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Oni no Sesshoku - Demon's Touch	By : DarkNarrator Category: +S to Z > Samurai Deeper Kyo Views: 3700 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
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Chapter List
- 1-Oni no Sesshoku - Demon's Touch
- 1
Oni no Sesshoku:

Demon�s Touch

�� Muramasa�s village�I wonder what
Sakuya-san hoped to find there.� The Mibu clan?� Or maybe something else entirely?� And what if she�s in danger?� Kyo and Yukimura-san certainly seem to think
so.� Everywhere we turn, there�s a new threat,
a new enemy...I wonder if there�s a light at the end of this tunnel
somewhere.�� Yuya sighed tiredly and shook her
head as she slid open the shoji to her room.�
Okuni�s unoccupied futon had been folded up and put back in the oshire
after her sudden, unannounced departure that evening, so Yuya now had the room
to herself.� �I know Okuni-san can
take care of herself, but her wounds were so terrible.� Could she have gone to Muramasa�s village on
her own?� And what about
Migeira-san?� I still don�t know
if he�s a friend or something else, but�perhaps they went together.� I hope they did, because then Okuni-san would
have someone to look after her.� But what
if�?�� Fearful, unanswered questions cascaded
through Yuya�s mind as she changed into her yukata, until her head buzzed with
built-up anxiety and confusion.� As tired
as she was, her futon did not promise rest and forgetfulness.

�� With a grimace, Yuya crossed the
room to the moonlit shoji that opened onto the back walkway.� The half-moon was climbing in the eastern sky
as she stepped out onto the smooth pine boards, limning the courtyard with
muted silver.� �Beautiful...� she
said softly as the slightly cool breeze of the late spring night whispered
through bamboo stalk and tree branch.� Hard to imagine that she had come quite close to never seeing
another moon.� Yuya shuddered,
hugging her arms around her body, recalling the terrifying chill of Akira�s ice
prison.� She would have died in that cave
if not for Sakuya�s timely appearance.

�� Kyo-han came back only because
he thought you were dead.�� Yuya
blinked, the memory of Benitora�s words springing, unbidden, to the forefront
of her thoughts.� Only two days ago�or
was it three?� They had just reached the
edge Aokigahara - her, Kyo, Okuni, Benitora, Migeira, Yukimura, and his two
onimitsu, Sasuke and Saizo.� Yukimura�s
sizable store of funds had purchased lodging, food, and medical supplies for
the wounded.� Yuya had spent all of her
time tending to injuries, especially those of Okuni and Benitora, who had
gotten the worst of the battle.� On the
evening of the first day, when she happened to find herself watching over
Benitora alone, the usually cavalier ex-Sansaishu abandoned his customary
flippancy and began telling her things she never expected to hear�

�� Yuya-han�� he said, taking her
hand in his as he tried to sit up, �There�s something I gotta tell ya��

�� Benitora, don�t, I just finished
bandaging you up!� she protested, carefully laying her free hand on his
shoulder, where he was not wounded, �Don�t start moving around and undo all
that work, dammit!�

�� Eh-heh,
sumimasen, Yuya-han,� Benitora replied, obediently laying back down on the
futon.� He opened his eyes
slightly and stared up into her surprised face.�
�I could find it a lot easier and more comfortable if you were lying
down beside me, though,� he quipped.

�� Benitora�� she began warningly.

�� Though I
wouldn�t do that.� I can�t chance
having Kyo-han comin� in here and kicking my ass,� Benitora cracked, winking at
her.

�� Benitora, stop being silly!� she
snapped tiredly.� She oft times wondered
if Benitora�s proclamations of love were serious, but could only assume they
were a joke.� It was fun, most of the
time, the two of them teasing each other, but then he would look at her in such
a way, or his mannerisms would change, when she was not so certain� �You know
Kyo doesn�t give a damn either way about me!��
�Do I have
to count off the ways he shows it?�

�� Now, Yuya-han,
don�t be sayin� stuff like that�� Benitora countered, �He don�t
show it well, but he cares, more than you know.�

�� More than you?� she scoffed, to
hide the blush that threatened to creep over her features, �At least you act
like you care about my feelings.��
Without further thought, she lay down beside Benitora, ignoring the
utter shock in his suddenly wide-eyed gaze.�
�There, see?� This is what you
wanted, wasn�t it?�

�� A-ano, Yuya-han, do you really
think you should be�?�

�� Make up your mind, will you!� she
growled, raising herself slightly on her forearms so she would have the
advantage of elevation over him.� She
hovered mere centimeters over his face, so close she could feel, as well as
hear, the sudden acceleration of his breathing.�
�If you have something to say to me, spit it out, and then go to
sleep!� You should be resting, not
wasting your energy on talking or being a pervert!�

�� Yuya-han,
don�t make this any hard�any more difficult for me than it already is!�
Benitora pleaded, gripping her by her shoulders and trying to push her up.

�� Nobody pushes me around, not you,
not even Kyo!� she snarled at him, stubbornly making herself
a deadweight so Benitora could not push her up without hurting her.� Some perverse urging made her reach over with
one arm, shifting her body so that her breath tickled his ear as the front of
her kimono skimmed lightly over the bandages wrapping his chest.� �Why can�t you just enjoy this chance,
watashi no kawaii tora? I�m here for you right now,
and I�m not going to move unless I want to.�
And I don�t want to.�

�� Yuya-han�� Benitora�s voice was the barest thread of a
whisper.� His hands upon her shoulders
suddenly tightened, and she was brought down to him, clasped to him in a
surprisingly strong but not ungentle hold that she could not escape.

�� Benitora, what�?!�
she protested shrilly.� Her first
instinct was to struggle, to fight her way out of his confining embrace, but it
was immediately overruled by her concern for his wounds.� �Dammit �Tora, this isn�t funny!�

�� No, it�s not, not by a long run,�
he said to her, perfectly calm, his Kansai-ben slipping momentarily, �I�m
sorry, Yuya-han, but you must listen to me, and if this is the only way I can
make you pay attention, I�ll do it.�

�� Fine, you�ve got my attention, now
what is it you wanted to tell me?� she huffed crossly, trying to maintain her
dignity in this ridiculous position. �His
arms around her were quite distracting, though, she had to admit.� �I�m not going to blush, I�m not blushing�dammit Benitora,
if you weren�t injured, I�d kill you!��

�� Yuya-han, we were all worried
about you when Shindara and those other guys kidnapped
you,� Benitora was saying.� The anguish
in his voice was apparent, surprising her more than anything yet in this
surreal conversation.� �I wanted to go
after you right away, and I got pissed off when Kyo-han just sat there and
didn�t do a thing to try and get you back.�
I thought he was putting getting his body back ahead of rescuing you.�

�� Well, of course he was, Benitora
no baka!� she interjected.� For some
reason, the words made her heart clench painfully. ��Kyo�s body was been the whole point of our
going into Aokigahara in the first place!�
What makes you believe he�d even think twice about�about�killing
me if he thought he�d get his body back?!�

�� Yuya-han�� His hold on her tightened.

�� Benitora, don�t, you�ll hurt
yourself�!� she gasped.

