Fandom: Tokyo Babylon
Title: Kiri ga nai.
Pairing: Seishirou + Subaru
Rating: PG
Description: Seishirou decides to make one impulsive stop before going home…and finds someone he wasn't expecting to be there.

Disclaimer: Tokyo Babylon is the property of the fabulous Clamp. I am just an admirer.

Kiri ga nai. (Endless.)
by Miyamoto Yui

He's a man who has a penchant for beautiful things. It's one of the few things he's willing to admit about himself.

Gazing down at the sparkling city below, he covers the fading flame that the wind wants to lick out of existence. He smirks, holding the lighter up before him before putting it securely into his jacket pocket. Inhaling slowly, he observes the red and white lights of cars in traffic, the half-moon shape of Nakano Sun Plaza, Tokyo Tower changing colors mid-week, and the Shinjuku Clock Tower's muted ticking.
With the timing of receding and reemerging shimmers, Tokyo twinkles in its own light, following its own heartbeat. Its population walks in tempo with its energetic pulsation.

From the hour indicated, it is earlier than expected. After all, he's finished the assignment faster than the time allotted, but that governor's wife was an exquisite one. It's rare to find a flower who wasn't ravenous for power or money in this day and age. So why did the old men want her head cut off (or in this case, her body punctured free of its heart) in the first place? She'll be the display at the council gates, the warning for stepping over their marked boundaries of embezzlement.
In turn, they crushed his treasure, the one thing he'd lived for.

"How foolish," he'd wanted to say, but when he saw her smile so gracefully, he only shook his head at the folly of the human heart.
She had anticipated it somehow. Women with clarity always do.

It reminded him of Her.
So he respectfully closed her eyes before he left, licking his fingers. Maybe the sweetness of her essence would rub off on him and give some indication of what his prey must exist like.

He smashes the cigarette under his Italian leather dress shoe and heads for the elevator. But instead of going straight down, he has an inkling to go to the observation area of the Metropolitan Building. It is one of the few things in the city that's open this late, even later than Tokyo Tower.
With his special card, he goes down a private elevator for staff only, but he never ventures too far. He never wants to bother Kanoe if it's possible. Those assignments are troublesome in content…even if this one's related directly to her this time 'round. (But it is of no consequence, they'll replace him soon and she's most likely informed already.)

The handsome man with the long trench coat makes his way to one of the long rectangular windows, staring down now through a glass filter. It's funny that he just did the same thing upstairs on the roof, but this feels closest to his 'emotions'.

Always viewing with a barrier. Never truly understanding what's the big deal in experiencing the sensations of sun and wind, hearing the murmurings of boisterous people with their slim roads and noisy cars. Or the surprised laughter or admiration at seeing an advertisement of an idol on the large television sets at Shibuya Crossing or Studio Alta outside of Shinjuku East Gate.

His eyes only search for certain points in his memory map. The places where she brought him. Where they lived together. The earth covering her body.
Now, it's somehow being overwritten with small dents from the prey and his sister.

He sighs a bit, not wanting to touch the window with his gloves, the ones out of season along with the coat. So he turns around and wonders why he felt the need to stop here until he blinks his eyes to see his prey at the other side, looking out one of the other large windows.
However, it seems he too is doing one of his 'shigoto' because he's not dressed in something he'd voluntarily wear without coaxing from his sister. He's wearing a crepe-like material that subtly glitters even under these fluorescent lights. Hanging off his right shoulder, the material crisscrosses over his waist, the slit dividing all the way to his ankles, showing the right leg with aqua blue shorts underneath. The left side is a translucent bright white, giving a hint of his shoulder, but is thicker as it spins around his chest. The thin, yet bright vermillion belt makes his waist even smaller. Black ankle boots with two buckles highlight his legs whenever he takes a step.

Obviously, it's something his sister would wear, but without a doubt, it is his prey.

The glass reflection shows him licking his lips as he feels the beat that links him with the boy's hands. The boy flinches and takes one step back, holding his gloves towards his chest nervously as he turns to face his companion.

That's when the older man squints his eyes as he sees his prey's profile. "Ah ah ah…no one can touch the merchandise but me."

Smoothly deft, he makes his way about the wide room and hears hints of their conversation.
"I am sorry but I have another engagement after this so I must leave."
"At so late an hour? Wouldn't you like to have dinner-"
The patron is about to insistently grab some part of the boy again when the man sticks his hand between them.
"I see you have gotten here before me, Subaru-kun." Without discretion, he takes the boy's gloved hand and intertwines their fingers.
His back is towards the boy, but stares pointedly at the patron, giving a dangerous expression. The patron immediately backs off.
"Thank you again," the patron says while cowering behind his gold rings and backs away.

Facing Subaru, he tilts his head and grins, but Subaru is a bit confused. This Seishirou is a bit…dark. He's not in his usual clothes and he can't feel his fingers. More than usual, he can't read anything on Seishirou's face.
"Thank you for helping me, Seishirou-san," Subaru says, feeling an aching inside his gloves.

He has a sudden impulse to touch this face, but doesn't.

Seishirou is about to pull his hand away, but Subaru holds on. This makes him raise his eyebrows.
"Yes?"
"Are you going somewhere after this or are you going home?"
"I was on my way back when I saw you."
Subaru's hand is shaking as he asks, "Do you mind if we go home together?"
He squeezes his hand, rubbing his thumb along the side of Subaru's hand. "No, not at all."

They are quite the sight as they exit the Metropolitan Building and go out to the main walkway leading to Shinjuku Station. Going through the tunnel, people turn their heads at the dazzling figure in gold and white while the tall, broad-shouldered one's coat trails after him as he elegantly walks with his hand proudly holding the one prize he'll never relinquish.

Subaru is the one Truth in his path of Lies.

