Stalking the Wolf

Stalking the Wolf

By: Yahnkehy

A/N: Okay, now I’m writing this chapter directly after I’ve finished the last one, so any reviews and comments those few readers that are following this story have left shall not be addressed in this chapter. This is the set up chapter for what will play out next.

Chapter Warnings: VERY oddly done skewing of the FY canon, scraps of bandit humor, and a lovely surprise. Oh, and language. Tasuki is so colorful…

Disclaimer: I, Watase-sama, do hereby swear that Yahnkehy owns all of FY and shall thereby be entitled to all of my profits from said universe.

Oh, wait, that isn’t what the memo said.

It actually reads; “Dear Yahnkehy-kun, we are sorry to inform you that you shall never own any part of the FY universe as it is a lucrative and well loved series. Watase-sama also wishes to inform you that, no, just because you own a Tasuki Plushie does not mean that you can claim rights to said fanged bandit.”

Heh, who knew that such a memo could be misinterpreted so badly? lol


Chapter 6: Play It Again, Sam

The tapping at his door woke Tasuki from his confusion-induced stupor and he dazedly walked over and opened it.

The door opened and Taka was on the other side, grinning with his phone still held in his hand. "Hey," he said with a slight blush. "You ok? You look kind of… out of it."

“Tama?” Tasuki asked, a confused frown on his brow as he stared at the boy on the other side.

Taka tilted his head and held back a smile. "Expecting someone else?" he asked, not doing a good job of hiding the giggle that was behind the frown. "You're the one who invited me up."

Tasuki shook his head to clear away the surprise that Taiitsukun had left him with and stepped back to let Taka inside. "Nah, I wasn't expectin' anybody else. Come in," he said, opening the door wider.

Taka stepped through the threshold and surveyed the place. "Nice, " he said with an appreciative nod. "Better than my bachelor pad." he joked.

Taka strolled around the area, stopping at the end table and examining an amber globe. "Wow, are you an art collector?" he asked in awe.

Tasuki shifted uncomfortably and closed the door for lack of anything else to do. "Uh, well, kinda. It's just stuff I've picked up while I was travelin'. It's kind of a hodge-podge of all kinda stuff." He shoved his hands in his pockets, nervous that Taka would recognize some of the items. Especially the armband that he had given to Rasui a few years before the boy had died.

Tasuki watched Taka move around his living room, checking out the artifacts that held a good deal of his memories. "Uhm, what made ya change your mind about comin' up?"

Taka grinned over his shoulder, his fingers resting on the ledge where the armband lay. "I already told you. I thought Miaka was around, so I left you guys alone."

Tasuki scratched the back of his neck, a nervous grin on his face. His eyes were stuck on Taka's fingers resting right beside the armband. "I know, but- hey, you said you had an explanation. Mind fillin' me in?"

Taka moved over to Tasuki, his grin turning sly. "I decided I'd rather spend the night with you then alone in my apartment." he said, his eyes taking stock of Tasuki as he explained. "Plus, I really like movies, so what's the selection?" He tilted his head and grinned again, looking around for a bookshelf.

Tasuki's cheeks pinkened at Taka's wording and he shifted his eyes to the side. Golden toned skin, needy brown eyes, hot mouth and teasingly knowing hands flashed through his mind and he almost missed Taka's question.

Clearing his throat, Tasuki tried to compose himself. "Uh, well the movies are in the cabinet under the TV. Pick what ya wanna watch," he answered, moving to sit on the couch so that the reaction his body had had to his memories wouldn't be obvious.

Taka nodded, plopped down in front of the TV and opened the cabinet, leaning his elbows on his knees as he searched the titles. "Anything you're interested in?" he asked into his hand and he picked through, setting some aside and putting others back.

You, Tasuki thought, then shook his head. "Nah, I like most anything. You pick." He couldn't for the life of him tear his eyes off of Taka's back, couldn't get rid of the warm and almost hungry gaze that trailed over the long line of Taka's back and the almost delicate curve of his neck.

Tasuki cleared his throat again and squeezed his eyes shut, forcing himself to stand. "Popcorn an' somethin' to drink?" he asked; though his voice was obviously a little rougher than before. He hurried into the kitchen and leaned on the counter, still eyeing Taka over the bar.

"Oh, yeah!" Taka perked up; " Do you have any milk tea?" He asked, twisting around to Tasuki in the kitchen.

"Yeah, I've got milk tea," Tasuki answered and reached up to grab cups out of the cupboard, but stopped to watch Taka exclaim and laugh at the titles he found.

"Ah, you have Shura Yuki-Hime. Did you like it? It's a classic," he exclaimed off hand as he returned to shuffling through Tasuki's collection. "Lot's of old movies...HAHAA, Spice World? Please tell me that's Miaka's," he called into the kitchen.

Tasuki leaned his elbows on the counter, a small smile on his face. "I like all the movies down there, just not Spice World. That one belongs to Keisuke. Somethin' about hot chicks runnin' around in almost nothin' that made him buy it. He left it here so's I'd watch it, but after readin' the back, I just put it down there an' tried to forget it was there."

Taka turned around to face Tasuki, leaning on his hand and smirking. "Another piece of the puzzle that is you, Terry." He got up, a DVD in his hand, and made his way into the kitchen.

"Let's watch Kantoku Banzai!" he said with a laugh. “I never saw it, but I heard it was hilarious." He slid the DVD on the counter for Tasuki's approval. "Need any help?"

Tasuki perked up, pulling himself out of the daze he had slipped into while staring at Taka. "Hmm? What? Oh, yeah, if ya wanna." He shook his head and straightened, resuming his search for cups. "I guess I should start the popcorn if we wanna eat it any time soon."

Tasuki grabbed a large bowl and set it on the counter along with two cups. "Tea is above the sink if ya wanna get it down. I've got a pan around here somewhere," he snickered at himself. "Can't tell I don't cook often, ne?"

Taka smiled at Tasuki, "Really? Could have fooled me," he said sarcastically, hands on his hips. "Anyway," he headed over to the sink and reached up to the top cabinet. "Anyone who gets that excited over café coffee has no experience in the kitchen. Unless you're really into coffee that drops you on your ass it's so strong."

Taka shifted through boxes, moving aside a jar of peanut butter. "Ah found it," he said, moving a small box of benito flakes. "Green tea is ok by me."

Tasuki leaned back against the counter; arms across his chest comfortably and legs crossed at the ankles in a way that would make his reaction to Taka less visible. "Arright, fine. The coffee sucks at your café," he said, watching Taka though desperately trying to keep his emotions in check.

Taka spun around and pointed a finger at Tasuki. "So, you admit it. Then what were you so excited about when I first met you?"

Tasuki shrugged, turning his head to look at the armband in the next room. "You," he answered. "I-I thought, I mean..." he trailed off then frowned. "I just hadda meet you."

