[ Multi-chapter ] Behind the paper doors, Chapter 3
Title : Behind the paper doors
Author:rainbowdots888
Pairings: Ohkura Tadayoshi x Tamaki Hiroshi (for now); Ryo x Ohkura; Yoko x Hina
Rating: PG 15 (swearing)
Length: Multi-chapter (3)
Words: 2114
Genre: Romance, angst, AU
Disclaimer: Too bad for me, I am not owning these men...just this story.
Summary: Ooku AU. Ohkura is a young man struggling to earn a position in the Ooku. Just for the background, in case you don't know about these manga and movie (go watch it !!), the roles are reversed and the Shogun is a woman, as men are decimated by a terrible disease outside of the walls of the palace. Young and beautiful men are sent to live at the Ooku by their families in the hope they can become someone important and escape the disease.
****************
The few lamps burning inside the room projected on the oily paper of the doors the motionless shadows of two bodies embraced. The oldest man was seated on the floor, wearing only his hakama. He held the yougest in his arms, against his chest, while rolling bandages around the swollen wrist.
"So what did you do to piss him off like that ?"
"Nothing, I swear. I was just drinking my tea..." mumbled Ohkura in his protector's chest. He was comfortable there and didn't want to move. "This guy is evil. He litterally jumped at me. We didn't even fight once at the dojo..."
"Talking about that, I think it will be painful for the joust tomorrow."
"But I can't fence tomorrow ! I can't even hold my glass anymore."
"You will, though. We can't afford to look weak after he offended you publicly. All the persons present saw what happened today and trust me, they were delighted by this welcome distraction to their boredom."
"But... how ?" He looked up at the other, his eyes filled with worry.
"I trust you. You've always been reliable when your survival was at stake."
Without waiting for the young man response, he kissed him hungrily. Ohkura answered to the kiss with delectation. Tamaki-sama was right. In the competition for survival he had always been the best, far above the others. If he had to give an ugly fight or kill someone tomorrow, so be it. He would not let Yokoyama savour his small victory for too long.
****************
When he woke up the next morning, alone in his room, his wrist had doubled in volume and even the large sleeves of his kimono couldn't hide it. He could barely hold his chopsticks and Ryo found out way to fast about his weakness.
"I told you we needed to do something about that. How are you going to fight now ? I speak but no one listen... C'mon you're not a child anymore and we need to..."
"Cut it now... I'm an asshole, remember, you shouldn't even bother with me."
"Aaah... Yasu is a moron, don't mind what he said. He's actually scared by you, can you even believe that ?" He looked at Ohkura with sparkling eyes, ready to laugh, but still searching for the assent of the other.
The young man looked up from his bowl, surprised that Ryo actually dared to mock him. But seeing such an honest smile something popped in his heart and he started to giggle, almost chocking on his rice. Soon enough they were both laughing like crazy, releasing the tension built up for weeks and finally experiencing emotions fit for their age.
Lying on the floor next to each other, exhausted but happy, they shared then a deep and comfortable silence. Ryo broke it suddenly by declaring with a concerned voice :
"He doesn't make you laugh often, hm ? Too bad... I like it when you laugh. It sounds so true."
"He's not here to make me laugh. He's here to keep me alive."
"You keep yourself alive. You don't need anyone to do that... And today you will do it, again, as usual. Right ?"
"I'll try. I'm so tired of all this..."
"You will. I want to hear you laugh again, understand ?"
Ryo stood up and gave a hand to Ohkura. They stayed hand in hand for a second, looking at each other. He really wanted to say something to this squire he barely knew but who at this moment was the closest thing to a friend for him.
The taiko's deep sounds interrupted his thoughts and the magic was broken. He released Ryo's hand, took his sword in a wince of pain and left the room without looking back.
****************
The whole Ooku had gathered around the outdoor arena to watch the duels. The sun was high in the sky and the rich colors of the clothes was blinding. Clenching his teeth, Ohkura won his first fights easily against minor opponents who were mere teenagers too afraid by his reputation to be worrying. The day was hot, way too hot for the bodies covered with so many layers of precious silks. Of course Yokoyama was there, in the tribune, seated next to his protector. He was resplendent and unaffected by the hotness, distributing delicate smiles like candies thrown to children. Murakami-sama seemed way above all this as he was commenting the duels to the Shogun. She had been there for an hour already, well hidden behind many layers of transparent gauze to prevent the lower levels of her harem to see her face.
