For These Scars
~Chapter 20~
Written by: RinoaDestiny
King of Fighters, Kyo Kusanagi, Iori Yagami, Saisyu Kusanagi, and Benimaru Nikaido belong to SNK
"Nice to see you again, cousin." Aoi Kusanagi cradled her motorcycle helmet under her arm, completely at ease while standing in the entranceway, shoes still on. "Uncle Saisyu, Uncle Hajime – hello." His cousin smiled, a mischievous little grin that suited her free-spirited personality and shifted her weight. Her red biker's suit creased in places as her footing readjusted; she aimed a full smile at him. "I'm here for Kyo."
"What for?" his uncle asked, suspicion evident in his voice and face. Even his father looked unsure, studying Aoi as if trying to figure her out.
"There are rumors that Kyo's grounded. Not allowed to leave the house. Sounds boring. And since Souji's still in Tokyo, I decided to see if those rumors are true."
His father and Uncle Hajime glanced at each other.
"So it's true." His cousin took their full measure with one level gaze and then turned to him. "So, Kyo…you wanna head on out? I'll take you downtown."
"What? No – absolutely not," his uncle said, taking a step forward.
"He's not even allowed downtown?" Aoi asked, only the thinnest veneer of politeness masking the hint of mockery in her tone. "You're just going to keep him cooped up in here?"
"There are reasons for that."
"Rumors, uncle. Might be good to let him out to dispel some of them."
"She is family, Hajime." His father laid a hand on his uncle's shoulder. "If we can't trust her, then who do we trust?"
"How much do you know, Aoi?" Direct and to the point, as always. Uncle Hajime never failed in that regard.
"I've heard tales of some scandal. It's all very hush hush, uncle. Whispers of an illicit lover. As if my cousin would do that." A glance in his direction. He'd told her enough but the details he'd withheld. If she knew too much, Aoi might overplay her hand and Kyo wasn't taking chances with that. However, she was a terrific liar and he marveled at how deftly she steered the conversation in their favor. "You don't want those rumors to become public gossip, do you?"
Bullseye.
If there was anything his father – by default, his uncle and all high-ranking males in his clan – dreaded, it was a stain on the clan's reputation. While he may have disgraced himself within the clan, it was all private for the moment. What Aoi just stated was their worst fear. If it became known that the Kusanagi heir was imprisoned within his own home, under watch and guard, and the explicit reasons why, then their name would resurface in the public in the most notorious way. There was no way in hell his father and uncle would stand for the typical bystander spreading word about him and Iori Yagami. It was unsavory. It was probably a reason for assassinations in the past – silencing those who would disrepute the clan.
"What are you suggesting, Aoi?" His father this time, voice quiet and strong. He was also still, like stone, like immovable earth and it reminded Kyo of Iori a long time ago. He wasn't sure if Iori was like that anymore – not after what he'd gone through.
"Let him out. I'll take him downtown. Or do you not trust me, Uncle Saisyu?"
The expression that crossed his father's face was the exact opposite of his uncle's.
"Brother…"
"She's family, Hajime. It won't hurt for her to –"
"You're sending guardians out, yes?"
"What?" His cousin made a tiny sound, close to a scoff. "Does he need babysitters? Why are you setting guard hounds on him, uncle?"
"Because he can't be trusted."
"And me? I'm not having guardians hovering over my shoulder, uncle. Unless you don't trust me."
That took his uncle by surprise; Kyo saw him hesitate and exchange a quick glance with his father. His father nodded. His uncle stepped back, relinquishing control.
"Aoi, you're just taking him downtown, correct?"
"Yes."
"Very well. I'm trusting you, Aoi. Bring him back safe, okay?"
"You can trust me on that, Uncle Saisyu."
"Good." His father's smile at his cousin only lasted until his gaze fell upon him. What he received was a stern countenance instead. "Behave yourself, Kyo. Consider yourself lucky."
He did. It was the result he hoped for. What he hadn't expected was how well Aoi manipulated both his uncle and father, using the clan's reputation like a double-edged blade. It was a skill he didn't have. If he'd attempted the same, the results would've backfired on him.
"So," his cousin said, smiling. "Ready, Kyo? Weather's good outside."
He couldn't have gotten out of the house fast enough. Uncle Hajime still looked disapproving but true to his father's word, there were no guardians accompanying them. Just him and Aoi. She even had a spare helmet for him.
He had his phone, wallet, and house keys in his pocket.
He also had the spare key to Iori's apartment. Because that was necessary. It was why he was doing this, after all.
"So explain to me why Uncle Hajime and your father looked ready to say 'no'."
