storypaint (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
storypaint) wrote2009-08-10 04:02 pm
storypaint) wrote2009-08-10 04:02 pm
Sacrifice For Your Country (Touya/Yukito)
Title: Sacrifice For Your Country
Fandom: Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle
Length: 1417 words
Prompt:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
clampanonmeme: Touya/Yukito. Remember that scene in Cardcaptor Sakura when Touya sacrificed his powers for Yue? LET'S SEE IT HAPPEN AGAIN IN AU.
Pairing: Touya/Yukito
Other: AU set in Clow Country.
Excerpt: He remembered the hard line of Yuki's mouth, the furrow of his brow, the whisper of the prayers at the king's funeral-- but mosty he remembered the weariness that poured off the young high priest.
Ever since the old king died, Yukito had seemed tired. Touya, busy in his own grief, hadn't noticed right away, but when he did, he thought about it. He remembered the hard line of Yuki's mouth, the furrow of his brow, the whisper of the prayers at the king's funeral-- but mosty he remembered the weariness that poured off the young high priest.
"Not sleeping well," Yukito admitted when confronted. The way his eyes darted away made Touya catch his shoulder and ask again, his fingers firm on the softness of the priest's robe.
"Are you sure that's all?" Touya asked.
"Yes, my king," Yukito said, bowing his head, and Touya had to let him go to prepare a full-moon ceremony.
His eyes seemed sunken and hollow in the moonlight that night, his glasses glinting in the sharp light. When Touya caught his hand after the ceremony and asked him again, Yukito stumbled, mumbled something about exhaustion, and as politely as possible, fled to his quarters.
*
Touya didn't feel that Yukito was lying, exactly, or that he was doing so intentionally, in any case. The priest was working very hard, after all. King Clow had been both king and high priest in one, of necessity, and teaching Yukito as time passed. With him gone, both Touya and Yukito were having to learn as they went, and they were both working very hard, and worrying about Sakura, besides. It had been very hard on her to lose her father.
(For a while, Touya kept running into Syaoran, coming to visit his sister. By the boy's stricken face, he clearly expected to be forbidden from seeing her, but Touya just sighed and let him go. He had other concerns, and the brat made her smile.)
But after a few months, Touya returned from an inspection nearby and found Yukito leaned up against the wall of the throne room, sound asleep. His glasses were dangling on the end of his nose, his face creased with worry even in his sleep. When Touya shook him awake, he said that he had been waiting to tell Touya something.
"Something strange is going to happen," he said, yawning and then looking ashamed of his impoliteness. "I can nearly See it..."
He yawned again, and staggered.
"Come to my rooms and we'll talk about it," Touya said. The priest followed him obediently, only slipping again once, and sat down on Touya's bed when the king gestured an invitation. There wasn't a chair in the room, so there really was no other choice than the floor.
Touya wasn't surprised when the story trailed off and the priest fell asleep again. He shifted the other boy so that he was lying flat on the bed. Yukito seemed to weigh nothing, despite his enormous appetite.
Touya removed Yukito's glasses and brushed his fingers against the other boy's cheek, feeling helpless. What could be wrong with him?
*
When Yukito awoke, late the next day (having slept even through dinner and the morning ceremonies), he was disoriented, and then quite embarrassed, to find himself in the king's bed.
He sat up, rubbing his eyes and replacing his glasses, and that's when Touya came in.
"I'm sorry--" Yukito began, but Touya cut him off.
"The doctors don't know what's wrong with you," he said. "And your healing magic... you can't use it on yourself, right?"
After a moment, Yukito sighed, shifting in the bedclothes uncomfortably. "No. But it's not... I'm not sick."
"Then what are you?" Touya leaned down to look into Yukito's eyes.
Yukito bit his lip. "I don't know," he muttered, pulling himself from the bed with more enthusiasm than he'd shown in weeks. He fled like a deer, and Touya just watched him go.
For a moment-- just a moment-- he thought he could see the sand-colored walls through Yuki's fleeing form.
*
"What are you doing?"
Sakura blinked bright green eyes at her brother, her face full of curiosity. She picked up a book from the top of the stack that Touya was both leaning on and reading from. Her brow furrowed when she read the title.
"You're learning magic? But that's Yukito-san's job! And then mine!"
Touya leaned forward and ruffled her hair. She puffed out her cheeks in annoyance.
"I'm trying to help him," Touya said. "I'm sure you've noticed how tired he's been lately."
Immediately Sakura plopped down onto the floor next to him. "I want to help too."
"...I'm not sure what I'm looking for," he confessed after a moment.
"Then how can you find it?" she asked, looking confused.
"I'll know," he said, shutting the book in his hands decisively. "Don't you have lessons?"
"O-oh!" Sakura twisted around to look out the window and judge the sun. "I'm late!" she wailed and picked herself up, tearing out of the room.
Touya picked up the next book.
*
It had been pure luck, the doctor confessed later, that Yukito hadn't done worse than break his arm when he fell. The balcony was high and the stone was unforgiving. If he'd hit at the wrong angle, he could have been paralyzed, or worse.
