It would've been lovely to share this with someone. Someone special.
But Tasuki, last time she saw him had dozed off drunk on the tea table.
Rei blushed. Why was the flame-haired bandit the first person to come to her mind when she had romantic notions? She couldn't possibly be attracted to that potty-mouthed, woman-hating, carrot top, could she?
It wasn't possible! The only reason he came to mind was because he was her companion for the past two days as they travelled to find Taiitsu-kun. She couldn't possibly be romantically inclinated to this bandit, could she? No way! She'd only known him for two days! Besides, he was too stubborn and foul-mouthed and short tempered.
But then he was sweet too...even if he vehemently denies it. He was caring, gentle and funny....
The fact that he was physically gifted didn't hurt either...
"Don't be kidding yourself Rei..." she spoke aloud, scolding herself. "He's out of your league...he's, he's a bandit for crying out loud...he's ornery and he curses like a sailor...and he doesn't even like you...he..."
"Who curses like a sailor?" a voice came from behind.
Rei almost jumped off the balcony from surprise, but kept her nerves and composure on check. Perspiration flooded her face in an instant when she turned about and saw the bearer of the slurry voice.
"Oh, hello Tasuki-san...." she barely got the words off her mouth. Rei summoned all her willpower to keep from turning red. By God how did he get here without her hearing him? "You're up..." she said.
Tasuki walked uneasily towards her, almost falling out of step, when Rei caught and assisted him. She leaned him against the banister of the balcony where he somewhat regained his footing.
"You're still up." he commented in his drunken voice. Rei could still smell the sake in his breath.
"I can't sleep." she reasoned.
He nodded. "Excited about going home I see..." he said. Rei merely mouthed an uh-uh as she turned away. There was a stillness in the air after that. Rei kept her eyes focused on the night sky, though she could see Tasuki's profile at the corner of it. His sight was nailed to the atmosphere above as well.
"Uhmmm...before I forget..." Rei spoke to break the absolute quiet, "I'd...like to thank you very much for showing me the way here, Tasuki-san. It was really nice of you..."
Tasuki snorted. "Don't thank your stars yet...you're still here...."
Rei smiled at him. "I'm already a step closer to home, and that's good enough for me. You were very helpful to me. Thanks."
"It's nothing..." he dismissed. "Just go home and keep out of my mirror...will ya?" he retorted. Another moment of silence occured. It was Tasuki who broke it. "But ya know somethin?"
"What?"
He muttered something incomprehendable under his breath and Rei turned her head closer to try to hear what he was saying. At that very instant, he lost his balance and fell forward, Rei catching him in her arms. He was too big and heavy for her and they slumped on the floor with Rei landing on her butt and Tasuki falling on her knees.
"I'll miss you..."
"Wha?"
But he had already passed out from drunkedness.
Rei felt the color all over her face as she watched the flamed-haired bandit doze on her kneecaps. He had been knocked out cold from all that sake he had taken in. But not before telling her something that set her heartbeat on an erratic rhythm.
"I'll miss you...." Rei repeated the word she heard come from his drunken lips. She pinched herself to convince herself she wasn't dreaming. Could it be....Did she hear him right? He may have been dazed, but she wasn't and she heard it clear and correct. But then...
She straightened her legs and his sleepy head fell comfortably atop them. Rei tried to crawl out from Genrou's pin of her but she couldn't get out. He was six feet and all muscle. All but crushing her petite frame. He slept peacefully on her lap. She sighed and leaned on the banister of the balcony, hoping that he'd move in his sleep and get off her in an instant. As she waited for him to move over, her eyes were again drawn to the stars above. If someone would see them, one would've thought they were lovers...
Lovers? Rei thought, smirking. Hardly likely. They've barely known each other, and every time they'd get into a conversation, it usually ended up in an argument. And yet...it wasn't thoroughly unthinkable, was it? She shook her head vigorously to rid herself of the romantic thought.
Her stare turned again towards her sleeping companion. He was sleeping like a baby. Rei couldn't resist the temptation so she reached out and touched his hair. Her fingers touched the aberrant strands very lightly. His flaming mane was soft to the touch, light and feathery. Silken. She flinched away when he moved and turned about to lay comfortably across her lap. He was still deep and slumber and obviously had not felt her touching his red strands.