True to Aoi's word, they had swung by downtown, picking up a quick lunch along the way. They were now in a park, eating their sandwiches and drinking their sodas. Since Kyo needed to discuss in further detail about the reason for this outing, his cousin had picked a quiet and isolated area where they could talk without being overheard. Aoi was curious and Kyo knew he needed to reveal more before they could move into the next part of his plan.
"They don't trust me. Being outside like this…"
"You are planning something, aren't you, Kyo?"
"I do have an illicit lover. Dad found out about it. It's been…kinda rough."
"Really? You? The 'can't-do-wrong' shining heir to the clan?" His cousin put her soda down on the bench, placing her hand under her chin as she studied him. "Just who is this illicit lover?"
Kyo realized she hadn't assumed his lover was female. The question was generalized and open-ended. He studied her as well, taking in the long brown hair which framed the sharper angles of her face. Her eyes were a dark shade of brown like his – brunettes and brunets ran in the Kusanagi line. He thought about Iori and how redheads ran in his clan's line, always setting them apart from everyone else. It was hard to blend in and stay unnoticed when something as simple as that – natural red hair and crimson-brown eyes – stood out among a sea of black and brown. Hair dye amongst the young and trendy had helped, but the Yagami clan had always been an anomaly.
It was one of the things Kyo asked him about when their relationship first got started.
"You know Iori Yagami?"
"What? Him?" His cousin looked astounded, not horrified. "Isn't he your rival?"
"Was my rival."
"How'd that happen? Did you two just get tired of fighting and –"
"It's a long story. Not entirely sure what happened, but Yagami wasn't killing me even though he kept saying so and…" He shrugged. "I said something, things happened and…"
"Wait wait wait. How'd that lead into…" Aoi's eyes widened. "Don't tell me you're –"
"Yeah. I am. Or was."
"No…. And Yuki? That precious girlfriend of yours? What about her?"
He sighed. "She doesn't know yet."
"Are you ever going to tell her, Kyo? Or are you just going to –"
"I haven't decided yet. It's…I don't want to hurt either one of them."
"That's not fair to them, Kyo."
"I know." He shoved his empty soda can aside and deposited his unfinished sandwich next to it. Looked at the sky above him, at the bright beacon that was the sun. Turned his attention back down to Aoi. "Mom said the same thing. Said I needed to make a choice."
"You do."
"I know. It's just…"
"So Uncle Saisyu found out and then? What happened?"
"Couldn't leave the house. He tried to take my phone. My keys. Said he was disappointed in me. You know what he's like when he's disappointed."
"So he grounded you right there and then? What about Yagami?"
"That's why I called you. I need to see him, Aoi. Dad did something terrible to him. I can't just…leave him by himself. He's…"
"So we're going against what we told your father."
"Yes. Will that be a problem?"
His cousin pursed her lips, as if making a decision and then straightened her back, fixing him with a determined gaze. "Good thing you came to me, Kyo. You're not the only one hiding a secret."
"Huh?" That was news to him. "Don't tell me you have a –"
Aoi laughed. "It's nothing like that. But promise me you won't tell anyone else in the clan. Not even your mom."
"What's this about, Aoi? What could you possibly –"
"This." A sudden rush of heat and Kyo blinked, startled. The flame in his cousin's hand wasn't orange. It was purple. Just like Iori's. But how? "It should look familiar to you."
"But…he was born into the line. How did you –"
"I got mad at Souji one time. You know what I'm like when I'm mad."
"But how did you get it?"
"I ran into a woman named Shermie. She –"
"What?" He stared at Aoi, disbelieving what he'd just heard. "You mean…French woman, bangs in front of face…"
"Yeah. I asked her and she gave it to me. I've had it since that day."
"Aoi…" He paused, picking his next words with care. He was in no position to judge her but Orochi-tainted flames did come with its drawbacks and he wanted to make sure she knew that. "When she gave it to you, did she explain anything?"
"No."
He sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "You know those flames come with a curse. How it affects the Yagami clan."
"I'm still a Kusanagi, cousin. Me having this doesn't change anything."
"You realize Yagami deals with the Riot of Blood, right? It's especially bad when Orochi shows up."
"Oh? Have you seen it while you've been with him?"
"No, but I've seen him when Orochi mocks him for being with me. He doesn't like it."
"I'm sure he doesn't." His cousin extinguished the violet flames in her hand – the color changing back to orange as it vanished – and picked up her soda, downing the rest of the contents. Aoi pointed at his sandwich. "Finish it or toss it, Kyo. Since we're talking about Yagami now, let's cut to the chase. You want to see him today. That's why you asked for my help."
"And your transport. You have a bike."
