A/N: This update took an extra day, since I'm booked with work all week. Will try to update again before the week is out, if I can find the time. Props to Noniebee (4352183), as usual, for brainstorming and being awesome. :)
Everybody had been keeping secrets from Kamui. They had all known, and purposefully withheld the information. Abuto. That old lady. Gintoki. Kagura might have been oblivious, and he didn't think the kid, Michi had anything to do with it, but even Ame. She hadn't told him. Of all their days together, the months that they'd spent in a false feud and privately exchanging affection, he'd have thought she could have told him anything. Even if she never spoke of herself, and only divulged her past due to unforeseen circumstances, he thought they were closer.
While it was true that he hadn't told her anything about himself, they didn't need that. Didn't need the trivial bonding of running through past tragedies to establish a connection. All that had mattered was that they clicked. Without all of the nonsensical details. They got along, and didn't care to pry or dwell on things beyond their control. He hadn't even known how old she was until she'd been poisoned; nothing mattered other than the present.
But there they were.
Experiencing a miscarriage that Kamui didn't even know was possible until the nurse blurted the news to him and went on as though it wasn't an issue or profound news that stumped him and could have brought him to his knees. A kid. He could have had a baby, and nobody had told him. Ame's behavior made sense now, but he wished she had said something. He had a right to know. If anybody did, it was Kamui, and she should have told him before consulting other people. Assuming that he would dismiss her as easily as when Abuto told him there was a ship pursuing them.
The yard of the hospital was bathed in a certain stillness that could have brought peace to Kamui's racing mind. Could have, but didn't. It was like any other day; the Human rushing into danger and him having to pluck her out of it. Just like before. Only now, his chest was aching almost as badly as his head and he didn't know what to do about it.
Brick sitting areas were nothing but an object of his aggression, and he'd kicked most the benches and half walls to nothing but loose stones and dust. Couldn't think of anything else to do. Didn't understand why Ame would run off and pursue the kid without telling him such important news. He wouldn't have shunned her. Wouldn't have doubted her. Especially if she had the paperwork Abuto had mentioned. It would have been revolutionary, a life changing moment that Kamui would have gladly given himself to. But here he was. On the tail end of what would have been good news and beating random walls for no reason other than his own mental stability.
He could go after Iori.
While Ame was still down, he could get the woman and show her how merciless the Captain of a Yato fleet could be. Destroy her, and anybody else that had participated in overpowering Ame. He didn't believe that it was a solitary effort. Iori couldn't have done it alone, and Kamui was sure that the woman had employed underhanded techniques to isolate his Human. Subdue his Human; what should have been the resting, carefully spoiled mother of his first child. Iori had taken that from him without him even knowing, and she needed to be eliminated.
If Kamui was going to be directly hurt by her delusional possession of Ame, he was going to reciprocate. He understood why the woman had wanted her guns and drawn on her their first encounter. It made sense now, and he would be the one to remedy the situation. For his own peace of mind, if nothing else. If he didn't, he would murder Abuto and everybody else that had silently exchanged knowing glances behind his back. If Abuto had told him, he would have known something was wrong the first day that Ame hadn't returned to the room. He would have looked for her sooner. Instead of assuming the worst. That she had left him for no apparent reason and hadn't said a word about it.
Abuto had been right. He knew something was off, and Ame had been acting strangely since the day they had returned to the hospital. She'd been looking at him differently, and skittish when he was around. If everything had been normal, and she had left of her own accord, he'd had gotten an earful and a chance to change her mind.
"Oi, Nii-San!"
Glancing towards the entrance of the hospital, Kamui found the kid from earlier running to his side. He glared down at the boy, Michi, still on the edge of smashing anybody or thing that came near. His hand brushed against another brick wall, just ready to demolish it, but with the kid in front of him, his attention was stolen.
Two large steel irises set on Kamui, and the boy approached with no regard for safety. Didn't bat an eye at the rubble around them, or the tense air surrounding Kamui.
"Are you okay?"
