Summary; Warning; Disclaimer: See First Chapter.

I'm glad you guys all enjoyed the last chapter! I decided to update fast this time, so here's the next one! More fluff (of course!) but some drama this time - as well as a climax to Kae's feelings for Tasuki! Now let's see how well they're all in-character...oh please, let them be in-character! It WAS fun to write Chichiri's reaction to Tasuki, though...you'll see what I mean.

Please review if you read. Comments, ideas, suggestions, and helpful criticism welcome.

Three more days at the bandit's hideout passed in relative peace and the bandits quickly became used to having Kae tag along with Chichiri or Knei-Gong, but they soon realized that Tasuki wasn't often found in her presence – or vice-versa. The chalked it up to their boss' hatred of women and didn't wonder too much about it, saving a lot of time and effort since they wouldn't have found much anyway.

"Hey, Chichiri?" Kae began hesitantly, as the monk walked with her to the room where she was going to bath. Chichiri had inadvertently assigned himself as her guard, since Tasuki was either too embarrassed or annoyed to do it.

"Daa?" he prodded, glancing down at her curiously. "What's the matter?"

"I was just wondering…it's been pretty quiet around here, hasn't it?"

"It depends on what you consider quiet!" he retorted, not having been able to meditate properly since they had arrived.

"That's…not what I meant," she shrugged, and he peered at her.

"Kae, what's bothering you? Did something happen?"

"No, not really," she shook her head slowly, trying to put her feelings into words. "I just was…well, Keung Xi-Wang hasn't done anything, ya know? And I thought he wasn't going to give up so easily…I don't want anyone else getting hurt by him!" she forced out, stopping in her tracks. "I'm – I'm scared, Chichiri! I'm scared," she repeated quietly, and he noticed in dismay tears trailing down her cheeks.

"Don't be," he protested gently, holding her against him as she cried. "We won't let anything happen to you, I promise! So don't cry, please."

"Ch-Chichiri…" Kae mumbled into his kesa, hiccupping slightly as she calmed down after a few moments. "I'm sorry."

"You don't have to apologize for anything," he assured her, resting his arm on her shoulder comfortingly. "Just have faith in us, okay? Now, I thought you were heading for a bath, right?"

"Yeah," she nodded, smiling shakily as he led her down the hallway.

"Tasuki?" Chichiri noticed in surprise, as the bandit leader strode down the hallway towards the monk, who was sitting outside the room where Kae was currently bathing.

"What're ya doing?" he asked, and Chichiri shrugged.

"Kae's taking another bath. Why do girls hafta take so long, anyway?" he wondered, and Tasuki snorted.

"Well, somma the boys found somethin' they think is a kobold a few miles from here," Tasuki told him, and Chichiri looked up in concern. "I checked it out, but it got pretty mangled and I can't tell what the hell it is. Ya should probably take a look and see if ya sense anything or not – they carried it up for me. I'll stay here," he added reluctantly, and Chichiri nodded as he rose to his feet.

"All right, I'll go inspect it," he agreed, gathering his staff up. "Don't do anything stupid, no da," he added, and Tasuki glared after the monk as he strolled down the hall.

"What's that supposed ta mean?" he demanded, but Chichiri was already gone. Tasuki grumbled to himself, and crossed his arms in front of his torso as he stared at the door, trying to will her to hurry up so he could get back to – well, whatever he had been doing.

Kae, meanwhile, was oblivious to what had happened outside the door and was finishing toweling her hair after she had pulled her clothes back on. The towel draped over her now-curly hair, she slid open the door, only to walk right into a stiff Tasuki.

"Ack!" she screamed, completely scared by the sudden incident. Gasping for breath, she jumped when he grabbed her by the shoulders and stared at her closely.

"What's yer problem?" he asked, and she pushed him away in aggravation.

"Don't do that!" she yelled, clutching the towel to her chest. "You scared the life out of me!"

