Title: First Blood
Fandom: Amatsuki
Characters/Pairing: Benitobi, Kurotobi, Sasaki
Rating: teen
Length: ~600 words
Content notes: aftermath of violence
Summary: Beni's first kill is to sate the hunger of the mask.

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"Beni-chan! Are you alright?" Kurotobi's voice comes to Beni like she's hearing through cloth wrapped around her head. She blinks and the world comes slowly into focus. The mask is loose around her mouth, now, and when she reaches up it comes off in her hand. Her whole body is trembling.

She's covered in blood.

She breathes out through her nose and looks up to find her brother staring at her, his face a twisted picture of despair. She reaches up. "I'm fine."

"Beni…" His voice cracks, and he collapses on his knees next to her like he's been struck from above. "What do you remember?"

Everything, she thinks but doesn't say. He's not strong enough, this time; he's already done so much for her. She reaches out to press her palm to his cheek, watches the streaks of blood her fingertips leave. "Hardly anything!" She keeps her voice light. She doesn't cry. "You protected me."

She will let him have that, though she remembers leaping between him and the biggest ayakashi, remembers dragging her kunai down the center, remembers the scream and the spray of hot inhuman blood against her skin. She remembers the rumble of deep satisfaction in her head as the mask was drenched with it.

She didn't do those things, though. And Kurotobi has been protecting this part of her, the weakest part, so that she can smile at customers and clean herself up and not die inside as sure as those who face the mask's hunger do.

He looks so young like this, as his face wavers and hardens into something closer to the strength and cheer she knows so well. Beni is younger, but she feels older, right now, like the consciousness from the mask has seeped into the corners of her soul and aged her far past her brother.

"Beni's so strong, though," he says, and his voice doesn't waver this time. She's proud of him, and grateful for the way her stomach steadies. "I think you took out more than I did."

"Killing is easier than capture." She pulls her hand back to contemplate her fingers as the blood dries. "It does make a mess, too. We'll both need a bath."

His laugh is watery and insincere, but she closes her eyes and lets it shake loose the bad feelings anyway. "I could go for some food, as well."

"Oh, yes." Beni presses a hand to her stomach and spreads her fingers over the wet cloth. "Something properly cooked."

"Right, it would have to be." He hesitates and then Sasaki is there, smiling broadly. Kurotobi's gaze skips over Sasaki and down to the ground.

"Good job, children!" Sasaki says. He claps them both on the shoulder, and it doesn't escape Beni's notice that it lingers longer on Kurotobi's. Maybe it's the blood that he's avoiding, but Beni doesn't think so. "That was very impressive for a first time."

"Thanks," Kurotobi says. "And you were a great help."

Sasaki laughs. Unlike Kurotobi's, Sasaki's laugh is hearty and full. "Your little sister is skilled enough. Before long, she won't even need you." His empty eyes find Beni, almost as though they can see her even though she's no longer wearing the mask. "She might not even need that tool."

That's not true at all, the part about her brother, but Beni remains silent. It wouldn't do to contradict Sasaki here, in front of him, not when he's been so kind. Instead, she stands, using Kurotobi to steady herself until she can balance her weight normally again. The mask is still in one hand; it's moving slightly, but she can't tell if that's the pulse of her blood or its life.

There's silence after Sasaki's statement; Kurotobi isn't replying, either, though Beni wonders how much of that is the weight of Sasaki's hand. When Sasaki pulls it away, Kurotobi stands, as well, drawing in a breath and grinning. It almost looks convincing.

Beni steadies herself and takes the first step away from the corpses, towards the promise of feigned normality.