Day 127 | Open | Enjoy the Gardens!

[yinyangfox]

Who: Seimei and everyone/anyone
Open: Open
When: Day 127
Where: The new and improved Hitachiin-Abe Estate
What: Kaoru wanted Seimei to have a house-warming party ages ago and he declined. Now he intends to because its not just his home anymore.
Format: Prose
Warnings: SHOULD be safe...


Yesterday the southern Bastion was suddenly dominated by the rise of a beautiful, elegant Japanese estate. Trees, two ponds, a deck reaching out and resting atop the river; a work of historical art nestled away from the noise and bustle.

Having sent Kaoru out for food and to talk with people about the home being open to others for use of the garden, Seimei himself was reclining on the deck over the river, stretched out and dozing while Taisan sat nearby, eyes closed as his hands moved fluidly over the strings of a plain koto, the music rising and falling in harmony with the rush of water beneath the deck.

The doors in the home were open, front and back, leaving a clear line from the entrance to the gardens where the music drifted on the breeze. At Seimei's request, there was a little sign at the door illustrating taking off one's shoes. Not a demand, simply a request. It was a garish thing he didn't want to keep, but he wanted to at least initially indicate it was polite to do, for those without knowledge of the preference.

The home was now open, and Seimei himself was open as well. He had brooded and been bitetr long enough. With recent revelations between himself and Kaoru, and the sudden influx of newcomers, it was simply unreasonable to remain a hermit.

The onmyoji was back in service, socially and professionally.

Comments

[individuates]

A soft chuckle behind his hand. Were his ears deceiving him? Was Seimei actually flirting with him?

"Hmm...?" He composed himself, tilting his head to the side, "We may get very little done in an afternoon, but I'm sure we will be able to find productive ways of spending the time nevertheless. But how can I be sure you wouldn't run away from my candied kisses?

[yinyangfox]

Perhaps he was, though he didn't seem entirely aware of it himself. Playful mischief was more his tack.

"Running in these clothes can be quite difficult when someone is being particularly persuasive about wanting you to stay," he remarked, arching a brow, lips curling broadly, warming the smile already there.

"Candied kisses from my sun-kissed object of affection? One would be a fool to flee from something so auspicious!"

[individuates]

"Would you care to test that idea? Or would my kisses as they are be unpalatable to you?" Pulling back a little, head still cocked quizically. "Perhaps I should sate my appetite forsweet things before moving onto other appetites..."

[yinyangfox]

He paused, alabaster cheeks coloring slowly before he inhaled and straightened his back. Challenge accepted, it seemed.

"Appetites..." he trailed off, arching a dark brow. "Dare I ask what my dearest hungers for that cannot be sated by sweet treats and fragrant wine? The weather is perfect, the water runs peacefully, the day is beautiful and we are together now. Alone, but for eyes that would never stop looking even if dismissed. So tell me, Hitachiin Kaoru..." he asked, deliberately speaking in his elegant and archaic Japanese against the enchantment of pain speech and a common tongue in the Bastion.

"What is it my Sunset Prince is looking for?"

[individuates]

A soft huff and a shake of his head. "Yes, thank you for reminding me that no matter what we do, he will never stop looking."

He smiled, moving forward to touch Seimei's cheek gently.

"...well. You, in a word. Is that so strange?" His hand fell to cup Semei's chin, "Is it so strange that I want to learn every part of you? To kiss every part of you?"

[yinyangfox]

Taisan grunted and rolled his eyes, making a noisy effort to turn around on the spot, putting his back to the pair with a loud, dramatic sigh. Not that it made a difference in what he could or couldn't see, but the act itself was as much a promise to never speak of anything, at least.

Seimei only coughed a chuckle and arched a brow at the peevish attitude his shikigami pressed.

