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Learning to Land	By : Suteishichic Category: Prince of Tennis/Tennis no Ohjisama > General Views: 11419 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis (Tennis no Ohjisama), nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

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Learning to Land by Suteishichic. Chapter One Hundred Eleven ~Inui
Warnings: Yaoi, Love, Angst, Fluff, and Lots of Sex. Some kink. You've been warned ;)
Disclaimer: Nope not mine. Still in my dreams. ;)
Inui half-stumbled out of Kaidoh Kaoru's home a short while later. In a daze, he mechanically moved forward step after step after step while his mind raced ahead trying to just gather his thoughts. It was much like trying to hold on to a pure handful of water in a rainstorm as new drops of new thoughts kept flooding what he was trying to grasp tightly to in his hand. Inui was so lost in his calculations he wasn't even aware how his fists were clenched into angry knots or how his stomach was tightened into a sickening knot. His face was pale and his lips were drawn into a thin, grim line while he desperately tried to think of a plan.
Despite his dazed, angry demeanor all Inui felt was determined. He knew deep in his core, even with this newest setback, despite everything now being changed, he would see this through. He didn't even spare the time to reassure himself that he was going to make this happen. His brow furrowed while his brain skittered along in furious new configurations. The old plan was gone. Inui now looked back upon it and felt embarrassed. In many ways, now that he could see clearly, his old plan for Tezuka was only a childish ego trip. But this new plan was real. It was tangible. It was important. The new plan was to save the person Inui truly was in love with.
Inui continued to march forward and remained lost in his thoughts which were spinning like a hard disk. For the average person, thinking while moving was difficult, but Inui was quite used to working things out while on his feet. He considered for a nanosecond that perhaps he thought best while moving. This in fact was precisely how he was able to continue playing in a tennis match while his mind was busy gathering data and planning his counter-attack.
That was exactly what he was doing now. Planning.
If he tried to look at everything from an unemotional point of view he had to admit that he simply could not believe, could not even begin to fathom all the new data on Kaidoh Kaoru he now had. Of course Inui heard the expression regarding curiosity killing a cat, but who knew Inui's need for data would take him down such a dark and deeply disturbing direction?
And his heart along for the ride?
A part of Inui's brain simply marveled as a witness at all the sudden changes that now would happen. Inui discovering his true feelings in many ways was akin to someone discovering a new planet or a new species of life that before was never known to have existed but was always close. Always there but somehow, hidden and locked away waiting for the right moment. The right touch.
Everything about this wonder was all new and later when the excitement of the epiphany died down and a concrete plan was in action, Inui knew he would have to catalog and index this moment. From his newest feelings to his earliest impressions leading up to the momentous uncovering of his heart, it would all have to be carefully logged so he could maintain a record for posterity. For now though, he knew he had to put his self-discoveries aside to deal with the immediate situation.
Despite his initial feelings of shock and horror, Inui was able to note he was a forever changed man. It was as if in only five minutes at Kaidoh's house, Inui had somehow been given an entirely new operating system or a new, better pair of glasses. A pair with a built in telescope and microscope where he could suddenly see everything clearly. Everything was now changed. His view, his perspective, and his entire outlook upon his life was different and forever altered.
It was almost as if a sudden upgrade washed over Inui and his old childish ways of thinking were suddenly swept away as if by a tidal wave. Gone was the old. Shoved aside quickly with no order to clear room for what was new. There was a certain amount of debris and destruction left behind that had to be cleaned up to make way for the new, and Inui was trying to rapidly calculate that while he tried to think of a way to solve this newest dilemma.
The old him, the previous version of Inui Sadaharu just only a few hours ago would not be able to do this. He found this remarkable and would for years ponder the changes, but for now, with so much on his mind and so much at stake, Inui tried to live in the moment. He tried to just accepted things at face value and plan his next step.
Inui could see with clear hindsight that previously he was operating only on logic. Logic was cold and impartial. Now, with his new vision, and his new operating system, the upgraded version of himself was operating logically, but he was working from his heart being at his center instead of his head. Inui was stunned at the shift and the changes it brought about. He had a sudden sense of zen where he felt part of everything in the universe. He was one with everything and could see how time flowed like a river everywhere at once.
