Date Finished: October 29th, 2003 (my 21st birthday! ;P)
Classification: Romance, Angst
Pairing: Eriol/Yue, Clow/Yue, Touya/Yukito, mild hints of Touya/Yue
Rating: NC-17
Note: Sequel to `Love Is�', but can be read independently.
Glass
By Elsewhere
<[email protected]>
All other information in Part One.
Part Three:
Glossary:
aa - yeah
bai bai - bye bye (obviously)
eto - um
gomen - sorry
gomen nasai - I'm so sorry
hora - hey
iie - no
itte kimasu - I'm leaving
ja ne - bye (casual)
nanda? - what is it?
nani? - what?
oi - hey
onegai shimasu - please (formal)
sou ka - is that right
sumimasen - I'm sorry; excuse me
*****
Watching you from close by
Your dream
Resounds
In a glass heart
*****
"Yuki! Oi, Yuki! Breakfast's ready!"
Touya glanced up, a mild frown crossing his face, when he still
hadn't been answered several moments later. Normally, the promise of
food was enough to bring Yuki running. He knew that Yuki had had a
rough night---Touya had spent many of the early hours of the morning
stroking his hands through Yuki's thick hair, trying to soothe Yuki,
and by extension, Yue---but even so, it was rare these days that Yuki
slept in long enough to be in danger of missing breakfast, even on a
weekend.
"Oi, Yuki�what are you�?" he began, a bit more loudly, making his way
to the bedroom, intending to check in to see what Yuki was doing. His
hand hadn't even touched the door before it slid open in front of
him, and he was forced to lift his eyes from where he had
automatically dropped them, seeking Yuki's eyes. The person standing
before him was considerably taller.
Yue watched, through mildly narrowed eyes, as Touya jumped sharply
backwards, making an odd sound that Touya himself probably would have
considered unbecoming of a man.
"Nanda?" Yue asked in his usual dry monotone, as Touya tried to
compose himself, breathing hard.
"Yue!" Touya said, voice rasping slightly with exasperation. "You
startled me!"
Yue tilted his head slightly and regarded Touya with a slow,
apathetic blink that conveyed the impression that he didn't care in
the slightest. Then, after briefly tilting his head slightly towards
the other direction---Touya had the impression of a great bird of
prey staring down at a mouse and deciding that the mouse really
wasn't worth the effort to capture it---Yue sniffed softly, brushed
his hair across his shoulder (wingless again, Touya noted), and
walked past Touya, towards the kitchen.
For a moment, Touya thought that perhaps he was getting a taste of
what Sakura always felt like when he bothered her, and he had a
brief, insane urge to run after Yue and stomp on his foot. Oddly
enough, this image was remarkably funny, and Touya had to stop in the
hallway for a few moments to compose himself again.
"Hora, Yue�" he began in a calmer tone of voice, finally venturing
around the corner into the dining area. His voice stopped dead in his
throat yet again, however, when he spotted Yuki sitting at the table,
calmly eating his rice, as though nothing out of the ordinary had
happened.
"Yuki!" Touya said, voice rising with exasperation again. He took
several steps forward towards the table, watching as Yuki lifted his
eyes and proceeded to look innocently surprised by the flustered look
Touya was giving him.
"Nanda?" Yuki asked, sounding very confused.
Touya was all the more annoyed by the fact that Yuki managed to keep
a straight face.
"What the hell is going on!?" Touya shouted, and Yuki blinked at him,
looking entirely shocked. Then, slowly, the startled look faded and
became a gentle smile, closed eyes included.
"You didn't sleep very well last night, did you, To-ya?" Yuki asked.
Now he sounded unbearably sympathetic.
"Errrrrgragh!!"
And with that last, undignified noise, Touya made his way around the
counter into the kitchen area, intent on getting another cup of
coffee. A moment later, he heard the sound of familiar soft footsteps
on the tiles behind him, but he didn't turn around, still feeling
miffed.