"Go away." His advice was ignored. As if he hadn't spoken at all. Instead, Michi stepped around him, hands behind his back and curiously examining Kamui's stiff posture.
"I have to go soon. The grandpa told me so." From behind the tall wall of garden bushes, Gintoki cringed. Grandpa. He wasn't anybody's grandpa! Kagura slapped a hand over her mouth and grinned up at him as he shot her a warning glance.
Kamui didn't care. The kid could rush off to sail foreign seas in search of a holy grail, and he still wouldn't give it a second thought. "Nee-San was really amazing. You should have seen it. When she got thrown in with me, she was already hurt, but she got us out and fought all those people. I'd never seen anybody die before, but she said-"
"Kid, I'm warning you." This wasn't anything that he wanted to hear. The last thing Kamui needed was somebody gushing over Ame. Reminding him of the woman that he was probably going to strangle once they were alone. Or at the very least, say mean things. Lots of really mean things. His nails dug into the brick they had previously been against, and dust trailed from the indent. Should have been enough to let on that he was going to throw one at the kid.
Michi shook his head. Took Kamui's words with a grain of salt.
"No- no- The other Nee-San, she was gonna blow things up. Kaboom!" His arms flung over his head, and for a second, Kamui could have sworn Kagura had possessed the boy. "But Nee-San didn't let that happen. My mom died when I was really young, but she used to say things all the time. Lots of things. Smart things. Like when stuff got hard there was always somebody there. A helper. She said to look for a helper, and-"
"Stop talking!" Snapping the line at the boy, Kamui felt his entire body go rigid. Michi stared up at him, mouth finally shut and wide eyed. "You keep talking about her- I don't want to hear it!" Before Kamui could get another word out, Gintoki appeared from the same place the boy had. Walked around the bushes, and stopped just behind Michi. As he did, a single covered bun and blue eye poked around the organic wall. The Yorozuya's hand settled on Michi's shoulder, and Kamui eyed him as he urged the boy back.
"You know..." A pause took the man's speech, for only a second before he found the right words. "I think he's trying to say that Humans, whether they're fetuses or women carrying them, even grown men, can't be strong forever."
Sinking back a step, Kamui couldn't break his gaze from the crimson eyes that bored into him. Tried to communicate some universally silent language that he should have picked up on without more. But even so, the silver haired samurai delved deeper. "At one point or another, everybody is weak and can't support themselves. That's why we have friends. Family. Even complete strangers. To be strong for us when we can't be." Michi turned a ponderous eye to the man behind him, and Kamui's stiff shoulders lost a degree of intensity. "Especially when we've lost something precious. Nobody should have to do it alone... There are two people that are alone tonight. They probably really need each other right now..."
The words sank in, one syllable at a time, and Kamui was reduced to staring at the samurai's back as Michi was gently led away. Glanced back at him, more curious than afraid. And again, Kamui's rage had been quelled. Brought to the quiet place that acceptance resided in, as understanding knocked on the door. They walked away. Kagura took their side as soon as they reached the bushes, and briefly waved at him.
Then she turned. Dashed back and wrapped her arms around her brother; over the bends of his elbows.
"Nii-Nii, don't be sad."
He didn't move the entire time. Just let her hug him and skitter off behind her group as they continued on. Left him there, with nothing but the advice of the older man, and bitter droning of knowing.
He was probably right.
Kamui probably wasn't the only one overcome with emotion, and they had been left to suffer separately. Alone in every sense.
Leaning up, Ame cringed at the sting of her side. Hours had been spent, barely aware of the prodding and stitching that had been invested in her again. Just laying there, while doctors and nurses flashed lights in her eyes and asked her silly questions like if she remembered her name or her birthday. What color slips of paper and fabric were, and if she could feel her toes. She was pretty sure they'd pumped food into her while she was out, and had cut her clothes into useless scraps of garbage only fit for the rubbish bin.
