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When; Mid-Autumn Festival [September 22-23]
Rating; PG
Characters; Kantarou Ichinomiya [rubyred_sight] & Haruka [onikui]
Summary; Blackouts aren't nice... but it gets some honesty out of some people.
Log;

Kantarou was expecting to sleep in after staying up late last night. Life in the city was painfully dull, and yet, more than often, he found himself making busy by reading the network. If he wasn't being affected by the curses. He'd pretty much given up interacting with anyone out there. After a while, they all seemed to meld into one big mass of reading material. People whined, people complained, and sometimes it was interesting, but not quite interesting enough anymore.

When he woke up, it was still dark, and that alone woke all his senses immediately. Huh? Did he sleep in too late or was it still too early? It was pitch black in his room, though- he squinted a bit. Ah! There were small dots outside... and they looked like lanterns. Still, though, it was unbearably dark.

"Youko-chan?" he called out from his futon on the floor. "Haruka? Anyone?"

After a few moments of silence, Kantarou frowned. What the hell? Was this a curse?

The folklorist decided he wasn't too fond of this.

For Haruka, when the sky was dark outside it meant it was still nighttime and therefore sleep was in order. Of course, he was also aware of time and he was pretty sure it was already past the second hour and he could only sleep so much. Having already spent a good number of years being sealed away, the last thing the tengu wanted was to waste the remainder of his time by sleeping.

He blinked at his surroundings, for sure it was too dark to be normal, but at this point, Haruka had gotten used to expecting curses to appear randomly. The lack of light seemed to be a rather tame one.

Kantarou was calling him, so he replied with a simple, "To your left."

To his left? Kantarou extended a hand to his left as he had heard, feeling blindly in the dark. That was definitely Haruka's voice alright! But at the same time, he was afraid he'd never find him in this dark.

He'd never tell Haruka that though.

"Haruka...?" he muttered, taking patting the floor at first. "Haruka, where in the lef- oh-" There, something warm under his hands. Kantarou suddenly felt slightly embarrassed. His breath had caught slightly, and maybe he'd been too relieved to not be alone in the dark... He hoped Haruka didn't catch on or anything.

He wouldn't even think of what his hand had landed on, only that it was of Haruka's.

"...where's Youko-chan?"

Haruka had never pegged Kantarou for being afraid of the dark. Certainly, seeing how the majority of their trips have been at night to haunted locations and putting the folklorist's other job into consideration, the whole idea seemed a little silly.

"I see you've found me," he said, the amusement apparent in his voice. "Don't worry, I'll save you from the monsters in the dark." He shifted his leg so Kantarou's hand would slip off while he made to stand up properly. There wasn't much light, but he adjusted well enough to easily discern shapes and objects that shouldn't be walked into.

"Youko made a new friend, I believe she went to visit her yesterday."

If Kantarou could hear Haruka's thoughts, as well as honest, he'd tell him it wasn't the dark he was afraid of, but the loneliness itself. Just knowing Haruka was there couldn't be enough in this darkness, he had to have Haruka close, then he wouldn't worry.

Haruka moved and then Kantarou's hand slipped off. It made Kantarou slightly annoyed; Haruka was playing with him! But at the same time, it only made him even more determined to reach the tengu. "I don't need protection from monsters!" Kantarou huffed proudly, if only so Haruka wouldn't laugh. "Haruka, don't move, I want to feel you--" Wait, that sounded wrong!"I want to know where you are!" he quickly amended and promptly changed the subject.

"Which friend? Who who? She's always out with friends! Do you think she got a lover...?"

Haruka raised an eyebrow at that command, though it went unnoticed in the dark. Since the last curse that had gotten the both of them, they hadn't once since mentioned anything remotely close to what might sound anything... like that. He was pretty sure they pretended so well that even Youko hadn't noticed and the kitsune was usually the first to pick up anything between them.

"I'm not moving, Kantarou. Feel away." He stood rooted to the spot with his arms crossed while he waited for his master to find him. He just hoped the tow-headed man wouldn't trip over the desk in the process.

As for his other question, "I'm not sure." Youko was much more endearing than Kantarou was and after a second's pause he added, "If she did, what will you do?"

Feel away?

"I didn't mean it that way, and you know that!" Kantarou argued and stood up, began stomping towards where he thought Haruka would be. "And, as for Youko-chan, as long as it's a good man, I don't mind--" He paused and then stopped, frowning even deeper. "You said left, where exactly left, Haruka? You're just-" A few steps to the left and his legs felt something... or rather, he tripped on something.

