Warnings: Serious AU
Pairings: SeijixTouma (SagexRowen)

Disclaimers: I don't own them and I think everybody knows that...

This fic is dedicated to Kyoki! This is yours, hon, like it or not. I'll try and hand Seiji and Touma to you on a lubricated silver platter, but we'll have to wait and see. ^-^
 

/flashbacks/
‘thoughts’

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Chapter 3

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/ “I don’t think you should go through with this.”

She sighed.

“He needs you to agree, he can’t go through with this if you refuse! What don’t you understand!?”

“Tou-chan, if I don’t do this…I don’t mind. Years bearing children for a man that I don’t love is a small price to pay to end the petty wars being raged all over the country.” She remarked the last statement with bitter resentment in her voice. When she spoke again, all harsh feelings were gone, replaced by tender concern. “If I don’t do this, then men will have to go to war. *You’ll* have to go to war, and I don’t want to see you hurt or worse.”

Tah rubbed her despondent brother’s shoulders. “You know I would do anything to keep you safe.”

“It’s not your place.” Tah smiled at her brother’s stubborn attitude. She ruffled his hair.

“Besides…Maybe he’ll be cute!”

Touma rolled his eyes and feigned shock.

“How terrible!”

He was tackled and plastered to the floor by his sister’s tickling fingers. After several minutes, Tah ran out of breath and lay beside her brother, holding him close as his giggles died down.

‘Anything for you brother.’ She kissed the top of his head. ‘Anything.’ /
 

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Touma awoke to whispers of snowflakes landing on his cheeks. He didn’t want to wake up, but a nagging in the back of his head told him he needed to. That damn nagging was starting to really piss him off. With great effort, he slowly opened his eyes and tried to focus. After a few moments his head cleared. He tried to move his groggy body, but his arms and legs refused to move. His mind started to drift and suddenly he didn’t feel so cold.  He drifted, away from the dead bodies, away from the swiftly falling snow, away from the sounds of horses.
 

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Seiji pulled his horse’s reins and trotted to a halt beside a mound of mangled flesh. He covered his nose with his hand, but showed no other outward appearance that the smell bothered him. His guard dismounted and, with a great deal more fuss, squatted beside the bodies.

“They appear to be- have been Tenkuu soldiers.” [1]  Holding back a wave of nausea, he peered closer. Jumping back and stumbling to his feet, he looked Prince Seiji in the eye.

“Our scouts are here as well.” Seiji contemplated for a moment.

“They couldn’t have killed each other, so…Who did?”

“My Lord! Over here!”

Seiji turned his attention to an attendant standing beside another body.

“This one’s still breathing. Barely, but he’s not dead.”

Seiji walked his horse over and looked down.

“He doesn’t look like a soldier.” The attendant said.

“He’s not one of ours either.” But he dismounted and walked over to the body anyway, taking in the abused and almost completely exposed body. He gently shook a faintly blue-ish shoulder. The skin felt like marble. He shook harder and was rewarded with a groan. Seiji knelt down to eye level.

Deep blue eyes sluggishly opened and peered at him, albeit unfocused. Seiji smiled at him hesitantly and ran  hand through his tangled blue locks, his fingers snagging on clumps of dried blood.

‘Gods he’s beautiful…’

“Sir, do you wish us to bring him? We might be able to question him.”

“You fool, he’s only a boy! Can’t you see he’s in no condition to be interrogated?”

“Well someone has to answer for what’s happened here and we can’t see to that until-“

“Silence, both of you!” Seiji glanced at his attendant and his guard over his shoulder. “We’ll take him with us, *but*,” He said, cutting off two arguments. “He will be my guest, and will not be questioned until I feel he can handle it or if it would be of any use at all.” He received two affirmative nods and turned back to his blue-haired marble angel.

His smile faded, his new charge was unconscious again. He scooped him into his arms- such a slight weight- and settled him onto his lap after being helped onto his horse. He took his cloak and bundled them both up.

“He needs to get warmed up. We’ll keep going until we find a decent place to rest, then we’ll camp for the night.”
 

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To be continued…

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Author’s notes:
[1] Tenkuuan…Tenkuuian…Tenkuuish...Tenkuulander??

Ick! Short short short short short...