Authors note:
Ahem once again this is rated M for a reason so remember to read the warning from before!
Thanks for the review it gave me the push I needed to finish this bad boy off :)
Lemon scenes start with OHMY and end with WINK if you want to skip them.
Enjoy!
Mission two: Cake, dancing and storytime.
A young boy with short dirty blond hair and blue eyes was staring out the window at the vast gardens below. The grand fountains looked gorgeous against the cold winter wind. He was sitting in his own private classroom in one of the many rooms of his stately home. The only other people there with him were his fiancé, Mimi Tachikawa, a young woman with long light brown hair and honey colored eyes, and his tutor Koushirou Izumi, a young man with short spikey red hair and deep onyx eyes.
Koushirou was a young prodigy, only eighteen years old and yet intelligent enough to teach the young boy all he needed to know in every field. Though Koushirou was never very forthcoming with his past the boy knew he had been involved in weapons production at a very young age. It was only a few years ago that he gave it all up to become a tutor and he had never disclosed why.
Mimi was nearly three years older then the boy and he really didn't understand why his mother had chosen her. She was nice enough, though quite spoiled in many ways. It was undoubtedly to do with her merchant father who controlled vast portions of the kingdoms wealth with his many farms and factories, not the least of which produced the majority of Shin's weapons and artillery.
Still he had absolutely zero romantic feelings for the woman, viewing her as more of a sister then anything else. Besides her rapt attention to Koushirou's explanation of physics was a pretty dead giveaway that her feelings lay elsewhere. The boy found it quite amusing the way Koushirou tried to ignore her advances, though it was obvious to anyone who saw them together that he didn't really mind. They tried to hide it but they were obviously much closer then they wanted to lead him to believe.
Tapping his fingers against his mahogany desk he silently wished his birthday would come sooner. He would be sixteen in a few short weeks and when that happened he would finally be allowed out of his isolation. He honestly couldn't wait, that stupid tradition would be one of the first things he'd abolish once he had claimed his heritage.
"Takeru am I boring you?" Koushirou asked innocently enough. Sighing Takeru pushed off his seat and turned to leave.
"Sorry Koushirou can I just have some time to myself for awhile?"
"Sure I guess." Koushirou watched him leave with concern. As soon as the door clicked shut Mimi moved to sit on top of her desk. The long pink gown she wore with matching gloves suited her perfectly and her diamond earrings shone in the soft winter light pouring in through the large windows.
"So Koushi~" She started. He gave her a long confused look before turning back to the chalk board.
"Is there something you don't understand Miss Tachikawa?"
"Don't call me that! Call me Mimi." Shrinking away from her outburst he swallowed hard.
"Ok, Mimi, is there something you don't understand?"
"No you've explained it perfectly as always." She purred, crossing her legs and leaning back across the desk invitingly. He gave her another quizzical look then turned back to his work. As soon as his back was turned Mimi pulled up her dress revealing the white frilly garter on her pearly thigh.
She immensely enjoyed the pure shock on his face when he turned back around. Winking at him she reached up and released the clasp holding her hair back letting it spill over her shoulders.
"Mi-miss Mimi! What on earth are you doing!" Scowling at this she sat up straight and jumped off the desk glaring angrily at him.
"How long are you going to ignore me? We've been practically going out for years now! How much longer do you expect me to wait!" With that she stormed out of the room leaving a bewildered Koushirou in her wake.
...
Takeru was skulking through the long halls with no destination in particular. It was mid winter, the climate in Shin was always a lot colder then Zui so there was a thin veil of snow covering the ground outside. He always got depressed around this time, in a few days it would be his brothers birthday. Another year without him...even though it had been almost eight years since his passing the emotional scars were no more healed then they had been on the day he heard the news.
He had been seven years old, a few weeks away from turning eight, and had had a terrific day away from home attending his brothers birthday party. He had enjoyed it a lot since not only was it his brothers eleventh it was also the first time he had seen the rest of his family since his mother had taken him away several months prior. He had been so young yet he still remembered his brother so fondly, he had meant the world to him and that world was shattered when he was gone.
He still remembered peering through the crack in the door the next morning and seeing Yukio breaking the news to his distraught mother. Yukio had always been a great friend to them and when his mother started dating him in secret Takeru had been happy for her. He loved Yukio in his own way but he didn't like how whenever he came over he would try to replace his father. He only had one father and he was gone too.
When Takeru turned sixteen he would take his fathers last name and his rightful place on the throne. His mother was worried he was too young but he insisted they follow the tradition. He wanted to know about the state of his country, it was his responsibilty and he was sure it would make his father and brother proud even if they couldn't be here to see it.
He had never been to Zui and he wanted to know what life was like for the people there. Yukio insisted they were happy but Takeru wanted to see this with his own eyes. Steeling his resolve he headed to his mothers room to remind her about the visit to the grave they would take on his brothers birthday. In recent years she had been neglecting it but he wouldn't let her this time.
...
Mimi was pouting in her room. Stupid, stupid, stupid Koushi! Did he not want her? She was sure he wanted her as well, the way he looked at her during class was unmistakable. She knew she would have to initiate everything but it still frustrated her. For a smart guy he sure was stupid!
She was knocked out of her angry stupor with a soft knock on her door. "It's open." She yelled turning to see who it was.
