Kiku's eyes gave him an angry child standing above him, his face someone reddened in his blatant upset and his eyelashes lased by tears.
"Have you seen Yao?!" There was no introduction.
The Japanese boy moved his pupils to the other's enraged orbs, his torn lips somewhat parted. "Hong…"
"This is all your fault! Why did you run?!"
"I…" Kiku's brows furrowed under his reasons, which all seemed to be so irreverent now that his plan had broken. "I could not being a whore."
The boy at his side could only stare a moment in utter contempt, choking down sorrow as tears fled onto his cheeks. "You should have had you feet bound! Yao didn't deserve to be beaten…"A sleeve erased the evidence of his rage. "How could you, you idiot?!"
"Hong, I am sorry…" Kiku tried to rise, is entire body howling, the pain pushing him back upon his matt. All his nerves seemed to be awakened by the bruises Mr. Kirkland had installed about his skin. "I am sorry for Yao…"
"You should be! It's your fault!"
Kiku's mouth became barren of words.
"I hope you run again…so next time Arthur really will bind your feet."
And as Hong left, Kiku cried out. "Wait!"
"No! I have to go to school!"
And Kiku tried once again to move from the floor, but only fell into gravity's clutches. "I am sorry! Please wait!" But of course, the other did not return.
The boy was far too sore to even begin crying.
His eyes closed again, and he was filled with the desire to apologize to that beautiful beaten man, as well as brimming with enough discomfort to keep him adhered to floor. Hong was right…All of this was from his doing…
His eyes became lidded and his mind drifted to the world of temporary fantasy.
When he woke up again, he still had his determination to offer words of apology to the other broken doll, and in that determination, he brought himself to his knees through all his body's screaming. A cry came as his hand pressed against the matt, and still, he brought himself from gravity's vigorous hold.
"A-ah!" He stood.
A foot was forced forward, and then another, and another, and another, until he had brought himself within the hallway. Yao's chamber seemed to be an entire journey away, yet something he had sprinted into so many times before.
Kiku continued to walk, despite his body's noisy complaints, and found his path to that much needed destination. His flesh cried, and his bones wailed, but he pulled away the screen and found his culprit sitting upon his bed, his form clothed in only trousers. The man was staring into space, mouth slightly gaping and audible thoughts drifting about the chamber.
"Yao…"
"Hmm? Oh…Kiku. Are you alright?"
"No…" The boy stepped inside and ceased before the torn deity. "No. I am not very al-right, but I am sorry…for every-thing. You should not have…" His brows furrowed. "That should not have happened."
"Thank you, little one. I'm sorry, too…"
"Why?"
"Because…I hit you."
Kiku touched his own cheek, observing the lovely man. "It is al-right."
"Thank you." Yao slipped from his bed and gently lifted the boy from his place, unintentionally sending pain to flicker within his blood.
"Ah…"
"I know…It hurts." Kiku was placed upon the bed. "But you'll get used to it…You'll have to. Mr. Kirkland is rarely in a good mood."
Yao took the place next to Kiku, allowing a deep sigh to exit his lungs. "You'll feel better tomorrow."
They sat in silence a moment, and the younger looked over the elder's body, purple blotches claiming his figure, laughing with their ugly faces full of joy from mere existence. They marred his chest, stomach, back, and face. Everywhere, Mr. Kirkland's rage lived.
"I am sorry." Kiku's little fingers wrapped around two of Yao's, their battered arms matching.
"It's alright. I couldn't allow Arthur to bind your feet…"The man glanced at the child, taking his hand within his palm with a sad smile breaking upon those bruised lips. "Please Kiku, don't run again."
"I not running..."
"Because next time, Arthur really will bind your feet..."
And the boy nodded.
"Thank you, Kiku."
And they both sat together, running into a forest composed of hope within their very minds, either of them happy to have the other.