Handkerchief//
By: Ann Lowe//
© 12/26/03 - 12/27/03
Disclaimer: I don't own Tokyo Babylon *or* X *or* CLAMP Campus Detectives. I'm just using the characters. They belong to the absolutely wonderful CLAMP quartet. I just own some manga and DVDs. Heh-heh.
Subaru: Some. Hah.
Ann: Shut up, you.
*~*~*
"Kuniko, what's this?" A woman, mid-twenties by looks, with long black hair and wide brown eyes turned around to see what her fiancé was talking about. She saw in his left hand a black marble box and cursed silently. Her fiancé, a man who looked perhaps slightly older than she, was fingering a handkerchief in right hand, taking in the make and color.
"It's something I got almost ten years ago," Kuniko replied, letting her gaze settle on the handkerchief.
Her fiancé laughed. "It seems like a lover's token," he said jokingly, nudging her with his elbow.
"No. It's a rather long story, actually," she said, her lips curving up slightly at the memory.
"Well, I promise I won't get annoyed with your slightly-lacking story telling abilities, my love," he replied.
"Why thank you," she replied wryly, sticking her tongue out slightly and bowing. "When I was in my second year of high school, I was picked on a lot. Actually, I was picked on a lot every year before then, too, but we'll just focus on second year. Anyway, several of the popular girls would beat me up after school as a hobby and one time as I was sobbing in the park they cornered me in, a woman came up and offered me refuge. Well, I went to her classes or sessions or whatever they were, but they didn't help any. After I'd been beaten up again one day, a boy, whom I recognized from Kumiko-sensei's classes, showed up. He asked had what happened and handed me his handkerchief to wipe the blood off my face. He talked to me for a while and taught me many things about life. He was such a kind boy. Though I suppose I shouldn't call him a boy as he looked about my own age." Kuniko laughed. "Well, Kumiko-sensei was killed, I don't know who by, and I got stabbed by a girl in class. The boy, his name was, or probably still is for that matter, Sumeragi Subaru, came to see me in the hospital. I told him I'd return the handkerchief when I didn't need its strength any more." She looked at her fiancé. "And, finally, I don't think I do." She reached over and gently stroked the side of her love's face. He gently put the box and the handkerchief down and took her hand into his own, sitting them down against the wall.
He kissed her knuckles gently and smiled at her. "Why don't you look him up, then?"
"I will. Thank you, Rei," she said, allowing herself to be tucked up against his chest. "Will you come with and watch from the sidelines?" she asked, looking up into his face.
"Of course," Rei said, smiling back down at her.
"Thank you," she said, her eyes drifting shut. Rei pushed her hair away from her left eye and looked at the scar there.
"You would never tell me directly how that happened, but now I know. I need to meet this miracle man. Indeed I do," he said quietly before leaning down to kiss his lover's forehead. "Sleep well, Kuniko-chan."
*~*
"Are you sure you can't find the name anywhere?" Rei asked, exasperated. "Sumeragi isn't exactly a common name."
"I know. His name isn't listed in Tokyo, though," Kuniko said, going through the names one last time.
"Do you suppose we should see if we may use CLAMP Academy's files?" Rei suggested, putting the last of the phonebooks he had been holding back into the shelf.
"That might work," Kuniko replied, nodding. She knew access like this wasn't a normal thing to ask for, but Rei worked as a high school level teacher at CLAMP High School and was thusly quite well acquainted with Imonoyama-kaichou. Nokoru wouldn't hire just anyone to work with people under *his* care. "Could you talk to the Kaichou?"
"I could call him right now. I know he's still in his office." Kuniko smiled in relief at her fiancé.
"Thank you, Rei," she said softly.
"Anything for you," he replied, knowing he was being sappy, but he didn't particularly care if he was being sappy or not! Walking over to the desk phone, he dialed the Kaichou's office. Naturally, Suoh answered.
"CLAMP Academy Director's Office, Suoh speaking."
