Lattice (Rin and Zombie) [18+]

[♠[Rin]♠]

"It's not called 'boring', it's called 'being reasonable in appropriate moments'," Chiaki answered and just sighed. He followed his lover into the shower when the bandages were mentioned. "Ah." The raven turned back around, sized his lion's hand and tenderly undid the bandages. Then he put them onto the tables outside and closed the shower subsequently, having re-entered.

 

"Idiot~" He mumbled, but loud enough for the other to hear it, before he tiptoed, wrapped his arms around Leo and pulled him down into a kiss. At least it seemed like a kiss until he firmly bit into the other's lip. His eyes opened and he looked into Leo's with a warmth sparkle in them, yet it seemed way too mischievous at the same time.

 

He let go and turned on the hot water. Wasn't it pleasing to have the tensed muscles being violated by hot water? Yes, it was. Was he masochistic? A little maybe.

"If you say so. I don't know him too well. I also guessed you were sharing the apartment together with the rent due to financial reasons?" Chiaki then revisited the topic while he grabbed the red bottle with the shampoo in it and opened it squeeze some on his hand.

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Leo scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Boring." He muttered out quietly, a tad childishly at that as well. He let the other undo the bandages, slapping his ass at the comment, though he didn't seem like he minded it too much. Leo adored the kiss, wrapping an arm around his waist to pull him closer before yelping softly at the unexpected bite. It only brought a rough squeeze and another slap to Chiaki's ass, though. "I get the feeling you don't want to hurry after all." He murmured, pushing him towards the wall, though where the water would still reach both of their bodies.

 

"We-... How do you even know that? Are you spying on me?" Leo asked suddenly, one eyebrow raising. "If I'd known that I would've made sure to give a little show from time to time." He grinned, pressing a quick kiss to his lips, his hands placed firmly at his hips. "Why do you even want to know that? Are you jealous?" He questioned with the same wide grin plastered onto his face. "You know you'll always be my favorite, right?~" Leo winked, moving one hand up to lightly pinch and tug on his nipple. "Or do I need to remind you of that?" He asked, flicking his thumb against the nipple, his other hand moving towards his groin area.

[♠[Rin]♠]

He stepped back against the wall and didn't take care of the shampoo in his hand. And the next time he thought of it, the water had already washed it away. With a sigh, he looked up into Leo's face and raise one eyebrow with a sick grin. "Jealous of that guy? Not really." Telling his lover the real reason would more or less not only kill the mood but break a small piece of their trust. Though, that was when an idea hit his head.

 

Chiaki prevented himself from biting his lip and sized Leo's injured hand with his own both to bring it up to his lips. "...I know you are quite good at ignoring things," he whispered against the other's knuckles, "but you can ask me anything, you know that. And besides, it was a simple wild guess. I assumed your job isn't giving you a wage you can live off dearly. And say, Leo.." He licked over the knuckle and down to the finger tip. "Are you also a masochist?..." His tongue reached one of the wounds the glass had caused and put saliva on it.

 

And there it was again. This smirk.

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

"Liar." Leo grinned, pushing against Chiaki a bit more. He really did think Chiaki was just jealous of Oliver. Maybe a part of him was trying to make him jealous. The more he thought about it, the better he realized how close he and Oliver had gotten. They bonded fairly quickly over their experience in the prison, and honestly, having the blond around was very nice. He was a good cook, too. Leo, on the other hand, was horrible at cooking. He would probably manage to burn water.

 

However, as Chiaki continued speaking, Leo's expression morphed from the playful and teasing one into a somewhat scared one. He actually flinched back as his wound was licked, pulling back slightly. "I-..." He stared at Chiaki, his eyebrows furrowing. "No... I wouldn't say I'm a masochist." He shook his head. Leo seemed rather oblivious to many things. He ran his hands through his hair, closing his eyes for a few moments, the hot water running down his body. "Perhaps a sadist, though even that's just barely." He added after a while, opening one eye to peek at Chiaki. He just imagined that craze, right? Maybe he hadn't gotten enough sleep.

[♠[Rin]♠]

"Ah, what a shame," Chiaki chuckled and let go of the other's hand, before he crossed his arms loosely and tilted his head lightly. The smirk decreased and became an expressionless smile. But his eyes said something different. He liked having Leo with him, he really did. Though..

 

"Come on, we should not waste our time now. We can do that later, too," the raven said. "Not that you really end up late. Don't you think so?"

