Part Thirteen
Subaru awoke the next day with a headache so bad he had to resist the urge to be sick. He lifted one hand to his temples and rubbed them gingerly.
“Good morning, sleepyhead.”
Subaru nearly fell out of bed. As it was, he managed to keep his balance, rocketed upwards, and somehow got into the chair next to Seishirou’s bed, headache forgotten. “You’re awake! And alive! And . . .” His voice trailed off as he looked down at Seishirou. “And you look awful.”
“Thanks for that vote of confidence, Subaru-kun.” Seishirou’s voice was soft, and rough. “I feel pretty awful, too.”
“Yes, well, pnuemonia does that to you.” Subaru reached out and tucked Seishirou’s hair behind his ears. “There, that’s better . . .” Without another word, he leaned over, resting his head on Seishirou’s chest. The older man’s arms came up and around his shoulders, holding him. “I was so scared,” Subaru murmured. “I thought you had left me for good . . .”
Seishirou smoothed his hair. “I would never leave you, Subaru-kun. I just had to figure out how to get back, that’s all.”
Subaru sniffled. “Have you talked to my sister?”
“Yes, she did appear with her boundless energy and completely bizarre plan.”
“And?”
“And what?”
“And what do you think of her bizarre plan?”
Seishirou paused, his hands becoming still for a second before continuing their reassuring caress. “I think it’s a good idea. But . . . it makes me nervous.”
“Why?” Subaru asked, tilting his head so his chin was resting on Seishirou’s chest and he could look at the older man’s face. “I’m sure Hokuto-chan would take good care of you.”
“Yes, but who would take care of you?” Seishirou asked, half-smiling.
Subaru half-smiled back. “Johnny.”
Seishirou groaned. “God forbid.”
Subaru laughed. “No, Johnny’s going to America . . . Kamui needs more taking care of . . . guess I’d just have to take care of myself.”
“See, that’s what I’m afraid of,” Seishirou said, and they both laughed, letting a little of the tension out.
There was a long pause. Subaru settled more comfortably into Seishirou’s arms.
“Will you be okay?” Seishirou finally asked quietly.
“No,” Subaru said. “But I’ll manage.”
“I don’t like leaving you, especially not right now . . .” Seishirou said.
Subaru sighed. “I’ll take care of myself, I promise.”
“Does that include not doing dangerous spells to your most powerful enemy?” Seishirou asked dryly.
Subaru blushed. “Oh, so you heard about that . . .”
“Johnny told me when he was visitng yesterday,” Seishirou replied. “What on earth possessed you to go Within Fuuma?”
“Well, because I wouldn’t have felt right killing him if there had been any chance of getting the real Fuuma back,” Subaru said, reasonably enough. “And my sense of self-preservation was not really kicking in at that moment. I still thought you were dead, after all.”
Seishirou made a face. “I suppose that’s acceptable.”
“I won’t do it again,” Subaru promised.
“What did you see?”
Subaru told him. “What do you think it means? That’s the problem with going Within; everything is translated into symbols and you have to figure it all out afterwards. Sometimes it’s obvious, like it was with you . . . but this time I’m not so sure. Do you think we could still get Fuuma back?”
Seishirou was quiet a long time, considering. “You said the heart was still beating?”
Subaru nodded.
“Then I think it’s possible,” Seishirou said. “Not that I would have any clue of how to go about it. But I imagine the actual spell wouldn’t be too far removed from what you did to me, to free me.”
“Hm,” Subaru said.
Seishirou eyed him suspiciously. “I know that look. You’re up to something. Please tell me you don’t plan to try it.”
“No,” Subaru said. “I don’t. It’d be nice, though.”
“Yes, well . . .” Seishirou’s voice trailed off. “I want you to stay as far away from Fuuma as you can. Okay?”
Subaru nodded.
“Promise me?” Seishirou asked.
“I promise.” Subaru wound his fingers through Seishirou’s.
“Could you do me a favor?”
“Sure.”
“Move in with Kamui and the others? You’re more likely to eat if someone else cooks for you, and I’ll trust them to keep you out of trouble. Just ‘till I get back.”
Subaru opened his mouth to protest, then saw the worried look in Seishirou’s eyes. “All right. But only until you get back, of course.”
“Of course,” Seishirou replied.
There was a brief pause while both of them gathered their thoughts.
“Three more weeks,” Seishirou said. “We’re doing pretty well, I think.”
