The General and the Assassin – Chapter 10
Celebrate
Hiroshi's declaration had the General silent for a long, long while. He would never have imagined that he'd end up loving the son of his worst enemy. This fiery young man, a man who'd snuck into his camp in the middle of the night, into his tent, and tried to stab him though with a dagger.
It was a stupid but an entirely brave act. It took real guts. He'd almost gotten away with it, too.
And still, K didn't really understand why Hiroshi had tried to kill him in the first place. It seemed like a delicate matter for Hiroshi personally and nothing at all about the actual war between the Sugawara clan and the newly instated Imperial Japanese Army. K wasn't sure if now was the right time to ask him about it.
The General held onto Hiroshi by the fire in the middle of the woods, still half-undressed, still searching for the right words to say. This man loved him. It was a lot more than he expected to hear when he discovered the Hiroshi crying next to him after he'd dosed off, after they had made love. He hadn't been asleep for long but it was long enough for Hiroshi to experience some kind of trauma.
Could it be guilt?
Was it really guilt?
It was hard to put two and two together. He had no idea what was running through Hiroshi's head now. Actually, he could not imagine what ran through Hiroshi's mind half of the time.
K pet over Hiroshi's hair softly. "I have feelings of love for you, too, Hiro." He needed to say it before he could take it back, before he lost the opportunity.
Hiroshi held onto him tighter.
Maybe he was setting himself up for more pain, more hurt, or... maybe he was simply fooling himself. But no matter what it was, K spoke the truth about how he felt right now. He had no idea what their future held. Not a damn clue. But he wasn't about to waste this precious moment with Hiroshi on politics and war. He was so sick of it all.
"You know, you said that before," Hiro finally spoke up quietly, fingertips pressing into K's sides.
"Said what before?"
"Told me that you loved me—you said it in your sleep."
K smirked coyly. "How do you know I was really sleeping?"
Hiroshi was still for a moment. "So, you knew I was there?"
Now K became strangely silent and Hiro let him stay that way for a while as he held him. He didn't really need to hear the answer. He knew.
"What are they going to do to me when we get to Tokyo?" Hiroshi questioned next, obvious anxiety tightening his voice. "Are you going to let them boil me alive?"
At that, the General began to chuckle, "No... No, I won't let them do that," he promised.
"Why are you laughing?" Hiro wondered with disbelief etched across his face. He pushed himself up from K's embrace to watch the blonde carefully.
"I only said that because you were being such a brat that day," K told him.
Hiroshi scoffed.
K sat up, and then, he stood. He began to fix his pants and collect his clothing. "Look, I'm sorry I said that. I didn't mean to scare you."
Hiroshi got up off the clothing that was their makeshift blanket and watched, as the General got dressed. "I see, so you really don't know what will happen to me then?"
The General sighed. "I really don't know," he said as truthfully as he could. He wasn't about to tell Hiro about his strategy regarding the warlord. It wouldn't do Hiroshi any good to know that he planned on using Hiro as a bargaining chip. Besides, what if, for some reason, his father took Hiroshi back and he knew what he had planned. K knew deep down that Lord Takatsuji Sadato would probably torture Hiroshi until he spilled all that he knew.
However, with a thought like that he had to wonder if Sadato would really take the bait and give up his fight in order to have Hiroshi back. Just thinking about all of it made K feel sick.
"Do you think my father and his men have come looking for me?" Hiro asked.
"I know they have." K tucked in his shirt and threw Hiro a puzzling look, "What's with all these questions now?"
Hiroshi became angry then. "Because, I need to learn things for myself!" he snapped. "I'm tired of being this pawn between you and my father's clan. If I'm the heir, then I should know what the hell is going on! I want to be able to fight on my own terms."
K was thrown by this, it was as if this young man had become a completely new person before his eyes, "Why now, Hiroshi?"
