Bishonen Beware

Chapter 7



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'Oh great. How am I supposed to keep Tasuki from going after Riina? He's bound to get suspicious if she's gone too long…' Lana munched thoughtfully on a piece of toast, and began forming plans in her head.

'Hmmm, can't be too obvious or outright… Dang. That rules out about three quarters of my plans. Hmmm, wonder if I could manage to get an animal in here somehow to distract him with.'

No sooner had she thought it then a tawny hawk came gliding through the open window and perched on her shoulder, cocking its head when Lana nearly choked on a piece of toast.

"Geez, don't scare me like that. It can't be good for my heart." Lana rasped out when she finally got the piece of bread down, then fed a piece to the hawk when he pecked at her hand.

"What the &*%$#?! How'd that thing get in here?!" Tasuki exclaimed, making the bird start and dig its talons in Lana's shoulder. It immediately loosened its hold when Lana gave a yelp of pain.

"She's not a THING, thank you very much. She's a hawk." Lana sniffed, and blinked when Tasuki looked at her strangely.

"…What?" she asked.

"How in Suzaku's name did you know it was a girl?" Tasuki demanded, looking at her suspiciously.

Lana glared, eyes flashing, and growled lowly, "Don't call her an 'it'. Her name's Breeze." Lana blinked at her own words, and cocked her own head at the hawk, who only preened her feathers in response.

"You can talk to it-, er, HER, can't you?" Tasuki stated, eyes narrowing.

Lana stiffened in anger at his tone, but replied calmly, "Is it any of your business? You're a bandit, why would YOU care?"

"Don't play games with ME, woman. Answer the question." Tasuki growled dangerously.

"Well, how did you two get along while I was gone?" Riina asked cheerfully, walking back in the door, and stopped dead when she saw the tense and angry looks on both red-head's faces.

"Oh Suzaku, what happened THIS time?!" Riina exclaimed in exasperation, throwing her hands in the air.

"Nothing, Riina-chan. Thanks for the food, it was delicious." Lana said, sliding off the table onto the ground, and walking to the door.

Just as she was about to step through, she turned back half-way, the hawk still on her shoulder, and both looked at Tasuki with piercing eyes, before Lana said softly, "What I do is my business, Tasuki. Don't play with fire if you don't wanna get burned." Then she walked off into the compound without a backwards glance.

Riina just stared, looking between the door and Tasuki a few times, before she sighed, and hit Tasuki upside the head with her fist.

"Okay Baka, what'd you do now? She only gets THAT look on her face when she's REALLY pissed." Riina demanded sternly.

"I just asked a simple question." Tasuki whined, rubbing the bump on his head.

"Well spill, before I decide to ask LANA about it, and I can assure you, her point of view will make you look like crud, unless she's in one of her 'Tasuki is HOT!' moods." Riina ordered, then blanched when Tasuki looked at her with shock.

"I mean- Not exactly a 'TASUKI is hot' mood, but just maybe red-haired bandits in general. I mean MEN! Yeah, that's it! If she's in one of her men-loving moods, then MAYBE she'll go easy on ya, but not otherwise." Riina quickly said, but just saw Tasuki confused and slightly disturbed expression, and groaned, putting her face in her hands.

"Kittling's gonna kill me." Riina whimpered, knowing it'd be heck on her part if Lana figured out what Riina had just said.

Tasuki slowly smirked with a fang poking out the side of his mouth, and asked in a bored voice, "So, the little red-headed freak of nature* has a thing for me, huh? Well, I can't blame her, but unfortunately, I dun like women. She'll just have to find another gorgeous male to hang onto."

*(An: Sorry, I HAD to put that in there, my brother calls me that all the time)

Tasuki flexed his muscles vainly for a second, before Riina snorted, and said, "From the way she was looking just now, I'm guessing that's what she's GONNA do. She's always had Kouji as her second favorite, and seeing as how HE'S straight, and hasn't ticked her off recently, she's probably heading his way right now." Riina gave a mental smirk as Tasuki deflated and sputtered for a second.

