Disclaimer: Shinji and Aiko are mine *huggles the kids*...but nobody else is, unfortunately.
Title: Carnival Kisses (5/?) - there'll probably be about 2 more chapters.
Author: lorien
Pairings (in this part): Tamahome+Nakago...somewhat.
A/N 1: Er...sorry for taking so long to update. *sheepish grin* Anyways...millions of thanks go out to all my wonderful reviewers - Tionai, TasukiNoBaka, SRJ, Sirena Farren, Yuuki, I Wish I Existed, Kato-chan, tGr, firefox-baby, Kaji The Harlequin, haha!~, Kyri, Youko Kitsune, Liez, sweetdeily, 512, Jin, D, shadow priestess, vagabondhoshi, Dianyx, Thespian Soldier, ChibiKuja, and one more reviwer who didn't leave his/her name ^^;; - I love you guyz! Thanks for all the support you gave this fic! ^__^
A/N 2: Umm, just an extra note - if you're hoping to see lots of Nakago/Tamahome action (ie. lemony stuff) here, then you're looking at the wrong fic. ^^;; This one's rated max PG-13, and focuses more on the *beginnings* of a relationship, rather than just being a description of a full-blown make-out session between the two. Sorry if I've disappointed anyone, but I'm trying to keep them kinda IC (within the bounds of reason, of course ^^), all the more because this is an AU...and you have to admit, a relationship between the two as they're portrayed in the series is pretty damn unlikely, to say the least...so they've gotta start *somewhere*. ^^;;;
Ack...sorry for the long rant. On with the fic!
by lorien
"Geez..." Tamahome looked around him. Mirrors, mirrors, mirrors, as far as the eye could see. "This place is making me dizzy."
"Need me to carry you?" offered Nakago, graciously.
The aqua-haired boy quirked a skeptical brow at his blonde companion. "Er, I'll pass, thanks."
"Damn."
Beside them, Shinji and Aiko, who'd been running around hand-in-hand, laughing at their weird reflections in the distorted mirrors, exchanged a conspiratorial grin.
"Okay, now, Aiko-chan!" whispered Shinji, trying not to laugh out loud - that'd spoil their plan!
The small blond girl promptly ran over to Nakago, tugging at his hand. "'Niichan, 'niichan, come look at this funny mirror! It made me and Shinji-nii look reeeealllyyy thin and stretched out, like biiiiig toothpicks!!"
Chuckling at his sister's analogy, the blonde soccer captain agreeably allowed himself to be led to one side.
At the same time, Shinji grabbed Tamahome's hand, tugging insistently. "Tamahome-niisan, come with me!"
"Huh?" Blinking, a surprised Tamahome let himself be pulled away to yet another section of the Hall of Mirrors.
Meanwhile, as soon as Aiko had led Nakago to the other end of the Hall of Mirrors, she made him face a mirror, then said in her most innocent tone, "okay, 'niichan, just stay right there!"
"What? Oi, Aiko-chan, wait - " the older blonde turned around in confusion.
He was met only with the fading sound of Aiko's giggles - the little girl had disappeared as soon as his back was turned.
Hmph, playing tricks on him, were they? With a long-suffering sigh, Nakago trudged down the winding hallway in search of his errant siblings, trying not to accidentally walk into any mirrors on the way.
"Aaarrrggghhhh..." Tasuki grumbled, pushing his unruly vermillion bangs back for the thousandth time. "We've been in this #$(* line for ages and it hasn't $(*@* MOVED!"
"It's only been fifteen minutes no da..."
"Closer to twenty, actually..." Hotohori corrected, checking his watch.
"Aww, guys, c'mon..." Nuriko, ever the optimist, cajoled his friends. "This ride'll be worth the wait, I promise! Where else can you ride a triple corkscrew rollercoaster?"
"Well, there is that."
"Tamahome is gonna kill us, though," added Chichiri. "We're making him wait for us for a really long time no da!"
"Erm..."
