Author's note: Well it's finally here. The final chapter in "No More Sake for Tasuki-chan." It's been a whole heck of a lot of fun writing this thing. I'd like to thank everyone who's been reviewing this story. ·sniffle· I love you people. Ahem, cough. Oh, and one last thing before the story continues. I think I meant to say Chichiri-chan at the end of the last chapter, but it was about twelve o'clock at night and I had no idea what I was typing at that point. I have remedied this error though. Thanks to those of you who pointed that out. Hey, but at least none of you were able to guess who was really sneaking up behind Chichiri though. Now...On to the story. Dun da da dun!!
Disclaimer: I don't own 'em, though life would be much more interesting if I did.
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Chapter 4: Maybe a Little Sake for Tasuki-chan
Chichiri could swear someone up there was out to get him. That was the only plausible reason he could think of as to why he was now looking up into the face of a very chipper Nuriko.
"Sooooooo," the braided man asked once again when he didn't receive an answer from Chichiri right away. "What are you doing out here all alone?" Nuriko flopped down on the ground next to the silent Chichiri, a questioning look on his face, as he waited for an answer.
Chichiri started from his state of silent horror when he realized Nuriko was no longer standing above him and was now staring intently at him from only a few feet away.
"What? Oh, I um...I had something I wanted to think about in peace no da. I figured the others would be too busy trying to keep Mitsukake from killing Tasuki-chan to notice I was gone, na no da." Chichiri turned his head to look out over the lake once again and missed the knowing smile forming on Nuriko's face. He'd been watching Chichiri that morning and figured something was weighing heavily on his mind when he'd walked out of the inn.
"So, what were you thinking about," he prodded, figuring it would be better for Chichiri to talk about whatever was bothering him.
"It's nothing, just something I needed to think about no da."
"Is it about Tasuki-chan?"
Chichiri whipped his head around to look at Nuriko a shocked expression on his face. Nuriko's smile turned into a knowing smirk as he waited patiently for Chichiri to regain his composure.
"I take it I was right then," Nuriko asked.
"How did you-?"
"Oh, come on Chichiri-chan. I saw the way you were looking at him this morning when he came down to apologize. It wasn't hard to guess that he was the one you came out here to think about."
"So what if he was," Chichiri grumbled quietly, annoyed that Nuriko had been able to figure him out so easily. "There's nothing you can do to help me with this anyway no da." Chichiri pulled his knees up to his chest and rested his chin on them, staring stubbornly out at the lake.
"Don't be so sure Chichiri-chan. I'm a good listener and I'm not to bad at giving advice either. So, what's your problem?" Chichiri rolling his eyes and wrapping his arms around his knees was the only answer Nuriko got, so he decided to wheedle the answer out of Chichiri using another tactic. "Look, staring at that lake hasn't done much good for you so far, so why not try telling me what's wrong. Come on, what have you got to lose?"
Nuriko could've sworn he heard Chichiri mumble something along the lines of "except my sanity" into his arms, but he ignored it. There were a few minutes of silence, broken only by the sound of water washing up on the shore as Nuriko waited patiently for the monk to give in. Just as he'd expected, it only took a few minutes before Chichiri broke down with a sigh.
"It's nothing really, except...ever since last night I just...can't stop thinking about Tasuki-chan no da," Chichiri said reluctantly.
Nuriko's eyes lit up and he clapped his hands triumphantly. "I knew it," he crowed happily. "I knew something went on in that inn room last night that you weren't telling the rest of us about."
"Nothing happened no da," Chichiri responded quickly, but the look Nuriko gave him finally made him relent. "Okay, maybe something happened. But that's not important. Right now all I want to know is why I keep feeling drawn to Tasuki-chan no da."
Nuriko was too busy pouting about the fact that he wasn't going to get any of the juicy details out of Chichiri right then to fully comprehend what Chichiri had said. When he did, his eyes lit up with merriment and he began to giggle uncontrollably.
Chichiri stared at the purple-haired man, a puzzled expression on his face. When Nuriko didn't look like he was going to get himself under control any time soon, Chichiri huffed and pushed his legs out flat in front of him. "What's so funny no da," he asked, a tinge of annoyance evident in his voice.
"It's just...you...Tasuki...and," Nuriko stopped to compose himself, so he could talk without giggling in between words. When he finally had himself under control, he turned back to Chichiri and then had to bite his lip to keep from laughing again.
Chichiri sat quietly glaring at Nuriko as the other man snorted a couple of times before composing himself enough to manage full sentences.
"I really don't see what's so funny no da," Chichiri said when the braided man seemed to have himself under control.
