Part 5

Kyuuzou rounded a rock and stopped at the sight before him. Standing at the edge of a cliff, rose a huge stone in the shape of a wing. Difficult to miss, he thought, glancing about for the other samurai, to see if any of them arrived first. Given the delays on their journey, he'd be surprised if they had beaten them there.

Not seeing anyone immediately, he waited for the others to catch up. The last few days had been as trying as they were wonderful. The thrill of discovery, of exploration was tempered by the fact that every time they started to do ANYTHING, Katsushiro just couldn't shut up. Frustrated, Kyuuzou had once grabbed Katsushiro by the mouth, muffling him almost hard enough to bruise. Needless to say, he'd apologized, and cursed himself for the reaction, but they hadn't been able to try again since.

Why can't he just be quiet? he wondered. He knew he'd had trouble with the same thing, at first, but that had been because Hyougo had been HURTING him. That was different.

Katsushiro was playing rearguard as Kyuuzou scouted out ahead of them, though the younger samurai was careful to always stay in sight of Rikichi. Otherwise the peasant tended to get nervous about being left 'alone', not understanding that the farther out Katsushiro and Kyuuzou roamed, the safer the small party was.

The dark-haired boy was just as frustrated as his lover (a title he was only beginning to tentatively assign Kyuuzou, and thus far only in his mind). Everything about their 'relationship' was so complicated, and it was only going to get more so when they met up with the others. They'd had enough trouble slipping away from Rikichi, and had managed it mostly by dint of the fact that Kyuuzou was able to silently intimidate the man into shutting up and staying out of their way. Unfortunately the same tactics weren't likely to work on the other samurai.

He was frustrated with his own inability to remain silent when they were pleasuring each other. He was even more irritated with his continued reluctance to accept Kyuuzou into his body, either orally or in full intercourse. It was rapidly developing into a phobia, and the constant interruptions because of his loudness weren't helping him get over it.

If I could just have a long stretch of time alone with him, where I didn't have to worry about other things like how loud I was being, I know I could get over this, he thought to himself as they rounded the turn in the path. His heart sank further as the unmistakeable rock formation came into view. And now we'll NEVER have a chance.

"Katsunojiiiiiiiii!" A very small red and blue blur whipped out from behind the rock and arrowed at Katsushiro. Kyuuzou dodged Komachi and continued walking, unconcerned.

He watched as the others emerged from behind the rock, counting with his eyes until all of their party was revealed. As he'd expected, they were the last to arrive.

"Took you long enough!" Gorobei called, raising a hand to wave.

"Did you run into problems?" added Kambei

"No," Kyuuzou replied shortly, stopping in front of the leader of the group. "Nothing we couldn't handle."

Katsushiro caught Komachi before she could impact with his legs, and swung her up into a hug. He was decidedly grateful his wrist had mostly healed; she was light, but not that light. "Hello, Komachi-dono," he said gravely, setting her back on her feet. "I'm glad to see you safe."

"Kikunoji took good care of us," she replied, grinning widely.

Kyuuzou's eyes strayed towards Katsushiro and he turned resolutely away. Being with the rest of the group would only make everything harder.

Kambei's eyes shifted from Kyuuzou to Katsushiro. There was definitely something different about the boy, and the older samurai was having difficulty putting a finger on what it was. He seemed almost to have matured several years since they parted ways a few days before. And he was obviously favouring one hand. He raised an eyebrow. "Nothing happened?" he asked Kyuuzou curiously.

"Nothing we couldn't handle," Kyuuzou repeated firmly. His eyes strayed to Katsushiro and he noticed again that Katushiro was favouring his wrist "We ran into some trouble in one town, got into a fight. Katushiro had his sword knocked out of his hand and sprained it, but I was there to prevent any further injury."

This was a moment Katsushiro had been dreading; he desperately didn't want Kambei to find out what had happened to him. Or worse, that it was Katsushiro's own fault for not paying attention to his surroundings. He'd only just won the older man's respect and acknowledgement as a samurai, he couldn't bear to lose it again. "Everything was fine, sensei," he agreed with Kyuuzou. "I didn't realize there were still Yakuza groups around, though. Or that they disliked samurai so much!"

"Ne, Katsunoji, you should have been with us!" Komachi exclaimed, eyes sparkling as she ran back to Kikuchiyo. The giant metal samurai obligingly picked her up and sat her on his shoulder in what Katsushiro noted was becoming an automatic gesture. "Goronoji had us pretending to be a travelling troupe of players, and I got to ride around on Kikunoji and do tricks!"

"She's been regaling us with stories non-stop since we met up again," Heihachi laughed. "I'm almost jealous, it sounds like they had a lot more fun than the other two groups!"

Gorobei laughed as Kyuuzou's reaction to the idea was to glower. "I don't think the cold fish here would have had nearly as much fun as we did," he said. "Do you even HAVE a sense of humour, Kyuuzou?"

Kyuuzou's eyes shifted to Gorobei and he gave him a chilly look. "No, I don't," he said.

Katsushiro had to bite his lip to keep from laughing at his lover. Having no sense of humour, after all, Kyuuzou likely wouldn't understand or appreciate the boy's mirth at him.

"How was your trip, Kirara-dono, sensei?" he asked politely as they crossed the remaining distance to the group. Rikichi looked pathetically grateful to be back with the main group - probably happy to have the 'protection' of the others between him and Kyuuzou, Katsushiro reflected with even more amusement.

Kambei glanced at Katsushiro in surprise as the boy visibly hid his amusement. Gorobei and Kikuchiyo had no such compunctions, and were laughing out loud at Kyuuzou's response.

Kirara bowed to Katsushiro, smiling. "It was very uneventful, Katsushiro-sama," she said. "I'm glad to see that you are safe. I'm sorry that you were hurt on your journey."

Kyuuzou was glaring at everyone generally, and spat at Kirara. "He shouldn't have gone out alone. He's lucky I made it in time."