"How? All I did was stand there!" he argued, but she only groaned and turned to see Tama sitting by the doorway meowing calmly at them. "Whatever – Chichiri had ta go do somethin', so I have ta baby-sit ya until he gets back," he grumbled, turning around and beginning to walk down the hallway. "What?" he demanded, turning around to glare at her when he realized she wasn't following.

"Aren't you even going to apologize?" she pressed, and he looked at her in disbelief.

"I didn't do nothin'!" he protested, but she only glared at him stubbornly. He returned the look for a few moments before sighing and turning around as he muttered something under his breath.

"What was that?"

"Sorry fer scarin' ya," he repeated slightly louder. "Happy now? C'mon," he ordered, resuming his stalking. Kae gazed after him critically before scooping Tama up in her arms and reluctantly following him, hoping Knei-Gong would appear and take over.

Unfortunately, Knei-Gong was busy helping Chichiri with the mangled creature the bandits had found.

"It's too torn to tell what it is," Chichiri said in frustration, peering at the thing in aggravation. "But I'm sensing something evil around it – whether it was a kobold or not is pretty much irrelevant, because it almost certainly had something to do with the evil spirit. Have your men keep a close eye out, but if they see something unusual, don't attack – report it immediately to Tasuki or I."

"Sure thing, Chichiri," the bandit agreed, and gazed at the thing. "How're things going with Huan-Lang and Kae, anyway?" he asked suddenly, catching Chichiri momentarily off guard.

"Daa? Tasuki won't speak to her," he admitted with a sigh. "I don't know how Kae feels, but she certainly seems to like him – it's been like this ever since we met."

"Huan-Lang never was good with girls, even common ones when I took him down to the city," Knei-Gong sighed, shaking his head. "Honestly, ya think he'd learn a little after all these years."

"I guess not, no da," the monk shrugged helplessly.

"You don't feel like that about her, do you?" Knei-Gong asked, suddenly turning on the monk with a sharp gaze. Chichiri's jaw dropped in shock, and he shook his head fervently as he transformed into SD mode.

"Daa! No!" he protested. "No da! I most definitely do not!"

"Just checking," the bandit said calmly, looking away again. "You just seem to spend a lot of time with her, you know?"

"That's because I'm supposed to protect her," Chichiri pointed out, resuming his normal form. "And Tasuki's never anywhere to be found. She trusts me, and I consider her a good friend – and a potentially powerful ally."

"Eh?"

"Kae has untapped powers I'm not sure about," the monk explained briefly. "She is able to manipulate mist and heal herself internally, but there is most likely more underneath the exterior that she isn't even aware of. For that purpose, we have to be careful around her. If Keung Xi-Wang somehow takes control of her, the results will be disastrous."

"So that's why you've been keeping an eye on her," Knei-Gong realized sagely, and Chichiri nodded, still inspecting the dead creature with interest. He jumped away from it, however, when it suddenly began to smolder and melted right into the ground, leaving no trace it had ever been there except a few scorch marks. "Oh damn."

"Daa," the monk managed in weak agreement.

"Didn't you sense anything about that?" the bandit asked, and Chichiri shook his head slowly.

"No…that's the odd part," he frowned, crouching down to inspect the floor and gazed unsurprised as the scorch marks themselves vanished. "It's like it's never been here, no da," Chichiri continued thoughtfully. "I don't even sense anything in the air or around the mountain at all. Hopefully Ligé-San's wards purified it before it could do any damage."

"But how'd it get past the wards in the first place?" Knei-Gong pointed out. "We found it not far from the hideout, after all."

"True," the Warrior agreed, becoming concerned at this new problem.

"Whaddya ya think of this place?" Tasuki asked suddenly, and she glanced up at him in surprise.

"Hm?" she murmured, taking a moment to think about it. "Well…it's lively, that's for sure. I mean, I'm a girl, so I have different…tastes. But I like it, honest! The forests around here are so gorgeous," she sighed, and he glanced at her curiously.

