Chapter 10

The days seemed to blend together to Guin, lack of the outdoor sunlight making it almost impossible to determine time of day. The venom in his system had finally begun to wear off, though Gordon warned that the hypersensitivity was likely to be the last of the side effects to disappear. At least his ability to recover had returned to normal. He couldn't wait to be able to get up and – hopefully – convince them he didn't need help anymore. True, he was grateful for their care but having to rely on others was bothering him, especially since he hadn't been able to do anything for them in return.

There was another reason for his eagerness to be up and about, though he'd never tell them. Everyone there was worried about him, especially Rinda and Gordon from what he could tell, and he knew it would only worry them more. What he needed was a distraction, almost anything at this point. A good portion of the guards and knights that had accompanied Rinda came by to chat now and then, talking about almost anything or asking Guin to tell him about his time traveling with the twins of Parros; but the gaps in between left him with nothing but his thoughts. He couldn't help but shudder slightly when it crossed his mind, memories of his captivity. He could still feel the demon's hands on him, the pain from being invaded in the worst way. He could still see those golden eyes watching him, trapping him. He remembered all of it in clear detail, and for once he desperately wished he could forget. But that wasn't going to happen and he knew it. And to think you were trapped there for over a year… Guin thought silently to Koga in dismay. The boy had deserved so much better than the fate he'd been given.

No… he needed to stop thinking about it. He could feel his mind wandering back to those dark memories and he couldn't let himself think of it again, it was too much. Having finally started healing Guin was now able to move his arms with minimal pain, though Rinda often scolded him for doing so. She'd definitely changed since he'd left her at Parros, more mature… and something else that he couldn't quite identify. With a slight grunt Guin pushed himself upright and scanned the room. Just the guards outside the door. Feeling some confidence return to him he started to move his legs to the side of the bed. His confidence faltered. Pain flared up like white lightning from the waist down, forcing him to clench his jaw tightly to prevent the agonized shout that wanted to escape him. Damn it all…

He didn't dare move right away, not till he knew he could do so without making a sound. That chance didn't happen. "Guin! What are you doing up?" Rinda's voice called from the doorway as she walked in. She was standing in front of him before he could even try to respond, her eyes watching him closely. Her gaze was making him uncomfortable, he shifted slightly, and that proved to be a big mistake. Snapping his jaws shut he was able to cut off the pained yelp before it could sound like anything more than a grunt. Rinda saw the whole thing. "Guin," she started with a soft voice, worry showing as she stepped closer, "Is everything alright? It's too soon for you to try getting up yet." He didn't want to answer, so he just stayed silent. He didn't trust himself with his voice at the moment anyway.

Captain Yamamoto came in at about that time, having heard the small commotion. "Should I fetch Gordon or Roku?" he asked when he saw the "small" predicament. Both He and Rinda had guessed by this point that Guin was in too much pain to move. Rinda just shook her head, "No captain I don't think that'll be necessary. Instead can you help me lay Guin back down?" "Of cour-" "That isn't necessary," Guin cut in a little too quickly, realizing seconds later that he'd let on more than he'd intended. The other two seemed to just ignore the outburst as they approached him on either side. Being stubborn Guin tried to shrug off the helping hands as they tried to move him, wincing at the effort. "You need your rest," Captain Yamamoto said in a similar tone to what Gordon had been using lately while placing a firm yet gentile hand on both of Guin's shoulders. He didn't resist this time, but was no less displeased with the situation.

Once again laying down Guin couldn't help but let out a sigh of frustration. Why did he have to be stuck like this? Oh, that's why… Damn, he had to think about that again. Trying to push away the unpleasant thoughts he glared at the ceiling, not noticing that Yamamoto had returned to his post and Rinda was now sitting on the edge of the bed. She made no move to catch his attention, just sat silently and watched. Staring at the ceiling wasn't working, it reminded him of the floor of the dungeon. The sent of blood and musk burned his nose as pools of blood and other fluids appeared in his vision, the torchlight casting horrendous shadows and reflections on the morbid surface. Something was touching his arm. Alarmed by the sudden feeling Guin yanked his arm away, the quick movement causing him to cry out in unrestrained pain and fear. The dungeon disappeared and he realized he was still in the medical "sanctuary". Rinda was still sitting on the bed, concern etched into every aspect of her appearance.

His reaction worried her. She'd noticed his change in breathing and recognized the glazed distant look in his eyes before she'd reached out. Something was scaring him… haunting him… yet he was always trying to hide it or ignore it. "Something's troubling you isn't there," she asked while holding a steady gaze. He didn't answer, instead opting to look away from her to avoid looking her in the eyes. Scooting closer to his side Rinda bent down and gently hugged the silent warrior. "You don't have to deal with it alone Guin… we're all here for you." She could feel his muscles tense slightly underneath her, and knew he wasn't going to say anything more. "It's ok to ask for help once in a while," Rinda told him as she got up to leave, "so let us help you." With that Rinda turned and left the room. She needed to talk to Gordon about her concerns. Maybe he'd know what to do.

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Author's note:

I know this is a shorter chapter and I'm sorry, but not all chapters will be super long. Don't worry; Guin won't be stuck like this forever. I'm just choosing not to rush things, although I did choose to omit a certain scene that I felt was unnecessary. Also, aside from flashbacks and or references there likely won't be any more lemons in this story, I can always write some different ones later.

S2: and just so you know, she does seem to like scenarios where someone usually seen as a seme is an uke in some way, shape, or form.

S1: again, why? I swear it's like you try to possess her hands when she's typing sometimes.

S2: No I don't, there wouldn't be removed scenes if I did. I just give S6 my input like everyone else since she'd the only one with a direct link on here

Ok guys enough. Let the readers read.