"Traitor" [chapter 2]

Tohda glanced again at the letter in his hand from Byakko, spelling out in messy, scribbling writing a message apologizing for the change of plans. They couldn't have tea at Byakko's house for an unspecified reason, but the Wind God had instead changed the location to Tohda's home. After a brief moment of staring at the little signature and an added heart at the end, he crushed the paper into a wad with his fist, and dropped it on the floor. Moving into to kitchen when Tsuzuki already sat, Tohda tugged on an apron and began to prepare tea without making a sound. He winced as a cloud of white steam drifted up into his face, clouding up his visor. He always forgot about that when he made tea, every single time... maybe he should write a note or something. There was a cute sticky-note pad (some human thing) with a cartoon snake on it that Tenku had given him, he could make a little reminder to post on the wall in front of the stove. That way he'd remember. Surprising, the kind little favors that Tenku did for him, when her father hated him the possible most out of the Divine Twelve. Children were so innocent.

"Ne, ne, Tohdaaaaa-chan. Who did you say was coming over?" Tsuzuki yawned from the table, where the shinigami was busily devouring a slice of cake. Not many shinigami or shikigami knew about the Serpent God's secret talent- his ability to cook. It was well hidden, as Tohda never had anyone over for dinner- no one wanted to keep his company but Tsuzuki, it seemed, and therefore had never seen his amazing cooking. Well, Tsuzuki... and... Byakko, too.

The traitor shikigami avoided answering Tsuzuki's question as long as he could until it was finally pulled out of him by the sad puppy-dog eyes of his master. "Byakko." His low voice dropped even further, and when whispered at the same time, was nearly impossible to hear.

"Mou, really? That's wonderful, that you're finally getting along with the others! Toh-daaaaa-chan." Tsuzuki smiled genuinely, taking another bite of his cake. Tohda just stared at the teapot as he poured, blushing slightly, glad that the visor hid his expression. He was sworn to Tsuzuki's side, he had the deepest respect and gratitude towards the man; he loved Tsuzuki, in a way that he owed the shinigami his life. But... not the way that he loved Byakko. The feelings he had for Tsuzuki were far, if also close, from the types of feelings he had begun to develop for the tiger. He had to wonder, as well, what would happen if Tsuzuki knew. Would he be upset that Tohda was developing the type of affection that would draw his complete attention away from the shinigami? No... that couldn't happen. It just couldn't. Tsuzuki wasn't that type of person. Or... was he? Tohda was never quite sure. There was so much to the sugar-loving man, so many layers to his soul, he was an enigma... never meant to be interpreted. Except by Kurosaki, maybe... just maybe. That boy seemed to fit with Tsuzuki, and Tsuzuki with him, like gloves to each other. Who knew. Perhaps something more would come form that. Tohda would be glad for it, anything that made his master happy would also please him. But this... this fledgling friendship with the Wind God... would Tsuzuki be happy for him, Tohda, if it turned into something else, the same way that Tohda would be happy for Tsuzuki if the shinigami's relationship with Hisoka turned into something else? Tohda just wasn't sure anymore. He didn't know what to think when it came to Byakko.

There was a knock on the door and Tsuzuki perked up, popped the last bite of cake into his mouth and jumped up to answer. Tohda stared intently at the cups of tea as he poured slowly, filling those little ceramic half-orbs with dedicated, steady hands. He had removed his metal finger-clamps and battle clothing, including the sweeping cloak and the grotesque third eye appendage that adorned his right left shoulder. After all, he didn't need them- Suzaku wasn't the one to come calling.

"......right in here. Tohda-chan made tea and cake." Tsuzuki was saying as he re-entered the kitchen, Byakko smiling cheerily just behind him. "Ah, look who's here, Tohda-chan! It's Byakko!" Tsuzuki said all of this as if surprised that Byakko showed up, as if he hadn't believed Tohda when the serpent God mentioned that another shiki was coming. Tohda picked up on this subtle slip, and was slightly hurt, but knew that he would never say anything. He could forgive Tsuzuki for anything.