"Takamura-san? This is Sugisawa Rei, the High School Calculus teacher?" Rei asked politely.
"Ah, yes. What may I do for you, Sugisawa-san?"
"My fiancé is looking for someone from her past to return something to -- it was a promise she made. We, however, cannot locate this person. I was wondering if we may use the Academy's search system. Or merely give you the name and allow you to do so in order to keep us from directly using the system," Rei stated in his most business-like voice.
"Of course you may use the system. Oh, hang on, Imonoyama-senpai wants to know what I'm talking about." Rei heard muffled noises in the background, but he picked out no understandable words. "Ah, I'm back. Imonoyama- senpai says he wishes to assist you in your search. Are you free to come in as we speak or do I need to set up an appointment?"
"We're free," Rei replied automatically.
"All right. We'll see you shortly at the Director's Office, then, Sugisawa- san."
"Thank you for your assistance, Takamura-san," Rei said.
"You're welcome," Suoh finalized, cutting the line.
"All right, we're going to go in and use the system. Imonoyama-sama is going to help us do the search." Kuniko blushed. "I know -- huge honor. Though, really, he does this sort of thing for everyone. It's just the sort of kind-hearted person he is." Rei noticed the odd expression on Kuniko's face. "What is it?"
"Well, I suppose I should ask *you* and *before* we get there. . ." she said mysteriously, trailing off.
"Hey now. . ." he said playfully, getting his shoes and coat on as Kuniko was doing.
"I heard a. . .rumor. . .that Takamura-san and Imonoyama-sama-" Rei cut her off with his reply.
"Are together as an item?" He grinned as Kuniko nodded. "They are. Neither of them feels the need to hide it, so they don't. You can tell whoever told you that rumor that they're right." Kuniko smiled.
They arrived at the Director's Office some fifteen minutes later and were led back to where Nokoru and Suoh were waiting by a compliant secretary. She knocked on the door and opened it when the confirming yell called. When Rei and Kuniko entered the room, Nokoru was sitting as his desk with a stack of papers glaring at Suoh. Suoh was sitting on the desk, torso turned to look at his lover. He had one eyebrow quirked and the edge of his mouth was up in a grin.
"Good evening, Rei-san!" Nokoru said cheerily, turning away from Suoh. "I hear that you and this beautiful woman are looking for someone?"
"Yes," Kuniko replied instead of her husband, as it *was* her affair. "When I was younger a young man gave me his handkerchief and I promised to return it when I was strong enough not to need it anymore. I've reached that point, but I can't find him anywhere. It's slightly frustrating."
"Well, what is the name of the man you are looking for?" Nokoru asked, turning to his laptop.
"Sumeragi Subaru," Kuniko replied mildly. Suoh, who had been in the process of standing up, had to catch himself from banging the backs of his thighs into the desk and Nokoru froze mid-motion.
"Subaru-san as in 13th Head of the Sumeragi Clan?" Suoh asked.
"I don't know. All I know is that his name is Subaru and he's an onmyouji," Kuniko nodded as she spoke.
Nokoru and Suoh looked at one another.
"Well," Nokoru finally spoke, standing up from his desk. "I'm pleased to inform you that there is no need to perform a search on Subaru-san. He lives here on Campus." Kuniko's eyebrows shot up. "But I must ask you: how long ago, precisely, did you know Subaru-san?"
"Nine years ago," Kuniko replied. Suoh and Nokoru looked at each other and Nokoru sighed.
"Did he ever mention his sister?" Suoh asked strategically.
"Yes, he said she'd ironed the handkerchief just that morning before he gave it to me," Kuniko said, her eyebrows furrowing together.
Nokoru sighed and Suoh slouched slightly. "Well, I'm just going to have to tell you now that Subaru-san may not be the person you remember," Nokoru said in a small voice. Kuniko decided not to ask what he meant.
"I'd still very much like to see him," she said politely.
