Author’s Notes: This is the continuation to The Morning After, because people asked for it and we were bored.
Pairings: Yes. Yue x Subaru, Kamui+Subaru, Dead!Seishirou+Subaru, Dead!Clow+Yue, Sakura+Syaoran, Kanoe trying really hard to get into anyone’s pants, Touya x Yuki, Nakuru randomly glomping Touya whenever the occasion arises, and Suppi+Kero. No, just kidding on that last one. But the rest are really going to be in it.
Other warnings: This is going to be, for the most part, fluff and randomness. Though some parts may be more serious than others.
Additional warning: Because this is fluff, and we’re mean, we make fun of the characters. All of them. Okay, especially Kamui and Sakura. But we don’t mean any of it. Er, at least, not most of it. Thank you and enjoy the show.
It’s The End of the World As We Know It
Chapter One: The Day After
“So let me get this straight,” Sorata said, giving Subaru a rather skeptical look. “You met this guy with a bunch of magic and he says he and his ‘mistress’ can help us win the battle.”
Subaru nodded. “In a nutshell, yes.”
“And you understand why we’re a little,” Sorata coughed delicately, “nervous?”
“Sorata,” Subaru said in a nice calm tone of voice that made Sorata want to cry or hide, “trust me.”
Sorata sighed.
“Don’t worry, Sorata,” Kamui said. He was clinging to Subaru’s arm. The Sumeragi was resisting the urge to shake his arm and say ‘get it off me!’ Kamui was a nice boy, after all, and it wasn’t his fault that he had fallen in love with him, after all, and . . . Subaru shook his head. He was getting off track. Yue was going to be there any minute, with the ‘entourage’, as he had put it. Subaru wasn’t sure what that meant, but it made him nervous. He wondered vaguely if his hair looked okay.
“You seem awfully nervous, Subaru-san,” Yuzuriha chirped. “Why?”
Subaru jumped. “Me? Nervous? Never.”
“Subaru . . .” Kamui looked confused and forlorn. Not that this was a change or anything.
The doorbell rang. Subaru jumped, then went to answer it. “K-Konnichi wa,” he stammered. He attempted not to stare at Yue, realizing that he really was as good-looking as he’d seemed. It hadn’t just been the liquor talking.
Yue was dressed in a loose grey sweater and black pants, and he looked appreciatively at Subaru’s zip up vinyl shirt. “Hi,” he said, turning faintly pink.
“Um, come on in,” Subaru said, standing back to let Yue and his ‘entourage’ through the door.
“Thanks.” Yue toed off his shoes with a faint look of relief and came inside. “This is Kinomoto Sakura, Kinomoto Touya, Tsukishirou Yukito, and Li Syaoran.”
Subaru introduced his fellow Seals, and apologized that Karen and Seiichirou hadn’t been able to make it.
They all stared at each other.
“So why are we here?” Touya demonstrated his wonderful lack of tact.
“Because we need your help,” Subaru said. “Or, more accurately, your sister’s help.”
Since Sakura had joined the ranks of young adulthood, she had become a little less genki. By little, this means ‘miniscule.’ She bounced over to Kamui and said, “Sure! I don’t want to world to end, after all!”
Kamui blinked at her, so surprised that he actually let go of Subaru’s arm. “Oh . . .” he said faintly.
Yukito was looking between Subaru and Touya. Then he suddenly grinned. “Yue!”
“What?” Yue looked nervous.
“Nothing!” Yukito gave him a hugely cheerful smile. “I understand everything now.”
Yue looked even more nervous. “What do you understand?”
Kamui was following Yukito’s line of sight and suddenly blinked. “Hey, you two . . .” He peered closely at Touya.
Suddenly everyone was looking. Yue cringed.
“Oh, I get it.” Touya started snickering.
“I don’t,” Sorata complained.
“Don’t worry, it’s not funny unless you know Yue,” Yukito assured him.
Syaoran and Sakura both looked perplexed.
“I don’t get it either,” Sakura finally said.
Touya ruffled her hair. “We’ll tell you when you’re older.”
“O-nii-chan!” Sakura stomped on his foot. “I’m nineteen years old! I can handle it!”
“No you can’t,” Touya said, holding his foot with a pained expression.
