The gurgling hisses filled his ears. There was death everywhere...everyone. He saw the faces of people he knew, people he cared about. Rinn..Avin...they both were lying on the floor, eyes wide with terror, legs and arms elsewhere on the floor. He retched in a corner, emptying the contents of his stomach, panting heavily, hands shaking. This couldn't be happening. Shouldn't be happening. He had to stop it. He had to save him.
His cheeks were wet. He hadn't realized he was crying. He stumbled through the halls, feeling the fear rise through his chest. He froze, eyes widening as he came across one of them. The monster was leaning its ugly head down to bite flesh from a body. He emptied the contents of his stomach onto the floor once again, trembling, sobbing, his throat raw and sore. He tried to summon the ice...but nothing. There was nothing...only an empty void in the corner of his mind where he always found the cold waiting for him. His hands shook. It couldn't be happening. His ice had never failed him before.
He trembled, shakily trying to find anything...anything that could be a weapon. His hands took hold of something sharp. He barely felt the sting as the glass cut his skin. He stumbled forward, stabbing the creature in the back, feeling the black, thick blood spill over his fingers, and his stomach churned as the stench filled the room again. The creature shuddered, and sank to the floor with a dull, gargling whine. He sunk to his knees, tears blurring his sight, dizziness threatening to overwhelm him. His hand touched something and he looked down. A hand, soaked in blood lay there in the pooling black mess. His eyes fell on the wrist the hand was attached to and widened. A bracelet made of delicately woven gold wire, beaded with stones of a soft green color was wrapped around the wrist.
He felt his stomach twist, his heart stop in his chest. He followed the arm to where it met a shoulder...and then stopped. His heart twisted in his chest, and a keening wail ripped its way out of his throat. He was too late...that beautiful ivory face...eyes wide in shock, lips parted, already blue with death, his heart ripped out of his chest.
“BYAKUYA!”
A scream tore through his mind and suddenly he was disoriented. It was dark, and he was freezing cold. Zenarith could see his breath misting in the chilly air, and the room spun. He wondered if he was outside. He sat up, dazed. He looked down at his hands, expecting to see them coated with thick black blood, and was surprised to see them clean. Zenarith turned, blue eyes widening as he saw the still form of his lover next to him, cheeks pale from the cold. The walls were coated with frost, the blankets almost frozen through. His heart stopped in his chest, then started again as he saw Byakuya's chest rise and fall with each breath. He shook the other awake, hearing someone run through the hall outside their room. Byakuya shivered, and woke, lips blue from the cold.
“W-what's g-going on?” Byakuya asked, teeth chattering. Zenarith's hands shook, and he didn't trust his voice to stay steady. He shook his head, and pulled the other into the hallway, grabbing one of the maids, and taking the freshly laundered blanket from her hands and wrapping it around his lover's shoulder. He made his way down the stairs, towards where he'd heard the scream. His eyes darted around, still expecting to see bodies and broken glass. His stomach churned, and he felt as though he was going to be sick.
He stepped through the doorway to Rinn's room, lips drawn tightly, his face grim, Byakuya one step behind him, shivering. Avin held a trembling, sobbing Rinn to his chest, rocking slowly and whispering softly to him, his hand stroking the other's hair softly. The tall man glanced at Zenarith, his face grim, eyes tired-looking, and holding something that looked distinctly like a mix of anguish and anger.
Zenarith felt his chest tighten, and he turned on a heel, unable to say anything. He knew what had happened now...his nightmare had caused Rinn pain. The last thing he wanted was for anyone he cared about to hurt. Byakuya touched his shoulder softy, and he flinched, the touch startling his frayed nerves.
Byakuya pulled his hand back, his face expressing the hurt. “Zenarith..” he started softly. Zenarith shook his head, his heart sinking into dismay. “You didn't hurt him...” the redhead stated, eyes searching Zenarith's face.
Zenarith shook his head, clenching his hands into fists, trying futilely to stop their shaking. He'd nearly frozen his lover to death, and inadvertently shared his nightmare with a psychic who was incapable of shielding himself from intruding thoughts. He felt the despair course through him. He'd nearly killed Byakuya. The man he loved was still trembling slightly from the intense cold of their room. A few minutes longer, and Zenarith would have killed him ...the cold he'd summoned unconsciously would have frozen him to death.
His stomach churned, and he covered his mouth, dizziness overwhelming him as the memory of Byakuya's face, a frozen mask of shock and fear, lips blue from death filled his mind. He couldn't look at his lover...he was so afraid of seeing that expression. He squeezed his eyes shut, and sank into a crouch, wrapping his arms around himself.
