The three men were caught off guard by the girl's sudden appearance.
If they all noticed how much she was panting because she had rushed, Kamui seemed frozen.
Back then, he had only seen her from afar. Now she was there, so close yet still too far away.
He wished so bad to run the few distance breaking them apart and crush her into his arms, but his legs wouldn't allow it.
However, what didn't allow him to let himself look like some weakling was his pride, just as his unexpectedly loud and fast heartbeats told him he just shouldn't wait any longer.
The best he could, he stood up on his feet, his arms rising to hold her into a close embrace.
Yet, instead of a warm and enjoyable hug with her petite figure, Kamui met with the hard and tall body of Abuto.
Kagura had just punched him.
A real and serious jab like the ones he had taught her.
The power of her blow had sent him right into Abuto's hands who grabbed the man like one would catch a ball.
Needless to say, Kamui was just as much surprised as Sougo who kept blinking incredulously.
The redhead reached for his painful jaw to discover some blood at the corner of his lips.
-Despite all my respects, admitted Abuto, I would have done it myself if the young lady hadn't...
Clearly, the young Yato didn't expect his sister to react in such a way, but the veteran's words shocked him equally.
As far as Kamui could remember, Abuto has always been the kind of man to complain about all and nothing, but he had never ever done anything against the two siblings, even if those two were undoubtedly the main reason he had turned so grumpy!
All these years, he had always listened, followed, and wholeheartedly obeyed to his stupid Captain's orders.
From the day the kids had decided to step on the Harusame ship, to the day where they had taken the lead of the 7th squad, all the while having this abnormal relationship, Abuto had never said anything. Not once, he had judged Kamui or Kagura.
All he had ever done was blindly trusting the both of them like the father that they never had should have done.
Obviously, his sharp words made Kamui realize how much these two had been worried and, in the end, how much they cared for him.
He swallowed painfully, but his cheerful smile quickly came back.
-Why are you all so rude with me~? He complained. I am the victim here, remember?
-SHUT UP! Yelled Kagura.
Then, she violently grabbed his shirt, literally snatching him from Abuto's hands to force him facing her.
-Are we all so weak that you can't even count on us? She spat wryly. Am I that much of a burden that you don't want me around?
Kamui knew she wouldn't like to be put aside, but he didn't expect that his choice would turn up to be so, oh so wrong...
How ironic!
He who wanted so badly to become the strongest, he who was the head of such a dreadful squadron, he who was known and feared by all, he who has killed so many... well, he had been caught so easily...
While all he wanted was to avoid exposing his dearest one to any danger, his choice led that same one to lose her life while saving his own...
"I'm still so weak…"
Fortunately, despite what Abo had told to Kamui, Kagura was still alive.
Alas, the girl had been severely hurt and not only physically because according to her reaction, the man assumed that both her faith and trust in him had also suffered quite a lot...
"I am the burden"
He averted his eyes, ashamed of himself yet too proud to admit his mistake or even apologize.
Of course, the reason why Kagura had punched her brother wasn't due to the fact that she had alsmot died because of him -she would gladly die if it was to save him- or even because he had been kidnapped and almost killed -if not for her rescue operation.
Yes, she was mad at him, but above all, she felt betrayed.
There had never been the slightest secret between the two of them before. Then, someday, her brother had suddenly decided -despite Abuto's wise advices- to go on a suspicious mission without saying anything to her.
Worst, he voluntarily lied and forced the old Yato to be his accomplice.
And what for? To protect her?
To hell that shit!
Kagura was no kid anymore, she didn't need anyone's protection, much less if the price was the life of the one she couldn't even live without!
They had fought so many battles together, had suffered many wounds together and had scared the shit out of Abuto together, so why playing it solo this time?!
-What am I exactly?! Some poor and weak little girl?!
Seeing how silent he was -opposite to his carefree habits- Kagura knew he felt remorseful. Her grip loosened until her arm slumped back at her side and slowly, she let her forehead rest against his chest.
-Don't leave me alone anymore... she begged. I... I was scared to death! I really thought I would lose you...
He sighed and hugged her strongly.
-What should I say? He sneered. Watching you die right before my eyes without being able to do anything!
He backed away to smile at her teary eyes.
