Disclaimer: Not mine.
Yoru: Hmmm. Been a long while on this one.
Kuronue: No kidding. All the nice readers probably aren't so nice anymore.
Yoru: Ready to kill me, guys?
Readers: Muuuuurder the Yoooooru…
Yoru: (O.O) (gulp) Ahem…if you kill me, you won't get to know the rest of the story!
Kuronue: (hides behind Yoru) Yeah!
Yoru: Anywho…
Subaru sat by Kamui's bedside all night as the boy clutched his hand, shaken with nightmares. Subaru's heart broke anew with each whimper and whispered plea for mercy the left Kamui's bruised lips. The boy had been through such utter torment, and Subaru could do nothing. Had done nothing.
"Kamui, I'm so sorry," he whispered, tears forming in his eyes.
I'm sure he knows.
By now, Subaru was used to Kakyou's voice in his head.
"That really doesn't make it any better."
No one could have done anything, Subaru. Our Kamui would have killed you and continued. You know this well.
"Can you see him, Kakyou? My Kamui? The way he thrashes and begs, how he screams in his sleep? Don't condescend to me."
I'm not condescending, Subaru. I want you to understand that it is not your fault in any way.
The tears spilled over before Subaru could stop them, matching the ones marking Kamui's bruised cheeks.
Subaru…
"Hold me…" Subaru whispered before he even realized that he'd thought it.
His world went white, and then he found Kakyou before him, sad eyes wide.
Hold you?
Subaru was beyond caring for cold exteriors in his pain now. He hung his head, shaking as tears poured down his cheeks.
Without warning, warm arms enfolded him and pulled him close. Kakyou brought them gently to the ground, pulling Subaru into his lap and letting him cry. Subaru had never felt so warm with Seishiirou, only with Hokuto
And Kakyou.
He felt the urge, and decided not to stop it.
Lifting Kakyou's face to come to his own, he brought their lips together in a sorrowful, salty kiss.
Sorata watched as Arashi slept. He had never been in her room before this late at night; in fact, he'd never really stepped beyond the doorway. But tonight, she was tormented. So he sat beside her bed throughout the night.
"Sorata?" He looked up to see Yuzuriha peeking at him around the doorway. He got up and went to her, trying to smile.
"What's up?" he asked.
"Is Kamui going to be okay?"
It was such a childish question that Sorata was shocked. Just a few hours earlier, she had shown such adult characteristics that now something like that seemed alien from her lips. But when Sorata looked into her tearful eyes, he saw the frightened child she was.
"I don't know," he answered truthfully. She hiccupped a bit.
"When will we know?"
"I don't know." He wished she wouldn't ask him. He didn't know. With no more words, he brought her close and hugged her. He felt her hands clutching at his shirt.
"Sorata?" Arashi came out of her room. He held out a hand to her.
The three of them stayed in their embrace for a long time.
Pain. Wetness. Whispered taunts. Hands roaming.
Help me…help me…
Stop…Fuuma…
Pain screaming more wetness
Fuuma…nooooo…please…
Agonyscreamingbeggingstopstopstopstopstop…
Kamui shot up, eyes wide, and clutching at his blankets. He searched the room wildly, terrified that Fuuma would come out and take him again.
All he found was Subaru asleep in the chair next to the bed.
"Subaru…"
"Don't wake him up."
Kamui looked around to the door to see Saiki standing there. The boy looked as though he had gotten no sleep.
"He hasn't left your side since you came back. He just fell asleep an hour ago. I'll be here for you, if you can handle that."
Upon realizing that he was wearing pajamas, Kamui climbed out of bed and crawled on all fours to Saiki, who knelt and accepted the trembling boy into his arms.
Fuuma stood by Kakyou's bed, watching the man's uneasy sleep. He had never seen Kakyou twitch so much. Something was definitely going on in his mind, something he was keeping Fuuma from seeing.
Fuuma didn't like secrets.
Saiki sat against the wall with Kamui in his arms. The boy had finally fallen asleep again, and this time it was deep and dreamless. Saiki banged his head against the wall as hard as he could without waking the precious bundle in his arms.
When had Kamui become precious?
Saiki wasn't sure, really. He only knew that sometime after their fight, Saiki had wanted nothing more than to protect Kamui forever.
He almost laughed out loud. Not protect.
Hold. Kiss. Love.
He had fallen in love with the boy he had professed to hate. Not the arrogant, selfish boy he had been. The broken, timid boy Kamui had become was the one Saiki needed to protect.
To hold, kiss, and love.
Kamui shifted in his sleep with a soft murmur, and Saiki let his eyes close to drift off as well.