#like wow....his bare wrist lord help m

[sarahowritesostucky]

📖Alpha, Beta (& Omega)

Rated: Explicit

Chapter Rating: Explicit

Word Count: 2817

Pairing: Steve x Bucky

Tags: a/b/o, arranged marriage, enemies to lovers, nobility/royalty au, alternate history, dom/sub elements, beta bucky, hurt/comfort, age gap (18/29), domestic discipline, spanking, head of household, wedding night, Edwardian time period, m/f/m poly marriage

Summary: To save House Barnes from scandalous ruin, James must agree to a contracted marriage, accepting Lord Sentor Steven Rogers as his Alpha, Husband, and Headship.

To read previous parts of this series first, got to the masterlist

7. A Consummation

This Chapter: “You’re allowed to have doubts, fears. I know this isn’t perfect. I know you didn’t want any of this so soon. I’m your husband, your Headship, and I promise I’ll take care of you. Anything I can do to make you happy, I will. I only want for you to be happy.”

“Take your underwear off.”

The command isn’t in Steve’s Voice, but it has a similar effect. Bucky feels that same, pleasant tug in his gut, hooking in behind his belly button and urging him to do as Steve says, to be good for his Headship so that he can hear that low, rumbling sound of approval coming from his chest again. 

Taking a deep breath, Bucky shucks his underwear off, and for the second time ever, he stands before his husband completely naked.

His cock sits heavy and flushed between his legs, and Bucky spares a glance downwards at it before looking back up to Steve. Steve, who’s staring right at him. Bucky blushes and moves to cover himself.

Steve growls, stepping forward and yanking his wrists to the side. “Don’t hide yourself from me,” he says. “Not ever.” When Bucky whimpers at his tone, Steve tips his chin up to look at him. “Hey, Buck?”

Bucky sucks his lip in nervously. “Mm?”

“Don’t, okay?” His big hand cups Bucky’s jaw tenderly, eyes roving over his face. “Don’t hide. I love looking at you, and I’ll never hurt you, okay?”

Bucky gulps. He can tell that Steve is trying hard to be open with him, to make him feel better. Bucky doesn’t know if he’ll ever feel entirely comfortable when he’s bared like this in front of Steve, but he can at least be appreciative of his husband’s efforts. “Yeah,” he breathes, bringing his hands up to Steve’s chest. “Okay.”

Steve closes his hands around Bucky’s wrists, over the only remaining item on his naked body: his wedding bands. “I want you to keep these on,” he murmurs, putting their faces close together but not kissing him yet. “Okay?”

Bucky feels a swirl of something deep and confusing in his gut—adjacent to the arousal, but separate. He feels too vulnerable to examine it closer, and he nods and breathes, “Okay,” against Steve’s mouth, hoping he’ll kiss him.

He does, slotting their mouths together and taking his mouth slowly and gently. Bucky hums, enjoying the feeling of his lips and tongue, of his big hands pulling at his lower back. When they separate, Bucky’s panting. He reaches for the lapels of Steve’s jacket, trying to push it down over his shoulders. Steve realizes what he’s doing and he smiles and starts helping, shrugging his jacket off and then making quick work of his waistcoat and shirt and all the rest. When he’s fully bared, Bucky feels his face burning. He’d seen Steve on their wedding night, of course, but not like this; not with the lights on and the both of them standing right in front of each other. Bucky tries not to be obvious in his staring, but his eyes are drawn back again and again.

Steve’s body is large and strong and … Fuck, it’s kind of perfect. His broad shoulders contrast with the trim taper of his waist and hips. His chest is so incredibly muscled, smooth and firm-looking. Bucky has to curl his hands into fists to keep himself from reaching out and placing his palms right over him. His eyes go lower. The hair that starts just beneath Steve’s navel leads down in a trail to his cock, where there’s more hair and … wow.

Steve is hard, his length hanging thickly between his legs, the loose skin of his knot swollen but not entirely-filled yet, and the heavy weight of his balls resting just behind. He’s clearly aroused, the pink head of his cock peeking out at the tip all shiny with precum. And god, but it makes Bucky’s belly flip to see it. He’s never had the urge to get on his knees for someone before, but he feels it now. It makes him blush, the way he responds to it. Between his own legs, he gets a little bit harder.

“Bucky?”

His eyes fly up in surprise at hearing Steve’s voice, he’d been so lost in his thoughts. He swallows down the embarrassment he feels enough to say, “Hm?”

“Are you okay?” Steve asks. He’s looking at Bucky gently, as if ready to be concerned if needed. He comes forward and pulls him into his arms, cradles the back of his head to encourage him to lay his cheek against his chest. Bucky does so with a huge puff of breath, and Steve hums. “You nervous?”

He squeezes his eyes shut. “Yeah. I guess.”

Steve strokes his hair. “Why didn’t you tell me you were a virgin, that night?”

Bucky makes a despondent sound between his teeth, but he doesn’t pull away. He likes being able to hide his face against Steve’s body. “Didn’t matter,” he mumbles. “Everybody expects us to be pure anyways.” Not so much betas as omegas, but it’s still quite standard for alphas in Society to expect their spouses to come into their marriages untouched.

“Bucky.” Steve’s voice is unhappy. “I wouldn’tve cared either way, but you should have said something. What if I’d hurt you? What if I’d—” he cuts himself off, then says quietly, “Your first time should be special.”

Bucky grits his teeth. He wishes Steve wouldn’t keep talking about this. Between his legs, he's getting soft. “Doesn’t matter,” he repeats. “Wasn’t like I didn’t want to have sex. I did. My being a virgin, well … let’s just say it wasn’t for lack of trying.”

Steve stills in his petting. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Bucky shrugs. “I mean you’ve seen it, now. Nobody wants that.”

“What?”

“I tried twice. Soon as the clothes came off, anybody who had interest would run.” Bucky feels like dirt as he admits it, but it’s not as if he doesn’t know that the wreckage of his body is god-awful. “And then you walked in on the third time, before it could get that far.”

“Bucky,”

“I didn’t want to make a big deal of it, with you,” he says. “I just wanted to get it over with.” Steve’s scent sours and a growl of discontent rumbles in his chest. Bucky pulls back to look at him warily. “Are you … mad?”

Steve shakes his head. "I'm sad, Bucky. Sex isn’t something you should ever want to ‘get over with’.” He runs his hands up and down the skin of his back. “Your body isn’t ugly to me, and I wish I’d known you were thinking these things before I slept with you the other night.”

Oh, that makes Bucky’s heart warm a little bit. The way Steve looks at him … the way he talks to him sometimes … it’s nice. “S’okay,” he murmurs, not sure what else to say. Tentatively, he leans in and places a kiss to Steve’s mouth. This is something, at least, that he can do. He wraps his arms around Steve’s neck and moans encouragingly when Steve tugs him closer by the hips. When he’s finally brave enough to swipe out with his tongue, Steve lets him right in.

Steve hums when they part, hooded eyes slowly opening to meet Bucky’s. “You want to get on the bed, Sweetheart?”

That tug of annoyance that comes at Steve’s usage of the pet name is much, much less than it’d been on their wedding night. Bucky doesn’t say anything about how odd he finds the endearment, he just nods and goes to climb up on the stateroom’s tiny bed. He becomes aware of his nudity all over again as he moves, as if he’s just taken his clothes off and Steve’s eyes are burning into him the whole time, so he’s relieved when the alpha joins him on the bed and sidles up close. Bucky parts his legs in invitation, and Steve comes to settle in the cradle of his hips. Bucky swallows as he looks up at Steve’s face, feels his erection pressing against his belly and sees the desire in his eyes. It’s crazy, he thinks, how much of a difference being naked and a few feet closer makes; how he can smell Steve’s arousal. “Are you gonna,” he breathes, not knowing how to phrase the question without mortifying himself. He blushes and avert his eyes. “Are you gonna … be inside me?” He says those last words so silently, it’s a wonder Steve hears him at all.

Steve dips down and starts kissing his jaw, his neck. “Yes, Buck,” he says. His hips are moving in little pulses, rubbing his cock against Bucky’s stomach. Bucky isn’t even sure if he’s aware that he’s doing it. “If you’ll let me. Only if you want to.” He comes back up and kisses Bucky on the mouth. “I’m not gonna make you do anything you don’t want to.”

Bucky feels some of his trepidation slide away at Steve’s words. He doesn’t have to do anything he doesn’t want to. Steve is a kind Headship. Even when it’s his right to demand anything he’d like of Bucky, he’s giving him the choice. Bucky’s heart warms and his body relaxes. “Oh,” he sighs, letting his eyes slip closed as Steve goes back to kissing at his neck. He gasps when Steve’s hand envelops his erection, shocked, and the next thing he knows Steve is stroking him off. His lips part in a quiet moan at how good it feels. “Oh, oh, uhn …” Small, breathy noises of pleasure leave him without his permission. Steve seems to like it, if his answering groans are anything to go by. Bucky can feel where Steve’s thick cock is grinding in against his hip. He glances down between their bodies to see it, guts swooping in pleasure at the size of it, flushed red and right next to Bucky’s smaller cock in Steve’s hand. “Oh, fuck,” Bucky whispers, thrusting up into Steve’s hand and bringing his knees up to cradle his hips.

“That’s it,” Steve says encouragingly, rumbling deep in his chest, and it hits Bucky hard, how much he likes that.

“Alpha,” he gasps before he even realizes what he’s saying. “I—please.” He doesn’t want him to stop. He wants him closer, heavier, more. His eyes fly open. “Steve …”

“What is it Sweetheart?” Steve’s hand stops stroking, and Bucky whines in displeasure.

He squirms underneath him, pushing his hips up against Steve and gasping, “I–I want to, I do. I want you to.” It feels like a surrender to say it out loud, but Steve smiles at him and tells him okay, and that he’s good and gorgeous, and Bucky’s embarrassment falls away. Steve gets lubricant and uses it to slick his fingers before he eases them inside Bucky, and it’s something new, completely foreign and not entirely pleasurable. But Bucky bites his lip and forces himself to remain calm as his Alpha slowly rocks one finger, and then two into him. When they curl and touch something good, the pleasure spikes in Bucky’s gut and he cries out louder than before. He humps down on the fingers Steve’s got inside of him, eyes widening in surprise. “Oh!”

“Feel good?”

He nods tightly. “Y-yeah.” He’s heard enough bawdy stories from boys at school to know what Steve must be touching, but he’d never thought … “Never thought it could feel this good,” he breathes.

Steve hums, pleased. He thrusts his fingers harder, curling purposefully over that spot. “I told you Buck, I’ll always make you feel good.” He kisses him. “I promise.” When he puts the head of his cock against Bucky’s hole and starts to push in, Bucky gasps at the pain and holds on to that promise like a lifeline. “Shh,” Steve soothes him, sliding in slowly and then holding still. He parts Bucky’s lips with his own and distracts him, dipping in with his tongue and then coaxing Bucky out to do the same. After a few moments of their mouths tangling hotly, Bucky has relaxed. Steve smiles and noses at his cheek. “See? You’re okay.” He rolls his hips just the tiniest bit, and Bucky is shocked at the way it feels: not pain but—

“Ohmygod,” he gasps. “Oh, Steve.”

Steve grunts and sits back on his heels. He pushes Bucky’s legs towards his chest and thrusts in again, only this time it’s even better and Bucky cries out sharply. Steve grins and starts rolling his hips in that same way, creating a steady rhythm that makes the coil of pleasure at the base of Bucky’s spine grow tighter and tighter. He grunts and gasps as Steve fucks him, forgetting to be embarrassed of his body or the sounds he’s making. He grips onto the backs of Steve’s arms and wraps his legs around his waist to urge him on and make him go harder, deeper. All the while he stares up at the alpha, gasping “please, please,” and watching the unbearably arousing sight of his husband getting off inside his body. 

When Steve gets close, he starts to lose his rhythm. His breathing gets louder and he suddenly reaches down to grab Bucky’s cock, jerking him off frantically to get him to come. It doesn’t take but a few seconds. Bucky was already close to begin with, and Steve’s big hand squeezing hard over his length is more than enough to push him over the edge. He shouts as he comes, spilling over Steve’s hand and onto his stomach. Steve works him through it, then abandons his cock to chase his own pleasure. He ruts into Bucky harder for a few moments, and then he’s coming. He stays buried but knots outside: Bucky can feel his hand reaching down to squeeze himself rhythmically, like an omega’s body would do. Perhaps that would make Bucky burn with embarrassment and shame, that he couldn’t give that to Steve, except for the fact that Steve also stuffs his face in Bucky’s neck and bites him there, kissing and scraping his teeth and panting out little ‘thankyou, thankyou’s every chance he gets. As if Bucky's given him a gift.

He continues rocking their bodies together for a long time after he’s come, only stopping when his cock finally softens and slips out. Bucky inhales sharply at the feeling of sudden emptiness, and then the feeling of Steve’s seed as it starts to trickle out of his ass. He doesn’t have too much time to dwell on it, however, because soon Steve is shifting them around, lying on his back and pulling Bucky up against his side, encouraging him to lay his head on his chest. After a brief moment of hesitation, Bucky fully relaxes into it. And it feels nice to be cradled up against Steve’s warm, strong body, the smell of sex and satiation all around them.

“You’re so beautiful, Bucky,” Steve tells him, nuzzling down against his hair. “So sexy. Thank you. Thank you for letting me have you.”

Bucky manages to mumble something appreciative, but he keeps quiet after that, hiding his face against Steve’s chest and feigning sleep. He can’t say it, but he also can’t help but privately admit that he likes the way that Steve’s praise makes him feel. He’s never been looked at like this, has never been touched like Steve’s just touched him. After a long while has passed and he’s pretty sure that Steve has drifted off, he dares to whisper, “I never thought I’d do this. Not this soon. I’m only eighteen. And I …” He doesn’t say the last things he’s thinking of, and he’s glad he doesn’t when, after a moment goes by, Steve’s arm that’s around his waist tightens in a squeeze. Bucky gasps, cheeks burning at the realization that Steve’s heard him. “I—”

“It’s okay, Buck,” he says. “It’s okay. You’re allowed to have doubts, fears. I know this isn’t perfect. I know you didn’t want any of this so soon.” He strokes his back soothingly. “I’m your husband, your Headship, and I promise I’ll take care of you. Anything I can do to make you happy, I will. I want you to be happy.”

Bucky feels like he’s holding his breath as Steve speaks to him. The ‘Headship’ part rankles his nerves, but the sated feeling in his body and the memory of the pleasure Steve has just given him—when he made love to him, because that’s all it can be called—keeps him from saying anything disagreeable. Instead he just sighs against the skin of Steve’s chest and closes his eyes. He thinks about how he at least has a husband who wants to try and please him. … And who’s handsome, and really good in the bedroom. 

Bucky’s lips quirk as he thinks of that, and he murmurs out a soft, “Night, Steve,” as he closes his eyes, his wristband pressing up against Steve’s chest where his hand lies.

Steve’s kiss to the top of his head is barely felt. “Goodnight Bucky,” he whispers. His voice is quiet, but fond.

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#edwardian era #historical fanfiction #historical au #royalty au #forced marriage #first time #wedding night #enemies to lovers #arranged marriage au #arranged marriage #steve rogers fanfic #marvel #mcu #bucky barnes #stucky #steve rogers #steve rogers x bucky barnes #fanfiction #fanfic #a/b/o #steve and bucky #steve rogers fanfiction #steve rogers smut #steve x bucky #bucky barnes fanfiction #stucky fanfiction #alpha beta omega #alpha steve rogers #omegaverse #hurt/comfort

[the-letter-horror-lover]

Present…

“I don’t believe it,” muttered Kiba upon spotting an old woman with a baby carriage. “People actually live here. Yo, Asuma stop for a sec will ya?” The former Uchiha steward obeyed and pulled up alongside the woman.

“N-No don’t!” Hinata stammered as Kiba leapt out of the carriage and made to help the villager. “Y-You m-might hurt the baby!”

“Hey, speak up Hinata,” the shaggy haired boy called, the baby carriage already suspended above his head. Kiba never did really learn to control his monster strength. Realizing what he’d done, the Uchiha gardener immediately stammered an apology to the old villager and slammed the carriage back down.

“I-Is it ok?” Hinata asked, rushing over to help only to give out a shriek. Inside the baby buggy was a dog’s skeleton wrapped in rags, just as if it had been a real baby.

“There isn’t any baby anymore,” croaked the old woman. “It ate it.” She then cradled skeleton in her arms and began to rock it. “The white dog is a good dog, good,” she sang as she walked toward the village proper. “The black dog is a bad dog, bad…”

“Now do you see why we’re here?” Sasuke asked his butler. “There have been reports of villagers being violently murdered or have gone missing over the past ten years. Canis Collis is now reduced to a third of its original size. The other part of our task is to find out what’s been going on and put an end to it.

*******************************************************************

“Oh how a-adorable!” squealed Hinata as they passed a young farmer training his dog. “I-I-I’d like someone to hug me like that,” she added blushing as she snuck a glance toward a certain red haired butler.

“So they use the ‘reward and punishment’ method do they?” the demonic butler remarked, “However, dogs aren’t exactly completely innocent. They worship their human masters, all too happy to let you put chains around their necks. I find that hard to understand.”

“You’ve got something to say, Gaara? Just spit it out already,” spat Sasuke.

“It’s just that I truly despise dogs. Cats are far superior creatures.”

The Uchiha lord silently glared at the demon. The redhead knew of his allergy to cats and never missed a chance to mess with the boy. “Bow-wow!” he barked petulantly. He hadn’t missed the barb at the underground’s nickname for him hidden in that remark.

“You are Lord Uchiha, I assume?” a blue haired woman in maid’s dress inquired as Sasuke’s carriage drove up to a large manor house that was starting to show signs of neglect. Welcome to Ninken Castle, his lordship has been expecting you.”

Gaara’s icy teal eyes narrowed upon meeting her steel gray ones as the maid rose from her bow to smile at them. There was no mistaking this woman’s scent and it rankled him immensely.

Deidara let out a barely stifled wolf whistle at the maid’s apparent beauty, the pale blue paper flower peeking from under her cap, accenting her cornflower tresses perfectly. “W-Wow, w-what a p-pretty maid!” called Hinata, feeling even more inadequate against the other woman. For once Kiba was at a loss for words, haven immediately fallen under this mysterious beauty’s spell.

****************************************************************************

“This way if you please,” the maid said, opening the door to her master’s office only to immediately be set upon by the master’s whip.

“What is the meaning of this, Konan?!” he bellowed not ceasing his whipping, “What’s this Chihuahua doing here?! You were to escort the Hokage’s watch dog some spoiled runt of a Pomeranian!”

“Gaara.”

No need for explanation was needed, the demon instantaneously sprang into action and grabbed the man’s wrist just as he was about to strike the poor girl again.

“Unhand me at once you flea bitten, Rottweiler!” snarled the man, only to have the redhead smile evilly at him and increase the pressure upon the bone ever so slightly.

“He’ll only listen to me,” snapped the Uchiha lord.

“And just who the hell are you?!” the manor lord growled.

“I was under the impression that you must have received my letter by now. I am Lord Sasuke Uchiha,” replied the boy, sitting down smugly into a nearby chair.

“There is no way Lady Hokage would send a Toy Poodle like you!” their host spat indignantly.

“What have you got against small breeds, Lord Madara? Highly unfair if you ask me, since we both are so found of dogs.” The lord of the manor growled but reluctantly gave up. If that runt was indeed who he said he was, then he’d currently be the alpha dog in this situation.

***********************************************************************

“Allow me,” Gaara surreptitiously whispered into Konan’s ear, when he noticed how badly her hands were shaking as she attempted to pour their tea. The maid glanced at him quizzically, but gratefully stepped away from the tea cart.

“There is no deal. I will not sell Ninken Castle to anyone, Hokage or not,” Lord Madara snarled after reading through the proposal he’d been handed and slamming the stack of papers onto the table.

“And why not?” inquired the raven haired lord.

“The curse,” was the host’s reply.

“Come now, Lord Madara, surely you don’t think I’d back down at such childish nonsense. There is no curse and you know it,” retorted Sasuke.

“This is not children’s nonsense!” the older man yelled, shooting up from his seat. “We have been here on this land with our dogs for thousands of years! Anyone who dares to interfere with or go against my family has met very messy ends! Not even the Hokage is immune to this curse!”

“Is that so?” the fourteen-year-old queried, “I must say you’ve piqued my curiosity Lord Madara. I’d very much like to se this so-called curse of yours, what makes you so passionate about it.”

The man just stood there, towering over him and growling in frustration at this upstart’s flippancy.

***********************************************************************

“You’re the only servant in this entire house, un?!” the blond cook said in shock as he and the other Uchiha servants enjoyed some tea with Konan in the manor’s paltry kitchen.

“I-I’d never manage a-anything on my own, Konan-san. I’m impressed,” the violet haired maid admitted.

“You really flatter me. But, truthfully, it’s not that impressive. I do manage to mess up quite a bit.”

“Well if ya need us for anything, we’d be glad to help. Us servants have go to stick together, un. Right kid?” Deidara kicked the daydreaming gardener under the table, snapping out of his romantic fantasies with the blue haired maid.

“U-Um right!” Kiba piped rather hastily, blushing rather cutely.

“You’re all so kind to offer your aid, but I’ll be…”

Just then the bell for the master bedroom rang. “I have to go,” Konan said, rising from her seat immediately. “His lordship can be rather furious if I’m not prompt.”

****************************************************************************

Later…

“Oh Konan!” moaned Madara as he ran his hands all over her bare legs and rubbing his cheek against the silky soft milky white skin, her skirts bunched up into her lap. “That hag of a Hokage wants my village! You know what has to be done now, right? That I have to protect this village!” The maid merely sat as if she were nothing more than an expertly crafted porcelain doll, her face as blank and emotionless as one. “My Konan…” he moaned, “My lovely angel.”

************************************************************************

“Yes, what is it?” the Uchiha lord called upon the knock to the guest room door.

“What is it you need?” Gaara asked as Konan entered the chamber.

“I beg of you!” she pleaded, “Leave this place; leave the village. You can not be allowed to stay!”

“And why not?” the young lord demanded.

“I…” Konan was interrupted by the howl of a rather large dog, seemingly close to the manor. “T-The demon dog!” she gasped, frightened.

“Demon dog?” pressed Sasuke.

Konan whimpered, placing her head into her hands as the shadow of an enormous hound appeared behind the drawn curtains.

“Gaara!” barked the boy.

Once again the demonic servant sprang into action and flung open the curtains to only reveal… nothing but the bleak stony countryside.

“Well?” inquired the Uchiha lord.

“See for yourself, my lord,” the redheaded butler replied, moving aside.

A glowing figure of a dog could be seen running towards the village.

***********************************************************************

“Oi! What’s with all the noise, un?” Deidara asked sleepily as he and his fellow servants came bustling out of the manor.

“The demon dog came here,” Konan grimly explained, “Anyone who goes against his lordship’s family is punished by that fiend. Such is our way. There is no way to stop that hellish hound.”

“Konan!” shouted the village headsman, as he and the entire village came running up to them. “What is going on?! The demon dog is back in the village again! His lordship must be told at once!”

“W-Who was it?” asked the maid, visibly shaken. She knew all too well that someone had just been ‘punished’ by the demon dog.

***********************************************************************

The body of the young farmer they had seen earlier that day lay before his kennel, blood and bite marks littered his rapidly cooling corpse.

“Don’t you dare touch him!” Lord Madara roared upon seeing the raven haired lord about to inspect the farmer. “So it was Izumi this time.”

“He broke the law,” one man said, “We’re only allowed five dogs each. Izumi had six.” “He should have seen it coming then,” sneered Lord Madara.

“How can ya be so cruel, un?!” demanded Deidara.

“How dare you!” snarled the manor lord. “That dog is what protects this village as well as the guardian of my family! It had every right to punish those who go against my rule!”

“The white dog is a good dog, good,” the villagers began chanting eerily, “The black dog is a bad dog, bad….”

“You’re lucky it had other prey tonight, outsiders,” Lord Madara said turning to leave.

“I believe it’s your move, master,” said Gaara, his eyes never leaving Konan for an instant as she began following her master.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next day found the Uchiha servants moping about in the rear of Ninken Castle. “Worst. Vacation. Ever, un,” griped Deidara as he slumped over a crate.

“I-It can’t be that bad,” stuttered Hinata.

“What’s going on?” asked Gaara coming over to them, “I thought you were thrilled to have this vacation.”

“Yeah, about that…” started the cook.

“It’s still a vacation, regardless of this unsavory turn of events,” the demonic butler interjected, grinning very much like a Cheshire cat as he produced a picnic basket and bathing suits for all. “You should be relaxing and not moping about.”

At the sight of the food, everyone’s mood brightened considerably. Within minutes, the men were changed into their bathing gear and happily splashing about in a nearby lake.

“Now this is relaxin’, un!” called Deidara, “It’s been ages since I’ve gone swimin’ and this here lake’s not even cold, un!”

“Oi, Hinata! C’mon and hurry it up already!” shouted Kiba toward the lake’s changing shed.

“I-I-I-I c-c-c-can’t! I-I-I-I-I-It’s…” the lilac eyed maid answered, her head peeking out from the curtain, which was redder than her lord’s cherished tomatoes.

“Aww, c’mon, Hina-chan!” whined the blond, “How often do ya get to go swimming; un?!”

It was several moments before the maid gathered her courage and timidly stepped from the shed and into the lake. Deidara stopped his splashing to stare open mouthed at the vision before them. There stood the very vision of a nymph dressed in a pale lavender one-piece suit. The cut of the bathing suit was made to the girl’s exact measurements and showed off her womanly figure to perfection, especially her well toned legs; the high cut making them appear much longer.

“I-I-I-I’m s-s-s-so embar-barrassed!” she stammered, desperately trying to hide herself from the others’ eyes.

“Wow, Hinata!” said Kiba, unused to seeing his fellow servant in so little clothing, “You… uh… look great!”

“R-Really?”

“Yep. I bet you’d look even better without those glasses, un!” added Deidara, making to grab said spectacles.

“N-N-N-N-No! D-D-D-Don’t!” she cried and ran from him, starting an all out, no holds barred splashing match between the Uchiha servants.

“You’re not joining them, young master?” queried the demonic butler. Sasuke had opted to just sit in a beach chair a safe distance from his rambunctious servants and read one of his many books. “Oh I see,” Gaara realized upon receiving an icy glare from the Uchiha lord. “You can’t…”

“I just don’t feel like getting wet!” snapped the boy, “Stop making such a fuss, what’s so great about swimming anyway? It’s just a resort.”

“So you actually plan to make that ruse into truth?”

“Of course, it’s what she ordered, isn’t it?”

“Oh? What about that demon dog from last night?” queried the redhead, refilling the fourteen-year-old’s lemonade glass.

“Since when were you one to pay attention to local superstitions Gaara? You and I both know it’s some sort of trick. By the way, I’d like a word with you.”

“Oh hiya, Konan!” called Kiba, waving from the lake upon spotting the maid sitting on their picnic blanket, a parasol shading her from the sun.

Sasuke glanced over to her before returning to whispering to his demonic servant. “Go,” he ordered, once his instructions had been delivered.

“Right away, my lord,” Gaara replied, turning to leave.

“You’re being rather obedient today,” remarked the raven haired fourteen-year-old, “Considering that you ‘despise dogs’.”

“I absolutely loathe them,” the red haired demon replied, “I’d like to get this over with as soon as possible. Before all hell breaks loose,” adding the last bit under his breath.

About an hour later, the Uchiha servants had enough of their frolicking and were ready for lunch. As always, Gaara had outdone himself for each of them were treated to a feast of all their favorite picnic foods.

“Try some, Konan,” Kiba said offering the other maid a cucumber sandwich, blushing quite a bit.

“You don’t mind sharing?” the cerulean haired woman asked shyly, “that was made for you after all.”

“N-Not at all, Konan-san,” stammered Hinata, “G-Go ahead, it’s delicious. G-Gaara-san’s a r-really g-g-good cook!”

“They got him! They got the bad dog!” yelled a group of villagers from across the lake. “We can’t be late for the punishment!”

**********************************************************************

Outside of Canis Collis, the entire village had gathered at the makeshift arena they used for their dog fights. The ‘bad dog’ they had mentioned was no other than the now deceased farmer’s sixth dog Sasuke and the others had seen yesterday. The dog was chained to the ruins of an ancient stone wall topped with wooden stakes, all the while growling furiously at the gathered humans.

“Oi!” called on of the men, “It’s got sumfink in its mouth!”

“Get it out!” called another.

A third man approached the still growling animal, brandishing a club. “Give it, ‘ere dog!” he demanded only to receive a warning bite to the leg. “Ya damned mutt! I’ll show ya!” he growled back, striking the poor dog with the club. “Let go! Give it here! Filthy animal!”

“Such a poorly trained dog,” Lord Madara said, as the villager repeatedly hit the stubborn pooch with the club. “Start the punishment!” he commanded.

Several villagers released their own dogs who had been anxious to attack their restrained kinsman. They rushed him en masse, hungry for blood.

“S-Stop,” whimpered Kiba, the sight of the dogs attacking each other forcing memories of his own horrible past as a test subject to the front of his mind. “T-This is wrong. Let. The. Poor. Dog. GO!!!!” he screamed at the top of his lungs, causing the jeering and cheering villagers to stop in their tracks. Before any of them could blink, the shaggy haired gardener rushed past them and lifted one of the enormous stakes scattered through the arena floor right out of the ground.

“Get the hell off him!” he bellowed, swinging the stake and causing the attacking dogs to be scattered about like croquet balls.

“Kiba!” shouted Sasuke and the others, running to join their distraught comrade.

“How dare they butt in!” fumed one of the villagers. That one statement spread like wildfire through the rest and soon every man, woman and child were ready for a mob lynching upon these interlopers.

The Uchiha lord knew they were outnumbered and refused to give the order to attack back. within minutes, the boy’s servants were tied to another stake while Sasuke was chained to the wall by his arms and legs next to the barely breathing dog.