Koushirou slipped in quietly. She watched him with wide eyes as he quickly walked to her and grabbed both her hands, kissing each one. "I'm sorry Mimi...I just don't know what to do, you're engaged to the soon to be king. You deserve to be a full fledged queen." He was choking up slightly as he spoke.
"What if I don't want to be his queen? He's just a kid! He doesn't like me in that way and neither do I, this marriage is our parents decision."
"But you can't stay with me...I'm just a tutor."
"Let's worry about that later." She breathed leaning down toward him. Hesitating for only a second he gave her a soft kiss, their lips merged together slowly, taking their time.
OHMY
Caressing the sides of her face he pushed her forward. She fell onto her velvety pink bed, pushing her large stuffed animals onto the floor. He watched her from the edge of the bed, once again wondering if giving in to his desires was the best idea. Noticing he was brooding she pulled him down on top of her into another kiss. This time her tongue slid into his mouth since he had opened it in protest when she pulled him down.
Moaning gutturally in the back of his throat he let her undo his belt buckle. Pulling back just long enough to reach behind her and unzip her dress she wiggled out of it and threw it to one side. She smirked in victory when he gaped lustfully at her full bust only separated from him by a frilly white bra. Unbuckling it with one hand while riding up his shirt with the other she smiled when he gasped as the garment was discarded.
Pushing on his shoulders to swap their positions she slid his trousers off and indicated for him to remove his shirt which he did quickly. He lay there shyly as she stradled him, running her hands across his now bare chest. He was watching her in awe, hardly believing this was actually happening. Shakily he lifted a hand and hovered over her full breast. Rolling her eyes she pressed his hand down and he let out a whoosh of air.
Kissing him again she leaned into him, squeaking happliy as she felt him stirring beneath her. They were both panting now, grinding against each other with only the thin veil of their undergarments between them. Fluttering kisses along his neck and down his stomach she slid down far enough to see his erection pushing insistently against his boxers. Smiling lustfully she glanced up to see him looking away with embarrassment. She pulled his boxers down quickly forcing him to hiss and lightly brushed it with her fingers.
His breathing hitched and he sqeezed his eyes shut. She watched him as if mezmerised and took off her panties quickly, positioning herself just above his waiting erection.
"Mimi are you sure?" He was panting hard and placed his hands on her hips. A brief flicker of fear flashed across her features before she smiled and nodded. He pushed her down slowly, being extremely careful so as to make it as pain free as possible. She made an adorable squeaking noise as he plunged into her fully. They sat like that for a moment, savoring the sensation and panting heavily.
She started moving first, rocking her hips against him. Despite himself he pushed her down harder lust clouding his vision as her walls clenched around him. She moaned loudly, grabbing the back of his head pulling him to her waiting lips. Kissing him fevourishly she moved faster and faster and he joined her. The were both groaning into each others mouths as they kissed deeply.
He came first, wanting to pull out of her but she pushed him further in. He made an uncharacteristic animalistic noise that she loved and then she too climaxed holding him in a tight hug. They slowly pulled apart and lay beside each other breathing hard and holding each others hands they both lay together until they fell into a blissful sleep.
WINK
Koushirou woke first, watching Mimi breathing softly beside him. Brushing some of the hair from her face he kissed her forehead then got up and searched the room for his clothes. Mimi stirred when she realised he was no longer there and sleepily watched him get dressed.
"What now?" He asked quietly while buttoning up his shirt. "Are you going to break off the engagement?"
He didn't like the way she was hesitating, shifting her gaze from him to the floor. "Not right away. I need some time to convince my father." She looked regretful so he sighed.
"Let's not ruin this day okay? We'll talk about it later." She smiled gratefully at him and he returned it, kissing her softly before exiting the room. Mimi brought her knees up to her chest and examined the simple silver ring on her finger and fought back the tears. How could she tell him? The man she loved truly overestimated her freedom in this department, her father would never approve of them...not when she had a chance to rule beside the new king.
Sora broke the surface of the water and took off her helmet eagerly. Pulling herself out of the small pool she had just come from she ran through the corridors. She had to let Tai know the situation, this wasn't how it was supposed to go!
After running for what felt like forever she threw open the now familiar metal door. Making her way through several tunnels she finally found the door she was looking for.
"Tai! Yamato's in trouble!" She screamed swinging the kitchen door open. Tai sat inside with his elbows in front of him on the table looking concerned. His face lit up when he saw her, she was still dripping went from her swim and her hair was in disarray, instead of smiling she stomped over and grabbed the collar of his shirt. "Didn't you hear me?!"
"Don't worry Sora he will be fine." Tai reassured her placing his hands over hers. "He's our top agent afterall."
"But there was this crazy women with uzi's and a blockade at the bridge!" She was a bit hysterical so he patted her hands comfortingly.
"I promise he will be alright." She slowly relaxed her hold and let him drop back into his chair. Smiling his usual smile at her he stood pulling her into a tight hug. "I'm glad you came back safely."
"...Yeah." She whispered into the crook of his neck returning the hug. At that moment Calista burst into the room followed closely by Joe. "We've dropped off the people at the safehouse." She reported. Waiting patiently for Sora to disengage the hug she handed her a piece of paper. "This is a message from your mother."
