Beyond the Rainy Days
By: Dark Flower
Disclaimer: To point out the obvious, no, I do not own Suikoden or any of its mass amount of characters
Author's Notes: Its beginning to get hard to come up with original yaoi pairings nowadays, and I do try my best to create something different to entertain people. I was thinking of someone who might strike some surprising chemistry with Futch and decided to explore the possibility of Sasuke. Since I only managed to recruit 98 of the 108 stars (missing Gilbert, Clive, and Mukumuku, I only had a level 3 castle) I could not get Sasuke or Mondo, because I chose Valeria, not Kasumi. Yes, I'm a failure I know. I'll try my best for Sasuke's personality. Riou is the Hero's name, and the castle is called Sintary. The army is Dunan.
"Grrr.rain again?! Will Gengen ever see lovely sun again?" demanded the Kobold warrior, standing outside Leona's tavern. He paced back and forth, his green attire almost soaking instantly. Suddenly, thunder boomed through the sky, causing his tail to go between his legs in sudden fear.
"Captain Gengen!" cried Gabocha, opening the door, some of the warmth from inside coming along with him. "Are you.are you scared?!" asked the Kobold is shock.
Gengen glared at Gabocha. "Scared!? Gengen is great Kobold warrior! Scared not a word for one so great as Captain Gengen!" he said with a proud look in his eyes. The younger Kobold cheered as he followed the captain back into the bar.
Futch watched the little scene from his bedroom window, placed among the barracks of Sintary Castle. The now fifteen-year-old dragon knight sat on his bed that was propped against the stone wall, hard raindrops pelting against his window. "Strange.Kobolds look so much like dogs, yet they act just like us," he noted to himself.
The teen lay on his bed, staring at the blank, white ceiling. The endless sound of rain falling to the cobblestone ground repeated itself dully. "Rain.too much rain. I wish I was with Humphrey in Toran," Futch mumbled to himself, turning around, burying his face into his pillow.
"Heh, crying into your pillow won't solve much. You seem pretty down for a kid," came a maturing voice from the open door. Sasuke stood there, leaning against the doorframe, a smirk on his face and his eyes closed.
Futch sat up quickly, and sighed with annoyance. "Kid? I'm older than you," he said bluntly. Sasuke laughed. "Anyway, what are you doing here? This is the barracks. You're room isn't in here."
"Yeah, so?" asked Sasuke, examining Futch's small room, then sat on the empty bed to next to the one Futch sat on. "Just because I'm only here because I have to doesn't mean I'll mope around in my room all day, unlike some people," he said with a little sneer.
Futch just gave him an annoyed look. "The war is over, there has to be some reason you're staying here. You always say you hate to be here, but the chances of another war are slim to none," he said. Sasuke just looked at him. "Look, why don't you go train at the dojo? Kasumi is there." he said, a little hint dropping as he slightly exaggerated Kasumi's name. Sasuke's face turned red.
"Kasumi?! What makes you think I like.her?!" he cried, standing up in offense. Futch just looked at him, thinking 'Okay, you can go now.' Sasuke got the point but refused to leave the room. "The only reason you're acting like such a jerk anyway is because your precious Humphrey is gone! You follow that guy around like a moping puppy, its so obvious you like him!" he cried.
Futch burned red. "Humphrey.?" he said quietly, his fists clenching. "Humphrey is my.Humphrey is my best friend! He traveled with me until I found Bright, my new dragon! For you to say such a thing is so.so.stupid!" he screamed, swinging a punch at Sasuke as they both jumped to their feet.
Futch's gloved fist smacked into Sasuke's cheekbone, but the ninja only touched his cheek momentarily and laughed. With a well-aimed high kick, Futch was on the ground, holding his nose in a bloody mess. "Never mess with a high-tier ninja, dragon boy," he said slowly, fixing his gloves. He put his hand back on his cheek. "I didn't want to have to do that, so just remember, you started it."
Just as the teen said this, Humphrey walked into the room, having just returned from his trip to the Toran Republic with Amada. Futch was sitting on the floor, angry eyes looking to the much older man for help. ".." Humphrey didn't say a word, but grabbed Sasuke by his wild umber hair and forcefully pushed him out of the room. Extending his hand to Futch, the boy was lifted to his feet.
".What a jerk. He came in here, starting make smart remarks, and then he said, um-" Futch stopped and blushed. ".He said stuff about me and you, and then he hit me. What's his problem, anyway?" he said, feeling a bit embarrassed about being defeated by someone a bit younger than him. He wiped the blood that streamed from his nose to chin with the brown leather gloves he was wearing.
Humphrey gave him an understanding glance, and left the room silently. ".I wish I had my spear here." Futch mumbled, and continued looking up at the ceiling.
***
"Sasuke. You came here to help the Dunan Army, not to pick fights," cried Mondo. The old ninja sat inside the dojo, scolding the young boy for what Humphrey had informed him was '.an unfair fight and a needless attack.' Kasumi giggled at Sasuke, who was blushing intensely, sitting cross-legged in front of Mondo. It was about two days after the incident, and it hadn't stopped raining since then.
