Tokyo Babylon: Sound
part 10: Humming / Nighttime


        Subaru sighed and opened his eyes again.  Sleep was not going to 
come.
        "Subaru?"  That was Midori's voice.  He looked at the door to the 
hallway and saw her standing there.  He sat up in bed and ran his fingers 
through his hair as she walked towards him and perched on the bed.  "What's 
wrong, Greeneyes?"
        "I just can't sleep," Subaru replied.  "You either?"
        Midori smiled and shook her head.  "Too much going on," she 
replied.  "I keep running over the magics in my head, doing the 
calculations, hoping that I've gotten everything right.  I'm too awake to 
sleep."
        He brushed a wisp of black hair out of her face.  "Binding them's 
the only way, isn't it?" he asked, already knowing the answer.
        "Yes," Midori replied, catching his hand and holding it with her 
own.  "Subaru has too much power now, and the only one capable of guarding 
him is my brother.  Neither of us can do it because the blood tie is too 
close."
        "What do you mean, 'too much power'?" Subaru asked, not 
understanding.  "You or I have far more than he does...."
        "Yes, but we're adults.  Our trainings were complete before we 
received our full abilities; we were both *able* to guard ourselves.  He's 
not."  Midori paused and closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them and 
continued speaking.  "Balancers are trained very slowly, because we wield 
the wieght of the universe.  We have heavy guards placed on us from the 
beginning just because of the *potential*.  Then - we get the power all in 
one rush, and are able to defend ourselves from predators.  Su-chan had the 
ability to see, before, and the ability to comprehend... but not the 
ability to *affect*.  Your onmyoujutsu training has given him that ability, 
and drawn attention to something that was previously hidden."
        Subaru breathed a soft breath out.  "Midori..." he said, almost in 
apology.
        "Is it because of seeing *him* again today that you can't sleep?" 
Midori asked suddenly.  "Because of me letting him get that close to our 
child?"
        Subaru considered.  "Some... it was hard, seeing him again, knowing 
that he's going to be that close to Subaru.  But I can live with that.  I 
have to.  I think that what happened between us is keeping me awake more 
than seeing Seishirou-san again today is."
        "Regrets?" Midori softly inquired.
        "No, never regrets," he replied in a heartbeat.  "Just worry... 
that maybe I'm opening my heart too much again.  The last time I cared this 
much, Hokuto-chan got killed.  And... I never felt some of the things for 
Seishirou-san that I feel for you."
        "Like what?" Midori inquired, her silver eyes steady with his.
        "Like I wanted to repeat that one night right there on the 
sidewalk," Subaru replied honestly, blushing more than a little.
        To his surprise, Midori started giggling.  "You've been celibate 
all this time, haven't you, Subaru?"
        "Ahm..." Subaru hedged.
        Midori waved an airy hand at him.  "Oh, it's all right.  I was 
too.  But you honestly don't understand very much about sex and psychology, 
do you?  It's normal to feel things like that, Subaru.  Completely normal.  
Passions can lead to good things as well as bad."
        "Like what?" Subaru murmured.
        "Like this," Midori replied, straightening up and turning to kiss 
him.
        "Mmm."  Subaru enjoyed the kiss thoroughly, letting his hands dance 
lightly up and down Midori's sides.  "Do you think Subaru would be shocked 
if he wandered here in the morning and found us in one anothers' arms, sans 
clothing?" he only half-teased.  It had been so long since that those few 
nights he had had her beside him as he slept... since that one night.
        "Maybe, maybe not," Midori replied.  "A yen for your thoughts?"
        "Just that it feels like my life is finally becoming complete," 
Subaru murmured, brushing the backs of his fingers against Midori's neck.
        "Mmm... mine too," Midori replied, almost seeming to melt into his 
embrace.  "Only a few little things and I can stop worrying."  She stopped 
and frowned a little.  "I hope you don't except me to be a typical Japanese 
wife, Subaru.  I'm liberated, and I like it that way.  I'm going to keep 
working, and I may not always have a hot dinner ready the instant you get 
in the door."
