Disclaimer: I do not own Samurai Deeper Kyo or any of his characters, and have no right to it except as a fan.
Author's Note: Hi there. I'm a relatively new fan of SDK seeing as how I just started to really get into it earlier this year. I've watched all the anime episodes and I've read up to volume 29 of the manga since that is all that has been released in the US. I could go online and look up the rest, but I don't want to spoil it for myself. So with that being said the characters might be a little OOC since I'm still new to this anime/ manga, and this story will be taking place around the end of the anime. You'll know exactly when once you start reading. However, I am mostly basing this off the manga, because I liked it better and only a few things from the anime will be included such as, the color of Kyo's hair, the coloring of the clothing on his body, and some things that involved Muramasa. Further more, Migeira will not exist in my story just as he did not exist in the manga.
My inspiration for this story comes not only from SDK, but also from a few fictions that I have had the great joy of reading on here… Midori No Me By: Vegita-dias, Third Desire & Serpent's Curse By: FenixPhoenix, and When Teasing Doesn't Work By: Alyson Metallium.
Dangerous Possession
Chapter One: Heartache and Pain
Yuya stepped out of the doorway of the Cherry Blossom Inn and began walking down the main road that led in and out of the village. It had been three days since their group had left the land of the Mibu. Three days since Kyo got his body back, and three days since he had fought and killed Kyoshiro. She walked down the road leading to the end of the village, that was nothing but a gathering of businesses serving as inns, having gotten away from the others to be alone with her thoughts. She hadn't moved away from the main entrance to the inn after they had arrived. She just waited for everyone to begin walking down the hall and took her chance to slip away when she thought no one would notice. Of course somewhere in the back of her mind she knew that at least Kyo had noticed, but she was denying it to herself so that she could concentrate on her thoughts.
As she walked she remembered the fight scene she had come across in her search for the two men. She remembered the snow, how soft it felt as it landed on her skin, but how squishy it felt and sounded under her sandaled foot. She remembered briefly wondering why it had been snowing since it hadn't looked like it would the day before. She also remembered thinking that Akira must be enjoying it. That had been the extent of her thoughts before she heard the clash of metal against metal. She remembered running hard, pushing herself to go as fast as the snow would allow. Then her foot was caught in a particularly squishy patch of snow and she fell with the sound of one last clashing of metal against metal, and then the sound of an explosion that shock the ground.
She looked up in time to see a large cloud of smoke hanging above the ground in the distance ahead of her. Then she saw two silhouettes in the smoke, and her heart skipped a beat when one crumpled to the ground. She remembered calling out Kyo's name and Kyoshiro's name in the space of a heartbeat because she couldn't tell who had lost and who had survived. She picked herself up and ran straight for the man who was still standing. She still had no idea who he was but she didn't want to find out by looking at the man who lay motionless on the ground.
Yuya slammed into him wrapping her arms around him and clutching the clothing on his back. He stood firm, not even taking a step back as she slammed into him. She took a deep breath through her nose, and knew immediately, from his scent, who she had her arms wrapped around. She opened her eyes and slowly looked up, wanting to make sure her sense of smell was not deceiving her. She found rich bright blood red eyes looking down at her through strands of blood red hair with his lips set in that maddening smirk with a bit of fang peeking through, and at that moment she completely broke down.
"Oh my god. Kyo!" She said through the tears that had begun to streak down her face as she clung to him. In that moment she hadn't cared that he would see her crying, that he might think of her as being weak. She couldn't help expressing how sad she was that Kyoshiro had died, but at the same time express her happiness that Kyo had lived. After all, she had known Kyo longer then Kyoshiro. Sure she had met Kyoshiro first, but after Kyo gained control of his body he had been with her day after day, so of course she had spent more time with him and gotten to know him.
After passing the edge of the village Yuya continued on the road as it lead into the woods, veering off the main road after she had gone a little way in. She walked until she found a meadow with short green grass surrounded by tall trees, and then stretched out on her back to gaze at the soft blue sky.
She lay there remembering what she thought and felt when she first saw Kyo back in his own body. At the time she was already half in love with him, not that she had ever showed him that, but seeing him in his body only made her love for him complete. She had seen his body before - those intense red eyes, the long red hair, the tattered haori and hakama, and his red armor. Granted his body had been sealed in ice, but still…to hear his voice and see his personality coming from it was breath taking. He was beautiful in a purely masculine way that made him look so intense – so attractive that she had had a hard time keeping her eyes off him.
Yuya sighed as she closed her eyes and began to wonder what would happen now. Was she going to stay with the group? Stay with Kyo? He had to at least know that she liked him, and she was sure that he liked her a little. With Kyo it was hard to tell, but he had kept her alive – saved her life a number of times when he didn't have to, so he had to feel something for her. Would that be enough for him not to mind her sticking around?
Just when she was about to try and think up an answer to that question, she felt a prickly sensation sweep her body. Sensing that she was being watched Yuya opened her eyes and sat up, taking in a sharp breath in the process. She automatically reached for her gun, but stopped when she didn't feel its weight. She had forgotten it, which was unusual; she always had her gun. She hadn't even brought the dagger Muramasa had given her. She realized then that she must have been seriously lost in thought these past days to forget her defense weapons. She didn't even remember removing them from her person. She looked around and saw Kyo leaning against a tree in front but across from her with his red eyes trained on her. She noticed immediately that he had changed into a deep black kimono similar to the one he wore when he inhabited Kyoshiro's body, only this time he looked even better with his red eyes and hair clashing beautifully against the black material. She sighed at his sudden appearance and presence and lay back down.
