S-CRY-ed Fan Fiction ❯ Full Circle ❯ Defiance ( Chapter 9 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Disclaimer: No, we don't own s-CRY-ed or the characters. We'd be much more evil to them if we did.

Note from the Muses: We’ve had several helpful reviewers tell us that we’re spelling Shiirice’s name wrong. Actually, her name has had several spellings, anything from Shireece to Xeres to Cheris, depending on translator. The Muses prefer to spell it Shiirice, as it was in the fansub copies of s-CRY-ed that were our first introduction to the show. So, yes, we know we’re not using the spelling that the US anime release contained. This story is an odd mix of anime and manga canon anyway. End of ranting, on to the new chapter!

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Chapter 9: Defiance

Kazuma returned to the base late at night. Running, testing out his alter, and swimming in the frigid water of the nearby stream combined had made him finally calm down enough to try an analysis what the hell his day had evolved into. Drying himself off with a spare semi-clean shirt he found, he was able to sort out a couple things. One, that he and Ryuhou had gone too far. They had really started to fight dirty, even if it was only verbally. Two, it had only been one day with Ryuhou awake and they were already at each other's throats. And three... he couldn't take it. With an exasperated sigh, he started toward his room, pulling his shirt on as he walked.

Ryuhou stared out into the darkness, unable to sleep. The recent fight with Kazuma had him worked up in more ways than one. He'd managed to get his body to calm down, but his mind was still agitated. Some of the things that both of them had said bothered him. Even though he knew they were true, they had still crossed that unspoken line.

Hearing the door slide open, he quickly turned to face the wall. He didn't want to see either Kazuma or Shiirice right now. After a moment, he felt the futon shift with the weight of another person, and strong arms wrapped around him. He tensed and tried to pull away, but Kazuma held firm. Ryuhou eventually found himself relaxing despite his convictions otherwise. "What do you want, Kazuma?" he asked, trying to hold onto his anger.

"Ryuhou..." Kazuma rested his forehead against the back of his friend's neck. "I just... I... I'm..." He fell silent, unable to put into words what he was feeling. Apologies were never easy.

With a sigh, Ryuhou brought one hand up to cover Kazuma's, the last of his anger slipping away like mist in the morning sun. "Yeah, I know," he said, squeezing his fingers lightly. “Me too.”

Kazuma raised his head and pressed a kiss to Ryuhou's shoulder. "We're okay?" he asked, unable to keep the hopeful note out of his voice.

Ryuhou nodded, then twisted in his arms to face him. “We’re okay,” he repeated, embracing him in return.

"I really didn't touch her yet," Kazuma continued and was about to elaborate when Ryuhou silenced him with a nod.

"I know. I shouldn't have doubted you."

The two of them settled into a long silence which Ryuhou finally broke. "Maybe we should just go to bed." he suggested.

Kazuma pulled Ryuhou tighter to him. "Seems to me we're already in bed," he said with a mischievous grin.

"Yes, that we are," Ryuhou replied, feeling a smile creep onto his face. He closed his eyes as Kazuma leaned forward and kissed him, sighing softly into the other's mouth. Soon, Kazuma was sliding his leg in between Ryuhou's and rolling over onto him as the kisses and caresses became more intense. Both guys pulled away for a brief moment to smirk in understanding before returning to their “apology.” They were beginning to get used to the cycle of blood-quickening fights and making up afterwards–though they were never quite sure which caused more scratches.

Ryuhou groaned as Kazuma moved from his lips to his neck, nipping and sucking lightly along his collar. Kazuma's hand slid up Ryuhou's shirt, tracing swirling patterns across the skin and pushing the material upward. In return, Ryuhou tugged insistently on Kazuma’s shirt, prompting the other to sit back and strip out of it. Ryuhou took the moment to pull his tank top off as well, leaving his shorts on for the moment.

Unimpeded with most of their clothing, the guys went back to their near playful wrestling, a competition of who could pin the other. Of course, the game was made more complicated by the lingering trails of kisses and fingertip-strokes they left. Ryuhou was struggling against a very effective pin Kazuma had achieved when he slumped unexpectedly. Kazuma froze as he once again remembered the condition of his companion, letting Ryuhou twist out of their position to lie on his back underneath him. "Hey, you okay?"

