Unexpected Reunion

Kymin grinned lightly at what Felix said. "Well, he needs a bath regardless, so it's fine." Kymin paused. "Crap. Hold on, I need to go back to the pet store real quick," he said, turning and starting off at a jog. "I'll be back in a minute," he said. It was good they hadn't gotten far from the store, or else this would've been more than a hassle. Anything more than a walk was a serious pain for Kymin, but he didn't want Felix worrying. When Kinana questioned if he'd forgotten something, he merely nodded and smiled in embarrassment.

He hadn't meant to, but when he was looking around for pet shampoo, he started scratching at his neck again. The more he thought about the scar, the more it burned, and the more it itched. He was glad he was out of Felix's sight, because he couldn't stop the small grimace that passed over his face. He didn't realize it, but he was starting to break skin because he was scratching it so much. The cashier didn't seem to notice, and just checked Kymin's item out, which he paid for and left. Damn it, he couldn't stop thinking about what'd happened. It made his hand clench around the bag, but when he got back outside to Felix, he smiled and held the bag up, loosening his grip. "Got it. Can't go using normal human soap on him," he chuckled lightly. "Let's go."

Felix blinked when Kymin said he had to go back to the store. "Um, okay." He watched him jog away, keeping an eye on Vishnu. He ran a hand through his hair and then gave a small smile. "Don't go too far Vishnu," he called. His blue eyes blinked when Kymin came back with dog shampoo. "Oh, right." He tilted his head and reached for Kymin's neck but stopped when he remembered the last time someone had done that. "...Kymin...you're bleeding." Felix was slightly disturbed. It wasn't a lot of blood, but it was there and that was nerve wrecking. Were the scratches from the burns just that bad?

Kymin had started to take a step, but stopped when Felix spoke. "Huh?" Reaching up to his neck, he felt over it before looking at his hand. It was quickly washed away by the rain, but Kymin had seen the small spot of blood. "....." He blinked a couple times. "I'll...take care of it when we get back to the hotel," he said, giving a light smile. "C-come on," he said, starting off towards the hotel. Now he was a bit shaken up. He hadn't even realized that he'd been itching it that much. His eyes were on the ground as they walked, and he had to fight the urge to scratch his neck again. To prevent himself from doing so, he stuck his hand in his pants pocket, trying not to clench his fist. He had to keep himself from grimacing again when the image of Batsu flashed through his mind. Had to keep from clamping his eyes shut as he walked. As if that would push the memory from his mind anyways...

Felix's eyes darkened when Kymin said he'd take care of it. He lightly tugged at the bandages on his arms and then followed after the black haired male. Life could have been such much easier had they just stayed in the Crested and kept to themselves. When they got to the hotel room, Felix opened the door and dropped his bag on the ground. "Home sweet home," he mumbled unenthusiastically. He looked down at Vishnu. "You're a mess," he said casually as he bent down and waved the puppy over. "We're going to get you all cleaned up and then we can all sit down and watch a movie or something. Since it's raining and it's hard to do much in the rain.

Placing his bag down, Kymin took the shampoo over to the bathroom, smiling when Felix said Vishnu was a mess. Starting the water, Kymin made sure it was warm before putting the stopper in the tub. Standing back up, he went over to the mirror, unbuttoning his shirt and grabbing a washcloth, which he put under the running water before holding it to his neck with a small sigh. It still itched, but at least the warm water lessened it. He really just wanted to lay down and sleep these bad memories off, but he knew it didn't work that way. They would follow him into his dreams and just make things worse.

Felix sat down, petting Vishnu quietly. "Good to know you're well behaved when we're away." Too bad it won't happen often, he added silently. Felix scratched the dog on it's ears for a brief moment before letting him go and standing up. "I'm going outside for a minute," he said. "Wash Vishnu since you let him run in the mud." Felix gave a small wave and then headed down the hall towards the exit. The moment he'd made it outside he pulled a cigarette and placed it in his mouth, lighting it. He took a long drag and then sighed.

"Will do," Kymin responded. He hoped Felix was okay. Between what happened the night before, and the fact that the black haired ninja'd just scratched his neck into bleeding, he was sure the silver haired male was fairly worried. Kymin sighed, then gave a small whistle, to which Vishnu responded by running in. The sight of the dog, fur matted down by mud and rain, made the male chuckle. "Come'ere you. Let's get you cleaned up," he said, putting Vishnu in the tub and turning the water off before taking his shirt off. It was white, and he did not need to be getting mud all over it.

