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writetomyheart2019-03-01 10:31 am
kira-shadow.livejournal.com) wrote in writetomyheart2019-03-01 10:31 am
[Team Two] Dance of Cherry Blossoms
This thing turned longer than I intended it to be oops. It was largely inspired by "Takizawa Kabuki ZERO", which is why there might be some OOC moments here and there but that's because I kind of mixed characters (real life + stage role 1 + stage role 2). The main inspiration was seeing Sakuma doing an "onnagata" role in the kabuki part of the stage. Like, lol damn. He looks like his mum lolol
Anyway, enjoy.
“Trust me, my lord. Nobody will find you here. You will be safe until the time is right, until your family will be able to return to its old power and take back what is rightfully yours,” those had been the parting words of his most loyal retainer when they had left him here in the care of the mistress of the house, in the backstreets of Gion.
It had been a bloody night. His family had been massacred and he was the only one who had survived. He and a few loyal retainers of the family, who had now scattered. But not until after they had vowed revenge on the clan who had murdered his family.
He believed that even now, after more than fifteen years, they were still lying in wait somewhere, biding their time. No one would expect an uprising now, not after all this time, and that would be when they would strike.
To be completely honest, Sakuma did not really have any interest in that any longer. He would read the secret messages that came his way about all of it but they did not spark anything in him. He had decided to move on and forget about the past. After all, his old self had died that night as well. To the world, the him of the past no longer existed. And with each passing day, he himself, was starting to turn more and more into a different person. Into the person who had lived this life for the past fifteen years.
Lifting his head, he looked at the tea house they had just arrived at. Tonight was a bigger performance night than usual. Their entire house had been emptied out for this occasion, something that rarely happened. Sakuma did not know any of the details nor did he really care about them really. He would do what he usually did. Dance, play music and serve tea. And then he would go home, while the higher ranked and ‘proper ladies’ from his house would entertain their clients further if they so desired - and had enough money to pay for the services.
Yes, the house he belonged to right now was not considered to be one of Gion’s most reputable ones. They were on the fringe, offering all sorts of entertainment. Including ‘that’ kind.
It was strictly by choice, though. Nobody was forced to do anything they did not want to do or consent to. And the lady of the house made sure that none of the clients overstepped any lines.
This was how he had stayed safe and undetected for so long. Sakuma was truly thankful for the lady of the house for that. She had never been affiliated with his family but from what he had heard his family had been a benefactor for her and her business when it had started out. So she had taken him in to somewhat return the favour.
These days Sakuma earned his keep, so there was no issue of freeloading or anything. Tonight was probably going to pay for a good amount of time he would still spend with her.
When their group entered the room, Sakuma could feel all the eyes turning towards them, could feel the center of attention shift towards them within a split second. All talk and noise was silenced and the air crackled with what he hoped was just mere anticipation.
He brushed those thoughts aside to focus on his act, his performance.
“You are to attend to one of the smaller chambers. Number 6. Do not worry, Sayuri will be with you,” the lady told him in passing and he gave her a small nod.
He and Sayuri, one of their more experienced performers, bowed deeply and respectfully as the doors to the chamber were opened for them and then went inside. Sakuma started to serve tea and treats as usual, brushing off the looks he received. Also as usual.
From what he could tell, he men in the chamber were samurai, officers with what had become something of a ‘city patrol’. They were lower in rank than the people who had remained in the large chamber after the performance, after the banquet. He could see that what he was serving them was not what this tea house considered to be their best course but rather the cheapest.
So maybe these men were here as bodyguards of the richer and more influential ones.
Suddenly, he felt eyes on him once more but this time felt different for some reason. He found himself unable to brush this gaze off. This was strange. It had not happened before.
Despite himself, Sakuma glanced up and for a brief second, his eyes met with the ones of the young man he was currently kneeling in front of.
Even with just one glance, he had been able to tell that the other was different.
The intensity of the other’s gaze almost made him shiver involuntarily. But Sakuma did not let his concentration slip and performed his duties carefully.
“You should be at the proper banquet, young master. Do not hang out with the likes of us here,” one of the older men spoke up. “Although we feel honoured by your presence of course.”
“I’d rather be here than there. Parties like those are more of my grandfather’s, father’s and cousins’ thing,” the young man shook his head, pulling his gaze away from Sakuma finally. “I trust all of you more than I trust the people out there, too.”
A young master, was it. Sakuma had not heard any details about the clients of the night. But it figured that it had to be someone with a lot of money. A wealthy family?
“Tea and sake, no matter if cheap or expensive, taste the best when shared with the best people,” the male added with a bright smile.
The men around him cheered.
“Well spoken, young master Iwamoto!”
Iwamoto.
Sakuma was glad that he had finished serving all of the tea because this revelation might have had him drop something. Just when he had thought that he had let go of the past, it had come back to haunt him. For them to meet in a place like this.
The Iwamoto Clan had been the one who had ordered his family’s assassination.
He tried not to dwell on those thoughts. Sayuri was giving him a sign to get ready so he went to get his shamisen and knelt down at the end of the room for the little private chamber performance. The moment he strummed his instrument for the first time, he felt eyes on him again. And not just anyone’s eyes but those of the young master Iwamoto.
To his utter surprise, he noticed that Iwamoto’s eyes alone were on him while everyone else was focused on Sayuri, the main performer. Why? What was the other seeing in him?
When the performance ended they received their applause. After that the men moved, seemingly getting called up for duty again. Sakuma saw them off and then tried to turn around to take his leave. Tried. He found his way blocked.
“You, what’s your name?”
“It is a not a name worthy to be spoken by someone like you, young master,” he replied softly, his voice a genderless whisper more than anything else.
“Please tell it to me. Do not be afraid. I am not like those guys,” Iwamoto nodded his head towards the banquet hall where loud laughter and jeering could be heard from. People were obviously drunk and some were moving on to, well, other forms of entertainment.
Ah, this was bad. Sakuma looked into the other’s eyes again. He liked those eyes. They carried so much warmth in them. So much...promise. Sakuma could tell that the young Iwamoto was a good person just by looking into those eyes. And now that they stood in an area that was better lit than the dim chamber, Sakuma could also tell that the young Iwamoto was rather pleasing to the eyes as a whole. Not to mention, very tall.
“Sakura.” It was his ‘stage name’. Inconspicuous, normal. Just like all others. And yet it held so much more meaning.
