A/N: Wow… I was really surprised at the reviews I got, asking me to post more quickly… so I'll comply, and try to get this done by Sunday. Sadly I don't type everything up before I started the story and post them at random intervals… --;;; So I apologize. And… wow, people actually read some of the author's notes I put? O.o haha…. Well, since I got reviewers asking for a happy ending, then you'll get one. I have two planned out as I have said… but I think I'll put both of them. So people who aren't looking for a happy ending but a angst driven one will get it. XD Now, on with the fic! Oh, and by the way, what kind of S/ S is complete without a visit to the famous 'Tokyo Tower'?? Looll, just kidding. This just came on a whim.
Disclaimer: Like so many other writers, if we actually owned X, Seishirou wouldn't have a nice hole in the middle of his chest shaped like Subaru's hand now would we? And he would've said those 3 little words us fans wanted to hear. Dammit.
Other random notes: There is some Arashi/Sorata fluff in this chapter. Also, assume there is some time that passes before Kamui heads over to visit Hinoto and then to the Tojo buildings. He hasn't gone yet, so the scene between Saki and Fuuma has not yet happened yet, although the fight between Satsuki and Yuzuhira has been concluded. So in a nice little summary if you didn't understand what I just typed, Saki is still alive, Kamui hasn't gone over to Hinoto's yet and Yuzuhira's fight with Satsuki is already over.
Chapter 8: Sakura and Rain
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Earlier on that same day……
"Subaru-san is missing?!" Kamui yelled.
Arashi nodded. Not too long ago, she had walked to his room at the hospital, bringing some freshly made okonomiyaki with her.( courtesy of Sorata of course.) There had been a loud clatter that rang throughout the halls, echoing through the many rooms, synthesizing with the rumble of the wind from through the open window.
It was disturbingly quiet as Arashi had walked up. No sounds of sleep, no breathing. There was no noise as she touched the doorknob, aside from the fluttering curtains from the window. Eerily quiet.
And then the door had opened slowly and the tray had clattered to the floor. And the aftermath of it all was the best. Kamui had stumbled up to her, clinging hard on the wall, worriedly asking if something had happened; noticed the empty hospital bed, freshly clean and made, and had panicked.
Some tea would be really good right now, Arashi thought as she sat at the table in their shared home, holding her head in her hands. She gasped slightly as someone put their large hand onto her shoulder, and handed her a glass of hot tea.
She looked up into the kind face of Sorata. " You look like you could use some right now…if you need more, just ask."
Her melancholy lifted slightly as she gazed into the ever cheerful face of Sorata. She muttered a quick thanks and proceeded to stare the other way and out the window.
" Stressed?" It was more of a statement than a question, but nevertheless, it prompted a answer.
Arashi took a ship of the tea and put it down. The noise made by the movement of the cup from her hands to the table seemed to echo on and on…
She sighed. " Yes. Yuzuhira is missing, we don't know where she is… the spirit shield in Shinjuku is broken, Subaru is now missing and Hinoto can't see a thing."
Another sip of tea went in.
"We're almost at our wits end here. I want to help.. But Karen asked that if anything should happen, she would be the one to go… It's hard like this, not knowing when and where the Dragons of Earth will strike next and take another one of us down with them."
The cup of tea was now empty.
Sorata put his hand on top of Arashi's. " If anything should happen, we'll all try to stick together won't we? We'll get through… somehow."
Unexpectedly, he pinched a bit of her cheek and exclaimed, " I promised to protect you didn't I? I'll protect everyone as well. Now, it's time to go call Kamui and tell him it's dinnertime.
Sorata got up and left. With Arashi starring behind him, watching as he disappeared up the stairs. Absently, she touched a part of her cheek, feeling the ghost of a hand that was just there moments ago....
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Somewhere in Tokyo, in Seishirou's apartment….
Subaru sat in his seat at the table, munching on some Sukiyaki held between his chopsticks. Every time he looked up, he would blush and look down at his feet as it were the most interesting thing in the world he couldn't tear his eyes away from as he caught Seishirou staring at him.
Flushing, he thought wryly, 'isn't it supposed to be the other way around?' Looking up and seeing Seishirou's single honey-brown eye and casual smirk still on him, he resolved to keep his eye down staring at the food and table the whole time. Food and getting it down his stomach was his first priority and he was not to be distracted from it.
Seishirou chuckled as he watched Subaru. Cute, he thought, like a child is with a favored toy. How strange that, that simile seemed to also represent his relationship.
He was the child.
Subaru was the toy….only, Right?
Obsessive and unwilling to share him with anyone. Doing nothing admiring the toy's beauty and almost perfection. Finding the toy cute as it did something absolutely adorable in the child's eyes. How fitting. This was all it is wasn't it? An obsession with a toy. Seishirou convinced himself. A rather unhealthy one as well. His mind added sardonically. It was nothing more nor less.
And he would be the only one to break that toy.
He hoped…… and chuckled again as Subaru once again caught him staring.
From the dinning room, silhouettes of a table, two chairs and two people could be seen and among them was the unsystematic, amusing, indignant cry of " Seishirou-san! Please… I can't eat with you watching me!"
