“If you sent me a flower, what would it be?”
“Majesty.” Seiran said his brother’s title gently, an unspoken scolding, reminding Ryuuki that they shouldn’t speak of these things. His heart still turned over when Ryuuki lifted his head from Seiran’s knee and looked up at him, eyes pleading.
“Let me play pretend? Just for a little bit?” Ryuuki begged, and Seiran’s resistance fell all in a heap.
Really, it was himself he should be scolding, more often than not.
He could, at least, phrase things a little less dangerously, though. “If your brother had grown to rule,” he said softly, “when he sent you a flower I think it would be a daisy.”
Ryuuki’s breath caught and his words were husky. “Yes.” He caught up Seiran’s hand and his lips brushed Seiran’s fingers as he whispered, “If things had gone the way they should. If Seien had become my lord…” One hot tear splashed on the back of Seiran’s hand. “I would have been faithful to you all my life.”
Seiran looked down at Ryuuki’s bowed head and didn’t chide him for his slip. He rested his free hand on his brother’s shaking shoulders, quietly.
After a few gulps, Ryuuki’s voice came out steadier. “It hasn’t been time, yet, for the Emperor to send a flower to Seiran of the guards. But if I did… when I do…” He looked up, lips trembling but curved in a tiny smile. “When I do, will you be horribly embarrassed if it’s lavender?”
The jumble of Seiran’s emotions stopped his voice for a moment: tenderness for the sweet, vulnerable boy his little brother had always been; pleasure that Ryuuki still loved him, and fear for the same reason; shining pride in the mind that retained a ruler’s awareness, even while the man’s heart tugged in another direction. He lifted a hand to stroke Ryuuki’s silky-straight hair back from his damp cheek. “I will always be honored to be held in your heart, my Emperor,” he said softly, and leaned down to press a kiss to his brother’s forehead. After a moment he added, teasing, “Better that than a sunflower, after all.”
Ryuuki burst out laughing, probably at the image of Seiran marching blank-faced through the palace with a large and obtrusive yellow flower proclaiming someone’s love and respect for him. He rose on his knees to throw his arms around Seiran and pressed his cheek into Seiran’s shoulder. “Aniue,” he whispered. And, more softly still, “Seiran.”
Seiran rested a hand on his brother’s head, smiling, and refrained from protesting this time, either.
If he was honest, he would admit he was very happy to be both.
End
A/N: Flowers referenced: Daisy for faithfulness, Lavender for being held in the giver’s heart, Sunflower for admiration and love.
I am usually pretty anti-incest, but this pairing works for me in all its agonizing unspoken truths. Enjoyed this, glad to see you in a fandom I know again. <3
*hearts* Glad you liked it! I just love the tension between these two, and, while there is a smutbunny cooking, I expect most of anything I write for them will linger on the fraughtness of it all. ^__^
Oh yes. The two of them are such adorable woobies. (No, I didn’t just finish 4, why do you ask?)
Such a shiny, shiny new fandom. *hearts*
*sparkles* Total woobies; and really hot ones, too. That ep gave me a definite thing for Ryuuki getting teary over aniue. *is probably a bad person, and doesn’t care*
Oooh, yes. Yes. This is good. 🙂 *purrs happily*
*hearts* God I love this show. The new-fandom love is glowing brighter with every ep.
I usually support Ryuuki with Shuurei
(ZOMG HET), but when you write something in one of my fandoms, I come running. Sweet and simple, like the brothers should be. It can’t be denied that those two love each other; only to what extent is the general question. I think you handled this pairing very well, so good on you for that. XD*hearts* Thank you! Really, just about every pairing and potential pairing in this whole show makes me bounce; I love how subtle most of them are. *grins* Including Ryuuki and Shuurei.
yay, a new story!
do the flowers have any particular meaning? that is just the sort of question ryuuki would ask seiran. i thought this was elegantly written.
sorry that i’m not good at long reviews =(
Any comment is good! Glad you liked it!
And, yes, Saiun is just chock full of flower language, so I thought it would be fun to play with in the story. I tried to give the meanings in the narrative (daisy for faith, lavender for “held in my heart”, sunflower for love and admiration). Did that come through, or should I add a footnote, too, do you think?
I think a note for specific meaning wouldn’t go amiss, if only for people like me who are bad at picking up on things like that 😉 There really is a lot of flower language used in Saiunkoku. I think it’s kind of funny that even military officers know it.
*nods* I’ll add that when I revise, then. Thanks!
*chuckles* Isn’t it? I’m actually working on a list of good sources I’ve found for the Japanese flower language, to post in the main comm for other ficcers to use if they want to. Or even just for people wondering why on earth Kijin brought Shuurei an orchid and said he’d bring a camellia! Of course, most of the best sources are in kanji. *rueful sigh* I suppose it’s good practice.
…just gorgeous.
You really capture the painful longing of their interactions while keeping it light hearted and joyful.
Very nice.
*glowing with pleasure* Thank you; it’s great to hear it worked out that well.
omg! what does the lavendar symbolize, i wonder? like specifically… is it just love and affection? brotherly love? loyalty? or perhaps something more?
lovely fic, hopefully there’s a follow-up (goes to search)
ahhh, just read other comments~ got the meaning now.
but geh! still hoping for that sequel!
Glad to hear you liked it!
This is a standalone, and will not have any sequels, but there’s a lot of brotherly cuteness and doting on each other in the alternative-timeline arc. Hope you enjoy those too. ^_^
Can someone write about the Seiran’s past? Would appreciate it…
I’m sure there are stories about his past hanging around fandom. My “The Age of Silver” arc is all pre-canon so far, and focused on Seien, though it’s also AU. You might take a look at that, if you like.
Oh man. So awesome, this fic. I liked how subtle it was, how gentle they are with each other. I lol’d at the mental image of Seiran having to cart around this big in-your-face sunflower. And I loved this line: “If things had gone the way they should. If Seien had become my lord…” One hot tear splashed on the back of Seiran’s hand. “I would have been faithful to you all my life.” Though it ended up putting my brain right into the gutter with these two, in a D/s kind of way. Er.
Your writing is so awesome.
Thank you! *coughs* I’ve got to admit, these two pretty much /always/ send my mind right into the gutter. And, really, Ryuuki acts so very sub with Seiran.
You know that the next time kinkfest or porn battle or something comes along, I’m going to flood the list with Saimono prompts, right? Cause, you write them so well, and, um. Do want. T^T
*grins* I’m good with that. Porn is good for the writerly soul. And my Seiran has yet to do Shuuei, which I think would be great fun.
Please please please please .. *cough*
Sorry, didn’t mean to sound desperate. I’ve just seen so few Seiran/Shuurei fics that are actually decent; the potential for one to be written is a task that absolutely must be encouraged!
*laughing* It’s totally on my list!
Damn, rereading your whole archive has merit. Now that I know Saiunkoku, I can really appreciate that you write for this neglected fandom. Much love.
…and those two are TOO cute.
*hearts* Thank you!
Isn’t SaiMono a great story? I live in hope that the novels themselves will be translated; there’s so much complex political plot wound up in the emotional plot–my favorite kind!