PART 5

Kaoru was asleep in the warm and slightly damp bed, the first warm bed he had slept in in a very long time. He was so comfortable that he had fallen asleep directly afterward as he was curled up on his side. His face was on his folded on with Hakuei’s arm falling loosely across his waste protectively.

A piece of hair was folded behind Kaoru’s ear with Hakuei’s limp fingers. He leaned forward with his eyes closed and kissed Kaoru’s soft eyelids very gently. He sighed happily and ran his fingers lightly through the other man’s hair.

Yuki had been his last lover…. It had only lasted for about a week before Yuki had become so possessive with him that he felt smothered and left to return to his own home. He hadn’t been allowed to see any of his friends, not even his family! His pets had even been taken away and he had never seen them again when Yuki told him he had been paying more attention to them than Yuki! Hakuei sighed and squeezed his eyes shut to rid himself of the painful memory. He didn’t need that thought anymore.

He looked at Kaoru’s face. His skin was dotted here and there with stress lines. Hakuei traced them, wishing he could make them simply go away but knew he couldn’t, not immediately. He could never imagine what it must have been like for Kaoru to be a slave. He had always been rich, his family had always been.

His mother had been poor however. She was sweet and generous and the most wonderful woman that had ever lived. His father had been the opposite however and he could never figure out why she chose him. He was a tyrant of a business man, and he had nearly doubled the family fortune. Hakuei would never have to work a day in his life.

Maybe he should try to sleep. Slipping his arm beneath Kaoru’s sleeping form he pulled him so he was lying over him and then lay on his back to sleep.

Something warm and soft slipped beneath him. Something turned him. Kaoru felt himself settle down over a warm, hard, well built body. Kaoru smiled while his eyes remained closed. Then he yawned and stretched like a spoiled cat. There was a smile on his face before he even opened his eyes and twinkled the brown orbs up at Hakuei.

Hakuei laughed and hugged him tightly. "Good sleep?"

"Yes." He rolled away from Hakuei and lay on the cool sheets that hadn’t been occupied yet and smiled again. "It’s hot in here."

The bed was so soft. He ran his hand over the white silk. "It’s strange."

Hakuei rolled onto his side and studied Kaoru’s profile as he stared at the ceiling. His skin was wonderful. His nose was a perfect line. His lips were slightly swollen with tiny purple marks that blended in with the normal color from where Hakuei had sucked on the delicate skin. "What’s strange?" He asked in a whisper.

"I don’t even know you and we’ve had sex."

Hakuei flicked up an eyebrow, letting it fall just as quickly. "You were the one who kissed me…" He smiled teasingly. "And I really do appreciate it." His smile went away and he looked at him for a moment totally serious. "So what is there we have to know about each other? I saved your life… and you can stay here with no catch. You don’t even have to work if you don’t want to."

"I thought I was working as your gardener." Kaoru sat up and propped himself against the headboard. He almost shyly pulled the only remaining sheet on the bed up to his chest.

"You don’t have to work." Hakuei reached out and ran a finger over a scar that ran from the top of his shoulder over to his biceps. "You’ve done enough work for a lifetime… Also,… maybe I am being a little selfish. I am lonely here. I have no one anymore, no friends or family. Stay and keep me company. Stay and… be with me."

Kaoru was very uncomfortable and pulled away from the hand touching his scars. He wasn’t sure where to look now, and kept his eyes staring off into space. He had never not worked, nothing had ever been given to him without something in return. He shook that thought away. He could stay and not work and all he had to do was be a companion for a nice, lonely man. Why was that so horrible? He jerked his eyes back around when Hakuei grabbed his hands.

"Please, just try okay? Where else do you possibly have to go?" His eyes were pleading. The usual strong demeanor that he held was gone and he now was more likely to resemble a scared child than a strong, independent man.

Kaoru didn’t hesitate this time. He nodded and wrapped his arm around the other man as Hakuei quickly leaned against him, holding onto him as he closed his eyes. "Thank you, Kaoru. Stay in this bedroom with me, ne?"

Kaoru nodded and found himself smiling. It really wasn’t so bad.

Kozi woke early before Nao, almost four o’clock am.

The night before Nao had led him to a bedroom upstairs, the only room on the upper floor. He had handed Kozi a rolled up tatami mat and a few blanket and told him he could sleep by the fireplace. Kozi couldn’t help but notice there was a bed in the room that must have been eight feet long by seven feet wide. It looked totally hand made and was probably completely stuffed with feathers.

Kozi almost had laughed out loud when he pictured the look Taizo would probably have on his face if he found out.

He didn’t complain. It was warm, and he was dry. He woke once in the night and was grateful to Nao for letting him spend the night and didn’t have to hide in the blizzard outside that he spotted through the window.

Nao had gone to sleep long after he had, he had heard him crawling into the bed at nearly 2:00 am.

