http://clampfix.fanworks.net/x-fix/oneplace.txt </head><body><pre>Staying in One Place "If it was up to me, this storm sucks." Sorata sighed as he cast himself unto the couch of the living room beside a comfortable fireplace. "Damn. Damn, damn, damn, damn, damn! End of the world! Practically no one home but me! ARRRRRRGGGGGHHHHH!!!!!" "You're complaining's loud enough to wake the dead," came a sarcastic, dry remark from the general direction of the doorway. He turned to see Subaru Sumeragi leaning on the doorframe casually with an amused, crooked grin on his face. The boy was also fairly drenched. "The rain's pretty hard, ain't it?" Sorata remarked, plastering a grin on his face as Subaru came to sit on the floor, watching the fire. "Gone through the downpour, I see." "I was keeping Kamui safe from Fuma and avoiding Seishirou-sama," Subaru answered unemotionally and distant, eyes still upon the flames. Sorata stifled a sigh himself. The two were working themselves to the limits. He was trying to forget the tired look on the onmyouji's face, the faded emerald green of his eyes and the paler and paler his skin got each day. Did he forget anything, or was that all? Karen was getting drunk on sake (which was not at all for a woman like her) somewhere at the soap, drowning herself in the fact the world and her life didn't matter, Seichirou was at work, hiding the wounds and dizzy spells he had from the large amount of blood he had lost the last battle, he didn't know where Arashi was and Yuzuhira was asleep. Inuki was curled up on the floor satisfingly nearby the fireplace. "You'll catch a cold if you don't change into something warm," Sorata told Subaru in reprimand. "Your room and bed is waiting upstairs. Get some rest after you get something to eat." "I'll.....just change," Subaru decided, standing up and leaving. "Not hungry, not sleepy. Join you later." Oh yeah. Subaru was also skipping out on the three meals of the day. Sorata stood and decided to get himself some instant noodles. Even something like that would actually be appealing, considering he was famished. After five minutes (just like in the corny commercial) he was eating some not-supposed-to-be-appealing-but-must-be-eaten noodles on the couch. "Aw, poor Sowa," Yuzuhira, mimicking a little kid's accent, remarked, coming to sit at Sorata's side. She giggled a bit at his expression. "Awake already?" Sorata asked. Yuzu nodded. "Afraid so." she shuddered. "This storm's scary. I heard someone come in earlier." "Subaru's home already," Sorata explained. "Glad he got home early!" Yuzuhira exclaimed happily, clapping her hands cutely in girlish glee, making a smile curl on Sorata's lips again. She looked around. "Wonder where Kamui-san is....." "I wouldn't know," Subaru answered before Sorata would have to tell her that Kamui was nowhere to be found, probably resulting in a worry spell later. He was in a new change of clothes, and looked like he had just gotten out of a good shower (which was true!). Sorata studied the bandages wrapped around Subarus's arms and the way the mage secretely flinched. "You're hurt pretty badly," he commented frankly. "Got one right across your chest, probably smashed your ribs and your arms look pretty bad too." "How did you know?" the young man asked, suspicious after a moment of surprise. "I can tell quite easily now," Sorata answered off-handedly with a shrug. "I know your moves." "You sure you're okay?" Yuzuhira asked, cutely concerned. Subaru flashed Sorata a secret moment's glare, then smiled at the girl. "I'll be fine, Yuzu-chan," he told her. "Don't bother about me." He came to sit at the armchair nearby on the other side of the room. "Do we have any tea left?" "I got it!" Yuzuhira exclaimed excitedly, running into the kitchen. "Cute girl, ain't she?" Sorata remarked to Subaru as the latter continued to watch the flames. "Uh-huh." "Wonderful company, aren't you?" "Indeed." Just then, the front door burst open and Seichirou came in, drenched head to foot carrying a drunken-silly Karen who was half-awake in drunken stupor in rain gear which belonged to Seichirou. The man smiled at the dry group. "Hi," he managed with a weak smile. "I picked her up. Her co-workers were having trouble with her, though they were just as drunk." He set the woman down and supported her. "C'mon, Karen dear, I'll take you upstairs." "I don' wanna go *hic* upshtairsh....." she slurred in a whine. "I wanna have *hic* some funnnnn....I know! Lesh go to your room and *hic*-" Seichirou was firm. "I'm taking you to get some rest." When the two went upstairs, silence struck the room. Soon, Subaru was smirking, amused, and Sorata was stifling hearty laughs without much success. "What's so funny?" Yuzuhira asked as she came in with a tray holding some cups and a teapot, the teapot and three of the cups steaming pleasantly hot wisps of good-smelling white steam. "Nothing," Subaru lied smoothly as she came to sit on the cushion by the tea table, setting the tray down. All got their cups. "Seichirou and....ahem, Karen came in earlier." "I heard them," Yuzuhira said, lifting the cup to her lips. "But Karen sounded.....different, I guess." Sorata and Subaru exchanged smirks, but said nothing. Yuzuhira was so innocent, it was even funny. The three sat in comfortable silence for a few moments then Seichirou joined them, in a change of clothes and had just taken a good shower. "I put her to bed," he announced, pouring himself some tea. "Finally. A miracle she was able to get to sleep, considering her sugar and sake level rose incredibly." Subaru and Sorata continued to stay in silence, though the smirks on their faces were growing bigger and bigger, and Yuzuhira's curiousity showed clearly. Seichirou smiled pleasantly and took a book from the lamp table, sitting on another armchair opposite the sofa and opening it to start reading. Subaru whipped out his journal and began writing, and Sorata and Yuzuhira cuddled as the storm went on. -End-</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>