Chapter Hundred Thirty-Seven — The Unforgettable
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Hibiki does not touch Neko inappropriately, do not worry. He might try several times (and even announces he will), but... won't work. Due to several different factors, most common of which -- Morokata. And the other one -- in this chapter.

Phew.

 

Chapter Hundred Thirty-Seven

The Unforgettable

 

 

"Really? Really-really?" Hibiki gasped, beyond himself with joy. Like a child, getting a present from his grandparents. "I can have him--?!"

His tone brimmed with so much open desire that even Morokata frowned.

Chills clutched Nekohiko's poor seashell just from the idea of belonging to someone like him and not having any say about that.

And though before, Abihiko had looked as though on the verge of collapsing, just this one phrase from Hibiki made him snap his face up. His pupils shrank, eyes lighting from within. Inferno of hatred blossomed there as brightly as the sun and Nekohiko almost cried out to hold him back.

It was horrible, to be Hibiki's toy, but...

This doll body was only that. A body. Nekohiko's soul did not dwell in it. His mind, his consciousness, his very self were safe away, unable to be touched by Hibiki whatever Hibiki might do to Nekohiko's physical form.

Abihiko, do not--!

With a despairing low growl, Abihiko shoved himself from the floor and swept his arms wide. His fingers formed a spell to fling while he ducked to kick Hibiki's legs from underneath him.

A powerful, annihilating Utsuro spell.

One that Abihiko could not afford to cast regardless of how angry he was. He was hemorrhaging. His eyes bled, his mouth, his ears... His skin had become ashen with how much strain he was putting on his body to fight when he could not.

If he cast this one, he would die.

...

Abihiko.

Gone from his life, forever.

Something snapped in Nekohiko. He had do something! The seashell was useless for that, though -- so without a single thought, he flashed his mind over to the human doll body. To try and protect Abihiko. To stop his casting and restrain him against his will!

But he didn't need to.

Hibiki flinched aside, cowering like a feral animal. Morokata, on the other hand...

He acted. Swift and smooth, he swooshed his silvery sleeves. A very easy spell. Not to dispel Abihiko's magic, not to have him miscast. Not even to repel or defend against it.

He cast to cancel Abihiko's spell in its entirety. Singly to stop Abihiko from killing himself with the Binders exhaustion.

Morokata's brows were furrowed, which seemed so odd and alien for his divine features. Genuinely angry.

"Hibiki, immobilize him! We need him alive!"

Abihiko hopped away to not get caught in Morokata's spells, but his weakness showed. His body simply couldn't move as fast as he wanted, or as gracefully. He stumbled, dizzy with fatigue, but did not lose his spell formation.

Not a word escaped his mouth. Still as silent and grim and devoid of hope. It pained Nekohiko to watch. It was so easy for Morokata to subdue Abihiko. One more wave of Leashing and stifling spells, and he was trapped again.

"What are you standing around for?! Stop him whenever he tries to pull shit like this! Do not let him self-destruct!" Morokata commanded, steaming with displeasure. In vain, because Hibiki only cringed away from Abihiko more, as though being traumatized by even the idea of Abihiko in a fight.

After how Abihiko and Nekohiko had broken all the bones in Hibiki's real human body... no wonder he was traumatized.

Pity their treatment of him hadn't stuck.

Now, Morokata took care of the deal. Thin strands of foggy energy crisscrossed Abihiko's frame, slowly tightening and limiting all of his movements. Not that Abihiko could note it. Even the bit of moving and casting he had tried to do after he hit his exhaustion line -- crushed him.

He barely stayed awake, hanging off Morokata's thread-like fetters, staring at him from within half-lidded eyes with all the spite he could muster.

"If you two dare to hurt him..." Abihiko gritted out through force.

A cough spattered blood all across his chin. He trembled, forcing himself through pain and exhaustion nonetheless. "I will wait for you in hell, Morokata. I will wait till the end of time. To drag you even deeper. With me."

...

