Friends Never Say Goodbye; Good luck; / Kouji's Regret Part I of II

Raeka-chan: If you read this… then I will cry….I am so sorry this is taking so long…but it means that I want this story to be good...so I don't wanna force things so that it is unnatural –blush- im working hard!

Reabef-chan: We hope you're ready for chapter nine…Enjoy!

It was wet.

/kuso/

It had been raining hard for over three hours now and the Mount Reikoku bandit leader was soaked. He raised his hand to push his sopping dark blue hair out of his face. He looked around at his men who were in various hidden positions, intently focused on the road they were watching.

It was a routine stake-out, along a road that was a main route for travelers from the city. The people who lived in the city seldom traveled outside, the poorer ones never did. So the ones who traveled more often then less had money on them.

/Perfect/ Kouji thought with a grin.

The plan was pretty basic. Four of the bandits lay in wait in the trees while four more lay in wait to the left and right sides of the road. The victim would be surrounded instantly on Kouji's signal, one that they had all agreed on for once.

He sighed as he thought about this. He rocked back on his heels and closed his eyes as he breathed in the heavy scents of the wet forest around him. When Tasuki had finally decided to follow the strange girl and her two companions, he had encouraged and reassured him, smiling and laughing. But once he was sure that his best friend could no longer see him waving, the grin on his face slipped away and remained standing there, fighting a battle with the emotions that churned inside him. The copper taste of blood in his mouth had brought him back, and he realized that he had been biting his lip. He thought about his friends parting words.

"But I don't wanna trek after em'" The orange head had whined, fixing his friend with a pitiful gaze.

Kouji had laughed, cuffing him playfully. They had fooled around a bit more, until the inevitable silence had claimed them once more.

"Kouji…"

He turned to meet Tasuki's amber eyes that were completely serious.

"Neh?" he asked softly

"What will happen if I leave you guys…" he faltered a moment, quickly hiding it. "You'd all be hopelessly lost within thirty minutes of me leavin'!" he joked, but Kouji could see that he was truly torn.

Tasuki looked at the ground and Kouji saw that he was fighting with himself. His eyes were closed and he kept opening and closing his fists.

"Tasuki…"

No response. /He can't even hear me…/

Kouji swallowed the feelings of despair that rose up at the idea of losing his best friend and placed his hand on his shoulder.

"Tasuki." He said again, gently.

At his touch, the young bandit looked up, meeting his eyes.

"Don't worry about us." Kouji said calmly, his eyes searching Tasuki's in order to make him see how serious he was. "I can handle the idiots until you get back." /If you get back./

Tasuki closed his eyes and let out a sigh, and when he opened them, Kouji could see the resolve and gratitude written in them and on his face.

"So yer off then?" Kouji said, hiding behind a fanged grin. Tasuki snickered, head butting him.

"Wait fer me, I'll be back before ya know it baka!" And then he had stopped, and it took Kouji every last shred of control to maintain the sadness that welled up inside him as they both looked at each other…both wanting to say so much, and not being able to say it.

/ Never say….goodbye…………Friends, never say…goodbye…/

Kouji took his hand.

"Good luck." He said softly.

Tasuki nodded.

"You too…"

And then he was gone.

"BOSS!"

Kouji snapped out of his daze immediately, instantly crouching down to conceal his position.

"What do we have?" he said quickly to the young man who had shaken him from the past. The young man looked at him with a grave and serious expression on his face and motioned Kouji to lean in closer. The leader tensed, feeling a cold sweat on the back of his neck. The bandit leaned close, and then…

"A squirrel des sir."

Kouji stared at him, a large sweat drop forming.

"A…squirrel…?" he said in a monotone.

The young man nodded seriously, pointing.

"Yes sir, it's right over the-" WHAM

"BAKA!" Kouji's yelp rang though the forest. "YOU SCARE THE UN HOLY SHIT OUT AH ME FER THAT?"

The man's apology was lost when Kouji whacked him again. After letting his heart rate return to normal, he sighed. The young man nearly fell on his face in his hurry to get out of the range of his leaders whacks and back to the company of his snickering companions. It had been about a year now since Genrou and left the, to become one of the Suzaku Seven. Kouji still remembered the looks on the faces of these men when he had told them that once again…their leader was gone. He titled his head back, eyes closed, letting the rain fall onto his upturned face and trickle off the sides in little streams. / Suzaku…please watch over him…please bring him back/

Raeka-chan: Coooming! - hang in there…im so grateful to the readers….It makes it so much easier to write when you know people are reading….Arigato Gozaimasu! - - : bows