When You Meet Your Match

Chapter Six

For the next few days Tasuki and Mayumi all did was glare at each other. After their last blow out where they declared their hate for each other, they have acted stiffly around each other, talking in short crisp sentences and staying away from each other when they're not in the mood because everyone knows that if that happened another blow out is definite to happen.

Mayumi figured, after a full minute of staring at the back of Tasuki's- as she calls it -big ugly head (that somehow manages to look real good during sunset, she didn't know why), that maybe she should apologize, after all if she hadn't said that he was gay, then he wouldn't have gone and shouted at her like that. At first she blamed Kouji, after all, he promised that what she says would stay between the two of them, but she couldn't find it in her heart to stay mad at a man who she regarded as her second brother.

It also helped that Kouji practically sweet talked her into not getting mad at him, he did so by food, flowers and the charm in him that Mayumi swore in his face she didn't see. Tasuki did none of that whatsoever and only scoffed when he saw Kouji and Mayumi talking, causing Mayumi to glare at him loathingly and decide to not apologize after all. Not right now, at least.

Mayumi had borrowed a sword from one of the bandits and was examining it in an open field. It had been a long time since she held a sword. She didn't bring one because the swords in their house were too big and bulky, and would slow her down. After all, she was only sixteen when she was forced out of the house, she barely had time to bring what she brought right now.

She practiced with the sword, remembering all the things that her brother taught her, imagining that he was there, shouting out a couple of hints every now and then.

"Fix your stance, Yumi!" she heard him stay in her mind, "You'll be dead in no time if you don't!"

Mayumi smirked, picturing her brother in front of him, and she made a couple of moves imagining trying to hit. In her mind, he jumped all the way behind her. Mayumi turned around and swished the sword again, when it hit something solid.

A big solid fan.

"You're not pretty bad," said Tasuki, looking at the sword, and then at her.

Mayumi put the sword down and looked at him. He didn't bring Kouji with him, and he looked at her intently.

"What do you want?" asked Mayum, placing the sword in between them, a sort of barrier separating them.

Tasuki shrugged. "I was just wondering where you were."

She narrowed her eyes. "Why?" she asked suspiciously.

Tasuki glared. "Why not?" he said.

"Well you must have a reason for coming here," said Mayumi, "we're not exactly the best of friends after all."

Tasuki nodded. "Well actually, Kouji asked me to look for you."

Mayumi blinked. "Why?"

"Why the hell do you always ask why?"

"Well why shouldn't I?"

They glared at each other for a few second before Mayumi blinked.

Tasuki smirked down at her.

"Actually," said Mayumi, "I'm glad - well not really, just okay so you're here. Great.I wanted to apologize."

Tasuki looked at her, listening.

"I don't really think that you're gay, and I shouldn't have said so."

With this Tasuki smirked again and revealed his own sword. "Care to duel?"

Mayumi looked at him. "So you're not mad anymore?"

Tasuki shook his head. "Just don't let it happen again," he said, pointing the sword at her. "Now fight, woman."

Mayumi smiled and they fought. She thought that he was pretty good considering that she thought all he could do was shoot flames out of the fan. He kept her on her toes, never at the same place for more than a few seconds. He was very skilled at the sword, and constantly smirked when his sword got to close to her.

He did hit her, her clothes at least. He had managed to tore away part of the sleeve on her clothes and her pants, revealing her healing wound. But Mayumi didn't care, as long as her skin was intact, she had no problem with it.

Tasuki had managed to back her into a large tree and with that he threw away her sword, all the way into the other side of the open field.

She was backed against the tree, his sword dangerously placed in her neck as he drew closer that smirk still in his face.

They were barely a few inches apart, their noses almost touching. Mayumi could smell him, his hair, and the sweat in his forehead. She couldn't help it, she really liked it.

"I guess I won then," he breathed into her looking at her softly in the eye.

Mayumi panted and nodded. He was so close, too close in fact. But she didn't mind, she didn't mind at all.

She felt Tasuki's leg rub on her own, she began to squirm, causing Tauki's smirk to grow even more pronounced. Mayumi tried not to breathe too hard, or at least to make Tasuki not notice what he was doing to her, but when his face is barely an inch away from hers, she found this impossible.

Tasuki had put his sword away from her neck, and threw it away next to her sword. Mayumi breathed a sigh, and she saw that Tasuki was blocking her way out with both his hands pressed in the tree.

"Do you really think that I'm gonna let you get away that easily?" he whispered in her ear, rubbing her leg intentionally with hers.

"Tasuki," she said, but was cut off when she looked into his eyes, telling her to shut up.

"Do you like this?"

"I-I don't know," said Mayumi softly.

He made a move to kiss her, and Mayumi felt that he would too, she wanted him to. She closed her eyes, waiting for his lips press into hers.

"Hey Genrou!"

"Bitch."