Maybe, from a Faraway Past
Title: Maybe, from a Faraway Past
Author: Shattered Tenshi
Rating: PG-13
Fandom: JE
Genre: AU, Angst
Pairing: Takizawa Hideaki x Fujigaya Taisuke (Enbujou!Yoshitsune x Enbujou!Benkei) - more implied and vague
Warnings: Will contain spoiler should you choose to read - character death (highlight to see)
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Notes: Yes, there are historical characters mentioned and the way I interpret their relationship is probably incorrect, but note that I'm treating them more as characters from Takizawa Enbujou, so it's most definitely different from actual history.
Maybe, from a Faraway Past
By Shattered Tenshi
"Yoshitsune-samaaaaa!"
Taisuke's eyes flew open and he sat up in a rush, sweat running down his face. Breathing heavily, he wiped his forehead, trying to clear his mind from the images he saw in his dream.
"Taisuke-sama? Are you alright?"
Turning his head when he heard the door slide open, Taisuke had a weary expression on his face as his eyes met the other's gaze. "H-Hideaki..."
"You screamed in your sleep," Takizawa explained. "Did you have a nightmare or something? You seem to be troubled in your sleep these few nights. Perhaps we should find a healer and consult him, Taisuke-sama."
As he wiped his sweat with the sleeve of his clothing, Taisuke shook his head. "There's no need. I'm fine. Hideaki, I told you not to call me Taisuke-sama..."
Takizawa paused before chuckling, "If I don't call you that, what else should I call you, Taisuke-sama? It's not right to call you anything less, and I'd get into trouble for it."
"At least in private then?" Taisuke asked, pressing a hand on his futon and leaning a little closer to Takizawa. "It...it doesn't feel right for you to call me sama, Hideaki." He wanted to say that it should be the opposite, that he should call Takizawa sama instead, but he couldn't say it, not knowing how to explain his feelings and thoughts to the other.
"I'll try, Taisuke-sama," Takizawa replied before realizing what he said. "I mean, Taisuke. Is there anything I can do to help you? You should try to get some more sleep, otherwise, you won't have enough energy during the day."
Taisuke nodded his head and slid back down on his futon. "Stay with me, Hideaki?" he asked in a soft voice. "At least until I'm asleep." Despite Takizawa was the reason for his dreams - he believed so anyways - the other's presence was also calming at the same time.
"Very well. I'll stay until you fall asleep, Taisuke."
Taisuke smiled softly and fluttered his eyes closed.
Letting out a sigh, Taisuke closed the book he was reading. Maybe he really should do something about those dreams of his. He had been almost seeing them every single night ever since Takizawa came to work for his family around a year ago. To be exact, the dreams started the day before Takizawa came and started to serve him.
At first, Taisuke had thought that he had been reading too many history books. After all, unlike other children from wealthy family who might be just taught to read, write and things about literature, as the oldest son of the general, Taisuke was taught a lot more than that, which included history.
Ever since he started to learn about the history of the country, Taisuke found himself liking the stories of Minamoto no Yoshitsune the best. To be specific, he didn't enjoy the violence and betrayal within the stories, but the relationship between Yoshitsune and Musashibou Benkei had always interested him. The loyalty that Benkei had for his master was almost mysterious to Taisuke since he couldn't imagine what Benkei feels towards Yoshitsune yet at the same time, he felt connected to Benkei as well. To swear to protect someone for the rest of his life because that man defeated him. To beat that someone because it was to save both of them. To die because that someone was a person that he must protect and must help to fulfill that person’s dream. He wanted to understand all these and the feelings behind them.
Taisuke had always thought about what other stories that might have occurred with Yoshitsune and Benkei that the history books have not written about. That's why when he started seeing those dreams, he thought his mind had been thinking too much.
When the dreams started to become cleared though and he saw what Yoshitsune looked like in his dream, Taisuke started to think differently. Maybe, it wasn't because he read too much after all.