He had always liked cherry blossoms. Many people thought of it as a weak flower, beautiful but short lived - fast to fall. Those people could not see the true meaning and true beauty of the cherry blossoms. The most beautiful cherry blossoms bloom on the graves of people. Cherry blossoms were actually ugly flowers who bloomed and turned beautiful by taking the lives of others. And as if to spite those people, they danced on top of their dead bodies.
Cherry blossoms were wicked flowers.
“Sakura,” Iwamoto echoed. “I will remember your name. I hope we will meet again.”
Sakuma bowed deeply and then finally took his leave. His feat carried him away from the place, from the other very quickly but there was a treacherous voice somewhere in his heart hat echoed Iwamoto’s last words. ‘I hope we will meet again, too.’
It happened only two days later.
Sakuma had just finished his morning routine - sword katas in one of the training rooms, hidden away from view - when one of the servant girls came running to his room.
“You have been requested personally, Sakura-sama. It’s the young master Iwamoto!”
He had even opened his mouth to reply when a flurry of people came into his room and helped him into his garments. Someone did up his hair and then makeup was slapped onto his face, neck and hands. Sakuma regained his wits by the time everything else was finished. He took up his makeup brush to put some finishing touches on - he always did most of his makeup himself.
Sometimes he did it for the other girls as well, having developed quite a proficiency in it over the years. It was something he was weirdly proud of sometimes.
His feet carried him down to the guest room and he knelt down and bowed deeply.
“We sincerely apologize for the long wait, young master.”
Iwamoto was alone. The other gave him an inviting smile and Sakuma stepped into the room before kneeling down in front of his ‘client’.
“How can I serve you today, young master?”
“Just Iwamoto is fine. I am not into the formalities. Please.”
“As you wish, master Iwamoto,” Sakuma bowed his head.
“I guess I cannot go against all protocol, huh?” Iwamoto laughed. “Please raised your head, Sakura. And just tea and some music will be fine. I liked listening to you playing the shamisen.”
So Sakuma pulled out his shamisen and played as Iwamoto watched and sipped on his tea. At one point the other seemed ready to nod off, so Sakuma put his instrument aside and gestured for Iwamoto to lie down. The other looked confused by this.
“It’s okay. This is how weary warriors can get some rest,” Sakuma reached over and pulled Iwamoto down so the other’s head came to rest on his lap. Usually, such a bold move would not be permitted and he would be severely punished for it but Sakuma knew that with Iwamoto, it would be alright. The other was not like any other clients after all.
Iwamoto blinked up at him but then laughed softly and closed his eyes.
“I guess I can see the appeal. But please do not let me sleep for too long. I have to leave before it gets dark,” Iwamoto said softly, already sounding like he was drifting off.
Sakuma took note of that and then gently reached out to stroke Iwamoto’s hair with one of his hands. When he was sure the other was asleep, he got a little bolder and touched the other’s cheek as well, letting his finger’s ghost over the strong, tall cheekbones.
He woke Iwamoto up again before sundown and they parted with a promise to see each other again once more.
After they separated, Sakuma returned to his room to take off the makeup and take a bath to fully cleanse himself. Once he re-emerged from the bath, the lady of the house summoned him.
“I heard the young Iwamoto has never shown any interest in entertainment or women before. His grandfather on the other hand as well as his uncles and cousins and especially the heir to the family are known for their lavish parties and banquets but him, he has always been a bit of an odd one out. When his grandfather heard that he wanted to request a girl from our establishment, he was so overjoyed that he sent lavish gifts,” the lady of the house showed Sakuma the room next to hers where all the gifts had been put up for display.
Expensive garments, fabrics, food, tea. It looked like an entire shop had been brought in.
A box was handed to him. “This is for you. Wear it next time you are with the young master.”
The kimono inside the wooden box was pastel pink with fine embroidery on it. A flourish of cherry blossoms and petals were dancing across the fabric. It was simpler in colour and design than the kimono he wore for performances (which was bright orange-red with white and pink flowers on it). It was meant to be worn outside.
“He doesn’t know of this, does he?” Sakuma closed the box again.
“No. It’s his grandfather’s work.”
“I’ll wear yellow flowers in my hair to go with this,” Sakuma rose back up to his feet.
“Yellow?”
“The Iwamoto Clan flowers are yellow. It’ll be my show of appreciation for this gift,” Sakuma replied. “Would that be appropriate enough?”
“I believe it would be.”
Before Sakuma could leave the lady added, “You should be careful. Being favoured by the young master Iwamoto could pose some risks for you. There are many who have had their eye on him. So be careful when you accompany him.”
“Am I not always?” Sakuma knew he was not the brightest crayon in the box but he had survival instincts and skills. Those had helped him more than any of the knowledge the tutors his father had hired for him back in the days had tried to cram into his brain.
The kimono was put up in his room and was taken care of every day to make sure it was in its best condition for when he would have to wear it. The day came soon.
“The young master Iwamoto is requesting for you again. This time in advance.”
He got up early in the morning on the day he was scheduled to meet the other again. His makeup and clothes were less elaborate this time. It was going to be an outing after all, he was going to walk the streets outside and not performing inside a house. His hair, too, would be simpler, just his natural hair, pulled up into a simple knot and not the wig with the long extensions that he wore for performances. Sakuma put down the lip colour brush when he was done putting on the finishing touches once again. A droplet of the red colour dripped down onto the handkerchief next to it, staining it crimson.
“Nothing good will come out of this. Nothing good can come out of this. We should not do this. We cannot do this.” He whispered softly, eyes sad. His words betrayed how he really felt. The attraction, at least right now, was mutual. But he knew that once the other found out the truth, it would all be over. Sakuma knew he should, no, he had to end it before he crossed a point of no return. Although deep down he wondered whether he had not already crossed that line already.
He walked to the antechamber downstairs to greet Iwamoto. As usual, the other told him to raise his head very quickly and then offered him a hand.
“I have gotten permission from the lady of the house. Will you go for a walk with me today?”
“It would be an honour.”
Their path led them around Gion and then to one of the normal neighbourhoods in the city, not the fancy ones closer to the castle or big estates. It was an area where Sakuma did not draw too many if any looks. Other meiko and geisha walked around here, with or without company.
They stopped at a small shop for some tea and dango before they continued.
“You seem at ease.” Iwamoto noted.
“So do you,” Sakuma retorted.
“I am. This place is a lot more comfortable for me. Compared to the fancy estates,” Iwamoto said and then looked over to the grounds of a temple where young men seemed to be immersed in some kind of martial arts training.
“I noticed that you were more a man of simple means. A man of the people,” Sakuma nodded and stopped next to Iwamoto to watch the training. “It’s a good trait.”
