Disclaimer: No, i don't own the rights to RG Veda. I'm not CLAMP.

They began lighting the torches just before the sun set. Leaping flames, many more than there would be on an ordinary night, kept Zenmi Castle bright as darkness fell. The first night of the Star Festival had begun.

The best performers from all over Tenkai had been gathered to perform at the God-king's court. Dancers, jugglers, sword swallowers, even actors would be performing through the days and nights of the festival. The celebration was opened now, on the first night, with a duet between Kendappa-ou and her little daughter.

The two musicians – hailed as the most skilled in Tenkai, even though one of them was only a child – were followed by a dance troupe. Their accompaniment was naturally a disappointment, but their movements were good and their steps fluid.

Their performance reminded Taishakuten of a warrior's grace on the battlefield, and for a moment he could almost enjoy himself.

Almost.

Perhaps on another night he would enjoy the festival, the dancing, the lights, the music, the chance to be admired. He did enjoy a spectacle. But ever since that night, he'd had only one thing on his mind.

He chanced a look at Ashura-ou. As the greatest guardian warrior in Tenkai, he had a place of honor in the God-king's court, by the sovereign's side. Taishakuten may have been a rising star, but he was nowhere near important enough to reach them. Perhaps if he were able to watch the festivities with Ashura-ou, he'd feel less restless.

Since he and Ashura-ou had come to their arrangement, he'd wanted more and more to fight, to take action, to do something. He'd thought that finally being able to hold Ashura-ou in his arms would sate him, or at least ease his need for more, but if anything, it had only made it worse.

Over on the God-king's platform, Ashura-ou bent his head to listen to some comment of the ruler's. As he lifted his head again, Taishakuten caught his eye. Reflected firelight from the torches flashed in his gaze, and Taishakuten abruptly stood. He couldn't stand to sit here quietly and look on anymore.

He paced through the grand hall at the bottom of the castle, where the entrance was to Ashura Castle. The rooms allotted to him in Zenmi were small and suffocating, and he spent as little time there as possible. Ashura-ou was important enough to have respectable guest quarters, but the proximity of his own home made it irrelevant.

It was no good, anyway. Not even this place, with the memories attached to it, soothed him. He didn't want to feel like he was waiting for Ashura-ou.

As if there was anything else he could be doing.

Taishakuten prowled upwards, finding himself on an out-of-the-way terrace near the top of Zenmi Castle. He could see the festivities still going on, a great distance below, and just barely hear the faint sounds of music wafting up to him. There was no wind tonight.

For the first time since the festival began, Taishakuten felt like he was alone. It was soothing, in its way. There was no one here to try his patience, already on its last thread, but the quiet bothered him. He didn't care for it.

Taishakuten shook his head and ran his nails along the hilt of the ceremonial sword that hung by his side. There was no pleasing him, was there? He wanted everything and nothing, all at once.

Well. There was one thing he wanted, and that would please him. But Ashura-ou was below, with the God-king, where his first allegiance belonged, and Taishakuten was alone.

The sound of a footstep behind him gave lie to the illusion. Taishakuten turned, his hand settling on the grip of his sword. He was barred from carrying his true sword, a real weapon, through the celebration, but he could still do all the damage he needed to. If it were necessary.

The moonlight cast everything into silver and black. It gave a strange aura to Ashura-ou as he stepped out of the shadows. Taishakuten relaxed.

"You can see the stars better from up here," Ashura observed, stopping beside him. "The Star Festival was meant to celebrate the shooting stars of this season, but all the lights block them out."

Taishakuten glanced up, but Ashura drew his gaze like a magnet. "That's not why you came up here," he said.

Ashura-ou lowered his gaze from the sky, and in his eyes Taishakuten saw again the flash of fire he'd thought was a reflection from the torches.

There were no torches here.

"No," Ashura said. "It's not."

He reached for him then, but Taishakuten beat him to it, and kissed him long and deep. Ashura-ou gripped his robes, and pulled him down to the ground. Taishakuten let him, casting out one arm to catch them as they fell. His other arm was around Ashura-ou's waist, already feeling for the knot of his sash.

"You didn't stay," Ashura-ou breathed against the skin of Taishakuten's jaw.

Taishakuten ran his palm up Ashura-ou's chest, lifting away his robe to bare his muscles. "There were other things i'd rather be doing," he said, and shuddered at the feeling of Ashura-ou's hands in his hair.

"There are ways to entertain yourself at the festival." Ashura-ou's voice was husky in his ear.

"Is that why you left?" Taishakuten growled against Ashura-ou's throat. "Because the Star Festival is so entertaining?"

Ashura-ou flipped them, leaning over Taishakuten in the half-light. "You know why," he murmured. Taishakuten caught his hair and drew him down into another kiss.

Perhaps they didn't have forever. But there was tonight, and there were other nights. Forever could wait.

A/N: This fic was started for two reasons: partly as a thank-you to The Other Jet Engine for writing me a lovely story (FFn won't let me include the title in this doc, but it's worth checking out), and because i realized i don't have any proper Taishura-ou stories even in my WIPs, just Taishakuten after the fact. It's clearly something that needed to be rectified. Happy (late) birthday, Leyenar!