Before those dreams, Taisuke didn't exactly believe in previous lives, but perhaps there was a reason for him to now. He had always felt that Takizawa wasn't someone meant to be a servant after all, ever since he had first set eyes on the other. There was something about the other's atmosphere, aura, the way he carried himself, that old Taisuke Takizawa was meant for something bigger, that he shouldn’t treat the other without respect.
"Taisuke-sama?"
Taisuke flinched in surprise and quickly lifted his head to see Takizawa in front of him. "Hideaki?"
"Your snack and tea," Takizawa said, pushing the tray with said things on it forward.
"Oh." Taisuke shook his head slightly, clearing his mind of previous thoughts. He hadn't notice Takizawa coming in at all. "Thank you."
Takizawa said, "It's getting late though, Taisuke-sa...Taisuke. Maybe you should go to sleep soon."
Taisuke sipped his tea slowly, eyes lowered. "Mh, I will..."
"Maybe you need something to relax yourself?" Takizawa thought about it for a moment before taking the lamp that was beside Taisuke and moved it so its light would shining on the wall. "What is this, Taisuke?"
"Eh?" Taisuke looked at the wall, where Takizawa’s gaze was focused on. "A-ah! A rabbit?" His eyes shone with amazement at the shadow figure formed by Takizawa's hands.
Takizawa chuckled, "Yes, it's a rabbit. Now..."
"A dog!"
"Yes," Takizawa chuckled again. "You want to try? We can make a picture together."
"C-can we?" Taisuke shifted closer to Takizawa.
Takizawa nodded his head and placed his fist on top of his other hand. "First, do this, and now..."
As Takizawa gave him instructions, Taisuke watched with interest as the shadows on the wall transformed. They went from pouring tea for each other to a rabbit running away from a hunting dog, to brothers playing together on a field.
Taisuke hadn't realized how much time had passed until Takizawa sat back up properly and pushed the candle. "Do you feel better now, Taisuke? I believe it's time to rest then."
Blinking, Taisuke realized that he did feel better, not as strained as before. He gave Takizawa a smile. "Thank you, Hideaki..."
"No need to thank me, Taisuke," Takizawa replied with his own smile.
That night, Taisuke had a calming dream where Yoshitsune and Benkei were just sitting on a field together, watching the stars shine above in the sky.
"What do you mean Otousama is going alone!?" Taisuke exclaimed, standing up. "No matter how skilled he is, we're talking fighting another clan here! Why didn't the Lord send someone with him!?"
"Taisuke-sama, please calm down."
Taisuke shook his head. "How can I calm down? This is almost like sending my father to his death! I can't let this happen. I'm going to go to the castle and talk to the Lord s-"
"Taisuke-sama!" Takizawa immediately blocked his way. "You cannot go!"
"Why? I can't just sit here and do anything!"
When Taisuke tried to run past him, Takizawa stopped him once again. "Master has already accepted this decision and has already packed and headed off. If you try to do anything extra, it might affect the Lord's trust in Master, and as the oldest son of this household, you must protect everyone here!" Takizawa pressed hard on Taisuke's shoulders and stared into his eyes. "Do you understand?"
Taisuke trembled as he looked back into Takizawa's eyes. It was as though Yoshitsune now stood in front of him, and perhaps because of the way connected himself to Benkei, Taisuke felt like he couldn't disobey Takizawa. "H-Hideaki..."
Takizawa's voice softened. "Stay here, and don't do anything reckless, Taisuke. Your father count on you to protect everyone here, alright?"
Taking in a shuddery breath, Taisuke nodded. "Y-yes, Hideaki."
"Taisuke-sama! Taisuke! Wake up!"
Taisuke's eyes flew open and he could feel the tears still rolling down his cheeks. "Y-Yoshitsune-sama..." he whispered.
"Taisuke? What did you say? Are you feeling alright?" Takizawa helped Taisuke sit up properly and wiped some sweat off Taisuke's forehead, using his sleeve.
Sniffling, Taisuke took some time before his mind cleared and he realized who was with him. "Hideaki..."
"You had another nightmare again," Takizawa stated. "It may not be appropriate for me to ask, but do you want to share your dream?"
