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Disclaimer:
Sue me. Please?
I've been trying to get rid of these college textbooks for months... Notes:
Notes and citations follow the fic. Feedback:
Hai! Flame me if you want - see if
I care. Warnings:
shounen ai, het, "alternate" pairing. *...*
emphasis /.../
thought -
Part Five - Streams
of Silver
"Parry.
"Thrust.
"Weave.
"Stab!"
Yusuke smiled as he completed the
last of his round of exercises. He
was a little out of breath, seeing as how it was early morning. But then, Hiei hadn't been easy on him, either.
He shifted his gaze to his younger
lover. "Was that to your
liking, fire of my heart?"
Hiei smiled back from his post by
one of the trees. His arms were
folded and he was leaning against the trunk.
"I'm lucky," he sighed. "You're
the greatest swordsman in the nation, and you're mine."
"So does that mean I performed
well?"
"Very well," Hiei assured
him. "Your skills have
improved, even after all this time..."
"There's always time to
improve, love. I only hope there is
no longer any need for us to be called to arms."
He ran his finger along the edge of Blood Soaked's blade.
"This has seen its share of bloodshed."
"Tavram chose its name
well," Hiei commented.
Yusuke swallowed, holding up the
blade to catch the morning sun's rays. "He
suggested it after the first battle... I didn't know how fitting the name would
become..." How many had died by that blade? The aim of many of the battles had been to take prisoners,
not to kill. However, there had
been many instances where either Yusuke or his opponent would walk away
alive...and Yusuke was not ready to make the Final Journey, yet.
Hiei stared at the sword for a
moment before he made the offer. "I
could unmake it, if you like. It
has served its...purpose..."
Yusuke thought about it.
"No," he decided. "No,
I shall keep it. There may come a
time when it must be used to defend. But
*only* to defend," he added. "Never
to murder."
"The time may not come for
awhile yet," Hiei replied. "The
Law has been passed. There is to be
no violence, magic is no longer permitted to make weaponry..."
"There are no cutpurses about
any longer, either," Yusuke noted.
"No." Hiei smiled. "We
make sure of that."
"Just what *do* you do to
them?" Yusuke inquired with an evil grin.
"I've seen one being brought in... Whatever you all did, he looked
like he'd been kissed by the beasts of the Inferno when he came out..."
Hiei hid another smile behind his
hand. "That's for us to know,
Yusuke..."
"You won't tell me?"
"No, my blademaster.
I'm afraid not."
Yusuke grinned and brandished Blood
Soaked. "Would it be possible
for me to make you tell?"
"I doubt it."
"May I try?"
"If you like."
Yusuke gave his lover a feral grin
and lunged for him. Hiei chuckled
and moved away, and Yusuke chased him around the tiny clearing. Neither of them had very far to go, so their
"chase" consisted mainly of laughter and running around in circles.
It ended when Yusuke managed to seize the white fabric of Hiei's cloak
and pull him backwards against his chest. He
put one arm around his waist and with the other brought Blood Soaked up near his
neck. For an enemy, the position
would have meant danger, if not imminent death.
As it was, they both knew that Yusuke would never raise a weapon against
Hiei.
"Caught you," Yusuke
whispered.
Hiei sighed and dropped his head
back against Yusuke's shoulder. "So
you did. How helpless I am... No
match for you..."
"So will you tell me?"
"No."
Yusuke feigned a hurt expression.
"Your will is too strong. It
seems I cannot bend it."
His lover chuckled, closing a hand
on the wrist that held the sword. "Yusuke...are
you sure you don't want me to unmake it?"
Yusuke kissed Hiei's temple.
"I'd rather you unmake *me*..." he whispered.
The shorter demon tipped his head up
to smile at him. "Is that
so...? I think I could
oblige..."
Yusuke brushed his lips against
Hiei's cheek, smiling when the other demon turned his head away, silently asking
for him to pay attention to his neck. Yusuke
granted the request, trailing soft kisses down the column of skin, ending each
one with a touch of his tongue. Hiei
reached up to lock his arms around Yusuke's neck, a soft sigh escaping his lips
as Yusuke wormed his free hand into the folds of Hiei's cloak.
Had they not been accustomed to
being cautious, he might not have heard the leaves crunch under boots in the
distance. /Damn,/ he hissed
mentally. Quickly, Yusuke relaxed
his hold into something far less intimate, and Hiei gripped Blood Soaked with
both of his hands. Yusuke closed
his hands over Hiei's, and they positioned themselves in a basic stance.
"And this," he began,
"is a good position to begin in--"
"*There* you are, Yusuke."
He looked up and smiled.
"The day's greeting to you, Tavram.
You're up early."
"You're up *earlier*," his
friend retorted with a grin. "What
are you doing here at this time of morning?
And you, Chosen," he added, bowing his head to Hiei.
Hiei's back was against Yusuke, but
he could hear the pleasant smile in the younger demon's words.
"Sir Yusuke was kind enough to teach me a little of the sword."
"Is that so?" Tavram mused
with a grin. He winked at Yusuke.
"Spreading your wisdom, Sir Yusuke?"
He bowed his head in mock shame.
"Well, I'd like to be sure that my technique shall be passed on when
I'm gone."
"Well, when your lesson is
finished, I am planning a fishing trip. Would
you like to come?"
"Fishing?" Yusuke echoed.
"Since when, my friend, do you fish?"
"I don't," his companion
chuckled. "But now that the
war is over, I'll be damned if I don't start.
And I'd like to leave by midmorning," he added.
"So, would you like to join me?"
"I'd be delighted," he
replied. "I don't have
anything planned for today. Just
give me an hour to finish here, and I'll meet you at your house."
"Sounds fine to me.
