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estiroseThis does contain some speculation as to the identity of Jyaku.
Summary: Leo is there for Kaoru when Kouga dies.
In Love With Your Ghost
by Estirose
He watched them together.
Kaoru and Kouga were an odd couple; the artist and the Makai Knight. Leo knew a little of how they'd gotten together, the fact that Kaoru had been splashed by Horror Blood and Kouga had saved her life. He knew that most of the loosely-bound community of Makai Priests and Makai Knights were expecting them to get married.
He could only feel sorry for the cheerful, bright artist. Kouga wasn't that arrogant, for a Makai Knight; it was what made him tolerable. And his saving of Kaoru made him human. But he wasn't needed; none of them were. They all had to die.
And when he did, Leo would be there for Kaoru. It wasn't her fault she'd gotten involved with a Makai Knight, fallen in love with the man. They were good at seeming to be needed. When all were gone, the magical world would see the truth, that they weren't needed. All that was needed was the priests and priestesses.
Not all of his people saw it that way either, but they would. Eventually.
Kaoru was now the reason why Leo hung around, mostly. Sure, partly because it was easy to play the part of a dutiful Makai Priest and that way keep tabs on the most powerful Makai Knight, but if Leo thought about it, it was becoming more and more Kaoru that made him able to keep his cover.
Made it easier for him.
Someday everyone would see things the way he did. In the meantime, at least he'd get closer to Kaoru and be ready for her. Because if he had his way, the charade would end soon.
* * *
"Kaoru. I'm here." Leo, gentle Leo who had worked so much with Kouga, came into the room. Kaoru looked up from the tea that Gonza had brought her. "I'm sorry for leaving you alone...."
He looked like he himself hadn't shaved or brushed his hair in the last few days, despite the fact that he must have had to make a report to the Makai Senate. "It's okay, you did what you had to do...."
He smiled, placing a gentle hand on hers. "I know, too. But it doesn't excuse things."
"Did you know about the mark?" She asked. He flinched at that, and she knew that he knew about it. Everybody had known, it seemed, except for her.
She'd always been the one left out of things, it seemed like. Kouga had told her nothing in the beginning, only grudgingly telling her about Horrors when it started to affect her life. She had to admit that Kouga could be gruff and rude, but he genuinely did care about people, saving them. He considered it his purpose in life.
That he'd let her in his life at all was a minor miracle. Even as she'd gotten used to him and how he was - he rarely smiled, after all - it was far easier for him to push people away and not feel. She was his counterpoint, his opposite, the one who enjoyed the life that he couldn't.
And now... he was gone. She sobbed a bit more, only pausing when Leo held out her tea.
"I'm sorry," he said. "I knew he meant a lot to you." If anyone would know outside Zaruba and Gonza, and maybe Rei, it was Leo. And Rei had succumbed before Kouga. A lot of them had, from what Gonza had let slip. "Yes, I knew. He made me promise not to tell. He didn't want to upset you."
She sniffled. Everybody had promised Kouga, it seemed, not to tell her that he was slowly dying. She'd had a right to know, and yet everybody had thought that her picture book, getting it done, was more important. Kouga had wanted her to be happy above all.
"Kaoru...." Leo looked at her wide-eyed, seemingly far too innocent to be a Makai Priest. "If you want, I'll be here as long as you want me to be. I know that you and he were thinking about marriage."
She had to smile a little at that. "We were." Kouga wasn't one for words, but it was clear to her that he was thinking about it. She'd learned his moods, his expressions, because sometimes he didn't know how to communicate any other way.
"He mentioned it to me," Leo said, folding his hands. "I would have been happy to marry the two of you."
Leo would have, she knew. He liked Kouga; they'd worked well together. Or it could have been Jabi; the two of them had been friends longer. The two of them hadn't gotten that far. "When we first met, he just dragged me places," she said nostalgically.
"I'm glad you were there for him," Leo told her. "If there had been any way I could have stopped this..."
He sounded so earnest, she couldn't help but smile.
"In any case, I'll make sure you're not without a home," he said. "I know that I'm away a lot, but I will find a way to make sure you're not left homeless, even if they find a new GARO."
"Thank you," she said gratefully. "I'm sure they will." Gonza had hinted at such a thing. She wasn't looking forward to it, but there were still Horrors to fight.
"There's been some debate in the senate about that," Leo said, his brow furrowing in thought. "But it really doesn't matter, does it? One way or another, Horrors must be destroyed. And with the Knights gone, it falls to us Priests...."
