DISCLAIMER: I do not own Saiyuki or any of its characters, least of all Kougaiji and Yaone, although I sincerely wish I did. Kazuya Minekura's the owner, not me. So, if you've got a personal problem with me, don't take it out on my story. I'm a poor fan fiction writer, so please don't sue me…
How gentle Kougaiji looks when he sleeps…
Yaone's pale cheeks flushed visibly in the moonlit room. She had never called Kougaiji just by his name. Being a subordinate, she wasn't allowed to. The mere thought of it made her blush. She wondered why. When she thought of him in her solitude, he was always just 'Kougaiji.' Yet, she blushed now. Maybe it was because she was never sitting so close to him when she had such thoughts … Dokugaiji could call him 'Kou' at times, but she had no such right.
Yaone had been in to check on Kougaiji. For the past few days, he had been very disturbed about something. He was even running a high fever for this reason. Yaone was very worried about his health since he had spent many a sleepless nights, tossing and turning in his bed with Yaone placing wet towel after wet towel on his forehead. Finally, after a week, he had been able to fall asleep. But Yaone couldn't dream of sleeping; she was here beside him to attend to his needs.
The temperature in the room was quite pleasant. A cool breeze had started to blow into the room. Yaone adjusted Kougaiji's sheets a little. His flaming red hair was falling on his face in such a way that it only highlighted his features. Nevertheless, Yaone reached out to brush aside the few strands of hair that were flying over his eyes. However, as soon as her fingers touched his warm skin, she turned crimson red and drew her hand away.
"How could I even think of touching Kougaiji-sama just like that?" thought Yaone but when his hair continued to disturb him, she softly pushed it away behind his ears. Kougaiji still remained unperturbed.
Yaone continued to watch him as he slept on. All kinds of thoughts raced past her mind. She knew that Kougaiji had a sad past and it played havoc on his mind more than often. He was a lonely person deep down, in spite of everyone's presence. He had just shut himself up somewhere. He still whispered about his mother in his sleep sometimes. And although he was unaware of this, Yaone had overheard him most of the time. It made her feel like she was invading his personal space where she, a subordinate, had no permission to be. But if she thought of it another way, it indicated that she knew something about him that others didn't. That was enough to make her happy.
She had always known that Kougaiji wasn't at all fond of his father, Gyumaoh. He was said to have a striking resemblance to his father, but this fact never left Kougaiji in a bright mood when brought to his notice. He had no intention of listening to what Gyoukumen Koushou had to say. If only that evil hag hadn't used his mother as bait …
Kougaiji coughed a bit and Yaone came back to reality. She pulled up his sheets which had slipped down to cover his bare chest. Her fingers continued to linger around his body until he woke up with a start-
"What's the matter, Yaone?" he asked gently.
"It's nothing, Kougaiji-sama," replied Yaone, blushing profusely (which luckily went unnoticed due to the semi-dark room), "I'm here to look after you, in case you want something."
"I'm perfectly fine. I would suggest you go and catch some sleep. I can summon the servants if I really need something."
Yaone looked a little disappointed and bit her lip. The moonlight illuminated her beautiful visage and Kougaiji smiled serenely at seeing her fallen face. He caught her hand and said-
"Although I'm sure I won't need anything for the rest of the night, I need you to be up and about tomorrow. After all, only your fabulous breakfast can ensure me a fabulous day, can it not now?"
"Very well," Yaone nodded, "I'll just wait until you fall asleep. Is that ok?"
"Sure. But you better remember to go to bed!"
"I will, I promise," smiled Yaone.
Kougaiji fell into deep slumber within the next ten minutes, still clutching Yaone's hand. She slowly freed herself from his grip, touched his forehead gently and left the room without making a sound.
Author's Notes: My second KouxYaone fic. Please be sure to drop those reviews, no matter how many years later you do, I'll be sure to reply back, I promise …please, please, please! You must understand how much work a writer puts into their work. A review is the only way to tell them that you've at least read their story. Okay, now, Be By Your Side is dedicated to my friend, Katie, who encouraged me to write Kou and Yaone fics. Thanks, Katie. Do read this and review too! Will be back with more Kougaiji and Yaone fics. Adios!