I have a few things to take care of before we leave, anyway."
Tavram gave them a little wave as he turned and started back the way he
come. "A good day to you,
Chosen. Yusuke, I'll see you
later."
"Good day to you, Sir Tavram,"
Hiei called, already leaning further into Yusuke's hold.
They waited until the other soldier was long gone, and then Hiei turned
in the embrace to give him a small smile.
Yusuke returned it.
"Sword lessons, hm?"
"What would you have
said?"
"Oh, it wasn't a criticism,
love... Quite the contrary. Though
I'll admit, secluded as this place is, we should have known better."
Hiei shrugged one shoulder.
"True...but sometimes, my hero, you make me forget myself
entirely."
"I can't say I regret having
that ability..." Yusuke took a quick glance to make sure no one was around,
and then bent to brush his lips over Hiei's.
"We've an hour."
"Should we continue with
my...lesson?"
"Well... Your stance seems all
right...so now we'll move on to the actual...sword-handling."
"I'm ready when you are." ~*~
"Parry.
"Side-step.
"Thrust.
"Parry!"
Yusuke brought his blade back up as
quickly as he could, rotating the blade so that the edge made a makeshift shield
across his torso.
"Not fast enough, Yusuke-sama.
There goes your rose."
Yusuke sighed and lowered Blood
Soaked, running a hand through his hair with his free hand. "How could that not be fast enough?" he demanded.
"I think it was pretty damn quick, myself."
"Not fast enough," Hiei
said again from his vantage point amidst the roses, ten feet or so away from
Yusuke. "By the time you got
Blood Soaked on guard, a good Duelist like Touma could have leaned in and
flicked off your rose. Just like
that." He snapped his fingers
for effect.
"They can't be *that*
fast."
"Yes, they can,
Yusuke-sama."
"Stop calling me that, and I
don't see why you insist on drilling me through this move all the time.
It hasn't worked against me yet."
"That is not to say that it
won't out-do you in the future...Yusuke-sama."
"I dodge it all the time,"
Yusuke insisted.
"Yusuke-sama, lurching backward
and falling on your ass is not what I consider a dodge."
Yusuke pretended to look wounded.
"You're a cruel mentor. What
was I thinking when I asked you to do this...?
You should be more encouraging."
"I am encouraging you,
Yusuke-sama," Hiei assured him. "If
I wanted to be cruel, I'd tell you what you really fight like."
"And that would be?"
"I'm not telling you that - I'm
supposed to be encouraging."
"But now I want to know."
Hiei shook his head.
"No. It would be
disrespectful to you."
"So?
I don't care. And no one's
here, so you don't have to worry about what they think."
"No," the fire demon said
again. "I--"
"I really want to know,"
Yusuke interrupted. "Come on,
tell me: what do you really think of my fighting?"
"Yusuke-sama, it
wouldn't--"
"Remember all those
'equality/partners' talks we've been having...?"
Hiei exhaled sharply, but then...
"You fight like a blind, drunken baboon with broken kneecaps."
Yusuke flinched at the blatant
honesty, but couldn't quite keep a tiny smile from forming.
"...Yusuke-sama," Hiei
added, as though adding the title would somehow take the bite out of the words.
It didn't, but Yusuke found himself
chuckling, anyway. "Okay,
then. If you're such an expert,
show me how it's done."
Hiei shook his head.
"I cannot, Yusuke-sama. I've
told you before, only Duelists can use swords, and only the One Engaged can
wield Blood Soaked."
"Fine. Then come show me."
He placed his feet shoulder-width apart and held Blood Soaked with both
hands in front of him. "Please?
Just because you're not allowed to use a sword anymore doesn't mean you
don't know more about it than me."
Hiei studied him for a moment before
nodding. He stood and made his way
over slowly, looking contemplative. He
moved behind Yusuke and then put his arms around him, holding Yusuke's forearms.
"I think it's time we corrected
this for good... First, like I keep telling you, you're far too tense."
"I thought you had to keep a
solid stance...?"
"Yes, but there is a difference
between being solid and being wire-tense so that you can't react in time when an
opponent strikes. A solid stance
like that is good if you want to *take* a hit, but generally you want to avoid
being struck at all. Try it.
Just relax."
Yusuke
did as he was told, loosening his muscles a little, relaxing back into Hiei's
hold.
"Good. Now, you're right-handed, so left foot in back of the
other."
Yusuke moved his foot according to
the instructions, feeling Hiei move around to accommodate.
His left foot settled onto the ground perpendicular to the other.
"No, Yusuke.
Not like that."
"Why not?"
"If you try to turn around that
way, you'll trip over your own feet. Turn
your left foot straight, like your right, and make sure your feet aren't
*exactly* behind each other. ...That's
it. Now, there's your basic
stance."
Truthfully, it didn't feel much
different from his own version of the stance, but on some level, he knew he was
placed better to both give and receive blows.
"So...now what?"
"Now..." Hiei paused and
made a thoughtful noise. "Now
we... Ah." He broke away from
Yusuke and walked to one of the piles of bamboo and straw and picked up one of
the sticks. "Now we
spar."
"I thought you said you
couldn't spar with me."
"No, I said I couldn't use a
sword. I said nothing of
sparring." He gave Yusuke a
small smile and settled himself in a ready stance a few feet away.
"At first, I was going to wait until you knew a little more, but now
I realize that I might see my sixth century before that happens..."
"Hey," Yusuke protested
mildly, but he didn't take the insult personally.
Getting Hiei to joke and make sarcastic jabs was like pulling teeth these
days. "Okay, so come get
me."
"Go easy on me, hm?
Not only has it been six years since I've done this, but I'm also using a
stick."
