And it finally comes to an end. I would like to thank everyone who stayed with me through this story. Your reviews always helped me to get back on track, when I had lost out on ideas. Thank you very much. I would also like to annouce, that Shintarou's and Kazunari's story will get their own fiction, the same as Ryouta and Tetsuya. I still don't know when I will have time to write those. But I have planned it like this from the start and hopefully will soon find time to start them. I think our two idiots here will maybe get a small Omake. I'm thinking about it ;) and so I will leave you with the last chapter and epilogue of Jungle Fever. Thank you once more, for the great support and I hope to see you again at one of my other fics. :)
Language: English is not my first language.
Disclaimer: I don't own Kuroko no Basuke or any of its characters.
Chapter 35
Poles were sticking out of the brown-green mass, chipped branches, stones and silt covered everything that was once the village of the Aomine clan. Since three days Masahiro, Raion and their men were excavating things, who possibly could be used again. But all in all there wasn't much left. The bodies of the death had already started to rot away and were buried in a, for the Aomine clan, traditional position. They hadn't found everyone. In fact, the lives which were lost and the number of bodies they had buried, where nowhere near equal but simply doing the required deed for the few they could find, let them easier their minds. It was a terrible work, but it had to be done. Masahiro still had the responsibility for his people. And whether they were dead or alive, they belonged to his clan and deserved a decent burial and devotion. It was his last act as their chieftain, and he would pull through, no matter how much his heart ached at the number of lost souls.
Raion was working side by side with him. They didn't speak. Only disinterred the dead and buried them again. Also all the men, they had brought with them, where quiet. The shock of the disaster still sitting deep.
Masahiro was actually grateful, that his enemy of long years was with them. They weren't only faster, also the meals Raion cooked lifted their mood after they had seen so many dead and broken things through the day.
"Do you cook sometimes for your clan?" Masahiro ask, when he was getting a refill of the stew, Raion hat made on the third evening. "Yeah, I used to. But since Taiga is a better cook than me, it somehow switched to him. Everyone is praising his dishes and really, I have never tasted bread as good as he bakes it." He smiled slightly up to his old rival and handed him his bowl back. "Somehow it sounds wrong, even if I have meantime accept it, but Taiga will make a good wife for your son. If Daiki is only a tad like you, he will need someone like him anyway. Don't you think so?" Raion smirked and gave the tall man a sneering gaze. "What's that supposed to mean?", Masahiro huffed and sat down beside the Kagami chieftain. "Well, do you remember the one time you tried to cook for Tora? It was so horrible, we had a stomach ache for three days." Raion couldn't suppress a snorting noise escaping his throat and was shot dead by dark eyes. "Shut up! I improved on a certain level since then … wait! She let you tasted it?" He guaffed at the man beside him, who was still laughing. "Yeah, hell she did. Wouldn't let me get away without a spoon full of … what was it anyway? I only remember the deep purple color and a weird smell coming from it." Raion tapped curiously thinking at his chin and looked from the corner of his eye at Masahiro. " … -idge."
"What? Sorry, I didn't understand you." The corner of his lips rose amused up, as he witnessed the red ear tips of the normally so brash man. "It was rice porridge, you rude bastard." That made Raion snort once more and laugh out loud. "How the hell did you manage to make a simple dish like that into that hellish thing? I'm sure it could've burned away every disease someone ever had." He was laughing even more and clapped his knee, tears in the corner of his eyes. "Shut up!" Masahiro snarled and then groaned in embarrassment. Why had Tora needed to give this shithead the food he made? It was meant for her. His mother had told him, that she was down with a cold and through that time still believed, that he was able to make a simple dish like rice porridge. So she had sent him, without looking into the pot first, to the Kagami clan. Masahiro, entirely himself, had walked into the village, put the pot down beside the tent and left without a word to his sister, still upset. But he had placed a little flower on top of it, so she would know it was from him. He never came around to know, if she had liked it. Well, he had guessed by the weird color, that something had gone wrong, but never got back to that. Now hearing Raion reminiscing and laughing about it, made him embarrassed. But he simply couldn't get angry at it. It was a long time ago and if he thought some more about it, it really was a funny incident.