�� I know Kyo-han makes like he�s
inhuman, and in many ways he is,� Benitora interrupted quickly, �But you should
know that you�ve become important to him, so important that he took over
Kyoshiro-han the instant Akira said he had killed you.�

�� What?�

�� Yuya-han, you didn�t see the fight
between Kyo-han and Nobunaga.� Kyo-han
wasn�t strong enough to defeat him, because of his wounds.� He hadn�t been able to go after you for the
same reason, only I was too blind to see it.�
Kyoshiro-han was the only one who could, though
I�ll tell ya, it surprised the heck outta me.�
Afterwards, I was sure that Kyo-han had been put to rest for good.� But then that bastard Akira comes in and says
he�s got both Kyo-han�s body and your life.�
He started telling us how�how you suffered when he killed you.� And Kyoshiro-han starts yellin� �Don�t come
out, don�t come back!�� Then he
collapses, and Kyo-han�s the one who gets up, askin� why Akira did such a
thing.

�� Yuya-han�Kyo-han came back only
because he thought you were dead.� And he
would�ve killed Akira for that if you hadn�t shown up when you did.�

�� But that can�t be!�
Kyoshiro wouldn�t have let him come back�Kyo must have just been
reacting to Akira, right?� Why should he
care?� He doesn�t care, he can�t!�

�� Now, I hope you see why I had
to say all that, Yuya-han,� Benitora continued, releasing her.� She drew herself up hastily, too confused to
speak, to protest.� Benitora regarded her
with open eyes, his gaze a mixture of longing and ruefulness.� �Figures I would fall for the woman who�s in
love with the one man I respect.� It
wouldn�t be so bad if he didn�t love her back, �cuz then I could have a
chance.� Now, I don�t wanna ever hear you
say that Kyo-han doesn�t care about you.�
Ya gotta open your eyes for yourself, Yuya-han��

�� Benitora must be mistaken,� Yuya
whispered to herself.� She pushed her
bangs back from her forehead and stared up at the moon.� She had barely seen Kyo at all in the past
couple of days, and he had all but acted like she did not exist whenever she
happened by.� It was only this evening,
when everyone had affirmed their intention to stay with him that he had even
looked at her.� He had returned her
revolver to her, that much was true, but he had gone right back to ignoring her
afterwards.

�� And then that female onimitsu, who
looked so much like Yukimura, had arrived to announce the troubling
disappearance of the miko Sakuya.� Now
they had a new destination: Muramasa�s village.

�� Kyo is abandoning the search for
his body to go after her.� So of course she�s
more important to him than I�ll ever be.�� Another wrench of pain wracked her heart at
that thought.� Yuya laid her hands over
her chest, hoping to sooth the inexplicable throbbing ache there.� �Why is it that every time I think of
him...?�� She shook her head
fiercely, slamming the mental door on that train of thought.� �Benitora was wrong when he said I love
Kyo�Okuni-san was wrong, too!�

�� With a hiss of frustration, Yuya stomped away from her
room, already sensing that there was no way she was going to get any rest until
she argued her demons into exhaustion.�
Besides, it was a beautiful, serene night - far too annoying to give her
any peace.� She rounded the corner of the
lodge building and stopped short.� Her
eyes flew wide open at the sight that greeted them, bringing the perplexing
tumult of her confusion to a screeching halt.

�� There, scarcely five steps from
where she stood, Onime no Kyo was seated on the deck, a ceramic jug of sake and
his five-shaku Muramasa blade at his side.

�� He did not look at her, merely let his deep, sneering voice acknowledge her
presence.� �What�s the matter, dogface,
can�t sleep?�

�� N-no,� Yuya said, wondering for an
insane moment if he had picked up on her inner conflict.� �Even if he can�t necessarily read minds,
I think a tactical retreat is in order...�

�� She had just taken a step backward
when Kyo�s blood-red eyes snapped to her.�
�I didn�t say you could go, did I?� he growled, the moonlight glinting
off his bared teeth.

�� Yuya�s heart leapt into her
throat.� �I�ve been here five seconds
and I�ve already pissed him off?!�� No,
you didn�t,� she retorted, refusing to let him know he scared her, �But
obviously you�d rather enjoy the night breezes without anybody bothering
you.� You told me as much yourself.�

�� When did I do that?� he asked,
raising an eyebrow.

�� It doesn�t matter,� Yuya said
dismissively, �I�ll just go back to��

�� Sit down.�

�� Huh?�� Yuya stared at Kyo blankly.

�� It shouldn�t be so hard to comprehend,
you stupid girl,� Kyo said, turning his attention back to his sake.� He thrust the jug out to her.� �Make yourself useful if you�re going to be
out here.� Pour me my drink and try not
to be too obnoxious.�

�� Yuya bit her lip and considered just
turning tail and hiding under her futon until morning.� �Like I�m going to let him know he scares
me like that!�� She raised her chin
defiantly and strode over to him, swiping the sake jug from his outstretched
hand.� Yuya knelt where she stood, her
courage only carrying her so far; she was not about to cozy up to Onime
no Kyo the way Okuni tended to.

�� Well, shouldn�t you give me your choko
if you want me to pour your sake for you?� she asked him a trifle
sarcastically.

�� Pour it into your hand.�

�� My hand?� Kyo, is this some sort of jo�?�

�� Pour it into your hand and try not
to spill any of it.� It�s
expensive.�� He was glaring at her again,
and Yuya doubted very much that his patience was at its best, given that the
jug she held was already half-empty.

�� Cupping her right hand as tightly as
she could to prevent the liquid from escaping through her fingers, Yuya
carefully tipped the sake jug.� The sake
was cool on her skin and its fragrance reached her even as she extended her
slightly trembling hand to Kyo.

�� The slayer of a thousand men leaned
closer to her and took her hand in his, his mesmerizing crimson eyes never
straying from her face.� Yuya sucked in a
quick breath when his warm lips touched her palm in an almost-kiss, draining
the liquor she held.�

�� Pour another,� he said to her the
moment he had drained the last drop.

�� Not daring to wipe the remnants from
her hand, Yuya immediately repeated the pouring and the offering.�

�� Kyo did not drink immediately upon
taking her hand; instead, he let his sword-callused fingers to caress ever so
softly over the sensitive skin on the inside of her wrist, as if testing her
pulse.� �I like my sake the temperature
of blood,� he said casually, almost in explanation, �It tastes better that
way.�

�� Yuya almost jerked her hand away
from him at that.� �Is he trying
to terrify me?�� Most people say
that that ruins the taste of good sake,� she managed, boldly meeting his gaze
without flinching.

�� Most people are idiots,� Kyo
retorted, his fingers leaving her wrist and bringing her hand up to his
lips.� Yuya had to bite down a whimper
when his teeth grazed the skin of her palm.

�� Another.�� He thrust her hand back from his lips and
finally turned away.

�� Yuya breathed a small sigh of
relief.� It was certainly less
disconcerting for her when he was not staring at her with those intense, garnet
eyes of his.� As she poured the sake into
her hand, she had a fleeting desire to take a good swig of the liquor herself,
to help her calm down.� �As if Kyo would allow that.� He�s always so possessive of his sake,
after all.�� The small matter
of her incredibly low tolerance did not even enter the equation.

