Twice Bitten, Thrice Shy, Chapter 4

By: Zoicyte aka Johnnyjosh

Fandom: Saint Seiya

(Although actually it was started based on the English Dic dub, so some of them may be a bit OOC)

Rating: NC-17 (Just your typical JJ-style smut! *LOL*)

Pairing: Shiryu/Shun, Hyoga/Shun, others?

Warnings: Yaoi, lemon, language

Notes: OOC, AU, PWP, TWT, etc, Bastard!Shiryu, Angsty!Shun and Hyoga. Silliness, angst, insanity, you know the drill by now. If you can't handle my craziness, why are you here? *peers at you curiously*

Summary: Shun gets burned by love twice, can he find it in his heart to forgive and let someone in again?

Archived: www.geocities.com/johnnyjosh/index.html Others ask for permission, and no mst'ing.

This fic is dedicated solely to my lovely Saint Seiya muse, Pacifist Daniel *glomps, snuggles* Thanks to my ever-suffering beta, Espaa! Thanks also to Lara for the encouragement, and Herve for the advice and opinions on the original series.

Disclaimer: I don't own Saint Seiya, and am making no money from this.

" " Speaking

* * Thoughts

//flashback//

~~oOo~~ Change of scene

AN: The guys all try to come to grips with what happened. Can their friendships be saved, even if their relationships are over?

~~oOo~~

Shun fled the kitchen, tears falling from his eyes as he ran down the hall. He paused at the end of the hallway, looking left and right. "I...what am I going to do?" He murmured, arms wrapped tightly around his own torso. The Andromeda saint was torn between locking himself in his room and trying to calm down, or going out for a run simply to get the hell out of the mansion. The idea of leaving the mansion won out, and the slender teen darted to the right, running blindly for the door.

The tears in his eyes blurred his vision, and Shun barely missed running into several obstacles on his way to the front entrance. He made it to the main foyer, where his progress was abruptly halted when he collided with something large, warm and solid, a pained grunt escaping him as he crashed to the floor.

"Ow...dammit, what the heck?" He rubbed roughly at his eyes with the back of his hand, blinking as he gazed up to see what he'd hit. "Niisan?" He asked, trepidation and relief warring inside the teen as he gazed up at his brother.

~~oOo~~

A heavy silence descended over the kitchen, as Shiryu and Hyoga mulled over the events that had just taken place.

*Shun slept with Hyoga... Well, so much for my great fucking plan to work things out.* Shiryu thought, closing his eyes, pain lancing through his chest. *Dammit, I shouldn't have walked away that night. If only I'd tried to talk to him, instead of just reacting, he'd still be mine. Now...* His thoughts trailed off, emotions building, roiling inside him as he stared over at Hyoga.

*I can't believe this is happening,* Hyoga thought, guilt wracking the blond teen, *Shiryu must hate us both. Me and my big mouth. Perfect timing, sounding off to Shun like that with Shiryu standing right behind us... What a way to tell him about what's happened while he was away.* Hyoga slowly turned away from the counter and gazed at the other saint, flinching when his own sapphire eyes met stormy grey ones. "Shiryu, I'm sorry, I didn't mean for things to happen like this-" He winced as the other teen cut him off.

"What are you saying?" Shiryu snapped. "You didn't mean to fuck him? Bullshit!" He lashed out, fist smashing into the wall. "Hyoga, how could you do that? I..." The Dragon saint ran his hands through his dark hair, growling under his breath. "How could you? I thought we were friends!" He moved across the room, shoulders hunched, fists clenched.

"What? How can you say that?" Hyoga's own eyes narrowed in anger at the accusing tone. "We are friends." Drawing himself up to his full height, the Russian stared down the Chinese teen.

"Then why did you sleep with him? We were...are... Shit!" Shiryu strode across the room and slammed his fist into the side of the refrigerator. "I don't know about now, but Shun and I were involved. We have been for some time now. You had no right interfering with that!"

Neither of them noticed the door opening, and a sleepy figure quietly entering the room. Seiya's eyes popped wide open as he watched the other two teens argue. *Shiryu and Shun, involved? Oh, dammit, and Shun slept with Hyoga while Shiryu was away... Ouch,* the Pegasus saint winced, dragging a hand down his face, *that has to hurt.* Seiya looked on for several moments, loathe to disturb either of them, but eventually he decided he had to try and break the tension before an all-out fight was started. "Morning, guys." He said brightly, acting as if he hadn't heard a thing. He strode in and headed for the fridge, pulling out the milk and some eggs. "Anyone else hungry?" He blinked and looked back and forth as the other two saints merely carried on with their argument, seemingly oblivious to his presence. Seiya wisely grabbed up his food and moved out of their way, figuring he'd better just let them take care of this on their own. *I really don't need to get dragged into this.* He thought, wrinkling his nose at the eggs, deciding instead on a simple breakfast of some toast and a cup of tea.

"Well, you know," Hyoga took a step forward, slamming his own fist onto the counter, "it's not exactly as if you were forthcoming about your relationship with him. Don't friends usually tell each other stuff like that?" The Russian moved back, leaning against the counter and folding his arms. When Shiryu had nothing to come back with right away, Hyoga continued. "None of this would have happened had you two been more open about things. You don't honestly think that I'd go after Shun if I knew the two of you were an item, do you?" Hyoga moved closer to the dark-haired teen, frowning. "Do you really think I would sink to that level?" He shook his head, lip curling in disgust. "I wouldn't do that, to him or to you."

