Chapter Two

This story starts like any other,
Though it is lost in an old man's mutter,
No lute to play or string to strum,
It's about a warrior named Katashi, and Mayu, his love,
In spring, the flowers all did bloom,
When he spied Mayu in her bedroom,
Azumi his bodyguard and closest of friends,
Warned him, that woman was not his to tend,
Still he mooned and still he pined,
Azumi warned that her husband would mind.

Yet Azumi was a friend without a match,
She helped the two meet in the garden patch,
Mayu swore that she had never seen,
A man more glorious than he,
Katashi couldn't be sure if it was right,
Mayu pledged her love at first sight,
Azumi watched from the branches above,
Tears ran from her eyes as she mourned her love,
Jealousy overtakes all who give in,
But Azumi endured just to be with him.

Day after day, week after week,
Azumi would arrange for them to meet,
She watched as Katashi rained his affection,
Upon Mayu the married woman's attention,
Their love was beautiful as blossoms of cherry,
Katashi had hoped for Mayu to marry,
Mayu tried to whisper her plan unheard,
Azumi's leaned close, hearing all she could learn,
A plot for Katashi to kill her absent husband,
Only then could Mayu give Katashi her hand.

Azumi felt that this was all wrong,
But Katashi's heart was too far gone,
Again the next night, she led him to Mayu's place,
Where they could lie in each others embrace,
It seemed that happiness was destiny to be,
Until Mayu's husband came home early,
Izanagi was Mayu's husband, that much was true,
Large man in stature like a monstrous brute,
Fierce like a demon, he wielded his Katana,
Azumi jumped to defend her Master's honor.

Through the window, they escaped in the night,
Into the forest by the full moon light,
Where Katashi said in a heightened fury,
That he needed to save Mayu from her quarry,
Azumi protested and gave another warning,
Mayu is not be trusted, I'm sorry,
Katashi did not heed his dear friend's words,
Instead Katashi simply drew his sword,
Azumi did not understand her lord's drive,
Drew her Dagger preparing to give up her life.

When they returned to Mayu's house,
Katashi called her husband out,
The two met in the yard for the coming fight,
Fierce the war waged long into the night,
Blades clashed and sang right out,
The pair shifted and scuffled about,
Blood was shed unto the ground,
A death throes cry, echoed loud,
When the dust settled, Izanagi had died,
Katashi gleamed with victorious pride.

Now Mayu from her husband was finally free,
Their love could blossom as it was meant to be,
When the two embraced within the garden,
Mayu offered to release him of his burden,
Katashi gave up his sword with out worry,
Only to have her spring a trap in a hurry,
Mayu revealed that this was all a ploy,
She had play Katashi as if he were a toy,
Samurai flocked from every place,
Azumi jumped to her master's aid.

She knew her lord was tired from the fight,
She worked to protect him with all of her might,
They managed to escape their terrible fate,
Azumi carried Katashi to a cave far away,
There she treated his immediate wounds,
Like a weaver crafting a blanket on a loom,
When he was safe and of able mind,
Azumi told the truth of her love for him all this time,
At first he did not speak, not a single word,
His thought lost on the wind like a bird.

Azumi had been with him since the start,
Fought along side him in every part,
Warned him time and again as necessary,
All too eager to follow him without worry,
Katashi had many times ignored her,
Not stopping to consider the burden she wore,
Azumi told him not to fret,
Before she collapsed onto the bed,
Katashi was worried and examined her form,
A wound in her side she sustained at Mayu's home,

The wound wasn't bad, at least not at first,
Azumi had endured a poison blade curse,
Those cowardly samurai, Katashi did cry,
Azumi clung to her lover one final time,
Katashi panicked and didn't know what to do,
She was nearing the end, her life she would lose,
Katashi held Azumi to his chest,
She whispered I love you as she drifted in death,
Katashi cried and held Azumi's body to close,
With her gone, he knew what it was to be alone.

This wasn't a fitting end for Azumi, he thought,
He carried her up to the mountain top,
An old temple shrine was hidden in the trees,
Maybe the gods could give him something to believe,
He prayed with heart and all of his soul,
Bring Azumi back to the earth below,
A God came to him in blinding white flash,
Nothing is for free, let us barter for this lass,
Katashi, It is a heavy fee I seek,
Your humanity for her to again breath.

