Drabble: A day in 2009
Synopsis: Ten years in the aftermath.
Characters: Arashi, Fuuma/Kamui, Seishirou/Subaru, OC
A/N: I have Amethyst Soul and The Consorts on my list, but I just want to write a post series speculation before the year ends. Inspired by a_white_rain's 'meet your storm'. A portion of this story is related to Amethyst Soul.
"I think it's time."
is the first thing Subaru says upon finding the former savior of the world on the porch of Sakurazuka honten.
"I know," the amethyst-eyed young employee of Sony Electronics remarks evenly. He takes off his shoes, noting briefly that the black leather needs polishing, before shrugging off his coat, revealing a starched commonplace white shirt and a violet-coloured tie underneath the nondescript black fabric.
The man with the power of God doesn't find it degrading to be an ordinary salary man. Contrarily, Kamui finds the routines soothing.
Subaru toddles off to the living room and Kamui trails after him, his socked feet padding across spotless wooden floor. Even after losing his sanity, Subaru is still compulsive about keeping His home clean.
Subaru sits and lights a cigarette. He stares at the garden over the window, where buds of Camellia and Sakura lie atop bright green stems, mere moments away from blooming.
Kamui waits.
Silence drags on until smoke fills the entire room, seeping into the material of the cushions. His scent. Their scent. For once, Kamui doesn't wave the grey curls away from his face.
An eternity later, the shoji slides open and someone steps inside.
"Seishi," Kamui turns and greets her.
The young woman bows her head quietly, short wavy dark locks falling over amber contacts. She continues to wipe blood off her hands with a piece of towel before moving towards the kitchen.
"Seishi, it's all right. I don't need tea," Kamui catches up with her before she re-enters the corridor.
In 2000, displeased with the successor Sakurazuka had selected, the Mori sent someone to murder Subaru. A talented eleven-year-old onmyoji who, in spite of having been taught every secret of the trade, had no chance against the man she was supposed to eliminate.
Kamui doesn't know why Subaru didn't kill Seishi-chan back then.
The girl stopped her attempts at attacking Subaru in less than a year, and started impersonating Him.
She's His niece, Kamui recalls. Aside from her petite build, she's His carbon copy. Her facial features resemble His so closely.
Subaru likes to be inside her illusions.
Subaru turns around and stares at the two people he sees most nowadays. He repeats, "It's time."
Kamui sees Seishi's frame tensing for a split second before she nods, her contacts flickering, following the movement of her irises. Kamui has forgotten the true colour of her eyes.
"Goodbye, Subaru," Kamui hesitates before enveloping the older man in his arms.
"I don't want to be older than him," Subaru murmurs in the shell of Kamui's ears.
Pale pink and deep red petals flutter down the front yard and fall before Kamui's shoes when he walks out of the door.
In a distance, Kamui can hear someone cry.
Kamui-san,
Sorata-chan and I are moving away to Beppu, Fukuoka.
Arashi is staring at the letter and wondering whether she should write more when she senses the loss.
The woman looks at the clouds crawling across the sky. She recalls the dull pretty eyes of the former Sumeragi Clan Head and feels that this is probably for the best.
"Oka-san!!" a young boy with messy dark hair and bright brown eyes runs as fast as his short legs can bring him, his steps echoing noisily through the empty hallway, and throws his arms around his mother from her back. "I can't fit my toys into the box!" he pouts.
Arashi turns around and rises to her feet. She holds the apple of her eye by his small momiji hand and follows him to the playroom, soft humming complementing high-pitched words of anticipation and excitement.
The letter, Arashi decides, is fine the way it is.
"Tadaima," Kamui sighs and kicks off his shoes.
"Okaeri," Kamui hears his housemate's reply before the tall man appears from the kitchen, the smell of soup and caramelized sugar sticking to his clothes.
Kamui never stops feeling grateful for the fact that he could save the world without murdering Fuuma and himself.
The man who reaches out for Kamui once he takes one look at him is still not the kind friend Kamui lost. He isn't the Twin Star, either. He exhibits elements of both.
"Subaru-san finally gets his wish granted," Fuuma says when they are on the couch in the living room, Kamui cuddling on the other man's broad chest. Kamui supposes Fuuma is consoling him.
"No, he doesn't," Kamui pushes himself up and stares at Fuuma in the eyes. "Stop saying what I want to hear."
Fuuma looks back and holds his gaze for a long time. "He really does," he finally speaks. "His and her wishes. Theirs. And yours."
Kamui closes his eyes and sighs again. "…What have you cooked this time?" he lets it go, rising to his feet and stretching like a cat. "Nothing as rich as a three-layered chocolate cake, I hope?"
"You know that I have a penchant for sweets," Fuuma chuckles. "The former Sakurazukamori had really spoilt me."
End
Honten: Main house/head office
Shoji: Paper door
Seishi: Not written the same way with Seishi from Seishirou (星史郎) but 誓子, which means vow and child
Onmyoji: practitioners of the art of yin and yang
Oka-san: Mother
Momiji: maple leaves
Tadaima: I'm home, and the response, Okaerinasai: welcome home.