A/N. It owes some kind of inspiration to Gary Leupp and his brilliant book "Male Colors: The Construction of Homosexuality in Tokugawa Japan".
Tryst
The inspection of the western grounds took them the whole day. When they finally came back to the castle, it was already night, but their spirits were high regardless of the fatigue. The last could have something to do with the meal awaiting them, regarding that since breakfast they had had to make do with almost soldier's provision.
Once more, Kojūrō decided that nothing tasted better than sake of Ōshū. Drinking slowly, he negligently observed two other men and revised his prior statement about the high spirits. Masamune-sama sipped his drink, relaxed and content indeed. Yukimura-dono, however, didn't even touch his sake, and Kojūrō kept wondering if it had something to do with the boozy party they had held the previous evening or was there more to it - and he inclined for the latter. For the whole day, Yukimura-dono had remained exceptionally silent, which - in his case - surely attracted the attention. Even now, he looked as if he wanted to squeeze himself in the corner or disappear completely - very unlike the famed Crimson Demon, who, well, usually created stir and brought chaos with him, wherever he appeared. In contrast to him, Masamune-sama seemed to be in an excellent mood since morning. He usually was in an excellent mood; Kojūrō, however, could notice a slight change in his lord's demeanour. After all, he had known him since childhood, he knew him as he knew himself. But he didn't complain, far from this. He wished all the best for Masamune-sama. If Yukimura-dono put him in such mood, he was more than welcomed here.
Yukimura-dono, however, looked far from feeling welcomed here. He devoured the meal with his typical rapacious hunger - so he couldn't be suspected of any sudden illness, at least - but he didn't say a word. Light of the lamps, falling at his figure, ignited the reflections in his hair - Kojūrō thought fleetingly it made sense since Yukimura-dono was a flame. In each wrinkle of his clothing and each indentation of his skin, the dancing blaze fought endlessly with a shadow. It could be the reason why it seemed to Kojūrō that Yukimura-dono's hands trembled - but he decided that in this flickering gleam even his eagle eye could be deluded. After all, if Yukimura-dono was to tremble, it could be only of an excitement.
Perhaps it was this, anyway, he thought after a while, smiling to himself. With his keen senses of a warrior, he could tell that the tension, always existing between Masamune-sama and Yukimura-dono, was considerably strong today, its nature differing from usual. After rather... peculiar morning everything had seemed to return to normal; however, each hour they had spent together, the air had only intensified. Yukimura-dono wasn't anywhere near as good actor as Masamune-sama, who could delude anyone but Kojūrō with his beaming smile. In that case...
"Good night, Masamune-sama, Yukimura-dono," he said, standing up.
"What plans for tomorrow, Kojūrō?" Masamune asked, shifting his eyes to him.
"Nothing special, I've thought of some practice."
Masamune nodded, rising himself and grabbing the bottle. "Good night, Kojūrō."
"Good night, Katakura-dono!" Yukimura called, jerking out of his reverie he had spent the whole meal in.
Kojūrō, still smiling, left the room and slid the door close. "This time I'll let you sleep enough," he thought a bit distracted, recalling the events of morning. He was positive about not disturbing Masamune-sama any more.
After Kojūrō had left, Yukimura continued sitting and staring ahead rather thoughtlessly. Masamune looked at him with a sneer. "You stay here?"
"W-what?" Yukimura's head snapped, and he looked at his host, then quickly averted his eyes.
Masamune sighed inwardly and shook the bottle invitingly. "There's plenty left," he said. "I don't tend to drink alone, and Kojūrō went to bed already," he added in a tone of a veiled hint. Behindhand, he realized that try and get to Sanada Yukimura using the veiled hint was probably as successful as Oda Nobunaga's ideation of general unification. "Or, perhaps, you're scared I'll beat you in drinking again," he decided on another tactics.
Yukimura jumped to his feet, and Masamune congratulated himself. Definitely, when dealing with Sanada Yukimura, one needed to be less subtle. Young Tiger's eyes flashed with a hurt and obvious challenge. "Masamune-dono!" he called wholeheartedly. "You haven't beaten me even once, neither on the battlefield nor elsewhere!"