        He laughed a little in response.  "I'm not exactly a salaryman," he 
pointed out.  "Let's just try to be partners as well as husband and wife, 
Midori.  Speaking of which... when would you like to get married?" he 
whispered, closing his arms warmly around her.
        "I don't know," she replied.  "Did you have a date in mind?"
        Subaru smiled and nodded a little.  "I was thinking about it 
earlier, and we could get everything arranged and everyone invited in time 
to be married at the end of the month.  I don't want a large wedding, 
Midori... just something small.  Friends and family only."
        "Sounds good to me," Midori replied.  "And a short honeymoon 
afterwards?  Some time alone for just the two of us?"
        "Of course," Subaru agreed.  "I want you all to myself, if just for 
a little while."
        "Silly onmyouji," Midori teased, tracing a heart on the front of 
his pyjamas.
        "... I was thinking that tomorrow I'd see if I could find Kamui," 
Subaru hesitantly said.
        "Can you?"
        He smiled.  "I'm not the head of the Sumeragi clan for nothing.  I 
can find him."  He paused, then continued as a thought occured to him.  
"Obaachan's going to be happy that I'm finally getting married... and 
delighted to find that she has a great-grandson."
        "Even though your future wife is the sister of Sakurazukamori?" 
Midori questioned, snuggled against his chest.
        Subaru winced.  "Do we need to tell her that?"
        Midori laughed softly.  "Perhaps not.  But there is something I can 
tell you.  Both Sumeragi and Sakurazukamori are changing now... the next 
generation will not have the same relationship as the previous, due to you 
and my brother."
        "What do you mean?" Subaru questioned, slowly leaning back until 
they were both lying down on the bed.
        "Think of it... you, the head of the Sumeragis, were close enough 
to kill Sakurazukamori today, yet you did not.  Why, Greeneyes?"
        "Because of Subaru... because of you."
        "The next Sakurazukamori cannot be initiated in the same way as my 
brother was... or, rather, my mother.  Sakurazukamori must kill all 
relatives of the previous holder of the title... and that would mean 
killing the entire Sumeragi clan, now."  Midori sounded pensive.  "I know 
who the next Sakurazukamori is to be, Subaru, and so do you."
        "... Who?"
        "Seishirou-niisama does not appear to be in any rush to get married 
and father a child."
        Realization slowly spilled through Subaru.  "You mean--OUR child?!"
        "Shh," Midori soothed.  "Yes.  One of our children will become the 
next Sakurazukamori... one the next Balancer... and one the next head of 
the Sumeragis.  That is why the relationship will change.  The three will 
be siblings.  They will have to work together or perish.  Because none of 
the three of us can exist without the others, the next Sakurazukamori will 
not be able to kill his or her family."
        "... When did it change?" Subaru murmured, trying to fit the pieces 
of the puzzle together.
        "When Oniisan decided not to kill me, it was set.  When he promised 
never to harm my children, it was decided.  When he killed your sister 
rather than you, it became inevitable.  And when both of you failed to kill 
the other...."  Midori shrugged.  "The change occured."
        "Honto ni desu ka...?"
        "Hai, honto ni," Midori murmured in reply.  She snuggled into his 
arms, eyes closed.  "Watashi wa anata ga daisuki, Subaru...."
        "Boku mo...."  Subaru closed his eyes and fell asleep with her.
        As he drifted off, he thought he heard Midori whisper "And... I 
think Oniisan loved you, too, Subaru...."

*****
Linguistics: "Honto ni desu ka...?" means "Really?".  "Hai, honto ni," 
	means "Yes, really."  "Watashi wa anata ga daisuki, Subaru," means 
	"I love you, Subaru."  It's not something that a Japanese woman (at 
	least according to my teacher) is likely to say, but Midori, I 
	believe, has a Western soul... as she said, she is liberated and 
	likes it that way.  "Boku mo..." means "I also...."