Fake Fan Fiction ❯ Sakura Monogatari (Cherry Blossom Tale) ❯ Chapter 5

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Disclaimer: I don't own Fake.

"Dee-san..." Ryo murmured as they lay together.

It had been nearly a month since the first night they had made love and Dee had visited him at least once or twice every week since.

The blond's head rested in the cradle of the other man's shoulder as he let his fingers wander over Dee's stomach, passing over the long, diagonal scar. He'd finally been able to figure out what it was that seemed so odd about it. Unlike many samurai he knew, Dee only had this one scar- nothing else. If he had been through battles, he should have more. And if he was like some of the other, younger samurai, then he probably wouldn't have any marks at all. Ryo recalled Dee's words when he had asked him about his life as a swordsman: "...our roles are becoming more and more ceremonial."

"Dee, where did you get this scar?" Ryo asked softly, hoping he wasn't overstepping his bounds. Immediately Dee stiffened beneath him. "You- you don't have to tell me...." the blond man whispered,but the hurt was evident in his voice no matter how he tried to hide it.

"No, I don't mind telling you, Ryo," Dee said quickly. But he hesitated. The truth was that he really did want to tell Ryo about himself. Just Ryo. However, still unbeknownst to his companion, Dee knew they were not alone. Rose already had such control over his life, did he really need to know every intimate secret as well?

"I-" Dee began, trying to think of some viable excuse to avoid the question. But when he spoke, Ryo glanced up at him through those golden locks falling over his dark, eager eyes and Dee couldn't refuse.

"It was a long time ago," Dee said, slipping his fingers through Ryo's soft, pale hair, "when I was learning my father's budo at the family dojo." Pausing, he took in a deep, steadying breath and realized that this was the first time that he'd spoken to anyone of these events since they had occurred. It was amazing how even now they could be unsettling. Closing his eyes, he went on. "At the time the dojo was falling into disrepair and, although I didn't know it then, my father no longer had the money to maintain it."

"What about the rest of your family?" Ryo asked softly.

There was a moment of silence, then Dee explained, "My mother died from complications during labor; I have no other siblings." As he spoke, he kept his eyes shut tight, shielding himself from the look of sympathy that was surely flitting across Ryo's handsome features. Dee didn't want to see it- he'd never get through this story if he had to view his lover's face full of concern for him. It was too heart-wrenching to see someone in Ryo's unfortunate circumstances spilling out sympathy on his behalf. Part of Dee just didn't feel he deserved it.

Pushing aside his emotion, he continued. "In order to keep the dojo open, Jess, my father, made a deal with the local yakuza, And to protect me from the choices he was forced to make to survive, he hid everything from me." Dee stopped and forced the image of Rose listening to him from his mind before he went on. "I suppose this went on for years with me knowing, and who knows how long it would've continued, except that a fellow student at the sword school, and a good friend of mine, came to work for the yakuza and ended up dead because of some complication or misstep. I never found out what really happened, but I knew immediately that something was wrong and that Jess was trying to dissuade me from looking further into his death- or murder, as the case may be."

Ryo listened intently as the samurai spoke, his heart filling with longing to comfort this man and knowing he could do nothing but listen as Dee continued.

"When I eventually discovered that my friend, Aaron, had been working for the yakuza when he died, I went to Jess to try and rally him to run the men out of town. It just so happened that, when I barged in on him, he was meeting with one of the yakuza leaders. Of course, I didn't know and I shot my mouth off even though Jess tried to calm me." Dee rubbed his head with one hand as the scene came back to him, the memory still vivid even after so many years. "The leader didn't waste any time, he drew his sword and, before Jess could intervene, he came at me. I drew my own sword early enough to deflect the blow from my head, but he caught me across the belly anyhow," Dee said, his tone growing quiet.

"Jess came to my defense. He killed my attacker, but he was mortally wounded in the process," he said, choking back his emotion. "I held my father in my arms when he died, and the last thing he did was make me promise him to live my life with honesty. I've tried to but..." the man's voice broke off and Ryo wrapped his arms around him in an attempt to lend him strength and support.

Biting back his tears and cursing himself for getting so caught up in emotion, Dee pushed forward. "After that I had to flee and I became a ruruoni. Several years ago I was traveling through a town while Rose was there, looking for recruits to his own school. On a whim I tried for it and somehow was accepted," he said, finally opening his eyes to look down at Ryo.

Just as he'd thought, the blond man's eyes were full of tenderness and acceptance as well as tears. "Dee-san..." he whispered, wishing he could do something to erase the man's past and ease his pain.

But his lover smiled down at him and brought one hand up to wipe away his tears. "Don't cry, koibito. It was all worth it, because my path has lead me to you," Dee said in a clear, strong voice.

Although his words were meant to soothe Ryo, the blond's tears only came forth with renewed force. No one had ever spoken to him this way. Was he really worthy of it?

Dee watched Ryo prop himself up to lean over him, a look of pain clouding his beautiful onyx eyes. "Dee-san, you've given me so much... I- I wish there was more I could do for you..." he said in earnest.

Watching his lover, Dee wondered what would prompt such a reply. "You've given me yourself, what more could I possibly want?" the samurai told him, pulling him close.

"Dee-san," Ryo murmured, burying himself in the man's embrace even as his tears fell over his cheeks to run down Dee's chest.

Even though the dark-haired man couldn't quite fathom why Ryo would react this way (Did he feel sullied from his own past, Dee wondered?), he was content. It had been an unexpected release to tell his lover about these painful incidents and he was now wrapped in the man's warmth. It was all he needed.

That night, even Rose couldn't spoil Dee's good mood as they walked back toward the dojo. He stopped along the way to admire the sakura and secretly hoped Rose would go on without him. No such luck.

Stepping up beside him, Rose said, "It's almost the end of the cherry blossom season, soon all the flowers will wither."

Undeterred by Rose's solemn comment, Dee replied, "They'll come again."

Suddenly he felt Rose's stare fall upon him and the samurai began in a serious tone, "Dee, I think there's something you should know..." But his voice trailed off and left Dee confused.

"Nani?" he pressed. There was something odd in the man's eye. If Dee hadn't known better, he would've described it as worry. Although, what could possibly happen for Dee to ever earn Rose's concern was beyond him.

"Nandemo nai," Rose replied, turning back down the road.

Shrugging, Dee continued down the path after him, the shadow of the falling petals following behind him in a silent lament of this peaceful moment soon to fade into the night, never to return.

****** I know this chapter was short and all reflection and foreboding, but I hope it was still entertaining!

Besides, this is the little calm before the storm…

GLOSSARY

budo: general term for any particular sword discipline

yukaza: Japanese gangsters, loan sharks, etc. (like the mafia, etc.)

ruruoni: wandering samurai

nani: what?

nandemo nai: nothing, nevermind

koibito: 'love' (similar to koi), a pet name