YAMI NO MATSUEI
THE SHADOWS OF MY PAST
Chapter Twenty-One – The Christmas Wait
To the Reader
For those who are not familiar with Yami no Matsuei (YNM) or Descendants of Darkness, this anime/manga series is shounen-ai (guy/guy relationships or suggestions of such). This entire fan fiction has a PG-13 rating due to its content and keeping in line with how the actual anime and manga are rated.
Timeline of this fanfic
Little is known of Tatsumi Seiichiro's past – not just to us fans, but also to his fellow YnM characters.
Using the pieces of information provided by YnM's mangaka as well as my imagination, this fic is my attempt to fill in those many "holes" about his past. This fic is also my interpretation on why he is the person that we know, love, and fawn over as YnM fans.
By the way, the timeline for this fic is after the Gensoukai story arc. Since Gensoukai is still pending, I'm going to take the position that the Gensoukai arc is over, Hisoka succeeds in getting the powerful dragon shikigami, Tatsumi and Tsuzuki - even though they are in more comfortable terms now – still have unresolved differences from Tatsumi's prior dumping of Tsuzuki, and Tatsumi and Watari's relationship becomes deeper and more intimate.
Readers who have been following this story will find this chapter to be a rather abrupt turn from the pace that it had been enjoying. There is a rhyme and reason for this, so please have patience. Secondly, one may notice that some of the names in this chapter sound familiar. Yes, their names appeared in Kyoto Files Revisited (KFR), Apocalypse Rising (AR) and Ragnarok Descends (RD) – three other Yami no Matsuei fanfics that I have been working on.
There is another TatWari fanfic in my inventory – The Beginning of a Beautiful Relationship…or Not (BBR) – which shows how Tatsumi and Watari became an item before the events told in Chapter One of this fic.
One does not need to read KFR, AR, or RD to understand what is going on in this fic since this fic stands alone. For avid readers of KFR, AR, and RD, I strongly believe that the "continuity" between the three fics and this one that you are about to read is a nice treat.
Additionally, one does not need to read BBR to understand this fic, but readers would be able to see, empathize, and appreciate the reasons which led Tatsumi to travel back to his past and relive the pain – and the major part of those reasons have to do with Watari and Tatsumi's desire to make their relationship work and last.
Happy reading, Happy New Year, and thank you so much for your patience in waiting very long for this story update.
Disclaimer
By the way, I do not own Yami no Matsuei and its lovable characters. However, I do own this fic and Chief Satori and other original characters.
Please sit back and enjoy reading. I hope that you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing this and the fics that I have been writing. Let me know what you think via reviews (especially if there are things that can be improved for the subsequent chapters, or things that you would like to keep or see as the story progresses.
Timeline – Christmas Day 1951
It was early Christmas morning, and it was an earlier start of the day for Asato and me.
Asato and I were now in a cemetery, standing before the graves of my father, mother, and sister. Today marked my father's 25th death anniversary. If I was still alive, two days from now would mark my 32nd birthday.
Since my father died, Mako-san and I observed Ohaka Mairi, with every Christmas Day serving as our yearly gravesite visit. Eventually, upon their respective deaths, the old man and I included Inari and my mother to our observance…the two of us cleaning each of the three gravesites, offering incense and flowers, and offering prayers the three of them.
This year, I decided to observe it differently with Mako-san's blessings. I would be visiting the gravesite twice today, the first being now as I speak and the second being with Mako-san and possibly Asato should he wish to accompany us.
Together, Asato and I worked on cleaning the gravesites and their surroundings. Once the gravesites were cleaned up, he and I placed a bouquet of combined roses and tiger lilies to each dearly-departed and then offered our respective prayers.
I kept my eyes closed even after the prayer, talking to my loved ones in my thoughts by saying, "Father, Mother, Inari… I brought a friend that I'd love for you to meet. His name's Tsuzuki Asato. Truthfully, he's more than a friend to me. I love him very much. Asato and I have been together for nearly three years now. I never felt this way before for another person until now. The gods continue to be kind to me. Mako-san's here, and Asato and I love each other. I miss all of you, and I pray that you will always be at peace. Please watch over and guide me from up above. Please pray for my soul, too."
My mind's eye revisited the past and the memories that I had for each loved one. I could not help but think about the deeds that I have done to right the wrongs, especially against Inari and my mother, and acknowledge that I still had no regrets in avenging their deaths to this very day. I did have regrets that made my heart ache, though, and those had more to do about how I wished that I was a better son and older brother...that maybe, things would have been different for the four of us. Maybe the four...or the three...of us would still be alive.
However, those regrets were eased as I thought about Mako-san and Asato. My train of thought led me to the truth that if things in my life had happened differently, then I would have not met them or had the chance to be in their lives and vise versa.
I lifted my head and allowed my thoughts to travel a little farther as I waited for Asato to open his eyes. Knowing him, he must be offering an earnest and heartfelt prayer and talking to my departed loved ones as well. I closed my eyes once more, taking in a quiet and cleansing breath while thanking the gods once more for giving me the one who stood beside me.
