Tokyo Babylon Fan Fiction / X/1999 Fan Fiction ❯ Lifeblood ❯ Chapter 2 ( Chapter 2 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Xandra and Krystal Rose present Lifeblood

Disclaimer: All rights go to Clamp, hail Clamp.

Chapter 2

Seishirou woke up to the bright sun shining on his face. There was a split second of time before he recalled everything that had happened the night before. He raised an eyebrow when he saw the position he was in. During the night, Subaru had managed to completely entwine himself around his bodyguard, his legs curled around one of Seishirou's thighs, arms flung haphazardly around his hip. Well, well, who'd have known the young prince was a cuddler. Seishirou would have laughed if he weren't in such a compromising position. Just how he was going to extricate himself from the situation was beyond him-- Subaru had too tight a grip around him. However, he spared a thought that his discomfiture would be nothing compared to Subaru's when awoke to find himself in this position. Amused, he decided he might as well get some fun out of this. He skimmed his hand up and down Subaru's back, taking the chance to feel the warm softness.

Subaru made a quiet sound of contentment, his body arching into the touch slightly. He was reluctant to leave his deep slumber, but the caress prompted his body to languidly shift a little. It was so comfortable. He nuzzled his face into the crook of Seishirou's arm.

Seishirou wondered if he would be able to get away with a small kiss but decided that it would be too soon for that sort of thing. He continued to rub little circles around Subaru's back, massaging the muscles tense from the previous day's riding into relaxation.

That brought some kittenish sounds out of the prince. He was quite obviously enjoying this, Seishirou smirked to himself. But it wasn't long before Subaru slowly emerged from his slumber.

Believing his arms to be around his pillow as usual, Subaru hugged Seishirou more tightly. Slowly, it sank in that things weren't normal. What he was holding wasn't his pillow. It was too hard and didn't have quite that same texture. Besides there was a light musky that made his heart pound hard. Opening his eyes, Subaru's green gaze was met with a pair of amused amber ones. Subaru jumped in shock, letting out a little squeak before the events of last night returned to him and he forced his racing heart to relax.

"Aah... good morning," he hastily uttered. He didn't want to move, the warmth felt too good.

Seishirou couldn't stop the amused smile from ghosting his lips as he took in Subaru's reaction. Really, he was just too cute. He idly noted that the prince hadn't released hold of him. "Good morning, Subaru-kun," he said in a low seductive voice. His hands never left off continuing their progress in massaging Subaru's back.

Subaru's eyes drooped to half-lidded as Seishirou's fingers played over his back. He stretched a little, but didn't make any move to pull away.

The Sakurazuka sighed. There was only so far he could take his little teasing. If he was to go any further, he was certain Subaru would let him, but it would affect how he would perceive him later. That was something Seishirou didn't want. Besides, his job was to protect the young prince. He couldn't afford to allow himself to feel anything for him. Carefully he stopped the gentle petting and started to push the Sumeragi away.

"Don't fall back to sleep, Subaru-kun, we need to get on the road again today," he said mildly. The task of making the young man let go was proving harder than he thought, since Subaru had his arms firmly around Seishirou and didn't appear ready to let go without prompting.

It took Subaru a moment for his mind to register where he was and what he had to do. He speedily released Seishirou, blushing hotly in the process. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have indulged myself. We'll eat a light breakfast and leave at once." He pulled himself out of bed, almost painfully leaving the warm nest behind.

Seishirou followed suit to quickly wash up and get dressed. His ablutions were minimal and basically involved him pulling on a clean shirt. Once that was done, he yanked his cloak over his shoulders and tossed the rest of his belongings in his travel bag. He was glad he'd always traveled light when he could. It made for packing so much easier.

Seishirou stood back and was pleased to observe the prince doing the same. "Let's go," he said, reaching over to pull Subaru's hood over his head. He didn't want Subaru to be exposed to too many curious stares while they left the inn.

Along the way, Seishirou grabbed them a bag of buns and pastries from the kitchen. Soon, they were able to get on with their journey, riding out of town at a brisk pace. Before too long, Seishirou was able to heave a sigh of relief to once again find themselves alone.

