Arise on the Occasion

Chapter VI

SIN Productions

Abruptly as the party started, it ended in the same, a flurry. After the bathroom incident, Vigil stuck to Sage's side, now determined with a plan of her own. While Sage was plotting to keep Rowen jealous and distant, Vigil was scheming to get Rowen back into his life.

She hooked arms with the elegant blonde man and feasted on the little cheese wedges on toothpicks Cye was generously offering her.

"What are you doing?" Cye rashly whispered in her ear, giving her one of his famous disapproving looks.

She merely shrugged it off, and on a later chance she explained. "Cye..." when Sage was out of ear shot, "I know what I am doing, okay?"

"Don't go along with Sage's little..." Cye's hands were a moving around in a flourish. It was obvious he was ticked off and frustrated with his behavior. "Thing." He finished.

"Don't worry Cye, you'll give yourself a hernia." Vigil snickered, and patted the Brit on the back. "I have a plan."

Cye looked skeptical but he nodded just the same, and offered her another cheese wedge.

With a grin she took the little wedge of Monterey-jack and popped it in her mouth, and with that went and found Sage again.

"Where have you been?" Sage inquired blasé.

Vigil held up a now-empty toothpick, "Cheese wedges." She answered as Sage put his arms around her. "You know I adore Cye's cooking."

"It's your own lack of cooking skills that draw you near him." Sage teased, more white wine going to his lips.

"You eat my cooking Seiji Date." She counteracted, grabbing the crystalline glass from him and gulping the rest.

"Hmmm..." was Sage's reply, pondering that. "I guess it's not that bad."

Vigil rolled her eyes but smiled nonetheless. "Thanks." She sarcastically put, patting Sage's arm as it went around her waist. She looked up to see her best friend's face emotionless, but she knew him better then that.

She followed his gaze and it was settled on a figure across the room.

Well of course it was on Rowen. She would be stupid to think Sage's brain wasn't revolving around that blue haired man.

"He's not what I expected." Vigil commented absently, eyeing the perfect glass she held in her hand.

"Oh?" Sage seemed surprised. She knew he wanted to know what she meant by that, and she told him.

"Looks that is. You always described him...differently." She fibbed, "I have yet to talk to him."

"I'd rather you not." Sage frowned, looking down at her.

"Oh?" she mimicked him.

"Vigil..."

"Fine!" she shook her head. Sage really was impossible.

Sage's gaze didn't shift, and Vigil decided to speak Sage's brain for him. "He looks worse than you."

"Hmm..." more of Sage's vague responses.

It was the first real look Sage got of his former companion in over ten years. My how he had changed, though he could expect Rowen to be thinking similar thoughts about himself. They had both changed, and that got Sage thinking...

How much Rowen really had changed.

True, the ex-Ronin of Strata did indeed look somewhat ragged. His hair was barely brushed, if it had been, and was strung out in places resembling a person waking up after a sleepless night. His frame was too skinny and his clothes hung loosely on his body.

And Sage didn't remember Rowen so pale.

Did he change that much personality wise it would be that obvious? Or was it more of a subtle change?

Sage figured he probably would never know. This was as close as he dared to venture towards the blue haired man he had held higher then his own regard.

At the very mention of Rowen, Sage was sporting thoughts about that man he never believe would be possible again. He had thought he had tucked away those forbidden glances and dreams away in locked files, but here they were, surfacing.

Vigil shot a look over her cheese wedge to see Sage stiffen unexpectedly and shook her head. He knew what he was thinking about, and it discouraged her to see her best friend in such obvious pain and resentment.

Changing her tune, she sauntered over to him and brushed a casual hand across his cheek, "It wasn't your fault Sage. You did everything you could."

Sage's gaze locked onto hers and he could see her eyes shining. With a puzzled expression he could only nod a response.

"I envy you. You at least had the guts to tell him. Some people can't even accomplish that." She relayed with bitterness in her voice that Sage didn't even recognize Vigil had.

Before Sage could question her motives, Vigil moved on, letting her fingers touch his chest as she walked away. Not even bothering to look back. Sage stared after her, a blank expression on his face.

On the inside though, he was swirl of emotions. Twisting hypothesis's in his head for the reason of Vigil's sudden mood swing, but they only served to confuse the blonde man further.