"You should pay more attention to your surroundings woman." Kyo said, his voice only loud enough to reach her.
Yuya frowned at that statement. "I realized you were there didn't I?" She said as she closed her eyes.
"I was here long enough to have killed you five times over." He whispered in her right ear, having used his incredible speed to get to her in the few moments after she had closed her eyes.
Yuya gasped as she felt Kyo's breath on her ear with his whispered words, and her eyes flew open to see him kneeling next to her with a smirk on his face. His red hair tussled by the slight breeze and his red eyes focused on her green ones. "That's because you are you." She whispered back, her heart crashing in her chest at his close proximity.
The last time he had been this close to her was before he had his body back, and before Shinrei's water worms had been removed. She hoped that he couldn't hear her heart beating wildly out of control, and hoped that the folds of her yellow and orange-stripped yukata were enough to hide it from his view. She had a feeling that, had she been wearing her sleeping yukata, he would have been able to see it beating.
Kyo's smirk widened and he leaned in to whisper in her ear again, having thoroughly enjoyed the expression on her face the first time, when he heard a twig snap. His smirk slipped away as his narrow gaze flashed to the trees behind Yuya. He reached out with his mind to locate the chi of the person headed their way. He sensed it right away; it was nowhere near as powerful as his own- less powerful then even the woman's chi, but he was curious to see whom it belonged to.
Yuya watched Kyo carefully as he looked off into the trees behind her. She wasn't afraid because Kyo was with her, and he didn't look worried or cautious. Even so, she still wanted to know what he had heard or saw.
"Kyo? What…" She started to ask.
Kyo looked down at Yuya when he heard her voice and interrupted her before she could finish. "Pretend to be asleep. Don't move no matter what." He said, and then got to his feet and walked past the tree he had been leaning against and disappeared into the surrounding trees.
.:XxXxX:.
Yuya watched Kyo walk off into the trees, and then closed her eyes. She did her best to breath normally and deeply as if she were really asleep. What is Kyo thinking having me do this? Is this going to … She trailed off as she heard footsteps. For a moment she thought that Kyo had come back, but then almost at the same time she realized that she wouldn't have heard him come back. Yeah Yuya. If he really wanted you to know he would have found another way instead of making his footsteps heavier. She thought as she strained her ears to catch every sound.
A stranger, and the footsteps are getting closer. They sound way too heavy to be a woman, so it must be a man. Maybe this man will be skittish, ignore me, and go on about his business. She thought hopefully as she struggled to breath normally. No need to panic. Kyo is near by. He wouldn't leave me helpless like this after telling me to pretend to be asleep. Right? She thought, and just as she was about to answer that thought the man spoke.
"Hmm…what's this? A woman asleep in the open?" He said to himself, and then paused. "A young woman; even better." The man said in a rough but quiet voice.
Yuya didn't like the sound of what she had heard so far, but she remained calm knowing that Kyo was near.
"She's really nice looking." She heard the man say, then she felt him get close to her head and she heard a sniffling sound. "Smells nice too, but is she really asleep?" He finished and there was a long silence.
She wondered what he was doing as she struggled to keep her emotions off her face. He's being quiet, but I can sense him getting closer. What is he… her thought was cut off by the feel of something wet on her face, and a foul stench that made her want to gag. Then she realized that he was licking her and that the stench was his breath. It took every ounce of self-control she had not to react and pretend to be asleep, as Kyo had wanted.
"I guess she really is asleep." The foul breath man said from a slight distance. She guessed he had stood back up, which was fine with her. She didn't know how long she could control her gag reflex. "Well that's no fun. Time to wake up." He said a little louder and Yuya felt a sharp agonizing pain on her upper left side.
Yuya cried out in pain, no longer attempting to feign sleep, as she clutched her side feeling as if she had some broken ribs. She was in pain but she did notice Kyo's chi flare angrily as she screamed when the man kicked her. That was good right? That meant he would come for her.
She rolled on her side, attempting to lessen the pain by staying off her left side. She then felt herself being flung back on her back and a weight on top of her.
"Get off me." She demanded, using the pain she was feeling to make her voice stronger.
"Why would I do that? I woke you up so we could have some fun. You were clearly lonely out here all by yourself." He said as he grabbed her wrists and pulled her arms over her head.
"Get off you foul mouth excuse of a man." She screamed, the pain she felt from him pulling her arm up like that and stretching her aching side made her scream sound stronger.
"Is that any way to speak to the man who's going to give you the best pleasure you've ever had in your life?" He said and Yuya froze ad began to panic.
This man was going to rape her. She was still a virgin; he was going to take away her innocence. The only thing she had to give. She hadn't thought about giving it to anyone until recently. Until she realized how much she liked Kyo. It was really all because of Kyo that she thought of it at all. How could she not with her developing feelings for him, and him always grabbing her breasts and feeling on her almost all the time? She always reacted by pulling her gun on him, but she couldn't help what she felt. And she didn't just mean his hands.
Every time he touched her that way she had an aching feeling in her stomach. Her body was reacting and wanting more, this she knew or rather came to understand. Of course she couldn't forget the heat that she always felt when he touched her at all. It felt like warm water touching her bare skin, but Kyo hadn't touched her that way since before they set out for the land of the Mibu. At that time he was still in Kyoshiro's body, but now he was back in his own body and she wondered what his touch would feel like now.
