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It was as if the older man's words were in slow motion. As if the one I loved descended toward me from the clouds. Hopping off each in eager anticipation. Drinking with each gulp with his throat parched, still. The wind current fought then yielded with every movement... every swish of the arms through his sleeves... his legs running only toward me...
~~~~~~~~
"R... really?" The young bandit's eyes lit up. "You... you'll come with me?"
"I said I would no da." The fox face smiled patiently at him. "But Tasuki, you understand that-"
"Of course, Chiri'!" The fiery haired teen cut in immediately.
"I trust you Tasuki to understand..." Chichiri's bangs fell across his face. This wasn't working. "Nevermind. I'll meet you there tonight."
*******
He crawled up through the flower bushes, over large damp rocks and fought off leaves dangling over the path. His feet would scrape a sickening, moist noise across the soft-clinging moss on the sharp stone cuts. Strong fingers clung into the moist dirt. Everything was sodden in these little "secret" places his young friend showed him.
Finally, there was a magnificent view of the stars through a border of vines with damp hanging flowers and a flat, clear crest just over it. With another tug, he was over his edge of the steep hill.
"You're late." The boy huffed playfully. "And you're all dirty!" He grinned from cheek to cheek.
"I'm not small, Tasuki." That boy was so full of energy. "I can't fit through these secret passages like you can no da."
"You're no fun anymore, Chichiri san!" The tiny bandit brought out a couple of pork buns and handed one to his boyfriend. "You're all old and grouchy!"
"Grouchy no da?" The former monk's eye raised ever so slightly.
"Yeah! You're always so grouchy and you complain all the time!"
Chichiri was not only confused, but a little irritated. "Well Tasuki, I guess I'm not your boyfriend anymore no da?"
Using his speed, the flame-haired youth clung onto the older teen's arm in an instant. "I never said that!" He stuck his tongue out and snuggled into the soft sleeve. "But you wouldn't be my husband if you weren't old and grouchy and acted like my parents!"
"Husband... no da?" This was lovely. Tasuki's parents would be just thrilled to hear this. "I've been upgraded already no da?"
"You... are planning to marry me, aren't you Chichiri san?" The boy's innocent eyes pleaded softly.
"Tasuki, we've been over this no da." Chichiri's voice lowered solemnly. "You might find someone you're happy with later on na no da. Instead of an 'old man' like me."
"No!" The flame-haired boy tightened his grip. "You're not an old man. I take it back! Besides, you promised remember! You promised when I turned 17, you would go out with me... on a REAL date!"
Chichiri seriously doubted that the early-teened bandit would still remember such a thing in three years but he smiled anyway at the thought and the boy's eagerness. After all, he would be travelling around the day after tomorrow and probably wouldn't see the boy again before those three years were up. And with Tasuki sneaking out of his parent's house (every night) to be with the bandits, his love interests would probably shift. "Alright no da. I will keep my promise." He ruffled the boy's hair. "Isn't the stars nice na no da?" He looked up thoughtfully as if this were a real romantic moment.
"Yeah yeah!" Tasuki chirped in and sat on his senior's lap. He wanted to impress his boyfriend with his knowledge of the stars. "My dad told me this one was my constellation and this one is yours and..."
All the older Seishi could do was laugh softly.
To be continued...
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Author's notes: Tasuki's basically this little kid who has a thing for his senior (senpai!), Chichiri and hangs around him all the time. Both of them are aware that they are reincarnated Seishi. Chichiri's going off to try and develop his own powers.
And... yeah, Taiitsukun will make an appearance
I'm weird.