Hidden Destiny

Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Fushigi Yugi or any of its characters.

Tamahome strolled along the streets of the Konan capitol, enjoying the afternoon sunlight, happy to be away from the stiff formality of palace life for awhile. He felt a new respect for the young Emperor growing within him; however confined he had felt at the place, it had to be ten times worse for Hotohori, who couldn't go out unless he was accompanied by a regiment of guards. As he passed a food vendor, an image of Miaka came to his mind and he wondered for the hundredth time where she had gone. She had disappeared right after breakfast, and although he had searched throughout the entire royal compound before he left, she had still been nowhere to be found.

Pausing at a stand selling hair ornaments, he discreetly pulled out his money pouch and counted its contents, and frowned at finding that he had only enough to send his family. They needed every bit he could spare; nevertheless, it saddened him to know he could not even afford to buy Miaka the smallest of trinkets.

With a small sigh, he shoved the small pouch back in his pocket, turning to head back the way he had come- and then stopped abruptly, as an overwhelming sense of foreboding hit him square in the gut.

"Miaka." He whispered, his slow walk quickly turning into a run. Something was wrong; he didn't know exactly what, but he was sure that whatever it was, it involved his beloved.

Miaka sighed in contentment and lay her head against the tall bandit's chest. "I'll never get tired of hearing you say that you love me." She murmured.

"Then I'll never get tired of tellin' ya," Tasuki kissed the top of her head. "I hate to ruin the moment but Miaka…you're really gonna have to tell Tama 'bout us pretty soon."

Frowning slightly, she nodded. "I know, it's just that I don't like the thought of hurting him."

"Don't ya think it's gonna hurt him more if he doesn't find out from you?" He asked, pulling back to look down at her. Brushing a stray lock of hair from her face he smiled softly. "I can't hide the way I feel 'bout ya anymore. Not now, when I know ya feel the same way. He's gonna know somethin' is up when he sees the two of us together."

Going up on the tips of her toes, Miaka kissed him gently. "I promise I'll think about it later. Just hold me right now."

Tasuki complied, his strong arms wrapping around her small waist and holding her close. Closing his eyes he pushed away a small pang of guilt. He didn't want to hurt Tamahome either, but it couldn't be helped- just as he couldn't help loving the girl in his arms.

Neither Tasuki or Miaka detected Nuriko's approach. He quickly backed up and around the corner. He peeked around the corner, smiling to himself at seeing the two of them together.

They really do make a beautiful couple. He thought happily.

Suddenly he heard someone approaching from behind. Turning, his eyes widened as he saw Tamahome running towards him.

"Oh, hi Tamahome!" He said loudly, hoping that the embracing couple could hear him. "Beautiful day isn't it?"

"Have you seen Miaka?" Tamahome asked, ignoring Nuriko's attempt to make small talk.

"Miaka? I'm sure she's around here somewhere." The violet-haired seishi replied in an even louder voice, waving his hand in a nonchalant manner.

The two people around the corner jerked apart as if burned. Miaka looked up at Tasuki, seeing her own guilt and panic reflected in his eyes.

Tasuki was right, she thought anxiously. They couldn't go on hiding their feelings anymore, and it was silly to be sneaking around as if they were doing something wrong. She would tell Tamahome soon, no matter how hard it was. She kissed Tasuki quickly then turned hurrying towards the now desperate sounding Nuriko.

Casting a quick glance at her retreating back, the bandit turned and set off at brisk walk in the opposite direction, knowing he wouldn't be able to look Tamahome in the eye at that moment.

Miaka paused before turning the corner, closing her eyes briefly. In the past ten minutes, her future had completely altered course, and now she was about to take the irrevocable step of putting Tamahome into her past.

Her eyes flew open at the thought and she shook her head in denial.

Tamahome was not in her past and never would be; he would always be one of her warriors , and she owed it to him to deal honestly with the situation. Forcing a smile to her lips, Miaka rounded the building, waving cheerfully.

"Hi guys!" She greeted them, and then gasped in surprise as Tamahome grabbed her, wrapping his arms around her tightly.

"I'm so glad you're okay." He whispered, burying his face in her hair.

"Tamahome, what's wrong?"

"I don't know. I was in town, when I got this feeling something wasn't right….oh, never mind- I guess it was nothing." Finally releasing her, he gave her a small grin. "I tried to find you earlier. Where were you?"

Instead of answering she wrapped her arms around his waist and squeezed lightly. "I'm sorry I worried you. What did you want to see me about?"

"It's not important now." He smiled down at her then leaned down and kissed her gently.

Nuriko looked away, a small frown on his face. Now that he knew Miaka's feelings had changed, it was strange seeing her with Tamahome like this. He cleared his throat loudly and looked back at the couple, raising an eyebrow at Miaka. She gave him a pleading look then smiled back up at Tamahome.

