3Natsuo sighed in relief as they got back and saw that Youji and Ritsuka were still out. He got out of his shoes and began getting ready for a bath when the door opened and Youji and Ritsuka came in. "Ha! Tomorrow I'll totally beat Yukio! With all of my practicing with Ritsuka, she doesn't stand a chance! And Natsuo, you're coming too! I'll need you to cheer me on!" Youji said, grinning largely at his fighter.
"Don't worry I will." Natsuo nodded before he walked into the bathroom, stripping out of his clothes and getting the bath ready.
Youji frowned at the closed door and turned to Ritsuka. "I'm going too take a bath too. You guys don't mind, do you?" he asked.
"No. I have to head home anyway, see you tomorrow." Ritsuka said before he gathered his stuff and left.
"I'll make dinner, make sure to bring some pajamas to change into when you go in." Kio told the sacrifice before he made his way into the kitchen. Youji went over to where their pajamas were and took some out before he went into the bathroom, glad Natsuo never locked the door.
"You're taking a bath too?" Natsuo asked with a small frown as Youji began to undress.
"Of course! We always bathe together!" Youji answered taking the rest of his clothes off.
Natsuo couldn't argue there. The two sat in the tub across from each other in an awkward silence.
"I think we're friends with Yukio now." Youji started, trying to break the silence that sat over the pair.
"She's nice, a bit dumb, and looks weird." Natsuo responded with a nod.
"True. Hey, I wonder what this water feels like... Is it hot, is it cold..." Youji said, lightly splashing the water.
Natsuo looked down at it as well. He knew that the water was hot but he couldn't just tell Youji that, not until he knew for sure Youji wouldn't leave him. "I wonder too. I put the water on hot so I guess it's "hot"."
"Hey. If you ever could feel pain or temperature, would you tell me?" Youji asked suddenly, looking over up at Natsuo who's skin went paler than before and who's ears were lying flat against his head.
"If that ever happens, I would. Would you tell me?" Natsuo answered, struggling to keep his voice even.
"I would. I mean if one of us felt pain or temperature, that'd be a good thing, right? Because then the one that felt all of that could tell the other and they'd know if it was too cold outside, or if a food was too hot or if something "hurt" or not. I wouldn't want to be the one that felt all of that though, I'd end up just like the Grandmas." Youji said before he casually began to play with the rubber ducky they kept in the tub.
"Then I guess it's good that none of us feel pain. We don't want to be like them." Natsuo said and stood up, getting out of the tub and drying off. If he stayed there alone with Youji talking like that any longer he'd likely start crying and would tell him everything. He couldn't do that. Not yet.
Youji got out as well and both got dressed, both ready to eat dinner and sleep. They headed out and found Kio just finishing up the pasta he was making they sat at the table right as he set it and looked eagerly at the food.
"Dig in brats!" Kio announced as he gave them all a helping of pasta. Natsuo looked down at it, waiting for it to cool while Youji began to eat the food quickly, not knowing how hot it was.
"Youji, let's wait for it to cool and then eat, it would be a hassle if we burned our mouths." Natsuo said, not wanting his sacrifice to hurt himself without knowing it.
"Oh right." Youji said, suddenly remembering to be careful.
Kio looked from one boy to the next, he knew Youji couldn't feel pain, but he wasn't sure about Natsuo, the redhead was always so secretive that it was hard to tell, but based on the events of last night, he was sure that Natsuo was able to feel pain. "So brats, are you both going to school tomorrow?" he asked, mainly wondering about Natsuo who had been absent so often lately.
"I missed too much school, if I don't go tomorrow, the homework will just continue to pile up." Natsuo answered before he picked up his fork and tried a bite of the pasta. It was still warm, but they could eat it without hurting themselves. "Youji, I think the food cooled down."
Youji frowned, wondering how Natsuo knew before he took a bite. He wasn't going to question his fighter though, he couldn't, he loved Natsuo and didn't want to lose him.
"Yukio will be happy, she might cry when she sees you tomorrow." Youji commented as he ate.
"You think?" Natsuo asked peering over at his partner.
"Yeah. She was worried about you." Youji told Natsuo.
That night as they slept, Natsuo's usual dreamless slumber was turned to one of nightmares.
Natsuo was with his beloved sacrifice, the duo on there way to school when they ran into Kouya and Yamato. "HELLO!" the older sacrifice greeted waving at them.
Natsuo and Youji started to ignore her and continue their walk when suddenly Youji stopped walking with him and went over to the older Zero fighter. "You're my new fighter, right? Are you stronger and faster than Natsuo?"
"Yes. But I am Yamato's." Kouya had said, much to Natsuo's relief.
"Not anymore, look! I got my name! See? Right here on my chest, right where your name is! And your better than Natsuo if you could actually beat Soubi! Let's go, I don't want to be around losers anymore." And with that, Youji was gone, gone with Kouya.
"You failed. Now our other halves are gone and it's all your fault." Yamato told him bitterly before she too left, leaving Natsuo all alone. His sacrifice and the woman that supported him the entire time, gone.
The setting changed and soon he was floating in an empty space watching as Youji and Kouya fought battle after battle, winning each time, and Yamato growing bitter and old, no longer happy and full of life.
"Don't you see now, Natsuo? You caused this pain. For being a failure. How stupid can you be for thinking you could keep Youji?" Miss Nagisa told him from seemingly nowhere.
Natsuo gasped as he awoke and looked around, Youji still asleep beside him, the sun just starting to come up. His breathing was heavy and he couldn't go back to sleep, no matter how much he wanted to. 'I lost Youji. I lost Youji and hurt Granny Zero. I don't think I can tell Youji about how I can feel pain, if I do that dream might become a reality.
sorry for the long wait! but look a new chapter!