�� Your sake, Kyo-sama,� she said,
reaching her full hand out to him.

�� Don�t call me that, woman,� he replied,
not even turning to her, �You�re not like that slut, Okuni.�

�� I know�I mean,
I wasn�t trying to sound like her!� Yuya protested, flaring immediately at the
comparison, �And you shouldn�t call her that!�
She�s gone through so much trying to make you love her!�� Why in the hell did I say
something like that?!�

�� �Why in the hell did you say that?� Kyo demanded, rounding on her so suddenly that she started, releasing
the sake in her cupped hand and letting it spatter onto the deck.

�� �Oh�shit!� Yuya thought
immediately, noting how Kyo�s angry glare switched from her to the spilled sake
and back.� She instinctively cupped her
hand once more and made to pour more sake into it, as if that would make up for
her error.

�� Didn�t I tell you not to be
obnoxious?� Kyo growled, grabbing her hand before any
sake could fall into it.� He pulled it,
and her, to him.

�� �What is he...?!�
His other arm, stronger than any human�s had right to be, caged her to his
body, his iron fingers painfully holding her sake-drenched hand.� �L-let me go,� she stammered, too frightened
by this sudden change to maintain a facade of bravado, �Please, Kyo, I�m sorry
I��

�� You�re being obnoxious again,� he
said to her as he raised her hand to his lips.�
His heated breath trailed over her fingers as he spoke, and then he had
taken her fingers into his mouth, sucking on the digits and lapping at them
with his tongue.�

�� Yuya honestly did not know whether
she should be angry or relieved.� She
settled for shocked, and watched, amazed, as Kyo diligently claimed the very
last drops from her fingers.� He then
turned his attention to her palm, his tongue swirling over her skin and slowly trailing
down her wrist where an errant drop had escaped.� Each touch left burning warmth, and the
frantic pounding of her heart could not really be said to come from fear, but
excitement.� �I don�t know why, but I
really like this�� Her eyes drifted
closed and she found herself relaxing against him, ignoring that small part of
her mind that was going ballistic at the thought of anyone touching her
in such a manner without her permission.�
She could almost forget that it was Onime no Kyo who had his arms around
her, who was taking such liberty with her.

�� Drink some of the sake, woman,� Kyo
said, releasing her hand.� Yuya blinked
in surprise and would have withdrawn, but Kyo would not let her.� �Hurry up and drink it.� I don�t like repeating myself.�

�� Yuya slowly lifted the jug to her
lips as Kyo shifted his hold so she could drink more easily.� The cool liquor burned in her mouth and
throat, and made her eyes water as she swallowed.� Coughing slightly, she raised a hand to her
mouth to wipe away the excess when Kyo stopped her.

�� Without word, without any warning
whatsoever, he cradled her chin in his hand, raising her face to his as his
lips closed over hers.� Yuya�s eyes flew
open, and she opened her mouth to gasp, to demand just what the hell he thought
he was doing.

�� Kyo growled low in his throat, an
inhuman sound that thrilled through Yuya as his tongue invaded her mouth,
tasting her.

�� Yuya wanted to struggle.� Her mind rebelled violently at the invasion,
demanding that she attack, fend him off.�
But for some reason, her body decided it had had enough with listening
to her.� Instead of fighting back, she
was pushing up against Kyo, turning her body and pressing against him, angling
her head so that she could more easily respond to his devouring lips.� Heat seemed to suffuse through her at every
point of contact, intoxicating like liquor, heavy so that it was hard for her
to breathe, but she did not want it to end...

�� She did not notice when Kyo deftly
relieved her of the sake jug, but she certainly took note when he splashed its
contents over the bared skin of her throat and chest, the cool liquor trickling
down the space between her breasts.� With
a yelp of surprise, she pulled away from him, rudely jerked out of the lulling daze
that had descended upon her.� �What
was I doing?!�

�� What do you think you�re doing!?�
Yuya half-shrieked, pulling her yukata closer over her chest as she struggled
to escape his arms, �Let me go Kyo, let me go!�

�� Oh, so now
you want to fight back, eh?� he asked scornfully, not releasing her.� His mocking eyes and smug smirk only
infuriated her more.

�� You can�t just do this to me!� she
yelled at him, �I�m not some whore you can just satisfy your perverted
whims with!�

�� Ah, but you are my servant, are you
not?� Kyo threw back at her.

�� I never said I was,� Yuya said
coldly, glaring hellfire at him, �You just assumed so.� If that�s what it takes for me to get what I
want, I�ll just let you keep deluding yourself!�

�� And what is it that you want,
little girl?� he asked softly, warningly.

�� Yuya shuddered in spite of herself,
all vestiges of that strange consuming heat banished.� �You know what I want.� I want to find my brother�s killer.� You know who he is, and you refuse to tell
me.� Who was it, Kyo?� Was it you?�
Was it�was it Kyoshiro?�

�� His hold suddenly became unbearably
tight and Yuya cried out in pain in spite of herself.� �You�don�t want it to be Kyoshiro,� Kyo said
to her, continuing on in the same tone, his ruby-bright eyes searching her
face, daring her to lie, �Do you find it that much easier to believe that it
was me?�

�� I��
Yuya met his gaze, seeming to burn into her with all the icy fury of
bitter winter frost.� The wrong answer
might get her killed.� �Yes, I do�but,
no, no, everything you�ve done, how could it be true�yes, I�ve seen you kill, a
demon who delights in death�no, why would you protect me this long, promise me
your help, when it was you all along?� Guilt?� No, you don�t
have that capacity.� Some sick game?� Maybe�but you�ve never�� The memory that had returned to her on
the Slope of Hell, of Kyoshiro...or had it only been a nightmare conjured by
poppies? ��I don�t know,� she answered
truthfully, �I won�t know, until I ask Kyoshiro.�

�� Very difficult for you to do that, since
I�m going to kill him,� Kyo observed sneeringly, �But if it is him, I�ll be
saving you the trouble of trying to avenge your dear brother.�

�� I-I don�t want it to be him,� Yuya
admitted.� She heard the hiss of Kyo�s
indrawn breath and felt his arms loose their hold on her.�

�� Not knowing why she did so, Yuya
grabbed the front of Kyo�s kimono and clung to him.� �I don�t�I don�t want it to be you, either,�
she whispered into his chest, �I don�t want you to be the horrible man I�ve
been seeking so long.� I don�t want to
have to hate you, because I think�I think it would kill me.�� Words started pouring out of her mouth,
desperate, confused, the most secret thoughts of her heart that she had never
wanted to acknowledge the existence of.�
�You�re supposed be just some monstrous legend, dammit!� You�re not supposed to be any more than a
bounty for me to collect!� Why did you
have to make that promise?!� Why did you,
of all people, have to be the one I began caring for?!� Why did you have to matter?� I don�t understand, and I don�t want to!� And why, oh why, of all things�?

�� Why do I have to
love you?!�

�� Those particular words,
that dark, secret truth was past her lips, beyond recalling, beyond
denial.� Nothing she could do or say
could erase them.� �Oh gods, it�s
true, I do love him!�� With a cry of
utter dismay, Yuya wrenched herself away from Kyo, tumbling painfully on her
side.� Kyo made no move toward her,
looking for all the world like a statue craved from
ebony, ivory, and garnet.� Even his eyes
were flat and far away, reflecting only moonlight.� Yuya could just see the disgust in them.

