The Promise: A Tasuki and Miaka Love Story
By KittyLynne
(Please insert the usual Watase Yuu/Shogakukan Comics/TV Toyko/StudioPierrot/Pioneer ownership disclaimers in this space. However, the original characters 'Kuma' and 'Benjaro' are the fruit of my creativity, the products of my imaginination, the children of my brain...well, you get the idea. They're mine. Please do not steal/kidnap/or otherwise use them without getting my written consent. )
Chapter Rating: 14+ for language
Author's Note: Many spoilers for TV series and the OVAs. Italics in the text denote characters' unspoken thoughts. Sap warning.
Chapter Thirteen: Home Sweet Home
Miaka could not have said exactly how long the trip between the two worlds took, for the hands of time seemed to freeze in place whenever she had traversed the path of infinity. Though some might consider the portal to be a peaceful place, she could never quite get used to the yawning emptiness of it. The absolute silence and absence of other sentient beings always gave her the illusion of being in stasis; there were no horizons, no landscapes, no visible landmarks of any kind, save for the millions of bubbles floating and sparkling in the pink hued space that surrounded her.
At best that lack of sensory stimulation was disconcerting, and at worse, oppressive. She usually avoided thinking about it at all.
But not this time. This time she wanted to remember every minute and every detail of her journey. Not because she had changed her opinion of the void itself, but because she was there with Tasuki, securely wrapped within his protective embrace; an embrace that was as rooted in reality as her feelings for him. She had never met anyone so alive, had never felt as gloriously alive as she did when she was with him. No matter what Taka, her brother, or any other inhabitants of her world might say about the book and its inhabitants, Tasuki was as human, as flesh, bone and blood real as she was. Nothing would convince her otherwise.
A blast of air and the tummy tumbling feeling of dropping into descent roused her from her ruminations. Her warrior's back muscles flexed and rippled beneath her hands as one of his arms abruptly hooked itself under her legs. With a startled exclamation, Miaka clung tightly to him as he scooped her up and hoisted her high against his chest.
The reason for his quick action soon became clear to her. As they suddenly hit solid ground, Tasuki took the brunt of the impact and then stumbled forward, staggering and struggling to find his balance while battling the pull of gravity. The task was made that much harder by the added weight of a backpack and his determined refusal not to drop the woman in his arms.
Seconds later, after an amazing display of strength and coordination, the wing seishi stood upright with pack and priestess still safely in place.
"Sorry, Miaka!" He said, panting. "That landin' was crap, guess I'm outta practice."
She smiled and reached up to smooth back the thick swatch of bangs that had fallen in front of his eyes. "What are you talking about? It was the best landing I've ever had after crossing over!"
"Yeah?" His tone held open skepticism.
"Yes! " She insisted. "The only other time that comes close is the time I fell from the sky outside Nuriko's family home." Her eyes shimmered with heartfelt admiration. "I don't know how you managed to catch me like that when you didn't know I was going to appear."
"Dunno. Gut instinct I guess." He shrugged and glanced away, obviously not wanting to let her see how her compliments affected him. "There's a little time before anyone sees us, but I think it's best I set ya down now, huh?"
"Wait." As she spoke, she slid one hand behind his neck and used the other to turn his face back to hers.
"What are ya doin'?" The wing seishi's eyes grew wide and color instantly filled his cheeks as the hand on his neck urged his head down.
"I know you won't kiss me again while I'm wearing Taka's ring... but you never said that I couldn't kiss you!"
As she spoke, she was closing the gap between their mouths, but paused to gaze at him from beneath her half-lowered lashes, a hair's breath away from a kiss.
"Tasuki?" She made his name a question, a plea and an endearment all in one.
"Dammit..." His exhaled curse teased her mouth as he brought his head fractionally closer to hers.
She covered the rest of the distance to brush her lips over his, a back-and-forth caress as light as swan's down. After a moment she drew back; his eyes were closed, and he remained motionless and quiet. She repeated the gesture, this time increasing the pressure of her lips, hoping that he would sense the feelings behind the kiss and that it would make a lasting impression on his heart. She wouldn't give up until she knew that it had.
It didn't take long.
Sweet gratification filled her as Tasuki accepted her offering with an answering push of closed lips against hers, but a rising sense of frustration soon followed when he made no move to deepen the contact. It seemed her seishi was fine with indulging her romantic whim, but a definite line was being drawn. Passion was being kept under wraps, and that made her want him all the more.
The tenor of her kiss changed as her desire escalated. Her hands moved to persuade him to give the response she sought, one softly stroking the nape of his neck as the other slid up the line of his jaw and burrowed into the thickness of his hair. Her lips slanted over his, seeking to sample his intoxicating flavor.