“Ignore him, Sakura,” Syaoran said.
Touya and Syaoran glared at each other, visible sparks flying between them.
Sakura tugged on Syaoran’s arm a bit nervously. “Not here, Syaoran-kun . . .”
Syaoran scowled and subsided.
“Why don’t you just explain what’s going on?” Yue asked, hoping to avert a world war.
“Let’s all sit down,” Subaru added. “I’ll get some tea.”
About five minutes later, they were all settled in the living room. Subaru brought out cups of tea for everyone and a plate of cookies that Yukito and Sakura immediately dug into it, as did Sorata and Yuzuriha. Kamui and Subaru, between them, explained the End of the World Mess. Then Sakura explained the Sakura cards and how she thought she could help.
“Really?” Yuzuriha asked. “That’s so cool!”
Sakura took out her deck and she and Yuzuriha started to go through the cards while Sakura explained what each one could do. The others listened in interest.
“That sounds useful,” Sorata piped up when Sakura described the Dream Card.
“Yeah, because Hinoto’s . . .” Kamui’s voice trailed off.
“Off her rocker?” Sorata suggested.
“I wasn’t gonna say it quite like that,” Kamui said.
“I don’t know; I’m pretty angry with her,” Subaru spoke up.
“Yes, well . . .” Kamui trailed into silence again.
“You know, this looks like Tomoyo-chan’s dorm room,” Sakura chirped.
“Well, we are at CLAMP Campus,” Touya reminded her.
“Oh, yeah . . .”
“Hey, I wonder,” Sorata said suddenly, “if the sides are supposed to stay balance, what are the Dragons of Earth going to do? We thought for a while it would be even – no offense, Subaru – but we thought you weren’t coming back. But now they’ve lost the Sakurazukamori, and we’re up like eight members.”
“Well, they don’t really count,” Subaru said. “I mean, they’re definitely going to help, but as they’re not Seals, it’s kind of like we’re enlisting outside help. Which we’re perfectly entitled to do, and let’s just hope the Dark Kamui doesn’t think of it.”
“Imonoyama-san was outside help,” Arashi chipped in.
“Then it’s settled,” Subaru said.
“Nothing’s settled,” Sorata complained. “We still don’t know what the Dragons of Earth are going to do.”
“Well, we can’t find out,” Subaru said, then turned to Sakura. “Unless there’s a ‘see the future’ card?”
She shook her head. “Dream gives prophetic dreams, so I can use it tonight and see if I get anything useful . . .”
“That’s good enough,” Subaru said cheerfully.
Kamui gave him a look. “You’ve been awfully happy lately, Subaru . . .”
Yukito and Touya both stifled snickers.
“Yeah, well . . . I’m going to clear the dishes.”
“I’ll help,” Yue volunteered, ignoring more snickers.
“Thanks,” Subaru said, blushing. They both gathered some cups and retreated hastily into the kitchen.
“What’d I miss?” Kamui asked.
“Never mind,” Yukito said brightly, his mouth full of cookie. “Yue and Subaru just understand each other really well, I imagine.”
Kamui pouted. “I understood Subaru . . .”
“Don’t make faces like that,” Sakura said, plopping onto the couch next to him. “I’m sure Subaru cares about you, he’s just excited ‘cause he’s met somebody new!”
Kamui blinked at her. “Well, I’m happy that he’s happy, but . . .”
“I mean, it’s not like he’s going to go away or anything,” Sakura said. “You should be glad, because from what Yue said, he was really unhappy earlier and now he’s happy again and he came back to you guys. So don’t be sad.”
Kamui opened his mouth.
“Don’t bother arguing with her,” Touya said. “She can outlast you. Her sheer cheerfulness can outlast anything.”
Kamui gave up and looked towards the kitchen. “How long does it take for them to put those dishes away?”
Touya gave a laugh that was half a cough. “They’re probably talking.” Can’t be doing much else, it’s too quiet . . . He caught Yukito snickering beside him and elbowed him, whispering, “Don’t traumatize Kamui-san.”
Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Yue was saying, “I think Touya and Yukito know . . .”
“No kidding,” Subaru said, calmly putting tea cups in the dishwasher.
“It doesn’t bug you, does it?” Yue asked.