"Well, obviously you did something, what was it you said to Shun, something about a drunken one-night-stand?" Shiryu snapped. "Were you drunk last night? How could you take advantage of him while I was gone, and he was vulnerable?"

"Hey, stop pushing this on me! Number one, you never said shit to anybody about you and Shun being an item. Two, you walked away, and ever since it's been pretty obvious that something's been bothering Shun, so I'd say things weren't exactly going so well between the two of you. Not to mention the little fact that he never once mentioned you last night. I'd say that speaks volumes about where the two of you stood in his eyes." Hyoga paused in his rant, turning icy blue eyes on the other saint. He closed his eyes, his own anger and the feelings he had for Shun urging him to say what was on his mind, but he forced himself to keep silent. Shun's earlier words played in his head, but he couldn't bring himself to repeat them. *No, if he's really decided he doesn't want to try to work things out with Shiryu, he's gonna have to be the one to tell him that, it's not my place.* "And last, but not least," he growled, opening his eyes and pointing a finger at Shiryu, "yeah, okay, fine, I was a jerk, I screwed up and hurt him when he was already vulnerable, but WHO WAS IT THAT LEFT HIM VULNERABLE IN THE FIRST PLACE?!" The blond saint roared, swinging his arms in a wild gesture, sending several ceramic containers crashing to the floor.

Now it was Shiryu's turn to flinch, as the blond's words struck a nerve. *So that's it then. He never even mentioned our relationship to Hyoga before they had sex, which means that, as far as Shun is concerned, things really were over between us. There's no other explanation for why he would have let himself wind up in Hyoga's arms...* Those thoughts were quickly washed away as anger, jealousy and wounded pride welled up within him once more. "How dare you..." he growled, stepping forward, his own fists clenched.

"Hey, guys... HEY!" Seiya yelped, running forward and jumping between them, holding up a hand to each of their chests.

~~oOo~~

"Shun, what happened?" The older saint's voice was rough with concern as he knelt beside his brother, noting the dampness on the pale skin of the teen's cheeks. "Why are you crying?" He asked softly, helping his brother to his feet.

"Oh, Ikki," Shun sighed, rubbing his hands over his face, then combing his fingers through his hair as he turned away, "it's just... I've really messed things up this time."

"What?" The Phoenix saint asked, puzzled. "Messed up what? I don't get what you're saying, Shun." He set his hands on the younger boy's shoulders, turning him back around. "Start at the beginning, tell me what's going on." Blue eyes hardened slightly as thoughts raced through Ikki's head. *If Shiryu's hurt you again, I'll make him pay for it, I already owe him one from the last time he left you like this...*

Shun bit his lip, his eyes darting to the side as he gazed down the hallway. "I...okay," the emerald-haired teen said quietly, "but come on, I need to get out of here, I need some fresh air."

Ikki quirked a brow, but silently followed his brother outside, the two of them falling into step as they walked down the drive. "So what the hell did Shiryu do this time?" he asked without preamble as soon as they were away from the mansion.

Shun jerked in surprise. "How did you know Shiryu was involved?" he blinked, then stared up at his brother in shock.

"I just knew," Ikki answered quietly, glancing over and smiling faintly at the almost comical expression on Shun's face. "Oh come on, it's a big brother's job to know when something's bothering you, don't you know that?" he joked, reaching out and ruffling his brother's hair gently, before draping his arm across Shun's shoulders and pulling him into a hug.

Shun closed his eyes, arms wrapping around Ikki's torso as he hugged the older teen. A sigh escaped the Andromeda saint as he smiled, relieved that at last he had someone to talk to. *I just hope,* he thought, the smile fading slightly, *that he doesn't get upset with me over my actions.* "Thanks, niisan," he murmured, head resting against the larger teen's chest.

"You know I'll always be here if you need me, Shun." Ikki said quietly, fingers toying with the younger boy's hair. "Now, tell me what's got you so upset."

"Well..." Shun winced slightly, then launched into the story of his relationship with Shiryu, including a detailed account of their last night together. He was careful to try not to paint things as being the Dragon saint's fault as he told his brother of the breakup, then his night spent with Hyoga, and the disastrous morning after.

The older teen listened silently, but his muscles tensed as his anger began to grow. *I don't believe it. That idiot leaves simply because my brother wants a little more than a quick bout of sex in the middle of the night? He's too good to actually show he cares about more than just the sex, by spending the night with him, instead of walking away as soon as he gets his own satisfaction? Oh, are you ever going to get a piece of my mind, Shiryu...* Ikki thought, fists clenching as his thoughts moved to the other saint involved in this messy triangle. "And then what, Hyoga just tossed you out this morning, wanting to act like nothing had ever happened?" Ikki snarled, blue eyes flashing with anger.

"No! I mean...I never gave him a chance to explain, I just walked out of his room. But later he said that it was more than just a one night stand, but again," Shun sighed, glancing down at the ground, "he never got a chance to explain, because Shiryu was there." He swallowed hard. "I think he figured out that something had been going on between Shiryu and me, and that was actually why he thought last night had been a mistake. He's probably thinking he came between us. That would certainly explain his reaction in the kitchen just before I ran into you."

"What do you mean?" Ikki asked, brow furrowed.

"Well, before I left his room, he said what happened between us was a mistake, because there were other things and other people to consider. Then when he came into the kitchen, as soon as Hyoga saw Shiryu, he apologized, and looked ashamed, like he'd betrayed Shiryu. He knew, somehow, about Shiryu and myself." He looked away with a bewildered expression. "I'm not sure how he figured out it was Shiryu, because I never brought up his name, mind you I did mention that there had been someone else. I thought Shiryu and I had kept our relationship under wraps pretty well."