Katsushiro's spine stiffened and his eyes narrowed as his good humour fled. Don't take it personally! he reminded himself frantically. Don't actually get mad at him, he's just treating you the way he'd treat anyone else... Admittedly, it was a pretty crappy way to treat ANYone, but Katsushiro wasn't unaware that his lover was an asshole most of the time. He just... made up for it, in private.

Still, he couldn't keep his voice from being a little stilted when he replied, "I am aware of my mistakes, and I will not make them again."

Kyuuzou shrugged. "I know you won't," he said quietly.

Heihachi gave him a sympathetic look. "Maa, na. You can't learn unless you make mistakes. At least the consequences weren't too bad."

"Exactly," said Gorobei. "You're in one piece, and that's all that matters."

"Oi!" Kikuchiyo's loud voice penetrated the air. "You should've been with us, kiddo... with me around, you'd never have been hurt in the first place! I'd have sent those damn Yakuza running with their tails between their legs!" A burst of steam escaped from his helmet, making Komachi on his shoulder shriek and giggle.

Katsushiro tried to picture the way the journey might have gone if it were Kikuchiyo who'd been with him instead of Kyuuzou... and shuddered. Even assuming Kikuchiyo could have saved him in the first place, the aftermath would have gone very differently. "It worked out well enough, Kikuchiyo-dono," he said simply, casting a glance in Kyuuzou's direction before he realized what he was doing and wrenched his gaze away, scolding himself. As much as he loved watching his lover, if he spent all his time staring at Kyuuzou, someone was going to notice.

"Well," Kambei said, giving Katsushiro a smile. "Regardless, everyone is here, and safe. We shouldn't waste more time when we could be walking, let's go." Turning, he began to lead them down the slope towards the village.

"Have you heard the word?"

Heihachi looked up from where he was tinkering with the giant winch that would cock and release their massive crossbow, trying to get the gears to fit together smoothly. Pushing his goggles up, he peered at Shichirouji curiously. The tall blonde was holding an umbrella, sheltering them both from the torrential downpour that the locals had laughingly assured Heihachi was 'just a summer storm'.

"What news?" he asked, curious. It couldn't be bad news about the bandits, or Shichirouji would have been a lot more serious. The naginata-wielder was grinning, like he was sharing a joke.

"Ahhh, the beautiful springtime of youth is so short, yet so precious," Shichirouji expounded, his grin widened when Heihachi rolled his eyes at his theatrics. "Our littlest flower has finally blooded himself."

"What? Really?" Heihachi's irritation fled. "Who'd he kill?"

"A bandit scout, apparently," Shichirouji replied with a chuckle at Heihachi's sudden enthusiasm. "And so the last of us becomes a warrior in truth." He sobered a bit. "Heard he didn't take it all that well, though."

"Oh?" Heihachi frowned. Katsushiro was an idealistic kid, full of fanciful notions of what being a 'samurai' really meant. His head was stuffed full of the tales of the 'noble warriors' of old... not necessarily a bad thing. After all, Kambei pretty much proved that the old tales weren't always an exaggeration. But that kind of idealism often lost its shine in the first heat of battle - and it wasn't always tempered into something stronger.

Heihachi himself hadn't directly killed anyone in a fight yet, but he'd been through the horrors of war nonetheless, and been indirectly responsible for quite a few deaths. So although he was technically 'unblooded', he still felt he had a stronger grasp on the whole thing than Katsushiro. Besides, he had few illusions about the dirty side of their jobs.

"He freaked out," Shichirouji confided. "Kambei said he had to slap some sense back into him. Harsh, but apparently it worked."

"Well, so long as he did snap out of it, he's done better than a lot of green kids I worked beside during the war," Heihachi replied. "The real test will be how he handles his second kill."

Kyuuzou, who had heard most of the conversation, glanced in their direction, his eyes narrowing. "Are you talking about Katsushiro?" he asked.

Shichirouji had known he was there, but Heihachi was startled so badly he dropped the wrench he'd been using on his foot. "OW! It's not funny," he complained to Shichirouji, who was laughing at him.

"Katsushiro killed a bandit scout earlier this evening," the still chuckling Shichirouji informed the other blonde.

"Good," Kyuuzou said, and began to move on, then stopped. "What do you mean, he 'freaked out'?" he asked, frowning at the pair.

"He froze afterwards," Shichirouji told him casually. "It's not a big deal... happens all the time when an inexperienced kid makes his first kill under pressure. They realize what they've done, and panic. Unfortunately it often gets them killed, since you don't usually have just one enemy to deal with, but in this case it was okay. Like Heihachi said, the real test will be what he does in his next battle."

"Hmm," Kyuuzou said, turning to look up at the huge unfinished machine as he considered that. "But after freezing, he was fine?"

"Once Kambei knocked him out of it," Shichirouji agreed. "He said he took his sword away to give him some time to think about it, and when he came to get it again he seemed okay. Haven't seen him myself since before all this, so I can't personally attest to his state of mind."

He took his SWORD away? Kyuuzou's eyes narrowed and expression darkened. "I see," he said. Turning, he headed in the direction of the village.

Shichirouji and Heihachi exchanged confused looks. "What was that all about?" Heihachi wondered aloud.

"With Kyuuzou? Who can tell?" Shichirouji shrugged and turned to head back himself, leaving Heihachi abruptly uncovered and open to the pouring rain. The redhead spluttered and glared at him, and he just laughed again as he left.

Completely uncaring of the chill of the rain that had soaked him to the skin, Katsushiro sat amongst the jumble of rocks at the centre of the island. The nearest building was the Mikumari temple, but it was out of both sight and earshot. He didn't really want company at the moment - particularly not Kirara's company, with her soft shining eyes and her attempts to 'help' him by taking some of his burden on herself.

He didn't want her to 'help' him, damn it. Particularly not THAT way. If there was one thing he never wanted, it was to see her bright, innocent idealism dimmed by the act of taking a life, as his own had been tonight. Worse still, for her to 'cleanse' him as she wanted, she'd have had to take his guilt at his own cowardice as well.