Taisuke shook his head. It wasn't the first time he dreamt of the scenes of Yoshitsune and Benkei dying, but this time, he felt that he understood some of the feelings that Benkei might have felt. Perhaps, perhaps, Benkei didn't want to die away from his Tono, that even in his death he would wanted to die beside Yoshitsune. Yoshitsune had died without fulfilling his goal, and maybe, just maybe, he felt a little regret deep inside his heart for dragging Benkei into this.
Feeling the emotions overflow within him, Taisuke just kept on crying no matter what Takizawa tried to do or say. In the end, Takizawa just sat beside Taisuke quietly, stroking the boy's back as Taisuke continued to cry for Yoshitsune and Benkei.
"Taisuke-sama, please wait!" Taisuke could hear Takizawa catching up to him from behind, but he didn't stop running.
"I must greet Otousama now! He has won the fight after all! He came back well!"
"But, Taisuke-sama! You must remember what Master had said! You need to be careful of enemies." Takizawa finally caught up and grabbed Taisuke's shoulder, making the other stop. "You cannot just run out of the mansion without arming yourself properly and bringing at least a guard with you!"
Taisuke made a face. "I'm not that weak at fighting or protecting myself! Besides, Hideaki, you can fight too, right? Then you can protect me, right?"
"Yes, but right now, it's best to return to the mansion and prepare properly before going to congratulate Master of his victory." Takizawa sighed, "You must realize the Lord probably sent Master to fight because of Master's enemies' words, right? Now that Master is back alive and well, his enemies may come up with another plan to harm Master!"
Trying to shrug Takizawa's hand off his shoulder, Taisuke mumbled, "But, I want to see Otousama... You promise to protect me, and I'll protect you too, alright?"
"Of course I'll protect you Taisuke, but listen to m-" Takizawa's eyes widened and he quickly pushed Taisuke away while jumping away as well.
"Hideaki!" Taisuke let out a cry of pain when he fell on to the ground. "What was that for..." His voice trailed off when he noticed the arrow that was stuck in the sand of the path.
Takizawa quickly ran towards Taisuke, pulling him up. "Looks like I have jinxed the situation, Taisuke. We've got to get back to the mansion now."
Eyes wide, Taisuke could only nod as he followed Takizawa's advice and ran towards the direction of the mansion. It was not going to be easy though as men have appeared, some with katanas held up, some with arrows and bows as they tried to block his way.
Reaching into his hakama and pulling out a knife, Taisuke knew they weren't going to let him through without a fight. They were at a disadvantage, but he knew he couldn't lose here and now.
The moment he charged at the men, they ran towards him as well. Taisuke could tell behind him that Takizawa was doing the same, fighting against a part of the group.
Taisuke wasn't sure for how long they fought for, but when it was two against many, Taisuke soon found himself stumbling as his body ached all over due to the wounds on him. Just then, from the corner of his eye, he noticed one of the men pushing his katana right through Takizawa.
"Hideaki!"
Just that one moment of distraction had decided Taisuke's fate.
A strangled sound left Taisuke's lips as he felt a katana plunging into him. The man who had attacked Taisuke smirked down at the boy. "Let's see what will Fujigaya-sama do when he loses his precious first son..." With that, he pulled his katana out.
Taisuke cried out in pain, coughing blood out on to the ground. "Y-you..."
"Good-bye, Taisuke-sama." With a wave of his hand, the man disappeared along with the rest of the group.
Cursing his own stupidity in his mind, Taisuke rolled on the ground until he was lying on his stomach. Takizawa was not far away, lying still. "H-Hideaki? H-Hideaki?" He couldn't speak louder than a whisper, his strength leaving him as blood continued to flow from his wounds.
Taisuke was almost certain that he was going to die. There were too many wounds on him, with too much blood lost. He tried to crawl forward, getting a little closer to Takizawa. "H-Hideaki..."
Slowly moving his arm forward, Taisuke tried to reach for the other. Those feelings were overflowing within him once again. Not again. He didn't want it to be the same again, to die away from the other.
