Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Kagami Arata was having a bad day. Scratch that, a bad week. And it had started out relatively well, too! Swaying down the sidewalk he pondered the recent events in his life. Good things: He had finally gotten a Zector. And this time...he just might be able to keep it. His partnership with the Gatack Zector seemed a bit more suited to him than the painfully temporary one with ZeBee. He winced when his foot skidded on an uneven patch of concrete.

Bad things: Though the explosion at the factory had taken out most of the Worm's Nest, there had still been a great deal of the buggers to defeat. He'd been suffering from nearly fatal injuries as it was, but now he'd been working overtime to fight the sudden wave of Worms forced out of their burning nest. He couldn't even remember the last time he had eight hours of sleep in a row! Tendou was doing his part, of course. But between him, Tsurugi, Kageyama and Kagami himself...there had been more than enough Worm to go around.

But finally, they'd killed off the surplus. Kagami paused for a moment near a bench. His body was at its limits. He'd nearly died in the factory, from injuries he'd received from the Worm. It didn't help that he had already been injured before that, either. And by his own Zector at that. What was up with that, anyway? Kagami pouted, wanting to sit down on the bench but doubting that he'd be able to muster the will to get back up again.

Well, at least he'd be able to get some sleep now. In fact, Tadokoro-san had insisted upon it. Kagami knew he needed it...but the idea that he'd be the only one not fighting...irked him. He'd finally gotten the strength to be the hero he'd always aspired to be...and he already needed to take a break. Tendou would probably never let him live it down. If he cared at all, he thought a tad bitterly.

Of course, all of his objections were shot down quite thoroughly by Misaki-san.

"Kagami-kun" she'd said in that half scolding half kindly voice, "It is in ZECT's best interest that you are in optimum health. It's dangerous for you and us if you aren't fighting to your best ability. The number of Worm attacks has gone down to less than normal. Most likely they are recovering from the Factory loss. You should take the opportunity to recover your strength as well"

And thus, Kagami Arata had found himself more or less on "medical leave." Tadokoro-san had assured him that they could handle things and that they would contact him if any emergency came up. It wasn't like he was the only Rider out there. Just only one of the two ZECT had control over. He'd even gone so far as to ask Yumi-san for some time off his job at the restaurant. He'd expected to be chided but apparently his exhaustion had been apparent even over his cell phone; which had been confiscated by Misaki-san afterwards. Apparently she'd been serious about him recuperating in isolation from ZECT activities.

So now, he was headed back to his apartment, legs protesting every footstep and wondering when the ground was going to decide it would stop moving. He hadn't even trusted himself to ride home on his motorcycle but had later realized he'd had only enough money for cab fare to take him to a spot a few blocks from home. He should have taken up that offer of a ride home by Tadokoro-san. But, no. He couldn't ask them to divert resources just because he was feeling a bit under the weather. Kagami would have slapped his own forehead if he didn't think it would KO him.

He really should go see a doctor, too. That's what Misaki had said. Probably because he had a bit of a fever. Ninety-nine degrees wasn't that bad. Well, he would go, eventually. Not now, but...after a good night's rest. He hadn't had a chance to properly take care of his injuries. Mostly he'd been making liberal use of peroxide and band aids before collapsing on the couch for four or five hours of sleep. But, he supposed, that was part of being a hero. He grinned a bit deliriously. Yep! Health hazards are a cheap price for saving the world...He stopped grinning when he realized he was tilting dangerously to the right. It didn't help the floor had decided to move faster. Darn moving ground. What did he ever do to it?

Steeling himself, Kagami straightened from his awkward leaning position and headed, more or less in the general direction of "home". He could make it! He wasn't that...dizzy. And he was relatively sure once he got to bed that the Gatack Zector hallucination buzzing at him from his right would disappear. He just...had to...go through the underpass and...

An odd clicking noise pervaded his clouded mind. Of course, he'd encounter Worm now. From the looks of it, about six of them had been tailing him... Aaaaah, so that explained why his Zector had been hovering by him. He didn't remember calling it, but least he happened to be wearing the belt. He didn't think he'd be able to navigate the buckle at this point.

Holding out his hand (a little less energetically than usual) Kagami caught the Zector (in only two tries) and transformed. Almost immediately he felt a burst of energy from the belt, infusing his body with the added adrenaline needed to fully utilize the Rider System. He'd been relying a lot on this rush for the past few days. His vision immediately steadied and he realized that there were actually only about three green Salis Worms. He didn't think he could push his body into Clock Up, but the fight shouldn't take too long. This was the weakest type, after all. He'd do one last workout, head back home to see if that orange juice in the back of his fridge hadn't gone past the expiration date, then slip into a nice coma for a few days.

...Of course, after he thought that, one of them had to molt. It made a burbling noise as it shed the chrysalis and changed into its stronger form. It looked to be...tentacle based too. Kagami always thought octopi were kind of creepy; especially since a certain visit to Sealand with Ryou during his childhood. Quelling a shudder, Kagami thought it was best to keep a distance by firing rounds at the beast with the Vulcans on his shoulder. The creature made appropriately gurgled screams but didn't look like it was going to be taken down so easily. It spun away at the last moment, the two other Worms moving in to come at Kagami from two different directions. He immediately cast off his Masked Form, pieces of armor shooting at the creatures and stunning them momentarily. Spinning quickly further out of their reach, he unbuckled the double calibers from his shoulders and spun around, defending and attacking at the same time. The Salis Worms were usually the weakest, but these were faster than normal and Kagami was not in the best condition to chase them around. Still, he swung from each opponent as easily as a practiced martial artist: in motions so smooth it felt like he'd been doing it almost all his life.

Ah, just for this feeling alone he'd have volunteered to be Gatack's punching bag! The mandible-like weapons were so cool! Much better than Tendou's axe thing. Kunai Gun. Whatever. It felt so natural to hold them in his hands; almost as if they'd been made for him specifically. One of the unmolted Worms exploded in a fit of green flame beside him but he'd lost track of the OctoWorm. Had he fled? He tried to look for it while engaging the last other Salis, but he was already starting to feel the strain on his body. This fight was taking too long. He wouldn't even be able to maintain his bond with Gatack Zector if this kept up for much longer! The green alien wasn't making it easy either, almost forcing him to chase after it. There was something about this that bothered him, but he was using all of his concentration just maintaining his mental hold on his Rider system.

All of a sudden his side exploded in pain. The OctoWorm had been clinging to the roof of the tunnel and had shot tentacle like limbs into Kagami when he'd gotten close enough! No wonder the other Worm had only dodged his attacks! He'd been lead to a trap. Coughing at the sudden impact he made the painful attempt to twist free, only to be tossed into the concrete wall of the underpass. Every part of his body screaming in pain, Kagami couldn't move for a second, just barely retaining his Rider form. His head was ringing and the vulcan guns attached to his shoulders seemed to have been badly damaged, too. At least his armor had taken the brunt of the attack on his side. Panting, he managed to stand up, leaning heavily on the wall behind him...only to see that more Worms had arrived! Had this all been planned?! Cursing, Kagami braced himself for what appeared to be an impossible to win fight.

As if they'd been waiting to see if he'd actually get up, two of the newcomer Worms to his left started to charge him. Raising his arms in a defensive position, Kagami paused when he saw a red flash of movement coming from the right. The attacking Worms were knocked off their feet and Kagami's eyes couldn't help but follow the Kabuto Zector as it flew to its Chosen's hand.

Tendou Souji had arrived.

He made one of his usual greetings to the Worm, but Kagami's head was still ringing from the last attack and he missed it. Hope, and Tendou distracting the Worm, gave Kagami somewhat of a second wind. It was never an impossible fight if Kabuto was involved. Kagami threw himself back into the fight. He didn't need to be saved, after all. Not that Kabuto was there to rescue him. (He'd said it enough)

What seemed like hours, but perhaps only minutes, later Kagami and Tendou were standing alone. The Worm were all defeated in a rainbow of explosions. Extremely grateful it was over Kagami limped backwards a bit, back and shoulders falling harshly against the wall behind him. His Zector detached itself from the belt and flew off, soon followed by Kabuto Zector. Tilting his head to get more contact with the cool concrete, Kagami blinked sleepily. Had the air gotten hotter? What time was it, anyway? It seemed a bit darker than he remembered...

A shift of movement to his right made him turn his head slowly. Oh, right. Tendou was looking at him expectantly. Had he missed something? Oh, did he not listen to one of his "Grandmother said" spiels?

"What?" Kagami was very proud for not slurring.

Tendou looked impatiently at him and, raising a finger heavenward, started to repeat himself "Grandmother said that..."

Unfortunately, Kagami didn't get to be enlightened by Grannie's tip of the day as the floor had decided in that moment to rush to his face. Darn moving floors. Odd that it he hadn't felt it at all though. Before the darkness took him, he could have sworn he heard someone calling his name.

Chapter Text

He came to somewhat later. He found it hard to concentrate. It was like swimming in really thick water. He could feel the surface but he had to struggle to it. Someone was talking near him. He thought he could make a few words out too but he didn't really feel the need to wake up right now.

"...cleaned...infection...old abrasions" Hmm...perhaps he was at a hospital?

"Oh"

That brought Kagami almost back to full consciousness. Only one person went 'Oh' like that. Keeping his eyes closed, preferring to allow them to think he was still unconscious. Tendou was probably going to give him a lecture or something if he found out he was awake.

"Just make sure the young man rests up. His body seems to be suffering from extreme fatigue. The shot I gave him should at least help him fight the fever, but it's probably going to reach its peak tonight. He's going to have a rough time. Have him drink plenty of fluids." Ah, Tendou must have dragged him to a clinic or something.

"I understand. Thank you for making a house call at such a late hour, Hirofumi-sensei"

House call? Was he in his own apartment? He didn't recall his futon being so comfy. And when did Tendou know where he lived?

"Nonsense! I am the Tendous' family doctor, after all! Please, give my regards to your grandmother." It sounded like Dr. Hirofumi was leaving; his voice was getting further away. They both left the room and Kagami thought he heard muffled goodbyes before...the front door was shut?

Kagami opened his eyes. Closed them. Opened them again. Everything was blurred. He raised his hands to rub at them. Grunting at the sudden pain at his side, Kagami stiffened to try and counter the sensation by not moving a muscle. Slowly lowering his arms, he took stock of his body's current condition. It felt as if he was a mass of bruises and scrapes. Carefully moving his hand to his chest, he realized he was wearing a set of cotton pajamas. Patting carefully, he realized that there were bandages wrapped around his chest beneath the clothing. There were also a few on his arms. Just how badly had he been injured? He felt sickly warm and he was having trouble keeping his eyes more than half-mast; he was exhausted.

He glanced around to try and discern just where he was. The minimal decorations on the wall made him feel it was more a bedroom than a hospital. Addled mind trying to put together the last memories he'd made before passing out-he really felt like he was missing something obvious. Or maybe the obvious seemed too incredible to believe. Trying to distract himself, he looked over at the window to his left for any clues to where he was. The pale light coming through the partially opened curtains suggested early morning. The fact that he couldn't see any buildings suggested he was maybe floor above street level. The fact that he was bandaged suggested he was in a safe place. Kagami congratulated himself on this fine deductive reasoning.

"What a foolish fellow" drawled a voice to his right.

Kagami winced a bit as he jerked his half lidded gaze to Tendou who had silently come to stand at the door to whatever room he was in. Judging from his pursed expression and crossed arms, he was about as pleased about this as Kagami was. Still feeling stiff, he tried to maneuver his body to face the other man properly.

"You have injuries all over your body. Why are you squirming about?" Tendou said this in a voice that seemed to call doubts about Kagami's intelligence.

He opened his mouth to demand an explanation but found his voice cracked so terribly it came out more like a squawk of indignation. Coughing and squirming at the pain even that small movement caused, Kagami was surprised to see a glass of water with a straw in it being held in front of him. Tendou was looking down at him with an unreadable expression. Kagami held his stare for a moment before carefully latching onto the straw with his teeth and sipping the cool liquid. Much better. He looked up at Tendou, eyes barely able to keep open.