Katashi agreed, no fee was too big,
Just please bring Azumi back to him,
The God waved his hand and his form did change,
No longer a Samurai, no longer a man,
But a fokkusu was left where he stood,
Azumi took a breath and looked so confused,
A sleek looking fox reminding her of Katashi,
God told of his sacrifice so alive she may yet be,
For that in return the woods with him she lived,
Because she promised him everything to give.

Katashi was happy to live as her pet,
Azumi gave her all to him without regret,
An odd pair they made, that much they knew,
But never have two heart been so well in tune,
Day after day, they ran through the trees,
The first time either of them had been free,
When Katashi grew old, she held him close,
Didn't care what he looked like, he was her love,
When the gods came for him and ended his life,
So soon shortly after she followed behind.

	Donnie sighed as he closed the book. All the time he'd been reading, he hadn't noticed his eyes burning from reading in the low light. His lips were dry and his mouth parched. It took a great effort for him to swallow. Leo had a gentle smile on his face. With the way he was lying on the cot so peacefully. Donnie surmised that the pain must have subsided. Donnie thought to discard the book, but instead he tucked it into his hip satchel. Whenever they left this place, he wanted to make sure he brought the book with him.
	“That was a really good story.” Leo said softly, his voice was scratchy and stressed. 
	“I agree, Senpai. I didn't know what to expect, but I wasn't expecting a rhyming story.” Donnie handed Leo the water skin that he'd filled earlier on in the evening. “Drink some of this.”
	Donnie helped Leo lift the bag carefully, making sure that the water didn't come out too fast. Leo drank slowly at first and increased as he got use to the flow. He must have been really thirsty by the shear amount he was drinking. Donnie felt Leo's fingers tracing along the back of his hand. Donnie eased up on the flow from the water skin before indulging on it himself. He had been much thirstier than he had thought.
	Leo continued to watch his brother closely. There was a softness in his eyes that Donnie hadn't seen in a long time. With all the calculating Donnie could do, none of it seem to shed any light on why his brother would be looking at him so fondly. Donnie was lost in contemplation as he capped the water skin and sat back down on the cot.
	Leo cleared his throat, this time his voice came out more clear. “Thank you for reading the story, it really helped keep my mind off of things. I couldn't help but notice some of the similarities in the story and our situation.”
	There was a probing look in his strong blue eyes. It made Donnie shift his gaze away, forcing himself to look down at his hands, which were nonchalantly wrestling with one another. No matter how hard he tried to ignore it, he could feel Leo's eyes burrowing into him.
	“Yeah, you could say that. I mean...my Japanese is severely rusty, so I made a lot of it up as I went along.” Donnie reached up and rubbed the back of his neck, not looking back at Leo.
	“What? No way. You didn't make all those rhymes up on the spot, did you?” Leo chuckled so hard that he was forced to grab his side.
	“Yeah, I kinda did.” Donnie leaned back on his hands, his red eyes still facing downward.
	“Amazing. So if you made some of that stuff up. You're not going to die from poison, are you, my little Kunoichi?” Leo words were again was lost in a grunting chuckle.
	Donnie grinned shyly, his cheeks starting to flush. “No, no worries there. I actually managed to not get stabbed this time.” Donnie joined in on the laughter.
	It got quiet in the cave again. Leo's eyes were slowly tracing along Donnie's face. Donnie was sure that his brother was going to see the growing blush playing across his cheeks. Donnie held up the water skin again, blocking his view. Donnie was poised to verbally fend off anything that Leo was going to say. Instead, Leo simply took the water skin and set in on the bed next to him.
	“So, what was that thing at the end, with Katashi giving up his humanity to save Azumi?” Leo asked, his voice soft.
	“What? Nothing. I just made it up, Sen...pai.” Donnie felt the heat pushing to his face, making him feel like an animated thermometer that was going to pop.
	“I think there's more to it than that.” Leo smirked coyly. “Was this your way of telling me you want to be my pet?”
	“What? No! I mean...not that I would mind being your pet. What that whole part was suppose to convey was, I would do anything to keep you alive. If anything were to happen to you, I would still love you, no matter what.” Donnie looked at the fire, it gleamed off of his watering eyes.
