I do not own the characters or anything besides kind of the plot.
"Hey, Touko-chan?"
Touko looked up from the magazine that she had been idly flipping through. "Yes, Yuki-kun? Is something the matter?"
"Well, no. I-" Yuki fidgeted nervously in his chair, hands lightly clenched atop his knees. He couldn't tell why he was so anxious. "I was wondering, Touko-chan, about my past."
A slightly somber expression settled onto her features as she set the magazine aside. "I see."
The look on her face only served to increase his sense of unease. "And I know I've been told about the war against Reiga and the things relative to that, but. . ." He took a deep breath, calming himself. He had to know. "But I want to know about my past. I feel like so many questions have been unanswered, like my memories are struggling to push through but I simply can't remember them."
"Yuki-kun. . . What are you wanting to know?"
Yuki's thoughts immediately flitted to Luka. Was that really the thing he wanted to know more than anything else?
"Well, you said I was a girl in my previous lives, right? What else is different between then and now? Why do I feel so close to Luka? I can't remember anything, and I have a feeling he is a big part of my past."
Touko's face quickly flushed, and she averted her gaze. "I think Luka needs to tell you that, Yuki-kun. Not me." She suddenly became overly-cheerful. "But you want to know what you were like before, right? I'll show you!" She reached forward and grabbed Yuki's arm, pulling them both to their feet. With a big smile she said, "Come on!"
Still grasping his wrist, she led him up the stairs and to his bedroom. Opening the door, she stepped in like she had spent countless days there, confidently walking to the wardrobe. Pulling out one of the bottom drawers of the wardrobe, she gave a loud cry of success.
"Here it is!" Touko exclaimed, bringing forth a clear plastic storage bag.
"What is it?" Yuki asked, head tilting to the side in curiosity.
Setting the plastic on the bed, she unzipped it with one smooth tug. "It's one of your old dresses!"
Once the zipper had been pulled back, it revealed a cream-colored long-sleeved dress that could be easily discerned to be from many years ago. Yuki's eyes widened, reaching out to gingerly touch to aged material.
"Do you recognize it?"
"Maybe." Yuki conceded.
A comfortable silence passed between them, Touko beaming at Yuki while holding up the dress for him to see.
After a while Touko asked, "Would you like to try it on?"
Yuki blushed. "B-But wouldn't that be weird? I'm a guy!"
"Well it is your dress. You used to wear it all the time. And besides, you're so cute Yuki-kun that I'm sure you'd look great in it!"
His blush subsided a little, and he looked at the dress doubtfully. "I guess it wouldn't hurt."
"Perfect!" Touko walked through the doorway into the hall. Leaning back in to look at him, she said, "I can't wait to see how you look!"
Yuki waited for the door to close then turned slowly to face the garment draped across his bed. His fingers traced the faintly yellowed delicate lace along the neckline. Swallowing, he stripped out of his outfit and lifted the dress over his head, allowing it to fall about his slender frame. Shuffling over to a mirror, he gave his reflection a long look. It fit him better than he had expected. Well, the breast area was baggy, anyway.
"Yuki!" Touko's muffled voice called through the heavy wooden door. "Do you have it on yet?"
"Uh, yes! Please, come in!" he answered.
The moment Touko saw him she squealed with glee. "Oh, Yuki-kun! You're so cute! You look just like you did when you were a girl!"
"Well, I. . . But Touko? Did I have really big, um. . ." he said embarrassed, pulling lightly on the baggy fabric at his chest.
"What?" The look on her face was of mild bewilderment. When she realized what he meant, she struggled to hold in laughter. "Why yes, Yuki-kun, I guess you did." With that she couldn't hold back any longer, her giggles rapidly turning into roaring laughter.
Yuki fought to suppress a chuckle, but soon was joining her with loud laughter. They laughed until tears stung their eyes, Touko doubled over and holding her sides. The sound of footsteps approaching from down the hall barely registered to them, but the moment they looked up from their laughter they saw Luka in the doorway.