“Please, master!” begged Konan, “Show the boy some mercy this once! He and the others are outsiders!”

“That much is true, Konan,” replied the village lord. “That scrawny pup is also Her Ladyship’s own guard dog. However, if I can’t reason with the runt…” He left the rest unsaid; all present knew what would be the boy’s fate. “Leave here at once!” he demanded, “Tell your mistress to never send her minions to this village ever again! It doesn’t need her interfering in things she’d never understand!”

“Hn. You’re pathetic, Lord Madara,” was the scoffed reply, “You’re only holding onto that power of yours through lies, trickery, and foolish superstition. The only ‘bad dog’ I see is right in front of me.”

“Insolent Pekingese!” snarled the larger man, “You’ll learn what happens when a terrier challenges a mastiff like me! Sick him!”

At that command, the recovering dogs quickly leapt into action, hungry for more blood and violence. But before a single one could reach their prey, an enormous wall of sand rose up between the Uchiha lord and the dogs. Just as quickly as it had come, the grainy substance fell to the ground to reveal Sasuke’s butler, an expression of utter disgust upon his handsome face. Sensing that something was not quite right about this new opponent, some of the dogs hesitated and started whimpering, giving him the chance to knock them away from his master.

“Your timing’s getting sloppy,” complained Sasuke.

“And you’re still getting into trouble, my lord,” quipped the demon, “I do apologize for my tardiness.”

“You damned Doberman!” bellowed Madara, “Kill him!”

The dogs, those that were still conscious, gave a few warning growls otherwise, they were being extra cautious with this odd smelling human.

“Such harsh voices,” the demonic servant lamented, “That’s one of the many reasons I despise such creatures as these.” Gaara’s eyes narrowed to slits of black and gold. The dogs gave frightened whimpers and immediately la down, their tails tucked under them.

“W-What the hell did you do?!” sputtered the village lord.

“Enough of this travesty, Madara,” called Sasuke, “Everyone listen! The demon dog is a fake! That man’s been tricking you all these years because of his obsession with power! He’d do anything to keep that power!”

“P-Prove it!” challenged Madara.

“There is this for one thing,” the redhead retorted, pulling a dog’s skull from one of the unconscious dogs’ mouth, “It was at your manor. The marks on the corpse of last night match perfectly with this skull’s teeth.” There was a gasp from crowd. “Also,” he continued placing a portable slide projector onto the ground then turned it on. The shadow of a large dog appeared on the thick gray clouds above. “That is the demon dog’s true form; nothing more than a mere parlor trick. As for the glowing, ordinary phosphor ground into dust,” he added producing a glowing crystal vial of said dust.

“So you see,” piped the fourteen-year-old, “Madara is nothing but a power hungry liar.”

“All circumstantial!” protested the exposed lord, “You can’t actually prove I was behind it all!”

“Really now, Lord Madara?” mocked Gaara, going over to the chained dog. “You did your duty to your master,” he said to the animal with begrudging respect. In an ironic sort of way, one could almost call him a dog himself. “Rest now, I’ll see to it from here.” The dog weakly wagged its tail in thanks and released what he’d been so doggedly hanging onto from his mouth before giving one last whimper and closing his eyes.

“My, what do we have here?” called the butler, grinning, “Pretty expensive fabric for a farmer’s dog to be playing with. Wonder why it was so important to him. Quite unusual behavior don’t you think, Lord Madara?” He then held up the torn bit of cloth for all to see.

“T-T-T-That’s…!” stammered the village lord, recognizing he was in serious trouble now.

“A bit of your trousers I believe,” Gaara finished grimly, “That animal there tore it off of you as you attacked his master.”

The now denounced man gave a frightened grown as he attempted to back away only to find himself surrounded by the once again incensed mob of villagers, each one shouting their opinions, demands and questions.

“You’ve lost, Madara!” shouted the Uchiha lord.

One of the villagers yanked their lord’s pants leg up. Upon seeing the still red and bleeding teeth marks, the mob fell upon Madara and promptly started carrying him back to the village with him vehemently protesting his innocence.

“T-T-Thank g-g-goodness that’s over,” Hinata said, once they were all freed.

“You’re a good boy,” Kiba said solemnly, crouching down to pet the wounded animal. “You defended and protected your master to the very end.” He clasped the dog’s body to his chest in a most unusual bout of gentleness, rivers of tears falling down upon his tattooed cheeks. “S-Such a good, good boy you were!” he wailed.

“Yet another reason for me to despise dogs,” huffed the demon.

************************************************************************

“This case is closed, don’t you think?” Sasuke asked later that evening. “We’ll leave as soon as this rain stops.”

“Yes, young master,” his redheaded butler replied, not pausing in turning down his master’s bed for the night.

************************************************************************

A bloodcurdling scream ran through the castle, causing Deidara and Kiba to rush down to the dungeon where Hinata had been sent to feed the now imprisoned Madara.

“Oi! You ok, Hina-chan?” asked the frantic cook.

The frightened maid could only point and whimper as she sat on the floor, the tray of food lay scattered about, forgotten a few feet away.

Before them lay the corpse of Lord Madara, his crimson blood splattered all over the cell walls and a thick pool was rapidly gathering on the floor. Behind the murdered man was a giant gaping hole, indicating an enormous amount of power or an equally enormous entity had broken in.

~TBC~

Chapter 8: Episode 8

Chapter Text

Episode 8

The frightened maid could only point and whimper as she sat on the floor, the tray of food lay scattered about, forgotten a few feet away.

Before them lay the corpse of Lord Madara, his crimson blood splattered all over the cell walls and a thick pool was rapidly gathering on the floor. Behind the murdered man was a giant gaping hole, indicating an enormous amount of power or an equally enormous entity had broken in.

“The hell?!!” cried the blond cook as he stared in utter disbelief at what they had seen.

“Lord Madara!!” Konan gasped as she came running after Sasuke and Gaara. She was about to demand what was happening when a loud knocking resounded throughout the manor.

After rushing to answer the rather urgent and insistent knocking, they were greeted with a very frantic and out of breath villager.

“I-It’s the d-devil dog!” he panted, “I-It’s down in the village!”

*****************************************************************

A few minutes later found the group out in the in the pouring rain back at the ruined wall they’d been chained to mere hours ago. The entire village and even some of their dogs were kneeling before it, chanting the odd nursery rhyme they’d heard earlier. No one cared they were in danger of catching pneumonia, so frightened were they.

“Oi! What the heck are ya doin’, un?!” Deidara snapped, shaking one of the praying men. “Snap outta it, un!”

Gaara made his way past the throng and crouched down to examine what was lying on the ground. Before them was Lord Madara’s hand, the lord’s signet ring still on its ring finger. Icy teal orbs narrowed at the obvious teeth marks barely visible at the jagged edge of the wrist.

“Great devil dog!” cried a woman, “Forgive us!”

Upon recognizing her master’s ring, poor Konan fainted dead away, the shock of finding her employer’s body and severed hand adding to the already piled up stress of the day.

Kiba rushed over to his crush, carefully cradling her limp body as gently as he possibly could, given his monstrous strength.

*************************************************************************

“Rather regrettable don’t you think, my lord?” Gaara queried once they’d been settled back in Ninken Castle’s drawing room. “That such a thing should occur now that we’ve solved this case. You must be a tad irritated.

To say irritated, was quite the understatement at the moment. The young nobleman was rather furious that the perpetrator had gone and gotten himself murdered and dismembered. “That’s enough, Gaara,” the fourteen-year-old snapped.

The redheaded demon decided to leave his current teasing of his master and turned to other matters at hand. “Where is Konan?” he asked the three Uchiha servants.

“S-S-She’s resting, i-in her room,” Hinata stammered, “S-S-She looked s-s-so worn out. Poor thing.”

“Got that right, un,” agreed Deidara.

“This place has totally cut itself off from the rest of the world,” Sasuke began, “All because of this ridiculous curse. I was dead certain it was Lord Madara who made up this whole ‘devil dog’ mess. All so that he could have total control over the village. However, with him gone, this case has been reopened. I need to think things over again.”

“Those were bites all over his body weren’t they, un?” the blond cook asked, “You know, young master, maybe these folks are right about there bein’ a demon dog, un.”

“M-M-Maybe it’s a-angry for b-being blamed for L-L-Lord Madara’s actions,” added the violet haired maid.

“Be as that may,” Gaara started, “we can only be sure of one thing. Whatever killed his lordship wasn’t human.”

*************************************************************************

“Something the matter, young master?” queried the demonic butler as he readied his charge for bed.

“I don’t like how you phrased it earlier,” replied Sasuke, “No human killed Lord Madara. Were you implying it was that dobe of a shinigami again?”

“My, how fast you’re learning these days,” smirked Gaara. “But you are incorrect in thinking it was ‘him’ this time, my lord. I do believe that Hinata’s thought may not be wholly mistaken. This ‘devil dog’ had been after his lordship therefore, I do not believe you or anyone else is in danger at the present,” he went on, hanging up his master’s suit.

“I can’t hand her majesty such shoddy information,” the boy spat petulantly.

“I am touched by your loyalty to your Hokage, young master.”

“That’s not what I meant. There’s more to this case, and you know it, Gaara. Why else would you be so flustered when you’re the one’s who’s usually so calm and steadfast? This thing you have against dogs intrigues me.”

“Indeed, you are learning fast each day, my lord.”

*****************************************************************************

Meanwhile in the servants’ quarters…

Kiba, having been unable to sleep, was wandering down the hall toward Konan’s room. “I hope she’s ok,” he whispered to himself. He’d been extremely worried ever since the poor woman had fainted outside at the wall. There was a sudden creaking sound and he froze. “W-Who’s there?” he called.

He was suddenly glomped onto by a violet haired blur in a nightdress.

“Oi!” he hissed, “What are you doing, Hinata?!”

“I-I-I heard a s-spooky s-sound,” the maid stammered, releasing the rattled gardener.

“You too, huh? What do you think it was?”

“I-I-It could b-b-be L-L-L-Lord M-Madara b-b-b-back for r-r-revenge,” she replied, shivering from the chill of the hall and fear before letting out a squeal.

“U-Um, Hinata,” Kiba asked, giving her a puzzled look, “Why are you happy about that?”

“I-I, um, a-adore s-spooky stories,” she answered. “L-Let’s go ghost hunting!” Before he could even blink, the enthusiastic maid had once again latched onto the brunet and dragged him off toward the source of the creak…

…which had seemed to be coming from Konan’s room.

The door was slightly ajar and the candle they had left behind was still burning as its glow could be seen from the inches wide opening. Curious, Hinata ran to the door only to have her face heat up and turn beet red.

Inside was, Konan, wide awake and giggling. On top of her was a naked man with short spiky white hair and he was licking all over her face and neck. “T-That tickles!” she admonished between giggles, “Not so fast. Slow down.” The man obeyed and slowed his movements, “That’s a good boy,” praised the maid.

Outside the room, Kiba’s heart was breaking upon seeing his crush enjoying the company of another. “Oooh, how scandalous!” whispered Hinata, quickly pinching her bleeding nose. “H-How could m-miss Konan a-act like this? H-Her master w-was just killed h-hours ago! K-Kiba?” she queried when she received no answer from the gardener.

The poor male was sullenly heading back to his room, devastated to learn that he never even had a chance with the angelic woman. Unable to bear it any longer, the brunet ran down the hall as fast as he could and straight out of the house into the still pouring rain, knocking several trees down in his wake.

*************************************************************

“O…hayo, un!” yawned Deidara as he entered the kitchen, an equally tired and unusually reserved Hinata following behind. A rather haggard and forlorn Kiba joined the two a few moments later, not bothering to acknowledge the others as they sat down at the table.

“Ohayo,” called Konan as she brought them a pitcher of milk and glasses.

“Should ya be out of bed, un?” asked the blond, “it can’t be easy for ya, right now, un.”

“I’m fine, thank you,” she replied with a smile, “I must apologize for all this trouble though. His lordship would have been so disappointed in my weakness. He always did value showing guests the proper courtesy. What’s the matter, Kiba-kun, you look a bit pale. Are you unwell?”

The brunet refused to look the woman who’d stolen his heart then crushed it to bits in the eyes. “J-Just a cold!” he sputtered backing away from her as she made to touch him. “Y-You’d better stay away or you might catch it!” He then dashed out of the kitchen, leaving the others to wonder at his sudden odd behavior.

“Pretty spry for a sick guy, if ya ask me, un,” quipped the Uchiha cook.

“K-Kiba!” Hinata called, running over to the brunet sitting on one of the fallen trees.

*******************************************************************

“You seem calmer,” Sasuke remarked to the redhead at his side, digging into his blackberry cake.

“Only because we’re not being rushed this time,” replied Gaara.

“G-G-G-Gaara-san!!!” screamed Hinata as she slammed open the dining room doors.

“What did you break this time?” the butler bemoaned.

“I-It’s miss Konan,” sputtered Kiba, joining his frantic fellow servant. “We can’t find her anywhere!”

“Yeesh, un!” Deidara griped, “She’s out in the field somewhere, you two. Said she was goin’ to pick some herbs for medicine, un.”

“Y-Y-You let her go alone?!” sputtered the maid, “W-What a-about th-the devil d-dog?!”

“Crap!” spat the blond, realizing his mistake.

“Why the heck would she do that?!” demanded Kiba, “She knew that that thing’s still runnin’ around!”

"She was worried about ya, un,” replied Deidara, “Since you’ve got a cold, un.”

"Because I said… Oh no!” Kiba then rushed back out of the house.

“Oi! You’re comin’ too Gaara, un!” the cook ordered, dashing after the gardener. The redheaded demon remained where he stood, “Hmph! Some red-blooded man you are, Gaara!” spat Deidara, “C’mon Hinata, we can find her without his help, un!”

“Y-Yes, sir!”

“Oi, where’s Asuma, un?”

“Over here you two,” the former Uchiha steward answered. He was dressed in full safari gear, complete with a rifle.

“Now there’s a real man, un!” cheered the blond cook, “Alright, forward march, troops!” The impromptu squad promptly ran out of the manor in search of the missing maid.

“By the way, Gaara,” piped Sasuke, after wiping his mouth of blackberry juice, “What color is your blood?” The demon refused to answer. “No matter. It seems we’re being rushed again, doesn’t it? Make sure you give me a spectacular show. That’s an order Gaara.”

“Yes, young master,” the demonic servant replied, bowing slightly.

**************************************************************************

“Konan-san!” called the Uchiha servants as they searched through the open countryside of the village. “Konan-san!”

“Where are you?!” shouted Kiba, feeling immensely guilty that the maid was out in that wasteland alone because of his lie.

"Aaaaaah!!!!” screamed Hinata, causing her blond companion hurry over to her.

“What is it, Hinata-chan, un?” he queried. She pointed at the rather gruesome sight she’d come across. Straight ahead appeared to be a field littered with what seemed to be human corpses, but these were blackened and misshapen. Though the resemblance to human limbs was uncanny.

“I-I h-hope w-w-w-e don’t get any more surprises,” she stammered. Ghosts were one thing, but trees in the forms of human bodies were another.

“Oi, isn’t that….” Deidara started, noticing an all too familiar hand and ring sticking out from a mound not too far away.

“L-Lord M-Madara’s hand,” finished the violet haired maid.

Before any of them could investigate, an enormous howl rang through the area causing them to rush and duck behind a nearby boulder. Shortly afterward, the naked man Kiba and Hinata came walking by and stopped before the mound that had caught the blond’s attention. Now that they could get a better look at the still naked stranger, Hinata noticed that the man’s nails were black and much longer than normal also the barest hint of a fang or two peeked from his mouth, giving him a rather animalistic appearance.

The stranger sniffed at the hand and moved it to another part of the mound, sniffing again, satisfied.

“It’s a trophy, un,” Deidara whispered, “That guy probably killed Lord Madara and not some mystical demon dog, un.”

“H-H-He’s strangely attractive,” muttered the maid, clutching her nose in her hands and desperately trying not to stare at a certain part of his anatomy.

“So if he killed him,” went on the cook, “then why, un? A grudge?”

“M-M-Maybe K-Konan-san asked him to,” suggested Hinata, remembering what she and the gardener had seen the night before.

“Why’d ya say that Hinata-chan?”

"Yeah!” protested Kiba. No matter who she may be with at the moment, the poor heartbroken brunet still had feelings for the cornflower haired maid. “Do go accusin’ folks like that! She’s got nothing to do with this!”

“Sssh!!!” hissed Hinata and Deidara.

However, it was too late for the man had heard Kiba’s shouting and caught scent of the intruders. He slowly turned around, licking his lips as he locked eyes with Kiba who had the classic deer caught in the headlights look.

Just as he was sure he was done for, a thundering sound came roaring closer and closer until the villagers were seen running enmasse, each and everyone dressed in bathing gear. “Oi!” Deidara called, “what the heck’s going on, un?”

“We’re going to bath in the waterfall to please the devil dog,” replied one of the men.

“We heard its hideous howling all through the night last night,” the old woman who he’d been giving a piggyback ride went on to explain.

"It’s still angry!” added another man.

'It must have been Kiba-kun,’ thought Hinata, the memory of the brunet’s heart-wrenching cries still fresh in her mind.

It seemed that the gardener had been thinking the same thing and hightailed it out of there before he’d cause the poor villagers anymore suffering, forcing the other servants to dash off after him.

****************************************************************************

Not too long later, the group found themselves at the ruins of an old church. Suddenly another howl rang, making them jump. As the afternoon mist slowly began to thin out, before them stood a white wolfish looking dog as big as a small house, its fur bristling. The beast open its enormous jaws to reveal razor sharp fangs. Its eyes were a fiery red that reflected the fires of hell itself.

“Well, I’ll be,” said an awed cook, “the darned thing’s real after all, un.”

“D-D-Devil d-d-d-dog!” stammered Hinata, pointing at it.

The demonic canine growled then swiftly began charging towards them.

“No!” whispered Kiba, noticing a scrap of fabric caught in the dog’s nails. “What did you do to her!!” he screamed commencing a charge of his own.

“K- Kiba!!!” yelled Hinata, too late to stop her fellow servant.

The brave or perhaps reckless and stupid gardener latched onto one tree sized foreleg only to be swung about as the devil dog attempted to throw him off.

"Gimme that, un!” the blond cook demanded as he snatched Asuma’s rifle from the older man’s hands. “You’re about to see what a real man can do, un!” he crowed as he took aim and…

BANG!!!

However instead of bullets, confetti and colored streamers sprang from the weapon.

“Damn it, Asuma! Why’d ya bring a pea shooter toy with ya, un?!!”

Meanwhile the hellish hound had succeeded on throwing the brunet off of its leg and was about to slash at it with its gigantic talons. Hinata and the others could only stare in fright, unable to save their friend.

“Well, well,” came a new voice, “Someone’s trained you well. You even know how to ‘shake hands.”

Before them stood Gaara, the devil dog’s paw in his hand.

“T-Thanks Gaara,” Kiba once the shock wore off, “you were just in time.”

The demonic butler ignored the boy, too focused on the matter at hand. “As well trained as you are,” he sneered, “I’m afraid we can’t keep you.” With that, the redheaded demon threw the much larger animal causing it to land several meters away.

“We don’t have time to play with puppies,” Sasuke retorted, approaching the group.

“Young master!” the servants cried in surprise.

“I’m about to finish up here, my lord,” Gaara replied.

The demonic pooch rose to its feet and paused, sniffing an enticing scent.

“Is this what you smell, mutt?” the redhead asked, producing a box of rather expensive doggie treats.

The devil dog began to salivate and let out an excited bark then rushed toward the offered goodies. Hinata shrieked in worry for her superior.

“There’s only one fool-proof way to get a dog to behave itself,” Gaara started, his eyes turning black with gold diamonds, “Reward and Punishment. First a reward.” He then leapt onto the hound’s head and began nibbling just above its nose. The dog stopped in its tracks and shut its eyes in pleasure. This strange human was good at what he was doing. Too good. He immediately sat down on his haunches and let out a giddy howl.

“Uh…” wondered Kiba, “Just what is he doing?”

“I-It looks l-like… training?” Hinata suggested.

“You’ve had your reward,” Gaara said, leaping into the air, “Now punishment!” he then promptly kicked the devil dog’s side knocking the pooch back a few feet and onto its side. “Good boy,” he said holding out the box of treats again, causing the canine to drool once again. “Bad dog!” the butler punched him on the chin.

This went on for several minutes until it hand gotten so rough that as the two were barreling to the ground at super sonic speed, their combined impact created an enormous hole dead center in a square of crumbling bricks.

“G-Gaara-san!” Hinata cried, rushing up to the hole, the others following behind.

“That’s enough horsing around, Gaara,” snapped Sasuke, irritated at his butler’s antics, “Get up here this instant!”

“Yes, young master,” echoed the demonic servant’s voice from deep within the hole.

There was a strange low rumbling from the hole and suddenly, the area was pelted with steaming hot water as it gushed from within the earth.

“If we’re to make this place a resort for the Hokage,” Gaara said, from inside the still shooting geyser, “It’ll need a main attraction don’t you think? A natural hot spring would be just the thing to make tourists forget their worries.”

The water eventually died slightly down to reveal a remarkably dry redhead, a naked white haired man in his arms. He then leapt off the watery platform. “Some butler I’d be if I wasn’t able to locate such an attraction as this.” It was at that moment that the man in Gaara’s arms chose to – much to his disgust – lick the redhead’s cheek, causing poor Hinata to hurriedly pinch her bleeding nose.

“Akamaru!” shouted Konan, hurrying over to them.

"Aka… maru?” parroted Gaara. That thing had a name?!

The naked man leapt from Gaara’s hold, letting out a happy bark and rushed over to the blue haired woman. He then proceeded to lick her face in excitement. “Good boy,” she crooned, stroking his spiky locks.

Once things had calmed down a bit, Konan sat on a few stones, ‘Akamaru’s’ head in her lap as he began to doze off. “I must apologize to you all,” she said, stroking the man’s hair again, “I found Akamaru last month, and being the huge dog lover I am, I simply had to take this little cutie home.”

“Little… cutie?!” sputtered the cook and violet haired maid.

“Akamaru does have the nasty habit of turning into a human whenever he’s overly excited though.”

“Lady, ya’ve got to be nuts if you call that a habit, un!” snapped Deidara.

“So basically what you’re saying,” interjected Gaara, “is that you kept from anyone finding out about him for this past month.”

“Yes,” she replied, “Lord Madara had been using that old legend to control the people well before I found him. However, the one who believed in that legend and feared it most was his lordship. No telling what he’d done if he knew about Akamaru. It’s my fault that my sweet boy is so spoiled. I’d never thought for an instant he’d hurt Lord Madara. I beg of you, Lord Uchiha!” she pleaded, “I beg you to take Akamaru with you. I know it’s all so sudden and inconvenient, but he can no longer stay here!”

“Now I know you’re crazy!” protested the cook. “There’s no way we’re keeping a monster like that, un!”

“But if you were to train him, Gaara-san…”

“Absolutely not,” refused the demonic butler, “I’m a butler not some dog whisperer.”

"It might be amusing,” the fourteen-year-old Uchiha piped.

“Young master…” began the redheaded demon, “Surely you don’t mean to order me…”

“I do and I am, Gaara,” smirked the boy.

“As you wish, my lord,” the demon sighed reluctantly.

Just then the villagers came rushing toward them, still dressed in their bathing gear. “The curse!” someone shouted gleefully, “The devil dog’s curse has been broken!”

“What are you going on about now,” demanded Sasuke.

“There is another legend,” explained Konan, “That once we’ve atoned for our ancestor’s sins against dogs, the land will cry tears of joy.”

“What fools,” jeered Gaara, “Surely someone must have known about the hot spring being here all along.”

“Obviously not,” quipped his young charge, “Anyway, our job is done Gaara.”

******************************************************************

A few weeks later, the young lord and his entourage were back at Canis Collis to inspect the progress of the construction of the Hokage’s new resort. “Quite a change,” the boy remarked as he leaned back against the pool, enjoying the heat of the water, “it’s just perfect. Do you think Lady Tsunade would approve?” he asked his demonic servant as the redhead slid a tray of tea and cookies into the water.

“I am sure, but I have a feeling my concerns are only going to increase as he frowned at the currently human Akamaru who was blissfully doggy-paddling to and fro in the water.

*******************************************************************

“Just a moment,” Konan called as the Uchiha group was about to leave, “I was able to procure this for Akamaru.” She then produced a spiked leather collar and proceeded to put it around the humanoid canine. “Now you be a good boy for these nice people Akamaru,” she said, kissing his cheek, “and don’t forget me ok?”

“Oi!” griped Deidara, eyeing the demonic dog balefully, “put some damn clothes on if you’re gonna stay like that, un!”

“Um… Konan-san,” stammered Kiba. He never did get to settle things with the maid.

"We’ll see each other again, Kiba-kun,” she replied giving him a quick peck on the cheek, “my dear boy.”

“We’ll be off then,” said Gaara.

"Maybe I’ll come for a visit, to see how Akamaru’s adjusting.”

The demon butler frowned slightly, “That may not be good,” he replied, “It’s no easy task to tame a devil dog. I doubt there aren’t that many people who can do so. That’s quite a skill you have, being able to subdue lesser beings like that.”

Konan’s golden eyes narrowed slightly at the veiled challenge.

"Gaara,” called Sasuke, “I’m anxious to get back.”

The redhead obeyed and snapped the reins to his carriage while Deidara did the same with the other carrying the servants and demonic pup. “I hope ya come visit!” called Kiba as they drove off.

Once they were far enough away, the cornflower haired maid smiled. “Oh I will,” she said, an eerie tone to her voice, “Someday soon.”

~TBC~

#black butler fanfiction

[leapyearkisses]

Nice Work If You Can Get It - (m/m) Eliseo/Padgett

So after a year of abject depression, I’ve decided I still like my writing so I’m reuploading it. For the time being, requests are not on the table. I have definitely flaked out on some people and I’m really sorry for that. :( Hopefully if people still want to read what’s already done though, this will be okay.

NSFW, MESS, CONTAGION - Eliseo has hired Padgett to get him sick.

___

"All right... close your eyes." Eliseo swallowed and did so, blocking out his bedroom, the red-gold sunset light pouring in from the windows, and Padgett, who was straddling his hips. He could still hear, quite easily, the other man's labored breathing and feel the heat of his thighs... and his crotch. Eliseo was under no illusion that he was in an incredibly compromising position at the moment. He hadn't thought much about the.. particulars when he'd first decided to strike this deal. "Are we really doing this?" he asked, voice weak.

