Chapter 16

The students were all in a state of panic as they pushed past each other in the hall, the siren blaring through the speakers and echoing throughout the academy. As Yusei and Atem joined the hordes of students rushing out of the hall, they could vaguely hear the announcement over the speakers.

"All students please make your way to your dorms in an orderly fashion. Nobody is to be outside of their rooms until further notice. This is not a drill, nobody is to be outside of their rooms until further notice."

As the large group of students pushed and shoved against each other to get out of the door, Yusei felt Atem's hand get yanked away from him. When he turned his head, having just been pushed through the door, he saw that Atem was stuck in a section of the crowd who were heading in the opposite direction to their dorm. "Atem!" he called out, trying to push past all the students who were shoving past him, but it was increasingly difficult to make it anywhere with the amount of people there was.

"I'll meet you back at our room!" The man replied, allowing himself to get pulled with the crowd. Yusei cursed, before he stopped fighting against the crowd pushing against him, and he moved with the flow of panicked students towards his own dorm. As he moved though, he took note of the horrible sinking feeling in his stomach; he had no idea what was going on, and that was always one of his biggest fears in a situation like this. He needed to know what was happening, and he wouldn't find out if he went straight to his dorm. So, Yusei grabbed hold of one of the pillars and pulled himself out of the crowd of students, allowing himself to take a breath, wondering how to figure out what was going on. As luck would have it, just across from him, in the opposite alcove, Dartz was talking to Ms Mazaki in a hushed voice. Nobody rushing past would have caught what he was saying, but Yusei's heightened hearing zoned in on it with ease.

"There's no way this would have happened without inside help," Dartz was murmuring. "I want background checks on every student, professor and faculty member here. Nobody gets left out, nobody is safe from scrutiny."

As Yusei's stomach dropped down to the floor, he jumped straight back into the crowd of students, now feeling the panic unfolding in his stomach at a much faster rate than before. This was bad. This was really, really bad. It was settled then as he rushed along with the other students: he had to get back to his room, now.

…

Atem had managed to break free of the crowd once they'd reached the east wing of the Academy, where other student's dorms were located. He was frustrated that he'd been pushed in the wrong direction, but he moved back towards the west wing as fast as he could manage, still having to push through panicked students. What on earth was going on here?

It must have been at least another ten minutes by the time he reached their dorm, and all of the students had already reached their rooms, leaving the hallway empty. He reached the door to his and Yusei's room, and tried the handle. It didn't open.

"Yusei? Are you in there?" he asked through the door. The alarm was still wailing through the speakers, but even so, the man could hear the sound of drawers opening and closing, of things being thrown about. "Yusei!" he called out that time, knocking on the door. There was no response. Who could be in there if it wasn't Yusei? What were they doing in their room? He began to grow worried, "Yusei, what's going on?" he asked, baffled as to why he was locked out, trying not to think of the worst. "Let me in," he urged. He then heard the sound of paper tearing, followed by a thump. This wasn't right; something was very seriously wrong. What the hell was going on?

"Yusei!" he begged. It's just the siren, he thought to himself, he probably can't hear me. He pounded his fist on the door then, "Yusei, let me in!" he urged. The man must have heard him that time.

Still no response. His heart beat picked up as worry set into his bones. What's going on? Who was in his room? Where was Yusei? Hand still resting against the door, he dropped his head onto it, trying not to think of the worst. Any minute, the door will open and all will be-

"Atem."

Crimson eyes snapped open at the almost inaudible voice, as the man lifted his head off of the door. "Yusei," he said, relieved to finally get a response. "Please, let me in. What's going on?"

There was a short silence. "I can't."

Atem was taken back, and he looked at the door in disbelief, "You can't? What do you mean? Yusei, open the door. Whatever this is, I can help." He tried the handle again, feeling his heart beating even faster than before. It was fine, everything was going to be—

Yusei's voice sounded strained, "You can't."

Atem was silent for a moment, jaw hanging open at the closed door. "Yusei—"

"I have to go."

Crimson eyes widened in panic, "What? No, Yus—"

"I'm sorry, Atem."

Atem pounded his hand on the door then, "Wait, Yusei!" It was no use. Atem heard the sound of the window opening. His heart pounded, and he moved to do the only knew he knew he could. He pressed his hand against the door handle and charged his semblance straight into it.