"I'm sure you'll be fi--ACK!"
He sidestepped, narrowly avoiding
Hiei's lunge. He turned to get his
stance back and brought his blade up in time to block the next blow.
He closed one eye as chips from Hiei's staff flew about, pushing back
against the bamboo as Hiei tried to subdue him.
He tightened his grip on his sword and then shoved Hiei away, swinging
Blood Soaked as soon as he broke contact with the staff.
Hiei parried it, albeit barely, and
backpedaled. Yusuke followed, not
wanting to give him any opening to attack.
He swung Blood Soaked overhead, but Hiei blocked that, too, and then
moved the sword to the side, seamlessly turning Yusuke's strike into a dive.
Blood Soaked drove into the soft soil, and Yusuke almost fell over it.
"Damn it," he muttered
under his breath. He was
embarrassed, but not concerned. They
weren't, after all, really fighting.
"Ouch!"
But he hadn't expected Hiei to clip him over the head with the staff...
"What'd you do that for?!" he snapped, pulling Blood Soaked from the
ground and glaring at the demon.
Hiei was holding the bamboo behind
his back, almost trying to look innocent. "Yusuke-sama...I
honestly don't know how you've managed to win all this time... I'd dismiss it as
Beginner's Luck, but you've been winning for weeks..."
Yusuke gave him a wry smile as he
rubbed his head. "I'm
wondering how you managed to *lose* your Duel..."
Hiei kicked at the roses.
"It was a long time ago, Yusuke.
I wasn't thinking, I was arrogant, and I paid for it..."
Yusuke didn't request anymore
information. Instead, he held Blood
Soaked in both hands and grinned at the demon.
"You're going to pay for the bump on my head, that's for sure,"
he quipped, lunging at his friend and hoping to catch him off-guard.
He almost did. Hiei parried the blow, and soon they were dancing around the
Garden again. As the minutes ticked
by, Yusuke was able to deal as many blows as he was dealt.
The training was much more fun now that Hiei was actively participating
in it.
"Ow!" Hiei yelped, one
hand going from the staff to his mouth.
Yusuke flinched, realizing that he'd
clipped Hiei's knuckles with the flat of the blade. "Sorry."
"Don't apologize.
You're *supposed* to be trying to hit me, remember?"
Hiei waited until Yusuke nodded before lowering his eyes and sucking on
his hand.
Yusuke yawned and took a moment to
stretch. When he turned his gaze
back to Hiei, he blinked. His
friend was breathing deeply, leaning on the bamboo staff for support.
"Are you all right?" He
took a step forward and touched the demon's shoulder.
Hiei nodded and straightened.
"I'm sorry, Yusuke-sama. The
wristlets..." He trailed off with a shrug, as though those words explained
everything.
"Don't apologize, and stop
calling me that." In the weeks
that they'd been bonded, he still hadn't managed to kill most of Hiei's
submissive habits. "So they
affect your endurance, too?" he asked.
"They do."
"I see..." He shrugged and
settled Blood Soaked against his shoulder.
"Well, to tell you the truth, I'm a little tired and hungry.
Do you want to go back to the temple for something to eat?"
"If--"
"If you say, 'If that's what
you want,' I'll beat you with that stick."
Hiei's mouth quirked into a tiny
smile. "I'm hungry, too."
"Then let's go."
They collected their discarded
cloaks before leaving the Garden and heading back to the temple.
Part of him was surprised that he
was still allowed to keep his suite in the temple. He no longer negotiated with Maru or the rest of the Council.
Their supposed "negotiations" had been officially terminated
during the third meeting. Yusuke had politely declared that Toranin would be willing to
trade with Tenrai for many years to come, but that he was not interested in
having the nation join his third of Makai.
Maru and the Council had not seemed disappointed in the least.
But when he refused to relinquish his status as the One Engaged... Well,
they had been surprised, to put it mildly.
Surprised and angry, though they had hidden it well.
That had been nearly a month ago.
Since then, Yusuke had taken his role seriously.
So far, no opportunity for escape had come to them, yet, and if Yusuke
lost his claim on Hiei, perhaps the High Priest would be able to have him put
out of the nation. He couldn't let
that happen - especially since he was the only thing keeping Hiei safe from
those sick perverts. For awhile,
he'd wondered why the Council let him remain as a Duelist if he wasn't native to
Tenrai. Hiei had relayed that, no
matter how he'd received it, Yusuke possessed a real Rose Signet ring, and that
ring meant he was a Duelist, and no one could contest that fact. And of course, since he was not a native, the Duelists who
*were* constantly challenged him. While
Maru couldn't directly go against the will of his gods and interfere with the
Duel, he *could* use the Duel to try and do away with Yusuke.
So, Yusuke had decided that the only
way to beat swordsmen...was to join them. On
the night that he'd won their bet, he'd told Hiei what he wanted: To learn how
to fight with a sword. Who better
to teach him the sword than someone who'd practically been born holding one?
Hiei wasn't the best - and he'd be the first one to admit it - but he
*was* really, really good.
Besides, the lessons were a good way
to get the old Hiei to come out and play. Once
they really starting getting into it, Hiei would start acting like his old self.
He'd poke fun at Yusuke's pride, and he'd drop that stupid suffix.
So, Duels and nosy politicians aside, Tenrai wasn't bad at all.
But then, there were the dreams he'd
been having since his arrival. Every
night, he dreamt about Hiei. He
couldn't remember all of the details, but in each dream, he and Hiei were
lovers. And each morning, he would
wake up with Hiei cuddled in his arms.
And the only scary thing about
*that* was that he was starting to really like it... ~*~
"We've less than a week, your Holiness..."