"Of course!" Nokoru smiled at her. "Come on, Suoh and I will lead the way." Nokoru smiled and complied when Suoh put out his arm for the other man with a fake regal air. Rei and Kuniko just chuckled. They walked out of the office and onto the main campus, twisting and turning several times before reaching a small house. "This is where Subaru-san is residing with a few . . ." Suoh and Nokoru looked at one another. "Friends." Kuniko didn't question the pause.
Nokoru walked solidly up to the door, Suoh not five steps behind, and knocked twice. This was enough for a cute female voice inside to yell "I'm coming~". Nokoru chuckled lightly as the door was opened by a teenaged girl with short black hair and wide eyes.
"Nokoru-san!" she exclaimed. "And Suoh-san!" She looked at Kuniko and Rei. "I'm Nekoi Yuzuriha, nice to meet you!" she said, bowing politely.
"I'm Sugisawa Rei," Rei introduced himself. "And this is my fiancé, Hashimoto Kuniko." He smiled as he indicated the young woman.
"Nice to meet you!" she exclaimed happily then turned back to Nokoru. "So who did you want to talk to? I'll get Kamui if you need him -- he's in one of his rare good moods." She smiled. "He had ice cream with Keiichi-san." Nokoru chuckled.
"No, actually," Nokoru said to the young girl, "we need to speak with Subaru-san, please." Yuzuriha blinked at him a couple times.
"I don't know if he's home. I mean, he hasn't come out of his room all day and that either means he's moping or on a job."
"Could you check for us, please, Yuzuriha-san?" Nokoru asked politely.
"Sure!" She turned around in the doorway and bumped directly into a teenage man with short black hair and a quirky smile. "Oh, Sorata-san! Nokoru-san is looking for Subaru-san. Can you go check if he's here?" she asked politely.
"Sure thing, little lady," he answered, grinning and saluting with an imaginary hat. Yuzuriha giggled.
"Would you four like to come in?" she asked the small group outside the door.
"Sure, thank you," Suoh replied and ushered everyone into the house, gaining a light chuckle from Nokoru. He responded to this, of course, with a light thwap on the head.
"You wound me, Suoh!" Nokoru exclaimed, looking hurt.
"Sure I do," Suoh said, rolling his eyes. He unnoticeably slid an arm around Nokoru's waist nonetheless and pulled the older man slightly closer to him. Nokoru just smiled and put his weight against the guard.
A girl with long, straight black hair came around the corner suddenly, looking as though on the warpath. Yuzuriha went neko and hid behind Nokoru and Suoh.
"Where is Sorata?" she asked between grit teeth.
"We sent him to retrieve Subaru-san," Nokoru said, laughing a little.
"Thank you," she answered stiffly, walking back towards the Sumeragi's room. They heard a yelp seconds later and then the sound of feet coming down the hallway.
"Arashi-chan, what was that for?" Sorata whined, holding his hands over his head and looking hurt. Arashi just glared at him. Subaru was maybe four steps behind the quarreling pair, watching them with a neutral expression. He straightened up when he saw the group. "I got him for you!"
Nokoru laughed lightly. "We see that, Sorata, thank you." The whole group laughed at Nokoru's way of making Sorata sound like a little child.
"You can't let him poke fun at me like that, can you, Miss?" he pleaded to Arashi.
"Sure I can," she replied, grinning and leaving the room. Sorata followed.
"Well, Yuzuriha, why don't you take Suoh and I to see Kamui?" Nokoru asked politely.
"Sure!" the girl bounced, walking back down the same hall Sorata, Arashi, and Subaru had come from. That left the Sumeragi alone with the couple.
"You wanted to see me?" Subaru asked, sitting down on a chair, pulling out a cigarette and lighter.
Kuniko and Rei followed his lead and sat down on the couch facing him. "Yes, I did," Kuniko answered him. Lit cigarette in his hand, Subaru looked expectantly at her.
"Is this a job or just idle conversation?" he asked impatiently, tapping the fingers of the hand not holding his cigarette on his leg.
