Chapter Four: The Trail

A/N: So, after a long hiatus, I'm back. The reason I haven't updated in so long is on my profile. I swear to God I haven't abandoned anyone! I am struggling with my muse. She's being temperamental.

It took almost two weeks to get to the trail and by the time they got there Aya had already hunted for the wagon train three times. He was unused to how much Americans ate. They also didn't ration out the food and were allowed to eat as much as they wanted and threw out the left overs. It was strange to him, but the others that had come from his country weren't worried.

"This is the land of plenty, after all." Kudou had told him when he had expressed some alarm. It wasn't that he minded hunting, it was the only time he truly enjoyed being with the wagon train. He was just concerned about their habits.

It was time to go hunting a fourth time. This time Kudou's younger brother wanted to accompany him because he said he wanted to be more helpful. Aya had a sneaking suspicion the kid just wanted to ask him a bunch of questions, but he couldn't care less.

"So, where are we going?" The boy asked, riding his mare closer to Aya. And so it began, the redhead sighed inwardly. He really hoped he wouldn't want to murder the seventeen-year-old by the time this trip was over. When he didn't answer Omi repeated his question. The swordsman pointed to some trees on top of a nearby hill. It was the beginning of a small forest. "Oh." The small blonde replied simply. Aya rolled his eyes inwardly and prayed for more patience. He knew the harder questions to answer would come once they were out of hearing distance of the wagons. The boy wasn't a fool.

"Do you not like Youji or something?" Omi asked once there was no one in sight.

"What do you mean?" The samurai cocked his head.

"He got mad at me and Ken for no reason after talking to you. He usually only snaps at me when he's irritated with someone else, so I was wondering if you irritated him." Without realizing it they had begun to speak in Japanese. Aya continued in the same language in case there was anyone around.

"I may have frustrated your brother unintentionally."

"He's not really my brother. We just sort of adopted each other. My last name is Tsukiyono."

"It matters not to me if you are brothers by blood or by kinship." Aya said quietly. Omi just shrugged and asked what he had done to frustrate his brother. The swordsman almost laughed, but he was distracted by movement up ahead. Indian rogues; probably the same band who had attacked weeks ago. Not that he really cared; they all hated him.

He shushed Omi, then put on his mask and grabbed his katana. The only reason he still wore the mask for battle was because he hated the taste of blood that was always heavy in the air because of his weapon choice. Swords made a bloody mess of things.

"Wha-" The teen started then he saw why Aya was getting prepared. It was probably just a hunting party with few warriors, but this band had sworn to kill him someday, which meant none of them could back down.

The fight was over in minutes, with only one of the ten braves getting away. Aya let him go. Sure they would hate him more, but they would also come bury their own and he wouldn't have to deal with it. His only wound was a minor gash in his thigh. Omi's mouth hung open in awe as he removed his mask and swung a leg over Kage's back. As the two of them rode on in silence Omi remembered what they had been talking about. Aya laughed when the teen asked how he'd frustrated Youji.

"What's so funny?" Omi wondered looking at him worriedly.

"Do you know why Kudou-san came looking for me the other night?"

"Ken said you were wounded and Youji's a doctor so he wanted to see if he could help you; well that's what he said anyway. Did you not let him look at it? Is that why he's upset?" Omi looked so confused that Aya took pity on him.

"You have seen the way he looks at me, right"

"Ah. I get it now. He came onto you and you shot him down."

"No, I merely told him that it was dangerous to look at another man with lust in this country." Omi looked away, his cheeks turning pink. Aya understood why he was embarrassed. "Its a statement you and Ken should heed as well." The teen gasped and whirled to look at him.

"He's just a friend."

"I do not care what he is to you or what the two of you do in your spare time. At Omi's dubious look he continued. "You know that some samurai practice wakashudo?" Omi nodded. "I am not unfamiliar with those urges, you understand?" The blonde nodded again. "The Americans are less understanding. Many of the things that are apart of our way of life do not translate here. That is why I am warning you to not be so obvious in your attentions."

"Ah, ok." Omi sighed. "I didn't realize."

"That is why I felt a warning was due." The swordsman replied. "The others might not have figured it out, but like I said; I am more familiar with that way of life than most."

