To Want- Chapter 2

Chapter 2- Alone

His hands were numb.

Blue stared silently at the offending appendages, now mostly clean but still with several splinters embedded in the knuckles. He attempted to pinch one between thumb and forefinger, but couldn't quite grasp it. He sighed.

At least they don't hurt as much anymore.

He dipped them back into the stream, letting the cool water flow over them for a while longer, and tried not to think about what had just happened. He wasn't sure himself about the chain of events that had ended when he'd come back to himself to feel Red's hands against his face. He remembered being angry… being very angry… but now he just felt drained. Empty. And surprisingly calm, calmer than he'd been in a long time. And it was all due to…

Red. Blue sighed tiredly, wiping his hands on his tunic, and stretched out on the ground beside the stream. How was it that the teen managed to slip past his defenses so quickly? Was it the eyes? They all shared the same eyes, he knew, but the soul inside those eyes made him feel like he could stare into them for hours. Was it his unstoppable sweetness? The way that he treated everything and everyone with smiles and laughter, while Blue faced life with his shield of anger?
What was it?

The boy in the blue tunic rolled onto his back, carefully interlacing his numb fingers on his stomach as he pondered. Then he paused, catching on to the fact that he was pondering. This was new… Vio was usually the one pondering. Blue felt his lip curl up in a silent snarl as he recalled the teen's characteristic smirk. He was nearly the complete opposite of Blue, the boy realized. Calm and quiet and able to look at things rationally even through his anger, where Blue was the one to rush in without thinking.

And now here he was, staring at the slowly darkening sky with new and confusing thoughts wafting through his mind. It was only when he realized that he could see stars through the treetops that he pushed himself off of the ground and made his way back to their campsite.

The fire was already lit, and Green and Shadow were hovering over it, warming their hands. Vio was a little ways away, close enough to read his book by the light of the flames, and Red… where was Red? Blue's head unconsciously swiveled as he searched for the familiar red tunic, and he let out a breath he hadn't noticed he'd been holding when the teen emerged from the shadows with his Fire Rod, glowing with a faint light, clenched in his teeth, and two pots full of water. "There you are," Green said, turning to him. "Thought you'd gotten lost."

Red carefully set the pots by the fire and tucked the rod back into his belt loop, then said cheerfully "Nope! It was a little hard getting the water and balancing everything at the same time, sorry!" He glanced over in Blue's direction, and was he imagining it or did the smaller boy's face light up a little?

"Blue!"

Nope. Definitely wasn't imagining it.

The red-clad teen trotted over to him, looking content (as he always did) and it was all Blue could do to not turn around and run in the opposite direction. "You promised you'd be back before dark," Red pouted up at him. "We were worried about you," he added quietly, and Blue's face flushed a little.

Shadow snickered. "Speak for yourself."  He shot Blue an appraising look. "I will admit I'm curious, though. What were you doing?"

Blue glared at the dark teen. "Nothing. I don't want to talk about it." He sighed, turning away from the flames, and ran his fingers unconsciously through his hair. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Red stiffen, and peered at him. "What?"

"Y-your hands…" Red paused as Blue glanced down at his other hand and winced as he saw it had started bleeding again. "Didn't you-"

"What's wrong?" Green had left his place by the fire and wandered over to where the other two stood.

Red grabbed Blue's hands gently and tugged him closer to the firelight. "Why didn't you get the rest of the splinters out?" he asked quietly.

Blue pulled his hands roughly away from Red, face flushed with more than the heat of the fire. "I said I don't want to talk about it!" He spun around to walk away but Green grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him back.

"Blue, we're all your friends here," the boy said seriously, forcing Blue to make eye contact. "We want to help."

"I don't need-"Blue angrily started, but cut off with a yelp as Red deftly teased a shard of wood out of his left hand. "Red!" The boy ignored him and moved on to the next. "Stop! That hurts!"

"Aww, the big tough Blue's afraid of a widdle pain?" Shadow snickered, red eyes glinting in the firelight.

"No!" Blue countered, trying to pull his hand away and failing. "It's just-" He whined a little as the next splinter was extracted.

"Why weren't you wearing your gauntlets?" Vio asked suddenly, turning a page.

"Huh?"

"Y'know, gauntlets? We all bought a pair in the last town because we were sick of our knuckles getting scraped up when we sparred?"

"I don't like them," Blue stated. "They're hot and stiff and make it hard to grip my sword."

"Well, they could have prevented this from happening…" The boy turned back to his book. "Idiot."

Blue snapped.

"That's IT! I don't have to put up with this… this constant SHIT I'm getting from you!" He roared at Vio. "I'm out of here!" He ripped his hands away from Red, which had the unfortunate side effect of tugging a sharp splinter all the way across the back of his hand and opening up a fine red line. He ignored the pain, however, and strode off into the woods again. Behind him, he could hear Green's annoyed voice, and Vio's uncaring one. He tried to pretend that he wasn't listening for Red's, but after he turned around once just to make sure he couldn't hear because he was facing forward, that reality was shot to pieces.

