Author's Notes: In this part, I institute The Plot. (Yes, this story has one.) So, while this part is still pretty fluffy, it's going to get more serious after this.
Part Three
Seishirou was sound asleep when the phone rang, and the shrill noise only managed to jolt him into half-wakefulness. He fumbled around on his bedside table and somehow managed to get the phone to his ear, then mumbled something that may or may not have been appropriate.
"Ohayo, Seishirou!" Mitsuki's voice sounded far too cheerful for such an early hour. "I just wanted to tell you, I forgot that Sakura and Tsuki's class had a field trip to the zoo today and I'm chaperoning so I won't be home. You'll have to take care of Subaru. Thanks!"
She hung up before he could even get a word out, leaving him wondering if it had been a dream. He tossed the phone back in the general direction of its cradle and fell back to sleep.
When he woke up three hours later, around nine, he barely even remembered the phone call. Basically, he remembered that it had happened. What conversation they'd had was totally beyond him.
Subaru was still asleep, so Seishirou made some tea and toast and brought it over on a tray. "Subaru-kun," he said, shaking him gently. "Wake up."
Subaru mumbled something.
Seishirou checked his fever and was relieved to note that it had gone down quite a bit. At least, he reflected, Subaru wouldn't need to go to a doctor.
After a while, he managed to rouse Subaru enough to eat his breakfast.
"I'll call Mitsuki," Subaru said as soon as he was finished eating. Seishirou brought him the phone and waited. After what seemed like an eternity, Subaru hung it up, frowning. "No one's home."
Seishirou strained to remember the details of that morning's conversation. "She did call this morning," he said. "But I was only half-awake and I don't remember what she said. Something about the zoo leaps to mind, but that can't be right . . ."
"Oh, no," Subaru groaned. "Sakura and Tsuki's field trip. Mitsuki was one of the chaperones. That means she won't be home until five or so."
They looked at each other.
"I'll just walk home," Subaru said.
"I don't think that's such a good idea," Seishirou said.
Subaru shrugged and stood. Once he was on his feet, the world wavered alarmingly. He wobbled a bit, then steadied.
"You look pale," Seishirou said. "You should probably sit down."
"Stop being so damned concerned," Subaru snapped. "It's none of your business anyway." He put a hand on the couch until the world had stopped spinning, then took a step forward, stopping again as the world went white before his eyes.
"You really should take better care of yourself," Seishirou said. His voice held a tiny spark of amusement which infuriated Subaru.
"I'm fine," he ground out between his teeth, and took a few determined steps towards the door. Or at least it was where he remembered the door being, since he couldn't really see. The world was moving much too fast for that. He felt his knees give and flailed wildly for a second before Seishirou caught him. He clung to the older man, waiting for his vision to steady and the bones to return to his knees.
"A-Arigatou," he managed, turning red.
Seishirou didn't let go of him, looking down at him with a very odd expression. "You okay?" he asked.
"I'm fine." Subaru managed to back away, avoiding Seishirou's eyes.
"Will you please just lie down for a while?" Seishirou asked. "You still have a fever and it's still raining. I'm not letting you walk home."
"I could get a taxi," Subaru said.
"Not if you can't make it downstairs," Seishirou replied dryly. He helped Subaru back onto the sofa. "Now stay there, please. I'll get you some more tea. You need to rest."
Subaru sighed and obeyed. It was going to be a long day.
****
Mitsuki came to pick Subaru up at six and insisted that Seishirou come over to dinner the next day so she could properly thank him. Seishirou was agreeable to this idea, and Subaru was half-asleep and didn't even notice that it was planned. He went home, collapsed into bed, and slept until the next morning.
"Subaru-chan?" Mitsuki put his tea down in front of him at breakfast. "Are you working today?"
"No," Subaru said. "I think I had better take another day off. I still feel a little wobbly."
"Then can you watch the kids tonight? Hokuto-chan is home and she wanted me to come over for dinner so she and I could . . . discuss some things."
Subaru didn't even want to know what his sister and wife could possibly be discussing. It most likely boded ill for his near future. "Sure," he said. Something about it didn't seem quite right, though. Wasn't someone else going to be coming over? He searched his memory, but the previous day was more than a little fuzzy and he shrugged the thought off.
Therefore he was more than a little startled when the doorbell rang at six thirty and he found Seishirou on his front doorstep with another bouquet of roses. "What are you doing here?"
"Delighted to see you too, Subaru-kun," Seishirou replied. "Your wife invited me. Remember?"
Subaru's head thudded against the wall.
Seishirou raised an eyebrow.
"Just like her," Subaru said with a sigh. "Well, since you're here, you may as well come in. Mitsuki-chan is at Hokuto-chan's. She got back from her honeymoon last night."
Seishirou twitched. This could not be good.
"Apparently she wants the two of us to have dinner together." Subaru looked like he was tempted to say something about how he would kick Seishirou right back out the door if he didn't know he would face Mitsuki's wrath later.
