36 Erotic Ban/Jak Tales: Tale 7: Otome Ranman

Author: kira
Title: Tale 5: Otome Ranman

Theme: Flower/garden
Pairing: Bankotsu/Jakotsu

Rating: Mature
Genre: Romance

Word Count: 4,300
WARNINGS: The following contains yaoi, sex with what in modern times would be considered a minor, anal sex, oral sex and mention of prostitution.
Summary:  Jakotsu gives Bankotsu a “flower” of rare beauty.
A/N:  The title for this one is the same as Nuriko’s character song, which inspired this fic. It translates loosely as “maiden in full bloom.” Please also note that this wasn’t betaed so any mistakes are my own.

FYI: One koku is the amount of rice a man would eat in a year, and it was how samurai were paid, so a one hundred koku an hour courtesan is a very expensive woman.

“Sakasemasho...

PA-Tto koi ranman...

iki ni adeyaka ni...

otome mankai ni...”

“Kirei desho...
hana no kono inochi...
saite chiru toki nya...
migoto chirimasho...” as sung by Sakamoto Chika (as Nuriko), words by Yuzuki Miyoshi

(Let’s bloom... graciously, the love in full bloom... Stylish, Gorgeous, Maiden in full bloom...) (Isn’t it beautiful, the life of this flower? Let’s bloom, and if the petals are to be scattered, let’s scatter them gracefully...)   Translation & lyrics from Anime Lyrics dot Com

Jakotsu flitted through Suikotsu’s pleasure garden like a giant butterfly, pausing every so often to admire the flowers. When he found one he liked, he took the sharp knife the gentle healer had given him and cut off a couple of blossoms for his room. It was a rare treat and it kept him occupied that morning which made Bankotsu very happy. The younger boy had a lot of work to do and his older lover was proving to be a hard to resist distraction. So he was sent off to the garden with a promise from Bankotsu to meet him there later as well as a basket and knife from Suikotsu along with permission to collect as many flowers as he wanted.

After gathering all the blooms he needed, Jakotsu waited for a few minutes to see if his young lover was going to join him like he had promised. When it appeared that Bankotsu was not going to meet him there, the cross-dresser sighed softly and headed to their room. Humming a bawdy tune softly to himself, the eighteen year old walked slowly back while cursing the fire-breather in his head. Damn you, Ren! Just because you hate it when me and Aniki-chan play in Sui’s garden, didn’t mean Sui didn’t say we couldn’t play there this time! It’s no fair! I wish I had a garden of my own to play in! Jakotsu sighed when it hit him. Ooh! What if Aniki-chan is waiting for me in our room? Smiling happily at the thought, he hurried the last few paces across the courtyard.

Reaching the low veranda, Jakotsu took the two steps leading up to it in a single bound, and dashed down the outer corridor as fast as he could go without running. He quickly arrived at their room, and opening the outer shoji as sedately as he could, the cross-dresser was upset to find the room empty. In fact the only sign that anyone had been there while he was gone were a couple of pretty ceramic vases that Suikotsu had left him on Bankotsu’s low table and a bucket of water. Letting his disappointment show in one long aggravated sigh, Jakotsu kicked off his sandals. He entered his room and walked over to the table. Once there, he set to work arranging the flowers in the various vases, while trying his best to keep his feelings of jealousy at bay. He hated the fact that he could not read or do simple math for that matter, and as a result was incapable of helping his lover with his work.

Feeling miserable and sorry for himself, it was several minutes before Jakotsu realized there was someone else in the room with him.

“Are you alright, Jak? When you didn’t answer me, I let myself in.”

“You don’t sound fine.” The gentle healer reached out to lay the back of his hand against the cross-dresser’s forehead. “You don’t feel warm.” He took the younger man’s hand in his and felt for his pulse, silently counting the beats. “Your life-force is normal...” Suikotsu said as if to himself.

“You may be fine physically, Jak, but knowing you they way I do, I can see something is bothering you. You don’t have to be afraid to tell your ‘chichi-ue.’”

“I wish I could read and write...” the younger man said sadly.

“How about next time I go into town, I see if I can find a couple of children’s books for you. Once you’ve mastered them, I’ll find something more to your liking.”

Jakotsu’s expression brightened. “Yeah? Thanks, Sui!” He impulsively hugged his friend.

“You’re welcome.” Suikotsu said as he disentangled the eighteen year’s arms from around his neck. “Hmmm... I just thought of something.”

