Title: The Space Between Sunset and Sunrise

Author: Imanewme

Genre: Fluffy!Gen

Word Count: 740

Rating: T

Characters: Jyuusain-Hime, Ryuuki

AU/Cannon: AU, OOR

Theme: Desperation

Disclaimer: I do not own Saiunkoku Monogatari. I don't make money writing these stories.

She stood in the rain so no one could see her tears. The drizzle was ice cold, but her cheeks were flushed and her eyes hot as she cried out all the frustrations that had been welling up in her since. . . since…

i"Since my son was born,"/i her own thoughts supplied quietly.

Her days were filled with obligations. It was easy to ignore the nagging ache in her chest while she bustled about her palace duties. She spent many of her hours with her children, overseeing the triplets' studies and consulting with Shusui on their progress.

But in the space between darkness and morning light, she was blissfully free to allow her mind to wander. She balled her fists down by her sides and looked down at her figure. Weeks of training and her body seemed to be back in shape now, but still, even now, Ryuuki seemed to shy away from even being in the same room with her.

"Stupid man. I don't miss him," she muttered to herself. Lies. She knew they were lies, but as long as she told them to herself, she didn't have to face the fact that she was utterly, desperately, mind-numbingly lonely for his company.

"You don't miss us?"

The empress couldn't suppress her startled cry. She spun around and faced her elusive husband and glared. His eyes widened slightly in surprise when she marched up to him and poked him in the shoulder harshly.

"Why should I?" Jyuusian-hime barked. "You don't miss me, either."

With that bold declaration, she crumpled. Setting her jaw against the sobs rising in her throat, she beat against his chest with her fists. He made no move to fight her. His long honey locks hung drenched and limp against his shoulders. The rain masked his own tears, and he let her punish him. His wife was no stranger to fighting, but these blows were empty and weak. He caught her wrist and held it firmly against his chest.

"Do you feel that?" He asked quietly.

"Wh… what?" she stammered. What was she supposed to feel?

"My heart. Do you feel it beating?"

She closed her eyes. "Yes, I feel it."

His shoulders relaxed a bit. "Good. So you know we're not without a heart."

She looked up but her eyes did not meet his. He pulled her to his chest and rested his chin on the top of her head. "We do miss you," he admitted. His voice cracked slightly and she shuddered, suddenly aware of the chill in the air and the cold wet cloth against her body.

"But why?" she asked. She kept her head against his shoulder and clung to him. The simple steady rhythm of Ryuuki's blood rushed against her ears and she was strangely soothed. It seemed her own heart was slowing to match speed with his and she shuddered again in a chill.

Ryuuki sighed heavily. "It's not your fault."

The rain slowed, but remained steady. The tree leaves rustled softly and the clouds rolled away from the moon to expose a few slivers of milky light to the musky garden. When she did not respond, he continued.

"Remember when our son was born? You nearly died that night. We… I … I'm afraid. We're happy and thankful for our children, but we do not want to make you pregnant again. We… I… can't do this alone."

Jyuusian-hime's breath hitched against the hard lump forming in her throat. She pulled away and looked into his eyes. Her soaked ebony locks clung to her neck and back. "Neither can I," she admitted quietly, "but where have you been sleeping?"

He smiled suddenly. "Don't you know?"

Anger flashed in her big blue eyes and she huffed. "If I knew, I wouldn't have asked."

"I've been in the archives."

The anger melted from her face and her shoulders fell.

"Of course," she mused. "How could I not think of it?" She shuddered again as the cold continued to seep into her skin.

Cupping his hand under her chin gently, he leaned in and put a chaste kiss on her lips. She gingerly flicked her tongue across his bottom lip, worried that the invitation would drive him away. It did not. He deepened the kiss eagerly and pulled her closer to his muscular frame.

"Let's go inside," he suggested. "Is there still room for me in your quarters?"

Relief washed over her frame in waves and she laughed weakly. "Of course there is, Ryuuki."