"B-but Master, surely you've gone through this stage of your life too." he tried, but this seemed to make the higher ranked ninja even more upset at him.
"That is no excuse! As punishment for this un-orderly behavior, you are to assist Hai Yo with the restaurant dishes twice each day for a month." Sasuke left the dojo with laughter and snickers behind him, his head lowered in shame.
On the young ninja's way to the army kitchen, he saw Futch, asking Tetsu, the bath maker, if he had seen Humphrey lately. Sheepishly, Sasuke approached the dragon knight. "Um.Futch?" he asked, standing behind him.
Futch turned around, but looked disappointed. "Oh.it's you," he said, as if expecting some nasty comment or maybe something worse. "What do you want?" he asked, waving good-bye to Tetsu as the two made their way to Chef Hai Yo's restaurant.
"In all honesty, I wanted to say sorry," he said, sounding cowardly. "And um.er, well, could you help me with the dishes at Hai Yo's place?" he asked as they stood outside the restaurant entrance.
Futch looked at the ninja and burst into a fit of laughter. Sasuke looked to the ground, blushing. Suddenly, the dragon knight noticed the look on his face and stopped. "Whew.you're actually serious? After you kicked me in the face, you want me to help you with your punishment? You're very proud."
"I won't be laughed at by the likes of you," interrupted Sasuke. "Will you help me or not? If you help me, I'll never hurt you again. A ninja's oath," he offered, actually sounding sincere, but nonetheless still cocky.
Futch just smiled a little to himself, walking into the kitchen, sitting at a table by himself. Sasuke looked at him angrily as he approached Hai Yo, the castle chef, and explained the instructions Mondo had given to him. "Ah! Such a pleasure to have a helper! Remember, a chef must cook, cook, cook. There's no time for doing dishes. You'll be great dish washer, Sasuke!" he exclaimed, everyone in the restaurant hearing him.
Zamza, now Sintary Castle's magic instructor, let out a snicker. "What has become of the great hi-tier ninja now?" he asked loudly. "A lowly kitchen's assistant? Hah!" Mostly everyone eating there ignored the comment, all except for Futch and Sasuke. The young ninja burned red, cracking a dish that he held.
Futch could not help but feel sorry for Sasuke. After all, for a kid who had so much pride, it must have hurt to lose it all. After about five minutes of sitting by himself, in the faint hope that Humphrey would show up, Futch stood up and walked to the sink. "Hey Sasuke, thanks for taking over my job. I think I can handle it for the rest of the day," he said loud enough for everyone to hear, pretending to hand over a small amount of potch to Sasuke.
The look in the ninja's eyes showed the utmost appreciation, yet confusion. He walked out without a word. Zamza grunted to himself, shaking his long, wavy hair out of his face. Futch continued to wash and dry the dishes for what seemed like hours when Hai Yo finally spoke to him. "You're a very good friend, Futch," said the energetic chef.
Futch just nodded his head, thinking to himself, repeating the word 'friend' in his mind, over and over.
***
When the foggy night finally came rolling in, Futch's job in the kitchen was over. He made his way to Leona's tavern, sitting at Viktor and Flik's table. The sound of rain could still be heard despite the chatter of the room. "Hey, kid. You wouldn't have happened to see Humphrey around, have ya?" asked Viktor, taking a large gulp of his mug of sake.
Futch put his elbow on the wooden table and used his hand to hold his head up. "Well, no. I saw him yesterday, as soon as he got back from Toran, but not since then. He seems to be about the castle a lot lately," said Futch quietly.
"Hey, you look pretty down. Is anything bothering you? You're probably not the same when Humphrey ain't by your side, eh boy? Haha, guess not," said Viktor with a laugh. Futch just gave him a quick glare. Flik noticed this.
"Hey, hey Viktor.don't talk to him like that. Maybe something is bothering him, its no reason to pick on kids while their mind is on something else. Leave 'im alone," said Flik, giving Futch a smile of understanding. Futch managed to smile back.
Viktor gave Flik a playful frown. "That's not fair! You have that bad habit of making me look the bad guy, don't ya? You're a rotten guy, Flik. Rotten." he said with a laugh. Futch looked at the two men, wondering how their friendship had grown so strong.
Flik laughed too, and flicked his hand, saying, "Go on, Futch. Its getting late, you probably don't want to be here late at night. There's no telling what this guy will do after too much sake," intending this remark on Viktor. The two men laughed.
Futch waved goodnight, and made his way to the barracks, passing the Guardian Deity of the castle as he did so. It was a dragon. "Dragon of this castle." he whispered. "Please, don't only make me a stronger dragon knight, but a stronger person, too."