Ikki's lips tightened into a thin line as he thought about Shun's words. *Hate to say it, but you're not exactly good at hiding your emotions, * he thought, smiling a bit at the understatement, *I noticed you looking at Shiryu a lot lately, I thought perhaps you were just developing an interest in him at this point. It wasn't until I realized how upset you were over his leaving, that it occurred to me that there might have been more.* A scowl settled on his face as Ikki took that thought one step further. *Hyoga must have pieced it together as well. You two have been spending a lot of time together lately, he must have realized something had happened between you and Shiryu, and that it hadn't ended well. I can't believe...that he put it all together before he wound up with you. I don't believe he'd sink that low, to sleep with you knowingly behind Shiryu's back. But he's still got it coming for sleeping with you while he was drunk, then changing his mind the morning after... Nobody takes advantage of my little brother like this.*

"Well then, that makes Hyoga doubly wrong, doesn't it?" Ikki said, his voice low.

"What? Why?" Shun blinked in confusion, gazing up at him with wide eyes.

"Well, first off, it's been painfully clear that you've been upset the last little while. He chooses that time to come on to you? When you're showing vulnerability?" the older teen growled, blue eyes narrowed to glittering slits. "He seduced you when you were obviously upset. Add to that the fact that he does it while he's drunk, then the morning after, he wants to just pretend it never happened. Real considerate. And another thing, if he'd pieced it together about you and Shiryu, why didn't he just come out and tell you he knew, rather than handing you whatever line he did this morning about why it was all just an unfortunate mistake?"

"Oh, no... No, Ikki, listen," Shun shook his head quickly, one hand pressing against his brother's chest as the teen tried to dissuade the Phoenix saint from this particular train of thought. "No, it wasn't like that, you and I both know Hyoga wouldn't do something like that.." Shun grabbed his brother's arm as the other saint turned and took a step back toward the mansion. "Niisan, stop, listen to me. Hyoga wouldn't deliberately hurt me or take advantage like that. Don't blame Hyoga, please, blame me." He sighed as his brother whirled around and stared down at him. "This is all my fault, not theirs."

"How the hell do you figure that?" Ikki gaped at his younger brother, stunned.

"Well, first off, I shouldn't have let myself fall into Hyoga's arms like that last night. I knew Shiryu was coming back," the emerald-haired boy sighed, head bowed, arms wrapped loosely around himself, "but I did it anyway. I just...gave up on Shiryu and me. Unfortunately, I didn't wait for Shiryu to come back to tell him that. Secondly," the Bronze saint gave Ikki a wan smile, "I knew Hyoga was drunk, he told me he wasn't, that he knew what he was doing, and I let him convince me, because that's what I wanted to believe."

Ikki stayed silent for a few moments, watching his brother's face, hating the misery and self-incrimination he saw there. "Shun, no, you listen to me, this is not all your fault..." He trailed off when the younger boy held up a hand to stop him.

"Third, I really should have just come out and told Hyoga about Shiryu right at the start, then things wouldn't have gotten so out of hand. But instead, I just made a decision in my own head to be with Hyoga, and forget about trying to work things out with Shiryu," Shun said quietly. "I just never bothered to talk to either of them first. Maybe if I'd waited for Shiryu to come back, then let everyone know where they stood, this wouldn't have happened. There wouldn't have been so many hurt feelings if I'd just had the guts to lay everything on the table." The emerald-haired teen sighed heavily. "If I'd done that, I might not have lost them both, not only as lovers, but as friends."

"So you haven't told Hyoga or Shiryu about any of this?" Ikki asked, a sigh escaping him as Shun shook his head quickly. " Sounds to me like that's the first thing you need to do, inform them both of your decision," Ikki murmured, moving closer and wrapping his arms around his little brother, giving him a gentle squeeze. "Although, somehow I get the feeling you're regretting that decision already. Tell me the truth, Shun, you're still in love with Shiryu, but you also have feelings for Hyoga, don't you?"

"Yeah, it's true, all of it," Shun said miserably, closing his eyes and lowering his head. "Not that those feelings do me any good, they probably both hate me, not that I blame them..."

"Then you definitely need to have it out with them, and see exactly where you stand with both," Ikki said quietly. "I really don't think they hate you."

"You're not disappointed or angry with me for making such a mess of things?" Shun looked up at him uncertainly.

"What? No," Ikki shook his head, frowning as he looked down at the younger teen, "why should I be?" He made a slight face, nodding slowly. "Granted, after hearing the whole story, I agree that there were a few bad judgement calls made, but everyone makes mistakes, right?"

"I'm so glad you're here, niisan," Shun smiled, for real this time, pressing his face against his brother's chest. A few tears slipped from beneath his closed eyelids, the teen feeling as if a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

"Hey, it's all right," Ikki said, rubbing Shun's back gently as he felt the younger boy's shoulders shake slightly, "you'll see, this will all work itself out..." He shook his head, a rueful smile on his lips. "Eventually." His expression turned serious once more, as he took a step back and held the other teen at arm's length. "But you do have to talk to them, and soon. The longer you leave things like this, the worse they'll get."

"I know," Shun nodded, wiping at his eyes, "I was going to go for a run first, but after what happened in the kitchen, I think I'd better cut it down to a quick walk, just to take a little time to organize my thoughts."

*Had a bit of a confrontation once everyone found out about each other, hm?* Ikki mused, wondering what such a scene would have been like, sighing as he shook his head. *No wonder he was so upset when I found him.* "You do that." Ikki nodded, ruffling Shun's hair and smiling softly. "I'm going to unpack, and grab something to eat. I'll be around if you need me, okay?"

