S-CRY-ed Fan Fiction ❯ La petite seconde d’éternité ❯ Des milliers et des milliers d'années ( Chapter 2 )

[Insert standard `I don't own it' disclaimer here]

 

Thousands and thousands of years

 

Scheris collapsed against the wall of the kitchen, rubbing a hand over her face.

 

“WhatintheFUCKjusthappened?” blustered Cougar, storming around the kitchen. “WhatintheFUCK? FuckingRyuhoIsweartogodKazumashould'vekilledhimwhen-”

 

“Cougar, calm down,” Scheris demanded, irritated, forgetting her hysterics mere minutes earlier. “Ryuho's not dead, and while I haven't the faintest idea what the hell is wrong with him - what am I saying, he's sick! I don't think it's unheard of, sick people getting hysterical.”

 

“Look, hysteria, delusional rambling, whatever - who knows. I don't see Kazuma flying off the handle,” Cougar nodded over his shoulder to Kazuma, who was stretched out on the couch, flipping through TV channels, “And the two idiots were both out cold for days after that fight. Maybe Ryuho's finally gone around the bend, god knows anyone who keeps everything bottled up like that for so long is bound to have some psychological disturbances … whatever. I think the more important thing is to ask where in the fuck Ryuho was going in such a damn hurry.” Cougar narrowed his eyes, looking out the window. He knew who was over on the other side of the hill and had a damn good idea where Ryuho had stormed off. The question was why?

 

----

 

Ryuho leaned against the tree for what seemed like half a lifetime, watching Mimori silently. He sighed and put a hand to his head, rubbing his temples, replaying in his head everything that had just happened.

 

He'd had the shock of a lifetime when he awoke to Scheris and Cougar looking expectantly at him. He had sat up suddenly, crying out in pain when he felt the twinge of his ribs and the bandages straining against his bruised and tender skin. This seems awfully painful for the after life. The room was quiet, save the sound of three ex-members of HOLY breathing in unison. “Am I dead?” he asked a bit wondrously, holding out a hand and flexing it, watching the tendons and muscles and bones working together. This … this couldn't possibly be the afterlife.

 

“Ryuho!” Scheris cried. “You're - ” “You idiot, of course you're not dead. Fuck, I know Kazuma gave you a whipping, but did he turn that damn brain of yours into mush while he was at it?” Cougar said with a laugh. “ Shit, look at you. You're a bloody mess. I hope to god that they'd at least clean you up before letting you over to the other side.” Ryuho looked down, noting the clean bandages and dressings, looking at them seriously for the first time. Of course, Cougar is right, he thought. Still … those dreams, his life sliding by in slow motion.

 

Ryuho swung his legs over the side of the bed, wincing in pain as his feet settled on the floor (Is it possible to be this sore all over?). “Ryuho, don't you dare get up,” Scheris said warningly. He looked up at her with fiery eyes. Cougar rejoiced inwardly - Ryuho's lack of emotion always bothered him. It'sjustnotNATURALforpeopletobethatcold. Even when Ryuho was being “emotional,” it barely registered as readable. Scheris set her lips in a scowl - she adored Ryuho more than life, she owed him her life in some sense, after all, and she wasn't about to see him raging around long before his body had begun to heal.

 

Ryuho stood up, immediately putting a hand to his head as dizziness overtook him; he took a few staggering steps before leaning against the wall. “Looks like the little lady was right, and you should get back in bed, before you fall over and conk your head again. It'd be a damn shame to survive that fight with Kazuma and succumb to a head wound from a floor,” Cougar said with a wide grin. Scheris looked like she was ready to scream (or cry … or both) and she reached over to put a steadying hand on Ryuho's arm. His head whipped in her direction her and after seeing the look on his face, she backed off a little.

