New Life Old Bonds
By Babbling Brook42
Rating: R – for language
Disclaimer: See Prologue. I also do not own any other manga characters referenced in this chapter.
Japanese words uses:
Hai – Yes
Kuso, K'so – Swear word similar to "shit" or "bloody hell"
Baka – idiot
Thanks to Moonlady for beta-reading for me.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chapter 10 – Rekindled Flames (Tasuki's POV)
I push my half-open door wider so I can enter. Kouji is intently focused on the TV as he plays one of his first person shooters. I am not sure which one it is. They all begin to look the same to me. I toss my bag on my bed and quickly follow.
Kouji's character successfully completes his mission. While the levels stats scroll down the screen, Kouji looks over at me.
"Where were you last night?" he asks.
"Miaka had her baby," I answer. "I went to the hospital with Taka."
"Glad to here it. Last time she was here, I thought she looked like she could pop. What'd she have?" he asks as he selects the next level.
"A girl," I answer fishing a few of my books out of my bag. "Kuso!" I hiss at not having what I need to study on my bed.
Kouji glances questioningly at me till his character is deployed behind enemy lines. He focuses in on the enemy guards and takes them out. He yells at me as I cross between him and the TV to get the books I need to do my homework. He dies as I cross back. He cusses me out as I settle back on my bed. I laugh at his ranting and remind him it is only a game. He mutters something about me just not getting it and having no respect as he readies to try the level again.
I open my science textbook and hunt for the questions I have to answer. Deciding I have to have music to study, as well as, block the gowns of dieing pixilated men, I use my notebook to mark the place in my textbook and lean over the edge of my bed. I scan under my bed to locate my portable disk player. I fish it out from behind a shoe. Next I retrieve my box of CDs. Sitting upright, I pull the items to my lap. I finger through them and pick Bad Luck. I pop it into my player, slip the headphones on, and hit play. The voice of Shindou Shuichi, the lead singer of Bad Luck, belts out the song lyrics with the techno music backing him up. I let the music engulf me for a moment before focusing on my work.
I finish the last question and shut the book. A glace at the clock informs me of the vast amount of time I still have before meeting Chichiri for dinner. I cannot help but smile when I think of him. I pull another textbook to me to skim the reading assignment. My eyes scan across the words but nothing past the first sentence even registers. My mind is on Houjun. I wonder if he has read the rest of my story. Has he remembered?
"That's not your shirt. Get it from Taka?" Kouji asks obviously done playing games and studying me from his sprawled out position on our dirty carpet.
I glance down forgetting I had on Chichiri's shirt.
"No," I answer.
Rolling over to his belly, he scrutinizes me a moment then grins.
"Where did you stay last night?" he asks hinting at more with his tone. "You never came home."
I try not to blush. I really do.
"I did so come home, but you were busy and not wanting disturbed. So, I crashed at a friend's place."
"Does this friend have a name?" he asks teasingly.
I try to focus back on my reading and not react. Reacting is bad. It only gets me teased.
"Yes," I simply answer.
"Do I know him?" Kouji asks crawling to sit by my bed.
"Ya've seen him," I say not sure why I don't tell him I was at Chichiri's. Wait a minute; I know why… he will tease me mercilessly. I can't even use his seishi name because of my story. Kouji will know whom I am talking about instantly.
Suddenly he is on my bed staring into my reddening face.
"You like this mystery man. Did you get into his pants?" He asks.
"NO!" I shout, blushing furiously, and push him away. "Just because that was your goal last night, does not mean it was mine."
I throw up an indignant front even if I would not mind getting into my loves pants again after so many years.
Kouji rolls back on my bed from my shove and laughs.
"You wouldn't refuse if he offered though," he says waving a knowing finger at me.
I sputter before falling back on angrily cursing my friend and his know-it-all attitude.
Kouji clasps my shoulder.
"I'm glad to see ya moving on. I thought you were going ta be infatuated with Ri-san forever," he says.
"Who says I'm over him?" I ask putting him into a tailspin.
"Whoa! Going after two men. I'm proud of ya," Kouji says once he recovers.
I ignore him and try to finish my homework.
"What's he like? Where'd ya meet him?" Kouji asks ten minutes later.
My eyes shift from my book up to Kouji. They narrow at his smiling face. I debate what, if anything, to tell him.
"Come on, Genrou! I'm y'r best friend, y've got ta tell me about y'r love interest," he insists. "I told ya about Riyo."
"That's what this month's girl is named," I say in mock wonderment.
"Is he the same guy that had ya head in the clouds earlier this week?" he asks.