"Shall we stop for a while and have something to eat?" Seishirou suggested, pointing to the little bag of goodies by his saddle. "The bank of that stream seems a nice place to picnic."

They couldn't have asked for a more perfect day for travel. A gentle breeze brushed at them as the mists of the early morning lifted. They had come upon a small glade lined with sweet lavender, the water sparkling like diamonds in the summer sunlight.

Subaru inhaled deeply. He was pleased to be out of the town and back in the countryside. He didn't at all care for large crowds of people, which made him nervous. That wasn't an acceptable quality in a prince, but somehow, the Sumeragi dealt with it. He was aware that being next to his bodyguard lowered his anxiety a few levels. That was a good reason for keeping close to Seishirou, he persuaded himself.

"That sounds wonderful," he said brightly. He eased his horse off the road and tethered it to a low branch. "I am a bit hungry."

Seishirou dismounted and joined him. Smiling, he handed over a bun. "I think that has meat inside."

Subaru took a small, delicate bite. "It's good," he replied cheerfully, proceeding to nibble a little more before a thought struck him. "Ah... Seishirou-san... about last night. Was I too... forward? I mean... I am grateful for your kindness, but you don't have to inconvenience yourself because of me..."

The older man waved off the stammering apology. "Don't worry about anything, Subaru-kun. You didn't do anything wrong at all," he said reaching a hand out to pat his shoulder reassuringly. Sensing how unprepared Subaru was at dealing with this situation, he decided to spare him and changed the subject. "I notice you don't like crowds. How do you cope with your duties as a prince?"

A flicker of sadness entered Subaru's expression. "I... I do the best I can. I have my duty, but... I'm all alone, except for my sister. It's not the same for her. She likes it..." He looked up realizing that perhaps he said too much and forced a smile. "But I do manage."

Seishirou's hand was still rubbing at his shoulder, since Subaru didn't seem predisposed to move away from him. "Your sister is the Princess Royal, she will succeed. You do a very good job supporting her," he said comfortingly. "I notice that people tend to overlook you, as she is so much more lively. But you have your own way of making people like you. Don't underestimate that, Subaru-kun."

"I'm glad you think so..." Subaru uttered. For some reason, he felt very comfortable telling Seishirou all this, and even went as far as to lean against his protector's shoulder. Seishirou was so kind to him, he thought. "My sister is the charismatic one. Did you know she used to dress me up in ridiculous outfits when I was younger? I was but a doll to her..." He sadly thought to himself that perhaps he was still a doll, to his grandmother and to the people he was supposed to be serving.

Deep down inside, Seishirou, oddly enough, understood. "You're not a doll to me. You're very real," he said. He was dismayed that he sort of liked Subaru leaning against his shoulder. Again he reminded himself sternly that he shouldn't be getting involved with Subaru. He's the wrong twin, he told himself sternly.

Subaru was very glad to hear that. Those words reassured and calmed him, putting him in a better frame of mind for continuing their trip. He finished two of the buns and dabbed the crumbs from his lips. "You understand... don't you?" His eyes were filled with gratitude. For the first time in a long while, he was with someone who knew how it was for him. He didn't know why, but simply believed it was true.

The other man nodded, "I do. You do believe me?"

"Yes..." the prince smiled, "I... I just never met anyone who could." He finally sat up, brushed some stray crumbs away and took a long drink of water. "We should really get going..."

Seishirou got up along with him, but couldn't stop himself from saying. "I never met anyone I could understand like I do you, as well." Quickly he turned away and started to get on his horse, unwilling to see Subaru's reaction.

The statement left Subaru looking after him for a moment. It brought a flutter to his heart, an unfamiliar circumstance that Subaru didn't fully comprehend. There was, however, no time to reflect on it. He shook off the peculiar feeling and resumed his seat on his mount.