Stretching his fingers longer, Taisuke tried to crawl forward more, but he couldn't find the strength anymore. Just a little more. He was so close though. Just as long as he could touch the other...
"Hideaki...I-I'm sorry. I don't w-want it to be the s-same again. Yoshitsune-sama..." Taisuke's vision was getting blurry. The other felt even further away now. He could barely move his fingers anymore, let alone crawl closer to Takizawa.
That's when he felt fingers touching his own and heard a soft whisper, "Taisuke..."
A tear rolling down his cheek, Taisuke smiled softly and his eyes closed.
Author's Notes: I don't know either. I don't know why I wrote this, when clearly, I should be working on the epic instead because Taisuke's birthday is in 3 days and I'm no where near Chpt.10, but I wrote angst instead. I do realize I could write a lot more in this universe, set up Taisuke's character better, build up the relationship between Taisuke and Tackey even more etc, but I didn't want to drag this, and I had a feeling if I don't finish this as soon as possible, I'll take forever to finish it. I took about 2-3 hours to write this, and with my speed, this is conisdered fast. I might come back to this later and think, I've written too little, things developed too fast, and I should fix this, but for now, I'm good with this. It was already enough to make me bawl while writing this.
I...I just wanted to write a fic where Tono and Benkei switched places really - where Tono is not the master and Benkei not the servant - in a different lifetime. The result was this. I...I write too much angst, I think.
For those who are not familiar with Takizawa Enbujou, there's a scene where Tono (Yoshitsune), Benkei and Saburou work together to do shadow performances. I really really like that scene, which is one of the reasons I included shadow art into the fic.
I'm sorry if I offended any history-liking people who want to strangle me for my interpretation of the relationship between Yoshitsune and Benkei and their feelings and whatnot, but my impression of Yoshitsune and Benkei, almost 99% of it comes from Takizawa Enbujou, so I see them more as fictional characters played by Tackey and Taisuke which is why I'm able to ship them so much. I do not mean to misintepret history.
I forgot what else I have to say, and before I go on rambling about something else, I'll stop now.
Comments are love and appreciated~
Author: Shattered Tenshi
Rating: PG-13
Fandom: JE
Genre: AU, Angst
Pairing: Takizawa Hideaki x Fujigaya Taisuke (Enbujou!Yoshitsune x Enbujou!Benkei) - more implied and vague
Warnings: Will contain spoiler should you choose to read - character death (highlight to see)
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Notes: Yes, there are historical characters mentioned and the way I interpret their relationship is probably incorrect, but note that I'm treating them more as characters from Takizawa Enbujou, so it's most definitely different from actual history.
Maybe, from a Faraway Past
By Shattered Tenshi
"Yoshitsune-samaaaaa!"
Taisuke's eyes flew open and he sat up in a rush, sweat running down his face. Breathing heavily, he wiped his forehead, trying to clear his mind from the images he saw in his dream.
"Taisuke-sama? Are you alright?"
Turning his head when he heard the door slide open, Taisuke had a weary expression on his face as his eyes met the other's gaze. "H-Hideaki..."
"You screamed in your sleep," Takizawa explained. "Did you have a nightmare or something? You seem to be troubled in your sleep these few nights. Perhaps we should find a healer and consult him, Taisuke-sama."
As he wiped his sweat with the sleeve of his clothing, Taisuke shook his head. "There's no need. I'm fine. Hideaki, I told you not to call me Taisuke-sama..."
Takizawa paused before chuckling, "If I don't call you that, what else should I call you, Taisuke-sama? It's not right to call you anything less, and I'd get into trouble for it."
"At least in private then?" Taisuke asked, pressing a hand on his futon and leaning a little closer to Takizawa. "It...it doesn't feel right for you to call me sama, Hideaki." He wanted to say that it should be the opposite, that he should call Takizawa sama instead, but he couldn't say it, not knowing how to explain his feelings and thoughts to the other.
"I'll try, Taisuke-sama," Takizawa replied before realizing what he said. "I mean, Taisuke. Is there anything I can do to help you? You should try to get some more sleep, otherwise, you won't have enough energy during the day."