Just before Kozi left he stood beside the bed and looked down at Nao. He wasn’t so scary looking when he slept. He had cleaned off all of his makeup and looked so pure an innocent and as he slept he had the faintest gleam of a smile on his face.

He was back-lighted by the moon reflecting off the snowflakes as the wind made them slide against the window. He was on his back with one arm curved, even with the top of his head. The other arm was sitting on the top of the blankets. He had taken the feather away from Kozi in the night and was clutching it in his fingers loosely. Kozi slipped it from his fingers.

Leaning close to Nao he whispered. "Thank you, Nao. I hope I can see you again someday." Then he disappeared back into the snow to continue with the task at which he was assigned.

Taizo glared down at the human leaving the cabin. He had followed the hoof prints all night, as fast as he could to be able to see them before the snow covered them. He raised up his hand and picked at the dried clumps of mulch in his hair. Growling to himself he dropped down out of the tree.

He kept himself hovering above the ground. If he walked he would leave deep visible prints in the snow and Kozi would know he was there.

He followed Kozi to the barn and flew up into the hayloft. He always loved it up there. Sometimes in the summer he would sneak up there when Nao didn’t know it and sleep beneath the large hole in the ancient roof so he could stare up at the stars without tree limbs getting in his way. Now a huge pile of blizzard snow left a pile there. He noticed it would probably rot the wood beneath and leave a hole where he would always lay. He frowned, he was going to lose the best spot of the barn!

Creeping across the creaking boards he lowered himself to his stomach and peered through the hole in the floor where the ladder came up.

Kozi lifted his eyes above him as he adjusted the saddle on his horse. Small bits of dust where coming off boards above him head in a trail that was leading towards the ladder hole. Kozi smirked. Well, well. He was back. Kozi lifted a side of the saddle bag and placed the feather inside, tucked beneath his spare sword that was wrapped in a burlap, potato bag.

Taizo knew where the horse would be, and craned his neck as he put his head through the hole to look down at Kozi.

The horse was there, its saddle halfway done and a saddlebag put on its back but there was no Kozi. He creased his brow and held tighter as he turned his head looking for Kozi. Where the hell had he gone?

He screamed suddenly when something jumped at him, held him tightly around his waist and jerked him through the hole. In the next moment he found himself on the floor on his back and glared up at Kozi’s grinning face.

"And here I thought I’d lost you! Let me guess, you came back for your feather?"

Still on the ground Taizo snarled. "Give it back!"

Kozi laughed and walked back to the horse to finish packing up but he didn’t really want to turn his back on Taizo, he had never met anyone so rowdy in his life! He didn’t want Taizo to jump on his back when he was turned away!

Taizo got up and stalked over to Kozi’s horse. "You have to have it somewhere in here! I know you do!" He threw open a pocket of the saddle bag looking for it, dangerously close to the pocket actually holding the feather.

"Hey! Stop that!" Kozi yelled at Taizo starting throwing things out of the saddlebag and onto the dusty barn floor.

He made a grab for his hands and ended up pulling him towards himself, unaware until Taizo was crushed against his chest yelling at him to let him go.

Kozi bit his lip as he looked down at Taizo’s cute face scrunched up in anger. It didn’t seem to go naturally with his features. Kozi would much rather see him smile.

Taizo screamed as Kozi suddenly pressed his thin warm lips against his own. His voice died away and he stood there in shock with his fists stilled on Kozi’s shoulders where he had been pounding at him. He felt Kozi’s lips pressing against his and could feel the blood pump furiously in the vein of his own forehead.

He stared at Kozi with his eyes wide. Kozi’s eyes were closed and his mouth didn’t move against him, only settled hard but comfortably as their lips formed perfectly together.

He had never been kissed before! As a spirit he was completely alone in "life." As he was supposed to be. He wasn’t sure what to do now… he didn’t know how to act with humans! Especially in such a situation.

Kozi broke away, brushing their lips together once more then stared at Taizo as he breathed hard.

Taizo jerked unawaredly and stumbled back over the hard, planked floor panting. His eyes were like huge disks as he watched him with his face alive in the light of the gas burner and raised his hand to touch the moisture he found. It was Kozi’s saliva. He licked his fingers where it came off. It tasted… really good. He blinked, wondering why someone so horrible could taste so good.

Kozi gave him an odd look. He had never seen someone do that before. He could tell just standing there watching Taizo that he had never been kissed before. He moved forward slowly as he could see Taizo was spooked easily.

Reaching out, he touched the dirt that was all over Taizo’s hair. "Why didn’t you wash it out?"

Taizo forgot how to speak for a moment than spoke very quietly. " I didn’t… have time." His body was responding to the gentle touch as a shiver ran up his spine and shook him. "I wanted to find you quickly… I want my feather back…"

He trailed off as Kozi moved forward again and cupped his face with his glove-covered hands. The gloves were cold and felt good. Taizo leaned into it. He had always hated leather from where it came from… so why did it feel so right to have them against his skin?