"Sumimasen," a quiet voice said, not sounding in the least
apologetic. An arm brushed his as a pair of pale hands reached to
place the breakfast dishes in the sink.
Touya grunted and decided to try again.
"Oi, Yu�" he started to say, turning around as he spoke. Again, he
quickly had to adjust, to make his eyes move farther up to seek his
companion's eyes.
"�e?" Touya finished finally, and once again, Yue tilted his head
slightly, but this time, the expression on his face was one that
Touya had only rarely had occasion to see. Nonetheless, Touya
recognized instantly the way the hard expression on Yue's face had
relaxed, the firm line of his mouth softened to a tiny version of a
smile. His eyes, usually so cold, were alight with some kind of odd
mischief.
"Nani?" Yue asked, in a soft, breathless voice vaguely reminiscent of
the tones so often used by his other self.
But this time, Touya was determined not to be thrown off track.
"Yue!" he snapped, lifting a fist and shaking it in Yue's face, to
which Yue responded with an impassive blink. "Damn it, what are you�?"
"Mm?" Yue murmured, silver eyebrows lifting and eyes dancing,
attempting to prod Touya to continue. Touya had stopped talking
again, even more abruptly, this time because Yue had leaned suddenly
closer, reaching out a hand towards the counter behind Touya,
effectively pinning Touya against it, just as Touya sometimes had
occasion to back Yuki up against a tree.
"Ah�e�eto�" Touya attempted, swallowing abruptly and trying to avoid
making a slight whimpering sound. When did Yue get so damned tall!?
Yue made another quiet sound, something that sounded suspiciously
like a "hmph" covering a small chuckle, and leaned a bit closer,
until Touya was pressing himself desperately back against the counter
and closing his eyes. He couldn't seem to catch his breath�he had
never quite expected this turn of events, especially considering�
But then he couldn't think anymore, because Yue was so close he could
feel warm breath against his lips, and he felt sure that he was
finally going to experience what it was like to receive a kiss from
someone who was feeling unexpectedly dominant�and then he felt the
odd sensation of a familiar hand brushing against his elbow, but it
wasn't touching him; it was reaching for something.
"Itte kimasu," Yuki whispered, and Touya opened his eyes just in time
to see Yuki leaning up on his toes, his large, sparkling eyes getting
closer and closer�
Despite himself, Touya allowed himself to relax when he felt the
comfortingly familiar touch of Yuki's lips against his, drawing him
downwards to deepen the kiss. But just as he started to do so, Yuki
chuckled merrily and dipped out of Touya's arms, which had been just
about to enfold him in a hug. Touya nearly fell on his face, he had
been leaning so far; he pinwheeled his arms for a moment before
catching his balance.
"Ja ne!" Yuki called merrily, waving the hand clutching the apple he
had stolen from the counter behind Touya's back. He grinned at Touya,
then turned and made his way to the door.
For a moment Touya stood in a stunned silence, wondering whether he
should pinch himself to see if it was, in fact, he who had slept
through the alarm.
"Oi, Yuki�"
Silence. Touya glanced up, and saw the door hanging open.
"OI, YUKI!? ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME!?!?"
Nothing but an impish laugh greeted his demand.
"GRAGH!!!"
*****
To his surprise, late that morning when Yuki had awoken, just as he
had made his way into the bathroom, Yue had quite distinctly
separated himself from Yuki's consciousness, startling Yuki so badly
that he had nearly fallen into the bathtub.
<Gomen,> Yue had said noncommittally, seeming amused by Yuki's
reaction, in a nonplused sort of way. He had given Yuki a few moments
to regain his equilibrium, and then, when Yuki had asked him what he
wanted, Yue had paused, oddly, as though reluctant to say.
<I�wish to ask you a favor,> Yue had said finally, sounding
breathless. Yuki had peered at himself in the mirror, mildly
startled.
"Sou ka�na---" Yuki had begun to say, but before the question could
even be asked, Yue had interrupted him, blustering forth as though
afraid he might lose his courage.