"That means you expect to end up in hell yourself, idiot," Hibiki suddenly blurted. Though he did sound unnerved by Abihiko's proclamation.

"See you there, too." Abihiko smiled wide.

His teeth were half-blackened, his red lips no longer red because of how much blood had drained off his skin. Streaks of black colored his eyes as well, and with his dark hair strewn across his face like haggard seaweed, he cast an image of a deranged malicious Spirit.

A demon, perhaps.

Morokata huffed, turning away. He threw to Hibiki a well-mannered chuckle, shrugging one shoulder with distaste. "Remove his hands with Splitting. He might pull something else of this sort, and we cannot have that. We need him. Alive."

"...do we, though?" Hibiki still shambled on toward Abihiko to do what Morokata wanted. "I can find dozens of Binders as gifted as he, and not as aggravating at the same time."

"Gifted is one thing. Raw power is another. After I am done with him, prepare him as needed. It will take you at least half a day if not more to do, but we need him. We need him ready and done. I expect to see no less than most of the work on him finished by tomorrow afternoon--"

"Are you fucking kidding me?!" Hibiki exploded.

Yes. Even at Morokata, he dared to explode with frustration.

He must be severely pissed to do that to his beloved Master's face.

"I want to play with my new doll tonight, and you make me work on a fucking human? What! Nooo--"

Rather than argue, Morokata simply cast him a glance over his shoulder.

...

And that one single glance was enough to make Hibiki tame and only slightly pouty in response. He rolled his eyes, shaking all through with a showy display of disagreement, but leaned to Abihiko to Split his hands from his wrists.

"No manners at all, nowadays. Everyone such a rube." Morokata brushed his sleeves off invisible dust and primped the elaborate twinkling crownlet on his head.

...

From Abihiko, only silence and resignation came. His head dropped, hanging down his neck as Hibiki worked on him. He was still suspended by Morokata's fetters in the corner of the room. At last, he was... safe.

Perhaps not from Morokata or Hibiki. Obviously not. But he was safe from himself.

With how much and how often he had cast magic and had drained himself of all strength to try and land a single hit on Morokata...

It was better he was unarmed now.

If only Nekohiko could summon any care for this fact. But instead, dimly, he remembered all these thoughts in his head for only a few brief moments after settling in his doll self.

He should not have come back to the human body. He should have stayed within the seashell. But he'd been so worried about Abihiko, wanting to stop him from dying from inside the doll...

But this doll could not even do that. Because once he had shifted into it -- none of his previous thoughts came back.

The only thing that remained inside him was the vague curiosity and amusement. What was happening inside this room?

And where this room even was?

And what he was doing here? And why?

Above all -- who was this bizarre person in the blood-red robes? A beautiful young man, for sure, but one utterly unfamiliar to Nekohiko. The man was bleeding black and looked so haggard now, Nekohiko felt threatened just from being so close to him.

Also, why Dear Hibiki and Dear Morokata were so adamant about restraining that red-robed young man? Was he that dangerous?

As Nekohiko slowly grew to realize the emotions that swerved inside him so beautifully, the one that shone brightest inside his mind was the warm and infinite desire to please Dear Morokata.

To be next to him. To stand in his shadow. To do everything Dear Morokata would ever ask of him.

And more.

...

Because, as his mind hinted at him from deep beyond his carefree disposition, he was in love with Morokata.

He was also in love with Hibiki. Such were the Orders he had been given, just a few minutes ago while his mind had been away, gallivanting hell knew where, with Kotone.

And aside from being Ordered to be in love with Dear Morokata, the one last Order he had been given was to forget someone. Someone probably not very important because Nekohiko felt nothing at the idea of losing memories of that person.

Odd, being Ordered such weird things without being asked if he wanted or not. But... oh well.

Dear Morokata knew better.

Who was Nekohiko to question him? His only Love? His Master? His everything?

 

 


***

 

 

Morokata and Hibiki exchanged more words with each other, but Nekohiko didn't listen. He was not meant to understand or eavesdrop on them, and he knew that.