Bad enough that he'd panicked, and she'd had to prod him into action. They'd both nearly died because of the way he'd frozen. That feeling of terror, the sudden realization that he was about to take another life and would have that blood on his hands for the rest of his days, still pulled at him. Worse still that his sensei had taken his sword away, a humiliating gesture for a samurai. He stared down at his fists in his lap, and clenched his jaw until the sting of Kambei's slap made itself felt. He hoped to the gods he wasn't going to bruise - Kyuuzou would have a fit. He hoped Kyuuzou wouldn't see him until the redness of it had faded, either.

It had taken some doing, but Kyuuzou finally tracked the boy here. "Katsushiro," he called out as he approached the cairn of rocks. He noted a footprint in the mud that hadn't yet been irradicated by the rain, and increased his speed "Are you here?"

Well, so much for hoping he doesn't see me before the swelling goes down, Katsushiro thought with a wince and a sigh. "I'm here," he called, shifting so Kyuuzou would be able to see him. There was no point in trying to hide - if the blonde had tracked him this far, he wouldn't give up until he found his lover. "Is everything okay?" Hopefully Kyuuzou was just looking for him because he'd realized they had a rare chance for a moment alone, not because he'd heard about Katsushiro's shameful performance.

Kyuuzou looked Katsushiro up and down. His hair was flattened down by the rain, framing his face differently than usual. He didn't seem to notice it, however. "Are you all right?" he said. His eyes alighted on the mark and darkened with anger. "I heard that you killed someone today."

Damn, he had heard. Katsushiro sighed, and pushed his water-sodden bangs out of his eyes. He looked even younger than usual, with his hair plastered to him and his clothes clinging to his body. "Yeah. Kirara-dono and I were out walking, and we were attacked by a bandit scout." He couldn't quite meet his lover's eyes, completely ashamed by his own conduct in the fight.

Kyuuzou stared at him, at the attitude of shame, and the way he wouldn't look at him. "Out walking," he repeated, his expression darkening. What else were you two doing?

Katsushiro nodded, unaware of the way Kyuuzou's thoughts were headed. "She wanted to talk to me... about something... I think," he frowned, shaking his head. The moments before the fight were fuzzy in his memory - all he could really think about when he tried to remember was the feeling of oil and blood spraying over him, the way his sword, dull as Kambei had noted, had resisted slicing through the metal armour of the bandit.

"Did she kiss you?" Kyuuzou blurted, taking a step towards Katsushiro.

Jarred abruptly from his thoughts, Katsushiro stared blankly at his lover. "Did she what?" he exclaimed, shocked at the very idea. A blush spread over his pale cheeks. "No, of course not!" It wasn't that he was unaware of the crush Kirara had on him, but he didn't think she was the type of girl to do something so forward. To save her people, to help an innocent, she would do anything - but for a completely selfish reason? No, she wasn't that forward. "Why on earth would you think that?" he asked, completely bewildered.

Kyuuzou's cheeks warmed slightly. "Never mind," he said, averting his gaze. "I just thought...forget it. Tell me the rest of the story."

Katsushiro studied him in the dim light of the rainstorm, a sense of amazement penetrating his sense of shame. "Kyuuzou... are you... jealous of Kirara-dono?" he asked, astonished at the very idea.

"No!" Kyuuzou snapped, though he stared off into the distance, not looking at Katsushiro. "Tell me the rest of the story."

He IS jealous, Katsushiro realized. While he was somewhat annoyed that his lover didn't trust him, the realization also made him feel oddly comforted. It was so hard to tell what Kyuuzou was thinking or feeling, sometimes Katsushiro wondered if their odd relationship actually meant anything to the older samurai. He wouldn't be jealous if it didn't mean something.

Since he didn't dare probe at the topic any further, however, that drew him back to what Kyuuzou wanted to know. Katsushiro's shoulders tensed further. He really didn't want to talk about this, but from their first discussion about being attracted to each other, he'd promised himself he would match Kyuuzou's brutal honesty with his own. "I froze," he admitted softly, ashamed of himself. "I froze, and if Kirara-dono hadn't shaken me out of it, we'd both be dead now. And then I killed him." He lifted a hand to touch the spot on his face that had been sprayed with oil and blood. Most of the gunk had been washed off by the rain, but smudges of it still lingered in his hair and on his jacket. "And then I froze again. All I could think of was..." he struggled to put it into words, shuddering at the memory.

Kyuuzou waited for a few moments while Katsushiro struggled. Finally, he sat on a rock, his body sheltering Katsushiro somewhat from the rain as he leaned over him. "What?" he asked quietly, intrigued and confused by Katsushiro's reactions.

Katsushiro gave in to temptation and leaned against his lover, burying his face in the strong shoulder as he so often did when seeking comfort. "It was awful," he said plaintively, his voice hoarse and raw. His fists came up to clutch at Kyuuzou's jacket, searching for an anchor to hold him steady in a whirlwind of emotions. "It wasn't anything like I thought it would be. I could feel him, feel my sword cutting through him, blood spraying everywhere." Kyuuzou would probably be completely disgusted by his weakness... but Katsushiro simply didn't have his lover's ability to apparently just turn off his emotions and do what needed doing. He wondered if Kyuuzou had ever thought twice about killing someone - or if he'd ever thought about it at all.

Kyuuzou's arms stole around him, holding him tightly as he struggled to understand why Katsushiro was so upset. It's because he cares, he thought suddenly, the inspiration coming like a flash of lighting. "That's what I like about you," he murmured.

"You... like the fact that I freaked out and nearly got myself and Kirara-dono killed?" Katsushiro asked, disbelieving. He'd gotten used to Kyuuzou occasionally saying weird things, but this topped everything else.

"No, that was terrible," Kyuuzou said, shaking his head. "Next time, don't do that." He reached out and caressed Katsushiro's cheek, smearing a smudge of oil that still adhered there. "But I like that you care so much, that even an enemy's life matters to you."