Point being – she had been considering giving her innocence to Kyo and she couldn't let this shit breath excuse of a man take it from her.
"Get off, get off, get off!" She shouted as she struggled, trying to ignore the pain in her side, to protect her virtue.
The man ignored her.
"You heard the woman." Came a deep, low voice.
Yuya froze along with her attacker and looked toward the voice. "Kyo." She breathed so softly that she didn't think she would be heard, but Kyo's red eyes shifted from her attacker to her face – to her eyes for a moment and then back to her attacker.
She looks okay from here. I don't smell any blood. That's good. He didn't use enough force to break the skin, but he probably used enough to bruise or break a rib or two. He thought as he starred at the man.
When he first sensed the man's chi he had a fleeting idea shoot through his mind, but he ignored it. He ignored it but not enough not to tell the woman to pretend to be asleep. Then when he first saw the man he decided to put that fleeting idea in motion. He wanted to see if the woman would call out his name for help if she needed it or if she would be stubborn and try to deal with the man on her own if that was the case. He told himself that it didn't matter if she did call for him or not, but unconsciously, deep down, he really hoped that she would call out for him to help her. He knew that she would be in danger if the idiot didn't leave her alone, but he was not prepared for an assault the like of which he had just seen.
Kyo was a blood thirsty demon who enjoyed a good challenging fight and even more so if it led to a kill, but he was not cold hearted enough to kick a sleeping, defenseless woman. That act had enraged him so much that for a few moments he couldn't control his chi. Luckily the idiot didn't sense him or didn't know how to.
That's good. He won't know of my murderous rage until it's too late. He thought maliciously as his eyes glowed slightly.
He usually liked to let people think he was no real threat. That's why he kept most of his chi hidden, although, that only worked with those who weren't true fighters. Those who were could sense he was different no matter how much of his chi he hid, and the fact that he was widely known didn't help. Sometimes having red hair and eyes irritated him because it made him stand out more.
Then as if the kick hadn't enraged him enough, after he had moved from his position and gotten to the meadow he found the idiot trying to rape his woman. My woman?! Is that really what I want? He asked himself. Yes. Yes it is. He thought after a moment. He had been denying it for so long, keeping his attraction for her ruthlessly in check, because he didn't want to claim her in that bastard's body. Now that he had his own body back she was as good as his.
"Oh. Who's this? A stranger come to the rescue?" He heard the idiot say from his position over the woman. He clearly had not heard the woman breath his name, although he was right there with his ear in her face.
Kyo, however, had heard the breath that was his name, and although it wasn't the pleading sound he had, deep down, wanted to hear, it was more then enough. That breath that was his name shook him to his core, and he was, although he'd never admit it, afraid and nervous. It had, in that brief moment, brought up more questions then he had ever considered concerning the woman before.
He had much to think about, but not right now. First – the idiot.
"Beat it; I was here first." He heard the idiot say.
This fueled his anger and irritated him at the same time.
"You've got ten seconds to do as the woman demanded." Kyo said quietly.
The man looked at him for a moment then, as he was meant to, decided that Kyo wasn't a threat and went back to what he was doing.
The idiot shifted and the woman gasped as if she was in too much pain to scream, and Kyo cut the ten seconds in half and drew Tenro as he moved forward. A moment later Kyo sheathed his sword and the man lay dead next to the woman having nearly been decapitated from the back of his neck. He then slipped his sword into his belt, and slipped his arms under the right side of the woman, picking her up, and cradled her against his body as he walked swiftly through the forest. He walked back into the village and to the inn they were staying at without a word.
.:XxXxX:.
Yuya listened to Kyo and the foul-mouthed man exchange words. She was glad to see Kyo and wished he would have looked at her longer, even if just a little, but she wanted the man off her and Kyo was trying to make that happen. The man then shifted in what seemed like an attempt to make himself more comfortable, but it stretched her side and it hurt so much that she could only gasp at the pain.
Next thing she knew the man was dead next to her and Kyo was picking her up, and in such a way that it didn't hurt. She couldn't believe that he was holding her like that. The last time he held her like that was inside the Mibu lands when they had been separated from Bon and Akira. She hadn't been able to walk then, although she complained that she could, and was secretly happy that he hadn't put her down. Now she felt like saying that she could walk just so he wouldn't think that she was a weak woman, but she knew that she couldn't. That the pain was too much, so she closed her eyes and kept her mouth shut.
Even though she didn't want to appear weak she couldn't help but notice that the pain was less with him holding her. She could feel the warmth of his chest, arms, and hands. It was a different warmth from when he would touch her inappropriately. This warmth was only a result of his body heat. She leaned her head against his chest and breathed deeply. He smelled strongly of Aokigahara forest and blood. She didn't use to like the smell of blood on him, and still didn't, but it was apart of him and she wouldn't change it for anything. His bloody forest scent was soothing to her, and it helped ease her pain.
Yuya was so busy breathing in his scent that she didn't realize they were inside the inn until he placed her on a futon in a sitting position. Even then she hadn't been paying attention to what he was doing until she felt her obi go slack. She gasped and her eyes flew open. She gasped again when he gently pushed her back until she was lying down.
She clutched her yukata together and looked up to Kyo with a frown. "What are you doing?" She asked as he pulled her obi away.