Taka laughed and shook his head, "Did I have an add out in the personals?"

Tasuki tightened his arms over his chest, still refusing to look at his guest. "No," he answered quietly, then cleared his throat and sighed. "Fuck, this was so much easier to explain to Rasui -well, aside from his weird interpretation.” Tasuki sighed again and rubbed his face, "Never mind. I'll start the popcorn."

Taka was left with a confused frown on his face, just watching Tasuki. "Ok, ok. I have a confession. If I tell you mine, will you fill me in on just how you knew you had to meet me before you met me?"

Tasuki paused in pulling the bag of popcorn out of its box and glanced over at Taka. "That depends on how good you are at hearin' things that don't make much sense. If you c'n listen without freakin' out, then yeah, I'll tell ya."

Taka considered the proposal with a nod. "Alright. Deal. Ok here goes. How do I start?" He took a moment to gather and then took a breath for good measure. "Well, first off, the guy on my phone. We were together for about two years. I mean together, together. As in he was my boyfriend," he paused, waiting for Tasuki's reaction.

Tasuki nodded, looking Taka in the eye. "I kinda figured that out," he grinned, "That ain't gonna put me offa you. Please, continue," he gestured with one hand at the couch so that they would at least be comfortable while they spoke. Suzaku knew that Taka would need to be sitting down when Tasuki started his story.

Taka took the gesture with a relieved smile. "Alright, that said and I'm still here. I'm taking it you don't mind hanging out with a gay man." He looked to Tasuki for confirmation. "The confession is. I'm hot and cold on you. I can't figure if you're just really comfortable with me or if you're trying to tell me something." Taka raised his eyebrows and urged Tasuki to confirm or deny.

Tasuki colored faintly but refused to drop his eyes from Taka's. This was one moment that he couldn't mess up if he wanted to find out where this might take them. "I'm really comfortable with ya," he said, then scooted a little closer. "But, I wanna know ya better. I-I, well, I like ya."

Tasuki knew his cheeks were flaming, could feel the heat warming his entire face and creeping down his neck. "I didn't wanna push ya into anything, so I was just gonna sit back an' see what happened."

Taka relaxed visibly and smiled at himself, running a hand over his face. "Wow. That's a relief. I thought I was just reading your friendliness wrong." he leaned back into the couch cushions and sighed. "It's been bugging me all day."

Tasuki grinned and leaned back in the corner of the couch, one leg crossed over his knee. "I should'a just put a sign on my forehead that said somethin' to the effect of 'I got a thing for a guy I just met an' known forever' an' things woulda been clearer," he joked, but sobered a moment later.

"Are ya ready to hear some real crazy soundin' stories? You gotta stay here for all of it, or it ain't gonna make sense but, if it freaks ya out... well, I'll understand if ya run an' don't bother seein' me again." Tasuki took a deep breath and pulled his legs up on the couch, arms looping around his shins loosely while he waited for Taka's answer. He didn't want to explain; there was too much of a chance for Taka leaving.

Taka got more comfortable, giving Tasuki all of his attention. "Given how often I find a good looking guy who's funny, sweet and also into me? I'll give you the floor for as long as you need... Unless, you're secret is that you're planning on flaying me, and even then, I might still consider." He gave a wink to Tasuki. "Go ahead."

Tasuki laughed at that, but shook his head. "No, nothin' as damagin' as whips," he snickered, but a mental image of Nakago and his whip flew into his head and he sobered. "Arright, I guess I should start at the end an' work my way back so that it makes sense."

Tasuki took a deep breath and closed his eyes, searching for the right words to begin with. "I'm cursed. Kinda. I'm not allowed to die or age until I fall in love." He looked at Taka to make sure he was listening and not about to run for it. "I'm still alive, so that means either I'm unlucky or just not fit for fallin' in love. It's been four hundred an' three years since I was cursed. I was seventeen."

Taka blinked at Tasuki. "Wow, that's a hell of a creative way to let me know you're not actually interested..." He looked at Tasuki with scrutiny. "Wait, you're being serious?"

Tasuki nodded, "I really like ya, so I wouldn't tell ya this kinda thing just to get ya to leave me alone."

Clearing his throat again, Tasuki slowly continued. "Mi-chan, she- well, she's my miko. She was pulled into the past to fulfil a prophecy. She got three wishes from our god, Suzaku, an' her last one was for me to never rest until I fell in love with someone who loved me, too. When the wish was granted, I saw your face." His arms tightened around his legs, drawing his knees tighter to his chest.

"I've lived through all kinds a things. I watched everyone I knew an' loved die. I lived through wars an' had so many different names that I can't even remember 'em all. But, you've been there in one form or another all along. As Tamahome you were in love with Miaka, but you were with me as Tsang when I finally left China. You were in Cairo... as my Rasui. Tommy in the 18th century. Captain Bonnet in the First World War... I just didn't know they were all you. I didn't know until tonight. Just before ya came up, the Creator told me who you had been to me.

"I know that sounds kinda scary, but Taiitsukun told me that Suzaku sent ya to me so that I wouldn't hafta be alone anymore. I was ready to let ya go, though. I was gonna try an' get you an' Mi-chan together, but she's determined to help me end my curse." Tasuki laughed sarcastically, resting his head back on the arm of the couch. "Probably kinda pointless to even think of endin' the curse now. I really don't expect ya to be able to accept what I told ya, so it's arright if ya wanna take back what ya said."

Taka was silent for a long while. "Wow," he said, just staring at the blank TV. "That's a lot of ... information. And all at once." He fell silent for a moment, pulling his own legs up onto the couch and shifting.

"It's… a really romantic story," Taka said with a small shrug. "At least it sounds like one. And I can tell you for certain that I'm not getting together with Miaka. I haven't been straight since, well if you count grade school before anyone knows what it even means." Taka laughed, suddenly, shaking his head. "I guess it goes beyond that. I haven't been straight since… Tamahome was it?"

Tasuki shook his head, "Nah, Captain Bonnet was a widower, had a real nice son. An' I dunno about Tommy, he was only about twelve last time I saw him. Far as Rasui goes... well, I really dunno if he was straight an' just hid it well, or if he meant it when we... well, yeah."

Tasuki stared at the ceiling, pushing his emotions back into their little pocket so that he wouldn't have to deal with them. "You seem kinda calm for havin' listened to this. Last person I told sorta thought I was a child of gods, then again, back then magic an' the power of gods was more accepted than now."

Taka smiled apologetically, "Yeah, it sounds more like a script for a movie, or a novel or something. I've always been really into movies, so... I guess it's not really registering as real. I mean... I have nothing to go on but your word and I just met you today. I can tell you that I feel like I've known you for a while, but that could be just… we blend well."

Taka lay back again, shifting in his seat and trying to find a spot that felt better. "I guess if nothing else, you're a really creative person, if a little out there, and I still would like to get to know you. Maybe you'll find a way to convince me of your story," he shrugged again, giving Tasuki a little assuring smile. "Oh!" Taka jumped, digging in his pocket for something and pulling out his phone.

