|ß| Fatal Blows |ß|

By ShadowSpirit

“Stop it!” A voice yelled out loudly, flipping backwards into a kneeling position. “What are you trying to prove?!” The form got no response and had to jump back again, keeping a firm grip to a decently nice sword, the blade held out before him in defense. “Answer me, Kouji!” Still he received no answer, his free hand flicking back the fallen velvet-black strands of hair behind his ears.

“What was the question again?” A new voice growled, back-flipping to stand atop a stack of boxes in the shadows of the warehouse they both were fighting in. Blood dripped down from the side of his mouth, mixing with sweat. He took slow breaths of air in, arms at his sides, a dagger in each his hands. Simple weapons to some people, but the words in kanji that were etched along the hilts were enough meaning for him.

Dragon. Demon.

He growled, arms swiftly moving out and crossed the blades out in front of him. “I’ll kill you!”

“Kouji! Stop this! I don’t want to hurt you!”

Kouji, the one with the dual-weapons, rose one foot off the side of the boxes and leant forward, looking as if he would fall - but propelled himself through the air towards his opponent.

The form with the katana rolled away, toppling down until he spun his legs in time to land on a crate below. Kouji followed him down, watching the other jump back to the ground and he pushed out with the daggers, slashing towards the other, rage boiling in his gray slit eyes. The form’s sword was held up quickly in a horizontal motion, keeping the daggers away from him.

“I’ll kill you, Seta!”

“No, you won’t!” The boy with the sword hissed out, leaning his body weight forward and forcing Kouji back in a bit of a stumble. Yellow eyes blazed and he held up the sword steadily in one hand, jean covered legs shifting to balance his body as the tip was directed towards the other. “Don’t make me force this blade through your torso.” Seta’s voice was darker now, the blade gleaming with moonlight that bathed in through the higher up windows. “You know I have the strength to do so.”

“But you don’t have the heart,” Kouji mocked, fixing his posture again and slipping his right foot forward, right arm raising to direct the dagger in the hand forward, his left arm slightly pulled back. “I, on the other hand, will pierce your heart.”

“You already have,” Seta sighed, eyes closing a moment before he moved up his free left hand to hold beneath the blade. “Você é direito. Eu não tenho o coração para matá-lo. [1]”

“Of course I’m right,” Kouji seethed before moving in a quick frontal dive, but his plan to slip one dagger into the other’s flesh and then the second one failed. He gasped, feeling his first weapon slipping from his hands and heard it hit the ground as his now open hand was grabbed, his body being forced around. His arm was locked in a painful position behind his back, the other’s sword pressed against his neck just enough to start a small stream of blood from apart of it. Kouji lost his gripping to his other dagger, the one meaning demon clattering to the ground by the one symbolizing dragon.

“Você apontou e ganhou meu coração uma vez. Eu não permitirei que

você perfure-o…[2]”

Kouji’s mind was clouded, he was at a completely vulnerable position now. He couldn’t even get himself to translate Seta’s words. He felt his blood from his neck move into his navy blue shirt, glad he hadn’t worn white as that would look terrible.

“Let me go,” Kouji breathed out at last, feeling the blade push tighter against his neck. “Please, let me go.”

“So you can try and kill me again?”

“I…”

“Why do you want me dead?” Seta looked down at the other who was a bit shorter in height. Indeed, Kouji is an apt fighter, though compared to Seta everyone would always know the outcome of their fights. It was the hatred that Seta saw though this time that worried him. He’d admit, he deeply cared for the other boy, even told Kouji that once. Seta’s sister, Jun, thought it may have just a mild crush at one time. But even she gave into the fact of her brother, that he indeed was in love with this other.

The one who obsessed himself to be alone.

“My father….”

“What did he do?” Seta questioned softly, releasing his hold slightly on the arm that was still splayed against Kouji’s back.

“He told me….that you killed Seiken….” Seiken? Seta should know this….ah! Now he remembered! Kouji had a pet wolf that he had found injured once and nursed it back to health, naming him Seiken. Kouji loved that wolf… But him, Seta, killing it? That was impossible! Kouji’s father himself probably killed it and blamed Seta because he always seemed to hate him and Jun. That had to be it.

