AN/: Sorry this took that long to update, I had a lot of things going on in my life. Moving across state, getting a new house, all that messy stuff. So I had to keep delaying this, but if anyone wants a way to contact me to get information on my stories and stuff you can refer to my profile for links ;P As a note, I went back to the previous Six Chapters and fixed spelling and Grammar errors, all the ones I could find.
To my Reviewers!
Roterwolkenvogel : I love the idea of Ranmaru and Nobunaga, it's my favorite pairing of all time ;D And Sakon/Mitsunari will come in around the time it makes sense (After Honnoji) so we have a few chapters before that, but it will expand all the way until Sekigahara.
Hiira : I won't end it just yet! Sorry this took so long to get update. D:
SpookyZaragoza : Really? Wow thanks! Yeah I tried to make Mitsunari seem more 'Playful?' and I have a good reason for that which will play into the story eventually ;P But he is very OOC- Sort of like my adaptation of him younger.
Kyruzo : Thanks for such a long, nice review! xD Yes I plan on bringing out Nobunaga's darker side as the story goes on! Katsuie always struck me as having a softer side to Ranmaru when they talked in game so thats where the idea came from ;P And yes, Oichi will be back in the story and I have a few more things planned to go on between her, Ranmaru, and Noh but what those things are... I can't say D
ranfan : I'm not quite finished yet, so I could still go on to make it more risque ;3
myra9 : I'm so glad. 3
Cambion : I'm glad I didn't get him too OOC X_x I did think he was to soft going back and reading it again, but from what I've seen Nobunaga does have a very gentle side towards Ranmaru occasionally. I'm going to try and bring in more of his dark apathy in more recent chapters though.
Nobunaga had the frail boy pinned beneath him. Ranmaru had fallen into his ploy, finally he would have him writhing beneath him tonight. Nobunaga leant down and kissed him, deep and passionate. "Ranmaru... Promise me I will never suffer through the pain of your death..." Nobunaga 's eyes never left his. "I... I promise..." Ranmaru said softly.
"Good..." Nobunaga above him made his entire body feel heated, he wanted nothing more than to be closer, as close as possible, to Lord Nobunaga. "More than anyone else... I know you can be the only ruler of Japan..." Ranmaru blushed. "And you will be at my side, when that time comes?" Nobunaga asked. Ranmaru nodded, Nobunaga made a thoughtful noise in his throat. "And if I should die?" Nobunaga asked.
"Then I will die, and be at your side in hell..." Ranmaru said with determination.
"Ranmaru..."
Nobunaga trailed his hands over the pale, shivering body. He began to pull the cloths off Ranmaru, anticipating the sight of his bare flesh. He wouldn't be far behind, it took Nobunaga longer to get his armor off, and then his cape.
He hovered over him, looking down at him with hungry eyes. A predator with it's prey, savoring the taste, the feel, and the sound of what taking Ranmaru Mori was like. Each moment burned into his brain, as his erotic fantasy played out before his eyes. Ranmaru was staring at Nobunaga with need in his eyes, it made Nobunaga burn with passion. "You are mine... Forever."
Nobunaga dreamed of the day it would be appropriate to claim Ranmaru as his own. He hadn't expected it to come as early as it had, but that gave him all the more time to spend with Ranmaru, in a completely different way. It would be hard to explain, if he wished to conceal the fact of what it was he was doing in this room with Ranmaru, had he planned on doing so. Nobunaga had no intentions of hiding how their bond has changed.
So every time Ranmaru screamed, whined, squealed, or begged him for more he was happy to comply. It didn't matter that it was apparent what he was doing to him. Ranmaru Mori would be his from this day forward.
Ranmaru was trapped in a moment where his head was swimming with emotion. He was amazed by the gentle, yet forceful way Nobunaga's desire demanded more from him. At this point nothing hurt anymore, he was to far lost in Nobunaga's eyes, and the heat of their bodies to notice anything else. His breath coming out short and ragged, while Nobunaga watched him calmly.
