Archived at: http://minkland.dreamhost.com
Rating: PG-13; Yaoi; Sap
***********************
The morning was freezing, but inside the warm mansion Shuu took the time to gaze out at the white scenery, covered with snow like icing on a cake.
Mmmm.... cake.....
He stopped staring and went back to rummaging through the fridge. While food was a major focus of his mind, he didn't concentrate on it all the time. There were other things he had to worry about today- February was coming up and he was stumped as to what he should buy Shin for his birthday. Anything blue or reminiscent of water would suffice, but he wanted something special. And today the cheerful Brit was going to be painting the beautiful view from their bedroom window- he had protested his preoccupation and wistful glances, but Shuu knew he wouldn't be able to resist its artistic lure- so Hardrock now had a free day to sneak off and shop. He just needed an accomplice to ward off suspicions, cuz he sure as hell hated shopping on his own and everyone knew it. Apparently, he was loud.
But who to take? Ryo and Mia had gone to some ski place for the day, with Byakuen following and probably looking forward to scaring the bejeezus out of any other people on the slopes. Seiji.... um, no. They would end up in Armani or something. Touma....
He hesitated, and hated the fact that he did. The relationship between he and his best friend had been rather strained as of late. Less than a month ago, Seiji and Ryo had returned from Seiji's prolonged stay with his family. While he was gone, Touma seemed to have hit a downward spiral and had taken on a rather sordid lifestyle. No one connected the two events until Seiji had calmly announced over breakfast that he and Touma had settled their differences, together once more.
Needless to say Shuu had been shocked.
*******************************
"You gonna eat those pancakes, Ryo?" Shuu had asked through a mouthful of breakfast. Wildfire glared at him and hovered protectively over his plate.
Four of the Ronin Warriors had gathered in the kitchen. It was early morning and the January sun was working at melting away the snowstorm of the last week. Another had been forecasted for within the next few days, as well as predictions of more to come.
Shin puttered around in front of the stove, serving everyone else before he himself would sit and eat, like always. He glanced at the two empty seats and waited until Shuu had received another serving of pancakes before inquiring after them.
"Where're Mia and Touma?" He asked with some concern. Mia was always up before the rest of them and Touma.... Well, it was expected, but Mia was a surprise.
"She's still sleepin'," Ryo mumbled around his food, eager to get outside and run around with Byakuen. "She decided to sleep in today too 'cuz she got jet lag."
Mia had returned from her conference two days earlier and flopped into bed, awakening the day before only to unpack with her usual compulsion for orderliness and then crawled back into bed. Ryo had been more lighthearted since her return, seeming to forget the dark tension that had clung to the house until very recently.
"Oh. I hope she isn't coming down with anything?" Shin paused and began taking mental stock of their medicinal cabinet.
"Nah- She'll be fine." Later, Mia accused him of jinxing her.
"Alright then. What about Touma?" Torrent addressed the rest of the table with a worried eyes. He hadn't forgotten his concern for the archer, and had wondered about him.
"He wasn't in his room when I passed it." Shuu growled softly as he continued eating, if a bit less enthusiastically now.
"Oh dear. Did he leave last night? I don't remember hearing him?"
"He's fine." Seiji stated simply, drawing their attention.
"Well, where is he, then?" Shuu demanded irritably. Seiji had apparently gotten through to his friend when he couldn't, fulfilling his promise to the other three, because Touma hadn't been out clubbing since the day Seiji returned. But if the blue haired Ronin had snuck out....
"He's in my room." The announcement was met with stunned silence. Seiji only had one bed, and he and Touma had seemed to seclude themselves since. . .
"Are you saying what I think you're saying?" Ryo blinked his crystal blue eyes in shock.
"If you're asking whether he and I are an item, then yes, I am saying that we're together."
