GUARDIAN OF THE SAKE JAR
Tsukishiro Yukito was utterly miserable, a very unnatural state for the usually sunny and cheerful boy. He'd had a fight with his best friend Toya, an event so shocking that, two hours later, he still couldnt believe it.
Yukito wandered into his favourite restaurant still sniffling quietly into one very sodden and sad looking hankerchief.
The Chef of the little sushi bar came over to Yukito beaming, his best customer.
"Tsukishiro-san, come, come.....are you alright, your eyes look very red?"
"sniff......Im......sniff.........fine....sniff....thdanks for ashking."
The Chef led him over to his usual spot and asked him if he wanted his usual large plate and small bowl of Sake to wash it down.
"Yesh please...sniff.....arigatou....sniff."
Yukito looked at the sodden hankerchief and gave up, maybe he could go to the bathroom and fix his face, after he'd eaten.
Shortly, the Chef came back with a large plate of sushi, a small jar of sake and a little bowl. Yukito absentmindedly picked up the chopsticks and started to eat.
It had been such a stupid little fight, nothing really, it was just that they'd never, in all the years they'd known each other, had a fight before.
Toya had wanted to go to Yukito's house to study where it would be quieter without Sakura and her friends around, but Yukito had preferred the thought of going to Toya's house. Especially after Sakura-san, Toya's adorable little sister, had mentioned she would be making pancakes today.
Toya had been like a bear with a sore head all day, not an unusual state for Toya Kinomoto who was gruff at the best of times, only his gruffness was not normally applied to his ever-smiling best friend.
Yukito was not smiling now however as he remembered Toya turning those steely eyes on him and telling him that he only ever thought of his stomach and it would be nice if someone elses wishes were to rank over his, Yukito's, digestive tract just for once.
Yukito was not normally an argumentative boy and would have replied with a light, placatory remark to make his grumpy best friend laugh and distract him from his anger. But this time something deep inside him, something....someone......different, had turned on Toya with eyes more steely, eyes like icicles, and said stiffly that perhaps if Toya wanted a more agreeable study partner then he should go and study with Akizuki Nakuru who, he was sure, would be only too happy to oblige him. It was at that point, regaining his senses and realising what he'd said, that Yukito had fled leaving an utterly befuddled Toya behind him.
Yukito replayed the scene over and over in his mind, each time realising just how stupid an argument it really had been while unable to explain what had come over him to make him look and speak to his best friend that way.
His meal suddenly intruded itself on his thoughts as he noticed that his plate was empty and so was the sake jar. Yukito waved to the Chef to let him know that he was finished and one of his staff came over to take Yukito's plate.
"Did you want anymore Tsukishiro-san?"
"no, thank you, I would like another jar of sake though please"
The sake had given him a little warm spot in his stomach, Yukito really wanted to feel warm right now. The second jar seemed to go much quicker than the first. The third jar didnt last very long at all, and the fourth......
The Chef placed Yukito's jacket over his shoulders and steadied the boy while pointing up the street.
"Home is that way, Tsukishiro-san.....good luck."
The Chef chuckled quietly as Yukito, who was wearing a very goofy smile indeed, started to stagger slowly down the street.
Yukito actually made it at least as far as 10 yards near to his house before he finally tripped on a bottle and hit the pavement...face first.
Deep inside Yukito's mind, for the second time that day, something......someone......woke up.
Yue sat up uncertainly, holding his head. The guardian's large white wings flapped in an almost ridiculous manner as he hauled himself off the ground.
He stood swaying slightly before taking a step forward, only to trip over his own hair and almost end up kissing the concrete again. Yue sighed in a rather long suffering way and said sternly to himself,
"I'm fine, Yukito's intoxicated state cannot effect me, I can fly home and put him to bed and everything will be alright in the morning."
Yue took off and glided the few short yards to Yukito's house. It would have been excellent progress if Yue had remembered to allow for the tree in Yukito's front yard.
