Disclaimer: Standards disclaimers apply....
Title: Christmas Time
Rating: PG
Chapter 7: Of Tables and Cigarettes
"Who would the lucky boy be?" Karen asked. Who would have thought the cute Nekoi Yuzuriha would have a crush? And since she was the youngest of the Ryu, it was quite obvious she had a crush on an older boy. Or man.
"It's...um...uh..." Yuzuriha went from beet red to turning into a tomato.
"Initials with S.S." Satsuki helped out.
"Double S's?" Karen raised her eyebrows. That cut the choices pretty narrow. It would either be Sakurazuka Seishirou or...
"Sumeragi Subaru, thirteenth head of the Sumeragi Clan?" Karen chose between the two.
Yuzuriha put her head down on the table, signifying that Karen had hit a home run.
"Oh..."
"IzsSmbrsig." Yuzuriha mumbled into the table.
"Hm?"
"She said 'It's so embarassing'." Satsuki helped out. "And I repeatedly tell her, it isn't."
"Why would it be so embarassing?" Arashi asked Yuzuriha.
"Well, he and Seishirou-san already have a... history... and besides, I'm too young for him." The young girl finally lifted her head from the table and answered Arashi's question.
"Hmm... to tell you the truth, I would say that you have a big rival when it comes to Seishirou-san, but for the second question, I doubt love has boundaries." Kotori pointed out.
"But he has ...uh, preferences... and besides, why would he be interested in me?"
"Now, that I can answer, as I am expert in this. First of all, he may be bisexual - that means you have a shot - and second of all, you're quite an attractive girl, Yuzu-chan, and I tell you again, you have a good chance with him." Karen supplied the youngest.
"..."
"Are you going to tell him?"
"...I don't know..." Yuzuriha buried her head again.
"Why not?"
"I tried to twice before, but both times I got tongue-tied and messed it up. I don't know if I can do it..."
"Okay, don't hate me for saying this, Yuzuriha, but you HAVE to tell him. Otherwise, you're going to mess up whatever chance you have with him. The worst he can say is no; he's too nice to laugh at you. You know that." Satsuki pushed.
"...How much chance do I have with him...?"
"I'd say about 50:50. I won't lie to you, but I'm thinking it's not too bad a chance. Try, at least, before I force you to.-_-++++"
"Thanks a lot..."
It seemed as though the two youngest members of the group of Dragons had managed to build a friendship over the two-year period. It helped to be the same age at times.
Karen smiled as Yuzuriha tried to convince herself that she had a pretty good chance with the young Sumeragi. The age difference wan't all that bad... it was only a 5 and half year gap. There were people she knew who married even though they were over ten years apart, and were still able to keep happy.
Young love. How cute... She loved to play matchmaker-slash-cupid with the youngsters. Speaking of which, the Inugami priestess and Sumeragi prince weren't the only ones she should be helping. There was still a certain monk and priestess left to tie together...
She grinned at Arashi. Arashi smiled back. Karen wondered how she would convince this girl that she had a shot at happiness with the genki Seal.
******
"Subaru-kun, hold up for a minute." Seishirou called out to Subaru. The Sumeragi turned towards him.
"What is it, Seishirou-san?"
"Nothing, I just wanted to stop for a cigarette." The Sakurazukamori pulled out a packet from his shirt pocket. Subaru frowned at the pack. He'd quit a year ago.
"Ugh. Why do you still smoke? I quit last year. I'm sure that it doesn't do any more than temporarily calm a person's nerve and steadily kill the person's body at the same time. I can't believe I used to smoke..."
"Habit, I guess. Want one?" Seishirou smiled, and handed a stick out to the younger man.
"...--;;;;"
"One won't kill you in an instant, you know."
"You're trying to tempt me."
Seishirou shrugged. "I was the messenger of destruction for thirty years. I can't help but lead innocents into the evil path. So want it or not?"
Subaru frowned, but he took the stick anyway. After lighting it, he made another face. Obviously, he was not happy with the taste nor the fact that he was smoking after quitting. He seemed comfortable with the fact that he wasn't attracted to the nicotine anymore, though.
"So you don't like it, I gather."
"No."
"That's a good thing, then. You needn't worry about lung cancer."
"And you?"
"You're worried?"
"Of course."
"It's been a long time, hasn't it?"
"..."
