AD 2207, 5/19, 13th Hierarchical City of Kagutsuchi– Ronin-gai
Bang Shishigami is not a man who cowers. Since his interference with the Maiko troupe and their leader, Amane Nishiki's attempt to 'recruit' his second disciple, Carl Clover, the vigilante of love and justice has felt an inescapable guilt. His banning from the show almost put the troupe's donations in peril, but Bang was quick to remind the people of Ronin-gai to be generous.
"I must apologize. That is the only way." Bang nods sagely to himself, the early morning sun reflecting off the sweat covering his tanned muscular frame as he stands atop the pylon overlooking his district.
"Sha!" With a battle cry, Bang leaps down from his perch, taking to the rooftops to descend towards the lower exit, where Amane's freshly repaired caravan waits for the sun to rise fully before departing to Wadatsumi.
Bang arrives at his location in only a few minutes, owing to his prodigious speed. As he lands deftly at a safe distance from the caravan, he spies a freshly awake Amane walking towards him, still clad in his pink yukata, his purple hair pinned back into a messy bun. His ice-blue eyes glare at Bang drowsily, but with a fierceness that belies his undress. Bang shudders with emotion.
"Shishigami, what are you doing here?" Amane stops about three meters away, his ribbons swaying dangerously in the breeze.
Bang swallows thickly, then bows deeply at the hip. "Nishiki, I apologize for my unseemly behavior yesterday. Such hasty judgement is not befitting of a man such as I, Bang Shishigami."
Amane critically raises a thin brow and looks him over. "Hmm… Why should I accept?"
Bang freezes. "P-Pardon?"
Amane huffs haughtily. "You cost me a chance to recruit Carl and made my boys cry. Why should I forgive you, Shishigami?" Nishiki crosses his arms, his eyes losing their drowsy fog as he gives Bang a deadpan stare.
Bang rises, a deep sorrowful frown tugging at his lips. "N-Nishiki. I understand that I've caused you a lot of trouble, but I don't want to part ways like this. Please, allow me to make amends." Bang plants his studded knuckles on the exposed flesh of his hips, just under the red rope of his fundoshi.
Amane hums thoughtfully and glances around. "Are your buddies up yet?"
Bang shakes his head, jostling his spiky brown ponytail. "No. I came alone, as a man should when confronting those he has wronged."
Amane hums again, then looks at Bang seriously. After a tense moment, he murmurs to himself. "Guard duty."
Bang tilts his head. "Come again?"
Amane shakes his head slightly, then looks Bang dead in the eye. "I'm putting you on guard duty, Shishigami. Go get your buddies, I'll need them too."
Bang's amber eyes widen. "B-But then who will protect Ronin-gai? The people here—"
Amane snaps open a fan from his obi to cover his yawn, then waves the painted fingers of his other hand dismissively. "Most of your buddies, then. Be ready by the time I'm dressed, or I'm leaving things as they are."
Bang jolts and then nods determinably. "Very well, I, Bang Shishigami, would be honored to be your guardian."
Amane looks at him like one looks at a particularly loud puppy. Bang feels his sweat intensify just a bit at the cold gaze. Then he bursts off in a flash, to retrieve his men.
Once he's out of sight, Amane sighs, turning to return to his wagon and get ready to face the day. Sitting near the fire, Haru and Natsu watch him with knowing smiles as he passes, and Amane scoffs good-naturedly.
AD 2207, 5/22, Unknown Area
"Boss, are you sure you should still be up there?" Aka's wary whisper breaks the silence of the moonless night.
Bang glances down at his subordinate with a bright smile. "Ha-ha! Do not worry about me, Aka! I am perfectly fine!" He uses a hearty thumbs up to complete his reassurance.
"Ugh, can you be quiet already?" Koji's deep grumble cuts in from the wagon behind them, and Bang cringes. He'd been too loud again. That means…
"Shishigami, a word?" Amane's messy bed head pokes out from the lead wagon, and Bang reluctantly rushes to the window, where Amane glares at him balefully. "You look terrible."