Shuu and Ryo spluttered a bit, while Shin beamed with good cheer and benevolence. He had suspected something was going on between the two and he was happy to have his guess confirmed, since Seiji seemed very relaxed about the whole thing. The swordsman hadn't voiced his opinion over his and Shuu's relationship, but it was comforting to know that they had his approval in a way and that Seiji himself had someone to love. Touma's changes in behavior made much more sense now, and hopefully the archer found as much peace as Halo appeared to've.
"But- when did this happen?" Shuu wanted to know, astounded he had missed the development.
"Originally, a few months ago. We had some... problems, but we're working through them." Seiji's usually blank mask had softened almost imperceptibly, but his devotion was apparent. Ryo stared in amazement, knowing Seiji's previous views, and wondered at the turn around.
"You care a lot for him, don't you?"
"I love him." He stated matter-of-factly. Halo calmly continued eating his breakfast, ignoring the dopey grins that broke out on his friend's faces, but quietly smiling to himself with contentment. So their relationship wasn't perfect- it was damn near close, and he was determined to be more supportive this time.
**************************
Shuu straightened from the fridge-digging, frowning at the choices before him. He could try to make an omelet or something, but, for all his expertise at eating and working in his parents' restaurant, he wasn't quite that good at non-prepackaged preparations.
Hm. Maybe he could hit the mall early and get something there. He would never, ever let Shin's efforts everyday go unappreciated after this misery.
He trudged back up the stairs mournfully. A shower, then food. Ye-essssss....
Surprised to find the main bathroom occupied, he retrieved his towel from their room, creeping quietly in and out so's not to disturb his gentle red-haired artist. He waited outside the bathroom door for a minute or so, having heard the sounds of someone finishing up with their ablutions, and almost fell over when Touma was the one to open the door, towel slung around his waist.
"Whoa- when'd you rise from the dead?" He demanded indignantly, as the archer was deviating from his infamous late-start routine.
"Eh." The grunt was miraculously cordial, all things considered. Shuu shrugged, dismissing the mystery.
"I'm headed out to the mall, wanna come?"
Touma took a moment to process what he had said and what he should respond with. No, 'fuck off' wasn't appropriate because he wanted to go. Yes, he should say something in the affirmative. Yes, there was something they were both forgetting.
"Unh- dr'vewayz bl'ck'd," he managed to get out, after a moment's consideration, wearily leaning on the doorframe.
"Man, I was hoping it wouldn't be that bad. If it's that deep then we're snowed in. Damn. And I was hoping to get Shin's birthday present, too." He paused to contemplate his options, then brightened suddenly. "Hey! How'd Mia and Ryo get out?"
"Rrrr. Fuzzy thing..."
Shuu just picked up the words and guessed. "Byakuen. Damn. Wish I could just blast the snow out of the way, maybe make a new driveway."
"Ya'd be ex'cuted." Touma seemed to be waking up slowly, even after his shower which had actually made him more sleepy.
"Well- either way, it's gonna be a while and I crave sustenance!" The last part was almost a wail. If ihe/i was bad in the kitchen, then Touma was a biohazard waiting to happen.
"Seiji up yet?" He asked hopefully.
"Nh."
"Guess I'll hafta scavenge then." Shuu sighed wistfully, trudging into the bathroom and thinking of bacon and eggs and toast and hashbrowns and pancakes and waffles in syrup and oatmeal and sausage.....
Touma smirked half-heartedly after him, disturbed at how relieved he felt to be in his friend's good graces once more. After the whole blow-up, Shuu had been glowering and disapproving until Seiji had broke the news to them. Touma supposed the anger had been out of concern and frustration, so knowing he had someone to lean on was a comfort. His thoughts shied away from the reason for the concern with a strong sense of humiliation. It had been so stupid of him, and even if Seiji had meant it when he said their time apart was forgotten, his lover still looked at him with that knowledge in his eyes. Knowing that even if he had been his first and only 'lover,' others had used this body for their own needs. His cheeks flushed with shame as he carefully opened the bedroom door.