Maru heard Ruka's voice, but he did
not turn around. He was aware of
the time. Whatever gods Yusuke
prayed to, they favored him greatly. Despite
the numerous challenges, he had gone undefeated.
How were the followers of Triton supposed to acquire their Miracle if an
outsider - who likely didn't even *know* about Triton - was admitted to the Hall
of Engagement?
He chose his words carefully as he
replied. "Ruka...I believe
we've allowed this game to go on long enough.
We've...very little time left. If
something is not done, we may lose another chance."
Ruka didn't answer right away.
"...Then you would like us to...?"
"I would like to think that
Triton would condone an attempt to keep the tradition from being corrupt.
We really don't have a choice."
"Your Holiness...do you think
it's possible for an outsider to enter the Hall?"
"I do not know," he
admitted, "but it's a chance I don't really want to take." ~*~
"I'm *starving*," Yusuke pronounced, slamming the door to their
chambers for emphasis. "We
left before breakfast, even."
"You said that you wanted a
long, hard workout," Hiei reminded him, crossing the room and flopping onto
the bed. "I did only as you
asked."
"I didn't say it was your
fault, I just said I was hungry." Yusuke's
stomach grumbled its agreement. "My
tummy says it's time to eat."
His friend chuckled.
"Tell it to wait while I ring for a servant."
"I don't know," Yusuke
replied uncertainly. He rested his
palms on his abdomen. "It can
get pretty cranky when it doesn't get its way..." He pulled out one of the
chairs and plopped into it. When he
glanced at the table, he blinked in surprise.
"Hiei, wait."
"What is it?"
Yusuke picked up the sealed letter.
"A challenge."
"How surprising."
The seal broke easily enough, and
within seconds Yusuke was unfolding the letter.
/I wonder who...?/ "To
the One Engaged,
I will Duel with you this afternoon.
I will meet you in the Garden at the toll of the mid-afternoon
bell."
"Mid-afternoon bell?" Yusuke echoed aloud.
"Today?"
"Today?"
Hiei repeated, striding across the room to read the letter over Yusuke's
shoulder. "But...it's not done
that way. Challenges must be given
a day in advance."
"Apparently not."
Yusuke tossed the thick paper back onto the table.
"Shit."
"No time to eat,
Yusuke-sama." Hiei sounded
apologetic. "If you will be
Dueling, we have to get ready now."
"I know."
He stood and rubbed his eyes. "These
Duelists will be the death of me, yet, damn it..."
Hiei said nothing as he went to the
closet to get their clothes ready. ~*~
It was windier by the time they returned to the Garden.
Yusuke closed his eyes as rose petals blew in his face.
The winds atop the high structure were merciless.
They waited in their usual positions in the center of the flower bed,
Yusuke shifting from one foot to the other in impatience.
As they waited, he quickly reviewed the different styles of the numerous
Duelists he'd fought over the weeks.
When his challenger appeared at the
top of the stairs, he heard Hiei inhale sharply.
He cast his friend a sidelong glance, and then returned his gaze to the
approaching Duelist. His eyes
widened of their own accord.
It was Chiran.
Then it hit him. Of all the Duels he'd fought since achieving his status, he'd
never once faced Chiran again. He'd
avoided the man as much as he was able to, since he simply couldn't stand the
sight of him.
"I hate him," he said
softly. Just the *thought* of what
that bastard had done to Hiei every night made him want to tear his skin off in
strips - and pour salt water on them for good measure.
"I hate him, too," Hiei
replied.
When the Duelist reached them, he
flashed them a bright smile. "The
day's greeting to you, Yusuke, Hiei."
Yusuke acknowledged him with a curt
nod. Hiei returned the greeting
with an even stare, and then spoke softly to Yusuke.
"You can beat him. I
know you can."
Chiran was staring at him
expectantly. In the distance, the
bells started tolling.
Yusuke nodded. "I'm ready when you are."
"Very well," the Duelist
conceded. He drew his blade from
its scabbard. "Draw your
sword."
Yusuke reached out and hovered his
hand over Hiei's heart. In the
weeks they'd been living together, their compatibility had, if anything, grown
even stronger. Seconds later, the
familiar blue-white aura that signified Blood Soaked's summon was pulsating,
growing brighter...and then the blade appeared.
Yusuke curled his fingers around the hilt and gently pulled it out of
Hiei's body, his other hand moving to rest on his friend's waist in case he went
limp.
When the blade was drawn, Hiei took
a moment to compose himself, and then he bent to gather the roses.
He pinned one quickly on Yusuke's coat, and then did the same for Chiran.
Yusuke watched the other Duelist the whole time, making sure he kept his
hands to himself, but the man didn't misbehave.
In seemed as though Hiei was right.
Chiran *was* a perverted asshole, but he really did abide by the rules of
the Duel.
Hiei moved away. "If your rose petals are scattered, you lose."
On his way by, he squeezed Yusuke's hand.
"Solid stance," he reminded him quietly, "but not like a
rock. Don't trip over your own feet."
"Thanks."
Chiran flashed him another wide
grin. "Shall we? It's certainly been a long time since I've seen you..."
"I can't say that disappoints
me," Yusuke muttered, extending Blood Soaked's blade to touch Chiran's.
The two metals met, and the Duel
began.
Chiran moved first, beginning the
battle with a lunge accompanied by a sharp thrust.
Yusuke pivoted, watched the blade sail by, and then shoved Chiran's body.
He'd hoped to perhaps muddle the other Duelist's balance, but the
straw-haired demon only stumbled and quickly regained his footing.
"I certainly hope that you have
more than that in your repertoire," Chiran mused, rushing forward to
deliver a short series of slashes. "Otherwise,
I don't know how you've managed to remain the One Engaged for this long."
