To Daniela
Promise
“Aioros!” Shura yelled as soon as he saw him from afar, without really thinking about it.
“Young Goat!” the Gold Saint said mockingly, yet intending no harm. What he could not stop himself from, was to notice Shura blushing because of the way he had just called him. Not that it mattered to Shura, or so Capricorn believed, but sometimes, he felt as if he were still a child and was actually talking to his own older brother.
“Don’t call me that, Old Man!” he answered back, hurrying to hug the other to greet him. “I’ve been looking for you all over, where on earth have you been?”
“Here and there, my friend.” Sagittarius responded, sighing as he was feeling too tired lately, “Shion won’t give me a moment to rest and well, it can’t be helped, I guess.” He ended shrugging.
The two men remained silent for the rest of the way to the Sagittarius Temple. It had been Aioros’ wish to go to Shura’s, however, he felt like being in his house for the time being, acknowledging also, it was time for Aioria to be there.
Shura saw him and did not stop himself for a while. So calm, he thought. Cheerful, no matter how tired he was. He stared at him, and at his smiling face when stroking Aioria’s hair and tuck him in bed. And he saw him sighing and stroking his own neck out if tiredness, comforting himself.
“Is it really true, then?” he finally asked, sitting in the kitchen’s table, waiting for Aioros to serve him some tea.
Sagittarius looked at him, then dropped his gaze for he did not know where to begin with—or how. “if you’re asking about Athena, well, Shion would say ‘yes’. It’s time for her coming to this earth, so…yes.”
“Is there a problem with that?”
“That’s what I don’t know, Shura.” Silence fell upon them, as if a blanket covering them. “If anything were to happen to me, Shura…” the older man began, then he hesitated, “…would you look after my little brother?”
“What?!”
“Would you?”
The man, realizing how serious the other had just been, nodded, “Of course Aiorios, I’ll look after your Cub.”
“Good.” He responded.
The doleful look in Aioros’ face suddenly disappeared, taking Shura by surprise. Sagittarius sat beside him and chatting amicably, they drank their tea.
Ariadne, July 24, 2006