Duty

Duty

Disclaimer: I own it not, just borrowed these beautiful bishies for my own personal pleasure. If they were mine, things would have turned out as Watase-sama had first planned... with Tasuki belonging to Tamahome and Miaka wouldn’t have ended up with Tama at all. Darn you Miaka, why did you have to be so darned needy?

A/N: Okay, so I’m about 2,000 words short of finishing off “Duty” chapter 3, just have to find a nice place to cut it off. Most likely at a very tense cliff-hanger, but that’s only because I love you all so much. :D So, look for an update in about a week. If my other works are slow in being updated, it’s because I’m doing a writing exercise that limits me to two fics for the rest of the month. This one is one of the two I’m working on for the month, so updates should come fast. Love you guys!

Chapter 2

Tasuki led Tamahome through the back alleyways, keeping them both out of sight. Jun had cronies everywhere, but Jeice wouldn't rat them out. Tasuki was sure of that.

Tasuki pulled Tamahome up the back stairs, motioning him to be quiet. "Just watch, Tama. Don't say anything. Jeice may not rat me out, but he doesn't know you. So stay here while I go get th' tessen."

Tasuki pushed open the door, smiling at Jeice as he closed it, leaving it cracked open for Tamahome to peek through. "Hey Jeice-baby. I'm just gonna grab that thing, I'll be out a'fore ya know it."

Jeice smirked. "So, I take it ya fucked your friend, na? You're rarely in such a good mood." he got up from the chair he'd been in and hugged Tasuki, pulling him into a quick kiss.

Tasuki laughed and pushed away. "Yeah, somethin' like that. I'm gettin' outta here. Lemme grab my fan, I'll be out in a minute."

Tamahome rested against the wall, looking around at the rusted fire escape and the broken windows. This world really was going to hell. The police couldn't keep up with the crime and everyday one more law officer was turned against his comrades with promises of money or threats.

He barely listened to the conversation Tasuki was having, but his ears caught on to something his friend said. He felt heat come to his cheeks. He really was too innocent to be working the streetwalker's shifts. His buddies had always poked fun at him for it and he had protested, but that just proved it. He smiled sadly as he rubbed away the blush with his cooler hand and shook his head. That really was all that people in this field had left to keep them above water.

Jeice grinned as Tasuki moved to his pallet and shoved it aside, pulling up a piece of the floor. He reached in and pulled out a tattered blue coat wrapped around a dusty metallic fan.

Tasuki sighed and smoothed his fingers over the tessen, memories of how it felt to unleash his fire on evil.... And Tamahome. He smirked, he'd have to tease Tamahome and offer to flame him for old time's sake.

He hugged it to his chest. "Jeice, ya gotta pretend ya didn't see me. Jun's pissed at me. I didn't wanna let Rui fuck me so now I'm in trouble. I'm makin' a run for it an' I'll make it this time! Take care, Jeice-kun." he kissed Jeice's cheek and stepped back.

"Yeah, you know I'll cover for ya. If ya get caught again, though, ya know Jun'll kill ya. Make sure you don't get caught." Jeice moved toward the door with Tasuki, "And you keep him safe, friend. He's important to me, ya hear?" he called out to Tamahome.

"I'll be fine, but we gotta go." and slipped out the door. He grabbed Tamahome's hand again. "Let's go test this baby out."

Tamahome nodded to the man sitting on the floor and let himself be drug around by Tasuki. "Where are we gonna test it out?" He asked, looking around at the grafitied walls and dark alleys.

Tasuki's small smile turned devious. "Well, I c'n always test it on you." he let go of Tamahome’s hand and brought the tessen over his opposite shoulder, "Wanna be my target? Just for old time's sake?"

Tamahome's eyes went wide and he dove out of the way behind the two garbage cans at the mouth of the ally. He poked his head up and glared at Tasuki.

Tasuki smirked, "Yer really startin' to make me feel bad. First ya think I'm on drugs, an' now ya think I'm really gonna toast yer ass? Are ya sure yer my friend?" he mock pouted and turned to sob dramatically.

"Tama don't love me no more! Waah... He thinks I'm a junkie an' evil!" he leaned his head against a wall, his hands covering his face as he pretended to cry.

