Yusagi! So glad to see you! I missed you! *intense stare* You know where there are other fics like this one? Where are they? I can has link? *puppy eyes*
I love reading all of your reviews and it's especially nice to see the familiar names popping up! You all rock!
So sorry this took longer than the last few chapters to get out. After my vacation work decided that after a week off I was obviously well rested enough to handle a bajillion times more work. *scowl* So there was no energy for a while there.
Again-KittyLynne is best beta. She gets all the awards. :) She puts up with my shit and random ramblings.
Also my roommate: She reads all this with a straight face. Well. Most of the time. Except for when she has wine. Then all bets are off. **Note: Stumbling over a word and then taking another sip of wine 'because your mouth is dry' does not improve your reading skills.
Anyway. Onto the fic!
Art of Love
Chapter Five
Tasuki's shout startled Miaka so much that she sat up too fast, lost her balance, and ended up tumbling backwards onto her elbows, nearly bringing Chichiri with her. Luckily, the monk had enough presence of mind to keep himself upright.
"Tasuki, do you think they heard you in Konan, no da?" He asked wryly, shifting to a kneeling position so he could help Miaka up.
"I'm okay." Miaka asserted, and pushed the monk's hands away as she righted herself. Chichiri let her go, but hovered nearby. The Priestess brushed her bangs out of her face and turned to look at Tasuki, a bright smile pasted on her lips. "Chichiri was teaching me how to call the rest of the Seishi to me." She explained, trying not to let her gave drop to the place where Keisuke's sweat pants hung low on her Seishi's hips.
The bandit seemed to have gotten over the shock of seeing her and Chichiri in what Miaka knew was a very compromising position. Nowhere near as bad as what had happened with Tasuki certainly, but bad enough that Miaka felt awkward and self-conscious.
This was terrible. What did her Seishi think of her, just falling all over each of them every chance she got? What had happened to her self-respect? Did she really have so little control? And why couldn't of them have put a damned shirt on, anyway?
Breakfast! That was the answer. Food would fix everything. She was sure she could find something edible somewhere. And if not, she'd just take them down the street to one of the many diners that had popped up in her neighborhood.
Jumping up, Miaka started for the kitchen, only to stop in her tracks when a sickening wave of heat and nausea sent her reeling. Her vision grayed out, and for one terrifying second she wasn't sure where her feet were. She was vaguely aware of stumbling and of falling before everything went completely black.
The next thing she was aware of was a strong embrace, hands that shook her gently but firmly, and Tasuki's frantic roaring above her head.
"What the fuck did you do to her, Chichiri? Miaka? Miaka wake up! I swear to Suzaku if she's hurt I will personally pluck that rooster tail off your head and shove it up your ass!"
"Please don't fight." Opening her eyes, Miaka realized she was being cradled against Tasuki's chest. He must have caught me as I went down. He always did have fast reflexes. "I'm awake and I'm fine."
"Are you sure?" The bandit's grip on her tightened a fraction, his amber eyes boring into hers.
Nodding, Miaka wriggled and struggled to sit up, her gaze searching out Chichiri, who knelt on her other side. The monk's hands were moving restlessly, as if he would like to touch her to ensure she was all right, but the way Tasuki was hunched over her effectively cut off access for the other Seishi. "Did I pass out?" She asked.
Chichiri nodded, his brows knitting together. "I think you used too much energy sending out that call, no da." He reached out a tentative hand, and though Tasuki's eyes narrowed a fraction, he allowed Chichiri to rest it on Miaka's forehead.
"Will she be okay?" Tasuki growled.
The monk nodded. "She's just not used to using her chi like that, no da. With rest, she'll recover in a couple of hours or so."
"A couple of hours?" Miaka wailed. "But we're supposed to go out and start searching today! We can't waste any time!"
Chichiri pursed his lips, his eyes raising to meet Tasuki's over the top of their Priestess's head. "Well, there is one way for you to get better faster." He said. "Now is as good a time as any to start training the two of you."
Miaka's green eyes widened. "You mean... Bou Chuu Jutsu?"