He started to feel bored, the competition was not challenging and even his wrist was not hurting as much as it should have. It certainly seemed too easy to Yokoyama who decided to enter the competition in the finale, at the obvious displeasure of his master : a wrong blow and his beloved favorite would be another souvenir.
They found themselves opposed on the last duel, Ohkura already tired and hurt and Yokoyama, fresh and confident. They both gauged their ennemy for a long time, in a perfect silence. Everyone felt the tension between them and expected a fight to death. The young man's brain was empty, his body solely focused on one purpose: stay alive. One small movement of Yokoyama's left foot, hidden behind his hakama, triggered the start of the confrontation. In a swift and light movement Ohkura ran to his opponent, ready to deliver a fatal blow. Caution could go to hell, he needed to end this properly. If he had to die that day, it would be gloriously, weapon in hand. Just when he plunged on his ennemy, a scream pierced the silence of the arena and destabilised, he missed his target. He could hear a muffled sound of pain from his opponent as a hot liquid flowed on his side.
When he opened his eyes, everything around him had turned to chaos. The courtmen where running everywhere moved by panic... the Shogun had collapsed because of a sunstroke and no one was paying attention to them anymore. He moved slowly, his head spinning. The lines around him were blurry and he felt a sharp painon his side. Bleeding seriously, Ohkura collapsed on the wooden floor of the arena in the middle of the turmoil. Before losing consciousness he saw Yokoyama stand up and look at him from above. He was covering his left eye with a hand, blood dripping crimson red through his ghostly white fingers.
"You'll pay for this. I'll make you regret the day you were born."
****************
He couldn't remember how long he had been left bleeding by himself on this damn floor but several times Ohkura believed he was about to die. The world looked like a blurry painting, too bright to see anything and too painful to keep breathing. He felt strong hands carrying him away at last, like a bag of rice brought to the kitchen. His brain was making up creepy dreams in which he would wake up outside of the walls, bleeding, at the stray dogs' mercy or buried alive in an unknown courtyard. The fever was strong and nothing could pass through his lips depite the efforts of those fuzzy silhouettes he could notice around him.
After what seemed like a lifetime to him, he finally opened his eyes on a world that looked steady. The air was fresh, the bed clean and white and the door opened just enough for him to see a bit of the garden. Low voices could be heard behind him, discussing futile topics and laughing. He decided to move to be able to see those persons who just woke him up but when he moved, a sharp pain went through his right side and made him groan.
"Oh ! Look who's back from the dead ! You look charming, my lord..."
"Ryo, you really need to stop talking like this, or you'll have problems..."
Ohkura saw his squire come to his bed, kneel and lend an arm to help him to sit. The effort was painful but worth the try: he felt suddenly better seated, human again.
"How long has it been ?..."
"Three days. And a half. You're not bleeding anymore, thankfully... 'Cause you really started to look like Yokoya.... hm. Well, anyway. Glad you're alive."
"Ow, my head hurts. What happened ?"
"The Shogun fainted. Just when you were about to kill that son of a bitch. He was in a very bad position, you'd have cut him in half if it hadn't been for that unfortunate distraction."
"How is he ? Hurt ? He was bleeding, oh... I can't remember..."
"He'll have to do without an eye... and a piece of cheek. Actually I think he looks better now, but that's just my opinion." Ryo let out a giggle at that. "His sword went through your side though. I thought you were dead, but when they let me enter the arena, you were still breathing so Yasu and I brought you back here."
"Thank you. It seems like you're always here to carry me somewhere" he said with a smile to Yasu, still standing in a corner.
"I'm doing what I'm asked, m'lord"
"Did he come to see me ?"
Ryo looked at his hands, obviously uncomfortable with the answer.
"Once. Very quickly actually. He didn't say a word... Just opened the door, looked at you and left. People say he's walking on a knife edge with Murakami-sama. You disfigured his favorite toy after all. Don't worry, you're still alive and complete. I bet he'll still love your body and its heroic scar."
"Ryo, aren't you ever tired of being sarcastic ?"
"Never. But I'm sorry, it's just that... he doesn't deserve your love, your admiration or anything you have for him. He is the asshole here and I..."
