Shunkaku let his brother lead the way to the small hovel that the two shared. To describe it, picture a small room, just a normal room, place a pair of tiny beds there and a table. That's about what this place looked like, tiny and cramped, but in the city, it was pretty good, much better than having to sleep out on the streets. Inside, it was fairly clean, well, clean to the degree that it was at least tidy and there was nothing lying around. Nonetheless however, there was a good amount of dust that heavily laced most items and the floor, despite being swept seemed to keep a lot of dirt on it, it accumulated it and wouldn't let it get cleaned. But, it was dry and the only real pest were a few insects that would come around looking for a place to rest or something, no real mouse or rodent problem existed for the two.
The hovel, or rather cramped living quarters that the twins had acquired was behind a tavern, near some other city housing projects. There were no trees, just barren cement, gravel and stone buildings with thatch or wood-based roofs. Plant life was scarce in these parts. To even try and grow something like that would be in vain since no real plant life would thrive. In order for that to happen, the place would have to be near the outskirts of the capital near some open land, which hopefully hadn't yet been cleansed by Kutou's army by the order of the emperor.
Yui walked next to the twins as they entered the small hovel. She entered slowly, looking around her. 'They...live here?! But its so small...how can two young men live in such a small place?!' She felt her heart constrict at the thought. If they had to live in a place like this, what difficulties did they have making a living? 'Of course...Shunkaku mentioned stealing a purse...' Yui bit her lip, to keep herself from saying anything. It was sad, to think that these two had to steal just to survive.
Koutoku followed behind Yui and his brother. Going to an oil lamp, he lit it, allowing a bright, cheery light to fill the room. Placing the lamp on the table, he smiled. "It's not much, but it's ours, right Shun-chan?"
Shunkaku nodded affirmatively. "Hai, Aniki." Sitting down after indicating for Yui to take a seat, he quipped, "at least it's a place to stay, it's better than having to fend off the elements." He sat down on one of the other chairs.
"It's...nice. Cozy." Yui replied, taking the seat Shunkaku indicated.
The wick of the oil-based lantern flickered in the otherwise dim room, casting shadows over the width of the room, giving it a less than quaint homely feel to it. Contrary, it didn't bother either of the twins, since they were completely adapted to this. Gazing over at Yui, who was partially shaded, Shunkaku noted a change in her features. The shadows over her face made her look almost older, transforming her from being merely a really adorable young woman to being almost something of a mystical maiden with a unique beauty that surpassed the rest. He sighed, keeping his eyes on her. They didn't drink in anything perverse, just what she appeared to be on the surface.
'Is it my imagination, or does she for some reason look a hell of a lot more adorable in this light?! No.' He chastised himself. 'I shouldn't be thinking about her like that, after all, she's the miko, or at least is destined to be, so I can't be thinking about her like this, I need to respect her as a person. But I will admit, she is gorgeous...but, no other thoughts should plague my mind other than what kind of person she is...'
Yui sighed. She didn't really noticed Shunkaku staring at her. She was lost in her own thoughts. She was worried about Miaka. 'Where could she be? Is she back in our world, safe? Or is she still here? I have to find her!'
Gazing off into space, she never noticed how late it was. The light outside had gradually given way to darkness.
Koutoku, sitting in his chair across from Yui and Shunkaku, took out his flute. He always played right before going to bed. It helped to calm his overactive brother.
Placing the delicate reed instrument to his lips, he closed his eyes and began to play a sweet lullaby. The same song he used to play for his brother when they were very small.
Coming up to the surface from his ocean of thoughts, Shunkaku glanced over in his brother's direction. "Aniki," he muttered incoherently under his breath, as his body soulfully drank in the soothing melodic music that emitted from his brother's flute. Sighing calmly, he sat back in his chair, feeling just a bit of the heat jumping from the lantern.
This particular piece, despite being serene and tranquil, Shunkaku always found it to be the saddest of his brother's music. He swallowed in an unconscious reflexive action. 'Of all his songs, this is his most depressing, but yet, the most beautiful.'
He had subtly turned his blue-grey eyes from Yui when his brother had begun to play and they remained as such.
Koutoku continued to play the sweet, but sad music. It too, reminded him of things he wished he could forget. That was when a wicked little idea came to his mind. He was quite aware of his brother's growing infatuation with Yui-san.
