Title: The Air You Breathe
Theme: Set #1, Theme #38: Height Difference
Genre: Drama/General
Pairings: Bankotsu/Jakotsu
Word Count: 300
Rating: PG
Summary: The gap that so many people claimed was there- wasn't there for the two men themselves.

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To anyone else, it was quite the gap; the illusion of it in part even amplified by the men themselves. It really was no surprise that from a distance, the two really seemed like a very strange pair.

The shorter was dwarfed beneath a large halberd, the blade itself making the man carrying it seem downright tiny.

The taller, had his yukata hiked up one of his long legs, as if to visually accentuate his height.

And so they were, Bankotsu and Jakotsu of the Shichinin-tai. While Bankotsu was definitely not the shortest amongst their ranks and Jakotsu was far from the tallest- the closeness with which those two men interacted only seemed to bring more attention to their differences in height.

But as for the men themselves, it had never been an issue. Bankotsu was perfectly content with his stature- the shorter, youthful facade making most doubt his skills with Banryuu long enough to use it against them. And Jakotsu often enjoyed the advantages of his height, constantly leaning down on Bankotsu or playfully picking him up.

The gap that so many people claimed was there- wasn't there for the two men themselves.

Granted, there were times they had to notice the distance. But, never did the difference of a few inches come between them and each other. If Bankotsu ever needed to whisper words that were only meant for Jakotsu's ears, he'd stand on tiptoes to make sure no one overheard. And if Jakotsu was intent on stealing a kiss, he'd dip his head down or pick Bankotsu up so they'd be on equal terms.

And with time, even others began to see the gap between them disappearing. Slowly, they began to balance each other out; until the space between them was nothing but the air they breathed.

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