The monk made a face. "Well, kind of. I will teach you the basic concept on a smaller scale. Chi can be exchanged through touching or kissing as well. The more contact, the better the exchange—that's why Bou Chuu Jutsu is so effective."
"I see." Miaka flushed, remembering how Amiboshi had shared some of his own chi with her when she'd been so ill in Sairo. A shiver went through her at the memory, and she wondered exactly how he'd learned to do it. Given what she knew about the Seiryuu Seishi, it probably hadn't been a pleasant first experience. "If Tasuki is ready, it's all right with me."
Tasuki nodded, looking serious. "All right. Just tell me what to do."
Tasuki knew he was holding Miaka tighter than necessary, but he didn't care. Seeing her eyes roll back like that and the color drain out of her face was one of the most terrifying things he'd experienced—and that included Taiitsukun! His quick reflexes allowed him to catch her before she'd really fallen, an instinctive reaction Tasuki attributed to their Priestess and Seishi bond more than anything else. She hadn't been out for more than a couple of seconds, but Tasuki would swear his heart stopped.
His cheeks colored with belated embarrassment at what had followed. When Chichiri tried to help, Tasuki had nearly ripped the other Seishi's hand off in the heat of the moment. As far as he'd been concerned, the state she was in was the damned monk's fault- what business did Chichiri have teaching Miaka dangerous techniques like that? So what if they had to find the other Seishi? It wasn't like Taiitsukun had given them a time limit or anything.
In the bandit's mind, the longer it took took to find everyone else, the longer he got to enjoy Miaka's company. It was selfish, he knew. But Tasuki just couldn't bring himself to care. He'd spent the last five years thinking he would never see Miaka again, despite the fact that he was desperately in love with her.
"You'll probably want to sit down somewhere, Tasuki," Chichiri suggested.
Tasuki nodded, scooping Miaka up into his arms—relishing the feel of having her form nestled to close to his—and settled them both on the end of the couch. Miaka made an eeping noise, her legs flailing a bit before she got more comfortable and relaxed against him, her legs slung over his thigh and her feet propped up on the cushion.
Smirking, Tasuki turned his gaze to Chichiri, who was watching them with an enigmatic smile.
"All right, no da. Tasuki, I've taught you how to meditate and focus your chi. Please do so right now."
The bandit had questions, but wisely stayed silent and complied with the monk's wishes. Relinquishing his hold on Miaka, he rested one hand on each of his thighs, and with an exhalation, he forced tension away as he closed his eyes in order to better concentrate.
Almost instantly, he felt his chi flare around him like a halo. The energy crackled along his skin, making him twitchy, as though he were readying for a fight.
"Good job Tasuki. Now focus the chi into your hands as you touch Miaka."
Tasuki's eyes opened in surprise. Touch Miaka? Wasn't having her in his lap enough contact?
He'd spent enough time on the road with the monk to know that Chichiri definitely wasn't as pure as the virgin snow. The man knew how to drink and how to take care of himself in a bar fight. He even knew a few dirty tricks that Tasuki had never seen before. Was he secretly a voyeur too?
As though he could hear Tasuki's thoughts, Chichiri returned the bandit's look of astonishment with a meaningful glare, and then stared pointedly at Miaka.
Right. This wasn't awkward at all, Tasuki thought. But he followed the non-verbal command and shifted position, turning Miaka slightly so her back rested against the arm of the couch, finding her hand and lacing his fingers with hers while putting his other hand on her knee.
Taking a deep breath, he focused on those two points of contact.
Even without Chichiri's instructions he would have known what to do—he could feel Miaka's chi, much weaker than it should be. Thready almost. Squeezing her fingers, Tasuki willed his energy into her bit by bit. The exchange tingled like a minor electric shock, making the both of them squirm uncomfortably at the feeling.
"Careful," Chichiri warned. "Give her too much and you'll be the one passed out on the floor."
Tasuki blithely ignored the warning, resting his cheek against Miaka's forehead. Chichiri was just doing his job, but as far as he was concerned the monk should know that Tasuki never did things by halves.
