HOLY-
This must be a record for me.
A 20 page chapter WITH a BL scene.
In a week.
DAMN. Just. Damn.
A head's up:
This chapter changes the rating from T to M.
Note, I try and avoid making my BL scenes super smutty.
I like focusing on the emotions as opposed to the hot
steamy sex, but to each thier own preferences.
This is a word heavy chapter so sit down, make yourself
a cup of tea and get comfortable because it's a LONG chapter.
Lots of character development.
I apologize for any OOC-ness.
Enjoy.
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN "SENGOKU BASARA" OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS! CAPCOM DOES!
I DO, HOWEVER, OWN THIS FANFIC.
Hotaru. Warera no Yuiitsu no Hikari. ~Fireflies. Our Only Light.~
There is no one in this dimly lit world but us.
All I can hear is your breath.
All I can feel is your touch.
All I can see is your heart.
The fireflies are our only source of light.
I dare not move as I fear you will fade like a dream.
"Hold your fire!"
Like marionettes on a shared string, the soldiers dropped their weapons in synchrony. It had been a month since they began their clash with the forces to the west. And the Shimazu troops were proving to be pesky. They had fighting spirit but order was lacking. Mouri could very well understand why his troops were having issues dealing with the island-like folk but seeing them first hand brought a sense of disappointment to him. He could very well take Kyushu, seeing how he had seen through their tactics, but their leader was a very powerful and troublesome man. And Chuugoku's lord did not want to go through the hassle of extending his lands when the real issue was on the eastern front.
"Sir the enemy is retreating. Shall we go after them?" asked a general.
"No. Let them be," he replied, "it would be foolish to go after them."
"But my lord, they are weak! We can easily claim the land with 20 men!" objected the general, "Is that not what we are fighting for?"
The other generals in the war council averted their eyes from the man who questioned Mouri's order. Whether they saw him as a fool or as a brave soul meant nothing when they compared him to their Lord Mouri.
The daimyo of Chuugoku only narrowed his eyes at the man. Fool. Questioning me of all people. And the land? I care not for it. The sun is what holds my true ambitions. What number does this make it that this impudent being has questioned me? I have lost count. I see that it is time I relieve him of his duties. Having him around any longer would only prove to act as a liability.
He closed his eyes as he maintained his cold noble posture. "General. If you wish to pursue them on your own then you take one ship but do remove my banner from it," he answered, "and because you are so confident that this task will only take twenty men, only take yourself and nineteen others."
Blinded by the feeling of accomplishment, the general graciously bowed his head and gathered nineteen men that shared his convictions. The second the general left his gaze eyed the other generals. "Are there any others that wish to march to their early graves?" he asked, to which all uncomfortably looked away like whipped dogs. They knew that Mouri had just abandoned the man and wanted no connection to him and he would easily do the same with them if any spoke up. Mouri then turned away as he watched the lone ship vanish into the sunset in pursuit of the runaway enemy.
"The sun has no place for you here anymore general," he uttered under his breath, "Therefore, you have just sentenced yourself and nineteen others to their death today."
Mouri was well aware of the Shimazu's practice of fleeing the enemy only to trap them in an outnumbered situation. He had chosen not to pursue the enemy because of this. But a particular general had been pecking at his nerves, and questioning his orders. Aki's warlord had given said general a number of chances to learn from his mistakes but alas, an old dog cannot learn new tricks. If anything, Mouri was sick of such an incompetent pawn.
By nightfall, word had reached that a small squadron had been wiped out. Mouri did not show an ounce of care nor pity to the fallen soldiers. Instead, he had the general's position filled within a matter of minutes.
Things were quiet in Suo and with the absence of its lord, and the men were less tense which allowing the pirate lord to warm up to a few of the guards. Thanks to that, he was able to get a few more rations of food and even some hot water and some soap for bathing. A loud squawk echoed through the Suo complex. Chousokabe, still under lock down, shushed his bird as it delivered him a note from his men.
"Two days from tonight, huh…," he muttered.
So they finally had enough man power to hold off Toyotomi. It took a while but things were looking up. Not to mention since Mouri had diminished the Shimazu forces down to size in the past month, Chousokabe's men had nothing to fear from the western front. Chousokabe stroked the bird through the bars and let it fly off as the guards approached.
