CHAPTER 7
 

Both Chichiri and Tasuki spent some minutes staring at the now normal mirror, each deep in their own thoughts. Finally, Chichiri broke the silence. "Well, I might as well try following the link now, no da." He turned to see Tasuki sitting in the middle of the room, and grinned at her. "This shouldn't be nearly so hard, no da."

He got out the coloured chalk again, and started drawing more circles. Tasuki found herself staring at his unmasked face, something she so rarely got to see. *I've missed him somethin' awful,* she realized, looking down at her hands clasped in her lap. *I shouldn'ta left him. Kouji was glad to see me back, yeah, but he doesn't need me. Hell, he does a better job of runnin' the bandits then I ever could. I just get in the way.*

She looked up, and Chichiri met her gaze, grinning at her. Her eyes widened slightly at the sight - Chichiri smiling withOUT his mask was a rare thing indeed - and quickly looked back into her lap, praying her blush wasn't as obvious as it felt. She cursed her wayward heart as it skipped a beat, then sped up. *I couldn't stay with him, though. Not when every minute was torture, wantin' to tell him how I felt, KNOWING he'd hate me if I did. I thought I could be happy with just friendship when we started out two years ago. Hell, I WAS happy at first. Kouji's a great friend, and he's known me forever, but he just doesn't understand the part of me that is - that HAS to be - Tasuki, instead of Genrou. I can't go back ta bein' like I used ta be. I don't WANT to. I'd have ta forget everything that happened. Forget Nuriko, and how brave he was, moving that boulder so we could go on, even though he KNEW it'd kill him fer sure. Forget Chiriko, killin' himself to get rid of that creepy monk. Forget Amiboshi, lettin' go of that flute so he wouldn't pull Miaka over. Then killin' one of his own Seishi to protect her again. Forget Mitsukake, givin' all his energy and more to keep that child alive. Forget Hotohori, everythin' he gave up for his country and his god. Forget Miaka, and - hell, yeah, admit it ya bastard, forget how ya fell in love with her too. Dammit, I can't do it. It'd be like - like pretending they didn't MEAN anythin'. It would make it like their sacrifices were all fer nothin'*

She lowered her head until her hair curtained her face, and peered out from between her eyelashes at the monk kneeling before her, concentrating on following a tiny thread of magic.

*Most of all, it would mean forgetting HIM.*

Her eyes hungrily ran over his features, taking in every detail. The tiny wrinkle between his brows as he concentrated. The frown on those lips - god, what she'd give to be free to kiss those incredibly sexy lips. Chichiri exuded sensuality, and the fact that he was completely unaware of it just made it more appealing. Her eyes travelled lower, tracing the planes of his chest through his light shirt. She thought back to the days when they had first met, as Shichiseishi. Even then, he'd been drawn to the older monk, sensing a rampant flow of emotion behind the masks he wore, just begging to be tapped. Her eyes moved to his graceful hands, clasped around the prayer beads and staff, and she thought of all the times he'd touched her, taking care of wounds, clapping a shoulder in friendliness, just brushing against each other as they walked. She treasured every one of those moments, and the feelings they gave, deep inside her, where no one could see them. Even Kouji had never suspected that he'd lost his lover to another man, only that they'd grown apart because of all that Tasuki had been through.

In her fascination with her best friend, she'd raised her head to see better, forgetting to hide behind her hair. When Chichiri suddenly looked up, their eyes met and held, neither moving or even breathing for fear of breaking the spell.

*Can't be,* Tasuki thought to herself, *that look in his eye... like a stunned deer... I could almost swear... he wants me too...* She shook her head and broke eye contact, studiously ingoring her flaming blush. "Well?" She asked, her voice husky. "Anything?"

Chichiri blinked twice, then slowly turned a bright red, easily matching Tasuki. "Aa... hai, no da. It confused me at first, because it didn't seem to GO anywhere, but then I realized what it meant. She's HERE, in this city somewhere. I've got a direction and a general idea of distance now, so I just need to find a city map, and I can pinpoint it na no da." He set to work erasing the circle once more, making a seemingly deliberate effort not to look at Tasuki.

*I wonder...* she thought watching him from the corner of her eyes. *I wonder if he wouldn't hateme so much after all, if I told him how I felt...*
 
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