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Breathe. Breathe. Breathe.
Rift-portals surrounded him and they kept coming. Coming from him, and he knew it was dangerous but he couldn’t stop them.
No, he was far too concerned with keeping his deep, heavy sobs silent, hidden from those outside his door, trying to contain them.
What had happened? Yoru didn’t even know.
Perhaps jumping from dimension to dimension was wearing him down mentally. But Yoru had been doing it since the First Light with no issues.
No, he knew the root cause no matter how much he’d try to hide it.
He hid everything from the other agents - his desperation, sadness, uncertainty, all masked behind a veil of arrogance. And it seemed to work. The others wanted nothing to do with him. Just as Yoru wanted.
That was what he thought, anyway. All he could think of was how he wished for somebody to hold him now.
The emotions sweeping over him confused and yet angered him. Why is this happening?! Hands gripped at his hair and tugged fruitlessly, the normally sleek, combed black-and-blue hairstyle now messy and everywhere.
“Yoru? Is something the matter in there?”
The thick British accent was unmistakable. Of all the agents to find him like this, Yoru wished for Phoenix to be the last. The two had a rivalry of sorts and he was more than certain he’d be made fun of.
He stumbled to his feet, clutching the wall for support as spots danced in his vision from sitting in fetal position for so long. Straightened his jacket, rubbed at his eyes, tried and failed to tame his hair - trying to look at least a little like he wasn’t losing his mind.
He opened the door. Leaning against the doorway in the most casual way possible.
“What is it?”
Phoenix eyed him up and down for a long second.
“You look like shit,” he observed, making Yoru huff a bit indignantly. Even in such a state, his appearance was probably his biggest concern.
“Why, tha-” he started sarcastically, but Phoenix stopped him midway, getting all up in his face and making Yoru stumble backwards.
“No, I mean it. Something is wrong, what-” The Brit paused, glancing over Yoru’s shoulder into the mess that was his room - covered in portals, some active, some not.
“What the hell is this? Why all the...portals?” he questioned, genuinely confused.
“I, uh..” Yoru faltered. Everything was going wrong. He turned away from Phoenix and gripped his temples, feeling an oncoming headache. “ Imaimashī, Phoenix, just leave me alone, will you?” His voice was faltering and Yoru was struggling to stop it from cracking from the oncoming tears.
Phoenix had never, never seen Yoru like this before. Never seen him past that annoying, smug exterior. He had to wonder - how often had Yoru been like this? Breaking down, in need of help, with no one in sight? He felt bad for the guy. Phoenix might be a people person, but he wasn’t great at emotions. But damn if he wouldn’t try.
“Yoru.”
Silence.
“Yoru, look at me.”
Ignored again.
With one hand, Phoenix gently grabbed Yoru’s chin, forcing their eyes to meet - and instead of their normal, bright arrogance, those dark blue eyes held a broken, chaotic sadness, a clash of overburdening emotions.
He tried to pull away. “Phoenix, no-”
But Phoenix wasn’t having any of that. He wrapped one arm around Yoru’s back and forced him closer; Yoru gasped and fell forward, not having expected the action. At first Yoru tried to push away again - but eventually, finally, he gave in and returned the embrace, stuffing his face into the crook of Phoenix’s neck, trying to hide, muffle the sobs.
Phoenix was burning hot, a heat that seared Yoru’s skin and calmed him in the oddest of ways.
Why was this happening? Why?
He wanted to push Phoenix away, tell him to leave, but he just couldn’t bring himself to. Especially when Phoenix gently led him to the bed, Yoru never even daring to look up, as if he were a frightened child, because what if this wasn’t real?
“Hey, it’s okay.”
Phoenix’s hands moved, one gently pressing circles into his back and the other stroking his disgruntled hair, and it was just so comforting , enough to calm his erratic sobbing. Phoenix’s fingertips left simmering trails of warmth everywhere they moved, a feeling like no other - usually Yoru was not a physical guy, not like he had time for it anyway. Being so touch starved only made it feel so much better.
It felt like hours, and at the same time only a few minutes when Phoenix started to move again. And Yoru whimpered, a noise he’d certainly be mortified of producing in the morning, reluctant for the other to move.
Phoenix chuckled at just how clingy Yoru was. “Oi, mate, I gotta move. My legs are falling asleep ‘ere.”
“Oh…” Red tinted Yoru’s cheeks as he reluctantly let go, and without Phoenix’s warmth he suddenly felt so cold. This was all so uncharacteristic of him and he hated it, hated it so much.
Phoenix stood up, stretching his legs, when Yoru shot up, placing both hands shakily on his shoulder. “
Matsu!
” he exclaimed, pitifully. Phoenix turned his head to meet the rift-maker’s gaze, shocked at the
fear
he saw in those blue eyes. But afraid of
what?
“Don’t leave. Please,” Yoru all but begged. “I can’t- I just-... please stay.”
That soft, pleading voice, the eyes that were close to tears - how could Phoenix say no? It seems he was discovering an entirely new side of Yoru, and he wasn’t even sure that the rift-maker had been aware of it.
“Of course - of course. You tired? We can sleep - it’s okay.” Gently, Phoenix laid him down, and like a magnet to a fridge Yoru attached to him, hands wrapping around Phoenix’s neck, face nuzzling deeply into Phoenix’s collar - as if Yoru were trying to get as close as physically possible.
“Hey, I’m not going nowhere. It’s ‘aight.” One hand returned to softly patting Yoru’s streaked, messy hair, and he was already visibly relaxing, breathing slowing down.
Inside, Phoenix was glowering. Who knew that Yoru had this side to him? It seemed that even the arrogant, self-sufficient duelist needed some caring for every once in a while. And Phoenix could definitely get used to that.
Yoru wasn’t asleep yet. His breathing was still shallow, and he kept sighing out of content - it was cute, honestly. Yoru was awfully cute when he wasn’t being a cocky shit.
“Phoenix? You won’t leave?”
Yoru’s voice was so pathetically tiny that Phoenix couldn’t help but grin.
“Course not, mate. I’m here as long as you want me."