It had been half a month since he had last seen Mouri. The last time he had spoken with the arrogant bastard, Mouri had temporarily returned from the battlefield and acted as if that one moonlit night never happened. In fact, Mouri came by to check on him and said, "Oh you are still alive. How disappointing."
Chousokabe kicked the wall at the memory of it. "THE HELL IS THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN YA' SCALLYWAG?" he yelled in frustration.
"SILENCE IN THERE!" came the voice of a guard.
"Tch…my bad."
Of course it was a given that Mouri would not have a sudden change of heart after one drunken night but Motochika was driving himself up a wall fighting the boredom and symptoms of Stockholm Syndrome. Because there was nothing for him to do, he had no other choice but to think of Mouri. And when he was not thinking of Mouri he was thinking of his men and loved ones back at home. But the thought of the Chuugoku warlord still hovered in his conscious being. It wasn't like he was in love with the guy but, he just couldn't get the damn son-of-a-bitch out of his head.
"AGH. I'M LOSING IT IN HERE!" he let out as he loudly fell on his back. After a few minutes of raging and exhausting himself out, he took in a deep breath and eyed the moon. He let out a chuckle, "What're you lookin' at?" he asked, "Don't you worry, I'll be back at sea soon, just you wait."
Mouri would not return from the field of battle till the second morning. The Shimazu had agreed to a temporary cease-fire thus ending the month long tussle. But negotiations still needed to be finalized. When they were completed, the night was young and the overworked warlord was in need of rest. Once the troops had returned to camp he retired to his tent.
From outside he heard the stir of his men as they quietly drank their sake and talked over whatever it was that pawns discuss after a battle. With his armor removed, Mouri opened up a letter addressed from his wife from back home. He read the contents of the beautifully written message and once he was done he set it aside. With grace and delicate hands, he took out a small calligraphy set and pulled out a parchment of paper. He set his ink down and dipped his brush into the onyx liquid. His chestnut eyes glanced at the paper as his hand moved to carefully remove the excess drops of black. And with the same care and elegance, he began to write.
The message he was writing did not contain complex military terms and details to it but he informed her of how the situation had been dealt with and he would be returning home soon. Mouri was pleased to hear that their son's studies were going well and that he expected him to grow into a fine young man. The letter went on to ask of how she was doing and how she should continue to send her prayers. He wasn't too concerned of her safety considering he gave the guards credit that were competent enough to protect his home and family. Not to mention the biggest threat was currently in a caged box with him in Suo.
The western seas' warlord's image flared up in this thoughts. The image of the man's silver hair that reflected the moon's rays, beamed at him in the dreary nightscape. His almost inhuman physique, that was comparable to the perfectly chiseled rocks that jetted out of the ocean; such a being was entitled to possess the identity of a sea demon. Yet, in spite of his brute exterior his heart was soft and mellow. Demon? More like an imprudent human parading around as a demon. But if there was one thing that made that man inhuman, it was that damn gaze of his. Despite his lax and free nature, he was much more in tune to the people around him. That single blue eye that he had locked stares with on multiple occasions, peered at him as if it could see right through him at times. However, it was the one thing that he could never look away from when he was trapped in its line of sight. But even more tantalizing than the visible eye, was the hidden one to the left.
Mouri's hand flinched when he realized his mind had digressed to Chousokabe. He lifted his brush and stared at the paper with a look of bewilderment. The very thought of the man made a chill travel down his spine.
Why was he thinking of HIM of all people? He was puzzled at his thought pattern. In the past month he had only seen Chousokabe once. And it was only for a split second. But in that split second something caused his chest to tighten. Since then, Mouri had been avoiding the thought of his forlorn rival. Ever since that moonlit night his thoughts of the pirate had shifted a bit. No. They had been changing since that man washed up on his shores. Since then, he had begun to find the man entrancing.
He had always found Chousokabe to be a very interesting person. Given, Chousokabe was an irritating brash illogical ridiculously foolish, foolish pain in the ass; but, he was a terribly interesting man. Only a fraction of a small handful of men had left an impression on Mouri. And Chousokabe Motochika had left a, if not the, largest impression on him.
