Title: Underground

Author: Lennith

Rating: PG-13 (this chapter. Expect R for later chapters.)

Pairing: Kazuma/Ryuhou overall 3

Disclaimer: I am not a genius, hence I did not create Scryed! The story and all characters belong to Bandai, Yosuke Kuroda, Yasunari Toda, the little green gods, Bill Gates, and whoever else contributed to their creation. Namely, not me!

Warnings: This is a yaoi fic! If you don't like man on man action, please don't read this! If you do read this, it's your own damn fault so don't come crying to me when you have nightmares about your chemistry teacher giving your brother a cavity exam. Also, as you can see, I have a twisted sense of humor. I should put a warning for that too... Probably plenty of swearing, blood, guts, and adult situations. M/M sex in later chapters.

A/N: OK, this one is a more healthy length this time. You never really get a good idea on Wordpad just how long the chapter is going to be on , haha! Sorry if once again this is boring. Sometimes I think I blab too much about detail and get too vague on what's actually happening... Like I've said before, reviews and constructive criticism would be lovely 3 This one has a nice little surprise for the fangirls in it! Kekekeke, I'm not telling! You'll just have to read and find out 3

-Lennith

Chapter 2: Stones Unturned

To Ryuhou's pleasure most of the houses of the village were shoddy but well maintained. The sound of children playing nearby lilted through the street and a woman sweeping her front doorstep gave him a curious look before going about her business. Down the street a few men laughed loudly at some unheard joke as they worked on hammering away at the frame of what was to be a new residence.

The young man felt a pang of guilt that he wasn't sure which house belonged to his friends. It had been a very long time since he'd visited Urizane and Eelian. His embarrassment was cut off abruptly as his eyes caught a familiar sight: Tachibana's green SUV. He brought his now crawling jeep to a halt in front of the quaint little house the car was parked in front of and spent a moment thinking before getting out. Last he knew Tachibana had been living with his girlfriend, Cammy, in the village a few miles away from this one, where Kanami and Mimori lived. Too tired to try to come up with a reasonable explanation as to what Tachibana Asuka was doing living here, Ryuhou gave a small sigh of exasperation and got out of the driver's seat. Wincing a little at his stiff and sore muscles, he strode up the the front door and gave a firm, insistent knock. He sweatdropped a little at the thundering of hurried footsteps to the door. 'Is this really Tachibana's house or is it inhabited by rabid elephants?' Ryuhou thought to himself grimly. The green-haired man jerked back as he heard the door's locks and latches being unfastened hastily and had to take a step back as the door was flung open. To Ryuhou's surprise and relief, Tachibana's slight, purple-haired figure filled the doorframe. He looked a bit odd though; face lit up and his body slightly heaving as if he had run to the door as fast as his legs could bring him.

"Ka--!" He cut himself short as he realized who was on his doorstep. "Ryuhou! What a surprise! What in the world..." The former Holy member tried to hide the way that his face fell. It was only for a moment, but Ryuhou caught it.

'"Ka?" Was he expecting Cammy? That would explain the crestfallen look.' "Sorry to intrude," Ryuhou said smoothly though he was still a little stunned at his friend's behavior. Well, Tachibana had always been emotional and excitable. "My jeep is out of gas and I stopped here to get it repaired when I saw your car so..."

"So you thought you'd drop in," Tachibana finished for him, smiling again. He looked the man over appraisingly. Ryuhou's uniform was torn in several places and soiled to the point of being almost unusable. It hung a bit too loose on his wiry frame, too. The man's usually proud and haughty face looked thin and strained. His blue-green hair, usually kept immaculately clean and clipped short, hung all the way down to below his shoulders in oily looking, straggling locks. It was a look Tachibana was used to seeing. He'd obviously been doing nothing but fighting and running around from one end of the Lost Grounds to the other with no care for himself or his health. "From the looks of it, it's not only your jeep that needs repairs," he said finally. "Come in, come in! It's not much, but at least let me give you a bath, a hot meal and a warm bed."

