Heya, minna-san…I just thought of this up while reading a non-yaoi & totally touching fic on Tasuki & Kouji so I'm typing this out now!! Please bear with my late night fics, kay??

Just to clear this up, this isn't yaoi either! It's just about a…nah! Don't spoil the fun in telling you the story. Read on *evil smirks*

Standard disclaimers applies.

The afternoon sun beamed cheerily down on the 2 traveling partners as they made their way for the flame-haired bandit's former home, Mt. Reikaku. Humming an overly out-of-tune song, a light blue-haired monk with an impossible fringe (just the fringe) cast weird glances as the unusually happy bandit companion of his.

"Tasuki-chan, what're you so happy about no da??" Question marks popped out of nowhere above the monk's head.

"Hn? Oh!! I'm just glad to be able to spend some quality time with my gang up in the mountains!!" Cat grins from Tasuki. "Why do you ask Chichiri??"

"Well…you've been into less fights & you're not cursing as much & you're not burning down trees like you used to when we started back to Mt. Reikaku na no da," Chichiri held up a notebook.

"Che…" Tasuki just turned away & continued with his humming.

"Tada ima~!!!" The heavy wooden door leading to the hall is pushed open & Tasuki's voice rang loud & clear. Echoes were heard, emphasizing the emptiness. "That's strange…I'd always thought they would at least put a guy to guard here,"

"…" Chichiri frowned, scanning the whole place.

"Nani yo, Chichiri??" Tasuki felt goosebumps rising on the surface of his skin. "Stop freaking me out here!!!"

"Let's go to where your infirmary is…you do have something like that in here right?" the older monk said seriously.

"H…hai!"

After reaching what doubles over as the mountain's medical room, Tasuki halted & stared at the closed door, listening to the den created inside. It was obvious most of the bandits were in there & they sounded really busy. After a nudge from Chichiri, he slowly pushed at the door. The door creaked & everyone in the room turned their attention to the new arrivals.

"What…what happened here??" the hot-tempered youth demanded.

"Genrou…" Tasuki's ears perked up. Scanning the room for his long time friend & aniki, he finally found him half-sitting, half-lying at the end of the room, looking terrible. Cuts & bruises everywhere…ragged breathing…eyes barely open. 'No, this can't be happening to Kouji…'

"What the fucking hell happened!!??"

"Those who are done, please clear the room…NOW!" the doctor looked up from his place by Kouji's side & decided that was the best call. Soon, everyone was off nursing their own wounds in their own private quarters gratefully, leaving Tasuki, Kouji, Chichiri & the doc.

"Genrou…you came back…" Kouji managed a weak smile as he saw his impulsive young friend kneeling by his side.

"Kouji…" he gingerly brushed the dark blue fringe away from his aniki's face. "Who did this to you?"

"Genrou, as much as I hate to interrupt this touching scene, do you mind letting me finish patching Kouji up first? Questions later, okay?" the doctor eyed the official leader in annoyance.

An hour later, the doc finally opened the door & stepped out of it.

"Teme! Who do you think you are, ordering me around like that!!?? If it wasn't the fact that you're trying to save Kouji's life, I'll bash your head in right there & then!!!" Tasuki ranted while Chichiri held him back.

"You can threaten me all you want but can you do this somewhere else?" Blushing slightly, Tasuki followed the young bandit medic to an empty room with Chichiri close behind.

"Okay, the whole story is Eiken managed somehow to gather up an impressive gang of people & had attacked the bandits who were on their way back. Kouji was leading them & that fat ass took the chance to take revenge on him,"

"…"

"…"

"…I'm done. You can kill me if you want to now…"

"…"

"…"

"…Hey, I'm talking here!! Answer me!!!"

"…What about Kouji? Is he going to be okay??"

"Let's see…battered & bruised…various slashing wounds, minor & major but mostly major…wound infection…fever…a few broken ribs…twisted ankle…dislocated shoulder…" Tasuki's eyes widen with every named injury. "I'd say it's a miracle for him to even make it back here breathin'!"

"Hyuga, I swear I'll break your neck after Kouji is well again," Tasuki growled.

"Maa…eto, Hyuga-san ka? Is Kouji going to be okay?" Chichiri took off his mask & frowned.

"He'll be fine but he'll need at least half a year to heal completely,"

"Can…can I go see him?" Hyuga, in his long career as the medic & bandit in Mt. Reikaku, had never seen such a desperate Genrou.

"Of course," he answered, stunned.

"Hyuga-san, let's leave the two of them alone & show me to my room ne?" the ever-considerate Chichiri asked.

The door to the 'medical room' creaked open again, causing the then soundly-sleep Kouji to stir. Half opening his eyes, he squinted to see the intruder. Ever since Tasuki left him in charge, he had gradually became a light sleeper. His tensed body only relaxed after he saw the familiar fiery orange hair.

"Gen-chan…" Kouji grinned slightly.

"Shh…just lay back & rest," Tasuki gently pushed Kouji back to his previous position. The older bandit tried his best not to cringe as Tasuki's hands rubbed against his hurt shoulder. "…Sumimasen…"

"Don't apologize. It wasn't your fault…"

"…I just…I feel that I'm wrong to leave you alone to lead all these people & getting you hurt like this…"

"Daijoubu. It was your call of duty to protect the Miko too," Kouji closed his tired eyes.

"I…I should've been the one lying here instead of you…"

"Chigau…" Kouji placed a comforting hand on Tasuki's arm, his eyes still closed. "I am the one who asked you to go. I am the one who suggested taking your place as acting leader here. And I am the one who should be taking responsibility for my own actions & decisions. It's not your fault,"

"I just can't help feel guilty about this," Tasuki glanced down at his aniki. "I'm always getting you into trouble…" he concentrated on the scar on Kouji's left cheek.

"…"

"Just like that time…I ran away from home & you found me hungry, tired, on the verge of death & put me up in Mt. Reikaku…my parents came after me & they even accused you of kidnapping me and…and…" silent tears fell from the younger man's eyes.

"…and your mother broke down while I was trying to explain to them & lunged at me…" Kouji felt his stomach tied itself into a nice butterfly knot.

"I'm…I'm nothing but trouble to you…especially to you…" Kouji forced his tired body up & pulled the younger man into a tight protective embrace, ignoring the pain caused by his actions. Suddenly, he felt himself back in the past…a young Tasuki sobbing quietly in his arm as he pressed his other hand over his left cheek to stop it from bleeding. Thin trail of blood rolled down the back of his hand. Apologies repeated again & again from Tasuki as Tasuki's parents stared in horror at what they had done on impulse…

"Daijoubu…everything gonna turn out okay in the end…" Kouji's words overlapped with that of his memory's.

"Aniki…hontou ni gomen nasai…" Kouji smiled feebly as he tried to count how long it had been since Tasuki stopped calling him 'aniki'. "Gomen nasai…gomen nasai…"

Owari…

Aww…it's kinda a bittersweet fic. Hey! This is my first bittersweet fic!!! *Confetti thrown everywhere* I think I can still write a sequel to this. To all Kouji fans, I really apologize for 'hurting' him like this. *Dodges rotten tomatoes & eggs thrown at her* I'm also a big Kouji fan but it just had to turn out this way for my selfish, selfish story. *90° bow* GOMEN NASAI!!!!!

P.S. You see the little box beneath? Click on it & review, kay?? *teary puppy eyes*