Instead, he watched the gaunt young man half-dressed in his red robes, as Hibiki and Morokata went about, helping the young man to his feet. Dear Morokata commanded Hibiki to not harm that person no matter what while himself, Morokata was busy making him appear presentable.

"We cannot let you look like you came from within a grave, can we?" Morokata said, sweet. "Your appearance can scare children into behaving. You're like a ghoul, honestly. All this black blood. Hibiki, wet a towel and carry here. We need to clean him up, or Okinaga will destroy the rest of the Palace if he sees him like this."

"...taking care of a human, argh," Hibiki mumbled with all the restraint he could muster against this injustice. "Cannot believe this."

He still went to the bathing pool room and shoved back a dummy carrying a basin of water, and another one, piled on with towels.

Methodically, both Dear Hibiki and Morokata began their work on cleaning up the deathly-pale young man between them. His Split hands were in Hibiki's possession. Morokata's fetters held him in place everywhere else.

All this odd ritualism in preparing him to look decent piqued Nekohiko's interest and he wanted to step in. To help.

"Dear Morokata?" he asked timidly. "Can I do anything?"

All those helpful dummies around Hibiki and Morokata, and none of them -- Nekohiko? It stung.

Morokata shot him a beautiful smile and shook his head. The crystals and icicles in his hair and shoulders chimed translucently.

"No need, sweetie. Go sit down and think about your life together with me, Hibiki, and your future spouse. All right?"

"My future spouse--?"

"Dear Kataji." Morokata flinched, reminded. "Almost forgot! Of course I Order you to be in love with Kataji as well. The Imperial couple should give the semblance of peace and concordance. Otherwise, you might pose challenges later on. The less desire to rebel against me you'll have, the better."

...

Dear Kataji. Ah, sounded wonderful.

"Yes, Master."

The young man between Hibiki and Morokata gave Nekohiko a dark gaze. It shot through Nekohiko like a spear. So much condensed emotion was in that gaze that Nekohiko averted his eyes.

Something worrisome squirmed in his chest when his and the young man's eyes met, and for a moment, Nekohiko almost felt...

...not as happy as he had been Ordered to feel.

Which was unpleasant.

Lost, he sank to the bed, preferring not to look at the young man again. They weren't even acquainted. Why was this young man peering at him with so much unrestrained yearning?

"Inappropriate," Nekohiko whispered to himself. His hand scrunched the fabric of his robes above the spot where his heart was as though trying to quieten the needy ache that came from within him threatening to spread.

This was just... wrong.

But then why did it feel so right to Nekohiko, too?

Beyond the walls of the rooms, earth clashed. Even inside, Nekohiko saw the signs of earthquakes shaking the foundations of the Palace. The building walls groaned under the strain, and Nekohiko was distracted from what Morokata and Hibiki were doing.

But not with any genuine concern about the Palace or the Empire or the people.

It was blissful, to not care about them. Perhaps, Dear Morokata had given him such an Order as well? If so, good. Nekohiko felt much calmer, not caring about anything insignificant. Though the rumbling and the cracks in the walls and ceiling were irritating.

"Okinaga would never stop the madness," Morokata said with a sigh. "Unless Abihiko comes out there in person and stops him, that stubborn ox of a Hira will never calm down. Right, Abiko?"

"Piss off," came the soft reply from the young man's lips.

So, his name was Abihiko?

Nothing Nekohiko had ever heard. 

"You and I are going to go out and meet Okinaga," Morokata warned him, playful yet annoyed. "And you will tell him to stop his pathetic rebellion and the sacking of the Palace. Or else--"

And he jerked Abihiko's chin up with his hand. Forcing Abihiko to look him directly in the eye.

"--I will not hold Hibiki back at all from doing whatever the hell he wants with that stupid doll of yours. You know?"

"Ehhh?" Hibiki gasped. "I am not allowed to do what I want with it?! But--"

"Oh, come on. I am not that depraved to let you abuse the actual true Emperor of the country!" Morokata scoffed. "Who do you think I am? That said, I might let you. If Dear Abiko will do a bad job convincing Okinaga to put down his weapons, that is. But we both know, Abiko, that you will try really well and not disappoint me out there, mmm?

