Jakotsu edged forward, biting back a disgusted groan. He didn't like sneaking up on his prey. He wasn't good at it. He was better at the slashing, blood-spraying-out, war-cry-screeching sort of sneaking. It might have had to do with his personality.

Peering through the dense foliage around him, Jakotsu marked the grotesque demon with a practiced air, and lifted his Jakotsusou, the trusted weapon he had used since childhood. Timing it in his head, he pulled back to swing… and a gigantic halberd drove its way through trees, the demon's skull, and halfway through the hard mountain rock behind it. The demon's corpse was still standing, until it slowly came to a realization and slumped over half-heartedly. Though there was, admittedly, a large amount of blood spraying about, and that was entertaining, Jakotsu rushed out into the clearing to yell at whoever had taken out his mark. He only liked lots of blood if it was caused by him, damn it!

"Hey, that was my kill!" he shouted, looking into the trees to try to find the other guy before he became prey, as well. "Come out here!"

There was a moment of expectancy, and Jakotsu heard the softest of rustles from the lower branches of the surrounding trees. Without thinking, he aimed for the nearest one and swung his Jakotsusou, hacking off the branch and most of the green stuff that was around it. With a muffled curse, it all fell to the ground. Jakotsu smirked, and walked over to the oddly human-shaped lump in the pile of severed vines and twigs.

"Shit, that came out of nowhere! Who are you?" a tan boy, maybe a few years younger than Jakotsu, rolled out of the mass onto his back. Jakotsu looked down at him intently. He had wide, dark eyes, and his clothing was somewhat staunch and decorative, but his hair was down to his waist. He had braided it into a queue, but loose strands now fell here and there over his face, and the bangs were messy. He was, in a word, perfect.

Still staring, Jakotsu said wonderingly, "You're beautiful."

Nothing moved for a few seconds, as the newcomer thought this over. "Did you just call me beautiful?"

"Uh-huh."

"Oh." He didn't seem to understand the joke, and wiped it from his mind. "I ask again, who are you?" He absently rubbed the shoulder he had fallen on, testing it for injuries.

"I'm Jakotsu, nice to meet you." Jakotsu beamed, leaning his sword over his shoulder. "And what's your name, friend?"

"I'm no friend of yours. Get away from me." He looked Jakotsu up and down, taking in for the first time what he was wearing. "That is a purple kimono," he pointed out, in a flat voice.

"Don't I look just gorgeous?" Jakotsu cried, throwing his arms out and spinning joyously.

"You're dressed like a woman." The boy blinked several times, confused.

"I think it's pretty," Jakotsu pouted.

"You would have to, to wear it so… uh…" he closed his eyes, and finished, "so high up your leg."

"Hey, that's not nice!" Jakotsu swung his sword back around to point at - where the boy used to be. His whirled his body, and saw his quarry was at the halberd, wrenching it - the entire, enormous thing! - out of the ground. As he raised it, Jakotsu was halfway to him, and swung with an overhand arc. There was the grating shriek of metal against metal, and everything was silent.

"Bastard," the new boy gasped, though he was hardly dared, or was able, to breathe. Jakotsusou was wrapped tightly about him, restricting him and pressing a surplus of very sharp-feeling blades just onto his skin. The only free appendage was his right arm, with which he was holding the halberd up to rest the point under Jakotsu's jaw. "What the hell is wrong with your sword?"

"Nothing." Jakotsu was totally calm, trying not to move, but, as he spoke, the point jabbed him further, drawing a drop of blood. "It's my Jakotsusou. Wonderful thing, isn't it? Farther range than any boring sword." They were standing a long way apart and grinning the grin of two warriors, each admiring the other's skill.

With a nod, both lowered their weapons - Jakotsu's taking longer, of course - and faced each other. "I'm…" the boy said, slowly, "I'm Bankotsu, and this is my Banryu," he indicated his weapon, "and now… I guess I'll just… see you around, Jakotsu." He spat on the ground petulantly, trying to get the taste of politeness out of his mouth, and ran off.

Jakotsu watched him go, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. He examined the red blood on his fingers, and a wide smile spread across his face. "You know, that Bankotsu guy was pretty damn sexy," he said to the world at large. He started beaming, and jumped up and down, clapping. "He remembered my name! I only said it once, even!" He stopped, and thought again. "Hmm…he was kind of…short."