"Neither, I don't think," Kuniko replied nervously. Subaru was nothing like the kind boy she remembered. Nothing at all. She pulled the handkerchief out of her pocked and fingered it from palm to palm. "I don't know if you remember this, it was years ago, after all," she began. Subaru's eyes lit on the handkerchief and he furrowed his eyebrows. "Nine years ago, actually. We met at the MS Institute just a week or so before Kumiko-sensei died. Later, you found me after some girls at school had beat me up and handed me this," she raised the hand currently holding the handkerchief up, "because I was bleeding. I got hospitalized for being stabbed in the face a short time later and you came to visit me. I told you I'd give the handkerchief back when I didn't need its strength anymore." She let a hand drift over to lace fingers with her fiancé, then looked up at Subaru's face. He had a clam expression, but something in his eyes was turning. "I don't need it anymore, so I thought I should return it." She held out the handkerchief to him and waited.
To her surprise, Subaru smiled lightly as he reached out to take it, stubbing his cigarette in an ash tray at the same time. Leaning back against the chair, he turned the small cloth over in his hands to find the stitched symbol on the corner. He sighed lightly as he ran a thumb over the design.
"Hokuto-chan stitched this as one of her first endeavors. You can tell because it's crooked and the stitches are uneven," he smiled. "I do remember you, now that you bring light to the story. I must apologize and admit that I had forgotten it, Hashimoto-san." Kuniko smiled at his remembrance of her name. She hadn't introduced herself. Her smiled faded as his eyelids drooped and his own happy expression vanished. "I've forgotten most of the good things that happened before. . .that." Something in the way Subaru had said the word "that" made Kuniko try to see into his eyes. Pocketing the handkerchief he lit another cigarette.
Taking a deep breath, Kuniko said the words that were on her mind. "Maybe if you try to remember, you won't be as unhappy as you so visibly are."
Subaru snorted. "Ha. Most of my good memories before the incident have *him* in them. That would be completely pointless and painful for me to go over." Kuniko sighed.
"I know it's not my place. . .but maybe if you talk about it, it will help. I know it did for me." Rei smiled and squeezed her hand. Kuniko looked at her fiancé for a second before looking back at Subaru. His green eyes were focused on her, a look of pain in them.
"Fine. My sister was murdered by someone who I thought loved me all because of a stupid bet we made years ago that I didn't even remember." Kuniko's eyes widened marginally and she took in a short breath of air. "Now we're on opposing sides and trying to kill one another. I think I'm perfectly allowed to be unhappy," he spat. Kuniko put and hand over her mouth. She had to frantically wipe away the tears that threatened to drop and catch herself from going into sadness.
"You're right, you're allowed to be unhappy. But you should *try* to see the things in life that are good, too," she pleaded, eyes watery.
Subaru looked at her with an almost dead look in his eyes. "There are none. Not anymore," he said, rising out of the chair before walking back down the hall to his room. Kuniko let herself cry until she heard footsteps coming down the hall towards them. Nokoru looked sympathetically at her and led them out of the building, even getting the couple a ride home.
*~*
Two weeks later found Kuniko walking down a busy Tokyo street towards the grocer's. A flash on the opposite side of the street caught her attention and she turned to look.
"Subaru! Wait!" a boy yelled, pushing through the crowds. Scanning further down the mass of travelers, Kuniko saw a young man in a white trench coat. It only took a few seconds for her to recognize the Sumeragi. When the boy caught up with him they had a short, but visibly heated, conversation before Subaru shoved the boy off and kept walking. The boy, however, was not one to give up so easily. Kuniko watched as they disappeared around a corner. Behind her, she heard a small "huh", and turned around. A man in sunglasses and a black trench coat stood against the wall of a drug store. He seemed to notice her through the crowds and bowed his head slightly before disappearing in a swarm of sakura petals.
*~*~*
Well, there's that. I've wanted to know how he gets the handkerchief back for a while now, so I decided to write my own version. It's moderately good, I suppose. Review please!
