Chapter 2 When I am Out of My Way

Disclaimer: characters belong to CLAMP

a/n : thx for all review I've got. It means a lot for me. So, keep reviewing to pumped my spirit, which can make me write things down faster.. Ohohoho…

Inspired by : Kanou –Okane ga nai- and Akihiko-Junjou Romantica-

Touya's POV

When I went back from the bathroom, there're still so much left on the bowl. The mush was barely eaten by him, and his face saddens me more. I didn't like see him sad…

"Did it taste bad?" I asked, stared at him.

Yukito lifted his head. Thus, his grey eyes met mine. The look he gave me, told me more than every meeting held everyday by the council.

There's nothing wrong with the food, Touya. The only one wrong is me, that's what I caught through his irises. Then tears rise in his cloudy eyes before made it's way to drop between us.

Did he even know how he broke my heart without even say anything and did nothing? But no, I won't step backward. I will definitely make him mine.

I rise my thumb to wipe the tears away from his cheek, "You seemed tired. You didn't have to finish the meal. Just take proper rest. I'll be back before noon."

With that sentence, I dismissed to go out from the chamber, left him behind. Yuki need some space after all. The best thing I could do was made sure that he would heal soon, with or without my help.

Oo..0o0Oo.:0oO0:.

I tried to hide a yawn. It was my official duty to attend all meetings of the royal council, and I would never skip my duties, any of it, neglecting the fact how boredom it was. More over I had Yukito to worry about.

"Should we wait for High Priest to.." said one of the councilor.

"No," I cut him sharp not even lift my gaze from silver glass in front of me.

Then they look bewildered for a moment, a soft buzz hanging low before someone raised his voice to said something about High Priest being sick at the moment.

"Is his body more important than this meeting? This is issue nothing but all of the whole country. How dare he.."

"At least he is more important than you. Why should he bothered to come and solving every little thing you couldn't handle because your lack of..." I didn't finished my sentence.

"Your Majesty?" someone has cut in.

Then I realize tons of eyes pointed at me as if I've did something scary like send them to guillotine.

"We begin the meeting without Priest Yukito's presence, shall we?" again the same man with inhumanly calm manner asked.

From his clothes, seemed that he came from shrine, the same where Yuki used to be. I had seen him before, one of those Order thingy, under Yuki's authority.

"Sure," I reply as tiredly closed my eyes.

Soon, the councilors began their ranting about country matters. Certain group of merchant asked permission to pass the borderline and asked a guard to protect them from dessert thieves. The increasing price of fresh vegetables, which is hard to obtain and so on, and on and on...

I didn't focused my thought on current topic but wondered about Yukito instead. It scared me that he would hate me till the rest of his life. He is too tempting to let other began their advance toward the High Priest first. I'm afraid that he would fall for someone else that not me, even tough considering his thick-headed about his own feeling the chances of it to happen was nearly zero. But, again, the possibility for him not to notice isn't zero.

Finally, though, every issue had been more or less cleared, I still hardly found what they needed me for, and the council member asked me whether I had anything to add or not. This was their official habits as well as the customary bows when I entered or leaved the room. Nobody ever expected me to add anything tough so I dismissed it for the day.

Once the duty done that noon, I headed back to my room. I unlock the door before stepped into the inner chamber. There, Yuki still lay on the bed, beneath the rumple cover. I stepped quietly, not wanting him to awake yet.

His hair was light grey, which slightly silver under the bright light and somehow darker in dim light, but it not lessen his beauty at all. Yes, his feline fragile yet slightly too pale skin for a man were his common appearance. Not to mention his soft and tender voice, even amongst those Priests I've ever met, he is always special. There's something about him that couldn't easily defined into word.

I took his hand in mine when I felt something wrong about him. His body a bit too warm, so I checked his forehead. He moaned as he slowly stirred up to reality. He shrugged away from me as he completely awake now, seemed scared by my presence.

"You've got a fever," I said to him.

Yuki just lowered his face, not dared to turn away. Good signal for me to pull my hand back. So, I went back and turned to look for some medicine in nearby cabinet. After I've got what I've search for, I gave the pills to him along with the water.

Slowly, he took the pill and the glass with trembling hands. When our fingers accidentally brushed, he suddenly gasped and pulled back his hand that causing the glass fall in the sheet. Water spilled from fallen glass, the bed dripping wet.