“I never would harm anything of yours, Kouji…”

“But Father….”

“Your father hates me.”

Kouji felt a loss for words, his own black hair held up behind a dark gray headband to keep it out of his face while fighting. Had his father…..lied to him…? Indeed he knew how much the man hated Seta…had he set him up? Jun, who he went to one day to tell her he had feelings for her brother, had told him that Seta loved being near Kouji, but it was always a problem because ever second Kouji’s father was out to kill him.

So why not instead make Kouji seek to kill Seta…?

Kouji had filled with so much hate when his father gave him the news of his dead wolf. All he did was stalk Seta through the night until he cornered him and managed to knock him out only to have him awake in this very warehouse. With a defeated sigh, he leant against the other’s body when the blade was finally lowered from his neck. Seta half embraced him, his other arm lowered at his side, hand still grasping his sword. He gently laid a soft kiss in the other’s locks of hair and smiled faintly. “I give you my word, I had not put any harm to your wolf.”

“…I believe you.”

Seta still held to his smile, but he could feel the other trembling a bit and began to worry again.

“Kouji..?”

“My father did this….He killed Seiken, I should have seen it in his eyes earlier….he wanted me to…..to kill…..”

“To kill me,” Seta finished calmly, sighing and releasing the other from his hold. He raised the sword, a katana to be exact, and sheathed it into a light casing on his back. The other retrieved his fallen daggers, sliding his own blades into their rightful placing on each of his sides. “He’s killed, and lied to his kin. By the moon-”

“He dies tonight,” Kouji spoke with little emotion. He glanced back with his naturally gray eyes to the other, and they both silently agreed what they would do before dawn approached. Kouji’s family was not an easy bunch. His father was ruthless and cold and his three older brothers were always by his father’s side. Protecting him as if at any moment there would be someone hunting their father. And that was what was happening tonight.

“I want to stop home first and tell Jun.”

“Alright.”

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

“Jun! Come on, open the door!” Seta started to yell, knocking on the wooden material with agitation. He glanced behind him at a waiting Kouji before continued to pound on the door until he heard a voice call from within.

“Who is it?”

“What do you mean ‘who is it’? It’s your brother!”

The door opened a mere crack, violet eyes gazing out from the darkness within. The girl gave a sigh and opened the door, pulling her brother quickly inside and allowing Kouji in as well before quickly closing the door. The girl, around the age of eighteen or so (two years older than her brother), was looking at them through her jade locks of hair that flowed down her back smoothly, held together with a black elastic. She wore a long, pale blue blouse, a midnight skirt drifting the rest of the way down her body and was enough for her to move quickly in. “What is it?” Seta stared at her with a quizzing gaze, noting how uneasy she was seeming.

“I was worried you were dead. Kouji’s brothers are looking for you,” she shot a look at Kouji himself and sighed. “I knew it would happen soon enough that you’d be hunted for…” She slowly moved to a wall, despite the darkness of the room she knew exactly where she was going. Her hand reached up, pulling a long bow off a rack on the wall, a blade firmly apart of the bow on each end. “Heart, soul,” her voice whispered and she moved back towards the two. “I understand that you both are going out to cause someone death.”

Neither boys were surprised of her knowing, they showed no care to her assumption at all, as a matter of fact. “Well then, I am going with you as well.”

“Jun, I really don’t think -” His voice trailed off when one of the blades of his sister’s bow was now exactly an inch from his very forehead.

“Must I repeat myself?” Her eyes fixated into a glare upon her younger brother who sighed.

“No, Jun.”

“Good. Then I suggest we depart. If we don’t make the kill at night - than the chance is lost.”

“You said my brothers were out?” It was the first time Kouji spoke since they got here. Jun glanced over at him and gave a slow nod. “Then the kill will not go so easy.”

“Is your father home?”

“I’m not sure. I believe so.”

“Intuition can kill a soul,” she spat and moved for the door, her bow swung over her left shoulder as they left. Seta nor Kouji flinched at her comment and simply followed, moving in the direction of Kouji’s home. He silently closed his eyes as they moved, his right hand unconsciously grasping the handle of the dagger with the “dragon” kanji on it.

