"Chichiri!" Tasuki called hesitantly into the cave's opening. He was just guessing, but when it came to Chichiri his guesses were usually right.
After a moment, a tall man with taller blue hair leaned around the cave's entrance, one long arm snaking toward the cave's roof. "Yes?"
"Yeesh," Tasuki sighed, "You startled me. Wasn't sure if you'd be here or not." He glanced at his friend. "Not even botherin to put on a shirt fer me?"
If Tasuki hadn't known better, he would have sworn that Chichiri blushed slightly. Then the monk shook his head and rolled his eyes, face impassive once more, and Tasuki shrugged off the idea. He followed his friend into the cave.
"Okay, so Koji asked me the dumbest thing today, ye won't even believe it. He asked me when I'm gonna grow outta bein a boy'n start bein in love! What the hell, right?" Tasuki chattered on while Chichiri started a fire in the middle of the floor for some relief from the cold mountain air. Tasuki watched him as he talked about nonsense until a new thought entered his mind.
"So why you still livin out here anyway, Chi-" Tasuki's words were suddenly muffled as the monk threw his lean body up against the slightly smaller bandit and kissed him fervently.
When he thought back on it, Tasuki was a little surprised by his friend. If it had ever crossed his mind, Tasuki probably would have thought that a kiss from the monk would be gentle; silken lips pressed tentatively against his own rougher ones, long-fingered hands reaching out for something to hold, sounds of muffled surprise coming from the back of his throat. Not that Tasuki had ever thought about it. Except for that one time where Chichiri went in the hot springs with him…
Anyway, the real thing was totally different. Chichiri's mouth was hot and demanding, teeth nipping at Tasuki's lip, drawing a moan from the back of the bandit's own throat. The monk gripped Tasuki's shoulder with one hand and ran the other down the bandit's chest, using the length of his body to keep the bandit pressed against the rough cave wall.
They broke away for air and as Tasuki gasped into the cool mountain air, Chichiri kissed a rough trail down his neck, unbuttoning his shirt with one hand. Tasuki put up a hand to help and the monk growled and shoved it away, so Tasuki just gripped the wall behind him as the monk started to kiss the skin he revealed with every new button.
The last button had been undone and Chichiri's hands were at his waistline when Tasuki choked out, "Wait."
A few seconds later they were sitting awkwardly on either side of a small fire in the center of the cave, feeling shifty and avoiding each other's eyes.
Tasuki drew circles in the nonexistent dust on the floor of the cave with one shaking finger until Chichiri finally asked, "So?"
When he looked up, Chichiri had a mask on, for the first time since he'd seen him today. Unthinking and feeling like he had at least a slight right to the other man's body now, Tasuki reached over the fire and tugged off the mask, revealing the harsh scar on the man's left eye and a wary look in his left.
Chichiri forced a grin. "Don't like the mask, huh?"
Tasuki crossed his arms like a sullen little kid. "I've never liked th' mask, y'idiot. You know that."
The monk looked up in surprise. "No. I didn't know that."
"Well," Tasuki shifted uncomfortably, "I don't."
There was frank curiosity in the monk's eye as he asked, "Why not?"
It seemed easier to stare at the ceiling than at the man sitting across from him, so Tasuki lay back on the floor and put his hands under his head. "Iunno… I guess I just liked seein yer face better'n some silly mask. Yer not gonna smile all the time; I wanna see what yer thinkin." He shut his eyes for a second before asking carefully, "So… uh… what was that?"
He heard Chichiri sigh. "It's hard to say, y'know? I'm not sure what made me do that today, but I've sort of been wanting to for awhile, y'know?"
Even though he couldn't actually see his friend, Tasuki glanced that way. "Oy, quit with th y'knows. I know you just say that t' make everyone laugh, even if no one else picks up on it."
He could almost feel Chichiri shrug. "It's a habit, y'know?"
