HANDS OFF THE BANDIT, NO DA! (2/3)
BY : Chikki

Warnings Other characters may seem OOC. Tasuki has a _VERY_ impressive vocabulary of official "bandit" words, no da…so it's PG 13 for swearing…oh…and some yaoi too,na no da. (^_^)
Disclaimer Not mine. Never will be,na no da.



The night that followed felt like hell for Tasuki. He kept replaying the same events over and over again in his mind, how Chichiri's face had seemed blank when he first confessed how he felt, how his eye had shone with disbelief when the realization began to sink in, and how he had seemed guilty when he refused to accept Tasuki's love.

Suddenly, Tasuki heard something and listened closely. He realized that they were gasps and moans coming from the room next to him. Very loud gasps and moans actually.

Groaning, Tasuki buried his head into his pillow. He felt like shit right now and the fact that Miaka and Tamahome had the room next to his and were obviously bonding was not helping any.

The bandit fingered the edge of his pillow sadly. Maybe if he hadn't told Chichiri about how he felt, he would still be over at the monk's room right now, drinking sake and talking.

At least that would have been more enjoyable. Tasuki thought bitterly. Anything was more enjoyable then listening to Miaka and Tamahome as they engaged themselves in…

"MIAKAAA!"

The young seishi winced and made a note to himself to burn Tamahome tomorrow for disrupting his sleep. Not that he could sleep anyway, he was too preoccupied with his thoughts. More specifically, he was too preoccupied with thoughts he had no business entertaining about a certain blue-haired monk that had the uncanny ability to make Tasuki melt into a puddle within a few minutes.