A distant part of him wondered for a moment about what Momoshiro said earlier. How you cannot fall logically in love. Perhaps somehow Momoshiro intuitively was able to operate in this zen way naturally. If this was true, Momoshiro might be an even more fierce competitor than Inui previously postulated. Momoshiro would have to be watched closely. Although later. Much later. Long after Inui figured out what to do about Kaidoh first.
Momoshiro was quite correct in that you cannot fall logically in love. Inui reasoned this was probably why until his feelings for the freshman practically hit him in the face, he had been unable to grasp their scope or depth.
This new-found passion at the center of his being made all the difference in the world and Inui had Kaoru to thank for this change. It was Kaidoh Kaoru who unwittingly excavated Inui's heart and practically handed it to him. It was as if Kaidoh handed Inui a discarded key the freshman picked up from the side of the road. Yet it was the one key Inui needed all along. The key to his heart was the key to everything, although Inui had never known this was what he needed more than anything.
Inui was well aware that many scientific discoveries were made by accident throughout human history. In fact, most of the major ones were quite by accident while the scientist was searching for something else entirely. Inui realized he should have taken this into account and added it into his calculations from the very beginning. This only added to a mountain of other facts that should have been obvious to Inui from the start. Such as his feelings for Kaidoh Kaoru.
He was no longer unclear as to his feelings for the freshman. Inui's feelings went deep. Deeper than even he previously was aware of. Inui's emotions were not rational, nor logical in the slightest. He and Kaoru would never be linked together by any computer doing perfectly compatibility pairings, yet somehow, they were each other's perfect match.
All Inui had to do now was convince Kaoru of this fact.
And then after that minor miracle was pulled off, next Inui had to save him.
The very moment when a shocked Inui put the pieces of Kaoru's puzzle and troubles together ironically was the same moment Inui knew one hundred per cent how he felt.
Not because Inui heard bells or saw angels like he had heard people often did when they realized they were in love. Yet at the same time a distant part of his mind wondered how many of those bell-hearing people were faced with falling in love with someone who had troubles of this magnitude. Probably very few. And of course, Inui realized he probably should have known that due to his intellect, falling in love for him would not be the same as he had heard it happened for most ordinary-thinking, common people. No. Instead of a chorus of angels or chiming bells, the instant he realized to his horror what the freshman was so desperately trying to hide, without even taking the time to formulate a a plan of action, Inui heard himself ask Kaoru to return to his home.
It was most unprecedented. It was the first time in as long as Inui could remember that he had acted and reacted without any plan or specific data. It was only a strong hunch. Nothing more than a gut feeling of what might have happened and what could be going on, but it was enough that Inui's heart acted before his head was even at that stage.
Continuing without forethought, Inui asked Kaoru's father if it was acceptable for the freshman to return home with him so they could continue their "lessons" together. Inui could not even believe his own ears or that he had spoken the bold, double-meaning question aloud. Even Kaidoh Kaoru looked at Inui stunned and then looked down and away. The freshman completely understood the meanings behind Inui's words and he turned completely crimson with an adorable blush.
A part of Inui's brain was still working however. He felt angry and resentful that he even had to ask a question like this -- ask permission for Kaoru in essence. Especially from a person who had so directly caused Kaoru pain and problems. A part of Inui, a very large part of Inui in truth, wanted nothing less than to throw the cowardly bastard of a man who called himself Kaoru's father up against the wall beside where they calmly sat and physically, violently hurt him.
Inui was not normally a violent person. Truth be told he had never even been in a fistfight before. When faced with a challenging situation, possible physical altercation, or even a bully, Inui had always been able to rationally reason the other party out of the brutality. However in that moment, Inui wanted to demand from this monster answers to his questions. He had several if he was able to ask them.
However, the one largest, most glaring question was, why? Why would you do this to your child? Why would you hurt your son in this way? Why would you ignore how deeply you've hurt him? Why would you pretend nothing is wrong and everything is normal?
