Saiyuki fic -- extended drabble.

[aquabean]

Beta'd by ranalore and pvt_tiger, the second in the 7 fic self challenge: One fic for every cd of music Rana gave me. Also inspired by the crossover challenge at 100_roadtrips.


Title: Bridge.
Author: Rune
Words: 100 x 6
Fandoms: Saiyuki/Yami no Matsui.
Summary: "How could you walk across that broken bridge?"


Rain clouded Hakkai’s glasses but he didn't look away. At the railing stood two men, one, back rigid with tension, his gaze wandering over the ships passing below. The other waited, his face turned upward, water streaming off his hair in rivulets. It had taken Hakkai years, decades, centuries, to find them, and now he had come to beg. The boy turned, meeting his gaze across the bridge; his mouth moved and now his companion regarded Hakkai with a sad smile. Drawing on power he had tried to forget, Hakkai took one slow step forward: he had come to beg.

* * * *
Faint green light glowed from between the man's fingers, illuminating the ground around him so that it seemed he walked across stained glass. Eyes hidden by glasses and dark wet hair, he smiled, a broken thing, thin and flickering in the light he held.

Beside him Hisoka heard Tsuzuki move, the faint rustling of paper nearly lost in the sound of the water surrounding them.

The water at the stranger's feet rippled, small waves broken by the rain cascading from his finger tips. He bowed his head to Tszuki, the gesture strangely formal, solemn like a knight before the battlefield.

* * * * *
Understanding shone in the eyes of the man, their colour freezing the air in Hakkai’s chest. It had been so long that he had nearly forgotten, had come so close to losing the memory of eyes and laughter and hands and smoke and companionship. But here it was again, and he envied them for it. He had not come for them, though. He had come for himself.

The boy shifted his weight, eyes trained on now glowing hands and tears mingled with the rain. Protective, one shoulder barely in front of his companion, he was a cub ready to fight.

* * * * *
The first blast was a surprise. Hisoka found himself pushed roughly out of the way as the concrete beneath him exploded, Tsuzuki’s body a shield against the spray of rock and dust. Over Tsuzuki’s shoulder he could see the regret on the man’s face even as his hands began to glow once more. Scrambling to his feet as Tszuki stood, Hisoka pulled his gun, anger flooding him at the sadly amused twitch to the stranger’s mouth.

“No.” The solemnity of Tsuzuki’s voice stilled his hand. There was a painful raggedness to his partner’s voice “We won’t do this for you!”

* * * * *
The boy was furious, eyes narrowed, gun hand steady. His choice of weapon was enough to make Hakkai want to laugh, but the sound died in his throat, choking out between strangely calm breaths. He weighed the moment; if the boy carried a gun then his power was not enough. Shifting his gaze to the other man, his felt his chest tighten. There was pain in the shinigami’s eyes, but Hakkai couldn’t allow that to stop him. For once he would be selfish. Hakkai stared as the two before him stood almost shoulder to shoulder, the older the protector now.

* * * * *
Steam hissed through the air, the fire and the stranger both no more. Tsuzuki stared into the middle distance, arms hanging loosely at his sides. A wave of panic flowed over Hisoka, his hand closing over his partner’s, strangely desperate for some sign of emotion.

It came in a rush; sadness, exhaustion, guilt, envy. Hisoka staggered. The stranger had been guarded, allowing nothing to escape until the end, and then it had only been relief, great and terrible relief.

“That—that’s what you want?” Hisoka stared.

Tsuzuki blinked against the rain, “Only if you leave me like they left him.”