Tamahome, however, was currently too preoccupied to be annoyed by the fact that his friends had been gone for an inordinately long period of time. Shinji had led the aqua-haired boy to one corner of the Hall of Mirrors, Aiko joining him a few minutes later, and now that the pair had him cornered, they were taking the opportunity to interrogate him.
"Tamahome-niisan, do you have a girlfriend?" began Shinji.
Tamahome stared at the little boy, wide-eyed. He had not expected that."Uh..."
Two pairs of huge blue eyes regarded him expectantly, and the aqua-haired boy sweatdropped.
"...no, I don't have a girlfriend. Why do you ask...?"
"Then do you like 'nii-chan?" enquired Aiko, innocently.
The older boy gaped, before composing himself and snapping his mouth shut. Aiko-chan couldn't mean what he thought she'd meant by that, right?
//Nah,// Tamahome decided. //They're just kids, they can't mean me liking Nakago in *that* way...//
"Sure, I like Nakago," he answered out loud. "he's a nice guy."
Shinji eyeballed a nervous-looking Tamahome severely. "Tamahome-niisan...that's not what Aiko-chan meant."
"Yeah!" chimed in Aiko, giggling merrily. "Do you *like* 'niichan?"
//Okay, so I was wrong...// Tamahome blinked. "Er..."
"...*like* as in the same way that you would like a girlfriend," clarified Shinji solemnly, and Tamahome had to stifle a snicker at the thought of 'Nakago' and 'girlfriend' being equated.
//Nakago in a dress...heh heh...okay, stop, *stop*. Do *not* think evil thoughts about former rival-in-love, who is also current - uh - suitor? ...hmm, actually, he might look kinda *good* in a dress. Aaaahhh - STOP! *No* evil thoughts. Bad Tamahome, *bad*.//
"Tamahome-niisan?"
The gray-eyed boy blinked. Oh, yeah - Shinji and Aiko were still waiting for a response. "Um..."
"You see..." Tamahome knelt down so that he'd be at Shinji and Aiko's eye level. "Tamahome-niisan used to like this girl, but the girl didn't like him back, so he was sad for a while...and he isn't really sure how he feels about your brother just yet, because he'll need a little time to get over this girl..."
"Oh." Aiko regarded the aqua-haired boy solemly for a minute, then declared, "The girl must've been real stupid to not like Tamahome-niisan!"
The gray-eyed boy blinked, then chuckled. "Thanks, Aiko-chan..."
"Tamahome-niisan, what do you think of 'niisan?" enquired Shinji.
Tamahome blinked again. "Well...uh...he's really smart and nice..." //And damned good-looking, too...waiiiitaminute, since when have I been noticing that *Nakago* is good-looking?!//
"Y'know, he really likes you, Tamahome-niisan..." Aiko informed the startled boy. She giggled suddenly. "'Niichan has a photo of Tamahome-niisan that his friend gave him on his table!"
Shinji hurriedly shushed her, grinning. "Aiko-chan, you weren't supposed to tell him that!"
Tamahome could only gape at them. So maybe it wasn't just a game to Nakago then, huh...
"So..." Shinji regarded Tamahome speculatively. "Does that mean that 'niichan has a chance with you, Tamahome-niisan?"
"Eeeehh..." Tamahome was momentarily at a loss for words. "Uhm...I suppose so..." he replied hesitantly, and adamantly did not think about Nakago's many good points.
"...but don't tell him I said that," the gray-eyed boy added hastily, grinning at Shinji and Aiko. "By the way...where *is* Nakago, anyway?"
"Er..." Aiko smiled brightly at Tamahome, looking a little guilty.
"Yes, where am I, indeed," chimed in Nakago's deep, smooth voice, as the blonde walked up to them. He narrowed his eyes accusingly at Aiko. "You ditched me...that wasn't very nice."
Aiko gave her brother her most wide-eyed, innocent look. "I'm sorry, 'niichaaaaan!"
Tamahome, still kneeling, raised an eyebrow at Shinji. "So you planned this from the start, huh?" He tsked quietly. "You two're so sneaky..."
TBC...