He wasn't trying to anger him. He knew Subaru knew that as well. However, he did want to find something out. He took a long drag from his cigarette, then closed his eyes, slowly exhaling the smoke.
"Subaru-kun."
"Yes?"
"Do you still love me?"
That was it. Blunt, but direct. Subaru looked taken aback (Seishirou didn't blame the onmyouji, he never asked things like these. And he didn't plan to in the future, either. Just this once.) at the sudden question, and he stared at Seishirou. What was he supposed to say?
"..."
"I didn't expect you to answer. Have you found another in your life?"
"I have not!" Subaru said indignantly. Why was Seishirou being so blunt all of the sudden?
"Then say you love me."
"..." Now, that just wasn't fair.
"I'm not saying you didn't love me before, Subaru-kun. And I do not doubt that you still love me now, as a friend at least. But I also know that when I had died, you were forced to move on with your life, because it was either that or killing yourself, and doing so would have brought your sister's fury down upon you. The dead know all," He paused to wink, then resumed. "And since I know all, I know that in you, a new type of flower is budding. Now, I'm not one to use sappy words or even worse, write poetry, but I'm being blunt with the subject at hand simply because there is no other way around it. Now answer, am I being wrong when I say that your heart is being divided into two parts, with one side rapidly gaining more space?"
"...I...don't know..." Subaru managed out. Seishirou was being so painfully blunt about the matter, but he was right; there was no other way around the subject. He had to be honest, for both his and Seishirou's sake.
"Well, do you know WHO your heart's leading you to go to?"
"..." Subaru stared at the older man.
"I take that as a 'no' and an 'I don't understand'. Let me rephrase the question. Are you even sure of WHO the other person is? Other than me?"
"No."
'Kami-sama, he's so dense at times! --;;;;;' "Then at least, you feel your emotions toward me have...cooled off, so to speak...a bit."
"I...guess so."
"Good, we're getting somewhere."
"Why are you doing this?" Subaru managed to choke out.
"Because I don't want you to be dishonest to yourself. I… hurt you… too much… and took everything you had. I… I care about you too much to allow you to do something that you would regret later on in life. Even if it means I lose the bet. And besides, if you are unhappy, your sister will have my head."
Though this was a serious conversation, Subaru couldn't help but laugh at the idea. "She would, wouldn't she?"
"Absolutely. And then I'll have to listen to her rambling for the rest of eternity. Now I don't know about you, but as I much as I love dear Hokuto-chan, I plan to take a long break when I'm six-feet under. I adamantly refuse to be yelled at continuously because I let her dear little otouto-chan be dishonest to himself. Now help me out here; no more lying to yourself, okay?"
Subaru gave a weak smile, and nodded.
"That's a good boy. Now let's go find that tree. If we don't, the girls will be the ones after our heads. Women are difficult to get around, ne?" Seishirou threw out his cigarette as he started walking again. Subaru ground out his own cigarette and followed.
"...Seishirou-san."
"Hmm?"
"Thank you."
"No need to thank me. It was to save both my life and death."
"..."
"..."
"Seishirou-san."
"Nani?"
"Did you… Did you ever love me? At least tell me that… onegai…"
"..."
"..."
"...I did... I do. And because I do, I'm forcing you to take this path."
"...We can still be friends, right? Even if I follow your advice? And… if I ever need someone to lean on… can you be the one there for me?"
"Why not?"
"You promise."
"Hai, hai. I promise. And this time, I won't break it."
"You know I forgave you for that."
"That I do."
"We're friends?"
"More. But not over the line of friendship, mind you."
"How can I forget?"
This conversation lasted for another hour or so. While they were talking, Seishirou felt both sad and happy. It was definitely painful to force Subaru to go to another, but it was an equally happy thought to be able to keep the promise he made a long time ago to one who was no longer here. The hurt will heal in time. But he'd have the joy of seeing Subaru finally free from pain. That is, if he didn't die of lung cancer beforehand.
He had to quit smoking.
******
A/N: YES!!!!!! IT IS FINALLY MY TIME TO REIGN NOW!!!!!! MAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!! Oh... by the way… I just want to know, does anyone other than me and my sis actually think the Subaru+Yuzuriha couple will work out? We siblings call in Yubaru…. ~.~
And just FYI, I have NO problem with Seishirou/Subaru; as a matter of fact, I have no problem against yaoi, period. I just happen to like this one better…. ^___^;;;;;