The conversation had left both travelers with much to think on, so the journey continued in contemplative silence. Neither noticed much of the picturesque countryside as they rode, the scenery passing by them swiftly. Seishirou was deep in thought over his purpose. He was beginning to have serious misgivings until he recalled the reason behind it, and his determination was reaffirmed. He stole a glance over to the Sumeragi Prince, and was mildly surprised to see him deep in thought as well. He couldn't help smiling in amusement at the sight of the boy, who on meeting Seishirou's eyes, turned red again.

Deciding to tease, he asked with feigned concern, "Are you feeling all right, Subaru-kun? Is the day too hot for you? You look rather flushed."

This only served to redden Subaru's cheeks further. He was beginning to think that his companion enjoyed making him uncomfortable. "Uhh... yes, just a little. I'll be fine." He looked down, trying to cool his blushing.

Seishirou grabbed his canteen and held it out to him. "Have some water. I wouldn't want you to fall sick of dehydration," he ordered in a no nonsense voice. He was serious about that. Teasing was only good if Subaru was healthy enough to take it. He wasn't about to endanger the boy.

Subaru accepted gratefully, touching his companion's hand a little longer than necessary before taking a small sip. "Thank you. But I'm certain I'll be fine."

Seishirou took the canteen back and pointedly drank from the flask himself. It was the least he could do to set an example. "You need to be more careful for yourself. If you fall ill, I shan't be able to forgive myself for not taking care of you," he said with mock theatrical mournfulness. Now that he was sure Subaru was taken care of, he felt free to put on a comic, woeful face to tease him further.

The prince wrung his hands and fidgeted nervously in the saddle. He didn't know how much more of this teasing he can take. Seishirou was his bodyguard and, hopefully his friend but he'd never been with someone in a situation like this before and he didn't know how to react properly to the teasing banter. He cursed that the only reaction he seemed capable of was blushing.

Finally, after careful thought, he worked up enough nerve to say something. "Seishirou-san... why are you..." he bit his lip nervously, "do you enjoy teasing me?"

The bodyguard tilted his head to consider Subaru carefully. "A little," he admitted truthfully. "You're... you're very cute when you blush. But I'll stop if you truly want me to," he sighed regretfully.

Subaru regarded the man with uncertain eyes. From the looks of things, it seemed that Seishirou was, in fact, serious.

"N-No... It's just that... It's not that I mind so much as.... well..." he said, finding himself still blushing despite himself. He finally gave in. "No one has ever referred to me as "cute" before..."

Seishirou offhandedly reached over and ruffled Subaru's hair. "Well, you are cute, Subaru-kun. But I suppose it would be hard for anyone to tell you that, given your exalted status, your Royal Highness," he said affectionately, grinning cheerfully at him.

That wasn't so bad, Subaru thought. I could get used to this... Subaru smiled brightly. "Now that, is one thing you shan't call me. For the purposes of this journey I am no more a prince than you are."

Seishirou didn't have time to ponder on the irony of that statement for too long. From somewhere off to their rear, the twang of bowstrings and arrows suddenly filled the air. Both started as one of the projectiles embedded itself partway into a nearby tree trunk with a shuddering thunk.

Seishirou practically hurled himself off his horse to pull Subaru down to the ground, out of the way of any flying missiles. With a quick gesture he cast a shield over them both to take care of the problem. Arrows began to ricochet off the barrier. "Keep down, "he commanded Subaru tersely.

Everything went by so quickly that Subaru barely registered the time between the first arrow shot and being pulled to the ground. He sensed magic in the air and realized it was generated by his companion. Bemusedly, he watched as a few more arrows flew by to thud uselessly against the barrier. Out of the corner of his eye, some movement in the brush by the side of the road caught his notice.

"Seishirou-san! To your right!" Subaru cried in warning.

Seishirou glanced over and located the hiding attackers. He was capable of taking care of this very quickly, but it would have meant revealing more than he wished to Subaru. No help for it but to do this the hard way, he shrugged to himself.

"Stay here," he ordered sternly without thinking of the impact of his tone would have on Subaru. To make sure the Sumeragi did as he was told, he swiftly slapped a binding spell on him. Not looking back to see what he was sure would be an outraged expression on Subaru's face, he crawled off into the underbrush. There he stood up before the bandits.