"You... ?" Over the pain he felt, Ohkura's attention was suddenly caught by the other's strange confession. Ryo went from being the poison tongue he usually was to a sappy heart in the matter of a second.
"... I, ... Nevermind."
Suddenly, as if he realised that he had gone too far he became the servant again, retrieving the emotionless uniform of a squire to conceal his true feelings.
" Let me bring you some tea."
Ohkura was surprised by this change but kept in mind the shining he had noticed in the other's eyes as he was speaking. He locked this image in a part of his heart, hidden from the others' curiosity. This thrilling sensation he had just felt, he would treasure it.
****************
That night, once he had taken his first walk in the gardens, he found himself alone in his room. The strange discussion of the morning was still floating in his mind but overall he was worried about his protector. Maybe he would be rejected after what happened and even if he knew that their relationship was precarious, he wasn't ready to let it go. Not before having planned some other strategy to stay alive, at least.
He looked at his reflection in the dull mirror of his room, only to discover that despite the wound and the tiredness, he hadn't moved a bit. If not for this surreal pallor of his skin, the duel had left him unchanged. He removed the bandages on his side to check by himself the state of the wound. The cut was deep but clean. At least the sword had been perfectly sharp and he would be left just with a long but narrow scar running from his navel to his right hip. As he was in deep thoughts, he could hear a light shuffling of clothes in front of his door and saw a small paper being slipped through the panels. The message fell silently on the floor. By the time he had reached it, the envoy was gone in the night.
Ohkura unfolded the slip and read a message written in small and beautiful characters.
I know you're better, and I'm glad. Rest now. It's not the moment for me to come back to you, there is too much at stake. You fought well. I'll ask you to stay in your rooms for now and to live with discretion. We cannot risk another scandal, I 'm sure you understand.
I'll write again.
This simple message, empty of any feelings or concern towards his condition felt like a slap in his face. A single tear ran on his cheek as he crumpled the piece of paper in his fist. Rage and desillusion merged in one powerful shiver that left him exhausted, falling to pieces in silence.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chapter 3 here ! I have the story more or less structured until the end by now but this episode showed up by itself. It was not planned but I like it... It makes the story last longer :3
Love ♥
Author:rainbowdots888
Pairings: Ohkura Tadayoshi x Tamaki Hiroshi (for now); Ryo x Ohkura; Yoko x Hina
Rating: PG 15 (swearing)
Length: Multi-chapter (3)
Words: 2114
Genre: Romance, angst, AU
Disclaimer: Too bad for me, I am not owning these men...just this story.
Summary: Ooku AU. Ohkura is a young man struggling to earn a position in the Ooku. Just for the background, in case you don't know about these manga and movie (go watch it !!), the roles are reversed and the Shogun is a woman, as men are decimated by a terrible disease outside of the walls of the palace. Young and beautiful men are sent to live at the Ooku by their families in the hope they can become someone important and escape the disease.
****************
The few lamps burning inside the room projected on the oily paper of the doors the motionless shadows of two bodies embraced. The oldest man was seated on the floor, wearing only his hakama. He held the yougest in his arms, against his chest, while rolling bandages around the swollen wrist.
"So what did you do to piss him off like that ?"
"Nothing, I swear. I was just drinking my tea..." mumbled Ohkura in his protector's chest. He was comfortable there and didn't want to move. "This guy is evil. He litterally jumped at me. We didn't even fight once at the dojo..."
"Talking about that, I think it will be painful for the joust tomorrow."
"But I can't fence tomorrow ! I can't even hold my glass anymore."
"You will, though. We can't afford to look weak after he offended you publicly. All the persons present saw what happened today and trust me, they were delighted by this welcome distraction to their boredom."
"But... how ?" He looked up at the other, his eyes filled with worry.
"I trust you. You've always been reliable when your survival was at stake."
Without waiting for the young man response, he kissed him hungrily. Ohkura answered to the kiss with delectation. Tamaki-sama was right. In the competition for survival he had always been the best, far above the others. If he had to give an ugly fight or kill someone tomorrow, so be it. He would not let Yokoyama savour his small victory for too long.
****************
When he woke up the next morning, alone in his room, his wrist had doubled in volume and even the large sleeves of his kimono couldn't hide it. He could barely hold his chopsticks and Ryo found out way to fast about his weakness.