"All of them?" she asked. How could all of them be gone? She wondered if this was something else that would be kept from her. Something that she shouldn't have been told.
Leo nodded solemnly. "All of them killed. There's a lot going on right now. Not that you need to worry about it. I'll make sure you're taken care of."
She could tell he meant it; his entire demeanor said so. He was mourning too, she could see the sadness in his eyes, but he was a protector. He would protect her. He would protect everything.
She wished he didn't have to.
* * *
He left Kaoru to mourn. Even as he knew the whole thing was right, it didn't mean that he wanted to see her hurt.
Those who married Makai Knights had fallen under three categories: Makai Priestesses, women who wanted to live as comfortably as their spouses, and innocents like Kaoru who had been saved or otherwise just supported their spouses in their fight against evil.
Leo had been careful, convincing Kouga that he shouldn't marry Kaoru because he was dying. It had been made harder by the fact that he did want some stability for Kaoru; she was a sensitive soul and Leo didn't want her out on the streets. But if Kouga and Kaoru had gotten married, Kaoru could have gotten pregnant and continued on Kouga's legacy. And as far as Leo was concerned, that shouldn't happen. At least Kouga had been too stubborn to sleep with Kaoru before they got married.
Maybe he should marry her himself. It would be hard on her, married to an active Makai Priest. But it would give her a home, and family, and in some ways, artists and Makai Priests weren't much different. He'd never considered marriage before, but he had a bloodline to continue as well, and it was in some ways a duty as serious as fighting evil.
But it would take time. Leo was sure Kaoru would mourn her lost love for a long time, and he had no right to intrude on that grief and woo her before she was ready. Until then, he'd hold to his promise to her. He would care for Kaoru, make sure she was safe and housed. Gonza, too, because it would bring Kaoru comfort.
And whatever Leo needed to do, he would do. He was responsible for the death of Kaoru's love, and while he could never make it up to her, he'd do the best he could. Because even though he'd done the world good in getting rid of the Makai Knights, there was a cost.
Leo would gladly, lovingly, pay.
Summary: Leo is there for Kaoru when Kouga dies.
In Love With Your Ghost
by Estirose
He watched them together.
Kaoru and Kouga were an odd couple; the artist and the Makai Knight. Leo knew a little of how they'd gotten together, the fact that Kaoru had been splashed by Horror Blood and Kouga had saved her life. He knew that most of the loosely-bound community of Makai Priests and Makai Knights were expecting them to get married.
He could only feel sorry for the cheerful, bright artist. Kouga wasn't that arrogant, for a Makai Knight; it was what made him tolerable. And his saving of Kaoru made him human. But he wasn't needed; none of them were. They all had to die.
And when he did, Leo would be there for Kaoru. It wasn't her fault she'd gotten involved with a Makai Knight, fallen in love with the man. They were good at seeming to be needed. When all were gone, the magical world would see the truth, that they weren't needed. All that was needed was the priests and priestesses.
Not all of his people saw it that way either, but they would. Eventually.
Kaoru was now the reason why Leo hung around, mostly. Sure, partly because it was easy to play the part of a dutiful Makai Priest and that way keep tabs on the most powerful Makai Knight, but if Leo thought about it, it was becoming more and more Kaoru that made him able to keep his cover.
Made it easier for him.
Someday everyone would see things the way he did. In the meantime, at least he'd get closer to Kaoru and be ready for her. Because if he had his way, the charade would end soon.
* * *
"Kaoru. I'm here." Leo, gentle Leo who had worked so much with Kouga, came into the room. Kaoru looked up from the tea that Gonza had brought her. "I'm sorry for leaving you alone...."
He looked like he himself hadn't shaved or brushed his hair in the last few days, despite the fact that he must have had to make a report to the Makai Senate. "It's okay, you did what you had to do...."
He smiled, placing a gentle hand on hers. "I know, too. But it doesn't excuse things."
"Did you know about the mark?" She asked. He flinched at that, and she knew that he knew about it. Everybody had known, it seemed, except for her.
She'd always been the one left out of things, it seemed like. Kouga had told her nothing in the beginning, only grudgingly telling her about Horrors when it started to affect her life. She had to admit that Kouga could be gruff and rude, but he genuinely did care about people, saving them. He considered it his purpose in life.
