Disclaimer- I don't own Ronin Warriors nor do I claim to.

Authors Note- This was posted before but something went wrong and it didn't post the who thing.

Secrets (Shuu + Ryo)

~*~ ~*~ Liquid fire traced along cool skin, exploring hard muscle with amazing grace. Every touch was pure pleasure and pure torture causing the large man to squirm beneath his soon to be lover. Soft lips pressed hard against his claiming them as his own. Sharp teeth nipped aggressively at his collarbone, slowly making their way to his earlobe. Eager hands touched and rubbed driving the earth warrior nearly insane with need. The hot mouth slowly, painfully slowly, made its way down ~*~ ~*~

Shuu sat up in bed so quickly he nearly fell to the floor. A cold sweat poured off his brow as he ran a large hand through his dark hair. Slowly he began to untangle the bed sheets and free himself. Across the room, on the other bed, a single sapphire eye crack open.

" You okay?" asked Touma without moving.

" Fine." Replied Shuu sharply.

" Are you still having the nightmares?"

" I said I'm fine." Snapped Shuu pulling on a sleeveless tee," I'm going downstairs."

Shuu fled the room. He knew that he should apologize to Touma, he was only worried. As he made his way towards the basement he was well aware of the fire that burned within but all he wanted was to escape that fire. He was tired, but too afraid to close his eyes because with sleep came the dreams. Trying to destroy all thoughts, he made his way down the basement stairs and did a few stretches before jumping on the punching bag.

It's not right! Even if it were, it would never work. I've just got to work through this. He pounded his fists against the punching bag, What would my family say? They'd disown me! This can't be happening, he's chasing her around. Even if he were like that it wouldn't work. It would be like mixing oil and water. Shuu felt the skin on his knuckles burn as it tore on the bag. It didn't matter though, his mind was on the dream that woke him in the first place, Why does he have to torture me like this, coming back night after night. I shouldn't feel this way, not about him! Shuu hit the bag harder but it didn't move like it should have.

Startled, he brought his eyes up to meet worried violet eyes," Shuu what's wrong?"

" Nothing, I just couldn't sleep." Replied Shuu hitting the bag again.

" You're bleeding all over the place, let me bandage your hands." Said Seiji stepping in and taking his larger friend by the wrist.

Shuu recoiled from the gentle touch of his friend knocking the blonde warrior off his feet," I'm fine, Leave me alone."

" Please tell me what's bothering you Shuu." Seiji looked hurt.

" I can't tell you Seiji. Just leave me alone." Shuu fled from the basement and back to the safety of his private torture. Silently so he wouldn't wake Touma, he threw himself into bed and covered his head with his pillow.

Shuu woke to the sound of someone knocking on his door. Amazingly enough Touma was already gone and his bed made. The soft tapping at the door sounded a second time before Shuu answered.

" Come in." he sighed sitting up in bed," Good morning Shin."

" Good afternoon." Corrected Shin poking his head in the door," Are you feeling okay?"

" I'm fine." Replied Shuu running his hands through his hair.

" The whole house knew you were up early this morning and Seiji said that you didn't want breakfast. When you didn't show up for lunch I was worried." Said Shin slipping inside the room," Is something bothering you Shuu?"

" I said I'm fine!" snapped Shuu. He couldn't bring himself to look at the older boy.

Shin flinched at the sharp reply but nodded and started to leave," Well, when you want to talk let me know."

Shuu watched as the small warrior left before letting his head fall into his hands, Baka! I've succeeded in pushing away my three best friends in the whole world all because of this. God, I've got to pull myself together. This Is Wrong!

Shuu got up and quickly went to get a cold shower before anyone saw him. As the icy water poured down on him, he tried to push away all thoughts of his midnight tormentor. By the time he was finished, he was so cold that he was shivering but it hadn't helped. Quickly he dressed and headed for the front stairs. He was just about to walk out the door when someone stopped him.

