During The Storm [Giyushino]

Chapter 1

A/N: And I oop-

Would you look at that, it's a work that's been in the works probably since last year. I work I'm finally getting around to finishing, and Shinobu will show up in the next chapter.

WARNING: Blood and injury but not in graphic detail.

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The rain always seemed to haunt him, when he's in a misfortunate situation, it's always right around the corner to meet him in the aftermath of it.

Today is one of those situations where the rain has found its way to worm into his life once more and bring him what seems like to bring another wave of neverending wave of misery upon him. It seems as if that's all life like's to do to him, beat him down, and then beat him down some more when he thinks it's done. A neverending cycle.

Whenever things are going relatively well for him, take meeting Sabito for example, and finally having a friend, the night that they went to the final selection it was raining as if foreboding his doom and when he left without Sabito you guess exactly what had happened there too.

The walk to Urokodaki after the final selection was a walk where the rain haunted his every step down the mountain, trudging through the muddy slop that'd become the ground. He clings onto the haori of Sabito with his life, not willing to let go. Urokodaki only needed to see the haori to know what happened, that night he clings to the older man, silently sobbing into his chest the older man lets a few tears fall from under the mask. They spend the rest of their night in silence as his sensei patches his wounds and sends him off to bed.

That night with shaky hands, he sews both Sabito and his older sisters, Tsutako, haori's together and gets the one he wears present day. The fabrics are too precious to him to let them go to waste, so he doesn't let them.

He finds himself in the same situation, his haori weighing down heavy on him as he stumbles up a steep slope, the frigid wind cutting into his skin and an open wound on his cheek along with the one staining his uniform. With shaky hands and fatigue-ridden steps, he pulls his haori closer to him, the rain just making it heavier than the lingering amount of guilt it holds.

He's tired, oh he's so tired, he wants to curl up under a tree and sleep but at the same time, he's so close to the Butterfly Mansion that there'd be no point in the end. Dragging his feet he stumbles as the rain gets even harsher, beating onto him with repeated punch after punch and he knows there's no way he'll make it in time; but he hopes he can. He pulls his haori as close as he can, curling his body over so his face will stop getting wet.

He reaches a hand up to rub his already stinging eyes as he approaches the gate, letting in a shallow breath as his body shivers, he feels a spike of pain run through his chest, increasing at every wound the demon he had fought had opened.

Stumbling to the door, his entire frame violently shaking, he hesitantly bangs his hand on the door and then leans his head onto it.

If it were the Wisteria House he'd just walk in and collapse into a futon but the Butterfly Mansion is a place where you can't just walk in, they usually bring you in. Though he highly doubts anyone will be awake at this hour of the night, he contemplates sitting down next to the wall, curling in on himself, and sleeping there as the rain beats down on his poor body until morning. But he isn't left to contemplate that too long since he can hear panicked squeaking on the other end of the door as the heavy gates are pulled open by three familiar girls wearing butterfly hair clips on their heads.

Good, he didn't think he would have managed to get up if he sat down with how much his body was starting to aching.

The trio only needs to take one look at his ashen-face, soaking wet clothes that clung to his frame and shivering body, his eyes, even more, duller than they were and they start trying to rush him towards the mansion, holding a spotted umbrella with a familiar butterfly pattern over his head as he takes shaky steps towards it. He doesn't manage to make it inside because the weight of everything manages to way him down enough that his body decides to rebel against him and stop working. He falls to the ground, mud staining his face and making its way into his wounds, a hiss escapes his lips as the wounds start to sting even more.

The one with a pink butterfly clip feels his forehead and knows that if they don't get him out of the rain and out of his clothes soon, and somewhere warm, he'll have a dangerously high fever. So she orders one of the girls to go get some help while she and Sumi flipped him over so his wounds don't get any more mud in them. Naho rushes inside the mansion to go get help while the other two try their best to lift him up but don't succeed.

His eyes slip closed as he feels the rain beating on his skin subside, his body feels incredibly hot. His vision sways as figures walk towards him, there's a strange burning underneath his skin, but a weird coolness weighing on his chest. Dots start to dance across his vision as his eyelids start to become even heavier to keep open. Eventually, with a sigh, he lets himself fall into a deep sleep as he hears distant voices warning him not to, but even then he rebels and does. 

A/N: Vote if you enjoyed it, and don't forget to yell at me in the comments!