Yusuke was able to deflect each
blow, but his return strikes were also parried.
He remembered what Kirander had said about Chiran being good at studying
styles. Perhaps the other Duelists
had shared their experience with him...? "All
that matters is that I'm the One Engaged and you're not," he retorted.
He knew it sounded somewhat childish, but it was true enough.
"Ah," the demon sighed,
"but why are you Engaged, Yusuke?"
/What kind of stupid question is
that?/ "Why do you
think?" /I believe I've made
that clear several times./ He
parried another blow.
"Oh, I'm not sure."
Chiran blocked Yusuke's overhead slash, and then Yusuke had to move his
blade to the side to defend himself against the demon's counterattack.
"You've been here much longer than you've told others you would
be."
"What?"
"It's a shame you don't have a
twin or something, isn't it?" Chiran
chuckled as he parried another of Yusuke's blows.
"What do you mean?" he
demanded. /What...?/
The demon's wicked smile made Yusuke
want to punch him. "How long
did you plan to stay in Tenrai, Yusuke?"
"W-what?" Yusuke faltered,
and nearly blocked a thrust too late.
"You seem to have a lot of time
to waste here... I guess you don't have anyone to go home to, hm?" "...I'll still be gone for a couple of days. Maybe a week..."
"I-I--"
"Or do you?" Chiran
prodded. "Is there someone in
your homeland waiting for you, Yusuke?"
"And you said you wouldn't be
gone long, right?"
"I'll be gone for a few days.
A week at most."
/Keiko.../ "I..."
"So there is."
Yusuke backpedaled to avoid a swipe.
"What business is it of yours?"
"Does she taste as good as the
Honor Bound?" Chiran inquired.
His grip on Blood Soaked tightened.
"Shut up."
"I wonder what she thinks of
you screwing Hiei."
"Asshole!" Yusuke snapped.
"I am not--"
"When did you tell her you'd be
back, Yusuke?"
He faltered again.
He knew what Chiran was doing...but the words hurt, anyway, because they
were the truth... "Shut up," he said again.
"I wonder what she's feeling
right now... Angry, perhaps... Or maybe she's lonely? It's been a long time since you've seen each other, hasn't
it?" "And you said you wouldn't be gone long, right?"
Yusuke glared. "You shut up. You
know nothing, you hear me? Nothing!"
"I know that if I had a lover,
I wouldn't be in a foreign land playing with swords and hopping into bed with
someone else."
Even coming from Chiran, the words
were arrows through Yusuke's heart. /Keiko...
I didn't even...think of.../ In all the time he'd been Dueling, not once had
he...thought about...
"I
wonder how you've hurt her?"
"Shut up!" With
Blood Soaked shaking in his hands, Yusuke dashed toward the other Duelist with
speed he didn't know he possessed. Instead
of going for the rose on Chiran's breast, as the demon probably expected, he
went for the man's legs. He kicked
Chiran in the shin, and when the Duelist yelped in pain, Yusuke punched him in
the stomach. The demon doubled-over
with a grunt, and then Yusuke slashed upwards.
Chiran bent back to avoid being sliced by Blood Soaked's blade, and
Yusuke took the opportunity to flick his rose off.
The bright red petals scattered and
were carried away by the wind. Yusuke
watched them flutter away, stepping away from Chiran and turning his back to the
other Duelist. "Don't ever
talk about my lover that way," he muttered, mostly to himself.
He heard Chiran clear his throat.
"You...Yusuke...are truly...an oddity.
Not a swordsman, but a blademaster at the same time..."
He gave the straw-haired demon one
last glance over his shoulder, but said nothing.
/You're such a bastard...but you're right... I *do* have someone waiting
for me.../
When he turned his head frontward
again, Hiei was there, wrapping his arms around Yusuke's middle.
It took Yusuke a moment to realize what he was doing; hugging had become
a sort of ritual for them after a Duel. It
had begun the first time Yusuke had defeated Anther, even after being knocked
over more times than he cared to remember.
Since Yusuke had given Hiei an enthusiastic hug after the Duel, the
action had become almost mandatory.
Yusuke stared at the smaller figure
leaning against his body. His hands
rested on Hiei's shoulders, and he swallowed.
/Keiko...how long has it been...since I held you like this...?/ "And you said you wouldn't be gone long, right?"
He swallowed again and broke away
from the embrace. He turned away
from his friend and started walking out of the Garden.
A few seconds later, he heard footsteps following him, and realized it
was Hiei. But the fire demon didn't
come to walk beside him, and Yusuke didn't insist.
He needed to be alone with his thoughts, and Hiei probably knew that. ~*~ "And you said you wouldn't be gone long, right?"
"I did," Yusuke murmured
mournfully. "But I lied, I
guess... I didn't know...I..." And he hadn't realized, either.
He'd been living in Tenrai for nearly a month with Hiei, and not *once*
had he stopped to seriously contemplate how Keiko would feel about his absence.
/I'm so stupid... So insensitive... So.../
He moved closer and looked over the
side of the Garden. It was no
wonder Hiei liked being there so often; the flower bed was a wonderfully
relaxing place - when one wasn't Dueling in it, that is.
He wrapped his cloak tighter around
himself as another gust of wind whipped about him. He'd left for the Garden after a few hours of brooding in his
room, and had been in the flower bed ever since. The night air was much cooler than the winds during the day.
/I should go inside soon, I guess.../ "...it's been awhile since we've done anything romantic..."
Keiko's voice again.
It had been so long since he'd heard her voice... Oh, he missed
her...but...Hiei...
"Come away from the edge... You
might fall..."
The words were soft, hesitant.
No doubt Hiei was wondering if he'd be welcome.
Yusuke inhaled deeply and took a step back.
