To Dance By Moonlight

Chapter Twenty Two

The plan was to act like they knew nothing about the Eagle Clan other than reputation. So, they did. Kei and Ji were often seen walking around the public areas of the palace, talking with visitors and servants, and overall just being visible everywhere.

When they ventured out into the palace town, they were never alone. Sometimes they were accompanied by the Sheikh himself; sometimes it was the Emir who went with them. The ladies of the Crow clan were ever-present, and their guards were both seen and unseen. They never kept a set schedule, and showed up at random times throughout the day, and even at night before the vendors and shopkeepers closed.

From the shadows, Eita and Taichi operated as surveillance, keeping their eyes open for former clan members. They scoured the market, and prowled the streets and alleyways around it. For the first few days, they found no one and fully expected not to. But closer to the week's end, they started catching glimpses of the Eagle Clan's colors, deep purple and white, and immediately reported back to Bokuto.

They were here. The Eagle Clan was getting ready to make its move.

But in order to lure the clan into thinking they were unaware, they kept to their acting. Though, now that they knew, Kei would often look around as if searching for something, and Ji would immediately find a way to hide in plain sight.

Back at the palace, they were getting ready for the first of several dignitaries to meet with Kuroo. Their caravan was due to arrive that night, so everyone was set to work. Everyone stayed at the palace, cleaning, cooking, and making sure everything was perfect. By late afternoon, and after lunch and a rest, the entire Crow Clan egan rehearsing the dance they were going to perform after dinner. And because it was one of their best dances, Kiyoko-san decided that they'd do the Swords Dance again.

"Well done," Kiyoko-san praised after the third practice. "The new steps and formations are bound to please everyone tonight."
"I only wish we could see it, too," Mai said from where she stood, daggers dangling from the straps around her wrists. "I mean, it's great from a dancer's point of view, but how great would it be to be watching it?"
"Right?" Ji chimed in, smiling. "Although, I'm sure we'll have everyone cheering for us after, and Bokuto will no doubt be the first to tell us what he thought of it."
"Kuroo, too," Kei added. "They loved it the first time. With the new additions, he'll probably wax poetic about our performance."
Ji snorted, and the rest of them looked mildly confused.
"Don't worry, he'll love it," he assured them. Taking his scimitar and putting it on its stand, he faced Kiyoko-san again. "When did you get the idea for adding more knives?"
Kiyoko-san grinned. "I wondered when one of you would ask. It was an idea I'd been kicking around for a while. The dance itself is captivating on its own, but I thought it might be more... dramatic, I suppose, if we tried to add more knives. The new formations will take focus off of you two for a little while, which just happens to fit in with our plans to keep you safe."
"It also gives the ladies a chance to shine, as well," Eri imparted, coming to stand next to Kiyoko.
"Still looking for a way out?" Kiyoko sighed, leveling her second with a disappointed look.
"Not a way out, Kiyoko, and you know it."

It sounded like an old argument between them, which no one was about to get in the middle of, and yet, dinner was about to be served for them and the staff working tonight. Ji opened his mouth to say so, but was rudely interrupted by a growling stomach. His, and a few others. It didn't help that the awesome scent of roasting meat and vegetables were wafting into their common room.

"Alright," Kiyoko-san drew herself up to her commanding height, which was still on the shorter side, but it was enough to get everyone's attention. "Let's go eat, and then we'll have an hour to get ready."
"Yes, ma'am!" the clan replied, and carefully put their props away.
As they left their room, Kiyoko pulled Kei and Ji to the side, and waited until the others had gone on ahead.
"I know we're supposed to act like everything is normal, and that we don't suspect a thing, but..."
"Are you about to ask if we'd feel safer inside?" Ji asked her.
Kiyoko-san nodded. "You have to admit, it's much safer, and it's what you two would do if we were traveling together."
"If we hide, they'll just wait for the opportunity to catch us. Why prolong it? We have a chance to finally be free of them. For real. No more thinking we're free when we never really were."
Kiyoko smiled gently, and then wrapped Ji up in her arms. "I'm going to worry, you know." When she let go of Ji, she reached for Kei.
"We know," Kei said quietly. "Thank you. For everything."
Kiyoko-san huffed and leaned back, letting go of Kei and looking sternly at them both. "Don't go making it sound like we're leaving you. Not yet, anyway." She blinked away a few tears and then smiled. "Now, let's go eat."

~*~

Another night passed, and the dignitary demanded a repeat performance from the dancers, and to dance the same dance as the night before. It was clear he had his eye on one of the ladies, but no one knew who. Still, they did what they were expected to do, and then another dance as a farewell gift. At the end, everyone went to go find their beds.

"You were wonderful out there," Tetsuro told Kei quietly as they lay together in bed. "You looked so happy."
"I was," Kei replied, smiling tiredly. "Dancing makes me happy. Dancing with my sisters and Ji makes me happy." He reached up and caressed Tetsuro's face. "Dancing for you makes me happiest."
"Such a sap," Tetsuro teased, brushing a lock of Kei's hair. "You're beautiful."
Kei's burnished gold eyes met his. "You really think so?"
"I know so."

A soft pink tone dusted Kei's cheeks, tips of his ears, and felt like it was creeping down his neck. Without another word, he snuggled close to Tetsuro, curling into his arms, hiding his face in his chest. Tetsuro fingers sifted through his hair, and he gathered Kei closer. They spent the next little while quietly touching, kissing, and ridding each other of any clothing they wore.

Tetsuro rolled them so that Kei was comfortably beneath him, those long gorgeous legs of his wrapped around his middle, their groins and hardened shafts rubbing against each other. Groaning, Tetsuro took Kei's mouth in a searing kiss, reaching down and adjusting, until he was able to slowly push inside. Kei broke the kiss, crying out and arching his back. Fully seated inside, Tetsuro stayed still just long enough to gain Kei's attention.

"You're beautiful," he said again, withdrawing just enough, and then thrusting back in. "Your mind, your heart, definitely your body. Everything about you is beautiful," he murmured between thrusts, and around Kei's moans. "Even if you don't believe anyone telling you that, or even yourself. Believe me. You're beautiful, Kei."

His lover didn't speak, but Tetsuro soothed him, loved him, and kissed away the tears that fell from those beautiful burnished gold eyes that charmed him from that very first night. He worked them into a frenzy, driving Kei insane, moaning and writhing underneath him until he came, screaming his name into the quiet of night. Moments later, Tetsuro came, holding Kei tighter, and burying his face into his neck.

"I love you," he whispered when it was over, and their hearts weren't beating out of their chests.
And for a few heart-stopping minutes, Kei said nothing. But then...
"I love you, too, Tetsuro."