Deciding to help his brother along, he changed the tempo of the song. Taking a deep breath, he started to play the strands of a popular dance number. It was quite popular among the young people at various dances during the year. It was lively and upbeat, yet didn't assault the eardrums like so many others did. Hopefully, his brother would get the idea. While playing, he gave his brother a look. It clearly stated, 'Ask her to dance!'
Picking up that certain pointed look that came his way, Shunkaku immediately cast his eyes on the other direction. He knew all too well what his brother was doing. This made him all the more nervous. Sure he really liked Yui, but he was still nervous, fearing that he might encounter rejection from her if he made too many advances on her in one day.
He bit his lip pensively. 'I know my brother's trying to help me, but shit, I'm only getting twice as nervous, it's doing nothing for me. I...I couldn't ask her to, I'm scared shitless. I don't know if she would or not...' He slowly brought his eyes over to hers, which were seemingly drawn automatically to his.
Yui was a bit surprised at Koutoku's sudden change in music. She had been enjoying the soothing sounds of the previous song.
'Even though I've never heard this before...it sounds fun!' She noticed that Shunkaku was watching her. She turned her face towards him. Immediately, her eyes met his. She swallowed. It was suddenly getting awfully hot in here.
Noticing that the music just kept getting livelier, she decided to go for it. 'What the hell...'
"This music is just so...exciting! I've never heard anything like it before!" She smiled at Shunkaku. "It's for dancing, right? Do...do you think you could teach me?"
'Damn, is it my damned imagination again, or is it really getting hot in here?' Shunkaku wandered, feeling a rising heating sensation in his back and neck. He gulped. He hadn't expected her to even ask him. 'Man, are all the girls from the other world this aggressive? I don't know if I could handle another one!'
His throat went dry for a minute. 'Oh man! I don't know how much longer I can act nice with her. My brother's trying to move this too fast and to make things even more complicated, she's not like the ones from here! Eeep!'
Holding out his hand to her, he finally replied. "H-hai, Yui-san. I'll be happy to teach you." He quickly added to himself for his own benefit. 'If I can remember how...'
Yui blinked. She hadn't actually thought he'd go for it. 'Okay, Yui...you're the one who opened your big mouth in the first place!'
Smiling sweetly, she took his hand and stood up. She hadn't really noticed before, just how strong his hand was. She swallowed. 'Oh man...what have I gotten myself into?!'
With her hand in his, Shunkaku took a minute to savour the feel of her touch against his. Her skin felt warm and soft against his. 'Crap. I hope she has some idea on how to dance because I'm totally clueless. But then again, it's a chance to be near her, get to know her better before she becomes deeply involved with her duties as Miko. This may be my only chance, I should make the most of it. If I don't, I might not have another chance to be alone with her, or even have personal time with her.'
He inhaled before doing anything. His stomach felt tight and cramped suddenly. 'Yep, I'm as nervous as hell, let's just hope she doesn't really notice it.'
Just standing in place for a minute, with her hand in his, gave Shunkaku to think for a minute before making the first step. 'Maybe one of the more traditional ones...'
Taking her close in, he decided to wing it, praying that he wouldn't trip over his own two feet in the process.
Yui blinked up at Shunkaku. She felt...strange all of a sudden. She had been to dances before, with Miaka. Miaka, mainly because of the food. Yui had danced with a couple guys before, but it was never very enjoyable.
This however, was. She swallowed reflexively. Allowing Shunkaku to pull her closer, she put her arm around his neck. She looked up into his eyes. She never noticed just how a deep blue-grey his eyes were. Like a stormy sea.
"I'm ready."
Shunkaku inhaled thoughtfully. "Okay, I might as well tell you, I don't know a damn thing about this...I'm just going to try and wing it..." He blushed sheepishly. 'Okay, have I just put my foot in my mouth as usual?!'
Yui grinned. "That's okay. I'm not very good either."
Shunkaku exhaled in relief. "Good, so if I trip over my own feet, you won't mind?!"
Yui snickered. "No...just try not trip over mine!"
"Don't worry, I wouldn't dare."
Yui grinned. "Okay. Then let's go!"
