Tsuzuki shifted himself and violet eyes cracked open, meeting golden ones.
:Touda?' : he whispered.
:Hey:
The presence of his friend moved closer in his mind, exhausted and just as much in pain as Touda himself. It was phantom pain, transmitted from the injured shikigami, but both their shields had been shattered by the sudden blast of agony from Touda.
:'S okay: Tsuzuki whispered and snuggled closer, his forehead resting against Touda's upper arm.
He didn't reply, just closed his eyes and held the shivering presence, needing the comfort as much as Tsuzuki.
° ° °
It was how Touda woke the next morning. Well, with one addition. A silver-haired, red-eyed God was curled up on the couch not far away from the bed. Somehow it reminded the fire serpent of events not too long ago. Back then he had been injured by Suzaku's attack, had nearly died, had found himself waking up to Tsuzuki and Byakko's presence.
Touda looked at his lover, smiled, then turned to the shinigami at his side. His body still ached, but the healing factor had kicked in full force. Broken bones were mending, muscles knitting back together again, and his mobility was increasing. Right now he just turned to study the pale face of his master and he reached out with one hand, fingers trembling slightly, and touched the harried looking features. Even in sleep Tsuzuki was experiencing the echoes of the agony Touda had gone through.
As his fingers caressed the smooth skin, Tsuzuki moved sleepily, violet eyes blinking open. He smiled as he recognized the being close to him.
:Touda: he murmured.
Touda smiled reassuringly and patiently waited as Tsuzuki took inventory, pushing himself up in a sitting position.
"Are you in pain?" Tsuzuki asked, looking like death warmed over himself.
"I'm fine, Tsuzuki." He clasped one slender hand. "I apologize for flooding you."
It got him a weak smile. "It's not like you had a chance to stop yourself. I'm okay. It's just an echo, not like the real thing."
His eyes were on the multiple bandages, some of them showing dark flecks of dry blood.
"I'm healing," Touda reassured himself.
There was a sleepy noise coming from the couch and suddenly Byakko was looking at them with slightly sleep-glazed eyes. A smile spread over his features as he saw that Touda was awake.
"Hey, you're up? Thirsty?" he asked immediately, getting off the couch with more energy than either of the other two men had at the moment.
Touda had no chance to say no as he was offered some water and he had to confess that it felt good on his parched throat.
"How's Sohryu?" he asked.
Byakko's mood changed from one second to the next. His tail slashed the air like a whip and his brows drew down, the youthful face now etched with an unfitting, dangerous scowl.
"I don't know and I don't care!" he spat.
Tsuzuki winced like he had been hit by that whip of a tail, shrinking back. "Byakko," he stammered.
"He attacked us for no reason!" the white tiger went on, furious. "He nearly killed Touda!"
"No..."
"I don't care what his moods are or what problems he has! I don't care who he thinks he is, but he either gets it together or I'll make sure that something like this won't happen again!"
By now Tsuzuki was pressed against the headboard, breathing hard. Touda reached out, caught the trembling presence, wrapping his own weak shields around him.
:Shhhh...:
"Byakko!" he snarled in the real world.
Red eyes flared with emotions, then suddenly dimmed to their normal light as the shikigami took in the distraught man.
"Tsuzuki..."
Huge eyes looked at him, reflecting all those emotions raging through the young shinigami.
"Tsuzuki, I'm not angry at you..." Byakko soothed, taking him into his arms. "I'm just so angry at Sohryu. He's our leader, I respect him, but he lost it... He can't have the luxury of that. If it hadn't been Touda... if it had been a low level shikigami... he would have killed him or her."
Fingers dug into the light shirt and Tsuzuki sobbed dryly, emotionally wide open and too vulnerable to control any of his reactions right now. Byakko pressed a little kiss on the tousled head.
"Don't hurt him," Tsuzuki rasped brokenly. "Please, Byakko... we can solve this... we can help him..."
The white tiger smiled tenderly and Touda, despite his own anger and pain, had to mirror the soft expression. This was just like Tsuzuki.
"Please..."
"I promise," Byakko whispered. "I promise because it's your wish. I promise because you want me to."
