[Multi-chapter] Oretachi no chikara (9/??)
Title: Oretachi no chikara (Our power)
Authors: tsuchi8562
Beta & Plot Bunny: yuuki_saya Thanks
Pairing: SakurAiba, Mori, Ohno
Genre: Fantasy, AU, Romance
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: We don't own them. Not that we don't want to though...
*MASTERPOST*
Hot. This was the only word that could come into his mind; he didn’t mean the temperature in the room, although the fire was still burning, but the feelings he had. Aiba sat, without opening his eyes, facing the fireplace and just then he dared to look at the room.
The events that had happened in the night made him think about many things at once. First of all, he started to feel something more than usual friendship to the man that was sleeping next to him. It was love, or more just a strong crush, but definitely he was certain of his feelings. He knew Sakurai for over a month; they had spent lot of time together, helping each other survive in this forest. Could he confuse love with gratitude? It was possible, but he knew himself too well to think that way. Masaki never was grateful to anybody for anything to that level to go to bed with him or her; you may say that he expressed his thankfulness in quite opposite way: without touching, but with huge respect. His father was always telling him: ‘Don’t let people to use your indebtedness for their own purposes.’ From that reason he could distinguish his own emotions very well; that’s why he was sure that he is slowly falling in love with Sho. This wasn’t his first time with a man; he was once in love, but the person he gave his heart and body to betrayed him for some batteries… He was heartbroken and if not his friends probably he would still cry in the corner of his room. It was sad and painful memory, so he shook his head to get rid of the image that stuck in his mind.
Masaki sighed quietly and decided to wash away the evidence of their love making. He went to the makeshift bathroom (small room with big basin) and quickly laved himself in cold water. He thought that this is some kind of redemption of the sinful things he had did last night, but it was so funny that all he could do was to laugh. After that refreshing and stimulating bath he came back to find Sakurai, still sleeping with a face of an angel. Yes, he started to love that man; still with a little fear of treason and the fact that they belonged to different worlds, but he didn’t care about that. The eternity was waiting for the two of them; eternity in this hut, so he had no complains.
“Rise and shine! It’s morning already!” Aiba said with smile in his voice, but there was no reaction. “Hello~! Can you hear me? Wake up! Sho-kun…?” He came closer and noticed that there was clearly something wrong. The older man was trembling almost unnoticeably and he was extremely pale. Few drops on sweat were slightly falling down his cheeks; the taller man touched Sakurai’s forehead to find it hot. Fever increased fast through the night, and the exertion definitely didn’t help either. To fulfill this scary picture Sho started to rave.
“Mama, make me a dinner…” The sick man whispered trying to sit. His absent eyes was running around the room, like as he was looking for something or somebody. Aiba’s heart froze from fear.
“No, Sho-kun… You should lie down…” Masaki pushed him gently and the President’s son obediently fell on the floor, falling asleep. Sakurai was breathing heavily, coughing from time to time and shivering. This didn’t look good; Aiba wasn’t able to cure him, not without any medications. His first thought ran to Ohno, but he was far away and the weather was still lethal. Trying to think straight he covered Sho with all the blankets he could find and drew a map on some piece of paper he found somewhere. The hut was quite far away from the poor district, but if he will plan his way good he could get there in half a day. Considering the snow, wind, coldness and the fact that he will carry the rich man the journey should take one day tops. This time they won’t have to wander around the forest, so Aiba should go back home quickly. The question was: should he expose Sakurai on the cold in that state? With high fever and that cough Sho could not survive this excursion, but Masaki didn’t have any choice. Sakurai won’t survive if he will stay here, so the risk could pay off. Without wasting time for thinking the poor man started to compose some provisional sledges and snowshoes for himself. Fortunately the hut seemed to belong to a hunter; Aiba found some warm skins and furs under the floor which he used as a pad and cover for the sick man. He wrapped himself in one of the remaining skin and he went out to check the weather. It was still snowing, but not that heavy as for the past few days; wind was also weaker and that gave Masaki hope. If he is able to get to his district he will save Sho. The journey was harder, because he had never walked the way he wanted to go right now, but he believed in his orientation. Placing Sakurai gently on the sledges and covering him up tightly (he even tied the skis to the frame) he finally attached the conveyance across his chest and went out, praying quietly.
It was more difficult than he thought; the older man fell out the sledges few times in soft, but cold snow, and Aiba was really scared that it worsened his state even more; the fever was still high and half-unconscious Sho tried to free himself once in a while, muttering something about his mother again. After few hours of walking Masaki decided to rest for a while; his chest was burning with every breath and he decided to eat some snow - the last thing he wanted was dehydration. Knowing how water is important during the sickness he took some snow in his mouth, warmed it up a bit and pour slowly between Sakurai’s lips. He repeated it few times, until he was sure that’s enough for now. Regarding the weariness he continued his ramble in falling snow and freezing wind that lashed him across his face heading home. Aiba tried not to lose hope and looked around every step, just not to lose the track… He wasn’t afraid about himself; it was Sho who was the most important now. Masaki could collapse on the doorstep of Ohno’s house, but not earlier! Probably that thought (or the fact that after few more hours he could see some unclear shapes of his district) gave him strength and he started to walk even faster, just to get home already.
