Disclaimer: If I owned Yami no Matsuei, I'd be the happiest woman alive, but I don't own it so I'll just have to accept the small pleasure of writing this.
Changing Light
Tsuzuki woke up early for a change. Awareness returned slowly to him as the sun climbed over the Eastern horizon, tinging the room with orange light through the gauzy curtains.
It was not until he was fully awake that his mind registered the warm circle of arms wrapped around him and a slightly larger body encompassing his back. He had becomed accustomed to that warmth throughout the night so that its presence that morning was soft and unobtrusive, though the hold was strong. A cheek rested on his ear and the even breath of sleep whispered humid over his own cheek.
Tsuzuki sighed quietly. He would be unable to stir without awakening Muraki. He wanted to turn over and face his platinum lover and get that rare glimpse of his features in repose. He wanted to see the light in Muraki's eyes and the shape of his expression when he awoke with Tsuzuki in his arms.
Maybe if I work slowly, move softly I can manage...but with only the slight movement of the shinigami's head, the doctor took a deeper breath and came awake.
Muraki inhaled deeply and briefly tightened his embrace. Tsuzuki could feel the facial muscles around his lover's mouth gently constrict and knew that the other man was smiling. The cheek was lifted from Tsuzuki's ear.
The violet eyed man felt the contact of bodily warmth even before the soft stroke of lips against his cheek. He turned his face toward Muraki and both men closed their eyes again as they shared a long, tenderly probing kiss.
Tsuzuki slowly reopened his lovely violet eyes as joined lips pulled apart, meeting Muraki's silver gaze for the first time that morning.
"Ohayou, Muraki."
"Ohayou gozaimasu, Tsuzuki-san."
Tsuzuki pressed his shoulder gently backward into Muraki's chest and the circle of arms loosened enough to allow the shinigami to roll over. The two no longer had to strain their necks to make eye contact.
Tsuzuki reached his upward hand toward his lover and placed it on the upper arm braced against his shoulder.
"Aren't you in pain," the smaller man asked quietly, making massaging motions against the tense muscles with his fingers, "holding me like this all night?"
One corner of Muraki's mouth curved up into a bittersweet smile. "I still needed to reassure myself that this was reality."
Tsuzuki returned the smile impishly. "Didn't last night feel real enough?"
The other corner of Muraki's mouth twitched upward, but the expression in his real eye remained tinged with sadness.
"Were you afraid I might not be here when you woke up? What would you have done if I was gone?"
The curve of pale lips straightened back to a line. "Perhaps it is better if you do not ask that question," was the soft, deep reply.
Tsuzuki brushed those lips again with his own and moved his own arms about his larger lover, returning the embrace. He tucked his head against the the pale neck of the other man and the hand that had massaged Muraki's arm now moved up to rest in silver hair.
The calling of crows and the twitter of smaller birds filtered through the panes of the window to twine through the silence filling the room. Freshly risen sunlight crept in through a gap in the curtains, warming Tsuzuki's arms and Muraki's back -- reaffirming reality to both.
"Tsuzuki-san," Muraki said his name softly, on a rising intonation. He drew a long breath, expelled a little of it, continued, "You were insane once...how did you go back to being sane?"
Tsuzuki lifted his head again and looked firmly into Muraki's eyes. He began caressing the soft hair that lay beneath his resting hand. Few would recognize that hesitant speech as belonging to Doctor Muraki. "You already know the answer to that...I died."
The platinum haired man parted his lips once more, but Tsuzuki stopped the question with another light kiss.
But he still answered it. "But, you have something I didn't. I only had me -- you have us." I'll be here for you, until you're better.
This time Muraki's smile was complete, and looking at it made Tsuzuki's heart skip a beat. "Arigatou gozaimasu." Muraki brought their lips together again, and moved them together in languid play until Tsuzuki had to pull away to draw breath. "I love you, Tsuzuki-san," he whispered, again saying his lover's name as a question.
Tsuzuki answered it correctly, "I know, Muraki." That's why I'll help you heal yourself.
And I know you'll still love me even when you move on with your life. So, I'll be happy for you on your wedding day.
After all, somewhere a woman named Ukyou is waiting alone in this changing light...for a good man named Kazutaka...and no one deserves to wait forever.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Author's Notes: Hm...it's bittersweet, just the way I like it.
I don't think those 2 could be "happily ever after."
