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"yelling"

Chaos truly did follow him. From his exodus from Akatsuki to his mother's attempts to have him delivered to his aunt, nothing good had come of him. Even now, he had ruined everything. His mother had spent her lifes savings on him, Gauche had risked his life during the journey.

And now he was alone. Hiccuping, Lag held himself as he ran. The crowds of people flew by, a blur of color and a collective cacophony. Someone, in the din, called that there was a body in the alley. Another shouted that a Bee was chasing a monster.

Lag felt like he might throw up all the heart he'd just eaten. Gauche was chasing him? He...he was really...

Suddenly, he was airborne. It took a moment for the pain to sear through his stomach and chin as he collided with the rough cobbled road hard. Wheezing, Lag attempted to rise, dazed. Something, it felt like a foot, pressed him down hard.

"We've got it! Hold it down!"

"Careful, it could eat you!"

Quivering, the boy felt blessedly numb. Something had gone through his chest. Fingers shaking, he felt the sticky warmth of blood spread over his loose night shirt. The cotton became heavy, pulling him closer to the cold stone that seemed to suck away his life greedily.

Tears began to track down his cheeks. This was everything his mother had warned him about. Breathing was becoming difficult.

"Let go of him!"

The weight on his back was taken away abruptly. There were shouts of indignation but Lag could barely understand them. The only voice that cleared the fog over his mind, was a familiar one.

"What are you doing? That's a monster!"

"Are you gonna let this thing go?!"

"This is official government business!" the crowds hushed for a moment. "Only authorized persons are allowed to hunt these creatures!"

Murmurs, unsettled grumbling. Lag rolled to his side a bit, feeling sick but wanting to be sure. Gauche, still in his undershirt and lacking socks, stood over him. Roda moved to cover him, and Lag thought she might actually eat someone.

"What are you gonna do?! It killed someone!"

"Yeah! It cant be allowed to go free!"

Fighting to keep his stomach down, Lag wondered if he had enough energy to fight back. The object wedged in his back was carefully removed without warning. Yelping, he fought to stay awake through the pain.

"I'll take care of this. Go back to your business."

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Gauche let out a long breath, winding a bandage around Lag's upper back. Thank the Empress, that man had no sense of aim. Although, given Lag's physiology, Gauche thought it would take more than a dull knife to kill him.

Lag...

Swallowing, Gauche reminded himself that what he was doing could, if found out, result in termination from work and a lengthy prison sentence. Still, if nothing else, Lag was still a letter. A letter marked "fragile". This was his job.

The boy let out a weak sound, chewing anxiously at his lip. From this angle, Gauche could now clearly see the stone in his eye. A clear sign that he had missed. It cast a soft glow that could be faintly seen through his snowy locks.

"It will be over soon." he soothed, tucking the boy into the bed.

Lag watched him, eye hazy with pain and medicine. "Y-You're not going to...?"

Gauche paused, frowning. "No."

Reaching down, the man began to put away the supplies. He was aware of the ever present gaze on him. As he moved to stand, a light tug on his hand caught him. Glancing over, Gauche felt his heart jump a bit.

Lag's eye, the human one, was startlingly expressive. Confusion and fear fought just below the surface. It was no wonder people feared these creatures so much, Gauche thought. How could someone kill what looked, right then, like a frightened child?

"W-Why...?"

Mulling it over, the man wondered the same. Was it that sweet, frightened child coating that caused him so much conflict? The way Lag smiled or how soft and warm he was? He wasn't sure. He'd always expected something much more monstrous.

"Because you're a letter. Its my job to deliver you safely to your destination."

Chewing his lip, Lag seemed to ponder this. It made no sense. But who was he to look a gift horse in the mouth?

Casting his gaze down, he murmured, "I-I'm sorry...I-I didn't mean for this to..."

Gauche ruffled his hair gently, sighing. "It puts us back a day. But it will be fine."

If Lag was confused, he didn't voice it. Gauche just wanted to get through the delivery. If that meant denying past events right then, that was fine to. Truthfully, Gauche still had no idea what to do. So for now, he'd deal with things as they came.

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