A/N: I'm having trouble to open ffn because they blocked it. I'll updatepriorityin my AO3 under the same username from now on. But I will try to keep updating in here when I can open. I'm using unblock site now xD. God bless for having such a site! Lol
Chapter 4 : The Dojo
Yasusada blinked when he walked outside the porch. Kashuu stood near the fish pond, swinging his sword with concentration. He watched closely the way Kashuu handle his grip. Yasusada could see that he was used to handling his sword; he was not an amateur.
From the corner of his eyes, Kashuu caught a glimpse of Yasusada observing him. He stopped his movement, turning around to face him and pointed his sword to his face. Yasusada jumped a little before he glared at him. Kashuu sighed and pulled his sword away, sighing and sheathed his uchigatana. "How is your hand?" He asked the blue haired boy, sheathing his sword.
"Why did you stop?" Yasusada leaned against the door, staring at the Uchigatana.
"Well, obviously because you are observing me." Kashuu shrugged. He walked to him, held his hand up, asking for Yasusada's wounded hand. "Let me see." Kashuu pulled it rather forcefully when Yasusada didn't budge.
"Ouch! Hey!"
Upon hearing the sound of protest Kashuu snorted. He patted his wound and turned to leave. "I'll change the bandage later after bathing." The brunet made his way back to the guest room, leaving Yasusada pouting and rubbing his bandaged hand.
"Wow, I'm jealous…"
A familiar voice erupted from behind him. Yasusada jumped and turned around to find his cousin crossing his arms and staring at him with a mild expression.
"I don't see any reason you have to be jealous." Yasusada sighed.
"Isn't it obvious? He is my boyfriend." Okita smirked proudly at him.
Yasusada rolled his eyes. "Says the one who told me to take him, last night." His blue eyes met Okita's black ones. His cousin only replied him with a smile.
"So, you finally admitted it?"
"I like his sword style. Nothing else." Yasusada shrugged and walked away.
Okita chuckled and shook his head. "You need to learn to be honest with yourself."
"Yasusada?" Kanesada exclaimed, his surprised look turning into a big grin.
"Why are you suddenly curious about Yasusada?" Horikawa asked Kashuu. They were eating at the table during their lunch time. Kanesada had run to Horikawa's classroom just so he wouldn't miss any gossip between the captains and the newcomer.
Kashuu sighed and scratched his head, humming in thought. "I'm just curious about him. He seems grumpy all the time. Last night…" Kashuu paused, contemplating if he should tell them about the whole incident.
"Ooh, what happen last night?" Kanesada snickered, stopping when Horikawa nudged him sharply with his elbow.
Kashuu remained indifferent. "He got attacked by a bunch of pupils from someone named Hijikata. I was there to defend him when one of them knocked down his sword and ended up hurting his lower palm."
Kanesada and Horikawa looked at each other.
"I'm wondering about their reasoning. Do you two know something about it?" Kashuu looked at them. Seeing how Horikawa seemed deep in thought, Kanesada was mumbling to himself, Kashuu raised an eyebrow. 'There must be something going on…'
"That explains his wounded palm…" Horikawa mumbled, still avoiding eye-contact from Kashuu.
Kanesada kicked Horikawa's leg, earning a glance from the boy.
Kashuu stared at both of them bored. "You know what? I'll just ask Okita." He sighed and stood up from his seat. Both Horikawa and Kanesada looked up, nervousness dancing across their faces.
"Maybe… that's not a good thing to do." Horikawa tried.
"Kunihiro, let him. I think that's the best way."
"But Kane-san-"
"It's okay. I will try to be careful with my words when I ask him about it." Kashuu smiled and left.
Okita raised his head. The question Kashuu brought up in the middle of their lunch together wasn't something he'd imagine Kashuu would ask. Okita looked down to his noodles, thinking with a slight frown.
"I was wondering if there's something between him and that gang. Last night, your brother could have been killed." Kashuu added after a few minutes of silence.
Okita smiled at him. "With that, I have to thank you for it. I'm glad that you ran into them." Picking up his chopstick, he started to dig in.