"Okay." Shun gave his brother a grateful smile, then waved and set off down the drive.

Ikki watched him go, turning back to the mansion only when his younger brother had disappeared from view. The Phoenix saint's eyes hardened once more as he stalked toward the front steps, still intent on giving two certain people a piece of his mind.

~~oOo~~

"Seiya, get out of the way," Shiryu growled, stepping around the other saint, brandishing a fist.

"Yeah, this is none of your business, all right?" Hyoga, too, was trying to get around the smaller teen, one hand lashing out, barely missing the Dragon saint's chin. "What's wrong, Shiryu, did I hit a nerve?"

The ebony-haired teen bared his teeth angrily, taking a swing of his own at the blond. "You have no right to say such things to me! You have no idea what was going on between Shun and myself, so who the hell are you to judge me?"

"Look, guys," Seiya gripped Shiryu's shirt tightly, his other hand clasped onto Hyoga's shoulder as he tried to stay on his feet and between the two angry teens while they jostled him, trying to get at one another, "I know this is a really messed up situation, and from the sound of things you're both angry and hurt." He yelped as both saints darted around him in the same direction, spinning him around between them and nearly making him lose his balance. "But, come on! There's no sense in going off half-cocked! Why don't you two sit down with Shun and talk things over?"

"Back off, Seiya," Shiryu snarled, fist whistling past Seiya's face, landing only a glancing blow to Hyoga's chin, "this doesn't concern you."

"What? The hell it doesn't!" Seiya ducked as Hyoga lashed out at the Dragon saint, catching him with a light blow to the cheek, Seiya's presence between them preventing either teen from doing any real damage to the other. "Guys, we're a team, remember? Anything that affects one of us affects all of us. And right now three of our number are caught up in this-" He jumped as the kitchen door flew open with a crash.

"Make that four," Ikki growled, narrowed blue eyes darting back and forth between Hyoga and Shiryu as he loomed in the doorway, lip curled, fists clenched. "This a private fight, or can anyone with a grudge against these two idiots jump in?" The Phoenix saint strode across the room, glaring at the other two teens.

"Oh, shit..." Seiya groaned, darting out from between Shiryu and Hyoga and taking a few steps back as he gave the larger teen a nervous smile. "Uh...hey, Ikki, what's up?"

"My ire," the older saint answered dryly, glancing over at Seiya with a tight smile. "You might want to leave now. This is going to get ugly."

Shiryu and Hyoga gave each other one last, murderous glare before turning to look at Ikki.

*Dammit, if he didn't know everything before, he does now. I'm really in for it...* Shiryu thought, hunching his shoulders and watching Ikki warily.

"Oh, Christ...* Hyoga thought, biting his lip as he stared back at the older saint. *Shun totally misinterpreted me this morning, I wonder what he's told Ikki about it all. I think...things are about to get nasty.*

"Hey...aw, Ikki, no. No!" Seiya jumped forward, grabbing onto the Phoenix saint's arm and trying to hold him back. "Ikki, wait! Don't do this, fighting won't solve anything, they all need to talk about this..." Brown eyes widened as Ikki merely continued to move forward, effortlessly dragging Seiya along with him. "Ikki, stop! Punching them out isn't going to accomplish one damn thing! We need to find Shun and let them sort this out for themselves!"

"That's true, it might not accomplish a lot, but it will certainly make me feel better." The older saint turned and gazed down at Seiya coldly. "Don't interfere, Seiya," he snarled, wrenching his arm from the smaller saint's grasp, and giving him a rough shove toward the door. "Shun has gone for a walk around the grounds. He said once he's managed to organize his thoughts, he'll come back in and settle things with these two clowns." He turned his angry gaze back to Shiryu and Hyoga. "But in the meantime, I need to get a few things sorted out with them for myself."

Seiya staggered back, barely managing to stay on his feet. "Ikki..." He said, trailing off as the Phoenix saint glared at him again, before Seiya turned and made a mad dash for the door. "I think he'd better cut his organizing short and get back here right now!" the Pegasus saint muttered under his breath, bursting out the front door, running down the steps and shouting for the Andromeda saint.

As soon as the three of them were alone, Ikki gave the other two teens a baleful stare. "I don't believe the two of you. Not only have both of you managed to break my little brother's heart, one right after another, but you've got him thinking that this entire mess is solely his fault." The Phoenix saint cracked his knuckles, advancing on the other two. "I'm going to enjoy giving you two a piece of my mind."

"Ikki, listen, I didn't mean to-" Hyoga began, taking a step back, sapphire eyes widening.

"Ikki, wait," Shiryu, too, was backing away from the angry teen, gasping as Ikki growled softly.

~~oOo~~

Shun sighed as he walked through the trees, oblivious to the early morning chatter of the birds, or the sight of the sun streaming through the trees and making the dew-soaked grass sparkle beneath his feet.

*I can't hide from this anymore, it's time to go back, and see just what kind of damage I've done,* he thought, hanging his head sadly. *I think my first order of business will be to apologize to Shiryu. I know I've hurt him a lot by doing this. I didn't really mean what I said, and I think, deep down I knew he hadn't taken my words to heart. I knew that he always intended to return and work things out between us. But...I screwed it all up. I was angry that he wouldn't spend the night with me, and I became even more angry when he walked away and went to Mu's even after I showed him how upset I was. But that was no reason to give up and sleep with Hyoga.*

The forlorn saint sat down on a large, flat rock, pulling his knees up and wrapping his arms around them, staring off into the trees silently.