Tasuki, being Tasuki, couldn't resist teasing him. "Like jumpin poor innocent guys who walk through the door?"
Suddenly something shifted, and then Chichiri's scarred face and bare chest was leaning over Tasuki's head, and he was aware of long-fingered hands resting on either side of his head. The man wore a serious expression, and Tasuki felt something burn hot in his own chest, thinking about how little else the other man wore.
"Hey," Chichiri said quietly. "Do you have any idea how long I've been waiting for this?"
"What?" asked Tasuki, stunned.
Chichiri gritted his teeth and continued. "Since I first met you… since, since ever; I've been waiting for you to grow up. In some ways you're the strongest of all of us, y'know," the monk stumbled over his words in his haste to get them out, "but in others you're younger than Miaka, y'know. I wanted you so bad, but you were too young and didn't understand and" He stared down at Tasuki, eyes wide, and gulped, "y'know."
Tasuki turned his head slightly to look better at the man above him and then slowly, deliberately, reached up with both hands trembling just a bit, and pulled Chichiri's face down to meet his own. This time they kissed slowly, taking the time to taste each other, pulling away for long seconds to torture each other and themselves.
When Tasuki drifted back to earth they were lying tangled in each other's arms, disheveled and heavy-lidded with the peace that comes after passion. This had been slower and steadier than Chichiri's initial burst of emotion and Tasuki's pants had stayed tied, but he felt sated and happy.
"I was so pleased when you started feeling something for Miaka," Chichiri whispered, brushing long red bangs out of the bandit's face, "because I knew that you were starting to be ready for something… someday, maybe even something with me."
Ignoring this unpleasant memory – Tasuki loved Miaka dearly but could never think of her again without shuddering at the unpleasant episode where he had fallen under Tenko's spell – Tasuki arched his face into Chichiri's touch and remarked, "Yer like a different person without that stupid mask."
Chichiri smiled, and though it was nothing like the chipper smile of his mask, Tasuki loved the frank pleasure and sad lines etched into its corners better. Surprised at his own daring, the bandit reached out a hand and traced over the monk's smiling mouth. The man closed his one eye in pleasure and, encouraged, Tasuki went on a more thorough exploration, leaving them in their previous situation a half-hour later.
Lying panting with his head on Chichiri's chest, Tasuki listened to the monk's quick heartbeat and was suddenly reminded of all the time he had seen Tamahome and Miaka together. He felt his heart twist anxiously, and sat up, startling Chichiri.
"Listen," the bandit said worriedly, "I don't want ye t'ever try'n spare me pain, or make me do things fer my own good, or any o' that crap. I don't want ye t'tell me ye hate me fer my own good. Miaka and - " His words were cut off by Chichiri resting a comforting hand on his shoulder.
The monk sat up too to stare him in the eye. "I love you Tasuki, but I'm a selfish guy, y'know?" A smile appeared on his face to rival that of his masks' in its mischievousness. "I mean, I'm with you now and look at me – I'm older, and scarred, and cynical. I don't deserve you now." As Tasuki shook his head fervently, the monk snaked an arm around the bandit and pulled him against his lean chest. "But I'm doing this anyway."
Tasuki looked up at him with his usual wicked grin. "Okay then – I'll be more grown up, and ye'll keep being selfish."
Chichiri ruffled his hair. "I don't need you to be more grown up. I like you the way you are."
Feeling inexplicably worried still, Tasuki persisted, "But yer all smart n I'm gonna get borin fer someone like ye…"
Laughing and sighing in exasperation at once, Chichiri pushed Tasuki back down onto the floor and pinned him there with one long-fingered hand splayed on the bandit's chest. "Tasuki! You're doing what Miaka and Tamahome do, y'know? You're worrying too much. Let's just sit."
So they sat. And Tasuki got bored, and tackled Chichiri and they started kissing again until they got tired, and then they made food together, and somewhere along the way, he finally stopped worrying and waiting and started being in love.