Taisuke nodded his head and slid back down on his futon. "Stay with me, Hideaki?" he asked in a soft voice. "At least until I'm asleep." Despite Takizawa was the reason for his dreams - he believed so anyways - the other's presence was also calming at the same time.
"Very well. I'll stay until you fall asleep, Taisuke."
Taisuke smiled softly and fluttered his eyes closed.
Letting out a sigh, Taisuke closed the book he was reading. Maybe he really should do something about those dreams of his. He had been almost seeing them every single night ever since Takizawa came to work for his family around a year ago. To be exact, the dreams started the day before Takizawa came and started to serve him.
At first, Taisuke had thought that he had been reading too many history books. After all, unlike other children from wealthy family who might be just taught to read, write and things about literature, as the oldest son of the general, Taisuke was taught a lot more than that, which included history.
Ever since he started to learn about the history of the country, Taisuke found himself liking the stories of Minamoto no Yoshitsune the best. To be specific, he didn't enjoy the violence and betrayal within the stories, but the relationship between Yoshitsune and Musashibou Benkei had always interested him. The loyalty that Benkei had for his master was almost mysterious to Taisuke since he couldn't imagine what Benkei feels towards Yoshitsune yet at the same time, he felt connected to Benkei as well. To swear to protect someone for the rest of his life because that man defeated him. To beat that someone because it was to save both of them. To die because that someone was a person that he must protect and must help to fulfill that person’s dream. He wanted to understand all these and the feelings behind them.
Taisuke had always thought about what other stories that might have occurred with Yoshitsune and Benkei that the history books have not written about. That's why when he started seeing those dreams, he thought his mind had been thinking too much.
When the dreams started to become cleared though and he saw what Yoshitsune looked like in his dream, Taisuke started to think differently. Maybe, it wasn't because he read too much after all.
Before those dreams, Taisuke didn't exactly believe in previous lives, but perhaps there was a reason for him to now. He had always felt that Takizawa wasn't someone meant to be a servant after all, ever since he had first set eyes on the other. There was something about the other's atmosphere, aura, the way he carried himself, that old Taisuke Takizawa was meant for something bigger, that he shouldn’t treat the other without respect.
"Taisuke-sama?"
Taisuke flinched in surprise and quickly lifted his head to see Takizawa in front of him. "Hideaki?"
"Your snack and tea," Takizawa said, pushing the tray with said things on it forward.
"Oh." Taisuke shook his head slightly, clearing his mind of previous thoughts. He hadn't notice Takizawa coming in at all. "Thank you."
Takizawa said, "It's getting late though, Taisuke-sa...Taisuke. Maybe you should go to sleep soon."
Taisuke sipped his tea slowly, eyes lowered. "Mh, I will..."
"Maybe you need something to relax yourself?" Takizawa thought about it for a moment before taking the lamp that was beside Taisuke and moved it so its light would shining on the wall. "What is this, Taisuke?"
"Eh?" Taisuke looked at the wall, where Takizawa’s gaze was focused on. "A-ah! A rabbit?" His eyes shone with amazement at the shadow figure formed by Takizawa's hands.
Takizawa chuckled, "Yes, it's a rabbit. Now..."
"A dog!"
"Yes," Takizawa chuckled again. "You want to try? We can make a picture together."
"C-can we?" Taisuke shifted closer to Takizawa.
Takizawa nodded his head and placed his fist on top of his other hand. "First, do this, and now..."
As Takizawa gave him instructions, Taisuke watched with interest as the shadows on the wall transformed. They went from pouring tea for each other to a rabbit running away from a hunting dog, to brothers playing together on a field.
Taisuke hadn't realized how much time had passed until Takizawa sat back up properly and pushed the candle. "Do you feel better now, Taisuke? I believe it's time to rest then."
Blinking, Taisuke realized that he did feel better, not as strained as before. He gave Takizawa a smile. "Thank you, Hideaki..."
"No need to thank me, Taisuke," Takizawa replied with his own smile.
