Disclaimer: all rights and responsibilities belong to Hayao Miyazaki; I disown them all (very very sadly)

Author's Note:

This is an outtake from my story, Not Such a Dream Afterall. If you are reading that fic, do not read this until you have read through Chapter 13. This was my original version for that chapter, and as much as I loved it, it doesn't stay true to Haku's character; he's not really playful, or sadistic. I didn't write beyond this only because I decided it didn't fit my story.

As always thanks for reading and I hope to hear from you.

Take care, and I hope you like this outtake,

Boots

(p.s. I included some excerpts from previous chapters just to get you in the right feeling.)

Checkers

In his exhaustion Haku didn't notice the girl crouched in the corner by the fireplace. Bare feet caressed a latticework of gold and red marble, as he crossed the room to his bed. At the silver spiraled carpet, he stopped and wriggled his toes against the indulgent threads. He smiled at the slight tickle against his skin. Sleep, tempted him to lie down right then and there. With a yawn he removed his top and his undershirt and threw them in a pile on the floor. He slid out of his pants and kicked them off. They ended up somewhere under the bed, but he didn't care. He groaned when he pulled back the bedcovers. His neck and shoulders were so tight. With a long, low, throaty moan he leaned into a stretch, reaching his long arms overhead. His muscles rippled under his skin. When he felt significantly at ease, he climbed into bed. With a flick of his wrist, a cascade of thick black curtains blocked out the sun, and the room was plunged into darkness.

Eyes big as saucers, butterflies making a tornado in her stomach, and heart drumming in her ears; Chihiro could no longer say she had never seen a naked man before. Granted, because of the light source, his entire front had been encased in shadow but it still counted. He was an exquisite specimen. When he had peeled of his pants, his long hair had fallen forward over his shoulder and she was given an unbroken view of his back. From this distance she could count his vertebrae, and she marveled at the ridges of his shoulder blades. His fair skin was unblemished and she was able to identify many of his muscles from her last anatomy class. She had paid particular attention to his latissimus dorsi, his trapezius, the rounded deltoids and his very firm gluteus maximus. Her eyes trailed lower to his perfectly sculpted calves and she had to press her fist in her mouth to keep from giggling hysterically. If she was a teapot, she would have been whistling; her blood was positively boiling and her face was so red, she was surprised he couldn't see her glowing like Rudolph's nose in the corner. She couldn't watch anymore! She squeezed her eyes shut, and her vision was encased in red, as the light filtered through the blood in her eyelids. Suddenly everything went cold and black and for a horrifying second, Chihiro thought she had been discovered. Her mouth dropped and her eyes flew open; she was half expecting to see the bath lord standing before her. Instead she saw nothing. From the area by the bed she heard a soft gentle snore and rhythmic deep breathing. She was officially screwed.

Chihiro tried to remember if there was anything in the huge room: tables, chairs, anything that could be tipped over and awaken the bath lord. She waited for her eyes to adjust; only nothing changed. The darkness was complete. Unbeknownst to Chihiro, dragons have keener eyes than humans and his spell completely blocked out the light; there was no way she would be able to see. Panic rose in Chihiro's chest and she began to feel a fine mist of sweat spread over her skin. Her long hair stuck to her bare back and she lowered herself to her hands and knees, wincing as her sweaty palm skidded over the smooth marble surface. It made the ghost of a squeak and she felt her heart hammer painfully in her chest. She couldn't hear anything over the thunder in her ears. When nothing happened she let out a shaky breath. She never noticed that the snoring had ceased.

Scuttling along the floor, silent as a spider, Chihiro groped about blindly; wishing, praying for a wall to orient herself. After a few sightless movements forward she had gotten disoriented, tried to go back to the chair, but it seemed to have moved. Gritting her teeth, she wiped her forehead distractedly, the salt burned her eyes. She was now sweating profusely the wetness adhered, what little clothing she had, to her body and her hair clung to her in the most sickening way. Briefly she wondered if the heat was being drawn in by the black curtains, or if it was all in her imagination. She was suddenly glad for the lack of clothes; a rustle of silk sheets stilled her movements instantly, then again maybe not. The loud staccato of her heartbeat slowed to a gentler thud and she listened intently. When no other sound occurred, she took a tentative movement forward. Never before this had she realized knees had sweat glands, yet as she made her way across the smooth marble they were skidding about in wild abandon. Her tenuous fingers felt the fringe of a rug and she briefly remembered there had been a rug just inside the doorway. She was almost out! Pushing eagerly forward, she banged the top of her head into something hard and couldn't stop the, "Owmph," from escaping her lips. She slapped her hand over her mouth and tugged at her hair anxiously. So stupid!