Jakotsu sidled into a tavern, thinking about his day. There had been that boy, Bankotsu, but nothing much else. As he bought a drink, his thoughts turned to the sight of the last of his money disappearing into another's pocket, and he sighed. He would have to rob (slash kill) someone again soon, but where would he find anyone with a mild fortune walking around on the road?

He shook his head, and sat down in the shadows. It was good sake, admittedly. He smelled it again, and smiled. If he could have anything in the world, it would be to drink this good sake with that pretty Bankotsu from the mountain. Now that would be interesting. It was a shame he came across straight as an arrow, though.

The quiet muttering of two-dozen people about to get drunk was silenced as another person entered the dim room, but resumed when there was no obvious glint of metal. Jakotsu grimaced and thought of his Jakotsusou buried outside, away from prying eyes. This person was wearing an oddly familiar outfit of staunch, ornate blue and gold. Jakotsu carefully set his cup down and sat still, watching Bankotsu as he bought a drink, looked around the room, met Jakotsu's eyes with a start, and sat in the completely opposite corner of the room. Jakotsu scowled, downed the rest of the sake, grabbed his things, and stalked over to Bankotsu's table.

"Hello, friend," his said as pleasantly as he could manage.

Bankotsu looked up at him, sipped from his cup, and said coldly, "I'm no friend of yours."

"Aww, come on!" the taller boy whined, "You even remembered my name before! I was hoping to meet you again!"

"That doesn't make us friends."

"It does to me!" He huffily stamped his foot.

"Um… alright then. Good for you. Good luck with life." Bankotsu turned in his chair to stare at the wall, which was difficult, because Jakotsu was starting to make a scene. He was grumpily mumbling things, clear as a bell, about nasty people remembering his name and still not being his friend. Totally not listening, Bankotsu glared at the wall until someone just shouted.

"Let her sit with you, please! She's making it difficult to forget it all at the bottom of a sake cup!"

Bankotsu growled, and simply pulled on Jakotsu's sleeve until he sat down. "Are you happy now? I can't believe they even think you're a woman. It's because you're dressed like that."

"Yes, it can happen, but I take it as a compliment," Jakotsu smiled, and turned back to the room, "thanks for the help!" Someone, unseen, made an obscene gesture behind his back. "So, anyway, um…" he had completely not planned this. When he was thinking about drinking with this guy, he hadn't exactly thought they would be talking. At a loss, he finished, "So, how've you been?"

"I've been peachy, thanks. And you?"

"I've been pretty good, pretty good…" That exhausted everything he could think of. Something interesting, Jakotsu! You can do it! "So…" yes, an idea! Run with it! "So, can I have some of that sake?"

"Do you promise to stop trying to make small talk?" Bankotsu raised his eyes expectantly. Jakotsu nodded reluctantly. "Help yourself, then."

Two cups in quick succession later, a group of soldiers burst through the door and immediately set into fighting stances. "Who all is in here?" one of them, the leader, shouted. Aware of the upset to his customers, the owner stepped forward.

"Sirs, I would be happy to cooperate if I knew what you wanted."

The leader walked forward with a haughty air, flourishing orders. As the owner read through them, the leader said, "We are searching for men traveling alone. A bandit is attacking people on the roads around this area. Are there any men traveling alone here?" The last words were addressed to the room at large, and Jakotsu looked around innocently, just as Bankotsu did, just as every single person with a drink did. Somehow, no one pointed at either of the two in the corner, though both had undoubtedly had something to do with the crimes.

They did not, however, escape the notice of the leader, or sergeant, or whoever he was. Calling two of the more ambitious of his men, he marched straight back to them, and eyed them suspiciously. "Hey," he barked, "how long have you known each other?"

"Well," Jakotsu started, stealing a loving glance at the surprised boy next to him. "We've only been married a few days, you see." He leaned over and giggled as girlishly as he could into Bankotsu's shoulder, praying to as many gods as he could remember that the braided boy would at least play along. And that 'he' would be thought a 'she'.

Bankotsu met his eyes once, and looked up at the leader, saying, "Yes, and only a short time ago all the men here saw our first lover's spat. I was at fault, and now, as you can see," he threaded his fingers through Jakotsu's, and lifted the joined hands, "everything's fine." Jakotsu turned back and inspected the tabletop, shyly squeezing the hand that held his, as a good 'wife' should.

