Mist 14
"Souu-chan open up!" Kio cheerfully bantered at Soubi's apartment door, "Hhmn." he frowned at the unopening door. Then burst in the room.
Soubi, who had been laying on the bed sound asleep with Ritsuka sitting next to him, immediately jumped to his feet. His face contorted with pain but he faced the intruder confidently. As confident as anyone could be while holding in a cry of agony. His defensive position softened as he saw it was only Kio.
"Soubi!" Ritsuka yelled at the man as he jumped at Soubi's, now slumping, pain filled, figure and clung around his waist. "Don't go jumping around! Lay! I thought you were asleep?"
Soubi smiled at his concerned little Sacrifice, "I was.. Sorry Ritsuka I thought he was someone bad." Soubi lay back down in the bed and ushered Kio inside.
Kio frowned, a lollipop hanging low from his lip, "Huuh? Someone bad? Me, your dearest, only, friend you think of as a bad guy?"
"I was merely being precautionary, Kio." Soubi corrected.
"If it was such a concern you could lock your door once in a while.." Kio mumbled as he walked into the room and greeted Ritsuka with a pat on the head. Ritsuka flinched under his touch but despite himself was beginning to like Kio. He could be noisy but sometimes it seemed the eccentric man really cared.
"Soubii! My dearest Soubi!" Kio cried as he knelt down and clutched Soubi's hands in his own dramatically.
'Or he's just completely brainless.' Ritsuka thought, before blushing slightly at the contact he was witnessing. In an effort to escape he walked over to the kitchen area to put away the dishes.
Looking past Kio, Soubi earnestly said, "Ritsuka you don't have to do that."
Ritsuka shot him a frowning glare that said, 'Your hurt, the least I can do is the freaking dishes!' What he said out loud was, "I made the mess in the first place.." His words trailed off and he snapped his head back around.
"Soubi!" Kio continued, "Why are you so hurt you can't move?"
Soubi stared at Ritsuka's back and gained a devious smile, "You sure you can handle it Kio?" He decided Ritsuka needed a little brightening.
Ritsuka almost spun around and clamped a hand over Soubi's mouth but he could tell by his voice Soubi would tell a stupid lie or say nothing at all. Not start talking about Battle Units.
Kio nodded fervently, "C'mon Soubi! Are you in some kind of trouble? Thugs after you?"
"Kio, I could easily dispose of ruffians. Ritsuka did this." Soubi said it so coolly, hiding his true intentions completely. 'Well, at least' Soubi thought, 'I plan to brighten Ritsuka's cheeks.'
Ritsuka resisted the urge to turn around at the accusation and furiously scrubbed at a dish. 'I did cause it.. after all.'
Kio went wide eyed, "Huh? The brat did?"
"He's no brat, Kio.. Ritsuka is very mature." Soubi smiled knowingly.
Kio looked confused and Ritsuka was just trying to ignore them, unsuccessfully. 'If Soubi thinks I should feel guilty, no.. guiltier, about this then I probably should be.. But already.. I feel terrible he's been hurt.' He thought grimly.
Then it clicked, for Kio, "S-s-sou-chan! You can't mean!"
"Oh yes Kio, I can't even stand, he did it wonderfully." Soubi closed his eyes thoughtfully while his friend was nearly in tears and completely speechless.
Ritsuka was beginning to vaguely suspect what Soubi was implying, though not completely grasping it, and yelled out, "Soubi!" With his beat red face. He knew, from Kio's actions at the least, it was something bad.
Teasing Ritsuka was just a way for Soubi to cheer him up.
"Yes Kio, I was just so full."
"Soubi! I don't want details like that!" Kio screamed and burrowed his head in Soubi's sheet.
"Hm?" Soubi asked curiously, "But it was a delicious omelet, I thought you would be interested?"
Ritsuka and Kio lifted their heads up and yelled, "Huh!" At the same time.
"The omelet," Soubi said innocently. "I was so full I couldn't stand."
Ritsuka started at Soubi, baffled, 'Just how often is this guy going to make a fool of me? Not to mention himself.' His face was perpetually red.
Kio looked like he wanted to slap Soubi silly, but of course didn't, "Soubi! I was so worried! Don't say things like that!"
Soubi looked confused, "Like what Kio?" He turned to Ritsuka, "What did you guys' /think/ I was talking about?"
Ritsuka spun around and resumed his dish mauling. Taking his embarrassment out with sheer arm muscle and soap.