Turning his head into the touch, Katsushiro melted. These moments of intimacy between them were all the more meaningful for how rare they were, he reflected. I wish the others could see him like this, he thought, closing his eyes and giving a soft sigh as he nuzzled into Kyuuzou's hand like a giant cat. As always when his lover held him, he could feel at least some of his tension falling away. I wish they could see how gentle, how caring he can be. Maybe then Kirara-dono wouldn't distrust him so. "Thank you," he said softly.

Kyuuzou smiled slightly as Katsushiro nuzzled him, caressing him gently and soothing him. Then he remembered the other reason he'd sought Katsushiro out. "Shichirouji said that Kambei took your sword," he said, his voice darkening again. He remembered how strongly Katsushiro had insisted on keeping it before, insisting he didn't feel safe without it. "Why did he do that?"

"I'm... I'm not sure," Katsushiro admitted, frowning again as his hand automatically dropped to the hilt, reassuring himself that it was back where it belonged. "He gave me a lecture about taking care of it when he gave it back, but... surely he wouldn't have taken it just for that." And Kambei had left him and Kirara alone there, weaponless, on the edge of the cliffs; if there'd been one bandit scout, there could have been others. "Of course, given the way he had to slap sense into me," he hand lifted from the hilt to rub at his bruised cheek ruefully, "maybe he took it to be sure I wouldn't really freak out and maybe hurt somebody."

Kyuuzou's eyes narrowed as a low growl sounded. "He hit you and took your weapon?"

"Yes," Katsushiro said, hiding his face in Kyuuzou's shoulder again in humiliation. "At least he didn't do it in public. The only one who saw was Kirara-dono. That's bad enough."

Kyuuzou was tensed and obviously upset. "He shouldn't have done that."

"It's his right," Katsushiro said quietly. "He's our leader, as well as my sensei. I was... behaving badly. I deserved it."

Kyuuzou pulled back enough to stare at Katsushiro. "I thought you said he didn't have the right to mistreat you," he said. "That if he did, he wasn't the sort of person you wanted to have as a teacher. You did NOT deserve it. You need to learn from your mistakes, not be abused." At the conclusion of this extremely long speech - at least, for Kyuuzou - he began to rise. "I'm going to explain it to him."

"What?" Surprised by the uncharacteristic outburst, Katsushiro almost didn't react in time to prevent Kyuuzou from leaving. He latched onto the older samurai's sleeve, holding him there. "No! Kyuuzou... Kambei has the right to punish me, as my teacher. Not to mistreat me, no, but... as humiliating as it was, I'm not sure what else he could have done to knock sense back into me."

Kyuuzou frowned at him, but didn't pull out of Katsushiro's grasp. He wouldn't just say that, because Kambei is his teacher. He's always seemed to me that he wouldn't take that sort of abuse - particularly the first time. He's yelled at me when I hurt him, he wouldn't do differently with Kambei...would he? Sitting back down, he wrapped his arms around Katsushiro again. I'll watch Kambei, that's all. Make sure it's nothing more than he says it is. "What do you want me to do?" he asked quietly.

"Stay with me for a bit?" Katsushiro asked softly. "If you don't have sentry duty or something soon..." They were in a war, even if the battles hadn't been started yet, and duty came before comfort, always. But then, presumably if Kyuuzou had been on duty, he wouldn't have gone looking for Katsushiro. "I always feel better when you're with me."

"Okay," Kyuuzou said. The rain was beginning to slacken, but he could hardly tell, he was soaked so thoroughly. Tightening his arms around Katsushiro, he pressed a kiss to the boy's forehead, his eyes sliding shut. The truth was, he felt better when he was with Katsushiro, too.

"Kyuuzou?" Katsushiro's voice was quiet, almost drowned out by the sound of rain striking rock all around them, but still audible. "What was your first kill like?" He wasn't sure if he was overstepping his bounds or not - if Kyuuzou didn't answer or made it clear he didn't want to speak of it, Katsushiro would drop it immediately. He couldn't help but wonder what the experience had been like for others, though. He wondered what Kambei would say if asked the same question.

Kyuuzou frowned. It was sometimes hard to remember details from that time in his life. After such a long pause that Katsushiro was beginning to believe he didn't want to answer, he finally opened his mouth. "Hyougo took me to a building, in the poorer part of the city. He took me up to the top floor and I watched a family eating dinner. After dinner, the father left the house. In accordance with Hyougo's instructions, I stalked and killed the man before he returned."

Eyes wide, Katsushiro absorbed that for a moment. "He made you watch him with his family first?" he finally asked, a little shaken. Bad enough to be sent to kill someone as if he was no better than a common assassin. But to have to know the details of the man's life, to have a face to put to the grieving widow and children who would be left behind... "Why?"

Kyuuzou shrugged. "To make sure I could, I suppose," he said calmly. Distantly, he could understand why Katsushiro was horrified - certainly, he'd never do the same thing to the younger man - but try as he might, Kyuuzou couldn't summon any feelings about the man's death one way or another.

It bothered Katsushiro a little that Kyuuzou obviously had no feelings about the idea, but only a little. Kyuuzou could be frighteningly emotionless at times - but Katsushiro had seen beneath that, and knew that the older man did have emotions, he just hid them very well. So well that often even he wasn't aware of them, Katsushiro thought. But there were rare moments when he indulged himself, like now when he just sat there holding Katsushiro in the rain to comfort him.

"Did it bother you?" Katsushiro wanted to know. "At the time, I mean. Did you hesitate at all?"

Kyuuzou shook his head without hesitation. "No, I didn't hesitate. I don't remember it bothering me." He frowned again. "It didn't occur to me. I think it was far more important to do what I was told."

Katsushiro hadn't asked much about Kyuuzou's past... from the little he knew, it had been bad, and he hadn't really dared to question him. Kyuuzou certainly hadn't volunteered any information, beyond the initial admission that he understood what Katsushiro was going through after being raped.

Still, the younger man had a good enough idea to know that 'doing as he was told' had probably been very important to Kyuuzou indeed. He brushed one hand along the other man's back gently; he couldn't feel the raised scars beneath the layers of fabric, but he knew they were there. "How old were you?" he asked, looking up to see Kyuuzou's expression.

