Chapter Text
“I asked you a question!”
The next blow comes not from the whip, but from a fist straight to the face. Gaku lets out a ragged gasp as his head snaps to one side, and his chair tips dangerously from the force of the blow. The metallic taste of blood fills his mouth.
He can hear his captor breathing heavily. The other man is getting impatient, and that’s fine – after all, impatience often leads to carelessness, and that’s exactly what Gaku needs.
When he hears the familiar sound of the whip cracks against the floor, Gaku braces himself for another blow. But they’re interrupted by loud creaking of the rusty door, signifying the arrival of another government soldier. The urgency to their tone sends a flicker of satisfaction through Gaku. They must be panicking from the rapid territory losses all over the country, but everything’s already been set in motion. Soon, this city will be freed like the rest.
While the soldiers speak in low, murmured voices too quiet for him to hear, Gaku wriggles his wrists again from where they’ve bound behind his back. The ropes are coming loose. Slowly, slowly...he just has to bide his time.
Then he’ll go find Tenn, and get them both out of here.
When the door clicks shut again and a rough hand tangles into his hair, he braces himself for the next blow. Instead, light floods his vision as the blindfold is yanked off of his face. Gaku blinks rapidly, trying to adjust to the sudden brightness, and looks up only to find that the government soldier had circled behind him, out of his field of vision.
“I’ve realized,” he says, in a low voice. “That you’re more trouble than you’re worth.”
Gaku barks out a laugh. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“Oh, you can laugh now,” Even without seeing his face, he can hear when the soldier’s expression turns into a sneer. “But everyone has a weakness, Yaotome Gaku. Including you.”
He trails off contemplatively. Gaku bares his teeth in a snarl.
“There’s nothing more you can threaten me with.”
“Is that so? But we have quite a bit of intel on you and that group of upstart rebels.” The soldier’s tone drops, the next words murmured directly into his ear. “For instance...that boy you’re working with. Is it common for mission leaders to fraternize with their subordinates?”
A jolt of ice-cold fear grips Gaku’s chest. He tries to school his face into a mask of indifference, but something must have shown because the enemy soldier’s expression twists gleefully. “So that boy is your lover! Well, then,” he leans forward, eyes gleaming. “That makes it much easier, doesn’t it?”
Gaku grits his teeth. “He’s got nothing to do with this.”
“But that’s where you’re wrong, Yaotome,” the man breathes. “Because if you won’t tell us...well, perhaps we can get your little angel to sing instead.”
As if on cue, a scream pierces the air.
Unable to keep the reaction off his face, Gaku’s head snaps up. The government soldier laughs, and there’s a clatter as he tosses the whip aside. “Lovely, isn’t he?” his voice is almost a purr. “I should thank you for bringing that sweet little thing to us.”
His next breath stutters in his throat. Gaku flinches when Tenn wails again, his voice barely dampened by the wall separating them.
For Tenn to be making that sound– Tenn, of all people–
“Bastard!” Gaku roars, wrenching himself sideways and twisting around to lunge at the enemy soldier, only to get yanked back by the chain on his ankle. The other man laughs as Gaku loses his balance and goes crashing to the ground. The chair falls with him, sharp wooden edges digging painfully into his skin.
“Now that’s the reaction I’m looking for,” the soldier’s grin is so wide it splits from cheek to cheek. “I don’t know why I didn’t try this sooner.”
Gaku snarls again, staggering to his knees. “What are you doing to him?!”
“I’m sure you can guess.” The soldier’s pleasant tone is juxtaposed by the brutal kick he digs into Gaku’s stomach, sending him sprawling again. As he gasps, wheezing for breath, the pressure of the other soldier’s boots press down against the side of his head. “So you better start talking, and talk fast. I don’t know how long you’ve got until he breaks.”
In the other room, Tenn’s screams resume.
Gaku thrashes, but it’s impossible to move from his position with both hands bound behind the chair like this. “He won’t– he doesn’t know–”
“But you do, don’t you?” the man’s heels press down harder. “Mr. Mission Leader.”
In that moment, Gaku is honestly tempted to tell the truth and say everything he knows. However, he’s also painfully aware of the fact that their information is the only thing useful about them right now; once that’s gone, the enemy will have no reason to keep them here. In fact, their very lives will become a liability.
He can’t guarantee Tenn’s safety that way.
The stone floor is damp against his cheeks. “Let him go. Whatever you want to do, just–” to Gaku’s horror, his voice cracks. “Please. Just take it out on me instead.”
