Slaine flopped back onto the grassy lawn and looked up at the sky. There were a few airy wisps of clouds gently traveling across a sapphire sky.
"It's Rayleigh scattering…" He frowned as he remembered the brunette's words.
They had argued briefly and then Slaine had realized he was mistaken. He wasn't really surprised, though.
They argued more these days, but the intense, incomprehensible animosity he had felt towards Inaho for so long seemed to have mysteriously vanished. Ever since that week, when they had both been at their most vulnerable, forced to depend on the other, it was like a wall between them had fallen and they could see one another more clearly. Even so, there were still many unanswered questions on both sides.
After Slaine, in his fevered state, admitted that he wanted to cultivate plants, he discovered a seed catalogue on his desk. When Yuki found out, she had enthusiastically dragged him outside and showed him where her neglected tools were stored. And now here he was, digging in the dirt, planting seeds by the morning light.
He couldn't understand why they insisted on something like this. Why they would go out of their way for him was inexplicable. And the thought that had always lingered on his mind had recently grown much more intrusive – "Is this for Asseylum or…?"
Just how far would Inaho go for her?
"It wasn't me. It's what Princess Asseylum wants. Seylum-san asked me to save you."
He understood completely. The desire to see her safe, to see her happy, to fulfill any and every wish in her heart. But did he know the pain of never being the one on whom she depended? Of every effort going to waste as she took someone else's hand? Perhaps that was why – no, deep down he had always known it was why he had hated Inaho so much.
A part of him wished she had never made that request, much less entrusted it to Inaho of all people. He wished that he had never received her kindness when he had nothing to give in return. Even without pride, living on her charity was a miserable existence. Lemrina would have much to say about it.
Slaine stood up and brushed the dirt off his hands. After putting the tools away in the shed, he headed back inside.
He took his shoes off by the door, careful not to track in dirt. Inaho would slaughter him. As he got himself something to drink in the kitchen, suddenly someone pinched his side. He nearly spat out his water.
"Y-Yuki-san?!" he choked.
She laughed playfully. "Look who's gained weight!" she said with a thumbs-up.
So that was it. He let out a breath as his heartbeat returned to its normal pace. But before he could reply, two hands closed around his waist and lifted him up.
"Yeah, about five kilograms… maybe six?" said Inaho matter-of-factly, setting him down again.
Slaine stood in stunned silence as the other walked to the fridge.
"Nao-kun you should warn people before you pick them up," Yuki chided him, though she looked quite amused. Probably because Slaine was rapidly turning pink.
Inaho was about to reply when the doorbell rang.
"Oh, were you expecting someone, Nao-kun?" asked Yuki.
It was a Saturday morning – most of his friends were probably asleep. He shook his head. Slaine had already vanished, as he always did when someone turned up at the house.
But he had only been in his room for a few minutes when he heard Yuki call up the stairs.
"Slaine-kun!" her voice seemed strange, "Ah… you can… can you come down for a minute?"
Who had come to visit that he was allowed to see? And why was Yuki being so weird about it…
He descended the stairs with unease.
When he entered the room below, he felt his heart sink into his stomach.
Two government officials were seated on the livingroom couch, talking with the Kaizukas.
"He's gotten rather comfortable, don't you think?" commented the older looking man as he glanced up at Slaine with a critical eye.
Unlike the tense Yuki, Inaho did not seem on edge at all. In fact, he looked the most relaxed of anyone in the room.
"I do," he responded calmly as he poured tea. "This is a private residence, after all. I should hope anyone living here would be comfortable."
"A-anyway," continued the official after a long pause, "I regret to inform you that the partial-release of Slaine Troyard, initiated some time ago, was never properly authorized and is therefore invalid. As penalty for breaking the terms of his imprisonment, he is to be transferred to a maximum-security facility for the duration of his sentence. We will be taking him into custody immediately."
Slaine's fists clenched in his lap. Why had he come here at all if it was just going to end like this? Now he was going to be worse off than before – at another facility he would not be near the Kaizukas. Well, this was a good opportunity for them to get rid of him with no hard feelings. Inaho could get out of his obligation to Asseylum if it was beyond his control. He had only ever been a burden to them, after all.
Inaho leaned back against the couch cushions. "No, you will not."
Slaine's eyes darted up. What? What was he doing…
The man opened his mouth as if to speak, and then clamped it shut again. He didn't seem to know how to handle such bold, unapologetic opposition.
Inaho continued, "Even if there were a problem with the authorization, which there isn't, there are absolutely no grounds for changing the sentence of someone who has not done anything wrong. It's illegal."
