Bishonen Beware
Chapter 16
CAN: The music for this chappy is from an anime series called .hackSIGN and the songs are "The World" and "Key of the Twilight". So start burning yer servers or try to contact me via messengers for the songs (via Yahoo, thank you). As usual, start playing the songs when I say!
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"Daa. Perhaps we should start looking for a place to camp, no da." Chichiri said, looking at the sky restlessly.
"Why?" Lana asked "It's not that late yet."
"Chiri's right. It's gonna rain soon." Tasuki agreed, sniffing the air "And it's gonna continue through the whole night more than likely."
"No wonder my head's been hurting." Riina muttered, rubbing her neck "Sometimes it hurts before a big rain or thunder storm."
"S-storm? O-oh…" Lana paled "Perhaps we should stop for today then." She said and patted Chisuko in her lap, who mewed miserably, sensing her nervousness.
"Hm?" Tasuki blinked and looked at Lana riding by his side. "Ne, kittling."
"Yeah? And for the last time, don't call me kittling." Lana said, looking at the road in front of them.
"Could it be?" Tasuki turned SD and squinted at her "That our little red haired freak of nature is afraid of a little storm?" he smirked slowly when Lana paled and sweat dropped. Now also Riina and Chichiri were looking at her in interest.
"I have no idea what you're talking about, baka. And don't call me names." Without looking she reached out her hand, holding Chisuko in it, who took a deep breath and promptly flamed the fire seishi.
"Bloody… insane… pyro… itai…" flamed chibi Tasuki growled, coughing out a small smoke cloud and making Riina and Chichiri chuckle.
"It takes one to know one, Tasuki, no da." Chichiri teased cheerfully.
"And exactly what do ya mean by THAT?!" Tasuki shouted, glaring at Chichiri, who startled and sweat dropped.
"Look, over there. Would that do?" Riina interrupt their quarrelling, pointing at a relatively sheltered spot among the old oak trees.
"Hai. Lets hurry up and put up the tents, no da." Chichiri agreed.
A few minutes later Chichiri and Tasuki were busy at putting up two tents, theirs and the girl's, while Riina was unpacking their supplies and Lana was taking care of the horses, calming them down.
"Whoa. It's gonna be a big one." Riina shouted cheerfully when a strong gust of wind rustled her hair and flapped the tents. She smiled and closed her eyes, turning to feel the strong storm wind on her face.
"Hai! Hurry up 'n get those bags to the tents before it starts rainin'!" Tasuki shouted back and pounded the last stake into the ground and tightened the ropes.
"Come on sis!" Lana shouted and grabbed her bedroll when the first heavy raindrops began falling on their faces and dived into their tent while Chichiri and Tasuki disappeared into the other one. A second later it was as if someone was seriously trying to drown them in water.
"Wow." Riina simply stated while both girls were staring at the incredible down pour by the tent door with wide eyes.
"You said it. Now close the door, it's raining in here too!" Lana shook her head in disbelief and sat down on her bedroll, pulling her blanket around her shoulders. Chisuko curled comfortably to her lap, looking at the tent door intensely, listening the rain. "It's getting really dark." Lana muttered.
"Hm… Luckily it's not raining rakeita." Riina stated when she closed the door "Frozen raindrops. Not snow." She explained when Lana looked at her in confusion. "You afraid of thunder?" Riina asked bluntly after a second as she laid down on her sleeping roll and crossed her hands behind her head, looking at Lana calmly.
"Well…" Lana started and flinched when they heard a low rumble on the distance. "Yeah. A little." She admitted quietly to her, listening the rain drumming the tent. "The lightning's and the sound freaks me out sometimes, especially during the big storm like this. Dunno why tho." They could barely hear Tasuki's and Chichiri's voices coming from their own tent.
"Hm. Weird." Riina stated and turned to look at the tent's roof, listening the heavy drumming of the rain. "I have always loved the storms. The bigger the better." She smiled when a lightning flashed and started counting out loud in Finnish. She had gotten to sixteen when a thunder cracked loudly, making both girls to wince. Lana had paled with wide eyes.
Momma, is thunder bad? Chisuko asked restlessly from her lap.
"No sweet heart. Thunder isn't dangerous. Momma just doesn't happen to like it, that's all." Lana swallowed and tried to smile soothingly.
Then Chisuko doesn't like it either. It's too wet. the little dragon promptly stated, making Lana chuckle. More lightning flashed brightly, lighting the tent for a second.
"Riiinaaa…" Lana whimpered in fear, hugging Chisuko tightly. Riina smiled and winked to her, nodding her head towards the guys' tent. "You sure?" Lana asked.
