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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[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.)]

Fai, you've spent several minutes now being able to smell me. You're right there and if you really were some kind of monster I'd already be dead. Instead you're a man who is understandably scared and I'm a guy who hasn't left you. Won't leave you.

[He steps closer again and holds out his hand to him.]

Come here, Fai. I trust you.

[That... is a point. That part of Fai that wants to taste Iwai again hasn't propelled him toward his boyfriend yet. Hasn't ripped out his throat or slashed him from stem to stern yet.

And dear God, he smells so, so good.

Of course, the subject brings Fai's attention to the blood on the front of Iwai's shirt. His stubborn boyfriend probably didn't even try to patch himself up before he piled them into the car, did he?

So Fai can't just run up to Iwai and curl up against him like he usually would, tucking his face to Iwai's neck. He hasn't felt fangs yet, but the neck seems like a bad idea--and it would put him right up against that bleeding wound. There's a difference between needing to learn control and blatant temptation.

He pads across the frozen ground quietly, lifting shaking hands to comb through his loose hair with his fingers, trying to make some sense of the mess. He probably looks a fright, and even if Iwai doesn't care, Fai does. And Noah's in the car! Fai could just curl up and die of embarrassment right now if he weren't still so afraid. This could still go so horribly wrong.

His hand is cold when he slips it into Iwai's--but whether that's because of what he is now, or because he's been out in nothing but his pajamas for some time is anyone's guess.]

Did you... tell the kids? What I did?

Noah asked on the way here so I told him.

[He nods to the kid behind the wheel.]

He's still here too.

[Fai's family. They're not going to be chased off that easily.

Taking off his coat, he slips it around Fai and pulls the hood up over his head so that way his boyfriend can have some protection from the embarrassment he might be feeling. Or maybe even to warm him up. Iwai has no idea if he's just forever cold now but he sure as hell can try to warm him up anyway.]

Come on. You can scold me for not taking care of it after we get back. I've gotta call Sakura and her brother too.

[Is it better that Noah knows and didn't balk at coming along? Maybe, but there's still a hefty amount of shame attached to the memory of slashing Iwai open. Fai's out in the open now, and he doesn't even look particularly against the idea of coming home with them, but he certainly isn't proud of himself right now.

And-- oh God, Iwai's coat smells heavenly. Fai has to remind himself that he's supposed to be controlling this, even as he's pulling the coat tighter around himself and inhaling deeply. He should be chiding Iwai for going without a coat in this cold, but he's too delighted by the coat itself for the moment.

(He can't even claim that he's going to scold Iwai for not patching himself up, honestly--he was the one who caused the wound in the first place, he has no room to talk.)

But then--

Oh hell--]

Did you say Sakura was out alone?!

[He smirks.]

There you are.

[He flips open his phone to get the number Fai gave him and shoots her a text that he has Fai and they're heading home. Sends one to her brother too.]

My gut told me she'd be okay. Come on. You won't be able to check on her if we don't get our asses home.

[Yes he is nudging towards the back door of the car.]

[Fai has to resist the urge to snag the phone away from Iwai and just call Sakura right then and there, to make sure she's okay--or to ask why on Earth they would let a girl in middle school go wandering around the city on her own at this hour of the morning. What were they thinking?!

But... this is all his own fault. Accusing his sweet, patient boyfriend won't change that. Fai bites his lip and stares at the phone for a moment, willing Sakura to text or call back (to please be okay) and then nods.

He doesn't move toward the car, however--he squeezes Iwai's hand a little tighter and lowers his voice, hopefully low enough that Noah won't hear it.]

Will you promise me something? If... if I can't control this, if I do something.... If you or the kids are in danger....

You can. But don't worry. I've got this.

[He turns to him and actually cups his head and presses his against it.]

I know you'll control this because you're controlling it now as stand here before me.

[Fai's eye closes and he lets out a shaky exhale, his expression almost pained. It's both wonderful and terrible to have someone who has so much faith in him. What if he can't live up to that faith?

He's sure, at least, that he can count on Iwai to do what it takes to protect the kids from him if need be. As for himself... well. Fai will just have to make damn sure it doesn't come to that.]

I love you.

[Sorry Noah, it's getting kind of sappy out here.]

I love you too. Let's get you home.

[He shifts the hood to kiss his hair then settles it in place again so he can work on getting him to the backseat of the car again.]

Okay.

[Fai nods slowly and then takes a deep breath, almost as if trying to mentally prepare himself to face Noah--and by extension, the other kids. He barely even knows what's going on himself, how the hell is he going to explain it to someone else? At least Noah knows the full range of scary things associated with Retrospec. He'll probably take it the best.

(Hey, your legal guardian is some kind of messed up, blood-licking monster! Surprise!)

Fai slips into the back seat of the car, head down so that the hood obscures as much of his face as possible, and then waits to see where Iwai is going.]

[He gets in the back with Fai and closes the door, wrapping an arm around him to keep him close. It pulls on the cut on his chest a bit but he doesn't care.

That's right. Iwai's letting Noah drive the car.]

Get us home, Noah. I already texted Sakura to tell her to head back since I'm sure she didn't bother to stay back.

[As they get into the car, Noah will glance over his shoulder to get a good look at the two. Yep, Fai sure looked like he'd seen better days. But he'll actually...refrain from making any remarks, and instead just gives a nod]

Got it. Buckle up.

[Quiet and docile (and tired and cold and really, really scared), Fai just nods and does as instructed, buckling his seatbelt and leaning a little on Iwai despite the knowledge that Mune-chan is hurt and despite the temptation. He just won't cuddle as close as he normally would. Not yet.]

[Iwai rubs Fai's shoulder as the car moves. He uses his other hand to push through his own short hair. It's been a tough night and he knows they're in for some more long ones.

But at least they'll be able to work together for that. Something he's grateful for.]

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redarm - 2018-01-31 05:57 (UTC) - Expand

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