Kyuuzou's expression was as blank of emotion as Katsushiro had ever seen him. While he frowned in thought, his eyes were blank and dead, and when he wasn't frowning, there was nothing. "I'm not sure," he said, shaking his head. "Younger than you are."

Reaching up, Katsushiro combed his fingers through the pale, sodden hair, brushing it back away from his lover's face. With his hair weighed down and out of his face, Kyuuzou looked much younger, even with the blank expression.

Well, what did I expect? To hear that he froze at first too, and I shouldn't feel bad about it? Katsushiro shook his head at himself. He is what he is, and I am what I am, and if it were any other way, maybe we wouldn't be so good together. Leaning up, he kissed Kyuuzou, wanting to take away that horribly empty expression and replace it with something good.

Kyuuzou stiffened for a moment, a shudder running through his entire body as Katsushiro kissed him. Then he seemed almost to shake himself and pulled Katsushiro against him, kissing him hard in return. The kiss was almost desperate, demanding and needy in its intensity.

Katsushiro had just started to draw away to ask what was wrong when Kyuuzou suddenly pulled him close and started responding. Katsushiro submitted himself willingly to the demanding kiss, winding his arms around Kyuuzou's neck and responding almost as fiercely. He feels more about this than he thinks he does, Katsushiro thought to himself as he closed his eyes and surrendered. Then he stopped thinking at all, wanting the distraction and release from his memories no less than Kyuuzou.

Kyuuzou pressed him down to the ground, straddling his body and continuing the assault on Katsushiro's mouth. He pulled back, a flame re-kindled in his eyes as he looked down at the younger samurai. "I want you," he said.

Katsushiro shivered, more from the heat of Kyuuzou's body and words, than from the chill rain still falling on them. Are we fare enough away out here? he wondered feverishly, the same fire igniting in his body, too.

He knew what Kyuuzou wanted; between Katsushiro's reluctance and their continuously interrupted time alone, they'd never gone that far. In the aftermath of the fear and shame of his battle and first kill, however, Katsushiro found that he very much wanted it, his body burning with the need to reaffirm life at the most basic level.

"I... want you, too," he said, his voice breathless. "Kyuuzou... gods, someone will hear us, though," he added in frustration.

"Then be quiet," Kyuuzou murmured, lowering his head to kiss Katsushiro again. What can I do to help him? he wondering, pondering different options.

He makes it sound so easy, Katsushiro thought with mingled amusement and frustration. It wasn't that he didn't try to stay quiet, he did try, desperately. His body betrayed him every time, though - in the end, pleasure would overcome thought and he'd forget himself. Already he was making tiny whining noises in the back of his throat as he pressed up against Kyuuzou, aching for more contact. "Gods, at this rate the only way we're going to get anywhere is if you gag me first," he muttered, angry with himself.

Kyuuzou froze for a moment, then lifted up enough to search Katsushiro's face. "Would you allow me to?" he asked seriously.

"I..." Katsushiro hesitated, torn between his own desire and more than a little fear that something like that would scare him. Then he shook his head, and the hesitation left his eyes. "I trust you," he said steadily. "You'd never do anything to hurt me. And I want you so badly!"

Kyuuzou hesitated for a long moment, reluctant to do this. But Katsushiro's words of trust decided him. Straightening up, he pulled the belt out of his jacket. "If you change your mind, you can take it off," he said, promising himself that he would do nothing to restrain Katsushiro's hands while he was gagged.

A bit of fear crept back into Katsushiro's green eyes at the sight of the belt, but he hid it as best he could. You want this, and you trust him, he reminded himself fervently. After a moment his lips quirked. Better hope it works, though... if you get caught while you've got THAT around you, they'll definitely misunderstand!

"Do it," he urged Kyuuzou softly. "And then... take me. Please? I want you. I don't want to be afraid of it any more." Remembering Kyuuzou's ingrained reactions, he was careful not to beg with his eyes or tone, though he wanted to. "I'll probably be scared at first, but don't stop. If I really do want you to stop, I'll..." he wracked his mind for a good signal. "I'll tap out, as if we were sparring and you pinned me and I was signalling my yield, okay?"

Kyuuzou nodded, his posture relaxing somewhat at the establishment of a signal. "Okay," he said. Gently, he wound the belt around Katsushiro's head, tying it behind. The belt was soft, made of a flexible cloth material, not leather, and wasn't uncomfortable in Katsushiro's mouth.

The blond watched him intently for any signs of panic or fear, and once he'd tied the belt securely, he began to open Katsushiro's clothing, laying him bare before him.

Katsushiro did his best to regulate his breathing, and to concentrate on the fact that it was Kyuuzou touching him, and that he'd asked for it. As he'd been half afraid, panicked memories of his rape were attempting to surface and bog him down, but he refused to give in to them.

He closed his eyes to help him concentrate, then opened them again immediately. Having his eyes closed just made it that much harder to remember who was actually touching him.

In frustration at his own weakness, he moved to burrow his way beneath Kyuuzou's heavy clothes as well, hoping that actively participating would remind him that this was different. It helped, and he relaxed slightly, able to enjoy his lover's touch again.

Kyuuzou nuzzled him, his lips ghosting over the upper part of Katsushiro's cheek, which wasn't covered by the gag. "Relax," he murmured. "I won't hurt you." As he spoke, his hand slipped into Katsushiro's pants, stroking the hardened shaft slowly.

Katsushiro made a soft noise, blocked mostly by the gag, and arched up into the touch. There was one serious disadvantage to this, he realized. He couldn't kiss Kyuuzou. When this war is over, we are so finding somewhere far away from the others where we don't have to worry about how loud I am, he promised himself feverishly. For now, this will have to do.

He finally got the fastenings of Kyuuzou's jacket undone, sliding his hands inside and searching for the waist of his pants, wanting to touch him as well.

