Ja'far is always watching. It's what he's best at—keeping an eye on people from the shadows. He can move like a ghost if he wishes, and his eyes are ever so observant. He's good at reading people. He would have to be, of course, as one of Sinbad's generals.

It is because of his watchful gaze that he wonders why another certain pair of generals continues to act as if they hate each other, when it is very obvious they don't really.

Ja'far knows better. He can see it in the way Sharrkan looks at Yamuraiha when she turns away, his eyes sad and soft and lonely, the green color less bright than normal. He can see it in the way Yamuraiha's face lights up when Sharrkan comes into sight, a touch of pink remaining on her cheeks even when she turns to ignore his teasing remarks or smack him in retaliation.

It doesn't take a genius to tell their bond is much closer than mere friendship, although if asked, the two of them won't even admit to being friends. The only thing keeping Yamuraiha from running to Sharrkan's side when he's injured is respect for his pride. The look of pain on her face, as if she's the one who has blood running down her arms, tells Ja'far everything Yamuraiha would never admit if he bothered to ask.

He has tried to confront Sharrkan once. An offhand question as to the nature Sharrkan and Yamuraiha's relationship, and when he turned to face Sharrkan the man's face was bright red. The swordsman covered himself with a resounding no, disgust in his voice, but the slight remaining tremor told him off. Sin would likely have been better at getting Sharrkan to tell the truth, Ja'far admits with a bit of annoyance.

But twice Ja'far has caught them.

The first time he supposes he can't truly count as catching them in the act. The scent of rain lingering on Sharrkan's glowing skin could have been perfumed oils. Perfumed oils that happened to have the exact same scent musk as Yamuraiha, though…?

The second time, there was no mistaking it. Pushed up against the wall of a darkened street, Yamuraiha was kissing Sharrkan, very fervently, by the look of it. Ja'far ducked away to leave them in peace when he caught sight of tears in the girl's bright blue eyes. A gruff "I'm sorry" hit his ears as he did so, and he realized with a jolt that Sharrkan must have fought recently and nearly died yet again. It hurt Ja'far to hear the pain in his voice and see the tears in her eyes. He could hardly imagine how they felt.

Even with that moment in his memory, Ja'far has trouble pinpointing Sharrkan and Yamuraiha's exact relationship. They're friends, but they hate each other. They're comrades who love each more than they should. They're lovers, yet they're enemies. But whatever their relationship may be, it's perfectly clear not only to Ja'far but also to many of the people around them that they love each other, far more than either is willing to say aloud.