"I'll miss you too...you silly carrot top..." she said softly.
Rei leaned back and took the midnight view in perspective. Still she waited for him to move his heavy frame away from her. She closed her eyes, savoring the coolness of the night, breathing in the crisp air of the breeze. Before she had known it, she had also fallen asleep.
"Any more of your *&^%$ and I'll wipe that smile off your mask." snarled Tasuki. Chichiri, early riser that he was, had witnessed the scene at the balcony from the previous night and had begun teasing both involved parties to no end. He went about taunting the two of them despite their severe denials.
"Let's go." Taiitsu-kun announced, gathering the two Suzaku seishi. Rei followed close behind.
Tasuki's jaw dropped when he saw the raven-haired senshi. She had come here dressed in Tasuki's clothing but she was now dressed differently. Taiitsu-kun's servants had given her a pretty dress to wear. It was high-necked and short-sleeved. The fabric was of red silk with intricate gold patterns on it. The skirt extended all the way to her ankles but had a slit up to her knee. Her feet were protected by red-strapped sandals and her hair fell like a black cascade on her back. And despite himself, Tasuki could not help but admire her.
"You look absolutely radiant, Rei-san, no da!" Chichiri echoed Tasuki's thoughts as he approached the fire senshi and kissed her hand.
"Arigatou gozaimase." Rei smiled. "You flatter me too much, Chichiri-san." and the two laughed simultaneously.
"Come on, we haven't got all day." Taiitsu-kun informed them. Chichiri threw his hat in the air and the four of them were transported immediately to Mt. Reikaku.
Rei chose that instant to look at Tasuki, causing him to turn red. She giggled as he blushed like a redbeet and scratched his head. Tasuki quickly looked away. She musn't know...she couldn't know...shimatta...why the hell am I acting this way? He wished at that moment he could stop his cheeks from flushing but he can't help it. For some silly reason he felta little flutter in his stomach when he looked at her, when his eyes would meet hers. It began the moment he first saw her change into that strange outfit of hers and dare challenge him and his legion of bandits.
Genrou no Hentai! he could almost hear Koji taunting him. He knows his friend is going to tease him to no end if he finds out how the mighty Genrou turns red at the sight of the girl from the other world. His thoughts were immediately put to a halt when Taiitsu-kun began to talk.
"It's not as difficult as I thought." the old woman spoke up. "We can send her back to her world the way we had sent Suzaku no Miko." She gathered all three of them around the mirror. "All we have to do is concentrate our thoughts to sending her back where she once was."
Rei stood in the middle as she was surrounded by the three of them. She took a glance at the flame-haired bandit and their gazes locked for an instant before he withdrew. Rei was about to open her mouth to speak, but held her tongue back at the last instant.
I wonder if he remembered what he said last night, she thought. She wanted to ask him, but modesty preempted that deed. He probably doesn't even remember, as he was dead-drunk. Rei suddenly realized that that might have been it. He was just drunk. And every other human being knows that drunks tend to mouth off words they don't always mean nor understand. They tend to do or say things they forget they did. She then felt her heart go flat at that realization. He didn't mean it. He wasn't going to miss her. He probably even was happy to get rid of her. Was that why he didn't want to look at her in the eye?
"Now, we begin." Taiitsu-kun announced. And with that, all four of them closed their eyes. Rei shut her eyes tight, trying to rid the vision of Genrou she was seeing in her mind. But it was difficult not to think of him. Taiitsu-kun told her the night before that this trip may be one-way. That once she left she would never be able to return. That meant not seeing the silly redheaded bandit again. And she knew, right then and there that she was going to miss him. She had only known him for a couple of days, and deep inside, she wanted to know him better. Perhaps talk to him about his past or his future or whatever he wants to talk about. Sure they had arguments now and then, but she knew that beyond that, maybe there was *something* they could discuss. Wasn't there?
No, no, no. It's not right, her alter ego told her. Tasuki is out of your league. He belongs to this world and you to another. It just won't work. You have other things to attend to...Hikawa Jinja, Grandfather, your dreams, your friends. There was so much to go back to in Tokyo. There's nothing for you in Mt. Reikaku. Nothing.
