Closed | sharp objects

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WHO: Iwai and Fai, Noah, Sakura, Xiaolang
WHERE: CLAMP house
WHEN: Early Sunday morning, 1/21
WHAT: Fai gets yet another nasty Retrospec surprise and Iwai gets to deal with it. Thank goodness for patient boyfriends ;~;
WARNINGS: Blood, violence, vampirism, fear reactions. Probably not going to be pretty for a bit.



[It's still early in the morning, early enough that... well, the sky outside would have been dark anyway, honestly. But they've been trying to keep a pretty decent routine despite the perpetual darkness, and Fai's brain is telling him it's way too early to be up yet. It's even too early to be up early and making breakfast for the various members of the household, or for Iwai to have made his way out to the kitchen to make coffee. So Fai sighs, closes his one good eye again, and rolls over to curl up against Iwai and try to fall back asleep.

Except... darn it, maybe he should just zombie-shuffle over to the bathroom real quick first.

So that's what he does. He's gotten enough practice at this in the new house by now that he no longer bangs his shins against anything in the dark. Mission successful. Door pushed most of the way closed to keep the light off of Iwai so as not to wake him. Bathroom business accomplished. Hands washed. Fai pauses here at the sink, yawns mightily, and stares blearily at his own image in the mirror. Blond hair skewing every which way. One very droopy eye. One dark black swath where the other used to be. It's not pretty, but at oh-dark-thirty he doesn't have to be particularly pretty.

Bed. Boyfriend. Warmth. They call.

He prepares to turn back around, to snap the light back off and muddle his way back to the bed to burrow under the covers again, when something catches his eye in the mirror.

More specifically, his eye catches his eye. A flash of gold. For a minute there he could have sworn--

That's when the pain hits. Mind-numbing, nerve-searing, bone-twisting pain, everywhere. With a strangled yelp Fai loses his grip on the edge of the sink and falls to the bathroom floor, unable even to catch himself on his hands and knees. It's all he can do not to scream but the sounds coming from the bathroom are definitely unhappy.]

Comments

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[There's a moment of panic--well, further panic--when Iwai disappears into the other room. Thankfully that doesn't last long, and then he's at least warm and wrapped up while his body works through... whatever it's doing. At this point Fai doesn't even know whether this is something Retrospec has done or if it's something he should be going to the hospital for. Isn't even coherent enough to ask.

Iwai doesn't know what's going on. Fai sure as hell doesn't know. And by god if that isn't a terrifying feeling....

For a few seconds Fai manages to open his one good eye. There's fear in his expression, along with the pain, although it's probably hard to tell from his eye given that it's gone golden instead of blue, and the pupil is a vertical slit like a cat's. It's an utterly foreign, completely inhuman look--the one Fai caught just a second of in the mirror before this started. And of course Fai has no idea. He just clings to Iwai, the blanket, anything he can get a grip on.]

[geckoman]

[Iwai catches sight of Fai's face for a moment and he's sure that he sees...a gold eye? That's not possible though. Fai's eye color is blue. He doesn't have much than that glance though because he's needing to sit on the floor and hold onto his boyfriend so he can help ground him at least.

It's what he can do for him right now anyway.]

I've got you. Just try to keep breathing. Keep breathing. You need air right now.

[flowrite]

[Bless Iwai. There isn't much comfort to be had in the middle of this situation, but what little there is, is all from Iwai. Fai even manages a couple of semi-deep breaths, although nodding doesn't seem to be an option at the moment.

Finally, for a second or two, the pain recedes. Fai looks up at the older man in surprise, his face pale and his hair hanging in limp strands around his shoulders. And then his one--now blue again--eye rolls up and he faints.]

[geckoman]

Fai? Fai?

[He curses under his breath again then carefully lifts him up off the floor and to the bed where he tucks him in to keep him warm. Flipping the light on by the bed, he turns off the light in the bathroom while he's at it, he sits by him and gently rests his hand on his face.

What is that going to do though? It's not like this was a fever. Is a fever. Hell he doesn't know. He just knows this is probably some app bullshit so he can't even take him to the hospital. They can't help with....this. Whatever it is.]

[flowrite]

[Long minutes drag by, threatening to stretch into half an hour before Fai stirs again. His breathing is regular and he doesn't seem to be in pain anymore, he just seems exhausted by whatever happened. Is happening.

When he does begin to stir he lets out a low groan--even though whatever caused the pain has subsided, some part of him remembers that episode very vividly. The groan cuts off into a sort of pathetic whimper and Fai turns toward Iwai's side of the bed out of newly-acquired habit, hoping to curl up with his boyfriend. He doesn't even open his eye yet, just tiredly mumbles:]

Mune-chan... I had the worst dream....

[geckoman]

Hey...

[He moves closer so Fai can actually reach him. Gently he strokes his hair as he looks down at him.]