Hiroshi looked into the fire again, seeing the dagger he had thrown in there had become bright red, the metal was so hot. He felt as if it were as hot as his newfound purpose. The entire crest was cracked and blackened.
"Because now, I know what I want," Hiro said sternly. "I want to live a free life without being jerked around by my father's politics and ambitions. I want people to be happy and stop accusing the Sugawara of being murderers. I want to talk to my father's captain Hachijō myself. And... I—I don't want you to stop loving me."
A pained look overcame Hiroshi as he continued, "Sometimes I wish I never left the castle but I know if I hadn't I wouldn't have ever got to feel this much life coursing through my veins. Nothing in the world makes sense anymore, and yet, I've never felt so free."
The General shrugged into his uniform jacket, straightened the material with a sharp tug and then pulled Hiroshi into a firm embrace. He held him firmly and intimately. "I told you that I love you. I do, Hiroshi. I care about you more than is reasonable," he spoke softly. "I want the same things you do. And when you're ready, I want to know all about Sugawara castle—not as a military leader, but as a friend."
K sighed over Hiroshi's shoulder and stepped back never breaking eye contact with him. "I'm in a position where, right now, I have to bring you in before the council, before the oligarchs of the Emperor. I have no choice. If I don't do that I will be dishonourably discharged or they'll charge me with crimes of treason—the worst crime of all. I would dishonour the entire Kan'in family who gave me a second chance, who rescued me after my parents were killed, who didn't look at me like a poisonous foreigner even though I was born in Japan."
"If I don't follow orders now, I would dishonour Japan. A country I live to protect. It's my home, too. I'd never be able to live with myself." K visibly deflated about two inches before Hiro's eyes. "Everything I've fought for will be for nothing. My parents would have died for nothing."
"I know," Hiroshi whispered, finally and truly understanding who this man really was. "I know."
The General gave a small smile. "Let's not dwell on it all tonight," he advised. "If there is one thing my Captain has taught me, it is patience. Until we face the trials before us, let's not cast ourselves out just yet, alright?"
Hiroshi took a moment to study the handsome face of this General. "Alright, until that day comes then," he murmured.
The General gave his most brilliant smile. "Now then, give me a kiss and say you're sorry."
"Huh?!" cried Hiro. "Sorry for what?"
"Sorry that you've made us late for the party," K exclaimed with a smirk.
They could hear music faintly coming from the center of the village.
"Shit," Hiroshi cursed. "I forgot about that."
As Hiroshi fixed his shirt and his borrowed uniform jacket, K kicked some dirt over their small fire and noticed something in it. He hesitated for only a moment and then kicked more dirt over the pit, burying the Sugawara dagger.
"Come on, follow me," the General said and took Hiro's hand.
The center of the village transformed into a gleeful gathering of all ages. Young and old were dressed in their finest kimono or summer yukata and traditional music filled the evening air. Orange paper lanterns lit up the night in a magical way. Smoke hovered over their heads from all the wonderful foods being cooked over spits and barbeques. However, it was the delicious multicoloured dango, covered with sticky syrup that was being devoured by all.
K grabbed two of these sticky treats served on a wooden skewer. He handed one to Hiroshi.
As they nibbled on the sweet dango, Captain Saionji waved at them as he stood by watching his wife and a few other women from the village perform a dance.
Hiroshi watched the women move as gracefully as the wind, dressed beautifully with colourful blossom-printed kimono with a wide silk obi. Their faces were dusted with a fine light powder and their styled hair glittered with combs and shiny metals shaped like flowers.
Everywhere Hiro looked there, were soldiers and villagers laughing and drinking. Some were dancing and some were talking in groups.
But no sooner had the women finished their dance did the theatre show begin.
"This, I really wanted to see," Hiroshi proclaimed and dragged K to the closest bench near the front of the stage. He sat while eating a second skewer of dango.
They had to wait only a little bit before the audience gathered and actors filled the stage. Off to the side musicians provided sound effects and a musical score.