	 “You know, if you were my pet, you'd be the best cared for pet in the world.” Leo chuckled his own nervous little laugh.
	“I know I would, because you do a damn good job taking care of me. Like you always do, Senpai.” Donnie reached up and rubbed his aching eyes.
	“The thing is, Kohai. I don't need a pet. What I need is a Kunoichi to keep me out of trouble. Do you think you could do that for me?”
	Donnie looked up at Leo,  his heart fluttering at the playful implication in his brother's voice. “Yeah, I would love to be your Kunoichi.”
	“Ever since you became my Kohai, I know we've been...closer.” A red flush crawling to his own cheeks that rivaled the blush on Donnie's face.
	“You could say that.” Donnie's fingers tip-toed across the bed, finding Leo's already waiting hand.
	“I need you to take care of me, Don. Sometimes I'm not as strong as I think I am. When it comes to trouble, I have a tendency to get in over my head. I need a Kunoichi to rescue me from time to time.” Leo paused for a long second, Donnie could almost hear his brother's heart pounding. 
	Even if what Leo was saying was a playful reference to the story, Donnie knew it was a big thing for his brother to admit.“I've...never admitted that to anyone before.” His voice sounded almost as startled to say it, as Donnie had been to hear it.
	“I promise...my Samurai.” Donnie teased back. “I won't tell anyone about what you said.” Donnie smiled a toothy grin.
	“Thank you. In return, I will keep your Kunoichi status a secret.” Leo chuckled and lay back on the cot, pulling Donnie to join him.
	“A deal to be sealed with a...” Donnie climbed over Leo on all fours and kissed his brother passionately.
	Leo lay back weakly underneath his brother, parting his lips to give into Donnie's romantic demands. One hand pressed over the cut in his stomach, the other slowly moving up from Donnie's belly to rest against his shoulder. One thumb caressed and rolled around Donnie's quivering Adam's apple. Donnie's tongue was warm and soft as his rolled along Leo's mouth, exploring and tasting curiously. It wasn't the first time they'd kissed, but each time they shared a moment like this, it felt new, it felt exciting.
	Donnie lowered himself down to rest next to Leo, breaking from the kiss. It had been a long day and he was incredibly weary from it. For a brief moment, he worried about his friends and family at the temple, but rational thought told him that as long as Leo was injured, there was nothing either one of them could do. For now they would rest, and when they woke up, they would gauge how they were feeling and decide from there.
	Leo licked Donnie's taste from his lips as he watched his brother climb under the blankets. Donnie rested his head on his big brother's shoulder, placing a hand against Leo's chest, being extra careful to not disturb the dagger wound. They were both tired, dirty, and in varied amounts of pain. At least they could take solace in the fact that they were together. A mixture of excitement and worry  washed through them at the thought of seeing their family again. Would they be alright, or would they be... But those were thoughts for a more able mind. A more rested mind.
	Leo whispered against Donnie's forehead. “Do you think the Samurai ever made love to the Kunoichi?”
	Donnie gasped and giggled nervously, his finger tightening against Leo's chest. “I, uh...don't really know, Senpai. Perhaps...maybe they did. I dunno...that may be a story for another day.”
	Leo let lose a breathy chuckled and kissed his brother on the top of the head. “Sounds like a story I want to hear. Maybe you can tell it to me when we wake up. You could even do it using interpretive dance.”
	Donnie took another gasping breath. “Boy, is it hot in here...uhm...Maybe we should just get some sleep, for now.”
	Leo was composed with his chuckles, fighting the urge to bust out laughing. He knew that the muscles in his stomach were not ready for it. After a few moments passed, he could hear Donnie sleeping soundly. The soft whistling from the gap between his teeth was a dead giveaway. Leo couldn't help but feel the overwhelming surge of emotions inside of him. Donnie had worked so hard to protect him and take care of him. Granted, they were a long way from being safe, but at least things didn't look so bleak. Donnie truly was his closest friend, his dearest brother. His own personal Kunoichi. That was the last thought that lingered in Leo's mind as he drifted to sleep.