He smiled into his bowl and took another spoonful stew to his mouth. Really, that guy could cook. They somehow had made peace and Masahiro, for the first time in years, felt that he maybe had done the guy wrong. After everyone had eaten, they laid down for a night rest in their improvised tents. They would wrap it up on the next day. Sadly, only the death they had noticed could be buried, everyone else would be impossible to find and he still had to think about the injured at the Kagami clan's village and what he had to do now.
Quaffing down water, Daiki said upright in his bed, teary eyed and ogled with a hateful glare the dish in front of him. After the third cup, his throat had a bit calmed down for him to speak. "Satsuki, what the fuck is this?" Faking innocence - he was sure it was faked - his sister swirled around and pouted. "It's food Dai-chan. Mind your language."
"Yeah, right language my ass. Are you trying to kill me?" He eyed the purple-black, bubbling mass in the bowl and could have sworn, he saw blackish smoke curl up from the wooden spoon what rested inside it. "Moa~ Dai-chan, don't be mean. Why would I want to kill you?" Satsuki took the bowl away and wrinkled her pink eyebrows at him. "Dunno, maybe because I threatened your "fiance"?" The bluenette growled the upsetting word and swung his legs over the rim of his bed. "Where is Taiga? I need to eat something, what doesn't kill me."
"Dai-chan!" Her upset wail fell on deave ears, as he tried to stand up. "You shouldn't get up yet. Taiga is with the others and helps to set up more tents. Stay in bed, he will shortly be here." Satsuki pressed him back to his bed and covered his still weak body with a blanket. "Fuck rest. I wanna go outside. I can't lie around here, doing nothing, while everyone helps out. I need to move.", he grumbled and puffed a long pink strand out of his face. "No, you need more rest. Stop being a brat and listen." There was their mother speaking out of here words and Daiki gave up for the moment. Why did the women in his family need to be so annoying in times like this. Not that he ever would say that to his mother. He still wanted to live. But all those things that happened while he was away, were upsetting him and let him grow restless. First thing on his list, was to get back at the magenta-haired male, who had walked in earlier, as if he owned this place, and declared that Satsuki was his fiance. Who the fuck, did he think he was? They were speaking about his sister here. She wasn't to be married to a man, they all just met and his attitude really needed adjustment. Scowling, as he thought back, Daiki once again removed the blanket and sat up. He was about to stand up, when his sister's voice broke the silence.
"You know, Dai-chan. I can't explain it well, but Seijuurou makes me happy. I think it's the same happiness you feel, when Taiga is with you. And don't deny it! I have seen how you look at him." Her back was to him, while she talked and cleaned up the place. So she missed the slightly pink cheeks of her tanned brother and how he remorsefully bit his lips. "I still don't like him.", he mussed and averted his eyes. "Well, that is your problem. I made my decision. You only need to accept it. I don't want us to end up like our Dad and his sister." Satsuki had turned to him and watched him with slightly hurt eyes.
Scratching his head, the bluenette looked to the ground. "Well, yeah. Me neither." He looked up again and Satsuki, for a moment, saw the worry in the dark-blue depths of her younger brother's eyes. "It will be fine. He is a good man, even if he sometimes comes on too strong." She laid one of her small hands on his shoulder and smiled when he hesitantly nodded.
"So, where did you say Taiga was?" The bluenette stood up and stretched. "Oh no! You will rest, Dai-chan. You aren't fully recovered." She tried to shove him back to the bed, but this time his body didn't budge an inch. "Satsuki, one hand washes the other. I won't slaughter your fiance ... yet and you will let me go to Taiga. Now! I have enough of sitting here." He strolled by her and removed the curtain. "Fine. But don't over do it and I will pretend, that I didn't hear the "yet". He is over there in the free area.", she said and pointed to her right side. "You really like him, if you can't even be half a day away from him." She smiled teasingly, knowing that her brother would deny it. But then her eyes widened perplexed, when Daiki leaned down and whispered in her ear. "Yeah, I do."
He leered at her and was gone. Really, she never saw him this happy before. Only problem, still, was their father. Not only would he need to accept his daughters and youngest son's decision, but, like Satsuki had noticed, there was also his first born, who was currently defending himself from a certain blonde, who was running after him and wailed to not leave him behind. It was only a question of time, till her oldest brother would give in. She knew that little smile of his too well, to not make the right conclusion.