Mouri closed his eyes to clear some of his thoughts before he looked over what he had written. When he found it to his liking, he called for servant to have it delivered at once. And once he was left alone again, the image of the ogre of the western seas continued to consume the sun child's every thought and inner being.
Several miles away, said demon was putting back on his clothes after washing himself off. He had worked up quite a sweat during the day considering how hot it was and it didn't help that he was working out his body to keep himself in shape. As he slipped on his coat he overhead some of the guards talking.
"Did you hear? Lord Mouri will be returning to us by late morning," said one.
"So we won?"
"I guess. Or more so, we just managed to push them back."
"As expected of Lord Mouri," he replied, "I heard that he diminished their army by a huge fraction."
"Yeah. You know, if he had his sights on conquering the entire country, he could very well do it."
Chousokabe let out a loud sneeze causing the two guards to spin on their heels. "Oh. Sorry about that," the caged pirate lord said, "Please continue," he mused with a grin.
The two quickly scampered off elsewhere leaving him in silence. "Geez, pretty skittish guards on tonight's watch," he said with a yawn.
He adjusted his belts before he flopped on his side, as he used his arm as a perch. His back was turned from the moonbeams as they cast the cage like shadows around his own. He closed his eyes as he listened to the crickets chirping outside. The day was usually buzzing with the shouts of men and the clashing of training weapons. There was some peace to be found in the night. But such peace was an illusion as his mind was in growing chaos. His men had some sort of plan to get him out of this place, but they didn't leave any sort of plan of action in the note they had said. The note simply read, "Be ready in two nights".
He had no idea what they were planning but he trusted them.
"You truly are a fool."
Chousokabe looked up and saw Mouri standing before him in the shrine robes he had on, during his first visit to him.
What? Mouri wasn't back yet. Or did he return early? No that wasn't possible…was it? No. This was a dream. An illusion.
"You really believe that those pawns of yours can get you out of here?"
"I have to believe in something, don't I?" He said thinking he was half-crazy to be talking to an invisible entity. "Why am I even talking to you. You aren't even here."
"Naturally, you are suffering from a mild case of dementia," the ghostly Mouri replied, "of course it'll go away if you DO manage to get out of here."
"Oh how kind of ya' to share your diagnosis," the pirate answered with a large dose of sarcasm.
"Hmph."
Motochika refused to let himself reply another time to this shadow in his mind. He knew his mind was playing tricks on him and he was in no mood for it. But, his mental state was begging for interaction with someone. But of all people, why him?
"Because you are harboring strong feelings for me that you aren't addressing."
"GET OUT OF MY HEAD," he snapped at the imaginary man.
"I would but your inner conscious isn't allowing it idiot," he replied in the usual arrogant voice.
"So what d'ya want from me?"
"Have you grown stupider since the last we met?" the faux Mouri hissed, "I don't want anything from you. You want something from me. If you didn't, I wouldn't be here. Pay attention to what I am saying you half-wit."
Even in imaginary form this guy knew how to grind his nerves.
The somewhat delusional pirate lord sat up and rubbed his eyes together with his thumb and forefinger. "Alright. I'll go along with this," he sighed, "So what is it that I want from...you?"
"I do not possess the answer to that question."
"TCH. You piss me off."
The figure looked away from him as it took a seat in front of the baffled pirate. Chousokabe scratched the back of his head in thought. He knew he had been thinking of Mouri more often than he should have been. It was neither love nor hate that was pushing the thoughts of him around in his mind. But if those emotions weren't the reason, then what was it that was driving him to reflect on the man so much?
Shikoku's warlord glanced at the ghost like figure as it gazed about the moonlit room. Even if it was a fake, something about the figure intrigued him. Like the real one, he was thin and possessed that same uncomfortably perfect posture. He had the same dark brown hair and pale skin that radiated in the white moonlight. And yet, despite his cold arrogance that would drive any man mad…
The figure's gaze slowly turned towards the pirate.
