ODE TO THE MURDERED, bonten

43

    "i'm sorry. i didn't want you to know about what Kisaki did..." that wasn't an excuse. he knew that, and you knew that, and neither does it ease the burden.

    at this moment; your blood that hummed in your veins never felt dirtier, filthy. voices in your head were shaped into violent bullets. they had shattered through your ribcage and bled through your organs like a red river. you weren't listening to either of their statements. your chest has caved in, sinking from how everything just feels way too overbearing. the voices, the faults, the anger.

    and Ryusei is the first to notice the tremble in your resolve. he shatters the tension and doesn't waste a single moment,"shoot now Kawaragi!"

    "wait i didn't order you to—!"

     but the loud boom conquers your own reluctant voice, followed by Kakucho's grunt when the bullet grazes his cheek. Hanma took this chance to break free, ready to pin him to the ground but Kakucho is third of Bonten for a reason. his recovery is swift and so was his movements.

    Kakucho is quick and light on his feet, efficiently dodging Hanma's strong swipe of a fist then the next you feel strong yet gentle arms grabbing your waist and pulling you away from the others. Kakucho pulls you flush to his chest, to his familiar scent that should've been comforting but you're dizzy and numb and still hurt by something Hanma kept from you. Izana is dead, and it was because of Kisaki, your younger brother and because of Hanma, and yet he never told you about it. not for these ten years he has been with you, not a single whisper about it. not when he was calling you Kisaki all this time.

    "y/n." Kakucho starts. "i'll let this go if you come back with me. i won't tell the others about what happened here. for all of our sakes, please."

    you didn't feel it when Kakucho's squadron bursts through the same door you had entered. Senju and Ryusei are quickly outnumbered, after a futile attempt to relent, they were pinioned down the dirtied floor along with Hanma.

    you taste nothing but numbness, even when Kakucho had ordered with a hard tone of "tie them up and burn them."

    someone from his squadron hesitates, "but sir, Sano-sama said—"

    "the enemy created a gas leak, committed suicide and burned the whole place before we could get to them." voices Kakucho. "if anyone says anything about what really happened here, you would have a bullet in your goddamn head." the words ground you back to the present just as his squadron bows, then he's pulling you away.

    "Kakucho." you find your voice. "let me go, Kakucho—" the hand on your waist disappears, instead you were scooped into his chest and he doesn't respond to your counter arguments. with gritted teeth, he continues. he exits the room with you in his arms. this time, you grab a fistful of his coat fabric. "Kaku, i said let me go,"

    "i'm sorry—"

    you elbow him in the face, making him stagger in his steps but his grip doesn't falter much to your grimace. "what are you planning to do to them? let me go, they are my friends too. i'm staying."

    "like hell you are." Kakucho bites back with just as much ardor.

    you shake your head. "don't. you can't kill them. they're with me!"

    you pull your hand from his, slamming your fist to his chest harder. "they're important to me too so if you hurt them i'm hurting you!" you yell at the top of your lungs, Kakucho's pace stops abruptly.