Disclaimer: Nope, still don't own them, much as I wish I did. Sigh.
A/N: Sorry for the delay...it's been a rough couple of weeks with finals at school and work and whatnot, but hopefully I'll be able to make the next update a bit sooner. In the meantime...enjoy.
Frozen
Chapter 3
Yahiko had no quarrel with Megumi. He liked her, respected her, even enjoyed time spent with her. She had, after all, saved his life once, and it was something he had never forgotten.
But at that very moment, he could have throttled her with his bare hands.
It had been going so well.
They had been face to face in the mud, both with those disgustingly sappy, dreamy looks on their faces. And then, he had been sure they were about to kiss...
So close. He banged his fist against the wall in frustration, his head beginning to ache once more. If something didn't happen, and soon, he would personally shove them in a closet and lock the door.
Just...not right now.
He winced as his head began to pound miserably once more.
Apparently, last night's complaints were not yet finished with him. Maybe he was catching a cold, after all...
He shook his head angrily, watching as they rolled apart, suddenly shy and awkward, looking everywhere but at each other. After a moment, Kaoru said something to the ground, and Kenshin nodded, turning towards where Megumi was no doubt waiting.
Yahiko groaned, clutching his head with both hands in equal frustration and pain.
They had been so close.
***
Kenshin sighed as he toweled his hair dry, gazing ruefully at the muddy bath water. Pausing, he stopped for a moment, as if lost in thought- and then buried his face in the towel, twisting it so hard his fists turned white.
Megumi had long since left in a huff; offended by his wandering attention, she had snapped that she would come back when his mind was unoccupied- and when he wasn't covered with mud.
And Kaoru-dono...he hadn't seen her since...
For a moment, he had lost control. Caught up in the moment, lost in her laughter, her eyes, her smile...he had let his iron grip slip.
There had been confusion and disappointment in her eyes when he had pulled away; they had been so close that he had felt her quick intake of breath, felt her heart pounding against his.
And he had hurt her- again.
'Gomen, Kaoru-dono,' he thought sadly. 'But I cannot...'
He should not touch her. Could not touch her. She was so high above where he stood, surrounded by her light and her sun and her smile...
And the most he could do was stand beneath, face upturned to catch the rays of her warmth.
He would not touch her. He would not hurt her...like...
(snow)
like...
(red red everywhere snow white and red)
He would not drag her down.
(what have I done)
Shaking his head angrily, he spun on his heel, breathing hard, forcing his frustration and
(fear)
under control.
He would be all right. For her, and for Yahiko, and for Sano and Megumi and everyone he had come to know and respect...he would be all right.
He took a breath, opening the door-
And froze as his eyes fell on Yahiko. The boy was standing in the hall, one hand clutching the wall for support as he pressed the other to his head, skin terrifyingly pale beneath his fingers.
"Ken...shin?" he whispered, staggering slightly. "I don't...feel...too..."
Kenshin dashed forward to catch him as he fell, holding him close as Yahiko's head fell against his shoulder.
"Yahiko!" He cried, eyes wide with rapidly increasing worry. The boy was ghostly pale, small chest heaving as he pulled in shallow breath after breath.
But what frightened him most was how cold the boy was.
His skin was freezing to the touch, so chilled that he was shivering in the rurouni's arms. He suddenly recalled Yahiko's paleness the night before-how he hadn't eaten, the way he had staggered when he had stood...
He had been sick. And now he was trembling, barely able to speak through the shudders, frozen and scared.
Kenshin sank to his knees, wrapping his arms tightly around the boy's slender frame.
"You'll be fine, Yahiko." He whispered, resting his forehead on the boy's shoulder, willing his warmth to spread through his body. "Come one, let's get you to bed."
"So...cold..." the boy muttered, burying his face in Kenshin's gi. "Kenshin..."
Kenshin felt small muscles spasm once, hard- and then Yahiko's eyes rolled back as he went limp in the man's arms.
"KAORU-DONO!" he roared.
***
Megumi sighed as she finished her examination of the boy lying on the bed, shoving a stray strand of her dark hair behind one ear. Yahiko was sleeping now, his breathing shallow- but stable.
Shaking her head, she opened the door; and was immediately approached by a worried Kenshin, and a panic-stricken Kaoru.