“We’re being followed by one of them.”

“I know,” Jun murmured, moving her bow slowly in front of her and holding it in a diagonal before her body, grasping it with both hands. “Come out, stalker.”

“He’s in the shadows,” Kouji whispered, glancing through them with a knowing perspective.

Seta drew his katana from his back, holding it firmly with both hands. “Which is it?”

“Atebu.”

“How do you know?”

“Do you doubt me?”

Jun ignored their whispered conversation knowing that as the two other’s spoke that not once they looked at each other. She stepped forward into the light of a lamppost, giving away her position completely and getting the reaction she was waiting for, feeling weight come down upon her as she quickly moved her bow up to block. A slender young male was perched atop the post, katana at hand as he nearly cut through Jun’s skull. She glared her violet gaze at him and spun the bow, stepping to the side and hooking to part of his blade with one of her own, using this to force him down and to his feet. He was dressed in complete blackness: an oddly loose materiel for pants, a vest, and gloves keeping him good comfort for the shadows.

Kouji’s eyes immediately caught sight of him when he made his first move to Seta’s sister. Yes, he had been right. It was Atebu, he’d always cling to the shadows until his prey was splayed completely bathed in the open. Seta watched his sister pin the male to the ground with a simple few flicks of her bow. Like Kouji’s dangers each holding a different sign, at the end of each side of Jun’s bow right before the blade, was also a kanji sign. The “soul” end was now what was directed towards Atebu’s throat.

“Go you two, it’s getting late. I’ll handle this one.”

“That’s doubtful miss,” her eyes widened as a dagger similar to Kouji’s was now pushed up against her neck. She’d been corned by what literally looked like Atebu’s twin, except his hair was a longer size that made him seem like a girl if you were to look at him from behind on first glance. “Kouji, Father was right. You are too weak for not killing the boy. I had hoped he would be wrong - but then again he is always right. A shame. How was someone like you born into this family?”

“It’s a good thing Kouji’s not like you bastards! Now let go of my sister!” Seta snapped, readying a stance to show he was preparing to charge.

“If you like your life, I suggest you just come quietly with us and stop being such a bother,” the last of Kouji’s brothers showed his sorry face. “Or you could refuse and the girl dies.”

“Jun I told you it was a bad idea for you to come!” Seta snapped out, though he was beginning to feel uneasy. He backed up slowly until he was besides Kouji, who hadn’t even bothered drawing either of his daggers. “What do you think…?”

“I think,” Kouji paused, glancing around at the two who had trapped Jun in a bad predicament and then to his third brother who was still awaiting an answer, “that we should go with them. That is if you want all three of us to remain alive.”

“We’ll go quietly,” Seta voiced out, not even giving the other option any thought at all. Kouji’s other brothers snickered, the oldest one moving passed them to lead the way. The two that had made short hell for Jun pulled her up, Atebu keeping quiet behind her as the third brother forced her along, as she felt like being reluctant.

Seta shifted uneasily again, swiftly sheathing his sword where it belonged on his back. He sighed, lowering his head a bit to let the strands of hair on his head fall over his face. “Kouji…”

“Hn?” the other whispered, eyes staring into the sky to watch the shine of the moon. He removed his gaze, looking towards Seta who looked rather discouraged by his side. He was not one who was meant to have that look on his face, it didn’t suit him as far as Kouji cared. When the other remained silent, eyes closed, Kouji merely stared a bit longer before clearing his throat and voicing his worry. “What is it?”

“Do you think….we really have a chance of living through the rest of tonight…?”

He feared that question. Of all things to ask, it had to be that… The answer on the shorter boy’s tongue was no, but he couldn’t face seeing Seta get even more depressed than he already was. “Yeah, I believe we do. We’re three of the best fighters in the town, and even if my brothers are better - we still hold a good chance…” Kouji finished, watching Seta brighten slightly and leaned against him.

“I hope you’re right…”

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

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

Kouji groaned, unsure of what happened. His eyes glanced around at a blurred out room, sitting up slowly to ease his sore body. What happened? His mind reeled, trying to gather traces of where he was and finally came to the conclusion that he was in his room.