Iwamoto looked at Sakuma. “Do you like it?”
Sakuma looked up, “I do not dislike it?”
That had Iwamoto laughing softly. Then he flashed Sakuma a smile, “You actually sound relaxed as well. We’re able to have a normal conversation like this.”
“I take that as a compliment,” Sakuma wrinkled his nose a little.
A group of men shoved past them and Sakuma felt himself getting shoved into Iwamoto roughly, who caught him before he could fall or worse. Getting pressed against the other so closely he noticed how muscular and well built the other was. This was a man who could well and truly keep you safe, he thought to himself. If he weren’t your enemy. Then he would bring certain death. He wondered how long he could keep walking on the edge between those like this.
“Are you okay, Sakura?” Iwamoto asked and looked down at him. Something in his expression seemed to have changed a little bit Sakuma couldn’t put his finger on it.
“I’m okay,” he replied softly and nodded, straightening up again. “My apologies.”
“It wasn’t your fault,” Iwamoto shook his head. Then his eyes went up the sky. “Ah, it’s getting late. I’m afraid we’ll have to head back soon.”
They were getting closer to the house again when Iwamoto suddenly turned down a smaller and darker alley. It was a place that would hide them from view, Sakuma noted. Iwamoto also spoke with a very quiet voice. This was a conversation meant only for the two of them. His heart beat a little faster when he realized that. He told his heart to be still and not to hope. But it did not listen to him. It did however soak up Iwamoto’s words.
“Next time, would it be rude to see you with less of the makeup on? I’d like to see more of you. Just you. Because I think you’re more than beautiful without all of this already.”
Sakuma smiled coyly. “You sure know how to flatter a person.”
“It’s not because of flattery. It’s my own selfish desires. I don’t want the makeup to be in the way.” Iwamoto admitted under his breath.
Then suddenly Iwamoto leaned in closer and Sakuma’s heart skipped a beat. But before their lips could touch, Iwamoto moved his head away and just hugged Sakuma tightly.
And Sakuma found himself hugging the other back, arms coming around the taller male before he could even think about it. Ah, he wanted to be held by the other. He had wanted the other to kiss him, he realized. Even though it would make things so much worse. But it was too late to turn back now. He had already fallen. There was no turning back.
“We’ll have to keep it a secret from the lady of the house. Or anyone, really.”
Iwamoto pulled away again. “Tomorrow. Whenever is convenient for you?”
Sakuma went over his schedule. “There is a party in the afternoon but I am not going to accompany the others to it. So there won’t be many people in the house. I can sneak away.”
“Meet me down by the river?” It was not too far from the house and Sakuma knew ways that would lead him there without anyone seeing him.
“Okay.” Then he looked up and the question left his lips before he could really think about it, “Why me, young master? You could have any woman, any girl in this city you wanted.”
Iwamoto smirked at him and the expression sent a shiver down Sakuma’s spine.
“It’s because I do not want any of the girls. I want you.”
The realization that Iwamoto knew that he was a male did not hit him as hard as he thought it would. Maybe he had noticed as well, somewhere along the way, that Iwamoto had come to him because he was different from all the others around him. And that maybe the reason why Iwamoto had never shown any interest in this kind of entertainment had been because of that.
“I’ll be there tomorrow.” Sakuma bowed and then made his way back to the house.
His heart was racing, he realized, when the door closed behind him. There was a rush of anticipation that was carrying up the flight of stairs and into his room where he more or less collapsed onto one of the big pillows.
Maybe, just maybe, things would not turn into a complete disaster. Maybe he could hope.
Unfortunately, his hopes were going to be shattered the next day.
Sneaking out undetected had been easy. Sakuma had still donned girls’ clothes of course and had pulled his hair up into a feminine hairdo to keep up appearances just in case. The same went for the small amount of makeup he had put on. None of the typical white colour, just a little powder and a tiny amount of lipstick. The garments he wore were lighter and less elaborate, thinner and in darker, toned down colours. To most he would probably look like a servant girl or at least a girl from an unimportant household if they did see him.
He was carrying an umbrella with him, a faded red paper one, as it had looked like it might rain later in the day and he did not know how long Iwamoto was planning to stay out with him.
It did not take him long to locate Iwamoto by the river. He walked up to the other and gave the taller male a smile when the other noticed him. Iwamoto jogged over towards him.
“I wasn’t wrong. You look great like this,” Iwamoto smiled. “Let’s walk along the riverbank? There aren’t a lot of people here at this time so it will be nice and private.”
Sakuma fell into step next to Iwamoto or maybe slightly behind, out of habit.
“You know a lot about how and where people move around. Is the city guard watching us all this closely?” Sakuma chanced a question. He’d done a peripheral check himself and when he had not found any sign of onlookers or eavesdroppers, he had not bothered to change his voice.
“So this is what your voice really sounds like. I’m impressed by how it changes,” Iwamoto remarked before he answered, “No. Not everyone looks at things as closely as I do. I just like to keep myself informed. It comes in handy a lot of the time.”
“Very logical. And practical,” Sakuma commented. “But I guess that’s what you are known for, young master Iwamoto.”
“Stop calling me that already,” Iwamoto sighed. “Just Iwamoto is fine. Or Hikaru even.”
“Your grandfather would have me killed if he ever found out. Hikaru,” Sakuma chuckled.
Iwamoto snorted softly. “It does not sound like you are afraid of him.”
“I trust that he will not find out about it,” Sakuma shrugged.
“Then what about you?” Iwamoto looked at Sakuma.
“Me?” Sakuma blinked.
“You know my name but I do not know yours. It’s not Sakura, is it? That’s obviously a stage name,” Iwamoto pointed out. “Tell me your real name?”
“Daisuke. Just call me Daisuke.” Sakuma had almost slipped up but he had caught himself before he could have said something wrong. “But keep your voice down.”
“Daisuke,” Iwamoto echoed. “I like the sound of it. Although it seems a little ironic, considering you aren’t exactly big.” He grinned.
Sakuma thwapped the other with his umbrella.
Their playful banter turned back into a casual conversation soon. They talked about this and that, talked about each other and themselves. It was their first time to talk like this, to be together like this and yet it felt like they had known each other for a much longer time.
They had been so wrapped up in their conversation that they had not noticed how they had almost left the city and the sun was starting its descend.
“We should head back,” Sakuma bit his lip. “We’ve moved a little too far.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t realize we had gone quite this far,” Iwamoto apologized. Then he frowned.
