Disclaimer: Here we go again. I don't own....
Title: Christmas Time
Rating: PG
Chapter 9: You've Changed, Sorata (AKA: She Reminds Me of My Twin)
Arisugawa Sorata made his way downstairs as he dried off his hair with the towel. He'd just gotten out of the shower, and as he was the first one to be up in the whole house (well, mansion, but still…), he decided to cook breakfast. It would be just like old times, except for the fact that now there was more people who would be eating.
As he turned on the gas stove, he remembered when a few years back he and Arashi would cook together for Yuzuriha and Kamui. Subaru would almost never eat, though. After breakfast, the four of them would head over to CLAMP Academy - Subaru rarely joined them in that, as well.
It was fun then. Of course, there always was that threat of not knowing just when a Dragon of Earth might pop up and attack, not to mention the nagging fear of untimely death. But that was in the past; now he could live his full life. Destiny was spun off its course, and for the fifteen people who were staying over at the mansion at the moment, it was a good thing.
He vaguely remembered the moment he had died. It felt weird, to be thinking of when he died when he was very much alive at the moment. But still… Well, there wasn't too much to remember anyway; the debris had fallen on him and Arashi, and almost by instinct he had shielded her with his body from the boulders falling. He'd lost consciousness for a minute; when he came to, he saw Arashi staring intently at his face. He'd had only a few minutes more of his life left, and he used the few minutes to beg Arashi not to cry, but smile. The last thing he saw before he had closed his eyes was the beautiful face of the woman he loved.
And that had been the first thing he had seen when he had come back to life, as well. Strangely enough, everyone's bodies had been summoned to the Tokyo Tower (he assumed that was where the last battle between the two Kamuis took place, but he wasn't sure, as his death had been a week before The Final Day). Kamui was the only one who had been standing; when Sorata had come to, Kamui had been in the midst of staring down at Tokyo contemplating whether or not he should live. The Seals' resurrection had knocked the idea of premature death out of his head though. Well, both the Seals' and the Harbingers' revival, anyway. And Kotori's.
The Dragons soon found out that the day they "came back to life" was actually the day after The Final Day. Assuming the battle was over, they called peace; it would have seemed strange to people because they had been at each other's throats for so long, but in truth, none of them had actually wanted to be born with the fate of the world in their hands, so it made sense that everyone said 'aye' to the idea of quitting the job. Since they were the only ones in the entire face of the Earth who had to share the same fate, friendship was easy to call for.
A few days afterwards, Subaru, Arashi, and Sorata had to leave for their respective homes outside of Tokyo. Sorata had never gotten the chance to really sit down and talk to Arashi.
Now they were back. The fourteen who would have decided the Earth's future, and the one that had been sacrificed to place all into motion. And by Kami, Sorata was going to have a talk with Arashi if it was the last thing he did.
*******
Subaru awoke to the smell of food in the air. For a brief minute he thought about going back to sleep, but then the smell became too tempting and he couldn't help but get out from under the covers, down the stairs, and into the kitchen. Once in the kitchen, an all too familiar sight greeted him.
Sorata was in an apron, with the chopsticks in one hand and a spatula in the other. Subaru leaned against the doorframe and decided to watch the younger man cook until he noticed his presence.
It didn't take the Kouya priest too long to notice that another was in the room with him.
"Oh, Subaru-san! I didn't notice you were there." Sorata exclaimed, nearly dropping the ladle.
Subaru smiled. "It's been a long time since I've seen you cook, Sorata-kun. Or ate anything you made, for that matter."
"How true that is." Sorata agreed with a grin. "Well, do you want anything? There's toast, egg, cheese and broccoli soup..."
"I'd rather wait until the others all get up. It's been a long time since we've had meal with the others, and yesterday's breakfast doesn't really count as all of us being... up, so to speak." Subaru told Sorata. "I'd like coffee though, if there's any."
"Certainly. Milk and sugar?"
"Please. Oh, and two spoonfuls of sugar, by the way."
"All right. Done." Sorata handed a steaming mug of coffee to the young onmyouji.
"Doumo." Subaru thanked, stirring the coffee and taking a sip. "Hmm, I must remind Imonoyama-san to give me a bag of these coffee beans before I leave. They don't sell any like these in the shops."
"No, they don't. I think Imonoyama-san gets them from a farm or something; I doubt he actually drinks store-bought coffee. Being rich always has its advantages."
"True."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"...Sorata." Subaru called over his mug of coffee.
"Hmm ...hai?" Sorata answered, without turning away from the frying pan, which currently had strips of bacon sizzling in it.
"You've changed."
"..." Sorata's hands stopped flipping the bacon bits.
"..."
"...Is it really that obvious?" Sorata turned to face him, a dry smile on his face.
"..."
"Is it? Because that's what the old man at Kouya said."
"Anyone who knew you can see it. You aren't as cheerful as you were before. Somehow, you've gotten more serious over the two years that we haven't seen you. And I have a feeling that it isn't necessarily for the good."
"How do you figure that?"