"For the sake of your dolly boyfriend and his cute, innocent, and quite pure mind. You wouldn't want us to corrupt or torture him too much, would you?"

Depthlessly, the young man named Abihiko gazed into Morokata's face. Not a trace of humanity or comprehension flickered in his eyes.

Only endless hatred.

Morokata pulled Abihiko's robes tight over his torso while Hibiki tied the belt around. Gentle yet quick, Morokata began brushing back Abihiko's hair, gathering it in a high ponytail.

And as he did, and Hibiki cleared all the blood off the young man's face... something in Nekohiko stirred.

Deep inside him.

Like a fluttering butterfly in his chest. It moved him, hastening his breath and making his eyes water for no real reason.

He found himself standing up and walking. Toward that young man as though wishing to take a better look at his fine features.

Morokata did not like that.

"Baby doll, is something wrong?" He stepped between Nekohiko and Abihiko, wary in a derisive, suave way. Blocking Nekohiko's path, not letting him even see Abihiko. "Tell me. I Order you not to lie me, ever, baby doll."

"Yes, Master." Nekohiko dithered, his thoughts in disarray. Words flowed from his lips without his will. "This young man's face makes me anxious in a manner I have never felt before. I want to see him up closer."

He touched his chest, fingers trembling. Morokata's eyes followed the motion closely and narrowed in graveness.

"I need... to see him. May I?" Nekohiko murmured.

Morokata dazzled with his smile, as luminous as always. "No, baby doll. You may not."

...

Nekohiko's heart fell at these words. As though something was amiss inside him, and it ached through him, wishing to reclaim it.

"How many Orders do we need to pile on him to erase even the shadow of Abihiko from his mind? Tsk." Morokata cast Hibiki a displeased look, then patted his finger to his lips, thinking. When he met Nekohiko's eyes, a metallic glint flashed in his own. "Baby doll, I Order you to not even look at this man ever again. I Order you to not just forget him, but to actively avoid his presence. Every time he is near you, I Order you to go away and never turn back."

"..."

Nekohiko blinked, feeling wronged. Why was Dear Morokata sounding as though he disliked Nekohiko so? As though Nekohiko was burdening him and posing troubles for him?

Nekohiko wouldn't want that in the world. Morokata meant everything to him. If Morokata told him to never look at that man behind him -- then so be it.

As if Nekohiko even wanted to...

"Yes, Master." Nekohiko peered up at Morokata's divine face through the blur of tears. "I am sorry I let you down."

"He should not overpower through such a combination of Orders," Hibiki told Morokata. He folded his fingers as though counting, with gusto. "Forgetting, being in love with someone else, being indifferent to even the sight of him. That sounds like a perfect combination. I don't think any trouble should arise from him now."

"One more thing, just to make sure," Morokata added, his brows still knitted with dismay. "Baby doll, I Order you to forget about any other bodies you have. I Order you to never remember you can even escape into them from this human doll form you are in right now."

"Yes, Master."

Other bodies?

What was Morokata even talking about? Why would Nekohiko want to be in any other body than this one? He was so happy inside it because it kept him close to those he loved.

Morokata's features softened as Nekohiko backed away, unable to keep in Abihiko's vicinity any longer, chased off by the Master Orders inside him.

...

Nekohiko felt empty. Saddened. Had he disappointed Dear Morokata so much? This was so painful. He wanted nothing more than to remain beside the love of his life, but Morokata was busy. He didn't want Nekohiko near...

That hurt, yes. But Nekohiko did not dare to dispute the Orders Morokata gave him, so, driven with the desire to appease him, he walked away.

Reluctant, Nekohiko strolled into the adjacent room. He could wait here till Morokata or Hibiki were done with the stranger young man. What else was his purpose other than to wait for Morokata's Orders, whenever Morokata wanted?

