Log; Complete

[better-third.livejournal.com]

When; April 23rd, Power Switch Day, Late Afternoon
Rating; ... PG?
Characters; Masaki {needsmapquest} & Kiyone {better_third}
Summary; Masaki comes back bruised and battered from his fight with DS, but refuses to let Kiyone call for Isane. Luckily for him, the sisters have switched abilities for the day~
Log;

Masaki rested his hand against the door, his breathing loud and harsh. He had struggled back from taking a beating from DS. Masaki didn't want to hit him back and hoped it was a lesson in violence is wrong, whatever that meant. Masaki took a deep breath and braced himself against the pain that would come. He pushed on the door and it opened wide. He stumbled in, having nothing to hang on to. He prayed someone was in his room, otherwise it would take a while for help to come and more pain did not mean more fun.

Kiyone turned over on the couch, resting her weight on her stomach. She was almost asleep, still tired from the trip to the shore. She hadn't been ready to go home just yet and told Masaki she'd just lay around his room for awhile. He'd left sometime earlier and she was content by herself on the couch. It was the noise of Masaki's entry that pulled her from the psuedo-sleep, and as she rolled over she half expected to see some drunk resident of the temple who had mistakenly picked the wrong room. What Kiyone hadn't expected was the wounded Masaki that stumbled in, and she rose from the couch, rushing to meet him, nearly tripping over her own feet in her haste.

He gave Kiyone a painful smile when she caught him in her arms. "Hey cutie. How was your day today?" He grimaced a little from Kiyone touching his body. It hurt most of all over, so there wasn't much she could really do.

"Masaki..." Kiyone whispered his name as she lowered him to the ground as gently as she possibly could. He was taller than she was, and his weight was awkward in her arms, but she did her best. Her eyes flickered over his body and widened. What little bit of skin not covered in clothing was covered in bruises. "How- Who?"

Masaki looked up at her. "Don't worry about it. It's not that bad. Besides....ummmm..." Masaki gave a smile, not even knowing where he was taking his sentence.

"Ah- It is bad!" She half rose from her kneeling position, rethought her movement and knelt again. "I have to get Isane. I'll- I'll call for her. Just- Just be still." She stood shakily and paced back and forth between the door and the bruised form on the floor. Her train of thought was just as frantic as her movements. Heaven's Gate works better when performed outside, but I can't leave him ere by himself without a healer, much less without- A change of direction led her to the couch, and she retrieved a pillow, moving the place it under his head. He has to be comfortable, yes, comfortable. Have to call Isane. Need a healer, need help.

Masaki rolled over slowly and picked himself up with a grunt. "No! You aren't asking for her help!" He stumbled over to the door and blocked it with his body as symbol that he wasn't going to let her go.

Kiyone stopped short, her hand already having begun to reach for the door. She knew, she understood that Masaki did not get along with her sister. She got that Isane all but hated him, but she also knew there was no way her sister would refuse him treatment. Kiyone assumed that had to be the reason he didn't want her to call for Isane - fear of refusal. Why else would he stop her? "Wh- What are you talking about? Of course I'm asking her for help; you need it!"

His green hair shook wildly has he shook his head in a negative. "No! She'll think worse of me if she knows I got hurt. The worse she thinks of me, the less I might see of you and I can't have that!"

"Don't be ridiculous, Masaki. She's not going to stop me from seeing you just because you got hurt. She's never going to stop us from seeing each other ever. I can't have you hurt like this." She moved forward with the intent to force him away from the door, but hesitated. She didn't want to hurt him any more than he already was. "Masaski, please."

Masaki's face hardened. He looked at her and his eyes did the opposite, softening. "Kiyone. I know you are worried but if you care about me, you won't ask for your sister's help. I don't want the grief that comes with it."

Kiyone took a step forward, bringing herself closer to him and the door, her own face set and determined. "Masaki, I do care about you, and that's why I'm going to get my sister. She's the only healer I know, and- and I'll be damned if I'm going to let the fact that you two can't get along get in the way of you being healed. Let me go."