They reached the trees and for the next few days Aya taught Omi how to survive. Ken and Youji were happy when they got back because, as well as bringing back enough food to last until the next town, they were both safe as well. Aya only had the small scrape on his thigh, but that really wasn't an injury to him so he didn't mention it. Omi nodded to him as he rode off. He returned the nod before heading to Burt's wagon to give him an update. Whatever the kid did with the information Aya had given him was his business. Hopefully he and Ken would tone it down a little. The settlers wouldn't stay dumb forever.

Youji approached his fire that night. "Omi said he had fun. You taught him a lot." Aya shrugged.

"I just taught him how to survive."

"In two worlds." Aya met Youji's eyes. The older man smiled. "He told me what you said, thank you. I didn't really know how to bring it up."

"It was probably more serious to him coming from a stranger."

"True,. Coming from family it sounds like needless worrying. I'm kind of glad I didn't have to bring it up though."

"Then you are welcome." Aya nodded. "I only brought it up because I know surviving in this place is different."

"I'm glad you cared enough to say something." Youji knew most wouldn't. It wasn't all that surprising though. Some samurai actually followed a code of honor.

"He is still young and can learn. I am not so sure about you." He was about to protest when he saw the small smile on the other man's lips.

"Funny." Youji rolled his eyes. Aya glanced at him the went back to poking at the fire with a stick. "So Omi told us about the fight with the Natives. Are you hurt?"

"If you are asking about injuries; I have a scratch on my thigh. If you are asking if I need assistance; the answer is no. The scratch really is only a scratch, needing no stitches." He lifted the stick to blow fire off the end. "And this fire is just to scare away animals. There is no knife in the coals." The small smile had returned so Youji knew he was teasing.

"Should I check?"

"The coals? Go ahead."

"No, your scratch."

"You just want my pants off." The smirk again.

"I do. I will admit it." Youji had to smile. "I want to be the one to take them off." He said quietly, reverting to Japanese. Aya looked up at him in surprise. His smile, small as it was, was gone.

"You don't know when to quit." He replied raising an eyebrow, also in Japanese.

"Maybe I don't know how." He moved to sit next to the redhead. "It's a trait I've always had. It has served me well." He reached over to push off Aya's hat. Instead of a sweaty mess the silken locks were damp as if the smaller man had been in the water close by.

"You are entering dangerous territory."

"By being so close, out in the open like this? I figured you would say something if there was a person watching."

"I meant just getting close." Aya responded meeting his gaze seriously.

"Do you ever let anyone near you?" Youji leaned towards him, whispering. He really wanted to kiss the other man already, but he was enjoying himself immensely.

"No one."

"Guess I'm lucky then."

"Or-" That smile was back so Youji closed the distance and kissed the other man before he could tease again. Aya's violet eyes went wide, but he didn't pull away. After a moment the blonde sat back with a sigh.

"For being so serious you sure like to tease." Youji said with a laugh. The other man was silent then asked.

"I know you have wanted to kiss me and I know that you want more, but why?"

"For one thing I think you are pretty attractive. Just thinking about you can start getting me aroused." Youji sighed. "I also appreciate you looking after Omi. You don't have to."

"It isn't a relational imperative no, however I do feel a moral responsibility."

"Says the samurai." Youji smiled.

"He is also young and from a different world. He could easily have had my life. Not a very pleasant thought really, so I suppose that is what motivates me."

"You've had a hard life?"

"I..." He fell silent and a moment later grabbed the front of Youji's shirt and pulled him to he ground. A second later an arrow embedded itself in the log they had been sitting on. Youji could only stare at it in shock. Aya had disappeared into the shadows and a few seconds later there was a scream of pain. The blonde looked around, but could see nothing. Minutes later a few homesteaders came running up; Burt among them.

"What's goin' on here?" He asked. Aya stepped out from some trees, using a handkerchief to clean off a knife.

"The Apache don't like me, which is why my camp is separate from your wagon train. They like to dare each other to try and sneak up on me." He shrugged. "Hasn't worked so far." He bent over to put the blade back in his boot. Youji stared at him.

"You just saved my life." He was dumbfounded and more than a little bit turned on.

"Yeah, but was it worth it?" Aya muttered to himself in Japanese. Youji frowned.

"You're kind of an asshole."

"I try, not kind of." Aya snorted, looking over at him. His eyes widened suddenly and he rushed forward, pushing Youji back down. A second later there was an arrow in his chest. He calmly lifted a gun and shot the native in the trees behind the blonde. "Well that one was better than I gave him credit for." He broke off the shaft of the arrow.