Tasuki's breathing was shallow as he enjoyed the way Miaka teased the highly sensitive underside of his upper lip, the fuller curve of his bottom lip, and the seam where they met.
In spite of his resolve not to respond, that seam separated beneath the coaxing movements of her lips and tongue.
Cursing himself for his weakness, he tried to focus on remaining a passive recipient, but it was all but impossible as Miaka began a sensuous foray within the inner recesses of his mouth. With her tongue rubbing and dancing provocatively around his, he couldn't hold himself back any longer. With a throaty growl, he took charge of the kiss, pushing his tongue against hers and then inside her mouth, drinking her in like a man dying of erotic thirst as the gates of desire opened wide.
Now that he was fully engaged, the kiss grew hotter and much more urgent. He could hear her heightening passion in her soft little moans, could feel it in the way her hands clutched at him, could taste it in her hungry response to his demands. The familiar, pulsing ache that only she could assuage had risen in his loins, warning him that he was teetering on the brink of no return. Shocked at how quickly things were getting out of hand, and worried by the thought of what the welcoming committee might see as he and Miaka came into view, he made a last, desperate promise to them both.
'You're gonna be mine, Mi-chan. It's gonna happen, an' when it does, it'll be beautiful an' perfect. But I hafta stop now. Because of you...it's worth waitin' for.'
Silently repeating this vow returned a portion of his self control, but not enough for him to be able to break off the kiss. Then, miraculously, he heard the sound of a loud yawn and the clinking of shakajou rings, something that provided a badly needed distraction. The realization that the monk could have been listening had the effect of a ice cold shower.
'Hopefully he was nappin', or I'm gonna have some explainin' to do.'
Though Miaka didn't offer any protests , the look on her face left no doubt in his mind that she had very much wanted their embrace to continue. Tasuki stared down at her, flattered as well as amused by her mutinous expression. "So why did ya do that?"
Her eyes were brimming with frustration, mischief and passion. "Do I have to have a reason to kiss you?"
He didn't even have to think about it. "Hell no!"
"That's a good answer." She said. "But even so, I disregarded your wishes regarding the situation. I'm sorry."
"Quit apologizin'." He ordered. "Do I look like I mind?"
His slightly crooked smile made her want to do so much more than kiss him. Her eyes were a reflection of their shared desire as they stared into his. His breath caught, and then his head began to move closer to hers. Her heart rate escalated...and then slowed with disappointment as he bypassed her lips in favor of placing a very chaste kiss upon her forehead. .
"You weren't going to kiss me." She said, a bit peevishly.
Tasuki was grinning at her obvious displeasure. "Not like that! Just givin' ya some extra courage."
It was then that she noticed the faint babble of voices penetrating the protective bubble around them, a warning that their void-induced solitude was almost at an end.
In the moments that remained, she tried to thank Tasuki for his patience and support, but the a sudden clench of nervousness put a squeeze on her vocal cords. She placed her hand on his cheek, letting the touch and her smile speak for her in the silent, eloquent language of lovers; a language that her beloved ex-bandit was beginning to understand very well, judging by the tender smile he gave her.
"Just do what ya know is right for ya, Mi-chan, an' everythin' will be fine. Chiri and I got your back."
The jumbled voices were getting louder and clearer. Miaka found herself being set back on her feet with great care by her warrior, and she was grateful for his keeping one arm around her shoulders until she was upright. Whatever reckoning awaited her in this world, Tasuki was clearly determined to show her that she would not have to go through it alone.
"Okay?" He asked, as she glanced up at him.
"Yes! I'm ready!" She said, full of resolve.
Three identifiable figures had now began to materialize just outside the crimson curtain of light. Miaka put her arm around her protector's waist and faced them, confident that nothing in her world could make her relinquish the happiness she had found in Tasuki.
Taka Sukunami was running the base obstacle course in record time when a very strange thing happened.
As he reached the top of the twenty- foot wall affectionately referred to as the 'Ball-Buster', a long- tailed, crimson colored bird appeared out of nowhere and glided down to perch on his shoulder...much to his chagrin, and to the astonishment of the onlookers below.
Not recognizing the apparition for what it was - and desperately wanting to set the new course record - he made an impatient move to dislodge it, managing to smack the fowl on its formidable behind. In response, the bird viciously nipped his earlobe, and as his attacker shouted with pain, stuffed a scroll with a wax seal into the crevice between the surprised young man's body and arm. It then moved to a safer position, well out of the cursing human's reach.