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Leo managed a smile, shaking off the odd feeling before grabbing a sponge with his left hand. "You've got a point." He replied, beginning to wash himself, then Chiaki. He made sure to get rid of any remnants of the cum from last night, and didn't hold himself back from giving the other several more marks and countless kisses over his body throughout the washing. Once they were both done, Leo stepped out of the shower, grabbing whatever towel that was in his reach to dry off. "Can you re-bandage my hand?" He asked, looking over at Chiaki while wrapping the towel around his waist. It wasn't that he was shy, certainly not, it was just a habit of his. Probably because of Oliver living with him these days.

[♠[Rin]♠]

After they were done, Chiaki dried himself and took the fluffy black bathrobe from the left table to put it on. Closing it with the belt tightly around his waist, he glanced at Leo. "Sure." The raven answered and stepped to the dresser, whose first drawer he opened and fished out bandages. It looked like this apartment certainly held many secrets.

 

Chiaki vetted the other's hand and then stretched his limbs, cringing. He had forgotten that his body was aching at certain spots... Probably karma.

 

"Are you sure you're gonna make it in time?" He asked then. "Did you get a driving license before going to prison?" Offering Leo a car wasn't a problem at all, after all. Even if he was insane to a very obvious degree and showed no sign of scruple, he cared for Leo's life on every level. Hell, what had he let Oliver survive for, after all?

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Leo watched as the other took care of his hand, staying quiet throughout the process. It was probably the smart thing to do, he didn't want for Chiaki to do something bad on purpose because Leo said something stupid. "Thanks, babe." He muttered when it was done, moving to lightly peck his lips. He adored physical affection, he really did. It didn't even have to be intimate. Oliver and he often spent time close to one another, near cuddling, actually.

 

"The only license I have is one that allows me to drive a motorcycle. I should probably check if it's still good, though. I'll make it, though, don't worry." Leo couldn't fight back the smile that stretched across his face. Wrapping an arm around his waist, the man pressed a deeper kiss to his lips, gently tugging him closer. "Now clothes are an entirely different subject. Would you happen to have anything my size? I mean, I can wear the same thing, but it'd be nice to at least have a fresh pair of underwear." He chuckled after the kiss ended, gently reaching up to tuck some hair behind Chiaki's ear. He felt stupidly in love.

[♠[Rin]♠]

Time passed. Weeks flew by like nothing and their relationship seemed even stable. Though, the moment one of them left this apartment, they were strangers. It was easy due to the fact that their jobs had nothing in common at all. Chiaki would always stay in his apartment and go out during the night, while Leo was mostly at the other end of the city and came home when Chiaki usually left.

 

And tonight, it was a lonely. The apartment was empty, ruled by silence and the two computer screens where the only source of light in the giant room. Behind Chiaki, the lights of the city were visible through the panorama windows, causing a dramatic atmosphere in the dark the city was drowned in.

In fact, Chiaki had not planned on researching anything tonight but there was this one sudden information he got. It was easy to contact him and he was in touch with so many dangerous and informative people that it was almost impossible for him to not notice it before the media.

 

An accident on the streets. A motorcycle with a certain number, right next to the owner's corpse.

 

His heart pounded.

 

Someone had found out.

 

His hands were still for a moment, while his heart's beat almost broke his chest. No. Stupid. If it were because of Chiaki, they wouldn't have just killed him, especially without a note. There was something wrong.

Instantly, his fingers rushed over the keyboards. He would find the responsible one and he would make sure of their misery.

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Leo's mood got better and better as time went on. He spent some nights with Chiaki, others with Oliver, depending on what the latter wanted. He needed to be there for the blond sometimes, especially nights when his nightmares would be worse. He would've asked for him to just move in with him and Chiaki, but he doubted his lover would like that too much.

 

That night he was driving back home, this time to Oliver. He promised he would be back, they had a few movies they wanted to see. Their relationship was nice, too. With Chiaki he had a more physical love, while with Oliver it was emotional, though still just platonic. It was one of those nights where he stupidly decided not to wear a helmet, because it was a short road. It was a mistake, obviously. He didn't pay enough attention to his surroundings. A car just came out of nowhere, he wasn't even sure if the lights were on, but one moment he was riding on his bike, the other he was flying through air, his back hitting a near-by lamp street, head slamming down against the concrete. He stayed alive, but barely. God only knew what would happen if he didn't get medical attention quickly... Which he wouldn't get. His body was dragged off, replaced by someone who looked exactly like him. The people who carried him weren't careful at all. He woke up several times in excruciating pain, though at one point he just couldn't feel his legs at all. His head was pounding, his shoulder was definitely dislocated, his arm was broken, several of his ribs as well, along with internal bleeding. It was entirely possible he had a concussion as well. He was bound to die, though at his state, he probably would've preferred death over the pain that hit him over and over again with each passing second.