As he watched the bizarre scene unfold before him, Inui quickly hypothesized the odds as well as the possibilities of how every one in the room would act and react if Inui took drastic violent measures. He figured out the percentages of what would happen if he repeatedly punched Kaoru's father in front of everyone. He went around the room having collected enough data on everyone in it to be able to predict with 78 accuracy what would happen if Inui verbally and physically assaulted the man who hurt the person he loved. It was admittedly a delicious and wicked revenge fantasy where Inui played the hero to a blushing Kaoru, but in the end, Inui knew he could not act as he wanted to. Brute force would not solve this or help Kaoru.
Indeed, brute force rarely solved anything, but Inui would have to admit at that moment, it would feel good. Unfortunately, that is all it would do. It would not get him the answers or Kaoru the justice they both needed. Indeed, sadly, Inui reasoned nothing would. All Inui could do for Kaoru was to love him, nurture him, and most importantly get him out of the situation as fast as possible.
And yet, Inui was denied even doing that. By Kaoru himself. Kaoru protested the idea of leaving with Inui before his father could even respond, but it was more than that. It was the way Kaoru's body posture indicated he did not want to go that had Inui feeling surprised and then keenly disappointed. Kaoru was rejecting him. Denying him. Almost...like when he felt Momoshiro picking on him a tad too much. Kaoru was not looking vulnerable or in need of saving. Instead he looked angry and defiant as if he was silently daring Inui to say or do anything more.
Somehow Kaoru seemed to intuit Inui knew his secret. Inui hoped that the freshman was just afraid of Inui reacting poorly. Or violently. Then again, perhaps Kaoru didn't yet understand his options because he had no way of knowing how Inui had changed so that his true feelings were fully realized.
Instead of wanting to go with Inui, Kaoru along with his father and brother insisted that he needed to stay home. Kaoru said he had to stay with his mother and it was getting too late and he needed to be up early to run in the morning.
Next Kaoru's brother said Kaoru had to stay home with their mother because his brother had plans to stay at his sensei's house that night for some test preparation. His brother's teacher was there and the two of them to Inui's eyes seemed indecently more than student and pupil.
A heartbeat later Kaoru's father stated Kaoru had to stay home with their mother because he had to return to work with his senpai to work on a new project. The man's co-worker was there and had been introduced to Inui as Kaoru's father's supervisor. They too were clearly romantically or at least sexually involved.
It was apparent what was going on between everyone from how the couples acted around each other. As he took in this new data, it slowly became clearer to Inui what must have happened. Especially when he saw how the brothers and their father acted and reacted to each other in a teasing manner that was more like ex-lovers or friends than siblings and their parents should act. Especially in front of company.
It dawned on Inui that the brothers and their father were acting in this teasing manner more like rivals all competing to show they each had the better, more accomplished, and more attractive boyfriend. Even Kaoru's father was more caught up in this ridiculous game rather than acting properly how a married father should act in front of his children, his boss, his son's teacher, his other son's schoolmate, and of course in front of his wife.
Inui tried to comfort himself with the knowledge that at least Kaoru's utterly inane and clueless mother was not going to molest him that evening. Kaoru's father and brother would be spending the night with their lovers, or boyfriends, or whatever their relationships were. Kaoru would be left alone with his mother and at least perhaps could get a good night's rest.
Although their mother was acting...strangely. She wasn't doing or saying anything necessarily wrong, but at the same time she was just doing too much and acting too right. She seemed like a robot or a j-dorama actress playing the award-winning role of best wife and mother. Indeed, she seemed obsessed with being the most perfect wife, hostess, and homemaker as possible. Inui wondered to himself if on some level she knew what actually happened and he came up with a high percentage of probability that she did. Somewhere in her too wide smile and inane chatter, she knew. Perhaps was the source of her manic good manners.
Still, it was some comfort that although he would be in his house, Kaoru would be safe that night at least from whatever happened between him and his father. And maybe his brother too. Inui continued to gather data while everyone talked around him. He tried to apply the data to several scenarios and wished he had his computer here to help him. Had Kaoru and his brother been experimenting and his father walked in? Had their father caught them? Perhaps their father molested them together?
The scenarios were as horrible as they were endless. Inui understood now why the freshman had no idea sexual experience-wise what he was doing. Also at the same time it explained why Kaoru was so needy for affection and acceptance...