"Don't you usually have one?"
"I tend to take the train there."
"Why the train?" Aoi looked quizzically at him. "Wouldn't your bike be faster?"
"It can also be found. I'd prefer not to leave my bike right where people can see it."
"Ah."
"Besides, with you, Dad didn't send Uncle Hajime along. I couldn't do it just by myself."
"You're serious about this, aren't you, Kyo? This isn't just some fling with Yagami. You really do care about him."
"Yeah."
"I think you've already decided. You're just hesitant to call it for what it is."
"Which is?"
"You love him. Perhaps more than your girlfriend."
"Aoi, I…"
"Your sandwich, Kyo. Finish it. If you're doing this, we need to go soon."
Via motorcycle, the distance to Iori's apartment wasn't far. Kyo watched as they sped past certain landmarks, stopped at a few traffic lights, and then bypassed the subway station close to Iori's place. The one thing he missed was the leisurely pleasure he took in observing the surroundings while on the train. Osaka, while a city, still had a different feel depending if he was on foot, in a car, on a train, or on his bike. Considering Yagami lived half an hour away via train distance, their neighborhoods were dissimilar and thus, interesting.
Still, he recognized the apartment complex the moment Aoi swung onto the road. His cousin gunned the bike, zipping them down the street and into the parking lot, which was mostly empty around this time of day. He looked at the time on his phone. Two thirty-five in the afternoon. This was usually Yagami's time – time Kyo didn't intrude on unless necessary.
He pocketed his phone and gazed upward towards Yagami's door.
Today was necessary. He hadn't seen the man for over a month and…
"Should I wait here or do you want me to come up with you?"
He considered. Aoi staying outside would give him and Iori some privacy. However, if she stayed outside and someone happened to notice her and knew her…
This was already a big risk he was taking. He didn't want Iori's death on his hands because he got careless. Even without guardians hounding his steps, Kyo didn't want to take chances. Too much rode on this one moment between his deliberate deceit towards his father, Aoi's lies and their joint machination, and the fabrication they needed to do afterwards.
Because they couldn't just go home after coming here. It'd be too…
Aoi knew how he worked. How this would affect him.
And so…
"If he's here, I want to introduce you to him anyway. He might be able to give you some advice about those flames."
"Ah, I see." Aoi tilted her head in his direction. "Let's go up, then."
Fingering the spare key in his pocket, Kyo went up the stairs, retreading ground he'd been on before. He knew this place rather well – could still remember the family that lived next door before moving out two weeks after he and Yagami started sleeping together. The father was being sent overseas by his company, requiring an immediate change of residence. The quiet and shy college student that moved in kept to his papers, textbooks, and the occasional video game, which suited them just fine.
He knew the stairs that creaked and the ones that didn't. The overflowing mailbox with its suspiciously absent occupant. Iori had speculated the guy was either a criminal or just lazy; Kyo always believed it was the latter. They'd never made any bets on it, though. The girl who lived three doors down who always looked at Yagami with wistful eyes, even though he was taken. A usual run-of-the-mill office girl searching for better, possibly a husband and a way out of corporate life. It made him appreciate his musical career more, Iori once said to him. He couldn't imagine Yagami going corporate – Iori didn't live based on society's imposed rules.
Yet, his father had imposed on Yagami's life and…
It was why he was here now, wasn't it? To try to remove some of the pain inflicted because of that imposition. To see where they stood now with each other.
He removed the key from his pocket and slid it into the lock of Yagami's apartment door. Turned it and felt the mechanisms shift and click.
Kyo opened the door, stepped in quietly – Aoi following – and removed his shoes. Heard Aoi close the door behind her, latching it shut. While his cousin lingered behind, having removed her helmet and shoes out of courtesy, he advanced past the entranceway. As he did, his eyes adjusted to the dim surroundings. He frowned. Iori didn't usually leave the lights off or low, unless he was asleep. The afternoon light coming through the back window was muted and weak, barely illuminating the interior.
A few steps more and he glimpsed a sleeping figure on the couch.
Kyo walked closer. Stopped. Stared and felt his heart breaking.
Even in the dim light, it was evident Iori Yagami had changed – was no longer the same man he knew two months back. The man on the couch was frail, borderline emaciated, and slept fretfully, tossing and turning while murmuring silent words. Kyo knelt down next to Iori, wanting to run his hand over the other's hollowing cheek, the sharp edge of bone protruding under pale skin, and over dry and cracked lips. There were dark shadows beneath the other's eyes, bruising his sickly complexion. Benimaru had said he looked bad but that was an understatement.
Iori looked one foot in the grave. That was what Yagami had said, hadn't he? That he didn't have long to live?
