Angel Sanctuary Fan Fiction ❯ The Twelve Days of Christmas ❯ Swans a' Swimming ( Chapter 7 )

AN: This one was originally chapter two... which could explain any possible crappiness. And on top of that, it's really just re-hashing my one-shot `Dangerous Type', only with a different scenario and no Kato, heh... The couple this time is Kira/Setsuna (or is it Kira/Alexiel?), and as `seven swans' refers to the seven sacraments, it really makes even less sense here than Mika/Raphael would have... But it's got cussing and underage smoking, so it can't be all bad, right? (sweats)

 

Seven x Swans a' Swimming

 

It had all started with an off-hand complaint during one of their monthly visits.

 

“Oh, brother - guess what? Mom and I are going to Hawaii for Christmas!”

 

Setsuna's eyebrows shot up. “Wow! That's really great... how can you guys afford-?”

 

Sara shrugged. “Oh... Mom's boyfriend is taking us.”

 

“You like him?” Setsuna asked casually, leaning back in the park bench and staring at the bare tree branches above them.

 

“He's okay,” she said vaguely. “He's got a lot of money, and he's really nice to Mom.”

 

Setsuna glanced at her out of the corner of his eyes. “Is he nice to you?” Sara shrugged again and gave a small nod, and he relaxed. He attempted to cover it up by joking: “Well, he's got money, so it sounds good to me.” His sister just rolled her eyes.

 

“And what about you, brother? What are you doing for Christmas?”

 

He grimaced. “Heh... Not a clue. Hang out with Kira, maybe. Dad's taking his girlfriend someplace... Kyushu or something...”

 

“And you're going to be all alone?” Sara demanded, shocked. “That's so awful!”

 

He held his hands up hastily. “Oh, it's okay. I'd rather spend Christmas with Kira than that guy, anyway. And Kira feels the same about his old man, so he'd be completely alone too if I didn't spend Christmas with him.” Setsuna beamed at his impeccable logic.

 

“Christmas is supposed to be a time for family,” Sara said sternly. “It's very wrong of Dad to do that to you - and Kira should be nicer to his father, too!”

 

Setsuna shook his head, grinning a little. “So what should we do, then? Kira may be my best friend, but it's not like I can exactly force the guy to sit down to a nice Christmas dinner. And Dad's practically drooling over the idea of all that time alone with his little - um.”

 

Sara gracefully overlooked the last bit. “Well, maybe we can get Toshi-san to take you to Hawaii, too!” Setsuna choked, and she smiled a little awkwardly. “Well, I suppose Mom wouldn't... but I'm sure we could at least have you over for dinner before we go!”

 

Setsuna shifted awkwardly in his seat, and avoided eye-contact. “Uh, I don't know... Are you sure Mom would even want to see me for that long?”

 

“Leave Mom to me,” Sara said obstinately. “Come on, please, brother?”

 

He grimaced. “Um...”

 

“Please?”

 

xXx

 

“...and I can't believe I let her do that to me; I'm such an idiot!” Setsuna concluded, rather muffled due to the pillow over his face.

 

Kira took a drag from his cigarette. “Yup,” he agreed. Setsuna hurled the pillow at him, and missed. “So what are you going to do about it?”

 

Somehow, now, it was the afternoon of the day that Setsuna was supposed to have dinner with his mother and Sara; he wasn't quite sure how the date had crept up on him so suddenly. Though he really needed to get going sometime soon if he didn't want to be late, he was nevertheless sprawled face-down on Kira's bed while Kira lounged against the wall having his umpteenth smoke; he'd come over here hoping... what, exactly? That Kira would talk him out of it, perhaps?

 

Setsuna glowered at Kira over his arms folded in front of his face. “Well, I don't know... I guess I've got to go-”

 

Kira snorted. “No you don't. In fact, if you hate your mom so much, I'd say you shouldn't.”

 

Setsuna stared at him. Well, hadn't this been what he'd come here to hear? And yet somehow he'd been expecting something less... blunt... Kira stared back at him for a moment, then shrugged, and returned his attention to his cigarette. “It's not like anyone's twisting your arm. You should only do what you want to do...”

 

Setsuna sighed, and looked away too. “Yeah, but... I promised her...”

 

Kira snorted. “Oh, right. But are you sure you really want to be trying so hard to get her to like you?”

 

Setsuna grimaced visibly. I... oh God... “Are you telling me I should want her to hate me...?” he said, almost to himself.

 

Sakuya squatted down to stub out the cigarette in the ash tray at his feet, and meditated on the dying cinders. “Fuck, Setsuna,” he said, sounding amused, “do I even have to tell you what you want?”

 

Setsuna sighed again, and stared at his hands in front of him. What I want...? I... want... Well, I... yes, I would give anything just to...

 

“I'm going,” he mumbled, sounding none too happy about it.

 

Kira smiled a little sadly, because Setsuna's eyes seemed so far away just then. You are seeing her laughing face, aren't you...? And for just a moment he wanted to shout, to scream, I am always here, look at me!

 

The click of the lighter as Kira lit up a new smoke brought Setsuna's attention back to earth. “That's cool,” he said casually. “But you're coming with me on Christmas; no way 'm I spending it with Yoji...”

 

And Setsuna smiled angelically at him, and said: “Yeah - I'll need something good to look forward to, to get through tonight,” and it occurred to Kira for perhaps the first time ever with such startling clarity that Setsuna was not, could not be, Alexiel. That woman had always known what she had wanted, from the very moment of her birth, and it never even crossed her mind to worry for the souls she would have to damn to get it...

 

Behind the cover of his cigarette smoke, Kira wondered just what it was that he wanted.

 

TBC