Rei Kurosawa (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
shuttersense) wrote2017-11-25 12:56 am
shuttersense) wrote2017-11-25 12:56 am
A fic for Chips and Valour (warning for self harm implications)
She hoped it wouldn't be the worse thing it could be. But what she came across when she found him....that bittersweet smile. The crimson sleeve. The pale shirt.
"Look. All red. I'm still me."
And that just about broke her heart. There was silence as she saw about his stripping his shirt; there was something that was frail, and unstable, making Walter compliant where normally he was bluster and quiet fire. Her skirts became a sacrifice for a bandage, and she tied them, before motioning for him to dress again.
"You need a healer." He opened his mouth to protest, the faintest of frowns on his brow. Still thrown off, still light headed from his activities, she came up close. It was a moment where- even in this dire of events- she realized that she had to look up to his face now, and felt miffed for it.
"You would do the same for me. We're family." She took his hand in her own. There came the wave of despair, the ache of loneliness. She battled it with determination and fire.
"And as senior family member, it is my duty to ensure you are taken care of and safe."
A flicker.
Old amusement in his eyes.
"I thought that was my job."
"It's mine even more then yours."
She told him, and took that as her cue to drag him from the cottage. Walter could have planted his feet, ensured that Rei couldn't take him anywhere. She knew that. He did too. It did not stop the wave of dread that started to build up, like bubbles of nausea in her stomach. She gritted her teeth, and tried to remember that this feeling was not her own.
"I thought we were going to Rose Cottage."
"Ah, yes. I know you've been staying there." She eyed him, a glint in her expression.
"I think there's going to be more play dates from now on. Maybe communal meals."
"Why?"
He didn't seem to understand. Rei stifled a sigh. It was a little like speaking to Hibari about flirting. Sometimes it took a few prods for him to get it.
"Why else? To spend more time with you. We've missed you. We've all missed you. And not just for the things you've done. You don't realize how empty it is without having you with us." Her voice softened. "After all, we're family now, aren't we?"
The stunned look in his eye told her enough. She didn't need the ripple of shock and emotion to know that Walter, for whatever reason, didn't think he'd be missed.
Wasn't wanted.
Wasn't loved.
Of course Walter was, and would always be loved. It was never conditional. She didn't want to know right then what the reason was for his lack of insight. Instead, she dragged him inside, where she knew Kaito was. Tanny wasn't, but for now, it was the best. One wound to heal between them, and no one to duck behind.
"Kid, I have someone who needs your help." She raised her voice, and the slightly parted curtain opened to reveal Kaito's blue eyes.
"Yes what do you...." His eyes widened when he saw Walter. For a few moments he ducked behind his curtain, before he peeked out again.
"That's- is he bleeding?"
"Badly." Rei's voice was bland. She could feel Walter wanting to go now, but she was determined to hang on. If he tried to get her to let go or bolt, she would swoon on him. She swore it. She would swoon and play act all the pain before she had him pinned under a barrier. AND she would sit on him.
"He needs help." A pause as she stared up at Kaito. Predictably, as whenever she had the look on her face, he started to squirm, uncomfortable. She didn't care. She'd sit on him too if she had to.
"He needs your help, Kid. There's only so much I can do here."
She let Walter go, and moved to stand in front of the door, murmuring and flicking her fingers for a light barrier arte. It went over the door, so that even if either got past her, she'd at least have that in the way. She folded her arms under her chest and stared at them both. The looks they were giving her...they looked more like lost puppies, ready to whine, rather then dangerous individuals in their own right.
"But I can stay here. And the more that both of you delay, the more we all will suffer. We've been suffering with both of you like this."
There were flinches, winces, eyes going to the floor. Rei waited. She was tempted to goad Kaito on a little more, make sure that he would leave- maybe ask for help from the wolves or the glass creatures, or a push of fonons-but Kaito sighed, coming out, and jumped down from the loft, his feet lightly thumping against the floor.
For a few moments more there was awkward silence, before Kid tentatively came closer.
"You....you um, you left some of your shirts."
"I know." Walter's eyes were lowered to the floor.
"I'll get you one of them. The clean one anyway." Kaito glanced away, pink blooming on his cheeks.
"I've been using them as nightshirts." The confession came at a mutter, and he peeked up again, seeming shy. Walter's eyes had lifted from the floor, but his expression was withdrawn. Uncertain.
"I...suppose with their size, it's good. Long enough."
"No....no." Kaito licked his lips, his hand hovering. Still uncertain, still shy. "I wore them because they were yours."
Walter's eyes widened. The hope in them were almost painful as Kaito gathered seventh fonons to heal Walter's hurts. Maybe more then just the ones on the skin.
"Kaito....?" Walter sounded more like his age. Uncertain. Lost.The thief's voice lowered to a whisper.
"Je t'aime."
Walter's voice caught in his throat as he laughed. "...do you mean it?"
"Always."