"Do not you dare get away too far from me!" Hibiki yelled after him. "Why is he not listening to me? Please please pleeeease make him follow my Orders, too! I beg you!"

"Oh, my."

"I swear I won't abuse him! I swear on my very Binding, Moro -- I promise!! I just want to play with him a little! I won't touch him where you don't want me to touch him, I swear, I swear!"

Nekohiko had a harder time hearing what they were saying now. The farther he went from the room Dear Morokata and Hibiki were in, the more the sounds of the outside destruction sweeping over the Palace caught his attention.

Idly, he considered peeking out the windows to see the flashy lights of attacking magic clashing in the night sky. But apathy stopped him. To him, all the chaos and the pain outside were nothing more than a peculiar kind of music. Just a bit disturbing.

Not at all relevant.

He was resting on one of the lounging chairs in the tea-drinking areas of the grand quarters when the three young men finally walked out of the bedroom.

Dear Morokata was like pale moonlight. So heavenly in his silvery clothes that Nekohiko smiled just from seeing him. He led the red-clad Abihiko, their elbows linked together as though they were the best of friends. But the stranger young man did not look like it.

A devastated, broken expression made his face look as ghastly as it did before. Even though now, he was clean and not bleeding, and well-dressed and coiffed. Still... the association with a dead man walking was hard to wash off him regardless of how clean and groomed he was.

Nekohiko turned away, unable to lay his eyes on Abihiko. The Order spurred him to jump from the chair and dart out of the room -- to stay as far away from Abihiko as possible.

But as he did, Hibiki came over to catch him.

"Shhh, shh, Emerald Fir," Hibiki cooed in his gruesome, raspy voice. Like two bars of rusty metal, grinding against each other and trying to make it sound sweet instead. "Don't run around like that. A pretty thing like you shouldn't act so undignified. Moro... please! You promised!"

"Sure, sure." Morokata paused on the way out of the room only long enough to flick his sleeve at Nekohiko majestically. "Baby doll, I Order you to follow Hibiki's Orders as you do mine. You now have two Masters, not just one. All right?"

...

Nekohiko still struggled against Hibiki who was forcing him back in his lounging chair. But Morokata's words were law to him, and he could not ignore them.

"Yes, Master," Nekohiko said.

Immediately, Hibiki rushed into action -- so gleeful and giddy, Nekohiko half-thought he heard an animalistic growl in Hibiki's undertone.

"Emerald Fir, I Order you to stop struggling and sit down," Hibiki snapped.

...

"Yes, Master," Nekohiko squeezed out, finding it impossible not to.

Two Masters, huh. He had two Masters, now.

How wonderful. He loved Hibiki and Morokata equally, so it was only fair they had equal ownership of him. No?

Tame, he sagged down in the chair. This made Hibiki so very happy, he almost teared up.

"Sit prettily as you deserve to sit," Hibiki whispered. His rigid porcelain fingers twined in Nekohiko's hair, brushing through them gently, savoring each and every inch of the silky black strands.

"Yes, Master."

Nekohiko reclined before Hibiki. The pose wasn't easy for him to assume as he had never before cared to sit "prettily" in his life. He now wondered if his usual way to sit was ungainly, and felt embarrassed at the realization that... probably yes.

Ahhh, how awful!

Hibiki caught the subtle trace of shame in Nekohiko's eyes and leaned over the chair, both hands on the armrests as though trapping Nekohiko underneath him.

"Emerald," Hibiki breathed in his face, greedily. "I Order you to blush. Blush and feel ashamed. I really, really like the idea of seeing you like that."

"Y-yes, Master." Nekohiko trembled, biting his lip and hiding his tearful eyes from Hibiki's starved, exhilarated gaze.

"Awww." Morokata tapped Abihiko's chest and couldn't help a chuckle. "Aren't the two of them adorable? Now just imagine what Hibiki would do to him if you misbehave and ruin our deal with Okinaga! Ah... hard to even think of. Right, Abiko?"

