Chapter 5: Yuujou Yueni (For the Sake of Friendship)
"Nuriko," a female voice whispered gently, her brown hair braided instead of her Tamahome-hair- look-alike style. Mirakuru leaned over the sleeping Nuriko, his hair was undone and he looked so sweet sleeping there. The early morning sunlight danced on his face and his bare chest shown perfectly tanned and shaped. *And to think you want to be a woman, when you perfect the way you are.* His dark eyeslashes were closed softly and she wondered just where her best friend was dreaming off into eternity. "Nuriko..."
His lips parted and his eyes slowly flickered open. The light reflected off his purple depths and made them violet and pure. He looked up at her and found her cobalt, sea-born eyes. Nuriko's head turned towards her more and the pillow fluffed out around his face. He couldn't look anymore like and angel then he did that moment.
"Hey." She smiled and blinked once, then again. "Sleep good?"
"Yeah..." The moment was all too peaceful and placid to be real. "Hmm." He licked his dry lips and sat up slightly. The sheet slipped further down his torso, exposing more of his male body.
"What you dream about?" She asked him very much amused by her own calmness.
"Hotohori..." He let out a sigh.
"Again?" She sighed more gravely then him and then chuckled aloud. "Typical Nuriko: such a sap and a hopeless romantic." She shuck her head and then smiled. "No wonder you are such a cutie."
"Huh?!" He blushed at her remark, suprised at her pleasant personality this morning. "Why are you in such a good mood?" He questioned her, breaking the peacefulness.
"Who says I'm never always in a good mood?" She turned her gaze out an opening in his room, watching the approach and pass of shadows. "And besides I'm looking forward to my training session with Tamahome. He promised to fight me even though I was a girl and I find that very sweet."
"Sound's like you like him. Hmm, do you?! Do you?!" He giggled and teased her.
"No!" Mirakuru frowned, turning back ot him, and then laughed at him as the sheet slipped further down his body. "Here," she said standing up. "You better get dressed."
"So I can look all pretty for his Highness?!" Nuriko laughed.
"No silly!" She through his clothes at his face and they landed in his lap. "So if somebody comes in they don't get the wrong idea about us." She winked. "You don't want to give Hotohori that idea, do you?"
"No." He pouted and then smiled again. "Hotohori? I love him." His eyes closed and he let out a sweet sigh of wishful thinking. His eyes lit up with hearts. Nuriko gazed off into space as she walked to the door.
*Yeah, I love him, too. But I can't tell you that, Nuriko...* She then turned back to the standing Nuriko, the sheet wrapped around his waist. *There's no way I'd betray you, my very best friend.* He was only two or three inches taller then she, but he still towered over her. "Nuriko?..."
"Yeah?" He looked up towards her eyes, now almost in tears. *Why are you so sad, Mirakuru?* They stood just like that, her head turned back, but her body facing opposite of his, and him half naked, but perfectly comfortable around her, for what seemed like and eternity. And then that's when it happened. They joined in one embrace. Tears streamed down her face and he felt the sheet drop to the ground as his arms went around her. "Mirakuru?..." He stood holding her completely open and exposed to her. Her face buried into his chest, she looked up into his eyes, his angel eyes.
"I don't want to pretend anymore," she begged for his warmth. "I don't want to do this." *I love Hotohori.*
"What do you want to tell me?" *What is it?*
"I can't do it." *I want him so bad.*
"What?" *Mirakuru.*
"I won't do it." *I want to touch him and for him to touch me.*
"Mirakuru?"
"Suzaku." *I will not betray Nuriko!*
"Mirakuru?..."
"Please..." *I want to be with Hotohori!*
"........"
"...don't..." "I can't do this.
"Mira--"
"...make me choose between them!"
"--kuru." Nuriko begged to know her troubles so he could make his best friend so happy. "Mirakuru?..."
Dead silence. Silence. Completely utter silence. Nothing but silence and an agonizing need for relief of the sadness in her heart. "I won't betray you...* She whispered without a explaination for him. Without a reason why. Her lips parted and said silently, *Hotohori... Nuriko... I can't do this. I love Hotohori, but Nuriko's my best friend and he loves him too. I can't break his heart like that. I won't break his trust, and I can't love Hotohori, atleast, not out loud.*
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Tasuki woke to find himself sitting with his back against his bed. Kakusei slept close to him in his bed. He'd stayed with her the whole night, sleeping near her but not with her. He had brought her to her room that night, but with no intentions of touching her with anything more then his lips to hers. Her eyes were shut and he could hear her breathing. Tasuki's fiery orange hair gleamed in the morning sunlight. *It can't be anymore then 6 or 7,* he thought to himself. "Kakusei," he called her name. "Kakusei. Walk up sleepy head."