-I'm so lucky to have such a badass little sister~!
-S-Shut up! She blushed.
He laughed and hugged –more like crushed- her even harder against him.
It was but a whisper, yet Kagura was positive she had heard him saying 'sorry' as well as 'thank you'.
And to think that, would she have been only a few hours later, the girl would be hugging the lifeless corpse of her brother! Well, she wouldn't have been alone for a very long time anyway because, let's be clear, Kagura would have joined him right after killing every single being around...
Reaching her limit, she couldn't stop her tears any longer. Just like a kid crying all the tears of her body, she let out everything she had been holding back until now and deafened the poor Kamui with her loud cries.
Abuto prompted the human policeman to follow him and give the two siblings more privacy.
Sougo easily followed behind the tall Yato, smirking at the weak side of the girl. Even someone like her could cry...
Kamui kept laughing at her and remembered how much of a crybaby his little sister was. How many years had it been since the last time he saw her crying that hard? Probably too many years because he couldn't even remem—
Ah.
Actually, he did remember.
After all, how could he not?
The last time Kagura had cried her heart out... it was the day their mother had passed away.
Right. A day –a pain- he wished he could forget for once and for good.
Shutting his arched eyes tightly close to refrain from crying in his turn, he forced himself to smile harder and let out a strangled chuckle as he crushed Kagura stronger into his arms.
Will he ever be able to forget, one day? Will he ever be able to look at his little sister, at the woman he loved without feeling that he was the reason why the little girl -who had grown to look so much like his mother- had and kept suffering so much?
Will they be able, one day, to be truly happy? Happy from the bottom of their hearts, without the slightest regret to pull them down, without the past to haunt them in their sleep...?
Once her tears dryed, Kagura silently bathed in the scent of Kamui while absent-mindedly, he gently brushed her hair, the both of them sitting on the bed of the infirmary.
-Next time… Next time you'll have to tell me before coming up with such a shitty plan… she whispered.
-At your command! Admiral Kagura~
-I'm serious! I… I really thought I'd never see you again…
-And I really thought you were dead, he confessed sadly.
She backed away and gazed at his blue eyes.
-You killed that woman, right…?
-She dared to shoot you, of course I did!
-Even though she might have given birth to strong children…?
-A kid or the whole world… I wouldn't have cared either way.
Kagura knew her brother's principles, especially concerning women and children... At his meaningful words, she felt like crying once again.
-Kamui…
-Hmm?
-Don't leave me anymore. I wouldn't be able to live without you…
-Ha ha~ Don't worry! I'd rather follow you into hell than live in this hopeless world alone!
A lone tear rolled on her cheek and just like him, she tried her best to smile, wondering which one of them was the more gloomy and pitiful one because despite how romantic his confession could sound, Kagura couldn't miss how sad and desperate it was either...
For her as for him, nothing in this world was more precious than being together. Nothing in this world could save those two siblings from their sorrow if the other one was to disappear.
Nothing.
-Still… don't you dare die on me again, he ordered.
-As if six or seven bullets could kill me! She boasted miserably. See? I'm still here!
-Then keep being here, he trumped. Or I'll become the worst stalker you've ever seen~
She swallowed a sob.
-Stupid! She whimpered. Stop joking and kiss me already!
He laughed softly. He sure had missed her tsundere side!
Wiping her tears with his thumb, he gently stroked her warm cheek while gazing at her puffy eyes until she closed them. Then, he pulled her face closer and pressed his lips against hers.
It had only been a few days since they had been separated, but Kagura felt like it was years. His soft lips, his gentle touch, his strong arms, his comforting scent... she had missed him so badly she didn't want to part with him ever again.
Afraid to lose him once again, she tightly clung to his neck and deepened the kiss, pressing her whole body against him. Because she wanted to feel him even closer, she kept pushing and soon, the weakened Yato couldn't hold back her strength anymore. He let himself fall backward on the mattress while Kagura, now on top of him was busy ravaging his mouth.
When he stroked her tights, she broke the kiss and pulled away.
-Wait, we can't. You're still—
-What? I'm not dying, you know? Just a bit tired because of those damn drugs…
-A bit? You can barely stand!
-Would you actually reject me? He inquired with puppy eyes.
-No, of course, not!
