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Author's Note: Sorry this chapter took so amazingly incredibly long to get out! Camp, vacation, friends, (having a life) etc. *begs forgiveness, and tries to stimulate interest in the story once more!*
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Subaru lay dazed on the bed, breathing slightly harder than normal. Kamui lay sleeping peacefully beside him, most of their clothing resting equally peacefully on the floor. He hadn't expected things to go the way they had, but then, Kamui had come to mean more to him over the past few weeks. Though their paths had followed completely different courses, there was a common thread that united them. His friend Fuuma, now /Kamui/. Seishirou-san, discovered to be the Sakurazukamori. His beloved Kotori. Hokuto-chan. Both killed by the ones Kamui and Subaru had loved and cared for most.
Subaru looked over at the young boy, remembering again the heat between them. The pale skin of his back glistened like porcelain, but the face took on a glowing tone. Had the amethyst eyes been open, the picture would have been ideal, but Subaru gently stroked the dark hair and lay back down, preparing to sleep, hoping that they would remember to wake up before the rest of the household so that the other Seals wouldn't suspect anything
A single sakura petal floated across the room before fading. The afterglow disappeared and he stood up from the bed and walked toward a window. He thought he saw no he felt Seishirou-san's presence, could perceive the flapping overcoat on a nearby office building, calling to him, inviting him.
Wordlessly, he put his clothes back on, covered Kamui with a blanket, and stepped out of a window. Gliding easily into the night air, he approached the lone aura purposefully.
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Kasumi Karen watched the Sumeragi leave his window, just as she had seen he and Kamui enter. Now, what could make the young onmyou leave his new flame (even if he didn't realize it yet) at this hour of the night? She grasped her purse and lightly followed behind, masking herself with a small kekkai.
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"So we meet at least, Subaru-kun." The voice was there, the same as it always had been. Yes, they had met for the first time earlier that evening, but somehow this still felt like the first time. Suddenly, Subaru felt still sixteen, innocent, and dressed in clothes much too elaborate for his Spartan tastes.
Subaru reached for his ofuda, prepared for a final duel. After all, why else would the Sakurazukamori call him out the pentagram on his hand made its presence known again. "I don't see why you assume I came to kill you. I just wanted to talk." Subaru's hand came down, eyes widening slightly. Seishirou's hands were in the open, the smile gracing his face once more. Seishirou approached Subaru, who couldn't seem to move.
A hand came up, brushing Subaru's cheek, and he felt his eyes close. It had been too long since he felt that touch he felt Seishirou moving in and he tipped his chin upwards, forgetting for a moment the wrath of his past and the tragedy of his wish.
*
Seishirou smiled as he watched the young Sumeragi give in so easily. Some things never changed. He leaned in to kiss the boy's neck then stopped. A faint red blotch was on Subaru's neck, visible in the soft moonlight. Seishirou stopped, then chuckled softly to himself.
"Have you seen anyone tonight, Subaru-kun?" The boy let out a startled choke and blushed severely.
"Eh what are you talking about. Seishirou-san?" He backed up a few steps and turned up his collar.
Seishirou tapped the link between them momentarily. The contact wasn't perfect; it wasn't supposed to be, but the Sakura was enough for emotions this powerful. "Oh. So it was Kamui. I think I'm jealous." He smirked and took off his glasses, leaving the boy standing there staring and blushing. A bird warbled in the distance. He had said those same words just a few hours ago, but then Subaru had broken in a rage. Now he just looked hurt.
"Seishirou-san." The boy suddenly looked guilty. "I didn't mean to he's just " the sentence drifted off into nothingness.
"Subaru-kun. It's ok." Seishirou turned around, and pointed a finger to the sky. A blank white maboroshi fell around them. The Sakura was a distant and real point in the distance. He faced Subaru again, deciding his next move. "Would you like to know what your sister told me after you saw her?"
Subaru gasped; pain long pent-up burst forth again and his eyes clouded over, but not with rage like he expected. A single tear dropped down his cheek.
I know it's selfish of me, but I want Subaru to live, even though he told me I was arrogant. Seishirou bowed his head; once upon a time, he too had at least pretended to care for Sumeragi Hokuto. But even so, I want you and Subaru to live. The smiling voice faded out of the maboroshi, and the two men were left standing alone. Subaru found that he couldn't say anything, and his hand dropped to his side.
"So you see, Subaru-kun, I just came to talk." Seishirou debated whether showing Subaru the vision was a right move; things were moving spontaneously and he was unused to it.
He spontaneously decided to leave the boy standing there, staring off into space as his emotions buffeted him with conflicting feelings strong enough to grind his fragile hard to powder.
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