*Speaking of Hyoga, I have to apologize to him, too. He probably feels like I just used him to get back at Shiryu for leaving. He must be really angry with me as well.* Shun rested his cheek against his knee. *And he has every right to be mad. Both of them do. I know I've made a hell of a lot of mistakes the last couple of days. I caused two people I care deeply about, a lot of pain. I just hope... I hope that someday we can get past this enough to be friends again. I know I'll never again have their love...* He blinked, looking up and quirking an eyebrow as he heard something. "Did...someone call my name?" he asked softly, rising to his feet and taking a small step back the way he'd come.

"Shun!" the Pegasus saint shouted, making his way quickly toward Shun's favorite path.

"Seiya?" Shun called back, alarmed at the sound of the other teen's voice. "What is it?" he asked, setting off at a run down the path.

"Oh, man, Shun! Come back, you've got to come and talk some sense into your brother, and sort out this stuff with Shiryu and Hyoga!" The dark-haired teen raced toward the sound of his friend's voice, nearly colliding with him as he ran around a sharp bend.

"Shiryu and Hyoga? Who told you about-" Shun jumped back, holding out both hands, trying to avoid running into the other saint. "My brother? What-"

Seiya cut him off, grabbing the slender teen by the shoulders. "Shiryu and Hyoga were about to get into a fight over what happened between the three of you. But then your brother showed up, looking like he wanted to pound them both into next week! Shun," he leaned closer, staring intently into the Andromeda saint's face, "what the hell is going on?"

Shun looked alarmed at the prospect of Shiryu and Hyoga fighting, and gasped when he found out about his brother's intentions. "I... It's all my fault." He answered softly, staring down at the ground. "It's a long story, Seiya" he said miserably, seeming to sag in Seiya's grip, tears welling in his eyes. "Let's just say I managed to screw things up really, really badly."

Seiya sighed, cupping Shun's cheek. "Hey, it's all right, I know you wouldn't have caused something like this on purpose, Shun." He thought back to the argument he'd witnessed in the kitchen. *I think this is just a whole lot of misunderstandings, on all their parts. Not to mention some seriously bad timing.* He pulled his friend into a hug when he saw the misery in the other's green eyes. *I just hope the three of them can get things sorted out soon. We're supposed to be a team, but it's a little hard to act like one when emotions are running so high.*

"Come on, you can fill me in on the whole story after you prevent Ikki from punching out Shiryu and Hyoga." At Shun's nod, both teens sprinted back toward the mansion.

~~oOo~~

Ikki lunged forward, grabbing a handful of Shiryu's shirt and nearly lifting the Chinese teen off his feet. "Let's start with you." Growling, he leaned down into the other teen's face and bared his teeth. "You used my brother as nothing more than a form of release, coming to him for sex, and ignoring any needs he may have had, while making sure all your needs were satisfied."

"N-no, Ikki, that's not true!" Shiryu said, both hands gripping Ikki's forearm as he tried to pull free. "It wasn't like that!"

"Riiiight... Of course it wasn't. That's why you just came to his room when you thought everyone else was sleeping and took what you wanted from him. Then, without so much as a kiss or a word of thanks, you left him all alone for the remainder of the night." The Phoenix saint raised his fist threateningly, narrowing his eyes at the smaller teen. " You didn't acknowledge there was anything between you other than the times you wanted sex from him." Ikki punctuated each sentence by giving the Dragon saint a hard shake. "You treated him as if he were nothing more than a whore, someone for you to use when you were frustrated."

Hyoga watched this exchange with narrowed, glittering eyes, his anger building. *Is that really what happened? Is that how you made him feel, Shiryu?* the Russian wondered silently. *No wonder he didn't want to talk about it with anyone. And...* he thought with a stab of guilt, *now I see why he got so upset this morning. He thought I was going to turn out to be the same, wanting him for nothing more than a quick screw.*

He winced when Ikki struck out at the Dragon saint, fist slamming into Shiryu's cheek, knocking him back into the refrigerator with a crash. The ebony-haired teen had barely hit the floor when Ikki reached out, this time wrapping his hand around Hyoga's bare throat and pulling him forward, choking off the words the blond had been about to utter.

"And you, you're just as bad as Shiryu. Actually, no, I take that back. You're even worse." Ikki growled softly, pulling the Russian teen closer, glaring, "You got drunk and seduced Shun after all this shit happened with him," he jerked a thumb over his shoulder toward the dark-haired saint still sitting on the floor, holding his cheek, "then, the next morning, you expect him to just move on and pretend that it never happened." Ikki increased the pressure on the other saint's throat. "Well, guess what, it did happen. You hurt him, badly. You went after him when he was already hurting, and then just expect him to act like nothing happened the next day. Just like someone else I know..." He turned and looked pointedly at Shiryu. "Not to mention at some point you knew about Shiryu being involved. Why didn't you just tell Shun you knew about his relationship with Shiryu, and that's why you felt what happened had been a mistake?"

Hyoga's grip on the older teen's arm weakened, his vision going black around the edges. He made a strangled sound of pain as Ikki's fist sank into his abdomen, gasping for air as he was abruptly released. He collapsed onto the floor, curling up in a ball and glaring up at Ikki through hooded eyes as he fought to draw breath. He glanced over at Shiryu, and the two saints still found the strength to snarl at each other.

