Gen gasped in pain as she felt a massive headache come on. She barely heard Chichiri's call to her. All she was truely aware of was the memories swarming in her head. From somewhere, she felt herself slipping and became slowly aware of strong arms holding her upright.
Opening amber eyes, she was not surprised to find herself staring into Chichiri's beautiful eyes and was very pleased to notice that this time around he had both of them. However the throbbing in her head diminished some of the pleasure of fully seeing the man she loved once again. with a growl, Tasuki pushed up from her position in Chichiri's lap and glared at the woman before her "DAMN IT, NURIKO. DID YA' HAVE TO DO THAT HERE? NOW I GOT A FUCKIN' HEADACHE WORSE THEN A HANGOVER FROM TO MUCH DAMN SAKE!"
The restraunt was silent and suddenly Tasuki was very glad that there were no other people in the room other then their small group. She glanced around the table and was surprised to see the rest of the group staring at her in wonder and hope. "What? I gotta headache and it's all Nuriko's damn fault, as usual. Baka" She gave a small fanged grin at the former crossdresser.
The group burst into laughter at this and Miaka launched herself at Tasuki. "OH, Tasuki. I'm so glad you are here." The former bandit just laughed as she hugged her beloved Miko. "Me too, Miaka, me too."
She looked around the group, opened eyes and mind taking in the faces of her beloved friends from a time long past. Finally her eyes landed on the one who held her heart. Her smile turned from wide and overjoyed to loving and overjoyed. Her eyes softened and she looked up at Chichiri as he now towered over her small frame. "Oh, Chiri-chan." With that their lips met and the others and the room disappeared.
Much later, back at Miaka and Taka's apartment, the rest of the Seishi refused to even think of the fact that Chichiri was now Tasuki's teacher. They all knew that if the two didn't get their feelings under control by Sunday, it would be discussed, but for now, they were content to let them be and have the time together they needed so desperately.
Tasuki currently was sitting in Chichiri's lap, her head resting on the former monk's chest, listening to his heartbeat. Nuriko and Hotohori were talking about how they had met in this life and then met Miaka. She had already heard how Mitsukake and Chiriko found them. The only story she hadn't heard was Chichiri's, but she knew that would come.
She figured it must have been the busy day or the remaining headache from her 'awakening' but the next thing she realized was that Chichiri was rising, with her in his arms and she blinked owlishly up at him. "Chiri?" He smiled down at Tasuki "Shhhh, you need sleep, no da." She smiled against his neck and let herself be carried from the room, although she did wake up enough to wish her friends a good night. She was very curious as Chichiri entered a room and lowered her onto the bed.
Raising her head slightly, she looked around the room. No personal touches, so she figured this must be a guest room. "Chichiri?"
She watched him sit on the edge of the bed. "We all know how bad the headache is, no da. Just rest, you can sleep here tonight, no da." She nodded at him "Ok, good night, Chiri-chan." With that her eyes closed and she fell asleep, slipping into blissfullness, away from her headache.
Chichiri watched her fall asleep, doubt assailing him. She hadn't said she loved him yet. He still loved Tasuki, even though the bandit had been reborn as a woman. He wondered if he was the only one that had been waiting for her to return, if she still felt for him. He thought she did, after all she had those sketches of him in her book, so hope welled within him that she still remembered. He rose, his heart calling out to Suzaku that she still loved him. It was as he left the room that he remembered that she was his student and any relationship they had, no matter how right, was not allowed. He wanted to choke on his despair but held it inside and put on a mask, not one of his fake ones from the book, but one that hid his emotions just the same. Taka saw right through it.
"Hey, Chichiri. We know you have had an exhausting day. Why don't you rest. We can discuss things tomorrow when this has all calmed down." Chichiri stared at Taka, and for a moment he thought he saw Tamahome sitting there. His gaze covered the others and he was taken back to a time when they all looked the same (mostly), but wore different clothes. He blinked and the vision faded, leaving the others to stare at him curiously.
He shook his head "Where would I sleep then, no da?" He didn't know why he asked, but he just needed to maybe have this permission from his oldest friends, as well as his fellow teacher. Just tonight he wanted to toss the rules of this world aside and join his love like times before, in another life.