Thinking of all this Inui recalled precisely what his beautifully damaged, desperate to be loved, Kaoru said was the extent of his sexual past. Kaoru kissed around with two men. Two lovers. They always used condoms. Kaoru was always seme...
Suddenly confirmation dawned on him and in shock, Inui stood up. The center of his chest physically ached for Kaoru and though he remained standing, his knees felt weak and he wobbled. Inui loved this boy and felt deeply moved by him.
He resolved to win Kaoru over. To win his heart. No matter what it cost or how long it took, he would win Kaoru's love and trust. Inui wanted nothing less in that moment than to take Kaoru away. Far, far away and love him. Cherish him and let him grow and flourish under the light and scope of Inui's love. Someday, Inui was going to mold Kaoru into his best possible self with the power of his love. He would build the freshman up and make him whole again. Make him feel secure and strong.
But tonight was not going to be that someday. Inui could see a look of near panic in Kaoru's eyes when he suddenly realized that Inui fully grasped the situation and had solved the puzzle. As if Inui's love was a strong light able to strip away all the darkness within the freshman's wounded heart and laying the horrible and ugly truth bare.
Brutal honesty was, Inui now knew, the only real way to help and heal Kaoru, but the freshman didn't understand because he had no idea how deeply Inui felt for him. Almost in a panic, Kaoru hastened to herd Inui out the front door into the dark night.
Beginning to formulate a plan, Inui walked to the door completely lost in his calculations. He was not really even aware that he automatically said the proper words of appreciation and departure to Kaoru's family and friends. He only paused for a moment to lay a warm, stroking hand on the freshman's shoulder and quietly say, "Then I look forward to seeing you tomorrow morning at practice, my Kaoru-chan..."
Karou's eyes widened alarmingly wide and the freshman blushed while at the same time managed to look confused and panicked. The freshman adorably sucked in a little worried hiss of a breath that Inui longed to kiss away.
Someday, but not today. Wanting to growl in frustration, Inui turned and stumbled out the doorway into the cool, dark night just trying to put all his newest thoughts in order.
Because Inui had to find some way to both save the freshman and to make Kaoru his. Inui smiled to himself as he thought this. He realized that Kaoru was more damaged than Tezuka could ever be. More of a project. It would be a pleasure and a trial to teach Kaoru how to trust and love.
Inui was going to enjoy every moment of it.
So was Kaoru.
Looking around, Inui realized he was headed in the wrong direction. His family's apartment building was the way he had been automatically going, but his parents were living in a rented home his father's company offered when their apartment was damaged by an earthquake the year before. The quake was not big and the damage did not seem bad, but it had been enough in just the right way. The older apartment building sustained enough structural damage to require rebuilding.
Mentally Inui mapped a new route to the temporary house. One that would take longer but would take him past the canal where he liked to run. One day, he resolved to walk along it with Kaoru. Perhaps they could even hold hands as they walked together. Or they could run past it as they jogged along together. The apartment building was very close to Kaoru's house. Suddenly Inui couldn't wait to move back. He wondered if Kaoru would help him move his things back. Help him paint over the walls where he sometimes wrote in the rented house. He would write love notes in code and teach their meanings to Kaoru much like he and Renji once did. Inui was still picturing them together, but now in college and living together when he stopped short.
A horrible, ugly thought popped into his head. If he had been Oishi, perhaps Kaoru would have returned home with him. Perhaps even eagerly. Inui felt intensely jealous now and it burned deep in his gut as he thought this and stood there.
"Hey! Watch where you're going four-eyes!" Some boys that must have been walking behind him collided into him. Inui went to apologize when one of them snarled and said in an angry growl, "Stupid four-eyed faggot."
There were three of them and only one of Inui. He did not know any of them but they looked to be a little older than he was. They looked about his size or a little larger, but he had this feeling something was wrong. The little hairs on the back of Inui's neck stood up and he felt an adrenaline rush like before a serious tennis match. He did what he thought would be best and like Kaidoh had done earlier, deeply bowed to them. Inui muttered something about how sorry he was and that he realized he left something at his friend's house. He had to return at once to get it.