All the actors were men, some dressed as women. Many of the actors played more than one role, but you weren't supposed to be paying attention to that. You were supposed to be watching the story unfold.
It started with a man who had fallen in love with a beautiful dancer, who was a young man dressed as a woman with short, pink hair. However, the dancer never took notice of the man that adored her no matter how hard he tried to get her to notice him.
The entire story was a romance-comedy without words and the audience was in stitches each time the dancer danced around the love struck man, accidently appearing to kick him somewhere. At least once every scene she ended up kicking him either in the face, or on the butt, once she got him right between the legs.
Alas, what was our love struck hero supposed to do?
He brought the dancer presents, which she would discover each morning as she wandered onto the balcony of a splendid castle. She appeared to admire the gifts, holding them to her chest and dancing around the castle. But at the end of each day her face became sad.
The man was ready to give up even though he would forever be madly in love with this dancer. All hope seemed lost until a stranger came to his aid. A monk the audience was lead to believe was a cripple with a cane until he kicked up his heels one day and danced around the man humorously.
Hiroshi was laughing so hard, his eyes glued to the stage.
K was enjoying the story, too. But not as much as he was enjoying watching the innocent joy on Hiroshi's face. He was so happy to see the worrisome stress gone from his face for the moment.
So the monk showed the man that he needed to learn to dance if he was to win the dancer's heart. The monk became the man's teacher, which produced a lot more laughs for the audience.
And when the day finally came, the smitten man danced and danced and danced around the woman he loved. The dancer at long last noticed the man because now they understood the same language. It turned out both were beautiful dancers destined to be together forever.
They live happily ever after.
Hiroshi applauded loudly as did the rest of the audience. "That was really funny. I've never seen a play before," he told K.
The General seemed surprised, "Never?"
"Never," Hiroshi replied.
"Ahh, I guess because you come from a prominent family and all that," K realized, giving Hiro a piteous look. But he smiled and nodded, "I'm glad you enjoyed it."
As everyone got up, talking animatedly about the play, K was cornered by the leader of the village and a few other noble looking men.
"General Winchester," spoke the oldest man dressed finely in dark grey hakama and a black kisode. He was looking very regal and it clearly showed he meant business.
"Tanaka-sama," K said politely and bowed. "I hope your evening is going well? Gentlemen," he said to the others.
The older man bowed in return and replied, "Indeed it is, it's a pleasure to have you return to us along with Captain Chiaki-sama. I hear that you're close to finally brining the last warlord to his senses. Lord Sadato has a heavy influence on everyone in that family. It would be better if he just laid down his arms however. What with a ten percent cut of all agricultural profits, I can't see why the Sugawara still struggle for a system that no longer makes sense for Japan. Ninety-five percent of the country has become Imperial! He's crazy."
Hiroshi was brought to attention at the name of his father.
One of the other men, eager to talk politics and military strategies offered, "They do not understand that 'returning of the land' is not a something to consider, it's the law."
K nodded stiffly at the comments but flashed Hiroshi a look that went unnoticed by the noble men. "Perhaps we should enjoy some saké and take our discussion over there," he suggested, leading the men away from Hiroshi.
Hiroshi began to frown at being left behind, but he understood that the discussion wasn't meant for meager men of his position. It was meant for leaders like General K. Winchester. It didn't matter that he wore an Imperial Japanese Army uniform, which only proved he was of a low rank.
He scoffed as he thought about what that older man was saying. It seemed the people further south were very happy to accept the new government, seemed they didn't mind the disbandment of the samurai or the way the money was being distributed among the ex-daimyo.
At the moment, Hiroshi wasn't sure what he thought was best. But everyone here in this village seemed content and happy. Was his father wrong to fight against this Emperor and this new government? Was he wrong to preserve a way of life that would only bring more struggle and hardship?
As Hiroshi turned to stroll the opposite way, so sure that the General would come find him when he was finished with business, someone bumped into him.