…there was a warm light that came from him. Those eyes filled to the brink with intelligence and nobility simply looked at Chousokabe with a blank yet alluring stare. Mouri Motonari was a sneaky cold-hearted arrogant and detestable man. But, through his sun worshipping narcissistic arrogance, he was a striking human being. Like how humans are tempted and mesmerized by the beauty and radiance of gods, Chousokabe could not help but to be drawn to the cursed man.
So that's it.
He chuckled to himself finding it rather hard to believe that he had been ensnared by his own sworn enemy. Not by love or hate, but by Mouri, himself. As he looked up towards the figure, it was already gone and in its place was the child version of Mouri. The boy gave a lonely smile to the pirate before vanishing in a blink of an eye.
"Captain!"
Chousokabe blinked at the empty space as he looked up to see one of his crewmen standing on the other side of the door. A bit confused, the sea deprived pirate looked around his chamber and saw that it was already early dawn.
I swore it was night just a minute ago. Was it another dream?
"Captain, I'm so happy to know that you're alright!" said the scruffy sailor as he sniffled from tears of joy. "It's a miracle!"
Motochika processed that this was real. He shook off the haziness he was feeling and let out a laugh. "Of course I'm alright," he said with a grin, "Who d'ya think I am?" The somewhat revived warlord stepped over to the door. "How'd you get in here?" he asked as he looked the man down. He was wearing the armor of the Mouri.
The sniveling man wiped his eyes across his arm and regained some of his composure. "I managed to sneak in here," he whispered, "We've been tracking your whereabouts and were waitin' for the perfect time to get you out of here. When we got word that Mouri had subdued the Shimazu and was away from the base, we knew now was the perfect time to retrieve you, sir!"
These guys. Even though they weren't the smartest fish in the sea they had heart and passion. Chousokabe flashed his teeth in a hefty smile. "Aye. Sounds like you guys've been havin' a rough time since I've been away," he said, "I'm sorry I had to put ya' guys out like this."
The man shook his head, "What're you sayin' captain? We'd do anything for you!"
And with those words Chousokabe felt a mix of joy and relief. He wouldn't trade his men for anyone else in the world. They were the best.
Feeling like a demon that had just awoken from a long slumber, Chousokabe stood strong and ready. "Alright then," he began, "what's the plan?"
Mouri returned to the Suo stronghold a little before high noon to which he was greeted with praise and congratulations by his people. He simply nodded and dismounted his horse as he moved to the inner war chamber to discuss what other battles had been going on. Most of the reports were dull and did not concern the Mouri but his interest piqued when one officer reported that Toyotomi had begun to turn his attention to Shikoku and that Shikoku's forces were beginning to rouse up.
Like he had predicted earlier. It was only a matter of time before the fearsome lord built enough strength to take down the puffed out army of Chousokabe. Obviously that gargantuan had been monitoring the Seto Sea's movements and therefore must have noticed that Chousokabe had not been seen on the battlefield as of recent. Also, they must have realized that Mouri had not been attacking Shikoku. Mouri had taken those thoughts into account but if that was the case, then why wait? An army that has no commander surely does not pose as a threat. And if no one else was going for said territory, why would you not take the chance to claim it? He had also found two possible answers to those questions.
One. An army with no leader is a dangerous one considering if they still act as one. And seeing how Chousokabe's people had remained united for well over a month without their leader, it'd be like trying to capture a crazed and rabid dog.
Two. He was letting them squirm out of enjoyment. Savoring the taste of how easy it would be to topple over such pathetic defenses. Considering how Toyotomi's strategist was Takenaka Hanbei, it would not be a surprise if he had informed his lord to focus on stabilizing the eastern front before taking on the western front. When everything on the Eastern front was under control, he would take Shikoku and then turn an all front attack on Chuugoku.
Of course there were other factors he had to put into consideration such as the possibility of a surprise attack on both Shikoku and Chuugoku. But doing so could result in more casualties for the Toyotomi forces. Unless, their army was THAT much stronger than both the Chousokabe and Mouri. The thought made Mouri's blood boil. He had been outsmarted by Hanbei before and it made him sick to his stomach for his flawless cunning to have been outwitted by some pawn.