“Oo-Aniki has been working all morning with Ren, so why don’t you bring them some flowers? It might inspire them to hurry up.” The older man smiled, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

The cross-dresser giggled. “Okay!” Sobering up a bit, he said, “Uh, Sui, could you help me dress in that kimono Aniki-chan gave me the other day?”

“Yeah! He’s been asking me to wear it...” Jakotsu said shyly.

Suikotsu chuckled. “Okay. Go wash your face; you’ve got a dirty smudge on your cheek.”

The gentle healer watched as the eighteen year old got up and hurried outside to wash up in the courtyard’s fountain. He returned a few minutes later, a lot happier than he was before. After drying his face with his yukata sleeve, Jakotsu sat at the low table and set to work reapplying his makeup. This time he added a foundation of rice powder to his face along with a dot of pink eye shadow in the outer corners of his eyes. He primped in the tiny polished silver mirror, darkening his lashes with a bit of powdered soot, before painting his lips. Satisfied that his makeup was perfect, the eighteen year old got up and stripped out of his dirty yukata. He rummaged around the room for several minutes in nothing more than his skin.

“Those fancy undergarment things Aniki-chan got me...” the cross-dresser said distractedly as he continued his search.

“Oh... Going all out, are we?” Suikotsu replied, a touch of amusement heard in his voice.

“Yeah...” With a bit of luck, Ren’ll take the hint when he sees me and leave... “Found them!” Jakotsu cried as he pulled the silk garments out of the wooden trunk that sat in the far corner of the room. Picking up the pale pink hadajuban, the cross-dresser shrugged into it, lapping the left side over the right before tying it close. He quickly followed with the susoyoke, wrapping the slip-like garment around his waist as Suikotsu retrieved the nagajuban from the trunk. The older man carefully unfolded the kimono-like garment. It was made to go with the kimono in question as it was decorated with sprays of cherry blossoms and pink butterflies.

Suikotsu realized with a start as he helped Jakotsu into the nagajuban that the outfit as a whole was more suited for a courtesan of the highest rank than a lady of noble birth. He also figured it probably cost their leader much more than the usual gaudy kimono he normally bought for his paramour. He had the feeling that only someone who was serious about courting such a high priced woman would buy them and Bankotsu was certainly serious about Jakotsu despite his occasional dallying with the village girls.

“Damn it!” the eighteen year old swore, pulling the gentle healer from his thoughts.

“I forgot my tabi,” Jakotsu said irritably as he fussed with the inner kimono’s length.

Suikotsu went to find them. “Got it.” He returned a few seconds later and, amid much giggling on the cross-dresser’s part, somehow managed to get the leather soled socks on Jakotsu’s feet. From there it was a simple matter to finish dressing him. As the eighteen year old knelt to pick up the vase, Suikotsu said, “Leave it. You’re much too pretty a flower and they’ll pale in comparison. Take the fan; I got you for being good about letting Oo-Aniki go on that mission alone with Ren, instead.”

“And let’s put in a simple hairpin along with a bit of wisteria in your hair.”

It was the older man’s turn to nod. “I know.” Damn it if you don’t look as beautiful as my Sedako-cha. No wonder Oo-Aniki is so enchanted with you...

Jakotsu stood just outside the room his lover called his “war room,” where he had spent the morning going over which jobs to accept and which to reject with Renkotsu. He briefly watched Suikotsu walk away, before returning his attention to the matter at hand. The eighteen year old had paused, unsure if he should interrupt or not as Bankotsu could get very irritated if the interruption was not “important.” Resisting the urge to nibble anxiously on his thumbnail, Jakotsu took a deep breath and knocked softly on the shoji’s frame.

Shrugging, the cross-dresser slowly pushed the shoji to the side until there was a space big enough for him to enter. Jakotsu stepped inside just as the fire-breather looked up.

“You look like a hundred koku an hour courtesan.” He laughed.

“You look good, it’s a pity you’re not a woman, as you’d make a very beautiful one.”

Jakotsu frowned as he was not sure if Renkotsu had just insulted him or not. “Thanks...?” he said after a few minutes.

“You’re welcome. And in case you’re wondering, Oo-Aniki is visiting the latrines.”

“He is?” Oh hell, why’d he have to pick this of all times to go piss...?