" Hey Shuu, There you are. Are you hungry?" asked Ryo offering half a sandwich.

" No I'm just going for a walk." Replied Shuu.

" Are you feeling all right?" asked Ryo concerned by Shuu's strange behavior.

" I'm fine, I'm just not hungry right now." Replied Shuu," I'm going out for a while, I'll be back by dinner time."

Ryo watched as the strong man left the house. It was obvious that something was bothering him. His usually happy demeanor was gone, replaced by a brooding unhappiness that circled round him like a cloud. Certain that something was wrong, Ryo went in search of Shin. The water warrior seemed to have a way of knowing when something was wrong and what it was. Usually he knew, before anyone else even realized that there was a problem, and helped the person through.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Shin watched as Touma and Seiji wandered down separate trails. He knew very well that both trails ended at the waterfall. He chuckled softly to himself and returned to cooking dinner. He was just closing the oven, after depositing the turnkey, when two arms snaked around his small waist. A diamond engagement ring sparkled on the left hand.

" What's so funny Luv?" asked Nasuti.

" Seiji and Touma are off on another secret meeting." Smiled Shin turning and kissing her.

" When do you think that they'll finally tell everyone?"

" I don't know," Sighed Shin," You remember how they begged us not to tell anyone. They were so afraid of how we would react, it's going to take time but they will tell."

" So, what happened with Shuu this morning? It's not like him to miss a meal." Asked Nasuti stealing a piece of carrot from the cutting board," When did he finally get out of bed? Bye the way, when are we going to tell everyone our secret?"

" He got out of bed half an hour ago." Replied Shin," I'm worried about him. He's been really touchy lately. He snapped at Touma, knocked Seiji down, and snapped at me. He hasn't eaten since breakfast yesterday. Seiji and Touma have both expressed their concerns to me. I think I know what's wrong but its going to be a very touchy job."

" You think he'll listen?"

" He's hard headed but I'm sure he'll listen. If not, I'll at least find out if I'm right."

When do you plan on talking to him?" she questioned," I'll get the others out of the way for a while if you need me to."

" I may need everyone here. I'm going to do it tonight."

Nasuti cocked her head to the side and looked at Shin with a strange look. She flashed an evil grin before planting a kiss squarely on his soft lips.

" Hey shin, you really need to talk to Shuu, Something is definitely wrong. He just turned down half my sandwich and he hasn't eaten since yesterday. He seems really upset." Said Ryo walking in," Oh hi Nasti."

" I plan on doing it tonight. Are you gonna be here all night long?" replied Shin breaking the kiss.

" Um, yeah, I should be here." Ryo closed the refrigerator door," Any idea where Seiji and Touma went?"

Nasuti smiled," They'll be back later."

" Those two are up to something, they keep disappearing on me. Any idea what it is?"

Nasuti kissed Shin's cheek," I'm going to get cleaned up."

~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Touma sat on a large boulder near the waterfall. Completely lost in thought, he never heard the approach of the blonde warrior. Long arms wrapped around his waist and a few light kisses peppered the air warriors' neck. Touma turned and returned the show of affection with a light kiss to Seiji's pale lips before locking sapphire eyes on his lovers violet ones.

" I'm worried about Shuu."

Seiji nodded and sat down on the rock," He was pretty upset last night. He didn't bother with tape and tore up his knuckles. When I tried to bandage his hands he got mad and knocked me down. He just kind of ran off."

" He was having a nightmare before that and when I asked if he was okay he snapped at me." Touma sighed," I'm not sure what triggered them but something is bothering him."

" I've got a few guesses as to what it is but I'm not sure. We'll know soon enough though because Shin is going to talk to him tonight."

Touma nodded but still seemed very distracted by his thoughts," Seiji-kun, we have something we really should talk about too…"

Seiji wrapped his arms around Touma's waist and held him," If it is really that important to you we can tell everyone about us tonight."