"Yeah, just a bit winded," Ryuhou conceded, as he pushed a damp bang from his sweaty forehead. "Still, I'm feeling pretty good."

"I can stop," Kazuma offered, but was silenced by Ryuhou pulling him down for a kiss.

"Stop now and I'll kill you," Ryuhou growled between their lips, wrapping his legs around Kazuma's waist and rocking against him.

The sound of running feet drumming down the hallway and sliding pop of the each of the panel doors on the wing reached the two men, followed by Shiirice’s panicked voice "Kazuma? Kazuma?" Kazuma rolled off Ryuhou not a second too soon as the girl found their room. Shiirice looked around as best she could in the dark room, her eyes not yet adjusted.

"Shiirice? What's wrong?" Kazuma tried his best to steady his voice as he climbed out of bed. Beside him he knew Ryuhou was also tensed for whatever had frightened her.

Locating Kazuma by his voice, Shiirice flung herself into his arms. “Oh, Kazuma, I was so scared!”

Kazuma was taken aback and hesitantly stroked the hair of the upset woman who was sobbing against his neck. Ryuhou stood up and rushed to her side protectively, "Shiirice, what happened?"

Shiirice stiffened at the sound of his voice and pushed away haltingly, "I- oh I'm sorry for disturbing you." The two men could tell she was confused as if she was barely coming to her senses. Her voice hoarse from crying, she continued, "I don't know why I came here." She turned her face away from Ryuhou, continuing to cling to Kazuma. "I-it was so dark, I couldn't get out... I couldn't find anyone, and there were hands all over me..."

Kazuma rubbed her back lightly, taking a deep breath to try to calm himself. He was still tense from his recent activities with Ryuhou, and the close proximity of a warm, soft body wasn't helping at all. "It's all right, it was just a nightmare." He looked guiltily over his shoulder at Ryuhou. "She's been having bad dreams."

Shiirice pulled away slightly, her breath coming in shuddering sniffles as she tried to calm down. "Are you going to come to be with me again?" She asked hopefully and innocently."Or are you doing something still?" Shiirice didn't know why Kazuma was so damp with sweat, but she didn't want to go into her lonely room alone.

Kazuma froze, sure that Ryuhou was staring daggers at him in the dark. "Ah... I've just been helping her sleep, that's all..." he said quickly. He considered his options: a thwarted evening with now-homicidal bud, Ryuhou, or the peaceful night of frustration pressed against Shiirice's warm flesh. "Um, Shiirice, I-" he began only to be interrupted by Ryuhou.

"Shiirice, you can stay here."

Shiirice turned to regard Ryuhou for a second before lying her cheek on Kazuma's shoulder. "Kazuma, why don't you just sleep in my room like before?"

Ryuhou concentrated on Shiirice's words. Hearing both the childish whine with the undercurrent of womanly will, strangely reminded him of one of the times their superiors had discussed transferring her. He had never known how much she was dedicated to him but now that she wasn't focused on him, it was a blow.

Kazuma gulped, feeling Ryuhou's glare like a physical presence. "Um... no, he's right. We should all stay here. Ryuhou's still not feeling great and... um... there's two beds in here anyway."

"Will I still get to sleep with you?" Shiirice prodded.
Kazuma hesitated, glancing at Ryuhou and hoping he'd understand. "Yeah, I guess."

Frowning, Ryuhou regarded the pair suspiciously. On one hand, he wanted to help Shiirice as much as possible with her nightmares. If staying in the room and interrupting his time with Kazuma was the only way, so be it. However, he did not like the idea of her sleeping with his friend! Granted, he trusted Kazuma's word that sleeping was all they'd been doing... but it still irked him. Finally, he sighed, rubbing his eyes with one hand. "You two take Kazuma's bed. I'm going to sleep."

Kazuma blinked even as Shiirice was dragging him to the futon across the room. "Ryuhou? Are you sure?"

