((Author's notes – It's… Anxious!Subaru, Weird!Seishirou, Smartass!Sakura …And that's it, really. . Not much else to say. Except that… well… Seishirou's desperate now. Must remember to include some of the other Dragons… this is an X-1999 fic after all. ))
Shojouken
Chapter VII
When the electronic alarm clock on Subaru's beside table started bleeping insistently at 9am the next morning, Subaru's initial thought was to kill it. The poor Sumeragi hadn't slept at all, after the disturbing events of the night before. It was a wonder how anyone in his position managed not to become an insomniac recluse, with all he had been through.
But I digress.
As Subaru swung his legs around the edge of his bed, closing his eyes, he reached up and rubbed his forehead tiredly, where a headache was threatening to develop. Picking up his gaze and looking around the room apathetically, he tried to figure out what had changed. Of course, he remembered that something had changed. What was it, now…?
"...I bet you c-can't... leave me alone..."
"You're flattering yourself, Subaru-kun... Why don't I-.."
"No. I mean... seriously. I Bet."
Oh. Of course. How did he let himself forget? Giving a few soft groan, he leant forward, elbows digging into his thighs as he cradled his head in his hands, swaying from side to side very slightly. How could he have made such a self-annihilating bet? How? Especially with Seishirou. It was an accident waiting to happen.
But there was no point saying anything now. The bet... yes. Looking down at his hands, he traced a fingertip over the shape of the inverted pentagram, and the symbol flared up accordingly. Subaru winced inwardly as his face was bathed in silvery light. Damn. It hadn't been a dream after all.
Having wrapped himself in a dressing gown, then changed his mind and dressed properly in a fresh shirt and trousers – wary of his houseguest still – Subaru walked down his own hallway cautiously. He didn't know why he was so cautious in his own home. Seishirou would, he knew, keep to his side of the new bet. ...Wouldn't he?
"Ohayo, Subaru-kun."
A familiar voice intruded rather rudely on Subaru's train of thought, and the Sumeragi blinked and looked up. He had only just realised that he had been staring steadily at the carpet. Meeting Seishirou's eyes as he stepped into the kitchen, he blinked once.
"…What are you doing?"
"You have to ask nicely."
"… … …Seishirou-san, could you please tell me what you're doing?"
"Of course." Smiling cheerily in a way so reminiscent of so many memories that he made Subaru look away, Seishirou raised the bowl in his hand as in indication. "I'm cooking breakfast. Although, you disappoint me…" Turning around slightly, the Sakurazukamori looked at the clock and frowned, "…Seven thirty? I didn't have you picked for an early riser, Subaru. You never used to be."
"…Things are different since then."
"Evidently."
There was an awkward pause. Subaru was thinking of the bet again. Both of them. Seishirou could have been thinking of anything; the cheery but meaningless smile was a good mask.
"Subaru-kun?"
"Y-yes?" Blinking, yanked rudely out of his reverie, Subaru blinked at his lo-… housegu-… mortal enemy, expecting something serious.
"Do you still like omelettes?"
"Uh…" Subaru blinked at him.
"I'll take that as a yes, then." Seishirou nodded and turned around again, back into the kitchen.
Subaru watched the cheery veterinarian go. Wait, no. That was wrong. Things weren't the same, and Seishirou definitely wasn't a cheery veterinarian. Cheery assassin, maybe. But then, you don't normally get cheerful assassins. It just didn't fit. All this Subaru let flash through his mind as he watched his mortal enemy make him omelettes on a Saturday morning.
Much of the day passed the same way. Seishirou took it upon himself to do things for Subaru and the Sumeragi was powerless to protest. Or maybe he was just too busy wondering where the catch was.
"Catch, Subaru."
"Wh-what?" Looking up and blinking at the Sakurazukamori from where he had been reading a book, he hardly registered the small box flying towards him until it almost hit him on the side of the head.
"What's… this…?" He asked, confusedly, opening the box and then just staring. It was a ring. A white-gold wedding band. With, he noticed as he took it out of the box, a small pentagram etched onto the side. "…A wedding ring? Seishirou-san, what-…"
"It's for you."
"M-me?"
"Marry me, Subaru."
"What!"
"You heard. I'm asking you to marry me." Seishirou was smiling at him calmly, looking docile. Docile wasn't a word that you usually used for the Sakurazukamori. 'Dormant' maybe. Or 'Waiting'. Never docile.
"…Seishirou-san…"
"Hm?"
"We're both men…" And the fact that they were mortal enemies. And that Seishirou had killed his sister and Subaru hated him with all his heart. Right.
"And? I know someone who won't mind conducting the ceremony. Is that a yes, then, Subaru?"
"No!"
"Why not?"