In his low, soft voice Tendou answered the questions Kagami had been attempting to ask. His eyes drifted curiously around the room as he listened to what had happened after he had passed out. Tendou had assessed his injuries and deemed them non-life threatening. It had also been more convenient to bring him here rather than dragging an unconscious man to a hospital waiting room. Dr. Hirofumi, a family friend of the Tendou family that lived down the street had graciously looked him over and prescribed some medications that he should take. Kagami was currently in one of the Tendou household's guest rooms. It was at that point that Tendou paused in his story, causing Kagami to look at him questioningly. Apparently Tendou wanted his full attention for what he was saying next. Well, he'd have to make it quick because sleep was already dragging him back to dreamland.

"Grandmother said...one's body is the temple for the mind. The grounds should be kept up"

Kagami made a noise like a snort before passing back into unconsciousness.

Tendou sighed.

Chapter Text

He was swimming in a vast sea. It was beautiful. An odd shade of blue though. Almost metallic.

Suddenly Gatack was beside him. Or had he always been there? His mind still felt a bit muddled. And when did the little Zector become almost as large as him? Ah well. He needed a lift anyway. Sitting astride the now giant metal bug, Kagami felt like Urashimataro.

"Nii saaaaan!"

Kagami turned, almost in slow motion. Oh, it was Ryou. That's right. He was supposed to go to Sealand with him. Their father had promised to take them but his work was "important", after all. Suddenly walking, he went into the park alongside his younger brother.

It eventually became crowded. He passed by several faces he somewhat recalled. He tried not to knock into them but there were just too many. He'd even had to apologized to the small boy he had bumped into hard enough to make him drop his toy telescope.

The boy had only looked at him with a deep expression before disappearing into the crowd. Kagami tried to watch him go, felt it was important to see where he went but Ryou was already dragging him to look at exhibits.

This seemed familiar. Oh, right. The octopus exhibit. Ryou's favorite sea creature. He really didn't get why Ryou enjoyed watching the slimy little things so much. Just looking down at them in their tank, hundreds of the things, squished together; it was grossing him out. And the tentacles! Why were they in the petting tank anyway? Wait, hadn't he done this before…?

"Ah! Look, Nii-san! Ice cream!"

Filled with a sudden sense of half-remembered dread, Kagami couldn't help but turn, even as he felt Ryou shove past him in order to get to his second love: Sea creature shaped popsicles. The force of the secondary shove caused Kagami to teeter, flailing about to try and recapture his balance. But it was too late as he fell into the dark, cold tank. Thrashing to the surface he clawed at the sides trying to get out as quickly as…

He felt the slippery tentacles wrapping their cold lengths around him. Kagami squirmed, trying to escape their iron like grip but he was getting pulled into the tank. Ah! He was going to die! He couldn't escape! The squeezing was so tight it was painful! His leg felt completely immobilized by the tentacles! One of them finally wrapped strong grip on his shoulder and was…shaking him?

"Oi!"

The octopi were talking! AAAH! He was being assaulted by mutant mollusks! AAAH!

"Wake up, idiot!"

Kagami slowed and opened his eyes. Then grimaced. His body felt really bad, now. Where was he? Where was Ryou? He opened his mouth to speak but could only gasp and squirm, trying to stop his body from hurting. He couldn't seem to calm down. He could still feel the cold sensation of…

Fingers were suddenly combing briskly through his hair, the motion like one would do to forcefully calm a child or animal. Kagami stilled. He wasn't…being mauled by octopi. It had been…a dream? He froze when he felt the moist sensation trail down his cheek. A cloth? Oh, that's right. He was…sick. He knew there were other things but his head was too foggy to make sense of anything. If he was being taken care of that could only mean…

"Nnn…Ryou?" He croaked. He couldn't focus on his caretaker's face.

The fingers stilled for a moment before continuing to smooth back his bangs, gentler this time.

Instantly relaxing, Kagami gently smiled up at the blurred shape of what seemed to be his little bro. Ryou and he had always been the only ones to look out for each other like this. Mother had left years ago and Father…had other things to do. The cloth soothed its way down his forehead and Kagami tilted his head to allow the damp cloth access to his neck, enjoying the cooling sensation. Closing his eyes he felt it as Ryou lifted his other hand, which had been holding him down during his frenzied rolls; slowly shift from on top of his shoulder to behind his neck. Body relaxing, he didn't fight as Ryou carefully tugged at the sheets he'd tangled himself in, sinking back further into the pillows and feeling utterly safe. He felt no reason to fight his head being gently tilted upward.

His eyes fluttered open again when he felt something warm press against his lips. It felt like the rim of a mug, the smell of something sweet and herbal. Opening his mouth, Kagami slowly drank. It was…delicious. Ryou must have been taking cooking lessons. He felt the warm liquid flow through his body and ease his achy muscles. He was unable to finish, however, and the strong hand gently returned him to the slightly damp pillow. Kagami felt the sheets move about him, becoming untangled from his legs and arms and being moved back into their proper place on top of him. Murmuring his thanks, Kagami slipped back to sleep, completely calmed now.

Tendou pushed the chair he'd been sitting in away from Kagami's bed and, taking the almost-empty cup of tea he'd coaxed Kagami into drinking, walked out of the room silently.

Chapter Text

Morning was Kagami's favorite time of the day. Even now, when he felt like he'd been run over by a herd of Worm he still felt refreshed. He had woken up slowly, eyes still closed and enjoying the sensation of the sunlight filtering from the curtains against his eyelids. It was the stillness in the birth of a new day. It was almost…sacred. Opening his eyes finally, he was happy to see his vision was entirely clear. His head still felt a bit muggy, but at least he could think a bit more clearly now. The events of last night seemed to blur together. He remembered Tendou had dragged him here and that a doctor had checked his injuries, but after that…

He decided to sit up. Achingly slow, Kagami attempted to tilt his body into a more upright position. There were more pillows on the other side of the bed, if he could manage to grab them he could prop himself up better. A sudden cramp in his back made him pause, breath coming out in a slow hiss. Take it slow, take it slow. There wasn't any reason for rushing in a lovely morning like this, right? He managed to finally prop himself up on his elbows before his sides started arguing with him. The muscles were stiff but Kagami was sure if he took it easy the tenseness would melt away eventually. Lying in the somewhat awkward position, Kagami looked around his temporary bedroom.

It was what one should expect from Tendou's house. The furniture in the room was simple but elegant. There were two bedside tables and a dresser on the wall opposite the bed. The bedroom door seemed to be right in front of him and there was what looked like a closet to the left. One could tell by looking that the person who had decorated the room had done so in a thoughtful manner, taking advantage of the big window behind the bed. It was the perfect room for a morning person like Kagami. The light paint on the walls and furniture just made the room seem brighter and fuller. Feeling a bit cheered, Kagami started to sit more upright, encouraging himself.

"Right, right. Just a bit more, Arata. You can do it…" There! He had finally sat up in an almost-straight manner. He didn't want to try any sudden movements, but this was definitely an improvement.

The door suddenly burst open. Kagami made a surprised noise and lifted up the sheets to shield himself.

"GOOOD MOOORRNING, KAGAMI-SAN!" said the young girl cheerful. Gently placing the tray she was carrying on the dresser next to the door, she posed dramatically.

"G-good morning, Juuka-chan" he croaked, dropping the sheets he had grabbed to shield himself. It wasn't as if he was embarrassed but…she had come in so suddenly! He just reacted, naturally, right? I mean, sure, sheets wouldn't protect him from a Worm attack and now his chest sore from his sudden movements…well, at least Tendou hadn't seen it.

"Hey."

AH! WHY WAS HE ALWAYS THERE?!

"Tendou!" Apparently both brother and sister had the power to speed his heart rate up just by making an entrance. He stared at Tendou, feeling a mix of gratitude and embarrassment. He was just starting to form words to express this when he was distracted by a touch on his back. He flinched, surprised, turning to look at Tendou's little sister.

"Mooou, Kagami-san! You should take it easy! Here, let me help you!" Kagami was too stunned by her incredibly cheery behavior to really move against her. She had propped more pillows behind him and had even gone so far as to pat his back, easing the tension from his shoulders enough for him to lie back comfortably against the head of the bed.

"Thank you, Juuka-chan. I'm grateful" He was a bit stunned at the efficiency of her movements. So all the Tendous were gifted?

"It's the least I can do for my big brothers bestest friend!" she chirped cheerfully. Kagami didn't have the heart to disagree with her but cast a glance at the man still standing in the doorway. He seemed a bit distracted. Juuka breezed over to the dresser to retrieve the tray, pausing to make a very familiar pose.

"Grandma said that the best remedy is usually a home cooked meal! So I made her special soup for you Kagami-kun!"

That seemed to snap Tendou out of whatever thoughts he was having.

"Oh? You cooked it by yourself, Juuka?" His voice had an odd sound to it.

Juuka looked a bit mortified holding the tray of guilty goods. "I'm sorry! I wanted to ask you for help, but you were gone!"

Tendou didn't answer. He smoothly picked up the spoon from the tray and, after stirring it a bit, dipped up some of the broth and tasted it. Juuka clenched her hands in anticipation.

There was silence for a few seconds.

"It's very good, little sister. You seasoned it well" Tendou was wearing a smile Kagami hadn't seen before and his mouth fell open in awe. Juuka squealed and probably would have posed dramatically again if she hadn't still been holding the tray. Luckily this broke whatever spell Kagami had been under and he immediately shook himself. Why was he gaping? Of course the usually stoic man would be gentler with his loved ones. He told himself the sudden heat in his face was from fever and not...whatever. Tendou made an amused sound at his sisters antics and placed the spoon back on the tray. Juuka spun around, almost sloshing the soup out of the bowl, and walked over to give it to Kagami.

"Oh, Kagami-san! Are you feeling all right?"

"O-oh. It's nothing, Juuka-chan. I'm just a bit sore," said Kagami as he half-grinned at her. But, the ache that had suddenly bloomed in his chest had nothing to do with his injuries. The closeness between the siblings had reminded him of his relationship with Ryou. Shaking his head to clear it of darker thoughts, he concentrated on the delicious smell coming from the bowl on the tray being placed on his lap. He clapped his hands together and murmured "Itadakimasu". Picking up the spoon, Kagami immersed it into the colorful liquid and raised it to his mouth. His arm paused just before it reached his mouth.

Tendou was watching him very closely with a guarded expression on his face. What was going on behind those half-lidded eyes? Mentally shrugging, Kagami opened his mouth to have his own taste of the soup. Juuka was smiling at him expectantly.

"Delicious!" Kagami praised. Tendou had blinked out of whatever mental stupor he'd slipped into and took on his more usual aloof gaze that seemed to say 'Of course, my little sister can do anything'.

"Really?! I'm so happy!" Juuka was beaming and half dancing around. She was just so pleased with herself that Kagami couldn't help but feel his spirits being lifted. How could anyone be depressed with a girl like this for a little sister? No wonder he rarely saw Tendou in a bad mood. Juuka was now talking animatedly to her big brother about how she had flavored the soup with different herbs. Tendou looked delighted at her interest in cooking, nodding and making suggestions for any future attempts. Kagami tucked into the meal with more enthusiasm, grinning to himself. How lucky was this?

He was just scooping up the last bite of the yummy soup when there came a light rapping at the window from behind him. He couldn't turn his head fast enough to see exactly what had made it, but the flash of red as it zipped away had been enough information. The "message" hadn't been for him anyway. Tendou was already excusing himself, promising to have Juuka's favorite dinner ready for her when she came back from school. The young girl, who hadn't even seen the Kabuto Zector at the window, cheerfully wished him a safe trip as she collected Kagami's bowl and spoon with the tray.

Kagami, a bit forlorn at watching his fellow Rider off to battle the evil Worms, was surprised when Tendou paused at the doorway. Turning to look at Kagami, the Man Who Walked Heaven's Path seemed to have trouble deciding what to say. Kagami looked at him curiously.