He flipped it open aimed the little lens at Tasuki. "Mind?" he asked before snapping a picture. "Want to just forget about curses and watch a show? I had a really good time today, and I'm still looking to get a new background," he said waving his closed phone with a smile.

Tasuki raised a brow; "You wanted my picture for your background an' all ya got was me lookin' like an idiot? If ya want a good picture, you'll hafta take it in the mornin'." He scooted out of the corner of the couch and stood. "Ya still wanna watch Kantoku Banzai or somethin' else?"

What Tasuki really wanted was to lie down beside Taka and sleep, but that probably wouldn't go over too well. "I can still make popcorn an' some tea if ya want it."

Color rushed to Taka's cheeks and he looked down to his phone intensely. "I… guess I could stay, but Miaka… she lives with you right? I don't usually do things like that... I don't want anyone to get the wrong impression."

Tasuki frowned, "Where did ya get the idea that Miaka lives here? She lives across the hall with her Ma and brother. There ain't a wrong impression to get, anyway," he answered, moving over to look down at Taka.

"There was a really embarrassin' conversation 'bout my lack a sex life this mornin'. Trust me, they ain't gonna think anything happened." Tasuki turned and went to the kitchen, grabbing the DVD off of the counter before going to the TV. "This movie was what ya wanted to watch, ne?"

Taka was in kind of a daze, but he snapped out of it. "Oh sure, sure yeah. The movie's funny, or so I hear. Maybe it'll be nice for you to get your mind off all the... curse and all." Taka shifted in his seat, rearranging himself to see the TV better.

Tasuki popped the DVD in and stood, but stopped as he turned and found Taka lounging comfortably on the couch. Clearing his throat, he left the room and grabbed a few pillows and a blanket from his bedroom and returned. He set the blanket out on the floor and arranged the pillows against the side of the couch so that he would be comfortable.

Lying down, Tasuki folded his hands behind his head, which allowed him to just barely touch Taka's leg. "It's a real funny movie," he said settling in.

Taka sat back, shifting and settling in to the couch. "Hey, Terry?" Taka leaned over, blocking out the lamplight. "You can sit on your own couch, you know." He smiled at Tasuki, his hair falling down in front of his face.

Tasuki tipped his head back, looking up at Taka upside down. "I know, but I didn't wanna crowd ya –well, that's part of it, anyway. I didn't know how comfortable you'd be with me so close, but it's comfortable lyin' here. You're welcome to try it out if ya wanna." He carefully removed his hand from Taka's thigh to prove that he didn't want to make his guest uncomfortable.

Taka moved and a moment later was siting on the floor next to Tasuki. "How could it be a date if we're not even next to each other?" He smiled and settled back against the couch as the DVD menu came up.

Tasuki grinned slowly then scooted down and folded his arms behind his head again. "Where was my brain on that one?" he drawled sarcastically, "On a real date, though, you'd be cuddled up beside me watchin' this film." So he was trying to tempt Taka into a little contact that wasn't casual, but he wouldn't push it beyond that no matter what his body was telling him.

“If I was into cuddling," Taka laughed, slipping an arm around Tasuki's shoulders. "Which, I am." He scooted closer and tentatively let his fingers relax around Tasuki's arm. "Better?" he asked, his voice slipping a little lower than he had previously been speaking.

Tasuki gazed up at Taka and all thoughts of watching the movie had faded into nothing. "Almost," he whispered, shifting so that he could place a tentative hand on Taka's lower back.

It wasn't playful teasing now. The moment had turned serious and close, and Taka was near enough that Tasuki could feel the warmth radiating from him. It was almost scary how intoxicating simply being this close to Taka was.

There was a light rustling noise and a warm breath on Tasuki's ear. "Now?" Taka had leaned in close to Tasuki, touching their heads together as he asked the question softly in his ear. A smile still colored his voice, but there was something a little tenser in his tone now.

Tasuki shivered as Taka's breath tickled his ear and slowly turned his head, giving him every chance to move away. All he could see were Taka's eyes, their breath mingling in the small space between them. "Close," he replied softly, scooting so that his side was lightly touching Taka's front. The hand on Taka's lower back gently nudged him closer, offering more contact if he wanted it.

Taka was obviously pleased, a smile slipping to his lips as he closed his eyes and moved closer. "Terry..." He reached over with his right hand and smoothed his fingers over Tasuki's arm and down to his hand. "Slowly."

Taka looked up into Tasuki's amber eyes and smiled, guiding the remote in Tasuki's hand to point at the TV and pressing the play button without looking away. "I fall fast, but I like to savor every step," he explained with a wink.

Tasuki laughed and shook his head, immediately falling into the playful idiot he'd been most of the night. His hand fell away from Taka’s back to lay limply on the floor. "Sorry 'bout that, I really was just wantin' to cuddle with ya layin' your head on my shoulder. Kinda got carried away," he grinned sheepishly and put a safer distance between them.

"To prove I ain't just tryin' to get ya between the sheets," Tasuki said, sitting up and adjusting the pillows so that the bits of fluff lay side by side rather than on top of one another, "You c'n have your own space an' I promise not to invade. Bandit's honor," he settled back on his single pillow and turned his full attention back to the movie, silently cursing himself for letting that spark of desire rule his actions.

"Bandit? Is that supposed to be something you can swear on? Doesn't sound too convincing," Taka joked back, taking his proper seat, but letting their hands touch still. The movie had started and he quieted, casting an occasional glance to Tasuki and smiling.

Tasuki smirked and stuck his tongue out. "My bandits had honor, so yeah, it is somethin' I can swear on." He scooted around and put his pillow down by Taka's feet then flopped onto it, his chin resting in his palm while he watched the movie. "There, this should make ya feel a little safer."

"Safer? I wasn't aware I was in danger." Taka grinned, throwing back the teasing.

Tasuki cocked a look over his shoulder at Taka, a slight grin on his lips. "Exactly why I needed to move down here, na? Can't have ya bein' attacked like ya almost was earlier –wouldn’t give too much credit to my sayin' that my bandits had honor." He rolled his eyes, a sarcastic smile on his lips.

"Alright, agreed. No one's to attack anyone, not while the other doesn't know." Taka smirked, picking up his hand and trailing his index finger over the back of Tasuki's calf. "At least until after the movie." He flashed a grin up to Tasuki then nodded to the screen. "Just watch the movie."

Tasuki laughed and did as he was told, but was slightly distracted by the light touch on the back of his calf. It was strangely calming, if he thought about it, that all pressure and half-formed expectations were suspended. Where before he was drawn tight as a bowstring, nervous and a little shy, now there was no need to worry.