"I told you we needed to do something about that. How are you going to fight now ? I speak but no one listen... C'mon you're not a child anymore and we need to..."
"Cut it now... I'm an asshole, remember, you shouldn't even bother with me."
"Aaah... Yasu is a moron, don't mind what he said. He's actually scared by you, can you even believe that ?" He looked at Ohkura with sparkling eyes, ready to laugh, but still searching for the assent of the other.
The young man looked up from his bowl, surprised that Ryo actually dared to mock him. But seeing such an honest smile something popped in his heart and he started to giggle, almost chocking on his rice. Soon enough they were both laughing like crazy, releasing the tension built up for weeks and finally experiencing emotions fit for their age.
Lying on the floor next to each other, exhausted but happy, they shared then a deep and comfortable silence. Ryo broke it suddenly by declaring with a concerned voice :
"He doesn't make you laugh often, hm ? Too bad... I like it when you laugh. It sounds so true."
"He's not here to make me laugh. He's here to keep me alive."
"You keep yourself alive. You don't need anyone to do that... And today you will do it, again, as usual. Right ?"
"I'll try. I'm so tired of all this..."
"You will. I want to hear you laugh again, understand ?"
Ryo stood up and gave a hand to Ohkura. They stayed hand in hand for a second, looking at each other. He really wanted to say something to this squire he barely knew but who at this moment was the closest thing to a friend for him.
The taiko's deep sounds interrupted his thoughts and the magic was broken. He released Ryo's hand, took his sword in a wince of pain and left the room without looking back.
****************
The whole Ooku had gathered around the outdoor arena to watch the duels. The sun was high in the sky and the rich colors of the clothes was blinding. Clenching his teeth, Ohkura won his first fights easily against minor opponents who were mere teenagers too afraid by his reputation to be worrying. The day was hot, way too hot for the bodies covered with so many layers of precious silks. Of course Yokoyama was there, in the tribune, seated next to his protector. He was resplendent and unaffected by the hotness, distributing delicate smiles like candies thrown to children. Murakami-sama seemed way above all this as he was commenting the duels to the Shogun. She had been there for an hour already, well hidden behind many layers of transparent gauze to prevent the lower levels of her harem to see her face.
He started to feel bored, the competition was not challenging and even his wrist was not hurting as much as it should have. It certainly seemed too easy to Yokoyama who decided to enter the competition in the finale, at the obvious displeasure of his master : a wrong blow and his beloved favorite would be another souvenir.
They found themselves opposed on the last duel, Ohkura already tired and hurt and Yokoyama, fresh and confident. They both gauged their ennemy for a long time, in a perfect silence. Everyone felt the tension between them and expected a fight to death. The young man's brain was empty, his body solely focused on one purpose: stay alive. One small movement of Yokoyama's left foot, hidden behind his hakama, triggered the start of the confrontation. In a swift and light movement Ohkura ran to his opponent, ready to deliver a fatal blow. Caution could go to hell, he needed to end this properly. If he had to die that day, it would be gloriously, weapon in hand. Just when he plunged on his ennemy, a scream pierced the silence of the arena and destabilised, he missed his target. He could hear a muffled sound of pain from his opponent as a hot liquid flowed on his side.
When he opened his eyes, everything around him had turned to chaos. The courtmen where running everywhere moved by panic... the Shogun had collapsed because of a sunstroke and no one was paying attention to them anymore. He moved slowly, his head spinning. The lines around him were blurry and he felt a sharp painon his side. Bleeding seriously, Ohkura collapsed on the wooden floor of the arena in the middle of the turmoil. Before losing consciousness he saw Yokoyama stand up and look at him from above. He was covering his left eye with a hand, blood dripping crimson red through his ghostly white fingers.
"You'll pay for this. I'll make you regret the day you were born."
****************
He couldn't remember how long he had been left bleeding by himself on this damn floor but several times Ohkura believed he was about to die. The world looked like a blurry painting, too bright to see anything and too painful to keep breathing. He felt strong hands carrying him away at last, like a bag of rice brought to the kitchen. His brain was making up creepy dreams in which he would wake up outside of the walls, bleeding, at the stray dogs' mercy or buried alive in an unknown courtyard. The fever was strong and nothing could pass through his lips depite the efforts of those fuzzy silhouettes he could notice around him.
