Harry Potter - Series Fan Fiction ❯ FATELESS ❯ FIVE ( Chapter 5 )

He was in the dark again. He was always in the dark when he was back in that place. Shivers wracked his thin body, the cold temperature causing goose-bumps to rise on the naked flesh. The long waist-length locks he was used to had shortened dramatically back to the nearly shorn strands of then. Slowly walking forward he was halted in place by a thick black shadow wrapping itself around his neck and squeezing. Airways were cut off and he began choking, gasping for breath-

“Zaraki? Are you ok? Your mouth’s bleeding.”

The redhead sat up wiping at his lips, the back of his hand coming away bloody, staining the sleeve edge of his nightshirt. A side glance brought into view a nearly pink braid that brushed against his bared hip. A tanned hand curled around his chin and turned his head to face his partner. Emerald locked onto amethyst.

“Zaraki? Do I need to get Ritsu-dono? Are you injured?”

“Zaraki-sama is fine, Hiruma-kun. Please hand me a tissue.”

The requested item was given and he wiped away the already drying blood, once the tissue was thrown away his lips were claimed softly. Hiruma buried his fingers into the braided mass, brushing his lips against his Sacrifice’s again and again.

“Hiruma-kun, Zaraki-sama is fine, really.”

“…”

“Let’s just go back to sleep. Zaraki-sama is very tired.”

He was pulled up against Hiruma’s bare chest, their tails wrapping around each other as they cuddled beneath the comforter. Dark green eyes blinked slowly in thought. Zaraki was hiding something, and it was making him worried. Closing his eyes he nuzzled his partners’ neck and settled down. Zaraki would tell him eventually, he just needed to be patient.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Emerald orbs snapped open their bearer awake instantly. The tanned figure sat up and reached over to lightly shake his bed partner. The slender form whimpered softly one last time as the REM cycle ended, releasing him from the nightmare. Zaraki shot up gasping for breath, mouth bloody. He didn’t turn to look at his partner, knowing the brunet would be wearing a mixed look of concern and faint demand. A tissue was handed to him silently as warm arms wrapped around him, pulling him close.

“Will you tell me? Please? I’ve had to wake you every night for the last week and a half, your mouth bleeding every time.”

“…”

“Please Zaraki; I don’t know who to fix this if you won’t tell me.”

“…It…it was before Zaraki-sama was found by Ritsu-sama. Zaraki-sama knows knife wounds well, because the ones who were supposed to take care of me, hurt me instead. The last time, the big man was choking Zaraki-sama; I bit my tongue to keep from screaming, and then it was dark. When Zaraki-sama woke up, it was snowing and I was cold. Zaraki-sama was behind a trash can on a side street; Zaraki-sama walked away and that was that.”

Hiruma pulled his partner closer, unwilling to let him go for anything. He wanted to hunt that person down and kill him, destroy him mercilessly. The Sacrifice leaned back, curling up into his Fighter’s embrace. He felt lighter, more at peace now that he had shared some of his past with the older boy. Indigo irises shuttered to half-mast as the hands resting on his hips began sliding up and down his sides. Soft, teasing touches meant to stir the blood. A daring hand slid up beneath the loose button-up shirt to rest over the younger boy’s heart.

“Promise me that you won’t keep things from me anymore. I can’t protect you if I don’t know what to guard you from.”

“Zaraki-sama will not promise that. There are things you have no need to know.”

“Then tell me as much as you’re willing. I don’t like being in the dark when it comes to your safety.”

“Fine, Hiruma-kun will be told when it comes up. And not a moment before.”

“If this happens again tomorrow night, will you tell Ritsu-dono?”

“No, not even if it becomes one hundred nights. It has nothing to do with Ritsu-sama. This is Zaraki-sama’s problem.”

The arms surrounding him in warmth tightened, pressing his back against a bare chest. The palm resting over his heart slid up further to curl over a thin shoulder. Hiruma’s chin settled on the opposite shoulder as he nuzzled the Sacrifice’s neck.

“Zaraki.”

“Hmm?”

“I want to pierce you. Right here. Leave a permanent mark for eternity.”

As the brunet spoke he started nipping at a pale earlobe, tugging on the flesh gently. Zaraki reached up himself to touch the mentioned spot.

“Earrings? Hm, Zaraki-sama doesn’t see why not. But you will be the one to do it Hiruma-kun. Zaraki-sama refuses to be touched by filthy peasants.”

“I wouldn’t allow anyone else to. You’re my Sacrifice, the person hand chosen to share a Name with me.”

“Zaraki-sama is going back to bed now, Hiruma-kun will do the piercing in the morning after Zaraki-sama has pampered sufficiently.”