Subaru let out a shaky laugh. “Sure, I almost died once and you almost died once, but neither of us are dead yet.”
“And we’re still together,” Seishirou murmured.
Subaru closed his eyes. “Are you going to . . . go . . . now?”
“I think the sooner, the better,” Seishirou admitted. “This way Fuuma won’t realize anything suspicious is afoot; he may not even realize I ever woke up from my coma at all. You’ll explain everything to the doctor?”
“Yes,” Subaru said. “And don’t worry about Kamui . . . turns out there’s another young man interested in him. I may have to play Matchmaker.”
Seishirou laughed sleepily. “Just like your sister.”
“Yeah,” Subaru said softly.
Pause.
“Subaru-kun . . . can you do something for me?”
“Anything,” Subaru replied immediately.
Longer pause.
Subaru glanced up, meeting Seishirou’s eyes.
“Tell me . . . that we’ll be all right,” Seishirou whispered.
Subaru’s fingers tightened on Seishirou’s for a minute. The older man’s hands were cold. “Are you frightened?” he whispered.
Seishirou nodded.
Subaru climbed up onto the bed, worming his way into Seishirou’s arms. “We’ll be all right,” he whispered. “I will always love you . . . no matter what.” He kissed Seishirou’s forehead. “We will always be together.”
“I wish we could be sure . . .” Seishirou sighed.
Subaru smiled painfully and quoted. “This is true love. You think this happens every day?”
Seishirou let out a shaky laugh.
“Watching that movie was the first time . . . I ever lay in your arms like this,” Subaru whispered. “I want to stay here forever.” He closed his eyes, enjoying the way he fit perfectly against the older man; two pieces to a puzzle, yin and yang, destined to fight until love had gotten in the way.
“Wait for me, Subaru-kun . . .”
“I will,” Subaru whispered.
“And be careful.”
“I’ll do that too.”
“I’ll see you in three weeks.”
“Yeah,” Subaru whispered. He leaned over and gave Seishirou a very gentle kiss. “I’ll see you then.”
Seishirou sighed then, wrapping his arms more firmly around Subaru, until he drifted off. Subaru watched the dull green monitors as Seishirou’s heartbeat slowed and he slid into deeper dreams, then deeper still.
Subaru kissed Seishirou again, on the forehead, and cried himself to sleep.
****
Subaru had quite a bit of explaining to do to the doctor the next day, but he eventually managed to get everything straightened out. After that he was on the phone for quite a bit. It wasn’t easy to get plane tickets on such short notice, but being - or at least having been - the Thirteenth Head of the Sumeragi Clan had its advantages. By the time he met Johnny and Liam for a late lunch, he had two plane tickets to New Orleans in his hands.
“So I hear you were telling Seishirou about my adventures with Fuuma,” Subaru said, taking a long drink of his tea.
“What else was I going to talk to him about?” Johnny asked.
Subaru just sighed. “It’s nice to know that the two of you get along so well. Anyway, he’s going to be visiting the seaside with Hokuto for the next three weeks or so.”
Johnny blinked. “Interesting way to take a vacation.”
“Hokuto volunteered to get him out of the line of fire,” Subaru explained. “After all, Fuuma can’t use him if he’s not really here.”
“Very valid point,” Johnny agreed.
“Anyway. These are for you.” Subaru held out an envelope.
Johnny took it and peered at the contents. “What’d I miss?”
“You get a vacation too,” Subaru replied. “You told me you always wanted to go to New Orleans. It’s not Mardi Gras season, but I’m sure it’ll still be interesting.”
“Removing me from the line of fire?” Johnny asked.
“Both of you,” Subaru said with a nod towards Liam. “Fuuma wouldn’t hesitate to squash you. And he wouldn’t have any trouble doing it, either.”
“And I’m supposed to trust you to take care of yourself?”
Subaru sighed. “I’d be wounded, except Seishirou said the exact same thing. I’m moving into the apartment where Kamui, Sorata, Arashi, and Yuzuriha stay. I’m sure, between the four of them, I will be taken care of.”
Johnny considered this for a long moment. “When I get back,” he said warningly, “there had better not be dark circles under your eyes, and if you’ve lost so much as a pound . . .”
Subaru laughed. “Johnny, it’s only three weeks.”
“Last time I had to scrape you up off the floor, it was only five days.” He paused. “I rest my case.”
