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Chapter twenty

As it turned out though, the other couple never left the house. Since Kurogane and Fai didn't get much sleep before, they were knocked out completely; thus missing out on lunch and other things. However, the sounds of a door and muffled voices slowly roused the dragon. He opened his eyes a bit as he was still feeling a bit sleepy.

While the other couple sat on the couch resting, Fai mumbled in protest at Kurogane moving a little.

He didn't want to wake Fai up but he didn't want to be stuck in bed any longer since he was now awake. Slowly moving, the dragon managed to get Fai off of him but tucked the blonde in as gently as he could. His chest was feeling a bit better at the moment but he wanted to do this as quickly as possible before another ache came on.

Frowning in his sleep Fai curled in on himself settling in again.

Almost sighing in relief, Kurogane tip-toed out of the room. Once in the hallway, he softly closed the door and walked down the hallway. Once out, he caught sight of mops of brown and blonde hair over at the living room. "Hey, isn't it a bit early for you guys to be here?"

Syaoron jumped a little having been relaxed by the quiet in the apartment. "Kurogane? Were you and Fai in the back this whole time?"

Yuui's eyes were just as shocked but also afraid.

"Yeah," Kurogane yawned. "We just tried to take a nap but I guess hours of not sleeping caught on to us." He then walked further into the living room. "So, what's with..." He then grew silent as he got a good look at Yuui. "Fuck...what happened to you?"

Shaking his head, Yuui refused to say anything; knowing that the dragon was smarter then he looked.

"It was an eventful day." Syaoron rubbed Yuui's arm.

"I would fucking say so." Kurogane almost rolled his eyes but held back as he can see that Yuui wasn't up for talking. He walked over to a spare seat and sat down. "Was anyone else hurt?"

"No, I don't think so. At least not badly." He answered, knowing Yuui wouldn't.

"Good." Kurogane nodded but didn't say anything as a sound of a door opened and closed along with a yawn coming down from the hallway.

Seemed Fai had woken up without Kurogane there. Fai strolled in his shirt and boxers, hair mussed still. "Kuro-sama just left when I was comfortable."

"I was awake." Kurogane stated in a bored tone. "Didn't want you to be either."

If Yuui wasn't silent before, his brother's presence sure did as his eyes were focused on the ground.

"Ah did they get you up then?" Fai asked as he brushed down his hair and moved to sit in one of the chairs. When he looked over to Yuui he frowned. "What's wrong?"

Yuui couldn't say it. He didn't want to. He opened his mouth but nothing came out. No words or sound. Not a thing.

Though he wanted to tell Fai instead; Kurogane knew that it wasn't his place to say it but he'd be lying if he said that he wasn't worried for his boyfriend's twin brother.

"Yuui tell me."

"..." Yuui just couldn't. He shook his head.

Fai got up and moved to stand over his brother, grabbing his chin with one hand. "Tell me or I'll make one of the others."

That broke Yuui down. Soon there were tears in his eyes as his lips quivered. "...I..." He then started quietly crying.

Shaking his head he wiped away the tears as Syaoron watched. "Breathe and tell me."

"Please don't make me..." Yuui cried. "I just want to forget today, okay?"

"I want to know why you're hurt."

"Brother..." Yuui shook his head. "It was just...something that happened. I was in the middle of it."

"You were attacked?" It didn't take much for him to piece together what his brother was fretting over.

"I wasn't a target or anything." Yuui didn't feel like talking; why couldn't his brother see that. "It just happened."

"But still." Fai hugged Yuui and saw him favoring his shoulder.

Reaching over, Yuui gripped the back of Fai's shirt. "It's fine now. I want to forget, okay? It's fine now..." He didn't know if he was saying that to Fai or himself.

"Alright." He would let it go for now. "You're hurt though."

"It's not that bad." Yuui tried to keep his voice firm and sure.

"It is." He said knowing when his brother was lying.

"I don't see how it is, okay?" Yuui just wanted to forget; have a nice time with Syaoron and just forget. "Nothing ruptured, I did lose some blood but I got some sleep out of it. It's fine."

