Characters: Oronko (Orochimaru and Anko)
Rating: T
Set:
Alpha
Notes:
Anko's age has been tampered with (she's eighteen in this), so I suppose this could be considered AU. This is set one out of five. Unbeta'ed. Beware the run-ons.
Dedication(s): Koshi -- your sick little mind has corrupted me and made this my new OTP. Kita -- your sick little mind inspired me to do this (and you practically dragged this out of me on MSN).
STANDARD DiSCLAiMER APPLiED

The Maiden and the Snake
(set of 50 for Orochimaru and Anko)

o1. -- approval
Regardless of how hard she trains, the things she wants most are a smile --regardless of how small-- and a quick, "Good job, Anko, you've improved."

o2. -- watching
Orochimaru often wonders late at night as he stands in her doorway, watching his young student sleep, if Anko is a loud enough screamer to wake up the rest of the base, and whether or not they could get away with it.

o3. -- bruise
When they train, she refuses to give in to the pain and cry, simply taking each blow with a sense of pride; she knows that each one is a badge of courage, honor, and, coming from him, love.

o4. -- spirit
He yells at her often, telling her to be quiet and stop playing around, they have no time for such childish games; it's all he can do to hide the grin that wants to creep across his face as he watches her stick out her tongue and call him "a boring old man."

o5. -- memory
She is older now, and she is wiser in the ways of the world, learning that sometimes, even if you love someone, you have to do what's right, what's proper; it doesn't stop her from crying when she reads his name on the memorial and the memories begin flooding her mind.

o6. -- slither
He reminded her of a snake, she used to think as she watched him sneak through the shadows of the manor; years later, her opinion hasn't changed, only she now views him as a beautiful yet poisonous snake that must be exterminated at any costs.

o7. -- betrayal
When he left her alone, she thought of it as the ultimate act of betrayal; when he extended the offer to take her back under his wing and she refused, tossing kunai after kunai at him and daring to use the jutsu that he taught her against him, hoping to kill him, he considered that the ultimate act of betrayal -- and somewhere in his chest, he felt a painful emptiness begin to spread.

o8. -- offer
He had hoped that when he offered her his hand and the chance to come back to him she'd take it, not attempt to cut his arm off.

o9. -- stars
When it's late at night and Kakashi offers to walk her home after they're both finished with their paperwork, she refuses, gently turning him down with the promises of next time; of course, she doesn't intend to hurt his feelings, but she likes to walk alone at night and see the stars and think of what could have been if she had stayed with Orochimaru.

1o. -- haunting
She's long gone -- he knows that and he's come to terms with it, but some nights he'll go and stand in the doorway of her old room, watching the shadows and listening to the silence, and he can swear that he can hear her softly breathing and see her safely curled up in bed and peacefully sleeping.

----end Alpha----