"I'm sorry Chichiri-chan," Nuriko said a huge grin plastered on his face. "I just find it really cute that you have a crush on Tasuki-chan."
"I have a what no da?"
"It's just like with me and Hotohori-sama."
When Nuriko saw the look of disbelief on Chichiri's face he amended his statement. "Okay, so maybe it isn't really a crush yet. Maybe you're just really attracted to him."
"What do you mean, no da?"
"Well," Nuriko thought quietly for a few minutes. "You could feel drawn to Tasuki-chan because you want to have a physical relationship with him."
"How would I know if that's what I want, no da?"
Nuriko smiled and waved his hand. "Oh that's easy Chichiri-chan. All you have to do is try it out and see if you like it."
"What do you mean by it, no da," Chichiri asked warily.
Nuriko's eyes glinted and he smirked in a way that made Chichiri altogether uneasy. Then he leaned over and began whispering some very descriptive and very "interesting" things into Chichiri's ear.
Chichiri felt his face slowly heat up at the images Nuriko's words were creating, but found himself fascinated by them all the same. Nuriko was oblivious to the heat radiating off of Chichiri's face as he slowly turned redder and redder with every word Nuriko said. Without warning Chichiri's mask spontaneously combusted, falling in a pile of ash to the ground in front of him.
Nuriko finished his descriptions a few minutes later and smiled when he saw Chichiri's shell-shocked expression. "I guarantee you Chichiri-chan. If you try any of those things, you'll know right away whether or not you're attracted to Tasuki-chan." When Chichiri didn't give any indication that he'd heard what Nuriko said the purple-haired man leaned over to look at Chichiri more closely. "Um...Chichiri-chan, are you okay," Nuriko asked, cautiously poking him on the shoulder. Chichiri's body fell over frozen in the same position it was in when Nuriko stopped talking.
"Uh oh..." Nuriko said looking around guiltily. "I must've overloaded his brain or something when I was talking to him." Nuriko leaned over Chichiri's body and waved a hand in front of his face. When there was still no reaction from the monk, Nuriko began to get a little nervous. He considered the situation for a few minutes and, finding no other option, he looked around quickly to make sure no one was watching.
Nuriko bent down and picked up Chichiri in his arms and walked over to the edge of the lake. Then, looking around again to make sure no one could see him; he nonchalantly tossed Chichiri's stiff form into the lake.
Chichiri hit the water with a splash and he surfaced a few seconds later, sputtering and glaring at Nuriko for all he was worth.
"Oh good," Nuriko called to him, smiling. "I thought I'd lost you for a second there Chichiri-chan." If looks could kill, Nuriko would've been pushing up daises.
Nuriko tried to suppress his laughter behind his hand as he watched the drenched Chichiri stalk out of the pond and up the shore back to where he was standing. Nuriko opened his mouth to apologize for throwing Chichiri in the pond, but Chichiri held up a hand stiffly to stop him as he stalked past him and back toward the inn. Nuriko chuckled softly as he followed the steaming monk.
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Not wanting to go back right away and face the questioning stares of the others at his drenched appearance, Chichiri walked around the village alone for a little while thinking about what Nuriko had said to him before he'd thrown him in the pond. He was grateful for the fact that Nuriko had gone back to the inn instead of continuing to follow him, leaving him to his thoughts.
When Chichiri finally felt he was suitably dry he went back to the inn and sat down with others. By this time it seemed that they'd been able to get Mitsukake under control, though he still gritted his teeth every few minutes and his posture was a little stiffer than normal. At least he wasn't making threats on Tasuki's life anymore.
The group sat in companionable silence for a while, no one feeling the need to talk as they sipped their drinks and ate some food, which had obviously been ordered in Chichiri's absence. No one really felt the need to talk and Chichiri was glad no one was asking him about why he'd left earlier. He suspected that might have something to do with Nuriko, but prayed he was wrong and the braided man hadn't spilled all his secrets to the others in his absence.
The comfortable mood was broken after only a short while though, with the return of Tasuki from his room. He looked better than he had the last time he'd come down the stairs, but that didn't mean the others were any happier to see him. They'd all been secretly hoping he wouldn't venture back out of his room for the rest of the day.
There were a few collective groans from the seishi at the table when they saw Tasuki making his way toward them. When his path veered to the man at the counter where he ordered a bottle of sake, the groans got a little louder. The seishi all watched as Tasuki grinned at the man and then turned around to head back up to his room. On his way there he glanced over at his friends seated around the table and raised his bottle in a salute, grinning toothily all the while.
