*****
"Haiii! Yuzu-chan, you're home awfully late. Did you see your Special Person?" Sorata opened the door to welcome home the glowing youth. Inuki slunk in afterwards, clearly disturbed. She bounded inside and clasped her arms around Sorata's neck in a hug, eliciting a smile and a small sigh. Arashi turned her head away with a small hmmph and walked out of the room.
"Well, let's go get something to eat. Hai?" Sorata rubbed a bit of sleep out of his eyes and walked into the kitchen. Yuzuriha followed, but waved away the proffered food.
"Sora-chan! Sit down, I have to tell you some news! My Special Person had some friends today. ^___^ It was so cute!" Sorata leaned forward interestedly, flirting obviously with the younger Seal. "One was named Seishirou, and he was tall and handsome, and really warm, but not nearly as kakkoi as the other one, named" Yuzuriha paused in the middle of her effervescence, not noticing the stunned look on Sorata's face. "I never got his name" She trailed off thoughtfully, staring off into space.
Sorata coughed, then wiped a smile on his face again. "Hai. Yuzu-chan. Let's go to bed now, ok?" He got up and escorted the young Seal to the staircase before turning back with a grim face on. "Sumeragi-san, did you hear that?" A shadow detached itself from the wall and moved into the dim light.
"Aa. I heard. Don't worry about it. /Kamui/ and Seishirou-san weren't there to hurt Yuzuriha. But I don't know why they appeared to her. Don't worry about it. Seishirou-san takes no interest in the rest of you." The voice was a deadpan, emotionless, but telling of a long-standing pain that drained it of life.
"Hai. Well, good night Subaru-san." Sorata yawned, arms opening into an engulfing pose, then he disappeared up to the second floor as well, not even bothering to harass Nee-chan before going to sleep.
*****
Author's Note: Special thanks to Kouryuu for helping me RP the next scene out
*****
Subaru stood for several minutes, staring off into space. The light from the kitchen cast a pale yellow onto the pallid skin, and his breathing could barely be heard. Noiselessly, he lilted over to the closet, withdrew his white overcoat, and prepared to walk out.
"Are you sure you should be going out when you're like this Subaru-san?" A lone voice caught his ears as he stepped out.
"Kamui, I was going to go be by myself. I didn't plan on meeting anybody. Not tonight at least."
Kamui sighed. "You shouldn't dwell on the past, Subaru-san." The Sumeragi turned around and stared at the placid boy, realized that they both knew of their own similarities and hypocrisies.
"I'm still alive. No one is going to die tonight." Subaru touched the pentagram on his hand lightly, then walked out. He heard a lone sigh, and paused. "Would you like to come with me?"
Kamui's head came up. "You wouldn't mind? I" His throat caught involuntarily. "Ore wa wouldn't want to intrude."
Subaru smiled wanly. "Not at all. I would appreciate it." He turned around and watched Kamui step quietly into the night, then shut the door. They walked for time uncounted and unregarded in silence.
"Kamui. How are you?" Subaru looked over at the youth.
"Mm well, Fuuma hasn't tried to bring down a kekkai in three days, so " Kamui smiled, tried to put up a front for Subaru. " it's been quiet."
"You didn't answer my question. How are you doing?"
Kamui rubbed the bandages on his arm, then covered them in the sleeve of his black shirt. "Anou alright I suppose." He looked to the sky, to the moon, and suddenly felt very alone. "Will it ever stop hurting?"
Subaru stopped and stared at Kamui. "This?" he touched the bandaged arm lightly, "or this?" and shifted the hand to rest of Kamui's chest.
Kamui touched Subaru's hand with his own. "This Tell me Subaru-san, do you ever get used to it?"
Subaru looked at the sky, felt as alone as Kamui had felt, though neither knew of the other's feelings. Sakura seemed to fall from the sky, flashing to mind his feelings for the Sakurazukamori, for Seishirou-san. "It's not a matter of getting used to it. It's a matter of accepting."