Tasuki breathed a deep sigh, his attention drifting away from the film, and bunched the pillow between his arms, laying his head on it and staring at the television sideways. He'd seen the movie several times, and while it was hilarious and usually kept his attention, he couldn't help but float in and out of a light doze. Laughter from the movie would wake him and he'd grin or chuckle and then he'd drift again.

"-ke up sleeping beauty." Taka was whispering to him, his lips lightly brushing against the soft hair framing Tasuki's ear. "Movie's over," Taka said as Tasuki's eyes floated open. He had crawled over to Tasuki, leaning on his elbows next to him, a lingering feeling of a hand in Tasuki's hair as he set straight a stray strand.

"Mm," Tasuki grumbled sleepily, "D'ya enjoy it?" He rolled over and rubbed his eyes, trying to wake up and a little embarrassed that he'd fallen asleep in the first place. "Didn't mean to fall asleep on ya," he stretched and covered a yawn with the back of one hand. "Time izit?"

Taka glanced up. "According to your DVD player? Twelve, but it's been twelve for two hours now," he smiled down at Tasuki. "I really enjoyed it."

Taka leaned back and surveyed the room. "Where's another clock," he asked, getting up and stretching. "By the way, you're pretty cute when you’re sleeping," he winked.

"Bedroom, alarm clock on the dresser by the door," Tasuki answered then frowned playfully up at Taka. "I ain't cute when I sleep. That was a nap. When I'm sleepin' I'm like a pizza delivered upside down; I'm all over the place." Tasuki sat up and stretched again; a little restored after his short nap. "Cute is for guys like you, anyway."

"Oh?" Taka laughed as he walked over to the door Tasuki indicated. "I'll keep that in mind." He poked his head in to the bedroom. "I guess you prefer sexy then?" Taka came back with a grin on his lips. "It's a quarter to one," he said as he strolled back. "You know, I happen to like when pizza gets all turned around and messed up. You get to pick the cheese off of the box. It tastes different when you eat it off cardboard." Taka sat down on the arm of the couch. "It's late, should I let you get to bed?"

Tasuki's eyebrows rose, "Sexy?" he laughed and shook his head. "Nah, sexy ain't exactly what I'd call it." Getting to his feet, Tasuki stretched again. "I suppose I should get some sleep. Sorry 'bout fallin' asleep on ya. I really wasn't gonna fall asleep but I kinda drifted off." He made no move toward the door; instead he tucked his hands into his pockets and grinned.

"What?" Taka laughed as he eyed Tasuki.

"Nothin'," Tasuki replied, his grin growing wider.

Taka's grin mirrored Tasuki's and grew wider as his did. "What?!"

Looking left and right as though to make sure that no one would catch him, Tasuki leaned forward and whispered so softly that there was no way Taka could hear him. When he leaned back again, his grin was nearly splitting his face.

Taka blinked and leaned in, straining to hear what Tasuki said. "What? Did you even say anything?"

Tasuki smirked, "Yeah, I said somethin' arright," he laughed and sidled closer to Taka. "Want me to say it again?"

Taka looked up to Tasuki and nodded. "Yeah. You definitely got my curiosity perked."

Tasuki's grin almost cracked as he tried to hold back a laugh, "Arright, you asked for it." He leaned in and spoke softly against Taka's ear, "I really hope you're ticklish, because I'm gonna tickle ya!" The words hadn't even passed his lips before his fingers dug in and skittered up and down Taka's sides.

"St –top Ahaha!" Taka jolted backwards, falling onto the couch behind him. Tears were already in his eyes by the time he had finished hiccuping out the command. Laughter-weak arms pushed against Tasuki's chest to no avail. A painful smile plastered itself to Taka's face.

Tasuki knelt over Taka, keeping his fingers moving at dizzying speeds over ticklish skin. "If ya yell out 'Uncle', I'll let ya go, but then I get to steal a chaste kiss, so make sure that ya really want me to stop before ya say it."

Tasuki would win either way. If Taka just kept laughing and fighting him off, then he got to have fun. If Taka asked him to stop, though, he would get to show that he could keep things innocent and playful instead of letting things move into passionate territory.

Taka convulsed, curling his legs up to protect his sides, but Tasuki had a good grip on him. "A-O- Hahaha -Kay... OK Uncle!! Stop! Stop!" He wiggled under Tasuki, pushing himself up with his feet on the arm of the couch. He hit at Tasuki, balling his fingers into fists in Tasuki's shirt. "I give up!"

Tasuki released Taka from the tickle attack and grinned down at him playfully. "Told ya I'd get ya to beg me," he snickered, bracing his hands on either side of Taka's head and simply looking down at him.

Taka calmed down from the attack, letting go one of his hands to wipe at his tears. "You're good," he admitted, with a playful sneer. "Now come here." Taka pulled Tasuki down to his lips by the collar, sliding his eyes closed. "Kiss me, Tasuki."

Tasuki took a breath and pressed a whisper-soft kiss to Taka's lips then pulled away. A thrill had gone down his spine, the type of feeling that preceded the loosening of his control. Desire hadn't been the point of this kiss, building trust was the point, but obviously he had made a grave mistake in thinking that he could share an innocent kiss with Taka and not be effected. It took a moment for him to realize that Taka had called him ‘Tasuki’ again. Perhaps pieces of his memory were coming back?

Taka sighed, a happy little sound, and quirked a little smile up at Tasuki. "What? No more?" he tugged a bit at Tasuki's collar, tilting his lips up towards Tasuki's.

"Taka, I-I dunno if..." Tasuki trailed off, eyeing the lips that were offered to him. Just a kiss! Nothing else; keep your hands to yourself, he thought as he lowered his lips to Taka's in a firmer kiss, though still closed mouthed.

"Better." Taka smiled. "I'm not going to push you for more. I'd be accused of being a tease when I don't follow through." He gave Tasuki an apologetic smile and a shrug, playing with Tasuki's collar.

Tasuki sighed and settled himself on his knees beside the couch. "I wouldn't call you a tease. I've arready decided that no matter what we can't go further, so it's not a big deal," he murmured as he laid his head on Taka's belly.

"What?" Taka yelped, turning quickly on his side and searching Tasuki's face for a reason with concerned eyes. "Why?"

Tasuki looked up with a confused frown, "What do ya mean 'what'? Ya said to go slow, ne? I'm just makin' sure that more'n just my head knows it."

"Oh. Okay," Taka said with a nod and a sigh of relief. "I though I was getting dumped already." He got up to his knees and sat forward to meet Tasuki on the floor. "It means I get to look forward to seeing you tomorrow?" he asked, quirking his eyebrow and nosing Tasuki's temple.

Tasuki tipped his head to the side, eyes closing as he willed his control to hold strong and not weaken under Taka's innocent teasing. "Did ya think I meant that nothin' would ever happen between us? Sorry, but unless ya lose interest in me –which could happen –then I expect things to progress like normal datin' relationships do."

