Chapter title: virtue stands in the middle.
Means "good practice lies in the middle path" between two extremes.

Also, long chapter. A lot of drama here too and not something I put in the opening note because it is minuscule in the list of overall themes in this story but fair warning, there are allusions to sexual assault and spousal abuse in this chapter.

When Vega arrived at Katarina's doorstep today, he didn't feel so awkward. He always had the habit of fiddling with his hair whenever he stood and waited for her to answer the door, only to earn a worried look because he had the demeanor of a neurotic mess. Today, Katarina took longer to answer so Vega began fiddling.

"Lyric!" the old woman greeted him with a warm smile upon moving the door agape. "How are you, my boy?"

Vega flinched – he didn't know why. Maybe he was still taken by her kindness. Or maybe, more alarmingly, he was startled by the tube attached to her nostrils. That was not there before. For far too long, he stood and scanned the old woman for something, he didn't know what was.

"Ah, pardon me," he hastily apologized and passed over the check. "I came to pay this month's rent."

"On time as usual," she laughed, then coughed. A horrible sound; wet and slimy. "Sorry. I've been unwell lately. It's just the flu, I think."

It was not just the flu. He could hear something rattling deep within her lungs when she spoke. He could feel her scan him for signs of visible worry. It struck him deep somewhere in his existential core, watching someone fight against their mortality. Much like his mother had.

"How is your friend?" Katarina asked, her voice somehow even frailer. She had the shades of a beautiful woman decades past her prime. But there was the pride of a good life underneath it all. She oozed comfort.

"Ry-" Vega stopped himself short of saying the name. He never thought to make an alias for him. He wasn't even sure what purpose that would serve; the man wasn't exactly a nobody. "Ryu. He's well. He enjoys the food you bring."

"He's been feeding you well too."

Maybe that was true. Vega could feel his ribs a little less lately. He cleared his throat, tugging a lock of hair behind his ear. Heat flushed his cheeks though not for that reason precisely.

"He makes a point out of that."

"Mm," Katarina hummed. "Sounds like a true friend to me."

Vega wondered. What exactly was Ryu now? There was the encounter – and there had been more like it. Brief shards of random fondness. Fleeting moments. Fragments of memories that coalesced into something bigger. And each time, Vega had found himself craving more. This wasn't exactly love – far from it. But whatever it was, it felt nice. It felt right. It felt like something he could have, ephemeral as it was. Otherworldly.

"Maybe," Vega shrugged, then swiftly changed the subject although not with nearly as much grace as he aimed for. "I…I would like to assist you in whatever way I can. I believe it is only fair for the things you have done for me."

The old woman gazed up at him, mulling on his offer for longer than what felt comfortable. And then she smiled as if he was just being silly, worrying about nothing. "Join me for a walk instead. You have to go to the manor today, yes?"

Vega nodded, his throat closing together. He offered to assist her with the walker and the oxygen tank attached to it, but she refused, and his heart broke in ways he didn't know it could. So in a slow march through the town, they walked and Vega felt his eyes involuntarily drifting to the old woman next to him, listening to her faint labored breath. Now hyperaware of his own mortality and his lingering death wish. Today, the streets were quiet with most people within their homes enjoying breakfast.

"Have you met the manor lord's coming son-in-law?" Katarina asked.

"No," Vega answered and maybe that was a good thing given what he had heard. "I have not. I hope he treats her well."

He wasn't sure what he'd do if that was not the case.

From the end of the street, there came a figure sauntering towards them. Covered in leaves and new bruises. Ryu had a thoughtful expression on his face that morphed into something slightly different when he noticed the pair. He had been out training, perhaps harder than usual given the state he was in, but he remained in a good mood, a certain glow coming over his eyes. He had become aware of the gossip pertaining to the friendly wayfarer who showed up out of nowhere and sort of just accepted it. Vega found out from people asking about it in the grocery store, conflicted about how much Ryu fitted in this little community.

He wasn't meant to stay though.

Even now, the thought of it caused Vega to bite the inside of his cheek so hard he could taste blood. He could ask. The solution was right there. He could say the words and make Ryu stay. He could lose his mind and go along with him. Yet he couldn't bring himself to articulate his wishes. It would be admitting weakness, admitting a need that he didn't deserve. It would mean it had all been for nothing. It would keep him alive.

"Oh, good morning to you! How are you?" Katarina greeted, coughing into her sleeve. The vigor crudely juxtaposed against her ailment caused a lump to form in Vega's throat. He thought of his mother, of the times she'd smile at him and pretend that everything was fine. She'd cover the bruises in powder, she'd ignore her limp, she'd wash away the blood from a split lip.

