Title: Verdant
Ratings: R
Word count: 2012. Some drabble this is.
Warnings: Finally some smut and not just promises and promises.
Au or canon: AU (ummm...O.o Yeah.)
Disblaimer: I hereby pronounce the sentence - this author shall be sued by shark-y lawyers if she ever even thinks about claiming the characters for her own. Sora and Leon belong to a bunch of great people: Junichi Sato, Yoshimasa Hiraike, Reiko Yoshida and Gonzo. Case closed!
Summary: Everything hurt. No...everything burned, stung, ached and then hurt. Not necessarily in the order but close in any case. He felt like he had been trampled by a horse and then run through a sword - neither had happened until now but if they would, he was sure that this was how he would feel.
She advanced cautiously, on tightly clenched knuckles and bare feet, prepared to bolt if the unconscious woman suddenly decided to wake up and jump her. Humans could be such strange creatures at time...
A few moment before had she stumbled upon this sight - the bloodied and battered form half sprawled on the river bank - and she admitted to being both worried and saddened by the pitiful display. Her hand were fairly itching to reach forward and help this poor, unfortunate creature before it was too late; her kind nature coming forth to the aid of one half-dying.
Sora lowered her guard reluctantly, berating herself for acting like a frightened rabbit, and moved to pull the woman from the icy waters. And while not exactly strong or powerful in her own way, the redhead spirit of the forest had the surprise of her life when she had to strain - and put considerable effort - to lift her upwards and support her on her shoulder.
Carrying her to the small cave close by would be truly fun. Sarcasm and all taken into consideration.
This was definitely some woman, Sora thought to herself while sneaking a peak at the dirty countenance framed by brown-gray hair.
Maybe she was interested in sparring or some other taxing form of combat? Ladies in this time and age usually preferred to be dainty, hidden beneath long flowing kimonos and intricate fans, but there were always exceptions - pant, groan - from the rule.
Almost 6'3 tall an exception...and fairly muscled arms and stomach. She blanched.
How odd.
Only when her feet touched the rocky surface of the cave did Sora sigh in relief. It would be difficult to treat the wounds - actually, even setting her patient down seemed a challenge at the moment - but after a short trek that had turned tediously long, she was prepared for anything.
Setting the woman down, carefully, on the furry pelts, the redhead scrunched up her nose at the smell and sight of blood that stained her hands. The sheer amount had her mind buzzing with unease - what if she was too late?
Sora searched for her hidden knife and fumbled with the loose garments, trying to cut them clean so the damage wouldn't be as bad on the wounds. She was successful from the first attempt; wondering at the rare streak of luck Sora took hold of the clothes and ripped them open...coming face to chest with tightly stretched skin.
No breast bond. No womanly assets whatsoever. Just sinuous muscles shifting beneath her restless hands.
He groaned, the sound rich and low, and the nymph screamed shortly - tumbling back into the soft pelts.
Leon opened groggy eyes and immediately threw an arm over his face in an involuntary attempt to block out the headache, which grabbed his head in a vice grip.
Everything hurt. No...everything burned, stung, ached and then hurt. He felt like he had been trampled by a horse and then run through a sword - neither had happened until now but if they would, he was sure that this was how he would feel.
"You're awake." A soft voice came from somewhere near him, soft and light, and Leon stiffened, trying to turn his head sideways to look at the person. Unfortunately for him, pain hit like lightning - spearing his left shoulder sharply - and instead of paying attention, Leon ended up falling on his side with a silent hiss.
"I would've told you not to move yet, as you might end up opening your wound, but it's a bit too late for that I'm afraid." A firm touch on his head and then he was being lifted to half lie in the lap of...someone.
The mysterious woman he hadn't seen yet.
Water had never tasted better and he drank greedily, wanting to move and bring more to his mouth - not just the careful sips he was being allowed - but unable to do more than curl his fingers once or twice to prove to himself that he was still whole and alive.
She was...beautiful, he noted through hazy eyes. Shoulder length red hair, brown eyes and a smile that had all his attention. Also, very strange garments - made of buckskin he presumed. A short skirt and blouse...and bare feet.
There were so many question he had to ask. Where to start?
"Why did you save me?"
Sora started slightly, not really expecting him to talk to her. As silly as it sounded, this man looked more the part of a marble statue than that of a human being. Cold, emotionless - even now as he stared hard at her with violet eyes - and inexplicably...white. Well, pristine. White suited him best in her mind.
"Because I found you frozen and close to drowning?" It was like asking the obvious. She found herself smiling widely in front of such a childish question. "I hope you're feeling better now Leon-san. Your wounds were quite serious and..."
"How do you know my name?" He pressed on difficultly. For a moment there was uneasiness and suspicion - was she a sorceress?
He had met plenty of those in his life. They weren't the most amiable creatures if you entered what they considered their territory.
"Oh," she was so used to it, that she had forgotten how strange it must've sounded to another, "the trees whispered it to me. It's a very pretty name if you ask me. You're already been here for three days and I had time to investigate a little about you," Sora finished cheerfully.
