~Night 5 - Mafuyu~

Kei watched Mafuyu toss and turn, mumbling or screaming. He sat on the kimono's, next to Mafuyu. He held Mafuyu's hand, trying to comfort him. Mafuyu woke up, and blinked. "Kei?"
Kei smiled and hugged Mafuyu, sighing softly when Mafuyu hugged him back. They sat there, resting for a moment. "I feel so bad..." Kei mumbled, reading over the slips, trying to understand why Aoichi wanted everyone who wanted to help him dead. Aoichi, he was tortured, neglected, and hurt for others. Kei didn't get it. Isn't this what he wanted? Not pity, not fake-love. True understanding, to have someone so close that they were bound by ROPE, literally. Even if he felt sorry for the tattered soul, what should he do about it? Aoichi made Kei watch as he unleashed his wrath on Mafuyu, Leaving bruises and cuts on the pale flesh, causing Mafuyu to be almost useless. Either way, Kei wouldn't leave his side again.

One of the encounters with Aoichi caused Mafuyu to have something torn in his leg, causing him to limp. Kei had to look away from the painful sight and walk slow for Mafuyu to keep up. "Hey..."
"Hm?" "Sorry...If I slow you down..." "Its okay..." "If you want me too, Ill stay here, you can find out what is going to happen." "I know what will happen if I leave, Aoichi will come and take this as a chance to finish what he started, I'm not leaving." The argument stopped there. Mafuyu leaned on Kei, closing his eyes. "I feel so useless." "Yeah..." "Kei?" "Hm?" "Thank you..."
Kei looked down at Mafuyu, Officially seeing how weak he really did look. Kei looked away, biting his lip. 'Why, Why Mafuyu?' Kei thought, taking a shaky breath and wrapped his arm around Mafuyu, trying to comfort him. Mafuyu hummed slightly, telling Kei that he was fine. 'He's not. Your not there for him.' Kei felt like punching himself because of his own thoughts. He looked down again at the younger and smaller man in his arms. He would have panicked if Mafuyu's chest wasn't falling and rising softly. Eyelids closed, lips parted, bruised porcelain skin. It was looking at a beaten up doll, a small and frail, weak and beautiful thing. Kei sighed and laid Mafuyu back down, letting him rest.

Kei laid down next to Mafuyu, staring at the bruised face, purple and blue splotches covered the pale cheeks and jaw. The worst part, was having to watch. When Aoichi raised his arm and struck Mafuyu,
causing Mafuyu to curl into a protective ball. If that wasn't enough, Aoichi looked at him, as if saying, 'This is what he gets when you leave him.' Guilt always stared him right in the face,
and not just stared, mentally slapped him across the face and told him to start taking care of the people that matter most. He knew what mattered, he knew what he loves. He looked back at the pale black orbs staring RIGHT back at him. He jumped, but stopped to realize that it was only Mafuyu. Did he make a sound to wake Mafuyu up? After all, the raven haired male was a very light sleeper.

"Your thinking again." Said line stopped his train of thoughts to look at the poor, pale beauty in front of him. "So...Maybe I am." Kei said, and closed his eyes, Guilt written all over his face.
"Its not your fault." So many things Kei wanted to say at that moment, just so many thing flew through his head.

'It is, I leave you all the time.'

'I let Aoichi get you.'

'I'm weak.'

'I cant protect anyone.'

'I love you.'

Kei blinked and shook his head, trying to get that thought out of his head. "I...uh...well..." Mafuyu tilted his head, and he looked like a doll for real now, as if he were an abused doll, by a very greedy and selfish young child who thought there was something better then this beautiful thing. Mafuyu looked so tired, weak, and beautiful. Kei kissed Mafuyu's bruises, causing the smaller one to shiver.
"Sorry." "Its alright." Kei and Mafuyu had their last rest before they both stood, (Well, Kei stood, Mafuyu needed Kei to pull him up due to the torn muscle in his leg.) When insane, skin crawling laughter sounded the almost empty room. Kei held Mafuyu close by instinct, looking around for the spirit that wanted them all dead. Kei felt protective of the shaking 23-year-old in his arms. "Dont worry, I wont let him hurt you again." Kei whispered, holding the quivering male closer. So much ran through Kei's head, trying to find out what to do.

'Mafuyu, protect Mafuyu.'

'THE NECKLACE!'

Kei grabbed his necklace, looked at it, then at Mafuyu. Mafuyu seemed to be slipping in and out of fainting. "MAFUYU!"

Timed slowed again.

Kei got the necklace around Mafuyu's neck, and Mafuyu's bruises seemed to heal from the heart locket dropping over his heart.

Aoichi stood before them, reaching out to strike Mafuyu, but a bright light stopped him.

Everything went back to a normal pace, and Kei pulled Mafuyu back, both landing on the floor. "Ow..."

Kei and Mafuyu gaped at the two figures by the bright light, one a very familiar to Kei.

"Yuu?"