"Hiei...I've been here for nearly a month..."
"...I know."
He studied the roses at his feet.
"...I told Keiko I'd only be gone for a week."
"...I see..."
He chuckled bitterly.
"I haven't seen her smile... I haven't heard her laugh... I haven't
made dinner for her... I haven't kissed her or touched her...in...so
long..." He rubbed his eyes. "All
I've been doing is Dueling and lounging around...and in the meantime my
girlfriend is at home, struggling with the bills..." He turned to face Hiei.
"She's probably wondering where I am...or if I've gone for
good..."
"Yusuke-sama...if you are so
unhappy, why don't you just leave?"
"I can't," he replied
bitterly.
"Yes, you can."
Hiei took a step forward. "All
you have to do is lose your next Duel, and you'll be free."
"No, I can't!" Yusuke
snapped. Hiei just couldn't see...!
"But you can!" the demon
insisted. "You could--"
"I *can't*!" he shouted,
lurching forward and grabbing Hiei's shoulders. "I can't leave! I
can't go back home! And it's all
your fault!" He dug his
fingers into Hiei's skin through his clothes and started shaking his friend.
"It's your fault!" he shouted angrily.
"Your fault! I can't go
because of *you*!" He thought
Hiei was saying something, but he didn't listen.
"I can't just leave you here in the hands of some other
perverted--!" He shook Hiei
harder. "It's your fault!
It *all* your fault! I can't
go home! I can't see Keiko! I
can't see Keiko because of *you*!"
He continued shaking the fire demon,
shouting at him in a mad rage, but not really hearing himself scream.
Hiei wasn't resisting, allowing himself to be rattled, muttering
"I'm sorry" on every breath. And
somehow, that just made Yusuke angrier.
He threw Hiei to the ground and
knelt over him, pressing him to the grass.
For a brief moment, he actually considered beating Hiei for making him
stay here, for letting Yusuke throw him around, for being such a doormat...for
everything... But he didn't. Instead,
he loosened his grip and opened his eyes.
Hiei's eyes were closed, his
features twisted into an apprehensive frown - as though expecting to be struck,
or maybe even... Yusuke realized what he'd been doing, and his anger melted.
It was quickly replaced by sorrow and longing.
"Keiko," he moaned
mournfully. He moved his hands from
Hiei's shoulders to place them flat on the grass. "Keiko, I'm sorry..." She was probably worried
sick, or maybe even furious that he'd left her when they had run into a rough
spot... "Keiko, I miss you..."
Hiei blinked up at him, an
expression of apology and realization on his face.
"You...miss her still..."
Then he smiled; a tiny, sad smile. "Of
course you miss her... You love her..."
But Yusuke only half-heard his
friend's words. "I said I'd be
back in a few days... I lied... I'm so sorry, Keiko... So sorry..."
Hiei was starting to look tormented.
"I'm sorry, Yusuke-sama... It *is* my fault... You can't be with the
one you love...because of me..."
"Keiko and I..." Yusuke
choked out, aware of how close to sobbing he was, "we...we promised to see
stars together when I came back..."
"Stars?" Hiei echoed
quietly, raising himself on his elbows.
"I'm so sorry, Keiko... I
just... I..."
Hiei slid out from under him and
moved away. Yusuke didn't look up
to see where he was going. He
didn't care at the moment. He
didn't... /Keiko...don't be angry with me... Gods, please don't be angry with
me.../ She had seemed so eager for his return, and he...he'd left her promising
to come back, as he always had. Had
she been evicted from her apartment? Was
she all right?
Then he felt the hand run gently
through his hair, and he was enfolded in a comforting hug from behind.
"What...?" he breathed,
shocked out of his reverie. He
turned in the embrace and Hiei released him.
"What are you...?"
Hiei averted his eyes.
"I'm not Keiko," he began in a tiny voice, "but
maybe..." He took Yusuke's face and slowly tilted his head up.
Yusuke blinked. The Garden
was so high up that the lights of the city below did not affect the view of the
stars. He could see them all: sparkling diamonds, streams of silver,
glimmering clusters... "Maybe Keiko is looking at the stars tonight,"
Hiei went on quietly, "thinking about you... Maybe if you look at them,
too, you'll still be able to see stars together..."
Yusuke's mouth worked, but no sound
came out. /Hiei.../ He slowly got
to his feet and looked up at the sea of stars above him. It was beautiful... /Keiko...are you looking at this, too?
Do you know...how much I miss you...?/
He watched a shooting star soar by, and then turned to Hiei.
The demon was walking away from the
Garden, hands in his pockets, head slightly bowed.
"Hiei."
His friend stopped and looked over
his shoulder. "Yes,
Yusuke-sama?"
"Where are you going?"
The demon shrugged.
"Somewhere else. I
don't want to intrude..."
Yusuke cleared his throat, but then
asked, "Do you want to look at the stars with me?"
Hiei hesitated. "If you want me to."
"But do *you* want to?"
Hiei hesitated again, looking from
Yusuke to the sky to Yusuke once more. "Yes,"
he said at last. "I'd...like
it. Very much."
Yusuke smiled and sat down on the
grass amongst the roses, gesturing for Hiei to join him. The fire demon did so, sitting exactly where Yusuke had
pointed: right next to him, so close that they were touching.
"I wonder if there are
constellations in the Demon World," Yusuke wondered, studying the sky.
"There are," Hiei
answered. "I just never paid
much attention to them."
"You don't look at the
stars?"
Hiei shrugged. "Not really. I
usually have more pressing matters to attend to..."
Yusuke smiled. "Usually I do, too.
But sometimes... Sometimes it's nice just to stop worrying about
everything and just concentrate on the little things."