"..What is it?"

Tendou's features suddenly cleared. It was like watching the ripples on a pond suddenly disappear. As if he hadn't been troubled at all. Kagami's eyes widened. Ah! Was something wrong?! He had a natural distrust of people who didn't state their feelings out loud. He couldn't help but immediately suspect things!

Tendou shook his head while walking back to the doorway. Allowing Juuka to walk ahead of him, he closed the door quietly, seeming to avoid eye contact with the fellow man. Kagami stared at the door for a few minutes afterwards, confused and a bit troubled. Chalking it up the others usual standoffish behavior, he recovered the previous good mood.

Well! At least his stomach was happy! Easing himself back into the pillows, Kagami looked up at the ceiling, pondering the strange behavior of the mightier-than-thou men. He seemed to attract them for some reason. Tsurugi was only half as complicated as Tendou, however. Rolling onto his side carefully, he drifted into a doze wondering if he'd get to see that unguarded expression on the mans face again.

Chapter Text

Kagami woke up later to a darker room and the feeling of someone carefully unbuttoning his shirt.

He startled, only to realize it was only Tendou meticulously stripping him. Kagami was unsure how he supposed to feel about this. Embarrassed? It also occurred to him that he didn't even question what the other man was doing, only assuming that he had a good reason. Especially now that the man above him looked down expectantly as if he had been waiting for him to wake up and get with the program.

"Ah! Tendou! Did you just get back?"

"The bandages need changing. Can you sit on your own?" the other man said perfunctorily. Kagami wondered dazedly if he'd have continued whether Kagami had woken or not.

Not wanting to let his thoughts roll down that rabbit hole, Kagami distracted himself by nodding and slowly but surely shifting into an upright position. Tendou waited patiently, not offering help even when Kagami had paused from a muscle spasm. Was he being respectful now or did he think Kagami would react poorly if he touched him too much? The other man did however help him to slip the pajama top off when Kagami struggled stiffly with it. Tendou then set to work methodically removing the bandages. Kagami did his part by holding as still as possible and leaning whenever Tendou gently guided him to do so.

When the bandages had finally fallen to the bed in a tidy swirl of a heap, there was a moment of stillness. Kagami's upper torso…looked horrible. His sides were a mass of mottled purples and yellows and there were various scabs and other abrasions peppering his chest. Even Tendou had seemed to be stunned; wiping the injury in an incredibly slow, gentle fashion with a washcloth. For some reason the expression on his face made him feel like...what apologizing? Why on earth should he fell guilty for being injured in the line of duty? It's not like Souji Tendou never got hurt. Well, maybe not as much as Kagami seemed to but he was doing his best, right? That counted for something. Maybe he was just surprised at Kagami's incompetence? That sounded too plausible and he felt himself grimace.

Then Tendou started working on one of the worse sections, slipping the cloth across his stomach and obliterating any self-deprecating thoughts in Kagami's head.

Kagami's stomach fluttered at the sensation. It was almost ticklish but not quite and he huffed quietly. This small sound seemed to snap Tendou out of whatever slight shocked he Kagami's injuries and was now setting up the various items from a first aid kit he needed to reapply new bandages.

"If you're going to use your body as a tool to fight the Worm, take proper care of it." he said dryly.

Flushing, Kagami glared at Tendou at his bent form pulling out scissors and a small jar.

"Oi! It's not like I can go to the Worm and ask for a vacation! ZECT needed me!"

"Ah, so this is how well ZECT takes care of its Riders? Maybe you should think about other employment. A florist, perhaps"

Gatack's chosen sputtered, too outraged to respond properly. ZECT was the organization that had produced Tendou's own Kabuto Zector. They were the only group out there able to fight the Worm invasion! Trying to quell his anger, he tightened his fingers into fists; so hard his arms trembled a bit.

Tendou sighed.

"You'll need to relax a bit so I can do this. Don't make this more difficult for me"

Kagami deflated. It seemed they were never going to see eye-to-eye on the subject of ZECT. And even if Tendou didn't approve of his organization, he was still going out of his way to help him now. Kagami relaxed, lifting his arms to allow him access to his injuries.

As Tendou continued to move about, Kagami felt his mind turn inward towards questions he still hadn't asked. He barely even acknowledged it when Tendou wiped a clean-smelling salve on the worst of the abrasions.

Why was Tendou…being like this? What had he wanted to tell him earlier? Feeling that he needed to ask him now, while they were still alone, Kagami turned his head quickly to Tendou.

"Ten..!"

Kagami flinched backwards, startled, as he brushed noses and lips with the suddenly up close face of Tendou Souji. Apparently he had been in the process of reaching behind Kagami's back to start wrapping the bandages around his chest. Tendou, for his part, hadn't reacted in a properly embarrassed fashion at all. As usual. He was still posed, both hands now holding the bandage, and looking at Kagami expectantly.

"What is it?"

It took a few moments for Kagami to get over his embarrassment. Mentally berating himself that, if Tendou wasn't feeling awkward he shouldn't be, Kagami cleared his throat and started again.

"Why…did you help me?"

Tendou raised his brows at him like he was shocked but Kagami had impression he hadn't been actually surprised at all. He had an ominous feeling.

"Reporting a body seemed more troublesome. The sirens would have probably woken the whole neighborhood. And Jyuka had a big test the next day." And just like that, Tendou went back to concentrating on the task at hand.

"Ah, would you please be serious? Tendou!" Kagami was aching and still a bit tired. He didn't want Tendou's brand of humor. He tried not to squirm when the bandages started to tighten uncomfortably around a particularly sore spot, but Tendou seemed to notice anyway and took more care wrapping the final layer.

"Obaachan said…never look a gift horse in the mouth" Tendou murmured back, focused on tying the ends of the bandages up.

"What?" Kagami had never heard that saying before. Not that he'd ever heard any of the words Obaachan supposedly said but…was Tendou calling himself a horse?

Standing up and starting to repack things into the kit, Tendou didn't seem like he was going to answer.

"Tendou!" Kagami wanted answers, not ambiguous sayings.

Apparently hearing the depth of frustration in his voice, Tendou actually paused and looked him in the face thoughtfully. He even put a hand on Kagami's shoulder lightly.

"It means, you should not be so distrustful when you receive kindness"

Mortified at the thought he'd been acting ungrateful, Kagami was unable to do anything more than stutter out an apology.

Tendou looked at him a moment more, hand still on his arm. Then with a nod, he wished Kagami a good night and left the room carrying the dirty bandages and the first aid kit.

Kagami watched him leave, a bit miserable. How did he always manage to avoid answering him and then make Kagami feel like the bad guy for even thinking to question him? He still didn't know why Tendou was acting so strangely! They weren't even friends. Falling back slowly onto the pillows, Kagami sighed loudly and didn't think he'd be able to sleep at all.

A few minutes later, he was snoring softly.

Chapter Text

Kagami couldn't recall what he'd dreamed about. Only that it had been dark and clawing and suffocating. That is, until he'd been struck hard from behind. Hard enough to knock the air out of him. This, he now surmised, must have been when he had fallen to the floor.

It seems he'd gotten his legs helpless tangled again, for they were still on the bed. The rest of him, however was now painfully angled to the floor. He was seeing stars, and it wasn't just from the new view of the window. He wondered how best to get himself out of this new predicament with as the least amount of painful effort possible while shifting his legs a bit.

Gravity decided for him. He couldn't help but cry out as the lower half of his body, legs relinquished by the covers, slammed downward. For a few moments he gritted his teeth, paralyzed with agony. His sides were howling in agony and he arched with his eyes closed, panting at the pain. He barely heard the door opening and the quick footsteps that came up to him. He did, however, flinch as two hands started gripped his shoulders.

"Oi!"

Kagami winced, trying to squirm away as the hands shook him gently.

"Oi! Answer me!"

Eyes snapping open Kagami found he was looking up at a very different Tendou-face than he was used to seeing. One that surprised him enough that it took him a moment to parse together a response.

"I…I'm all right! I just…fell out of bed"

When Kagami had first looked at him, Tendou's face had looked drawn and pale. But perhaps it had just been the moonlight from the window. The expression he had thought he saw slipped away in a moment anyway, seeming to soften when Kagami answered. Kagami even thought he saw the thin shoulders slump a bit. The fingers on his shoulders certainly felt more lax before Tendou leaned back. He then ducked his head as if annoyed he'd shown worry.

Tendou sighed. The pain had lessened in Kagami enough to be amused at how much sighing Tendou had been doing that lately.

"Ooh, what a clumsy fellow." Said like he should have known better than to expect anything else.

Kagami snorted. It was kind of funny. It'd be more funny if he didn't feel like he'd just added a new bruise to his entire back side, but still.

"You're soaked"

Ah? Kagami shifted. He was feeling a bit chilly. It must have been a horrible dream to have sweated so much. He was kind of glad he didn't remember it all.

Tendou was now standing up, examining the state of the bed.

"As is the bed. Did you have a nightmare again?"

Kagami made a curious noise at him from the floor. Again? Tendou merely shook his head, stripping the covers off and tossing them to the floor. Kagami watched him for a bit, half amused and half annoyed that the furniture was the first to be treated.

"…What are you doing?" Well, Kagami didn't want to move around too much anyway. The floor was carpeted, at least.

"It's cold tonight. I'll have to change the sheets"

How considerate, thought Kagami as the dragged ends of the sheets skimmed over his face when Tendou carried them over to a hamper. But, instead of leaving to collect new sheets, Tendou once again crouched to his side.

"Your turn" Tendou offered him a hand up. Wondering how they were going to pull this off, Kagami grabbed on. In a smooth, practiced motion Tendou pulled Kagami's arm over his shoulder and started to lift him up, other hand wrapped around his waist. Leading/supporting him, Tendou walked slowly over to what Kagami had thought was a closet door.

Kagami made a surprised sound as it slid open to reveal a bathroom a quarter the size of his apartment. He stared at his reflection on the giant mirror above the sink, grossed out by how grubby he looked. There was a shower and a bathtub. It was all pristinely clean too, like the rest of the house, and Kagami was still in a bit of awe as Tendou gently sat him on the toilet. The taller man then walked over to the square shaped tub and fiddle with the taps until steamy water started filling the basin.

"Tendou?" Wasn't it a little late for taking a bath?

"Grandmother said…there is no more relaxing a feeling than lying in a clean bed"

Kagami made a confused noise in his throat. Tendou turned to regard him over his shoulder.

"I'm changing all the sheets."

It took a moment for him to get it. Oh! He means my clothes.

…WHAT?! Suddenly Kagami was very self-conscious. Tendou, of course, noticed. Crossing his arms in an annoyingly amused manner, he leaned against the bathroom wall smirking slightly at Kagami's distress.

"Why so shy all of a sudden? Did you forget who helped changed your clothes when you first got here?" Okay, Kagami had actually spent a bit too much time thinking about that. Not that he had anything to be embarrassed about.

"That was…I mean, a bath is…quit jerking me around!" Kagami was not in the mood for this. But even though his back pain had dulled to a slight throb, his head was still aching. Then Tendou seemed to take pity on him (or more likely he'd had enough with Kagami's stubborness) ; he uncrossed his arms and reached for something on a shelf next to the tub.

"I assume you can at least bathe yourself?"

"O-of course!" He had been teasing him! That…that…Tendou Souji! The other man always seemed to know how to wring out any insecurities.

A delicious smell wafted to Kagami's nose then. Tendou had poured something from the bottle he had retrieved into the still filling basin. Funny, he'd never pictured the Man Who Walked the Path of Heaven to be the type to like bubble baths.

Kagami was, however. Not that he'd ever admit it until under direct threat of torture. Mmm…and it had a soft, scent. Was this lavender? Kagami went into a sort of happy trance, eyes closed and enjoying the smell when the calming sound of falling water suddenly stopped. Snapping out of it, Kagami looked up as Tendou started walking his way. It took an embarassing amount of time for Kagami to realize he was offering to help him take off his shirt.

