One Moment's Kiss/Soulmates
By Sibylsofiana
CCS owns the characters (oh sorrow). I just get to pretend they're mine, now and then. Rating is PG, for the pairing.
It was autumn and there was a bite in the air. She always liked the autumn, and she was glad to be home. With him.
She had let her hair down, just the way he liked it. And his hand was brushing against it, tenderly caressing the red waves that went down her back, in a manner not so much as a child's, filled with wonder at how soft her hair was or how red, but in a disconcerting way, as an adult would caress his beloved's hair.
And she shuddered at the thought that years and years had separated her and this man – this man in a child's body.
She should have been aghast to discover that her soulmate was physically thirteen years younger than she was. But she wasn't. Not even the age gap between her and Touya had mattered at the time.
And now that terribly delicious boy with those ageless eyes looked back up her with unmistakable humor in his gaze.
"What are you thinking about now, Kaho?"
She shook her head and sighed contentedly.
"I'm just glad to be back home." They were by the reflecting pool, watching the moon on its journey through the heavens.
After some time, Eriol answered his own question, which she had tried to evade.
"Age is nothing but a number," he quoted, and she just shrugged and tried to laugh it off. His next question surprised her, though, and made her look at his face.
"Would you like me to kiss you, Kaho?"
Hiiragizawa Eriol was quite serious, and she didn't know how to answer him.
They had been content with their companionship in London, and had never attempted any kind of intimacy other than the occasional touches and glances. Because of how he looked, Kaho was careful not to go beyond what was publicly acceptable, until he caught up physically in years. But this?
He didn't wait for her answer, but stood up in front of her, blocking her vision of the moon. She couldn't see his face.
She hesitated, then berated herself. This was her soulmate, physical appearances notwithstanding. Soulmates went beyond age and physical limitations! She closed her eyes and prepared to meet his child's lips with hers. Still, it was unnerving.
"Kaho." His deep voice made her open her eyes. This time, she opened herself to her Sight – and the man bending over her was no boy.
The older, dark-haired man superimposed over Eriol's body had this grin on his face before putting his lips to hers. And her breath caught as she felt warm, strong lips against hers.
Ah, Kami help me. She leaned into the kiss and felt herself drowning. If this was what she was going to expect a few years from now, she would die a happy woman.
When she opened her eyes a few moment later, it was just Eriol sitting at the bench smiling at her with that not-so-innocent look on his face.
"I hate it when you look so bloody smug," she said, a slight blush staining her cheek.
Eriol chuckled and touched her face with a gentle hand.
"I'm glad you're home, Kaho."
Author's Notes:
I was trying to write a piece for last month's Tanabata, with Fujitaka and Nadeshiko against the backdrop of Tsukimine Shrine. Instead, I was surprised to find myself writing about Kaho and Eriol. I did get to writing about F/N, which I posted in LJ TomoedaDrama, but I kinda saved this one for here. I don't know what came over me – I'm not a fan of the pairing, although I like both of them individually. It just…flowed. And the funny thing is, I like it. This is set just before the confrontation with Sakura.