The Masks We Hide Behind (Amaimon x Rin)

Chapter 9

  "...!"

  "...n!"

  "...in!"

 

  "RIN!"

  This was the second time I'd been brought back to conscious that way. Did I fall down the stairs again? It was then the memories of before I passed out came back. I'd been training, feeling better than ever, but when I sheathed Kurikara I just collapsed.

  "Amai...mon?" Rin rasped out.

  "Yes!"

  Rin tried sitting up, but was immediately pushed back down. He tried to look around, but realized his vision was still spotty. He could barely see anything.

  "How long...was I out?"

  "It's been about a day now. How are you feeling?"

  With his vision finally returned, Rin looked around. He saw that he was in his room. When he turned his head he saw a rare sight, a worried Amaimon. That and Yukio!!

  "Yu...kio?!"

  "Nii-san?"

  "What...are you...doing here?"

  "Big Brother apparently told him about our training when he went to do an official report of his mission. He was coming back here when I brought you. He made a failed attempt at killing me. After seeing you, we both brought you here. "

  "Looks like this asshole went too rough on you Rin. Remember that you're not invincible." Yukio said. Under his breath he grumbled about Rin having to work with the Earth King for some sort of training, but it was easily heard by the more powerful demons in the room.

  "It's okay...Yukio. Thanks for...worrying about me."

  "It's my job Nii-san. Well, I have lessons that need to be planned. Just because you don't need to learn the material anymore doesn't mean the others don't. And you Earth King, don't you dare hurt Rin!"

  And with that, Yukio walked out of the room. With Yukio gone, Amaimon crawled into bed with Rin, pulling him up against his chest and burying his nose into the others neck. Rin pulled slowly pulled the rest of his body over to Amaimon, curling on top of him.

  "So, you still aren't going to tell them?"

  "No, I don't want to hurt them. If they knew, they'd either give up on me or suffer right along with me. I don't want either to happen."

  "Okay."

  Rin once again fell asleep next to Amaimon.

...

  Rin was well enough the next day to continue with the training regimen. He was still pretty sluggish, but that would go away after he drew Kurikara. Mephisto had explained that unleashing his power would make all signs of the illness go away, but when sealing his power his demonic half couldn't use enough healing power against his disease and it made an even stronger attack. Leading him so far to black out with minor symptoms, but they would get worse every time he returned back to his human state, the small immunity he had before a being reset after his demonic powers nearly healing him.

  Amaimon had him continue from the day before. After unsheathing Kurikara, he began to work on controlling his flames. Quickly being able to make them last at will. Then the hard part began, fighting Amaimon without unleashing his flames.

  Again and again he tried. At first, like before, his control slipped almost instantaneously. After a while, he was able to beat his old record and reached five minutes.

  "Rin, while you're doing good, work faster! I want to be able to actually play with you." A whiny Amaimon said.

  "Well I'm sorry this is only my second time doing this."

  And so they continued. Rin was actually improving at a rather quick pace, but it was still no where near what it needed to be. He could now hold onto his control for an average of a little over six minutes.

  It was a race against time. Would Rin be able to master his demonic abilities in time to make his decision on living as a demon? This was the big questions that both were thinking. The symptoms were getting worse everyday and the training they were doing causing his resistance to the anemia to be wiped clean, the odds of him even being alive in time to make the decision was dwindling.

  They both carried on, thinking very similar thoughts on Rin's time left.

  When they finished for the day and sheathed Kurikara, the results were almost the same as the last time. The blood began to pool in his mouth, but also leaked from both nostrils this time. As he was falling to the floor, Rin's foot caught on something. His head slammed into the floor. Blood began to seep from his head wound.

  Amaimon quickly brought Rin to his own home. He attempted to dress Rin's head wound, but wasn't sure on how to properly do it. Amaimon just hoped it would work. He cleaned Rin up, and placed him in the bed. Amaimon himself quickly joining the other. He pulled Rin close and took a quick inhale on the wonderful scent the other produced. Placing a quick kiss on the others forehead, Amaimon fell asleep trying to comfort Rin.