<I want you to take me to Hiiragizawa Eriol's house,> Yue had said,
so quickly that the words had sounded jumbled together.
For a moment, Yuki had been too stunned, more by Yue's feelings of
apprehension than by the question itself, to answer. Then, slowly, he
had taken off his glasses and leaned closer to the mirror, peering
intently into his own light amber eyes, almost as though seeking some
hint of lavender-silver among the familiar hues. Yue had, of course,
instantly sensed Yuki's curiosity, and understood the reason for
Yuki's gaze, focused so intensely on his own face in the mirror that
surely, it threatened to penetrate beyond the surface to the reality
beneath.
<I cannot go myself,> Yue had said, in a quieter, more subdued voice,
though still more breathless and insecure than his usual confident
tones. <I attract too much attention if I walk freely on the streets�
I need you to take me there.>
Yuki's eyes widened slightly and he leaned back, away from the
mirror, replacing his glasses and adjusting them on his nose, his
eyes now regarding his own reflection thoughtfully.
"Why are you asking me this?" Yuki had asked, curiosity making his
normally soft voice sound just as breathless as Yue's. "I�that is�
it's your body, as well."
Once, he might have said, `It's your body, not mine', during those
dark and difficult times when he had struggled to understand himself--
-to discover where he fit in, where his identity could exist---upon
finding out that all along he had been a shell, a host, for someone
else. As relieved as Touya seemed to have been upon discovering Yue,
Yuki had been crushed, confused and unsure of where to turn� For a
long time, he had believed that surely his entire life, all of his
memories up to the point of Yue's reemergence, had been a lie,
nothing but a fabrication, designed to disguise the real personality
that existed beneath.
It had taken time, a great deal of time, under the loving touch of
Touya and the guiding touch of Yue, to come to realize that in fact,
it was quite the opposite. As Yue himself was quick to point out,
with mingled surprise and wonder, although Yuki had indeed been
designed as nothing more than a false form to encase Yue until he was
needed for the Final Judgment---similar to the purpose the small,
stuffed toy-like version of Cerberus served---the particularities of
Yuki's creation, and the experiences he had had during the long years
before the Final Judgment finally came, had served to create a very
different situation.
Yuki, Yue had explained, had been created using all of the sincerest,
most important emotions of Yue's life, just as all magical creatures
were made from the most basic, essential feelings of their creators.
Flesh and blood and bone were not enough to create a living entity;
something could eat, sleep and breathe without being alive. Living,
sentient creatures required a spirit, and the only way to
artificially create a soul was not to create it artificially at all,
but rather to take a mixture of the core sensations of an existing
human life and mix them, with a dash of magic added, to create a new
life, just as rich as the one that had gone into creating it.
Cerberus hadn't had to face this daunting task. All he needed to do
was to create a smaller, less conspicuous version of himself:
something he could live within that wouldn't require as much energy
as he normally did, and something that would allow him to move around
in the world of modern humanity without drawing too much attention.
Yue's task had been very different. Unlike Cerberus, Yue was
incapable of surviving without the magic provided by a master. At the
time of Clow's death, Yue had been forced to retreat to the Book of
the Clow, along with the Clow Cards, to slumber there while waiting
for a new master to revitalize them. At some point---he wasn't sure
when, because his grasp of time had left him at some point during his
hibernation---Cerberus had awakened him, only briefly, using up some
of his own energy to sustain Yue long enough to give him a set of
vital instructions that Cerberus had come to understand in the
centuries since Clow had left him to guard the Book.
According to Clow's predictions, Cerberus had said, there would at
some point soon come someone new�a candidate, as it were, who would
seek to take over possession of the powers of the Clow Cards. As Clow
had decided, Cerberus and Yue together would be responsible for
judging and accepting this candidate. Cerberus would choose the
candidate and guide him or her through the long process of gathering
the Clow Cards---for, even though Cerberus had hesitated to believe
it, Clow himself had predicted that the cards would become scattered,
and that this event would be necessary for time to unfold as he hoped
it would---and then, when the last card had been captured, Yue would
come forth and he would judge whether the candidate was worthy to
possess the Clow Cards, and the potentially deadly power they
carried. Of equal importance was Yue's duty to choose whether or not
the candidate was the correct choice to care for himself and
Cerberus.