Using his tennis skills, Inui turned on the ball of his foot and managed to avoid touching or bumping into any of them. He walked back in the direction he had come from at a slightly more brisk than usual pace. Inui had a sudden urge to run, but he kept it in check since he had a feeling if he ran, they would run after him. As it was, they began to follow him.
They walked behind Inui about ten paces or so, but they kept up even when he turned down a side street near Kaidoh's home. They seemed very excited and animated and this Inui took as a bad sign. All the attacks he had heard about or read about on the internet, the victims were unable to see the attackers faces. In some of the attacks they had worn masks but in many of them, especially ones where someone was raped, the victim was jumped from behind and badly beat up first. Inui saw their faces. He worried if they were going to attack him, that it might be more severe because of it.
It was late. At least past ten at night and many of the neighborhood homes were dark or only had their outside lights on. Ironically, Renji's family years ago used to live just down the next street before they moved away to Kanagawa.
Inui ignored his racing heart and forced himself to calm down. After years of methodical practice, Inui found he was able to center himself and focus. He withdrew into his calmer, more rational self, and began taking data on them. At the same time he tried to figure out the quickest route to Kaidoh's house or remember if there was anyone he knew who lived nearby.
He tried to listen in to the things they were quietly saying behind him. It was a jumble because he did not know the individual speakers. One guy had a deeper voice than the other two. The deep voice guy seemed to be in charge because he kept saying things like, "Keep looking until you find him. I know he's gotta be in there! Look his shorts say Seigaku. Check there. And search for glasses."
He was able to separate the other two voices better now. Their tones and speech patterns were similar which might indicate they were close friends or possibly even siblings although they did not resemble each other. The one though would laugh in a braying hyena type of fashion as he finished each statement, "He's gotta be in there, heeaaaaheeaaaheeaaah! He's gotta be worth a zillion points if he didn't come up right away in the search, heeaaaaheeaaaheeaaah!"
The third by the beeping sounds seemed to be using his cell phone to do some sort of search. A search on Inui? For points? Inui had no idea what this meant, but the third was annoyed. He kept saying things such as, "Yeah, I know! I'm looking, okay? You look it up yourself if you think you can do better! I'm going as fast as I can! Hang on! Glasses and Seigaku, I know!"
Then the third said, "Woah. Guys, hold up a minute. I think we just hit the jackpot. Is this him?"
Inui heard their footsteps behind him stop. He was again tempted to run. Especially as they seemed stopped, but all he had was one more block until he was back at the Kaidoh's. He just had to get past the park, round the corner on the next street, and then he was there. Inui and Renji used to practice tennis in this park during the weekends when they were little, so he knew it well. He vividly recalled places to hide and paths to safety if he needed to take them.
He was just thinking to himself that whatever these guys were up to, he was glad Kaidoh was not with him for this. It was better if Inui faced them alone or avoided the situation altogether by reaching the Kaidoh's home. Inui was even thinking of what excuse he could give them for knocking on their door so late at night. Perhaps he could say he twisted his ankle walking home? Or that he thought he left his cell phone there although he did not take it with him when he walked Kaidoh home. Would the freshman remember that Inui only grabbed some money and not his cell phone or wallet?
Inui was so lost in his thoughts for a moment, that he was startled when someone jumped out of the park entrance in front of him. One of the three. One of the two smaller ones who sounded alike. The guy stopped right in front of Inui and took his picture with his cell phone.
"Gotcha!" He said and seemed very pleased, "This is so great! You're worth fifty points! Okay, say it, I'm recording...now."
Behind him deep voice said, "Inui Sadaharu? This is from Renji."
Surprised at hearing both his name and Renji's, Inui began to turn to face the larger guy when an explosion struck him in the face from the front and the side pretty much blinding him. It was as if someone let off a firework in his face, but then the pain hit. Pain from his nose and his jaw. He had been hit. Someone or something hit him. There was another flash and more pain. Somehow he was on his knees and hands though he couldn't remember falling. Another flash and more pain around his middle. So fast he had no way of protecting himself as flash after flash hit him followed by more pain.
Inui just tried to keep breathing. Speaking or yelling or even screaming was out of the question as he gasped and choked on what he realized was his own blood. He didn't want to encourage them although from their cheers they were very excited and encouraged.