Even though Tasuki was faking, and it was obvious, it made Tamahome feel bad. After all, he had actually thought that Tasuki had been shooting up in his bathroom. He scooted out from the garbage cans and patted him on the shoulder. One, because he really did want to apologize from before and two, they were supposed to be lying low until the attack.

Tasuki turned and stuck out his tongue. "You are too easy, Tama-chan." then grabbed his hand again and pulled him around the corner. "There's an old baseball field around the next building. We can test it there."

He made a face, nodded and let Tasuki lead. So what if he was fooled easily? Only because he cared about Tasuki, felt a protective role towards him, and he really was sorry.

"Hey Tasuki." He asked on the way to the field, "What you said about us, when you were trying to get out of custody. Are you sure none of that really happened?" He was curious, so why not. They certainly did feel comfortable around each other and... "What your roommate asked. Did you tell him you were going to?" He finished the question trying to gulp down a sly smile.

Tasuki blushed and looked away. "Nah, I was just runnin' off at the mouth. We weren't in that kinda relationship, just real close friends. An' no. I didn't tell Jeice I was gonna sleep with you. He assumed that, 'cause I never say nothin' when I come back. I go to my cot an' lay there 'til I have to go back out. He thought that I loved ya or somethin', ya know? He just... assumed."

He shrugged and hid his eyes under his long bangs. "We're almost there,” he said, trying to move the conversation away from emotions and what who felt for whom.

"Mmm." He nodded slowly, taking in what Tasuki told him. "Just was wondering."

Tamahome looked up to a small dark field that looked like it was abandoned years ago. The fence had tons of holes, patched up then re-broken. The grass was more dirt than green and there was litter strewn across the sidelines that included a pair of forgotten panties, a few discarded condoms and a multitude of beer cans.

"This it?" He asked.

Tasuki nodded and moved towards what used to be the pitcher's mound. "Arright, give me a bit of room. Not sure how big the flames might be. Could be small could be fuckin' huge."

He braced his feet wide apart, his back to Tamahome. He drew back the tessen, his eyes closed as he sent up a desperate prayer. "LREKKA! SHIN'EN!"

Fire blasted from the end of the tessen, catching the stands and press box on fire as well as half of the field. "Oh SHIT!" He looked over his shoulder at Tamahome, eyes wide but a pleased grin on his face. "Look at that! It's fuckin' huge!"

Still staring in awe of the physical proof that this other world existed, Tamahome just nodded at Tasuki's comment. "I think we've got more than a fair shot at coming out of this alive." He looked to Tasuki, a huge grin on his face; "We're going home."

Tasuki's heart tightened, but he kept his smile. "Let's do this, Tama-chan!" he straightened and wandered over to Tamahome. "Ready to kick some ass?"

He walked over to the fence and ran his fingers over the electrical box near the edge of the field. "Come on, babe, we gotta go through this building over here to get to Jun. It's near th' chain house."

"Ok." Tamahome nodded and readied himself as he stepped through the doorway of the building Tasuki indicated.

His heart was racing. In all his time as a cop in the city of Tokyo, he had never once been so nervous as he was now.

Tasuki led Tamahome through the building, his tessen held in front of himself in a protective gesture. "Stay behind me, I'll fry as many a those bastards as I can but I want you t'stay back. Don't be a fuckin' hero, you get me?" he whispered over his shoulder. "Mi-chan would kill my ass if'n I let ya get hurt." He hated to say her name; much as he loved the miko, he was jealous of her... but he didn't want to prod too deep into why.

"You stay in front of me, I have too many memories of getting hit by 'accident' with that thing than I'd like to remember, but if they surround you I'm taking them down no matter what. I'm not letting you get hurt, Tasuki."

What could he do? That's what he was, who he was. A hero, no matter what world he was in.

Tasuki growled, "I used to do that on purpose, Tama, you could stand right in front of me an' I could direct it around ya. It was just more fun to see ya get pissed, you would make this adorable... well, ya used to make a face that always... well, it was funny." he stuttered around what was trying to come out of his mouth.

