On to chapter one.  I will switch them back and forth from the past to the present.  It won’t be like the memory or dream sequences as in ‘Once Upon a Dream’; I just thought it would be a good change of pace.  The beginning will start off pretty light; the angst will be coming soon.

Warning: a bit of citrus in this chapter.

Read and review, please?  Wanna know what you think.

By Moonraven

***Ancient China – Bandit hide out***

“Awww, Chiri, please?  Ya gotta!  Please?”  Tasuki was on his hands and knees in the monk’s bedroom, pleading with his incredulous friend.

“NO!”  Chichiri said in shock.  “How can you ask me to do THAT, no da?”

“Because you’ll be great, Chiri!  Only you can do this for me.”  More pleading from the bandit.

“Tasuki no BAKA!”  Chichiri flitted around the room, frantically trying to evade his desperate friend.  “And don’t bother with the ‘suffering puppy’ look, no da.  It won’t work this time.”  The monk stood his ground, mainly because he was cornered, and crossed his arms stubbornly.

“Chiri, c’mon, you’ll be so fucking great!  The guys will love it!”  Tasuki did the puppy dog look anyways. “Please?”

“No, no and no!”  The indignant monk stomped his feet in emphasis.  “I’m not a circus side show, no da.  I can’t believe you want me to DO this, na no da.”

“But a bachelor party’s gotta have a stripper, and we ain’t got no girls.”  Tasuki tried to be reasonable failing miserably to see that his reason was far from reasonable to his friend.

“Unless you know something I don’t, Tasuki no da, I’m not a girl either.”  Chichiri’s mask scowled at him.

“But ya can do that, ya know, that ‘poof’ thing and change into one.”  Tasuki looked hopeful.

“And…and…and you want me to STRIP in front of those guys?”  The monk was sputtering with outrage.

“Well, it not like it’s really YOU…” Tasuki stopped short as Chichiri did the ‘poof’ thing and changed into…

“AGH!  Sunakake Baba!”

“Since it’s not really me, no da, I guess I can strip for you.”  The ugly old double snickered at the bandit’s distress.

“NO! Anyone but HER.”  Tasuki pleaded.

Chichiri changed back into his former self and shook his head.  “Not even as HER, no da.  She’ll kill me.  Forget it, Tasuki, I’m not becoming a girl and take off my clothes in front of your friends, na no da.”  Chichiri stomped out of the room…right into Kouji, who was waiting outside.  Chichiri narrowed his eye at the scarred bandit.

“Are you in on this scheme of his, no da?”

Kouji held up in hands, shaking his head, laughing.  “No, no, it was all HIS brilliant idea.  I didn’t stop him cuz I wanted to see what you were gonna change him into.”

“Thanks a lot, ya good fer nothin’ creep!”  Tasuki growled as he came out to join them.

Chichiri looked at Tasuki thoughtfully, then turned to Kouji and said, “Well, I can turn HIM into a girl, no da.”

“Fuck, NO!”  Tasuki began backing away.  “I hate girls!”

“But you wanted me to change into one.”  Chichiri pointed out, walking ominously towards the bandit.

“But YOU don’t hate them.”  Tasuki reasoned.

“Oi, oi, guy!”  Kouji interrupted.  “Cut it out, will ya?  Just to get ya off the hook, Genrou, a bunch of guys went into town ta get supplies.  They’ll grab some girls on their way back.”  He winked at Chichiri.  “So don’t go changin’ him into anything unnatural, okay, Chiri?”

The monk glared at him, then at Tasuki who was shouting obscenities at his fellow bandit.  He shook his head and stalked down the hallway leaving Tasuki to spout indignations as Kouji rolled on the floor with laughter.

@ @ @ @ @ @ @

That night in the dining hall, Tasuki pushed a bottle of sake and drinking bowl in front of his masked friend.

“I don’t want to drink sake, no da.”   Chichiri picked up his teacup and held on firmly.

“Chiri, ya gotta practice.  Toshio’s party is next week.  Ya gonna offend him if ya don’t at least drink a toast or two.”  He gently pried the teacup from his friend’s death grip.  “If ya don’t get used to the sake, ya gonna fall flat on ya face.”  He poured a small amount into the little bowl.  “I figured that if ya drink one or two drinks a night, by the time the party comes, ya gonna be fine.”  He nudged the drink closer to his friend.