The door burst open, the handle having been blown to pieces, and Atem instantly darted across the room to the window that was now open, ignoring the quickly scrawled note that was sitting on his bed. Ducking his head out the window, he could see Yusei making his way down the tree, and despite the fact that Atem knew he couldn't climb trees well, he jumped out the window onto the branch. He'd tried to move as quickly as possible, calling out to the man below him, but Yusei was fast and agile, and was almost at the bottom. Taking a risk, Atem tried jumping down further than he had been, but he slipped in his footing, and fell. Plummeting down through the tree, Atem was knocked by wide branches and scratched by smaller ones as he shielded his face. The violent smack of the branches came to an end when he hit the ground with a thud, successfully knocking the air out of him.

Atem gasped for air as he rolled onto his stomach, and he saw a pair of feet land beside him. "Yus—"

"Atem, please." The familiar voice begged him to understand, as the man on the ground struggled to his feet. When he looked up at those blue eyes, they were filled with so many emotions it took Atem a moment of staring to comprehend even one of them. Guilt, sadness, regret…

"What is going on?" he begged in return, his own eyes pleading with Yusei to think rationally. Atem saw the backpack that Yusei had thrown over his shoulder, his weapon sitting on his forearm over the dress shirt, and his heart pounded painfully. "Why are you trying to leave?" His voice sounded weak and breathless-partly from his descend to the ground and partly from the way Yusei was looking at him.

He looked like he was in pain, as he shook his head, avoiding Atem's gaze. "I can't tell you."

A flash of anger then reared its head as Atem advanced on him, "Why the fuck not?! I thought—" he cut himself off then, as he looked at Yusei, wondering what exactly it was that he had thought. With everything that had happened between them in the past few months, Atem had thought…that Yusei had nothing left to hide.

This however, suggested otherwise. "I thought…"

Yusei was looking at the ground, "Please, go back inside. You can't get caught out here," and he turned to walk away. If he thought Atem was going to just let him walk away though, he was sadly mistaken. The man all but stomped his way in front of Yusei, knowing very well that he could just disappear and be gone for good, but for some reason he hadn't yet-Atem needed to take advantage of this until he did.

"Now just wait one fucking second," he stared, staring up at Yusei through narrowed eyes. Anger seemed to have taken over from denial and disbelief, and now it was burning in Atem's eyes. "Does this mean-are you a part of whatever is going on?" he demanded. He could easily recall the countless times they'd heard rumours of students who had cheated their way in, didn't belong. That made a whole lot of sense if they did so in order to stage something like this. Why they would do it though-Atem had no clue.

Yusei blinked at him, "I-no, I have no idea what's going on," he replied, hoping Atem would believe him. "But I can't stay." He'd then tried to walk around the man, but Atem stepped in front of him again. Crimson eyes pleaded with him to be honest.

"Please, Yusei…" Atem said, having calmed down a small amount, "Why are you doing this?"

It was so hard to look into those eyes, then. Those wide, crimson eyes that he'd seen staring up at him earlier that evening, filled with nothing but fondness. Now, he saw fear, which must have been mirrored in his own.

Yusei didn't answer, and a moment later Atem's eyes widened in panic, having guessed what Yusei was going to do just before he did it.

"No!" Atem lunged forwards, grabbing hold of the man's wrist just as he saw Yusei's semblance kicking in. The force of it had caused Yusei to stumble, and he'd barely had enough time to regain his feet before Atem had kissed him, still grasping his wrist as tight as he could manage. Instead of vanishing so he could sneak away though, Yusei was caught by Atem's lips. The kiss was fierce and passionate, like a last resort to get Yusei to change his mind, like Atem could coax him back with those delicious lips of his; draw him in with caress of a hand on his cheek.

And it almost, almost worked. It was one of the hardest things Yusei had had to do, but he pulled away and out of Atem's arms, and by the time the man had opened his eyes, he saw nothing. The Faunus had put up his semblance-Atem had no way of knowing where he was, or where he was going. His throat began to burn as the realisation of it all started to sink into his gut, and the word came out as a last broken plea, "Yusei…"

He then felt soft lips press against his forehead, and a very quiet murmur. "I'm so sorry, Atem."

