Old Flame and New Game

by Yai-tzu Hin

Warning: No part of this story or cast of characters may be reproduced in any form without written permission of the author, Yai-tzu Hin. If you do, dogs will wake you at 3:00 am in the morning, your hair will go gray at an early age, all you pens will run out of ink at the most inconvenient time, and your computer will always freeze up in the middle of the best part of a fic.

"That's your ex-boyfriend?" Keien asked staring at the slender figure looking at them. One hand gently brushed a stray strand of pale blond hair away from his tanned face. His sharp features made him look like he'd just stepped out of some fairy tale. Keien's insides were all twisted as he glanced from his guardian angel to the other.

Silence elapsed. Keien couldn't even hear Kayumi or Hades breathe. He wasn't even sure he was breathing at the moment. He'd dealt with bumping into his ex's before, like Suiichiro, but he'd never faced an ex of any of his previous boyfriends. He was sure he knew the feeling that was rising up and creeping to the forefront of his mind. Jealousy. Nakabori Keien was jealous of an angel. A creature of such beauty and power that he had no chance of competing with. Yet, Yatsurugi and him had broken up for some reason. What ever had transpired was in the past and Keien had no grounds for jealousy. This line of reasoning pleased him, but didn't calm his nerves. Yatsurugi loved him, he knew it to be the truth. Yatsurugi wouldn't lie to him about something this important.

With his arm still draped over Yatsurugi's shoulder, Keien turned his full attention to the angel in front of them. He hadn't made a move toward them as they stood stalk still in his presence. Instead he was studying them with calm, serene eyes. His entire manner was relaxed and casual. The angel held Yatsurugi's eyes for a moment longer before moving them to Keien. Keien felt his body became hard and rigid as the pair of eyes the color of sherry, lay upon him. He met those eyes with his own green eyes hardened by his sudden feeling of jealousy. They said "stay back, he's mine". They stared at each other locked in a sort of one way battle as his eyes betrayed nothing. As quickly as it had started it was over. Keien had won this round, but the other gave him a brief saddened look, then turned and walked away from the group. The last Keien saw of him was the back of his immaculately clean and well-tailored coat.

"I can't believe Azreal was here." Kayumi said as she glanced sympathetically at Keien. The two were standing outside Keien and Yatsurugi's apartment. Yatsurugi had hardly spoken the entire trip home. Kayumi and Hades had decided that it was best if they accompanied the two gentlemen home, for moral support.

"Was he really Yatsurugi's boyfriend?" Keien asked at length. He had the sudden urge for some hard alcohol, but all he had in the house was a little wine he used in cooking. Kayumi seemed to sense his need for a drink and called forth two glasses of amber colored liquor.

"Here, drink this." She said handing him a glass. "It is called brandy. They drink quite a bit of it in England." Keien took the glass and carefully sipped it. Kayumi smiled half-heartedly, then sighed. She swirled the liquid a moment before taking a taste. "Yes, Azreal was my brother's boyfriend." She said finally.

"Tell me about him." Keien prompted. Kayumi sighed again.

"I'll tell you what I know. The rest you'll have to ask Yatsurugi about." Keien nodded. "I guess it was about sixty-five years ago when they met. Oh, they'd met each other before, but only in passing. Nothing memorable from what I can tell. Apparently something just clicked that time for some reason.

"Anyway, they became friends and slowly those of us close to them realized that something more was going on. The secret glances, the way they would sigh around each other, and the all too often, too long poetry readings in Azreal's private abode. These all pointed to the fact that they were having a relationship beyond friendship. They continued to play this game of secrecy although everyone had guessed by that time, for nearly forty years. God alone knows how often they kissed or made love. I don't think it was that often though. Neither Yatsurugi nor Azreal were good with showing their feelings, especially in public. It drove us nuts watching them. Eros, Psyche and I went nearly stark raving mad because they wouldn't even tell us they were dating, we had to figure it out on our own! It was frustrating beyond words. We knew they were together, but they always were trying to hide it." Kayumi paused to take another sip of brandy. Keien watched her and wondered why Yatsurugi and Azreal hadn't wanted their relationship known. This didn't sound like the Yatsurugi he knew.

"They finally seemed to be getting somewhere, at least in the tell our friends and relatives department, when it all ended." Kayumi said gloomily. She appeared to still have some frustration left from that time which she was in great need to vent. "It happened before Yatsurugi was told that he was to be your guardian angel. His previous charge had died about two years before you were born and he'd been cooling his heels in the spirit plane awaiting reassignment. Azreal was the one who decided to end it. No one really knows why, except that it hurt my brother terribly. I don't think he truly got over the shock for at least the first few years of your life.