“Ah, you’re finally awake.”

He had hoped that it would be Seta’s voice that would be the first to hear, but as his vision cleared he saw that neither Seta or Jun were with him. He suddenly felt like seething, gray hues raging onto the form that stood a bit in the doorway as if as a guard.

“Atebu.”

“Yeah. Now get up already!” His brother’s voice seemed rushed a bit. Atebu wasn’t the oldest in the family, actually, he was only a few years older than Kouji, but they were all good fighters - and that is all that currently seemed to matter at the moment.

Kouji blinked, not expecting the hastiness in the other’s voice, but when he made no move to get off the ground, Atebu hauled him up and pulled him into the hall. “The others are in with Father, we have to hurry!”

“You’re….on our side…?”

“Un. Why else did you think Jun would be able to pin me so easily?”

“Don’t call her that,” Kouji reminded and Atebu flinched a moment in thought. No one called her by her actual name other than family and Kouji.

“Ah, gomen….Mamoru-san I meant to say. Itai! Stop stalling!” Atebu realized he was getting sidetracked, looking around for his younger brother who had already left him to break into a run to find Mamoru brother and sister. Atebu grunted, making sure his katana was ready on his back before following, calling out after Kouji that they were in the back room.

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

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

Seta lay on the ground, his mind flashing those soft memories before him as if to keep him thinking of hope. His arm was stretched out, feeling as if he’d pulled more than one muscle in it. His hand gripped at the air, yellow eyes paled to give a blank look at his katana that was a few feet away. Almost have it…Or so it seemed, but the hand still gripped at the air, and the rest of him didn’t feel like moving anytime soon.

He heard the clash of blades, glad it was the blades and not something slicing through wood. All he managed to do was swivel his gave just the slightest as the oldest brother, harboring a twin set of daggers, was making a painstaking move against his sister. Seta flinched when her knees buckled and she fell to then, bow held over her head in defense before her arms gave away at a second blow. She stared up at the other, daggers poised by her face and forehead to chart out where the best places to kill her would be, pulling back the weapons and marking the spots again with his mind. He wouldn’t miss.

“J-Jun…” Seta whispered, still trying to move, but now it was an attempt to get both his katana and reach to help his sister.

It was impossible.

He closed his eyes when the boy’s motions pressed forward, attack lashing towards his sister for the final hit. He expected screams, or even silence….anything that wasn’t what he heard. Atebu made a damn fast attempt to get in the way and succeeded, katana blocking both the daggers in a strong hold and he pushed deeply against his own blade in the achievement in forcing the other back.

“Atebu! You good for nothing traitor!”

“Hai, Shiro, I am,” Atebu smiled despite the comment and stood to full, katana still held in front of him as he called to the girl behind him. “Mamoru-san, help Kouji get your brother out of here and leave.”

“K-Kouji….?” She blinked, still shocked that the same one she threatened to pierce his neck in the streets was now defending her. Her hues slowly turned to the side where Seta, katana and all, was being helped up by none other than Kouji. She smiled, stumbling to get up herself and checked over her bow quickly.

But she didn’t move to her brother. The “soul” marked end of the bow was now primed towards Shiro’s neck after she moved up besides Atebu, the other’s katana held out in readiness to pierce his own blood’s heart. Jun glared forcefully, ignoring the pain of her injuries and the now noticeable blood dripping down from the back of her head. She didn’t care. She just didn’t care. What Seta didn’t understand was the real reason why Kouji wanted to kill his father. Jun did. Kouji told her once, but made her promise not to utter a single word to Seta.

And she kept that word.

And she would until she died, which would not be now.

“Two against one is an unfair fight,” Jun’s voice clashed out, eyes narrowing. “But neither is foolishly knocking people out and taking them away expecting them to be able to block you once they open their eyes,” she glanced to her brother where Kouji supported him. Neither were moving to run. It wouldn’t be like them if they did. Even if it cost them their lives. “Let us pass, or I will not hesitate to drive this blade through your neck and cut off every way you hope to breath.”

