Running Away
Chapter 3
Chichiri sighed, looking down at the one bed that the room contained. It was so small that a single person would probably have trouble sleeping on it. They should've just gotten two rooms.
"What the hell's with this? How're we supposed ta' sleep in here?" Tasuki's reaction to the bed wasn't much different.
Chichiri set down his bags at the foot of the bed, and then reached up stretching his hands above his head. His hands hit the ceiling though, as it was really low.
Both men were quiet for a moment, and it was then that they heard the voices outside their door. The two of them walked up to it, pressing their ears against the wood.
"Shh. be quiet. They'll hear you!"
"You're the one bein' loud."
"How long do'ya think it'll take?"
"I don't know. Morning maybe?"
"We haven't gotten visitors for a long time. This'll be fun!"
"It's good to see young people like this again."
Both men listened intently. Suddenly, the voices outside stopped. Tasuki heard a soft rustle as the people on the other side of the door put their ears up to the door, trying to hear in.
It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
"What are they doing in there?"
"I can't hear anything."
Tasuki backed away from the door, landing back on the bed. "Aww!! This is the best room I've ever been in. I'm so glad that lady gave us this room!"
Chichiri could hear stifled giggles from behind the door. He went over and joined Tasuki in sitting on the bed. "What are you doing, Tasuki-kun, no da?"
"I'm just lying here! Hey, do you hear something from behind the door?"
There was a slight gasp as the people behind the door scattered, fearing that any second the door would be opened and they would be caught.
Tasuki smirked. "Guess that scared 'em off. but, why the hell would anyone listen in our door? What do they want?"
Chichiri shrugged his shoulders. "Who knows, no da?"
Tasuki leaned back into the pillow, gazing up at the ceiling. "Man. I'm as tired as hell."
"I'm tired too, no da." Chichiri walked up, leaning his staff against wall, carefully so that it wouldn't fall. "We should get some sleep, no da."
Chichiri was just about to get down on the bed beside Tasuki when all of a sudden, the door burst open.
"How're you boys doin'?!!"
"DAAAA!!!!" Chichiri. "daa"ed. Once again he leaped into Tasuki's arms at the sight of the large woman. "Tas-chan, save me!!"
"Sorry 'bout that. I was just worried, ya' know? Thought you boys might need somethin'."
Tasuki didn't hear a thing she said. He was too focused on what Chichiri had just said. Did he just call me. Tas-chan?!? He looked down at the little SD monk who lay huddled in his arms. Tas-chan?!?!
"You know, we have a really nice hot spring out back. Maybe you boys'd. care to take a bath or somethin'?"
"Yeah." Tasuki weakly nodded his head. "A bath would be nice."
"Alright then, I'll get it ready. You just come down when you want to get in."
The lady left, and Chichiri gratefully crawled off the bed. "That lady scares me, no da."
"Yeah. me too." Tasuki was just kind of watching Chichiri.
"Um. Tasuki-kun? Daijobu ka, na no da?"
Tasuki lept out of his trance. "Ah. daijobu. I'm fine. Just a little, you know."
Chichiri stood back up. "A bath will feel good, no da. I know I could sure use one. So, let's get our stuff, no da."
"Right." Tasuki stood up off the bed and walked over to where a couple of towels had been carefully layed there for bath-time use. "Here, Chi-san." He said, tossing one of the towels to Chichiri.
Chichiri held the towel up. "These are a. little small, no da."
Tasuki looked at the towel, then he tried stretching his around his waist. It wouldn't even go all the way around.
"What kind of @#$%ing place is this that doesn't even have @#$%ing big enough towels?!?!?!?!"
"Language, Tasuki-kun. Are there any more, no da?"
Tasuki looked, and found none. Only the two that he had picked up were there. "Geez, first they give us this tiny room. Then, they listen to us through the door. And last, they expect us to go strutting around in towels that don't even go all around your body!!!"
Chichiri sighed. "Let's just go tell her, no da. I'm sure she'll give us bigger ones."
"Right, after all that service I wouldn't bet on it."
Reluctantly, though, he followed Chichiri downstairs and to the backdoor. He could see the lady inn-keeper through the windows, so he knew he was going the right way.
The two of them walked out, feeling the soft breeze of evening start to blow through the trees. For some reason, when the lady saw them, she had a rather disappointed look on her face.
"Ah. these towels. Are you sure they're the right ones, no da?"
The lady looked at the towels like she'd never seen them before in her life. "Oh! I'm so sorry. I must have given you the wrong towels. Oh, stupid me. I'll go right away and fetch you some bigger ones."
"Thank you, no da."
