Rating: M

Genre: Romance / Lemon / Drama

Warnings: Man x Woman / Older guy x younger woman

Disclaimer: I don´t own anything of RG Veda, I just like to borrow it.

Summary: Everyone seems to be scared of Zouchouten, but Karura knows of a different side to the General, but if they ever can be together is another story...

Locked Away

Zouchouten x Karura

Karura had noticed it for the first time, when a gentle, friendly touch to her shoulder had caused a tingling feeling on her skin, which spread like a wildfire over her whole body, causing her to shiver slightly. The man beside her, an uncle-like figure since she was little, who had caused such in her a few months back, raised a bushy, blue eyebrow at her shivering movement when she remembered it. Silently he spread his white cape and covered her shoulders with it against the cold wind. She gave him a grateful smile - grateful for the excuse - and was yet again amazed how very observant he was. He returned her gesture with a wide smile of his own, which seemed to split his face in half and reminded her of a "smiling" lion.

She began to chuckle when she noticed how some court ladies shrieked out of fear and hurriedly left the wide balcony. Embarrassed and quite a bit sad, he scratched the back of his head and grinned carefully and apologetically at her, probably thinking that she too was frightened of him like all the other women at court, when his slightly fearful gaze had anything to say. The silvery-white haired Guardian of the Southland could only shake her head and pat him on the shoulder, reassuring him that she definitely was not scared of him. Quite the opposite, she thought as she willed her hand to let go of her General. She wanted so much to touch him, even though it was unthinkable. They were General and Guardian and those did not mingle with each other no matter the reason.

Karura sighed as she stared at the sky above her, where small white birds flew across it, dancing around, to then playfully disappear from her sight. The broad man, noticing yet again her distress, hesitantly placed his large, callused bronze hand over her delicately, strong, fair skinned one, which was placed atop of the railing of the marble balcony and looked with his golden cat-eyes directly into her sky-blue ones.

"Is something bothering you, little bird?" he asked seriously, using the name he had chosen when she had been small, carried around in his strong, big arms, sitting there like a very small bird in the hands of a human – carefully, secure and the human being scared that it may fly away at the barest movement or hurt with the slightest touch.

The young woman smiled at the memory and shook her head.

"Nothing is bothering me, Zou," she answered gently, using his nickname.

"Are you sure? You seem... troubled."

She laughed and it echoed like the sound of a clear bell through the air. Troubled she was indeed.

"Thank you, but it is nothing you could help me with, Zou."

"How do you want to know until you let me try?"

She raised an eyebrow at that, thinking quickly what to say. After all could he help her with her trouble. He could simply reject her or be pushed into an emotional dilemma himself. She shook her head.

"I don´t think you want to hear it," she quickly replied. "Women trouble could make you feel quite uncomfortable."

"Women trouble...? Oh! I´m sorry, that really isn´t – I mean – uh..."

Karura chuckled as she impulsively hugged the huge man beside her with a grateful feeling. Zouchouten froze in place as he hesitantly embraced her back with mixed feelings.

"Thank you...," she sighed as her cheek rested against his chest, permitting her to hear his strong, steady heartbeat.

He was so gentle and kind that it made her heart flutter all the time. She thought back to the past of her life and how her view of Zou had changed so often. First he had just been her most beloved uncle, then a man she had respect for above all else, then she noticed that he was worth also romantic thoughts as he was actually a really handsome man and then somehow had it ended with this: romantic feelings for him that involved herself with him. Her heart had always belonged to him she noticed and never even considered someone else. If not for Karyoubinga would she probably throw everything away to be with him.

How could she stop these feelings, these restless emotions that boiled to the surface so easily and were suppressed so hard. With a sigh stepped she away from him to smile at him and then leave him alone on the balcony, unable to say anything at all.

Zouchouten was confused to say the least. That smile had been so sad and at the same time so full of happiness. What was going on with his little bird? He scratched the back of his head and stopped his movement as he remembered something and stared at his big hand in front of him.

He had held her so close that he had been able to feel her whole body against his own. A furious blush spread over his face as he recalled all the details he had been able to feel. Sometimes he forgot that she wasn´t that small little girl anymore, but a grown woman. A very beautiful and attractive young woman with a temper, a cool mind and endless kindness. He recalled the time when he had seen her for the first time as a baby. Seemingly natural had his heart wandered to the small child in his arms and he had thought of her as his own, for how else was this feeling to be placed he had felt when he had seen her? Then was she just his pretty niece he watched over at all times and somehow, with ever changing feelings yet stagnant ones, had she become a woman in front of him and he had known that he loved her above all else.