"A bit, yes, to me," the onmyoji admitted, color heating his face as he swallowed audibly in spite of himself. "Kaoru...even without my own reservations, the only people ever to show interest in me were poisonous people intent on seeing what made me tick - never out of affection. These games we play...they frighten me as much as they excite me. No amount of love will change that. Not even my own desires change it. It may always be a bit frightening..."

[individuates]

"Frightening?" A soft echo, a slight pout, unable to keep the corners of his mouth from turning down, even as his thumb stroked against Seimei's cheek. "I don't like my Seimei being frightened.
So may I be clear? I'm never going to push you further than you're comfortable with. I can be patient. I can be happy with just this - I know how forward I seem to you, so I can move at your pace..."

He hesitated, stopping just short of leaning his forehead against Seimei's.

"...but I would like to go there, someday. With you. And in the meantime I can keep showing you how different I am."

[yinyangfox]

"Your Seimei?" he scoffed, reaching out suddenly and discarding caution in favor of clinging to the fox-kin playfulness he'd felt - and rather enjoyed - earlier. Long arms darted from the shadows of voluminous sleeves, gripping Kaoru's arms and tugging him off balance.

Falling back into the sitting cushions, he tugged the boy half over himself, laying on his back to look up at him. The red-head could see the flush in the onmyoji's pale cheeks, could feel the heat under all that fabric. He was embarrassed at himself, no doubt internally shouting at his madness, and yet there he was, prone and smiling in spite of it.

"Do I belong to you now, is it? I belong to no one. I am as the wind, impossible to capture. Hm? Ah, but Kaoru, it is not you I fear in this place. It is opening myself to loss. I...want those things, too. I want them - I always have. To have them within reach, though, is like knowing all the answers to life and all its secrets are at the bottom of a black pit which has no walls or steps and to have that wealth of knowledge, I have to leap in, and pray the bottom is not very far below. It could kill me, and I am afraid to take that leap."

He smiled softly, reaching up and touching Kaoru's forehead with his fingertips, tracing around the curve of the boy's face, heart thundering under his robes.

"It is perhaps the most human part of me of all."

[individuates]

A startled yelp as Seimei pulled him down, which quickly changed into delighted laughter as he shifted to steady himself, schooling his expression as he did so.

"I see, I see. So that's it, then?" He schooled his expression despite the thrill of it - of being so close as to feel his heartbeat, the warmth of him - brushing his nose gently against Seimei's, "Aaah, such a cruel fate it is - that I belong to you, but you belong to no one. Because I am your Kaoru. It would only be fitting for you to be my Seimei, in return."

Leaning into the touch, he lifted a hand to brush back a few errant strands of hair from Seimei's face, almost mirroring him.

"I love the human part of you. I love every part of you. But perhaps only once you are ready to take that leap will I be able to truly capture you."

[yinyangfox]

"Well, everything belongs to me," he reasoned with a shrug and small smile, relaxing back and letting his head thump lightly on the floor, tugging the boy carefully with him and reveling in the moment, riding it despite the pitter-patter horror in his heart.

"I suppose I can be your Seimei, if you insist," he whispered, face coloring when Kaoru rubbed noses. "Since you're so understanding and tolerant of my foibles."

He sighed, reaching up and running his fingers through Kaoru's hair slowly. Perhaps....when he came back.

"I promise you, dear, sweet Sunset Prince...I promise to be braver when I return."

[individuates]

"Hmm? That's hardly fair..." He followed Seimei down as he settled and resting a hand on his chest, where he could still feel that hammering heartbeat. "If everything belongs to you, does that mean that in the end, I can't actually lay claim to anything? Not even to you, even though you say otherwise?" Kaoru wasn't exactly calm himself, truth be told - he missed being near, it was a little exciting to have that with someone else.

"...wouldn't you consider sharing? I can be very persuasive..."

He carefully draped himself over, since Seimei was pulling him that way, and got comfortable, lifting his hand to caress Seimei's cheek in return.

"No need to be brave. Just... be mine."