That night, Taisuke had a calming dream where Yoshitsune and Benkei were just sitting on a field together, watching the stars shine above in the sky.
"What do you mean Otousama is going alone!?" Taisuke exclaimed, standing up. "No matter how skilled he is, we're talking fighting another clan here! Why didn't the Lord send someone with him!?"
"Taisuke-sama, please calm down."
Taisuke shook his head. "How can I calm down? This is almost like sending my father to his death! I can't let this happen. I'm going to go to the castle and talk to the Lord s-"
"Taisuke-sama!" Takizawa immediately blocked his way. "You cannot go!"
"Why? I can't just sit here and do anything!"
When Taisuke tried to run past him, Takizawa stopped him once again. "Master has already accepted this decision and has already packed and headed off. If you try to do anything extra, it might affect the Lord's trust in Master, and as the oldest son of this household, you must protect everyone here!" Takizawa pressed hard on Taisuke's shoulders and stared into his eyes. "Do you understand?"
Taisuke trembled as he looked back into Takizawa's eyes. It was as though Yoshitsune now stood in front of him, and perhaps because of the way connected himself to Benkei, Taisuke felt like he couldn't disobey Takizawa. "H-Hideaki..."
Takizawa's voice softened. "Stay here, and don't do anything reckless, Taisuke. Your father count on you to protect everyone here, alright?"
Taking in a shuddery breath, Taisuke nodded. "Y-yes, Hideaki."
"Taisuke-sama! Taisuke! Wake up!"
Taisuke's eyes flew open and he could feel the tears still rolling down his cheeks. "Y-Yoshitsune-sama..." he whispered.
"Taisuke? What did you say? Are you feeling alright?" Takizawa helped Taisuke sit up properly and wiped some sweat off Taisuke's forehead, using his sleeve.
Sniffling, Taisuke took some time before his mind cleared and he realized who was with him. "Hideaki..."
"You had another nightmare again," Takizawa stated. "It may not be appropriate for me to ask, but do you want to share your dream?"
Taisuke shook his head. It wasn't the first time he dreamt of the scenes of Yoshitsune and Benkei dying, but this time, he felt that he understood some of the feelings that Benkei might have felt. Perhaps, perhaps, Benkei didn't want to die away from his Tono, that even in his death he would wanted to die beside Yoshitsune. Yoshitsune had died without fulfilling his goal, and maybe, just maybe, he felt a little regret deep inside his heart for dragging Benkei into this.
Feeling the emotions overflow within him, Taisuke just kept on crying no matter what Takizawa tried to do or say. In the end, Takizawa just sat beside Taisuke quietly, stroking the boy's back as Taisuke continued to cry for Yoshitsune and Benkei.
"Taisuke-sama, please wait!" Taisuke could hear Takizawa catching up to him from behind, but he didn't stop running.
"I must greet Otousama now! He has won the fight after all! He came back well!"
"But, Taisuke-sama! You must remember what Master had said! You need to be careful of enemies." Takizawa finally caught up and grabbed Taisuke's shoulder, making the other stop. "You cannot just run out of the mansion without arming yourself properly and bringing at least a guard with you!"
Taisuke made a face. "I'm not that weak at fighting or protecting myself! Besides, Hideaki, you can fight too, right? Then you can protect me, right?"
"Yes, but right now, it's best to return to the mansion and prepare properly before going to congratulate Master of his victory." Takizawa sighed, "You must realize the Lord probably sent Master to fight because of Master's enemies' words, right? Now that Master is back alive and well, his enemies may come up with another plan to harm Master!"
Trying to shrug Takizawa's hand off his shoulder, Taisuke mumbled, "But, I want to see Otousama... You promise to protect me, and I'll protect you too, alright?"
"Of course I'll protect you Taisuke, but listen to m-" Takizawa's eyes widened and he quickly pushed Taisuke away while jumping away as well.
"Hideaki!" Taisuke let out a cry of pain when he fell on to the ground. "What was that for..." His voice trailed off when he noticed the arrow that was stuck in the sand of the path.