[♠[Rin]♠]

While Chiaki was literally pressing any information out of everyone he could find, the torture Leo had to go through wasn't over. As if his injuries weren't deadly enough, he was syringed a drug to keep his muscles tense and his mind somewhat awake. Even if he couldn't move. The room around him was made of a fabric that felt like cold stone or concrete. He was heaved onto a table which seemed to consist of cool steel. His legs and arms were pinned down by strong chains, not that he could gather the strength to actually do anything besides his blurred sight.

 

Yes, he may not see or hear, but he felt. The scalpels made their way through his flesh, fingers pushed into the wounds and scratched the insides of his body. Burning disinfectant was poured over the wounds several times. Needles found their way through the reddened skin around the wounds and dragged a sharp suture through to press the ends of the wounds together, without any tenderness.

 

Who knew how long this lasted? Time passed by, on the one side it was quickly over, but on the other it became colder and only the drug seemed to be what was even keeping the poor man alive right now. It seemed so surreal that the body wouldn't grow numb because of the pain.

 

After some time, Leo was shoved off the table and landed on the concrete floor. He was subsequently moved to something like a corner where only more hurtful treatment would await him. Something hit him, not a rod or a whip but it smelt heavily like expensive leather. A boot?

Against the injuries, his broken arm, the sewed wounds — even his eye wasn't being left alone. Two gross fingers even pushed open his jaw and pulled on the tongue, let go after a while though.

"Wasn't he someone from the prison that Chiaki blew up?"

"Could be."

"I wonder what that bitch will do now."

"Don't worry, this will end for our benefit."

 

The voices seemed near and yet sounded like they were far away. Though, someone — if not God — had mercy with the poor half-dead man. Steps resounded through the room until the loud crash of a door and a heavy lock were heard. Then silence. Darkness.

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

The feeling of a needle pressing into his skin alone was enough to freak Leo out. It couldn't compare to what he felt when the torture began. His screams never ended, even with a gag pushed into his mouth. He could feel tears rolling down his cheeks, his whole body shaking. Why was he still alive? He just wanted to die. He didn't want to suffer anymore. Leo was barely alive. If he could, he would've begged to be killed, but he couldn't get a single word out. The drug that was flowing through his veins made him feel everything, including his desperately beating heart.

 

His body hit the ground at some point, and for a moment, Leo actually was happy - maybe he would finally die, but no. Instead, he was just beaten up some more. He tried to open his eyes, but whenever he thought he did, he couldn't see a thing. They burned. Maybe something had gotten in them. A low whimper came from the back of his throat as his tongue was pulled on, his body shivering, wounds still bleeding through the horrid stitches. He couldn't make out any words at all, but the silence went through his head like a painful, hot knife. Then - nothing. Did it finally end? Leo lay on the cold ground, tears continuing to roll down from his blinded eyes, the gag long gone from his mouth with saliva dripping down onto the ground. His limbs were in the most unnatural positions possible, his spine arched out just a little bit too much. He was on the brink of death. He begged for someone to come and just slice a knife over his throat, just to end it all. He was done.

 

Leo began slipping out of consciousness, the pain beginning to numb away. God, that really did feel blissful. Somehow, he always knew he would end up dying alone. Might as well embrace it.

[♠[Rin]♠]

It wasn't even clear if only hours or even days passed by. If anything, then it was just the conciousness that might return here and there. After all, his body would seek for food and water. Hell, if he didn't die due to infections, then it was because of hunger or thirst.

 

Steps could be here a few times in a while, though it might be unclear if it were only hallucinations or if it was reality. Everything could only be described as a blur. Was even fresh oxygen in this room? The concrete he was lying on didn't do his limbs and injuries any good as well. If he tried to move, the cold material would only rub against his wounds which were not even securely sewed.

 

And yet his well-built body wouldn't let him die this easily. Even without treatment or energy bringing food, his muscles were able to produce warmth, would offer quick recovery and fight any bacteria to prevent infections.