"Oh, I'm sorry," spoke a young man with dark hair and shining violet eyes.
Hiroshi urged. "It's alright." Then he noticed that the dango he'd been holding was now stuck to the other man's clothes, since the guy had run right into it. "Err... you got something stuck to your clothes," he said, using a finger to point it out.
The strange guy looked down his front and his face instantly brightened. "Mmm, dango!" He picked it right off his shirt and began to eat it with a smile.
Hiroshi made a face.
"Don't look at me that way, I haven't eaten for days," the man with violet eyes said.
"I don't mean to intrude, but how come?" Hiro wondered. He studied the guy's face and realized something. "You're that guy on stage, the dancer with the pink wig."
Instantly the dark-haired man became animated and bouncy. "Did you like it? I was so nervous! That's why I couldn't eat. A great performer lives and breathes for the stage—I didn't want to mess it up. I make a pretty girl, don't you think?"
The man batted his eyelashes at him and Hiroshi laughed, "Sure, I guess so."
"My name's Shindou Shuichi," he said with a cocky tone.
"Hiroshi... just call me Hiro."
They stared at each other for a moment and broke into grins.
"You're with the Imperial Japanese Army, huh? Tell me what it's like. I was thinking I might make a new play where I sing the story. Do you think people would like that? I was thinking it could be something about a prisoner falling in love with a great leader. Or would that be too much?"
Hiroshi actually took a step back, blinking. Did this little man read minds?
"Oh, I'm sorry. I'm carrying on and I haven't even given you a chance to speak," Shuichi claimed and stood stock-still.
"I never heard anyone sing a play before, that sounds kind of interesting," he admitted.
Shuichi just beamed as he discovered his new best friend.
A couple of hours later Hiroshi couldn't have been happier as he stood by waiting as Shuichi retched behind a tree. The little actor couldn't hold his saké it seemed.
"Ugh," groaned Shuichi as he wandered back over. "I can't believe I had that much to drink."
Hiroshi contemplated that carefully, "But you only had two cups."
"You had two, too, but you're alright," Shuichi complained, "I don't get it."
"Neither do I," Hiro teased, "I'm not much of a drinker."
They laughed.
"Hiroshi," called a new voice.
"Hiroooshi," mimicked Shuichi gleefully.
Hiroshi turned around and saw it was K, who was now looking on amused at his new friend Shuichi.
"Who's this?" K asked.
"The dancer that was in tonight's play, he played the girl. He sort of bumped into me and ate my dango," Hiroshi explained with a shrug.
"Maybe we should take him home before we call it a night," K suggested, seeing as Shuichi was now hugging the nearest tree and telling it in a loving way, 'goodnight'.
"Not a bad idea," Hiroshi chuckled and plucked Shuichi from the young sapling.
Once they dropped off Shuichi, K and Hiro wandered back to Captain Chiaki's home. By now, most of the people had begun returning to their homes, while some stayed behind to help clean up the mess. The evening was very still now, the air was cooler and only the crickets chirped loudly. Above them, the stars shone, making anyone looking up at them, to feel so inferior to such a wide and grand place.
Hiroshi followed K up a few wooden steps that led to the veranda around the humble home belonging to the Captain. The house was quiet, but lanterns burned warmly on the inside invitingly.
It wasn't a castle, but it was the cosiest thing Hiroshi could imagine. And it definitely beat sleeping under a tent.
Before K entered the house he took Hiro's hand gently and silently watched him tenderly. He traced a long finger along Hiroshi's jaw. Slowly they brought their lips together, kissing softly in the dark. It was just a lingering kiss, but it was the most meaningful.
Quietly they slid the door open, entered the house, and made their way to the room designated for them. The room was already glowing with a lantern situated on the wooden floor next to the tatami mat that covered most of it. On the floor, there were two sleeping pads already covered by a thin blanket. On top of the beds were a neatly folded set of light sleeping garments for each of them.
