Somber Melody

Water dripped from her pale skin and splattered against the floor in a constant rhythm. Kagura watched as the droplets formed a small puddle beneath her at the entrance. She wished she could drown herself in it. No, it was too shallow for such a deed. Perhaps a bathtub...

"Kagura-nee?"

Kagura glanced up. A blonde, mop headed boy stood on the other side, staring at her oddly. His brown eyes shimmered with confusion and Kagura finally realized why. She had stumbled into his home. She hadn't realized it'd been Momiji's home that she'd wandered in to. The rain had started and her back burned intensely from her recent meeting with Akito. Kagura had just wanted to rest. When she saw a small house in the distance, she hadn't really thought much about whom it belonged to.

"Momiji..." She sighed. "I'm sorry. I just need to sit down for a moment and then I'll leave."

Momiji's eyes widened as Kagura staggered to the sitting area. "Kagura-nee, are you alright?" He questioned softly.

Kagura didn't answer. Slowly, she lowered herself onto a cushion and took in the surroundings. It was a rather plain living area. A table with four cushions for each side, a TV, and a single potted plant in the corner. There were no wall hangings, or other homely decorations. Kagura was vaguely surprised by the lack of ambiance in the sitting area. Momiji was always a rather flamboyant boy and she figured he, out of everyone, would be most in touch with interior decorating.

Momiji sat down beside his cousin and touched her hand gently, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "Kagura-nee?"

Kagura met those brown eyes and saw the deep concern within those chocolate pools. Kagura took a deep breath, collecting her wits before speaking.

"I'm fine Momiji. I'm sorry I just barged in...It started raining and..." She trailed off, not quite sure what else to say.

Momiji stroked her hand and gave her a genuine smile. "It's alright, Kagura-nee. I wasn't expecting visitors though, so I apologize for the mess."

Kagura gave him a bewildered look. This place was spotless, not a single thing on the floor or out of place. And even there was they were family! She didn't care what his house looked like, especially when it was she who had so rudely trekked in without even knocking.

Before Kagura was able to question her cousin though, he was on his feet and shuffling out.

"I'll make some tea and get you some clothes. You're soaked to the bone." He explained before disappearing.

Kagura looked down at her disheveled appearance. Her clothes were completely soaked through and she was beginning to leave a wet spot on the pale cushion beneath.

Finally noticing her damp state was like a trigger and she began shivering.

Thankfully, Momiji was quick and returned almost immediately with a fresh pile of clothes.

"Haru left these here when he was over last time. They're probably a bit big but I think mine are too small for you." Momiji spoke gently, as if soothing a small child. "You can use my room to change. I'll go make that tea."

Kagura watched as the blonde disappeared once again and she was left alone. Kagura honestly didn't know how Momiji stood living by himself. Kagura had her mother and Rin at home, so she was never truly alone, but Momiji had no one. His parents and sister were living in a separate residence and he was trapped in this little guest house to fend for himself. She frowned at that before the cold became too much and she decided to finally get up.

Kagura made her way to the single bedroom down the hall. The inside of the boy's room was even more drab and dull than the sitting area. A single bed was shoved into the corner with pale yellow sheets being the only thing that really stood out. There was a desk that had a few dictionaries and different encyclopedias stacked atop it, but was otherwise bare.

"How boring...for Momiji." She mumbled to herself, confused yet again by the lack of color and boyish charm that her cousin always portrayed.

Kagura methodically peeled off the sopping wet sweater and jeans that she had chosen for herself that day. Her legs were red and raw from the cold wetness that she had sat in for too long. She patted dry the excess moisture with the spare sweats before slipping them on. They were more long than large on Kagura. The ends reached past her toes and swallowed her feet whole. She wiggled her toes experimentally and giggled. They were held captive by the pants.

Kagura reached down, ready to pull the sweatshirt overhead when something caught her eye. It was a split second that made her pause. A soft spot of color behind the desk, hidden in the corner.

Abandoning the shirt, Kagura approached the item cautiously and was surprised at what she saw. A pure black, glossy violin case.

Kagura couldn't help but reach forward and run her fingers across the smooth surface. Right on the handle was Momiji's name engraved in silver lettering. The tips of her fingers stroked the cold letters of her cousin's name and she felt a sudden impulse to look inside.

Of course Kagura knew what the case contained. It wasn't a curiosity that had beckoned her to snap open the seals and lift the top of vessel. She didn't know what it was. All she knew was that the beautifully carved, mahogany, instrument that the case contained was breathtaking. And somehow very saddening.

Kagura used her nail to gently pluck a single cord. The note came out sounding sour and terribly out of tune. She winced at its tone and reached to close the case.

I shouldn't be going through Momiji's things. She thought to herself sternly. But...I didn't know he played the Violin.

Just as Kagura was about to shut the case and forget that she'd ever even touched it, a soft hand was pressed against her back.

"Ouch!" She hissed. A deep sting pulsed through her flesh and caused her to crumble under the touch.

"Akito-sama did that." Momiji said softly, almost inaudibly. It was not a question. It was the statement of a fact.

