Disclaimer: I own neither Furuba nor the lyrics for "Good Morning, Beautiful", though I will freely admit that I have guiltlessly stolen both for my own selfish purposes. You can't sue me, I'm being human.
The title is a stolen quote from book 10, in which Yuki puts his hands on Tooru's shoulders. Crying, he kisses her forehead before leaning forward to rest his face against her shoulder. And he thinks, "kimi ga itoshii kara". Because I love you…
Of course, being Yuki, he uses the dumb poetic form of "I love you", and not the colloquial, more common form of "daisuki" or even "aishiteru". sigh
Kimi ga itoshii kara
Warm late morning sunlight slanted into the bedroom, filtered past the edges of the curtains drawn against such an intrusion into the sleepy air. A soft groan, a shift of the mattress, and Souma Yuki slowly opened his eyes to the world of the waking.
At first he couldn't remember what was so different. The room was the same, the angle of the light shafting in past the curtains that didn't quite fulfill their purpose, the lazy indolence seeping into his bones, the empty rumbling of his stomach. Even the bangs mussed in front of his eyes were the same.
But things, for the past thirteen days, had not been 'the same'.
Beside him, the slender form of his wife stirred, his motions having nudged her out of her light sleep. Large brown eyes blinked sleepily as she stretched, smiling innocently up at him as she shifted, tugging self-consciously at the neck of her nightgown as she sat up. "Ohayou gozaimasu, Yuki-kun," she murmured cheerfully, voice subdued in deference to his grouchy morning personality.
His breath caught in his throat, his heart suspended mid-beat in his chest, all he could think in response was
Good morning, beautiful, how was your night?
Mine was wonderful with you by my side
And when I opened my eyes to see your sweet face
It's a good morning beautiful day
"Ohayou, Tooru," he replied, the name infused with a wealth of affection. To speak her name so freely, to see her adorable blush every time he did...Yuki allowed himself a gentle smile as he brushed her hair away from her eyes. "It should be another gorgeous summer day."
He hadn't always liked summer. He hadn't hated it before, really; it had been sort of neutral. Just sort of...there. Like work, or chores; tolerable, but not exciting, nothing to be enjoyed or looked forward to. He stretched as he flipped back the covers and stepped onto the cool hardwood floor, his toes curling in response to the unexpected chill. Tooru giggled, all too aware of his habits, and pointed to where his house slippers were lined up neatly—by the bedroom door.
Yuki's smile was rueful as he walked over to retrieve them and spare his toes the discomfort.
I couldn't see the light
I didn't know day from night
I had no reason to care
Senior year, high school...It had been so long ago, so deceptively long ago. Yuki opened the closet to pick out the day's attire, his attention half-focused on the sound of Tooru stepping out of bed—and into her slippers, arranged right beside the bed—and fluffing the pillows, pulling the blankets neatly over the mattress. To think they were still only in college—well, he was in college; Tooru had opted to find work instead of continuing her education, despite his arguments that a four-year degree would do much to open up opportunities for future employment.
And they were married.
Yuki knew he was smiling, and he desperately wished he could stop. But it was impossible, and he continued to smile as he buttoned up his shirt and reached for a pair of casual slacks. It was due to Tooru's persistence, her insistence that they not give up, that she herself not give up, and give in to the Souma curse, that they had been able to finally fulfill their dream and get married.
Well, since you came along
I can face the dawn
'Cause I know you'll be there
Everything, because of Tooru.
They walked down the stairs of what had previously been Shigure's house, hand in hand. It seemed that the simple things in life, the innocent joys of physical contact, of her soft touch, would never cease to amaze him. Yuki released Tooru's fingers, albeit reluctantly, as she moved into the kitchen to start preparations for the day's morning meal.
The sun was shining more brightly in the kitchen, the decorative lace trim over the window framing the glass more than blocking the light. Her hair, still highlighted golden-brown for the wedding, caught the rays and turned them into magic, ethereal and elusive; even as Yuki caught for their beauty, they slipped past and into his memory. Tooru turned to him, smiling, as she put the pot of water onto the stove. "What should be put in our miso soup this morning, Yuki-kun?"
"Hm," he pretended to ponder, taking his time to enjoy her fragile loveliness in the summer sunlight. "How about...miso?"
She laughed, the warm, full sound filling the quiet corners of the house. "Of course, Yuki-kun!" She moved to the fridge, chattering about what else to put in the soup, as she retrieved the container of miso soup stock from the shelf.
His heart stuttered, stumbled, tripped and fell as she twirled happily, humming to herself some song she might have heard the previous day on the radio, she might have made up on the spot. It was a recurring affair, the faltering of his heart, as she captured him time and again just by being.
Good morning, beautiful, how was your night?
