"Traitor" Ch. 3 - Moving In
***
Tohda was so stunned by this question that he couldn't move from the position he was in, lips poised over the rim of the tea cup, eyebrows arching upward in shock. Byakko was bent close to him, hand on his shoulder, face hopeful, and Tsuzuki was sitting rigid across the table from them, the only sign of life a smile that was slowly getting wider, and wider, and wider.
"EEEEEE!" The shinigami leapt forward in his enthusiasm. "That's a wonderful idea Byakko-kun! And I know Tohda will have no problems with it! Ne Tohda!" His large purple gaze swung over towards the serpent shiki.
Clearing his throat and lowering the teacup from his lips, Tohda was able to gather his wits and distract himself from the warm touch of the white tiger on his cool skin. "I... I don't know." He regretted the words as soon as they were out of his mouth- Byakko looked instantly crestfallen, and Tsuzuki confused. "I..." He groped blindly for a good reason, anything to keep the Wind God out of his home and from further embarrassment where his feelings were concerned. "It's not much, my home... not nearly as nice as your own... I don't even have any servants or maids. I'm afraid that it would be dissatisfactory to your needs." Tohda said softly, setting his teacup down onto the table.
"WHAT!" Byakko stood up so suddenly that his chair flew backward, and Tsuzuki jumped. The long, black-and-white striped tail whipped the air behind him. His fuzzy ears were quivering. "Nonsense! I don't have servants in my home either! Your home is perfect, I would give anything to stay here with yo-" He froze when he realized what he had been saying, and a warm, pink color began to spread across his youthful face. "Er, I mean, only if it's alright with you. I would very much like to stay until my own home is rebuilt." He finally lost his feline stubbornness, and the shiki's gaze fell to the tablecloth. Tsuzuki peered in interest. Tohda was rooted to the spot.
"And.." Byakko was almost sheepish now. "You are a really good cook." He licked a speck of chocolate from his bottom lip, then returned his gaze to Tohda, smiling like a schoolboy.
There was a stunned moment of silence, then Tohda, remarkably, returned the smile, even if so slightly it was hardly noticeable, and Tsuzuki leaped up to glomp them both.
"Yay!" He sang. "It's settled! I'm so happy for you two!" He hugged them tightly, each in turn. Both shikis blushed at their owner's words, what with Tsuzuki having made it sound like they were getting married, or something of an equally weird matter. "And I'm gonna come over every night. We'll eat cake. It'll be just like a slumber party ne!" He giggled and wrapped his arms around Tohda's shoulders. Byakko watched with a smile, then yelped as Tsuzuki stealthily grabbed his tail from behind and tugged on it.
***
Tohda was broken, for the fifth time, it seemed, out of his meditation, as yet another loud jarring noise erupted from the empty bedroom down the hall from his own room. Byakko had begun to move in that morning, Tsuzuki and Kijin helping, with Tenkou watching from the sides and giggling at her brother and the 'silly tiger.' They were making so much ruckus that Tohda had pretty much given up on getting anything accomplished that day. He was just so used to silence in his own home.. he could hardly get anything done now that there was so much noise. But.... he liked it. He didn't mind it, really. It had been so, so long since he had heard laughter coming from his own home.
Standing up gracefully in one smooth motion, the serpent shiki moved towards the door of his bedroom. He paused by the frame to listen to the others in the room right next to his.
"No-no, no-no, over here, over here!" Came Tenkou's young voice, so sweet and happy. "It won't fit in the corner, Tsuzuki-san! Put it by the window."
"Neeeeee Tenkou-chan, I can't carry it all the way over there. Too heavy!" Came Tsuzuki's pouty whine as he undoubtedly struggled to lift a bookshelf or bed frame. "I'm too old for thiiiis."
"Let me." Kijin's calm, placid young tenor came lilting down the hall to Tohda's ears. There was an appreciative gasp of 'aaa!' as Tsuzuki probably watched SohRyu's son elevate the furniture and float it over to the window.
"Aw, thank you Kijin-kun! You are so strong, just like your father!" Byakko sung out, and Kijin 'oofed' as he was most likely glomped. Tohda could just see the blush that would creep across the young shiki's face from the compliment. How those two children adored their father, and how he adored them- it was beautiful, if you were one to appreciate such relationships- unlike Tohda. He wondered, briefly, what SohRyu would do if he found out that his two precious children were in the home of that 'Traitor', Tohda, the Serpent Shikigami. He would probably come right away, eyes on fire, fueled with bloodlust. His hatred of the fire shiki was well-known throughout the circle of the Divine Twelve.