Yue opened one eye cautiously and then both eyes so that he could glare at the tree with his most effective glare. His purple catlike eyes narrowed and he spat a curse at the offending arbourial object. Struggling to his feet again, Yue leaned on the tree and rubbed the top of his head, wincing at the bump that was quickly emerging.
"Why me?" Yue said to the tree
"of all the false forms to get stuck with......what a....*sigh* You know what he's doing now?"
The tree didnt reply
"He's in the back of my mind.....singing show tunes."
Yue started up the steps to the house, fumbling awkardly with the door before finally making it to the safety of the house.
"Nobody understands what I go through, the strain, the humiliation.." he muttered as he staggered down the hallway.
Yue caught sight of his reflection in the hallway mirror, he narrowed his eyes and peered at himself wondering at the redness across his white cheeks.
"And Kero thinks he's the more handsome guardian...humph"
Yue laughed derisively and flicked a stray strand of silvery hair back over his white-clothed shoulder. He smiled at his reflection and tipped an imaginary hat over his eyes.
"Here'sh lookin' at you Kid."
Yue suddenly realised what he was doing and came to the conclusion that he'd been watching too many old movies with Kero lately.
There was a knock at the door. Yue froze, seeing the reflection of his horrorfied face in the mirror. Then a familiar voice came through the door.
"Yuki?..........are you there?"
Yue really did not want Toya Kinomoto to see him in this embarressing condition. Toya made Yue feel rather uncomfortable, like an interloper in the body of his best friend. He just couldnt be made to understand that it was Yukito who was the false form, not Yue. Yue also knew that Yukito's feelings for Toya were.......complicated. Yue's feelings for Toya consisted of a certain amount respect and graditude for the fact that Toya had so willingly given up his power so that he, Yue, might continue to exist (though Yukito had more to do with that willingness Yue suspected) but also wariness. Toya had immense power to hurt his false form and that made him somewhat vulnerable. It was certainly what had put him in this situation.
Toya should never have glared at Yukito like that, Yukito was always protecting other people from Toya's perpetual attitude problem but today there had been no one to protect Yukito. No one, that is, except Yue.
"Yukito, I know you're in there somewhere.....please open the door."
The boy was certainly persistant Yue thought as he did something very out of character. He went quietly up the hall into Yukito's room and hid, crouching next to the window, partially concealed by the bed and the curtains.
There was a click of a door opening, then shutting...footsteps up the hallway.
Yue wrapped his wings around himself, closed his eyes and hoped for the best.
"........Yue?"
"sigh" Yue lifted a wing and peered out at Toya, his head was aching now.
Toya Kinomoto was shocked, his friends alternate form, the cold, beautiful and ever composed Yue, looked like something the cat had dragged in.
His long, silver hair was a mess of dirt and twigs, his wings were dirty and as for his clothes........Just then there was the heavy stomping of a more familiar pair of feet and a loud, unmistakable sound of someone with an Osaka dialect. Yue put his head in his heads, his reputation was completely ruined now.
"Yue???" Sakura's voice pierced through Yue's delicate senses, making him wince. He cautiously looked up again. His young mistress was standing with fists clenched and a very concerned look on her face.
"what happened?"
Yue decided that there was no point trying to cover up for Yukito, besides this was his opportunity to impart to the Mistresses brother the full extent of the damage he had done.
"Yukito got drunk...." He said shortly, as he attempted to stand.
Suddenly Toya was there lending a supportive arm as he led Yue over to Yukito's bed and urged him to sit, then he left the room. Yue wondered where he was going, so much for feeling anything remotely resembling guilt.
At this point Yue noticed Kero rolling around on the floor near his feet in convulsive fits of laughter. In moment of sheer malevolence he lifted his long white foot and stepped on the little stuffed toy, pinning him to the floor.
It was immensely satisfying and Yue would have smirked if it wasnt that his head hurt so much.
He became aware of a warm little hand on his and turned to look down at Sakura. He wanted to say something calm and reassuring, to come across as his ordinary aloof self but all his managed to get out was.....
"my head hurts"
Yue got the uncomfortable feeling that his bottom lip was sticking out somewhat. Sakura laughed despite her concern and patted Yue's hand.