“You know that’s not what we want,” the man says. He raises his foot and steps back. “Now you can either give us the information, or we can both sit here and listen to that pretty songbird scream. Personally, I wouldn’t mind either.”
His captor circles to the front again and draws up a chair. The whip and blindfold lie forgotten on the floor, no longer necessary.
Gaku’s bitten through the skin of his lips, and breathing so shallowly he thinks he might pass out. There’s a trail of helpless tears sliding down his face, but he doesn’t dare look up to see what kind of triumphant expression his captor might be wearing right now. Even when he closes his eyes, there’s no blocking out the sounds from the other side of the wall.
“Hey, use that thing somewhere else – it’ll be a shame to mess up his face so quickly.”
Tenn is harder to hear, and he must be trying to muffle himself – but the other person in there with him clearly has no such reservations. There’s the sound of laughter, cruel words interjected by the cracking of a whip over the floor.
“No need to hide your screams, darling. Go on.” A different voice. There’s two people there with Tenn. “This doesn’t have to be so hard, you know. Your lover is in the next room. Beg for him to help you.”
Tenn doesn’t beg. In fact, his noises become considerably more muted, though still audible between the thin walls. The next cry that’s torn from him is animalistically raw.
Gaku gives a full-body shudder. He can’t help it – all traces of pride forgotten, his head jerks up to look at the enemy soldier with desperation. “Please stop them! I’m begging you– just, please,” his chest heaves. “Don’t hurt Tenn anymore!”
“You know what you have to do."
He does. Of course he does, but… “If I talk, will you guarantee his safety?”
“Of course.”
It’s a lie. Gaku can tell that much, from looking into the soldier’s eyes. His head drops down again, though nothing can hold back the strangled sobs bubbling up in his throat.
Tenn’s muffled cries continue to echo in the dimly-lit room. As the minutes pass, he gets quieter and quieter until, at what Gaku estimates to be past the half-hour mark, the other men’s voices become the only thing he can hear. Eventually, there’s a loud clang, of something that might have been the closing of another door.
Gaku listens carefully, but there’s no more talking. One of the soldiers had left.
It’s now or never.
Very slowly, Gaku flexes his fingers to make sure they haven’t gone numb. He takes in a shallow breath, then stretches out his leg ever so slightly to brace his heel against the wall.
“...What do you want to know?”
His captor, who had begun to look quite bored, turns towards him with an expression of surprise. “Oh? Finally ready to talk?”
“Let me see him first. To make sure he’s alright.”
The enemy soldier shakes his head. “That’s not how this works.”
“Fine, then.” Gaku keeps his voice low. Listless. “Help me sit up, and I’ll tell you all I know.”
He holds his breath as footsteps sound, slowly getting closer. Then, when the soldier is right in front of him–
Gaku yanks his arms out of the loosened ropes. At the same time, he kicks off the wall as hard as he can, twisting his body and bashing into his captor’s legs with all his strength. As the soldier goes down with a yelp, Gaku lunges for the gun on his belt.
The man howls as the first bullet rips through his shoulder. The second one takes him through the head.
There’s a shout from the next room over – no doubt, the gunshots had rung out loud and clear, too. Still on the ground, Gaku raises the pistol and empties three bullets into the other soldier’s chest the moment he steps inside.
He allows himself a single deep breath before hurriedly searching through his captor’s pockets and fishing out a small silver key. The chain around his ankles open with a small click, and Gaku stumbles to his feet before dashing to the next room over.
“Tenn! Tenn, are you–”
The words die in his throat, and he staggers a few steps forward before falling to his knees.
Tenn’s always been delicately-built but he looks so heartbreakingly fragile like this, splayed motionless across the floor with hands tied behind his back. His shirt is torn, with blood and burn marks scattered all over his bare torso. The ground is wet with a sickening metallic smell. While the soldiers had been mindful to limit Gaku’s beatings for the sake of requiring coherence for the interrogation, they’d not bothered to do that with Tenn.
Some parts of him are so mottled with bruises that Gaku can’t even see the original colour of his skin. Only the faint rise and fall of his chest indicated that he was still alive at all.
Even as the rational part of his brain notes that this is their only chance to leave and more guards will probably come soon, but Gaku can’t help letting out a strangled sob as he gathers Tenn’s body into his arms, cradling him gently as if he’s made of glass.
Tenn stirs slightly at the movement. The side of his face is swollen, and there’s a glazed-over, unfocused look in his eyes – it takes Tenn several moments before he finally seems to recognize the person in front of him.
