Title: Chasing Butterflies
Fandom: Inuyasha
Author: kira
Words: varies, please see each part for individual word count
Rating: PG 13
Genre: Romance
AU/Canon: AU
Characters: Bankotsu, Jakotsu, and Suikotsu
Summary: Bankotsu decides to pursue the pretty cross-dresser who caught his eye and make him his own…
Warnings: none
888
Part 1( 262 words)
Bankotsu hit the stop button, followed by rewind. He counted quickly to three and hit stop again. Sighing softly, he hit play. Two figures danced across the small TV set in his office, one the leader singer/guitarist for the band Youkai, the other the pretty gender bending model they had hired for the video's female lead. As Sesshomaru spun him around, a brilliant flash of red caught his eye, prompting the young recorder producer to repeat his actions so that he could watch that particular sequence again. The fact that he had watched it so many times he had lost count was not important. What was, was the tiny flash of red that caught his eye. Chuckling softly, he reached for his phone and dialed the number he had spent the night memorizing.
"Hello," he said, mentally cursing himself, when he realized he had gotten the cross-dresser answering machine. When it finally beeped for him to leave a message, he said, "Hi, it's me, Kusao Ban, I was hoping to catch you at home, but since I didn't, I guess this'll have to do," he babbled into the phone. "I just wanted to let you know I had a lot of fun with you the other night and I was wondering if we could do it again? Ummm…Bye…" he hung up.
Picking up the VCR's remote, Bankotsu repeated his earlier actions, watching the pretty cross-dresser dancing across the TV's screen as he flashed a bit red. Sighing softly, Bankotsu proceeded to watch it again and a again as his afternoon wore on.
Part 2 (262 words)
Jakotsu opened the door to his apartment and stepped inside. Closing it behind him, he locked it. Kicking off his shoes, he stepped up out of the genkan and headed towards the kitchen to put away several bags of ramen, along with a precious sliver of salmon. He hated being broke, but had long ago resigned himself to the fact that this was the life of an actor and the only alternative would be a steady paycheck working in father's company, something he loathed as he would have to spend his days dressed in a suit and tie. Leaving the kitchen, he entered the apartment's main living area.
As he sat down on a floor cushion, the answering machine's message light caught his eye. Crawling over to it, he pushed "play." Bankotsu's voice broke the silence in the room, making Jakotsu's breath catch in his throat.
Oh my god! He actually called me back!!
Picking up the phone, Jakotsu dialed the number he had scribbled on the pad next to it. He also got the answering machine. Rolling his eyes at his bad luck, the cross-dresser said, "I was hoping to catch you at home too, Ban, but I must have missed you. Anyway, I'm home… Bye!"
Hanging up, he immediately called his best friend. "Hey, Sui!"
"Hey, Jak."
"Guess what? He called!!"
"Who?"
"Ban! That guy I was telling you about!! Why don't come over and I'll make us some dinner, as long as you don't mind ramen…"
"Ramen would be fine, Jak… I'll see you in a few."
"Bye, Sui…"
Part 3 (300 words)
Left to his own devices while Jakotsu went down to the corner store for a piece of chicken and some fresh vegetables, Suikotsu putted around the kitchen. He started the rice cooker, and was in the middle of setting the table when the doorbell rang. Leaving the plates stacked up on the low kitchen table, he went to answer it.
"Oh good! I was hoping to catch you at home…" a male voice was saying, as Suikotsu opened the door. "Uh…"
"Ummm… Can I help you?"
Bankotsu felt his cheeks heating up. "I umm…"
"I'm Hirata Suiichi, Hibiya Jakotsu's friend…?" Suikotsu prompted. "He might have referred to me as 'Suikotsu.' And you are?"
"Aaah… yes, I'm Kusao Bankotsu."
"You're the Ban I've been hearing so much about, but Jak never said you were coming over. Please, come in."
"Well, I sort stopped by, hoping to catch him at home since I kept catching him out and he kept calling me at home and I was still at work… I didn't… I'd better go." Bankotsu turned to go.
"Kusao-san, please stay. He was…" Suikotsu tried hard not to laugh when he turned around, a hopeful expression on his face. "If you like ramen, he's making some ramen for dinner." He held up a hand to stop the younger man's protest. "Truth be told, Kusao-san, I have the impression he'd rather be cooking dinner for you than me. So, please, come inside, make yourself at home. He'll be back in a few minutes." Suikotsu stepped aside to let him in.
As Bankotsu entered the apartment, he said, "What about you?"
"Tell him, I had an emergency and I had to leave."
"You sure he's not going to be upset?"
"Kusao-san, trust me, he'll be very pleased to see you."