The taller shikigami took a moment to steady his hands and breathing, then placed the kettle back onto the cooling stove and carried the tray of tea over to the table, seating himself at the same time that Tsuzuki and Byakko did. He avoided looking at the Tiger, and the visor hid his reluctance, making it seem as if he gazed calmly out over the guests.

"Hello Tohda-kun." Byakko was peering at him from different angels as he spoke, as if trying to figure out in what direction Tohda was looking beneath the visor. "Sorry about the change in plans, but, my home..." He faltered for a moment, then went on, "has become inhospitable. Thank you for letting us have tea at your home. I'm so glad we could do this." Byakko smiled sincerely.

"I'm happy that Tohda is finally making friends! Ne Tohda-chan?" Tsuzuki chirped from across the table, having gotten ahold of another piece of Tohda's cake, and blissfully ignorant of the multitude of crumbs coating his lips. "It's about time everyone moved on."

"Well, not everyone, not yet." Byakko said as he sipped tea. "Sadly, The Divine Twelve are still hiding behind their walls of past grieviances. I never liked hiding very much. And I -do- enjoy Tohda's company." Byakko looked back over at Tohda and smiled, but his gaze lingered longer than it should have, and Tohda's heart skipped a beat. He drank more tea to calm his nerves.

"Aa. I'm... glad you came." Tohda's voice was low and forcibly steady, and thanks to his visor, he gave away nothing.

Byakko took a bite of cake, following Tsuzuki's example, and the moment his lips closed around the fork head, his entire face light up, the feline grin beaming forth. "Mou!! This is delicious!" Byakko began shoveling more forkfulls into his mouth, unconsciously beginning to purr rather loudly, and getting louder with each bite. Tohda just stared, tea forgotten, as the Wind shiki consumed piece after piece, beating Tsuzuki's record, and purring so loud that a storm seemed on its way, apparently oblivious to it all. Tsuzuki nodded and reached for more cake, used to the loud, rumbly purr of his most playful shikigami.

Without warning, Byakko set his fork down and leveled a dead-serious gaze onto Tohda, who visibly scooted backward, visor glinting in the sunlight, hidden expression taken aback. "This settles it. I intended to ask Suzaku Nee-san, but I want to ask you instead, Tohda. The reason I had to cancel our tea at my home... was because mine had been destroyed."

Tsuzuki gasped and dropped his fork, chocolate cake splattering across the tabletop. "But how?!"

Byakko looked surprised at his reaction, dead-serious expression suddenly gone. He blinked blankly for a moment, then burst out laughing, waving his hands in the air. Tohda sat stoic the entire time, with a fine sheen of nervous sweat breaking out along the hairline of his neck.

"Oh, it's no big deal, really! I was just sparring with Kijin and we got a little carried away. He hasn't learned how to control all of the powers he inherited from his father yet, so... well... he'd kind of blown a whole chunk of my house off." Byakko chuckled good-naturedly.

"Why didn't any of us hear about it?" Tsuzuki asked, perplexed, watching with mounting curiosity even as he shoveled down more cake and used a fingertip to get the splattered cake up off the tabletop and lick it clean.

"Well, you know Kijin, he was embarrassed and didn't want his father to hear about such a slip-up. I swore not to tell anyone, and he's going to rebuild it for me, somehow. But in the meantime..." his gaze went back to Tohda, and his smile wasn't the childish, beaming smile of old, but a more... softer one. Sweeter. Subtle. His ki was washing intensely over Tohda's still form, crashing waves of it, and stirring something deep within the shikigami. Tohda wasn't sure what to do.

"In the meantime, I need somewhere to stay." He reached out to touch Tohda lightly on the bare shoulder. "Ne Tohda-kun? Can I stay here with you?"

***

Uwah! Chapter Two is very very short. Sorry!!! o_o; I like how it is turning out though... Suggestions? Review! Review! ^_^ I love reviews! *cuddles* Please? XD