Two: Farewell
Several months later, all Yue could do was stare at Touya in disbelief. "You want me to what?"
"Yuki and I thought it would be nice for you to come with father and I to see Sakura off. But you can't go wearing that."
Yue looked down at his robes. "What's wrong with my clothing?"
"It'll make you stand out too much. Like the wings." Touya pointed towards the bathroom. "Yuki's picked out some clothes for you to wear. Go in there and get changed into them."
With a long-suffering look, the Moon Guardian obeyed.
Approximately five minutes later, Touya knocked on the door. "Are you done?"
"I look silly," said Yue, opening the door.
Touya almost stopped breathing. He closed his eyes, and then opened them again. Still no change.
Yukito had apparently picked out a pair of black jeans and a loose mauve top. Yue was at that moment hovering about two feet above the ground in order to keep his freed hair from trailing on the floor.
Touya was prevented from saying anything by the distinctive sound of Sakura thumping up the stairs. "Oniichan! Are you..." She stopped. "Yue-san, are you coming too?"
Yue glanced at her, and nodded.
"You look very pretty," she said, bouncing lightly on her toes. "What are you going to do with your hair?" she added, curiously.
"My hair?" said Yue. He put a hand to it protectively.
Sakura frowned in thought. "I know!" she announced, dashing off in the direction of her bedroom.
Touya and Yue looked at each other in bemusement.
"Here!" said Sakura, skidding to a stop in front of the bathroom again. In her hands, she held a loose black hat, in a style rather like a beret. "Tuck some of it up under this, then it won't trail so low."
Yue took the hat, and stared at it blankly.
"Here, I'll do it for you," said Sakura, entering the room and perching on the bench so she could reach. "Like this." She tucked up the hair until it reached the backs of his knees, and then grabbed some more ties to tidy up the rest of the loose hair.
Yue blinked into the mirror. "I look silly," he said again.
"You look very nice," said Sakura.
The Moon Guardian turned to Touya, helplessly. Touya looked determinedly at his watch. "I think we have to leave now," he said, firmly.
Sakura looked at her own watch and turned pale. "Otousan!" she yelled, thudding down the stairs. "We have to go!"
Touya shrugged, and tugged Yue along by the arm. "Come on, Yue."
Fujitaka gave Yue a slightly amused look when he sat in the car. "You're coming to see her off too, are you?"
Yue simply nodded. Touya seated himself on the backseat beside him, moving one of Sakura's carrybags onto the floor to clear some room. "Just remember to keep your feet on the ground, okay?" he said, leaning back casually.
Yue looked down at the floor, then back at Touya.
"When we're walking," he clarified, unnecessarily. Yue knew perfectly well what he meant.
When they reached the airport, the three males helped Sakura lift all her bags onto a trolley, and then she and Fujitaka went to check her in and meet Syaoran. Yue and Touya hung back in the waiting area.
One of the security guards gave Yue a very odd look as he walked by. The Moon Guardian fixed him with his trademark cold look, causing and the man backed away quickly, eyes wide with shock. Yue blinked in confusion.
Touya put a hand on Yue's arm. "It's your eyes," he murmured. He looked around the various stores until he found one with what he wanted. He walked over went inside, returning a few minutes later with something in a little black case.
"Here, put these on," he said, opening the case.
Yue took the wire objects. "Glasses?" he said, frowning. "But they're blue."
"They're fashion sunglasses. They'll stop people noticing your eyes."
Yue put the glasses on and glanced at Touya. "Better?"
Touya could only nod. He didn't trust himself to speak.
By then, it was almost time for Sakura and Syaoran to board the plane, and Touya still hadn't quite adjusted to the fact that he wouldn't see his little sister for months. He gave Syaoran a look that clearly read, "I still don't like you, but you're the only one I can trust to look after my little sister in a new country, so I'm going to let her go with you."
"Last call for the 1:15 to Hong Kong!"
Sakura grabbed at her backpack and flung it over her shoulder, giving her father a big hug. Fujitaka smiled. "Take care, okay? We'll miss you."