The monk eyed the shallow bowl uncertainly.  He DID like Toshio and really didn’t want to offend him, especially on his bachelor party night.  Toshio was one of the few bandits who did not tease him excessively.  They actually had conversations that lasted without Chichiri blushing bright red.  Chichiri sighed.  If he did show them that he can at least blend in a little, they would also leave Tasuki alone.  Ever since they returned a few months ago, some of the bandits had been teasing Tasuki about becoming soft and preferring to spend time with the monk meditating than drinking.  Tasuki didn’t seem to care but Chichiri knew that deep inside, it must have bothered his friend, he was their leader after all.  Even if no one objected and even cheered as Kouji referred to Tasuki as their boss, their good opinion still mattered to the fiery haired bandit.

Chichiri sighed in resignation.  “I don’t handle alcohol well, Tasuki.”

Tasuki patted his shoulder warmly.  “Yer my friend, Chiri.  I ain’t gonna let anythin’ happen to ya.”

Chichiri looked into those warm amber eyes skeptically.  “Ah, yes.  My friend.  The friend who had wanted me to change into a woman and THEN take off my clothes in front of a hundred or so bandits who probably haven’t seen ANY woman, let alone a NAKED one, in a Suzaku knows how long.”  The monk raised his eyebrows questioningly.  “THAT friend?”

Tasuki had the grace to blush.  “Aw Chiri.  Ya know I don’t think sometimes.  But ya know that if any of those guys ever come near ya, I woulda fry their asses so fast they wouldn’t know what hit them.”

Chichiri had to smile at the earnest expression of his friend.  Yes, Tasuki sometimes get them into trouble with harebrain ideas but he would also risk his life to get them out of it.  Tasuki would never have abandoned him if he were in trouble.

“I know, Tasuki-kun, no da.”  Chichiri took a deep breath and picked up the bowl.  “Here goes, no da.”  He said and took a small sip.  Tasuki sweatdropped.  Chichiri stuck out the tip of his tongue and shuddered.  “It tastes bad, no da.”

Tasuki gulped at the pink tongue.  He suddenly had an image of that tongue somewhere else, doing incredible things to his body.  He slapped himself mentally at the hentai thoughts of his friend.

“Chiri!”  He said in exasperation.  “Ya don’t SIP sake, ya down it!”  He poured his sake into his bowl and demonstrated. 

“I don’t understand how you guys can drink so much of this stuff.  It’s awful, no da.”  He mumbled but did as his friend told him.  He tipped back his head and swallowed the searing liquid in one gulp.

“BLEAH!  Yech!”  Chichiri let out a long shudder.  He stuck out his tongue again and tried to breathe through his mouth, hoping to cool off the burning in his throat.  “ACK!  The things I do for you, na no da-a-a-a.”  Chichiri cupped his warming cheeks.  “Oooh, everything is real warm, Tasuki-kun, no da.”

“Er…ya doing this for me, Chiri?”  The bandit was surprise.

“Of course, Tasuki, no da.  I don’t want them to tease you again when I don’t try to fit in, na no da.”  Chichiri’s masked cheeks were turning pink.

Tasuki was touched.  He knew his friend was too good to be true.  Chichiri really DID have a heart of gold.  These little displays of care that the monk had shown him put an achingly sweet feeling in the rough bandit’s chest.  He didn’t really care if the other bandit made fun of him for hanging around the straight-laced monk.  But obviously Chichiri did.  Damn, he loved that man!

He came out of his thoughts when Chichiri slammed down his sake bowl.  Tasuki blinked.

SHIT!

He swiped the bottle out of the monk’s reached and paled when he realized that it was more that half gone.

“Chiri, how many did you have?”  He tried gazing into his friend’s eye but found it hard to see past the slit in Chichiri’s mask.

