The Promise: A Tasuki and Miaka Love Story

By: KittyLynne

(Please insert the usual Watase Yuu/ Shogakukan Comics/TVToyko/Studio/Pierrot/Pioneer ownership disclaimers in this space.)
Author's note: Chapter Rating: 15+ for some coarse language, and slight sexual innuendo. Italics denote unspoken thoughts. The term 'Yoku' (which means wing) refers to the seishi symbol that appears on Tasuki's forearm.

Chapter Eleven: Repercussions

A delicious brunch was laid out on the table, but to the three people seated there, the food may as well have been piles of sawdust.

As Keisuke choked on his last swallow of coffee and Tetsuya thumped his coughing roommate on the back, Yui clutched the ends of the scroll she had been reading from for the past ten minutes.

'Oh dear...this isn't going to be good.'

"Has she gone completely NUTS?" Keisuke half-shouted, when he was finally able to speak. "I mean...what the hell does she think she's DOING?"

'I should have skipped over the kissing part.' Yui thought ruefully. 'He's not taking it well...which is to be expected.'

Her gaze lowered to the parchment, taking idle note of the new column of characters that was rapidly forming. "Miaka is on her way to see Taiits-kun, along with Chichiri and Tasuki!" She said, hoping that the new information would smooth her friend's ruffled feathers.

"Glad to hear it!" Keisuke shot back tersely. "The sooner they get to her, the sooner she comes back so I can set her straight!" He rubbed his forehead, where a headache was starting to throb. "Good lord, when I told her to rethink her relationship with Taka, I didn't mean she should go throw herself at the next available guy!"

"Promise me that you'll keep your cool when they arrive, okay?" Tetsuya admonished. "You don't want to pick on Miaka in front of Tasuki! He won't stand for it!"

"He's going to have to, 'cause he's going to get a couple of earfuls too!" Keisuke retorted. "Always thought he was loyal. Never thought I'd see the day he'd betray a friend–"

"Don't judge him so harshly!" Yui exclaimed. "Tasuki has been in love with Miaka for a long time, but yet he only wished for her happiness with Taka. Weren't you listening when I read? Even now, he still wouldn't have said or done anything about it if Miaka hadn't asked him to kiss her! His love for her made it impossible for him to turn her down!"

"And don't forget he stopped before things went too far, and that he just told Miaka that he wouldn't do it again while she still wore Taka's ring!" Tetsuya reminded his friend. "Considering how badly the guy wants to be with Miaka, he could have easily taken advantage of her-"

"-but he didn't." Keisuke finished, rubbing a hand over his face. "Yeah, I know. You're both right." He lifted his head to look at his roommate. "But you have to understand that I can't stand idly by while Miaka dumps Taka and a solid, real relationship for one that's based on fantasy and lust."

"There is much more to it and her feelings than that." Yui stated with confidence. "Miaka's spoken of Tasuki quite often to me during the last few months, and from what she said it was obvious to me that her feelings for him had deepened. So much so that I think it's imperative that she spends time with him so she can find out for herself if that feeling is one that will last forever."

"And it's not like they're strangers!" Tetsuya added. "You've read the book, man- you know their history! Tasuki was there for her when Tamahome couldn't be. Those two have weathered the bad times just as well or even better together than a lot of married couples! How can you object to a relationship that's based on friendship, respect and love?"

"When you put it like that, I can't." Keisuke muttered. "But what about Taka? Dammit, after all they-"

"You'd want Miaka to marry him even if she no longer felt he was the right guy for her, Keisuke-kun?" Yui broke in gently.

"Of course not!" He snapped. "But have you realized that if Miaka decides she's going to stay in Konan with Tasuki, we'll never see my sister again?"

The depressing sentiment cast a pall over the conversation until Yui spoke up once more.

"I understand how you feel. I don't want to lose her either, but something inside me is saying that it's something that won't happen." She said quietly. "If Miaka would agree to become a priestess for all four gods, isn't it possible that she could be granted wishes from all of them? She could wish for a way for us to be able to keep in touch with her, even if a seal between the two worlds was put into place!"

"You're forgetting something." Keisuke responded wearily. "She and Taka...well, I'm sure she's not a virgin, which means she can't couple with any of the gods any more. The book's rules clearly state that a chaste and untouched vessel is required."

