Fushigi Yuugi Fan Fiction ❯ Stalking the Wolf ❯ Lonesome Dove ( Chapter 5 )

Stalking the Wolf

 

By: Yahnkehy

 

A/N: Thank you all who have stuck with me on this story, your words of encouragement help keep me going. Sorry, got to this one and college started up for me and I got side tracked. Gomen nasai minna-san!

 

Warnings: language

 

Rating: PG or high T

 

Lonesome Dove

 

~0~

 

Months went by and still Miaka would stare glumly out the window of Tasuki's apartment, claiming to only be lost in thought when prompted about it. Tasuki didn't buy it, but left her to herself. He knew exactly what she was looking for, and how it felt to not have it.

 

He tried to cheer her up in his usual way, but it only ended up in him making an ass out of himself. He hated to see her upset and was almost to the point of shaking her in frustration when something both wonderful and terrible happened.

 

Tasuki had gone with Keisuke to a local café to pick up coffee and treats to cheer up the depressed little miko when Tasuki had spotted him out of the corner of his eye. He was older than his book counterpart and the face was slightly different, but the eyes were what gave him away.

 

Unable to stop himself from doing it, Tasuki had walked over to the young man who was setting down drinks for a pair of older women and grabbed him up in a hug. The young man was startled enough to yelp at the unexpected embrace and awkwardly patted the redhead that was all but snuggling him like a teddy bear.

 

“Um, sir? If-if the coffee was that good, you know you can just leave a tip or a note. Hugging isn't required of the customers.” The dark haired man said, looking around for someone to get him out of the situation.

 

Keisuke saved him, walking over to the pair and peeling Tasuki off of the confused young man. “I'm sorry about that, my friend is really touchy feely when it comes to good java.” He explained lamely. “Tasuki, you can't just go hugging people like that.” He muttered, yanking on the redhead's arm.

 

Tasuki growled but let go as asked. “Yeah, uh, loved the coffee.” He rolled his eyes and shook his head but the dark haired man was frowning.

 

“Did he just call you `Tasuki'? I know that name from somewhere…” He shook his head and smiled at the pair. “Sorry, but do I know you two?”

 

Tasuki's breath caught, eyes widening in horror. That was the look. The exact face he'd seen back when… “No, no, he called me `Terry', not Tasuki. Sorry, mister… What did you say your name was?” He backed up a little, grabbing Keisuke's shoulder and whispering furiously in his ear.

 

Keisuke's eyes widened to the point of almost bulging out of his head and he looked at the confused waiter in shock then back to his long-time friend. “You're fucking kidding me,” he breathed, his mind racing to figure out what they should do in this situation. If what Tasuki said was true, then Miaka had wished away her own happiness when she'd wished for Tasuki to find love.

 

The reincarnation of Tamahome stared at the two in confusion. “Taka Sukinami, pleased to meet you Terry-san.”

 

00

 

Tasuki had walked back to his apartment in a daze, Keisuke chattering on about how to tell Miaka about the face Tasuki had seen in the flames when she'd made her wish and how to explain that they'd found Tamahome. “But, if we tell her about you seeing Tama-err… Taka's face in the flames, then she's going to have a conniption fit. We should tell her, but I still don't know how.” He muttered as they entered the lift.

 

“Don't tell her about what I saw. It'll break her heart. Besides, it ain't like I love him like she does. We were just damn close friends back in the book. What, I should say `Sorry, Miaka, but you can't have your one true love just because you wished for me to find love. Sorry, better luck with the next man.'? Are you insane? You see how she is now, thinking that he's never going to come to her. What the hell do ya think that would do to her? It'd kill her, damnit, and I ain't about to be the one what causes it.” Tasuki blurted out, staring at the doors of the elevator with a frown. He had done without love for almost four hundred years, what was the harm in just not dying? If Miaka was happy, then that was all that mattered.

 

Keisuke frowned and shook his head. “But what do we do if he falls in love with you instead of her? He's not technically Tamahome anymore and he seems to have no memory of ever knowing her. It is possible that he'll fall in love with-“

 

“No! If we get them together and let Miaka work her charm like she always does, then that won't be an issue. I will NOT be the cause of her tears. I'm a fuckin' seishi, damnit! My miko's needs always come before my own! Miaka needs to meet and make Taka fall for her again. End of story.” He growled out as the doors opened. He stalked out of the elevator with a troubled glare on his face and all but kicked open the door to his apartment. “Miaka! We're back, get your depressed little ass out here.”

