It was safe to return to the flat now. Its also been decided that its safer than returning to granny's as that would probably be the second place Trip and Virus would look. After the run in with Sly Blue, it had taken its toll on my body and I was extremely tired afterwards so, insisting he carried me back, Koujaku has tucked me into his bed and is lying behind me. His arms are wrapped around me from my behind, linking together just on my abdomen and his bare chest is pressed lightly against my back. Small, light puffs of warm air move my hair slightly and tickle the back of my neck, as the two of us relax together. Bringing my hand up, I wrap and twist my fingers with his and his face buries into the crook of my neck, kissing me lightly.
"Thank you for being so careful with me Koujaku." I breathe, feeling rather lucky I have someone who is willing to wait for me. However, rather than getting a reply, his hands slowly begin to move, a hand smoothing over my bare chest, his other slipping down to kneed into my crotch.
"I know we started this the other day, but I'm just too tired right now. Can we do this another time?" I question, rather apologetically. Again no reply.
"Koujaku!" I exclaim, fighting against him, trying to stop his advances. But he easily pins me down and his lips attach to my back after flipping me to lie on my back. His sucking and biting on my tender skin was sure to bring up marks.
"Koujaku, please... STOP!" I try again, squirming and throwing my body around under his touch. Suddenly, I feel a pair of hands slide up the inside of my thighs and another tangling their fingers in my hair.
"Stop moving." Virus growls, his fingers clawing at the tight fabric of my underwear. Trips fingers force their way into my mouth and his other hand plays over my bare chest. I can now see the writhing and flared tattoo on Koujaku's back. His eyes had become a blood red with eerie yellow irises and, slowly, his hair was fading from the scalp down to the same red. He'd suddenly changed from the charming, caring man I knew to what could resemble a beast!
"He should really be locked up, but we thought him useful." Trip explains, obviously noticing my sudden realization of Koujaku's appearance. During this time, Koujaku has moved his head next to Trips hand, his tongue on my skin and following every line the commanding finger would make. I suddenly moan unconsciously as his lips wrap around a nipple, his tongue playing with it whilst Viruses hands begin to fondle me through my underwear. I can feel Koujaku's hips begin to slowly buck into me, gradually gaining in speed and strength.
"Koujaku... Please-" I begin to cry to him, in an attempt to bring him to his senses a save me from this, but I'm stopped my Trip's lips covering mine.
'How did this happen?! I thought the flat was clear... Koujaku he- me and him were just lying peacefully with each other not five minutes ago... How did everything change so fast?' I think to myself, racking my brain for anything I might've missed. But everything is just a fuzzy jumbled mess as I'm confused, scared and upset.
"Why not let Koujaku have a go?" I hear Virus urge, as his hands have completely stripped me of my underwear and has started to smooth his hand up and down my cock. Trip complies, moving from my lips and beckoning Koujaku to take his place. Rather than it just being a kiss, however, his sharp, almost pin like, canines pierce my bottom lip, drawing blood which slips into both our mouths, leaving an irony after-taste. He begins to tug my lip as if urging me to react. When I refuse to release any noise or emotion against his actions, his arm moves and I can feel his finger circling my entrance. I look to him with pleading eyes, not able to find words to snap him from this beast form, as a final attempt. Yet, he pushes into me, roughly, curling his finger inside. I cry out, loudly, against him, tears pricking my eyes.
"Aoba!"
I let the hot tears fall down my cheeks and soak into the bed sheets.
"Aoba!"
I sit up in the bed at the noise of someone shouting my name and, looking to my left, I see him sitting there.
"No! Don't come near me!" I cry kicking him away from me and crawling to the end of the bed. Tears drop over my dry cheeks
"Aoba!" Koujaku exclaims, moving toward me, rather quickly. I push off the bed and press myself against the wall, making every inch away from him count.
"STAY AWAY!" I scream, screwing my eyes tightly shut. I could still see him towering over me on all fours, the blood red eyes glaring at me and him drawing blood from my mouth and... The rough treatment!
"Aoba, its me. Its Koujaku. I'm not going to hurt you." He tells me, his voice losing its urgent tone, to be replaced with a more caring, careful one. As I hear him slowly and cautiously begin to move toward me, I slowly open my eyes. Fearful to what I might see. He's standing in front of me, crouching slightly to appear in my vision. He was... Normal. I release the breathe that had been caught in my chest and collapse into his arms, my tears dropping onto his shoulder and sliding down his chest. I bury my face into the crook of his neck as he, steadily, leads me to sit in his lap on the edge of the bed. His hands softly smooth through my hair, his lips pressing light kissing on my forehead.