Touya gave her a small smile himself, although his heart was aching. "Don't stomp on anyone's feet, kaijuu."
"Oooh," said Sakura, frustrated. She stepped lightly on his toe, just for good measure, and used it as a lever-up to give her brother a similar hug.
She then gave a very surprised Yue another hug and a light kiss on the cheek. "I'll write, okay?" she told the three of them.
And then she was gone. Touya drew a shaky breath.
"I have to get back to the University," said Fujitaka. "Are you two right to get back home, or do you want a lift?"
"We can catch the bus," said Touya. "We'll be fine."
"Touya," asked Yue, when Fujitaka had left, "why are you so mean to Sakura?"
Touya shrugged. "Habit." He walked purposely in the direction of a nearby café, causing Yue to hurry to catch up with him. "Ice cream?" asked Touya, gesturing to the numerous tubs behind the glass of the display.
"I don't eat," said Yue.
"Don't, or can't?"
Yue paused. "Don't."
Touya ordered a chocolate cone for himself, and then a vanilla one. "Try one. You might like it."
Yue frowned. "I think you are confusing me with Yukito."
"If I was confusing you with Yuki, I would have ordered three more cones. Just try it, okay?"
With a very reluctant air, Yue took the icecream from Touya's hand and stared at it blankly until he noticed what Touya was doing with it. Trying to be as delicate as possible, he took a tentative lick at it.
"Cold," he said, surprised. He took another lick, hesitantly.
Touya smirked. "You have icecream on your chin." He refused to think about how much he wanted to lick it away, and presented the Moon Guardian with a napkin instead.
Yue didn't look impressed with being teased like that, but continued to lick away at the icecream until it was all gone.
"You're supposed to eat the cone, too, you know," said Touya.
Yue presented him with the empty wafer, folding his arms affrontedly.
Touya sighed, wrapped it in a spare napkin and put it in the bin. "Want to go home now?" he asked.
The Moon Guardian nodded.
The Kinomoto home seemed very empty when they got back.
TO BE CONTINUED
Two more parts to go. Comments appreciated.
Several months later, all Yue could do was stare at Touya in disbelief. "You want me to what?"
"Yuki and I thought it would be nice for you to come with father and I to see Sakura off. But you can't go wearing that."
Yue looked down at his robes. "What's wrong with my clothing?"
"It'll make you stand out too much. Like the wings." Touya pointed towards the bathroom. "Yuki's picked out some clothes for you to wear. Go in there and get changed into them."
With a long-suffering look, the Moon Guardian obeyed.
Approximately five minutes later, Touya knocked on the door. "Are you done?"
"I look silly," said Yue, opening the door.
Touya almost stopped breathing. He closed his eyes, and then opened them again. Still no change.
Yukito had apparently picked out a pair of black jeans and a loose mauve top. Yue was at that moment hovering about two feet above the ground in order to keep his freed hair from trailing on the floor.
Touya was prevented from saying anything by the distinctive sound of Sakura thumping up the stairs. "Oniichan! Are you..." She stopped. "Yue-san, are you coming too?"
Yue glanced at her, and nodded.
"You look very pretty," she said, bouncing lightly on her toes. "What are you going to do with your hair?" she added, curiously.
"My hair?" said Yue. He put a hand to it protectively.
Sakura frowned in thought. "I know!" she announced, dashing off in the direction of her bedroom.
Touya and Yue looked at each other in bemusement.
"Here!" said Sakura, skidding to a stop in front of the bathroom again. In her hands, she held a loose black hat, in a style rather like a beret. "Tuck some of it up under this, then it won't trail so low."
Yue took the hat, and stared at it blankly.
"Here, I'll do it for you," said Sakura, entering the room and perching on the bench so she could reach. "Like this." She tucked up the hair until it reached the backs of his knees, and then grabbed some more ties to tidy up the rest of the loose hair.
Yue blinked into the mirror. "I look silly," he said again.
"You look very nice," said Sakura.
The Moon Guardian turned to Touya, helplessly. Touya looked determinedly at his watch. "I think we have to leave now," he said, firmly.