Sora accepted it gratefully and read the heartfelt note, sniffling a bit at the contents. Sighing she sat down on what she thought was an empty chair but it was occupied by Tai. She was about to leap off his lap but he wrapped his arm around her waist and told her it was ok.
"Wheres Yamato?" Calista asked, scanning the room for him. Sora was about to answer when Tai interrupted. "He ran into a little trouble with Jun and Davis, I'm sure he'll return soon."
"I see." She said quietly. Joe sat at the table shakily and Hikari poured him some tea.
"Wheres Yolei?" Sora asked finally noticing the girls absence.
"She's with her sister in her room." Tai answered, resting his head against her back. Calista scowled and slipped out of the room.
"It's been a long day Tai, I'm going to try and get some sleep." He almost looked remorseful as she disentangled herself from him but smiled anyway.
"Sure, sleep well." He called after her. Hikari patted his shoulder comfortingly and he gave her a thankful look.
...
Sora had been lying in bed for hours, not bothering to get under the sheets since she knew she wouldn't be able to sleep anyway. Glancing at the clock she groaned, it was a bit after two in the morning, everyone else should be asleep right now.
When she heard a door open she sat up straight, someone was heading for the bathroom. Cautiously she poked her head out to see who it was and was relieved to see Yamato riffling through the bathroom cupboard. He pulled out the first aid kit and she ducked back into her room as he came down the hall.
"Yamato, are you okay?" She said quietly, stepping out of her room painfully aware she was only wearing her oversized froggy T-shirt and short shorts.
"I'm fine." He said flatly. It was then that she noticed he was covered in filth and cuts, the black fabric of his clothes prevented her from seeing it very well but she could tell his arm was hurt.
"Please...let me help you with your injury? I used to bandage myself all the time." She was fiddling with her hands behind her back nervously. He watched her for a moment, considering how guilty she seemed to feel, and relented.
"Ok." He walked over into her room instead of letting her into his but she didn't complain, instead skipping in happily after him. He sat down on her bed, unclasping his bulletproof vest and letting it drop to the floor. He then took his top off and Sora let out an involuntary breath of approval.
His chest and arms were perfectly toned, flexing slightly with each movement. He was more streamline then Tai and sat there waiting patiently for her to stop staring. Jolting out of her appreciation she noticed the deep cut on his arm and busied herself with getting out the tools she would need.
"It needs stiches, can you do that?" He asked cooly. Nodding she got out the necessary needle and thread. It wasn't until she got closer that she noticed he was covered in a variety of scars, most were so small they were difficult to see if you weren't looking carefully but there was one on the right side of his chest just below his shoulder that was dominant. It looked like an old bullet wound.
Guiding her hand he allowed her to hold his arm. "There's no anesthetic here." She said softly.
"We can't afford to waste it anyway. Just do it." He was emotionless and she just gulped before beginning. He didn't react at all, not even flinching as she stitched him up. After she had completed her task she wrapped it up in a white bandage. She lingered on her hold on his arm, gently tracing the tips of her fingers along his skin. She wanted to touch him more, make sure he was actually here, she had been so afraid of losing him and she wasn't sure why. He was still basically a stranger yet she felt a connection with him that she couldn't explain. Standing he gathered his things and walked out, pausing for a moment in the doorway.
"...Thanks." He said curtly before leaving completely.
"Don't mention it." She whispered after him, collapsing onto the bed happily. He was safe and had even thanked her! She slipped easily into a dreamless sleep with a smile on her face.
"A birthday party?" Sora asked curiously. She was in the kitchen with Tai and Hikari helping them prepare some cake and cookies.
"Yep, Yama's birthday is today. I've sent him on a reconnaissance mission so we can get everything prepared." Tai answered.
"Tai always does this even though Yamato doesn't really like it." Hikari chirped, dusting some flour off her hands before turning to leave. "I'm going to go get the decorations from the storage area. Don't let Tai eat the cake mix!" she said as she left.
Sora laughed and elbowed Tai's shoulder, he nudged her back with a grin. "There's something I'd like to ask you." He said, suddenly serious.
"What?" She said raising an eyebrow at him. His face started turning red and he turned away.
"Well I was wondering if you wanted to come to the training grounds with me. You know, just the two of us."
"Why, do you think I need more training?"
"No, well, um...we can't exactly go to the movies."
Sora balked in understanding and felt her face flush scarlet. Fumbling with the cake batter she avoided his gaze. "Yeah, why not?" She giggled nervously. He flashed her his famous smile and flicked some cookie dough onto her cheek.
"Its a date!" He laughed.
"Tai!" Rubbing the dough off her face she scooped up a handful of cake mix and smeared it in his hair. He growled playfully in response and dumped the entire cookie mixture, bowl and all, onto her head.
Soon it was all out war and they somehow ended up on the floor with him on top laughing rancourously. Catching her breath she stopped when she noticed Tai was no longer laughing and was now smiling down at her. She smiled back and, just as he leaned in towards her, smeared a dollop of cake mix across his face.
"I expected this from Tai but really Sora you too?" Hikari came back in with a box of decorations and frowned at the mess. Tai scrambled off of Sora and helped her up, both of them looking sheepish. "Let's get this mess cleaned up and start again." Hikari sighed.
A few hours later it looked like nothing had happened, everyone besides Yamato were waiting around the table to shout happy birthday on his return. Hikari was holding the cake in front of her beaming happily when he walked in.