That he'd let her in his life at all was a minor miracle. Even as she'd gotten used to him and how he was - he rarely smiled, after all - it was far easier for him to push people away and not feel. She was his counterpoint, his opposite, the one who enjoyed the life that he couldn't.
And now... he was gone. She sobbed a bit more, only pausing when Leo held out her tea.
"I'm sorry," he said. "I knew he meant a lot to you." If anyone would know outside Zaruba and Gonza, and maybe Rei, it was Leo. And Rei had succumbed before Kouga. A lot of them had, from what Gonza had let slip. "Yes, I knew. He made me promise not to tell. He didn't want to upset you."
She sniffled. Everybody had promised Kouga, it seemed, not to tell her that he was slowly dying. She'd had a right to know, and yet everybody had thought that her picture book, getting it done, was more important. Kouga had wanted her to be happy above all.
"Kaoru...." Leo looked at her wide-eyed, seemingly far too innocent to be a Makai Priest. "If you want, I'll be here as long as you want me to be. I know that you and he were thinking about marriage."
She had to smile a little at that. "We were." Kouga wasn't one for words, but it was clear to her that he was thinking about it. She'd learned his moods, his expressions, because sometimes he didn't know how to communicate any other way.
"He mentioned it to me," Leo said, folding his hands. "I would have been happy to marry the two of you."
Leo would have, she knew. He liked Kouga; they'd worked well together. Or it could have been Jabi; the two of them had been friends longer. The two of them hadn't gotten that far. "When we first met, he just dragged me places," she said nostalgically.
"I'm glad you were there for him," Leo told her. "If there had been any way I could have stopped this..."
He sounded so earnest, she couldn't help but smile.
"In any case, I'll make sure you're not without a home," he said. "I know that I'm away a lot, but I will find a way to make sure you're not left homeless, even if they find a new GARO."
"Thank you," she said gratefully. "I'm sure they will." Gonza had hinted at such a thing. She wasn't looking forward to it, but there were still Horrors to fight.
"There's been some debate in the senate about that," Leo said, his brow furrowing in thought. "But it really doesn't matter, does it? One way or another, Horrors must be destroyed. And with the Knights gone, it falls to us Priests...."
"All of them?" she asked. How could all of them be gone? She wondered if this was something else that would be kept from her. Something that she shouldn't have been told.
Leo nodded solemnly. "All of them killed. There's a lot going on right now. Not that you need to worry about it. I'll make sure you're taken care of."
She could tell he meant it; his entire demeanor said so. He was mourning too, she could see the sadness in his eyes, but he was a protector. He would protect her. He would protect everything.
She wished he didn't have to.
* * *
He left Kaoru to mourn. Even as he knew the whole thing was right, it didn't mean that he wanted to see her hurt.
Those who married Makai Knights had fallen under three categories: Makai Priestesses, women who wanted to live as comfortably as their spouses, and innocents like Kaoru who had been saved or otherwise just supported their spouses in their fight against evil.
Leo had been careful, convincing Kouga that he shouldn't marry Kaoru because he was dying. It had been made harder by the fact that he did want some stability for Kaoru; she was a sensitive soul and Leo didn't want her out on the streets. But if Kouga and Kaoru had gotten married, Kaoru could have gotten pregnant and continued on Kouga's legacy. And as far as Leo was concerned, that shouldn't happen. At least Kouga had been too stubborn to sleep with Kaoru before they got married.
Maybe he should marry her himself. It would be hard on her, married to an active Makai Priest. But it would give her a home, and family, and in some ways, artists and Makai Priests weren't much different. He'd never considered marriage before, but he had a bloodline to continue as well, and it was in some ways a duty as serious as fighting evil.
But it would take time. Leo was sure Kaoru would mourn her lost love for a long time, and he had no right to intrude on that grief and woo her before she was ready. Until then, he'd hold to his promise to her. He would care for Kaoru, make sure she was safe and housed. Gonza, too, because it would bring Kaoru comfort.
And whatever Leo needed to do, he would do. He was responsible for the death of Kaoru's love, and while he could never make it up to her, he'd do the best he could. Because even though he'd done the world good in getting rid of the Makai Knights, there was a cost.
Leo would gladly, lovingly, pay.
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Date: 2012-01-24 10:53 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-01-24 07:42 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-01-24 07:48 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-01-24 07:55 pm (UTC)(The Dark!Leo of this story will probably be in another fic or two because he's a persistent little muse.)
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Date: 2012-01-24 07:57 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-01-24 11:18 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-01-24 07:43 pm (UTC)