*You knew about me... You said you didn't, you liar!* Shiryu's thoughts raced as he held his throbbing cheek, head still spinning from Ikki's punch. *I'd thought Shun had at least told you about me. But he never did. It didn't make sense that you knew enough to look so guilty when you came in here before, why you apologized without me or Shun having to offer up a word of explanation about our relationship. You knew. Did you know about me before you took him to bed?* The Dragon saint's rage started to boil over again. *To think I was actually starting to buy that crap about you having no idea about Shun and me...* The Chinese teen gazed up at Ikki warily, staying silent as the Phoenix saint towered over them, angry gaze shifting back and forth between the two teens.

"You're both probably quite happy to blame my little brother for all this," Ikki growled, rubbing his knuckles and turning away, "but in truth, all three of you bear an equal share of blame." He sighed softly. "Shun does owe both of you an explanation and an apology, but I think each of you owe him the same." Glancing down at Shiryu, he scowled. "You broke his heart when you walked away that night, when all he asked for was simply for you to spend the night holding him, and stop treating him like your personal sex toy, as if he were good for nothing else." His eyes shifted to Hyoga. "And you, he really cared for you as well. He was willing to let go of his hopes of being with Shiryu because he thought you wanted him, when Shiryu didn't seem to. But this morning you broke his heart, by saying everything that happened between you was nothing more than an unfortunate mistake that occurred because you were too drunk to keep your dick in your pants."

"No, that's not true," the Russian said softly, "the only reason I said things were a mistake was because of what Shun had with Shiryu. I felt lousy afterward for sleeping with him behind Shiryu's back..." Hyoga began.

"And so you should have!" Shiryu snapped angrily.

"But I didn't know about it, I didn't put it all together until after the fact..." The blond continued, but fell silent as Ikki turned to glare at him.

"I don't give a shit about your explanations, or your excuses. You will tell Shun exactly how things really were, and both of you will apologize for the part you played in causing him the pain he's feeling right now," the older saint growled.

The other two saints gazed up at him, Hyoga wore an expression of remorse, while Shiryu flinched as he listened to Ikki's words.

Finally, Shiryu's frustration with the accusations constantly being hurled at him got the better of him and he climbed to his feet. "Look, Ikki, the only reason I did what I did, was you."

"Excuse me?" The larger teen turned around, pinning the Dragon saint with an intense stare.

"You heard me. I never spent the night because I knew you had a habit of paying him a visit early in the morning, and if you'd found me there you would have pulverized me. That's the real reason I never made our relationship public, because I figured you wouldn't accept it, and I didn't want him to have to choose between you and me. I knew that having to decide between being with me, or having your acceptance would have torn him apart. So I told him that we should keep what was going on just between us, and avoid the entire issue." He lowered his gaze, sighing softly. "Actually, I thought that all of you might have a problem with it. I had no idea how any of you would react to the idea of Shun and me being together, so I thought it best if none of you found out."

Hyoga stared up at Shiryu, shocked at his words. *I guess...he's right, in that way. I would have probably started thinking that way too if things had worked out after last night. That would be the first thing on my mind, 'How's Ikki going to react to this?' * He felt his conscience pricking at him over having let his own feelings and desires cloud his judgement regarding the Chinese teen. Sapphire eyes narrowed as the Russian watched Ikki advance on Shiryu.

"Don't you dare..." The Phoenix saint snarled, grabbing Shiryu by the front of his shirt with both hands, lifting him off the floor and slamming his back into the wall. "Don't you EVER presume to use me as an excuse for your reprehensible actions!" He pulled back one fist, making to punch the other teen in the face. Blue eyes darted to the side when hands grabbed his arm. "Let me go," he said quietly, glaring at Hyoga.

"No, he's right, Ikki, I would have thought the same thing. You've got to admit, you are a little overprotective sometimes where Shun's concerned," Hyoga said softly, trying to pull him off of Shiryu.

"Yeah? Well, you know what I think? I think real man wouldn't have cared what I or any of the other saints thought. He would have held onto what he had with Shun, standing up to anyone that challenged it." Ikki gave them both an unpleasant smile, before he threw Shiryu to the floor. "Which means that neither of you really deserve Shun anyway. Oh, and while we're here, let me fill you in on a little secret," he splayed his other hand on Hyoga's chest and shoved hard, sending the Russian sprawling as well, "I really wouldn't have cared about the fact that my brother was with a man. As long as I knew the person he was in love with loved him back, and made him happy, I wouldn't have said or done a damn thing."

He laughed harshly at the shocked looks both teens gave him. "But, that's neither here nor there. You both had your chance, and you both screwed it up. Now, I expect you both to take the first opportunity you have to apologize, and straighten this out between the three of you. And..." He squatted down before them, lips pulled back. "If either of you ever hurts him like this again," he slammed his fist into his palm with a loud, unpleasant noise, "I'll tear you apart. Do you understand?"

The teen glanced over his shoulder as voices sounded down the hall. He stood up quickly, straightening his shirt and running his fingers through his hair just as Seiya and Shun burst into the kitchen.

"Hyoga, Shiryu, are you guys okay?" Seiya darted over and knelt by his friends, gingerly reaching out to touch the bruise on Shiryu's cheek, then the angry marks circling Hyoga's throat.

"Oh no... Ikki, what did you do?" Shun asked, one hand held over his mouth as he took in the scene with wide teal eyes.

"I just beat a little sense into those two idiots," he said gruffly, running one hand gently over the back of Shun's head. "And now I'm going to unpack. I'll be upstairs if you need me." With that, Ikki sauntered out of the room, giving them a nonchalant wave over his shoulder.

Hyoga pushed himself to his feet and stared at Shun, a myriad of emotions playing on his features. He looked like he wanted to say something, pale pink lips parting, but then he stopped as Seiya helped Shiryu to his feet.