Tohda was just turning around to re-enter his bedroom and resume meditation, when two arms closed around him from behind. He was shocked that he hadn't heard the approach, or felt the ki of whoever had him ensnared from behind- he must have been too busy thinking about SohRyu and his children. And then a long, black-and-white striped tail came twisting around his body, ensnaring him just as tightly as the two arms had. A tidal wave of suppressed ki (for ambushing, no doubt) hit him square on the back as a warm body pressed up against him, and for several moments, he felt nothing but Byakko, Byakko's feelings, his thoughts, his excitement, his love, everything about him, just washing around inside of Tohda's mind and soul. It felt like a jolt of energy, it felt like a pool of chocolate. He didn't know what to think or say.
"Tohdaaaaa~!" Byakko cried as he hugged the taller shiki tightly. "Come join us! Pleeeease?" His youthful voice was full of cleverly disguised persuasion. "And let me thank you again for letting me stay with you! It makes me so happy, you have no -idea- Tohda-kun!" The Wind Shiki refused to pull back from where his body pressed warmly up against Tohda's, and the serpent shiki hid his panic as a blush rose on his face and strange prickling sensations swept through his torso, stirring something in his groin and the pit of his stomach.
"I... will come, if you need help." He managed to say hoarsely, immediately angry at how weak his voice sounded. That was not like a shikigami! That was not like -him-! It frightened him how Byakko affected all his actions. Was he losing control over his own body? How? Why? What was -happening- to him?!
Tsuzuki appeared in the doorway behind them, followed by Kijin, who had Tenkou sitting on his shoulders, playing with the ornamental ribbons and wires in his hair. "Aa, there you two are. Ne, let's have tea now! Please? I'm so hungry and Tohda makes the best cake and sweets..." Tsuzuki rubbed his midsection dolefully.
"But we're not finished with Byakko's things!" Tenkou said in confusion. "There are still a lot of boxes left!"
"Cake... please..." Tsuzuki moaned.
"Boxes?" Tohda managed to say over the loud, grating purring noises that Byakko was beginning to make. "How many things did he bring with him?" After all, the spare bedroom was not very big, hardly large enough to hold a bed and bookshelf--
"Cake..."
"There are eighty-nine boxes left to be unpacked." Kijin said calmly.
There was a long, drawn-out silence, in which Tohda merely stood there, lips parted just slightly, the first outward sign of utter shock that he had shown in years. The only sound in the room was Byakko's uncontrolled purring, which was by now causing the light fixtures to vibrate. Tsuzuki wiggled, wiggling some more, then apparently decided that the awkward silence had gone on for far too long.
"CAKE!"
***
Comments: Yay! That took forever. But it's done! Whoo-hoo! Leave reviews... please..?
***
Tohda was so stunned by this question that he couldn't move from the position he was in, lips poised over the rim of the tea cup, eyebrows arching upward in shock. Byakko was bent close to him, hand on his shoulder, face hopeful, and Tsuzuki was sitting rigid across the table from them, the only sign of life a smile that was slowly getting wider, and wider, and wider.
"EEEEEE!" The shinigami leapt forward in his enthusiasm. "That's a wonderful idea Byakko-kun! And I know Tohda will have no problems with it! Ne Tohda!" His large purple gaze swung over towards the serpent shiki.
Clearing his throat and lowering the teacup from his lips, Tohda was able to gather his wits and distract himself from the warm touch of the white tiger on his cool skin. "I... I don't know." He regretted the words as soon as they were out of his mouth- Byakko looked instantly crestfallen, and Tsuzuki confused. "I..." He groped blindly for a good reason, anything to keep the Wind God out of his home and from further embarrassment where his feelings were concerned. "It's not much, my home... not nearly as nice as your own... I don't even have any servants or maids. I'm afraid that it would be dissatisfactory to your needs." Tohda said softly, setting his teacup down onto the table.
"WHAT!" Byakko stood up so suddenly that his chair flew backward, and Tsuzuki jumped. The long, black-and-white striped tail whipped the air behind him. His fuzzy ears were quivering. "Nonsense! I don't have servants in my home either! Your home is perfect, I would give anything to stay here with yo-" He froze when he realized what he had been saying, and a warm, pink color began to spread across his youthful face. "Er, I mean, only if it's alright with you. I would very much like to stay until my own home is rebuilt." He finally lost his feline stubbornness, and the shiki's gaze fell to the tablecloth. Tsuzuki peered in interest. Tohda was rooted to the spot.
"And.." Byakko was almost sheepish now. "You are a really good cook." He licked a speck of chocolate from his bottom lip, then returned his gaze to Tohda, smiling like a schoolboy.
There was a stunned moment of silence, then Tohda, remarkably, returned the smile, even if so slightly it was hardly noticeable, and Tsuzuki leaped up to glomp them both.
"Yay!" He sang. "It's settled! I'm so happy for you two!" He hugged them tightly, each in turn. Both shikis blushed at their owner's words, what with Tsuzuki having made it sound like they were getting married, or something of an equally weird matter. "And I'm gonna come over every night. We'll eat cake. It'll be just like a slumber party ne!" He giggled and wrapped his arms around Tohda's shoulders. Byakko watched with a smile, then yelped as Tsuzuki stealthily grabbed his tail from behind and tugged on it.
