His Story (Samurai Deeper Kyo; Bontenmaru & Akari; PG)

[opalmatrix.livejournal.com]

Title: His Story
Author: opalmatrix
Rating: PG
Warnings: Hints of m/m
Prompt: Samurai Deeper Kyo, Bontenmaru/anyone, history lesson, "And then there was the time I..."
Word count: : 409
Summary: Bontenmaru wasn't Akari's type, but that didn't mean she disliked him.
A/N: Written for springkink IX. Beta by the amazing smillaraaq and the incredible blackcatbone.

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Bon-chan was on a roll. So far they'd heard all about the slaughter of the 800 at the siege of Otemori in revenge for the defection of Ouchi Sadatsuna and the narrow escape at Hitadori Bridge. Young Akira was starting to nod off until Kyo's rough voice snapped the boy awake.

"Brat. Why did Satake Yoshishige's guys retreat at Hitadori?"

"Um ... they heard about an attack somewhere else?"

Bontenmaru scowled at their commander. "Yeah, close enough. Th' Satomi had attacked 'em, back home."

Kyo punched Bon in the shoulder, hard, grabbed the shochu flask out of his hand, and took a swig. "Next time, let the kid answer."

Akira was watching Kyo anxiously. Akari nudged the boy gently with her elbow, her eyes on Bon. "Tell us another one, Bontenmaru-sama," she said sweetly.

Bon looked at her suspiciously. She gave him one of her best smiles - not as good as the ones she gave Kyo, of course. He grinned back automatically for a moment and then did a double take. Kyo chuckled.

"Yeah, another story!" said Akira, relief plain in his voice.

"Well ... " Bon gave Akari a worried look and then shrugged. "Sure. And then there was the time I ... ."

Akari let his rumbling voice wash over her like a warm bath, watching the fire change colors and snatching glances at Kyo's face. Bon had nothing to worry about. He was not her type in the least: dense as a boulder for all his military smarts, beefy as an ox, a buffoon without knowing it. But it was cute, the way he worried about Akira and tried to deflect Kyo's roughest acts of discipline. You'd hardly know that this was the man whose head count at Otemori had included scores of unarmed women and little children.

Idly, Akari wondered whether Akira's history lessons would ever include how Bon's father had died. Akari had overheard it in a town, from someone who had recognized Bon as Date Masamune; and as usual, she had kept the information to herself. Knowledge was power.

She did not imagine that Bontenmaru would ever tell the boy how Bon had been forced to give the order that had killed Date Terumune, while he was held hostage by Hatakeyama Yoshitsugu. Akari had heard that Terumune himself had shouted to his son to open fire on Hatakeyama and his men, regardless of his own life.

It was much easier to understand the man, when you knew his story.

 

Comments

[chrissy-sky.livejournal.com]

A good Bon piece and Akari POV! She really has a good understanding of the other four.

[opalmatrix.livejournal.com]

Yes, her and her secrets! I may have to write some more Akari at some point ... I have some Yuan/Akari in mind, but it keeps coming out mostly from Yuan's POV.

I'm glad you like it!

[silver-magess.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

It's fun seeing things for Akari's POV. The line about the double take had me chuckling and I loved seeing Bon's fondness for Akira contrasted with his own acts of real life cruelty.

[opalmatrix.livejournal.com]

Hee, we're trading each other's prompts!

Akari certainly knows how to get at Bon, even though she really does care about him! I love that bit in the little extra after 38 where he notices she's given her books of secrets as wedding presents! And I think it was sanada who said that in any other manga, Kyo & Co. would be the bad guys ... .