His hands tightened on the edge of the door way. "I refuse. Why don't you try something?"

"Because-" She wrung her hands, feeling all but helpful. "Because I can't, Masaki. I'm not very good at kidou. They put me in the thirteenth division for a reason. I do recon, not healing."

Masaki, still clinging on the door, gave her a smile. "I bet you know something. Come on. I'd much rather it be you anyways."

She half returned the smile, moving forward to replace the door as his support. "I know all the incantations; goodness knows I've heard Isane recite them hundreds of times. It's just- They never work."

Masaki reached out to grab her hand. "For me. Please?" His eyes got a little wet as he tried to fake like he was sad.

"... I'll try, Masaki. I don't think it will work, but- We'll try it, okay?" She led him slowly to the couch, taking care not to push him too quickly or hold his hand too tightly. No need to exacerbate the injuries he already had. "You'll need to lay down, though."

Masaki let himself be led over. He quietly laid down on the couch and relaxed. He felt comfortable in Kiyone's care, whether or not Kiyone was comfortable with herself. Masaki closed his eyes and waited, wishing for the pain to go away so he could get up and do more relevent things.

Kiyone knelt beside him, and placed shaking hands over his chest. "Alright," she said, needing the sound of her own voice to calm the nerves that beset her. "I'm going to try an easy one, first. Isane tried to teach it to me a few times. It's for minor cuts and bruises and it usually works, so..." She trailed off, and hands that had stabilized with words began to shake again.
"Ah, here goes." She closed her eyes and let the words flow from her mouth. The incantation was simple, easy to remember, and Kiyone hoped desperately that it would work.

Masaki felt some energy flow over him. While it didn't seem to help the burning, he could feel the pain subsiding from his face and stomach. "Ahhhh, thank you Kiyone-chan. That helped a lot!"

She opened her eyes and gaped in disbelief. Most of the bruises had either faded or disappeared altogether. "I didn't- I didn't think that would work! Ah- How do you feel, Masaki?"

Masaki gave her a thumbs up. "I feel better but uhhh..." Masaki looked down at himself. His clothes were charred and his skin was in a similar state across parts of his body. "Maybe you could do something about the burned skin? Please?"

Kiyone nodded hesitantly. "All I can say is that I can try. You have to understand, Masaki, that that might have been a fluke or something. I really am rubbish at kidou, especially healing, and-" She sighed. "What I mean is, where were you burned? I know the incantations for a couple of stronger kidou that might work."

Masaki looked all over his body. "Kiyone-chan. It's sorta obvious that it's pretty much all over me."

"Oh! Well..." Kiyone flushed, looking away. "I think I can take care of that." She replaced her hands over his body, somewhat more stable now, the success of the first kidou small, but confidence-boosting. The next kidou she tried required a slightly longer incantation, and she stumbled over some of the words, eyes closed in concentration. She completed the chain of words and opened her eyes to see the result.

Kiyone opened her eyes just to see Masaki move in and plant a kiss right on her lips. "Thank you Kiyone-chan! I knew you could do it!" Still lying down, Masaki pumped his fists. Then he rolled over onto his side. "Ahhhhh. Now I don't feel like leaving this spot."

"Ah-!" The third seat sat back on the floor, waving a hand in front of her face. "It was nothing, I promise. I'm just surprised it worked. And so well! Wait until I tell Isane; she'll be so proud of me..."

Masaki sat up on the couch and moved over to be in front of Kiyone. He knelt over a little and put his hands on her shoulders. "I'm proud of you. You said you couldn't do it but you did. In my book, that is the best thing a person can do."

"Masaki..." Kiyone was used to fighting for praise, fighting to be just as good, if not better than someone else. To be able to hear that she had done well- It was quite honestly the best thing she had ever heard. "Thank you."

"Mmm. No Kiyone-chan. Thank you!" Masaki wrapped his arms around her neck and pulled her close. "You've always been the best to me. I wish I could do as well as you."

"Ah- What do you mean?" she asked, returning the embrace. "You've always been the best to me, as well..."