“Ga...ku…?”
“I’m here, Tenn,” Gaku chokes out. “It’s going to be alright.”
Slowly, Tenn’s gaze drift to the side. Slowly taking in the situation, he gives a shudder and ducks his head, hiding his face in Gaku’s chest. “Where’s the…?” he shudders, each breath short and shallow. “The ones here with me.”
“Dead. I dealt with him.” Gaku hugs him a little closer, wrapping his arms around Tenn as if to shield him from the world. “I…” his voice breaks. “I’m so sorry, I couldn’t…”
Wordlessly, Tenn curls a little closer.
Tears spill down Gaku’s cheeks. “I wanted to tell,” he admits, and the sob catches in his throat. “But I thought– once I told them what they wanted, if they just killed you afterwards…!”
“You made the right choice. I would’ve...hah, if you had told, I would’ve kicked your ass myself.” Despite his brave words, Tenn’s hand trembles when he reaches up to tangle his fingers in Gaku’s shirt. “And you, you’re not…?”
“I’m not hurt.”
“Good,” Tenn lets out a small, breathy sigh. The tension drains out of his shoulders, and the shadow of a smile drifts across his face before he tugs Gaku down to nuzzle gently against his cheek. “You’re safe. I’m...so glad…”
He trails off, eyes glazing over again. Gaku hugs him more tightly, pressing a gentle kiss against his forehead. “Just hold on a little longer, Tenn,” he murmurs. “We’ll get out of here.
“And this time, I’ll keep you safe.”
Ryuu is waiting for them outside of the shabby warehouse building. He’s the only member of the special operational group TRIGGER that had managed to escape capture when their last operation went south, and Gaku practically collapses with relief when he sees that familiar head of brown hair waving him over in the shadows of a nearby alleyway.
“I got orders to pull back, but I was sure you two would make it out,” Ryuu whispers, then frowns and cranes his head as if expecting to see something behind Gaku. “Where’s…?”
Gaku pulls back his cloak to reveal the small, unconscious figure in his arms. All colour drains from Ryuu’s face.
“They tried to get to me through him,” Gaku says in a tight voice. “Let’s go back. Tenn needs medical treatment.”
Ryuu stops him. “Wait, Gaku– we can’t return to the apartment anymore.”
Figures. Those guys know way too much about them already, and their temporary residence must have been one of the first bits of info leaked. “Okay,” Gaku sucks in a deep breath, his mind spinning. “Okay. What about the–”
“Also compromised,” Ryuu’s shoulders droop. “I thought we’d be able to wait it out tonight, then catch the morning train back to headquarters, but…”
Gaku grits his teeth in frustration. “Tenn can’t wait that long!”
“I know. I know, Gaku.”
Ryuu’s expression twists with the same helplessness, and both of them look down at Tenn as they consider their current options. A hospital would be too public, too open – even with government troops retreating and pulling out of the city, that’s just asking for trouble. But insurgency agents from their own headquarters aren’t stationed here either, so there’s no other arrangements to be found in the middle of the night. Moving around too much would risk alerting their pursuers.
Eventually, it’s Ryuu who speaks up. “Tenn won’t like this idea,” he starts off hesitantly. “But if I remember right…doesn’t Riku-kun…?”
Gaku’s head snaps up. To say that Tenn ‘won’t like this’ is definitely an understatement, but…
“That’s fine,” he says. “If Tenn tries to kill me later, so be it.”
Nanase Riku’s clinic is situated in a small, run-down plaza between the inner city and surrounding suburbs. Gaku and Ryuu duck their heads as they sneak through the dimly-lit area, and Gaku raps his knuckles sharply against the back door.
It takes several moments, but eventually the door fumbles open to reveal a red-haired boy with bleary eyes and mismatched pajamas.
“The clinic is closed,” Riku mumbles through an enormous yawn, practically slumped against the doorframe. “Please come back tomorrow, I open at...nine…”
He trails off, ruby eyes widening at the sight of the body in Gaku’s arms.
“I’m sorry, Nanase,” Gaku whispers. “It’s Tenn– I didn’t know where else to go, he needs–”
Slim fingers wrap around his wrist before Riku drags him inside with surprising strength. He slams the door shut after Gaku and Ryuu, locking it and swiftly drawing down the blinds before starting to pull open drawers for medical supplies.
“Let me see him.”
“Nanase–”
“I said let me see him!”