"You're alright, it was just a bad dream." He soothes. Beni and Ren have been woken, probably from my shouting, and have come to see what's happening.
"Aoba. Are you alright?" Ren questions, jumping in the end of the bed next to us. I bring my hand up and, placing it on his head, sluggishly move it to pet him.
"I can't do this anymore. They never leave me alone...They're always there...I can't even walk down the street because they might be in the crowd or round the corner or in the alleyway. If they can get into my dreams they can be anywhere right?!" I cry, "I'm so tired. I said at the start that they wouldn't break me. That I wouldn't stop them from living my life. But-" I continue screwing my eyes shut. Suddenly, interrupting my sentence, Koujaku grips my chin and pulls my face to look at him, my eyes opening instantly.
"You can't talk like that. They're not going to win. You have me, Clear, Noiz, Mink and everyone else. If need be, I'll order the whole Benishigure team to come and protect you, if it means you can sleep peacefully. We will get the Aoba, so 'don't give up'" he encourages, wiping the tears from my stained cheeks. The breathe is caught in my throat at hearing his words. He recited the same words I used to help him through his most difficult time... I immediately beam up at him, throwing my arms around his neck and pressing my lips to his. My sudden force against him, causes him to fall back and I lie on top of him, our lips still pressed to ibe another's, my arms still around him and his hands moving to tangle into my hair lightly. My body desperately wanted to give up, verging onto collapse if I didn't grant that liberty, but no matter how much it wanted it to, I can't allow it. I've been reminded that there were reasons I need to keep fighting and Koujaku was probably the best reason there is.

"Yo, Aoba." A Benishigure member that I have regular contact with, due to his position in the team, greets me as I enter the flat.
"Hey. I didn't think you'd be here this early." I reply, smiling in return.
"You're joking, if we didn't get our asses here within five minutes after Koujaku called us, he'd probably skin us." The other laughs, jokingly. I lightly giggle.
"C'mon you know he's not like that. Well only around Aoba he's like that." The previous nudges me.
"Are you sure you guys are OK out here? You can come inside if you want." I offer, wanting to move the conversation along to save myself the embarrassment.
"Were fine, besides we've been given the task of guarding outside." He replies, smiling and giving a thumbs up. I nod and open the door, barely having time to close the door before I'm hit on the head with a wooden spoon.
"You're late! Where've you been?" The familiar old woman's voice scolds. I hand the plastic bag to her and rub where she hit me.
"Grams? What are you doing here?" I ask, wincing from the pain of my head.
"I don't trust that you're eating properly over here and with all the commotion lately. I'm cooking for the lot of you." She replies, throwing something into a pan on the stove and mixing it around.
"Koujaku's actually a very good cook." I mutter.
"Thank you Aoba." His voice responds, entering the room with Mink, Clear and Noiz.
"Ah, master has been hurt?!" Clear panics, seeing me nursing my injured head.
"Eh, hah, it was just grams hitting me with the spoon." I laugh, shrugging it off.
"Tae-san." Clear pouts, making it his job to check for any lump.
"I'll hit you too." She grumbles, moving to chop some carrots.
"So mean." He whimpers, shuffling away from me and to the group.
"I didn't expect all of you to be here. What's up?" I ask, grinning to the group as I jump onto the sofa, waiting for everyone else to sit down as well.
"Can't we just come over for dinner?" Noiz questions, shrugging his shoulders as he sits on the sofa opposite me.
"Well, yeah." I reply, sheepishly, rubbing the back of my neck. I didn't think that it could be that simple after everything that's been happening. Koujaku sits next to me, Mink taking the armchair and Clear sitting next to Noiz.
What were you talking about?" I ask, noting when I walked in the quiet chatter from them in another room.
"Uh-um-we-" clear stammers, obviously trying to think up an answer.
"It doesn't matter. Whatever it was, isn't any concern for you." Mink interrupts, suddenly throwing up his defensive barriers again. So it was something as simple as just coming over for dinner then. My stomach knots as I think they were talking about the situation I'm in with Trip and Virus. No doubt they would've asked why Benishigure members were outside... Koujaku's probably told them about my nightmares.
"Hey, watch it Mink. Be nice to Aoba." Koujaku growls, clearly picking up that I was becoming suspicious. And probably he just didn't like Mink's tone.
"Boys, be nice. I don't want any fighting whilst I'm here." Grams warns, pouring liquid into bowls, "Aoba, help me set the table?" She orders more than asks. Grabbing cutlery from the draw, I set the table for everyone and help Grams place the bowls of beef broth down. At the sound of food being put on the table, everyone quickly takes their places, eager to eat Tae-sans food again.

