I'm on a roll with this! Let's hope I can keep this up!

2.6

Joshua McBear hesitated for a moment before he raised his hand and knocked on the nursery door. "Teruhiko?" he called out. He was greeted with silence on the other side of the door.

Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck! Joshua clenched his jaw and wrung a hand through his hair. This is all your fucking fault, Madarame!

Joshua had thought he had done a GREAT favor to Tsuburaya Norio by letting him come to stay with them after Madarame Kunimasa broke up with him and casted him out. He put up with Norio's loud wailing (which was difficult to do when he was already dealing with a newborn), and having what few moments of alone time he could have with Teruhiko be interrupted by Norio's crying. Or Norio screaming at them for kissing and cuddling in his presence.

For acting like a FUCKING MARRIED COUPLE IN MY OWN FUCKING HOUSE!

So yes, Joshua got fed up. So yes, Joshua was forceful and cruel when he gave Norio a reality check. So yes, Joshua told Norio to leave if he didn't like what he had to say. While he did expect Norio to leave and he was glad to have serenity restored to his household once more, Joshua obviously could NEVER have predicted what would happen afterwards.

"What the fuck was he doing wandering the city by himself at this time of night?!"

"And you let an unclaimed Return to Ancestry leave in the middle of the night."

"Norio was murdered tonight."

"Fuck!" Joshua hissed, pressing a hand to his face. "Why the fuck is this MY fault?!"

How was he supposed to know that Norio didn't call a cab?! How was he supposed to know that Norio didn't immediately go home?! Why was Norio's safety Joshua's responsibility when Norio wasn't his mate and wasn't even his kin?! He didn't even revoke his hospitality to Norio, he just gave him the option to leave and Norio took it!

But because that kitty left, he was ambushed. A group of disgusting Madararui tried to gang-rape him, and they murdered him when he obviously didn't comply.

Joshua only found out THESE details by contacting the Madarame household directly, as Kunimasa had blocked his number. Tokashiki Karen had given him every gory detail in a matter-of-fact tone, including the very horrific way Norio had died.

And…Joshua had the unfortunate task of breaking this awful news to his husband. The look on Teruhiko's face when Joshua told him Norio was dead…Joshua almost started sobbing when he saw it. The pain, the anguish, the guilt and anger…it was an expression that he had NEVER wanted to see on Teruhiko's face. Teruhiko was only supposed to laugh and smile. But that expression…Joshua saw it whenever he closed his eyes.

But soon after receiving the news Teruhiko locked himself in their daughter's nursery and refused to come out. He didn't shed tears in front of Joshua; didn't say anything or make a sound. Joshua felt pain for the overall situation, but he felt absolutely awful for what Teruhiko was undoubtedly feeling. And he knew that this may signal the end of their relationship.

I'm sorry, Teruhiko. I'm sorry, kitty. Why the fuck did this have to happen?

Joshua knocked again. "Teruhiko," he said softly. "Please…let me come in."

He was greeted with silence more more, so he tested the doorknob. To Joshua's shock the doorknob turned in his hand and he quickly entered the nursery. It was overflowing with the color pink and had many toys and adorable outfits. Once they had discovered the gender of their baby, Joshua spent $50,000 USD (or a little over 7 million yen) refurbishing a room for their little girl. It was worth every penny though because their girl deserved nothing but the best. But he didn't feel the usual joy when he entered the room. He saw an aura of sorrow surrounding his mate, who sat in a rocking chair gently rocking back and forth. Teruhiko's back was to the door.

Joshua moved closer to Teruhiko and he saw that Teruhiko was holding their daughter in his arms, his head bent over her. Alice looked half-awake and half-asleep, but she accept the bottle that Teruhiko was feeding her. She was a perfect little girl; a perfect blend of the two of them. She had Teruhiko's black hair and Joshua's green eyes (something that Teruhiko's mother and grandmother absolutely loved) but neither of them could decide whose facial features she had inherited. Joshua insisted she looked perfect like Teruhiko, while Teruhiko insisted that she was perfect like Joshua. But she was still just a small baby-cub; they would know for sure who she took after the most once she did some growing.