When Kakusei's eyes finally opened, Tasuki's lips was on hers, his tongue dancing inside her mouth, his arms supporting himself on either side of her body, and a passion burning in his heart. Her hands went to his cheeks and she gave herself to him. He now was on top of her, kissing her madly to the truth. *Tasuki.*
*I'll get the truth soon enough.*
*At this rate, I think you will.* She let out a sigh but allowed him to kiss him until she weak, breathless, and very much in love. But she would be able to love him better if she loved herself more, but a haunting secret kept her from it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tamahome walked towards the courtyard where he would wait for Mirakuru. He went through the palace without really thinking of where he was going; well he did pretty much know every inch of it after spending the previous months there. He pondered his thoughts: Miaka. Himself. He loved her and knew she loved him. But Suzaku was keeping them apart, the very thing that brought them together. *Your first wish will be to bring everlasting peace to Konan, and then to be sent home with Yui, and finally to be with me forever. But I think there is something more that is going to be keeping us apart. Perhaps a pending threat that endangers all of our lifes, even... Miaka's.* His eyes widened at the thought of losing the only one he ever loved and wanted to love. But then he shook his head and smiled. *Come on, Tamahome. Knock it off. Your just imagining things.*
Or was he...
"Tamahome?" Tamahome's glanced focused on the person in front of him. It was Hotohori, standing there with a wery look in his eyes.
"Hey!" Tamahome grinned at him. "Why are you up so early?" He asked kind of friendly, unlike his respectful attitude torward him.
"I couldn't sleep last night, and thought there was no point in staying in bed when I wasn't sleeping." His hair was tied up loosely and he smiled slightly at his friend. "What about you, Tamahome?"
"Mirakuru and I were planning on training in the courtyard before we leave this afternoon." He winked. "She thought it would be best if she got so more practice in before the serious battles, so, I promised to help her." He then asked of the Emperor's inability to sleep. "Why couldn't you sleep, your Highness?"
"I couldn't stop thinking." He sat down on the edge of the railing and Tamahome followed.
"About--" He asked, letting his curiousity get the best of him.
"Lady Mirakuru." He let out a sigh.
"She loves you, you know."
"I know." He sighed again. "And I can't stop thinking about her."
"Hmm."
"Seems we both have similar problems."
"What do you mean?"
"Haven't you noticed?"
"Noticed what."
"Lady Daikonsen," Hotohori said calmly.
"What about her?" Tamahome blinked.
"She loves you too."
"What?!" Tamahome stood shocked. "No, she doesn't!!!"
"Yes she does." Chichiri approached them. "She has come to me herself, concerned about you, worried because of the current restriction Tihitscun has put on your relationship, ya know?"
"I haven't noticed," Tamahome chuckled. "I've been to busy learning about you and Densetsu."
"Hey!" Chichiri frowned.
"Yes," Hotohori joined in, "Quite a couple."
"And why is that anything to joke about?" Chichiri asked. "I love her!" He crossed his arms and seemed mad.
"Woh! Woh! Hey, Chichiri we were just kidding," Tamahome explained.
"I know," Chichiri smiled. All but Hotohori laughed who just disappeared around a corner.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He could still hear the distant laughter of his two friends and smiled at their pleasant mood. He'd welcomed them into his home and become close to most of them. Densetsu and Chichiri, Tasuki and Kakusei, Miaka and Tamahome, him and nobody. But someone loved him. More than one loved him. Nuriko loved him and he knew that, but so did Mirakuru, he could also see that. *Mirakuru...* He almost started to dream of her and then she appeared in his arms. Tears streamed down her cheeks as he became used to see her tears. Hotohori had learned of her hidden insecruities, she loved to fight, but hated to hurt people, in anyway. And that was definately a problem. She was the only true fighter in her group of Guardians of Suzaku. He guessed Lady Densetsu would be the next to pick up a sword and fight to protect Konan. But Lady Daikonsen and Kakusei seemed to be a little bite more afraid to fight. It had become known to him that Mirakuru possessed supernatural abilities, as Chichiri, and she'd taught it to some degree to the other girls. And he thought it would be best if she worked on it. "What's wrong?"
"Highness, I'm sorry!" She cried aloud, "I'm sorry for saying and telling you that nobody would ever love you, I'm sorry I told you all those lies that I could love you, I'm sorry for everything!" She was in denial, because she would never break Nuriko's heart, ever. *I'm sorry.*
"What?!" His eyes widened. "And just when I thought I could love you..."