"You have picked the wrong people to ambush," he said, his voice low and dangerous.

Subaru wanted to help, and was afraid that his bodyguard would get hurt, but he soon discovered that he was unable to move outside of the shielded area. He felt the magic that was placed on him and decided it was probably best to stay put, despite his worries.

Seishirou confidently brushed away the arrows shot at him without so much as uncrossing his arms. Their arrows thwarted, several bandits drew their swords and tried to rush forward to attack, but suddenly found they couldn't move. Like a panther about to strike, Seishirou moved towards them, his eyes glittering ominously. The fear from the bandits was so palpable that he laughed coldly, frightening them even more.

"Now, how shall I kill you?" he calmly mused. While his traditional way of thrusting his hand through the heart of his victims was his favorite, he considered that Subaru would not appreciate him returning spattered with blood. Sighing, he decided to dispose of them quickly. He raised a spell and calmly began to burn them all alive.

Subaru saw a flash of light and a cloud of smoke drifting downwind. It reeked so horribly that the young prince had to cover his nose. In the end, he had to invoke a minor wind spell to disperse the smoke.

When the entire gang of bandits was completely charred to a crisp, Seishirou made sure their ashes were scattered with a swift whirl of magic. It would have been bad manners to leave any evidence for Subaru-kun to be distressed over. He doubted the young prince had ever seen anything nastier than a cut finger. Returning to Subaru, he released his binding spell and the barrier that was shielding him.

"Are you all right, Subaru-kun?" he asked, his demeanor back to the mild mannered friend of this morning.

Subaru stood and brushed himself off. "You didn't have to place a bind around me. I'm capable of defending myself," he protested. Looking around, he spotted his horse nibbling at some foliage off the side of the road.

Seishirou walked over and took Subaru in a surprisingly hard embrace from the back. "I know. But that doesn't mean that I want you to kill anyone. You're too gentle."

The Prince's eyes widened. He was taken aback by this kind gesture and wasn't sure what to say. However, he enjoyed the touch and leaned back into it. "I appreciate your concern, but I am quite capable... I am prepared for whatever the journey will bring."

Seishirou gave him one more squeeze before releasing him. As he went to fetch his horse, he whispered under his breath, "I certainly hope you will be prepared for the end of this journey, Subaru-kun."

Subaru gracefully sprang onto his mount and waited a moment for Seishirou to do the same. They resumed their traveling pace, almost as if nothing happened. He was a little unnerved by the attack, but tried to appear as if all was perfectly fine.

Seishirou rode beside Subaru, a little saddened that the young man was now unable to be at ease with him. He decided to make some small conversation to break the tense silence. "Where are we to stop next?"

Subaru fumbled around in his saddlebag and pulled out a map. "We've still got a ways to go, he said, pointing to a spot on the map. "It's here. We should be there before sunset, since the attack didn't delay us much..." He tried to remain aloof, but found staying so exceedingly difficult.

Seishirou reached over to place a hand on top of Subaru's head. "Are you still angry with me?" he asked solemnly.

Blinking, the young Sumeragi wondered why Seishirou thought that. He was never quick to anger, but he supposed his companion wouldn't know. He gazed steadily at Seishirou, not sure if he could be angry with him even if he wanted to.

"Angry? I'm not angry... perhaps a little annoyed since you didn't let me help you," he replied slowly.

Seishirou grabbed onto his hand and looked intently back. "I'm sorry, but I can't let you put yourself in any danger. You will just have to get used to me taking care of you." His warm fingers caressed at the smooth skin of Subaru's hand.

Subaru's expression softened, "But what about you? I don't want anything to happen to you either... Not because of me…."

Seishirou looked at him, obviously shocked. "It's my job to protect you, even if I get hurt, it's my choice. It has nothing to do with you," he said, not understanding why Subaru felt that way. In his experience, lords and royalty rarely thought about their servitors. Subaru seemed to be a totally different breed.