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Leo genuinely, honestly tried to bring himself to the point of death somehow. At one point he was lifted up, and that was where he finally slipped away. The next time he woke up, he was greeted with bright lights and excruciating pain once more. It didn't take long for him to slip back into unconsciousness again, presumably thanks to a bigger dose of morphine. His injuries were extensive, he went through several surgeries - some to fix his spine, others to take care of his internal bleeding and wounds, one to take care of his shoulder and arm, as well as his ribs. He was messed up.

 

It took him a week at the very least to fully wake up. His eyes opened groggily, but he didn't see anything. He was blind. This couldn't be happening. There were too many goddamn tubes connected to his body. The one leading into his stomach was probably feeding him... He felt so weak, his body was still on fire. He looked around a bit desperately, though he couldn't find any source of light. His heartbeat picking up until a nurse finally came to check on him, to calm him down. In the span of a few hours, most of the tubes were removed from his body. He couldn't move at all. His shoulder hurt, his arm was broken and both of his legs were absolutely numb. He couldn't count how many times he ended up breaking down. He was a mess, both in the physical and emotional way.

[♠[Rin]♠]

While Leo was probably still unsure as to where exactly he was and what exactly had happened, Chiaki was — after a few days — finally on his way to the hospital. He had chosen it himself and would support Leo's medical insurance if needed.

He entered the giant building and asked a nurse for the right room. Up in the second level he was led into the room number 752.

"Mr Aerly, a visitor is here for you," she said carefully and left right away. Chiaki closed the door carefully and walked up to the bed of his lover. He didn't assume that Leo wouldn't recognize his way of walking but who knew? He was in a really bad state.

 

"..hey." To be honest, Chiaki wasn't good at this, not at all. "It would be stupid to ask how you are. I'd rather like to know: Is it bearable?" He lowered a hand to lay on Leo's.

 

...yes, he was still bad at things like this.

 

The bag he was carrying in his other hand, he placed onto the night-stand next to the bed. "I've brought a few things for you and everything regarding your job is also settled. So you don't have to worry." Was he even saying the right things? Was this good? Would it upset his lover? Did they sound empathic enough? Was it fine?

God damn it.

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Leo hadn't spoken a single word during his stay at the hospital. Perhaps it was the shock, or maybe he just didn't have anything to say. The only sounds that seemed to leave his mouth were either broken sobs or simply sounds of pain. Every time he heard a nurse come up, in his head he begged for a fatal dose of morphine. It would be so simple. He could just float away and never come back. He couldn't do anything by himself. He looked like a mannequin, rather than an actual human being on the bed. He barely even moved.

 

Visitor? He didn't want anyone. At least, he thought so, until the voice greeted him. A couple of tears slowly slid down his cheeks, even if his eyes were closed tightly. His fingers twitched at the feeling of a warm hand laid upon them, his lips parting with a shaky exhale. He tried to form some kind of words, for the first time he really tried, but he just couldn't. Nothing came out. His head leaned back against the pillow, seeming as if the man had given up entirely. His eyelashes fluttered, revealing his eyes, which didn't seem to be focused on anything at all. He moved his hand slightly, trying to get Chiaki to take it into his own. Leo couldn't stop the tears which kept rolling down his cheeks. He didn't deserve this. He was trying to be a good person, why would this happen to him?

 

A nurse opened the door, quietly stepping inside. "He hasn't been speaking at all. We're still giving him doses of morphine to help with his pain." She spoke quietly, her voice soft, soothing. It was heartbreaking to see such a strong man in such a state. Leo didn't seem like himself at all. His lower lip was trembling, his body only in a sitting position because of the many pillows supporting his weight.

[♠[Rin]♠]

Chiaki took the bigger hand into his own, holding it with both hands. An undefined sparkle flashed up when he saw his lover's unfocused eyes. Blindness. Who knew if it was permanent? He was even shedding tears. They had broken him.

 

Broken.

 

While the nurse spoke, together with the view he got, a heavy tension appeared in his chest. Though, his poker-face remained. He may be a psycho but he had never claimed to be mentally healthy himself. Leo was nearly the complete opposite.

Chiaki looked over his shoulder with a faked smile. "I see. Thank you for the information. Can I have some time alone with him?" He waited until the nurse left, before his smile faded again. He glanced back at Leo who seemed to have given up speaking.