It was the small table he'd left the sake from last night on! And then, he was falling and thinking how much he wasn't too fond of the pitch

"I don't know what you may or may not mean, Kantarou," Why was his master getting all huffed up for anyways? By now, Haruka had gotten used to hearing and saying all those phrases that had no meaning. It was kind of surprising to note how bad Kantarou's hearing must be for him to walk that far away even after touching him once and hearing his voice.

Haruka moved quickly and caught Kantarou with one arm before the other man fell and possibly injured himself on the fallen bottles. He straightened him up and whispered a "You're clumsy," into his ear before releasing him.

"...what were you going to say about Youko finding a good man?"

The folklorist tensed up at Haruka's whispering. He wished Haruka hadn't done it but to object would only make it worse. Kantarou shrugged it off, once released, chose to sat away from the tengu. He did, however, keep one hand tugging at the hem of Haruka's yukata, just to make sure he was still there.

"...if Youko-chan found a good, rich man, I wouldn't mind her marrying or something. He has to like youkai though."

Like a child, his thirty something year old master was like a child. Haruka shook his head and sighed, "Marrying her off, you make it sound like she's a bag of goods to be sold. If she fell in love with a poor man you wouldn't have him?" Not that they had much of a choice in the say if the kitsune really did prefer someone outside of Kantarou's specification.

"I'm surprised you aren't planning to take her children like you had with mine."

If Haruka could see very clearly in the dark, Kantarou had no doubt he would see the foxy grin on his face at that moment. "Youko-chan likes money as much as I do, I'm sure she'll be wise! And if she really fell in love with a poor man... then," his voice mellowed slightly. "That can't be helped."

With that said, Kantarou could get to being annoyed by Haruka reminding him of that day. He hated that day! He hoped they could just forget it and think of it as something of the past. "That's in the past! Don't remind me of something like that... it was just a silly curse!"

Oh, he saw that grin, and he felt a right urge to flip it off his face but he held still. "I think she's hoping you would marry a rich lady and keep us fed on better food than just rice and tea. You still have yet to make some money for us, the coins we collected can only last for so long."

Greedy, shallow and selfish, Kantarou needed personality training.

Haruka had to admit though, he did like seeing Kantarou so annoyed. "You don't know that, I could have a nest somewhere hidden away with a mate. We've been here for almost a year and there certainly was interest."

Kantarou opened his mouth in protest almost automatically. "I have a tighter quality control for your mate! They have to go through me!" Kantarou exclaimed, turning sharply to the sound of Haruka's voice. "If you have one, then you have to tell me! Don't tell me it's with that cat!--"

"....It wasn't just a curse! Was it! ... you really do have tengu-cat litter somewhere....?" Just thinking about it brought Kantarou a mixture of... feelings. He wasn't sure how to label them all, and he didn't really want to either. It was just surprise, really, he told himself! It seemed unlikely too, but with the city, you never knew... and he really wanted to know!

"Why is that?" While he was glad Kantarou saw him differently from Youko, Haruka was pretty sure he would smack him if Kantarou suggested anything about breeding lines. Haruka wasn't there to make babies for his pleasure. "And that's rude, to call her a cat. She has a name you know."

Granted, Haruka didn't think she would make a great mother from the way she had cuddled their child-no, plushie. There was no hind leg support and she wouldn't even feed her. "Don't worry," He answered, a little too seriously, "Zaheela isn't the mother. They aren't tengu-kittens."

"The cat might not be your mate, but what would I know about the others?" Kantarou muttered. The conversation was really getting him annoyed. Maybe, it was because if Haruka would have someone else, then he wouldn't want to be with him anymore as his servant, no, friend.

If Haruka asked him for release, what was Kantarou supposed to do? He couldn't have that. He didn't want to be in a situation like that at all.

Haruka could see him pouting and frowning in the dark. From the tone he could tell Kantarou wasn't happy, though did he detect something else from the words as well? "Are you jealous?" It wouldn't be out of the question for him to be; after all, he was the master.

"Why?" he prompted, curious for an answer. Maybe this time around he would get something that wasn't just silly talk. "You didn't sound like this when we were discussing Youko's prospects."