"Except for yesterday," Masamune added smoothly with a smug smile.
"Yesterday..." Yukimura started and fell silent. Masamune was under the impression his cheeks turned a gentle shade of red.
"Now's your chance to get even," he suggested, sliding the door open and looking back over his shoulder. Yukimura stood in the middle of the room undecided, his eyes fixed on the mat. "Not that I'm going to gossip; still, someone can find out that Sanada Genjirō Yukimura loses to alcohol..." the Lord of Ōshū threw in casually.
Yukimura cast a fiery glance at him. Masamune laughed. Somewhere in his mind, there was a thought he liked that look.
He didn't intend to make Yukimura drunk, he only felt like something more than sake tonight. He didn't intend to force him to anything; if he could, however, judge from the morning events - and the previous night, which was not to forget - it was high time to act in a more decisive way. And hope that they wouldn't be interrupted this time... He paused at that thought, feeling dizzy. What was that he really wanted?
He lifted his head and looked at Yukimura, who sipped his sake cautiously. He recalled yesterday evening, when Yukimura - intoxicated - had suddenly been so close. In the morning - this time suffering from hangover - the young one had been attracted to him once again. Masamune wanted to know if the third time - more conscious now - Yukimura would be as eager...
Because Masamune was. In contrast to that living flame incarnated, he himself ignited slowly and then burned slowly. When he began to want something, he didn't cease but aimed at satisfaction. Already twice, Yukimura had given him to understand he wasn't interested only in fight with him - and Masamune decided to respond.
Now, however, Yukimura's eyes were fixed on the mat, and there was no trace of his previous outburst left. Drinking sake in the small sips, he tried to stop his hands from trembling.
Ha.
Masamune slid the garden-door slightly open and let the air smelling of evening flowers in. He took a deep breath, suddenly realizing he himself was far from being relaxed. He mastered his emotions completely, and thus someone who didn't know him well would believe he had been spending the most carefree day of his life. He looked at the moon, a slender crescent climbing over the velvet sky. He hadn't been spending the most carefree day of his life - but certainly one of the most exciting.
Kojūrō, you knew it all well.
He turned his head and looked at Yukimura again. Young one lowered his eyes quickly, but Masamune managed to see what his gaze was burning with. "When it comes to the crunch, it's always me who has to do it," he claimed with an affected grudge, only after a moment realizing he had spoked his thought aloud.
Yukimura cast a rather timid glance at him. "What do you mean, Masamune-dono?"
Masamune rose from his place and sat next to him. Yukimura straightened his back and looked him into eyes. Firmly, One-Eyed Dragon took him by the chin and kissed him.
Not even a while had passed when he was under the impression that everything - starting from the ends of his hair and the tip of his nose, through his ears and neck, up to his fingertips - burst into flames. He opened his eyes and met the flame dancing in Yukimura's gaze. Young Tiger's hands already crept on his arms, making his skin tense. Suddenly, Masamune realised he had nothing against burning in this blaze and it would really happen if he didn't take control. He pushed Yukimura onto the mat, bending over him and drawing the lips again to his mouth. Yukimura moaned, his body getting tense, and moved his hands onto Masamune's back.
Masamune pulled away, taking a breath. "They do it more often in the West," he gasped.
"The west of... what?" Yukimura asked, panting.
"Continent," Masamune explained in a tone of a man of the world.
"Uhm," Yukimura's tone clearly indicated he didn't have the faintest idea what Masamune was talking about.
In fact, Masamune realised, he himself wasn't interested in the topic either. Yukimura possessively grasped his head, demanding another kiss.
After a moment of eternity, they broke away.
"What do they do more often... in the west of continent?" Yukimura asked, catching his breath.
"Kiss," Masamune answered, his breath as short. "But now we're going to do in a Japanese way," he added.
Yukimura sat up, trying to focus his gaze. Masamune looked at him, feeling dizzy again.
"You are lying," he said, his lips stretching in a smile.