Riku’s words are a snarl as he whirls around with a medical scalpel in hand. Gaku snaps his mouth shut, and meekly lowers Tenn onto the couch before backing away.
He’s helpless to do much else but watch as Riku kneels next to Tenn, checking his pulse before quickly moving to do a sweep on his other vitals. There’s a sharp intake of breath when he cuts Tenn’s ragged shirt open to reveal the extent of the injuries on his torso. Riku’s gone as pale as a ghost and, even in the dim light, it’s clear that his hands are shaking.
Ryuu and Gaku exchange a worried look. While they’ve both had basic first aid training, Tenn was the medical expert of their group and had always taken care of things when they got banged up during missions – now, the situation had reversed, and the uncertainty is killing him. “Nanase,” Gaku can’t help saying. “Is he…?”
Riku doesn’t answer right away, and takes the time to inspect the gash on Tenn’s forehead before standing up and wiping his bloodied hand on a clean towel. “You know,” he finally says. “I really don’t want to talk to you right now.”
Gaku grimaces. That’s fair.
“Help me carry him back to my room,” Riku continues. “Tenn-nii’s injuries aren’t critical, but they’ll get worse if I don’t disinfect and dress them properly.”
Given his reaction, it really shouldn’t have come as a surprise when Riku moves to shoo him away as soon as Gaku’s carried Tenn in and set him on the bed. Gaku digs his heels into the hardwood floor. “Why can’t I stay?” he tries to protest, craning his neck to look over the top of Riku’s head. “I can help too, I know how to treat some–”
“All you know is first aid,” Riku hisses the last two words like an insult. He had once been all smiles and so, so sweet. The difference now is chilling. “Out of the two of us, just which one is the doctor? You’ve got a lot of nerve, Yaotome-san, to talk about ‘helping’ him when we both know just who got Tenn-nii into this mess in the first place.”
He slams the door in Gaku’s face.
“Riku-kun doesn’t mean it,” Ryuu tries to console him, back in the living room. “It must have been a shock for him to see Tenn like that.”
“He’s not wrong, though,” Gaku stares numbly down at the floor. “This whole thing happened because of me. The interrogators, they…” he swallows dryly. “They made sure I heard him, Ryuu. They did that all so I would talk.”
“And if you had talked, both you and Tenn would be dead right now.” Ryuu pats his shoulder once more. “You’re exhausted, right? I’ll go make you something to eat.”
“Nanase’s gonna be mad if you use his kitchen.”
Ryuu smiles wryly. “I’ll make something for him, too, as an apology.”
Once upon a time, Riku would’ve welcomed them with open arms and a big smile. That was before Tenn left to follow him; they grew closer with one another and TRIGGER’s foundations as a three-man team were set, Riku’s attitude towards Gaku and Ryuu had become noticeably more frosty. He only puts on a happy front when Tenn’s there, and Gaku can only assume it’s an attempt to protect Tenn’s feelings – after all, anyone would be sad to see that their family and significant other didn’t get along.
The outright hostility Riku showed today is new, but Gaku can’t say that he didn’t deserve it.
Time passes in a blur. When Riku finally steps out several hours later, Ryuu had gone out again to check the area and there’s half a plate of sandwiches on the table. Gaku looks up, several questions about Tenn’s condition right on the tip of his tongue, only to do a double take when he sees Riku advancing with a syringe in hand. For a wild moment, he wonders if he’d escaped his captors only to die here of some kind of lethal injection.
“N-N-Nanase, wait,” he sputters, leaping to his feet. “I can explain–”
He’s cut off as Riku closes the distance between them and decks him straight in the face. It’s a light blow compared to what he’d just experienced early that night, but the shock of it sends Gaku stumbling before he falls flat on his ass.
“You’d better explain,” Riku spits out, standing over him and almost trembling with barely-restrained anger. “Do you even know how many lacerations and burns I had to treat just now? How is it that you,” he jabs the syringe at Gaku, stopping mere inches in front of his face. “Are more or less fine while Tenn-nii’s lying there unconscious? You–”
His breath catches. Riku makes a choked sound, shoulders heaving, then bursts into tears.
“You promised me that you’d protect him with your life! You promised,” he wails, and for a second he seems much more like the younger, wide-eyed boy Gaku had met all those years ago. But that illusion is shattered by the weight of grief in his eyes as Riku throws the syringe down on the table, wiping furiously at his face. “And I believed you! So how can you bring him back to me like– like this–?”
Gaku opens his mouth, but the words wouldn’t come out.