It was…awkward, a bit painful and sometimes ticklish. All in all, it felt a bit too personal. Tendou had politely averted his eyes and had only helped in the most needed parts of the disrobing. Tendou, carrying clothes and bandages, had then left him to his bath closing the bathroom door behind him. Not before warning Kagami to not fall asleep in the tub, though. He even had the audacity to grin at Kagami's strong denial.

Kagami stiffly eased one leg into the water. It seemed the perfect temperature. Apparently Tendou was the best at drawing baths too. He slid as slowly as possible into the suds wincing as the heated water touched his abrasions. It stung, but he'd bear it for a bath. Finally as immersed as he could get, Kagami relaxed; incredibly comfortable. Unable to prevent a moan of pleasure from slipping out, Kagami leaned his head gingerly against the tiled wall and inhaled the floral scent deeply.

There was no ache that scented bubbles couldn't cure. Physical or mental.

Chapter Text

He didn't know how long he was in there, but Tendou had returned by the time the water had cooled to lukewarm. Kagami had even managed to get some washing done, the warmth serving to relax muscles that had been tense for days. And, when he realized he was able to move a bit more freely, he'd even used some of the soap to scrub his hair of the grime he'd collected over the past couple of days.

Tendou paused at the sight of the big grin Kagami gave him, setting down a fresh pair of pajamas and other things on the sink counter.

"I didn't realize you enjoyed bubble baths so much"

Kagami sensed a teasing tone to that, but was in just too good a mood to rise to the bait. Not even Tendou could heckle him when he was in a Super Good! Mood. Groping around the basin's floor, he pulled the drainage plug.

Making a happy noise, Kagami rotated his shoulders and stretched his neck. The pain had drained away with the water. Pulling on a shower attachment he raised it above his head and rinsed his body of the last of the soap. He'd mostly overcome his shyness of Tendou being in the room while he was naked. Besides, he couldn't see anything over there in the corner.

"Here's a towel"

Kagami yelped, almost flinging the shower head from his hands. He looked quickly at Tendou, instantly relaxing when he realized the man wasn't even looking at him but had a focused gaze on the sink. He was holding a large, folded towel out to him. Kagami slowly reached out to take it, keeping his eyes on Tendou the whole time; half expecting Tendou to turn just to make him freak out. He just might do it. Just to tease him. But Tendou only turned his back on Kagami as soon as he felt the towel leave his hand.

Kagami dried as quickly as he could. Still feeling a bit awkward, he muttered his thanks. Tendou, without turning around, handed him some clothes. Kagami set about getting dressed in an ungainly fashion, aches almost gone but still hurting. But he paused when Tendou told him to hold off putting his shirt on.

Marveling at Tendou's sense of hearing, for he had just started to slip one sleeve over his arm just as he said it, Kagami instead held the pajama top in his hands.

Tendou then turned toward him and told him to sit on the side of the tub. Ah, he was going to put bandages on. Tendou peered at the injuries, even lifting an arm to getter look at one of the closed puncture wounds at his side.

"You're healing well." Tendou brushed a thumb against the largest injury: the gash he'd received from the OctoWorm. It was a shallow score probably made worse when Kagami had attempted to twist free.

"Well, I am a Ri-AH THAT'S COLD!' Tendou was applying more of the salve to his gouges. Tendou merely snorted at him, finishing the application and setting to rewrap the injuries with fresh bandages. Kagami watched his ministrations for a while, slightly uncomfortable and getting sleepier by the minute.

"Tendou…?"

"Hm?" Tendou was cutting the last length of bandage off and tying the ends together.

Kagami paused, searching for the right words. He wasn't the articulate type. His style was more about recklessly driving forward than being a charismatic tactician. He was only himself. What that "self" was…he hadn't discovered yet but he was getting closer and closer to reaching an answer every day.

"…What is it?" Kagami snapped out of his reverie, apparently he'd been quiet for a while now. He decided to put it simply.

"I'm…grateful for your help. Thank you"

Tendou gave him a curious look, demanding him to complete the sentiment he wanted to relay. How Tendou knew there was more, Kagami didn't know.

"But…I think…I should go home soon" If he was to be a Rider, he had to stand alone. Like all the other Riders, like Tendou. And his wounds were no longer life-threatening.

"Oh? Are you that uncomfortable here?" The words seemed to hold a different meaning, but Kagami had never been the best at encrypting the hidden thoughts of Tendou Souji.

"It's not that. It's just…" Kagami decide it was one of those times to rush forward, "I think I can take care of myself now. I don't want to burden you any more."

Tendou had a bemused expression on his lips, like he was humoring him.

"And if ZECT tries to contact me and I'm not there…"

As quick as it had appeared Tendou's almost smile faded away again. He even seemed a bit annoyed now.

"There is nothing more you need to do now. Kabuto alone…is sufficient enough" He said these words as if Kagami was some student who just couldn't get the lesson.

"Tendou…!" As if Kagami still didn't have some lingering insecurities being the newest Rider. Worst of all, Kagami couldn't argue with him. Kabuto was the strongest Rider System and Tendou was its Chosen. And it was also true that Kagami had yet to see Tendou in a moment of actually needing assistance. Sometimes…he had thought he was helping Tendou, only to realize later that the man had been in full control the whole time. And some of the times said control partially hinged on Kagami attempting to help! Like he already knew how Kagami would react. It was…frustrating. Turning his head away from watching Tendou, Kagami lapsed in to a sulking silence, telling himself over and over again that things would be different now that he was Gatack. Someday, Tendou would have to acknowledge him. This continued for a few moments before he heard a soft sigh.

"So for now, rest here. Just rest."

Kagami turned back, surprised at the softly spoken sentence. Tendou sounded…a bit tired. Well, he probably had been fighting the Worm today and Kagami's situation had most likely woken him up. Kagami paused for a moment before quietly nodding and murmuring his acquiescence, suddenly feeling awkward. The corners of Tendou's lips quirked, but the ghost of a smile never returned, even as he helped Kagami pull his shirt on.

After that, Tendou escorted him back into the bedroom. Kagami approached the bed with a bit of trepidation. Tendou had changed the sheets and even pulled them down; everything was ready for him to just slide back in. The problem was: It was rather high up. The introduction to the floor had painfully taught him that. This was one of the reasons Kagami preferred sleeping on a simple, close to the floor futon.

He didn't think he'd be able to stretch enough to climb into bed easily. Much of the stiffness in his muscles was gone for now, but his injuries still complained if he moved in just the wrong manner. He was about to just take his chances with a jump when he felt a warm hand press against his back.

Tendou was silently offering his assistance again. He'd been doing that a lot lately. With a bit of leaning and pushing on the other man's part, Kagami was able to mount the bed with barely any pain at all. Leaning heavily against the clean stack of pillows behind him, Kagami suddenly felt extremely sleepy. Perhaps Grandma was right about sleeping cleanly (or however that phrase had gone) had something to it after all. Tendou pulled the covers over him while he got comfortable.

"Good night, Tendou" Kagami muttered sleepily, already half asleep. He doubted Tendou, who was already across the room, even heard it.

But Kagami could have sworn he heard a soft "Sleep well" just before the click of the bedroom door as it closed.

Chapter Text

"GOOD MORNING, KA GA MI KUUUUN!"

Kagami smiled up at the cheerful girl. He was getting used to her energetic greetings each morning. She had been watching over him for the past few days.

"Good morning, Juuka-chan. Ah, traditional breakfast today? It looks great."

"Of course!" she responded in a playful manner. She was getting more confident since she'd started practicing cooking. It was mostly simple things, but she was getting better and better each day. Kagami was only too happy to be her test subject and he appreciated her visits before and after school. Really, she shouldn't have to fuss over him. She was a young girl. She should be hanging out with her friends. When he had told her as much, she'd replied that somebody had to make sure he was healing up properly, since her elder brother had gone missing.

When Kagami had mustered up the nerve to inquire about Tendou (in a totally indifferent way, of course) she had told him simply:

"Onii-chan's been really busy lately! I wonder what he's been doing! You must be really lonely all day, Kagami-kun!"

A bit flustered at her observations, Kagami had reassured her that he was fine. Really, he was getting better everyday. His curiosity over Tendou's whereabouts was more over how busy the Worm must be keeping him. He couldn't help but worry. But, surely, if he were needed, Gatack Zector would have found him? Still, neither he nor Jyuka had seen hide or hair of Tendou for the past few days. Not since the other night when he'd awoken…diagonally…to a nightmare. Dr. Hirofumi had been up to visit him the next morning, apparently at the request of the now absent Tendou. That had been a somewhat awkward conversation.

"And how are you feeling this morning, young man?"

"I'm fine, Hirofumi-sensei"

"I hear you had a rather nasty spill last night?"

"Ah. It was…just a few feet, really." The incident hadn't lessened in its embarrassment factor the next morning.

"A few feet is all that's needed to further damage your ribs and give you a concussion" And then the doctor had padded his hands along his sides asking, when he pressed here or there, if it hurt. There was a large knot on the back of Kagami's head, and he still had a bit of a head ache. At least he hadn't done anything worse to his ribs. The doctor had given him some aspirin and asked him if he thrashed in his sleep often.

"Not to my knowledge" He was the type of person to roll and hug pillows, but he hadn't actually fallen out of bed since he was little.

"Well, until you are fully recovered, perhaps it'd be best to take the precaution of sleeping more towards the middle of the bed." Kagami had the vague impression the doctors eyes were laughing at him from behind the shiny spectacles.

"You know, I was quite surprised when I received a call so late at night. When I got here, you were in pretty bad shape, young man!"

Self-conscious by the attention, Kagami had bowed his head a bit and apologized for any inconvenience the doctor had endured because of his recklessness.

"I'm a doctor, dear boy, it's what I do. Besides, it is actually quite unusual that Souji ever calls me."

Of course, thought Kagami glumly. The man probably had enough training to be a doctor himself. He recalled a certain incident when he'd been worrying over Tendou for hours only to find him giving his own doctor an examination!

"That boy has always tried to be self-reliant. He has been since I met him as a lad. One time, his little sister caught a cold and I was asked to come over. I've never had such a dedicated assistant! He even used to help me out at the clinic. I once tried to convince him to be a doctor, but he always replied that he had something else, something important to do."

"Something important" Kagami echoed. That's right. Tendou had said he'd been waiting for a long while for his Zector to find him. But how had he…

"I wonder what that important thing was. Might you know, Kagami-san?"

Kagami glanced at the probing expression of the doctor. It was natural to be curious about such a thing but why would the doctor believe he would know anything?

"I…um…I'm not that…close…to Tendou." And he really wasn't, when he thought about it. When he thought about the things he didn't know about the man versus what he did.

"I see." He seemed a bit deflated. "I had thought that you were involved as well. He was quite mysterious when I inquired about how you received such odd injuries. The most I could get out of him was that you were mugged near his house."

"I suppose you could say that." Kagami wasn't very good at lying, but then it wasn't wholly untrue. Worm attacks were somewhat like muggings. Except instead of his wallet, the would-be thieves had been after his form. And his life. Still, it was just like Tendou to put it in a way that revealed nothing important.

The doctor had looked intently at him for a bit after that, probably hoping to coax him into revealing a bit more. Kagami had looked at him tiredly wishing the man would let up a bit on the inquisitive stare. Finally the man snapped out of it and seemed to realize his rudeness.

"Ah, please forgive my line of questioning, Kagami-san! It's not my business to question the hurts, only to heal them. It's just…I have known him for a long while. His grandmother is a dear friend of mine. I am concerned that he has gotten himself into a troublesome situation."

Kagami hadn't been able to prevent himself from chuckling a little at that. At the doctor's scrutiny, he grinned and said.

"Is it really possible for a guy like that to be in a 'troublesome situation'?"

The doctor had blinked at this before laughing as well.

"You're right! He is quite a dependable young man!" And with that, the doctor had left.