Tasuki-kun....
I'm going to miss you...
I hope I see you again someday....
Goodbye...
"Stop!"
Taiitsu-kun screamed suddenly, causing the rest of them to open their eyes in a flash. The three of them stared bewilderedly at the old woman. "I can't send you home." she told Rei. "Not like this."
"Why so, Taiitsu-kun?" a look of worry crossed her face. She can't go home?
The old enchantress' eyes shifted sideways towards Tasuki. "There's someone holding you back. Someone who doesn't want you to leave."
"Well what the hell are you looking at me for?" Tasuki screamed. "I didn't do anything!"
Taiitsu-kun snorted. Chichiri snickered. Rei stood there and stared at Genrou with a questioning look on her face. The little woman motioned to Genrou with her finger. "Come here, young man." she pulled off the Mt. Reikaku bandit aside and spoke to him behind a dressing panel. Rei and Chichiri were left in the middle of the bedroom.
"But it wasn't him..." Rei almost told Taiitsu-kun. It wasn't Tasuki who was holding back. It was her. It was she who was reluctant to go back to Hikawa Jinja this soon. Much as she wanted to return home, a part of her wished to stay longer at Mt. Reikaku, to be able to know Tasuki better, if not anything else. It was her who didn't want to leave, unless....
Tasuki felt the same way?
"I can't send her back to her world if you keep giving out opposing signals!" the little woman scolded Genrou.
"I am NOT sending out negative thoughts! Why the hell are you pointing your finger at me?" Tasuki retorted.
"Don't get smart with me, you redhead! I know this spell very well. And all the reluctant forces are coming from you." Taiitsu-kun concluded. "But then, I do detect a negative factor from Rei-san as well..." she said otherwise. She raised a brow at the Mt. Reikaku bandit. "You don't want her to go, do you?"
Tasuki averted his gaze. "None of your business."
"I make it my business." Taiitsu-kun stressed. She tapped her foot impatiently, "Well you're getting your wish, anyway. The planets have misaligned thanks to your opposing output and I can't send her back at least until this evening. Hrrrmph!" she walked away. "I'm coming back tonight, midnight. And this time," she waved her finger at Tasuki. "No more holding back, or else she'll be stuck here for eternity, clear?"
Tasuki didn't answer.
Rei's heart didn't deflate at Taiitsu-kun's news. In all truth, she had felt a little flutter of excitement. She gets an extended lease on her stay at Mt. Reikaku, and she wanted to take this time to get to know more about Tasuki...if he'd let her that is. She thanked the old woman anyway and promised to be here in time. The old woman left with Chichiri in tow.
"No da, what for?" Chichiri asked the aged enchantress.
Taiitsu-kun winked conspiratorily at the scarred monk. "Don't tell me you didn't know?"
Chichiri nodded. "No, da! Of course I know, no da!"
"Actually I can send her back anytime." she said as they began passing through the portals. "I just want to give them a little time to...errr....enjoy each other's company." she sighed, her eyes turning dreamy, "And I thought there was never going to be a sequel to the Tamahome-Miaka romance."
Chichiri sweatdropped, "No da, Taiitsu-kun. I never thought someone like you would be a hopeless romantic, na da!"
"And what do you mean by that?" the old woman's stare shot darts at Chichiri who just turned chibi and ran away from the old hag's wrath.
Rei and Tasuki stood in the middle of the latter's bedroom, not knowing quite what to say. It was so still a pindrop could be heard. Rei was twiddling her fingers while Tasuki was whistling to himself.
"I..."
They spoke simultaneously. They then piped down again. After another deafeningly quiet moment, Tasuki spoke up.
"Gomen ne." he said, scratching his head. "I wasn't paying attention very well. You're probably angry you couldn't go home."
Rei smiled reassuringly. "That's alright. Taiitsu-kun told me I can come home tonight. I don't mind..." and I hope you don't either, she added inwardly.
"You errr....want a tour of Mt. Reikaku?" he offered.
"Uhm, okay."
There wasn't much to look at the bandit stronghold, but Tasuki couldn't think of anything else to show Shinto no Miko. He took her around the storehouses, the little houses, the stable. He introduced her to the bandits they passed by to whom Rei smiled in return. Not a few threw compliments at her and when she walked away, glances of admiration followed her.