"I promised Hotohori I'd run an errand for him." Pulling from his embrace she grabbed Nuriko's arm and pulled him in the opposite direction. "I'll see you at dinner, okay?" She called back over her shoulder. Nuriko simply gave Tamahome a small wave, not trusting himself to speak.

Miaka stopped as she rounded the corner, counting to ten before peeking around to make sure Tamahome was gone. Seeing him no where in sight, she leaned back against the wall and breathed a sigh of relief. "I assume you told Tasuki?" Nuriko asked with a grin.

She threw herself in his arms, hugging him tight. "Thank you so much, Nuriko. I would have never had the courage to tell him without your help."

"Don't be silly." He returned her hug then pushed her away gently. "So when are you going to tell Tamahome?"

"I-I don't… know. " Miaka's smile faded and she turned away. "It's funny, back in my world I've never even had a boyfriend. But here this will be the second heart I've broken. It was so hard to tell Hotohori I didn't love him but with Tamahome it will be nearly impossible. I told him I'd spend the rest of my life with him."

Turning to face Nuriko, she wiped a tear from her face. "It doesn't matter that I'm not in love with him, he's still special to me and I need some time to work up my courage. I don't want to say the wrong thing so I'll think about it tonight and tell him tomorrow- or the day after at the latest." She gave him a smile that trembled slightly. "I think I'll go to my room now."

Giving Nuriko a small wave, she strode away, not noticing the shadowy figure that was lurking in a nearby doorway.

Tasuki walked into the nearly empty dining hall and glanced around quickly, his heart dropping in disappointment, when he saw that Miaka wasn't there. He went to sit down in his usual place, just as the remaining seishi began to file in and take their seats.

All through the meal, he ignored the conversations going on around him, Miaka's absence from the table weighing heavy on his mind.

"Where's Miaka?" Tamahome asked abruptly, sounding suspiciously like he had been reading Tasuki's mind for the past half-hour.

"Oh, she's lying down in her room. Said she wasn't feeling well. Girl problems, you know." Nuriko answered airily.

"Perhaps I should stop by and see if there's anything I can do for her?" Mitsukake said softly, beginning to rise from his seat.

"No!" Nuriko half-shouted, and then giggled nervously. "Mitsukake, I'm sure she'll be all right. She told me she was going to take some medicine she brought from her world, and then go to sleep."

The tall doctor nodded and sat back down, resuming his conversation with Chichiri.

Tasuki frowned down at his food, his appetite suddenly gone. It wasn't like Miaka to miss a meal, no matter if she was sick or not. Something was definitely wrong and he had a good idea what it was. Flinging back his chair, he stood, and for the second time that day ignored the perplexed stares of his brother warriors as he made his way outside.

"What's wrong with Tasuki, no da?" Chichiri asked, still staring at the empty doorway.

The others silently looked back at him, each of them silently wondering the same thing.

"Who knows with that loser?" Tamahome muttered. All eyes at the table turned to him in amazement, and then looked away at seeing the intense anger in his face.

Nuriko was the only one who did not look away. Tamahome knows, he thought. He didn't know how the other seishi had managed it, but somehow Tamahome had found out about Miaka and Tasuki.

Just then, Tamahome looked up from his food and Nuriko saw a flash of anger directed solely towards him before it was quickly hidden beneath a bland smile.

Nuriko averted his eyes. Apparently, Tamahome knew everything there was to know about the situation, including the part that he, Nuriko, had played in it.

Tasuki made his way to Miaka's door , paused outside it and proceeded to argue with himself for a good ten minutes before finally raising his hand to knock. He didn't want to bother her, but he was worried, a new feeling that he wasn't entirely sure he liked. When the door opened, he grinned self-consciously.

"Hey." He said, then cursed himself silently for sounding stupid.

Miaka smiled at him and stood back for him to enter.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, closing the doors behind him. "Not that I'm not happy to see you." She quickly added.

"Yeah well, ya missed dinner, and I was worried about ya." He mumbled, looking at the floor.

"Oh. I see." Miaka blushed, and also looked at the floor, her hands clenched nervously in front of her. After a minute she started to giggle and looked back up at him. "What's wrong with us?"

Tasuki raised his eyes and shook his head, laughter building up in his chest. "I don't know, it's like I'm afraid t'be around ya now."

"I know, I feel the same way." Biting her lip she moved to stand in front of him and wrapped her arms around his waist, her head lying on his chest. "That's better." She said softly.

He returned her embrace, all nervousness now gone. "How come ya weren't at dinner?"

"Do you want the truth or what I told Nuriko to tell everyone?"