Disclaimer: I don't own Tokyo Babylon *or* X *or* CLAMP Campus Detectives. I'm just using the characters. They belong to the absolutely wonderful CLAMP quartet. I just own some manga and DVDs. Heh-heh.
Subaru: Some. Hah.
Ann: Shut up, you.
*~*~*
"Kuniko, what's this?" A woman, mid-twenties by looks, with long black hair and wide brown eyes turned around to see what her fiancé was talking about. She saw in his left hand a black marble box and cursed silently. Her fiancé, a man who looked perhaps slightly older than she, was fingering a handkerchief in right hand, taking in the make and color.
"It's something I got almost ten years ago," Kuniko replied, letting her gaze settle on the handkerchief.
Her fiancé laughed. "It seems like a lover's token," he said jokingly, nudging her with his elbow.
"No. It's a rather long story, actually," she said, her lips curving up slightly at the memory.
"Well, I promise I won't get annoyed with your slightly-lacking story telling abilities, my love," he replied.
"Why thank you," she replied wryly, sticking her tongue out slightly and bowing. "When I was in my second year of high school, I was picked on a lot. Actually, I was picked on a lot every year before then, too, but we'll just focus on second year. Anyway, several of the popular girls would beat me up after school as a hobby and one time as I was sobbing in the park they cornered me in, a woman came up and offered me refuge. Well, I went to her classes or sessions or whatever they were, but they didn't help any. After I'd been beaten up again one day, a boy, whom I recognized from Kumiko-sensei's classes, showed up. He asked had what happened and handed me his handkerchief to wipe the blood off my face. He talked to me for a while and taught me many things about life. He was such a kind boy. Though I suppose I shouldn't call him a boy as he looked about my own age." Kuniko laughed. "Well, Kumiko-sensei was killed, I don't know who by, and I got stabbed by a girl in class. The boy, his name was, or probably still is for that matter, Sumeragi Subaru, came to see me in the hospital. I told him I'd return the handkerchief when I didn't need its strength any more." She looked at her fiancé. "And, finally, I don't think I do." She reached over and gently stroked the side of her love's face. He gently put the box and the handkerchief down and took her hand into his own, sitting them down against the wall.
He kissed her knuckles gently and smiled at her. "Why don't you look him up, then?"
"I will. Thank you, Rei," she said, allowing herself to be tucked up against his chest. "Will you come with and watch from the sidelines?" she asked, looking up into his face.
"Of course," Rei said, smiling back down at her.
"Thank you," she said, her eyes drifting shut. Rei pushed her hair away from her left eye and looked at the scar there.
"You would never tell me directly how that happened, but now I know. I need to meet this miracle man. Indeed I do," he said quietly before leaning down to kiss his lover's forehead. "Sleep well, Kuniko-chan."
*~*
"Are you sure you can't find the name anywhere?" Rei asked, exasperated. "Sumeragi isn't exactly a common name."
"I know. His name isn't listed in Tokyo, though," Kuniko said, going through the names one last time.
"Do you suppose we should see if we may use CLAMP Academy's files?" Rei suggested, putting the last of the phonebooks he had been holding back into the shelf.
"That might work," Kuniko replied, nodding. She knew access like this wasn't a normal thing to ask for, but Rei worked as a high school level teacher at CLAMP High School and was thusly quite well acquainted with Imonoyama-kaichou. Nokoru wouldn't hire just anyone to work with people under *his* care. "Could you talk to the Kaichou?"
"I could call him right now. I know he's still in his office." Kuniko smiled in relief at her fiancé.
"Thank you, Rei," she said softly.
"Anything for you," he replied, knowing he was being sappy, but he didn't particularly care if he was being sappy or not! Walking over to the desk phone, he dialed the Kaichou's office. Naturally, Suoh answered.
"CLAMP Academy Director's Office, Suoh speaking."
"Takamura-san? This is Sugisawa Rei, the High School Calculus teacher?" Rei asked politely.