"Well!" Kantarou began. "Of course, it would be different! You and Youko-chan are completely different people... not to mention she's a girl and you're not..." he trailed away and then remembered Haruka's question that pertained to jealousy. Him? Jealous?

"I am not jealous!" he exclaimed. "Why would I be! I mean, not that way jealous or anything!"

That absolutely made no sense whatsoever. "If you're going to differ between us that way, wouldn't it make sense to worry about the girl instead?" After all, the girls were the ones who were 'given away' to their lovers, wasn't it? Not to mention the fact that Youko was significantly younger and far more impressionable.

"Of course you aren't, that's why you're still tugging on my yukata, isn't it?" Somehow, Haruka wasn't pleased with that line.

At Haruka's words, Kantarou promptly let go of his yukata. "My tugging at your yukata means nothing. I'm sure you know that." He pouted, and folded his arms just so he wouldn't reach out for the onikui tengu.

"It's just different, ne? Don't ask me why... " he muttered. And really, if Haruka asked, he wouldn't know how to explain.

"I see," if Kantarou wanted to play that game than Haruka would indulge him. The minute Kantarou released his clothes, Haruka promptly turned and walked a few paces away to put some distance between them. "You should have no problem with my being far away then, since you're not afraid of the dark either."

That wasn't a command, was it? "I'm curious, you've been avoiding the question. Answer it."

The moment Kantarou heard the rustling of clothes and footsteps, he turned sharply to reach for Haruka, but he was too slow. Fine then, he thought. He folded his arms again and pretended like it didn't matter. As long as Haruka was still in the room, then everything would be fine, right? And Haruka would never let anything happen to him... right?

"Why do I need to? It's not... it's not like it's important or anything."

"It is important," Haruka quipped almost immediately, his annoyance was evident in his voice. He was tired of chasing the mouse and he honestly wasn't so fond of Kantarou's evading games. "If it isn't, I don't see why you can't tell me."

Why was it so hard to get some honesty going on?

"Didn't I tell you before?" Kantarou reasoned, albeit a bit pathetically. There was that time after their six-month long argument. Haruka was most important to him. Did Haruka forget...? Or did he just want to hear it again? Either way, Kantarou was reluctant to say again.

... it was just too embarrassing, especially considering what had happened in this place already. He didn't even want to think of it all.

"Remind me," Who knows what six months, let along a full year and more could do to someone in the city. Haruka certainly did see people with changed mindsets and altered personalities. A little reassurance would go a long way. He began tapping his foot to count each second before Kantarou would give him an answer.

Haruka was a patient man, but sometimes even his patience could escape him.

Kantarou didn't like the tone by which Haruka had spoken. It spoke volumes about the tengu's patient, and even if Kantarou didn't want to, that tone made him afraid.

"What do you mean... remind you?" he asked in a slightly hesitant voice he hoped would pass for a curious one. It's not like people could change after that much time, Kantarou wanted to say, and yet he couldn't find the voice for it. He'd done many, many things in this place, and he wasn't even sure anymore how much he had changed. The city had opened his mind to very many things.

"Haruka...?" he asked quietly. Was he still there?

He didn't reply. No, instead, Haruka stood still, face impassive and not a single sound nor twitch from him would reveal his location. He had played this game before, Kantarou was a sneaky one. Whatever he said now would be twisted or turned into a new topic and next thing he knew, they would be discussing something else.

No, Haruka wasn't going to give Kantarou the chance to weasel out of this conversation again. The darkness that surrounded him would help, there was nothing for Kantarou to see and nothing for Kantarou to hear, there would be no escape until Haruka got an answer.

"Haruka?" Kantarou called again, and this time louder. When there was no movement and nothing but silence, it seemed, he huffed and pretended like he didn't care. "It isn't ticking, you know? I know you're still around," he declared to underline his refusal to budge.

The moments passed by, becoming minutes, and still, Haruka didn't do anything. It was as if he was alone, even if he knew he wasn't. After a while, Kantarou couldn't help but feel impatient, and slightly worried.

"This isn't funny," he muttered. No, Kantarou refused to say anything! Haruka was being mean to him again by playing this game, but he wouldn't budge! He wouldn't say it! He wouldn't remind Haruka!

More time passed, Kantarou, in the dark, wasn't even sure how long did. And the discomfort, the loneliness, and the fear were suddenly taking it's toll.

