Always Is Forever Semishira

Bullies

Warning: includes negative personal thoughts, bullying, and self harm.
Disclaimer: all the characters are the property of Haruichi Furudate except for the bullies. I made them up. The art does not belong to me. Author-chan out!

The next day, Semi and Shirabu walked to volleyball practice together. Semi kept an eye on his new boyfriend throughout practice. He noticed how carefully he moved. He never moved his arms very fast, and didn't stretch his arms out straight at all, even to set. During receiving drills, the setter dove carefully, using his hands to deflect most of the landing impact from his front. He even wore long sleeves, saying he was cold.

At one point, Tendou came up behind Shirabu and put his hands on his shoulders. Shirabu flinched and hunched his shoulders before realizing it was just Tendou. 

Semi clenched his jaw. He didn't get frightened easily. After practice, Semi let Shirabu go on ahead and leave alone like he normally did. Then the ash blonde followed him. Shirabu walked to the second year hallway, going to his first class. 

Two tall boys came up to him. One took a hold of Shirabu's shoulder and the other his arm. They smiled cheerfully, but there was something off. He looked closer, then realized something. How close they were to him. How their friendly, affectionate seeming touch prevented him from leaving. How he couldn't move. His resigned body language, like it was a daily occurence. Which it probably was. 

The two boys pulled him into the storage closet and closed the door. Semi got close enough to hear them.

"Hey, you little faggot," one boy sneered inside the closet. "Why haven't you killed yourself yet?"

"You should," the other boy chimed in. "You're so ugly, I bet not even boys like you." Semi heard a muffled sob, then a gasp.

Bam! He threw the door open. The two boys were pinning Shirabu to the wall. One was punching his stomach, leaving him gasping for breath.

Semi ran forward and grabbed their uniform collars, yanking them away from Shirabu. He crashed their heads together. He slammed them into the wall with so much force the wall made a cracking sound. He punched them both in the stomach. They doubled over.

White hot fury surrounded the ash blonde male. He leaned in close and whispered into their ears. "Being gay is not a sin. Being like you is. Never. Fucking. Touch. Shirabu. Again." He released them and held up his index finger. "You have two seconds to apologize."

The two bullies practically fell over themselves bowing and apologizing. When Semi was satisfied, he took Shirabu's hand and pulled him out of the storage room. He made the "I'm watching you" motion with his free hand at the bullies and closed the door on them.

Shirabu smiled, a rare thing. Semi was still so not over seeing his smile.

He didn't let go of Semi's hand, either. He looked up at him with soft trust in his lovely gaze. "Thank you."

Semi smiled at him. "Let's go to my house, Shirabu. You need more soothing cream," he nodded at his bruised stomach.

"This is nothing, and there's school," the setter protested. Semi's face darkened.

"If you think that's nothing, you need more cream. We're going to my house," he decided. He walked out of the school, gently but firmly pulling Shirabu with him. He didn't really try to resist. He wanted to spend as much time as possible with him anyway.

They got to Semi's home quickly enough, not separating their hands the whole way. The ash blonde went and got a first aid kit and more of the soothing cream they had used yesterday. While he did so, Shirabu perched on the couch, looking around with interest. Semi's house was very clean and orderly, unlike his own.

Semi returned. He sat down in front of the smaller setter. "Take your shirt off, I need to see what I'm doing properly," he said gently. Shirabu was still wearing a long sleeved shirt. 

He crossed his arms. He lifted his shirt up, but not off, keeping his arms covered. A single look from Semi stopped him. "Why not?" He demanded. 

"I'm ugly," Shirabu muttered, not looking Semi in the eye. "Trust me, you don't want to see me shirtless."

Semi put his fingers under Shirabu's chin and made him look up. "Excuse me, I think my ears aren't working properly. Because there is no way in hell the most beautiful person on Earth just called himself ugly." He blushed, but didn't stop talking. "You look fine, Shirabu, you just need to realize that. Those are just thoughts the two bullies put in your head," he tapped Shirabu's forehead, "and they need to get out. Because they aren't true. So stop thinking that." 

Shirabu blushed redder than a tomato, but still didn't take his shirt off. Semi frowned. Quicker than he could react, Semi grabbed his sleeve and pulled it up to his shoulder, revealing cuts all over his arm. He slapped his hand away and covered his arm, but too late.

"I suspected, but I didn't want to believe it," Semi said quietly, his eyes wet.

"You suspected?"

Semi's face was sad. "Shirabu, most people who attempt suicide self harm first. I hoped you were one of the few who don't, but I saw how carefully you move in practice. Like you're afraid of hurting yourself if you move too fast, or stretch your arms too much." 

Making an abrupt decision, Shirabu ripped his shirt off, exposing his slender chest. Cuts marked his arms. Bruises speckled his front. Semi's heart broke yet again. He wanted to hug Shirabu and never let go.

He settled for taking his hands and chastely kissing him on the cheek, not wanting to move too fast. He touched the cuts lightly. They weren't even bandaged. Tears dripped from his face at the sight.

"Why didn't you bandage these? They've got to hurt whenever you move," he murmured. He took some bandages from the first aid kit and began to wrap them around Shirabu's injured arms.

"I didn't want to," the smaller setter replied. "I figured if they healed on their own, well and good, and if they got infected, I deserved it, so it didn't matter either way. And bandages would have shown up against tight sleeves."

"Shirabu…" Semi finished with the bandage. The ash blonde kissed his sturdy yet delicate hands. "You don't deserve it. Don't ever cut again. I'll help you with everything." He leaned toward his face, going slow so he could move away if he wanted to. But he didn't. Their lips met. 

"I need you here, with me. When you cut, it makes always shorter. Make always last forever, Shirabu. Please." Tears fell from both their cheeks.

"I promise, Semi. Always is forever."