After Dark Saiunkoku AU - Chapter 15
[A/N] I ... don't know why this chapter ended this way. Cause, in After Dark, Mari (the younger sister) kisses Eri (older sister). On the lips. TWICE. But this doesn't happen here. And that's weird. Cause SeiRyuu is CANON dakara..
Now I don't know why I made this A/N to begin with. Maybe a teeny part of me wants to rewrite and have the kiss there. Or not. Actually, it's a no. LOLZ. Whatever.
6:35 AM.
Shi Seien’s room.
By now, sunlight has broken in completely in here, the blinds casting shadows inside. Though the room has changed, Seien has not. He remains asleep. He has not moved a muscle or a finger since we last saw him.
Ryuuki enters the room. He closes the door gently behind him, making sure that it closes as softly as possible. He knows that even a loud sound will not cause his brother to awaken, but he does so out of respect.
He looks at the state of his brother’s body. It is unchanged since he last came in here. A bitter look comes on his face. He then removes his baseball cap, and puts it on the chair nearest him. He ruffles his blond hair, which had been stuck inside the cap for hours now. He drops his backpack to the carpeted floor.
“I’m home, Aniue.” He says softly. Seien does not respond, but Ryuuki didn’t expect him to. He just wants to break the deafening, otherworldly silence in the room. He looks around, looking for a change, something that is displaced, but everything is exactly as where he had left it. Just like his brother, everything in his room is devoid of movement. Or of life.
He walks towards him, the sound of his feet is muffled by the carpet. He lifts his hand slowly, placing his fingers on his brother’s forehead. He feels a slight warmth, but his brother’s face remains still. He removes his hand, sits on his bed, and stares.
He stares for a long time. His eyes go from Seien’s face, down to his eased shoulders, his folded hands on his sides, his chest, his straight legs. Even the thought of Sleeping Beauty doesn’t bring any amusement now. It’s like he’s staring at an embalmed body, the only thing missing is its coffin.
Ryuuki removes his watch, his ring and jacket, and places them on the bedside counter. Then, he snuggles in the small space and lies down beside Seien. He rests on his side, inching towards him as closely as possible. He allows himself to be comfortable enough. After a while, he rises, and presses his ear on his brother’s chest. He feels him breathing, ever so slightly. His heart is beating. A pretty big difference from an embalmed body.
He lifts his head, and sets his eyes directly above Seien. Tears start to fall on his brother’s face. Ryuuki wipes his eyes furiously in shame, but does this gently on his brother. I’m sorry, he says, but no voice comes out of his mouth. His tears feel warm on his fingertips, as he wipes them from Seien’s cheek. I’m so sorry. He feels horrified. Responsible. Helpless.
Ryuuki looks around the room again, making sure, imperatively sure, that nothing in this room has changed. But everything in here is in its proper order. His eyes catch the untouched meal that was served the previous day. His eyes return to Seien. He found nothing, no sense of hope that things will change for the better anytime soon. He presses his chest against his brother’s, resting his cheek softly on his. In Seien’s deep slumber, this is the only way that Ryuuki knew how to let him know that he was here. He is here, just as his brother wanted him to be.
“Come back, Aniue,” he whispers softly in Seien’s ear. “Please come back. It’s all right if it’s not now. Just … come back.” He tears up again as he says this. He grits his teeth and buries his head on the sheets. His sobs start to build up in his throat, but he swallows them hard. He closes his eyes, and allows all strength to leave his body. In bittersweet surrender, he falls asleep.
Outside, the scene has changed drastically. Everything is basking underneath the light of day. Children are on their bikes, riding off to school. Mothers wave to their husbands and kids who are just setting off. Trains are overflowing. Traffic is building.
But in this room, where Seien and Ryuuki lay, everything is at a standstill. And, with whatever consciousness Seien had left in his slumber, his mouth begins to move slightly. He surely isn’t capable of realizing that his younger brother is sleeping with him, but he must have felt something that would have caused this. Is it Ryuuki’s warmth upon him? A sure sign of life exchanging with that of his own? His mouth opens, trembles, and then closes again. We know that this may be a sign of more significant things to come. Only time will tell.