*Well, I guess this is it for Shun and me.* Hyoga thought, bowing his head and staring down at the floor, hands stuffed into his pockets as he leaned back against the counter. *I know what he said about choosing to give up on Shiryu, but he was angry and hurt when he made that decision. I think, after the misunderstanding we had, and then Shiryu's surprise appearance, that maybe he's changed his mind.* A stab of pain lanced through the blond teen's chest. *It's no longer about me regretting sleeping with him, it's that he regrets being with me. He knows now he should have waited for Shiryu's return. Now he's going to want to try to work things out with him.*

As soon as Shiryu was steady on his feet, the Pegasus saint backed away. "I, ah... I'm gonna go, and watch TV or something, so that the three of you can talk, okay?"

"Nothing much to talk about, really." Shiryu said quietly, walking over to stand before Shun, his expression neutral.

Hyoga and Seiya both blinked and stared at him in confusion, each wondering what the cryptic words meant.

"Shiryu, I'm sorry, so sorry..." Shun said softly, staring up at the dark-haired teen, eyes wide, tears filling them as he reached out for the other saint. "I didn't really mean the last thing I said that night. I never really wanted us to be over." He splayed his hands on Shiryu's chest, taking a step closer. "I know that I should have waited for you to come back..." His gaze darted to the Russian, giving him a look that silently begged for forgiveness and understanding, a faint smile on his lips as Hyoga merely closed his eyes and nodded slowly. "Please, can we talk about this? Isn't there a chance we can still work things..." The emerald-haired teen fell silent as a finger pressed against his lips.

"Shun, I'm sorry that...I treated you the way that I did. I had no right. What I did...I made you feel used, and neglected, as if I cared about nothing more than the physical side of our relationship," his fingers caressed the younger teen's face gently, "and for that, I apologize." Shiryu sighed softly, taking a step back. "I know the reasons I gave for not acknowledging our relationship weren't very good ones, I should have put more effort into what we had."

"H-had?" Shun stammered, the tears in his wide eyes spilling over, sliding slowly down his cheeks.

Hyoga clenched his jaw, hands tightening into fists as he fought down the urge to walk over and hold the younger teen. *Come on, Shiryu, don't be a jerk,* he thought angrily, *he still loves you, and that's not something you just toss aside. Don't walk away again.*

"Shiryu, don't..." Seiya said softly, brow furrowed as his gaze shifted back and forth between them.

"Yes, had." Shiryu said with an air of finality. "I botched things up between us, then I compounded that mistake by walking away. While I was gone, you made the decision to give up on us, and be with Hyoga." He sighed heavily. "That is a decision that I have to accept," grey eyes hardened as he spun on his heel, striding from the room, "and you have to live with. As for me, I'm leaving."

Seiya sighed as the other teen left the room. "Not again... Oh, hey, Shun take it easy, come on, buddy..." He stepped forward and embraced the emerald-haired boy as Shun wrapped his arms around himself, trembling as he tried to suppress his sobs.

Hyoga stared over at them for a few seconds, his anger reaching the boiling point. "Shiryu..." With a growl, he stormed down the hall, making it to the stairwell just as the Chinese teen was reaching the top of the stairs. "Yeah, that's right, you asshole, just walk away, again!" He shouted hoarsely, uncaring that half the mansion could probably hear him. "That's what caused this whole damn mess in the first place!" He bared his teeth as Shiryu's back stiffened, the other teen's broad shoulders hunching slightly. "You toss out a few well-aimed barbs when the shit hits the fan, and then you just take off, leaving everybody else to deal with the aftermath." The blond shook his head in disbelief, then tossed out a barb of his own, the only one he could think of, truth be told. "You know, with an attitude like that, I guess it's pretty obvious why Shun chose me over you."

It took all of Shiryu's willpower not to turn around and let the Russian see the horrible, enraged expression on his face, as he entertained a brief fantasy of flying down the stairs, tackling the blond and pummeling him into the floor. With a shake of his head, the thought was dismissed and the Chinese teen merely continued walking, heading down the hall to his room. "I've apologized, accepted Shun's apology, and told him exactly where we stand," he said curtly, turning and glaring over his shoulder, "I believe I've met all of Ikki's requirements. Now if you'll excuse me, yes, I am leaving. I'm going back to Mu's to try to train again. I was distracted before by this situation, but now that it's been resolved by Shun's decision, maybe this time I can accomplish my goals."

"That's..." Hyoga said softly, staring after the Dragon saint with a stunned look. "That's cold." He stood at the bottom of the stairs for another second, then raced up after the other saint, grabbing his shoulder and spinning him around. "We haven't resolved anything!" He snarled, pushing Shiryu against the wall, forearm pressed against his chest.

"Back the hell off, Hyoga!" Shiryu growled, shoving the Russian back a few paces. "Shun's made up his mind. He wanted you, so there's nothing more to be said about it." He took a deep breath, releasing it in a shaky sigh. "Now just leave me alone."

"No, dammit, I won't! Shun still loves you, he regrets that decision...as much as I hate to admit that." Hyoga growled, pain flashing in his sapphire eyes. "Are you really gonna walk away again, and throw away that love?"

"He chose you, Hyoga. You won." Shiryu said quietly, turning his head to hide the tears that were building behind his closed eyelids.

"Oh, please, tell me you are not serious." Hyoga stared in disbelief. "Is this what it comes down to? Your wounded pride over him not being satisfied with what you-" He grunted in pain as a fist connected with his cheek, making the blond's head snap back as he staggered a few steps to the right.