"Is he alright?" Kaoru asked anxiously, trying to peer over the other woman's shoulder. "What happened? Can you help him? Is he hurt, or-"
"Enough!" Megumi snapped, weariness overcoming manners. "I will tell you, but you must let me speak!"
Kaoru fell silent at the rebuke- and Megumi noticed for the first time how fearful her eyes were. Ringed with dark shadows, they looked even larger than usual in a pale, drawn face.
"He's sleeping now," she said a bit more gently. "But..."
The pause hung in the air for a tense moment- and then Megumi motioned to the chairs. "Sit," she ordered grimly. "We need to talk."
At her tone, Kaoru felt sure she would fly into a million pieces, shattered and cracked into irreparable fragments. The room seemed to grow around her, overly bright and large, her senses desperate and open and searching for something to grab onto.
Yahiko was sick. Yahiko was dying. Death would take him away from her as it had taken away everyone she had ever loved, leave her alone, alone where it was cold and everything burned and hurt...
Warm fingers brushed over her wrist; a feather light touch, so soft she barely felt it.
Kenshin...
He touched her wrist again, and as she swam from her haze to meet his eyes, the world quieted, shrunk, and fell back into place.
Never alone, Kaoru-dono.
The words floated into her mind as clearly as if he had just whispered them into her ear.
Not alone. Cracked, maybe- chipped, scratched. But never shattered-
Never alone.
She sank into the chair next to him, bowing her head in acknowledgement. "What is wrong with Yahiko, Megumi?"
The fox lady continued to stand, taking a deep breath before speaking.
"The boy is sleeping now. He's showing some signs of fatigue...rapid, shallow breathing...accelerated pulse. The symptoms boil down to an exceptionally bad fever, which explains his collapse. But..."
She hesitated, and Kaoru felt her heart skip a beat.
"But Yahiko's body...is cold. Not clammy and hot, which is usual for fevers- not even warm. It's freezing, in fact. I don't understand it, and I don't know what to do."
"Can't you just keep him warm?" Kaoru ventured. "Blankets, hot liquids..."
She trailed off when Megumi shook her head. "No. It's not cold as you would think of it. Yahiko is shivering- his lips are turning blue. His body temperature had dropped far, far below what it should be. In fact, his body should not be functioning, not at the temperature it is right now."
"I don't know how or why, but he's still alive. However, if he stays this way much longer...he will die."
***
In...out.
In...out.
Kaoru watched the slow rise and fall of Yahiko's chest, keeping her mind carefully and neutrally blank. He looked so peaceful lying there; she could almost pretend that he was only asleep, that he would leap up at any moment and scornfully tell her to stop worrying, that he was fine...
But then she reached to smooth a stray lock of hair from his pale face, her fingers brushing across soft skin.
He was cold. So cold that it was like touching a block of ice.
So cold...that he was dying.
And then, for the first time, she felt tears burning behind her eyes. Angrily, she swiped them away with the back of her hand. Crying would not help Yahiko. Her tears could do nothing for him.
But what could?
She gently raised one of his still, cold hands, dropping her forehead to rest on the backs of his knuckles.
"Don't you dare die," she breathed. "I'll never forgive you if you do."
The tears burned once more, ready to overflow...
But then...
Her heart leapt as his fingers tensed between hers, flexing slightly in her grip-
She lifted her head-
And met his pain-filled eyes, reflecting back a mirror image of her own barely held back tears.
"I didn't know you cared...busu..."
His voice was faint, so soft it was barely audible. But it was there.
"Idiot," she whispered, squeezing his hand more tightly. "I always have."
He managed a smile, eyes drifting closed as he shivered once more. "I know."
She heard the door behind her open, and the soft footsteps of someone approaching. "He's awake," she murmured, not daring to turn away, already knowing whom it was.
"I know," he responded softly, kneeling beside her. "I heard you two talking."
"Will you stay with him?" she asked quietly. "Someone should tell Megumi..."
He nodded, lips curving into a soft smile. "Kaoru-dono. Get some rest. You haven't slept in a long time."
She started to protest; hesitated; and then sighed wearily. "You'll stay?"
"Yes." he said softly, meeting her gaze. "I'll take care of him." She met his eyes only for a moment before looking away, giving Yahiko's hand one last squeeze as she stood.
"Thank you..."
Her voice drifted back to him as she walked out the door, shutting it softly behind her.