�� I knew I was right all
along.� He despises me.� I don�t know everyone else thinks otherwise.�

� �� The pain in
her chest was a fiery brand thrust into her heart.� But no tear would escape her eyes.� She would not cry.� �This pain, it�s not because he hates
me�it�s because I hate myself, for being so foolish, so weak.� I let myself love him, a demon with no heart.�
�Pushing herself up, Yuya forced her
trembling legs beneath her body so she could stand.� The night breeze drifted over her, chilling
the skin wet by the sake.� The coldness
seeped into her body, but it did nothing to extinguish the painful burning of
her shame.

�� Oh my, I think the sake must be
going to my head,� Yuya forced herself to say, turning her face away from him
so she could find the strength to lie, �What silly things I say when I�m
drunk!� I suppose you find that
obnoxious, neh, Kyo?� Very well, I�ll
just��

�� Before she could stand and make good
her retreat, there was the sound of shifting cloth and then she was flat on her
back as Kyo loomed over her, his dark form eclipsing the moon.� His hands were on both of her upper arms and
his legs straddled her hips, effectively pinning her down.

�� Kyo!� What are you�?!�

�� His head dipped down, his hot breath
tickling her sake-moistened throat.� Yuya
froze when she felt warm wetness of his tongue graze over her jugular, tracing
the flow of her lifeblood, trailing over her collarbone.� Her yukata had come partially open in the
tumble she had taken, and Kyo advantage of this to pursue the sake that had
trickled down between her breasts.

�� Yuya closed her eyes against the
flood of bitter self-recrimination.� Kyo
did not love her, and she had approached him with foolish hope in her
heart.� Time and again he had shown he
did not suffer fools kindly.� If Kyo
despised her so much that he would take her in this way, when he had even
refused Okuni, then so be it.� It was not
as though she could stop him anyway�and maybe she did not even want to, after
all.� �How could I have ever hoped
that he loved me?�� She had deluded
herself into listening to others, and this was the price she would have to pay
for it.

�� But she could not hold back the
trickle of tears that escaped her eyes.�
Weeping silently, she felt a piece of her heart die in her.� She had, ever since her brother�s murder, fended off those who thought she was easy prey for
their base lusts.� And now, when it mattered
most�she could not find the strength or desire to fight back against one who
could have no love for her in his heart.�
�He might very well be nii-sama�s
murderer�what horrible thing did I do in a past life to deserve this?�

�� Kyo halted at the sash that tied her
yukata in place.� The girl beneath him
had gone utterly still, making not even a token resistance against him.� �What is wrong with you, idiot?� he sneered
at her, raising his head, �You aren�t the kind of girl who just takes this kind
of shit!� Why aren�t
you fighting back?!�

�� Moonlight sparkled in silver trails
on her cheeks, pooling jewel-like beneath her closed eyes.� She would have looked asleep, if not for her
too shallow, rapid breathing, like some caged animal at bay.� Kyo frowned and took his hands off of her
arms, placing them, instead, on either side of her head.� �Oi, what the hell is wrong with you?� he
asked her, his face hovering centimeters above hers, his weight braced against
his hands, �This kind of inaction doesn�t suit you at all, Yuya.� The Yuya I know would not let anyone, not
even me, treat her this way, not without fighting back
like a demon-spawned cat!�

�� �Yuya?�� She opened her eyes in surprise, wondering if
she had heard correctly.� �Kyo, did you
just say�?� she asked him, bewildered, �Did you just say my name?�

�� No, I was talking to the other
idiot girl named Yuya I happen to be ravishing,� he retorted, his words angry
puffs of sake-tinged breath on her face.

�� Yuya�s mouth gaped open in
shock.� �He�s never said my name before!�

�� �What�s with the look?� he drawled, smirking
sardonically, �You act like no one�s ever called you by name before.�

�� Well, they haven�t,� Yuya pointed
out, �Not you, anyway.� Why are you
starting to, now?�

�� Because I felt like it, obviously,�
Kyo responded with a roll of his eyes, �Why?�
Do you prefer being called �idiot� for whatever reason?�

�� No, of course
not!� Yuya snapped at him, her anger kicking in.� She raised herself onto her forearms,
thrusting her face into Kyo�s, forcing him to back up.� �Get off of me, Onime no Kyo!�

�� And what will you do if I don�t?�
he shot back at her, leering grotesquely.

�� Yuya raised an eyebrow.� �You might think you�ve got me just where
you want me, but a girl�s got an advantage over a guy in this position, Kyo!�

�� Yare, yare, of course you�d
go for that,� Kyo observed as Yuya tried, in vain, to knee him in the
groin.� He pushed himself down on her,
his length and weight enough to immobilize her legs.� �What�s the matter, Yuya?� Plenty of women�d like to be where you are
just now.� I�d think even you�d want it,
or was that really just the sake talking?�

�� Yuya gasped,
her earlier anguish coming back full force.�
�Since when do you pay attention to anything I say, even when I�m sober?!�
she spat, keeping the tears at bay.�
Kyo�s provocation had been enough to shake her out of despondency, but
she still felt the acid sting of his rejection.�
Only now, it fueled her anger, giving her the will to resist.� �I�m warning you Kyo��

�� There you are, finally,� Kyo
interrupted her, his tone unlike any she had ever heard from him before.� His eyes had softened, only slightly, but she
was so close to him that she could see it.�
�You wouldn�t really just have taken it from me, would you, Yuya?� Your nature isn�t that weak.�

�� Kyo, what the hell�?�� He was driving her crazy!� It was like being caught in the middle of a
typhoon, first being blown one way and then another, until she did not know if
she was standing on her feet or her head.

�� No one touches you without
permission, am I right?� I was merely
wondering if I truly had it or if you had just given up on yourself.�

�� �Is he�asking me to�?�� �Kyo, if this is just some sort of sick game
you�re playing because you�re drunk��

�� I, unlike some people, do not get
drunk quite that easily,� he said, almost playfully.� It really was quite bizarre and Yuya began
wondering if his sake had been laced with something outside of alcohol.

�� Then again, I�d feel it,
too.� And even I don�t get drunk
from just one gulp of sake!�� I
wasn�t drunk, I just said...!� Yuya blurted, then
blushed mightily.� �Shit!� Right back to where I started!�

�� Naruhodo.�� Kyo slid off of her, pulling away and
resuming the position she had first found him in.

�� Yuya pulled herself
up, more confused than ever.� Colder,
too, now that Kyo�s body heat was no longer there to ward off the night�s
chill.� Yuya shivered, crossing her arms
over her chest to conserve warmth.

