The Color of Chinese Bellflowers
Chapter two: Flit and flicker, Sakura petal

Disclaimer: I do not own Loveless.
A/N: This is an original AU fic. Thank you sooo much to everyone who reviewed! I'll post one chapter every two weeks, meaning the next one comes out September 14th. Please keep reading my story! Also, not all geisha in this story will have the traditional hair styles. (Such as Ristuka)
1: Bachi - a weighted plectrum used to pluck the strings or a shamisen during play.
2: Umeboshi - the pickled plum center of an onigiri
3: Onigiri - rice ball

Okiya - the house that geisha live in (just incase you didn't know)

Strings of a shamisen sent a melodious song into the air. Small, nimble fingers gripped the bachi(1) strumming it across the tightly strung strings of the shamisen. They vibrated and rumbled with their sound, creating music. A young man sat behind a dancing geisha, playing the shamisen as the background music and also the effects for the dance the one in front of him was performing. The suspense rose, accompanied by the tempo of the simple instrument. The players oddly colored bluish green hair was pulled back tightly out of his face, tied into an intricate bun of overlapping locks adorned with kanzashi. Fringe hung over his forehead, gently reaching past his eyebrows.

Delicately, the dancers hand rose to the air. His skin was naturally a pale ivory color, that had a healthy glow in the bright candle light. The hand softly held a fan, that was expertly painted with a beautiful image of sakura trees in full bloom. The tempo exploded, the dancers hands cascaded down like sakura petals blown in a storm. His left hand flew up and across his chest as he spun, causing the kanzashi in his hair to jingle and clink as he whirled. His hair was a dark maroon, almost russet color. It too was pulled into an intricate bun. Although, his hair was more waved and rebellious than his musicians causing a few strands to fall from the bun and gently rest around his face and neck, accompanied by a thick fringe.

Youji's voice floated into the music, his voice slightly deep with the beginnings of maturity. "The snow did not let up."

Natsuo's hands fluttered down and side to side, as he himself ran back and forth.

"The princess couldn't find her way home."

Natsuo spun, dramatically swooping the fans over his head looking to the side.

The rest of Youji's words told the story, that somehow had a moral embedded in it. Although this song and dance was too old for Youji or Natsuo to understand that moral, but they performed the dance anyway. It seemed to get them a lot of popularity with the older and more wealthy men of Gion. It seemed to Youji though that Natsuo's alabaster skin, buoyant slitted eyes and natural grace deserved the term princess undoubtedly.

Abruptly the music stopped, Natsuo bowed politely and tucked away his fans somewhere in his kimono. Their modest sized audience clapped with nods and smiles of approval. Both boys took their seats, making sure to tuck their kimono back when they sat on their knees as not to fold the fabric. "Thank you everyone for watching our dance. It gives us such joy to bring smiles to all of your faces." Youji announced politely, but under his calm and demure facade sat a sarcastic face. The kind that screamed, I-wish-I-didn't-have-to-use-manners-on-you-people. It wasn't in his nature to be so accommodating, such a thing was easier for Natsuo although he seemed to be more shy and since Youji was the more outspoken of the two he always ended up doing the greeting, the thanking, and whatnot. Their audience had been comprised of almost completely older men, who all respected that dance.

"No no, thank you two! You make such a great team, how long have you two been entertaining together?" One man at the end of the table asked them.

The two boys exchanged silently mischievous glances, and Youji answered. "Ever since we can remember."

"Well, you certainly compliment each other. Would you mind coming back tomorrow, and dancing for us again?"

Natsuo laughed lightly, "we would be more than happy to." He eyed the almost forgotten sake bottle. "I have an idea! Let's play a game."

"A game?" Youji questioned. He wasn't really surprised, they had always planned this sort of thing. The men they entertained always seemed to like it when they talked to each other.

"Haaaai! It's a," he held up the sake jug, "drinking game!"

"Eto... but Natsuo! Nagisa will scold us if we come home drunk..." Youji's cat ears flattened to his head in mock shame. This routine always struck up a chord..