"Ah, yes. What may I do for you, Sugisawa-san?"
"My fiancé is looking for someone from her past to return something to -- it was a promise she made. We, however, cannot locate this person. I was wondering if we may use the Academy's search system. Or merely give you the name and allow you to do so in order to keep us from directly using the system," Rei stated in his most business-like voice.
"Of course you may use the system. Oh, hang on, Imonoyama-senpai wants to know what I'm talking about." Rei heard muffled noises in the background, but he picked out no understandable words. "Ah, I'm back. Imonoyama- senpai says he wishes to assist you in your search. Are you free to come in as we speak or do I need to set up an appointment?"
"We're free," Rei replied automatically.
"All right. We'll see you shortly at the Director's Office, then, Sugisawa- san."
"Thank you for your assistance, Takamura-san," Rei said.
"You're welcome," Suoh finalized, cutting the line.
"All right, we're going to go in and use the system. Imonoyama-sama is going to help us do the search." Kuniko blushed. "I know -- huge honor. Though, really, he does this sort of thing for everyone. It's just the sort of kind-hearted person he is." Rei noticed the odd expression on Kuniko's face. "What is it?"
"Well, I suppose I should ask *you* and *before* we get there. . ." she said mysteriously, trailing off.
"Hey now. . ." he said playfully, getting his shoes and coat on as Kuniko was doing.
"I heard a. . .rumor. . .that Takamura-san and Imonoyama-sama-" Rei cut her off with his reply.
"Are together as an item?" He grinned as Kuniko nodded. "They are. Neither of them feels the need to hide it, so they don't. You can tell whoever told you that rumor that they're right." Kuniko smiled.
They arrived at the Director's Office some fifteen minutes later and were led back to where Nokoru and Suoh were waiting by a compliant secretary. She knocked on the door and opened it when the confirming yell called. When Rei and Kuniko entered the room, Nokoru was sitting as his desk with a stack of papers glaring at Suoh. Suoh was sitting on the desk, torso turned to look at his lover. He had one eyebrow quirked and the edge of his mouth was up in a grin.
"Good evening, Rei-san!" Nokoru said cheerily, turning away from Suoh. "I hear that you and this beautiful woman are looking for someone?"
"Yes," Kuniko replied instead of her husband, as it *was* her affair. "When I was younger a young man gave me his handkerchief and I promised to return it when I was strong enough not to need it anymore. I've reached that point, but I can't find him anywhere. It's slightly frustrating."
"Well, what is the name of the man you are looking for?" Nokoru asked, turning to his laptop.
"Sumeragi Subaru," Kuniko replied mildly. Suoh, who had been in the process of standing up, had to catch himself from banging the backs of his thighs into the desk and Nokoru froze mid-motion.
"Subaru-san as in 13th Head of the Sumeragi Clan?" Suoh asked.
"I don't know. All I know is that his name is Subaru and he's an onmyouji," Kuniko nodded as she spoke.
Nokoru and Suoh looked at one another.
"Well," Nokoru finally spoke, standing up from his desk. "I'm pleased to inform you that there is no need to perform a search on Subaru-san. He lives here on Campus." Kuniko's eyebrows shot up. "But I must ask you: how long ago, precisely, did you know Subaru-san?"
"Nine years ago," Kuniko replied. Suoh and Nokoru looked at each other and Nokoru sighed.
"Did he ever mention his sister?" Suoh asked strategically.
"Yes, he said she'd ironed the handkerchief just that morning before he gave it to me," Kuniko said, her eyebrows furrowing together.
Nokoru sighed and Suoh slouched slightly. "Well, I'm just going to have to tell you now that Subaru-san may not be the person you remember," Nokoru said in a small voice. Kuniko decided not to ask what he meant.
"I'd still very much like to see him," she said politely.