We, the observer, zoom out of this scene, outside the room, and into the skies. We see the whole metropolis from above, bustling with activity, overflowing with life. It is another manic morning. But it is only a matter of time till it transforms into a manic night.
Everything happens in just a matter of time.
Now I don't know why I made this A/N to begin with. Maybe a teeny part of me wants to rewrite and have the kiss there. Or not. Actually, it's a no. LOLZ. Whatever.
6:35 AM.
Shi Seien’s room.
By now, sunlight has broken in completely in here, the blinds casting shadows inside. Though the room has changed, Seien has not. He remains asleep. He has not moved a muscle or a finger since we last saw him.
Ryuuki enters the room. He closes the door gently behind him, making sure that it closes as softly as possible. He knows that even a loud sound will not cause his brother to awaken, but he does so out of respect.
He looks at the state of his brother’s body. It is unchanged since he last came in here. A bitter look comes on his face. He then removes his baseball cap, and puts it on the chair nearest him. He ruffles his blond hair, which had been stuck inside the cap for hours now. He drops his backpack to the carpeted floor.
“I’m home, Aniue.” He says softly. Seien does not respond, but Ryuuki didn’t expect him to. He just wants to break the deafening, otherworldly silence in the room. He looks around, looking for a change, something that is displaced, but everything is exactly as where he had left it. Just like his brother, everything in his room is devoid of movement. Or of life.
He walks towards him, the sound of his feet is muffled by the carpet. He lifts his hand slowly, placing his fingers on his brother’s forehead. He feels a slight warmth, but his brother’s face remains still. He removes his hand, sits on his bed, and stares.
He stares for a long time. His eyes go from Seien’s face, down to his eased shoulders, his folded hands on his sides, his chest, his straight legs. Even the thought of Sleeping Beauty doesn’t bring any amusement now. It’s like he’s staring at an embalmed body, the only thing missing is its coffin.
Ryuuki removes his watch, his ring and jacket, and places them on the bedside counter. Then, he snuggles in the small space and lies down beside Seien. He rests on his side, inching towards him as closely as possible. He allows himself to be comfortable enough. After a while, he rises, and presses his ear on his brother’s chest. He feels him breathing, ever so slightly. His heart is beating. A pretty big difference from an embalmed body.
He lifts his head, and sets his eyes directly above Seien. Tears start to fall on his brother’s face. Ryuuki wipes his eyes furiously in shame, but does this gently on his brother. I’m sorry, he says, but no voice comes out of his mouth. His tears feel warm on his fingertips, as he wipes them from Seien’s cheek. I’m so sorry. He feels horrified. Responsible. Helpless.
Ryuuki looks around the room again, making sure, imperatively sure, that nothing in this room has changed. But everything in here is in its proper order. His eyes catch the untouched meal that was served the previous day. His eyes return to Seien. He found nothing, no sense of hope that things will change for the better anytime soon. He presses his chest against his brother’s, resting his cheek softly on his. In Seien’s deep slumber, this is the only way that Ryuuki knew how to let him know that he was here. He is here, just as his brother wanted him to be.
“Come back, Aniue,” he whispers softly in Seien’s ear. “Please come back. It’s all right if it’s not now. Just … come back.” He tears up again as he says this. He grits his teeth and buries his head on the sheets. His sobs start to build up in his throat, but he swallows them hard. He closes his eyes, and allows all strength to leave his body. In bittersweet surrender, he falls asleep.
Outside, the scene has changed drastically. Everything is basking underneath the light of day. Children are on their bikes, riding off to school. Mothers wave to their husbands and kids who are just setting off. Trains are overflowing. Traffic is building.
But in this room, where Seien and Ryuuki lay, everything is at a standstill. And, with whatever consciousness Seien had left in his slumber, his mouth begins to move slightly. He surely isn’t capable of realizing that his younger brother is sleeping with him, but he must have felt something that would have caused this. Is it Ryuuki’s warmth upon him? A sure sign of life exchanging with that of his own? His mouth opens, trembles, and then closes again. We know that this may be a sign of more significant things to come. Only time will tell.
We, the observer, zoom out of this scene, outside the room, and into the skies. We see the whole metropolis from above, bustling with activity, overflowing with life. It is another manic morning. But it is only a matter of time till it transforms into a manic night.
Everything happens in just a matter of time.