"Yagami," he said, keeping his voice to a quiet whisper. "Yagami, it's Kyo." The redhead turned, whimpering and Kyo reached out, embraced him and held him close. "I'm here, Yagami. Whatever nightmares you're having, I'm here."
The other man's breathing was frantic, erratic, and strained. It stank and was hot against his shirt. Kyo held on, unwilling to let go and rocked the other man against his chest, whispering nonsense. As he did so, he cast his glance around the living room and noticed the guitar on its stand beside the couch. There was also a small table with food half-eaten, the convenience store bag lying next to it. Squinting, he glimpsed a cylindrical object as well. It looked like a…
Turning his attention back to Iori, he listened to the other man's breathing.
Was this Iori's life now? Restless sleep, unfinished meals, and medication close at hand? Was this what he meant by his life was just survival now?
"Yagami…"
His shirt was damp where Iori's head rested against his chest. The other man was burning up, heat so intense that Kyo felt it warm him through his clothes. Sweat rolled down the side of Iori's face, dripping off the edge of his jaw. Greasy strands of hair lay plastered against his temples, unkempt and tangled. The man mumbled something indecipherable under his breath and turned his head further in, burying his face against his shirt. Kyo heard him whimper again, a faint whine that did nothing to ease the growing pain in his heart.
He continued to hold him until the other's breathing quieted down and the man settled against him, no longer in the throes of nightmare. Iori's eyes moved beneath his eyelids; the redhead sighed, relaxing into a deeper sleep. Kyo laid him back down on the couch, smoothing his hair aside with a gentle motion. He sat back on his heels, gazing upon the man who once was his rival and enemy and now was neither.
Back then, he couldn't have cared less if Iori Yagami died.
Now, Iori Yagami was edging close to death and Kyo couldn't stand seeing it.
It was already agonizing seeing him this way, knowing his father was responsible for it. That in the end, it was a Kusanagi anyway who dispatched one of the Yagami. The old tired cycle continuing, unending in its hatred and long-held strife.
Behind him, Aoi padded in, footfalls soft against the wooden floor.
"We can't stay long, Kyo. It'll look suspicious if we can't account for our time."
"I know," he said, not taking his eyes off Iori. "It's just…he's sleeping and…"
"That's him?"
"That's him." He reached out, brushing off some errant strands of hair close to Iori's eyes. The other man stirred but didn't awaken. "He wasn't always like this, you know."
"Uncle Saisyu did this to him?"
"Yeah." His tone was bitter. "He was one of the best before. A terror in the arena."
"I think his fighting days are over, Kyo."
"He's convinced he's dying. Doesn't think he has a chance." Kyo pulled his hand back, letting it fall to his side. "I thought…perhaps…but looking at him now…"
"You should talk to him."
"But he's –"
"Kyo," his cousin said, tone serious enough for him to turn and look up at her. "If he realizes later that you were here and he missed you because he was sleeping…"
He winced. He could only imagine how Iori would take it – how it would further demoralize the other man. As if he wasn't good enough to know he'd been here – that he hadn't awakened him to even say "Hi". With how vulnerable Iori was – mentally and physically – the last thing he needed to do was push him over the edge. Yagami was in a fragile state and it'd be too easy for him to misinterpret the simple act of just letting him sleep. He could almost hear Iori's internal monologue, since he'd heard similar during the call.
He couldn't just up and leave. Not without at least letting Iori know he was here.
"I'll leave you two alone. Call me if you need me."
With that, Aoi left the room. Kyo glanced at the window farther back behind the couch, watching as the light shifted, casting shadows from another angle. He looked down at Iori, at his face smoothed yet weary in sleep and sighed. Reached out again and ran his hand along the other's wasting cheek, feeling the hard bone beneath the thinning skin. Iori's skin was rough, dry and hot to the touch and all Kyo could think of was the lost days. Of Iori being aware of his condition and what it meant in the end.
He didn't want to consider it just yet. It was too defeatist. It was…it was too soon.
"Yagami," he said gently but putting some volume and strength behind his voice. "Yagami, wake up."
The man on the couch twisted, a slight sound escaping from parted lips.
"Yagami…" Kyo dropped his hand to Iori's shoulder, giving him a light shake. "I'm here, Yagami. Want to talk to you."
Some murmuring. Was Iori talking in his sleep?
Kyo shook him again. The other man batted at his arm, revealing the shine of metal. Kyo recognized the chrome. He also recognized the gleam of dark gunmetal.
He's wearing the ring?
