Warnings: AU, Shounen Ai
Pairings: Touma+Seiji, Shuu+Shin, Ryo+Nasuti
Summary: Touma and his friends make up a secret group dedicated to the protection of Japan. While out one night, Touma stumbles across something that will change both his and his friends' lives...
A/N: Some story better than no story? You decide for yourself.
Half-breed
by Amyeyl
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Chapter 3
Touma headed upstairs to his own room to find something suitable for his guest to wear. It shouldn't be that hard, they were almost the same height. The boy was a bit on the scrawny side though, and as he pulled out clean clothes for him to wear, Touma found himself wishing he could do more for him.
He knew what it was like on the streets. He'd run away from home once when he was younger. It had been after he found out his parents were getting a divorce. As many children do, he had blamed himself for the two of them not wanting to be together anymore. He had hoped that if he was no longer around they would stay with each other and be happy the way they used to be.
Of course it was a foolish idea, and he didn't remain on the streets for too long before they found him again. However, he did get a brief taste of what the life was like and he would wish it on no one. Except perhaps Arago.
As he returned downstairs, Touma went over the things that had happened since he had met the mysterious Seiji. He paused near the front door, where he and Ryo had had their argument earlier.
If the two of them had been standing here, and Seiji was in the den, which was a good ways down the hall, how had he heard them? Perhaps there was more to the dark haired boy than he had first thought. He'd have to ask about that again.
He continued down the hallway and came to a halt before the bathroom door. Just as he was about to reach for the knob, the door opened and a blonde head poked out. They didn't know any blondes... what was going on? Touma jumped back and crouched in a defensive position, the clothes he'd been carrying lay forgotten on the floor.
"Hashiba-san?" The person in the doorway turned to look the other way and Touma found himself staring at a familiar face. Albeit a familiar face that was now free from dirt and was framed with clean, blonde hair.
"Seiji?" The boy in question stepped out of the bathroom. He had a large towel wrapped around himself like a blanket, bunched at the shoulders and falling to his knees. He took in Touma's crouched position and frowned, looking about the hallway.
"Is something wrong?"
"No, nothing's wrong," He bent lower to pick up the fallen clothes before straightening completely. "It's just..well, you're blonde." Seiji fingered a few strands of hair and nodded, but the confused expression didn't leave his face. "It surprised me," Touma shrugged helplessly.
He held the clothes out and Seiji reached to take them. Before he could thank him, the blue haired boy had a hold of his arm.
"What happened?" he asked, tracing one of the longer scars along the boy's forearm.
"Nothing," Seiji whispered. Touma looked up at him, frowning.
"This isn't nothing. Are there more?" The blonde shook his head and tried to get his arm back. I didn't work. "I don't like lies." Seiji stared at his host before lowering his gaze to the still trapped arm.
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What should he tell this boy? He had only known him for a few hours. Could he really trust him? Not that there was much to trust him with, but what response would he get to what he could tell?
By now Touma had let go of his arm. Seiji withdrew it into the confines of the blanket before raising his head to meet Touma's eyes.
"Do you really want to know?" Touma nodded slowly. Seiji nodded as well and let the towel fall to the floor.
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Touma stared at the slightly faded scars that covered the blonde's body. Starting just below the neck, they were everywhere, front and back. Leaning closer, he could make out what seemed to be older scars below the more recent set. He briefly wondered if the bottoms of the boy's feet had been spared.
"Kami-sama..." he breathed out softly. As he continued to stare, Seiji picked up the towel and rewrapped it around himself. "What happened to you?"
"It's a long story...but I don't know most of it."
"What does that mean?"
"It means," Seiji paused and sighed, "I know what's happened to me recently, but I don't know why. Everything before it is mostly blank."
"Why don't you tell me what's happened to you." He gently grasped the other's arm and led him into the den.
