Secrets: Chapter Six

Author: Valandra

"Morning," Seiji greeted, covering a yawn as he entered the kitchen. Shu was at the stove cooking something that smelt non-greasy and mouth-watering. Nasuti, who had been at the bar nursing a warm cup of tea upon Seiji's entrance, set a second cup on the bar and reclaimed her seat.

"Thanks," Seiji enthused, wrapping his hands around the steaming cup as he took his own seat. He'd stayed up far too late, thinking and unable to meditate, and it was taking its toll on him. Usually an early riser, he hadn't even noticed when Shu got up and ready for the day. He was just grateful Touma wasn't down yet.

Sipping gingerly from his cup, lilac eyes swept the kitchen. 'Not the only one missing either. Shin and Ryo, and they both went to bed before the rest of us.'

~Any sign of life up there when you came down?~ Shu's deep, solid sense of self touched Seiji's mind along with his words, lending a sense of peace and assurance to the still waking blond. Removing the large pot from the burner, he filled three bowls full with the fresh stew and set them on the bar to cool.

~None,~ Seiji sighed. Reaching for a bowl, he smiled faintly. "Smells great Shu. Thank you."

Nasuti voiced her agreement as she reached for her own bowl. "Much better then toast and jam." She shared a smile with the slate-haired youth; Nasuti suppressed the urge to smirk when a faint blush touched upon Shu's cheeks. He'd teased her earlier about her usual, on the go breakfast. 'This is as much a break for me as it is for them. Four month research project wrapped up a week early, no less. The stress of those last couple of days….

'At least I have a few more days to vegg out before Jun gets here…. Then again,' she thought, lips twitching behind her cup. 'He's better behaved then some of my research partners. …Even some of my past sponsors.' That was a sobering thought. One she quickly moved on from, in favor of Shu's soup.

Touma joining them a few minutes later served as an even better distraction. "Morning Touma."

Covering a yawn, Touma ducked his eyes and apologized. He returned the greetings a moment later, after taking a seat at the end of the bar. He looked up through untamed bangs and offered a small, grateful smile when Shu placed a bowl of soup in front of him. "Thanks."

After a few spoonfuls, he looked more aware and less pleased. "You know, for all his threats, Ryo wasn't even in bed at three this morning."

Varying degrees of "Oh?" greeted his statement, along with three pairs of eyes. "What were you doing up at three?" Shu questioned. "Thought you weren't pulling any more late nights for the summer?"

Blinking once, Touma nodded slowly. "Yeah…." he drew the word out. "I fell asleep little after leaving you guys. Woke up just past midnight though, and couldn't sleep." He shrugged. "Went to the other room to read until I was tired again, and when I went back, he was gone."

Thoughtful silence reigned for the rest of breakfast. Only as the group started to clean up, and Shu entertained resigned thoughts of putting the food away unfinished, did the final two stragglers show up. Ryo led the way, rubbing bleary eyes tiredly, completely rumpled; clearly having just woken up. Shin, eyes just as tired, was dressed in fresh cloths and appeared to have drawn a brush through his hair.

Seiji arched a brow at the two as they joined him and Nasuti at the bar. "And just where did the two of you vanish to?"

On the other side of the bar, Shu looked just as curious as he filled two bowls full to the brim. Inhaling deeply when he accepted his with quiet thanks, Shin took a grateful seat and looked towards Seiji as Ryo remained silent. The red-head's expression was a peculiarly unsettling blending of amusement and the kind of chastisement a sempai would use when correcting a student they were tutoring. It startled the blond so much, that he almost missed his answer.

"The lake," Shin's tone, like his expression, made it clear that the answer should have been obvious.

Cheeks pink, from blush, shame or anger, Seiji felt the quiet touch of Touma's mind before he could form words to cut the young man back down to his place. ~He's right, you know. Especially after Ryo spelled out just how drained his spirit is. But you should have already known, having been stuck in the same car with him for so many hours.~

"It sounded like the two of you were having a small war out there," Nasuti chuckled into her tea. Five pairs of eyes zeroed in on her with various degrees of surprise, two of which were also a touch concerned.

"We woke you?" Shin asked, tone apologetic.

Smirking, Nasuti eyed the two "guilty parties." "I got to the window in time to see you drag Ryo off the pier by his ankles."

Ryo's laugh was far more evil then three of the four boys anticipated. Shin shot him a mild glare that only made him laugh harder. "We were on our way back, when he decided to throw me in." Nasuti and Touma both laughed despite themselves, envisioning such a sight. Shu however, made a kind of chocking sound.

"You flipped me in the park without even knowing I was there. How on earth did he manage to get ahold of you?"

"Oh?" Touma goaded. Dishes clean, he rejoined the group at the bar. "You didn't share that tidbit."

Arching a brow, Shin just shrugged. "Like you said, I knew Ryo was there, I didn't expect a surprise attack." Which, between the lines, meant he'd felt safe and had lowered his guard, willingly or not. "In the park, you tried to sneak up on me." Where it was only natural for a warrior's instincts to kick in. A sneak attack, from behind, when none of his fellow troopers should have been anywhere near….

