Chapter Text
"Katsuki!"
Yuri turned in time to take a fist to the face. He stumbled back, shock coursing through him. A hand instinctively flew to his face to cover the wounded area, which proved to be a costly mistake. He let out a shout as a sword bit deep into his unprotected side. He doubled over, his sword falling to the ground, and his arms wrapped around his torso. The pain was nothing like he had ever experienced before. His breath came in ragged gasps as he looked up to see the man who had dealt the blow being taken out from behind by another member of his squad. Yuri slowly sank to his knees, his eyes trailing down to his torso to see the extent of his injury.
"Are you all right?" Nagakura asked.
Yuri nodded, though he was disturbed by the amount of blood that was on his hand and quickly seeping into the fabric of his hakamashita. "Go on. I'll catch up."
"Are you sure?"
Yuri's gaze traveled up Nagakura, and he worked hard at keeping his expression as neutral as possible. "Yes. I'll be fine, Taichō. The rest will escape if you stay to assist me. Go!"
Nagakura hesitated momentarily before he gave Yuri a quick nod. "I'll send someone back to get you. Don't you dare die on me."
Yuri's answering smile was wane, but he returned the nod. Satisfied, Nagakura took off down the road. Yuri let out a hiss as a bloodied hand found purchase on a wall and he slowly rose to his feet. He remained hunched over as he looked around the area to see if there was someplace he could walk to hide. While the majority of the ambush party had taken off, Yuri couldn't guarantee that there wasn't someone else lurking in an alley who would take advantage of his weakened state. They were too far away from the Yagi residence for him to make it on his own with the severity of his injury.
He lumbered slowly down the road, hissing as each step caused jolts of pain to shoot through his entire body. His legs wobbled with each step, and he knew he was running out of energy as quickly as the blood flowed from his wound. He tried to keep calm, but with each step becoming more difficult, the panic began to set in with the thought that he needed to find shelter. At this point, he'd have to rely on strangers. Yuri had no idea if someone would come back in time. His foot caught on a stray rock, and Yuri stumbled. He caught himself in the curtained doorway of a building. The pain from the movement was blinding, and with a loud gasp, Yuri tumbled sideways inside.
He hit the floor of the genkan with a loud groan, and he remained motionless. Yuri was vaguely aware of candlelight flickering and a startled shout. All that mattered was that the world seemed like it was spinning, and the pain was easing as a sense of euphoria began to take over. A few seconds later, he felt a pair of hands grab onto his arm and roll him onto his back. More silence greeted him, and his eyes slowly opened to a pair of ice blue ones framed by silver hair.
"I..." Yuri attempted to speak, but his mouth was too dry.
"I'm going to lift you. I'm sorry," the man said in a soothing tone.
Yuri gave a weak nod, and he tensed his body as arms slid beneath him. He let out an involuntary shout as he was lifted from the floor. His body was in motion, and it was disorienting since he wasn't moving of his own accord. His head lolled onto the stranger's shoulder, and his eyes closed.
"Hang on."
The voice sounded further away and a little more panicked. Yuri’s eyes fluttered closed, and he began to slowly drift away.
The man raced to his futon and gently placed the dying human on it. The human let out a weak protest, which alarmed the man. He began to pull the various layers of fabric away from the man’s torso until he revealed the gash in the man’s side. He inspected it closely, noting that it was a clean cut.
He wished that he wasn’t alone for he could use extra help. But as he went around the sparse room to look for some cloth and a bowl for water, he decided that the visitors he had hosted this evening were better off away from here.
He recognized the color of the haori the human wore as belonging to the group that broke up the Choshu meeting at the Ikeda-ya a few days prior. His visitors had been there, and one in particular was very outspoken in regards to what he thought of them. He had nothing good to say about the Shinsengumi.
“What are you doing with him?”
He whirled around and saw a shadow moving on the genkan. His hand immediately flew to the hilt of the sword on his hip. “Show yourself!”
A figure stepped up, a slight man with a long brown ponytail and piercing eyes dressed in black. He held kunai in his hand, ready to strike.
“Who are you?”
“It doesn’t matter.” The reply was sharp, commanding. “What are you doing with him?”
“He’s injured. I want to help him. If you interfere, he will die.”
The shinobi studied him for a few moments before he lowered his weapon and carefully stepped up into the room. The man’s hand drifted away from his sword as the shinobi made his way across the room. He knelt beside the human and began to pull various items out of a pack around his waist.
“Katsuki-san...” the Shinobi murmured as he prodded at the wound. “It needs to be stitched.”