Kagura froze, having forgotten that she hadn't put the offered sweatshirt on. Her top was completely bare. She didn't respond. What was there for her to say?

"You should have gone to see Hatori-nii. He could have bandaged you up." Momiji chastised gently. "Now I'll have to do it."

Kagura rushed to stop him. "No!...I-I mean, please no. It's not that bad."

Momiji looked as if he were about to protest, but he appeared to change his mind as he sat down beside Kagura on the floor. They two sat in silence for some time before either said anything.

"Why is your house so plain Momiji?" Kagura asked, not trying to sound rude but truly curious.

Momiji drew invisible designs with his finger against the floor as he rested his chin on his skinny knees. "I don't know. I guess I just haven't had the time or motivation to decorate."

Kagura could tell that was a lie but she didn't press, just as he had not pressed about her back injuries. "I didn't know you could play the Violin. Did you just start?"

Momiji shook his head and gave a sharp look at the black case as if it had said something truly insulting. "No...I've been playing since I was four."

"Oh." Kagura instantly felt guilty. Had she been so out of touch with her little cousin that she hadn't even known this small detail about him?

Momiji chuckled. "It's alright, Kagura-nee. No one knows about it. You're actually the first person besides my father who knows that I can play."

Kagura was confused by this. "Why do you keep it a secret? I'm sure you have to be at least average if you've been playing for so long."

Again, Momiji chuckled. "Oh, it's not because I'm bad. On the contrary, I'm pretty good. But...I just don't want people to know. Especially Akito-sama."

Kagura could understand that. Giving Akito knowledge of something you liked, whether it be a person, an activity, or an object was a very dangerous risk. However, some would argue that keeping things like that hush hush from Akito was an even bigger risk.

"Are you going to tell me why Akito-sama did that to you, Kagura-nee?" Momiji finally asked.

Kagura tensed.

"You don't have to if you don't want to. I just thought maybe you'd like someone to confide in. I won't tell anyone. I'm good at keeping secrets, obviously." He gave her a knowing smirk.

Kagura stared into her cousin's eyes and could see the deep sincerity behind them. In that moment, she knew that she could tell Momiji anything and he wouldn't judge her. She could confess to a murder and he wouldn't give her scathing looks, or beat her with words or fists. He would simply listen.

Tears welled up in the boar's eyes and she let them fall. Why hold them back? Momiji wouldn't ever tell anyone that he'd seen them.

"I-I opened m-my big fat m-mouth again." She sobbed. "I was talking to Rit-chan about Kyo-kun. I-I didn't know h-he was listening! I-I wouldn't h-have said anything I-if I knew!"

Momiji didn't need to ask who he was. "He got mad?"

Kagura nodded and tears splashed against Momiji's face. "H-he grabbed me and d-dragged me to his r-room. H-he said I had t-to take the p-punishment or he would h-hurt Kyo-kun!" She wailed hysterically. "I didn't have a c-choice!"

"So you took the punishment." Momiji stated coldly.

Kagura nodded again. She could barely even see. Momiji's form was nothing but a distorted blur in her eyes, washed out by the tears which just seemed to become an endless river.

Momiji stroked her damp hair and whispered in her ear. "It's over Kagura-nee. Lay down."

Momiji lowered the distressed girl down to the floor. He snatched a pillow and blanket from the bed, successfully stuffing the pillow under Kagura's head and covering her shivering body.

"Just sleep now. I'll call your mother and tell her you're staying over."

Kagura nodded and listened as the rain pelted the roof roughly. Her tears slowly began to dry and her breathing steadied itself. All the while, Momiji never left her side. He switched between stroking her hair and humming a quaint tune in her ear.

Finally, Kagura worked up the courage to make a small request. "Momiji..."

The blonde looked down at her and rubbed a thumb against her cheek. "Yes?"

"W-Will you play your Violin for me? Just one song. Or half of a song. I just want to hear it. Please." She begged.

Momiji seemed to contemplate this for a moment before reaching for the case and pulling out the wooden beauty. He stared at it for a few seconds before placing it properly under his chin. Reaching for bow, Momiji smiled at the boar cuddled on the floor.

"I will play until you fall asleep, how about that?" He offered sweetly.

Kagura smiled and waited.

Momiji tapped the bow against his knee, as if establishing a beat. He closed his eyes, envisioning the music and then began to play.

It was a soft melody, one that was unfamiliar to Kagura. It filled every corner of the room with its somber notes. Whenever a crescendo hit, Kagura would feel her heart beat harder, as if to follow along with the dynamic. And when the notes turned legato, so did her breathing.

After half an hour of straight playing, Momiji softened his sound. Kagura had fallen sound asleep. But he wasn't going to stop. He wanted his music to follow the girl into her dreams so that she could dance with her beloved dream-Kyo, and be filled with the inner peace that she so readily deserved.

Momiji played well into the early morning hours before his arm finally gave out and he too, joined Kagura in a gentle slumber.

Oh my goodness guys! I know I need to be working on other things but this is the only thing that has even turned out halfway decent in the last few months so please bare with me! I'm trying!

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