Pomegranate
The Golden Sprig
--------------------------
-------------------------
Any time............
Waking up with the sunrise. Wearing a man's dress shirt, softest cotton, her underwear and nothing else.
The bed is cold but for the depression she left in it.
"Miss Tomoe..." Aiko at the door, circles under her eyes. She looks a different person with no tray to push around in front of her, no symbol of her profession. She looks Tomoe's age.
"Where is the Councilman?"
"Kiyosato-sama is still asleep. ...I'll be preparing breakfast in a few moments, ma'am."
"I must go home."
"I'll tell Yugiri to bring the car early."
---
He could feel her near. Everything in him drew him toward her, to touch her. Tomoe. Warm. Near.
He knocked.
Miss Yukishiro......
"Miss Yukishiro?"
I was wondering.......
Too softly. She couldn't hear his desperate heart beating on the other side of the door. She didn't feel the same need.
Tomoe.......
"Sleep well, Miss Yukishiro."
I need......
Turned to go to his cold, empty bedroom and cold, empty sleep. No better than his office. Worse. Space around him, a vacuum of quiet, blank...
The door opened. She leaned out and he could see a sweep of hair, a knee.
You.....
She looked up at him when he didn't speak, and showed him her eyes, more clear and beautiful and bottomless than he remembered.
"Miss Yukishiro."
She glanced down again. He contemplated her profile. "I found it in the closet. It was more comfortable than the clothes I was wearing." Her knee peeking out beneath the bottom of one of his spare dress shirts, stored in the guest room.
"Take it. Miss Yukishiro...." Tomoe... His hand on her hand that rested on the doorframe. His face suddenly so close to hers that he could smell the fragrance of her hair, realize that she was only a few inches shorter than him. "Miss... Tomoe... I've wanted to..."
She looked up at him and her eyes were blank, but not quite--a question, a concern, like she had expected this and wanted it to be over.
His hand tightened on hers. Silence a few more seconds and then he didn't kiss her and his grip relaxed.
"Miss Yukishiro. We should... talk... about this... There are some things I want to discuss with you."
She nodded, looking at his collar. "Certainly, Kiyosato-san."
"Good night."
---
Tomoe...
Kiyosato-san.
Akira...
There's something I wish to discuss with you.
I can't...
I can't.
I can't get you out of my mind.
I can't.
I can't.
Please...
Please stop loving me.
---
"Kaoru."
"Nichi." Smiling on the phone. Better than the waffles she was eating for breakfast, the sound of his voice.
"Tomoe came home right on time, won't talk to me about it, natch. She seems pretty tired."
"Maybe she'll tell you about it tonight."
"Maybe..."
"Hey, you gonna come over this weekend? My dad said he'll cook dinner for us. ...He really likes you, you know."
"Yeah, I'll be there..." Sleepy smile. Pleased with himself, with her, with life in general if only for a this brief moment. "Well, I'll talk to you later. Got to read ready for school."
"Bye, Nichi."
"Bye... Kao-chan..." The click of disconnection at her end.
He was left blinking at the phone in his hands, in the back of his mind registering of sounds of Tomoe taking her shower. But foremost in his thoughts... What had become of Yukishiro Enishi? What had come out of his mouth...?
Kao-chan...???
-------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------
------------------
Author's Notes:
Lookit!!! Be amazed at my inability to sustain a mood for a single page!!! Does anybody like this kind of writing?? Ehhhhhhh....?
Uhmmmm.... no excuse. None. I'm thinking.... angst??? Hello??? Where is the angst??
Maybe next chapter. HMMMmmmmm (like I haven't been saying that for the past three chapters).
But, look, there was progress in their relationship. No rhyme or reason and WHY??? Because I'M the author!!! Ha HAH!!
Muchas gracias, Shura!!!!!!!!!
oh, and... 80s music? me? listen to 80s music? heh heh heh. :}
-Void (too tired to apologize)