"Haruka..." he finally said, and in a slightly angrier tone. "Fine! You've heard this before... You're the Demon-Eating tengu I've searched for  a very long time! ... Of course... of course I'd want to... monopolize you a bit." The last few words were said in a significantly quieter tone. "I mean... you're going to live longer than I am, for as long as I live, you can afford to be my companion... and it wouldn't really be bad... so, why not?"

He knew Kantarou was well aware that he was still in the room. Haruka was also quite aware that if Kantarou really wanted to, he could have easily just commanded Haruka to come or answer and Haruka would have had no choice but to do so. Of course, he knew his master wouldn't do that unless he wanted to put him in a sour mood. They weren't Goku and Sanzo after all.

There were many possible 'if's' questionable from Kantarou's words. Was he only special because he was the Demon-Eating tengu? What if Haruka was like Sugino, just a tengu or a simple Youkai like Youko? Would that make Kantarou's choices easier? But... Haruka wasn't about to philosophize too deeply on existentialism. He was the Demon-Eating tengu that Kantarou had always wanted to meet, there would be no changing that. Curse days excluded from the count.

Finally, Haruka found the words to speak, "You want me to stay your friend for your entire lifetime, Kantarou?" It was a significant question and open to interpretation, but an even more important question he asked was, "...would that mean I get to monopolize you as well?"

"I just want you to stay by my side for as long as I live," Kantarou affirmed. He paused and then looked away from where he thought Haruka's voice came from. Did that say too much? No, he couldn't very well tell Haruka he was afraid the tengu would leave him if he found someone else. He couldn't tell Haruka that he didn't mind if Haruka found someone else... as long as he stayed with him.

If Haruka asked, could Kantarou really be so heartless as to stop him? How many times had he thought of this? He couldn't even remember how much he'd repeated himself anymore.

"About monopolizing me... it might be unfair to Youko-chan, but didn't I say, ever since I was a kid... I'd thought about finding the Demon-Eating tengu?" he mumbled finally.

Haruka supposed, that was the most honest answer he could get from Kantarou at this point. He did feel slightly disappointed that Kantarou didn't say what he had hoped he would, but then again, since when was the tow-headed master ever truly serious and honest when someone else was forcing the answers? It had always been on Kantarou's terms and at Kantarou's pace. Haruka supposed all he could do was wait for that time... after all, he would be there for awhile.

"Then, I'll promise to be by your side for as long as you live, Kantarou." Even if being under the name contract had so many restrictions, Haruka would live with it. "So," he reached out and lifted Kantarou's chin to face him, darkness aside, " you better take good care of your Demon Eating tengu."

The touch surprised Kantarou more than he'd like to admit. The suddenness made him recoil a bit, and to brush furiously. It made him feel silly afterwards, but before he knew it, he had consciously stepped away from Haruka's touch.

"I- I'll take good care of you, of course!" Kantarou declared, and perhaps, after a moment or two too late.

Was there something to dislike about his touch? Haruka found himself frowning at the cringe and took his hand back to cross his arms, almost grumpily, though it would go unnoticed in the dark. "Of course. Because you're doing such a wonderful job right now."

"What do you mean by that?" Kantarou asked suspiciously. "I haven't even done anything! What are you talking about?"

Even if a part of him knew the exact reasons for Haruka's statement, he didn't want to go there. Not willing, that was. He'd have to be dragged into that subject kicking and screaming, or so he thought.

"My, I didn't expect to hear you admitting to not doing anything. Does that mean there will be some expected action now or..." He realized with a start that he was getting wound up and feeling quite ready to whack his master on the head if the conversation went any further. It was Mid-Autumn, a time to celebrate and not fight, it wouldn't do well for them to bicker.

"Never mind," he said, or rather huffed.

The folklorist frowned, and this time, it was his turn to fold his hands. "What?"he asked pointedly. There was something about that tone Haruka used that got him... irked. He could just leave it alone, he knew, but at that moment, when there really was almost literally nothing to to be seen that he could pour his attention to, he simply couldn't.

He waited for an answer from the Demon-Eating tengu.

Kantarou certainly didn't have to wait long for his answer. Haruka refused to give him the benefit of looking over. Instead, he turned towards the door and took a few steps towards it. "Nothing." He wasn't in the mood to discuss Kantarou's failings in certain aspects of Mastorship. Perhaps Youko would teach him. He could play at being stubborn too.