Something flickered in Ryu's gaze as he raised his hand for a wave. It was worry but he kept it hidden enough for the old woman to not notice. "I'm well. Thank you."

"No, thank you for taking such good care of Lyric."

Ryu blushed a bit. "You're welcome. It took some trial and error, but I think he's doing well. Yes?"

It occurred to Vega that he was now being asked and he smiled warily with a nod.

This pleased Katarina. "Wonderful. You're always welcome in my home. In fact, I consider you part of the town! You'd be a welcome addition."

Ryu regarded her thoughtfully. "Thank you. I'm sure I'll come back soon."

The old woman accepted this and turned around in the direction of her house. "Now I won't bore you any longer with sentimentalism. Stay safe, you two."

"Likewise," answered Vega and watched her push the walker back home. Once she was out of view, he let out a shaky breath.

"Is she…?" Ryu asked.

"I don't know," Vega sighed. "Let us hurry."

They arrived at the manor soon after where a commotion had gathered. Roselina was nowhere to be seen, and neither was her husband to be but her father was, conversing with a group of friends, the same friends who had arrived at the house for the purpose of haranguing. Without interrupting their meeting, Vega tried to scope out what needed to be done today aside from removing debris from the walkways. As he passed the greenhouse with the many roses, he spotted a figure move close to him, wearing a burgundy gown befitting of a noblewoman.

"Good you're here," the manor lord's wife said. "We have acquired an orchard of black elderberry shrubs that could use your expertise. Please see to it that they are healthy for the wedding."

Vega gaped at her. "Wedding?"

"Yes. My daughter is getting married. The reception will be held here in this very garden, so I wish for it to look its best," she answered cooly and sauntered off.

It would seem a lot had happened since Vega had been out of commission. He absorbed the words before he headed to the shed for the tools, stumbling upon Ryu trying on the old gardener's gloves. He usually worked bareheaded.

"So they are holding a wedding. Evidently, we are not invited," not that it bothered Vega. The last wedding he attended was his mother's after all. He couldn't bring himself to join such events anymore. He had felt nothing when he rejected the invitations from some of his younger doe-eyed maids. He didn't want to look at them, to watch them walk down the aisle to happiness or their certain doom. He didn't want to think.

Now he couldn't stop thinking. Ugh, he came to miss his mother so deeply.

Hands pressed against his chest, and he shuddered with the sudden need, the want to be adored and cherished; a desire that burned away all his inner woes. He was him, so he could have that…right?

"I propose we do a sparring match," Ryu said. "To get your mind off things."

Despite himself, Vega couldn't help himself from smiling. "You and you sparring. What about Balrog?"

"I think he had enough. He still has a lot to learn."

"That's very generous of you. Heaven forbid you meet someone you hate."

"…I don't think I have. Life is too short for that," Ryu shrugged. What a peculiar being. A peculiarly gentle being. He slid his hands upwards to the back of Vega's neck and the effect was instant. Like a candle being snuffed out, Vega felt all thoughts but one being thrown to the ether in a shameless display after so much time being numbed by medication and self-loathing.

He tipped his head forward until he could rest his forehead against Ryu's and just remain there. He felt so small despite being ten or so centimeters taller. His hands trembled as they found their way to Ryu's wrists and held onto them as if he'd otherwise fall off the face of the planet. It was tragic how much he needed this…whatever this was. So infuriatingly yearning for something like this. He suspected that it wasn't just anyone who elicited such a reaction out of him.

It had to be someone who could see right through him and treated him no differently because of it. There was a word edging on the tip of his tongue for all his troubles. Something about it must have been apparent in his demeanor as he looked up at the feeling of his face being ceased between two hands. He felt weak and it was only morning.

"We got work to do," Ryu said, drawing away from the fragility of a moment like this. Right. Of course.

Vega nodded and swallowed hard, shuddering at the hands pulling away from his face and feeling so cold, untethered. Unfocused due to the word that rang from all directions in his mind. Utterly selfish and incompatible with Ryu's priorities.

Stay.

He couldn't go back from this. A fool, he was. A fool, he'd forever be.

Stay.

It grew louder to the point where he wondered if his thoughts could be heard outright if they were being projected to the world like a madman shouting it to the stars. He opened his mouth, his mind closing in return. He couldn't stop it. He deserved to end it. He didn't want to. Do or die – literally. And yet-

"Stay."