“How can I help?”
The shinobi eyed him warily. “How do I know I can trust you? You haven’t even told me your name.”
“Nikiforov Victor.”
The answer earned Victor a raised eyebrow, but he said nothing. Instead, he continued to lay out needed supplies. Victor watched, unsure what to do. The whole situation was strange. He normally kept his interactions with humans outside of his business at a minimum, but he was loathe to ignore one when they barreled into his home and were clearly in need of help. And the last thing he wanted was for anyone—human or otherwise—to die here.
“Do you have sake? And I will need you to help me hold him when I start to stitch.”
Victor nodded and did what he was told. He was sorry that this other human had arrived when he did because Victor could treat that wound quicker than the shinobi could. He gathered the requested items and returned to the man whom the shinobi had called Katsuki.
“Pour some of that on the wound.”
“What?” The shock in Victor’s tone was apparent. “But that’ll hurt him!”
“But it’ll also help cleanse the wound.”
Victor shook his head. He opened his mouth to protest, to offer his own healing abilities, but then he quickly shut it. It was dangerous to out himself to a complete stranger. He gave a stiff nod and uncorked the flask before pouring some over the gash. A strangled gasp flew from Katsuki’s mouth as he began to thrash, but the shinobi kept him as still as possible. Victor then switched places with the shinobi so that he could begin closing the wound.
Victor was fascinated by the shinobi’s quick work and concentration. He would offer instruction every few minutes to Victor, which he dutifully followed. After a tense silence, the wound was stitched closed, and Victor sighed with relief. The shinobi glanced at him.
“Thank you for your assistance, Nikiforov-san.”
Victor gave a dismissive wave. “It’s a shame I don’t know your name.”
“Yamazaki. I need to take him back immediately.”
Victor shook his head. “He shouldn’t be moved.”
“I know!” His tone was fierce and his eyes blazed. “But I can’t very well leave him here with you.”
“Why not?” Victor’s response was petulant.
“You’re not one of us.”
The words made Victor flinch. How many times had he heard that phrase uttered by others like him whenever he showed interest in any human? It always silenced him and spurred him on in keeping the extent of his fascination with humans a secret. He thought he’d built a solid defense against the emotions that phrase always incited, but it became immediately clear that the words still stung .
“I think I’ve proven I’m trustworthy. I will watch over him for as long as necessary. There’s no need to put his life in any more danger than it already is.”
Yamazaki shook his head. “How do I know you won’t kill him once I leave?”
Victor shrugged. “You don’t.”
A brief flicker of surprise crossed Yamazaki’s eyes. It took him a moment to answer. “I...don’t know if I should.”
“I swear on my honor as-“ Victor paused when he realized what he would say. He quickly changed tactics. “I swear on my honor...I won’t let harm come to him.”
Yamazaki sighed after a minute of careful contemplation. “I don’t have a choice. Moving him now is much too dangerous. It seems...I must accept your help for now.”
Victor nodded emphatically. “I’ll watch over him.”
“Do. It seems he’s not feverish. You’ll have to keep checking for one. And the dressing on his wound will need changing in a few hours. Can you do that?”
Victor agreed, though he had different plans. Yamazaki stood, his movements indicating a sort of uncertainty in his decision. Victor wondered if he would reconsider and decide to take Katsuki anyway despite the precarious situation.
“I’ll return in a few hours. That’ll give me enough time to file my report and discuss our options. I apologize for the inconvenience. Please take care of him.”
“I will.”
Yamazaki rose and left as quickly as he came. Victor released a breath he didn’t know he had been holding in and peered at Katsuki’s face. The man was incredibly pale, and his chest heaved, indicating that he was uncomfortable. Victor began to mull over his choices.
He knew Katsuki has lost quite a bit of blood, and his recovery would be long and dangerous if he relied strictly on human medicine. He knew he could heal the man before him quickly and without much effort. The only question was if this human was worth the expending of his magical energies. Usually, he wouldn’t question this choice, but he was in a tough spot.
Kazama had made it clear that the Shinsengumi were enemies. Victor wasn’t sure of all of the reasons, but he was nervous about defying Kazama in anything. His temper was legendary, and he was ruthless. He wouldn’t hesitate to mete out a punishment he thought best for a situation without thought of long-term consequences or the approval of their Princess.
Victor reached out and tentatively placed his hand on Katsuki’s cheek to gauge his temperature. It was best to follow Yamazaki’s instruction for now and learn more about this man when he woke up.
If he ever did.