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Chapter nineteen
It was lunch time soon enough as Yuui was taking off his apron to take his lunch break. He yawned and rubbed his eyes a bit. The morning rush was busier than usual and it didn't help that he barely slept a wink the night before. Though he already knew why.
"Waiting on Syaoron?" Watanuki asked as he stirred a large kettle of stew.
"Kind of." Yuui then yawned again.
"Kind of?"
"Watanuki, I'm nodding off at the moment so don't expect full answers from me until after break." Yuui rubbed his eyes; a bit irritated.
"Go in the back and sleep then. If he comes by I'll get you." He rolled his eyes.
Yuui grumbled as he waved at the young protégé before going into the back. While he was at it, he should find a long stick; long enough so he can whack certain people like piñatas. But hey, a person can dream, right?
The back room held two couches, a coffee table and a small television for those on long shifts wanting a temporary break or in Yuui's case a nap.
Yawning, Yuui practically limped his way to one of the couches as he just dropped on top of it and just dozed off right then and there. He was glad though that he doesn't snore; that would have been embarrassing.
Watanuki let him sleep for half an hour before a frazzled looking Syoaron came in and he asked him to wait at his usual seat before he left to wake his boss.
By the time Watanuki gently shook him awake, Yuui was less irritated and a bit content. Sitting up, he yawned. "Oh hey, Watanuki." He rubbed his eyes with a smile.
"Syaoron's here." He grinned, glad to see someone was feeling better.
"Oh, really?" Yuui blushed a bit. "O-Oh, okay then. I'll be out in a minute." He quickly stood up and tried to make himself look presentable. Not exactly a good image if your hair's plastered to the side and a bit of drool on the corner of your mouth.
"You look fine." Watanuki turned and left, having dishes to do.
"Glad to see you're checking me out, Watanuki!" Yuui joked before going back to the front.
"Oh please." He sighed, thinking he never got a break.
Chuckling, Yuui opened the door and saw Syaoron at his usual seat. "Syaoron~! Nice to see you again~!" He smiled brightly.
He waved in return. "You're cheery. Have a good day today?"
"So far but I have been a bit tired." Yuui rubbed the back of his head; smiling sheepishly. "And your day?"
"Busy as always. Still working on the same order I was last week." He explained before moving over to kiss a pale cheek.
Humming in delight, Yuui pulled back to Syaoron a kiss on the cheek in return. "Must be a big order. I'm starting to worry about you. Are you getting enough sleep? Are you eating enough once you get home? If not I can come over on my short breaks and give you some snacks to tide you over until the day ends..."
"I'm fine Yuui. Just labor intensive when I'm at work is all. I should be worrying about you too."
"Oh please, I'm used to this. I own the place so it's my duty to make sure it's in tip top shape and also make sure the workers are being treated fairly as well as the customers and plus I have fun making new items for the menu so it's no big deal." Yuui then yawned a bit.
"We both need breaks." He grinned. "At least we can have lunch together."
Blushing a bit, Yuui nodded. "Yeah. Speaking of, I hope brother and Kurogane are doing alright."
"Oh yeah, he was getting out today right?"
"Yeah and brother was supposed to go with him to his apartment and pick up his things before going back home." Yuui sighed. "That poor man, must have been painful to be stabbed like that."
"In the chest?" He asked as Yuui had only mentioned it to him once before.
"From what I got from brother, Kurogane was stabbed from behind." Yuui gripped his shirt tightly. "I can only assume it was surprise attack from whoever barged in his mother's home."
Syaoron shook his head. "Did they catch whoever did it?" He asked as Watanuki set down two bowls of the stew he had been working on earlier.
Thanking Watanuki briefly, Yuui shook his head. "No..." He frowned sadly. "Whoever did that to him left quickly as they came. Not much to go after either."
"Terrible. Hopefully that was a onetime thing." He said as he grabbed his spoon and began to eat.
"Oh I hope so." Yuui nodded with a reassuring smile. "The last thing anyone wants is another scare." But as soon as those words left his mouth, he looked up and suddenly the whole front windows cracked loudly before they shattered into the cafe; sending everyone inside into a panic.