Luc, who stood next to the deity, let out a cynical laugh. "It can't hear you. It's not real. It would be better to pray to me than to that thing. Anyway, since you're the only one here, give this to Lord Riou when he gets back. It's a magic scroll. I'm going back to Lekknat.after all, the war is over." The holder of the True Wind Rune handed Futch the scroll, and with a blue light, was gone.
Futch looked at the scroll in his hands, and once again started his way to his room. He took Adlai's elevator to his barracks floor, and entered his room to find Sir Humphrey, sitting at the desk, his head cocked to the right, looking out the window. "Ah, so this is where you've been hiding. The most logical, yet the last place people will look," said Futch happily.
Humphrey turned around, his stern face remaining the same. ".You had a visitor," he said quietly. The man looked at the paper on his desk, and began writing. It was some form of letter to Mayor Lepant of the Toran Republic.
Futch sat on his bed, hugging his legs to his chest. "Oh, really? Who was it?" he asked. Humphrey remained quiet, as always. It didn't really matter, anyway. Futch already knew who it was.it had to be Sasuke. They sat together in silence for a moment, but the teen couldn't stand the sound of the rain hitting against the window. "Why.? Why is he still here, in Sintary Castle? And why does he follow me.its like he hates me, yet still wants to be around me."
"Mondo told me," said Humphrey quietly. Futch didn't even have to ask, for despite his nature, the man continued speaking. "When you hit him, you nearly shattered his cheek bone. He was in Dr. Huan's care for nearly a day after that."
Futch thought to himself for a minute. That meant that he must have hurt Sasuke more than the ninja had hurt him. Surprisingly, Humphrey had more to say. "When a ninja is bested in combat, especially a high-tier ninja, they feel they owe something to their better. Mondo says the boy respects you, Futch. That's an honor, respect from someone like Sasuke. Or maybe he just likes you."
Futch blushed despite himself. He hugged his legs closer to his chest, thinking of the idea Humphrey had just put forth. He sat, thinking, for quite a while, until the other man in the room silently undressed and slipped into bed. "Goodnight," said Futch quietly as he slipped out of the room.
The halls of Sintary Castle were dark, deserted, and silent, beside the splatter of raindrops. Futch's light boots made no sound as they hit the stone floor, carrying him towards the dojo. "What am I doing.?" he whispered, but didn't stop himself.
Exiting the castle, he passed Sigfried, the unicorn sleeping peacefully by the small pond, not seeming to mind the rain. Futch turned off to the right, entering the dojo, but the dark room was empty and quiet. "." The dragon knight stood quietly in the middle of the dojo, the echo of rain surrounding him. "What was I expecting, anyway.?" he asked himself finally.
"You knew I'd be here, waiting for you," came the voice of Sasuke, the boy sliding open the door of the dojo. His black clothes seemed completely soaked through. "And I knew you'd come, that's why I waited."
The two teens slowly approached each other until they met face to face. "You're cold, Sasuke. How long were you waiting?" said the dragon knight quietly as he noticed the ninja's teeth chattering.
"A long time, but I'm fine," he said, his usually strong voice hushed to a soft whisper. They kept their eyes locked. "You didn't have to do that, you know. At the restaurant." he paused. "I didn't get a chance to say thanks."
Futch smiled at him, but Sasuke's eyes turned away. "But I wanted to. I couldn't let your pride just slip through my fingers like that. I wanted to.I wanted to help you. Even after what happened in my room." The dragon knight sat down on the hard floor, suddenly realizing his strong fatigue.
Futch took the other boy's hand, and pulled the ninja down next to him. He gently pushed Sasuke into a position where his head was resting on his lap. "You must be tired. It's really late.and you've got to be cold, too. Your clothes is soaked through. Why.? Why are we here, why were we waiting for each other?"
Sasuke's eyes closed. "I don't know. I don't know what I'm feeling.are we friends now? Is this what they call friendship?" he asked slowly, quite hesitant on the question.
Futch stayed silent for a minute as he thought of the answer. "No." he replied. "This is different than friendship. It doesn't feel the same, it feels.better." Sasuke's eyes opened, but he didn't speak. Futch admired his form, curled up below him.
Slowly, on an indescribable instinct, Futch drew his head down, until finally his lips met Sasuke's. Futch kissed him eagerly, and Sasuke followed suit somewhat reluctantly. As Sasuke drew back, his eyes showed fear. "Futch.is this right?"
The rain outside continued to hit against the roof of the dojo. "If it isn't, does it really matter? If it isn't right.then does it make what we feel any different? What's right is what you're heart tells you, Sasuke," said Futch, sounding wise beyond his years.
"Yeah." whispered Sasuke. "I guess so." And the two teens fell asleep, wet and cold, but in their hearts there was a warmth that was irreplaceable.
***
The next morning, birds sang and the sun shone brightly. Sasuke woke first, when he heard the dojo door slide open. He jumped to his feet when he saw who it was. The boy blushed furiously as he lightly kicked Futch to get up.
