Blessed

Chapter Two: Owned

Ghirahim was there when he turned around, making him yelp and jolt over to the door, which caused another flare of pain to spurt up his back.

"Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to startle you."

"How long have you been there?!"

"I had just arrived when you shut the door."

Link blinked a few times. "What, did you teleport or something?"

"Teleporting is a special ability of mine. I'm a demon, you see. I'm new, but for some reason I have a very high rank. I wouldn't worry yourself over it. I'm not going to hurt you." A strange expression came over Ghirahim's face, and his voice was several notes higher as he breathed, "Not...again."

"Again?"

"I...don't know. We should probably just sit down and talk, and try to figure out what we were."

Link nodded and tugged Ghirahim over to the same couch he and Kiara had been at just before, and they started talking. It was nothing in particular - just Ghirahim making a comment about his cloak and earring, and Link asking about the eyeliner.

"It accentuates my eyes," the demon defended with a huff.

"I wasn't attacking you or anything! I was just saying I don't think I've ever seen anyone wear purple eyeliner. It looks nice on you."

His face softened into a tiny smile. "Thank you. Most humans don't think so. They're very judgmental for people who vary so much in colors and beliefs."

Link gave a nod in response, and released an unbidden hiss when his back flared again. Ghirahim noticed his muscles tense up and tilted his head to the side. His white hair shifted with the movement.

"Are you okay? What's wrong?"

"F-fine, it happens all the time. It'll take a little while to get over, that's all."

Link wasn't surprised, although he felt that he should have been, when Ghirahim looked concerned. "What is it?"

"It's just..." He winced a little. It seemed that the burning had come back full-force, but he didn't exactly want to let this new/old friend know exactly how much it hurt. "My back. It...burns sometimes. I've never known why. It just does."

Ghirahim reached over hesitantly and Link tensed up even more when he brushed his fingers across where he guessed the affected area was. The blonde wasn't sure why he didn't bother to stop the demon, but he was glad he hadn't.

A brief wave of relief spread through his muscles, and he visibly relaxed a little. Once Ghirahim pulled away, however, it came back full-force and he shut his eyes. He didn't realize until it was too late to take it back that a tiny whimper had fled from his lips.

Ghirahim immediately rested his hand on Link's back again. "Is it helping?"

The swordsman nodded and leaned a little into his touch, saying nothing in response.

"Here - can I...?" Link nodded again at Ghirahim's request and let the demon tug off his cloak and shirt, then push him lightly so his forehead rested on the edge of the couch. He straddled the shorter man's hips and started to rub circles into his back, receiving a relieved sigh in response.

The massage was both strange and wondrous. Usually, nobody bothered to try to help with the actual burning itself - plus, they had never been able to relieve it at just a touch. Usually, it got worse. But Ghirahim - Ghirahim was able to just touch him and the burning instantly went away. Granted, Link was pretty sure that the demon was the one who had made it worse unintentionally in the first place, but he felt very soothed under his touch.

"Ohh, Goddesses..." Link breathed when something in his back popped. He arched a little, leaning up every time Ghirahim pressed down.

The demon did nothing other than hum under his breath. After a second he paused, and his fingers traced over something, light and nimble.

"What...is this?"

"What is what?" Link asked in a quiet tone, pushing himself up onto his elbow a little.

"You have scars across your back. It's almost like letters that someone...wrote in here."

Link started to sit up the rest of the way, but the moment Ghirahim's hands lifted from his back it burned again, this time more intensely. He started to let out a cry, and then, mindful of the fact that Jaden was sleeping upstairs, he bit his knuckle. A muffled wail escaped his lips and Ghirahim let out a soft gasp.

"How odd...they glowed blue when I lifted my hands."

"Letters..." Link whispered, wiping a tear from his eye and wriggling out from underneath the other man. His shoulders hunched forward as he stood up and headed over by the door, where his blade sat awaiting him in its scabbard.

He drew the sword and held it in both hands, carrying it over to Ghirahim and holding the tip up. "Letters...like these?"

"Yes, yes - exactly like that one!" He pointed to one of the ivory inscriptions, and Link leaned over it. His mind translated it instantly.

"'Owned'," he breathed. "Carved on my back? That's...ominous."

Before they could say anything more, there was a flash of blue - and another presence entered the room.

She looked to embody the sword itself, and both Link and Ghirahim exchanged a glance that said the same thing.

'I recognize her.'