Like a kid throwing a tantrum, Kantarou couldn't resist stomping his feet in annoyance. "Haruka!" he cried, well aware of the power that name held on the Demon-Eating tengu. "Tell me..." he continued in a gentler tone, and then it became firmer, as if he was telling himself he had to ask this in mid-sentence, "What's wrong?"

Oh, like tantrums were going to work on him. Sure, he was the older of the two and having spent so many years sealed up in a rock, he technically should have more patience as well but... there were only so many times he could play a certain game with the same ending and this was just not one of them.

"There's nothing wrong." He answered immediately, "nothing at all if you can't see any either. There's nothing to tell."

Haruka's words felt empty and far from reassuring. Never mind that it was probably the truth, Kantarou simply couldn't accept it and leave it at that. "What nothing to tell-" he folded his arms and huffed. "You always sound like you're waiting for me to say something."

That made Haruka pause in mid step and turn around to look at Kantarou levelly. He spoke very slowly, as if Kantarou needed to hear each word's enunciation clearly to understand, "I wonder, where you get that idea from? Do you suppose, dear master, that there's something you could be saying?"

Kantarou quickly retorted, though too quickly, and with far less thought than he should have given it. "I'm not hiding anything like that and you know it!" He knew he was lying through his teeth though. Too many things had happened between them, and passed by, without proper examination. Why had it happened? What did it mean for them?

Too often, Kantarou had shrugged them off as momentary lapses in judgement. A once in a blue moon thing. Sometimes, he wondered... but he more often than not squashed those thoughts.

"Like what?" He snapped back, equally as quick. Perhaps this was going to be another one of those days where they just... couldn't agree. Though, Haruka had to admit that Kantarou's retort had made him a lot more angry than he would like to admit. There was also a slight prickling sensation that almost resembled hurt. He tried his best to shake it off, nonetheless.

"Like what?" Kantarou was taken a bit by surprise there, and was rendered speechless for a few moments before returning the verbal assault. "Like what what? What are you talking about?"

Oh, that was it. That was enough for one evening, Haruka wasn't going to play this game anymore. He held his hand above Kantarou's head before letting it fall to a resoundingly satisfying thwack before he turned and stalked right out of the room, sliding the door snap shut behind him. Let the idiot master fumble his way out of the room in the dark, Haruka wasn't indulging in anymore of his stupid.

Hearing the fading footsteps and the sound of sliding doors being slid shut made Kantarou forget about the dull pain on his head, or being hit at all. Haruka was leaving him, and in this darkness nonetheless!

When realization of that finally set in, he spun on his heels to the direction of the door, or rather, where he thought it would be. "Haruka! Haruka!" he called as he felt the wall with his hands in search of the door. Haruka wouldn't leave him completely alone here, would he? Would he fly away?

Kantarou didn't want that at all. "Haruka!"

Haruka had been ready to leave, in fact he had been ready to fly off and head away from the hustle of the City for the sanctuary of the forests to spend the rest of the day in. Perhaps even the rest of the week or the rest of next month, he planned on disappearing for at least until his annoyance at his master faded.

The voice that commanded him though, never seemed to obey his desires though. He halted, there had been no order in the repeated words but whenever Kantarou said his name, Haruka would find himself in attention whether he wanted to or not. Still, he refused to be the one to give in yet again.

... he just found it hard to ignore the desperation he heard in Kantarou's voice. "I'm still here." He answered stiffly, "Still here."

"Haruka..." Kantarou's voice became a whisper when Haruka spoke again. Haruka was still there, he wasn't alone, and that made him sigh in obvious relief. He didn't want to be left alone by Haruka again, especially not like this. Maybe, maybe it was time to suck up his pride and apologize before it went far?

"Haruka, I'm sorry," he whispered shortly after, before he could change his mind about apologizing.

It really was an unusual day for Kantarou to be the one to apologize first and without prompting. Perhaps it wasn't such a bad curse after all... or was his master cursed in addition to the darkness? Haruka wasn't going to let it pass him by even if it was a curse though. "...Forgiven, I suppose."

"You'll stay with me, won't you?"

It was asked to reflect the situation at hand, but the implication was that Kantarou also meant that question for the long-term. "Are you outside now? I... can't find the door in this darkness."

He could never ever really win with Kantarou, could he? Haruka sighed lightly, with a touch of amusement seeing how easily he gave up this time. The door was slid open again and Kantarou was no longer alone anymore, he reached out to take one of his master's searching arms and held the hand.

"Yes, I'll stay with you."