At first, Yue had resisted; as he had so firmly told Clow, he neither
wanted nor needed another master. When reminded that he would die
without the magical sustenance provided by another, Yue had replied
that he would rather choose death than have someone else. But Clow�to
hear him say this had saddened Clow so greatly that Yue's resolve had
broken apart, and finally, in the very last hours of Clow's life, Yue
had promised him that he would judge the candidate when the time
came.
Cerberus' instructions had been clear. Although Yue would continue to
sleep until the time of the Final Judgment came, he needed to create
a false form for himself, someone that would act as his eyes and ears
until that time came. This false form would have to be someone
capable of getting close to the person who was most likely to become
the Card Captor. Cerberus had not known who this potential candidate
was, had not been told a name or shown a face, but he had informed
Yue that the Book was currently in the possession of the household
that would give birth to the candidate. Carefully, Cerberus had
related to Yue Clow's instructions as he understood them: that, even
though he had never been taught the magic, Yue should attempt to
create a new person, in whom he would live until the time of the
Judgment came.
It had taken him time, and the prodding of Cerberus, who grew ever
weaker as time passed and Yue continued leeching his magic, but
eventually, there had come a night where Yue, too weak to remain
awake any longer, had slipped into a fitful dream. He dreamt of Clow,
and he could remember the grief being so intense that it had pierced
his soul, the very soul given him by his creator. He had awoken with
tears streaming down his face, but they weren't ordinary tears�they
glowed brilliant silver, falling not as liquid but as a sparkling
wisp of solid magic, extracted from his very soul. He could remember
feeling warm and safe for the first time in years, surrounded by the
brilliant heat of Clow's magic circle, the symbol of the moon glowing
bright silver within it. Without truly understanding what he was
doing, he had gathered his tears within his hands and closed his
eyes, pouring out all his grief, all of his happiness, everything he
had learned from Clow�after that, Yue could remember little. He slept
deeply, for years he slept, but sometimes he dreamed that a radical
change had come over his body and his mind, that now he lived as
someone bright and beautiful, someone with a kind heart, someone
undamaged by the ravages of grief.
When he had awoken that night, awoken suddenly to the reality of the
Final Judgment, memory rushing back to him quicker than he could
blink, he had at first experienced only two thoughts, both of which
he had set aside to examine for later. The first had been surprise,
not only at how young and seemingly weak the candidate was, but also
at the strange feeling he had, so pervasive it seemed to penetrate to
the depths of his spirit, that he would come to accept her, despite
the desires of his heart. The second had been the bone-jarring
realization that when he had created Yukito, he had not merely
created a shell. Because of the nature of Yuki's creation---because
he had to exist independently of Yue's guidance, so that Yue could
continue his slumber until another master would be able to sustain
him---Yuki had, over the years, developed into an entirely separate
person from Yue. Though they continued to share one physical form,
and although at the core they were exactly the same---because Yue had
poured his emotions into creating a copy of himself---the two of them
had become very different. The same, but different�this was the odd
situation that permeated Yuki and Yue's lives, from the day of the
Final Judgment onwards.
Just as it had taken Yue time to accept the reality that he in
essence existed now in tandem with another version of himself, it had
taken Yuki time to come to realize that he *was* a person, and not
simply the copy he had been created to be. He wasn't sure if he would
have ever regained confidence in himself if it hadn't been for Touya
and Yue, both of whom, in their own ways, had struggled for so long
to get through to Yuki that he was still Yuki�and he always would be.