Of all things to surprise him, he hadn't expected that. He'd thought the ring kept in storage, forever a precious memento and nothing more. He certainly hadn't expected to find Iori wearing it. Iori's fingers were thinner – another sign of his rapid deterioration – and Kyo closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and shook him again. Harder. Less gently.
The redhead opened bleary eyes, stared at him, and Kyo realized the haze of sleep still settled over the other man.
"Yagami…"
The crimson-brown eyes focused, re-focused, and sharpened. Iori moved, trying to sit up. "Kyo?" There was a tone of disbelief, of fear, of uncertainty shading his voice. Hearing it made Kyo want to weep, but he wasn't here for that.
"I'm here, Yagami. Like I said I'd be."
"But…" A visible struggle – a question – warred in the other's face. "How? How did you –"
"I had help. I also have your spare key, remember?"
Iori paused in mid-motion, gazing at him. The other man hadn't reached out to him, yet. Kyo didn't know whether it was from fear or from the belief that he couldn't possibly be here. Maybe both. The questioning look passed from his face, only to be replaced by an expression of anxiety. "Is someone here? Who helped you, Kyo?"
Even now, even the way he was, Yagami was sharp, instincts on full alert.
"My cousin. Yagami," he said quickly, for Iori's anxiety shifted into the beginnings of full-on flight from his couch. "She helped me get here. She's not going to…"
"Can you trust her, Kyo? Won't she –"
"She won't. She has reasons of her own for not doing so. Yagami, if it's okay…"
"You want me to –"
"Yes. If that's okay with you."
Iori stared at him for a long moment, as if deciding to trust him on this particular matter. After a minute or two, the redhead sighed, dropping his shoulders and looking down at the floor. "Fine."
He turned towards the entranceway and called out. "Aoi!"
The brunette was soon in the living room, standing right next to him. "What is it, Kyo?"
"I know you've already seen him, but this is Iori Yagami. Yagami, this is my cousin, Aoi Kusanagi. Don't worry – she won't set you on fire."
Iori's fingers tensed as he said those words. Mulling over it, Kyo shelved the thought in his mind, waiting for the right time to ask. Yagami had looked up and was studying his cousin in his customary way, eyes narrowed. Tension rolled off Iori; beside him, Aoi studied his lover, her gaze cool and unreadable.
"Looks nothing like you."
"She's my cousin, Yagami. Not my sister."
"So why do you want me to talk to her again?"
He shifted, positioning himself so that he could see Aoi. "If it's not a problem…"
"Sure." A flicker of flame – orange first – changing to purple. "Kyo wanted me to talk to you about this. You're the expert on it, right?"
In the violet light reflected, Kyo saw Iori's eyes widen in shock. "How did you…why do you have that?"
"A woman named Shermie gave them to –"
"Dammit! That Shermie, Kyo?"
"One and the same. Yeah, I know." He glanced from his lover to his cousin. "Shermie's bad news, so…if he goes off the chain, Aoi, don't…"
"Why'd she give it to you?"
"Because I asked her for it."
"You asked her for it?" If there was one thing about Iori, he never failed to speak his mind. "Why'd you do that? Don't you know what that means? What it does?"
"I know it comes with a curse but it shouldn't affect –"
"Of course it does! Of course it will!" Iori was shaking; Kyo put his hand over his, feeling the other tremble. "Just because you're not me doesn't mean…Kyo and I…we fought Orochi. We sealed him away. I still hear the damn bastard to this day, you know that? Has he started talking to you, yet?"
Aoi had gone pale. The violet flame crackled in her palm.
"If he hasn't, he soon will. You'll hear his voice in your head. Did Kyo tell you what else comes with that?"
"He said something about the Riot of Blood."
An awful laugh burst from Iori; Kyo felt trembling turn to full shudder. "You make it sound so easy, girl. As if it's just something you can brush aside. You can't."
"Yagami…"
"When it hits you, you better hope you're somewhere else. By yourself. Away from people you know. Ever killed before? Ever had blood on your hands? No? You'll kill, girl. Kill and kill and keep killing. Doesn't matter who."
"Yagami…"
"I didn't have a choice. I was born into the clan. But you…"
"Our clan's not perfect, either. Kyo can –"
"Kyo's not foolish enough to ask for the one thing that condemned me to this!" Rigid silence fell. "My inhaler, Kyo. It's on the table."
The flame in Aoi's hand snuffed out. His cousin was shaken, the blood only now returning to her face. Kyo passed the inhaler over to Iori, glancing between him and Aoi. He'd never seen her like this before. Then again, with Iori's blunt tirade, it was warranted. Out of the corner of his eye, he glimpsed Yagami taking his medication, breathing in and out slowly afterwards. While he knew Yagami preferred to self-medicate, it had only extended to the occasional painkiller after a grueling fight. He'd never needed it before just to breathe. Just to live.