"You'll be okay Yue, Toya's gone to get some ice and a hairbrush."
Yue wondered how two siblings that argued constantly the way Sakura and Toya did could be so close as to know what the other was doing without a word being said.
Shortly Toya returned, just as Sakura has said with an icepack and Yukitos hairbrush. Sakura rescued Kero from under Yue's foot then held the ice gently to her moon guardians aching forehead while Toya stood behind Yue looking first at Yue's mass of silver tresses and then at the little hairbrush that served so well for Yukito's short locks.
"what have I gotten myself into?" He muttered.
Toya leaned over and said to Yue quietly
"promise you wont hit me if this hurts, okay?"
Yue nodded and looked at his hands. Sakura quietly babbled on about her day, determined to cheer Yue up, with the occasional, loud (far too loud for Yue's sore head) interjection from Kero. Yue realised he couldnt hear Yukito singing in his head anymore and figured that he must have gone to sleep.
Toya was really been very gentle with his hair, Yue thought. He guessed that his capacity for gentleness towards those he loved must be one of the things Yukito...loved.....about his best friend. Yue hoped they could make up and be happy together, he really did want the best for his other self. Even if Yukito did put him through horibble embaressment and torture.
Touya finished brushing Yue's hair and carefully tied it back up in the usual fashion and then proceeded to use a cloth to brush off the dirt from Yue's clothes and wings.
Yue was suddenly overcome with exhaustion, he lay down on the bed and sleepily said
"Toya, Yukito's pyjama's are in the bottom draw...Yaaawn.....could.....you..."
Toya and Sakura exchange amused glances over the sleeping form as Yue transformed back into Yukito who promptly rolled on his back and started to snore loudly. Toya sent Sakura and Kero from the room and gently helped his sleeping friend into his pyjama's. He tucked Yukito into bed, placed his favourite fluffy bunny plushie next to him and kissed his forehead.
"Sleep well Yuki-chan" he said softly before writing him a little note to let him know who had put him into bed, turning the light off and closing the door behind him.
finito
Tsukishiro Yukito was utterly miserable, a very unnatural state for the usually sunny and cheerful boy. He'd had a fight with his best friend Toya, an event so shocking that, two hours later, he still couldnt believe it.
Yukito wandered into his favourite restaurant still sniffling quietly into one very sodden and sad looking hankerchief.
The Chef of the little sushi bar came over to Yukito beaming, his best customer.
"Tsukishiro-san, come, come.....are you alright, your eyes look very red?"
"sniff......Im......sniff.........fine....sniff....thdanks for ashking."
The Chef led him over to his usual spot and asked him if he wanted his usual large plate and small bowl of Sake to wash it down.
"Yesh please...sniff.....arigatou....sniff."
Yukito looked at the sodden hankerchief and gave up, maybe he could go to the bathroom and fix his face, after he'd eaten.
Shortly, the Chef came back with a large plate of sushi, a small jar of sake and a little bowl. Yukito absentmindedly picked up the chopsticks and started to eat.
It had been such a stupid little fight, nothing really, it was just that they'd never, in all the years they'd known each other, had a fight before.
Toya had wanted to go to Yukito's house to study where it would be quieter without Sakura and her friends around, but Yukito had preferred the thought of going to Toya's house. Especially after Sakura-san, Toya's adorable little sister, had mentioned she would be making pancakes today.
Toya had been like a bear with a sore head all day, not an unusual state for Toya Kinomoto who was gruff at the best of times, only his gruffness was not normally applied to his ever-smiling best friend.
Yukito was not smiling now however as he remembered Toya turning those steely eyes on him and telling him that he only ever thought of his stomach and it would be nice if someone elses wishes were to rank over his, Yukito's, digestive tract just for once.
Yukito was not normally an argumentative boy and would have replied with a light, placatory remark to make his grumpy best friend laugh and distract him from his anger. But this time something deep inside him, something....someone......different, had turned on Toya with eyes more steely, eyes like icicles, and said stiffly that perhaps if Toya wanted a more agreeable study partner then he should go and study with Akizuki Nakuru who, he was sure, would be only too happy to oblige him. It was at that point, regaining his senses and realising what he'd said, that Yukito had fled leaving an utterly befuddled Toya behind him.
