Shit! I am so sorry for the late update. My brother in law had a baby shower today and I was co-host. It completely slipped my mind to post. Here it is!!

I woke up just as abruptly as I had blacked out. I shot upward and began gasping for breath. Immediately, there were hands on me, holding me back. My eyes flickered around, spotting the concerned faces of my teammates. I was on the floor and we were still in the vacant hospital ward. Gathering my bearings, I searched their expressions. "Can you hear me?" My eyes met Shura's and I nodded, she sighed and leaned back on her heels. Her and Yukio were crouched next to my lying body. "You passed out." I nodded again, I was able to deduce that much.

"I knew allowing you to use your powers would effect you poorly." Yukio stated, frustration in his voice. His fingers touched my chin, pulling me to face him. His teal eyes wandered over my expression and his lips formed a thin line. "You're wounded, fatigued, dehydrated, and haven't eaten since lunch. I should've expected this, we should've helped you stand slower." He breathed out, upset with himself. "Let's go back and fix you up, okay?" I simply nodded. He grabbed my hands and pulled me to my feet cautiously. Once firmly balanced he pulled me closer, wrapping an arm around my midsection. He turned to face our female superior. "Do you have your key?"

She nodded, reaching into the back pocket of her shorts and fishing out the magical object. "Where?"

"Our dorm, the less we have to walk, the better."

She nodded once more and we started making our way to the nearest closed door. She inserted the key and twisted. There was a mechanical clack as the lock unlatched and she pulled out the key and pushed the door open. She moved aside and ushered us inside. No matter how many times we used it, it was always confusing to walk into an area from a place you normally wouldn't. We walked through the threshold and she closed the door behind us. I turned and looked behind to the windows. The dim light outside barely illuminating the surrounding academy. I shook my head, I'll never wrap my head around how that key functions.

"I suppose I should've clarified to have you open the door to our room. The stairs may be a bit difficult." Yukio sighed and Shura shrugged, unable to fix the situation after the fact. My twin turned slightly, guiding me toward the cafeteria. "You should eat something, anyway. So I guess it doesn't matter."

We all filtered into the room and Yukio had me settle at one of the tables. He disappeared shortly afterward, walking into the kitchen. My eyes moved to my classmates, who all decided to sit down at the same table. Izumo sat in the seat beside me and Bon sat across. Shura stood at the end of the table, right next to me. The scenario reminded me of our previous mission, and how I'd walked into a similar situation. Both events had played out because of my own actions, with me wounded and everyone else worried about my wellbeing. I squashed the thought and set my gaze forward, surprised to see Bon's eyes boring through my own.

"That shit you do, it's...interesting. How do you do it?"

I shrugged, resting my bare arms on the table. I realized we'd left my jacket back at the hospital. Not that it mattered, there would be rips in the fabric anyway. I'd have to request some new ones before school tomorrow. It had been my only one after my other jacket had been torn as well. Maybe Mephisto would pity me and give me a few extra. I blinked away my thoughts, seeing Bon give me a curious look. I realized he was still waiting for an answer and I blushed. "I don't really know. I started practicing months ago, and I've been able to find it by meditating."

He laughed, a playful smile crossing his lips. "You, meditate? That's something the three of us would do-" he gestured to the other boys. Being from the temples, I knew they would have a better understanding of self awareness. "And you're so impulsive that the idea just doesn't seem to fit right."

I scoffed, "I'm not that impulsive."

His eyes widened and he tried his best not to smirk, failing and busting out into laughter. He pointed down at my bare arms, amusement shining in his actions. "Really?"

"Okay, yeah, you got me." I tried not to be embarrassed, but heat flooded my cheeks nonetheless. My classmates chuckled lightly at my reaction and I couldn't help but join them. I was glad they didn't take my scars too seriously. If they were always serious about it, I'd feel far more ostracized.

My twin returned, setting down a glass in front of me. I looked down at it, realizing it was orange juice. I peeked up at him and he saw the question in my eyes. "You passed out, so it's possible that your blood sugar is low. Juice is one of the quickest ways to raise it. Once you finish I'll have you eat something, then it's straight to bed." His tone became firm with that last sentence, letting me know that I didn't have a choice in the matter. I shrugged and grabbed the glass, taking a few sips. My throat was drier than I thought and I ended up drinking half the glass before setting it back down. Immediately, I felt a little better, but I couldn't tell if it was just a placebo effect.

My peers talked amongst themselves for awhile and I sipped on my drink. Eventually, Kuro jumped onto the table and sat in front of me. His facial muscles twitched and his eyes narrowed. I gave him a curious look, but he didn't answer me. Instead, he stood and took a step closer, his nose continuing to twitch. I flinched, unsure what he was doing. After a few moments of heavy sniffing, he took a step back, his tails flickering behind him. "This is going to sound weird, but you smell different." He was correct, it sounded very weird. I gave him another look and clarified. "You were sweating before, and you smelled like glue, or something plasticky. I'm not too sure, but now you smell a little better; more like yourself."

I chuckled, unsure what to make of his proclamation. A few others noticed my action. "What is it?" Yukio questioned me, his brow quirking.