--

It was Vigil's turn to retreat to the bathroom. In a hoarse gasp and a sudden slap to the forehead she slammed the door shut and leaned against the frame, letting her figure slip silently to the floor.

Why did she let that slip? That was the most idiotic thing she had ever done!

"I'm a fool." She murmured miserably, wanting to hit her head on the wall, but refrained herself from doing so. Causing attention to herself at the present moment wasn't exactly something she wanted to do.

Kicking at the bathroom rug she sent the blue fuzzy mat flying towards the other side of the room.

Now what was Sage going to think of her? It was almost out in the open her true feelings for the man, and any kind of feelings for Sage beside "friendship" was strictly prohibited. He had made that much clear to her since the day she met him.

He didn't like women in that way, and if he was to like them in that way, it most definitely wouldn't be her. She was a loud mouthed, blunt, stubborn, hot tempered woman. And Vigil could just see Sage with a caring girl who was patient, kind, and light hearted.

Or even with that tattered man with blue hair, but not her. She had nothing to offer Sage that he would find appealing, and that's what made it hurt even more.

She had been so good in keeping her feelings bottled up that she had just accidentally let the truth finally slip. Besides, she was content in the way things were now. Even if she couldn't have him as a lover, she could at least be his friend and spend all the time she could with him...

That is, Vigil sulked, he finally moves on and finds somebody to actually share his life with. I'm just the temporary support group until he finds a permanent one.

Feeling trapped and ashamed and most importantly guilty, she kept to herself, thoughts of her selfishness running through her head.

How could she have done that to Sage? He was more observant than any other person she knew so she was sure he caught on to what she had so fervently hinted. He had so much to deal with right now, thinking about Rowen, he didn't have the time to worry or pity her little bubble of emotions for him. And she knew it.

Why, oh why did she have to fall for him? She had so assured herself those emotions for him were just a simple crush, and nothing more. When had they bloomed into love and why did she have to love him? It just wasn't fair.

She couldn't have Sage and that's what made her want him more.

--

Cye had an eagle's eye, or so that is what Kento liked to refer to his watchful tactics. It was good to be the observer, Cye always told himself. He always caught on to things about people he was sure they thought nobody knew of. Not even Sage.

And to get by Sage was a feat in itself. For that man always knew what was going on. Even if he didn't act like it, he had some strange sixth sense.

Cye knew what Sage was pulling off tonight was wrong. Besides the fact he was lying to his friends he would in the end make a fool of himself. But perhaps that was a lesson Sage needed to be taught, and then things could finally resume to normal.

And maybe in the aftermath Sage and Rowen would find themselves friends again, or on a higher note, more than friends.

The first hint of tension had occurred when Sage had come up with this so-called brilliant plan of his, to trick Ryo, Mia, Kento, and Rowen into believing he was getting married to Vigil.

Cye couldn't understand why Vigil had accepted. He knew it was against her morals to fool people to believe things that weren't true, but at the snap of Sage's fingers, she was lying alongside with him.

And then it dawned on him. That way she had just so readily offered her help to Sage.

She had tried to help him, and he knew she was probably having the inner struggle of a lifetime. He had caught her talking to Rowen earlier, and knew she was plotting in some way to repair a bond between those two that still existed.

But Cye couldn't help but notice the extra twinkle in her eyes, the extra lift in her smile, the small signs that lead him to believe what he could only assume was more than just friendship for the unsuspecting Sage Date.

His suspicions were confirmed when he had heard Vigil distinctly say, "I envy you. You at least had the guts to tell him. Some people can't even accomplish that."

A tiny smile crept its way onto Torrent's face and he couldn't help but let a chuckle escape his lips. It was so ironic that he couldn't help but find the whole situation amusing.

Rowen was lost without Sage, even though Rowen considered himself a heterosexual, he couldn't get past the loss of the blonde man.

Sage was in love with Rowen, and everybody knew it even though it was only mentioned in shadows and in quiet whispers as to not disturb the respectable businessman. Even after all this time, Sage still had that look for Rowen.

Vigil played the heartfelt position of Sage's loyal best friend only to be caught up in the moment and finally felt herself falling for the one man she adored. Trying her best to actually help the two, she can't push her own feelings aside.