“Hmm…a couple?…a few?…I didn’t count, no da-a-a-a.”  Chichiri was almost singing his ‘no da’.  “You know, it’s giving me such a nice warm fuzzy feeling all over, Tasuki.  And I’m not sick like the last time I drank, na no da.”  Chichiri patted his cheeks softly.  Why was he having such a hard time talking?  His tongue felt thick and heavy and his words were coming out slow and deliberate.  He looked up at Tasuki’s concern face and smiled.  Tasuki-chan looked really good, na no da….

“I think it’s time ta go to bed, Chiri.”  Tasuki came around to his friend’s side and waited for him to get up.

“But Tasuki, you hardly drank.”  Chichiri protested.

“I can drink later, Chiri.  Ya going ta bed now.”  He firmly grasped Chichiri’s arm and gently pulled him to his feet.  Chichiri squirmed in his hold.

“I’m not a baby, Tas-chan, I can get to bed on my own.”

Tas-chan?  Did Chichiri call him Tas-chan?  Tasuki shook his head and dismissed it as sake talking. 

“Hai, hai, Chiri-chan, but I promised to take care of ya.  So, c’mon, buddy, let’s go.”

Chichiri swayed unsteadily on his feet and frowned.  “Maybe you’re right, Tasuki.  The floor is moving, no da.”

“Just hang on, Chiri, you’ll be in bed in no time.”  He managed to get Chichiri up to his room with only minor incidents.  Tasuki hadn’t realized that during their travel, Chichiri had picked up his colorful vocabulary and was now practicing them on passing bandits.  When they reached Chichiri’s door, the monk was leaning heavily on the bandit.  Tasuki was having a hard time, in more ways than one, in dealing with the firm, warm body pressed up against him.  He gulped as Chichiri’s unique clean scent filled his being, making his senses tingle and blood rushing to his groin.

“I feel so tired, Tasuki-kun.  Are you sure I have to do this every night?”  Chichiri asked into his neck.  He had slumped over and had his head resting close to the crook of Tasuki’s neck.  The monk’s warm breath brushed erotically over his skin and Tasuki fought the urge to crush his friend to him.  Instead, he concentrated on getting the door open without dropping his friend.

“I said one or two drink, Chiri.  I think you had way more than that.”  He ushered his friend into the room and closed the door with his feet.  Chichiri waved his hand absently and all the candles in the room burst into flames.  The whole candle.  With a startled yelp, Tasuki deposited his friend on the bed, grabbed the nearest linen and smothered the flames.  “No more magick till yer sober, Chiri.  I mean it.”  He threw the ruined linen into one corner and turned to face his friend. 

His breath caught in his throat.  Chichiri had taken off his mask and lay there limply, looking at him.  Shit, he’s so fucking perfect.  Tasuki couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe.  Had this been another time, he would have thought that Chichiri’s pose was an invitation.  The semi-coherent monk was sprawled across the bed on his back, his face flushed becomingly and his gaze slightly glazed.  Tasuki swallowed.  Hard.  On someone else, that hooded look would have meant ‘come jump me, you big ox’ but on Chichiri, he can only guess that it’s the sake.  Right?  Tasuki tried to think of anything but the erotic sight before him and ended up with images of him thrusting into the moaning monk.  He groaned out loud feeling his loins tighten painfully.

“Tasuki-chan.”  Chichiri whispered in an all too sexy voice.

‘Sake talking, sake talking, sake talking.’  Tasuki repeated in his head.  Out loud, he croaked, “Chiri, I think I should go now.”

He had every intention of leaving but didn’t know why his feet weren’t moving.  To make matter worse, he couldn’t tear his gaze away from the enticing figure before him.  Dreamy eye never leaving his bandit friend, Chichiri began fumbling with the clasp of his kesa.

Tasuki blinked.  Several times.

“Tasuki-chan.”  Chichiri’s impossibly husky voice called again.  His head was tilted slightly to the side as he gazed on the rock-hard bandit, exposing a generous amount of his smooth flawless throat.

FUCK!  Tasuki groaned inwardly.  NO, not fuck.  Bad choice of words…Shit!  Yeah, shit.  That’s a safe word.

“Yeah?”  Tasuki squeaked.

“I can’t get it off, no da.”  Chichiri tucked futilely at his clasps.  Shit!  That can SO be taken differently!

