Everyone’s Wrong Sometimes

Summary: Written for Ivyspinners as part of the FandomGiftBox challenge. Subaru receives a message that changes everything
Warning(s): AU; spoilers for X/1999; minor spoilers for Tokyo Babylon; violence; references to canon character death
Pairing: Subaru/Seishirou

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I was wrong. You win.

Subaru stared at the lettering. The card that had been dropped, seemingly at random, in the street. A simple business card, but all that was written on it were those words. It could have been written by anyone…and could have been intended for anyone. It could have slipped out of someone’s pocket and be giving him a glimpse into someone else’s private pain.

But the wording, the placement of the card in the street, right where he was guaranteed to see it, to just happen across it? That was too big of a coincidence to be ignored. And the words…if they were intended for him, they triggered a whole whirlwind of emotions that made his throat close over and tears prick at his eyes before he could force them away.

He looked around, taking in the amount of people passing by him; glancing at their faces, in case he might recognise Seishirou’s face in any of the crowds of people. But he wasn’t too surprised that there was no sign of the older man. After all, Seishirou was good at hiding himself. Hiding his true nature. Hiding everything.

He tucked the card into his pocket, not sure what to think about it. If the message was indeed intended for him. I was wrong. You win. There was only one bet, or deal, they’d made…and Seishirou had made it very clear that Subaru had ultimately lost. And in the process, he’d broken Subaru’s heart and ripped his sister out of his life.

So even if the message was intended for him, even if he believed that the message was true…it changed nothing. Could change nothing.

The sounds and sights that surrounded him faded into silence and to the edge of his vision as he walked towards his apartment, head lowered as he studied his feet. As he tried not to think about the card that was burning a hole in his pocket.

I was wrong. You win.

He stepped into his apartment and then paused, eyeing the shadows. Holding his breath and listening.

One of the shadows stirred and he was moving, recoiling sharply and preparing for an attack.

“Did you get my message?”

Subaru backed up sharply towards the door as the shadow moved, detached from the others, resolved into the familiar form of Seishirou. “How did you find me?” he demanded. “Why are you here?”

Seishirou halted his forward momentum, his eyes fixed on Subaru’s face. He opened his mouth, but then closed it again and took a deep breath, letting it out in a slow sigh. “I was wrong,” he stated simply. “You win.”

Hearing the words from the card voiced out loud, Subaru shook his head slowly. “I win?” he echoed. “Tell me, how did I win? You destroyed everything. You stole my sister from me. You tried to kill me. Am I supposed to forget everything you’ve cost me? Everything you’ve taken from me?” His mouth snapped shut. He’d never expected to voice those words. Narrowing his eyes, he cupped his hands together, forming a protective shield, a barrier, that expanded to engulf the entire apartment.

As soon as he released the barrier, Subaru was running towards Seishirou. He punched the older man in the shoulder, then kicked him in the ribs, sending him stumbling backwards. He followed with a punch to Seishirou’s face and then another kick, sending him stumbling back another few steps. “Why are you holding back? Fight me.”

Seishirou raised his head. He looked at Subaru, his face calm. Expressionless. His good eye was already swelling with a bruise. “Do what you have to,” he stated. “Kill me. That’s what you want. Isn’t it? Your desire. Your need.” He took a step forward, but then stopped. Waited.

Letting out a scream of rage and agony, Subaru ran at him again. Seishirou didn’t try to fight back; didn’t even attempt to block. He stumbled back at each blow or kick that connected and bruises and cuts very quickly began to form on his body.

I was wrong. You win.

The words sounded inside Subaru’s mind and his fists slowed. He was panting for breath, body slumped over, his fists throbbing from the blows he’d given out. At the very edge of his vision, he could see that Seishirou was still standing. Why? How? This was what he wanted…wasn’t it? He wanted revenge. Wanted to make him pay.

“Why are you doing this?” The question slipped out of Subaru’s mouth before he could stop it.

