Fai stood up quietly, making for the door. Syaoran had fallen back into another fit of crying, and Sakura had managed to snap out of her panic induced by Syaoran's distrust without Fai's help. She was now stroking his hair, holding him close again as he sobbed softly.
He was sure they were going to have quite a few of these crying bouts in the future. But who could blame him? No matter how strong he had been when they first met him, the state they found him in just a few weeks ago told them enough he wasn't likely to return to being so strong any time soon.
The way he wandered into the kitchen might have fooled even himself as an aloof way. If it wasn't for the stress coiling in his stomach, he might have believed himself.
It seemed like Kurogane was not so easily tricked, if his suspicious glare was anything to go by.
"You okay?"
He settled against the table, watching Kurogane stir the broth. "Not really."
Kurogane turned, eyes wide in surprise at the unexpected answer. "Say what?!"
"What I mean to say is, I'm feeling very worried about Syaoran," Fai clarified, feeling the slightest bit offended at the ninja's surprise at him confessing something like that, "in that aspect, I'm not okay. And neither are you."
Kurogane huffed and turned back to peer into the broth. Fai could see Kurogane didn't quite believe him there.
"It will go faster if you turn the heat up above the minimum," Fai pointed out, letting a little playfulness seep into his voice. It was a lot easier here, when the broken boy was out of sight. With his soft sobs muffled by walls and doors, and Fai could just pretend his sharp ears weren't able to make out the breathy sounds even over the clanging of Kurogane's spoon in the pan. Just looking at the ninja fume and aggressively turning the heat up, looking all the way like he should.
Too bad he was once again not able to trick himself, nor the ninja. If only for Mokona snoozing one of the cupboards, reminding them how she never slept as much as she did since Syaoran arrived. It was clear to anyone the creature was fleeing in sleep. It must be hard to feel everyone's emotions around you in a situation like this. Perhaps Mokona could feel Syaoran's emotions.
No, it was no wonder the creature kept itself asleep, her soft whimpering only to be heard when the kitchen was absolutely quiet.
And the remembrance of what he just found out wasn't helping either. He couldn't really ignore the soft sobs his enhanced hearing was picking up. No matter how badly he wanted, he couldn't.
...
Kurogane cursed at the broth, now starting to steam into his face.
"Oi, why don't you do this, you..."
"His hearing is damaged."
Kurogane gaped like a fish for a moment, not used to being cut off by the mage. It took him a few seconds to realise what he had just been told.
"His hearing?"
"Yes. If you talk softly to him, he can't hear you. So please speak clearly inside that room, and don't let him notice. He's bad enough without us rubbing it in."
"I know that," he scowled. How did they even manage to damage his hearing? He was hearing fine while they spoke normally, so it was just a little damaged. Not like they had poked through his eardrums or something.
He shook his head, mixing broth so violently it splashed over the side of the pan. It wasn't like he was going to find out the details of what happened to the kid. It wasn't like they could ask him. Not yet, at least. If they ever could, it would still take weeks to months. Maybe even years. There was no way they could ask this shivering mess of frightened boy to tell how he had been tortured.
Especially because of the state they found him.
He froze, suddenly realising something. He slowly looked up at the mage, careful to keep his face as blank as possible. "Have you cleaned the kid yet?"
The vampire scowled and made a soft helpless sound. "No."
...
I took a little time, but eventually Syaoran calmed down again. Sakura petted his hair untiring, gently easing him back into the cushion when the soft hiccupping stopped.
"Are you feeling better now?"
He stared down at his hands for a moment, before nodding softly.
"You can tell me if you're not," she insisted gently, her fingers curling around his again.
He swallowed audibly and nodded.
"Kurogane is going to bring you some broth to drink soon," she promised, gently stroking his cheek with one hand, "is there anything else you want to eat or drink? It's better if you eat something before we give you painkillers."
He shook his head.
"Are you really sure? Aren't you hungry?"
He flinched and shook his head again.
"Don't be scared." She stroked his cheek again, and he raised his head just enough to peer at her from underneath tear-clotted lashes.
It was frightening how much he looked like a child now. He had been so strong and determined when he joined them in that dreadful country of Tokyo. But now his face gave away fear and uncertainty. He would cry in her arms like a child, and cling to her as if she were his only hope. She had to bite her lip to avoid crying again herself when she reached aside for one of the tissues Fai used when he cleaned op the boy, gently dabbing with it at Syaoran's face. He closed his eyes in surprise, but allowed her to wipe away tears, drool and snot alike without flinching.
Probably without even realising what it was she was wiping at.
His good arm lifted, trembling. He reached out for her hesitantly. She gave him a smile, taking hold of the outstretched hand.
"Why are you touching me," he asked, sounding puzzled.
She blinked, confused. "I want to help you, that's why. Don't you want me to touch you?"
His head tilted, and he gnawed his bottom lip harshly. What should be a sign of thinking turned to biting himself to bleed. Sakura quickly reached out with her other hand to pry her thumb between his lips, forcing him to stop biting it. He didn't bleed much, but it concerned her nevertheless.
She couldn't ask him about it while he was still in the process of answering the last question though.
"But I'm dirty," he finally told her, confusion in his eyes.
"Don't be silly," she laughed softly, "I will clean you up if you are. You can't clean something if you don't touch it."
He blinked at her, obviously mulling that over. He licked the bleeding lip, shuddering at the taste.
"Don't worry about it," Sakura cupped his cheek and smiled at him, "I will not stop touching you even if you have all the dirt of the world on you. I will clean it instead."
...
He shuddered, but not from cold. He was feeling warm this time.
She was smiling at him, and he felt his lip twitch to do the same. Even if he didn't remember smiling for real in the past years, his lip was twitching to do so now.
He knew he wouldn't really smile. His face didn't remember how. But it was warm, nevertheless.
Her promise.
He hadn't expected this.