Disclaimer: Shinji and Aiko are mine...I just wish their brother was as well. *grin*
Title: Carnival Kisses (4/?)
Author: lorien
Pairings (in this part): Hotohori+Nuriko, eventual Tamahome+Nakago (Tamakins is shy...he's taking a while to come out of the closet. *g*)
by lorien
Tamahome blinked in surprise. This was...surreal. He was standing in the middle of a bustling carnival, watching his school's soccer captain and cool-guy extraordinaire play with his two little siblings. He'd never even known the guy had siblings...Nakago had just never struck him as a very family type of person. Tamahome was seeing a whole new side of his (former) rival-in-love (//Afterall, I've given up on Miaka already, right?//) today...and it wasn't a wholly unwelcome side, either.
"Well, well...you learn new things everyday," he muttered.
Just then, the aqua-haired boy felt a slight tug on his jeans. He looked down to meet Shinji's eyes, the small blond boy still clutching a handful of the rough denim in his fist. "Tamahome-niisan, did you say something?"
"Huh? Oh...it was nothing." He smiled at the boy a little distractedly.
Shinji didn't look very convinced; however, he didn't pursue the matter, instead turning to his older brother, who was still carrying Aiko-chan, supporting her with one arm as she wound her own chubby arms securely about his neck.
"'niichan? Is Tamahome-niisan the boy that y - "
The blonde soccer captain quickly clamped his free hand over his little brother's mouth, grinning slightly at him. "Hai, hai. Let's not talk about that now, ne?"
Aiko-chan looked over at the aqua-haired boy and giggled.
Tamahome regarded the tall blonde suspiciously. "Am I what?"
"Oh, nothing," replied the other boy breezily. "Nothing at all."
"Oh, I'm sure. Now, what have you been saying about me?"
"...do you really want to know?"
Looking at the other boy's mildly predatory expression, Tamahome decided that he didn't want to know after all.
Nakago smirked. "I thought so."
"Hey, you found us no da!" called Chichiri cheerfully as Hotohori and Nuriko fought their way through the crowds of people to where he and Tasuki were still standing by the coconut shy.
"Yeah, we were afraid you wouldn't be able to (#%@ find us in this %@*^ crowd," remarked Tasuki, raking a hand through his unruly vermillion bangs.
"We saw your hair." Hotohori grinned at him. "It's...bright."
"He means you stick out like a sore thumb in this crowd, with hair that colour," remarked Nuriko helpfully, grinning cheekily at his friend.
"Hey!!" Tasuki pounced on the violet-eyed boy. "You should talk...your hair is )(%@ PURPLE!"
After a brief scuffle, in which the two boys bumped into a number of passers-by - who shot them annoyed glances (it's not very fun to have people bump into you when you're trying to squeeze your way through a huge crowd!) - Nuriko pushed Tasuki away playfully, grumbling that it was too hot to fight.
Hotohori chuckled and draped an arm around the violet-haired boy's slim shoulders. "By the way, where's Tamahome gone to?"
"Oh, this little boy got lost and Tamahome went to help him find his sister no da," responded Chichiri.
"Typical Tamahome," smirked Tasuki. "&#(* soft-hearted."
"Like you wouldn't have done the same." Nuriko smirked at the flame-haired boy. "You can't fool us, Tas-chan...we know that under all that swearing, you're just a big ol' softy."
"Am not!"
Chichiri interrupted before Tasuki and Nuriko could get into another mock-scuffle. "C'mon, let's go check out the rollercoaster no da..."
Tasuki and Nuriko brightened. They both loved rollercoasters. "I'll let Tama-chan know where we're going," said Nuriko, taking out his handphone.
"Doesn't he hate rollercoasters?"
"Yeah...I'll tell him to meet us after we're done," decided Nuriko.
Hearing his handphone beep, Tamahome pulled the phone out of his pocket, checking his new messages. He'd just gotten a message from Nuriko.
"Problem?" enquired Nakago, seeing the gray-eyed boy make a face as he read the message.
"My friends are going on the rollercoaster," grumbled Tamahome. "I hate rollercoasters." He'd hated them ever since he'd gone on one when he was four, had come off exceedingly dizzy and walked into a railing, scraping his leg badly. He still had the long, thin scar on his left calf to show for that experience.
The blonde chuckled. "Well, you could come with us for a while. Shin-kun and Aiko-chan want to go to the Hall of Mirrors."
"Haiii~! Come with us!" Aiko-chan cheered merrily.
"Please, Tamahome-niisan?" Shinji turned huge, pleading blue eyes on the surprised aqua-haired boy.
Tamahome cast a slightly distrustful glance at Nakago, who raised an eyebrow, smirking slightly. "Don't worry, I don't bite..."
Tamahome narrowed his eyes.
"...not unless you want me to." Nakago's lips twitched upward.
The aqua-haired boy rolled his eyes. "That line is so overused!"
A chuckle. "I know. I couldn't resist."
"'niisan, come with us? Please?" Aiko-chan broke in, holding her little arms out to Tamahome to be carried - an innocent, beguiling gesture.
Faced with two pairs of huge, pleading eyes and one sexy (although he'd never admit it) smirk, Tamahome didn't stand a chance. He took Aiko-chan from Nakago, and the four set off for the Hall of Mirrors.
TBC...