Seishirou recalled how Mitsuki had phrased the invitation. Something about proper thanks. He bit back a smirk. "Apparently Mitsuki's idea of thanking me for taking care of you is setting this up."
"She is a rather odd woman, at times," Subaru said distractedly.
"Sei! Shi! Rou! San!" Tsuki and Sakura barrelled down the hallway at roughly the speed of fighter jets, and latched onto Seishirou's legs. He went stumbling backwards and caught hold of the doorjam to keep from being knocked off his feet entirely.
Subaru looked pained. "Kids, what have I said about attacking the visitors?"
Sakura and Tsuki both blinked up at him, the picture of innocence.
"It's okay, I don't mind," Seishirou said, trying valiantly to keep his balance, still holding the flowers in one arm.
"Are the flowers for Daddy?" Sakura asked.
Subaru turned red.
Seishirou smirked again and held the bouquet out to Subaru. "Yes, the flowers are for your daddy."
"Wai!" Sakura released Seishirou's leg and started to clap.
Subaru grudgingly accepted the bouquet. "You enjoy this, don't you."
"Tremendously, Subaru-kun."
Subaru gave him a dirty look. "Well, we're not having anything complicated for dinner. Mitsuki usually does all the cooking."
"Subaru-kun, I'm a thirty-three year old bachelor. I wouldn't recognize a complicated dinner if I saw it. Whatever you're having is fine."
Subaru smirked, something Seishirou did not often see. "Good, because it's the kids' turn to cook."
Seishirou blinked. "The kids cook?"
"Every once in a while. It's their special treat when they're good, which they apparently were yesterday. This time they've decided they want pizza. And not just any pizza. Mitsuki bought make-your-own-crust mix and pizza sauce and cheese and everything."
Seishirou paused and looked down at his suit. "This is going to get messy, isn't it."
"Yes, Seishirou-san."
"Oh."
****
Sakura and Tsuki both had little stools to stand on so they could reach the counter. Twenty minutes later, both of them, the kitchen, and the adults were spattered with pizza dough and sauce. Seishirou was looking as dignified as was still humanly possible. Subaru had given up.
"Mine's done!" Sakura declared. Seishirou looked over to see that she had made a smiley face out of her pepperoni.
"Wait for your brother and we can put them in the oven," Subaru said. His own and Seishirou's pizzas, which had been done for about five minutes, were sitting on the stove waiting.
Subaru looked over as he heard Seishirou mutter something about dry-cleaning bills to notice a large pizza sauce stain down the front of his shirt. "Sakura-chan," he said disapprovingly, seeing her innocent face.
"Sorry! I didn't mean to knock it over!"
Subaru groaned and got a wet dishcloth, then handed it to Seishirou. Seishirou began dabbing at his shirt with a pained expression.
"Look at it this way, Seishirou-san," Subaru said, wiping off the counter. "It could be worse."
"How so?" Seishirou asked.
"They could be your kids."
"Daddy!" Tsuki and Sakura protested.
Subaru burst into laughter and gave them both a hug. "Sorry, kids. It had to be said."
"Now my shirt is all wet," Seishirou complained. "And it's still stained."
"So take it off," Tsuki suggested innocently.
Seishirou and Subaru blinked at him.
"That's what Daddy does if we get him too messy," Tsuki explained, confused by the looks the other two were giving him.
"Good idea," Seishirou decided.
"Seishirou-san . . ." Subaru protested weakly as Seishirou began to unbutton his shirt. "You can borrow one of mine, you know."
"It wouldn't fit; I'm too broad in the shoulders," Seishirou said, taking his shirt off and tossing it into the other room. Fortunately for Subaru, he was wearing a plain white T-shirt underneath.
Subaru still steadfastly looked anywhere but at Seishirou. "Tsuki, are you done with your pizza yet?"
"Haaaaaiiii!"
"Then let's put them in the oven."
****
The kids had so much energy after dinner that after a few abortive tries to get them to settle down with a movie, Subaru gave up and let them run around in the backyard. "Want some tea?" he asked, not looking at Seishirou.
"Sure, thanks," Seishirou said. The two of them sat down at the kitchen table. Subaru still avoided looking at him.
"I think -- " he began.
"You know -- " Seishirou said at the exact same moment.
They both laughed, a little nervously.
"You go first," Seishirou said after a moment.
"Well, I was just wondering about something you said the other day," Subaru said, fiddling with the tablecloth nervously. "About you needing to eat."
Seishirou waited.
"I guess I didn't realize you get paid to . . . to be the Sakurazukamori." Subaru still looked steadfastly into his mug of tea. "I was a bit curious about it, I suppose. What exactly are your job parameters? And why do you need to be a veteranarian if you're paid to do this?"
Seishirou paused. "It's a government job. I didn't realize you didn't know. Though being the Sakurazukamori isn't a choice, by any means. I certainly didn't fill out an application. But as I inherited the position, it's my job to help the government by . . . dealing with troublemakers and loose ends, so to speak." Though on occasion the Tree did definitely speak for a victim, as it had for Subaru-kun. Best not to mention that. "I was a veteranarian because I simply needed a cover for when I was friends with you, and then I decided I liked the job and wanted to keep it." Also best not to mention magical backlash.