But he's actually a bit upset that someone else has dirtied his prey by touching him. It's a trait he acquired from her, the one thing all onis possess: Greediness.

The boy is disturbed by being molested in public, but he's relieved the man is there. He'll never understand how he conveniently shows up whenever he calls for him in his mind (more often than he'd care to admit and never to his sister). But Seishirou doesn't ask him about his attire or why he's there.
All he can feel is that this Seishirou is somehow different, but even with the seducing air (blatantly attractive without all his funny words), he finally realizes why he didn't recognize him at first. He's not wearing his glasses, but for some reason, he doesn't feel the need to ask why.

As they're going out of the tunnel and through the line of taxis and cars lining the rotunda leading to the subway and JR trains, Subaru glances at his profile and blurts out, "You have beautiful eyes. They're clear like honey."
Still perturbed from the patron staining his prey, Seishirou stops to look down at Subaru. He laughs and that's when Subaru finally recognizes the person he's always observing. It makes him smile, temporarily forgetting his earlier distress.
"Most people say amber, but I guess being with Hokuto-chan, you've learned all kinds of color names."
Subaru nods his head readily with the pink on his cheeks coloring a shade darker under the harsh lighting. But Seishirou finds it gorgeous all the same, the green of his eyes more amazing today for some reason.
Leaning forward, he jokes with a wink, "I'm glad I invested in contacts if you're hitting on me."
"I…I was just saying the truth!" Subaru averts his gaze as people pass around them in their rush to get to the trains and home at least a few minutes 'faster'.
"I know." He reaches out to gently pinch Subaru's chin and gives him a small peck on the forehead.
Subaru is so stunned, he just blinks at him.

When Subaru is about to say something, Seishirou holds up his free hand and they both go into a taxi.
"Of all days…" Seishirou thinks as he looks out the window.
They remain holding hands the whole way to Ikebukuro, but ask to stop around the east area right before the overpass next to Sunshine 60. There are still people walking to and from game centers, Tokyu Hands, restaurants, cafes, and karaoke stations.

But they take a shortcut home. Seishirou leads them through a narrower passageway where it's less crowded, devoid of light. It's one of the few roads he takes and now that he's revealed this one, he can no longer take it on his way back. It doesn't seem to bother him since that's one of the delights of going home: Not getting caught.
He suddenly pulls Subaru into an enclosed space between two buildings and with his back against the brick wall, he holds Subaru in the near darkness. Taking a deep breath, Subaru presses his hands on Seishirou's chest, leaning in to close his eyes so that he can hear his heart beating.
Neither one says a thing or asks for explanations.

When he opens his eyes, Subaru reaches up to touch his cheek and looks deeply into his face, too shy to say what he wants. Seishirou turns their bodies around so that now Subaru is pushing against the wall. He takes a hold of his hands and pins his wrists to either side of his face, leaning forward to kiss him.
Soon, he works his way to biting his chin and licking his Adam's apple, but all Subaru can do is struggle, his fingers tightly trying to fasten against Seishirou's knuckles. This mild protest stirs something in his chest. When he stands up to kiss him on the lips again, the taste of white peaches pushes against his tongue and he relishes the flavor.

So different from the blossom, from Her taste…
The one who gave me life.

The one I wondered why or how I'd come to exist here.

But then, there is you. And even if you're scared about the answers you'll get from me, you still step forward towards me without shame or pride.
What causes you to have such faith in me?

He kisses his ear and presses his forehead onto the boy's shoulder, finally releasing his wrists.

"Why do you never question me?" he asks softly into his ear.
"It doesn't matter," the boy replies while wrapping his arms around his back.

Seishirou genuinely smiles, but Subaru doesn't see it, though he feels it with all his being. Just then Seishirou begins to laugh, but there's a hint of pleasure beyond the joking and teasing. It echoes beyond the building walls and up into the skies.

From the moment I saw you, that's when it started. And I knew what she meant.
The one I'll love the best…

Kiri ga nai.

"Endless," Subaru whispers into his ear.

As if reading his mind, Seishirou humbly watches the cement floor.

"What do you mean?" Seishirou probes.
"No matter what happens from here…" Subaru lifts his hand, going up his neck and fingers threading midway through Seishirou's hair. "I have a feeling you and I will continue."
"That's a strange way of putting-"
"It will always be us."

The older man takes a deep sip of the air around them. "At some point, that feeling might be wrong."
But the boy shakes his head, his voice full of firm resolve when he says, "I know I can love farther than that, Seishirou."

No one else will ever do.

"Believe in me."

That's when Seishirou raises his arms and hugs Subaru, lifting him a little off the ground.

So…this is what humans aspire for.
This little feeling that frees their soul.

That even if the body disintegrates, this feeling will never fade away…

Owari. / The End.
-
Author's note: When I heard a certain song, it reminded me of something that would have come out in the 80s or 90s, but it was recently released. I usually associate certain 80s music with Sei-chan, but when I heard this one, I was like, "Ah~! Sei-chan yo!"
There was another TB fic I've been working on for months with 15 pages in…and then I heard this song, it clicked with me and I wrote it all in one go. It's been a while since I've been able to do to that. So here it is!

And somehow, I think this one would fit with you, Anoyo-san. Thank you so much for reading all these years. It really does mean a lot to me…

Didn't want so much angst because I really wanted something raw with the cute sexiness of TB to stand out in this one. I don't care that it's giving me a toothache from the sweetness but we all need something soothing once in a while and what a cup of Sei hot chocolate with Subaru marshmallows to drink, don't you think?

So I hope you liked it because I sure enjoyed writing it! :D

Love,
Yui

4/6/2021 9:55:21 PM – Los Angeles
4/7/2021 1:55:21 PM – Tokyo