Nagare

A/N- Hope you all like it so far!!! Yay for 3 reviews!! **hugs reviewers**
I have 3...but I want more! **Grin** So here's chapter two. Enjoy!!!!
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“We can just camp for a little while, ne? Eat some lunch, take a swim…” Bankotsu didn’t believe it possible, but even more color drained from Jakotsu’s face, leaving it a color disturbingly like wet paper. But he gave in, and turned slowly, beginning to walk towards the sound of rushing water. Sighing in relief, Bankotsu stuffed his armor into their already large pack, and hauled it up onto his back, picked up Banryuu, and followed.


They had had the marvelous luck to catch two fish from the stream. Jakotsu was still in awe over his companion’s ability to catch fish with his bare hands. The one time he had voiced his respect, Bankotsu had waved it off, laughing, and told him it was just a product of being on his own for so long. Now it had proved invaluable yet again, and the two fish were spitted on sticks and roasting in the fire. Jakotsu sat stiffly with his back up against a tree, Jakotsutou lying on the ground beside him. Nothing made the pain in his back any better. If he sat up too straight, it hurt. If he slouched, it hurt. If he held his own weight, it hurt, and if he leaned against the tree too hard, it hurt. But at least there was shade under the tree, and shade was definitely something he wanted. Carefully, Jakotsu raised a hand to his face. His cheeks were hot to the touch, and sore. Burned, then. He sighed and placed the hand back in his lap, letting his eyes wander to covertly watch Bankotsu.

In the course of catching fish, the younger boy had gotten soaked. His clothing hung over a tree branch, baking in the sun, while he waited for it to try. Until it did, he had knotted the lightest of their blankets around his waist, and now lay by the water’s edge, stretched out on his back, with the material pulled up his thighs barely enough to stay decent. Jakotsu licked his protesting lips, his bottom one bruised from being bitten into so hard. He couldn’t help but stare.


Bankotsu’s bronze skin shone in the sun. Everything about the younger boy was bright. His eyes were, gleaming like twin sapphires, his skin, his personality, which was the sweetest Jakotsu had ever known, and his mind, sharp, if a bit naïve. And now more of that skin was showing than Jakotsu had ever allowed himself to look at before. He and Bankotsu generally didn’t bathe together. Even though their relationship normally was very close, after half a year of travel, there were still things about him that the other boy didn’t need to know.



The sun felt wonderful now. Now that he was lying by a cool stream, with practically nothing on, he soaked it up willingly. The two fish let off a wonderful aroma as they cooked, and together with the rice balls they had been carefully rationing out to each other, lunch looked promising. Bankotsu sighed, shading his eyes with his hand and looking up at the sky. A bee whizzed by, and high up, something that might have been a hawk wheeled in slow circles.

Jakotsu still wasn’t talking, and this bothered him. The normally effervescent boy usually couldn’t let a silence stretch for even a minute. And this was one pregnant silence. But Jakotsu had talked to him before they set up their temporary camp, albeit briefly. He had even laughed a little when one of the fish had slapped its captor in the face with its tail. What was wrong? He couldn’t still be upset about this morning... That wasn’t Jakotsu’s style. Normally these little after-fight standoffs would last ah hour, maybe two. But then the taller boy’s lighthearted personality would shine through, and all would become forgiven. This had been going on for half a day. Bankotsu let his arm fall, covering his eyes. It had to be the pain thing again. Maybe Jakotsu wasn’t talking because it would reveal too much? Another thought made him scowl. Maybe Jakotsu wasn’t talking because it hurt to even do that. He sat up, wincing as grass peeled away from his sweaty back. This had gone on long enough. Pride or no, if Jakotsu was hurting too much to talk to him, then something was going to have to give.

Pulling himself up, he made sure the knot around his waist was secure, and then walked over to check on the fish. He felt eyes follow him the entire way. It was creepy, Jakotsu watching him without saying anything. He’d never been creeped out by the other boy before, and he watched the goosebumps rise on his chest, even though he stood before a fire. The fish smelled about done, the scales peeling away, skin cracking from the heat to reveal the succulent white meat inside. Bankotsu nimbly snatched both stakes from the fire, and on the way over to Jakotsu’s side, gathered their ration bag from the pack.


Jakotsu feigned sleep as Bankotsu turned towards him. It really would not do for his friend to catch him ogling him. A spear of guilt lanced through his chest at the thought. He had no business—

“Jakotsu?” A tentative hand was placed on his arm, poised as if to shake him. Fearful for his back, Jakotsu quickly reached over and shoved it away. He glanced up and caught Bankotsu’s confused eyes.

“What is it, Aniki?” He winced. Even drawing breath hurt now, the motion pushing at the protesting muscle in his back. Against his will, a whimper left his lips.

Banktosu laid the fish to rest against the ration bag, and scooted closer to Jakotsu. “What’s wrong?” He regretted it as soon as he said it. Eyes that were normally a soft charcoal grey glinted like hard granite.

“Nothing, Aniki.” The voice was carefully blank, devoid of everything, and it was the last straw for Bankotsu. Grabbing Jakotsu’s shoulders, he leaned in and frowned.

“Bullshit. You’re in pain. I’ve watched you be for the entire day! Now tell me what’s wrong, damnit, or I’ll strip you myself to look for wounds!” His hands tightened on Jakotsu’s shoulders briefly before impact knocked the air out of his lungs. Blinking and gasping for air, he fought his way to a sitting position. He was a good half-Banryuu length from Jakotsu, and the older boy’s leg was still extended from the kick he’d undoubtedly delivered to Bankotsu’s stomach. The younger boy stared, wide-eyed. Jakotsu had never, in any way, lashed out at him physically before. His eyes wandered up to see Jakotsu’s face. His eyes were screwed shut, and his head was turned away. In fact, his entire body radiated tension. But as Bankotsu watched, it faded, and Jakotsu blinked his eyes open, head turning again to look at his friend. The look of wide-eyed astonishment was so essentially Jakotsu that Banktosu had to laugh, even if it came out as a wheeze.

“Itai, Jakotsu.” He smiled crookedly at his friend, the tension suddenly broken. Jakotsu’s still lifted leg dropped back to rest on the ground and he smiled as well, a small, sheepish one.

“Gomen nasai, Bankotsu. I..” he hesitated, and Bankotsu finished for him, softly.

“I scared you.” More and more, things were making him realize he didn’t want to know what Jakotsu’s past held.

The older boy sighed. “Hai.” He sat still, waiting for questions. When none came he looked up, meeting Bankotsu’s eyes. “Are you okay, Aniki? I’m sorry I kicked you.” His eyes shone with concern, and Bankotsu smiled again. This was a bit more like the friend he knew.

“Hai…I’m fine. But you’re not. You’ve been hurt all day, I know you have. What happened?” Bankotsu frowned slightly, hoping that the confession of fear had loosened the hold Jakotsu’s pride had on his common sense.


The boy in question sighed again. Why did Bankotsu need to know everything? Curiosity was not a virtue. Jakotsu hungrily eyed the fish resting, still hot, against the cloth of their ration bag. Everything in there was going to smell like fish now.

“It’s nothing important Aniki. If I promise to tell you after we’ve eaten, can we eat? Please? Before the fish gets cold?” He looked up, ignoring the pain in his back, and locked eyes with Bankotsu’s plaintively. To his immense relief, the younger boy laughed and handed him a staked fish, before starting to root through their rations.

TBC....................
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Hope you all enjoyed part the second!!! Leave a review, because reviewers get love! **hugs reviewers again**

~Tareacel