Sorrows of the Past

By: kellygarcia59

Disclaimer: I do not, in any way, own Fushigi Yuugi or any of the characters I'm borrowing for this fic. So don't sue me. Okay?

Author's Notes: Okay, the third chapter of SOTP. I didn't think I'd make it this far since I have this habit of not finishing what I started. But I'll do my best to make get rid of that habit, for the sake of this fic and all my future fics to come.

Chapter Three

Miaka quietly contemplated when suddenly, hands shook her shoulders from behind and a loud roar came with the attack. Miaka's first reaction was to scream, and then she immediately stood up. Her heart thumped wildly against her chest and her breathing increased rapidly.

She jumped to the conclusion that someone had come to steal from her. Then the worse things enter her mind in that one second. 'Kami-sama, he's going to rape me, then kill me,' she thought as a fresh round of tears came. She turned around to see her attacker and what met her eyes shocked her even more.

The fiery red hair caught her sight first. She looked at his well-tanned face, the amber eyes filled with humor, the fanged smirk, the shining earring dangling from his ear, the beaded necklaces that hung from his neck, and the well-built frame.

"Nii-chan…" she softly whispered as memories flooded her mind. She slowly brought her right hand to cover her mouth.

Tasuki didn't expect this. Not in a million years did he expect this. He had caught her at a bad time. Really bad timing. She was crying. No. It can't be. Is this real? He looked straight into her emerald green eyes and he saw her soul. This wasn't the Miaka he once knew. Something was bothering her. She wasn't crying over some small petty thing. He knew. He didn't know how. But he just knew.

Miaka pulled him into a tight hug, hoping she wasn't just dreaming. She knew from Tasuki's eyes that he was greatly pained seeing her so depressed and she was enormously grateful for that. He was still her Nii-chan. He will always be. As soon as she touched Tasuki, she knew he wasn't just an illusion. She was so thrilled to have him here.

Tasuki hesitantly placed her arms around her to return the hug and found her warm. He breathed in a hint of vanilla from her hair. He realized that Miaka was no longer a little girl. She was a big girl now. A few moments later, he found himself returning the hug with equal enthusiasm to Miaka's. He hugged her as a big brother would to his little sister.

Miaka found him returning her hug and felt a warm sensation run through her body.

They pulled away from each other and Tasuki, for the first time, got a closer look of Miaka. She was really attractive. Her smooth and silky hair shone with life and vivacity. Her large and expressive emerald green eyes reflected happiness at the same time hid sorrow. There was a light circle under her eyes, telling Tasuki that she hadn't slept well for the past few days and that she had been crying a lot. Her smile radiated and was beaming at him. Her cheeks were moist from the tears that were present moments earlier. Her delicate nose and flawless creamy skin was added to her features, making her look like a little girl, but at the same time a woman.

Miaka saw that Tasuki was looking at her and could tell from his facial expression that he was really surprised. They were both staring into each other's eyes now. Tasuki noted the awkward moment and decided to lighten the mood a little bit.

"Mia-chan!" Tasuki smirked. "You've grown. Didn't think that you'd end up looking like that."

Miaka frowned and looked down at herself, then looked back up to Tasuki's amber eyes and his fanged smirk. "What makes you say that, Nii-chan?"

"Still calling me Nii-chan, eh?" Tasuki evaded her question, hoping she wouldn't press him about it. He was afraid that if she did, he'd blurt out that he actually thinks she's cute. It worked.

"Yeah, well…" Miaka shyly replied, forgetting about her first question. "I can't help it. It's what I've been calling you ever since I've known you."

"Still eat a lot?" Tasuki asked, still wearing his smirk as he sat down on the bench.

"Still cuss a lot?" Miaka countered with an innocent smile, not knowing the effect it had on Tasuki. She sat down right beside her nii-chan.

"I see, you've become a smart-mouth now," Tasuki slyly commented, eyeing her face and her reaction, ignoring the alien feeling that swept over his entire body. It always brought him great amusement to see the different emotions play across her telling face.

Miaka laughed and lightly slapped Tasuki's biceps, still not knowing the effect her action had on him. "I learned from the best," she replied cunningly with a sparkle in her eye.

