Days Without Sun

Safe

Usagi-san!

Misaki's heart thundered in his chest. His mind spun, barely able to comprehend and fearful of believing what he saw. He wanted to cry out but found himself completely at a loss, unable to make any sound but a gasp.

Coming down the hall towards him was his Usagi-san, but in such a state that Misaki was filled with an indescribable pain. His usually dapper Rabbit was naked but for a pair of black pants. Usagi's leanly muscled torso shone with sweat and blood against skin far paler than usual. His normally sensual gait was hobbled.

In this moment, Usagi-san had never looked so terrible or so beautiful to Misaki.

Their eyes met and Misaki felt an overwhelming rush.

His pounding heart lurched when Usagi-san suddenly dropped to his knees as though his legs had been cut out from under him. Pulling himself as quickly he could on trembling arms, Misaki rushed forward.

Akihiko knelt unmoving for a moment. Nothing in all his life, nothing he'd experienced, no scenario he had ever conjured as an author could ever have prepared him for the emotions that surged like a current through his veins the moment he understood that his Misaki was alive. The force of it drove him to his knees; it rendered him speechless.

Tears filled Akihiko's eyes, the overflow of his flooded senses.

Misaki...

What welled and rolled down his cheeks was a bittersweet mixture: overwhelming joy that Misaki had endured, and tremendous pain at how terribly his beautiful Blossom had been ravaged by his ordeal.

Akihiko roused when he saw Misaki laboring to draw near him. He heaved himself to his feet, but only made it a few strides before his strength left him and he found himself crashing to his knees once more. Unhindered by the realization that he could no longer hold himself upright, Akihiko scrabbled forward on hands and knees.

Akihiko and Misaki neared each other at last, but each stopped just short of the other. It was as if both were suddenly fearful that when they reached out, the figure before them would disappear and they would wake once more to find this reunion, like so many before, was nothing but a dream.

At last, Akihiko stretched a bloodied hand forward. Long fingers offered the gentlest of touches as he brushed the cropped, brown hair at Misaki's temple.

Misaki didn't flinch as a moment later this same hand slipped down and Usagi's palm, strangely warm, gently cupped the side of his bruised cheek.

Akihiko's whole arm tremored as the sensation of this touch jolted through him like a burst of electricity. His other hand moved to cradle the other side of Misaki's face. Akihiko lightly swept his thumb over his beloved's broken bottom lip.

Misaki closed tear-filled eyes. He stilled himself as much as his trembling limbs would allow and let Usgi-san's fingers caress him. Akihiko's own tears multiplied as his hand traveled over Misaki's sunken cheeks, they traced his damp brow. Pale eyes caught and cataloged every detail.

Misaki could feel the wetness of his tears trapped between his cheek and Usagi-san's hand. He turned his head slightly and pressed a kiss to the side of Usagi's palm. He heard the choking exhale this act pulled from his Rabbit and felt his lover's other hand still. Pushing further into Akihiko's touch, Misaki rested the weight of his heavy head in the smooth palm that held him. He felt Usagi's other hand begin to move again.

He tensed when gentle fingers began to trail down his neck.

Akihiko paused again, but only for a moment, then his fingertips feathered over the mottled-purple band left behind by Korovin on Misaki's throat.