Movement caught his eye and he shoved Tamahome to the ground, his tessen flung out to bombard the thugs in the shadows with holy fire as he lay atop Tamahome. It was instinct; protect the ones you care for. He looked down at Tama with wide eyes and a blush, "Sorry, Tama."

Tamahome rubbed his head and got up, tucking away the stuttering comment for latter analysis. "Yeah, Tasuki, I'll be more useful if I'm not getting pushed to the ground."

There was shouting from down the hall. The roar of the fire catching the attentions of a few of the thugs standing guard. "Get ready." He smiled at Tasuki.

The battle was about to begin.

Tasuki nodded, getting to his feet and shaking himself. He had to keep his mind on the fight that was coming.

Thunderous footsteps grew louder as a sea of thugs came at them. "Jun tripped the alarm! Tama, let's hope you c'n channel more a that oni ki a yours. This is gonna get messy!"

He put all of his energy into his tessen, feeling it vibrate in his hand. "LREKKA SHIN'EN!" The first wave of uglies fell to the floor as charred dust. A few had managed to escape the flames and were on them before Tasuki could ready another attack.

Tamahome smiled. Those where his. He punched the first one he could see. Pulling back his fist, he slammed his elbow into the next one’s noes. These guys weren't nearly as tough as Rui. They dropped like flies; his fist didn't even sting when he had dropped ten of them. Their faces mashed like butter. "Next?"

He opened up to the next wave, who hesitated a bit before charging, looking worriedly at the bodies half burnt, half bloody on the floor.

Tasuki's blood sang in his ears, the joy of using the tessen for the cause of good rolling through him, making him feel invincible. "Gods, yes." he whispered, closing his eyes and sending out another wave of holy flame. "Burn, you mother-fuckers!"

He charged forward, using fire and tessen to keep the thugs away. He reveled in being able to fight back again. "You'll never touch me again, Jun! You hear me, you fuckin' coward?!" he screamed as he stepped through the sea of charred bodies. He was going to kill Jun, once and for all!

They both were smiling, the heat of battle calling out to their blood as they took out thugs in increasing numbers. Two friends, fighting side by side in strange clothes and with strange weapons. Tamahome felt alive. He ducked under a charging man and flipped him onto one of his buddies as they ran, their goal in sight.

There was a high-pitched whining and something flew by his ear with a deafening blow, he blinked as he heard concrete crack and fall behind him. He turned a confused look in front of him. There was a man training a pistol on him, and he let out another roaring shot. Tamahome jumped at Tasuki, knocking him to the floor as the bullet whizzed over their heads.

Guns. He had forgotten they even existed. Another POW! echoed through the hallway and lodged itself in the back of one of their enemies. He heard cursing and shouting as the guy fell.

Tamahome pulled Tasuki up and ran for a larger group of shields.

Tasuki had barely managed to recognize the pop and bang of guns being fired before he was flat on his back. He grinned up in thanks at Tamahome before following him into another group of thugs. He ducked behind another man as bullets peppered the air around them.

"Tama, we gotta get to Jun. Soon as that bastard is dead, the uglies will back off. Look at 'em; they're scared. They don't wanna be fightin' us."

Tamahome nodded, and ducked as another rain of bullets sounded out. "Tasuki." he looked at him. "You're the one with long range, think you can roast them?" He looked over to where the men with guns stood.

“I'll cover you." He waited for the nod of acceptance of the task.

Tasuki nodded and paused to catch his breath, in the last year he hadn't had the time or ability to really get out and run and he was tiring quickly. "Yeah, I'll do it."

He straightened up and unleashed as much firepower as he could, flame-broiling several gun toting bad guys. He kept up the stream of fire as he dashed toward the rest. He was determined to get by these jerks and get to Jun before he gave into exhaustion

Tamahome swung out, pulling one guy by the neck and in front of him, he plowed through a line of men, most dropped at the flames, others ran. He heard the clanging of dropped guns on the concrete and screaming as two of the five men fled from the invisible flame thrower. The barrage of bullets thinned and there was scrambling. He saw a few men running and dropping down to put out fires on their clothes.

