FicWad

Please see Chapter One for full disclaimers, warnings, and summaries.

Notes: I think I should point out the smoking aspect of this chapter. Not that I do now/, but back in the day I used to smoke. Back when everyone was doing it and it was something to pass the time and keep my hands busy. Before that time, when my lungs were relatively free of any and all intentionally inhaled pollutants, I caught my first whiff of a Players Filter cigarette. I'm sure I'd smelled them before then, but it was the first time I'd actually /smelled it, and it smelled good. Oh sure, after taking it up, the pleasant smell dissappeared. Since quitting, I've conditioned my senses to preceive it as disgusting, so I'm afraid I'll never smell it as wonderfully as I smelled it that one night on my way home from work and my co-worker lit up that cancer stick. The smell was sweet; I remember it quite clearly, and it was enjoyable to be around. These are the emotions I've imprinted onto Kotaro when he smells Magoichi smoking his pipe. I know what I'm talking about from personal experience, so I'm not talking out of my ass. ^_^

/Kotaro's POV/

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Enemy of my Enemy - Chapter 03

I woke very suddenly, sitting bolt upright on the futon. There was a presence that had startled me, waking me from my dreamless state as I felt it staring at me in the night. Very little moonlight managed to trickle in from the balcony door and I was left blind in the darkness, yet my senses screamed at me that someone was watching me. The scent of tobacco reached my nose and I saw a dull light glowing in mid-air across the room. "Who's there?" I asked, jumping to my feet, weapon in hand. A rough chuckle reached my ears and the light grew brighter, burning more of the tobacco plant and sending that delicious scent to fill my nostrils. "Oh, it's you," I said, lowering my weapons slightly, now seeing the outline of his form sitting against the wall opposite me. "What are you doing here?" I asked, taking a few steps forward, never loosing grip of my kunai.

"Same as you," he said, drawing off his pipe. His eyes shone with amusement under the orange glow of the ember and I swear I almost laughed at how odd I felt then.

The sweet scent of tobacco washed over me and made me wonder if it was his smoking that had roughened his voice to such a seductive rumble. I shook my head, realizing the situation, "What do you mean?" I couldn't let myself get distracted by such things at a time like this.

"Sleeping," he said simply. "I needed a place to stay. The owner let me up here." I saw him tilt his head up to look at me, the ember of his pipe lighting his face in a dull orange glow. My eyes fixed on this, watching it grow brighter before dulling once again as it smoldered in the bowl. I watched as the light seemed to draw closer to me and I realized after a moment that he was passing his pipe to me. "Want some?" he asked. I'd always wanted to try tobacco and accepted his offer. I re-sheathed my kunai and sat across from him, eagerly taking the stem in my hands and putting the end to my mouth. It was warm and I looked at him as I wrapped my lips around the end and sucked in a deep breath through the mouthpiece The ember glowed brighter than before, filling my lungs with heavy smoke and overpowering my senses. I doubled over with a violent coughing fit as my lungs tried to expel the smoky air. I was dimly aware of his hands as they grabbed me, taking the pipe from my grasping hands before I dropped it. It was a long moment before I was able to breathe normally again, my eyes watering from coughing and the taste of tobacco in my mouth. I looked at him, feeling stupid for letting a little thing like a pipe put me in such a state. He was leaning against the wall again, his eyes laughing at me as he sucked on his pipe, seeming to enjoy the sight I must have made. I straightened my posture, flipping my hair to the side as I gave him a look that told him not to write me off so quickly. He raised an eyebrow, pulling the pipe from his lips and offering it to me once again. I took it and this time paid close attention to my actions. I put the end in my mouth and carefully sucked on it, letting the smoke enter my mouth and play along my pallet before inhaling it with some regular air into my lungs.

The experience was quite different this time as I felt my lungs warm with the smoke and I absently fingered the stem of the pipe. The glowing ember illuminated the fine carvings that decorated the bowl and spread along the stem to the mouthpiece; it was really a beautiful thing once I saw it close up. I released my breath that I had been holding, watching the smoke pass through my nose and mouth and into Magoichi's face. "Sorry!" I exclaimed once I realized what I'd done. I quickly set the pipe aside and tried to fan some of the offending smoke away from him.

He shook his head with a sigh, "Don't worry about it." He leaned towards me to pick the pipe up from where I'd left it on the floor. His fluid movement did not stop there and he continued leaning closer to me until our faces were inches apart. I could almost taste the smoke on his breath and my eyes were locked with his as he closed the distance between us. "You learn quickly, Kotaro," he whispered, his voice low and husky. He raised a hand up to my cheek, fingers spreading out over my skin to run along my jaw line and splay across my cheekbone.

There was something odd about the situation, but right then I was too enthralled with what he was doing to think straight. "T-thank you!" I stuttered, not quite sure what he meant but taking the compliment at face value. I leaned my face into his hand, letting my eyes drift shut as he trailed a calloused finger along my cheek. In that moment the only thing I could think of was how wonderful he smelled and the feeling of the rough fingers that were running along my cheek. I became light headed at the sensation, my sleeping flesh beginning to stir and I nuzzled his palm, running my lips along his thumb.

After a few more moments he stopped his caresses, causing me to look questioningly into his eyes. "There are many things you will have to learn quickly if you want to defeat Nobunaga," he said, his voice becoming serious once again. "Spying on me will not help you with that. I have been aware of you watching me ever since I arrived in Imasho," his fingers tightened on my face, gripping my jaw almost painfully to prove that he was serious. "I want you to stop it, Kotaro." His eyes had regained their hardened and unreadable appearance from before and the void that sprang up between us threatened to suffocate me.

I was confused and nodded dumbly, realizing that I probably hadn't been as clever as I'd thought I'd been. Jubei had been more right than I'd originally thought and I was being foolish and careless. Especially now that I was so close to defeating the leader of the Oda clan, I couldn't afford to let my boredom get the better of me. Magoichi's grip lessened and he released me, never looking at me but returning to lean against his wall. I contemplated grabbing my kunai and attacking him, but thought better of it, knowing it was just the sort of thing that Jubei had warned me against. I instead walked back to my futon, never taking my eyes off of him as he watched me from across the room.

Sleep took longer to claim me. Even after I'd spent long minutes listening to Magoichi's breathing slow as sleep took him into its comforting embrace I still could not relax into that blissful state myself. The memory of his hand on my skin sent shivers down my spine and I wondered what might have become of the situation between us. It wouldn't be long before Jubei would break through Nobunaga's defenses and I would need to be ready for that. I would need all my strength to help in the upcoming battle and worrying about my past mistakes would do nothing to help. After what felt like hours I drifted off, the sound of Magoichi's breathing filling my ears and the feel of his hand on me firmly planted in my memory.

~End chapter three~

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I suppose this would be where I ramble a bit about this. Well, here I am, chapter three posted with chapter four in the works. I'm wondering about the characterization of Kotaro. It's tough to get into the head of a side character who you aren't given the opportunity to become overly familiar with. I'm doing my best to keep this as IC as possible, but please forgive any mistakes I make with this. I'm just getting the hang of 1st pov ^_^"