Pulling himself back to the present, he watched as Tendou's little sister set about collecting the empty dishes. At least Dr. Hirofumi had changed his bandages for him as well, he mused. He couldn't bring himself to ask a young girl to do something like that. She had told him he was being silly, but he had managed to convince her that his injuries were much better and required less attention. He had placated her by letting her change the smaller bandages on his hands, arms and legs. They were shallow to begin with and no longer needed gauze to protect them; which is why he currently had various animal and happy vegetable glittery band-aids dotting his limbs. Well, the pajamas covered them, at least. He had even humored her by letting her put one on a small scrape on his cheek.

"Well! I'm off to school, Kagami-san! Feel better today, okaay?!" Juuka smiled at him as she carried the tray out the door.

"Ah, thank you! Have a good day at school." It didn't even hurt to say that too-familiar phrase anymore. How many times had he said the same thing to Ryou as he'd left their home?

Stretching a bit, Kagami rotated his shoulders inquisitively. He was feeling a lot better since he first arrived. He was also able to walk the short distance to the bathroom without feeling dizzy with weakness. He still had to take it easy though. But he was getting a case of cabin fever. There wasn't anything to do but lay about be nagged by the thought that, somewhere, the other Riders were doing his share of the fight against the Worm. The further bothersome thought was that they must be doing just fine without him. Lying back, Kagami resolved to be patient and recuperate properly.

Chapter Text

When Kagami awoke later, it was early afternoon. A clock on the dresser next to the door revealed it to be a little past noon. Usually he slept through until dinner so lunch had never been a concern. He must be getting better. He was more thirsty than hungry though. There was usually a glass of water next to the bed but he'd finished it off this morning when he had taken the aspirin. And it would be good to start exercising a bit. He was allowed activity if he didn't overdo it, right? Juuka-chan would probably have wanted him to get some sustenance too. Maybe he could test his theory that Tendou actually had dozens of matching Tupperware sets of whole meals stored in his fridge. Getting up carefully and pausing to stretch a bit, Kagami felt it was time to brave the stairs.

It was slow going down the stairs. He was very aware that he'd be royally screwed if he fell but his body just didn't want to move in the exact way he ordered it to just yet. By the time he got to the end he'd had to hold on to the balustrade for a moment, lightheaded with the exertion. Shuffling into the kitchen, Kagami searched through the cabinets for a glass. Not bothering to fill it with ice, he went straight to the tap. He raised it up a bit, enjoying how the light refracted in the cut glass. Then, experiencing a moment of dizziness; he decided to make his way to the living area next to the kitchen.

He was making his way to the couch when he heard the lock on the front door open. Wondering if Juuka had gotten out of school early today, Kagami was surprised to see Tendou removing his shoes.

Something was wrong.

Tendou was bent over, removing his shoes, and it looked as if it was taking all of his energy to just stay balanced in that position. Then when he had finished the task he had pushed one hand against the wall as he stood, using it as support. The oddest thing, however, was that the man who at times seemed omnipresent…hadn't even seemed to realize Kagami was in the room. Concerned, Kagami started forward as Tendou tripped his way into the living room.

"Ten-"

It was kind of funny. It was still painful but it was kind of funny. At least this time the fall hadn't been his fault. He'd fallen on his backside before sliding backwards. And he'd even managed to avoid banging his head against the floor for the second time. It's not like he could have let him fall! Tendou had lost his balance (or his consciousness) and had fallen straight into Kagami's arms. The momentum of the impact had sent them both all but sailing to the ground. But, despite the pain and the fact that he'd never gotten to drink his now spilt water, the thing that irked Kagami the most was that, even though Tendou had decided to pass out on him, he had probably gotten the least damage from the fall. (By using Kagami as a cushion)

Unable at the moment to shove Tendou's body completely off (He'd at least managed to get more comfortable), Kagami laid his head against the carpet to stare at the ceiling. He hoped that Tendou was just fatigued. Juuka wouldn't be back from school for several hours. It would really suck if Tendou was actually dead. He was pretty sure he wasn't as he could feel Tendou's deep breaths against the base of his neck. Well…he couldn't really blame Tendou for falling on someone he hadn't even noticed. It was just…very un-Tendou to be so…unguarded. And how hard he must have been fighting to get to this point…

…

He was so going to rub it in. Just for making Kagami worry like this. And it looked like he was going to get his chance. He felt/heard the rate of the unconscious man's breathing change and noticed that he had started shifting. Apparently Tendou had chosen a convenient time to wake up.

"You know…" Kagami started softly, feeling a bit of grim amusement at how the body above him tensed in surprise "…I seem to recall someone's grandmother saying something about how people should treat their bodies like temples"

There was a big puff against his neck that Kagami managed to avoid not reacting to. He really didn't want to laugh right now. Shoving himself off the carpet and away from Kagami, Tendou sat up. Kagami thought it kind to keep looking straight upwards.

"What…are you doing?" Tendou asked. He sounded like he was only half conscious. He was probably still wondering why he hadn't been in his own room instead of half on top of a person who wasn't his friend.

"Apparently acting like a landing pad for crashing Tendou planes" Kagami was still staring at the upwards. He didn't even want to know what new aches he'd gotten from this wreck.

There was a long pause. And Kagami started to worry if his joke had gone too far. There was a rustle and Kagami braved a glance at the man next to him.

Who was now crouched over him with another odd expression.

"Are you hurt?" Now Tendou's voice sounded a bit thick, probably from exhaustion.

Kagami snorted at this, believing Tendou was probably mocking him, right? But when Tendou offered him a hand up, expression now one of concern, Kagami realized he was serious and awkwardly told him he was all right. Tendou made a disbelieving sound, dragging Kagami's hand over his shoulder and carefully wrapping an arm around Kagami's waist. They walked in a swaying pace towards the stairs. Alarmed, Kagami forced Tendou to pause at the foot of the stairs.

"Wait, Tendou, are you sure you're up to this…?"

Tendou had made an impatient noise; keeping a focused glare to the top of the stairs as if envisioning a goal.

"I'm not the one swaddled in bandages"

"No, you're the one who passed out on the person swaddled in bandages" Kagami retorted, instantly regretting it as he noticed Tendou's jaw clench slightly.

"We can make it if we go carefully." Kagami didn't have the heart to argue with him.

They eventually made it upstairs with Kagami keeping a firm grip on the banister and Tendou sliding a stable hand against the wall. There had been a frighteningly unbalanced moment near the top when Kagami had tripped on his own feet and had painfully bumped his knee against the steps. Tendou, who had been leaning on him as much as he'd been leant on, had been tilted at a painful lopsided angle. Kagami had been quick to apologize for his clumsiness but the Tendou brushed it off.

"It's fine. Can you get up by yourself?" It had been a bit wobbly but Kagami had managed to stand back up. Then they continued their slow paced trek down the hall to Kagami's room; both swaying from the exertion. The last thing Kagami remembered before crashing into the pillows was hearing an odd thump on the other side of the bed.

Chapter Text

Kagami stirred…was that the sound of the door opening? Oh, Juuka must have gotten home. Slowly moving into a sitting position he was startled at her cry.

"Good afternoon, Kaga-Oh! Oniichan!"

Kagami looked at her, a bit confused, before remembering earlier events. Snapping his head to his right, he saw the prone form of Tendou Souji lying with his back to him on the same bed. Sitting up more fully, he looked back and forth between the two siblings wondering just how he was going to explain things.

"Oooh, poor brother! He looks exhausted!"

Depositing the tray she had been carrying on the dresser, Juuka walked over to Tendou's side and was gazing at his face. Kagami attempted to lean over and look as well before realizing how silly he must look and settling back against the pillows. He still couldn't stop himself from watching as Jyuka fussed over her sleeping brother, who seemed dead to the world. Brushing aside her older brother's bangs, she spoke softly.

"He really works hard, doesn't he?"

Kagami's clenched his mouth shut. There was no real way to answer without betraying Tendou in some way. It was his prerogative to tell his little sister he was exhausted from battling evil space aliens, not Kagami's. Luckily for him, it seemed the question was merely rhetorical, as Jyuka continued to fuss about her brother without waiting for an answer. She took off his jacket and gently pushed a pillow under his head. Then, walking over to the dresser, she pulled out a new blanket from the drawers and draped it over him.

"I'm sorry, Kagami-kun! Could you please share the bed with him? I don't want to wake him up if he's this tired," She almost whispered.

"O-of course! Ah!" Kagami covered his mouth; his reply had been too loud.

Smiling at him, she then retrieved the dinner tray and pushed it to him, encouraging him to eat her newest recipe. Kagami ate as quickly and as quietly as he could, praised Juuka with quiet compliments and asked if she would bring up some water. When she came back with a pitcher of water to set next to the bed, she took one last look at Tendou and, wishing them both a good night, left the room.

Kagami lay down on his back, staring blankly for a bit. Then, rolling to his side he looked at Tendou who was still on his side, back to Kagami. He stared at him for a while, almost as if the answers would come to him by studying the man who was at the center of most of the questions. He didn't know how long he did this but eventually the room became darker and his eyelids started to get heavy. Sighing, Kagami shifted his gaze towards Tendou's face though all he could see was the back of his head.

"You must be…a really good older brother, Tendou. Don't…worry her too much, okay?" said Kagami softly and a bit wistfully. Eyes sliding closed, he drifted asleep.

There was a strange ticklish sensation on his face. Kagami, half conscious, wrinkled his nose and tried to squirm away. When it didn't stop, the more rational parts of his mind started to wake up and crankily told the other parts of him to wake up and do something about it.

Apparently…Tendou rolled in his sleep too.

Their noses were barely two inches apart from each other. The ticklish sensation had been Tendou's breathing. Kagami blinked, absorbing how close Tendou suddenly was, before realizing that he now had a chance to get a look at him since that the falling incident. Tendou was…very soft looking when he slept. It was interesting to see his mouth, which was so often smirking at him, relaxed into such a peaceful expression. The light from the window, it must be morning already, highlighted the rings under his eyes. Kagami also noticed that he didn't have a scratch on him; at least not on his face.

He looked as if he'd barely slept the whole time he'd been gone. Kagami frowned, shifting a bit in concern. Just what had Tendou been up to these past few days? He would definitely have heard something if the Worm attack had increased drastically enough that Tendou would come home in this state? Gatack was a reliable partner, coming to Kagami whenever it sensed the creatures, regardless of whether its Rider was disposed to take them on. Kagami recalled quite a few rude awakenings late at night over the past week, one of which involved a pinch in a sensitive area. Zectors really did work their Riders hard. Except maybe Drake, but then that Zector seemed as capricious as it's Chosen. Rolling his eyes at the dedicated personality of his smaller bug like partner, Kagami went back to studying Tendou.

Only to realize Tendou was studying him back!

Kagami promptly froze like rabbit being stared down by a predator. Tendou didn't say anything, simply looked at him, eyes dark and half closed. Kagami looked back at him, wondering when or if he was going to say something. What they were looking for in the other's gaze, Kagami didn't know, but they continued their staring contest for what felt like a few minutes without moving. Finally, Kagami was unable to stay quiet any longer and opened his mouth to speak.

"I've wanted to say this yesterday…" Tendou's voice was soft, relaxed.

"What is it?" Kagami asked in a hushed voice, not wishing to break this quiet moment they had lapsed into.

"You…have a pink rabbit on your cheek"

Kagami's hand reached up automatically to the side of his face. Oh, right. One of the little band-aids Juuka had given him.

"Ah, well this…"

Tendou snorted softly at him at him, a broad smile on his face as he rolled onto his back, hands coming to rest on his stomach.

"Still an interesting fellow."

"Tendou…!" Kagami pouted. Really, Tendou was the weird one, not him! Grumbling a bit, Kagami also rolled over. They both stared at the ceiling for a bit, enjoying the peaceful time between night and morning.

"Tendou…"

The man next to him made an inquisitive noise.

"Just what have you-"Kagami was interrupted by the door opening.

"Good morning, Kagami-san" said Juuka quietly, half stumbling in with a tray packed with twice as much food as usual.

"Did my brother wake up?"

"Ah, he's…eh?!" Tendou's eyes were closed, looking for all the world as if he was in a coma.