His own room had been neatly restored to order over a few days, leaving his mind feeling a little less cluttered, but mostly it was he who went to Seiji's room each night. His bare feet padded silently over the carpet, as he picked up a pair of sweatpants and hung his towel on a door hook. Seiji laid sprawled across the bed, one arm outflung as though searching for his absent lover.
Pausing to study the pale gold hair and delicately carved features, he felt honored to have such a man in his life. He sighed like a lovesick puppy, then frowned over his own emotionality. Seiji wasn't really in to open displays of affection, so he tried to curb his enthusiasm. Well, all displays except what they did in bed, but even then, Touma held himself back like he did with everyone and tried so hard not to just shut down.
Maybe that was part of his club hopping- to prove that he was in control; that his father's actions would not rule his life. He functioned normally just like everyone else. But every time, he had to keep himself there, inside his body, feeling everything even though his mind didn't really want to. He'd be damned if he let his father define his relationships.
Still frowning, he perched on a window seat in the window facing away from the driveway and stared unseeing at the crystal landscape.
*****************************
Seiji awoke with a shiver, a cool draft gliding across his bare chest. Slowly opening his eyes, he realized he was alone in bed, which explained the lack of warmth. Half tempted to just pull the covers over his head and sink back into a warm, fuzzy sleep, he forced himself to push the covers off his legs and sit up. He groaned.
It seemed like every muscle was sore and sitting up too fast had his head pounding. Sunlight was streaming into the room, as he realized it was almost midmorning, far past his usual wake up time. He sighed and rubbed his eyes.
His absent lover was curled on the window seat facing away from the driveway, eyes closed with forehead pressed against the frosted glass. Seiji wasn't surprised that Touma didn't notice the cold- Seiji always had an affinity for warmth and light, while the bearer of Tenku was drawn to the cold dark of space.
Alerted by the movement on the bed, Touma turned to face him, smile lighting his features and relaxing the taut expression. Seiji could guess what he had been thinking about; the withdrawn, ashamed aspect was still in his eyes.
"Hey, Sleeping Beauty. Looks like we pulled a role-reversal today," Touma joked with a forced lightness, as he realized Seiji knew he'd been brooding over things. He didn't want the swordsman to worry about him- to have to deal with Touma's own hang ups just wasn't fair to him.
"What-" Seiji meant to ask about the time, but his throat was so dry and sore, all he could produce was a wracking cough. It sounded like there was pudding in his lungs, trying to suffocate him.
"Are you alright?" Touma hurried to the bed, but sat tentatively on the edge, his concern warring with the fact that Seiji hated mothering.
"Water..." He had to repeat the wheeze several times before Touma could understand him, and then suddenly there was a cool, refreshing glass of water in his trembling hand. Its chill brought the realization of exactly how hot he felt, and he struggled feebly with the blankets wrapped around his legs as he tried to swallow the entire glass at once.
"Whoa! Easy there, love!" Touma gave him the old sardonic grin that had been absent for months. Seiji paused in his gulping, entranced by the easy grace and beauty the small gesture brought out, like the sparkle was back in his eyes and he was sure of himself again. In that grin was everything Seiji wanted to give to him, or at least help him find, he just didn't know how. He gazed at the man he had dedicated his life to, as if he would memorize every plane of his face. Then the archer blinked, and stared down at the covers repentantly when he realized he had reprimanded him. Seiji started abruptly from his daze and laid a gentle hand on his arm.
"Thank you, Touma." His voice was raspy and he grimaced as the symptoms came together. "Looks like I've caught Mia's cold. . ."
"Shin's gonna have kittens." The mocking smile again. "Mia cleared out his medicine cabinet and he hasn't been out to restock it. . ." The smile faded. "Guess that's not good news for you, tho."
"I'll survive." Seiji protested with dignity. "It's only a little cold."
Before noon it was obvious he had a bad case of the flu. . .