Ryu stopped to look at him and he panicked, breathing out; "Stay strong."

A pause filled the shed before Ryu reached for his wrist. "You too."

Fool. Utter cowardly fool.

Vega found himself cursed with another breed of self-loathing, birthed from the inability to perform as a nobleman should. He had been raised to act with grace. He acted like an uncouth fool. Desolate, he spent most of the afternoon preparing the garden at the house. It would be here where the fabled sparing match would happen. Maybe Vega could forget himself by getting the living daylights knocked out of him. Maybe be destroyed enough to get punched drunk. That would be blissful. He could act like the mess he was inside.

He could forget, then hate Ryu enough to want him gone forever. Then forget that there ever was a Ryu. Sink into the haze, wrap himself around a veil protecting him from…what exactly, feeling? Pathetic. He would never stop being pathetic. He couldn't quite stop feeling attached to Ryu either. Attached in a way he hadn't been to anyone since…forever. He couldn't stop hating himself for it.

He couldn't repress the fondness he felt either. Why was he still resisting? Ego? The remnant of his old self that turned his nose at being subject to desire? The hesitation with even desiring? Bison was dead so that shouldn't even have been a factor but Vega thought of his obsession.

No, that was silly. Bison wanted the man for his own vainglory. But Vega was no less selfish.

Ending reign the house's garden's weeds, he looked up at Ryu and their eyes met momentarily. Vega coiled where he stood, keenly catching the sound of feet treading on grass. They stood in front of each other before Vega put the hoe aside. He was without his mask or claw, so he'd have to fight bare-handed. He knew how to. Such a thing wasn't that easily forgotten. He just had to steady himself against the gaze in Ryu's eyes; passion, empathy, fondness as the match began.

Vega dashed forward, going for the attack with a light jab forward. It was quickly blocked but he retaliated with a roundhouse kick to Ryu's side. The blow landed and he went for a swipe, only to get his arm caught in the process. Ryu pulled him forward and tried to flip him over in a throw during which he landed on his feet. It all happened so quickly that he felt momentarily disoriented. It occurred to him that he hadn't been this active in ages and he already felt winded. Ryu let go of his arm and he moved again regardless, launching himself forward for a few fast strikes that seemed to connect at blinding speeds. If he could keep the pressure going-

Ryu grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, fell backwards in some sort of half-roll that pulled Vega off his feet with a foot to his stomach until he was flipped over Ryu and landed on his back with a sound thud that knocked the minimal fighting spirit out of him. The impact caused him to huff at the air being pushed out of him.

He kept his eyes closed for a moment while he lay on the grass, trying to catch his breath and not vomit all over himself from the sudden motion.

"You okay?" Ryu asked from above.

"Dizzy…"

There came a musing hum before he gently picked Vega up from the ground and carried him back inside, pouring him into one of the chairs by the dinner table.

"You did well," he said like he was a teacher overseeing his pupil. "You're improving."

"I wonder how you can tell so easily," Vega gazed up at him blearily, partly sardonic.

"The intuition of a martial artist."

Right. No sense in arguing that.

Vega huffed out in faint understanding, reaching for the braid of his hair which had been saturated with grass and dirt. He used to hate the feeling of it, finding it an affront to his natural beauty. He would always take a shower after missions from Shadaloo, earning mockery from Balroig in the process. Now the obsession with cleanliness didn't face him anymore. Mayhaps the change came about after the six months in the void. He didn't remember.

"Who gets the honor of showering first?" he asked as he stood up. "Guests first?"

Ryu shook his head with a smile. "I think you need it more than I do. As others would put it, you ate shit more than I did."

"How very blunt of you," Vega smirked, almost involuntarily. "But I appreciate the generosity."

He checked on Florinda's water bowl for prosperity's sake, feeling a presence suddenly loom behind him. Slowly he turned around and closed his eyes, startled by but accepting of the fleeting kiss pressed against his lips.

"…I wanted to do that," Ryu explained as he stepped back, his face a bit red like his headband. "It's…"

Vega let out a silent sigh, tracing the shape of Ryu's knuckles. So strange how these hands of hurt could be gentle despite their rough appearance. "Something that you may."

For the time being.

Vega was already lying under the covers when Ryu entered and settled into bed. Moments later they lay curled up together. Sleeping positions had always been a little…personal for lack of a better word but they felt different this night; Vega, still light as a feather, rested on Ryu's chest with his arms draped over him. Ryu rested a hand at the base of his neck, right in the nest of brown hair. It felt soft to the touch, so he didn't mind. Nor did he mind the comfortable weight on top of him.