"Ouch!" Taiga cursed and put his thumb into his mouth, to suck away the blood. "Really, Tai. Since when are you so clumsy with needles?" Kazunari asked and snickered, while he was binding long wooden beams together with a thick rope. "Shut up! This is more complicated than it looks.", the redhead puffed out and tried to push the sharp bone needle through the thick leather. "Bakame! You only need to make a slit on the spot, where you want to sew.", Shintarou lectured, which got him an annoyed glare from the hothead. "Why didn't you say so before?", Taiga growled and fetched a small knife from his thigh belt. "I know you were stupid, but not to this extend.", the greenette shot back and glared with the same amount of annoyance. "What did you say?" Taiga sprung up, oozing upwelling anger from every pore. "Mah~ mah~ you two. Keep it down. We need to finish this by noon." Kazunari defused the situation, but snickered anyway. It was fun, seeing his best friend and his love interest, fight with each other. Simply because their arguments were ridiculous. But he wouldn't want to see an actual fist fight between them, so he had to go in between and calm them down. Grumbling, Shintarou got back to his task and so did the redhead. Not because they weren't up for taking it out, but because Kazunari had a point.
"Will they be alright?", Junpei murmured to himself. "Shouldn't you rather worry about yourself?", Riko hissed and doped a huge basket right on his feet. "Ouch! Damn Riko, be more careful, will you?", Junpei ranted and rubbed his abused toes. "Ha! Why should I? You wouldn't get it even if someone smacked it right into your face." She spun on her heels and walked briskly away, spitting cursing words. "What the …?" Junpei grumbled and furrowed his brows. He didn't know what was up with her, but in the past two days, he got either the cold shoulder or painfully slapped.
"What have you done now to get her so upset?" Suddenly Teppei appeared by his side and sat down, to take a leather roll out of the basket. "Oh, you're still here. Haven't seen you around much." Junpei scoffed and glared at the tall brunette. "Ha? What're you talking about? I never left the village." Teppei had a lot of question marks floating above his head, while giving the olive-eyed male a once over. "You look horrible. Is that a black eye?", he pointed out, ogling the blue-purple bruise right under Junpei's left eye. "What does it look like, daho! She spits fire every time I come near her and I don't know why." Junpei rammed the needle through the leather and tugged forcefully at the string.
"Seijuuroo~!", Satsuki's voice rang out and Junpei's eyes bounced up and down, like the huge rack of the woman running to the magenta-haired man, who stood nearby. "Maybe it's that.", Teppei mused and grinned stupidly. His friend was really a doofus sometimes. Greeting Satsuki, who smiled but didn't stop, Teppei got up and back to Masako.
"How is it going over there?", the black-haired woman asked, while stuffing a pillow with dried moss. "They had a lovers spat, because Junpei's attention on Satsuki's body is too obvious." Teppei grinned but got a kick to his leg in response. "That wasn't what I wanted to know.", her purple eyes glared at him and he twitched slightly. "Ah … yeah. They're almost done with the covers and beams." She nodded and got back to filling the pillows. "Help me out here. Ako-chan is playing with the other kids anyway." She looked over to her daughter, who played tag with the children of the Kagami and Aomine clan. It was good, not only because her little sweetheart had opened up, but also because such simple playing diverted the hurt childrens attention to something else. "Have you thought about what I mentioned to you yesterday?"
Teppei looked up, for once serious. "Yes. I think it's a great idea." Then he smiled, "It will be a lot of fun."
Meanwhile, Daiki had made his way over to the redhead, who still tried to not poke his fingers. Sneaking up behind him, he made a keep-silent gesture to Kazunari and Shintarou, and poked his index fingers hard into Taiga's ribs. Roaring up in surprise, the redhead shot from his spot and swirled around. "What the fuck?"
