Chapter Text
The abandoned garage Kuroda frequented looked a whole lot more normal in the day time, Kusumi had to admit. When they were dating, the man had always dragged him to the place in the late hours to drink or fight with his friends. Kusumi hadn't liked any of Kuroda's friends — they were too loud and mean and touchy — they'd liked Kusumi but not in ways that made the boy comfortable. At night the walls seemed to hold endless shadows and towered above him, swallowing him up. But right now, with the sun glittering on its metal entryway, it didn't look scary at all.
He looked at the rest of his assembled schoolmates, shrugging his shoulders and pointing around the building. The garage door wasn't open and it wasn't something easy to open by hand, so the side door was the best way inside.
Enomoto went first and at their initial glance, the coast was clear. Kusumi saw the doorway, unguarded and unlocked — someone was here though. The chains would be on the door if it was completely empty.
"Oh! Wow, Kuroda-san said you might figure it out, Mimi-kun," a taunting voice called out behind them.
Kusumi spun around with the rest of his friends. Sure enough Kuroda's group had staked out the entrance and had them surrounded. Kusumi looked up, jaw tight. There were three hovering on the railings above them and another four on the ground behind them. The main guy, Sato, stood in advance of the others, sneering from ear to ear as he mocked Kusumi. "But it's too bad you won't get through us. Your friend's having a good time with the boss, we don't want to interrupt."
Kusumi's fists clenched at his side and he stepped forward, but an arm pushed him back. The older boy lifted his gaze, peering through his bangs at Sakura.
"Go on. Get to Kaji," Sakura said, a smug smile stretching across his lips, "We've got these idiots."
Sato cocked his head, face contorting angrily. "Don't start talking high and mighty, br—" Sakura's fist made contact mid-sentence, sending Sato flying across the dirt.
Kusumi remembered having the chance to see some of Sakura in action during the Keel fight months ago, but he'd been more focused on his own fights. He stared for a moment in awe. The dual-toned boy turned back to him, swiping his hand at the air.
"Go!"
Sato was sitting up, yelling, "Well? Don't just stand there, dipshits. Get them!"
Kusumi looked back to Enomoto and Suo. Suo simply tilted his head with a faint smile before sidling up to Sakura. Enomoto nodded his head.
"Go. We're right behind you."
Kusumi nodded, turning around and bolting for the door. Behind him Sato practically shrieked. "Do not let him get through that door!"
The three from above dropped down, blocking his path. Kusumi grit his teeth together, shoving the closest away with a firm kick. The man stumbled back into a second, the two almost tumbling to the ground. The third tried to rush Kusumi, but Enomoto grabbed him by the arm, shoving a right hook into his chest. For a brief moment, Kusumi and Enomoto met eyes and Enomoto cocked his head sharply towards the door. He understood loud and clear.
Kusumi dodged around the one guy trying to still stop him, having managed to keep his footing after all. It was almost too easy to nudge him out of the way with another kick, sending him flying back to Enomoto. After that, the doorway was clear and Kusumi was inside in a blink.
Inside Kusumi felt the temperature immediately drop, a chill rising up his spine. The garage was dark, no evidence within that the sun was high and bright outside. The shadows that had been haunting his dreams were everywhere, looming and waiting. As much as he wanted to dash to the far west end of the garage where he knew Kuroda had likely set up, Kusumi knew he had to be careful. Kuroda had more than seven friends, there could easily be more waiting in the shadows.
He took it slow, an agonizing walk across the expanse as he watched every shadow for movement. Surprisingly though, Kusumi made it to his destination without any difficulty. There was no stealth in this place though, not for him. Even as quiet as he may have tried to be, his shoes still made faint tip-taps on the dusty floor, kicking debris in his wake.
The lamplight hovering in the distance grew brighter as he approached, the scene unfolding clearly as he grew closer. Kuroda had his back to the entrance, leaning back against a table covered in various implements simply made for inflicting pain. Beyond him Kusumi saw an uncharacteristically subdued Kaji restrained to a metal chair. He was still too far to see how either of them looked, but close enough to notice that Kaji was at least breathing.