"What are ya talking about?" I question trying to hide my relationship with Chichiri. Why am I trying to hide it?
I have no good reason other than embarrassment factor. Kouji seems intent on teasing me either way. Maybe it is because it does not feel official. So we kissed a few times, and we are having dinner tonight, and I know we are destined to be together, but is he ready for our relationship to be made public. What about Chichiri's job?
"Ya came home enthralled by someone the other night," Kouji says. "Didn't get a chance ta ask ya then, but ya were definitely high on life."
I decide telling him part of it won't hurt.
"He kissed me that night," I say in a very low voice.
Kouji smiles triumphantly.
"An' who is it that has ya all flustered?" he asks leaning forward anxious for the juicy details.
"He's a friend of Miaka," I answer. "She sort of got us together."
"A matchmaker is she?" he laughs. "She any good at et?"
"Maybe," I answer noncommittally.
"Spill," Kouji demands and pokes at me.
I bat him away.
"He's nice. A very sweet and caring guy," I say. I can tell I am getting starry-eyed thinking about him, and I want to yell to the world that I love him. "Firm body, great kisser," my mind was beginning to wander to his physical attributes and what they are capable of making me feel.
"Good in bed," Kouji adds.
Hell, yes! In all three past lives.
That was where my thoughts were going, but I was not going to say it. Technically, I have not bedded him.
"I told ya, we've not done that!" I retort in annoyance.
Kouji is unruffled. He leans back and says, "So, when do I get ta meet him?"
"When he's ready to meet ya," I answer pushing my book away and getting up.
I gather my shower things and walk out of the room.
~=88=~
Feeling better, I return to my room. I shift through my closet, thinking once more of the coming evening spent with my love. I put on a nice button down dark blue shirt and a pair of casual black slacks. Kouji watches me from his desk as I shove my books into my backpack. I grab my jacket and slip it on. I shoulder my book bag and start to open the door.
"I'll not wait up for ya," Kouji says leering at me. "I'm sure ya might find something to do that will keep ya away."
I huff as I slam the door behind me. I can here him laughing in the hallway. I walk away. I will be early, but I head over to Chichiri's place. I am sure he won't mind.
~=88=~
I knock on the door and wait for him to answer.
"You are early," he says opening the door.
I flash him a fanged grin.
"Kouji was being a pain, so I came here to finish my homework," I answer. "If it's al'right with ya," I tack on hopefully.
He smiles a sweet caring smile that tells me he will do anything for me. I manage to keep my legs stiff enough to hold me up when they feel like buckling.
"Sure. Come in," he says motioning me into his apartment.
Movement helps work the jelly out of my appendages. I toss my bag on the couch I slept on last night.
"While you finish, I'll start dinner," he says.
"All right," I say and watch him disappear into the kitchen.
I smile as I sit down. I pull out a textbook and open it. I can hear him moving around in the kitchen and think of all the meals we shared when we traveled.
"What are you reading?" Chichiri asks.
I jerk startled from my daydreaming of the past. I realize I have no idea what I am supposed to be reading. Glancing at the book I answer.
"Business stuff."
He chuckles. He knows I was not really reading.
"Dinner is ready," he says.
I must have been out of it longer than I thought. I notice the coffee table is set with food. It was nothing special, but it looked and smelled good. I move to the cushion on the floor, and Chichiri takes the one across the table from me. I pick up my chopsticks and dig in.
"I finished your story," he says as we eat. "I'm sorry for leaving you in so much pain."
I chuckle.
"It's alright," I answer. "Ya couldn't fucking not die. We all have to die sometime. Anyway, I went before ya the second time around."
"You remember other lives," he states setting down his now empty bowl. "How many?"
"This is our fourth time around, that I remember," I say.
"What were our lives like in the other two?" he asks leaning forward on the table.
He looks so deliciously adorable as he anxiously waits to learn of our history.
"We were Jen-Yue and Taek-soon and lived in Konan many years later than the first time. This time we were not seishi. I was a smith in a decent size town. One day when ya were fourteen, ya stumbled inta the road badly injured. Kouji – I mean – Ka-Ying, my brother-in-law and friend, found ya, and my only sister Ru-shi patched ya up.
"Y'r village was destroyed in a fire that swept through the dry mountain forest that year. In y'r escape, a burning branch fell on ya catching ya on fire. Ya managed ta put out y'r cloths, but were badly burned. Ya lost y'r right eye that time to the branch."
I reach out and stroke his eye which he closes at my touch. It is smooth and scar free. I caress the other eye with my thumb happy that this time he has both eyes. I pull my hand away and grin at him as his eyes flutter open.