Once he'd finished the cigarette he tossed the end into the trash and climbed onto the roof where he sat down and let his arms hang off the edge. He didn't care that it was raining. He just wanted to sit outside in the rain and let it wash away everything he was feeling right. He closed his eyes as he leaned against the side. First Batsu and then last night. Won't it ever end? Felix sighed. A few minutes passed before a voice made him freeze in horror.

"Felix, Felix, please, stop," an old voice mocked. "Please stop." A laugh followed. "Poor, poor Kymin. I was thinking that I'd have to run him off, but it looks like you're doing that all by yourself." Kyla stood a few feet away from Felix, her beady eyes glowing. "He may have forgiven you this time, but can you really believe he's alright," she asked. "He's like a scared little mouse. Don't tell me you haven't noticed my dear boy." She walked over to Felix's side and leaned over the edge, looking out over the village. "You think that little incident last night is the last, please Felix. I know your future from beginning to end. Kymin's going to leave you. You're far too violent for him. You'll tear him apart like a wild animal introduced to a fresh piece of meat." She placed her hand on the immortals back. "If it takes too long, I'll just get rid of him completely. I can't have him ruining my plans. If you don't get rid of him I'll rip that little puppy's head right off his shoulders and destroy Kymin's very soul. Then you'll never see him again," she chuckled.

Kymin couldn't help but smile as Vishnu romped around in the water, splashing everywhere. The puppy was so hyperactive. Taking the washcloth from his neck, Kymin took the shampoo out and started washing the mud off Vishnu, which turned the water a murky brown color. "Look at you. You love the water too much for a mammal," he chuckled lightly.

Felix's gaze darkened as Kyla spoke. How did that witch know? He turned his head to the right as he heard her approaching. He knew she was drying to make him get a move on, but he also knew she was right. It was only when she threatened to kill Vishnu and Kymin did Felix tense up. His heart began to beat faster at the thought of the two things he loved most suddenly disappearing. Felix however remained looking over the edge. Tears formed in his eyes and were quickly washed away by the rain. "Please don't hurt them," Felix begged silently. "I'll do whatever you want, just don't take them away from me."

Kyla smiled. "Good boy. It's about time you started acting a bit more obedient." She gave him a brief hug and then resumed looking off the side of the building. "If you try and trick me I'll make sure their deaths are painful. You'll never forget the imagine, I promise you that my dear boy." She turned and started to walk away. "Oh and Felix, I don't know how you're managing to deal with the cage, but it's pointless. You and I both know that you can't love anyone but Meridian. The moment you chose to turn your back on her for Kymin, you'll forget she ever existed. Then again what does it matter, she's already abandoned you. She hasn't been visiting you in your dreams like before, has she?"

Felix closed his eyes and bowed his head. Meridian had abandoned him? It couldn't be true! Felix slouched against the wall. "No," he answered Kyla weakly. "I thought it was because I no longer have her locket."

"Looks like you thought wrong. Maybe it would be best for you to just move on with your life. Not like it matters, Kymin will die if you chose to continue defying me. You've already gone against me by finding Kana. You're really testing my patience Felix, you really are." She shook her head. "I'm trying so hard to be kind to you. But I can only be lenient for so long."

Felix hadn't even heard Kyla speak of how she had been patient thus far. Everything after she'd told him he'd thought wrong was nothing more than a whisper in the wind. Felix's entire world had just shattered. The last strand of hope had just been snatched away. He had nothing left. Nothing left here in this world meant anything if Meridian no longer existed. Every moment with Serenity, Kana, Kymin and Vishnu seemed puny and insignificant. The silver haired jonin felt empty.

Kyla smiled. I should have told him sooner.This would have been so much easier.

Kymin covered his face when Vishnu shook out his fur, flinging water in every which direction. He couldn't help but laugh. "Hey, cut that out," he said with another light laugh. Yeah, he was glad he'd taken Vishnu home with them that day. Pulling the drain plug, Kymin turned the water on warm again before rinsing Vishnu off one last time using the shower head. Turning the water off, Kymin grabbed a towel and wrapped the puppy up in it, drying the dog off as it started yipping and barking, trying to squirm away. After he was dried off enough, Kymin bundled the dog up in the towel with a smile. "Heh, try to squirm away now," he chuckled, to which Vishnu responded by licking the human's face. Kymin blinked. This dog was pretty smart.