Padgett laughed, voice tumbled and edging on hoarse. "Hey now. Not getting cold feet are we, my lord?" His exhale ghosted over Eliseo's forehead and his tousled black hair touched Eliseo's cheek. Eliseo cleared his throat. "No..." He could imagine the other man's smug look. They'd known each other long enough now that the image rose unbidden to his mind's eye. Padgett's eyes always glittered like opals when he was scheming something. The man surprised him with a tender touch on the shoulder, and Eliseo almost opened his eyes again. "The safe word is 'pumpernickel,'" Padgett said, managing not to chuckle. "We can stop whenever you want... Hhk-" He fought off a gasp. "Decide hh quickly, though." Eliseo shivered. "I'm okay. Let's do it." He didn't want to admit it, but Padgett's reassurance did put him at ease, even if this had been his idea to begin with. He relaxed and tried to lose himself in the late afternoon heat. "Yehh-s, my lord." Padgett leaned forward and took a shaky breath. It stuttered and caught on invisible hooks, sounding at once to be full of potential and then gone again, like a ghost vanishing at the window. Eliseo could feel his body tightening again with anticipation, especially when Padgett gasped and leaned back. "Hh-... hah-- "Huh-ktschht!" A warm rush of air burst in Eliseo's face, almost immediately followed by a watery spray over his forehead, closed eyes, and nose. His instant reaction was to curl back, or try to, and he had his hands braced on Padgett's chest before he could think about it. "Hey now," said Padgett, delayed by a sniffle. His tone was light. "Easy. You specified this in the contract, remember?" He rested his hands lightly on Eliseo's wrists. "How are you feeling about it?" Eliseo found he was holding his breath, but-- Well, that would defeat the purpose of this exercise. He cautiously let it go and then opened his eyes. Padgett was gazing down at him, looking neither smug nor concerned, just curious. "I- this was on instinct," Eliseo murmured. After a beat, he lowered his hands, and Padgett let him go easily. "Yes, I imagine so. It's natural." Padgett smiled then, and then his expression crinkled. "Wh- hh- want to do it again? Hkt-- hhh..." Eliseo forced himself to surrender again to his pillows. "Yes." Again, he closed his eyes. Padgett shifted forward on his lap and oh- but then he was sneezing once more. "Huh- hktsschit!" Again, the spray. This time it dusted over Eliseo's nose and mouth. He fought to keep from thinning his lips and... took a deeper breath. Padgett hadn't moved, was still fighting with his own lungs, reeling in another insistent sneeze like a stubborn trout. "Huh- hh... hh hh huh-" He made an annoyed sound. "Hah-- hah-krttschtts!" Eliseo felt droplets of saliva decorate his cheekbone. Padgett sniffled thickly. "...Bless you," Eliseo murmured. He was feeling hot. Maybe it was Padgett on top of him. The man was running a fever. "You are... doing the job admirably." That earned him a laugh. Padgett shifted his weight to his heels, which did interesting things to his cock's relation to Eliseo's own. "Thanks, I guess? I never would have thought anyone would be hiring for this, much less you." "Circumstances are dire," Eliseo intoned without a hint of irony. "Mmhm." Padgett sniffled again. "You must really hate weddings. Couldn't you have just gone on a hunt or something this weekend instead?" Eliseo sighed. "No. My sister would do anything to ruin my plans if I tried to avoid the party any normal way. But luckily, she's terrified of germs. I think a miserable head cold will be the ticket." Like hell he wanted to sit through another of his sister's weddings. Every time it was some new, world-changing drama. He wasn't even sure whether the groom this time was noble born. No doubt the reception gossip would be scathing.  What absolute drivel. "Lucky also that you have me around, hm?" Padgett's next chuckle turned into a bit of a cough.  Eliseo patted his knee awkwardly. "I- well, yes. Very. But believe me when I say that I would not wish for you to be so stricken if I had the power to stop it." "Of course, my lord." Padgett rubbed his nose. And though his breath hitched a few times in the following moments, he stayed where he was.  Eliseo blinked. "Are we...?" Done? He didn't really think the exposure had been long enough. "I am ready." Padgett blushed a little. Blushed? "Sorry," he said. "I can kind of feel that, uh, the uh, next ones are going to be kind of... wet. I could blow my nose." His voice trailed off, wavering again. His nostrils twitched, and Eliseo did see within the promise of moisture. Perhaps it was the taboo of it, but Eliseo was alerted instantly to a sudden thickening of his cock. It pressed at his trousers with some gusto as Padgett sniffled again. Eliseo swallowed. "No. No, this is good. This will... help." Padgett gave him a considering look, at least as well as he could between soft gasps and squinting against the itch in his nose. "If you're sure, my lord." "Just- call me Eli, like you used to," said Eliseo, stumbling over the words. He wasn't sure where they had come from, but now they were bare between them. Still, perhaps a bit of affection wasn't so odd compared to what they were already doing. Eliseo closed his eyes on Padgett's startled look. "Eli," Padgett said, and he sounded like he'd just come home from a long war to find the hearth kept warm for him. "I will." He leaned forward again, bracing himself. "Now, I'm going to- to hih-- to snhhsneeze, hah- haktschtsch! Hrh- Hnkgstschhiu! More spray this time, more wetness, and Eliseo gasped himself when he felt a thick drip against his chin. Padgett hadn't moved. When Eliseo tentatively looked up, he saw his friend caught in a limbo of urgency. His green eyes were shut, eyelashes fluttering. His nostrils, gently pink now, flared. A clear trail hung from one of them, quivering as Padgett panted. He looked wild and fever bright and teetering on a precipice. Eliseo ignored what it might mean that Padgett's desperate expression, his wet nose - even the mess - suddenly went to his cock. He was hard, looking up at a portrait of a sneeze. Carefully, he placed a hand on Padgett's thigh. "It's okay," he said, words coming of their own accord. "I've got you." Padgett's fingers tightened fitfully in the sheet as he shifted his weight again. He was making soft, irritated noises. His nostrils flared and Eliseo saw another drip lying in wait on the cusp. When the urge became too much, it was like watching a wave finally crash down. Padgett's breath caught; he tensed and leaned back. Eliseo hurriedly closed his eyes again, and none too soon. "Hhhhrektschuckh!" He felt the mess streak his face, fly to spatter his mouth and nose and chin. Padgett moaned and then gasped again, chest swelling with air. "Hah- Huhrttschuh! Hshtt! Hah- hsshtt!" Again, he teetered, teasing the air with shivering gasps. Then, he abruptly folded with a crush of vowels and congestion. "Hggtschiucht!" A baptism, pondered Eliseo's brain as it detached from reality momentarily. Pinned as he was to the bed by Padgett's sex, he couldn't move when he felt himself coming just as abruptly as the sneeze. Somehow the slick wash had become a mounting sense of urgency in each of his muscles, racing from his fingertips and toes to his abdomen, where, quite unbidden, his cock had tugged all that energy into a gut-wrenching orgasm that sent the shockwaves back out with renewed vigor. Padgett whined, and Eliseo took him firmly by the shoulders and drew him in for a messy, off-putting, contagious, blindingly good kiss. "Wow," said Padgett, when they finally broke for air. "Don't ask me why," Eliseo muttered, but he refused to be made a fool of by embarrassment. "C- come here." He shifted to sit up further and put his hands on Padgett's hips. "I want-" He wanted. "This. Yes?" Before he could stop himself, he swept his tongue over Padgett's mouth, under his nose, to rest at the edge of a nostril. He tasted salt. It was not entirely pleasant, but whatever pilot was captaining his body right now didn't care. He could still feel his cock pulsing against his trousers. Padgett moaned. "It feels... odd. But, my lord, you can do what you- I mean, Eli." He was breathless for different reasons now. Eliseo laved the tender skin above Padgett's lips, then licked up his septum. When Padgett shivered, Eliseo kissed him again. Slowly, he cleaned away the mess from Padgett's face. When he was finished, neither of them knew what to say. Eliseo was hard again. Finally, Padgett laughed shyly. "I think you'll be catching your cold, Eli." Eliseo blushed and shrugged. "I should hope so. I am-" He bit his lip. "I'm not ready to stop. Will you stay the night? I'll look after you." Padgett kissed him, tenderly drawing them together. "I would like that, very much."

#lyk writes #eliseo jorvald #padgett foxborough #elipadge #snz

[mythicamagic]

Sesskag week Day 5: Horror

Summery: Kagome resurrects Sesshoumaru using Tenseiga. He swears to repay the debt by any means necessary.

AN: Written for Sesskag Week Day 5 - Horror. I decided to write this with more the feeling of horror after experiencing something traumatic rather than for the genre of horror, so this is more angsty and hurt/comfort with fluff at the end. Enjoy!

Warning: Some gore so rated M

4,000 words

(all prompts posted on Ao3, fanfic.net and Dokuga)

Fall of the Mighty

Gulping hard and sucking fast breaths into her lungs, Kagome ignored the ache in her fingers and fired another arrow.

Sweat rolled down her temples, hair damp with humidity. She dashed to the side and narrowly avoided being cleaved in two by a boar demon, reacting off sheer adrenaline rather than skill.

She'd paid the Western Lands a visit with the intention of delivering some happy news. Sesshoumaru had been busy fending off small invasions for weeks, but Jaken had reported that there'd recently been a lull in activity. She'd thought it safe to visit.

Rin had progressed well with her studies at the village. Kagome thought he'd want to know that the petite teen now expertly rode horses without falling off and could render foes unconscious with the right herbal concoction.

I thought he'd want to know, to cheer him up...

Because he did so love to hear news of his ward's progress.

Getting caught up in the crossfire of one of the West's latest battles had not been part of the plan. Kagome glimpsed Sesshoumaru every now and then, gliding above the fighting soldiers in his true form. She wasn't sure if he'd noticed her presence.

Wincing upon seeing him collide with an enemy, her eyes widened. Wrestling in the grey overcast sky with a snake-like youkai, spittle and blood lashed out. Ravenous growls clapped above the battle like bursts of thunder. Rows of sharp teeth lunged and tore into flesh, ripping through sinew and snapping bone.

Kagome cried out, feeling a pain in her side. Shooting another demon between the eyes, she pressed a hand to the wound they'd lashed into her hip.

Despite the injury, she became distracted again, watching as the two giants twisted and scrapped, soon colliding atop a hill. Racing towards them, she panted hard, willing her body not to give in to exhaustion.

By the time the dirt had settled from the collision, their forms had changed. Inhuman, beautiful men drew swords and slashed at one another in a deadly dance. Bakusaiga couldn't seem to consume the grey-haired snake youkai, perhaps indicative of Sesshoumaru's power running dry.

Kagome focused on fending off approaching soldiers, firing again and again. She happened to turn when a blazing snarl ripped through her ears and in a blur of motion the unthinkable happened.

Swords met and parried, before both demons struck unexpectedly. Sesshoumaru's sword impaled the enemy through his chest- just as the snake's blade cleaved through a pale neck.

Kagome's eyes flew wide. Horror slammed into her chest.

Long silver hair was sent flying into the air. It happened too fast and yet agonisingly slow at the same time, like a punch being slammed into her gut only for Kagome to register the hit seconds later.

Hitting the ground with a sickening thud, the head of the Killing Perfection rolled twice before lying still.

Horrible keening, wailing noises filled the air. Kagome's lungs and mouth hurt, and she belatedly realised the agonised screaming was coming from her. Hurrying forward blindly, she tripped and scrambled over bloodied earth. The snake demon gave a wheezing cough, sinking to both knees. He then fell onto his side, eyes glassy.

Kagome approached the two collapsed corpses, trembling. With a whimper, she tried not to look at Sesshoumaru's bloodied, decapitated neck, unable to accept what she was seeing. Scrambling shaking fingers at his hip, she ripped Tenseiga out of its scabbard. Coughing and pressing a hand to her mouth, blue eyes squeezed shut.

Everything felt like too much. A buzzing noise filled her ears, heart thudding dizzyingly fast.

She forced herself to swallow and crack stinging eyes open, gauging the distance from his body to the silver-haired head about 20 meters away.

"Oh come on," she croaked. Setting Tenseiga down, the contents of her stomach churned. Stumbling over to it with legs like jelly, Kagome stared down at his upturned, handsome face. Half-open, golden eyes stared at her with hazed pupils.

Coughing and moving back to retch, the war-torn landscape became blurry as hot tears rolled down her cheeks as she emptied the contents of her stomach. Her nose and mouth strung with fire, breathing ragged. Swallowing thickly and wiping her mouth, Kagome made a noise of distress before madly lurching down. Numb, shaking fingers slid from a regal jaw to touch striped magenta cheeks, lifting his head from the ground. She didn't know how to explain the horrific weight, whether it felt heavier or lighter than expected.

Kagome could barely see a thing through her thick, unrelenting tears. Sobbing, stumbling and quickly placing the head down before his body like he were a doll to fix, she panted.

Leaning to grab Tenseiga, Kagome's stomach lurched again. Controlling it, she grit chattering teeth and straightened.

Holding the sword over Sesshoumaru's corpse, the miko waited.

Nothing.

Blue eyes widened. Kagome began to tremble violently with terror.

"No. No, no, no- please! Please, this is for Sesshoumaru!" she burst. "You were made from his father's fang, right?! I know I'm not a demon but so help me you WILL save him!" a snarl tore at her bile-laced throat.

Forcing reiki onto her fingers, Kagome allowed the holy power to spill out onto the hilt. Pink energy then skittered onto the blade, causing a noise of distress until Tenseiga glowed blue. Panting and not verbalising her victory, Kagome continued to whisper pleas and prayers even as she noticed small ghostly imps. They crawled over Sesshoumaru's body, readying chains around limp striped wrists.

With a cry, Kagome slashed the blade down madly. They shrieked upon being severed in two, fading away.

The ensuing silence sounded too loud. Tenseiga glowed and rattled in her hand, bathing her slick skin blue. Sesshoumaru's head now lay attached to his body, but he did not stir.

"S-Sesshoumaru?"

Crouching, and then weakening, Kagome's knees hit the ground heavily. Reaching out, fingers wobbled and touched soft, light bangs, bumping into his smooth, stern brow. She didn't realise she was still crying until tears began to land on his upturned, pale face. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to stop them.

"Why are you crying, miko?"

The air froze in her lungs, Kagome's head whipping up. Sesshoumaru gazed at her, golden eyes bright and very much alive. Confusion marred his expression, attention drifting to Tenseiga still gripped in her hand. His eyes then flew wide with understanding, tensing.

Making a strangled noise, Kagome ducked down and clutched at broken armour, burying her face in his shoulder and sobbing loudly like a child. Sesshoumaru remained frozen beneath her, and when she did not stop, he slowly curled an arm around the wailing miko.

---

Kagome had returned to the village severely shaken. Her friends had noticed and inquired, so she'd explained almost everything to them about getting caught up with a battle; neglecting to mention what had happened to Sesshoumaru.

She silently vowed never to tell another soul.

It didn't make it easy to deal with since the fighting itself wasn't what had upset her. Because of this oversight, her friends figured she'd be over it in a few days. As if confirming this, Kagome carried on as normal, burying the ugly blemish of memory and covering it with pleasantness. She started smiling again and even laughed when Shippo made his jokes or pulled pranks.

Something she did not anticipate was Sesshoumaru's unexpected arrival about a week since that awful, traumatic day. She'd figured he'd be busy with battle clean up for a while and would need to deal with war and politics, but he strode into the village languidly, in no hurry.

Kagome turned and busied herself with hanging some clothes up to dry outside Kaede's hut. Expecting him to ignore her and make a beeline for Rin's hut, she stiffened upon hearing boots deliberately drag on the earth behind her.

"Miko," his voice sounded crisp and clear.

Shippo squeaked from where he sat nearby, nibbling on a lollipop and observing them keenly.

Glancing over one shoulder and finding his proximity closer than necessary, Kagome forced a smile. "H-hi, Sesshoumaru. What can I do for you?"

Holding her gaze with rapt attention, Sesshoumaru's jaw ticked. "You have done enough," he uttered. "It is time this one returned the favour. I have come to repay you for your actions on the battlefield. Your assistance was…instrumental in our success."

"Wow, really, Kagome?" Shippo pipped up. "You downplayed it so much, what happened?"

"N-nothing!" Kagome laughed nervously, grabbing Sesshoumaru's sleeve and tugging. She shot him a warning look, gesturing to follow. "Uh, wanna help me gather herbs?"

Sesshoumaru's expression turned flat, however, he nodded and followed her away from Shippo's prying eyes. Stopping under the shade of the trees, Kagome faced the demon lord. "Look, you don't need to repay me. I didn't…do anything to make you feel indebted to me. Let's just forget it ever happened."

Burning, flashing eyes snapped to her face. "This one does not intend to ever forget, nor can I ignore a life debt. Proclaim what you want and it shall be yours."

Kagome groaned, running a hand through her hair. "I don't want anything!"

Noticing his unblinking, direct stare and pensive silence, she could tell he wasn't about to take 'no' for an answer.

"Geeze you demons always have to drag me into your weird rituals or traditions, huh?" Kagome grumbled. "Fine…" thinking for a moment, she hummed. "Kaede needs moss from a certain type of tree and some other herbs collecting. Help me get those and we'll count that as the repayment."

Expecting him to refuse, judging by the flinty look of disapproval he shot her way, Sesshoumaru surprised her with a regal incline of his head. "Very well."

---

They'd spent several hours doing what she assumed he thought of as 'peasants work.' However, Sesshoumaru hadn't complained once. In fact, he worked diligently, considering he looked like he'd never done a hard days work in his life and had impeccable, flawless claws.

Kagome covertly surveyed her own blunt, slightly chipped nails. Setting down a full basket of herbs, she wiped the sweat from her forehead. After passing over their hard work to Kaede, the former Shikon Miko wandered back to Sesshoumaru. Noticing him inspecting green-stained fingers with distaste, she smiled.

"You're off the hook now. Thanks for your help though, it was definitely sufficient payment, buddy-"

"No."

"W-what?"

Sesshoumaru dragged cool, icy attention away from green digits. "Do you presume to think that collecting moss equals the life of this Sesshoumaru?"

"Of course not, but-"

"Then more will be done to repay the life debt."

Kagome groaned, spreading her arms wide. "Like what?" At his stony, unrelenting expression, she sighed. "I guess...Sango mentioned something about babysitting."

She assumed he was about ready to throw in the towel, but Sesshoumaru set his shoulders and raised his chin. "Hn."

---

Kagome had never seen Sesshoumaru be used as a jungle gym before. If someone had told her she'd be witnessing three children climbing over the Killing Perfection's furs, clambering his back and swinging from imposing shoulder armour, she'd have called them a liar.

Miroku and Sango's children evidently adored him.

"Who knew he'd be so good with kids," Sango muttered to her behind her hand.

Kagome smiled, remembering his silent protective steak when it had come to Rin and Kohaku. "It's not that much of a surprise, is it?" she giggled, watching him catch Mitsu mid-fall without even acknowledging it.

As she observed him and cared for the children in Sango and Miroku's eventual absence, her stomach began to twist, tears pricking her eyes.

Ducking out of the hut and having to take a breather, Kagome forced the image of limp silver hair and glassy eyes back into its box. For some reason, witnessing him so attentive and alive in a domestic setting was messing with her emotions.

The sunset streaked the skies with vibrant red plumes by the time they were finally relieved of their duties. Walking through the village with her taciturn companion, she noticed the demon hadn't left. Glancing at him, Kagome shook her head.

"No way. That's it. This is getting ridiculous, Sesshoumaru. I'm a simple gal, I don't need much. Your help has been more than enough to repay the debt, I promise."

The Daiyoukai did not budge. Kagome stomped her foot, huffing.

"I'm done for the day! I can't keep making up tasks for you to do!"

Sesshoumaru looked thoughtful for a moment, as though registering that she may indeed have a point. "I should like to offer you something needed, rather than complete a simple task that you do not care about."

Frowning, she folded her arms and started to walk towards her hut. "Sure, sounds nice. I do need a new cutting board."

Heavy youki slid like water over her back. She felt his gaze with a visceral thrum of awareness, skin pricking in response. Kagome adjusted her priestess robes and pressed down the answering whisper of her powers.

"This Sesshoumaru extends an offer, miko."

Kagome stopped, shivering. "What is it?"

"You will look at me."

Gritting her teeth and whirling to face him, the embers of fire immediately died in her eyes at his intense, watchful expression. "I will mate you, should you wish it," he said succinctly.

Everything in her stopped and spun, backtracking to try and understand his train of thought, until her very being came at a standstill. A secret, buried flicker of emotion wormed its way into her heart.

"Why?" she breathed. "Why would you…do that?"

Sesshoumaru observed her, heavy attention dragging away to glance at the far off tops of the trees. "Upon completion, your lifespan would increase to match mine. An extra 2,000 years of life is something humans have coveted for years. Therefore mating would be a worthy repayment."

Kagome listened in silence, shifting slightly under the Daiyoukai's level, studying gaze. He continued with languid immediacy, new hesitance leaking into his words that hadn't been there before.

"It has also been suggested that the actions carried out that day by your hand may have been guided by...feelings. Personal attachment, different to simple friendship."

"But I-I-" curling shaking hands into fists, Kagome felt her heart constrict. "I'd...hate for you to extend that offer to me just because of a stupid life debt."

"If you do not harbour feelings for this one then why did you save me?"

Kagome took a breath, glancing away. Tears stung her eyes, the words tumbling out of her mouth unbidden. "I never said that I didn't," she confessed quietly. God, I never wanted to have to tell him like this.

Now the quiet, gentle crush she'd harboured for him felt exposed, like a cocoon being pried open too early. She felt vulnerable yet soldiered on. "But that had nothing to do with it. I saved you because you're my friend, first and foremost. Besides I couldn't...I couldn't just leave you there. Do nothing."

The demon's expression had morphed into something else now, however, she couldn't decipher what it was, tired from constantly tensing, relaxing, laughing and revolving around him all day. He took a step closer but Kagome backed up.

"Don't ever try to marry me out of some sense of duty again, Sesshoumaru."

"Miko-"

"No, please," her voice wobbled. "Leave me alone for a while," she mumbled, turning on her heel and hurrying away.

---

She felt a little childish, arms wrapped around drawn-up knees and sitting at the base of the Goshinboku. Even if she couldn't confide in Inuyasha about the memories of the battle, the sacred tree that felt like a part of their bond remained a pillar of support. Something sturdy that she could ground herself with.

Groaning, Kagome buried her face in her arms. I can't believe I confessed like that. What a mess.

Sensing a presence draw near and the familiar brush of cold, pressing youki, she lifted her head, spying black boots. Sighing, Kagome dragged her gaze up- only to be surprised when Sesshoumaru stooped to her level in a smooth crouch.

Heat flamed pale cheeks into a vibrant red, back pressing against the unrelenting bark. She realised a little belatedly that his armour had been removed. "What are you doing? I told you to leave me alone for a wh-"

"I find it difficult to believe you could care for me," he stated bluntly, face expressionless. Only his eyes gave him away, unable to appear casual.

Her breath caught in her throat, butterflies kicking up a storm within the confines of her stomach. Kagome glanced away. "What makes you say that?"

"You have been unable to look at this one for some time."

Her body stiffened, fingers tightening in her clothes. Ah, she'd been caught. It was true, the whole day she'd had to glance away from him every so often. Looking at him for long periods of time uninterrupted hurt. "I-I can't…"

"Why?"

"B-because," her tone became thin, fingers clutching hard at her legs until her knuckles bled white. "Every time I see your face I just remember it- h-how it looked in death. I can see the red line around your neck where he beheaded you-" Kagome choked on a sob, shuddering. "When I look at your eyes, they're not bright and full of life. They're vacant and glassy. Your mouth is grey, skin pale, and there's so much blood, I can smell it-"

"Enough."

Sesshoumaru's face loomed suddenly close, her chin caught and turned- forcing her to stare into his very real, very bright burning eyes. "That is enough," he said in a softer tone. "I am alive, miko. You made certain of this. Feel."

Taking her hand, the demon pressed her palm against his chest, heedless of the danger. She could easily let out a burst of reiki and wound such a vulnerable part of him, but the Daiyoukai, a peerless predator, left himself open to hurt.

Kagome's breathing hitched, feeling the thud of his heartbeat. It thundered strong and quick beneath her touch. "I'm sorry," she said in a hushed tone. "It must be harder for you- you're the one that died, not me."

"Hn, but I do not remember dying. Only waking to the sounds of crying."

His thumb dragged over her fingers, and Kagome swallowed. "I-I think I know what you can do for me," she murmured.

Making a non-commital noise, he tilted his head questioningly.

"Come here."

Sesshoumaru stared, watching as she shifted her legs down and gestured to her lap. He blinked with vague confusion. Kagome huffed and blushed, touching the side of his head gingerly.

"Lay your head on my lap...please."

The demon lord seemed impressed by her nerve, arching a brow. She remained quietly hopeful until he shifted and indulged her. Leaning down, Sesshoumaru rested his head onto her thighs, the grass warm and cushioning his back.

Warmth flooded Kagome's cheeks, gazing down at him. However, her attention shifted to his neck, and those terrible, piercing memories came flooding back. She could see the severed flesh, Sesshoumaru's body, feel the weight of his head-

Clawed fingers seized her hand, forcing frozen fingers against the warm skin of his throat.

"I am alive," he uttered.

Kagome exhaled, feeling him drag her palm over his neck. She then touched him of her own accord, brushing a free-hand into silky silver tresses.

Sesshoumaru exhaled a warm puff of air, and she felt him swallow beneath her finger-tips.

With each caress and explorative drag of her hand over the handsome plains of the Daiyoukai's face, she no longer remembered that awful day. Instead, her mind re-wired itself, committing the sweep of his nose, the arch of his brow, the high cheekbones, his hard jaw- to memory.

Snowy lashes slid shut and the demon tipped his face slightly into her palm. When soft lips pressed against the heated skin of her wrist, Kagome jolted.

"Y-you're um...letting me take a lot of liberties with you."

"Indeed."

Smiling slightly, she stroked a rich fall of hair away from an elfin ear. "Thank you," she said quietly, reluctantly forcing herself to stop touching him. Greedy fingers curled into her palms. "I feel...a lot better now. I'd say the life debt is paid off now."

Sesshoumaru's honeyed gaze cracked open. "It seems so," he rumbled, unmoving.

Reeling, the miko tried to pluck casual conversation out of thin air, floundering, wondering what to say, before a clawed hand reached- tangling in black hair and tugging.

Kagome squeaked, her neck craning down to follow Sesshoumaru's silent demand. Feeling a soft pressure against her lips, the miko's blood heated. She quietly gasped against his mouth, and he drank in her startled breath, claws lightly scraping her scalp.

Gaining control of herself, she slowly relaxed. Dark lashes fluttered shut, and she returned the kiss, hands carefully framing his face.

"I did not intend to insult you earlier, miko," breathy words escaped into the hairsbreadth of space between them when they parted. "Merely, this one has watched and waited. Before the battle, I did not think such...sentiments would be welcome."

"Why would you ever think that?" she said in a hushed tone, stroking a magenta stripe.

He made a lazy, pleasant noise that sang right down into her toes. "Inuyasha," he muttered, and she immediately understood.

Kagome smiled and gently pressed another kiss to his lips. "We've both moved on. I thought that much would be obvious."

"Hn. Jaken certainly thought so. It was he who suggested that you possessed feelings for me based on what happened on the battlefield. I did not initially agree...but then I became foolish."

"So instead of confessing like me, you repackaged your feelings into an offer of marriage entirely to do with duty," Kagome snorted, tapping his nose. "You know you're surprisingly dense when it comes to romance."

Sesshoumaru frowned and huffed, jaw clenching in a way that bespoke of his agreement. "I am not usually," he rumbled with mild defensiveness. "It seems you have this effect on me, ridiculous miko."

Quietly giggling, Kagome cradled him closer. "Ditto," she hummed. "You know I don't think I'm quite over the whole 'dead Sesshoumaru' thing after all. We'd better keep touching. It's the only surefire way of staving off the horror."

Amused golden eyes flicked upwards in a haughty version of an exasperated eye roll, humming in acceptance to her suggestion. With a tug she easily followed, Sesshoumaru guided her smiling mouth back down to his.

Their sweet and teasing airs did nothing to dispel the lingering memories, however, and it would take many nights awakening in a cold sweat to truly handle them. Still, with each nightmare, the Killing Perfection remained a newfound constant at her side.

When she cried, he would lick her tears away, and the miko would curl into his rich furs, lost to contentment anew within the safety of his arms.

End

#sesskag #sesskag week 2020 #skw2020 #sesshomaru x kagome #inuyasha #Sesshoumaru #Kagome Higurashi

[lveclouds]

a/n: an atla au that i’ve been planning to write about for a while hehe and i apologize that this oneshot  jumps around a lot (oops) and it is slightly different from the actual show and wow this is the longest thing i’ve ever written lmao and this is very much raw and unedited so if there are any mistakes, that’s on me fklkflkf

genre: fluff, angst, enemies to lovers, forbidden love, doomed love 

rating: pg-15 (see tw)  (i’ve bolded them so they are easier to see) 

word count: 5.4k 

pairing: avatar! reader x firebender yoongi

warnings: a bit of violence, (it’s nothing graphic), light swearing, mentions of family death (very brief and doesn’t go into much detail), mentions of blood (very brief), a nightmare sequence, major character deaths (nothing  too graphic or super violent)

summary: you were supposed to hate min yoongi. after all, he was from the fire nation, and their people were responsible for the chaos that had divided the four nations all those years ago, and for the death of your family. however, no matter how many times you fought, and no matter how many times he got under your skin, you eventually caught feelings, and now the two of you were in a relationship that was never meant to happen. and now, you, along with yoongi, have to face the consequences. 

disclaimer: i own none nothing related to atla (the story, setting, etc) all rights go to nickelodeon and michael dante dimartino, the main creator of this amazing show.  also, originally, the cooling chamber is used for prisoners who dare to step out of line while imprisoned on boiling rock, and they are only rendered unable to bend for a full week. however, i decided to change it because i don’t want to make their deaths too graphic or violent or disturbing, as the show barely has anything like that and i do not want to disturb my readers. 

“he was like fire, and i like water, and we often clashed, but somehow, we managed to fall in love. however, because we fell in love, a grave punishment awaited us, one that would haunt us for the rest of our lives.” 

prologue

min yoongi. the mere mention of his name was enough to make your blood boil and your insides churn with anger and hatred. he was arrogant, hot-headed, and worst of all, infuriatingly gorgeous. messy, raven hair that fell into his eyes, which were dark and piercing, pink lips that always curved into that irritating smirk you despised, perfect cheekbones, a chiseled jaw, and the long scar on his left eye, which would’ve made anyone else look terrifying, but somehow, it only made yoongi even more attractive than he already was, which deeply vexed you. he was from the fire nation, whom you hated with all your heart. they were responsible for the death of your family all those years ago, when you were just a little girl who didn’t know the complexities of the world, nor did you know that you would one day be the one to put an end to the all the slaughter and turmoil. you remembered the day they invaded your village all too well. you had been helping your mom prepare dinner, when, all of a sudden, loud shouts pierced the air, and you heard the crackle of fire and heavy footsteps making their way onto the shore. your father, already armed with his armor and scimitar, rushed outside, yelling over his shoulder for your mom to protect you and your brother. your mother, who was firm and loving above all things, calmly instructed for you and your brother to slip out of the tent if things went bad, to which you agreed to, despite being deathly terrified of what was going to happen. before you knew it, the flap of your tent was blown open, and you felt a rush of warm air wash over you, and you clapped a hand over your mouth, holding back a terrified scream as two fire nation soldiers barged in, mouths twisted in evil smirks. they grabbed your mother roughly by the wrist, who put up to resistance as they dragged her away, and you felt tears fill your eyes. to your horror, your brother, who was only eight years old, ran after your mother, who was looking at him with tears running down her cheeks, silently pleading him to go back inside. her attempt was in vain, as your brother persisted, desperate screams escaping his throat, and you were frozen in the corner, tears freely falling down your face, watching, petrified, as your kind and outgoing and brave brother was dragged away, possibly to his death. after you had managed to calm down, you quickly gathered all you had, which was nothing much, just a water skin that your grandmother had gifted you before she died. despite it being nothing too significant, you still held it dear to your heart. somehow, you had managed to escape, quietly hiding behind ruins of igloos and tents, and escaped onto a boat, not daring to look back at the destruction that the fire nation had caused. and, as you let the boat carry you away, you clutched the water skin to your chest and cried. 