And really, what can he say?
“I’m sorry,” is all he can whisper. “I couldn’t protect him.”
Riku doesn’t try to hit him again, but his eyes are filled with such hatred that it’s frightening to see. Digging through his pocket, he pulls out a bloodstained ruby pendant.
“Do you know what this is?”
“...It’s the memento you’d exchanged with Tenn.” Gaku knows for a fact that Riku has a mirroring pink pendant, one that the twins had given to each other the day before Tenn left their hometown. “He wears it all the time.”
“Yeah. It was my way of giving you guys my blessing, and I thought Tenn-nii would need something to remember me by. But if I had known that this is how things would go,” Riku closes his fist, hiding the tiny piece of jewelry from sight. “I would never have allowed him to leave with you.”
Gaku flinches. “I know.”
“I supported your relationship back then because it made Tenn-nii happy,” Riku continues tremulously. “I didn’t understand exactly what it was that you were doing. I don’t think Tenn-nii did, either. He just...wanted to go with you, because he loved you.”
“...I know.”
“You should never have allowed him to follow you!” Riku’s voice tilts shrilly again, and he lets out a growl of frustration before spinning back around and kicking the table hard enough for it to shake. “Rebellions, insurgencies...you might’ve been born into it with your dad or whatever, but Tenn-nii wasn’t. If not for you– if not for you, I could’ve convinced Tenn-nii to quit! He would have come back to the clinic. We could’ve worked together again, here, where it’s safe.” He sucks in a deep breath. “He got involved for you.”
“I didn’t mean–”
“If not for you, Tenn-nii would never have gotten hurt!”
Everything he said was true. Gaku’s already cried so much tonight it feels like he should’ve cried himself dry, but the weight of Riku’s accusations sent a rush of new tears down his cheek. “I know, Nanase,” he chokes out. “This is all my fault.”
“If you know, then do something about it,” Riku sneers. He spins on his heel, heading back to his bedroom. “Until then, I don’t want to see your face ever again.”
The night passes without further incident, but it’s impossible to relax. Riku’s just a civilian, after all, and Gaku can’t help but jump at every odd sound with the expectations of an attack. He desperately wants to check on Tenn, too, but the door to Riku’s bedroom is firmly shut and it’s clear that his presence won’t be welcomed by the younger sibling.
Gaku makes it to about eight-thirty in the morning before he cracks.
When he pushes the door open, he’s greeted by the sight of Tenn sitting up in bed. Most of Tenn is wrapped in bandages and there's an ugly bruise swelling his right eye shut, but he’s awake and responsive. The twins are speaking with their heads bent close together, both looking up at Gaku’s entrance.
Not even Riku’s scowl can stifle the immense relief he feels at that moment. “Tenn, you’re awake!” Gaku can't help beaming as he rushes in. “Are you alright? How do you feel?”
“Sore, but otherwise fine.” Gingerly, Tenn shifts his gauze-covered arm to test the range of movement. “These wounds were mostly superficial.”
“Tenn-nii,” Riku’s voice is full of disapproval. “That’s a total lie. I had to give you tons of stitches.”
“Yes, and you did a good job,” Tenn soothes, squeezing his hand. “Thank you, Riku.”
Riku sighs. His eyes flicker back up at Gaku, and for a second Gaku wonders if he’s about to get chewed out again. But then, Riku’s expression changes, lips tilting up into a easy smile to match his suddenly upbeat voice.
“It’s almost opening hours, so I’m gonna go now. There are some appointments I can’t reschedule.” Riku pats Tenn twice on the arm before turning to face Gaku. “Yaotome-san will look after Tenn-nii while I’m gone, right?”
His smile is simpering. Sweet. And within the context of last night, honestly a little creepy.
“Uh,” Gaku honestly doesn’t know how he’s supposed to react. “Yeah, I, um...sure, of course.”
“Will you be alright, Riku?” Tenn asks. “You must not have gotten much sleep last night.”
Riku smiles again. “I’ll be okay. You just lie back and rest!”
And with that, he’s gone. Gaku blinks rapidly at his departing figure, then gives a baffled shake of his head before taking a seat next to Tenn. Gently, he reaches out to brush some flyaway strands of hair out of Tenn’s face.
Tenn allows the contract, but he doesn’t smile. “Imagine my surprise,” he starts, in a tone like the calm before the storm. “When I woke up here, in Riku’s clinic.”
(“I could’ve convinced Tenn-nii to quit! He would have come back to the clinic!”)
