Shy

by KatiKat
 

"Here you are."

Takamichi was leaning against the trunk of a mighty tree, hands resting on his bent kness. It was a hot summer day, too hot to stay imprisoned among thousands of dusty scrolls in the palace. So when he finished his work for the day, he went for a walk, then sat down in the shadow of a tree to rest for a moment. The breeze coming from the lake just steps away cooled his overheated skin and the sound of waves relaxed him, making his eyelids droop.

The green-haired man turned his head to the newcomer. "Tomomasa-dono," he greeted the other man, but he felt too hot and too tired to get up and bow as custom demanded.

The General fanned himself. The heat was getting to him too. "You found yourself a nice spot here, my friend."

Takamichi's lids felt so heavy. "Just like you always find me," he answered. When he realized what he had said, he felt like slapping his hand over his mouth, but the words were already out. Tomomasa's fan stopped in mid-movement and the taller man looked down at him with a searching gaze and raised eyebrows. Takamichi lowered his head, blushing furiously.

Letting the young official off the hook, Tomomasa scanned the vast blue mirror of the sparkling water with his gaze. "The water must be pretty cool." Then as if an idea suddenly popped up in his head, he closed the fan with a click and slapped the palm of his left hand with it. "Why don't we take advantage of it?"

The General's last sentence finally managed to penetrate Takamichi's overheated mind. He blinked and when he realized what the other man was suggesting, his head shot up, eyes like saucers behind his glasses. "Tomomasa-dono! You can't...!"

Tomomasa raised one eyebrow and looked at Takamichi. "And why not?" He waved his hand holding the fan around. "Do you see here anybody else besides us? We have the whole lake to ourselves." Then he dropped the fan in the grass and reached for his belt.

"Tomomasa-dono!" Takamichi cried out, alarmed and jumped to his feet, reaching out to stop Tomomasa’s hands at the belt.

The General fluttered his lashes. "Such eagerness. I wouldn't have thought you had it in you, Takamichi. Do you want to help me undress?"

With a look of horror, Takamichi almost leaped back, lifting his hands as if he burned himself. "No. No! That is...! You...! What if somebody comes and sees you... us?" He quickly looked around, cheeks flushed, eyes wild.

Tomomasa simply grinned at him and let his clothes drop to the ground around his now bare feet, exposing his skin to the sun. He raised his arms over his head, stretching leisurely, for a moment looking like a big content cat. "Hm, that feels so good," he said, stepping out of the bundle of clothes. Unashamed, he propped his hands on his hips and turned his noble nakedness to his friend. "Won't you join me?"

Takamichi averted his gaze quickly, blushing deep. "Tomomasa-dono!" he whispered indignantly.

"Ah, you are too serious, Takamichi," he laughed and with languid steps, he moved closer to the young official. "Now, lets see what holds this armour you call clothes together." He raised his hands, his long fingers opening the golden clasp before Takamichi could even utter a word.

"Tomomasa-dono!" Takamichi stepped back again, but the orange robe he wore over his deep green kimono already slid from his shoulders and dropped to the dry, grassy earth. Even through his outrage, Takamichi felt the sudden cool touch of the breeze, the heat growing less pronounced. The green-haired man closed his eyes and a sigh of appreciation escaped his lips.

"See?" The General smiled widely, then took a step closer. "Now the rest..."

Takamichi's eyes shot open and holding his clothes tightly, he took another step back. "No!"

Tomomasa frowned, crossing his arms over his naked chest. "My prudish young friend, either you undress yourself or I will do it for you. Your cheeks are flushed and your eyes are turning glassy. You are so overheated that you will get heatstroke if you don't cool down." The General was stern, his tone the one he used to bark out orders on a battle field.

To be honest, Takamichi really did feel slightly dizzy, and when he threw a look at the smooth surface of the lake it did call out to him. He sighed and succumbed to the unstoppable force of nature that was General Tachibana.

"Alright, but I will do it myself. And you won't look!" he added quickly.

Tomomasa rolled his eyes, then turned around and with the graceful steps of a big cat he walked down the bank to immerse himself into the cool clean water.

Takamichi looked around for the last time, then put his glasses carefully aside and pulled his clothes off quickly. Before Tomomasa could emerge from the blue deep, he joined him among the gently slapping waves.

The End