"Are you feeling up to speaking with us?" Fai gave his most gentle smile, making his voice sound the least threatening he possibly could.

Syaoran was sitting up straight, propped up by all of their cushions in his back, fingers trembling nervously in Sakura's palms. He regarded Fai a moment with wide eyes, before barely nodding.

"Can you tell me how you are feeling?" Fai scooted a little closer with his chair carefully. Kurogane had chosen the furthest wall to lean against – most likely still feeling nervous after what happened when he repeated the clone's words out loud. Sakura was perched on the side of the bed, holding both of Syaoran's hands in hers. His hurt arm lay heavily over his lap.

Syaoran blinked, as if not completely comprehending. He licked his lips and swallowed difficultly. "I'm fine."

Fai smiled broadly instead of cringing at the boy's hoarse voice, telling them such an obvious lie. He was scared, no matter how you looked at it. Trembling, wide eyes, hesitancy. And he was likely to be in pain too.

When Sakura released one of his hands to pick up the glass of water for him, his fingers twitched and his arm clenched to his body. He was blinking rapidly now, like a cornered animal.

"Drink some water," she urged him. Syaoran gave Fai another nervous look, but when the smile on his face hadn't faltered he dared to take a sip from the glass. His hand instinctively lifted to hold the glass, but he was trembling too badly to get his fingers around it.

"Is that better?" She smiled brightly at him, and he nodded hesitantly.

"Is there anything you want," Fai tried again.

Syaoran shook his head quickly.

"Nothing to eat?"

The brunette grimaced. "N-no."

"Aren't you hungry?" Sakura asked in surprise, and Fai frowned when that caused Syaoran to draw back from her.

"N-no."

"Are you thirsty then? Would you like something warm to drink?" He knew they couldn't force the boy to eat, but if they could give him a broth he would get at least something.

Syaoran stayed silent for a while, his face turning down so he could stare at his lap. Sakura gently squeezed his hands, and he shuddered.

Just when Fai was about to try asking it again, Syaoran answered quietly. "Yes, please."

"Kuro-pon, can you go and heat what's left in that pan with Mokona?" He gave the ninja a big grin, and the dark man hurried out of the room.

Fai understood. Kurogane was a man to have fought and killed for his entire life. It was no surprise it would be a wounded boy instead of another warrior or monster to bring him down to fear. Fear. Like the Syaoran feared them back.

"There's no need to be afraid," he muttered.

Sakura reacted by giving the boy another big encouraging smile, backing up Fai's words. Syaoran on the other hand blinked in confusion, to their great surprise leaning forward towards Fai.

The brunette blushed and shot back the moment he realised what he did, and tried to hide beneath his bangs, clenching his eyes shut.

"I was saying there's no need to be afraid," Fai repeated gently, a little louder. Syaoran froze, before nodding.

Fai frowned when he thought that over. Syaoran hadn't heard him the first time, that much was obvious. But the room was quiet, and Sakura must have been able to make it out clearly to react to his words so fast.

"Syaoran," he whispered, but he got no response apart from Sakura turning to him questioningly. "Syaoran, can you hear me?"

Sakura's eyes widened and she turned back to the boy.

"Syaoran," her voice was tense, and louder than Fai's.

The way the boy tentatively looked up to her showed clear enough this was the first time he heard his name being called out.

His ears were damaged.

...

The kid being awake like this only made Kurogane feel more unsettled. It was his voice which had provoked the last panic attack from the boy. Sure, he said something the kid obviously hadn't wanted to hear, but he hadn't had half the violent reaction when Sakura said it.

His voice made the boy panic.

The boy was afraid of his voice.

Syaoran was afraid of him.

And whereas he would have thought that a good thing before this journey started – when people feared him, they respected him – these people had become his friends. And that was something new, he had trouble to handle.

But he did know they weren't supposed to fear him. And seeing the hurt boy so scared, it made Kurogane feel guilty.

He didn't know what exactly he was feeling guilty over. It wasn't him who hurt the boy. It wasn't him who justified that fear.

All he had done was allow the boy to be taken in the first place.

He gritted his teeth. Back to that level again. Back to blaming himself over something that wasn't his fault!

But the kid was scared of him now. And he had no idea how to fix it.

...

It cost her more effort than she wanted to keep smiling when Fai made her realise. Syaoran's hearing was damaged. They couldn't have noticed before, with the boy being asleep. But now it was too noticeable he couldn't hear them when they were speaking softly.

Too obvious.

She forced the smile to stay on her face, because she didn't want to worry him. But it looked like she was not successful, a concerned fear flashing into Syaoran's eyes when he watched her.

"Are you hurting?" She quickly asked, trying to mask her worry.

Syaoran drew back a little, his fingers trembling harder in her hands. He shook his head.

"Aren't your legs and arm hurting, Syaoran?" She insisted, "if they're hurting, we can give you painkillers. We don't want you to be in pain."

His eyes found hers again, and he looked hesitant.

"It hurts," he finally conceded.

"Then we'll let you take some medicine after you drank your broth," she lifted a hand to stroke the side of his face. He flinched from it for a moment, before leaning in to the touch and letting out a shuddering breath.

"Is it a lie?" Sakura froze at his soft question. "Again?"

"A lie?" She shuddered, not sure whether it was indignation, worry or hurt. "I wouldn't lie to you Syaoran. I would never."

"It's always been a lie." His eyes were wet with beginning tears, and large, and afraid.

"I'm not sure what you mean, but this is no lie."

"The warmth." His fingers curled around hers. "Warmth was a lie. Every time."

"We're not lying to you," she insisted.

"Are you going to hurt me too?"

"I will not," she choked on a sob, "don't say that Syaoran! I will never hurt you on purpose! Nor will Fai or Kurogane. Don't be afraid of us, please!"

She felt Fai's hand curl over her shoulder and she shot back, opening her eyes – when had she closed them? – to see Syaoran trembling, watching her. Tears were running down his face, but he was no longer accusing her.

But still afraid.