[ He's still trembling after that outburst (carefully calculated with the right amount of trauma, of hysteria, and so flawlessly pulled off) and shaken. Byakuran is pale, too, the air of someone forced to relive something they want so badly to forget.
His fingers clench, unclench, and he doesn't respond for a moment. Even if months have passed and Byakuran had gained a healthier glow as well as an incurable sweet tooth, he's regressed during the past few weeks. Not eating, not allowing anyone else near him during the interrogations.
There's a panicked light in his eyes that hasn't completely gone, and he's skittish when Kakashi leads him away. ]
[ Kakashi nods, rubbing slow, comforting circles against Byakuran's back as they descend down the steps, back toward the bustling heart of the village. ]
I know, Byakuran.
[ And he does believe him, of course, to an extent, as much as he can possibly believe anyone. Occasionally, there's small, unsettling flashes of something else, a small alarm that sounds in the back of Kakashi's head, telling him something isn't entirely right, but --
He writes that off as paranoia. He's a paranoid person by nature. It's been instilled in him since childhood. And Kakashi has to believe that he's spent enough time carefully, carefully watching Byakuran, the way he talks, the way he moves, to know whether or not he's being deceived.
He has to. And there's no way he could be lying. Logically.
Kakashi's fingers curl against his back, and he smiles down at the teen drawn close to his side. ]
[ Byakuran doesn't move away from him, clings to him like a drowning man to a life raft - and that's the problem, isn't it? That this is not a man - a boy barely out of his teens.
He doesn't return the smile, his gaze distant and faraway, as if reliving a certain memory or two. It takes a lot of effort to fool someone as brilliant as Kakashi is, so many sacrifices to make, so many things to do and to be aware of, but Byakuran does them all anyway.
He needs Kakashi, needs him by his side - and no pain he has to inflict on himself, no act he has to fake is too much even for him. He makes a soft noise under his breath, as if he's trying to calm himself down. He doesn't let anyone else brush against him, plastered firmly against Kakashi's side and eying the crowd with no small amount of distrust. ]
[ Kakashi is stressed, too. Probably not near as stressed as he believes Byakuran to be, but having the council constantly on his ass gets really exhausting, really tiring. He can't give them answers when he doesn't have them either.
Still, there's nothing else for it.
Kakashi snakes his arm around Byakuran fully, letting out a soft breath between his teeth as they move through the village streets, past the crowds of people. It's about a five minute walk back to his house, and he arrives as briskly as he can, only then peeling himself away from Byakuran to open the door. ]
Comments 59
His fingers clench, unclench, and he doesn't respond for a moment. Even if months have passed and Byakuran had gained a healthier glow as well as an incurable sweet tooth, he's regressed during the past few weeks. Not eating, not allowing anyone else near him during the interrogations.
There's a panicked light in his eyes that hasn't completely gone, and he's skittish when Kakashi leads him away. ]
I don't remember. I don't remember anything.
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I know, Byakuran.
[ And he does believe him, of course, to an extent, as much as he can possibly believe anyone. Occasionally, there's small, unsettling flashes of something else, a small alarm that sounds in the back of Kakashi's head, telling him something isn't entirely right, but --
He writes that off as paranoia. He's a paranoid person by nature. It's been instilled in him since childhood. And Kakashi has to believe that he's spent enough time carefully, carefully watching Byakuran, the way he talks, the way he moves, to know whether or not he's being deceived.
He has to. And there's no way he could be lying. Logically.
Kakashi's fingers curl against his back, and he smiles down at the teen drawn close to his side. ]
We'll go home now.
Reply
He doesn't return the smile, his gaze distant and faraway, as if reliving a certain memory or two. It takes a lot of effort to fool someone as brilliant as Kakashi is, so many sacrifices to make, so many things to do and to be aware of, but Byakuran does them all anyway.
He needs Kakashi, needs him by his side - and no pain he has to inflict on himself, no act he has to fake is too much even for him. He makes a soft noise under his breath, as if he's trying to calm himself down. He doesn't let anyone else brush against him, plastered firmly against Kakashi's side and eying the crowd with no small amount of distrust. ]
...All right.
Reply
Still, there's nothing else for it.
Kakashi snakes his arm around Byakuran fully, letting out a soft breath between his teeth as they move through the village streets, past the crowds of people. It's about a five minute walk back to his house, and he arrives as briskly as he can, only then peeling himself away from Byakuran to open the door. ]
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