Abarero's Creative Journal

Title: As You Like It
Fandom: InuYasha
Genres: Romance/Comedy
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Bankotsu/Jakotsu
Set/Theme: Set #1, Theme #60: Camellia (Tsubaki) for iy_no_kakera
Summary: While drinking sake alone one night, Bankotsu is approached by a beautiful woman.


It was to be a lively night at the local inn- soldiers and mercenaries alike celebrating their victory over the neighboring daimyou that very day. Having patched up their wounds, the victors set out a feast and planned to spend the evening drinking and laughing.

Bankotsu sat quietly in a corner by himself. He'd come, partially because the daimyou had personally invited him, but mostly due to his fondness for sake- which the daimyou promised much of. The rest of his men had taken to bed earlier in the evening or weren't interested in the festivities. Mukotsu had stayed the longest, until finally Bankotsu had sent him off before the poison user attempted to court one of the daimyou's daughters and all hell broke loose.

He had to admit, it was rather lonely now that Jakotsu had left. But not ready to return to his quarters just yet- Bankotsu downed another sake cup and hoped it would wash away any lingering feelings of solitude that hung about him.

"May I join you, brave warrior?"

The sweet, airy voice caught his attention and Bankotsu looked up to see a beautiful woman standing beside him. She was tall (something Bankotsu realized he thought of most people) and her rose-colored lips were in a demure smile. Glancing down at her kimono, Bankotsu realized he'd not seen this woman in the room before now.

No, he thought to himself, he would have clearly remembered a woman wearing a kimono adorned with so many brightly colored camellias.

"If you wish," He replied, turning back to the sake jug before him. But before he could pour himself another glass, the woman gently lifted the jug from his hands and poured it for him. Her form in this, Bankotsu noted, was impeccable.

"Thank you," He said, taking it from her. Yet still wary as to who she was due to the earlier incident with Mukotsu, Bankotsu casually questioned her.

"I don't believe I've seen you here yet this evening. Who might you be?"

She laughed politely and gave him a knowing look, "Why do you ask? Don't tell me you're already smitten with me, brave warrior."

Bankotsu's eyes narrowed as he noticed the tone she took in her reply. Something was strange about this woman, but he couldn't quite place it.

"Perhaps Jakotsu told her earlier not to mess with me or some such foolish thing. I don't see what the problem is, he might not care for the bubbly serving girls but I'd rather they pour my drinks then do so myself. And it's not like he's even here..."

"Hmm, who might you be thinking about with such an expression? Perhaps I shouldn't jest that you were smitten."

Bankotsu snapped from his thoughts, embarrassment tingeing his cheeks red.

"I was thinking about Jakotsu, not you- you foolish woman."

A look a shock seemed to cross the woman's face, but she quickly composed herself. "Oh, I see," She smirked, "So you have a lover already."

The blush on Bankotsu's cheeks grew, "No, it's not like that! Jakotsu's my friend."

She sidled closer, gently tapping his chest; "A friend, you say? It appears perhaps your friend has captured your heart."

Downing a quick glass of sake to curb his temper, Bankotsu sighed, "Look. Jakotsu is my best friend, that's that. And if this is all your strange way of asking, no I'm not interested in you or any of your lady friends for that matter."

"So, if this person is indeed just a friend, they certainly wouldn't mind this," She leaned over, kissing Bankotsu firmly and practically laughing when he pushed her away.

"Get off! Shit..." Wiping his mouth, he froze a moment. Squinting his eyes as if the alcohol in his veins was causing him to see things that weren't there, Bankotsu quickly stood, grabbed the woman's arm and pulled her from the room.

Once they were a safe distance outside, he released his grip on her arm.

"Who are you? Answer me now."

"If you mean by name, it's Akako."

"Liar."

She blinked, "What praytell do you mean, brave warrior?"

"That kiss. Only one person knows how to kiss me like that."

Her eyebrow quirked up and it was easily apparent that she was struggling to maintain her composure.

"Funny, I thought you said you didn't have a lover. No friends I know of kiss so intimately," Her lips quirked into a smirk at that, knowing she was going to win this battle of wits.

"Then you don't understand a thing," Bankotsu began, trying very hard to keep his anger in check before he slipped and said more than he wanted to.

"Perhaps I know more than you do. Perhaps I could see the longing way you sat pondering your so-called friend's absence from the feast. Perhaps instead of finding your rebuttal of my advances insulting, I find it intriguing that your defenses all pertain to that very friend you were thinking of. And most of all, I must say-" She pulled a red camellia from her hair, toying with it in her hands, "Your reaction to the implications I made, said more to me than your words ever did."

Blue eyes blinked as he tried to think back to what he did and said, already having a sinking feeling that he'd revealed more to this person than he meant to.

Looking aside, he sighed, "And perhaps, it was only in you realizing it that I myself began to realize it..."

Akako kissed the camellia in her hands and tossed it to his feet, "I shall leave you to your thoughts then, brave warrior."

Turning, she began to saunter away. But Bankotsu wasn't about to let her go so easily.

"Wait, Akako..." He paused, knowing one sure way to stop her, "No...I should call you Jakotsu, am I right?"

As he'd predicted, she halted immediately at those words.

"I told you earlier, only one person I know kisses me like that. Jakotsu, that's you isn't it?"

This time she laughed, but it was with a voice completely different than before. Turning back around, she shrugged.

"How was I to know that my kiss would be my undoing?" He shook his head, crossing the space between them, "And here I was just trying make sure that none of those serving girls got too friendly with you."

"So you disguised yourself as a woman?" Bankotsu asked skeptically.

"I had to test you myself and it looks like it was well worth the trouble," He reached out and gently caressed the side of Bankotsu's face.

"About what I said...I..."

