Disclaimer - If you recoginize it, then I do not own it.
Thank you to Dark Angel of Fire Ice, kurayami monogatori, aries1391, Sonseray, kai's kitty & FlamesOfFury for reviewing.
A/N - Now let's shift back to Brooklyn.
Chapter Ten - Trouble in Paradise
Suffocation.
He couldn't breathe. No air was being allowed into his lungs as he opened his mouth and a bit of water entered. He wanted to cough it out but it would have only brought more in. He deseperately tried to raise his head but a firm hand was preventing him from lifting it above the water in the tub. He fought it but the hand was firm and would not relent. Just as the darkness approached and his lungs threatened to burst, the hand let go but seized him by the strands of his hair and pulled his head from the water.
He would have cried if he could have but he cared more about breathing in the foul smelling air in the room around him than the pain of having several of his locks ripped from his head. "You are worthless, runt," a man growled as a foot impacted with his side. That hurt enough to make him cry out, earning another solid kick from the boot. He was still gasping for air but curled up into a tight ball as more blows followed the first two. He had his knees drawn to his chest with his head buried in his arms, trying to protect himself as much as he could.
"I don't know what your grandfather even saw in you," the man spat as he grabbed him by the hair again and lifted him from the dirty floor, "you are worthless. You shall never be good at anything. It's your fault that you don't have parents. They died because of you." He wanted to deny that taunt but couldn't manage to say a word through his sobs and tears.
The man dropped him to the floor where he landed with a thud and heard something crack. The crude and hateful remarks hurt worse than the pain from the abuse. "Take the brat back to his cell," the voice ordered to another, "and lock him in. For his weakness, he doesn't get anything to eat for a week." "Yes, sir," another voice replied as someone lifted him by the back of his shirt and -
Brooklyn shot up in bed, sweat pouring from his forehead as his heart threatened to burst from his chest from the way it was pounding. He was breathing in short gasps as he realized that it had all been a dream but it had felt so real. He swore he could still feel the blows from the steel-toed boot and the taunts being whispered into his ear. It was like a memory but nothing like that had happened to him before or had it? He had lost many of his memories of his time in Russia after the Black Dranzer incident and he had been traumatized. He couldn't tell the difference between a simple nightmare and what possibly could be a memory from his past.
"Brookie," a voice called as a hand touch his shoulder and he pulled away from the contact suddenly as though it burned, "what is the matter, tenshi?" The hand found its way to his shoulder again as another wrapped itself around his chest. Two strong arms pulled him into a warm embrace that tightened. "Did you have another nightmare, tenshi?" Hiro ask, kissing him on top of the head, "you are shaking like a leaf." "It was just a dream, Hiro," Brooklyn replied, leaning back into the embrace as his eyes looked at the clock. It was only three in the morning.
"That is the third time this week," Hiro reminded as he held him tightly and Brooklyn reveled in his touch, "and your pajamas are soaked from sweat." He tried removing them but Brooklyn would not allow it. He knew exactly what it would lead too and he wasn't in the mood for that activity at that moment. He had just suffered a nightmare and he wanted comfort; which meant a tender touch or hug. He did not want to participate in any type of sexual activity.
When Brooklyn stiffened, Hiro gave up trying to remove the wet clothing. He knew that the teen was just wanting to cuddle and nothing more. "I wish I could make your nightmares go away," he murmured, stroking the soft hair gently, "I would do anything for you that is within my power, tenshi." He was puzzled by Brooklyn's silence as he looked down to hear a soft snore. Brooklyn had fallen back to sleep against him as he chuckled softly, kissed the teen on the head and laid back down without disturbing his boyfriend.
Brooklyn remained lying partially on top of him as Hiro wished that sleep would return to him as easily as it did for the younger. Brooklyn turned over, using his chest as a pillow with his right arm draped around his waist. He was worried about the boy in his arms since something seemed wrong that he refused to discuss. He wouldn't tell him any details of these nightmares that plagued his dreams. It was as though he wanted to suffer in silence; a trait that he had obviously picked up from his oldest brother. Hiro smiled before he too drifted back to sleep as the boy in his arms tightened his hold on him.
Brooklyn groaned when he heard the alarm clock ring. He did not want to get up and leave the comfort of his bed especially his warm pillow. His eyes cracked open slightly as he found himself looking into a reddish-brown set. "You are so kawaii when you wake up," Hiro mused, brushing the stray locks of hair out of his face, "did you enjoy your pillow?" "Yes, I did," Brooklyn replied with a yawn as he sat up and stretched, "I have missed this so much."