"Oh! Sasuke! What are you doing in here.and Futch.!" came the voice of Kasumi. Futch turned over tiredly, yawning, and Sasuke stood stiffly over him. The woman ninja giggled and blushed. "Oh, I see what's going on here. You're just lucky no one came in before me, after all, everyone's gathered in the great hall. Lord Riou has returned! Now get up." And with that, Kasumi left while laughing quietly to herself.
Sasuke looked down at Futch, who seemed to still be sleeping peacefully. "Get up. You're lazy for a knight, you know," he said with a little laugh, sitting down next to him. "Lord Riou's back. If we're the last ones to get to the great hall, and we're together, and we've been missing all night.everyone will be sure to suspect something."
"Sasuke.do you really think they'll care that much?" asked Futch with another great yawn, standing up, wiping the dust off of his green tunic. "I have to deliver a scroll that Luc gave me to Lord Riou, anyway. That could be an excuse, I guess, if you're really so worried about it."
The two walked out into the glaring sun, much stronger than it had been even before the rain period had begun. Even outside seemed empty as they walked back into Sintary Castle, and went through the barracks to get to the great hall.
Futch entered the room first, followed by an unsure Sasuke. Everyone eyed them over, but didn't say anything. "Okay, now that everyone's here," started Shu, standing in front of all the castle residents along with Apple, Flik, Viktor, Ridley, Teresa, and Shin. "We have some new information on our worldly status."
Lord Riou took a step past the seven adults. "It is now official that Dunan is a country. We have spread word of our trade, business, and foods as far as Zexen," he said, his voice starting to sound deeper now that he was almost eighteen. "Sir Humphrey and Amada have verified that in case of any future conflicts, the Toran Republic is our ally. Also, in turn of our help in the Neclord situation, the Republic of Tinto also adds their name under our list of allies."
The room buzzed. "Why, Dunan seems invincible!" came scattered cries around the room. Sasuke and Futch looked at each other skeptically. There were many other countries that could provide better help than Tinto and Toran.
"What if Harmonia ever invades, huh? What do we do then?!" cried Sasuke, silencing the muffled conversation around the room. The ninja stood with his hand on his hips, a smirk on his face, with closed eyes. "Never underestimate the situation. Sure, these two allies are great, but we have to be careful about other things. If we think we're invincible, we could grow careless. In the future, I'm sure we'll lose allies, gain allies.we can never expect peace in times like these."
There was dead silence. No one expected words so wise to come from the young ninja. Finally, Shu spoke. "Yes, Sasuke, but as of now we have no enemies. After all, Dunan did not do anything to anger any other countries, and I doubt another blood thirsty prince will use our citizens as toys ever again."
"Well said, Sasuke, Shu," said Riou hesitantly. "We can't let our guard down, or think we're completely safe. But there's no use of worrying either, there is a good chance these peaceful times could last for a while." The boy paused for a moment for all the information to sink in.
Suddenly, his adoptive sister Nanami jumped on top of him, shaking him wildly by his neck collar. "Stop boring us already! Let's get to the celebration!" she cried.
Riou laughed and stood up, dusting himself off. "Nanami is right! Food and drink set up all around the castle, if no one noticed." Viktor began whistling innocently. "And thanks to Anallee, Pico, and Alberto we have music for this happy occasion!" And with that, the meeting was over.
***
"See? The only reason either of us got noticed is because of that little outburst you had about Harmonia," said Futch with a laugh, popping a piece of a sandwich into his mouth.
Sasuke looked to his feet. "Well, I guess it's just the ninja way of thinking.and of course, everyone should think like that," he said with a smile, mocking himself.
Riou approached them, looking rather awkward in the black suit he wore. He smiled. "Since when did you two become so close?" he asked, leaning against the snack table they were posted by.
Futch smiled at him. "I don't really know when.sometime along the journey. Maybe we just didn't notice it then," he said. Sasuke didn't say anything, afraid of what Lord Riou might think. "Oh, and here.Luc gave this to me before he left. He wanted you to have it."
Riou looked at the scroll curiously. "Hm.? This is a powerful spell, why does he want me to have it? Does Luc know something about what is to come?" he asked to himself quietly. The ninja just looked at him oddly as he wandered off, about to inform Raura of the scroll.
"You're really awkward when people mention us, you know," said Futch, squeezing Sasuke from the behind. The teen struggled in the embraced, trying to free himself but the dragon knight only laughed. He lightly kissed the side of Sasuke's neck, and he gradually stopped protesting.
Viktor, who was stuffing cookies in his face next to the teenagers, kicked Flik, standing next to him. Flik laughed. "Doesn't it remind you of what we used to be like?" he asked, somewhat dreamily. "I would viciously try to get you off of me and you would just laugh? Oh, the days."
The End
Thank you kindly for taking the time to read my fanfiction! I truly appreciate it. If you could also find a little bit of time to write a review, I can pick up on suggestions. This is a one shot, so if you want a sequel or something of the sort, kindly suggest it. Thanks and good bye!