Taka laughed, sitting up and stretching. "Was there supposed to be something abnormal to it?" He stood up and offered a hand to Tasuki on the ground. "Tomorrow, we can go somewhere and just hang out. Most of today I was on a roller coaster of are you or are you not gay."

Tasuki rolled his eyes but took Taka's hand and stood. "I'll just tattoo it on my forehead, next time, or maybe I should just grab your ass or pin ya to the wall an' kiss ya silly?" He snickered, tugging Taka closer.

Tasuki slid an arm around Taka's shoulders and hugged him, breathing in the familiar scent and realizing just who used to smell that way. Rasui... Gods, he could have held it together if not for that scent and the multiple memories of long nights spent in a passionate embrace with his Rasui. His grip tightened around Taka and he steeled himself against the desire that tried to break his control.

Taka's grip loosened and Tasuki's didn't. He re-squeezed Tasuki in a prolonged hug. "Terry?" he asked after Tasuki didn't let go a second time. "Are you ok?"

Tasuki released Taka quickly and stepped back, "Sorry," he answered and plastered a grin on his face. "You smell like Rasui –which kinda makes sense since... yeah, anyway, you c'n sleep on the couch or I can, which ever ya wanna do."

Taka eyed Tasuki for a moment. "I… I don't need a place to stay. I mean, if I'll see you tomorrow, I can stay at my place."

Tasuki nodded, "I was just sayin' that since it's late... but, yeah, I'll see ya tomorrow if ya wanna go home." He shoved his hands into his pockets again, stoutly keeping his smile pleasant and calm.

Taka gave Tasuki a sly smile. "I know you're not happy about it," he raised his eyebrow. "You don't have to pretend it's ok." Taka stepped in close to Tasuki. "It's nice to know you're disappointed that I'm not spending the night." Taka laughed and walked to the door. "See why I'm a tease sometimes?" he winked, raising a finger to the tip of his nose and sticking out his tongue. "Have a good night, Terry. I'll come by tomorrow, give me a call when you're up."

Tasuki laughed softly and shook his head, "I'll call ya in the mornin', then." He walked over to the door, patted Taka's shoulder and then returned his hand to his pocket. "Sleep well, Taka-chan."

"I'll have warm dreams," Taka said, leaning in and gracing Tasuki with another soft kiss. "Thanks to you. Good night." Taka opened the door, stepped out in the hall and walked away with his hands in his pockets.

Tasuki heart thumped wildly but he waited several moments after the door closed before allowing himself to visibly react, and when he did he found himself sliding down the door. He panted, clutching his chest because he was sure his heart was about to beat right out of his body. He stared at the floor between his feet with wide eyes, surprised that he had had such a strong reaction to the simple idea of Taka having warm dreams because of him.

In all his life, Tasuki had only known of two people who had wanted him; the laws of slave and master bound one to him and the other had wanted him as a plaything for her brother. He really didn’t know what if felt like to be honestly wanted for himself instead of because of his position or how he could serve someone else.

With much effort, Tasuki pulled himself together and stumbled off to bed. When he dreamed that night, he felt arms around him that soothed his usual nightmares and the faint scent of Taka’s skin floated in his nose, adding to the comfort of the loving embrace.

00

Tasuki woke feeling much more relaxed than he could recall ever feeling. There had been no nightmares, no choking sadness as he watched everyone he had ever let close to him die. It was freeing, actually, not to wake up buried in remorse and have to claw his way into a somewhat normal frame of mind.

Tasuki flopped over on his belly and grabbed his pants from the floor beside the bed, not bothering to actually get up, and pulled his phone from the pocket. Flipping it open, he scrolled through his phonebook until he found Taka's number. A grin curved his lips as he hit send and waited for an answer on the other end.

It rang a few times before Taka's voice answered, "Hello?" He sounded rushed and flustered.

"Taka, this is Terry. Ya said to call ya this mornin'." Tasuki cleared his throat, trying to get rid of the sleepy rasp from his voice. He stretched and yawned then frowned. "Did I call at a bad time?"

"Terry, Hi!" there was a rustling noise from the other end. "NO, not a bad time. I was drying off when I heard the phone ring. I thought it was you, so I ran to get it," he explained. Another sifting noise and then, "Hold on for a second."

Background noise, a drawer opening and closing, the phone was picked up again. "Ok. So, good morning," Taka said cheerfully. "Have a good night?" his voice was light, but if a smirk could have tone to it, it was in that question.

"Oh, I didn't mean to get ya outta the shower," Tasuki flushed at the thought then firmly pushed it aside. "Good mornin'," he chuckled, "An' for your information, I slept real well. An' judgin' from what ya said before ya left, I c'n assume you did too."

Tasuki rolled over onto his back, staring up at the textured ceiling with a smirk. "I could ask for details, but I kinda get the feelin' that it might slip into teasin' territory."

Taka gave a short coy laugh. "I had a very good night, though I didn't sleep too much." His voice dropped down into a whisper. "You kept me up pretty late."

Tasuki's face flamed at the implications of that whisper and was really glad that Taka couldn't see his face. "Really, now," he purred into the line. "An' here I was thinkin' I'd help ya sleep when instead I kept ya awake. I'll hafta try harder next time."

Taka gave a little laugh at that. "I'll look forward to that." He shifted the phone and there was a fwump noise as he plopped down on the bed. "Ahh, so, what about today? Anywhere you were thinking of going?"

Tasuki laughed softly and followed the subject change willingly; gods only knew what he might have said otherwise. "Actually I was thinkin' of goin' to the park. Supposed to be a few sakura trees that have bloomed a little early an' I wanted to go see before the festival. You up for that or do ya wanna do somethin' else?"

Tasuki sat up and slid off of the bed, going about getting himself ready for a shower and a date. Drawers creaked and he tossed a fresh set of boxers and a pair of socks onto the bed. He paused, though, before going to his closet; he needed to know where they were going before he picked something to wear.

“Park sounds nice. I love Sakura trees. I'll bring some lunch and we can stay for a while. Meet me there?”

Tasuki grinned, "Yeah, 'bout half an hour?"

"Sure. See you there," Taka said and hung up.

Tasuki snapped his phone closed, tossed it on the bed and flung open his closet. A wide grin curved his lips as he pulled out a pair of comfortably broken-in jeans and a loose maroon cable-knit sweater. He gathered up his things and hurried to the bathroom.

Tasuki rushed through his shower, yanked his clothes on and hurriedly brushed his hair and teeth. Shaving took a minute, but he wasn’t really one who had to shave often –though he had a little more stubble than usual.

He left the bathroom and hurried to the door; phone in his pocket and jacket over his arm as he rushed outside. Tasuki almost ran into Keisuke in his rush, but scooted around him. “Sorry, date. See ya!” he called when it was obvious Keisuke was going to delay him with questions.

Keisuke just shook his head and hitched his bag up on his shoulder.

