "Are you kidding?" Soubi just smiled. Kio turned and picked his chair up off the ground and sat back down. "Why?" He asked reluctantly.

"I'm not sure…"

"That's the wrong answer…" Kio warned, glaring at Soubi.

"I guess… we had a connection."

Kio snorted. "No… Really?"

"Not literally. Listen, these last few nights things have been really hectic with Ritsuka and, well…Youji's… This may sound weird but-"

"Yeah…?" Kio grumbled impatiently.

"Youji's been there for me." Kio's jaw dropped slightly.

"Seriously?"

"Seriously." Kio groaned and put his head on the table with a thump. He couldn't believe this was happening again.

"What else…?" He asked within an exasperated sigh.

"Then I realized he had started staring at me… blushing… things like that. It was strange, but nice." Soubi glanced at Kio. "You hate me, don't you?" Kio nodded against the surface of the table. Soubi sighed and took another sip from his mug. His gaze fell upon the microwave's clock and his face turned back to the hall's entrance. "It's already twelve…"

"Don't wake him up." Kio mumbled. "They… They're not pretty when woken." Soubi smiled softly.

"So… you hate me, but you still care?" Kio looked up into Soubi's eyes. "Thank you."

- - -

Natsuo's eyes shot open and he was panting slightly. The image of Youji's terrified face was implanted in his mind… "How could I have done something like that…? I would've hit him if it weren't for Soubi. Is that why Youji chose him? To protect himself from me…?" The fighter's eyes glanced up at his clock and he sat up. "It's one in the afternoon!? No way…" He hadn't truly gone to sleep until around four though, so it did make sense. He stood up out of bed and went to his door… and stopped.

"He won't want to see me… There's no point if I can't even be in the same room as him anymore." Natsuo slunk back to the futon and flopped down upon it with a sigh and returned to staring at the ceiling.

- - -

Youji's eyes opened and he sat up. The look of anger in Natsuo's eyes had just run through his mind again. "He was so mad… It's all my fault. I should've stopped it… But if it weren't for Soubi he would've hit me. Like her… Is that why I feel so comfortable around Soubi? Because of his protection?" The sacrifice's gaze turned to look at Soubi's clock and his eyes widened. "What? It's that late!" Youji got up and walked over to the door, but stopped a little short.

"Can I really face seeing him? I would go if I knew that I could be all right. I don't even want to be in the same room as him anymore." Youji said to himself as he walked back to the bed. He lay down and stared up at the ceiling. A soft knock came to his cat ears and they perked up slightly. Youji sat upright and looked at the door. "Yeah…?" He asked.

"Can… Can I come in?" Natsuo's voice resounded through the door. Youji's breath caught in his throat. He honestly didn't know.

"If I let him in now… what will that do to Soubi? But if I don't…" His head began to pound. It felt as though his heart was burning away in his stomach.

"Please… I know you said that you never wanted to talk with me, let alone see me ever again but… I'm sorry." Youji stood and moved a few steps towards the door, biting his lip. "I need to see you… I need to be with you. Last night, it was all a mistake." Youji's had moved a little closer and his hand was on the knob but he couldn't seem to turn it yet. "Youji… Please… I would never hurt you." At that Youji stepped away.

"But… You almost did." Youji said to the door. Natsuo turned around and leaned against its wooden surface.

"Do you know how much it hurt me to see your face like that?" The fighter's voice quavered. His back slid down the door and his head leaned back, resting upon it. "Do you know how much it hurt to see you there with him instead of me?" After a few moments of pure and deadly silence Natsuo continued. "…It's an unimaginable pain. It's so unreal, I hardly believe such a small act could've created it. A simple kiss… that's all it took."

Youji winced slightly at the way Natsuo's words left his lips. "I guess we can feel pain…" Youji said, a tear rolling down from his bang-covered eyes. He never truly realized how attached his fighter was to him. Things used to be so simple, why did they have to change now? Slowly the sacrifice's hand lifted, letting his fingers brush across the cool metal of the knob. "…But can things ever return to the way they were?" His frail fingers gripped more tightly around the door knob and his eyes closed.

"Please… let this be right."