::Well, more like Sohryu slept with Terazuma, but essentially, yes,
they got together::

Another long minute of shock.

::Oh... my... well... yes...:: Tsuzuki stuttered, trying to combine
the information and the image of the two men he had. ::Sohryu...::

::The big blue one, yes::

::I know who he is!:: he snapped.

Touda chuckled wryly. ::Of course you do::

::But... how...?::

Another chuckle. ::Don't tell me I've to explain to you how it works,
Tsuzuki:: The serpent grinned evilly. ::Then again, I just might. Tell
me, how far have you and Hisoka progressed?::

Tsuzuki flushed. ::None of your business!::

::Ah, I see. Not that far then. Maybe I've to explain it to you after
all::

::Touda!::

Laughter answered him and it sounded wonderful in Tsuzuki's ears. Despite
the serious situation of before, hearing Touda laugh was something he had
rarely heard before. Ever since Byakko that had changed, though.

::So... so Terazuma slept with him and because Sohryu's my shikigami,
he now has a problem with me?:: Tsuzuki finally asked.

::No. He thinks Sohryu lied to him because he never told him who he
is position-wise in here::

::That's stupid!:: Tsuzuki immediately argued. ::Sohryu doesn't lie!::

::No, he just withheld information. Right now, you're a convenient target.::

The shinigami sighed deeply. ::Great::

There were soft steps, announcing a visitor and Tsuzuki looked up, right
into the eyes of his partner and lover.

"Hey," he said.

"Hey," Hisoka replied. "You okay?"

"Yes."

"Touda kick your ass for pulling that stunt?"

Tsuzuki smiled wryly. "Kinda. I'm sorry I lost control. He just... hit
a raw nerve."

"I figured." Hisoka remained where he was, hands in his pockets. "Ready
to go?"

Tsuzuki nodded. He got to his feet and smiled at his partner. Hisoka's
eyes showed no emotions, just as usual, and Tsuzuki's did more than ever.
Suddenly a slight niggle of emotions flickered through the green eyes and
Hisoka stepped closer.

"We should leave for today."

Tsuzuki's eyebrows shot up. "Huh? You want to skip the rest of the day?"

"No, I want to save the others from a potentially dangerous encounter
between you two idiots again."

The taller shinigami smiled and suddenly leaned down, catching his partner
off guard as he brushed their lips together. Hisoka hesitated just a moment,
then answered the light kiss.

"How about tea?" Tsuzuki offered. "There's this little tea house in
Nagasaki..."

Hisoka smiled a little. "Tea sounds fine." He grabbed Tsuzuki's tie
as he wanted to straighten and pulled his partner back down, planting a
deeper kiss onto his lips. "You pay."

Tsuzuki just gave him a happy grin.

Touda rumbled appreciatively in his head. ::If you still need a little
help...?:: he teased.

::Oh shut up:: was the mild reply.

A chuckle answered him, then Touda slid back into the deeper recesses
of Tsuzuki's mind, leaving his shinigami to enjoy the rest of the day.

° ° °

Touda was still smiling to himself as he closed the connection between
himself and his master. Sometimes, Tsuzuki was a fountain of amusement,
but he would never take the teasing too far. He knew how emotionally vulnerable
the shinigami was sometimes. It was getting better, but old wounds healed
slowly, sometimes never at all.

Walking the empty corridors of the palace, Touda was looking forward
to some peace and quiet in these for him sacred walls of Byakko's palace.
Yes, by now he had his own residence, but he liked the closeness he shared
with the white tiger, and ever since the new building had been raised next
to the wind god's mansion, he had barely ever slept there. At least alone.

Entering the sleeping chambers, Touda felt the smile grow as he looked
at the dozing figure of his partner and lover. Byakko lay naked on the
large bed, the blanket draped haphazardly over the sinewy, lean form, and
he had his back to the door. Touda followed the lines of the muscles down
the toned back to where it met the softly-furred, striped tail. Byakko's
hair was open, falling in thick strands over his back, and he had curled
up in cat-fashion.

As the serpent shikigami came closer, the slender figure moved and red
eyes blinked open as he turned his head. A lazy, warm smile spread over
the youthful features.

"You're late today," he said softly, no accusation in his voice.

"I had a last minute crisis talk with our master."

Byakko turned fully, suddenly alert. "Is he okay? Did something happen?"
Anxiety crept into the voice.

Touda shed his coat and sat on the mattress to get rid of his boots.
"No, he's fine, Byakko. It was just some minor trouble."

Those red eyes narrowed briefly. "He touched his power?"

Touda nodded, kicking the shoes off. "An altercation with Terazuma.
We had a talk about what happened here and where the problem lies."

"Oh." Byakko smiled a little at the thought. "Guess he was kinda surprised,
hm?"

"Mildly put, yes." Touda leaned over and captured his lover's lips in
a tender kiss. "He'll get used to it. Like we did."

Byakko wrapped his arms around the other shikigami, in the process dislodging
the last of his blanket from his body. Touda was treated to the enticing
sight of the nude form of the man he loved so much.

"It's been a long day," he murmured.

Byakko smiled. "A long week," he begged to differ.

"Uh-huh..." He kept kissing the delectable mouth, hands wandering down
the firm skin, straying to the equally firm behind.

Byakko shifted into his touch, his tail twitching, and he moaned encouragingly.
Suddenly he moved and Touda found himself lying flat on his back, on the
bed, with the silver-haired wind shikigami straddling him. The sight was
more than delicious.

"I think it's most important to make up for lost time," Byakko purred.

Touda could only agree.

° ° °

It wasn't until the Kebi case that Terazuma seemed to come around. Kebi
Hara had been a young man who had fallen in love with another guy and had,
because he had misunderstood several things in their relationship, killed
him out of jealousy. He had then tried to kill himself, but his tattered
soul had been unable to leave his body, bound to the mortal realms, living
inside the house he and his lover had shared for months until Terazuma
and Wakaba had put an end to his suffering.

It was right after this case that Terazuma asked his partner to send
him to GensouKai. For reasons he didn't tell her, but she could guess.
The Black One was coming close to the surface again, Terazuma was evading
her touch once more, and she had prepared herself to tame the shikigami
with an ofuda should another accident happen.

Wakaba looked into those distraught, red eyes, saw the deeply etched
lines, took in the mental exhaustion, and she granted him the request.

 

 

tbc...