"So if I punched your shoulder it wouldn't hurt?" He asked standing there in front of Yuui.

"I never said it didn't." Yuui glared up at his brother with cold eyes. "I just want to forget."

"Fine, but we both know that's not going to happen. You can't let go of anything." With that he turned to go and sit.

It was then that Kurogane frowned at the scene. It was clear that Yuui's body was shaking. "H-Hey, are you okay-"

Before the dragon got any more words in, Yuui suddenly stood up and went to his bedroom. There was a slam of the door; an obvious sign that the blonde more hurt then he let on.

Fai sighed as he slumped into a chair Syaoron staring off. "It's alright. He's throwing a fit because I hit a nerve."

"..I'm...going to get something to drink." Kurogane opted; feeling a bit choked from the thick tension in the room. "Anyone want anything?"

"Whatever you get." Fai said as he sighed.

Syaoron didn't know what to say.

Nodding, Kurogane got up and went to the kitchen; hoping Yuui was at the very least okay.

In the bedroom, Yuui was sitting in the corner; his hands clawing on his injured arm; almost glad that he can feel pain. How can his brother say that to him? Doesn't he care about what he had to say? He was the one who got injured but he just wanted to forget. Why was that hard to understand?

"...but we both know that's not going to happen. You can't let go of anything."

Gripping his injury hard; stains of red were seeping out. Yuui's eyes were wide but full of betrayal. It was like everyone was out to get him now. It had been a long time he felt so alone. The pain from his grip though almost blocked the noise of someone knocking on the door. He didn't want to know who was on the other side and at that point; he couldn't bring himself to care.

"Yuui? Can I come in?" Syaoron asked having gotten up to at least try and get to Yuui.

"Don't bother..." Yuui's voice sounded empty but weak. "You can go home now. I'm fine."

"You're not fine, so please open up." He knew Yuui was anything but okay.

"Why should I?" Yuui suddenly screamed out. "I'm nothing but just a bother to everyone! Fuck, even brother has had enough of me! Oh but it's so easy for him, isn't it? Since I can't let go of anything!" He gripped his injury tighter. "If he doesn't want to deal with me, fine! If anyone doesn't want to then that's fine because the whole fucking world turns with or without me!" A few tears hit the floor as his body trembled. "It's so easy for him...because he know so much more than I ever could...I never asked to be this way. But no one would believe me..."

"Yuui...please open the door." He frowned, worried about the blonde on the other side.

Fai stared at the door as well guilty eating at him. He should have known how sensitive Yuui was right now.

Kurogane heard the whole thing as he poured a cup of juice. He should have realized that human have their issues as well. Well he did, he just didn't think it would run that deep. How painful.

"Why won't anyone believe me...? I'm not a bad person...I want to help...I want to be kind...I'm...I'm only human..." Yuui cried out as he dropped to his good side on the floor.

"Dammit Yuui, you are." He wriggled the door knob then trying to open it. "You're great, but no one's perfect everyone has their bad days."

"...I never wanted to be perfect..." Yuui's voice was then very quiet. "I just wanted...to be acceptable for everyone...but even then..." He sniffled as he can see the doorknob moving. "I'm so tired..." He muttered.

"Open the door." He was practically begging as Fai came over with a bobby pin to unlock the door for him.

Growling now, Kurogane have had enough as he stomped his way out of the kitchen and went to the young human who was in front of the blonde's bedroom door. "Move." He quietly requested Syaoron.

Syaoron stood back suddenly crowded out of the way.

Lifting his hand, Kurogane slightly grunted as they started shifting into dragon form. It wasn't a very easy process as the one either shifted to dragon or human; never partly or half-way there. In fact, it was causing him his injury to ache more because of it. When his hand had those sharp claws, he stopped for a moment. He used his index finger and stuck the nail into the lock. After a few twists and turned, the door's lock softly clicked. He sighed. Hard part's over. He then turned to Syaoron and nodded to the door before steeping back.

Fai could have gotten it unlocked as well he thought with a slight pout before Syaoron slipped into the room and went straight to the blonde.

Kurogane sighed as he got his hand back to human form. He closed the door behind the brunette. He tiredly sighed. Humans; what to do with them?