 

With his thumb, Chiaki stroked over the back of Leo's hand. He wasn't really sad but extremely angry, even if it was hard to see. Slowly, the raven leaned down and left a kiss on Leo's cheek. "I will make them pay," his husky voice whispered, his hot breath hitting Leo's skin. There was an undertone present in his voice even deadlier than the one back then before Diablo's death. Oh yes, he was furious.

He leaned up again. "Don't worry about anything. A phone's in this bag as well. You can call Oliver whenever you want, I'm sure he'll be delighted." The raven knew how much his boyfriend detested what he did, so Oliver was the perfect replacement for his support, at least for now, because he would probably be hella busy with the ones responsible for this.

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Broken was the perfect word to use for Leo. His bones and his mind were all broken. His bones could be fixed, but his mind? That was an entirely different subject. He'd never fallen this low. He had no idea how to get back up from such a blow. He couldn't speak nor see, that only made the situation worse. His wish for death wasn't gone just yet.

 

Leo squeezed Chiaki's hand when he began talking, his eyes moving to various directions as if trying to find Chiaki. Obviously, he couldn't. He could make out which side the voice was coming from, but nothing more than that. The man turned his head when he felt lips pressing against his cheek. His lips parted again, exhaling quietly. "K-..." A soft whisper. "K... Kill me..." He whispered, though barely audible. His plea was desperate, and finally voiced out loud. The fact that these were the first words he chose to say probably showed a lot about his mental health. He held onto Chiaki's hand as tightly as he could, although the other could've easily removed his hand. Leo was weak. His hands were cold, although most of the time they were warm, almost hot.

 

Leo slowly turned his head back, the back of his head pressed against the pillow. The tears didn't seem to ever stop. He didn't even care about them anymore, he couldn't bring himself to care about anything at all. Not even Chiaki, and how many people he would end up killing now. Well... He would only care if one of those people would be him. Chiaki could do that for him, right? End his suffering... It wouldn't be hard.

[♠[Rin]♠]

That didn't ease the situation at all. It wasn't like Chiaki felt betrayed or anything like that, it was more that he had found this man and now he was someone else. No, something else. A weak, small ball of self-pity.

Leo was blind, that was why he couldn't see it coming, but the palm met his cheek soon anyway. It wasn't a firm slap, given that Chiaki didn't have much strength in his arms anyway and he knew that his was fighting other pain as well. "I have nothing against suicide. But asking someone to kill oneself is pathetic. If you kill yourself, fine, but next time you ask someone to do it for you, consider what they have done for your living."

 

The raven pulled his hand away from the other's grip and turned on his heel. "Get well soon." He didn't plan to leave any regrets or the like for Leo, but simply make him understand that he was completely out of his mind, even if it was of no matter anymore anyway.

 

It wasn't Leo's fault in the first place but it was his fault for not fighting his depression. That Chiaki noted. And if love and care didn't work, then he would just make Leo hate him. Hatred was also a reason to live for.

 

And with that thought in mind, he exited and closed the door behind himself.

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

That was certainly unexpected. Leo thought for a moment that he just imagined it, but the pain on his cheek was very real. He felt betrayed. He was on the brink of death, and this asshole decided to slap him? Oh, the anger began building up soon. He gritted his teeth, the tears slowly drying off. At least Chiaki succeeded in bringing back his will to live. The reason could've been better, however. Right now he wanted to live just to get back at Chiaki. That piece of shit.

 

Leo was getting better. Slowly, but steadily, his state was improving. He forced himself to speak, even if he still couldn't see. The man tried to do whatever was told for him to do, but he still didn't feel his legs. That is, not until the last surgery. It was like a miracle. Leo didn't even realize that he was actually feeling something in his legs. Soon after that he also began regaining his sight. At first it was just strong sources of light that made some difference, then, bit by bit, he began to see blurred out shapes, different colors... It was progress. A little bit over a month later, he could see like a person who needed really strong glasses. Meaning, he could finally look in the bag.

 

Well, he intended to do that, but instead he was told he had a visitor. He was ready to yell, to curse out the person who stepped in, except... For a moment blond hair blurred through his eyes, then someone was hugging him. Oliver. Leo's lips stretched out into a small smile, his arms slowly moving to wrap around the body against his own. He had his casts removed, but he still couldn't move a lot, mainly because his spine was still pretty fragile. "I missed seeing you." Leo murmured, slowly moving his hand over the blond hair. This used to happen a lot. He really missed it... He missed feeling something good rather than the burning rage with accompanied him throughout his days, no matter what he did.

