A/N: What's this? Another chapter already? Yes. Yes. It's kinda short but yes.
Shito paced back and forth across the room impatiently as he waited for Touhou to return. He held his empty wrist carefully against his chest, his other arm over it to protect it. Bekko and Sotetsu stayed hidden in the off chance that a surprise visitor appeared.
During Touhou's absence, Shito had displayed an emotional reaction very our of character for him. He suddenly became disbelieving of everything Bekko or Sotetsu told him. He even spoke of not wanting to remember Zombie-Loan or anyone he had met within it. Which to Bekko wasn't true as he'd seen Shito's confession of his feelings about Akatsuki Chika. However as quickly as it had come it was gone, leaving the observers a little worried. Shito himself was more frustrated than he had been before. His moment of clarity were coming more often than before and he wanted to utilize them as much as he could. But if he had these strong moments of depressive behaviors, what was Touhou feeling on his end? Shito didn't understand the spell as Touhou didn't tell him much about anything having to do with the Exorcists.
"I'd suggest focusing your mind on one emotion for now, Shito-kun." Bekko said. "I don't know what kind of spell he's using but it seems to be a very powerful one. Focus on your strongest emotion."
Shito turned and nodded to him closing his eyes. What was his strongest emotion? He hated Touhou with a deep passion but at the same time his worry for Chika nearly outweighed it. After all he'd only known Chika about a year but that didn't matter. Every day passing, and at this point, every minute he wanted to see Chika more and more. To make sure he was alright. To comfort him and help him get passed whatever horrors he'd been through. If anything Shito understood what it was like. At least to some degree.
"How long will we have to stay in this cramped space?" Sotetsu asked from under the bed. He'd had to hurry under there when Touhou had come and been forced to stay. His large body was hard to hide in the quaint quarters.
"It shouldn't be much longer." Shito responded. He knew that Touhou liked to do things as quickly as possible. He also knew that the Exorcist would spend as little time with Chika as he could. He was disgusted with him. That much Shito knew for sure. He was counting on that to judge when Touhou would return. And just as he'd said, the Exorcist entered the room a few minutes later.
Touhou stepped inside without a word and closed the door, locking it, his back to Shito for a few minutes. Shito swallowed and watched the man for what seemed like an eternity. A few minutes later the man turned, slowly, to face Shito. His expression was deadly. He may not have had control over what he did when in the presence of Chika, but he remembered it very well. He didn't need any explanations from Shito. He knew firsthand what the damned boy felt and it angered him even more. If Shito became too attached to someone it would become a very big problem for Touhou, one he refused to let happen.
He slowly opened his eyes and stared at Shito for several seconds before moving towards him. He didn't dawdle or mess with things in the room like he normally did. He didn't care about simply 'annoying' Shito at the moment. He was angry and he wanted Shito to know it. He cornered the corpse boy and moved to within inches from his body. Shito breathed in and out carefully, not sure what would set Touhou off in this instant. He swallowed quietly, watching the man with his wine red eyes. The two stood there in near silence for several minutes. Both Sotetsu and Bekko held their breath afraid to shatter the delicate stillness around the room. Touhou's eyes narrowed, meeting Shito's for a second before he reached a hand out taking Shito's chin roughly in it.
"Shito-sama." He breathed. Shito tensed, his free hand clenching into a fist but he refrained from striking Touhou just yet. "You're 'feelings' are becoming very troublesome. What should I do about them, hmm?" He asked. He didn't give Shito time to answer. "Perhaps I'll have to punish you." The Exorcist pulled Chika's hand from his jacket.
Shito reached for the hand but it was instantly pulled from him again. He frowned, his heart skipping a beat at the action. Touhou's lips turned into a cruel smile as he moved away. "I think I'll keep this for now." He said.
"Touhou you can't!" Shito said. He stepped forward and grabbed the man's shoulder.
"Do not touch me!" Touhou boomed spinning around and hit Shito with the back of his hand so hard the boy staggered back.
Sotetsu moved suddenly but stopped himself as Bekko had warned him. He hated seeing this. Instead he clenched his fists tightly and focused on controlling his own temper. He had never known the kind of treatment Shito received when he was with this monster of a man. The kind of emotional and physical torture he must have gone through during his lifetime made Sotetsu question his own strength. Shito was a mystery, and what his life entailed, the zombie understood why he rarely talked about his past.