The leader suspiciously regarded them, his head moving between the two. "Hmm… well, if that is the case," he obviously didn't believe them, "then I apologize for disturbing you. As compensation, I will pay for your stay in this," a disdainful glance around, "reputable inn for the night."

Jakotsu felt the hand over his freeze, before Bankotsu nodded graciously, saying quickly, "We thank you for your kindness. If you don't mind," he leaned in conspiratorially, "can we go there now? There hasn't yet been time for… you know… that thing that married couples do." He winked, and Jakotsu dutifully blushed and giggled again. They were getting away from the soldiers, and that was a good thing. One room would serve as a cell, though, until the soldiers went away again.

The leader looked annoyed, paid the owner a few coins, and had several whispered words with him. Probably warning him to watch the 'young couple' carefully, since the small man nodded quickly. They were immediately escorted to their room, and the door was shut, leaving them alone in a very, very small space. The upside was that it had a window.

Jakotsu stuck his head outside and saw that there was another soldier watching the group's horses. He would have to wait until they left before he retrieved his Jakotsusou. He whirled around as Bankotsu threw himself down on the double-sized floor pallet with a tired groan. Smiling, he leaned against the wall and slid down until he could just see the other's closed eyes. They stayed like that, silent, and Jakotsu would have thought that Bankotsu was asleep, had he not noticed the irregular rise and fall of his chest. It began to grow towards midnight.

"If…" Jakotsu started, speaking softly, thinking. Bankotsu's eyes remained closed. "If I could have anything in the world, it would be to sit on that pallet with you, and, just for tonight, pretend to be your friend." Nothing moved, and, watching the braided boy, Jakotsu sighed. He began to rest his back in a different way against the wall, trying to get comfortable.

"What's stopping you?" Jakotsu looked up to see that the tan boy apparently hadn't moved, but he had definitely spoken.

"Well, you are. You'll get mad if I just go over all of a sudden and lie down."

"How are you going to make it in the world if you don't take what you want, when you want? Things are too hard to get, otherwise. I don't befriend weaklings, Jakotsu."

"Well, the only way I know how to deal with people is to kill them or to cuddle them," Jakotsu giggled nervously, blushed, and scratched the back of his head. He hadn't had many friends in life, to say the least. "I get volatile without human contact. It makes me jumpy."

Only now did Bankotsu open his eyes, saying, "That's kind of specific, isn't it? I mean, can't you have one person that you do the 'cuddling' with, and all the rest are just normal friends?" He only stared at the ceiling, trying to work out the puzzle that was Jakotsu objectively. "It's how a lot of people usually cope."

"I've never tried that, actually. For all I know, it might work. I would need friends to test it." As he spoke, Jakotsu stood up and padded softly to lean over and look innocently into Bankotsu's eyes. The other only blinked up at him. Watching him carefully, Jakotsu slowly moved to lie down on the pallet, and held himself perfectly still, lest it upset the other.

Bankotsu neither moved nor spoke as he did this, and everything fell silent again. Jakotsu eventually chose the importance of breathing over that of not moving. He began to feel more comfortable, and allowed himself to drift into sleep. He decided that it felt alright, to fall asleep a mere foot away from Bankotsu. He would have to make this a habit. Unconsciously, he rolled over and smelled something very nice. It comforted him, and he snuggled closer to its source. It was like burning pine and lilies.

"Um…" Jakotsu came back to himself with a start, to find his head resting on Bankotsu's shoulder, and his arms tightly wound around the other's waist. Bankotsu said again, "Um…" Mortified, Jakotsu flipped back over, and grabbed his head. He couldn't believe he had done that! Bankotsu sat up on the pallet, leaning back on his open palms, his torso held at an angle. Looking over, Jakotsu noted guiltily that he looked even sexier than before with the blankets pooled in his lap and only his woven undershirt to cover himself. "You weren't kidding, then, were you? About the cuddling thing, I mean. Apparently, you can't control it." He muffled a snort.

Jakotsu grinned sheepishly, and joined in. "I'd probably be able to, if you didn't smell so good, damn you." Both laughed louder, though Bankotsu didn't fully understand his words. He left it for another day. The fact was, Jakotsu was infinitely happy that there looked to be another day at all.

An agreement was reached in that room, on that pallet, on that night. Bankotsu understood an aspect of Jakotsu that no one had lived to see before. Jakotsu felt that Bankotsu had a natural inclination to accept things about others… and liked that about him. He would be a good leader, if ever the time came to test him. There would never be any doubt over who was following who. Jakotsu knew that he just wanted to be near this boy that didn't mind so much when he needed the presence of another. He wanted to support him.