A few yards out Kuroda must have finally caught the sound of Kusumi's steps. He tilted his head back, peering at Kusumi curiously. A smug smile stretched across his lips as he pushed himself off the table and meandered towards Kaji.
"You're way earlier than I expected, can't believe you figured me out so fast." He pressed a finger to his chin, musing to himself. "Shouldn't have left you a hint probably, but I couldn't help myself."
Kusumi felt sick at the way Kuroda looked at him. Like he could lay claim to him with only his gaze. A strange anger boiled inside of him, one that wanted to pluck the other's eyes out for making him feel this way at all.
"I wanted to make it hurt, you know. You two getting together, right after you dumped me so rudely — that really stung, Yuto." Kuroda placed two hands on Kaji's shoulders and gripped tightly. "But I can't say I didn't want to spend a little more time alone with Kaji. We've been having such a great time."
Kusumi tried not to glance at the table, at what he knew was there. At the blood covering each and every tool, at the droplets all over the ground. Tried not to focus on the way Kaji's breathing stuttered, or how he didn't grumble or snarl when the other touched him. Or how his face was more bruise than skin. How his hoodie was stained with so much blood it almost looked like an intentional dye job.
He did, however, plant his feet firmly, hissing through his rarely used vocal chords. "Shut up."
The smile on Kuroda's face grew ever wider and his grip relaxed slightly, one hand dropping out of Kusumi's view. The other hand lounged on Kaji for a moment as Kuroda watched the other boy across from him. Then finally his lips twisted, a smile still, but different — a sneer.
"Quit acting like you've got the balls to face me, Yuto. What's a weak little tranny boy like you think you're going to do to me anyway? Hmmm? We both know you're just a big scaredy cat! You needed to get Kaji boy here to save you…"
Kuroda twisted his hand in Kaji's blonde, blood-stained locks and pulled. The other boy grimaced, furrowing bloody brows, eyes fluttering at the pain. Still holding onto some sense of consciousness it seemed, but barely. Kusumi was still grateful. It meant Kaji knew he was here, that he wasn't alone. He grit his teeth, fists tightening.
"…Twice, in fact," Kuroda continued, "You think you can face me by yourself? With him like this?" Kuroda shoved Kaji's head away and Kusumi's heart twisted when Kaji simply slumped forward rather than lifting himself back up. He was completely spent.
"You think he's alone, asshole?"
Kuroda looked over Kusumi's shoulder as Sakura and assumedly the rest of Kusumi's friends joined them. The man's lips turned downwards in a frown.
"More riffraff and garbage, huh?" His eyes turned back on Kusumi. "You couldn't even protect yourself, Yuto — you think you can protect your boyfriend?"
Kusumi heard Enomoto take a deep breath beside him, but he raised a hand for quiet and shook his head. Then he pointed a forceful finger at Kuroda, swallowing every bit of rage and hate and letting it boil into his stomach. Let it fuel him.
"Give. Him. Back. Or else."
A ripple of shock seemed to go through the rest of his classmates, tension building at the sound of Kusumi's voice. It was firm and demanding, even in its hesitancy. But Kuroda seemed unfazed, lips lifting back up into the smug look he'd had when Kusumi arrived, taunting him. Kusumi dropped his hands to his side and tightened his fists again as he glared, a threat behind his eyes. Kuroda didn't know him at all.
It wasn't this easy before. He couldn't fight for himself. He didn't even like himself. He didn't want to admit that he loved his best friend and thought they could never be together. So he'd run into the arms of the first person that told him he was pretty and then once he was trapped, he'd let that same person torture him like a cat did a mouse. Because he thought he deserved nothing else, because he thought leaving meant admitting no one would ever love him.
Back then, he hadn't wanted Kaji to fight for him. He didn't think he was worth the trouble. But Kaji had been so upset about the abuse, so broken up, that Kusumi didn't know what else to do. He wanted out. He wanted to be saved. How could he say no when Kaji wanted it too? How could he let it go on if it hurt the one person he truly cared about?