"Of course!" Nokoru smiled at her. "Come on, Suoh and I will lead the way." Nokoru smiled and complied when Suoh put out his arm for the other man with a fake regal air. Rei and Kuniko just chuckled. They walked out of the office and onto the main campus, twisting and turning several times before reaching a small house. "This is where Subaru-san is residing with a few . . ." Suoh and Nokoru looked at one another. "Friends." Kuniko didn't question the pause.
Nokoru walked solidly up to the door, Suoh not five steps behind, and knocked twice. This was enough for a cute female voice inside to yell "I'm coming~". Nokoru chuckled lightly as the door was opened by a teenaged girl with short black hair and wide eyes.
"Nokoru-san!" she exclaimed. "And Suoh-san!" She looked at Kuniko and Rei. "I'm Nekoi Yuzuriha, nice to meet you!" she said, bowing politely.
"I'm Sugisawa Rei," Rei introduced himself. "And this is my fiancé, Hashimoto Kuniko." He smiled as he indicated the young woman.
"Nice to meet you!" she exclaimed happily then turned back to Nokoru. "So who did you want to talk to? I'll get Kamui if you need him -- he's in one of his rare good moods." She smiled. "He had ice cream with Keiichi-san." Nokoru chuckled.
"No, actually," Nokoru said to the young girl, "we need to speak with Subaru-san, please." Yuzuriha blinked at him a couple times.
"I don't know if he's home. I mean, he hasn't come out of his room all day and that either means he's moping or on a job."
"Could you check for us, please, Yuzuriha-san?" Nokoru asked politely.
"Sure!" She turned around in the doorway and bumped directly into a teenage man with short black hair and a quirky smile. "Oh, Sorata-san! Nokoru-san is looking for Subaru-san. Can you go check if he's here?" she asked politely.
"Sure thing, little lady," he answered, grinning and saluting with an imaginary hat. Yuzuriha giggled.
"Would you four like to come in?" she asked the small group outside the door.
"Sure, thank you," Suoh replied and ushered everyone into the house, gaining a light chuckle from Nokoru. He responded to this, of course, with a light thwap on the head.
"You wound me, Suoh!" Nokoru exclaimed, looking hurt.
"Sure I do," Suoh said, rolling his eyes. He unnoticeably slid an arm around Nokoru's waist nonetheless and pulled the older man slightly closer to him. Nokoru just smiled and put his weight against the guard.
A girl with long, straight black hair came around the corner suddenly, looking as though on the warpath. Yuzuriha went neko and hid behind Nokoru and Suoh.
"Where is Sorata?" she asked between grit teeth.
"We sent him to retrieve Subaru-san," Nokoru said, laughing a little.
"Thank you," she answered stiffly, walking back towards the Sumeragi's room. They heard a yelp seconds later and then the sound of feet coming down the hallway.
"Arashi-chan, what was that for?" Sorata whined, holding his hands over his head and looking hurt. Arashi just glared at him. Subaru was maybe four steps behind the quarreling pair, watching them with a neutral expression. He straightened up when he saw the group. "I got him for you!"
Nokoru laughed lightly. "We see that, Sorata, thank you." The whole group laughed at Nokoru's way of making Sorata sound like a little child.
"You can't let him poke fun at me like that, can you, Miss?" he pleaded to Arashi.
"Sure I can," she replied, grinning and leaving the room. Sorata followed.
"Well, Yuzuriha, why don't you take Suoh and I to see Kamui?" Nokoru asked politely.
"Sure!" the girl bounced, walking back down the same hall Sorata, Arashi, and Subaru had come from. That left the Sumeragi alone with the couple.
"You wanted to see me?" Subaru asked, sitting down on a chair, pulling out a cigarette and lighter.
Kuniko and Rei followed his lead and sat down on the couch facing him. "Yes, I did," Kuniko answered him. Lit cigarette in his hand, Subaru looked expectantly at her.
"Is this a job or just idle conversation?" he asked impatiently, tapping the fingers of the hand not holding his cigarette on his leg.
