http://clampfix.fanworks.net/ss-fix/crimson02.txt </head><body><pre>^^;; I forgot I was posting here...I guess I'll throw a few chapters in a row at you all. Title: Crimson Stars Author: Nemesis Rating: PG-13 Series: Tokyo Babylon Pairings: Subaru X Seishirou Warnings: Um...the same as before. ^^ This chapter's a bit odd. More explanatory... Chapter 2: Contemplation /"You know, there are better things than death. Even for someone like you." / /"Like what?" / /"Have you ever tried dreaming?" / /"Dreams don't accomplish anything."/ /"Perhaps…but what does death accomplish?" / *** Subaru always wondered why cigarettes fascinated him. He didn't like to admit it, but there was something about the smell and taste of them that just made him feel rather pleasant. He wondered if it had anything to do with Seishirou. Most things in his life did. At least, he accredited them to the assassin. But now, just lying on his back, watching smoke float into the air, he didn't think about any of that. There was only silence, and the intricate way the gray tendrils of smoke dissipated above his head. He took another long drag, enjoying the pleasant feeling of numbness. He had been too distracted lately, and he couldn't quite figure out why. Even Seishirou had commented on the change in his mood. Then again, he never really showed Seishirou his true personality. Seishirou's presence made Subaru feel giddy. He never knew how to act around his brother. The smugness and ease of character, he usually had never seemed to come around Seishirou. Turning his head, he glanced at the clock on the far right wall. 8:37pm. He sighed and turned his attention back onto his cigarette. Seishirou said he'd be home late, which usually meant he had to work at his other job. Subaru sighed, wishing that Seishirou would tell him something about those assignments that arrived in the mail. He could always tell those types of letters. They came in plain envelopes with no return address, marked only for "Sakurazuka, S." But Seishirou would never talk about that job. He usually pretended that Subaru never knew a thing about it, talking to him only about cases at the veterinarian clinic he worked in during the day. He sighed, wondering if Seishirou would ever let him know about things like that. /"Subaru, it's not nice to pry into people's private affairs."/ Cursing, Subaru sat up, shaking his head. Those damned memories kept coming up. He didn't want to think about them. He had spent the last three years forgetting. Those memories…they threatened his existence. Sakurazuka Subaru. That was who he was now. Not anyone else. And he was never going to be anything else. Seishirou had saved him from that life. He wouldn't go back. Not ever. *** It was 2:34am when Seishirou eased open the door to his apartment. He wasn't at all surprised to find Subaru sprawled on the couch, his hand resting in the ashtray. Sighing, Seishirou went to the sink first, to wash his hands. Grimacing as the cold water sprayed over his hands, Seishirou's thoughts drifted towards the sleeping child on his couch. It had definitely not turned out like he had expected. The boy had become an entirely different person in three years. And Seishirou still couldn't tell whether or not that was a good or bad thing. Grabbing a towel and drying his hands, Seishirou then proceeded to lift Subaru up and deposit him in his bed. The boy would catch a cold sleeping like that. If he hadn't been concerned with waking Subaru up, Seishirou would have laughed. He was probably shaming his ancestors right now. They were probably already writing him out of the family tree. But it wasn't as though he didn't deserve it. For god's sake, he was mothering the boy. He was mothering the thirteenth head of the Sumeragi Clan at that. Seishirou still wasn't quite sure if being plucked away from his family at the age of eleven actually denied Subaru his heritage, but the principal was there, nonetheless. And even if Subaru had taken on the name of Sakurazuka, he was still a Sumeragi by blood. In fact, it was only Seishirou's spell that was keeping the old hag from coming after them. That would most likely not be good. Someone would end up getting killed them. And Subaru would probably end up having some sort of meltdown. Even after three years, Seishirou could never figure out why Subaru had hated his family so much. Seishirou sighed, and stared at the sleeping boy. Draping a blanket over the boy, he gazed at Subaru's face in the moonlight. The boy was at least growing up nicely. His face was thinning out, losing the childish look he once had. He was growing taller too… Mentally cursing, Seishirou strode out of the room. If he kept mothering Subaru like that, the boy was going to grow up with an Oedipus complex. *** "Sakurazuka-kun! Are you smoking again?" Megumi yelled. Subaru ignored her. Then, on a second thought, he peered at where she was under him out of the corner of his eye, and tapped his cigarette over her. A lazy smile crept onto his face, as he heard her shriek. "You jerk!" Taking another drag, Subaru stared through the branches of the tree at the sky. Seishirou was late. He wondered what was keeping him. "Sakurazuka-kun! Come down here!" Glancing at his watch, Subaru sighed. Seishirou was forty minutes late already. He probably wasn't coming. Something had probably come up. Grinding out his cigarette, he jumped out of the tree, landing next to the red-faced girl, who took a few steps back in surprise. "What do you want?" He asked, keeping his voice neutral. "Why do you keep bothering me?" "Y-You shouldn't be smoking on school grounds." Megumi stammered, looking confused. "So?" "It's…wrong. You're underage at that." "Is there a point to this?" Subaru asked. "Um…well…ah…" "Do you want to get some tea?" Megumi stared at him. "What?" "Tea…the stuff you drink. I'm thirsty." Subaru explained, sighing. This probably wasn't going to work. He turned around, and started to leave. A hand grabbed at his arm, yanking him back. "No…tea would be nice. I'll come."</pre><p><a href="./">Back</a></p><p><a href=http://www.dreamhost.com/donate.cgi?id=216><img border=0 alt="Donate towards our web hosting bill!" src=https://secure.newdream.net/donate1.gif></a></p></body></html>