The second half of this one is a little silly. This part has no real spoilers except for the usual Tokyo Babylon ones, and no heavy shounen ai. Meia gets a big hug for dialogue assistance.
A Little Bet
A 'Yume' side story.
Subaru finished unpacking the last of his clothes into the closet, and turned to the one remaining box in the centre of the living room. Tsuru had given him a box of things his grandmother had left behind after she died, saying only that he had no need for them.
The first item that struck him was a letter written on plain white paper, in familiar script.
Dear Grandmother,
I've done a lot of research over the past month into our Clan's past, and I've been to see a few of my distant cousins.
At least one of them has the suitable power to be Clan Head. So, I am turning the position back to you. I suggest you transfer it to him as soon as he is old enough. His name is Sumeragi Tsuru and I include his address with this letter.
I will probably never see you again. I'm going far away. I can't cope with the responsibilities of Clan Head any more. I apologise for any pain I have caused you and hope you can forgive me.
Sayonara, grandmother.
Sumeragi Subaru
Ex Clan Head.
He put it away before his tears could wet the ink and make it run. "I'm sorry, grandmother," he whispered, closing the box. He didn't feel like going through it any more.
A knock on the door was a welcome distraction - until he recognised the hovering presence to be the Sakurazukamori.
"What is it?" he asked, opening the door irritably. He blinked at Seishirou's appearance - suit and hair dusted with a fine layer of off-white plaster, sunglasses apparently still in one piece and obscuring the otherwise handsome face. "Seishirou-san? What ha--"
"My building collapsed. Earthquakes. Don't ask."
Subaru stared at him. "And, what, you want me to put you up for the night?"
Seishirou leaned casually against the doorframe. "If you'll have me. It's your bet, after all."
The Sumeragi glared at him. "I don't recall you ever moving in with me."
"Well, Subaru-kun, it would hardly have been right, a twenty five year old living with a sixteen year old." He removed his sunglasses, revealing the right eye to be milky white.
Subaru stared at him, feeling his heart begin to thud in reaction to Seishirou's presence and the familiar guilt settle in the bottom of his stomach. He sighed, wondering if Seishirou knew the effect he was having on him. "Oh, come in."
"Thank you, Subaru-kun."
"You can have the spare room," continued Subaru briskly, pointing in the direction of the relevant door. "You're lucky I have one. I suppose you have luggage?"
Seishirou shook his head. "All my things were destroyed along with my apartment."
"Well. You'll have to buy yourself some, then." He picked his grandmother's box up off the table and took it to his own room. After a moment sitting on the bed, trying to stop his hands from shaking, he returned to the living room, where Seishirou had taken a place on the couch. "I'm going out."
"And I'm to stay here, am I? Do I get a key?"
"No," said Subaru, firmly. "You get to go out shopping for clothes. I'll be back about six, so don't come back before then." That gave him at least an hour after the shops closed. He was through with being considerate.
Once Seishirou was out of his apartment, he leaned back against the wall, letting out a deep breath. Even after all this time, the Sakurazukamori still had the ability to turn him into a shivering mess.
If he was going to win this bet, he reflected, he was going to have to get over that.
As he locked the door, he wondered which outcome would be winning.
~ * ~
Sakurazuka Seishirou was annoyed. He was alone in Subaru's apartment, the onmyouji absent for reasons Seishirou had not been informed of. Not for the first time, he found himself trying to ascertain Subaru's purpose in rewriting their 'bet'.
He regarded the stuffed rabbit on Subaru's bed helplessly. "I wish I knew what he was trying to do, that's all," he told the rabbit, sitting on the bed himself. "He's not even trying to make me fall in love with him."
The rabbit was silent.
Subaru had finally given him a key, after a week, but that was about the lengths of the onmyouji's consideration for his guest. If Seishirou was home, Subaru would prepare him another helping of whatever he was having for dinner, but otherwise Seishirou was obviously expected to fend for himself.
He didn't even leave notes. It was past eight, and Seishirou still had no idea where the Sumeragi was. They hardly ever spoke. Seishirou was becoming increasingly frustrated.
"Do you know what he's doing? Does he talk to you?" he asked the rabbit, picking it up by the ears.
The rabbit continued to say nothing.
Feeling a little silly for having expected an answer, he put the toy back on the bed and exited the Sumeragi's room.
He was just about to pace around the living room for the third time when he heard the sound of a key in the lock and the door being unlatched.
"Subaru-kun, where have you been?" he demanded, as soon as the onmyouji opened the door.
"Tsuru and I went out to dinner," said Subaru, shrugging his coat off and hanging it on a peg just inside the hall.
Subaru's companion, obviously his cousin Tsuru, paused in the hallway, facing into the room. "Subaru-san, who is this?" he asked, glancing at Seishirou warily.
"Him? Oh, that's the Sakurazukamori. Just ignore him," said Subaru, casually.
"The Sakurazukamori?!" exclaimed the boy, looking horrified. Seishirou wasn't really surprised to notice that the boy was a Seal. Subaru had mentioned his cousin Tsuru, the Fourteenth Head of the Sumeragi Clan, after all.
Subaru gave Seishirou a Look. "He's not going to hurt you. Are you, Seishirou-san?"
"Subaru-kun, when your bet starts intruding on professional matters, I think it's going a little too far--"
"Are you?"
"No. Not unless it's over a kekkai, no."
"Good. Now, Tsuru, would you like some coffee or tea before you go home?"
The boy shook his head. "No, actually, I think I'd better get going."
"I'll call a taxi, then, okay?"
"Okay," said Tsuru.
Subaru saw his cousin out, then returned to the apartment and headed straight for the shower.
Seishirou muttered unkind things under his breath as the water started up. He decided that he was sick and tired of being ignored and it was about time the situation changed.
"I guess it's up to me, though," he said to the empty air. After all, he didn't really want to die, exciting as it would be to die in Subaru's arms.
First step, he decided, would be buying Subaru a puppy.
-----
Continued in part four. Comments appreciated.
Note for the interested: Tsuru means 'crane', and it came from a list of Japanese names for the constellations. It seemed to fit the character.