"Daiki?", Taiga heaved questioning and then growled. "Why are you up?" His dual brows furrowed, as he took a step towards his lover. "I'm hungry. Make me something." The bluenette demanded and licked his lips, eyes aglitter with challenge. "Ha?" Taiga couldn't comprehend the thoughts of the bluenette, but suddenly found himself pulled forward. "Or I'll just eat you.", was seductively whispered against his lips, before they were pressed against the soft outlines of Daiki's mouth.
Taiga froze. Somewhere at his back, he heard Kazunari whistle and the grumbling of the greenette, but that didn't matter at the moment. Aghast, his mouth opened a bit, as he stared wide eyed into mirthful blue ones. At his inattention, a wet tongue sneaked into his mouth, diving deep and snapped him out of his stupor. He suddenly felt all eyes on them, boring holes into his back and he tried to push the tanned male away.
But Daiki wouldn't let him. Slinging his arms around the tigers waist, he pulled him even closer and pressed his lips more firmly against the back fighting ones. Taiga's hands shot up to plug at the long strands of blue hair, his feet trying to not lose their ground. His mouth was plundered and mapped out to its last corner and the erotic onslaught let him close his eyes.
Sneaky hands grabbed his ass and squeezed tight. Taiga yelped, which broke the kiss and his ears caught on to the clapping of his friends, who had grouped around them, showed amused grins and catcalled. Torn between, wanting to get closer to the bluenette and hiding his face in embarrassment, he chose the middle line and plugged his face into Daiki's neckline. "I will kill you later, bastard.", he growled against the tanned skin, ear tips showing a beautiful red.
Daiki snickered and squeezed Taiga's taut ass once more. "Hm, I know a good method for that.", the taller man mused and sucked his earlobe suggestively into his mouth.
"Get a tent you two.", Riko quacked and blushed furiously, when Daiki showed her a wolfish grin. She still hadn't had the pleasure to met him and his feral smile sent a shiver down her spin. Taiga was so done for. But on the other hand, they suited each other like no one else. Peeking at Junpei, Riko sighed. When would this dumbass finally notice her?
Suddenly angry again, she stormed over to him and stomped on his foot. "Learn from them!"
"What the hell, Riko!?" Junpei cursed and hopped on one leg, glaring daggers at the woman beside him. Aomine's delighted laughter let everyone divert their attention back to the bluenette in surprise. "Maybe you should take your woman to bed and spoil her rotten -" He showed a mocking grin, eyes aglitter with mirth. "- like I do with mine.", he added and slapped Taiga's ass.
The redhead yelped again and pushed away from the blue-haired devil. "You stupid, unsensible, perverted, idio-." Hot lips pressed on his and he felt Daiki smirk against his lips. "The only thing I want to hear from you, is you screaming my name while I take you."
"Bastard!" Taiga, blushing twenty shades of red, wrestled himself free from the grip around his neck and punched the bluenette's shoulder. His current embarrassed being though, didn't consider the tanned man's lack of health. Thumbling back, Daiki grabbed at the only thing he could reach while he felt himself fall, which was the redhead's arm. They smashed to the muddy ground, both looking puzzled at each other.
"Whoa, slow down wild cat or are you so eager for my di-" Taiga's hand pressed firmly over the bluenette's sensual smirking mouth, while everyone around him could formally see steam puffing out over his red faced head, while they were eyewitnesses of their fighting - or was ist flirting? No one could tell the difference.
Getting short on air, Daiki hooked his legs around the redhead's waist, pushed his body with his arms from the ground and rolled. But his partner wouldn't have that. Soon they were a cursing, tangled mass of limbs, rolling over the muddy ground. Dirty water splashed up around them and sometimes the onlookers could make out a smile ghosting over their faces. Seeing that, let them lay down with separating them, the spectacle a too funny show.
Eventually, Daiki got the upperhand. Smashing Taiga's wirst to the ground, he straddled the redhead and shut the still cursing, sludge sprinkled lips with his own.
"What the hell is up here?"
A voice suddenly boomed from behind the group surrounding the two love birds. They toppled away to make space for the Kagami chieftain, who just came back from the Aomine village.
Taiga paled visibly underneath his sunkissed, muddy skin and broke the kiss to curved his head back. "Father ..." Looking upside down at Raion, who stood wide legged with his arms crossed over his broad chest and leered at them, made him very aware of the fact, that Daiki was sitting on top of him and that they almost had made out in front of everyone.