"Let's try the truth. I heard the other thing and it was pretty lame." He pulled her hair gently and grinned down at her when she glared at him.

With a loud sigh, she pulled away from him, and went to sit down on the bed. "I was afraid to be in the same room with you and Tamahome…and please don't look at me like that! I'm going to tell him. This is just really hard for me."

"All right, I believe ya." He replied, leaning against the closed door. "I think you're givin' poor Nuriko a nervous breakdown though. Ya should have seen him at dinner when Mitsukake offered to heal your 'girl trouble'." He chuckled as he remembered how nervous the violet-haired seishi had been.

Miaka laughed softly. "Nuriko's been great. He's the one who told me you were in love with me. I don't think I would have ever been able to come to you if he hadn't encouraged me." Flopping on her back she sighed heavily. "I'm never going to get any sleep tonight. All I can think about is how I'm going to tell Tamahome that it's over."

Tasuki pushed off of the door and walked to the bed, leaning over to look Miaka in the eye. "Then I'll just have t'stay and make sure ya get some sleep. Ya looked awful this mornin'. Do ya really think I want a girlfriend who looks like that every day?" He asked with a grin.

"Meanie!" She exclaimed, grabbing a pillow and hitting him over the head with it.

He tried to dodge the blow, but lost his balance and landed on the bed beside her. With lightning speed, he grabbed her, tickling her until she was begging for mercy. At long last, he heeded her pleas and stopped, propping himself above her to look down into her smiling face, his laugher slowly fading away.

She's so beautiful. He thought, studying her face as if memorizing every detail. I can't believe she's mine.

Miaka's giggles became sporadic and then finally stopped as she noticed the change in his face. Every doubt she had melted away as she looked into his eyes. This was right-Tasuki was her destiny. She reached up, placing her palm against his cheek and meeting him halfway as his head began to descend. As their lips met, her hand left his face to come to rest on the back of his neck, urging him closer.

His lips moved gently against hers until her lips parted. Dipping his tongue hesitantly into her mouth, he groaned when she responded eagerly. He deepened the kiss, his hands framing her face as he moved his body against hers.

Letting one hand leave her face, he trailed his fingers along her jaw, tracing the delicate bones there before sliding down the length of her body.

Miaka gasped when his hand grazed the side of her breast, amazed that such a small touch could make her body burn. He moved slightly and cupped the small mound of flesh, kneading it gently, as his tongue rubbed erotically against her own. Never before had she been in a man's arms in this way and sensations that she had never even dreamed of were coursing through her body as she moved her hips restlessly against him.

Whimpers of desire escaped her throat and she moaned in disappointment as he ended the kiss. Slowly opening her eyes, she blinked at him as if he were out of focus.

"Why did you stop?" She whispered.

Tasuki's eyes closed; he rested his forehead against hers as he slowly exhaled. "Because I can't take much more of this and we both know it can't go any further." He shifted his weight, and Miaka gasped as she felt an unfamiliar hardness pressing against her leg.

"I-I'm sorry." She began, but stopped in confusion as he laughed softly.

"What are ya apologizin' for? I'm the one who started this." He kissed the tip of her nose and got to his feet. "Ya should get some sleep."

"Will you stay with me? Just until I fall asleep."

He stared at her for a moment then nodded. "Sure."

Gracing him with a bright smile, Miaka glanced at the pajamas lying on her bed then back at him and blushed lightly. "Um, could you turn around while I change?"

Tasuki grinned and shook his head but complied, crossing his arms over his chest as he waited for her to finish changing.

"Okay." She said, and he turned, surprised to find her already under the blankets. Pulling up a chair he paused when she laid a hand on his arm.

"Please, I really want you to hold me. I mean, if you don't mind. " She said shyly.

He nodded and abandoned the chair to climb into the bed beside her, wrapping his arms around her as she laid her head on his chest. "Better?" He asked quietly.

"Much." She murmured as she snuggled against his warm body. "Tasuki?"

"Yeah?"

"I've been thinking….after all this is over, I want stay with you. At Mt. Leikaku I mean."

The bandit's eyes widened; never in his wildest dreams had he expected her to say that. "Really? Are ya sure?"

"More than I've ever been about anything. I don't want to lose you and if living there is what it takes to be with you, I don't mind. Do…do you want me to stay?"

"Well, of course I do, stupid. I just never thought you'd wanna live like that."

He felt her smile against his chest. "You like it, so it can't be all that bad. Besides, we can build a house or something for just the two of us."

Tasuki grinned at the thought of them as a married couple, with kids running around, then shook his head in amazement as he realized the thought of settling down didn't bother him in the least.

For once in his life, he was looking forward to the future-a future with Miaka.

"Yeah, that sounds….perfect." He said softly then kissed the top of her head. "Go to sleep." He ordered quietly.