Ryuhou exhaled the nervous breath he'd been holding. He graced the younger man with as much as a smile a man such as himself could muster when worn down to the bone. "Thank you, it'd be much appreciated," he said, stepping into the house.

Tachibana had obviously been modest because to Ryuhou's eyes it seemed like a very nice home indeed. The dwelling was a bit small, but very cozy. There was a clean and well ordered kitchen as well as a reasonably large living area with a small unlit fireplace. The furniture was worn and mismatched, but clean and in good condition considering how little those in the Lost Grounds had. He thought the ceiling was unusually high until he realized that it had been built so that Tachibana's bedroom was actually set up as a loft above the kitchen and part of the living room with a small stairway leading up to it. The stairs started at a door on the first level, which Ryuhou assumed was the bathroom. Beyond the back door he could glimpse a small garden where the young alter user was obviously trying to coax vegetables and herbs to grow.

"You lied, Tachibana. This is a very nice house," Ryuhou complimented coolly. Tachibana's cheeks colored a little with the praise, obviously quite proud of his small kingdom he'd carved out of the wilderness.

"It's taken a lot of work, but I'm very happy with it," he said, chuckling a little as he ducked into the kitchen and put a kettle on the wood stove that obviously heated the place in the winter months.

"Did you build it?" Ryuhou considered sitting on the inviting plush couch, but given the condition of his clothes he opted to take a seat at one of the hand-hewn stools at the kitchen counter.

Tachibana grinned a little wider. "I helped build it along with Urizane, Eelian and the villagers, but it's really Eelian's baby. He designed it himself! He's been interested in making more efficient and comfortable houses for the villagers." There was a clink of porcelain as Tachibana set two tea mugs on the counter and started ruffling through the pantry for tea.

"Interesting." 'Well, that explains why the houses in this village look so much better than in most others.' One of the cat-like alter using creatures that Tachibana had adopted appeared from one of the couch cushions and leaped over to sniff at Ryuhou's shoe. He blinked at it as the fuzzy thing sneezed daintily and leapt to the counter. "Where are the rest of the cats?" he asked absently, stroking it's forehead with his index finger. The cat mewed and leaned into the touch, whipping it's chestnut fox-tail happily.

Tachibana grimaced slightly. "Three of them are prowling the streets. They like playing with the kids. One of the kittens wandered off on it's own and hasn't come back, and the last kitten Cammy took with her."

Ryuhou's brows rose a little again. Although he hadn't known Cammy at all, he knew how important she had been to Tachibana. Her leaving must have hurt him deeply. However, the young man didn't seem all too unhappy, he noted, watching Tachibana take the whistling kettle off the stove and fuss with serving the tea. "I'm sorry," he said shortly, not wanting to be rude and ask too much about something that didn't concern him.

"Huh?" Tachibana blinked his green eyes in confusion before he remembered what he'd last said. "Oh, thanks. She tried, but she just couldn't adjust to living out here. The Lost Grounds stifled her. I think... I had also changed too much for her to adjust to too. Scat," he addressed the cat firmly. The fuzzy creature gave Tachibana a disdainful look and leaped off the counter, which was promptly set with tea and a plate of fruit. Ryuhou smirked at the massive slice of watermelon. Urizane's crops must have been good. "In any case, it hasn't turned out to be so bad. I decided to move out here to help Eelian and Urizane get this village on track. Since Eternity Eight has healing abilities, I borrowed books from Mimori-san and have been training as a medic. Between Urizane, Eelian, the villagers, the cats and a few other pests, I really have no reason to feel lonely." The purple-haired boy grinned broadly and sipped his tea.

"I see. Well, it's good to know you're doing well," Ryuhou answered. His brows still hadn't lowered. Tachibana really had changed. He'd obviously done a lot of growing in a short span of time.