Felix listened to Kyla walk away. Once she was gone he turned around and leaned against the wall. Not a single thought was going through his mind. He felt absolutely nothing. He would have sat there for hours without moving if he didn't have to go back inside to Kymin and Vishnu. He spent another thirty minutes outside in the cold rain before he forced himself to get up and go back to the room. He walked as if he was robot, not a single emotion on his face or in his eyes. When he got to their room he looked at the door for a long moment. He shook his head and opened the door. Going over to his bag he undid his headband and slipped off his soaked shirt. Slipping out of his shoes he reached down and started finding himself something to sleep in. Once he'd found something suitable he stayed there for a moment no moving. He'd never felt so dead in his life.

By the time Felix had come back into the room, Kymin had changed into a fresh pair of clothes as well, half of which included a pair of sweatpants. He didn't think he could wear jeans right now. Vishnu was laying on the bed, his fur still damp, and the black haired ninja was in the kitchen getting a drink when his silver haired love returned. Upon seeing Felix, Kymin blinked and put his glass down, going over to him. "Hey, what's wrong?"

Felix blinked when he heard Kymin. "Nothing," he said. "Just thought I'd forgotten something is all." He wasn't sure if Kymin was talking about him coming in looking all alien or if he'd been talking about him just bending over his bag. He stood up and shrugged. "I'm going to go take a bath." He carefully slid past the other male and went into the bathroom, making sure to lock the door as he went. He ran some warm water into the tub as he took his shorts and boxers off as well as his gloves and the bandages. He looked at his left arm. The markings had started to connect with little lines. That had not been there before. He didn't care though. He climbed into the tub and turned the water off. Sitting down he closed his eyes and sunk under the clear liquid.

Kymin looked Felix over when the guy said nothing was wrong. For once he could honestly say that he didn't believe the other male. But regardless, he nodded when Felix said he was going to take a bath. He would've offered to come with, but the guy was already in the bathroom. Kymin blinked when he heard the door lock, sighing. Felix had been up on that roof for half an hour. Looking down, Kymin shook his head and went over to the bed, forgetting about his glass of water for the time being. Crawling on, Kymin laid on his side, facing the bathroom. He'd eat later. Right now he felt a bit sick. Closing his eyes, the black haired male put his hand over his throat where the burn was. He wished they'd never come across that village. Never met Batsu. Kymin nearly started shaking. All those souls. He'd never felt so sick at seeing the colors of souls. After a few moments, Kymin started drifting off into a light sleep, but his hand didn't move.

Felix stayed under the water for as long as his lungs would allow, which was ten minutes. He came up for air and starred blankly at the wall. He let a few moments slid by before washing himself and getting out. Dressed in a pair of shorts and a shirt, Felix wrapped his wrist, but didn't bother with the gloves. He exited the bathroom and looked at Kymin who had his hand on his neck. His expression changed from blank to worried and then it faded away. He took a seat on the couch and then turned the tv on, although he kept it on mute as he slowly went through the channels. What was he going to do about Kymin and Vishnu and Kana? They were all here together in the same village, making them easy targets for Kyla. Leave. That was his only option.

Kymin remained asleep for a couple minutes after Felix went over and sat on the couch, grimacing lightly in his sleep, his eyes shutting tighter, and his hand on his throat tightened a bit, as if he was trying to stop it from bleeding. All of this was done silently, and after a moment, Kymin's eyes flickered open. Taking a breath, he pulled his hand back and looked at it for a moment, relieved that there was no blood, before looking around the room. When he saw Felix on the couch, he rolled off the bed quietly, and went over to sit next to him, trying not to flinch as he sat. It worked to an extent, because the flinch only lasted a brief moment. "What're we watching?" he smiled lightly, leaning against Felix a bit.

Felix didn't see Kymin struggling in his sleep and if he did he was probably just ignoring it. His blue eyes slowly turned in the direction of his black haired friend, but he did not move his head when he saw Kymin getting up. His attention went back to the tv as Kymin came over. He wished he'd have laid down so Kymin would have no place to sit. "You should go back to bed, I'll be there in a few," he said. "Besides, you shouldn't be sitting," he said rather bluntly. Felix never once took his eyes off the tv, nor did he stop flipping through the channels. Surprisingly enough he didn't even care if he was hurting Kymin's feelings.

