Disclaimer: I do not own Tsubasa, neither do i own the starting of this story.
Warning: THIS ENTIRE STORY IS YAOI/ BxB. DO NOT PROCEED IF THIS IS NOT WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR.
LOTS OF ANGST AND RAPE/ NON CON. BE-WARNED.
Chapter 5: Mild Disturbing Signs
Red eyes shot open and those caroused hands immediately reached out to grab Souhi as he sprang up into a sitting position.
Those sharp eyes darted around for any signs of danger. For a brief moment, Kurogane wondered what exactly was it that woke him up from his sleep.
Then rustling of bedsheets sounded and his attention immediately turned to the blonde sleeping just across the room.
The idiot's just having a dream..
Kurogane closed his eyes once again attempt to go back to sleep.
But this time, before a strange flowering sound snapped his eyes open and those red eyes dart back to the blonde.
Is he having a nightmare?
The muttering became more distinct and so did the rustling sound of the bedsheets.
I'm tired.. Why must he disturb my sleep now?
Kurogane sighed. He had a tiring match this afternoon that he even forgot the blonde was coming back from his punishment that evening.
At first he was pretty worried so he went to the parade square to visit him just before dinner to bring him some food and warm clothes since it could get quite chilly at night. He had also wanted to console the mage and reassure him that he only have to stay there for a night. But the moment he saw the pale face light up and smile at the sight of him just made his blood boiled that he decided that he couldn't be bothered.
It was so obvious that he had not learnt his lesson.
But frankly speaking, when he first came back into the tent, the blonde had actually looked pretty pale. Kurogane assumed that his body must have been unable to handle the long hours of hot sun in the day then the slightly freezing cold at night.
True to his hypothesis, that night, Fai ran a high fever through the night, vomiting a few times.
Recalling the events that have happened thus far and seeing how the blonde had just recovered from his fever, Kurogane decided to get out of his bed and check on the blonde.
Beads of perspiration hung upon the pale face and a slight frown etched upon those blonde brows, causing his own brows to frown just so slightly.
Looks like a pretty bad nightmare..
"Hey.. Wake up.." Kurogane growled, nudging the blonde slightly in attempt to wake him up.
But the blonde remained fast asleep, the frown upon his brows deepened as beads of perspiration which was emerging begun rolling down the sides of his face and down his neck.
As though the nightmare turned for the worse, Fai begun to toss and thrashed on his bed as though he was desperately trying to fight off somebody. His breathing was sharp and rugged as though he had difficulty breathing.
"FAI!" Kurogane growled, grabbing the blonde in attempt to stop him and wake him up. But the blonde seemed to be be fast asleep, unable to escape from his nightmare. A pang of anxiety now shot up his spine as his thoughts ran wild.
Why can't he wake up?
What is wrong with him?
He's usually a light sleeper..
Just as his movement got larger almost to the point of hitting the worry-striken raven, a loud gasp escaped from those pale lips.
"! *!¤®Àß ¬¢#$~&!"
Those black eyes shot open unseeing as his body jerked up into a sitting position, taking the raven by surprise.
"It's ok! It's just a dream.." Kurogane grunted as grabbed the blonde by his shoulder, stopping the male from thrashing at the same time, giving him a reassuring shake.
As though finally hearing his callings, Fai's blue eyes traveled to meet his red ones.
"Kuro~" He muttered so gently.
Is he finally awake?
But before he could conclude what exactly have happened to the blonde, all of a sudden, a heavy head fell onto his chest.
It was as though all energy left the blonde and the lifeless body slumped forward back into a dead sleep.
Kurogane froze stiff in the position for a moment, not knowing what to do.
When he got out of his trace, he gently lift the blonde's head up and tuck him back into his bed.
Very gently, he stood up, trying his best not the disturb the blonde's sleep. But the moment he left contact with the blonde, those pale brows begun to frown. He didn't even need to walk two steps to see the blonde started to toss in his sleep once again.
It was as though the nightmare he was having just minutes ago had came back to plague him again.
Worry ceased the raven as he walked back to wake the blonde up.
But just his hands got into contact with the blonde, his arms were overwelmed by a huge force which dragged him downwards.
"HEY!" He grunted slightly taken aback by his sudden movement.
For a moment he thought the blonde had played a prank on him and his temper immediately flared.
But just as he was about to give a hard shove at the blonde, a small but quiet snore traveled into his ears.
Red eyes traveled down to double confirm..
As though trying to reaffirmed him that he was really sleeping, the blonde grunted slightly seemingly letting out a sigh of relief.
Kurogane gave a sigh, letting the rest of the steam out.
The blonde was really fast asleep.
Those red eyes continued down to see Fai's pale hands grabbing onto his arm as though it was the only thing that could keep him alive..
Kurogane gave a another sigh as he reached out to wipe off the layer of sweat upon Fai's forehead.
To be honest, he loved his own bed and the single sized bed had proved to be a tad too small for the two of them. But today, after all that had happened, the blonde seemed to be too vulnerable to be left alone..