"We'll let the doc here do his good work." Burt said quietly as the other homesteaders nodded.

"It's not that bad." The redhead murmured. A few seconds later his eyes rolled up and he fell to the ground. His horse walked to stand over him and for some reason would only let Youji approach. The medical man carefully lifted his patient, surprised at how little was actually packed onto his frame. Aya was practically weightless and Youji shook his head at the offers of help. He knew what to do. He really just needed to get the man in his arms back to his wagon.

Aya opened his eyes to see the covering of a wagon then his horse's head. "He's been worried about you." It was that Kudou's voice. That brought the memories back. A glance down told him that his wound had been expertly taken care of. He would have just cauterized it again. "Nice to see you awake. Its been a couple days." Aya braced himself and sat up. The pain made his head spin, which told him that his wound was a bit worse than he had originally thought. "You're not really ready to get up yet." The words rang true as his strength failed him and he collapsed back into the blankets with a soft curse.

"Told ya." Aya grumbled something unflattering and tried again. This time he grabbed Kage's bridle and managed to get to his feet then Kage head butted him, knocking him back down. He heard Youji laughing quietly. Kage nuzzled his cheek and the horse's head withdrew.

"Meddling little..."He muttered softly and laid his head against the pillow a bit spent.

"I told you he was worried right?" Kudou snickered. "He would only let me near you and would not leave your side. He's a good horse."

"Might seem that way." Aya shrugged. "Might be true, but he's still a pain."

"Like his owner then." He looked at the doctor sharply. The man just laughed at his glare. "You aren't nearly as scary as you think." Kudou could say that, seeing that Aya was weak as a kitten right then. Part of him bristled as the man came closer. "You also aren't as alone as you seem to believe." Aya opened his mouth to retort to find it being covered by Kudou's. He didn't have the strength to resist and as a tongue entered his mouth he found he didn't want to. He'd been avoiding this kind of connection for years and he didn't really think he'd ever find it again. It was an acceptable sacrifice to him, since sexual urges weren't a big part of his life anymore. At one point it had been a huge portion, but he was no longer a teenager.

The sound of a horse outside made him push Kudou away. It hadn't been Kage he'd heard. A moment later Burt poked his head in. The wagon train leader was just checking on him. Apparently Ken was acting as guide for the moment. He was following his horse's tracks to get to the trail. Aya grunted and got to his feet. Despite the pounding in his head and the weakness in his limbs, he was able to climb on Kage's back. He ignored Kudou's protests about him not being strong enough.

He was able to make it through the day. At the end of it he was preparing to make camp a ways out like normal. Kudou had other ideas. The doctor grabbed his arm and dragged him back to the wagon. "No patient of mine goes untended."

"My wound is an annoyance, nothing more." Aya protested. He wanted to avoid the feelings this man was stirring up at all costs. He wasn't the type to have mere dalliances so he knew that once the homsteaders were safe and he left; what ever feelings remained would keep poking at him. He never did anything partway. He always put everything into the task at hand so he knew that if this continued he might not be able to leave.

"I think you forget that I'm the one who cut out the arrow and stitched you up." Kudou replied. "I know better than you what wounds like that do." He forced Aya into the wagon.

"Why? You been shot with arrows so much?"

"No, but I have taken care of enough arrow wounds."

"That may be so." Aya conceded. Without thinking they had reverted back to their native language, which was fine with him. No one needed to know his current status. "I happen to know my body and the subsequent weakness lasts only a few days at most." He met Kudou's eyes. Big mistake. He was slightly mesmerized by the green and the intensity with which they shined. It made him forget what he was going to say. This should have told him how much trouble he was in, but his mind had stopped working properly the moment he had looked into Kudou's eyes. He wasn't so shocked this time when the other man kissed him. What surprised him was how his own body reacted.

He felt aroused in his groin area and his mouth opened automatically to accommodate the tongue at his lips. His arms encircled the taller man's neck and he pulled Kudou down on top of him. There was a second hardness between his legs and Kudou's moan brought him back to the present. With reluctance he pulled away.

"The walls are a bit thin here and what happened to that concern for your patient?" He asked with a small smile. Kudou looked at him with dark eyes.

