Author: Lily Kalanoa
Story: Winter Storm
Genre: Fushigi Yuugi – romance / angst
Rating: T / PG13
Warnings: Yaoi. Angst. Uh, nothing else I can think of.
Pairings: Tasuki / Chichiri, eventually.
Spoilers: A few for the end of the series and several for Chichiri's past.
Author Notes: Wow, I'm finally posting this! I got on my FY kick like three years ago and that's when I wrote this. Just recently I went back, finished, and polished it for your enjoyment. I really love Chichiri, but I'm sort of mean to him, and Tasuki is just so adorable! This starts off as a blanket fic, but it has more plot than that. Please enjoy, R&R!
-o-o-o-o-o-
"Tasuki-kun, we should turn back, no da."
Tasuki shook his head, responding aloud to the remembered statement. "We're almost there. It'll take forever to get back." Tasuki shivered in the fresh-falling snow. Why did he have to be so damn stubborn?
"It's raining na no da. And we're getting higher in the mountains. These roads are dangerous, no da."
Tasuki shook his head violently. When he stopped, dizzy from the wild motion, he couldn't tell which direction he'd been going and started trudging again randomly, pushing through the snow drifts with determination.
"We should at least stop. There are bound to be some caves in these mountains. If it starts to snow. . . Please, Tasuki. I'm cold, no da."
The monk's speech affliction had gone dangerously silent. The final 'no da' had been added after a slight pause, almost as an afterthought. It was enough to make Tasuki stop and turn to face the other man. He searched for some clue as to the monk's apprehension, but was met with no more than a smiling face. "We're almost there, Chichiri. Even with the storm, it'll take less than an hour to get there."
Chichiri hesitated, clearly thinking it over. As the two stood there, the freezing droplets of rain seemed to hesitate as well, turning into softer, wafting snowflakes. The first snow of the season. Chichiri visibly darkened. "These roads are not safe in winter, no da. I'm tired and cold, na no da."
Tasuki held out one hand suddenly, his eyes shining. "Come on, Chichiri. We can make it there in no time. I'll carry you even."
The monk hesitated. Finally he stepped forward to once again continue their trek up the mountain. Encouraged, Tasuki started walking again, too, keeping a few steps ahead of his companion. He reached over his back and pulled out his tessen. Handing it to the monk, he whispered the incantation, causing the metal to heat, but no flame to appear. "This'll keep you warm. And we'll be there before you know it."
Chichiri smiled beneath his mask and took the offered fan. "But we must hurry. It really isn't safe, no da."
The two men did hurry along the narrow mountain roads, eager to reach the next town quickly and get out of the weather. In his rush, Tasuki wasn't aware of falling until his equilibrium was completely on its side. His boot had found a patch of ice, proving that this wasn't the first snow of the season after all, just the first of the evening. Tasuki let out a startled cry, twisting and frantically catching at a protruding tree.
"Tasuki!" The bandit's head turned towards Chichiri's scream and watched as his friend leapt forward, outstretched hand questing for Tasuki's. Tasuki watched in shock as the monk's footing failed him, undoubtedly finding the exact same patch of ice, and he tumbled over the side of the road. He stared, unable to move, as the slimmer man disappeared into darkness.
That had been two days ago. Since the former seishi had fallen, the moon had set, the sun had risen and set, and the moon was once again on its decent towards morning. Thirty hours, maybe more. And Tasuki had spent every minute of it scouring the mountainside. He had to find Chichiri; it was his fault the monk was in this mess to begin with. He had to find him . . .
-o-o-o-o-o-
"Rekka Shinnen." The words were whispered, barely making any sound at all, but they worked. The metal of the fan heated almost unbearably, warming the body it was clutched against. Chichiri allowed his gaze to lose focus as he remembered his fall. He was being so stubborn. If Tasuki had just turned around . . . But the bandit had been right, it was too far. They had been traveling since before the sun had risen that morning and their destination had been an hour away, at most, despite the storm. But it hadn't been safe, as he had proven.
The tessen was cooling rapidly and Chichiri muttered the incantation again. It's not lasting as long . . . My ki is almost gone. The realization was one he'd been expecting, but had not been ready for. If he exhausted his ki, he'd most likely fall asleep within minutes and be dead in barely more than that.
Dismayed by the thought, Chichiri took mental stock of his condition. It was not looking good in the slightest. The snow hadn't let up at all the last day and, unable to move, this meant the monk was covered in several inches of fluffy powder. The tessen melted much of it, but that presented a new problem in the form of ice water pooling around his right elbow. He couldn't feel it, though. He couldn't feel any of his limbs except a dull ache in his broken leg.
His mind began to wander, recalling his time with his friends in bits and snatches. Talking with Miaka beside the lake. Fighting beside Tasuki. Gathering herbs with Chiriko. Going out drinking with Tamahome . . . Hikou . . . Studying with Mitsukake. Poking fun at Nuriko. Going to Taiitsu-kun after . . . after . . . Kouran . . .
He was crying. Chichiri gasped as the tears cooled against his cheek despite the paper mask he still wore. He gazed at the metal fan in his grip, cold once again. "R-rekka shin-n-nen-n." The fan flared again and Chichiri slipped back into his reverie, this time staring at the small pool of water beside him. A trained eye stared at the reflection and through the eye slits in the mask. His eye looked glassy and what skin he could see was nearly as pale as the snow. His gaze refocused on his own mouth, barely visible past the thin paper, and nearly as blue as his hair.