Syaoron grabbed Yuui shielding him. Everyone inside ducked until it stopped raining glass everywhere, many already calling the police. Growls erupted from several customers.
Yuui didn't scream but as he opened his eyes, he saw a few black cloaked figures just outside of the cafe. While everyone was frantic and panicking, one of them had a bow and arrow with them. It loaded the arrow unto the bow and without a second hesitation aimed at the brunette and let it go of the arrow.
"No, wait!" Without thinking, Yuui pushed Syaoron out of the way; only to feel immense pain in his right shoulder. He was hit. He looked up again and saw that the cloaked figures were gone. Nothing was left behind. Gripping his injured arm, the blonde tried his best not to freak out. "W-What the...?"
"Shit, Yuui!" Syaoron scrambled back up to look at the injury. Who used a bow anymore?
Everyone was running out by then as police surrounded the building helping.
"Yuui!" Watanuki got out from behind the counter where he had been knocked back. "We can't take it out." He thoughts ran wild. "The tip might be barbed or poisoned or anything."
"Can everyone please just stop being loud? I'm trying not to go into shock here." Yuui half-joked as he took deep breaths. "It's nothing. I don't think...it was in there deep enough to cause...too much... damage..."
Watanuki glanced up to see paramedics coming in and stepped back to let them work. "Just breathe Yuui."
"Right. Um...Watanuki." Yuui chuckled. "C-Can you do me a big favor while I'm gone?"
"Anything." The paramedics had Yuui up and walking slowly out to an ambulance as they couldn't exactly lay him down.
"You know my bastard of an ex-boyfriend?" Yuui growled but had a smile. "Well, someone in his business got a hold of one of his accounts and transferred a lot of money for me in compensation in response to his evil ways. The account number's in the top drawer near the oven. Has flowers on the corners of it. Take it and get the repairs for the cafe paid for. If they ask, I gave you permission to do so. Please?"
Watanuki stared in shock for a moment before he nodded. "It'll be back up and running as soon as possible."
"Thank you." Yuui smiled before the paramedics got him into the ambulance. He looked at Syaoron; almost pleading him to come with. He wasn't sure if the other would follow.
Syaoron didn't need to be asked as he was right behind him.
As the back doors to the vehicle were closed, the paramedics were already working on his wound while they are heading towards the hospital. "...Syaoron..." Yuui spoke up a bit weakly. "A...Are you hurt?"
"Maybe a bruise, but otherwise fine." He said holding the blonde's hand.
"That's good..." Yuui smiled a bit. "Are you mad though?"
"I'm terrified Yuui, not mad." He shook his head as he looked to see them injecting the blonde with something.
Wincing a bit, Yuui's expression softened. "You tired to protect me and...I pushed you away...I'm sorry."
"Don't apologize, everything happened too fast and you did what you could."
"Please...don't tell Kurogane..." Yuui was starting to drift off as whatever they injected him with was putting him at ease. "It's not...his fault...they came back...but...it's not...his fault..."
He nodded in understanding he wouldn't say anything to the dragon.
Smiling gratefully, Yuui ignored what the workers who were helping him had to say. "Brother...deserves to be happy...and Kurogane looked happy too...I can...understand that..."
"It's alright Yuui. Everything's going to be okay."
"Oh Syaoron..." Yuui chuckled but it had a sort of bitterness in it. "I have an arrow stuck on my shoulder. Do I even...look okay?" He started taking some deep breaths. "Y-You don't even look okay. Face it..." He paused to breathe a bit. "This...is not what I call okay..."
"But it will be." He argued.
"Just wait until brother finds out..." Yuui smiled sadly. "Then you'll see what I mean..."
"It'll be okay Yuui." He knew it wasn't as bad as it could have been and the others would find out eventually as well.
"...You say things so easily...how can you be sure?" Yuui asked; almost half-asleep.
"Because I'm hopeful." He reasoned smiling softly as the blonde began to drift off.
"Hope..." Yuui smiled sleepily. "That's nice...wished...I had some..." He was then out like a light; with that smile on his face.
They drove on to the hospital Syaoron staying by the blonde's side as he was wheeled in and taken care of.
Some time had passed before those eyes opened again. The sapphire color of those eyes were still a bit clouded but no longer sleepy. He then winced as he felt a bit of pain on his right side. Where was he and what happened again?
