Preventative Measures
Summary: 'He hits like a wimp anyway.' Satoshi has taken on something of a 'big brother' role for Yoshiki
Warning(s): Spanking; major spoilers for the movie Corpse Party; minor spoilers for the game version; references to violence and canon character death; AU
Author's Note: I have pretty much created this whole dynamic based on that one line Yoshiki says about how Satoshi hits like a wimp. There might be contradictions in this fic for the game, but I'm just following the canon of the movie for this fic
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Yoshiki gasped and crumpled to the ground, letting out a pained moan, as the metal bar hit him in the leg.
"Yoshiki!" Ayumi cried, having followed him into the room.
Gasping and nearly hyperventilating, Satoshi dropped the metal bar. "I'm sorry, Yoshiki! I didn't realise it was you!" His voice was pitched high; not only with guilt, but also with fear. They'd found Yoshiki and Ayumi...but what about Yuka? His little sister was still out there, in danger from murderous ghosts.
"Are you okay?" Ayumi demanded, as Satoshi went over to help Yoshiki to stand.
"Yeah." Yoshiki grunted. "He hits like a wimp."
There was a trace of amusement in his voice, but Satoshi couldn't bring himself to smile...even if he whispered, "That's not what you said yesterday." He helped Yoshiki to his feet, watching the other anxiously. "Can you put any weight on it?"
"You worry too much." Yoshiki straightened with barely a wince, glancing at Ayumi and then towards Satoshi and Naomi. "We found something. Well, Ayumi found something," he added.
Satoshi glanced at Ayumi, one hand still lingering on Yoshiki's arm. Ayumi and Naomi could believe it was to help steady him. Really, it was because Satoshi had already lost Yuka. Yoshiki had never officially called him brother, but their relationship was the closest there was to that. And Satoshi didn't want to let go of Yoshiki, especially not while Yuka was missing and he didn't know where she was.
Maybe Yoshiki could see that Yuka was gone, or maybe he could feel the tension in Satoshi's grip on him, because he didn't try to pull away, and in fact shifted a little closer to Satoshi. "Yuka?" he whispered, in a tone low enough to only carry to Satoshi's ears.
"She disappeared. I just hope that she's okay," Satoshi whispered back. He then focused his attention on Ayumi, who was looking between the two of them with an obviously confused look on her face. "What did you find?"
Ayumi held up a jar with what looked like bloodied flesh in it...and a tape.
"What is that?" Naomi whispered, moving closer to Satoshi.
"Tongues," Ayumi replied. "They belong to...those children. I think they're looking for them." She grimaced, then walked over to the television and put the tape in, taking a step back after turning it on.
For a few seconds, there was only static showing on the screen. Then, when it cleared, they were watching Kou Kibiki and his assistant wandering the floors of the school and videoing...discussing the murders that had occurred and the curse that had been formed from them.
Satoshi had to look away when the researcher and his assistant met their inevitable demise. Despite the violence they'd seen already, it was still hard to see even more.
"Fuck," Yoshiki whispered, eyes fixed on the screen even after the last image had faded.
"Satoshi?" Naomi whispered, her voice shaking.
Slowly, he turned his head towards her. She was staring at him, shaking, as she whispered, "I don't have my piece. I put it in my student book and I...I must have dropped it. What am I going to do?" she whispered, tears rolling down her cheeks.
Maybe it was in the room. Maybe. Satoshi began searching it, along with the rest of them...looking for the piece of paper so that, if they could appease the spirits and get out of this cursed school, Naomi would still be able to go home. He continued looking...until Ayumi spoke up and offered Naomi Mayu's slip of paper...or what she claimed was Mayu's. Because as Satoshi stared at the piece of paper Ayumi offered Naomi, he pictured Mayu's piece: the head. Not an arm or a leg.
Naomi didn't seem to notice anything and she took the piece of paper from Ayumi with a grateful, "Thank you."
While Satoshi tried to figure out what Ayumi's motivation was, and how he could ensure she escaped with the rest of them, Ayumi and Yoshiki were deciding that they should take the tongues to try and appease the ghosts of the children. Naomi shifted closer to Satoshi, clearly deciding she would go with him to try and find Yuka.
"Wait," Satoshi whispered, as they prepared to split up. When the others turned to look at him, he nodded to Yoshiki. "I need to talk to you."
"Do we have time for that?" Yoshiki asked the question, but he was still walking towards Satoshi anyway.
"Give us some privacy, please?" Satoshi looked towards Naomi and Ayumi.
"Just...be careful?" Naomi looked at them worriedly, then she and Ayumi walked out of the room.
"I know what you're going to say," Yoshiki said.
Satoshi didn't respond verbally. Instead, he moved forward and wrapped his arms around the other, hugging him close. He knew that Yoshiki wasn't really one for hugging or being hugged...outside of when Satoshi stepped in and took the role of big brother...but instead of pulling away or making a sarcastic comment, he raised his own arms and wrapped them around Satoshi in return.
"Be careful," Satoshi whispered in his ear. "Don't do anything stupid."
