Saito glared, ready to dismember someone. Staying in Kutou was bad enough since he wanted nothing more than to get back to Japan, but he couldn't tolerate Nakago. At first, the blond had seemed like any other warrior, but now, he was grating on Saito's nerves.
Almost every person on the palace grounds was under Saito's thumb now, except the blond. Cowing the twins, Suboshi and Amiboshi, had been a joke. They still ran away the moment they saw him. Amiboshi had finally left the grounds completely, claiming that he had to spy on the Suzaku seishi. Suboshi was still in hiding, traumatized. Despite Nakago's best efforts, he couldn't find the panicked teenager. Since two of the seishi were missing, the ceremony to summon Seiryu couldn't be held. As a result, the blond was extremely testy, a fact that amused Saito to no end.
Soi had taken a bit more work, but she had finally started avoiding him too, which was a great relief. If that ditzy slut had followed him around for much longer, he would have had to strangle her. Ashitare had taken a little more work. After a few encounters, though, the wolfish freak had taken a hint, as well as a few lumps, and now cowered in fear from him as well. Miboshi, he honestly didn't feel like messing with. Something about floating people just didn't sit well with him.
Of the last two seishi, he was currently avoiding Tomo like the plague. The young man was covered in a minimum of six pounds of makeup. He dressed like a total freak. And worst of all, he seemed to have a huge crush on both him and Nakago. After his suggestion of a threesome, Saito made it a point to stay well away from the creepy little fruitcake. He'd never admit it, but he had developed something of a phobia of clamshells in his short stay at the castle. He involuntarily twitched every time he thought of the illusion the depraved pervert had created. For three days after the illusion, he'd been unable to look at his sword without cringing.
Nakago still bothered him, though. The blond insisted on acting like he was everyone's superior and Saito had no intention of standing for that. Something had to be done to intimidate the tall blond. He'd already sent Soi after the warrior once, thinking she would annoy him, but after the sounds he had heard coming from Nakago's room, he decided that hadn't worked. Better Nakago than him, he concluded. That airhead really bothered him.
Grunting in frustration, he decided that there was only one course of action that could possibility mortify the composed blond. He wasn't too keen on the idea, but if it was the only thing that would work, he would do it. No one was allowed to escape him without being properly intimidated first. That settled it. He would flirt with the blond.
Clenching his jaw in fierce determination, he stormed down the halls towards his target. His mood lightened considerably as his furious look frightened several years out of every hapless soldier or servant that saw him.
* * *
Nakago kicked Soi out of his room. Granted, he had had a lot of fun and had gotten more than a fair bit of exercise, but she was beginning to get too clingy. Even if he did like her, he had more important things to be doing.
Like plotting on how to traumatize Saito.
The swordsman had been strutting around the castle like he owned the place, and it was beginning to get irritating. Everyone knew that Nakago was in charge. Someone had to put the older man in his place.
Oh, he had tried, all right. His last attempt had been to send Tomo after the swordsman. After the illusion was over, Nakago wondered if it had been the best idea in the world to use that method. For a few minutes, he had honestly believed that Saito was having a seizure. Tomo had actually ran for his crossdressing life after seeing the murderous look in Saito's dark eyes. Since the incident, he had simply been avoiding the painted freak. While Nakago was amused at that, it wasn't what he had intended. He wanted Saito to be afraid of him, not of Tomo.
He suddenly perked up. Saito was afraid of Tomo. If he wanted to scare the swordsman out of his mind, he only had to act like the crossdressing freak.
Quickly dressing in the tightest clothes he had, he left in search of his target. Even if it killed them both, the swordsman would fear him, as was proper.
* * *
After a few hours of searching, Nakago finally located Saito in the library, sprawled lazily on a sofa lined with pillows stolen from various places in the castle. The swordsman was idly reading some book pulled off of the shelves at random, a cigarette dangling from his lips.
Seeing that he had company, Saito lowered the book and took the cigarette from his mouth, casually blowing a lungful of smoke at the blond. Nakago pretended like he didn't notice the acrid smoke curling around him.
"What are you reading?" he asked calmly. Saito shrugged one shoulder and let out another puff of smoke towards the hovering figure.
"Something about the ceremony on summoning Seiryu," Saito said, sounding uninterested. "Unfortunately, it's in Chinese."
"I believe that everything here would be. Do you need me to translate it?"
"No. I speak enough of the language to understand it," Saito responded. He tossed the book onto a small table by the sofa he had frightened a few servants into bringing him.
"So you've read over the entire ceremony?"
"Mostly."
Which was true. He had. But the pictures depicting the holy garb the priestess was expected to wear had him worried. Nowhere in the book had a priest ever been mentioned. He had a feeling that Nakago knew this, and if that was the case, the blond would pay the ultimate price.
Without asking, Nakago settled himself on the sofa. Even though he was pressed against the armrest, his leg was brushing against Saito's, who was taking up most of the sofa in his sprawled position.
Jerked from his thoughts by the sudden movement and infringement on his personal space, Saito stiffened, reflexively reaching for his sword before remembering his plan. Mentally kicking himself for his slip, he casually sat upright, the movement bringing him much closer to the blond.
For several seconds, the two stared awkwardly at each other. It was no secret that they barely tolerated each other and both were now reconsidering their plans. Deciding that he would lose his nerve if he hesitated too long, Saito suddenly moved forward, hoping to catch the blond off guard. At the same moment, Nakago had decided to go through with his end of the torment, thinking it the only way to get the swordsman to fear him.
Their lips met badly, noses hitting each other and teeth clicking together. There was no time to correct the position, even if either had had the nerve to continue with their insane idea. An outraged voice interrupted them.
"I can't believe this! You started without me?"
Mortified, Nakago and Saito looked up to see Tomo standing a few feet from the sofa, arms crossed and eyes flashing. Despite his attempt to look angry, he was starting to smirk, a lustful look crossing his face.
Seeing the expression, Nakago and Saito did the only reasonable thing they could think of. They ran for their lives.
* * *
Tomo stood exactly where he was, watching the two men scramble to escape. A smirk crossed his lips and he set out after the blond.
"Another week and I'll own this place," he chuckled.
To Be Continued…
Sorry. I know it's short. This was done during one of my study breaks. I was bored and inspired to madness from one of my reviews. See? That's why you review. No telling what will set me off to writing more. R&R! For the love of tentacles and other instruments of perversion, R&R! My ego fits in my room! I can't have that!