"Good you're awake. The doctor said you could leave today." Syaoron was smiling in relief.
Slowly blinking, Yuui turned his head a bit. Though his vision was still clearing up, the brown mop was familiar. "S-Syaoron...is that you?" His voice was a bit raspy.
"Yeah it's me." He reached over to grab his hand. "You okay?"
"...My head's a bit fogged up right now." Yuui smiled a bit. "Mind telling me what happened so my brain can remember?"
"Some guys busted up the restaurant and you took an arrow to the shoulder."
"..." Yuui had to think back a bit. While his mind wasn't all there, he more or less got the gist. "Oh...I see..." Yuui then frowned a bit. "Did you get treated too? You blocked me from those window glass and all. No shards on you?" Even when out of it, he still worried about others.
"I had some on me, but no cuts." He shook his head. "I've been waiting for you to wake up."
"...How long?"
"Couple of hours."
Oh, well that was great; Yuui supposed a bit happily. "Wonderful. But how am I going to explain to brother about this? I don't want him to worry since he's helping Kurogane right now."
"Just tell him what happened. Lying won't help." He suggested.
"I never want to lie to him." Yuui said sadly. "But the last thing I want is to have him take care of two people. Though I think I'd be fine on my own."
"It'll work out. You can't keep it from him, it's been on the news."
"Oh god." Yuui groaned as he turned his head away from Syaoron. "Now I really don't want to say anything about this."
"There's a chance he hasn't seen?" He said sheepishly.
"Yeah, and maybe as a dragon, Kurogane can lay eggs." Yuui sighed. "He'll find out one way or another. If not the news then gossip and such." He sighed. "I don't want him to think that he'll lose me. We only have each other now. I don't...I love brother..." He admitted.
"And not telling him will hurt." He said squeezing the other's hand.
Yuui closed his eyes as his body started to shake. "I...I can't..." His voice started to break.
"You can. If you don't he'll find out on his own."
"I don't want him to see me like this." Yuui sniffled. "How can I just tell him? I can't even admit it to myself."
"Just tell him that there was an attack today." He suggested.
"..." Yuui let out a quiet sob before slowly nodding. "I can't believe I'm going to tell him though...I don't want to..."
"It'll be hard, but I don't want it to be worse on you later."
"...O-Okay..." Yuui gulped. "Yeah...okay then..."
Syaoron nodded and kissed the other's forehead. "You want to leave?"
"Yes." Yuui felt more dreadful with each passing second. "I want to go."
Nodding he stood up, helping the other man as well before they were soon talking to a nurse and getting Yuui checked out.
It was painful but it wasn't the injury that caused it. Yuui didn't want to tell his brother about the attack but he supposed it'll be hard to hide his injury and be hard to explain it any other way. Standing in front of his own house, he can only sigh.
"Come on. I'll be there with you." He had called in work earlier, explaining what had happened so he could be with Yuui.
Yuui's whole body though was still frozen as his hand was frantically trying to find his house keys in his front pocket. He just wasn't ready for it.
Syaoron steadied his hand and opened the door when they didn't hear anything he looked around. "No one's here."
That alone almost made Yuui drop to the floor in relief. Though he felt that way, he was trying very hard not to show it.
"Wonder where they are?" He locked the door behind them before wandering in.
"I don't know." Yuui shrugged. "Might be out for lunch or something."
"Maybe. Go sit. You want anything to drink?"
"No. Not thirsty." Yuui shook his head as he headed towards the living room.
Syaoron followed after and sat with his boyfriend. "How are you?"
"How am I?" Yuui had to chuckle at that. "You're seriously asking me that after what we just been through a few hours ago."
"Sorry, guess it was a little dumb." He smiled.
"No...no it's fine." Yuui thought that he shouldn't belittle Syaoron's concern for him like that. "I...I just don't want to talk right now..."
"Okay." Wrapping an arm around the other's waist he pulled Yuui to him so they could be closer.
Leaning onto Syaoron; Yuui closed his eyes and hoped that this was some bad dream and he'd be waking up in the couch of the cafe like before. No attacks, no injury and definitely no black hooded weirdoes around.
TBC
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