11/100. Another fill for le kinkmeme. Trying my hand at some fluff after all the non-con i've been writing recently lol. Anyway, enjoy the one-sided YoshitsuguxMitsunari C:
26-Frail
The young lord was already in a foul mood as he paced the halls of his castle, taking a small break from training to maybe eat something. These days, his mood never really got any better than bad and it was all that damn Ieyasu's fault. How he dreamed of murdering that man, tearing him to pieces in a bloodbath full of hate and rage. It caused a smirk to spread on his features regardless of where he was or what he was doing.
He happened to pass a room where some of his troops liked to rest (or slack-off as he called it). Normally, he'd leave them be, needing nothing but obedience from them, which they gave him dutifully. Though this time, he could have sworn he heard one of them mention Yoshitsugu, his loyal guard despite his illness. Mitsunari paused, deciding to eavesdrop on their conversation, pondering why they were mentioning him.
'He's going to die soon anyway, then we can be rid of him.'
'Aha, yeah you're right. Don't see why Mitsunari is so taken with the leper. Maybe he wants to catch it.'
'To tell you the truth, I don't even wanna go near him in case he infects the lot of-'
Mitsunari burst into the room, roughly grabbing the collar of the nearest peon he could find. 'You DARE to talk about him like that around me? You have no place in my army, bastard...None of you fuckers do!' He could tell the man he was holding was frightened, the wide eyes glare and the pathetic snivelling saw to it.
A few moments later, Mitsunari wiped his blade clean, sheathing it in satisfaction as he looked upon his own men writhing in agony on the floor. Death was too kind, they needed to suffer how Yoshitsugu did on a daily basis. He left without a word to any of them, his mood worse because of this stupid incident. Now he really didn't feel like anything to eat, opting to return to his training hall.
Yoshitsugu was floating along the same corridor Mitsunari had been a few hours earlier, doing his daily rounds to ensure nothing was in disarray. He enjoyed looking after the boy, odd though it may seem. Back when Hideyoshi was still alive he'd always found Mitsunari rather taxing to keep an eye on, even when he was slightly more able bodied. Lost in the memories, he found himself wandering a little to far from where he was heading, overhearing a couple of the Toyotomi soldiers gossiping.
'Did you hear what Lord Mitsunari did to some of the soldier earlier?'
'No, what did he do this time?'
'Beat a few of them half to death for slandering Yoshitsugu. He doesn't take that shit, you know?'
'Huh, he must care about him then..More than I thought he did at least.'
It took him a moment to process what they said, deciding to stay out of the room they were talking in. He'd rather not let them know he'd accidentally overheard them. Truth be told he was very used to others insulting him because of his illness, calling him useless and diseased and the like. However, he had no idea Mitsunari would react in such a way to this. 'Why did he..?' he mused quietly to himself, deciding to head to where he knew the boy would be to thank him for doing something so uncharacteristically selfless.
The silver fox was sitting quietly in the training hall, wearing his hakama, his keikogi hanging off of his slender shoulders. He wasn't in the mood to get up right now, deciding to meditate for a while to gather his thoughts, attempting to calm down, like Yoshitusgu had shown him. He was about to open his mouth to snap at whoever opened the door, disturbing him, but he quickly closed it upon seeing his friend.
'Afternoon, Gyoubu.' He greeted him, pushing the issue he'd had to deal with earlier to the back of his mind, choosing to relax his position, turning to face the bandaged man. Mitsunari always did have to guess what sort of mood he was going to be in, as he was unable to see much of his face, only make out the faint outline of a smile or a frown.
A strange feeling tingled through his body as he was greeted, this never normally happening when Mitsunari spoke to him. Perhaps it had something to do with what he'd heard earlier, about the boy standing up for him. It really gave him view of the young lord in a different light. 'Afternoon, Mitsunari. You look well today, have you eaten?' If he didn't remind him, he never would, which is a thought that made him inwardly chuckle.
The boy shook his head, 'I was going to. Then I lost my appetite.' A growl could be heard lacing his words as he remembered exactly why he had. 'Did you need me Gyoubu? Or are you just coming to observe me?' He questioned, knowing it had been a while since the elder had watched him train. He may not have looked the part now, but in his prime he was a skilled swordsman.
'No, no. Neither to be honest with you, Mitsunari.' He couldn't describe the feeling he felt as he tried to figure out the best way to phrase what he was trying to. It was like an anxious knot had appeared at the back of his throat. 'I came to thank you, actually...For what you did on my behalf earlier.' He paused, waiting to see if Mitsunari clocked what he was talking about.
He raised his brow, standing up, pulling the large wrap over his shoulders. 'It was nothing. I will not stand for anyone talking like that about you Gyoubu. You are not frail, nor weak. Just unfortunate.' He spoke honestly, his features softening slightly as he spoke about his true feelings on the matter. Clearly his words were a shock to Yoshitsugu, who seemed to be mulling over what the silver fox had said.
'In any case...I thank you from the depths of my heart. You needn't be so kind to me, it is not in your nature, Mitsunari.' He too, spoke honestly. Well, as honestly as he felt necessary, keeping his more intimate feelings to himself. The elder male had always felt a slight physical attraction to the young lord, despising himself for it as the boy would never, ever return it. He was far too fixated on Ieyasu and his deceased lord to second glance at any sort of romance.
'It is in my nature to be kind to you, Gyoubu, as it was to be for Hideyoshi-sama.' He spoke bluntly, not picking up on Yoshitsugu's reaction to his words at all, turning from him. 'Anyway, they deserved it. Now, would you care to watch me as I work on my technique?' He picked up his sword, unsheathing it slowly, tutting as he noticed a little speck of blood still staining his blade.
Mitsunari's offer was one he always enjoyed to hear, 'Of course I shall observe you. Though your technique now could have even given me a run for my money, back when I was in my prime.' He chuckled, settling down to watch his lord skilfully manoeuvre, scolding himself for watching Mitsunari's body more than his swordsmanship.
Naturally he didn't pick up on that, content with knowing his friend was watching and willing to give him advice. It made him feel happy, which was an alien emotion to him these days. After maybe about an hour, he decided that was enough for now, sheathing his sword as he reached for a clean towel to wipe away the sweat glistening on his brow. 'Thank you for observing me Gyoubu. I appreciate you taking time out of your day to watch me and aid me.' He shot him a small smile, placing the used towel down.
'Of course, I take pleasure in helping you Mitsunari.' He would never let the boy know how much exactly it pleased him, this being one of the rare times he was thankful for his body being completely covered, particularly his groin. 'Would you like to get something to eat? Hideyoshi would not be impressed with me failing to make sure you ate a proper diet.' They both knew he didn't have what anyone would call a ''proper diet'', but it was another excuse for them to spend some time together.
Reluctantly, Mitsunari nodded. 'All right then, just allow me to change first. I'll meet you there.' The silver fox exited the training hall, leaving Yoshitugu looking on behind him, smiling to himself. Perhaps today was a good day after all.
/ Aha, ending was so wierd sorry. I wasn't sure how to do it XD;; Also I think this is the first fic i've written that's not included some form of two sided romance...XD