Apparently the passage of time and their location had not been the only thing he had not noticed up until now. Sakuma had thought that he had felt something, felt eyes on them a while ago but had carelessly brushed it off. A big mistake.
“I guess you don’t just have friends around this city.”
“Unfortunately not.” Iwamoto pushed Sakuma behind himself protectively. “Come out. Show yourselves. I know you are here.” He challenged.
They were outnumbered and surrounded. By the way the men who appeared from the shadows dressed, they were bandits. Sakuma had heard about them, had heard about groups of them lurking just outside the city and preying on merchants and the like. The city patrol had dealt with the majority of them recently, leaving the remainders scattered. Like this.
“We’ll murder you right in front of your girlfriend’s eyes. And then we will take her.”
“You can try.”
In the resulting brawl, Sakuma and Iwamoto were pushed back, along a small pier. Sakuma could spot an old boat still tied to one of the wooden pillars at the end of it.
Their attackers were thinking they were driving them into a dead end but that wasn’t quite true. Iwamoto did not seem to have realized that they had an escape route yet. He was still desperately pushing back against the bandits. A few had fallen but there were still enough to keep him occupied. Especially on the bad footing of the pier.
Sakuma stepped in and hit one of the bandits with his umbrella, making him lose his balance and stagger backwards into his comrades. This was their chance.
“Cut the rope,” he told Iwamoto. “And get on the boat. Quickly!”
He dashed forward and blocked one, two, three attacks with his umbrella, buying Iwamoto the necessary time. Then he jumped and joined the other on the boat, kicking the pier to make them drift out further onto the wide river. Two of the bandits plunged straight into the waters, missing them. The feeling of relief of having escaped the bandits did not last long. Sakuma noticed that the boat was going way too fast. He remembered that it had rained quite a lot recently, so the river had swelled up and the currents were stronger and faster than usual.
The boat would not be able to last for long at this rate.
“I hope you don’t mind getting wet.”
“I can’t swim,” Iwamoto admitted.
“Hold on to me then,” Sakuma instructed and then looked around. The river was getting narrower and shallower up ahead. It would be their chance. Their only one. “Brace yourself.” The boat was creaking under their weight already and under the pressure from the water around it. “Okay, brace yourself!”
The old wooden boat burst under their feet when it hit a rock in the shallower waters. Sakuma and Iwamoto were pulled under at first but after a bit of struggling and paddling, they re-emerged and got up onto their feet. The additional weight the water added to them helped them to stay up, to fight against the current and walk towards the shore.
Sakuma and Iwamoto dragged each other back onto solid ground and as luck meant well with them, they found themselves close to a small temple. Sakuma’s luck at least, ran out though when he saw who came running out to help them.
“Master Daisuke! Come in. Come this way, please!” This area had been under his family’s protection. The priest at the temple was one of the servants who had survived the assassination of his family, one of the servants who had helped him escape. One of the servants who had sworn revenge on the enemy clan who had killed Sakuma’s family.
The priest helped them into the temple and ushered them into a room before running off to get a bath ready for them. Sakuma sunk down onto the floor, Iwamoto alongside him, coughing up water still. The other looked at him.
“You saved me.”
Then, Iwamoto seemed to notice something. Sakuma closed his eyes. He had seen this coming. “Wait, the crest on this wall…and he called you master.”
“Oh the irony,” Sakuma laughed softly. “To save the life of the person whose family killed mine.”
Iwamoto’s eyes widened. “Don’t tell me you’re-”
“Even though you saw right through me in terms of gender, you could not have seen this coming, huh?” Sakuma laughed again. “So yes, it’s ma.”
“Ma?”
“Saku-ma. Sakuma Daisuke. The only survivor of the Sakuma Clan,” Sakuma looked up at Iwamoto. “The one and only cherry blossom that has not yet fallen.”
He waited for some kind of reaction from Iwamoto. Sakuma did not know what he expected, how he expected the other to react. Iwamoto tended to confuse him and surprise him with his reactions and insights, so maybe not anticipating or expecting anything was the best way to deal with that. Then he couldn’t be surprised.
Or so he thought.
“Clans and families be damned,” Iwamoto cursed under his breath and the next thing Sakuma knew was that the other had pulled him into a fierce kiss. The kiss was so intense it almost sucked all the air out of his lungs but he remembered to breathe and when he did, he found himself kissing back just as fiercely.
It was a kiss full of pent up emotions and desire. This attraction had been mutual since the very first time they had both laid eyes on one another. And they had only added fuel to the fire by getting so close to a kiss the previous night before they had parted. Now they were finally free to consume their feelings for each other, their want, maybe even need.
They were interrupted shortly by the priest returning - the others approaching footsteps had given them a warning lucklily, so they had separated before the other could barge in - and showing them the way to the baths.
Once the door to the baths closed behind them, they picked up where they had left off again.
Their wet clothes dropped down onto the floor when they stripped each other. Once all their clothes had gone, Sakuma stopped for a moment to admire Iwamoto’s body.
He had never seen one quite like this - and he’d had the misfortune of seeing quite a few naked men. When he had still been a servant at the house in Gion, he had had to clean up after some of the others. The women would leave once things were over and done with and would go to take a bath and clean themselves. The me would be fast asleep. And it had been his job to clean them up to the best of his abilities.
Ugh, he should not think about that right now.
Thankfully, Iwamoto’s hands on him distracted him soon enough. “This isn’t all just from practicing the arts, is it?” Iwamoto noted and ran his fingers over Sakuma’s well defined abdomen and the bumps the muscles made there.
“There’s a reason those bandits couldn’t cut through my umbrella,” Sakuma smiled.
Iwamoto blinked, “It’s a sword.”
“You’re a sharp one,” Sakuma mused. “If you think I was brought up protected and sheltered in the house in Gion, you are mistaken. It might not be as much as it could be but there is blood on my hands.” He undid a silk band from around his thigh and revealed a dagger. He dropped it.
“That does not matter to me,” Iwamoto pulled Sakuma closer again, pressed their bodies flush together. “On the contrary. It makes you all the more alluring.”
“You’re a weird one.”
“Look who’s talking.”
Leaning in simultaneously, they both brought their lips together again. The kiss was sloppy and did not hide either of their intentions, expectations. Conversation ceased between them then as their bodies physical needs and desires took over once more - and this time for good.
Your turn![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
talisa_ahn
Anyway, enjoy.
“Trust me, my lord. Nobody will find you here. You will be safe until the time is right, until your family will be able to return to its old power and take back what is rightfully yours,” those had been the parting words of his most loyal retainer when they had left him here in the care of the mistress of the house, in the backstreets of Gion.