"That's not what I meant. I'm not asking for gratitudes." Kashuu sighed.
Okita did not answer him immediately, to Kashuu's disappointment. He was deliberately avoiding the answer he was looking for. It was almost the weekend when Okita offered a date. That changed his mood drastically. Kashuu seriously couldn't wait until the weekend.
Kashuu stood by the tree nervously. He dusted his black coat over his white shirt. Adjusting his upturned collar he took a deep breath. Combined with a tight black pants, Kashuu wore his beloved heels. His red eyes stared worriedly in the distant park's entrance. He had indeed arrived earlier and he just hoped that Okita would arrive soon. A sound in the distance perked his ears, before his eyes saw Okita running to him with his usual dojo attire. The sight before him was stunning. Okita was sweaty and out of breath, looking so refreshed with his dojo attire. His heart skipped a beat as Okita stopped before him.
"I'm sorry, I'm late!" Okita gasped, taking a deep breath as he held onto his knees.
"Okita-san…" Kashuu blushed.
As soon as Okita raised his head, he was stunned at how Kashuu was dressed. The brunette before him was magnificent.
"You are-"
"Don't say anything… I know I'm overdressed." Kashuu looked to the side, feeling embarrassed by his love for fashion.
"Beautiful." Okita finished, grinning at him. He looked down to his own attire. "Now I'm embarrassed to appear with these… clothes." He scratched his cheek nervously.
"No, you are handsome just like that… It suits you better… Now even I want to change into that attire instead, so we can wear the same uniform." Kashuu coughed, covering his mouth.
Okita took his hand, smiling softly. "But you're beautiful like this. It's not everyday I can see you like this."
That statement made Kashuu blush. "Okita-san…"
Okita caressed his cheek and his hand moved to pat his head.
Kashuu's lips turned into a smile. "We aren't going anywhere if you keep on doing this."
"So, where do you want to go first?"
"I heard there is a flea market near here." Kashuu told him.
"Then, lead the way."
They walked to the flea market in the middle of the town. Kashuu happily look over the booths, Okita had no complaints when the man dragged him from right to left. Its was almost noon when Kashuu spotted a red scarf hanging loosely on a manekin's neck.
"Wow, the red one is beautiful." Kashuu graced over the silky scarf. Okita smiled and took the scarf, wrapping around Kashuu's neck. Kashuu chuckled and posed like a model to his boyfriend.
"It matches your eyes." Okita said, clapping his hands.
"Ehem!" Kashuu eyed him naughtily.
"Excuse me, I would like to buy this scarf." Okita said to the lady who stood behind the counter.
"What? You don't have to!" Kashuu was taken back when Okita put his forefinger on his glossy lips. His face went pink at the soft touch and the gentle smile Okita gave him.
"I love it when you wear it." The taller of the two smiled, nodding when he made the scarf wrapped neatly around his neck, tucking it under his black coat. "Leave your coat open."
Kashuu fidgeted embarrassedly, mumbling a thanks when Okita dressed him up.
Both of them walked away hand in hand after Okita paid for the scarf.
"Where do you usually eat lunch?" Okita asked when they headed out from the flea market.
"I'm fine with whatever you want."
"Kiyomitsu, that's not answering my question."
"Why don't we go to the nearest cafe? Last time I ordered their dango, it tasted pretty good."
"Sure, let's go and take a seat outside."
Kanesada groaned out loud when Horikawa put his textbook in front of him. He was inside Horikawa's room, forced to do his homework.
"You should work on your problems, Kane-san. This homework will need to be collected tomorrow." Horikawa picked up his pencil and started solving his own homework.
"Can't you do it for me?"
"If I did that you wouldn't learn anything."
"Give me a break! I'm tired from picking up those weeds and rocks! What is the matter with Okita today, seriously!"
"I guess he was mad because Yasusada wounded his palm. He did make him do lots of works with only his right hand or even meditating all day. It's been a few days already."