 

Keisuke sighed and followed Tasuki back to his apartment. `Trust Tasuki to forever be the one who suffers in silence. Miaka should have thought of that when she wished this on him, but she had to be her usual, impulsive, and overly caring self. Why does it have to be that way?'

 

00

 

“You found him?! Oh my gods! Tasuki, I've got to see him! Where was he? Does he remember me? I've got to change my clothes! Keisuke, do you think that Mom would mind if I borrow her green cashmere sweater?” Miaka rattled off, standing up and sitting down again as though her knees were too weak to hold her.

 

“Whoa, whoa, there Miaka. You can't just go and throw yourself at the poor guy.” Keisuke chuckled, though he glanced at Tasuki from the corner of his eye. “Tasuki hugged him when we first saw him and he didn't seem to recognize us.” He grinned at the glare Tasuki shot him, but it drifted off of his face. “Miaka, there's something else you need to-“

 

“No!” Tasuki growled, pushing Keisuke back on the couch. “I arready told ya not to mention it, and damnit I mean it.” Glaring down at the boy he'd helped raise, Tasuki tightened his jaw. “Ya ain't too big to put over my knee again, Keisuke.”

 

Keisuke's jaw dropped in surprise but Miaka jumped into the conversation. “Tell me what?” She asked, worry present on her face. “Oh god, what is it? Is there something wrong with Tamahome? Is he married? Old enough to be my father? What?!”

 

Tasuki swore under his breath, narrowing his glare on Keisuke before turning to look at Miaka. “Arright, fine.” He sighed and sat down on the edge of the couch beside Miaka. “Ya remember when the flames surrounded me after ya made that wish?” At her nod he continued, “Well, I saw a face lookin' out at me from `em.”

 

Miaka's hands were clasped tight in her lap, anxiety eating at her when he remained silent for several more moments. When it became apparent that he wouldn't say anything more on the subject, she grabbed Tasuki's hands and sat forward. “You saw a face…” she prompted, chewing her lip. Realization dawned on her and she let go of his hands, scooting over to Keisuke's side. “You saw Tamahome's face in the flames, didn't you.” It wasn't a question; the worry that had been building up in her gut since the summoning, finally releasing the tangled coil.

 

Tasuki looked away, unable to see the betrayal in her eyes. “It don't mean nothin'. Tamahome loved <i>you</i> Mi-chan. Taka will, too. Keisuke an' I will find out what his usual workdays are and make sure ya get his section. You'll work that miko charm on him an' he'll be back to his old self in no time. I promise.”

 

Keisuke sat silently while Tasuki verbally gave away what could have been happiness, what could have meant the end of his curse, with his eyes closed. Growing up with Terry as his surrogate father figure, Keisuke had gained a slight understanding of Tasuki's mind. Tasuki would and had given up everything for the ones he cared about.

 

Miaka, though, wasn't about to listen to her friend put himself last. Not when she had been the cause of his loneliness and pain, not when she could give him what he needed to have to end it; “No,” she said simply, shaking her head at Tasuki. “I don't want to do this.”

 

Keisuke put an arm around Miaka's shoulders and pulled her to his side. “Miaka, listen to what you're saying. You're giving Tamahome, and your love for him, away. We don't know what, if any, memories Taka has of being Tamahome so we can't be sure he would even agree to something like this. Not to mention that Tasuki, himself, has already decided that he won't be the cause of your unhappiness.”

 

It was a terrible situation; nothing looked clear and one, if not both of them, were sure to end up with a broken heart in the end. Keisuke didn't know whom to help; Tasuki seemed resigned to never dying while Miaka seemed adamant about making sure that Tasuki fulfilled his destiny. Silently, Keisuke echoed Tasuki's remark from several weeks ago; this was a major clusterfuck.

 

TBC…

 

* sigh * I'm SO sorry for taking a hundred years to update this fic, but school and life have chewed me up and spat me back out again. I hope to have another chapter out soon, but school and time constraints will impede fic writing. I WILL finish this fic, though, so no worries. :D