"Just for today.." Kurogane grunted, climbing into the bed to feel the grip around his arms tightened as though the blonde had fear that he was going to leave again.
"I'm here.." He cooed, giving a gentle pat on the blonde's head as he attempted make himself comfortable for the night. But before he could find a good position, the blonde's head had already found his way in front of his chest and his body all curved up against him.
"Guess I'll just leave tomorrow morning before he wak.." He sighed, as those heavy lids closed upon those red eyes.
A dreamless night found the two of them.
xXx
The gentle rays of sunlight streamed into the flaps of the tent, landing upon the tan skin of a certain warrior. Kurogane yawned, stretching himself after a night coiled up against the mage. The tall man paused in action, in a futile attempt to retrieve details of his dream he was having just minutes ago.
All of a sudden, the pair of red eyes shot open in alarm. "FUCK!" He grunted in disgusted at his carelessness. He was supposed to go back to his own bed before dawn to prevent awkwardness from the blonde.
After all, it must be strange to wake up finding your travelling partner cuddling so close to you on your bed. He had never failed to do so for the past two days ever since he found the mage shivering in fright in the middle of the night, seemingly still trapped in his own nightmare. Well, maybe except for today.
Wait. Cuddle? Kurogane frowned stop short in his thought. No. He DID NOT cuddle the magician. He was only there because the idiot had looked so vulnerable and frightened. He just could not leave him alone. It was only right that he stayed beside him. Yes that's right. He was merely being protective of him. And there's nothing wrong in being protective of his own companion. Right?
"Wait. Where the fuck.." His frown deepened upon realising that Fai was no longer sleeping beside him.
Kurogane quickly shook himself awake. "That bloody idiot. Where did he go so early in the morning?" It was barely 6 although the bright morning sun had already shone through the flaps of their tent. Training would not commence until 7 today.
"Fuck" He swore again before dismissing his concern. "He's old enough to take care of himself." The blonde should be able to take of himself. The raven attempted to convince himself. But just as he said that, the image from the previous week flashed across his mind.
"Something must be bothering him.."He mumbled. Despite the strange nudging at the back of his head, Kurogane shrugged and headed for breakfast instead.
Loud chattering filled his ears before he even stepped into the tent. Consisting of a huge empty tent and a long side- table overloaded with food, as expected the dining area was littered with people.
Kurogane automatically took a quick glance around before proceeding to get his breakfast. "Nope. Not here." He made a mental note to himself. Throughout the entire morning, Kurogane found himself unconsciously scanning the area, attempting to find the mage. However, he was nowhere in sight.
"Kuro-pii!"
Out of nowhere, a distinctive voice rang out from behind and he turned around to see a jumpy blonde grinning at him. Kurogane let out a sigh of relief which was unnatural of him. Nevertheless, he could not resist the urge to growl at him. Fai was irritating as always, insisting on calling him nicknames that he hates so much.
"Where did you go this morning?" Kurogane barked, stopping himself short upon seeing the clueless face which was still grinning away while he conjured a whole string of gibberish.
"¨ƠºÀ¤®Àß ¬¢¦ÞÄ µµ Kuro-rooo~ ßÞ≠¥÷ …"
Right.. He had totally forgotten that the idiot could not understand him.
"Kuro-pon~¨º©À Þ™≠¥÷ µƠµ ¤®∞ÀΩαß ¬¢¦ÞÄ …"
His temple leapt a notch or two before he completely snapped. "ALL RIGHT! I HAVE NO FUCKING IDEA WHAT YOU'RE SAYING SO JUST SHUT UP ALRIGHT!" He boomed as he slapped his hand right onto the mage mouth preventing him from talking any further.
Buffff-ppfff ~ Kurogane had no idea how but sounds continued to be emitted from the already-covered-mouth of Fai. The raven could feel the palm of his hand getting wet from all the saliva Fai had been splitting. He could swear that the stupid mage was doing it on purpose.
Just as Kurogane was about to send a flying fist into Fai's face for being such a nuisance, he spotted something that stood out from on the blonde of the mage's hair. It was a lady bug. Kurogane had no idea how he could have missed it in the first place.
"º©À ÞÞÄ" Knowing how the stupid idiot would have reacted if he found out there was a bug on his head, Kurogane stopped short in his tracks and reached out towards the magician's face in attempt to remove it.
For the shortest time, his usual slightly high-pitched voice rang out in the woods before it was cut short by a sudden loud slapping sound.
To his surprise, the mage suddenly stopped his blabbering, shutting his eyes in reflex as he jerked his head away from his approaching hand, slapping it away from his face.
"STAY STILL YOU IDIOT!" Kurogane growled, grabbing the blonde by his shoulders before reaching out to grab the bug out of his hair. Each motion was done deliberately to ensure that the blonde knew exactly what he was trying to do. Despite his ultra-intended motion, the silent shudder coming from the blonde was unmistakable.