"I think they are having a cold war, if you notice the way Yasusada and Okita stare at each other. I'm not sure of the cause but it must have something to do with his wound. If was Yasusada, I'd bored to death from doing the same thing every day. He doesn't even allow him to touch shinai." Kanesada shivered as he remembered how Yasusada kicked the bucket full of weeds and rocks angrily. That had earned him a kick in his butt by Okita.
"Do you think Yoshiyuki is the cause of these attacks?" Horikawa mumbled.
"Well, he is the only guy we can think of… He is always opposed the way Kondo leads the team, with that cheerful smile and the way he spouts nonsense by not reading the situation."
"I hope Okita-san told Kashuu about this guy…"
"And the fact that Hijikata is his ex."
Horikawa only replied with an unclear mumbling.
"Did you realize that Okita went on a date with his dojo outfit?"
Horikawa snorted. "Seriously?!"
"Yea, right after he told me to clean the mess Yasusada made, he quickly ran off and said he had a date. He did wash his hands before he went though…"
"Oh gosh…"
"I wonder if he did that when he was going out with Hijikata."
"No way!"
Kashuu and Okita sat in front of the café with their lunch, sitting side by side in a comfortable silence, Okita watching as people passed by. The wind blew gently, ruffling Okita's hair while Kashuu stared at Okita, admiring his looks. His boyfriend noticed, smiled and leaned forward to steal a kiss. Okita then took his cup of tea and took a sip as if nothing happened. Kashuu's face was now as red as the umbrella above their heads. He looked down to the plate in his lap, seemingly more interesting than anything else at the moment.
Silence went after them when Okita suddenly decided to start telling about their dojo story.
"There were a lot of students in the school's dojo before. But everyone was graduated and left…" catching Kashuu's attention back.
"Did they disband?" He bite the offered dango from Okita's stick, munching with a blush dusting his face. Okita chuckled at the cute reaction.
"Kondo Isami was the leader at that time. When we disbanded he went to a different high school. The dojo was mine to begin with, and I chose him as the captain because he is capable of handling things properly. He was a remarkable boy. I decided that everyone who wanted to try out a kendo before entering my house dojo could practice in school. If they wanted to be more serious and improve their skills, they could join my dojo. But once the leader went to a different school, Hijikata as the vice leader should have be the one to take the position as captain. But we are… no longer together," Okita smiled at Kashuu's surprised look. "Hijikata was going to Osaka. I took Hijikata's position as the captain. I couldn't let the school dojo close. There are so many magnificent students there. Everyone who went to the school's dojo became my pupils in my house dojo. They say I'm collecting many students from the school illegally."
Kashuu chuckled and shook his head at the stupidity.
"I decided to take Hijikata's pupils, Horikawa and Kanesada, into my care. Their sword skills are just something I can't ignore. Just like Yasusada."
"I see… So… why did those guys attack Yasusada?"
"Well, not everyone is happy with the decision. There will always be someone who opposes your decision if they don't like the way things are, right? Someone is not happy because I gained so many pupils in my house dojo. So in the end, no one ever wanted to get involved with us anymore, too afraid of the gangs that keep attacking Yasusada. They are too afraid to face me. Yasusada was so easy to get mad lately. He was so attached to me the moment I picked him up as my pupil. He was happy to get his skills recognized." Okita smiled at the remembrance of Yasusada's happy face.
"I see…" Kashuu stayed silent.
"I'm sorry to get you involved in this mess. I hope you always bring your sword around."
"Don't worry about me. Didn't Kondo Isami do something about his pupils?"
"The thing is… there is someone behind this mess who kept on cleaning their dirty acts." Okita took a sip of his tea before he coughed.
"Okita, are you okay? Drink slowly!" Kashuu patted his back.
Okita chuckled in return. "Sorry about that."
Kashuu smiled and shook his head. He got worried when Okita coughed several more times, but his boyfriend brushed him away, telling him that he was fine.
Yasusada walked inside the training room, sword in hand. He stood in the center of the room, focusing on a mental image of his opponent. He raised his sword and swiftly cut the air, took a step back and thrust it in his opponent's stomach. There was no way he could let a wound bother him, as there will be no next time for someone to protect him in battle. He had to be calm and focused on the vital aim of someone's body. He was so focused on his training when someone clapped his hands. Yasusada stopped, looking to the entrance to find Kashuu and Okita standing there, watching him. He was about to let them watch when the way Kashuu was dressed made his eyes goggle.