He grinned.
-That's a good girl~
Painfully lifting himself, he grabbed her lips with his own and ventured his hands on her buttocks.
If she was a bit worried at first, she quickly forgot about it when his scent filled her lungs and his taste her mouth. She had nearly lost him, no way in hell she would push him away now!
Just after she had bluntly thrown her dress, he gripped her waist and dragged her down to him.
She stopped her fall a mere inch away from his face and took her time in contemplating him.
Since the day she was born, Kamui had always been here with her. He could have been playing with other kids his age, but no. Instead, he was taking care of their mother, taking care of the house, taking care of his little sister...
She remembered the boy who kept smiling at her, the one who couldn't stop being shy with its mother, the one who kept being lectured by its father, and the one who almost killed a group of grown-up Amantos because they had dared to harm her...
The boy had grown to turn into a strong and handsome man. The boy, who was his brother, had turned into the man she loved, and was now lying under her half-naked body with eyes looking only at her.
From the tips of her fingers, she drew the lines of his nose, slowly pulling his lower lip while their breaths merged into one.
Was it fate that had brought the two of them together? Was it meant to happen?
Kagura couldn't tell, but for once, she thought that she was lucky. If she could go back into the past in order to change things, she would gladly do the exact same choices all over again.
She rid him of his clothes and explored every slope of his body with her hands. Parting from his broad shoulders, she roamed on the noticeable muscles of his chest to end on his salient pelvis bone. She knew his body by heart, but even so, seeing him naked had still the same effect on her...
Yatos were reputed for being quite the horny creatures, but Kagura had always wondered if the way her body reacted to his was only due to being a Yato or because it was Kamui. Hard to tell, although she doubted that any woman in the world could feel as much aroused as her while she looked at him...
But then again, if other women knew how he really was -was it in bed or not- perhaps their hearts would also beat that hard for him?
The way she touched him as if discovering him for the first time, Kamui remembered how he had done the same thing many years ago.
Scared to harm the girl yet fascinated by what his eyes were witnessing, he couldn't stop his young and inexperienced self from falling deeper for her, leading the both of them further into this sinful life.
He managed to get on top and in his turn, gazed at her for a time before to sit up and stare thoroughly at her smooth and flawless skin, at her harmonious curves, at her long legs, and at her lips nicely shaped that called his name.
Kagura was about to ask him if he was okay when the palms of his hands landed on her thighs. Gently, they slid in a feather-like touch, barely brushing her whole body from bottom to top. She shivered, her breathing growing heavier.
His hands loitered some time on her chest, softly massaging her breast in the process before to finally cup her face.
-Stop teasing me like this… she panted.
He quickly glanced at her, smirked at her rosy cheeks and finally kissed her full on the mouth.
When she gasped for some air, his lips left hers to travel around. From her neck and her collarbone, he plunged his face between her breasts and trailed the way down to her belly with kisses while taking care of her underwear.
Because she could barely take it anymore, her nails increasingly sunk into the flesh of his back while her crotch itched to feel him inside.
He was himself out of breath when she took back the upper hand and pinned him down to the bed. Her hazy gaze on him, he lost the little strength he had to fight back and consent to let her do as she pleased.
She wasted no time and lowered her hips on him, feeling him hard and deep.
It sure felt good, but Kamui still wanted more of her.
Somewhat boosted by the heat, he lifted himself to face her and held her in his arms as hard as he could. She encircled her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist twice as hard.
Aside for their restless and hasty lower parts, their sweaty bodies were literally glued together, making each thrust all the more enjoyable while they kissed the whole time, his lips pecking at hers and her tongue playing with his.
Soon, fewer and fewer kisses came from his side as he already felt too exhausted to reply. Instead, his forehead silently bumped against hers between the sounds of their breathless lovemaking.
She came first while throwing her head backward with her legs crushing his bones in a last effort. He followed her right away and let his head rest in the crook of her shoulder, nestling his face in her lower neck.
If Kagura was usually the one asking to be pampered, something told her that there was a little boy here who needed even more affection than she did...
With a warm and gentle hand, she patted his head and brought the sheet over the two of them, holding the man in her arms like a mother would cradle her baby boy.
-Sleep tight my love, she whispered in his already dreaming ears.