The others seemed to know this and understanding and pity showed in their eyes. They knew the sacrifices that Tasuki and Chichiri would be making this semester would be more then Taka and Miaka had faced since Taka was reborn in this world, and Nuriko and Hotohori as well. None of them were willing to deny Chichiri or Tasuki this time.
Taka looked into the monks eyes and smiled "I think Tasuki won't take up the bed, you can crash next to her tonight."
The others watched with satisfaction as a happy look crossed Chichiri's face and he nodded good night to them all and left to join Tasuki in the spare room.
The others were quiet for awhile, each lost in their own thoughts. Miaka's tear choked voice brought their attention to her. "It's not fair."
The other nodded, having been thinking the same thing, but there was nothing they could do. It would cost Chichiri his job and Tasuki would probably be forced to return to the United States. Tamahome was quiet though, gazing at his wife in thought.
"You are right, Miaka. It's not fair. The only solution I can see is to have the two act like teacher and student for now and then hopefully let our house be a refuge to them on the weekend. After all the time we spent looking for Tasuki and watching Chichiri grow a bit more unhappy with each passing day, I don't have the heart to keep them apart when they are here."
The others were nodding at this. They all realized the situation was not ideal, but if they could provide a place of refuge for their friends, then maybe that would be enough for Tasuki and Chichiri, at least for now.
Tasuki stretched slightly as she woke, stopping with shock when her fingers curled around chest hair. She instantly became aware of the hard male body under her head, the beating of a familiar heartbeat and the soft noises that were so familiar. The ones Chichiri made during sleep.
Raising her head slowly, her heart skipped a beat at the man she lay curled against and on. This was her Chichiri. No longer would she have to talk to his sketch, but she had him here in the flesh. And not just him, all her friends were there. The only seeming difference was herself.
She rose slowly, careful to not wake the beautiful man in the bed and walked to the full length mirror attached to the back of the door. For the first time in a long time, not since her womanly attributes had developed, she molded her shirt to her body. Someone, Chichiri she suspected, had removed her pants and sweatshirt and now she stood in a t-shirt and her panties.
Looking at herself, she studied her womanly curves, wondering if Chichiri would find her as attractive in this form as he had found her in her previous one. She turned to the side, her gaze moving down her small breasts to her flat stomach. She must admit, compaired to all the fashion magazines out there, her body was nicely put together. Asthetically pleasing for any man to look at.
However, Chichiri wasn't just any man, he was the one of her dreams, the man she had spent a good portion of her past life with. Her main thought was would she please him in this new body. When she had just been Gen, she had never given much thought to what a woman must go through when she became sexually active. She hadn't been interested in the guys in school, although she did find a few cute. She knew now that she was waiting for Chichiri again.
Catching movement in the mirror, she looked past herself and towards the bed to find Chichiri leaning up on his elbows, watching her look at herself with an amused, if not confused gaze.
She felt her face flush as she dropped her hands, her shirt unmolding from her form and she turned to move back to the bed he inhabited.
He watched Tasuki approach, her face red and he waited for her to kneel beside him on the bed before he spoke, as it would appear she wasn't getting any closer.
"I never knew you were attracted to the female body, Tas-chan no da." His teasing voice caused her face to heat up a bit more.
"I just never..." she paused and looked up into his face, her eyes roaming over his comforting visage. He encouraged her to finish.
She made a few false starts and then changed her tactic a bit. "Do you find this form repulsive?"
Chichiri blinked in surprise at the seemingly different topic. "Da?" She turned a bit more red. "I thought so." and turned glumily away from him.
He grabbed her and pulled her back around towards him. "Oh, Tasuki. I do not find this form repulsive, far from it actually, no da." She was watching him closely now, listening to his words, watching his face for his expressions. He knew that she liked to watch him without his mask and was glad it wasn't on this time.
"You will always be beautiful to me, no matter what form you take, no da!" He felt a rush of joy as she relaxed at his words and he once again asked his question. "Why were you looking at yourself like that, no da?"
She blushed again and looked away but explained this time. "Not since this body began it's natural changes when I was younger have I truely paid it more attention then what was needed to be decent in public. I have never really given any thought to how I might look to a man. I am not saying I wasn't attracted to men, I was. I knew that I was straight in this body, but I also knew that if I had been born a man, I would have been attracted to men. I understand now why." She looked to him for understanding to find him smiling at her in a way that melted her insides.
