Just Enough

Disclaimer: I don't own Wolf's Rain.

His knuckles bled as he slammed his hand against the brick yet again. His other hand hung at his side, bloodied and limp, the flesh torn and ripped viciously. The arm was just as useless, aching in his shoulder and near numb save for the cold feel of blood caking the area around the bullet wound. His mouth bled from where he'd bitten his lip and tongue, his throat was dry from his screaming and growling.

The air was thick and chilled, the sky overhead overcast but unable to challenge the inky blackness soaking the scenery all around them. It was suffocating. Hearing a small sound from behind him, the man cringed and crumbled against the old brick wall, falling down to his knees as the rough surface ruined his leather coat. Glancing over his shoulder, he winced seeing the trembling form struggling to breathe.

"Quit it," he scratched out, a vicious snarl accompanying his words as he turned.

The smaller figure barely flinched, but the boy shakily lowered his shirt, blocking his eyes from the dark wound swallowing his side and middle. Stains seeped deeper and stretched wider across the material of his shirt, and red bangs were plastered to his forehead from sweat.

"It…hurts…sorry…" the boy murmured breathlessly, gasping between words as though in agony. The bullet in his stomach didn't leave much to guess as to why.

"Pressure…Toboe…" the man ground out, struggling to stand only to stumble as he tried to reach the other. "You gotta…" he gasped, crashing to his knees waveringly. Growling, the man reached over to press his hand over the middle of the dark red stain, eliciting a shriek of pain from the boy.

"S-Sorry…" Toboe whispered, gold eyes clouded but concerned.

The man's own bright eyes glanced at the boy's face, catching the dark circles under his eyes, the bruises littering his face, the split lip. There was a scar, a small one, just by his left eye running cross his brow and temple. Toboe was like this when the man had found him, mostly anyway.

"Tsu…me…" the younger boy hissed, one of his hands coming to rest over the tan one pressed against his stomach. Tsume flinched. He was ice cold.

"Quiet, save your strength," the silver haired man said, more gently this time, conflict in his eyes. This wasn't good; nothing about the whole situation was good at all.

His lifeless arm dangled at his side. Tsume couldn't feel it, but he still knew it was there, his mind still thought he could control it. But his mind was half gone and his nerves were dead. Looking down, he saw Toboe had tucked one of his legs beneath him. The pant leg was ripped and stained; the darker skinned man could smell the blood. Toboe couldn't run on that leg. He could hardly move with the wound in his stomach. Tsume couldn't fool himself, that was a mortal wound. Trying to escape was useless now.

It was useless as his arm.

They were stuck.

"All that trouble to find you…look where it got me, runt," Tsume mussed quietly, slumping down to the ground. A wounded look crossed the boy's face, and he looked ready to apologize again. Holding up a hand, the silver haired male shook his head, a weak grin on his face.

Moving to sit beside the younger boy, Tsume tried to slip the leather coat from his shoulders, one at a time, while tugging with only one arm. He struggled getting his limp appendage through, but then draped the garment over the red haired boy's shoulders, pulling him close to his chest. Toboe shivered and whined, biting his lip and clutching his stomach.

Tsume felt the boy's forehead brush his bared shoulder; the sweat was thick and cold.

"Hey, how many times has it been…that I've come to find you?" he asked after a few moments of silence.

"I…I can't…remember…" a whimper of agony fell from his lips.

"Too many, damn it…" the larger man said with a weak laugh. "Where the hell have Kiba and Hige been? I swear…I'm going to kick pretty boy's ass when he gets here…Paradise my ass…" the man rambled, voice low and trying to stay humorous. But nothing could mask the sense of hopelessness in the back of his words.

"Hm…" Toboe laughed, or tried to, and buried his face in the other man's neck.

Tsume brought up his one good arm to stroke the back of Toboe's head. Though dampened by sweat, it was still soft to the touch, just like always.

He remembered…that he had died again. But, he remembered Toboe, long before he caught a glimpse of the kid. Inside his chest, there had been something pushing him here to this city…it was always a city, like where they first met…But…he'd never seen the kid like that.

Toboe was the grinning runt who was far too kind for his own good, that was who he had been first, it was who he was every time…except that time.

That time, the kid wasn't smiling. He was hiding in a threadbare sweatshirt two sizes too big and curled in over himself with his hair in his face and his eyes on the ground. His body was bruised, his manner hesitant and too soft-spoken. It was the foster family, Tsume had found out: the alcoholic woman and the man with a chip the size of Darcia on his shoulder with a hand all too ready to send the small red haired boy flying.