Not much I could do about it anyway, Ryuhou thought, but kept that to himself. "Yes, it's fine. Goodnight, Kazuma." He laid back down on his bed, tugging the rumpled covers over himself and turning toward the wall. He had to bite his lip to hold back a sigh of frustration, as he was still half-hard from the make-up/make-out session with Kazuma. What a perfect way to end this day. He scrunched down in his covers even more as the muffled sound of some cheesy joke of Kazuma's reached him along with Shiirice's giggle. Ryuhou amended his pervious resolution. He was going to kill Kazuma first thing in the morning.

***************

Kazuma lay awake, staring at the dark ceiling for a long while after the other two had gone to sleep. He'd managed to calm Shiirice with quiet words and jokes, but he knew Ryuhou was still mad at him. Sighing, he rubbed at his eyes. He was tired, but his mind was too active to sleep. Had he not promised to stay beside Shiirice tonight, he would have gone out to work off some frustration outside. A low groan from Ryuhou's bed caught his attention. Turning his head, he could barely make out the shape of the other man in the darkness. Ryuhou tossed restlessly, moaning again. "No... no, please..."

Kazuma frowned, sitting up as quietly as possible so as not to wake Shiirice. He waited a moment to see if Ryuhou would calm again, but the moans and incoherent pleas only escalated as the man thrashed about in bed. Quickly, Kazuma crawled over to the futon and grabbed Ryuhou's shoulders. "Ryuhou, wake up!" he hissed, shaking him.

With a loud cry, Ryuhou sat up and clutched at Kazuma's arms. "You-?" He woke with a start, his heart still racing. He wasn't one to be bothered by nightmares. Yet it seemed so vivid: a vast darkness closing and sealing around him. He still felt as though the life was being drained from his body. Unable to help himself, he clung to the other man, resting his head on his shoulder and taking deep, ragged breaths in an effort to calm down as Kazuma’s hands rubbed firm, comforting circles on his back.

"Guess Shiirice wasn't the only- oh hell," Kazuma glanced over as a whimper came across the room as Shiirice bunched her body into a fetal position. Reluctantly, he detached himself from Ryuhou, giving the other man another quick, comforting squeeze on the shoulder before hurrying back to the other bed. "Shiirice, it's okay," he murmured, pulling the trembling girl into his arms. "It's just a dream."

Ryuhou pulled his knees up to his chest, shivering. The dream had seemed so real... he could still feel the cold emptiness dragging him under. He felt chilled to his core, even though his clothes and hair were plastered to his skin with sweat. With mixed feelings, he looked over his knees at the couple on the other bed. On one hand, the tenderness that Kazuma showed the girl was surprising, and Ryuhou felt left out. On the other, he had the deep-down feeling that he should be the one in Kazuma's place, cradling his once-subordinate. Finding the amount of conflicting emotions in that thought line too overpowering, Ryuhou turned back to the still lingering effect of the dream. Logically, he knew it was just a nightmare, but he couldn't shake the feeling of helplessness. He felt so empty and alone, he almost wanted to cry. He knew he shouldn't be getting this upset over a stupid dream, but he couldn't overcome the hollow feeling in his stomach. He shivered again, still watching the other two. Right now, he wanted nothing more than to crawl under the covers with them both, to hold Shiirice and have Kazuma hold him, to share in the warmth and companionship there... but he knew he couldn't. With a sigh, he stretched out on his side, facing away from the other bed. Pulling the covers tightly around him, he stared at the darkness of the wall.

***************

Akira rapped gently on the frame of the front door. Technically, she could probably just walk in, since it was her base. But when dealing with other combat-orientated Alters it was just polite to give them a warning.

Kevin, on the other hand, wasn't so subtle. "HELLOOO! KAZUMA! RYUHOU! OPEN UP!" he yelled as he banged joyfully on the door frame.

"Kevin, calm down," Akira hissed turning to her charge. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that one of the door panels was gone and had a good view as Kazuma rushed down the hallway, cursing and trying to put his pants on.

Sliding open the door, Kazuma groggily tried to run a hair through his hair. "Akira, what are you doing here?"

Akira was about to answer when Kevin popped out from behind her, tackling Kazuma around the waist. "Yay! You're here! How are your friends? Are they awake? Did you kiss the girl yet?"