Mouri had not attacked Shikoku primarily because there were bigger threats about like the Shimazu and the restless eastern front. Not to mention if he did claim the land and fortress, there was a possibility that Motochika's people would rebel and join with the Toyotomi and Shimazu forces out of pure vengeance. Given, Mouri didn't think of Chousokabe's forces as a threat; but, if he did take Shikoku and annihilate the people, there was no doubt that the fearsome sea demon would stop at nothing to kill him. And that would be troublesome considering a man full of rage and vengeance hardly posed as a threat but, rather, a nuisance. And despite Mouri's utter lack of sentiments on the battlefield, his inner swordsmen wanted to savor an honorable duel with is life rival. Like Mouri had stated to Chousokabe before, "he was worth more to him alive than dead, at the moment."
"My lord Motonari, how do we proceed?" asked a general.
"We proceed with caution and grace," he replied after laying his thoughts out. He knew exactly how things were going to play out and he'd be damned if Hanbei were to outsmart him again. "We rely on unpredictability."
The board was in confusion as whispers rose and the generals looked to one another in shock. "Unpredictability?"
"Yes," he said without skipping a beat, "Toyotomi's strategist thinks very much like me. Therefore, he would consider me using orderly tactics and such as I have done so in the past."
"So what do you propose our plan of attack is my lord?" spoke up another general, "Certainly you do not mean for us to attack blindly."
"Of course not," Mouri answered, "Sending in you people without orders is like letting children run around a festival with no supervision." Such tactics were not Mouri's style so it would be a gamble. He was uneasy about it but he'd have to test his luck and leave it to fate that things would work out. He looked up to his generals and began to divulge into his risky scheme.
Suo was more active that night than usual. The complex itself was dead silent save a few guards shuffling about, but the nearby towns were celebrating a rather successful battle with the soldiers. Chousokabe sat in waiting for the signal to break out of his cell. As he waited, he looked at the small key to his cell block that his crewman had given him earlier that day. Said sailor also gave him the information of the whereabouts of his anchor. The location was going to be a pain to reach but hopefully he wouldn't have to go through too much trouble to get there. Timing wise, he knew he just needed to be on the water before the sun kissed the lands below.
The pirate lord let out a deep breath as he mentally prepared himself for this un-doubtfully long night. As he took one last breath a loud firework rang out in over the celebrations. That was the signal.
He quickly got to his feet and checked for any guards outside his cell before he slipped his hand out of the bars to unlock the door. As he turned a corner, two guards noticed him but he quickly knocked the two out before they could so much as yell. After he placed the two unconscious men into his empty cell, and locked the door, he weaved and ducked his way behind rocks, trees, and bushes. He was thankful there were so many hiding places. And his crewman had said the security was light due to the celebrations going on in the towns. But even then, he felt that security was almost too light. Before suspicion could hinder his ambition, he took hold of his determination and made a break for his anchor's location.
After a long meeting with his generals, Aki's lord retired to his chambers. His footsteps echoed on the hardwood floor as he made his way to his ring blade that sat neatly up on the wall. His fingers traced the surface of the smooth blade sending the lovely sound of resonating metal across the room. However, the peace was broken the minute the door to the balcony was shoved open. Half a millisecond before the doors opened Mouri grabbed a hilt of the ring and turned it to the intruder.
"So you finally broke out of that cage," he calmly uttered as his blade stopped at the man's throat, "I should end your miserable life right here."
Chousokabe had stopped just before the cold blade made contact with his neck. With his eyes on the blade, he smirked, "Then why not do it?" A drop of sweat traveled down his cheek as he looked into his sworn eternal rival's eyes, "I'm defenseless."
Mouri's eyes narrowed. "Indeed you are," he said. His eyelids lowered as did his blade.
That eye….that cursed blue eye. When did it become such a whirlpool for his emotions and judgment? Why was he hesitating?
If this situation had occurred two months ago, Chousokabe would have snapped Mouri's neck the second he lowered his blade. But something had changed between them. But what was more surprising was that Mouri had also not struck him down yet. Was he also experiencing the same melancholic feelings that he had?
Mouri stepped back as his blade broke into two and reformed into the familiar ring around himself. He didn't want this troublesome man here. He should just kill him. But why wasn't his hand moving?
