4. Unsteady support.
T: thank you everyone for being so encouraging! Just to let you know that as of this chapter Silver Salamander is being my beta so it is possible that the updates may slow down a little. Warnings remain the same and nope still not mine!
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The wind is sharp and he regrets the foolish pride that had him leave the house without a coat.
"You're shivering," Fuuma remarks, a smile hidden within his voice.
"When you asked me to come to Tokyo tower with you I thought we would be inside in the shelter, rather than outside."
"I am sorry if I mislead you, Sakurazuka-san." He remarks, his eyes turning outwards to observe the sprawling mass of Tokyo.
"Why are we here, Fuuma-kun?"
"It has been six years since he died, Sakurazuka-san, since I 'won' and though I have tried to live I have not succeeded, for without him I am nothing…without him I am only a half. I believed, for a little while, that perhaps I could find some peace at your side, for you are broken as I and yet…
Since you faced your Obaachan you have changed and what little of your hurt was left has faded into the hard diffidence of the Sakurazukamori.
You do not care, anymore, for anything and though this option is open to me also I have no want to take it". He pauses here.
"Instead I am going to simply let go, going to join him in the next life" He remarks as he pulls a clear capsule free of his pocket.
"I wanted you here because I needed the company and because I had one last thing to tell you.
"The things that people say as they die are only ever truth, Sakurazuka-san. Seishiro loved you and wished only that you might endure…that you would live on content that you had done what you could to avenge your sister."
He smiles and pops the capsule into his mouth…the cyanide works swiftly and but an instant after he had consumed it Fuuma is dead.
He starts into waking as the train jolts to a stop and taking a moment to assess his surroundings he finds, thankfully, that he has not missed his stop and had in fact, just reached his destination.
Alighting from the station he straitens the uniform as best he can and then with a confident nonchalance, strolls into the office building.
The security guard stops him at the elevator and he explains, swiftly, that he is a new intern and that he had been asked to come today for an orientation of sorts.
His magic brings the man to believe this statement and soon enough he is sat in a semi luxurious board room.
Three individuals join him a moment later and after bowing to him they introduce themselves.
The first is a shrewd looking woman who introduced herself as Usagi Chihiro, his one sure target.
The other two seem to him to be the amiable type who everyone had no hesitation in naming their friends.
They introduce themselves as Sara Shimbo and Motasua Richou and after a few moments listening to them talking of the company and its current projects he comprehends that they are the last of the supporters for the taxation bill.
He introduces himself with Fuuma's name and then is taken, by Usagi-san, to view the office at work.
She is an amiable girl and he sees quickly that she is indeed wary of attack and he is glad of this.
The game is more intriguing when it is challenging, after all.
He works diligently at his post, staying long enough so that her might learn of what Usagi-san does with her day and at what hour she leaves.
Indeed, it is well into the night by the time he leaves and he lingers long enough that he might meet Usagi-san on his way out.
She praises his dedication and is soon laughing brightly as he jokes with her about his previous job.
"How old are you then, Monou-kun? Your eyes say that you've lived a hard life and yet by your appearance I would say you were only in your thirties."
"I am thirty two." He replies, this lie falling from him with ease both because it aids the illusion and because he has told it many times before. "But I had an action packed childhood, so that most likely explains the age."
"Maybe you could tell me about that childhood sometime."
"How about we discuss it now? I worked through lunch and I regret that now."
"Not that I am not flattered by the request, Monou-kun, but I do not wish to encourage you, especially when I have already a special someone in my life."
"Of course…I shall see you tomorrow."
Her smile returns and she gives him a cheery wave goodbye before she is gone.
He is not put off by the information that she has someone else; he has split up relationships before today and was assured that, given time, he could do so again.
He takes his time in returning home, allowing his mind to dwell on the recollection of the previous day.
Tenshi has been delightful company, a boyish charm to him that added with the more familiar aspects of his personality, had made him more of an intoxication.
Once they had finished their tea the boy had suggested a walk to settle their stomachs and he had been more than happy to accommodate this desire.
They had gone first to the zoo at the Sunshine 60 and he had watched the boy's fascination with the penguins with an odd emptiness deep at the heart of him.
He had also thought a little on the loss of his eye but had been spared from a true recollection of that time by Tenshi calling him over to watch the flightless birds at play.
After that he had suggested that they go to Tokyo tower, an idea the boy had jumped at with an enthusiasm that seemed to be typical of him.
They spent a while on the main observation deck, watching the world pass by and talking to one another of odd, almost insignificant, things.
As the sun had began to se the boy had looked ready to call it an evening and reluctant to allow the day to end he had made the suggestion that they go to the higher observation deck.
The boy had again responded to the positive but had set a time limit this time to make certain that he knew that the day was winding to a close.
The talk had faded once they reached the top deck, for Tenshi was taken in by the view and he was struck by a sudden curiosity as to what it was that he wished from the boy.
Since undertaking the role of Sakurazukamori he had found that his decisions had become clouded less and less by uncertainty and that, slowly, things had become clearly one way or another.
Her had become accustomed to this clarity and thus faced now with so many conflicting wishes in his head he did not know what to do.
Part of him wished to spark a relationship between Tenshi and himself, wished to try the game with this boy and when he succeeded he would spare the child and make him his completely.
Part of him wished simply to get as far from the child as he could, wished to flee before it all fell back into the old rhythm and someone got hurt.
The dark heart of him wished to pull the boy close, to start a game similar to that which he had started during the Year of the Bet.
Wished to gain the boy's trust and then break him enough that the other would kill him and fulfil the wish that had been denied him so long ago.
All these desires and the many pros and cons of each flitted through is mind, then Tenshi had moved and a sweet smile on his face he remarked,
"It's been an hour now, Sumeragi-san and I really do have to get home or otherwise Kasan will get cross with me."
"Did you enjoy yourself, Tenshi-kun?"
"Very much so, Sumeragi-san…thank you for today and for this, it was nice to end things on a high note."
"Yes it was." He remarks, all too sure that he has lost the boy simply through his indecisiveness.
Yet Tenshi turns before he reaches the stairwell and a bright smile again on his lips he says,
"Let us do it again soon, Sumeragi-san and perhaps next time we could exchange glimpses at our favourite places to be in the city."
"Certainly." He replies and then, before he can consider the repercussions of such a thing he passes Tenshi a small scrap of paper and informs him,
"That is my mobile number so that you can phone me as well as visa versa."
"Thank you, Sumeragi-san. I'll see you soon."
As the reverie ends he finds that his feet have taken him off of the path home and out towards the Rainbow Bridge.
"Seishiro-san…what am I supposed to do now? How do I go on like this when it seems almost as though you have come back to me…as though everything has been made alright?" He enquires, the words all but a whisper.
As always he is silent and as always he knows the choice is his alone.
Knows that he has to find some clarity amid his confusion.
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T: He he…I wonder if anyone catches the foreshadowing here...yep nasty surprise on the horizon! R+R thanks!