"Aa. But" Kamui mumbled under his breath, eyes threatening to betray him once again with tears. "How am I supposed to accept Fuuma like that?" He wiped at the treacherous eyes with a hand. "How am I supposed to forget that's not Fuuma in spirit? I don't what to do, Subaru-san." He turned around to face the Sumeragi.
Subaru held Kamui's shoulders gently. "I never said you had to accept Fuuma. You just have to accept the fact that you'll be hurting sometimes, and that in the end, it will get better. After all, isn't that why you chose to be the Ten no Ryuu /Kamui/?"
Kamui sighed. "It just hurts so much every time I see him." He rubbed the bandages again, then gently peeled them away. "And I don't think I could kill him, if it really came down to it, like Hinoto-hime says. " A glimmer of life graced his eyes. "But I do hope sometimes" He looked up at the Sumeragi. "What do you believe in, Subaru?"
Subaru coughed softly, surprised. "I don't know." He paused. "What I believe doesn't matter though." He let go of Kamui.
"It matters to me"
Subaru stopped again, then looked at Kamui in the eyes. "Someone asked you this once, no? Someone very close to you."
Kamui took a step back and turned away, eyes brimming over again as he remembered "Aa Gomenasai. I shouldn't have brought it up."
Subaru blinked. "Gomen I shouldn't have pried." He continued walked, looking straight ahead.
"No, no." Kamui shook his head. "It's not your fault. I just *sighs, falls into step behind Subaru, whispers quietly to himself* I just didn't know what to say. And I still don't know Kaa-san. I couldn't protect anyone after all"
"Do you really believe that? That you haven't protected anyone?" The pair stood staring at each other for awhile, the isolation of Subaru that had hitherto kept him distanced from the other Seals melting away in front of this boy whom humanity depended on.
A featureless maboroshi suddenly drooped in around them, and Kamui whirled around to face an image of the Sakura and a lone figure. "The Sakurazukamori!" he spat, and his eyes flared. The image distorted as the power of /Kamui/ tore through it, accented by Kamui's memories of the attack on Kotori
Seishirou stepped to one side, easily dodging the attack, deciding not to test his own power against that of Kamui. "Well well, what have we here?" He smiled benignly and shifted his hands in his pockets. His left hand came up to undo the buttons to his black coat. He watched in curiosity as Kamui lifted his hands up for another assault.
Subaru moved faster, grabbing Kamui's hand lightly in one of his own. The pentagram on his hand flared slightly, and blood dripped down his wrist. "Kamui-kun! Don't! He's a friend of mine." The anger of Kamui stubbornly gave way to slight astonishment and Subaru couldn't read the other emotions. Kamui eased up a little.
"He's an angel. And" his voice dropped to a whisper and he gently touched the bandage over Subaru's latent eye. " he hurt you"
"All has its time and place. He wouldn't have confronted us to fight- there's two of us" Subaru replied quietly. "And" his voiced dropped and slowed "I want to see what he wants."
Kamui hesitated. He didn't trust the Sakurazukamori, but Subaru seemed sincere. "Aa."
"^.^ I didn't expect you to have brought company here, Subaru-kun. *waves a hand in the general direction of Kamui.*"
Seishirou spoke quietly, but loud enough so that the boy could hear. No better way to figure out what was going on than to ask Subaru-kun. He still liked to pretend every now and then that the Bet was still going on, and the young onmyouji seemed more than willing to oblige him. What a shame. Locked into that same mindset. Devotion was hard to come by. Though was it really devotion if Subaru was in love with that single shell, that Seishirou-san that was only the Bet? Or was Subaru powerful enough, empathetic enough, human enough to see otherwise? Until recently, Seishirou had never considered Subaru to be any kind of expert, but it was best to be wary. Especially after killing that person's sister.
"He's a friend of mine. I wanted some company tonight. Though I didn't expect you to be here." Subaru-kun looked away, cheeks reddening slightly at the mention of the boy. Interesting. Seishirou raised his eyebrows.