K yawned loudly. "I'm so tired."
"Me, too," Hiro agreed. "Thank you for letting me see the festivities, it was really great. I really like this village."
"You're welcome, Hiroshi," K said genuinely. "But I feel awful for having to leave you alone like that. I didn't intend to do so."
"It's alright." Hiro began to take off his jacket. "You have your duties. It's not your fault."
The General nodded silently and pulled off his boots.
Silently watching each other, a peaceful vibe now singing between them, both men got ready for sleep. Hiro had just taken his shirt off when there was a faint knock on the door.
Quickly, Hiroshi went to answer the door and the woman with reddish hair they had seen earlier was kneeling on the floor holding out a thick pile of blankets. It was the woman Captain Chiaki had said was once K's neighbour when his parents were alive.
Hiroshi tossed K a fleeting glance before he looked back down at the woman.
"I've brought some extra blankets for you in case it's turns chilly overnight," she said, lifting the blankets higher in her outstretched arms.
"Thank you," Hiroshi told the woman and took the blankets, "Please stand," he urged.
The woman stood with a humble bow of her head. Hiroshi turned to hand K the extra blankets when the woman gasped loudly.
"Oh my!" she exclaimed, clasping a hand over her mouth and stared at Hiroshi as if she was staring at a miracle. "Oh... no..." The woman tentatively came closer to Hiroshi. "That mark," she whispered holding out her hand as if to touch him.
By now, K felt mystified by this woman's strange behaviour and asked her with concern, "Hikaru-san, what's the matter?"
"My son..." she murmured as if spellbound.
"Is she alright?" Hiro wondered worriedly. "Shouldn't she be at home?"
"Nakano Hikaru-san has always been close to the Chiaki family ever since that day... the day our village was attacked," K mentioned carefully. "She always brings me an extra blanket when I stay here."
The woman was clearly trembling. She asked Hiroshi again, "That mark? Have you always had that birthmark?"
Hiroshi blinked and nodded easily, "Yes, of course. My mother used to say it looks like a small bird, says I've had it since I was born."
K was intrigued and he stood behind Hiroshi with the woman inspecting this birthmark.
"I never noticed you had this mark before," he said to Hiro.
Starting to feel uncomfortable with two people staring at the mark on his back, Hiroshi turned around to face them. He crossed his arms. When he did, he noticed the woman had begun to cry. She crumpled to her knees and wrapped her arms around his legs.
"My son!" she sobbed, "I knew one day you'd return to me."
"What?" Hiroshi looked at K for help. "Tell her she must be mistaken."
K was looking pale as he gazed from Hikaru-san and Hiroshi. There was a definite resemblance now that he looked at them side by side. It couldn't be! Almost every single night when he dreamed about his parents' murder, he also heard this woman's screams.
"K-san...?" Hiro urged more loudly now.
"Hiroshi," K began cautiously, "Remember I told you about this village being attacked by Hachijō Fuyumoto, how he murdered my parents?"
Hiroshi gave an unsettled, "Yeah."
Now the General ran a hand over his hair anxiously. "There was something else about that night I didn't mention because it pains me to speak about it. I will never erase from my memory what else I saw that night, much less hers," he said pointing at the crying woman. "That night Hachijō snatched her baby right out of her arms. He took that child and rode off into the night. We never saw that child again."
A cold chill slid down his spine and Hiroshi simply stared at K.
The woman said, "I had a baby, who was born with the very same birthmark, the very same... I named him Hideki after his father. And he was taken from me!"
Frozen to the spot as the words sunk in, Hiroshi gaped at the woman claiming to be his mother. "No... No, you're mistaken," he said shakily, "I'm a Takatsuji! I belong to the Sugawara clan!"
Hiroshi yanked out of the woman's grasp and backed up until his back met the wall. "You can't be my mother, my mother died when I was five years old. K, tell her!"