"What do you want?" Mouri said as his eyes darkened. "There isn't anything here for you."
"My anchor," he calmly answered without breaking his gaze.
There wasn't a doubt in his mind. Mouri was avoiding eye contact with him.
"Oh so you wish to be reunited with that cursed weapon huh?" he coolly said as he stepped backwards over to a darkened corner of the room. "Like a dog to his bone, I presume."
"Shut up and hand it ov-"
With a loud skid, the anchor went flying towards Chousokabe's feet. "Then take it and be gone," Mouri said as he stepped into the center of the room.
Chousokabe looked at the anchor and back up to Mouri. He was acting odd—more skittish than anything. The smartest thing to do in this situation would have been to simply grab the anchor and rush back home. But something about this Mouri was preventing him from doing so. It irritated him that the great lord Mouri Motonari was acting like a scared child.
"Hn~? Fine. Have it your way then," he replied. It was pointless to share any further words with him—they wouldn't reach him. Instead, he'd let their weapons do the talking, like they had always done.
A split second after he grabbed the anchor, he spun the long range weapon towards Mouri. Despite how Mouri wasn't acting himself, his reaction was almost flawless as he deflected the blow with his blade. Brown eyes glimmered in the dim light as he stepped back as his blade spun to strike his assailant. Seeing how Mouri had CHOSEN to go on the defensive, Chousokabe upped his strikes and pushed the man back.
Come on Mouri, what's wrong? Just say it!
Mouri's glare narrowed as he clenched his teeth out of frustration.
If you wish to be blotted out by the sun then so be it!
Within a blink of an eye Mouri divided his blade into two and reformed it as it swiftly lashed out at Chousokabe. If it had been anyone else, the blow would have sliced the person in two. But his opponent had been one he'd been fighting for years; and, thus, they were acute to each other's fighting styles.
Time felt it was moving in slow motion after the ring blade lashed at Chousokabe's torso. Quickly reacting, Mouri gracefully, rolled his wrist upward to cause the blade to slice at an upward angle. Motochika had reacted with the blade. By stepping back and then bending backward the blade missed him by millimeters. Mouri twirled the lethal circle up over around his arm and began to bring it down around his waist. If Chousokabe had any chance of getting through to Aki's lord, it would be now. Chousokabe recovered from the back bend by sliding his foot back into a crouch. Without wasting a millisecond he tightened his grip on his hybrid anchor and rushed towards Mouri from below. Motonari couldn't step back as doing so risked him being cut by his own blade allowing Chousokabe to weave his way under the ring blade. The chain of the anchor had lashed upward causing Mouri's helmet to go flying off into the far corner of the room. In reaction to the sea demon's brash move, Mouri put up his right arm in defense as the left grabbed one of the hilts to his ring and pulled it back and down so the blade would slice the pirate in the back of the neck. Even though he had a neck guard and it was the back of the blade, it would certainly do some damage at the speed it was spinning at. But Chousokabe rapidly put the anchor between himself and the spinning blade causing a few sparks to fly and the circle to stop spinning. The force of their fight blew out the candle.
The two stood locked within the ring staring at each other in the dark. They were so close that they could feel and hear the other's shortened breath and rapid heartbeat. Mouri was at a loss of what to do. He had never been so close to the pirate before. Chousokabe stood staring at the bewildered lord before him. Now that they were this close to one another, he could see every detail in Mouri's face, eyes, and heart. Their breaths only inches away from each other and their eyes gleamed with the other's reflection. Motonari's eyes gazed up into the one visible sapphire eye and began to lose his self.
Without breaking their eye contact, Motochika brought his free right arm around Mouri and grabbed hold of the hand that was holding the blade. Mouri's grip loosened and the ring fell to the wooden floor that echoed in their silence. Chousokabe then dropped his anchor as their emotions and words had properly been conveyed.
Their intense stare down was broken as the moonlight trickled in through the open balcony door. Chousokabe stepped back from him as the man lowered his arm and stepped away. The two had reached an understanding—they were smitten by each other. Love was out of the question. The word "lust" didn't do their emotions justice. If there was a word to summarize their connection to one another it would be, "captivated".