All of these things, remembered pain and disassociation, had flown
through Yuki's mind as he had peered at himself in the mirror that
morning, awaiting Yue's answer to the question. Why should Yue feel
he had to ask to do something, when it wasn't *Yuki's* body, but
rather the body that belonged to both of them? Didn't Yue have as
much right to live his life as Yuki did? Yuki, like Touya, had always
wondered precisely why Yue was always so quick to retreat back to
Yuki's form, as though he was more comfortable now existing within
Yuki's mind than he was within his own body.
<I would never do anything of this sort without your permission,> Yue
had said quietly, but firmly. Yuki had easily comprehended the
meaning behind Yue's words---when it came to Yue's duty as a guardian
of Sakura, often Yue had to take over the body he and Yuki shared,
and do many things for which he'd never sought Yuki's permission, but
Yue obviously considered this different.
Neither the confused mash of Yue's thoughts nor the quiet
determination in his voice had managed to quell the last of Yuki's
confusion, but nonetheless, he had finally answered Yue's question
with a soft, "Aa", and then, in a vague attempt to take Yue's mind
off of what he wanted to do, Yuki had suggested having some harmless
fun with Touya.
"I'll have to apologize to him later," Yuki said aloud as he stared
up at the cherry trees above his head. He smiled as he placed a
finger to his chin, an exaggerated gesture of contemplation. "I
wonder if he can see his way to forgiving me�"
It was a beautiful Saturday morning, the sun shining brightly through
the trees overhead as Yuki walked unhurriedly along the cherry tree
street. It was almost past the time for the sakura blossoms to be in
bloom---most of them had already long since fallen to the ground---
but when Yuki closed his eyes, he imagined he could feel them
drifting down, brushing like silk over his cheeks.
He chuckled lightly at the thought of Touya's face, but his laugh
died away when he realized that Yue didn't seem amused. In fact, he
didn't seem to be paying any attention to what Yuki was thinking or
saying at all. It wasn't that he had shut himself off from Yuki, as
he so rarely did anymore; rather, the closer they drew to the house
where Eriol lived---a house that was extremely familiar to both Yuki
and Yue---the more distracted Yue became. Yuki was starting to feel
jittery himself; Yue's emotions were affecting him, making
butterflies start to dance in his stomach again.
"Yue?" he asked, this time careful to focus his thoughts more fully
on his other self, attempting to draw his attention. The butterflies
in his stomach did a flip-flop, indicating just as clearly as the
quickened breath in his mind that he had managed to startle Yue quite
badly.
<Gomen,> Yue said again, even though this time he was the one who had
been surprised and not the other way around. He still sounded
preoccupied, and he remained only partially focused on Yuki for a
couple of moments while Yuki waited patiently. Eventually, just as
Yuki turned off of the cherry tree road and kept going, on a route
that was as familiar to him as the back of his own hand, Yue's
thoughts slowly came into focus, and again he took on a more solid
aspect within Yuki's mind, his consciousness separated from Yuki's.
Yuki continued to wait as Yue regarded him from the inside out. He
had the distinct feeling that, as much as he wanted to ask Yue about
what concerned him so, Yue wanted to tell him, and was trying to find
the best way to say it.
<Hiiragizawa Eriol�he is�not Clow Read,> Yue said finally, somewhat
hesitantly, his low, resonant voice sounding vaguely muffled, as
though he was speaking through clenched teeth.
Yuki said nothing; he was sure that Yue didn't really want to be
interrupted.
<And yet he is,> Yue continued, letting out a breath that sounded
somewhat exasperated. <So much of us is composed of our memories;
they are so much of what makes us unique�>
He paused, contemplating for a moment the irony of the statement he
had just made.
<I believe�> he began, more slowly. <I believe that perhaps
Hiiragizawa Eriol can be compared to us�to you, and to me. Just as
you are a unique person and should not be considered the same as me,
and yet a part of you *is* undeniably the same as me�Hiiragizawa
Eriol is a unique person and should not be considered the same as
Clow Read. I have�accepted that. But�he possesses Clow's memories.