The uncomfortable tingle had smoothed into a pulsing heat that flowed between them wherever they touched. Tasuki's eyes slid shut, his hand unconsciously sliding off Miaka's knee to her thigh, his thumb stroking her leg though her jeans. His other thumb stroked the back of her hand, the rough callouses catching lightly on her soft skin. He could feel her pulse quickening as the energy he poured into her took effect. She shifted restlessly in his lap, and Tasuki bit back a groan. Why had he thought it was a good idea to hold her in his lap while he did this? Her round little ass was right on top of him, and every small movement she made was an assault on his manhood. Literally!
Finally, he murmured in her ear, his voice coming out thick and gravelly. "Stop that Mi-chan, or I'm gonna be giving you a lot more energy than I intended."
To make his point he shifted his hips and pressed into her gently. Her soft gasp pleased him, even as it said his message had been received.
"Sorry," she whispered, admitting, "this—it's making me antsy."
"I think that's enough," Chichiri broke in. "Her energy level is back to where it should be, no da."
"Hn." Tasuki nodded, pulling back and glancing down at Miaka's face.
Big mistake.
Her cheeks were flushed to a rosy pink, whether from embarrassment or the extra chi or both he couldn't say. Her mouth had formed an 'o' of pleasure, and her eyes were shining with the kind of intensity that he'd never, ever seen directed at him.
Without thought, Tasuki claimed her lips. She squeaked in surprise as he firmly nudged her head back into the crook of his shoulder, giving him better access to her lips, then responded shyly.
Her chaste kiss only served to inflame his growing desire for his beloved priestess. Hands tightening on her body, he captured her bottom lip with a fang, giving a gentle bite and tug, while a low and playful growl escaped him. Miaka's response grew stronger, and he drew on her sweetness, feeling his chi, along with another physical part of him, begin to swell with pleasure.
"I said that's enough!" Chichiri barked, grabbing Tasuki by the shoulder and forcibly yanking him away from his feast.
Jolted out of his haze of passion, Tasuki spat, "What the fuck?" and glared up at his friend and brother Seishi. His anger was palpable. He wanted nothing more than to pummel the monk into the ground.
Miaka clung to him, frightened at the sudden tension between the two men but did not resist when Chichiri reached for her, swiftly pulling her to her feet to stand at his side as he addressed the angry bandit. "You idiot! You were draining her!"
Tasuki snarled, ready for a fight until Chichiri's words finally struck home. "W-What?"
Chichiri regarded him coldly. "When I say it's enough you have to listen to me, no da. When you got excited you started taking her chi rather than replenishing it. These techniques are extremely easy to misuse and if you don't listen to me one of you could end up dead!"
"Shit!" Eyes wide, Tasuki turned to Miaka, "Dammit, Miaka! Are you okay?"
She nodded, still too shocked to speak.
The monk spoke gently. "I'm sorry I had to be so rough, no da. But neither of you seemed to hear me."
"I-it's okay," Miaka said, then added, "I'm just a little… out of sorts." She grinned weakly at the both of them. "It's going to be a challenge dealing with all seven of you. So far just having the two of you touch me has put my chi in overdrive..." A deep blush stained her cheeks at her admission. "I'm sorry. That's not a complaint. I'm just not used to doing...any of this."
Chichiri cleared his throat meaningfully. "It's understandable, no da. This is going to be a learning process for everyone involved."
Placated by Chichiri's words and ashamed of his actions, Tasuki lowered his eyes. "I'm sorry, Mi-chan. I didn't mean to puch you into—"
"I know." Miaka didn't let him finish. "It's ok. We'll figure it all out eventually. Thank you for the chi. I needed that."
The bandit nodded slightly in acknowledgment. Being forgiven didn't change the fact that he'd put Miaka in danger because of his raging hormones and unwillingness to listen to Chichiri. Silently, Tasuki vowed that it would never happen again. He'd be the most disciplined damned Seishi ever if it meant protecting Miaka.
The awkward tension and silence was broken by the sound of the front door being unlocked.
"Good morning!" Keisuke chirped as he nudged the door open with his foot, careful not to drop the various bags in his arms.
"Keisuke!" Miaka didn't think she'd ever been so glad and so annoyed to see her brother at the same time. "I thought I was supposed to call you!" She glanced at the clock. "In ten minutes!"