Because for better or worse, Kusumi didn't think he was worth fighting for, but Kaji —Kaji was worth dying for.
"Yuto, I'll make you a deal okay?" Kusumi cocked his head in curiosity, listening, even though deep down he already knew he wouldn't take a single offer the snake held out for him. It was all poison in the end.
"Leave Furin and Kaji-kun. Come back to me. I'll be good. I'll treat you better. And I'll never bother your friends ever again."
Kusumi frowned, his nails digging dangerously into his palms as a shake began in his shoulders. Kuroda had lifted the hand he was hiding and was now dancing a blade across the bare skin of Kaji's neck. He hovered, leaning forward ever so slightly to press the metal against Kaji's throat. The blonde noticeably held his breath, and Kusumi almost darted forward, as did Sakura and Enomoto beside him, stopping only when Kuroda snapped. "None of you move!"
He peered up at Kusumi, blinking through dark brown eyes that were hard to see in the dim. "If you don't come with me now, Yuto, I'll take everything away from you. Until I am all you have left. You will never be rid of me."
The world started to shake and spin. Kusumi felt like the air had been driven out of him, like a punch to the gut. The terror of loss that he had never experienced before, but always feared. Kuroda really meant it too, he knew that, he was that obsessed.
Kaji's lips were moving, the blonde trying to lift his head. "Kusumi…" he breathed, weak and hoarse, "Don—"
The knife dug into Kaji's throat, silencing him as Kuroda interrupted with a growl. "What will you choose, Yuto?"
Kusumi was actively gasping, as if he was the one being cut into, as if someone was choking him, as if the oxygen in the air was disappearing forever. But his eyes were not on Kuroda's intimidating gaze, but on the fresh red line dripping down Kaji's throat. The crimson attestation of the looming threat. It was so red. All of it was red. Kusumi felt it drowning him. It felt like it was all over his hands. Thick and viscous and sticky and wrong — everything was wrong. Kusumi couldn't breathe, couldn't think. The floor was collapsing underneath him.
Static roared loudly in his ears and then suddenly…everything was going dark, shadows dragging Kusumi into the abyss.
The next thing Kusumi was aware of was yelling in the distance. He couldn't quite make it out, didn't recognize the voices. He became vaguely aware of his own body, but it was as if he was an observer rather than in control. Looking through his eyes while someone else entirely moved his limbs.
His fists were colliding with something solid. Again and again and again. Faintly, he noted pain shrieking from his knuckles through his wrists, a familiar feeling that only arose in long, drawn out brawls where he had no time to rest. In endless fights that had gone for way too long. Whoever — whatever — had control of him did not stop striking, letting the pain rattle up his bones with a strange feeling of unnerving delight instead.
He smelled blood. It was so close, the air reeked of it. Everything was red and he couldn't see beyond it, completely blinded. The yelling was so close all of a sudden…was he…was that his name he just heard?
"Kusumi, stop…Kusumi!"
Arms wrapped around his shoulders, a heavy weight trying to pull him back. The familiar warmth that spread through Kusumi seemed to cut through the static and red film. The world slowly began slotting into place, like a puzzle piece that had lost its edge. Correct and real, but not quite right…
A voice, so close… "Kusumi…please. This isn't you."
Kaji?
Kusumi finally found his connection to his muscles, like a puppeteer regaining control of a marionette. He stopped trying to pull away from the pressure of a head pressed into his back, letting the world spin around him. He felt his breath gasping out of his lungs, shuddering through his chest. He glanced down, Kuroda's unconscious form coming into full clarity on the ground. The man's face was all but smashed in, collapsed back where Kusumi had assumedly released him when Kaji had grabbed him. Kusumi's hands were covered in blood, half Kuroda's and half his own, knuckles cracked and bleeding.
Oh…oh…
Kusumi's legs gave out under him, turning to jelly below his waist and sending him to his knees. Kaji followed, refusing to let him go, head still buried against Kusumi's spine. Kusumi wanted to look at him, wanted to hold him in return. But he realized he understood Kaji a little better now. That fear of the horror in his eyes. The disgust rippling through his own stomach. He knew Kaji of all people would never judge him for this, and yet facing his boyfriend after losing control in such a way was the most terrifying thing next to losing him in the first place.