Shiro seemed to back up at the hostility in her words, but he was the only one who seemed to care about it. Atebu, his own brother, wasn’t even lowering his weapon. He was in a bit of a jam. His arms had dropped to his sides after Atebu had thrown him away from Jun, and thus his daggers were held down low as well. Even if he tried to defend himself, he’d fail.

Slowly, making the slightest movements, he opened his hands, the hilts of the weapons sliding from the sweat covered grip and clanging to the floor with an echo. He opened up, stepping to the side and backing off from the two to allow them passage to a room behind. Where his father and last brother was. To his hope, Kazue, would not betray the family like Kouji and Atebu had.

“W-What time is it…?” Seta breathed out, talking at last. His body was slumped, arm fastened around Kouji’s shoulders to be the only thing holding him up.

Kouji encircled his arms around the other, for support mentally and physically, trying to get the other to relax, even if it was slightly. “Don’t worry, we still have a few hours until the sun rises. We can rest a little bit. My father and Kazue won’t move from that room, at least they have some honor to wait for us.

Seta nodded, checking his balance for a moment that resulted in sinking to the ground. It was only a slow descend because Kouji’s arms were still around him.

Jun watched the two with a weak smile, checking back on Shiro to make sure he hadn’t ran off, and indeed he stayed in the room - keeping to a corner. Atebu, on the other hand, was still besides her.

“You came to help. Why?”

“I was helping from the start,” he mumbled, shifting the weight of his feet and sheathing his katana.

“What do you mean? You attacked me.”

“With little effort involved. If I was honestly trying, your head wouldn’t have joined us in this room right now.”

Jun narrowly glared at him, catching sight of his playful smirk and sighed, losing her edge. “If I hadn’t attacked you - I wouldn’t have been able to help my brother get here, he would have been guarded by someone else.”

“Someone trustworthy,” the voice of the “defeated” brother grunted quietly from his corner.

“Hn,” Atebu scoffed towards him, looking back towards Jun. “Look, rest up like the others are. I’ll watch over you.” The look he got for her was not one that showed her being reassured and he sighed. “Kouji is in the room, he wouldn’t let me harm you if I tried.” She seemed to take that as a good response, moving off to a wall and sitting against it, closing her eyes.

Resting would be a good idea.

Felt nice too.

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

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

“Mamoru-san, you have to wake up,” Atebu nudged her with his fit, watching her stir slowly and she looked up at him with confusion. “It’d be good to wake up.”

“…How long do we have?” She yawned, slowly standing up and taking out her bow to glance over. It was an amazement it hadn’t broken yet.

“About two and a half hours until dawn.”

“What?!” She glared at him, even more so when he snagged her bow from him quickly. “Teme! Give that back!”

“You want to go against my brother, Kazue and my father with a mostly wooden weapon….?”

“It’s all I have,” she spat.

“Take this, I took it from one of the rooms while you were sleeping. It’s a zanbatou.” He handed it to her after she set down her bow, gripping the new weapon with two hands and brushing over the surface of this. The main frame was made of a material she couldn’t recognize, though it seemed to be a stronger kind of wood than she was used to - yet light. The painting was of a dark blue at the base and traveling up the pole like body was a lush green, followed by a large blade topping it. Her mouth fell open slightly and she rotated it around slightly, experimenting.

“I can take this…?”

“Mmm,” Atebu nodded, looking over to his brother and Seta who were moving away from one another and seemed ready at last. “Come on, we should go.”

“You’re coming too?”

“I’ve came this far, haven’t I?”

She smirked.

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

When the four entered the jointed room, they saw something unexpected. As they had figured, Kouji’s father was standing at the end of the long and narrow room. But what they didn’t think they would see was a body laying on the ground, still alive - but it almost seemed impossible that it was.

“Kazue!” Atebu rushed forward, kneeling by the body, a glare immediately pulling up to their father who merely remained in the shadows, but a smirk was still able to be seen. Atebu glanced back at Kouji, who didn’t seem all that surprised by the out come before them. They would have looked to Shiro - but he was still in the previous room.

“Such a shame. Only one reliable son in this family….And it seems he was a failure.”