You okay?

[flowrite]

[So... definitely not a dream then. That's kind of what Fai was afraid of.

His eye--his very normal, blue eye--cracks open to peer up at Iwai and Fai slowly wiggles himself a little closer to the other man.]

Nnngh... I think so? I don't.... What was that?

[geckoman]

You were just suddenly in a lot of pain. I put you to bed after you passed out.

[Gently, he strokes his hair then pulls him on his lap, wrapping the blanket around them both so he can provide Fai with warmth.]

You're not hurting anymore?

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[Fai is more than happy to curl up on Iwai's lap and let himself be wrapped in the blanket. He rests his forehead on Iwai's neck and slowly shakes his head in answer to the question.]

No... I don't think so? It doesn't hurt anymore, but I feel... different.

[He sighs and then inhales deeply; the resulting breath out is a low hum, almost a happy purr.]

You smell nice.

[geckoman]

Different?

[He sounds concerned when he asks. Fai doesn't seem different but he still remembers that flash of a golden eye.

Of course he has to snort at the next comment.]

You always think I smell nice.

[flowrite]

Mmhmm. It's... hard to describe. Maybe I just need to sleep it off.

[The almost-happy-purr turns into a definitely-happy-purr. Fai grins and nuzzles his nose against Iwai's jawline, one of his hands lifting to trail the scarred pads of his fingertips across Iwai's collarbone.]

That's because you always do.

[It really doesn't seem like he has "sleep" on the brain at the moment.]

[geckoman]

[Iwai lifts a brow at the nuzzling. No way is he getting turned on right now after just watching Fai fall apart on the floor of their bathroom. Buuuut he'll just...not mention that.]

So much for sleeping it off.

[He'll default to teasing instead.]

[flowrite]

[By this point Fai's eye has slid back into that deep golden color, the pupil morphing into a cat's-eye slit. But of course Iwai would have trouble seeing that with Fai tucked against his shoulder and under his chin like this.

Fai takes another deep breath, inhaling Iwai's scent, and curls his hand into the beginnings of a claw, scratching his nails lightly across Iwai's chest.]

Mm, can't help it. You're sexy and warm and you smell amazing.

[geckoman]

[He's used to Fai scratching him sometimes when he gets in the mood so he doesn't notice and just lightly pats his hip instead.]

Hey, you should get some rest. That was one hell of an episode you had no matter how good I smell.

[flowrite]

[Fai barely registers Iwai's suggestion. He's far too intent on the man himself--warm skin, lovely muscles beneath that nice warm skin, and that smell. Fai could just eat him up.

...and if Fai initially confused wanting to devour his boyfriend with something else, well. Who can blame him? It's the closest thing he can equate this feeling to in his limited frame of reference.

And it's not that he doesn't notice his own fingernails lengthening by several inches, sharpening--he does. But he's so enraptured by this whole feeling, by Iwai's closeness and by the new feel of his own body that it doesn't strike him as particularly worrisome right away. He'd much rather slip these new fingernails--claws, really--across the lovely warm skin just under Iwai's collarbone. Not completely unlike unwrapping a piece of candy.]

[geckoman]

[Iwai is getting ready to relax, figuring that it'll help give Fai the hint that he should too. Well, he's getting ready to until he feels that those nails actually hurt a bit. Sure Fai's nails are nice and all but they don't feel like...that...]

Hey...

[He gives a little hiss as he feels then scratch and he looks down to...]

Uh...Fai?

[He's way less worried about the blood and more worried about the...claws. Honestly.]

[flowrite]

Hmmm~?

[The query in his tone is purely for Iwai's benefit. Fai is hardly paying attention to the man at all, or at least anything other than his body. Normally the sight of Iwai bleeding would set Fai into a panic, but now... now it just makes him smell even better than before. Fai can feel his whole body practically thrumming, laser-focused on the bright drops of rich blood seeping from the scratch on Iwai's chest and the few drops left over on his own nails.

Purely out of instinct, Fai brings his hand closer to his own face and touches one of those bloody fingernails to his tongue, and then shudders at the taste of it.

It's... not a shudder of revulsion, by any means. The expression on his face is more ecstasy than anything. Who knew this part of his boyfriend would taste so wonderful?

That same instinct drives him to quickly bring his nails to Iwai's chest again, slashing a longer, deeper tear into that delicious skin this time to get at more of the sweet blood underneath.]

[geckoman]

[Fai is licking his blood? That's some vampire shit there and Iwai moves to sit up a little more. He doesn't get what is going on but it's really getting to Fai.

And that's when he slashes him.

Iwai let's out a hiss and brings a hand to his chest. It stings like hell and that blood is definitely sliding along his chest. He's going to need to make sure that gets bandaged but it's not his priority right now.

Fai is.]

Fai stop.