Touda felt Tsuzuki slip away again and his own exhaustion from regenerating was taking him along with his master. He raised a hand and touched Byakko, who smiled tenderly at him. His lover knew how exhausting regeneration was, and he knew that Tsuzuki took priority a the moment.
The shinigami was placed back onto the bed again, asleep, and Byakko leaned over, brushing a gentle kiss over Touda's lips.
"You okay?" he murmured.
"Getting there. All of us. Remember your promise," he whispered back.
"I won't do anything to Sohryu," Byakko agreed. "Just don't expect me not to kick his ass... verbally... the next time I see him."
Touda smirked. "Get in line. I've got first dibs."
The tiger chuckled, the long, striped tail moving lazily, much calmer now. "Go get well."
"Yes, Lord Byakko. As is your wish."
Byakko playfully tousled his still growing hair. "If you were just so compliant every day..." he teased, then kissed him again.
Touda had no energy left to spar verbally. He fell asleep with the sensation of the kiss and Tsuzuki safely wrapped inside the bond.
° ° °
There was nothing of the great leader, the Protector of the East, in the man who stood in the private chambers of Byakko and Touda. Dressed in simple clothes, face pale, hair held back in the plainest of bonds, Sohryu could have been any shikigami. But he wasn't. He was still the Azure Dragon, a God, and their leader. In his eyes, though, there was nothing of the proud being left. His whole body spoke of a pain so deep, it was threatening to destroy him.
Not like the rage and aggression that had already eaten away at him. This was silent, deep inside, and Touda knew it only too well. He had felt the same not long ago. Back then he had believed he had hurt his master, which he had to a degree, and he had believed Tsuzuki had abandoned him. It had launched an unstoppable avalanche of self-loathing and destruction.
Sohryu had lost it, had lost his control, and he had attacked Byakko, almost killing Touda in the process. Twenty-four hours later the black shikigami was conscious but not yet completely free of pain, and it would probably take another day for him to heal enough to attempt mobility.
Byakko's expression was far from friendly as he allowed their leader access to his most private room, something he had only done because Touda had requested him to let Sohryu enter.
Looking at the man he knew since he had been a child, Touda wanted nothing more than to help, but he knew this battle was none he could fight for Sohryu. He was a Divine Commander and a warrior, but the fight was on a soul-deep level, a matter that was between the proud dragon and the man who had accompanied him here. Touda's golden eyes rested on Terazuma Hajime, taking in the pale face, the red eyes that showed so much guilt and regret, and the unlit cigarette he twirled between his fingers.
Terazuma was nervous, but he had come with his lover. Touda knew that what Sohryu felt for this shinigami was true, was real, and that it had a chance, if both men decided to be honest with each other. Well, Sohryu was honest; had been honest. It had been the shinigami who had turned and run away, leaving behind a man who hadn't loved since Aya had died in the Black Fires.
As Sohryu approached, Byakko's tension grew, the long tail flicking back and forth, the whole man almost vibrating with suppressed anger.
"Touda..." Sohryu started. "I... apologize. I cannot put into words what I feel at what I did. I can only hope you accept my apology because there's nothing else I can give you."
Touda met the agonized, blue-gray eyes. "Now you know what it feels like," he said softly.
Yes, now Sohryu knew what it felt like when something snapped and the world blacked out around him. He hadn't lost the one he loved in the way Touda had five centuries ago. He hadn't held the tortured body, looked into the broken eyes, and he hadn't torched half of GensouKai with an unstoppable fire, but he had felt the same emotions Touda had back then.
The dragon lowered his gaze, eyes closing.
"Sohryu."
The eyes met Touda's, hesitant, still so broken, so pained, and Touda sighed softly. This would need time. But he wouldn't leave Sohryu alone in this; they needed him, he needed them. Touda considered himself a friend, the five centuries in Tenkuu's depths aside. They had been best friends once and he held a deep respect for the man.
We'll get through this, he thought, relaying those silent thoughts to
the man he knew so well. If you let us help, if you and Terazuma finally
decide on what's to be.
Sohryu nodded once, then his gaze came to rest on the second occupant
of the bed. Touda felt Tsuzuki's sleepy mind, not awake but also not completely
unaware. He had slept almost non-stop, recovering with shinigami speed
from the shock of the echoes that had come through the bond.
tbc...
