Scars Of Kismet

*Epilogue

By Sakata Ri Houjun

 

~***~

 

Chichiri awoke to find sunlight streaming through the windows to cast golden shadows across the empty bed.  At first, his heart contracted in fear that Tasuki left him alone.  But then he drew in a deep breath, inhaling the scent of his lover that was still clinging to his skin, and he knew that it was a foolish, fleeting thought.

 

He had given himself freely again to Tasuki, but this time fully aware of his thoughts and emotions.  And even though the first time would remain with him, this second time was much more gratifying.  He sighed as he replayed the events of yesterday over and over again in his head, feeling his mind reeling with desire and not feeling ashamed once for feeling this way about Tasuki.

 

He wondered briefly if Kouji knew what had happened and if his lover’s best friend had forgiven him for his stupidity.  But then his mind returned to thoughts of Tasuki and when he would return again for he wanted to spend every remaining moment of his life with his love, never wanting to return to his solitude ever again after tasting such bliss and happiness.

 

The door then creaked open, announcing the arrival of Tasuki who was clad only in his discarded pants from yesterday, and bearing a tray laden with fruit.  The older man immediately sat up, feeling an almost goofy grin spreading across his face at the sight of his love.  He arranged the blanket across his lap as the redhead sat beside him, placing the tray between them.

 

“Ohayo, no da.”

 

Tasuki stole a quick kiss before replying, “Ohayo to you too.  I was wondering if you would ever join the land of the living.”

 

Chichiri chuckled slightly.  “Usually that’s my line, na no da.”

 

“Yeah, well, the damned rain’s finally stopped.”  He sent a pointed glance out the window.

 

“So I’ve noticed…” he replied while running fingers through the sun-spangled locks of his lover.

 

“I think that’s what woke me up.”

 

Chichiri pouted slightly.  “And you left me, no da.”

 

Tasuki stuck out his tongue.  “That was payback for when you abandoned me the other day.”  For a moment, the monk looked remorseful until Tasuki reached over and lightly traced his love’s lips with his finger.  “But I forgive you, Chiri.”  He then kissed the cerulean-haired man, putting all his sincere emotions behind that action to dispel any doubts that Chichiri might have had.

 

When the monk pulled away, his gaze was drawn briefly to the platter of fruit. The arrangement of cut peaches, pears, and other such delicacies made his stomach give a slight growl as he realized that it had been over a day since he had last eaten anything.  And he looked back up with his eyebrows arched.

 

“Breakfast, no da?”

 

“Or lunch, depends on your way of thinking…” Tasuki shrugged.

 

Chichiri smiled devilishly.  “How thoughtful, Tasuki.  Remind me to thank you, no da…”

 

The monk’s eye never left his lover’s as he reached between them with his left hand and gently took a hold of a piece of fruit.  And almost like asking permission with his gaze, he waited for a moment before bringing the pear to his lips to bite. 

 

Tasuki smiled, his expression melting into one of heated lust and promises yet to be fulfilled as he thought about ways Chichiri could thank him.  The intense and unabashed desire with which he had pinned the older man with proved to be too much and Chichiri demurely averted his eye as a pink stain colored his cheeks.

 

In that instant, with the monk’s gaze directed elsewhere and his left arm still help up, Tasuki noticed the faint pale streaks crisscrossing his forearm.  A cold chill raced through his body, stealing his smile as it always did whenever he spotted those old scars.  For years, since coming to know the older man, he had known they were there.  But just as Chichiri never talked openly about the scar on his face, the bandit knew his love would never open up about those scars on his arms.

 

But it wasn’t that he needed Chichiri to tell him to know what they were.  He had similar scars on his body, made during the times whenever he had lost a friend, either bandit or seishi, and found the grief too much to bear.  It had been several years since the last one was made, having long since matured, a fact that was partially due to Chichiri.

 

He wondered briefly if had Chichiri died back then or even during the years of traveling together, would he have lapsed back and hurt himself again to ease that pain.  If that were the case, then he would have certainly ended up killing himself because that loss would have been too painful to carry alone. 

 

But he wasn’t alone anymore, was he?

 

Chichiri looked back up and Tasuki quickly wiped those thoughts from his face, knowing that his old friend and now lover would easily have read those emotions.  His golden eyes took in a stream of juice trickling from the corner of the older man’s mouth, if either left there for his benefit or if the monk was distracted, he didn’t know.

 

Without a word, he leaned forward and gently ran his tongue along Chichiri’s chin, tasting the sweet mixture of pear juice and his lover’s skin.  He drew away as he rolled that taste in his mouth, loving the unique flavor that he knew no one else had even tried.

 

Wanting more of that delicacy, he pushed the older man back onto the bed and straddled his thighs with a smirk.  The cerulean-haired man didn’t protest at this action, even when his lover nabbed another pear from the tray and proceeded to accept his gratitude in new and imaginative ways.