"So you're Taiga's dad?", Daiki asked with a snide in his voice. Looked down at the hothead beneath him, who sucked in his breath, and then back to the bulky man in front of them. Ignoring the whispers around them, he sat back to his haunches and glared challenging at the Kagami chieftain.
"He is mine!"
A smug grin accompanied the display of a triumphant champion who had successfully caught his prey.
Raion looked puzzled at the Aomine chieftain's son, who sat proud on his son, head held high and radiated confidence out of every pore. He also noticed the messy state both young man were in. Small branches sticking out of their tousled muddy hair, leaves plastered to their bodies and the general good mood of everyone around them. It seemed like everyone, both the Kagami as the Aomine citizens, had already accepted them as a pair and he felt a booming laughter tickling up his throat. The heavy blush on his son's face after the tanned male's declaration and the with satisfaction humming bluenette on top of him, finally broke his restrains.
Laughing loud, he braced his hands to his sides and leaned down to come face to face with the Aomine chieftain's son. "Yes, I am his dad. Nice to meet you, too." His laughing eyes looked then at his son. "You've captured yourself a troublemaker her. Are you sure about that?" Taiga, completely bewildered by his father's reaction, could only nod with astonished eyes. "Well, then good luck. You have my blessing." He stood up straight and looked over their gathered friends. "Has anyone a problem with that?"
"Not in the slightest.", Kazunari chirped and nudged the greenette's elbow.
"It doesn't concern me.", Shintarou said loud and clear but gave the Kagami chieftain an approving nod before averting his eyes with a slight blush on his cheekbones.
"Why would we? They're adorable together-ssu~.", Kise laughed and peered around.
More approving words were given from the group and Daiki beamed a happy grin at everyone, whilst Taiga's face showed an almost his hair revealing full body blush and hid his face in embarrassment.
Should it be that easy, after all they had gone through? He peeked out between his fingers, when the weight on his waist lifted. A tanned, dirty hand was stretched out to him and his eyes followed the arm up to met his, now official, boyfriend's smiling midnight-blue eyes.
"It's really nice that you decide this without my approval." Masahiro pushed away from one of the, still not finished, tent posts and glared at Raion. He had overlooked almost the whole scenario for a while and made his decision. "Masahiro! Look at them? Do you really still want to separate them?" Raion had turned around, fearing that the Aomine chieftain's hot-headedness would break their freshly made bonds again.
"You can cook right?", Masahiro asked the redhead, who still laid on the ground, and ignored the Kagami chieftain's question completely. "Y-yeah …"
"You also can tend to wounds and sew clothes?"
"Uhm … yes. But what …?" Taiga stood up with Daiki's help and looked puzzled at the tall muscular man.
Masahiro sighed and took a few steps until he was beside his son. Putting his huge hand into the mud-sticky mohawk, he pressed Daiki's head down and ruffled his hair. "This idiot here gets wounds every time you let him out of sight. He tears his clothes at any possible and impossible event and is very picky with his food. Do you think you can put up with that?"
Slowly it dawned on both young man, that this was Daiki's father, asking Taiga if he could take good care of his son. Blue eyes shot surprise up to Masahiro's chiseled face and then questioning at the redhead, who gaped a bit but nodded. "See my taste isn't that weird." Daiki groused and peered up at his father. "Tch, when you say so." Masahiro padded his son's back hard and pushed him towards his red-haired lover, who stopped his forward stumbling with his strong arms.
Masahiro gave Taiga a once over and then a rare smile ghosted over his lips. "You have your mother's eyes." The redhead nodded and hesitated. "Uhm … could you tell me sometimes about my mother? How she was as a child?", he asked with a quiet voice but a steady gaze.
The Aomine chieftain nodded. "Sure. We will have lots of time from now on. Raion!" He addressed his former rival and gave him the get go.
"Oh yeah, ok. So it's up to me. Cocky bastard.", Raion said but his words held no resentment. "I would like for everyone to gather in front of my tent as soon as possible. Give word to the elders. Everyone from the Kagami and Aomine tribe, who can move, has to be present."