(fin.) 

fast forward ten years later, and you were now eighteen, and you had traveled all around the four nations, being sure to avoid the fire nation at all costs. within the ten years that you had traveled, alone and unarmed, you had managed to discover something: you were the avatar, the one person who would be responsible for stopping the war between the four nations and the only one capable enough to stop the fire nation and their scheme to take over the entire world. at first, you didn’t want to believe it, for you were a poor girl who grew up in a small village in the southern water tribe, and as far as you knew, none of your ancestors were avatars, at least, or so you thought. turns out, your great great grandmother had been a past avatar, a very powerful one at that. you hated to admit it, but you were terrified. after all, being the avatar wasn’t going to be easy, and, to top it all off, you had to save the world from absolute peril. granted, you weren’t exactly experienced in the whole “avatar” thing, but you were willing to try. and, so far, you had been able to improve your waterbending, and had mastered earthbending. now, you were working on your airbending, studying scrolls you had picked up while exploring an abandoned air nomad temple. you were currently staying at a small inn located in a remote village in the earth kingdom, training nearly every day. however, you found it difficult to concentrate, for thoughts of min yoongi popped into your mind, which greatly irritated you. you had had only a few encounters with the arrogant prince to be, but you had come to despise him. you hated the fact that you thought of him, for you could just imagine that stupid smirk on his face if he found out, and for heavens sake, you hoped it would stay that way. every fight you two had made your blood boil, and the sarcastic remarks and teasing only deepened your hatred. you vowed to never fall for an arrogant asshole like him, nor would you ever consider giving up anything for yoongi, not a chance. little did you know that three years  later, you loving yoongi would be your greatest downfall. 

yoongi gritted his teeth in annoyance at the trembling servant before him, trying not to get irritated at his cowardice. “speak.” he grumbled, letting out an exasperated sigh. “i-i ‘m s-sorry your highness, i-i didn’t mean to tell your sister about the a-avatar. i-it just-” it just what?” “i-it was a mistake, your highness.” yoongi sighed. he was exhausted from the countless meeting his father forced him to attend that day, and he didn’t have the energy to deal with such a fool of a servant. “whatever, just don’t let it happen again,now, get out of my sight.” yoongi muttered, waving his hand absentmindedly. the servant nodded, frantically getting up, sputtering out apologies and nearly tripping over his own feet as he exited his bedroom. yoongi groaned in annoyance as he hopped down from the chair he’d been sitting on, stretching out his weak limbs. the meetings had been quite tiring, and yoongi thought he was going to insane from listening to incompetent men ramble on and on about pointless war strategies. ok, yoongi knew that coming up with war strategies wasn’t easy and they were doing their best, but none of the strategies they come up with have succeeded, and yoongi was starting to lose faith in them. yoongi knew he could be a bit hotheaded and a bit arrogant and selfish at times, but he wasn’t heartless, and deep down, he knew that the men were just trying to help with the crisis that was plaguing the world. yoongi sighed and plopped down onto his bed, closing his eyes. he was so tired to the point where he couldn’t even be bothered to get under the covers, and soon sleep came over him, covering him like a blanket. 

y/n scowled, clenching her fists together tightly, her dark eyes full of anger and spite. her beautiful face was bloody and a long scratch was on her forearm, but she didn’t seem to notice. yoongi had been thrown off to the side, clutching his arm awkwardly, and there were smudges of dirt and blood on his face, and his body felt like it was being stabbed with a thousand needles, but all he could focus on was y/n, facing off against the fire lord, rage ablaze in her eyes. the fire lord gave her a once over and sneered. “so, you’re the so called avatar? heh. you look weak, and definitely not enough to defeat me.” y/n’s scowl only deepened, and yoongi could see the ember of a flame kindling in her now open palm, illuminating her features in a orange and red glow. “you killed my family, didn’t you?” she hissed, the flame in her hand getting stronger, sparks flying in the air. the fire lord let out a dark, heartless chuckle. “oh, you mean the powerless and pathetic waterbenders who didn’t even try to put up a fight? ah, well, if you must be so curious, i did kill them. they were imprisoned for a while, and i ordered my soldiers to starve them, and when i got tired of keeping them alive, i took their lives with my own hands.” yoongi stared in horror as the flame in y/n’s hands got bigger and bigger, and her dark eyes glowed with fury, a strong wind lifting her up in the air, and she was now a blue streak against the dark sky. when she spoke again, her voice wasn’t normal, it was almost as if she had been possessed, and that’s when yoongi realized: she had entered the avatar state. suddenly, a fight broke out, and yoongi shielded his eyes from the debris and the smoke that was heading his way, struggling to see. and, when the smoke finally cleared, yoongi’s heart felt as if had been ripped out of his chest. his father was dead, lying in an awkward heap on the ground, and a few feet away lay y/n, her blue dress tattered and torn, her body lifeless. yoongi held back a scream as he crawled over to her body, fighting back tears. her dark hair was messy and strands fell over her face, and with shaking hands, yoongi reached out to brush them away, there were scratches and bruises covering her arms and legs, and the cut on her arm had gotten worse, and then he noticed the piece of metal in her chest, blood pouring out of the wound. yoongi finally let the tears fall, grasping hold of her now cold hands, letting his emotions pour out of him like a waterfall. 

yoongi shot up, his brow coated with sweat, breathing heavily. his heart was beating wildly in his chest, and he felt as if his ears were ringing. over the past few weeks, he had been having recurring dreams of y/n dying in different ways, and he couldn’t understand why. why was he, out of all people, having dreams of her dying over and over again? why? he scowled and wiped away the sweat with the back of his hand. “this makes absolutely no sense. i don’t love her,  nor do i have feelings for her, so why am i having these dreams?” he mumbled to himself, head swimming with thoughts. yoongi shook his head, as if to try and rid himself of what he had just dreamed of. he decided to go back to sleep and not try to think of her, for it would only cause him more confusion. 

(three years later) 

you dodged a flying rock just barely, propelling yourself upwards with air, landing gently on your feet just seconds later, and allowed yourself a quick sigh of relief before turning back to the battle at hand. your bending had gotten better since then, and you were just mastering firebending, the one element you dreaded learning, but alas, as your duty as the avatar, it was mandatory to master all four elements. you were currently locked in a slightly tense fight with thugs from the earth kingdom, who had previously tried to steal your belongings just weeks ago, and as you were on your way to the local market to pick up some food, you were ambushed. luckily, the thugs weren’t too dangerous, and had a few weapons, but not any you were too concerned about. after the thugs were lying on the ground, groaning in pain, you wasted no time in running away, not bothering to look back, just in case one of them recovered. the local market was ablaze with activity, street vendors selling food and other items, such as jewelry and cloth and weapons, and some were even offering to read your palms. you made sure to stick to the stalls that were run by people who didn’t seem to care about the avatar, and those who seemed to just see you as a normal girl, which was enough for you. after all, you weren’t even supposed to be going to crowded public places, as there is a chance that anyone could recognize you, but since you had been to the market so many times and no one seemed to bother you, well, you didn’t worry too much. however, you still kept your guard up, making sure no one was following you and trying not to use your bending without people seeing. you rushed back to the inn you were staying at, making sure to look over your shoulder as you went, feeling your heartbeat speed up a bit. yoongi was lying down on one of the beds, eyes closed, chest falling up and down peacefully, his soft breaths filling the room. “yoongi? are you awake?” he cracked open one feline shaped eye, lips curving into a small smile. “mmm. was just closing my eyes.” he mumbled, his voice barely above a whisper, but just loud enough for you to hear. you bit back an amused smile at the sight of yoongi in a tattered red cloak that was a far cry from the royal garbs he was used to wearing all the time. his dark, raven hair had gotten longer, and the strands were now falling into his eyes, and most of the time, his hair was messy and a bit unruly, but you didn’t mind. you hummed softly as you prepared dinner, which was noodle soup and fish. while you were adding ingredients to the stew, you heard yoongi slide off the bed and walk over to you, his bare feet soundless on the wood floor. strong arms wrapped themselves around your waist, and you couldn’t help but smile in amusement. “you’re finally up, huh?” “i was awake, i was resting my eyes.” “uh huh, and those little snores i heard? those were fake?” yoongi huffed. “shut up, i wasn’t snoring.” “whatever you say, yoongi.” you singsonged. yoongi sighed and let go of your waist, settling down in front of the small table in the center of the room, hugging his knees to his chest. “is the food almost ready?” “yes, your highness.” you teased, pouring the stew into a wooden bowl, steam rising into the air. as the two of you ate dinner that night, yoongi told you stories about his life in the palace, and how he had almost fallen asleep at a meeting because he was so bored. “seriously? and you got away with that?” yoongi shrugged, shoving a handful of rice in his mouth, and you nearly laughed when you saw a piece of rice sticking to his bottom lip, but refrained from doing so because you didn’t want to embarrass him. “they know i barely get any sleep, so i guess they’re used to it.” “why?” “why don’t i get any sleep?” “well, i used to have nightmares, mostly about my father killing me, you dying, and a few other things, and i don’t know, i’ve always been a night owl, i guess.” your heart dropped down into your chest. “what? you ‘ve had dreams of me dying?” yoongi sighed, running a hand through his dark hair. “yeah. but i don’t have them anymore. i had them before we fell in love or whatever. we hated each other before, in case you forgot.” “but, i still don’t get it. why would you have dreams of me dying?” yoongi shrugged once again, teeth worrying at his bottom lip. “not sure. anyways, don’t worry about it. it was a long time ago.” you nodded, but deep down, you were still a bit doubtful that the dreams were “nothing.” they had to mean something, you thought as you forced yourself to eat another piece of fish. you lay in bed later that night, staring up at the wooden ceiling of the inn, lost in thought. you couldn’t help but wonder if the dreams that yoongi had all those years ago meant something. you weren’t afraid of death, necessarily, as you knew that all life stopped eventually, but you were scared of when it would happen, after all, you hadn’t saved the world yet, nor had you mastered the four elements. you shook away all bad thoughts, silently scolding yourself for being paranoid, and snuggled deeper into yoongi’s side, letting sleep take over. 

the next morning, you awoke to the smell of smoke, and you immediately shot up out of bed, looking around for yoongi, who was nowhere to be seen. a wave of fear washed over you as you rushed to gather your belongings, heart beating wildly in your chest. you quickly put out the small fires that were blazing in the inn, turning the wood to ash, and ran outside. the sight that awaited you turned your blood cold. yoongi was being held captive by fire nation soldiers, hands tied with rope, and there was a smudge of dirt and blood on his right cheek, but otherwise, he looked unscathed, and you allowed yourself some relief. one of the soldiers, a tall and lean man, sneered at you as you got closer. “if it isn’t the avatar. thought we’d never see you, and honestly, i’m quite disappointed. thought you’d be taller, and well, a male.” you felt a surge of anger wash over you, clenching your hands into fists. “what do you want?” “first, surrender now and we’ll consider sparing your life.” “and if i refuse?” “if you refuse, then we’ll kill you while he watches.” you gritted your teeth in annoyance and snuck a glance at yoongi, whose expression was unreadable.  you sighed and slowly put your hands up in surrender, and before you could react, you were pinned down to the ground, dirt flying into your eyes, making you sputter, and you felt a knee dig into the small of your back, and you hissed at the sharp pain that shot through your shoulder. . “what are you doing?! you said you wouldn’t harm her!” yoongi screamed, dark eyes ablaze with anger. “you’d really think we’d spare her? she’s the reason why we’re always getting scolded, and the reason why our people are suffering, so she deserves to die.” “your people are suffering?? don’t you mean our people?” the soldier who was pinning you to the ground let out a bitter laugh. “our people? the fire nation no longer sees you as a prince, for you turned your back on your nation and ran away with the avatar. your father is ashamed of you, and you are no longer welcome in the palace.” yoongi scoffed. “please. i was never accepted by my father, and i got tired of living there, too many rules to abide by. the fire nation is pathetic and my father is a piece of shit. i used to be blinded by the teachings and the values that we lived by, but not anymore. the fire nation deserves to be burnt to the ground, and i hope i get to be around to see it happen.” you watched in horror as yoongi was kicked in the stomach, causing him to cry out in pain, body falling in an awkward heap on the ground. tears welled up in your eyes, and you forced yourself to look away, for you were afraid of breaking down in front of everyone, especially in front of fire nation soldiers, no less. the last thing you wanted was to be seen as weak. 

after a long stretch of silence, yoongi cleared his throat, causing the soldiers to look at him, sneers immediately forming on their faces. “what is it now?” “let her go, you can take me back to the palace and i will receive whatever punishment awaits me, even if it’s death.” your blood ran cold as soon as the words left his mouth, heart dropping down into your chest. the soldier who was holding you down let you go, and you breathed a sigh of relief as the pain in your back subsided. the soldiers laughed, and you felt dread rush over you. “awww, how cute. loverboy’s willing to give up his life for the pathetic excuse of an avatar this girl is.” one soldier said, his tone dripping with sarcasm and mockery. “no, take me instead,  i’m the one the fire lord wants to see dead.” the soldiers looked at each other and almost immediately, satisfied smirks appeared on their faces. then,you were roughly helped to your feet, and your hands were tied with rope. out of the corner of your eye, you saw yoogni looking at you, dark eyes swimming with tears, silently begging you not to go, and you felt a slight twinge of regret, but it was too late: you had already made up your mind. you were willing to sacrifice anything for yoongi, even if it meant inevitable death. you swallowed the bile that was threatening to rise in your throat as you were led away. suddenly, you heard loud screams from behind you, and you whirled around to see yoongi, who had somehow managed to break free from his restraints, the sharp features of his face illuminated by the orange and red flames that he was throwing at the soldiers, who tried to dodge them, but to no avail. even from afar, you could see the tension in yoongi’s shoulders as he fought, dodging fireballs every now and then, sweat forming on his brow. you could only watch as he singelhandedly fought off soldiers from his own nation, anger coming off him in waves. and, just as he was about to run towards you, his eyebrows set in determination, you felt the hilt of a sword slamming into the back of your head, and before the world around you turned to black, you heard a scream of pure agony and distress. 

you awoke in a prison cell, head pounding as your eyes adjusted to the dim light. you groaned as you realized where you were. you had been brought to boiling rock, the most secure prison in the fire nation. the bars of your cell and the walls were made of an indestructible metal, and you immediately regretted not learning metal bending all those years ago. defeated, you slumped down in the corner of your cell, sighing heavily. the fire nation soldiers were right, you thought. you were a poor excuse of an avatar. not only had you fallen in love with one a fire nation prince, but you had also betrayed the values you were supposed to uphold as the avatar by choosing to try and protect yoongi instead of yourself. you knew that the past avatars before you would’ve done the complete opposite, for the sake of the whole world, and you chose to neglect all their teachings and values by trying to save him. you felt tears fall down your face. for the first time since your family’s death, you had never felt so hopeless and scared in your life. you knew that the fate that you had lead yourself to was entirely your fault, for you had chosen to love yoongi and defend him. deep down, there was a part of you that wondered if things would’ve been different if you had not fallen in love with the fire nation prince, but there was also a part of you that didn’t regret choosing yoongi. he had taught you some firebending techniques, and most of all,had treated you like fine china after you had started dating. he had been nothing but good to you since you dated, and you felt like an absolute fool for falling so hard, so quickly. 

you sobbed quietly in your cell, feeling completely helpless and defeated. there was no way you were escaping what was about to come, and you soon fell asleep, dried tears sticking to your face, heart heavy. when you awoke the next morning, you heard a guard unlocking your cell, and you slowly sat up, dread pooling in your stomach. you were led out of the cell and down a long corridor. you were practically shoved inside the interrogation room, which was dimly lit with metal bars in the ceiling, and the guard that was inside pushed you onto a chair, tying you to it with rope, which was rough and itchy against your skin. the interrogator stepped into the room, an old man with prominent frown lines around his eyes, looking at you with utter disdain and disgust. "so, this is the avatar? hmph. seems pretty weak to me." he muttered. you fought the urge to roll your eyes as he stood in front of you, eyes piercing. "did you or did you not kidnap the crown prince?" you couldn't help but let out a soft laugh. "kidnap? i never did such a thing, he voluntarily agreed to travel with me." the old man sighed impatiently. "and you fell in love with him, did you not?" you gritted your teeth in annoyance. "and so what if i did?" the old man smirked, and you fought the urge to break free from your restraints and punch him in his face. "well, isn't the avatar supposed to despise anyone from the fire nation? they have values to uphold, and while i don't know much about your ancestors, they would probably look down on you for it." "fine, i did." the old man scoffed. "it's pathetic, really. i mean, the avatar betraying her ancestors for a lowlife prince?" "i'm not proud of it, but i don't regret it." "is that so? well, you definitely will once you freeze to death in the cooling chamber tomorrow." and with that, he exited the room, slamming the door shut behind him. as you were led back to your cell, you felt as if your world had come crashing down. you had been unable to master all four elements, nor had you saved the world from absolute peril. and, once you died, the world would be thrown into absolute chaos, and no one would be able to stop the fire nation from causing absolute destruction.

that night, you sat in your cell, leaning on the wall, thinking about all the memories you had made as you traveled, and the ones you made with yoongi. yoongi, who you hadn't seen since you got knocked out, and who you didn't know was even alive.you knew that it was possible to resent yoongi, for he was one of the reasons why you were now in a prison cell, but you also knew that you were to blame. after all, you had fallen in love with him. despite the fate that was awaiting you the next day, you couldn't help but feel happy that you had lived a decent life, and you had managed to fall in love, even if it was someone you were destined to hate. "i love you, yoongi." you whispered, and you slowly fell asleep, with memories of yoongi in your mind. 

the bitter cold in the room enveloped you like a blanket, and though you had grown up in a village surrounded by glaciers, you had always been covered up in thick clothing lined with fur, keeping you warm despite the harsh temperature. you shivered slightly, rubbing your arms frantically, as if the action would keep you warm. though the cold was unbearable, you were at least grateful you would die slowly, instead of painfully, so at least you could reflect on yourself before you died. you sighed and slumped against the wall of the cooling chamber, feeling absolutely defeated. there was no way you were getting out this time. suddenly, the door to the cooling chamber opened, and someone got shoved inside. the door quickly closed and you could hear the joyful laughs of the fire nation soldiers outside, which vexed you. when you saw who had been placed in the chamber with you, you felt tears welling up in your eyes. it was yoongi, and to your relief, he looked uninjured. “y-yoongi?” you called out, trying to keep your voice as steady as possible, despite the tears running down your face. he looked over at you, dark eyes wide. “y/n?” he asked, his voice hoarse. “w-what are you doing here?” “i turned myself in.” “what? why?” “i couldn’t let you suffer without me. after all, i am the one who dragged you into this mess in the first place. you fell in love with me, and if you didn’t, you wouldn’t be here, freezing to death.” your heart broke at how sad he sounded. “yoongi, don’t blame yourself. i was the one who should’ve left, but i couldn’t bring myself to. i neglected my duty as the avatar and now i’m letting thousands, maybe even millions of people die. all because a certain firebender came into my life.  however, i don’t regret falling in love with you. you’ve helped me become a better person and you even helped me how to control my firebending. you also showed me that it doesn’t matter where you come from and that you shouldn’t let your nation define you. and, honestly, at least your face is going to be the last thing before i die.” despite the cold, you could see a faint shade of pink settle across yoongi’s face, and you allowed yourself an amused smile. “since when did you get so cheesy?” “don’t know. guess certain death just does that to a person.” eventually, you died peacefully with yoongi by your side, and while you deeply regretted not being able to fufill your duty as the avatar, you had at least shown that love didn’t come without sacrifice, and sacrifice didn’t come without love, for you would have gladly given up the world for yoongi. 

a/n: omg this was so long hehe but i hope you all enjoyed this! this oneshot took me forever to type up, but i had so much fun doing it! once again, thank you all so much for supporting me always, and i hope my stories can make you smile, or at least feel some type of emotions! 

tagging: @suhdays @softlyjiminie @softguks @jksmoongf @softlypouty @haylo4ever @sweetheartjeongguk @sketchguk @glossyfever @taeramisu @nahfamily @dylanxmin @saintjeonofbusan @mmmikrokosmos @sunkyeoml @honeylovecult @lomlkook @yoongislovecult @daechwitas @yoongismykink @periminkle @thotxuxi @fairyqook​ @moonmintrails @flowerseok  @koophoriia​@onherwings  @ppersonna​  @ot7always​ @koosgrl​  @cest-la-tae​ @minsprings​ @mygsii​ @roguebangtan​ @minniepetals​ @euphoria-vmin7​ @ladyartemesia​ @gguksbby​ @baekhyyun​ @randomkoalablog​ @yoonsgiggle​ @birthofvcnus​

#mine #bangtanhq #heartsforbts #oneshot

[be-dazzled]

#SIYC

Gray Fullbuster, Juvia Lockser FFnet: click here Tumblr: explore here Genre: Multi-chapter, Romance, Comedy Rating: M for sensitive content and language

Summary: Gray Fullbuster is a player both in love and in life. He plays Professional Basketball and is being groomed to be in line with Basketball Legends Michael Jordan, Lebron James, Kobe Bryant and Stephen Curry. There's just one problem, Gray Fullbuster is a play-ah. His life is a giant mess of crazy parties, waking up with random women and waking up in random women's apartments. Just living the life.

The opinion of the public on him is waning. To save the million-dollar endorsements in the verge of disappearing, Gray needs to change his image. Therefore, Gray Fullbuster, Fiore Knight's Team Captain and Most Valuable Player, will be in the next season of "My Star Can Dance".

There's another problem: it seems like his star isn't that bright since his partner, one of Fiore's prominent ballerinas, doesn't know him? His billboard is hanging in front of her dancing school! And it was a good billboard since all he was wearing was his six-pack and an Aztec bandana. How come she didn't notice?

…

Speak to me, read my mind Fill your mouth, with flesh and wine And I'll be yours, just give me time 'Cause you have everything I could ever want You have everything I could ever want You speak to my soul like you've known it before And I just can't stop Lord I can't stop, myself

– Can't Stop, Mozella

…

The closed door muffled the loud screams coming from the other side of it. With every chant and every scream, Juvia's heart thundered. How long had it been since she performed in front of an audience? She couldn't remember. Acid settled in the pit of the ballerina's stomach. The thundering claps and cheers were not helping. In fact, they made the acid chew its way upwards.

Nerves were a performer's greatest enemy.

The knock on the door yanked Juvia's attention toward the single wood. A young man in a bull cap, black shirt and a mic in front of his lips peeked through the small opening.

"Miss Juvia, we're going live in thirty minutes. Please, prepare."

Juvia muttered thanks.

The young man was kind and sweet. Juvia could not remember ever seeing him around. He was probably a new recruit.

When the door clicked closed, Juvia abandoned the thought on the new guy and returned her attention to the vanity mirror. She watched her make-up artist, Cana, paint her lips with light lipstick that complimented her golden brown eyeshadow. Then, Cana sprayed the Treseme Stronghold around her blue bun to secure all the strands.

"All done!" Cana proclaimed. Then, she replaced her make-up tools inside a vanity box before she took a loud sip out of her Starbucks to-go cup.

The show's assistant scriptwriter, and Juvia's High School best-friend, walked up behind her, admiring Juvia's beauty in the mirror.

"You look so pretty, Juvs. I'm sure the camera's gonna love you."

"Thank you, Levy." Juvia gave her a strained smile. Baring herself to Levy, Juvia allowed her worries to show.

Levy opened her mouth to say something but was interrupted by a subtle knock on the door. A familiar shock of raven hair popped into the opening before any of the three ladies could say come in. Of course, they need not to because after Gray Fullbuster said hey, he invited himself in.

Juvia did not turn around to greet him. Instead, she met Gray's dark, awed eyes in the mirror.

"Wow, you look beautiful." The compliment escaped his lips breathlessly.

Levy excused herself, using setting-up early as the reason. The truth was, the show-writer wanted to leave the two alone. Such fact Juvia knew. She mouthed her friend a thank you; grateful when the latter dragged with her an insistent Cana who wanted to take a photo with Gray.

Juvia watched Gray as he walked up behind her, slow and dazed. But as awe-struck as he was with her, Juvia was the same. She couldn't take his eyes off Gray. His raven hair brushed back, made sultry by stubborn fringes falling off the wagon. With his hair away from his face, Gray's classic features came to prominence: high cheek bones and well-defined jawline.

Blue perusing eyes travelled down his neck to the bare skin teasing through the gap of Gray's polo shirt where one, two, three studs remained unbuttoned. Juvia caught her breath. The feel of his hard chest teased at her fingertips.

"Hey, you really look beautiful." He whispered, the rich baritone cutting through her thoughts. The heat of his hands settled on her shoulders, yanking her back to reality.

Gray Fullbuster in an unkempt brushed-back 'do might be a good distraction but the unsettling feeling, just like the plague, just wouldn't go away.

Wearing her heart on her sleeves, Juvia turned around her chair and looked Gray straight in the eyes, voicing her fear for the first time.

"What if I screw up?"

"You won't. You know why?"

Juvia waited for a good moment for his next words. Her heart ready to pop out her chest.

"Because you are Juvia Lockser. And Juvia Lockser never screws up. That's my job."

The confidence in his statement made Juvia almost believe it. She was able to appreciate his punchline too. But there was a little voice the ballerina could not ignore. A little voice saying maybe, maybe Gray was wrong.

"Yeah right." She rolled her eyes, turning her attention back to her reflection in the mirror. "There's a first time for everything."

Juvia was skeptical. She wasn't a pessimist neither was she a ball of sunshine. Juvia liked managing her expectations; less disappointments.

"Juvia." Gray called; his voice taming. He cupped Juvia's face, offering warmth with his open palms. "She is going to love you."

The old Juvia would have been surprised. Here was a stranger she's known not quite long, yet so attuned to Juvia's own feelings. Maybe, it was because she finally tore her own walls down for him.

"So, just relax." He suggested.

Juvia caught Gray's wrists in each hand and wrapped her fingers around them. She didn't push them away, liking how his palms felt against her skin.

"Breathe in, breathe out."

Her eyes shut close, rubbing her cheeks against Gray's palms. His words were so powerful that she was able to push the anxiety at the back of her mind which, she hoped, wouldn't make reappearance. Not until after their performance.

"We're going to kill this performance. Okay?"

Juvia nodded, resting her forehead against Gray's. All the uneasiness was melting away and she had this man to thank for that. Juvia trusted him, came to trust Gray completely and she didn't even know how or why. Even if the Hoopster acted like a five-year old on a sugar rush sometimes, there were moments, moments like this one, when Gray made her feel safe; like she could trust him; like she could rely on him. He got her back – one hundred percent.

"Besides…" Juvia felt Gray's hot breath fan her cheeks. "You could always imagine me in that audience…" He lowered his voice a fraction before finishing. "naked."

Then there were those other moments when she wanted to slap his spirit out of him.

Juvia sighed. His last comment forced her eyes open. She slapped his hands away and returned to the mirror. That wasn't how the saying goes.

"You're not helping."

Juvia checked her hair in the mirror to make sure they still held together. She eyed the man laughing behind her. Instead of getting mad at him; Juvia could not help the smile pulling on her lips. Gray Fullbuster could easily put her mind out of anything, whether by his lame jokes or using those lips for something more useful. Like kissing. That's another thing Juvia grown to like about Gray, aside from kissing, he could always turn things around.

"Besides, I should be the one getting nervous here." Gray confessed. "It's my first time and I feel this weird fluttering in my stomach." The admission and the realization of what the fluttering was for repulsed him.

He looked cute, Juvia thought. Cute but still repulsed.

Juvia studied him for a second. The lines on his forehead and the troubled expression proved his words genuine. The overly confident Hoopster climbed down his high horse. Seeing how Gray reacted to his own pre-show tension, Juvia sat there thinking that beating herself up for getting all nervous and worried was crazy. Performance jitters were perfectly normal, human even.

Juvia climbed down her chair, acting nonchalant about Gray's sudden confession. She then spun around to face him, leaned in and drop a volume as she spoke. "You know what a good distraction is?"

She almost broke out of character when the sudden proximity stunned the overly confident Hoopster.

"Wh-what?" Gray stuttered, his face clouded as he felt her hot breath against his flushed lobe.

"You could always imagine me in the audience, naked."

Juvia walked past him and left a wide-eyed Gray, who seemed to forget how to breathe, in her wake.

"Don't say that!"

She heard him complain after a long drawn-in breath.

"You know I can't get that image out of my head now."

Men really didn't like having a taste of their own medicine. But at least, it kept Gray's mind off the jitters.

...

Romeo, the young man from earlier, instructed the duo to prepare at the backstage. Gray and Juvia were the first to perform. At the holding area, Juvia could hear the host warming up the audience. The lively ruckus was waking up the uneasiness. Juvia easily pushed it back by remembering Gray's words earlier: the how they were going to 'kill the performance' and not the 'imagine him naked in the audience' nonsense.

After the host called out Gray and Juvia's names, silence covered the whole studio. Juvia listened for the cue. She threw her partner one last look, finding the fire in Gray's midnight eyes ablaze. From that moment she knew, the performance was in the bag, no doubt about it.

The first beat of their music poured through the studio's speakers. Then the spotlight was on the pair at the center of the stage. Juvia fixed her eyes on one person – the man carrying her through the routine. The whole world fell away and Juvia drowned in the music, the sway of their bodies and in Gray's midnight eyes.

Juvia's heart thumped along the thundering claps their dance received from the audience. A warm feeling swelled in her chest and the moment she saw the proud smile on her partner's lips, the warm feeling spread like wildfire throughout her body. The catch in her breath wasn't only because of the laborious routine.

Juvia could barely make out what the host had to say through the explosion of cheers. All she knew was that Jenny Realight had such an authority on stage that the audience settled down the moment she spoke. Jenny congratulated the couple on a great performance, slipping her own compliment in.

"That was one sizzling performance, don't you think?" Magnolia Weekly's resident model-turned-host addressed the question to the energetic audience. "I think you burned a hole on the ground."

The couple answered with mutual mirth; their arms were around each other.

"I'm feeling like there is somethin'-somethin' going around here." Jenny teased as she noticed the closeness between the two. "Care to share, Mr. Hotshot?" The host placed the mic next to Gray's lips, hoping for an honest and interesting answer from him.

"The only something I'm going to get tonight is a bad case of the cold. What, with my chest bare open and everything."

Ever the crowd-charmer, Gray's knack for a punchline earned a subtle laugh from the studio audience.

"Someone's a bit too showbiz." Jenny jokingly called Gray out for his evasiveness but she was running on a tight schedule. So, Jenny let them off the hook, for now. "We will get back to that. Now, let's hear from our judges."

The two judges only had good things to say about the performance. One of the female judges purred a 'muy caliente' and even feigned fanning herself to exaggerate her point. The lone male critic thanked Gray, riding on the Hoopster's joke about having to bare his chest on national television for the ratings.

"My pleasure." Gray answered, flashing his trademark wink that got all the female fans buzzing; some males too.

But the opinion that Juvia waited for and the one which mattered the most for her was from the dancer who was recently awarded the Prima Ballerina Assoluta – highest honor conferred to a ballerina.