"It's too early to be in bed. I just fell asleep waiting for you to come out of the bathroom," he said, ignoring Felix's last statement. He knew he shouldn't be sitting. It was extremely uncomfortable, but he didn't let it show on his face. Or rather, he tried not to. He looked to Felix, resting his head on Felix's shoulder. "Seriously...what's wrong Felix?" he asked, frowning lightly.

Felix had forgotten that it was early. The rain had thrown him off, it made everything look darker than it should have been. He wished that the day would hurry up and end. "It may be early but it doesn't change the fact that you can't sit," he said. "You can try and hide it but I know it hurts." When Kymin continued to make contact with him, Felix stopped turning the channels. Stopping on some tv show about crime. When questioned about what was wrong, Felix bit back a cruel reply. "There's nothing wrong," he said plainly. "I'm just trying to watch Tv since there's nothing else to do." He shrugged Kymin off of him.

Kymin looked to the side when Felix said he knew it hurt. "Doesn't matter. I wanna sit with you," he mumbled. "I'm sitting fine now, aren't I?" He kept his green eyed gaze on Felix even as the guy stopped turning channels. He wanted to keep on asking, to see what was wrong, but...Kymin gaze a small sigh when Felix pushed him away. "Alright...I'll go back to bed, but..." he paused. He didn't know what the but was supposed to be, so he just gave another low sigh and got up, making his way silently back to the bed. Was Felix trying to push him away again?

Early he'd been on an emotional roller coaster, but now he just felt like he was there. No left, no right, no forward, no back. There was no where to go. He was stuck. When Kymin spoke of how he was sitting fine, Felix went to speak, but then Kymin got the hint and left the couch. Felix stretched out on the couch without a word and started flipping through the channels without a care in the world about what he was going to be watching. All he knew was that he was going to run. He was going to leave it all behind because he was selfish, but at the same time he wanted to save the one thing that had been precious to him before he'd learned of his horrible situation. He'd been abandoned. He knew he was cruel for doing the same thing to Kymin, but he had cause. He would save his life and Kana's and Vishnu's, at the cost of Serenity's misery. That too was a problem, but he wanted to rest and if it meant tearing down every ounce of confidence, or love, and of friendship, then he'd do it. Felix was going to cross over to the other side one way or the other.

Kymin laid on the bed for a good few minutes. He couldn't fall back asleep, and he didn't really want to right now. His mind was roaming to places he'd rather it not roam. Once more, he scratched the burn mark lightly. He'd noticed that there were small red marks on his hands from where his nails had dug into the palm last night. And on his wrists were marks from Felix's hands grabbing them so tightly. Getting up, Kymin dug into his bag and pulled something out before taking it into the bathroom and standing over the sink as he wrapped his wrists and palms in bandages so only his fingers were showing on each hand. He didn't want to end up scratching at those cuts too.

Putting the bandages onto the counter, Kymin went back out and put his jacket on, pulling the hood up as he started for the door. "I'll be back in a few minutes," he said before walking out of the room. Maybe he should've told Felix where he was going. It wouldn't matter though, because neither of them knew where the liquor store was. He'd just have to ask around. No one was out because of the rain, but maybe he could stop in a store and ask directions.

Felix remained on the couch, not looking at Kymin as he went into the bathroom. He noted that when the other male came out he had bandages on his arms. Felix turned so he could lay on his stomach, crossing his arms so he could lay his head on them. He was no better than Kyla, hurting someone because he could. When Kymin said he was going out, Felix merely shrugged. When the door closed he turned his head so he was looking down at the couch. There he lay motionless. Was this how things would end? Felix smiled. It was better than putting Kymin through physical pain, right? He closed his eyes and then let out a shaky sigh. This was the perfect opportunity for him to leave.

Kymin kept his bandaged hands in his pockets as he walked down the street, stopping in a store to ask directions. It was only about fifteen minutes later that Kymin was on his way back towards the hotel, a six-pack of beer in one of his hands. He just needed a drink. He couldn't keep his mind from wandering, and Felix was acting strange, and he was still in pain from the night before, though it wasn't as severe as it'd been this morning. Kymin sighed. Things had been going so well. This was what he got for being adventurous and telling Felix to go all out.