The fire-breather grinned. “Maybe it’s better you’re, well, you. I don’t think that little bit of information would have gone over so well with a real lady.”

The cross-dresser blew out his cheeks in frustration as the last thing he wanted to do was go in search of his lover, not that remaining where was with the fire-breather was a better option. “Bye, Ren,” he said as he turned to go.

“Wait. You don’t want to go traipsing over there dressed like that. I’ll go get him. You just sit here and behave like a lady.” Renkotsu chuckled as he pushed away from the low table he was seated behind and stood up while Jakotsu sat primly on a floor cushion. “Good, you’re not facing the door,” the fire-breather said as he walked around the table.

The eighteen year old looked up at him. “What’s that got to do with anything?”

“Don’t worry, I promise not to spoil your surprise. Trust me; I’ve been waiting all day for something like this.”

Renkotsu paused. “Yes and no. Yes, I think you’re attractive and no, I have no desire to be with you other than as a friend.” He heaved a long suffering sigh. “How many times do I have to tell you that?”

“I don’t know...” The eighteen year old daintily nibbled on his finger nail.

“It’s more times than even I can remember.” Renkotsu shook his head. “Now stop that and let me go get Ban for you,” the fire-breather said, and without waiting for a reply, he left.

Renkotsu had only made it as far as the end of the outer corridor before he spotted Bankotsu. “Oo-Aniki!”

“You’re not going to believe this but there’s a rare flower sitting in the war room.”

“Hunh?” The fifteen year old stared at his twenty year old second-in-command like he had three heads.

“Yup. And from the looks of her, I’d say she was a hundred koku an hour courtesan.”

“Really?” The fifteen year old’s eyes went wide. “Who’d be that rich enough to send her to ask for our help?”

Or that stupid...? The fire-breather shrugged. “I have no idea. Why don’t you go ask her?”

Bankotsu stepped into the war room and nearly laughed when he saw who it was. If it was not for the familiar looking kimono, the fifteen year old would have believed it really was a high priced courtesan sitting there, waiting for him. Deciding to play along, Bankotsu said, “Ojou-sama? Can I help you?”

The cross-dresser shook his head very slightly, and opening his fan, he waved it in front of himself coquettishly.

That made the eighteen year old pause as he was not sure if the younger boy had recognized him or not, and he was not pleased by Bankotsu’s obvious enthusiasm for what was supposed to be a woman. He listened to his young lover’s soft footsteps on the tatami mat as he stepped up behind him. It was all Jakotsu could do not to turn his head to the side and smile at the younger boy. You know it’s me, right?

Bankotsu knelt behind the older boy and reached for the hand his paramour started to raise. Taking it gently in his hand, the younger boy rotated his lover’s wrist, kissing his palm, and Jakotsu shivered in the summer heat. Leaning closer to the older boy, Bankotsu said softly, “Are you cold, Ojou-sama?”

“Are you sure? You’re shivering or trembling. You don’t have to be afraid, I won’t hurt you.”

“Yeah...?” Bankotsu whispered as he nuzzled his lover’s neck. When Jakotsu stiffened under his touch, he said, “Relax... I promise not to hurt you, my little flower.” The fifteen year old kissed the older boy at the base of his jaw as the cross-dresser turned his head to try and face him.

The eighteen year old closed his eyes. Suddenly, what had once seemed like a good idea and a novel way of enticing his young lover into the futon, now felt like just another day in a long series of them at the bathhouse. It hurt, seeing the fifteen year old get all excited over being with a woman instead of him, and it took all of his former training for Jakotsu to just sit there and calmly let his young lover take the lead. 

Bankotsu sighed, correctly reading his paramour’s demeanor. “I know it’s you, Sweetness,” he said softly.

“Really?” The cross-dresser smiled shyly at his young lover.

The fifteen year old nodded, before scooting around on his knees to face his lover. He reached out to cup Jakotsu’s cheek and leaned in to kiss him. The kiss was soft, sweet and very chaste, and yet, it also left no doubt in the cross-dresser’s mind as to just how much his young lover loved him.

Breaking the kiss, the older boy looked away sadly. “I’m so stupid...” he said softly.

“No you’re not. It was stupid of me to do something that reminded you of the bathhouse.” Bankotsu took Jakotsu’s hand in his. “I could tell you were upset the minute I started in with all that flower crap, but I kept it up, thinking you just wanted to play anyway.”