Rating: PG-13; Yaoi; Sap
***********************
The morning was freezing, but inside the warm mansion Shuu took the time to gaze out at the white scenery, covered with snow like icing on a cake.
Mmmm.... cake.....
He stopped staring and went back to rummaging through the fridge. While food was a major focus of his mind, he didn't concentrate on it all the time. There were other things he had to worry about today- February was coming up and he was stumped as to what he should buy Shin for his birthday. Anything blue or reminiscent of water would suffice, but he wanted something special. And today the cheerful Brit was going to be painting the beautiful view from their bedroom window- he had protested his preoccupation and wistful glances, but Shuu knew he wouldn't be able to resist its artistic lure- so Hardrock now had a free day to sneak off and shop. He just needed an accomplice to ward off suspicions, cuz he sure as hell hated shopping on his own and everyone knew it. Apparently, he was loud.
But who to take? Ryo and Mia had gone to some ski place for the day, with Byakuen following and probably looking forward to scaring the bejeezus out of any other people on the slopes. Seiji.... um, no. They would end up in Armani or something. Touma....
He hesitated, and hated the fact that he did. The relationship between he and his best friend had been rather strained as of late. Less than a month ago, Seiji and Ryo had returned from Seiji's prolonged stay with his family. While he was gone, Touma seemed to have hit a downward spiral and had taken on a rather sordid lifestyle. No one connected the two events until Seiji had calmly announced over breakfast that he and Touma had settled their differences, together once more.
Needless to say Shuu had been shocked.
*******************************
"You gonna eat those pancakes, Ryo?" Shuu had asked through a mouthful of breakfast. Wildfire glared at him and hovered protectively over his plate.
Four of the Ronin Warriors had gathered in the kitchen. It was early morning and the January sun was working at melting away the snowstorm of the last week. Another had been forecasted for within the next few days, as well as predictions of more to come.
Shin puttered around in front of the stove, serving everyone else before he himself would sit and eat, like always. He glanced at the two empty seats and waited until Shuu had received another serving of pancakes before inquiring after them.
"Where're Mia and Touma?" He asked with some concern. Mia was always up before the rest of them and Touma.... Well, it was expected, but Mia was a surprise.
"She's still sleepin'," Ryo mumbled around his food, eager to get outside and run around with Byakuen. "She decided to sleep in today too 'cuz she got jet lag."
Mia had returned from her conference two days earlier and flopped into bed, awakening the day before only to unpack with her usual compulsion for orderliness and then crawled back into bed. Ryo had been more lighthearted since her return, seeming to forget the dark tension that had clung to the house until very recently.
"Oh. I hope she isn't coming down with anything?" Shin paused and began taking mental stock of their medicinal cabinet.
"Nah- She'll be fine." Later, Mia accused him of jinxing her.
"Alright then. What about Touma?" Torrent addressed the rest of the table with a worried eyes. He hadn't forgotten his concern for the archer, and had wondered about him.
"He wasn't in his room when I passed it." Shuu growled softly as he continued eating, if a bit less enthusiastically now.
"Oh dear. Did he leave last night? I don't remember hearing him?"
"He's fine." Seiji stated simply, drawing their attention.
"Well, where is he, then?" Shuu demanded irritably. Seiji had apparently gotten through to his friend when he couldn't, fulfilling his promise to the other three, because Touma hadn't been out clubbing since the day Seiji returned. But if the blue haired Ronin had snuck out....
"He's in my room." The announcement was met with stunned silence. Seiji only had one bed, and he and Touma had seemed to seclude themselves since. . .
"Are you saying what I think you're saying?" Ryo blinked his crystal blue eyes in shock.
"If you're asking whether he and I are an item, then yes, I am saying that we're together."