Groaning in pain and frustration, Taka straddled the top of the wall, using his long legs to hold him in place. He wiped off a sweaty hand, and then carefully reached for the parchment beneath his arm. Turning the scroll around between his fingers to inspect it, his gray blue eyes widened in shock as he caught a glimpse of a very familiar image pressed deeply into its wax seal.
A single, curved, crimson-colored feather.
'Suzaku?'
Taka stared at the regal looking bird. It stared back, its eyes carrying wisdom and power beyond human comprehension.
'Shit, I just swatted Suzaku! Gotta make amends!' His bow of abject contrition almost caused him to lose his precarious balance in the process. "I'm sorry your Grace!" He said, his tone low and urgent. "Please accept my humble apologies!"
The calm voice that reasonated within the reborn seishi's mind sounded slightly amused. 'There is no need for an apology. It is good to see you again, my born again warrior.'
Though he was in awe of the deity's presence, Taka found he could not honestly return the sentiment. "I'm surprised and alarmed to see you. How is it that you're here? Were you summoned? Why are you appearing to me here-"
'Fair questions all, but my very limited time to remain in this world leaves no time for a conversation. The scroll you are holding is the key. It will explain, carefully read and consider what it says.'
The fluttering bird began to emit a reddish aura and its body was becoming translucent.
'When our Priestess has made her decision, you will be summoned along with others so that we may speak with you. Farewell.'
"Wait! What 'Priestess' are you talking about? What decision?"
The phoenix had vanished into nothingness as quickly as it had materialized. Not wanting anyone to see what had been left to him, Taka quickly tucked the scroll away into the backside of his fatigues. Only when he was certain it was secured and completely hidden did he pay attention to the shouting voices from below.
When he reached the ground, he went along with his instructor and his comrades in dismissing the bird as an escapee from a local zoo for exotic species, and its disappearance as a refraction of sunlight off the steel and chrome buildings nearby. When asked, he lied about the actual encounter as well, knowing full well that telling the truth would turn his six month special assignment into six in the psych ward instead.
He'd open the scroll during his free time that evening- but only to find out what was going on, and what it had to do with Miaka. He would consider any requests involving himself purely as a courtesy to the god he had loyally served in his past life. As far as he was concerned, his debt to Suzaku-sekun had been paid in full the last time he had been in the book. He had finally managed to reconcile his new identity with his past one, and had found his true calling as a result. He had a new mission to fulfill in this life; to secure a peaceful future for this world and for Miaka.
There was only one thing holding him to the past, and nothing was going to prevent him from keeping that vow.
Taka's eyes softened as images of the woman he loved filled his mind.
'Miaka...I haven't forgotten. I promised Chichiri that I'd make you as happy as you can be, and I'm going to keep that promise, no matter what. As long as I can love you, I can do anything.'
"Sukunami!" The harsh bark of the drill sergeant's voice shattered his thoughts like a bullet through a window. "We're going again! You're up!"
"Yes sir!" Taka quickly moved into position and wiped his mind of everything but the task ahead, as he prepared to take the course for the second time that day.
The sun had reached its apex before Kouji reluctantly rolled out of bed and shook off the final cobwebs of his hangover. Recent events dictated that he could waste no more time in recovery, so he might as well make the best of the situation and simply ignore what was left of his headache.
Lumbering over to the porcelain basin, he splashed liberal amounts of tepid water it contained over his face and torso. After throwing on a clean tunic and pants, he walked over to the dresser that squatted squarely beneath a rather large looking glass, one of the few possessions he owned that had been an actual gift. Unable to locate his horsehair brush, he settled for backcombing his fingers through his tousled dark hair before tying his favorite bandana around his forehead.
It was unusual for him to waste time standing in front of a mirror, but today something made him take an extra moment to critically assess his reflected image. He was a man of twenty-five now, still reasonably good-looking even with the scar, and in prime condition. And considering his overindulgence from the night before, he was surprised at how clear-eyed and healthy he looked. Too bad for him there wasn't a cute chick nearby to appreciate the miracle with him …but perhaps that would change soon, if Genrou had his way.
'It'd be kinda nice to have a female around again.' He thought, a bit morosely. 'A woman would brighten th' place up a little!' Lately he hadn't been able to shake the feeling that there were a few things missing in his life. The Suzaku no Miko's impending return had magnified that feeling- and not because of having the hots for the Priestess, he amended hastily. Even if they weren't as close as brothers, he wouldn't be stupid enough to try encroaching on Genrou's territory!
It was going to be a lot of fun to see Miaka, that was all.