"Go on." Riina giggled. "I'll be sleeping." A thunder cracked angrily, making the both girls covering their ears.
"KYAAAAAAHHH!!!" Lana shrieked and turning chibi zoomed out of the tent, her blanket wrapped around her shoulders and Chisuko on her arms, leaving a little dust cloud behind her.
"What was that?" Tasuki asked sharply and put down his water canteen, turning towards the girls tent. Both men blinked when wet Lana was suddenly sitting between their bedrolls, looking as pale as a ghost.
"Anou. Is it okay if I'll be here for a while?" she asked with a scared voice, poking her index fingers together nervously.
"Hai. Of course, no da." Chichiri said and sat up, gesturing her to sit down where ever she would fit in the small tent.
"Thanks." Lana smiled and sat to Tasuki's bedroll. There was a bright flash of lightning which was followed with an almost deafening roar of thunder. Lana let a small scream and dived for Tasuki, wrapping her arms tightly around his chest. Tasuki stared at the shivering girl in his arms surprised before he carefully patted her shoulders, shrugging his shoulders at Chichiri with a helpless look on his face.
"Now now. It's only a little storm." He said carefully "Are ya really afraid of it?" he asked.
"It's a friggin' big storm." Lana choked through her teeth, closing her eyes tightly, not daring to let go of the bandit, who carefully put his arms around her shoulders protectively. "And yes, it scares me like hell." She added with a small voice.
"Da." Chichiri turned chibi and sweat dropped, carefully taking Chisuko, who had been squashed between the two and started to turn into a weird shade of violet. The chibi monk patted the unconscious dragon in his lap, trying to review him and looked at Lana. "Why didn't you tell us sooner, no da?" he asked, tilting his head chibily.
"…" Lana turned chibi in Tasuki's arms and started fidgeting with the belt crossing his chest "I was afraid that you would think it stupid." She finally admitted with a small voice.
Tasuki looked the girl in his arms softly and rubbed her shoulders comfortingly. He looked at the chibi Chichiri, who tilted his head and was smiling to him teasingly and Tasuki shot him a challenging glare.
There was another lightning and roar of thunder, which made Lana shiver in Tasuki's arms and Tasuki held her a little tighter, resting his chin lightly to her hair.
"Daa. It looks like the rain is not going to let go anytime soon, no da." Chichiri sighed, as he listened it started to rain even harder if possible. Suddenly there was a scream coming from the girls tent and Lana, Tasuki and Chichiri looked at each other when they heard loud cursing, which was followed with a tumbling sound.
"What the..?" Tasuki started and all of them turned towards the sounds of growling and kicking. Couple of minutes later a soaked wet Riina appeared to their tent door, looking as dark as a hurricane and shooting a murderous glare at Tasuki, who gulped, turning SD under her stare.
"Honey. I think you forgot something." She snarled angrily and tossed to him a wooden stake. Everybody in the tent was starring her.
"Riina. Are you wet?" Lana asked and blinked. The stared each others for a second before Riina slowly started to smile, trying hard to look angry, feeling so annoyed that she looked comical. Finally all of them started laughing.
"No. I got lonely and took a swim on my way here." Riina smirked sarcastically and tossed the bags that had been in their tent between Tasuki's and Chichiri's bedrolls and crawled in, sitting down next to Chichiri in the now full tent and took off her cover shirt, having a light cotton shirt under it.
"You look soaked, no da." Chichiri commented as he gave her his cloak.
"Thank you. A result of long training." Riina winked as if flattered, making him to shake his head and Lana giggle. Lana squeaked and dived back to Tasuki's arms when another lightning hit nearby. Riina looked at her amusedly as she dried her hair to Chichiri's cloak.
The four of them talked until the thunder had passed them and Lana slowly started to dose off against Tasuki's chest. Tasuki carefully laid her down to the bed and leaned next to her in half laying position, pulling the covers over them.
"I think the whole thin' has tired her." He said quietly and blushed when Lana turned to him in her sleep and curled against his chest. Riina noticed how Tasuki's eye's softened as he tugged her in better and raised her brow to him knowingly, making Tasuki to snort and blush more.
"Good night Tasuki." Riina grinned and Chichiri looked confusedly between the two when Tasuki sneered and laid down, closing his eyes firmly. Chichiri shrugged, deciding to drop the subject.
"Are you cold, no da?" he instead quietly asked the brunet by his side.
"A little. All my things got wet when I dragged them here. If our tent would have been up, I would have changed into some dryer clothes." Riina replied quietly when Tasuki started slowly snoring, muttering on his sleep when Chisuko climbed up to sleep on his side.
