Deep in your eyes, a kind of pale jewel
Open and closed within your eyes~
-As The World Falls Down, David Bowie
Suboshi huffed in frustration, and stormed through the halls. He stopped and leaned against the railing staring out at the garden, its beauty lost on him in his current temper. Amiboshi was avoiding him. That much was painfully obvious. The only time he'd seen his brother in the past few days had been when there was at least one other person around. Suboshi didn't really want to confront his brother about this in the presence of others, and Amiboshi knew it.
He blinked, a flash of color amid the green catching his eye. Suboshi leaned out over the rail in an attempt to see beyond the bush that was in the way. He grinned triumphantly as the very person he'd been looking for came partially into view. He was lying on the the grass, one hand supporting his head, the other holding the book he was reading.
Suboshi had to hand it him, his brother had chosen a good hiding place. The small clearing was closed off on three sides, and was likely invisible from the path. It was only by sheer luck that he'd happened to stop in the one spot where Amiboshi was semi visible.
Leaping over the rail easily, he snuck towards his brother, using the bushes as cover. Amiboshi was so absorbed in his book that he didn't noticed Suboshi's presence until it was too late. The next thing he knew, his brother was sitting on his stomach and pinning him to the ground.
"What are you doing!?" he demanded, struggling beneath his bother. Suboshi only tightened his grip. He knew his brother, and he knew that Amiboshi would run the minute he let him up. His brother had never dealt well with embarrassment.
"You've been avoiding me." Suboshi said, making it a statement, not a question.
Amiboshi said nothing, his face doing a slow burn. He studiously avoided looking at his brother, instead fixing his gaze on a bush as if it were the most interesting thing he'd ever seen. He was also trying his damnedest not to enjoy the feeling of his brother's weight on top of him, but it was a losing battle.
"Damn it, Amiboshi! Did you even bother to consider *my* feelings? First, you *kiss* me, and it sure as hell wasn't in a brotherly way, either. And now you're avoiding me. What the hell is going on!?" Suboshi growled, frustration plain on his face.
An irrational anger began building within Amiboshi. Narrowing his eyes, he glared up at his brother. "Why do you care!?" he hissed. "You really wanna know that bad? Fine. I'll tell you. I'm in love with you." The anger drained out of him as quickly as it had come. "There. Happy?" he asked, voice sinking to a miserable whisper.
Suboshi sat there gaping at his brother in shock. Coupled with recent events, it made perfect sense. The thought had struck him the other day when Amiboshi had kissed him, but he'd passed it off as nonsense, assuming Amiboshi had done it only to distract him. Obviously, he'd been right on target. As he sat there staring down at his brother, who wore a slightly pained expression, Amiboshi's words from a few days before came to mind. //"Have you ever been in love? Have you ever been so utterly and completely in love with someone that they're all you can think about? Have you ever known that that person would hate you if they knew?"// "Do you really think I hate you?" he asked quietly.
Amiboshi refused to look at him. "I....I don't know."
Standing up, Suboshi released his his brother. "Then you obviously don't know me at all." he said quietly, and began walking away.
Amiboshi leaped up. "Wait!" When his brother didn't stop, he added a quiet, "Please?" He held his breath when Suboshi stopped, letting it out in a relieved sigh when he turned around, the hurt evident in his eyes. "I...I didn't mean..." Amiboshi suddenly felt as though his legs could no longer support him and sank to the ground. "I'm just so confused." He murmured, resting his chin on his updrawn knees.
Suboshi's heart melted when he saw Amiboshi sitting on the ground looking for all the world like a lost puppy. He never could stay mad at his brother for long. Crouching down in front of him, he put a comforting hand on his brother's shoulder. "We'll figure this out, one way or the other." Suboshi said, giving his brother a reassuring smile.
Amiboshi looked up at him with heartsick eyes, and returned the smile weakly, but it was obviously fake, a failed attempt to keep Suboshi from worrying about him. Sighing, Suboshi stood up and held out his hand to his brother. "Come on. Dinner will be ready soon." Slowly, Amiboshi reached out and took the proffered hand, allowing Suboshi to pull him to his feet and take him inside.
~~~~~
Amiboshi growled low in his throat and clutched at the sheets, body rocking in time with the motions of his lover. Strong hands roamed over his body, touching, stroking, caressing, teasing. Soft lips descended on his in a passionate kiss, before moving to his neck, nipping and sucking at the sensitive flesh. Blue eyes dark with passion bored into his, and words he longed to hear floated over him in a whisper. "I love you..."
Amiboshi's eyes shot open, and he lay there motionless, staring at the ceiling and panting heavily. His body was covered in a light sheen of sweat, and for the umpteenth time, he cursed his teenage hormones. Every night he was subjected to these incredibly erotic dreams, and every day it became increasingly harder to look his brother in the eye. Trying rather unsuccessfully to ignore his raging hard on, he rolled out of bed and made his way to the bathroom, intent on taking a *very* cold bath.
Slipping into the cool water, he closed his eyes and let his head rest on the side of the tub. After his body had calmed down somewhat, he tried to think over the situation in a rational manner. He was honest enough to admit to himself that it wasn't just love, that a large part of his fascination with Suboshi had to do with physical desire. Seiryuu knew he'd had more sexual dreams about him then he cared to count.
Maybe it was just some twisted sort of vanity...Suboshi *was* his twin after all. After thinking that over for a moment, Amiboshi shook his head and dismissed the notion. While they *were* nearly identical in a physical sense, their personalities were completely different.
He sighed and ducked his head under the water. Reaching for the soap he quickly washed up and stepped out of the tub, wrapping a towel carelessly around his waist. Running his fingers through his sopping hair, he stepped back out into his bedroom.