"Yeah, but I thought I'd get an early start!" Her brother hefted the bags, carrying them into the kitchen. "I thought breakfast would help us get a good start to the day. Can't plan on an empty stomach now, can we?" He cast a dry look over his shoulder. "And we all know anything you make is deadly."
"Keisuke!" Miaka hissed, but there was no real venom in her voice.
Nonchalantly, Keisuke chattered as he began unpacking the grocery bags. "So how did you guys sleep?"
"Very well, no da."
"I woke up to the most beautiful sight ever." Tasuki sent Miaka a sly glance.
Once again, Miaka's heart skipped a beat. Tasuki was flirting! And why was he telling her brother that? Dammit, we're supposed to be keeping all that stuff on the down-low!
Her brother, for his part, didn't get it. Instead, he strode over to the open curtains revealing the small balcony and the admittedly beautiful view of the city. "I know! Isn't the view from this window the best?"
Giggling, Miaka made her way to her brother to stand shoulder to shoulder with him, thankful for her brother's ignorance and the excuse to ignore Tasuki's smothered guffaws in the background. She did have a pretty spectacular view, especially in the mornings when the skyline was lit with the brilliant changing colors of the sunrise. The sky was just finally losing its final tinges of orange to the clear blue that seemed to set the mood for the rest of the day.
Throughout breakfast, Miaka made phone calls to Yui and Tetsuya, Tamahome, and Nuriko, who all planned to be over as soon as they could manage it. In the meantime, Keisuke decided to have his way with her two Seishi. He'd brought extra clothing in various sizes, making Miaka wonder just how many outfits her dear brother owned.
While her brother 'worked his magic' with Tasuki and Chichiri in the spare bedroom, the others began to show up. Miaka offered them what was left of the food Keisuke had brought while they waited, explaining that she'd already sent out a call this morning with Chichiri's help.
Tamahome raised an eyebrow at that, but made no comment as he seated himself on the couch. Miaka watched him out of the corner of her eye, keenly aware of the scent of his soap and taking in the sinuous grace of his movements.
Nuriko mused, "Well now that Miaka's sent out a call, all we can do is wait. Right?"
"Right." Miaka agreed, adding, "Just not here." At Nuriko's puzzled look she explained, "The call will hopefully bring them into range, but we'll still have to go out and look for them. It'd be silly to expect them to just show up on my doorstep."
The purple-haired Seishi made a sound of understanding, while idly running a hand through his hair. Miaka hated herself a little bit as she watched the soft tresses fall lazily back into place and wondered if his hair was still as soft as it looked. On their search for the other Seishi and, later, the first Shinzaho, Miaka had often played with Nuriko's hair; braiding it and brushing it out, and occasionally weaving flowers into the long tresses. At the time, it had been completely innocent, but now the thoughts running through Miaka's head were anything but innocent.
"Well what should we do if we find one? Miaka got lucky with Nuriko just happening to be in the right place at the right time and jogging his memory, I don't think we'll get that lucky with everyone else." Tamahome noted.
"Try to talk to them. Find out something so we can find them again." Yui suggested. "Just try not to be creepy about it."
Nuriko nodded his agreement. "That's right. Yesterday I wasn't even planning on being in that area, but something made me decide to take a walk down that street. When I saw you, Miaka, I was drawn to you—even before that billboard nearly killed you! After I pushed you out of the way it was like everything clicked into place and I remembered everything."
As he spoke, the purple-haired Seishi laid a friendly arm across Miaka's shoulders, gently bonking her forehead with his own, causing the Priestess to blush prettily and go cross-eyed for a moment.
Tamahome made a sound in his throat and looked away.
"So I guess this means we just have to hit the pavement and do some good old fashioned detective work." Tetsuya grinned, adjusting his sun-glasses for effect. "Yui and I will head over to the National Library and get a hold of the Universe of the Four Gods. You guys need it for the ceremony and we shouldn't take the chance of someone else getting a hold of it before then."
"And neither of us have seen most of your Seishi," Yui pointed out. "I think as the Priestess of Seiryuu I'd have some chance of recognizing a Suzaku chi, but I don't know what most of them look like."