It had been a bloody night. His family had been massacred and he was the only one who had survived. He and a few loyal retainers of the family, who had now scattered. But not until after they had vowed revenge on the clan who had murdered his family.
He believed that even now, after more than fifteen years, they were still lying in wait somewhere, biding their time. No one would expect an uprising now, not after all this time, and that would be when they would strike.
To be completely honest, Sakuma did not really have any interest in that any longer. He would read the secret messages that came his way about all of it but they did not spark anything in him. He had decided to move on and forget about the past. After all, his old self had died that night as well. To the world, the him of the past no longer existed. And with each passing day, he himself, was starting to turn more and more into a different person. Into the person who had lived this life for the past fifteen years.
Lifting his head, he looked at the tea house they had just arrived at. Tonight was a bigger performance night than usual. Their entire house had been emptied out for this occasion, something that rarely happened. Sakuma did not know any of the details nor did he really care about them really. He would do what he usually did. Dance, play music and serve tea. And then he would go home, while the higher ranked and ‘proper ladies’ from his house would entertain their clients further if they so desired - and had enough money to pay for the services.
Yes, the house he belonged to right now was not considered to be one of Gion’s most reputable ones. They were on the fringe, offering all sorts of entertainment. Including ‘that’ kind.
It was strictly by choice, though. Nobody was forced to do anything they did not want to do or consent to. And the lady of the house made sure that none of the clients overstepped any lines.
This was how he had stayed safe and undetected for so long. Sakuma was truly thankful for the lady of the house for that. She had never been affiliated with his family but from what he had heard his family had been a benefactor for her and her business when it had started out. So she had taken him in to somewhat return the favour.
These days Sakuma earned his keep, so there was no issue of freeloading or anything. Tonight was probably going to pay for a good amount of time he would still spend with her.
When their group entered the room, Sakuma could feel all the eyes turning towards them, could feel the center of attention shift towards them within a split second. All talk and noise was silenced and the air crackled with what he hoped was just mere anticipation.
He brushed those thoughts aside to focus on his act, his performance.
“You are to attend to one of the smaller chambers. Number 6. Do not worry, Sayuri will be with you,” the lady told him in passing and he gave her a small nod.
He and Sayuri, one of their more experienced performers, bowed deeply and respectfully as the doors to the chamber were opened for them and then went inside. Sakuma started to serve tea and treats as usual, brushing off the looks he received. Also as usual.
From what he could tell, he men in the chamber were samurai, officers with what had become something of a ‘city patrol’. They were lower in rank than the people who had remained in the large chamber after the performance, after the banquet. He could see that what he was serving them was not what this tea house considered to be their best course but rather the cheapest.
So maybe these men were here as bodyguards of the richer and more influential ones.
Suddenly, he felt eyes on him once more but this time felt different for some reason. He found himself unable to brush this gaze off. This was strange. It had not happened before.
Despite himself, Sakuma glanced up and for a brief second, his eyes met with the ones of the young man he was currently kneeling in front of.
Even with just one glance, he had been able to tell that the other was different.
The intensity of the other’s gaze almost made him shiver involuntarily. But Sakuma did not let his concentration slip and performed his duties carefully.
“You should be at the proper banquet, young master. Do not hang out with the likes of us here,” one of the older men spoke up. “Although we feel honoured by your presence of course.”
“I’d rather be here than there. Parties like those are more of my grandfather’s, father’s and cousins’ thing,” the young man shook his head, pulling his gaze away from Sakuma finally. “I trust all of you more than I trust the people out there, too.”
A young master, was it. Sakuma had not heard any details about the clients of the night. But it figured that it had to be someone with a lot of money. A wealthy family?
“Tea and sake, no matter if cheap or expensive, taste the best when shared with the best people,” the male added with a bright smile.
The men around him cheered.
“Well spoken, young master Iwamoto!”
Iwamoto.
Sakuma was glad that he had finished serving all of the tea because this revelation might have had him drop something. Just when he had thought that he had let go of the past, it had come back to haunt him. For them to meet in a place like this.
The Iwamoto Clan had been the one who had ordered his family’s assassination.
He tried not to dwell on those thoughts. Sayuri was giving him a sign to get ready so he went to get his shamisen and knelt down at the end of the room for the little private chamber performance. The moment he strummed his instrument for the first time, he felt eyes on him again. And not just anyone’s eyes but those of the young master Iwamoto.
To his utter surprise, he noticed that Iwamoto’s eyes alone were on him while everyone else was focused on Sayuri, the main performer. Why? What was the other seeing in him?
When the performance ended they received their applause. After that the men moved, seemingly getting called up for duty again. Sakuma saw them off and then tried to turn around to take his leave. Tried. He found his way blocked.
“You, what’s your name?”
“It is a not a name worthy to be spoken by someone like you, young master,” he replied softly, his voice a genderless whisper more than anything else.
“Please tell it to me. Do not be afraid. I am not like those guys,” Iwamoto nodded his head towards the banquet hall where loud laughter and jeering could be heard from. People were obviously drunk and some were moving on to, well, other forms of entertainment.
Ah, this was bad. Sakuma looked into the other’s eyes again. He liked those eyes. They carried so much warmth in them. So much...promise. Sakuma could tell that the young Iwamoto was a good person just by looking into those eyes. And now that they stood in an area that was better lit than the dim chamber, Sakuma could also tell that the young Iwamoto was rather pleasing to the eyes as a whole. Not to mention, very tall.
“Sakura.” It was his ‘stage name’. Inconspicuous, normal. Just like all others. And yet it held so much more meaning.
He had always liked cherry blossoms. Many people thought of it as a weak flower, beautiful but short lived - fast to fall. Those people could not see the true meaning and true beauty of the cherry blossoms. The most beautiful cherry blossoms bloom on the graves of people. Cherry blossoms were actually ugly flowers who bloomed and turned beautiful by taking the lives of others. And as if to spite those people, they danced on top of their dead bodies.
Cherry blossoms were wicked flowers.
“Sakura,” Iwamoto echoed. “I will remember your name. I hope we will meet again.”
Sakuma bowed deeply and then finally took his leave. His feat carried him away from the place, from the other very quickly but there was a treacherous voice somewhere in his heart hat echoed Iwamoto’s last words. ‘I hope we will meet again, too.’
It happened only two days later.
Sakuma had just finished his morning routine - sword katas in one of the training rooms, hidden away from view - when one of the servant girls came running to his room.