"As I have missed this," Hiro added, pulling him into his lap and kissing him on the lips. Brooklyn didn't try to pull away as he wrapped his arms around the older's neck to deepen it. Hiro moaned from the friction that their bodies created when they rubbed against the other as he pulled Brooklyn closer. His tongue prodded at Brooklyn's lips wanting entry but he was being denied by the younger. When he ran a hand through his soft hair, it made Brooklyn moan and Hiro took the opportunity to delve his tongue into that warm cavern that he knew so well.
Brooklyn tried to fight him but Hiro knew where to touch to make him practically melt in his arms. "I wish we had more time," Hiro mused as they broke apart for air, "I would love to ravage you this very moment but I have to meet with Boris at eight." He sighed as he pushed Brooklyn off his lap and went into their private bathroom. Brooklyn just laid back down since he definitely wasn't going to get in the shower with him. He rolled over on his stomach with his legs swinging up and down behind him.
He had missed this type of interaction so much when they had been separated from one another. He smiled as he looked at the bathroom door and could hear the water running in the shower. So far, everything was working out pretty well at Bega. Boris didn't seem like the man he remembered from his past and acted like he truly had changed. He seemed to care for each of the bladers that joined his venture but more especially those with the most talent. He didn't make them train like he did with the former Demolition Boyz before. Balkov appeared to be a changed man.
"You are going to miss breakfast if you keep sitting there," Hiro remarked as he came out of the bathroom and found his boyfriend lost in his thoughts on the bed, "and also don't you need to train. I know for a fact that you have been slacking off. I've seen you sleeping in the park and playing with birds than practicing with your blade. As a coach, that doesn't look like training to me." "Practice isn't going to make me any better, Hiro," Brooklyn added with a smirk, "you should know that by now."
"I know," Hiro sighed as he tenderly caressed a cheek, "but still you need to make an effort and spend time with your friends. You do have a life that does not totally revolve around me, remember." "I know," Brooklyn admitted, finally getting off the bed, "but I prefer to spend my time with you. They have been great friends and all but they don't make me feel safe the way you do." He hugged his boyfriend tightly trying to prove his point before Hiro pushed him away. "Go and get some breakfast," he ordered, "and then go to practice. I will see you later."
They parted with another kiss as Brooklyn stood there in his pajamas, trying to figure out what he wanted to do. For once, he decided to obey his order as he took a quick shower and dressed. Breakfast was next on his agenda as he made his way to the cafeteria. He chose something light since he did not like to eat that much in the morning and settled at a table by himself since none of his friends were in the room. The other trainees left him alone, knowing that he was friends with both Rick and Garland, who most of them feared.
They would never lay a hand on the ginger-haired blader, no matter how odd he was or acted. They did not know that he was also involved with the top coach of Bega but only a select few knew of his relationship with Hiro and that secret did not go beyond any of his friends. They respected his privacy and hated gossiping so his secret would be safe for a while. His eyes drifted to a window near the table as he looked out at the beautiful blue sky and could hear the birds singing. It was too beautiful of a day to beinside but he had promised to attend a practice session and had to keep his word. Maybe after it was over, he could visit the small courtyard located in the complex and spend the rest of the day laying in the soft green grass with the sun rays upon him.
He finished his small breakfast but was not in a very good mood. He was nursing a slight headache from not getting enough sleep and at best was a bit grouchy. He was yawning as he walked down the hallway and on his way to practice. He didn't need to practice. It wouldn't make him any better but to please Hiro, he went just so his presence was known. He would have rather spent the day outside with nature surrounding him than cooped up inside of this building.
When he walked into the room, he nearly stepped back outside. He thought he was in the wrong place from the curses and insults that were being thrown about. He groaned since he wasn't in the mood to deal with this so early in the morning either. It was worse than Hiro's sexual advances. Maybe he should try to find his boyfriend since he was the only one besides of Boris, who could stop the argument dead cold. His presence would only add fuel to the fire.
"I will not take orders from a pipsqueak like you," Rick stated, crossing his arms and glaring at Garland. His best friend growled as he stalked forward to teach the older teen a lesson while Mystel tried to act as an emissary and keep them separate. The other four bladers reactions were mixed. Julia and Daichi were standing on either side of Rick offering support to their leader. Akane and Raul were standing away from the fighting teens and wanted no part of the argument.
"Not again," Brooklyn muttered as he looked at the five, whose voices had raised and were in full fighting mode, "how long have they been going at it?" "About ten minutes," Akane informed with a sigh from where she was standing back and leaning against the wall to watch, "I tried to pull Julia back but she won't listen when she gets mad. Daichi is just as stubborn and hotheaded as she and Rick." "I don't want to end up as a victim," Raul shrugged, "or get involved. I think we will need either Hiro or Boris to break them up again."