"She's so beautiful..." Fumaru drooled as he scrubbed at his horse, who had frighteningly found his way back home.
"Genrou-sama is one lucky bastard...I wishI had a girlfriend like that...." another one nosebled dreamily.
Koji felt happy seeing Tasuki this way. He knew his friend well enough to understand how he felt towards the foreign girl. He never said anything but the expression on his face was more kiss-and-tell than anything. Koji hadn't seen this kind of emotion on Gen-chan's face for a long while. He was finally showing signs of attraction towards the oppsoite sex. For the second time around.
Rei and Genrou arrived at an open field not too far away. It was a downhill path with a small lake in the center of everything. The rest of the field was covered with green grass and a field of wild flowers. The sun shone brightly and the breeze blew gently. The view was so breathtaking, Rei had to trudge down there. She ran happily towards the lake sprinting and leaving Genrou behind atop the hill.
"Oi! Wait up!" Tasuki called. He followed her in a stride as she stopped by the lake. He paused a few feet away from her. Rei had picked a couple of white blossoms and inhaled their fragrance. Tasuki sighed. She looked beautiful with the sun's rays dancing on her hair, the gentle wind blowing through the strands of her ebony locks. Her cheeks glowed pink with health and the smile on her face took his breath away.
She looked like a goddess.
"I think this looks good on you." Rei giggled as she plucked off one of the flowers and put in in Genrou's red hair. She laughed heartily as he smirked annoyingly at the white blossom in his mane. He took it off and looked at it. A bug that was resting on the petal apparently got disturbed and flew on Genrou's nose.
"Ha ha ha...that's so kawaii..." Rei laughed as Tasuki tried to brush off the stubborn bug. He cursed at it as it whizzed about his face. By the time he had driven it away, Rei was sitting near the bank of the clear blue lake. She dipped her hand in the water, enjoying the feeling of coldness on her hands.
"It must be nice to have a swim here." she commented. "The water is so refreshing. You swim here often?" she turned towards Tasuki who surprisingly was looking rather pale.
"Hell, no." Tasuki replied defensively. It took a while before he got the words out. "I...can't swim."
"Oh..." Rei said, realizing. "Gomen about that..." she turned back towards the lake. "Too bad..."
"Do you want to?" Genrou said tentatively.
"What?"
"Go for a swim."
"No thanks." she smiled at him, causing his heart to do a backflip in his chest. "I don't have a swimsuit for one thing...and...well, it isn't exactly fun swimming alone you know?" she shifted her eyes to the clear waters, "Back at home I go swimming with my friends...Usagi, Ami, Makoto and Minako. We'd go for a picnic by the beach and have fun all day." she reminisced.
Tasuki took a seat on the bank beside her and folded his arms across his knees. "You miss your home, ne?" he commented. "You're unhappy with me ruining the spell to send you back?"
"No." she answered truthfully. "Of course I would like to go back. My Grandfather must be worried off his head. But I don't blame you for anything." she shrugged. "As Taiitsu-kun said, she can still send me back tonight. I just think of it as an extended vacation. I kind of like it here."
"You do?" Tasuki chose that moment to look at her. Rei's purple eyes met golden ones. They held that gaze for a brief moment before Rei broke it off.
"Nothing beats home of course." she emphasized. "Don't you miss yours?"
"Mt. Reikaku is my home." he emphasized. "And the Mt. Reikaku bandits are my family."
She thought she saw a tinge of loneliness in his eyes. Tasuki had lived under the rule of six domineering females. His father wasn't much of a father figure. In a way she kind of understood him. Though she had never been dominated by anoyone, her father didn't quite live up to his title either.
"Ever plan of having one?" Rei asked. "A family, I mean."
He was slightly taken aback by her question. He never really put much of a thought into that part of his future. Heck, he hardly remembered a time he ever thought of having one in the first place.
"Maybe." was all he could muster.
"Do...you have...uhmmm...someone waiting for you?" she was almost afraid to ask this question, afraid that he may give her an answer that would dampen her spirit.
