Slip Away

Pestilence is copyrighted to Sallie Drazzi

~*~*~*~*~



Chance peeked in the door of Pesti's room, "Pes-teeeeee?"

Pestilence had been worrying over Jenii for several days now, so now he could take a moment's pause from that worry and near-constant hair-petting, "Mmn? Hello Chancey."

The little Kouryou pattered across the clean floor, glancing side to side as if this were a foreign landscape. Pesti and Jenii's room being clean just wasn't natural.

Chance also knew that a clean room irritated Jenii, so fa'i tipped something over to make a little bit of a mess, to ease Jenii that much. Chance crouched, wiggled little tailed hind end, and jumped up onto the bed, "Jee-nii iggy?"

"Mhm, Jenii's sickly."

"Dada feex Chancey mahjeek..." Chance informed Pesti.

"So are feeling better?" Pestilence relaxed a little, he'd been worrying and feeling guilty about Chance going through all this and draining all fa'i's magic.

Chance nodded and pointed at fa'i's forehead, "Dada gave mahjeek."

The Force actually managed a little smile, "That's good, am glad are better." Pestilence glanced backed down at Jenii's head resting against his thigh, going back to stroking the fine ebony hair. The smile faded that quickly.

Chance's ears drooped, "Aaww Pes-teeee... Jee-nii beeg stwong."

"Know he is, just don't like when he suffers."

Jenii tensed just then, breath catching in his chest for a long moment before he fought through the pain and managed to finish the breath.

Chance pinned ears back, feeling a shard of that pain through fa'i's empathy, "Oww."

"Like that..." Pesti murmured, gently rubbing against Jenii's chest to help the movements, avoiding the red and irritated scars.

The little Kouryou curled up against Jenii's side, nuzzling soft cheek scales against skin, "Lovelove, poor t'ing."

"Big, strong warrior... just rest and will be okay... will be okay very soon," Pestilence knew he was assuring himself more than Chance.

Chance set shiny aqua eyes on the scars and glared, mustering up fa'i's best angry tone, "Bad... badbad! Go 'way!"

"Know Chancey, hate them too. Wish could take them away," Pestilence watched his fingers run through Jenii's hair, thinking out loud, "Might have been able to copy them to me, but he won't let me try that."

"Copy scarses... mebbe no cursees."

Pesti sighed, "Maybe not."

"Mebbe scarses like.. like..." Chance pouted in thought, "Wawa ass."

Pestilence blinked, not understanding Chance's still-developing speech, "Hm?" he decided to ignore it for now, going on his line of thinking, "Just think if copied scars, then got rid of his... would be nothing for curse to be part of."

"Nuffing ho'd ... go annawhere."

"Might just go through whole body, right?"

Chance nodded, thinking another moment before slouching, "Or no'ere, go byebye... dunno."

"Don't want to risk if will make it worse," Pestilence sighed again, bending to kiss softly at Jenii's forehead. He shushed Jenii gently as the demon tilted his head up towards the kiss, smoothing back his hair. It was an adorable reaction, but Jenii needed to rest more than be affectionate.

Chance sat there studying the scars, chewing lightly at fa'i's lip, "Scarses like Wawa ass, bweak iddy bit Jee-nii iggy."

The Force blinked his amethyst eye, slowly translating that, "Mean, like if War's wing binding breaks?"

Chance nodded with a little tail wiggle, happy to be understood, "Onwee iddy bit," fa'i motioned little hands over Jenii's chest.

"So... what? Scars are like binding, if they break a little he gets like this?" Pesti was finding it extremely hard to think through all this worry.

Chance nodded again, getting excited now, "Bweak iddle... mebbe feex two."

"Fix too?" Pestilence tilted his head, confused.

"Two," Chance held up two fingers, excitement deflated.

Pesti frowned a little, "I don't understand, Chancey."

Chance pointed at scars, "One," then held up two fingers, "Feex two."

"You mean maybe one of the scars fixes the others?" the ditzy blonde was getting so confused.

The baby Kouryou sighed, rubbing at forehead with both wrists. Determined, Chance tried again, "We feex nudder one on top scarses, tight tight, no bweak evah."

Pestilence took a minute to go over those words, "Another binding over the scars?" he asked tentatively, not wanting to upset poor Chance who was already trying so hard. He was rather relieved when Chance nodded and did that little happy wiggle. "Tend to react badly to magic though. Or maybe just... healing magic."

"Wap wound far 'way... make tight iddy bit," Chance held out fa'i's arms wide and then slowly brought them in for a visual example.

"Mean slowly make it tighter?"

Chance squeaked, excitement building up again, "Den twapped inside aweady, tight tight tight itty!"

"Suppose can try it."

"Scarses weact bad twapped itty... err... ben... ben... beend... er... Chancey no say good," Chance flopped over, frustrated.