A look of smoldering domination burning in his dark eyes as he felt lured in and unable to look away. He could only submit to him, to the desires of his lord, to the Demon King.
Xxx
How long had it been morning? Ranmaru rubbed his eyes and sat up in bed. A strong arm pulled him back down. At first he tensed, caught off guard. When he saw Nobunaga looking at him he relaxed, he still felt tired despite how late in the day it was. "Good Afternoon, Ranmaru." Ranmaru smiled smally, it would be hard not to remember a night with the Demon King.
"My Lord... Have we slept all day?" He asked, Nobunaga chuckled softly. "You have." He blushed and looked away. "I'm sorry, My lord." Nobunaga got up and started to get dressed. "I don't mind, watching you sleep puts even a Demons heart at peace." Ranmaru decided he should probably get dressed as well, in case someone needed to come and get Nobunaga.
"I... So... " Ranmaru was staring at the floor with uncertain eyes, a small blush across his face as he stammered. "Yes, Ranmaru?" Nobunaga asked, fully clothed now. "I will protect you... From everything... And everyone... I promise." He bit his lip, it wasn't a feeling of self-doubt that loomed over him, but more the chance of being turned away that made him feel uneasy.
"Ranmaru... You alone will protect me. I will rely on only you from now on... Is that what you want?" Nobunaga asked, Ranmaru turned around and nodded at his lord. Nobunaga half-smiled. "Every desire you have, tell them to me and I can make them happen. One day when Japan is mine... I will bring ambition to your dreams as well." Ranmaru thought about it for a few minutes, and then he began to chuckle softly.
"But my lord... Then all my dreams will have come true, you'll have nothing left to do as far as my dreams are concerned." Ranmaru walked to the window and gazed out of it. Nobunaga watched him as he was bathed in the sunlight, mesmerized for the moment by the sheer beauty of his lover, both body and soul.
With each day that passed, it became closer to the day they marched to Nagashino. Ranmaru felt he would be in fine condition for the battle, for the most part his wound was healed. He felt no fear about the Takeda, Ranmaru was confident that his lord would deliver a swift victory. Ranmaru smiled as he daydreamed about what Nobunaga must be doing right now, most likely discussing with more merchants about how to acquire the maximum amount of muskets needed for the operation.
Ranmaru was just about to go and find Mitsunari when he noticed Noh coming towards him. She merely walked past him in the hallway, not bothering to make eye contact with him, he felt a pained guilt in his heart, and he bit his lip. Noh is Nobunaga's wife, but in this time having a wife, wives, mistresses or... Men did not matter in the terms of their quantity. Especially for powerful men like Nobunaga, it was more like, it was expected of him.
Ranmaru ignored the feeling and continued to look for his friend, whom he could not seem to find anywhere in the castle. He frowned and thought nothing of it, Mitsunari had a lot of duties to attend to during the day, he was probably running around or even in town picking something up for Hideyoshi. Ranmaru found himself stationary, having wondered around the castle aimlessly with nothing better to do, he unconsciously brought himself to a familiar place. He leant his head against the wall, and opened the door slowly.
The urge to call out almost struck him, though he knew he would not be answered. He walked into the room that used to belong to his Father, Yoshinari Mori. It felt cold in this room, or at least Ranmaru felt cold all over his body when he entered it. He sighed softly, having to come to terms with his fathers death was one of the hardest things he'd ever done. The pain still burned him each time he accomplished something, and the mindless excited urge to go tell the father who was no longer of this earth always weighed down his heart.
Almost as if he had died all over again. Ranmaru's attention was caught when he heard his name being called, he turned around and was face to face with Oichi. "What are you doing here in the dark...?" She asked. "I was just... Thinking." He said coming out of the room and closing the door. "Oh... Just thinking?" She asked, he nodded. "What brings you here, Oichi?" Normally she did not come out of her room, of course this was nothing like the usual way Oichi had been in the past, but recently after the death of Nagamasa she changed.