�� Why don�t you go back to your room,
if you�re cold,� Kyo said, �Or maybe you just want to sit there, shivering.�

�� He made me angry.� I was ready to give in to him, and then he
deliberately made me angry so I�d fight back.�
And then, he let me go�because I didn�t give him permission?� Can it be that he actually has regard for my
feelings?�� As ludicrous as the idea
sounded even in her own mind, she had to know for certain.� She was playing with fire, but her nerves
were so raw at this point she honestly did not give a damn.� �I�m not going back to my room just because
you dismiss me like that,� she shot back at him.� Yuya spotted the sake jug, lying on its side
next to his knee.� �Besides, I think
Yukimura-san would have a conniption if I just allowed this sake to go to
waste.�� So saying, she scooted over to
the jug and took it up, pretending that she did not notice that her knee was
practically touching his leg.� Yuya took
a hearty swig of the liquor, managing not to cough as she swallowed.

�� Your turn,� she said to Kyo,
handing him the jug with a challenging lilt in her voice.

�� Kyo took the jug from her without a
word and upended it, drinking it down to the last dregs.� �That�s enough sake for you for one night,
little girl,� he said to her with his customary gruffness, �And who said you
could take a drink, anyway?�

�� You did, remember?� she said with a
sniff, �I had your permission, didn�t I?�

�� That one time, you did.�

�� I suppose you�re going to want more
then?�

�� Of course, but now there isn�t any
left.�

�� Perhaps not, but I�ll see what this
little girl can do to remedy that,� she said as she got to her knees, placing
her hands on his shoulders, �It�s not much, but it will have to do.�� Looking him square in the eye, she continued
in a whisper, �After all, you should trust me not to take things like your
permission for granted.� It is a fair
trade.�

�� Her lips closed on his, her arms
slowly encircling his broad shoulders so she could brace herself against his
body.� He was warm, so very warm, and the
warmth spread though her, soothing the ache in her chest but kindling another
ache in her womb.� She whimpered softly,
wondering what the source of this new pain was.

�� Kyo�s lips smirked against her own
and then she was in his arms once more, embraced, not caged, held close to him
like a precious thing.� �You might regret
letting me have you, you know.� I�m not as
gentle as some others,� he breathed into her ear.

�� Try me, why don�t you?� she shot
back offhandedly, responding to his implied challenge as she would have under
normal circumstances.� Only she had
momentarily forgotten just how unusual this certain circumstance was�

�� Remember you said that,� Kyo
remarked, reaching to one side and picking up his katana.� Yuya gave a small, startled yelp when he
swept her up in his arms as he stood, the saya of his katana pressed against
her spine.� She instinctively wrapped her
arms securely about his shoulders, snuggling her face into the side of his
neck.� Kyo somehow managed to open the
shoji to his room with his foot and within seconds, Yuya had been deposited on
his futon.

�� Reflexively, she huddled into
herself, suddenly quite aware that they were completely alone in the small
room, dimly lit by a single paper lantern.�
�Kyo, I��

�� You aren�t going to need that,� he
said to her, stooping down to untie the simple knot securing her sash with a
single jerk.� Her yukata was now held in
place only by virtue of her crossed arms.�
�Let me see you, Yuya,� Kyo said, his voice low
and not quite a demand.

�� Yuya felt a shiver go up her spine
and the ache inside of her reasserted itself.�
Still a bit hesitant, Yuya uncrossed her arms and pulled the yukata away
from her body, letting the garment puddle behind her.� She glanced up nervously at Kyo and blushed
mightily at the naked desire she saw in his eyes.� �All those times he groped me�he never
looked at me like that!� He was just
playing around before, and now�!��
She dropped her eyes to the ground in front of her, trying not to act
like an inexperienced virgin.� �Which
I am, but he doesn�t need to know that!�

�� She heard the sound of cloth being
dropped to the ground and suddenly Kyo was beside her, pulling her to him once
more, his bare skin radiating heat as he pressed her back into his chest, his
arms folding across her breasts, his thighs bracketing her hips.� His hardness pressed against the small of her
back and Yuya sucked in a lungful of air to keep from crying out in surprise.

�� Where do I begin?� he asked her
softly, his arms parting just slightly so he could cup her breasts in each
hand, his fingers massaging them with tenderness that Yuya had not known he
possessed.

�� Ah!� she gasped as he closed his
hands firmly around her aroused nipples, taking tight hold of the hardened
flesh.� Her hands closed onto his thighs,
her fingers digging into skin as she pushed up against his chest, wordless
sounds of pleasure escaping her throat.

�� Oh, so you like that, do you,� he
murmured.� His teeth seized on the nape
of her neck, the pressure not enough to wound, but enough to hint at
animalistic dominance.� Yuya�s heartbeat
quickened at the thought.

�� One of his hands left her breast, skimming
over her stomach, reaching down to where Yuya could feel the pounding ache
build with each moment.� His fingers
trailed almost teasingly between her thighs, petting the dark bronze hair till
Yuya cried out in frustration.� He must
touch her there, or she would fly to pieces!�
She tried grabbing his arm to force his hand.

�� Not without permission, you don�t,�
he said to her in a half-mocking voice.�
He pulled his arm out of her grasp and laid it at the base of her
throat.� �What can I do to make sure you
don�t abuse my trust?� Kyo asked, almost to himself, �Ah, I know��

�� Yuya felt her hair suddenly fall
free of its ribbon as Kyo undid the bow.�
�This will do,� he said, stretching her arms out before them and binding
them together at the wrist with the white silken cloth.

�� Kyo, what�?�

�� You gave me permission, didn�t you,
Yuya?� But I don�t like people forcing me
to do things against my will any more than you do.� This will ensure that you won�t try to hurry
me.�

�� I�I understand, Kyo,� she said,
letting out the breath she had been holding and leaning back against him, �But
don�t think that I can�t untie that knot if I don�t like what you�re doing.�

�� Excellent,� Kyo replied, smirking,
�I wouldn�t have it any other way.�� He
took hold of her breast once more and reached down to the juncture of her
thighs.� Yuya willed herself into relaxed
stillness, her bound hands coming to rest on her collarbone.

�� His fingers entered her, gently,
deftly searching her.� Yuya heard a
keening whimper and was surprised to realize it came from her.� She wanted him to hurry, to...to what?� Without warning, Kyo�s fingers found her
pulse point.� The sudden overwhelming
sensation made Yuya rear up against him, her shriek choked off by the sudden,
inexplicable constriction of her throat.

�� Kyo held her up as he continued
working inside of her, grasping and then releasing the flower-petal tangle of
nerve-laden skin.� Yuya began sobbing
with frustration, because his touch was never enough to extinguish the
unbearable ache, only serving to fan it higher and higher, till she would be
consumed by it.� �Kyo,
onegai!�

�� Aa,� he said casually, and pressed
even harder against her, holding the touch even after she crested and came back
down to earth, her honey warmth flooding over his hand.

�� �Oh gods, what was that?�
Yuya�s dazed faculties asked through the haze that blanketed her very
thoughts.� Her body was trembling from
the aftereffects, and the ache was slowly building once more.� �That didn�t do any good,� she slurred almost
drunkenly, �It still aches��

�� Is that a challenge, Yuya?� Kyo�s
voice came to her.�

�� Before Yuya could say �yea� or
�nay,� Kyo had pushed her back down upon the futon, draping her legs over his
shoulders.� He lifted her hips,
supporting her weight.

�� Kyo, what...?�

�� Be quiet woman,� he ordered,
ignoring her surprised outburst.� He
lowered his face to her curls, his hot breath fanning over her aching pulse
point.