"Indeed. And what a cute friend, he is much like you nine years ago." He smiled again. "But not quite so innocent, eh Kamui-kun?"
"I wouldn't know what Subaru-san was like nine years ago. What do you want?" The violet eyes creased into amber as the power threatened to burst out again. Good. Anger clouded the though, allowed other, more real thoughts to come to the surface.
Seishirou shrugged, ignoring the threat. "I was bored. And wondering what business the /Kamui/ had in my park." He watched Subaru flinch at the mention of Ueno Park. So, Kamui didn't know about Seishirou and Subaru's past.
Kamui looked at Subaru. "What's he talking about?"
Subaru sighed, and pulled a pair of ofuda from his pocket. "Talk Seishirou. I was in a good mood." Anger, defensiveness, even aggression. Soothe the savage beast.
Seishirou withdrew his bloody right hand from his pocket, lit a cigarette, puffed in silence for a few seconds. "I was in a good mood too."
"Sorry to intrude. May we go?"
"You, Kamui, may leave. I would like some words with Subaru-kun however." The smile appeared again, malicious, greedy, superior. Kamui edged closer to Subaru.
"I'm not leaving without him."
"Seishirou-san Kamui please." The toy looked caught. How cute.
"Don't worry, Kamui-kun. I'm not as *delicately* touchy as your other half. I promise no harm shall come to Subaru-kun."
Subaru turned around, knowing that he was about to hurt Kamui deeply. "Kamui please. Let me have five minutes with Seishirou-san." He watched with a pained heart as Kamui stalked backwards a few steps, his back turned.
Seishirou walked closer to his prey, pleased, touched the bandage lightly. "How are you, Subaru-kun?" Subaru's hand came up to brush his own away, and the head turned.
"I'm fine."
Seishirou caught the hand and kissed the pentagram softly, feeling the boy shiver under the touch. "Is that really true, Subaru-kun? Then why would you wish for such a thing?"
"That's my business and not yours. What do you want. You could have brought me here and not Kamui. Why both of us?"
Seishirou smirked, watched Kamui restrain his smoldering anger. "Do I really have to answer that, Subaru-kun? He has such an interesting effect on my toy"
"*Blushes* We're just friends, Sei-san." No reaction to being called his toy. Kamui obviously means more than he's willing to admit. "But you're still not answering my question." He looked up, straight at Seishirou's eyes, hidden behind the sunglasses.
"Hmm? I was just curious as to the Kamui's reaction to me. After all, he seem to have developed somewhat of a crush on you, Subaru-kun. I think I'm jealous." He smiled good humoredly.
Subaru's throat caught. "You're never jealous. You can't feel why should you feel anything for me?"
"You're *my* toy, after all. I don't appreciate your Kamui intruding. ^_^"
The boy twisted around, amber eyes flaring. "Subaru isn't your goddamned property!" The distortions in the air cracked Seishirou's glasses and tore the bandage from Subaru's eye. For a moment, they stared at each other, silenced by the symmetry.
"I'm not your toy, Seishirou-san."
"Is that so?" The face hardened as the Sakurazukamori went on the offensive. "Then why have you spent nine years chasing me, Subaru-kun. Dropping out of school, defying your grandmother. Even your sister. And still tonight. You didn't bring Kamui to Ueno Park to enjoy the view. We're a ways from Clamp Campus, Subaru-kun."
Subaru shrugged, twisted his face, and affected a nonchalant, apathetic smile. For a moment, Seishirou was the one showing emotion and Subaru was the apathetic superior. "Because I had nothing better to do. Good night, Seishirou-san." He turned around and walked back to Kamui.
A brief flicker of emotion crossed the Seishirou's face, so fast that only Kamui caught it before the Sakurazukamori regained control. He smiled again. "Of course, Subaru-kun. I'll see you around, Kamui." He winked once, and the maboroshi dissolved into a flurry of sakura.
*****