Tasuki looked at the faces of his friends all staring at him in differing degrees of horror and his grin only grew wider. When his eyes met Chichiri's Tasuki winked, watching as a puzzled expression crossed the monk's face. He glanced at the rest of his friends one last time before turning around and making his way to the foot of the stairs. Stopping there for a second, he turned back around and as an afterthought decided to make one last statement to the group at the table.
"Hey Mitsukake," he called teasingly. "If you want me... I'll be in my room1." With one final wink at the stunned table, Tasuki climbed the stairs to the landing and disappeared through the door of his room.
A few seconds of silence followed the closing of Tasuki's door. Then, as though moving as a single entity, the members of the group sitting at the table, minus one, all turned warily to look at a once again fuming Mitsukake.
"Just one more time," Mitsukake growled. "If he mentions it one... More. Time. I swear I'll..." Mitsukake's words trailed off as he continued to mutter threats under his breath.
Everyone sweatdropped and decided to leave Mitsukake to his brooding. As long as he didn't follow through on his threats they didn't want to risk talking to him and turning his anger on them instead.
After a few minutes of uncomfortable silence, in which no one was really sure what to do, Tamahome spoke up.
"Guys, someone is going to have to stay up in Tasuki's room with him tonight and make sure he doesn't get into any trouble." Tamahome nodded in Mitsukake's direction as he emphasized the word "trouble". The others nodded in assent at his statement.
"Okay then... So who's going to be the lucky guy?" Tamahome looked at the seishi sitting around the table and watched as they glanced anywhere but at him. "Oh come on guys, can't-"
"I'll do it no da."
Four pairs of eyes (A/N: Mitsukake's still fuming so he wouldn't look with the others) turned to stare incredulously at the blue-haired monk sitting back calmly in his chair.
"Um...Chichiri-chan, are you sure you want to do that," Tamahome asked hesitantly.
"Of course, no da." Chichiri's expression left no room for any more questions, so Tamahome conceded with a shrug.
"Alright then Chichiri-chan, I hope you know what you're doing."
Chichiri stood up and walked toward the stairs a determined look on his face. Back at the table Nuriko had been watching the proceedings with amusement in his eyes. It seems that Chichiri-chan has decided to take my advice after all, he thought a smirk crossing his lips. Good luck Chichiri-chan, he added as he watched the monk make his way up the stairs.
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Chichiri closed the door to Tasuki's room quietly behind him, then turned around to face the man who'd been haunting his thoughts all day. He noticed that Tasuki had already begun drinking his bottle of sake, but couldn't tell how far into the bottle Tasuki was. Not wanting to start a conversation, in case the bandit was already drunk, Chichiri crossed the room to the window on the other side and looked out at the village beneath him.
Now that he was in Tasuki's room, he wasn't really sure what to do next. He was starting to have second doubts on whether or not it was really such a good idea to take Nuriko's advice.
Chichiri was broken out of his musings by the sound of Tasuki's voice behind him.
"Hey Chichiri-chan," Tasuki said, getting up from his chair. "Whatcha doin' up here when everybody else is downstairs?"
"I'm here to act as your bodyguard for tonight, and to make sure you don't get into any...trouble no da," Chichiri answered, still looking out the window.
"So...It's just you and me... alone in here fer the rest of the night then?"
"That's right Tasuki-chan, no da."
Chichiri hadn't noticed Tasuki creeping up slowly behind him as he was talking and was startled when the next words Tasuki spoke were whispered in his ear. "Good," Tasuki said huskily. "How 'bout we pick up where we left off last night then?"
"Nani," Chichiri asked, turning around with an astonished look on his face. "But...
b-but...you said you didn't remember anything that happened last night no da." Chichiri's expression became confused as Tasuki continued to stare at him.
"Ah, now that's were yer wrong Chichiri-chan," Tasuki said quietly, an amused twinkle in his eyes. "I said I didn't remember everythin' that happened last night. There's no way I'd forget that sweet little body ya got hidden under all them robes."
The rest of Chichiri's protests were silenced by Tasuki's grinning mouth descending to cover his own.
Nuriko-chan's really going to gloat about this tomorrow morning, Chichiri thought right before he let himself get lost in the wonderful sensation of kissing Tasuki again.
The End
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1 I'm sorry, I just couldn't help myself. I had to annoy Mitsukake one last time before I finished this story ·evil grin·
Well that's it folks. That's all she wrote...literally. I am happy to say that "No more sake for Tasuki-chan" is finally completed. I had my doubts as to whether or not it would ever happen, but I'm happy to admit that I was wrong. Anyway, I want to mention to everyone that I'm planning to eventually get around to rechecking the entire story again sometime, so if you see an update for it that's just the revised version and it probably won't be much different than the first one. So anyway, thanks to everyone who's been reading this. I love all of you, my readers. You're all great.
Ja