00

The park was mostly empty when Tasuki got there, so it was easy to spot his date –though the fact that Taka was a sight to behold probably helped.

Tasuki ambled up, trying not to look as if he had run the entire way in his eagerness, and took in just how gorgeous Taka really was. Now that he had shed his work clothes, Taka was spectacular to see. The pressed white button-down shirt over a nice pair of jeans and the same fingertip-length jacket from before brought out how pretty he was. Tasuki had to clear his throat before he could speak, afraid to startle Taka with how rough his tone was. “Hey, Taka.”

Taka turned a wide smile to Tasuki. "Terry, hey," he waved. His eyes scanned Tasuki up and down, "Wow, you look great." He reached out and touched the neckline of the sweater Tasuki wore. "Good color on you."

Tasuki grinned and captured Taka's hand then placed a soft kiss on the thin skin of his wrist. "Thanks, you look nice, too. Wanna wander around or just sit an' chat?" he asked, releasing Taka's hand and settling his own on Taka's hip lightly.

"Let's walk," Taka suggested, sliding his hand down Tasuki's arm and taking his hand into his own. "I brought lunch, and there's a nice spot on the other side of the park that has a bunch more trees in bloom." Taka held up a lunch tower two boxes deep and wrapped in a red scarf. Then he turned Tasuki's hand so their arms linked around each other’s and led them off.

Tasuki grinned and shook his head, "Arright, so ya gotta explain somethin' to me. Why can I talk to ya on the phone all teasin' an' it be fine, but if I put my hand on yer hip, ya get kinda skittery? I ain't complainin' about either thing, I'm just curious," he said, putting a tiny bit of distance between them so that Taka wouldn't feel uncomfortable. Tasuki pushed a strand of damp hair behind his ear and silently wished he had taken a few minutes to dry it better. If he had, though, Taka would have been waiting a little longer, so it was better to show up with wet hair instead of making Taka wait. "I ain't tryin' to be nosey, I'm just tryin' to understand you a little better."

Taka glanced at Tasuki out of the corner of his eye. "I'm skittery?" he asked, "I guess it's because I'm still a little new to the outed thing," he sighed. "I'm sorry. I've known for a while, but I only recently stopped hiding. Pretty much when my ex and I started going out. He encouraged me to." Taka smiled shyly down to the path. "So I've only been doing things like walking hand in hand with a guy in the open for about two years."

“Aah, that makes sense. I guess I didn't look at it that way. My last experience with... same sex relations was in Cairo 'bout three hundred years ago; it was accepted for a master and slave to have relations no matter what gender they are. So, I'm kinda outta the loop. You'll hafta forgive me," Tasuki said, a wry grin on his lips. "But if public affection bugs ya I'll keep my hands to myself," he said and let go of Taka's hand, putting them in his pockets just to make sure that he didn't grab hold of Taka out of habit.

Taka looked up to the sky and was silent for a moment, also putting his hands in his pockets. "Cairo," he repeated wistfully. "So... what was it like? I guess you were some kind of pharaoh? I mean, you had slaves and if you're immortal, they do that to you, right? Make you king?"

Tasuki cocked a strange look at Taka, almost as if to say 'are-ya-nuts'. "Uh, no," he answered, slowly. "Nobody but Rasui knew what I was an' he wasn't about to tell anyone. I had a couple a guys that I hired to help me figure out how to live in the desert an' find tombs. I bought Rasui because the slave trader said that he was young, strong, could read an' was obedient. That, an' I figured I'd be a better master than some a the other jerks that was tryin' to buy him." His voice lowered to an almost angry growl as he recalled the lustful looks a good deal of the crowd had directed at the pretty boy on the auction block.

"Anyway, I was gonna have him work with me for a few years an' then free him an' give him some money so's he wouldn't hafta worry 'bout nobody else ownin' him again. It didn't quite work out that way an' we got real close for awhile," Tasuki finished, swallowing down the sadness that welled up when he thought of his beautiful Rasui. He shook his head, "I'm sure ya didn't wanna hear 'bout that, so how's about we talk about you?"

Taka was intently watching Tasuki as he spoke, but he agreed with a nod. "Alright," he said, pushing up the sleeves of his jacket. "Compared to a millenium man, I can't be that interesting, but ok."

Taka took Tasuki's hand again. "First off, I'd like to get comfortable with who I am, so let me try," he smiled at Tasuki. "But, I don't know where to begin otherwise. I'm pretty normal –aside from the obvious. I was born in Okinawa, but I moved out to the main land pretty early, so I don't have an accent or anything special. I'm studying language in college. I got a gift for learning them and I want to do translation..." He stopped, chewing on his bottom lip and casting a worried look over to Tasuki. "God, I'm boring. Sorry."

Tasuki tightened his grip on Taka's hand, chuckling softly. "Taka-chan, you're not boring at all. Language is pretty interesting, actually. You wouldn't believe the changes in language in just four hundred years. Look at English; when I was learnin' it we hadda speak all proper an' stuffy, but that was the way it was done. Same with Chinese; lots about that language is scarily different from what I grew up speakin'." He looked around at some of the tentatively blooming sakuras, a grin slipping over his lips. "What languages do ya know? You c'n practice with me if ya wanna."

A color tinted Taka's cheeks as he smiled. "I learned English in grammar school. French too. Freshman year I got to take an elementary Chinese course, but I'm not too good at it. I'm studying ancient languages this semester. Taking a few classes like that. Learning about the evolution of how different ones came about. It's an elective, but it's really interesting. Egyptian is really difficult, the speaking that is, I get the hieroglyphics easily, but a lot of my classmates have a hard time with the pronunciation because of Japanese." Taka beamed. "I got it down good though. There was a scroll we were translating and reading through last week and I got to read it through when we were done. The teacher really likes me because I stay after with him a lot, just talking about class stuff."

Taka grinned, chuckling to himself. "English is probably the most useful, so there are a bunch of courses on that, but... the ancient ones are really fun. Let's see…" Taka drew his hand up to his mouth, tapping his lip and thinking hard. "If you really lived in Cairo, you would know what I just said." Taka cast a sly grin to Tasuki as he put together, slowly, a sentence in the ancient language.

A test, then. Interesting. Tasuki stared at Taka for a moment, unblinking and blankly. "That was real weird soundin'," he said slowly, hoping to tease Taka a little bit before he switched into Egyptian as well. "But some of your particles are a little off. The accent is a little harder to mimic since your first language is Japanese."

Tasuki then switched to English, "I sort of prefer to speak in this language when in a formal situation, though the accent is stuffy and I sound like an idiot," he smirked, then swapped to Ancient Chinese. "But ya said you was learnin' Ancient Chinese, too? I dunno if people actually speak it anymore since so much of it is so different now."