“You have been requested personally, Sakura-sama. It’s the young master Iwamoto!”
He had even opened his mouth to reply when a flurry of people came into his room and helped him into his garments. Someone did up his hair and then makeup was slapped onto his face, neck and hands. Sakuma regained his wits by the time everything else was finished. He took up his makeup brush to put some finishing touches on - he always did most of his makeup himself.
Sometimes he did it for the other girls as well, having developed quite a proficiency in it over the years. It was something he was weirdly proud of sometimes.
His feet carried him down to the guest room and he knelt down and bowed deeply.
“We sincerely apologize for the long wait, young master.”
Iwamoto was alone. The other gave him an inviting smile and Sakuma stepped into the room before kneeling down in front of his ‘client’.
“How can I serve you today, young master?”
“Just Iwamoto is fine. I am not into the formalities. Please.”
“As you wish, master Iwamoto,” Sakuma bowed his head.
“I guess I cannot go against all protocol, huh?” Iwamoto laughed. “Please raised your head, Sakura. And just tea and some music will be fine. I liked listening to you playing the shamisen.”
So Sakuma pulled out his shamisen and played as Iwamoto watched and sipped on his tea. At one point the other seemed ready to nod off, so Sakuma put his instrument aside and gestured for Iwamoto to lie down. The other looked confused by this.
“It’s okay. This is how weary warriors can get some rest,” Sakuma reached over and pulled Iwamoto down so the other’s head came to rest on his lap. Usually, such a bold move would not be permitted and he would be severely punished for it but Sakuma knew that with Iwamoto, it would be alright. The other was not like any other clients after all.
Iwamoto blinked up at him but then laughed softly and closed his eyes.
“I guess I can see the appeal. But please do not let me sleep for too long. I have to leave before it gets dark,” Iwamoto said softly, already sounding like he was drifting off.
Sakuma took note of that and then gently reached out to stroke Iwamoto’s hair with one of his hands. When he was sure the other was asleep, he got a little bolder and touched the other’s cheek as well, letting his finger’s ghost over the strong, tall cheekbones.
He woke Iwamoto up again before sundown and they parted with a promise to see each other again once more.
After they separated, Sakuma returned to his room to take off the makeup and take a bath to fully cleanse himself. Once he re-emerged from the bath, the lady of the house summoned him.
“I heard the young Iwamoto has never shown any interest in entertainment or women before. His grandfather on the other hand as well as his uncles and cousins and especially the heir to the family are known for their lavish parties and banquets but him, he has always been a bit of an odd one out. When his grandfather heard that he wanted to request a girl from our establishment, he was so overjoyed that he sent lavish gifts,” the lady of the house showed Sakuma the room next to hers where all the gifts had been put up for display.
Expensive garments, fabrics, food, tea. It looked like an entire shop had been brought in.
A box was handed to him. “This is for you. Wear it next time you are with the young master.”
The kimono inside the wooden box was pastel pink with fine embroidery on it. A flourish of cherry blossoms and petals were dancing across the fabric. It was simpler in colour and design than the kimono he wore for performances (which was bright orange-red with white and pink flowers on it). It was meant to be worn outside.
“He doesn’t know of this, does he?” Sakuma closed the box again.
“No. It’s his grandfather’s work.”
“I’ll wear yellow flowers in my hair to go with this,” Sakuma rose back up to his feet.
“Yellow?”
“The Iwamoto Clan flowers are yellow. It’ll be my show of appreciation for this gift,” Sakuma replied. “Would that be appropriate enough?”
“I believe it would be.”
Before Sakuma could leave the lady added, “You should be careful. Being favoured by the young master Iwamoto could pose some risks for you. There are many who have had their eye on him. So be careful when you accompany him.”
“Am I not always?” Sakuma knew he was not the brightest crayon in the box but he had survival instincts and skills. Those had helped him more than any of the knowledge the tutors his father had hired for him back in the days had tried to cram into his brain.
The kimono was put up in his room and was taken care of every day to make sure it was in its best condition for when he would have to wear it. The day came soon.
“The young master Iwamoto is requesting for you again. This time in advance.”
He got up early in the morning on the day he was scheduled to meet the other again. His makeup and clothes were less elaborate this time. It was going to be an outing after all, he was going to walk the streets outside and not performing inside a house. His hair, too, would be simpler, just his natural hair, pulled up into a simple knot and not the wig with the long extensions that he wore for performances. Sakuma put down the lip colour brush when he was done putting on the finishing touches once again. A droplet of the red colour dripped down onto the handkerchief next to it, staining it crimson.
“Nothing good will come out of this. Nothing good can come out of this. We should not do this. We cannot do this.” He whispered softly, eyes sad. His words betrayed how he really felt. The attraction, at least right now, was mutual. But he knew that once the other found out the truth, it would all be over. Sakuma knew he should, no, he had to end it before he crossed a point of no return. Although deep down he wondered whether he had not already crossed that line already.
He walked to the antechamber downstairs to greet Iwamoto. As usual, the other told him to raise his head very quickly and then offered him a hand.
“I have gotten permission from the lady of the house. Will you go for a walk with me today?”
“It would be an honour.”
Their path led them around Gion and then to one of the normal neighbourhoods in the city, not the fancy ones closer to the castle or big estates. It was an area where Sakuma did not draw too many if any looks. Other meiko and geisha walked around here, with or without company.
They stopped at a small shop for some tea and dango before they continued.
“You seem at ease.” Iwamoto noted.
“So do you,” Sakuma retorted.
“I am. This place is a lot more comfortable for me. Compared to the fancy estates,” Iwamoto said and then looked over to the grounds of a temple where young men seemed to be immersed in some kind of martial arts training.
“I noticed that you were more a man of simple means. A man of the people,” Sakuma nodded and stopped next to Iwamoto to watch the training. “It’s a good trait.”
Iwamoto looked at Sakuma. “Do you like it?”
Sakuma looked up, “I do not dislike it?”
That had Iwamoto laughing softly. Then he flashed Sakuma a smile, “You actually sound relaxed as well. We’re able to have a normal conversation like this.”
“I take that as a compliment,” Sakuma wrinkled his nose a little.
A group of men shoved past them and Sakuma felt himself getting shoved into Iwamoto roughly, who caught him before he could fall or worse. Getting pressed against the other so closely he noticed how muscular and well built the other was. This was a man who could well and truly keep you safe, he thought to himself. If he weren’t your enemy. Then he would bring certain death. He wondered how long he could keep walking on the edge between those like this.