"Well… erm In that case… We could share my blanket… if you want. I mean… no da." Chichiri said nervously, scratching his neck in embarrassment and blushed under his mask so that even his mask blushed slightly.
"Aahh… If that would be okay with you…" Riina looked down and poked her index fingers together shyly.
"Sure! No problem, no da!" Chichiri quietly chirped cheerfully, turning into a cute chibi and crawled under the blanket "See, no da?" he poked his head up, making Riina to hold a giggle and turned to his side, facing the tent wall. Riina snickered and also crawled under the cowers, trying to take as little blankets from Chichiri as possible.
"Thank you." she couldn't resist of giving the chibi a warm hug and small peck to his cheek before turning her back against his. "Nights."
"Da…" The chibi replied but Riina didn't see him blushing or the wide eyes behind the mask.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
On the next morning Riina woke up feeling cosy and warm inside out. She could feel a warm body cosily pressed against her back and arm wrapped around waist. She smiled when a slow, warm breath brushed her neck and she sleepily wondered if Chichiri would die of embarrassment if he woke up like this. It seemed that he had returned to his normal self at some point of the night and turned around in his sleep.
Riina slowly lifted her head to peak over the bags to see how Lana and Tasuki were doing and she had to hold back her laugh when she saw them. Tasuki was lying on his back and snoring with his mouth wide open. He had sprawled around as widely as possible, one leg hanging over the bags and other arm being buried under the pillow, while he was still holding Lana with his other arm. Lana had somehow snuggled herself to sleep on top of Tasuki, lightly snuffing in her sleep, and she had also sprawled as wide or wider than Tasuki, though Riina couldn't understand how the two could sleep together without beating each other to death in their sleep. And little Chisuko had really come to resemble his 'parents' too. He had conquered their pillow and was lying on his back, his little paws pointing to the sky and his tongue was hanging by the side of his mouth and he snored almost as loudly as Tasuki.
Riina leaned back down when Chichiri sighed in his sleep and pulled her little closer, snuggling his face to her neck. And sneezed when her hair tickled his nose. Riina quickly closed her eyes as she felt Chichiri waking up and freezing when he realized what he was doing.
"I'm… I'm sorry." Chichiri swallowed, obviously having sensed that she was awake, and carefully leaned away.
"Hmm?" Riina murmured sleepily "Why? You're warm." she leaned to him. There was a moment of silence before Chichiri sat up and left from the tent soundlessly without a word.
'IDIOT! I'm such a fucking stupid idiotidiotidiotIDIOT!!!' Riina buried her face to her pillow, quietly pounding the pillow with her fist. She stopped when her fist hit something else than her pillow and turned to look at it. Chichiri had left his cloak. Riina looked at the cloak for a while before she sighed and also crawled out of the tent, taking the thick blue garment with her.
CAN: You got your "The World" ready?
It was still raining in that misty way that wets everything when Riina stood up and looked around and started to slowly walk towards the woods, following the clear footprints in high, wet grass. Soon she found Chichiri sitting cross legged under a tree.
'Is he meditating?' she wondered when she walked soundlessly closer. -Chichiri?- she questioningly reached for him with her thoughts and blinked when they were roughly pushed away. Riina frowned as she stopped in front of Chichiri, who didn't give any acknowledgement of her presence.
"Hi." Riina stated as she crouched to same eye level with Chichiri. "Are you okay?" she asked when he didn't even blink, his mask wearing a calm, neutral expression. After a moment Chichiri took a breath.
"Would you go away?" he said quietly in his low voice "I would like to be alone for a while." Chichiri winced inwardly, when his words came out harsher than what he had meant and mix of surprise and hurt flashed on Riina's face before her eyes turned cold.
"Oh, sorry." Riina said calmly as she stood up and Chichiri felt something warm being dropped around his shoulders. "I just came to bring you this." She said before she turned and walked away, blinking away unshed tears.
After Riina had left Chichiri sighed and reached up to wrap his cloak more tightly around himself.
'Why did I do that?' he thought as he leaned against the tree trunk, feeling all messed up from the inside. He remembered Tasuki's barb of him having a crush on the brunet. 'That can't be it. My heart belongs to Kouran.' Then he thought of the small incident in Konan and how they had woken this morning and blushed lightly. 'It's not like I wouldn't have slept close to other person before.' He smiled as he remembered how Hikou and Kouran had dosed off together with him when they had been little, all tangled up. 'I have shared blankets with Tasuki few times during cold nights or when an inn has been crowded, but I have never done anything like that.' His thoughts trailed off to the memory of Riina's warmth against his body and the scent of her hair, making his heart beat faster.
