His Other Half (KiriBaku)

Chapter 28

October 17th, XX84
-The Colosseum-
Still a little bit of aftermath. We're moving on soon.

Eijiro hummed against the prince's head, rocking softly on his heels. He threaded one hand through the fluffy blonde spikes to hold him to his chest, the other hand following a smooth path up and down Katsuki's back. He'd stopped most of his shaking, but hiccuping sobs still racked his battered form.

Eijiro kept him in his arms, knowing that Katsuki just needed something steady to cling to, a quiet, dark place to finally process the things that had happened to him. The worse things that almost did. Now that the duel was over, he could rest. He could get his wounds retreated properly, Shuzenji's way, and the memories could begin to fade with the pain gone.

It was when Katsuki turned to press his nose against Eijiro's neck that the gladiator knew he was ready to be moved. Ei loosened his arms and let Katsuki pull back with a final sniffle, smiling gently at his tear-stained face. Kat glowered at him, but the look faded when Eijiro pressed the gentlest of kisses against his temple, then another against the bruise around his eye. Katsuki pulled a hand up to press lazily against the side of his face, and Eijiro turned to kiss that too.

"Let's get you back to Her Majesty," Ei prodded lightly. "We've kept her waiting long enough for her explanation."

Katsuki nodded quietly. He looked over to the balcony, to the half-vacated stands and the bloodied sand far below, before turning for the door. Tenya was there on the other side where he hadn't been before, and he offered the prince only a solemn nod as he passed. He fell into step beside Eijiro, only a pace behind. Ei noticed his grip tighten and relax over his sword hilt, anxious and tense.

"I believe you knew my brother," he said quietly out of the blue.

Eijiro blinked. Tenya hadn't spoken much to him since his return, existing as not much more than a ghost over Prince Katsuki's shoulder. But he was here trying to make normal conversation, even after Eijiro had just done something very gruesome and terrifying. "Apologies, but my memory still isn't what it used to be. Your bother would be?"

"Tensei," the guard chuckled. "When you knew him, he was training as a squire, apprenticed to one of the Queen's Knights. He used to speak very highly of you."

A very faint image pulled at Eijiro, just the whisper of a voice, but he paused. "Forgive me off this comes wrong, but you speak as if your brother has passed."

"He is not what he used to be," Tenya sighed. "Even so, when I visited him recently, he seemed to be in brighter spirits. He asked me if I would be a visit from you."

"Tell me where he is," Eijiro smiled, happy to oblige.

"Ask Shuzenji. I believe you'll be seeing her soon." He nodded forward, forcing Eijiro to recognize that the cut in his thigh was still bleeding and would definitely need to be treated soon.

The hall opened up then, the Queen and King gathered with the bickering court and the highest members of the royal guard. Sparing a nod at King Masaru, Tenya broke away to brief his men, leaving Katsuki with Eijiro.

Katsuki reached back for Eijiro at once, searching for his comfort, and the redhead was quick to take his arm. He could tell Katsuki was trying not to hide, to shrink under the expected judgement of the court, and he offered his support in whatever way he could. He slowed their approaching steps, stalling for the extra seconds that Katsuki could use to compose himself.

Nerves got the better off the prince. "He was a good man," he blurted quietly. "Tensei, I mean. I didn't think you'd remember. He was the older squire tasked with protecting me. Us. When..."