It's true. Bang's spiky ponytail is more of a mess than usual, and he has begun to form bags under his eyes. He's been insistent on taking the night watch twice now and has gotten precious little sleep in the form of power naps for the last two days.
Bang valiantly fights back a yawn to protest. "N-Nonsense! I can go on just f— Mph!"
Amane's icy glare deepens as he covers Bang's loud mouth with his hand, shivering slightly at the warmth meeting his slightly chilly palm. Bang's always run hot. "Shishigami, get in here. I have a spare shikibuton somewhere in here, and you need to rest. Tell one of your buddies to take over."
Amane pulls his hand away a few centimeters, and Bang reluctantly looks to Aka, who is already atop his former perch. Seeing no use in fighting the inevitable, Bang enters the window.
After a few moments of searching, Amane finds his spare bedding and hands it over to Bang, who unfurls it just under the window.
Amane scoffs tiredly. "Shishigami, put it next to mine. We'll have to share the blankets."
Bang's face heats up, his eyes going wide. "W-What?"
Amane rolls his eyes and conjures a ribbon to drag the tiresome man away from the window. "Well, I don't have any spare blankets, and I don't feel like making any, so you'll just have to man up and bear with me. Just keep your back to mine and it'll be fine." Amane yawns behind his hand.
Bang shivers as he watches this. He feels his heart jolt at such a sight. It's almost… cute. He freezes at the thought. "I-I, Bang Shishigami, cannot be thinking of another man as cute! "Bang quickly shakes his head to dispel the notion.
Amane watches him with a knowing deadpan stare. He quirks a brow when Bang finishes imitating a dog trying to dry off. "Are you done? I'm going to bed now, and if you don't hurry up, I'll just keep the blankets to myself."
Bang jolts, then quickly undresses to follow Amane's lead, pressing his now bare back to the other man's, shivering at the feeling of the soft fabric against his naked muscles.
As Bang forces himself to drift off quickly, he never hears the soft chuckling of Amane, nor does he see the fond smile forming on his pretty face.
AD 2207, 5/24, 6th Hierarchical City of Yabiko – Unknown Area
Amane hums cheerfully to himself as he packs away the last of their newly gotten supplies. With Bang and his buddies serving as guards, the local bandits have finally given up for the time being. Amane is glad to have been magnanimous enough to let Bang work his way back into his good graces.
"Nishiki, are you sure we don't need more blankets?" Bang looks anxiously at the fully stocked wagons.
Amane huffs. "Yes, I'm sure, Shishigami. We need the room for other things more, and your buddies will be free to do whatever it is you ninjas do when we reach Ookoto. It's just a few more days, you'll be fine." He pivots to brush past Bang haughtily.
Bang feels his stomach drop. Sharing blankets with Amane isn't exactly unpleasant, and that's the problem. He's getting too comfortable with the pretty boy.
His subordinates are also feeling uneasy, surrounded by such beautiful men on all fronts. Kiiro even confesses to having thought quite favorably of the twins, Haru and Natsu. The poor man is beyond distressed by his feelings now.
Bang needs to do something. "Wait, Nishiki! Is it possible for Kiiro to trade places with myself?"
Amane freezes and then turns to look at Bang with a complete lack of interest. "Oh? Why? Is there a problem with my boys?" Amane's eyes narrow dangerously.
Bang shudders. This man knows how to shake him, that's for sure. "N-No! It's just… Cabin fever!" Bang smiles triumphantly as he thinks of such an ingenious excuse for his comrade.
Amane scoffs. "And how will moving to a different wagon fix that? Wouldn't taking the night watch be a better solution?"
Bang sweats nervously. Amane's seen clean through his deception. "I-I suppose, b—!"
Amane swiftly walks toward him, then pokes a finger into his chest. "Listen, Shishigami. I'm not blind. I've seen how he's looking at my boys. If I thought they were uncomfortable for even a second, he wouldn't be traveling with us. Got it?"
Bang nods instantly. "Y-Yes!"
Amane leans in closer, his voice growing husky. "And tell him to make up his mind already. Haru and Natsu are getting tired of his staring."