'And he's definitely been keeping in shape,' Ryo thought, grinning still. 'When he yanked, I thought for sure my head was gonna hit the wood and not water. But he pulled so hard, so fast…I had to have cleared it by a good two feet.'

"Maybe a rematch later tonight. After I finish un-pruning."

As Shin laughed quietly and slowly finished his soup, it suddenly struck Seiji just how relaxed Shin was, compared to the past two days. 'Were we both that closed off to him?'

~It went both ways,~ Shu's quiet rebuke was gentle. ~He was closed off as well at first, more-so I'd wager. But while he had moments when he'd ease up and start to relax, something would happen to clam him up again.~

~Yeah,~ Seiji agreed, thoughtful as his lavender eyes continued to observe the group dynamics. After another minute or two, he felt Ryo's amused mental touch.

~You know, that's my job. Worrying about the group as a whole. You wouldn't be plotting a mutiny, now would you?~ He sounded just a little too eager for a positive answer.

Lips twitching faintly, Seiji covered the slip with his tea cup. His quiet laughter filled Ryo's mind while the raven-haired youth grinned into his soup. ~Hardly. I likely would bash heads together when I lost my temper. Meditation wouldn't be enough to put up with our group. You're still stuck with us.~

~Shucks. A vacation sounds nice about now.~ He sounded so pouty that Seiji couldn't help but shake his head marginally.

~You are on vacation, remember? Now you get to worry about what trouble we will find, rather then might find. Much less stressful, I imagine.~

It wasn't so much Ryo's silence as the tone, the very feel of his mind, that caused Seiji to frown, to focus further on him. ~Something's already happened.~ It wasn't a question.

~…Yeah.~ The answer was long to come, and only silence followed. Movement drew them from their thoughts, and both looked up to see Shin being shooed away from the sink by Shu, who was cleaning up from making breakfast.

Rolling his eyes at Shu's theatrics, Shin turned his attention to Touma, as Ryo and Seiji both had been off in their own world. "Do we have any plans today?"

Head tipped faintly in thought, Touma shook his head a second later. "None."

Nasuti nodded once as well. "Jun'll be here in a few days. His mother's dropping him off. She's looking forward to meeting the rest of his 'big brothers'."

Varying sounds and levels of amused and indulgent acknowledgment rose from four of them. Ryo had already met the family, the first time with Nasuti when they returned Jun after the wars. Over the last year, Ryo had done his best to make somewhat regular visits, but both school and distance made them very few and similarly short.

"What's up? Not planning another dip already, are you?" Ryo chimed in, curious. Lips twitching, Shin looked over towards him, and consequently Seiji, and shook his head.

"No, a walk actually."

"Aa," Ryo sounded, eyes brightening. "Part of your routine? We should have a sparring match this afternoon." Though it was a suggestion and sounded as if it had just occurred to him, Shin knew better, and Seiji suspected. The red-head had felt Ryo's sense of satisfaction when he'd given his answer, as if Shin had just given him the perfect opening.

"Hey, that sounds cool!" Shu agreed, voice raised with enthusiasm, but also so he'd be heard over the running water. When he looked over his shoulder to the group, Touma and Shin both had to shake their heads at his eager grin. It was infectious, and both boys shared their own grin before voicing their own agreement.

Seiji, mild smirk in place, inclined his head to the expectant eyes watching him. Shu cheered triumphantly and turned back to the dishes, and Ryo had a rather self-satisfied grin of his own. Shaking his head at their antics, he finished his tea and stood as Shin moved to leave them. "If you don't mind Shin," he spoke up, voice soft and un-raised. "I think I'll join you."

Shin's raised brow clearly spoke of his surprise and suspicion. He could easily feel Ryo's suddenly hard gaze on his back as well. 'So the trouble does involve Shin. What aren't you telling us? And why?'

Shin's gaze lingered for a bit longer before he shrugged and turned back around. "Sure," he consented, uncertainty hidden away. "Do you need to change first?"

Looking down at his khakis and button down, then at Shin's cotton draw-strings and pullover, Seiji realized Shin had dressed with the intention of this walk. 'Well, that's good. It means he's not avoiding us. …Then again, it would also serve as a great escape if the situation became tense again.' Shaking his head, Seiji walked with Shin to the door, where they both pulled on a pair of sneakers. "No, this should be fine for walking. Unless you meant jogging?"

Tapping his toes to adjust his shoes, Shin shot the blond a smirk. "No, just a walk," he assured.

As Seiji followed Shin outside, he couldn't help but wonder if he was becoming paranoid, what with the direction his thoughts had been going moments ago. 'Then again, that look was almost too innocent.'

oOo

Thirty minutes found them rather deep in the forest, with no indication of reaching a half-way or turn around point. They'd fallen rather quickly into a comfortable silence, once ensconced within the trees. Seiji had questions he was burning to ask, but first he knew he had other words to say.