“Consider it rested,” Subaru said dryly, “and consider getting on the plane. Don’t forget - Kakyou can see the future.”
“Well, I’ll get on it. I never said I wouldn’t. Just making my leaving conditional.”
Subaru sighed. “I took care of your hotel arrangements as well. Everything’s all paid for. Please at least try to have a good time.”
“Seeing as they may be my last three weeks on earth, I won’t be sitting on my ass, bored,” Liam chimed in.
Subaru rolled his eyes. “We are trying to prevent that, you know.”
“Just see that you do,” Johnny said with a nod.
Subaru smiled. “I’m going to miss you, Johnny.”
“I’ll miss you too,” Johnny said, shaking his head. “Good Lord.”
“Good Lord what?” Subaru asked.
“It’s just odd. I’m not the ‘I’ll-miss-you-too’ sort of person.”
Subaru laughed.
****
“Kamui, can you go tell Subaru that dinner’s ready? I’ve called twice, but either he hasn’t heard me or he isn’t coming,” Sorata said.
Kamui nodded, twisting his shirt between his hands. “Yeah, okay.” He climbed the stairs slowly and knocked on Subaru’s door.
No answer.
“Subaru?” Kamui tried. “Subaru, dinner’s ready . . .” He gently pushed the door open and looked inside. Subaru was sitting at his desk, eyes closed, his hands folded together in prayer position, chanting softly. As Kamui watched, he opened his eyes and began to trace symbols on something lying on his desk. Kamui coughed delicately.
Subaru half-turned and gave a slight nod, acknowledging Kamui’s presence and asking for a few minutes to finish up what he was doing. Kamui waited awkwardly in the doorway until Subaru turned to him. “Sorry,” he said, looking tired. “Did you need something?”
“It’s dinner time,” Kamui said. “You should eat.”
“Hm,” Subaru said, glancing at what he’d been doing. “All right, that’ll keep until later. I need your help to finish it anyway.”
“What is it?” Kamui asked, intrigued by the thought of helping the Sumeragi with one his magical projects.
“I’ll tell you after dinner,” Subaru said, and headed for the stairs. He ate in near silence, obviously preoccupied, letting Sorata and Yuzuriha do most of the talking. Arashi commented seldom, and Kamui was busy giving Subaru worried looks. Still, he was gratified to see that Subaru ate a healthy meal without hesitating and he didn’t look any more tired than normal. Afterwards, Subaru offered to do the dishes, and Kamui eagerly volunteered to help. Anything to get them done quicker so he could find out what Subaru had been up to.
Subaru turned and gave him a long glance as Kamui dried the plates. “Come on,” he said, taking them and putting them in the cupboard. “Let’s go upstairs.”
Kamui followed Subaru up to his room and walked over to his desk, eager to see what Subaru had been experimenting on. To his surprise, it was just a knife, about as long as Subaru’s forearm, with a gold and wooden hilt. There was dried blood on both the blade and the wood. “What’s this?” Kamui asked.
“It’s one of my ceremonial daggers,” Subaru explained. He had come in behind Kamui with a damp washcloth he’d brought from the kitchen, and started cleaning the blood off the blade.
“Whose . . . whose blood is that?” Kamui asked, not sure he wanted to know.
“Fuuma’s,” Subaru replied. “I brought the knife with me when I went to rescue Johnny, and at one point it ended up lodged in Fuuma’s shoulder.”
Kamui watched for a second as Subaru finished cleaning the blade and put the washcloth down. “Aren’t you going to clean the hilt?”
Subaru shook his head. He traced his fingers over the lines of blood and said a single word, and a symbol flared to life.
“Oh,” Kamui said. “What’s it mean?”
“Since the symbol is traced in Fuuma’s blood, it means the dagger is keyed to Fuuma’s . . . well, essence, or spirit, for lack of a better term.”
Kamui frowned. “To Fuuma’s? Or to . . . to the Dark Kamui’s?”
“The Dark Kamui has no essence,” Subaru said. “Between what Johnny told me and what I saw myself, I’m pretty sure of that.”
Kamui frowned. “What does Johnny have to do with this?”
“Johnny’s a low-level empath,” Subaru explained. “He can sense people when he touches them. I, for example, feel like roses and sandpaper to him. Lately he added sunlight to that; apparently I’ve gotten more cheerful. Seishirou felt like ice water and blood, but . . . that was when they first met, and I imagine it might have changed. Anyway, Johnny said that Fuuma felt like acid and ice, but that was sort of a surface impression, a translation, and the first thing he felt when Fuuma touched him was a void. Absolute nothingness.”