Riku’s accusatory words echo inside his head. Gaku hesitates. “It used to be your clinic, too.”
He realizes it’s the wrong thing to say when Tenn narrows his eyes, making a furious hissing sound between his teeth. It’s startlingly similar to the expression Riku had worn just before punching him in the face. If not for the fact that both of Tenn’s arms are bandaged, Gaku suspects he might have done just that.
Instead, Tenn jerks him forward by the collar – or rather, he tries to. It ends up being more like a feeble tug, betraying just how weak his injuries have really left him.
Still, there’s nothing weak about the fire in Tenn’s voice, or the way his eyes are blazing with anger. “And what does that have to do with anything? It looks like your memory needs some work, so let me refresh it for you: this is a civilian residence!”
“But–”
“Riku’s clinic is for civilians only! How dare you involve him!”
“The other places were compromised! We didn’t have anywhere else to go,” Gaku protests feebly. “You were in really bad shape.”
“I would’ve been fine to wait one more night, until we can catch the train back. And even if I’m not,” Tenn shakes him. “You don’t involve Riku. Got that?”
“I took you here because he’s a doctor!”
“I don’t care!” Tenn snaps. “I don’t want Riku involved under any circumstance. Do you understand or not?!”
He gets the sentiment. Really, he does. But if Gaku’s honest with himself, he hadn’t been thinking about Riku’s safety at that moment. In fact, it hadn’t been a priority at all.
Not when...
“...You can’t ask me to watch you die, Tenn.”
Something must’ve shown in his voice, because Tenn’s grip on his shirt slackens. Gaku takes a deep, shuddering breath and hangs his head, letting it come to a rest on Tenn’s shoulder. “You don’t know how you looked back there,” he continues in a hoarse whisper. “I wasn’t even sure if you were alive at first, after all the things they did to you.”
The image of Tenn lying lifelessly on the ground had been burned into his memories. He doesn’t think he’ll be able to forget it, for as long as he lives.
“The whole time I was listening, I kept waiting for an opportunity.” Now that Gaku’s started talking, the rest of the words come spilling out. “I thought I’d be able to take them out if there’s only one more in the other room. But the longer it went on, the more I thought–” he swallows dryly. “I thought I was waiting too long. That if this kept going, you would...”
The words catch in his throat.
Slowly, a pair of arms come up to wrap gingerly around him. “I’m alive, Gaku,” Tenn’s voice is very soft. “It’s alright. I’m here with you.”
“I...I’m sorry I endangered Nanase,” Gaku says, voice cracking. “I knew you would hate it. But you weren’t waking up, and I was afraid to wait.”
Tenn hugs him a little tighter. “Riku told you already, right? My life wasn’t in danger. Regardless of what you heard last night...” he falters slightly, then shakes his head. “I’m fine. It doesn’t matter, because you got both of us out in the end.”
But is it really?
He got them out this time. What about next time? And the time after that?
(“If not for you, Tenn-nii would never have gotten hurt!”)
Gaku knew he was the key reason for Tenn’s change of careers and the new dangers it exposed him to. It seemed fine, at the time. Tenn was clever and capable, quickly distinguishing himself as an invaluable asset through his medical expertise and sharp mind. Even with their habitual squabbles, they worked exceedingly well together.
And despite the tough and unsavory nature of his work, Gaku can hardly recall a time when he was happier. He’d gotten used to falling asleep next to Tenn’s presence, and waking up with a small body cuddled to his side for warmth. When they shared meals together, Tenn would complain about his singular menu but still empty his bowl of soba every time. Gaku didn’t have to make excuses to travel across the country and visit that civilian clinic anymore, because Tenn was already with him.
He hated doing this, but...with Tenn, it was a little more bearable.
But now, he wonders if he should have never made those visits in the first place. By allowing – no, encouraging Tenn to follow him, he’d torn Tenn away from the safety of a civilian life.
Everything Riku said was true.
“Do you ever think about going back to this clinic?” Gaku asks quietly.
Tenn looks caught off guard. “What’s that got to do with anything?”
“I was just...wondering if you missed it. You liked working here.”
“I do,” Tenn says, after a moment. He sounds contemplative. “But I'm not about to quit now. I made up my mind when I left, you know.”
Tenn doesn’t say it, but Gaku knows he enjoys his medical work much more than the field missions he takes now. Tenn is a good shot and an even better strategist, making him a natural asset on the backfield, but he used to wince every time he held up the gun. Tenn liked to help people. This kind of work doesn't suit him.