Slowly though, Kusumi focused on the rise and fall of Kaji's chest against his back and his own breathing steadied. He began to relax, reaching up and tenderly grabbing onto Kaji's fingers. He tried not to think about how bloody his hands were, how he shouldn't touch Kaji right now. How he'd probably taint him. He unclasped Kaji's hands from around his neck, carefully holding them as he turned to face the other boy. The blonde still looked pretty out of it, but he gazed into Kusumi's eyes, searching for awareness there. Kusumi heard him breathe a sigh of relief, pulling a hand free to wipe his fingers over Kusumi's cheek. Kusumi felt something wet smear across his skin in the wake of the gesture and wondered if it was tears or blood.
"You scared me," Kaji whispered.
Kusumi's lips trembled, fingers tightening on the hand he was still holding. He gently leaned his forehead against Kaji's, closing his eyes. He'd been scared too.
"Sorry…" he breathed back softly.
"It's okay," Kaji murmured, voice sounding airy and tired, "Welcome back."
The two sat like that for a few moments more, simply sharing in the unspoken relief of being together, of being alive and well at the end of it all. It was Enomoto who finally broke the quiet silence of the couple's breathing.
"We should really get out of here guys…before anyone decides to wake up."
Kusumi leaned away from Kaji and looked over at his friends, sheepishly expecting something…bad. But there was no sign of fear or discomfort or anything similar in any of the gazes focused on him. He saw only concern and relief, a mix of weak smiles and friendly reassurance. Kusumi exhaled slowly and nodded. He looked back to Kaji and squeezed his hand again.
"I'll carry you," he murmured, a faint smile lifting his lips as even now Kaji tried to protest. The blonde had little choice in the matter, however, since he wasn't as conscious as he wanted to pretend he was. It didn't stop him from trying to complain and pout, but the inevitable outcome was still his head pressed into Kusumi's neck as they walked home. Kusumi couldn't help how tight he held onto the other, keeping him ever so close and safe.
Kusumi had held his bow before Umemiya for far longer than was probably necessary. But he felt it was still proper, after all the trouble he had caused his classmates and his boyfriend and now the school as a whole. But when the older boy spoke, his voice was warm and there was no indication that he thought it was a burden.
"Thank you for telling us, Kusumi. I'm so sorry this has been happening, but I'm glad you and Kaji are safe now. But please…"
Kusumi didn't expect the firm hand clapped on his shoulder, gentle and encouraging, urging him to raise his head to look up at his leader. There was a smile on Umemiya's face, as warm as the body heat passing through his fingers. To his side, Hiragi looked similar, eyes hiding a faint pain of worry but undoubtedly protective. Kusumi stared at Umemiya, waiting for him to finish his sentence.
"Let your older brothers handle the rest? Okay?"
Kusumi fumbled for his phone, a quick message typed in a blur.
But…you don't need to get involved.
Umemiya's smile stretched wider, patting Kusumi's shoulder.
"Focus on your studies and dreams and don't worry anymore. He won't bother you again."
And though Kusumi couldn't see it in Umemiya's eyes, there was something dangerous in his words. A firm, unshakeable promise. He nodded slowly, leaning back on his thighs, before finally getting up to his feet to say good-bye.
"Kusumi…"
The boy paused, fingers on the door leading from the roof. He turned to face Hiragi. The older blonde was smiling fondly. "I'm glad you and Kaji have each other. Don't beat yourself up about what happened, okay? You make him very happy. Nothing will change that."
Kusumi felt his face flare red with a blush and he bowed several times in a rush before bolting away. Umemiya chuckled warmly for a moment before he frowned, looking over at Hiragi.
"We can't kill anyone," he asserted, as if he knew exactly what the other was thinking.
Hiragi smirked. "We can break a few bones though, right?"
Umemiya laughed. "Of course. He's earned more than a few."