Kyuuzou shifted to encourage Katsushiro's touch, one leg also moving down to slide between Katsushiro's and part them. His hand stopped stroking long enough to pull the pants down and bare his lower body, then returned to the gentle, teasing stroking motion.

Katsushiro moaned into the gag, rocking his hips up into Kyuuzou's touch, and not incidentally grinding his hip into the older man's cock, as well. He panted for air through his nose, his soft moans a steady counterpoint to the sound of the rain as he tipped his head back, encouraging Kyuuzou to go for his throat.

Kyuuzou didn't need much encouragement, ducking his head down and biting at Katsushiro's throat. He pulled back and saw the mark he'd left and cursed inwardly. Hopefully it would fade.

His fingers quested downwards, one sliding deep into Katsushiro's body.

Katsushiro had been squirming from the pleasure caused by those sharp bites, but he froze when he felt Kyuuzou's finger enter him. Frantically he sought his lover's eyes with his, needing the visual reassurance. His hands shook as he clutched at the older samurai's shoulders, but he made no move to tap out. You trust him, you trust him, he reminded himself sternly. This will feel GOOD, it must, or why would so many people do it? Just relax...

Kyuuzou reached up with his other hand, stroking Katsushiro's wet hair as his finger slid deeper. "It'll be all right," he murmured, trying to soothe him. "I promise." Twisting his hand around, he groped deeper, and pressed on Katsushiro's prostate.

His mantra of 'I trust him' suddenly flew right out of Katsushiro's mind, and the only thing that replaced it was a sort of vague 'Oh GODS...' He screamed, sound thankfully stifled by the gag, and his body arched as his muscles tightened all at once. It was beyond anything he'd ever felt in his life, and he thought he could see stars even though his eyes were still open, still staring helplessly into Kyuuzou's.

A faint smile came to Kyuuzou's lips. "I like that," he said softly, adding a second finger before Katsushiro had completely recovered from the sensation.

Forgetting all about freezing in fear, Katsushiro squirmed, rubbing against that exquisite pressure and wordlessly begging for more, head thrown back and eyes closed in abandon. Oh gods... if it's always like this... oh, we're going to have to find ways to do this more often...

Kyuuzou smiled more widely, relieved beyond measure that Katsushiro was relaxing and feeling good. He continued to prepare him, hoping that the wider girth of his cock wouldn't make the difference once he'd stretched him. He wasn't sure he'd be able to stop once he took Katushiro.

Feeling just a bit light-headed - though he wasn't sure if it was from the intense pleasure, or just the fact that he couldn't seem to draw quite enough air through his nose - Katsushiro writhed under Kyuuzou. He'd meant to try to give his lover some pleasure back in return, but he couldn't seem to get coordinated enough to do anything more than simply clutch at Kyuuzou helplessly. Not that he was complaining. Oh, hells no.

Finally judging that Katsushiro was as prepared as he was going to get, Kyuuzou pulled back, shifting to settle his body between Katsushiro's legs. "There will be pain, at first," he warned the boy. "But then it will ease. Understand?"

Opening his eyes again, Katsushiro fastened his gaze on Kyuuzou's face, and nodded. Do it, he thought forcefully, willing his acceptance to appear in his eyes for Kyuuzou to read. I'll be okay, I want this so much... Even so he couldn't help but tense, his body nervous about the upcoming invasion even as it ached for the loss of the older man's fingers.

Kyuuzou correctly interpreted the look in Katsushiro's eyes and nodded. Ensuring that his cock was well-lubricated with the oil, he positioned himself and slowly pushed into the younger man's body.

As Katsushiro's body squeezed around him, a soft moan issued from his throat, louder than any noise Katsushiro had yet heard him make during sex. The sensation was intense, and nothing like anything he'd ever felt before, which was the reason for the slip.

The panic that threatened him was pushed back a little at the sound of that soft moan, and Katsushiro stared at Kyuuzou in wonder. Oh gods, he's amazingly sexy when he sounds like that, when he looks like that! he thought, one hand coming up to brush his thumb gently along the strong bone of Kyuuzou's cheek. The rain continued to fall on them, and in that moment Katsushiro felt like his heart might burst from emotion. I can do this. If it's that good to him... no matter how much it hurts, I can do this. He deliberately tilted his hips up, forcing more of the older man inside him, ignoring the burning pain that resulted.

Kyuuzou voiced another moan as Katsushiro tilted his hips and he slid another inch inside. No wonder Hyougo had liked doing this so damn much! His eyes sliding shut, he pushed forward again, not stopping until he was buried to the hilt inside Katsushiro's body. There he paused, panting harshly, waiting for Katsushiro to adjust.

Katsushiro cried out, his body reacting to the invasion by tightening further, which only made it hurt more. Panting through his nose, he squeezed his eyes shut, though a few tears leaked out despite his best efforts. Oh gods, it hurt, burning, splitting him in two. It didn't hurt as much as it had when he was raped, no, but still, he thought he would never adjust to the intrusion. How did people do this? Would it get better with time, as his body stretched?

He shifted, trying to ease the pain, but there was no escaping the rigid flesh buried inside him. The worst of it did start to ebb after a few moments, however, for which he was grateful. Finally, even though he felt far from ready, he opened his eyes again and nodded at Kyuuzou, telling him wordlessly to continue.

Kyuuzou answered his nod by withdrawing a few inches, then thrusting forward again, trying to angle himself to touch Katsushiro's prostate again. Perhaps if he did that, the boy would relax the rest of the way, and begin to enjoy this.

Cursing himself for the weakness of the tears that were still welling up in his eyes, Katsushiro did his best to angle his body to meet Kyuuzou's thrust, wanting to at least make this as good for his lover as possible.

And then something brushed against that spot inside him, and just like with the fingers, suddenly he wasn't thinking about anything else. He gave a startled shout, muffled by the belt, and his eyes went wide as he trembled.

Better, Kyuuzou thought, beginning to pick up the pace. If he could just keep Katsushiro distracted from what pain there was, he'd enjoy this. The strategy appeared to be paying off - and it was a good thing, too, because Kyuuzou wasn't sure he'd be able to stop.