When they had finished their tea, Ryuhou politely asked to borrow his host's bathroom. He was surprised to find that the bathroom was neat, clean and had running warm and cold water. According to Tachibana, their village was able to enjoy good crops and luxuries like running water because it was located above a large underground spring. Tachibana handed him a stack of clean clothing, promising to clean and try to repair the soiled uniform once Ryuhou had taken his much needed bath and excused himself. Ryuhou turned on the warm water tap and let the shower run as he undressed. He hadn't realized just how bad he'd looked until he'd gotten a glimpse of himself in the small mirror above the sink. The tidy man berated himself for his slovenly state, tugging at he overgrown and dirty hair. He'd have to remember to find places to bathe more often. Luckily, although his uniform was torn and smelled like sweat and dirt, it didn't appear as if any of the stains would withstand a good wash. Thank God, because he really didn't want to return to Mimori's to get a replacement until absolutely necessary. She was a good woman, and if she hadn't become so desperately stifling he'd probably would have been rather fond of her. It'd only grown worse over time, instead of better. Last he'd seen her, she'd clung to him and made a scene when it was time for him to leave. He'd tried to be gentle with her, but her tears and her hands gripping his uniform had been unbearable. She had gone too far, and Mimori knew it as well.

With a guttural sound of disgust he stripped and eased to the steaming spray of water. Ryuhou couldn't help but breathe out a sigh of bliss at the feel of the clean warm water. Most of the time he'd had to settle for a bucket of water over the head while he was on the run. A real bath seemed like a deliciously sinful luxury. Utterly content for the moment, he let the water stream over his upturned face to trickle through his lengthy hair and down his back like warm fingers. Physical pleasure was something he rarely allowed himself to enjoy; the soldier in him deemed such things impractical. But some day, the Mainland would give up and the fighting would be over. What then? From the patterns of attacks they'd been receiving, that end was drawing nigh, and what does a soldier do without a war? 'Oh, I'll settle down in a village with Mimori, give her the children she wants so desperately and spend the rest of my life peaceful and happy as a farmer,' he thought sarcastically. Even though it had been in sarcasm, he had to bite his tongue to hold back the bile that rose in his throat. He forcefully scrubbed himself down with the pink bar of soap provided, as if to clean off the dirtiness of that idea.

He knew that kind of life would kill him. Such unproductive idleness would drive him mad. He needed to fight, to push himself further and further. That was the only way he felt alive. The thought made his blood heat, or maybe it was just the hot water. 'As long as that man is still alive, at least I can count on someone to spar with. If he can stay alive.' His mouth turned it's corners upwards a little, but that raw anxious feeling blossomed painfully in he stomach again. 'He's being reckless again. Borderline suicidal, throwing himself into any battle that comes his way. The last wreckage I found was an entire fleet with two carriers... If he continues like this he'll either be killed or burn himself out before I can catch up with him. You'd think after all this time he'd have learned that sometimes it's better to work together.' The hot water, steam, and the gnawing sensation in his stomach made him feel dizzy. He leaned heavily against the tile wall to his side, resting his cheek against the cool ceramic. "Kazuma... You can't die on me."

Tachibana held up the smelly uniform and examined it distastefully. He simply had to get friends with better grooming habits. After all his experience with dealing with torn, burned, soiled, and bloodied garments he felt he could easily open a laundromat. He blamed himself for his own mother-henning behavior. By rights it was his own decision to keep cleaning and repairing his friends' mutilated clothes. With a sigh he set the gament to soak in a tub of warm sudsy water. He'd let the soaking take care of the heavier stains before he set about scrubbing and rinsing the resilient clothes.

"Thanks for the shower." Tachibana looked up to see Ryuhou looking a great deal more like himself, if not a bit peaked. The white shirt Tachibana had leant him was a bit tight, as Ryuhou was broader in the chest and shoulders than Tachibana, but the denim jeans appeared to fit pretty well. The younger man giggled a little. It was so weird to see Ryuhou, the great Alter Capabilist and defender of justice looking so damn casual.

"You're welcome," he replied, his green eyes a little concerned. "Are you alright? You look a little feverish."