"Nothing. Nothing at all. I'm just glad you're here with me. I love you." Then Masaki did the one thing she hated and ruffled her hair. While it took away from the seriousness of the situation, he knew that Kiyone knew what he meant.

Kiyone immediately pulled away and tried desperately to flatten her hair. It was already hard enough to keep tame; goodness know she didn't need any help messing it up. "Mm, you do things like that, and sometimes I wonder if you really do."

Masaki waved his hand. "Hey now! I already said I only do it because I love you, which is true! If I didn't love you, I wouldn't ruffle your hair!"

She smiled, mock admonishing him, hands clutching her head protectively. "If you loved me, you wouldn't do it at all. You know I hate it."

Masaki waved his finger in the come here motion. "Ne, Kiyone-chan. Can you come a bit closer?"

Kiyone lowered her arms, leaning forward and bracing herself against the edge of the couch. "Hm? What is it?"

Masaki put his hands on her cheeks and gave her a light kiss on the forehead. Then he put his forehead against hers, their eyes looking directly into each others'.

"Ah-" She flushed slightly, as she still did everytime he kissed her. "Thank you," she repeated, not knowing what else to say.

"Kiyone?" Masaki whispered softly to her. "Are you going home today? I think I might need some after surgery treatment."

"I'm- I'm sure that Isane's ready for me to come home, but if- if you really need me, and- and it... depends on what kind of treatment you need, you know I'm not that good at kidou, I'm still sure it was- it was just a fluke, and a lucky guess kind of thing, and, um-" The red that coloured her cheeks deepened, and she all but stuttered her response.

Masaki smiled and continued to whisper. "That's not what I meant. But if you do need to go home, then you should."

Kiyone thought for a moment, her expression changing from that of lax contemplation to set stubborness. "Hn. Isane can deal with it. You got hurt, and I'll- I'll tell her I had to stay for 'observation.' She has to do that all the time; it's not like I'd be lying or making something up."

Masaki gave her another quick kiss in thanks. "Did I ever tell you that you'll always be #1 in my book, Kiyone? If I haven't, I'm telling you now!!"

"Mm, you've told me," she answered, smiling. "But it never hurts to hear it again..."

Masaki wished it was possible to be even closer to Kiyone. He moved on the floor so he could be even a little bit closer. "I hope I can be with your forever, Kiyone. I really do. Because you're sweet, caring, and you never think of just yourself. Yeah."

"Ah- Oh, stop, Masaki," she said, again waving a hand in front of her face. "You're going to embarass me. But, um- I know I'm supposed to want to go home, but... I don't know if I want to, because then I'd have to leave you, and- I don't want to."

"Well. it doesn't matter what decision you make, don't let me influence you. You should do what you want. I'll still love you no matter what you choose to do." Masaki grabbed her hand and squeezed it tightly.

Kiyone stared for a moment and her hand in his and smiled. "You really are the best, Masaki. You know that?"

It was now Masaki's turn to blush. Compliments always made him like that. "Heh, no, I didn't know that, Kiyone-chan."

"Well, you are! Even if you don't always get along with my sister, and even if you come home all bruised and burned... You'll always be the best," she assured him, squeezing his hand.

Masaki gave her a long smile, which then turned into an odd look. "Well, ummm, what do we do now? I really didn't plan all this in today..."

"I think," Kiyone said, letting his hand go and stretching her arms over her head, "that we should just sit here and rest for a little while. I really don't know how Isane does it, healing all those people. It really takes a lot out of you...

"Well, then. If that's what you want..." Masaki moved to her side and rested his head on her shoulder, his arm puliing her beside him. "Yep, I could rest right here for a while!"

Kiyone let her head fall against his, settling down beside him. "Mm, so could I..."

Being beside Kiyone always had a tiring effect on Masaki. He loved it though. It made it easy for him to be with her at night, rather than flopping and turning in bed. Once again, he feel asleep at her side, glad that she was always there for him when he needed it. He waltzed off into dreams with his precious Kiyone-chan.