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Worth	By : Valisilwen Category: +S to Z > Saint Beast Views: 1336 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Saint Beast, nor the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 1-Worth
- 2-Confrontation
- 3-Attack
- 4-Almost Escape
- 5-Pain
- 6-Return
- 7-Explanation
- 8-Truth
- 9-Comfort
- 10-Love
- 11-End?
- 8
- 9
- 10
He won't even look at me, Rei thought, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to spill over. He's so disgusted with me he can't even look at me. And I can't even say I blame him. Those scars make must make me hideous, and knowing that I got them because of my own ineptitude as an angel must make me even more so.

When Yuda had finished bandaging his back, Rei pulled his robe back over his shoulders, wincing as the motion caused him some pain, but not nearly as much as before. As he was finishing adjusting his robe, Rei felt a small, trembling hand rest lightly on his shoulder.

Rei turned to see Maya standing in front of his bed, his eyes shining with tears that he refused to let fall. "Rei-san," the child-like angel said softly, his trembling starting to increase, "What happened? What did they do after...after we left? What did S-Stheno...?"

Rei couldn't look Maya in the eye, so he kept his head down, staring at his hands clasped tightly in his lap. With each question, he grew more and more tense, and more and more panicked. No, Rei wouldn't tell them. He couldn't. What would they say if he told them he used his powers against another angel? What would they do when they found out he was no better than Stheno? And Ruka...he was already disgusted with Rei. What would he do when he found out, not only about what Rei had done, but what Stheno had almost...no, Ruka couldn't find out. If he did, he'd never want Rei near him again. And Rei didn't think he could bear that.

Rei jumped when he felt another, steadier hand lay on his shoulder, and only then did he realize he had been shaking as well. He looked up to see Shin's kind face above his, the blue-haired angel's usually smiling mouth turned down in a worried frown. "Rei, you know you can tell us what happened. Not only are we your fellow Saint Beasts, we're your friends."

Rei groaned internally, refusing to meet Shin's gaze. The other angel didn't understand at all. It was because the others were his friends that he couldn't tell them what happened. If he did, not only would they no longer be his friends, they'd probably shun him altogether.

Rei tried to shoot a pleading look in Ruka's direction, asking him for help. If there was one thing he could always count on, it was Ruka being there to bail him out of uncomfortable situations with the other Saint Beasts.

But Ruka didn't see Rei's pleading, almost desperate look, for he still had his face turned away from the wounded angel.

That was it. Rei just couldn't take it anymore. He couldn't take the concerned looks, the questions, the comforting touches... and Ruka. He couldn't deal with the fact that Ruka, his best friend, his one and only, his...everything, couldn't even stand to look at him anymore. And it was all his own fault. Rei just couldn't deal with that.

Without saying a word, Rei stood up and ran over to the balcony attached to his room, ignoring the pain in his back. He heard alarmed cries from the others as they realized what he planned to do, but they were too late to stop him. Reaching the edge of the balcony, Rei gracefully pulled himself up over the railing, and soundlessly jumped off.

Ruka's head snapped up at the sound of the others shouting for Rei. The silver haired angel turned just in time to see his graceful, delicate angel jump off the edge of his third story balcony.

Ruka felt his heart stop. Even though he ran as fast as he could over to the edge of the balcony, it felt like it took him hours to reach. When he finally did reach the edge, he arrived just in time to see Rei snap out his wings and soar gracefully into the air, albeit a little more unsteadily than usual.

Ruka wasted no time in launching himself into the air and flying after Rei. He hadn't chased ofter his beautiful angel the last time he'd run off, and look what happened. Ruka'd be damned if he ever let something like that happen again.

Rei's back screamed in protest when he snapped his wings out, but Rei was too far gone to care. All he knew was that he needed to get away. Away from Heaven's Palace, away from his friends, and away from Ruka. Especially Ruka.

Unfortunately, it didn't seem like Rei had much of a choice when it came to that last subject, for only a few minutes after Rei himself had taken off, he heard the sound of wings gently flapping behind him. Sure enough, when Rei looked over his shoulder, there was Ruka, following him.

Rei knew he had no chance of out-flying Ruka when he was completely healthy, let alone when he was seriously injured. Still that didn't stop him from trying.

Rei flew as fast and as hard as he could, pushing his injured body well past its limits, but it had no effect. Ruka was still gaining on him very quickly, and the only thing Rei succeeded in doing was further tiring his body.

