Branded variety

Summary: What would it be like if Yamato was a priest and Taichi was a pirate? O.o

AN: It's cheesy, it's fluffy, it's silly, it's romantic… it's TAITO!

This is a short one. I just had to get this scene over with. Not that I don't like it; I just don't think it brings the story forward that much. But well, now it's done.

Warnings: Gayness, violence, language

Chapter 3: Of scars and thunder

Thunder woke him up. A deafening bang that caused both him and Taichi to jump to their feet.

They stood there for a few seconds, breathing heavily, and then Taichi laughed and sat down.

"Damn, that scared the shit out of me" he said as Yamato sat down next to him.

"Me too."

There was a moment of silence despite the heavy rain clattering on the roof. It was past midnight, but dawn was far away. This was the darkest and coldest part of night, but still Yamato felt calm, comfortable and warm. He suspected that it must have something to do with the young pirate sitting next to him.

Yamato glanced at Taichi, and for some reason, he couldn't stop his own hand as it reached out to caress one of the many tattoos covering Taichi's arms.

The brunette didn't move. He just looked at Yamato, his kind brown eyes gleaming in the semi darkness. Yamato himself watched his own hand move upwards, over the fabric, undoing the buttons of the shirt slowly.

Yamato was far from a virgin. This may seem strange, but was really not. Sexuality was a big part of a priest's life, and they were encouraged to honour the great Lords by having sex. So despite his innocence, he was very aware of what he was doing.

Taichi still didn't move. But as all the buttons were undone and the shirt was on its way off, he suddenly stiffened and swatted Yamato's hand away.

"Let's just sleep, okay?" he said.

"What's wrong?" Yamato asked, bewildered.

Taichi glanced at him and sighed.

"None of your business."

This only served to make the blonde more determined to find out what was wrong.

Taichi made a move to button up his shirt again, and as he did that, it momentarily slipped down from his shoulder. He quickly adjusted this, but a loud gasp made it quite clear that Yamato had seen it.

"What… what…" the priest stuttered.

"Nothing. Leave it", Taichi almost snorted.

"No."

The blond crawled towards him, and before Taichi could react, he yanked the shirt down.

Taichi's back was covered in long, thin, pale scars. They formed shrewd patterns from his shoulders down to the small of his back. 'Scars from a whip' Yamato thought with horror.

"What happened to you?" he whispered. "Who did this?"

Taichi looked very annoyed and uncomfortable, but somehow he sensed that the blonde wouldn't give up until he told him the truth. There was something with the urgency in those blue eyes that made him speak.

"I thought you'd figure it out for yourself", he sighed.

"Figure what out?"

"Well, you did talk about it earlier. I'm branded. No captured pirate can get away from prison untouched and alive."

"So you were in prison?"

Taichi glanced at him.

"Newsgate."

The priest stared at him with horror. Newsgate was the largest and most infamous prison in the whole country. The prisoners were all sentenced to death and spent their last weeks being tortured and interrogated.

"How… how is that possible? You should be dead!"

"Hammer got me out of there."

"How?"

"By force. Though they didn't need that much force after all. The guards recognised him and his men and didn't put up a fight. There is no man in this land who's not afraid of him."

Yamato blinked as his brain tried to grasp something. He thought that he vaguely recognised this story, but how could he? It was impossible.

Yamato looked at the brunette, who was frowning slightly, obviously lost in his thoughts. These newly developed feelings of fondness towards Taichi grew stronger and stronger. It didn't matter to Yamato that he barely knew him. It didn't matter that he was an outlaw. And it didn't matter that he was way stronger and more capable of defending himself than Yamato. All he wanted to do was to hug him. To protect him against a world that had been so cruel to him. And even though he didn't look like someone who needed protection, Yamato suspected that underneath those weapons and muscles and tattoos, there was a person who was actually very much in need of said protection.

And so, he crept closer and put his arms around Taichi's neck and held him tight.

The pirate tensed up and Yamato thought that maybe this was the first genuine hug he'd ever gotten.

"What are you doing?" he breathed, his voice shaking slightly.

"Giving you a hug", Yamato answered softly. "I thought you needed it."

"Really? Well, maybe you're right."

Taichi's arms wrapped around Yamato's waist and they stayed like that for a while, breathing in each other's scent.

The soft kiss that followed only seemed natural. It deepened, and it was only lack of oxygen that made them part lips.

"Are you sure about this?" Taichi asked, his voice low and his brown eyes burning with desire.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Yamato answered. "Since I met you, I decided that I need to stop judging people by appearance. Maybe you need to do the same?"

Taichi laughed, a wonderful melodic laugh that made Yamato's stomach tingle. And as they lay down in the hay, forgetting about everything but each other, lips clashing and hands wandering, the only sound to be heard in the forest was the rain that continued to pour down.

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