Our Love Is Forever
Disclaimer: I do not own Harukanaru Toki no Naka de, nor its characters. They belong to Mizuno Tooko and Koei. If I owned the series, Yasuaki x Eisen would be canon.
Notes: This idea has been playing around in my head due to events on an Australian soap opera called Neighbours over the last few weeks. A teenage girl died in a car crash believed to be an accident until it was revealed there was a problem with the steering. The girl's husband at first was about to sue the mechanic responsible for servicing the car, until it was revealed someone had actually tampered with the steering, thinking the car belonged to the other mechanic who took it out on a test-drive. Anyway, it made me gain a plot bunny of Eisen asking Yasuaki if he'd attack the one responsible for his passing, and this story is the result.
Of course, this fic is shounen-ai, but nothing beyond sweet fluff. Don't like the idea of Yasuaki and Eisen in a romantic relationship, then don't read. Thank you.
Eisen was the first to wake that morning. He knew his partner wasn't exactly what one would call a morning person, so he left him to sleep a little longer, at least until he was ready to rise. The young monk went out to the mailbox and saw the daily newspaper had been delivered. He made a note to go to the store responsible for the deliveries and pay the weekly fee.
Yasuaki stirred a little in his sleep, reaching out for somebody. He found there was nobody else in the bed. He slowly opened his eyes and gazed at the empty space beside him. He sat up and covered his mouth as he yawned. Well, he was awake, he may as well get up, so he pulled back the covers and climbed off the bed. He turned to the clock sitting on the bedside table and saw it was nine o'clock in the morning. He was about to make a remark about that when he suddenly sensed something coming from the kitchen. He quickly and quietly made his way to his intended destination.
Eisen had finished cooking breakfast, he placed Yasuaki's in the oven on very low heat so it would stay warm until he got out of bed. He was now seated at the table, finishing his own meal. He could sense his partner was approaching and hid a smile behind his hand. Every morning, they always played the same game: Eisen would cook breakfast, Yasuaki would smell the food, Eisen would wait for his partner to get out of bed, and Yasuaki would try to sneak up on him and give him the first hug of the day without Eisen suspecting a thing. Knowing how much the game meant to Yasuaki, Eisen always willingly played along, even if he could detect his partner's presence approaching him inch by inch.
Yasuaki was by the kitchen door, he was hiding behind the wall. He eased his head into view, careful not to be seen, and noticed Eisen was finishing a cup of tea. He waited until the cup was back on the table before he made his move.
Eisen acted like normal, he knew Yasuaki was hiding behind the wall near the doorway. He finally set down the empty teacup and waited for Yasuaki's sneak attack.
The onmyouji saw it was time to make his move. Using his ability of sneaking without being noticed, he crept up behind Eisen, and when he was right behind him, he bent down and slowly slid his arms around the smaller male. He gave him a kiss on the cheek and whispered, "good morning, Eisen".
Eisen smiled sweetly as he got to his feet, Yasuaki still holding him, and turned to return the loving embrace. "Good morning, Yasuaki," he replied before planting a gentle kiss on the tip of the onmyouji's nose. "Did you sleep well?"
Yasuaki nodded. "I did. And you?"
"Very well, thank you." They stood in the embrace for a couple of minutes before Eisen finally decided to tell Yasuaki where his breakfast was. "Please sit down, I'll get it for you." After an unfortunate incident involving the onmyouji forgetting to wear an oven mitt when getting something out of the oven, both of them were wary about him going near it.
Yasuaki moved to sit at the table while Eisen went to get the onmyouji's breakfast.
Yasuaki contentedly ate his meal, while Eisen was reading through the newspaper. So far, the morning was going as it normally would, but something was going to change that day. The onmyouji finished his meal just as he saw Eisen tense whilst reading the paper. "Eisen, what is wrong?"
Eisen put the paper down and looked across the table at his dear partner. "This story...this is..."
