"Oh Shit. Fuck." Azu couldn't help but swear as he came to realize that he'd messed up and that it was too late for him to go back now.

"Get the hell out of here!!" he shouted at his ex, who was lying right under him on the bed and kissing him passionately, a few seconds before. "Get off me first!" the guy screamed as he panicked and struggled to get up while an equally scared Azu laid on top of him, unable to move, immobilized by an invisible force. The only option Izuki had was to throw Azu off him and that, he did. The *Arata gathered his clothes that were scattered on the floor and scurried out of the room naked, like he was asked to.

Azu waited. Lying on the floor now, his head slightly throbbing where it had hit on the table near the messy bed when Izuki had pushed him off - he felt the air around him heat up. The wind and the scent it carried announced the arrival of the guy who had made him this way - an absolute pathetic fool and a version of himself that he'd promised he'd never ever become. His body knew it before his eyes saw it. The fire reached him before the wielder did. And when he finally appeared infront of him, Azu experienced the fury of the Arata in full force. The fire bent the air to its will and waves of heat wrapped Azu from head to toe as he screamed out in pain and frustration.

"Fuck you!" he shouted, his eyes glaring at Akira, who was glaring right back at him. When the stunt achieved nothing but earned him another wave of dry heat he squeezed his eyes shut and gave up struggling. He was naked, helpless and lying on the floor, his tears a testimony of how he felt -  unable to wield his own magic and now completely at the mercy of the man he'd intended to irk.

The fire cooled down. "Why?" Akira demanded to know. "Why the hell did you do this?".

"Well isn't this what everyone expects me to do, Akira?". Azu mocked, "Wouldn't want to disappoint your precious parents, you know."

"What? Don't you blame this one on them". Akira scoffed, disbelief evident on his face. "I was searching for you like a lunatic for two whole days while you were here doing what? Rolling on the bed and fucking your ex-lover?"

Azu could feel the grip on him loosening. "Oh piss off, Akira.  And what's with the whole macho alpha act? It's fucki-"

"That's because I AM your fucking alpha." Akira shouted. The annoying beta was threatening to test every bit of his patience.

"Well then where were you when I needed you?". A fresh rush of tears threatened to come out of his eyes. But this wasn't the time - Azu reminded himself. "Where were you when everyone was slandering me left and right? Where were you when your mother asked me if I'd like to be her fucking whore? Where the heck were you when they fucking humiliated me and my mother  that day at your fucking party?"

"It won't matter." Akira had lost his confidence partially, but he wouldn't give up. Not now.

"It won't matter Azu", Akira said, "Did I not make a promise to you? Once the binding is done, we can leave this place anytime we want. All those things - my family and your history, those things won't matter any longer."

"You're trying to run away again, huh? For all your power, you are a pretty pathetic Arata, Akira." It was Azu's turn to scoff. "If you can't even defend me against your family, how the hell do you plan on protecting me from the rest of the world?" His words were venomous and they hit Akira exactly where it hurt. He'd secured an opening and now it was time to dash, before Akira tightens his grip on him once again. Azu stood up, him legs slightly numb and wobbly. He was about to clothe himself when the attack came from behind. 

Akira hugged him tightly and whispered, "Stay. Please don't leave me." It was almost like a prayer. There it was - a glimpse of the innocent curly haired boy he once knew - years ago, when they were friends and not worried about being a pair - an alpha and a beta or a wielder and a weapon.

This certainly wasn't on the list of things Azu had expected Akira to do when he found out what he was upto. How was he supposed to respond this? What was he supposed to tell him except the truth?

"I'm not planning on leaving you Akira. As if I could ever.." Azu sighed. "But I need some time apart from you and this shit show to sort out things. And I want you to think about  everything that has happened and how you'd like things to be from now on.  When it's time, I'll find you and see if we can mend some walls."

Pushing Akira away, Azu put on the crumbled shirt and was buttoning it up when before he knew it, he was pushed against the wall. Akira hit his hands on the wall, effectively entrapping Azu in between them.

"Kabedon, hu-?", Before Azu could finish, Akira's lips were on his. Fire met Water.

"Don't disappear again."  A panting Akira whispered in an equally flustered Azu's ears. "I do not want you to  disappear again". The message was loud and clear, even in the midst of their heavy breaths. It was a command and not a prayer - unlike last time.

                                                                                    ***

-----------------------------                                         GLOSSARY                          ----------------------------------------

~ Arata  - a wielder of fire

~ A Pair :  A group of 2 wielders - one of them is given the rank of an alpha and the other    becomes the beta.

Pairs often participate in duels. Alphas are the ones that attack, takes the lead and the betas are to support them.