"Surprise!" They all shouted at once. Yamato stood there stone faced and was about to spin on his heel and leaved when Tai rushed forward to stop him, accidently bumping Hikari who sent the cake flying landing precisely on Sora's head. The chocolate mess slid down her face falling with a sloshing sound to the ground.
No one said anything for a few seconds then something entirely unexpected happened. Yamato starting laughing loudly and pointed at Sora's face covering his mouth with his hand. "Your, your face!"
Everyone gaped in astonishment as the rare sound of Yamato's laughter echoed through the room. Tai grinned widely and soon joined him along with Yolei and Hikari, even Calista giggled. Pouting Sora stuck her tongue out at him but this just seemed to make him laugh more. Smiling evilly she scooped some of the chocolatey goodness off her head and threw it at him. He used a bewildered Tai as a human shield.
"Happy ninetenth birthday buddy!" Tai declared while attempting to plaster some cake in Yamato's hair. Dodging Yamato was smirking triumphantly when Hikari poured an entire beaker of milk over his head.
"Food is for eating." She said flatly as Yamato blinked at her in shock. "I made cookies as well and we are all going to eat them, then and only then do you all have my permission to go get cleaned up."
Relenting everyone returned to their seats and began eating the cookies without any further fuss. After an hour or so of enjoyable chat and several embarrassing birthday tales from Tai Yamato leaned back in his chair watching Sora talking happily with Hikari. He couldn't stop staring at her, the way she laughed, the way she frowned, even the way she got angry was incredibly cute.
No. He wouldn't think like that, especially not today. He couldn't believe he had actually laughed. This day represented more then just his birthday, it also stood for the day his entire life fell apart. He was frowning again and this time nothing the others said or did could lift his spirits.
Sora had a lot of fun and collapsed into bed happily. She was surprised they could have such a normal day even though they lived like this and it had given her an energy boost. Falling into a deep sleep she dreamt of her parents and the parties they used to throw for her on her birthdays. Oh yeah she still needed to ask Tai about her father...what was that? A scream? Was she still dreaming? Groggily turning her heqd she spotted the time, it was almost four in the morning.
Leaping put of bed she realised it was no dream. Someone was screaming. Rocketing out of her room her stomach sank, it was coming from Yamato's room! Throwing the door open she saw him thrashing about on the bed, his knuckles were white from his hold on the sheets and he was kicking out wildly.
Making her way over she was about to grab him when someone pulled her back by her shoulders. Looking back she saw Tai steering her away. "He'll kill you." He said firmly. She watched him slowly make his way over and touch Yamato's shoulder lightly.
Yamato sprang into action, pulling a gun from under his pillow he stuck it to Tai's forehead. He was breathing heavily, a thin layer of sweat covering his bare torso, and scanned the room desperately as if looking for something but seeing nothing.
"It's me Yama, remember?" Tai said quietly, hands held before him in a surrendering gesture. Yamato looked at him like he was seeing him for the first time and slowly lowered his weapon. He was still breathing erratically and let out a choking sob, pulling Tai into an inescapable hug.
Sora watched Tai carefully wrap his arms around the blonde and pat his head gently. He gestured to the door with his eyes and she slowly slipped out, shutting the door behind her and sliding to the floor. What was that? It was the same sort of thing he had done back at the training grounds.
For some reason she couldn't get that look of terror he had out of her mind. She was jealous of Tai, she wanted to be the one to comfort him. Sure she didn't really know him that well but she wanted too. She had never felt this way before, she wanted to know every possible detail about him.
"He woke you huh?" She glanced up at Calista who sat down beside her. "He does this every once and a while...nightmares you know?"
"Whats wrong with him?" She asked quietly.
Calista closed her eyes and leaned her head back. "I really can't tell you, its his personal history and he's not one for sharing."
"I'll get him to tell me." Sora said with determination.
"Oh? And how exactly are you going to do that?"
"I...don't know." She admitted sadly. Calista giggled and ruffled her hair.
"You'll work something out, he likes you." Though Sora could tell from her tone she meant just as a friend she couldn't stop the butterflies from making little loops in her stomach. Getting up Calista extended her a hand. "We should get some sleep."
"What about Tai?"
"He'll stay with him tonight, he's the only one Yamato lets get this close and now its just become a habit." Calista shrugged.
Sora went quietly into her room and collapsed on the bed. She was determined to ask Tai about everything tomorrow.
...
The next few days proved awkward. Yamato was definitely avoiding her and everytime she asked Tai about it he would change the subject. Finally she couldn't take it anymore and cornered Tai in his room.
"This is ridiculous! If you can't tell me about Yamato at least tell me about my dad!" She nearly shouted. Rolling his eyes in defeat Tai slumped onto his bed.
"Ok, if I tell you how I met Yamato will you drop it?" She nodded vigorously and he sighed before beginning...
Tai was stretching tiredly beside the small campsite Sora's father, Haruhiko, had constructed for them. They were deep in enemy territory for Tai's first real mission which he had completed with ease. Now they were travelling home and Tai was looking forward to celebrating his thirteenth birthday with Hikari back at the base.
Of course the war had already been raging for a year now and he was worried about his parents. Thanks to the time honored tradition of royal children not being revealed to the public until they were sixteen he and Hikari had been able to go into hiding under the city with their sensei Haruhiko. It was fun at first but he missed his parents, only getting to visit them in the world above on special days like his birthday was trying for them all.