The cross-dresser reached up and wiped delicately under his eyes with his fingertips, careful to avoid smudging his makeup. It was the perfect gesture in Bankotsu’s eyes, at once soft and feminine, and yet, there was something about his hands. Those same hands that had touched him in so many pleasurable ways were so distinctly male with their mix of cuts and calluses and at the same time his long shapely fingers were so soft and delicate looking. Jakotsu was a perfect blend of yin and yang and therein laid the younger boy’s attraction to him.

Yeah, and if I believe that then I’m stupid enough to believe anything... “So ummm... want nookie, my sweet little flower?” The fifteen year old grinned.

Jakotsu giggled, gently tapping the younger boy on the forehead with his fan. “What do you think?”

Bankotsu laughed. “I think someone wants to show me how much fun it is to be with a hundred koku an hour courtesan,” he said huskily, before titling his head to the side so that he could kiss his older lover.

The eighteen year old giggled again as he playfully avoided the kiss. “Yeah? Well part of the fun in being with such a high priced woman is you get to have all the fun without all the work,” he said saucily.

“Hunh?”

“She’d be all talk and no nookie. You would have better off with a cheap whore, my little dumpling.”

“But lucky for you, this high priced woman is a cheap whore at heart.” Jakotsu giggled. “And all it’s going to cost you is a kiss.”

“Lucky for me...” Bankotsu murmured as he leaned in for a kiss. Deepening it, he pushed the older boy’s kimono off his shoulders only to find another one in its place. “What the hell?”

The cross-dresser smiled impishly. “That’s why she’s all talk and no nookie, my little dumpling.” At the younger boy’s questioning look, he added, “Too many layers...” He fingered the silk on his shoulder.

“Yup! Just like this...” Bankotsu slowly pulled the loose cherry red outer kimono off his beloved, carefully placing it on the low table in the middle of the war room. It was soon followed by Jakotsu’s lavender obi and gold obi-jime, leaving him clad in the soft pink inner kimono.

The cross-dresser laughed at the look on the younger boy’s face. “It took Sui just as long to dress me.”

A few minutes later, amid much giggling on Jakotsu’s part, Bankotsu had managed to strip his paramour down to his undergarments.

“Let me finish for you, Aniki-chan.” Jakotsu rose to his feet and quickly removed the last two garments, tossing them casually to the side. Clad only in his tabi, the cross-dresser returned to his lover’s waiting arms.

Bankotsu pulled him onto his lap, kissing him while his hands wandered down the older boy’s nude form. Jakotsu was lean and wiry; his soft skin covering the hard musculature underneath. It was another example of his duality and the fifteen year old could feel his penis growing hard the more the cross-dresser wiggled under his touch. His hakama suddenly too tight, Bankotsu eased his paramour off his lap and onto his back. 

Jakotsu licked his lips as he watched the younger boy remove his clothes. Bankotsu was just as lean and hard as the eighteen year old, but there was nothing about him that said anything other than “male.” His skin was the color of milk tea, only lightening a bit on his lower half and the cross-dresser never tired of exploring the younger boy’s body, whether it was with his eyes, his fingers, or his mouth.

A sweet kiss, a pleasurable touch, a soft moan, all combined to make them forget everything but the moment at hand.

“Can I face you when we nookie...?” Bankotsu whispered, his breath blowing warm and cold against Jakotsu’s ear as he blanketed him. It sent shivers down the cross-dresser’s spine, pooling deep within his belly and he moaned softly.

“Yeah...”the cross-dresser said breathlessly. “But I need to take care of me first, or else...” The older boy reached down, and worming his hand between them, he rubbed his erection against his young lover’s.

“Don’t worry about that...” The fifteen year old kissed him long and hard, before trailing a line of butterfly soft kisses down Jakotsu’s chin and neck. He paused to lick the hollow of his paramour’s throat and across his collar bones as the older boy tensed beneath him.

Jakotsu laughed. “If you don’t hurry it up, I’m going to make a mess...” he said impishly.

Bankotsu sighed inwardly, and taking the hint, he slid down Jakotsu’s body until he reached the soft thatch of curls at the top of his thighs. Taking the cross-dresser’s erection in hand, he slowly engulfed it with his mouth. He suckled hungrily, occasionally flicking his tongue across the sensitive tip. Head bobbing up and down, Bankotsu inched his paramour closer and closer to release. He prayed the older boy would hurry as he was starting to feel painfully hard and in need of release himself. As if hearing his silent prayers, Jakotsu spent his lust and the fifteen year old swallowed the hot salty, bitter fluid as if it was the finest of sake.