Subaru paused, looking thoughtful. It helped, a little, to know that there was a reason Seishirou killed. Before he could say anything, Sakura came inside, sniffling. "Dadddyyy . . ."
"What is it?" Subaru asked, looking over.
"I hurt my knee . . ."
Seishirou glanced at it. She'd skinned it badly. "Fell onto the sidewalk, did you?" he asked.
She nodded, sniffling.
"I'll take care of it," Seishirou said, standing before Subaru could.
"Are you sure?" Subaru asked.
"Dealing with injuries is my job." Seishirou smiled. "And children aren't much different from pets, ne?"
Subaru laughed a little, relaxing. "Thanks."
Seishirou scooped Sakura up easily and carried her into the bathroom, where he found some antiseptic and band-aids under the sink. She was sniffling audibly. Seishirou searched for something to distract her with. "You're training to be the next Sumeragi Head, right?" he asked casually.
She nodded. "How could you tell?"
"You have more magic than Tsuki," he explained. "It's a very slight difference, but definitely there." He took a washcloth and started cleaning off the blood. "Did you know, if you get hurt in battle, you can use that to your advantage?"
She shook her head, wide green eyes solemn.
"It's a spell I bet your daddy won't ever teach you," he mused. Blood magic didn't seem like Subaru's thing. "But if you trace this symbol here on the back of your hand . . ." He showed her, tracing it in antiseptic so it wouldn't have any magical power, "in your blood, then you can use it was a energy weapon."
"Reeeaaaallllyyyy?" Sakura seemed in awe of his knowledge.
He nodded. "Don't use it lightly, though. It's very powerful."
"'KAY!" She grinned impishly at him as he fastened the band-aid on her leg. "Arigatou, Seishirou-san!"
He smiled at her. "All better?"
"All! Better!" She hugged him, startling him, and bounced out of the room. Seishirou shook his head and went back to his mug of tea.
Subaru was regarding him seriously. "What were you going to say earlier?"
Seishirou thought back. "That I can't help but wonder what your wife and sister are planning."
Subaru seemed to wilt. "They are vicious, aren't they."
Seishirou laughed slightly.
"Subaru-chaaan? I'm home!"
"SUBARU!" Hokuto bounced into the room and glomped onto her brother. "Hi!" She looked around. "Sei-chan!"
He smiled at her. "Konban wa, Hokuto-chan, Mitsuki."
Mitsuki walked in and surveyed the situation. "All that planning, and we walk into the house to find them having tea together like civilized people."
Hokuto's eyes gleamed. "And aren't they lucky . . . now we may not need to put all those plans into effect!"
Subaru paled visibly. Seishirou couldn't help but cringe.
Hokuto cackled.
They regarded each other for a long minute.
"Meet you for lunch on Sunday for self-defense purposes?" Subaru offered.
"Sure," Seishirou said.
It wasn't much, but it was something.
Hokuto smirked. "Sei-chan, I'll see you at the normal time and place on Saturday, ne, ne?"
"Of course, Hokuto-chan. And you can tell this poor bachelor all about the married life." Seishirou stood. "But I think I'd better be going. I didn't realize how late it had gotten."
"I'll walk you out," Mitsuki said.
"Oh, my shirt." Seishirou paused to pick it up off the sofa. "Any idea how to get pizza sauce stains out, Mitsuki?"
"Try bleach," she suggested wryly.
He made a face. "My nice silk shirt, too."
"You can afford another," she said. "I'll get your coat."
****
Subaru hated working weekends, but a job was a job and someone needed to do it. If something came up on a Saturday or Sunday, he was the only one who could go. What he really hated, though, was to be called out on a perfectly good Saturday afternoon when the kids were already home from school and they'd just made plans, only to find that it was a false alarm.
He trudged home, walking as usual, finding that there was a growing sense of unease tickling at the back of his mind. He decided to hail a taxi and see what was going on.
The house was quiet -- too quiet. "Mitsuki-chan?" he called, hanging his trenchcoat up in the front hallway. "Sakura-chan? Tsuki-kun?"
Maybe they went ahead with our plans, he thought, trying to squelch the panic that was growing in the pit of his stomach.
No note on the kitchen table, though, and that was where Mitsuki always left notes. No kids playing in the backyard.
It was then he heard a loud crash and a muffled yell from upstairs.
He ran, taking the stairs two and three at a time, then skidded into his bedroom.
The first thing he saw was blood, then a man dressed in black carrying a limp form over his shoulder.
"DADDY!"
Subaru grabbed an ofuda, his lips already forming the first word of a spell.
"Daddy, behind you!"
He sensed more than saw whoever it was, and started to turn. Before he could, something came crashing down on the back of his neck, and the world went mercifully dark.
****