But for the moment, Joshua kept his focus on his mate and knelt down on the floor in front of his husband and their baby. "Teruhiko." He kept his tone soft and gentle. "Teruhiko, please look at me."

Teruhiko said nothing, keeping his eyes on Alice. Joshua reached out and touched his knee. "Teru—"

"Alice is done," Teruhiko announced, gently pulling the empty bottle away from her. He looked at Joshua then, and his eyes were dull. "Could you help me with her?"

"Yes, of course!" Joshua took the towel off his shoulders and lifted Alice into his arms. He cradled their baby and helped her burp as he carried her over to her crib. Teruhiko moved to stand by his side as Joshua lowered Alice into the crib and began to swaddle her with a pink blanket. He rested his hands on the rail of the crib, watching in silence.

"Teruhiko, I—" Joshua began.

"Not now, Joshua," Teruhiko interrupted him. "I don't want to do this in front of Alice."

Joshua's stomach twisted in discomfort and he ducked his head slightly. He could already sense the storm that was coming. He kissed his fingertips and then gently pressed them to his daughter's forehead. "Sleep well, little one," he murmured softly.

When he straightened, Teruhiko grabbed his hand and headed towards the door. Joshua felt the dread and he allowed the dread to wash over him as Teruhiko guided them towards their bedroom. If he was filled with dread then he would not easily rise to anger. He knew that Teruhiko was furious with him and he deserved the inevitable screaming fit Teruhiko gave him.

But Joshua was also aware that he had poor control over his anger due to his grizzly nature, and when his anger got out of control he would go into a blind rage where he could not control himself. Teruhiko only experienced his blind rage once, but once was more than enough and Joshua was determined that his husband would never experience his blind rage again.

They entered the bedroom. Joshua moved ahead of Teruhiko as he turned to close the door and he braced himself. "I'm sor—" he began.

Joshua expected many things about this confrontation. What he didn't expect was for Teruhiko to burst into loud wailing and throw himself at Joshua, clinging to Joshua as he let out the loudest, most painful sobs Joshua had ever heard in his life. Joshua quickly hugged him and pulled to the bed. They sat down on the edge clinging together. "Teruhiko—"

"He took off his blind!" Teruhiko wailed between sobs.

"What?" Joshua demanded.

"I-I just know it! M-M-Madarame m-must have taken off the blind he p-p-put on Tsuburaya-kun! T-Those h—horrible people wouldn't have been able to h-hurt Tsuburaya-kun if he wore a b-blind! M-Madarame did this to him!" Teruhiko buried his face into Joshua's chest and sobbed harder.

Now it makes sense. Joshua locked his jaw and rubbed his back comfortingly. "I'm sorry," he said quietly. "I shouldn't have thrown him out."

"B-But you didn't!" Teruhiko hiccuped. "T-Tsuburaya-kun chose to leave here, but—oh God, why did this have to happen?! T-Tsuburaya-kun didn't deserve this!"

The rage inside of Joshua started to build, but it was directed at Kunimasa and not Teruhiko. So…this is why Madarame was so angry that the kitty was out and about. He removed his blind, thinking he was still here at our house. He took the blind off a Return to Ancestry…intending the fallout to happen at MY HOUSE!

Joshua buried his hand into Teruhiko's hair, his soul appearance starting to rise from his body. He didn't know what to say to Teruhiko, but he did feel a little guilty that he was relieved Teruhiko wasn't angry with him. But only a little.