“Are you okay, Sakura?” Iwamoto asked and looked down at him. Something in his expression seemed to have changed a little bit Sakuma couldn’t put his finger on it.
“I’m okay,” he replied softly and nodded, straightening up again. “My apologies.”
“It wasn’t your fault,” Iwamoto shook his head. Then his eyes went up the sky. “Ah, it’s getting late. I’m afraid we’ll have to head back soon.”
They were getting closer to the house again when Iwamoto suddenly turned down a smaller and darker alley. It was a place that would hide them from view, Sakuma noted. Iwamoto also spoke with a very quiet voice. This was a conversation meant only for the two of them. His heart beat a little faster when he realized that. He told his heart to be still and not to hope. But it did not listen to him. It did however soak up Iwamoto’s words.
“Next time, would it be rude to see you with less of the makeup on? I’d like to see more of you. Just you. Because I think you’re more than beautiful without all of this already.”
Sakuma smiled coyly. “You sure know how to flatter a person.”
“It’s not because of flattery. It’s my own selfish desires. I don’t want the makeup to be in the way.” Iwamoto admitted under his breath.
Then suddenly Iwamoto leaned in closer and Sakuma’s heart skipped a beat. But before their lips could touch, Iwamoto moved his head away and just hugged Sakuma tightly.
And Sakuma found himself hugging the other back, arms coming around the taller male before he could even think about it. Ah, he wanted to be held by the other. He had wanted the other to kiss him, he realized. Even though it would make things so much worse. But it was too late to turn back now. He had already fallen. There was no turning back.
“We’ll have to keep it a secret from the lady of the house. Or anyone, really.”
Iwamoto pulled away again. “Tomorrow. Whenever is convenient for you?”
Sakuma went over his schedule. “There is a party in the afternoon but I am not going to accompany the others to it. So there won’t be many people in the house. I can sneak away.”
“Meet me down by the river?” It was not too far from the house and Sakuma knew ways that would lead him there without anyone seeing him.
“Okay.” Then he looked up and the question left his lips before he could really think about it, “Why me, young master? You could have any woman, any girl in this city you wanted.”
Iwamoto smirked at him and the expression sent a shiver down Sakuma’s spine.
“It’s because I do not want any of the girls. I want you.”
The realization that Iwamoto knew that he was a male did not hit him as hard as he thought it would. Maybe he had noticed as well, somewhere along the way, that Iwamoto had come to him because he was different from all the others around him. And that maybe the reason why Iwamoto had never shown any interest in this kind of entertainment had been because of that.
“I’ll be there tomorrow.” Sakuma bowed and then made his way back to the house.
His heart was racing, he realized, when the door closed behind him. There was a rush of anticipation that was carrying up the flight of stairs and into his room where he more or less collapsed onto one of the big pillows.
Maybe, just maybe, things would not turn into a complete disaster. Maybe he could hope.
Unfortunately, his hopes were going to be shattered the next day.
Sneaking out undetected had been easy. Sakuma had still donned girls’ clothes of course and had pulled his hair up into a feminine hairdo to keep up appearances just in case. The same went for the small amount of makeup he had put on. None of the typical white colour, just a little powder and a tiny amount of lipstick. The garments he wore were lighter and less elaborate, thinner and in darker, toned down colours. To most he would probably look like a servant girl or at least a girl from an unimportant household if they did see him.
He was carrying an umbrella with him, a faded red paper one, as it had looked like it might rain later in the day and he did not know how long Iwamoto was planning to stay out with him.
It did not take him long to locate Iwamoto by the river. He walked up to the other and gave the taller male a smile when the other noticed him. Iwamoto jogged over towards him.
“I wasn’t wrong. You look great like this,” Iwamoto smiled. “Let’s walk along the riverbank? There aren’t a lot of people here at this time so it will be nice and private.”
Sakuma fell into step next to Iwamoto or maybe slightly behind, out of habit.
“You know a lot about how and where people move around. Is the city guard watching us all this closely?” Sakuma chanced a question. He’d done a peripheral check himself and when he had not found any sign of onlookers or eavesdroppers, he had not bothered to change his voice.
“So this is what your voice really sounds like. I’m impressed by how it changes,” Iwamoto remarked before he answered, “No. Not everyone looks at things as closely as I do. I just like to keep myself informed. It comes in handy a lot of the time.”
“Very logical. And practical,” Sakuma commented. “But I guess that’s what you are known for, young master Iwamoto.”
“Stop calling me that already,” Iwamoto sighed. “Just Iwamoto is fine. Or Hikaru even.”
“Your grandfather would have me killed if he ever found out. Hikaru,” Sakuma chuckled.
Iwamoto snorted softly. “It does not sound like you are afraid of him.”
“I trust that he will not find out about it,” Sakuma shrugged.
“Then what about you?” Iwamoto looked at Sakuma.
“Me?” Sakuma blinked.
“You know my name but I do not know yours. It’s not Sakura, is it? That’s obviously a stage name,” Iwamoto pointed out. “Tell me your real name?”
“Daisuke. Just call me Daisuke.” Sakuma had almost slipped up but he had caught himself before he could have said something wrong. “But keep your voice down.”
“Daisuke,” Iwamoto echoed. “I like the sound of it. Although it seems a little ironic, considering you aren’t exactly big.” He grinned.
Sakuma thwapped the other with his umbrella.
Their playful banter turned back into a casual conversation soon. They talked about this and that, talked about each other and themselves. It was their first time to talk like this, to be together like this and yet it felt like they had known each other for a much longer time.
They had been so wrapped up in their conversation that they had not noticed how they had almost left the city and the sun was starting its descend.
“We should head back,” Sakuma bit his lip. “We’ve moved a little too far.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t realize we had gone quite this far,” Iwamoto apologized. Then he frowned.
Apparently the passage of time and their location had not been the only thing he had not noticed up until now. Sakuma had thought that he had felt something, felt eyes on them a while ago but had carelessly brushed it off. A big mistake.
“I guess you don’t just have friends around this city.”
“Unfortunately not.” Iwamoto pushed Sakuma behind himself protectively. “Come out. Show yourselves. I know you are here.” He challenged.
They were outnumbered and surrounded. By the way the men who appeared from the shadows dressed, they were bandits. Sakuma had heard about them, had heard about groups of them lurking just outside the city and preying on merchants and the like. The city patrol had dealt with the majority of them recently, leaving the remainders scattered. Like this.
“We’ll murder you right in front of your girlfriend’s eyes. And then we will take her.”
