Triangle: Sake & Secrets
A FLAME OF RECCA FANFICTION STORY

There they were again. If one didn't know better, one would say that they were a perfect couple. Recca was attempting to buy Yanagi some ice cream but Yanagi had refused the offer saying she'd rather share his cone. Recca graciously allowed it though a fleeting look of annoyance passed over his face, too swift to catch if one wasn't looking for it. Then they were both talking while sharing licks, squabbling over which games to play and which rides to take.

"Jealous, Mi-chan." Fuuko said over the rumble of the rides and the raucous background noise that was part of a carnival.

"Aa." The whole team probably knew of his unrequited love for Yanagi. It wasn't much of a secret anymore.

"Why don't you tell her?"

"She knows it already." She found it out, thanks to you. Not that Fuuko was to blame for that slip as Mikagami could recall, she had been quite drunk when she had said it one and a half years ago in their celebratory party after their victory in the Urubatousatsujin.

"Well… it's still better if you tell her yourself."

"Aa." Yanagi had treated Mikagami more kindly after that night but it was clear that she loved Recca not him. Besides, Fuuko didn't know the other half of it and her advice, well meant as it maybe, reflected her flawed understanding of the situation. The rest of that night played in his head…

***

Kage Houshi had dragged both Fuuko and Yanagi to their beds after the teasing incident that had resulted in his feelings being revealed, claiming, perhaps rightly, that the girls have had enough to drink. Considering that even Fuuko was never that tactless, she might even be right. Ganko and Koganei had been sent to bed earlier before the drinking had begun. That had left the three boys to continue the party. Some party, the only reason he had not gone to bed was that he had not wanted to go to bed and be alone with his gloomy thoughts. Thoughts of his master betraying him, of Mifuyu, his sister, of her death…

He had been frozen in place by his thoughts nursing the same cup of sake. After the girls left, the two monkeys began to drink themselves silly. At one point, he noted peripherally that they were even singing some popular songs in their loud off-key voices. After some moments when blessed silence was restored, he felt a hand creeping up his thigh. Startled he looked up to see a pair of dark eyes.

"Hanabishi, what are you doing… Mmmft." The rest of what he might have said was cut off by the younger boy's lips. In his preoccupation, he had not sensed that Hanabishi had snucked up on the couch where he was sitting. In the next moment he found himself soundly grabbed and kissed. The hands holding him weren't idle either they caressed him everywhere, taking liberties while he was too shocked to protest. Finally, he was able to muster enough composure to pull loose.

"Hanabishi, you're drunk. I'm not your hime." He had tried to say coldly.

"I knowsh, hic. You're Mikagami, hic."

He had kept his usual silence in an effort to intimidate the drunken boy for some answers or at least keep the latter from latching onto him again. He hadn't exactly find Hanabishi's clumsy caresses repulsive which disturbed the hell out of him. He knew he loved Yanagi, knew it through and through with his whole being. Hanabishi's next words surprised him all the more.

"I lovsh you."

"What about your hime?"

"Sheesh my liege-lady, my honor. I carsh for her but thatsh all."

"And how can you say that you love me?"

"Lotsh of thingsh. Likesh that first time, I thought you'rsh the loveliest person I've ever sheen. I like the way that you'rsh so clever. I've alwaysh wanted to kish—kiss you. You nearly gave me a heartsh attack when you fought with that Kai character. You took sho many chancesh…"

"You've gotten yourself extremely drunk, Hanabishi. It's making you delusional." He said in his most frigid tone and had gone to his room locking the door securely behind him.

***

That episode had made him think and re-examine himself in a whole new light. He had tried picking apart what he had felt for Yanagi. He found that he not only found Yanagi attractive but also really liked her caring ways. Deep down he found that he cared so much for her that he would never do anything to harm her in anyway. For Hanabishi, he found his feelings to be less sanguine. There was amused tolerance for one, another grudging respect, and sometimes, to be fair, a fellow feeling and one of reliability. Hanabishi was in short someone he reluctantly considered as a friend while Yanagi—Yanagi would something more if circumstances were otherwise. His body had not rejected outright Hanabishi's advances that was true but then it would have been of lust coupled with the regard of a friend not of love.

There was no way he could say anything about Hanabishi's real feelings to Yanagi though and no way either in confessing his love to Yanagi who would not hear of it anyway. He didn't want her hurt even if it would make way for his courtship. He couldn't say it anyway without sounding spiteful. He would just have to wait.

No, Fuuko didn't know the whole story and if he had his way, she never will. I will wait for you Yanagi when you're ninja fails you then I will be there…

Above the noise of the carnival, Fuuko heard the song of the carousel and tugged at him to accompany her. He allowed himself to be dragged.

~OWARI?~

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