Your Nearness Is Intoxicating
By Ryuuen

Warnings: Shounen-ai

Disclaimer: If I owned Fushigi Yuugi, do you think I'd be wasting my time writing fanfiction stories?

A/N: This was something I thought up during school, I think it was during English class (although I could be wrong) about a week ago. I wrote it all up. Now I'm typing it out for your benifit. ^__^ POV shifts from Nuriko to Hotohori, and kudos to anyone who can tell what's going on just by the speech (I designed it so that you can tell the actions by what they say)! Thing is, when I wrote it up in my notebook, I used three different colored pens (red for Hotohori, purple for Nuriko, and green for the guard-dude), but I can't do that here, so I'll use symbols.
~ is Nuriko, * is Hotohori, and ^ is the guard.

Note on Language: "Okama" can mean "gay" or "crossdresser" (take the second meaning in this instance). "Matte" means "wait". "Heika" is "your majesty" (the -sama I added on a whim). "Demo" is basically "but" or "however". And "hai" means "yes". That's it. ^__^

YOUR NEARNESS IS INTOXICATING

~Anou... ne, Hotohori-sama? You wanted to see me?

*Hai. Nuriko, I... I think that you should leave Eiyou for a time. Not too long, of course, but for a while. Please.

~Why? H-Hotohori-sama..

*It is not my choice, Nuriko. I would much rather you stayed in Eiyou, but there are some... political issues... that I must deal with. Your presence, unfortunately, would do more harm than good.

~You mean that because now everyone knows I'm okama, so I could be killed. And you... don't want to have an okama around, right? I understand.

*Matte, Nuriko. I am only concerned with your safety. If it were possible to keep you in Eiyou without a constant endangerment to your life, then I would stay, by all means, stay. But I can't. I wish I could.

~I... I know, Hotohori-sama. I'm sorry.. it's not your fault, and you can't change the fact that I'm in danger... but it's my own choice... whether to go or not.

*Nuriko...

~Ne, Hotohori-sama.. Miaka and Tamahome are all gone for now.. I don't want you to be alone.

*I'm never alone.

~You know what I mean, Heika-sama.

*Don't mock me, Nuriko.

~Gomen, I forgot. You're the all-powerful. Even though I could do you a great deal of harm if I wanted to.

*I know that, Nuriko. Please, don't be angry with me. Believe me, I don't want you to go. But you have to.

~I don't have to leave any more than you have to play self-sufficient with me. You don't have to play like you aren't lonely. I know that you are.

*Like I said, Nuriko, if it were possible... but it's not. It won't be possible. I could surround you with guards at all times, but even the guards can't be trusted in regard to your safety.

~Heika-sama, you forget yourself. I am the Suzaku no seishi Nuriko. The warrior of strength. They can't harm me.

*Even you sleep.

~Not much, Hotohori-sama. Not much.

*You understand that I don't approve of this?

~I do, Hotohori-sama. I understand that you don't want me to stay. What you don't understand is that I have to stay.

*Why? You could leave and be safe.

~I need to stay, Hotohori-sama, because.. because I love you, Hotohori-sama...

*N-Nuriko??

~It's true, Hotohori-sama.. for a long time.. I'm sorry, I shouldn't do this to you.. you love Miaka-chan..

*Nuriko.. don't cry, please..

~I.. Hotohori-sama.. I waited for so long.. I hoped you'd notice me.. even only to condemn me..

*I wouldn't condemn you. I never would.

~Even.. even when I went after Tamahome, it was so.. so Miaka-chan would pay attention to him so that you would notice me.. Hotohori-sama.. I'm so sorry... I shouldn't..

*Nuriko.. please. Don't say anything more. Stop crying now. There's no need to anymore.

~Ne? Hotohori-sama??

*You should have told me your feelings sooner... I feel the same, Nuriko-chan.. I do.

~H-Hotohori-sama..

*smooch*

^Heika-sama, sir? SIR?!

~Oh.. oh.. Hotohori-sama... this isn't good, is it?

*No, Nuriko-chan, this is not good.

^Heika-sama... nani? Please, Heika, tell me I'm not seeing this..

*You saw nothing more than a kiss between a man and a woman. Do you understand?

^H-hai, Heika... demo...

*Go now, please. Leave us.

^Hai...

~I'm... I'm sorry, Hotohori-sama... It's my fault, I shouldn't've...

*Shh.. it's as much my decision as yours. Nuriko. I love you. I refuse to lose you because of politics.

~H-Hotohori-sama... I-I love you, too. Thank you so much... I know this will end up hurting you, but... I don't want to lose you, either.

*Nuriko, it's not selfish to want to keep with the person you love. Or, if it is, then I am a very selfish man indeed, because right now I want to keep you near me for all of time.

~Oh.. oh, Hotohori-sama.. I feel the same, I do.. I just don't want you to get hurt..

*How can the pain be too much for me when I know what it's all for?

~It hurts more to know that you're hurting in any way because of me.

*Nuriko, sweetheart, I won't be the one hurt... so, please, promise me that you'll be careful. I couldn't stand to see you hurt.

~Hotohori-sama.. I'll bear the pain, if only because I know that I'll see you when it's all over.

*Let's not think about this anymore. We have each other. That is enough, ne?

~It's always been enough, Hotohori-sama. Always.

*kiss*


~*OWARI*~