glossary :

bokken, bokuto: wooden practice katana

Wakizashi: a short companion sword to the katana. Sometimes used by young samauri.

Iaito: bladeless katana used for iaido practice.

Iaido: art of drawing the sword.

Chudan no Kamae: a middle position in Kenjutsu where the kata is held foward and facing the enemy.

Kenjutsu: fighting (jutsu loosely translated) with the sword (ken again loosely translated.)

Tetsu had agreed. He said he would be there as soon as he secured a blanket to himself. Shinpachi thought this as he walked deliberately across the moist grass, the blades catching in-between his toes. He was playing out his battle plan in his mind, slowly going over how to tire out Tetsu. Maybe dull his wits and see what would happen. He cringed at his own lewd thoughts. How come I like him so much? How come...?

Without realizing he had come upon the dojo. Tripping himself on the boards outside the entrance, he fell in mid-thought to the floor

"Hey you sure you're alright? Should I get someone?" exclaimed a befuddled Tetsunosuke. Tetsu had been waiting inside the dojo as Shinpachi meandered across the grass. He noticed Shinpachi mouthing his words as he walked.

"No" Shinpachi said raising himself from the now more sodden deck.

"No I'm fine. I just need to dry my feet. You can go over there and get the bokken. I'm the same size as you"

This is when he realized that Tetsu is only wearing his blanket tied into a makeshift hakama. It left little to the imagination. His eyes took leave of Tetsu as he walked to the opposite of the room to grab the bokuto. Shinpachi then took his eyes down as he sat and used the still desiccated part of his hakama to dry his feet. After being tangled in his own hakama, he removed the ties letting, leaving him only in his gi. Leaning his elbow against his thigh he looked again at Tetsu as He returned with the bokken. He looked up to the standing Tetsu with a warm smile. Tetsu handed him the bokken from his right hand. Shinpachi went on to compliment Tetsu.

"Souji said there is much to be learned from your … technique" he remarked hoping to appease Tetsu and break any tension left in the air.

"WOW HE SAID THAT" Tetsu beamed with joy

"Yup, But don't tell him I told you ok?" replied Shinpachi.

Tetsu put his hands behind his head and bore a content smile as he meandered off in a fantasy.

"Ok. Wow maybe Ill start a dojo and people will come from all over Kyoto, no Japan, no THE WORLD, AND TO STUDY UNDER ME O' Ichimura Tetsunosuke Sensei" He slowly walked himself 3 meters from where Shinpachi was standing up and taking position. Shinpachi's mind was wandering again as he let himself loosen up. A grin crossed Shinpachi's face.

"Let's make this interesting. Let's see if you can hit me one time" The cockiness had seeped back into Shinpachi's voice as he took up his bokken.

"What are we wagering?" Shinpachi's head reeled with the possibilities.

"Nothing really, 'just a gentlemen's bet"

Shinpachi stood musing on the dojo floor; trying to bottle up his libido as he maintained his untailored manner. It was only heightened though at the promise of confrontation. He turned himself around to stared directly into the darkness outside the dojo. For a moment, he though he noticed an out of place shadow, but he thought better of it as some shadowed spot on the back of his eye.

"Ok here are the terms" he said with his back to Ichimura Tetsunosuke. He loosened his grip on his bokken.

"Ready then ........ Begin." At first a tenuous pause took them. They stood both in their positions ready to charge. Tetsu's body awaited a more definite cue though. A drop of dew hit the deck.

Tetsu charged forward with his bokuto leading above him. He covered the first two meters in an instant, rushing in a slanted sprint. Shinpachi still stood facing the darkness when Tetsu closed the final meter. An inch from bringing the weapon down full force against Shinpachi's shoulder blade, Shinpachi turned clockwise into his radical opponent and pushed Tetsu's wrists down and forward. The world spun around Tetsu. He almost was breathing on Shinpachi when he brought down his bokken. It was like he and the room moved rather then his opponent. All this ran through his head as he rolled once .... twice ...three times on the ground. Tetsu recovered from the rolling quickly though, landing on his feet. Tetsu swiftly regained his ground on Shinpachi and attacked again. Applying the same technique, Shinpachi sent him flying. Almost in vain though for he recovered himself in his unusually pronounced Chudan no Kame position. No doubt he lacked some form but his blows were swift and flowing and his recovery prompt.