It was dark where he was on the ground now and he started to crawl towards a light ahead of him. Painful blows and more flashes followed. Inui was dimly aware that they were screaming things at him. Calling him a homosexual and a faggot. Telling him he was going to be their bitch and get what he deserved for being such a fag. Telling him this is what tennis fags deserve and he asked for this. Telling him Renji sent them to kill him. That Renji hates fags like Inui. Telling him they were going to kill him. Rape him and kill him. They were laughing, pleased, and having fun, but Inui didn't even have time to be afraid or to respond or to listen. All he could hear was the sounds of their feet and fists and whatever else they were using to hit him over and over again. There was the pounding of his blood sounding like a drum in his ears, and the one thought in his head was shouting at him to keep crawling across the ground over towards the light or he really would die right here.
Inui was kicked over and over again and instinctively curled his knees up into a ball to protect his vital organs. The second he did though he realized it was a fatal mistake as he felt his shorts and boxer shorts literally cut off him. Now Inui tried to scream. He tried to shout and say no and tell them how ridiculous it was that they were calling him a homosexual when they were going to rape him. He wanted to fight back and yell, but all that came out of his throat was a bloody gurgling sound and then he gasped to breathe.
They laughed at the noise he made as if it was the funniest thing they had ever heard. The hyena cackled with glee and told him he was going to suffer and then die. They told him to struggle and make more noise because it would look better on film and make them more points. That no one would come. That they were going to rape him and then kill him and no one would come or care about the death of just another tennis faggoty-ass faggot. There was a high-pitched noise from far away and then a heavy weight fell on him blocking all the light and sound.
Inui tried to breathe and coughed. He could barely see with all the stars sparkling around him. He was choking on something and was surprised again to find it was his own blood. He tried again to inhale and found if he just breathed in shallow pants, it was okay though he worried he would pass out. It seemed a shame to pass out before you died. Especially when nothing hurt anymore. He only felt sort of cold and numb everywhere. He wondered if this was one of those out of body experiences and tried to observe it so he could remember the data. He thought to himself how unfair this was since he just found out he loved someone. His last thought was he really wanted to make Kaoru happy and wished he could see the freshman just one more time.
One more kiss.
One more minute.
One more second.
Then nothing.
Nothing at all.

Inui struggled to open his eyes and wondered where he was.
When it was.
If that had just been a bad dream.
Inui was only able to open his right eye a tiny bit through great effort and he wondered at it. It felt as if this data might be important to remember so he tried very hard to. His vision slowly cleared and he was awestruck. Above him bathed in a pool of pure, white light was a fuzzy vision of Kaoru in a halo as if Kaoru was a shingami.
Or as if his beautiful Kaoru were an angel.
That could not be real. Inui struggled with the thought. For Kaoru to be an angel or a shingami meant he had to have died with Inui and the freshman had not been there. Perhaps this was hell and Inui simply could not reach Kaoru for all eternity. Inui tried to move and lifted his hand to Kaoru's face noticing when he held his hand up towards the light for the first time how bloody it was. He wondered why there would be blood in heaven or hell. And why couldn't he see even close up without his glasses. So this was real. That had really happened. Okay. First thing first. Where were his glasses? Inui tried to ask the question but wasn't sure how much of it came out coherently.
The angel said something but Inui didn't hear it over the drums. The Kaoru angel moved and Inui was blinded by the too bright white light. The angel moved again back in front of the light. It slowly dawned on Inui he was looking up at a streetlight and Kaoru was bent over him in the street saying something. It was hard to breathe when Inui lay on his back so he figured he should get up and out of the road.
Inui took a breath and opened his mouth to speak as he tried to stand up but searing pain in his mouth and his side and his head all at once exploded.
He knew nothing more.

The next time Inui was awakened by someone or something repetitively stabbing him in his side.
White hot pain blazed through him on his every breath and he hissed. He took more shallow breaths and it seemed to help but the stabbing did not stop. Inui opened his eye and wondered if he had lost his other one. It was certainly possible. It hurt bad enough but then again everything did. He reached his hand to his face but it was stopped before he touched his left eye to see if it was still there.