Sakura looked at her own watch and turned pale. "Otousan!" she yelled, thudding down the stairs. "We have to go!"
Touya shrugged, and tugged Yue along by the arm. "Come on, Yue."
Fujitaka gave Yue a slightly amused look when he sat in the car. "You're coming to see her off too, are you?"
Yue simply nodded. Touya seated himself on the backseat beside him, moving one of Sakura's carrybags onto the floor to clear some room. "Just remember to keep your feet on the ground, okay?" he said, leaning back casually.
Yue looked down at the floor, then back at Touya.
"When we're walking," he clarified, unnecessarily. Yue knew perfectly well what he meant.
When they reached the airport, the three males helped Sakura lift all her bags onto a trolley, and then she and Fujitaka went to check her in and meet Syaoran. Yue and Touya hung back in the waiting area.
One of the security guards gave Yue a very odd look as he walked by. The Moon Guardian fixed him with his trademark cold look, causing and the man backed away quickly, eyes wide with shock. Yue blinked in confusion.
Touya put a hand on Yue's arm. "It's your eyes," he murmured. He looked around the various stores until he found one with what he wanted. He walked over went inside, returning a few minutes later with something in a little black case.
"Here, put these on," he said, opening the case.
Yue took the wire objects. "Glasses?" he said, frowning. "But they're blue."
"They're fashion sunglasses. They'll stop people noticing your eyes."
Yue put the glasses on and glanced at Touya. "Better?"
Touya could only nod. He didn't trust himself to speak.
By then, it was almost time for Sakura and Syaoran to board the plane, and Touya still hadn't quite adjusted to the fact that he wouldn't see his little sister for months. He gave Syaoran a look that clearly read, "I still don't like you, but you're the only one I can trust to look after my little sister in a new country, so I'm going to let her go with you."
"Last call for the 1:15 to Hong Kong!"
Sakura grabbed at her backpack and flung it over her shoulder, giving her father a big hug. Fujitaka smiled. "Take care, okay? We'll miss you."
Touya gave her a small smile himself, although his heart was aching. "Don't stomp on anyone's feet, kaijuu."
"Oooh," said Sakura, frustrated. She stepped lightly on his toe, just for good measure, and used it as a lever-up to give her brother a similar hug.
She then gave a very surprised Yue another hug and a light kiss on the cheek. "I'll write, okay?" she told the three of them.
And then she was gone. Touya drew a shaky breath.
"I have to get back to the University," said Fujitaka. "Are you two right to get back home, or do you want a lift?"
"We can catch the bus," said Touya. "We'll be fine."
"Touya," asked Yue, when Fujitaka had left, "why are you so mean to Sakura?"
Touya shrugged. "Habit." He walked purposely in the direction of a nearby café, causing Yue to hurry to catch up with him. "Ice cream?" asked Touya, gesturing to the numerous tubs behind the glass of the display.
"I don't eat," said Yue.
"Don't, or can't?"
Yue paused. "Don't."
Touya ordered a chocolate cone for himself, and then a vanilla one. "Try one. You might like it."
Yue frowned. "I think you are confusing me with Yukito."
"If I was confusing you with Yuki, I would have ordered three more cones. Just try it, okay?"
With a very reluctant air, Yue took the icecream from Touya's hand and stared at it blankly until he noticed what Touya was doing with it. Trying to be as delicate as possible, he took a tentative lick at it.
"Cold," he said, surprised. He took another lick, hesitantly.
Touya smirked. "You have icecream on your chin." He refused to think about how much he wanted to lick it away, and presented the Moon Guardian with a napkin instead.
Yue didn't look impressed with being teased like that, but continued to lick away at the icecream until it was all gone.
"You're supposed to eat the cone, too, you know," said Touya.
Yue presented him with the empty wafer, folding his arms affrontedly.
Touya sighed, wrapped it in a spare napkin and put it in the bin. "Want to go home now?" he asked.
The Moon Guardian nodded.
The Kinomoto home seemed very empty when they got back.
TO BE CONTINUED
Two more parts to go. Comments appreciated.