By: Dark Flower
Disclaimer: To point out the obvious, no, I do not own Suikoden or any of its mass amount of characters
Author's Notes: Its beginning to get hard to come up with original yaoi pairings nowadays, and I do try my best to create something different to entertain people. I was thinking of someone who might strike some surprising chemistry with Futch and decided to explore the possibility of Sasuke. Since I only managed to recruit 98 of the 108 stars (missing Gilbert, Clive, and Mukumuku, I only had a level 3 castle) I could not get Sasuke or Mondo, because I chose Valeria, not Kasumi. Yes, I'm a failure I know. I'll try my best for Sasuke's personality. Riou is the Hero's name, and the castle is called Sintary. The army is Dunan.
"Grrr.rain again?! Will Gengen ever see lovely sun again?" demanded the Kobold warrior, standing outside Leona's tavern. He paced back and forth, his green attire almost soaking instantly. Suddenly, thunder boomed through the sky, causing his tail to go between his legs in sudden fear.
"Captain Gengen!" cried Gabocha, opening the door, some of the warmth from inside coming along with him. "Are you.are you scared?!" asked the Kobold is shock.
Gengen glared at Gabocha. "Scared!? Gengen is great Kobold warrior! Scared not a word for one so great as Captain Gengen!" he said with a proud look in his eyes. The younger Kobold cheered as he followed the captain back into the bar.
Futch watched the little scene from his bedroom window, placed among the barracks of Sintary Castle. The now fifteen-year-old dragon knight sat on his bed that was propped against the stone wall, hard raindrops pelting against his window. "Strange.Kobolds look so much like dogs, yet they act just like us," he noted to himself.
The teen lay on his bed, staring at the blank, white ceiling. The endless sound of rain falling to the cobblestone ground repeated itself dully. "Rain.too much rain. I wish I was with Humphrey in Toran," Futch mumbled to himself, turning around, burying his face into his pillow.
"Heh, crying into your pillow won't solve much. You seem pretty down for a kid," came a maturing voice from the open door. Sasuke stood there, leaning against the doorframe, a smirk on his face and his eyes closed.
Futch sat up quickly, and sighed with annoyance. "Kid? I'm older than you," he said bluntly. Sasuke laughed. "Anyway, what are you doing here? This is the barracks. You're room isn't in here."
"Yeah, so?" asked Sasuke, examining Futch's small room, then sat on the empty bed to next to the one Futch sat on. "Just because I'm only here because I have to doesn't mean I'll mope around in my room all day, unlike some people," he said with a little sneer.
Futch just gave him an annoyed look. "The war is over, there has to be some reason you're staying here. You always say you hate to be here, but the chances of another war are slim to none," he said. Sasuke just looked at him. "Look, why don't you go train at the dojo? Kasumi is there." he said, a little hint dropping as he slightly exaggerated Kasumi's name. Sasuke's face turned red.
"Kasumi?! What makes you think I like.her?!" he cried, standing up in offense. Futch just looked at him, thinking 'Okay, you can go now.' Sasuke got the point but refused to leave the room. "The only reason you're acting like such a jerk anyway is because your precious Humphrey is gone! You follow that guy around like a moping puppy, its so obvious you like him!" he cried.
Futch burned red. "Humphrey.?" he said quietly, his fists clenching. "Humphrey is my.Humphrey is my best friend! He traveled with me until I found Bright, my new dragon! For you to say such a thing is so.so.stupid!" he screamed, swinging a punch at Sasuke as they both jumped to their feet.
Futch's gloved fist smacked into Sasuke's cheekbone, but the ninja only touched his cheek momentarily and laughed. With a well-aimed high kick, Futch was on the ground, holding his nose in a bloody mess. "Never mess with a high-tier ninja, dragon boy," he said slowly, fixing his gloves. He put his hand back on his cheek. "I didn't want to have to do that, so just remember, you started it."
Just as the teen said this, Humphrey walked into the room, having just returned from his trip to the Toran Republic with Amada. Futch was sitting on the floor, angry eyes looking to the much older man for help. ".." Humphrey didn't say a word, but grabbed Sasuke by his wild umber hair and forcefully pushed him out of the room. Extending his hand to Futch, the boy was lifted to his feet.
".What a jerk. He came in here, starting make smart remarks, and then he said, um-" Futch stopped and blushed. ".He said stuff about me and you, and then he hit me. What's his problem, anyway?" he said, feeling a bit embarrassed about being defeated by someone a bit younger than him. He wiped the blood that streamed from his nose to chin with the brown leather gloves he was wearing.
Humphrey gave him an understanding glance, and left the room silently. ".I wish I had my spear here." Futch mumbled, and continued looking up at the ceiling.
***
"Sasuke. You came here to help the Dunan Army, not to pick fights," cried Mondo. The old ninja sat inside the dojo, scolding the young boy for what Humphrey had informed him was '.an unfair fight and a needless attack.' Kasumi giggled at Sasuke, who was blushing intensely, sitting cross-legged in front of Mondo. It was about two days after the incident, and it hadn't stopped raining since then.
