Mai Shiranui
Drifting Thoughts
Midnight struck on a distant belltower and the wind pushed the clouds along their starlit path. The moonless night created an eerie calmness along the crackling street. Yahiko lay sprawled on the den floor sockless with a crumpled yukata draped over him. Shinta lay parallel to Sano in the dual futon, occasionally shifting from a fetal curl to an outstretched extense. His pale skin graced by a few wisps of hair that when a short breeze would blow he would appear engulfed in a maroon flame. Sano still lay awake, after all, it was fairly early in the evening to him. A strong gust from the window ruffled his cabochon tufts and danced along the creased edges of his slightly unbuttoned business shirt. He turned his head just in time to the open doorway to see Yahiko roll onto a house slipper, mumble something incoherent, and roll back. Chuckling at this, he gazed down at the sleeping Shinta. His Shinta. He looked so much like the children he watched over. Pulling the cover higher upon Shinta's shoulder, Sano heard a soft sigh escape from Shinta's lips. He bent to kiss his forehead and brushed the stray flames behind his ears. The muted television in the corner flashed blue and white against the walls until another of Yahiko's rolls hit the power button on the remote. As the soap commercial vanished into its black void, Sano rose from the futon and opened the door to the balcony.
The rush of cold air tangled his onyx hair further and a slight shiver ran down his spine. He laid his hands upon the balcony's railing, closed his eyes and listened. Murmurs. An annoying rap song in the distance. Echoing barks. Distant laughter. The rest was completely silent. "Aoshi..." Sano began, " why did you return for Shinta?" The question subconsciously opened his eyes as he stared upward. "I am his protector, no, his lover now. Why do you insist on hurting him further?" He found his hand forming a fist and flung it at a wall. At the resonating 'thud', Sano felt warm fluid slowly paint his hand crimson. He closed his eyes again in disgust and reopened them looking skywards again. "Why?" he twitched in discomfort. A dull throb started resonating from the injured hand now. As he held it and cursed, Sano leaned against the corner of the balcony's edge. "Kuso, this always happens when I don't want it to." Sano felt a slender warmth slide around his waist from behind and a gentle, reassuring squeeze relaxed him.
"Shint, what are you doing out here?" Sano gruffed. An arm shifted to his shoulder and a whisper drowned out the wind, "A better question is what are you doing out here Sano?" Sano whirled and his pained gaze met a calming, twinkling twilight in Shinta's eyes. "Psh. Nothing." Sano growled. Shinta's guise suddenly became very stern, "Your words speak differently than your hands. Come in and let me bandage that before it gets any worse and then you can tell me what that poor wall ever did to you," he laughed. Sano was dragged back in just as small pearls of water began to fall from the sky.
Shinta turned the sink on to wash off the excess blood and paused. "You were thinking about Aoshi again weren't you?" Sano's gaze met the floor, then the violet sunset eternally trapped in his love's eyes. "It's all right Sano, I thank you for the concern, but he is in the past. We must move on." As the bandages slowly enveloped Sano's hand, he noticed an apathetic, yet mature look on Shinta's face. It didn't last long. Soon it was back to its same goofy blankness and all Sano could do was ruffle his hair. Shinta turned to go back to bed when Sano suddenly embraced him from behind, "Promise me Shint, I will not lose you." A serious, melancholy tone rung in Sano's dialect. He felt Sano's head cradle itself into his shoulder and a soft squeeze of his arms. Shinta tilted his head to lean against his, " I promise Sano."
The next day it was work as usual, a phone call from the daycare explained how Shinta had grape juice flung into his hair by a snippy eight year old and Yahiko managed to get a bathroom break to call Sano. "This HAS to be the slowest, most uninteresting board meeting I have ever attended. I'll see you guys about an hour later than expected tonight." The click on Yahiko's end signalled to Sano that he was almost caught and had to hang up before he was discovered. The belltower clocked five and as Yahiko rose from his chair to leave the meeting, Sano burst through the door.
"What is it Sano?"
"It's Shinta. I can't find him!"
As Yahiko gathered his things, he flipped his business schedule and told his secretary that all meetings for May 14th were cancelled.