But he couldn't stand to see Teruhiko in anguish. Joshua cupped his face and lifted his head. He nuzzled Teruhiko's face and gently kissed it. He poured his love into his kisses and touches, and little by little the sobs started to soften and subside. After a few moments pouring love and comfort into his touch, Teruhiko sagged in his arms. The anger inside of Joshua slowly faded as he weaved a hand into his hair. "I love you," he murmured against Teruhiko's scalp. "And I'm sorry. I know the kitty meant a lot to you—"

"He was my kohei," Teruhiko whispered sorrowfully. "I may have loved him at one point, but that passed and he became such a good friend to me. Tsuburaya-kun should have never been with Madarame Kunimasa. I knew…I just knew that Madarame would eventually destroy him. But I didn't think it would be like this…"

Joshua kissed his scalp again. "Teru—"

"SIR!" The bedroom door burst open and one of his bodyguards burst inside.

"DO YOU MIND?!" Joshua hollered, baring his teeth.

The bodyguard immediately dropped to his knees. "My apologies sir, but you have a call!" He held out the house phone to them. "I-It's from the Madarame household!"

"What?" Teruhiko gasped, looking up.

Joshua reluctantly moved away from Teruhiko and snatched the house phone from the bodyguard. He put the call on speakerphone. "This is McBear, what do you want?" he demanded rudely.

"This is Tokashiki Karen," came the nonchalant response on the other line. Her next words stunned everyone in the room.

"I'm calling to make you aware that Tsuburaya Norio is actually alive."

Tokashiki Shima sighed and rubbed a hand over his face, pinching the bridge of his nose. "…So you're saying he was shot, Cousin?" he said after a moment.

"Yes," Karen responded.

"I examined Norio's wound and we watched the CCTV footage Kunimasa obtained," Shinobu said. His left arm was in a sling and the left side of his face was bruised but he was calm. The three of them were standing in the hallway of an undamaged part of the Madarame household. "The entry wound was in his back and the exit wound was in his chest."

"I saw slight scar tissue on his back and chest," Shima said. "But if Tsuburaya-kun was shot in that part of his body and didn't receive medical attention, then he shouldn't be alive."

"He was dead," Karen confirmed. "He had no pulse or heartbeat when he was brought here. His body was cool to the touch and he was completely unresponsive for several hours."

"He also bled out," Shinobu said. "His clothes—"

"I saw them," Shima interrupted irritably. "And no person can lose that much blood and live! But he—" he gestured towards the room he just came out of. "Now only is that boy alive, but he is alert with cognitive awareness! This isn't a miracle—this is medically impossible!"

"But he is alive," Karen said, folding her arms over her chest and looking towards Norio's room. "And we need to know how he managed to die to the extent that he gave off a death stench for several hours, only to suddenly wake up as though he had been asleep! And to wake up in an absolutely rabid state where he attacked everyone!"

"He needs to go to the hospital," Shima said. "I would recommend an immediate CT scan to determine if there is any internal damage, or if there are bullet fragments in his body."

"How much do his parents know?" Shinobu asked Karen.

"Nothing," she huffed. "When I called their number it went straight to voicemail, with a message saying they out of town to Okinawa. Not long after that, he—Norio woke up."

"They probably assumed that Norio would be safe here with us," Shinobu said grimly.

"I-I just—" Shima rubbed a hand through his hair. "I'm so confused as to how he woke up after dying from blood loss! H-How did his body regenerate blood?! How did a bullet wound turn into scar tissue overnight?! How is he alive?!" he shouted towards the ceiling.

"We'll need to find out," Karen said. "Because rumors of his "rampage" are going to make the rounds in Madararui circles, if they haven't done so already. Other people are going to be asking "why", too. And they'll come looking for answers to the "whys" as well." She shook her head again. "Anything else, Shima?"

"Yes," Shima said, snapping to attention. "I-I met Tsuburaya-kun at the last family reunion. I'm not allowed to say this as a professional so I'll say this off the record—he needs a psychological evaluation."

Both Karen and Shinobu stared at him stunned. "I remember what he was like," Shima said. "At the reunion. The Tsuburaya-kun I spoke to in there…" he gestured towards the room again. "It…doesn't feel like the same person at all."