"Oi...Kenshin..."
The soft whisper drew his eyes back to the young boy.
"Yahiko," he said gently, taking the boy's limp hand in his own larger one, just as Kaoru-dono had done. Yahiko's hand seemed small and pale in his own rough palm, and he clasped it tightly, trying to will warmth to him through the touch.
They sat in silence for a long moment, the only sound that of Yahiko's labored breaths.
"Am I gonna die?"
The question came abruptly, hanging in the air, heavy in the stillness. Soft violet eyes met his own dark ones as Kenshin looked down, face unreadable. "Do you think you're going to die?"
Megumi would have chided him for raising false hopes. Kaoru-dono would have said he was squashing what little hope Yahiko might have left. But the boy himself understood the question, better than either of the women would have.
Yahiko was silent a moment, conscious of the gravity of the question. Finally, he sighed, turning his head to better meet Kenshin's gaze.
"No. I think I have too much to do here, still."
Kenshin nodded, not speaking; but Yahiko could sense his approval.
"Why didn't you kiss her?"
"Oroooo?"
"You should have," Yahiko stated matter-of-factly. "I think you both wanted to. But you didn't. Why?"
Kenshin drew a breath, looking down at Yahiko's hand in his own. "Yahiko...I don't..."
"But you do," the boy pressed. "At least...I think you do. And I know she loves you."
Kenshin looked up, startled. All the childishness seemed to have vanished from Yahiko's face, leaving only the all-too-serious expression of the boy who had seen too much and had too little time to be a kid.
"I think you do," he repeated slowly, as if testing the words. "But anytime she gets too close...you start oro-ing and acting all dumb. She's waiting for you, though..."
A shiver hit him, and he stopped, shaking uncontrollably under the blankets.
"So...cold..."
Now the voice was gone, and there was only a child's weariness in his eyes.
"So...cold...I don't..."
Kenshin felt his heart twist as he reached out, pulling Yahiko close. The boy clung to him, shivering, pressing close to the man's chest in a desperate search for warmth, all aloofness forgotten.
A/N: Sorry if it's a bit short...but anyway. Review if you feel so inclined, and look for the next chapter in a week or so.
A/N: Sorry for the delay...it's been a rough couple of weeks with finals at school and work and whatnot, but hopefully I'll be able to make the next update a bit sooner. In the meantime...enjoy.
Frozen
Chapter 3
Yahiko had no quarrel with Megumi. He liked her, respected her, even enjoyed time spent with her. She had, after all, saved his life once, and it was something he had never forgotten.
But at that very moment, he could have throttled her with his bare hands.
It had been going so well.
They had been face to face in the mud, both with those disgustingly sappy, dreamy looks on their faces. And then, he had been sure they were about to kiss...
So close. He banged his fist against the wall in frustration, his head beginning to ache once more. If something didn't happen, and soon, he would personally shove them in a closet and lock the door.
Just...not right now.
He winced as his head began to pound miserably once more.
Apparently, last night's complaints were not yet finished with him. Maybe he was catching a cold, after all...
He shook his head angrily, watching as they rolled apart, suddenly shy and awkward, looking everywhere but at each other. After a moment, Kaoru said something to the ground, and Kenshin nodded, turning towards where Megumi was no doubt waiting.
Yahiko groaned, clutching his head with both hands in equal frustration and pain.
They had been so close.
***
Kenshin sighed as he toweled his hair dry, gazing ruefully at the muddy bath water. Pausing, he stopped for a moment, as if lost in thought- and then buried his face in the towel, twisting it so hard his fists turned white.
Megumi had long since left in a huff; offended by his wandering attention, she had snapped that she would come back when his mind was unoccupied- and when he wasn't covered with mud.
And Kaoru-dono...he hadn't seen her since...
For a moment, he had lost control. Caught up in the moment, lost in her laughter, her eyes, her smile...he had let his iron grip slip.
There had been confusion and disappointment in her eyes when he had pulled away; they had been so close that he had felt her quick intake of breath, felt her heart pounding against his.
And he had hurt her- again.
'Gomen, Kaoru-dono,' he thought sadly. 'But I cannot...'
He should not touch her. Could not touch her. She was so high above where he stood, surrounded by her light and her sun and her smile...