"I'm going to look at your wound. What did you think I was going to do?" He asked with his eyes trained on hers.
Yuya fought back a blush as she answered his question with a question. "Why do you need to see it?" She asked.
"I want to make sure you don't have an open wound. I don't smell any blood, but still." He said, wondering why he was bothering to explain himself to her.
"I'm sure it's nothing. A broken bone, a bruise at the least." She said, hoping to stall him.
Kyo looked at her face then his eyes moved along to her clutched hands. She doesn't want me to see her. He thought with a smirk forming on his face. "It's nothing I haven't seen before; or felt for that matter." He said, his red eyes waiting to see the expression on her face.
Yuya blushed deeply. She knew all of this, but it was different. All those times he had seen or felt her up was because he came out of nowhere and did it, but now…now it would be a voluntary thing. She would have to lay here and let herself be seen by him. She looked at his face, into those eyes that looked back at her so intently and sighed. I trust Kyo. She thought as she closed her eyes and moved her arms to the sides out of his way.
Kyo watched as she moved her hands away and her arms to her sides and closed her eyes. He thought it would take more then what he said to get her to cooperate, and he wondered what she had thought as he pulled the left side of her yukata away from her. He watched as he slowly revealed her breast and stomach. He was a man, so of course he wasn't going to deny himself the view, but he didn't look long. It was more of a quick peek, but he enjoyed the view immensely as he took in every detail. He then moved his eyes to her side and they narrowed at what he saw. What he saw was a large bright red circle with a deep shade of red in the middle that he knew would soon turn purple.
His eyes shifted to her face, which was a bright red, and he smirked. His smirked faded just as quickly as it had come with the thought that he was about to hurt her, and that made him pause. He had never cared about hurting someone before, but it was different with her. I'll have to think about that later. He thought as he shifted his eyes back to her side. He needed to feel the wound to see if there were any broken bones, so he proceeded to press on the area lightly at first then slowly added pressure. He watched as her calm blushing face developed a pained grimace, and then she took in a quick breath but didn't make any other sound to voice her pain and he smiled at that. His woman wasn't weak. She was resilient.
He determined that there were no broken bones, and that it was just a deep bruise to two or three of her ribs. He then pulled her yukata back over her, after one last look at her exposed breast, and sat back. "It's a bad bruise to a couple of your ribs; nothing more." He said as he watched her.
"That's good. It could be worse." She said without opening her eyes. She was still too busy concentrating on breathing. It may have been just a bruise, but it still hurt like hell.
After a few silent moments she opened her eyes and began to look around the room, stalling before she had to look at Kyo. She saw that it was a nice big room with a sliding wooden door, which had small square window spaces at the top, at the back of the room leading somewhere.
"Whose room is this?" She asked as her eyes continued to look around.
Kyo watched Yuya and when she asked whose room it was he realized that she couldn't see her weapons and the medicine box from the angle she was laying at. He moved back to her side and leaned over her slightly and put his left hand on the right side of her neck to get her attention. "Mine." He said, rubbing her neck softly. Of course the room was his, but she always slept where he did. The only time she didn't was when they stayed at Muramasa's house. He didn't sleep much then, and felt that with the burden of water worms slowly claiming her life, she deserved some alone time during the night.
Yuya had no doubt that she would be sleeping there too. She always slept where Kyo slept. Right now though she was having a hard time breathing. The longer his hand stayed on her neck- on her skin the quicker her breaths came, and the more pain she felt because of it. But even so, she felt the heat coming from his hand acutely and she was stuck – locked in his eyes. She noticed that the longer she gazed into his eyes the warmer his hand got until it felt like a hot cloth had been pressed to her skin and held there with the cloth remaining hot the entire time.
Then her heart beat picked up pace when he began to lean toward her face. She felt his hand slide down her neck to her shoulder, and when she felt the heat of his breath on her lips…everything went dark.
Kyo took a deep breath then moved his hand from the pressure point on her shoulder to the floor next to her. He then bent his head to her neck and breathed deeply. She had such a clean fresh scent that he had become addicted to. He could smell blood everywhere he went and knew that it was a part of his scent as well, but she was clean, pure and untainted like a breath of fresh air. Breathing her scent always made him calm and at peace; something only Muramasa had been able to do.
He then sat up and gazed at her, wishing he had went ahead and kissed her, but he knew that she needed to sleep – to escape the pain for a while. Now that he had his body back he could claim that kiss anytime he wanted.
He laid a blanket on top of her, since she would be asleep for hours, and left the room. He made his way to the medium sized common room that their group had rented, along with their rooms, and found everyone except Bontenmaru, Yukimura, and Benitora there. He went and sat down with his back against the wall to the right of the sliding door that he had used to enter the room, and leaned his sword against his left shoulder.
"Kyo!" He heard Akari call, and next thing he knew she was gripping his right arm. "Where have you been?" She asked in a slightly whinny voice.
"Hey Demon Eyes? What happened to Yuya?" Saskua asked near the sliding door at the back of the room, across from the main door. "I saw you carry her in a few minutes ago." He finished.
Kyo closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He could feel everyone's eyes on him. "Some idiot kicked her hard enough to bruise her ribs. She's asleep right now." He said. He didn't say anymore; they didn't need to know that the idiot tried to rape her.