Zenarith jumped, startled when he felt soft, warm hands touch his cheeks. “Look at me...” Byakuya whispered. “Tell me what's going on with you...”
Zenarith turned to face the other. He had a hard time meeting Byakuya's concerned eyes. He pulled from the touch. “It's nothing,” he said softly, looking down again. He winced as Byakuya's eyes flickered with inner fire, growing dark once again. Flames sparked and then dissipated, licking at Byakuya's pale skin.
“Liar,” Byakuya said, his voice trembling, showing the barely-controlled temper. “You've been acting so strange these last days, and now this. Rinn is in there crying and you know something. Now you won't even look at me! What have I done!?”
Zenarith sighed softly, looking down, wrapping his arms around his knees. “I....” he struggled with putting words in the right order.
How was he to explain his fears? He was supposed to be strong and the great protector and all of that. He wasn't supposed to show weakness. He bit his lip, eyebrows furrowing. A fist connected with the side of his cheek, sending him sliding towards the wall. Byakuya stood, head down, shoulders tense and shaking, hair sparking with flame. “You damn idiot,” he hissed, refusing to look at Zenarith.
Zenarith stared in shocked surprise, his hand touching his own cheek. He hadn't expected that reaction, and his insides twisted again, and he looked down. “I...am afraid,” He whispered. The angry presence lessened, and Byakuya glared at him, awaiting a continuation of Zenarith's words.
Zenarith shook his head. “Ever since you were attacked, I....fear losing you,” he whispered. “When I dream, I see your face, cold and pale with death...and you're still so beautiful, but it hurts. I hate it...My chest tightens, and I want to throw up...” he buried his face in his hands, shoulders shaking softly. “I can't bear to lose you.”
There was silence, and then warm arms wrapped around Zenarith's shoulders. “You should have told me...” Byakuya said softly, leaning his forehead against Zenarith's. “You big dummy...” He laughed. “All worried about losing me. I have you, remember? You've always been my protector, and we will always be there for each other.”
Zenarith nodded softly, wrapping arms around Byakuya's shoulders, pulling the slender frame close against his body, wanting to feel that warmth. Byakuya's body was always warm, and Zenarith had often teased him that it was because Byakuya was fiery inside and out. Such teases often got him in trouble, but the way they made up often made him smile. He nuzzled Byakuya's cheek, kissing it softly. “I'm sorry, my love,” he whispered softly.
He just held the other for a long moment, letting Byakuya's warmth seep into him. Avin cleared his throat, arms folded across his chest. “Uh...sorry to interrupt,” he said. “I'll be sleeping in Rinn's room from now on...I don't dare leave him alone. It's been a long time since his nightmares....” The green-haired man frowned darkly, looking down at the floor. “I've got him calmed down, and he seems all right, but....I don't dare leave him alone.”
Zenarith nodded guiltily, knowing that it was likely that his nightmare had been picked up on by the psychic boy. He sighed softly. “I'm sorry...” he started to say. Avin held up his hand to stop his sentence.
“Don't,” he said, looking troubled. “It's my own fault....I shouldn't have left him alone.” Avin turned on a heel, returning to Rinn's room. Zenarith could hear Rinn ask him something, but it was too quiet to understand.
Zenarith sighed, looking down again. “He picked up on my nightmare...” he said quietly, the guilt seeping into his conscience again. Byakuya poked his forehead with his slender finger.
“Stop that,” he grumbled. “It doesn't suit you to be broody, Zenarith,” the redhead said, a hint of irritation in his voice. The amused glint in his eyes said, however, that Byakuya was more amused than upset.
Zenarith mock-glared at his lover. “Oh? Doesn't it, He chuckled darkly, trying to shake off the last bits of doubt that had hooked onto his heart. “I can be broody...”
“More like pouty,” Byakuya teased, eyes glinting, hands on his slender hips. “Oh you big baby. Get over it...and lets go back to bed.”
Zenarith's eyes took on a different sort of light. “Bed...That's a good place to go.” He chuckled. “You'll get what you deserve for teasing me, Red.” he grinned, amused by the sudden look of irritation on Byakuya's face. He knew just how much the other hated that nickname.
“Oh, I ought to--”
“Ought to what?”
“H-Hey!”
“Hold on tight, lover...I'll take you to bed.”
He took Byakuya to bed...but sleep didn't come until much later.
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