“Gaku?”
Some of Tenn’s earlier anger had faded. He looks mostly concerned now, peering up with large, inquisitive eyes. He gives a yelp when Gaku’s arms suddenly snake around his waist to pull him close against his chest.
“What are you– ouch,” Tenn hisses. “I’ve got stitches there!”
“Sorry.” Gaku loosens his grip, but keeps his face buried in the crook of Tenn’s neck. His words come out muffled. “Just let me stay like this for a while.”
Tenn huffs, but doesn’t protest. A second later, Gaku feels tender hands comb through his hair and the ghost of a kiss pressed against his cheek.
“When this is all over, I want to return to the clinic with Riku,” Tenn says gently. “Come back with me.”
“I’d make a lousy medical assistant.”
“Who said I’d want you as an assistant? No,” Tenn hums. “You can open up that soba restaurant you’ve always wanted. This plaza can do with a new place to eat, I think.”
Gaku laughs, sounding all choked up. “I’d like that.”
His current life is with Tenn. His future dreams are with Tenn, too, and he doesn’t want to give that up.
But the world had shown that it’s fully capable of tearing Tenn away from him.
Next time, he might not have a choice.
At a little past noon, Riku flips the sign on his window from “open” to “closed.”
“Is that okay?” Ryuu asks.
Riku turns the lock on everything, too. “I’ve taken care of all the appointments already. The afternoon is for walk-in patients, so there’s no problem if I close a little early.”
“I’m sorry we’ve caused you so much trouble, Riku.” Tenn shoots a pointed look at his two companions before turning back to his brother again. “We’ll leave today.”
“Today?” Riku parrots, looking startled. “But you’re not well enough to travel yet.”
“I won’t stay and put you at risk. Don’t worry, we’ll take the evening train.”
“That’s exactly why I’m worried!” Riku protests. “Tenn-nii, you can’t even walk by yourself right now. Just moving around might be enough to reopen your wounds. What if you get attacked on your way back?”
Tenn jabs a finger at Gaku and Ryuu. “I’ve got these two.”
“Yeah, because these two did such a good job at protecting you yesterday!”
Both Gaku and Ryuu wince. Riku does, too, like he didn’t mean to say that out loud.
“Anyways,” he continues, in a more even voice. “There’s no way you’re in any condition to leave right now. At least stay until you recover.”
Tenn shakes his head. “I won’t put you in any more danger.”
“Tenn-nii, you know that’s not–”
“This conversation is over, Riku.”
Riku opens his mouth with a look of frustration, but closes it without saying anything. This has been a recurring argument ever since Tenn left with Gaku, all those years ago. TRIGGER’s primary base of operations is not in this city, and missions rarely take them here. The twins would be lucky to see each other more than a couple times a year, now.
It was too difficult for Tenn to walk to the dining room, so the four of them squeezed into Riku’s tiny bedroom for lunch. Ryuu had cooked a delicious meal out of the sparse rations available, but there’s no denying the awkward atmosphere that hung over the room like a poisonous cloud. Riku all but inhales his food, and spends the rest of his time glaring down at the carpet like it had done him a personal insult.
There are red stains on it that probably won’t be coming out anytime soon.
“I’ll pay for you to get your carpet cleaned later, Nanase,” Gaku breaks the silence. It's a sorry apology after everything that had happened, but the least he can offer. “There’s blood on the couch, too. I’ll buy you a new one.”
“How kind of you, Yaotome-san,” Riku gives him an intent stare. Then, unexpectedly, his expression breaks into a smile. “In return, should I take a look at your wounds? You didn’t have the chance to patch them up yet, right?”
“Oh, no, it’s okay,” Gaku fumbles. To be honest, he’d almost gotten used to the sting and ache – it all just seemed so inconsequential next to all of their other problems. “Ryuu helped me with basic disinfectants, and I’m not as badly hurt anyways.”
“But you should still dress them properly! Here, let me.”
Springing to his feet, Riku begins to rifle through his drawers for medical equipment. Gaku takes off his shirt after some insistence, for a moment, he almost wonders if he’d imagined Riku’s murderous rage last night. The younger twin had been nothing but civil to him this morning. Really friendly, even.
Then Riku circles behind him and presses the antiseptic-soaked cotton swab to the wound on his back. Hard.
“Ow!” Gaku would consider himself to have a fairly high pain tolerance, but the sting and pressure almost makes him leap out of his seat. “What the–”
The swab presses down harder. “Did that hurt, Yaotome-san?” Riku asks innocently.