Fai took his arm then, knowing it had been a bit painful.

Looking over at the blonde, Kurogane's mind was running as mixed emotions were clear in his eyes. But he was thankful that Fai would care about his state.

"You should be resting. Go sit on the couch." Fai instructed.

"So should Yuui." Kurogane softly answered. "But clearly neither of us are doing what we are told." He looked away.

"You're both idiots."Fai scolded.

"Yeah and you're stuck with us." Kurogane stated; feeling a bit hurt to seeing siblings in such a state.

"I wouldn't have it any other way." He said pulling them man away room the door.

"..." Kurogane looked over his shoulder and hoped that Syaoron would at least get Yuui a bit better again.

By then Yuui never noticed the door being unlocked or even opened. He was psychically and emotionally tired. He just wanted to forget.

"Yuui?" Syaoron picked the other up as he knelt on the floor.

"Hmm?" Yuui tiredly looked over. "It's you...how did you...?" He couldn't get the words out.

"Kurogane opened the door." It worried him that Yuui hadn't noticed.

"...He did?" Yuui started closing his eyes. "I'm so tired..."

"Yuui...are you okay? You know Fai would never hurt you on purpose..."

"And yet he did." Yuui closed his eyes. "I never felt so cold in such a long time. And very...tired..."

"I know...do you want me to sleep with you?" Syaoron asked softly.

"...Please..." Yuui cried softly as he nodded slowly. "I want someone to care about me right now...or at least try to..."

"Nothing's changed, everyone still does." He replied as he gathered the other up and put him in bed.

Yuui slowly shook his head; not feeling up to talk anymore.

Slipping into bed with him Syaoron kissed the man's forehead. "I love you."

Gasping a bit in surprise, Yuui opened his eyes a bit. His eyes started to water as he tried to snuggle closer to Syaoron. "I...I l-lo…"

"You don't have to say it back just yet. I want you better." He said holding him close.

"...I...I...I'm so sorry..." Yuui cried out quietly. "Why can you s-say things so easily but I...I can't?"

"Because you're afraid to and I get that." Petting the other's hair they laid under a heavy blanket.

It wasn't really helping Yuui as he started crying quietly into his pillow.

Syaoron comforted him throughout.

Meanwhile, Kurogane was laying down on the couch in the living room. If he wasn't a bit tired and in pain a little, he would have blushed as his head was on Fai's lap and the blonde was doing his best to help him. Though his mother had done this sort of thing for him many times before it's a whole other issue when the one doing it was now your boyfriend.

"No more changing body parts, at least not until you're better." Fai said brushing fingers through dark hair.

"I just wanted to help." Kurogane murmured; not admitting that he liked those lean fingers in his hair.

"I know, but I was working on the lock and I'd rather not have you hurt again." He didn't hear yelling so Syaoron must have done something right.

Closing his eyes, Kurogane let out a sigh. "I envy you a bit, you know."

"How's that?" He asked curious now.

"Because you have a sibling." Kurogane quietly answered. "I mean, I don't know too much about you yet but even when you two are fighting you both have each other. I'm the last of my line. I've played with other dragons my age but they all had brothers or sisters to come home to. While it's not unlikely to be an only dragon child; it's not common either. And...it...it hurts though only that my siblings never survived and I did."

"I'm sorry." He sighed. "If it helps Yuui can be sort of your brother now."

"..." Kurogane nodded a bit. "It does but...I didn't say that to make you feel bad or anything..." He looked up at Fai's face and blushed a bit. "I'm just saying, you know?"

"I know." Smiling softly Fai wished Kurogane had had someone growing up like he had.

Somehow liking that smile, Kurogane made a face; refusing to smile in return. "G-Good."

"Too cute~" He smiled and pinched the man's cheek.

"Not cute." Kurogane growled. He wanted to swat that hand away but his body felt a bit too heavy at the moment.

"Just go to sleep." He rolled his eyes, thinking Kurogane reminded him of some large dog.

"Oh shut up..." Kurogane rolled his eyes back at the blonde before slowly drifting off.

TBC

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