"I was just wandering, I suppose thinking about my future. Did you hear? My brother has given me to Katsuie, as a wife." Ranmaru contemplated what to say to that, he felt happy for Katsuie, but at the same time the dead look in Oichi's eyes told the sad story of her broken romance with Nagamasa. "I see..." Ranmaru truly felt pity for her, but he couldn't change how her life would be, this is what she herself chose. "Ranmaru... Can I ask you something?" She asked softly.
"Of course..." He blinked, wondering what she could have to ask him about. "Do you... Forgive me? And... Nagamasa?" She had a small, timid voice. Ranmaru noticed the painful irony of the situation. Here he was, in his dead fathers room, his father who had been killed by Nagamasa. He himself split Nagamasa's blood and ended any chance Oichi would have to ever see him again, in the end both of their lives had intertwined in a spiral of loss.
He lost his father, she lost her husband, and now lamenting on the death of his father, she comes to him and asks if he forgives her as well as the deceased Nagamasa.
"...Oichi... I hold no more grudge against you, or Nagamasa. My Father's life has been paid for in your husbands blood. Sometimes it's realizing that, that gives me more enthusiasm to see Nobunaga rise to power. If we lived in a unified Japan, perhaps my father would have kept his life, as well as your husband, with no reason to fight any longer. It's the pain of war and the actions we must take and the burden we all must bear in this age that connects our lives with love, hatred, vengeance, and loss... Nagamasa was following his heart, he couldn't do anything else but that, right?" He tried to smile, but the tears running down her face were to discouraging.
"Thank you... I was... Afraid you may hate him... As well as me, and I want nothing more than his memory to be in peace..." She forced herself to smile and laugh, but Ranmaru returned the smile and walked towards her. "Oichi... " She collapsed against his chest, he caught her despite his initial surprise. "Oichi?" He called out to her. She was to distressed to answer him, sobbing and hiding her face against his chest.
"I know you must miss him... You must still love, Nagamasa... But I know if anything about him, that he loved you dearly. He would want you to be able to find happiness again, even if in just some small, simple way... " Ranmaru confessed. "I know... But I wonder if he would still think the same if he had lived, and I had died... It's so much harder to live without the one you love, than it is to die... It truly is... I... I respect Lord Katsuie, In ways I love him for what he's done for me but it doesn't feel the same..."
Ranmaru regarded the strong words carefully. "I think... I understand, perhaps you need more time to think. I'm sure once you've found a peace in your heart with your memories of Nagamasa, you will find the answer that tells you if you will go on able to live like this... I hope that you are though, Oichi..." He smiled. She pulled away from him and smiled back. "I didn't mean to come to you so suddenly... I really only found you by chance..." She looked away, he nodded.
"I too was wandering around the castle. I had been trying to find Mitsunari, but couldn't..." He sighed softly. "Mitsunari? I think I heard about him having been in town for many hours..." Ranmaru laughed softly. "It certainly does sound like Mitsunari... I should go find him before Hideyoshi becomes even more impressed with his capacity to argue with those unable to change their minds." Ranmaru parted ways with Oichi.
The way into town wasn't a far walk, but it would take him a short while. He felt pathetic for feeling this way but he was becoming uneasy, being on his own for so long. He usually had his father, or brothers, or Mitsunari to turn to in times of loneliness. He of course couldn't go and trouble his Lord, he had no place distracting him from important matters.
Ranmaru caught himself blushing as he thought about the fact he had been taken as Nobunaga's lover.
He probably shouldn't start thinking about these things out in the open, in public, on his way into town. With nothing to do though he could only think, and when he got to thinking it was hard to stop unless he thought of something to do. One of the many reasons he felt naturally accustomed to servant work. It was so simple and preoccupying.
Once he was in town, he'd make it his goal to find his missing friend Mitsunari.
He wouldn't be hard to spot with his bright orange hair. He spotted his friend and rushed to his side in a hurry, Mitsunari was simply walking. "Mitsunari?" Ranmaru called to him, Mitsunari snapped out of whatever daze he was in and looked down at Ranmaru, who was staring at him with concern. "Ranmaru... What are you doing here?" He asked.