Seishirou wiped some blood from the corner of his mouth; leaned forward slightly and pinched the bridge of his nose as blood trickled from that too. “Was my message not clear enough for you?”

Subaru shook his head in disbelief. “I win? You should have told me that years ago. Before….” His voice stuttered to a stop. If he carried on with his sentence, he’d break. Break down fully. And he wasn’t ready to do that. Wasn’t prepared to let himself break down in front of his mortal enemy. “It’s too late.”

“I know.” Seishirou stayed standing, but he was holding onto his arm. His stance wasn’t as strong as it had been. In a voice that sounded resigned, he said, “I’ll offer you the only thing I can now. An easy way to kill me.”

It was a trick. It had to be. Putting him into a false sense of security so that he could kill him. Seishirou had to be expecting him to stop short of actually taking his life and would then turn on him viciously. Just like he had when Subaru had finally fallen in love with him.

But he was wrong. Subaru had nothing left. Seishirou had ripped all of it from him. His innocence. His family. Everything. So he ran at the older man, fist drawn back, prepared to plunge it through his chest and kill him in the exact same way he’d murdered Hokuto.

Seishirou stood, still and straight, watching his death coming at him, his face still calm and expressionless.

“Subaru.”

The voice was enough to stop him in his tracks. He froze mid-leap, lowering his fist and turning in a slow movement.

She stood at the edge of the barrier. Just like she’d appeared the last time he’d seen her alive. The only difference was that her form shimmered, just like that of a spirit.

“Hokuto.” Subaru dropped to one knee, staring at the ghost of his sister.

She smiled kindly at him and took the steps to reach his side. She reached out and he closed his eyes, barely able to feel it as she caressed the side of his face. Tears spilled over his cheeks as his sister touched him…wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug. He opened his eyes again, letting out a choked sob, and wrapped his own arms tightly around her in return. “Hokuto,” he whispered, sniffling.

She pulled back, slowly, and smiled at him. Then, she kissed his cheek, a brush of cold lips against his skin, then stood and drifted towards Seishirou.

He watched her and, for an instant, Subaru could see regret on his face. “Hokuto.”

She reached out and touched his face too. “I knew I was right to put my trust in you.”

“I’m sorry.” His voice was sincere. He spoke to her, but his eyes focused past her…looking at Subaru, who raised himself to his feet.

Hokuto moved back, clasping her hands together and looking at both of them. “I had to come back before you killed each other.”

“But you’ll leave again,” Subaru whispered.

“Yes.” She nodded. “But I won’t be leaving you alone.” She reached for Subaru’s hand and led him by it towards Seishirou. With her other hand, she reached out and took hold of his hand and then put their hands together.

Subaru looked at their joined hands and then up at his sister, before speaking to Seishirou. “You still killed her. I don’t have my sister with me because of you. What did she ever do to you?”

“It was my choice, Subaru. I offered myself to protect you.” Hokuto smiled sadly. “I would do it again to protect you, my brother.”

“You can’t expect me to forgive you.” Subaru’s eyes were fixed on his sister’s spirit, even though he was speaking to Seishirou.

“I don’t,” the older man replied. “But I love you. And I realised that it means…you win. Do with it what you want.”

The barrier faded without any conscious decision from Subaru. He looked around, at his apartment, and then back towards his sister and Seishirou.

But she was gone and the only person who was left was the man who’d betrayed him. The man he loved. And their hands were still joined together.

Seishirou pulled him closer, placed both hands on his shoulders and kissed him.

Subaru could taste the blood from the other man’s split lip. He closed his eyes and he slowly, hesitantly, wrapped his arms around Seishirou.

The kiss tasted like his own tears. At one time, he would have given everything for Seishirou to kiss him like this. Now, it just hurt.

But instead of hating the older man…he was resigned to the fact he loved Seishirou.

And if that didn’t complicate things, he didn’t know what would.

The End