***
Tohda was broken, for the fifth time, it seemed, out of his meditation, as yet another loud jarring noise erupted from the empty bedroom down the hall from his own room. Byakko had begun to move in that morning, Tsuzuki and Kijin helping, with Tenkou watching from the sides and giggling at her brother and the 'silly tiger.' They were making so much ruckus that Tohda had pretty much given up on getting anything accomplished that day. He was just so used to silence in his own home.. he could hardly get anything done now that there was so much noise. But.... he liked it. He didn't mind it, really. It had been so, so long since he had heard laughter coming from his own home.
Standing up gracefully in one smooth motion, the serpent shiki moved towards the door of his bedroom. He paused by the frame to listen to the others in the room right next to his.
"No-no, no-no, over here, over here!" Came Tenkou's young voice, so sweet and happy. "It won't fit in the corner, Tsuzuki-san! Put it by the window."
"Neeeeee Tenkou-chan, I can't carry it all the way over there. Too heavy!" Came Tsuzuki's pouty whine as he undoubtedly struggled to lift a bookshelf or bed frame. "I'm too old for thiiiis."
"Let me." Kijin's calm, placid young tenor came lilting down the hall to Tohda's ears. There was an appreciative gasp of 'aaa!' as Tsuzuki probably watched SohRyu's son elevate the furniture and float it over to the window.
"Aw, thank you Kijin-kun! You are so strong, just like your father!" Byakko sung out, and Kijin 'oofed' as he was most likely glomped. Tohda could just see the blush that would creep across the young shiki's face from the compliment. How those two children adored their father, and how he adored them- it was beautiful, if you were one to appreciate such relationships- unlike Tohda. He wondered, briefly, what SohRyu would do if he found out that his two precious children were in the home of that 'Traitor', Tohda, the Serpent Shikigami. He would probably come right away, eyes on fire, fueled with bloodlust. His hatred of the fire shiki was well-known throughout the circle of the Divine Twelve.
Tohda was just turning around to re-enter his bedroom and resume meditation, when two arms closed around him from behind. He was shocked that he hadn't heard the approach, or felt the ki of whoever had him ensnared from behind- he must have been too busy thinking about SohRyu and his children. And then a long, black-and-white striped tail came twisting around his body, ensnaring him just as tightly as the two arms had. A tidal wave of suppressed ki (for ambushing, no doubt) hit him square on the back as a warm body pressed up against him, and for several moments, he felt nothing but Byakko, Byakko's feelings, his thoughts, his excitement, his love, everything about him, just washing around inside of Tohda's mind and soul. It felt like a jolt of energy, it felt like a pool of chocolate. He didn't know what to think or say.
"Tohdaaaaa~!" Byakko cried as he hugged the taller shiki tightly. "Come join us! Pleeeease?" His youthful voice was full of cleverly disguised persuasion. "And let me thank you again for letting me stay with you! It makes me so happy, you have no -idea- Tohda-kun!" The Wind Shiki refused to pull back from where his body pressed warmly up against Tohda's, and the serpent shiki hid his panic as a blush rose on his face and strange prickling sensations swept through his torso, stirring something in his groin and the pit of his stomach.
"I... will come, if you need help." He managed to say hoarsely, immediately angry at how weak his voice sounded. That was not like a shikigami! That was not like -him-! It frightened him how Byakko affected all his actions. Was he losing control over his own body? How? Why? What was -happening- to him?!
Tsuzuki appeared in the doorway behind them, followed by Kijin, who had Tenkou sitting on his shoulders, playing with the ornamental ribbons and wires in his hair. "Aa, there you two are. Ne, let's have tea now! Please? I'm so hungry and Tohda makes the best cake and sweets..." Tsuzuki rubbed his midsection dolefully.
"But we're not finished with Byakko's things!" Tenkou said in confusion. "There are still a lot of boxes left!"
"Cake... please..." Tsuzuki moaned.
"Boxes?" Tohda managed to say over the loud, grating purring noises that Byakko was beginning to make. "How many things did he bring with him?" After all, the spare bedroom was not very big, hardly large enough to hold a bed and bookshelf--
"Cake..."
"There are eighty-nine boxes left to be unpacked." Kijin said calmly.
There was a long, drawn-out silence, in which Tohda merely stood there, lips parted just slightly, the first outward sign of utter shock that he had shown in years. The only sound in the room was Byakko's uncontrolled purring, which was by now causing the light fixtures to vibrate. Tsuzuki wiggled, wiggling some more, then apparently decided that the awkward silence had gone on for far too long.
"CAKE!"
***
Comments: Yay! That took forever. But it's done! Whoo-hoo! Leave reviews... please..?