"Slaine Troyard has no legal existence," countered the second man as he adjusted his glasses, "Someone who is dead cannot be protected by the law."
"I am his legal existence. I will protect him."
Eh? Slaine sat silently by Yuki, observing the conversation. Part of him wondered why he needed to be there if no one was going to address him, but at the same time he was grateful for not having to speak.
The older man was starting to get angry. "Ha! Who do you think you are?" he scoffed, "Just because you cozied up with a Martian princess and did a few impressive things in the war to earn yourself some rank, you think that gives you the authority to determine the management of an international threat? You will cede that menace to us, or I will have you and your sister arrested for obstruction, Kaizuka Inaho."
The room went quiet. But not because Inaho had nothing to say. Rather, it looked more like he was trying to hold back from saying something. Slaine had seen many of Inaho's limited expressions, but never this one. He was livid.
Inaho took a long, deep breath and set his teacup down on the table. "Apparently you are not well-informed about this case," he began in a cold, even tone, "That, and the fact that I've never seen you before, probably means you're new. Or maybe you're really not all that important. I'd really rather not explain this now since I have better things to do, but as you obviously lack the initiative to perform adequate research prior to forming judgments and taking action, I will enlighten you."
What are you doing? Slaine listened in bewilderment. Why would he go through all this trouble? He didn't need to. This was his chance to get out of this for good.
"Slaine Troyard is a citizen of Vers. His citizenship was secretly reinstated following the war, by the Empress herself. Through a mutual agreement between the UFE and Vers, Slaine was handed over to the UFE for incarceration here on Earth. The compromise for keeping him, protecting him, and allowing him to live was that they be allowed to officially declare him dead to the public. Naturally, this information could not be widespread. There are only a select few who are supposed to know that he is alive. However, should the terms change, they must first be approved by both the UFE and Vers. You do not have the authority to alter his sentence so easily. It is also why the authorization for his current situation was not run through you – I brought it directly to those above you."
Both men now appeared extremely uncomfortable, while Yuki seemed to have forgotten her anxiety and looked at her brother with a proud grin.
But it was Slaine who was the most surprised. Even he was not aware of most of what he had just heard. And then he was also mesmerized by this different Inaho before him. He had almost forgotten this side of him after seeing him for so long as the soft-spoken boy who wore oversized sweaters and invariably won at chess.
"By the way," Inaho added, taking a sip of tea, "I am well aware of your true intentions. You mean to place him out of my reach, where you can more easily do as you wish without opposition. But as you can see, the execution of Slaine Troyard is far beyond your prerogative. I personally have the direct support of the Empress of Vers, as her representative in the defense and protection of Slaine. Her involvement in this matter is not to be taken lightly. Unless you wish for this to become a matter of interplanetary proportions, I suggest you leave now."
The older man's eye twitched as he stared at Inaho in silence. Then the two stood, gave hasty, awkward farewells, and departed as quickly as they had come.
When they were gone, Inaho began clearing away the cups. Yuki stood up to help him, and Slaine sat quietly on the couch, still trying to comprehend what had just happened.
"Slaine-kun? Are you alright?" asked Yuki, tapping him lightly on the shoulder.
He blinked at her, and then suddenly the tears began to fall.
Slaine wasn't sure why he was crying. All he felt was overwhelming relief. He didn't care anymore. He didn't care what Inaho's true motivation was, or whether Yuki ever forgave him. None of that mattered. All he wanted was to stay with them. Even if he was a burden, he wanted to stay here with these people. These siblings who treated him like he belonged.
After a few minutes, he wiped his eyes and stood up.
"I'm going back outside."
As Slaine stepped into the backyard he looked up at the sky again. Was Asseylum up there somewhere? He wondered what she was doing right now. These plants reminded him of her. This beautiful Earth… it was a shame she could never live here, amongst the nature she loved so much.
He opened the garden shed door and stepped inside, but something was on the floor and he tripped.
"Ow!" cried a female voice from beneath him.
He froze. This voice…
"G-get off!" she squeaked, shoving him aside.
This voice…
She ran out of the shed and he stared after her in confusion.
"Who are you?!" she demanded, her cheeks flushed.
He could now see her in the afternoon sun. She had strawberry hair, pushed back from her face with a headband, and wore a cute pink cloak and skirt. Her green eyes widened as they rested on him. He had never seen her before, and yet -
"S…Slaine?!"
a/n: I apologize in advance for slow updates in the coming week and a half or so. Just thought I should let you all know that I'm not dropping this fic, I'm just slowing down temporarily due to some personal time constraints. ^^
