For once, this hall was devoid of traffic, though people were beginning to appear in the adjacent areas. Ken simply looked on and ran, seeing little point in staying in one place.
Subaru hoped that he hadn't managed to miss Yue/Tsukishiro-san already. There was hardly anyone in the hall, though, so it seemed relatively unlikely. He leaned against a wall for now, at a location where he could see both the halls leading out onto the main hall.
Yue had thought Yukito asleep, or at least occupied with his own thoughts, and was startled at the sudden question, enough that his steady pace faltered for just an instant. All he felt in response was a vague annoyance at yet another interruption, and without bothering to respond in anything resembling words he started to continue on toward the center hall.
Yukito, however, refused to accept that, and began to struggle for control, finding an unexpected stubborn streak within himself to bring their progress to a halt in the middle of the hallway. If you won't at least tell me, we're not going.
The guardian's jaw tightened as he felt the faintest stirrings of anger beneath the apathy. Everyone was so determined to stop him from going where he wanted to, tonight, and he was tired of it.
So caught up was he in the inner struggle that he failed to recognize the familiar aura nearby, or really notice anyone around him at all.
There he was. And though Yue-san seemed physically okay, there was hesitation in his movements that Subaru found very worrisome. Carefully, slowly, he approached the taller man, calling out softly, "Yue-san?"
Standing in the middle of the hallway was practically inviting danger, as Yue was reminded when Subaru managed to approach without alerting him until his name was called. Yukito subsided with a faintly abashed air, realizing the same thing; thus freed, the guardian turned slightly toward the other with his expression once more set and shoulders stiff with the frustration he attempted not to show.
He hardly needed another reminder of his failures, and it only made him more determined to find the Book, as a refuge from this place where he was neither wanted nor useful. "Yes?" he asked, voice cold. Perhaps if he scared the young onmyouji away, he'd be left alone to continue on without even more interference.
Subaru bowed deeply to Yue-san, his posture stiff with regret and genuine shame. "I apologise, for failing you last night. I should have been there. Someone should have been there." He would not straighten up until Yue-san replied.
Yue only stiffened more at the reminder, fighting the sudden impulse to back away a step. Someone should have been there? He didn't want anyone there, anyone to know what had happened.
He considered feigning ignorance for a moment, but settled for just folding his arms across his chest and breathing out a soft, irritated sigh. "Your apology is unnecessary," he replied, his tone saying it was also unwelcome. If anyone needed to apologize, he did, for the night previous.
Subaru straightened up slowly, trying to keep his unhappiness off his face. It wasn't working very well. Hokuto-chan would know what to do here, but he just... didn't. He knew how to help with grief, with guilt, with anger... but coldness left him flailing, especially when he knew he was the one in the wrong in the first place. "I'll accompany you tonight, at least."
"That is also unnecessary." Was everyone determined to get in Yue's way tonight? It certainly seemed so.
And yet at the same time he hardly wanted to let Subaru wander the halls by himself; it wasn't safe for anyone, and especially not him. The need to protect was faint, muted by everything else he was thinking and feeling, but still undeniably there, and it annoyed Yue to falter in his drive to search the library.
He felt Yukito's faint chiding from within, urging him to be "nicer" to the onmyouji; Yue quickly turned away lest Subaru see the change in his expression and added, "The last time we traveled together I was clearly less than helpful."
Subaru couldn't help but smile bitterly when Yue spoke of the last time they'd travelled together. "I was of no use, either. But I can't abide letting you wander alone in this place. Please let me accompany you."
Accompanying him was, Yue supposed, better than having him attempt to block the way as his roommate had. His shoulders twitched slightly, adjusting wings that weren't there, then he moved onward without another word spoken.
If Subaru wished to follow, then the guardian would not prevent him from doing so, though he was also irritated to find he almost hoped that the other would come along. Someone to protect was another needless thing tying him here, and he pressed on slightly faster than necessary in an unconscious effort to escape that obligation.
"It's not too much farther," Yukito said, trying to sound encouraging for Subaru's sake, and a little bit for his own. His leg was starting to throb in a rather insistent manner, and he looked forward to sitting down again.
Still, though, he was less injured than his companion, and hadn't expended as much energy. And the sooner they got to safety, the better.
There seemed to be quite a few people around this area, despite the lateness--usually everyone had found other places to be by now, or nearly everyone, Subaru thought. Some of them seemed unfamiliar, too, but in the dark and with his vision blurring a bit it was hard to say if that was an accurate impression, so Subaru decided not to say anything about it. "I apologise for slowing you down like this."
Yukito only smiled in response, the expression cheerful as though the situation were perfectly normal and not at all worrying. "You don't have anything to apologize for," he insisted, with a shake of his head. "It's partially our fault you were hurt anyway."
Subaru hoped that he hadn't managed to miss Yue/Tsukishiro-san already. There was hardly anyone in the hall, though, so it seemed relatively unlikely. He leaned against a wall for now, at a location where he could see both the halls leading out onto the main hall.
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Just what are you planning to do?
Yue had thought Yukito asleep, or at least occupied with his own thoughts, and was startled at the sudden question, enough that his steady pace faltered for just an instant. All he felt in response was a vague annoyance at yet another interruption, and without bothering to respond in anything resembling words he started to continue on toward the center hall.
Yukito, however, refused to accept that, and began to struggle for control, finding an unexpected stubborn streak within himself to bring their progress to a halt in the middle of the hallway. If you won't at least tell me, we're not going.
The guardian's jaw tightened as he felt the faintest stirrings of anger beneath the apathy. Everyone was so determined to stop him from going where he wanted to, tonight, and he was tired of it.
So caught up was he in the inner struggle that he failed to recognize the familiar aura nearby, or really notice anyone around him at all.
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He hardly needed another reminder of his failures, and it only made him more determined to find the Book, as a refuge from this place where he was neither wanted nor useful. "Yes?" he asked, voice cold. Perhaps if he scared the young onmyouji away, he'd be left alone to continue on without even more interference.
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Yue only stiffened more at the reminder, fighting the sudden impulse to back away a step. Someone should have been there? He didn't want anyone there, anyone to know what had happened.
He considered feigning ignorance for a moment, but settled for just folding his arms across his chest and breathing out a soft, irritated sigh. "Your apology is unnecessary," he replied, his tone saying it was also unwelcome. If anyone needed to apologize, he did, for the night previous.
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And yet at the same time he hardly wanted to let Subaru wander the halls by himself; it wasn't safe for anyone, and especially not him. The need to protect was faint, muted by everything else he was thinking and feeling, but still undeniably there, and it annoyed Yue to falter in his drive to search the library.
He felt Yukito's faint chiding from within, urging him to be "nicer" to the onmyouji; Yue quickly turned away lest Subaru see the change in his expression and added, "The last time we traveled together I was clearly less than helpful."
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If Subaru wished to follow, then the guardian would not prevent him from doing so, though he was also irritated to find he almost hoped that the other would come along. Someone to protect was another needless thing tying him here, and he pressed on slightly faster than necessary in an unconscious effort to escape that obligation.
[going here]
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"It's not too much farther," Yukito said, trying to sound encouraging for Subaru's sake, and a little bit for his own. His leg was starting to throb in a rather insistent manner, and he looked forward to sitting down again.
Still, though, he was less injured than his companion, and hadn't expended as much energy. And the sooner they got to safety, the better.
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