�� Kyo, stop, what are you�?!� she yelped, bucking her hips at the sensation.� Her protests were cut short when his tongue
delved into her, curling around the flower-petal flesh and suckling it, making
her cry out as even more intense waves of pleasure thundered through her
body.� She wanted so much to push herself
up against him, to hold him there, but she could not quite get the leverage she
needed with her hands bound.� Utterly
helpless, she had to content herself with his pace, her voice keening in her
throat as he touched but did not remain, only to return once more, too
briefly.� It seemed eternity before she
felt herself swept up into the throes of orgasm, the fall to earth like a
shattering of glass, so wonderfully painful, too agonizingly exquisite...and so
terrifyingly lonely, somehow...

�� Kyo,� Yuya managed to gasp, biting
her lips to keep the tears from flowing.

�� What, not satisfied yet?� Kyo asked
her mockingly, licking his lips of her taste.�
She gazed at him with pleading eyes, sweat glistening on her body, all
her muscles atremble.� Anything he wanted
to do to her now, he could, and she would be powerless to prevent it.� They both knew it, and Yuya could feel an old
familiar spark of anger flare up.� �How can one man do this to me?!�

�� Yare, yare, you shouldn�t glare like
that, or I�d think you were going to start railing at me again,� he said to her,
shrugging her legs from his shoulders.�
He leaned over her, taking her bound hands and stretching them out above
her head, holding them in place with one hand and bracing himself with the
other beside her head.� �Tell me, Yuya,
do you want to continue?� I need your
permission to do so, don�t I?�

�� Kyo, I can�t�� She fought against the tears that burned her
eyes and throat, �Don�t tease me like this, please.� It�s cruel.�

�� Cruelty depends on one�s point of
view, though, doesn�t it, Yuya?� he retorted, lowing his face to her throat and
nipping at the tender skin there.

�� I-I�I don�t know!� she gasped as he
moved from her throat down to her left breast, suckling on it in the same way
he had taken her pulse point.� She
struggled against his grasp on her bound hands, wanting only to clasp him to
her.� She could hear his sardonic chuckle
as he turned his attention to the other breast, nuzzling it and scraping his
teeth along the nipple.� �Ah!� Kyo!�

�� Your breasts might be smaller than
some, but they serve their purpose, I suppose,� he said, lifting his head from
his ministrations, �They certainly aren�t your best feature.�

�� What is then?� Yuya asked, almost
sarcastically.

�� With a smirk, Kyo kissed her brow,
then her lips, urging her to open them with impatient nudges of his
tongue.� �Oh,� Yuya thought, the
fight suddenly fleeing from her as she tangled her tongue with his, the fierce,
unfettered passion of the kiss literally taking the breath from her lungs.� He lowered his body onto hers, releasing her
arms so she could bring them over his head and finally hold onto him.� Her fingers raked through his dark hair as
his hand reached back down between them to tease her center once more.

�� Hold me now, Yuya,� he said to her,
pressing up against the insides of her thighs with his legs.� Instinctively, Yuya raised her legs and
braced them around his back, pressing herself up against his stroking fingers.

�� And then, even before she could
crest, he was inside of her, his manhood breaking through her barrier in one fluid
thrust.

�� Yuya shrieked in pain and surprise
and Kyo froze.� �Yuya�� He looked down at her, his blood-colored eyes
blazing in the dim illumination.� �Woman,
do you mean to tell me�?!�

�� There was so much anger in his voice
that Yuya barely found the courage to nod, stifling a whimper as she did
so.� Kyo swore, pressing his face against
her throat.� �What were you thinking,
Yuya?� he hissed.

�� Why are you angry?� she asked him,
completely bewildered by his reaction.

�� Instead of answering, Kyo withdrew,
only to thrust more deeply inside of her.�
Yuya bit her lip as each thrust and withdrawal fed the ache, making it
burn fiercer than any wound she had ever received.� Kyo growled against her throat, mouthing
words Yuya could not hear.� She wanted to
demand an answer to her question, but each time she tried to speak, Kyo would
only thrust harder, plunging into her like a sword.

�� As she neared her climax, she gave
up and let him take her as he willed.�
Matching her pace to his, she clung to him tighter and tighter, wanting
him to be there alongside her when the terrifying plunge came.

�� An instant before he felt himself
give way, Kyo raised his face and held her eyes with his.� �Aishiteru,� Yuya murmured, kissing him.

�� The world shattered into rainbow
shards, and then all was quiet.

�� Kyo?�� Yuya could vaguely sense the outside world
coming back into focus and she shook her head to dispel the heavy fog of
pleasure that dulled her senses.� �Kyo?�

�� I�m right here, woman,� Kyo said.

�� Yuya turned her head in the direction
of his voice, her eyes trailing up the muscled leanness of his back.� He did not turn his head to look at her, even
as she called out again questioningly.

�� A sinking feeling in her chest
extinguished the comfortable afterglow she had been savoring. �Yuya pushed herself up with her hands, tucking
her legs beneath her.� There was a soreness between her thighs, but it was bearable.� Her shin came in contact with something warm
and liquid soaked into the fabric of the futon, and Yuya shifted aside to see
what it could possibly be.

�� �Blood?!�� Slightly panicked, Yuya glanced down at her
thighs and noticed a wide smear of crimson between them.� �I felt something break in me�is that
what�?�� Oh gods,� she moaned
softly, �What�s wrong with me?�

�� Wrong with you?�
Kyo echoed caustically, his back stiffening. He swiveled around and clamped his
hands on her upper arms with bruising strength.�
�You�re asking me what�s wrong with you?!� he demanded,
giving her a good shake.

�� Kyo, what�?!�� Yuya was beyond anger, beyond surprise.

�� How could you just let me take you
like that?!� he raged at her, not letting her get another word in, �You idiot
girl, do you not have an ounce of brains in that head of yours?!�

�� Kyo, I don�t understand!� she
shouted back at him, anger breaking through, �What did I do that was so
horrible that you think you can treat me like this?!�

�� Think, woman, think very hard.� Men pay a lot of money for what you�ve just
given me, and for what?!� I thought you
were a bounty hunter, I thought you at least understood that!�

�� Kyo, if you�re insinuating that I�m
some sort of whore��

�� Even whores have more sense than
you!� he snapped.

�� Wha�?� Yuya gasped, tears pricking
at her eyes.� �He truly hates me this
much?!�� Let go of me, Kyo,� she
said, cold and hard as ice.� When he did
not, she began struggling, striking at his chest with her bound hands, pulling
away desperately.� �Dammit, I said let me
go!�

�� Why did you do it, Yuya?!� he
demanded, shaking her again.

�� Why?� she spat, �Because I love
you, you great big idiot!� I�ve tried
everything I could not to, but there it is!�
Weren�t you listening to me?!�

�� I was,� said Kyo, �But didn�t it
occur to you that I don�t love you back?�
That you wasted yourself on me?�

�� He might as well have plunged Tenro into her heart.�
�Yes, it did,� she whispered, though she could feel her heart breaking,
�In fact, I was almost certain you don�t, but��

�� But?� But what, woman?!�

�� But there was always a chance.� I had hoped��
She closed her eyes, refusing to cry.