"Senpai! Sss...sss...ssssenpai? Can you hear me? Are you awake?" Kaidoh Kaoru sounded out of breath. Inui moved to try to stop the searing pain in his side or grab whatever was stabbing him but instead he started flying. Or falling. He wasn't sure what was going on and felt dizzy. "Woah! Senpai!"
Inui felt intense pain and then nothing.

The third time he opened his eye, Kaoru was talking to him. Or more specifically, it sounded as if Kaoru was talking at him and out of breath. And perhaps crying as he spoke. The pain in his side was back but Inui was growing used to it by now. Plus as bad as that was, it had nothing on how much his head, face, and jaw hurt.
Inui was a little more aware of the world around him and that he was being carried. Piggy-back style carried on the smaller freshman's back. Inui marveled at how strong the freshman was and wondered how long Kaoru had been carrying him. Where were they? What happened?
Inui opened his mouth to speak and was met with agonizing pain. He moaned in surprise at how bad it hurt.
"Sss...senpai?" Kaoru sounded out of breath. At Inui's noise, Kaoru stopped walking as if listening for Inui to answer. Inui realized the stabbing pain was happening each time Kaoru took a step because when the freshman stopped walking it blessedly stopped.
Keeping his mouth mostly closed to stop the pain and breathing shallowly since that helped as well, Inui said through his teeth as best he could, "Yes, Kaoru. Can you put me down, please?"
"Okay, but..." Kaoru hissed a little out of breath noise, "we're nearly there."
Inui tried to open his mouth. Just a centimeter and he wanted to scream in pain so he decided it was best to keep his teeth just barely together and talk with just his lips, "Nearly where?"
Kaoru huffed out of breath, "At...at your old house. You asked me to take you home."
"I...? I did?" Inui didn't remember that at all. He struggled to remember what happened, "The last thing I recall..." Inui's head pounded with the effort to think and his mouth hurt so bad he tried to choose words sparingly. "They attacked me. Three. What happened?"
"Ssss...easy senpai...easy..." Kaoru slowly and carefully put Inui down as if he was made of fine china and might shatter at any moment. Inui held on to Kaoru's shoulders for a moment to steady himself as Kaoru turned to face him. A wave of dizziness and nausea rolled over Inui. It felt almost as if they were standing on a boat and not the sidewalk. Kaoru was breathing hard but not out of breath. The freshman held him steady but lightly as if Inui was going to break. Without his glasses, Inui could only see close up with his one eye, but Kaoru was looking at him as if Inui was a ghost. Or a monster. His face was red with exertion, but Inui would bet Kaoru's pulse was quickly returning to normal. The guy was in amazing shape.
There was a red mark on Kaoru's cheek. Inui softly touched it with the back of his bloody hand, "Are you okay, Kaoru? What happened?"
Kaidoh blushed, "sss...I...I'm fine, senpai, you...you're the one who is hurt. They were...they were going to..." Kaoru's grip on him tightened slightly and he looked upset. The freshman hissed out a sigh, "I went to find you senpai. I tried to call you to talk to you, but you didn't answer your cell phone. I told my dad and brother I was going to spend the night at your house so I grabbed my things and came to find you. I was running by the park, going to take a shortcut when I saw them. I thought they were hurting a dog or a cat and I went to stop them. That's when I found out they were...they were hurting you...and they were going to...to hurt you more and I couldn't...I wouldn't let them so I...I stopped them."
"How did you stop them? What did you do?" Inui was alarmed. Kaoru looked that angry. Angry and dangerous enough to have seriously hurt them. A chill ran over Inui and he wondered if the freshman killed them. He didn't see any other way one freshman could have stopped three larger guys. "Are you okay, Kaoru?"
Kaoru hissed the last of his harsher breathing out. "Yesss... Yes, I'm fine. I didn't have a lot of time to think so I put my bag down and grabbed the first thing I saw to stop them. I took...I took the seat from one of the swings off the chain. I hit the biggest one in the back of the head. He was going to...just about to...and I kept hitting them until they ran away. They never saw me coming because they were so into what they were going to do to you. One guy got in a punch but I got them good. They ran so fast one dropped his cell phone...he was...he was taking pictures while they hurt you, senpai! I...I didn't want to hurt them but I didn't know what else to do!"