It hurt Kyo to see him depending on it – an obvious weakness.
Yagami put the inhaler aside, coughed, and redirected his gaze back to his cousin. His voice was low, yet hard. "Listen, girl. Don't use those flames."
"But –"
"There's nothing you can do about it now, but don't use them. Keep them hidden."
"Will that do anything? Like…"
"He'll still reach out for you. It's inevitable. But don't use them. I noticed you don't show pain. You've gotten that far, huh?"
Right. The Yagami clan was known for its high pain tolerance. Aoi hadn't even flinched when she brought forth the flames, so she must've practiced with them for some time. Yagami had spotted that right away, having had the flames all his life. He'd tried to warn his cousin but perhaps she needed to hear it from Iori firsthand. After all, he was just a Kusanagi like her. What did he know about the intricacies of those cursed flames?
"It does hurt…sometimes."
"That's part of the price you pay." A flat statement without any softness. "Even we had to learn how to master it." Iori turned to him, fatigue evident in the drawn lines of his face. His eyes seemed overly bright. "Kyo…can I talk to you?"
"That's why I'm here, Yagami."
"I'll be waiting by the door. Don't take too long, Kyo."
"I won't," he said, watching as his cousin turned and walked away, leaving them alone. "You didn't have to be so blunt, Yagami."
"She had everything I didn't and she…she threw it all away because…of what?"
"A bad decision, I know, but –"
"It'll stay with her all her life."
"That's why you're so mad."
"She squandered her life. If you'd done the same, I'd…" Across from him, Iori sighed, tangling his hands together. Metal gleamed for a brief second. "How are you, Kyo?"
"Should be asking you that."
A dry humorless laugh. "You don't have to. Like what you see?"
"Yagami…"
"Did you recognize me, Kyo? Or was it like I said?"
"I didn't realize…I hadn't known it'd gotten that bad."
"You should've seen me earlier. It was worse." There was a dark ironic tone in Iori's voice. "I frightened the girl at the convenience store today. The cashier. Probably thought she was looking at a ghost."
"Yagami…"
"I can't keep fighting this, Kyo. I don't think…I don't think I can win this."
"No. Don't say that. That's how you lose, Yagami. If you tell yourself that…"
"I couldn't sleep last night, Kyo. I couldn't keep anything down. Tell me how I'm gonna win this again?"
"I'm here, Yagami. You don't have to –"
"You won't be staying. You can't. I know." Iori stared past him, as if lost in thought. "But you're here. That's enough."
"Yagami?" There was something about how Iori said that that alerted him to the unspoken. Iori often did that.
"I don't think I'll see you again. After this."
It was as if a dagger had been plunged into him, bleeding him dry; Kyo blanched. "Why are you saying that? Of course I'll –"
"I'm sixty-two kilos now, Kyo."
Iori had stated that in a quiet tone, eerily calm and silence settled over them like a soft yet heavy weight, present but not suffocating. Kyo looked at him, at his too-bright eyes and flushed face, at his entwined hands and realized that Iori had prepared himself for this. It was why he was able to say that so calmly, so steadily. Iori had always known he'd die young, courtesy of his cursed lineage. To Iori, it was just a matter of time – it didn't matter how.
"Yagami…"
"You have more to your life than me, Kyo. I don't have much time left."
"But you're still fighting it. You're still –"
"For how long, Kyo? I can't keep this up. I…" The other man's voice cracked. "It'd be easier if I could actually fight it."
"Yagami…"
"You should go home, Kyo. Maybe…"
"No. Don't say that." Kyo rose off his heels, reached out, and embraced the other man. "Don't tell me to go home, Yagami. Defeats the purpose if I do."
"But…"
"I've missed you, Yagami. Just got here. Not leaving you that fast."
"Kyo, you're an idiot sometimes, you know that?"
"We're both idiots, Yagami. We fell for each other. If that wasn't the dumbest thing in the world, I dunno what would be."
That got a dark chuckle from Iori, but Kyo sensed the shift before it happened. "It's okay. I'm here. I'm here." Before he finished saying the last word, Iori shuddered against him, tears dampening his shoulder. "It's okay." He held the other man, his hand behind the other's head even as the other grasped him, weeping in choked anguish. It broke his heart and caused him to wonder if Iori had done this before, alone as he was. Just thinking that shattered his heart anew.
He was glad he came. Iori didn't have to suffer this alone.