"You have to understand Keien that we guardian angels watch over our charges from the day they are born to the day they die. As soon as your mother went into labor, Yatsurugi was headed out of the spirit plane and to your side. Even though he was nursing a broken heart, he watched over you and protected you like every guardian angel should. I must admit you were such a cute little baby." Kayumi smiled at him, wrinkling her nose up in an adorable fashion. Keien chuckled in spite of himself. Leave it to her to try and lift his spirits.

"So they haven't spoken since before my birth?" Keien inquired. Kayumi shook her head.

"Not a word. They tend to avoid each other too. Although it's not like they're often at the same place at the same time. Azreal is an archangel. He has a lot on his mind and more work than any of us. So he's often off on some other plane while Yatsurugi is in the spirit plane."

"That means that this was the first time in twenty-three years that he's seen Azreal." Keien muttered taking a large gulp of brandy. That probably wasn't the best of ideas as he was not used to drinking this particular beverage. He waited for the fuzzy sensation that had just gripped him to vanish while Kayumi spoke.

"Yeah."

"I'll be twenty-three next month." Keien said absently. "I find it a bit ironic that they broke up the same year I was born."

"Irony is the spice of life, or so I've been told." Kayumi mumbled into her glass. "Care for another shot or two?" she asked noting Keien's now empty glass. He looked down at it and contemplated whether or not he wanted to deal with a hangover in the morning.

"Sure, I think I could use another shot."

"Yeah, it takes guts to stare an archangel down and win." Keien looked at her in shock. "Yes, I saw that. You've got more gumption than I give you credit for sometimes. Here, hand me your glass."

Hades shook his head as Yatsurugi stared out the kitchen window. They sat at the table with cold glasses of soda in hand.

"I still can't believe you dated Azreal. That guy is so hard to reach sometimes." Hades muttered as he contemplated adding something stronger to his cola, like bourbon or scotch. "For forty years none the less. Geeze." Yatsurugi inclined his head and dropped his gaze back to his friend.

"It was one of the longest relationships I'd ever had. I was in love." He said slowly. Hades shook his braided head again.

"K'so."

"What?"

"I was just thinking. You love Keien right?" Yatsurugi nodded. "What do you think he's feeling right now? An old flame of yours pops up and you go stupid on him. If it was another mortal it probably wouldn't be a painful, but Azreal is an angel. An archangel on top of that! Keien probably feels jealous or insignificant."

"Keien? Jealous of Azreal?" Yatsurugi's eyes widened at the thought. "He couldn't be."

"You just said you loved Azreal." Hades pointed out. "From your reaction today, I'd say you still do. If I noticed it, then Keien certainly noticed it. After all he was draped over you when you froze." Yatsurugi's face went ashen.

No, Keien please don't be jealous. I know Azreal is powerful and gorgeous, but…Yatsurugi's mind trailed off.

"It was a shock to see him after nearly twenty-three years of avoidance." Yatsurugi told Hades. "That's all. Yes, it's true I loved Azreal, but not in the way I love Keien. Azreal left me alone without an explanation. Keien filled the void in my heart. His sunshine smiles, his bright green eyes eager to look out at the world. Keien, as a baby, made every day worthwhile for me."

"Have you told him this?" Hades questioned just before he swallowed down half the glass. Yatsurugi sunk into his chair.

"No."

"Then I think it's about time. I'm sure Kayumi has been busy filling his head with her version of the tale. I suggest since you are now done telling me your side, you go tell it to him."

"You're right. I know almost everything about him, yet he knows very little about me. I think it's time to change that. Thank you Hades." Yatsurugi stood up leaving his untouched glass of soda sitting on the table. He threw an award-winning smile at the shorter angel and left the kitchen. Hades sighed.

"I don't like Azreal being here. Not one bit. I think I need to go and talk to someone." He muttered finishing off his glass. "But first I need to say good-bye to Kayumi or she'll think of some truly wicked way to keep me here."

Yatsurugi opened the front door to find his sister and lover sipping what was most likely alcohol. With a heavy sigh he stepped out and reached for Keien.

"I'm sure you two are having a wonderful time chatting, but I really need to speak to Keien." He said as he grabbed Keien's shoulder and began to haul him into the apartment.

"No problem. We'd just finished." Kayumi replied quickly relieving Keien of his drink before he lost it. "Is Hades coming out, or is he lurking around in the kitchen looking for left over kitty treats?"

"I heard that and no. You're just never going to let me live that down are you?" Hades demanded as he slipped past Yatsurugi and Keien. Kayumi smiled broadly.

"Not for a while Neko-chan." Hades grimaced at his nickname and flipped his long braid off his shoulder.