Yukito replayed the scene over and over in his mind, each time realising just how stupid an argument it really had been while unable to explain what had come over him to make him look and speak to his best friend that way.
His meal suddenly intruded itself on his thoughts as he noticed that his plate was empty and so was the sake jar. Yukito waved to the Chef to let him know that he was finished and one of his staff came over to take Yukito's plate.
"Did you want anymore Tsukishiro-san?"
"no, thank you, I would like another jar of sake though please"
The sake had given him a little warm spot in his stomach, Yukito really wanted to feel warm right now. The second jar seemed to go much quicker than the first. The third jar didnt last very long at all, and the fourth......
The Chef placed Yukito's jacket over his shoulders and steadied the boy while pointing up the street.
"Home is that way, Tsukishiro-san.....good luck."
The Chef chuckled quietly as Yukito, who was wearing a very goofy smile indeed, started to stagger slowly down the street.
Yukito actually made it at least as far as 10 yards near to his house before he finally tripped on a bottle and hit the pavement...face first.
Deep inside Yukito's mind, for the second time that day, something......someone......woke up.
Yue sat up uncertainly, holding his head. The guardian's large white wings flapped in an almost ridiculous manner as he hauled himself off the ground.
He stood swaying slightly before taking a step forward, only to trip over his own hair and almost end up kissing the concrete again. Yue sighed in a rather long suffering way and said sternly to himself,
"I'm fine, Yukito's intoxicated state cannot effect me, I can fly home and put him to bed and everything will be alright in the morning."
Yue took off and glided the few short yards to Yukito's house. It would have been excellent progress if Yue had remembered to allow for the tree in Yukito's front yard.
Yue opened one eye cautiously and then both eyes so that he could glare at the tree with his most effective glare. His purple catlike eyes narrowed and he spat a curse at the offending arbourial object. Struggling to his feet again, Yue leaned on the tree and rubbed the top of his head, wincing at the bump that was quickly emerging.
"Why me?" Yue said to the tree
"of all the false forms to get stuck with......what a....*sigh* You know what he's doing now?"
The tree didnt reply
"He's in the back of my mind.....singing show tunes."
Yue started up the steps to the house, fumbling awkardly with the door before finally making it to the safety of the house.
"Nobody understands what I go through, the strain, the humiliation.." he muttered as he staggered down the hallway.
Yue caught sight of his reflection in the hallway mirror, he narrowed his eyes and peered at himself wondering at the redness across his white cheeks.
"And Kero thinks he's the more handsome guardian...humph"
Yue laughed derisively and flicked a stray strand of silvery hair back over his white-clothed shoulder. He smiled at his reflection and tipped an imaginary hat over his eyes.
"Here'sh lookin' at you Kid."
Yue suddenly realised what he was doing and came to the conclusion that he'd been watching too many old movies with Kero lately.
There was a knock at the door. Yue froze, seeing the reflection of his horrorfied face in the mirror. Then a familiar voice came through the door.
"Yuki?..........are you there?"
Yue really did not want Toya Kinomoto to see him in this embarressing condition. Toya made Yue feel rather uncomfortable, like an interloper in the body of his best friend. He just couldnt be made to understand that it was Yukito who was the false form, not Yue. Yue also knew that Yukito's feelings for Toya were.......complicated. Yue's feelings for Toya consisted of a certain amount respect and graditude for the fact that Toya had so willingly given up his power so that he, Yue, might continue to exist (though Yukito had more to do with that willingness Yue suspected) but also wariness. Toya had immense power to hurt his false form and that made him somewhat vulnerable. It was certainly what had put him in this situation.
Toya should never have glared at Yukito like that, Yukito was always protecting other people from Toya's perpetual attitude problem but today there had been no one to protect Yukito. No one, that is, except Yue.
"Yukito, I know you're in there somewhere.....please open the door."
