Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Sake and Stars ❯ Sake and Stars ( Chapter 1 )

Sake and Stars

I do not own Rurouni Kenshin. I do own a Chevy that is paid for - everyone I know is jealous.

 

The dish of sake was nearly at Hiko's lips when a huge splash of water hit him. "What in the hell do you think you're doing? You wasted my drink - never treat good sake so!" He glared at his young lover, who stood hip deep in the river.

"You can drink anytime, come in and play - it's too hot for anything else!" The man in the river swirled invitingly, thick hair bound in a braid to keep out of the way. "This is too beautiful a day to waste on sake!"

"Good sake can only make the day more beautiful - I've told you that more than once! Now you deserve a punishment for your bad behavior." The Master of Hiten Mitsurugi stood to strip off his clothing while his lover watched with appreciation. Nude, the massively muscled man stood at the river's edge. "You have one chance to apologize before I smack your bottom for you."

"You have to catch my ass before you can spank it, old man!" The younger man was off in a flash through the rushing water in this wide area of the river. He surfaced to look back only to gasp as powerful arms wrapped around him.

"Hah, your ass is mine now, pup!" Hiko lifted his lover over his shoulder and delivered several sharp smacks to each ass cheek until they were rosy red.

"Put me down, put me down you bastard! Ow! How did you get here so soon? Lemme down or I'll bite you, I swear!"

"No biting or any other threats you little monster - or you'll stay like this until I feel tired of holding you. Understand?" Another sharp smack accompanied the question.

"Yes, yes! Just let me down!" the younger man found himself dumped in the shallows by his lover, grateful for the cool water on his abused flesh. "There was no reason to be so rough - I was just trying to get you to pay attention to me instead of that sake dish. What's the point of me dragging out here on such a hot day if I can't enjoy myself in the water with you?" He slowly stood up, head hanging in a pout, looking up at the taller man through wet lashes. "Like this!"

Suddenly, he leapt up into Hiko's arms, overbalancing the bigger man and sending them both into the water with a crash. A water slap fight erupted between the two until once again the smaller man was over Hiko's shoulder. "Do you enjoy having your ass paddled, you ninny?" He delivered another stinging slap as the younger man yelped and then laughed.

"Well," he drawled, "I can't truly say I mind it - being who I am and having my own tastes in such things." The younger stroked the broad shoulders of his lover. "Still, I'd think you could find something else to do with my ass besides slap it, seeing as we're all alone here." He began to lick and stroke at whatever skin he could reach in his position, and found himself being slid down to face his lover, hanging in those massive arms with his toes still off the ground. "We finally have some quiet time, Hiko. Let's not waste it."

"You're finally right about something." Seijuuro brushed his lips against the ones before him, cool from the river. His lover opened to a questioning tongue, allowing him to contrast the moist heat with chilled skin. "Mmm, delicious. I think you are my favorite flavor - next to sake, of course."

"Of course." agreed the younger man. "But there's something that tastes better to me than sake -let me down Hiko." He slid down the bigger man's body - licking and nipping until his face was buried in Hiko's groin. He suckled and moaned over Hiko's swollen cock and sacs as the big man nearly fell from the intense feeling.

"Stop! Stop, love." Hiko pulled his lover away and leaned down to give him a kiss, tasting himself now. "Come, we have a better place for this, where I can touch you as well. Come." Again, he lifted his lover, now in a gentle cradle embrace, the younger of the two spreading kisses wherever he could reach. Hiko carried him over to a mat spread on the bank and stretched out alongside his partner, returning increasingly hungry kisses. He pinned the smaller man's hands down to lick and kiss his firm golden skin without interference, listening to the other man's moans and whimpers of pleasure.

"My little kappa, my young river god." Hiko pulled free the tie on the braid holding his lover's hair and spread it wide about his face. "So wild and beautiful, so fierce and gentle. My greatest joy -"

"Except for sake..." interrupted the young man."But sake can't do this for you." And he gave himself to the pleasure of his lover's embrace, touching tasting twisting in need and ecstasy until their cries of fulfillment rose over the sounds of the river. Then they dozed in the dappled shade of the bank until the cool of evening began to approach.

The younger man rose and rinsed himself off in the water, pushing it off his body with his hands and tying his hair back into its usual tail. Hiko came in to stand behind him, kissing the back of his neck. "Do you need to go, love?"