Ryu hadn't expected anything like this when he had come to this town. He hadn't expected Vega to be here either. Fate worked in mysterious ways, but he didn't mind. He came to understand and appreciate the warmth that had begun to envelop him lately when it came to Vega. He thought it was pity but it remained even when the man was stable, which he had been as of late. It was something deeper, Ryu came to realize. Fondness on a level he hadn't experienced before. Odd that it came from Vega of all people but then again, Ryu chose to pursue it, pushing against the self-deprecating rejection he had gotten.

Admittedly, he had been impulsive, happy to get reciprocated, however.

It was mutual. This…whatever this was. Love? Ryu wasn't sure. Lust? They hadn't done anything like that at all. There hadn't been an urge for it. Suppose Vega thought of himself as too hideous for intimacy but Ryu would beg the differ. If you liked the person you were bedding, would it really matter what they looked like? Not at all. But on a carnal level, Vega was still beautiful in his own way. There was a glimmer of something underneath his despair and past behaviors. A pleasant, well-mannered person. A generous, charismatic spirit who was more capable of goodness than he realized. A strong fighter.

That in itself was beautiful.

All that lay underneath was what had made Ryu stay. He was curious, he admired it – evidently a lot deeper than he imagined he would. But at the same time, he couldn't bear to look at the despair that obfuscated it. Whatever had happened to Vega, he didn't deserve that. There was fondness. But there was also an attraction. Ryu could recognize that much. He wondered what about him that made him appealing. If Vega just needed intimacy, he'd probably get it from anyone who'd give it to him. But somehow, there must have been something about Ryu that made him the right person.

For now, he stopped pondering over it, taking in the feeling of Vega settling over him, the warmth of his heavy breath, the tightness of his embrace. Gently, Ryu moved to match the shift, emboldened by a sense of protectiveness. The room was dim so he couldn't see much but he did define the shape of Vega's face staring back at him. A silent sigh was the sound that broke the silence – followed by pattering of rainfall on the window. It had been a wet winter.

"Feels like it rains a lot out here," Ryu whispered.

"Yes," Vega muttered, tipping his head forward so his forehead rested against Ryu's temple. "It's the season for it, I believe. The wedding will be a disaster. I suppose they wish to highlight my work without crediting me. Not that I care. It's not my garden."

Oh yeah. It was in a few days' time.

"You care for it as if it was. It's because of the roses, isn't it?" Ryu asked, parts curious, parts soothing. Vega didn't respond at first, raising his head slightly.

"I adore roses, I will admit to that," he finally said.

"I think I like cherry blossoms too," Ryu answered thoughtfully and for a moment imagined Vega standing under the bloom. Ken had once asked him what type of woman he preferred, and he had answered something along the lines of someone who looked good in the Hanami. Back then, Ryu never considered that it didn't need to be a woman really. Not that it bothered him.

Something akin to recognition came over Vega then. It made sense if he learned ninjutsu in Japan. He tucked a lock of hair behind his ear. He was always so measured when he did that, moving his hand with purpose. There was something endearingly feminine with the way he did it. It made for a striking visage. As did the way his thrapple moved when he swallowed. Remnants of the old Vega…

"What are you thinking about?" Ryu asked gently.

Vega stared at him, then looked away with a weak smirk on his face. "…Far too many things for me to make sense of. You do horrible things to me. Now I've gone and been all introspective. Now stupid stuff comes out of my mouth."

Ryu squeezed him tight at the jest with a smile. "It's good for the soul. You're gonna love it, I promise you that."

A low chuckle came from Vega. "Are you selling me spirituality or your experimental cooking?"

"I do know how to cook," Ryu scoffed with a smile. "You just don't let me, saying it's a host's job and all that."

"Alright, how about this? Catch a fish with your bare hands and I'll let you. I have a hard time believing that it's actually possible, so I'll humor you. Should be entertaining."

"Feels like subtle mockery."

"Don't you like a good challenge? It'll be good for your soul – and training."

"Heh, got me there."

They laughed a little at that.

And it all felt so…serene. Like he was in the middle of crafting new important memories to be stored in the treasury of his never-ending journey. He could stay like this for a while – maybe forever? He didn't know but it felt pretty simple and lighthearted in a way he enjoyed. But what would that make him and Vega? Ryu didn't know that either.