"You ok to make a run for it?" He yelled back to Tasuki before he dropped the man in his hands and rammed his shoulder into an approaching chin.

Tasuki gasped in a breath, "Yeah..." he tried to swallow but his throat was dry. "I can do it again." Clenching his jaw, he lowered his center of gravity and made a final mad dash towards the hole in the on coming men, and broke through to the other side.

He skidded to a stop in a small dark room, the only light source was a computer monitor and behind that was Jun. A disgusting smirk on his rotund face, "Hello, pet."

The fat man smiled sweetly, the electronic whir of his wheelchair the only sound other than Tasuki's labored breathing.

Tamahome patted Tasuki on the back as he ran past him, spinning around to kick another man in the head. He glared up at everyone, and a shinning red light flickered from his symbol.

"Now just try and get passed me." He threatened to the crowd.

The men stumbled, looking at each other, no sure about what to do, all too afraid of what their boss might do to them if they ran. Then, all at once, they seemed to get courage again and they came at him.

A smirk lit his face under shadowed bangs, and he fought to keep Tasuki safe.

"Fuck you, Jun!" he yelled as he drew his tessen up. "Lift the hit! Lift it and leave Tama alone or I swear I'll roast your fat ass!"

Jun smiled pleasantly, "But, if you kill me then the hit stays. Be a good boy and come here. We will decide on a trade."

Tasuki growled and shifted his stance, making it wider, steadier. He drew the tessen back over his shoulder, "I swear by Suzaku I'll kill ya if you don't lift it! Now, goddamnit!"

A hand clamped down on his shoulder and the tessen was pulled out of his grip. "Hey, little bird, wanna play?"

Tasuki's scream echoed through the building, hushing even the most frightened cries.

Tamahome was surrounded when he heard a scream that made his blood freeze. He turned to look into the room. He caught a glimpse of a beefy hand on Tasuki’s shoulder before a metal pipe struck him in the head. He fell down and the mob washed over him with renewed strength. He wasn't out, but they were crushing him. He fought the sheer mass upward. ‘Tasuki, hold on, I'll get there.’ He pleaded in his head.

Tasuki raised wide, frightened eyes to Rui's face, all of the blood in his body draining to his feet. Dear gods, he was a dead man. He kicked and fought, keeping Rui as far from him as possible. "You fucking give that back! Nobody but me c'n use it anyway."

As he pushed, his anger flared. There was no way, NO WAY, that Tasuki would get hurt because of his shortcomings. A growl rose out of the mess of bodies. Red light engulfed him as his ki busted his limits. Men were flung and toppled off of him. His symbol was glowing brightly on his forehead. Red ki lapped at the air like flames.

Tamahome walked into the dark room, illuminating the Italian decorated walls. A shadow of a giant bird fell over the large man that held Tasuki. "Get away from him." He demanded.

Tasuki looked up from the floor, Rui atop him. "T-Tama?" He was awed by the amount of ki flowing off of Tamahome.

Rui's face whitened, having never seen anything like this in his life. "D-demon!" He bolted to his feet and ran from the room, the tessen falling from his beefy hand as he went.

Jun snarled, "Idiot."

Tamahome's head jerked to the side to glare at Jun. "You!" He growled deep in his throat. "Won't come after him, me or anyone related to us."

He held his hand to his chest, a red light flickered into existence in the shape of a ball in his hand. Swirling and growing.

Jun growled and nodded, typing something into his keyboard. "Done. Get out of my building. Take the whore with you, he's useless to me now. I can't keep a whore that is in love with a cop."

Tasuki pulled himself to his feet, his heart thumping wildly. 'Don't listen to him, please, Tama, don't listen. Don't figure it out!'

"Done?" Tamahome asked, the glowing ball of light still flickering in his palm.

The man grumbled and begrudgingly said yes.

Tamahome paused for a second. His anger whispered seductively in his head. If he took this guy out, then there wouldn't be any more people hurt, he wouldn't only be saving Tasuki, he'd be saving countless others from being used. He pulled back his hand.

Jun went white to the lips. "You have my word! Everyone you know will be overlooked!" he sweated as his eyes darted back and forth, looking for anyone to help him.