"Didn't Hiro warn them about the consequences of fighting?" Brooklyn ask as an afterthought. He couldn't think straight from his lack of sleep and his thoughts over his troubled dreams. "Yes, he did," Akane added, "but they don't seem to care now, do they?" "I am not in the mood to deal with this," Brooklyn grumbled, walking to the five fighting teens or should I say four since Mystel was trying not to get involved but was being pulled into it anyway. "Will you stop it!" Brooklyn snapped, earning the attention of all of them as they stopped fighting and turned to him, "you know that we are suppose to be training and not fighting among ourselves."
"He is the one who started it," Garland defended, losing his calm temperment and pointing at Rick, "I was just deciding our practice order and he won't listen to me." "You are not the boss of me," Rick snapped, "I give the orders to my gang; not you." Brooklyn sighed as he held his head in his hands. He didn't feel like dealing with this right now. How did he ever think the two of them could get along?
When he had decided to compete in the tournament, Garland had been chosen as the captain of the team. When he had been taken in by the Rogue Bladers, Rick had been their leader and he now considered Brooklyn a member of his gang. The two teens both deemed themselves his protector and a member of each of their teams. They expected him to chose sides and he couldn't do it. He liked being friends with both of them and he couldn't chose between them. In fact, he didn't want too and if they could just get over their stubborn and hard-headedness, he knew they could be good friends.
"You are a member of my team, Brook," Garland snapped, "and Boris made me captain over the eight of us." "Brooklyn is a member of my gang," Rick glared, "and he takes orders from me; not you." As they continued to fight, Brooklyn's headache got worse as he shut his eyes tightly, their raised voices boring into his very skull. He didn't notice that Akane had left the room to find Hiro. In fact, he didn't notice much of anything since he had enough of this.
"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Brooklyn shouted in rage. No one knew what happened next as his eyes rolled back into his head and he crumpled to the floor. That made the teens stop bickering and turn their attention to their fallen friend. "Brook!" Garland shouted as he reached him first but was hesitate about touching him since he didn't know what was wrong. Brooklyn's body relaxed before it tensed and he then started to jerk and spasm.
Fortunately Akane had returned with Hiro. Hiro pushed everyone away from his boyfriend as he recoginized instantly what was happening. "It's a seizure," he informed, "no one touch him." Hiro pulled off his jacket and placed it beneath his head and loosened the collar of Brooklyn's white coat that he had started wearing upon joining Bega. There was little one could do when someone was having a seizure unless it lasted more than five minutes.
Within moments the jerks and spasms stopped as Brooklyn groaned and opened his eyes. The first face he saw was Hiro as his brownish-red eyes looked at him with concern. "What happened?" he tried to ask as Hiro put a finger over his lips to silence him. "You had a seizure, tenshi," he whispered with a reassuring smile, "I'm going to take you to the infirmary until I finish my duties for the day. Then we will be able to spend the evening together."
Hiro kissed him gently on the forehead before Brooklyn fell asleep. He would probably sleep for the next few hours as he lifted him into his arms. Hiro just wanted someone to watch over him until his coaching duties were done in case he had another seizure. The nurse in the infirmary was perfect for that. He glared at the other teens in the room before he left and gave a simple warning.
"This fighting must stop," he growled, his eyes focused on Rick and Garland, "you are upsetting Brooklyn with your behavior and I don't like it when he is upset. Otherwise, you will have to deal with me than him. Do you understand?" For once the teens just nodded in agreement. No one dared to make a smart remark or say a word to the coach since Hiro's temper was all ready legendary among the bladers.
"And trust me," Hiro added before he walked out the door, "you don't want to deal with me in a bad mood. You will be begging for mercy by the time I am done with you. This is your last warning." He left with Brooklyn in his arms as a feeling of uneasiness swept the seven bladers in the room. Both Rick and Garland were looking at one another but neither wanted to be to make the first move. It was a sign of weakness to the two teens and neither wanted to be thought of as such.
Mystel surprisingly pushed Garland toward Rick as Raul and Akane did the same with Rick. "Garland," Mystel snapped as everyone was surprised by the Egyptian's temper, "do it." "Same with you, Rick," Raul ordered, "we are tired of this." "I don't want to lose Brooklyn as a friend," Garland admitted after several long moments of silence, "so I will put my pride aside and treat you as an equal. I offer my apology."
Garland bowed as Rick just stood there with his arms crossed. "Rick," Akane warned with a hiss as he sighed. "I too value Brooklyn's friendship," he admitted, "and I hate to see him upset. I agree this fighting must stop so I apologize for my behavior as well." Rick bowed as well as a collective sigh of relief came from Mystel, Raul and Akane. "Finally," Mystel added with a smile as his mood lightened, "now let's get back to practice."
Astera Snape
R & R