Tonight, the curtains hadn't been drawn and it was quiet outside. Lampposts were distant like fireflies, so the sky was clear with stars above. Many times on his journey, Ryu had found himself looking up and above for no particular reason than his own self-enjoyment. It was a nice treat after long hours of training or wandering. He felt shuffling next to him, then the fleeting brush of a hand resting on his chest.

"If I asked for something carnal, would you reject it? Purely hypothetical," Vega said, and Ryu quietly observed him.

It took a while to discern what he was asking and something weird rushed over Ryu then. Oh. Well…

"No?" he answered, for the first time aware of how painfully inexperienced he was. "I…wouldn't know if I'd do it right."

A soft hum came from Vega then. "I'd imagine you would."

He shifted until their noses almost touched.

"Tell me I'm grotesque," he said mildly, on the precipice of sleep. "Tell me you despise me."

There were no such feelings in Ryu. Something different came over him however, something akin to stubbornness as he rolled over and wrapped his arms firmly around Vega.

"You know I'm not gonna do that," he said steadily, pulling their bodies closer until their foreheads were pressed together. "I'll keep saying so until you don't feel a need to ask for it."

"You pious sap," Vega sighed with a smile. "Can you walk on water too?"

"No, but I don't hate you and you're not hideous."

"But?"

"But nothing. You're beautiful."

Ryu hadn't said that to a person before, he reckoned. It felt a bit odd. He wasn't a person to just randomly find people beautiful. It never crossed his mind at all. Nor had it with Vega. He purely saw the person for their actions and their character. But now when he had spat it out there, it felt a bit like stepping into an onsen. Parts of him melted away, the parts of him being self-conscious. So strange a feeling it was; this sensation of drifting into a pleasant afterglow.

"On the inside?" Vega asked after a long pause.

"That too," Ryu said. "Though admiring appearances isn't my strong suit. B-but I mean beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. And I think in mine, it's inside and out. I mean…an ugly core can ruin someone's outer shell."

Vega smiled a bit at that explanation. Maybe it felt good to hear; made him feel human after the years of blood, and then self-loathing that had molded and abused his soul. Maybe a change of pace could wash it away.

"That is the most cliché thing I've ever heard and I am not even surprised. I only got myself to blame for that one," he laughed. "You are such a strange but fascinating creature. I wonder if I would have been able to appreciate that before I met them."

"Shadaloo?"

"No. Something far more life-changing and less headache-inducing. It influenced my worldview somewhat. Let me put it this way; psychic mediums. Pseudo-scientists."

"Oh," Ryu nodded with a sense of familiarity. Yeah, he knew a few. But fate was what one made it to be.

"You should meet them one day. They are quite insane. Much like you...in a good way," Vega yawned.

Ryu smirked a bit. "I'd like to meet them then. I'm sure I will. It's a small world after all."

He'd stay strong after all. For that too.

Ryu was fast asleep when he felt a light hand reach out to him and roughly shake him awake. It felt as if he had just fallen asleep as he fluttered his bleary eyes open. Blinking, he rolled over and looked into the wide eyes of Vega staring back at him with something haunting in them.

"…Vega?" he whispered as he sat up, rubbing his face and the sleep out of his eyes. "What's the matter?"

"It's…" Vega trailed off. "I require your assistance. My apologies."

It was still very early with the twilight coloring the sky, thus casting the room in somewhat of an eerie glow as Ryu looked at him more closely before pushing the blanket away and climbing out of bed. He snatched a pair of pants and followed Vega out of the bedroom to the floor below and its adjacent guest room. The door was cracked open with a stripe of light spilling out on the hallway.

Gently, Vega knocked before he pushed it open, revealing a young woman who sat on the mattress, curled into herself. The manor lord's daughter had eyes that were large and frightened. An angry bruise stretched across her cheek and there appeared to be blood on her dress. Gingerly, Vega entered and put a hand on her shoulder only to pull away when she outright flinched on reflex.

"My apologies," he said, his voice heavy with discomfort while Ryu observed in subtle horror. Bruises marred her forearms, fresh and shaped like hands. There was a cut on her lower lip, swollen and dyed red with blood. Her hair was matted and knotted, falling limply down her back. She hugged herself, her eyes wet with fear. Those weren't battle wounds.

Vega turned to Ryu with a blank look that somehow didn't do much to hide the subtle panic within. "We'll keep her here for the time being. Upstairs under the bed, there's a box of linen gowns. Bring them here."