The Lawless leader looked at the slightly uncomfortable expression on Kazuma's face. Maybe it was best if she explained to Kevin that Kazuma wasn't into girls. "Kevin, sweetie, I hate to tell you this but-" the explanation died on Akira's lips as the girl they’d recovered peeked out of the room that a half-dressed Kazuma had recently exited. Evidently Akira chided herself on the miscalculation.

"Kazuma? Who's there?" Shiirice asked, trying to keep the fact hidden that she was only in a shirt and underwear.

Akira blinked, feeling guilty. The two men seemed so close before at the camp. She must have been seeing things when she thought they were together. "Oh Kazuma, I'm so sorry-" her apology died as well as she watched Ryuhou exit the room sliding a shirt onto his lanky frame.

Kazuma gave Akira a confused look as Kevin bounded into the interior to tackle the dazed dark-haired boy. "Never mind," Akira lamely finished. "So... everyone is doing well?"

Kazuma shrugged, trying to hide a bit of concern as he looked over his shoulder at Ryuhou and Shiirice. "Yeah, I guess. Ryuhou was a lazy bum and didn't wake up for a couple days after Shiirice, but they're doing okay now." He was tempted to ask Akira or Kevin about the nightmares, but didn't want to embarrass his two companions.

"Well that's good." Akira said, politely and stood there for a few moments before prompting, "Can I come in?"

Ryuhou came to them near the last bit so he quickly invited, "Oh yes, please come in."

Kazuma blinked several times before standing back from the door. "Yeah, sure..."

Kevin was already eagerly studying Shiirice. "So it was you I heard. How are you?"

"Kazuma, who is this guy?" Shiirce asked warily as she backed away the weird guy in front of her. She could tell he was mentally delayed but still, she was in her underwear.

"Kevin, get over here," Akira called, acting more like a mother than a protector, she also nodded to Hannish who was standing quietly in the courtyard. Together they all followed the two men into the sitting room. Introductions were made quickly, and Shiirice excused herself to go put on the extra clothes that Akira had brought for her.

Akira sat herself graciously on a worn pillow. The others soon followed, finding places on the floor or on the few couches. "We came for two things,” the girl began. “First, to see how you guys are doing. Ryuhou, are you really in better health?"

Ryuhou nodded. "Yes, I'm doing much better." He didn't want to admit that he still felt somewhat sick-weak, and the nightmares had been preventing sleep... but he was better, right?

Of course where Ryuhou felt uncomfortable, Kazuma was completely at ease. "He's still really weak and kinda sick and hasn't been sleeping good." The redhead managed to completely ignore the embarrassed glare his companion shot his way.

"And the girl?" Akira prodded.

"Shiirice is physically fine but," Ryuhou began with a frown. He was still upset at it. "She can’t remember any of her time at HOLY. All her memories from adolescence on are gone."

Kevin giggled and rocked in his seat. "Oops."

Frowning, Ryuhou turned to the laughing Alter user. "Oops?"

Akira sighed. "When Kevin woke up he mentioned that he forgot something still inside of you went he did the splitting. Evidently, that was part of her memories."

"WHAT?" Ryuhou nearly roared as he jumped to his feet. Kevin yelped and hid behind Hannish.

Kazuma was instantly on his feet next to Ryuhou, gripping his arm and pulling him back. "Calm down," he hissed. Ryuhou twisted out of Kazuma's grasp and headed toward Kevin again.

"What the hell do you mean by 'Oops?'" he growled, his voice low and dangerous. "What did you do?"

"Ryuhou, calm down, please," Akria soothed.

"Yeah, he's just a-" Kazuma really couldn't call him a 'little guy' and it was not right to call Kevin 'not all there' in front of his face. Instead, he went another way. "You guys both survived. That was better than we hoped."

Ryuhou clenched his fists, fighting against the anger and the annoyingly shaky feeling that was sweeping over him. "Yes, but if her memories are still inside me, I'll never..." He cut off, taking another step toward Kevin. "Dammit, you've got to fix this!"