Ryuhou shook his head, he cheeks still a little flushed. "I just got carried away with the hot water. It's been at least a month since I had a hot shower." He did, however, settle down limply on the couch with a soft thud. He didn't even notice Tachibana had snuck up on him until he felt something cold against his forehead. The composed officer admonished himself from hissing and drawing away from something so completely non-dangerous as a can of orange juice. "T-thank you," he stammered in embarrassment, trying to ignore Tachibana's chuckle. He drained the entire can in one drought.

The younger man couldn't help but grin. The last few weeks had been miserably lonely. Having someone in his house, the familiar interactions, even if it was silly it still felt good. "I took a look at that jeep of yours, Ryuhou," he said, interrupting his thoughts. "I can repair it myself, if you don't mind."

Ryuhou abandoned the empty can on the coffee table. "Thanks, I'd be grateful."

"And you can get some gas from Goro's. It's a little shop down the street. He'll try to charge you an arm and a leg, but just remind him you're an acquaintance of mine and haggle with him and he'll go back down to regular price."

To this Ryuhou just nodded and looked thoughtful for a second. "Tachibana... I need to ask you. I've been trying to track down Kazuma. He hasn't shown his face to me for a year. Have you heard anything of him lately? Even a rumor would suffice."

Tachibana's body tensed, his eyes widening. Unsure of what to say or do, and unable to act on any of the suggestions that flew through his head, he fell silent.

"He's been recklessly attacking entire fleets by himself," he continued into his companion's silence. Was it just him or did Tachibana suddenly look incredibly uncomfortable? "I'm sure you've noticed," he genstured to the thin scars on his cheeks, "that our alter abilities, though powerful, take a toll on our bodies. I'm afraid if he continues he'll burn himself out, maybe even kill himself. I've been trying to catch up to him and beat some sense into his thick skull, but he's eluded me for a year and it seems even now I'm hardly closer than when I started." He paused, looking to Tachibana again, who still looked ready to jump out of his skin.

"Kazuma... was here," Tachibana said slowly after another pregnant silence. He winced at the violent movement from the couch.

"He was here?! When?! How long ago?!" Ryuhou's graceful hands knotted into fists, his right swinging out so hazardously that it sent the empty juice can flying from its place on the low table. Tachibana gave another jerk backwards, biting his lower lip nervously. It took the senior officer a moment to realize that his behavior was both rude and unnecessary to his host. "Sorry, please tell me. Now," he said darkly, eyes tightening into cruel slits though he fought to reseat himself and drop his threatening posture.

"The last time he was here was three months ago," Tachibana answered, finally getting past what seemed to be a huge lump in his throat.

"What do you mean, 'the last time?'" Ryuhou snarled in spite of himself. "Explain! How long ago?!"

The purple haired boy could feel the faint thrumming in the air that signified that an alter was on the verge of materializing. "I will as soon as you calm yourself, Ryuhou! Don't you dare start blowing holes in my house when I've opened it to you," he snapped.

The words were like a glass of cold water thrown in the elder's face. 'What the hell am I doing? I'm threatening a colleague who's shown me nothing but hospitality and kindness. It's all his fault. That man... He makes me seethe inside!' Ryuhou snapped his mouth shut and willed his muscles to relax. "Please excuse my irrational behavior, Tachibana," he said in a cool, clipped voice. "When you're ready, please explain. Just realize that I need to catch up to him as soon as possible."

Tachibana nodded, taking a moment to run his hand through his short hair. It never failed to surprise him how much of a rise one could get out of Ryuhou when it came to Kazuma. If anything, the latter's absence had only made this worse. "The last time Kazuma was here was three months ago," Tachibana repeated slowly, as if still afraid that the wrong words could set Ryuhou off again. "The first time he came was about five and a half months ago. You're right, he's been altering without any reserve at all. When he stumbled into town he could hardly move. Ryuhou, let me continue." He gave a sharp look at the other, who clamped his mouth shut again and leaned back into the couch once more. "As I was saying, he stumbled into town, hardly able to move, so I took him home with me to treat his injuries. He was mostly in such a bad state because he obviously hadn't eaten in days and was dehydrated as well, but you're right, Ryuhou. The constant use of his powerful alter without restraint is slowly damaging and poisoning his system."