"Say in Rumanji?"

"Oh!" Chance hopped back up, slipping into the First Realm language to explain.

Pestilence nodded, "Right... think I follow... if the curse starts reacting it would already be trapped, so just seal it faster and close it up before it hurts Jenii too much.

Okay, where would be best to start the binding so scars don't react too soon..." he surveyed the space around Jenii, thinking. "Start up here, you think?" he lightly stroked Jenii's forehead.

Chance nodded a little, "Twy... hoop feex."

"Can hope. If makes it worse..." Pestilence sighed.

The Force closed his eye and concentrated, opening up his full powers, his rune flaring to light on his forehead. He laid one hand over Jenii's forehead, setting up the foundation of the binding a distance away from the offending scars.

Chance shuffled down the bed to curl up near Jenii's hand, "Pes-tee feex, lovelove Jee-nii."

"Do love him, wish was guarantee will work."

Jenii slitted his dusky red eyes just barely open, blinking around tiredly, as if knowing something was going on.

"Sshh Jee-nii, Pes-tee feex," the Kouryou nuzzled at Jenii's hand, trying to be comforting.

Pestilence worked on building the binding up steadily and carefully, but could spare a little concetration to coo at his lover, "Shush my Shadow, hopefully will help at least a little..."

Jenii murmured, just a bit above a whisper, "Ehn.. trust you..." Then he couldn't keep his eyes open any longer and they slipped closed again.

"Shush, rest," Pestilence drew out the words. Those words made him worry more. Jenii trusted him, so if he failed that would be that much more of a disappointment.

Chance's ears pricked up, "Tight tight," the dragonkin wiggled excitedly.

"Mmn... tighter... slowly," Pestilence worked on it very slowly, building the binding little by little, as if sneaking up on the scars.

Jenii turned his head just a little, eyes closing tighter, expression etched with just a bit of pain, "Ehnn..."

"Will be okay my shadow..." Pesti cooed, moving the process a little bit faster.

"Pwomise... teek care lovelove Jee-nii... twap eet," Chance crouched down, tense and watching.

Pestilence thought for sure he could see the crossed scars on Jenii's chest growing a brighter, more angry red. Jenii's breathing was coming harder. Pesti didn't really want to go any faster and risk messing it up, but it just broke his heart to see Jenii in any amount of pain. The poor demon had already laid here barely able to breathe for days. But just this one last push, Pestilence urged himself, just this little bit more and if it worked, the pains would be gone forever.

Jenii gasped suddenly, entire back arching up off the bed.

Pestilence startled, recovering quickly. He bit his lip and concentrated very hard, pushing the binding as fast as he possibly could. There was still so much he had to do. Jenii absolutely could not manage taking that next breath, his entire body shuddering and suspended there as if caught up on it.

Chance squeaked, leaping off the bed and thumping to the floor, "Get Su-essy jus case," the Kouryou scampered back out the door.

Pestilence was working as fast he could and still be sure the binding was done strongly, "Am sorry my Shadow, am trying to help... hope it does... but am so sorry for this pain..."

Jenii choked, blood staining his lips. The scar on his chest suddenly burst open, cascades of blood erupting there. Pesti blindly reached to grab the nearest blanket, dragging it over Jenii's chest and applying a little bit of pressure. He faltered slightly before returning to full concentration.

"Shit, if this makes everything worse, will just..." he broke himself off from those bad thoughts, no talking, no thinking, just binding up this scar as quickly as he could.

The Shadow demon had his hands clawing at his chest, as if he could tear free the breath caught there. His nails were digging in hard enough to draw blood. Pesti bowed his head and sealed his lips against Jenii's, ignoring he blood, pushing a few breaths into him.

Jenii fought to keep those breaths, and then managed a few more on his own. "Ren... sai..." he gasped the word for "love" he had made up for his own language, unable to finish, choking again.

Pestilence had managed not to cry up until then, blinking out tears that burned trails down his cheek. "Shush... my Shadow... I know..."

The Force concentrated, fixing up the last of the binding. Jenii winced hard, a shot of magic pulsing through him in an attempt to counter what Pestilence was doing.

That last little pulse shocked his heart into stopping, the demon falling relaxed, no more breaths coming.

Chance scampered in at that moment, Solexi walking calmly after the dragonkin, surveying the scene.

"Been having fun I see," she set her bag down.

Pesti couldn't even begin to answer, checking that the binding was completed. A sob escaped. The binding was secure, but there was no sign of life from Jenii.

Pestilence's wardrobe crashed to the floor in the emotional power-burst that accompanied the sobbing.

Solexi calmly regarded the destroyed wardrobe, "You might want to settle down."