He laid back down on the bed and looked to her with invitation in his eyes. She laid by his side, her head on his shoulder. "I am surprised we were all able to find each other in this time." She smiled as his arms came around her and pulled her more securly to his side.
Chichiri nodded to her "Yes, we have all commented on that at one point or another. Although we always wondered if we would ever find you. Life never seemed complete till last night. Well, really on Monday when Taka found you at the airport, no da."
She smiled against him "I'm glad he did. I'm glad to be here with you." Her voice trailed off and they lay for the longest time, just content to hold each other again at long last.
Miaka and Nuriko stood outside the door, ears pressed to the wall, listening to the soft talk of Chichiri and Tasuki. They were both grinning like mad at each other over the kawaii conversation. To think that their Tasuki would be doubtful of her female body was beyond funny to them, and adorable. They remembered their Tasuki never showed any fear to anyone, but then they had never really seen Tasuki with Chichiri before, maybe the bandit had let down in front of the monk when they were alone.
Both the women gave a loud scream of surprise and a bit of fear at the loud voice that called from inside the room, very close to them "REKKA SHINEN". The girls both fell to the ground in shock and fear. From the living room they hear the sound of running feet and from the bedroom, loud laughter and a soft male groan.
Taka and Hotohori come to a skidding stop at the end of the hallway, wide eyes taking in the undignified way their wives are sprawled on the floor and then the nearly bent double form of Tasuki laughing in the doorway, wearing nothing but a long t-shirt and ummmm, nothing else?
The guys looked past her to where Chichiri was standing behind her, shirtless, shaking his head in dismay. He quickly stepped between her and Miaka and Nuriko, as the two get up and make threatening moves towards Tasuki, who is still laughing to hard to do much else.
Taka and Hotohori just shake their heads. "Were you two spying on them?" Hotohori is trying to sound like his old regal self, although failing miserably at the memory of the sight of his wife in an undignified heap on the floor with Miaka.
Chichiri is trying not to laugh by now, seeing as Tasuki is still laughing uncontrollably. "That wasn't very nice of you girls to listen to a private conversation, no da."
After a few more minutes of laughter and half hearted threats it was decided the group would seperate and freshen up to go out to breakfast. Calls were made to Mitsukake and Chiriko and Hotohori and Nuriko waited patiently for the other two couples to change into clothes for breakfast.
Tasuki was sitting on the bed, still wearing no pants, watching Chichiri pull his shirt on and hunt for his socks. She didn't really know where her pants or shirt was, but for now she was enjoying the sight of him dressing. He glanced up and smiled at her. "Your clothes are over there, no da." She followed his gaze to a before ignored dresser where her jeans and sweatshirt lay folded on top, along with her socks. She looked down at the shirt she wore. "Whose shirt is this anyways?"
Chichiri smiled at her and retrieved her clothes as she climbed from the bed. "It's mine, no da. I spend most of my weekends over here with Taka and Miaka. It does get lonely living alone all week, no da." She smiled at him and lifted the neckline of the shirt to her nose and inhaled his scent. "Oh, it smells like you, no da. Can I keep it?" She smiled innocently at him as she stood and pulled the shirt off, seemingly over her previous hestitancy about him liking her body.
She glanced to him as she put the shirt on the bed and found him gripping her clothes in a death grip and staring at her almost naked body as if it was the greatest treasure in the world. She blushed deeply and walked to him, his eyes moving down her body and watching the way her body moved as she walked. He looked back up into her eyes when she cleared her throat and realized she was standing right in front of him now. She pulled lightly on her sweatshirt and jeans and he released them to her and only when she was fully dressed did he find that he could once again think coherently and speak as well.
She turned back to him and smiled, breaking him from whatever spell he was under and he moved towards her, taking her into his arms. "Tasuki, trust me when I say I find whatever form you take to be absolutely beautiful, no da."
Chichiri was pleased with the blush that covered her face and neck and leaned down to kiss her, their lips meeting and throwing all other thought out the window for both of them. When they finally broke apart for air, her whispered words washed the last remaining doubts away. "I love you, Chichiri."
"I love you too, no da."