viatorems
The moment Syaoran had stepped foot into this world, Watanuki knew he was there.
They had not seen one another, and yet, the shop keeper could feel his presence like no other; perhaps due to their connection, or perhaps it was his subconscious warning him of the dangers to come. It was not as though Syaoran had never visited him before in his own world; but those were merely visits. Nothing that could truly harm the balance of the worlds they so desperately wanted to protect. This place, this entire circumstance was eerily permanent, however; no matter how hard Watanuki tried to fight through it to escape, to find any chance to go home, no means of leaving would come to him.
Their being here, away from where they were supposed to be, what they should have been doing-- who knows what it would end up causing, how much destruction would soon follow them. Would the prices they paid to merely exist mean nothing? Everything they gave up to keep their loved ones safe, to be able to watch them grow, no matter how far away they were.. could all of that disappear through a force neither of them could fight?
And yet, even through his utmost fears, his shaking fingers and eyes swelled with distress.. the moment his vision found that boy, the one who meant more to him than he could ever put into words.. all of it came to a sudden halt.
Because, despite it all, Watanuki could not deny how happy he was to see him again.
“.. Syaoran.”
For a moment, he couldn’t move; the space between them too far for his own liking, despite that they had been the closest to one another for the first time in ages. There were so many things Watanuki wanted to say, to do something to fix what one another must have been feeling; but he knew that no matter how grateful they were to be together again, nothing about this could be as happy as they wanted it to be. However, Watanuki dared to challenge that, to push back everything that was telling him he shouldn’t have been there; and suddenly, arms reached out, embracing Syaoran against him as his head came down, burying itself in the other’s shoulder.
“Syaoran... y-.. you’re here.. I--” a ragged, shaky breath escaped his lips as he spoke; trembling arms tightening around the frame of the shorter boy. “I’m so glad.. you’re alright.”
They could not exist together in the same place, or else.. they would be punished. They made their choices for a reason, because they needed to-- for the sake of others, and for the sake of themselves. No matter what hitsuzen had in store for them, no matter what trials they were to face while they were here, Watanuki would never let Syaoran go. He would protect Syaoran’s existence, his very being, and everything he held dear.. no matter what the cost would be.