"Nuriko," a female voice whispered gently, her brown hair braided instead of her Tamahome-hair- look-alike style. Mirakuru leaned over the sleeping Nuriko, his hair was undone and he looked so sweet sleeping there. The early morning sunlight danced on his face and his bare chest shown perfectly tanned and shaped. *And to think you want to be a woman, when you perfect the way you are.* His dark eyeslashes were closed softly and she wondered just where her best friend was dreaming off into eternity. "Nuriko..."
His lips parted and his eyes slowly flickered open. The light reflected off his purple depths and made them violet and pure. He looked up at her and found her cobalt, sea-born eyes. Nuriko's head turned towards her more and the pillow fluffed out around his face. He couldn't look anymore like and angel then he did that moment.
"Hey." She smiled and blinked once, then again. "Sleep good?"
"Yeah..." The moment was all too peaceful and placid to be real. "Hmm." He licked his dry lips and sat up slightly. The sheet slipped further down his torso, exposing more of his male body.
"What you dream about?" She asked him very much amused by her own calmness.
"Hotohori..." He let out a sigh.
"Again?" She sighed more gravely then him and then chuckled aloud. "Typical Nuriko: such a sap and a hopeless romantic." She shuck her head and then smiled. "No wonder you are such a cutie."
"Huh?!" He blushed at her remark, suprised at her pleasant personality this morning. "Why are you in such a good mood?" He questioned her, breaking the peacefulness.
"Who says I'm never always in a good mood?" She turned her gaze out an opening in his room, watching the approach and pass of shadows. "And besides I'm looking forward to my training session with Tamahome. He promised to fight me even though I was a girl and I find that very sweet."
"Sound's like you like him. Hmm, do you?! Do you?!" He giggled and teased her.
"No!" Mirakuru frowned, turning back ot him, and then laughed at him as the sheet slipped further down his body. "Here," she said standing up. "You better get dressed."
"So I can look all pretty for his Highness?!" Nuriko laughed.
"No silly!" She through his clothes at his face and they landed in his lap. "So if somebody comes in they don't get the wrong idea about us." She winked. "You don't want to give Hotohori that idea, do you?"
"No." He pouted and then smiled again. "Hotohori? I love him." His eyes closed and he let out a sweet sigh of wishful thinking. His eyes lit up with hearts. Nuriko gazed off into space as she walked to the door.
*Yeah, I love him, too. But I can't tell you that, Nuriko...* She then turned back to the standing Nuriko, the sheet wrapped around his waist. *There's no way I'd betray you, my very best friend.* He was only two or three inches taller then she, but he still towered over her. "Nuriko?..."
"Yeah?" He looked up towards her eyes, now almost in tears. *Why are you so sad, Mirakuru?* They stood just like that, her head turned back, but her body facing opposite of his, and him half naked, but perfectly comfortable around her, for what seemed like and eternity. And then that's when it happened. They joined in one embrace. Tears streamed down her face and he felt the sheet drop to the ground as his arms went around her. "Mirakuru?..." He stood holding her completely open and exposed to her. Her face buried into his chest, she looked up into his eyes, his angel eyes.
"I don't want to pretend anymore," she begged for his warmth. "I don't want to do this." *I love Hotohori.*
"What do you want to tell me?" *What is it?*
"I can't do it." *I want him so bad.*
"What?" *Mirakuru.*
"I won't do it." *I want to touch him and for him to touch me.*
"Mirakuru?"
"Suzaku." *I will not betray Nuriko!*
"Mirakuru?..."
"Please..." *I want to be with Hotohori!*
"........"
"...don't..." "I can't do this.
"Mira--"
"...make me choose between them!"
"--kuru." Nuriko begged to know her troubles so he could make his best friend so happy. "Mirakuru?..."
Dead silence. Silence. Completely utter silence. Nothing but silence and an agonizing need for relief of the sadness in her heart. "I won't betray you...* She whispered without a explaination for him. Without a reason why. Her lips parted and said silently, *Hotohori... Nuriko... I can't do this. I love Hotohori, but Nuriko's my best friend and he loves him too. I can't break his heart like that. I won't break his trust, and I can't love Hotohori, atleast, not out loud.*
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Tasuki woke to find himself sitting with his back against his bed. Kakusei slept close to him in his bed. He'd stayed with her the whole night, sleeping near her but not with her. He had brought her to her room that night, but with no intentions of touching her with anything more then his lips to hers. Her eyes were shut and he could hear her breathing. Tasuki's fiery orange hair gleamed in the morning sunlight. *It can't be anymore then 6 or 7,* he thought to himself. "Kakusei," he called her name. "Kakusei. Walk up sleepy head."