"Fell asleep," was the only thing Yuki could mumble. Touya helped him sit up and shooed the doctors all away. He traced his hand lightly down the thick cast on Yukito's arm.
"I'm sorry--" Yukito began.
"I know what you are," Touya said simply. "I know how to fix this."
He'd still had the book in hand when he'd heard that the priest had fallen nearly to his death. It had bitten angry furrows into his hands, the sharp corner of the book even drawing drops of blood, until he'd finally realized he was holding it and relaxed enough to put it down. He didn't need it anymore. There was no way he could forget this.
"My king," Yukito said uncertainly.
"Call me Touya," the other replied, scowling a little before leaning forward and putting his arm around Yukito's neck, pulling the priest into his chest. Yukito gasped a little.
"I think I have enough magic to give you," he said. "Not enough to do your job, but enough to sustain you."
"But..." Yuki pulled away enough to look up at the king. "It doesn't bother you?"
"I don't want you to disappear," Touya said, his voice quiet but firm. "The country needs you. Sakura needs you. I need you."
"To-ya," Yukito said, smiling just a little.
"I knew you'd get it eventually," Touya said, grinning and elbowing the priest on his good side. "Now, here."
When the exchange of magic was done, Touya fell asleep across his high priest's lap. His breath was slow and satisfied. Yukito stretched, careful with his cast, and looked out at the sun beginning to set.
I'm not surprised, a dry voice said in the back of Yukito's mind. Yukito was never quite used to the way it spoke up, once in a while. It had to be his own thought, and yet, something about it was alien, more cynical, different than his usual inner monologue. And in any case, Yukito had been quite surprised that Touya had offered.
Yukito shook his head and the feeling of another consciousness faded. He looked down at the man sleeping with his head in his lap, and he stroked Touya's hair.
It felt good to be awake again. He stayed there, patient, as the moon began to rise, and he felt his spirits rise with it as well.
"Yuki," the king mumbled in his sleep.
It was Sakura who found them later, Touya's hand loosely clasped in Yukito's, the high priest asleep sitting up and Touya's head still resting in the other's lap. The doctors had found her, finally, saying that Touya had ordered, firmly, that no one go in until he gave permission, but it had been hours since the king had been left alone with the priest, and they were concerned.
Being a princess and a sister, Sakura had little problem contravening her brother's orders, but the quiet scene before her had prompted a stare in wonder, and then a smile. Even though he was sleeping again, and bandaged, Yukito seemed better, she thought. And Touya was sleeping easily.
She crept out of the room again and reinforced her brother's order. They'd emerge when they were ready... they were fine. Better than fine, really.
Everything had worked out all right, just like her father always said it would.
Fandom: Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle
Length: 1417 words
Prompt:
clampanonmeme: Touya/Yukito. Remember that scene in Cardcaptor Sakura when Touya sacrificed his powers for Yue? LET'S SEE IT HAPPEN AGAIN IN AU.Pairing: Touya/Yukito
Other: AU set in Clow Country.
Excerpt: He remembered the hard line of Yuki's mouth, the furrow of his brow, the whisper of the prayers at the king's funeral-- but mosty he remembered the weariness that poured off the young high priest.
Ever since the old king died, Yukito had seemed tired. Touya, busy in his own grief, hadn't noticed right away, but when he did, he thought about it. He remembered the hard line of Yuki's mouth, the furrow of his brow, the whisper of the prayers at the king's funeral-- but mosty he remembered the weariness that poured off the young high priest.
"Not sleeping well," Yukito admitted when confronted. The way his eyes darted away made Touya catch his shoulder and ask again, his fingers firm on the softness of the priest's robe.
"Are you sure that's all?" Touya asked.
"Yes, my king," Yukito said, bowing his head, and Touya had to let him go to prepare a full-moon ceremony.
His eyes seemed sunken and hollow in the moonlight that night, his glasses glinting in the sharp light. When Touya caught his hand after the ceremony and asked him again, Yukito stumbled, mumbled something about exhaustion, and as politely as possible, fled to his quarters.
*
Touya didn't feel that Yukito was lying, exactly, or that he was doing so intentionally, in any case. The priest was working very hard, after all. King Clow had been both king and high priest in one, of necessity, and teaching Yukito as time passed. With him gone, both Touya and Yukito were having to learn as they went, and they were both working very hard, and worrying about Sakura, besides. It had been very hard on her to lose her father.
(For a while, Touya kept running into Syaoran, coming to visit his sister. By the boy's stricken face, he clearly expected to be forbidden from seeing her, but Touya just sighed and let him go. He had other concerns, and the brat made her smile.)
But after a few months, Touya returned from an inspection nearby and found Yukito leaned up against the wall of the throne room, sound asleep. His glasses were dangling on the end of his nose, his face creased with worry even in his sleep. When Touya shook him awake, he said that he had been waiting to tell Touya something.
"Something strange is going to happen," he said, yawning and then looking ashamed of his impoliteness. "I can nearly See it..."
He yawned again, and staggered.