“I can't! It was so hard!" Kevin wailed. "They all look the same." He began to cry in earnest, huddling into Hannish's muscular arm as the large man rubbed him consolingly on the back with his other hand.

Rolling his eyes, Kazuma stepped in front of Ryuhou, pushing him back. "Would you lay off already?"

A soft cry of alarm from the door attracted everyone's attention. Shiirice stood there in her new clothes, looking shocked. "Wh--what's going on?"

Ryuhou looked at her as she gave him a disapproving glare. The dress was a bit plain but a nice shade of blue and hugged her every curve. "Shiirice..."

She stomped into the room, alternately glaring at Ryuhou and giving Kevin a sympathetic look. "What are you doing, you jerk? You upset him, can't you see?"

Ryuhou gaped at her for a moment, unable to form a reply. Kazuma nudged him back again, and this time he followed. Slumping against the wall, he rubbed at his eyes and sighed in defeat. Kevin carefully looked up from his huddled position next to Hannish and relaxed a bit. "I'm sorry. You’re separate but all the memory-thingies are too ... tangley," Kevin waved his hands, trying his best to explain.

Shiirice blinked, confused, as Ryuhou slid down the wall, his head in his hands. Kazuma glanced between the two of them, torn, then finally moved to Ryuhou's side and knelt beside him, placing his hand on his shoulder. "Is there any way to fix it?" he said, asking the question they'd all been thinking.

Kevin just pouted as he tried to think of the best way. After several moments, he finally decided. "I don't know."

Ryuhou rested his head on his knees, feeling too exhausted to get angry again. "Then she'll never... and I'll..." he sighed, closing his eyes. He'd been wondering why he wasn't getting completely well yet, and now he knew the reason. It was frustrating, to say the least... he hated being ill, weak, and dependent on Kazuma or anyone else. And if Shiirice never remembered him... how could he start over with her?

"Ryuhou, do you need to lay down?" Kazuma quietly asked, squeezing Ryuhou's shoulder. Ryuhou shrugged it off and glared at Kazuma. It wasn't his fault for any of this but Ryuhou just didn't want his sympathy right now.

Akira turned to Kevin. Over the years dealing with the man, she had learned one thing: you had to be extremely patient to get through the labyrinth of childish logic circling in Kevin's mind. "Kevin. Think very hard. Is there any way for you to transfer the memories between them?"

"No. I told you. I don't know which ones to move and I can only touch their Alters and..."

"Calm yourself," Akira continued and ignored the others concerned looks. "Is there another way for her to get her memories?"

Kevin looked wide-eyed at both Ryuhou and Shiirice. "Maybe if she used her Alter... but it's dangerous. Don't do it, might hurt you again."

Kevin turned to stare imploringly at Shiirice, who glanced around nervously as the room's focus shifted on her. "Um, okay."

Closing his eyes again, Ryuhou shook his head. "I wouldn't want that. I wouldn't want her to try... if it would hurt her." He missed the sharp, confused look sent his way by Shiirice.

"Well she shouldn't try anything until she strengthens anyway," Akira said. "Who knows if the memories might not awaken on their own." She then took a deep breath. "There is another thing I need to talk to you about. Actually, just you, Kazuma."

Kazuma looked up from Ryuhou. "What is it?" Ryuhou raised his head as well, curious.
“You're heard of the rumors of the mainland and even foreigners sending spies. Scouting. There have been even rumors of a slow accumulation of troops along the border."

Kazuma jumped up, his right hand automatically clenching into a fist. "Where? I'll go take them out right now."

Ryuhou pushed himself upright. "I'll go as well. It's our duty to protect this ground."

Akira smiled. "Lawless is also not going to sit this one out. We as a people have come too far from the loss of HOLY. Settlements are just starting to stabilize." She motioned for Kazuma to sit down again, which he ignored. "We're going to wait until we have confirmation of their movements, though. No sense rushing off if we really have no idea where to go. But my scouts are out searching for hints, and I thought I should let you know the situation, should we need your help. We’re going to meet them tomorrow. If you want, you can go with us, Kazuma," she said pointedly. "Ryuhou, I know you are not at top condition. Plus, I think I might leave Kevin with you."

