It was like those stories of a dark and stormy night, when the wind was far too cold and unbearably harsh. Nights when despite the efforts you did to do the laundry and hang them out to dry, the weather decided to spite you and send a downpour the moment you stepped back inside. Nights when you decided to make the perfect okonomiyaki party and placed all the essentials on the counter, ready to start flipping those pancakes with cabbages and meat, only to realize you don’t have gas and can’t start the stove. Nights when you simply want to sleep after a hard week-long mission and finally gotten a nice relaxing bath and ready to slump and be eaten up by your mattress when suddenly a knock on your door opens up to your commanding officer telling you to suit up because there’s an emergency mission you need to go.
It was one of those instances that you simply wished were a dream but suddenly turns into a nightmare. It may have been three years since he and Shuuten last shouted at each other. Three years since they threatened to kill each other. Three years since they scuffled at Uri’s apartment and end up bringing it outside because they were making a ruckus in the area. Three years since they stood facing each other against the dimly lit walls of the coliseum where they would hopefully be away from prying eyes and ears. Three years since Uri fell silent and Shuuten drapes his black jacket over the other, kiss his head and then walk away.
But this was the first that Uri stepped forwards and grabbed Shuuten by the sleeves, press his head against the other’s back and let his tears fall. He had never cried in front of anyone, not even Shuuten. He thought it was weakness. It really was. It reminded him of Chika’s death. It reminded him of his uselessness. And at that very moment, he felt like everything he had built up over the years was crumbling away. After all, just yesterday, right when he was supposed to be celebrating the birthday of one of the kids he had taken up for himself to train, the young and spirited Ryuichi, he ended up almost losing him when he found the boy almost dead in Cronopolis. Had he been a moment too late, the boy would have died. And even if he had spent the rest of the day trying to search for the assailant, he was coming empty. Karura lost the trail, and all that was left was a reminder of his weakness to be a protector.
He was no where stronger than when he was that kid who almost burned down the town when his chakra surged upon the demon’s possession of his soul. He was still helpless. He almost lost another.
“Don’t leave me out of this, Shuu. Not now…I-I can help you,” he pleaded.
“No. Not this time. You’re not ready for this. Please, wait for me,” answered the other.
“But what if- I know the details. I want to protect you and…”
“You should be worrying about Ryu-chan. I know you’re blaming yourself. This is how you always do things. You want to vent out your rage over the incident in this mission, that’s why I can’t bring you.”
“I won’t be a burden, I promise.”
“Uri…” Shuuten places a hand at Uri’s clutching hand, turned his head to face the other and kissed him gently on the head again. “I’ll be back before you know it. I won’t leave you. I promised that, remember? They need you more than you think. You can’t give up on them. Not now of all times”
“But what about you? Don’t make me burry you.” He was referring to the mission, knowing well what it would entail and ask of the latter.
“Heh. You won’t,” Shuuten places his other hand behind the other’s head and leans close to kiss him. They take a while to cherish the moment before Shuuten pulls away and gently kisses the redhead one last time. “Now, go. I don’t want you to see my back leaving. You know that. And I trust that you’ll protect them, you just have to believe in yourself.”
“But I’m meant for destroying not-,” Uri stops mid-sentence as he Shuuten reaches out a hand over his face, gently caressing his cheek and smiling at him.
“That's not true. You know that, deep inside you.”
Slowly, he steps away with a lazy wave of his hand. “You still punch like a wuss. Next time, you better make me bleed.” He teased before he disappears into the shadows.
“I love you,” the voice echoed in the dark of night as Uri was left alone standing. He may not have to see Shuuten leaving with his back turned to him, but disappearing to the darkness could also cause him to have nightmares. Not that he’d tell the other. Taking a long deep sigh, Uri stepped away, slipping into the black jacket that had the scent of the man he loved, eyes still red and teary.
Uri gave a scowl at his words but couldn’t remain angry. He simply stood there as he felt the emptiness rush at him from all around him. Before he could find himself drowning in it, he runs back to the apartment, stopping just at the first step of the flight of stairs. He had all sorts of emotions running inside him that moment. Anger. Fear. Urge to destroy. Urge to hunt down that bastard who did this to Ryuichi. Urge to chase after Shuuten even if it means insubordination. And before he knew it, the sky was crying as well, just as he was. Raindrops fell quietly and slowly, one after another, like gentle reminders of the present.
Then, a flash of lightning makes him even more aware as a shadow was cast on the stairway from above. He glances up and sees Aya by the landing. She must have been worried when he and Shutten suddenly left the apartment in a fight. Not to mention, he had shouted at her to get inside the bedroom because fists were flying at that point. Eiji was nowhere, angry as well, probably because of what happened to Ryuichi. And so it’d be normal for the girl to be worried when everything around her was in chaos and he so suddenly left along with Shuuten without an explanation.
But what could he possibly say?