Kozi watched Taizo’s skin glow in contrast with the black leather. He watched the gray eyes flutter shut and he looked like he had fallen asleep. The only thing that told Kozi he was still awake was that his pulse was fluttering like the heart of a caged bird at the dip between his collar bones.

The one thing Kozi had to admit was that Taizo never stopped surprising him. Taizo felt a burning in his chest as Kozi started to break the kiss. He grabbed Kozi’s face and pressed their lips together again!

It was Kozi’s turn to feel a flutter in his heart. He put his arms down at Taizo’s sides and jerked him against his chest. Taizo curled his arms so tightly around Kozi’s neck he thought he might stop the man’s breathing, but he didn’t seem to be hurting him.

Kozi paused for a moment and looked frantically around for something soft to lay on. There was nothing. He frowned but decided to compromise. He dropped to his knees, pulling Taizo onto his lap. He closed his eyes and groaned and he slipped his hands up underneath the white material to slide his palms over the smooth flesh.

Pushing his face onto the curve of the soft skin Taizo panted and tugged to pull Kozi’s shirt off. "Take this off… I want to see your body."

Kozi nodded and pulled it over his head. The air was frigid in the barn but he hardly noticed when Taizo ran his fingers over his nipple and a zing of feeling went though him.

Soon they were both naked but neither shivered as Kozi pushed Taizo gently on his back on the hard wood. His legs were still framing Kozi’s hips until Kozi held them gently and wrapped them around his waist. "You are so beautiful. I heard spirits were beautiful but… I had no idea."

Taizo licked his lips nervously and skimmed his fingers over Kozi’s stomach. "Kozi, it’s cold out here… maybe we should go a little faster."

Kozi nodded quickly and pulled him up onto his lap, hugging him tight against him. "I… have never done this with a man." Kozi said and blushed almost the same color as his hair.

"Neither have I…" Taizo said and kissed his cheek. He settled him face on Kozi’s shoulder. "Just use your instincts."

A finger ran down Taizo’s shaking spine but then stopped. Kozi put the same finger back in his mouth and covered it in saliva, then moved it back down.

Taizo had been moaning in a restful pleasure against the shoulder but now gasped and shot his head up. Kozi’s finger wriggled inside of him, making him wince.

"I’m sorry… I don’t want to hurt you." But Kozi didn’t stop. Their position wasn’t the best so he moved Taizo so he was kneeling above him with both legs on either side of his own. His hand moved from the front now, moving to the back from between the thin, parted legs. Kozi’s arm accidentally brushed the obvious erection, making Taizo jerk and smile dreamily.

Taizo had touched himself many times, but that pleasure totally combined was nothing compared to that simple flick.

Now Kozi pushed in two fingers, moving them in and out slowly. Taizo was wincing, holding onto Kozi’s the stronger shoulders tightly. Then he jerked again, his body hitting Kozi’s as Kozi pressed against a spot in Taizo that made him scream as he massaged it.

"You! I want it to be you!" Taizo said almost incoherently. Kozi didn’t understand what he meant until Taizo pressed him onto his back and straddled his hips. In the next second he was frozen above Kozi’s body, obviously he hadn’t anticipated the size of Kozi and tears streamed down his face in a steady flow.

"Taizo!" Though the rippling pleasure was driving him mad Kozi tried to sit up and comfort his new lover, but Taizo pushed him back down and shook his head.

"It’s good." He choked out and slowly started to move despite feeling as if his insides were on fire. Soon it ebbed away and he moved fast with his head thrown back towards the ceiling.

Kozi groaned and lifted his hips to slam into Taizo over and over again. "Oh, yes!" He screamed and gripped the tiny hips. His head spun and bright lights flashed in his eyes as he screamed one final time, the loudest and collapsed exhausted below Taizo.

Taizo moved once more and froze. Kozi looked up at him, and the face grimacing in beautiful glory and a huge shutter wracked Taizo’s body. Kozi caught him as he fell on top of him, gasping for air.

"Thank you… so much Kozi… I love you."

Kozi grinned foolishly and stroked the dirty hair. He kissed Taizo’s cheek. "I love you too."

"Can I have my feather back now?" His voice was a whisper, as Taizo was almost asleep. Kozi giggled and stroked his lover’s back. "God… I really love you, Taizo… We don’t really know each other, do we?"

Taizo shrugged weakly. "Why do you have to know someone to love them… and we do know each other. We have been in each other all along…" He was nearly asleep.

Kozi felt happy tears and grabbed Taizo and slid him up so their bodies were lying intwined and face-to-face. Who would have ever thought an assassin would fall in love with a forest spirit?

Nao smiled to himself as he stood at the sink filling up the tea kettle. He had just woken up and wrapped himself in a silk bathrobe.

He saw the light in the barn, and the shadows of the figures on the floor as Taizo collapsed down. He shook his head and laughed.