Trigun Fan Fiction ❯ Painful Remembrance ❯ A Plants Delight ( Chapter 10 )

A/N:I am bad, I am evil, I am cruel, this is not the end, there are two more chapters to go.

WARNINGS: Death, depression, yaoi (m/m), child abuse (EVIL *stabs*), non con.

PAIRINGS: Legato x Midvalley, Midvalley x Legato, OC x Legato (non con), probably others.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Trigun or any of the characters mentioned here. If I did, there would be a 'sing along' version, like the disney ones!

Soft kisses, demanding, pulling me from slumber. I wonder who could possibly be with me, be willing to wake me in such a way now. For one terrible moment I think that it is Knives, my tormentor, wanting another round. My eyes fly open and my body stiffens, preparing for the onslaught that never comes. I can't focus properly for a moment and begin to panic, my breaths coming in short, sharp gasps, mouth wide and lungs heaving, trying to get enough oxygen into them. I'm shaking all over and can't seem to stop myself. Whoever was kissing me is now holding me down, stopping my thrashing limbs from moving. I can see now that it isn't Knives, that it's Legato, but my body won't calm.

'Midvalley!' The voice in my head makes me stop, forces me to be still. I stare up at my tormentor with wide, terrified eyes. I am afraid of this man. He doesn't move, doesn't blink, just stares back. I'm sure that he's going to hurt me, punish me for making such a fuss, like daddy. He doesn't, though, doesn't even move, just stares back at me.

"Oh, Midvalley." He shifts slightly, bringing his hand up to my face to cup it gently, the way he always used to. I flinch away, shutting my eyes tightly, letting a few tears escape from the corners of my eyes. My nails are cutting tracks into the palms of my hands as I try to keep myself under control and not succumb to the impending panic attack at the gesture.

Strong arms wrap around my torso, pulling me into a hard chest. A familiar pressure on my mind prevents it from reacting to the sensation of being held, quelling the rising panic. He holds me close, rocking back and forth with me in his arms and whispering soothing words into my ear. I break down, then, as I never have before, crying of my insecurity, pain, anguish and many other things I cannot even begin to name. It hurts, physically, to cry so hard and my throat is soon raw. I continue to cry, though, relishing in the physical pain to rival my own mental anguish.

I don't question why Legato is here with me, comforting me, or why he reacted the way he did. I don't need to know whether Knives was telling the truth about the Siren or not, why he left me in that room, and I don't need an apology for what he did. All that matters to me right now is that he's here, my angel, and that he cares for me.

I don't try to get myself under control, don't really want to stop the pain of crying, but eventually I just can't seem to continue any more, so I stop. Legato moves to pull away from me, but I hold on to him, I don't want this moment to end.

"I can't stay." I look up at him with large, watery eyes, pleading with him to stay. He doesn't, though, just shakes his head and disentangles himself from me. I sit still, head bowed, trying to look as pathetic and submissive as possible. I can see that he is hesitating.

"Why?" Just one answer is required, nothing more, but I don't even get that.

"I'm sorry." He leans in, kissing me passionately. I throw my arms around his neck and put everything I have into the kiss because I know that it's his way of saying goodbye, that I wont have another chance to be with him like this again.

Then, he's gone, like he was never here to begin with.

I can't cry any more, maybe that's why he let me sob into his chest, so that I wouldn't be able to when he left. I know now that he cares, but that doesn't stop me from wanting him back, wanting him here, with me. Sleep comes to me easily this time, helped along by a little psychic push from Legato.

~*~

"You know." Oh god, that voice! Knives. "I found a book the other day, it was most interesting. It was about the methods of punishment and torture humans adopted for use on each other." He knows I'm awake, I can't pretend that I'm not, but I can't move without permission either. "Very interesting. Did you know they had something called an 'Iron Maiden'? It was a coffin with spikes inside it to impale people on. A slow and painful death, I should imagine. It didn't really go into much detail, such a pity." He's sitting across the room from me, in a plush chair I don't recognise. I must still be in Dominique's room. "There was one thing that really caught my interest, though. Do you want to know what it was?" He's standing, walking over to me. My throat is dry, fear making it constrict further. I have to answer him, but I can't. "Well?"

"Y-yes, m-m-master." I stutter, my voice hoarse and painful. Knives hates stuttering more than anything, but he already has plans for me. Big plans, by the look in his eyes.

"Good. Follow me." He strides from the room, moving at a painfully fast pace. I scramble up after him, trying to keep up but my insides feel like they're on fire and I lag behind. It doesn't matter, though, as he soon stops in front of a door I know too well; the door to Legato's room.

My heart is pounding against my chest as I follow him inside. The room is well lit, but I can't see anything that could be used as a torture device. "Strip." A command. I hesitantly comply, removing all of my clothing. At least this time he won't ruin my clothes. "Lie down, on the floor." Again, I do as he says. Whatever he does to me can't be worse than last time, right? I'm expecting the familiar pressure of another body, instead I get a heavy weight placed on my back. It feels like wood. My arms are lifted above my head and tied tightly to whatever has been placed across me. My feet soon follow suit, so I am tied, eagle-spread, to an X-shaped structure.

I feel the floor drop away and the ropes pull tight as I am lifted on the structure to lean against the wall, facing the door. "This is called 'crucifixion'. The humans, traditionally, used to use a cross, much like the one your preacher friend carries around. I like the shape of this one better, though, don't you think?" I nod, unsure as to what I'm supposed to do as well as what he's planning to do. A blindfold is placed over my eyes and tied too tight, stopping me from seeing whatever Knives is doing.

Intense pain in my right hand causes me to scream, it's as though my arm is on fire, like I've been stabbed. When several hard, stinging slaps to the face don't quiet me, Knives does the same to my other hand. Then my feet, one after the other. The pain is agonising, like nothing I have ever experienced before. Even with the high pain threshold that comes with being shot numerous times, I can't stand the pain.

"Nails are pushed through the hands and feet and the person is left to die." So that's what he was using, nails. Wait...to die? If he wants me dead, then why am I in Legato's room where I'm bound to be found and rescued? "It normally takes two or three days, sometimes longer, for a person to die. We don't have that long." Another lance of white-hot pain assaults my senses, this time across my chest. It feels like a knife, being dug deep into my flesh. Knives repeats the motion again and again, until I'm barely conscious from blood loss and the pain.

"If I was sticking with tradition, I would have done outside, in the desert, where birds can feast on your still-living flesh." I can't see him, but I can feel him as he leans in to whisper in my ear; "But, just between you and me, I thought this would make a nice present for my disobedient slave." Legato. I know he means Legato, but why has Legato been disobedient? Did Knives forbid him to see me, which is why he had to leave? Or maybe it was something to do with the Siren? I don't know, and I can't ask as I forget who I am, where I am and why it's bothering me at all.

Goodbye.

A/N: I've actually finished writing it now, it's just a case of posting it.