Pestilence started as the healer pulled off the bloody sheets, laying her hands over the demon's heart and getting to work. There was no way he could calm down, and his powers were especially dangerous since he'd opened them to their full extent and was now too upset to close them. A chest of drawers skidded across the room and slammed into the opposite wall while all he could do was cling to Jenii's ringed hand with both of his trembling ones.

Chance hopped up and clung to Pesti, hugging him tightly, "Su-essy feex... Pes-tee feex scarses, did did! Su-essy can heals now!"

"What... what if..." Pestilence attempted to argue. Jenii still wasn't breathing, what if Solexi couldn't get his heart going again?

War ducked away from something slamming into the wall, "Okay I knew there was some full fledged panic here."

The purple-haired Force wandered through the wreckage, sitting behind Pestilence and wrapping an arm around him. He shielded off any further power surges as he laid his fingers over the marking on Pesti's forehead, working on closing down those emotionally-charged powers.

Solexi glanced at Chance, "Look through my bag for some disinfectant and soak some bandages in it, if you wouldn't mind."

"Otay!" Chance climbed up against the bag and peered inside, leaning too far and falling in. The baby Kouryou popped back up a moment later with disinfectant and bandages.

"That's good, thank you."

War finished sealing Pesti's powers, wiping blood-tears off his cheek, "Ah, don't cry man. You're too pretty to cry. Specially over a corpse like that. Think he's gonna pop it and make my lifetime? Hells no. So settle down, mm?"

Pestilence had to settle at War's touch, it was just that odd something between them. But still there was an underlying feeling of panic, his eye never leaving his still motionless demon lover, now and again sobs coupled with minor explosions escaping.

Chance clambered up next to Jenii, laying tiny little hands next to Solexi's on Jenii's chest. Fa'i squeezed eyes shut and gathered powers, sending a little helping jolt along with Solexi's healing magic. Jenii twitched, breath catching in his throat, hands reflexibly attempting to tighten into fists.

"Excellent, if I finish here will you clean the wound for bandaging?" Solexi asked.

Pestilence managed to squeeze Jenii's hand even tighter than he'd thought possible, "Jenii... is okay Jenii, will be okay..."

Jenii managed a rattled breath, but it was something, his heart tripping onto a thready and weak rhythm.

Pesti had to talk to settle himself as well as Jenii, it was just his method of doing things. He had to stop shaking and crying, after all, this couldn't be very comforting to the demon, "Is okay Jenii, am right here... always be right here, by your side... never leave you, good or bad... just rest and everything will be okay..."

Jenii coughed, slitting his eyes open. Those dark red orbs couldn't focus, lost in a haze.

Pesti wriggled out of War's grip, moving so he could cradle Jenii's head and stroke back his hair with his free hand. He tried to find his usual soothing tone despite shakiness, "Is okay Jenii… will be okay…"

The demon looked toward the movement that had been Pestilence, but couldn't focus on anything. He just closed his eyes again, focusing on fighting for breaths.

"Cwean... no bweedy," Chance looked up at Solexi, having finished the task she had given.

"Good, look in my bag for some round silver-like discs please, in case I cannot complete this."

Chance scampered back to bag, peeking and falling in again. One by one the silver discs came popping up and out onto the floor.

"Watch it," War grumbled, rubbing where he'd been hit with a disc.

"That is more than enough, thank you," Solexi was obviously tiring, but she kept on with her healing.

Chance peeped out, blinking at War, "Sawry Wawa ass." The little Kouryou hopped out of the bag and tumbled down, bouncing around gathering discs.

Jenii winced at his heart skipping a few beats, fluttering oddly, "Ehnnn..."

"Shush, will be okay my Shadow... am right here and healer will fix you," Pestilence cooed, smoothing back that fine black hair.

Jenii forced his eyes open again, drifting his gaze around to find and focus on Pestilence, "Ren.. sai... dek..." he finished what he'd attempted earlier.

War scowled, giving Jenii a look. He was proficient in languages, and he was damn sure that wasn't a word.

"I know..." Pesti kissed Jenii's forehead softly, "Kolm ta. Will look after you... will all be okay... will make up for this pain caused you."

War folded his arms over his chest and growled softly. He could damn well guess what that word was.

Jenii twitched at another little heart arrhythmia, "What..."

"Shush, it's okay... Solexi will fix things..." the blonde continued to pet that silky black hair, trying to soothe Jenii who seemed intent on not resting or listening.

Jenii relaxed a little as Solexi found and healed the problem causing his heart to flutter out of rhythm, "Ehn... shore..."

Chance pattered over to Solexi with a silver disc balanced on nose, blinking up at her.

"Thank you, I shall need those in a moment," Solexi eased back a little, relaxing from such severe concentration.

Pestilence was happy that he'd finally found his soothing tone, "Didn't want to hurt you my Shadow, not at all, not that much... will make it up to you. At least... think everything is bound tightly now, at least did that. Is okay now... just rest," he encouraged, squeezing the hand he was holding.