Bang nods again, feeling a tremble travel up his otherwise rigid spine. "R-Right!"
Amane leans back, satisfied. "Good. Now, c'mon. We need to leave soon if we're going to make it to Ookoto before you guys blow something."
Bang sputters indignantly at the blatant double entendre, his face full of heat, burning scarlet.
Amane simply chuckles lowly and struts away with an extra bounce in his step.
AD 2207, 5/27, 1st Hierarchical City of Ookoto – Unknown Area
As Ookoto becomes visible on the horizon, Bang huffs in relief. "Phew. We're almost there."
After conveying Amane's warning, Kiiro has taken the night watch almost every day, sleeping in the twins' wagon during the day to avoid any more awkwardness. Bang himself has taken to thinking of the beauty of his old flame, Miss Litchi. But in his dreams, the creamy legs always grow thinner, and that soothing voice deeper.
He's broken out of his troubling thoughts by the yawning of Amane, who blinks blearily at his now-clothed back, his icy eyes tracing the crossing golden hammer and nail emblem on Bang's green jacket through his messy purple tresses.
They sit in companionable, if stilted silence for a moment. Then Amane quirks a brow. "Something wrong, Shishigami?"
"N-No. It's nothing. Good morning, Nishiki." Bang glances over his shoulder, determinably keeping his gaze locked on Amane's own, and not the exposed creamy flesh of the other man's shoulder. That shoulder leads down to a smooth chest, where a hot pink nipple stiffens against the cold air. But Bang wouldn't know this. He's not looking down at all.
Amane huffs and pulls his yukata closed with a roll of his eyes. Bang stalwartly ignores some pang in his heart.
The sound of a shaky, breathy voice breaks the awkward silence and their staring contest. "B-Boss? Are you up yet?" Kiiro.
Bang turns swiftly to open the window and poke his head out, where he sees the yellow-clad ninja standing awkwardly and shaking. Bang blinks in alarm at such a posture. "K-Kiiro? What's wrong? Were we attacked in the night?"
Kiiro stiffens with a slight groan in his voice. "N-No, Boss. I just… Look, can we talk? In private?"
Bang nods, then quickly joins him on the wagon's roof. "What's the matter, Kiiro?"
"F-Follow me." Kiiro limps his way back to his assigned wagon, his legs slightly spread as if he were riding a horse for too long.
"Strange." Bang follows behind him, keeping a slower speed to keep a respectful distance from his clearly hampered comrade.
When they reach the wagon, Kiiro shakily makes his way inside, and Bang follows, only to gasp dramatically. This smell, the messy sheets. Can it be?
"I-I kinda made up my mind…" Kiiro's honey brown eyes are full of anxiety and fear, but Bang is not one to hold another's preferences against them.
He clasps his comrade in a strong hug, tears of joy trailing down his cheeks. "There's no need for words, Kiiro! We men of Ikaruga know to trust our hearts! Congratulations!"
Kiiro returns the embrace as best he can, crying as well. "B-Boss! Thank you!"
From their place cuddled together under the blankets, Haru and Natsu stare grumpily with narrowed lilac eyes as the two ninjas trade louder and louder tears of joy. "So much for enjoying the afterglow."
AD 2207, 5/27, 1st Hierarchical City of Ookoto – Unknown Area
The afternoon sun is high in the sky as Bang nervously walks beside Amane, toward the Mutsuki residence. He's tried several times to broach the subject of their comrades' newfound happiness, but Amane is entirely too casual about it.
"Nishiki, don't you think we should at least talk about arrangements? Kiiro still has a responsibility to the people of Ronin-gai, and he'd feel terrible if we didn't think of a way to split his time between them and your troupe." Bang tenses when Amane pivots with a sharp huff.
"Alright, Shishigami. How about this? We'll perform in Kagutsuchi once every few months, and Kiiro can do some work for you while we're there." Amane quirks a brow at Bang's confused frown.
"H-Huh? That implies that he'll be with you. I thought you didn't want men such as us in your troupe?" Bang's frown deepens when Amane stares at him like he's stupid.
