Title: Just the Same
Author: Freya-sama
Pairing: Bankotsu/Jakotsu
Fandom: InuYasha
Theme: #20 - the road home
Word Count: 1,469
Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha
"I bet we'll be able to kill hundreds in this next town," said Bankotsu, as he marched through the exit with his partner on his side. He couldn't wait to hit a big place that could actually put up a fight; they had been deprived of a good fight for so long. One village after another had been a complete drag as far as good fights and good kills went, and Jakotsu sighed a bored sigh as each village seemed to contain too many women and ugly old men. He briefly wondered if he had already killed all the world's hotties, save for Bankotsu, until he spotted and slayed one particularly cute soldier sprinting through the forest, made Jakotsu very excited and ready for a long due blood bath.
Bankotsu's face fell as Jakotsu took a lick at his serpent sword; he was more eagar than usual to sink it into a few lookers.
This particular place was where quite a few cute young samurai hid before heading back out to war, and Bankotsu blushed at the thought. Recently, he'd been noticing a few good looking men around the villages, and unbeknownst to Jakotsu, he purposely settled for for the weaker side of the province which held the most women. He thought it'd chase the feeling away, rather hoped it would, though seeing Jakotsu so bored and annoyed with his current taste in places to conquer was beginning to hurt him more. Training to become mercenaries did not start with slashing up small fry; they wanted to play with the big boys. Coming to this town would be a refreshing slay, as well as removal of any suspicions Jakotsu may have.
They headed off into the sea of villagers and wasted no time in chopping them up once the first contemptuous look was shot their way. Swinging his Banryuu around forcefully for the first time in so long filled Bankotsu with so much triumph, he laughed as each one fell. The tip of his blade sunk in and slashed through many a villager's stomach; blood and limbs soon adorned the ground completely. With a satisfied smirk, Bankotsu leaned his sword against his shoulder and turned around sharply, only to find a young man with a missing arm, propped up in a bloody heap against the wall as he quivered in fear.
"W-why... " he said in a weak voice as the blood gushed through his fingers. He appeared no older than Bankotsu, and was dressed in a monk's attire. The killer's fingers began to tremble and sweat against the handle of his sword and his cheeks grew hot. He tried to force out a sarcastic, witty answer to the dying monk's question, yet angrily shoved his sword onto the boy's body instead. His stomach cramped with a feeling of desire, and this was the first time it really began to take it's toll. He stomped quickly away from the monk boy in search of his partner, whom was aptly torturing another man to death.
He makes it look so easy, Bankotsu thought, growing more fearful of his feelings by the second. Jakotsu traveled along his side for as long as he could remember, and it never seemed that he just suddenly became the way he was. Bankotsu figured that rare few people were just born liking the same sex, but his desire for men had begun to develop right out of the blue. It was a scary thought, being all alone in the world; being different. When Jakotsu's current opponent finally fell into pieces, Bankotsu snapped back into reality and motioned his head toward the nearest hut. He forced a cheery front, so not to be questioned. "Yo, Jakotsu! C'mon!"
"Oi, aniki?" Jakotsu said, once they settled down inside the hut. Bankotsu put his finger up and downed his drink in one big swallow.
"What's up, Jakotsu?" he asked while wiping excess sake from his mouth. After such a fun slay with a hefty amount of victims, Bankotsu didn't seem quite as excited as he normally would. The corners of his smile didn't twitch when he was enjoying himself, and downing sake in one shot wasn't his style.
Jakotsu crawled beside the other boy and wrapped an arm around him, earning himself a curious stare. "You took longer to finish off that monk than I woulda."
"You noticed!" The blush from earlier crept across Bankotsu's face, and he jerked himself out of Jakotsu's embrace. He couldn't avoid being scrutinized by his best friend of many years, nor could he take back how he felt looking at a monk as beautiful as that before killing him. Bankotsu sighed somberly, and his tear-laden eyes faced the ground. "So... you've noticed."
"Mou... it's not so bad, is it?" Bankotsu didn't respond right away; he couldn't find the will or the courage to. Admitting his possible sexual preference to himself and Jakotsu, or lying, were his only two options. He didn't know which was more scary. A stray tear fell rolled down him face, and he buried his eyes in the palm of his hand.
"I'm... I'm scared... " were the only truthful words he could conjure at the moment. Admitting fear was not something Bankotsu did on a regular basis, and it surprised Jakotsu to hear it. Trust was the strongest thing they developed during their travels and teamwork. They had their strengths, and their weaknesses, though on the hunt, they showed nothing but strength and pride in their abilities. Together, they became an unstoppable force, being able to wipe out humans just as easily as demons without a care it the world. Personal fears were their only flaws, and Jakotsu could see Reckless Courage himself in this kind of state.
Jakotsu slipped his arm back around Bankotsu's shoulder, but didn't get it shrugged off again. The shorter man's eyes met Jakotsu's, having ceased the flow of tears momentarily, though he was holding back. He couldn't lie to he own comrade; not Jakotsu. He couldn't fool himself any longer either. No one else in the world accepted that there was more to him than being a killer. He lived to fight; he lived to live as well.
"Is it lonely?" Bankotsu asked, his voice sounding eerily calm after his outbreak.
"Hmm? Is it lonely?"
"Well," he started, scooting closer into his friend's embrace. "Being the way you are. Is it lonely being... " Pause.
"Sometimes," Jakotsu said, getting the gist of Bankotsu's question. "But... not when I've got a cute guy right here with me."
"Jakotsu?" His stomach grew much tighter than it had ever before, yet things were becoming much clearer to him than they had ever been. It always seemed natural, having Jakotsu around; growing up on the outskirts of village, slaying youkai and oni for pay; clearing out whole villages and enjoying sake under the stars; feeling resentment every time Jakotsu spoke of another man. However, he always felt the most resentment toward the man Jakotsu spoke of, and never understood why. He often chalked it up to his friend being too redundant, though he'd been hiding the fact that he was jealous from everyone, including himself, right from the start.
And, for the first time, Jakotsu finally called him the "cute guy." He didn't know whether he was closer to laughing or crying.
"I've been waiting for this for a long time." Jakotsu's face was now inches away from his Bankotsu's, not daring to move any closer; he had faith in the decision Bankotsu would make and smiled. The world Jakotsu offered to him was the only welcoming one he'd ever seen.
And, he took it.
Their lips met fiercely; all doubt Bankotsu had before melted away with his insides. All he ever wanted was someone to love, and to reciprocate that fierce love he had pent up inside for so long. No one deserved that more than Jakotsu.
They pulled moments later and laughed at the irony of it all.
"So, you've been waiting?"
"I've always been waiting, aniki." Jakotsu planted small, feather-like kisses along the corner of his mouth. "We're just the same now."
"Yeah," Bankotsu whispered, then smiled. "Yeah." His confidence was growing much more abundant. "We're not alone."
In a bit of a teasing laugh, "We never were." Jakotsu rose to his feet, and held out his hand. Without anymore hesitation, Bankotsu took the offered hand and kissed the other boy more fervorously. No matter whether they went to a town full of old boys, young boys, or pretty boys, he wouldn't need to worry about how attractive his victims were. In the end, he and Jakotsu would be the last two standing in the pool of corpses, because they had chosen each other since the beginning.
They had found the road home.
End