Author's Note: Hi! So, this is my first fanfic ever. I had just finished watching Tsubasa when I realized I have fallen in love with Fai ^_^ and wanted more. So I got hooked on fanficnet, and got so inspired by the ones published here, I had to write one of my own. The inspiration for the story: remember how in Horitshuba Fai asks Syoran , the original, if it's difficult being a twin, and he responds that Fai could answer for the same... Well, that's when this story struck me.
So... this is the alternate universe of Horitsuba Gauken... I hope you enjoy reading it. This is my first story, so please, please, please read and review. :)a
Disclaimer: Unfortunately, in this world I don't own any of the below mentioned characters, Clamp does Neither do i own the butterfly song... But, I am confident, some world, some time, across the dimensions, Fai belongs to me, and only meeeeeeeee \m/ \m/.
The Prelude
The clock on his table struck 8:00 a.m. The expected alarm tune from the next room instantly filled the still air: "I…I…I… I need my samurai…" Yui smiled to himself as he heard his twin jump down from the bed. Footsteps echoed across the room, the bathroom door snapped shut: the gurgle of water and next, Fai's still sleepy voice joined in on the alarm tune: "…All across Japan I have searched for my man…."
Going back to his computer, Yui scanned quickly through the mail he had just finished writing to is foster father, Ashura D. Fluorite.
"Dear Ashura,
Once again, thanks a ton for the information regarding the opening at Le Meurice, and the contact details, and should I mention the ingenious way in which you managed to recommend me? I think I should, because as it turned out I did not quite need the contact details after all, they got to me before I got to them. Old man Meurice could not stop gushing about the food served in your birthday party in the week before the last. How generous of you to mention that I headed the kitchen! Let's see how things turn out. I should be able to know before evening today, and my bag stands packed, ready at a moment's notice to go.
Why this sudden interest in joining as a chef in a restaurant you asked? Well, one simple answer to it is: enough of teaching: the children at Horitshuba are finally starting to get on my nerves. Haha... Well, seriously speaking, I do not want to become stagnant in my career and this is a much welcome break. That's all.
Thanks for your support, Ashura. Amazing how you always manage to be there. You are THE best.
Love,
Yui"
Yes, the mail looked fine, the wordings natural enough, Yui thought. Now just to send.
-
The World Comes Crashing Down
A few minutes later when Fai entered the drawing room beaming happily, Yui was busy preparing breakfast at the adjoining kitchen. A huge grin appeared on Fai's face as his eyes met his twins; he tilted his head and pointed at something on his head, obscured partly by his flowing locks:
"See this?"
And Yui saw:
Nestled there against the pale gold of his twin's hair was a small butterfly shaped clip, its wings glistening with the clear blue of Turquoise.
Fai jumped as the spoon in Yui's hand fell to the floor with a clutter: one swift stride across the room, and he was steadying his twin by his shoulder:
"You ok?"
"I am fine", Yui replied with a small smile, "But nevertheless, I think I would give my classes a miss today".
"I better be staying home as well, in case you need anything. I am sure Principal Yuko won't mind", Fai said looking determined.
And it was only after a lot of protest from his side that Yui finally managed to convince his twin otherwise.
The Choice That Was Made Then
"That, sadly, did not quite go as planned. How stupid of me…" Yui thought to himself as he saw his twin get into his car. He had known, and he had expected this day to come. So now when it was come, he thought that he was prepared. He had it all chalked out in his head: he would see Fai come into the room, beaming a little more happily than usual, he would serve themselves breakfast, and talk airily about some conference he would have to attend, thus giving himself a reason not to go to school, and then he would kiss Fai on the top of his head, and wish his twin all the very best on his first official date with the P.E. teacher, Kurogane. Yes, that was how it was supposed to go. And so it would have, but for that butterfly clip: Fai pointed it out to him, the turquoise stone glistened on Fai's golden hair, and in a moment Yui was no longer in the kitchen, preparing breakfast for his beloved twin:
It was a dimly lit room: eight year old Yui sat at the head of the bed, cuddled against his knee on the bed laid Fai. Fai's forehead burnt with fever, and all Yui could do was to sit there in the dark and gently blow on his twin's perfectly arched eyebrows.
"Yui, dear… come out for a moment", their mother's voice came in a whisper from the bottom of the stairs. Yui gently slid down on the floor, careful not to disturb Fai.
"Yes, mom?"
"It's a friend of you two. Kurogane, he said his name was. He wanted to see you."
"I want to meet Kuro-poo too."