Mouri looked away from the pirate. "You have what you came for," he said with a near whisper, "Why do you insist on staying?"
The pirate sat on the wood floor and scratched his head, "I've been wonderin' that myself but," he started, as his eye traveled up the length of Mouri's body. "I think I got an idea of why," he quietly said.
The armor clad lord of Chuugoku looked back down at the seated pirate. Chousokabe Motochika—A man who was anything but his cup of tea. However, a very interesting cup of tea. And with that, Mouri knew the reason to why the pirate remained.
Motonari let out a short breath as he turned and slowly stepped towards the Demon of the Western Seas. "You didn't solely come here for your weapon. You came here for another reason," he said as his footsteps resonated in the room, "and that reason is the same reason why you won't leave."
Shikoku's lord didn't flinch. "And I'm positive my reason for stayin' is similar to the reason why you won't force me out," he said.
The armor resonated in the hall as Mouri began to loosen his arm guards. "I imagine so," he said, "but listen to me well Chousokabe…" His guards fell to the floor as he removed the ties. "You should be honored," he said as he stepped directly before the one-eyed pirate. Mouri's gloves and ornaments crumpled onto the wood. "I am not a man that reveals anything to just anyone."
As if in a trance, the sea child removed his gloved hands and gently wrapped them around Motonari's lean waist and slowly began to bring the sun child down to his level. "Funny," Motochika smirked, "Neither am I."
The haunting smell of the sea began to melt with the warm scent of the sun. Mouri allowed himself to be lowered as he slowly slipped his arms around Chousokabe's neck. The pirate's motions were slow and careful as his hands wrapped themselves around Motonari's slender body and buried his face in the crook of the man's neck. In reaction, Mouri could do nothing but lose himself to the intoxicating scent of sun-kissed ocean as he lowered his head to cradle Motochika's.
The soothing warmth that Mouri was emitting was enchanting. The more Chousokabe touched, the more he tasted, the more he felt; the more he wanted to possess it. As his rugged hands he took hold of the Motonari's waist, he pulled him back to look into his eyes. They were glimmering in the moonlight, like two magnificent suns, and the look that he was giving him was soft and welcoming like the morning sunrise. Yet, he was still filled with all the dignity and pride that he possessed as a lord. The demon of the western seas had to admit, in this moment, Mouri's elegance and beauty was mesmerizing.
Mouri was a man of logic and thought. But as he looked down at the man that he had so long hated cradled against his chest, his reason and judgment slowly began to wash away like a grain of sand on the shoreline. As his eyes remained on Chousokabe's pure blue gaze, he felt himself drawing closer to the man.
Why was he lowering his head towards him? A heavy thump rang out in his ears as if answering him. The steady heartbeat pulsated louder and echoed throughout his body. His chest felt heavy and he began to wonder whose heartbeat it was. He began to waver. Perhaps this wasn't a good idea.
But as Mouri hesitated, Chousokabe took the initiative and bridged the gap between them. And with that all sense and reason was taken under by the vast current. Motonari was drowning, but he didn't mind it anymore. Their kiss grew deeper the longer as time passed. Before long Chousokabe found it appropriate to slide his hand under Mouri's shirt and to slip his tongue into the kiss to which Mouri stiffened in response, but after a few seconds he returned the favor. In his head, Motochika was enjoying seeing Mouri's reactions. He didn't have a doubt in mind that this was the great Lord Motonari's first time doing it with a guy and because of that, the pirate felt a twinge of superiority over Aki's lord.
I guess that means I gotta' lead 'im through it. To think I'm actually doing this with this guy…But I can't stop myself. The longer I hold him the more I want him.
When he found a chance to break the kiss, Mouri blinked at the smiling pirate. "What are you so pleased about?" Mouri asked un-amused.
"Heh, nothing. Just surprised that you're a decent kisser," he said with a sneer.
The closest Mouri got to a come-back towards the statement was his eyes narrowing. As he opened his mouth to word a rebuttal, his breath was taken by the pirate.