"I. AM. NOT. GAY!!!!!!!" Tasuki yelled, slamming his fists on the table, making Riina to take a cautious step back.

"Tasuki, no need to get angry, no da." Chichiri said, popping up in the kitchen and surprising both of them.

"Hi Chichiri! Would you like something to eat? There's still enough left for everybody." Riina smiled faintly, and held out a pair of chopsticks for him to use.

"Er, all right, no da." Chichiri said, eyeing the food nervously.

**** Meanwhile on the other side of the hideout… ****

(*** stands for animals talking)

"He's a baka, isn't he, Breeze? Why in the world did I choose HIM to be my favorite?" Lana grumbled to the bird, stroking her feathers as she walked down the hall.

He DID seem quite annoying. the bird agreed as she bobbed her head.

HEY! Anyone there?! a savage voice from the window growled, and Lana looked out to see a large black wolf pacing there.

A human. the ebony canine growled with disgust.

"Watch what you say." Lana snarled, and the wolf sat down in shock.

You can understand me? it asked, cocking its head to one side in interest.

"Yes." Lana told it flatly, Breeze also ruffling her feathers in indignation.

Then I'll tell you. There's a group of bandits from a rival mountain coming up your northern border. You might want to get to them before they burn the forest down. I'm Shadow, by the way. Lana listened carefully to the information, then nodded.

"I'll go myself and stop them. Everyone else in this place except for a select few are idiots." Lana told Shadow flatly, and the wolf nodded, turning around and telling her to follow him.

"Right." Lana replied, and jumped nimbly from the window with cat-like grace, Breeze leaving her perch and flying above her as the two set off.

**** Back in the kitchens ****

"Hey, isn't that Lana, no da?" Chichiri asked, looking out the window from where he was sitting at the table.

"Huh?" Riina asked, also looking out to see Lana following a wolf at a run towards the forest with that same hawk flying over her head.

"Oh kuso, what's she doing now?!" Riina muttered and wrinkled her brows.

Kouji walked in casually, drawn by the smell of food, and commented, "I think she's just playing a game. She was acting like she was talking to a wolf earlier, then said something about stopping them herself since no one else was smart enough to."

Riina gave a yelp and almost threw herself out the window, yelling, "LANA!!!! GET YOURSELF BACK HERE NOW BEFORE I HAVE TO COME AND GET YOU, AND TRUST ME!! IT WON'T BE PRETTY!!!!"

"I think she CAN talk to animals." Tasuki told his friend, trying to explain Riina's odd behavior.

"What are you all just STANDING there for?! We have to go and get her!!! She attracts trouble like a magnet!" Riina exclaimed to them all.

"What's a magnet?" Kouji asked, confused.

"JUST MOVE!" Riina yelled, and the men quickly complied before she found an excuse to clobber them.

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*ahem* Hi ya guys! ^^ Long time no update. Sorry that has takes for so long. Anywhoz. Lana took over for this chapter, but I'll be back for the next one. *looks at the glaring readers and sweat drops* I know this one was a tad short sided, but the next one is gonna be a long one!! ^^;;; I hope that it'll make up for the shortance of this chappy. But now, for the feed back. *grins and hands some chocolade for the reviewers* ^__^

Neko-ane – Hi ya! And thanks for the review! ^^ I'm glad that you liked of the chapter. But if I have to pic someone, I think I might say that Tama-neko would be the smartest of them all... I mean. Think about it. There's GOTTA be something going on with the cat. He's way too smart. ;p Anywho, if cats won't count, I think I'll agree with you on Chichiri part. ^~ *purrs and huggs her muse, Chichiri*

Songwind – Cheers sweets! ^^ I updated sooner than you thought! *mwah* ^~ Now, if it'd be just me, I'd write some nice, juicy lemon for Chichiri and Tasuki, but I'm not the only authoress of this fic (Lana would kill me if I'd do that) and I don't have the tallent for it. So instead I'll just happily settle to drool over you fic, New Life, Old Bonds... 8P~ But dun worry, i have a cunning sceme... Well, I'm playing with a thought of nice, little, slightly fruit scene for the end... *cakles and elbows Lana, who's about to strangle me*