Fanfiction: The Seventh Lesson (Chapter 1/4)
Characters: Tackey and Tsubasa
Pairing: TakiTsuba
Genre: AU, angst and romance
Rating: NC17 (for incest between half-brothers)
Summary: If you live a masked existence, not knowing where, what, who you are, are you really alive? Takki doesn’t know.
Disclaimer: I know the boys are not mine.
Note: Under the influence of the pic below, the story is set in ancient China.
(This fanfic is inspired by this artwork of 黑色禁药. What does it make you think of?）
The Seventh Lesson (Chapter 1/4)
'How happy it must be to be a kite, soaring in the sky, seeing everything.'
'How do you know how a kite feels? You've never been one.'
'You've never been one either. How do you know it doesn't feel happy?'
Crown Prince Tsubasa was loss for words. So, he kept quiet. Besides, he knew when to pick his battles. It was Takki’s 16th birthday today. It was enough to know that Takki was never a kite and never will be. Because Takki was his.
Takki picked up the estranged kite and stroke it to ease out its creases. Battered by the wind and bruised by the fall, it was in a pretty bad shape, a wretched little thing. Takki wished he was it.
.............
Little Tsubasa wondered what made him do it. He wasn't a cruel boy so why did he do such a cruel thing?
Tsubasa's mother, the Empress, had time and again warned him of his dangerous half-brother. The cursed creature was a rival and a threat. Despite the scheming and shrewd Empress's success at keeping many unwanted pregnancies at bay and preventing male heirs from celebrating their first birthdays, one survived. The mother, a favourite concubine, died at childbirth. Why didn't the baby as well? The baby was a jinx, her jinx.
Under her persuasive influence, it didn't take long for the superstitious Emperor to believe that the baby was his jinx too. The little one was soon banished into a secluded corner in the vast palace. In spite of the cold treatment, the Emperor assigned only his most trusted servants to look after his only other surviving heir. However, he also promised the insecure Empress that the little boy would never know of his identity.
'Mother warned me about him. He was supposed to be an ugly little thing, hideous even,' Tsubasa thought. 'Why did he look so...'
It was only a short and secret visit to satisfy his curiosity. At the end of it, the little Crown Prince still didn't know why he forced a mask on that little boy, a boy not much younger than him, his half-brother.
............
Takki laid in bed and gazed at the kite beside him as Tsubasa necked him. His birthday present, a new mask, laid on it, as if a weight to pin down the longing to be free. He had many masks. Every year on a particular day, he would receive a new one from Tsubasa. After he first saw his only friend, when they were no more than 10, he was ordered to wear one, everyday for the rest of his life. He was allowed to take it off only in front of him. Takki didn't mind being hidden behind a mask all day, but he minded not having a choice.
Initially, he rebelled. What did he do wrong? What was his crime? Why? Why him? Tsubasa offered no answer, only the hot lashes from a cold leather whip. The scars were still evident on his back today. Who would have thought that little boy no bigger than him was capable of such cruelty. As he grew up, the scars stretched and grew too. At 10, he was over the moon when he saw another little boy. He had thought he was the only one in the world. Everyone around him were much older, their faces almost covered in long beards. At long last, he thought he had found a friend. But he found a fiend instead.
Over the years, this fiend masked not only him, but his companions as well.
............
'Are you asleep?'
Takki didn't answer. He was exhausted. They had a field day. They had been playing cuju all day. 13-year-old Tsubasa had many interests but couldn't quite keep to anyone of them. The only thing he showed consistency in was his daily afternoon visits. Often, Takki wondered if the visits were nothing more than a habit or did the other boy genuinely enjoy his company. Every afternoon, they would spend an hour or two with the spolit Crown Prince's latest obsession, whether it was archery, painting, calligraphy or playing the pipa.
That afternoon, Tsubasa was so tired that he insisted that Takki joined him in a nap.
‘Takki?’
There was still no answer from his bed mate. So Tsubasa moved closer to the motionless back in front of him. When he was so close that that he could feel Takki’s warmth on his silk garments and smell the jasmine scent from his long hair, Takki could feel his breath still.