The majority of the present people could already guess what this was about and did like they were told to, happy chattering with who ever was beside them.
Taiga and Daiki were as always a bit slow on the uptake - as if anyone would've wondered about that, so lovey dovey how they currently were with each other - until Satsuki appeared beside them. "Can you postpone your flirting? I have a favour to ask of you."
The two young male's broke their gaze locking and peered down at the pink-haired girl. "Is this about the lunatic you want to marry?" Daiki frowned, not in the slightest cooperative. "Dai-chan! He isn't a lunatic and yes, it is. Dad approved of your relationship, even though he was so against it in the beginning and well … he and Seijuurou haven't had a good start, so …"
"I'm sure it will be fine." Taiga laid his hand on her narrow shoulder and gave her a reassuring squeeze. "Ho? What makes you think, that it will be fine? You don't know my father. He can be an asshole beyond believe and -"
"Like you? Then we will be fine." Taiga sneered with mirthful eyes.
"Ha? What's that supposed to mean? Oi, Taiga?"
Taiga had turned around with Satsuki and was already on the way to his father's tent, ignoring the bluenette's squabbling.
"It seems you have understood something about them.", Satsuki mused and peered up at the red-haired man. "Well, yeah. Hard shell, soft core … or so they say. There is a lot of search to be done before you see it. But knowing Daiki for a while now, I guessed that he must resemble his dad in some way. Now after what has been said, I think that's it. He fights off that he cares, but deep down he loves his children and wants to see them happy."
Satsuki was a bit baffled at that statement. She had heard that Taiga wasn't a great thinker or something along those lines. But he had somehow caught up fast with their fathers impossibility to see his children suffer and it amazed her greatly. Daiki had really found a special one in this guy. She only hoped, that he was right with his prediction, that her issue would go over smoothly as well.
"What're ya talking about?" Daiki had caught up to them and slung an arm over the redhead's shoulder. "Only that you very much resemble your father.", Taiga mused and nudged the bluenette in the side. "Ha? How so? I'm not as obstinate as the old fart."
"Dai-chan, watch your tongue! If father hears you-", Satsuki fussed but her brother only shrugged.
"So, what?", he dismissed her and brought his lips closer to Taiga's ear. "Wanna bail out from here? I have a few ideas what we could do instead." He let his tongue trail suggestively over the redhead's ear shell and was very satisfied when he felt his lover's body shiver with anticipation.
"I'm not really sorry to interrupt you, but all others have gathered already, you are the last ones.", a quiet voice came from behind them.
"Geh! Tetsu! How long …" Daiki swirled around and gave his brother the evil eye, while Taiga had stiffened and Satsuki yelped in surprise.
"I was here since a while. I'm Tetsuya of the Aomine tribe, the elder brother of this idiot. Nice to finally meet you, Taiga-kun." The light-blue-haired male bowed slightly before the redhead and then reminded them to hurry up, before he vanished into thin air.
"What the hell was that?" Finally finding his voice again, Taiga blared and still stared at the spot where only seconds ago had stood a small man.
"That was our brother, Tetsu-kun. You'll get used to his appearance out of nowhere." Satsuki had still a hand clapped over her thundering heart and somehow that made it hard to believe in her words.
"Yeah … I see how used you're to it.", Taiga scoffed and cuckled.
"Oh, shut up, you! That hadn't happened in a while. He just caught me by surprise." Satsuki puffed her cheeks out and slapped the redhead's arm. "Yeah, Taiga. Don't mock her. It still sends shivers down my spine when he does that." That made Taiga laugh out loud. "I was mocking you, too. Stupid! Haa~ah, you whole family consists of strange people. Remind me why do I like you again?"
Daiki puffed out his chest and was about to describe himself in all his glory, but got interrupted by the Kagami chieftain, who cleared his throat. They had already arrived at his tent and the bluenette had a good look around over the gathered people. They really had lost many people and those who survived, had grieve carved into their faces.
"I … no, we have an announcement to make. Masahiro and I have discussed this on our way back and decided, that it would be benefiting for all of us to merge our tribes. We will move to a secured place and make there our fixed residence and form a new village, where everyone can find their place. How does that sound?" Raion let his words trail off and waited anxiously for a response.