"I'm sure she'll be okay." He heard Okuni say calmly on his left side. Unlike Akari she wasn't the clingy type, but she would stay close to him.
"You killed the guy right?" Akira said quietly, calmly as if that was what everyone did when someone assaulted someone else.
Kyo didn't answer but Akira seemed to hear confirmation in his silence none-the-less.
After that everyone continued the conversations they were having before Saskua mentioned Yuya. He guessed that Bon, Yukimura, and Tora were either getting sake or were at a brothel. Most likely both. He thought as he listened to Akira talk about some nonsense that he wasn't interested in. A few moments later he tuned her out to do some thinking about the sleeping woman in his room. He let his mind drift back to earlier when he heard her breath his name.
Why did I react the way I did? Why did so many questions come to me in that moment? Why do I even care? He thought with a mental sigh. Yeah she was nice looking. He couldn't get enough of those green eyes, especially when she was mad at him, and that light golden hair of hers – so silky and soft against his rough callused fingers. She had an okay figure. He always complained about the size her breasts, but he liked the way they felt in his hands. She had a nice size bottom as well, and curves that he would love to let his fingers glide over.
Can't forget about how nice she feels when I hold her in my arms. She's so light but not so light to say she doesn't eat enough. He thought as he remembered her soft body in his arms earlier. He loved her personality. He couldn't stand the fact that she was always being loud and yelling at him, but even so he found it refreshing. No one, let alone a woman, would ever dare to speak to him in that tone. He also liked that she wasn't afraid to tell him what she thought of him, and he loved her violent side. She was forever pulling her gun on him and shooting him.
She is a bounty hunter after all. I wonder if she'll go back to doing that now that we're done with the Mibu. I might even help her. He thought as he wondered what else it was that he liked about her. I like that she's stuck with me throughout everything that's happened. Most women would have thought it was too dangerous, and rightly so, but even after the whole water worm deal she still stayed. She did have other reasons but she didn't have to stay. He thought with another mental sigh.
What he liked, no loved, was the fact that she trusted him. Trusted him with her life and perhaps maybe…her heart. He knew that he liked her, he could deny it to everyone else but not himself, and that she liked him. He saw her starring at him enough to know that, but he wanted to know just how much she liked him. He even found himself wondering if he should tell her how he felt about her, but dismissed it just as quickly. That was not who he was. He would not go spouting what he thought of her. She would just have to watch him and pay attention to the things he did, and the things he did say to find out.
Of course that probably meant that she wouldn't be saying how she felt anytime soon. She would probably worry about embarrassing herself if she thought he didn't feel anything for her. She's probably denying it to herself. Wouldn't that be something? Spirited Yuya can't admit that she likes a demon. He thought with a mental smirk.
I guess that's why I reacted the way I did out in the forest. It's because I like her; I like her a lot, and I seriously want her. I wonder what it's going to be like when I claim her. He thought as he pictured her round breast from when he was checking her wound earlier. He, of course, had no doubt that he would be claiming her as his; it was just a matter of when not if. He had always noticed how soft her skin was, and was sure that it would feel even softer when she was consenting to his touch.
Kyo being Kyo, he was very much aware of the effect he had on her every time he touched or even came close to her. Like how she reacted before I put her to sleep. Her heart was pounding so hard and her breathing was so quick that I wondered if she was getting any air at all. I could tell that her reaction to my proximity was causing her pain though, which is another reason why I put her to sleep. Otherwise I would have claimed the kiss she seemed to want to as much as I did. He thought with yet another mental sigh. Her reaction though…no woman has ever reacted to me that way. Yes they have been excited and aroused and were anticipating what I was going to do to them, but I never got a reaction quite like the one from her. Is that what it's like when the woman has actual feelings for you, and is this what it's like when you actually care that the woman feels anything for you? He thought as he took a few moments to concentrate on what Akari was blabbing about.
She was still hanging on his arm and leaning into him, and Okuni was still on his other side being quiet with her eyes drilling holes in his head. Most likely trying to figure out what I'm thinking about. He thought as he wished they would go away. The only woman he wanted near him at that moment was Yuya, although he'd never say it. Sometimes he wondered if either of them knew that he didn't have eyes for them.
Akari had to know, but even he wasn't so sure about Okuni. He had a feeling that she was still holding out. He showed no interest in any woman, but he was sure that all the guys knew that he would torture and gut any who touched Yuya in an intimate way, even if they happened to brush against her in passing. He gave them no reason to know this, but they knew it all the same. He was sure of that.
Kyo then let his mind drift to what happened to Yuya at the meadow. I cannot believe what almost happened to her. I've seen women raped before and I admit that I probably should have stopped it I just never cared. But for that idiot to try and force himself on her, try to take what is mine. No, he had to die and was damn lucky that I made it quick! He thought as his anger at the deceased man rose again. He usually killed the attacker and the one who had been attacked, so that she wouldn't have to become an outcast and be forced to live with the shame and ridicule of what happened. Not to mention thrown from their homes to find their own way in life. Luckily he had stopped that from being Yuya's fate.
He wasn't just angry with the idiot for attacking her. He was angry with himself for putting her in that position. If it hadn't been for that stupid idea that popped into his head she wouldn't be hurt. I wonder how she's doing. She shouldn't be feeling any pain while she sleeps, but still…I wish she wasn't hurt at all. He thought with another mental sigh. He usually didn't care if someone was in pain, but with Yuya he found that it was different. He didn't like causing her pain. In fact he didn't like when she was in pain at all, and in order to keep her from being in pain he would have to keep her with him.