Sorry, heavy MuTsu fans, but Ukyou does exist. =P
Besides, Tsuzuki's going to spend the rest of his afterlife with Tatsumi, once I work out how it happens. ^_^
Changing Light
Tsuzuki woke up early for a change. Awareness returned slowly to him as the sun climbed over the Eastern horizon, tinging the room with orange light through the gauzy curtains.
It was not until he was fully awake that his mind registered the warm circle of arms wrapped around him and a slightly larger body encompassing his back. He had becomed accustomed to that warmth throughout the night so that its presence that morning was soft and unobtrusive, though the hold was strong. A cheek rested on his ear and the even breath of sleep whispered humid over his own cheek.
Tsuzuki sighed quietly. He would be unable to stir without awakening Muraki. He wanted to turn over and face his platinum lover and get that rare glimpse of his features in repose. He wanted to see the light in Muraki's eyes and the shape of his expression when he awoke with Tsuzuki in his arms.
Maybe if I work slowly, move softly I can manage...but with only the slight movement of the shinigami's head, the doctor took a deeper breath and came awake.
Muraki inhaled deeply and briefly tightened his embrace. Tsuzuki could feel the facial muscles around his lover's mouth gently constrict and knew that the other man was smiling. The cheek was lifted from Tsuzuki's ear.
The violet eyed man felt the contact of bodily warmth even before the soft stroke of lips against his cheek. He turned his face toward Muraki and both men closed their eyes again as they shared a long, tenderly probing kiss.
Tsuzuki slowly reopened his lovely violet eyes as joined lips pulled apart, meeting Muraki's silver gaze for the first time that morning.
"Ohayou, Muraki."
"Ohayou gozaimasu, Tsuzuki-san."
Tsuzuki pressed his shoulder gently backward into Muraki's chest and the circle of arms loosened enough to allow the shinigami to roll over. The two no longer had to strain their necks to make eye contact.
Tsuzuki reached his upward hand toward his lover and placed it on the upper arm braced against his shoulder.
"Aren't you in pain," the smaller man asked quietly, making massaging motions against the tense muscles with his fingers, "holding me like this all night?"
One corner of Muraki's mouth curved up into a bittersweet smile. "I still needed to reassure myself that this was reality."
Tsuzuki returned the smile impishly. "Didn't last night feel real enough?"
The other corner of Muraki's mouth twitched upward, but the expression in his real eye remained tinged with sadness.
"Were you afraid I might not be here when you woke up? What would you have done if I was gone?"
The curve of pale lips straightened back to a line. "Perhaps it is better if you do not ask that question," was the soft, deep reply.
Tsuzuki brushed those lips again with his own and moved his own arms about his larger lover, returning the embrace. He tucked his head against the the pale neck of the other man and the hand that had massaged Muraki's arm now moved up to rest in silver hair.
The calling of crows and the twitter of smaller birds filtered through the panes of the window to twine through the silence filling the room. Freshly risen sunlight crept in through a gap in the curtains, warming Tsuzuki's arms and Muraki's back -- reaffirming reality to both.
"Tsuzuki-san," Muraki said his name softly, on a rising intonation. He drew a long breath, expelled a little of it, continued, "You were insane once...how did you go back to being sane?"
Tsuzuki lifted his head again and looked firmly into Muraki's eyes. He began caressing the soft hair that lay beneath his resting hand. Few would recognize that hesitant speech as belonging to Doctor Muraki. "You already know the answer to that...I died."
The platinum haired man parted his lips once more, but Tsuzuki stopped the question with another light kiss.
But he still answered it. "But, you have something I didn't. I only had me -- you have us." I'll be here for you, until you're better.
This time Muraki's smile was complete, and looking at it made Tsuzuki's heart skip a beat. "Arigatou gozaimasu." Muraki brought their lips together again, and moved them together in languid play until Tsuzuki had to pull away to draw breath. "I love you, Tsuzuki-san," he whispered, again saying his lover's name as a question.
Tsuzuki answered it correctly, "I know, Muraki." That's why I'll help you heal yourself.
And I know you'll still love me even when you move on with your life. So, I'll be happy for you on your wedding day.
After all, somewhere a woman named Ukyou is waiting alone in this changing light...for a good man named Kazutaka...and no one deserves to wait forever.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Author's Notes: Hm...it's bittersweet, just the way I like it.
I don't think those 2 could be "happily ever after."
Sorry, heavy MuTsu fans, but Ukyou does exist. =P
Besides, Tsuzuki's going to spend the rest of his afterlife with Tatsumi, once I work out how it happens. ^_^