The younger one smiled faintly, his eyes catching the light just so to make them sparkle. "But if you got hurt... I'd be terribly saddened," he admitted. He didn't know how or why, but the man beside him had managed to connect with him in the two days they'd known each other. It was frightening, but at the same time, Subaru was curious to find out why.

Captured by the earnest brilliance in those eyes, Seishirou reached out to tenderly stroke his face, marveling at how soft the skin was. "I don't want you to feel sad, Subaru-kun."

Subaru was still a little nervous at the way he was being touched, but it was pleasant, so he tilted his head towards Seishirou's hand. "Then you had best keep yourself safe, Seishirou-san."

The bodyguard sighed, deciding to agree if only to wipe that unhappy look from Subaru's eyes. "I'll do my best," he offered diplomatically, "but you have to keep safe too, or I won't be able to stop myself from protecting you." He slid his hand to the back of Subaru's neck but barely managed to stop himself from pulling him forward for a kiss. What was he thinking? He berated himself for letting the situation get out of hand. However, there was something about the way Subaru gazed at him so meltingly that made him forget his place. Seishirou cursed that duty was a hard taskmaster for him.

Bright green eyes widened in realization that Seishirou was only inches away. Subaru felt like he could drown in those strangely sad but beautiful pair of amber eyes, if he let himself. He leaned in closer, their lips almost touching, until his horse jumped at something and pulled its rider away. Silently cursing his ill luck, he stroked the animal's neck to calm it, while taking better hold of the reins.

Seishirou wasn't sure whether he felt more relief or annoyance that the moment was broken. Again he tucked all thought and emotion for the young prince, or anyone for that matter, into a small corner of his heart, telling himself firmly that he didn't, couldn't feel anything for anyone. His face hardened to impassiveness. Nudging his horse forward, he said, "Come we better get on our way. It would not be a good idea to spend the night out in the open."

"Yes, the sky is getting cloudy and I would hate it if we were caught in rain," Subaru agreed, matching paces with his companion, wondering what the other man thought about the moment they almost had.

There was no indication on Seishirou's totally bland face. Seishirou could see Subaru's sidelong glances at him, but he carefully did not reveal an iota of his thoughts. He kicked his horse into a gallop, concentrating on the road ahead.

Subaru wondered why Seishirou had suddenly gone cold on him. In the young prince's mind, it was probably something he'd done. Perhaps his guard was annoyed that Subaru kept insisting that he keep himself safe. Subaru brooded on that unhappy thought in silence until they were almost upon the town.

The sun had set by the time they entered the town. The streets were rapidly emptying, allowing the horses to move forward at a fairly fast clip. After asking for directions from a city guard, they found their way to the inn. There, after getting off his horse, Seishirou moved over to his charge's side, perfunctorily helping him to dismount.

"Are you hungry?" he asked, allowing a trace of friendly concern, no more, just that-- concern-- to enter his voice.

"Yes. Dinner would be nice," the Sumeragi said, sighing a little. Subaru remained certain that something was wrong. Now, however, was not the time to pursue this. He made a mental note to ask about it later.

Seishirou took a moment to pull the hood of Subaru's cloak up. No point in attracting attention to the gorgeous young man. Seishirou didn't realize that he was just as eye-catching; although it was true that no one would dare accost him. There was a dangerous edge to him that prevented any from approaching, if they valued their lives. He strode into the inn, one hand lightly at Subaru's back to keep him close beside him.

Indoors, the two of them arranged for their routine room and food. They were swiftly shown upstairs, where Seishirou inspected the place properly before nodding his satisfaction. It was safe. When the door was securely shut, Seishirou allowed himself to relax noticeably, shrugging off his own travel-stained cloak.

Subaru tossed his own cloak aside and shuffled his feet about uncomfortably. "Seishirou-san... is something... wrong?"

Seishirou eyed the young man, puzzled by why he remained so tense. "What do you mean?"

Subaru wrung his hands a little. "I'm sorry about what happened after the bandit attack. I was being far too forward and I'm sorry if I've upset you, just... please don't shut me out..."