Inui hugged Kaoru to him. Out of instinct he would have smelled the freshman's sweat-slicked hair as it came right below his nose, but Inui found he was unable to. His nose hurt too. His side ached. And his head and jaw throbbed with pain as he held Kaoru close. "You saved me Kaoru. You saved my life."
Kaoru surprisingly let out a little sob so even though it hurt a great deal, Inui kept holding him.
"I..." Inui heard Kaoru exhale as he often did when he was upset and fighting his stutter, "I tried to wake you senpai, but you wouldn't wake up and then when you did you..." He let out another breath, "you said not to call you an ambulance and you made me promise to bring you home. To your real home. I couldn't take you to my house or my parents would have called the police or the paramedics and you made me promise not to so I...I was just going to bring you home...and then...then if you didn't wake up I was going to...break my promise to you to save you." Kaoru was trembling.
It hurt but Inui kissed his forehead, "Good job. You did the right thing. It's okay now, Kaoru. You saved me." Inui tried to back away to try to see in the blur around him where they were, but Kaoru cried a little harder and held Inui tighter. In pain, Inui hissed and an adorably tear streaked face looked up at him appearing very concerned. "I'm okay, just sore. Where are we? I can't see without my glasses."
Not to mention he could only see out of his right eye still. Inui wanted to feel his face because even with keeping his mouth as closed as possible, his words sounded funny to him. His voice was the same but his words seemed muffled. Like his face was in the way or swollen or something. He resisted the urge to touch because he had a feeling it might upset Kaoru more. He would have to check later.
He heard a sighed hiss and Kaoru put his head against Inui's chest in a light hug, "Your glasses...I'm ssss...sorry. They completely smashed them. Even the frames were shattered. I...I picked the pieces up and put them in my bag. And...and what was left of your shorts that they cut off. I...I put my running pants on you before I picked you up."
"Thank you, Kaoru." Inui was surprised he hadn't even remembered being dressed by the freshman. Still he didn't care what he had on as long as he wasn't being walked around the city naked. His glasses being smashed also surprised him. Those glasses were sports ones with thick plastic frames. In fact the ad for them showed them surviving even a car accident where they were run over. Luckily though they had a lifetime warranty. That was when Inui realized by squinting with his one eye that in addition to his own weight, Kaoru was carrying his tennis bag. And something else.
"Is that the seat from the swing?" It was a metal and rubber seat found on many older playgrounds, but what Inui was surprised about was the metal when he felt it, "How did you get this off the chain?" The metal that was left felt completely twisted and bent.
A hissed noise sounded as if Kaoru was laughing or embarrassed, "I...I was in a hurry. You were being hurt so I pulled until it came off. I thought," Another hissing breath, "Maybe I could fix it so that the kids won't be missing a swing. Maybe you could help me, senpai? When you're better?"
"Of course. You are amazing Kaidoh Kaoru." Inui said and sounded nonplussed, but inside, he was stunned. This was thick industrial-type steel that the freshman had bent? Inui had heard of people in dire situations finding super-human strength but this was the first time he had seen anything like this. He wondered if the steel was weak or if the freshman was just incredibly strong. He was impressed either way and resolved to get more data on this in the morning. Again he had to ask, "Where are we?"
"Ssssorry senpai. Your old house is just up the street and over there. You said...you said we could spend the night there because you knew a way in and you wanted to stay with me." Kaoru pointed but in the dark without his glasses and only one eye working Inui couldn't see.
"Yes, I very much do." Inui put his arm around Kaoru's shoulders at first feeling more affection than need, "Will you come home with me my very brave and beautiful, Kaoru-chan?"
Kaoru looked at him with a strange look on his face. "Yes, s...ssenpai."

YAY! One more and then it's on to XDDDD

Thanks and much love to everyone!
I've updated suteishichic.com with stufffff and am still writing originals.
I could always use more betas for those if anyone is interested shoot me an email. (Pretty please?)
Talk to everyone soon! (more very soon editing tonight) XD
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Learning to Land