Shito took a step back, his only hand cradling the quickly forming bruise on his cheek. He stared, wide-eyed at Touhou as he'd never struck him quite so hard before. His entire skull rattled disorienting him momentarily. His heart even raced slightly.
Touhou stood there a sneer on his face as she watched the boy before him. "This is your punishment." He said again. "You will not be allowed to have this hand until you have quelled your hideous emotions." He tucked the towel-wrapped hand back into his jacket and stood away, watching Shito.
Shito's heart raced again. Without his hand he wouldn't be able to fight at all. He watched Touhou, changing his face. He hoped he could somehow appeal to the man to let him have the hand. It would probably rot if it wasn't attached soon. Then it wouldn't matter anymore. Perhaps by using that logic he could convince Touhou to let him have it. Or perhaps…Touhou wouldn't care either way. He opened his mouth to say something but Touhou held up a hand to stop him.
"Don't even try, Shito." He said. "I know very well what will happen to this hand if you don't reattach it soon. So I suggest you change your attitude towards Akatsuki sooner rather than later." Touhou turned and moved towards the door.
Shito flicked his eyes toward where Bekko was hiding hoping for some sort of answer of what to do. Though he knew Bekko couldn't give him one. He stepped forward towards Touhou but didn't reach out for him. "Touhou." He said quietly. "Please, don't leave." He swallowed hating having to beg the man. Though he knew Touhou once loved that. "I will try to forget him…a-as you wish." Shito's heart tightened in his chest at the words he spoke.
"Trying is not enough, Shito-sama." Touhou said sternly.
"I'm sorry." Shito said then tried again. "Touhou, I will forget him. I've already given up on seeing him."
"Have you now?" Touhou said stepping towards him again. "As if you could even find him. Not like he wants to see you anyway. Again, while I was there, he never mentioned you. Not once." Touhou sneered. "It's best if you do forget him. Because it's obvious he's forgotten about you." The Exorcist turned on his heel again and moved towards the door. Shito inhaled sharply and stepped forward again.
"Please Touhou. I can barely function at all. I need that hand." He begged. He stood there, his one hand reaching towards him. His expression looked pained but he remained as he was. "Please Touhou. I will do as you say if you give it to me." He continued to hold his hand out, it trembled slightly, but waited.
Touhou watched him a few seconds then sighed. He held out one glowing hand and spoke a few words in Chinese. Shito felt something leave him and his mind was free. He let out an audible sigh as his entire body seemed to relax.
"I removed the spell, Shito-sama." Touhou said handing him the towel and hand. "I can assure you, that if you take one step out of line, I will be back here in an instant and losing your hand will be the last of your concerns. Is that understood, Shao ye?" The Exorcist spoke in a dangerous tone.
Shito nodded and bowed his head. "Yes, I understand. Thank you for your kindness." He remained bent at the waist until the door closed behind Touhou and he walked away.
Shito sighed, relieved and disgusted with his-self. But at least he had managed to get the hand back. He carefully unwrapped it like it was made of glass and looked at the pale thing. "Chika." He said. At least Chika was healthy enough for the normal healing of their hands to work. But that didn't mean he was alright. He attached the hand to his wrist then moved his fingers making sure all was working well. He smiled ever so slightly. At least he was able to know Chika was alive. This hand was proof enough of that.
"Bekko." He said turning towards the Ferryman's hiding place.
"Yes, Shito-kun. It is time to plan our strategy." Bekko said stepping out from the drapes. Sotetsu appeared soon after and the three of them gathered around Shito's small table.
"We haven't much time left." Shito said. "They'll be sure to discover that you've both escaped at any time."
"Once that happens, our planning will be for naught." Bekko nodded his agreement.
"So then let's quit dawdling and figure out our best course of action." Sotetsu said sitting down in the chair. "Shito-kun. Tell us what you know about this place."
A/N: Well there we are. It's not the best chapter but it puts things where they need to be in order for everything else to work. Thank you for your time in reading thus far! Please review and give opinions so I know what I can fix in the future.