The two of them watched her go back inside the inn. "See, I told you she'd have more, no da."
"Yeah, well that's about the only thing that's gone right since we got here."
It only took about a minute for the lady to return with fresh clean towels. She held one up. "Is this alright?"
"Yes, that's much better, thank you, no da."
"Really, I'm very sorry about that. I don't know what I was thinking."
Tasuki murmured something under his breath but Chichiri quickly elbowed him in the side, cutting off his breath.
"Is the. bath ready, no da?"
"Oh yes. Get right in. It's very warm, please enjoy yourselves." The lady smiled at them, and then went back inside the inn to work the front desk some more.
The two of them just kind of stood there, staring at the water in the bath. They'd done this before. Many times. But for some reason. for some reason. it was, different now.
"You first. Tasuki-kun, no da." Chichri said, gesturing to the bath.
"No, no. you should go first."
The two stood there more uncomfortably now. They heard something coming from behind them and they both whirled around. There wasn't anything there.
"O. okay, I'll go first, no da."
Tasuki politely turned away as Chichiri undressed and got in the bath. Then he slowly took off his clothes, putting them aside. He was careful not to put them close to Chichiri's, as that would make it harder when getting out.
He quickly entered the bath, not bothered by the water that seemed to scald his skin. It felt as if his face was a hundred times warmer than the rest of his body.
They sat there, just sitting. Neither one of them really sure what to do. It felt like there were still people watching them, like somebody was always staring, but when they looked, there wasn't anyone there that they could see.
Tasuki heard voices, getting closer. He turned towards the souce and was very surprised to see a bright, chipper and very naked young man come running towards them.
He was yelling, a bright smile on his face. When he reached the bath, he quickly jumped in, creating a couple of waves that washed across the two seishi.
"Konbanwa!!" The young man popped out of the water. He had red hair, darker than Tasuki's, that went down to his waist. He looked only about 16.
Suddenly, the inn-keeper was standing over the side of the bath. Tasuki's face, if possible, turned about ten shades redder, and Chichiri squirmed a bit uncomfortable.
"Taikisei! What did I tell you about annoying the residents?"
"What do ya' mean, ma? I'm not annoyin' anybody!" The boy put on his most innocent face.
The inn-keeper sighed, turning towards the two very uncomfortable men. "I'm sorry. This is my son, Taikisei. If it really doesn't bother you he can stay. But if you feel too uncomfortable I can tell him to leave."
Tasuki wanted to yell out that it was her that was makin' him uncomfortable, but he decided against it. He didn't want to cause anymore trouble. "Nah. it's. it's fine."
Chichiri nodded in agreement, anxious to have the lady leave. He had no qualms about a young boy staying here. He glanced over at Tasuki, but quickly looked away when Tasuki looked back at him.
Okay, so maybe I'm more uncomfortable sitting next to Tasuki than I am even in front of that lady. But. why? We've. we've done this before. This is nothing new.
The lady smiled, walking back into the inn. Before she left, her voice could be heard. "Now, don't cause any trouble, Taikisei."
"I won't, ma." The boy smiled, looking back at the two men. "So. who are you?"
He seemed to have lost his voice. He tried saying something, except that he couldn't. When he had looked over at Chichiri. it was like. it was like.. something had gone between them. He didn't know what it was.
Chichiri watched Tasuki squirm uncomfortably. "I'm Chichiri, and this is Tasuki, no da."
"Does your friend talk?" Taikisei gestured towards Tasuki.
"Yeah, yeah. I can talk." Tasuki finally got out. He worked as hard as he could to make the red fade out of his face. He hoped that Chichiri hadn't noticed it. He hoped that it only looked like he was warm from the bath.
"Oh, I see. So. what are you doin' so far from the civilized world?"
"We travel around a lot. From one place to the other, no da."
"That's so cool! Sometimes I wish I could do that, but I like it right here at the inn, ya' know. I guess people have their own interests, right, right?" He slapped Tasuki on the back, sending him sprawling over Chichiri.
Chichiri's face lit up on fire feeling Tasuki right there. He felt like he was going to burst. Tasuki froze instantly, overtaken by the sheer fact of where he was touching Chichiri.
"DAAAA!!!!" The two of them jumped as far away from each other as they could while still staying in the bath. Both looked visibly shaken.
Taikisei was very confused in all of this. He looked back and forth from one to the other. "What's wrong with you guys?"
Tasuki settled down, sliding back fully into the bath. "N. n. nothing's wrong. right Chi-san?"
"R.right.no da."
What was going on? He had never really felt this way about Chichiri before. What was happening between them?