And the most he could do was stand beneath, face upturned to catch the rays of her warmth.
He would not touch her. He would not hurt her...like...
(snow)
like...
(red red everywhere snow white and red)
He would not drag her down.
(what have I done)
Shaking his head angrily, he spun on his heel, breathing hard, forcing his frustration and
(fear)
under control.
He would be all right. For her, and for Yahiko, and for Sano and Megumi and everyone he had come to know and respect...he would be all right.
He took a breath, opening the door-
And froze as his eyes fell on Yahiko. The boy was standing in the hall, one hand clutching the wall for support as he pressed the other to his head, skin terrifyingly pale beneath his fingers.
"Ken...shin?" he whispered, staggering slightly. "I don't...feel...too..."
Kenshin dashed forward to catch him as he fell, holding him close as Yahiko's head fell against his shoulder.
"Yahiko!" He cried, eyes wide with rapidly increasing worry. The boy was ghostly pale, small chest heaving as he pulled in shallow breath after breath.
But what frightened him most was how cold the boy was.
His skin was freezing to the touch, so chilled that he was shivering in the rurouni's arms. He suddenly recalled Yahiko's paleness the night before-how he hadn't eaten, the way he had staggered when he had stood...
He had been sick. And now he was trembling, barely able to speak through the shudders, frozen and scared.
Kenshin sank to his knees, wrapping his arms tightly around the boy's slender frame.
"You'll be fine, Yahiko." He whispered, resting his forehead on the boy's shoulder, willing his warmth to spread through his body. "Come one, let's get you to bed."
"So...cold..." the boy muttered, burying his face in Kenshin's gi. "Kenshin..."
Kenshin felt small muscles spasm once, hard- and then Yahiko's eyes rolled back as he went limp in the man's arms.
"KAORU-DONO!" he roared.
***
Megumi sighed as she finished her examination of the boy lying on the bed, shoving a stray strand of her dark hair behind one ear. Yahiko was sleeping now, his breathing shallow- but stable.
Shaking her head, she opened the door; and was immediately approached by a worried Kenshin, and a panic-stricken Kaoru.
"Is he alright?" Kaoru asked anxiously, trying to peer over the other woman's shoulder. "What happened? Can you help him? Is he hurt, or-"
"Enough!" Megumi snapped, weariness overcoming manners. "I will tell you, but you must let me speak!"
Kaoru fell silent at the rebuke- and Megumi noticed for the first time how fearful her eyes were. Ringed with dark shadows, they looked even larger than usual in a pale, drawn face.
"He's sleeping now," she said a bit more gently. "But..."
The pause hung in the air for a tense moment- and then Megumi motioned to the chairs. "Sit," she ordered grimly. "We need to talk."
At her tone, Kaoru felt sure she would fly into a million pieces, shattered and cracked into irreparable fragments. The room seemed to grow around her, overly bright and large, her senses desperate and open and searching for something to grab onto.
Yahiko was sick. Yahiko was dying. Death would take him away from her as it had taken away everyone she had ever loved, leave her alone, alone where it was cold and everything burned and hurt...
Warm fingers brushed over her wrist; a feather light touch, so soft she barely felt it.
Kenshin...
He touched her wrist again, and as she swam from her haze to meet his eyes, the world quieted, shrunk, and fell back into place.
Never alone, Kaoru-dono.
The words floated into her mind as clearly as if he had just whispered them into her ear.
Not alone. Cracked, maybe- chipped, scratched. But never shattered-
Never alone.
She sank into the chair next to him, bowing her head in acknowledgement. "What is wrong with Yahiko, Megumi?"
The fox lady continued to stand, taking a deep breath before speaking.
"The boy is sleeping now. He's showing some signs of fatigue...rapid, shallow breathing...accelerated pulse. The symptoms boil down to an exceptionally bad fever, which explains his collapse. But..."
She hesitated, and Kaoru felt her heart skip a beat.
"But Yahiko's body...is cold. Not clammy and hot, which is usual for fevers- not even warm. It's freezing, in fact. I don't understand it, and I don't know what to do."
"Can't you just keep him warm?" Kaoru ventured. "Blankets, hot liquids..."
She trailed off when Megumi shook her head. "No. It's not cold as you would think of it. Yahiko is shivering- his lips are turning blue. His body temperature had dropped far, far below what it should be. In fact, his body should not be functioning, not at the temperature it is right now."