"Only had one eye then too," he says. "Makes me appreciate the two I have now. So, what happened?"
"Ya slowly healed and grew accustomed to a new life with us. Once ya were well, she made me take ya in as an apprentice since I had none. She really wanted ya to make sure I was taken care of since I had no wife an' ta drag me home from the taverns when I went drinking. She worried about me too much – her lonely bachelor older brother." I thought fondly of the woman I called family in that life. She was a good sister unlike my earlier five. I wonder if she is around this time. "Ya grew on me, an' I found myself falling in love with ya, even if I was older than ya."
Houjun chuckles.
"So our age in respect to each other is not always the same," he observes.
"Nope. But things for everyone seem to be closer this time to the first time," I answer.
"How much younger was I?" he asks.
"Nine years," I answer. "But, ya didn't care. The night my desire for ya overpowered my judgment and I first kissed ya, I tried ta tell ya it was nothing, but ya just insisted we were meant ta be together. There was no way to argue with the look of sincere belief in y'r eye, and deep down I believed it too.
"We had an average life together. We adopted a little orphaned girl and raised her as our own."
I can't help but laugh at memories of her happy face. He quizzically looks at me.
"She was Nuriko," I answer. "He got to be a girl that time round. I wonder if he remembers," I fondly ask. She/he had been a wonderful daughter and a delight to our lives.
"I'm glad," Houjun says. "Did Nuriko get to marry Hotohori that time?"
I scratch my head and shrug.
"I don't know. I died when she was fourteen. I had not met him in that life yet."
He nods understandingly.
"Since I don't remember and Hotohori doesn't remember, Nuriko is the only one who can answer that.
"If he remembers that life. I haven't asked anyone else, other than Chiriko, if they remember other lives."
"What of our other life?" he asks.
"We lived in Ireland. This time we were the same age. Ya were a druid blind in one eye since birth."
He snorts and shakes his head.
"I wonder what went wrong this time that I got to keep both eyes in working order."
"Don't knock it," I say. "I loved ya with one eye, but it's nice to see two. An' I definitely prefer the scar over the milky white blind one." I shiver at the memory. "It always creeped me out even if I loved ya more than my own life."
He blushes charmingly at the profession of love. I feel my cheeks reddening too.
"I was fighting enemy warriors who caught me. Ya found me before they killed me. Ya patched me up and helped me return ta my clan. We became lovers not long after.
"This time we died on the same day. Within a year of meeting, we were on the battlefield fighting side-by-side. I saw ya fall before I felt the sharp steal slide through my gut. I crumpled to the ground. I managed to crawl to y'r lifeless body and pulled ya to me. Our blood mingled around us in a pool slowly drank up by the land as I let go of life."
I look up at Houjun. There are tears creeping from his eyes. I am up from the table in an instant and squatting at his side.
"Shhh, there's no reason to cry," I coo cradling his face between my hands and whipping his tears away with my thumbs.
His eyes shine at me.
"I love you," he says.
My heart wants to explode at those words from his lips. I want to dance in joy and sing to the world that Houjun loves me again.
"I love you too, dear-heart," I say caressing his face. I move forward and soothingly kiss each of his tear damp cheeks.
I pull back and gaze at his face. I search his eyes for acceptance. His lovely brown windows tell me what he feels for me. I softly smile at him and caress his face.
He takes my hands in his and lowers them from his face. He kisses each one before standing. He pulls me into the couch. He sits, and I follow. He wraps an arm around me and pulls me close to him.
"I love you as surly as the sun will rise, but I know very little about you in this life," he says. He nuzzles my hair while he speaks and finishes with a gentle nibble at my ear.
I tingle at his touch.
"What do ya want to know?" I ask as I turn my head and taste his lips.
He pulls back smiling.
"Everything," he answers. "Where you were born, what your childhood was like, your hopes and dreams," he lists while running fingers lazily through my hair.
Being close to him satisfies the ache that has always been in my soul. Restful contentment settles deep within me, and I lean my head on his shoulder. My eyes drift shut as I slowly inhale, wanting to feel this way forever.
"Hmm…" I contently hum.
His fingers continue to stroke my hair.
"I was born and raised here," I start.
I tell him of my family and ask about his. He did not answer the last time he was asked. I learn his parents are dead. I wrap my arms around him in a consoling hug when he tells me. He rests his head on mine, and we continue our personal history lessons. We drift to our childhoods sharing stories as they fit into the conversation.
My left hand fingers trace imaginary patterns over the woven shirt fabric covering his chest as we talk. My right arm is still securely wrapped around his waist.