"Hhmpf!" Kio huffed and got up from Soubi's bed side, he walked over to Ritsuka and dried the dishes once they left the child's murderous hands.
Soubi felt helpless. He couldn't even sit up.. How could he let pain defeat him?
/-/ *Crack* Soubi-kun, don't flinch away from me. /-/
Kio mopped off the dishes and set them in a pile. He leaned over Ritsuka's shoulder as the boy washed another. He tugged at Ritsuka's ears a little, but seemed fairly satisfied they weren't fakes.
/-/ *Crack* Endure it Soubi-kun. Endure for your Sacrifice. /-/
Finally Ritsuka had enough of the man breathing down his neck. "What do you want?" He snapped.
/-/ *Crack* This is not pain. Pain only comes from disobedience of your master. Does this hurt Soubi-kun? I say it doesn't hurt. Don't disobey me. /-/
"Tell me!" Kio begged.
/-/ Do you enjoy being disobedient? *Crack* Do not cry out. Do not react, Soubi-kun. This is training. You will be the best Fighter. Never Disobey, Soubi-kun. /-/
Ritsuka snapped back at Kio again, "Tell you what! You haven't asked a question!"
/-/ *Crack* Hands against the wall, shirt off. Obey Soubi-kun. Endure. For your Sacrifice, Soubi-kun. /-/
"Tell me what happened to that one!" Kio looked over at Soubi and was about to indicate him to Ritsuka but froze in place. Ritsuka sensed his sudden silence and looked over as well.
Soubi broke out of his harsh memories in a worse pain then before, physically and mentally. He had been completely immersed in his past, his memories. In Ritsu. His breathing was heavy and short. Sweat poured off of his brow and upper lip. He tried to clear his mind. Sweat, trembling, fear, those features were awfully unbecoming of a Fighter. Ritsuka certainly had seen had seen him in worse shape, such as earlier when he lay helplessly in a pile of his own blood, but Ritsuka should never see him like that again. Succumbing to his own emotions seemed even worse. It would be bad for Ritsuka to see him.
..Too late.
Ritsuka and Kio had promptly begun to hurry over as if in tune with Soubi's forbidding thoughts. Kio was starting to lose his relative calmness, if one could even refer to Kio as being calm.
"Soubi! Why? You're hurt! Talk to me Soubi, you're over here trembling in pain. I can't stand it!"
'You can't stand it..' Soubi thought, 'Wasn't I the one in pain?' He instantly regretted the thought, Kio was only concerned. He always was when things got physically damaging.
Ritsuka stared at Soubi with a worried frown. His eyebrows creased in the middle and his cute cheeks seeming overwrought and droopy.
Soubi dropped his thoughts immediately. Ritsu was nothing. He is gone. Seimei is gone. Ritsuka is here and Ritsuka deserves at the utmost least a more cheerful environment.
"I'm fine now Kio. Just need to rest a little." He lied seamlessly. Almost believing himself.
Kio frowned. He didn't doubt Soubi's honesty per say but chances seemed slim that he actually /could/ be okay. "Sou-chan, you and me need to talk. In private."
Soubi looked at him sternly, "Whatever you have to discuss can be said in front of Ritsuka, can it not?"
"What is it with this brat Soubi! A kid like him should be at home! At school! You shouldn't be hurt, the kid.. he was hurt only a few days ago, wasn't he! What is going on Soubi?" Kio was frantic, screaming and red in the face. He looked completely overwhelmed.
Soubi sat up in bed, not taking his eyes off of his friend. "Sleep.." He whispered melodically.
Kio's words froze and he slowly fell to the floor in a deep slumber.
Soubi regretted it even before it had been done, he hid his head in his knees, almost regretful.
Ritsuka stepped back completely appalled. Soubi's suggestive word power spells were nothing short of incredible. Terrifying. And all that.. Soubi, was controllable by him. Now for whatever reason Soubi's best friend lay on the floor, succumbed to the word spells.
Soubi faced the scene again, "He was overexerting himself, too stressed. Confused." Soubi explained. "I can't reveal the situation to him without hurting him. The best I could do.."
Ritsuka looked down at the sleeping figure. He was relieved Soubi only put him to sleep to protect him and keep him calm.
Ritsuka stepped closer, over Kio's body, and wrapped his arms around Soubi's neck. "Soubi.. Somehow it will be okay."