"My concern was blown away when my patient pulled me down. For not much to you, you're pretty strong...deceptively so." Kudou sat up. "For someone as injured as you are-"

"It helps when there is no resistance." Aya snorted. "I am also not as injured as you think."

"A couple days ago you were at death's door!" The doctor exclaimed. Aya waved a hand dismissively.

"I have been through worse. As the scars I have should attest to." He reassured the other man.

"If you say it's only a scratch I am going to suspect you were lying about the injury to your thigh."

"I may not tell the whole truth, but I never lie. It really didn't need stitches and my current injury is not a scratch. It is more serious, however it's not as grave as you think." He sat up to look at Kudou. "I am speaking the truth right now. I have dealt with worse injuries on my own. My fortitude would surprise you."

"You surprise me." Kudou touched his cheek. "I've never seen someone move so fast and you saved my life twice. It is sort of my fault you were hurt." Aya furrowed his brow.

"No, I really don't think so." He said slowly. "If I remember correctly; those Apache were sneaking up to kill me and I don't recall a bow and arrow in your hand." Kudou began to protest. Aya put a finger to the older man's lips to silence him. "Besides you can't be expected to have the same reflexes as a trained soldier. You're a doctor, different instincts altogether." He let his hand fall.

"It still feels like my fault." Kudou mumbled, looking down.

"You can choose to keep thinking that way, but I do not blame you." The mercenary smiled slightly. "They try this so often when I am this far south that it did not occur to me to warn you. It was the reason I kept my camp away. Just instinct." He tried to get to his feet, but Kudou grabbed his hands. The man's larger one's engulfed his.

"And now you're planning to go back out there."

"It's for the best."

"No, there is more safety with so many around."

"I do not want any to get hurt. Especially a child."

"I realize that and I understand that you want to keep us safe, but we knew it was dangerous to travel to this side of the country. We came anyway and we've made it this far with trouble finding us often." He smiled. "We aren't helpless."

"The Apache are after me, though. I can't ask-"

"So don't ask for our help. Let us offer it. We would all have died in that desert and none of that was on you, yet you saved us. There's been the food too. Aya you have gone above and beyond what's been necessary to guide a wagon train of this size."

"I was hired to keep you guys safe."

"That doesn't change facts." Kudou replied.

"It gives you a different interpretation though."

"True, but it doesn't change how I feel and the more I learn about you; the more aroused I get." He pulled Aya's hands to get the younger man to fall against him.

"You may have started something here neither of us can control." Aya whispered as lips descended to cover his. His body ached for contact, but he pulled away. His breath came in gasps and he attempted to get his hands free. Kudou's grip tightened.

"How so?" He asked quietly.

"I have the tendency to commit to things in a way that can be a little intense to some." Aya pulled at his hands again, but the other man wouldn't let go.

"I'm okay with intense. I can't imagine you like being so alone." Kudou replied. Honestly Aya hated it. He just wanted to go back to Japan. Things made sense there and he could be part of something; not so lonely he could scream. It had really been the promise of companionship that had kept him so close. Kudou, Hidaka and Omi were from his country, which was as close as he could get right now. He had been lying to himself for a long time and what Kudou was offering was way too tempting. "I don't really do casual either." Aya stopped pulling at his hands and looked up. There must have been some kind of expression on his face because all of the sudden he was wrapped in the blonde's arms. "You don't have to be alone anymore." He whispered.

Aya stared resolutely at the fabric siding. The mercenary wanted so badly to believe, but would it last? Could he live through more betrayal or would it hurt more? Could his heart take it? There wasn't much left and if it shattered completely; What would happen? Would he stop caring?

He didn't advertise that he cared about people and you couldn't call him a humanitarian, but he didn't want to stop. He was scared of what he might be then. Heck it was really only the three Japanese people that had forced his hand. He kept trying to tell himself it was the women and children, but he knew it wasn't. He would have let them all die then his heart had stirred. It had been a while and just the thought of a friendship had brought it to life and kept him from making a huge mistake. Because he knew that he could ultimately explain away the loss of another wagon train. It was getting the old guide that had been important.

What did that say about him? Was he selfish or had he just fallen so far that he forgot why he had become samurai in the first place? It wasn't as though their way of life was a part of his ancestry and it hadn't been about resources like food or money. He had really wanted to help people at one point. The fact that so much had changed made him a bit uneasy and he wasn't sure what the future would bring.