Mutters were rising, until a scratchy voice asked the most murmured question aloud. "Who will be the chieftain then?" Oha-Asa stepped out of the group, everyone's attention on her.
Raion scratched the back of his head. "Well, we thought that it was maybe time to step back and leave the succession to Masahiro's eldest son." Raion peered around. "Tetsuya would you please come to us?"
"I'm already here." Appearing with his mother, beside his father, the young man's voice startled everyone. He, however, ignored the gasps and stepped in front of the crowed. "I humbly apologise, but I will not success as chieftain. I see myself not fit for the position." He bowed and turned to his father. "I know that I wasn't your first choice, even though my birthright said otherwise. I gave it some thinking and decided of my own will, that I don't want to be the next in line for the chieftain position."
"Tetsuya …", Hiruna whispered fearful of what her husband might do. "I see. So you know." Masahiro sighed and laid a hand on his eldest son's narrow shoulder. "And who do you suggest, we should take instead?"
This was something no one predicted to happen. Masahiro, the obduratest man in the whole Aomine tribe, to simply accept his son's wishes, none of them had heard of.
"Can I intercept here?" Seijuurou pulled out of the crowed, Satsuki right by his side. "I'm Seijuurou, a distant relative of the Kagami's. I'll take the succession with Satsuki as my wife."
"Wait, wait, wait! You will do what?" Masahiro gave his wife a questioning look. "Since when is Satsuki getting married on the table?"
"Masahiro!", sighing Hiruna facepalmed. "You really should give her more attention. Well, in all this chaos, I guess you missed out on it. But those two are an item since a while and I don't find the idea that bad. We would have a chieftain pair containing of both tribes. What do you think?" She slung her arm through his and looked up.
"I'm against it.", Tetsuya interjected. "Me too." Daiki followed suit. "And to make it clear, I didn't mean their marriage. Though, I'm not really green with it but if that's what Satsuki wants, so be it. But the chieftain position isn't for you."
"I would say the same. We have nothing against you Seijuurou, but we still don't know you enough, to trust you with the well being of a newly found village and bond between our tribes." It was Riko, who now had the word and held proudly against the dagger glaring dual-eyes of the magenta-haired male.
"So, which one should it be Raion? The appointment of a new chieftain requires of thee and Masahiro." Oha-Asa wasn't really surprised that her great grandson hadn't been successful. Her messed up predicting in the last weeks, had been indication enough for her to know, that he would fail. She hadn't said anything. Because this was something he had to learn on his own. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. That is the way of life, which no one but the situation itself could teach him.
"Nee~ nee~ mommy, I need to pee. Can't we simply vote?" Ako-chan dribbled from one leg onto the other, showing clearly that she was shortly to wet herself.
"Yeah, let us vote." The childs suggestion had rose the attention of many and more voices rose.
Raion lifted his hand to calm them down. "It's fine by me. Masahiro?" The Aomine chieftain clenched his teeth but nodded. This whole thing was going in a completely different direction of what he originally had thought, beginning with his son stepping back from his birthright.
"Good. But we need candidates first. Any suggestions?" Raion looked over the gathered people, who also looked questioning at each other. "Teppei.", Junpei said while raising his hand.
"What? No. I can't." The brunette defensively waved his hands. "Why not? You're good for this position. You care for your tribe and have no problem with accepting others. So it should be you.", Junpei listed and glared at his friend.
"I'm sorry, but we have another plan, where I need his full attention.", Masako reported to word. "We want to give a home to the orphaned children. I can't take the task alone upon my shoulders and Teppei already agreed to help me."
"When did you decide that?" Junpei complained while moving closer to his friend. "Ahaha, well … a while ago. But I have another suggestion chieftains. As I see it, and some of them already confirmed it, we have more than only two tribes here. There are some people from smaller tribes who have merged with our bigger ones. I think making a circle out of these people and decide things together, would be the best way to achieve a reasonable and satisfactory results for all of us." Teppei's normally joking attitude had completely vanished as he proposed his idea.
Raion thought about it and nodded. "So, who do you recommend?"