"That's what I've been wanting to see." Okita said with a smile gracing his lips.
Yasusada knew there were two different meanings to that sentence: the way he looked at Kashuu and the way he swung his sword. He decided to ignore them.
"You're back early." Yasusada mumbled.
"Yes, I'm coughing and Kashuu won't stay calm. I have to go back and rest." Okita smiled at Kashuu who pouted.
"Of course, I won't be going out with you anymore if you don't listen to me. Why didn't you tell me you're sick?"
"I'm fine… I've been coughing for some time, no worries. I was just forgetting my medicine because I'm in rush."
"You have to take it with you everywhere you go." Yasusada protested.
"Now I've got two nurses." Okita chuckled at the two of them.
"You have to rest. I'm going back now." Kashuu pulled Okita down for a kiss. To his disappointment, Okita only kissed his forehead.
A pang of jealousy went into Yasusada's heart. He tightened his grip on his shinai, enough to make his bruised palm sting.
"Alright. I'll go back to my room and rest."
Kashuu nodded, satisfied that Okita haf listened to him. He watched him walk away from the training room and turned around to leave, but Yasusada called him.
"What do you want?" Kashuu asked annoyed.
"Spar with me."
"Seriously? With your wounded palm? Even stupidity has limits, Yasusada." Kashuu shook his head and started to leave when Yasusada put his shinai in front of his face.
"Are you scared?" Yasusada muttered.
Kashuu glared at him. "Let me change my clothes."
Kashuu pulled his bokuto when Yasusada had changes his shinai to bokuto. He wore the red training outfit with black hakama. Yasusada raised an eyebrow when Kashuu still wore the red scarf. Neither of them said anything, instead stood in front of each other and eyed their opponent, full of concentration. Kashuu could tell that Yasusada was somewhat different from before.
Kashuu purposely shifted his bokuto slightly, earning a look before launching his attacking to Yasusada. Much to his surprise, Yasusada blocked his attack, stepping back before bending down to avoid Kashuu's blow. He eyed him coldly, clashing their bokuto and jumped backwards, making some distance between them. Yasusada's eyes were somehow different. Kashuu felt sweat run down his jaw. He was more focused now, eyes always ready for any attack he might throw at him. He knew from the beginning that Yasusada was capable if he didn't let his anger overtaking him. But this… This was unexpected.
Yasusada was the first to start the attack, catching Kashuu off guard and making his bokuto fly away from his hand. Kashuu gasped, tripping over his feet. Yasusada blinked and caught his arm. He lost his balance and toppled over him, both hitting the woodened floor with a loud yelp.
"Damn that hurts…" Kashuu groaned rubbing the back of his head. He looked up to find Yasusada's face an inch closer to his, and sharply gasped at the closeness.
"Sorry, are you alright?" Yasusada blushed, just noticing how long Kashuu's eyelashes were as he slowly got off of him. He extended his hand to help him stand up, noticing the red painted nail polish beautifully coloring his nails. He wrapped his digits around Kashuu's frail looking hand, pulling him up.
"Thanks." Kashuu stood up, still staring at Yasusada, amazed.
Yasusada noticed his look and smiled warmly. "I… I've been meditating a lot because of my palm. I just want to be stronger… I don't want to be protected." I just don't want to let you get involved in this mess and get injured in my place. Yasusada shyly scratched his head.
"I knew you were stronger than me." Kashuu smiled and extended his hand.
Yasusada shook it and smiled.
"You are indeed Okita's nephew." Kashuu grin widely.
"We are similar… In some way, huh?"
Kashuu chuckled in return.
Outside the training room, Okita smiled and left the two alone. Finally, Yasusada reached to the point where he could use his skills for a good reason. Not only to protect him, but also his partner. He coughed several times once again and sighed. He really should go to the doctor.
TBC