Chapter 3
Chichiri sighed, looking down at the one bed that the room contained. It was so small that a single person would probably have trouble sleeping on it. They should've just gotten two rooms.
"What the hell's with this? How're we supposed ta' sleep in here?" Tasuki's reaction to the bed wasn't much different.
Chichiri set down his bags at the foot of the bed, and then reached up stretching his hands above his head. His hands hit the ceiling though, as it was really low.
Both men were quiet for a moment, and it was then that they heard the voices outside their door. The two of them walked up to it, pressing their ears against the wood.
"Shh. be quiet. They'll hear you!"
"You're the one bein' loud."
"How long do'ya think it'll take?"
"I don't know. Morning maybe?"
"We haven't gotten visitors for a long time. This'll be fun!"
"It's good to see young people like this again."
Both men listened intently. Suddenly, the voices outside stopped. Tasuki heard a soft rustle as the people on the other side of the door put their ears up to the door, trying to hear in.
It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
"What are they doing in there?"
"I can't hear anything."
Tasuki backed away from the door, landing back on the bed. "Aww!! This is the best room I've ever been in. I'm so glad that lady gave us this room!"
Chichiri could hear stifled giggles from behind the door. He went over and joined Tasuki in sitting on the bed. "What are you doing, Tasuki-kun, no da?"
"I'm just lying here! Hey, do you hear something from behind the door?"
There was a slight gasp as the people behind the door scattered, fearing that any second the door would be opened and they would be caught.
Tasuki smirked. "Guess that scared 'em off. but, why the hell would anyone listen in our door? What do they want?"
Chichiri shrugged his shoulders. "Who knows, no da?"
Tasuki leaned back into the pillow, gazing up at the ceiling. "Man. I'm as tired as hell."
"I'm tired too, no da." Chichiri walked up, leaning his staff against wall, carefully so that it wouldn't fall. "We should get some sleep, no da."
Chichiri was just about to get down on the bed beside Tasuki when all of a sudden, the door burst open.
"How're you boys doin'?!!"
"DAAAA!!!!" Chichiri. "daa"ed. Once again he leaped into Tasuki's arms at the sight of the large woman. "Tas-chan, save me!!"
"Sorry 'bout that. I was just worried, ya' know? Thought you boys might need somethin'."
Tasuki didn't hear a thing she said. He was too focused on what Chichiri had just said. Did he just call me. Tas-chan?!? He looked down at the little SD monk who lay huddled in his arms. Tas-chan?!?!
"You know, we have a really nice hot spring out back. Maybe you boys'd. care to take a bath or somethin'?"
"Yeah." Tasuki weakly nodded his head. "A bath would be nice."
"Alright then, I'll get it ready. You just come down when you want to get in."
The lady left, and Chichiri gratefully crawled off the bed. "That lady scares me, no da."
"Yeah. me too." Tasuki was just kind of watching Chichiri.
"Um. Tasuki-kun? Daijobu ka, na no da?"
Tasuki lept out of his trance. "Ah. daijobu. I'm fine. Just a little, you know."
Chichiri stood back up. "A bath will feel good, no da. I know I could sure use one. So, let's get our stuff, no da."
"Right." Tasuki stood up off the bed and walked over to where a couple of towels had been carefully layed there for bath-time use. "Here, Chi-san." He said, tossing one of the towels to Chichiri.
Chichiri held the towel up. "These are a. little small, no da."
Tasuki looked at the towel, then he tried stretching his around his waist. It wouldn't even go all the way around.
"What kind of @#$%ing place is this that doesn't even have @#$%ing big enough towels?!?!?!?!"
"Language, Tasuki-kun. Are there any more, no da?"
Tasuki looked, and found none. Only the two that he had picked up were there. "Geez, first they give us this tiny room. Then, they listen to us through the door. And last, they expect us to go strutting around in towels that don't even go all around your body!!!"
Chichiri sighed. "Let's just go tell her, no da. I'm sure she'll give us bigger ones."
"Right, after all that service I wouldn't bet on it."
Reluctantly, though, he followed Chichiri downstairs and to the backdoor. He could see the lady inn-keeper through the windows, so he knew he was going the right way.
The two of them walked out, feeling the soft breeze of evening start to blow through the trees. For some reason, when the lady saw them, she had a rather disappointed look on her face.
"Ah. these towels. Are you sure they're the right ones, no da?"
The lady looked at the towels like she'd never seen them before in her life. "Oh! I'm so sorry. I must have given you the wrong towels. Oh, stupid me. I'll go right away and fetch you some bigger ones."
"Thank you, no da."