After staying up to who knows what time, my body and brain had finally had enough and was giving me all the clear signs that it was time for my to go to bed. I physically couldn't keep my eyes open any longer. With the exception if Clear, the sake has been passed round to everyone, and they're happily drinking it down when I stand up from the sofa.
"Anyway-" I begin, a yawn forcing its way through my lips, "I'm going to bed." I finish, stretching my arms out and bringing them to the back of my head.
"I'll come and say goodnight." Koujaku offers, standing next to me.
"I'm a big boy, I can put myself to bed." I laugh, embarrassed in front of everyone.
"Please, let me say goodnight." Koujaku breathes, kissing me on top of my head. I give in and allow him to follow me.
"Night." The others call to me, almost in unison, varying in tone. After slipping out of the clothes I had been wearing today, I curl into the sheets, trying to regain some of the heat I'd lost after jumping into the cold bed. Koujaku sits on the edge of the bed next to me.
"Please try and get some sleep tonight. You look really tired and can't keep having just an hour or two every night." He soothes, his hand running through my hair lightly.
"I know. But its difficult to relax." I reply, sleeps grasp already catching my body and gradually pulling me into the calm.
"Well tonight everyone's here. My guys aren't going to let anyone through that door and I'll fight off anyone that tries to disturb you." He promises. However, relaxing was only part of the problematic I've fallen asleep, its keeping calm as the various nightmares crawl our of their kids and around my head, twisting what would be pleasant dreams into terrifying ones with Trip and Virus. I only realize I haven't replied for a while when I, faintly, hear the door slide open.
"Ahh, Aoba-San looks so cute when he's sleeping." Clear whispers. I could feel various eyes on me from around the room. Obviously Clear had wanted to either say goodnight or catch me when I'm asleep and the others had tried to stop him.
"I don't think I've seen him this peaceful in his sleep in a long time." Koujaku breathes, his fingers sliding through the strands of my hair again. Does everyone think I'm asleep?
"I take it that the Trip and Virus thing is really affecting him?" Noiz questions, his tone suddenly sounding serious to Clears childish exclamation earlier.
"It would anyone idiot." Mink insults.
"Hey watch it!"
"Shh. You might wake Aoba-San!" Clear warns, noting the extreme change in volume.
"Recently, he's been tossing and turning in his sleep, always leading to him waking up halfway through the night. Sometimes he doesn't go to sleep at all. Its really worrying me." Koujaku tells them.
"You can tell he hasn't been getting any sleep." Mink points out. I didn't look that bad did I? I mean, yeah, I'd noticed the bags under my eyes in the morning when I'd go to have a wash, but Mink makes it sound as if I'm looking sick.
"Last night sounded particularly bad." Noiz adds. Obviously a prompt for the conversation they were having earlier when I walked in from the shops.
"He kept shouting in his sleep. From what I could make out, Trip and Virus were there, but I was the one abusing him. Trip and Virus had managed to control me or something. He woke up and didn't know where he was. He was crying... He took one look at me and instantly backed up. He was screaming at me to stay away from him and wouldn't believe it was really me until I was standing right in front of him." Koujaku explains. I have to stop myself from physically shivering and wincing at the unpleasant memory.
"If it'd gotten that bad, then it could get to the point where everyday could be like a living nightmare. He could wake up and be scared of all of us and have no way of believing that we're not the nightmare." Noiz warns, thinking hard about the situation at hand.
"We need to find Trip and Virus soon! I don't want Master to be scared of us!" Clear panics, his voice on the verge of crying.
"We'll go searching tomorrow." Mink proposes.
"Everything will be OK Koujaku-san!" Clear encourages, as I can hear his hand grip onto Koujaku's shoulder for encouragement.
"Thanks guys." Koujaku agrees, his voice finally sounding cheerful again
"For now, let's just make sure Aoba gets some sleep." Noiz finishes. I feel Koujaku stand from the bed and can hear everyone's footsteps as they leave the room, the door sliding shut behind them. Rolling onto my side, I open my eyes and look at the shut door. So tomorrow was search day? My stomach knots at the thought. This seems like a really bad idea. What if one of them gets hurt because of me? I know they're all capable of handling danger and a fight themselves, but Trip and Virus can be very dangerous. They've only retreated before because they've been at the disadvantage. If they decide that tomorrow is a good time to fight back, I'm worried someone might die...! Trip and Virus never were ones to give up easily and they're pretty determined to... Get me...
Maybe Sly Blue's right. Maybe I should use scrap on them. I mean, it doesn't mean they'll die because I have control of it now. Even if what Sly says is true, that there's no way I can 'fix them' I could always erase their memories. Kind of restart their lives and maybe be friends with them...? Maybe scrap isn't such a bad idea.