Yui and their mom jumped around to see a trembling Fai standing at the top of the stairs:
"Kuro-poo sounds cuter than Kurogane, don't you think, Yui? Or what about Kuro-chi or Ku…" and with that Fai's feverish body collapsed on the floor. His mom swiftly climbed up the stairs, picked the small boy up, and disappeared into their bedroom, but not before Fai had made Yui promise that he would tell Fai everything that Kuro-koo said.
Yui's hand shook slightly as he made to move the curtain and step inside the drawing room. The raven haired boy was sitting there, with his back to the door. Contrary to what his mother thought, this was not a friend of theirs. No, this was a boy that was very, very boisterous, unlike the two of them. During the break in the school he scampered around all over the play ground bars like a wild monkey, while the two of them had fun making mountains and castles and what-not at the sand box. Sometimes when they got bored or tired, they liked to just sit and watch him.
"Hi! Kurogane, isn't it?" Yui said.
Kurogne turned sharply and greeted him in return: "Oh! Hi, umm..."
Yui blinked. If the boy had come to their house, surely at least he knew their names.
And then he understood: "I am Yui".
"Hi! Yui… Sorry, but I can't really tell you guys apart."
Just as Yui had thought... He wondered why he felt a small stab of pain at Kurogane's words.
"I am sorry, but my brother is really ill, and can't come down to meet you."
"Yeah, I know, your mom told so. I had thought I would be able to meet both you and Fai…"
A small silence…
A sudden movement: "Here, take this." Kurogane attempted to shove something into Fai's hand.
"What… Oh! It's so pretty!" Yui exclaimed: on his hand now was sitting a hair-clip, shaped like a small butterfly. Its wings were…
"Blue…" Kurogane said, blushing slightly.
Yui understood. The butterfly's wings glistened blue in the light, as did his own eyes, and… Fai's.
Suddenly Yui found himself choking with tears: "But… You said you were hoping to meet both of us: me and Fai, both," he said in a small voice, not quite sure why he was saying it, and what he meant by that.
"I am so sorry," the other boy whispered in response, his red eyes vivid with regret and concern, "I searched and searched. I really did. But I could not find another blue butterfly."
That night when Yui finished recounting the small conversation he had with the raven haired boy, Fai sat up on his bed suddenly: "Well, did you ask him whom it was for? What did Kuro-tan say?" he demanded, his eyes bloodshot from the fever, and yet wide with excitement. Yui looked at his twin. Their conversation had of course ended with no answer from Kurogane, but… "Kurogane said you could have it, Fai. He wanted me to give this to you."
A few days later Kurogane's family shifted to a new neighborhood. And two months later their parents died in a car crash. Their father's friend Ashura D. Fluorite adopted the two of them; and they changed to a new school where no raven-haired, red-eyed monkey kept them entertained with his antics in the play ground when they got bored. And thus it was… Twelve long years… That small conversation was the only thing that Yui had, to remind himself of those vivid red eyes. And Fai had the butterfly.
-
Why "The Other" Smiled
Fai scratched his nose absent mindedly as he steered his car into the parking lot in front of the school gate. He was worried about Yui. This was the second time in a week that Yui suddenly felt ill and could not come to the school. Fai had a feeling that there was something he needed to know, but was not quite sure how to make Yui say it. Why Yui would not let him know was a question that he simply could not understand. Ever since he can remember Yui had the habbit of bottling up his thoughts. Fai shook his head. Didn't Yui know it hurt him? Perhaps not... He did not want Yui to get worried about him and hence, always smiled. For Yui to e happy. Only for Yui. Always for Yui. Did that know-it-all know that? "Oh, well… I'll take him to the doctor tonight, and then I'll call up Ashura. Yui is way chummier with that old geezer than he should be. I will bully the old man till he comes out with the secret: whatever it is… ", Fai decided, and brightened up slightly as he spotted the P.E. teacher's swanky red bike standing at the parking lot. His own pale blue car easily stood out in the drab mass of black, white and grey. Yui's car was also black. Yui had gone straight for the black one when they had entered the car show room: "Black, because it matches the color of my iris", Yui had said. Fai had naturally been incredulous: "Everyone has black iris", he had said, and then settled on the pale blue for himself. The shop owner had congratulated him on choosing a color that so well complemented his eyes (or "personality" to quote that smooth man): "…and it's a rare color, too, sir, had only this one baby in the past four months…" he had said for that added effect. His mind wandering for a moment, Fai checked his reflection in the rear view mirror, and tucked a truant lock of gold firmly behind the butterfly clip. In spite of all his worries, he could cheer up for now, he supposed: today evening, after school, was to be the date he had been waiting for the past twelve years of his life.