Yui gave a soft snort of amusement. "So how do you think I was able to summon Genbu and the rest of the four gods to seal Tenkou away then?" She smiled at Keisuke, then Tetsuya, who fidgeted under his best friend's incredulous stare.

Still staring, Keisuke shook his head. "I don't understand..."

"It's my belief, that depending on circumstances, sometimes the rules of the book can be changed or adapted, providing the main players agree on what the changes should be." Yui explained. "In the case of Tenkou, the most important thing to the gods was to rid two universes of a destructive evil, not whether I had been intimate with my boyfriend or not."

Tetsuya groaned. "Please. We were talking about Miaka and Tasuki, right?"

Keisuke smirked. "Yeah, but this is important too." Tilting his chair back on two legs, he crossed his arms over his chest, and eyed his friend. "I always wondered exactly when you managed to get the girl, and how something this momentous could have occurred back then without me knowing about it."

"Like I'd give out that kind of information to a pervy horn dog like you!" Tetsuya snapped. "The best guy won and that's all you need to know!"

"Oh has he? It ain't over until it's over!"

"Says who?"

"Says me!"

The two roommates glared at each other.

"How about I read some more from the scroll?" Yui interjected hastily. "I think we better keep up with what's happening."

Keisuke returned the legs of his chair to the floor with a dull thud. "I suppose."

Tetsuya nodded silently.

Yui quickly looked down at the scroll, expelling a silent sigh of relief at having averted a confrontation before beginning to read.

"The Priestess of Suzaku, flanked by her two surviving seishi, reluctantly departed the Garden of Tranquility in order to meet with the Creator…"

"Priestess of Suzaku, please forgive me for asking such a personal question, but what happened to your lips?" Chichiri asked with concern. "They're looking swollen, you know? Did you get stung by a bee?"

Miaka blanched at the question, but quickly recovered her poise.

"I don't think so!" She replied, directing a furtive, wide-eyed glance at Tasuki. "If I did, I guess I never noticed."

The ex-bandit's eyes reflected a lingering fire as they inspected the contours of her mouth. "They look all right t' me!" He drawled.

"They're probably chapped from the wind. I'll have to find something to put on them later." Miaka said, discreetly elbowing Tasuki in the ribs as he snickered.

"A hat or a scarf might be a good idea too, you know." Chichiri agreed. "The sun's rays are also more intense in the mountains."

Miaka nodded, looking sheepish. "I'll remember that."

The monk said nothing more on the subject, but took note of the way the blushing priestess was avoiding his eyes.

So it had finally happened.

This was one of the times, Chichiri reflected, where he was truly glad to have the mask that allowed him the power of observation without fear of being observed in return. It also helped, he thought with an inward chuckle, that neither Miaka or Tasuki had ever been very good at disguising their feelings. Tasuki's highly elevated chi and satisfied smirk, Miaka's blush and obviously kiss-reddened lips, and the lingering passion that enhanced the frequent glances they exchanged were a silent testimony to the kind of change that had taken place in their relationship.

Thankfully, the mask also helped hide the gamut of emotions he was experiencing at this moment of discovery; astonishment at Miaka's change of heart, sincere happiness for Tasuki, anxiety about what the future might hold for them, deep sadness for what lay in wait for Taka... and yes, even a tiny twinge of jealousy. Not because he ever thought that he would ever end up with Miaka himself, of course- his devotion to her transcended all earthly bonds. It was more a feeling of being on the outside looking in, as he watched the woman he had protected and cherished above all others fall in love with his comrade in heartbreak; a feeling of loneliness that begged the question, would either of them need him or his help any more?

A small hand slipped into his. Turning his head, he looked down at the smiling young woman who was one of the very few people to see past his mask and straight into his soul.

"What is it, Miaka?" He asked gently, finding he liked the feeling of having something so delicate and feminine within his grasp.

"I've missed you, Chichiri," she told him earnestly. "Thank you for being here. It means the world to me to have you at my side once again."

The blue-haired warrior smiled, his heart lightening considerably at the sincere affection he saw shining in his priestess' gaze. "That's what good friends are for, Miaka." He replied warmly. "I'll always be here whenever you and Tasuki need me."