Shit, shit, shit and more shit!  What to do, what to do?  His brain had apparently turned to mush a long time ago.

Taking a deep breath, Tasuki slowly approached the bed, fully aware that they hadn’t taken their eyes off each other.  Well his eyes and Chiri’s one eye.  Okay, Tasuki, he told himself, just focus on that gorgeous eye and nothin’ else, okay, buddy?  Bad idea.  Chichiri’s eye held an expression that can now only be described as desire and Tasuki experienced ‘hard’ in a totally new level.  He had always wanted Chichiri, but he had never wanted him more than he did that moment.  Hell he had NEVER wanted anything more.

He reached out with shaky hands and fumbled at the clasps on his friend’s chest.  Yes, Tasuki, your friend.  Just friend.  Stay on task…Ack!  His hand is touching mine! 

Tasuki was trembling.  His need to ravish the body on the bed and his need for control battled furiously. As he worked on the clasp, his fingers brushed repeatedly along Chichiri’s hard lean chest and he was afraid that his need would win.  When Chichiri arched up into his hands and moaned softly, he knew.  Before Tasuki was aware of what he was doing, he was kneeling by the bed; his lips pressed firmly on Chichiri’s.  The monk’s lips parted as he moaned into Tasuki’s mouth, giving the bandit’s tongue entrance to the sweetness within.  He had never tasted anything like Chichiri and he drank hungrily like a man who had long been denied sustenance.  His bliss was almost complete when Chichiri deepened the kiss and pulled the bandit closer.  Almost.

Tasuki crawled on the bed half covering Chichiri’s body and fervently work on the clasp.  In his need to feel the monk, he managed to free the kesa and now began to pull the ties on the creamy white shirt.  Pushing aside the offending material, Tasuki trailed his lips down Chichiri’s throat, licking and lapping his way towards the smooth hard plane of the monk’s chest.  Chichiri threw back his head and groaned as Tasuki’s hot mouth devoured one of his nipples.

“Tasuki!”  He cried, his voice thick with passion.  His hands clamped tightly to the bandit’s hair, holding him close.

At the sound of Chichiri’s voice, Tasuki paused, panting hard. ‘What the hell am I doing?’  He looked up at Chichiri who had his head thrown back in ecstasy, moist swollen lips parted irresistibly.  Chichiri wanted this, he can tell.  But how will he feel tomorrow?  Will he blame Tasuki for taking advantage of him?  Will he remember?

Exercising control he didn’t know he had, Tasuki closed Chichiri’s shirt with shaking hands and got unsteadily to his feet.

Chichiri turned confused eye towards the younger man.  His mind still in a hazy fog of lust and desire, he reached out his hand to the bandit.  Tasuki took in gently, bent down and kissed it.  His other hand caressed Chichiri’s cheek tenderly.

“You’re so beautiful, Chiri.  So fuckin’ perfect.”  He lovingly caressed the kissed-swollen lips.  “I want this more than anything, Chiri.  But ya not yerself right now.  I don’t want you to regret anything.  When we make love, Chiri, I want ya to be aware of every sensation I’m gonna give ya!  And yer gonna know that it’s ME and not the sake.”  He continued to caress the flushed face.  “If you still want this tomorrow, Chiri, nothin’ is gonna keep me away from ya.”  He leaned over and kissed Chichiri’s brows then turned and left the room.

A single tear fell from Chichiri’s eye.  “Thank you, Tasuki.”  He whispered to the closed door.

To be continued…

@ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @

  @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @

Moonraven’s rant:

AGH!  Did ya like it?  Did ya like it?  Tasuki is so gallant!  So noble!!!  *Sighs and swoon* I bet you’re wondering what Chichiri will do that will devastate the bandit so?  Read on, people!  I know the prologue had a sad tone and then this chapter is light, it’s just to show contrast in before and after the ‘bad thing’.

Anyway…you can let me know if you want the next chapter to be the continuation of this and get Tasuki laid OR we go to the present day Los Angeles (I live there BTW) and see how Chichiri will do against the new and hurt-proof Tasuki.

Ja ne!

[ Back ] [ Up ] [ Next ]