"Whoa!" Tasuki pretended to be surprised and placed a false frown on his face. "Was that an insult or a compliment, Mi-chan?"

"It's whatever you want it to be," Miaka deviously responded, completely forgetting the sorrow that had haunted her just a few minutes ago.

Tasuki liked the new Miaka. A little bit spicy, telling from how she responded to his comments. But at the same time, still retaining her innocence, which he had come to enjoy. Tasuki gave a smirk as a reply and took pleasure from the comfortable silence that followed.

Miaka broke the silence. "Don't you ever do that again, Nii-chan!"

"Do what?" Tasuki asked, pretending not to know.

"Scare ten years out of me!" Miaka answered.

Tasuki laughed. "Serves ya right fer crying in the first place! Ya know, I thought you were secretly munching down on some food when I first saw ya."

"Hey! I don't eat that much anymore!" Miaka retorted.

"Oh really?" Tasuki asked with an all-knowing grin.

Miaka felt a blush making its way towards her cheeks. "Well, maybe sometimes."

Tasuki guffawed, clutching his stomach. Miaka crossed her arms in frustration, but soon joined Tasuki in laughing.

Suddenly, Tasuki's face turned serious and Miaka wished he wouldn't ask it. 'Please please please don't make him ask! Oh please please please don't make him ask…' Miaka silently pleaded.

"Why were ya cryin' anyways?" Tasuki asked.

'…the question,' Miaka finished, as all traces of hope left her. She looked at her nii-chan in the eye and knew that he cared for her. Tasuki, with unusual patience, waited for Miaka's reply. But it never came. Instead, a sob escaped her and it morphed into a full-fledged cry.

"Mi-chan…" Tasuki whispered, surprised at Miaka's sudden outbreak. He didn't know what to do. He never really learned how to deal with crying girls. He did what he thought would calm her. He hugged her for the second time that day.

Miaka welcomed the comforting embrace and buried her head in the crook of his neck, savoring the scent that entered her nostrils. Tasuki stroked her back, hoping it would soothe the weeping girl that was enveloped in his arms.

Tasuki felt Miaka calming down after a few minutes. Miaka was the first one to break the hug. She carefully pulled away from him and looked into his yellowish-brown eyes.

"I'm sorry, nii-chan, for…" Miaka started but Tasuki interrupted her.

"It's alright," Tasuki gave her a reassuring smile. "You can tell me next time."

Miaka felt a wave of happiness over come her and she smiled at him.

"Now, t' cheer ya up," Tasuki said looking around. Miaka giggled.

"I don't need cheering up, Nii-chan. I'm fine," she smiled.

"Ya may be fine now but ya won't be fine later," Tasuki stated giving her a knowing look. Miaka suppressed a gasp, surprised that Tasuki knew so much about her despite the fact that they hadn't seen each other or communicated with each other for seven years.

"I know, why don't we drop by my old house first?" Tasuki asked, hoping Miaka would agree.

Miaka hesitated for a while, and with good reason. She didn't know if she should. She had lots of things to do: home works to do, projects to finish, books to read, reports to make.

Tasuki saw that she was hesitating so he added some bait. He smirked, "Y' know, I was given food on my way here and there are so many I don't know how I can finish 'em all…"

Miaka's eyes instantly lit up and her smile widened.

'So adorably predictable,' Tasuki thought as he watched her expression with a playful smirk. He counted mentally. '5…4…3…2…1…'

As is on cue, Miaka spoke up, "Okay, Nii-chan, I'll come with you, as long as you promise me you'll share some of those food with me."

"Deal," Tasuki immediately answered, playfully putting an arm around her shoulder as soon as they were on their feet. They walked to Tasuki's old home with smiles on their faces, talking about random, non-serious topics on the way.

oOo

Author's Notes:

Well, I hoped you like that. I enjoy writing this fic. It keeps my mind off my problems. So sorry about the delayed update. My schedule has been extremely tight, and my parents are ferociously guarding the computer. And I have my studies to attend to. I am, after all, just a high school student about to graduate next year.

Oh yeah, there might be a bit of self-insertion in this fic, but as usual, I'm not sure yet.

That's all! Ja ne!

kellygarcia