"That goes double for me," Tasuki said, reaching for her other hand and interlocking their fingers. "I'll be here for both of ya, no matter what." He nodded to Chichiri over Miaka's head.

"Me too," Miaka declared. "I'd do anything for the two of you! All you have to do is ask!"

She raised each of her guardian's hands to her lips, and pressed a light kiss onto the backs of them. Then, with a happy smile, she dropped her arms so that their clasped hands swung back and forth between her hips and theirs.

Tasuki cast a sideways glance at his fellow warrior. "Hey Chiri, are ya feelin' all right?"

"I'm fine, you know." The monk replied cheerfully. "Why do you ask?"

"'Cause I swear I just saw steam comin' out from under your mask." His friend told him with a sly grin. "Thought ya might be gettin' overheated tryin' to think of somethin' nice Miaka could do for ya."

"You really shouldn't talk, you know!" Chichiri shot back. "If your chi cranks up any higher, it's going to blind us!"

Too late, the ex-bandit looked down to see the red pulses of light emitting through the material of his sleeve. "Shit! Not that again!"

"Why would your celestial mark be showing up now?" Miaka asked in bewilderment. She lifted their clasped hands, and the loose fitting sleeve of the tunic he wore slid back to expose his forearm and the brightly glowing wing symbol. "Oo, it's really inflamed! I thought it only got that way before or during a fight!"

Tasuki's expression was a mixture of consternation and embarrassment. Chichiri grinned mischievously at his panicking friend, but felt it was wise not to push the matter any further. "Our seishi marks appear when our chi is elevated by any type of extremely intense emotion. Right now, Tasuki's is glowing because he really liked the nice thing you said to us, you know." He explained, in a matter-of-fact tone.

"That's really interesting." Miaka replied slowly. A small, pleased smile played around her mouth as she glanced up at her fifth seishi. "Any kind of intense emotion, huh?"

Tasuki looked away.

"Why couldn't Suzaku have put the yoku on my damn fool ass?" He muttered.

"Because he didn't want one of his warriors lookin' like a damn fool firefly, you know." Chichiri responded drolly.

As the wing seishi turned to gape at him, the mage chuckled, and Miaka joined in with an uninhibited peal of laughter.

"I suppose ya think that was clever or somethin'!" Tasuki barked - and then suddenly, he was laughing too.

"Here we are," Chichiri announced a few minutes later. He released Miaka's hand, and made one of his smooth, two fingered gestures that resulted in the opening of the ornate double doors looming ahead of them. "After you, Miaka."

"Thank you." She smiled at Tasuki when he reluctantly relinquished her hand, then walked into the room. Almost immediately, the seishi heard the scratchy voice of Taiits-kun offering the priestess a friendly greeting.

"Tasuki?" The monk prompted, when his friend hesitated to follow. "Is something bothering you?"

There was a long pause as candid amber eyes looked directly into arched, painted ones.

"I went an' kissed Miaka when we were in the garden." Tasuki suddenly blurted.

"I thought so." Chichiri removed his mask, revealing a somber expression. "She seems okay with it. Are you?"

The ex-bandit's cheeks filled with fresh color. "Yeah. I did it because she asked me to, thinkin' it'd be just a nice little kiss… but then things got way outta hand! She didn't want to stop...an' I almost couldn't!"

"I shouldn't have to say this, but Miaka is an adult and so are you." The monk said dryly. "That kind of thing does tend to happen between people who have certain feelings for each other, you know."

Tasuki glared at him. "I know that, ya moron! What I meant is that I don't want to betray Taka like that again, so I told her no more kissin' until she gives back his ring."

"That was a wise and honorable thing to do," Chichiri stated approvingly.

"It don't feel honorable." The redhead muttered. "It's more a case of makin' her choose."

"Maybe so, Tasuki, but if they do break up it won't be because of that." The monk replied. "It will be because Miaka has decided she and Taka aren't suited, you know."

"I know... but I still can't help feelin' guilty, an' thinkin' that if I had kept my hands off her, maybe this wouldn't have happened."

Chichiri gave him a steady look. "Does Taka have an official relationship with her?"

