A/N: This wasn't originally going to be three separate one-shots, but then I was given titles and I got ideas. So here's the sequel to 'Piercing Heartbreak', this time in Bankotsu's perspective. I've never written in his perspective and I haven't made it to the Band of Seven arc yet in my rewatching. Hopefully it's in-character. Takes place sometime after Suikotsu joined.
The title is, once again, by the amazing Piper Poptato Chisp.
The sun had started to set, though seven mercenaries barely seemed to notice.
They had found a rather nice place to stay after finishing a job for the person offering. It wasn't the highest quality they had ever seen, but nonetheless, it was good enough.
As long as there was sake, Bankotsu didn't care that much. He didn't even need women for it, though he preferred if they did.
Mukotsu liked when there was beautiful servant girls, even if Jakotsu very much did not.
Neither of them really understood why or why not, and it seemed they never would. But many disagreed time to time, it seemed natural.
Bankotsu had started a mercenary band after an encounter with a demon, and from there, he and Jakotsu had searched for comrades for a long time. Rumours were helpful, and it seemed the band of seven was just completed.
Suikotsu, their latest addition, was quite an interesting one.
They had met a kind and gentle doctor at first, leaving disappointed until they heard the screaming. Fire had filled the village and in Suikotsu's place was someone the complete opposite. It had greatly interested Bankotsu, to say the least.
Differences was necessary, weren't they?
The Band of Seven had come far since then, and there was a rise in popularity.
A lot more people started hiring them since then, and it was all working out. Bankotsu was moving closer to his goal, and things looked promising, to say the least.
He took a drink of his sake, looking around at his comrades.
The servant girls seemed to avoid Mukotsu, taking every opportunity to go over to someone else, particularly Bankotsu, if they could.
Naturally, Jakotsu didn't seem pleased at the sight of them, but said nothing.
A while later, he stood up and walked away without a word. Curious, Bankotsu followed him.
Onto the steps, Jakotsu sat and just stared at the sky for a while. Bankotsu sat down beside him, "Hey."
Jakotsu turned his head towards his friend, cheerfully, "Hey, Bankotsu."
There was a way the lighting hit him that didn't seem possible. He was by far prettier than any of the servant girls had been, and that was a simple fact. He had a certain elegance to him that couldn't be described, he was just beautiful.
"They really don't like Mukotsu, do they?" Bankotsu asked rhetorically.
"I guess not, huh." Jakotsu adjusted his position.
While the sunset was definitely beautiful, there wasn't much Bankotsu had to say about it.
In a way, it did remind him of particularly fond memories. It was a calming sight, a bit refreshing to just relax every once and awhile.
With nothing to say, the two hardly speak. It was nice to be in the quiet for a change, though that didn't mean they'd prefer it.
The sunset got uninteresting after a while, admittedly, and it left him time to think. Every now and then, he glanced at Jakotsu. Sometimes, it seemed there was something different about Jakotsu. There was no one like him, and no one he trusted more.
They had been friends for a long time, years, and that was how it seemed it would stay. He couldn't imagine something happening to change that.
Despite that, something made him wonder...
There was something about Jakotsu in particular, something about him he didn't quite know. He couldn't put it into words, he just knew it. He found himself looking at his friend, at times. It never mattered if it was just the two of them, to him.
Deep in thought, he realized something.
Looking at the sky, he felt like his heart was racing at this realization. He couldn't...
The sun had already set, so he got up and went inside, a slight feeling of panic overcoming him. The rest of the night went by quickly enough, going faster as soon as he had fallen asleep.
Bankotsu got up earlier than he usually would have, and quietly went outside. The air was cold, hitting his face waking him up. He stood outside, just standing around and unsure.
There was little to no wind, and a few clouds in the sky. The day was quiet, the most noise being the animals and trees around them.
'Do I really...' He thought to himself, feeling speechless and tired. He knew the answer already, he just needed time to think it over.
It was almost surprising he hadn't realized it before, after all these years.
'So I'm in love in with Jakotsu,' He leaned against a tree, and sighed, 'I know he's not serious when he flirts with me..'
Jakotsu did often like flirting with Bankotsu, who did get flustered but refused to show it. But his friend never meant anything by it, they were just friends after all. He knew he didn't actually like him that way, even if he did flirt with him.
They had been friends for many years, it seemed irreplaceable, a friendship like that. They had fought alongside each other since they were just children, after all, even if he did love Jakotsu and if Jakotsu did happen to feel the same way, he didn't want to risk the chances of ruining it forever.
Jakotsu was the one person he knew he could never fight, the very idea of it seemed impossible.
The one who stayed with him for years, helped him with his goal, too. He extremely disliked even the thought of that outcome, knowing how it would end if the circumstances ever did happen.
'I can't ever tell him, huh...' He noted, 'He wouldn't like me like that.'
It seemed obvious he'd just have to live with it, but it wasn't going to be that easy.
He loved Jakotsu, even if he didn't think he'd love him back, and that wasn't something that'd be easy to ignore. He'd probably always love him, in fact, but there was nothing he could do about it. He couldn't even tell him.
Bankotsu didn't know what to do, it was new to him. He never liked anyone like this before, and he never even thought about falling in love.
Love was unpredictable, it just seemed to show up and stay.
Hours passed, the sky a light blue as the sun was higher than before. It felt warmer, as he moved away from the tree and considered going inside. He stood, not sure if it was a good idea. He needed time.