Her smile flickered in his mind as he sighed and let his head be covered by his hands. It was impossible, unthinkable, forbidden and just no good. He could not have her and even if he could would there still be no way that she would accept him that way, he told himself over and over again for what not how long now. He sighed again so resigned and sorrowful that it could get a stone to shed tears over as he sank onto the marble floor of the balcony. What could he do to erase these sinful feelings?

~RGV~

Zouchouten moved uncomfortably in his saddle for the hundredth time, what earned him an exasperated snort from his horse and a glare. He smiled apologetically and patted his neck. He just couldn´t help it. After all was he alone with Karura for probably quite some time and there was no one else who could interfere or remind him of who they were. It was torture for him to say the least.

Sighing he stole a glance over to the Guardian who rode elegantly on her white horse, Garuda her guardian bird sitting on her shoulder. She looked so very perfect in his eyes that it was hard to breathe at all.

With a steel mind, Karura kept herself from fidgeting all the time. She wanted so much to stare at Zou or even just steal some side glances at him, but she knew he would notice it. So she sighed inwardly while seemingly relaxed riding through the lush green forest they were in.

For not the first or last time in her life, she was cursing Taishakuten. Why had he had to send only them two alone on this mission of demon extermination? Well, sure she knew his reason, but that didn´t make it any better for her in any way at all. She wished some of those demons would jump out right now, so she could let off some steam. Unfortunately that never happened.

When they had fixed everything around their camp for the night, sat they in silence at the fire, staring into the flames. The atmosphere was filled with tension and both of them were extremely uncomfortable with themselves. The worst was when one of them tried to do something had the other one seemingly the same idea and they never ended up doing any of it out of embarrassment. It was really ridiculous, but that´s how it was now and so they just sat there and said or did nothing at all. Since when had they been so awful with one another?

Karura shook her head in anger and spoke finally up.

"That´s enough of this silliness! Zouchouten, I will stay guard for now. You go and get some rest!"

"No, Karura. You go rest first. I´m not tired yet, so I wouldn´t be able to sleep at all."

They stared at each other and there was just something in their eyes that made them both smile and in the end they laughed out loud.

"We are really silly, aren´t we," she remarked, when he nodded his head in approval.

"Yes, we are. So who stays awake now? I really am not tired and wouldn´t get any shut-eye at all."

"I wouldn´t be able to sleep right now either."

"Well I don´t think that we will get attacked anyway. We´re still quite a bit away from the actual place where the demons reside, so why don´t we stay a little longer awake until one of us feels sleepy?"

"Fine by me, I guess."

So they finally relaxed and Karura began to talk, just chat and talked about everyday things like she used to all the time with Zou when she was younger. And Zouchouten listened very seriously even to the most hilarious things, just to end up roaring in laughter at the end and the Guardian giggling.

It was nice and comfortable and they slowly grew closer again. After a while they sat side by side and didn´t even care anymore as they were immersed in their conversations. Everything that went beyond friendship was subtle and they themselves didn´t even notice when and how it happened. Some gazes, some touches, some way their voices changed and other such small things just lead to it that they in the end, stared intently into their eyes without saying anything. Or more precisely, said a thousand things without it.

Slowly, hesitantly Zouchouten finally reached over to her with his hand and cupped her face in it gently. Smiling she leaned into the touch, closing her eyes and he melted. Every defense of his was broken in that moment and he bent forward and kissed her.

Karura shivered when their lips touched and returned it with a passion that surprised Zou at first, to then eagerly respond. The air filled with heat as their desire rose to a degree where both of them no longer knew what they exactly did. Clothes fell and touches were exchanges as well as gazes that spoke of promises so deep that both knew that it would be impossible to keep them – but they did not care.

Zouchouten´s hands glided over her snow-white body, so carefully that his touch felt like a spider web. Even the touches on her breasts – which still made her blush like mad – were as if he thought that she was made of glass. Karura felt that he was afraid still of touching her, right now lesser though because of the actual problem of their feelings, but because of their difference in body. Even though the Guardian was trained and strong for a woman, the General could easily break her bones if he was not careful. So Karura took it into her own hands to give them both the satisfaction they both needed and to show Zou how far he could go with her.