He really was going to strangle on that belt if he wasn't careful, Katsushiro thought vaguely as he tilted his hips up further, trying to encourage Kyuuzou to hit that spot again. It worked, and he gave another muffled cry as stars exploded in front of his eyes. Suddenly, despite the pain that remained, he was most definitely enjoying this. His hands tugged at Kyuuzou's shoulders, asking for more, faster, even as he raised one slender leg to wrap it around his lover's waist.

Kyuuzou gladly obliged, his rhythm increasing until he was soon driving himself into Katsushiro's body mercilessly, the sounds of his laboured breathing and Katsushiro's choked cries filling the clearing.

It was a very good thing they'd gagged Katsushiro, because he had totally lost all sense of control now, crying out repeatedly against the gag, relying on it to muffle the sounds he couldn't stifle on his own. It felt so good, even as it burned, but it wasn't quite enough. He slipped one hand down between them, curling it around his own erection, and the combined sensations made him cry out once again.

Kyuuzou squeezed his eyes shut as he felt his own orgasm threatening. He held it off, fisting a hand in the grass as he continued to thrust into Katsushiro's writhing body. He wanted the younger man to come to completion first - didn't want to do this without regard for his lover's pleasure.

Thankfully for both of them, it didn't take long for Katsushiro to reach the edge. He thrust up against Kyuuzou, his hand tightening over his cock as the pleasure swelled within him, the wave building and building before it crashed over him and swept him along with it. He was screaming for real, he was absently aware, but there was nothing he could do about it, and the gag muffled most of it anyway. His seed spilled over his hand and onto his stomach, and for a moment he thought he really was going to pass out from lack of air.

Kyuuzou let out another audible groan as Katsushiro's body spasmed under him. Thrusting once more into the wildly writhing body, he released his control, panting harshly as his climax took him.

Once he was sure the last of his aftermath was past, and no further sounds would be wrung unwillingly out of him, Katsushiro tore at the belt and hastily pulled the gag off, immediately reaching up to shower kisses on Kyuuzou's face. They were still connected, and he could feel the older man deep inside him. He suspected he might be walking oddly for a bit, but it was a small price to pay for such exquisite pleasure. "Kyuuzou," he breathed out, the word an endearment and an entreaty all at once. "Oh gods, Kyuuzou!"

Kyuuzou was a little startled by the shower of kisses, staring at him wide-eyed with a slight flush on his cheeks that might have been embarrassment, but which was probably exertion. "You liked it?" he whispered, the words almost a question despite how obvious the answer was. "Me too..."

"It was amazing," Katsushiro assured him breathlessly. "I'm sorry I panicked at first, but... gods. We've GOT to find a way to do this more often, damn it!" He laughed, and kissed Kyuuzou again, properly this time.

Kyuuzou smiled slightly. That expression was becoming more and more common around Katsushiro. "Yes, we do," he said. "And without the gag." Katsushiro had some red marks around his mouth, and the bite mark on his throat. They'd just have to hope that no one noticed.

"Yes," Katsushiro agreed fervently, grimacing and rubbing at the sore edges of his mouth. "It was worth it, but it'd be a lot better without it." Sighing softly, he snuggled into Kyuuzou's embrace. It was still raining, they were both going to catch colds if they stayed out here, especially half naked like this, but he didn't want to go back to the village just yet. In the village, Kyuuzou would have to act as if he didn't care about Katsushiro, and Katsushiro would have to do the same.

Kyuuzou was no less reluctant to go back to the village as Katsushiro. He settled against him, sheltering the mostly-naked boy with his body and his coat. "How are you?" he whispered finally.

"Better," Katsushiro replied softly, winding his arms around Kyuuzou's shoulders, inside his jacket. "Thank you for coming to find me. I thought I didn't want to see you, but I'm so glad you found me."

"You...didn't want to see me?" Kyuuzou asked, sounding suddenly uncertain. He was glad that Katsushiro had changed his mind but... "Why?"

"Because I was upset, and still a little freaked out, and... and I didn't want you to see me like that," Katsushiro admitted, burying his face in the older man's neck and hanging on tight. "And because I was afraid you would... would think less of me, or get angry with me, or just be disappointed in me. Also," he added wryly, "because I wasn't sure how you'd react to the bruise on my face."

Kyuuzou absorbed that. "Oh," he said. Then, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have gotten so angry." He frowned. "But...aren't I supposed to help you when you're upset?"

Katsushiro couldn't help but grin at his lover's cluelessness. "You did, twit," he said, affectionately. Raising one hand to touch the older man's cheek again, he let the grin fade into a real smile. "More than you know. Thank you."

"I know I did," Kyuuzou replied, though he wasn't exactly sure how. "But if that's my purpose, why wouldn't you want me to be around you when you're upset." He leaned down to kiss Katsushiro gently. "Didn't you want to feel better?"

Katsushiro revelled in the kiss, sighing when they pulled apart again. "I did want to feel better, of course I did. I just... was scared that you'd lose respect for me, and I'd lose you." And he was beginning to realize just how much that possibility frightened him - and what that probably meant.

Kyuuzou shook his head. "That wouldn't happen," he said firmly. "I don't want to lose you either, and I...I like you because of who you are. And that includes the stupid things you do, like freezing and nearly getting yourself killed."

"Oh, thanks a lot," Katsushiro laughed and hit Kyuuzou on the shoulder lightly. Honestly, he'd never met anyone as tactless as his lover. "But I wouldn't have you any other way, either," he said aloud, caressing the spot he'd hit.

"Really?" Kyuuzou asked softly, slowly shifting off of his lover as he realized that they were both beginning to shiver. While he couldn't question the fact that Katsushiro liked him - however implausible that might have seemed no more than a few weeks ago - he couldn't quite believe that Katsushiro wouldn't change ANYTHING, either.

"You, as you are now, have managed to make me feel like this," Katsushiro said, sighing softly as Kyuuzou's warmth left him and he knew he was going to have to get up, get dressed, and go back to the village. "If you had been different, maybe this wouldn't have happened. So no, I wouldn't have it any other way."