"I'll lend you the picture I took, then." Miaka announced, quickly retrieving the photograph from her room. "The more eyes we have, the better, I think."
Yui took the photograph gently, tracing her fingers over the faces in the photograph for a moment before holding it up to compare Nuriko and Tamahome. "This will definitely help." She smiled fondly at Miaka. "Good thinking."
Beaming at the praise, Miaka hugged her friend and Tetsuya. "Thank you so much for agreeing to help. It really means a lot."
"No problem!" Tetsuya wrapped an arm around Yui protectively. "If Taiitsukun thinks that evil things might try to cross over one way or another I am all for preventing that anyway we can." He watched her quietly for a moment, his expression changing. "So how long are you going to hide this from your brother?" He finally asked.
Gaping, Miaka squeaked, "You know?"
Yui shifted nervously, unable to look her best friend in the eye. "I told him."
"Yui! You…you rat!" Miaka sputtered.
Tetsuya held up a hand in an attempt to calm her. "Yui told me because she feels like you're being forced into doing this to protect her." His voice was low as he glanced down the hallway to ensure that his best friend was not within earshot. "I won't say anything to Keisuke because it's not my place. But eventually he's going to find out," he warned.
"Not if I can help it!" Miaka declared. "He'll totally freak out!"
"Most likely." Tetsuya admitted. "You're not my sister, you're my friend and I gotta say I'm not crazy about the idea! But I'll do whatever it takes to keep your secret. This isn't something he needs to know about."
"That's the other reason we want to get hold of the book," Yui added. "We don't know if it's recording events and if it is we'll need to hide it from Keisuke."
Miaka hid her scarlet face in her hands, groaning at the idea of her sexual exploits being recorded in the Universe of the Four Gods. "Thank you," she managed, her voice muffled by her hands.
Clearing his throat loudly, Tamahome changed the subject. "So where should we start?"
Nuriko snagged the abused looking phonebook from the counter, opening it to the section where it included several maps of the city. He thumbed through it until he found the page pertaining to Miaka's apartment. "See this?" He pointed to the convenient grid marks on the page. "We can cover the area one section at a time, faster if we split up. If Miaka's call worked, then hopefully they'll be drawn to this area."
Tetsuya hummed in agreement, running his finger over the map as he considered Nuriko's plan. Finally he pointed to four different sections. "Right. So if we go in small groups we can cover these areas by mid-afternoon and then grab a late lunch. Swap info and continue."
"Sounds like a plan." Yui grinned. "Who's going with who then?"
"Tasuki and Chichiri will need to go with someone no matter what because they don't know their way around. Yui and I are headed to the library to retrieve the book, so that leaves one more group of three." Tetsuya counted on his fingers, eyeing Miaka and her two Seishi.
Miaka smiled to herself as she glanced down the hallway towards the guest room. "Keisuke can take Tasuki and Chichiri around. I'm sure he'd love the opportunity to show off his 'art work.'" She rested a finger against her lips thoughtfully. "He also knows a lot of fun places so it might be nice for them to get to see a little of the city while they search since they didn't really get a chance the last time they were here."
"Didn't get a chance to do what?" Tasuki asked.
Without turning around, Miaka answered, "To see the city, of course" She laughed. "I promise, it's much nicer when it's not being blown up!"
She turned to face her Seishi, and anything else she might've planned on saying evaporated.
Her brother had definitely missed his calling.
Tasuki was dressed in a pair of tight dark washed jeans, a snug white t-shirt with the English word Outlaw printed across it in bold typeface, and a dark blue jacket trimmed with black. He was still wearing his jewelry and boots, and Miaka was amazed to see how well his signature look translated to modern clothes.
Keisuke had dressed Chichiri in a nice pair of khakis, a dark gray v-necked sweater over a white button down, and loafers. While Tasuki exuded bad boy charm, Chichiri looked like the hot professor that might moonlight as an archaeologist with a battered fedora on the weekends.
Nuriko let out a long low whistle of appreciation that had both men blushing despite themselves.