Still it could be worse and Tai wasn't the brooding type so he made for the river for a morning dip. Spotting someone struggling with something in the water he approached cautiously. It was a young girl no older then him with raven hair and powder blue eyes. The thing she was pulling out of the water turned out to be a person. It was a blonde boy, he was leaning heavily against her and his shoulder was bleeding profusely clouding the clear water with its vibrant red. They were both wearing the same simple grey slacks and T-shirts.
Running over Tai was about to help the girl with her charge when the boy pressed a sharp object to his throat. The girl yelped angrily and the boy just glared.
"Who...are...you?" The boy growled through clenched teeth.
"Someone's whose trying to help!" Tai barked in annoyance. The boy pressed the object closer drawing a little blood.
"Tai? Where are you! This is enemy territory you can't just-" Haruhiko stopped himself short when he saw the situation. He had short hair the same color as Sora's and a wise face. He was wearing the same type of combat gear everyone now wore at the base.
"It can't be..." Without hesitating he ran forward, pulling Tai away from the boy. The boy was frozen in shock staring at Haruhiko, all the previous tension having bled from his form. The boy opened his mouth to say something but instead slumped forward, apparently having lost his battle to stay awake.
"Yamato! Yamato don't do this to me!" The girl yelled shaking him roughly. Haruhiko patted the girls head comfortingly as she started to cry and pried Yamato from her hold. Lifting him easily he barked at Tai to forget the campsite and get in the car.
Tai did as he was told, helping the girl into the car as well. Haruhiko drove at lightning speed ordering Tai to put pressure on Yamato's wound. Doing as he was told he ripped Yamato's shirt off and pressed it into the bullet wound.
Even going at top speed it was several anxious hours before they finally returned to base. Haruhiko carried the now extremely pale Yamato into the base followed closely by Tai and the girl. He burst into the kitchen where Joe was caring for Hikari.
"Save him now!" Haruhiko demanded laying Yamato on the table. Joe was only sixteen at the time but obeyed his instructions. Tai guided Hikari and the girl out of the room as Joe began his work.
"My god. What had happened to him?" Sora breathed. Tai shook his finger at her. "Nope, no more questions remember? Needless to say Joe just barely managed to save his life."
"Ok so my dad took you and Hikari into hiding and he didn't come to visit me because he didn't want me involved?"
"Yep."
"Now you have to tell me where my father is." She said defiantly. Tai was unreadable for a moment before grinning. "Will you drop that as well for now if I tell you how Yamato and I became friends?"
Considering this for a moment she relented with a nod. To be honest she was scared about asking about her father, why wasn't he here? She almost didn't want to know the answer. Tai cleared his throat and began.
"Damnit!" Tai was lying on his back after being thrown by Yamato for the millionth time. No matter what he did he couldn't beat the blonde. "No fair!"
Yamato said nothing in response. Ever since the day they had picked him up a year ago he hadn't spoken a word to Tai. He talked to Calista and Haruhiko just fine. Hell he even spoke to Hikari every once in a while but he refused to even acknowledge Tai.
This, of course, bothered Tai to no end. He hated the secretive little bastard who always seemed so smug when he beat him even without talking. When Haruhiko had explained where he knew him from Tai had been really happy, finally someone who might understand! But no, he had to be a snotty bitch about everything.
Haruhiko was watching them carefully, occasionally giving instructions. Tai could tell Yamato looked up to Haruhiko just as much as he did and was also out to impress, thats probably why he never went easy on him. Haruhiko told the two boys to take a breather as he went back in the cabin.
"Hey Yama!" Tai always called him that when he wanted to grab his attention. It worked like a charm and Yamato turned his full attention to him. "I'm going for a bit, you better not follow me! And don't tell sensei!"
Running quickly into the woods Tai snickered to himself. This plan was perfect! Sensei would have to acknowledge him if he pulled this off. He had heard sensei discussing the location of a weapons factory the Shinians had built within Zui and as luck would have it the place was less then a days journey from their current location!
It wasn't that hard for Tai to spot the place, it was huge and crawling with soldiers. Grinning happily at his genius he took out several grenades he had swiped from the weapons storage at the base and got close enough to throw them inside. The following explosions were just as cool as he thought they would be from his position behind a tree far enough away to avoid the shrapnel.
He hadn't realised he'd been spotted until it was too late. The soldiers were relentless and Tai knew he couldn't run for much longer. They had chased him through the vast trees all the way to the infamous Gato cliff. No one could possibly survive a fall onto the jagged claw like rocks below.
Panting just at the cliffs edge he turned to face his pursuers. There were three of them and they looked royally cheesed off. "It's up to you kid, die by falling off or a shot to the head." The apparent leader scoffed.
"How about neither?" Tai said shakily. The men laughed and took aim. Suddenly the one farthest back dropped to the ground, when the second man turned to see what had happened he was taken down as well. Unfortunately for Tai the head honcho hadn't noticed this and fired several rounds at him.
He managed to dodge the majority but one clipped him on the shoulder knocking him back. He felt his foothold on the ground crumble and he went hurtling toward the rocks below when someone grabbed his hand. Looking up he saw Yamato holding onto him with concern clearly displayed across his face. Yamato's grip on his wrist was slipping and Tai had yet to grab hold, the pain from his wound was making him woozy, was it laced with a tranquiliser?