Bankotsu smiled. After some careful maneuvering, he was busy pushing his spit slicked member against the older boy’s tight entrance. In and out and in and out, the younger boy quickly developed his rhythm. He was close to climaxing but he wanted the moment to last as long as possible. Bankotsu loved the way his lover’s face contorted in pleasure and his soft panting and faint scratching on the tatami beneath him were like a beautiful love song. Try as he might, Bankotsu only had so much staying power before he had to give in and find his own release.

After he carefully pulled out of Jakotsu so as not to hurt him, they lay together, enjoying the physical closeness. The eighteen year old lay in the crook of his young lover’s arm, his head pillowed on the younger boy’s chest. He listened to beating of Bankotsu’s heart and sighed contentedly. They both knew they should get up, clean off, and get dressed, but Jakotsu found he did not want to let go of his young lover. Bankotsu made him feel special and wanted in way no one else ever had before and he wanted to bask in the feeling, especially when the fifteen year old kissed the top of his head.

“We can’t stay here forever, Sweetness, someone’s going come looking for us and get mad when they find us like this.”

Jakotsu pouted. “I know...” he grumbled. “But can’t you tell them to go away before they come in?”

“No... Cuz by the time I know they’re here, they’ve already seen us.”

The eighteen year old whined wordlessly like a spoiled child.

“Hey, Ren! Come’re!” Mukotsu motioned for the fire-breather to come closer.

Rolling his eyes, as he had a feeling he knew what this was about, Renkotsu none-the-less complied. “What do you want?” If you’re looking for someone stupid enough to try out one of your lil goodies, go ask Jak...If you want to know about the woman, there isn’t one...

“What’s all this I hear about Oo-Aniki and the hundred koku an hour courtesan? Did you see her? Is she beautiful? What’s her name?” the diminutive poisoner peppered him with questions as the fire-breather sauntered over to him.

Renkotsu snorted in amusement. “Slow down... Yes, I saw her and yes, she’s beautiful.” He grinned. “Her name?” he asked, pretending to think it over. “I believe it’s Chou-chan.”

“Really? Do you think Oo-Aniki’d mind if I took a peek at her?”

“Yes... I definitely think he’d mind and so would the ummm, lady,” the fire-breather replied. He found it hard keeping a straight face as the poor little poisoner was very excited about the possibility of seeing such a legendary woman. Unfortunately the woman in question was simply Jakotsu pretending to be a girl.

Renkotsu nodded slowly in agreement as he thought it over. “Yeah, he is.”

“Maybe one day the rest of us will be lucky enough to find a maiden in full bloom.”

The sound of soft footsteps heading their way pulled them from their reverie. Renkotsu looked up and shook his head, biting his lower lips to keep from laughing. Jakotsu sauntered towards them, looking like he had just woken up. His hair had fallen mostly out of his topknot and it hung loosely around his shoulders and he was dressed only in the cherry red outer kimono, the rest of his clothes hanging over his arms as he carried them back towards his room.

“Hey, Ren!” the cross-dresser called out as he approached. “Aniki-chan wants to know if you’ll finish writing those letters for him. Oh...Hi, Mu.”

“Okay...” The fire-breather shrugged. It’s not like I have anything better to do than doing all the crap Ban’s too lazy to do...

“They did?” the cross-dresser blinked a few times, before a deadly glare settled on his features. He was all set to go back to the war room and toss the woman out on her arse when Renkotsu started laughing.

“You two are a bunch of idiots. Jak’s the high priced whore. Although, if you ask me, you’re rather cheap, Jak, seeing as you like to give it away for nothing,” the fire-breather smirked.

“Uh, Ren’s got a point-” Mukotsu started to say when the cross-dresser turned a murderous glare his way. “Uh, you’re not. Never have been and never will be cheap.” The little man smiled ingratiatingly at him.

“You’d better believe it!” the cross-dresser said smugly. “I just like to share the wealth, Ren.”

Smiling happily, Jakotsu breezed past them. “See you later.” Tucking his clothes under his arm, he waved daintily at them with his free hand as he walked away.

“I think the maiden’s still in full bloom,” Renkotsu replied as he watched the cross-dresser walk away. And just as full of himself as ever...