[♠[Rin]♠]

Hatred was stronger than love. True, love was a biological addiction, but hatred was connected with fear and anger, with those two strongest emotions.

 

Oliver had been informed quite late and he had of course carefully waited for a day like this. He had worked hard, even bought a present which would wait at home in their little apartment for Leo's return. He really hoped that Leo would like it!

"I missed you so much, too! You can't imagine how cold our apartment has gotten without you!" Hell, even if he was the visitor, he almost cried, or at least it sounded like it. A soon as the embrace slowly opened, Oliver heartily smiled at his dear friend. He was and would probably always be in love with this guy; he appreciated their friendship really, really much.

"You look good. If you ever need anything to feel better, you know, call me! I'll get you anything," Oliver promised. His voice was so cheerfully loud that it was audible through the door.

 

Chiaki heard it. A silent sigh passed his lips, though it was almost a mix between sorrow and delight. After all, Leo had gotten way better and out of depression very quickly after what had happened. On the other side, though, Oliver had always been this one thing between them... Not for Leo, obviously, but Chiaki found him annoying. He was not jealous, he had never been, but he had also never talked to Leo about his feelings towards the duo. It could not be described as jealousy but maybe as... envy? Oliver had something he hadn't; a stable relationship to someone he adored, adorned with laughters and smiles. In his job, Chiaki was used to smirking and destroying, such a "friendship" like thing just hadn't ever really existed. Only one or two times. Oh well, those people were now dead. Leo shouldn't pay his life as price.

 

Chiaki knocked at the door and Oliver's voice lost its loud attitude. Noticing that they were waiting for what would come, since Chiaki hadn't told a nurse he was here, the raven just turned the door knob and opened the door to enter. He could feel the atmosphere which was against him in the first second already. Though there was this small sign of light..

 

Oliver smiled. He smiled at him, he was even more cheerful now. How was this guy even still alive? Chiaki really wondered at some point.

"Chiaki! I thought were dead, oh my God!" the blond said, obviously unsure as to whether he should hug the smaller one too or not. "What have you been up to? I haven't seen you ever since the accident in the prison!"

Chiaki's right eye twitched a little. He didn't want Leo to know, to be honest. Leo was prideful. He probably didn't even want to know that Chiaki was the one responsible for half of his living.

 

"...yeah, nice to see you." At least he guessed so. Then his eyes moved over to Leo. His hand on the door knob tightened and that tension in his chest area returned. But hey.. his lover looked much better and vivid. He had succeeded — right?

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Leo could never feel anything but happy when Oliver was around. His lips stayed in a smile, lightly gripping the younger's hand. "Obviously, you're still as skinny as before. I always have to warm you up, don't I?" Leo let out a weak chuckle, gently running his thumb over his knuckles. He didn't mind the loudness at all. "Take care of yourself first." He said, quietly, but firmly. The man's eyes wandered for a bit before settling where he thought Oliver's face was. He may have not been looking into his eyes, but at least he could see something.

 

The doorknob turned, and so did Leo's head. Now, the person he saw come in didn't bring him any more joy. "Fuck do you want here?" He spat out, pulling Oliver closer to himself. His anger, or rather, hatred, could be seen, heard and even felt. The atmosphere in the room turned cold very quickly. "Don't you have some organisation to run? I bet you have more important shit to attend to than me." He near growled, his eyes narrowing into slits. Hell, if he could move properly, he would probably try to kill Chiaki for real this time. "Do you know how fucking messed up I was? What the fuck is wrong with you? Why the fuck would you think that slapping me was a good choice?! Are you fucking insane?" His voice got louder and louder with each word. Underneath all that anger he was almost relieved to see Chiaki again, but he felt betrayed. He was left alone in his most vulnerable moment. How could he ever trust him again after this?

[♠[Rin]♠]

Chiaki felt the tension in his chest increasing. If he were a normal human being, he would have already started crying, but it was actually hard for him to shed a tear. Normal? Not at all. Maybe he just needed this kind of attention. It could really be worse, after all Leo could also just ignore him, right?

 

The raven closed the door behind him. "You are talking, smiling and shouting. That is a very outstanding improvement and also impressive." He advanced two steps but then stay where he was. Oliver on the other side was confused. Though, he didn't dare to really say a word when Leo was angry. It was scary.

