Fushigi Yuugi Standalone

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Branch

One or two pieces around the edges of Fushigi Yuugi, especially about Yui.

Ink Burns

This is a work of fiction. All characters and events portrayed in this book are fictional, and any resemblance to real people or incidents is purely coincidental.

This is a work of fanfiction, produced according to the principles of transformative fair use as put forward in US copyright law, and abiding by the custom and practice of fan-produced work in Japan, where the source texts were created. No author is in any way affiliated with any of the creators of the source texts, nor with the companies who distribute their products, nor any other rights holder, and these stories were not authorized by either the creators or the producers. Ink Burns is a fan site and the material here is freely provided for the enjoyment of fellow fan-community members; there is no commercial infringement.

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 US license at the Ink Burns fanfiction archive (http://www.branchandroot.net/archive/).

"A Brighter Shade of Red" published on 2009-02-04 11:49:53.

Attributions can be made by author's name and a link to the archive.

This ebook edition was published on September 6, 2019 by the Ink Burns fanfiction archive.

Cover illustration is Untitled watercolor from Xian'e Changchun Album by Guiseppe Castiglione, public domain (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Xian%27e_Changchun_Album_15.jpg).

Cover design by Branch.

A Brighter Shade of Red

Crossover of Saiunkoku Monogatari and Fushigi Yuugi. Shuurei has a friend and advisor who is apart from the capital's politics; Yui has a place for her abilities and a lover who reminds her of them. Drama with Romance and Porn, I-4

Yui curled up on the bed, one hand propping up her head, and watched Shuurei pace the room, sleeping robe fluttering around her ankles.

"And then! And then! He said we couldn't do anything about Haruki, even if he is taking bribes, because he has a patron from the Heki clan, and I should know that the Heki are going to be the deciding voice in the land redistribution this year!" Her brown eyes snapped like sparks; Yui felt she might warm her hands at that fire of Shuurei's, melt the ice out of her bones, where it had settled years ago.

In any case, she could help feed it. She pursed her lips, paging, in her mind, through the scrolls she had read—she'd thought at first just to have something to do. "Well, you know I haven't gotten through as much of your historical law as I'd like, so there may be a contradictory precedent I don't know about..."

Shuurei turned to her with wide, hopeful eyes, and Yui chuckled.

"The Heki own a lot of land rights outside their province, yes, but isn't it all subsoil rights? If another block were to buy up the topsoil leases, then that would take effective control of the land away from the Heki, wouldn't it? I'm sure I read about this just a little while ago."

Shuurei stood still, clasped hands pressed against her lips, eyes suddenly wide. "Oh. Oh yes. And then it wouldn't matter how the redistribution went, because the usage rights would already be tied up. I wonder... if the Emperor could regain control of that land this way it would pull more power back from the great families... " She nodded decisively. "I'll write to Uncle, tomorrow, about supporting that."

"Always thinking about the bigger picture." Yui smiled at her. "That's why you're a politician and I'm not." Actually, the political tangles here still made Yui's head spin sometimes.

Shuurei snorted at this, impatient as always with anything that sniffed of self-deprecation. "Just one of the best law scholars in the capital. Even if almost no one but me knows it yet." Shuurei picked up her discarded hairbrush to finish brushing out her hair.

Yui shrugged, smiling. "I always thought I might want to go into law, when I was younger. I like having the chance to do it, now."

Shuurei looked over her shoulder, gentle now. "Maybe that's why you came here."

Yui turned over on her back, looking up at the ceiling. "Maybe. Who knows." Her mouth quirked. "Besides, possibly, Riou." Who she tried to stay away from. She dealt with mysticism even worse than politics, these days.

Shuurei sighed, running her fingers through her loose hair. "Riou came to talk to me again yesterday. He thinks I'll stop caring for politics and such 'little things' sooner or later." She sat down on the edge of the bed with a glum sigh. "Probably sooner, according to him."

