I've gone out on a bit of a limb here, and will probably regret it when I get a sight of the later manga. Ah well….
I'm sure I read/saw/heard somewhere in the manga/anime/website that within the YnM context every country on earth has its own version of Meifu, but even if I imagined it it's a nice idea and works for me - so here I've gone for the one I'm most familiar with, from my own tradition…
Walk The snow had settled, softening the city's harsh edges and brightening the darkness of the overcast sky. Oriya gazed out into the snow-covered garden and shivered. He preferred the warmer months, the sunshine. Not that he believed he belonged there, of course - it was simply the yearning of a thing lost in darkness for the light…
"'lo… yew busy?"
Startled, he turned swiftly, ready to defend himself, then smiled at the sight of Watari, warmly clad, hair loose about his shoulders, standing at the outer door of the roji.
Yutaka-kun. His own personal sunshine.
"I'm sure I can make time for you."
The shinigami chuckled.
"Ta. Wondered if yew fancied a walk."
Oriya looked from Watari to the snow outside and back again, an expression of incredulity on his face.
"A walk? In that?"
"Aa. Why not? S'nice. An' it wun't last long." He ran his gaze over Oriya's light silk kimono and bare feet. "Now, dun' tell me yew dun' have owt warmer than that?"
"Of course I do!"
Watari grinned.
"Better go get changed then. Want a hand?"
Oriya was very tempted, for a moment, to say yes… but quite aside from the guilt he felt at the idea, it would delay - if not completely obstruct - their excursion. And Watari was right, the snow probably wouldn't last long, not in the city. He shook his head.
"I won't be long."Ten minutes later, heavy winter kimono and heko obi over nagajuban, tabi and geta unfamiliar and not entirely comfortable on his feet, he rejoined the shinigami. Watari nodded approvingly.
"Tha's better." He reached into his coat's inside pocket, pulling out a hip-flask and shaking it. "Whisky. 'ope tha's OK?"
Oriya tucked his hands inside wide sleeves.
"You came well prepared."
"Been a while since Ay saw you. Ay wuz hopin' you might be able to get away for a bit."
"Luckily, in this weather, business is slow."
"Sorry t'hear it."
"Don't be. We won't even notice the shortfall. And it means I can take a break without causing my staff any inconvenience."
"Shall us go, then?"
Oriya gestured towards the garden's gate…It was very quiet, the crunch of Watari's boots in the snow, the quiet clicking of the geta on the road beneath, the hum of the city muted… Watari sighed happily.
"'s'nice, this."
And despite the cold, Oriya had to agree - and in fact, now that they were both walking, he felt a lot warmer.
"I should spend more time outside the restaurant."
Watari nodded solemnly.
"Ay should get out more, too."
Oriya glanced sideways.
"Your time is taken up by work?"
"Me boss'd prob'ly not call it work… Spend most o' me time in the lab."
"And your real work…?"
"'m not very busy, normally."
"That's a good thing?"
"Ay think so." Watari offered Oriya the flask: it was smooth, single malt whisky, old and expensive. Oriya blinked as it burned warmly down his throat.
"Thank you."
"'s'nowt. Was a presen' from a frien'…"
Watari's voice faltered. Oriya turned his head towards his companion, frowning: the shinigami's eyes were lowered, a suspiciously bright gleam under his lashes.
"I'm sorry… bad memories?"
"Not reely…" They'd reached a small park, and Watari turned into it, pausing inside the entrance. Oriya waited patiently; the chemist seemed to be trying to come to a decision…
"'s'name was Paul."
Oriya inclined his head.
"A gaijin name."
"Aa. He was Eikokujin."
Watari wasn't being exactly forthcoming. Oriya wondered how far to push it.
"Do you still see him?"
"Na. He died. On a trip back home."
Oriya blinked.
"But, surely, as a shinigami…"
Watari's shoulders drooped.
"System's diff'rent over there. Their Meifu in't like ours. S'called the Summerlands."
"It sounds… pleasant."
"T'is, Ay gather. Bu' they're reborn a'rter a gen'ration…"
"Ah. And… Paul was reborn."
Watari nodded miserably.
"Ay never even got to say goo'bye. An' Ay wuz angry - us both wuz - when he left."
Lover's quarrel? Oriya didn't want to add to the shinigami's obvious unhappiness by asking. He slid an arm around the narrow shoulders.
"I'm sorry."
