Alright guys. I know I missed last week, but that's because my computer had a virus. D: I'm lucky to even have my files with me now. XD I managed to back them up, so I'm extremely happy. Anyway, I'm gonna give this chapter, the eleventh, to you today, and then on Sunday or Monday, I'll give you another chapter. Then the following Thursday, we'll resume our usual schedule. XD
So, yeah. Please read, review, and enjoy!
I do not own Prince of Tennis.
For the tenth time that night, Yagyuu pulled his eyes away from the file in his lap and looked at the hotel room door. Then he looked over at the covered window, then down at his watch before looking back at the file. But he wasn't staring at the paper for long, because soon enough, he was looking back at the door again.
Niou was thirty minutes late. Yagyuu would stay there all night if he had to, but he was beginning to think that the boy wouldn't show. Was he hurt? Working a different part of town? Or maybe he was just with a John who was taking a bit longer than usual. But chances were... Well, Yagyuu didn't to think about that.
His eyes snapped up when the door opened. Relief flooded through him, but it was immediately replaced with panic. "Niou..." He murmured, standing up. He crossed the room to stand in front of the young boy. His eyes were dead. Lifeless. The left one was circled by a dark bruise. He had a busted lip, and there were finger-shaped marks on his neck. The injuries were only a day old, at most. "What happened?"
"He happened." Niou whispered. His voice was just as bland as his eyes. He pushed back the sleeves of his fishnet top to reveal more bruises on his wrists. Then he tugged down the waistband of his leather shorts to show the ones on his hips. And, to top it all off, he pulled the fishnet up off his stomach to show him the bruises on his stomach. "He raped me."
Yagyuu reached out and tucked a lock of loose white hair behind Niou's ear. "I'm so sorry."
"For what?" Niou walked past him and sat down on the bed. "You didn't do anything."
"I'm sorry I wasn't there to protect you." Yagyuu sat down next to him.
Niou was quiet for a long time, but Yagyuu was patient. He waited until Niou looked up. And when he did, his eyes were wet, and tears were falling down his cheeks. "He's dead." He whispered, and he couldn't continue, because his voice caught and he choked on a sob.
Yagyuu wrapped his arms around Niou and held him close. Niou clutched at the fabric of Yagyuu's suit jacket and clung to him, crying.
"H-he killed him." He managed to get out. "H-he killed Gakuto. He came d-downstairs, and was really, really pissed off. H-he made Gakuto g-go with him, a-and hours later, he c-came back, but Gakuto w-wasn't with him. H-he said that Gakuto wouldn't be j-joining us. His shirt w-was stained red a-and oh god, all that blood..." He gasped a few times before he managed to get a handle on himself. "I-I attacked him, and I started y-yelling at him, a-and he dragged me upstairs a-and told me he was going to do to me what he did to G-Gakuto. A-and then- And then he-" Niou dissolved into a mess of tears and incoherent words. Yagyuu could only catch bits and pieces, like, "He was so y-young!" and "Why didn't he k-kill me?"
Yagyuu rocked him back and forth, murmuring quiet comforts and rubbing his back. This was his fault. He didn't get the truth out of Niou in time. He didn't push, he didn't pry. He was too patient, and now a boy was dead. He didn't blame Niou. He'd never blame Niou. He blamed himself.
Several long minutes passed before Niou managed to calm down. He gazed up at the detective, and Yagyuu was startled to see that his golden eyes were full of fire and determination.
"If I tell you who he is," Niou whispered, "will you promise that I never, ever, have to go back to that place?"
"I swear to god," Yagyuu tucked a lock of hair behind Niou's ear. "You'll never have to go back there. Ever again."
"Good. Because if I have to step foot in that building, I'll kill myself."
Yagyuu waited as Niou took a deep, shaky breath. "His name... His name is Yukimura Seiichi."