In that cold, dingy room, surrounded by suspicious guards and sharing one bed, Jakotsu fell in love with Bankotsu, in his own way. For the first time in his life, he was truly happy. There was change in the air, and that in itself was exciting. He snuggled closer with a content sigh.

Jakotsu opened his eyes, and was startled when he saw a tan neck in front of him. Taking quick stock of the situation, he found himself to be on a double-sized pallet, wrapped rather affectionately around a short, good-looking boy. His first thought was, 'From past experience, he should either be dead or dying, pretty much.' There was a steady heartbeat, close to Jakotsu's ear. Scratch thought number one.

His second thought was, 'My, what a graceful neck.' Of course, only then did he look up into dark eyes and even think to move. Instead of that, he smiled brightly and said, "You look beautiful this morning, Bankotsu."

Bankotsu blinked and shook his head despairingly. "Are you going to keep calling me that? Even when I look bad?" He swiped his hand through mildly disheveled black hair, half-braided and hanging. He was wearing only his underclothes, which consisted of a white, woven shirt and pants. Jakotsu kept a leering grin to himself, as the thin cloth turned out to be fairly translucent, and he mentally reminded himself that Bankotsu was straight. They were nothing more than friends. He was pretty, though!

"It's not fair," Jakotsu pouted to himself. The other, standing and in the middle of getting dressed, looked over, confused. He pointed to the ground outside the window, where the soldier's horses obviously still stood, and jerked his head questioningly toward the door. Jakotsu rolled his eyes and pressed his ear to the warped wood. He held up two fingers.

He could hear the steady pacing of one guard just outside the threshold. Another spoke, down the hall, asking for a report, and the closer answered that they, the 'married couple', hadn't gone to sleep for a while, and had stayed together all night. It looked clear, apparently, which was accompanied with a snigger. The two left, thudding heavily. Jakotsu turned back and said, "They're gone. What now?"

"We leave, of course. Get your things," he slid a knife up his sleeve, and Jakotsu knew that there had to be several others besides, "and do you have any weapons?" Jakotsu, dressing, showed him three blades and where they were concealed. "Good. Try not to attract any attention, but if anything happens, kill them. Kill all of them. We don't need the army knowing what we look like. Where did you bury that sword-thing of yours?" He undid the tie holding his hair and began to redo it.

"About thirty meters down the road and in the trees," Jakotsu answered promptly. He had known that this boy would be a good leader! If you can't have any followers of your own, follow a man that does.

"My Banryu's around there, as well. We'll go down as whatever they think we are, and retrieve them."

"So we might not end up killing anyone at all?" Jakotsu pouted, trying to give his best puppy-dog eyes. "Bankotsu, that's just no fun. Please?" The other boy look stern, and then sighed, holding up his hands as if in surrender.

"Maybe, we'll see. But, you have to promise that we'll never be faux lovers again, alright? We'll be… I don't know… brothers, or something." Jakotsu raised his hand. "What?"

"What if they think I'm a girl?"

"We'll tell them otherwise. Or that you are a girl, a little sister."

"I'm taller than you." Jakotsu had decided that it was point-out-the-obvious-to-annoy-Bankotsu day.

"You would rather be my mother?" Bankotsu raised a querulous brow at his newfound 'brother'.

Jakotsu smiled hopefully, "Older sister?"

"Who's in charge here?"

"You are, Aniki!" Jakotsu jumped up in the air, confident that he had won this little bout. He was the Master of obvious-ness!

Bankotsu's face changed, and he ran his fingers through his loose hair. "I'm not so sure of that…" He cleared his throat, and looked out the window, mumbling, "So, I've caught myself up as a commander again? That's ironic, isn't it?" Jakotsu opened his mouth to ask who he was talking about, when Bankotsu shook his head and turned back, saying, "Never mind. Let's move out."

"Yes, Aniki," the taller said humbly, and stepped aside to let him pass through the door first.

Bankotsu looked back, asking, "Are you always going to call me that? We'll only need it for a cover when under suspicion."

"Do you honestly need to ask me that?"

"I suppose I don't, at that." He had the very barest of curls to his lips as his face turned out of sight, and Jakotsu smiled as well.

"Well, did you have an enjoyable night?" the leader asked, as they were headed out. "Not going to have breakfast?"