Sharing a devious grin, Yui and Miaka hurried over to get a better look, followed closely by Nuriko. The two Seishi submitted to the curious perusal, their faces stained slightly pink as the three circled them slowly, taking in their new looks and making no attempt to hide their admiration.
"So…. We look okay?" Asked Tasuki, clearing his throat nervously.
Miaka and Yui exchanged incredulous glances. "You look great." Yui said, grinning while Miaka nodded emphatically, horrified to realize that her hands seemed to be exploring her brother's handiwork of their own accord. In an attempt to make it appear as though she hadn't just been practically folding the two of them on front of, well, everyone, she made it a point to smooth Tasuki's jacket and straighten Chichiri's shirt lapels. She giggled when she saw Yui shake her head, as though snapping herself out of a reverie, pulling her own hand back from Chichiri's arm as though she'd been burned and shooting a guilty look in Tetsuya's direction. Thankfully her boyfriend hadn't seemed to notice and Yui backed up a step or two.
Miaka's eyes continued to rove over the two of them, fascinated with the way the lines of the clothing Keisuke had selected hugged their bodies—somehow managing to accentuate their obvious masculinity without being overly obvious about it.
"Keisuke did this?" Nuriko cried. "Why doesn't he work for me?"
He leaned closer to Tasuki, hand poised to touch the jeweled necklace he wore. Deftly swatting Nuriko's hand away, Tasuki turned his attention towards the task at hand. "So what's the plan for finding the others anyway?"
Tetsuya and Yui filled them in while Miaka listened with half an ear. She couldn't wait to have all seven of her Seishi with her again, but she was kind of looking forward to being able to spend the rest of the day with Tamahome and Nuriko. She'd known that spending time with Tasuki could be exhausting simply because the bandit had so much energy and had been counting on Chichiri to be a sort of calming force. However, the monk had surprised her by being just as intense as Tasuki when it came to his feelings and his sexuality.
When she started paying attention again, Nuriko and Tasuki were locked in a serious debate.
"Whaddya mean I can't take my tessen?" Wailed Tasuki.
"The things made out of solid diamond. Someone will think you stole it!" Nuriko pointed out irately.
Stubbornly, Tasuki clung to his fan, scowling at the idea of leaving it behind. After a moment he relented, setting it gently against the living room wall with a heavy sigh.
Finally, everything was settled and they made their way downstairs, preparing to set out.
"Keisuke, you take good care of them!" Miaka ordered. "And be careful, Yui!" With a few last encouraging looks and words, the three groups separated.
Tamahome sighed and shoved his hands into his pockets as he watched Miaka and Nuriko chatting away like a pair of hyperactive squirrels. The two had been giggling at one thing or another all morning and for the life of him, Tamahome couldn't figure out what was so damned funny even if they explained it to him. Suzaku help him, they were such girls. His lips turned up in a slight smile at the thought, it was almost as if nothing had changed at all.
Except that every now and then, Tamahome could see Nuriko watching her quietly. The look in his eyes reminded Tamahome of that night in Hokkan when Nuriko had confessed his feelings for Miaka. And he seemed to keep finding reasons to touch Miaka. More than usual. Or, maybe it was just different than usual. Miaka and Nuriko had always been touchy feely with each other and he'd never paid it any mind because Nuriko was gay!
But now…
Now, that friendly arm slung around Miaka's shoulder, or the hand on her head, or the occasional hand hold… all of it meant something completely different!
Or maybe he was just reading too much into it.
Just chill, Tamahome. Remember what Chichiri said. The quickest way to kill love is to behave with jealousy.
It was easy to recall the words, but very difficult to try and change his thought process.
Eventually, Miaka ducked into a bathroom and Tamahome found himself being forcibly dragged several feet away from the door of the ladies room by the smaller man.
"All right Tamahome, what's your problem?" Nuriko demanded.
"Problem?" Tamahome attempted to school his face into an innocent expression.
"Don't pretend everything's fine. You've been giving me dirty looks all day." Nuriko crossed his arms and tapped a foot impatiently. "I'm not an idiot."
Knowing that it would do no good to try and lie, Tamahome closed his eyes with a sigh and relented, "Do you remember that time in Hokkan, right before you died?" Amethyst eyes met violet ones seriously. "When you said you had no intentions of taking Miaka away from me?"