"B-but Master, surely you've gone through this stage of your life too." he tried, but this seemed to make the higher ranked ninja even more upset at him.
"That is no excuse! As punishment for this un-orderly behavior, you are to assist Hai Yo with the restaurant dishes twice each day for a month." Sasuke left the dojo with laughter and snickers behind him, his head lowered in shame.
On the young ninja's way to the army kitchen, he saw Futch, asking Tetsu, the bath maker, if he had seen Humphrey lately. Sheepishly, Sasuke approached the dragon knight. "Um.Futch?" he asked, standing behind him.
Futch turned around, but looked disappointed. "Oh.it's you," he said, as if expecting some nasty comment or maybe something worse. "What do you want?" he asked, waving good-bye to Tetsu as the two made their way to Chef Hai Yo's restaurant.
"In all honesty, I wanted to say sorry," he said, sounding cowardly. "And um.er, well, could you help me with the dishes at Hai Yo's place?" he asked as they stood outside the restaurant entrance.
Futch looked at the ninja and burst into a fit of laughter. Sasuke looked to the ground, blushing. Suddenly, the dragon knight noticed the look on his face and stopped. "Whew.you're actually serious? After you kicked me in the face, you want me to help you with your punishment? You're very proud."
"I won't be laughed at by the likes of you," interrupted Sasuke. "Will you help me or not? If you help me, I'll never hurt you again. A ninja's oath," he offered, actually sounding sincere, but nonetheless still cocky.
Futch just smiled a little to himself, walking into the kitchen, sitting at a table by himself. Sasuke looked at him angrily as he approached Hai Yo, the castle chef, and explained the instructions Mondo had given to him. "Ah! Such a pleasure to have a helper! Remember, a chef must cook, cook, cook. There's no time for doing dishes. You'll be great dish washer, Sasuke!" he exclaimed, everyone in the restaurant hearing him.
Zamza, now Sintary Castle's magic instructor, let out a snicker. "What has become of the great hi-tier ninja now?" he asked loudly. "A lowly kitchen's assistant? Hah!" Mostly everyone eating there ignored the comment, all except for Futch and Sasuke. The young ninja burned red, cracking a dish that he held.
Futch could not help but feel sorry for Sasuke. After all, for a kid who had so much pride, it must have hurt to lose it all. After about five minutes of sitting by himself, in the faint hope that Humphrey would show up, Futch stood up and walked to the sink. "Hey Sasuke, thanks for taking over my job. I think I can handle it for the rest of the day," he said loud enough for everyone to hear, pretending to hand over a small amount of potch to Sasuke.
The look in the ninja's eyes showed the utmost appreciation, yet confusion. He walked out without a word. Zamza grunted to himself, shaking his long, wavy hair out of his face. Futch continued to wash and dry the dishes for what seemed like hours when Hai Yo finally spoke to him. "You're a very good friend, Futch," said the energetic chef.
Futch just nodded his head, thinking to himself, repeating the word 'friend' in his mind, over and over.
***
When the foggy night finally came rolling in, Futch's job in the kitchen was over. He made his way to Leona's tavern, sitting at Viktor and Flik's table. The sound of rain could still be heard despite the chatter of the room. "Hey, kid. You wouldn't have happened to see Humphrey around, have ya?" asked Viktor, taking a large gulp of his mug of sake.
Futch put his elbow on the wooden table and used his hand to hold his head up. "Well, no. I saw him yesterday, as soon as he got back from Toran, but not since then. He seems to be about the castle a lot lately," said Futch quietly.
"Hey, you look pretty down. Is anything bothering you? You're probably not the same when Humphrey ain't by your side, eh boy? Haha, guess not," said Viktor with a laugh. Futch just gave him a quick glare. Flik noticed this.
"Hey, hey Viktor.don't talk to him like that. Maybe something is bothering him, its no reason to pick on kids while their mind is on something else. Leave 'im alone," said Flik, giving Futch a smile of understanding. Futch managed to smile back.
Viktor gave Flik a playful frown. "That's not fair! You have that bad habit of making me look the bad guy, don't ya? You're a rotten guy, Flik. Rotten." he said with a laugh. Futch looked at the two men, wondering how their friendship had grown so strong.
Flik laughed too, and flicked his hand, saying, "Go on, Futch. Its getting late, you probably don't want to be here late at night. There's no telling what this guy will do after too much sake," intending this remark on Viktor. The two men laughed.
Futch waved goodnight, and made his way to the barracks, passing the Guardian Deity of the castle as he did so. It was a dragon. "Dragon of this castle." he whispered. "Please, don't only make me a stronger dragon knight, but a stronger person, too."