He asks me how I regained my memories. I tell him. He nods when I mention the accident.
"There was a change in your aura when you returned," he says.
I tilt my head away from his shoulder and grin at him.
"Ya noticed," I gasp lightheartedly.
"I cannot ignore you," he says tilting his head down. "From the first day you walked into class, you always have some part of my attention." He brushes a delicate kiss on my nose then lips. He pulls back smiling contently. "What bothered me was I could not figure out why."
My right leg slowly migrates to cross over his lap.
"But now ya know," I say in a deep pleased tone.
"Now I know," he agrees. His hand slowly caresses my thigh lying across his lap. "I finally put all the pieced together after our dinner a few days ago."
"But, ya still don't remember," I pout.
He kisses my pouting lips, and I smile.
"But, I know our pasts are true even if I don't remember fully," he says.
My fingers start to slowly work his shirt buttons loose.
"I know they are there, but my subconscious is a bit cryptic about how to get to them."
I pull away from nibbling on his recently exposed neck.
"Y'r cryptic subconscious?" I ask knowing the confusion was easily readable on my face. "Ya have voices inside y'r head?"
"I guess I do," he chuckles. "It talks just like the monk in your book with no da at the end of most sentences."
"What did your inner Chichiri tell you?" I ask.
I know this is important and we have to talk about it, but I don't want to leave the comfort of our intertwined bodies. I rest my head on his chest and refrain from running my lips across his neck. His response vibrates through his chest below my head making his voice sound richer.
"He said, 'When brother sleeper is ready to wake, no da,' would be the time to regained my memories."
"Oh," I say. "So who is the sleeper?"
"The only thing that makes sense to me with the situation is a sleeper refers to a Suzaku Seishi before regaining his memories," he says and nuzzles into the hair on the top of my head. He places a small kiss on my crown.
"If that's the case, then that leaves Hotohori," I point out snuggling closer.
I fight my urge to let his presence enthrall my awareness. This is important.
"Correct," he responds. I feel his head nodding from its resting spot on mine.
"If he regains his memories then you can have yours," I tentatively theorize.
"Hmm… something like that," he says securing his arms around me. "I think it has more to do with his desire to remember. Like you mentioned last night, I don't think he wants to remember."
"Why wouldn't he?" I asked baffled. I lean back to look at Houjun. "He already knows what happened. I think he would want his own memories of the time."
"I don't know," Houjun answers. "Maybe he does not want to first-hand remember the pain we went through. But, why is something we will have to ask him."
I nod and set my cheek back on his chest.
"So we ask him tomorrow?" I ask.
"I'll call him tomorrow to see if and when he will meet with us," he says.
I give in and my attention is once more on his neck. It has been too long since we were together. The desire to touch him, taste him, be one with him is very strong.
I roll so I am straddling him and have better access to his scrumptious chest. I graze on his skin slowly moving from neck to collarbone. I push his shirt back to his shoulders. He tilts his head back, and I can feel his purr of pleasure as I brush my lips against his throat. I move to the other collarbone and bite a little harder than intended. Houjun jerks under me and his arm that hung loosely around me tighten with the shock. I gently kiss the reddening spot and raise my lips to his ear.
"Sorry, love," I murmur before tracing the curves of his ear with my tongue.
I remind myself even if I have the memories of making love to this man a million times, he does not. I need to take it slow. I want him to want it and enjoy it.
I nuzzle the spot behind his ear then gently blow down the back of his neck. I grin when he shivers at the airy caress, like always. I move to his jaw when his hands glide around and latch on to my shirtfront. I feel the cool room air contact my skin as he unfastens each button.
I move my kisses to his chin, but he tilts his head to capture my lips with his own. His hands slip inside my shirt to caress my supper sensitive skin.
Fire ignites in my groin at his touch and my skin begs for his fingers to return once they move on to the next area to be graced with their presence. I moan into the open mouthed kiss. After a heavenly eternity, he moves to my neck. He licks, sucks and kisses the skin. If he is not careful, the area will discolour – hell I don't really care. I am enjoying it too much.
"Oh, Chichiri," I moan as he rediscovers a particularly sensitive spot with his teeth.
He fondles the spot with his lips.
"Damn, I want you," I hiss in desire and thrust my hips forward for emphasis. "I have wanted you for so long," I groan as he slides my shirt off.
I help and toss it to the floor.
He leans back and examines me. I shiver in anticipation as his eyes smolder in approval and with desire at what he is offered. I always love that look in his eye.
His hands rest on my hips.