"I will do as you say," Abihiko mouthed, quieter than a whisper.

"Of course you will," Morokata purred back.

Then, with another dismissive wave at Hibiki, he pulled Abihiko toward the exit from the Imperial chambers. "Behave, children! Hibiki? You can play with him while we're gone, but don't molest him. We'll have to see how Dear Abiko acts outside, first."

"Can't wait." Hibiki crinkled up his nose, sour with dismay. For a few long moments, he simply waited for the last of Morokata's and Abihiko's footsteps to fade in the hallway's echoes.

And only once the doors of the chambers clanged closed, did he stir again.

He slowly descended to his knees before Nekohiko's chair, his eyes never leaving Nekohiko's face. Like a loyal dog, Hibiki bent forward and put his chin on his folded arms on Nekohiko's lap.

He beamed -- absorbing every small detail of Nekohiko's face. Breathing in his wooden scent like a drunkard savoring the first cup of wine he had the chance to indulge in.

It was in this expectant, haunted silence that Hibiki finally sated his eyes with the feast before him and reached up to caress Nekohiko's face with his fingers.

Mmmm. Nekohiko did not mind that. At all.

Dear Hibiki was his love, too. He leaned into the touch, pleased to be with his second Master after being ignored for so long. If only Dear Morokata was here, too...

"Emerald, I Order you to want to fuck me," Hibiki told him, an immature fuzzy joy spreading in his deranged grin. "I mean, I promised I won't molest you -- but I haven't promised you won't molest me, have I?"

"Yes, Master."

"Get down, then. I can't wait till I--"

Abruptly, Hibiki's face froze.

His hand that had wormed down Nekohiko's cheek to his throat and his collarbones recoiled as though he had touched something disgusting.

Then the expression of utter horror spread on his face. Maddened, Hibiki gripped the lapels of Nekohiko's robes and tore them apart to see the inside. Nekohiko's newly-made flesh and skin. Still with the traces of lustful kisses and tender bites someone... had done to him earlier.

Nekohiko could not remember who. But the marks of passion on his skin were too obvious to miss.

However, that was not what Hibiki's focus pinned to.

Instead, the mere concept of Nekohiko having flesh and skin was the greatest shock to him.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS?"

Hibiki shook, so blinded with rage he became.

"I haven't done this! Who did it? Why are the materials so shitty?! Emerald, who did this appalling crime to you?! Who-- WHY! What kind of monster--"

Befuddled, Nekohiko trailed his fingertips against the supple skin of the back of his hand, then gave Hibiki a confused look. "Mmm? I just made myself skin and flesh to pass through the barriers against dolls in the Palace. Why, is this bad?"

"ARGH! Yes, it is! Emerald, I offered you to cover your body with flesh and skin -- of my own making and Binding. Yet you refused back then! And preferred to pay some pathetic idiot to that for you instead?! You... retard!"

Out of himself with rage, Hibiki smashed his boot into the nearest tea table, shattering the rich wood to pieces.

...

Nekohiko withdrew, afraid of Hibiki's tantrum and still unable to comprehend what he had done wrong.

"What is it? Marine animal skin?!" Hibiki climbed on top of Nekohiko's chair like an oversized spider, his motions fast and uncanny with their unhinged fury. His fingers dug into Nekohiko's shoulder, squeezing so hard Nekohiko whimpered in pain, feeling the tender flesh tearing away from the wooden carcass as Hibiki pulled and pulled.

"Yes, fucking mollusk Fused with plant glues," Hibiki spat, sipping with loathing at each word. His Binding aura flared up, trying to gauge the specific hue of the Binder's Imprint that had made Nekohiko his new skin and flesh. Hibiki's nostrils quivered, his eyes bulged out of his sockets, even the veins on his porcelain-smooth face popped out from the frustration. "I will find that miserable fuck and flay him alive for doing something so horrendous to my masterpiece! Covering you with plant and animal-based matter?! What a moronic piece of shit is he?!"

Another vase from the side table flew into the wall with a loud bang.