"Come, let's leave them to their talking. I have something I want to talk to you about anyway." He took her arm and led her down the stairs. "Bye."

"Bye boys! See you later!" Kayumi chimed as she vanished the two glasses of brandy. Then she slipped her arm into Hades and they were gone. Keien turned to Yatsurugi.

"You needed to talk to me?"

"Yes, about Azreal. It's really important that you understand about him." Keien nodded in agreement.

"Kayumi told me some things, but I'm sure not everything." He admitted.

"Come on, I'll tell you the rest." They went inside and closed the door behind them. Sitting on the couch in the living room Keien reiterated what Kayumi had told him and Yatsurugi filled in the blanks.

"It was very sudden. The break-up, that is. I never saw it coming." Yatsurugi told him. "It was as he woke up one morning and suddenly realized that he didn't feel the same anymore. We were supposed to meet in the Elusion fields in Daphne's Woods that morning." Yatsurugi began slowly as the painful memory returned. "I was there, early as usual waiting for him. I had just been told I was to be reassigned soon. Azreal appeared dressed as immaculately as he was today. I went over to hug and kiss him, but something wasn't right. He didn't respond at all; just stood there, then slowly he pushed me away. He told me in a straight, calm, controlled voice that it was over. I couldn't, didn't want to believe it. We were so beautiful together so why was he breaking up with me? I didn't understand and he never explained. He told me that was how it was and that we both have our own lives to lead. I was a guardian angel and he was the Angel of Life and Death. Then he turned his back and flew away." Yatsurugi sighed deeply as a wave of old pain and heartache threatened to force him to tears. It all had seemed so long ago, but now that he'd spoken to Keien about it….

Keien watched his friend and lover become very fragile. The memory of the incident obviously brought him great distress. Carefully he wrapped his arms around Yatsurugi and held him, letting him know that he was there and wouldn't leave. Yatsurugi curled up and let Keien's lips brush his ear as he whispered soothing words to the crumpled angel.

"I didn't realize that it would hurt this much seeing him again. I loved him, but it's in the past." Yatsurugi whispered.

"It's okay, I understand. I felt the same way when I saw Suiichiro after he left. At least you weren't betrayed and made to feel used." Keien said softly burying his head into Yatsurugi's lavender mane.

"But I still don't know WHY he left."

"Does it really matter that much? You've moved on."

"I have you." Yatsurugi said closing his eyes. "You're all I need. Even if I was cast out and became mortal, as long as I had you I'd be happy."

Keien smiled and kissed him on the cheek. Yatsurugi shifted and nuzzled him before bringing his head up and capturing Keien's lips.

"I love you Keien."

"I love you Yatsurugi."

The alarm clock went off. Keien rolled over and slammed his fist down on the snooze alarm. The clock responded by shutting off the annoying beep.

"God that thing is loud." He grumbled. Opening bleary eyes he tried to read the numbers. It didn't work; he couldn't make them out.

"It's too early to be up."

"Then go back to sleep." Yatsurugi grumbled from the other side of the bed. Keien smiled. He reached over and dragged the angel into his embrace. Yatsurugi responded by taking his own advice and going back to sleep. Keien lay awake for another few minutes before he too fell back asleep. Suddenly Yatsurugi's eyes flew open. Someone was watching them. Every hair on his body bristled and his senses strained to find out who. He felt the presence for but a moment, just long enough to see it smile in his mind's eye and then disappear. Something was wrong, very wrong.

Slowly, as to not disturb Keien, Yatsurugi slipped out of bed. Hastily he put on his boxers and borrowed Keien's robe. Then he quietly snuck out of the room and began checking the rooms for any sign of tampering. Nothing. No seals, no cursed items, no missing furniture at all, so what and who was that in Keien's room?

"Yatsurugi?" Keien asked as he appeared in the hallway wearing only his boxers. "What the hell are you doing?"

"I don't want to alarm you Keien, but I felt as if we were being watched."

"When?" he asked stretching.

"After the alarm went off." Keien looked at him funny.

"Who would want to spy on us? I mean besides your twisted sister."

"Kayumi wouldn't do something that…perverted. She may do some extreme things, but that's not one of them. Besides I didn't recognize this presence."

"Oh, great. What now?"

"Now, we get dressed, take showers, and eat. Not necessarily in that order." Yatsurugi replied. "We'll just have to see if this person will come out to play."

Keien agreed there was nothing to do now but wait. Whoever this was would, hopefully, in time show themselves. He was confident that Yatsurugi would be able to protect them if worse came too worse. Besides, who in their right mind would mess with someone who knew two guardian angels, two angels of love and an angel of death? Who indeed?