An Untitled Tatara/Suzuno fic
by Andrea (teresa@ridgenet.net)

"I love you."
Suzuno blinked. She had heard those words before but...but she'd never thought to hear them from the lips of the beautiful man before her. Yet, they weren't unpleasant to hear. No, not in the least. In fact, they made her feel strangely warm inside. "I..."
He glanced away, "I just wanted you to know, that's all. I just...wanted to tell you."

Suzuno awoke with a start. The warmth she had felt in her dream faded away almost instantly, replaced by a terrible coldness...why...
It was a long moment before she could remember. She was in bed at home and she must have kicked the covers free. Hai...that had to be it. Opening her eyes, the illusion that she was in her own bed faded quickly as she realized that her 'pillow' was actually one of her seishi. "Gomen!" She whispered, about to move away when she realized their prediciment.

They were both soaked to the skin, the rain had flooded the river and it had been Tatara with his seishi abilities who had saved her from the river's flow and dragged her to the relative safety of the small rock alcove. It was a tiny shelter and she almost had to sit on his lap in order to keep out of the rain. He had offered to sit outside but she had refused him that option. She couldn't let him become ill because of her.
She must have fallen asleep shortly after that, but she didn't remember when exactly it was that she had drifted off. "How long have I been asleep?"

"I'm not sure. No more than a few minutes, fifteen or twenty at the most."

Suzuno nodded, leaning her cheek against his chest, snuggling closer to him in an attempt to borrow some his warmth. "Do you think the others are all right...?" She asked softly.

"Hai. I'd be able to feel it if they weren't." Tatara answered, his voice as quiet and abrupt as ever. Suzuno sighed softly. Of all the people to be rescued by... Why had it had to be Tatara? He was always so terribly quiet and reserved, never showing what he felt. It was terribly sad, but at the same time also terribly frustrating. She had tried talking to him before, to try and get him to open up to her a bit, but nothing she'd said had helped. Another sigh escaped Suzuno's throat. *Well, since I'm here, I might as well give it another try.* "Tatara...do you have any family?"

"No. My parents died when I was young. I am an only child." He answered, his tone never changing. He might as well be talking of the weather. "Do you?"

"My father and mother. I also have a younger brother, Bonchi. He'll be five years old soon. I miss them very much." She whispered, shivering slightly.

"Are you cold?" He asked his voice as soft as ever.

"Hai. A little." She answered, tensing slightly in surprise when his arms wrapped around her, pulling her close against his chest. It was so unlike him... Frowning slightly, Suzuno glanced up at him only to find he wasn't looking down at her, but instead his gaze was locked on the rain outside. "Tatara..." She whispered, unable to tear her gaze from his beautiful face.

"Hai?" He asked, his gaze still faced towards the rain. Suzuno shrugged and sighed, "Nothing. It's...nothing. Um...do you think we'll be stuck here long?"

"Not too long. The rain should stop soon..." He answered, tightening his arms around her ever so slightly.

"Oh...all right." Suzuno answered, snuggling closer to him. He really was rather...warm now that she had a moment to notice. Sighing, Suzuno reached upwards and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, clinging to him. "You're warm." She whispered, touching her cheek to his shoulder. He stiffened a bit, but then relaxed. "I...arrigato...so are you..."

Suzuno glanced up and even through the darkness that flooded the cave she could see that he was blushing. "Tatara-san...you're...you're blushing."

"I know. Gomen."

"Why are you apologizing to me?"

"I don't know." He answered, his voice sounding strange. Almost sad. Suzuno drew back a little to look at him. "Tatara-san? Are...are you all right?"

"Hai. I'm...fine." He answered, but it was clear that he was not. His eyes seemed so sad and so...lonely. Sunzuno blinked at the revelation. It had never occured to her that Tatara might be lonely. Perhaps even as lonely as she felt sometimes. "Tatara-san..." She whispered, leaning closer to him, as if being drawn in by his beautiful eyes. "Tatara...san..." Suzuno wasn't really aware of what she was doing until her lips touched his. It was a shock that caused her to stiffen slightly as he gasped, trembling slightly.

*How strange...* Suzuno observed. *And how nice...* His lips were terribly soft, and it seemed sweet the way they trembled against hers, as if he were as new to this as she. She drew back from him after a moment, meeting his shocked gaze. It was as if something had shattered deep within him, perhaps it was the wall that had always seemed to seperate him from everyone else around him. Perhaps it was that shattering that allowed her the courage to move close to him and touch his lips with hers once again.

Her eyes closed of their own violation as she felt him tense for the barest instant before he seemed to give in, curling his arms tighter around her, pulling her closer. "Suzuno..." Her heart skipped a beat. She had never heard him use her name before. She liked the way he said it. More than she'd ever liked anything before. Just the sound of her name on his lips.

The kiss seemed to end before it had even begun and far too soon, Suzuno found her head resting against his shoulder as he held her. "Was that...it felt like a beginning..." Suzuno whispered, surprised by how warm she suddenly felt in moments before she'd been freezing.

"I think it was..." Tatara answered. His voice was soft, but it held none of the old distance which had always kept her feeling as if she were an arm's length away from him. No, he sounded much kinder now. Much closer to her. "I...Tatara-san..." Suzuno snuggled closer to him, unable to express her thoughts in words. That kiss...that single kiss had opened him up to her as nothing else before had. She was glad...and...strange as it was to hope for such a thing, she hoped that many more kisses like that one would follow.

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