Confused, Kagami watched as Jyuka set the tray down and walked over worriedly to Tendou's side. She reached out to place her hand on her older brother's forehead when…

"BOO!" Tendou sat up suddenly and hugged her.

Jyuka's scream quickly changed into a giggle as Tendou started tickling her. Slapping his arms slightly she chided him. He released her, an amusedly smug expression on his face.

"Oniichan! How mean! And after I was so worried!"

"My apologies, little sister" he said in a very unapologetic voice, pushing a strand of hair from her face.

Kagami watched the exchange between the two siblings, feeling a bit nostalgic and intrigued that he'd been witness to so many new sides of Tendou these past few days. So this was the older brother side that Jyuka loved so dearly. He smiled, amused, when Tendou pretended to be hurting after Jyuka lightly punched him on his shoulder in her annoyance. When she had looked at it concerned, he had chuckled softly at her saying he'd just been teasing. She'd pouted again, but one could easily tell that she was having a hard time not smiling at her brother's antics. Kagami could tell that she was relieved.

She served them breakfast in bed: Kagami saying it was the best plum-flavored rice porridge he'd ever tasted and Tendou answering her questions on how to prevent over saturating the rice. Jyuka took his instructions with the serious manner of a disciple to her master and collected the dishes. Tendou slid off the bed to assist her. Jyuka instantly protested.

"Oh! Are you sure you should get up, Oniichan?! You should get your rest!"

Rotating his shoulders and stretching, Tendou assured her that he was fine. She frowned up at him and adopted a very familiar pose.

"Grandmother said that a rested field gives bountiful crops!"

Kagami smothered a chuckled. Tendou, who had been blinking down at his little sister, turned to give him a dry look over his shoulder. Then, shoulders slumping slightly, he agreed to rest some more. In his own room, of course, after a shower. Jyuka smiled brightly at him and followed him out the door one of the trays in hand. Tendou had insisted on carrying the second.

Tendou paused at the door, watching her walk down the hall, before turning his face back towards Kagami. His mouth tightened a bit as he looked up and down at Kagami's figure. Kagami tilted his head to the side, wondering what he was thinking.

Finally, Tendou's stare reached Kagami's eyes. He seemed thoughtful.

"Tendou. What…"

"I never pegged you as such an active sleeper. You almost squashed me with your rolling last night"

Kagami blushed, now flustered. Not really able to deny things his body had done while he was asleep but half certain that Tendou was only saying that to tease him, he struggled to find a proper retort.

Seeming to have gotten the reaction he'd been looking for, Tendou smirked at him and, with one last glance, closed the door behind him.

Kagami gripped the sheets on the bed, severely annoyed. He had been teasing! At least, Kagami was mostly sure, anyway. Tendou had been half comatose last night, right? And Kagami didn't roll around that much, did he? Sighing loudly Kagami flopped back against the pillows so hard the bed bounced a bit. Wincing a bit and cursing his stupidity (while blaming a certain annoying person) Kagami turned to the place Tendou had been laying.

The blanket Jyuka had put on Tendou was still there. Kagami reached for it, pausing when he realized that the area was still warm. Feeling silly, he lifted the blanket up to the light, pondering how a person could have so many different sides to him.

Chapter Text

Kagami stayed there for a while, lying on his back looking up at the ceiling. Then, feeling he should be doing something more constructive then brooding over the enigma that walked the path of Heaven, he carefully got back up. Turning over so his legs hung off the bed, fingers gripping the edge, Kagami started to take several deep, slow breaths. Closing his eyes he started to mentally will his muscles to relax as much as possible; he needed to be as flexible as he could for the exercises. Satisfied he'd done enough relaxing; he slowly slid down off the bed.

Taking a nervous glance at the door, he started to unbutton his pajama top. When Tendou had begun his disappearing act, showing up less often each day (usually to freak Kagami out with his sudden appearance) Kagami had decided that he'd at least get some exercise. He couldn't stand the long isolation each day. Jyuka had been kind enough to bring him books, puzzles and a dozen other distractions, but Kagami was more the physical type. Besides, the sooner he jumped back into physical activity, the less work he'd have to do when he'd full recovered. He didn't do anything reckless; he'd even talked it over with Dr. Hirofumi. As long as he didn't overdo things, it was fine.

Slipping his shirt off, Kagami mentally cursed when the article of clothing fell short of the bed and hit the floor. He'd have to pick it up after he was done. Trailing a hand over the bandages on his torso, he frowned at how grungy they'd look. Well, he didn't think his injuries really needed them anymore. Changing them would have to wait. He needed to finish this daily ritual before he got interrupted. Walking over to the middle of the room, Kagami rotated his shoulders and head, cracking bones and continuing to stretch muscles that were still feeling a bit rusty.

Getting into the first stance, Kagami inhaled and exhaled deeply. He was still an awkward beginner at this, but it was a simple exercise that would at least help him stay active. The best way to do the forms was slowly, concentrating on all of your body. And since Kagami was already very aware of his body because of the soreness…it just seemed perfect. Moving his arms in circular motions and taking deep breaths, Kagami leisurely started.

He had picked up these exercises when he'd finally decided to train his body to fight the Worm. It had been after ZeBee. He had only been ZeBee's Rider for a short time but, back then, it was if he had achieved the greatest goal of his life. All of it was worth having a chance to be actually fighting; not taking measurements and notes behind the sidelines as people got hurt and killed: The awkwardness of using the Rider system, the pressure of being the leader of SHADOW suddenly forced on him…even the pain of being marked by the ZeBee Zector…

Kagami paused in his kata. Come to think of it, even after he had abandoned ZeBee, the mark had remained on his chest for a long while after. He never fully understood it, really. He'd also always wondered if Yaguruma and Kagemaya had ever received the same treatment. But the first Chosen had disappeared when his Zector abandoned him and…he just didn't get along with Kageyama. Plus, asking about such a thing was an awkward topic as it was…let alone in a conversation with a man who'd thought subordinates like Kagami were "expendable".

Breathing in again and continuing, Kagami thought about it further. The mark had actually vanished after he had been chosen by Gatack. Jolted by a sudden though, Kagami stood straight up and made a surprised sound.

Could…could the reason Gatack had rejected him have been…because he'd still been marked by ZeBee? But, wait...if that were true…then why had he been accepted so soon after his first encounter with the Stag Beetle Zector? Certain details of that time in the factory were still very unclear to Kagami. He had…fallen to the floor…in more pain than he'd ever been in, sliding into a darkness…hearing only the echoes of his despairing thoughts that he was useless and couldn't save anyone with his strength.

And then…there had been warmth and an unwavering confidence. No…not confidence, but a feeling of purpose. He had his true partner. Everything was going to be all right. He knew exactly what he was going to do and how to do it. He would fight the Worm with his own hands. It was Destiny. He wondered if that was how Kabuto Zector made Tendou feel.

Shaking his head of such deep thoughts, Kagami tried to refocus his efforts into the motions. Even in full health he probably didn't look half as graceful it he was supposed to. After he had recovered from ZeBee's loss, Kagami had looked for every way he could to become stronger to fight without use of the Rider suit. He had been surprised to realize that ZECT actually offered several training courses to its members. He was very untrained and clumsy, but the instructor of the program he had chosen had admired his dedication to becoming stronger. She had been the one to introduce him to these slower exercises, claiming that they were beneficial to any sort of person. Kagami was a bit skeptical, preferring the more fast-paced and energetic forms; he just couldn't get the hang of it! He felt too awkward even attempting it in front of casual observers. But, if it was the most he could do right now, then he'd do it. At least he didn't have an audience.

Starting to feel an aching burn in his muscles, Kagami finished the kata and straightened up, glancing at the clock on the wall. Thirty minutes. That was almost twice as long as he'd been able to do a couple days ago. He was getting better! But, his legs were already starting to feel a bit shaky and he was covered in a fine sheen from the slight exertion so far. He thought he could continue through the "cool down" part of the exercises though. Just go slowly and carefully. Concentrate on the body. Kagami repeated this mantra over and over in his head as he continued.

The door to the room opened.

"Yo."

Kagami, surprised by the sudden entrance, stepped backwards; only to have his feet tangle in his discarded pajama shirt. Unable to regain his balance even enough to make a controlled fall against the bed, Kagami braced himself for impact against the hard floor.

Only to be caught just as he started his descent.

They stayed like that for a few moments: Tendou with his arms around Kagami, Kagami with his fingers digging into Tendou's shoulders. Still panting, half from his workout half from the ebbing adrenaline rush, Kagami loosened the grip to where his fingers were no longer digging into the other man's shirt.

He then started to realize how close they were, his face was practically touching the base of his neck, Tendou's hair brushing against his cheek. It felt damp; he must have just gotten out of the shower. His body, just then comprehending that it wasn't going to be injured for the third time in a row, started to relax.

Tendou, having apparently been waiting for Kagami to calm down dragged the other man into a proper standing position. After making sure he could stand on his own feet, Tendou slowly stepped back, arms sliding off of him.

Kagami…couldn't work up the nerve to look at him just yet. Face heating from the double mortification of having been caught doing something he thought was embarrassing…and then having to be saved again from his own clumsiness. Tendou apparently sensed this and they shared a few moments of awkward silence before Kagami spoke.

"What…is it?"

Tendou paused for a moment. Kagami pushed past his awkward feeling to look at him. Tendou adopted a somewhat challenging expression before handing Kagami something: his cell phone. Kagami made a soft, surprised sound; didn't Misaki confiscate this when he had left on medical leave? (Claiming that she knew him well enough to think he'd try to contact ZECT everyday for updates on the Worm attacks)

"…I ran into Misaki yesterday. She entrusted this to me. To give to you if I saw you." Tendou said this in a tone Kagami assumed as grouchy. The man really disliked ZECT, for some reason. Kagami took the phone gingerly from him and carefully sat down on the bed, studying it. The blue phone seemed like an omen. He'd have to leave this place soon.

"What was it…you were doing when I came in?" Tendou had crossed his arms in the usual nonchalant manner and was leaning against the dresser. His voice was carefully neutral.

Face feeling a bit hot, Kagami had hoped Tendou wouldn't mention it!

"I've…been training..."

"Oh?" Tendou seemed amused.

"Yeah. There are a lot of programs at ZECT."

"…I see." Kagami must be breaking some record, this was the second or third time he'd chased a smile away from Tendou's face in less than a second. Why did the man hate ZECT so much?

"What's with that face? Why do you hate ZECT so much? They're the ones that let gave you Kabuto Zector…"

"They can not give…what was already mine" Tendou said matter-of-factly.

Sighing at an answer he should have expected, Kagami rubbed his face tiredly.

"…When was the last time your bandages were changed?"

Ah! He'd hoped that Tendou wouldn't have noticed. When he didn't answer right away, Tendou sighed heavily. Uncrossing his arms, Tendou walked out of the room without another word.

Chapter Text

Sulking, Kagami stood, gently depositing the phone on the nightstand next to the bed. Really, sometimes Tendou made him feel like a guilty child. It wasn't like he'd asked for his help in the first place! If he was such a bother, then Kagami could leave!

Kagami's shoulders slumped at that thought. It…wasn't right to be so ungrateful. Whether Tendou had felt an obligation to assist a fellow Rider or not…it still didn't change the fact that Kagami was in his debt. But then…when wasn't Kagami in the man's debt? He'd been saving Kagami since the day they first met. Even if Tendou claimed ever after that his only goal was to destroy all Worms, not save foolish people who didn't bother to escape when faced by a giant bug like space creature.

Cracking a shoulder, Kagami realized that all the effort he'd just exerted to relax his muscles had been wasted thanks to the last few stressed moments. Rubbing the back of his stiff neck he glanced at the door to the bathroom. An idea struck him. Perhaps…he could take a shower? He wasn't feeling patient enough for a bath but hot water sounded heavenly right about now.

But first…he had to get rid of the mummy-like wrappings on his chest. The small band-aids could stay but the gauze bandages weren't waterproof. Wishing he had a pair of scissors handy, Kagami groped around his torso, looking for the tied down area of the bandage. Perhaps it was along the top of the shoulder?