“Please, Sho-kun… Hang on for a little while… Satoshi will save you, I am sure of that… Just a little more…” He whispered straight to the sick man’s ear during another stop and kissed his burned forehead; he repeated the trick with melted snow once again and took a deep breath. His lungs hurt a lot and he couldn’t feel his toes or fingers anymore.
Just few more steps… Few more… And he will be safe… A bit more… Come on, Masaki, you were in worse situations before! Actually he wasn’t, but with that little lie he tried to convince his exhausted body to move. Finally, after couple of hours that seemed to be ages he saw the smokes of his home town and well known buildings, but his legs became weak. He had suddenly knelt and couldn’t get up; his legs didn’t want to cooperate at all. Muttering “I’m sorry Sho-kun…” he fell in the snow. His own voice was the last thing he heard before the world became black and frighteningly silent.
***
Masaki woke up with pain in his feet and hands. He tried to look around, but then he suddenly remembered Sakurai.
“Sho-kun?!” He cried.
“Ohno-sensei is taking care of him, don’t worry.”
“Mori-san! Thank God! I came back…” Masaki couldn’t stop the tears from falling; he sobbed desperately, both from happiness and pain. His friend hugged him and tried to comfort him in silence, patting him on the back.
“It’ll be OK, you’ll see. Ohno-sensei is a genius. You should rest a bit. Here, drink this herbs, it’ll help you fall asleep.”
“But Sho-kun….”
“He’s unconscious, but he has really great care. Don’t worry; think about yourself for a change.” The younger man smiled and helped Aiba drink bitter medicine. After a while the taller man was sleeping peacefully and his neighbor went to the other room to help Satoshi.
“How is he?”
“He woke up and asked about that guy, but now he is sleeping again. I didn’t want to cause him more pain until you will take care of him. What about this one?” Mori pointed on the man that was lying on the bed.
“He has high fever, but he will be OK. Did you tell Masaki about the guards?”
“Not yet… He needs to rest, not worry about anything else. Besides he was away for so long, I don’t want him to run away again… Ohno-sensei, you should rest too. I’ll sit beside him.” The taller man touched Satoshi’s cheek and smiled. He owned this man his life and he would do a lot to him. The doctor shook his head, showed the medicines along with dosage and lie down on the couch.
Mori sat on the chair and closed his eyes for a while. Things between rich and poor district were strained, especially when the leader of the world outside the wall was accused of kidnapping the President’s son. The guard made excursions more often, not mentioning that even Ohno was taken to the City of the Lights to a proper interrogation. He didn’t know a thing, so they let him go fortunately (probably having in mind his father). Presumably Masaki will have to escape again, or even worse, the poor people will try to defend him and war will break out. Some small hand pulled Mori’s shirt so he opened eyes and saw little Ami-chan watching him carefully.
“Will he kill me?” she asked quietly pointing on the outsider.
“No, Ami-chan, he won’t kill you! Where did you get that from?”
“My father said that he will bring us death…” She squealed and hid behind the chair.
“Don’t worry, nobody will kill anyone here.” Man smiled. “What are you doing here?”
“My mummy sends some soup to Aiba-sama…” She showed green bowl with evaporating broth.
“Thank your mum, and now you should go home before it’ll get dark.”
The girl smiled when the man patted her on the head and ran out the building. The amnesiac sighed and went up to the bed to give the sick man another dose of medications. Because the man was unconscious the drugs were liquid, so Mori filled the syringe and slowly pour the antidote to Sho’s mouth. Then suddenly he saw some image in his mind, so quick that he couldn’t catch the details. He looked at the sick man’s face again and he took few steps back, hitting the bowl with the soup, smashing the dish in many pieces.
Gold… Silver… Fans… Wood… Lights… Splendor… A young man kneeling in front of somebody important; somebody who had power; somebody he loved… Secret… Touch… Pleasure, pain, love, hate… Porcelain lamp, delicate light, mirror… Face; his face, touched by somebody’s gentle and caring fingers… A voice calling his name with desire, but he can’t hear it… Repeat it, please! Where am I? Who am I?
TRAITOR!!!
No, don’t call me that! I didn’t do anything wrong…
RENEGADE!!!
No! It’s not my fault that I…
BANISH HIM! KILL HIM!
No, please… Don’t let them get me, master… I love you…
THREW HIM OUT!
No, please, no…
Darkness, pain, blood, betrayal…
“Mori? Are you OK?!” Ohno asked with a concern.
“Y-yes…” The taller man snorted with effort; he couldn’t breathe so Satoshi gave him some paper bag.
“Breathe slowly… In, out, in out. Better? What happened?”
“I remembered… I remembered my past…”