The taller Sentouki leaned over the smaller body to turn off the lamp, before lying back down and cuddling close to his partner. He never wanted to let Zaraki go; Zaraki was safe in his arms. He would protect him from anything and everything that would even think of trying to bring harm to the pre-teen.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Ka-chick!

Ka-chick!

“There, done. They look great Zaraki, really great.”

“Hand Zaraki-sama the mirror Hiruma-kun.”

Lifting the reflective surface Zaraki checked his appearance, inspecting the new accessories. Hanging down from each earlobe were three stars in amethyst, onyx, and diamond on a silver chain. A tiny smirk tilted the corners of his painted lips up. They were acceptable. He could even learn to like the slight chiming sound they made when he turned his head.

“Very good Hiruma-kun, they are acceptable. Now, Zaraki-sama is starving; let’s go get some food. Ritsu-sama said we have permission to leave campus, and there’s a café nearby.”

“Alright, I’m getting you a jacket; it’s supposed to get cooler later on and I know you prefer to sit outside when you eat.”

“Don’t forget to put on a shirt; they won’t serve Zaraki-sama if you aren’t wearing one.”

“I know, and I have one right here.”

Hiruma draped the black velvet coat over Zaraki’s shoulders, the inner white satin lining drawing his slender form into sharp relief. It also made him seem even more feminine, especially when standing beside his much taller Fighter Unit. Pulling on a grey turtleneck with disdain, the pair left the room hand in hand. Showing their pass to the guards, the pair exited the campus grounds heading towards the nearby city. Hiruma spotted the little café first and directed Zaraki to an open outdoor seat, heading inside afterwards to get a waiter.

Zaraki fussed for a few moments, shrugging the jacket off to drape on the back of the seat and tossing a loose braid over his shoulder making his new earrings chime. The bright hue of his hair was drawing some stares and whispers but he ignored it. Those peasants should be honored he was even sharing the same air as them; Hiruma-kun and Ritsu-dono were the only ones deserving of his attention. A sudden flash of light at the edge of his vision quickly drew his violet gaze to a young child in a blue jacket. The boy had short black hair with matching feline appendages. Bandages were wrapped around his left hand and a band aid followed the arch of his right cheekbone. Zaraki completely ignored the evidence of wounds to focus on the light coming from underneath the fabric of his coat.

A faint glow covering the center of his chest that slowly became clearer as the pre-teen watched. Letter by letter the word formed revealing a name that sent Zaraki into peals of silent laughter. Oh! The pure irony! He couldn’t take it! He was going to die laughing and no one would know why because it was all a joke only he understood. A dark grin danced across painted lips as the matching orbs watched the child walk away.

“Because Zaraki-sama is the only one special enough to deserve such a gift.”

“Zaraki? Did you say something?”

“Nothing of importance Hiruma-kun. Do you get a waiter?”

“Yeah, what did you want?”

“Zaraki-sama will have a cup of hot chai and a plate of inari.”

“Water and the pumpkin bread.”

“Yes, of course. It shall be right out.”

“Zaraki, are you excited about tonight’s test?”

“Zaraki-sama doesn’t care about such pathetic things. Zaraki-sama knows Hiruma-kun will pass because they are peasants, and Zaraki-sama‘s property will not be beaten by insignificant trash.”

“Ritsu-dono said he has a new task for us, what do you think it will be?”

“Who knows? Zaraki-sama hopes it will be something fun, Seven Voices is getting boring very quickly.”

“I think it has something to do with Nagisa‘s-.”

“That long-haired bitch?! Do not mention that slut’s name in front of Zaraki-sama again! Do you understand me Hiruma-kun?!”

Hiruma yanked his hand back quickly the second after the woman’s name left his mouth to avoid getting stabbed by Zaraki’s fork. The petite body was trembling with rage, his dark eyes flashing. Slender fingers curled around the handle of his knife as he questioned his Sentouki.

“I understand I’m sorry Zaraki. I didn’t mean to anger you, please forgive me?”

Zaraki sat back down, his ruffled feathers settling once more as he accepted the apology silently. The redhead hated the female teacher even more then he had hated Beloved. But he refused to say why he despised her so much. Just mentioning her name had his hackles raised and claws bared.

“Hiruma-kun will drop this conversation and eat his food. Now. Zaraki-sama needs to refresh.”

“Yes, Zaraki.”

In the bathroom Zaraki stared blankly at his reflection in the mirror, eyes glazed over. His memories flew by in his mind in a whirlwind, one standing out above all others. The day of his surgery when he had gotten the mark cleared up. It had been Nagisa that operated on his skin that day.

Nagisa with her nauseating tittering laugh.

Her ugly long hair and horrific childish clothing.

And the disgusting tattoo (that made him hateHateHATE) on her left forearm in acidic green ink bright enough to blind someone-

-of a snake emerging from a skulls mouth.