His eye slipped closed, surrendering to the chill surrounding him and the heavy fan against his chest. "Kouran," he whispered. There was a sound off to his right and Chichiri forced himself to look that way, sudden hope rising in his chest. "Here!" The cry came out silent and the monk coughed, trying to clear his throat. "I'm hurt! Here!" It came out little more than a hoarse whisper and the noise began to move away.
This is no good. I'm lost if I don't get out of here now. Thinking seemed difficult, but an idea formed in Chichiri's mind. With determination, he forced numb fingers to tighten around his staff. He struggled for several moments to lift the normally light rod to no avail. Hopes falling again, he realized he'd barely moved in nearly two days, his muscles were frozen solid and his nerves were numbed to the point that he could barely feel anything. Still, he managed to lift the staff slightly and the faint clang of metal on metal spurred him on. He struggled to get it to ring louder, but soon felt his arm drop, exhausted nearly to the point that he passed out.
It had been enough. The crashing noise was moving towards him again. In moments, the tall grass was pushed aside, an overhanging branch sidestepped, and Tasuki came into view. Chichiri waited, breath held, for others to appear behind him, but none came. Surely Tasuki hadn't come alone? The bandit looked stunned. He took a few steps forward, his feet heavy and clumsy – "Chiri . . . I found you," – before his balance failed him and he toppled to the ground.
The bandit landed partially on top of Chichiri, tearing a cry from the monk's throat as his leg was jarred. Just moments ago I was complaining about not being able to feel my leg . . . "Tasuki . . . where are the others?"
The redhead pushed himself up, gazing at the other man, confused. "Others?"
"From the village. Didn't you find some people to help you search?"
"Chiri – I didn't make it to the village, I started looking for you right away."
Chichiri let his breath out quickly in a huff of disdain. "Lot of good it did us. We're both going to freeze to death now." Tasuki shook his head and rose to his hands and knees. Chichiri continued, the small rant warming his ill-used lips however briefly. "Look at you, you're exhausted. Tasuki, I broke my leg, I can't walk out of here!"
"Then I'll just have to make good on my earlier offer and carry you, ne?"
Chichiri's eye widened. "You . . . you can't! All the way to the village?"
"There are some caves I passed a while back. Only a mile or two-"
"Tasuki, you can't possibly-!"
But the bandit seemed determined. He struggled to his feet, lifting Chichiri, again drawing a pained cry as his leg was disturbed. "Come on, Chichiri. We can make it there in no time." The redhead whispered, the words echoing familiarity to both men.
Chichiri gasped as he felt the chill of Tasuki's skin even through his light shirt. He steadied himself, focusing on meditations to become lighter, easier to manage, anything to ease his savior's trek. He also gripped the tessen tightly. In this position it was sandwiched between the two men. "Rekka Shinnen." The monk said the words with as much force as he could muster, louder than his entire conversation earlier.
Tasuki gasped as the metal suddenly heated against his chest. He wavered and had to stop a moment to regain his balance. "That feels good, Chiri. Don't worry; I'll get you out of here."
-o-o-o-o-o-
Just as Tasuki had said, there was a small cave not far from where the monk had fallen. And true to his word, Tasuki carried his friend to the entrance. Only a few feet inside, however, the bandit had finally reached his limits. He stumbled and then toppled to the ground on top of Chichiri. The injured monk screamed outright as his leg was pinned at an odd angle, but Tasuki made no move. Chichiri summoned all his strength to reach down to his friend, worried that he may have pushed himself too far. The bandit was pale and sweating, despite the temperature, but he was still breathing steadily. His lips were even tipped up in a relieved smile. However, he was not waking up. Chichiri repeatedly called his friend's name and did his best to shake him, but there was no waking the younger man. He's all right, but he's exhausted. His own small actions were enough to tire the monk as well. He was safe here, protected from the wind and snow, and warm trapped beneath his friend's body. The last of his energy fled as quickly as a startled lizard and Chichiri had no choice but to finally surrender to sleep.
Tasuki woke some time later, several aches and bruises competing for his immediate attention. Ignoring them all, Tasuki lifted his head to look at Chichiri. The monk showed no obvious signs of life and Tasuki reached to find a pulse, praying it would be there. A large sigh of relief left him as he found the thread of life, fairly strong even, if a little slow. He rolled to the side to free the older man, his body protesting every tiny movement. There was little time to tend himself, however. Chichiri was ice cold to the touch and his clothes were drenched. Tasuki's shirt was soaked through just from carrying him.
Quickly the fire seishi set about warming his friend. The first task was to get him dry. Suddenly his hands shook as he unfastened the monk's shirt and peeled it back from his chest. The smooth expanse of skin was terribly pale and equally cold. Tasuki could barely look away. He licked his lips and swallowed to return moisture to his throat and repeated the process with the monk's pants. Tasuki sighed again, fighting off the blush in his cheeks. Quickly he pulled off his own jacket, covering the monk with it.
Retrieving the tessen from the floor, Tasuki poked his head out the opening of the cave. After a moment of looking, he withdrew. No hope of starting a fire without some dry wood and there was no chance of finding any of that. That conclusion made, he muttered the incantation to warm the fan and slipped it beneath the jacket, resting it on the monk's icy chest. It didn't help him as much, but it would help Chichiri. His task done, Tasuki sat against the stone wall to keep watch.
-o-o-o-o-o-
A / N: Hope you all like, please tell me what you think regardless. There's a couple more chapters, not sure how long I'll wait to post those. Maybe just a day. Anyway, see you then.