The exhausted Shadow demon took a full minute to register what had been said, squeezing Pesti's hand back, "Angel..."

"An angel would have made it painless. Just rest."

"Angel... bring..." Jenii couldn't quite manage that much, there just wasn't enough breath in his weak lungs.

"Shush," Pesti cooed, "Just breathe... relax..."

Solexi took the silver discs Chance balanced one by one on fa'i's nose, charging them up and fixing them to Jenii's chest. With each one, the demon breathed a little easier.

"War here..." Jenii rasped.

Pestilence took a moment to check, as if he'd forgotten, "Yes, he is."

"Should... pay 'tention... him...."

"Am paying attention to you, so shush. War is only here because was panicking."

War stole some bandages from the healer's bag, taking them and wrapping them around Pesti's face loosely. He removed the eyepatch and tightened the wrapping as if he'd done it a million times before.

Pestilence barely noticed what War was doing, entirely focused on Jenii, "Thought was going to lose you and tell me to pay attention to someone else? Can't do that, am going to stay with you Jenii, watch you rest, make sure you rest..."

"War... make calm... you need..."

"Shush, are not resting," Pesti scolded very lightly, continuing to pet that silken mass of black hair.

Jenii moved his free hand slowly over chest, barely able to move, growling softly at being so weak.

Pestilence soothed, as if he could read Jenii's mind, "Will be okay my Shadow, will get better, will get stronger again. Just rest a while, will be right here with you..."

Jenii drifted his fingers over the bandaged scars on his chest. It had been years since anyone had been able to so much as bandage them, and there they were bound and aching, but not leaking copious amounts of blood as they usually did.

The little Force stroked Jenii's forehead, "Bound the curse, hope anyway... looks like is done and stable... Maybe worth pain just put you through."

War nodded to Solexi as she slipped out, her duty completed. Then he prowled over and hunted through the broken wardrobe, digging out some clean blankets.

He shoved them at the bouncing and trailing Chance. Chance was delighted to have something to do, scampering back to the bed, dragging blankets along behind, unfolding as fa'i went. The little Kouryou hopped and wriggled about the bed, spreading the blankets.

"...pink..." Jenii murmured, just now noticing Chance.

"Mhm, was all Chance's idea..."

War looked around at the broken furniture, sighing, "I'll buy ya a new room kid, but don't blow anything else up for a while." And with that, he was gone.

Pestilence couldn't bring himself to attend much to what War had said, or to help Chance with the blankets, he just had to focus entirely on Jenii. Still, there was something nagging at him he had to ask about, ""Angel bring" what?"

Jenii drug himself back from drifting off, "Angel bring... me back again..."

Pesti shook his head a little, "Didn't do anything." He leaned down and kissed Jenii softly, still tasting faint traces of blood on those lips, "Rest my love, will stay right here with you. Never leave your side."

"Voice... pretty voice... call back... like shore..." Jenii murmured, drifting again.

Chance blinked, grabbing toes and rocking slightly, "Chancey no mean owow Jee-nii, Chancey sawreeee."

Pesti managed a bare little smile for Chance, "Know you didn't, Chancey, is okay. Silly romantic... rest for me, please?" he stroked back Jenii's hair, back to entirely attending to him.

"Am rest... rest two day... think."

"Rest as long as need to my Shadow, will be here with you all the time."

"Room mess now..." there was just a bare amount of smug contentness in Jenii's tone.

"Mhm... so can rest easy."

"Cold..."

Pesti didn't want to let go, but he forced himself to reach under the bed and drag out Jenii's favourite towel-turned-blanket, arranging it over his Shadow.

"Ehnn... like this..."

"Know you do, is why saved it from being bled on when first got sick..."

Jenii smiled softly, "Hmm... love smart Pes... Pestilence..."

The Force relaxed a great deal at seeing that smile. "Love my strong shadow... am so sorry hurt you," Pestilence sighed, settling back against the pillows, idly stroking Jenii's hair and finding a song to further soothe his lover, "Who needs the sun, when the rain's so full of life? Who needs the sky, when the ground's open wide? It's here in your arms I want to be buried... You are my sanctuary..."

"Ehn... hmmm," Jenii closed his eyes, starting to purr but needing the strength to breathe, but the intention was there and that eased Pesti's mind. "Rensai... dek..."

Pestilence smiled a little bit, relaxing even more, "Who needs a smile, when a tear's so full of love? Who needs a home, with the stars up above? It's here in your heart I want to be carried... You are my sanctuary," he was prepared to sing his heart out until his Shadow was asleep and beyond that, all through the night.

He wasn't going to let his lover slip away. He hadn't before all those years ago on that shore a world away, and he wasn't going to now.





~*~*~*~*~

Index