Amusement trickled across Seishirou's face, briefly shattering the cocky mask that was plastered all over him. He then casually remarked, "The Sukiyaki is good… right, Subaru-kun?"
Some spluttering was heard and a gasped comment of, " Don't change the subject!" Came in as well.
" Oh my, I think we need to clean up then little tidbits of food all over the table. Such as waste….. Unless you would like me to feed it to you?"
CLAAAANNG!
The sound of a fork hitting the side of the wall echoed through the apartment.
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About 15 minutes after a meeting with Hinoto at the Diet building…… at the Tojo Pharmaceuticals building…..
Kamui shivered in the cold musky air of the stale room in the building. There was only Daisuke, Tojo and him in the room…. Yet the tension in the air could be sliced with a knife. Standing there in the middle of the room, trying to take in all the information he had just been given did not help as well, as there was a dark, slimy feeling his gut. Something was going to happen. He couldn't quite place his hand on what it was though. Would a dragon of Earth attack? Would yet another spirit shield collapse? Or was it just the paranoia that came with having to be on alert at all times, ready for anything that was to happen? Those questions plagued Kamui's mind.
He heard Mr. Tojo whisper, "That is a tale…." and the rest was cut off by the earthquake that shook at random intervals, stopping and staring again when one had thought it stopped for good.
The window crashed down onto the floor, scattering into deadly, ethereal, pieces. Kamui looked up from the remnants of the window and out into the open sky.
A lone silhouette standing out on the top of a building, holding a hand out and commanding his energy in a so controlling manner, stood out to his eyes. They narrowed.
"Fuuma."
With one foot out the window and the other ready to push his body upwards and out, Kamui held onto the cracked window edge. The was another rumble as the earth shook again and Kamui threw one last look to Daisuke and yelled as he fell out,
" Look after him." The Kamui's voice held a finality to it, saying that the order was not to be questioned.
The build shook again once more, as from a distance, the Dark Kamui smiled in a immoral way.
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"Let me go." I said to the man in front of me, blocking me from further continuing down the hall and out into the battlefield outside.
How strange. I, Subaru Sumeragi never got angry. Yet, my mind thought nothing of it, only frantically screaming about the duties I had and was obligated to do. I never get angry…so why am I now? Of all people… Seishirou. I thought I would've been long angry and spiteful at him long before this.
I narrowed my eyes. " The bet matters to me , but I must help the Kamui." I frightened even myself with the deadpanned voice I was using. It was as if a alternate personality had taken me over. Scratch that. I think it has.
"No, I gave up my obligations as a Dragon of Earth for the time being as well. You should too."
" Since when has the great Sakurazukamori played fair?" I took another step forward and narrowed my eyes dangerously.
My mouth twitched slightly, catching the brief look of surprise that crossed across Seishirou's usually calm, controlled demeanor. This isn't me! I thought, panicking. but… this IS me isn't it? My mind reached a sudden conclusion. This is me. This is the personality I had…. That I lost. The one I had.. Since Seishirou disappeared and Hokuto died.
It had to be, I observed as I found myself saying to Seishirou, " Jealous are we?" The voice. It was deeper, huskier, and disparaging. It didn't sound like me, or at least that I knew of…. But yet, my gut feeling was that it was mine. Only aged 9 years.
Watching myself, seeing all the movements, all little mannerisms I never knew I had. It was rather outlandish. There we go again I suppose.. With Seishirou-san. My future-self seemed to enjoy nothing but pestering Seishirou with an endless amount of sarcastic banter.
"Maybe you've misinterpreted that Subaru-kun…." the tone he used was quite frightening…. As if one was talking to a child that had just done something wrong and was reprimanded. Seishirou then smirked an took out a cigarette, watching amusedly from behind his dark sunglasses as my eyes followed his hands to his coat pocket.
"Smoking isn't good for you." I said wistfully.
He raised a eyebrow and smiled. " You should talk Subaru-kun… ah! Do you happen to have a lighter?" He knew… didn't he. He remembered. Remembered what though?
And I just happened to have a lighter in my trench coat pocket that I didn't even know was there. Great. Just great. I trudged over slowly and lit his cigarette. We were still in the hallway, ignoring the stares we were getting from the neighbors as well. The stares widened as Seishirou grabbed my arm and held onto it, bringing it close. His low voice rumbled in my ear.
"Let's go the Tokyo tower Subaru-kun…."
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I wanted to go to Tokyo Tower… but I need to go help Kamui. I thought frantically. But the want of just staying with Seishirou... just talking like before everything happened... I wanted it back so bad.
Temporarily, I forgot about Kamui and needing to go and help him. That thought seemed to have been alleviated from my mind. Vanished. Gone. Amazing how he could still do that. Amazing how he could make me forget what I was doing, and go and chase after him. It seemed that my consciousness was back in control.
And I would chase him to hell. I would chase him until the end of the world. I would chase him to the Amazon's if I had to… anywhere.
But that contemplation of recovering Kamui before he got in too far with the Dark Kamui came back to my mind. I gasped, and whipped around… and started heading back. Towards Shinjuku. Towards the rapidly collapsing spirit shield.