Kamui considered this. “So if the dark Kamui has no essence . . .”
“It’s keyed to Fuuma himself,” Subaru said, nodding.
“But how do we know that . . . that Fuuma is still there?”
“Because,” Subaru said, sounding proud of himself, “the symbol reacts when I tell it to. If it was keyed to an essence that no longer existed, it would remain dull.”
Kamui’s eyes brightened. “Really?”
Subaru nodded, then realized that he might be getting Kamui’s hopes up a little too high. He searched for something to say, but Kamui beat him to it.
“So what did you need my help for?”
Subaru paused, then extended the dagger to Kamui. “I want you to have it.”
Kamui blinked. “Why?”
“Because you might need it. I got a waist-belt from Suoh; you wear it under your clothes.” Subaru saw that Kamui was about to protest. “Please, Kamui. Part of the advantage Fuuma has over you, part of the reason he always wins is that physically you’re no match for him. Even if you could win a magical battle, once he gets close to you, he’s won. Please accept this. I’ll . . . I’ll worry less if you do.”
Kamui took the dagger from him. “It’s not like I would be able to use it.” He glanced up at Subaru, eyes narrowed. “What aren’t you telling me?”
Subaru sat down on his bed. He was staying in what had once been Arashi’s room; the apartment only had four bedrooms. After great discussion, and many suggestive comments from Sorata about why Arashi should move into his room, the Ise priestess had agreed to share a room with Yuzuriha. “I told you the story of how I freed Seishirou, right?”
Kamui nodded, not seeing what this had to do with anything.
“The spell . . . I had to do then . . . is very similar to what I imagine would be necessary to free Fuuma,” Subaru explained. “I’m not one hundred percent certain; that’s why I wasn’t going to tell you.” He shrugged. “Anyway, I bound the spell to the dagger. So if it draws Fuuma’s blood again, that spell will be performed. I have no idea if it’ll have any effect or not.”
Kamui nodded again, thoughtfully this time. “Can I . . . think about it for a while?” he asked.
Subaru smiled reassuringly. “Of course. I’ll just leave it on my desk. If you want it, feel free to come in and take it.”
“Okay.” Kamui paused. “Thanks.”
“My pleasure,” Subaru said. “Now, if you don’t mind, I’m going to go to sleep. That’s a complicated spell and I’m kind of tired.”
“Sure,” Kamui said. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
****
“Sei-chaaaan . . . you’re noncorporeal. You’re a spirit. An essence.”
“I don’t care. It’s a psychological thing.”
“How can it be a psychological thing?!”
“It just is.”
“Sei-chan, you don’t need a cigarette and you couldn’t smoke one if you had it!”
“It’s the principle of the matter,” Seishirou said.
“Sheesh, give your lungs a break,” Hokuto said. “Enjoy the wonderful sea air.”
Seishirou looked around at his landscape. Kakyou really had perfected the Dreamscape, down to the last detail.
Hokuto smiled slyly. “Subaru-chan says you only smoke when you’re nervous.”
“It calms my nerves,” Seishirou said.
“So why do your nerves need calming now?”
Seishirou raised an eyebrow at her. “After spending three days with you for my only company, I should think it’s obvious.”
“Sei-chan!” Hokuto protested.
Seishirou smiled innocently at her.
“You’re a big meanie-head,” Hokuto pouted, and plopped down next to Seishirou in the sand. “I provide a nice vacation for you, and all you do is insult me.”
“That’s not true; I was a perfect gentleman for the first three days,” Seishirou said. “But it’s unnerving to not need to eat or sleep, and I want a cigarette.”
Hokuto sighed. “You miss Subaru, don’t you.”
Seishirou looked at her, startled.
“I see right through you!” She waved a hand in his direction. “Don’t worry. He’s fine. Kakyou’s keeping an eye on him. He’s even eating and sleeping, and I know from personal experience how hard it is to get Subaru to do that on a regular basis.”
“I know he’s fine,” Seishirou said. “I have faith in both of you. That doesn’t mean I don’t miss him.”
“Well, you shouldn’t have run off on him, then.”
Seishirou gave her a withering look.
