10. Dying to be with you.

T: Everyone is being suspiciously quiet after that last chapter…hope I didn't scare you away! Warnings remain the same and surprise, surprise, it's still not mine!

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Meeting Seishiro had proven even more of a significant moment in his life that Subaru had ever thought to believe.

Then man had been all he had thought he might be; charming, amusing and clever, yet there had also been hidden facets to the man, things that had made him a delight to know…

The melancholy that would take him whenever he recollected something that recalled his father to him, this despite Seishiro's obvious contempt for the man…

The passion with which he searched for answers to mysteries he did not understand, even when those answers proved unwanted or dangerous…

The kindness with which he treated those who had luck enough to be considered his friends…

The way in which he occasionally hid that kindness behind a blanket of harshness or sarcastic comment…

Without thought or consideration he had fallen for that other side of the man he had all but looked up to through his early childhood.

It had been embarrassing, at first, to hold such a lusting for one who should be as sempi to him and yet Seishiro seemed not to be adverse to his affection, indeed he seemed almost to welcome it.

To have submitted to this emotion and then to have heard that Seishiro had collapsed…he had felt his heart cease so hard for the thought of the other ill, or worse, dead and he had gone as swift as he could to the Imonoyama mansion.

He is shown in my a maid, dutily informed that Noruko has kept a careful watch on Seishiro and that, as yet, there had been no adverse change to the older man's condition.

She then shows him to the room in which Seishiro is being kept and he is about to knock when it opens out to reveal Noruko,

"Good morning, Sumeragi-san, are you here to see Yuko-san?"

"Yes, if it is no bother."

"Of course it is no bother." The other remarks as he steps by Subaru both in order to let him into the room beyond and also so that he might continue his journey down the hallway.

Subaru apologises to Seishiro for his part in the older man's stress and he proceeds to clam him and indeed apologises in kind for not better looking out for himself.

They settle into an easy conversation that leads, as always to the matter of the Sakurazukamori.

He offers to search Seishiro's memory and lease any blocks that have been placed on the recollections and though the spell requires no physical contact he reaches to hold the older mans head anyway; the movement driven by the desire in his heart.

But a moment later Seishiro is upon his feet, a determination in his eyes that Subaru fears and thus when he learns of its cause…of Seishiro's intent…he makes a request to join the older man.

Seishrio tries hard to dissuade him, perhaps because he fears that Subaru will be hurt or because he fears him burden. Whatever the reason Subaru wins this argument in the end and they set out together for Ueno Park.

He can heart the screams of the tortured souls still in his mind, indeed he does not believe he shall ever be rid of that sound…

There is such a terrible pain centred within this thing of beauty, the blossoms that coat its branches even in the first hints of autumn, but one sign that this tree is not what it seems…is, in fact, a dark thing.

He can see still the double image of the Sakurazukamori and the form she currently inhabited, the two overlaid like some shoddy attempt at camera trickery.

She had talked to Seishiro, dispensed her child's form and without provocation she had cut away his air supply.

Suspended a little from the floor he had wondered, dimly, if this was how hanging victims felt before even this barely rational thought had faded from him.

He had all but believed himself dead when the grip had relaxed and Seishiro is there at his side, his eyes oh so gentle.

"Subaru-kun, there is not much time left and there are things I must say before I make a hard request of you." The older man's hands are on his face then, the warmth of his skin a thing recalled still within Subaru's mind.

"Firstly I need you to know that I love you, Subaru-kun.

"I love and trust you beyond any other in this world.

"Even if there were another here who could so as I am to ask I would not request it of them, that you must believe completely.

"Subaru-kun, I wish you to perform the Segregation spell upon me."

He can recall still that his heart, which had been beating so hard for the joy of Seishiro's confession, had stilled and all but stopped at that request.

The Segregation spell was one that lingered in the grey edges of Onmyojic magic, something that was frowned on by Sumeragi and yet beneficial enough that it could not be warranted a dark spell.

Simply the spell segregated a soul from its mortal shell and encased it within the heart of the caster for any length of time up to three years. It had been used in the more troubled times in the clans history to give the illusion of death to a Clan leader and thus allow them to pass, unhindered, through the barricades of their enemy.

The Sakurazukamori had warned of the dwindling time limit and vehemently Subaru had shook his head, his voice still not recovered from the strangulation of the branches.

"It is the only way, Subaru."

Of course Seishiro had been right and hesitant still to open Seishiro out to the risks of the spell Subaru had stilled himself and began to chant silently within his mind so as not to alert the Sakurazukamori to his intent.

She realises a moment before Seishiro collapses and she reaches the older man just as he impacts with the ground.

She sits a while simply holding him and then she disappears, the only trace of her presence a lone Sakura blossom that lingers on Seishiro's chest.

With her gone the tree frees both himself and Suoh completely and aware that there is nothing he can do for Seishiro at the moment, he crosses over to the younger boy.

"Takumura-san, are you alright?"

He nods weekly, his left hand squeezing hard to his right shoulder in hopes of staunching the bleeding.

"What of Noruko and Seishiro-sempi?"

Aware that there is not yet time to explain Seishiro's situation to the Takumura he replies,

"Seishrio-san shall be okay. As to Imonoyama-san…"

The other had been slumped against the trunk of the tree and though there had been no harm evident on his body Suoh had still come to his side swiftly and with a panicked fervour began to call the Imonoyama's name.