He wanted her with him, to stay with him – to be with him. Not just because he wanted to protect her but because she was his opposite. She balanced him out; kept him from showing his true demon nature, and that alone was a good enough reason why he wanted to keep her. He would keep her. The world couldn't handle his true nature, and besides all that she had a promise to keep, a promise that she made to Muramasa before he died. A promise he would make sure she would keep.
Yuya woke up and saw that it was getting dark out. She was disoriented since she didn't remember falling asleep. She thought about the last thing she did remember. How she had asked Kyo a question, and how he had answered. The feel of his warm hand on her neck, the warmth of his breath on her lips, and then nothing.
Ugh! He must have put me to sleep somehow, because I am in too much pain to have fallen asleep on my own. She thought as she sat up, wincing at the pain. Why did he do it? Why put me to sleep? I wasn't even sleepy or tired for that matter. She thought as she tied her obi. She then got to her feet and scanned the room to make sure she was really alone. All she found was her things and what little Kyo had.
She then left the room and began to explore the inn, making sure she remembered where her and Kyo's room was. She walked to one end of the hall, to her right, and found the women's bathing room, and then she began to walk to the other end. As she walked she heard familiar voices coming from a room that was two doors away from the one she shared with Kyo, and guessed that it was the room everyone gathered in.
After walking around a little more she went back to her room, gathered her sleeping yukata, and went to the bathing room. She then undressed, slipped into the heated water, thankful to be alone in the room, and began to think about what happened earlier in the day.
I cannot believe that foul-mouthed man! I mean he had no morals at all. Did he grow up in the wild or something? She thought with a tired sigh. I'm glad Kyo was there otherwise I'm sure that man would have raped me. I wish I could say that that wouldn't have happened, but I know it would have. No matter how hard I struggled he was just too strong. Of course I wouldn't have been in that situation if Kyo hadn't told me to pretend to be asleep. She thought with a sigh as she sank a little lower into the water. What the hell was he thinking anyway?! Okay I know that he didn't know that would happen, so I can't be too mad at him. He did take care of me after all. She thought as she remembered how gentle he had been when he carried her back to the inn and checked her wound.
I can't believe I let him see me half naked. I mean did he really need to see the wound to know what was wrong? She thought then sighed. He didn't try to touch me. I mean besides touching my wound. I'm sure he made sure that he had a good look though. Maybe that's why he was going to kiss me. Maybe… she stopped her thought there, not wanting to think about her feelings on that or what Kyo had been thinking. She refused to go back to what she had been thinking about before the foul breath man came along. She just wasn't ready to go back to it yet, so she relaxed and thought about anything but that while she cleansed herself. She winced every time she moved a certain way or touched her bruised ribs, so she tried to stay still and let the water sooth her.
When Yuya was done she went back to her room and noticed that the room was still without Kyo, and she wondered briefly if he even knew that she had woken and left the room. If he did know did he care? She wondered sadly as she placed her yukata next to her dagger and gun. She then moved to the futon and carefully stretched out on it, and forced herself to keep her mind blank as she tried to relax enough to fall asleep. She found that she was having trouble keeping her mind blank, so she focused on the feel of the blanket on top of her, the pattern of the floor and walls, the slight light coming in the room, and the sounds she heard until she fell asleep.
.:XxXxX:.
Yuya woke up the next morning to find no Kyo in sight. She wondered if he had even come back to the room to sleep, and the fact that she didn't know made her sad and slightly depressed. As she got up she knew that she had to resume her thinking from earlier the previous day. She dressed carefully in a forest green yukata with a light wooden color obi, not wanting to aggravate her bruised ribs and cause herself any more pain then she was already feeling. She then grabbed her dagger and slipped it into her obi, knowing that her gun weighed more and would aggravate her wound.
As she was straightening the futon she heard a knock on the wooden door and a voice call her name. She recognized it as belonging to Akari and called her in.
"Good morning Yuya. I've come to collect you for breakfast." Akari said in a chipper voice.
Yuya smiled and followed her out of the room and down the hall to the room where she had noticed everyone's voices the night before and found everyone there talking and eating. She noticed where Kyo was first even though she hadn't been trying to find him. He was sitting against the wall to the left of the door with his sword and of course Okuni next to him. She had to force herself to look away. She was a bit jealous of Okuni because she had the kind of body that Kyo seemed to like. There was no way she could forget since he was forever telling her that her chest wasn't big enough.
She also noticed that he wasn't eating and wondered briefly how he sustained himself since she had never seen him eat in all the time she had known him. He can't possibly live off sake, although he probably would if he could. She thought as she looked around, and saw that Yukimura and Saskua were sitting against the wall to the right of the door and that they were eating. Hotaru and Akira sat with their backs to her eating, while Bon and Benitora sat across from them facing the door also eating.
She walked in greeting everyone with a quiet 'good morning' and a false smile on her face that she hoped everyone fell for, and answered their questions about her health and if she was in too much pain. Akira kindly handed her a bowl of food, after she was done answering, and she went to sit by the sliding wooden door behind Bon and Benitora, that lead to a small garden that all the rooms seemed to have access to. As she sat down she noticed that Akari went to sit on the other side of Kyo only much closer then Okuni.