" Thank you Koi." Sighed Touma brushing the blonde hair out of Seiji's eyes.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Shuu walked alone through the woods completely lost in thought. No matter what he did he couldn't escape the visions of his dream. Every time he closed his eyes he saw those lips, that hair. He could feel warm hands touching, pressing. Finding a good place that was far from the others, to sit and think Shuu leaned against a tree and tried to sort things out. All the while his mind told him that he was wrong. He had to be sick to love another guy. Guys were supposed to like girls not other guys. Somehow, no matter what his mind screamed at him, his heart kept telling him that it was right. His heart was more than telling him, it was screaming about it. He knuckled his eyes and tried to push the confused tears away. He was tired but all he could think of was his dream. A nudge on his leg brought his attention back to the woods around him and the large white tiger looking up at him with huge brown eyes.

" What are you doing here Byakuen?" asked the large warrior.

Byakuen took Shuu's hand in his mouth and started pulling him towards the waterfall. Shuu, not feeling like arguing with a cat, let Byakuen direct him and climbed on the oversized house cats back. Had he been able to see the tigers face he would have seen the kitty grin. There were too many secrets in the Yagyu manor and Byakuen was ready to get everything out in the open. First thing on the list was dealing with Shuu and his uncertainties. Silently he took Shuu to the edge of the woods that peeked at the tumbling waterfall where Seiji and Touma meet. As they approached, he could hear two voices laughing playfully.

Shuu also heard the voices so he chanced a look around one of the trees where they hid. To his astonishment, he found Touma and Seiji, in nothing more than boxers, splashing each other in the chilled water of the pool. As he watched, he considered going out and apologizing for the way he treated them but Byakuen stopped him with a sharp tug. It wasn't until he turned back that he realized what he would have been interrupting. He found Seiji and Touma lost in the passion of a deep kiss, the blonde warrior's hands caressing the archers well muscled back. When Seiji started slowly kissing his way down the blue haired boys' chest, Shuu fled for the house lost between jealousy and disgust. As Shuu ran he tried to forget, he tried desperately to bury the memory where he would never find it and it wouldn't be able to give his dreams any advice. He was rushing in the back door when he ran smack into Ryo.

" Hey Shuu, have you seen Seiji and Touma?"

" NO! I… I haven't seen anyone." Stammered Shuu.

" Are you okay Shuu, You've been acting pretty odd lately." Ryo's blue eyes froze any words in Shuu's throat," I'm really starting to worry about you. Shin says dinner is ready, you better get to the table before he comes looking for you."

Shuu nodded silently and went to clean up for dinner. In the bathroom, he quickly washed his face and hands but when he looked up into the mirror he barely recognized the reflection. He looked tired; the many nights of disturbed sleep were wearing on him. It was almost like being back two years, right after they defeated Argo the second time. He had nightmares then. They were dark twisted nightmares of his days spent in the dark of Argo's palace helpless against his keeper.

" See something you recognize?" asked Shin standing in the open doorway.

" Not really." Frowned Shuu unhappily.

" We're all worried about you Shuu. These last few days you've been slipping away from us and no one understands why." Shin smiled reassuringly to his friend," Dinner is ready. Seiji and Touma just made it in. Are you going to join us tonight?"

" Yeah, I'm coming." Shuu ran his hand through his hair," Shin, did you know about Seiji and Touma?"

" Of course," replied Shin with a quirky smile," but I think you need to talk to them about it."

" Hey Shin, after dinner can we talk?"

Shin nodded and started towards the dining room.

Dinner was eaten in relative silence. No one knew exactly how to deal with Shuu, all afraid that he would get upset. To Shuu, it seemed as though everyone was avoiding him. Shin and Nasuti were engrossed in an energetic conversation about the beauty of some country while Ryo threw in comments when he felt like it. Seiji and Touma were completely content whispering conspiratorially about some great secret. Every once and a while Touma would stop shoveling food into his mouth long enough to stare at the blonde warrior as though he had grown a second head. It seemed odd to Shuu, but he knew that he had alienated himself with his recent behavior. Dinner was just about over when Shin called everyone's attention to his end of the table.