He'd grabbed the boy when he was leaving the house for air, tearstains on his cheeks and eyes red. The connection had been immediate, and all too soon they were unable to do anything but stand and stare at one another, throats locks and hands shaking. Then the runt had embraced him, and the awkwardness of the act melted away as 'runt' fell from Tsume's lips all too readily. How soon had the plans for escape already begun flowering, taking form and feeling so right.

But the city was not like the first they'd known, it was like all the others they'd come across. Violence and filth filled the street corners and to hellfire and brimstone if Tsume hadn't partook in some dark activities in his attempt to get by surviving and find whatever it was he was being led towards. They were in the wrong place at the worst time when men spotted them lurking in an alley, mistaking them for members of another gang attempting to invade territory.

Guns were pulled, shots were fired, and the two of them had turned tail and ran. But the men could run, too, and there were more of them. More bullets screamed through the air, piercing soft flesh and drawing out cries of pain.

Narrow escape brought them here, to an alley where grass had begun to spring up through cracks made in the asphalt. There was too tall a chain link fence trapping them there, only a matter of time before they were found.

"Tsume…it…it hurts…" Toboe gasped, his voice cracking as a cry of agony pricked his words. "…really bad…"

If only…If only Tsume had…

"If only I'd have done something…different…" the older man murmured, stirring the boy's attention.

"What?"

Looking down at the red haired boy, seeing familiar gold eyes full of comfort and pain, Tsume smiled, just enough. Bringing his hand up to the boy's face, he traced the edge of his jaw with his fingertips, brushing damp bangs away from those precious eyes. Resting his palm on Toboe's cheek, Tsume leant forward just enough to press his lips to the corner of Toboe's.

"Can you hear them?" he asked, dark lips drawn into a tight smile that masked his despair.

"Hear…wh-who?" Toboe asked, eyes widening as he tried to become more alert.

"Kiba…Hige…I can hear them coming…" Tsume sighed, giving a push to the boy's head.

Just enough.

"I…I don't hear…anything…" Toboe admitted, though excitement shone on his face.

"Guess you're ears are shot," the scarred man teased. "I can hear them calling for you, runt, figures they'd look for you first…"

Toboe looked confused, but his cloudy eyes were sparked with something…hope…and Tsume felt his insides turning into led as a small smile twitched at the boy's lips.

"They…found us…" he whispered, cringing when his stomach brought him more pain. But it was unable to stop the look of growing anticipation on his face. "We're all…here…finally…" Toboe added, a small laugh dragging itself from his throat, bringing with it blood and clear bile that the boy coughed and struggled to spit out.

"I…I think I hear them…now…" Toboe rasped, glancing out towards the entrance of the alley.

Just enough.

"Yeah…" Tsume murmured, his smile fading as he lifted his hand to run it through the boy's hair once more. Toboe looked up at him, and his smile faltered for a moment when he saw the other's expression.

"Tsume…" Toboe murmured, saying nothing more when the man leaned in to kiss him again, and then embrace him with one arm. It was an awkward position, and Tsume had his hand around the back of the boy's neck at an odd angle.

"Wait…" Tsume whispered, his voice shaking and eyes burning. "Wait for me…"

There was a small snap.

It was all Tsume heard, but his ears were now roaring with the silence left behind. Toboe fell limp in his arms, and the man shakily laid him down gently as he could with one arm onto the pavement.

"Wait for me…Toboe…" Tsume whispered, running his hand over the boy's hair.

The loud footsteps drew nearer, and Tsume heard them at the start of the alley. He heard their quickly spoken pride at finding them, and he heard the gun safety being disengaged. One approached when he didn't move, and he swallowed when he felt the mouth of the gun touch up on the back of his head.

He wasn't afraid, this he knew as he gazed down at the peacefully lifeless corpse of Toboe. After all, it wasn't the first time he'd been killed like this.

"Is that a kid lying there?" someone asked worriedly from behind him.

Feeling the gun move just a bit as the holder's hand shook, Tsume felt his chest ache as he tried to memorize the softness of Toboe's hair against his fingertips.

A shot was fired.

Red splattered the pavement, stained someone's shoes.

The cycle began again.

Because it just wasn't enough.

A/N: They'll eventually get a happy ending, I promise. But my life's been awful lately so no one gets a happy ending at the moment. Ah well, it'll make you all read the next Wolf's Rain one-shot I pop out also, I suppose, right? Maybe? Review and let me know what you think, please, it may encourage me to get out a happy ending sooner.