Eventually, I asked Asato, "Are you ready?"
With a nod, Asato replied, "I'm ready, if you are."
I stood there for a minute, gazing into those expressive amethyst eyes as drew me in since the first time that Asato and I met. "Asato, thank you so much for coming with me here. It means a lot to me."
Asato's smile became warmer still. "Seii...you don't need to thank me. I should thank you for this. Taking me here, letting me meet your family and pray for them...allowing me to be with you to share this... All of it means a lot to me, too."
My gaze continued to be transfixed on Asato as I reminded him, "After celebrating Christmas with Mako-san, we still have our Christmas evening together...all right?"
"Of course..."
Reciprocating the smile given to me, I took Asato's hand and we left the cemetery. I walked away with Tsuzuki feeling at peace, now that the symbolic formality of introducing the one dearest to me and asking for my family's blessing was now complete.
"Good morning, and Merry Christmas, Kacho…" I greeted as Kacho arrived nearly the same time as Asato and I did.
"Merry Christmas to both of you, too." Showing me a bottle of sake and what looked like a pastry box, Kacho happily declared, "I come bearing gifts."
"Let's go inside," I said, opening the wooden fence for Kacho and Asato. It might be holiday today, but the scene and the expected events afterwards were at least a once-a-week ritual between Kacho, Mako-san, Asato, and me.
Mako-san and Asato hit it off starting from the time that I formally invited Asato at our home and introduced them. The old man had a figurative field day, teasing me to no end – embarrassing the hell out of me, and making Asato blush many times. Add Kacho to the equation, and the time together was both pleasant and grueling…making me wonder if the gods have delegated Mako-san and Kacho as a tag team to give me a hard time.
As much as I want to shake my head or slap my forehead when the teasing became too much embarrassment to bear in one sitting, the inner part of me could not help but smile and acknowledge that I would not have any other way. It felt heartwarming that the two men that I highly respected and regarded not just as mentors but as my fathers fully accepted everything about me, my life and afterlife, and most especially the one I loved.
I set the table ready with a small feast to commemorate Christmas as well as another time together as friends. I was happy to have Kacho over as always, but it just felt a little off since the original plan was for Mako-san and me to go to the gravesite and then he and I would go over to Kacho's home.
"Kacho, wasn't Mako-san supposed to pass by your home this early morning?"
Kacho replied to me, "He was supposed to, but he didn't show up. I waited for a long time, and I couldn't wait anymore so I came over. It's rather odd, though…if I didn't know any better, I'd say that Mako just stood me up. He didn't leave for another mission, did he?"
I stopped and gathered my thoughts for a minute. "No – not that I know of. Mako-san and I have a yearly ritual that we do every Christmas Day. He wouldn't miss that, and if he would then he'd tell me in advanced."
"Well, I have something to speak to you two about. I didn't expect to see both of you today. As much as I don't want to talk about work during a work holiday, the matter's important. I'd feel better if I talk to you two about it…get your feedback."
At the corner of my eye, I saw Asato raising an eyebrow and then pouting, prompting Kacho to add, "I'm having none of your lip, slacker – now sit!"
Kacho's word snapped Asato to meekness, making me shake my head and chuckle. Call me biased or love-sick, but the sight just looked endearing…cute…
Kacho let out a tired sigh, shrugging his shoulders and rubbing his forehead to shed off his annoyance at Asato. After another sigh, he said, "Tatsumi, what do you think if I say that starting the first day of the new year, you'd be working for the Shokan Division as one of my shinigami…and assisting me as my secretary until I find a permanent one. How does that sound to you?"
With a grateful smile, I replied, "Thank you, Kacho. I humbly accept. So where would I be assigned?"
"You're familiar with the fact that shinigami in the Shokan Division work in pairs, right?" When I nodded, Kacho continued, "I know that you're used to solo assignment such as Mako, so this would be an adjustment for you. I'm assigning you as the junior partner for the Second Division, Kyushu Region. I hope that this would be fine."
After making eye contact with Asato, a hopeful smile escaped from Asato's lips as he said, "So Seii's my new partner...?"
"Yes, and don't you dare corrupt him with your slacker ways!" Kacho's glare then slowly but surely had been accompanied by a smirk. "Try it, and there will be two of us hunting you down…and I'm the nicer one. Can't give you any promises on how Mako would react."
"Yeah, yeah… I promise to behave," murmured an annoyed Asato.
Asato and I were informed that we had a full case load to share, and with me wrapping up my solo missions – my time split 50-50 as I transition from my former assignments to my current ones.
The hours whiled away, and the three of us continued to wait for Mako-san. The sun had already set, and we have waited for nine hours and counting. The feast at the dining table grew cold hours ago, and the three of us barely touched the food out of courtesy for our fourth companion who remained absent.
The longer the wait, the more minutes passed, the more worried I became. Where was Mako-san, and how come he was not home yet?
End of Chapter Seventeen