Drifting Thoughts
Midnight struck on a distant belltower and the wind pushed the clouds along their starlit path. The moonless night created an eerie calmness along the crackling street. Yahiko lay sprawled on the den floor sockless with a crumpled yukata draped over him. Shinta lay parallel to Sano in the dual futon, occasionally shifting from a fetal curl to an outstretched extense. His pale skin graced by a few wisps of hair that when a short breeze would blow he would appear engulfed in a maroon flame. Sano still lay awake, after all, it was fairly early in the evening to him. A strong gust from the window ruffled his cabochon tufts and danced along the creased edges of his slightly unbuttoned business shirt. He turned his head just in time to the open doorway to see Yahiko roll onto a house slipper, mumble something incoherent, and roll back. Chuckling at this, he gazed down at the sleeping Shinta. His Shinta. He looked so much like the children he watched over. Pulling the cover higher upon Shinta's shoulder, Sano heard a soft sigh escape from Shinta's lips. He bent to kiss his forehead and brushed the stray flames behind his ears. The muted television in the corner flashed blue and white against the walls until another of Yahiko's rolls hit the power button on the remote. As the soap commercial vanished into its black void, Sano rose from the futon and opened the door to the balcony.
The rush of cold air tangled his onyx hair further and a slight shiver ran down his spine. He laid his hands upon the balcony's railing, closed his eyes and listened. Murmurs. An annoying rap song in the distance. Echoing barks. Distant laughter. The rest was completely silent. "Aoshi..." Sano began, " why did you return for Shinta?" The question subconsciously opened his eyes as he stared upward. "I am his protector, no, his lover now. Why do you insist on hurting him further?" He found his hand forming a fist and flung it at a wall. At the resonating 'thud', Sano felt warm fluid slowly paint his hand crimson. He closed his eyes again in disgust and reopened them looking skywards again. "Why?" he twitched in discomfort. A dull throb started resonating from the injured hand now. As he held it and cursed, Sano leaned against the corner of the balcony's edge. "Kuso, this always happens when I don't want it to." Sano felt a slender warmth slide around his waist from behind and a gentle, reassuring squeeze relaxed him.
"Shint, what are you doing out here?" Sano gruffed. An arm shifted to his shoulder and a whisper drowned out the wind, "A better question is what are you doing out here Sano?" Sano whirled and his pained gaze met a calming, twinkling twilight in Shinta's eyes. "Psh. Nothing." Sano growled. Shinta's guise suddenly became very stern, "Your words speak differently than your hands. Come in and let me bandage that before it gets any worse and then you can tell me what that poor wall ever did to you," he laughed. Sano was dragged back in just as small pearls of water began to fall from the sky.
Shinta turned the sink on to wash off the excess blood and paused. "You were thinking about Aoshi again weren't you?" Sano's gaze met the floor, then the violet sunset eternally trapped in his love's eyes. "It's all right Sano, I thank you for the concern, but he is in the past. We must move on." As the bandages slowly enveloped Sano's hand, he noticed an apathetic, yet mature look on Shinta's face. It didn't last long. Soon it was back to its same goofy blankness and all Sano could do was ruffle his hair. Shinta turned to go back to bed when Sano suddenly embraced him from behind, "Promise me Shint, I will not lose you." A serious, melancholy tone rung in Sano's dialect. He felt Sano's head cradle itself into his shoulder and a soft squeeze of his arms. Shinta tilted his head to lean against his, " I promise Sano."
The next day it was work as usual, a phone call from the daycare explained how Shinta had grape juice flung into his hair by a snippy eight year old and Yahiko managed to get a bathroom break to call Sano. "This HAS to be the slowest, most uninteresting board meeting I have ever attended. I'll see you guys about an hour later than expected tonight." The click on Yahiko's end signalled to Sano that he was almost caught and had to hang up before he was discovered. The belltower clocked five and as Yahiko rose from his chair to leave the meeting, Sano burst through the door.
"What is it Sano?"
"It's Shinta. I can't find him!"
As Yahiko gathered his things, he flipped his business schedule and told his secretary that all meetings for May 14th were cancelled.