Watari swallowed, shrugging slightly, not enough to dislodge the swordsman's arm.
"Me too. Bu' can't do owt about it." He managed a watery smile. "Jus' wish Ay could've said sorry…"
Oriya pulled him close, holding him protectively, one hand stroking soft hair, not speaking - not knowing what to say.
At least he saw Muraki, every now and again.
Watari sighed and turned his head, removing his glasses and rubbing at his eyes. His voice sounded choked.
"'m sorry."
Oriya very gently pulled his head around and pressed a kiss to the corner of his mouth.
"You don't need to apologise, Yutaka-kun."
Eyes wide and startled, Watari stared at his companion, and for a moment Oriya thought he'd caused offence. But Watari laid his head back on the swordsman's shoulder with a quiet sigh.
"Thank yew."
Oriya nuzzled his hair, relieved to feel the tension in the slender body ease a little.
"It's growing cold, Yutaka-kun. Shall we go back?"
The shinigami nodded.
"Please."
Keeping his arm across Watari's shoulders, Oriya led the way back to KoKakuRou, quietly delighted when a thin arm crept shyly around his waist.Back in the warmth of the restaurant and ignoring the curious looks of his staff, Oriya ordered Watari a beer before changing back into lighter clothing. Rejoining the shinigami a couple of minutes later, he took a draught of his own beer. Watari seemed to have recovered that cheerful… sunnyness that was such an essential part of his nature, but now he knew it was there, Oriya could sense the sadness lurking under the happy exterior. He smiled.
"Would you like to stay for a meal?"
Watari hesitated, glancing at the clock on the wall.
"Yew sure? Don' wanna mess up y'r day."
Oriya indicated the empty restaurant with a wave of his hand.
"As you can see, we're incredibly busy at the moment… but I'm sure I can squeeze you in…"
Watari choked on a mouthful of beer, blushing then grinning at his companion.
"Aa, well, in tha' case, Ay'd be honoured, Oriya-kun."
"Good. Now, what would you like? To eat, I mean…"They ate in a companionable silence, smiling at each other, and afterwards Watari sat back with a long, satisfied sigh.
"Tha' wuz very good, Oriya-kun."
"I'm very glad you enjoyed it. May I offer you a coffee?"
Watari glanced at the clock again, and his face fell. "Ay have t'get back."
"Oh." The thought was unaccountably disheartening. "Are you sure I can't tempt you to stay a little longer?"
"Nowt Ay'd like better, but Ay got a meetin', an' Tatsumi-san dun' like it if us're late."
Oriya nodded sadly.
"I understand. Would you… might you be able to visit again, sometime soon?"
"Do me best." Watari hesitated for a moment, then laid his hand over Oriya's. "Thank yew. Fer lissenin'. Never tol' anyone 'fore."
Oriya turned his hand over, lightly clasping the chemist's.
"It was my pleasure."
Light shimmered in tigerseyes for a moment as Watari gazed at the swordsman - then he shook his head slightly with a sad smile.
"Been a wonderful a'rternoon."
"It has, hasn't it?"
"Gotta go…" Watari sighed, but didn't move.
Oriya chuckled very quietly.
"Don't let me stop you, Yutaka-kun."
Very very reluctantly the shinigami stood, regretfully pulling his hand away.
"C'n I leave through the roji?"
"Of course."
Oriya led the way to the tea-room, pausing by the door, gazing at his visitor.
"I hope to see you again, very soon."
Watari eyed him for a moment, then cupped his face in long slim hands and brushed a kiss over his lips.
"Aa. Me too."
And before the surprised Oriya could reply he was gone.
The swordsman touched his lips gently, the guilt he'd felt earlier at 'betraying' Muraki somehow muted.
Watari had left a little of his sunshine behind him.
© 2004 March 23rd Joules Taylor
© 2004 WordWrights
Oriyal Tales
Mini Epics Index
The Zone
heko obi - soft informal belt over a kimono.
nagajuban - 'underrobe', shaped like a simple kimono for wearing under the heavier outer robe.
tabi - the footwear with the split between the big toe and the others so they can be worn with zori or geta. There are two basic types, one with a toughened sole and fastenings behind the heel, the other more like stretch socks.
geta - formal footwear, raised above the ground by two bars on the sole. The sort of sandal Samurai Jack wears!
Back
For pictures, see here
Eikokujin - Englishman
Back