It was dark. Water, sludge, blood, whatever it was; was dripping onto the stone floor.
Shackles encased my feet, my amber eyes dullened by the shadows.
I was hanging from a wall, bounded by chains. How original.
The door swung open as I looked up. There stood a man I never wanted to see again.
Panic rushed through my veins as the tall structured figure silently walked over to me.
His boney hands gripped my face into his palms harshly.
"Kyon, it's been awhile. Too long, in fact."
The tone of his voice frightened me, not that I let it show.
He was driven on the fear and attention I let him have.
My peridot locks were dirty and matted, some strands crusted with blood.
He clicked his tongue at the grotesque sight.
I had blood on every inch of my body almost, cuts and scars from hours and years before.
"Still afraid of arachnids, sweetheart?" His tone was sickeningly sweet, and even though he had asked, he knew.
A tiny black eight legged creature crawled onto his left hand, the fear inside of me rising.
"Heh, I guess you are. I can tell when you are scared, Kyon. I've always been able to tell."
I didn't even have to ask, 'How so?'. It's like he knew my mind, my every move.
"You're like an old book. Easy to open.. The pages don't stick together, and if I turn them too hard, they break."
He grinned, his yellow teeth luminescent in the moonlight that dripped through the barred windows.
"What do you want from me?", the words came out raspily, my throat sore.
I sounded scared, and honestly I was beginning to let it show too much.
"Well.. You see.." The spider crawled between the fingers of the living skeleton, my body begging to jerk away.
"I heard you were in town for the preliminary judging.. And I couldn't resist."
"Resist?"
"The fact that it's been ten years since I've laid my hands on you. It's been so long, I can't remember how your soft skin felt.."
I gritted my teeth. "My step-father found you before you could lay a hand on me!"
"But he won't stop me now, will he?"
My amber eyes flew shut, thinking if I couldn't see him, that he couldn't see me.
"It won't work. Think. When was the last time you said I love you to your fiancée before you left on your 'mission'? Did you give her a kiss before you left? Say goodbye to her and pray you would come home safe?"
Anger surged through me.
"You leave her alone!" My body jerked against the stone wall, my movement limited.
"She's of no interest to me."
I sighed, biting my lip in the process.
"Kyon.." He grabbed my jean clad waist and pressed his lips to my bruised neck.
"Think of how much you'll leave behind when you die tonight.."
- Day I -
"Do you have to go?" My gorgeous fiancée sighed, her beautiful eyes twinkling.
I turned around and grabbed her face in my hands, smiling.
"Hey, hey, it's only for a little while."
She crossed her arms and pouted, trying not to give into my smile.
My smile widened as I leaned in and kissed her ear gently.
"I'll be back before you know it.."
"Promise?"
"Cross my heart." I laid my hand over the middle of my chest, and gently moved her velvet locks out of her face.
"Okay, but.."
"?'
"We have a little fun before you leave." She grinned and unzipped my Jonin vest, pulling me into the bedroom.
- Present -
I sighed, her face plain in view inside of my head.
"Does it hurt Kyon? To know you made a promise, then to know you'll never be able to keep it?"
"Shut up.."
"She'll be all dressed in black, in front of your coffin, holding your picture close to her chest. All heart-broken, all alone."
"SHUT UP!" I screamed, jerking repeatedly against the rough stone wall.
I could feel my own heart breaking, the picture he had visionaried stuck in my head.
"No.. She'd.. I can't.."
"You have no choice."
"What did I ever do to you?" Tears welled up in my golden irises, pain racking my body, emotionally and physically.
"You did everything to me! You supported Sarabi leaving me for that ANBU captain! We were best friends, Kyon!"
"You abused my mother, you piece of trash!" Tears streamed down my grime beaten face, shaking.
"I loved your mother. Kyon, look at me! LOOK AT ME!" He grabbed my face again, pulling it harshly to face his.
"D-Dad.."
"That's right. Dad."
- Day II -
My arms were wrapped around her frail body, drinking in the sunlight pouring from the open window.
It was a warm summer day, her hair shining in the light.
I smiled at the beautiful view, her head rested into the crook of my neck; her bare body curled up to mine.
"Mm.."
I sat up, carefully removing my arms and grabbing my boxers and jeans.
She made a small noise, stretching and falling back into a deep sleep.
Walking to the kitchen quietly, I looked out the window above the sink and unfolded the coffee filter, thinking.
Why was this mission so important, that I had to go alone?
Unarmed, and without an escort?
Seemed kinda suspicious, but Lady Hokage didn't know anything about it either.
And I know Brandi wouldn't do anything to put me in danger.
Not intentionally, of course.
My lover's arms wrapped around my waist from behind as I smiled faintly.
"I didn't want to wake you."
"Well, you did.." She giggled softly as the smell of coffee spread throughout the house.
The clock read 6:28 in the morning. In two hours, I would have to depart for my mission.
Her hands caressed my scarred sides, kissing my back with her soft lips.
She took the pain away. Even if the pain was unbearable, and not even God could take it away.
She made everything better. Always.
We poured ourselves cups of coffee, as she lead me to the couch.
We talked about everything, from the wedding date, to the way she was going to wear her hair.
She had everything planned and I didn't mind.
It was her special day as much as it was mine.
We laughed, we reminisced, we smiled and we laughed a little more.
She was gorgeous, and I was the luckiest man in the world.
8:00 came too fast for my liking.
Quick kisses, a thorough check of my mission bag and a goodbye later.. I was gone.
- Present -
My head hung in shame.
I left her once, and now I had left her again.
The glimmer of a knife hit the moonlight as he cleaned it off with an even dirtier washrag.
Thousands of things raced through my head, but one thing remained steady.
Her.
The tips of my hair began to turn orange, my eyes remaining gold.
My father growled, knowing what I was doing.
The chains were becoming unbearably hot, the steel turning red.
Pain racked through my body as the chains and shackles burst into pieces, my knees hitting the ground.
I began to stand as my arm was grabbed, the sharp point pressed to my throat.
My eyes widened as I heard a slice in the air, my breathing cut short.
"Sh.."
My body fell to the floor as I stared at my father's feet.
She'd hate me.
For leaving her. Dying on her watch.
She'd find someone better and move on.
No matter how much it killed me to watch her be with someone else.
I was scared.
For what would happen to me.
To her. To us.
I could feel the world close out as my amber eyes saw the last sight it'd ever see.
And just like that, I was gone.