"How long?" he asks.
His left hand drags a finger over my abdomen.
"Since I first saw ya," I answer. I give him a lecherous leer and slowly lean forward. "Let me tell you, regaining my memories did nothing to curb it."
I capture his mouth drowning in it. Coherent thought is quickly becoming a faint memory as his hands roamed my body. I tug at his shirt to get it off of him. I want him naked, now! My hands move to his belt and have it loose before his hands capture mine. I pull away hurt, but try not to show it. He chuckles and kisses my nose.
"I thought we would be more comfortable in the bedroom with the direction this is headed," he says in a husky voice.
"Definitely," I force out.
Houjun stands and leads me to his room.
Soon I am thanking Suzaku and gasping various forms of Chichiri's names. His reciprocal calls are music…. Our love song plays long into the night.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Author's notes and review responses:
For those of you wanting a lemon, I am sorry I left it there. You will just have to use your own hentai driven minds to fill in what happened. My reasons for this are
1) I just can't write them and I did try for my own amusement. I wrote an actual sex scene – about two pages long. blushes fiercely and looks at feet But, I deleted it. It was just so formulaic drops head in shame and distracted from everything I have tried so hard to build up between the two lovers. So it was best to let it end only hinting at what happened.
2) This site's ban on such content. This is their choice, and I will respect that by not posting any explicit sex scenes. But this does not stop me from reading any I might come across. ^_~
I hope you understand and are not too disappointed.
I want to apologize for not posting this chapter last week. I was just plain lazy and did not get around to it.
Babbling Brook
WOW! O_O You guys ROCK! I have 15 reviews on the last chapter. Thanks for all the wonderful reviews and encouragements. ^________^
Arsronus Liadon: I am glad it kept you happy. Why Hotohori can not remember will be explained in the next chapter. So if you are patient a bit longer it will become clear.
Yaoi-Rules: Thank you. Chichiri will remember in the next chapter no da.
Alatril Carnesr: I'm so happy you're so happy. grin That kiss was a good part, ne.
DreamFeathers (AKA Riina): Wow! I don't know if I have ever made anyone speechless before. O_O I am so glad you appreciate Chichiri's "tasty" struggle to remember. Thank you for the salute. blush ~_~ Nuriko is such a wonderful character and fun to write. I was unsure about Mits, but glad he has come out right too. As for him and Shoka, yes, they are together. The opportunity to bring it into the story just has not presented itself at this time.
Sadly… yes, the story will end with chapter 12. pulls out tissue box and passes it around If it is any consolation, I am working on spin-off stories from this one, but they are not coming along very quickly.
Sure I will give you the site I got my names from. It is a site for baby names, but it has names arranged by country and gender. It was a wonderful recourse. You will have to take out the spaces since ff.net removes all web addresses from any uploaded chapter. :-P If you have trouble, let me know.
http : // www . kabalarians . com / html / surf-by . htm
Rath: You are correct. Hotohori knows but does not remember.
Jessalynn: I am ignorant about the specifics of Tasuki's family so have make up any needed character. I have seen the log throwing sister in a few fics but not in an official FY story. Is she in an OVA? I have not seen any of them yet.
Chibichiri: giggle, giggle Sugar high ne. ^_^ Thanks for your enthusiastic review. Chichiri will remember soon – next chapter to be exact.
Unofficial Schwarz: As I told Jassalynn, I am ignorant about Tasuki's family. I have read a bit here and there for the basics and the few stories I have seen on the topic portray Tasuki's interaction with them as not the most pleasant of experiences for Tasuki no da. So that is what I used for my basis of the story. shrugs Right or wrong, I though it made for a comical scene. ^_^ If Tasuki told Chichiri his family was in the town, Chichiri might have made Tasuki [horror of horrors] visit them na no da.
Minerva Teller of tales: Thank you for you kind words. ^_^
Mysterious double: Thank you. Those are all things I am striving for in this story. Chichiri will remember in the next chapter. Hotohori too.
Momo-chan10: I love it when I find a story I just don't want to stop reading. I am glad my story is that for others. Hope you are not disappointed that there is no real lemon to it just a heavy citrus flavour.
Akennea: I will. ^_^
Kouryou Sanomi: Arigatou gozaimas. Yep. The sleeper is Hotohori. ^_^
Alesca munroe: I will. I will.
Akirasomoji: Sometimes I think the site hides new updates of my favourite story from me. :-P Only one person has expressed that Chichiri remembering has to do with Hotohori remembering, but I am sure there are others out there. Tasuki makes such lovely wall angels ne. he he he