Mine was wonderful with you by my side
And when I opened my eyes to see your sweet face
It's a good morning beautiful day
Yuki went outside to pick up the daily newspaper, smiling warmly at the delivery boy on his bicycle, pedaling by on his rounds. The boy raised his arm in greeting, his youthful grin full of a love of life Yuki only recently learned to enjoy. To be so free, so young, so happy...so beautiful, he thought, tipping his head back to let the warmth of the sun's rays dance over his face, the breeze riffling through his silvery hair. Another day, he thought as he reentered the house, glancing briefly at the front headlines.
The news sobered him, and Yuki was frowning when he reentered the kitchen. Tooru stopped mid-dance, asking worriedly, "Yuki-kun? Is everything all right?" He glanced up at her, and nodded absently.
"Bad news," he explained, waving the paper in indication. "There was a shooting last night in downtown. A couple of teenagers were killed in a 'drug-related incident', it says...The suspects are a sixteen-year-old and a nineteen-year-old, and the victims were fourteen and seventeen, and there's an eighteen-year-old in the hospital in intensive care. The police have the suspects in custody pending questioning..." Yuki trailed off, realizing that tears were spilling down Tooru's cheeks. "Tooru? Tooru, are you all right?"
She sniffled, nodding, and wiped her apron across her watering eyes. "Oh, Yuki-kun, that's awful!" She cried, grief apparent in her tear-bright gaze. "How could anyone kill anyone else?" Despite it all, her shining innocence was almost blinding, and Yuki smiled sadly as he tossed the paper onto the counter and moved to hug her reassuringly. She returned the gesture, comfortable in his embrace, and let her tears seep into his shirt.
"Some people..." Yuki felt inadequate, as if words would not soothe her compassion for these unknown teenagers who were stupid enough to make poor decisions. "Some people just don't understand that their actions hurt others. Some people just don't care."
But you do, Tooru. You care...And that's all the difference I need.
I never worry if it's raining outside
'Cause in here with you, girl, the sun always shines
Her tears slowly abated, and Yuki smiled reassuringly at her. Tooru smiled back bravely and returned to the heating soup, listening as he scanned the other headlines for her. "On a happier note, the Tokyo Tower will be finishing construction this upcoming Thursday, and they plan on having a big re-opening on Friday...The Giants beat the Tsunami, 5-1, and there's a new influx of Korean restaurants in the southern islands. Maybe we should go when we visit Ricchan." Ricchan had married only three months before they had, to a pretty country girl from Fukuoka who had been in Tokyo to study agriculture and art. The Soumas had all been happy Ricchan when they'd announced their engagement; Ricchan in his traditional kimono, and his cute girlfriend, Kimiko, in a fancy white embroidered dress.
Tooru smiled back sweetly. "I think that would be a great idea, Yuki-kun!" she exclaimed happily. "Hmm, I think our soup needs some nira. Do we have any growing in the garden?"
"Of course," Yuki replied, grinning as he passed a hand over her hair. "Want me to go out and get some?" he offered, knowing full well that that was what Tooru had anticipated. "Don't worry; I won't be long." They both knew that he wouldn't hurry to go out, still enjoying the newfound freedom of walking, unencumbered, through the woods. No fear of chills sweeping him into sudden illness; no preoccupation with avoiding damp places, overexposure to the sun, adverse weather, and strangers.
But he'd be back soon.
Yuki strolled purposely along the path, reveling in the crisp air, the warm sun, the joy of being alive. Maybe they'd go visit Kyou today, he mused. It was odd, but he sort of missed the orange-headed pain-in-the-rear. He sort of missed the daily routine, the little snipes they had on the stairs, in the kitchen, over the dinner table. He wondered, idly, as he plucked the leeks from their corner of the small garden patch, if Kyou didn't feel the same way sometimes.
Sometimes.
"Ahh," he sighed, peacefully, tilting his face back to the sky. "But if he were here, it wouldn't be quite such a..."
Good morning beautiful day
It's a beautiful day
Good morning day
What a beautiful day
He was smiling as he headed back to the house, hands full of nira, heart full of love, and a soul as light as the brightening morning air around.
Nothing better than a beautiful day.
10.24.04
NOTES: Well, this wasn't as good as I'd hoped. I have shamelessly ripped off (and shortened, by one chorus repetition) Steve Holy's "Good Morning, Beautiful", another country song. Sorry, sorry, I couldn't help but include Kyou—I originally had hoped to leave him completely out of this. One of the major glitches in this is that I can't exactly see Yuki and Tooru together...much more than Kyou and Tooru, definitely, but...he admits in book 15 (SPOILERS!!) that he thinks of her more as a 'mother' than as a 'woman'. That sort of destroys the romance of it all, doncha think?
Well, please leave me a comment and review my fic! I'll try my best to do better justice to the other Juunishi, if I ever get around to writing about them, too...