"We just wont let Nagisa see us then, besides I'm sure these eligible men will keep responsible of us. You will, wont you?"

A resounding "yes!" erupted from the group.

Happiness bloomed on Natsuo's face. "Okay then! Here's how to play, you pour sake for the person to your left. Then, that person asks you a riddle. If you answer the riddle correctly, the riddler must drink all of the sake." A few of the eldest men of the group chuckled, mumbling things to themselves like "wiley kids."

"I go first!" Natsuo grabbed a cup from the stack at the center of the table and placed it in front of Youji, filling it with sake.

Youji took a big breath. "Okay. What is slightly red and always moist?"

Natsuo touched his right pointer to his mouth in thought. "Actually, it sounds like Youji taking a bath!" he giggled, and Youji blushed.

"Come on, guess honestly!"

"Okay then... let's see is it aaan, umeboshi(2)?"

"Aww man!" Youji thirstily sipped up the sake.

By the end of the night, everyone at the table was to some degree drunk. The clock neared eleven at night, and Natsuo using Youji's head as support stood up shakily. An alcohol induced blush had spread over his cheeks. "I'm sorry everyone but it's time for us to go home!" He giggled, as Youji used Natsuo's legs and torso to pull himself into a steady standing position. "Yeah everybody goodnight!" They waved, and walked clumsily out of the teahouse and into the street. Even at night the streets were dimly lit with nearby lanterns, with men and other geisha walking to the next destinations. That had been their third teahouse that night. Somehow their popularity rose only when they were together as a team, dancing and singing or just talking and drinking. Loud boyish laughter erupted from them both, "oi, Natsuo I'll race you back to the okiya!"

"You only think you can race me, you're drunk!"

"An' what are you? Hm? I know, your just scared of loosing!"

"I am not!"

"Oh yeah well then the first person to touch the front door of the okiya gets an extra onigiri(3) in their mid day meal tomorrow."

"You're on!"

They both laughed at each other as their wooden geta clacked down the streets, and around corners. Youji always was in the lead, but occasionally Natsuo would reach out and playfully pull the mint haired boy behind him to gain a foot on him. "Cheater, cheater!" they would call after each other. It was so late in the night but neither cared if they were bothering anyone. It's hardly like the district ever slept. Whenever they were together it didn't seem to matter to either of them. When they were apart they weren't themselves, like each were a piece in a two piece puzzle. They shared a room, simply because they had trouble sleeping without the other nearby. There wasn't really a time in either of their lives that they could remember being apart from each other. The other puzzle piece had always been there, since before they could have memories.

Youji had gained about 6 feet on Natsuo, and ducked around a corner into a smaller walkway that was almost considered an alley. He grabbed Natsuo by the wrist when he flew by, stopping him. "Youji? Why did you stop me, I thought we were racing?"

"Racing gets boring when you're the only one who ever wins." Using the wrist in his grip for leverage, he pushed Natsuo against one of the walls. Their lips brushed together in an innocent, chaste kiss.

"It that all you wanted to tell me?" Natsuo smiled softly, his arms wrapping around Youji's warm middle section.

"That, and that I love you." He embraced Natsuo, taking in the scent of maroon hair. It smelled like freshly fallen rain.

"You could have told me something I didn't already know." He looked up with a hint of mischief. "Any passerby would think we were two girls standing here, hugging in a dark side street." He laughed. Regardless of their dress and job positions, they both were well aware of their masculinity. It didn't seem strange to either of them, that they were both boys. "It's OK though," Youji said. "This feels natural. I'm sure I was born to be wrapped in you arms, you know?" Natsuo smiled warmly, and nodded.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

"Hello, Ristuka. Thank you very much for visiting my teahouse tonight." An elderly woman with grayed bowed before the boy. She owned the teahouse Ristuka was at tonight, about a 10 minute walk from his okiya. "It's a pleasure to be here." Bowing back, he turned and shuffled to the door. The elderly woman opened it for him with a smile. He glanced at everyone in the room, greeting them with a "Good evening everyone!" His eyes rested on a single familiar man. To his surprise it was Soubi. Soubi stood from the table and took his right hand. "What a coincidence that you've come to entertain me again." He escorted him to a seat beside him. "Soubi! What are you doing here?"