�� Then you are doubly a fool,� he
hissed at her, releasing her so quickly that she almost fell over
backwards.� Wordlessly, he undid the
silken bond about her wrists and flung the ribbon to one side.� �Get out,� he said, looking past her as if
she weren�t there.

�� Kyo�?�

�� I said get out!� Clean yourself off or I�ll throw you in the
first pond we pass tomorrow!�

�� Choking on unshed tears, Yuya
snatched up her yukata and sash, throwing them about her as she shot to her
feet, almost tripping on the tatami as she threw open the shoji.� Nausea gripped her as the pain in her heart
exploded, and she raced out into the night, in the direction of the baths.

�� As the sound of her erratic
footsteps faded away, Kyo ran his fingers through his hair, a scowl fit to slay
men where they stood etched into his features.�
He reached almost absently to one side, taking up the ribbon Yuya had
forgotten in her haste.� He held it
delicately, though it was unlikely he could tear it for all his strength.� His gaze came to rest on the small, darkening
patch of blood on his futon.

�� With a violent oath, Kyo got to his
feet and, picking up his discarded kimono and katana, strode out of his room.

�� The fires in the bathing rooms were
unlit at this hour, so Yuya took one of the wooden buckets at her disposal and
went out to the hot springs.� She stripped off her yukata and tossed it
aside, standing naked in the moonlight.�
Shivering as the cool night blew over her sweat-streaked body, Yuya leaned out over the springs and scooped up a
bucketful of steaming water.� She drew
back from the edge and crouched on the heated stones lining the springs,
pouring the water over her head, letting it stream over her face, breasts, and
back.� The comfort of the cleansing
ritual was minimal, however.

�� He looked at me like I was some
filthy whore�no, worse than a whore, by his standards�and I don�t even know why
he would say something like that!��
It hurt so much, the contempt in his voice, his hands on her arms, the look in his eyes�

�� Another bucket of water cascaded
down over her, but the water could not wash away the memory.� Racking sobs shook her body, and in the
moonlight, where no eyes could bear witness, Yuya let the tears flow. Pouring
bucketful after bucketful of water over herself, the young woman wept, the pain
of loathing and rejection tearing at her, ripping into her like cruel shards of
glass cutting her very soul.

�� What part of me did he hate so
much?� she wondered, picking up a small towel.� Soaking the rough cloth in the spring, she
began scrubbing between her thighs, harder and harder, till she was practically
raw.� And still she could feel him there,
still remember the pleasure and pain, entwined so thoroughly she could not
distinguish where one ended and the other began.� With a howl of anguish, she threw the cloth
aside, and curled up into a ball, rocking back and forth as she tried to rein
in her grief, to still the tremors that shook her to her core.� �An idiot, yes, an idiot for thinking I
could love and be loved��

�� She was suddenly swept up in a
strong embrace, and pressed against somebody�s chest, so hard that she could
feel the beating of his heart.� Calloused
fingers caressed her cheeks, wiping away the tears that stained them.

�� Don�t you dare cry,� a familiar
voice murmured into her ear.

�� I�ll cry if I feel like crying!�
she hissed, her profound anguish turning almost instantly to consuming rage.

�� I won�t let you cry.�

�� Well, I guess you�ve already fucked
that up, eh, Onime no Kyo?� Yuya retorted acidly, �You can�t expect me just to
give you my heart and have you spit on it and not feel anything!� But I guess you can�t understand that.� Fine!�
I�ve learned my lesson!�� I
will hate you Onime no Kyo�I love you, but I can learn to hate you�!�� She would not struggle,
she would not give in to him.� Yuya forced
herself into icy stillness, refusing to give him anything, blinking away the
tears that burned in her eyes.

�� How can you possibly love me?� Kyo
asked her quietly.

�� Because�� Yuya began to answer,
momentarily surprised by the question and the tone that accompanied it.� Then she remembered herself and shook her
head.� �No, Kyo.� You�ve already tortured me enough,
I�m not going to play anymore.� I�m not
at your level.� I still feel and hurt and
weep.�

�� Yes, you feel.�� His hand came to rest over her heart, and
Yuya again was surprised by his gentleness.�
�Right here, everything you�ve ever felt is right here and it shows
through every action, every word, every time you look
at me.� You are pure and until tonight,
innocent.� And you let me destroy that
part of you, you let me take a part of you when I�m
not even in my own body.�

�� Why should you care if you even
kill me?� she asked him dully, �I�m nothing to you, Onime no Kyo.�

�� You are more to me than any person
I have yet known.�

�� What did you say?� she gasped,
shaken out of her misery, shocked out of her anger, �Kyo, what�?�

�� Every moment you are with me, you
are in danger, but when you are not beside me�I lack a part of myself.� I do not destroy or kill without reason,
woman,� Kyo explained calmly, as if they were sharing a congenial cup of tea,
�That which stands in my way, I cut down with my blade; that which I desire��
here he kissed the nape of her neck, mouthing the words, ��I make mine.�

�� You make yours?� echoed Yuya,
closing her eyes and gritting her teeth, vowing not to give in to his caresses,
�Am I your possession, then?�

�� Yes.� I claimed your innocence, I have claimed you
as no other man ever will�but my body did not claim yours.� It was the body of my enemy.� And now he carries the memory of you as I
do.�

�� It shouldn�t matter!� Yuya blurted
in spite of herself, �It is you I had the misfortune of falling in love
with, not the body you animate!��

�� Kyo was silent and still for so long
at time following this outburst that Yuya became impatient and made to rise.

�� His words alone gave her pause.� �To have you, to possess you�it is rare that
I take pleasure in another when it does not involve their death.� Your life is precious to me, woman, and you
committed yourself body and soul to me when I could not claim them in the same
manner.��

�� He�he wasn�t angry with me�He
was angry because he wanted me to himself, only he thinks that because he�s in
Kyoshiro�s body, he shared me with him!��
�So why didn�t you stop me, if that was so important to you?�
demanded Yuya.� She did not know whether
to be angry at his idiocy or overjoyed that he admitted that he cared for
her.� �Are all men this stupid?�

�� I wanted you and you allowed me to
take you.� As I told you, you could have
refused me.�

�� Yuya�s mouth opened in protest, but
she stopped short.� Kyo had, after all,
given her plenty of opportunities to refuse.�
She had merely chosen to see them as challenges.� Fueled by her own desire, she had entrapped
them both.� The ridiculousness of the whole
situation dawned on her.

�� Idiots, both of us!� she laughed,
shaking her head ruefully and wiping away treacherous tears.� Still chuckling, she leaned back against Kyo,
letting the stiffness flow out of her with a sigh of relief.� She stroked her hands down over his enfolding
arms and entwined her fingers with his.� �So, what now, Onime no Kyo?�
I�ve had my fill of confusion and heartache for one night, and yet we�ve
managed to overcome the rather significant problem of your inability to
communicate.� Rather an impressive
accomplishment, in my opinion.�

�� Yes.� All that�s really left is your obnoxious
habit of shooting off your mouth.�

�� I prefer calling it �being honest,�
for your information!� Yuya retorted, accompanying her words with an elbow jab
to his ribs.

