recolle | Closed | sharp objects

Entry tags:

Closed | sharp objects

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.]

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[Noah wasted no time getting ready to help Iwai search. He's wearig his pajamas underneath his coat and boots, but that's fine. He keeps his eyes peel through the window, trying to see if he can spy Fai]

Not yet...

What made him run out anyway? That might give us a clue.

He's the one who cut me. Made him think that he's going to hurt everyone he loves.

[Fai didn't need to fully say everything for Iwai to know that. He knows how his boyfriend thinks. How he operates.]

He got an app thing that changed him and now he's scared.

[There's a bit of silence out of him. So that's what it is...? Noah knew exactly how that felt- it happened to him last summer.]

...Somewhere secluded then. That's where he'll go.

Yeah that's what I'm thinking too. It's why I keep slowing down at alleys and why I'm trying to get to the park. Places like that.

[Places sure to have next to no people right now while this dome is up. Iwai knows what is needed for escaping somewhere and staying out of sight. He's glad Noah understands too even if it bothers him that the kid would have to know in the first place.]

[The stuff that Noah knows that a kid shouldn't know was a very long list. It's one of the reasons Noah was pretty quiet about his past. It bothered people too much to hear about it. Just like he doesn't explain now.]

Got any secluded places that are meaningful? Fai's pretty sappy.

Yeah. Let's see if it's in the dome.

[The place where they stargazed together. Up on that hill overlooking everything as they were on the hood of his car. It's a good idea... He's not sure if it's in this dome but one way to find out right?]

There's a hill he and I went to not that long ago.

[He gives a nod. Sounds romantic- the kind of place Fai would gravitate towards.]

Alright. Let's check it out.

[There's silence for a time before...]

Hey, you know how to drive at all?

[Because he may be able to take advantage of that for getting Fai home.]

May need you to drive the car so I can hold onto him after we find him and talk some sense back into him.

Oh, good thinking. He might try to barrel roll out of the car.

Yeah, got my license last month.

It'll keep him calmer anyway. Especially if he can fuss over me instead of sitting there worrying about stuff.

[He nods.]

After we convince him to come home I'll leave the driving to you.

[he gives a nod. Plan makes sense]

Aye aye. I promise not to drive into the barrier.

[That gets a snort out of the man as he pull up onto the hill.]

That's a relief. Now keep an eye out for Fai. He may have heard us if he's here. Or smelled me. I don't know how good his senses are yet.

Shit, he's got super smell now?

[That's not good. Hmm....]

I might have some axe bodyspray in my bag. That shit could cover up the scent of rotting corpses.

We'll discuss your taste in body spray later. Right now I'd honestly rather have him smell us.

[ITS NOT LIKE HE LIKES IT. Honestly, it's probably better not to know WHY he'd have it]

Okay, but if he runs because he smells you, don't say I didn't tell you so.

[Maybe coming to this spot wasn't the greatest idea, given that Fai's trying to stay away from Iwai and the others, but once his flight response kicked in there wasn't a whole lot of rational thought going on anyway. Besides, it's a big city and he's got a good head-start. Surely he's safe to spend a moment or two here before moving on...?

Apparently not. He can sense Iwai somehow, smell him even before he's heard the car or seen the lights. He can still smell Iwai's blood. He knows they're getting close.

Before the car pulls up to the hill, Fai has already bolted for the treeline. That's where he'll be when they arrive--just inside the line of trees at the base of the hill, watching, one golden cat-eye gleaming in the dark. Ready to run again.]

[He can see something and he knows it has to be Fai. Good enough.

Parking the car he leaves the engine running and gets out. With a nod he lets Noah know the wheel is his now. Then he goes out and leans on the hood of his car to look up at the sky.

He knows Fai can hear him.]

Too bad the sky can't be seen right now. This place really brings back memories.

[With a soft laugh, he looks to the trees.]

Fai, I don't care what this app does to you alright? I'm still yours and we've got the wings to prove it. I'm here ain't I? Still gonna be even if I have to turn over every rock around to keep bringing you home. With the kids.

[A pause.]

With me.

[Because no matter what this is...he's still here and plans to keep it that way.]

[As Iwai gets out, Noah will say "good luck" as the door shuts. He'll climb over to the driver's seat, making himself comfortable and the proper adjustments. Then with that done, it's time to sit and watch. Looks like Fai could always tell they were coming and is hiding in the trees....he knew they should've used the bodyspray.

Oh well.

Aka feel free to skip over Noah for now, I'll jump in if needed.]