"Neither, I don't think," Kuniko replied nervously. Subaru was nothing like the kind boy she remembered. Nothing at all. She pulled the handkerchief out of her pocked and fingered it from palm to palm. "I don't know if you remember this, it was years ago, after all," she began. Subaru's eyes lit on the handkerchief and he furrowed his eyebrows. "Nine years ago, actually. We met at the MS Institute just a week or so before Kumiko-sensei died. Later, you found me after some girls at school had beat me up and handed me this," she raised the hand currently holding the handkerchief up, "because I was bleeding. I got hospitalized for being stabbed in the face a short time later and you came to visit me. I told you I'd give the handkerchief back when I didn't need its strength anymore." She let a hand drift over to lace fingers with her fiancé, then looked up at Subaru's face. He had a clam expression, but something in his eyes was turning. "I don't need it anymore, so I thought I should return it." She held out the handkerchief to him and waited.
To her surprise, Subaru smiled lightly as he reached out to take it, stubbing his cigarette in an ash tray at the same time. Leaning back against the chair, he turned the small cloth over in his hands to find the stitched symbol on the corner. He sighed lightly as he ran a thumb over the design.
"Hokuto-chan stitched this as one of her first endeavors. You can tell because it's crooked and the stitches are uneven," he smiled. "I do remember you, now that you bring light to the story. I must apologize and admit that I had forgotten it, Hashimoto-san." Kuniko smiled at his remembrance of her name. She hadn't introduced herself. Her smiled faded as his eyelids drooped and his own happy expression vanished. "I've forgotten most of the good things that happened before. . .that." Something in the way Subaru had said the word "that" made Kuniko try to see into his eyes. Pocketing the handkerchief he lit another cigarette.
Taking a deep breath, Kuniko said the words that were on her mind. "Maybe if you try to remember, you won't be as unhappy as you so visibly are."
Subaru snorted. "Ha. Most of my good memories before the incident have *him* in them. That would be completely pointless and painful for me to go over." Kuniko sighed.
"I know it's not my place. . .but maybe if you talk about it, it will help. I know it did for me." Rei smiled and squeezed her hand. Kuniko looked at her fiancé for a second before looking back at Subaru. His green eyes were focused on her, a look of pain in them.
"Fine. My sister was murdered by someone who I thought loved me all because of a stupid bet we made years ago that I didn't even remember." Kuniko's eyes widened marginally and she took in a short breath of air. "Now we're on opposing sides and trying to kill one another. I think I'm perfectly allowed to be unhappy," he spat. Kuniko put and hand over her mouth. She had to frantically wipe away the tears that threatened to drop and catch herself from going into sadness.
"You're right, you're allowed to be unhappy. But you should *try* to see the things in life that are good, too," she pleaded, eyes watery.
Subaru looked at her with an almost dead look in his eyes. "There are none. Not anymore," he said, rising out of the chair before walking back down the hall to his room. Kuniko let herself cry until she heard footsteps coming down the hall towards them. Nokoru looked sympathetically at her and led them out of the building, even getting the couple a ride home.
*~*
Two weeks later found Kuniko walking down a busy Tokyo street towards the grocer's. A flash on the opposite side of the street caught her attention and she turned to look.
"Subaru! Wait!" a boy yelled, pushing through the crowds. Scanning further down the mass of travelers, Kuniko saw a young man in a white trench coat. It only took a few seconds for her to recognize the Sumeragi. When the boy caught up with him they had a short, but visibly heated, conversation before Subaru shoved the boy off and kept walking. The boy, however, was not one to give up so easily. Kuniko watched as they disappeared around a corner. Behind her, she heard a small "huh", and turned around. A man in sunglasses and a black trench coat stood against the wall of a drug store. He seemed to notice her through the crowds and bowed his head slightly before disappearing in a swarm of sakura petals.
*~*~*
Well, there's that. I've wanted to know how he gets the handkerchief back for a while now, so I decided to write my own version. It's moderately good, I suppose. Review please!