Luc, who stood next to the deity, let out a cynical laugh. "It can't hear you. It's not real. It would be better to pray to me than to that thing. Anyway, since you're the only one here, give this to Lord Riou when he gets back. It's a magic scroll. I'm going back to Lekknat.after all, the war is over." The holder of the True Wind Rune handed Futch the scroll, and with a blue light, was gone.
Futch looked at the scroll in his hands, and once again started his way to his room. He took Adlai's elevator to his barracks floor, and entered his room to find Sir Humphrey, sitting at the desk, his head cocked to the right, looking out the window. "Ah, so this is where you've been hiding. The most logical, yet the last place people will look," said Futch happily.
Humphrey turned around, his stern face remaining the same. ".You had a visitor," he said quietly. The man looked at the paper on his desk, and began writing. It was some form of letter to Mayor Lepant of the Toran Republic.
Futch sat on his bed, hugging his legs to his chest. "Oh, really? Who was it?" he asked. Humphrey remained quiet, as always. It didn't really matter, anyway. Futch already knew who it was.it had to be Sasuke. They sat together in silence for a moment, but the teen couldn't stand the sound of the rain hitting against the window. "Why.? Why is he still here, in Sintary Castle? And why does he follow me.its like he hates me, yet still wants to be around me."
"Mondo told me," said Humphrey quietly. Futch didn't even have to ask, for despite his nature, the man continued speaking. "When you hit him, you nearly shattered his cheek bone. He was in Dr. Huan's care for nearly a day after that."
Futch thought to himself for a minute. That meant that he must have hurt Sasuke more than the ninja had hurt him. Surprisingly, Humphrey had more to say. "When a ninja is bested in combat, especially a high-tier ninja, they feel they owe something to their better. Mondo says the boy respects you, Futch. That's an honor, respect from someone like Sasuke. Or maybe he just likes you."
Futch blushed despite himself. He hugged his legs closer to his chest, thinking of the idea Humphrey had just put forth. He sat, thinking, for quite a while, until the other man in the room silently undressed and slipped into bed. "Goodnight," said Futch quietly as he slipped out of the room.
The halls of Sintary Castle were dark, deserted, and silent, beside the splatter of raindrops. Futch's light boots made no sound as they hit the stone floor, carrying him towards the dojo. "What am I doing.?" he whispered, but didn't stop himself.
Exiting the castle, he passed Sigfried, the unicorn sleeping peacefully by the small pond, not seeming to mind the rain. Futch turned off to the right, entering the dojo, but the dark room was empty and quiet. "." The dragon knight stood quietly in the middle of the dojo, the echo of rain surrounding him. "What was I expecting, anyway.?" he asked himself finally.
"You knew I'd be here, waiting for you," came the voice of Sasuke, the boy sliding open the door of the dojo. His black clothes seemed completely soaked through. "And I knew you'd come, that's why I waited."
The two teens slowly approached each other until they met face to face. "You're cold, Sasuke. How long were you waiting?" said the dragon knight quietly as he noticed the ninja's teeth chattering.
"A long time, but I'm fine," he said, his usually strong voice hushed to a soft whisper. They kept their eyes locked. "You didn't have to do that, you know. At the restaurant." he paused. "I didn't get a chance to say thanks."
Futch smiled at him, but Sasuke's eyes turned away. "But I wanted to. I couldn't let your pride just slip through my fingers like that. I wanted to.I wanted to help you. Even after what happened in my room." The dragon knight sat down on the hard floor, suddenly realizing his strong fatigue.
Futch took the other boy's hand, and pulled the ninja down next to him. He gently pushed Sasuke into a position where his head was resting on his lap. "You must be tired. It's really late.and you've got to be cold, too. Your clothes is soaked through. Why.? Why are we here, why were we waiting for each other?"
Sasuke's eyes closed. "I don't know. I don't know what I'm feeling.are we friends now? Is this what they call friendship?" he asked slowly, quite hesitant on the question.
Futch stayed silent for a minute as he thought of the answer. "No." he replied. "This is different than friendship. It doesn't feel the same, it feels.better." Sasuke's eyes opened, but he didn't speak. Futch admired his form, curled up below him.
Slowly, on an indescribable instinct, Futch drew his head down, until finally his lips met Sasuke's. Futch kissed him eagerly, and Sasuke followed suit somewhat reluctantly. As Sasuke drew back, his eyes showed fear. "Futch.is this right?"
The rain outside continued to hit against the roof of the dojo. "If it isn't, does it really matter? If it isn't right.then does it make what we feel any different? What's right is what you're heart tells you, Sasuke," said Futch, sounding wise beyond his years.
"Yeah." whispered Sasuke. "I guess so." And the two teens fell asleep, wet and cold, but in their hearts there was a warmth that was irreplaceable.
***
The next morning, birds sang and the sun shone brightly. Sasuke woke first, when he heard the dojo door slide open. He jumped to his feet when he saw who it was. The boy blushed furiously as he lightly kicked Futch to get up.