"I just happened to be visiting this teahouse tonight. I'm glad I ran into you though, Ristuka."

Unintentionally, Ristuka leaned back from him oh so slightly. "Well, if you're glad then I am."

"Something tells me you don't mean that."

This unnerved him. He didn't like to think that just an acquaintance to get to him so easily. Smirking, he decided to play Soubi's game. "Maybe I do. But then again what if I don't?"

"If you don't, then it might hurt my feelings."

"Oh I'm so terribly sorry..."

"And why are you so defensive, Ritsuka?"

His eyes widened slightly. "Defenses are a good thing to have. But why do you care, anyway?"

"You're too adorable for me not to care." Ritsuka gave him a curious stare. "I think Mieko is a woman who wants to push you to a greater level of success. She doesn't care about much else than that does she?" Hurt shone in Ritsuka's eyes, it was too strong for him to try and hide. "You just want someone to take interest in the things you like. Someone who will watch after your well being because they want to, not because they have to." Ritsuka quickly averted his eyes. How was this random stranger reading him like an open book?!

Soubi felt he'd done enough, so he pulled out a cigarette. "Do you have any matches?" Ritsuka frowned, but matches were among the things he needed to entertain. Pulling one out, he lit it with a swift flick of his wrist. He held it to Soubi's cigarette, and Soubi inhaled. "Thank you." He breathed out the smoke, it made Ritsuka cough. He hated the aroma of it. Soubi seemed to take notice of this, so he held it further away. "You know Ritsuka, just because you are what you are doesn't mean you deserve to be treated like a burden. Not only are you adorable, but your too beautiful to be treated that way."

Ristuka observed Soubi's face in the oddly low candle light of the room. Many teahouses these days kept themselves lit brightly with electricity, but more traditional places like this opted for candle light instead. "Candle light does wonders for your face Ristuka." Reaching out he gently lifted the smaller ones chin. "It reflects off of the shape of your face perfectly. It makes you even cuter." Tonight, Ritsuka couldn't find the power in himself to pull away. Soubi had been right, all he wanted was a person that cared for him. Him. Instead of his career, his looks, his income. To Ritsuka's relief Soubi was the one to let go. "Do you have a favorite color, Ritsuka?

"Favorite ... color? Uhm I guess if I had to choose... purple or blue."

Soubi chuckled, "those are both colors that suit you very well. What other things do you like?"

Ritsuka's ears perked up, "Plenty of things! I like watching the Cherry Blossom trees bloom in the springtime."

"Oh, really? They were very beautiful this year. Probably the healthiest blooms I've seen in a good 5 years."

He nodded. "They were! I got to watch the blossoms fall with Yamato. She even let me have a little sake..."

"It sounds like you had a lot of fun. Who is Yamato?"

"You probably have seen her before. She is the most popular geisha at my okiya. She's very nice to me." Unknown to Ristuka, his tail was twitching and waving.

"Like an older sister?"

"I guess you could say so. But I don't really know what having an older sister is like. She is the one that knows me the best at the okiya though."

"I'm glad you have someone like that for you to talk to. Does it make you happy talking to me?"

"I think so..." he hadn't noticed how Soubi pried open his own safety shell. "You're a strange man though, Mr. Soubi."

"My name is Agatsuma Soubi, and please don't call me mister." He laughed. "I'm only twenty."

Obediently, Ritsuka nodded. Soubi pushed forward a sake cup, and with all the grace of a geisha Ritsuka poured him some.

Thanks for reading you guys, and don't forget to review!

PREVIEW OF CHAPTER 3 - September 14th, 2007
"Brat, if you don't shut up I'll just kill him when I'm done." His strong leg reached out and kicked Natsuo in the chest, throwing him back against the ground. The stranger reached down grabbing an empty bottle of glass, and chucked it at Natsuo causing it to break over his right eye. The class had cut it, and Natsuo was screaming in agony.