"When'd ya see those?"

"Knei-Gong took me out…the day before," she thought. "I wanted to see it, but Chichiri was trying to mediate."

"Ya coulda asked me," he said gruffly, but Kae only shrugged slightly.

"I couldn't find you anywhere – and I didn't think you'd want to anyway," she told him calmly. "But Knei-Gong popped up and asked if I wanted to go. I think I'm being spoiled, being the only girl here. Well, kind of spoiled," she amended dryly, recalling the numerous times the bandits had hit on her. "It's flattering, in a way," she said. "But I get the feeling they'd act like this for any girl."

"Not really," he said, trying to act uncaring. "Only the really pretty ones – or the ones that don't like act like completely bimbos. But mainly pretty ones."

Making a face at him, Kae tried to figure out if he was complimenting or insulting her, and shrugged the entire thing off as something Tasuki said without thinking. "I guess."

"The boys like havin' ya here, though," he offered. "It makes things interesting, ya know? Instead of just being drunk, now they're drunk and horny."

"Ta-Tasuki!" she stammered in embarrassment, and he smirked down at her.

"Well, it's true," he said firmly, a brief frown crossing his face at the idea that Kae was the object of other men's lustful fantasies, but not really sure why he even gave a damn.

"Whatever," she said finally, her towel draped over her arms. "Oh…you can have your jacket back, if you want it," she offered, and he looked at her curiously.

"Why? Ya don't want it anymore?"

"I just…I wasn't sure if you…" she fumbled for the right words, and he blinked in realization.

"I wasn't drunk when I gave it ta ya, so keep it," he ordered, staring ahead stubbornly, refusing to admit he was turning red again.

"Oh…okay then," she nodded, suddenly cheerful for some reason that Tasuki wasn't able to fathom.

"Girls," he snorted to himself.

"Do you guys eat like this every night or what?" Kae asked curiously that night, during yet another huge meal.

"Well, there's so many of us, whaddya think we do?" Knei-Gong replied with a grin on his face. "Yeah, it's like this every night. They're a little more drunk than usual, but that's your fault."

"Hey!" she protested, and huffed at the bandit mockingly, knowing he was only teasing.

"Huan-Lang, what's your problem?" Knei-Gong asked, turning to his friend and punching him in the arm.

"Yo! That hurt!"

"Yeah, yeah. So, what's up?" he prodded, having noticed that Tasuki wasn't really eating or speaking to anyone that night. "Sulking again, or daydreaming?"

"I'm not!" Tasuki shot back, rising to his feet. "I'm goin' fer a walk," he announced sourly, and stalked out of the room without further hesitation.

"I didn't do it," Kae said quickly, seeing Knei-Gong and Chichiri turn to look at her. "Honest!"

"He's just not feeling well, I guess, no da," Chichiri decided calmly, taking another bite of the meal. "Just leave him alone for a while."

"Hey, where're ya going, boss?" one of Tasuki's men called, as the bandit paced the hallways, feeling uneasy for a reason he couldn't figure out.

"I bet I know," another sniggered, and Tasuki turned to glare at them.

"Yeah? Where?" he demanded. The man who was least drunk tried to shut the others up, but his efforts were in vain as his fellow bandits couldn't restrain their snickers, earning a suspicious look from Tasuki. "What're ya insinuating?" Tasuki pressed, assuming they were referring to something with Kae.

"Don't worry, boss, we won't tell anyone."

"Tell anyone what?" he exploded, quickly losing patience with his comrades.

"We don't think you're doing anything with Kae, boss," the first bandit smirked. "After all, ya hate women, right? So ya must be up to something else to blow off steam, if ya know what I'm saying?" Tasuki stared at his men, the fact that his men thought he was gay slowly sinking through his skull. At that moment, unfortunately, Chichiri was going by with Kae, involved in some kind of conversation. Tasuki, being Tasuki, instantly concocted a 'brilliant' plan and grabbed Kae's arm.