“What did you do to Kazue?!” Atebu hissed out angrily, shifting his brother off the floor and setting him down behind everyone.

“Isn’t it obvious? I taught him a lesson. He didn’t want to fight his brother it seemed, so he will know better next time. If his body is strong enough to still breath, that is.”

Kouji’s hands tightened his grip around his daggers, watching with dark eyes as his father unsheathed two katanas. “It seems that now I must kill the last of my sons as well - and of course the two Mamoru children.” He stepped out of the shadows, body very loose looking for someone who was about to attempt in committing four murders. “Maybe I’ll even get a new woman and try all over again.”

“Will you kill that one too?!” Kouji snapped out, raising both the daggers in anger.

Seta started, looking towards the other in surprise. He never did meet Kouji’s mother, but he had heard that she was killed in some accidental out of country fire. Never had he though, or know, or even guess that it was Kouji’s father that….murdered her…. He was finding more reason to rid the horrid man of this world.

“So are there any more sons that you’ve killed and not told us?” Kouji continued to drawl on, anger still evident.

“Yes, actually,” the older man sneered, laughing out a bit at the looks on his children’s faces. “He was such a good lad for awhile….did everything I asked….except for one thing..”

“Don’t listen to him, Kouji, he’s just trying to get you to attack,” Seta spoke out, trying to sooth the other who seemed to be loosing a grip of his mind.

“Oh come now, Mamoru, do you know what he wouldn’t do?” No answer. “He wouldn’t kill you and your sister’s parents,” the man’s rage showed over his features. “But if no one else will slaughter any member of your family - I will kill them all. Where are your dear parents anyway, boy?”

“Out of town,” Seta himself was starting to seethe and stepped forward, but Atebu walked in front of him, katana poised as a calm nature drifted over his body.

“Defending the younglings? How honorary,” the father stepped forward and Atebu moved out to meet him a good distance away. “I’ll kill you and won’t hold back, boy.”

“Don’t think I will,” Atebu muttered, not looking behind as he jolted forward, watching his old man move to the side and behind him. He spun about, his single katana easily caught between the two blades of the father. Atebu released his grip to the weapon and jumped back before his father could see him. There was a clatter where the weapon fell, but no sign of Atebu.

“Come out, boy!” the father growled, moving around in a small circle and staring around to try and find his opponent. The others by the door were looking around as well, shocked a bit by the stealth skills Atebu had been practicing were more use than they could have ever thought. Still, minutes later, there was no one and the elder man made a mistake to lower his guard just the slightest and soon after felt a cold tip at the back of his neck of a katana. He tensed, holding out his set and spun around, but stumbled when their were two pointed at him.

“Playing fair isn’t a way of the family,” Atebu smirked, only holding one katana to his father, but Seta had backed him up once he left the shadows and used his own blade to hold back the so-called-father. “And in this, I rather not play very fair,” he pricked the blade against the other’s neck, causing a small trickle of blood. “But your death is not mine to take,” he flipped the blade back, sheathing it on his back and opening up for Kouji to step up besides Seta.

“Death by night. Rule beneath the moonlight. That’s out code and you know it, but you’ve never followed that. You just kill when you wish - you abuse those around you just for the fun of it or if they say a single word, speak a single sound. No more. You’ve killed too many, and admitted it with five witnesses in the room. And you said you would do it all again. That,” Kouji held up both daggers vertically in front of his body, keeping straight as Seta held back the father from attacking. What hadn’t been noticed was the pained look on the senior’s face, and the fact that one of the hands - had been detached. “Is something that cannot be allowed. And by the moon, you pay the price.”

The father still managed to sneer, but had lost the energy from lack of blood that fell from his severed wrist to the ground, and couldn’t get himself to move the other katana and it slid from his hand at last.

From the back, Jun watched in silence, knelt down on the ground to check every so often that Kazue was still alive. Her weapon was safely discarded behind her on the floor, magenta toned eyes slowly rising to look at the scene farther out. And she held no remorse for what the all saw was coming.