He'd like to think he didn't shudder too much when he felt another pair of hands joining his; sliding along the back of his neck lightly. Kagami jerked his hands back as soon as their fingers brushed, and Tendou made short work of the connecting ends of the bandages. Turning around, Kagami watched as Tendou set the first aid kit he had fetched onto the bed. He watched, stunned as Tendou started pulling out the necessary accoutrements, then snapped out of it raising a hand like he was back in school trying to get sensei's attention.

"Uh…I was thinking…I could take a shower"

Tendou paused while taking out the salve and nodded.

"Go ahead. Just make sure to clean thoroughly. "

Rolling his eyes, just a little bit, Kagami started unwrap the bandages from around his chest. It was slow going, he couldn't bend all the way and the bandages stuck in some places. He had gotten halfway through when Tendou's fingers once again brushed his aside. Ah, yes. Scissors would probably work best for this. Kagami tried not to shiver as the cold metal brushed his skin, cutting through the sweat stained gauze. He tried not to wince when the sticky bandages pulled a bit at his skin. Tendou gathered the wrappings in a bundle and step aside. Kagami took this as his cue to go wash up. With one last glance at the Tendou, who had his back to him, concentrating on whatever he was doing, Kagami closed himself inside the bathroom.

Shedding pants and underwear, Kagami looked about for the place to put them, feeling that the sanctity of the Tendou bathroom should remain intact. Feeling a bit relieved when he spotted a hamper, he deposited his dirty clothes in it. Pausing to look in the mirror as he crossed the room to the shower, Kagami realized that he looked better than the last time he'd studied his reflection. His face wasn't as exhausted and the smaller cuts and bruises had already healed over. Perhaps Tendou'd been onto something when he said that good food led to good health.

Opening one of the semi-opaque doors, he stepped into the shower. Looking around at the clean white tile, Kagami marveled again at the type of bathrooms such big houses contained. The showerhead was one of those "rainforest" types that poured water down from overhead. It took a few minutes of experimentation with the taps, but he managed to finally get water at a comfortable temperature and pressure.

He was also surprised to see that there was big selection of shampoos, conditioners and soaps. A bit intimidated at the large choice, he reached randomly for a bottle; pouring some onto a washcloth. His nose was assaulted by an incredibly sweet smell.

…The soap was…bubble gum scented? Well, he definitely was seeing a lot of new sides to Tendou these past few days!

The salve for his worst cuts had solidified into dry smears all over his chest. Scrubbing as hard as he could without rubbing the scabbed over skin raw, Kagami noticed that his injuries looked a lot better. The bruises around the hurt areas had faded a lot and it no longer stung when he touched the gouged injuries. Finished with the task of cleaning his body, he reached for one of the various shampoos. Which one to use? He didn't want to smell like candy all over. Tendou would tease him for sure. Probably say something like "What a sweet fellow". Determined now, Kagami picked up a dark bottle and looked at the label; green tea shampoo? That sounded good; he set to work washing his hair. When he was finished with that, he walked directly under the spray to rinse it out. He stayed that way for a few minutes, head tilted back with his eyes closed, just letting the water run down his bare skin. It felt so good. He was so relaxed he felt drowsy.

In much better spirits, Kagami opened the door to the shower and started to step out.

And then saw Tendou standing there, back to him, setting down a towel and clothes on the sink counter.

"UWAH!" Kagami scrabbled backwards into the shower, covering important bits. Even if Tendou had his back turned…Did the man have a different concept of privacy than regular people?! That'd explain some things.

Tendou, who hadn't even looked up at the noise, continued what he was doing before walking back out.

But not before making one last remark. Of course.

"Don't play around in the shower. You could slip and break something."

Kagami was pretty certain he saw the ghost of a smile on the man's face as he closed the door.

Only dressing from waist down, Kagami slipped out of the bathroom, resolving to explain things like "personal space bubble" to Tendou as he redressed his wounds.

Only to find the man in question…missing. A fresh set of bandages was on the bed but…

A knock at the door.

"Ah…come in?"

"Well, well! I see you're in better health today. Good morning, young man."

"Good morning, Dr. Hirofumi."

"I got a call from young Souji a little while ago. He asked if I would check up on you."

"I see." But where had he gone? The older man laughed as he directed Kagami to lift his arms so he could start the examination. Carefully pressing against certain areas, the doctor continued the conversation.

"I was quite surprised, actually. That boy is as capable as I am in treating such injuries. But, he said he was being called away for work."

Ah, Kagami frowned slightly. Tendou had gone off to fight again. He hoped he'd gotten enough rest. He winced a bit as the other man padded against a sore spot. Nodding to himself, the doctor then set to applying salve to the injuries.

"But, how strange! I didn't know young Souji had gotten a job! I'm sure Madame Tendou would have mentioned it on her last checkup. Do you know where he's working, Kagami-san?"

"He…um…he does freelance work for my organization…" Kagami trailed off, not wanting to get too detailed.

"Oh? What sort of organization is it?"

"…Security." Kagami hoped that his words didn't come back at to haunt him. He wished he'd just not said anything at all. But…he really was terrible at hiding things. And he found he couldn't keep things from the searching gaze of the doctor. The man probably dealt with a lot of stubborn patients. He was the "Tendou family doctor", after all. Kagami tried not to grin at the mental image of a young Tendou Souji trying to convince the doctor he wasn't sick enough to stay home from school. At any rate, if he'd sensed anything but caring concern from the older man, Kagami wouldn't have tried to give him something to allay his worry.

Done with redressing Kagami's wounds, Dr. Hirofumi wiped his hands on a cloth. Standing up, he patted Kagami on the shoulder.

"Well! It seems you're healing nicely, Kagami-san! Forgive my sudden departure, but I have a few appointments back at my clinic…"

"Thank you for your trouble, Doctor."

"Please give young Jyuka my regards"

"Of course." Kagami was relieved the man hadn't questioned him further.

When the doctor paused at the door, however, Kagami felt a moment of panic at the thoughtful expression on the older man's face.

"Kagami-san…"

"…Yes?"

"I'm not sure what young Souji has been up to lately…but, since you seem to work together, could you watch out for him? From time to time?"

Kagami stilled. He wasn't sure he could make that promise. Or if he even needed to.

"I'll…do my best, sir"

"I'm sure you will, young man, I'm sure you will." And with a parting smile, he left.

Kagami sighed and looked around for one of the books Juuka had brought to the room. It was going to be another long day of solitude.

He had a feeling he wouldn't be seeing Tendou for while.

He told himself that was probably for the best.

Chapter Text

The next few days seemed like a blur. Kagami was starting to feel stronger every day and he'd even gotten to the point where he was able to join Juuka for breakfast downstairs without feeling faint. Tendou had, somehow or other, brought him some clothes from his apartment. Kagami wasn't sure how he felt about that, but also hoped that the guy hadn't looked in his refrigerator. By now his leftovers had probably achieved sentience and were forming a community in the icebox. At least it had been clean the last time he'd seen it. Not that he'd been in it to mess it up lately, usually dozing off in one of the chairs in Tadokoro-san's van or passing out for a bit on a cot in the ZECT building. Hmm…it was probably dusty though…

…And since when was he so concerned about what Tendou thought about his apartment?

Kagami rubbed his eyes. It was the cabin fever. That must be it. He was going crazy. He'd already called Misaki-san a few times to see how she and Tadokoro-san were doing. After she had told him, in a slightly firm voice, that the Worm attacks were "under control" he'd resigned himself to waiting.

So he called the restaurant. Hiyori had answered the first time, Yumi-san chirping her well-wishes in the background.

"How's the restaurant lately?"

"It's been busy. We're short on people. Hurry up and get better so you can bus the tables." She'd said it in her usually matter-of-factly tone but Kagami still smiled at her well-wishing. But then she'd been called away to cook something and he suddenly found himself chatting with Yumi-san.

"Hello, Kagami! I hope you are feeling much better! You sounded so terrible the last time we talked!"

"Ah, thank you, Yumi-san. I'm sorry you're short-handed"

"Don't worry, don't worry! We're handling things just fine! Tendou-san even helps from time to time! Isn't that nice of him?"

"Oh…does he help out a lot?"

"To tell the truth, he hasn't been by as often as usual! I wonder if he's busy doing something? He always looks so grumpy when he shows up too! " She giggled, "I wonder if he comes because Hiyori-chan's cooking cheers him up? Oh! Tendou-san! What good timing!"

Kagami almost dropped the phone in shock.

"Yo."

"A-ah. Hello, Tendou…" This felt…awkward.

"Is there something wrong?"

"No…I was just calling-"

"Even if you have a lot of free time, it's not all right to bother people during their busiest hours"

"It wasn't…!" What was with that tone? Even if it was true they were busiest during lunch time…He was about to tell Tendou off when he heard the sound of the phone being hung up.

"OI!" He stared at his cell phone for a moment in slack-jawed amazement at Tendou's…rudeness.

"That…that guy!" Even if it was true he was probably interrupting them when they were busy and short-handed…that didn't mean he had to be scolded, did he?

Is there something wrong?

Kagami paused in his seething. The tone of voice Tendou had used then…it had been quiet, concerned. Completely different to how he said the next sentence. Leaning back thoughtfully, Kagami pondered this. Yumi-san had said Tendou had seemed stressed lately. Perhaps he had thought Kagami had been looking for him? Maybe he thought Kagami had been about to report a Worm attack and then been annoyed to find it was a "just for fun" call. Well…

He still didn't have to be so rude about it! Why was it Tendou turned up his charm for other people and not him? He didn't think he'd ever done anything to get into Tendou's personal taunt list, yet he was fairly certain he got the brunt of the guy's teasing. Sighing as he once again tried to analyze Tendou's character he almost dropped his phone when it rang. Half expecting (or hoping) it was from the restaurant, Kagami was surprised to hear a different voice entirely.

"Kagami-kun. We need you down here. Can you fight?" He could hear shouts and crashing noises over the phone.

Less than a minute later, Kagami was out the door, mentally calling Gatack Zector to his side.

The fight was nearby, luckily. It was over in a manner of minutes as well. And no victims. Leaning back against a lamp post, Kagami enjoyed the semi-burn in his muscles.

He was exhausted, but in a good way. It felt good to get some decent exercise. But it was getting late. The sun was already setting.

Looking around him, he realized with a shock that the fight had carried him to the place he had last seen his brother alive.

No. Not his brother. But the Worm that had stolen his brother's identity.

Releasing Gatack Zector, Kagami watched a bit wistfully as if flew off to wherever it went in between fights. Limping over to a bench, he sat down. That spot over there…had been the last time he'd seen his brother's face.

It seemed…like it had happened years ago. He'd been a different person back then. He'd been unable to do anything but watch Tendou avenging his brother's memory. It was then that he'd vowed to surpass the man who walked the path of Heaven. Sighing, Kagami leaned his head to look at the sky.

He'd been…very unfair that time. It was wrong of him to have been upset with Tendou for telling ZECT about Ryou. He…had always known that it was likely the Ryou he'd encountered was a Worm. But…but…Kagami slumped down, scrubbing his face with his hands.

It had felt as if he had been betrayed. He'd been hurt emotionally and…it was like…Tendou had exposed his most painful wound to the rest of the world.

The Worm…weren't Kagami's personal problem. Even if Ryou was a Worm…it was Kagami's prerogative to deal with him. Something he felt he had to deal with alone…at least for closure's sake. So he had gone alone to meet with Ryou at the park.

He didn't think he'd felt anything worse than the moment he watched the smiling form of his brother mutate into a monster.

And then, the monster had offered Kagami to his…its…comrades.

Tendou had saved him then. Coming out of nowhere to fight the battle he didn't have the strength to fight.

But…he'd also risked himself…giving Kagami time enough… to force himself to come to terms. Waited for Kagami…to say it was all right to destroy the last living memory of Ryou.

But then…as long as Kagami was alive…a part of his little brother would never disappear. Tendou had made him realize that as well.

"Yo."