"May I ask," Ryuhou cut in eagerly before catching himself and calming his voice again, "how exactly it's been damaging him? And the symptoms?"

Tachibana nodded again. "From what I can tell, it's a simple fact of nature that human bodies are not made to channel such immense energy... When we use a regular alter, our bodies can adjust, channel the energy, and reform together once the alter is released. I'm not quite sure of this, since my own alter does not alter my body, but I think that most of the energy from the alter returns to the body, using it to reform the alter user's original body. When Kazuma, and you too, I suppose, releases his alter, it's simply too powerful. The energy that isn't used to reform his arm is jolted into his system, causing the damage. As for symptoms, I think you know them well. Scarring that grows in flux with how often and carelessly you alter, and of course pain." The younger capabilist shrugged his slender shoulders. "I used my Eternity Eight to patch him up, but it took three days of my having to actually invade his mind and reorder his body structure in his arm to heal him."

Ryuhou brought a knuckle to his lips and bit down on it thoughtfully. From what Tachibana said, his fears for Kazuma's life had not been unfounded. Why the hell he should care about that idiot's life made little sense to him, except that fact that if there were no Kazuma it would be up to him alone to fight the Mainland's last wave of attacks. That gnawing feeling in his middle had come back. This time it had crept into his chest and seemed to twist his insides painfully. "How... bad are his scars now?" he finally asked.

The boy's soft mouth tightened, making his young face look very grim. "All the way up his arm, over his shoulder and his right shoulder blade. Also the scar on his cheek has lengthened and crawls up the side of his temple. That's the one that worries me."

The green-haired man released the finger from his mouth with a hiss. That didn't sound particularly reassuring. "I interrupted your story. You found him, helped him heal for three days, and what then?" Tachibana shifted a little, one corner of his mouth curving upwards boyishly for a fraction of a second before he hid it.

"I managed to convince him to take a rest. Although I had technically healed him, his body needed rest to heal its deeper wounds. He stayed for two weeks."

That struck Ryuhou as unnatural, and he snapped back to attention out of his thoughtfulness.'That brute can hardly stay in one place for two days, let alone two weeks. Something is wrong here.' The twisting in his chest agreed. The alter user was so disturbed by this thought that he didn't realize his companion had continued his story, and came back to attention in midsentence.

"-- him that he could stay as long as he wanted, but you know Kazuma. He left to who knows where. I thought he was chasing after you... You know how you two just gravitate towards one another. Sometimes I think you two only live to fight one another again," Tachibana said wearily.

Ryuhou's fingers twisted into the unsuspecting cushions of the couch. Those last two lines Tachibana had said... He knew those words and that tone only too well. They were the same that Cherise used to say, before he really understood what she meant by it, before he understood the hopelessness of them: the jealousy and defeat, the knowing that you'll always come second. He admonished himself for both thinking up something so stupid and for being so blind as to not seeing it before.

He cast his eyes over Tachibana, trying to look at him from a different perspective. Yes, he was a very attractive young man. He was a little on the small side, not being very tall and slender, but very nicely proportioned. His face was unmarred and youthful, the contrast of his deep purple hair and crystal green eyes unusual and alluring. Most of all, he knew the strength that lay dormant in Tachibana's deceivingly small body, and it was strength that would attract Kazuma. Although he was slight of build, he knew perfectly well that the younger man was very fit and could match someone nearly double his weight, if he had to. But his physical body was frail compared to his alter. Eternity Eight, though not the strongest or most resilient alter, was incredibly adaptable and could be a dangerous adversary in a one-on-one alter duel. Although the boy's personality had used to be about on par with a half-rotten eggplant, after he'd left Holy and faced Kazuma he had drastically changed. His heart twisted in agreement. 'Yes, he is the sort of person Kazuma would take as a lover. I can't jump to conclusions though. Don't be rash, Ryuhou. Make sure you have enough evidence before you start throwing around accusations that your teammate is having a homosexual affair with your rival.' It just made too much sense though... Tachibana's odd behavior, the way he started to say "Ka-" when Ryuhou had come to his door, the multitude of subtle hints his companion had unconsciously given him seemed to spell it out clearly to him. But he needed to be sure.