Hokuto sighed. “Okay, I know, you did what you had to do. Believe me, Johnny’s my friend, and I’m grateful . . . that you saved him. But couldn’t you have discussed it with Subaru first? Or if not that, couldn’t you have at least called him on occasion? And don’t tell me Fuuma wouldn’t let you. I want the real reasons.”
Seishirou sighed. “I did discuss it with Subaru, enough to know that if he had to make the choice . . . he would never stop feeling guilty over it. No matter which way he decided. If Johnny had died he never would have forgiven himself, but he couldn’t ask me to go work for them. That’s why I went on my own.”
“And the total lack of contact?” Hokuto asked, raising an eyebrow.
Seishirou half-smiled. “I didn’t trust myself. If I’d seen him . . . or even heard his voice on the phone . . . I wasn’t sure I’d be able to keep doing it. I felt like I was betraying him. And even though I knew he wouldn’t want me to feel guilty, I did. And to see him might have been too much. So I didn’t.”
Hokuto gave an exasperated sigh. “I suppose those are acceptable reasons.”
“Thanks, Hokuto-chan,” Seishirou said. “Needless to say, I didn’t intend any of what happened afterwards.”
“Of course not,” Hokuto said.
Seishirou was still for a long time. “Kakyou sees the future, doesn’t he?”
“Yes,” Hokuto said, then immediately added, “and he doesn’t tell me any of what he sees. Whenever I ask, all he’ll say is that the future . . . is not yet decided. He tells me little things, like to get Johnny on a plane to America. But nothing big.”
“Does that worry you?” Seishirou asked.
“Of course it does,” Hokuto said. “But I’m glad he doesn’t lie and just tell me everything will be all right.”
“What about Hinoto?” Seishirou asked curiously, having finally remember what Kakyou had told him about her.
Hokuto shrugged. “’Kyou-chan said he’d take care of it.”
Seishirou nodded. “When are you sending me back?”
“Day before, I guess.”
“Can it be a little earlier than that?” Seishirou asked. “If the world may end . . . I want some time with Subaru. Just to do normal . . . earthly things.”
Hokuto gave him a sympathetic smile. “Sure, Sei-chan.” Then her eyes gleamed. “I’m sure I know allll the ‘earthly things’ you’re thinking of . . .”
Seishirou just rolled his eyes.
****
-- you seem to have made a decision --
Kamui tossed uneasily, visions of blood and death behind his closed eyes, haunting his dreams.
-- you chose your future as a dragon of heaven --
And it hurt, because he didn’t know what he’d done wrong. He didn’t know why he deserved this, to have the girl he loved killed by his best friend, to have his best friend turn on him and hurt him so many times . . .
-- it is my destiny to be a dragon of earth --
. . . and to fall in love with someone knowing that he was completely and totally out of reach, and to not even be spiteful because he was with someone who could truly make him happy, and then watch their happiness dissolve before their eyes . . .
-- I was just finishing up -
. . . and to have friend after friend hurt or killed on his behalf; Kotori, Fuuma, Tooru, Tokiko, Saya, Kyogo, Subaru, Seishirou, Keichii and his parents, Yuzuriha, Daisuke . . .
-- If you want to kill me, try harder -
. . . and now he understood the true meaning of the word ‘powerless’ because even as he watched, there was nothing he could do . . .
-- I --
. . . bound . . .
-- no --
. . . as he was . . .
-- will --
. . . by his Wish.
-- NO --
Blood haunted Kamui’s dreams, and guilt haunted his conscience.
-- kill you --
How many people had been hurt because of him? Because he was completely unable to act? Unable to even protect himself for fear of hurting Fuuma?
Kamui sat up with a gasp.
It took a minute for his surroundings to set in. When they finally did, he rubbed his eyes and decided to go for a mug of hot tea to calm him down. Maybe he’d be able to get some more sleep.
Nobody else was awake; the house was deathly silent and dark. He heated up some tea, wincing at the noise the microwave made, then headed back up to his room.
As he padded down the hall, he heard a soft cry.
Apparently he wasn’t the only one who suffered from bad dreams.
He pushed Subaru’s door open gently and went inside. Subaru was twitching and moaning under the blankets, but what caught Kamui’s eye was that he was clutching a pillow in his arms. Frowning, he decided to wake the Sumeragi. He leaned forward and shook him gently. “Subaru. Subaru, wake up.”
Subaru woke up with a startled yell, grabbing Kamui by the wrist and twisting it around.
“Subaru, it’s me!” Kamui half-shouted, trying to get through to Subaru without waking anyone else.