"Hm? What's up?" she asked curiously, and her eyes shot wide open when he bent down and kissed her full on the lips. Chichiri's jaw dropped and the drunken bandits could only stare as their leader planted one of the deepest kisses they'd ever seen onto Kae's lips. Knei-Gong whistled in shock, having arrived seconds before, in time to see the passionate kiss.

"Wh-what the hell, Huan-Lang?" Knei-Gong demanded, as Tasuki released a gasping Kae in triumph. Chichiri noted with interest that her eyes were shining with something he'd only observed with Miaka and Tamahome and sighed in relief, thinking Tasuki had finally found his mind. In the next instant, their hopes were dashed when Tasuki turned to smirk at his fellow bandits and looked extremely smug.

"I'm not gay! See, ya guys were all wrong!" he announced. Kae's lips opened, but nothing more than a barely-audible moan escaped from her, and Knei-Gong stared at his friend in disbelief.

"Oh, Suzaku…" Chichiri groaned, as Kae whirled around and dashed down the hall away from the men, tears visible on her face. Tasuki stared at her in surprise, and the drunken troublemakers slunk off as their leader turned to his friends with a questioning look on his face.

"What's with her?"

"Huan-Lang…" Knei-Gong tried to say something, but found himself at a loss for words. Chichiri, luckily, grabbed his staff and soundly clocked his fellow Warrior on the head. Tasuki yelped at the much-deserved whack, and glared at Chichiri.

"What's yer problem?" he demanded in annoyance, rubbing his head.

"You blockhead!" Chichiri exploded, finally losing all patience with his thick-headed companion. "How much of an idiot can you be? Kae's in love with you – she has been, but you haven't even noticed! Or cared!"

"You're saying…she…" Tasuki stammered, pretty damn scared at seeing Chichiri so pissed off, especially at him in particular.

"No freaking da!" the monk yelled, smacking Tasuki once again for good measure.

"Ow! That fucking hurts, ya damn monk!" the fire-wielding bandit shouted, and Knei-Gong backed up a bit, unsure whether they would actually come to physical blows or not and not wanting to get involved either way.

"That's nothing compared to the pain you just dealt her, Tasuki," Chichiri told him bitterly. With that, the monk disappeared in disgust, leaving Knei-Gong and Tasuki facing each other, Tasuki now looking abashed and shocked rather than scared shitless.

"Tama?" Chichiri noticed in surprise, seeing the cat sitting smugly on the monk's futon. "You just missed all the fun, no da," he said tiredly, slowly lowering himself to sit on the mattress and absently petting the cat as it began to climb on top of him.

"Meow?" "Are you kidding? I've the best ears in this whole place."

"He's right, Tasuki," Knei-Gong said, finally breaking the deafening silence. "It's pretty damn obvious to everyone else. But with all your talk of hating women and your fighting, she wasn't brave enough to say anything. But what you just did was pretty bad, even if she wasn't in love with you. I feel sorry for her, falling in love with a guy like you."

"Buh-but…" Tasuki stammered, and growled in frustration as he rested his head in his hand, leaning against the wall.

"It's supposed to storm tonight, and it's already pretty dark out there," the other bandit continued calmly, moving to head down the hallway. "Someone should probably go after Kae before she hurts herself."

Having finished what he had decided to say, Knei-Gong left Tasuki slumped against the wall in confusion. The Suzaku Warrior's thoughts were in chaos, trying to comprehend what had just happened.

"She's…Kae's in love with me?" he thought in shock, but he was jolted out of his musing when a crack of thunder caused him to jump in surprise. "Oh, shit!" he swore, and dashed down the hallway with speed only the Phantom Wolf could possess.

Interesting, no? Yes? I hope so! I thought it was about time SOMETHING happened to them! I mean, come on...but I'm trying to make this a nice-paced, long story, ya know! (No da!) Please review and let me know what ya think.