Peace Maker Kurogane Fan Fiction ❯ The Disappearance of Tetsunosuke Ichimura ❯ Found ( Chapter 1 )

Disclaimer: I don't own Peacemaker Kurogane.

 

 

 

“Hey, Tatsunosuke,” called Souji Okita as he poked his head in. “Have you seen Tetsu by any chance?” Tatsunosuke frowned slightly and looked towards the other man.

“No. I haven't really seen him since breakfast. Why?” he asked. Souji sighed a bit and looked outside once more.

“Mr. Hijikata is looking for him. I heard from Shinpachi that he had gone to get a few things for those that were too busy to get them themselves and he hasn't gotten back yet,” Tatsu's frown turned in a small smile as he turned back to his books.

“I'm sure that he just got distracted by something. He should be back soon,” But he wasn't back by nightfall, nor was he back by morning. By the time a week had passed, Tatsu was only able to sleep when someone forced him to.

 

“Tatsu!” Someone called. It was faint at first but it gained volume quickly. “Tatsu! Where are you?!” The door suddenly burst open and Tatsu was met with the pale face of Shinpachi, still in his uniform and looking like he had just run a marathon around the village. He had to catch his breath a moment and finally met Tatsu's gaze.

“We found Tetsu,” the words were meant to be relieving but it only caused a shot of pure fear to run down his spine and yank him up to follow Shinpachi back towards the main gate. His mind was reeling with the possibilities, his heart was pounding in his chest so hard that it almost choked him when it leapt into his throat. The cool night air chilled his skin to the bone and glued his eyes to the men carrying in a tightly wrapped bundle. Mr. Okita's uniform was missing the top blue and white haori and was wrapped around something that one of the other men was carrying. A large tuft of rich red hair poked out from the folds of the haori as did a pale, bruised face when he quickly took the bundle from the man's arms. Pale red lashes lay unmoving on his cheeks, pale lips were parted to let in tiny, sporadic breaths. An ugly green and yellow bruise marred Tetsu's face and blood crusted along the cut on Tetsu's bottom lip. Small ribbons of blood had dried along the right side of Tetsu's face and his hair was matted against his forehead.

Tetsu seemed to stir, his head falling back to expose his throat, back arching and rising but it was only one of the men taking him from him. Mr. Okita tugged on his arm and he followed them quickly into the building, nearly shouting when the door to the room Tetsu was taken into was slid shut in his face. Mr. Okita was saying something to him but he didn't hear it. All he could hear was Tetsu's voice laughing at him for something, calling his name, crying. It nearly killed him to be denied the right to see his brother after he had been missing for so long. Where had the boy gone and… why was he so beaten up?

 

“Tetsu, wake up please,” he whispered softly, watching Tetsu sleep. A doctor had come by last night and patched him up as best as he could, took notes on Tetsu's injuries, prescribed things. None of which he had paid attention to except when Tetsu's injuries were revealed. A broken arm, several cracked ribs, fractured leg, broken fingers, concussion, and a black eye. It could have been worse, so much worse. The breaks in his arm and fingers wouldn't heal badly, according to the doctor, and the fracture in his leg would heal before the ribs as he was going to be staying off of it for the most part. Luckily, they had found him before he could bleed to death from the side wound on his left side. His hair was down for once and spread across the white of the futon, a thick quilt covered his body from the shoulders down and a thick bandage was pressed against his cut forehead. Mr. Hijikata had come in last night and talked quietly with the doctor for a while before leaving. Tatsu had seen the look on Mr. Hijikata's face when he first saw his young page. It still scared him even as he pictured it now. A mixture of rage and what Tatsu thought was concern blended across the older man's face before he finally turned his glare on the doctor who didn't even flinch at the gaze. Obviously the doctor had been called in more then once to attend to the men. Tatsu let out a sigh and carefully gripped Tetsu's none injured hand in his own, squeezing slightly to let the boy know that he was right beside him.

“So,” said someone from the door. “He got himself into some sort of trouble again,” Yamazaki Susumu said as he took a seat beside Tatsu. Tatsu sighed heavily and nodded.

“Yeah,” he said softly. Susumu was silent a moment, watching Tetsu's chest rise and fall with each small, slow breath that he took. A small part of him ached slightly at the sight of the boy's broken body. He was just so hyper and quick, even when scared shitless and trying to fend off people trying to kill him, that it was so unexpected that he'd loose and get hurt this badly. A small groan drew both men from their thoughts and to the boy lying before them. Eyebrows and fingers twitched slightly in a sign of returning consciousness. Lips parted in another faint groan. Red hair scrubbed against the futon to turn towards them and the eyelids flickered back to greet the room with a groggy, confused light brown gaze. Tatsu relaxed slightly and let a smile slip across his face, his hand reaching out to brush the red strands of hair from Tetsu's face. Tetsu's gaze turned to him at the light touch and his finely arched eyebrows drew down in confusion.