"Damnit Tai grab my hand! I don't want to see anyone I care about die in front of me ever again!" Yamato's insistent scream brought Tai back to the real world. Grasping his hand they worked together to pull him up.
Sprawling out once he was up Tai turned to see Yamato panting hard and obviously fighting back tears lying beside him. "I thought you hated me." Tai laughed.
"What?"
"You never talked to me." Tai said breathlessly.
"That's because you're an idiot so I didn't think it was worth my time." Tai scowled at the blonde who either didn't notice or ignored it as he continued. "But then after spending more time around you I realised that impulsive nature of yours had its uses...and that perhaps we could even be friends. You and I are complete opposites." Yamato paused, staring at the blue sky above them. "And...I was jealous of you." Yamato whispered, his face turning bright red. "You're so charismatic everyone just flocks around you, even Calista took less then a day to start calling you her friend. I just never managed to think of anything I could say to make a good impression and by that point I hadn't spoken for so long it felt awkward to try and start a conversation."
Tai blinked then began laughing loudly. Yamato scowled and got up, pulling Tai with him. "Well thats the most I've ever heard you speak. I never knew you thought so highly of the great me!" Yamato huffed and turned his head away.
"I don't think that highly of you, you're still a massive idiot."
"Hey is that the kind of thing you say to you're newest friend?" Tai grinned.
"If its true." Yamato gave a cocky half smirk and extended his hand. Tai shook it eagerly.
"Just you wait one day this idiot is going to be you're leader."
"I have my doubts." Yamato stated comfortably as they both laughed happily together.
"Yamato was really that shy?" Sora laughed lightly. Tai nodded laughing as well.
"Yep, so there you go. Two stories for the price of one!"
"Has he always reacted badly when people touch him?"
Tai paused before responding. "Yes, for as long as I've known him."
"Is this a bad time?" Calista was standing in the doorway watching the pair with a sad expression. Sora shook her head and patted the spot on the bed next to her. Calista held up a hand in refusal and turned to Tai. "I'm afraid your training trip will have to wait."
Tai visibly sagged but Sora took a moment more to catch up to what Calista was referring to and mentally sighed in relief. She was actually regretting agreeing to it since Tai seemed to be viewing her in a very new light that she wasn't sure she liked.
"Our intelligence says the Shinian government is going to try to 'remove' Senator Kushagi at the next victory celebration." Calista read this off a sheet clincally.
Tai frowned. Senator Kushagi was one of the only influential officials left trying to peacefully restore Zui to its rightful rulers. He had been secretly supporting Omni financially for years. The victory celebration was held at the Zuian royal hall every year to celebrate the day Shin successfully conquered Zui. It was a shame to say the least but every official in the country would be there.
"We don't know how the hit is going to take place, all we know is that its going to happen during the party." Calista continued. Tai nodded and ordered them both to the kitchen to discuss their options with the others.
Everyone was already there and when Yamato spotted Sora he quickly looked away. Sora made a face and sat down.
"Anyone got any ideas?" Tai stated happily.
"I do." Yolei raised her hand confidently, Tai smiled at her so she continued. "We need someone on the inside to be his personal bodyguard while the others act as support hiding around the grounds."
"You can't go out on the field." Tai stated sternly.
"She wasn't talking about herself." Yamato said lowly. Slowly, everyone in the room turned to Sora.
"Me? But I don't know the first thing about politics or high society!" Sora said waving her hands in front of her face creating an X.
"We'll teach you. No-one else can do it, we'd be recognised." Calista said flatly. Sora sank further into her chair when they all began discussing how to best execute this plan and for the first time since she got here she regretted coming, just a little.
Sora was exhausted. She had endured an extensive session with Hikari on how one should properly conduct themselves when eating and speaking. It had taken her an age to finally get down how and when to use all those blasted forks when Tai had said she probably wouldn't be eating anyway. She had almost impaled him with all seven.
To top it all off for the past week she had been taking dancing lessons with Yamato. Tai had promised he would be the one to teach her but Hikari said it would be impossible. When asked why she said that even though he had been raised a prince he had never quite got dancing down properly.
So now she was waiting for Yamato, as she usually did, outside his room. He still wasn't talking to her. Everytime she tried to strike up a conversation with him he would bark out an instruction instead. He would, however, allow her to speak if she talked only about herself and didn't ask any questions. By now he knew everything there was to know about her family and her life before Omni. She thought he might not really be listening but last night, after she told him how she had defeated Tai in a match just by calling him a bobble head, he had smiled for the briefest of moments. She hoped tonight she could finally break through his cold demeanor.
The door swung open and Yamato stood before her with his usual indifference. She was wearing a mid-length yellow cotton skirt and a plain white blouse. He was in a pair of black slacks and a pale grey shirt. Deeming this satisfactory he stepped out and walked down the hall. She followed him in silence to the training room they had been using for practice. It had a wide wooden floor and several punching bags on one side. It was a bit bigger then the kitchen, plenty of room for dancing, but had the same color scheme as the other rooms. There was a cd player playing classical music softly in the corner.