So Subaru was still worrying over that incident, Seishirou thought. "I'm not upset at all. Don't think any more about it, Subaru-kun. You worry too much," Seishirou said, his voice entirely impersonal and cool. Seishirou was determined to keep a firm grip on his own desires and not lead the young man on. Reaching over, he patted Subaru's shoulder. There, platonic and friendly-- it would have to be enough.

It seemed to work. The young prince lowered his eyes and stared at the floor. "Very well. I would like whatever meal the inn is offering tonight," he politely requested. Inside, he was saddened, sure that something wasn't right, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

Seishirou bowed like the proper servant that he was supposed to be, while keeping himself under tight control. Glancing towards the bed, he almost gulped at the thought of yet another of night trying to sleep while holding the Sumeragi. However, his years of self-control come to his rescue, and he managed to continue with his small chores with a measure of steadiness.

Pouring some water into a basin, he indicated to Subaru to help himself. "This inn is too small to offer baths, I'm afraid we will have to make do with just washing up here," he casually remarked.

"That will be fine," the young man replied quietly, going to the water and washing his face and hands. He gratefully took the cloth Seishirou handed him and dabbed himself dry without any further conversation. Finishing up, he went back to sit on the bed and stewed over what he should do.

Seishirou waited until Subaru was done, then washed himself. He changed into a fresh linen shirt, turning his back to Subaru, in an attempt not to embarrass the boy. He could however, feel Subaru's intent gaze at his shoulder blades. Neither said anything, though both regretted the thick tension in the air.

Fortunately the food arrived to spare Seishirou from having to go back to staring at Subaru awkwardly.

"It looks good," Subaru said, inhaling the warm aroma of beef stew.

The older man agreed and began serving their meal. It was wonderful how sharp one's appetite got after a hard day's riding. Shooting a glance at Subaru, he gestured with the wine bottle. "Are you up to drinking this tonight?" he asked.

"I'll have a bit," Subaru replied, helping himself like a starving man to the bread and stew. He accepted a glass of the wine and began to drink it.

They both ate in preoccupied silence and the tension gradually eased between them. Nothing like a good meal to restore one's spirits, Seishirou thought. Looking over the table, Seishirou observed Subaru while he spooned out a generous helping of the sweet pudding that came for dessert.

"You like sweet things?" he asked casually.

Subaru was somewhat pleased at him asking. "Yes I do, but in small amounts. I ate an awful lot of pudding as a child," he said enthusiastically, after indulging in a large spoonful.

"Why did you eat a lot of pudding?" Seishirou pursued, amused. "And why did you stop?"

Subaru smiled at the memory, laughing lightly. "My sister told me that if I ate too many sweets, I'd turn into one. I believed her so I stopped eating too much of it. Stupid huh? I think she just wanted a bigger share for herself." Subaru turned a sheepish expression at Seishirou.

Seishirou's imagination supplied an image of Subaru as a dessert. He was quite sure Subaru would taste heavenly. Damn, he cursed, this was too much. How was he going to survive this trip if the Sumeragi kept tempting him like this?

Sobering, he thought up a repartee. "I don't think you can ever indulge in too many sweets, Subaru-kun. I'm going to have to see what I can do to keep you well supplied with sweets in the future," he said, smiling at him.

Subaru was reassured by that smile and allured by it at the same time. His eyes held the other's straight on, wanting to say something... but he'd forgotten what that was. He settled for... "It's late. Perhaps we should retire."

Seishirou regretfully agreed. Too bad though, he had been enjoying himself watch Subaru eat. The other had such a delicate way of consuming his dessert, which reminded him of a cat that had gotten to the cream.

"Yes we have another day of hard riding ahead of us," he remarked, going to the bed and pulling back the covers. "Come Subaru-kun, it's time for bed."

~~~

Notes

Sorry to be doing this to you guys here but this chapter simply grew far far too long. So we went chop chop and stopped just before the lemon. And yes, it's definitely on the cards in chapter 3, which will be up as soon as we pound it into shape.

For chapter 1 of Lifeblood and more of Xandra's fics, you can go to: http://www.midnightrevolution.org/xandra

And Krystal Rose's fics can be found here: http://krystalsage.tripod.com/fic/