The image of Riina's hurt look after he had said his harsh words came back. 'It would be better if I ended this nonsense, before one of us gets hurt.' He idly picked a blade of grass, making up his mind 'It is the best for both of us.' He didn't sound convinced, even in his own mind 'It isn't like I would have had any feelings for her…' he thought, pulling his legs to his chest and leaning his chin on his knees 'Then… why do I feel so sad?'
Lana stirred when she heard someone moving in the tent. She listened sleepily for a while, but since no-one called for her to wake up, she decided that she could still sleep for another hour or two. Her warm bed was calling for her and she tried to burry her face to her warm pillow.
Lana carefully opened one eye when she felt an arm holding her tightly around her waist, stopping her from moving, and realized that her cosy pillow had been the crook of Tasuki's neck. Lana blushed and carefully lifted her head to look around and sweat dropped when Chisuko and Tasuki snored loudly almost in unison.
'Damn. Chisuko's getting bad influences from us.' She thought when she looked at Chisuko, who was sleeping on their pillow, laying flat on his back like road kill. And Tasuki wasn't any better. He had taken over half of the tent.
Lana looked around the otherwise empty tent and frowned slightly. 'I wonder where Riina and Chichiri are?' she wondered.
She looked at Tasuki, who murmured on his sleep, and slightly frowned at the absence of her warmth. 'SO CUTE!' Lana giggled soundlessly. She blushed when Tasuki wrapped both of his arms around her and pulled her closer, lightly burying his face in her neck.
"Hmmm." Tasuki sighed sleepily as he slowly traced up her neck with his nose and Lana's jaw line lightly with his lips. Lana swallowed, her heart beating faster, when she carefully leaned closer and lightly brushed his lips with hers before kissing him lightly. To her surprise Tasuki slowly returned the kiss, kissing her gently, his fingers finding their way to her neck to pull her into a deeper kiss.
They continued kissing softly until Lana slowly pulled away, blushing and slightly out of breath. "Morning." she whispered quietly, her heart racing wildly.
"Hi…" Tasuki whispered back as he slowly opened his eyes, looking at her sleepily. He blinked and blushed as red as his hair when he realized he hadn't been dreaming. "Aahh… Sorry 'bout that… I didn' mean ta… I mean I was still asleep…" he stammered and looked away in embarrassment.
Lana smiled and slowly leaned to give him a small kiss to his blushing cheek. "Why on earth for?" she purred and grinned, lingering her lips teasingly just breath away from his cheek and causing him to blush more.
"Heee." Lana smiled chibily when Tasuki turned to look at her and slipped away from his lap to sit on a bag while she pulled on her shoes. "But I'm off. Will you bring Chisuko when you get up?" she smiled and stretched. "Ta ta!" Lana waved as she slipped out of the tent.
Tasuki stared the door before he turned to lie on his stomach, feeling awkward and silly at the same time. He turned SD when he saw Chisuko drooling to his pillow.
"Lizard. Off." He growled and lifted Chisuko to sleep next to him and grumpily hugged the pillow. He started slowly smiling to himself when he was sure that nobody could see him, feeling weirdly warm from inside out.
Then he thought about how Lana had acted after the kiss, like it had been a joke. Tasuki frowned in confusion. What was going on? He usually didn't like women (he could thank his family for that) but she was different. He remembered his promise for Miaka 'I only hate people I don't like'.
'But I do like her.' He finally admitted to himself and frowned 'What if it was a joke for her?' he wondered and then snorted to the pillow frustrated. 'Argh! Women are so damn confusing.' He sighed, sulking at his dilemma.
'I kissed him!! I kissed Tasuki!! -gah-' Lana grinned goofily when she stepped out, feeling like she could float in the air 'Or he kissed me…' she giggled in her mind 'Anywho, WE KISSED!!' she felt like laughing out loud like an idiot. Lana looked around, smiling widely, and noticed Riina sitting a little away from the tents. Lana grinned and hurried over her, sneaking behind the brunet and glomping to her neck.
"GAH!!" Riina exclaimed as they fell to the ground, Lana giggling like she was insane.
"Mmmmorningggg!!!" Lana grinned, still hanging onto Riina's back.
"Yeah! The same." Riina chuckled and patted the arms wrapped around her neck "What happened to you? You're all cheery." She asked. "You look like you just made out with Tasuki." She teased "Now leggo, you're choking me…"
Lana just giggled as she let go of the brunet and fell onto her back on the grass, grinning widely at her, feeling like she had butterflies in her stomach.