 

Rage was bubbling inside Ryuho - his body was a mass of aching pains, dull throbbing, and the occasionally blinding sharp sensation in his side if he breathed a little too deeply; his mind was racing, his dreams racing through his head with too much vividness, too sharp and clear. The ramifications of his past few years of isolation and frosty demeanor were becoming clear, to say nothing of his association with HOLD and HOLY, and the more he thought about it, the more enraged at himself he became. He'd thought of it a thousand times before, but now - now it was all bubbling to the surface. Idiot! his mind screamed at him. Couldn't even see the writing on the wall! Ryuho couldn't have told anyone why he was beating himself up over past actions now - months after he had left HOLY, the hard edge of his demeanor softened. But his mind was raging, wondering how his life had gotten into such a state where he could treat people like he treated …. A thought forced its way to the front of his brain and nearly made his heart stop.

 

Mimori. Must see Mimori. NOW. Something in his brain had clicked. To hell with appearances he thought to himself, he had to see her. Clothes - not his, but they looked like they would fit - were draped over the end of the bed, and Ryuho fumbled with them, trying to force his recalcitrant limbs into cooperate. Muscles screamed in pain and even his bones ached for the effort, but Ryuho's actions were becoming frantic. Scheris and Cougar tried to reason with him, but he was having none of it.

 

As he fumbled with his boots and tried to stagger out the door, Cougar stepped in front of the door. “No way in hell you're leaving, buddy - you're in no condition to be ambling, much less storming around. Fuck, man, do you even know where you're going?” Ryuho bit down on the rage that was welling up inside him - where in the fuck is this coming from? - and tried to shove past Cougar. When that failed, he drew back as if he was about to use his alter, and Cougar hastily stepped out of the way. No way in hell do I want to tangle with this crazy bastard right now - he wants to go stagger out to die, let him! Scheris glared at Cougar, stepped forward to restrain Ryuho and got a door flung in her face for the trouble.

 

----

 

“Ryuho! RYUHO! WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU ARE GOING?” Scheris shrieked. Kazuma gingerly stood up from the couch where he had been camped out, eyes wide at the sight of his rival staggering down the hall in a blind rage. “Is that … what in the hell is going on?” Kazuma said with more than a note of incredulity in his voice. Damn, I gave that fucker quite the beating, he thought (wincing inwardly as he felt the pangs of the beating that Ryuho had given him), and he's already running around like a damn fool?

 

Ryuho, keeping a hand on the wall for support, stormed down the hallway as fast as his battered body would let him. “Yo, dude, seriously, what's the hurry? You're fucked up - go back to bed for another few days,” Kazuma tried to reason with him. Ryuho stared at him, waving his hand dismissively. “Right, you won. Beat the fuck out of me. Nearly killed me, I get it. At this moment, I don't really give a flying fuck. As far as I'm concerned, it's fucking over,” Ryuho raged. Kazuma grinned: That was easy.

 

They were rivals, yes - but Kazuma was secure in the knowledge that he had triumphed. After he had woken up with the headache of a lifetime, having been out cold for three days, Mimori had begged him to give up the whole thing, “Kazuma, I know how you and Ryuho are, but you won. Please, for the love of all that is holy -” she gasped and put a hand to her mouth at the unintentional entendre, and after regaining her composure, she continued: “ Please give it up. You two have wasted too much energy fighting each other for … for no good reason, and I'm afraid we're going to have to channel all that energy into something a hell of a lot more important and productive. Besides, you two are more alike than you realize, and dare I say, might actually grow to like each other over the next few decades if you don't kill each other first.” Kazuma had looked into her eyes - so kind, so earnest, so intelligent - and knew somewhere, deep down, that she was right. Ryuho wasn't a threat anymore, and Kazuma's pride had been soothed - he had proved his dominance over that bastard, or at least won the most important fight. He looked up at Kanami and saw her concerned expression, which turned to relief when he agreed. He vigorously emphasized that it wasn't for Ryuho's sake, but for Kanami's and Mimori's. He was genuinely fond of Mimori, and still hadn't figured out why she put up with Ryuho after the way he'd treated her for so long, but he could see her point that now was not the time to be fighting aimless battles purely for … for the sake of fighting. And then Kanami … well, she was a different matter all together. Kazuma was snapped out of his thoughts by an angry growl from Ryuho - who was apparently growing more infuriated with the protestations of Scheris and Cougar.