Teppei cleared his throat. "Shintarou of the former Midorima tribe, Atsushi - Murasakibara tribe, Tatsuya - Himuro tribe, Tetsuya - Aomine tribe, Seijuurou - Akashi tribe, naturally Taiga and Daiki, Kazunari and-", he hesitated for a moment. "Ryouta - Kise tribe. This should round it up, naturally with guidance of the elders, since everyone is still pretty young."
As he had finished, a woman's voice rose out of the murmurs. "Teppei, are you sure that you want to nominate my brother?" A tall, beautiful woman was holding Ryouta by his ear and moved him forward. "Nee-chan~ that hurts.", the blonde wailed and looked up with teary eyes.
Everyone laughed at the display of her reign over her little brother. "I'm fine with it, if it's like that. And I would not underestimate him." Startled everyone flinched away, when Tetsuya appeared right by the blonde's side. "Tetsucchi~.", Ryouta quacked and tried to hug the light-blue-haired man. But Tetsuya wouldn't have been Tetsuya, if he let himself get caught as simple as that. He vanished in an instant and the blonde landed face first in a mud puddle. "Oh god, the world is coming to an end?" His sister facepalmed, what rose another laughter out of the present people.
After a lot of convincing from Kazunari and Tatsuya, Shintarou and Atsushi agreed to the idea and it was finally decided. Only Daiki was still murmuring, that he didn't want to, but shut up when Taiga stomped on his foot. Although he himself wasn't entirely convinced, he was glad that the long-lasting dispute between their tribes had come to an end.
Epilogue
The sun rose slowly and bathed the horizont in many shades of red and orange tones. Everyone was still sleeping. The first early birds began their morning concert with their quiet chirping, as a young man, whose hair flickered like a flame in the rising morning wind, moved up to the edge of the cliffs overhang. He let his red eyes wander freely over the still in darkness lying jungle and admired the loveliness of the glistening of the sun, which broke in the night dewdrops. He deeply inhaled the fresh morning air and closed his eyes, as his stature was bathed in golden sunlight.
The warmth from the red fireball in the distance merged with another warmth suddenly coating his back. "Why are you up this early?" A deep, sleepy voice growled into his ear and blue hair tickled his cheek, when the taller man at his back nuzzled his face into his neckline. "Couldn't sleep anymore." He laced his fingers with the tanner ones at his belly and leaned against the broad chest at his back. "Nervous?" Lips moved against his sunkissed skin as he was held more firmly.
"Kinda. What about you?" His red eyes peered to the side to met midnight-blue ones. "Nope. You're already mine. We only make it official." Small kisses were placed along the redhead's neckline until they reached his ear and a soft, velvet voice whispered, "I love you, Taiga."
The young man turned in the embrace and laid his arms over his lovers shoulder. "I thought you didn't want to say that anymore?" He smiled, noticing the slight blush on the gorgeous, tanned face. "Shut up! Today is special." Blue-eyes were averted but the tight hold around his waist didn't vanish. The redhead nudged his nose against the hard jawline and played with the beads at the longer strands of the deep-blue mohawk. "Kiss me.", he whispered and brought his face closer.
"Not until you say it, too." The demand was as stubborn as ever, but the redhead compiled with a smile. "I love you, Daiki."
Their lips found the others in a sensual, slow kiss. Completely without sexual intention, like all the others, but the intensity of this one was just the same. But what it transported was something different. Something deeper, what reached the most hidden places of their souls and warmed them from within. Breaking apart, they laid their foreheads together and looked with deep love into each others eyes.
"Ahem …" Someone cleared his throat and both males looked over without breaking apart. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but with two marriages in one day we should start early.", Hiruna said with a loving smile, before she turned around and walked back to the slow awakening village.
Sighing, Daiki pulled away. "So much to our time alone."
"C'mon! We have enough time later." Taiga let go and turned to walk back.
"You know what to say later, right?" Daiki wouldn't want his airhead to mess up.
Smirking evilly, Taiga pulled around. "No?"
"You …", Daiki growled and Taiga set off, laughing, while he ran down the slope.
"I'll get you for that!", Daiki hollered after him and quieter, with a smile of his own. "And for the rest of my life."
~ FIN ~
Note: It sure is weird to not write TBC here XD. See you next time –waves- :)