Nekohiko cowered, not knowing what would happen to him now. But he didn't need to worry.

Nothing much. Just Hibiki blowing up on every little thing in the room while screaming for his dolls and dummies to come here as soon as possible.

...

Yeah, not much.

Nekohiko could only smile, appreciating everything Hibiki did. The Order to be in love with him regardless of his actions was just too potent for him to fight.

The good thing was that Hibiki calmed down after a while.

His eerily-human dolls arrived and took his Orders to locate the Binder whose services Nekohiko had used. Then came the Orders to come and pick the best possible Third-rate matter Hibiki had.

"I want baby skin, baby fat, placenta tissue, eyeball jelly," Hibiki counted out-loud, still pacing the room, unable to quell his rage completely. "Ah, fuck it. I'll pick it myself! Nobody here understands the doll-making art anyway."

With another frustrated roar, Hibiki kicked one of the nearest dolls in the shin, enjoying the pained whelp it gave out -- to the fullest.

"Emerald!" Hibiki snarled, turning to give Nekohiko one last look.

Like a frightened child, Nekohiko had climbed with his feet into the last remaining chair in the room and sat hunched, hugging his knees. He stirred when Dear Hibiki addressed him.

"I Order you to stay where you are and not plot anything behind my back. You hear me?" Hibiki panted from screaming and flailing too much, and looked more depraved than usual. Which was a feat in itself. But once he saw how scared Nekohiko was of his outburst, he toned it down just a little.

No longer fuming. Instead, he smiled in the creepiest way possible, as though to calm Nekohiko down. "Sorry, Emerald Fir. I just really can't look at the state of your body without shuddering. Whoever did it to you will pay, Hibiki promises you. Don't you ever doubt that."

"Y-yes, Master."

"The new flesh and skin I will make for you will be divine. Perfect. You'll see!" he went on, suddenly inspired and childishly-giddy again.

Not that it stopped him from punching another dummy on his way out.

But oh well. That was Hibiki.

Just the way Nekohiko loved him.

 

 


***

 

Nekohiko woke up from Morokata's tender touch, in the chilly periwinkle morning. The shine of Morokata's silvery Towa robes had a lavender hue in the early dusk, and Nekohiko stared at it mesmerized the moment he opened his eyes.

Then he rushed into a hug, clinging to Dear Morokata with all his might.

He had never wanted to be as close to someone as he did to Morokata.

He wanted to hug and be hugged, to hold hands with him, to be kissed by him lightly on his forehead and cheeks. And all the rest of it.

Being in love was wonderful, especially when he was so near to him as he was now.

"You're back," Nekohiko told him, muffled by Morokata's clothes. "I thought I would die without you. My heart... ached all through my dreams. I... Don't even know why."

He wasn't lying.

After he had grown tired of waiting for Hibiki to come back for hours, he had fallen asleep. And in his sleep, something so intense and heartbreaking gnawed at him that his fuzzy, warm dreams turned into nightmares right before Nekohiko's eyes.

In that nightmare, he was alone. And so, so lonely.

He was searching for someone. The absence of that someone was like a gap in the world, a hollow that needed filling and could not be, whatever Nekohiko did.

Ahh... it burned right through him, devouring him from the inside.

This despair, this yearning. Something more powerful than Imperial Binding, than the Bizarre Beasts, than the Spiritside or all the Great Lords.

It nearly crushed him, so strong it was and so helpless he was before it.

He remembered crying all through his lightless dreams, tears bitter and cold on his cheeks as he sought the dark horizon for the trace of the person he needed.

...

Now, waking up, he realized that his face felt stiff and chilly as though his cheeks had the trails of dried tears on them. So he had been weeping both in his dreams and outside of them. Distressed, he rubbed his face against Morokata's shoulder then peered at him needily.

"I missed you so much. Kiss me."

I want you.

I need you. It hurts so much -- this hollowness inside me. I don't know what to do.

Morokata arched an eyebrow coyly and wanted to dismiss Nekohiko with a chuckle. But Nekohiko was desperate.