"I could say the same thing to you," Yoshiki replied. "But I suppose you'll just tell me that it's normally me who does something stupid." He sighed. "You can't blame me for this, though. I wouldn't have gone along with the stupid game if I'd thought we'd end up somewhere like here."
"Yuka disappeared. She just went to use the toilet and then I couldn't find her again. I have to find her...."
"I know." Yoshiki shifted slightly. "You don't have to explain. The ghosts took me by surprise. I'll be better prepared this time."
Satoshi pulled back enough to look into his eyes and frowned. "You're not going to try and fight the ghosts, are you?"
"Why not? They're a threat. They killed Mayu."
"Exactly. They killed Mayu. You don't think they'd try to kill you too? If you tried to attack them?" Satoshi shook his head. "Ayumi said they liked Mayu. And they still killed her. You need to be careful. Do you understand?"
"Yeah. Whatever. Can I go now?" Yoshiki asked.
Satoshi hesitated, but only for a second. Normally, he didn't step in until after Yoshiki had already done something. But from what he was saying, Satoshi worried that he'd try to fight the ghosts...and it would result in him getting himself killed. And if he died here, would he be trapped in the same way as the souls of the children?
There was nowhere for Satoshi to sit down, so instead, he propped his foot up on the table and bent his leg slightly, then quickly tugged Yoshiki into position across his thigh.
"Satoshi." Yoshiki immediately threw his hand back, covering his backside. "You don't need to do this!" he protested.
Grabbing Yoshiki's hand, Satoshi pulled it out of the way, holding it against his back, then lifted his hand and brought it down in a firm smack at the crest of Yoshiki's backside, making a dull thwap sound. He lifted his hand again and brought it down a second and then a third time, each smack causing Yoshiki to jerk slightly.
At the back of his mind, Satoshi was aware that they were still in danger; that there was still the possibility that any of them could fall prey to the evil that stalked the halls of the school. They'd already lost some of their friends. Their lives were never going to be whole again, even if those of them who remained could make it back home.
Normally, Satoshi would be swatting harder and faster...and would have removed the protection of Yoshiki's clothing eventually, even if he left them in place initially. But this spanking wasn't about punishment...it was more of a reminder; to make sure that while they were separated, Yoshiki didn't do anything that could risk him losing his life. So he didn't swat as hard as he could, even though the smacks were firm, and he left the other's clothing in place...although the swats were clearly felt by Yoshiki, who was quickly writhing and twisting in place over Satoshi's thigh.
When Satoshi paused the spanking, his palm was stinging and he could hear soft sniffles escaping from Yoshiki. He rubbed his hand over Yoshiki's back and said, quietly, "I know you act without thinking. I know you believe you can solve problems with your fists. But you can't solve this problem in that way."
"You're the one who hit me," Yoshiki protested, the words ending on a whine.
"I know. And I'm sorry for that," Satoshi said. "But you have to know that I never would have hurt you. I thought that janitor was coming for us and I...I wanted to protect Naomi. But if I'd known, if I'd had any inclination that it was you who was coming through the door..."
"Idiot." There was an affectionate note to Yoshiki's voice. "I know you'd never hurt me, or anyone else. Not unless you had to. I just meant that the only one who's tried to solve things with violence right now is you."
"I don't think that janitor is a ghost." Satoshi rubbed Yoshiki's back for a few more moments, then moved his hand a bit lower and delivered a final series of smacks to his sit spots and the tops of his thighs. Then, he stopped and helped Yoshiki to stand, quickly drawing him into a tight embrace.
While Yoshiki wasn't crying outright, he was sniffling softly as he raised his arms and wrapped them around Satoshi in a tight, fierce hug in return. "I'll be careful."
Satoshi hugged him a bit tighter, not really wanting to let go...but he knew he had to. He needed to find Yuka. Yoshiki and Ayumi needed to try and appease the ghosts of the children. "You'd better be careful," he whispered. "If I find out you haven't been, I'll be using a paddle on you when we're out of here."
"I got it." Yoshiki hugged him a little tighter, then let go and took a step back. "You still hit like a wimp."
It was a normal response, to try and diffuse the tension, but Satoshi couldn't bring himself to smile. Instead, he said seriously, "I'll see you when it's time to do the reverse incantation. Don't be late."
"I won't. Don't you get yourself killed with that weak swing of yours." Yoshiki turned his back on Satoshi and walked towards the door leading out of the room.
Letting his breath out slowly, Satoshi followed Yoshiki out of the room, relieved to see that Ayumi and Naomi were still there. Turning to Naomi, he asked softly, "Do you still want to come with me?"
She nodded quickly. "Yes. I want to help you save Yuka."
"There's no signal here, otherwise we could use our phones to keep in touch," Yoshiki said. "We should meet up back here in...say thirty minutes?"
"I think we should meet up in the infirmary," Naomi said. "I felt safe there...at least until Seiko...." She swallowed visibly and looked away, a couple of tears falling down her cheeks.
"We'll meet up in the infirmary, then." Yoshiki looked into Satoshi's eyes and nodded. "We'll see you then." He turned to Ayumi and they began walking away.
Satoshi watched until they disappeared from view, hoping that Yoshiki would be able to keep that promise. Then, he turned to Naomi. "Let's go."
The End