"Please don't hold back on my account." Haku watched in sleepy amusement as the girl turned to stone. After a beat, her head whipped about wildly as though expecting him to materialize on either side of her. Fully dilated pupils were twin spots of black amidst the white of her eyes. He watched her feel what was before her; grasping at the bed frame, stroking over the sheets, and her mouth dropped in horror at the realization. She disappeared from view and Haku shifted forward just in time to watch her dive beneath the bed. Curiosity took over and Haku leaned over one side and lifted up the bed skirt. Chihiro was gripping to the framework below like a baby bird clinging to its mother's nest. The silent heaving of her chest was a testament to the terror she must have felt. From the moment he had awoken, Haku wondered how he had missed her before; the scent of her filled the room. In her makeshift cocoon, Haku studied her. She was outfitted in the sleep garments of the workers; he wasn't particularly surprised she had decided not to wear the nightgowns he had provided, but it irked him all the same. He silently slid off the side of the bed and made his way to the foot of it. Sharp eyes spotted tiny toes, barely covered by the bed skirt. Fast as a striking snake, he hooked a hand around her ankle and pulled.

The shock broke Chihiro's grasp and though she slipped out easily; she yelped as the carpet rasped against her skin. The halter top had been yanked up to just below her breasts and Chihiro had the distinct feeling that the bath lord could somehow see in this blackness and now had a clear view of more skin than she ever wanted to show. She squeaked and wrapped her hands around herself, trying to retain what little modesty she had. Haku sniggered and snapped his fingers. Her hands abruptly snapped to her sides like a tin soldier. "Eye for an eye." He taunted. Chihiro flushed a deep red, how did he know she had seen? Was he still naked?!

"That's not fair," Chihiro sputtered angrily.

"No?"

"No! You saw me naked first," Chihiro accused.

At that she heard a snort. "Ahh, so you were watching," he mused.

"N-not purposely!" Chihiro bristled, she was getting angry. "Let me go, I wish to leave."

Looking down at her, that strange hunger started again, low in Haku's belly. His eyes glittered and his mouth watered. "Tell you what, let's play a game."

Chihiro looked confused at such a proposition, "a game?" She scoffed, "Why would I want to play a game, with you?"

"If you win, I will personally escort you home." Haku watched her expression change, calculating.

"And if you win?"

"Do you want to play or not?"

"What are we playing?"

"A simple game really; you have to make your way to the door. One step at a time: you may move left, right, diagonally and forward, but not back, and you mustn't let me catch you."

Chihiro gulped, "Ok." The scent of fear and excitement came off her skin in waves. He snapped his fingers, and as she regained motor functions, she quickly moved out from under him. Readjusting her top, and spreading her hair around her like a loose silk shawl, she peered up in the direction she thought Haku was in, "how do we start?"

"Hold out your hand," he commanded. Tentatively, she reached blindly forward. He grasped her fingers and pulled her to her feet. She was shaking; he licked his lips, and led her to the far corner of the room. Taking her by the shoulders, he placed her firmly in the corner of the room; exactly opposite the door. "Wait until I say otherwise." Chihiro felt the heat of him leave her side, and without moving her feet, leaned into her surroundings. Curtains brushed against her bare back and her body shivered involuntarily. A chill formed over her right side and when she reached out, she felt the icy glass of the mirror, and knew exactly where Haku had left her.

"Wait, aren't you going to lift the curtains? How will I keep you from catching me, if I can't see you?"

From across the room, Haku laughed. "I'll give you a hint. Start." Taking a tentative step forward, she heard a resounding step from the direction of the door, "Ice-cold."