"I…I'm s..sorry…!" Yukito was about to cry again.

Did I hurt and scared him that much?

Without thinking, I hugged him, body shaken in my arm. He murmured things between his sobs, unclear, barely audible.

"I'm sorry if I scared you, Yuki. I didn't…I never meant to… I never meant to scare you…" I whispered in his ear while my other hand caressed his silky hair.

"Tou…ya…" were all the words I could hear from his delicate lips.

He repeated my name while I continued to calm him. I'm used to dealt with angry man, the rough and harsh one. My years of study made me knew how to deal with diplomats from neighborhood countries, or in the worst cases, the country has been under attack along with coup de tat, everything so-country-matters.

It's too bad that none of those book I had red taught me how to comfort your friend or how to-deal-with-a-man-who-was-crying-in detail. Well, maybe those kinds of book were existing but I'm pretty sure that it's not kept in Palace-Library. How could people rule a land if they couldn't even stop the tears of your beloved. Or maybe that my ancestors were so great at manipulating and comforting people that they needn't those kind of book.

After half an hour, Yuki seemed calm a bit. That's when I patted his back slowly before pulled him away.

"Yuki, I'm sorry if I scared you… but just for you to know that I love you…" I said in whisper that loud enough for him to hear.

Yuki, still choked in tears, let his head hung low before I lifted his chin. His eyes were red from crying, so did his nose and cheeks. It hurt that he's not really saw me even though our eyes were met.

"Yuki, look at me," I asked him more firm.

"I know you don't want me around and want back to your room instead, but I can't let it. At least heal your fever first. You can rest here. Now, let's have this sheet changed first. You'd better change your clothes too, okay?"

He gave me small nod.

"Good," I smiled at him, "Now, let's moved to front room while maids had it clean, shall we?"

Another nod. Thus, I took him by hand and lead him to cushion. I went back to inner chamber to get some articles and gave him. I locked the front room from hallway, and locked it from inside inner room. From different door, I made the maid to come. Watched the maid changed the sheet, and gave Yuki space to change himself. Probably he wouldn't comfortable with my presence.

After everything was settled before me, the maids excused themselves. I went to where Yuki was and found him with new clothes that were actually mine, which looked a bit too big for him. But it doesn't much matter.

"Well done. You just need to take the pill before rest. And please took some of the mush before the pill, let your stomach empty would only made you heal longer. If you were healthy enough, then I have no reason to keep you here."

Yuki murmuring something like 'Hm' as a yes.

Without waiting him took his meal, I walked to the door that separated the inner and outer room. Leaning against it, I eyed him through corner of my sight.

"I'll be at the front room all night if you need something," at this moment, his movement stopped. I'm paused to watched his reaction before continued the sentence, "Good night, Yuki. I wish you nice dream."

Then I closed the door between us. Until the last time, he's not even lift his face.

Uhm, well… What else I'm expect him to do? I ain't a good friend at all…

Oo..0o0Oo.:0oO0

The night was surprisingly fast considered that I couldn't sleep well. I was in the same cushion chair when I felt strong presence near me. There, stood Yukito with his ordinary priest clothes, while the rest of attribute were on his other hands. I was so surprised by him that he stood there before me with his gloomy look.

I turned to window; found that the sun not even rise yet, only shred colors of mixed green, purple and red amongst the blue and black. Then I turned to him, his was more composed now compared to yesterday.

"How are you feeling today, Yuki?" I tried hard not to jump at him and hug him tight.

He bowed his head not more than necessary and said, "I'm getting so much better, thanks for Your Majesty's attention this whole time but I must went back to shrine now. I wish Your Majesty blessed with health and fortune, as much as this country."

Then he raised his head, his piercing grey eyes went through to thrust my heart.

"Might God and Goddess guide us."

With his grace, he moved toward the door. Soft sounds of his step or movements of his clothes were disappearing as he left the place, as he left me alone, as the new day born.

At the priest residence, gossip spread out fast amongst them about the reason behind Yuki's sickness. As the matter of fact, he was nowhere for two night.

Sorata : "Why couldn't you shut your mouth up? That's so disgraceful of you to bad mouthing people behind them. Asked him if you were that curious about him, chicken!"

Next time on "The Thorn Never Hurt Me": When I'm lost in uncertain existance.

That's it for chapter2. Really thank you for reading and…Reviewwww pleaseeeee…….