"You sure?"
"Yes."
Part 4 (272 words)
When Jakotsu arrived home to find the man of his dreams instead of his best friend, he was so stunned at the turn of events that he looked like a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming car.
"Look, I'm really sorry, showing up here uninvited, but I had to…" Bankotsu fumbled for the right words, and giving up, he simply said, "I had to see you again."
The cross-dresser nodded. He took off his shoes, slipping on his slippers as he stared at Bankotsu as if he were seeing a ghost. He was caught completely off guard by his unexpected arrival.
"I don't usually do things like this, but I ummm…"
Jakotsu smiled. "You sound really desperate…" he giggled. Bankotsu had the good graces to look embarrassed the cross-dresser noted.
"Yeah… I am actually. I ummm…" he said as he followed him into the kitchen.
"You thought I was 'ignoring' your calls?" Jakotsu impishly prompted.
"Yeah…"
"Awe… I would never do that, Ban… But I'm glad you're here. So uh, where'd Sui disappear to?"
"He had an emergency."
The cross-dresser laughed. "I'll bet!" he said. "He left us alone, the lil sneak. So I guess I'm back to making ramen for two, hunh?"
"Yeah… I'm sorry; I caught you at a bad time."
"Ban…" Jakotsu was suddenly at a loss for words.
"Yeah?"
"Don't be," he finally said. "I'm glad you're here. Now, would you like chicken with it? I have some tins of tuna, or the small bit of salmon I bought for tomorrow night's dinner…"
"Ummm… tuna is fine."
"You sure?"
"Never been more sure of anything..."
"Okay…"
Part 5 (300 words)
"Ban, as much as I loved having you here, if you're going to make it home tonight, you'd better hurry so you can catch the last bus," Jakotsu said when he noticed the time, "unless you drove here."
"Ummm…" The younger man felt his cheeks heating up. "I came here straight form work, and I usually take the train."
"Silly…" The cross-dresser giggled. "Come, I'll walk you to the bus stop. With a bit of luck, you can make to the train station in time."
"Well, I was kind of hoping…"
"Ban… honey, as much as I would love to let you spend the night, I'm just not ready for sex yet," Jakotsu said bluntly. He frowned at the look the younger man shot him, and sighed softly. Oh well… it was good I guess while it lasted…
"No… that's not what I meant!" Bankotsu said, hoping he would not be caught in a lie.
"If you say so…" Jakotsu said, before an awkward silence settled between them.
"Look, I'm sorry, Jak. You're beautiful and sweet, and fun to be around and I know this only what? The third time we're together…" the younger man trailed off helplessly.
"Second," the cross-dresser corrected. "But?" He arched a delicate eyebrow at Bankotsu.
"But I feel like I've known you forever, as crazy as that seems."
"No… I feel the same way, but I also don't want to jinx this by rushing into things too quickly."
"Understood…" Bankotsu stood up to leave. "So when's a good time to catch you at home? I'd like to call you and actually get you on the phone."
Jakotsu laughed as he stood up. "Any time is a good time."
"Okay…"
"Until then…" Jakotsu walked him to his door.
"Bye…" Bankotsu turned and left as Jakotsu watched.
Part 6 (268 words)
Between his Jolt! energy drink ad campaign and the music video, Jakotsu managed to catch the public's eye. He also managed to capture Bankotsu's heart. Their long separation, so early on in their relationship, oddly enough strengthened the bond between them. The flighty cross-dresser was slowly starting believe Bankotsu was the one he had been waiting for all his life, despite his irrational fears to the contrary. After calling the younger man, and arranging for him to meet him there at the station, he caught an earlier train to Tokyo.
Getting off the train, the cross-dresser spotted his boyfriend in the crowd. He hurried over to him and was swept up into his arms. They kissed. Breaking the kiss to catch his breath, Jakotsu said, "It's good to be home again…"
Bankotsu chuckled. "That's funny; I was just thinking how good it is to have you home again."
"Yeah…?"
"Yup. But I think if survived that we could survive anything." He held the cross-dresser close.
Jakotsu felt a lump in his throat, as his eyes misted over with unshed tears.
"Don't cry, Sweetness…"
Jakotsu smiled. "Sweetness?"
"Yeah… you're like the sweetest thing I've ever met and I've met a lot of people in my life, but none are comparable to you. So before you start blubbering like a baby, let's catch a cab and you can tell me about the ride home.
"Sounds like a plan to me," Jakotsu said impishly.
"It sounds more like a date to me," Bankotsu said, letting go of his boyfriend, to pick up his suitcase. "Let's go…"
"Lead the way, Ban honey…"