"Why should I?" Judging from his bristle, Yukimura was apparently getting his self-assurance back.
"Because the younger one is at the bottom," Masamune explained his superiority, at least in the matter of knowledge of social rules.
"Why do you assume I'm younger?" Yukimura asked, frowning. He looked like a puss, again, Masamune thought fleetingly.
"It's obvious," One-Eyed Dragon replied, slipping the hand into his ruffled hair. He felt Yukimura's hot skin under his fingers. "You can ask Kojūrō, if you feel like... Tomorrow, though, for he went to bed."
"So, when were you born?" Yukimura asked, pouting.
Head tilted, Masamune looked at him as at the unruly child. "Eiroku 10, fifth of September..."
"I was born in Eiroku 10 too. Seventh of... May."
The silence that fell afterwards was very meaningful.
You rock, Master, Sarutobi Sasuke thought, muffling his chuckle. He could clearly imagine more than surprised look on the face of the Lord of Ōshū, who could never expect Sanada Yukimura to be as old as him - even some months older in addition. Sasuke snorted. Anyone could hardly believe it. With some kind of affection, Sasuke thought his master looked fifteen at the most. Many years had passed since Sasuke had used to give him a piggyback ride...
"But I don't know what is the Japanese way you've talked about," Yukimura's quiet voice reached him, "so we'd better continue in a western one..."
It was followed by a silence as well, and Sasuke decided two gentlemen had taken care of themselves again. Noiselessly, he settled himself on the bough, resting his back against the trunk.
The branch over his head dropped under the sudden burden. In the faint moonlight, Sasuke spotted a shapely body above.
"Kasuga?"
"Sasuke?" The girl looked down from the squat. She couldn't possibly be less surprised than him. "What are you doing here?"
"I keep an eye on my master."
"Yukimura-dono is in Ōshū? What is he looking here for?"
"Love and justice."
"I ask seriously. Well, never mind." She tossed her hair with a practised gesture. "I have a message for Date Masamune from Kenshin-sama."
"You don't possibly intend to deliver it now?" Sasuke skipped onto her branch.
"It's an urgent message. I'm not going to waste my time on the likes of you," she said coldly, standing up.
"You're breaking my heart, dear. I though something was between us," he put in a wistful tone.
"You always think too much," she retorted.
"I'm serious. And, by the way, I strongly advise you against interrupting Date-dono at the moment," he suggested.
"A message from Kenshin-sama won't wait...!" She looked down at him.
"Geez, leave them alone, miss." Sasuke grasped her by a hand.
"Them?" she asked in astonishment, breaking her hand free.
"Well, look." He bent down by her ear, pointing at the half-open garden-door. They had at least fragment of a view.
Kasuga opened her mouth and blinked.
"So, you see, you're a godsend, coming here! It was terribly boring before, and now we can take care of ourselves just like those two..."
"Sarutobi Sasuke, you disgust me!" she called, casting an icy glance at him and moving away from his reach.
"Shh, or they would hear us," he warned her, making the hoot of an owl as a camouflage. Although, he seriously doubt anything could divert the warriors' attention from each other now.
Her gaze doubtful, Kasuga looked in the direction of the house, then made a squeak.
"But... how can they...? I thought they didn't like each other...!"
"Didn't like? Darling, where's that famous feminine intuition gone...?"
"They've always tried to kill one another...!" she exclaimed agitated.
"Well, they say love and hate often go together. Just look, it's exactly like us. I love you, and you can't stand me." Sasuke heaved a theatrical sigh that remained completely ignored.
Kasuga peeked inside the house again as if she couldn't decide what to think about the view. Sasuke observed her. Her eyes were glistening, a faint blush coloured her cheeks. After the first shock had been gone, she seemed much more interested in the spectacle.
"To tell the truth... I may prefer it better than killing each other," she spoke thoughtfully.
"Love and justice, I told you. And we could as well..." he threw in, drawing closer again.
"Stay away from me, Sasuke. By the way," she said, collecting herself, "you're a pervert!"
"I told you, I keep an eye on my master. And, actually, I didn't watch! You can't possibly suspect me...?"