"Come to my rooms and we'll talk about it," Touya said. The priest followed him obediently, only slipping again once, and sat down on Touya's bed when the king gestured an invitation. There wasn't a chair in the room, so there really was no other choice than the floor.
Touya wasn't surprised when the story trailed off and the priest fell asleep again. He shifted the other boy so that he was lying flat on the bed. Yukito seemed to weigh nothing, despite his enormous appetite.
Touya removed Yukito's glasses and brushed his fingers against the other boy's cheek, feeling helpless. What could be wrong with him?
*
When Yukito awoke, late the next day (having slept even through dinner and the morning ceremonies), he was disoriented, and then quite embarrassed, to find himself in the king's bed.
He sat up, rubbing his eyes and replacing his glasses, and that's when Touya came in.
"I'm sorry--" Yukito began, but Touya cut him off.
"The doctors don't know what's wrong with you," he said. "And your healing magic... you can't use it on yourself, right?"
After a moment, Yukito sighed, shifting in the bedclothes uncomfortably. "No. But it's not... I'm not sick."
"Then what are you?" Touya leaned down to look into Yukito's eyes.
Yukito bit his lip. "I don't know," he muttered, pulling himself from the bed with more enthusiasm than he'd shown in weeks. He fled like a deer, and Touya just watched him go.
For a moment-- just a moment-- he thought he could see the sand-colored walls through Yuki's fleeing form.
*
"What are you doing?"
Sakura blinked bright green eyes at her brother, her face full of curiosity. She picked up a book from the top of the stack that Touya was both leaning on and reading from. Her brow furrowed when she read the title.
"You're learning magic? But that's Yukito-san's job! And then mine!"
Touya leaned forward and ruffled her hair. She puffed out her cheeks in annoyance.
"I'm trying to help him," Touya said. "I'm sure you've noticed how tired he's been lately."
Immediately Sakura plopped down onto the floor next to him. "I want to help too."
"...I'm not sure what I'm looking for," he confessed after a moment.
"Then how can you find it?" she asked, looking confused.
"I'll know," he said, shutting the book in his hands decisively. "Don't you have lessons?"
"O-oh!" Sakura twisted around to look out the window and judge the sun. "I'm late!" she wailed and picked herself up, tearing out of the room.
Touya picked up the next book.
*
It had been pure luck, the doctor confessed later, that Yukito hadn't done worse than break his arm when he fell. The balcony was high and the stone was unforgiving. If he'd hit at the wrong angle, he could have been paralyzed, or worse.
"Fell asleep," was the only thing Yuki could mumble. Touya helped him sit up and shooed the doctors all away. He traced his hand lightly down the thick cast on Yukito's arm.
"I'm sorry--" Yukito began.
"I know what you are," Touya said simply. "I know how to fix this."
He'd still had the book in hand when he'd heard that the priest had fallen nearly to his death. It had bitten angry furrows into his hands, the sharp corner of the book even drawing drops of blood, until he'd finally realized he was holding it and relaxed enough to put it down. He didn't need it anymore. There was no way he could forget this.
"My king," Yukito said uncertainly.
"Call me Touya," the other replied, scowling a little before leaning forward and putting his arm around Yukito's neck, pulling the priest into his chest. Yukito gasped a little.
"I think I have enough magic to give you," he said. "Not enough to do your job, but enough to sustain you."
"But..." Yuki pulled away enough to look up at the king. "It doesn't bother you?"
"I don't want you to disappear," Touya said, his voice quiet but firm. "The country needs you. Sakura needs you. I need you."
"To-ya," Yukito said, smiling just a little.
"I knew you'd get it eventually," Touya said, grinning and elbowing the priest on his good side. "Now, here."
When the exchange of magic was done, Touya fell asleep across his high priest's lap. His breath was slow and satisfied. Yukito stretched, careful with his cast, and looked out at the sun beginning to set.
I'm not surprised, a dry voice said in the back of Yukito's mind. Yukito was never quite used to the way it spoke up, once in a while. It had to be his own thought, and yet, something about it was alien, more cynical, different than his usual inner monologue. And in any case, Yukito had been quite surprised that Touya had offered.
Yukito shook his head and the feeling of another consciousness faded. He looked down at the man sleeping with his head in his lap, and he stroked Touya's hair.
It felt good to be awake again. He stayed there, patient, as the moon began to rise, and he felt his spirits rise with it as well.
"Yuki," the king mumbled in his sleep.
It was Sakura who found them later, Touya's hand loosely clasped in Yukito's, the high priest asleep sitting up and Touya's head still resting in the other's lap. The doctors had found her, finally, saying that Touya had ordered, firmly, that no one go in until he gave permission, but it had been hours since the king had been left alone with the priest, and they were concerned.
Being a princess and a sister, Sakura had little problem contravening her brother's orders, but the quiet scene before her had prompted a stare in wonder, and then a smile. Even though he was sleeping again, and bandaged, Yukito seemed better, she thought. And Touya was sleeping easily.
She crept out of the room again and reinforced her brother's order. They'd emerge when they were ready... they were fine. Better than fine, really.
Everything had worked out all right, just like her father always said it would.