Jakotsu hushed him with a finger to his lips, "Mou, don't get all serious on me. We're friends, that's first and foremost and always will be. Once you figure out the rest of things, I'll still be here."

"Jakotsu..."

Leaning down, the taller man smirked mischievously, "Just don't take too long getting things figured out, I can only be patient just so long before I'll have to cave in and jump you."

Bankotsu frowned, "Like that's stopped you before. What about after the battle today? You jumped me from behind and were practically straddling me!"

Jakotsu licked his lips, "Mou... there just weren't any cuties worth cutting up today. I was in need of a firm, male body beneath me or I'd go crazy! You wouldn't want that, would you?"

Trying to hide the blush he knew was there at Jakotsu's lewd comments, Bankotsu sighed loudly, "Just try and...I don't know, control your urges 'til the others aren't around or something. I'm not in the mood to have them all tease me about it."

"So they've been teasing you already, eh?"

"No! I just..I...err...damnit," He gave up trying to make an excuse and prodded at Jakotsu's kimono, "So where'd you get this getup anyways?"

"Changing the subject."

"I'm the leader and I can change the subject when I feel like it," He retorted, planting his hands on his hips. Jakotsu resisted commenting on the fact Bankotsu was acting like a little kid.

"I found it after the battle today and it seemed too nice to leave there for Renkotsu's fires to destroy. Now you can come out on romantic strolls with me and the guys won't think a thing- how's that?"

Bankotsu ran a hand down his face, "Jakotsu, I'm sure they'd figure it out sooner or later."

"Why? You didn't know until I kissed you."

Shaking his head, Bankotsu pointed at Jakotsu's chest, "Because you can't keep still enough to keep your fake boobs from sliding."

Glancing down, Jakotsu looked at the lopsided state it was in. He started to adjust it, then finding that they just refused to stay in place- he reached in through the layers of the kimono and tossed out the small bags.

"Eh, the seeds I stuffed it with were getting kinda itchy anyways."

The two fell silent a moment before the utter absurdity of the situation fully hit. Within seconds, they both burst into laughter.

"I can't believe you stuffed yourself..." Bankotsu teased.

Jakotsu slung an arm around his friend's shoulder, "And I'm not going to even get started in on why you seem to recognize my kiss."

"Hey! It's not like I want you to keep doing it. I'll just be talking to you one minute and then..."

Jakotsu cut him off, leaning down and capturing the young man's lips in yet another kiss. As he pulled back, Bankotsu frowned.

"See! You do that!"

"And I didn't see you trying to stop me. You might be one skilled mercenary, but when you're around me your guard sucks."

Bankotsu stuck out his tongue at him, "Shut up. It's only because you're my friend that I don't feel like I need to be on guard."

"Uh huh, you just keep telling yourself that."

"Shut up!"

"Make me," Jakotsu dared.

"There's no way to make you unless I shove something in your..." Bankotsu cut himself off and turned bright red.

Jakotsu grinned, snorted and then finally gave up and practically fell to the ground laughing.

"Go right ahead, Bankotsu. I'm sure you can find something just the right size for the job."

Fuming, the young leader turned to go back inside when he felt the grip of Jakotsu's hand on his ankle. Before he knew what was happening, he found himself on the ground as well.

"Pervert," Bankotsu grumbled, trying to pry Jakotsu off him.

"Aww, you've hurt my feelings. Come on now, kiss and make it better."

Bankotsu rolled his eyes, "You're terrible you know that? Completely and totally unrelenting."

"And you love me for it, dontcha?" Jakotsu asked, tilting his head to one side.

Opening his mouth to yell at Jakotsu's foolish behavior some more, Bankotsu smirked as he decided two could play this game. Turning suddenly serious, he replied.

"Well I don't know...there's someone else I think I've fallen in love with."

Jakotsu's eyes widened, "What?"

Standing, Bankotsu brushed the dust from his pants, "I know, it's kinda sudden but... you did tell me to think about things and that person is the only one I could ever think about loving."

Getting up as quickly as he could in the kimono, Jakotsu confronted him.

"Who? Where is she? I'll kill her!"

Shrugging, Bankotsu reached down and picked up the red camellia.

"Oh she's around. Return this to her if you see her, okay?"

Jakotsu looked at the camellia, thought about it, and froze.

"What a minute, but I am..."

There's someone I think I've fallen in love with. I know, it's kinda sudden but you did tell me to think about things and that person is the only one I could ever think about loving.

The words played through his mind and he tossed down the flower. Reaching out and quickly snatching up Bankotsu's hand, Jakotsu pouted, "You little tease."

Bankotsu offered a smile, "With you around, I have to be or I'll always lose."

Once again throwing an arm around Bankotsu's shoulders, Jakotsu sighed dreamily, "So you like me, huh? I do hope that you mean me without the seed-bag boobs. My chest is still itching from them!"

Bankotsu laughed, "I'll take you without the fake boobs; that was just...weird."

"Wasn't it?"

"Didn't help that they weren't even."

"Hey, you try keeping fake boobs even in a stuffy kimono."

"I think I'll leave that to you."

Jakotsu started to walk forward dragging Bankotsu along with him, "So, about sleeping arrangements tonight..."

"You aren't getting in my bed."

"What? I've done it before!"

"But it was different then," Bankotsu murmured.

"No, now I just have slightly more permission to be there. Right?"

Bankotsu sighed, "That's the problem."

"Come on, please? I'll be a good girl," Jakotsu remarked, going back into Akako's voice.

"Why are we even arguing this? Even if I say 'no' you'll still sneak into my room in the middle of the night anyways."

"Ah, point point."

The inn door swung closed behind them, their conversation and laughter becoming but mere murmurs to the outside world. On the ground laid a red camellia- its single point of color amongst the dirt telling a tale of friendship, admiration and love.