When Tsubasa sashayed his fingers through the soft, web-like strands to expose the creamy, sun-sheltered nape, then kissed and licked it, and nimbled on the reddening earlobe, Takki could feel his heart pound.
Suddenly and unexpectedly, everything stopped.
Then came a soft, whispered plea.
‘Takki, please wake up! Wake up and tell me to stop.’
Takki neither got up nor stopped him but it didn’t matter. Tsubasa had already removed himself from the bed and was dressing to leave. He was about to bundle his hair into a neat bun when he heard it.
‘Stop.’
‘Stop?’
‘Don’t go.’
…………..
‘Aren’t you ashamed?’
‘Ashamed? Why?’
Tsubasa surveyed the pale, naked boy pinned under him, so angelic, so pure and innocent, untouched by the world. Takki didn’t know that boys weren’t supposed to do this. He didn’t know that brothers weren’t supposed to do this. He didn’t know that they were brothers. He didn’t know anything. Tsubasa prayed that he would never know anything.
…………
Their first night together was unforgettable, in so many ways. Takki felt for the first time in his short life that he wasn’t alone. When Tsubasa came deep in him, it felt like they had merged into one. When those lanky limbs wrapped him tight, it felt like he mattered. When he saw his reflection in those gentle eyes, it felt like he really existed.
Perhaps every pleasure came at a price.
The next morning, Takki found himself waking to a land of masks. He was no longer the only one punished with a masked face, his servants, tutors, attendants too.
‘What did I do wrong? What’s my crime? Why? Why me?’
………….
‘Where you going?’
‘There’s no point if you’re not into it.’
‘I’m sorry.’
Tsubasa ignored the insincere apology and dressed himself.
‘It’s your 16th birthday and I’ve learnt some new moves to share with you. But apparently your heart’s somewhere else.’
‘Where else could it be? I only have here and you.’
The words stung. It was true that Takki was a prisoner. But Tsubasa had always hoped he was a happy one.
To distract from the guilt, Tsubasa half-heartedly tried a little calligraphy.
‘What you writing?’
‘Maybe a poem for you, if you’re good.’
‘Write it here.’
Takki strut in all his naked glory up to Tsubasa, pulled up the latter’s spare hand and slid it down his bare torso.
‘Write it on me.’
It was pointless to pretend, Tsubasa knew full well he was defenseless against a naked Takki. Nonetheless, he wanted payback.
‘Only if you say “I love you” with every piece of garment you remove.’
‘I love you? Love? What's "love"?’
Looking into the honestly bewildered eyes, Tsubasa knew that Takki wasn’t lying.
‘That’s how you feel about me.’
Takki didn’t know what he really felt about Tsubasa. He wanted to hold him close yet at the same time he feared him. Is that love? Is love confusion?
‘And say it like you mean it.’
It was absurd. Tsubasa knew it too. How was Takki to mean something he didn’t know? But he wanted to hear it, even if it was a lie.
Takki did as he was told, like always. But this time, it wasn't out of fear or resignation. He wanted Tsubasa to be happy. He wanted to see his lips curl into smile. He wanted to smell the perfumed oil on his hair. He wanted hear him moan his name in lust. He wanted to taste his sweat and cum. He wanted to feel their hearts beat as one.
Because tomorrow everything would disappear….
Bonus:
Past Life T&T?
(Pics from Google search.)
Present day T&T (Pics from video at http://tsuyotsuba.blog14.fc2.com/blog-entry-514.html#more.)
Tackey: Tsuba-chan, why do you have those ugly things on your face again?
Tsubasa: Now that we're back together again, it'd be nice if fans think I wear the pants in this relationship.
Tackey: They can think as they like. But that doesn't change our s** position in bed or out. Got it?
Tsubasa: Yes, Tono, yes.
Next up, Chapter 2/4. I'm not sure how many chapters there would be. Tentatively, it should be three. And there will be Pi, Ryo, Kame, Jin, Ueda and Junno! I intend to update daily so you can look out for the next one tomorrow.
In the meantime, if you're keen on another pic-inspired fic, check out Fighting!
. Enjoy!