Subaru stared at him, breathing hard, then his grip relaxed. “Sorry.” His voice was soft and hoarse. “I was dreaming . . .”
“I know,” Kamui said. “That’s why I woke you.” He sat gingerly on the edge of the bed, rubbing his now-sore wrist. “I was having a nightmare, too, and on my way up from the kitchen I heard you . . .”
Subaru wiped tears off his cheeks. “Apparently I cry in my sleep,” he said, sounding less than pleased with this.
“I do too,” Kamui offered.
Pause. Stillness.
“Why do you hug the pillow?” Kamui asked. “I’ve never seen anyone do that.”
Subaru laughed softly, looking embarrassed. “I pretend it’s Seishirou. It helps me get to sleep.”
Kamui stared at him. “Subaru, that’s adorable.”
“It’s silly, more than adorable,” Subaru protested. “But without doing that I can barely sleep at all, so I decided to just accept it.”
Kamui nodded, then asked awkwardly, “Are you going to be . . . okay?”
“For now.” Subaru smiled gently. “You should get some more sleep.”
Kamui shrugged. “What do you dream about, Subaru?”
“All sorts of unpleasant things,” Subaru said, but didn’t elaborate. “Now, go on. Sleep.”
Another pause. More silence.
“I don’t think I can.” Kamui looked up pleadingly. “Can I . . . stay here tonight? Please?”
Subaru started to shake his head, but the terrified look in Kamui’s eyes stopped him. “Sure,” he said softly. “I guess I could use the comfort, too.”
“Seishirou won’t mind?” Kamui asked hesitantly.
Subaru just smiled. “He knows my heart belongs to him, and so do you. Where’s the problem?”
Kamui smiled back, but unshed tears made his eyes shine. “Thank you, Subaru.”
“Now lie down.”
Kamui obeyed, resting his head on the pillow Subaru had been clutching. He closed his eyes and tried to relax, but he realized that sleeping with the Sumeragi in the room was going to be just as difficult as sleeping alone - for two entirely different reasons. He tensed a little as he heard a flop as Subaru lay down next to him, and felt the onmyouji’s softly exhaled breath stir his hair.
“I’m sorry,” he blurted out, sitting up. “I shouldn’t have asked, I’ll . . . I’ll just . . .”
“Kamui,” Subaru said softly, “lie down.”
“But, but this is a bad idea,” Kamui said miserably. “I’m . . .” He paused, trying to gather his thoughts. “Doesn’t it bother you?”
“What?” Subaru asked.
“That I’m . . . you . . . that is . . .”
“You mean, does the way you feel about me bother me?”
Kamui nodded, his eyes darting to Subaru and then away.
“Kamui, if it bothered me, I wouldn’t have let you stay,” Subaru said. “Does it bother you?”
“Makes it hard to sleep,” Kamui said, trying to laugh.
“Only because you’re letting it,” Subaru said.
Kamui sighed. “I’m sorry, it’s just . . . I’ve lost everyone now, and you’re all I have, but I don’t have you. You know? I mean, Sorata and the others are great, but they’re not . . . I don’t feel about them . . . the way I feel about you. And I . . . I’m scared.”
“I’m scared too,” Subaru said softly.
Kamui sniffled.
“I won’t let anyone hurt you, Kamui,” Subaru said. “If it’s possibly within my power to prevent it. And that includes not letting you hurt yourself by agonizing over this. It took my sister months, but she finally pounded it into my head: nobody can help who they fall in love with. It’s not a choice, and no one can blame you for it. Okay?”
Kamui nodded.
“Then lie down, because I’m tired.”
Kamui lay down again, then nearly sat up as Subaru put an arm around his waist, pulling him closer. He managed to relax, realizing that being held by Subaru was nice; it made him feel warm and safe and cared for. Surprisingly, he drifted off fairly quickly.
Subaru was awake for a while, feeling Kamui’s heartbeat against his own. Then he closed his eyes with a small smile. Seishirou . . . I really do miss you.
When he woke up the next morning, the bed was empty except for himself and a small note Kamui had left.
“Thank you again, Subaru . . . I thought I should get back to my own room before Sorata found us and proceeded to tease the living daylights out of us for the rest of eternity for being such babies. - Kamui.”
Subaru smiled and stretched, getting out of bed. He glanced at his desk and noticed that the dagger was gone, and smiled again.
****