It was Taka's turn to blink in surprise. "You... you speak all of them so well! How… I mean, I guess… wow, the Chinese I hardly recognize. It must have… changed a lot..." he looked embarrassed, but he was laughing. "I guess after living and learning them while they were evolving, having someone talk to you in a modern version of what we thought it was like must sound ridiculous."

"Nah, I arready knew what the new versions sounded like so it ain't a big deal. When I was with my language sensei in college a year ago, though, I wanted to smack him cause he kept tellin' me I was sayin' things wrong. He was the kinda guy who figured that anybody younger-lookin' than thirty was an idiot."

Tasuki stared at Taka for a minute then pulled him underneath one of the trees. "You're still not sure I'm tellin' the truth, are ya?" He leaned back and took Taka's free hand into his own, looking down at their clasped hands silently for a minute. "I guess I c'n show ya somethin' that might help ya believe me, but... it might scare ya more'n anything, so I'm kinda leery of showin' ya."

Taka's eyes grew wide, staring at Tasuki with uncertainty. "Is this the part where you prove it's too good to be true and kill me?" he said it in only a half-joking way, his voice growing timid and his eyes darting to other people in the park. "Quietly under a cherry tree?"

Tasuki dropped Taka's hands and moved away from him. "I see," he said evenly and shoved his hands into his pockets before turning back around a good distance away. "No, Sukinami-san, I wouldn't hurt you." Tasuki snorted and shook his head. "I was going to show you a kanji and possibly take you for a run, but I don't think that you'd believe that now. So, I'll just head back home and hope you find the kind of partner you were looking for in someone a little less frightening." He bowed formally then turned on his heel and stalked away.

"Wait, Terry," Taka called out to him. "Wait." He reached out to Tasuki's arm and touched him gently. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be frightened, but it… well. It's a little scary. My boyfriend is either raving psycho or an immortal cursed to walk the earth until he found me…I'm honestly not too sure which one I'd rather it be." He took a breath, looking at Tasuki with pleading eyes. "Just, don't go? I get the feeling that if I let you just walk away we'll both regret it." Taka held out his hand hopefully to Tasuki. "Please?"

Tasuki nodded politely, "I'm sure you see why I don't tell most people, and perhaps I told you too soon. I don't think I should touch you if you are afraid of me, though, and I sort of wish you had said something last night before I kissed you." He held himself completely stiff, but looked apologetically at Taka's outstretched hand.

Taka deflated, dropping his hand to his side and looking down to the ground. "I didn't want it to stop you from kissing me," Taka said in a small voice. "I'm not afraid of you. I just know this whole thing between us is too good to be true, and… well, I'm waiting for the punch line, so to speak."

Taka took a step backward. "Guess if it starts off in disaster, there's no hope for it, huh?" he tried smiling through the obvious hurt. "It would have been nice if we- I would have liked t-" Taka put a hand to his head and stopped himself. "Never mind."

"No, what were you saying?" Tasuki stepped forward, but relaxed his stance so that he didn't come off as threatening. "I'm interested in what you were saying. There isn't a punch line; I don't think it's a disaster of a start, but if I scare you then I need to know so I can... I don't know, figure out how to gain your trust, I guess." He lifted his hands and they hovered over Taka's shoulder, but fell away without touching him. "I can't touch you, no matter how much I want to, if you're afraid of me because I don't want to scare you even more."

Taka watched Tasuki's hands hover and retreat with an odd look on his face. He looked determined to make a decision, concentrating on some kind of inner debate. His eyes shifted to Tasuki's and suddenly, he grabbed him and pressed a kiss to Tasuki's lips. "I'd like it if we could work out," he said after releasing Tasuki's mouth.

On reflex, Tasuki's arms wrapped around Taka's hips and pulled him close, and he buried his face in Taka's neck. "Suzaku save me," he whispered, relaxing. "I just knew I'd screwed it up, that I scared you away. I won't say it again, I swear, I won't bring it up again."

Tasuki took another moment to calm down then slowly released Taka from the almost desperate embrace. "Sorry, I-I don't do that well in relationships most of the time so I'm kinda... rusty."

Taka smiled and shrugged at Tasuki. "It's not like I'm an expert, I've only had the one. Tell you the truth, I'm pretty curious and it's really interesting, but... I think we're supposed to save deep dark secrets for a little later." He smiled and let out a little laugh. "For starters...Lunch?" he held up the bundle again with shrug.

“Yeah," Tasuki nodded at Taka’s question, an almost invisible smile on his lips. "Lunch sounds fine." He gestured for Taka to pick a spot to sit, still greatly unsure what would and would not be allowed now. Obviously talking about his past at all would be a largely unspoken of topic, and probably close contact for a good long while, which was fine now that he knew that Taka was afraid.

"Secrets later, all right," Tasuki repeated quietly, committing that to memory. For now, he would work on just being a friend and maybe some day Taka would trust him just a little bit. That idea gave him a tiny spark of hope for the future. All he had was time that stretched out into oblivion, he could spend it doing worse things than desperately working to gain the trust of someone who was supposed to be his One.

"In the mood for anywhere in particular?" Taka asked, breezing by the subject and switching topics easily. "As long as we don't go to where I work, I'm fine." Taka took the lead and started walking toward the edge of the park, glancing back with a smile to make sure Tasuki was following him.

Tasuki smiled politely, shaking his head. "You said something about a tree you wanted to sit under earlier, but if you changed your mind then wherever you want to go instead is fine with me," he replied. He wasn't sure what was supposed to happen now; everything was so different from the teasing playfulness of the night before.

"What did you pack in that lunchbox, anyway?" Tasuki asked, looking for something to talk about. This was an entirely new situation for him. Friends he could do and going from friends to lovers he could understand, but how was he supposed to go back to friends after almost having been something more? Heaving a silent sigh, Tasuki decided to just ignore the fact that there had been a hint of a private relationship and just focused on being a friend. It was all he could do.

Taka's features softened and he tilted his head with a shrug. "Well, that spot's kind of... private… Romantic and all. Maybe we should save that for later, too." He fell in step with Tasuki and gave him a smile. "For now, the fountain? It's got a lot of people, and the birds hang out there. As for what's for lunch?" he looked into the bag and grinned. "Rice, Tamago, hotdog octopuses –pi? and seaweed salad." He closed up the bag again and beamed. "All hand made, thank you very much. We can buy drinks down at the fountain too."

Tasuki nodded, a little bit grateful that they wouldn't be in a romantic setting for lunch, but a little upset too. "The fountain sounds nice an' so does lunch," he grinned, a wry laugh falling from his lips. "I think it's octopi, but don't quote me on that."

Tasuki held out a hand indicating that Taka should lead the way then pushed both hands into his pockets, strolling along and enjoying the midmorning sunshine. If he had known that things were going to go the way they had, he might have asked Keisuke to come along to help keep things at least a little normal. Next time... if Taka ever wants to go out again, that is.