When Kakusei's eyes finally opened, Tasuki's lips was on hers, his tongue dancing inside her mouth, his arms supporting himself on either side of her body, and a passion burning in his heart. Her hands went to his cheeks and she gave herself to him. He now was on top of her, kissing her madly to the truth. *Tasuki.*
*I'll get the truth soon enough.*
*At this rate, I think you will.* She let out a sigh but allowed him to kiss him until she weak, breathless, and very much in love. But she would be able to love him better if she loved herself more, but a haunting secret kept her from it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tamahome walked towards the courtyard where he would wait for Mirakuru. He went through the palace without really thinking of where he was going; well he did pretty much know every inch of it after spending the previous months there. He pondered his thoughts: Miaka. Himself. He loved her and knew she loved him. But Suzaku was keeping them apart, the very thing that brought them together. *Your first wish will be to bring everlasting peace to Konan, and then to be sent home with Yui, and finally to be with me forever. But I think there is something more that is going to be keeping us apart. Perhaps a pending threat that endangers all of our lifes, even... Miaka's.* His eyes widened at the thought of losing the only one he ever loved and wanted to love. But then he shook his head and smiled. *Come on, Tamahome. Knock it off. Your just imagining things.*
Or was he...
"Tamahome?" Tamahome's glanced focused on the person in front of him. It was Hotohori, standing there with a wery look in his eyes.
"Hey!" Tamahome grinned at him. "Why are you up so early?" He asked kind of friendly, unlike his respectful attitude torward him.
"I couldn't sleep last night, and thought there was no point in staying in bed when I wasn't sleeping." His hair was tied up loosely and he smiled slightly at his friend. "What about you, Tamahome?"
"Mirakuru and I were planning on training in the courtyard before we leave this afternoon." He winked. "She thought it would be best if she got so more practice in before the serious battles, so, I promised to help her." He then asked of the Emperor's inability to sleep. "Why couldn't you sleep, your Highness?"
"I couldn't stop thinking." He sat down on the edge of the railing and Tamahome followed.
"About--" He asked, letting his curiousity get the best of him.
"Lady Mirakuru." He let out a sigh.
"She loves you, you know."
"I know." He sighed again. "And I can't stop thinking about her."
"Hmm."
"Seems we both have similar problems."
"What do you mean?"
"Haven't you noticed?"
"Noticed what."
"Lady Daikonsen," Hotohori said calmly.
"What about her?" Tamahome blinked.
"She loves you too."
"What?!" Tamahome stood shocked. "No, she doesn't!!!"
"Yes she does." Chichiri approached them. "She has come to me herself, concerned about you, worried because of the current restriction Tihitscun has put on your relationship, ya know?"
"I haven't noticed," Tamahome chuckled. "I've been to busy learning about you and Densetsu."
"Hey!" Chichiri frowned.
"Yes," Hotohori joined in, "Quite a couple."
"And why is that anything to joke about?" Chichiri asked. "I love her!" He crossed his arms and seemed mad.
"Woh! Woh! Hey, Chichiri we were just kidding," Tamahome explained.
"I know," Chichiri smiled. All but Hotohori laughed who just disappeared around a corner.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He could still hear the distant laughter of his two friends and smiled at their pleasant mood. He'd welcomed them into his home and become close to most of them. Densetsu and Chichiri, Tasuki and Kakusei, Miaka and Tamahome, him and nobody. But someone loved him. More than one loved him. Nuriko loved him and he knew that, but so did Mirakuru, he could also see that. *Mirakuru...* He almost started to dream of her and then she appeared in his arms. Tears streamed down her cheeks as he became used to see her tears. Hotohori had learned of her hidden insecruities, she loved to fight, but hated to hurt people, in anyway. And that was definately a problem. She was the only true fighter in her group of Guardians of Suzaku. He guessed Lady Densetsu would be the next to pick up a sword and fight to protect Konan. But Lady Daikonsen and Kakusei seemed to be a little bite more afraid to fight. It had become known to him that Mirakuru possessed supernatural abilities, as Chichiri, and she'd taught it to some degree to the other girls. And he thought it would be best if she worked on it. "What's wrong?"
"Highness, I'm sorry!" She cried aloud, "I'm sorry for saying and telling you that nobody would ever love you, I'm sorry I told you all those lies that I could love you, I'm sorry for everything!" She was in denial, because she would never break Nuriko's heart, ever. *I'm sorry.*
"What?!" His eyes widened. "And just when I thought I could love you..."