Subaru closed the dishwasher and gave him an imperious look. “Shut up and kiss me.”
****
They waited. And waited. Fifteen minutes passed in rather uncomfortable small talk. Finally, Kamui burst out, “What’s taking them so long?”
Sorata resisted the urge to ask why Kamui couldn’t spend fifteen minutes without clinging to the Sumeragi’s arm. However, given how worried he had been over the past weeks, he decided not to question. “I’m sure they’re just . . . um . . .”
“I’ll go see,” Yukito said, standing up.
Touya did his very best to not grin.
“Oniichan, what’s so funny?” Sakura asked.
“I’ll tell you when you’re older.”
“You keep saying that . . .”
“Because you’re not old enough to know, kaijuu.”
There was a loud thump. Touya looked pained, clutching his foot under the table.
Yukito smiled a little and walked into the kitchen. “Um, guys?” he said, raising his eyebrows.
Subaru looked up from where he had Yue pinned against the counter. “What?” he asked, apparently not annoyed about the interruption.
Yukito coughed a little. “You might want to, uh, wrap things up. Before Kamui comes in here to see what’s going on. He’s already threatened to twice. And Sakura’s getting a little antsy. Probably because To-ya keeps saying she’s not old enough to understand.”
Subaru made a face that looked very close to a pout.
“And Yue, you’re getting your hair in the sink.”
Yue -- ice cold guardian of the Sakura Cards -- turned a brilliant shade of red.
“Ah, the icicle melts,” Yukito remarked, smiled, and left the kitchen.
“Don’t let Kamui come in,” Subaru called after him.
“Hai, hai . . .” Yukito went back into the living room. “They’ll be out in a minute. Subaru-san broke a dish and Yue was helping him clean it up.”
Touya raised an eyebrow, obviously impressed with his boyfriend’s quick thinking.
“Oh,” Kamui said.
Sakura looked puzzled. Most of the others looked skeptical.
Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Subaru was attempting to fix Yue’s hair, patting it with a towel. “You got it all wet,” he said. “How are we going to explain that?”
“Freak accident with the dishwasher?” Yue suggested, straight faced.
Subaru laughed. “I’ll let you tell them that. Now come here, your shirt is crooked.”
Yue remained as dignified as possible while Subaru straightened out his shirt, then blushed pink as the Sumeragi gave him a quick kiss. “Wait, I have a question,” he said.
“What?” Subaru asked.
“What are you going to tell Kamui?”
“As little as possible,” Subaru said.
Yue looked unsatisfied. “He’s not stupid.”
“Yes, but he’s of the opinion that I’m still hung up on Seishirou-san, so this is not the first thing that will leap to his mind.”
“Are you?” Yue asked flatly.
Subaru blinked. “Am I what?”
“Still hung up on Seishirou-san?”
“Maybe a little, but he is dead, after all,” Subaru said. “Now let’s go.”
Yue looked like he wanted to question more on this subject, but allowed Subaru to take his wrist and drag him out of the kitchen.
“Sorry about that,” Subaru said cheerfully, not offering any reason for his absence at all.
“You didn’t cut yourself, did you?” Sakura asked anxiously.
Subaru, having not heard Yukito’s explanation for their absence, blinked for a second, then said, “Uh, no. I’m fine. Thanks.” He glanced at Yukito, who offered him a reassuring smile. Subaru decided that whatever Yukito’s reason for his absence had been, it had obviously been acceptable. And involved something sharp.
“Yue, why is your hair all wet?” Touya asked.
“Is my hair wet?” Yue asked innocently, pulling his hair around to examine it. “Can’t imagine how that happened. It is everywhere, after all.”
Touya looked at him. “Yue, I think you’re showing signs of a sense of humor. I’d say the world is ending, but somehow that’s frighteningly inappropriate.”
“Anyway, we should go,” Yue said.
Sakura nodded, hugged Kamui, and grinned. “If you need anything, just give me a call!”
Kamui, obviously not used to being hugged, blinked at her. Syaoran, obviously not used to his girlfriend hugging other guys, scowled at both of them.
“Here!” Sakura said, handing him one of her patent pink cell phones, oblivious to Syaoran’s displeasure. “My friend Tomoyo-chan gave me these -- I have a whole pile of them. My number’s already programmed in so you can reach me whenever you need me!”