Something stopped me in the middle of the plaza I was in and yanked me back.
Sakura….. Blossoms…. And branches…..
I closed my eyes… "Seishirou-san.."
"Glad to see that you're back Subaru-kun."
His tone had changed again. Completely from before. It was light, teasing now, with a hint of annoyance.
" I don't understand you. I thought you wanted to kill me so badly. So why are you always running from me? Always running to your death."
" I'm not."
The grip on my hand tightened, cutting off my circulation for a second. I groped around and pulled out a ofuda. Gritting my teeth together, I pierced my thumb and dissolved the illusion. I dropped down on the floor, held my hands in front of me and yelled in agony.
Déjà vu …………
The ground shook under us again. The sunglasses were blown off his face. Revealing his two eyes. One glazed over with a transparent pearly white color, the other a shade of honey brown.
"Do you remember… rainbow bridge?" I heard him whisper. Then he lifted me up… and jumped off again.
Rainbow bridge….. That was the day wasn't it? The day were everything between us would be concluded. The day when it all ended. The day when I would get my wish. The day where everything just fell apart.
I remember Seishirou-san. Some of it. Some of those hazy memories in my mind...
Do you remember… what happened that day? Seishirou-san?
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Tokyo Tower… sometime after the collapse of the Shinjuku Spirit shield.
" So beautiful….." I heard him whisper.
I struggled up into a sitting position from my seat against the wall. My head banged all over, my vision fuzzy and diluted. I blinked a few times as I allowed my vision to adjust and clear.
It really was beautiful. I got up from where I sat on the cold hard floor and watched as Seishirou let his eyes run across the rugged terrain of the busy Tokyo metropolitan night life. Neon signs flashing on and off, in all sorts of strange and vivid colors…. Random ads scattered among the many huge towering buildings that stood across the panoramic view of the city. Truly picturesque……..
I shuddered suddenly remembering the remains of the destruction in parts of Shinjuku…. Shinjuku! By now…. It was probably all destroyed. Every single part… every building, every streetlight and road. Cracked, ground up and tossed away. It was over. I could feel it. The spirit shield had been broken there. There was nothing more that I could do. I gave up.
I nearly jumped when Seishirou offered a anpan[1] to me, holding it in front of my face.
"Now… since we'll all be destroyed in the process of destroying the world… why not have a anpan?" he said.
Offering a mumbled 'thank you' I took it and began munching on the yummy treat. Savoring its taste until it was jerked away from me. I stared at Seishirou for a moment, wondering why he did something so out of character.
"Your Kamui is fine. The other Dragons of Heaven are taking care of him…. And I…." His voice was so alluring… I could feel my heart beating faster and faster, pushing the last thoughts of the other Dragons out of mind. Hell. Even our little bet was out of my mind. He got even closer to me.
Seishirou lightly placed his lips on mine, locking us in a frozen scene of passion. The anpan dropped to the floor with a soft thud. Slowly, the kiss got deeper as my body automatically responded to his. His tongue forcing my mouth open, and allowing him entrance. My breath hitched, and my heart pounded. I couldn't think straight anymore. This was all that mattered. This one moment.
Even if it was selfish, thinking only of this.
While I knew in me, that others were suffering.
I was living for myself this one moment.
Just this one.
Before my fire of life would finally give out.
I would just enjoy this.
And keep it locked deep in me forever.
And it would never come out.
I'm so sorry.
I had to do something…. Something on my own.
'I'm sitting here on the top observation deck of Tokyo Tower…. Kissing Seishirou. If it's a dream… tell me I'll never wake up. I'd gladly live in it forever.' There were no more rational thoughts in me. I've been driven to the edge.
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" I'm living in a dream, from which I'll never wake up." - Cowboy Bebop
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A/N: Finally! Finished! One nice longggg very vaguely described smooch with our favorite Dragons. XD I think I want a happy ending too…. but.. Just for fun, I'll post my original sad ending up as well ( I know… I mean to them TT) And.. Er…. (blush) I don't think there'll be a lemon… unless someone is willing to write on and put it all up on AdultFanfiction.net…. Bleeaaaahh TT I don't think there will be. Sorry. Mmm…. Now… I'm not exactly clear with the events of X vol14 and 15.. So I'll need to do some research … and if there's any confusion with the events in the fic or anything, please tell me because I tend to get very vague in specifying things and forgetting certain details. Thanks to everyone who reviewed!!! And please R&R! Thanks again…
some more notes..............
[1] Anpan- a sweet bread stuffed with Azuki bean paste. ( it's also the stuff Seishirou was munching on for a few pages in Tokyo Babylon vol1. XD)
Tokyo Tower is also a popular tourist attraction and consists of two observation decks, a wax museum, nightclub and aquarium within its base. In the last scene of this chapter, Seishirou and Subaru are on the top observation deck. (And right now… Saying it's around 11PM-12AM, we'll have a nice little time trying to imagine exactly HOW Seishirou got in….. I don't think Tokyo Tower stays open that long does it? )
Ja mata!