He stirs long enough to inquire as to his location and then he is asleep again, a parlour to his skin now that worries Subaru enough that he checks the boy for any malevolent spells.

It is only when he finds nothing that he relaxes, something that seemingly comforts the Takumura, for he lowers himself to sit at the Imonoyama's side, fatigue clear in his eyes.

He is just considering the best and swiftest way to contact help when the wail of a siren cuts into his thought process, the almost miraculous appearance of the ambulance due, as he will later learn, to the watchful eye that his Obaachan has always upon him.

It does not take Subaru long to be leased again from the hospital and once free he wrings his Obaachan in order to arrange for Seishiro's 'body' to be taken to the room at the basement of the Sumeragi household. The small box room had been designed specifically to hold those currently under a Segregation spell, with spells placed upon it to stop the decomposition of the body and to maintain the lucidity of the muscles.

Once this is done he goes to visit the other two victims of the attack in Ueno Park.

Suoh had suffered a mild blood loss and the damage to his shoulder had been enough that he had required surgery. Once he had recovered from the anaesthetic he had requested that he be moved to Noruko's room, a request that had been granted only when the Takumura had threatened to sign himself out of the hospital even though he was not fully recovered.

Of the Imonoyama the doctors would not speak to him, informing him that the Takumura had requested that only family be kept informed of the boys progress.

Thus Subaru had come to sit with the Takumura and after a while discussing simple things he had enquired,

"How is he? The doctors would not tell me and I was worried."

"Forgive the caution, Sumeragi-san, but I am afraid that if the wrong people learned how vulnerable Noruko is at the moment…"

"I understand, Takumura-san, of course I do…is his condition bad then?"

"He can not recall anything certain of the past few weeks and when he tries to focus on anything he falls asleep. The doctors thought that it might be brain damage, but there was nothing on the CAT scans and they've got no other theories at the moment."

"It is more than likely that the Sakurazukamori placed a block on his memories and if that is the case I should be able to give him back his memories."

The Takumura tensed a little and his eyes moving to focus on the wall away from the Imonoyama he remarked,

"I do not know if I wish you to restore those memories, Sumeragi-san, both for Noruko's sake and my own. For it will hurt him to recall how much Sakura betrayed him and there is the chance that he shall mean still what he said to me."

"Again I understand, Takumura-san and yet I believe you see as well as I that it must be up to Imonoyama to make that choice."

"I suppose so." His eyes move again to linger on the sleeping form to his right and after a moment he enquires,

"What did you do to Seishiro-sempi? After it was over you told me that he was 'alright' but the man in the ambulance said that he was dead…"

"It is complex, Takumura-san."

"I have time, Sumeragi-san and please, it's Suoh."

"And I am Subaru."

………………………………………………………………………….

"…cold down here." One of the free figures concludes as he huddles closer to his neighbour.

Said individual rolls his eyes and pulling his scarf free says,

"You were warned that it would get chilly, but as per usual you refused to listen."

"I thought you were attempting to mother me again, Suoh." The colder of the pair remarks as he furls the scarf about him,

"I do not 'mother' you, Noruko; I simply worry after your safety."

"You mother him, Suoh-kun, we all know it and you had best let it go before he makes you sleep on the couch…again." The final member of the trio remarks.

Noruko breaks into giggles and leasing Suoh enquires,

"Has he been coming to you to complain again, Subaru-kun?"

The other nods and pauses to strike into an over the top mimicry of one who has suffered long from hardship he says,

"He came at three in the morning once, clutching at his bad shoulder and moaning about how the horrible lumpy couch was going to remove what use there was in that area."

"How shameful of him to play on your pity like that! Especially when it is his own fault that he is on the couch in the first place."

"Noruko, you know as well as I that sometimes you are a little overly sensitive. As for you Subaru-san…I shall put this odd behaviour down to nervousness on your part."

Subaru smiles at this before he begins to move again down the corridor.

He is, in fact, very nervous and the occasional bouts of insane levity that have dotted their journey here have, as Suoh had pointed out, been fuelled by this emotion.

It has been two long years since he last saw the man that he loves, since he heard that heart aching confession and since he cast the Segregation spell.

This time he has spent aiding Noruko in recovering his memories and then in bringing his two friends to a point where they could admit to one another the thing that had both been dancing about since before Sakura had come into their lives.

He had spent it also in searching for any clue as to what had occurred to the Sakurazukamori, something that had born fruit when, but a year after the attack in Ueno Park, the tree had wilted and died.

After that he had been called to Kyoto to aid his grandmother in restoring balance to the Tokyo and in placing the souls of the tree to rest.

This monstrous task at last completed and his magic restored to sufficient level, he had come at last to bring Seishiro's soul back to its body.

He crosses over the threshold of the box room alone, for he needs to concentrate in order for this spell to succeed.

There is a moment after he has finished the chanting where he believes he has failed…believes that Seishiro will remain dead and then the other moves.

His hands rise to pull Subaru to him and after a while simply holding him he enquires,

"How long has it been?" His voice retaining still its vitality thanks to the spells within the box room.

"Two years."

"Has she tried to come for me?"

"She is dead."

"Good." He replies before he moves his head a little and pulls Subaru up and into a kiss.

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T: Ta da! Originally I had Subaru place Sei-chan in a crypt but then I stared to think about decomposition and other such things and thus was born the box room. Please review and give this poor authoress whatever praise/ criticism you wish! Titt next time…Ja!