Grabbing her wrist Yamato led her into the centre of the room. Placing her left hand on his shoulder he held her right with his own and put his other one on her hip. Guiding her smoothly he led her through the steps of the waltz. She was a fast learner and didn't even need him to guide her anymore. He had been trying hard not to look at her face but couldn't resist a peek. He almost faltered at how sad she seemed. He didn't know why and it was starting to bug him.
"I'm sorry." Stopping mid step when she spoke he frowned at her. She bit her lip and refused to look at him. "I shouldn't have barged in like that...I just thought you were in trouble."
Ah. It was about that. Sighing he made her look at him. "I'm the one who should be sorry. You were just trying to help."
"Then why are you avoiding me?" She whimpered. He wished she wouldn't look at him like that, with those gorgeous orbs flickering and her perfect lips pouting ever so slightly. He didn't want to admit the real reason he was avoiding her so he did what was fast becoming natural to him; he lied.
"I was just annoyed with you. I shouldn't have been." With that he started moving again, taking her with him. He had been annoyed with her? That was all? Ha, like she believed that for a second.
"What was the real reason?" She asked with authority stopping him in his tracks. The only people to ever see through his lies before were Tai and Hikari, Tai because of how close they were and Hikari because she was super perceptive. Searching her eyes for any hint of how she knew he soon gave up. Then an idea struck him, though it was risky it should distract her quite a bit and possibly help him confront the real reason within his own mind. He was avoiding her because he was starting to actually like her and he knew that since she had seen one of his frequent...incidents he would have to give her an explanation about at least a portion of his past.
"Lets try something a little different." He said slyly. She watched him curiously as he released her and swapped the cd's changing it to a faster spanish sounding track. With a half smirk he grabbed her hand and spun her around to match the tempo, clasping her back to him with a hold on her arm across her stomach. He then kicked her foot out and used it to create a wide circle.
"You're avoiding the subject." Sora breathed shakily. He smirked at the effect he had on her. She watched him slid around her, spinning her out and bringing her back in he stooped her down low supporting her with his knee. He was so close his bangs were tickling her forehead and she couldn't tear her gaze away from those deep cobalt pools. Carefully she raised her hand to his face, hovering just above his cheek.
"And what if I am?" He whispered, lifting her up and guiding her through a few quick steps around the room. Holding her right hand he pressed his left into the small of her back dipping her down in a wide arch before snapping her head back up to be level with his.
"Then I won't let you leave this room until you give me a real answer." Mahogany clashed with cobalt and they stared eachother down. The song ended before their competition did and neither of them was letting up.
In the end it was Yamato who broke the spell, releasing his hold he strode over to the cd player and shut it off. He remained crouching there for some time before speaking.
"You don't need to know."
"Yes I do! I want to help..." He sighed at her pathetic tone. He knew he would have to tell her sooner or later since she was so bloody stubborn but did he really have to do it now? Probably...maybe she would let him get away with a short summary.
"I had...a traumatic experience when I was younger. It happened on the night of my birthday and now I can't sleep on that night without reliving it. I've tried to stay up before but it dosen't work, I always end up seeing it."
Sora stared at his back for a long while waiting for him to continue. When he didn't she thought she might push her luck a little. "Can you tell me what happened?" She said quietly.
"Why? Theres no need for you to know." He said quietly with his back still turned to her. Couldn't she just let it go? And why, deep down, did he want her to know?
Walking up behind him she waited patiently for him to stand and face her. He was still wearing his mask of indifference but she could see he was struggling with his decision. "Because I want to understand." He was very surprised at this and she smiled, reaching up slowly to once again hover over his face. He brought his hand up and gently placed it over hers allowing her to touch him. Her heart almost burst out of her for joy.
She had never said words with such conviction before. If she was honest with herself she would have to admit she had begun developing feelings for him when she first saw him. Far from being put off by his standoffish nature and odd behaviour she actually found it endearing. For some reason she was drawn to him like a moth to a flame and no matter how much he tried to push her away she just couldn't give him up. He was a beautiful enigma she had to solve.
He had told this story before out of necessity and because of insistent people but this was the first time he actually wanted to tell someone. He had never been quick to trust people, even holding most of those he knew at a comfortable armslength. But something about her was different, and for the life of him he couldn't figure out what. Steeling his resolve he closed his eyes and dove head first into his memories.
It was his eleventh birthday and he had been giddy, his presents were marvelous and the party was great but the best treat of all was seeing his baby brother again. They had spent the whole day together and his adorable little T.K had even given him a new harmonica. His father had been beaming with approval the entire day.
The excitement hadn't worn off and he was having trouble sleeping. Someone opened the door a crack and he was surprised to see a head of stylish short black hair and a set of emerald eyes peek in. Yamato closed his pretending to be asleep to see what he would do. This man was like an older brother to him, best friends with his dad and always willing to lend him an ear whenever he just needed someone to talk to. He was also his personal trainer, ensuring Yamato had the skills he needed to survive.
Walking over to Yamatos bed he smiled down at the supposedly sleeping boy and quietly made his exit, shutting the door softly behind him. Yamato, his curiousty peaked, waited a few minutes before making to follow. His silk green pyjamas rustled lightly with his movements. He tiptoed toward the open door to his fathers study, hearing voices coming from within. Pressing himself against the wall beside the door he listened to the conversation.