“I… I was just about to head out… You better go to sleep for now…” said Uri, but then he realized he was obviously about to return to the home he knew of. So he paused. He let his words drag-on amidst the rain that was now drenching him. He pulls against the jacket and he is reminded of Shuuten again, making him feel fragile. Making him remember the current predicament and his own inability to protect anyone at all. “Liar,” he muttered underneath his breath, “I can’t protect at all.”
It was one of those instances that you simply wished were a dream but suddenly turns into a nightmare. It may have been three years since he and Shuuten last shouted at each other. Three years since they threatened to kill each other. Three years since they scuffled at Uri’s apartment and end up bringing it outside because they were making a ruckus in the area. Three years since they stood facing each other against the dimly lit walls of the coliseum where they would hopefully be away from prying eyes and ears. Three years since Uri fell silent and Shuuten drapes his black jacket over the other, kiss his head and then walk away.
But this was the first that Uri stepped forwards and grabbed Shuuten by the sleeves, press his head against the other’s back and let his tears fall. He had never cried in front of anyone, not even Shuuten. He thought it was weakness. It really was. It reminded him of Chika’s death. It reminded him of his uselessness. And at that very moment, he felt like everything he had built up over the years was crumbling away. After all, just yesterday, right when he was supposed to be celebrating the birthday of one of the kids he had taken up for himself to train, the young and spirited Ryuichi, he ended up almost losing him when he found the boy almost dead in Cronopolis. Had he been a moment too late, the boy would have died. And even if he had spent the rest of the day trying to search for the assailant, he was coming empty. Karura lost the trail, and all that was left was a reminder of his weakness to be a protector.
He was no where stronger than when he was that kid who almost burned down the town when his chakra surged upon the demon’s possession of his soul. He was still helpless. He almost lost another.
“No. Not this time. You’re not ready for this. Please, wait for me,” answered the other.
“But what if- I know the details. I want to protect you and…”
“You should be worrying about Ryu-chan. I know you’re blaming yourself. This is how you always do things. You want to vent out your rage over the incident in this mission, that’s why I can’t bring you.”
“I won’t be a burden, I promise.”
“Uri…” Shuuten places a hand at Uri’s clutching hand, turned his head to face the other and kissed him gently on the head again. “I’ll be back before you know it. I won’t leave you. I promised that, remember? They need you more than you think. You can’t give up on them. Not now of all times”
“But what about you? Don’t make me burry you.” He was referring to the mission, knowing well what it would entail and ask of the latter.
“Heh. You won’t,” Shuuten places his other hand behind the other’s head and leans close to kiss him. They take a while to cherish the moment before Shuuten pulls away and gently kisses the redhead one last time. “Now, go. I don’t want you to see my back leaving. You know that. And I trust that you’ll protect them, you just have to believe in yourself.”
“But I’m meant for destroying not-,” Uri stops mid-sentence as he Shuuten reaches out a hand over his face, gently caressing his cheek and smiling at him.
“That's not true. You know that, deep inside you.”
Slowly, he steps away with a lazy wave of his hand. “You still punch like a wuss. Next time, you better make me bleed.” He teased before he disappears into the shadows.
“I love you,” the voice echoed in the dark of night as Uri was left alone standing. He may not have to see Shuuten leaving with his back turned to him, but disappearing to the darkness could also cause him to have nightmares. Not that he’d tell the other. Taking a long deep sigh, Uri stepped away, slipping into the black jacket that had the scent of the man he loved, eyes still red and teary.
Uri gave a scowl at his words but couldn’t remain angry. He simply stood there as he felt the emptiness rush at him from all around him. Before he could find himself drowning in it, he runs back to the apartment, stopping just at the first step of the flight of stairs. He had all sorts of emotions running inside him that moment. Anger. Fear. Urge to destroy. Urge to hunt down that bastard who did this to Ryuichi. Urge to chase after Shuuten even if it means insubordination. And before he knew it, the sky was crying as well, just as he was. Raindrops fell quietly and slowly, one after another, like gentle reminders of the present.
Then, a flash of lightning makes him even more aware as a shadow was cast on the stairway from above. He glances up and sees Aya by the landing. She must have been worried when he and Shutten suddenly left the apartment in a fight. Not to mention, he had shouted at her to get inside the bedroom because fists were flying at that point. Eiji was nowhere, angry as well, probably because of what happened to Ryuichi. And so it’d be normal for the girl to be worried when everything around her was in chaos and he so suddenly left along with Shuuten without an explanation.
But what could he possibly say?
“I… I was just about to head out… You better go to sleep for now…” said Uri, but then he realized he was obviously about to return to the home he knew of. So he paused. He let his words drag-on amidst the rain that was now drenching him. He pulls against the jacket and he is reminded of Shuuten again, making him feel fragile. Making him remember the current predicament and his own inability to protect anyone at all. “Liar,” he muttered underneath his breath, “I can’t protect at all.”