Exiles Snippet - Xavier, Takehiko, Isamu
"This? It's nothing. Piece of cake." Xavier gave them a brilliant smile and disappeared behind the curtain.
Isamu closed his eyes. "My God, he's terrified."
"Terrified? But he was talking about how easy this was going to be!" Usagi objected.
"Exactly. The last time he was like this, he threw up after the performance. I had to push him back on stage for the encore." Isamu stood up. "He can't do this."
Takehiko's hand shot out and grabbed his arm. "Sit down."
Isamu looked at the hand and then he looked at his friend. "Excuse me?" The air turned tight and barbed. Minako felt the tension in her chest. But Takehiko didn't move. He looked up at Isamu with concern, as if Isamu weren't giving him a death glare.
"What are you going to do? Hold his hand? Lead him onto the stage. You can't interfere in this."
"The hell I can't!" Isamu snapped, his gaze growing even colder with rage. "You saw him, he's already falling apart, he-"
"No," Takehiko interrupted, holding his gaze. "The only reason he's doing this is because he believes that you believe he can do it. If you go backstage now and tell him it's too much, that he isn't ready... he'll never recover. You have to let him do this. He has to learn that he can support himself."
Isamu wrenched his arm away but he still didn't move. "You don't understand!" He was still angry but no longer dangerous. Minako allowed herself to breathe out.
"Of course not. I don't understand why you'd want to protect someone you love from getting hurt. Again. I don't understand what it's like to feel guilty over letting them get hurt in the first place. how could I possibly understand that?"
The bitterness in Takehiko's voice was so strong that it made Minako shiver, because she recognised it. Isamu dropped his gaze, unable to reply.
Takehiko stood up. "Let's go and help Ken-kun with the chairs."
Isamu closed his eyes. "My God, he's terrified."
"Terrified? But he was talking about how easy this was going to be!" Usagi objected.
"Exactly. The last time he was like this, he threw up after the performance. I had to push him back on stage for the encore." Isamu stood up. "He can't do this."
Takehiko's hand shot out and grabbed his arm. "Sit down."
Isamu looked at the hand and then he looked at his friend. "Excuse me?" The air turned tight and barbed. Minako felt the tension in her chest. But Takehiko didn't move. He looked up at Isamu with concern, as if Isamu weren't giving him a death glare.
"What are you going to do? Hold his hand? Lead him onto the stage. You can't interfere in this."
"The hell I can't!" Isamu snapped, his gaze growing even colder with rage. "You saw him, he's already falling apart, he-"
"No," Takehiko interrupted, holding his gaze. "The only reason he's doing this is because he believes that you believe he can do it. If you go backstage now and tell him it's too much, that he isn't ready... he'll never recover. You have to let him do this. He has to learn that he can support himself."
Isamu wrenched his arm away but he still didn't move. "You don't understand!" He was still angry but no longer dangerous. Minako allowed herself to breathe out.
"Of course not. I don't understand why you'd want to protect someone you love from getting hurt. Again. I don't understand what it's like to feel guilty over letting them get hurt in the first place. how could I possibly understand that?"
The bitterness in Takehiko's voice was so strong that it made Minako shiver, because she recognised it. Isamu dropped his gaze, unable to reply.
Takehiko stood up. "Let's go and help Ken-kun with the chairs."