"Kiiro is plenty handsome. That caramel hair of his is positively darling, and that jawline is sharp enough to cut steel. He's the picture of a bishonen." Amane resumes his stride towards the residence's doors, and Bang scrambles to follow, his confusion worsening.
"W-What? Then why did you reject my offers? I was called the pretty boy of Ikaruga, you know! And my belly dancing—!" Bang cuts himself short when Amane turns to stare at him disbelievingly.
"You call that wiggling a dance?" Amane scoffs.
Bang feels his heart pang at such naked dismissal of his skill in the art. He'd worked hard to master it, and it always made Master Tenjo smile! "W-Why you! I'll have you know that my dancing always brought happiness to those I love! Even Master Carl could not help but to smile at my dance, despite his troubles!"
Bang takes a strong stance to emphasize his point. "The Ikarugan belly dance is a marvel of the dancing arts! The sight of it is always sure to bring peace and love to those who see it! Behold!"
Bang dances his heart out for the cold man in front of him, as well as the bystanders nearby. He moves his hips tirelessly and fluidly for several minutes, enrapturing some and scarring others.
Amane, for his part, does his best to resist the wide smile that eventually splits his soft cheeks at the sight. Eventually, even his will must give to such an irresistible force. He doubles over and laughs his heart out at Bang.
Bang mistakes the amusement for sheer joy and smiles victoriously. "Ha-ha! You see Nishiki? Even you are not immune to my charms!" Bang begins to laugh himself, full of exuberance.
Amane feels tears slipping past his lips and offers thanks to the gods he always uses water-resistant makeup. After a few more moments a groan cuts through their shared laughter.
"What are you doing, Shishigami?" Kagura Mutsuki covers his wary purple eyes with a wrapped hand, his spiky black hair falling into his embarrassed handsome face.
Amane stills, his laughter stopping immediately. He has business to attend to. He rises and wipes away his tears.
Bang also stills, angry at Kagura's offensive implication that his dance is an embarrassment. The nerve of this man! "Mutsuki! Don't tell me you've turned your back on the art!"
Kagura scoffs. "Art? You don't seriously think you look good, do you Shishigami? This poor lady was about to faint at the sight of you." Kagura leans down to a quivering blonde woman in his arms. "Are you alright, milady?"
She blushes wildly, then nods. "Y-Yes, Lord Kagura…"
Kagura chuckles. "Good. I'd hate to see Shishigami wilt such a gorgeous flower before it blooms." He leans in even closer. "Say, why don't you come with me for some drinks to make up for his… antics?'
Amane and Bang cringe at the playboy's flirting.
Amane moves first, and clears his throat. "Ahem."
Kagura glances at him coolly. "Clover's not here, so can you come back later?" He turns back to the woman. "Now, about those drinks…?"
Bang breaks up the moment next. "What?! You are meant to be watching over him Mutsuki! Where is Master Carl?!" He takes a righteous stance, hunching over with a clenched fist as heat rises around him.
Amane leans into that heat unconsciously. It's a nice contrast to the cool wind.
Kagura groans as he feels the moment slip away, the young woman looks uncomfortable. "I-I should go. Maybe another time?"
Kagura nods and releases her. "Sure thing, babe. Just let me know when you're up to it." He winks.
She blushes and smiles brightly before running off. How he does it, neither of the men across the street can understand.
Kagura turns to them with a stern frown. "Now look what you've done. If you wanna get mad at somebody, take it up with Rachel."
Bang frowns in confusion. "Rachel? Do you mean that strange girl from back then? What does she want with Master Carl?"
Amane huffs. "Of course, she's interested in him too. I suppose she just can't help herself." He ruefully shakes his head.
Kagura huffs himself and turns to go back inside. "Whatever. Since I know you'll just break in anyways, why don't you two come inside?" He confidently strides back into his home, and the two men follow with a shared skeptical glance.
It would seem that things are just about to get interesting…
Author's Note
This will be updated in accordance with the main story, A Knight and his Squire, EXTEND. As always, I welcome all criticism and thank you for your time.