X/1999 Fan Fiction ❯ A Quiet Dinner ❯ Chapter 1

Author's NotesYep, you guessed it, LJ drabble challenge. Supposedly SxS fluff . . . der. Cut it a little short so that it would actually remain drabble and not a short one-shot, but I think I'm glad I did, as I suspect I would've lost momentum the second I had Subaru actually open his mouth.

<><> A Quiet Dinner <><>

In the years since his sister's death, Subaru had forgotten that Sakurazuka Seishirou could cook.

Sitting -- unnervingly comfortably -- in the assassin's living room and watching as the man sliced vegetables with all the effortless precision of a professional chef, Subaru wondered how he could have forgotten this. Watching Seishirou in the process of creating another culinary masterpiece had been one of his favorite things to do when he was sixteen, both before he had realized his attraction to the veterinarian, and afterwards. The quick, deft movements of the hands, the way his expression lost the camoflauging smiles and became thoughtful. Less than serene, but by no means discontent or unhappy as he lost himself in the task at hand.

Seishirou's guard was down right now, Subaru knew. Slowly, over the past month, he had stopped suspecting that Subaru might give into the percieved need to kill his betrayer at any moment and had stopped watching out of the corner of his eye to keep track of the Sumeragi's wherabouts at all times. Two days ago he had actually walked up behind the assassin unnoticed while he was making dinner, and Seishirou had not reacted with any sort of suspicion when he'd realized that Subaru was standing just behind him.

It was a strange sort of trust, and Subaru couldn't quite bring himself to be comfortable that it was being so freely given. Seishirou was always the one to initiate these evenings. He would find Subaru wherever he was, and ask if he'd like to have dinner that night. If Subaru said 'no', Seishirou would withdraw with a certain amount of teasing, but not once did he push the younger man's resolve.

Subaru found himself saying 'yes' more often than not anymore. Seishirou's presence did not frighten him or put him on edge anymore even though the man was no longer even attempting to hide what he was, and was even soothing at times. Then too . . . he looked forward to these glimpses into the Sakurazukamori's private life, and he was slowly coming to learn that not everything he'd loved about the veterinarian had vanished that day in the hospital.

The patience was real enough. The gentleness, too, when the man was not deliberately trying to be threatening.

Perhaps Seishirou's trust was not so blindly given after all. Subaru was coming to cherish these rare moments of peace, even given who they were shared with.

"Subaru-kun."

Subaru blinked, and realized that Seishirou was now standing by the table, presiding over what looked like a several-course meal. One eyebrow was slightly quirked and he looked like he was laughing to himself, amused at how easily his young companion got lost in thought.

"It's time for dinner."