A flicker of remembrance shone in Nuriko's eyes before he lowered them with a look of resignation. "So that's what this is about." He let out a breath before drawing himself up to his full height, keeping his voice even.
"I'm not taking her away from you. She's not a piece of candy or a toy." His chin lifted as he reminded Tamahome, "Besides,you heard Chichiri—Miaka has enough room in her heart for all of us!" A pained expression crossed Nuriko's face. "And it's a requirement to summon Suzaku, so it's not as if we really have a choice in the matter..." He looked down, suddenly very interested in his shoes. "Whatever the rest of us end up having with Miaka, it doesn't diminish the feelings you two have for each other, or replace them in any way. Why don't you understand that?"
Rubbing the back of his neck, Tamahome murmured, "What if… what if she decides she likes one of you better?"
A sharp look of surprise crossed Nuriko's face, which was quickly hidden behind a mask of smug arrogance. "Haha. Well when faced with competition like me and Hotohori I can see why you're worried!"
"Nuriko!" Tamahome glowered. "You're not helping!"
"I'm kidding!" Nuriko soothed, still choking back laughter at his own joke. "But seriously, Miaka's not the type to play favorites. Not like that. If we're gonna do this, it's not gonna happen until Miaka is comfortable with all of us. And for Miaka that means love. Miaka loves with her whole heart in everything she does. You have nothing to worry about. Miaka's always loved you."
The sound of the ladies room door alerted the two men to Miaka's return, and they fell silent on the topic. Quietly, Tamahome whispered, "Thanks Nuriko."
"Wow! I say if we have time later we should hit up some of these bars!" Tasuki exclaimed as Keisuke led him and Chichiri about. They'd been searching for quite a while for their fellow Seishi and the only things they had to show for it was a list of bars and restaurants they wanted to try. Which wasn't exactly a bad thing, it just wasn't what they'd set out to do.
Miaka's brother seemed to be having a blast showing them around, which made Tasuki happy. It generally didn't bode well for a relationship if there was trouble with family members, and Tasuki was pleased to find that he not only could get along with Miaka's brother, but that he genuinely liked the guy as well.
Although he had to say he wished he'd been able to go with Miaka. Maybe later they could all go out drinking? He smirked at the idea of taking Miaka out on the town and being able to show her off. Although, his smirk turned into a scowl in thinking that it might be a little hard to do with three other guys vying for her attention all at once.
Not for the first time, Tasuki found himself feeling resentment at the idea of the new summoning ceremony. While it gave him the opportunity to be with Miaka, and to have her love in a way in which he'd only been able to dream of, he had to be honest and admit that he wanted her all to himself. He clamped down on that thought harshly, trying to expel it from his consciousness, knowing this was the kind of thinking that could get him in big trouble.
Nuriko and Chichiri didn't seem to have too much of a problem with it, but he and Tamahome seemed to be cut from the same cloth on this issue. Neither of them wanted to share Miaka. Not even a little bit. Really, what kind of man would let six other guys have their way with his woman?
As if in reply, Miaka's teasing comment came to mind and he felt his face redden. On Mount Reikaku that kind of thing just didn't happen. Well, not unless a couple of the guys got really trashed. But even then it wasn't exactly a regular occurrence.
And… Tasuki had been trying not to think about it, but he had to wonder what would happen after Suzaku was summoned. Was this just going to be a one-time thing and then he'd just have to try and forget it ever happened? He'd never be able to live with that. Once he had a taste of Miaka, he was certain that it would become a craving that he was never going to be able to quash.
The bandit was abruptly jolted out of his musings when he ran smack into the back of Chichiri.
"Dammit! What's the big idea?" He snapped, following Chichiri and Keisuke's gazes as the other two men stood frozen on the sidewalk.
"Would ya look at that?" Keisuke grinned.
"Well, na no da!" Chichiri's tone managed to straddle the line between amazed and amused.
Finally spotting that which captivated his two companions, Tasuki felt his lips curl into an amused smirk. "Well damn."
To be continued…
Ok so likes to screw up my page breaks and formatting. Grr.