When the spotlight was finally on Aquarius as it was her time to speak, Juvia could feel her knees wobble. Good thing she had Hoopster for support.

"Well, it's nice to see you managed to keep up with a great ballerina, Mr. Fullbuster." Aquarius began. She had that air and grace about her that intimidated. The form of her every move and sway like dancing were flawless perfection. "Do you have any background in dancing?"

"If you count my one-man show performance in the shower, then yes."

Juvia ought to feel embarrassed on Gray's behalf but she didn't. Gray Fullbuster could work a room with his quirky quips and that was one of his many charms.

"Is he always this funny, Ms. Lockser?"

Juvia's heart leaped when Aquarius started to address her.

"He tries." She answered, trying on the funny pants herself. Even got really excited when her dance hero chuckled at Juvia's joke.

Aquarius paused long enough to let the audience have a good laugh before she started talking technicalities.

"You were able to pull it off even without," Aquarius withdraw her eyes from her notes and looked at Gray. "I'm not counting shower performances as background." She interjected with a playful smile before continuing, "even without background in ballet."

Aquarius praised Juvia for adapting the routine to Gray's skills. The excitement escalated with every compliment thrown Juvia's way and she thought she saw stars when her dance hero said they did a great job.

"And I don't think I'm the only one here who thinks that your chemistry is off the charts!" Aquarius turned around without getting off her judge's seat. "Am I right?" She offered her microphone to the audience.

The response was deafening. Only the blind could not see the heat between Gray and Juvia.

...

The live shows were finally over but Juvia was still on cloud nine and there was no sign of her climbing down from it anytime soon. She couldn't believe how her life turned out: she met her childhood dance hero and even received high praises from her. Then there was Gray, the man who rose to the occasion magnificently.

Juvia peered at the man seated beside her and caught the Hoopster staring at her too. She recognized the glint in his dark blue eyes because she knew she had it in hers too. He reached for her hand under the table and gave it a little squeeze. Juvia returned his loving smile and leaned in when Gray motioned her to. Her skin set fire at the feel of his warm lips brushing against her lobe. He just said something funny and Juvia had to stifle the giggle that threatened to erupt. The show-creator was giving his thank-you speech and she did not want any of the attention. She liked the fact that both she and Gray were happy in their own little world. Juvia would like to keep it that way for a little while.

As the speech came to a close, Juvia raised her glass along with the contestants, the staff and everyone involved in the show. She clanked glasses with Gray and shared a knowing smile. A short bluenette slid into the vacant chair next to Juvia and she regrettably retrieved her hand from Gray's hold. She didn't have to look to know it was Levy whose brown eyes brimmed with excitement.

"He's right, you know." She started then phished out her phone to show Juvia, who was just about to take a spoonful of chicken pecan. "Look, the show's trending on twitter!" Levy exclaimed but apologized quickly when people started throwing judging looks at their table.

Levy returned to her conversation with Juvia, showing the twitter page on her mobile. Juvia was just reading the top page when Gray's hand suddenly grabbed Levy's phone. Bunhead did not fight him over it. After all, she wasn't that all interested.

"It's true! We're trending no. 1 worldwide."

Gray kept scrolling and started reading the tweets. He forgot all about the sumptuous meal right in front of him.

"Wow, you are ironheart143?" Gray passingly read Levy's twitter username which, hearing it aloud, the scriptwriter realized was quite embarrassing.

"Look, this one says 'Gray Fullbuster is God-sent. I'll let him drive me to heaven.'". Gray read a little too proudly for Juvia's liking. The corners of his mouth pulled in a smug. He read another one saying how frockmehard would like Gray to Full her Buster.

Juvia cringed internally. What did that even mean, to 'Full my Buster'?

"Oh! Here's another one. 'I am just as flexible. I'd wrap both legs around Gray's neck… and I'm going to read that to myself." He stopped the moment Juvia sent him the death glare and decided it was better for him and his blooming relationship to return the phone to the owner.

"Hey, there are tweets about Juvia too." Levy began reading mentions about Juvia. Aloud at first, thinking they were innocent until she realized, as she went through them, that people on the internet could get really dirty and detailed.

"Okay. I just lost my appetite."

Gray set his utensils on the table and refused to take another bite, pushing the plate at the center. The tweets just left a bad taste in his mouth.

"Oh! Some fans are also discussing how good your chemistry is."

"Let me see."

"Hey!" Levy pouted but she was no match against Gray's athletic reflexes. She crossed her arms as the phone-grabber scrolled through the tweets.

"Wow, we should really get a couple-name." Gray suggested without taking his eyes off the screen.

"Couple name?"

"That's right!" It was the scriptwriter who answered instead, stealing the opportunity from Gray. "Like Brangelina, Bennifer or Kimye. Yours could be…" She gave it a serious thought before excitedly announcing what she came up with.

"Oh, I know! JuGra!"

Juvia hissed in a little disagreement. "I don't know, Levy." She wanted to support her friend, especially that the scriptwriter looked really, really enthusiastic about this couple-name thing. But 'JuGra' did not sound right in her ears. "I don't think this couple name–"

"–that or it could be JuRay." Gray offered, finally lifting his eyes off the screen and fixing them on Juvia.

JuRay did not sound so bad but Juvia could tell Gray wasn't stopping there. In his eyes, she could see the gears turning.

"FulLockser? Too long. My last name's too long." Gray frowned at the inconvenience of his surname.

"ViaGra?"

"You don't want people calling us ViaGra, Gray."

"ViaGray? That way it won't sound too…"

"Actually, the people have already baptized you." Levy interrupted before the talk about ViaGra took them somewhere she'd rather not go into. "They're calling your loveteam Gruvia."

"Gruvia?" Gray thought about it and let the coined word roll off his tongue once more, testing how it sounded. "Gruvia. I like it."

Juvia expressed her agreement with a content smile that mirrored Gray's.

"Sounds better than ViaGra too." Gray mused. He seemed to enjoy that silly one though.

...

Right after dinner, after the Gruvia couple, as their fans fondly called them, said their goodbyes, Gray offered Juvia a ride. They didn't mind the others seeing them leave the party together. It wasn't the first time Gray drove the ballerina home. But they fought the need to feel each other's warmth until they got inside Gray's Camaro.

In the car, they fondly talked about the live shows. Gray even made fun of the Kendo champion with the scarlet hair.

"I pity his partner but I guess she wasn't called the Dancing Demon for nothing."

"Oh, if Erza could hear you."

Juvia thought she saw fear cross Gray's face at the mention of the swordswoman's name. She confirmed it when the other half of Gruvia cleared his throat and quickly changed the subject.

"How about the wrestler, Elfman? He invited me to watch one of his games. I don't think I'd like to watch men in their undies battling it out in the ring."

"Let me guess, you prefer women in their undies battling it out in the ring."

"Aw." Gray playfully swooned. "You know me so well."

"Ha. Ha." Juvia rolled her eyes again, laughed without humor.

As the ballerina listened in the passenger seat, she couldn't help but muse at the turn of events. She used to hate this man's guts. The basketball diva who pranced into her studio, challenging her patience every chance he got, was now at the driver's seat having a decent conversation with her like most old couples did. Juvia started to imagine Gray with white hair sticking out his head.

"Why are you looking at me that way?" Gray asked, glancing at her every now and then.

"Nothing." Juvia answered. "And keep your eyes on the road." She reprimanded without erasing the smile on her lips. She didn't even try.

"Oh c'mon. Do I have something on my face?" Gray knew there wasn't but he, too, had that foolish smile on his face.

"Yes. There's that silly look you need to get rid of."

"Hey, you have it on yours too."

"I don't!" Juvia denied.

"Yes, you do. Look!" Gray reached out and palmed Juvia's face with his free hand. "You get rid of it first."

"Gray!" Juvia reprimanded with a giggle, swatting his hands off her.

They shared a soft chuckle in the car; lost in their own little world again. Juvia shifted her gaze to the window and rested her head against it. Juvia heaved an audible sigh. The events from earlier played in her head like a reel. Today couldn't have been more perfect and she couldn't be happier.

The familiar brown roof peered into the window and Juvia felt the Camaro slowing down. The convertible prowled into the front of the two-storey white-fenced house.

"We're here." Gray announced. Then, he cut off the engine and alighted from the Camaro.

Gray walked up to Juvia's side, taking her hand in his. It wasn't the first time Gray held her hand but somehow it felt different – good different. Her heart was pounding, not in a nervous beat but more like that giddy feeling when drinking caffeine; like she was excited for something. Like there was something amazing to come.

They continued the path that led to her door; fingers still intertwined. They walked up the steps into the porch and halted in front of the door. The silence that settled between them was cut short by Gray.

"I guess this is goodnight." Gray said, taking a step closer towards Juvia.

Her eyes fell on his lips and Juvia thought back at the time they shared their first kiss, right in front of her door, exactly where they were standing now.

"Yeah. I guess it is." She answered, taking her eyes off Gray's tempting lips and back to his midnight eyes.

When Gray leaned in, Juvia fought the urge to close her eyes. She wanted to witness everything and safely tuck the memory in her mind. Her eyes never left his as Gray bridged the gap between them. She waited, heart strumming in anticipation. Then, he softly pressed his lips against hers.

The kiss started slow and gentle; both of them wanting to indulge in the taste of each other. It remained chaste until a low moan slipped from Juvia's lips and into Gray's. It was her permission and encouragement for Gray to deepen the kiss. He also would have if not for the sound that came from the door – a sound of a person clearing his throat.

Juvia pulled away from the kiss. She slowly turned to the door, praying she was wrong and that the person she was about to face wasn't who she thought it was.

But Juvia Lockser was rarely wrong.

Heat rose up and painted her cheeks rosy. She forgot how to speak for a moment and wished she could dig a hole to hide in.

"Oh, dad!" She managed to say sheepishly as she confronted a six foot man with his arms crossed against his chest. "You're back." She fought the second wave of shame about to hit her when the fierce blue eyes she missed narrowed at her.

"Good evening, sir." Gray greeted, catching Ambassador Lockser's attention.

The man did not speak but the intimidation came across his lone intended audience – Gray Fullbuster.

It has been awhile since someone put a mouse in Gray's chest.

...

Writer's Corner: Hi you guys! New chapter's up. How have you guys been? I would just like to thank you again for your unending support both old and new readers. You are the best!

I know I promised you guys a new character and I think he's not who you guys were expecting right? Hehe.

See you in the next chapter and drop some love at the comment section. Muah!

#gray x juvia #gruvia #gray fullbuster #juvia lockser #she's in you court #siyc #gruvia fanfiction #gruvia au #gruvia fanfic

[damienthepious]

lizard kiss time thank you

The Rite of Movement (Chapter 2)

[Ch 1] [ao3] [Ch 3] [Ch 4] [Ch 5]

[Fandom: The Penumbra Podcast

Relationship: Lord Arum/Sir Damien/Rilla

Characters:  Lord Arum, Sir Damien, Rilla, The Keep, Original Monster Character(s), Sir Marc, Sir Talfryn, Sir Angelo, Quanyii, Sir Caroline

Additional Tags: Established Relationship, Engagement, Post-Canon, Domestic Fluff, Romantic Fluff, Poetry, Presents, Monster Customs, Dancing

Fic Summary: Arum has a surprising revelation about his own feelings, and then decides to take matters into his own claws since his humans don’t seem to realize what they are denying themselves.

Chapter Summary: A conversation over breakfast. Hashing out the details, as it were.

Notes: Sorry for the long delay between chapters, I don't have as much of a well-defined plot for this one as I did for Reckoning, so Reckoning took precedence until it was done. Hopefully, this story will just keep going until we hit the actual wedding. Will I be able to actually WRITE said wedding, as an unmarried enby who hasn't been to a wedding since I was maybe eight years old? WE SHALL SEE.]

It isn’t until the next morning that Rilla remembers to question the technicalities, and Damien starts to worry again in the general sense.

“It’s one thing to be engaged,” Rilla says gently as Damien scoops out scrambled eggs and a vegetable hash onto their plates for breakfast. “There’s no law against engagement, regardless of how many people are involved or whether any of them happen to be monsters. But actually getting married… I don’t know if there’s a priest in the world who would-”

“I told you not to worry about what is possible, Amaryllis,” Arum says, voice warm and content and a little bit smug. “You are thinking too small. A human priest? Admittedly, you would be hard pressed to find one amenable to our situation. But your world is larger than just the realm of humanity now, is it not?”

“You are suggesting a- a monster priest?” Damien says, his voice lilting up in disbelief as he sets the skillet back on the counter and comes to join them at the table.

“Probably not a priest as you would recognize. But- there are monsters who oversee such ceremonies.” When they stare at him, doubtful, he scoffs, but he’s still smiling. “What, did you think that committing to each other was a strictly human desire? Not every monster wishes to, and some who desire commitment simply decide that they are married without the pomp and circumstance. But still others have a fondness for attention, ritual, the involvement of friends and rivals and underlings- you understand my meaning.”

“It wouldn’t matter that there are three of us?” Damien asks curiously. “I know that two in unity is a very human concept, but-”

“Monster unions are often complex, and often even more complex than three. Sometimes unions are more practical than romantic, sometimes they are mergers of families, sometimes a commitment of monsters will fall out of love and hold an extravagant ceremony of parting. Three instead of two in the human way is an unchallenging thought, honeysuckle. There is only one rule, for monsters.”

“And marrying you off to a couple of humans…” Rilla trails off.

Arum shrugs. “I know one or two powerful monsters who live far from the Citadel, who hold no specific grudge towards humanity, and if I asked them to oversee the ceremony for me… I think I could convince them.” He pauses, clears his throat. “I… may have already opened a correspondence or two… to test the waters.”

“Wow,” Rilla says. “You’ve really been thinking about this a lot, haven’t you?”

“… yes,” Arum admits, his tail curling around her ankle gently. “Yes I have.”

“A monster wedding,” Damien murmurs. “Saints, how my life has changed…”

“Does the idea bother you?” Arum asks, tone carefully blank.

“Once upon a time it would have,” he says with a wry smile. “Now I’m merely considering how to go about telling Sir Angelo about this without him accidentally revealing to the entire Citadel the event we are planning.”

“Oh, damn,” Rilla says with a sigh. “Working out the invitations for this is going to be interesting, huh?”

Arum gives a long-suffering sigh. “Marrying a knight, I suppose I shall have to endure a limited number of other knights in attendance,” he grouses. “I shall not be inviting many guests myself. The Keep shall be my most important witness.”

The Keep gives a joyous trill at that, and Arum hides a smile as he takes a bite of his food.

“Hm.” Rilla taps her fork against her plate absently. “Angelo obviously, and Tal and Marc and Dampierre…” she sighs. “We can’t invite Sir Caroline, even if we did kind of reach an understanding. She’ll still walk in and behead the monster that’s supposed to marry us in a heartbeat, no doubt. And I would invite Quanyii, but I have no idea how to get in touch with her, and, well-”

“You think she’ll start asking for my thumbs again, Amaryllis?”

“Oh hush, I was desperate and I never promised anything.” She pauses. “But I really don’t want her to bring it up again, yeah.”

“I am amused that you should wish such a chaotic creature attend our ceremony at all,” Arum says with a laugh.

“She was instrumental in the saving of our Citadel,” Damien muses. “I’m sure if we are determined, we can find a way to contact her.”

“Maybe,” Rilla says. “Either way, I think we’re getting ahead of ourselves a bit. Saints… I can’t believe we’re going to have to plan a wedding. I had resigned myself to perpetual engagement, to be honest.”

“It can be done however you want it to be, Amaryllis,” Arum reminds her, trying not to sound too eager. “You need not adhere to any human traditions that you do not find appealing. And the Keep will help make any arrangements with the space that we need, of course.”

“Will we hold the actual ceremony outside?” Rilla asks, tilting her head. “I don’t imagine that you would want any knights and critters running around the inside of the Keep at will, wedding or no.”

“I had-” Arum pauses. “I hadn’t thought of that. I had been imagining-” a new song filling the greenhouse, hopeful and content instead of yearning, this time. Arum clears his throat, continues, “imagining it in the greenhouse. But outside, yes, I suppose that makes more sense-”

“The greenhouse,” Rilla sighs. “It is the most incredible room in the Keep, I think.”

The Keep sings a soft pleased note at that, and Arum scowls but does not mean it in the least.

“And we could have the Keep seal it off,” Damien suggests, “and only have the guests come in through portals, limit access to the rest of the structure, if only to keep things simple and contained…”

“Yes,” Arum says, fiercely glad that they appear as enthusiastic about the idea as he is. “Yes, I think that will work quite well.”

“How soon were you thinking that we would hold the actual- ceremony?” Rilla asks, watching with amusement as Arum clenches and unclenches his fists, not meeting her eyes.

“I… a month, perhaps?” he suggests, his heart thudding, not sure if that time frame is at all reasonable by human standards. “Small ceremony, shouldn’t require too much planning, just- need to see if our ‘priest’ is willing, make sure those we want will be able to attend- and-” he sighs. “I am due to molt soon, and I had wanted to wait until after that unpleasantness for this.”

“M-molt?” Damien asks, voice tilting up.

“Lizard,” Rilla chimes, and Arum scowls.

“I am a magical construct-”

“Who just so happens to closely resemble a bunch of lizards and shares many biological similarities with them,” Rilla says with a shrug and a grin. “You haven’t noticed, Damien? The Keep’s been trying to keep him all moisturized and cared for, but poor Arum’s scales have been all dry and pale lately.”

“It isn’t exactly a pleasant process,” Arum grouses.

“But I bet you’ll look pretty incredible when it’s over.” She pauses, eying him. “Shiny new husband,” she muses, mostly to watch the way his posture freezes, the way his eyes go wide, and then narrow.

“Shameless tormentor,” he mutters, fondly, leaning so he can nudge an arm against hers. “So. After I molt at least.”

“Let’s wait until we hear from your monster officiant, and when we know they’ll be available we can start inviting the rest of the little group.”

“You are being remarkably quiet, honeysuckle,” Arum says after a moment, and Rilla feigns a wince.

“Oh, don’t get him started,” she teases.

“It’s only-” Damien laughs, possibly at himself. “I’m so happy,” he says wonderingly. “It’s quite overwhelming, actually. Distracting, even- I keep thinking about-” he glances towards Arum, then gives another pleased little laugh. “I keep half expecting to wake from a dream. This seemed impossible only a day ago, and yet-”

“The impossible is my business, honeysuckle,” Arum says mildly.

“I am overwhelmed by my love for the both of you,” he says, and Rilla smiles and sighs and reaches out to grip his wrist.

“You know we love you too,” she says gently. “No need to get worked up this early in the morning. Besides, you might wanna start saving up your speeches for the wedding itself, don’t you think?”

“I am going to preemptively set a time limit on any speechifying or poetry-reading during the ceremony,” Arum barks quickly.

“At the reception, then,” Rilla concedes with a smile.

“The what?”

Rilla blinks, then bursts out laughing. “Okay- I am asking this completely seriously, I’m not laughing at you, I promise. Have you ever actually been to a wedding, Arum?”

“Of-” he snaps his mouth shut, his snout wrinkling in irritation. “I-” he bares his teeth, and then his shoulders sink in defeat. “Of course not. When would I have ever? Who do you think would have invited me?”

Damien is making a face like he’s about to declare that he would, of course, he would invite Arum anywhere, for the rest of his life, anywhere and everywhere, all the most beautiful places- but Rilla steers the conversation before the poet can make Arum any more uncomfortable.

“It’s not a big deal, Arum. I just- didn’t want there to be any big surprises for you if you didn’t know what to expect. Usually after the whole actual ceremony, there’s a reception. A party, really. With food, and dancing, presents, and stuff like that. We don’t have to do that if you don’t want to, though.”

“… dancing?” Arum echoes.

“Dancing,” Damien agrees in a dreamy tone, his head tilted and eyes looking somewhere distant.

“I… enjoy…” Arum pauses, frill flaring enough to reveal his embarrassment. “I enjoy dancing,” he says quietly, and then he coughs and sticks his nose in the air just a bit. “Of course, I’m sure your human dancing customs are just like all of your other customs: rigid and ridiculous and if you put one claw out of line someone will mock you for it.”

Damien, affronted, opens his mouth to retort, but Rilla gets there first with a laugh.

“Some dancing is like that,” she admits. “But obviously if you wouldn’t like that sort of lock-step, organized dancing, we just wouldn’t do it. I mean, I don’t really like that kind of dancing either, so that’s fine with me.”

Damien ducks his head slightly, almost pouting, but then he sighs and admits, “Most of that choreography is designed for… groupings of two, anyway.”

Arum wrinkles his nose. “Ugh. So invariably dull. You creatures cannot even cavort without putting restraints on every little step and turn.”

Damien frowns in earnest, now. “You don’t seem to mind terribly the restraint on my every little step and turn when I go through my exercises each morning, when you so often conveniently happen to be nearby and observing.”

“I-” Arum’s eyes dart to the side in a way that fails entirely to be stealthy. “Don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I mean, I do,” Rilla says with a shrug. “Watching Damien stretch is my favorite part of my morning routine, just barely beating out coffee.”

Arum laughs. “Fine, fine. I suppose restraint can have its place.”

“What I’m getting from this is that you do want to dance, though,” Rilla says slyly.

“Dancing, food,” he deflects with a shrug, “none of that sounds… disagreeable.”

“How coy your phrasing,” Damien says, voice lilting. “Who would have suspected that a monster could be so very meek about the simple matter of a dance?”

“Meek,” Arum growls. He clearly knows that Damien is goading him, but he narrows his eyes and stands regardless. “I will show you meek, little knight. Keep?”

The Keep sings, then, but not in the usual way, not in its harmonious vagueness, but with rhythm and purpose. A full song, not a phrase of notes. Arum lifts Damien out of his chair with a hand on each side of his waist, and the movement glides easily into a waltzing turn. Arum is substantially taller than Damien, and Damien is less used to following than he is to leading, but he adjusts quickly with a laugh on his breath as Arum guides him through a series of steps that manage to be both unpredictable and elegant at the same time. Monstrous, but controlled. He turns Damien in a tight circle, and his movements to the music are measured and slow compared to his typical blurring speed. Finally he dips the knight back, leaning in close to nip at his jaw as if he just can’t help himself, and when that startles a more enthusiastic laugh out of Damien, Arum pulls him back to stand again, looking equal parts smug and smitten.

“Wedding ceremony planning, version two, entry one,” Rilla chimes into her recorder with a grin, and both of her breathless fiances pause to look at her. “Dancing at the reception is non-negotiable.”

#elle's fanfic #the penumbra podcast #second citadel #rad bouquet #lord arum #amaryllis of exile #sir damien #links will be added in a second because i want to see if this will actually show up in the tag if i don't put them in #it's actually a couple hours BEFORE #lizard kissin' tuesday #by my time but i'm UNWILLING TO WAIT #okay cool even with NO links this still didn't show up in the tags #hey thanks tumblr you dipshit #the rite of movement

[i-see-thevision]

Mine (M)

Request: “Rough sex with mark? (°▽°)” @minhollee

Genre: Completely not so pure smut turned fluff at the end

Pairing: Mark x reader

Summary: Jealousy takes a hold of Mark when one of the members gets particularly touchy with you, his girlfriend, at a photo shoot. So when you two get back to your apartment, he decides to let you know just who you belong to.

Warnings: Explicit sex; cursing; light bondage

A/N: I’m assuming you meant Mark from NCT, but if you meant Mark Tuan from Got7 then don't hesitate to request again! I’ll write one for him too ;)

- - -

“Now if you could look to the left.” The photographer directs your boyfriend, who is clad in all black, a black and white bandana tied around his neck. 

He looked positively irresistible in all black and you never failed to mention it.

He turned his head to the left, which just happened to be where you were sitting off to the side, behind the cameras. As soon as you two made eye contact, a smirk broke out on his face. The look in his eye suggestive and mischievous.

“Yes, perfect.” The photographer commended. Clearly happy you were present to illicit such reactions from Mark.

The longer Mark looked at you in such a way, the more flustered you were getting. You shifted in your chair when he suddenly licked his bottom lip before dragging it between his teeth, eyeing you up and down slowly.

He chuckled at how easily you became hot and bothered. 

“Now to the right.” The photographer directs, causing the very intimate eye contact you and Mark were sharing to break.

You let out a breath you didn't know you were holding. Wow, did you wish this shoot would just end already. The sexual tension between the two of you was getting so thick you could cut it with a knife. 

You see, Mark had been incredibly busy these past two weeks. SM had kept the boys occupied with schedules and interviews and photoshoots, like this one. And you’re glad that they are getting so much done. However, because he’s been so busy, you and Mark haven't had any alone time for two weeks. And the both of you were stressing out because of it.

You were drawn from your thoughts by a tap on your shoulder. It was Yuta, holding out a paper cup of water.

“You look thirsty.” He smiled, handing you the cup and taking a seat next to you.

You can say that again.

You chuckle ironically at the hidden implication only known to you, and take the cup from him gratefully.

“Thanks.” You smiled back, taking a sip.

“I believe there’s only Haechan left after Mark and then we’re free to go.” He informs you and you sigh, thanking the Lord. You needed this to be over.

He chuckled at your desperation to leave, placing an arm around your chair. You didn't think anything of it. Yuta has always been a pretty affectionate guy, not just with you but with all the members, especially Winwin. 

“I’m surprised they didn't use you as one of the models for the photo shoot.” He suddenly says, turning his head in the opposite direction of you to look at the camera crew. 

Your head snaps up and you turn to look at him, bewilderment written on your features. Did he basically just call you a model?

“What?” You stipulated, voicing your obvious confusion. He turned to face you, a smirked played on his lips at your confused state.

“Well I mean you’re right here, and you’re gorgeous.” He compliments, his hand now resting on your forearm. You chuckled and shook your head lightly, a blush creeping onto your cheeks.

You weren't blushing because he was making you feel feelings for him or anything, you were blushing because you were used to only Mark complimenting you like that. And little did you know, he was glaring daggers at Yuta from his position on the ground in front of the cameras. 

“Very nice job, thank you Mark. Now where’s Haechan? Haechan!” The photographer yells for the Maknae of 127, who’s next and the last to go.

Now that Mark is finally done shooting, he walks up to where you and Yuta are sitting and pulls you up by your hand. Earning a displeased look from Yuta, yet he doesn't protest.

“Time to go home.” Mark says, pulling you along towards the exit. You waved a quick, fleeting goodbye to Yuta.

“But I thought we couldn't leave until Haechan finishes?” You point out as he’s practically dragging you out of the building.

“I don’t care, we’re leaving now.” He says finitely, opening the passenger side door of your car for you while walking over to the driver’s side and getting in.

You furrow your eyebrows and shake your head to yourself, in confusion, before getting in and buckling up.

The ride to your apartment was dead silent. And you’d be lying if you said you weren't a little anxious. Mark clearly wasn't happy and you didn't really know why. Everything was going fine. Mark was doing a great job in front of the cameras, he was having a dandy time undressing you with his eyes, you didn't do anything other than talk to- ...oh.

It suddenly hit you.

Yuta.

Mark was jealous.

By the time you came to the realization of the problem here, Mark had parked in front of your apartment building. It took him no time at all to get you out of the car and pull you up the steps, quickly making his way to your door. He unlocked the door with his spare key you gave him and tugged you inside.

As soon as the door was shut, you were pinned against it. Mark took both your wrists in one hand and held them above your head, pinning them against the door as well.

“Mark-” You began your explanation on Yuta’s behalf but barely got his name out before his lips were on yours. You couldn't help but react, immediately kissing him back. 

Your hands flew to the back of his neck, threading your fingers through his hair. He used his free hand to tilt your head, deepening the kiss further. When you felt his tongue slip into your mouth, you let out a breathy moan and tugged on his strands a little. The kiss was heated, bordering on desperate. 

Actually scratch that. He was most definitely desperate, you both were. You both had been waiting for this for far too long. 

Mark reached down and grabbed the back of your thighs just under your ass, lifting you up but not before whispering a very sensual “jump” against your lips. You obeyed, jumping up and wrapping your legs tight around his waist. Mark’s hips grinned into yours as soon as your ankles locked behind him. 

You tugged at the thin material of his ripped black shirt, loving how it looked on him but knowing you’d love it better off of him. He got the message and stopped his assault on your lips briefly so you could pull it off of him, tossing it haphazardly onto the floor. As soon as he was rid of the material, he attached his mouth to your neck, leaving a wet trail as he moved upwards. You felt him smirk when he reached a specific spot, right underneath your jawline. He knew that was your weak spot, knew that you’d turn completely sub for him as soon as he bit down on it. The high pitched whimper that left your lips proved this. 

He was going to be in charge tonight. And you both knew it.

You lived for the nights that Mark would go full dom. Normally you were both in mutual control. However the nights that Mark took complete control were secretly your favorite, even though you would never admit that to him. 

Mark lifted you off the wall and blindly found his way to your bedroom. He didn't need to see to know where he was going, he had your whole place mapped out in his head. Specifically how to get from anywhere in your apartment to your bed, his favorite place. You pushed the door open and he expertly found his way to your bed, dropping you down with a soft bounce. 

The atmosphere seemed to shift when Mark changed the pace a bit, crawling up your body exceptionally slow. Unbuttoning your shirt from bottom to top, removing the unwanted material from your body and disposing it onto the floor. His thumbs brushed over your already hardened nipples underneath your white lace bra. He swiftly rid it from your body, admiring your bare chest but showing restraint as he simply continued his ascent. When he became level with your gaze, you saw something different in his eyes... something sinful. Your suspicions were confirmed when you felt his fingers wrap around your wrists. He brought your arms up and over your head, leaning down until his lips met your ear. 

“I think I need to remind you who it is you belong to, sweetheart...” He practically growled into your ear, bitting down on your lobe gently. The action sending warmth straight to your core. You watched as he took his free hand and untied the bandana from around his neck, brining it up to secure your wrists to the headboard above you. “...and I intend to do just that.”