The men who had been fighting for him stood crowded around the door, fury in their eyes. "We want out too! We never wanted to be in this stupid organization in the first place!" one called out, agreement noises sounded through the crowd.

Tasuki stood beside Tamahome, his hand on his raised arm. "You'll be a murderer. Just like him, Tama."

Tamahome stood still, the flickering ball of ki swirling in his hand. His eye twitched, he wanted to release it so badly, sear a hole right through the despicable man's chest, but he heard Tasuki's words and they pierced through the anger. "If you lie to me, you're going to wish I had killed you." He said, dropping his hand and dismissing the ki back into his own natural flow of energy.

The mark of Ogre on his forehead dimmed, the flame-like reiatsu along with it. He reached out and grabbed Tasuki around the waist, leading them back through the crowd. "Come on Tasuki."

They parted for them as if afraid to touch the two. As they walked away, Tamahome could hear the crowd start to move in on Jun, each yelling his own concerns. "Let's go home.”

Tasuki huddled close to Tamahome’s side, an arm around Tama’s shoulder to keep himself upright. He was exhausted, all of that running and wielding the tessen had taken a lot out of him. He hadn’t been joking when he’d told Tama that he was out of shape. “Mmm, home, sounds nice, Tama-chan.”

He stumbled, even with Tama’s arm around him and tightened his grip around Tama’s neck. “Sorry, I’m pretty...tired.” and lost consciousness, falling against Tamahome with his full weight.

There was no where else to go but back to his apartment. Tamahome kicked open the door and carried Tasuki in his arms to the bed. He laid him down and studied his face. He thought about how fast his life had changed since he first saw that face and contemplated how things would be from here on in. Miaka didn't even know how close she had come to loosing him, how close she had come to being tracked down by the mob.

He sighed and unbuckled Tasuki's pants, loosening the belt and tugging them off. He folded them and did the same with his shirt, pulling on the more comfortable clothes. There were bruises and welts covering his body from the fight, but the saddest thing he saw was on his back. Harsh words permanently branded on him like livestock. He ran his fingers over the ink.

What motivated him to do what he did next, he couldn't figure out. Maybe it was sympathy for his hard life since coming to this world, maybe it was the fierce bonds of battle, maybe the words of an old, pathetic man in a wheel chair, but he leaned down and brushed a light kiss to Tasuki's lips.

Tasuki shifted in his sleep, drawing the warmth that hovered over him down to rest against him. His lips tingled and he whined softly, pushing his mouth closer to the soft touch. Softness was foreign to him and hoarded it when it was given, latching on and burrowing it into his memory. This was no different.

His eyes fluttered open and he sleepily stared up at Tamahome. “Tama, mmm.” His lids drifted shut again as he tightened his arms around Tamahome’s neck, pulling him closer as he purred sleepily. He rolled to the side, dragging Tamahome onto the bed with him and cuddled into Tama’s side. He draped an arm over Tama’s belly and rested his head against the other’s shoulder, sighing happily as he fell deeper into dreams.

Tamahome had meant only to... He didn't know what he had meant, but he hadn't meant to wake him up, that's for sure. He stiffened when Tasuki moaned, allowing him to be dragged around and cuddled on. He held his hands out, afraid to make a move that would wake Tasuki up.

He tried inching away, slowly pulling himself away from the twining of arms with every breath so the movement was natural. He looked around the apartment. He needed to at least get out of his street clothes and get to sleep, his eyes were drooping as it was and Tasuki's warmth was making it hard to fight sleep. He sighed and finally just lifted Tasuki's hand and hurriedly tumbled out of the bed, straightening up as soon as his feet touched the wood floor.

Tasuki stirred, he heard it. Weather he had actually woken up he didn't bother to turn around and see. With luck he would think it was just a bad dream and not think twice about it. What was he thinking? Tamahome scolded himself for acting out of odd instinct as he untied the old sash and pulled his shirt over his head.

Only then did he turn around to see Tasuki's eyes still shut. "Goodnight, Tasuki." He smiled warmly, as he flopped into bed.

With in seconds, he was asleep. Exhaustion taking over his body fully.

End 2