After some time, the other man quieted down and pulled away from him, eyes bloodshot. While Iori wiped his eyes dry with the back of his hand, Kyo tugged at his shirt, feeling wetness where Iori's tears had soaked through. It was warm outside. He didn't have to worry about telltale stains. "Yagami," he said, returning his focus back to the redhead, "do you need anything?"
"I have food."
"Anything else?"
"No." The other's voice was raspy and rough. "I won't need anything else."
He read the message behind that statement and fought to keep himself from breaking down. "I'll see you again, Yagami. I'll have Beni text you. It won't…it can't end this way."
"Ever the optimist, Kyo."
"I need to try, Yagami. One of us needs to."
Silence. Iori blinked and looked away. Kyo saw him fidgeting with the rings on his finger. The chrome one he always had and the one he'd given to him on his birthday just a couple months ago. It felt much longer than that.
"You wore it."
"You noticed." Iori's voice was pale, drained of energy. "It's the only thing I have from you."
"The pictures? The videos?"
"Couldn't look at them. They…" A distinct pause. "I didn't have you, Kyo. So…"
"I understand."
"Do you?"
"Yeah, I do."
Another fall of silence. Iori blinked again; Kyo saw he was fighting off a second spate of tears. He waited for the redhead to gather himself, glancing off to give him a measure of dignity. He hadn't kept track of the time, but Aoi hadn't shown up to remind him, either. He looked towards the entranceway and saw her fiddling with her phone. She was giving them their time. He'd been right in going to his cousin – to entrusting her with this secret. She might've made a mistake in her life, asking for Orochi-tainted flames, but that didn't preclude her from helping him, lending him an ear, or not judging him for who he loved.
"Kyo…"
At the sound of his name, Kyo turned back to face Iori, whose demeanor was serious. "What is it, Yagami?"
"If you want to meet up a second time, we need to do it soon. Before…"
Before his time ended. Kyo didn't like thinking about it. He was the optimist. Iori was the realist. "Where do you want to be?"
"Somewhere public. Maybe a park. Halfway."
"Makes sense. Will you be able to –"
"I'll try." A smile that didn't reach Iori's eyes. "Don't have much of a choice, do I?"
"You always have a choice, Yagami."
"You came to find me. Can't leave you hanging."
"Yagami…"
"Don't have much left in my life, Kyo. Just you. My music…not even much of that."
"What do you mean?"
"Lost my job. Forgot to let the band know. Don't even have that now."
"What?" Of all things, he hadn't expected Iori to lose his music. Was his career gone? Couldn't he just…no, he couldn't. Not in his condition. "Were you having nightmares earlier, Yagami? Before I woke you up?"
Iori flinched, a small movement that would've been imperceptible if Kyo hadn't been watching him. "You saw that?"
"I did."
Silence.
"Yagami…I…"
"I was burned alive in my dreams, Kyo. There wasn't anything left after."
Shit. Was that why he… "Why'd you dream that?"
"It's what I was told. I…" The other man made a small noise, looked down at his hands, and curled his fingers inwards. "It's what I was threatened with."
It only took a split second for Kyo to grasp Iori's meaning and when he did, he was furious. "Did my dad say that? To you?"
"He did. He…" Iori swallowed. "I should be dead by now, Kyo. Just for…"
For talking to him. For being in contact with him. "That's bullshit. He can't just –"
"He did."
"He's not going to kill you, Yagami. No one is and no one will."
"If my old man was alive, he'd…" This time, Iori gazed up at him. "He'd have killed me, too."
"Yagami…"
"Our fathers aren't too dissimilar, are they? All for the clan."
"Yagami…my uncle told me a story. More like sordid clan history. One of my ancestors tried to elope with one of yours."
"Didn't end well, did it?"
"No. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't try."
"What makes you think it'd turn out any different?" An incredulous expression crossed Iori's face. "I'm dying, Kyo. Even if you manage to make it work, you'll be throwing everything away for a dead man. It's…"
"You're not dead, yet."
"And your girlfriend? Your rank? What about those?"
"Yagami…"
"You shouldn't choose me over those, Kyo. Those will last. I won't."
"Even so. I…" Kyo took a deep breath. Was he making his choice here? Despite knowing what Yagami said was true? All of it? "I'm not leaving you to fight this alone."
"You'll be going against your clan, Kyo."
"Haven't you? By loving me?"
Iori stared at him. Kyo gazed back, watching as the realization took subtle form behind the other's eyes, in the shifting of muscles in his face. "I'm the only one left, Kyo. There's no clan to go against."
"The tenets of it, then. Your clan has always sworn to be my clan's enemy. That's not true anymore, is it?"
"You'll be risking so much more."
"So did you. You have. You can't be the only one risking it all, Yagami."