His arms twined around Morokata's neck and pulled him in, to let Nekohiko plant a chaste peck on Morokata's cool lips.

"Baby doll--"

Morokata's eyelashes trembled as he watched Nekohiko from beneath them.

Their kiss lasted a long time because the modesty of it wasn't enough. Nekohiko had thought that kissing Morokata would fill the yearning inside him, but...

It didn't.

He deepened the kiss, opening his lips, reaching with his tongue to caress against Morokata's smooth, tender skin. Yet he was frowning at the same time, unsure why nothing he did sated him.

Why nothing could ease down the ache in his heart.

Why nothing worked.

"All right, all right, enough!" Morokata pulled Nekohiko away from himself, also scowling in mock parental-sternness. "Baby doll, I Order you to not be as sex-crazed as you seem to be. Gods, what had Abihiko done to you? And I thought you weren't that interested in other people, to begin with."

"Yes, Master," Nekohiko said, but then stilled.

His heart lurched.

Something akin to a dull yet deep pain stabbed him when Dear Morokata said that name.

A completely random name Nekohiko didn't know.

Abihiko.

And all at once, Nekohiko's soul burned. So much brighter than he'd been while kissing and embracing Dear Morokata.

...why?

"Is something wrong?" Morokata's gaze slowed down Nekohiko's body and face, suspicion worming through his usually sweet tone. "Baby doll, I Order you to speak what is wrong. Right now."

"The name you just said." Nekohiko was shy with a blooming hope even he didn't understand. "Whose name is it? My heart aches just from hearing it..."

"..."

For a long and heavy minute, Morokata and he simply stared at each other. Nekohiko -- with the turmoil burning him down from within, while Morokata -- with exasperation gradually taking over his gaze, his tightly-drawn lips. His very hold on Nekohiko's shoulders grew firmer and more painful. By the minute.

"What kind of relationship did you two have that I cannot erase it no matter what I do?" he said at last, quiet with deadly menace. "Unbelievable."

Pained, Nekohiko observed him, drinking in Morokata's divine image.

"At least it isn't long till we're done with him." With a sigh, Morokata reclined in the chair, folding one of his legs over the other elegantly. His eyes flicked over to the Imperial bedroom the doors of which were now closed.

Not as Nekohiko remembered them last at all. When had the doors been shut? While Nekohiko had been sleeping?

Who was kept inside that bedroom now?

And why?

"After Hibiki is done with preparing the spell array on him, no need to keep him conscious, I suppose," Morokata went on, peaceful once again. "Okinaga won't be able to tell the difference between him and a Puppet of him. So... I guess if you are so inclined to be obsessed Abihiko him even after having your memories of him erased... then sure. I can gift you his mindless Puppet to play with all you want."

He cupped Nekohiko's cheek, then gave him a proud little smile.

"That said, I do need to protect myself from even the single chance of you and him tricking me. I might have won now, but I am not so arrogant as to think the cards might not fall poorly for me sooner or later. So please, baby doll, this is the bright new day. And all the terrors of the night are over. For me, at least. Not sure about Kasuga or Okinaga, ha-ha..."

Nekohiko didn't have time to question the statement before Morokata segued back to what pleased him so much.

The Order.

"I Order you to tell me every last bit of the plans you and that wretch have made against me. Even if you have forgotten him, you will surely still remember what you schemed with him against me. No?"

And Morokata smiled.

 

Reminder: this is the lowest point for Neko in this story, but the story is a HE. Neko will still rise up from this. Yes, even with all the Orders Morokata and Hibiki have piled up on him.

Spoiler

In the very next chapter.

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The Master Orders are just as OP as Nekohiko himself, so seem like a perfect way to counter his powers. Neither Moro nor Hibiki can complain they didn't have equal chances against him now, lol, or that life is unfair and Nekohiko is just too damn strong for anyone to compete against him.

He isn't. They and he are equal in power level.

Still doesn't mean Nekohiko cannot rebound from this and strike back ^^.

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