[Neither of them will be able to hear it, but Fai sucks in a breath when the car door opens and Iwai emerges. His muscles tense, ready to propel him back and away, back into the trees, but Iwai doesn't come any closer. The blond positions himself behind a tree, peering around the side with the one eye he still doesn't know looks any different. He hasn't exactly had a chance to examine himself in a mirror since this whole thing started.

But oh, there are so many things that have changed...

When he speaks after a moment his voice is just barely loud enough to be heard across the clearing.]

You don't know what you're saying. This... this isn't like last time. I hurt you.

I'm a monster.

Are you?

[Iwai fishes through his coat until he finds a lollipop. Unwrapping it, he puts it in his mouth. Messing around with it a bit, he puts his hands in his pockets. He looks as relaxed as ever, no sign of any tension and he sure isn't acting like someone who got cut up earlier.]

I've seen some monsters in my time. Mothers that want to abandon their kids for a fun life. People that want to shoot their way through kids to get at rivals. The other me watched a mother try to sell her child for money and a guy hold a kid hostage. Then there's you. The guy who would rather run and hide himself away to protect kids and save them. Doesn't seem monster-like.

[He shrugs some and looks to the trees.]

You're a great guy who got a power he doesn't know how to control yet. So that's something we work on.

[He pulls the candy from his mouth and casually points it towards him.]

We, Fai. Together. I ain't left you through anything else and I ain't leavin' you now.

[Fai's one eye closes and he rests his forehead against the tree in front of him, shaking his head ever so slightly. Why... why doesn't Iwai get it? Why does he have to be so goddamn sweet?

His next words come out in a rush, accompanied by what sounds like a sob.]

This can't be a power! I can smell you. I can smell your blood. I don't... I don't want to hurt you, but part of me--

[Part of him wants to rush over there and try it again. Try tasting him again, to see if the second time is just as delicious as the first.]

If I eat people, or drink blood.... That's a monster, Mune-chan. I can't risk you or the kids, or anyone else.

Seemed like vampire stuff to me. But you still ain't a monster.

[He shifts so he can rest on his other leg.]

Honestly though if you just hide away from it how are you going to learn to control it? Besides, those kids are under your legal guardianship. What is gonna happen to them if you don't come back to be with 'em? I ain't got powers like so many of you but I can still figure out how to help you control this.

[Damn stubborn man! Why isn't this getting through to him? It's so obvious to Fai.]

Better alone than dead. Th-they'll get by. I- I know you'll watch after them. But if I... if I can't control it....

[Even though his body still feels powerful and strong, Fai's just mentally and emotionally exhausted. He sinks to his knees on the cold January ground, still facing the tree, leaning against the trunk.]

I- I couldn't bear it if I hurt them. If I hurt you. I-- God, I already hurt you! The person I care about the most and I.... What if...?

You know I legally can't right?

[He pushes off the hood of the car but doesn't walk to Fai. He knows Noah can hear everything he's saying but he's still saying it.]

I got that wing to help carry you when you couldn't manage, remember? That hasn't changed. You can try to chase me off or you can try to run but I have a promise to keep to you. Besides the kids don't want you gone either. Sakura probably didn't stay home and is out looking for you. Noah's in the car. Her brother is waiting for you too.

[He takes exactly one step closer.]

You are thinking about the worst case scenario and forgetting something important, Fai. You listened to me when it mattered. You stopped when it mattered. All that other bad shit ain't gonna happen if we do what we've been doing. Working as partners.

[We don't even know what I am anymore! Fai wants to scream. What if he's the kind of monster that can't be reasoned with or controlled? What if he loses his head next time and never comes back from it? What if he's not done changing yet?

But... for all that he doesn't want to hurt the kids or Iwai, he doesn't really want to never see them again either. None of this is anything he wants. What he wants is to go home and finish the rest of their night the way they were, snuggled up together in a warm bed. Happy. Not out on the edge of the woods freezing, Iwai bleeding, and the kids all out at this stupid hour of the morning looking for his stupid self.

Very slowly, Fai pushes against the trunk of the tree and levers himself back up to his bare feet. Instead of curling up into a ball on the ground or running away again, he takes two steps around the tree, and then another, so he's just barely visible in the glow of the car's headlights. Still in his pajamas, dirty and disheveled, but... facing this problem, at least for right now.

Maybe... if he can spend a few minutes around Iwai and not... not lose control, there might be some hope...?

(And if he does lose control, maybe Noah's close enough to pull him away before he can do irreparable harm to Iwai.)]

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