Making a sharp turn on his boot heel, Kouji started towards the door, paused, and then abruptly changed course to walk to the window that overlooked most of the Stronghold. After unlatching the shutters, which effectively blocked out any hint of the sunshine beyond them, he pushed the heavy glass and wood panels back to let in the light. A balmy breeze caressed his face and the tanned skin left bare by the cut of his tunic; he took deep, appreciative breaths of fresh air as his gray-green eyes drank in the beautiful vista that lay beyond the fortified walls of the fortress.
As he looked out over the mountain-his mountain- he couldn't help feeling a rising sense of anticipation. He didn't know what might be transpiring upon its holy soil in the following days, but it was sure to be exciting. The return of the Priestess of Suzaku to the place she had found her warrrior Tasuki couldn't be anything less than an all out cause for celebration.
He had already thought of a plan to ensure that Miaka would be comfortable and would thoroughly enjoy herself while she was visiting the Stronghold. With any luck, he'd also be able to finagle getting her and his best buddy together while they were here. Genrou was a good man, an even better friend, and one hell of a bandit leader and warrior. He deserved a fair shot at wooing the woman he loved, and Kouji intended to see that he got one.
Those things aside, he also had another, far more personal reason for rolling out the red carpet for Miaka. Genrou's imperious sounding little rant about cleanliness and making sure the guys acted decently around the Priestess had amused and slightly irritated him, but after thinking about it he had realized that it wasn't just a matter of cleanliness and etiquette, but a matter of regaining honor. If he was right about the message lying beneath the tersely written lines, Genrou wanted his help to make amends for the crappy treatment Miaka had suffered at the hands of his former charges- especially Eiken the Usurper - on her first visit to Mt. Reikaku.
The bandit leader's winged eyebrows met over eyes gone dark with regret. A sick feeling filled his gut whenever he thought about the night the Priestess and her warriors had been brought to the fortress. Miaka's terrified cries still echoed in his mind, as they had through the Stronghold's halls that night. As then, every time he thought of it, his hands clenched into impotent fists.
'My makin' her feel welcome now can't ever justify my reasons for handin' her over to that snake Eiken! I shoulda helped her somehow, what a fuckin' coward I was back then! It's good Genrou arrived when he did…an' who knows what would've happened to any of us if Miaka hadn't distracted the pig! That fat- assed phony probably would have ended up tryin' to toast the Emperor and we'd all be headless by now!'
A thunderous series of knocks shook the door to his quarters, and jolted Kouji out of his dire thoughts.
"Hey Boss! It's Kuma with the report ya wanted! You awake in there?" Additional vigorous pounding followed the shouted question.
'If I weren't already, I sure as hell would be now!' Kouji thought wryly. "Yeah, I'm up! C'mon in!" He bellowed back.
The door flew back on its hinges and his visitor strode into the room. Kuma was a darkly handsome, imposing figure of a man; well over six feet tall and broad-shouldered, his powerful build made the fact that he was barely seventeen seem superfluous. His intimidating bulk and mastery of the bow, coupled with his intelligence and talent for knowing when to shut his mouth and get things done had enabled the orphan to rise through the ranks to the honored position of Boss's assistant.
"Oi, Kuma! How's the clean up comin' along?"
The youth's dark brown eyes shone with pride as he addressed his leader.
"It's all done, Boss! The barracks are clean, and the dinin' hall and kitchen have been scoured top to bottom. The apprentices disinfected and polished everythin' they could reach, includin' the baths and the latrines. I even had 'em spritz around a little citrus juice so it don't stink in the outside hallways no more." The brawny bandit grinned proudly. "In my opinion they did one helluva job, but I thought ya might wanna do the final inspection instead, just to make sure they didn't miss anythin' ya wanted them t' take care of."
"Nah, let Benjaro handle it this time- I have another project that needs takin' care of right away, and you're th'only one I can trust to get it done right and as fast as possible."
"Sure thing, Boss! What is it?"
Kouji casually inspected his nails as he replied. "The clean up is 'cause I'm expectin' to see an important and very good friend."
Dirt brown eyes took on a speculative gleam. "The guys have been askin' if it's a woman."
"Is that so?"
"Yeah." Kuma waited a moment, then prodded, "So is it a woman?"
The bandit leader spoke with dramatic emphasis. "Not just any woman! It's the Priestess of Suzaku that's comin'!"
Kuma's jaw dropped. "The girl of legend? The one who saved Konan twice?"
"That's the one." Kouji affirmed, enjoying the moment. "She's back an' Genrou's gonna bring her here for a visit."
"An immense honor!" Kuma's face was a portrait of excitement. "Will I get to meet her?"
"Don't see why not."