"But Akira!” Kevin began to whine.

"We talked about this, Kevin," Akira tried to keep her voice even.

"But I don't wanna stay!!"

As the two Alter users began to bicker like parent and child, Kazuma turned to Ryuhou. "She's right. You need to stay here."

“No, you needwith you,” Ryuhou retorted.

"Why does he need that?" Shiirice interjected, as she casually hugged onto Kazuma’s arm, assuming that she was going with him as well. "If you’re still sick, you should stay here."

Kazuma sighed and looked over at her, lightly touching her hand on his arm. "And you have to stay too, Shiirice. I don't know what kind of a fight it will be, and I don't want you in the middle of it."

Shiirice stuck her lower lip out and looked up at Kazuma. "But I want to go with you! I don't want to stay here with him." She turned and shot a glare at Ryuhou.

Ryuhou rubbed his forehead. He was getting a headache from all this. "Kazuma, you know you can't leave me behind. I'm going too."

"You're not up to fighting and you know it. And you...” he looked over at Shiirice. “You don't even remember being in a fight." Kazuma was caught trying to argue with both of them and was feeling like he was between a rock and a hard place when he realized that he somehow had gotten caught up with two of the most obstinate people he had ever met.
Ryuhou pushed himself to his feet, ignoring the nagging dizziness he felt. "And what happens when you get cornered by an entire mainland army? You need me there, Kazuma, and you can't make me stay behind." He was vaguely aware that both Akira and Kevin were raising their voices in argument too, but he forced himself to focus on his companion. "And Shiirice... you'd only get in our way or get hurt. You have to stay."

"You can’t tell me what to do." Shiirice graced him with a withering glance before turning back to focus back on Kazuma. "And you can't leave me here!"

Feeling trapped, Kazuma held his hands up in protest. "N-no, I think it's better if you both stay, really." He glared at Ryuhou. "I'll knock you out and tie you to the bed if I have to."

Reflexively clenching his fist, Ryuhou took a step forward. "Just try it," he growled.

The other stepped forward to meet him, challenging him with a stare. "You think I won't?"

Shiirice tugged insistently on Kazuma’s arm, pleading for him to listen to her. Kevin and Akira were still bickering loudly off to one side. The sounds merged in Ryuhou's head, jumbling and building in an overwhelming buzz. He saw Kazuma's mouth moving, but couldn't make out the words. Suddenly, he realized that his breath was coming in short gasps; he couldn't seem to get enough oxygen in his lungs. He took an unsteady step back, reaching for the wall as warning black spots gathered in front of his eyes. No... not again... The last thing he saw was Kazuma lunging forward to catch him as he fell into unconsciousness.

***************

Kazuma stared down at the pale countenance of his friend, trying not to worry too much. Ryuhou's abrupt fainting spell had ended all the arguments going on in the room a few minutes before. Akira had left with Kevin and Hannish, after quickly establishing a place where they could meet Kazuma later. Absently, he reached out and brushed his fingertips against Ryuhou's arm. "Dammit, Ryuhou," he murmured. "I know you're gonna be pissed off at me for this, but I've gotta leave you here. I can't... I won't let you..." he bit his lip, unsure of what to say and feeling silly, because it didn't matter anyway since Ryuhou was unconscious. "Shiirice will take care of you, I know she will. Just..." he swallowed, annoyed at himself for the swell of emotion he felt. "Aw, fuck. Just get well, okay?" Leaning down, he pressed a quick kiss to Ryuhou’s unresponsive lips.

Hearing the door slide open behind him, he blinked rapidly and pulled back, rubbing at his face. Shiirice stomped into the room, looking annoyed at having to carry in the basin of water and towel. "Here, I got it. Now what? When are we leaving?" Kneeling down, she set the bowl by the futon, sloshing a bit of cold water onto the floor.

"We went through this. I'm leaving. You're not." Kazuma took her arm and pulled them both to their feet. "Promise me you'll take care of him, okay?"

"Kazuma, I-" Shiirice began to protest.

"Please? For me?"

