Both Shinta and Aoshi are very different in this series of stories. Shinta has all kinds of mental baggage�he was forced into prostitution as a child, told he was no good because he was a boy, etc. Aoshi fell in love with Shinta�real love; to the moon and back love. He helps Shinta get over his problems, Shinta helps Aoshi get over himself. Good things happened. This snippet takes place a few months, maybe as much as a year, after the events in �Grass,� and years before the events in �Pieces and Parts.�
Slice of Life
Hiragana
�Aooooshiiii . . . let me do something!�
Shinta had regressed to the point of whining. He was standing on his tiptoes, hands curled into the fabric of Aoshi�s haori. His bright eyes were turned expectantly towards Aoshi.
�Pleeeeeeaaaaaase?�
Aoshi chuckled and kissed that protruding lower lip, tugging it gently with his teeth. Shinta whimpered. �Mou, Aoshi-koi! It�s not nice to tease.�
Aoshi snorted and turned his eyes to the report he was reading. �This coming from you . . .?�
He fully deserved the slap that Shinta lay across his arm. It actually stung, a little. If he thought about it.
Shinta moved away to kneel across from Aoshi. His hands were gathered in his lap as though he were afraid they would fly away. Aoshi finally sighed and scrawled a few characters on a piece of paper. He gave Shinta his purse and the paper.
�Go to the market?� he suggested.
Shinta looked at the list and thrust it back into Aoshi�s hands. �I don�t know how to read, koi.�
Aoshi paused. �You don�t?�
Shinta�s eyes narrowed and went strangely cold. � . . . I was a whore, Aoshi.� His voice was quiet and low.
Aoshi rose and crossed the space between them. He gathered Shinta�s hands in his and brought them to his lips. �Gomen ne, love.� He watched Shinta�s eyes . . . They seemed to open for him. Watched that lovely smile turn his lips upward. �Would you like me to teach you?�
Shinta�s breath caught in his throat. �You could?�
�I taught Misao,� Aoshi shrugged.
Shinta let the purse fall to the floor and lunged into Aoshi�s arms, wrapping his tiny body around Aoshi�s. Aoshi would have laughed if Shinta�s lips had not been so tight against his own. �Arigatou o gozaimasu,� he gasped softly into Aoshi�s mouth. He pulled back slightly, but his arms and legs were still wrapped around Aoshi, and Aoshi had to put his own arms around Shinta�s back to support him. �When can we start?�
�Now?�
Shinta smiled and slid down Aoshi�s body. �You are getting so lucky tonight.�
Aoshi flashed him a Cheshire grin, though he blushed a bit. Shinta still managed to surprise him.
***
They started with the kanji for Shinta�s name. Shinta was actually doing well�very well, for someone who had never before held a brush, let alone put it to paper. But he grew frustrated quickly. And bored. Writing was not as much fun as it should have been.
�Kobito,� Shinta sighed finally, �how long does it take?�
�Does what take?� Aoshi asked, half paying attention to Shinta�s attempts at his name, half reading another report.
�Learning to read.�
Aoshi paused and looked at Shinta. �Honestly, it takes about a year to learn how to read basic language. If you work diligently at it.�
Shinta�s thin brows drew down over his eyes. �Show me your name?�
Aoshi reached over and wrapped his hand around Shinta�s. His name was dreadfully complicated compared to �Shinta.� �There, Shinomori.� A few brush strokes. Painstakingly slow and neat, so that Shinta could follow. �Here, Aoshi.�
�Thank you,� Shinta told him quietly, and began to copy again.
A few moments later, he held something up, and displayed it proudly. �Aoshi! Look!�
Aoshi felt his heart contracting, and he pulled Shinta to him in a crushing embrace. �Baby, you are getting lucky tonight,� he promised.
Shinta gave him an arch look. �I did good?�
�Aa.�
The characters read very simply: Shinomori Shinta.
Part Four |
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