They walked down a cherry tree-lined path full of women with strollers, children walking and laughing and artists selling pictures. It was a nice broad way, lots of people and lots of distraction to keep Taka not focused on whose hand wasn't holding whose. Taka sighed a bit, looking up to the trees as he passed them, but said nothing until they got to the fountain. "That's a good one," he said, pointing over to a spot on a bench close by the water. It was one of the few benches that weren't otherwise occupied with new mothers and young kids.

Taka ran and grabbed it up, setting down his stuff and reserving their spot. "I'll go get drinks. What do you want?"

Tasuki reached around and tugged his wallet out of his back pocket, flipping through several bills before handing one over to Taka. "Um, there's a juice bar over there. If ya go there, would ya get me something peach?"

Folding up the wallet and putting it back in his pocket, Tasuki glanced over at the kids playing Frisbee with their dogs and the expectant mothers who were strolling towards the pond and dropping bread crumbs for the ducks. "Ya picked a real nice spot, Taka."

Taka hesitantly accepted the money, but folded the bill and shoved it in his pocket. He looked out, following Tasuki's gaze and nodded. "I really like this park. It's the biggest one we have and it's so close." He took a deep breath then smiled. "Peach; I'll be right back." He spun around and jogged to the juice bar.

Tasuki watched the children play while Taka was off getting drinks. He didn't want to sit down yet, too full of nervous energy to sit still, and just stood beside the bench. He was sorely tempted to watch Taka, but kept his gaze trained on the kids and dogs that ran around, though he could still see his once-date and now-friend from the corner of his eye.

A short while later, Taka came back with two drinks in his hand. He handed the light orange-y colored one to Tasuki and kept a red one for himself. "Anything interesting happen while I was away?" he asked, taking a sip from his cup

Tasuki sipped his drink, glancing over at Taka. "Nah, just a game of tag over there," he pointed to a group of laughing and running children, "and some dogs learnin' how to play Frisbee. Wanna sit down?" he asked, picking up the lunch box and gesturing for Taka to take a seat.

Taka nodded, taking the seat offered as well as the lunchbox, and popped open the lunchbox and broke apart a pair of chopsticks. He set the boxes carefully on the seat next to him and glanced up to Tasuki. "You're not going to sit down to eat?"

Tasuki took a seat on the opposite end of the bench, the lunchbox between them, and grinned sheepishly. "Sorry, I was taught to... um, this looks real good, Taka," he said. He plucked the other set of chopsticks out of the box but didn't break them apart just yet. Sharing a homemade bento had several connotations around it, one of which implied feelings of something more than friendship.

Instead, Tasuki sipped his drink and looked out at the relaxed crowd. A small smile touched his lips briefly as he watched a woman coo at her baby, but it drifted away again. There had been a time that he hoped to have a child of his own, but he'd long since given up the idea. It was hard to think of having children when he knew that he would outlive them.

"Hey," Taka said to bring Tasuki's attention back. "If it looks so good, eat some." He pushed it further over to Tasuki's side, his chopsticks pointed at Tasuki and one eyes closed to look down them at him. "Or was that just lip service?"

Eyes wide and questioning, Tasuki returned his attention to Taka's face. "Hmm? Oh, right. Okay," he mumbled, snapping his chopsticks apart and looking into the box. He found a hotdog octopus and broke off one of the 'legs' before popping the piece into his mouth. "Very good, thanks for bringin' lunch, Taka."

Once Tasuki had taken the first bite, Taka dipped his own sticks in, scooping up a mouthful of rice. He ate his bite with a smile. "Mm, nice to have good clean food once in a while. I live off of such terrible things because I get lunch at the café." He dove back in and popped a hotdog in his mouth, picking up a bit of the omelet right after and nearly squeeing as he ate.

Tasuki grinned as he watched Taka eat; amused that someone other than Miaka could take such joy in eating. He kept his chopsticks in his hand, but didn't move to take another bite, too caught up in enjoying Taka's little noises and the cute happy faces he made while he ate.

"I don't cook often an' there's a bento shop not far from my place. I usually eat there." Tasuki grinned slyly, spilling the reason he didn't cook; "If'n Mi-chan were to smell food comin' from my apartment, I'd never get to eat. I swear that kid's got the nose of a blood hound when it comes to food."

Taka smiled at him, the tip of his chopsticks nestled in his mouth as he nodded. "I could cook for you if you wanted. I don’t cook often either, but that's mostly because I work a lot, and school takes up the rest of my time, so cooking for myself is a bit of a waste. If I had someone else to cook for, I'd have a reason to do it for myself." He pulled his feet up onto the stone bench and sat cross-legged in his spot, holding the chopsticks over the box and scouting for his next choice.

Tasuki grinned, "Maybe that should be the other way around," he said, nipping a piece of omelet and putting it into his mouth. "I can cook for ya; I've got nothin' to do all day an' protectin' Mi-chan ain't that hard a job nowadays. You've got school, work an' all that goin' on, so it would be easier for me to cook for you, na?"

Maybe that wasn't a good idea. Tasuki already had no idea where he stood and maybe offering to cook would make Taka uncomfortable or make him think that Tasuki was trying to continue the romantic relationship that had been –had they broken things off? Instead of asking, Tasuki just waited to see what Taka would say. The answer might clue him in.

Taka nodded, thinking to himself for a second before taking another bite of rice. "I do have a lot going on, so yeah, you over at my place sounds good. Maybe one day next week."

Well, that sort of answered his question. "Sure, whenever you want," Tasuki replied, putting his chopsticks back in the box. He draped his arm over the back of the bench, watching the bubbling and spewing fountain and the kids who played in the shallow water.

"Ya know, maybe we can go bowlin' again sometime? I c'n bring Tetsuya an' Keisuke an' we can bowl teams. Ya said ya didn't know many people so I figure that ya might like meetin' a few good kids around your age." Tasuki kept his eyes on the fountain, staring at it almost dazedly.

Taka burst out laughing. "Kids?! Around-... oh… yeah…" He quieted down quickly, clearing his throat and rapidly shoving food in his mouth so he didn't have to speak. His gaze drifted along with Tasuki's, watching the children play and laugh.

Tasuki winced and got to his feet. "I'll be right back, gonna throw this away," he said quickly, gesturing to his empty cup. He didn't wait for Taka to reply he simply walked off towards a trashcan that just happened to be on the other side of the fountain.

Once there, Tasuki took a deep breath and tossed away his cup. He plunked down on the edge of the fountain for a moment, trying to decide what to do now. It was harder to watch his mouth now that Taka knew and every time he slipped, he noticed how Taka clamed up or changed the subject. With a sigh, he scrubbed his hands through his hair and leaned his elbows on his knees, trying to decide what he should do.

If he broke things off with Taka, that would be it. Tasuki didn't think that Taka would be able to stay friends with him. On the other hand, if he stayed and boxed away the part of his past that brought him to this point, it would be like ignoring part of himself. "Damnit," he growled.

TBC…