�� Oh, but I can think of much better
ways to employ that mouth of yours,� Kyo purred, reaching up to tilt her face
so he could smother any further protest with his lips.

�� Well, I suppose he does have a
point�� Yuya allowed, shifting herself around in his embrace so she could
wrap her arms around his shoulders, hungrily kissing him back.

�� Kyo�s arms slid down her back till
his hands cradled her buttocks, supporting her weight and bringing her solidly
against him.� Yuya hissed slightly in
pain when the motion rekindled her awareness of the tenderness between her
legs.

�� Yuya�� Kyo said, breaking away from
the liplock.

�� What is it now?� she asked him
lazily, skimming her lips over his chin when he did not go back to kissing her.

�� In response, Kyo tightened his
embrace incrementally, again causing another shock of pain to radiate through
Yuya.� �You have injured yourself,
woman,� Kyo observed softly when Yuya bit back on a whimper that was betrayed
by the stiffening of her body, �You are in pain because
of me.�

�� I forgive you for it,� Yuya said in
a quiet voice.

�� I cannot.�� Yuya peered at him quizzically, noting the
self-directed anger in his eyes.� �Come,�
he said curtly, getting up and gently setting her on her feet, steadying her
against him.� He swathed her in her
yukata and sash and tenderly combed her damp hair back from her face with his
fingers.� �You forgot this,� Kyo told
her, showing Yuya the white ribbon she had left behind in her haste.� Sword calluses catching on dripping strands, he
tied her hair back in a clumsy bow.

�� I suppose you don�t do that very
often,� Yuya said with a slight grin, touching the bow as his hands came away.

�� Hn,� he grunted dismissively.� He bent down to pick up his katana and took
her hand in his.� �You have medicine in
your room, do you not?�

�� Well, yes, I kept a small store
for�� Yuya started to say, but Kyo had already started walking, pulling her
along behind him, �Oi, wait up!�

��

�� Go and get whatever ointments you
have for slight wounds,� Kyo ordered as he slid open the shoji to Yuya�s room.

�� Yuya frowned slightly at his
brusqueness, but obeyed.� She crossed the
darkened room and opened the oshire to retrieve the small pine box she kept
Kyoshiro�s medicines and her supply of bandages in.

�� Behind her, the shoji slid shut and
she heard Kyo move over to the small alcove containing the tinder and flint for
the lantern.� He made short work of
kindling the flame and brought it over to Yuya.

�� Is this what you wanted?� Yuya
asked, selecting the white porcelain jar containing an herbal balm for cuts and
bruises.

�� Yes,� Kyo said, taking it from
her.� He reached into the box and took
out a small roll of cloth bandage.� �Put
that down and go sit on the futon.�

�� Whatever you say,� Yuya said, again
put off by his terse manner, but not seeing any point in being contrary.� She lowered herself onto her futon, feeling
the sting of her raw skin when she tried tucking her legs under her.

�� Kyo knelt in front of her, placing
the jar of ointment and bandage roll to one side, the lantern on the
other.� He reached for the hem of her
yukata and pulled it aside to reveal her upper thighs.

�� Kyo!� Yuya
exclaimed heatedly, blushing and trying to cover herself up.

�� Don�t.�� Kyo gently but firmly kept her hands at bay,
and urged her legs apart.

�� O-oi!� she protested as Kyo lowered
his head to inspect the scraped, tender flesh, �Kyo, don�t you even think
about it!�

�� Instead of answering, Kyo merely
tore a piece of cloth from the roll and dipped it into the jar of
ointment.� �Hold still woman,
or I�ll hold you still myself,� he warned her.

�� Yuya stopped resisting and watched,
wide-eyed, as Kyo gently swabbed the balm-impregnated cloth over the sensitive,
reddened skin of her inner thighs.� As
delicately as any painter, he dabbed the soothing ointment over the folds of
skin shielding her womanhood.� Yuya could
not help but blush and tremble under the tender treatment.� �I never expected something like this from
him.�� Any doubt she might have
harbored as to whether Kyo truly cared for her was wiped away with each stroke
of his fingers.

�� When he was finished, Kyo placed the
lid on the jar and put it and the used bandage beside the lantern.� �Go to sleep,� he said to Yuya, touching her
face with a hand scented with healing herbs, �We have many miles to go tomorrow
and I�ll leave you behind if you slow me down.�

�� I understand,� Yuya replied,
smiling softly and touching his hand.

�� Good,� Kyo grunted, withdrawing and
reaching for his katana.

�� Stay.�� The word was out of her mouth before Yuya
could give it second thought.� Kyo looked
at her, raising one dark eyebrow, his crimson eyes guarded.� �Please stay,� she continued, wondering if
she was asking too much.

�� Why should I?� he asked in a low
voice.

�� Because I want you to,� Yuya
responded truthfully, but making no move toward him, �Because you want to.�

�� How do you know that?� Kyo
drawled.� His hand left his katana and he
leaned toward her.� �Do you think one
night with me lets you see into my mind?�

�� No,� she said, shaking her head
slightly.� She met his gaze,
unwavering.� �Don�t leave my side.�

�� He cocked his head, his eyes
narrowing at the turn of phrase.� Those
words he had spoken to her, days ago, a lifetime ago.

�� �It was then that I loved you,�
Yuya thought, realizing the truth in that moment, �Perhaps
it was then that you found that you cared for me, too.�

�� Yare, yare, such a demanding
wench,� Kyo said mockingly.� He leaned
over to the side and blew out the lantern, cloaking the room in darkness.

�� Yuya lay down on her futon, a small smile
touching her lips, as Kyo took his place beside her, pulling her close and
moulding her body to his.

�� Well now, nice to know Kyo-san
isn�t such a stick-in-the-mud after all,� Yukimura reflected from his perch on
the bathing rooms� roof.� From this vantage
point, the Sanada general could overlook the entire compound of the lodge
house.�

If asked, however, why he chose this particular spot, he
would have said he was moon gazing and enjoying fine sake like any sensible
man.

�And Yuya-san was quite right � heating quality sake only
destroys the taste.�� He took as swig
from the sake jug at his side to emphasize his point.

�But you have to admit, Kyo-sama�s way of heating sake is
pretty good, neh, Yukimura-sama?� Sasuke pointed out mischievously.

�You are far too young to be appreciating something like
that!� Saizo scolded.

�� Says you, ya old fogey!�

�� Old fogey!� I�ll give you old fogey!�

�� Oiya, oiya, there�s people trying
to sleep, you two,� Yukimura admonished his two subordinates, �Kyo-san�s likely
to be quite cranky tomorrow if you two carry on like that.�

�� The two onimitsu immediately stopped
bickering, looking sheepish.

�� I expect things to get even more
entertaining from here on out,� Yukimura said to himself, grinning as he looked
up at the bright moon.

~* OWARI *~

Soundtrack:

1.      �Moonlight Sonata�� [Beethoven]

2.      �Painful Memories�� [Rurouni
Kenshin Movie: Requiem for the Ishinshishi OST]

3.      �Obsession�� [.hack//Sign
OST]

4.      ��Every Heart�� [Inuyasha (TV) OST]
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Oni no Sesshoku - Demon's Touch