"Shin," he broke the peaceful silence, his tone questioning enough that it caught the red head's immediate attention. Walking side-by-side, he looked towards the blond with a curious sound, without slowing down.

"I," catching Shin's oceanic eyes, Seiji looked down briefly before looking back up and continuing. "I want to apologize for my behavior yesterday. For my actions and my words."

Shin watched the blond in silence for a moment longer, before sighing and turning his gaze forward. "You're not one to be loose or free with your passions Seiji. Surprise I suppose I could understand, but why were you so angry? So upset?"

Looking back down, Seiji struggled with verbalizing his emotional realizations; he'd dwelt on them all night, it shouldn't be this difficult! "I was surprised," he agreed, voice quiet. "But when I saw the teeth indentations, I was…scared. And angry."

Korin no Seiji admitting to a fear, no matter how quickly the blond moved on from it, was enough to stop Shin in his tracks. Eyes narrowed in consideration, he turned to face lavender eyes that wouldn't quiet meet his. When it became obvious the ball was in his court, Shin shook his head faintly, eyes still considering but confused. "I don't understand Seiji. Why…?"

Seiji released the deep breath he'd been holding, and was silently grateful that it helped. "I thought," he started quietly, refusing to repeat his emotions at the time. "That someone had…hurt you, was hurting you."

Oceanic eyes darkened to a deep, aquatic color as they narrowed on the blond. The sudden, mild tension in his stance didn't go unnoticed, but Seiji still wouldn't meet his gaze. "Why would you think something like that?" Shin spoke quietly, calmly, and most telling of all, without a hint of his own thoughts or emotions.

"Because…you're Shin." The red head's hand tightened into a fist at his side.

Arm shaking finely against his restraint, Shin turned away before he could give in to his anger. Seiji chose that movement to finally look at him proper, and in the seconds before Shin spoke, he mistakenly took the red-head's actions as confirmation. "You think me so weak, that I would let myself be abused? What's more, that I would return to it freely? Is that what you see Seiji, when you look at me? A weak willed boy who neither could nor would defend himself against something he neither likes nor wants?"

Seiji was, to say the least, horrified that he'd been misunderstood so horribly. "If that was what I thought," he started slowly, striving to stay calm. It would do neither of them any good if they both exploded. 'Couldn't really blame him if he did slug me,' he thought, recognizing Shin's restraint and stance for what it was. "Then I could never have trusted or relied on you to have my back. To imply that I think you weak, was the last thing I intended to do."

Shin didn't truly relax or look at Seiji, but he no longer seemed so ready to stalk off and leave the blond in silence. "Then explain Seiji, because I'm still confused."

Seiji drew in another deep breath and released it slowly before he started. His words were slow, carefully chosen, but smooth and honest. "You are the embodiment of absolute trust and undying faith. It bleeds from you Shin, in your manner, in your tone, your words, your very eyes and the way you move. It's all natural and unintentional, and all the more powerful because of it.

"You don't realize the draw, the pull you have, especially to those without spiritual awareness. Please don't mistake me, it is a good thing, a wonderful part of who you are Shin. My fear was that the wrong type of person was drawn to you, and sought to break you of your virtue."

As the minutes drew out and silence grew between the two, Seiji's concern that he wasn't understood faded, only to be replaced by the fear that he might have been on the correct path.

"True, there are such people out there," Shin agreed, voice quiet and somehow calmer. "I am not so easily or innocently deceived by them." Finally, he shifted to look at the blond. "I am not so gullible, Seiji."

Seiji released a breath he wasn't aware of holding. Embarrassment followed his relief, seeing Shin's blatant amusement at his reaction. "So," Seiji cleared his throat and started walking, his hands finding their way into his pockets. "I guess that means you are in a relationship?"

Smirking, Shin met and matched Seiji's pace; it was just a touch faster then the one he'd set, fueled by the blond's emotions. 'Embarrassment yes, but also…disappointment? …Treed carefully there.' Reaching into his own pocket, he pulled out a hair band and tied his thick curls up at about mid-way. "Why the long face? I thought you and Shu were happy?"

A small chocking sound, and he thought he saw Seiji stumble. "How…?"

An honest laugh escaped Shin then. Pushing forward, he turned back to watch Seiji as he jogged backwards. "Catch me first!" he challenged, giving it a second to sink in before twisting and running. Lavender eyes blinked before grinning and giving chase before the waving red tail of hair vanished.

TBC

A/N: Hi all! Just wanted to take a minute to say a big "Thank you" to all of my loyal readers and reviewers, as well as to those of you that are new to me. I've been having a lot of fun with this particular story, and I'm glad you're all along for the ride. The last time I looked through Trooper/Ronin FF, there weren't nearly enough Shin-centric stories, and fewer still that give him a decent character, in my opinion; an opinion I've noticed most of you seem to share. Given that my last perusal was a few years back...that's sad. I suppose I'll have to do my part to remedy this... On that note, though it is more Ryo-centric, TWWW will be having the dust cleared from it soon. Shin and Seiji both from that particular story have started making noises; being double-teamed is both inspiring and frightening...