As Yuya began to eat she reminded herself of what she had been thinking about the day before. That's right. I was thinking about whether or not I would be able to stay with kyo. I like him I really do and I want to stay with him, but I don't want to stay if he doesn't want me around. She thought as she finished her food. She then turned so that she was facing the garden, hoping no one would talk to her and interrupt her thoughts. I wish I knew how Kyo felt about me. I mean he must like me. He almost kissed me yesterday, but that was probably just a movement to distract me while he put me to sleep. She thought sadly as she leaned against the door frame.
Well it worked. I was thoroughly distracted until everything went dark. She thought with a quiet sigh, wishing that he had just went ahead and kissed her. Okay so lets try this another way. Maybe he does like me, but not as much as I like him. She thought as she repressed another sigh. She didn't want everyone thinking she was sad even if she really was. They don't need to know. She thought determinedly.
For a few moments she stopped thinking and just starred at the grass and flowers in front of her, and took in the fresh air. Then she suddenly felt someone looking at her and she turned her head to find Saskua sitting in the doorway next to her. They starred at each other for a long time. Green eyes locked with yellow-gold, both looking for something. She had no idea what he was looking for, but she knew that she wanted to see if he could tell that she was sad, bordering on depressed. She couldn't tell so she looked away, back to the grass.
"Are you okay nee-chan?" He asked, still keeping his eyes on her.
"Yes. Why?" She asked looking back to him.
"It's just that you've been really quiet and the only time you spoke was to say good morning." He said.
"I'm just doing some thinking, that's why I've been quiet." She said softly.
"Okay." She heard him say but noticed that he didn't move away, and that he was still looking at her. That's okay. Just because he's looking at me doesn't mean I have to stop thinking. She thought as she looked up at the sky. Would the guys be sad if I left? Would Okuni or Akari? They all were concerned and worried when I had Shinrei's water worms in me, but this time nothing is wrong with me and no one is using me to get to Kyo. Saskua seems genuinely concerned. He might miss me if I were to leave. She thought then sighed quietly. It's not like they need me around for my special talents. What good am I to the group? My original reasons for sticking around don't apply now. I'm not hunting down my brother's killer and I'm not looking for information about the Mibu. My only excuse now would be to be with Kyo, but that's not a good enough reason. At least I don't think it would be to any of them. She thought as she closed her eyes for a few moments, trying to hold back her pain both physical and emotional.
She then opened her eyes, stood and walked to the door, avoiding all eye contact with everyone in the room. I think Saskua is the only one who noticed me leaving. Okay well I'm sure Kyo noticed too, but he doesn't count because he would just ignore me. If the others did notice then they're too busy chatting with each other to say anything. Or maybe they think I'm going to the bathroom. She thought as she slipped her sandals on, opened the door and slid it closed behind her.
I need some time alone. Apparently it is a bit difficult to think when someone is starring at you. She thought as she exited the inn and headed toward one end of the busy village – the opposite end she went to the day before. She walked past the village boundaries and into the woods on the path, and then she turned to the right heading off the path, and walked into the trees until she found a tall, thick one with big branches at the top.
Yuya removed her sandals and slipped them over her hands and around her wrists, then took a few steps back as she looked up the tree, preparing herself for what was to come. It was a tall tree but not so tall that she couldn't get to the top. She knew that it was going to hurt, but she didn't want to stay out in the open and chance getting attacked by some pervert again. She just hoped that her kodachi stayed put during the trip up.
She took a deep breath and with a slight running start she jumped up the tree, placing one foot on the bark, pushing herself up until her hands could reach the branches. She grabbed a hold and climbed into a sitting position, leaning back against a thick branch as she adjusted her kodachi, and sat with her knees bent up to her chest with her feet on the rough wood. She then placed her sandals under her legs, so they didn't fall to the ground, and sat there for a while breathing in and out through her mouth to try and slow the pain in her side. She leaned her head back against the branch and placed her right hand over her bruised ribs hoping the slight pressure would help ease her pain.
After a few minutes Yuya was able to take in the view and realized that she was happy with her position in the tree and was great full that she didn't need to move. She knew that no one would bother her way up there because they wouldn't be able to see her unless they were looking, so she was free to get back to her thinking.
I wonder if Kyo would miss me if I left the group. Would he be sad? Would he show any emotion? Would there be any kind of reaction from him at all? She thought with a sigh. I wonder if he even cared that I just left like that. I know that he noticed since he never misses anything, but does he care where I went or that I haven't come back yet? Would he come looking for me if I don't come back soon? She thought as she starred blankly into the distance waiting for an answer to come to her. It came in the form of an idea.
I know what I'll do! I'll stay right here in this tree and wait and see if Kyo will come for me. Hmm…I'll decide later how long I'll stay up here. She thought and in that moment she realized that she was really in love with him. That she loved him enough to actually do something as stupid as what she was doing just to see if he cared enough about her.
She also realized that she loved him so much that she wasn't sure that she would be able to stay with him if he didn't feel the same, and that made her cry silent tears of agony as she waited and hoped that Kyo would show up.
Meanwhile Saskua found himself following Yuya at a distance. He watched her ascent up the tree keeping his eyes on her every movement making sure that she didn't come to harm. He had known something was bothering her the moment she had walked into the room back at the inn. When she looked around at everyone to see if they were all there she looked as if she had been deciding something and he didn't like it. He knew that when Yuya was quiet it usually meant something was bothering her, and when she was worried she was loud. He had believed her excuse back in the room to an extent, but now that he was seeing her alone away from everyone he could tell that what ever she had been and still was thinking about was making her sad.