As soon as your wrists were firmly tied above your head, you pulled on the restraints. He had never tied you up before, and you'd be lying if you said it wasn't turning you on. Just the thought of being completely at his mercy, completely defenseless to his touch. The anticipation was killing you. You needed him to touch you, to do something, anything.

Your silent wish was granted as he brought his hands to your breasts. He massaged them gently before bringing his mouth to your left nipple, swirling his tongue around your sensitive bud. A very breathy moan escaped your lips as he blew against the saliva he left there. He didn't fail to give equal attention to your other breast before leaving a wet trail down your stomach to your jeans. 

He unbuttoned your jeans and pulled them down your legs, you lifted your legs so he could pull them off and toss them onto the floor next to your other clothing. He languidly trailed his hands up your thighs, a devilish smirk playing on his lips.

You swear you heard him whisper “mine” under his breath before he leaned down and kissed your hip bones. The unexpected gentleness catching you off guard. He took the waistband of your lace panties between his teeth and maintained eye contact as he slowly dragged them down. He took your legs in his hands, lifting them to fully remove the last piece of clothing left on your body. 

He leaned down and his nose brushed against the skin of your calf and gentry trailed higher up your leg, driving you insane as he reached your thigh, then your hip. He bit down on the skin there, quickly soothing the bite with his tongue, forming a purple-is bruise in its place. He was marking you, that was common when his possessive side came out. His head then moved to be level with your core, his tongue sticking out to lick a long slow stripe up your folds. You tugged against your restrains, wanting to push his head where you needed him most. He chuckled at your desperation, clearly enjoying himself. He left a fleeting, much too soft kiss on your clit before bringing his head back up to meet yours. 

“Please Mark... I need you.” You panted, beginning to squirm from all this foreplay. Your thighs squeezed together in an attempt to gain some sort of friction but Mark quickly pushed your legs apart with his knee, eliciting a whine from you. 

“Wrong name, Princess.” His voice dropped an octave. Mark was in rare form tonight, and your core throbbed as you realized what he meant. You bit your lip before correcting yourself.

“Please... Daddy.” You almost moaned out. The sound of that word leaving your lips sent Mark into a frenzy. His undeniably sexy black jeans came off, along with his briefs. You struggled against your restrains again as you watched his fully hardened member spring against his abdomen.

His lips attacked your own, teeth clashing against yours in a messy, heated kiss. He opened your lips with his, allowing his tongue to slip in and explore what felt like every inch of your mouth. He only pulled away when you clearly needed air. He dragged your bottom lip between his teeth as he guided your legs to wrap around his waist. He leaned over to grab a condom from your bedside drawer, opening it with his teeth and sliding the latex onto his cock.

He guided his tip to your entrance, teasingly rubbing himself against your folds, mixing his pre-cum with your wetness. Your head fell back though, along with a groan, when he slammed himself inside you unexpectedly. He stayed there, hips meeting yours as you adjusted. After a couple moments, he began moving. His set his pace fast and hard, pounding into you as his hands gripped your waisted. His fingers leaving little red ovals in your skin there. Your head was spinning, uncontrollable moans left your lips. You were in complete ecstasy.

“Now who do you belong to, Princess?” Mark growled as he brought his lips to your ear. You yelped in surprise when you felt his hand come down on your ass. 

“You Daddy! I belong to you!” You choked out as he quickened his pace, spanking your ass again. He thrusted into you faster, soft grunts leaving his lips as he did so.

“Good girl.” He praised as he left marks on your neck and all over your chest. You were so close to your release, pulling hard on the bandana preventing you from touching him. You needed to touch him. You needed to feel his skin beneath your fingers. 

Mark sensed this and swiftly untied your wrists. Like a magnet, your arms flew around his neck. Your fingernails dragged down his back, leaving angry red lines in their wake. The mixed sounds of skin slapping against skin and lewd squelching would normally make you blush if you weren't so captivated by the movement of his hips. 

Your breathing quickened as Mark brought his hand to your clit, rubbing rough circles against it. That was all it took to send you over the edge. You bit down on his shoulder as you tried to muffle the scream that escaped your lips as you came. Profanities fell from Mark’s mouth as he came right after, continuing to thrust into you as he rode out both your highs. 

Mark flopped on the bed next to you, both of you catching your breath. You played there for a while before Mark got up briefly to dispose of the condom. He then crawled back into the bed, bringing the covers over both of you. He pulled you close to him, kissing your forehead.

“I hope I wasn't too rough on you.” He smiled against your hair, knowing damn well you enjoyed that as much as him if not more.

“That was amazing. I hope you know I’m yours and only yours.” You breathed, snuggling closer to him. 

“And I’m yours.” He kissed the top of your head, “I love you, y/n.” He whispered firmly. 

“I love you too.” You whispered back, you couldn't help smile forming on your face as he pulled you closer. 

The sound of his breathing evening out, the last thing you could hear before you fell asleep.

- - -

A/N: AHH SO SORRY THIS TOOK ME SO LONG TO WRITE, MY LOVE. Thank you all for reading, I love you my bbys <3

#nct mark #nct #nct smut #mark smut #kpop #fanfic #nct fanfic

[octorabbit]

Fire and Fury

Fantasy AU

Pairing - Sheith

Rating - SFW (possibility of change in the future)

Summary - Childhood had been simpler, more innocent times. Times of playing make believe of valiant knights and horrifying monsters, times of laying in the grass and cloud gazing with friends, times of running freely through the village streets laughing and shouting at the top of you lungs. If only adulthood could be as simple.

A/N - When a new story idea comes and you need to actually get off your lazy arse and write it...fingers crossed that I can commit. Big shout out to my proof reader Den! Thank you for being patient and instigating half of the insanity that inspired me to write this. You can also find this on AO3, I thought I may as well post it here too

It was the sharp pain against his wrist that forced Shiro to drop his stick. "Oww! Keith, what was that for?!'

"I saw an opening and I took it." The younger said matter of factly as he swiped his own stick. The little runt seemed smug to get the one up on the 11 year old for once.

"Yeah, doesn't mean you actually have to hit me." Shiro said with a pout as he rubbed his injured wrist. Right on the bone too, ouch!

"You can't complain about that if you want to be in the royal guard."

Shiro just grumbled at the 9 year old as he goes to pick up his stick.

"Uttt!! You can't pick your sword up, I just cut off your hand!" Keith protested.

The only response Shiro gave was sticking out his tongue as he swapped his hand. "Alright, no mercy."

By the time Keith realized what he'd done, he screamed as Shiro charged towards him, barely able to deflect the strike.

---

"You and peaches I swear." Shiro huffs as he pulled Keith's sleeve to guide him through the bustling crowd. While the younger was just as eager to see the important guests who've come to grace their village, the fruit in Keith's arm were also a priority.

He was going to eat so.many.peaches.

Weaving and shoving their way past the eager adults and children, the duo managed to make their way to the front of the crowd that left them awestruck.

Right there, in the center of the crowd was King Alfor in all his glory shaking hands and chatting with the villiage head; surrounded by his infamous elite royal guards, and standing right beside him was a small girl who was none other than Princess Allura.

"I can't believe we're actually seeing the King and Princess of Altea, AND the Kings royal guards with our own two eyes!" Shiro said as he practically vibrated in excitement. Keith let out a high pitched noise in agreement, his blue eyes practically glittering and he took a bite out of one of his peaches.

The little Princess was looking around curiously, though made no attempt to leave her father's side. She eventually locked eyes with the boys, giving them both a cheerful smile and a wave.

Shiro chuckled as he waved back. "The Princess is kinda cute, huh?"

Keith hummed in response. "She has pretty eyes."

"Oooh does Keith have a crush?" Shiro teased.

"No, gross." The younger didn't even try to hide his face of disgust at Shiro's words.

"Keith's got a girlfriend, Keith's got a- OUCH!" Shiro cried out at the large pip pegged at his head.

"You're a jerk." Keith growled as his cheeks begun to turn pink and took a bite out of his second peach.

---

He just wanted to be alone.

No, that was a lie. He was so damn lonely it hurt, and everyone in the village had to keep reminding him of that fact.

Jaw and fists clenched and curled himself into a tighter ball at the situation running through his head. He had just blown up at the bakers wife who stopped by to give him some leftover bread with that same damn smile and speaking to him in that same obnoxious tone everyone else spoke to him.

They pitied him, he was just a charity case that people took care of to make themselves feel like good samaritans. 'Oh poor little orphan boy, what kind of parents would abandon their child?' They'd think as he was given what no one else wanted and leave him alone in the tiny house his father bought just weeks before disappearing.

He has been crying since he chased the bakers wife off, unable to contain the whirlwind of emotions that flooded through him, so when he heard a knock at the door, he couldn't help but jump.

"Hey Keith, you home?"

Oh Gods it's Shiro.

"C'mon buddy, I know you're in there. Why weren't you at practice?"

With a shakey breath Keith stood up and moved for the door, knowing full well Shiro won't leave, and he'd find out anyway. Gods he hated how persistent Shiro could be.

The second the door was open, the elder's slightly annoyed expression instantly warped to worry.

"Keith?... Hey Keith, what's wrong?" Shiro's voice cracked as he stepped closer.

Keith quickly stepped back, eyes darting to the ground, causing Shiro to cease his advances.

"Keith, please..."

Damn it all to hell the floodgates released again as tears streamed down his face without any signs of stopping. With another shuddery breath, Keith was finally able to look him in the eye, no mater how pathetic he looked.

"W-why.... W-why did dad leave m-m-me?" He finally choked out. Next thing he knew, he was in Shiro's arms as the elder held him close, a hand running through his dark hair soothingly.

"Shhh it's okay bud, it'll be okay. I'm sure there's a perfectly good explanation for it" Shiro said calmly as the boy in his arms lost what little control he had left and cried into his chest. He cried and cried and cried, and all Shiro did was stand there with sad eyes as he continued to comfort his friend.

By the time Keith finally calmed down to a hiccuping mess, Shiro finally pulled away, still keeping contact by rubbing the others scrawny arms.

"Feeling any better?" Shiro asked, genuinely concerned.

Keith nodded his head and gave a weak 'yeah' in response.

"Did you want to come over to my place? I'm sure mum and dad would be more than happy to have you over." Shiro offered, keeping his voice as gentle as possible.

Keith shook his head, no.

"...Did you want me to stay over?"

Keith was surprised by that offer and was unsure on how to answer.

"C'mon, it'll be great! I could whip us up a special recipe my grandpa taught me, you'll love it."

Keith finally caved, tense shoulders finally drooping "...O-okay."

"Just need to run home and get the ingredients and get my stuff. I'll be right back!"

Keith tensed up again at the idea of Shiro leaving. "W-wait!" He cried out, but it was too late. Shiro had already ran off.

The unbridled sense of abandonment bubbled up again and he couldn't tell if he wanted to cry from pain or scream in anger. Of course Shiro ran away, it was stupid to assume he wasn't like the others or actually cared, his own damn father didn't even want him.

Of course all those hateful feelings were flushed out with bewilderment and confusion once Shiro returned with a bag slung over his back and another full of food in his hands.

It took Shiro another round of comforting a hysterically crying boy, apologizing like crazy as the younger shed tears of relief, before he could settle in and start preparing dinner.

With full bellies and the strain of a full day's worth of strong fluctuating emotions finally crashing down, the boy's turned in for an early night. Shiro more than happy to let Keith cling onto him as they cuddled up in bed.

It was that day that Keith finally found someone he knew actually cared after years of feeling alone.

---

"Shiro!" BANG BANG "Shiro!"

Shiro opened his bleary eyes, head still foggy from sleep as he was interrupted by banging and shouting from his window. Dragging himself out of bed, he walked uncoordinatedly towards the window. Whatever the hell he was woken up for better be damn important.

No surprise Keith was the one making the racket. Whatever it was it must be something big for the 13 year old to look as manic as he was right now.

"Keith-" Shiro yawned as he undid the latch and opened his window. "Keith, what are you doing here, It's too early for practice." He managed to say as he failed to hold back another yawn.

"You're not going to believe what everyone in the village is talking about, like holy shit!" Keith said as he beated his hands against the sill enthusiastically.

"Language! So what's this so called unbelievable thing everyone is talking about?"

"Lord Zarkon betrayed King Alfor! Something really big must have happened because Zarkon's been banished from the kingdom!"

Well that was certainly a way to wake someone up.

"Are you serious? The Black Knight himself betrayed the King??" Shiro squawked in disbelief, cringing slightly as his voice cracked.

Keith nodded vigorously, seeming unable to contain his childlike excitement. "Yeah, it's all anyone is talking about."

"Oh wow." Was all that Shiro could push out. This new development had his mind reeling; Lord Zarkon, one of the Kings personal guard, the Black Knight that Shiro had looked up to since he was just a child had committed treason against the Altean Kingdom. "Keith, do you have any idea what this means?"

Keith only responded with a quirk of his eyebrow.

"It means that the new position for the Black Knight is open, and who knows how long that'll take. If I keep training and get accepted as an apprentice then maybe..." Shiro's chest swelled at the thought of becoming the prestigious Black Knight, being the leader of the Kings personal royal guard, being the brave hero he always dreamt of being.

Of course Keith had to ruin his fantasy as he bursted out laughing, snorting away like a little piggy.

"Oh yeah your perfect to be the Black Knight, especially with your weird gangly body and squeaky voice." The younger teased.

"Keith!!" Shiro growled before quickly slapped a hand over his mouth as his voice broke. Damn puberty had to prove the other right at the worst time.

Keith found himself in another fit of laughter, Shiro glared at him when he was grasping onto the window sill for support till he settled down and able to breathe properly.

"O-*snort* Okay I kid, I kid! Shiro, you're the best in the village; you almost never miss practice, you're teaching me and the others things we'd never learn if it wasn't for you, and remember the time you stopped that thief?"

"That was a collaborative effort between the both of us." Shiro interjected.

"Yeah, we stopped her and you were so cool! She didn't stand a chance when she tried to attack you. How many kids our age can say they took on a real criminal? There's no doubt you'll be accepted to get proper training to be a real knight, they'd be stupid not to."

The older couldn't help but feel embarrassed by all the things Keith was spouting "Jeez Keith, you have way too much faith in me."

"Someone's got to, I mean you're the only person in this damn place who has any faith in me so of course the feeling's mutual."

A smile stretched across Shiro's face at that. "Thanks Keith."

Keith returned the smile.

"Since you're here, I'm going to assume you're going to raid the fruit trees out back?"

"Do bears shit in the forest?"

Shiro snorted at the response. "Language. I think mum has taken all the ripe peaches to sell, but I think there's still plenty of mulberries to pick."

It took a moment for Shiro to notice Keith raced off at the mention of mulberries. With another snort, Shiro moved to go get a damp towel, fully aware Keith is going to look like he came out of a murder scene from being stained in berry juice. The kid had absolutely no impulse control.

---

"Oh my fucking gods!" Came a shriek as Keith threw his handmade spear that impaled a rabbit. The smaller boy didn't understand why Matt was so upset, he just scored the group some rabbit stew tonight.

The pair rushed over to their freshly caught game and Matt let out another distressed noise from his throat.

"Keith, the poor thing's still alive..."

Oh.

So it was.

For probably the 8th time in 5 minutes, Matt let out another shriek as the rabbit let out a squeal when Keith stomped on the little vermin's head. The older boy couldn't hold back his tears anymore

"Keith how could you!" Matt bawled

Keith just looked at him nonchalantly, completely oblivious on how much he was traumatizing his friend. "What? I just put it out of it's misery."

"You could have done it more humanely!"

"I did. I killed it quickly so it didn't have to suffer."

"You crushed it's head!"

Keith rolled his eyes "It going to be food soon enough. I don't know why you're complaining."

With a sniff, Matt just stared at Keith in disbelief. If he didn't know him personally, and that Shiro had the kid on the straight and narrow, he'd assume he was a sociopath.

With 3 rabbits in hand, the pair returned to their camp, no surprise to see the older two sitting by the fire, looking at the sky while Matt's father, Samuel, was pointing to different places while explaining stories and theories to Shiro. Of course Shiro was lapping up everything the man was saying.

"Hey boys, glad you're back!" Samuel chirped once he sighted the young teens. His smile faltered as he had a proper look at his son. "Matt, are you alright? You don't look well."

Matt groaned, "I don't feel well..."

"Let me guess, Keith got a little full on to what you're used to?" Shiro chuckled, only for Matt to give him a dirty look to confirm his comment and rant about his harrowing experience.

Of course Keith had tuned them out in favor of prepping dinner. Knife in hand, he begun cutting the pelt off the meat, followed by gutting, washing, and chopping the meat up into pieces with precision before plopping them into the pan next to the pot that was already boiling on the campfire.

"Oooh, looks like you got some big ones." Samuel commented as the youngest of the group sat next to him.

Keith just shrugged. "Pretty average really... What were you and Shiro talking about?"

"He was asking me about stories behind some of the constellations, he seems very intrigued by the stars."

"Doesn't surprise me." Keith said boredly, leaning to rest his head in his hand.

"It's really quite fascinating. If you look up now you can already see the Blue and Yellow stars of Voltron are already on show!"

Both Matt and Shiro seemed to stop whatever they were discussing to look up, Keith following shortly after to no surprise to see a bright blue and yellow star shining brightly and standing out from the sunset.

"You're not going to give us the same damn childs tale everyone else says about the Stars of Voltron are you?" Keith mumbled.

"Keith." Shiro warned.

Samuel laughed. "Well those stories have been embellished a bit. Most know the tale of the stars blessing the royal guards, which is only part true; only those worthy of being part of the kingdoms elite guard are chosen and it's because they were chosen that they are by the kings side."

Keith rolled his eyes, Matt seemed content, clearly been through many retellings of this story, and to no one's surprise Shiro seemed eager to hear more. With that Samuel continued.

"Each of those stars connect a tower, just follow the stars and they'll guide your way, but only those worthy and with permission from the royal family are able to enter and face the trials. Those who succeed the trials will meet the tower's patron lion goddess and will receive their blessing and give them incredible power."

"Let me guess, and those who fail die horribly." Keith stated.

With a snap of his fingers, Samuel pointed at him, "Bingo!"

"Have you ever seen the towers on your travels Mr Holt?" Shiro inquired.

"Sure have! I've only visited one which homes the Goddess of the Forests before Matt started joining me on my annual trips. It's a real shame I'll never get to see what it's like inside but just seeing the tower itself and knowing the stories behind it is breathtaking."

"Think I'll ever get to see one Dad?" Matt asked with an eager grin.

"I'm sure we could arrange something, but not this time. We need to reach the kingdom to deliver those important research notes."

Matt deflated at the answer, which made Keith snort in amusement. Moving up to check the pan, he shifted and poked at the now browning meat.

"Looks good... Shiro, mind cutting up the veggies?"

"Can do." Shiro answered as he pushed himself up to grab the sack of vegetables they had prepared for this little camping trip.

With his attention back to the pan, Keith gave it another shake to flip the chunks onto uncooked sides . If he was going to be stuck listening to silly fairy tales and myths, he may as well make the best damn meal to make sure the night wasn't completely miserable.

---

They both knew this day was coming, it was an inevitable fact of life. Shiro was a big boy and about to carve his own path to become a man, but one last trial stood in his way from persuing  his dreams.

That trial was Keith.

"Stop giving me that look, you're acting like I'm abandoning you." Shiro said as he looked up from his bag he was doing one last check to see if he had all his necessities and belongings.

Keith leaned against the doorway, arms folded against his chest and unable to completely hide the bitter sadness from his face. "You kind of are...."

Shiro couldn't help a sigh from escaping as he folded a shirt. "You knew this was going to happen eventually Keith, I thought you'd be happy that I'm finally going to get proper training to become a real knight."

"I-I am happy for you, it's just...-" Keith drifted off, eyes darting to the ground as he tried to think of what to say before eventually huffing through his nose loudly. "I'm really happy for you, it's just going to take time to process knowing you'll be gone."

With another shirt folded, Shiro gave him a weak smile. "I know it's going to be hard for you but you'll be fine, it's not like I'll be gone forever. I'll be sure to send you letters as often as I can."

Keith was quiet, a tense silence fallen between them, before sighing heavily through his nose again. "I'm being selfish, I know that, but you...-" he trailed off again, this time looking Shiro dead in the eye, blue eyes glassy and full of emotions. Eventually Keith broke contact as he stopped leaning on the frame and stormed away, leaving a surprised and hurt Shiro.

"Wh- Keith!" Shiro cried out and he chased after him. "Keith, come back!"

It was too late, the younger boy was already gone, leaving Shiro at home alone.

He couldn't believe it; they had been best friends for so long, getting into crazy adventures together and always having each other's back. Was that it? Was Keith so cut up at the idea of Shiro leaving  that it too hard for him to bare?

There was no one to blame, Keith hasn't ever had it easy after being abandoned by both his parents. He knew that he was Keith's most important staple in his life, and it hurt him to think that him following his childhood dream is what broke them apart. There was nothing he could do except pack for his journey.

Sleep didn't come easy that night, he wanted to tell himself it was because of excitement, but he knew he was still hung up over Keith.

He left home before the sun had even risen. His parents were there to see him off, his father and little brother proud, and his mother weeping at the thought of her eldest son leaving home, but it was a warm, happy send off. He chose to walk his horse through the town towards the entrance of the village, he'd rather not wake everyone up with the sound of galloping. He had just reached the archway when he noticed a hooded figure resting against the stone walls of the arch.

The person seemed to have been zoned out, possibly asleep even, till they perked up and noticed Shiro's presence for which they jumped up to their feet and pulled back their hood.

"Shiro..."

"Keith?" He breathed and stopped in his footsteps, his horse jerking to a stop with a tug of the lead.

"I... I'm sorry for yesterday. It was selfish of me to not consider your feelings. I know how important this is to you." Keith flushed, unable to hide his awkwardness, which succeeded in pulling a smile from Shiro.

"It's alright Keith, I understand. I'm just so grateful you came to see me before I go."

"Are you kidding, as if I'd miss out on seeing you off." Keith said as he moved forward and extended his hand "Travel safe, and good luck with everything."

"Thanks Keith." Shiro extended his own hand to seal the handshake before pulling Keith forward and trapping him in a hug, hands still held together at their chests. He couldn't help but grin as Keith made a surprised grunt at the action. "I do plan to keep my promise of writing to you whenever i can."

Keith remained silent for a moment before he wrapped his free arm around him to reciprocate the hug and buried his face into the taller man's shoulder. "I know, I'll be sure to write back."

They stayed like that for a few more seconds before Shiro begrudgingly had to pull away. "I have to go now, hopefully we'll see each other soon."

"Yeah..."

"And this means I'm leaving the village in your care. I better not hear that it's been burned down or been overrun by criminals."

"Please, I'll have this place running better now that you're gone." Keith snorted before they both broke into laughter.

Once they settled down Shiro gave Keith one last hard pat on the shoulder before walking through the archway, both waving each other off till Shiro mounted his horse and rode off.

Once out of sight, Keith visibly deflated, unable to keep smiling anymore as his best friend was now gone from his life. It hurt a lot knowing he was on his own again, but he was still happy for Shiro, he was going to achieve great things with his life.

Now he just needed to figure out what to do with his.

#Voltron #vld #Sheith #Keith vld #Takashi Shirogane #fantasy au #Fanfiction

[mythicamagic]

Swimming in Silk: Chapter 21

Training in front of her, engaging her in conversation and now lending her his clothes…Kagome is starting to suspect that Sesshoumaru is trying to gain her attention.

Sesskag - Romance, Humour, Drama, Angst

Rated M - As always you can read this story on Ao3, fanfiction.net or Dokuga

Chapter One - here    Previous Chapter - here      Next Chapter - here

Ko-fi page

Preening for Princes~

The wench gaped like a fish, not looking particularly intelligent.

Sesshoumaru redirected his attention to the winter landscape surrounding them, watching it thaw. Ice melted at a startling pace, giving way to lush green leaves and grass lurking just beneath. Soon the patches of snow became puddles, dark clouds dissipating over the sun.

Glancing at her, he lifted a silver brow. "Where is the half breed?"

She opened her mouth to reply, teeth chattering. Due to the magnitude of her shivering, she could barely formulate words. Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes, patience snapping as he grabbed her by the scruff of her yukata and leapt into the sky. She screeched and held onto his wrist for dear life, but he ignored it. Flying over the trees, his superior sense of smell led him to a hot spring.

Which he promptly threw her into.

Kagome landed with a squeak, disappearing under the surface, before lurching up with an enraged look as he landed on a boulder not too far away.

"You could have set me down nicer! This pool is shallow!"

Sharp claws twitched, and something in his expression made her deflate, mumbling a thank you.

Hn, she obviously isn't entirely foolish then. Though, he somewhat acknowledged this already. She did have some skill with the bow and reiki, untrained though she was.

"This one will not ask again," he reminded, inspecting his claws.

Kagome minded some wet hair from her face, glancing at Tokijin at his hip for some reason. "I don't know where Inuyasha is," she said, nothing in her hinting at dishonesty.

He decided to believe her, though irritation marred his brow. As usual, the whelp was completely irresponsible and had lost the miko. Perhaps she'd been kidnapped again.

"Anyway, why did all the ice and snow suddenly melt? It looks like it's summer now," she said, glancing around at the lush forest and skies as the sun started to descend towards the horizon.

"This one killed an ice apparition shortly before discovering you. It was affecting the lands."

"Right…" she winced, rubbing her arms and sinking a little deeper into the warm waters. "Thank you for that, by the way. But why kill it?"

He found her inane questioning somewhat annoying. Surely she'd sensed the demon in the area. And did she not have the sense to know which season they were in? "It was one of Naraku's vermin," he said at length.

"An incarnation…" her lips thinned, seeming to think. Abruptly Kagome's demeanour changed as she glanced at him, clearing her throat and straightening. She trailed a finger in the water, looking up at him under wet lashes.

"Wow, killing one so easily? That's really impressive."

Sesshoumaru hopped off the boulder to touch down on the ground. "Your point?"

"Ah it's just…you know. What a brave thing to do~ shows you're really strong. It's admirable." She seemed to wince.

Sesshoumaru wondered if she'd bumped her head against the ice repeatedly when trying to surface. He pivoted on his heel, uninterested in looking after a confused priestess.

"Wait!" Her voice strained when he began to pad away. Pointed ears twitched slightly.

"I-I'm a good jewel detector. If you keep me around until we see Inuyasha again, I could help you with tracking down Naraku."

Sesshoumaru mulled it over as he stopped. There was some logic to her words, though he bristled at the thought of seeing his half-brother again. "This one does not require help in locating the filth."

"Maybe so, but…" her words came haltingly, as though trying to walk on eggshells. "If you got uh- distracted by this ice apparition, can I assume you thought it initially might be Naraku because it smelled like him?"

Sesshoumaru did not answer.

"I'm just saying, I could maybe help with telling them apart."

His jaw ticked, turning to pin her with a lofty expression. "Hn, very well. If you are irritating or slow however, you will be tossed back into the lake from whence you came."

Kagome bit her bottom lip as though fighting something, setting her bag down on the side along with her bow and quiver. "Alright, just let me get dried and changed. I won't take long."

He did not grace her with a response. Refusing to move from his spot, the demon fully expected her to voice a maidenly qualm.

Kagome began casually stripping.

Sesshoumaru stilled. His eye soon twitched when blue ones shifted to meet his as the obi was tugged loose. She slid the yukata off her shoulders, baring creamy, unmarked flesh to be bathed in the warm light of the setting sun. Curious bindings covered her chest, black and lacy. Heat curled up from the hot springs, trailing in the air and causing black locks to kink. The skin bared to his sight was soaked, beads of water running down neck and collarbone. Her heart beat fast, thudding loud in his ears. Goosebumps raised on her arms. Cheeks darkened to lush crimson.

He frowned deeper. While he did not understand where her nerve had come from, Sesshoumaru knew a challenge when he saw one. Perhaps she wanted him to turn away and fret like a gentleman.

But he was Daiyoukai.

He stared unflinchingly, tilting his chin up slightly. She unclasped the bindings and lifted them off to reveal the hardened peaks of rosy nipples.

It occurred to him that a passing demon could stumble upon this scene and take it the wrong way. His mother would certainly be chortling. Not that the Demon Lord cared what others thought.

When she hooked her fingers under the strange scrap of cloth covering her maidenhood, keen eyes picked up on the tremble in her hand under the water.

Sesshoumaru's lips curved, and he inhaled deeply. Ah, nervousness. She was putting up a front, but-

His tongue pushed against the back of a fang. Arousal was there. He could sense the sharp, heady taste of it even as the water diluted it. Kagome pushed her undergarments down, almost completely bare to his critical gaze, save for the steam and water obstructing his view.

He recalled hearing her snarl once when the monk had glimpsed her undergarments due to a breeze, not inviting attention to her flesh. With her complete nakedness however, he now could not tell if she was urging him to lay with her, or challenging him to look away.

The fool was lucky he did not kill her for such impudence.

At least this strange, ridiculous challenge wasn't a complete waste of time. He now knew human female bodies much-resembled youkai, just without the additional features of markings, horns, tails or fangs. She did bare battle scars though. A particularly nasty one hooked under her ribs, large and jagged where flesh had been torn. There was also a few recent looking red scratches on her body and large bite mark scars on her arm which he found mildly interesting.

Kagome then opened her bag, pulling out clothes.

"…How are they dry?" He broke the silence out of curiosity.

"O-oh, the bag is waterproof," the wench's voice was uneven.

Sesshoumaru hummed, watching her step out of the pool to dry herself and change. As though nothing had happened.

But upon inhaling again, he scented buzzing excitement and lingering arousal. The Demon Lord was used to females desiring him. He supposed the foolish girl had simply become interested without his knowledge.

Not that he'd lower himself thus.

There was also something else though, something he'd overlooked that could be sensed now that she was out of the water…

The wench was not a virgin anymore.

Inuyasha must have satisfied himself with her, he thought to himself. If she was coming to him with such inviting eyes though, she'd obviously found the Hanyou lacking.

How amusing.

It certainly stroked his male ego, though Sesshoumaru's face remained impassive. Nothing would come of her desires. As he'd just proven, one naked woman with a slim, delicious figure did not, in fact, tempt a demon of his calibre. He required more.