~~~~~
Suboshi knocked once on his brother's door, before opening the it and stepping inside. The sight that greeted him caused an odd tingle to shoot through his body. Amiboshi stood with his back to him, rummaging around in his closet, and dripping wet. A towel barely clung to his waist, and his hair was plastered to his head and neck, dyed black by the water. He found himself watching the water droplets intently as they ran a slow path down his brother's back.
Amiboshi turned around to look at him, a light blush creeping up his cheeks when he saw who it was. "I'll be done in a second...just let me get dressed."
Suboshi shook his head slightly, as if pulling himself from a trance. He nodded. "Okay." Suboshi's face turned bright red as Amiboshi disappeared behind the changing screen. //What was I thinking!?// He berated himself. He'd definitely been getting a little excited, he noted with embarrassment, watching Amiboshi walk around in nothing but a towel.
He quickly brushed it off as a side effect of the dreams he had been having recently. Suboshi had been suffering from some pretty intense sex dreams lately, but strangely enough, whenever he woke up, he could never seem to remember who the other person in the dream was. It was incredibly frustrating.
At that moment Amiboshi stepped out from behind the screen, fully clothed, much to Suboshi's relief. "Is the kitchen open yet?"
Suboshi nodded. "Yeah, wanna go get some breakfast?"
"Yeah." Suboshi started to go, when he noticed Amiboshi looking at him oddly. His head was tilted slightly, eyebrows furrowed as though he were trying to figure something out. Then he shook his head and smiled a little bit. "Lets go."
~~~~~~
Suboshi wandered the gardens aimlessly, alone, as Amiboshi had disappeared right after breakfast. They seemed to have come to an uneasy truce of sorts. They still walked on eggshells around each other, Amiboshi afraid of disturbing their fragile peace, and Suboshi afraid of hurting his brother. Amiboshi's confession had caused an upset in their relationship, an upset Suboshi hadn't a clue how to mend.
Turning the corner, Suboshi stumbled across a rather unusual scene. His brother sat cross legged on the grass, playing a light and happy tune on his flute. At his feet sat five children, sitting quietly and attentively, staring at Amiboshi in open adoration.
Suddenly one of the children, a boy with dark, messy hair, leaped up and snatched the flute out of Amiboshi's hands. His brother blinked at the child in surprise, then laughed when the boy tried unsuccessfully to play it. "And just what do you think you're doing?" he demanded, his voice filled with laughing anger.
"'M playin' the flute!" The boy said, before trying once more to play the instrument.
Amiboshi laughed and tackled the boy gently. "Gimme that back, you!" The rest of the children seemed to take this as a sign, and piled onto Amiboshi in a game of rough and tumble.
Suboshi watched as Amiboshi tossed and knocked the children about, always being careful not to hurt them. An affectionate smile tugging at his lips as saw the children dogpile Amiboshi, effectively burying him. A moment later his brother burst up from the pile, sending giggling children tumbling this way and that.
The play came to halt when a woman walked into the clearing. She smiled at them as she gathered her children up. Turning, she bowed to Amiboshi. "Thank you for watching them, Amiboshi-san."
He smiled brightly. "No problem! You know I love 'em." As she turned to usher her children off, Amiboshi reached out and snagged the dark haired boy, drawing him close. He leaned in close and whispered something to him.
The child gaped at him. "Really??" At Amiboshi's nod, his face lit up and he threw his small arms around the Seishi's neck. "Oh, thank you!" he cried, flashing Amiboshi a brilliant smile before running off after his family.
Suboshi walked over and sat down beside his brother. "I never realized you were so good with kids."
Grinning, Amiboshi shrugged. "I guess I am, I never really thought about it."
Suddenly the tension between them that had been present for the past few days vanished as if it had never been. At least for the moment. "What did you say to him?" Suboshi asked. "He seemed awfully happy."
Amiboshi chuckled. "That one's always swiping my flute and trying to play it. So I promised that next time I watched them, I'd teach him to play."
Suboshi smiled at his brother. "You have a heart of gold, you know that?"
Turning to look at his brother, Amiboshi's reply died on his lips. Their gazes locked and held, neither able to look away, neither really wanting to. Suboshi felt a strange prickling sensation along his skin, his heart pounding fast and loud in his ears. The world seemed to blur and phase out around around him, his vision became hazy.
The next thing he knew he was leaning forward, staring into his brother's widening eyes. He pressed his lips to Amiboshi's in a gentle, if somewhat inexperienced kiss. A thrill ran through him as he felt Amiboshi's lips part slightly and press against his. Becoming less gentle and more passionate, Suboshi deepened the kiss, sweeping his tongue inside Amiboshi's mouth. He was dimly aware of his brother's arms sliding around his waist as their tongues twined together in an erotic fight for dominance. Suboshi pulled back reluctantly, the need for air making itself known. Amiboshi stared up at him with half lidded eyes dark with passion, breath coming in panting gasps. They remained like that for a moment, staring into each other's eyes, until Suboshi's mind began to function once more.
A fierce blush on his face, Suboshi jerked back, stammering incoherently, Apparently Amiboshi had come to his senses as well, because his eyes were wide and he was beginning to bear a startling resemblance to a tomato. Suboshi jumped to his feet. "I...uh...didn't mean..um...sorry!" he squeaked, turning around and making a mad dash for the palace.
Amiboshi sat on the ground, staring forward with unseeing eyes, his
mind reeling in confusion. A hundred of thoughts and questions cluttered
his mind, but he was able only to focus on one. //Did he just....kiss me?//