" Guys, Nasuti and I have something we want to tell you." A grin plastered his sweet face as he grabbed her hand.

" What is it?" sarcasm dripped from Touma's words like rain during a storm.

Seiji poked Touma's ribs and let Shin continue though he already knew what was going on," Well, Nasti and I have been together for a long time now…." Nasuti's face radiated happiness," We're getting married."

" Wow! That's great!" Ryo jumped to his feet in excitement," How long…. When will…. Have you told…"

Shuu watched as Ryo, in all his excitement, managed to ask three questions without even finishing a sentence. He was happy for his friends but couldn't seem to pull himself out of the shadow he had fallen into. He approached the happy couple and picked them up in a bear hug.

" Congratulations guys." He set them back down and slipped silently out of the room.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Nearly an hour passed before Shin managed to find Shuu. The large warrior was sitting alone near the lake, an orange blanket was wrapped tightly around his shoulder. Shin found his friend staring forlornly into the inky depths of the lake. For what seemed like hours neither boy said a word, Shin merely sat and wrapped in his own light blue blanket. Finally it was Shuu that broke the silence of the starry night.

" It's wrong and you're the only sane one among us." He said through clenched teeth.

" What's so wrong about love?" asked Shin softly.

" Love isn't wrong." Replied Shuu," What I feel is. Maybe it's right for Seiji and Touma but it's still wrong."

" What makes it wrong Shuu? Can you honestly give me three reasons why it's so wrong?"

"Guys are supposed to like Girls, not other guys." Snapped Shuu.

" Why, because that's what you've been told?"

" No. What about kids? You couldn't have any."

" There are plenty of kids without families that would rather have two fathers than nothing at all." Replied Shin evenly.

" He would never go for it." Stated Shuu finally.

" I don't think you know him as well as you think if you really believe that. Sometimes you've just got to follow your heart. All your life people have been pumping their own beliefs into your head and it's up to you to sort through it. We all have to figure out what our beliefs are and what has been programmed into us. I've done enough lecturing though, it's up to you to decide." Shin stood up and stretched before starting to make his way back to the house.

Shuu stayed on the dock for a long time, thoughts raced through his head in a tangled knot of indecision. After a while he lay back and watched the stars as they shifted in the sky. The silvery moon traveled sadly through the sky, half her face hidden behind her doubts even as she tried to catch up to her lover. As the night passed around him, Shuu slowly made his way to a decision. He had been out there for several hours when he heard soft footsteps on the wood of the dock.

Ryo sat down next to the large warrior and wrapped tighter in his red quilt," I was worried when you didn't come back. Are you all right?" Shuu kept looking up at the stars so Ryo tried something else," Seiji and Touma wanted you to be there when they told me but Shin said you already knew. I think it's great, they both need some one and they're happy together."

" They deserve to be happy." Admitted Shuu more to himself than Ryo.

Ryo fidgeted with his blanket and the silence seemed to go on forever before he spoke," Shin told me what's been bothering you. Don't be mad at him, I made him tell me."

" Are you mad?" Shuu wanted to run and hide anywhere.

" No, I was actually flattered and kind of relieved."

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Touma and Seiji floated high above the dock. They had been up there for hours waiting for something to happen once Shin left. Touma was in full armor and Seiji was feeding him energy to keep them afloat while they waited. Finally, they were rewarded by the appearance of Ryo. They watched and waited while the two boys talked softly, all the while knowing that something had to happen.

" I hope something happens soon, I'm starting to get tired." Complained Touma.

" Don't worry, I know something is going to happen." Replied Seiji," Just not tonight. Come on, let's go home and let them work it out."