"I was only kidding y'know." Riina stared at the redhead next to her. "No way? You mean you two.." she also started slowly smiling when Lana chuckled. "Okay, what happened?"
"He kissed me!" Lana sighed dreamily, turning into pudding when she said it out loud. She had just lived out every fangirls' greatest fantasy.
"Way to go!" Riina grinned "I'm happy for you two. It was about time too." She chuckled. "You two have been circling each others like two cats."
"Am I that obvious?" Lana asked meekly and sweat dropped.
"That and I know you kittling." Riina smiled, making Lana to cough and make a face.
"Where's 'Chiri by the way? I thought that he would have been somewhere around?" Lana asked, changing the subject and crossed her hands behind her head, enjoying of the morning sun.
"He's somewhere there. Meditating I guess." Riina said, gesturing with her hand. Lana didn't notice when her eyes turned cold for a moment.
"-huh- That's weird." Lana frowned. "What's up with him? You two are almost always talking together." She commented.
"Don't know and don't care." Riina said and stood up, walking to the tents. "Oy! Tasuki! Are you up? We could use your fire to light up the wet wood." She called for the bandit with an unusual snappy tone.
"Oooo-kay. What did I miss?" Lana muttered and blinked in confusion, also standing up and walking to the tents when Tasuki came out with Chisuko on his shoulders, yawning widely.
CAN: Start playing "The Key of the Twilight".
The morning passed quickly when the four seishi ate their breakfast in silence, Lana trying to teach Chisuko how to breath fire and Chichiri using his magic to dry the equipment that had gotten wet on the previous night while Tasuki packed their tents and Riina loaded the horses with Lana's help.
When the day reached noon Tasuki was riding with Lana in the front, the two of them playfully bickering as usual and trying to teach Chisuko to use his wings to fly, with the result of a few frantic moments of flapping in the air before the poor little dragon got tired. Neither of the redheads brought up what had happened that morning.
Riina and Chichiri had been left slightly behind as Chichiri continued to train the brunet as they rode. Instead of using telepathy to teach as usual, he guided her to sense her surroundings through chi with his calm voice.
"Huh. I don't think I have ever heard Chichiri talking this much before." Lana commented to Tasuki quietly, patting the red dragon on her arms.
"Me neither." Tasuki agreed, slightly frowning "Usually he's the calmest one hanging in the background." he couldn't quite put a finger on the uneasy feeling he had. "I think something's bothering him."
"Like what?" Lana asked.
"How should I know? It's just a hunch." Tasuki shrugged. "If yer so curious, go ask him."
"You don't say." Lana narrowed her eyes and Chisuko mewed questioningly on her arms as she stopped her horse to wait Riina and Chichiri to catch them up.
"Jeez, I was only kiddin'." Tasuki sighed, hunching his shoulders and taking Chisuko from her "Well, it's yer funeral. Dun say that I didn' warn ya." He muttered as he continued ahead.
"Thanks for the comfort." Lana sweat dropped at Tasuki's turned back and turned to look when she heard Riina's voice.
"Mou. I can't take this anymore. It's making my head hurt. This is too damn difficult." Riina sighed and winced, rubbing her head "Can we have a break?"
"Sure, no da." Chichiri said and took a small pouch from the depths of his cloak and carefully took out one leaf "Here. This'll ease you're headache, no da." He gave the leaf to Riina, quickly pulling his hand away. Riina just nodded for thank you and hurried her horse ahead of them.
"Hi yah sis." Lana smiled as she passed her. The only response was a sizzle of red chi but in an instant Riina regretted her outburst and nodded in greeting as she rode ahead, catching up with Tasuki.
"Uh-oh." Lana sweat dropped, startled, and rode along Chichiri's side as he caught up with her. "What's wrong with her?" she asked from the blue-haired seishi.
Chichiri merely shrugged as he took a sip of water, watching the two persons ahead of them.
Lana sighed and watched Riina and Tasuki talk for a bit, then grinned, "Well, looks like she's adopted another one."
"Nani, no da?" Chichiri said, looking at Lana and blinking.
Lana chuckled and replied, "Back at home, me an' Riina are always adopting someone or other. We adopted each other a long time ago over the Internet." Lana laughed out loud. "We both replied to a story saying nearly the same things, and it just went from there. We've been like sisters ever since. Looks like she's made Tasuki her new little brother." Lana frowned. "Wait a minute, does that mean he's MY brother too?!"
Chichiri sweatdropped. "Er, I'm not sure. What's the Internet, no da?"