Leading his lovely lady in an attempt at one of the traditional dances, Shunkaku completely winged it, with the exception of a few steps he remembered. The rest was all based purely on improvisation. He didn't mind, plus Yui made a good dance partner. 'Maybe I should have tried to actually participate when Aniki dragged me to those damned dances out in the market place, it's not as boring as it seems, well, it's boring when you've got no one to swing with to the music.'
Neither he nor she had noticed but once the music caught up with them, it blanketed them, embracing the pair. They hadn't noticed the dimming of the lantern, the fading of the flickering wick.
Koutoku allowed the lively music to take him as well as the young couple. He was aware, however lightly, of the fact it was getting very late. Opening his eyes, he noticed the lantern about to go out.
He stopped playing at that point. He shook his head. 'Where did the time go?!' Looking up, he noticed the two were still dancing. He smirked.
"Ahem. I hate to break this up, but we need to get some rest. Dawn comes early."
Both Shunkaku and Yui looked up, startled. He blinked, finally noticing that Koutoku firstly had stopped playing and secondly the dimming of the light. Looking at Yui, the two blushed slightly.
'I can't believe I didn't notice anything except her...' Shunkaku mused. He still stood next to her, very closely. Taking her hand, he encased it in his. 'Her eyes, I never notice that they were this beautiful.' He sighed contently. He then found himself, asking himself, 'should I kiss her or not...I mean...I don't want to scare her or anything...'
Koutoku shook his head. 'I got nobody to blame but myself. I was the one to push them together. Kuso! I ain't gonna get any sleep tonight! He'll be talking about her all night now! Che!' Getting up, he took the lantern with him. He went outside to dispose of the oil and put some fresh in.
Yui was a bit startled when Shunkaku had moved a little away. She finally realized that the music had stopped. She hadn't even noticed it playing, she was so caught up in her partner's eyes.
When Koutoku left, they were plunged into almost total darkness. She swallowed. "Th...Thank you, Shunkaku. I had a wonderful time..." She swallowed again. Would he kiss her? Part of her wished he would. But another part of her was a bit scared at the prospect.
'God, she's even more beautiful under just the light of the moon.' Shunkaku thought, brushing back hair from her face and resting a hand on her cheek, still wondering if he should or shouldn't kiss her. Deciding to go for it, he inhaled anxiously. Placing his free hand behind her back, he drew her in close, pressing his lips against hers, hoping that she wouldn't hate him for it.
Yui closed her eyes when she felt Shunkaku's lips touch hers. She was a bit frightened at first. But he was nothing like those thugs in the alley. He was so sweet and kind to her.
When his lips met hers, she practically melted. It felt...wonderful. Like nothing she'd ever experienced before. Part of her said, stop, this isn't right. Ignoring that part of her brain, she put her arms around his neck and pressed her lips against his in return.
'WOOHOO!!' Was Shunkaku's only thought when he got the response from Yui. He silently sighed in utter contentment. 'Excellent! I didn't think that she would!' He felt the quickening of his pulse. He couldn't hear anything else, just the pure silence of the moment. He couldn't feel anything else, except her body fitting in against his. Even the aroma of her perfume, or rather soap that she used to wash was the only thing that invaded his nasal senses.
'I wish I could stay like this forever with her...'
Koutoku sighed. He finished cleaning and re-lighting the lantern. Stepping back inside, he almost dropped the lantern in shock. 'Man...that boy works fast! Kuso!' "Ahem. I hope I'm not interrupting you two or anything...."
Shunkaku, embarrassed pulled away from Yui suddenly.
Yui looked up at Koutoku's entrance. She stepped away from Shunkaku, blushing furiously. 'What's gotten into me?! I just met this guy and I'm lip locking him!' Swallowing, she tried to smile at Koutoku. "Is everything okay?"
Koutoku smirked. "Hai, Yui-san. Everything is fine. I think we should all get ready for bed. It's late and we have to get up early tomorrow. Shun-chan and I have some work to do before we can take you to the Palace." He indicated the two beds. "You can take the one by the window. Shun and I will share the other one." He eyed his brother, making sure he knew he wasn't going to tolerate any arguments.
Shunkaku nodded and moved a bit away from Yui. Unconsciously he brought his hand to touch his lips. Shaking his head, he tried to clear it. He turned to Koutoku. "What do we need to do, Aniki?"
Koutoku shook his head. "We forget work so easily...Remember? We promised to help Zhao-san unload his new shipment. We have to be there at dawn."