Kouji took one breath, “Dragon and Demon.” That was all he muttered before both named daggers slid into their target and he turned away, releasing his hold to the sweat covered hilts. He lowered his head slightly at the sound of a body slip down to the ground, shaking a bit in anger (still) at all he remembered his father doing to him and everyone around the man. He heard something sheath before arms found their way around his form and he leant against the body for support, mumbling a thank you to who he knew to be Seta.

The taller boy gave him a reassuring smile, leading the other towards the door, though was limping a bit - finally remembering his injuries Shiro had given him earlier. His pale gaze set to look back at Atebu retrieving his brother’s daggers from where they had pierced the ribcage and thus into the heart and lungs. Seta sighed, thinking of how those would clean up, but pushed that aside after Atebu walked over to them.

“After years of hoping he’d even just disappear, he’s finally dead…” Atebu shook his head, walking passed them all and into the other room, stopping abruptly.

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

Jun followed him, taking the zanbatou in a single hand and walking around to his side, looking into his face with confusion. “What’s wrong?”

“Shiro is gone.”

“So, no harm with that, right?”

He sighed, lifted a hand to start and rub at his temples. “I don’t know…he probably left town, most likely. I suppose it’s good he’s gone - he did try to kill everyone. Did a deal of damage on Seta…and yourself…”

“Resting helped, I feel better.”

“Good.”

She raised a brow, looking up at him. “There’s something else, isn’t there?”

He slumped, leaning against the nearest wall tiredly. “I wish he hadn’t left…”

“Why?”

He seemed to be forcing a smile towards her as he rose dark brown eyes to her. “Even though he was older than me and yet younger than Kazue, he acted the oldest and was the strongest. If Father ever hurt one of us, he would always be at out side to patch any wound we had. But him and myself were like the middle children, and he was pulled and torn at between what was right and wrong and I think it overwhelmed him.” He had closed his eyes halfway through talking, now starting when Jun had rested a hand on his arm.

“I’m sure he’ll be back, but right now we need to get Kazue to my place, I have enough medicine there that I can ensure that he lives.”

Atebu nodded, about to turn into the other room again when Kouji (along with Seta’s help) moved out holding the older brother.

“Come on, I want to get out of here,” Kouji whispered, looking around to see the agreeable look crossing everyone’s faces.

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

Jun worked slowly and carefully over Kazue’s wounds one they got him to her and Seta’s home. Atebu assisted her as much as he could and the other two just collapsed on an arm chair together. Seta was half asleep, Kouji merely curled comfortably in his lap, enjoying the feel of the other’s rising and falling of Seta’s chest as he breathed.

They would all admit to being tired, in the mind and by the body. And in a way, Jun’s brother had the most reasoning aside from Kazue, who was in an unconscious manner. Kouji closed his eyes as he thought that Seta was rather close to being in Kazue’s condition - or worse. But the attackers were different and by that fact it meant that Seta had more of a chance of dying. Shiro as everyone in the family knew, was the strongest of them - stronger than their father which in a way wasn’t saying much. In fighting, the father had no advantage, but it was life and methods of cheating that made the kids all suffer under him.

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

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

Kouji made a surprised sound, feeling a pillow bounce off his head and he immediately sent a glare in Atebu’s direction. His brother was laying down on the floor, leaning against the couch that Kazue was resting in, not yet waking up. Jun was the only one not in the room. “What was that for?”

“Your daggers are cleaned.”

“And you woke me up with a pillow for that?”

“Yeah, basically,” he chuckled, standing and moving away towards the kitchen - opening the wooden doors and stepping out from view.

Kouji sighed and adjusted himself so he was more comfortable against the other. He glanced up, blinking a bit to realize the other was watching him with an amused grin. “What?”

“Nothing.”

“Then why are you staring?”

“Can’t I at least stare at the one I love?”

“I suppose so.”

“Suppose?”

Kouji chuckled a bit leaning his head back so it was resting on one of the armrests.

“You remember when you first said you loved me?”

Seta frowned, though his amusement was keeping a minor hold at least. He lifted a hand, brushing it through the other’s black spikes, a crescent smile over his face. “Yeah, I remember. You told me to burn in Hell and ignored me for about a week and a half before finally coming back to me with great agitation to except the fact admit you loved me too. It’s a little hard to forget that.”