He was sure Jakotsu liked the lady-killer type, and wondered briefly if he fit said type. He figured he'd ask Renkotsu later on.
It got more windy eventually, though he was still looking for a solution. He barely moved until he heard someone come out. Which, as luck would have it, happened to be his second and third-in-command.
"Oo-aniki." It wasn't really a question, more of a statement. Jakotsu stood behind Renkotsu.
Jakotsu was truly beautiful, no matter what time of day, it seemed. His hair tied up already with the same hairpin, his eyes looked almost as if they sparkled. He was gorgeous, really.
"Bankotsu no Aniki, we've been looking for you." Renkotsu said, "Should we soon leave?"
"Yes." Bankotsu answered, "We should be going soon, no point in sticking around."
Abandoning his thoughts, Bankotsu walked past them inside. He was the leader, he couldn't spend all day thinking about something like that. It was his responsibility, no matter what did happen.
Shortly, they were leaving and off to find some more work. With the popularity they had been getting lately, it seemed as though it wouldn't even be that long of a search.
As they travelled, on occasion Bankotsu would glance at Jakotsu, the one he loved, still deep in thought.
Jakotsu was loyal and quite honest. He wasn't as intelligent as Renkotsu seemed to be, and he wasn't as greedy as others were. Aside from just that, he was quite possibly the second strongest of the Band of Seven. He was a tough opponent, undoubtedly, as cruel as the rest of them. He was a good friend, even if he was a bit weird.
Maybe it was hard to pick out everything that he loved about Jakotsu, and maybe he just loved Jakotsu himself.
There was no telling how love worked, when it happened or what it is you love about something or someone. Or perhaps he just didn't know yet, it had only been a day after all.
When he pushed the thoughts out of his mind for a nice conversation, he hardly thought about it until the sun was already beginning to set.
It wouldn't be right to describe him as not taking it well, as he thought he was taking pretty good, but he didn't have any solutions and it felt like all he could think about. It wasn't unusual for him to think about Jakotsu, as they were friends, but this was an extreme he didn't think he had ever reached before.
They had passed through quite a few villages as the days passed, and it had been only a few days until they found a new job.
This one seemed a bit more challenging than the last, though their opponents would be easily defeated. They were undoubtedly stronger.
It was a good way to clear his mind, slaughtering as many men as he could. He found it enjoyable.
But it felt as though it ended within a minute, nothing left.
They got their rewards and went on their way, once again walking through the forest. It was late, so they decided to find a place to camp out. Others talked, while Bankotsu was back to thinking about the fact he was in love with his best friend.
Even if it seemed he had already thought everything he could about it, it was still hard to ignore.
Was there anything left to say about it? How could he ignore the way he felt?
It was annoying, really, inconvenient.
He had gotten over the surprise he loved Jakotsu in the past few days, but matters were different. Everything seemed different now, even if he didn't want it to be. Was he going to start feeling jealous now?
Bankotsu hoped he didn't seem to be acting strangely, he hated lying. If anyone were to ask, he didn't have many options.
If he did ever confess, he was sure it wouldn't go well. If he ended up having to fight Jakotsu, he wasn't sure he'd be able to fight at all, let alone win. He just didn't see any options other than just ignoring it, but love was a strong feeling to ignore.
"Hey, Oo-aniki," Jakotsu was smiling, "Did you see the cute one today?" An attempt at a conversation, "What about the really handsome one?"
"Which one?" Bankotsu inquired, curiously.
The conversation went many places, including some that involved flirting. Even though Bankotsu was almost certain Jakotsu meant nothing by it, it flustered him regardless. The seven of them all adding in their own input, opinions and such.
They just talked.
"With any luck, the next one will be more fun." Suikotsu commented, "That last one went by quickly."
"Least there were some good looking guys." Jakotsu leaned back, closing his eyes.
It was never a surprise to hear things like this, it happened daily.
Bankotsu talked with Suikotsu and Renkotsu for a while, while Kyoukotsu joined in every now and then. Renkotsu always had a suspicious vibe to him, perhaps it was the way he talked. He assumed his second-in-command just happened to talk like that to everyone.
They kept talking until eventually, tired, they all agreed to get some sleep.
Some fell asleep quickly, but Bankotsu couldn't stop his thoughts from going back to where they seemed to stay for the last few days. He watched as Jakotsu undid his hair, taking out the hairpin and placing it in a safe place. His hair was a lot longer than it looked tied up, and he did look quite different with it down.
Jakotsu was beside him, tonight, laying down as though bored.
It seemed calm, something about the night.
He drifted off shortly after he came to a conclusion. As the time passed, and the sun rose, there wasn't really a good solution. All he knew is that it seemed better if he left things as they were.
Bankotsu loved Jakotsu, but he didn't want to lose him.
He didn't want his feelings to get in the way, or for things to be different. They all trusted each other, they were like family. Despite the fact it was impossible for him to not love his best friend, he didn't see any way that changes could end up positive. He'd keep it to himself.
As they set off the next day, he decided that maybe, it was just for the best. Perhaps this was just how love worked, messing with people. That maybe, love was just like that.
The wind blew through his hair, gentle as it was, as they walked at the same speed they usually did.
There was many things that were up ahead that they were unaware of, challenges and such. Later in the year, there would be times in which they fell, and things which caused it. Whatever it was, they'd try to overcome it together.
The moments they shared now were ones they'd remember, at some time, but it seemed mostly Bankotsu would more often.
'It's better I leave it like it is now.'