"What do you mean?" Shinobu asked.

"I—"

"FUCK YOU!"

The shout from down the hall startled the trio, as did the loud crash that followed. Aogiri Hiromasa raced around the corner, his face stressed but full of annoyance. "I need assistance," he said bluntly.

"What's wrong?!" Shima hurried over to his mate. Both Karen and Shinobu were also on alert.

Hiromasa shook his head. "My younger brother insisted on coming with us when he heard that Shirou-kun was injured in the attack this morning. H-He…didn't have a good reaction when he saw Shirou-kun's current condition. And unfortunately—my brother blamed Yonekuni-kun for what happened to Shirou-kun." Another loud crash followed his words.

"Damn it all," Karen snarled. "I'LL deal with this nonsense!" She brushed past Hiromasa and Shima and stormed down the hall.

"Wow," Hiromasa breathed. "She can be scary."

"I don't envy the boys," Shima agreed.

"I should go and help her," Shinobu spoked up. He spared a glance towards Norio's room and hurried after Karen, followed by Shima and Hiromasa.

There it was. The scar they had mentioned outside the room.

Norio stared at the scar in his reflection for a long time. He was shirtless but wearing pajama bottoms. He reached up and traced the scar with his fingers. It didn't hurt, but the skin was rough to the touch. He looked then at his hand, and clenched and unclenched his fist a few times. Then he looked up to look at his reflection again, but this time he looked into his own eyes.

"I died," he said to his reflection. "I was almost gang-raped. I was shot and all of my blood bled out of my body. I died."

The came out of him in a dull, monotone voice. His facial expression did not move when he spoke. His eyes were wide, but they were always wide.

"STOP FIGHTING, YOU PUNKS!"

Karen. Everyone was sufficiently distracted.

I need to leave.

Norio turned and pulled his pajama top on. Where's my wallet? Where's my cell phone? He glanced around the room, and patted himself down. Nope, his cell phone and wallet were not around. After a moment he shrugged and headed for the door. He tested the handle, but it didn't turn. They had locked him inside the room.

Norio smoothed his hand over the surface, and opened his mouth to scream. After another moment he clicked his mouth shut. Then he moved away from the door. The window caught his eye and he tested it. They did not lock the window. He opened the window and glanced outside. The second floor.

Okay.

Norio opened the window fully and pulled himself onto the ledge. He took a deep breathe, but before he could exhale a…pleasant scent filled his nostrils. He exhaled, and inhaled again. There it was; the scent. Norio craned his neck and looked around. Where is that scent coming from? …There.

There it was. Norio saw an open window across the garden; a curtain fluttering in the wind.

Norio swung his legs out the window, then curled his feet underneath him on the windowsill. He waited for a moment and then launched himself from the window. He sailed through the air across the garden, catching the other windowsill with his hands. Norio hung for a moment before he pulled himself up. His feet touched the windowsill and he reached into the windowsill and swept the curtain across.

Ah. Him.

The jaguar. Madarame Kunimasa. He was lying in bed fast asleep, looking worse for wear. He was shirtless, but his torso was wrapped in bandage wrap. No doubt for the broken ribs. His face was bruised and bandaged, and Norio could see the purple imprints of his fingers on his throat. His left hand was in a cast. Why was it in a cast? Norio didn't remember hurting his wrist.

Norio slowly climbed into the room, and moved to stand over the jaguar. Kunimasa didn't notice his presence; a quick glance at his bedside table told Norio that his sleep was medically induced. He dropped down to his knees at his bedside, still staring at Kunimasa. After a moment he leaned forward and pressed his face into the crook of Kunimasa's arm. He inhaled, and held his breath.

Here it is.

I'm glad to finally write my OTP into the story. 😊

I named Joshua and Teruhiko's daughter Alice because Alice is both a western and Japanese name. And also because I associate the name Alice with rabbits and the largest plush toy in Teruhiko's bedroom was a rabbit.