Shuu and Ryo spluttered a bit, while Shin beamed with good cheer and benevolence. He had suspected something was going on between the two and he was happy to have his guess confirmed, since Seiji seemed very relaxed about the whole thing. The swordsman hadn't voiced his opinion over his and Shuu's relationship, but it was comforting to know that they had his approval in a way and that Seiji himself had someone to love. Touma's changes in behavior made much more sense now, and hopefully the archer found as much peace as Halo appeared to've.
"But- when did this happen?" Shuu wanted to know, astounded he had missed the development.
"Originally, a few months ago. We had some... problems, but we're working through them." Seiji's usually blank mask had softened almost imperceptibly, but his devotion was apparent. Ryo stared in amazement, knowing Seiji's previous views, and wondered at the turn around.
"You care a lot for him, don't you?"
"I love him." He stated matter-of-factly. Halo calmly continued eating his breakfast, ignoring the dopey grins that broke out on his friend's faces, but quietly smiling to himself with contentment. So their relationship wasn't perfect- it was damn near close, and he was determined to be more supportive this time.
**************************
Shuu straightened from the fridge-digging, frowning at the choices before him. He could try to make an omelet or something, but, for all his expertise at eating and working in his parents' restaurant, he wasn't quite that good at non-prepackaged preparations.
Hm. Maybe he could hit the mall early and get something there. He would never, ever let Shin's efforts everyday go unappreciated after this misery.
He trudged back up the stairs mournfully. A shower, then food. Ye-essssss....
Surprised to find the main bathroom occupied, he retrieved his towel from their room, creeping quietly in and out so's not to disturb his gentle red-haired artist. He waited outside the bathroom door for a minute or so, having heard the sounds of someone finishing up with their ablutions, and almost fell over when Touma was the one to open the door, towel slung around his waist.
"Whoa- when'd you rise from the dead?" He demanded indignantly, as the archer was deviating from his infamous late-start routine.
"Eh." The grunt was miraculously cordial, all things considered. Shuu shrugged, dismissing the mystery.
"I'm headed out to the mall, wanna come?"
Touma took a moment to process what he had said and what he should respond with. No, 'fuck off' wasn't appropriate because he wanted to go. Yes, he should say something in the affirmative. Yes, there was something they were both forgetting.
"Unh- dr'vewayz bl'ck'd," he managed to get out, after a moment's consideration, wearily leaning on the doorframe.
"Man, I was hoping it wouldn't be that bad. If it's that deep then we're snowed in. Damn. And I was hoping to get Shin's birthday present, too." He paused to contemplate his options, then brightened suddenly. "Hey! How'd Mia and Ryo get out?"
"Rrrr. Fuzzy thing..."
Shuu just picked up the words and guessed. "Byakuen. Damn. Wish I could just blast the snow out of the way, maybe make a new driveway."
"Ya'd be ex'cuted." Touma seemed to be waking up slowly, even after his shower which had actually made him more sleepy.
"Well- either way, it's gonna be a while and I crave sustenance!" The last part was almost a wail. If ihe/i was bad in the kitchen, then Touma was a biohazard waiting to happen.
"Seiji up yet?" He asked hopefully.
"Nh."
"Guess I'll hafta scavenge then." Shuu sighed wistfully, trudging into the bathroom and thinking of bacon and eggs and toast and hashbrowns and pancakes and waffles in syrup and oatmeal and sausage.....
Touma smirked half-heartedly after him, disturbed at how relieved he felt to be in his friend's good graces once more. After the whole blow-up, Shuu had been glowering and disapproving until Seiji had broke the news to them. Touma supposed the anger had been out of concern and frustration, so knowing he had someone to lean on was a comfort. His thoughts shied away from the reason for the concern with a strong sense of humiliation. It had been so stupid of him, and even if Seiji had meant it when he said their time apart was forgotten, his lover still looked at him with that knowledge in his eyes. Knowing that even if he had been his first and only 'lover,' others had used this body for their own needs. His cheeks flushed with shame as he carefully opened the bedroom door.