A lopsided grin registered on his lips, "Whatever the hell gave you that &^%$#* idea?" he burst out laughing. Rei was glaring at him but he didn't seem to notice. By the time he stopped his eyes were filled with tears. "I can't stand women. Much less have a relationship with one..."
His reply burst her bubble anyway. "I can't imagine you having kids by yourself. Unless you're a hermaphrodite or something..." she rolled her eyes heavenward.
"A what?"
"A hermaphrodite..."
"What the freakin hell is a hermaphrodite?"
"A hermaphrodite is a being with two, err...organs of reproduction...both for male and female. That's why it can produce children without needing a partner." she explained.
"F&*^% helll....that's &^%$* gross!!!" he exclaimed. "Ugh...I'd rather be dead than be a freak like that."
"Which is why there aren't humans that are normally like that." she said. "It's a little too complicated." she shrugged. The expression of horror on Genrou's face made her giggle, and before she could control it, she burst out laughing. "You should see the look on your face...ha ha ha...you're so, so...petrified..."
Tasuki was aghast at first, and a little later irked. But her laughter had been infectious and soon enough he had found himself joining her. They had laughed so hard that when it all piped down they both had tears in their eyes.
"Oi, don't cry..." Tasuki reached out to wipe a tear that had fallen on Rei's cheek, drying it with his thumb. "It doesn't suit you." he spoke, then wiping his own tears with the back of his hand.
"Really now?" Rei self-consciously rubbed her eyes of the tears of laughter.
"You look better with a smile on your face." he said simply. Her cheeks turned crimson at his comment and she self-consciously turned her head away.
The atmosphere turned quiet again, with just the blowing of the wind to disturb it.
He's so sweet, Rei thought as she turned to look at Tasuki when the redness of her face abated. How can I resist such a wonderful guy? He's so different from the other guys I know. "But you like kids, ne?" she resumed the initial topic of their conversation.
Tasuki shrugged. "Not exactly..."
"But you like Ryobe-chan?"
A smile formed on Tasuki's mouth. "He's a kawaii little boy...and he's nice, unlike some raucous kids I know..."
She didn't miss that tender look that crossed his face when he made mention of Kouji's little boy. "It all depends on how one is raised, I guess...if a child is reared by a good set of parents, then he'll grow up all fine." she flashed a warm smile at him. "I'm pretty sure you'll made a great father, Tasuki-san."
He turned tomato-red at her comment. "Eerr...arigatou..." he stammered, scratching his red mane. "I..think you'll be a good mother too...Rei-chan...ehehe..."
"What did you call me?" Rei said slowly, her brows raising. It wasn't a demand, but a gentle question.
Rei-chan, he had said. But for some reason he couldn't repeat what his subconscious had mindlessly uttered. Instead he merely looked at the raven-haired senshi. And she looked back at him. Normally, he would've averted his eyes elsewhere. Not now. Genrou held on to it this time, looking through the violet depths of her eyes. Inside his head there seemed to be a thousand words he wanted to say but right now he can't seem to find the tongue for them.
"Tasuki-san..."
KA-BLAAAMMM!!!
Rei found herself getting tackled to the ground by Tasuki when the explosion set off. He laid protectively above her as more explosions rung in the air.
"What was that?" Rei squirmed out of Genrou's hold on her and tried to stand up. The air was clouded by black smoke. She was about to run towards it source when Tasuki held her back.
"Don't be *&^%$% stupid!" he scolded as he held her by the shoulders. "Keep down." he ordered. There were a couple more loud exploding sounds followed by screams of chaos. All of which came from the Mt. Reikaku stronghold. Tasuki quickly flung a bewildered Rei on his shoulder and dashed for the nearest tree.
"What's going on?" she wondered, only to have her mouth covered by Tasuki's hand. They were concealed by a large tree and a myriad of bushes. The Mt. Reikaku bandit hushed Rei and peered over to his shoulder to see what's happening. He moved carefully to a spot where he could better see. He restrained himself from reacting at the sight he beheld and quietly returned to his post next to Shinto no Miko.
"What's wrong?" she said in a voice merely above a whisper. The expression on Genrou's face made her uneasy.
"Mt. Reikaku is under attack." he declared stiffly. "By Enki."