Kouji smirked, forgetting the part about telling the other to burn. But he didn’t really want to admit to the other that he cared, Kouji took that week and a half to talk to Jun mainly. She confirmed to him that her brother really did love him and it wasn’t some sort of game. Jun always had been helpful, a good aid. And now it seemed she could use an assist with his brother. It was plainly labeled that she was starting to fancy Atebu - and vice versa. Too bad both of them were blind.

There was a groan from the side and Kouji moved his eyes from Seta to a moving form on the couch. He nearly fell out of Seta’s lap to get over towards the couch, looking down at Kazue who was trying to sit up. Kouji helped him a bit, eyes wide with relief that the other was ok.

“Thank god…Atebu, Jun, Kazue is up!”

“…Don’t yell so loud…” Kazue murmured, rubbing his head, opening hazel eyes to look around at everyone. “I take it you beat him…?”

“Don’t sound so surprised! Of course we did,” Atebu smirked, crossing his arms.

“Good. Nothing to worry about then..” He sighed, brushing a hand through the same type of black locks that Atebu had hanging own his head. He glanced to his younger siblings, chuckling at Seta and then over to Jun. “So when do you marry him?” He jabbed a finger in Atebu’s direction, like Kouji he could just tell from the looks they shared. He may have been injured, but he wasn’t stupid.

“W-What are you talking about?”

“Man, Jun, it’s obvious,” Seta chuckled from where he still was in the arm chair. Atebu remained silent, acting like nothing was being said. Seta stood, reaching up to drape an arm around his sister’s shoulders and whispering to her. “Don’t worry, since you’ve helped me so much - I’ll help you,” he caught her off guard, thrusting her out towards Atebu and causing him to do none other but catch her so she didn’t fall. After setting her upright though, he didn’t let go. And she didn’t seem to care.

“So…..now what?” Seta snuck up behind Kouji and embraced him, kissing lovingly at the skin of the other’s neck and looked over at Kazue.

“We should leave Japan.”

“What?” Kouji blinked, surprised by the comment of the other still on the couch.

“Not moving kind of leave, just on a vacation or something. It’d probably do us all some good to get away for a bit, come on, what’s there to lose?” He smirked, leaning back against the backing, cringing a bit at the bruises he could feel all over his body.

“What about something called…..money?” Jun looked at him, still being held by Atebu.

“It’s called a will, darling,” Kazue continued, wavering off the comment like it was nothing. “I found Father’s will, it’s safely stored in my room at home. All family money goes to the oldest son - which, is me.” He gave a smile, looking around at all the blank faces. Kazue had a thought that some of them were surprised that he were so talkative after he almost died today. “Oh, and what’s for breakfast?”

That earned his a smack up the head from Jun.

“Ow….kuso….but we should have food! It’s like….eight in the morning or something….”

“Ahou,” Kouji sighed inwardly, tilting his head back to look at Seta. “So are we taking a vacation?”

“Seems that way,” Seta rolled his eyes, taking a glance to the side to see Jun and Atebu moving to the kitchen. The idea of breakfast was starting to sink in as a decent idea for everyone.

“Fine, but if we’re taking a plane to wherever - I get the window seat.”

Seta laughed softly, ducking his head down to sweep a kiss over the other’s lips, parting shortly after to only whisper. “Deal,” and he resumed the previous motion.

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

Yeah, I haven’t worked on this in ages, donno how many errors are left or anything. Sixteen pages though. I didn’t want to make it a chapter fic. *Shrugs* I hope it’s ok. I really do. *sighs* But I’m tired of having it sit here and me not having it done or up or ANYTHING. Read, review, do a dance, I really don’t care. Heh.

[1] Você é direito. Eu não tenho o coração para matá-lo.

You’re right. I don’t have the heart to kill you.

[2] Você apontou e ganhou meu coração uma vez. Eu não permitirei que

você perfure-o.

You've aimed and won my heart once. I won't allow you to pierce it.

The different language thing wasn’t there for much….oh well. Sorry about that, I kind of forgot.