Shiirice looked away. The sad pleading look was too much for her. She sighed, keeping her gaze fixed on the floor. "All right," she whispered.

Kazuma's face instantly brightened with a smile, relieved that he didn't have to continue arguing with her. "Thanks. It really means a lot to me,” he said as he took hold of her hands. Abruptly, Shiirice tightened her grip on his fingers and pulled him down for a kiss. Kazuma blinked in surprise, then closed his eyes, automatically tilting his head to kiss her more fully.

Shiirice hadn't been expecting this intimate embrace, really. It had been a blind impulse to pull Kazuma to her. And now, she was experiencing her very first kiss... well, the first kiss her mind let her acknowledge, trying to both forget about the hasty, rough kisses Ryuhou gave her even as she was reminded. But Shiirice tried to put that behind her as she closed her eyes and focused on warm lips easing open her own. She stood on her tip-toes, the heady feeling of Kazuma deepening the kiss making her want more. He let go of her hands and wrapped his arms around her body, firmly pressing her frame against his. Shiirice could feel his chest with her hands sandwiched between them and the slight throb of his arms tightening around her. She was a bit taken aback by the reminder of both his larger size and lean muscular tone. The thought flittered across her mind, If he really wanted to he could hurt me. But that was in such contrast of the delicate gentle way in which he held her, that Shiirice felt like she was in the safest place in the world. When his tongue swept along her bottom lip, she opened her mouth eagerly, inviting him in.

Suddenly, the moment of intimacy ended as abruptly as it had begun. Shiirice was confused by Kazuma pulling away, a look of extreme embarrassment on his face as he glanced down at the unconscious Ryuhou. He stepped back from her, self-consciously running his hand through his hair. "Um... I'll probably be gone a few days. There's enough food for you two in the kitchen, I think."

"Kazuma?" Shiirice tried to grab hold of his arm but he backed away from her.

"I've got to go meet Akira. Tell Ryuhou I said 'sorry' when he comes to.” Kazuma tried his best to quickly exit. He didn't know what was more difficult: sneaking out behind Ryuhou's back, or being tempted with Shiirice right in front of the other man. Sighing, he stuffed his hands in his pockets as he turned and almost ran out the door. A good fight would help with some of this tension, and he was almost looking forward to it.

Confused, Shiirice turned back to the bed with a frown. What was wrong with Kazuma? One minute he was kissing her passionately, then the next he seemed like he couldn't wait to get away from her. She sat down beside the futon with a sigh, angrily wringing water out of the washcloth. Why should she have to stay here with this jerk? He'd done nothing but annoy her since he first woke up. She pushed the damp cloth onto his forehead almost roughly. She really didn't know what she was supposed to do with him. It would take several days for Kazuma to return. What was she supposed to do? Just drab at his stupid face with a stupid wet cloth? She ran the cloth over his cheeks and under his jaw to his neck. It was a waste of time and she was already getting bored. With a smile, she let her mind drift back to Kazuma. Why did he pull away so quickly? "I could have stayed in his embrace forever and not be bored," Shiirice nearly sighed to herself. She regarded the unconscious young man by her. "It would be better than watching your pasty face."

"He has to be wrong," she muttered as she reached over to poke at Ryuhou's cheek. In the week before, when she had first awakened, she had panicked. Why shouldn't she? She was in a strange place, with two strange men, and in a body that was very much different than the girlish figure she was used to. She couldn't forget how kind Kazuma had been. He’d wrapped his arms around her a friendly hug, then sat her down and told her the briefest of outlines of her life. He said the pale, green-haired man so often unconscious in her presence was the love of her life... which was impossible in Shiirice's opinion. It wasn't that he was unattractive. The dark lines of the mysterious scars on his face didn’t detract from that–in fact, they highlighted the outline of his fine-boned features. As she casually traced the lines with an index finger, she couldn't help but notice how handsome he really was.

Yet, something about all this still bothered her. It wasn't really the frequent screw ups he had in the couple days that she had interacted with him. It was that fact that Kazuma had told her that he had been her boyfriend.