Bankotsu turned and smiled pleasantly, saying with respect, "We thank you for your kindness, but we have to go; we are expected at her family's home in Osaka within the week." Osaka was a good distance away, which meant that they had to hurry to be there by the time their first anniversary came around.

One of the more incredulous soldiers gaped, "On foot, man?"

"Of course not, we're going to buy a cart and horse at the next village we come to. We were attacked by bandits in the forest, so we lost all of our other things."

"And you're all right?" The soldiers started to crowd around good-naturedly, wanting to hear a good story. Bankotsu smiled wider, inviting the attention, and noticed that the leader remained on the outside of the circle.

He forced himself to focus on the lies. "We were traveling with a man; a great swordsman. He is no longer with us."

Now the leader spoke up, trying to cut a hole in their story. "What was his name?"

Bankotsu opened his mouth - and left it so a moment too long. Jakotsu saw this, squealed girlishly, and said, "We only traveled together for a day. In fact, it really wasn't traveling together, as much as he was on the same area of the path. Oh, he was so heroic, though! When the bandits came, he told us to run, and that he would eventually come…! He saved our lives! It was so romantic!" He sighed dramatically, as though he had a schoolgirl crush on the imaginary swordsman.

"Miyo-chan, calm down, you're making me jealous. Remember the fight we had yesterday? Do you wish to repeat that so soon?" Bankotsu put on a mock-indignant face, and hugged his 'wife' warmly. "He did indeed save our lives, though. I hope that he survived; I would pay him a reward for such action."

"Shouldn't we be on our way, Guro-chan, if we want to be in Osaka on time? Mother was very clear on the date, so I'm sure that she's gotten a big party together!"

"You're right, of course. If you'll all excuse us?" Bankotsu made his way through the fast-developed crowd, dragging Jakotsu behind him. Suddenly, disaster struck: the leader of the soldiers stepped out of their way graciously, only to turn around and pull Jakotsu's kimono open. Not the belt, of course, but his top was spread completely. All the soldiers of the room - no few of whom had actually craned their heads to see - stopped talking immediately. Jakotsu was missing some very conspicuous things, for a wife.

Without hesitation, Jakotsu pulled a thin, long dagger from a sewn pocket in his clothes, and stabbed the leader through the throat. That produced no small amount of blood, but, looking around, Jakotsu knew that the knives the pair had on them wouldn't be enough to kill them all. He whirled around to Bankotsu and whispered quickly, "You keep them here. I'll be back in minute, maybe; two, tops. I'm going to get my Jakotsusou." And dashed out the door.

Bankotsu looked at all the shocked faces around him, counting slowly in his head as they all turned, one by one, to angry faces. Very angry faces. Murderous, even. He smiled brightly, took out two blades, and threw them into the hearts of the first to approach him. Should, for whatever reason, his new friend not show up again, he was beyond screwed. He had three knives left, but the soldiers didn't know that. He held up one, and said, "Here's the deal. The next person to come at me dies. That's it. After that, I'm out of weapons, and you can do whatever you want to my corpse - rip it to shreds, feed it to dogs, even eat it yourself if you want to - but, end of the day, I'm dead. I'm just taking one of you with me."

One, slow on the uptake, rushed out with a yell. Bankotsu threw the knife without blinking, and had another in his hand before anyone realized what had happened. "Alright, that was practice. It's always the team mascot that does it, too, nothing to lose and all that. Now, anyone else feel brave?" There was total silence. Things remained that way, and that was how Jakotsu found them less than half a minute later.

He swung his Jakotsusou once, and there were muffled shouts and death-cries, but you know how these things go. Needless to say, as they walked away he was rubbing rather enthusiastically at all the blades, cleaning them of blood. He was also talking Bankotsu's ear off about all the gore. Bankotsu nodded, and gave acceptable, if monosyllabic, answers.

Fed up with not being listened to, Jakotsu threw his arm over Bankotsu's shoulders and buried his face against the smooth hair caught up in his long braid. "Aniki, what's on your mind?"

"Nothing," came the answer, barely more than a grunt. He was only paying enough attention to hold up the conversation.

Jakotsu asked in a flippant tone, "So, where to next?"

"You're coming with me?"

"Yup, Aniki," Jakotsu giggled. "You're my cuddle-buddy."

He sighed. "What have I gotten myself into…?"

And they headed off into the future.