"Oh! Sasuke! What are you doing in here.and Futch.!" came the voice of Kasumi. Futch turned over tiredly, yawning, and Sasuke stood stiffly over him. The woman ninja giggled and blushed. "Oh, I see what's going on here. You're just lucky no one came in before me, after all, everyone's gathered in the great hall. Lord Riou has returned! Now get up." And with that, Kasumi left while laughing quietly to herself.
Sasuke looked down at Futch, who seemed to still be sleeping peacefully. "Get up. You're lazy for a knight, you know," he said with a little laugh, sitting down next to him. "Lord Riou's back. If we're the last ones to get to the great hall, and we're together, and we've been missing all night.everyone will be sure to suspect something."
"Sasuke.do you really think they'll care that much?" asked Futch with another great yawn, standing up, wiping the dust off of his green tunic. "I have to deliver a scroll that Luc gave me to Lord Riou, anyway. That could be an excuse, I guess, if you're really so worried about it."
The two walked out into the glaring sun, much stronger than it had been even before the rain period had begun. Even outside seemed empty as they walked back into Sintary Castle, and went through the barracks to get to the great hall.
Futch entered the room first, followed by an unsure Sasuke. Everyone eyed them over, but didn't say anything. "Okay, now that everyone's here," started Shu, standing in front of all the castle residents along with Apple, Flik, Viktor, Ridley, Teresa, and Shin. "We have some new information on our worldly status."
Lord Riou took a step past the seven adults. "It is now official that Dunan is a country. We have spread word of our trade, business, and foods as far as Zexen," he said, his voice starting to sound deeper now that he was almost eighteen. "Sir Humphrey and Amada have verified that in case of any future conflicts, the Toran Republic is our ally. Also, in turn of our help in the Neclord situation, the Republic of Tinto also adds their name under our list of allies."
The room buzzed. "Why, Dunan seems invincible!" came scattered cries around the room. Sasuke and Futch looked at each other skeptically. There were many other countries that could provide better help than Tinto and Toran.
"What if Harmonia ever invades, huh? What do we do then?!" cried Sasuke, silencing the muffled conversation around the room. The ninja stood with his hand on his hips, a smirk on his face, with closed eyes. "Never underestimate the situation. Sure, these two allies are great, but we have to be careful about other things. If we think we're invincible, we could grow careless. In the future, I'm sure we'll lose allies, gain allies.we can never expect peace in times like these."
There was dead silence. No one expected words so wise to come from the young ninja. Finally, Shu spoke. "Yes, Sasuke, but as of now we have no enemies. After all, Dunan did not do anything to anger any other countries, and I doubt another blood thirsty prince will use our citizens as toys ever again."
"Well said, Sasuke, Shu," said Riou hesitantly. "We can't let our guard down, or think we're completely safe. But there's no use of worrying either, there is a good chance these peaceful times could last for a while." The boy paused for a moment for all the information to sink in.
Suddenly, his adoptive sister Nanami jumped on top of him, shaking him wildly by his neck collar. "Stop boring us already! Let's get to the celebration!" she cried.
Riou laughed and stood up, dusting himself off. "Nanami is right! Food and drink set up all around the castle, if no one noticed." Viktor began whistling innocently. "And thanks to Anallee, Pico, and Alberto we have music for this happy occasion!" And with that, the meeting was over.
***
"See? The only reason either of us got noticed is because of that little outburst you had about Harmonia," said Futch with a laugh, popping a piece of a sandwich into his mouth.
Sasuke looked to his feet. "Well, I guess it's just the ninja way of thinking.and of course, everyone should think like that," he said with a smile, mocking himself.
Riou approached them, looking rather awkward in the black suit he wore. He smiled. "Since when did you two become so close?" he asked, leaning against the snack table they were posted by.
Futch smiled at him. "I don't really know when.sometime along the journey. Maybe we just didn't notice it then," he said. Sasuke didn't say anything, afraid of what Lord Riou might think. "Oh, and here.Luc gave this to me before he left. He wanted you to have it."
Riou looked at the scroll curiously. "Hm.? This is a powerful spell, why does he want me to have it? Does Luc know something about what is to come?" he asked to himself quietly. The ninja just looked at him oddly as he wandered off, about to inform Raura of the scroll.
"You're really awkward when people mention us, you know," said Futch, squeezing Sasuke from the behind. The teen struggled in the embraced, trying to free himself but the dragon knight only laughed. He lightly kissed the side of Sasuke's neck, and he gradually stopped protesting.
Viktor, who was stuffing cookies in his face next to the teenagers, kicked Flik, standing next to him. Flik laughed. "Doesn't it remind you of what we used to be like?" he asked, somewhat dreamily. "I would viciously try to get you off of me and you would just laugh? Oh, the days."
The End
Thank you kindly for taking the time to read my fanfiction! I truly appreciate it. If you could also find a little bit of time to write a review, I can pick up on suggestions. This is a one shot, so if you want a sequel or something of the sort, kindly suggest it. Thanks and good bye!