 

Kanami Yuta, Kazuma's ever-present (and ever productive) young companion, was plastered against the refrigerator door as Ryuho stumbled past, watching the whole scene with wide eyes. “Ryuho, where are you going?” Scheris cried plaintively, as Cougar tried to wrestle Ryuho back without hurting him further. Ryuho was obviously intent on scrambling out the back door, and a well-placed (if weak) kick applied to Cougar left Ryuho free to escape. Scheris was nearly hysterical, pleading with Ryuho to come back and to stop getting so damn excited, it was only going to make everything worse! Kazuma was shaking his head trying to figure out what i was happening - Good thing everyone else is out and not here to see this - as Scheris screamed at him to do something. Kazuma shrugged and gave a sheepish smile. Not like I'm in much better shape.

 

Ryuho finally snapped - really snapped, or so it seemed to the onlookers who had never seen much of Ryuho's emotions other than anger in the heat of battle or a steely cold demeanor the rest of the time. With a tone and timbre that Kazuma had never heard, not even during battle, Ryuho roared “SCHERIS. Shut. The. Fuck. Up.” He threw the back door open, slamming it into the pantry with a loud bang, and sent a murderous look to Scheris. Cougar was leaning up against the fridge near Kanami, a bemused smirk flitting across his face. They could do nothing but watch as Ryuho blustered up the hill - into the night and out of view.

 

----

 

Mimori wasn't sure what to do or say. So she did the only thing she felt capable of, which was stare. Ryuho was bandaged and bruised, standing not twenty feet from her, arms crossed. Head held high, jaw set, eyes piercing her - those ruby eyes, so hard and … angry? He couldn't possibly be angry with me, Mimori reasoned. It's not like I was hovering over him when he woke up. Then again, he's never needed a reason before … He looked so different. It wasn't just that he was battered, his slim and elegant HOLY uniform was gone, destroyed, so he was wearing strange clothes - Well, strange for Ryuho … are they Kazuma's? - work boots, unlaced, obviously put on in haste (the idea of Ryuho not taking the time to lace his boots was somewhat baffling for Mimori); well-worn jeans, a black sleeveless shirt that showed his lean and well-muscled upper body. She blushed thinking of all the nights she'd dreamed of that body. Dreamed of Ryuho actually loving her - all those years of dreams, years of waking up in a dead sweat, unable to fall back asleep. Mimori stepped over to a tree near her, to lean against it, never taking her eyes of Ryuho. She felt like her knees were about to go out: what could he possibly want? She had no way of knowing that the four people inside the temporary hospital-hotel-base of operations were also waiting with bated breath, waiting for another explosion.

 

-

 

Ryuho didn't explode. He gave a huge sigh and let his shoulders sag, uncrossed his arms and ran his hand through his forest-green hair, wincing at the twinge in his shoulder. He looked at Mimori, who suddenly seemed so small and frightened - You were expecting what, asshole? That she'd be squealing with joy? Fuck. You've really screwed this one up. You can't erase the past with a few weeks of … of tolerable behavior. Ryuho wanted to beat himself for every past transgression, every time he had ever been mean to her. Hey, you did it to keep her safe a little voice said. Ryuho growled at it. Gingerly, he made his way down the hill, fixing his gaze at the horizon above Mimori's head, because he hadn't the heart to look her in the eye as he approached.

 

-

 

Mimori watched him, trying desperately to read his expression. She tried to speak, but her throat closed up and words failed her; she snaked her arm around the trunk of the tree and pressed her body into it, praying that her legs didn't give way. Her chest tightened as he approached, when he got so close that she could smell the blood on his bandages, his sweat. She looked up at him, those ruby eyes looking down at her, blank - no, she thought, her heart pounding, not blank, but …