The onmyouji quickly got to his feet and moved to Eisen's side of the table, placing both of his hands on the monk's shoulders. He read the story Eisen gestured to and then turned to the Ten no Genbu. "That happens here?"
Eisen nodded. "Unfortunately..."
Yasuaki turned to the paper again and re-read the story. It was about a woman who was sentenced to life in prison after murdering a teenage boy. When asked how she felt about the sentence, the woman replied that she had no regrets, the boy had it coming for killing her daughter, even if it was considered an accident by most, the woman held the boy responsible for her losing her child. He felt his partner tremble underneath his hands, so he quickly closed the paper, getting the story out of sight, then led the monk into their bedroom.
They were sitting on the bed, Eisen in Yasuaki's lap, while the onmyouji had his back against pillows resting against the headrest. Yasuaki stroked Eisen's hair comfortingly, hoping it would help him calm down.
"I cannot believe people actually do such a thing..." Eisen murmured, his trembling easing a little as he felt the onmyouji's hands run through his violet hair. He rested a hand on Yasuaki's chest, and rested his head against it. "Yasuaki, can I ask you something?"
"Of course," he replied in a soft voice.
"If...if I were to pass on as the result of an accident...through the fault of another's actions...what would you do?"
"What would I do?" Yasuaki hated talking about Eisen's mortality, he hated being reminded that one day, the monk would die.
"Yes. What would you do? Would you do what that woman did? Attack the one responsible?"
"I don't know. I might, considering the circumstances."
Eisen didn't want to know what Yasuaki meant by considering the circumstances, he felt troubled hearing his partner say that. "Please, don't. Vengeance never helped anybody. Please...if it was to happen, please promise me you won't attack the person responsible...I would rather not have you seeking vengeance..."
Yasuaki nodded once. "I promise, Eisen. I promise I won't seek vengeance if...if something like that were to...to happen to you..."
It was at that moment, Eisen realised how distressed his partner was because of his question. He mentally berated himself, he knew how much Yasuaki hated being reminded that the person dearest to him would one day leave him. He shifted and wrapped his arms around him. "I'm sorry, Yasuaki. I didn't mean to upset you. I don't even know why I asked that question in the first place, I wish I hadn't...Yasuaki, I'm so sorry."
Yasuaki shook his head and returned the embrace tighter. "It is alright. I am glad you asked me that question. I never want to upset you, in life or death, and I now know that you would be upset if I were to seek vengeance for your sake. I won't do that." He rested his cheek against Eisen's head and closed his eyes. "But, I still do not like knowing that one day you will be leaving me."
"Yasuaki..." Eisen moved so Yasuaki would be looking at him. He reached a hand to the onmyouji's face and rested it on Yasuaki's left cheek, gazing into the open mismatched eyes. "I promise that day will not come for a very, very long time. We will always be together. I promise."
"Eisen..." Yasuaki closed his eyes again and smiled serenely. "Yes. We will always be together."
The monk also smiled and shifted closer to his partner, stretching up and giving him a chaste kiss on the lips. He felt it being returned instantly. He pulled back and shifted off Yasuaki's lap, causing the Chi no Genbu to open his eyes in surprise.
"Eisen?"
"We don't have to do our errands until this afternoon. We should just lie here together for a while," he replied while shifting again so he could lie down on the bed.
Yasuaki smiled and mimicked Eisen's actions, lying down on his side, facing his partner.
Eisen returned the smile with his own, a sweet, gentle smile that only Yasuaki would ever see. He moved closer until they were touching and wrapped an arm around the onmyouji's waist.
Yasuaki wrapped an arm around Eisen's waist as well, and kissed him on his forehead. He pulled back, and then moved in again to kiss Eisen on the lips, feeling it being reciprocated instantly.
The kiss ended, and Eisen snuggled up to Yasuaki. "I love you, and I promise that will never change."
"I love you too, Eisen. Forever."
They fell into a comfortable silence after their declarations of love and affection, just kissing each other tenderly, or stroking the other's hair, smiles on their faces, and love in their eyes.
The End