To Dance By Moonlight

Chapter Eight

Kei was already back inside the clan's tent, humming to himself as he planned his method of attack. Without help from the others, it was going to take a while to get everything tidy, but if it kept him out of the burning sun, and away from enthusiastic ladies seeking something he couldn't give them, then he was more than happy to tackle the massive task in front of him.

And who knew? Maybe one or two of their clan would come back for whatever reason. He could rope them into helping, too.

Hands on hips, he surveyed their large tent, and decided to start with picking up all the extra clothes strewn about. Most of the time, the ladies kept everything as neat as they could. But if given any extra time, they... expanded their territory, until only their trunks and pallets delineated a specific lady's place. In the case of Ji and himself, well, they always made a nest of sorts, joining their pallets into one, sharing pillows and blankets and sharing a trunk.

He'd just finished folding and storing away Runa's outfits, and making her space look neat and tidy, when someone called out a greeting at the door.

"Hello! Anyone home?"
Heart racing, Kei scrambled to his feet. "Y-your highness?"
The Sheikh poked his head into the tent and smiled brightly when his eyes acclimated to the dark and found Kei. "May I come in?"
"Uhhh.... Yeah, sure. Please do!" Kei managed to say. "Oh, but wait! Our tent is an absolute mess..."
"It's okay!" Kuroo said as he came in. "I've seen worse. Bokuto can't keep anything neat," he quipped. He whistled low when he really looked around. "Need some help?"
"I couldn't ask that of you, your highness!"
"You didn't ask me, I offered," Kuroo replied cheekily. "Oh, and please, you can drop the title." He sauntered over to where Kei was standing. "Call me by my name."
"But, your..."
"Shhh..." Kuroo's finger lightly touched his lips, and Kei's heart tried to pound its way out of his chest. "Say my name. Please?" That finger faintly traced the outline of his lips, and Kei fought the urge to open his mouth and taste that digit.
"K-Kuroo," he stammered, barely recognizing his own voice.
"Again."
"Kuroo," he repeated without the stutter.
"Never thought my name would sound so good," Kuroo said, his face inching closer.

Kei was almost caught up in his spell, but he reminded himself, again, of who this was. Slowly, almost painfully, he took a few steps away, struggling to take a proper breath. He put his hand on his neck, felt the way his face heated with his blush, and he looked everywhere but at the Sheikh. Remembering his mission, he walked to the next place; Hana's pallet was clear of all but her pillow and blanket, which meant the rest of her things were pretty much everywhere else.

"What can I do?" Kuroo offered again.
"You can keep me company, your..."
"Ah, ah, ah!" Kuroo warned gently.
"You can keep me company, Kuroo," Kei repeated. "That's really weird."
"What is?"
"Saying your name. It's not right. You're so much higher than me."
"I like hearing you say my name. It's as right as we want it to be. I'm no higher than anyone else, Tsukishima. At our core, we're merely human."
"Very philosophic of you," Kei muttered sarcastically. But then he clapped his hand over his mouth. "I'm sorry!"
All Kuroo did was laugh. A full belly laugh that made Kei join him, if only a little quieter.
"No, please. Speak your mind, sarcasm and all. I don't mind."
"Are you sure?"
"Very."
"Alright, then. If I'm to call you by your name, and not your title, the least I can do is reciprocate." Giving Kuroo his own smirk, he left the statement up in the air, and knelt down to begin his work. Kuroo joined him, sitting on the pallet. Close enough to touch.

Kei was at a loss. They'd only just met a few days ago. How could he be so... so attracted to Kuroo this quickly? Not even ten minute's time had passed since he entered the tent, and Kei found himself willing to do whatever Kuroo wanted. Anything he wanted. Good thing he wasn't holding a coin belt; his hands were shaking terribly.

"So, I'm to call you Tsukishima? But I was already doing that," Kuroo's voice teased, a tiny pout pursing his lips.
Kei shrugged. "It is my name," he teased back.
A yellow veil floated down over his head. He lifted the hem and peeked at Kuroo, who was grinning wickedly. Kei retaliated and tossed a blue veil up, and it gently landed over Kuroo's black turban.
"How about I call you Tsuki? Or maybe... Kei?"
"Tsuki is fine," Kei relented, and chuckled at Kuroo's pout. "It's only fair. It's a shortened form of my family name, as the original version seems to be a mouthful for you." Kei almost swallowed his own tongue after saying that. Still, it earned him a charming blush on Kuroo's cheeks. And a wicked glint in his silver gaze.

A shiver snaked down Kei's spine. He was in trouble.

"A mouthful of Tsukishima, huh?" Kuroo moved closer, until he was also under the yellow veil, close enough to kiss. "I wonder what you taste like."

Slowly, as if he was giving Kei time to change his mind, to back away, Kuroo inched even closer. But even if he wanted to, which he didn't, Kei's brain had scrambled. All he knew, all he cared to know, was that he wondered what Kuroo tasted like, too. Their lips were just barely touching, his eyes fluttered shut, and then...

"Kei!!" Ji's frantic voice sounded from the doorway. "Kei!! Are you in here... oh!"
Kei fell back and scrambled so that he was kneeling again. Kuroo had smoothly sat back, calmly pawing through Hana's silks and veils as if he knew what he was doing.
"I'm here, Ji. What..." he got a good look at him and was immediately on his feet and raced to his side. "Ji, what's wrong? What happened? Come, sit down. I'll fetch some water to cool you."

"Tsuki? What can I do to help?" Kuroo asked, concerned. Kei looked over at him; he was standing up now, fidgeting his fingers without something to do. Taking pity on him, he smiled and gestured over to where they kept their kitchen area. "There's water over there, and cups. Bring us some?"
"Sure."

While he was doing that, Kei led Ji over to their nest, and made him sit down. He calmly ran his fingers under the headband that held the protective cloth in place on Ji's head, and removed it carefully. That seemed to help a little bit, but Ji still looked pale, like he'd seen a ghost. Kuroo came over and handed him one of the cups of water, and Kei held it up to Ji's mouth.

"Drink, Ji," he urged, running his fingers through his hair. "It's cool, so go slowly."
Ji took a few sips and then took the cup from Kei. "Thank you. I'm fine. Just... shaken up a bit."
"Okay, but why? What happened?"
"I ran into the Emir. Literally."
"But, Ji..."
"That wasn't the problem. He made sure I was alright, actually. It was more something he said."
"That ass," Kuroo growled. "Doesn't know when to keep his mouth shut."
"No, your highness! He didn't say anything wrong."
Kei and Kuroo shared a look.
"Now, I'm confused," Kuroo said, looking adorable in his confusion. Kei tried not to laugh. "He said something that sent you scurrying in here, but it wasn't anything wrong?"
Kei made Ji take another sip of water, which earned him a baleful glare. "What? You're not making sense."
"What he said to me was fine. What he told me was not," Ji tried again. "Was that any clearer?"
"Not at all."
"Maybe I can help sort it out?" a new voice entered the conversation, and three pairs of eyes went to the owner. The Emir smiled brightly. "May I come in?"