"You have no idea what's going through my head right now," Shiryu whispered, eyes narrowed to glittering slits. "Leave me be, I'm not going to warn you again."

Hyoga lunged forward, both hands splayed on Shiryu's chest as he shoved, sending the dark-haired saint crashing into the wall. "Fine! Go on, then, get the fuck out of here! Walk away and ignore the whole situation, again. But let me tell you something, Shiryu," he took a few steps forward, leaning closer until their foreheads were almost touching, "don't you even think about showing up later on, changing your mind and trying to win him back. This is twice you've walked away from him." The Russian straightened, folding his arms across his chest and glaring at the other teen. "I'll make sure you don't get a third chance."

Shiryu growled and shoved back, sending Hyoga into the opposite wall. "As I said before, Shun made the decision to give up on us, and be with you instead. Now, he has to live with it. Not that it should be too hard, considering you seem more than eager to be there for him when I'm gone." He growled, turning and stalking down the hall, slamming his bedroom door.

The Dragon saint leaned his back against the wood and finally allowed his feelings to show, a few tears slowly making their way down his cheeks as he tried to swallow past the lump in his throat.

Hyoga slumped back against the wall, heaving a sigh as he dragged one hand down his face. "Asshole..." he muttered, before storming down the stairs.

~~oOo~~

Ikki paused, looking up from putting away the last of his clothing as he faintly heard Hyoga's shout. Cracking open the door, he peered out into the hallway, listening to the argument between the other two teens. "Shit..." He cursed softly, closing the door with a quiet click. "I guess that's over with, Shiryu's no longer willing to work things out. That's a real disappointment, considering how much he said he cared about Shun before. Still, I can't say that I really blame him for it. He must feel so betrayed right now, by both of them." He sighed softly, laying down on his bed and stretching out on his back, arms crossed behind his head. *I really don't think Shiryu intended to hurt Shun, I think in his own strange way, he was trying to protect Shun and what they had together. Still, he needs to accept his own part of the blame, and stop being so proud and arrogant, if there's ever going to be any chance of them working past this.*

The Phoenix saint sighed and turned over onto his side. *One down, now what's Hyoga going to do?* He mulled over Hyoga's words and actions, particularly what he'd said to Shiryu in the hallway just now. *That line about making sure Shiryu doesn't get a third chance to hurt Shun, did he mean that the way it sounded? Does he still want Shun, after all that's happened?* He sincerely hoped that the other three saints could at least salvage their friendship. *Although, I have to admit, I was also hoping that one or the other would care enough to want to work past this to be more than just friends.* He thought, remembering the younger teen's confession of having feelings for both of the other saints.

*Just be careful, little brother, don't go making any more rash decisions,* Ikki thought, before closing his eyes and trying to sleep.

~~oOo~~

Hyoga sighed as he reentered the kitchen. Shun and Seiya were sitting at the table, Seiya rubbing the smaller teen's back soothingly as Shun rested his head on his crossed arms, shoulders shaking slightly. Both saints glanced up as he entered, and he held up a hand as Shun made to rise. "I think we need to sort out what happened this morning." He quietly explained to Shun how and when he'd pieced together the fact that Shun and Shiryu had been a couple, and explained why he'd considered the previous night a mistake. "I admit, I knew you were hurting, you seemed...lonely, like you needed someone. When I heard what you said last night, I realized you and Shiryu had been together, and his absence was the reason you'd been so upset. I felt awful, thinking that what we'd done had been a mistake, and probably messed up things between you two. I really didn't mean to make you feel like I'd just used you for a one-night-stand while I was under the influence," he murmured, reaching out and gently setting his hand on the other teen's shoulder. "I'm sorry, Shun."

"I know, Hyoga," Shun whispered, wiping at the dampness on his cheeks. "I'm sorry that I wasn't honest with you. If I'd told you about Shiryu, and just...shown a little restraint last night, none of this would be happening right now." He gently set one hand on the Russian's forearm. "I'm also sorry that I ran out on you this morning, and didn't give you a chance to explain things. I'm sorry I thought the worst of you."

Hyoga nodded, fingers toying with the younger teen's shirt sleeve before he pulled away, running his fingers through his hair and letting out a sigh of frustration. "So, what now?"

"Well, I'm going to make some breakfast, anyone care to join me?" Seiya asked quietly, rising to his feet and moving to the stove.

Shun shook his head, also rising from the table. "No, I think I'm gonna go for a run. I can't stay here, I feel like my head's about to explode. I just... I need to do something."

Seiya leaned against the counter, arms folded, a frown on his face as he watched Hyoga silently get up and follow Shun out of the room. "Well, I have a feeling Shun and Hyoga will be able to at least save their friendship, if nothing else," he sighed heavily. "I just wish I could say the same for Shiryu." The dark-haired teen stared up at the ceiling for several seconds, then pushed away from the counter. "I can't let things end between them like this," he said quietly, making his way to the stairs, intent on trying to talk some sense into the Chinese teen.

TO BE CONTINUED....

I know, I know, it's way late, but better late than never, ne? So what's going to happen with these three, is it really over between Shiryu and Shun? And will Hyoga get the chance he seems to be seeking to win Shun's heart?

AN: I know that some of you may think I'm painting Shiryu as a total bastard. Those people that still feel that way after reading this, I'm sorely tempted to grab by the ear and make you reread the second half of this chapter ...*LOL* I'll just say instead bear with me, I'm really not making him out to be such a cold, heartless bastard, just a proud guy that's had his heart broken. I hope at least some of you see that *makes a face*

Flamers will be strapped down and have their ears chewed off by rabid pomeranians.