Ryu nodded and turned around, passing Florinda on the way. The cat followed him back upstairs to the main room and took to the bed while he knelt in front of it. He remembered the one box that had been there; a ball of yarn had been sitting next to it when he played with the cat. On its other side, there was another box. Vega didn't specify which one was needed so Ryu just pulled both of them out. Both were old and dusty. One had its lid fall off. Inside were not linen dresses but Vega's mask and claw alongside a binder of sorts.

There was enough room where it was slightly parted and Ryu managed to catch something along the lines of 'Patient Information' written on one of the pages. A weird feeling settled over him as he put the lid back on and pushed the box back under the bed. The other one had the linen dresses. Old gowns of a generation long gone. Possibly Katarina's dresses.

Ryu took the whole box with him, stopping by the bathroom door where Vega stood with the same blank look that almost appeared as if he was slowly detaching himself from reality. He stumbled backward and slid down the wall, pulling his knees to his chest. His breathing was shallow and thin like he was almost gasping for air. Ryu approached him, pulling the box down before he knelt in front of him and put a pair of hands on his knees.

"Vega?" he asked, lightly shaking some life into him. "It's alright. You're doing the right thing."

Slowly, it seemed as if Vega resurfaced, blinking a bit. It took a moment for the disorientation to pass before he stood up and turned his attention to the box with a faint; "Thank you."

"Don't overwork yourself," Ryu reminded him with a tired sigh.

"I'm not," Vega protested as he sorted through the dresses. "I'm just being selfish."

Before something akin to an argument could come from this, he knocked on the door to the bathroom and slightly opened the door. "I'm leaving a dress for you to wear on the rack."

As soon as he pulled it shut again, Ryu grabbed his wrist and pulled him close. He didn't know what to say all things considered but…but-

"My mother…" was the only thing Vega could manage as he shuddered. "It's utterly selfish."

"Not really if you think about it," Ryu said, aware that he didn't quite know much about what had occurred to Vega's mother. "Look at it this way; you're preventing the same thing happening to someone else."

"For my own vainglory."

"While sacrificing yourself," Ryu reached to cup his face. "Now stop the self-deprecation. I'll stick around to help you out here."

It took a minute before Vega settled down just slightly and nodded. Just in time as the door to the bathroom went open and Roselina stood in the doorway. Upon looking at her better, one of her eyes had almost been swollen shut. He rushed to her side, wrapping an arm around her shoulder, and propelled her towards the guestroom. Looking down, Ryu noticed her bare feet and how they looked furiously red as if they had been frozen, only to get exposed to sudden warmth. She must have walked barefoot to the house.

"What happened?" Vega asked once he had her nestled in the bed once more with wet paper towels to dab the blood away from her lips.

"My father invited my betrothed to the manor," she whispered through endless tears. "He wanted to bed me, and I allowed it because he kept asking despite our wedding being only days away. But it hurt and I wanted him to stop. He did not stop, Lyric."

"I…" Vega faltered, trying again. "I am sorry, my lady. I cannot imagine your horror and grief. Nobility or not, no one deserves such a thing."

She looked at Ryu, then at him before she responded, her voice trembling. "…I think you can."

"What?"

"I…I have always sensed it from you. You know the laws of our world. Y-you carry yourself like a prince. You're well-spoken and refined. You must be a nobleman."

"…I-"

"What should I do, Lyric? He hurt me. He laid his hand on me and used his belt when I refused him. He took my virtue and humiliated me. He will do it again if I go back. Father insists that I marry him for the future of our family," Roselina clutched Vega's hands with tears streaking down her cheeks before crumpling into sobs, pressing herself against him.

Ryu sucked in a silent breath, turning around to head for the bathroom. There was the med kit there, next to a bottle of pills that Vega took every morning. Returning to the guestroom, he decided to take over so he could tend to the wounds. He couldn't do much about the other marks that littered the more intimate parts of her body – not that he tried.

She flinched as he worked but eventually, she let him help her until he was done dressing her wounds. Soon after, she lay under the blanket again and Vega remained by her side until she drifted into a light sleep. As quietly as they could, they left the room thereafter and sauntered back upstairs to collapse onto the bed, right there in the twilight as silence stretched between them.

"I…" Vega said into the quiet, his voice weak and raspy. "She knows. What should I do?"

"Sleep for now. We'll handle it in the morning," Ryu answered, short of saying that he actually had no idea. Vega turned to look at him, alert and wide-eyed. Positively horrified and Ryu reached down to his wrist, on top of the healing wounds and scars, giving it a light squeeze.

"You did well," he said and hoped that Vega settled down just a notch. It'd be easier for them come morning.

Right?