-----

After changing, the wench followed as the Daiyoukai set a brisk pace into the forest. The sky soon darkened from oranges to purples. He'd lose valuable time by having to stop to accommodate her needs, so he did not offer to stop to make camp.

Much of his bloodlust had been sated by the earlier kill, therefore, much of him was at ease. He almost felt contented.

Footsteps behind him quickened until Kagome jogged to fall into step next to him.

Almost. "What is it?"

"Nothing. I just thought it would be nicer if we walked together."

"Hn."

"S-so, you hungry?"

The demon looked at her. He felt his silence spoke volumes.

"I can…find food? If you are."

"This one does not eat human food."

Kagome nodded, making her short black locks bounce. He found it strange she'd cut them, deciding he did not like the change. His jaw tightened at the mere thought that he had a preference at all.

"I'll bring back something you'll like, promise."

"To imply that this Sesshoumaru cannot fend for himself is a grave insult."

She huffed, eyes glittering with mirth. "Don't give me that, I know exactly what it means to hunt for you."

Sesshoumaru stopped, attention snapping to her. This caused her to freeze, amusement dying as she stepped on a twig, making it snap. He sensed nervousness skitter into her scent. Curiously, her cheeks heated again, but those blue eyes remained fixed on him. Stubborn.

"And what pray tell does it mean?"

She seemed to asses him in much the same manner he did her. For some reason, instinct kept prompting him to notice that all was not normal with the wench once again. She was not wearing that ridiculously skimpy scrap of cloth, and though he did not usually pay attention to her face, his keen eye picked up on signs of maturity that were not there when last he saw her. Liked she'd aged.

Even her baring was different, though he couldn't pinpoint in what way. Perhaps this was merely how the wench looked and behaved without Inuyasha's presence impeding her.

"S-so um, where's the kid?" She backed down, carrying on.

"Rin is with Jaken, in a secure demon village," he uttered in clipped tones, following.

"I see." She fell quiet for a moment. "Earlier…why did you save me from the lake?"

"This one mistook you for a fish," he said flatly.

Hearing a small giggle, Sesshoumaru fully expected her to keep prattling on. Usually she seemed to jabber with her friends, or nag the whelp. Yet she remained silent.

The demon blinked, not sensing hesitation. Her heart sounded steady. She looked almost content.

That was when he realised she was not afraid of being with him, alone. They had never spent time together thus, yet here she was being 'chummy.'

Ultimately not knowing what to make of it, he decided not to acknowledge her further.

----

Kagome didn't complain once, despite his pushing them into the late hours of the night. She panted and weakened occasionally, but had stopped only to refill her water bottle. She kept bumping into trees, which only proved to him how weak human eyesight truly was in the dark.

In his own way, he supposed the long walk had become payback for earlier. A challenge redirected back at her.

She staggered behind him now, and his boots crunched on the grass, before falling silent. Insects cried in high, continuous chirping sounds, the moon their only light.

Long legs trembled, sweat dotting her forehead. The heaviness of her bag hadn't helped matters, nor the cumbersome bow and arrow. She drew in quick breaths, swallowing to try and catch it, looking up at him.

Exhausted, like a little deer trembling on ice.

"I can keep- hah…going," she grit out, glaring.

Sesshoumaru's lips curved slightly. Or a tigress.

"We stop here for tonight," he finally conceded.

When she didn't move, he walked over to a tree and leaned back against it, settling down at the base. He drew a knee up, draping a strong arm over it. Uncaring of what she decided to do, the Demon Lord's lashes fell shut, head resting back against the bark.

Vague sounds of footsteps padded faintly around. Smelling something, he distantly realised that she'd made a fire. The bag made that odd 'zip' noise, which told him she was probably laying out her damp clothes from earlier to let them dry. She then seemed to rise, a smaller glow accompanying her as she moved.

A torch.

Her scent and the crunching of leaves and grass became fainter as she drew further and further away.

A golden eye slid open. He glimpsed her form seconds before it disappeared into the darkness of the surrounding trees.

Well, she is not my charge. If she is lost, then so be it. Sesshoumaru's eye slid shut.

Sleep claimed the dozing demon, though such a thing hadn't been planned. Cicada's irritating chirps faded away from attention, and he drifted pleasantly.

Without the heat of battle or the scent of blood filling his senses, it was difficult for him to focus on the mundane. The quiet night. A gentle breeze. But when he did, it was with quiet appreciation.

While dreaming, Sesshoumaru wondered what would become of him, if he lived to such a time when battle became obsolete. He did not know how to live any other way. So many soldiers and generals retired to their homes after fighting. To families.

Would he take a mate?

His mind shied away from such a thought, though he knew it was necessary to take one. Foolish. Such a thing felt so far removed from what he understood. Foreign. To mate was to obtain heirs, continue the bloodline. He knew this, yet the part about 'sharing emotion' and binding lives together felt invasive. Vulnerable, different to merely rutting.

At some point in the night, his nostrils flared, picking up an appetising scent. His mouth filled with saliva.

Hunger. Yes, he was hungry. He should hunt, feed. Sink sharp canines into hide and bone and rip jugulars with wailing cries-

Magenta lids snapped open. His burning gaze rested on the hide of a stag, resting on its side five feet away. Arrows were embedded into its hide. The throat had been slit by a blade.

When? How?

Hearing a thud, Sesshoumaru's back straightened, hand flying to the hilt of Tokijin. Upon standing smoothly, he realised the sound had come from the wench. She'd collapsed in an ungraceful heap on the floor, unconscious. Sweat slicked her brow.

Now he supposed the question became: why?

"Don't give me that, I know exactly what it means to hunt for you."

Slit pupils slid to the fallen stag. He could see a crushed trail of grass coming from within the furthermost trees in the forest where she must have dragged the thing from.

Sesshoumaru deliberated. He then knelt to inspect it. The buck was in adolescence, not fully grown, judging by the size and antlers. He supposed that was how the wench had managed to pull it's carcass so far. The neck had been turned in his direction in offering. From a purely predator standpoint, he then inspected the method of the kill.

Three arrows.

The first, he theorised, was in the back.

Second was the upper hindquarters.

The third and last, was in the lower hind leg, which had no doubt brought it down finally. Sesshoumaru sneered. Sloppy.

Smoothing his palm over the hide of the prey, inhuman attention fixed on the slit throat. He then sniffed.

Salt.

She'd been crying.

Staring at the kill, he noted the cut was clean and quick. While the arrows were unimpressive, it was indicative of her fatigue. The blade, however was indicative of compassion. She hadn't wanted it to suffer, probably regretted her aim.

Sesshoumaru's jaw ticked. While he wanted to reject the kill and all it's meaning, he had not been raised to refuse offerings, nor ignore perfectly good food that would spoil. Standing, he approached the wench and removed mokomoko from her shoulder, tossing it onto her. She seemed to curl eager limbs around it instinctively, sighing into the soft, cloud-like fur.

He stared, soon transforming with a rush of red heat curling around his form. I will think of this kill as your thanks for my protection thus far, wench. Do not try my patience by performing any other courting methods.

The white dog demon then lunged onto the deer, sinking sharp teeth into its carcass.

----

When the sun peered over the tops of the tall trees, Sesshoumaru felt its warmth on his face. The brightening light behind his lids stirred him, but he did not move.

'Twack!'

He frowned.

'Twack!'

Gold eyes cracked open, flashing in the bright light. They fixed on the figure in the clearing a little ways away. Sunlight filtered through the branches of the trees, catching black strands of hair being playfully teased by the breeze.

She stood with her feet planted firmly on the ground, legs slightly spread. Her back arched exquisitely, upper body bare save for those strange lacy black bindings covering her breasts, which pushed up as she reached behind her.

Sesshoumaru could not say why his attention was seized now, when he'd seen her completely bare yesterday. Perhaps it was the addition of the bow being gripped tightly- lithe fingers running over the fletching before she drew the arrow and notched it in a smooth motion that sparked fire into his veins, tantalising nerve endings. Her body moved as though performing a dance, turning on her heel to draw the bowstring taut, aiming at the high branches.

Youki heated over his skin when he sensed reiki pulse out from the point of the arrowhead. Blue eyes seemed to darken, until she fired. He could see the moment her muscles coiled and relaxed. Watched as her chest rose and fell, abdomen tightening. The arrow sailed through the air- reiki coiling out through the deadly point, before it hit the tree. Joy and pride tangled in her scent.

Kagome continued turning and firing. He noted she aimed for far off branches difficult to hit. Sweat dotted her brow. His slit pupils slid over the curves of her hips as holy powers rippled over her skin like water-

'Twack!'

Sesshoumaru inwardly jolted, as though being roused from a dream. Kagome panted softly, now looking at him. One of the straps of her bindings had slid down off a shoulder. His fangs ached, cock stirring and hardening slightly without warning.

The Daiyoukai quickly stood, form blurring over in a streak of white. Strong fingers buried themselves in her locks- clenching tight and pulling so that her head was yanked back. Kagome gasped, gritting her teeth and blushing. She then tilted her chin to offer the temptation of her smooth throat.

"This one should kill you for such disrespect!" He snarled, markings blazing jagged on his cheeks.

Her body jolted and she gaped at him. "What? Why?"

"A miko extending such an offer to me is ridiculous. Bedding you is one thing. It would only shame me in private, but to mate you would invite humiliation onto my House-"

Kagome suddenly twisted in his grip, slamming a hand out to his armoured chest. Sesshoumaru reeled back, grunting and releasing her as an energy shield struck against him.

She straightened then, panting and glaring. Those blue eyes deepened and sparked with a startling compacity for anger. For some reason, he saw himself mirrored back at him for a moment. Fire and cold brimstone.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Receiving an offering from a miko is an insult? I'd humiliate you if we were mated?" She spat. "Great. Just perfect. Of course I have to try and placate your fragile ego before you can even give me a chance!"

Sesshoumaru made a vicious noise in the back of his throat at her nerve, raising his hand and striking his claws out.

She ducked low and caused another barrier to appear- which sparked when his hand collided with it, the pink energy rippling. Sesshoumaru's heart thundered in his ears, the hair on the back of his neck rising. He dodged just in time as an arrow barely missed him- sailing past his cheek. Reiki caressed his skin, static heat fanning over his stripes.

His muscles coiled- before Sesshoumaru sprang, pushing her down and straddling her waist. Kagome's head hit the earth, soon struggling in a frenzy, kicking her legs under him and snarling. Striking her hands out proved useless as her wrists were seized, pinned above her head. Blunt teeth suddenly sank into his arm and Sesshoumaru let out an ear-piercing growl, shaking her off.

His lips drew back, fangs throbbing with need to bury themselves in her shoulder- instinct demanding he claim the unruly, powerful-

"Don't," she whispered, going still.

He paused, reeling. His lips had stopped just shy of her collarbone, hot breath fanning over it in quick pants. He hadn't been planning to- had he? "...Barely a moment ago, you were offering yourself," he muttered defensively, voice a harsh whisper of sound.

"I know. But I don't want you to mark me when you're confused. To sleep with me 'in spite of' what I am," blue eyes stared up at him, breathing softly. "Is it asking too much to want you to pick me for...me?" She murmured, voice wavering.

His jaw clenched, and he drew back slightly. The words spilt forth automatically; "This one would never choose a human for a mate."

"That's not you talking!" Her hands drew into fists. "The Sesshoumaru I know would pick up a sword made from Naraku's incarnation. He wouldn't care where it came from, what it was. Only that it was useful to him. Am I so different?" She shuddered, tears swimming in her eyes as his silver hair pooled around them. "I'm useful. I could be an asset. So stop thinking of me only as a human, like everyone else would at your House. Look at my use, and then decide!"

Sesshoumaru watched, ageless attention tethered to her. Kagome took a breath, and wriggled, drawing herself out from under him. He allowed her freedom. She sat not too far away, holding her bare arms.

He knew she should not speak thus. She had no right. Every word was more evidence for why she should be killed. Yet for some reason, he listened as her lips kept moving.

"The only reason I have to talk about my 'use' at all is because you're blind sighted by your need to prove yourself. But what do you even want, Sesshoumaru? You have power. What have you done with it?" She grit out. "You've protected a little girl and patrolled your lands. You've decided to rid Japan of one of it's greatest threats. You keep acting like you need to fight the strongest opponents to rule absolutely, to have a mate the House would approve of, but that's being a Lord. In reality...it's your buried kindness that could define you, Sesshoumaru. If you let it. Your need to protect. There's a whole other side of you, separate from the one bound by duty!"

"Ridiculous. You speak of this one displaying kindness? Did you forget seeing my hand impaling Inuyasha's chest?" He rose and stepped closer, voice velvety. "Shall I do so again, to remind you?"

Kagome stood, matching his step with a determined look and getting in his face. "I don't remember you killing him when you could have ethier. When he passed out all those times, you just decided not to finish him off!"

A large hand captured her neck then, fingers curling around her throat in a grip that could easily tighten and snap the bone.

"And how do you claim to know so much about me?" He purred.

Kagome made no move to resist, glaring at him. "I just do!"

"You have never spared this one a glance, do not mock me."

"But I- wait how do you know if I was looking or not?"

"Do not be foolish. It is not as though a loud-mouthed woman like yourself would catch my interest. What is your point?"

She groaned, pushing at his stripped wrist. "I'm too angry to remember! But I'm pretty sure it was that mating a princess who'll worship you won't bring you joy! It'll just be a calculated move. Having someone unsuitable by your side...it might not be such a bad thing. Because it would be a choice made by you for no other reason than you wanted them."

A cruel noise of derision escaped him then. Cold mockery frosting his eyes into winter ice. "And you would make this one happy, wench?"

"I..." her rant was cut off, loose tongue tripping over itself. Blue eyes dimmed, shoulders sagging. "Not...always. But I'd try. God...I'd try," she murmured, the pads of her fingers sliding slightly lax over his wrist.

He found it a strange thing, that his entire body should become fixated onto her fingers on his markings. His wrist blazed, though she used no reiki.

"You don't have to pick me. I do just want your happiness. Even if I have no right to say that, considering..."

He arched a brow. "Considering?"

"It's nothing," her eyes slid away before focusing on him and hardening. "But I'm not giving up. Even if you dismiss me now, I'm not stopping. If I'm pushed away, I'll fight back until I disappear."

"You'd go so far?"

Kagome set her jaw, nodding as best she could. "Of course I would. If it's..." she gentled then, inexpiably. "If it's for you."

Sesshoumaru instantly released her as though burned, pivoting on his heel to turn away. Yet the afterimage of her eyes was seared into the recesses of his mind.

He exhaled and decided yet again to be objective, to place revenge on Naraku above confronting this further. Because the depth of feeling in that blue gaze disconcerted him in a way he did not want to examine. If she lusted for his body, he understood. If she wanted to be his mate and attain lands, he understood.

Anything more? He did not wish to discuss or see in her yearning, soft expression. "Do as you please. We continue searching for Naraku regardless," he grit out.

Hearing nothing but silence, he frowned, glancing over his shoulder. "Woman?"

Kagome was shaken from her reverie, raising her head and setting her shoulders. "Y-yeah...I'm coming," she tugged her yukata back up, tying her obi tight and rubbing her eyes, following when he started to pad away.

After packing away her things and leaving the camp, her voice graced his hearing once more.

"So um, did you at least like the stag?"

He thought to criticise her kill. "Mn, it was acceptable," he said instead.

Fondness flowed into her scent.

"I'm glad."

----

She was doing it again.

Sesshoumaru slightly frowned, and redirected his gaze to the mountains on the horizon, forcing his attention to stay on the distant hills and valleys that had previously held him so engrossed.

Kagome moved once more.

He clenched his jaw, chancing a glance.

As expected, the miko stood some distance away, poised and ready in a deadly stance, bow drawn.

He inwardly sighed.

She fired at the high reaches of the trees, slender body moving with an ease born from practice, not inherent skill. Youthful eyes were eager, a smile brightening her face, as though she enjoyed coiling holy power over her skin like a see-through dress.

Sesshoumaru had tried on numerous occasions to ignore her whenever they stopped for a rest. It seemed she was content to keep displaying for him, preening like an exotic bird he couldn't recall the name of. He glanced at her 'plumage' she kept inviting his gaze to by stripping almost half-naked- before closing his eyes again with annoyance.

"Woman."

"Mn?"

"Must you continue doing that while we travel?" He uttered.

"Are you telling me to stop?" She hummed, turning to face him.

The astute look in her eyes caught him off guard, and he sneered, tilting his chin up regally. "Do not let it interfere with our progress."

"I'm not~" she chirped, smiling teasingly.

Stormy eyes narrowed, before flicking over her shoulder. Kagome stiffened and notched her bow in the direction, aiming at the demon that stepped out of the bushes not too far away. She was a beautiful woman, with a thick looking yellow kimono and ornate hair ornaments.

His palm reached out, setting on the miko's bow to prompt her to lower it. She obeyed, much to his quiet satisfaction.

The demoness bowed, oily dark hair spilling over her shoulders. "My Lord Sesshoumaru. Please, I have travelled here today to display for you."

"D-display?!" Kagome squeaked.

"Hn, did you think yourself the only one to try and catch my eye?" Sesshoumaru huffed quietly. "A few offers a week are extended to this one to take a mate."

Her eyes were wide, and she swallowed. Sudden nervousness welled up in her scent, causing cruel lips to tug up at the edges. He gestured for the demon to get on with it, eager to see the miko squirm.

She straightened and brought out delicate fans, beginning the steps of an ancient dance that showed off her grace and discipline. Sesshoumaru watched with flat eyes. He only remained out of flimsy respect, as though hearing out a confession he had little interest in. She had no power to lace her fans, just a pretty appearance that was entirely false, and a few moves.

Nonetheless, he heard a gasp at his side. Kagome had her hands clasped, watching with awe.

Finally, the demoness' neck suddenly extended, becoming long and thin. It looped in the air, sending her head up to the tops of the trees to smile alluringly.

Sesshoumaru turned on his heel and began walking away.

Kagome made a noise behind him. "Hey! Aren't you going to answer her?"

"This one is answering."

He expected her to follow, but was brought up short by the sound of the woman padding in the opposite direction. He stopped, biting back a sigh.

She approached the demon, patting her shoulder as the neck curled in the air, the now miserable rokurokubi listening as Kagome consoled her. "Don't worry, you danced beautifully. Are you hungry? I have some food if you are."

The head nodded from high above, surprised. "Thank you?"

"Don't mention it. You deserve a man to dance for you, not the other way round." Kagome nodded sagely, pulling out a lunchbox of meat she'd been saving for herself and passing it over to the woman.

Sesshoumaru stared. He soon shook himself and turned, carrying on. Kagome made her goodbyes and hurried after him, falling into step naturally at his side.

"Why help that lower demon? She is your rival." He muttered after a moment.

Kagome lifted a shoulder, fixing her yukata. "She looked sad, and I know if I got rejected so coldly, I'd like some comfort food."

"You are disappointed I did not pick her?" He smirked. "That would make you lose my hand."

She hummed, ducking under a low hanging branch first and lifting it up for him. "It's not that. I knew she wasn't your type. You just could have been a little nicer, I'm sure she practised that dance for hours."

Sesshoumaru cut his eyes to the sky, moving under smoothly and padding on. "That is none of my concern."

"Still I... didn't know that walking away meant rejection," she murmured, guilt pluming in her scent. Sesshoumaru arched a brow.

"You speak as though a demon has displayed for you."

Her face became touched with nostalgia. Warmth softened her worried expression and for a moment, such palpable love and longing could be glimpsed, scented in the air like a snuffed out candle- until it was hidden away. He did not know why it inspired petty feelings within him.

"Once, yeah." She said softly. "You don't have to get jealous though, I only want you." Playful eyes ensnared him then, glittering with mirth.

He scoffed, giving a haughty look. "Who do you think you are dealing with? This one is above such things."

Kagome gave a cough that dissolved into a quiet giggle.

---

Another day passed in much the same way, with the woman determinedly bringing him food. She began asking him what he'd prefer to eat, and because he'd not been expecting it, he answered rabbit. A painfully easy prey in comparison to others. Naturally, she was successful.

So after night fell yet again on the third day, and Kagome approached, the demon lord lifted his head. "This time, I require a demon. A wild boar."

She stilled, eyes widening. He scented brief fear and uncertainty but she squashed it and bowed. "O-of course. Okay then...be back soon!"

Watching and remaining still as the miko's figure drew further away until it disappeared from sight, Sesshoumaru immediately stood and pursued. Keeping close to the shadows and withdrawing his youki so that his entire presence was erased, he moved with all the grace and patience of a prowling jungle cat. He stalked the woman at a distance, sometimes leaping soundlessly into the trees and observing from above.

Boar was perhaps the hardest kill he could have asked for. But he had not asked the impossible, as he'd scented one of the creatures not too far away. Asking for a regular wild boar was petty enough, asking for a demonic one was cruel even for him.

The forest lay still and quiet. Even the cicadas dared not chirp. He therefore heard every breath drawn into the girl's lungs. He could hear her heartbeat thud as she knelt to touch some tracks left behind.

"Sango, please lend me your strength," she murmured.

Kagome then drew her bow, notching an arrow loosely and bending her knees to keep low. She tracked the beast for a few minutes, until loud snuffling noises could be heard. Ducking behind a tree, she took a breath to calm herself.

The Daiyoukai's pupils dilated the second she shifted and aimed through the trees, firing. A terrible cry deafened his ears, echoing through the branches. A rumbling, crashing thunder soon stormed through the bushes. A force like that of a hurricane felled trees, cracking trunks and sending undergrowth flying. Kagome turned tail and ran.

Sesshoumaru lept onto a different tree, watching the squealing, incensed boar crash through the area. It was larger than a bear and putrid purple in colour. An arrow jutted out of its side, not deep enough to make it limp, merely enrage. He watched as Kagome dove for cover under a tree and the boar missed her location by mere inches.

Does she even have a plan?

Perhaps she was like Inuyasha and merely aimed blindly. No, he'd seen proof that it was not so.

The boar turned, kicking up earth as it started charging back, hooves thudding on the ground. Kagome picked herself up and once more ran for her life, panting and hurrying through the forest. Sesshoumaru followed, noticing when she made a beeline for a thicker tree, zig-zagging around it before hiding in some bushes.

Squeals and snorting signalled her pursuers approach, the ground pounding with its weight. The boar charged with full force and rammed into the tree, perhaps expecting it to topple. Unlike the others though, it's bark merely shuddered. The boar cried out with outrage, tusks caught deep in the wood as it struggled to lodge itself free.

Kagome then stood, aiming and firing directly into its left eye.

And then it was over.

Sesshoumaru did not know why he smiled slightly, exhilarated just from watching, but he understood now. This tree was the one she'd passed on her way to find the boar. She'd deliberately led it in her desired direction after taking account both their sizes, essentially laying a trap without a rope in sight.

Adaptable girl. Sesshoumaru took his leave, returning to where she'd left him in the clearing. Soon enough, she stumbled out of the bushes.

Her face was red, like she'd run a mile. He spied a scrape on her bloodied knee.

"... It's- hah- that-" she swallowed, panting. "That-way," a trembling finger jabbed behind her.

Sesshoumaru smoothly rose and innocently went to investigate. After 'discovering' the beast, he'd promptly transformed and devoured the hearty meal, soon returning to her fatigued form.

"Was it good?" She mumbled, still recovering.

A noise of faint amusement escaped him before he realised it. "Acceptable."

Kagome burst into exasperated giggles, leaning forward and planting her hands on her knees. "Urgh, are you seriously not tempted by my hunting prowess?"

Sesshoumaru's attention slid over her cleavage visible thanks to the position. His blood raced a little quicker, realising that she was indeed bent over, panting. If he just pictured himself behind her-

Sesshoumaru shook himself, gritting sharp teeth. If he didn't know any better, he'd say she'd planned thi-

She smiled at him. A knowing look curved her pink lips.

Golden eyes narrowed, before he stepped closer.

"S-sorry," Kagome straightened, and he could hear her rapid heartbeat. The want for him was a dizzying sensation she kept trying to suppress. She even seemed frustrated with herself. Sesshoumaru tossed his head, eyes bleeding red as heat rustled silk clothing as he approached.

"You knew exactly what you were doing just now, words will not suffice." He did not know why he allowed his voice to curl and deepen into a velvety timbre. Another challenge directed to her, perhaps. He merely wanted to see what she'd do. His curiosity demanded to be sated.

Pale cheeks darkened. "A-ah, well then...will you let me apologise to you properly?"

Sesshoumaru stopped, pausing on the precipice of something. Instincts clawed at him, different desires biting at one another. In the end, he nodded stiffly.

Kagome bridged the gap between them slowly, drawing closer to the heat of his body. An exotic mix of citrus, raw spiritual power and an indescribable warmth rolled into one washed over his senses. Kagome's natural scent. Her nervous emotions were counterbalanced by hopefulness, palm settling on his wrist.

Sesshoumaru held still, as though carved from stone. With treacle immediacy, she rose up on tip-toe, gentle breath fanning over a striped cheek.

Then, the soft sensation of lips brushed the underside of his jaw. The Daiyoukai's abdomen jumped. Her proximity sent the blood in his veins to a frenzy; all rational thought fleeing. Every fibre of his being screamed to tilt his head down. To snap sharp, wanting teeth into her ear and say she was not forgiven. To selfishly demand more and more from her-

Kagome pulled away slightly, watching him carefully. "Did I do it right?" She asked softly.

His mouth opened to reply before a loud voice piped up from the bushes, words punctuated with harsh pants. "Mi Lord! Lord Sesshoumaruuuu!"

Sesshoumaru straightened, the woman ducking and running away, hurrying behind a tree. He rose a brow, but decided to leave her be, turning to Jaken as the kappa burst from the undergrowth. Leaves scattered into the air.

"Ah I finally found you," he sank to his knees, clutching the staff close.

"Jaken. Why are you here?"

He sweatdropped, swallowing. "W-well mi Lord. I-I-I regret to inform you that Rin doesn't seem to be doing too well. For some reason, she's bedridden with a fever!"

His eyes flashed with a luminous shine from the moon. "...And how did she gain such an affliction?"

Jaken's skin turned a sickly, paler green. "S-she was just playing outside among the flowers all day, I swear!" He cried. "I sent for a healer but they couldn't come, what should I do, mi Lord?"

Detecting no lie, Sesshoumaru's thoughts strayed to other healers. All of whom treated demonic ailments. He did not know any human ones, why would he have cause to?

"How long has she been sick for?" A woman's voice called out from behind the tree, causing Jaken to start.

Kagome showed herself, face slightly hidden by a hood. The pink clothing covered her arms and fell to her waist, though Sesshoumaru was not certain what it was called. She was always wearing strange things.

Protruding round eyes slid to the Daiyoukai who nodded once, urging Jaken to speak. "About two days. And who are you?" He sniffed.

"Nobody. I'll treat the girl," she said, awkwardly pulling the pink hood a little lower.

Forget strange clothes. The woman was strange herself. Why did she not want Jaken to know her identity? Sesshoumaru decided to ask later. If she aided Rin, then not revealing her secret was barely a price to pay.

Approaching Kagome, he slid his arm around her waist to prevent her from falling, gathering clouds of solid energy to their feet. She smiled from under her hood, relaxing into his side. Jaken cried out when they began to float up, quickly jumping and grabbing a trailing mokomoko as the group soared into the sky.

----

As discussed, Rin was found bedridden with a fever within one of the estates in the demon village, sweat clinging to her brow. Kagome pulled out a white box from her bag, opening it and taking out a long thin thing about the size of a chop-stick. Sesshoumaru watched as it was placed in Rin's mouth and a red line steadily rose up the item's middle.

"What is that?"

"I'm just taking her temperature. Can you have a servant fetch me some fresh water and ice?"

He nodded and padded away to demand it. Oddly, Sesshoumaru did not need to consult his instincts in leaving the priestess alone with Rin. He trusted the woman with his ward, knew her capable of caring for young to the best of her abilities. It felt separate from her courting him. Even Kagome did not pay him any mind throughout the night.

Despite not interfering, the Daiyoukai remained outside Rin's room in the gardens till daybreak, listening to the miko's soft murmurings.

"It's possible she may have come into contact with a plant or tree that irritated her skin and caused the fever. I wonder if they've bled any trees in the area or uh- chopped any down." Kagome mused when the sun had ascended over the horizon. She stood on the wooden porch, having slid back the door.

Though she appeared exhausted, when the miko pushed back her hood, relief was visible in the corners of her mouth.

He rose a brow from where he sat, one knee drawn up. "You are telling me a tree has harmed her?"

"It's possible she had an allergic reaction, what with the rash I found. I've broken the fever and given her some ointment. The servants have been told to re-apply it every couple of hours on the rash and keep her hydrated. She looks like she's through the worst of it now though."

"I see," he uttered stiffly, pausing and collecting his words onto his tongue slowly. "...Was she in danger?"

Kagome observed him, drawing her hands behind her back and stretching. "Where I'm from, it wouldn't be a big deal. But here, if left untreated she probably would have been suffering for longer and...I know her immune system is probably more sensitive to what I'm used to in my uh- village." She winced. "It's never fun to get the flu, but you don't have to freak out now."

"This Sesshoumaru was not 'freaking out,' and never would." He sniffed.

Kagome drew closer and patted his shoulder, smirking. "Mhm, you should get some sleep."

For once, he did not give a cool retort, instead watching as she retired back inside to rest. It was then the demon understood some small difference between Kagome and others who had attempted to court him.

She did not demand his attention at all hours. Rather, the miko moved within her own sphere of affection and duty to others. He was included in that space, but he did not feel hounded or caged.

Inhaling, he caught the faint remnants of her scent in the air, his muscles relaxing slightly. Standing, he decided to check on Rin with his own eyes before giving in to fatigue.

Padding into the quiet room, he looked at the child's sleeping figure. She had a cold compress over her forehead, the covers drawn back in favour of a thin sheet over her small body. Sesshoumaru glimpsed Kagome's bag on the floor, which had been carelessly left on its side, some contents spilling out.

