Retribution
Chapter 13: Pretend!
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Author: Jun-I
Pairing: Kambei/Kyuzo
Warnings and Disclaimers: See Chapter 1
Synopsis: Kanbei interrupts Kyuuzou's rest in Kanna Forest
Kyuuzou's POV:
Found my favorite tree in the forest and sat down against the trunk. I had been resting for about 2 hours when someone came up to me. In the time it took to exhale, I had my sword drawn and pointed at him. Opened my eyes and saw the intruder was Katsu. He had come all the way just to say, "I think you're great! I just wanted to let you know that!"
Thanks, but I already know I'm 'great'. Katsushiro bowed and trotted off. Sigh. Kids.
So, maybe once upon a time I too had been a wide-eyed 'wannabe' like him. Well, maybe not exactly like him. Katsushiro was always agonizing over how Kanbei does not fully accept him. That boy had it easy, in my opinion. Did he have any idea what I had to go through to be accepted by my Sensei and my seniors? And I did not agonize over it one bit. Did that kid even know there is a price to pay for being 'great'? That whining baby would never be a great samurai the rate he was going.
I closed my eyes again. But there was someone else concealed among the trees, watching me. "So it seems that I have exchanged the young one for the old one," I groaned inwardly.
I wondered if I should ignore him or call him out. Then I decided the sooner I could dismiss him, the sooner I could rest instead of worrying about his intentions. So I spoke first, "How long are you going to stand there? Don't you have a battle to plan for tomorrow?"
Shimada Kanbei came out from behind a tree and walked over to me. "Katsushiro admires your skill and courage, as do the other members of the team." he said.
I did not respond. Skill I knew I had. To claim otherwise would be to dishonor the efforts of Mother, Aunt, Sensei, and all the others who had taught me. As for courage, I lacked it at the one moment I needed it the most. Ever since the day of my dishonorable silence and inaction, I had been dogged by the feeling that I did not quite deserve to live. Yet I could not throw away the life that Mother had died trying to protect. So I had passed the years neither wanting to be alive nor desiring to be dead.
But the appearance of Shimada Kanbei gave me cause to live. I could not leave this world until I had my answers from him. I did not know for sure if he was the samurai I should be seeking. But even if Kanbei was not the one, he might be a useful tool for helping me find the killer. And when I do face that samurai, I will prove to myself that I now have both the skill AND the courage to do what I failed to do 15 years ago. Then maybe, just maybe, I could leave my shame behind.
The dark ronin sat down beside me. I closed my eyes and prepared to sleep once more. He should now take the hint and leave me. But instead the man whispered. "I am glad you made it back safely." Then I felt his hand on mine. What the h–
I looked down at his ungloved hand for the first time, and saw a familiar tattoo.
End Kyuuzou's POV
When Kanbei gently put his hand over Kyuuzou's, the young man's first instinct was to pull away. Then he stopped himself. This might be his only chance to get some answers out of Kanbei without revealing his own stake in the game. The slender androgyne inhaled deeply to calm himself, then he took Kanbei's hand in his own. The older man's eyes widened. He was not quite expecting Kyuuzou to be so receptive.
"A beautiful design," Kyuuzou said as casually as he could while caressing the flower tattoo on Kanbei's hand. "Where and when did you get this?"
"It is my family crest. All the children of the Shimada family have this tattoo done at age 12." Kanbei replied.
"Even the daughters?"
"Yes, but they only receive it on the left hand."
"Do you have any siblings, Kanbei-sama?" Kyuuzou queried.
"How odd," Kanbei thought, "Kyuuzou is suddenly sociable."
"I have an older brother. Had, I should say. He died in the war."
"He was older than you by how many years?" Kyuuzou pursued. His mother's killer could be Kanbei himself, or it could be another Shimada male of Kanbei's generation. Someone who bears some resemblance to Kanbei. A brother? A cousin perhaps?
"8 years," said Kanbei. He could not understand why Kyuuzou would be so interested.
"Ah, that eliminates the brother," Kyuuzou thought. "Kanbei's brother is too old to have been the man I saw. Kanbei himself, however, is about the right age."
"What about cousins? Do you have any?" Kyuuzou persisted, still holding Kanbei's hand.
"Kyuuzou is being talkative? This is too strange," thought Kanbei.
"I had a few cousins," the older man replied, pulling his hand back, "But enough about my family, Kyuuzou-dono. I would like to know about yours."
Kyuuzou jumped just a little. "I should have seen that coming," he panicked. "My approach was too direct."
Kanbei was now looking at him with something akin to suspicion, or so Kyuuzou thought. He had to think on his feet. Kanbei was not stupid, whatever else could be said of him. "Quick! What do I have to do now to stop Shimada Kanbei from analyzing things further?" Kyuuzou wracked his brains desperately for ideas.
His sisters told him that men were easy to fool because they had only one thing on their minds. It was worth a try. The scarlet samurai leaned forward and threw his arms around the other man's neck, sealing his lips over Kanbei's with as much fake passion as he could muster. This should stop the man from thinking for a while, hopefully. Then Kyuuzou wondered if he was 'overacting'. Would Kanbei believe his performance?
Kanbei was surprised – caught off balance by Kyuuzou's sudden assault. But he was not about to complain. He had madly desired the curiously ambiguous young samurai since the first day he saw him. Too many times he had caressed the willowy warrior with his eyes and embraced him in his dreams. But this was not a dream. His arms, of their own accord, circled Kyuuzou's slim shoulders, pulling the younger man into a passionate embrace.
Kyuuzou found himself pressed against Kanbei's chest. The dark, handsome man was returning his kiss more than enthusiastically. The icy samurai shuddered and resisted the urge to struggle.
Kanbei felt Kyuuzou tense up. This was not the body language of a willing partner. He stopped the kiss and gave the younger man a questioning look. Maybe Kyuuzou just was not ready for more...
Kyuuzou did not know how far Kanbei was going to go, or how far he was willing to let the dark ronin go. But to his relief, Kanbei released him.
"Well, that was unexpected," Kanbei looked down at him with an unreadable expression. Kyuuzou lowered his eyes. Maybe if he pretended to be embarrassed, there would be no need to think of a verbal response. His pale cheeks were flaming anyway.
"I'm sorry that I… imposed on you. I'll leave you to your rest." Kanbei said as he got to his feet. "Sleep well." The commander threw Kyuuzou one last searching glance before he turned to leave.
Kyuuzou's eyes followed the departing figure of the older man. He wondered if he had made the wrong move in this bizarre chess game. His chest was heaving even though he had not exerted himself. After years of discipline and training, the cool-headed samurai thought he had complete mastery over his body. He could control his breathing, channel his ki, and even ignore pain if he set his mind to it. But at this moment the cold warrior could not will away the strange warmth that was coursing through his body. This could not be happening to him!
Note:
My explanation for the flower tattoo is AU. In the canon universe, it was a military thing, not a family thing.