Kasuga looked at him doubtfully. "I suspect you of many things," she declared loftily and got back into peeping.
Sasuke smirked. "Grown-up men like it this way," he whispered into her ear. "Especially daimyō."
She glared at him indignantly. "Kenshin-sama would never...!"
"I've heard he run his dreamy eye over more than one. You know well about his entourage yourself... Who knows what is he doing now, and with whom..."
Kasuga went white. "I've immediately to go back to Echigo!" She turned around, ready to jump.
"Who's there?"
They looked down only to see Katakura Kojūrō enter the yard, ready to draw his sword. Sasuke sighed and jumped down.
"Sarutobi Sasuke with no ill intention," he announced. "And Kasuga," he added with satisfaction.
"What are you doing here?" Kojūrō let himself relax a tad, but remained vigilant.
"We've had a tryst, of course," Sasuke answered in a most casual tone.
"In Ōshū?"
"You have incredibly beautiful trees here," Sasuke replied, endearing, "and evening is perfect for a romance today," he added pointedly.
Kasuga jumped down onto the grass. "Sarutobi Sasuke, you lie like a monkey! I am going back to Echigo anyway."
"And the message?" Sasuke reminded her.
Kasuga turned and stood for a moment undecided. Then, from the spacious depths of her tight outfit, she took out a scroll and threw it to Kojūrō. The next moment she was gone.
"A letter? You should have sent it by post...!" Sasuke called after her. He was answered only by an owl-hooting. The evening was calm again. Sasuke looked at Kojūrō and shrugged. "She didn't even say goodbye. Or hello, for that matter... I'd better go, too."
The door slid open with a bang, revealing the Lord of Ōshū, Date Masamune. At first glance, one could realize he was furious - which happened, in his case, as often as... Kasuga's kindness to her fellow shinobi, Sasuke decided, sighing inwardly. Behind the One-Eyed Dragon he spotted Yukimura, a bit tousled but, apart from this, looking as conscious as ever. Or as dull as ever.
"Can't I have some peace even in my own house?" Masamune called out, his tone both menacing and resentful, glaring at them fiercely.
"I beg your forgiveness, Masamune-sama!" Kojūrō turned to his lord and bent his head. "I've discovered the intruders in the garden."
Masamune ground a curse.
"I'm leaving already," Sasuke informed. "You can't let the lady walk alone in the night. Have a nice evening, Date-dono, Katakura-dono, my master. Master, remember to get enough sleep!" he added in a tone concerned and mocking at the same time, then waved to everyone and disappeared between the trees.
Masamune looked at Kojūrō. "What was that about" he asked in an irate voice.
"Absolutely nothing, Masamune-sama," Kojūrō called, quickly hiding his hands behind his back. "I apologize once more, Masamune-sama. Good-night, Masamune-sama. I'm off." He bowed his head and vanished in the darkness behind the corner.
Masamune sighed, turned back and entered the room, sliding the door behind him.
Yukimura looked at him eyes wide-open. Masamune cast him a stern glance. Yukimura smiled. In a very silly way, Masamune decided afterwards, but somehow it seemed to fit him anyway. "What now?" he asked, feeling his anger leave already.
"I've never seen you so annoyed," Yukimura said, just like that. Curiously enough, in his mouth it sounded like a compliment. "You're always so... composed." He blushed.
Masamune felt like smiling, but he kept glowering at Yukimura for a while yet. "If that is so, then we're going to do it my way."
"Which means...?" Yukimura asked, slightly worried.
"Normally, you should do to me what you'd do to a girl..." Masamune instructed in a loftily voice.
Yukimura blushed even more. Masamune knelt down by him. "...but, judging from your look, you haven't experienced the pleasure of lying with a woman yet..." he added in a softer voice.
Yukimura was glowing crimson already. Masamune cupped his face. "...so we're going to do it my way..." he whispered, moving his hands onto Yukimura's back and taking him closer.
Yukimura moaned, pressing his body do him. Masamune kissed him, sliding the kimono off his shoulders. "...just this once."