"What do ya mean?"

"Are they married? Or betrothed?"

Tasuki shook his head. "If that was th' case, I wouldn't have touched her, even if she'd begged!"

"You asked her if they were before you kissed her?"

Tasuki's cheeks reddened. "Not exactly...but I know there's no way in hell Miaka would kiss me or say those things if she wasn't free to do it!" He defended himself. "She told me that she thinks I could be her destiny!"

"So I can assume you did finally tell Miaka how you feel about her?" Chichiri asked wryly.

The redhead's blush deepened. "Yeah, pretty much. That's kinda how it all got rollin'."

"Did you have any idea that she was feeling that way about you too?"

"Hell no! I could hardly believe my ears when she asked me t'kiss her!"

"Why do you think she confessed her feelings to you now?"

Tasuki frowned, considering the question. "'Cause she's an honest person and doesn't want to live with regrets." He finally answered.

"What did she say about Taka?"

"That she loves him, but it's not the same kinda love it used t' be." The wing seishi's expression darkened. "Taka blew it. I can understand his wantin' to do his best to provide an' keep her safe, but goin' off on his own while sayin' it's what's best for her is a buncha bull-"

"You shouldn't judge until we hear Taka's side of it, you know." Chichiri reminded him. "But I agree with you that Miaka would never have asked you to kiss her unless she's having a change of heart."

"That's what it is." Tasuki said quickly. "She said that this next month would be a good chance for us to get t' know each other better, if I'd be interested."

His friend smiled. "And are you?"

Amber eyes snapped fire. "What th' hell do ya think? I fuckin' jumped at the chance!"

"Then you don't need-"

Taiits-kun's voice blasted into the hall, cutting off the rest of the monk's reply. "Are you planning on joining us sometime today, gentlemen?"

Chichiri sighed. "I guess we'll have to talk about this later."

Tasuki nodded, looking apologetic. "Thanks for always listenin' t'all my crap, Chiri. I swear I'll repay ya for it someday."

The blue haired seishi smiled and clapped a hand on his brother warrior's shoulder. "Like I said, that's what good friends are for, you know."

After Chichiri had replaced his mask, the two men entered the large chamber together and crossed the expanse of marble floor to where their priestess stood waiting for them.

"Are we all ready to go now?" Taiits-kun asked impatiently.

"Just about, you know!" The monk made a subtle hand gesture, and suddenly a familiar looking backpack was floating in front of him. "Okay, now we're ready," he said, plucking the bag out of mid air and handing to Tasuki, who muttered a surprised sounding thanks.

"Tasuki! I can't believe it- you kept my old pack!" Miaka exclaimed in delight as the ex-bandit slung it over his shoulders. She moved quickly to help him adjust the straps over the tessen.

"Yeah, I did." He said in a guarded tone, highly conscious of being under the Creator's watchful gaze. "It's just the right size for travelin'."

"DAAAA! And so am I, you know!" Chichiri trilled, as he quickly transformed to his more compact form. With a happy smile, he turned a few cartwheels and then went to work making himself a comfortable seat within the bag on Tasuki's back.

The redhead looked over his shoulder with an expression of amused irritation. "I take it I'm stuck with hauling your tiny ass around again."

"Yes, because it will be much easier for me to transport the three of you that way." Taiits-kun interjected. "You must maintain contact at all times or you could end up in different destinations."

"All right, I getcha." Swallowing nervously, Tasuki glanced at Miaka; in an instant, the reassurance shining in her gaze had him feeling a whole lot better. Traveling through the gap between their worlds wasn't going to be a pleasant ride, but at least they would be taking it together. That was a good feeling, one that overrode everything else.

"Is something the matter, Tasuki?" The Oracle's question was edged with impatience, but her expression held a discernable tinge of concern. Because of that, the ex-bandit bit off the sharp-tongued reply that first came to mind.

"Nah. I'm good." He answered instead, still maintaining eye contact with the woman standing at his side. "Now that Miaka's back, everythin's good."

Miaka smiled. The pug-like corners of Taiits-kun's mouth also turned upwards just before she spoke.

"If that's so, then you better make sure you hang on to her extra tightly! Second chances don't come to everyone!"

To be continued….