After what seemed like a lifetime to him, he finally opened his eyes on a world that looked steady. The air was fresh, the bed clean and white and the door opened just enough for him to see a bit of the garden. Low voices could be heard behind him, discussing futile topics and laughing. He decided to move to be able to see those persons who just woke him up but when he moved, a sharp pain went through his right side and made him groan.
"Oh ! Look who's back from the dead ! You look charming, my lord..."
"Ryo, you really need to stop talking like this, or you'll have problems..."
Ohkura saw his squire come to his bed, kneel and lend an arm to help him to sit. The effort was painful but worth the try: he felt suddenly better seated, human again.
"How long has it been ?..."
"Three days. And a half. You're not bleeding anymore, thankfully... 'Cause you really started to look like Yokoya.... hm. Well, anyway. Glad you're alive."
"Ow, my head hurts. What happened ?"
"The Shogun fainted. Just when you were about to kill that son of a bitch. He was in a very bad position, you'd have cut him in half if it hadn't been for that unfortunate distraction."
"How is he ? Hurt ? He was bleeding, oh... I can't remember..."
"He'll have to do without an eye... and a piece of cheek. Actually I think he looks better now, but that's just my opinion." Ryo let out a giggle at that. "His sword went through your side though. I thought you were dead, but when they let me enter the arena, you were still breathing so Yasu and I brought you back here."
"Thank you. It seems like you're always here to carry me somewhere" he said with a smile to Yasu, still standing in a corner.
"I'm doing what I'm asked, m'lord"
"Did he come to see me ?"
Ryo looked at his hands, obviously uncomfortable with the answer.
"Once. Very quickly actually. He didn't say a word... Just opened the door, looked at you and left. People say he's walking on a knife edge with Murakami-sama. You disfigured his favorite toy after all. Don't worry, you're still alive and complete. I bet he'll still love your body and its heroic scar."
"Ryo, aren't you ever tired of being sarcastic ?"
"Never. But I'm sorry, it's just that... he doesn't deserve your love, your admiration or anything you have for him. He is the asshole here and I..."
"You... ?" Over the pain he felt, Ohkura's attention was suddenly caught by the other's strange confession. Ryo went from being the poison tongue he usually was to a sappy heart in the matter of a second.
"... I, ... Nevermind."
Suddenly, as if he realised that he had gone too far he became the servant again, retrieving the emotionless uniform of a squire to conceal his true feelings.
" Let me bring you some tea."
Ohkura was surprised by this change but kept in mind the shining he had noticed in the other's eyes as he was speaking. He locked this image in a part of his heart, hidden from the others' curiosity. This thrilling sensation he had just felt, he would treasure it.
****************
That night, once he had taken his first walk in the gardens, he found himself alone in his room. The strange discussion of the morning was still floating in his mind but overall he was worried about his protector. Maybe he would be rejected after what happened and even if he knew that their relationship was precarious, he wasn't ready to let it go. Not before having planned some other strategy to stay alive, at least.
He looked at his reflection in the dull mirror of his room, only to discover that despite the wound and the tiredness, he hadn't moved a bit. If not for this surreal pallor of his skin, the duel had left him unchanged. He removed the bandages on his side to check by himself the state of the wound. The cut was deep but clean. At least the sword had been perfectly sharp and he would be left just with a long but narrow scar running from his navel to his right hip. As he was in deep thoughts, he could hear a light shuffling of clothes in front of his door and saw a small paper being slipped through the panels. The message fell silently on the floor. By the time he had reached it, the envoy was gone in the night.
Ohkura unfolded the slip and read a message written in small and beautiful characters.
I know you're better, and I'm glad. Rest now. It's not the moment for me to come back to you, there is too much at stake. You fought well. I'll ask you to stay in your rooms for now and to live with discretion. We cannot risk another scandal, I 'm sure you understand.
I'll write again.
This simple message, empty of any feelings or concern towards his condition felt like a slap in his face. A single tear ran on his cheek as he crumpled the piece of paper in his fist. Rage and desillusion merged in one powerful shiver that left him exhausted, falling to pieces in silence.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chapter 3 here ! I have the story more or less structured until the end by now but this episode showed up by itself. It was not planned but I like it... It makes the story last longer :3
Love ♥