Shunkaku groaned. "Ugh, fine."
Koutoku shook his head. "You're forgetting, we promised him over a week ago we'd help. We can't go back on our word, Shun."
"I know, I know, Aniki. We won't, I just hate the thought that it's in the morning and not during the day." Shunkaku admitted. "But if we got to, we've got to."
"Good."
Yui grinned. "Oh...uhm...if you guys are going to work, then, maybe I should just go to the palace by myself. I don't want to interrupt you from anything you have to do..."
Shunkaku paled slightly. "Yui-san! That's not going to happen! I'm not going to let you! Didn't I tell you earlier that it's not a particularly good idea to be alone here in the city, even if you are in a crowd?!"
"H...Hai...But...I don't want to impose on you..."
Koutoku shook his head. "It's no bother, Yui-san. Shun's right. The city is no place for a young girl alone. It won't take us long. If you want, you can come with us. That way, we can leave as soon as Shun and I are done."
Yui nodded her reply.
"Yui-san, please, it's okay if you come with us. Zhao-san's wife might have breakfast made at that time, maybe you can stay with her until Aniki and I are done helping." Shunkaku suggested.
"Okay. That sounds nice. Only if I won't be an imposition..."
Koutoku sighed. "Of course not, Yui-san! It's no problem! Zhao-san's wife always has breakfast ready for the workers. It won't be a problem."
Shunkaku sighed contently at the thought of Zhao-san's wife's homemade breakfast. "Ah man, she makes the best breakfast around..."
"Bu Shunkaku! Get a hold of yourself! I won't have you making an idiot of yourself again! Keep the drool content to a minimum this time!" Koutoku snapped.
Shunkaku crossed his arms and glared indignantly at his brother. "It's not my fault she makes such great food! And no, I don't drool, so there! Hmph!"
Yui hid a smile under her hand. This was cute.
"Oh yes you do! The last time we were there, I had to put a bucket under your chin so you wouldn't flood the place!"
"Aniki, that's a lie and you know it!"
"Well...an exaggeration. But not by much! So tone it down!"
"I'm not that bad!"
Koutoku eyebrow went to his hairline. "Oh no?"
Yui snickered. This was just so cute!
Shunkaku placed his hands on his hips. "Well, I'm not! And it's not my fault I eat so much, so there. Hmph."
Koutoku rolled his eyes.
Shunkaku ignore his brother and turned to Yui. "Make yourself comfortable on the bed by the window. Don't worry, despite how much of a hovel this is, there aren't any rodents, it's tolerable!" He smiled sincerely at her.
Nodding, Yui stretched back, heading for the rather small bed over where Shunkaku had indicated. Upon seeing just how insignificant the size of this thing was, she wondered how the pair would be able to even share one between the two of them.
Koutoku nodded, turning to the other bed. He mildly sweat-dropped. 'Oi...how are we gonna fit on that thing?!'
Shunkaku also mildly sweat-dropped. 'Damn, these beds were barely big enough for one, how the hell are the two of us going to share one?!' He looked up at his brother and shrugged helplessly.
Koutoku grinned ruefully. "Uh...you first."
Eyeing the bed, Shunkaku sighed in resignation.
'Looks like I'm not going to be sleeping at all tonight. Let's just hope that the emperor is nice and let's the Seishi stay at the imperial court them hopefully I'll be able to catch some shut eye.' He thought in desperate hope, lying down and trying to leave a good half of the puny bed surface for his brother to lie on.
Koutoku sighed. He bent down and lies next to his brother. He scooted over, so he was almost off the bunk. He grinned at his brother. "See? Not so bad..."
Shunkaku groaned and rolled his eyes. "I can't even get comfortable." He whined.
"So? And you think I can?!"
"I'm not saying you can."
"Good."
"Hmph."
"I want to but I can't, because you're spilling over on to my half of the bed Aniki!" Shunkaku whined, jabbing an elbow against his brother's ribs. "I'm being shoved into a tight crevice here and it's making sleep impossible!!" He whined. Pouting, he tried to push Koutoku over ever so slightly.
Koutoku glared. He pushed his brother back over to his side. "Shut up! I ain't hoggin' the bed!" He smacked his brother on the nose. "Now shut up and go to sleep!"