Slightly trembling of embarrassment she knelt down and touched his pants – the only clothing still on the man. Zou flinched when she opened them and revealed his pulsating, big member. Karura flushed a deep red at that view. He was bigger than she had imagined and for a second she got scared at the thought of that entering her. However she shook her head energetic and gulped.

"Little bird, you don´t need to do that, you know?"

"I know, Zou, but I want to. I want to show you what you can do with me without being scared of hurting me."

The big man blinked a few seconds then smiled and nodded.

"Alright. Thank you, but don´t push yourself."

"As if I ever."

Determined, she licked over the tip of his member to play on it like on a flute with her tongue. Which definitely worked fine, she decided as she heard satisfying sounds from him in response. Roused by the sounds and the simple fact of what she was doing, let Karura glide two fingers in her already wet entrance. She was a virgin and considering Zouchouten´s enormity she thought it better to prepare herself.

They both began to uncontrollably moan at one point and Karura finally let Zou go, which he commented with a very low, feral growl. The Guardian smiled at that and the General gazed at her, his eyes completely clouded, not much different from her own. He grabbed her around the waist and kissed her passionately, which positioned her quite well right above his lower part she noticed, as it brushed over her entrance and she shivered in excitement.

Karura deepened the kiss to which Zou gladly complied and sank slowly down on him. The first bit was easy she thought, weird feeling but alright. However everything past that was painful. She gasped and as did Zouchouten as he entered her slowly, bit by bit, forcing himself not to just ram inside her with full force.

It felt so sweet he thought as he felt himself sheath inside her like a sword. After Karura´s last gasp of pain it just felt right for them they noticed. It was like it was always meant for them to be this way – one, no longer parted and just together. Neither of them thought that they would ever feel any more complete than now and they were right about that. Zouchouten waited patiently as he waited for his little bird to adjust herself and watched every movement from her carefully. He knew he would never see her like this again, so he etched every second into his memory.

When she finally felt more than just pain, beginning pleasure to be exact, she nodded her head and kissed Zou again. The General moved slowly upwards at first and retreated just as slow down again, until Karura herself began to move in his rhythm on top of him. Gasps, moans and husky voices echoed in the night air, while a crow sat on top a tree branch, watching the spectacle under it with sparkling eyes.

Everything of themselves seemed to mix with one another until they seemed to let it all flow away from each other in an explosion of heat and feelings. They breathed heavily as Karura clung onto Zouchouten, while he held her carefully in his arms. The night air suddenly felt chilly as it blew over their heated skin and they shivered.

The General took his large, white cape from the ground and engulfed themselves in it. He let out a satisfied sigh as he kissed his beloved bird on her exposed shoulder. She was fast asleep he noticed as he cradled her in his arms. Now after the deed had been done dawned it on him what he had done – no, what they had done – and clenched his hands into fists.

In the morning he would have to tell her that this never happened, that this just could not have happened, but that he still not regretted it. He would never regret it, he decided with a glare at the starlit sky. He would probably break someday from the mere fact that they were not together, but that was how it was. Zouchouten also had to tell her that it was probably better that they went separate ways on this mission.

The General looked straight ahead with that thought and flinched when he saw Garuda the guardian bird just a few feet away from him – glaring with his glowing red eyes it seemed. Zouchouten gulped and shifted uncomfortably a little until he thought:

"It´s not my fault! Blame Taishakuten´s rules!"

Karura mumbled something in her sleep and Zou looked down at her to see a cute pout on her lips and a crunched up nose. Quietly he chuckled as he pressed her to himself a little closer. All that could wait till dawn. Right now would he do nothing but to enjoy every moment of this and never forget it.

~RGV~

When her General had left the next morning, Karura stood upon the tall rock and gazed for a very long time at the horizon, where he had vanished on his white horse. Silently, it seemed, the wind grazed her form, playing with her long strands of silvery-white hair and making it seem as if they themselves liquidated and became translucent, turning into the strong breeze itself. Garuda throned on her shoulder as usual and a lonely, longing cry escaped his long neck, while he spread his large wings, as if attempting to shield his mistress from the harsh wind and voice her feelings, which she carefully kept locked away behind her sad, sky-blue eyes. Forget was all she could do and so she did as she turned around. Or perhaps, she thought with a wry smile, just locking it away was enough, because oblivion was not granted to her.

Continued in RG Veda! XD