Just then Saskua noticed sparkly light on her face and realized that she was crying. She must be even sadder then I first thought. He thought with a slight shake of his head. I wonder if Demon Eyes knows about this – about how sad she is. He thought as he narrowed his catlike eyes. Kyo hadn't even blinked when she left the room, but he knew that Kyo must have noticed. There was no way he couldn't have not noticed, and if he really thought about it he knew that Kyo was most likely more aware of her every movement then any of them.
Saskua sighed quietly and pulled out his toy with the red ball just as Yukimura appeared at his side.
"What are you doing out here Saskua? What are you looking at so intensely?" Yukimura asked after he had stood there for a few moments taking in the little ninja's reaction.
"I'm keeping an eye on nee-chan. Can't you see her? She looks so sad." Saskua said.
"Where is she?" Yukimura asked as he scanned the path ahead of them with both his eyes and his senses. Saskua pointed up to the top of the trees, and Yukimura was thoroughly surprised as he gazed at the small girl that was sitting in the tree, blending in with the greenery with her yukata. "Ouch! Her ribs must be aching. I didn't know Yuya-chan could climb trees. How did she get all the way up there?" He asked.
"She sort of jumped and then climbed the rest of the way. She was pretty quick about it. She didn't have to struggle or anything, which was kind of shocking because of her injury." Saskua answered. "I think something is wrong with her. She looks so sad; do you think Demon Eyes knows where she is right now?" He asked.
"Hmmm…I did find her quiet behavior strange, and I do admit that I was a little concerned." Yukimura said with a thoughtful look on his face as he listened to the little ninja play with his toy. "I'll go see if Kyo knows what's going on with Yuya-chan. I want you to keep an eye on her no matter what, and I'll be back later to see if there is any change with her." He said. Knowing Kyo he wouldn't go straight to her once he knows where she is. He'd wait a while and go when he was ready. He thought as he walked off, glad that he had Saskua to watch out for their favorite girl.
Yuya cried a long time after her painful realization. She didn't want to leave Kyo or the group, but she knew that it would be pure torture to stay and be around him if he didn't care for her.
She decided that she would give him until the next day to come for her. She would stay in that tree the entire day and brave the cold night air. She knew that she didn't need to worry about any strangers attacking or trying to kidnap her since she was high in the tree, hidden by branches and leaves.
I don't want to go back and see the guys anyway. I don't want them to see me this way. All red faced with puffy swollen eyes from crying. No. They don't need to see my sad face. She thought as she wiped away a few stray tears.
.:xXx:.
Yuya spent the entire day and night crying off and on because Kyo hadn't shown up yet, and during the night she began thinking about what she would do when morning came and she was ready to leave the tree. She had to have a plan if he didn't show up, and it's not like she was going to be going to sleep anyway.
I'll go back and walk right into the inn, grab my things and go. I won't say goodbye; that would be too painful since I've grown attached to all of them. Maybe I'll leave a note, but then I don't even know what to say. There's no way I can explain my reasoning. Sorry guys. I've decided to leave you all because I am madly in love with Kyo, and sticking around here is just too painful because he doesn't return my feelings. She thought, and groaned at that. There was no way she would write that or something like that.
Maybe I shouldn't write a note at all. I could just disappear. I'm sure they would get over it quicker then I would. She thought with a sigh and a few more tears. At least I won't have to worry about what I would do once I leave. I am a bounty hunter after all, but my skills might have faded from lack of use since Kyo never gave me much of a chance to use them. He probably wouldn't think of them as skills anyway. She thought with another sigh as she shifted in her seat, trying to get a little comfortable, but only succeeding in aggravating her bruised ribs.
.:XxXxX:.
When morning came Yuya looked down from where she sat hoping Kyo would be standing there having used his speed or was just being his quiet self, but she had no such luck. He was nowhere in site. She sighed and closed her eyes and sat there, for what she thought was an hour, trying to hold back tears of sad disappointment. She hoped that her face wasn't red and that her eyes weren't swollen since it had been a while since she had last cried.
Once she was sure that she wouldn't cry she gathered her sandals around her wrists and jumped to the ground, landing in a crouch with her hands on the ground in front of her. She stayed in her crouch for a few moments breathing in deeply as she felt the pain from jostling her bruised ribs. She then pulled her sandals from around her wrists and slipped her feet into them, stood up stiffly- wincing at the pain in her side and from sitting in the tree for hours, and made her way back to the main path that led to the village.
After reaching the path Yuya walked with her head slightly bowed as she prepared her mind for what she was about to do. The only problem was that she wasn't having much luck. The only thing she could think about was that Kyo hadn't come for her.
She knew it was stupid to think that just because he hadn't come he felt nothing for her. It's not as if I told him that I would be out here, and if he didn't come then I knew that he didn't care. It's just that he usually gets irritated when I'm not around to buy him sake, so I thought if nothing else then that should have at least got him up and looking for me. She thought, but was suddenly brought out of her train of thoughts by a deep low voice from behind her.
"Did you have fun up in that tree woman?"
Author's Note # 2: The clothing that Yuya is wearing in the beginning of the chapter is the one from the cover of volume 18 that was released in the US. The other clothing is just something I made up. I hope you like this start. Please review and let me know.