"I-… You-… We-…." The Sumeragi looked caught for words. "…I hate you!" With which he stood up and strode away angrily, slamming his bedroom door after him. The entire performance was so childish that Seishirou couldn't help but smile a little, running his fingers over a small silvery ring on his ring finger.
"Unco-operable as always… Let me see…" Standing up, Seishirou crossed the room quickly and caught hold of the door handle, opening it slightly. "Subaru? Can I come in?"
The Sumeragi was sat on the bed, eyes closed, looking like he was either about to burst into tears or kill something. Probably the latter, if Seishirou decided to enter the room. Not replying to his arch enemy's request, Subaru just stared dully at the carpet and Seishirou crossed the room.
Kneeling down in front of Subaru, tilting his face to be directly in Subaru's line of sight, the Sakurazukamori felt a soft surge of satisfaction as Subaru raised both eyes to meet his. They stared at the blind eye for a moment, before narrowing slightly and flicking to the amber chip of his seeing eye.
"What do you want?"
Reaching up, wordlessly, Seishirou took hold of Subaru's hand. Gently. For once. Opening it, he looked at the silver ring resting on Subaru's palm calmly for a moment. The Sumeragi had been clenching his hand so hard, there were now two little circles on his palm, one of which was actually starting to fill with a little blood.
"Wear it anyway, Subaru." Seishirou's voice was calm. Picking the ring up, brushing the Sumeragi's palm ticklishly as he did so, Sakurazuka Seishirou took hold of his nemesis's left hand and turned it over so that it was palm down. One hand on Subaru's wrist, he slid the ring onto Subaru's ring finger deftly. It was then that he realised that Subaru was shaking.
"Subaru-kun?"
"Get… out…. Of my…. Room…"
"Excuse me?"
"I said get out…!" Subaru looked up at him again; his eyes were gleaming green emeralds as he glared at his houseguest. "You've got no right to come in here! No right to set up this stupid charade. You bought me a damned wedding ring! What are you trying to prove! What! Why do you have to do these things! Why! Why do you have to do such-….!"
The reason Subaru had stopped was the fact that Seishirou had stood up. The fact was; they might try to kill each other one day, or they might have sex one day. But Subaru would never scream at him. Until now.
"You've made your point, Subaru. I'll leave. My wounds have healed up fine, and I don't need to stay here any longer. Thank you for your hospitality, Subaru, and your unwavering love." Seishirou was staring at him. It was strange to be staring at Seishirou when he wasn't smirking. It made Subaru wonder if Seishirou might actually be human. "Congratulations. I lost your bet. But you didn't win."
Turning around, Seishirou crossed to the door and opened it. His face was set. What he hadn't been expecting was a pale hand reaching out and slamming the door shut before the assassin could slip through it. Turning around, he raised an eyebrow at Subaru.
"I forgot something?"
"…Yeah… you forgot something…" Subaru looked breathless, and had gone a little red. Looking back up at Seishirou, he tried desperately not to back up and hide. Being so close to the Sakurazukamori, in such an enclosed space, was against all of his basic principals.
"…Oh, of course. Now that we're no longer under the terms of your bet…" Reaching up, Seishirou's hand caught hold of the Sumeragi's shirt lightly. Pulling Subaru, who was having trouble keeping his breathing and heartbeat at a normal level, towards him, he wasted no time in pressing their lips together in a rather savage but tender kiss.
A few moments later, when Seishirou released the Sumeragi's shirt, he was surprised to find that Subaru didn't pull back. If anything he pressed forward even more. One of his hands had, at some point, raised to rest on Seishirou's chest.
In the end, it was Seishirou that broke the goodbye kiss. "…Subaru?"
"Stay with me." It came out in a hurried rush of words. Following them, the exorcist flushed and looked down at some spot next to Seishirou's right foot on the carpet. The assassin smiled sweetly.
"Stay here? With you?"
"…Mm."
"Why?"
"…."
"If you can't give me a good reason, then-…"
"I don't want you to leave again." Subaru blurted out, looking up in slight alarm in case Seishirou decided to try and open the door again.
"…Alright, fine. I'll go and get my belongings tomorrow."
"W-what!"
"It's about time we were sharing an apartment. After all…" Snickering slightly, Seishirou reached down and raised Subaru's left hand, kissing his fingertips briefly then displaying the ring. "…We are married."
"…"
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.:Lani:. I've gone insane. O.o
.:Seishirou:. That you have, Lani.
.:Subaru:. –Too red to speak-
.:Lani:. –Smug glance- So, when's the honeymoon, Subaru?
.:Subaru:. –Incoherent spluttering noises-
.:Seishirou:. –Evil grin. Reaches out and slips his arm around Subaru's waist-
.:Lani:. Heheheh… -Goes off to water her lemons and leaves them to it-
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