Kyuuzou reached out and touched the mark on Katsushiro's neck, then drew him back into a hug. The oddest sensation was filling him, making him feel as though something in his chest was about to explode - and yet, it was an amazingly pleasant sensation. "That's good," he whispered.

Katsushiro hugged him back, and reached up to touch the place on his neck Kyuuzou had brushed. Understanding dawned in his eyes, and he groaned. "Oh no... I have a mark there, don't I?" he asked ruefully. It was low enough that it would be mostly hidden by his collar, at least - only someone really observant would see it. Hopefully nobody would notice.

"Yes," Kyuuzou admitted. "I apologize. I... lost control." He hoped fervently that it really was low enough not to be noticed. And furthermore, that if anyone DID see it, they would think it was something else. After all, they had given the others no reason to believe they were together.

Reluctantly Katsushiro started to set his clothes to rights, tugging the collar of his jacket up higher to see if it would cover the mark. "I wonder if they'll think Kirara-dono did it," the absurd thought occurred to him. He knew the others thought there was a romance happening between them - they certainly teased him about it enough.

Kyuuzou glared for a moment, but willed the jealousy away firmly. "Don't tell them who did it," he advised the younger man. "If you tell them Kirara did, and they ask her about it, it'll arouse even more suspicion."

"I wasn't planning on claiming she had," Katsushiro immediately said. "For one thing, it might give her a bad reputation! But if I refuse to talk about it, that's probably what they're going to assume." A blush heated his cheeks, and he sighed. "I'd much rather be able to tell them you did it."

"But you can't," Kyuuzou said. "Then they'd know." He shrugged. "Refusing to answer is likely your best bet. Or think of a convincing lie."

Katsushiro touched the spot again, then leaned up and kissed Kyuuzou briefly. "I should give you one," he said, smiling. "And let them puzzle out their own conclusions." His smile faded as he pushed his water-soaked bangs out of his eyes. "We should get back."

Kyuuzou chuckled softly at Katsushiro's words, then began to rise to his feet. "Come on," he said, holding out a hand to help Katsushiro to his feet. "You should go back to the village and see if you can get a hot bath."

"What, and you're less drowned than I am?" Katsushiro thought longingly of a hot bath with Kyuuzou, but he knew it was a bad idea. They had a bad habit of not being able to keep their hands off each other, and the hot baths in the village were unfortunately very public.

"My coat is at least fairly warm," Kyuuzou replied. "You're turning blue, and your clothes are soaked." He frowned in thought. "Heihachi and Shichirouji might realize that I went looking for you. If I return with you, perhaps I could get you into a hot bath without looking suspicious." He raised an eyebrow at Katsushiro. "What if we tell them you fell in a river and I pulled you out?"

Katsushiro gave him a faintly offended look. "I would not have fallen in the river! Why can't we just tell them the truth? That you found me out in the rain? I was soaked to the skin long before you stripped me."

"But the fall could explain the mark," Kyuuzou explained, a smirk curving his lips. "You were distraught after your experience, and not looking where you were going." It wasn't clear whether he was teasing Katsushiro or serious.

Katsushiro scowled. "I'd rather not have them lose any more respect for me, Kyuuzou." Unfortunately he couldn't think of a better explanation. "We just won't say anything... if they ask, that's what I'll tell them, but hopefully they won't ask."

The smirk widened. "Hopefully they won't ask," he agreed. The amused look vanished as he began to turn in the direction of the village and headed off with purpose. "Let's go. Regardless, you need to get somewhere warm and dry."

Not wanting to lose their moment of closeness just yet, but knowing Kyuuzou was right and he needed to get inside and warm, Katsushiro reached out and brushed his fingers against Kyuuzou's before he moved to follow. As always, contact with his lover, no matter how brief, reassured him and made him feel better.

Kyuuzou's fingers curled inwards around Katsushiro's even as the boy's hand slipped away. The movement was slight and automatic, and would have hardly even been noticed by Katsushiro, but Kyuuzou felt himself do it. I've never needed this before. he thought, glancing back at the younger man with an inscrutable expression. But it feels so good. No matter what, I will not lose it.

They headed back to the village in silence, both of them soaked by the rain and beginning to shiver. As they drew within sight of the buildings, another figure emerged and headed towards them. Kambei looked concerned as he drew nearer to them. "Is everything all right?" he called.

It had to be Kambei, didn't it? Katsushiro groaned inwardly. Outwardly, he simply plastered a sheepish expression on his face. "Everything's fine, sensei," he said politely. He stopped himself from tugging on his jacket to raise the collar, knowing that would only draw more attention to the mark.

"We're both just waterlogged," Kyuuzou said shortly. "Katsushiro needs a hot bath."

Kambei looked Katsushiro up and down solemnly, his eyes straying to the mark, and then back up to the boy's face. "What happened?"

Oh, why does he have to be so observant? Katsushiro gave him a wan smile. He briefly debated claiming it was from his battle earlier, but Kambei had seen him then, and knew it wasn't. "I, uh... fell in the river," he 'admitted' reluctantly. "Kyuuzou fished me out. It's nothing, sensei."

Kambei frowned, peering more closely at the marks around Kyuuzou's mouth. He opened his mouth to say something, but Kyuuzou grabbed Katsushiro around the shoulders and began to drag him off. "If you don't mind," he said frigidly. "He needs to get out of the rain before he catches a cold. I don't want to waste the effort I went to, to pull him out."

Katsushiro gave a small squeak of surprise, and bowed quickly to Kambei before he was dragged off. "Kyuuzou!" he protested just before they were out of earshot. "You shouldn't be so rude to Kambei-dono!"

Kambei stared after them for a long moment, his brows creased in thought. What was that all about? he wondered.

|Part 1| |Part 2| |Part 3| |Part 4| |Part 5| |Part 6| |Part 7| |Part 8|

Return to Miscellaneous Page

Return to the Main Index

Email Miko no da
Email Chichiri no da