That means that a part of him *is* Clow�>
Yue's voice trailed off into silence, and Yuki felt that finally, the
time had come for him to speak.
"Which is it that you're more afraid to face?" Yuki said softly, just
as his eyes fell on a familiar house in the near distance. "The part
of him that *is* Clow Read-san, or the part of him that isn't?"
By this stage, Yue had accepted his relationship with Yuki well
enough that he didn't bother to deny that he was afraid; as well as
he usually knew Yuki's emotions, Yuki had come to understand Yue's as
well.
<I don't know,> Yue admitted, quietly. <I don't know how to respond
to either�Hiiragizawa Eriol is a person I do not know, and I don't
know if I can trust him. And Clow Read�I wouldn't know how to face
Clow Read, anymore.>
Years of pain and grief, and the horrible experience of coming to
believe, for a brief, terrifyingly wonderful time, that Clow was
alive, reborn, only to come to the realization that it wasn't Clow,
or at least not the Clow Yue had known, the Clow he missed so much�
these had made Yue almost incapable of knowing how to react either to
Hiirigazawa Eriol or to the memories he possessed. Yuki understood
Yue's hesitation, but he had no advice to offer, no way of knowing
what might help Yue. He could only hope fervently that Eriol would be
gentle, that he wouldn't hurt Yue any more than he already had�
Yuki paused, taking a deep breath, his hand now on the gate. It
seemed strange, now, so many years later, to be standing here, at a
place that had once been his but now felt so foreign. He had once
lived in this house, for the years that Yue had remained dormant
within him and several of the years afterwards; it had come to Yue---
by extension, to Yuki---as a sort of inheritance, courtesy of Clow
Read, along with the money that had sustained Yuki for so many years.
The magic that had gone into Yuki's creation had ensured that up
until the time when Yue emerged, Yuki's memory provided him with a
number of falsehoods�he remembered living in this house with his non-
existent grandparents, remembered eating their food and living off of
their money, when all along, he had actually been all alone. He had
done all those things himself---the money had come from Clow, passed
down to him along with the house---and all of those memories were
fabrications, designed to confuse his mind so that he would never
realize the truth.
Just over four years ago, after Yuki had moved out of the house and
gone to live in the apartment with Touya, allowing the house to fall
into disrepair, Hiiragizawa Eriol had arrived unexpectedly at the
apartment. Yuki had been home alone, and when he had opened the door,
he had felt an intense shock run through him, a shock not his own.
Eriol had smiled understandingly and apologetically and helped him to
a chair; he seemed to comprehend exactly the nature of the weakness
that threatened to take Yuki's balance away from him. Yuki remembered
clearly that on that day, Eriol's hand had been shaking where it had
touched his arm; Yue hadn't been the only one who felt shocked.
Eriol had apologized a number of times: for being so abrupt, for
being an inconvenience, and for a number of other things that had at
the time seemed so ridiculous that Yuki had laughed, and then he had
realized that Eriol was babbling deliberately, trying to lighten
Yuki's mood. Then, slowly, over tea, Eriol had revealed his reason
for coming�he wished to purchase Yuki's house, the house that had
once been owned by his own family, though none of his living
relatives realized it.
Yuki had agreed to his terms entirely without reservation. He was
actually glad to get rid of the house, for he had felt some guilt in
letting it remain unused, although he had felt reluctant to sell it.
Selling it to Eriol had seemed an entirely different proposition: it
seemed almost as though the house had gone back to whom it truly
belonged.
Yuki shook his head to rid himself of the thoughts clouding his brain
and pushed open the gate, vaguely embarrassed at the feeling that he
was being rude, to enter the grounds without announcing himself or
asking permission. But even though Yue remained silent, Yuki had the
sense that he didn't want Yuki to speak, to break the peace that
seemed to settle over the sprawling, traditional Japanese house that
stood before them.