Lana looked at him and blinked, then laughed nervously, rubbing the back of her neck with a faint blush on her cheeks, "Aw man, I'm sorry. I tend to ramble on if ya don't stop me. Internet is kind of an instant mode of communication back where we come from. It's amazing."
"Ah." Chichiri said. He didn't really understand yet, but he got the feeling that if he asked her to elaborate, she'd go on forever. He'd just have to ask Riina later. He looked ahead to said girl, and stiffened when she put her hand on Tasuki's arm.
Lana looked between the two, then sighed softly to herself. 'Guess I get to play little sis no matter where I am...' "Ne, Chichiri?"
"Hai?" He replied somewhat stiffly, tearing his eye away from the two other seishi and looking at anything but them.
Lana looked at him for a second, before smiling a sad half-smile and quickly grabbing his reins, pulling both of their horses to a stop. "Listen to me 'Chiri. You don't have to worry about those two. Riina really does think of him as a younger brother. Besides, she goes for the older men, if you get my drift." She winked at him playfully, making some colour come to Chichiri's cheeks.
"Why would I be worried, no da?" he asked cheerfully, mask falling into place.
Lana looked at him again, then suddenly leaned over and hugged him tightly around the waist and pressed her forehead against his shirt. "Please don't do this, oniisan 1..." she whispered. "I won't ask what happened. You've already gone through so much. Don't pull away from something that could make you happy just because something like it may have hurt you before. I can tell... I can tell you're scared of what might happen, but please believe me. Riina wouldn't hurt you." Lana pulled away sniffing slightly with tears in her eyes and gave him a watery smile, trying to laugh. "She'd never betray you. She's been too fuckin' obsessed with you for so long."
Chichiri now had colour raging across his face. "Ob- obsessed, no da?" he stammered out.
Lana considered for a moment "A bad choice of words, perhaps." She then laughed slightly, turning away to rub her eyes. "Nuh uh, 'niisan. You gotta ask her yourself." She rubbed a little harder, growling, "Aw dammit, I hate it when this happens. Now I'm gonna be all drowsy and my throat and nose will be clogged up all day..."
Chichiri looked at her grumbling form for a second, and couldn't help but snicker when she gave a small frustrated cry of rage. "Don't worry, no da. You'll feel better in no time, no da."
Lana grumbled a bit more before turning back to him and giving him a slight smile. "We should catch up. Riina's gonna be wondering what I did to you."
Chichiri gently nudged his horse's sides to get him to move forward, then raised an eyebrow feeling a bit cruel, and said teasingly, "I apologize Lana-chan, but you couldn't overpower me on my worst day... kittling, no da."
Lana's jaw dropped and she looked at him with rage burning in her eyes. "Oh. No. You. Didn't." Then she let out a war cry and tackled a laughing Chichiri right off his saddle, making them both fall to the ground mock- wrestling. Chichiri was obviously taking it easy on Lana, who by now had cat ears on the top of her head, slit pupils, and a striped tail whipping about behind her angrily. "Grrrrrrrrr, you're going DOWN!" Lana declared, annoyance showing plainly on her face.
"I'm afraid not, no da." Chichiri said cheerfully, flipping her over so she was face first in the dirt and twisting one arm behind her back. "Give up, no da?"
"Never!!!" Lana shrieked, and began struggling like a possessed woman. Chichiri sweatdropped, noting that if she continued she just might hurt herself. Then he spotted her ears.
"Puuuuuuuuuurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr." Lana happily purred ceasing to struggle as Chichiri scratched behind her ears and carefully moved off to the side to sit down cross-legged.
Chichiri couldn't help but chuckle and comment, "You are the most amusing little thing, aren't you, no da?"
Lana grinned, and pulled herself up onto her knees and cheered, "And don't you forget it!"
"OI! Would you two hurry up?! We've got a lot of ground to cover!" an annoyed voice from further down the path called back to them.
Lana and Chichiri sweatdropped, and Lana rubbed the back of her neck, saying, "Oops!" Then they both climbed back into their saddles and nudged their horses into a trot.
Lana looked over at Chichiri and happily noted that he seemed more relaxed. "You should play more, Oniisan. If you grow up too fast, you miss out on all the important stuff."
Chichiri looked thoughtful for a second, before reluctantly agreeing. "I suppose, no da."
Lana grinned, then said cheerfully, "And now you've got lil' sis Lana to help you let loose once in a while." she grinned. "Also Riina-chan, in case you want to have the company of someone a bit more mature." She chuckled as Chichiri blushed once again.