I shook my head, laughing lightly. "Kuro says he can smell a difference in me from before. That's... interesting."

A few classmates hummed, finding the new information just as intriguing. My twin didn't seem surprised, however. "Well, his scent receptors are far more advanced, and animals are known to be able to detect changes in our physiologies. There are diabetic alert dogs that can smell spikes and drops in blood sugar, I'm sure he is able to do the same."

I returned my eyes to my furry feline, smiling and petting the top of his head. "You sure are a curious creature. Warn me the next time you're about to sniff me, though. It was weird." He apologized for the intrusion, but starting purring as I continued to scratch between his horns.

.oOo.

I hadn't been able to fulfil Yukio's wishes. After chugging the sugary drink, my stomach started to lurch and I wasn't able to eat anything. He begrudgingly revised his plan, telling me to eat more in the morning. The other's left shortly afterward, the night sky only growing darker. We all had school the next day and we needed to get what little sleep we could.

I exited the bathroom, happy that my skin was clean. Under my t-shirt, the miasma had calmed down significantly. Yukio spotted me and beckoned me over to his bed. I sat down and he turned, a vile in his hand. He was silent as he reapplied the ointment, his fingers cool against my heated skin. I was pulled from my daydreams after a few minutes, realizing that he was no longer spreading the medication. Instead, his fingers danced lightly over my scars. Uneasy, I cast a glance at his expression, but as expected, it was unreadable. He met my eyes and he let his walls down slightly, seeking permission. "Can we talk about this?" I drew in a breath, not sure if I was going to be capable of such at thing. However, his sad eyes stabbed at my heart and I nodded. "Why?"

I didn't need him to elaborate, knowing his question with just that one word. "It was a distraction. The pain overpowered my emotions, which were out of control." He was silent, allowing me to continue. "At least, that's how it started. It evolved over time. I ended up liking the pain, the blood, and the scars. I wanted to hurt myself even if I was fine mentally." I scoffed, "as fine mentally as I could be, I guess."

His fingers traced mindless circles over my skin as he pondered my explanation. "What gave you the idea to do it in the first place?"

I shrugged, "no one told me to do it, if that's what you're asking. About a week prior, I had accidentally cut myself while doing the dishes. The cut had healed almost instantly, though. Then," I swallowed, knowing my next words were a touchy subject. "When I was wounded by that bullet, I saw that it didn't heal as quickly. The pain stuck around and I was able to focus on it instead of my thoughts."

"And the knife?"

"It was a coincidence. I didn't seek it out, just so you know. I was pissed after you shot me. Your bag fell down during my tantrum and the knife was inside." I chewed on my lip, shrugging my shoulders in dismissal. "I was able to put the puzzle pieces together and the knife seemed like the perfect solution, so I took it." I shot him an apologetic look. "I'm sorry for taking it, and I'm sorry for lying to you when you asked."

He sighed, his fingers wrapping around my arm and he pulled me closer. His arms enveloped me and I mirrored his actions. "It's okay. If I hadn't shot you in the first place, we might not be having this conversation to begin with." I started to shake my head but he cut me off before I could speak. "I may not have directly given you that knife, but I had inadvertently caused you so much distress that you felt you had no other choice but to hurt yourself. I'm so sorry, Nii-san. I dismissed all the signs, not wanting to believe that there was anything wrong. I should've questioned your sleeves. I even noticed your daydreaming, and didn't do anything about it. I believed if I ignored the issue, it would solve itself."

"You know, Yukio. You have all of this training, you're the top of our class, and you're far more mature than I am. But I think you forget that you're just a kid, sometimes. Even Shura was in the dark, and she's an adult. Stop blaming yourself for things you couldn't control."

He was quiet for a long time, and I stayed silent, letting him think in peace. I felt him squeeze me tighter after several moments. "You're a good person, Rin. That's something I think you don't realize. You're empathetic; seeing things from other's eyes. You're so understanding of other peoples actions and feelings, but you refuse to acknowledge and validate your own. I think it's your biggest downfall."

I thought back, months ago, to when Shura had told me her opinion on my weaknesses. I hummed, a bittersweet smile on my lips. I pulled away from him and he caught sight of the expression. "No, you're my biggest downfall."

He flinched, taking it as an insult. "What do you mean?"

"I'd do anything to make you happy. Seeing you smile is far more important to me than my own happiness. Shura even told me that, a long time ago. I think she's right, too."

Concern flashed in his eyes and he shook his head. "While I appreciate how much you care, Nii-san, that's incredibly unhealthy. You need to prioritize yourself above all others, including me."

I laughed, pushing myself off of his bed and walking over to my own. "Old habits die hard."

He scoffed, but his lips twitched at the sides. "I guess so, but speaking of which. I want to say how proud I am of you." I shot him a curious look, unsure what he could possibly take pride in that was attached to me. "It's been almost a month since you last cut yourself. I know you had that one mistake, but I don't believe you've added anything else, have you?" He gave me a pointed look, expecting an answer. I shook my head and he sighed in relief. "Thank god. I was worried you'd struggle more with it. You seemed pretty deep into your habits, and I thought you'd relapse."

I forced a smile, hiding my uneasiness with a laugh. "Guess I've found other ways to cope."