Hiei shrugged again.
"Sometimes we don't have enough time for that..."
"There's always time to stop
and smell the flowers. I wish I
could be that one," he went on, pointing up to the shooting star.
"So I could soar out of here."
"Oh?" Hiei answered,
following his finger.
"Yeah... I'd probably fly
around for a bit - to see the roses and towers from above - but then I'd
definitely fly away from here and head home."
"Home?" Hiei repeated, as
though the word were foreign to him.
"Uh-huh. Home... I'd just fly away..."
"Would..." Hiei paused to
swallow, aiming his gaze at the blades of grass. "...Would you take me with you, when you flew
away...?"
Yusuke blinked down at him.
"Sure... Didn't think I'd leave you here, did you?"
Hiei shrugged a third time.
"Maybe you would. I'm
easy to forget about."
"Says who?" Yusuke
demanded.
"Yusuke...how many times have
you thought of me these last six years?"
/Good point,/ Yusuke admitted.
They had all moved on, years ago. They
kept in contact when possible, but for the most part... "It doesn't mean
that I like you any less..." If anything, now he liked Hiei *more*...*much*
more...
"I know that.
You just have more important things to think about."
"Don't say that."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't say that, either."
Hiei gave him a wry smile.
He reached over and took Yusuke's hand, holding it gently over his heart.
The blue-white aura started to pulsate, and Yusuke's hand was gently
shoved away as Blood Soaked's hilt started to materialize.
Yusuke blinked. "Hiei? What
are you doing?" There were no
opponents here, no Duel to fight...
"You can kill me now, if you
want."
"What?!"
Where the hell did *that* come from?
"Take the sword, kill me, and
then you can say you don't want to remain Engaged.
You could go home - back to Keiko."
Yusuke glared. "Stupid bastard."
He shoved Blood Soaked back inside with a little more force than was
actually needed, his palm slamming Hiei's chest and wringing a surprised cough
out of him. "What the hell is
wrong with you? I'd *never* do
that." Again, he seriously
contemplated smacking Hiei around - if only to beat some sense into him.
"I'm going to die,
anyway," Hiei muttered, almost too low for Yusuke to hear.
"I'd rather get it over with quickly."
But Yusuke *did* hear, and his jaw
had dropped at the first sentence. "Wait
a minute! What do you mean, you're
going to die, anyway?"
Hiei started and bit his lip,
looking as though he wished he'd kept his mouth shut.
"Yusuke-sama--"
"Tell me."
The words fell from Yusuke's lips like boulders.
"*Tell* me!"
The fire demon took a moment to
answer, and when he did, the words came slowly, hesitantly. "Maru...explained to you about the Hall of Engagement,
did he not?" Yusuke nodded
once, curtly. Hiei drew his knees
up and wrapped his arms around them. "Then
surely Maru told you that Duelists don't fight for the right to keep the Honor
Bound just so they can have him... Duelists fight for the right to be able to
enter the Hall of Engagement with the Honor Bound and have their Miracle.
If the Honor Bound they chose is the 'right' one, then he and the One
Engaged are admitted to the Hall, the One Engaged gets his wishes fulfilled, and
this nation will be given their Miracles."
"So...why are you going to
die?"
"Because no one has ever made
it into the Hall. As far as anyone
knows, the Hall only opens by using the Honor Bound's spirit. The Hall and the Honor Bound work rather like the One
Engaged, the Honor Bound, and Blood Soaked.
If there is no compatibility between the One Engaged and the Honor Bound,
Blood Soaked won't appear. Similarly,
if there is no connection between the Honor Bound and the Hall of
Engagement...then the spirit of the Honor Bound is killed during the ritual.
The Honor Bound dies, and the One Engaged either chooses to resign, or he
battles the next prospective Honor Bound to claim him - like Hiro did to me.
There has yet to be an Honor Bound admitted to the Hall, and I highly
doubt it will be me."
Yusuke took several deep breaths.
"How...how long before an Honor Bound is supposed to try and enter
the Hall?"
"Six and a half years,"
Hiei replied quietly.
Yusuke blinked. Why did that...? "Six
and a half years?" he breathed. Yusuke had been in Tenrai for... "Hiei, how long have you been Honor Bound?" "Six years, four months, and three weeks."
Yusuke gasped and seized one of
Hiei's ankles. "Then you...
I've been here..."
Hiei nodded. "I have less than a week left."
/No... No.../ "Why didn't you
*tell* me?" Yusuke hissed. "Why
keep such things from me?"
"I thought... I didn't...want
to burden you with something you couldn't change... And you said...that you
might be able to find a way for us to get out, so I..." Hiei started to
inch away. "I should have made
you go home... I'm sorry... I--"
Yusuke reached out and hooked an arm
around Hiei's shoulders, keeping him close.
"Hiei... I..." /No... No, no.../
"Don't, Yusuke-sama."
Hiei lowered his head. "Please
don't feel guilty."
"I could have tried
harder," Yusuke moaned hopelessly, hugging Hiei closer.
How could this be happening...? How...?
Hiei was going to die... One of his closest friends, who'd he been
drawing closer to over the last few weeks... The one he was supposed to be
defending... What kind of protector was he if, after all this time, his efforts
to rescue Hiei were futile? He
pressed Hiei closer, and the demon turned his head to rest his cheek against
Yusuke's chest. "I'm... Hiei, why... *Why*...?"
"I should have forced you to
leave earlier," Hiei muttered. "I
should have insisted that you go home... I knew you would feel responsible... I
knew you would feel inadequate... I should never have hoped that you would find
a way out... I can't believe I put so much on your shoulders..." Hiei
looked up at him. "Yusuke...please...go
back... Go back to Keiko. You
shouldn't have to go through this... Don't be sad for me, Yusuke... Don't
be..."