After a few more hours of tossing and turning, Tasuki finally drifted off to sleep.


~~~~~~~

The next morning, Chichiri went for breakfast after a sleepless night and was overwhelmed with surprise when he was met with a very peculiar sight.

During mealtimes, Tasuki always sat down next to him. Always. Ever since the first time all of them had sat down together to a meal as Suzaku Schiseishi.

But this time, it was not so.

The new seating arrangements were the first thing that caught the monk's attention. Hotohori was at the head of the table, of course. He was the emperor after all.

Usually, Miaka sat to the emperor's right, for she was the Suzaku no Miko.

Usually, Hotohori spent mealtimes talking and laughing with Miaka.

Usually, Tamahome was there by Miaka's side to shoot the emperor a warning look whenever he got too cozy.

This morning, however, was different.

Now, instead of Miaka, Tasuki was seated at Hotohori's right. Next to him was Tamahome, and next to Tamahome was Mitsukake. Across the table from Tasuki sat Nuriko, and next to him was Chiriko.

Miaka, on the other hand, was nowhere to be found.

Gingerly, Chichiri entered the room and sat down on the only seat left, the one next to Mitsukake. The healer glanced up and smiled to acknowledge the monk's presence but was soon distracted by the other happenings on the table.

It was then that Chichiri finally glanced around the table and noticed that all the seishi were acting very strangely. He sweatdropped. What was going on?

"Would you like more sake, Tasuki-chan?" Tamahome's voice broke into the monk's thoughts.

"Err…no thanks, Tama no baka…I'm just fine." Tasuki said nervously.

The dark-haired seishi frowned and even Chichiri raised one elegant eyebrow at the comment. Tasuki was turning down sake? That was a first.

Tamahome leaned across the table and gazed into Tasuki's eyes worriedly. "You're turning down sake, Tasuki-chan? Are you okay?"

"H-hai!" Tasuki said, laughing a bit. "I'm just fine."

"If you say so, Tasuki-chan." Tamahome said sweetly and settled back in his chair although his eyes never left Tasuki's face.

Chichiri glanced at Tamahome curiously. What was wrong with him? Since when did Tamahome start being so caring towards Tasuki?

"Maybe you should let Mitsukake look over you, Tasuki-sama." Chiriko suggested, also leaning across the table to be able to gaze lovingly at Tasuki's face. Chichiri looked at the youngest seishi in disbelief. Chiriko too? He thought.

Upon hearing his name mentioned, Mitsukake stood up a little too quickly and was at Tasuki' s side in an instant.

"Tasuki?" Mitsukake said shyly. "I think Chiriko is right. I should take a look at you."

Tasuki fixed the healer in a golden gaze and after a long, long while, the bandit let out an exasperated sigh. "Okay, okay!" he grumbled. "But I'm tellin' 'ya! I'm fine!"

Mitsukake eagerly started poking Tasuki.

"ITAI!" the bandit yelled and turned around to glare hard at Mitsukake. "What the hell are you doing?! That hurts, 'ya know!"

"Gomen nasai, Tasuki." Mitsukake said, and resumed poking.

"Mitsukake! Stop poking me! Can't 'ya use your powers or something?"

Grinning, the healer shook his head and began pulling at Tasuki's shirt.

Tasuki was completely oblivious to the fact that while all this was happening, the rest of the seishi were now staring at Tasuki as Mitsukake began to strip Tasuki's shirt off.

Chichiri blushed and looked down at his food. I will not look at Tasuki. I will not look at Tasuki. I will not look at Tasuki…

However, the monk was forced to look when a high-pitched squeal pierced through the room. He glanced up and saw that Nuriko was walking around Tasuki in delight as he sized him up. His eyes had become all glittery.

Tasuki glanced at the purple-haired seishi apprehensively. "Oi! What the hell do you think you're doing?"

The only answer the bandit got was another high-pitched squeal as Nuriko glomped the poor bandit. "Wai! Wai!" he said. "You're so bishonen, Tasuki-chan!!"

Tasuki nearly fell over but righted himself again in order to yell at Nuriko. "Argh! Get the hell away from me, Nuriko!" He pushed the giggling seishi away.

Nuriko merely looked at Tasuki before giggling and glomping the younger seishi again.

"ARGHHH!!"

"You're so kawaii, Tas-chan!"

"No! Go away, Nuriko!! Wha-what are you doing? Get your hand away from there, dammit!"

"Oops! Sorry, Tas-chan!"

"Did he hurt you, Tasuki-chan?" Tamahome's voice rang out. "I'll knock the pants out of him!"

"Why, Tama-chan, I didn't know you cared!" Nuriko said, giggling and hiding his face behind his fan.

Tamahome made a face and glomped Tasuki. "Shut up, Nuriko!" Tasuki stared at his friend disbelievingly and Tamahome blushed. "Oops! Sorry, Tasuki-chan!" He unglomped himself from Tasuki.

Tasuki fell over.

Chiriko timidly poked the fire seishi on the floor. "Tasuki-sama?" he asked.

Tasuki looked up and narrowed his eyes at Chiriko. 'Yeah?"

"Do you need to rest, Tasuki-sama?" Chiriko asked again, his eyes darting around the room nervously.

"Damn right, I need to rest." The bandit said. "Tamahome is scaring the shit out of me! He's been acting so freakish!"

In the background, Chichiri could see that Nuriko and Tamahome were now arguing over a piece of Tasuki's shirt that Nuriko had somehow managed to get. The monk hastily ate another piece of his food to avoid looking at what would happen next.

"Well, you could stay in my room, Tasuki-sama!" The green-eyed seishi said happily, his eyes practically shining with delight. "I only have one bed, but that's okay, since we can share it, and…"

"No way!" Mitsukake's voice called out angrily. Everyone turned to stare in surprise at the normally reserved seishi and Mitsukake cleared his throat. "Uh…I simply mean that it is probably a better idea if Tasuki stayed in MY room, seeing that he isn't feeling very well and it would be easier if I was within the area should he get worse."

Tasuki frowned and got up from the floor. "But I already told 'ya! I'm fine!"

Ignoring the red-haired seishi's outburst, Mitsukake grabbed a hold of Tasuki's wrist and began leading him out the door. "So if you'll excuse us…"

"Oh no you don't!" Nuriko yelled, and a table went sailing over the air, landing on Mitsukake's head. Nuriko then laughed evilly and proceeded to link his arm through Tasuki's. "Come now, Tasuki-chan. You will be much more comfortable in my room, ne?" He winked.

Tasuki said nothing, He was in too much shock.

Tamahome then stomped up and tore Tasuki from Nuriko's grip. "No! Tasuki is not going with you because he's coming with me!" He turned a pleading glance at Tasuki. "Isn't that right Tasuki-chan?"

"I…I…" Tasuki stammered, alert golden eyes quickly darting from one seishi to the other.

Chichiri but his lip and turned to the only person who hadn't joined the Tasuki Fan Club. "Hotohori-sama, no da?"

The emperor tore his gaze away from the scene before him to look at the monk. "Hai, Chichiri?"

"Er…" The monk stopped and fidgeted a bit, trying to find the best way to ask. "What is going on, no da?"

Hotohori laughed and ate a bit of his food. "It's all quite simple really, I'm surprised you haven't figured it out."

"I haven't." Chichiri told him. "Tell me, na no da."

"You see, Chichiri…" the emperor began and placed both his hands on the table. "Tasuki is a very…"

"Very what, no da?"

"Very enthralling young man." The emperor finished. He looked at Chichiri in amusement. "I'm sure that you would agree with me on that fact."

Chichiri looked down and blushed. "Hai. I do, no da."

"Now, since Tasuki is a very attractive young man, it is understood that he would, of course, have a lot of admirers." Hothori looked at Chichiri again to see the monk's reaction to his words, but the mask revealed nothing and Hotohori sighed in disappointment.

"Anyway" Hotohori continued. "Word got out that you turned him down last night…"

"NANI, NO DA?"

"Relax, Chichiri!" Hotohori said. " We all knew that he was planning to tell you of his feelings last night!"

Chichiri buried his face in his hands. "Daaa…" he said in defeat.

Hothori laughed. "Don't feel so bad, Chichiri. It was obvious that Tasuki had, what we like to call, an infatuation with you, so Tamahome and the others stayed away from Tasuki to give him happiness."

"But you…" He gave Chichiri an accusing look. "You turned him down last night. So now, they are just taking up the chance to grab Tasuki while he's unavailable." The emperor leaned back and continued to watch Chichiri, wondering how he would take the news. "Do you understand?"

"I…" Chichiri started.

"Yes, Chichiri?"

"I see, no da." The monk said quietly and turned away from Hotohori, his mask still revealing nothing, but his whole body saying that he would like to do nothing more at that moment then to grab Tasuki from the rest of the seishi who were still ogling over him and claim the fiery-haired bandit as his own.




To Be Continued...