Both then turned to each other and assumed Chudan no Kame. They stared at each other; Tetsu with his intense war face and Shinpachi with his casual smile. The wind blew gently against the trees setting a distant chime to song and the brush to whispers. The wind chimes far-reaching note hung still in the air with the moisture until being robbed by the dense night. It rang in their heads, and grew with each tensions moment.

In a mentally deafening climax they launched at each other. Both sprinting, they forgot themselves in the intensity of mock bloodlust. Tetsu also forgot however that he was wearing a sheet.

His foot pulled back against the weak tuck-in job that held the cloth in place and Tetsu's disrobing body was flung hurdling at a growingly wide eyed Shinpachi. At contact the momentum carried them both outside onto the warm moist grass. Each about a meter apart

Tetsu bolted in reflex action to the blanket lying in arms length and hurriedly tried to drape it back over himself. Both he and the blanket were sodden with moisture and grass.

A stunned Shinpachi laid stunned on the ground keeping the tumbling image of Tetsu's dynamic disrobing. He then muttered in a cracked voice "lets call that a draw"

Tetsu scrambled to refasten his makeshift robe. And stuttered

"Yeah plus I doubt that Hijikata would let you take me anyway. My room is close we should get some clean clothes on since well be up until morning now"

"Yeah you're right" confirmed Shinpachi

Shinpachi noticed now that Tetsu had walked over to give him a hand. A frantic idea took form in his mind as he reached the climax of his emotional and lustful desperations. His foot seemed to act of its own will as he discreetly tripped Tetsu having him fall directly on top of him.

"Hey! What the hell. Was that fo..." Shinpachi grew bolder as he leaned up, kissing Tetsu lightly. On withdrawing he realized his actions. And awaited its consequence

Tetsunosuke felt a wave of sensation run through his lips and face even after their lips had parted. He was hovering above Shinpachi now, terrified, on his hands and knees. Tetsu finally realized the depths of Shinpachi's interests. A look into his quivering eyes turned all to light.

Shinpachi tried to speak, to apologize, but again found himself kissing Tetsu; trying to lead him down closer. Tetsu began to fear until realizing in aside. Wow he really likes me. He's been doing all of this because he has been looking at me from afar. But he's a he what am I doing I've never ... then recalling the tension he built between himself and Suzu. Have I. I have but these thoughts were my own. Did they see through me; Shinpachi and Suzu? Or is Shinpachi brave enough to admit it to him and turn thought to plan to action, were Suzu and I are too fickle. What about Saya? Don't you like her? Guys shouldn't be kissing guys. What am I doing? He shifted from Shinpachi; looking into his eyes. Then continued thinking in aside. I feel so ... so amazing though; the weight the subtle sweetness in the sent of another male. These are things I've never dreamed of before. Or at least I never admitted to myself to have dreamed of. Shinpachi made the slightest motion to roll on top of Tetsu and he yielded. They stared now lovingly into each others eyes.

"Tetsu I" stuttered Shinpachi.

"It's ok" Tetsunosuke smiled. "I'm not so thick that I haven't figured enough out now"

"Heh... I suppose not" Shinpachi smiled softly "So what now"

Tetsu drew him down into a caress, letting his hands slide slowly of Shinpachi's back. He grinned lightly and began to whisper into his new found lovers ear .

"Maybe we should go to you're...."

"Own separate rooms and forget all that happened here" interrupted a cold, but hushed, imposing voice from across the dojo floor.

Their heads swam with frigid water as they froze wide eyed...