Leashed | • • • | Blue Exorcist

Restrained

It was uncomfortably quiet in the van and I mentally scolded myself for getting so caught up in my morbidity. "Uh, it's also used as a lasso in some circumstances. But a typical lasso is created differently."

Silence.

I sighed and propped my elbow up onto the door, leaning against my palm. The rest of the journey was quiet, with very few instances of conversation.

.oOo.

Fuck this, we've been doing this for what seemed like an eternity. Twilight came and went, leaving behind darkness. The coming summer heat wasn't at full throttle, but the humidity was killer. Although it was pitch black outside, I found myself sweating profusely. My uniform was sticking to my torso in ways that made me grow agitated. I watched as my classmates slowly stripped off their academy jackets. Shiemi and Izumo have even pushed their socks down, probably hoping that a breeze would stir.

Not that it would happen, not with our current position. We were near some rickety old shacks, an old bus station Yukio said. The buildings around us were covered in foliage, the structures themselves were enough to block any sort of wind, but the vegetation was just added effect. It was also a tripping hazard, as my ass has meet the ground more times than I'd like to admit.

"Come on, Yukio, when are we gonna be done?" I whined, sheathing my sword. Blue flames dissipated and I put my hands on my knees, bending inward on myself, trying to catch my breath.

He sighed in irritation, "When the demons are gone, Rin. We go through this everytime." I glanced up through my bangs and saw his piercing gaze on me. "What's the point of coming if we only do a half-assed job? Suck it up and finish the job, you can complain when it's done." He stalked away, meeting up with the rest of the group, going through more directions.

I took a deep breath and straightened out. Grasping below the lapel of my jacket, I pulled at the edges, creating enough airflow to fan my midsection. It did little to cool me down, however. Being the son of Satan, you'd think I'd have a higher tolerance of heat. What didn't help was the fact that I was the only one here in full uniform.

"Rin, come on! I don't wanna be here all night!" Shima yelled to me, and I sighed, wiping the sweat from my forehead and joining them. The automatic lights clicking on around us and bathing us with stark colors.

.oOo.

"Wait, wait..." I puffed, staggering to the side. "I need to," I swallowed dryly, causing me to spiral into a coughing fit. I felt someone grasp my shoulders and I leaned against them, my world spinning. There was a muffled conversation before I felt the hands push me down. I lost my footing and I fell to the side, grunting when my rear end hit the ground for the tenth time tonight.

"Hey, Nii-san, it's okay. Head between your knees," he helped position me and I took a few calming breaths. My head clearing, but my heart still hammered in my chest. "You okay?" I nodded and I felt his presence shift. "Let's take your jacket off," I was about to argue, but he was already peeling the drenched garment off my shoulders.. The night air hit my button up and cooled the sweat underneath. I sighed in relief as Yukio completely removed the blazer.

"I'm okay, Yukio, I just need to cool off a bit." I said it groggily, my tired body only amplifying the heaviness in my limps. All I wanted was a cold shower and a nap. The lighting around us hurt my eyes and I closed them as Yukio pushed the hair from my face, wiping the wetness away. His fingers trailed through my hair and I relaxed. I knew he was worried for me, it was uncommon for him to pay his full attention to me with others around. There was a rustling and some tugging on my clothes and my eyes snapped open, my hands reaching up to grip my brother's wrists.

He looked shocked at my movements, but he continued to tug at my tie, eyebrows furrowed. I protested and I felt him slow to a stop. There was a moment of silence between us and I glanced around, not seeing the cram school anywhere. I cleared my throat, "where-"

"What are you hiding?" His tone was stern and his words were louder than I expected in the quiet night. I scooted back and fiddled with my collar, adjusting it to its original position.

"Nothing," I said blankly, not able to meet his gaze.
"I just don't like you messing with my tie, I told you I'd figure it out later." I shuffled my blazer back onto my shoulders. There was silence once again, and I dared to look at him, just barely meeting his eyes when I saw something ignite behind them. Abruptly, I was pushed backward, I tensed just as he crawled on top of me. Adrenaline pumped through my arteries and I shoved him back, but he was relentless and I found myself pinned to the dirt. I wiggled about, shaking my head and trying to grab traction against anything I could kick. "Stop it!" I cried, his hand grabbing my tie, his left forearm came up and pushed against my windpipe. He meant business, and I didn't doubt he'd risk hurting me to find out. I sputtered, my hands pushing against his chest, my nails digging in.

"Hold still," he grunted, and I felt a harsh tug and I whined, the back of my neck crying out in pain. I pleaded again, telling him he was being too forceful, that I wasn't hiding anything, he was hurting me. It went in one ear and out the other, however, as I felt another, final tug. He paused for a split second, the pressure against my throat slacking. I took the opportunity to kick away from him, twisting over onto my stomach and crawling away. I pushed myself up, facing away from him, and quickly readjusted my clothes. I felt his hand on my shoulder and I tensed, but he didn't move. "What was that?" His voice was guarded and I had no suspicion that he knew exactly what he saw.

"Like I said, I'm not hiding anything. Why'd you attack me like that?" I swallowed before turning in my spot, pushing away his hand. Yukio's face was covered in shadows, the stark lighting around us washing the color from his skin. Even so, he looked paler than he should. It made me curious about how my own complexion looked.

"Sensei!"

To be continued.