She must have been too preoccupied with tending to Rin to notice.

Feeling as though he should at least do the bare minimum of kindness in return, he knelt, beginning to pack some things away. Turning his gaze to the interior of the bag, Sesshoumaru froze, face becoming a marble statue.

Slit pupils zeroed in on the slimmest glimpse of red and white, spying the honeycomb design. Reaching in, he pulled forth splendid silks, running a numb, sharp thumbnail over the crest of his House.

Emotion assaulted dazed senses. His throat constricted. It was an exact replica of the clothing he wore now. Singular in existence and spun from the spider youkai of the Eastern shores, a commissioned clothing from his Father. A gift he'd intended for Sesshoumaru's coming of age ceremony.

Rage spiked low in his abdomen, sending a thrill up his spine that made his teeth ache. Sesshoumaru's form blurred through the hallways, seeking the pleasant scent leftover in the air and tracking her down.

Soon enough, he stood over the sleeping woman who he'd kept company with for several days. A woman clearly hiding secrets. Sharp claws flexed at his side, before he reached down, gripping the material of her yukata and pulling- only to still once more when it bared the flesh of her shoulder.

Unlike when he'd seen it at the hot springs, her skin now bore an unmistakable scar of a mating mark.

#Sesskag #Sesshoumaru #kagome higurashi #sesshoumaru x kagome #sesskag fanfiction

[mythicamagic]

Swimming in Silk - Chapter 14

Training in front of her, engaging her in conversation and now lending her his clothes…Kagome is starting to suspect that Sesshoumaru is trying to gain her attention.

Sesskag - Romance, Humour, Drama, Angst

Rated M - As always you can read this story on Ao3, fanfiction.net or Dokuga

Chapter One - here       Chapter Three - here    Chapter Five - here

Chapter Two - here        Chapter Four - here       Chapter Six - here  

Chapter Seven - here    Chapter Eight - here    Chapter Nine - here          Chapter Ten  - here    Chapter Eleven - here     Chapter Twelve - here

Chapter Thirteen - here  Chapter Fifteen - here

Vulnerable Visages ~

Sitting at a low table, Kagome leaned over a map, dressed in the clans signature red and white silks. Her legs were bare, the robes left slightly parted. Sesshoumaru sat closed by her side in only his white hakama pants, mokomoko sprawling around them. After quickly bathing, the two had thoughtlessly dressed before glancing over the situation.

"So you have alliances with a bunch of clans, but you need more in case they don't show up to fight. Sensing some mistrust there. Oh, you're on good terms with the Bears right? Aren't they already on your team?" Kagome asked, using colourful terminology to try and make the whole thing less tedious.

"Hn, we trade with the Northern or Southern Bear clans."

Kagome's brow crinkled, and she tapped her finger on the map next to a brown marker. "Okay then, can't you ask for help from them?"

"They do not fight battles unless the East and West join them. And they do not fight battles aligned with the Tanuki. If we want those Bear clans to join us then we must drop-"

"The Tanuki. Who knew Racoon Dogs could be so controversial to be buddies with," she sighed. "You can't drop them or they might close that trading route through that Dragon-ridge mountain path. Wow, I can see why this is so frustrating." She felt like pulling her hair out already.

Sesshoumaru gave a dusty chuckle, appearing far more jadedly amused by the work. "And that is not even counting the subdivisions of youkai in those lands that are not affiliated with the central clans."

"I think I remember a few of those from helping you with those invoice scrolls and messages a while ago. Those Northern Horses were nice, but the smaller clan from Eternal Falls really seemed to hate you."

He hummed, not seeming surprised. Lithe fingers reached out, combing through her locks distractedly. "Conquering lands through battle and massacre is so much easier than negotiating," he muttered almost longingly.

Kagome fought a smile. He sounded like a kid. A murderous, blood-thirsty kid. She then looked towards the mountains, further behind Edo's location. "Wait a sec, there's no alliance marker for the Eastern Wolves."

Sesshoumaru arched a brow, "no. Wolves keep to their own."

Quickly shaking her head, Kagome leaned closer. "I'm good friends with the Prince of that tribe. If you send for aid, Kouga will answer, so long as he knows I'm your uh...Lady," she said, cheeks warming slightly. "At least, if he's still around."

The thought of him also being gone weighed uncomfortably heavy in her chest. Kouga, please not you too...

The demon beside her inclined his head, "from what I know, he is Chief."

Blue eyes brightened. "That's great then! Ask him for support in battle, or open up trading- just break bread. He'll definitely respond," she grinned. Sesshoumaru hummed, placing a pending marker on the wolf tribe area. Kagome wrote down the names of various tribes, clans and associates they could also contact. "There's the Hyakkikoumori on this shore, I hear that Shiori gained some followers and leads them. Oh, and this is where we met-"

She rambled a little, but Sesshoumaru listened, able to imagine her adventures vividly since she painted vibrant pictures of them. He could tell from her enthusiasm that she spoke not out of nervousness, but happiness. His claws flexed through the dark strands that fell down her back. Kagome blushed and got the picture to refocus, though he did not chastise her.

They then lost themselves in work for a time, until Kagome touched a lone red and white marker on the map.

"These are your forces," she murmured, noting the distance between it and the Western Stronghold. "What are they doing so far from the main House?"

"Guarding Bokuseno," he replied in low tones.

Her heart skipped a beat. "H-how many are guarding him?"

"20." He blinked when her jaw hung open. "...Too few?"

"Too many!" She squeaked with exasperation.

"This one has plenty of troops on stand by here, I see no issue."

"You've already stationed some with the Foxes," her voice became thin. Where Shippo is.

Her heart warmed at the realisation, despite herself. Looking at him, she noticed his mouth had thinned into a firm, grim line. "This one will not risk your elixir being lost before I can claim it."

He won't risk my ticket to immortality being lost. Kagome eased closer, reaching up and pressing her lips to a striped cheek. He exhaled, blinking, but she only offered a smile. "You're really sweet, but...at least lower it to 5 guards?"

"15."

"10 then," she grit out.

"Done." He had no actual plans to follow through with their agreement, however.

Kagome narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously. "Mhm. I'm sure General Kaito will be more than happy to tell me if his soldiers still haven't moved from guarding a tree."

Golden eyes narrowed. "He has been loyal and respectful since that stint 30 years ago. I am confident he would not question me, even though he does not know the tree's use."

She rose a brow, shifting to sit on his lap for no particular reason other than she wanted to. Leaning back into his warm bare chest, she lazed her legs over his crossed ones. "Speaking of... He told me that there was a barrier over the Western Stronghold, but now its broken? What happened?"

Sesshoumaru hummed, pulling her closer and using the hollow of her shoulder as a chin rest. "Humans came, thirsty for revenge. Apparently one of their men had been killed by someone of my House. Others joined their cause, who were survivors of armies I decimated in the past. It seems they all banded together in their hatred. We triumphed but they succeeded in breaking the barrier. A few escaped our wrath, which has led to this unrest and bad blood."

Kagome thought for a moment. "Sesshoumaru... If I told you who killed that human who started this mess, would it help anything?" She asked carefully, trusting he wouldn't explode with questions or anger.

Pale lashes lowered, "I suspect I know who it was, and it would be best if you do not say."

Her brows drew together, but she nodded with understanding. Generals like Kaito were probably sorely needed in these times, especially for morale. Kagome felt her mate relax behind her, hearing his breathing become quieter. She patted his hands that were resting on her stomach.

"Time for sleep, my Lord," she murmured, shifting off and gently guiding him toward the pile of awaiting furs. His hand encircled her wrist, tugging her down and moving so that she was trapped beneath him.

"I have little need for rest. It would be wasted hours," his voice came low. "The bed has been far too cold without you."

Kagome smiled, hands sliding over his ears to brush the pointed tips. "Don't be stubborn-"

"You are forbidden to leave," he cut her off, pressing hard kisses to her neck. "Understood?"

Her smile became tremulous. Surely he understood that she never wanted to go? His hands glided over her body, and Kagome shuddered, before his head dropped to her shoulder, the kisses slowing. His muscles slackened. Tired eyes had dropped shut, obviously struggling to stay conscious.

Kagome huffed and wrapped her arms around him, shifting him so that he wasn't squishing her and sliding her fingers through the long strands of silver. "Sleep, Mr. Fancy Feet," she said gently, but with an undercurrent of firmness. He must have been pushing himself to stay awake all this time.

His breathing evened out, body weighing more heavily onto the side of hers. Kagome stared at the ceiling above. Remembering her conversation with Shippo, she breathed out uneasily.

She had to say it, just once, out loud. Then she could lay the subject to rest unless it actually occurred. "You know if...the bed is too cold while I'm gone, you can-" she swallowed. "You can hold someone else, to keep you warm." The words came slow, worming their way out of her insidiously. "And if she turned out to be someone who can make you happier than I can- if you liked her...I-I would..."

Behind...

Her heart thundered with distress. "I would wish nothing but the best for you. I would wish for your happiness."

I'd be left behind-

Nothing but quiet breaths answered her, but that was alright. Because Kagome was not brave enough to say them to a conscious Sesshoumaru. He'd be angry if he heard them, she was certain. He'd wonder if she doubted him- which she didn't. But somehow, losing him had become her worst fear. Her only anchor in the storm of confusion. She was supposed to worry about finding a job. Her education. Being his Lady. What to buy him for his birthday- not whatever this had become. Worrying about not being there for a lonely demon.

She turned her head and looked at the low desk. It looked so busy. She could imagine him in his chambers, spending day after day working. Maybe he'd take breaks. But it wasn't like he socialised. No, her demon probably just opened the sliding doors to let the breeze in and call it 'getting fresh air.'

Kagome stroked the crown of his head, biting her lip.

Even in sleep, he seemed to sense her emotions, letting out a soft rumble from his chest. Lips mindlessly pressed to her shoulder, arms holding tighter. A part of the miko felt possessiveness take hold of her, the bitemarks pulsing on her shoulder. Like his presence lingered inside the scars, snarling at the notion of being separated.

"Foolish, mule-headed wench..." he sighed, words slightly muffled.

Kagome arched a brow. He hadn't called her that in a while. She'd graduated from wench, to miko, to her real name over time. Are you dreaming about something from years ago?

Smiling gently, Kagome rested her cheek against the top of his head, breathing out slowly and drifting off. That's enough...that's enough worrying now. I'm yours for as long as you want me.

After a few days spent on further organisation, Sesshoumaru had dragged himself in a foul mood to a war meeting. Naturally, he understood it was pivotal to their success but it hadn't stopped him from claiming Kagome twice in one morning.

Kagome padded across the courtyard, tugging at her clothes. The dumb Lord had left too many hickeys and marks. It felt like the material caught on her raised skin. Turn about was fair play though.

Smirking to herself, Kagome paid a visit to Ah-Un in the stables, picturing the hickey on the nape of Sesshoumaru's neck that was hidden by the heavy fall of hair.

Patting the dragon's hide and giggling when Un nudged her insistently for food, she heard a small gasp.

Turning on her heel, she spotted a small face peering out from behind an open stable door. Small deer horns were visible, sprouting from a nest of dishevelled brown hair. Kagome smiled and knelt down.

"Hi, don't be afraid," she said amiably. "I'm Kagome, what's your name?"

"You're human," the boy grimaced, shying further away.

Shock thrummed through her, a bubble bursting. He continued to glare at her distrustfully, "Mama said we're being moved from the Western Lands soon. Humans are coming, humans like you-"

"Not like me," she said gently. "I'd never hurt you. Not every human hates demons, I promise."

"Mama said not to trust humans. They're all liars."

Sitting back on her heels, she thought for a moment. "Hm. You know I don't think I've ever really been scared of all demons as a whole species. I became really good friends with a Hanyou and mated a full demon, but that doesn't mean there aren't evil or mean ones. Have other demons ever been mean to you?"

"Mn...my friends, sometimes." He allowed, voice cautious.

"See? It's similar. So, maybe just try and see humans the same way. I know it's hard. They're probably a scary threat you've only ever heard bad things about, and I'm sure they've hurt a lot of your family members. But...this human would like to be your friend, at least."

Seeing no answer forthcoming and not wanting to confuse him, Kagome stood. Turning on her heel, she smiled to show there weren't any hard feelings.

Leaving, she absentmindedly passed a hand over her eyes, sighing. She supposed that kind of prejudice was only natural if her species were now actively trying to wipe demons off the map. Maybe she shouldn't have said anything. Hearing shouts, she blinked and raised her head, wandering across the courtyard. Bypassing the barracks, she continued on to where the troops usually trained in combat, seeing a crowd had formed around one of the sparring rings.

"Gah!"

Oh no. She knew that voice from the grunt of frustration alone. Squeezing between two beefy soldiers, she forced her way to the side of the ring, placing her hands on the fence and gaping as Inuyasha grappled with Kaito.

The two had dug their bare heels into the dirt, trying to throw the other's weight. The soldiers all shouted, calling out encouragement to their General. Kaito's body shook with effort as he pushed forward- sending Inuyasha back until the Hanyou snarled, abandoning his hold to hit him in the ribs. Hands-free, Kaito punched him in the jaw. Inuyasha's head snapped to the side and he swayed.

Kagome frowned as she noticed the state of their bodies. They'd obviously been at this for a while. Blood coated Inuyasha's upper lip. He was shirtless, and she noticed his red sweater had been placed by the ringside with his sneakers.

"He's going to lose. Hand-to-hand combat without claws is too tricky for a Hanyou."

Glancing down at her side, she noticed the deer-boy from the stables had joined her, watching the fight.

"You don't know that," she muttered.

The shouts around them became deafening. "Get the Hanyou! Get the Hanyou!"

Another few hits made half-demon blood be shed into the air, only seeming to invigorate the crowd. Gritting her teeth, Kagome decided she'd had enough. Lifting her foot and standing on the lower fence, she cupped her hands to her mouth. "YOU CAN DO IT, INUYASHA! Beat that guy! Make him sorry!"

The soldiers quieted and she sensed their stares, but she didn't stop cheering, raising her fist and shaking it. The deer-demon at her side gaped. Inuyasha's ears twitched once- dodging the other fist that came swinging his way. Dropping back, Inuyasha landed on his palm, swinging his legs through the air and landing a kick directly into Kaito's throat.

The General wheezed, staggering back. Inuyasha swung himself up to land on his feet, hitting several times in succession and finally kicking his opponent's feet out from under him. Kaito landed in the dirt on his side, kicking up dust.

Everything lapsed into silence. Inuyasha breathed heavily, staring with wide eyes. Kagome grinned and cheered loudly, waving her arms. A slow clap joined her cheering, and she paused.

Looking up at the balcony a ways from the ring but within view, Inukimi stood, smiling with amusement.

Kagome smiled and glanced back at Inuyasha in time to notice him offer a hand to Kaito. The General stood on his own, brushing by him without a word. Wincing, she slowly sobered, offering a weak smile when her friend glanced over. The worst part, she decided, was that he seemed far too used to the reaction. The soldiers all muttered amongst themselves, dispersing from the ring. A few bowed to her, but Kagome couldn't exactly appreciate it.

"Hisao! Hisao," a voice called out.

The deer-demon at her side turned as Chiyo raced over, taking him by the shoulder and bowing deeply to Kagome. "I-I'm so sorry, My Lady. I hope my son wasn't being a bother."

"O-oh, no, of course not." She forced a smile. 'Mama said not to trust humans,' hadn't that been what the boy had said? It...hurt a little to think Chiyo also saw her that way. Kagome glanced at Hisao, "we were just watching the fight together."

"Mhm! Mama, that Hanyou beat General Kaito! It was really amazing," he breathed. The boy then quieted, as though realising what he'd said. "Well...a little amazing, a-anyway."

Chiyo laughed nervously, and Kagome smiled, dismissing her before the servant fainted from nerves.

Turning back to Inuyasha once they were gone, she sighed. "You can't go very long without giving me a heart attack, can you?"

"Shaddap, I was gettin' restless. We've been hanging around here for days. That bastard better let us go to the village tonight."

"This one did agree to it, did I not, Inuyasha?" A familiar silky voice reached her ears.

The Hanyou glared, crossing his arms. "Decided to show your ugly face, huh?"

"Indeed. Yours is worse than usual, or do I usually overlook the hideous crookedness of your nose?" Sesshoumaru arched a brow, stopping by her side.

"Girls, girls, you're both pretty." Kagome sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "The New Moon is tonight, right Inuyasha? So we can start heading out towards the village in the late afternoon."

"Not alone, this one is coming with you."

She looked up at him sharply, heart skipping a beat. "But it's dangerous without a disguise."

His eyes had turned hard. "That is my condition. Take it or leave it. This one refuses to hide the marks of my clan."

"Tch," Inuyasha tossed his head but didn't argue.

Kagome sighed, nodding with acceptance.

Far off in the distance, lanterns were starting to be lit, appearing as small orbs of light. From where they stood on a few thick tree branches, Kagome could see that the tiny village she once knew had expanded, spreading further than she'd anticipated. It now resembled a respectable feudal town.

Kagome exhaled, trying to form the words, but Inuyasha's small, gravelly voice beat her to it.

"It's...changed so much."

She looked at him, brows together when she noticed the stricken expression on his face. His eyes were wide, breathing escalating. The dark hair that now fell into his lashes only made him appear paler. He always seemed more vulnerable and open as a human. Reaching out, she took his frozen hand in her own and squeezed.

Sesshoumaru stared at the village without expression, as though he'd gotten used to the sight.

"I uh...I wanna go closer," Inuyasha muttered quietly.

Kagome shared a look with Sesshoumaru. He subtly seemed to tense when her eyes hardened.

"No," his voice became steel. "He may, but you-"

"I'll be fine. It's not like they'll know I'm yours unless they see the mark," she soothed but refused to back down. She was going.

Golden eyes narrowed, shifting to the village once more, as though considering. Inuyasha didn't wait, instead lowering himself from the tree-branch and dropping to the floor. Once straightened, he padded away into the night-drenched forest.

"Inuyasha," she called with concern, gracelessly trying to climb down the same way. She dropped, landing like a retired gymnast and definitely pulling a muscle. Hurrying after the dark-haired boy, she glanced over her shoulder at the branch, finding it empty.

After catching up with Inuyasha, she stole glances at him until they broke the edge of the treeline. The village up close looked far more developed than Kagome had been willing to admit. The orange glow coming through the windows lit their way as they padded through. The pathways hadn't changed much, but the number of houses felt slightly staggering. The roof-work had become more intricate, the structures of the huts becoming impressive little houses.

"Are you okay?" Kagome asked quietly.

Inuyasha grunted, dark eyes swinging around at the unfamiliar sights. His nose twitched. If he had his dog ears back, she figured they'd be flattened. A few men lifting goods from a wagon paused to look at them.

"Uh, hello," Kagome greeted with a small wave when their gazes become wary. "We're travellers. We were just looking for a place to stay for the nigh-"

"Keep moving, strangers."

She blinked at the gruff dismissal. It felt a little like a slap in the face, though she should have expected it. Edo had just always felt like a place they'd be welcomed. Inuyasha sneered, automatically groping for his sword- which wasn't there. He seemed to forget that detail often.

"You wanna explain why? We got as much right to be here as you, if not more." He growled.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

When one of the men started to inch toward his sickle propped against the wall, Kagome quickly grasped Inuyasha's arm. "Nothing at all~ we'll be going now. Sorry for the trouble," she beamed. Pushing him away, she ignored his protests, glancing at the tense men.

They didn't stop until they reached the border of the village, where Kagome breathed a sigh of relief. "Was it just me, or did the whole place feel tense?"

"Tch, usually happens to places that have been hit bad by bandits. Guess that's why," Inuyasha grumbled. He padded out of her reach, folding his arms while glaring at his red sneakers. "If I'd stayed here, I coulda protected them."

"It's not your fault-"

"I know," he cut in bitterly. "I know exactly who to blame. Bastard," harrowed eyes squeezed shut. "But it doesn't do me any good now, does it? So...I'm gonna save this punch," he curled his hand into a fist. "And I'm gonna deliver it to him one day. For doin' this to me, to us. Ripping us away from Sango and Miroku. But...for now anyway..."

Kagome listened quietly, easing forward and placing her hands on his shaking fist. "Do you want to see them?" She asked softly.

Startled, he quickly glanced at her. Giving a quiet huff, he nodded silently, not trusting his voice.

The graves still appeared to be in good shape. She wondered who attended to them now that Kohaku had probably passed. Laying some flowers down for her friends, Kagome smoothed her clothes as she straightened.

A slight breeze tugged at Inuyasha's dark hair, hand's balled into fists. She could practically taste all the emotions welling up inside him. Placing her hand on his tense shoulder, she leaned in and hugged him. The Hanyou hid his face in her hair, trembling a little as his fists remained at his sides. They gradually unfurled, and he embraced her fully.

They stood for a long while, and she felt every shake and tremor in his frame. Knowing he probably needed to let it out- and he clearly wasn't doing that with her there, she patted his black hair.

"I'm gonna go for a short walk, okay?" Kagome murmured. Pulling away, she noticed him duck his head sharply, hiding his eyes. "Take your time," she added gently.

"Yeah, whatever," he cleared his throat, tenuous voice wobbling until he gave a harsh cough.

Kagome smiled weakly, squeezing his shoulder once more before padding off, leaving him alone by the graves.

Venturing away into the cover of the trees, she navigated instinctively through Inuyasha's Forest. Heading toward Rin's grave and only stumbling a few times, she set her hand on a tree once she reached a clearing. The grass was bathed in the slight light cast off the new moon. Her eyes were naturally drawn to the heavy fall of silver hair soon enough.

"What are you doing here?" She whisper-hissed, hurrying over to Sesshoumaru's side. "You might be seen."

He said nothing, staring down at Rin's aged grave. Another had been buried next to her, and something yanked on her heartstrings. Kohaku lay beside his wife, the gravestones touching shoulders.

Kagome's stomach twisted, and she looked up at Sesshoumaru's placid features, slowly grasping his frozen fingers. She smiled gently, "guess we're both still stubborn, huh?"

Shadowed gold slid to her, warming with faint amusement. "Hn, that much will never change."

Kagome nestled a little closer, feeling like it had been an achingly short amount of time since she'd first discovered him standing at Rin's grave. The memory of his ghostly features, so withdrawn and frozen, still haunted the back of her mind. Now Inuyasha looked much the same.

I never want to see that look again. Today...I want this to be the last day I see a look of grief on their faces.

Making such a wish was wretchedly naive, especially with the curse of her time-travel jumps, but Kagome clung to the Daiyoukai's hand all the same. After a little while however, that hand tensed.

Sesshoumaru raised his head. "Blood."

"What?"

Suddenly a whirlwind of confusion rocked her senses as she felt herself be lifted up. Soon they were moving. Fast.

When the motion finally stopped, Kagome swayed in his arms from the momentum, gasping when her eyes refocused. The men from before were attacking Inuyasha, five on one. While her friend tried to hold his ground, she noticed one of them swing a staff- hitting him over the back of the head with it. The men then quickly took to kicking and stamping on his crumpled form.

The sound that escaped Sesshoumaru's throat drowned out all other noise. Kagome felt it shudder out from his chest- and watched as the men turned- doing a double take and staring with abject horror.

Sesshoumaru sped in close, dropping her to the floor at his feet as he swept in and cleaved one man in two. His blood landed on Kagome's cheeks.

It felt warm.

She stared as the other men were dispatched in much the same way.

"You...idiot," Inuyasha wheezed out, sprawled on the floor as his black hair matted with blood. "That could have been- Sango- and Miroku's- gn...kin."

Sesshoumaru straightened, flicking the blood off his claws. "Do not be foolish. I knew from scent it wasn't them." He turned on his heel, "Kagome are-"

Her form was sinking through the floor, image wavering out of existence. Her eyes were wide as she reached toward him, then also toward Inuyasha with panic. The blood on her face glowed pink as the scent of Time caught in her hair.

Sesshoumaru's body turned ridged, quickly blurring in the air- clawed fingers stretching wide and plunging into the ground after her outstretched hand. His palm met nothing but earth, cracking the surface on impact.

A noise of grief ripped itself from his lips.

Falling to her knees, Kagome sucked air into her starved lungs. Registering the museum she sat in, dripping water over the polished floors, Kagome shakily pushed herself to stand.

Inuyasha, her eyes dimmed. She supposed he had to actively follow her in order to time travel. Her heart sank, resting heavily in her chest.

Ignoring the startled stares from a few bystanders, some who asked where on earth she'd come from- Kagome raced from the room.

She didn't stop until she reached Higurashi shrine, leaning against the tori-arch at the top of the stairs as she caught her breath. She scrubbed at her face, still feeling the blood. Her legs ached from the sprint, heart pounding. Forcing herself on, Kagome slipped her soggy shoes off once more and trailed wet footprints inside.

"Mama?"

Hearing a 'clank!' in the kitchen, rapid foot-falls signalled her mother's presence, before Mrs Higurashi stopped in the hallway. "Oh, Kagome. Thank goodness. Shippo told us you'd be back soon but wasn't sure when."

Guilt tugged at her, and taking a breath, Kagome padded forward. She then hugged her mother tight, burying her face in her shoulder.

"K-kagome?" Soft arms wrapped around her, encasing her in warm, homely smells.

"He didn't come back with me," her voice wobbled.

"Who, honey?"

"Inuyasha."

There was a beat of silence, before a light, comforting touch settled on Kagome's head, stroking her hair. The tense muscles in Kagome's shoulders relaxed, and she wallowed in the safety of her mother's embrace for a long while.

When she'd recharged, she rubbed at her cheeks. "I-I know it's not fair on you, Mama, but I have to go back again as soon as I can. He was hurt, and Sesshoumaru is alone. A-and Inuyasha is going to grow old if I wait too long. Maybe he won't have aged too much- maybe he can still live with us. Besides, Sesshoumaru's stronghold isn't looking too good, and-"

Mrs Higurashi silenced her with a gentle shush, poking her side. "Remember to breathe, honey. I'll call Shippo over, sound good? While you're here though, please eat something."

Kagome opened her mouth to reply that she wasn't hungry, but a look from her mother sent her into the kitchen.

Shippo arrived within the hour, baby-food mixture dotting his blue shirt, which had tried to hide with his jacket.

"You didn't have to come if you were busy," Kagome chastised, grabbing a napkin and wetting it- dabbing at the material.

He yawned, running a hand through thick red hair, "believe me- I needed a break. Try watching a baby kit who already knows magic, it'll take it outta ya." He yawned once more, briefly showing a fang.

"Ah...Shippo, your disguise-" Kagome pointed out weakly, smiling despite herself.

"Mhm, I'll fix it later. No point hiding around family," he said, rubbing his eye. He didn't seem to notice the effect his words had on her, as Kagome's heart warmed. Shaky happiness bloomed in her chest, and for some reason now tears decided to prick her eyes.

She finished up cleaning his shirt and eased away. "Mama told you on the phone, right? I need a new item right away."

Green eyes glanced around carefully. "She said Inuyasha had been left in the past. That the stronghold wasn't in great shape."

Kagome wished she could pry into his thoughts and know what exactly would happen to her loved ones. She could see him pick and choose entirely what to say and how to answer. "Do you know where I can find one?"

He exhaled, placing his hand on her shoulder. "I've got one," he admitted. "But I'm not giving it over until after you've rested tonight. You're also gonna take your arrows this time, got it?"

Something wormed its way inside her stomach, an insidious worry. Kagome straightened her spine and forced herself to act normal. She arched her brow and quirked her lips, "isn't that kind of advice cheating, Shippo? I mean, now I know something's waiting for me when I get back."

The fox laughed, ruffling her hair to obscure her vision and hide his expression. He was more masterful at the art of masks than her. "Sometimes it's good to bend the rules, otherwise things get dull."

The hand atop her head pressed down a little when she tried to look up at him. "Just...be careful."

"I will," she promised, forcing strength into her voice.

With no other plans forthcoming, Kagome settled in for the night after showering and bidding goodbye to Shippo, who passed whatever item it was on to Mrs Higurashi. Pulling the covers up to her chin, she turned to look at the empty futon on the floor beside her bed. Her heart gave a squeeze, and she glanced at Tetsusaiga by the wall.

"I'll take you back to him tomorrow," she muttered, closing her eyes. Turning over, she drew her knees up, touching the mating mark on her shoulder. She'd gotten into the habit of touching it in her sleep, feeling like a part of her were lacing fingers with the demon lord.

She wondered if he were out there, doing the same thing she was.

After dressing in easy to move clothing and sliding her bow and quiver of arrows over her shoulder, Kagome tied Tetsusaiga to her waist, resting the sword at her hip and breathing out. She'd gotten a good few hours sleep at least.

She soon found herself standing before Mama and waiting. With an accepting, but tired smile, Mama grasped her hand and pushed something small into her palm.

Kagome lifted it up for inspection, finding a simple Higurashi shine stamper. It was aged, of course, the image of the sunset barely intact. But she knew instinctively that it was the same one.

"You consider me...yours?"

"Thank you," Kagome breathed, clutching the stamper close.

Soon she was swimming through pink-tinged waters, kicking her legs hard while making a beeline for the surface. Moving her arms, the lungs in her chest protested, demanding air. Forcing herself to push through it, Kagome made a noise and squeezed her eyes shut. Breaking the surface after a moment- she gasped, sucking in harsh gulps of air.

A strange, sharp smell assaulted her senses- burning and choking. It caught at her lashes and made a cough shudder out of her.

Kagome blinked her eyes open, heart plummeting into her stomach. Off in the distance, a brilliant plume of thick black smoke towered high in the air. Following its progress down, she watched as flames roared from the Western Stronghold, licking its rooftops. On lower ground, closer to her position in the river, cries and shouts from human and demon alike sounded out, mingling with the ash coated air.

The miko watched as swords, claws and youki ripped into flesh, sending blood flying. Her heart thundered like that of the horse's hooves as men dispatched demons, slaying as what seemed to be Priests immobilised their foes.

Lifting herself out of the water, Kagome steeled herself, before drawing her bow.

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