Part: Two - With Love.
Author: Peach Blossom Faerie
Series: Fushigi Yuugi
Pairing: Hotohori x Nuriko
Rating:
Warning: sort of AUsh, OOC, angst, some sappy moments.
Disclaimer: Again, this series doesn't belong to me - if it did, well it would have undergone a huuuuge change with concern to Miaka and Yui's characters! And yes, for the observant amongst you, the title for the series and the parts, ARE taken from the lyrics of X Japan's "Tears" which, surprisingly, doesn't belong to me either (though I would love to own Yoshiki *_*).
Dry Your Tears - With Love.
All of his life, it had seemed natural for people to bow before him, to recognize his existence as something above their own. As his mother's favourite, his position had commanded the lonely respect that he endured with long suffering practice, and the air of someone destined for so much more.
He was indeed someone destined for more, a Suzaku marked Senshi; and he was given yet another name to learn, to answer to, he became not only Heika-sama, and Saiheiti-sama, but Hotohori as well.
However, this new name bought with it new possibilities, and new people. A group whose members were all on the same standing as he; he became a star amongst many, and found his heart in their company.
So to see someone of the same standing, kneel before him in terror with their pale forehead pressed closely to the ground, he became speechless, and unsure what to do, with either himself or the man before him.
** ** * * * * ** **
Long moments ticked past, and still Hotohori-sama had not said anything. Nuriko was too terrified to look up, certain that he would see the Emperor valiantly battling his outrage and disgust. He had seen disgust from Hotohori-sama aimed at him once, and it was something he never wanted to experience again.
He couldn't blame Hotohori-sama for hating him; after all, he had deceived him in the most despicable way. Not only had he pretended to be a woman, but he had deliberately made Miaka shy away from even considering the Emperor as her partner. Nuriko wanted to say that he didn't know why he had done it, but that would be another lie added to his already heavy burden - he had been jealous of the way Miaka had waltzed into their lives and changed everything.
Before that fateful day, he had pretended that Hotohori had never actually seen him, that he had overlooked the shy maiden hiding her face from him, and that when he did eventually lay eyes on her, he would love her - Kourin, and then love him - Ryuuen. It had been a foolish fantasy, but it had sustained him, when the long nights in the harem grew too lonely, and the constant posturing and cat fighting grated on his nerves.
He shifted slightly, uncomfortable in his position on the cold stone floor. The feather soft touch of tips of fingers on his chin stilled him and a shock of fear shot through him, leaving his nerves jangling. Following the soft suggestion of the fingers pulling gently upwards, he rose to his feet and found himself looking into the Emperor's golden brown eyes.
** ** * * * * ** **
Nuriko's eyes were wide and shining with restrained tears. It hurt him to look at such sadness, but he forced himself to do it. He couldn't pull away and hide now, the other boy had been honest about his feelings, and now he had to honour that courage and speak candidly too.
Firstly though, he had to banish the fear that blemished Nuriko's face, "Please, Nuriko - we are not here to punish you, we are here because we wished to talk with you - as we should have done earlier."
Nuriko still looked at him cagily, and he realised he had been using the Imperial plural. Taking a deep breath, he rephrased the words he had brewing in his mind, for this to work, he would have to be absolutely honest and on the same level as the other Senshi, and to establish that he had to use common tongue.
"Please," he moved his hand from the boy's face, and gestured to the small plush seat by the window. Once Nuriko was seated, he sat on the bed and looked at him, "Do not be afraid of me Nuriko, I am here to ask your forgiveness." He watched the stunned look grow in Nuriko's eyes, and continued, "I will not ask you about your secret, why you did it - it is not important now. But, the way I treated you when you were discovered - that is important." Hotohori lowered his head slightly, the humility of apologising was something new to him, but he forced his pride down and allowed the words to come, level and even, "I treated you wrongly Nuriko, and for that I ask your forgiveness."
** ** * * * * ** **
He heard the words, but they did not make sense. Surely the most powerful man in the Empire had not just asked his forgiveness. The thought that Hotohori-sama believed himself wrong and had apologised was inconceivable. He resisted the urge to pinch himself to see if he was dreaming.
"I don't understand," he said slowly, the words leaving his mouth before his stunned brain could censor them, "You are Heika-sama, you cannot be wrong."
"Nuriko," Hotohori seemed genuinely saddened by his words, "Yes I am Heika, but I am also a man; a man capable of making mistakes just like any other." He could see that his words just weren't getting through to the shocked man, he decided to take a different approach, "Nuriko - you are given that name as you are a Suzaku senshi -yes," he waited for Nuriko to nod, "I am given the name Hotohori as I am also a servant of our Kami. We have been marked above others, the fact that you have been marked by our beloved Kami shows that you are above other people - in this respect you are the same rank as I am. This means that I had no right to treat you as less, and I ask that if you cannot forgive me, then we start over as if this is our first encounter - what do you say?"
Nuriko was beyond shocked, his beloved Heika was giving him the chance to start over, and pretend that he had never lied in the first place; it was all too much for the young Senshi and he toppled forward in a dead faint, the stress finally getting to him.
** ** * * * * ** **
Hotohori leapt from the bed, and caught the boy as he fell forward. He hadn't expected such a reaction to his words, and he felt terrible, he still had no idea what Nuriko was thinking, or even if he would return to the capital with him. Lifting him with ease, he placed the violet-haired senshi on the bed, absently running his fingers over the soft perfumed length of braid. He found himself thinking that he disliked the braid, preferring it when Nuriko's beautiful hair tumbled down his back like a satin cascade.
Catching on to his thoughts he moved his hand away, looking at it as if it didn't belong to him. He could feel a massive headache throbbing behind his temples, so moving away from the bed he opened the dresser and retrieved the spare blanket. Moving to the window, he tried to stretch his lanky frame out on the small chair, it was uncomfortable, leaving his ankles bare to the cold but it was better than disturbing the obviously exhausted Nuriko, and it gave him a chance to marshal his thoughts. Closing his eyes he ran through all his memories of Miaka, smiling as he drifted into sleep; not stopping to think as he did that Miaka did not have violet hair and smiling rose coloured eyes.
BACK TO PART ONE. ON TO PART THREE.