The boy was certainly persistant Yue thought as he did something very out of character. He went quietly up the hall into Yukito's room and hid, crouching next to the window, partially concealed by the bed and the curtains.
There was a click of a door opening, then shutting...footsteps up the hallway.
Yue wrapped his wings around himself, closed his eyes and hoped for the best.
"........Yue?"
"sigh" Yue lifted a wing and peered out at Toya, his head was aching now.
Toya Kinomoto was shocked, his friends alternate form, the cold, beautiful and ever composed Yue, looked like something the cat had dragged in.
His long, silver hair was a mess of dirt and twigs, his wings were dirty and as for his clothes........Just then there was the heavy stomping of a more familiar pair of feet and a loud, unmistakable sound of someone with an Osaka dialect. Yue put his head in his heads, his reputation was completely ruined now.
"Yue???" Sakura's voice pierced through Yue's delicate senses, making him wince. He cautiously looked up again. His young mistress was standing with fists clenched and a very concerned look on her face.
"what happened?"
Yue decided that there was no point trying to cover up for Yukito, besides this was his opportunity to impart to the Mistresses brother the full extent of the damage he had done.
"Yukito got drunk...." He said shortly, as he attempted to stand.
Suddenly Toya was there lending a supportive arm as he led Yue over to Yukito's bed and urged him to sit, then he left the room. Yue wondered where he was going, so much for feeling anything remotely resembling guilt.
At this point Yue noticed Kero rolling around on the floor near his feet in convulsive fits of laughter. In moment of sheer malevolence he lifted his long white foot and stepped on the little stuffed toy, pinning him to the floor.
It was immensely satisfying and Yue would have smirked if it wasnt that his head hurt so much.
He became aware of a warm little hand on his and turned to look down at Sakura. He wanted to say something calm and reassuring, to come across as his ordinary aloof self but all his managed to get out was.....
"my head hurts"
Yue got the uncomfortable feeling that his bottom lip was sticking out somewhat. Sakura laughed despite her concern and patted Yue's hand.
"You'll be okay Yue, Toya's gone to get some ice and a hairbrush."
Yue wondered how two siblings that argued constantly the way Sakura and Toya did could be so close as to know what the other was doing without a word being said.
Shortly Toya returned, just as Sakura has said with an icepack and Yukitos hairbrush. Sakura rescued Kero from under Yue's foot then held the ice gently to her moon guardians aching forehead while Toya stood behind Yue looking first at Yue's mass of silver tresses and then at the little hairbrush that served so well for Yukito's short locks.
"what have I gotten myself into?" He muttered.
Toya leaned over and said to Yue quietly
"promise you wont hit me if this hurts, okay?"
Yue nodded and looked at his hands. Sakura quietly babbled on about her day, determined to cheer Yue up, with the occasional, loud (far too loud for Yue's sore head) interjection from Kero. Yue realised he couldnt hear Yukito singing in his head anymore and figured that he must have gone to sleep.
Toya was really been very gentle with his hair, Yue thought. He guessed that his capacity for gentleness towards those he loved must be one of the things Yukito...loved.....about his best friend. Yue hoped they could make up and be happy together, he really did want the best for his other self. Even if Yukito did put him through horibble embaressment and torture.
Touya finished brushing Yue's hair and carefully tied it back up in the usual fashion and then proceeded to use a cloth to brush off the dirt from Yue's clothes and wings.
Yue was suddenly overcome with exhaustion, he lay down on the bed and sleepily said
"Toya, Yukito's pyjama's are in the bottom draw...Yaaawn.....could.....you..."
Toya and Sakura exchange amused glances over the sleeping form as Yue transformed back into Yukito who promptly rolled on his back and started to snore loudly. Toya sent Sakura and Kero from the room and gently helped his sleeping friend into his pyjama's. He tucked Yukito into bed, placed his favourite fluffy bunny plushie next to him and kissed his forehead.
"Sleep well Yuki-chan" he said softly before writing him a little note to let him know who had put him into bed, turning the light off and closing the door behind him.
finito