 

"I came here to see you, since you improved so much regarding your physical and mental state. I'm ... proud of you." How hard was it to say something nice to the person one loved? Seriously! "And... well, how to say?" Chiaki crossed his arms, like always when he was a little insecure. "I thought we could talk. I actually would prefer a talk without Oliver around." They shouldn't destroy the blond's happiness.

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Leo's smile was long gone. He scoffed, his arm tightly around Oliver. "Too bad you didn't stick around while I couldn't do shit on my own." He growled, clearly blaming Chiaki. The man looked like he was about to lunge at the younger when he stepped closer. If he had fangs, they'd be showing well enough right now.

 

"You don't get to say shit like that. You didn't do shit." He spat out, but... He did want to talk to him. Or, well, yell at him. Looking over at Oliver, he reached up, lightly running his fingers over his hair. "I'm sorry. Could you?.." He asked quietly, and soon enough he was left alone with Chiaki. What were they by now? Ex-lovers? Enemies? Who knew.

 

"Listen up." Leo spoke, his voice scarily calm. "I was an absolute mess. You know what I needed then? You. Were you there? No. You left me. Alone. Suffering. If I could, I would kill you right now. Not quickly, though. No. I'd make you suffer, like they made me. I'd break your spine. Your arm. Hell, I'd tear your arm off your fucking body. I'd stab your eyes out." He growled, anger beginning to bubble inside, threatening to spill out. "I'd leave you alone in the dark, waiting for something to happen... And then I'd finally finish you off. And you know what? You would probably still feel less pain than I did. Because you wouldn't be betrayed by me when you needed it most. Because I would actually do the fucking job right." Leo was nearly shaking with anger. He didn't ever hate anyone like this.

[♠[Rin]♠]

Chiaki stayed calm even if inside he was drowning in his own feelings. "When I was here to check on you and, as you call it, 'be there for you', you weren't yourself. You were depressed. You didn't bat an eye at the smallest thing. Just standing there and holding your hand while you waited for death to catch you would have never brought you back to life. You neither reacted to the therapists nor to the doctors nor to the nurses. You not even reacted to yourself. You were broken so you needed something to do that would catch your interest. You can see it as a betrayal but you cannot deny that you made it out of depression." He was about to add something, but then seemed to just swallow it. His voice grew softer. "I was there, actually, waiting for results, and when I was informed that your sight became better, I came to see you on the next opportunity."

 

A slight shrug. "I can not endure the thought of seeing you dead. Neither physically nor emotionally so I... I turned your love to ... hate." He sighed. "It sounds stupid. But I did this because.. because, you know. Because I.. and we..." He lifted a hand, pointing to Leo and then to himself. "We... uhm." His hand lowered and he rubbed over his upper arm. "I did it because I love you. And I can, like you once said, afford anything and everything, but I cannot mentally afford losing you in such a way. I rather run away from you in the fear of being killed than going to your funeral. I am the one responsible in the first place; if we hadn't met in the prison, you wouldn't have ever started this prison-relationship with me and because I am at guilt, I will be the one fixing it. I'm here to help you and I am not leaving until this is discussed. And besides.. something even more important."

 

He lowered his arms to the sides and silently exhaled. "Don't think I don't know what I have done. I did it and I want to apologize. I don't think you will forgive me but still, I'm sorry that I let you suffer this much. I'm sorry that I slapped you. I am sorry that I said those hurtful words. I am sorry that you got kidnapped because of my existence. I am sorry that I did leave you alone four weeks ago. I'm sorry I fell in love with you. I am sorry that you met me." Not that Oliver would have come but oh well. The raven assumed it was better to keep that blonde idiot out of this.

 

He fought with the tears in the corner's of his eyes, trying to keep his voice normal and not muffled. "I'm sorry I influenced your life so much that you got hurt. I am sorry that I never talked to you about my feelings. I am sorry and this is no sarcasm. I felt delighted around you and your happy attitude and your vividness. You made it feel like society isn't as rotten as it used to be. That means much to me and I am so happy to see you again that I would embrace you but since you'd dislike it, I won't."

 

Embrace like that Oliver did. Smile like that Oliver did. Laugh like he did.

 

Hell, he had done nothing to help in the end!

 

Chiaki reached up and wiped over the corner of his right eye. Useless. Oliver was another rank.