[He doesn't care that he's hurt. He's worried about Fai and what this will do to him. Because he knows this man's heart so well by now.]

That hurts, Fai.

[Iwai looks at his chest again.]

Shit. That's gonna end up on the sheets...

[Priorities?]

[flowrite]

[The smell of the blood dripping down Iwai's chest is nearly overwhelming. It's only Iwai's voice, in that tone, that stops him from leaning forward and licking it up straight from the source.

...but Iwai sounds serious. Fai blinks that one golden eye lazily and looks up at him. Looks up at... his boyfriend.

His... hurt boyfriend.

Fai's gaze drops back down to the slash on Iwai's chest, then raises back up to his face. To the worry on that face. When he looks back down at the blood this time he lifts his hand and the claws visibly retract back into regular, if somewhat gory, fingernails. Fai moves as if to touch his fingers to the wound but stops just short.

He did this. He hurt Iwai.

His head snaps back up, the gold in his eye fading back to blue.]

Mune-chan?

[His voice is small, scared. He's still trying to process what's happening, but he looks on the verge of panic.]

[geckoman]

[Gold to blue. Like before. Is that gold like some kind of signal of this blood licking thing? Iwai can only assume so and he makes a mental note of that as he reaches out with the non-bloody hand to touch Fai's face.]

Hey, I'm okay. Are you?

[Because Fai needs him more than these cuts do. Well that's what Iwai thinks anyway. He's probably not correct about that in the long run but like he gives a damn about that.]

You were acting different there.

[flowrite]

[Acting different. He hurt him. Hurt Iwai. The best damn thing in his life. Drew his nails across his skin, wanted to taste him....

Fai turns his shaking hand toward himself, stares in horror at the blood around his fingernails. It had tasted so good, felt so right--

NO no no no no

He shakes his head, breath coming faster.]

I'm sorry! I'm sorry, I-- I don't know what I-- You smelled so good, you tasted so good--

[The fingernails of Fai's hand begin to lengthen again, stretching into three-inch long claws before his horrified gaze. With a strangled shriek he throws himself back off of Iwai's lap and across the bed, hardly paying attention to where he's going except that he needs to get away from Iwai now before he hurts him again, before the scent of the blood on Iwai's skin becomes impossible to resist.]

[geckoman]

[Shit. This is what he was afraid of happening. Iwai pushes the blanket off himself.]

Fai, I'm okay. Let's take a moment and breathe. We'll figure out what is going on.

[He understands why Fai is panicking but he knows he needs him to calm down too. He doesn't care about this cut, after all. It's not the first time he's been slashed. Probably won't be the last. What matters to him is Fai.]

Let's calm down and think about this...

[flowrite]

[Even across the bed he can still smell Iwai's blood, sweet and powerful and alluring. He's not far enough away yet. Fai doesn't know what he is or what's going on but he's already lost his head once. What if it happens again and he slashes Iwai's throat this time instead of his chest?

What if he doesn't stop there? There are other people in the house. The kids. The people Fai cares about the most all in such a small area. He'd said it to Sakura not long ago like it was a good thing, but now--

Fai can feel his body moving differently as he ungracefully drops off the side of the bed, barely catching himself on his bare feet. He's awkward only because he's panicked--there's real power under his skin, like there's an animal inside of him suddenly. An animal that could take these claws and rip Iwai to shreds to get at the blood inside.

That thought, barely coherent as it is, is the last straw. If he can't trust himself around his precious people then he needs to get away from them. Now.

With a wail Fai turns and races for the door to their bedroom, slamming his shoulders into walls and knocking his knees on furniture as he goes. It doesn't matter. He just has to get away.]

[geckoman]

Shit!

[Iwai scrambles out of bed and grabs pants on the way. He doesn't bother with socks as he shoves his feet into his boots and he's still shirtless and bleeding from the two cuts to his chest as he walks out into the other room. At least he has the shirt in hand since he's planning on pulling it on.]

Fai!

[Damn it. He has to find him. Looking around, he spies his coat and he walks over to it as he starts to pull on his shirt. He doesn't care that this shirt is going to be bloody later. Fai's more important than a stupid shirt.]

[flowrite]

[Fai doesn't notice that he's starting to move faster than usual as he's running through the house. Their bedroom is toward the back of the house, which means he could spend the time to run through the darkened hallway, past the kitchen, through the living room, through the foyer... or he could take the easy route and go out the sliding glass door and out onto the porch at the back of the house.

He doesn't stop to grab his coat. He doesn't stop to grab shoes. The sliding glass door is locked, to keep their little family safe, but Fai manages to wrench the door open anyway, the metal lock shrieking and finally busting apart.

There's a wooded area behind their house, the perfect view for sitting on the back porch on a nice day. It's that wooded area that Fai's heading for now. After has not yet occurred to him. All the panic will let him think about is now.]