"So you're going to be the younger sibling of the group now, no da?" Chichiri asked, changing the subject.
Lana bit her lip and cast a look at Tasuki's back, before turning around with a wide grin, saying, "If that's what you guys need me to be, then that's what I'll be. Believe me, I have lots of practice."
Chichiri also cast a look at Tasuki, before looking back at Lana with a knowing look. "Well, maybe not EVERYONE'S younger sibling, no da."
Lana blushed slightly, then smiled over at Chichiri, saying seriously, "I'm not asking you to go faster than you feel comfortable doing, and I'm not asking you to do something you don't feel is right. But please try your best to open up to her. She really does like you, and if nothing else she IS a fellow seishi, and I'd hate to see two of my favourite people get hurt."
Chichiri frowned, saying softly, "But what if-"
Lana reached over and put her hand over his mouth. "There are a lot of 'ifs', Chichiri-kun. I agree, bad things can happen." she smiled softly. "But good things sneak in once in a while as well. Look around you. The air you breathe is unpolluted and pure. Hotohori got to see his wife and son, and now he's with them. You and Tasuki were the only remaining seishi, then suddenly your numbers doubled, and boom! You've just expanded your family! Yes, we're on a dangerous mission..." She looked at him with pride shining off her face. "But through hell and heaven, we've got enough courage to do it." She took her hand off, and said softly, "Just by living we are taking a risk. But that's what makes it life. We're ALL brave Chichiri." She grinned. "And that includes you."
Chichiri watched her silently for a second, before giving her a small smile and saying, "It may not hurt to try, no da..."
Lana smiled in contentment, then face forward, replying, "That's all I ask."
"...Thanks Imoto." (2)
"You're welcome, oniisan."
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Riina and Tasuki rode in silence more or less side by side. After a while Riina frowned and looked at Tasuki, who to her surprise seemed to be lost in his thoughts.
"Tasuki, is something bothering you?" she asked looking worried, her protecting side lifting its head again.
"Hm?" Tasuki looked up "Oh. Nah, I was just thinkin'." He replied, waving his hand reassuringly.
"You? Thinking?! Oh my gods! A miracle!" Riina couldn't help herself of teasing the hot headed bandit, who snorted and glared at her. "Sorry. Just kidding." She giggled. "Were you thinking of Lana?" Riina asked. The way he stiffened told her that she had hit righton target.
"L-Lana? Why for? What on earth gave ya such an idea?" Tasuki snorted, trying to sound annoyed "If I was thinkin' o' her, which I wasn't, it was when she's gonna take this pest o' hers back." He said, blushing, and lifted his right hand to point at growling Chisuko who was hanging from his wrist, having sank his sharp little teeth to his sleeve. "The damn gnawer is ripping my shirt." Tasuki mock complained, making Riina to laugh out loud.
"Perhaps he's hungry? Besides, according to him, he's YOUR lil pest too." Riina laughed as she carefully pried Chisuko off of his wrist and lifted the tiny dragon in front of her saddle, feeding him a piece of dried meat which she had dig up from the saddle bags.
"What am I? A fucking snack?" Tasuki complained, rubbing his wrist and looked amusedly at the little dragon, who was now chirping in Riina's lap.
"So you were thinking of Lana." Riina finally stated after a moment of silence. Tasuki only looked ahead of the road, slightly blushing "You looked worried. Wanna tell me what's troubling you?" Riina asked compassionately.
Tasuki looked at the brunet thoughtfully for a moment before looking at the road again with a distant look "I just don't know." He finally sighed, making Riina's heart slightly wince in fear for them "She always manages t' surprise me. Just as I think I know som'thin' o' her, the lassie turns 'round an' I dun' know what the heck's goin' on." He sighed and hesitated for a moment before continuing "I don't know what she wants from me… and I don't know what to do anymore. This whole thing is way too damn messy, with that Tenkou and all." He said. When he glanced at Riina, instead of sarcastic comeback or teasing look, she was looking at him seriously.
"Hm." She hummed, patting Chisuko thoughtfully "Tricky." She stated for Tasuki's surprise "I can't tell you what to do, but I can say you this: don't let go of her." Riina smiled to him "You like her, right?"
Tasuki looked at the road ahead of them for a few moments before he looked at Riina with small lopsided smile. "Hai. I do. More than anythin'. He admitted quietly, his eyes turning soft.
"Then why are you telling it to me?! You need to tell it for Lana too!" Riina chuckled and reached to grab his sleeve when he stared at her. "Not now silly! Do it later when you two are alone."
"Demo…" Tasuki started feeling like an idiot.