Takizawa quickly ran towards Taisuke, pulling him up. "Looks like I have jinxed the situation, Taisuke. We've got to get back to the mansion now."
Eyes wide, Taisuke could only nod as he followed Takizawa's advice and ran towards the direction of the mansion. It was not going to be easy though as men have appeared, some with katanas held up, some with arrows and bows as they tried to block his way.
Reaching into his hakama and pulling out a knife, Taisuke knew they weren't going to let him through without a fight. They were at a disadvantage, but he knew he couldn't lose here and now.
The moment he charged at the men, they ran towards him as well. Taisuke could tell behind him that Takizawa was doing the same, fighting against a part of the group.
Taisuke wasn't sure for how long they fought for, but when it was two against many, Taisuke soon found himself stumbling as his body ached all over due to the wounds on him. Just then, from the corner of his eye, he noticed one of the men pushing his katana right through Takizawa.
"Hideaki!"
Just that one moment of distraction had decided Taisuke's fate.
A strangled sound left Taisuke's lips as he felt a katana plunging into him. The man who had attacked Taisuke smirked down at the boy. "Let's see what will Fujigaya-sama do when he loses his precious first son..." With that, he pulled his katana out.
Taisuke cried out in pain, coughing blood out on to the ground. "Y-you..."
"Good-bye, Taisuke-sama." With a wave of his hand, the man disappeared along with the rest of the group.
Cursing his own stupidity in his mind, Taisuke rolled on the ground until he was lying on his stomach. Takizawa was not far away, lying still. "H-Hideaki? H-Hideaki?" He couldn't speak louder than a whisper, his strength leaving him as blood continued to flow from his wounds.
Taisuke was almost certain that he was going to die. There were too many wounds on him, with too much blood lost. He tried to crawl forward, getting a little closer to Takizawa. "H-Hideaki..."
Slowly moving his arm forward, Taisuke tried to reach for the other. Those feelings were overflowing within him once again. Not again. He didn't want it to be the same again, to die away from the other.
Stretching his fingers longer, Taisuke tried to crawl forward more, but he couldn't find the strength anymore. Just a little more. He was so close though. Just as long as he could touch the other...
"Hideaki...I-I'm sorry. I don't w-want it to be the s-same again. Yoshitsune-sama..." Taisuke's vision was getting blurry. The other felt even further away now. He could barely move his fingers anymore, let alone crawl closer to Takizawa.
That's when he felt fingers touching his own and heard a soft whisper, "Taisuke..."
A tear rolling down his cheek, Taisuke smiled softly and his eyes closed.
Author's Notes: I don't know either. I don't know why I wrote this, when clearly, I should be working on the epic instead because Taisuke's birthday is in 3 days and I'm no where near Chpt.10, but I wrote angst instead. I do realize I could write a lot more in this universe, set up Taisuke's character better, build up the relationship between Taisuke and Tackey even more etc, but I didn't want to drag this, and I had a feeling if I don't finish this as soon as possible, I'll take forever to finish it. I took about 2-3 hours to write this, and with my speed, this is conisdered fast. I might come back to this later and think, I've written too little, things developed too fast, and I should fix this, but for now, I'm good with this. It was already enough to make me bawl while writing this.
I...I just wanted to write a fic where Tono and Benkei switched places really - where Tono is not the master and Benkei not the servant - in a different lifetime. The result was this. I...I write too much angst, I think.
For those who are not familiar with Takizawa Enbujou, there's a scene where Tono (Yoshitsune), Benkei and Saburou work together to do shadow performances. I really really like that scene, which is one of the reasons I included shadow art into the fic.
I'm sorry if I offended any history-liking people who want to strangle me for my interpretation of the relationship between Yoshitsune and Benkei and their feelings and whatnot, but my impression of Yoshitsune and Benkei, almost 99% of it comes from Takizawa Enbujou, so I see them more as fictional characters played by Tackey and Taisuke which is why I'm able to ship them so much. I do not mean to misintepret history.
I forgot what else I have to say, and before I go on rambling about something else, I'll stop now.
Comments are love and appreciated~