“T…tatsu?” he whispered, voice rough and thick with sleep. Tatsu's smile grew, tears pricking at his eyes as he squeezed Tetsu's hand again.

“Yeah. I'm right here, Tetsu,” he said, voice just as soft as the red head's. Tetsu blinked slowly and took his hand from Tatsu's grip to rub at the sleep in his eyes. The hand flopped down again onto the futon as he looked around the room, still not coherent enough to realize that he was hurt and bed ridden right then. Susumu remained silent, watching Tetsu and keeping a close watch on his eyes to make sure that they weren't overly cloudy or that he wasn't developing a fever. Tetsu yawned widely and winced. No doubt the deeper yawn had tugged on the boy's injuries.

“Hey, Tatsu?” Tetsu asked, voice clearing of sleep the longer he was awake.

“Yeah?”

“Why does… my head hurt so much?” The question was what he would have expected but it still surprised him. How would he explain that Tetsu was unable to get up and move around because someone had attacked him?

“You fell off the roof like the damn fool you are,” Susumu answered smoothly. Tetsu frowned, clearly not remembering it but shrugged it off as something blocked due to the head wound. Tetsu yawned again, wincing of course too and settled back into sleep. It disturbed Tatsu to no end that he was awake for no more then five minutes before falling asleep again. He watched him sleep, not moving and took Tetsu's hand up again. Tetsu's fingers, frighteningly cool to the touch, curled softly around his own, as if sensing him in his sleep. It lifted a slight weight from Tatsu's heart to feel that though he wished that Tetsu's hands were warmer, like they always had been. Mother's had been warm, always so warm on the coldest winter day and Tetsu had apparently inherited her warm hands. But now they were so cool compared to his. A hand was placed on Tetsu's forehead, Susumu's hand, and pulled away after a few seconds.

“He's not catchin' a fever,” Susumu said, soothing one of Tatsu's fears. Susumu, like the doctor that he was in training to be, checked over each of Tetsu's wounds carefully, replacing bandages where they were needed, rubbing an herbal ointment on them meant to numb the area and prevent infection and checking his pulse and respiration. Tetsu's forehead creased into a frown as he shied away from Susumu's gentle examination of his cracked ribs.

“….tickles,” he muttered, squirming away again.

“Keep still for a little while longer,” Tatsu said soothingly, pressing a gentle hand against Tetsu's stomach to calm him. The nickname “puppy boy” was fairly accurate in one sense. Tetsu, when upset or feeling ill, would always calm down and fall asleep whenever he, his father, or mother rubbed his stomach or pressed their hands against it. It was rather strange but then again, practically everything about his little brother was strange. Must've been their father's influence and their upbringing. True to his prediction, Tetsu calmed immediately and stayed still for the rest of the examination, eyes opening into little slits when Susumu's hands had pulled away.

“Do you want anything, Tetsu?” Tatsu asked, pulling the collar up on the boy's sleeping kimono. Tetsu swallowed thickly for a moment, taking a few more to think, much longer then usual before nodding faintly.

“Some water,” he said and coughed. The coughing didn't stop there though and continued for several painful minutes, Tetsu finally settling down again, pain crossing his features as he breathed. Tatsu's hand was now on the boy's chest, trying to ease the pain from the coughing. His breath rattled in his throat and chest, causing Susumu to quickly leave with the intent of getting water. Tatsu moved around and lifted Tetsu's body to rest against one of his legs, fingers stroking through the boy's long, unruly hair. Tetsu tired to curl around him, sensing his brother's presence but stopped when pain lanced through him. Tatsu gently uncurled the boy's body and arranged him to lie like he had been, only using his leg as a pillow. Tetsu seemed to breath a little easier then and Tatsu leaned his back against the wall, fingers still weaving through the boy's hair. Susumu returned quickly enough, glass and pitcher of water in his hands. Tetsu tried to move away from him when he tried to lift him but Tatsu took him from Susumu and stroked his hair again.

“Calm down, Tetsu,” Tatsu said, lifting him as far as possible without causing any more pain. Susumu pressed the cup to the boy's lips and let him sip at the water until the glass was half empty.

