Empathy.
1. Love.
T: This one came to me as I was reading that last moment in volume 6 of Tokyo Babylon and it seemed enough of a good enough idea that I ploughed ahead…Needless to say I then spent a week simply staring at the blank pages of my notebook without much of an idea of where to go with the plot…Hopefully I've got there now, but just in case the first warning is going to be POTENTIAL SLOW UPDATES! Also SLASH, AU, OOC and again my old friend ANGST, though it doesn't really make an appearance until chapter 3. I do not own anything here bar the plot…oh and this is officially my 30th fanfic…impressive when you consider that I was going to stop at 10!
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There are tears in his eyes; pointless tears so akin to those that had fallen from his eyes but a few days ago.
He had cried so much, had ignored his beloved sister, all because Seishiro had been hurt… all because there had been a chance that the man might not want to see him again.
Why though?
Because it had been Seishiro…
Because the thought of loosing him had hurt like a physical pain.
"I…I am in love with Seishiro-san."
His mind filled with warmth at that realisation and the tears still in his eyes he steps through into Seishiro's hospital room.
For a moment he catches a glimpse of cherry blossoms and his mind fills with the memory of the mysterious boy he had met under the sakura so long ago.
Then he is simply stood at the edge of the room, Seishiro regarding him with a curious expression,
"Subaru-kun, what is the matter?"
"It is nothing." He replies as he comes to sit at the others side. "Seishiro-san…" He feels his cheeks flush, the response something that makes clearer sense to him now that he knows his heart.
There is something in his manner that supposedly hints at the shear importance of the words he wishes to say, for Seishiro's smile becomes truer and he enquires,
"What is it, Subaru-kun?"
"I…I'm in love with you…"
He scrunches his eyes tight, fearful despite the fact that Seishiro has only ever been kind to him.
A hand smoothes his face and he hears Seishiro inform him,
"I know." Before everything falls into darkness.
…………………………………………………………………………..
The hard, electronic, noise of the alarm starts him from the dream he had been having and there is a temptation to hit the snooze button and let sleep claim him again.
"Subaru, I do not think your Obaachan would appreciate you being late." A voice remarks from behind him, the rumble of it rolling though his body and making him feel warm and secure.
"There is much about me that Obaachan would not approve of, Seishiro."
Seishiro laughs and leans over to kiss his forehead before he informs him,
"True enough, pet and if you wish her to remain ignorant to some of those 'things' you should get up."
Mumbling about the despicable nature of boyfriends who use blackmail Subaru wrenches himself from the warmth of the bed and, grabbing a towel, goes to have a shower.
Once out he opens the draw on their medical carbonate and pulls out a pair of clean gloves.
The gloves, or rather his reason for wearing them, was the only secret that remained between Seishiro and himself, this only because he still was not completely sure as to why he wore them in the first place.
Not that it particularly mattered anymore, for when his relationship with Seishiro had progressed enough that touch had become essential he had asked Hokuto to design him a range of fingerless gloves.
Thus he had now the advantage of being able to truly touch things for the first time, while also maintaining whatever secret lay on the skin of his hands.
Obaachan had yet to be completely convinced that even this small concession was not risking himself, a doubt that he always waylaid by enquiring after the reason that the exposure of his skin was a risk.
Seishiro was half way through breakfast when he immerged and the other was so immaculately presented that he could not help but state,
"I never can understand how you're so awake in the morning."
Seishiro smiles one of his warm, safe smiles and pushes his breakfast towards him before he responds,
"It is because I have you to wake up to, pet."
………………………………………………………………………
"I called you to talk about your sister's marriage, Subaru." His Obaachan informs him after they have exhausted all avenues of polite conversation.
He tenses, very much aware of where she is going with this and replies,
"Is that so, Obaachan?"
"I am glad that Hokuto-chan is happy and that you support that happiness…however…however, I would be happier if you were wedding also."
"Obaachan, we have discussed this before."
"Yes, we have and I believed that I had made it clear to you of my feelings on the matter."
He maintains his composure at his and as causally as he can he remarks,
"This is not simply about my need for an heir, is it?"
Her eyes close and her fingers tangling into the edges of her kimono she replies,
"No, it is not…yesterday I was contacted by one of the Dragons of Heaven."
Ah, so this was about the fabled 'End of the World' and his part in that affair.
"I had thought that we had agreed to stay neutral until there was a clear threat."
"We did and there is."
"Obaachan?"
"It seems the Sakurazukamori has attacked the Dragons of Heaven."
For an instant he believes he feels the backs of his hands stinging and then the sensation passes so quickly that it seems almost as if it had never truly been there.
"Your hands stung as I said that name, did they not?" Her voice is soft, deceptively so and his curiosity piqued he enquires,
"Yes and you know why, do you not, Obaachan?"
"Subaru, I have tried so hard to keep this truth from you…had hoped that you would recall these things on your own…
"Yet it seems the blocks on your memory are too strong to dissolve naturally and thus the burden falls to me.
"All those years ago I came to the sakura and found you stood within its shadow, a dazed expectancy in your eyes.
"I did not understand and then I saw your hands…" She pauses, tears welling into her eyes and he tenses, concerned despite himself. "You were branded by the Sakurazukamori…marked to die just as your father before you…
"I could not loose you as I had him and so I protected you…bound the marks with powerful wards.
"Yet still it has not been enough…yesterday I looked into your future and I saw only the cherry blossoms…" She is weeping openly now and he leans across to hug her, offering the comfort despite the breach in etiquette.
"Obaachan, you do not need to be afraid. It has been fourteen long years since that day and I have not died.
"Perhaps the Sakurazukamori has bored of me or perhaps he believes that without my memory I am of no threat."
"Perhaps…" She does not sound convinced and as she hugs him closer he feels a chill cross over him.
……………………………………………………………………………..
He has perched himself into one of the top branches of the tree, the view this vantage point offers both practical and a little nostalgic.
For he has been here in this place when he had met the boy who he currently called his lover.
He could not say with any certainty why he had been motivated to begin the Bet and yet as to the matter of its continuation…
He had thought to end the Bet the day after he had lost his eye and yet the thought tog the tears the day before and the tears that had threatened the boy's eyes the day after had changed his mind.
The curiosity to know why those tears were there had been enough for him to stall a little and the answer…
Though he knew that he did not love the child, knew that the Bet would have ended in his favour…
There had been a hesitant want in the child's eyes that had made him wonder…
Had made him pull the child down into another sleeping spell and utter, what had proven to be, fateful words.
"I shall extend the Bet a little more, Subaru-kun, for I am curious as to whether the shear force of your want can pull me in,
"Am curious to see if by allowing you to love me I might, in time, be able to return that love.
"However, there shall be no guarantees this time, Subaru-kun and should I bore of you by tomorrow then I shall kill you.
"You are still as glass to me, after all."
He had meant those words and yet each day he had learned something new of the Sumeragi…
Had become enthralled and yet…
He lights a cigarette and smiles a little to himself,
"We shall see what destiny has in store for us, shall we, Subaru-kun?"
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T: That last line is mean to be a little ambivalent as to Sei-chan's true meaning…in other words does he mean 'Let's see what happens when we meet as enemies on the battlefield' or 'Let us see what the future brings'…to be honest not even I really know at the moment! I liked the thought that even after seven years Subaru hasn't gotten the courage to tell his grandma that he's gay, or at least seeing another man and thus Obaachan remains ignorant! Also the odd fan cannon idea that Subaru hates early mornings has snuck in, both because I find it cute and because it gave my lovers a chance to have an amicable teasing match! R+R as input helps me improve! Also I need the plot ideas I really do!