Cye on the other hand, had his problems of his own. That only seemed to be wrapped up in theirs as well.

"Yes." He said to no one in particular, and blew his bangs out of his face, "It is all too ironic."

--

Mia Koji-Sanada hugged one of the long lost Ronin Warriors warmly, "This was an absolutely wonderful night Cye!" she congratulated on the success of his party.

Cye smiled, but Mia caught a sign of tension in his shoulders. But she quickly shrugged her worries away when he resumed his normal attitude, "I am utterly glad you made it! It was such a surprise!"

Mia laughed lightly and with another hug, "We'll have to do this again soon."

"I agree." And shot a look over to Mia's shoulder to her friend-in-tow.

When Mia had suggested it was getting late and it was time to leave to Rowen, he was more than happy to oblige and get out of an uncomfortable atmosphere. But when they were actually trekking out the door, Rowen seemed to linger a bit behind. As if he was uncertain he was leaving on acceptable terms.

And everyone understood why, and in respect of Strata, they let him be.

"We'll still be here for a few more days." Mia reminded Cye in a tone hoping he would catch on to her drift.

He did, and he was far ahead of her. "Indeed." He openly grinned. "We will have to see what happens." And with that Cye Mouri waved as his friends and former comrades walked the hallway to the elevator.

Cocking his head to his side, he shook it, closing the door behind him. He wondered what would happen in these few days...

And he could only anticipate. Either in excitement...or in dread. An anxious aurora surrounded him, almost fogging his mind. "Have to wait to see what happens..." he reminded himself quietly.

--

Sage stayed on the balcony by himself when Cye had said his farewells to Ryo, Kento, and Rowen. It had seemed like the appropriate thing to do.

Ryo and Kento sought him out earlier and hugged him awkwardly, saying their good-byes. He wondered if they still thought of him as queer ever since he revealed his true feelings. Or if the awkwardness was caused by his long absence from their lives.

Sage sighed and wondered if coming here had been such a good idea. Now that he had seen Rowen Hashiba things seemed so...different was the only word Sage was able to think of. He couldn't pin point the exact moment when things changed, but going back to his ways before were going to be harder then ever.

Sage gripped the balcony and within seconds he could feel his grip loosen as he let out a breath. Despite everything Rowen had done to him, despite that he had belittled him and thrown him out with just the tone in his voice on that one fateful day, he still felt for the blue haired man.

Even after all these years Sage could still see what he saw in him so long ago. His brilliant azure eyes that held so much mystery and knowledge and especially curiosity. Though they had dulled slightly, Sage figured with time, they still contained so much depth that Sage wished he could understand.

He could've stared into them for hours upon hours. Only guessing what was going through the mind of the one man he could admire from afar. Never close...

Rowen of course was not a creature he could have been too close too. He always seemed intimidated by relationships and anybody prying into his affairs. He was a personal person who loved his privacy, and Sage wished he could be that one person to get Rowen to open up. To open up to what he was missing.

Sage himself had once been that closed up person. Wishing for nothing more than to be left alone, but now...now things were different. Though things were harder, opening up had been the best thing for him by far...it had opened up a world he had thought never existed.

True people were still cruel and dark hearted, it still didn't shadow the people who were full of life and willing to share it with him.

Sage figured it was yet another reason he had left Toyouma in his past. He had changed so much his friends would probably never believe it was him. Tonight he had stayed calm, distant, and cool just to keep them off his back. He was tired of questioning and besides-

"Sage?" came a timid voice from behind him.

Sage turned around and was surprised at how shaken Vigil looked. "Vigil?" he asked, his tone full of concern.

Vigil cringed visibly, "Uh Sage I am kind of ready to go home." She murmured, averting her eyes.

He looked at her confused, he didn't understand this behavior of hers. "Yeah sure. Just let me go get my keys and Cye." He blurted, watching her.

Vigil nodded and felt odd under his scrutinizing gaze. She then turned on her heel and headed inside.

Sage blinked, noticing that Vigil too, would never be the same. He kind of figured what was wrong with her. He knew he should've never asked her to pretend to be his wife. She probably thought really low of him right now.

The whole night seemed to backfire in his face, but Sage Date never gave up. Even when things were so bleak that he had to rely on nothing and nobody, Sage would never let his head hang low.

to be continued...