Kamui looked at them carefully. “Is that your name in gold at the bottom?”
“Eheh, yeah . . .” Sakura sweatdropped. “Tomoyo-chan has them made for me, and she’s a little, um . . . eccentric . . . we’re trying to get her together with Eriol-kun because he’s the only person I can think of who’s as eccentric as she is, but so far no luck.” She smiled. “Anyway, feel free to call any time! I have math homework, though, and that always takes me a long time, so I have to go.”
She stood up, waving cheerfully. There was a round of ‘nice to meet you’s and then the group left. Yue gave Subaru a quick smile that promised a phone call that evening before leaving.
“Her name is in gold on the bottom,” Kamui said, perplexed, staring at the phone.
“That’s so cute though!” Yuzuriha said, examining the phone. “Ooh, and it’s the Daidouji company, which means they’re really good! I didn’t think they made cell phones though . . . they usually make toys . . .”
“Well, it is pink with gold numbers,” Arashi said dryly.
“It’s very pink,” Sorata said. He looked at Subaru. “So, um, how did you meet that guy?”
“Just . . . ran into him,” Subaru said, trying to sound innocent.
“And you just happened to get into a discussion with him about magic,” Sorata said, not sounding convinced.
“Yes,” Subaru said. Now he sounded nervous.
“Why?” Sorata asked.
Subaru blinked and gave in. “Because I was rather heavily intoxicated at the time.”
Sorata looked pained. “So you met this guy in a bar. While you were drunk.”
“That would be the most concise way to put it, yes.”
“But . . .” Kamui said.
Sorata and Subaru winced in unison. Subaru carefully schooled his face into one of neutral concern and looked at Kamui. “Yes?”
“Why were you getting drunk?” Kamui asked suspiciously.
“Because it’s fun when you’re depressed. You should try it some time.” Subaru decided he’d had enough of the conversation and turned to leave the room.
****
“So,” Touya said, poking his head into Yue’s room, “exactly why was your hair wet?”
Yue glanced up from the book he was reading. “Mishap with the sink.”
“Ah,” Touya said. “I can’t believe you found a guy that looks just like me.”
Yue looked back at his book. “His eyes are green and his hair is black. Therefore he does not look just like you.”
“Mm hmm.” Touya rolled his eyes.
“Don’t tease Yue, To-ya,” Yukito said from behind him. “He’s finally having fun.”
“Thank you,” Yue said. “By the way, Yukito, what exactly did you tell them?”
“Oh, I told them that Subaru-san had broken a dish,” Yukito said.
“Ah,” Yue said. “Very clever of you.” He paused. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” Yukito said with a wide grin. “It’s worth it to see you blush.”
“I do not blush,” Yue said, turning a vivid red.
“Of course you don’t, Yue,” Yukito said. “Oh, by the way, Eriol-kun is coming for a visit in a week.”
Yue flopped over onto his bed. “Why now . . .?”
“He said something about business to attend to. You know Eriol.”
“Inscrutable and obnoxious,” Touya chipped in.
Yukito grinned. “You like him.”
“I know. That’s the scary part.” Touya turned back to Yue. “Anyway, we’ll let you explain this to him.”
“I don’t see how it’s any of his business,” Yue said.
“Of course it is,” Yukito said. “After all, he was one of the first people to try to de-icicle you. He deserves to know that it’s working. Besides, if he thinks that you have better luck than him, we might be able to get him to agree to a date with Tomoyo-chan.”
Yue appeared to be considering this. “All right, I’ll tell him. But no details.”
“You just want to torture him with Tomoyo-chan,” Yukito said mildly.
“So?”
Touya smiled. “Yue, you’re learning. Our work here is done. By the way, the phone is free. In case you need to call anyone.”
Yue didn’t deign to respond.
***
Author’s Note: Before anyone asks, we’re not getting into any of the existential shit about how Subaru is going to die in forty or fifty years and Yue will live forever. Because this fic is fluff. And that conversation about whether or not Subaru is still hung up on Seishirou will always be interrupted. And any time Kamui gets too angsty, Sakura will bounce in and be cheerful.
Think of us as Nakuru. We’ll always interrupt anything important.
Next part soon? Erm... not really likely. But we'll try.
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