But the General stood silent as Captain Chiaki appeared like a warrior in the open doorway. "What's going on here?" he held a hand on the hilt of his sword by his side dressed in his nightclothes. "Hikaru-san, why are you crying? Has something happened?"
"My son has come back," she said as she slowly pushed herself up to her feet, still staring at Hiroshi expectantly.
"Your son...?" Captain Saionji flung his eyes from Hiroshi to K. "K-san, what's all this about?" he demanded.
The General explained everything to his captain leaving the man in utter disbelief.
"Could it be true?" Saionji wondered, his eyes wide.
Hiroshi intervened, "It can't be true! I'm Lord Sadato's son!"
The woman gasped at that.
"Lower your voice, Hiroshi," warned the Captain, gripping his sword tighter.
But Hiroshi was out of control. "I won't stand here and listen to any more of this. It can't be true! I'm sorry that this has happened to you," he said to the woman, "But it's impossible. I can't be your son. I'm nobody's son!"
With that, he charged out of the room and left the house, the door sliding shut with a slam.
Captain Chiaki was about to give chase, but General K held out his arm. "Let him go, Saionji-sama."
Hiroshi ran for all he was worth in the dark, half-naked, his heart beating a mile a minute. He ran as far away from Captain Chiaki's house as he could get. He ran through a field of corn, smashing through the crops, the stalks whacking against his arms and legs stinging his flesh.
Somewhere in the middle, he slumped to the ground to catch his breath, the world still spinning in his mind. But he was not crying he was finished with pointless tears. Besides, he was too shocked to cry.
Could it be possible, could that woman be his mother? If that was true, than what did that mean about the woman he once called mother. He only had a memory of her and he had loved her so very much. But his father—his father...
Damn! He had so many things he wanted to ask him.
His father was always so cold towards him, like he wasn't his son at all. For a moment, Hiroshi actually allowed himself to consider the possibility that Sadato was not his father. However, such thought made no sense regarding his mother she had loved him. Would a woman be able to love a child that wasn't really hers?
Hiro truly didn't know.
He was not sure how long he'd been there but the cold dirt chilled his skin and Hiroshi began to shiver. He felt pathetic and sorry for himself, he was also feeling embarrassed by his outburst. Especially after he promised Captain Chiaki, he would pretend to be a vigilant Imperial officer.
He had let the man down and Hiroshi felt disgusted with himself.
He would have to pull himself together. Hiroshi dug deep for his inner strength, the same strength he discovered when he first resolved to assassinate the General. It hadn't been an easy decision then and now this one wasn't either. There was nothing easy about knowing he'd have to face the council in Tokyo and Nakano Hikaru, the woman boldly claiming he was her son.
Pushing himself up, Hiroshi managed his way out of the field, not really paying attention to the cuts and bruises across his chest and arms. At least his legs were spared since he still wore his pants. He hadn't even taken his boots off yet either.
The few people that wandered around looked at him cautiously and darted off the other way. They probably figured he was drunk or in a recent fistfight or something. People didn't want trouble.
When he got closer to the Captain's house, Hiroshi saw him. Under a tree stood the General's silhouette, he was smoking a cigarette. The burning tip made Hiro think of an angry firefly.
When K finally saw Hiroshi, he flicked the smoke away and waited patiently. Hiroshi remained expressionless, unable to defend his actions, nor wishing to admit to them. At the moment, he was clean out of fight.
"You must be exhausted," the General said kindly, appearing unruffled about what happened. "Come on, I've waited here for a while. I'll make you some tea—we'll get you cleaned up."
Hiroshi nodded faintly and followed.
A/N: Many thanks to anyone reading this! I couldn't resist adding in everyone's favourtie singer lol! Only here Shuichi is an actor lol! And you probably got Hiroshi figured out by now *winks* His story is really beginning to unfold now. More to come soon!
Many thanks to you Nemhaine42 for your awesome Kiro'ness! Thanks so much for reading ^ _ ^