"Bastard," Yusuke hissed.
"I'm not leaving without you - don't even *suggest* it.
I could never leave you behind because I... I..." He couldn't say
it; what he felt, he couldn't put into words.
The weeks he'd spent with Hiei...they were closer now than they'd ever
been. He noticed that his right
hand had cupped Hiei's cheek, and his thumb was stroking the fire demon's
cheekbone. His friend was staring
up at him with a mixture of tenderness and confusion.
"I..." He gave up trying to articulate, and decided to act.
He touched his lips to Hiei's,
barely brushing them, innocently feeling the softness. He'd kissed Hiei before, but this time... This time it had
nothing to do with Blood Soaked. He
became a little braver, and leaned further in, putting more pressure on Hiei's
closed mouth. Hiei tilted his head
a little ways more to the side, and then they parted their lips, making the
touch much more intimate. Yusuke
leaned further yet, so that Hiei was leaning a little back on his hands with
Yusuke balancing himself on one hand, his other still holding Hiei's cheek...
/Keiko.../
He pulled back. What was he doing? He
had Keiko... He had her first... He couldn't... He looked at Hiei - at the
panting mouth, the parted lips, the half-lidded eyes...
He groaned and went back to the
welcoming mouth, his tongue gliding along Hiei's lower lip before slipping
inside to tangle with his. He
turned to sit on his ankles and cupped Hiei's face with both hands. Hiei responded by sitting up and doing the same so they could
be closer together. Yusuke
whimpered. Hiei tasted...good... So
like Keiko, but in a different way... /Keiko.../
He pulled away again.
/Gods, what am I doing... I can't... I mean... Keiko.../
Hiei averted his eyes.
"Yusuke...make your choice - whatever it may be... But, please...
Don't tease me..."
Make his choice...?
But how could he choose...? Keiko...
Hiei... He... He cared for them both, he wanted them both... Gods, why couldn't
he have *both*?
"Is it..." he stopped to
swallow, "...is it possible to care for two people...?"
Hiei looked uncertain.
"...Does it...feel wrong?"
He considered it.
"...Not exactly...but..." /Keiko... I had Keiko first... I.../
He held his shorter friend close and rubbed his cheek against the soft, dark
hair. "...It's late.
We should head inside..."
"...If that's what you
want."
"We'll talk inside, and we'll
figure out what to do as far as getting out of here goes..."
They stood and brushed themselves
off before leaving the Garden. But
when they fell into step beside each other on their way out, Yusuke put an arm
around Hiei's waist. The demon
returned their gesture, giving Yusuke a little squeeze.
They were silent as they walked down
the stairs, but once they'd reached the bottom, Hiei leaned closer and rested
his cheek on Yusuke's arm. "...Are
you sure you want to stay? ...I
wouldn't hold it against you if you left, you know... I don't have much time
left to hold grudges..."
"Stop talking like that."
Yusuke stopped and pulled Hiei into another tight embrace.
"This stupid Duel hasn't beaten us yet.
There's still time. We'll
find a way, I'm sure of it."
"I--"
Hiei abandoned whatever he'd been
about to say when the lights in the courtyard went out.
They were plunged into darkness.
Yusuke released his friend and
raised his head with a, "What the--?"
And then, the side of his head
exploded.
The pain was sharp at first, and
then faded. For a moment, Yusuke
could only stand still and watch the stars dance in his field of vision.
Seconds later, the throbbing began.
"W-what...?"
"Yusuke!" Hiei cried.
Yusuke turned to face his friend -
or tried to. Something held him
back, covered his eyes, and hit him again.
And again...and again... Blow after blow... The pain--
"*Yusuke*!" Hiei was
starting to sound panicked. "Let
me go! Yusuke!"
He heard himself yelp when one of
the fists struck his solar plexus. It
hurt...it hurt so much... He was... He couldn't move... /Too many... I.../ It
was all happening so fast... He wished he would pass out, so he wouldn't be able
to feel anymore...
"*Yusuke*!"
/Hiei.../ Were they hurting him,
too? /No...why would...?/
"Stop it! Leave him alone!"
/Hiei... Damn, it hurts.../ He felt
something - blood - trickling from his nose...
"What--?" one of his
attackers faltered, and then the hands were gone, and he was thrown to the
ground.
"Who--?"
Another voice. Yusuke thought he knew who it was...
There were sounds of a struggle, but
Yusuke didn't move to see what was going on.
He heard feet scuffling and assorted voices, and a moment later someone
knelt by his side and touched his face.
"Yusuke...?"
Hiei.
"Yusuke...? Say something?"
He wanted to. He really did. But
the pain was rippling through him in overlapping waves. Even his tongue felt like it was swollen... He wasn't sure if
he could speak...
"...Yusuke..." Hiei pulled
the cloth away from his face, but he didn't open his eyes.
He was...
"How is he?"
A new voice. But it sounded...familiar...
"I don't know," Hiei
replied.
"Go for help, then."
He could hear the confusion in
Hiei's tone. "But...I can't
just--"
"Go, Honor Bound.
I will stay with him."
"But--"
"I will not harm him, and it
would be best if he were to be carried in a litter to his rooms.
I will watch him until help comes."
Hiei didn't move at first, but then
he brushed Yusuke's cheek with the back of his hand and drew away.
"I'll be back soon," Yusuke heard him whisper.
The pain was beginning to get the
better of him. He was...he...
"Stay strong," the unknown
demon murmured. "Help will be
here shortly."
Yusuke didn't care.
He was spinning in blackness...
...He was falling...
...Falling... |
|
While Mina Lightstar and/or any featured authors do not
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