Shiirice didn't still know if she should trust Kazuma's story. She sure didn't have any reason to doubt. But the main reason is that she wanted to believe him. In the brief time they had been together, she couldn't identify anything that wouldn't make her want him to be her boyfriend. In fact, she found herself being drawn to the outgoing boy. Just being around him felt so good.

Which brought her back to her dilemma with Kazuma's story. If she had loved Ryuhou, she couldn't have been Kazuma's girlfriend. Which meant, she either hadn't ever loved Ryuhou or she had fallen out of love with him, because she felt attraction for Kazuma straight off. She rubbed her head, feeling a headache forming. Something didn't add up... Kazuma obviously hadn't told her the whole story.

She jumped slightly as Ryuhou stirred, a faint moan escaping his pale lips. For a moment she hoped he would wake up so she could follow Kazuma, but to her dismay he quieted again after turning his head a bit. The damp cloth on his forehead slipped to the side, and she automatically reached out to push it back into place. Feeling that it had warmed too much, she dipped it in the cool water again and dabbed his face, pushing his bangs out of the way.

As she tended to the unconscious boy, she wondered why her heart had fluttered when he'd moaned. Was she only excited about the possibility of going with Kazuma? She didn't know if that was all. Furrowing her brow, she rested her chin on her hand as she regarded Ryuhou. She couldn't have been worried about him, right? She jerked her other hand back, as she found it running gently along Ryuhou's bare arm.

Shiirce willed herself to relax. It didn't mean anything to touch him and dab at his face. It's what Kazuma wanted her to do. If helping his friend get well made Kazuma happy, then it was the least she could do after all he'd done for her. Yet, Shiirice still couldn't help but think some of her concern wasn't concern at all but fascination. But that was silly, she assured herself as she ran an innocent finger down the tendon in his neck and then followed the path his collarbone made.

Suddenly, Shiirice jumped in surprise as a quick hand caught her wrist, even as Ryuhou's eyes snapped open. Snatching her hand back from Ryuhou, she scrambled away from the bed. Ryuhou dazedly sat up, knocking off and noticing the wet cloth. "Shiirice? Wh-what happened?"

Recovering quickly, Shiirice tried to look nonchalant. "You fainted again or something. Kazuma told me to take care of you, so I guess I'm done here."

Blinking as he regained his equilibrium, Ryuhou looked around the room. "Kazuma... where is he?"

Shiirice shrugged. "He took off awhile ago. Wouldn't let me go with him."

With a growl, Ryuhou flung off the sheet and climbed to his feet. "That fool. He's going to get himself killed."

"Hey wait! Kazuma told me to stay here and take care of you." Shiirice turned to stop him.

Walking across the room a bit unsteadily, Ryuhou reached for his jacket, which was hanging over the back of a chair. "Well, you did your job. I'm fine, now I'm..." he trailed off and put his hand to his forehead as dizziness assaulted him again. Shaking his head, he continued. "I'm going after him."

Shiirice ran in front of the door and stood with her arms out, blocking him. "No, he wanted us both to stay," she insisted.

Ryuhou took another step forward. "I don't care what he wants, that idiot needs my help. I'm going, don't try to stop me!"

Ryuhou stepped forward, with Shiirice retreating a few steps until she blocked the door. "Shiirice, please get out of the way." Ryuhou didn't want to shove past her but he needed to go. He really didn't have time for the girl’s new defiance. "Please," he asked gently and tiredly. Shiirice stared into his eyes and was confused that she felt herself softening. But then he touched her shoulder and was directing her out of his path.

Shaking her head quickly, Shiirice jumped back, blocking his way again. "No! Kazuma told me to keep you here, and that's what I'm going to do! If I couldn't go with him, you can't either."

With a sigh, Ryuhou took another step, looking as if he'd try to push past her. "Don't try to stop me, Shiirice," he warned, his voice becoming harsh with urgency. "I'm going."
"No, you're NOT!" With that, she reached forward and shoved his chest with both hands, trying to push him back toward the bed. But... she didn't expect her Alter to automatically materialize, outlining her body with the tell-tale green glow. Instead of pushing Ryuhou back, her hands slid into his chest, pulsing with a harsh light.

Ryuhou screamed.

To Be Continued...

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