His own room had been neatly restored to order over a few days, leaving his mind feeling a little less cluttered, but mostly it was he who went to Seiji's room each night. His bare feet padded silently over the carpet, as he picked up a pair of sweatpants and hung his towel on a door hook. Seiji laid sprawled across the bed, one arm outflung as though searching for his absent lover.
Pausing to study the pale gold hair and delicately carved features, he felt honored to have such a man in his life. He sighed like a lovesick puppy, then frowned over his own emotionality. Seiji wasn't really in to open displays of affection, so he tried to curb his enthusiasm. Well, all displays except what they did in bed, but even then, Touma held himself back like he did with everyone and tried so hard not to just shut down.
Maybe that was part of his club hopping- to prove that he was in control; that his father's actions would not rule his life. He functioned normally just like everyone else. But every time, he had to keep himself there, inside his body, feeling everything even though his mind didn't really want to. He'd be damned if he let his father define his relationships.
Still frowning, he perched on a window seat in the window facing away from the driveway and stared unseeing at the crystal landscape.
*****************************
Seiji awoke with a shiver, a cool draft gliding across his bare chest. Slowly opening his eyes, he realized he was alone in bed, which explained the lack of warmth. Half tempted to just pull the covers over his head and sink back into a warm, fuzzy sleep, he forced himself to push the covers off his legs and sit up. He groaned.
It seemed like every muscle was sore and sitting up too fast had his head pounding. Sunlight was streaming into the room, as he realized it was almost midmorning, far past his usual wake up time. He sighed and rubbed his eyes.
His absent lover was curled on the window seat facing away from the driveway, eyes closed with forehead pressed against the frosted glass. Seiji wasn't surprised that Touma didn't notice the cold- Seiji always had an affinity for warmth and light, while the bearer of Tenku was drawn to the cold dark of space.
Alerted by the movement on the bed, Touma turned to face him, smile lighting his features and relaxing the taut expression. Seiji could guess what he had been thinking about; the withdrawn, ashamed aspect was still in his eyes.
"Hey, Sleeping Beauty. Looks like we pulled a role-reversal today," Touma joked with a forced lightness, as he realized Seiji knew he'd been brooding over things. He didn't want the swordsman to worry about him- to have to deal with Touma's own hang ups just wasn't fair to him.
"What-" Seiji meant to ask about the time, but his throat was so dry and sore, all he could produce was a wracking cough. It sounded like there was pudding in his lungs, trying to suffocate him.
"Are you alright?" Touma hurried to the bed, but sat tentatively on the edge, his concern warring with the fact that Seiji hated mothering.
"Water..." He had to repeat the wheeze several times before Touma could understand him, and then suddenly there was a cool, refreshing glass of water in his trembling hand. Its chill brought the realization of exactly how hot he felt, and he struggled feebly with the blankets wrapped around his legs as he tried to swallow the entire glass at once.
"Whoa! Easy there, love!" Touma gave him the old sardonic grin that had been absent for months. Seiji paused in his gulping, entranced by the easy grace and beauty the small gesture brought out, like the sparkle was back in his eyes and he was sure of himself again. In that grin was everything Seiji wanted to give to him, or at least help him find, he just didn't know how. He gazed at the man he had dedicated his life to, as if he would memorize every plane of his face. Then the archer blinked, and stared down at the covers repentantly when he realized he had reprimanded him. Seiji started abruptly from his daze and laid a gentle hand on his arm.
"Thank you, Touma." His voice was raspy and he grimaced as the symptoms came together. "Looks like I've caught Mia's cold. . ."
"Shin's gonna have kittens." The mocking smile again. "Mia cleared out his medicine cabinet and he hasn't been out to restock it. . ." The smile faded. "Guess that's not good news for you, tho."
"I'll survive." Seiji protested with dignity. "It's only a little cold."
Before noon it was obvious he had a bad case of the flu. . .