"Yes, I'll be missed and questions will be asked if I'm not there in the morning." He turned in the big man's arms to give him a kiss. "Walk with me? Just till the first bridge? I don't want to say goodbye yet." Hiko nodded and they both dressed and set off down the path from the mountain.

They walked in silence, enjoying the fine evening and each other's company. "I wish -" the younger man began, but stopped and kept walking without voicing the rest. It was an old struggle between them, the needs of the many over the one; the call of duty over fiercely protected independence - it wasn't going to be solved now or at any other time. There were just these stolen times of joy and love in a world of conflict.

The bridge came too soon for the both of them. Hiko disliked the city and did not enter it unless forced to; it held nothing of interest for him. His lover was the opposite; his restless nature was at home in the bustle of everyday life, even though he was little noticed. He preferred it that way, it made his work easier. Pale stars had begun to twinkle as the last of the sun's light disappeared.

"Will I see you soon?" Hiko hated how needy he sounded, but there relationship was regulated by how often his lover could slip away. They stood on the bridge looking down into the slow moving water below.

"As soon as I can, you know that." The younger man looked up at his lover's dark form outlined by those stars. "Between my responsibilities and her - it may take a little while, but I will see you." He quickly checked out their surroundings. No one was about at this moment, so he lifted up on his toes to press a kiss on Hiko's lips, a kiss which turned deeper and stronger as the big man pulled him close.

Breathless, he pulled away, looking around to make sure they weren't seen. "Hiko, love, please! We could be seen and then what would I do?"

"Run off and live in the mountains with me? I understand - I can't say I like it, but I understand." He leaned down for one more brush of lip, then whispered in his lover's ear - "You taste better than sake - love always does." Then he disappeared with a swirl of white cape leaving his lover to stare after him with a stunned smile.

 

The chime of the clock woke Saitou Hajime from his doze. He'd been going over the reports on the casualties from the attempted burning of Kyoto and he must have fallen asleep. He lit a cigarette and tried to shake off the feeling he'd been ignoring ever since he'd seen Himura step down from the carriage earlier.

The former hitokiri was changed, calm and in control - Saitou would not be able to goad him into a fight now. He wondered if Himura knew - knew that Saitou Hajime was the only person besides the Master of Hiten Mitsurugi to know what its mastery cost. He'd finally tweaked it out of Hiko years ago and in his terror of losing his lover had attempted to kill the child being trained to murder his own teacher. It didn't matter that the boy had no knowledge of the cost of mastery - he was a threat to what Saitou loved and must be eliminated.

Hiko had seen the madness in Saitou's eyes and was there to stop him - the two of them crossing blades while the young boy slept in the hut behind them. It took a hard slap to the temple from Hiko's nihontu to snap Saitou out of the insanity - but it was too late to save them. "You speak of justice too easily, Saitou. Where is the justice in murdering a child for your own fear?" Hiko's voice was deep and sad. "Go home. Don't come back, Hajime - it's over. I can't have you endangering the boy."

"I thought you loved me - are you raising him as your successor or your next piece of ass?" The slap he received knocked him flat, and then Hiko's blade was in his face.

"I loved a man, not a mad dog. Go before I strike you down like one. If you ever can purge the hate and madness from your soul, come back. Until then, get off my mountain." Hiko had sheathed his sword and deliberately turned his back, leaving himself open to an attack Saitou could not bear to make. He had never gone back.

And now he never could. The man he had admired and loved to madness was dead - he had to be or Himura would not be alive. Saitou left the station and walked the now silent streets. He needed the red headed little bastard to keep the enemy occupied - that was the only thing keeping him alive right now. He could not speak of Hiko to the little man - they had been careful to hide their relationship because of Saitou's marriage and career. Himura had never known.

The sudden hollow sound under his heel startled him; he was on the first bridge. He leaned against the rail and lit another cigarette. Today would be the showdown and if all went well Japan would be saved. If it cost the lives of all, himself included, it didn't matter as long as his loved and war torn country had a chance to continue to heal.

Perhaps by this time tomorrow, he'd see Hiko in the afterlife - whether in heaven or hell, he didn't care as long as he was in his arms once more. The lit end of his cigarette arced towards the river like a shooting star - followed by drops that might have been rain.

 

This is from a projected piece I've been working on quite a while - the only man in Rurouni Kenshin strong enough to tame the Wolf of Mibu would be Hiko. And only someone that strong could hold the love of Saitou. Let me know what you think.

Mauz