"Hey, that's great! Tell me about her Ladyship, Boss! The guys that saw her before say that she was a looker."
"Yeah, she was pretty." Kouji answered, feigning nonchalance. "Spunky, too. A wisp of a girl who could eat like a horse. A helluva great chick. Real cheerful, an' down to earth. She didn't put on airs or think she was better just 'cause she was Suzaku's priestess, y'know?"
The younger man nodded, now looking thoughtful. "So has she been taken as a bride yet?"
Kouji thought of the impressively skilled, dark haired warrior whose illusionary image had briefly been conjured by Miaka in her first trip to the Stronghold. Had the reincarnated Tamahome Genrou had mentioned succeeded where the first had failed?
"Nah, I don't think so." He said slowly. "Genrou woulda told me if she was." 'Or I woulda just guessed, 'cause he'd have gone on th' biggest drunk ever seen in these halls.'
Kuma smiled broadly. "Then I say you should go fer it!"
"Huh?"
"Go ahead an' court her!"
The bandit leader simply gaped at his brash underling, completely at a loss for words.
"Since she's not hitched yet…and since yer already good friends and ya think she's fun an' pretty…" The younger man shrugged. "Well hell, Boss, I figure she must like ya a lot if she's comin' all this way to see ya, and she sure sounds like she's good enough fer the leader of the Mt. Reikaku bandits, is all I'm sayin'!"
Kouji took a deep breath. He could feel a prickling heat creeping up from his neck to his ears, even though he knew he had nothing to feel embarrassed or guilty about. What did it matter if he exaggerated about being good friends with Miaka? Even if it weren't true now, he was going to make damn sure it was before she left.
Which hopefully she wouldn't, providing all went according to plan. If the plan worked, Genrou and Miaka would settle down near to the Stronghold. Maybe they'd even have a redheaded, green-eyed kid or two that Uncle Kouji could bounce on his knees while regaling them with stories of his daring exploits - all of this after having consumed a delicious, home-cooked meal of course. He could definitely picture Miaka, Genrou, their cute little brats and himself in the domestic, cozy setting- a setting that he had completely missed out on as an orphan taken in by the Mount Reikaku bandits.
Not that he had anything to complain about as far as having companionship. Besides feeding and clothing him and teaching him their trade, the guys had treated him like part of an extended family. He'd been pretty put out when Genrou had appeared, but even when acting like the whiny, arrogant and annoying younger sibling he had never had, even when they got into fisticuffs, it had felt like he was fighting a long lost brother. When he had found out that Genrou was actually destined to be Tasuki, one of seven celestial warriors singled out by Suzaku for greatness, it had been like having extra sauce on his duck.
Best friend and sole confidante to a Celestial Warrior… he really thought he truly had it all back then. That is, until he had met up with the Priestess of Suzaku. Though he had had some reservations about her at first meeting, Miaka had won him over with her compassion, grit and genuine goodness, not to mention her cute face and body. Modest and sweet, she'd worked a miracle without even knowing it in getting a notorious rake like himself to think that finding a woman to share his life would vastly improve it. It was just his rotten luck that when he was ready to settle down, the ideal woman wasn't available.
Of course, he intended never to let anyone know about the stupid crush he'd gotten on her...
"Boss? You sure you're feelin' okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine." Shaking himself free of his musings, Kouji set his assistant straight on the matter at hand. "Appreciate the thought, an' you're right, she is good enough for me. But there's not a chance of that if she's not taken already, Genrou's got first claim to her an' that's that."
"Oh." Kuma said. He looked sincerely disappointed on his leader's behalf. "I'm sorry, Boss."
Kouji was pleased. It was nice to know that someone had wanted the best for him. "There ain't no need t' be sorry!" He said heartily. "It was a natural mistake."
His liegeman scratched the back of his shaggy head. "Well yeah...'cause don't Genrou kinda hate women?"
Kouji grinned. "He says that, but it definitely don't apply to this one."
"Ah..." Kuma nodded, looking wise. "She's his exceptional woman, huh?"
His leader laughed. "Yep! An' just in case she could end up stayin' here for awhile, I'm gonna need ya to reopen the north wing and get the old leader's rooms fixed up nice. The terrace and the hot spring too. Take all the men you need and get whatever other stuff ya need out of storage. I want th' place in top shape by tomorrow night!"
"I'm on it, Boss! Everything will be done exactly as ya wish!" Kuma vowed, bowing deferentially.
As the youth turned and strode through the doorway, Kouji stared after him, his expression pensive.
'I hope everythin' does turn out th' way I wish. Guess only Suzaku knows if it will.'
To be continued…