Ryuhou paused another moment, a bit unsure of how to proceed now that he had had his revelation. Tachibana was giving him another worried look. He must have been silent too long. "Sorry, just thinking," Ryuhou muttered. "So he stayed to weeks and left. Then what?"

Tachibana's brow wrinkled. Something was going on in Ryuhou's head. He had seen the look on his companion's face. The man had gone stark pale, then blazing red, then a sickly green before going back to pale. "He left and then came back two weeks later. He was injured again but not nearly as badly. He only stayed two days that time. Then he came back a week after that and stayed four days. After that, he came back once about a month and a half later and stayed a couple days again. That was three months ago and I haven't heard anything from him since."

Ryuhou's eyes narrowed, glittering coldly. 'He came back three times and stayed more than a day for each visit. I doubt I'm wrong.' "How did Kazuma pay you? I know perfectly well he doesn't accept anything for free," he asked cruelly and was rewarded by Tachibana squirming uncomfortably and fighting to hold back a blush that Ryuhou had already seen.

"Housework," Tachibana said quickly, trying to cover his discomfort. Was it him, or was Ryuhou antagonizing him? 'He knows, doesn't he? Is he going to beat the crap out of me for being gay? No, that's not like Ryuhou. He's always been live and let live, and it'd be incredibly hypocritical for him to beat me for homosexual tendencies when he does nothing but obsess about another man... That man...' He shook his head forcefully. Ryuhou certainly looked like he wanted to kill him, but he knew the elder wouldn't lay a hand on him. It was far too beneath his personal standards.

"Housework," Ryuhou raised a brow cruelly. He knew he was being unnecessarily nasty to the poor boy, but he didn't care. "Somehow I find it hard to imagine Kazuma in an apron, dusting and doing dishes."

'Actually he looks pretty damn hot in an apron, you bastard,' Tachibana thought to himself smugly. "N-no, of course not. He'd break all the dishes. I just had him help in the garden and help the villagers with their construction projects."

Ryuhou clenched his jaw. He was almost convinced. He went for the final blow. "And how should I repay your hospitality?" He leaned closer to Tachibana, looking searchingly and piercingly into his eyes. "Should I pay you as Kazuma repaid you?"

Tachibana turned the color of a perfectly ripe tomato and struggled to get something out of his mouth besides and indignant squeak. Ryuhou's cheek twitched, his hands clenching so hard his knuckles turned as white as a dead man's. The pain inside of him made his head swim. He had to get out of there before he did something unforgivable to Tachibana, who was completely innocent of his blind rage. He stood up so fast that Tachibana staggered backwards and the coffee table gave a small leap.

"Excuse me," he wrenched out of his throat, fighting so hard to keep it from screaming that it came out as something close to a growl. "I'm going to check on that gasoline. Thank you for your graciousness. I will return later."

To Tachibana's utter surprise Ryuhou stalked quickly out of his house, moving with unnatural stiffness, and left through the front door, which shut a little harder than was really needed. He blinked his green eyes is disbelief. In his opinion, the whole world must have gone mad. With a sigh and a shake of his purple head, he set about cleaning the small mess he and his guest had made.

A/N: Oh my! Kazuma and Tachibana sittin' in a tree! I'm sorry, I simply could not ignore the canon (and cuteness) of throwing Tachibana a little Kazu-lovin. Ohohoho! You can hate me if you like, but it makes things interesting! It also throws the yaoi fangirls a bone, since sadly there won't be any man-sex for a little bit yet. I'M SORRY. As a rabid fangirl myself, I know how frustrating it is to have to wait for man-sex!