-
The Flight
Yui knew that his twin would be late coming back tonight. Even though Fai had called him up thrice from his cell phone during the school hours, once he got started with the date after the school… well, It would be safe to say that Yui won't be the first thing on the scatterbrain's mind. To be fair to Fai, Yui also did his best to convince his twin that he was perfectly fine now. And well… it was not after all easy to get out of those pools of red once you got caught in them. There were dangers in there … Yui suddenly felt almost bitter for a second: what he would not give to have never looked into those eyes…
Enough of these thoughts, Yui rebuked himself, as he efficiently checked through the contents of his bag. It was almost an hour back that he had received the letter confirming his appointment as he knew he would. Away to Paris he would go then. Japan to France: Yui vaguely wondered whether the French he had learnt for one year was going to be any good. Yes, one year: Yui was a methodical man, and from the moment the P.E. teacher had joined Horitsuba one year ago, he had started planning on how to make his escape. Everything was in order now, and all that was left was to write a note to Fai, and another mail to Ashura. He wondered what he should write to his twin. Something ambiguous may be… A playful smile flashed across his beautiful lips as Yui thought of the distressed eyes and disheveled hair that Fai is going to sport for the next few days till he could contact Yui again. Not exactly a thought to smile about, but he could allow himself this much of luxury at his twin's expense, Yui told himself. And anyway, Fai is sure to go running to Ashura who would receive his poor baby with arms wide open. He would make sure Fai becomes fine. That settles that then. And now, for that mail to Ashura… He could not possibly tell his foster father what he felt, and how badly he felt it, no, not in so many words, but, he felt he owed the old man an explanation of sorts.
-
Kindness
Ashura blinked tiredly at the monitor of his laptop. He knew something was coming, and here it was. These two kids, the rich bachelor considered them as his family. That is why he had insisted on formally adopting them even though they had categorically refused to call him father. But, there were times when he wondered if he did a good job of it all. Yui's mail right now sure brought one of those "times".
"Dear Ashura,
Surprise! Surprise! Le Meaurice has accepted me in the position of the Chief Junior Chef in their kitchen. There, old man, go and feel proud of me, and of yourself too, because, and I mean it with all sincerity, whatever I am today, most of it, if not all, I owe to you.
I will leave within an hour or so to catch the next flight to Paris. Yes, that was a part of the agreement: I would have to join immediately if accepted, which is not so much of a bother for me, but incidentally means a little trouble for you. Fai, you see, has some other engagements at the moment, and I really do not want to explain everything to that scatterbrain over phone right now. So, be prepared for the crybaby's crying. (Yeah, yeah, I know I am not supposed to call my twin names.)
This is the first time I would be living away from Fai, and I will admit to you, I am a little uncomfortable, perhaps even worried. About him, not really, you will be there to take care of him. About myself, I am not so sure, though I will be there to take care of me. Haha…
But at the same time I think it's for the best. Do you remember how on our 14th birthday you had suggested we go to separate schools, or at the very least get different haircuts, and how Fai had cried a deluge in response to that suggestion? I had of course stood by Fai, and you, as usual, had finally resigned to our wish. That night you had called me into your study. If I try a little, I can still almost hear your worried voice ringing in my ears: "Yui, being twins means having inherently similar taste and choice, which is fun most of the times, but there are certain things in life that are too unique to be shared…." I remember I had just stood there, silent. Finally when you could bear the silence no longer: "So?", your question had come. And I had s shimplyrugged and replied "I just want Fai to be happy."
Did you ever wonder, old man, why I had stood there in silence for so long? Because what you told me that night was something that I already knew, had known for a long time. You were right, Ashura, as always you were right, but… you were late, already.
Don't worry though. You are still the best.
Love,
Yui"
Ashura shook his head sadly: that boy… He wanted to protect him, them, both of them, from every pain and heart break. He wanted to protect them so badly. And yet here he was, doing nothing, a mute spectator, yes, because he did not know what else he could suggest as a course of action, because he was afraid that perhaps his suggestion would do more harm than so he just suffered in resignation and he watched one of his precious kids deliberately waste himself, while the other blamed himself for a burden that he knew existed but couldn't quite define.
The phone on the mantelpiece rang noisily, sooner than Yui had predicted. Ashura suppressed a sigh as he picked up the call to listen to a tearful Fai frantically demanding why his twin was suddenly gone to Paris, why if Ashura knew the reason, he did not, and then the inevitable: why did no one ever bothered to tell him, warn him, stop him when he started messing things up? Because he knew he had messed up something again, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it….
"What brings man the most pain is his own kindness…", Ashura thought to himself, as a single drop of tear formed itself at the corner of his eye and he prepared himself for another lie.
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