Unfortunately, the more tired Rei became, the more acutely aware he was of the intense burning on his back. And the more aware of the pain he became, the less he was able to concentrate on flying, so he was gradually beginning to lose altitude.

Rei finally gave in to the fact that he would never escape from Ruka in the air, however, he might be able to get away on the ground.

Rei descended towards a thick grove of trees, hoping to lose Ruka in the foliage. When he landed he hit the ground running, still desperate to put as much distance between himself and his pursuer as possible.

Honestly, Rei had never even imagined he'd be in a situation like this. Ruka was always the person he ran to, not from. He'd never had a reason to run from Ruka before, and Rei hated the fact that it was his own weakness that forced him to do so now.

Suddenly, Rei felt a hand grab hold of his thin wrist and grip it tightly, effectively halting his near-frantic escape. Rei knew who it was, but he still refused to turn around and look him in the face. "Ruka, please let go," he mumbled softly, trying futilely to tug his wrist from the other angel's grasp.

"No," came a firm reply, the voice laced with so much anger that Rei turned to look at him in shock. Ruka had never spoken to him in that tone before. "I'm never letting you go. Not ever again," as he said this Ruka tugged gently on Rei's wrist, pulling the smaller angel closer to his body. "Now please Rei, talk to me. You've never kept anything from me before, and you're even going so far as to block your thoughts from me. Why?" The anger in Ruka's voice now held a twinge of desperation.

Rei couldn't take it anymore. He felt the tears he had been working so hard to suppress begin to slide down his cheeks. "Please Ruka. Please just stop," Rei looked down at the ground, not wanting to meet the other angel's crimson eyes. He didn't want to see the disgust and condemnation that must have been filling them. "I know you must...must think I'm worthless as an angel after all that's happened, so please, don't make the wounds even deeper by acting like you care."

Ruka was stunned into silence for a few seconds. Finally, he was able to find his voice again. "Rei, how could you even think that? How could I ever—,"

"Because you wouldn't even look at me!" Rei practically shouted, finally looking Ruka in the face, though he still avoided eye contact. "When Yuda was treating the injuries on my back, you wouldn't even look at me! You couldn't even bear the sight of me! And really, who could fault you for it? After all, my body will always bear those disgusting scars. A fitting reminder as to how worthless an angel I've become."

"And..." Rei paused, not wanting to continued. There was no point in keeping this from Ruka any longer, since the other angel already thought him repulsive. "I-I used...I used my powers. I used my powers against other angels, Ruka! I'm so useless that I couldn't even fight them off on my own! I wielded my powers as a Saint Beast against another angel, and that makes me no better than Stheno."

Ruka's shock at Rei's outburst quickly dissipated into sorrow and guilt. He released the smaller angel's wrist and, ever mindful of Rei's wounds, gently put his arms around the sobbing angel's slender waist and pulled him against his chest.

Rei froze, a slight blush tinting his porcelain face. How could Ruka still stand to touch him like this? Wasn't he repulsed by him? Didn't he hate him for being so weak? Rei was very confused.

Ruka sighed, burying his face in Rei's long, silken hair. "Rei, how could someone as beautiful as you ever disgust me? How could that even be possible?"

Rei pulled away, more confused than ever, and finally looked Ruka in the eye. Much to his shock, Rei could find no hatred or disgust in those beautiful crimson eyes. All he could see was kindness, caring, and the gentle love that he had become so accustomed to seeing in Ruka's eyes, but that Rei thought he would never see again. "Then...why did you...?"

Ruka sighed, guilt very prominent in his voice as he explained, "Rei, I was never disgusted by your wounds, not in the least. I turned away because of my own weakness. I just...I couldn't stand the thought of you going through so much pain alone, without me being there to protect you. It was much more than I could handle."

Rei was still confused. "But...but I used my powers against another angel! How can you not hate me for doing such a thing?"

Ruka brought a hand up and cupped Rei's cheek, wiping away some of the stray tears that still lingered on his face. "Rei, I could never, ever hate you. No matter what happens, I will never hate you. And especially not now. You were defending yourself. You were seriously outnumbered, not to mention gravely injured. There was no way for you to get out of that situation alive without the use of your powers. What you did and what Stheno did are two very different things, and there is no way to even compare that wretch to you."

Rei could hardly believe what was happening. Ruka...didn't hate him? Wasn't disgusted by him? On the contrary, Ruka actually still...cared for him? But how was that even possible? After everything that had happened...

"Rei," Ruka said softly, bringing Rei out of his confused, yet happy, daze, "What is this mark on your neck?"
- 8
- 9
- 10
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Worth