"Because I went through that phase. When a young man who was always cheerful suddenly turns serious, it's never for the better; rather, it's because he's lost or haven't been able to be with those he care about and is struggling to cope with it."
"..." Sorata mentally slapped himself in the head; he'd forgotten about Hokuto Sumeragi, Subaru's sister, and of Seishirou Sakurazuka. "Gomen, I had forgotten."
"No need to be sorry about it. But what do you plan to do now?"
"You want the truth?"
"Precisely."
"I don't know. I figured if I was back with all of you, I'd get better, but... I guess it's not going as how I'd planned it to be."
"I understand."
"Have you any idea what I should?"
"Well, first, I think you should turn off that stove before you burn the bacon (Sorata yelped at this point and hurriedly turned of the gas), and then I believe you should figure out the core of your problem."
Sorata sat down in front of Subaru. "Help. SOS. Save Our Sorata."
"Creative, Sorata-kun. Now, as I was saying, you need to find out the core of your problem. What do you think it is?"
"...I missed you guys, I guess."
"That's been proven wrong." Subaru reminded the monk.
"Right... then... I didn't like the shrine in Kouya?"
"From what I heard, you grew up there. That's your home. That's not an answer then, is it?" Subaru put down this suggestion as well.
"No..."
"I told you, you missed someone. You missed all of us, but there is someone that you specifically had to see. Now, who would that be?"
"..." Sorata was beginning to see where the Sumeragi was taking him.
"Exactly. You didn't really get to settle down and have a talk with her, have you?"
"No." He was surprised at how quick Subaru was with noticing things that were going around everyone.
"Then I believe you know what you should do... at least for now."
"Yes... I guess so. Thank you, Subaru-san."
"Consider it as a favor to pay you back for the coffee." Subaru smiled at Sorata.
"...^-^" Sorata gave a grateful smile back.
"What are you two doing up?" Satsuki asked as she came into the kitchen, Yuuto in tow.
"Having a man-to-man discussion." Sorata answered her.
"Oh? What about?" Yuuto grew curious.
"Just...things." Subaru supplied.
"...-.-;;;;"
"Sorata-kun~!! Did you cook this morning?!" Yuzuriha hollered from the top of the staircase. Those awake in the mansion winced at the volume, and those still sleeping put a pillow over their heads.
"Yes, I cooked!" Sorata called back.
"Great~!!!" Another bellow, then a thump-thump-thump, which seemed to lead to the second floor bathroom.
"-.-;;;;;;;;;;;" - Those awake in the mansion.
"She certainly is cheerful. I can count the times she was sad with five fingers." Subaru said absentmindedly, then smiled. "Reminds me of my twin. They both are so full of life. It's like she's my sister reincarnate."
"That should be a good thing, right?" Satsuki cautiously asked. Subaru gave her a blank look.
"I should think so, why?"
"Oh, nothing..." Satsuki answered nervously. Yuuto sent a curious glance her was. She mouthed 'not now' toward his way.
******
Eventually everyone got up and made their way downstairs. Sorata really had done a good job cooking; everyone complimented him on breakfast.
After breakfast was done and dishes cleared away, the Dragons gathered in the living room. The younger ones were currently divided into teams and having a battle against each other with "Battle Arena Toshinden" on Playstation (A.N.: I have played this game before; I actually managed to beat almost everyone I played against). The adults were sipping coffee or reading the morning papers.
"Um, Yuzuriha, can I have a talk with you?" Satsuki asked Yuzuriha quietly. "It's about a certain green-eyed man." She instantly had the girl's attention.
"What is it?" Yuzuriha asked nervously. She and Satsuki had made their way over to a corner.
"Well, before, when you were yelling from the stairs, Subaru-san made a comment about you."
"Uh oh... please don't tell me he doesn't like me!" Yuzuriha's eyes started to tear up.
"Nonononono! It's not like that!" Satsuki was thoroughly shocked that Yuzuriha thought that way.
"Then?"
"Well... It's not something I can tell you myself, but I really think you have a good chance with him. I can say that he likes you, at least like a little sister. And that's something. I think Yuuto thought of me that way too, before he and I ....ahem...started going out." Satsuki turned a bit red as she finished the sentence.
"But..."
"Mind if I joined you two in the conversation?" Karen popped up next to them. Satsuki relayed the story so far to the older woman. Karen seemed thoughtful.
"Well, if he thinks of you as a little sister, Yuzu-chan, it means that he thinks you're cute; that much is for certain."
"But... with Seishirou-san..."
"I can say you have a big rival there, but... well, take confidence within yourself. If all else fails, I'll introduce you to a boy at school." Satsuki reassured Yuzuriha.
"..."
'Young love.' Karen mentally rolled her eyes, but then smiled and looked at Aoki, who was having a conversation with Kusanagi. He was probably asking about the military or something.
'I'm one to talk.' Karen thought wryly, but with a smile. She then noticed Subaru beckoning her.
'I wonder what he wants to talk about?'
TBC.....
A/N.: I have a feeling I may actually finish within the next year…. R+R, please?