A/N: This was written as a companion to These Precious Moments, but is just fine all by it's lonesome. Written during one gym class (about 1 hour) due to an ankle injury that has temporarily incapacitated me. Enjoy, reviews make me happy!!! 8D
Take It As It Comes
Juushiro was nestled into a couch comfortably, curled up with a leather-bound book. The late-afternoon sun fell trough the window and the dust motes circulating through the shop sparkled like miniature stars. Light shadows lurked in the corners the sun didn't touch.
Next to Juushiro sat Kisuke. The lazy shopkeeper's hat was flopped over his eyes and he rested his head against Juushiro's shoulder. It was more interesting, than to be actually unconscious.
Juushiro coughed lightly. He turned his head away set his book down as the coughs continued. So as not to wake his supposedly sleeping partner, Juushiro gently repositioned Kisuke and walked into the adjoining room. As soon as he got there, the coughs intensified. He steadied himself against the wall and doubled over, a few drops of crimson blood the only result of the attack. Juushiro stayed still for a minute so as not to trigger more coughs.
A warm hand settled gently on his back and he looked over into Kisuke's shadowed eyes. Juushiro smiled at him reassuringly. "It's okay. It wasn't very severe."
"Good. Otherwise I'd have to be worried." The familiar drawl put Juushiro at ease.
"We wouldn't want that. Sorry I woke you up."
"I wasn't actually asleep." Kisuke grinned.
Juushiro laughed and shook his head. "You do a very good impression of it."
"Practice makes perfect."
Juushiro straightened slowly and was glad not to feel the tell-tale tightening in his lungs. Kisuke was watching him with a strange expression on his face.
"What's wrong?" Juushiro asked.
"Nothing... I'm just thinking..."
"About what?"
Kisuke hesitated for a long moment. "We don't have much time, do we?" It wasn't really a question. "I thought we did, but..."
"No one has forever."
"I'm aware of that. But some people are close. Yet we... we'll never know. Whether we'll meet again or not, it's never definite. We live in different worlds."
"Would you rather this didn't happen? That all this," Juushiro waved his hand to encompass their relationship, "didn't exist?"
"Of course not. I'm just saying it's kinda depressing that we have so little time."
Juushiro reached forward and removed Kisuke's hat tentatively. Beneath it, his expressive blue eyes were paralyzingly sad. Juushiro pulled him close without hesitation. Kisuke clung to him as the captain rubbed his back soothingly.
"I don't want to let you go," the shopkeeper whispered.
"Nor I you."
"Every time you walk away, I'm afraid. I worry that it'll be the last time I'll ever see you." His voice became more choked and fearful with each word. "That you'll never come back. That years later, I'll hear that you didn't come because you..." Kisuke trailed off, unable to finish the thought.
Juushiro held him tightly. "I wish I had a solution. I wish I had more to offer you than empty promises of how this will turn out." He stroked the coarse blonde head. "All I have are apologies. So I'm sorry."
"None of this is your fault. I just wish things were different." Kisuke whispered.
Juushiro gently put a finger under his chin and tilted the usually jovial face up. "I wish they were too. But let's not think about the future. We'll just take things as they come. One step at a time."
Kisuke nodded slowly, then grinned up at the slightly taller man. "You always manage to cheer me up."
Juushiro brushed his lips with a light kiss. "Good. Glad I can help."
They passed the rest of the day in comfortable companionship, neither looking toward what was to come. Instead, they enjoyed the time they had and made the most of those moments.