He lifted an eyebrow. In questioning, disbelief or amusement, Sora couldn't tell.
She blushed.
How in the name of all gods had she mistaken him for a woman before?
Sophie hummed under her breath and listened to her friend rant angrily about Leon. With a smile on her face of course - the young woman could get so worked up about these things sometimes.
If she hadn't been sure that May was more interested in securing her position as the main concubine in this house, Sophie would've veritably felt bad for her.
"For more than a year and a half he hasn't as much as thrown me a glance. Not a single spark of interest!" The dark haired beauty bit her lips to keep the oncoming barrage of angry insults, reminding herself that it would not look good if she betrayed herself in front of Leon's little sister.
"It was hard enough to keep his attention before the ambush in the forest, before he returned injured and weak in the middle of the night, but now it's fairly impossible. He barely endeavors to listen to me anymore and when he does, it feels like I'm under careful scrutiny."
"I'm very sorry May-san," Sophie tried to soothe her hurt pride with a soft glance, "I wish I could excuse my brother for his rash actions..."
But there was really nothing to excuse, she thought to herself while playing around with the flowers in her hand. May was a little too high-handed for her own good and didn't understand the concept of a concubine. Sophie flushed. She had heard guards speak about concubines as being 'women to warm their lords beds at night or whenever they pleased'.
Harsh. She didn't like that definition, but although Leon tried to keep her shielded from the darkest parts of life - acting like a warm human being only when with her - Sophie knew that he thought the same. There was no respect for a woman who sold her body for power and money or jewelry.
Perhaps he was more lenient with those who took up such crude lifestyles for the sake of family and kin, but all in all he didn't give them attention other than to...fulfill his needs.
She flushed even harder and busied herself with the flower arrangement, feeling utterly flustered with the path her thoughts were taking her to.
This was her dear brother! She was not going there...
May huffed, not noticing her friend's embarrassment, and flipped her fan open with a practiced hand; setting her features in a disdainful scowl.
"You will tell him that he needs to make it up to me when he returns from his journey...again."
Sophie sighed, long and wearily.
"I think you might've missed me a bit too much these last two months," she panted, wrapping her legs around his waist and trying to find the satisfying rhythm he had set for the both of them. One hand fisted in the soft furs beneath her and she arched her back with a mew of mindless pleasure.
"Without a doubt," he spoke in a voice hoarse with restrained lust, leaning down to scrape his teeth against the sensitive skin of one breast while brushing the back of hand against the other.
She was incredibly small and tight around him. Tighter than he had known any woman to be. After such a long time of being separated from her, after long nights of frustrated desire where he had woken up and contemplated taking his horse and going to her, he was a desperate man.
Leon placed an arm beneath her knee, lifting her leg to heighten the sensation, and thrusted deeper into her welcoming warmth, knowing by the increased mewls and whimpers that she was as close to her satisfaction as he was.
Her heat would've scorched him if it hadn't been for the answering rush of arousal and her willingness to receive him. She was squeezing him harder, pulling him deeper into her confines and the way she writhed beneath him had Leon wanting to prolong her ecstasy even if by a bit.
Still. He swirled his tongue in the hollow of her throat, feeling his skin tingle when she dragged a furry pelt on his back, and ground his hips into hers hard enough to send her over the edge. Sora muffled her gasp in his shoulder and he threw his head back, hair falling around them both, and groaned heavily.
It was the same every time he came back. Leon didn't think he could have another after he had tasted this little female in his arms.
He rolled next to her on the bedding and drew Sora in his arms, feeling content only when her entire length was molded against him. She seemed to think so too, because she giggled lightly and moved some red strands from her face.
"And to think that it all started with me thinking you were a woman."
"Hm." He held back the glow of male pride and instead settled for smirking against the top of her head.
Sora wasn't thinking so now...
"You haughty peacock. I know what goes to your mind now," she swatted his shoulder half-hearted, shuddering lightly from the winter chill despite the fact that the fire was roaring close by.
Leon pulled the furs snugly around them.
"One of these days," she yawned into his chest, "you're going to have to stop jumping me like that and start by telling me where this is all going to."
It came to this again.
"We have discussed this before. I want you to come with me to my home and that is final. There is no but..."
"But..."
His eyes narrowed dangerously and Sora swallowed the rest of her sentence.
She wasn't exactly princess material here! Kimono and fancy clothing were not things she occupied herself with on a daily basis. Nature, rivers, creatures of the forest...
"We will talk only when you accept and not a moment sooner." Leon tucked her head beneath his chin and effectively ended the conversation there and then.
Sora sighed, even as she felt the stirrings of sleep taking over her eyes - making her drowsy and warm and comfortable in his arms.
Perhaps tomorrow she would have an answer for him...
This is a very old piece of mine which I hope you will like. A stand alone that didn't really belong to either Blossoms or Light and Fantasy. It's rather senseless smut from my point of view. Harmless? Hopefully. If you don't consider the steamy scene in the middle!