So that’s how it is. Last night was 100% real, after all.
“It’s fine,” Gaku says through gritted teeth. “A bit heavy-handed, though.”
“Really? I thought I was being gentle.”
“Don’t complain, Gaku,” Tenn chastises from the side. “These cuts are going to hurt, no matter how good of a doctor Riku is.”
A good doctor? Gaku bites down on his lip to stifle another undignified yelp. Then where’s the professionalism here?!
But it’s not like he doesn’t understand why Riku hates him. After last night, Gaku’s had a lot of time to consider everything that was said – and if their positions were reversed, he’d probably hate the person who stole Tenn away, too.
“I’ve been thinking,” he starts.
Tenn gives him a look that says go on, but it takes Gaku a couple more moments just to gather the words and mentally prepare himself. “I was thinking,” he says again, taking a deep breath. “Maybe you should stay here for a while, Tenn.”
Riku’s movements pause. At the same time, both Ryuu and Tenn’s head snaps in his direction. “What?”
“I want you to stay here until you recover,” Gaku repeats. “Ryuu and I will leave on the train tonight. But you should lay low at Nanase’s clinic until your wounds have healed.”
For a moment, Tenn looks so bewildered he doesn’t even know what to say. The surprise doesn’t last long, though, before it’s replaced by indignance. “The stitches are going to take weeks to come out!”
“That’s the point. You shouldn’t be moving around too much.”
“I’m not going to sit and wait for that long!” Tenn snaps. “At Riku’s clinic, no less. Didn’t we already establish that we won’t be using this place again?”
“I don’t mind, Tenn-nii–”
“You be quiet,” Tenn says, before turning back to Gaku. “Did you hit your head while I wasn’t looking? Because this is a terrible idea, even by your standards.”
There’s the instinctive urge to take the bait and snap back, but Gaku pushes it down. “I did think this through, more than you might believe.” He forces himself to look up, meeting Tenn’s confused gaze. “The fact that they haven’t come after us yet means that they’re not aware of your connection to Riku, and we already know their operations in this area are only temporary – it’s almost certain that their agents will be leaving within the next few days. When Ryuu and I take the train back, we’ll leave a trail. They’ll be too busy tracking us to waste any more time here.”
“So they’ll never notice that Tenn stayed behind,” Ryuu summarizes with a small frown. “We can pull that off, certainly, but…”
“But nothing. Tenn can spend a few weeks with Nanase, and they’ll both be safe.”
“There’s no reason for me to stay, though?”
“It’ll give you time to recover. You’ll be bedridden for a while, either way.”
“I can rest at headquarters!”
“Then why not do it here?” Gaku shoots back. He doesn’t want to part ways either, but the truth is that Tenn will be better off here; if he goes back, he’ll go stir-crazy within the week and start involving himself in work again, deadly wounds be damned. “Traveling will aggravate your wounds,” he says. “Is it really so bad to take a break?”
Tenn gives him an incredulous look. “There’s no time for breaks, Gaku. We have to go back and give our reports!”
“Then I’ll cover your part.”
“We need to start compiling information and thinking about our next steps!”
“I’ll update you over the phone.”
“Look here,” Tenn’s expression twists into a scowl. “Why are you so intent on–”
“I want you to stay, Tenn-nii!”
At Riku’s outburst, everyone stops to look at him. Even Tenn pauses in his furious tirade.
“I really want Tenn-nii to stay,” Riku says again, his mouth pressed into a thin, determined line. “Yaotome-san’s right this time. With injuries like that, you need to rest! If you’re going to be bedridden anyways, why do you insist on doing it back at the capital?”
“I...It’s just…”
When Tenn falters, Riku immediately seizes the opportunity to speak again. “Do you not want to spend time with me?”
“No!” Tenn recoils. “It’s not like that.”
“Then why? It won’t hurt for you to stay for a little longer, right?” Riku gazes at him with wide, beseeching eyes. “At least until I can remove your stitches. It’s been so long since you came to visit. Ever since you followed Yaotome-san into that job, I’ve hardly gotten to talk to you.”
There’s a flash of guilt on Tenn’s face. “Riku…”
“Let me steal you away for a bit,” Riku says. When he turns to look at Gaku, his eyes are a little softer. “That’s okay, isn’t it? Yaotome-san.”
This is the right thing to do. It’s the least he can do.
“Yeah. Take care of him for me, Nanase.”