Damn that Vio! The boy fumed, trudging through the moon-lit forest. Why does he always have to be such a jerk? Something cracked behind him and he whirled, fists at the ready, but there was nothing there. His sense of caution returned to him, however, and he decided that it might be wiser to not be alone in the woods at night. Not wanting to return, however, he looked around for a suitable tree to climb- at least that way he wouldn't be caught off-guard on the ground.

"Blue!" A voice called from the trees, and in a flash he was up and in the second layer of tree limbs, heart pounding. Red… "Blue, where are you?" A faint glow was coming from the trees below and Blue grit his teeth, irritated beyond belief. Didn't Red have enough sense to not wander around in the woods alone? "Blue, please," Red called again, and only now could he hear the slight tremor of fear in the youth's voice. It felt like a fist squeezed his heart as the boy passed under the tree where Blue lurked, and against his better judgment Blue leaned over his branch and said, "Go away, Red."

The boy cried out, jumping a good six inches into the air, and whipped his glowing Fire Rod around frantically, looking for the source of the voice. Blue gave a tired chuckle. "I'm up here." After a moment the glow hit his face and he winced. "Ow, Red!"

"Sorry, sorry!" The other said hastily, stowing the rod away in his belt. "I… I brought you dinner, since you left…"

Blue sighed. "I'm not coming down there to get it." He stood up and hooked his arm over a higher branch, resuming his climb. After a moment, he heard scuffling sounds, and turned his head to see Red beginning the ascent as well. They climbed in silence for a while, until Blue reached the point where he wanted to stop- a sturdy branch wide enough for the two of them to comfortably sit on and not break. He could see the moon and stars from here as well.

He scooted further out onto the branch so Red could clamber up as well, but it was a couple moments before the red-clad body flopped its way up and over, a canteen banging at its side. "Graceful," Blue commented neutrally, watching as Red attempted to straighten himself onto the log. It was going well until-

Red's hand slipped and he began to topple over the side.

"Aah! Blue!!!"

Without another thought Blue lunged, grabbing fistfuls of tunic at Red's shoulders, and locking his legs around the branch so he wouldn't fall. Red's arms were flailing, and Blue grunted, "Grab my shoulders!" The boy managed to lock his arms around Blue's neck, and with some careful maneuvering the stronger boy eased them both back onto the branch. Both were panting heavily, adrenaline flowing through their veins. Red's back was pressed against the tree trunk and Blue's head was on his shoulder, tunic still loosely clenched in his hands. He could hear the other boy's frenzied heartbeat, could feel the pulse beating where his cheek brushed Red's neck, and when Red's arms tightened around his neck he didn't struggle, feeling the smaller boy's trembling. Besides, if he jerked back like he usually did, then he might go flying, and there was no way Red could catch him.

They sat for minutes in silence before Red's trembling and Blue's heart rate slowed. The red-clad boy was the first to break the silence. "You… saved me…"

"Didja think I wouldn't?" Blue growled, face still pressed into the hollow of Red's shoulder and neck.

"O-of course not!" Red exclaimed. "I-I mean, I knew you would, but, um… you've been mad at me lately…"

Blue finally pulled away, his face tinged slightly pink. "It's not you I'm mad at," he murmured quietly, sliding backward along the branch to separate them.

"Then why-"

"I don't want to talk about it, Red." The boy in blue looked up at the moon. It was very full and coated everything in the forest with a silvery glow. It was… beautiful.

There was silence for a moment.

"Blue?"

"What?"

"Can I… will you let me bandage your hands for you?" Red asked tentatively. Blue shot a look at him from under his bangs- the boy had bandages tucked into his belt beside the Fire Rod.

Blue shrugged. "I … I guess so." He swung a leg over the branch to straddle it and faced Red, laying both hands out in front of him. The blue-clad teen turned his head back to look at the moon. After a moment, he could feel gentle tugging as Red began to remove the rest of the splinters from his knuckles.

"You know you can talk to me if you need to, right, Blue?" Red's voice was soft as he began winding a bandage gently around Blue's hand.

"Red-" Blue paused, then sighed deeply, hanging his head.

"Sometimes it feels good to just get stuff off your chest," the other continued, working on Blue's other hand. "I know that it helps me."

"But that's you, Red. You can do that. I can't." Blue's voice was gentler than he thought it would be. "That's just not who I am."

Red's fingers slipped in between his.

"We used to be one person, Blue. You can tell me anything." He could hear the smile in Red's voice, but for once this didn't irritate him.

"...." Blue stared at the moon again, his head slightly tilted, as if he was looking to it for guidance. "If … I did tell anyone, Red… It would be you…" He finally murmured, so low that Red almost didn't catch it. "Right now, I … I just can't…" His fingers unconsciously tightened a little around Red's.

"Whenever you're ready, then, I'll be here." Blue glanced over at the boy in red, flushing a little as Red looked him straight in the eyes. The moonlight shone off his skin and reflected back in his deep blue eyes… Blue couldn't hold his gaze and had to turn away.

"I know…"