"I was worried about him for awhile since he was sulking a lot more then usual since Nancy took Takeru away. I'm glad he was happy." That was his father talking. Yamato winced at his words, maybe he should go easier on his dad. After all it had been his mom who had decided to leave.
"Yes, it was truly a marvelous day." That was the man's slick voice. "Have you thought about what we talked about?"
"Yukio I already told you, though we may not have been seeing eye to eye recently the Kamiya's are my closest friends and more then worthy of managing their own affairs."
"But Hiroaki why run the risk?"
"There is no risk! You're talking about starting a war here for no real reason! You keep insisting they a planning a hostile takeover but I have seen no evidence to support that." His father sounded angry now. Peering in carefully he saw Yukio sigh and pour two glasses of wine.
"To me it seems its only a matter of time. Compared to Shin Zui has many more natural resourses including fuel and food sources, if we don't take control Before they grow stronger we may never have the chance. But I suppose you are right...I have a tendency to overreact." Yukio smiled handing Yamato's father the beverage. Hiroaki smiled back taking a large swig of the liquid. For a moment nothing happened, then Hiroaki started coughing. Shuddering violently he fell to his knees.
"What have you done?" Hiroaki stuttered, grabbing Yukio by the ends of his black dress jacket. Pulling out a handgun with a silencer attached Yukio stuck it to Hiroaki's temple. "I'm sorry Hiroaki, I'm doing this for the sake of our country. I promise I'll take care of your family like they were my own." Yukio's voice cracked a little as he spoke.
"NO!" Yamato yelled leaping out of his hiding place. It was too late however, Yukio had already pulled the trigger. Everything happened in slow motion for Yamato, the back of his fathers head blowing open decorating the plush white carpet with red. Yamato was trying hard to scream but couldn't find his voice. What remained of his fathers head was turned toward him, his dirty blonde hair stained with blood and his blue eyes wide with shock.
Yukio ran up to him shielding him from the scene. Yamato was too shocked to defend when Yukio wrapped his hands around his slim neck. Yukio looked tormented, like he didn't want to hurt him. He began squirming wildly when Yukio started choking him. He couldn't breath, this was all wrong! What had happened, why had Yukio done this, why was he trying to kill him?! Clawing desperately against the larger man's hold he felt the world disappearing. Gasping for air he managed to speak. "Y-Yuki..."
Yukio's hold suddenly loosened and Yamato fell to the floor gulping air greedily and rubbing his neck. Yukio was staring down at him sadly, Yuki was Yamato's own personal nickname for him, no-one else could call him by that name. Sighing he crouched down to be eye level with Yamato.
"You weren't meant to see this Yamato. I only did it because I had too. I don't want to hurt you." Yukio was stroking Yamato's hair as he spoke and Yamato started to cry. Yukio was sympathetic now, trying to calm down the shaking child. "Please, I want you to help me. You're going to help me take control of a bad country okay?"
Yamato froze, wiping his tears away with one hand he swatted Yukio's away with the other. "You killed my dad! You think I'm going to help you!? You're crazy!" Yamato stopped talking when Yukio's features turned from sympathetic to stone cold. He was really scared of this new Yukio. Remembering he didn't have an escape plan he tried to back away but Yukio lifted him off the ground by the scruff of his collar and punched him in the gut, hard, knocking him unconcious.
Yamato hand was shaking against hers as he finished his story. Opening his eyes he was shocked at what he saw, usually when he ended his story people would be looking at him sympathetically uttering annoying phrases such as 'you poor thing' and 'I can't believe such a young child faced such hardships' but she was different.
She looked livid, and if he didn't already have her hand clasped to his face he would have been afraid she might slap him. When she realised he was finished she huffed angrily, eyes brimming with tears. "How dare he! Good of the country?! What the hell is that supposed to mean! How could he betray his friend like that? There was no bloody reason for doing such a horrible thing! If I ever get my hands on him there will be hell to pay!"
She was red in the face by the end of her tirade and he couldn't help but chuckle quietly. She looked at him curiously as he closed his eyes and rested his forehead against hers still holding her hand firmly in place. "I certainly wasn't expecting that."
"Well he deserves a worse reaction. Besides, you don't seem like the kind of man who appreciates pity." She smiled, opening his eyes he gave her a cheeky grin. She paused, smile faltering, seeming to notice for the first time how close he was. She could see every feature of his smooth face. He had long eyelashes for a guy and such large eyes overflowing with mischief apparently brought on by her reaction. He was so very close she could almost taste him, all she would have to do is tilt her head a little and she actually would. She was a bit scared of what he might do in response but she wanted to ease his pain. She wanted to be the one to make him forget all the things that hurt him. Slowly she placed her lips on his own, meddling them together. At first he tensed up, giving fuel to her previous fears, but then he relented responding to her movements almost greedily.
Pulling away from the intoxicating kiss she turned on her heels too afraid to see his reaction. "Thankyou for the lesson." She said quietly sounding almost giddy before fleeing the room.
He stood there with a slight pink tinge to his cheeks completely star struck silently bringing his fingers to his lips. He didn't know about her but that had been his first kiss and he hadn't reacted badly to her touching him without permission, in fact in that moment he had wanted to explore things he never dreamed he'd have the time or desire for.
A small smirk wormed its way onto his face as he thought that maybe, just maybe, he could make something like a relationship with her work.