"WAH! Don't hit me! I ain't done nothing! Quit abusing me! I don't deserve it, Aniki! I thought you cared about me!!!!" Shunkaku whined and cried, rubbing his poor pain-filled nose that his brother had smacked.
Koutoku sighed in resignation. "I'm sorry. I'm tired and we have to get up early. Can we please go to sleep now?"
"Only if you quit hogging my side of the bed." Shunkaku retorted with a tone of indignation.
"I'm not hogging your side of the bed!"
"Good." Shunkaku replied succinctly, shifting his position so he could try and sleep, despite the very cramped conditions that he was shoved into for this night's sleep. 'I wish I could be in my bed, it would have been nice.'
Shortly a while thereafter, he managed to find the right groove to sink into and at least get a restless sleep. That was better than nothing at all at this particular point in time was.
Yui lay quietly in her bed, staring up at the sky through the window. She watched the stars for a long time. The twins had finally fallen asleep. She had smiled at there banter. It reminded her of herself and Miaka.
At the thought of her friend, she frowned. She needed to find her. She could be in trouble. Knowing Miaka, she would be!
'I hope she's safe..' was her last thought before sleep claimed her.
The city that was once engulfed in the seemingly eternal embrace of the night, slowly was released into the warming dawn of morning as the sun rolled up over the eastern horizon. Lighting up the city, it chasing away the pests that lurked in the night back to their hidey-holes, made the streets just a little safer to walk and brought life back to the sleeping city. Venders slowly began to set-up for another day's business. The empty lanes of the market place soon filled with many people, all dressed for another day.
In the back door hovel that the twins shared, a lame-duck Shunkaku groaned. He was partially trapped under Koutoku, who in turn was trapped under his brother.
'Great, no wonder I feel like I didn't get any sleep last night, I didn't get any room to myself. I feel like hell. I bet ten to one that Aniki's not going to be feeling the greatest either. I mean, if I didn't get any sleep, well scratch that. I mean, if I didn't sleep very much the odds are he didn't sleep much either.' Shunkaku reasoned, hearing his brother groan.
Koutoku groaned loudly. He felt like shit. He opened his eyes and stared at his brother. For a moment, he had no idea who his brother was. That was how screwed up his mind was. Shaking his head, he groaned again. "Remind me to have us get bigger beds..."
"No, better yet, not to share a bed again," Shunkaku suggested. He sat up, feeling stiffness consume his body and muscles.
"Agreed."
Yui slowly awoke from a sound sleep. She stretched luxuriously. She felt great! She blinked, placing her hand over her eyes to block out the bright sun. She looked up, noticing the twins up. "Good morning, boys! Isn't it a lovely day?!"
Shunkaku looked up. "Kill me."
"Not unless she kills me first!"
Yui blinked. She looked from brother to brother. "Was it something I said?"
Shunkaku nodded vigorously. "Yes, you're too perky! Sure you got a good night's sleep. Meanwhile, we're cramped over on the other bed, I don't think I'll ever be the same." He finished sadly with a long drawn out sigh.
Yui looked up, sadness creeping into her visage. "Oh, Shunkaku! Koutoku! Gomen nasai!!! I never wanted you two to be uncomfortable!"
Shunkaku held up his hands. "Hey, hey, Yui-san, it's okay! We didn't think our beds were that small, right, Aniki?!"
"Of course not! It wasn't your fault, Yui-san!" Koutoku exclaimed.
Yui sniffed. "Are you sure?"
Taking a hand to Yui's face and gingerly stroking her cheek, Shunkaku nodded. "Hai. It wasn't your fault at all."
Yui smiled. She placed her hand over Shunkaku's. "Thank you."
Koutoku rolled his eyes. It was even worse in the daytime than it was at night.
Gazing intently into her cyan blue eyes, Shunkaku found himself getting lost in the intoxicating, seductive depths that they reached. He didn't mind being lost in them because he knew he would find something eventually.
'Her eyes, they're so beautiful, limpid pools of water that are infinite in their depths. I could gaze into hers all day...'
Yui gazed up at Shunkaku, his eyes wide as hers. She didn't think that she had ever seen eyes so blue...they really were like the ocean...that deep blue. They were stormy and wild, just like Shunkaku himself.