"I think he's dreaming," Yui said dryly. "I'm grateful enough he placed me with you, when I first came here, but honestly. I can't imagine you ever not caring about this." More softly, "About your people." It was one of the things that fascinated her enough to stay here with Shuurei—her care, her idealism and ruthlessness, each passing effortlessly through her hands in its time, like juggled balls.

Shuurei tangled her fingers together. "I can't either," she said to them, "but... I'm..."

Yui silently cursed Riou for stirring up Shuurei's doubts again. She reached out and pulled Shuurei down to her. "Shhh. Whatever your mother was, you're you." She kissed Shuurei softly and smiled. "See?"

Shuurei laughed, finally relaxing, winding her arms around Yui. "I'm so glad you came," she said, muffled, against Yui's shoulder.

"I think I am, too," Yui whispered into the darkness of her hair.

Shuurei leaned up on an elbow, eyes wide with mock alarm and sparkling. "You think? That won't do at all!" She pressed closer against Yui and kissed her back, considerably more sensually, open and unselfconscious.

Yui made a soft sound, lips parting, hands sliding down the full curves of Shuurei's body under the robe. "Going to convince me to be more enthusiastic?" she asked, husky.

Shuurei, who was always at her best with a challenge, downright grinned, hands busy with the tie of Yui's sleeping robe. "I think so, yes."

Yui laughed. Having met Kochou she didn't wonder any more at Shuurei's boldness and humor about this. And then she moaned softly as Shuurei's hands stroked over her skin.

She had never told Shuurei, and she never would, that whatever Shuurei's heritage was, it did change her. Her hands reminded Yui a little, just a little, of being touched by a god, a glow of rightness and presence that wasn't physical but still heated Yui's body.

Just enough to calm Yui's lingering hunger and let her feel this world properly.

"Ahh..." Yui's breath deepened and she arched up into the wet heat of Shuurei's mouth on her breast. "Very convincing," she gasped.

"Mm?" Shuurei's tongue stroked her nipple. "And this?" Slim fingers slid down between Yui's legs, touching her gently.

Yui was losing track of the game in the pleasure, but managed to whisper, "Very glad to be here," before the sweetness curling down her nerves distracted her entirely. She spread her legs wider, lifting up into the touch, and Shuurei kissed her, murmuring soothing half words, fingers rubbing slow and easy, coaxing and gentle, the way she'd always touched Yui from the first moment they'd met and Shuurei had gathered up her hands in welcome.

Shuurei's fingers dipped into her and slid back up, bold and slick, and Yui gasped, hips rocking up. She loved Shuurei's ease with their bodies. It sank her down into the heat, into a feeling of safety as Shuurei's familiar, mortal and human curves pressed against her and dark hair slipped down to brush her cheek like another caress. "Shuurei," she breathed, arms tightening around her as pleasure curled tighter and tighter and finally broke through her, hot and strong and open.

Shuurei held her close until she sighed and relaxed back against the sheets. Yui nuzzled the curve of Shuurei's neck and murmured, "You know I'll stay with you." She hadn't missed the tiny flicker of darkness in Shuurei's eyes before teasing covered it.

Shuurei blushed a little, soft and happy, and snuggled up against her. "I know. It's wonderful; thank you."

"Mm, thank you," Yui returned, and they laughed together, light and breathless.

Sometimes, when Yui ran her fingers through Shuurei's sleek, dark hair, she remembered Miaka leaning against her, Miaka's hands reaching toward her. But when Shuurei smiled, warm as the sun and twice as brilliant, dragons and gods and the dimmed day-to-day world that came after washed out of Yui's mind, and she, too, was very glad she had come to this place. A place where the eyes of the person who touched her saw beauty and wisdom, not fragments and foolishness. It made her think she might become what Shuurei saw.

She held Shuurei closer and murmured against her ear, "Do I get a bedtime story tonight?"

"Of course." Shuurei hooked a leg comfortably around Yui's. "What do you want to hear about?"

"Tell me more about the Chancellery..."

End

A/N: The author would like to note that this story is entirely the fault of Lys ap Adin, fic enabler extraorinaire.