Kagami…sat straight up. He was…only half-surprised Tendou was there. Maybe he was getting better at predicting his ways. But then, Tendou wasn't very far when there were Worm attacks.

"Yo." Kagami responded, in the same tone. Tendou looked at him for a moment, the light from the lamp post illuminating half his face.

"Come. It's getting dark. I'll give you a ride back."

Kagami hesitated.

"Can…it wait a little?" He didn't know why he suddenly wanted to watch the sun set but…

Tendou looked at him again, before quietly walking over and taking a seat next to him on the bench. If he recognized the area, he didn't mention it. They both watched the sun sink down over the horizon in silence. Kagami sighed to himself. Sunsets always felt like a goodbye to him. Like the light got chased away by the darkness.

"Grandmother said…"

Kagami turned to look at expectantly at Tendou who was still looking towards the sun.

"…even in the darkest night, the stars are always shining."

Tendou's finger was held up a little straighter than his usual pose, and Kagami eyes subconsciously looked toward the direction it was pointed in.

In the dark patch of sky above them, the stars were beautiful.

"…Yeah…" Kagami responded softly, in agreement.

And without another word or look to Kagami, Tendou stood up and started to walk away from the bench. He finally turned back to him when he was a few feet away, waiting.

Standing, Kagami followed him. There wasn't any real reason to linger here, anymore.

Looking around one last time…Kagami realized he no longer felt sad. Tendou…was usually good at ruining bad moods with his random sayings. Chuckling at that thought, he walked behind Tendou towards his bike.

"So, I hear I work for a security company doing advisory work?" Oops. Apparently Tendou had been talking to Dr. Hirofumi.

"Ah! Well, that is…I mean…"

Kagami was interrupted in his explanation by something ramming into his back. Knocked to the ground, he looked up to see dozens of people standing around them in a circle.

With various clicks, growls and moans, their forms warped and twisted.

They were surrounded.

Chapter Text

Kagami winced. He'd rolled as soon as he had impacted the ground, but there was a sharp pain on his side and the creatures were already closing in on them. Snatching Gatack from its hovering stance by his side, he swung his arm towards his belt, intending to fight even as he struggled to stand.

Only to pause as Tendou walked in front of him.

"Don't bother. I can handle this many. You're not needed." Swiping Kabuto Zector onto his belt, Tendou transformed.

Kagami almost took him up on that. He was terribly annoyed that Tendou had to phrase it that way but…

Finally able to stand, Kagami saw even more Worm coming out of the bushes, half of them sneaking up on Tendou from behind as he wheeled around among the first wave.

"Henshin" Kagami said, transforming with his own Zector. Tendou may not need him, but that didn't mean he was just going to watch when he was still able to fight. Filled with the rush of energy always accompanied by activating the Rider System, Kagami launched toward the second wave of Worm, forcing them to pay attention to him rather than Tendou.

Usually, the fight would be over in manner of minutes. But the number of Worm prevented any focused attention on defeating them singly. It was only made worse when several of them molted. He couldn't even see Tendou anymore. His fight had dragged him, oddly enough, to the underpass near his home. He wasn't going to fall for a trap this time though. He may have tired from the fight a few hours ago but he still wasn't as bad as he'd been about a week ago. Sagging a bit after landing from a Rider kick that had destroyed three Salis Worms at once, Kagami tried to catch his breath. There were still seven Worms left to fight. And now they'd seem to come to the game plan of rushing at him all at once.

As long as he could fight, he would. Rallying himself back into a fully standing position once more, Kagami yelled out his frustration as he fired the Vulcans on his shoulders at the creatures. Three of them screamed before exploding but the others quickly ducked out of the way with minimal impact. Casting off his heavier armor caused them further damage. Yanking the now exposed calibers off his shoulders, Kagami went after them before they could fully recover from the last attack, catching a few of them.

Two more down, two more to go. The remaining two paused a distance away from him.

Then bolted, headed in totally opposite directions.

"HAAAA!" Jumping in the air, Kagami flung the plus and minus calibers at their fleeing figures as hard as he could.

He landed as they exploded in twin orange blasts. Slumping a bit in relief that the move had actually worked (though he was certain in that moment it would, of course) Kagami walked over to retrieve the caliber weapons.

Bending back up from retrieving the minus caliber, which had landed near the mouth of the underpass by a wall, Kagami felt a strong hand grip his shoulder and was swirled around.

Surprised, he lost control of the Gatack Zector. But, instead of flying off, it remained in flying over Tendou and Kagami's heads. But, Kagami had other things to worry about.

Without the armor padding his shoulder, Kabuto's grip was painful. Kagami grimaced.

Almost immediately after, Kabuto Zector was zooming around the sky with Gatack. No longer distracted by his smarting shoulder, Kagami looked at Tendou. He looked…upset.

But, before he could ask what the problem was, he became aware of another sensation. His side was complaining and there was worrisome dampness against his shirt.

Kagami tore his gaze from Tendou's to glance down.

There was a large red stain blossoming on the side of his t-shirt. Kagami thought he heard a quick intake he was pretty sure hadn't come from him.

Stunned, Kagami wasn't sure how to react for a moment.

"Ah…"

Suddenly there was a firm hand pressing against his side. Feeling a bit faint from the sight of so much blood, Kagami easily fell back against the wall behind him.

"Fool. You didn't have to push yourself to this." Kagami looked up at him; Tendou was digging a handkerchief out of his pocket to press it against the injury.

"I told you…you weren't needed in the fight!"

That snapped Kagami out of his shock. Knocking away Tendou's right hand from its position on his shoulder, Kagami sought to make him understand.

"Would you stop with that already?!" He gingerly placed his own hand on top of Tendou's; adding his own pressure against the cut. Then, grabbing the other man's hand he yanked it away from his body.

He held it for a moment, waiting as Tendou's gaze bounced from the cut on his side, their joined hands, and to Kagami's face.

Satisfied he finally had Tendou's attention; Kagami lightly flung the other hand away. He had to make him understand.

"I may not be needed to fight…but I need to fight!" Tendou blinked once at him, silent.

Leaning away from him, Kagami shifted his shirt to examine his injury. It was a shallow cut and the blood flow had already started to slow. He'd just been stunned at how much blood had leaked out.

"I'm not so weak you have to protect me all the time anymore!"

"I know…"

Kagami froze. Tendou looked…as if he was struggling to say something. Kagami swallowed. How could he scold him when he looked so helpless? The guy didn't play fair!

Sighing he leaned his head back against the cool stone. What to say? Why couldn't Tendou just say things in a straightforward manner?

Because…that was how Tendou was. Always…above everything…so he could watch over everything.

And it was with that thought, Kagami Arata finally realized the true feelings of the self-proclaimed Man Who Walked the Path of Heaven.

Tendou's feelings, his strength, didn't come from arrogance. He wanted to be the only Rider, but not because he felt no one else deserved to be one… he felt he had taken it as his sole purpose. He'd told Kagami the first time they met; he'd been training all his life for it. He didn't fight Worm because he was the strongest.

He wanted to protect everyone because he was the strongest. And he didn't want the burden to be on anyone else's shoulders.

Tendou Souji wanted to protect everyone. He wanted to fight…so no one else needed to.

Sighing softly, Kagami continued, his words colored with this epiphany.

"I'm not your level yet…I know that. You remind me of it enough. But…I'm working hard everyday. I'm not going to sit and watch anymore. I can't do it any more than you can. You're not the only one who wants to protect everyone. Please accept my feelings on this."

Straightening, Kagami frowned at Tendou.

"One day…I'm still going to surpass you. Remember that."

Tendou looked at him, expression blank and eyes half mast.

Then…he smiled.

"What an interesting fellow."

Above them, the two Zectors finally flew off; chasing after the still setting sun.

Chapter Text

"Thank you. For everything" Kagami was extremely grateful for the good care he'd received.

"Oh, it's nothing, Kagami-san! Please come back and visit us again really soon."

At those words, Kagami found his eyes shifting over to the person busy cleaning up the dishes from "Jyuka-chan's Big Good-bye and Stay Healthy, Kagami-san" breakfast. Tendou didn't look up, but Kagami knew he heard the invitation. Looking back at Jyuka, Kagami grinned and said he'd visit whenever she wanted him to.

After that, he'd picked up the bag containing the clothing Tendou had brought him and walked out the door. He paused at the gate, turning around for one last look at the house. Jyuka was waving from the window but Tendou still hadn't moved from the kitchen, by the looks of it. The guy hadn't even really said much that morning, beyond a muttered "Ohayo" and praise for how good Jyuka was getting at rolling omelets.

But…it's not like Kagami was expecting anything, really. Grinning at Jyuka, he bowed politely at the household and, turning around to walk through the front gate, started back for his house.

"Take care"

Kagami jerked and whirled around. There, standing just outside the front yard, arms crossed and leaning against the brick wall of the gate as if he'd been waiting for a while, was Tendou.

Of course.

If there was only one thing Kagami had gained from his experiences here, it was that Tendou was full of surprises. Just how he had managed to get there before Kagami had, especially since he'd still been in the kitchen, Kagami didn't know.

…Maybe the Tendou family was actually a clan of ninja. That'd certainly explain things.

At least he was getting better at recovering from such occurrences. Smiling, Kagami nodded.

"I will."

And that was how Kagami left; walking steadily back to his own home, not once turning back (half sure he'd see Tendou vanish in a dramatic puff of smoke if he did)

Getting into his apartment, Kagami felt a mixture of good and bad feelings. He'd gotten used to living alone for the past three years. Without Ryou, there'd seemed to be no real reason for visiting their father's house. The man wasn't there most of the time anyway.

Walking into the kitchenette, Kagami prepared himself before yanking the refrigerator door. Only to be met with…a stack of plastic containers he was certain he didn't own. Upon further inspection, he found a note with instructions to stock his fridge better in the future.

Come to think of it. The apartment looked suspiciously clean. There wasn't anything out of place; the door hadn't even look like it had been broken into.

But there didn't seem to be any dust anywhere.

Maybe Tendou was also a bit of a neat freak. A neat freak ninja. That sounded kind of dangerous, actually. Kagami shook his head, wondering where this weird mood suddenly came from.

Opening one of the containers, he was instantly made cheerful by the sight of miso mackerel. Tendou could do his ninja thing whenever he wanted, if this is what Kagami got.

Putting the meal back into the fridge, promising it he'd return that evening to get to know it better, Kagami walked to his couch and sat down. Leaning back in the cushions, he pondered over the things that had passed between him and Tendou over the last few days.

They weren't friends. That's what Tendou had repeated since he'd met him. He'd even had a "Grandmother said" about it. Apparently he and Kagami had different definitions for the word. But...then just what sort of relationship did they have? They were more intimate than mere acquaintances but Tendou would probably never use the word "comrade" to refer to any Rider, even Kagami. Crossing his arms, he leaned forward a bit, thoughtful. The thing with relationships is that one never knew where they stood with another person until they were told. And Tendou was notorious for never saying things outright.

They…had a bond. He wasn't sure of the depth of that bond, its significance, but it was there regardless. He would just have to be satisfied with that.

He was jerked from his musing by the ringing of his cell phone. Rummaging around his bag for his belt, he walked out the door. They both had their own personal reasons for fighting the Worm but, in the end, they were still on the same side. Wasn't that good enough?

Besides…he'd seen a few more sides to the Man Who Walked the Path of Heaven. Perhaps, one day, he'd see all of them. Even if Tendou refused to call him friend, it didn't stop Kagami from viewing him as such.

Eventually…Kagami would probably even force him to reveal exactly how he defined the connection between them.

That is, if he ever got around to questioning Tendou directly. It seemed like it would involve avoiding Tendou's knack for distraction. That alone would probably be more of a challenge than most people confronted when dealing with "friends".

But then, Kagami never had been the type to take challenges lying down. He'd just wait until the right moment, when Tendou was off guard. Kagami snorted as he spotted Gatack Zector flying his way. Like that would ever happen. At any rate…everything could wait.

They both still had work to do, after all.