"Looking for you, you've been gone to long again." Mitsunari seemed unphased.
"Oh..." Ranmaru frowned, he seemed so down about something. "Mitsunari... What's wrong?" Ranmaru asked him again, worried. "Ah I just got into an argument with some pompous bastard, I guess I lost track of time and began walking around to let off steam."
Ranmaru stared at him amazed. "For this long...? I've never known you to get so hung up over a fight. You fight with people everyday, don't you?" He asked, Mitsunari shook his head slightly. "Well... I do but... I... I guess I'm just having an off day, I'll return to the castle with you now, I'm sure Hideyoshi is lividly perched outside his window waiting for me to come back." He sighed.
"Wait... Mitsunari... Tell me what happened?" Ranmaru offered. "Hmm... Not right now, but maybe some other time, It's not as important as you think, really." Mitsunari reassured, Ranmaru would force himself to be content with this for now. What worried his friend also put him into a deep state of concern as well though, it was hard to shake.
They returned to the castle, Mitsunari had predicted Hideyoshi's actions rather well, they could see him looking out a window in the castle. Once they were within screaming distance of each other, somehow, Mitsunari and Hideyoshi carried out a conversation with a few yards between them. Ranmaru looked around and noticed people around the castle turning to watch Mitsunari shout up at Hideyoshi in irritation, as Hideyoshi yelled back at him. Ranmaru mildly wondered if they'd start pelting objects towards each other when he felt a hand on his shoulder.
He smiled when he saw it was his Lord Nobunaga. "Have you been busy today, Ranmaru?" He asked. Ranmaru nodded, "Only just recently, and you my Lord?" He could relax in this mans company, he felt no need to put up a front, or have his guard up around Nobunaga. "Quite. I've only just been let go to come and see you, I'm glad I was able to find you because Katsuie intends to go back out into town again." Ranmaru nodded.
"Would you need me to do anything for you in the time being, my Lord?" Ranmaru asked.
Nobunaga eyed him and let a laugh escape him. "Perhaps. Though I think I shall save what I want for later tonight." Ranmaru blushed, catching on. "Of course, my lord... "
Nobunaga watched Mitsunari and Hideyoshi for only a few more moments longer until an idea struck him. "Ranmaru, would you like to come with me for a bath?" He asked. Ranmaru smiled and blushed immediately. "I... Well... Mm.. Yes, of course I would, My lord." He let himself be led away from the scene by Nobunaga.
He had bathed with his lord before, but he remembered it was when he was very young, and his Father had been there and alive as well. It was more his father never trusted him to be watched by anyone other than himself, or lord Nobunaga. Things would be entirely different now that he was older and also... Nobunaga's Lover.
Ranmaru undressed swiftly once they were alone, Nobunaga made sure they would not be interrupted during their time alone. Nobunaga undressed and approached Ranmaru, who was testing the water. "It's not the first time we've been here, do you remember the last time you were here with me?" He asked, Ranmaru nodded. "My father was also here, it was many years ago..." Nobunaga chuckled. "Many years to one as young as you. I remember how charming you were, offering to wash me or go and get things for us."
Ranmaru blushed, he could barely remember the memory past the fact it had happened.
Yet Nobunaga remembered it like it was only yesterday. He idly mused on what it would be like when he reached Nobunaga's wise age. "Ranmaru... Can you tell me what I treasure most in this world?" He asked while they bathed together. Ranmaru thought carefully and named off a number of objects, until Nobunaga smiled. "It is a living person." Ranmaru looked down into the water, he could see his reflection. His head was resting against Nobunaga's chest.
He looked back up at his lord, "Then... Is it me?" He asked, Nobunaga smiled and put a hand on the top of Ranmaru's head and running his fingers through his long dark hair let free to hang down around his chest. "That's right..." Nobunaga enjoyed small moments like this with Ranmaru, moreso now that the young boy was his lover.
To think only three days separated the date they would march on Nagashino, to take on the Takeda. Three days that would seem to pass far to quickly.