"I don't know how or why, but he's still alive. However, if he stays this way much longer...he will die."
***
In...out.
In...out.
Kaoru watched the slow rise and fall of Yahiko's chest, keeping her mind carefully and neutrally blank. He looked so peaceful lying there; she could almost pretend that he was only asleep, that he would leap up at any moment and scornfully tell her to stop worrying, that he was fine...
But then she reached to smooth a stray lock of hair from his pale face, her fingers brushing across soft skin.
He was cold. So cold that it was like touching a block of ice.
So cold...that he was dying.
And then, for the first time, she felt tears burning behind her eyes. Angrily, she swiped them away with the back of her hand. Crying would not help Yahiko. Her tears could do nothing for him.
But what could?
She gently raised one of his still, cold hands, dropping her forehead to rest on the backs of his knuckles.
"Don't you dare die," she breathed. "I'll never forgive you if you do."
The tears burned once more, ready to overflow...
But then...
Her heart leapt as his fingers tensed between hers, flexing slightly in her grip-
She lifted her head-
And met his pain-filled eyes, reflecting back a mirror image of her own barely held back tears.
"I didn't know you cared...busu..."
His voice was faint, so soft it was barely audible. But it was there.
"Idiot," she whispered, squeezing his hand more tightly. "I always have."
He managed a smile, eyes drifting closed as he shivered once more. "I know."
She heard the door behind her open, and the soft footsteps of someone approaching. "He's awake," she murmured, not daring to turn away, already knowing whom it was.
"I know," he responded softly, kneeling beside her. "I heard you two talking."
"Will you stay with him?" she asked quietly. "Someone should tell Megumi..."
He nodded, lips curving into a soft smile. "Kaoru-dono. Get some rest. You haven't slept in a long time."
She started to protest; hesitated; and then sighed wearily. "You'll stay?"
"Yes." he said softly, meeting her gaze. "I'll take care of him." She met his eyes only for a moment before looking away, giving Yahiko's hand one last squeeze as she stood.
"Thank you..."
Her voice drifted back to him as she walked out the door, shutting it softly behind her.
"Oi...Kenshin..."
The soft whisper drew his eyes back to the young boy.
"Yahiko," he said gently, taking the boy's limp hand in his own larger one, just as Kaoru-dono had done. Yahiko's hand seemed small and pale in his own rough palm, and he clasped it tightly, trying to will warmth to him through the touch.
They sat in silence for a long moment, the only sound that of Yahiko's labored breaths.
"Am I gonna die?"
The question came abruptly, hanging in the air, heavy in the stillness. Soft violet eyes met his own dark ones as Kenshin looked down, face unreadable. "Do you think you're going to die?"
Megumi would have chided him for raising false hopes. Kaoru-dono would have said he was squashing what little hope Yahiko might have left. But the boy himself understood the question, better than either of the women would have.
Yahiko was silent a moment, conscious of the gravity of the question. Finally, he sighed, turning his head to better meet Kenshin's gaze.
"No. I think I have too much to do here, still."
Kenshin nodded, not speaking; but Yahiko could sense his approval.
"Why didn't you kiss her?"
"Oroooo?"
"You should have," Yahiko stated matter-of-factly. "I think you both wanted to. But you didn't. Why?"
Kenshin drew a breath, looking down at Yahiko's hand in his own. "Yahiko...I don't..."
"But you do," the boy pressed. "At least...I think you do. And I know she loves you."
Kenshin looked up, startled. All the childishness seemed to have vanished from Yahiko's face, leaving only the all-too-serious expression of the boy who had seen too much and had too little time to be a kid.
"I think you do," he repeated slowly, as if testing the words. "But anytime she gets too close...you start oro-ing and acting all dumb. She's waiting for you, though..."
A shiver hit him, and he stopped, shaking uncontrollably under the blankets.
"So...cold..."
Now the voice was gone, and there was only a child's weariness in his eyes.
"So...cold...I don't..."
Kenshin felt his heart twist as he reached out, pulling Yahiko close. The boy clung to him, shivering, pressing close to the man's chest in a desperate search for warmth, all aloofness forgotten.
A/N: Sorry if it's a bit short...but anyway. Review if you feel so inclined, and look for the next chapter in a week or so.