There was a silence as Walter gingerly- expecting the hurt, the fear, the flinch-reached for Kaito. His hand gently overlaid Kaito's own as he started to sing the hymn to make Walter whole. To make two halves one whole piece again.
"Oui. Je t'aime."
"Look. All red. I'm still me."
And that just about broke her heart. There was silence as she saw about his stripping his shirt; there was something that was frail, and unstable, making Walter compliant where normally he was bluster and quiet fire. Her skirts became a sacrifice for a bandage, and she tied them, before motioning for him to dress again.
"You need a healer." He opened his mouth to protest, the faintest of frowns on his brow. Still thrown off, still light headed from his activities, she came up close. It was a moment where- even in this dire of events- she realized that she had to look up to his face now, and felt miffed for it.
"You would do the same for me. We're family." She took his hand in her own. There came the wave of despair, the ache of loneliness. She battled it with determination and fire.
"And as senior family member, it is my duty to ensure you are taken care of and safe."
A flicker.
Old amusement in his eyes.
"I thought that was my job."
"It's mine even more then yours."
She told him, and took that as her cue to drag him from the cottage. Walter could have planted his feet, ensured that Rei couldn't take him anywhere. She knew that. He did too. It did not stop the wave of dread that started to build up, like bubbles of nausea in her stomach. She gritted her teeth, and tried to remember that this feeling was not her own.
"I thought we were going to Rose Cottage."
"Ah, yes. I know you've been staying there." She eyed him, a glint in her expression.
"I think there's going to be more play dates from now on. Maybe communal meals."
"Why?"
He didn't seem to understand. Rei stifled a sigh. It was a little like speaking to Hibari about flirting. Sometimes it took a few prods for him to get it.
"Why else? To spend more time with you. We've missed you. We've all missed you. And not just for the things you've done. You don't realize how empty it is without having you with us." Her voice softened. "After all, we're family now, aren't we?"
The stunned look in his eye told her enough. She didn't need the ripple of shock and emotion to know that Walter, for whatever reason, didn't think he'd be missed.
Wasn't wanted.
Wasn't loved.
Of course Walter was, and would always be loved. It was never conditional. She didn't want to know right then what the reason was for his lack of insight. Instead, she dragged him inside, where she knew Kaito was. Tanny wasn't, but for now, it was the best. One wound to heal between them, and no one to duck behind.
"Kid, I have someone who needs your help." She raised her voice, and the slightly parted curtain opened to reveal Kaito's blue eyes.
"Yes what do you...." His eyes widened when he saw Walter. For a few moments he ducked behind his curtain, before he peeked out again.
"That's- is he bleeding?"
"Badly." Rei's voice was bland. She could feel Walter wanting to go now, but she was determined to hang on. If he tried to get her to let go or bolt, she would swoon on him. She swore it. She would swoon and play act all the pain before she had him pinned under a barrier. AND she would sit on him.
"He needs help." A pause as she stared up at Kaito. Predictably, as whenever she had the look on her face, he started to squirm, uncomfortable. She didn't care. She'd sit on him too if she had to.
"He needs your help, Kid. There's only so much I can do here."
She let Walter go, and moved to stand in front of the door, murmuring and flicking her fingers for a light barrier arte. It went over the door, so that even if either got past her, she'd at least have that in the way. She folded her arms under her chest and stared at them both. The looks they were giving her...they looked more like lost puppies, ready to whine, rather then dangerous individuals in their own right.
"But I can stay here. And the more that both of you delay, the more we all will suffer. We've been suffering with both of you like this."
There were flinches, winces, eyes going to the floor. Rei waited. She was tempted to goad Kaito on a little more, make sure that he would leave- maybe ask for help from the wolves or the glass creatures, or a push of fonons-but Kaito sighed, coming out, and jumped down from the loft, his feet lightly thumping against the floor.
For a few moments more there was awkward silence, before Kid tentatively came closer.
"You....you um, you left some of your shirts."
"I know." Walter's eyes were lowered to the floor.
"I'll get you one of them. The clean one anyway." Kaito glanced away, pink blooming on his cheeks.
"I've been using them as nightshirts." The confession came at a mutter, and he peeked up again, seeming shy. Walter's eyes had lifted from the floor, but his expression was withdrawn. Uncertain.
"I...suppose with their size, it's good. Long enough."
"No....no." Kaito licked his lips, his hand hovering. Still uncertain, still shy. "I wore them because they were yours."
Walter's eyes widened. The hope in them were almost painful as Kaito gathered seventh fonons to heal Walter's hurts. Maybe more then just the ones on the skin.
"Kaito....?" Walter sounded more like his age. Uncertain. Lost.The thief's voice lowered to a whisper.
"Je t'aime."
Walter's voice caught in his throat as he laughed. "...do you mean it?"
"Always."
There was a silence as Walter gingerly- expecting the hurt, the fear, the flinch-reached for Kaito. His hand gently overlaid Kaito's own as he started to sing the hymn to make Walter whole. To make two halves one whole piece again.
"Oui. Je t'aime."