The two of them watched her go back inside the inn. "See, I told you she'd have more, no da."
"Yeah, well that's about the only thing that's gone right since we got here."
It only took about a minute for the lady to return with fresh clean towels. She held one up. "Is this alright?"
"Yes, that's much better, thank you, no da."
"Really, I'm very sorry about that. I don't know what I was thinking."
Tasuki murmured something under his breath but Chichiri quickly elbowed him in the side, cutting off his breath.
"Is the. bath ready, no da?"
"Oh yes. Get right in. It's very warm, please enjoy yourselves." The lady smiled at them, and then went back inside the inn to work the front desk some more.
The two of them just kind of stood there, staring at the water in the bath. They'd done this before. Many times. But for some reason. for some reason. it was, different now.
"You first. Tasuki-kun, no da." Chichri said, gesturing to the bath.
"No, no. you should go first."
The two stood there more uncomfortably now. They heard something coming from behind them and they both whirled around. There wasn't anything there.
"O. okay, I'll go first, no da."
Tasuki politely turned away as Chichiri undressed and got in the bath. Then he slowly took off his clothes, putting them aside. He was careful not to put them close to Chichiri's, as that would make it harder when getting out.
He quickly entered the bath, not bothered by the water that seemed to scald his skin. It felt as if his face was a hundred times warmer than the rest of his body.
They sat there, just sitting. Neither one of them really sure what to do. It felt like there were still people watching them, like somebody was always staring, but when they looked, there wasn't anyone there that they could see.
Tasuki heard voices, getting closer. He turned towards the souce and was very surprised to see a bright, chipper and very naked young man come running towards them.
He was yelling, a bright smile on his face. When he reached the bath, he quickly jumped in, creating a couple of waves that washed across the two seishi.
"Konbanwa!!" The young man popped out of the water. He had red hair, darker than Tasuki's, that went down to his waist. He looked only about 16.
Suddenly, the inn-keeper was standing over the side of the bath. Tasuki's face, if possible, turned about ten shades redder, and Chichiri squirmed a bit uncomfortable.
"Taikisei! What did I tell you about annoying the residents?"
"What do ya' mean, ma? I'm not annoyin' anybody!" The boy put on his most innocent face.
The inn-keeper sighed, turning towards the two very uncomfortable men. "I'm sorry. This is my son, Taikisei. If it really doesn't bother you he can stay. But if you feel too uncomfortable I can tell him to leave."
Tasuki wanted to yell out that it was her that was makin' him uncomfortable, but he decided against it. He didn't want to cause anymore trouble. "Nah. it's. it's fine."
Chichiri nodded in agreement, anxious to have the lady leave. He had no qualms about a young boy staying here. He glanced over at Tasuki, but quickly looked away when Tasuki looked back at him.
Okay, so maybe I'm more uncomfortable sitting next to Tasuki than I am even in front of that lady. But. why? We've. we've done this before. This is nothing new.
The lady smiled, walking back into the inn. Before she left, her voice could be heard. "Now, don't cause any trouble, Taikisei."
"I won't, ma." The boy smiled, looking back at the two men. "So. who are you?"
He seemed to have lost his voice. He tried saying something, except that he couldn't. When he had looked over at Chichiri. it was like. it was like.. something had gone between them. He didn't know what it was.
Chichiri watched Tasuki squirm uncomfortably. "I'm Chichiri, and this is Tasuki, no da."
"Does your friend talk?" Taikisei gestured towards Tasuki.
"Yeah, yeah. I can talk." Tasuki finally got out. He worked as hard as he could to make the red fade out of his face. He hoped that Chichiri hadn't noticed it. He hoped that it only looked like he was warm from the bath.
"Oh, I see. So. what are you doin' so far from the civilized world?"
"We travel around a lot. From one place to the other, no da."
"That's so cool! Sometimes I wish I could do that, but I like it right here at the inn, ya' know. I guess people have their own interests, right, right?" He slapped Tasuki on the back, sending him sprawling over Chichiri.
Chichiri's face lit up on fire feeling Tasuki right there. He felt like he was going to burst. Tasuki froze instantly, overtaken by the sheer fact of where he was touching Chichiri.
"DAAAA!!!!" The two of them jumped as far away from each other as they could while still staying in the bath. Both looked visibly shaken.
Taikisei was very confused in all of this. He looked back and forth from one to the other. "What's wrong with you guys?"
Tasuki settled down, sliding back fully into the bath. "N. n. nothing's wrong. right Chi-san?"
"R.right.no da."
What was going on? He had never really felt this way about Chichiri before. What was happening between them?