Nothing could accurately describe the shocked expression on Luka's face. Images of his former lover blurred confusingly with the physical presence of Yuki's currant form. His dark eyes were wide, unable to fully comprehend the situation he had walked in on. Caught completely off guard by his one weakness, he shoulders hunched vulnerably while his hand remained on the doorknob. Frozen, he simply stood there, eyes drinking in the one image for which he had been yearning for so long.
"Yuki-" Luka whispered, eyes locked on him.
"Luka, I-"
The boyish tone of Yuki's voice barely snapped Luka out of his astonishment, and he straightened himself slightly.
Touko's face was completely unreadable as she briskly strode from the room without a word, eyes cast downward as she went.
A few long moments went by with Luka and Yuki staring at each other. Gradually Luka became more and more stone faced, and he moved to leave.
"Wait!" Yuki pleaded, taking a step forward.
Luka paused in the doorway, his gaze neutrally focused on the floor.
"Luka. . . Why do you react this way? Why can't you look at me?" Carefully the boy inched closer to his guardian, lifting a hand as if reaching for him.
Luka's eyes gave away his inner torment as Yuki moved closer. Eventually Yuki's white hand found Luka's perfect face, lightly brushing his fingertips across the skin. The touch was enough to trigger insanity in Luka. Faster than Yuki could blink, Luka's arms were around him, crushing him against his body.
"Why don't you remember? Yuki. I've tried to honor your wishes." The pain in his voice was evident.
"Luka?" Yuki's voice was muffled by Luka's chest.
"I will not betray you. Yuki, why don't you want to remember?" He squeezed the boy tighter.
It was eerie how familiar it felt to have Luka embracing him. "Remember what? Please, Luka. Tell me. I've wanted to know for so long." His heart fluttered. Was it anticipation? Or something else?
Gripping his slender shoulders, Luka's head slowly stooped low. Yuki froze, intensely aware that the taller man's lips were mere millimeters from his. He waited, scarcely breathing, for what Luka would do next.
They stood like that for a moment, faces not quite touching. Suddenly Luka sunk to his knees, defeat radiating from him and his head bowed.
"I will not betray you. You do not wish to remember me. I will never cause you pain."
Yuki's eyes filled with tears. The anguish Luka demonstrated was too much for him to bear.
After a suffocating silence, Yuki whispered, "You're free."
Luka's head snapped up, searching Yuki's face.
"I'm cancelling our contract. You're free now." The disbelief Luka showed confused him more. He hurried to explain himself. "I only want you to be happy. And being your master upsets you."
Rising up on his knees, Luka asked quietly, "Is this what you desire?"
Earnestly Yuki said, "I desire for you to be happy. Your pain hurts me more than anything in the world." Yuki knelt before him, holding his arms out to him. "Please, Luka. Don't be sad anymore."
"I will leave, if that is your wish." Luka ignored Yuki's spread arms and stood.
Luka's retreating back was more painful than anything Yuki could imagine. It seemed to tear at his very soul. A whirl of thoughts and emotions raced through his mind, telling himself that he was right to let him go while screaming at himself to be selfish for once. Bewildered, he felt the need to do something before Luka walked out of the room and out of his life forever.
"Luka!"
The skirt of his dress trailed behind him as he ran after him. Luka spun around, surprised by the blur of lace and fabric quickly approaching. Yuki threw himself into Luka's arms and rose up on his toes to kiss him. His lips pressed fervently onto Luka's still ones. His lips didn't move, which concerned Yuki. As he began to pull away, Luka twisted around to press Yuki against the wall and finally kissed him back gently.
Yuki pulled back for air. "Luka, do you want to stay with me?"
"Always." His leg pressed between Yuki's as he spoke.
He gasped. "Then never leave me. Stay by my side."
"I will not betray you."
Somehow that one sentence that he always uttered comforted Yuki beyond words.
I will never cancel our contract.