Not that she would have been wearing them again, considering the stains, but that wasn't the point. Once the swarm had calmed, and they were satisfied with their work, they broke out into a congratulatory clap for their fellow health care providers. Praised one another for their techniques. Apparently, one of them was new, and Ame was their first experiment. And that was it.
When the room slowly grew emptier, and only a single nurse remained, Abuto was allowed in. His entrance was charged with apprehension. Bad news poured from his pores, and before he even spoke, Ame was upright.
"Kamui?"
Her question was met with a side glance, and slow shake of the man's head.
"He uh... Once he heard the news, he didn't stick around..."
"Oh..." Averting her gaze, Ame studied the cream tile beside her bed. Didn't broach the subject further.
"Are you..." Waving his arm towards the woman, then briefly up and down, the older man paused. His mouth twisted, and his brow raised. "Better?"
A single prompt nod was all that he received. If Kamui had left, it was safe to assume that he didn't want to see her. She hadn't wanted him to find out like he had. Had wanted to tell him herself, while everything was alright. Anything but this. His reaction was fitting, though. She couldn't have blamed him if she wanted to. Before she even knew it, she was speaking.
"Get me some clothes."
"What?"
Much to Abuto's horror, the woman threw her legs over the side of the bed. The nurse turned a wide eye to Ame as she tore the tape and needles from her arm, and the heart rate monitor flat lined.
"Miss-"
Free of her medical restraints, Ame grimaced as she worked her way onto unsteady feet and stood. She wasn't staying there. Needed something other than the hospital gown; she couldn't walk around in that.
"What do you think you're doing?" Taken aback by the woman's refusal of further treatment, Abuto held his hands out. Unsure of whether he should help her, or condemn her for being an idiot.
"Iori..."
"Miss! You can't-" The nurse, a short, nicely curved brunette, rounded the bed and reached to Ame's side. Tried to coax her back into the bed, but she pushed beyond her. It wasn't that bad. She'd probably had worse. Probably. Some time in the past, she wasn't sure right now. Ame had been cleaned up and fixed. That meant that she was fine to get back to what she was doing. If Iori thought that Ame would lay down and take this, she was mistaken. The woman had waged a war, and it wouldn't be abandoned for the false peace of beige walls and tile. The false peace of sterile tools, and a safe environment. Forgetting that something had been taken from her.
And Kamui.
Stolen out from under their noses, only to be rubbed in their faces.
"You need to stay here. Ame, don't be stupid; that's suicide." The voice of reason didn't even get Abuto a glare. Ame ignored him and passed by. Shrugged away from the nurse's hands. On her way to the door, the woman kept her hand over her side to apply just enough pressure to subdue the ache. If she could get out of the hospital, she was fit for anything.
Just as she crossed half of the distance to the door, a form beyond it froze her in her tracks. Said door was pulled open. In front of Ame stood an all-too-familiar, unnaturally serious, red haired man. His frown burned into her, and Ame could do nothing but stare as the room grew still. Kamui stepped inside. Pulled the door shut behind himself, and paid no mind to Abuto's alarmed gaze. Then he started towards Ame.
"K- Kamui-" Before the woman could retreat or collect herself, she was pulled into a loose embrace. Just held there, as a hand ran down the back of her head.
"It's okay." His voice was low. Barely audible, despite their closeness. "I'm here; you're not alone..." Raising her head, Ame peered up at the man. She couldn't help but frown. Expected something different when she saw him again. Anger. Despair. Anything that wasn't affection. Her hair bunched under his fingertips, and his arm around her tightened as he continued. Didn't give Ame enough time to fabricate a response. "You don't have to be strong anymore, I'm strong enough for the both of us."
That did it. Though Kamui hadn't known what would happen, the last line dug under the woman's skin. He didn't know anything else to do or say, but upon hearing the words, Ame buried her face into his shirt. Grabbed on to his chest and just stood there. Hiding in his arms, and trying to stifle the shake of her shoulders.
The room fell silent again, and Abuto shifted his gaze. Did the only thing he could to give them the privacy that the moment deserved.