As soon as the sensation disappeared from his forehead, Atem lunged forwards, trying to grab hold of what he couldn't see, but the man was out of his grasp, and then he was gone. Atem stared out at the trees surrounding him, trying to catch a glimpse of something, anything; but there was nothing. Not even a sound. Yusei was gone.

…

Yusei had no idea how long he'd been out here-minutes, hours, it all blurred in his head now. It hadn't taken him very long to find out the cause for the alarm; the grounds of the academy were flooding with Grimm, all coming from the direction of the main gate. Yusei didn't have time to wonder how they got here, he didn't think at all in fact, he simply engaged, thankful for the distraction from the night's events.

It was just like every time he had escaped into the night, as he took down Grimm after Grimm, his shirt slowly beginning to stick to him from sweat and blood. As usual, his mood sent the Grimm flocking in his direction, and Yusei ferociously charged at each one of them. His pulse was dangerously high as he turned and faced a Beowulf, as it growled at him, standing several feet taller than the huntsman in training.

Yusei charged at it, dodging its swipe and cutting through flesh with his arm guard, but he didn't move out of its path fast enough, and he received a blow that sent him sprawling back into a tree. His breathing was heavy, and he was aware that he was losing strength and energy, but he didn't care. He wanted to feel a new kind of pain, and this challenge granted him every opportunity for that. Anything that could stop him from thinking of what he'd just left behind, he would welcome with open arms.

Every time he was thrown down, he stood back up again. Every time he took down a Grimm, another would follow. It was endless. His heart pounded and his lungs begged for air, but he wouldn't stop, couldn't stop. He was so close to the edge of Beacon now, could see the fence in the distance, see where the gate had been blown open. He could hear the sound of the professors fighting off the Grimm elsewhere, but he stayed where he was, planting his feet in front of an Ursa.

The beast roared and began to charge at him, and Yusei moved to swing into a tree with his wire, but the Ursa swiped out at it, and Yusei was thrown back to the ground. He was getting too slow. He felt so tired, but he knew he could push himself further. As the Ursa tried to swipe at him again, Yusei rolled out of the way, before jumping into a crouch beside another tree. He knew he could push himself further, but could he really be bothered to?

Th exhaustion was beginning to set in. Yusei was no longer attacking but just being attacked, as he tried to dodge every swipe the Ursa took at him. A claw caught at the sleeve of his shirt and tore a large section up his arm, revealing the rosette's beneath. It wasn't until he felt the sting that he realised it had caught his skin, as well. Yusei tried another tactic, then. He began to run.

No matter what he did, he was always running. Not just from Grimm, but from everything. All of his life, he was constantly running. Evading people, responsibilities, punishments. It must have been the only thing he was good at, he thought bitterly. If he'd ever had the guts to stop and think about what he was doing, he might have noticed that this habit was linked to his fear of being abandoned. After all, he'd never be the one left behind if he were the one who ran first.

And what was he leaving behind this time?

There was his first fatal mistake. The thought of Atem, the man who kissed him on his birthday, who bandaged up his shoulder without asking invading questions, who held him while he unraveled on the floor of their room, who danced with him earlier that evening…that's what he was leaving behind.

And oh, did that thought hurt.

In the next instant, Yusei had glanced behind him, to see the Ursa closing in on him as he tried to weave through the trees, blood now running down his arm and stinging as stray branches swiped past him. He had been trying to think of a plan-of possibly swinging around a tree and coming up behind it-but his thoughts were stopped short.

His foot had caught on a tree root.

Yusei put his hands out to try and break his fall, and he tumbled to the ground, heart pounding with fear as he skidded to a stop and stared wide eyed at the Ursa that was tearing towards him. He'd already made a huge mistake. Not a moment ago, not earlier tonight, not even when he decided to come to Beacon. He'd made so many mistakes. Maybe it was time he took the repercussions of it. Could he even be bothered to move? Where would he even go once he escaped Beacon? Could he manage to turn his life around again?

All of his answers were giving him more reason to stay on the ground. That was it. He was giving up.

Yusei closed his eyes.

.

"Are you a fucking idiot?!" The old voice echoed through his head. Yusei's eyes snapped open; why on earth was he remembering this now? "What kind of death wish do you have, huh?"