"®ÀߦÞÄ ¬£¤¨¢ Kuro-chan!" Upon seeing the bug, the mage then let out a giggle, grinning sheepishly before signalling to the training grounds and scuttled off in a split second.
There was no mistake about it. That fake smile of his could have fooled anybody but not him. Kurogane watched as the slim figure joined in the training crowd before looking down at the back of him hand. The impact of the slap from was still stinging.
"Hmm.." Kurogane narrowed his eyes in suspicion.
For the entire afternoon training, Kurogane found himself keeping a close watch on Fai, so much that he got hit a few times. It was unlike him. He had always been attentive during training. But this time, he could not help it. Fai's instinctive reaction to his approaching hand had bugged him. His reaction was simply.. strange.
In that few hours, Kurogane noticed a few things. And he did not like what he saw. Maybe it was just his imagination, or maybe he was just feeling paranoid. But eyes of the Yasha men seemed to follow the blonde like a hawk wherever he went. A small fluttering feeling swirled in his stomach.
Kurogane shrugged, brushing the unease off. Even though the mage seemed to keep his silence when there were others around, he was still pretty much his old self when there was just the two of them. There was no sign of discomfort or unease. He was still his goofy self, beaming away as usual. Maybe the soldiers were still overwhelmed by his unique appearance and behaviour. His blonde hair and lean figure did stand out in this sea of tanned, muscular, black-headed men. The men of Yasha certainly looked and think more like him than Fai ever did or will.
"Urgh. You son of a.." He growled as another blow landed on his face. He had been too distracted. This was the second hit by his opponent. Sure, the guy did look threatening with his huge biceps and arm muscles, but that meant nothing to Kurogane. Given a monster, he would still not allow a single finger to touch him, let alone a direct hit.
Kurogane hissed in disgruntlement, annoyed at himself for losing his concentration. "Forget about that idiot." What he needs to do right now is focus and get even. He rubbed his jaw and grinned. Feeling the sudden rush of adrenaline, he gripped his wooden sword as he lunged forward to attack.
Smirking in contentment, Kurogane watched as the seven-foot man lie flat on the ground, unconscious. He could not help but smile. That man, Rikkudo, was a tough opponent, refusing to admit defeat even though he knew that he was no match for him. He just kept standing up every time Kurogane knocked him down. Kurogane would then proceed to land him on the floor again. The practice duel lasted for almost an hour. Finally, it ended when the persistent guy was knocked unconscious. Kurogane respected his devotion in training and his drive to win.
Satisfied, Kurogane relaxed his battle-worn shoulders and headed for shelter under the tree. The duel was the last part of training for the day. He wanted to get some rest. Letting his muscles relax, his eyes begun to wander as he gulped water to hydrate his body.
All of a sudden, his muscles tensed, realising that his companion had once again disappeared.
Cursing under his breath, he searched the area, only to find the blonde leaning against a tree, alone in the far corner, staring into space. Kurogane walked up to him, glaring. That idiot never fails to worry him.
"Fai!" He snapped, reaching his hand out to shake the magician out of his trance. Fai seemed to be in a world of his own, oblivious to his approach.
Things happened so fast that everything seemed like a blur.
Kurogane saw Fai's eyes widened in shock the moment he reached out and instinctively retaliate. Slapping his hands away from him, Fai twisted his body elegantly out into space before extending his arm swiftly towards his attacker's face for the kill.
Kurogane only ducked in time to prevent the weapon of a limb from striking his face as the mage's arm cut dangerously a few inches above his head. The moment the arm missed its target, a fist came flying in his direction.
"What the hell do you think you are doing?" Kurogane growled as he caught the flying fist and grabbed his wrists before Fai could launch another attack on him.
Kurogane watched as the pale face in front of him turned from one that belonged to a merciless killer to one in shocked as reality dawn upon him. In another split second, the stunned look was wiped off as the usual sheepish grin replaced it.
Fai laughed awkwardly, muttering some incoherent gibberish while punching him lightly in the chest. As though trying to tell him that what happened just a moment ago was meant to be a joke. Then without warning, he turned around and skipped off, leaving Kurogane bewildered, standing alone in the clearing.
"Kurogane-sama." A small nudge at his side snapped him out of his bewilderment as he turned around. A small kid stood behind him. Since when did he stand behind him? It was the messenger boy, Ryu.
"What do you want?" He growled in annoyance. Damn kid. He was going to chase after him and demand an explanation.
"War Master Mizuro has instructed me to pass you a message." The kid shivered, backing off slightly as he spoke in a small voice."He wants me to tell you that there will be a meeting the day after tomorrow."
"What's it got to do with me?" Kurogane narrowed his eyes. Usually a meeting between the camp council will take place every two days.
"The War Master demands your presence."
"Mizuro did?" His frown deepened. A small soldier like him would have no part to play in such meetings.
"'You must come.' That's what he said."
Questions jostled in his mind. His mind wandered from Fai to Ryu to the people in the camp to the meeting and finally back to Fai.
One thing for sure, something was definitely wrong.