“Yushiro, I think it’s happening again.” Everything was blurred and dull. The world looked gray, everything felt gray. It took everything in me to make it downstairs. A feeling of dread tangled deep in my chest, nearly suffocating me if I took a big enough breath. My throat burned and my stomach had pinpricks of pain threatening to make me hurl. My limbs were limp and my head spun. In the end I felt like nothing, a whirling expanse of blank space. It terrified me right to my very core.
“When did it start this time?” The soft voice cut through my hazy thoughts. My rope to safety, my sturdy rock, my salvation. Footsteps echoed in my ears making me cringe. I slowly opened my eyes as my vision cleared just enough to see Yushiro. Everything else fell away for a moment.
“I think about an hour ago. It snuck up on me,” I nearly choked out. He nodded in understanding as he slowly brought a hand up to my face.
“Is this okay?” he whispered. I nodded, gently leaning into his smooth palm. He leaned forward making our eyes meet. A part of me wanted to run. This was too close, too much. He must’ve felt my shift in attitude as he pulled back again. “Let’s bring you back to your room,” he offered.
My body tensed at the thought. It wasn’t the room that scared me but what had occurred in there. All these little down areas I keep falling into start in that room and I don’t want to go back.
I reached out desperately, grasping Yushiro’s sleeve with my remaining strength. His indigo eyes pierced mine with a cold intensity. His other arm wrapped around my shoulders and pulled me close, causing me to lean on him.
“Tell me. Should I get Lady Tamayo?” I shook my head lazily. I didn’t want to bother her. She’s already tried everything she could to make my symptoms go away. I’ve been dealing with these moments ever since my transformation though Lady Tamayo can’t find the cause or cure. It made me lose the light, fall into a deep, dark space I can’t crawl out of on my own.
“Don’t take me back there, please,” I fell against Yushiro’s chest. “Anywhere else,” I begged. His arms held me close gently, loose enough for me to escape if that urge overtook me. My face pressed into his robes as my body shuddered.
“We’ll go to my room then. Is that better?” he questioned quietly. I nodded half heartedly. It would be infinitely better. His arm curled around my middle, holding me firmly as he led the way to his room. We were silent the whole way, he knew how to treat me through these moments.
He guided me through his doorway and to his makeshift bed in the corner. It wasn’t much, just a bedroll with a blanket and pillow. He didn’t sleep here much, he didn’t really sleep at all, a part of being human I refused to give up.
Yushiro slowly lowered me to the sheets, him joining once I was safely laid back. Rolling on my side to face him, his lavender eyes skimmed my face. A hand reached out and began to caress my side lovingly. His body pushed flush against me, chest on chest, his face close to mine. Our noses brushed as his other hand cupped my face, his thumb massaging my jaw. There was a shake from inside of me, everything still hurt in its bland way but a little less.
“Focus on me,” his whisper tickled my lips. I clenched my eyes shut, nodding. My face was guided forward by his hand, our lips grazing against each other. Shivers shot down my spine as warmth spread to my cheeks. My arms reached out like the tendrils of a dying plant to the sunlight.
My hands found his chest before sliding to his shoulders and finally resting on his face. He exhaled against my mouth, our breath mixing. Our legs intertwined as my body released its tension, my muscles relaxing after what felt like an eternity of stress.
Yushiro’s very existence seemed to grasp onto mine. My senses became full of him. His scent in my nose, his breath on my mouth, his face in my hands, his body against mine. My thoughts calmed down as they focused on one target.
He pulled away too soon as we both attempted to catch our breath. My nerves were on fire but the burn was better than the numbing cold. I pulled him back to me as heat crept into my body once again, a sad imitation of human warmth.
He was ever so gentle even as I grew more eager and restless. His soft hands roaming from my chest to my stomach tenderly. These new stinging emotions cutting up my insides were as close to human as I’ll ever get again and I wasn’t ready to give them up yet, if not ever. Hot tears rolled down my face in both grievance and passion.
“Stop that.” I bit my tongue at his words. He had paused his loving actions probably to take in my expression and cause for crying. No eye contact was made, on my part anyway.
I pulled my hands to my chest, drawing myself away from him. His hands however grazed my face, not letting me turn away completely. He knew why I became desperate like this, he was aware of the fact that his kissing me made me feel human again. He sighed as I didn’t acknowledge him.
“Just go slow. We have all night if that’s what it takes to get you through this,” he consoled. My eyes met his. His sincerity burned right through my selfish desires.
“What would I do without you?” I whispered. And there was nothing to be said after that. We both knew I wouldn’t be here. The rest of the night went by slowly and sweetly. His touches were soothing as I did my best to copy him.
Color seeped back into my existence and the world became a little more bearable. By the end of it all I lay in Yushiro’s arms fast asleep and dreaming of a future where nothing came between us, where everything was alright for the rest of our eternities.
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