I don't have a death wish, he thought to himself. I just can't be bothered anymore.

"If you stopped acting on impulse and actually used your brain you wouldn't make so many stupid mistakes. What good would it do if you went in there and risked your life, huh? Nothing. All of that talk of changing the way Faunus were treated in the world? Gone. Useless. Now get up and start thinking for once!"

Yusei pressed his eyes shut. He had no idea why after all this time he was thinking of him. He had no idea how he managed to stand up, or how he had the strength to throw up his semblance one more time, just as the Ursa charged towards him. He had no idea how he managed, or why he was doing it, but the moment the Ursa fell to the ground, a large slice straight through its middle, he realised he knew the answer to all of those questions. It was the same reason why his throat was burning and his chest was aching. The same reason why he couldn't bear looking back, of thinking how wonderful the night had been before this. The same reason why he couldn't force himself through that gate.

…

Atem lay on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. It had been hours since Yusei left. He hadn't changed out of his clothes from the dance. He'd gotten as far as discarding his blazer and tie on the floor before collapsing onto the sheets. He felt empty.

The note Yusei had left was still sitting in his hand. He absently glanced at it again, as he had done over a dozen times already.

'I'm so sorry Atem, I have to go. I can't say why. Please forgive me. I'm so sorry.'

Finally, Atem managed to scrunch it up in his hand. The paper crumpled within his fingers, and he threw it into the darkness of the room. The alarm had stopped sounding hours ago, but Atem knew whatever danger had caused it hadn't disappeared. He could hear it. The sound of the Grimm outside was hard to miss. It had grown weaker in the last hour or so though, like they were being driven away, one by one.

He let out a deep sigh as he rolled over onto his side, staring at the wall. How had such a wonderful night turned so sour? Up until that last moment when they were out on the balcony, Atem had imagined that the dance would conclude, they'd lazily stroll back to their room together, and as soon as the door closed he could imagine Yusei pushing him up against it. They would kiss, and their hands would roam, and their breaths would be shallow, until the moment when Atem dragged him over to the bed to follow through with his previous promise, and they'd collapse down onto the sheets together.

He pressed his eyes shut. As nice as it was thinking of what might have happened, it would do him no good now. With the presence of that thought though, he couldn't help but think of what he had been so close to admitting a few hours ago. The words had been on the tip of his tongue, and staring up at Yusei, they would have spilled from his lips so easily, had he not been interrupted.

I think I'm falling in love with you.

It hurt. With everything they had been through, everything they'd done together in the months that they had been here, every ounce of trust that Atem had had in Yusei, it hurt a whole damn lot.

He always thought that if something like this happened, he would cry. Yusei meant an incredible amount to him, and it was unbearable to think that the man had just left, with no explanation and barely a proper goodbye; but he couldn't cry. He just lay there, unable to sleep, unable to still his mind, which was just running in constant circles. He never thought his bed would feel so empty. He rolled onto his stomach and sighed into the pillow. God, he felt pathetic. What was he going to do without Yusei?

It was half an hour later when Atem heard the sound of something hitting the window. At first he thought it was a tree branch, but then it happened again, sounding more purposeful. It has to be wishful thinking, he thought to himself. Even so, he still got up from the bed, tired feet dragging across the floor as he moved.

Once he reached the window, he opened it and instantly felt a rush of wind, howling as it blew into the room. Taking a breath, Atem poked his head out.

And there he was. Standing on a branch below the window, looking up at him through bloodshot eyes, was Yusei. Atem's heart thudded painfully in his chest. The man looked utterly disheveled. His hair was a tangle of dirt and leaves, his shirt was torn in several places and covered in blood, and he looked completely exhausted. What hurt the most though, was the look of utter defeat on his face, along with the tear tracks down his cheeks. It was the worst that Atem had ever seen him.

He could barely manage one word. "Yusei…"

The Faunus visibly swallowed, "I know I don't deserve everything you've done for me, and I certainly don't deserve your forgiveness," Yusei began, his gaze unwavering from the man above him, his voice barely sounding even. "But I know you deserve so much more than what I've given you, and you deserve an explanation," he said, before adding, "If you're willing to hear it."