“Hey, is he awake?” asked a soft voice from the doorway. The two caregivers looked up, Tatsu smiling at the assembled group, Susumu taking the cup form the boy's lips and laying him back down again. Shinpachi, Sanousuke, Heisuke and Mr. Okita walked in, all taking seats near or around the half sleeping boy. Each had a worried look on his face though Mr. Okita, who had taken a seat near Susumu, broke out into a light smile when Tetsu's eyes opened again. It took him a little bit longer for him to focus again, pain still clouding his face, but he finally did focus enough to meet Mr. Okita's gaze and return a watery, weak smile.

“Good morning, Tetsu,” Mr. Okita greeted warmly, squeezing the boy's hand. Tetsu swallowed and squeezed back in greeting.

“He's awake?” Shinpachi asked, coming forward quickly to get a look at him. Heisuke and Sanousuke came forward quickly as well, all sighing in relief when Tetsu turned a bit stronger of a smile to them.

“How're you feeling, puppy boy?” Sanousuke asked, voice low. The room was still for a few moments, taking on a cooler air almost.

“Don't. Call me that.” Tetsu said, eyes narrow, voice low and grip tightening almost painfully around Mr. Okita's hand. He suddenly seemed much older then his sixteen years and much more dangerous then the happy smiling face everyone was used to seeing. It was a little frightening really. Tatsu reached out and stroked Tetsu's hair again, smile on his lips.

“Tetsu, you're doing it again,” he said, drawing Tetsu's attention away from the others. The grip on Okita's hand lessened immediately.

“Doing what?” Tetsu asked.

“Bein' stupid,” Susumu answered. Tetsu's gaze immediately snapped to him, scowling.

“Shut up, Susumu!” he shouted and immediately regretted it. He grimaced, hand gripping Okita's again as the pain flashed through him and faded slowly. Okita merely smiled and stroked the back of the boy's hand.

“Calm down, Tetsu,” Okita said.

“How are you feeling, Tetsu?” Heisuke asked, pulling the boy's attention to him. Tetsu had to pause for a second, taking stock of everything and calming his breathing again.

“My head hurts,” Tetsu said finally, sounding tired again.

“Maybe you should rest some more,” Okita said. Tetsu nodded slowly, taking a breath and breaking into a coughing fit again. Okita let go of his hand and let Tatsu gather him up and comfort him. Tetsu was soon asleep once more and tucked carefully into bed. The assembled group watched the boy sleep before Okita stood and walked out, shutting the door softly. Okita padded down the hall, walking softly on the balls of his feet so as not to wake the other sleeping men. It figures that the time that Tetsu would wake up would be at the same that he normally snuck into the kitchen for a late night snack. Okita shook his head, rubbing his hand and stepped carefully into the room of Toshizo Hijikata. The man was sitting outside on the porch, staring up at the moon, deep in thought, pipe hanging from still fingers. Okita shook his head and smiled, walking over to the man, took his pipe from him and replaced it with a cup of hot tea. Toshi came out of his daze then and looked at him.

“Souji,” he whispered, looking relieved. Souji smiled, his shoulders relaxing from his stance of Mr. Okita. With everyone else his was Mr. Okita but with Toshi, the Commander and a select few others that knew him well, he was always Souji.

“He woke up for a little while,” he said, just as softly, stroking some hair from the older man's face. Toshi sighed in relief and took a sip of the tea. Two seconds later, Souji was on his back on the porch laughing as Toshi tickled him.

“You little sweets freak,” Toshi said, pinning his hand above his head. Souji giggled and looked up adorably at the older man.

“You know that I don't like my tea that sweet,”

“I just thought that you might like something a little different now that Tetsu's awake,” he explained, smiling softly and freeing one hand to stroke the man's cheek.

“He woke up and will be alright now, Toshi,” he whispered. Toshi leaned into the caress and slowly lowered himself down to lie over Souji's warm body. Roughly chapped lips pressed against softer, plush lips in a warming, lingering kiss before sleep finally overtook the vice commander. Souji shook his head, smile lingering on his lips as he carefully shook the taller man into a half sleep and tucked him into bed. Despite how uncaring the man seemed towards the small page, Toshi did find the boy, to some extent, greatly important to him and, as Toshi had confided in him more then once, the callous vice commander found the boy to have a vast amount of potential. Potential for what it was, was still unclear but that potential was building and building until at some point, either sooner or later, it would burst free and raise the boy to great heights. Souji watched the man sleep for a few moments more before daring to do something he had only done in the privacy of his rare assignments with Toshizo Hijikata where they were led out of town and on their own. He very carefully pulled the thick blankets up and slipped under them, curling his body around the taller form beside him, listening his vice commander's strong heartbeat. Steady, soothing, warm. It eased the many worried thoughts from his mind and lulled him into the first fitful sleep in a week. That night, he slept without dreaming of possible outcomes of their search for the precious puppy boy, Tetsunosuke Ichimura.