"You'll know when it's the right time." Riina assured, letting go of his sleeve "But don't push it. Take it easy and just be yourself." Riina winked to him "I think she's as confused with all of this as you are. She's still a kid after all." She said with a faint smile. "I think she turns eighteen soon."
"Huh? Whada ya mean a kid? Usually the women o' her age are a'ready engaged or married." Tasuki asked.
"Not by our standards or to me. I think I'm always gonna see her as younger sister." Riina smiled amusedly.
Suddenly Tasuki realized something "Wait a second. Yer saying that… Lana likes me?" he said, wanting to pull the brunet from her horse and throttle the answers from her.
"Why don't you find it out yourself?" Riina winked teasingly and Tasuki smiled slowly back and both of them continued riding in cosy silence. After a while Tasuki noticed that Riina was tapping her saddle knob, looking restless. Chisuko was riding on top of the saddle bags behind of her.
"Ne, Tasuki, can I ask you something?" Riina suddenly asked him.
"Sure. Tho I might not answer." He winked teasingly.
"You know Chichiri pretty well, don't you?" she asked.
Tasuki looked at her for a moment "How well can ya really know anyone?" he stated seriously and Riina looked at him surprised of the philosophical reply. The bad mouthed hot head had really matured since the war, she thought, looking at him with new respect. "But I have learned to know him a little in these past couple of years." Tasuki raised his brows "Why do ya ask?"
"Um, nothing really…" she played with the mane of her horse "Its just…" she sighed, not knowing how to put it "I mean usually we talk a lot and he's really nice, but now he's suddenly acting all cold, and I'm afraid that I might have done something stupid and that now he's mad at me." She said quickly in one breath and blushed lightly, making Tasuki blink.
"Whelp… that was a big one." Tasuki scratched his hair. "I don't think that Chiri's mad at ya. Trust me, I have seen 'im once when he was royally pissed off, and I dun wanna see it ever again." He smirked and continued "Perhaps he just has things on his mind an' he needs ta sort 'em out." He shrugged "Chiri's just a slow guy ta warm up ta people, but he's a nice guy, really. I dun think that he could harm a fly, even if it was drivin' him mad." Tasuki laughed, making Riina chuckle a little for the comparison.
"I hope that you're right." Riina said and then smiled to him "Gee, that was pretty deep text for an air-headed bandit like you." Riina smirked teasingly. "I'm officially impressed."
"Thanks." Tasuki flashed back a cocky smirk "But dun tell it to Lana. I dun wanna burst her bubble." He winked "But dun worry about Chiri. He likes ya!"
Riina just smiled sarcastically and leaned to her back on the bags. Chisuko squeaked and darted to safety, climbing up to Tasuki's shoulders. "Aren't we two a really pathetic sight." Riina smiled sadly, lying on her back and looking at the blue sky and tree branches passing over her.
"Could be." Tasuki chuckled amusedly.
"You know what Tasuki?" Riina said suddenly, looking at the bandit "I wish that I had a brother like you." She smiled sincerely.
Tasuki looked at the brunet for a while before smiling "Hah. Ya wouldn't make such a bad sis yerself." He laughed "An' comin' from me, that's saying somethin'."
Riina also laughed and sat up, feeling much better. "Hey. You know what. In a way, we are related now!" she grinned.
"Huh?" Tasuki looked confused.
Riina reached to tap his character on the back of his hand for explanation. "See? All of us are bonded together as Suzaku seishi. A little like a family." She said.
"Heh. I guess yer right." Tasuki smiled, looking at his character. He suddenly blinked and stared at Riina "OH NO!! Not another fucking older sister!!" he exclaimed, throwing his hands to air dramatically.
Riina grinned and rode right next to Tasuki "Aniki!!" she squealed and glomped to his neck theatrically.
"AAAAARGH!! Leggo of me ya bloody psycho!! Crazy woman!! Halp!!" Tasuki shouted mock shocked, trying to pry Riina away from his neck. Riina let go of him and fell to her back on her horse, laughing loudly uncontrollably, her tension since the morning freeing and fading away.
Tasuki chuckled and then blinked when a thought came to him "Hey. If you and I are siblings, what does that make me 'n Lana?" he asked.
"Lovers." Riina said with purring accent and grinned teasingly as she sat up again, brushing away her tears of mirth. Tasuki coughed at this, turning deep red and turning away.
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1 Oniisan Big brother
2 Imoto Little sister
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All of those who had wished for mushiness, here you go –grin-. Sorry for not replying to reviews in this post, but we're kind of a busy. Enjoy of the chap everybody. Don't forget to review.