Almost instantly, as Yuki made his way up the walk, Yue started to
tense, and after a moment, Yuki realized that Yue was feeling the
magic ambiance that surrounded the house. He could feel Eriol's
presence, Yuki thought, mildly startled. He could feel that Eriol was
somewhere near�
Without needing prodding, he had turned off the main walk, starting
to make his way around the side of the house. As soon as he turned
the corner, he very nearly collided with a moving body, but his
instincts had told him to pull back a step before, so that now he and
Hiiragizawa Eriol were standing face to face---or at least,
relatively face to face, given that Eriol had to tilt his chin
downward slightly to meet Yuki's eyes. They were standing so close
that the height difference between them seemed far larger than it had
when Yuki had first encountered this new, adult version of Eriol at
Sakura's wedding.
"Tsukishiro-san," Eriol whispered. He sounded as stunned as he
looked, his eyes far wider than normal underneath his spectacles. His
hand had instinctively reached out to steady Yuki, even as he too had
stepped back, aware of who he was about to run into---he had sensed
Yue's presence just as easily as Yue had sensed his---and his fingers
remained gently clasped around Yuki's forearm. When Yuki glanced
downward, Eriol followed his eyes and then quickly retrieved his
hand, looking mildly flustered. For the first time in his memory,
Yuki watched a mild blush creep across Eriol's cheeks.
"Gomen nasai," Eriol said, and Yuki felt somewhat relieved that the
Englishman continued to speak in Japanese. "Onegai shimasu,
Tsukishiro-san�come inside."
Eriol gestured forwards, and with a nod and a smile---he felt a bit
too awkward, now, to say a proper hello---Yuki started back along the
path around the corner, towards the front door. He could feel Eriol's
eyes on him as he walked, and he fought against the unnerving feeling
that rose inside of him, wondering about how silent Yue had gone, as
though holding his breath.
Just as they were about to reach the door, it was flung wide open and
a bouncing form bounded out of it.
"Eriol!" a distinctly feminine voice called merrily, and Eriol
stopped to meet his guardian. But Ruby Moon---or Nakuru, as she still
liked to be called, particularly when they were in Japan---wasn't
paying attention to him anymore. Her eyes had opened the moment she
sensed who was standing in front of her.
"Yue!" she said, startled, peering past Yuki's glasses towards his
eyes. He was a little taken aback, not by the name she used, but by
the forthrightness with which her gaze searched him.
"Iie," Eriol said gently, and Nakuru's gaze shifted to
him. "Tsukishiro Yukito."
"Hm?" Nakuru said, and then she smiled slightly, turning back to grin
at Yuki. "Whatever you say. Eriol, Suppi and I were wondering�"
"Ruby," Eriol interjected in the same gentle, patient tone, drawing
out the `u' in the Japanese manner. "I wonder if you and Spinel would
mind�"
"Leaving you alone for a while?" Nakuru asked, chuckling lightly and
winking. "Well, I was just going to ask if Suppi and I could take our
chance now to go and visit Sakura-chan. She says she and Li-kun are
at Touya-kun's house, and he's all alone today, so he's willing to
provide tea for two more."
Yuki smiled slightly upon hearing this.
"Of course you may go, Ruby," Eriol said, bowing slightly. "I will
have lunch waiting when you get back."
"Whatever you say," she chirped again, and then she ducked back into
the house. "Suppi!! We're going!"
Yuki watched as Spinel Sun, who was also in his false form, descended
from the light fixture he'd been hiding in and, after briefly
greeting Yuki and saying goodbye to his master, curled himself up in
the hood of Nakuru's sweater, hiding himself.
"Bai bai!" Nakuru called merrily as she reached the end of the walk
and let the gate swing shut behind her.
Eriol cleared his throat softly, drawing Yuki's attention back to
him. Eriol was now standing just inside his door, holding it open.
"Onegai shimasu, Tsukishiro-san," Eriol said again, with a slight
bow. "Won't you come in?"
Yuki took a deep breath, no longer sure whether he was nervous at all
or if it was just Yue, and stepped over the threshold into a world of
memories.
*****
END PART THREE