“You can try.”
In the resulting brawl, Sakuma and Iwamoto were pushed back, along a small pier. Sakuma could spot an old boat still tied to one of the wooden pillars at the end of it.
Their attackers were thinking they were driving them into a dead end but that wasn’t quite true. Iwamoto did not seem to have realized that they had an escape route yet. He was still desperately pushing back against the bandits. A few had fallen but there were still enough to keep him occupied. Especially on the bad footing of the pier.
Sakuma stepped in and hit one of the bandits with his umbrella, making him lose his balance and stagger backwards into his comrades. This was their chance.
“Cut the rope,” he told Iwamoto. “And get on the boat. Quickly!”
He dashed forward and blocked one, two, three attacks with his umbrella, buying Iwamoto the necessary time. Then he jumped and joined the other on the boat, kicking the pier to make them drift out further onto the wide river. Two of the bandits plunged straight into the waters, missing them. The feeling of relief of having escaped the bandits did not last long. Sakuma noticed that the boat was going way too fast. He remembered that it had rained quite a lot recently, so the river had swelled up and the currents were stronger and faster than usual.
The boat would not be able to last for long at this rate.
“I hope you don’t mind getting wet.”
“I can’t swim,” Iwamoto admitted.
“Hold on to me then,” Sakuma instructed and then looked around. The river was getting narrower and shallower up ahead. It would be their chance. Their only one. “Brace yourself.” The boat was creaking under their weight already and under the pressure from the water around it. “Okay, brace yourself!”
The old wooden boat burst under their feet when it hit a rock in the shallower waters. Sakuma and Iwamoto were pulled under at first but after a bit of struggling and paddling, they re-emerged and got up onto their feet. The additional weight the water added to them helped them to stay up, to fight against the current and walk towards the shore.
Sakuma and Iwamoto dragged each other back onto solid ground and as luck meant well with them, they found themselves close to a small temple. Sakuma’s luck at least, ran out though when he saw who came running out to help them.
“Master Daisuke! Come in. Come this way, please!” This area had been under his family’s protection. The priest at the temple was one of the servants who had survived the assassination of his family, one of the servants who had helped him escape. One of the servants who had sworn revenge on the enemy clan who had killed Sakuma’s family.
The priest helped them into the temple and ushered them into a room before running off to get a bath ready for them. Sakuma sunk down onto the floor, Iwamoto alongside him, coughing up water still. The other looked at him.
“You saved me.”
Then, Iwamoto seemed to notice something. Sakuma closed his eyes. He had seen this coming. “Wait, the crest on this wall…and he called you master.”
“Oh the irony,” Sakuma laughed softly. “To save the life of the person whose family killed mine.”
Iwamoto’s eyes widened. “Don’t tell me you’re-”
“Even though you saw right through me in terms of gender, you could not have seen this coming, huh?” Sakuma laughed again. “So yes, it’s ma.”
“Ma?”
“Saku-ma. Sakuma Daisuke. The only survivor of the Sakuma Clan,” Sakuma looked up at Iwamoto. “The one and only cherry blossom that has not yet fallen.”
He waited for some kind of reaction from Iwamoto. Sakuma did not know what he expected, how he expected the other to react. Iwamoto tended to confuse him and surprise him with his reactions and insights, so maybe not anticipating or expecting anything was the best way to deal with that. Then he couldn’t be surprised.
Or so he thought.
“Clans and families be damned,” Iwamoto cursed under his breath and the next thing Sakuma knew was that the other had pulled him into a fierce kiss. The kiss was so intense it almost sucked all the air out of his lungs but he remembered to breathe and when he did, he found himself kissing back just as fiercely.
It was a kiss full of pent up emotions and desire. This attraction had been mutual since the very first time they had both laid eyes on one another. And they had only added fuel to the fire by getting so close to a kiss the previous night before they had parted. Now they were finally free to consume their feelings for each other, their want, maybe even need.
They were interrupted shortly by the priest returning - the others approaching footsteps had given them a warning lucklily, so they had separated before the other could barge in - and showing them the way to the baths.
Once the door to the baths closed behind them, they picked up where they had left off again.
Their wet clothes dropped down onto the floor when they stripped each other. Once all their clothes had gone, Sakuma stopped for a moment to admire Iwamoto’s body.
He had never seen one quite like this - and he’d had the misfortune of seeing quite a few naked men. When he had still been a servant at the house in Gion, he had had to clean up after some of the others. The women would leave once things were over and done with and would go to take a bath and clean themselves. The me would be fast asleep. And it had been his job to clean them up to the best of his abilities.
Ugh, he should not think about that right now.
Thankfully, Iwamoto’s hands on him distracted him soon enough. “This isn’t all just from practicing the arts, is it?” Iwamoto noted and ran his fingers over Sakuma’s well defined abdomen and the bumps the muscles made there.
“There’s a reason those bandits couldn’t cut through my umbrella,” Sakuma smiled.
Iwamoto blinked, “It’s a sword.”
“You’re a sharp one,” Sakuma mused. “If you think I was brought up protected and sheltered in the house in Gion, you are mistaken. It might not be as much as it could be but there is blood on my hands.” He undid a silk band from around his thigh and revealed a dagger. He dropped it.
“That does not matter to me,” Iwamoto pulled Sakuma closer again, pressed their bodies flush together. “On the contrary. It makes you all the more alluring.”
“You’re a weird one.”
“Look who’s talking.”
Leaning in simultaneously, they both brought their lips together again. The kiss was sloppy and did not hide either of their intentions, expectations. Conversation ceased between them then as their bodies physical needs and desires took over once more - and this time for good.
Your turn
talisa_ahn
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like Abe-chan looks like Abe-chan, Nabesho looks like an evil witch and Sakuma looks like his mum. like, he looks like a legit female. his makeup is on point, too maaaaaaan
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I knew his stage name would be Sakura! It fits him so much. The beautiful boy!
I'm a sucker for fight scenes! I loved the river getaway~ so exciting!
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You gave me shivers in several parts omg. I read this at 10 pm with my little sister sleeping beside me and I had to try SO HARD not to trash around in bed because UGH. THIS MAKES ME FEEL A LOT. It's cute, fluffy, romantic, thrilling and just awesome!! Amazing piieecceeee QwQ
I have to admit you got me at "Unfortunately, his hopes were going to be shattered the next day." I keep silently chanting ohnoohnoohnoohnoohno, but it's a good one because it added the thrill to the end of the story!!!!
I love this so much. Thank you for writing this 💛💗