Yui swallowed. Reaching out, she moved a stray lock of his blonde hair out of his eyes. His hair was so silky. Like satin. She wondered what it would be like to run her fingers through it.
Koutoku groaned. 'Not again...Oi.'
Her touch against his face, pure heaven. Shunkaku sighed contently, he enjoyed just having the gentle breeze-like brush of her touch over his flesh. 'She's got the hands of a goddess, such smooth, soft skin, so delicate. They contrast her eyes so beautifully. She's a walking melody. Her eyes, mysterious, so gorgeous, enticingly seductive.'
He moved his hand from her cheek slowly, gently caressing her skin, till he reached the back of her head. 'Her hair, woven satin. She is truly a unique beauty, there's no one like her.'
He leaned forward, placing his lips next to her ear, he whispered, "Yui-san, you're really beautiful."
Yui blushed a deep crimson at Shunkaku's words. No one had ever called her beautiful before. At school, the boy's had never really interested her. She had always been so concerned with her studies.
But here, it was different. She didn't have any of that to worry about. She could allow herself to feel these emotions.
Reaching up, she allowed herself the luxury of running her fingers through his hair. It was just as luxurious and soft as she had thought it would be.
Koutoku turned his head, stifling a gagging reflex. If he didn't get out of there soon, his entire meal from last night was going to make an unscheduled reappearance.
The scent of her deodorant or the soap cleanser that Yui used had a seductive intoxicating affect on Shunkaku. The scent invaded his senses. It drove him into a state of ecstasy. He sighed, inhaling the wondrous scent.
Her touch, it was so gentle, it could soothe even the most enraged beast. It could even possibly subdue the overactive Shunkaku.
'Well, I'm all hers! I hereby surrender to the fair maiden Yui!'
Feeling ecstatic, and not knowing why, Yui closed her eyes, feeling the closeness of Shunkaku. This was pure heaven, to be near him like this. She felt as if she could stay like this forever. She wanted nothing more than to be with him.
Opening her eyes, she placed her palm on his cheek. He was so sweet to her. And she had to admit it to herself. He was very handsome.
In fact, he wasn't like any of the boys she knew in Tokyo. 'None of them could even compare to Shunkaku...'
Sighing, Shunkaku wished that he didn't have to move from this position, that it would just consume him and his divine find. 'Yui-san...so beautiful, a rare beauty, a maiden at her best. She's got qualities that couldn't compare to the women of this world. They're all so shy, she isn't, yet she isn't out of it like they are, she's aware. I admire that, she's truly different than the rest...'
Placing his hands on her waist, he drew her in close. 'She's so soft, so delicate. I really hope that I could make her mine, but...but I'm afraid I might impose on her, she's too special for that...too precious. I'll protect her with my life, I swear by the good Seiryuu that I won't ever let anything happen to her.'
Yui allowed herself to be drawn up against Shunkaku. Placing her hands on either side of his face, she gazed into his eyes. He was the most wonderful thing she had yet found in this world. If she was destined to be Seiryuu no Miko, she would do everything in her power to keep Shunkaku happy.
Closing her eyes, she briefly brushed her lips against his. Like the night before, it was sweet and compelling. It was as if they were destined to find one another.
Over in the far corner, which wasn't far, since the hovel the twins shared was extremely tiny in its size, Koutoku leaned against the wall, his arms folded over his chest, as he felt ready to vomit up the remains of his supper from last night. 'Seiryuu, what horrible deed have I done to deserve this punishment?!'
He sighed, deciding that he had had enough of this sap. He loudly cleared his throat. "Anou, Shun-chan, Yui-san, you're getting sap on my shoes! And Shun, were going to be late getting there to help Zhao-san with his shipment!"
Shunkaku looked up and sighed dejectedly. "Why now?" He still held Yui against his body protectively.
Yui blushed a deep crimson. She had completely forgotten about Koutoku. "Ah...gomen nasai, Koutoku. You're right. We should go." She looked regretfully at Shunkaku, stepping a little away.
"You-you're right, we should." Shunkaku cast his eyes down, stepping away from Yui. "Okay, let's go." He looked up expectantly at his brother to lead the way.
Koutoku sighed. He hadn't meant to make them uncomfortable, but they really needed to leave. "Okay. Let's go."
Stepping out of their place, he headed in the direction of Zhao-san's shop.