"Kyo…"
"I can't stay much longer today, but…" He leaned in close, running his hand along the side of Iori's face. The redhead shivered at his touch, closing his eyes. "I'll find a way to make it work, Yagami. Please try…we'll find a way through."
Silence.
He dropped his hand, leaned forward, and kissed Iori. The other man reciprocated – desperation, need, and pain communicated all in one single action. He'd never known or sensed desperation and pain from Iori before when they were together; yet another aspect irrevocably changed because of his father. It saddened him to know Yagami carried these within him now, and probably would for however long he lived.
Iori pulled back and away first, settling deeper into the couch. "You should go, Kyo. Before you can't." There was a bruised look in his eyes, matching the dark shadows beneath them. "Your lip might be swollen."
A warning. If he went home later still having that…
"I'll be careful, Yagami."
"You sure about this, Kyo?"
"I'm not leaving you alone."
"'Yes' would've sufficed."
"Yeah but you probably wouldn't have believed me."
The other man smiled, but yet again, it didn't spread to his eyes. It was the saddest smile Kyo had seen from Iori; his heart clenched. "Go, Kyo."
Kyo mustered his own smile – trying to impart some strength and morale to his lover – and turned, heading towards the entranceway. As he did, he felt Iori's gaze on his back – a silent and heavy presence.
"I was listening to you guys and something interested me."
"Huh? What?" His cousin had taken them back downtown and they were now sitting in their own private room in a restaurant, partaking of the opening cups of sake. He wasn't going to drink too much, in case he did something stupid or catastrophic later. What he was waiting for was the food.
"You're close, but you kept calling him by his surname."
"Oh, that?" He glanced down at his sake cup, seeing his reflection in the clear liquor. "We're so used to it that we decided to stick with it. The first time I called him by his given name, he didn't like it."
"Interesting."
"The given name would've been too risky. It'd have given away our relationship immediately. It was better to keep to what was familiar."
"So even though you're intimate with each other…"
"We discovered it didn't really matter in the end. It was how I said it."
Aoi downed her cup, placed it on the table, and looked at him. There was a faint flush on her cheeks. "He's really something, isn't he?"
"Hope he didn't offend you. He means well."
"If he does, he has a way of saying it." His cousin extended her arms upwards, stretching. "But I see why you love him. He suits you."
"You could tell that just from –"
"Yeah. I think whatever you had before just turned into something stronger. Mightn't be aggressive anymore but the bond's there."
"Good thing we didn't make it obvious in public."
"Well, you two aren't stupid. I'll give you that." As he watched, his cousin pushed her hair back, picked up the sake bottle, and tipped some liquor into his cup. "Drink up, Kyo. I think you need it."
He picked up the cup, gazed at the contents, and downed it. It burned through him, soothing and warm. He put the cup down and gazed at the ceiling.
The aftertaste in his mouth was bitter.
Comments: So yeah, huge chapter. It only took nineteen chapters before they got to meet in person again, so definitely a momentous event in this fic. Also, one of the single longest conversations I've ever written, which made for quite a challenge.
So, a few notes here:
(1) 62 kilograms is roughly 136 lbs. (in terms of weight). In Chapter 15, Iori was 67 kilograms (148 lbs.). So, he's lost yet again a significant amount of weight. I think if he hits down to about 120 lbs. or so, he's pretty much on death's door.
(2) Aoi Kusanagi and her backstory comes from KoF: Kyo (the game, not the manga). In the game, Kyo does introduce his cousin to Iori, also because she shows him that she is indeed a bearer of purple flames. In this fic, this is her first introduction to Iori and I think my Iori is way harsher with her than he was in the game (of which, game and manga are semi-canon).
(3) So the deal with surnames and given names in Japan is that surnames are more polite and formal. Of course, Kyo doesn't use the honorific –san with Iori, considering their hostile history. Given names can only be used if the person is family, a close friend, or your boyfriend or girlfriend (basically intimate). This is why Kyo and Iori in my fic don't ever change how Kyo addresses him. Not only would it give away a huge change in their relationship status to anyone who heard them, but Iori's just so familiar with it that he doesn't want it to change.
(4) The thing about the sake tasting bitter comes from some stuff I gleaned from reading Japanese novels (translated into English) and also from anime like Rurouni Kenshin. If your mood is good and the situation is fine, then the sake should taste good. However, if you're conflicted or the situation isn't good, then there's a belief that your sake will taste off. Kenshin in the 'Trust and Betrayal' OVAs experiences this, and is told by his superior that it's due to his lifestyle as an assassin. In Kyo's case, the situation is very much bittersweet and not yet resolved.