Emotions, lust, passion, etc. poured themselves out as Mouri felt the strong hands caress his torso and waist. But the current of emotions was also causing his body to react on its own as he felt his hands slide Chousokabe's lavender coat off his shoulders and remove the metal neck guard. When the two broke the extended kiss for air Mouri swayed from the dizziness as Chousokabe gently steadied him. His solid form was stable and Morui held fast to the broad shoulders as he slumped over one.
Mouri's shortened and heated breath nipped at Chousokabe's ear further turning on the pirate. Chousokabe was struggling to prevent himself from simply ripping the clothes off of Mouri's back and having his way with him like a crazed tsunami. But seeing how his partner, for this fateful night, was THE Mouri Motonari, he was holding himself back. If anything, he had to be cautious as he didn't know what the young lord would approve of or not. The sun was a temperamental being after all. Regardless, he was taking it slow for his own wellbeing.
Hands continued to explore the slim body frame till they managed to slip the shirt off of him. The breeze of the sea flew in from the open night and tickled at Mouri's half naked body causing him to shudder from the sudden touch of cool air. The sun lord's body, however, still felt warm and the heat of the moment was still on the rise. The breeze felt great as Chousokabe let the nostalgic sea air blow on his chiseled bare back but he felt Motonari shudder. The sea was used to the wind and breeze. But the sun was not. It required heat.
Without even thinking, the pirate began to kiss and suckle at Mouri's neck with a tad bit more force and passion. Mouri's eyes opened as he suppressed a panted breath and the coolness of the breeze was rendered useless to the pirate lord's heated gestures. The sea demon's lips lightly pecked at Motonari's porcelain skin till he decided to take a bite of the sun child's neck. Mouri bit back a whimper but the motion was proven weak when he felt a hand slide down his torso into his pants. Not long after did he feel a sudden rush of pleasure, which caused a suggestive moan to escape from him that he quickly tried cover up to no avail.
Motochika, flinched at the unexpected stimulating noise and he stopped to look up at Motonari's reddening face. Mouri had never made such a noise in his life before. Embarrassed, Mouri refused to look at Chousokabe in the eye as he let out a stream of small breaths. His pride wouldn't allow it. However, the sea demon lord couldn't care less of the man's "pride". The only thought that he had was how adorable Motonari was acting.
"W-What?" Mouri's voice cracked out of his humiliation as he felt the pirate's intense stare.
"It's nothing," the maritime warlord mused as his hand stopped moving, "just enjoyin' the show."
Self-conscious, Motonari pushed Chousokabe back a bit as he turned his head. "Would you refrain from staring at me like that? It's unsettling."
He blinked as he looked at the blushing Mouri. "What? Embarrassed that I made you moan of pleasure?"
Mouri flared. "That's not the issue!" he snapped as his cheeks darkened. "Bastard," he muttered, "What do you think you're doing, touching 'that'?"
"What are you going on about? It felt good didn't it?" the pirate questioned.
"Are you just a boat of raging hormones?" Mouri retorted. "Do you not think that this is rash and nonsensical?"
"Well yeah it's rash but ya' can't stop wave in motion, right?" he replied as he slipped his hand out to scratch the back of his head, "and I don't see you fussin' too much. In fact…," he shifted Mouri into a bridal hold with ease, forcing Mouri to look at him. "Ya' look like you're enjoying yourself," he said as he smiled at the confused and blushing Motonari.
Mouri blinked as his eyes, once again, locked with Chousokabe's. The man's eye was so pure up close that he could see his own reflection in it. And once he saw the mirrored image of himself, he knew he was at the pirate's mercy. He let out a sigh of defeat as he let his hands drop. "You may do as you wish sea demon," Mouri said as he turned his attention towards the bedding area. Motochika's eyes followed Mouri's attention. "But only for tonight," Motonari added as he eyes shifted back to the one-eyed sea ogre.
Chousokabe looked back down at Mouri and flashed him a smile, "Aye aye."
The sea child carefully rose to his feet with the child of the sun in his arms as he crossed the space towards the resting area. He sat the young lord down onto the opened bedding that rested on a raised wooden platform with tatami on top. Mouri was compliant as Chousokabe removed his leg armor and steel boots.
"How odd of you to be so well-mannered, Chousokabe," he said as Motochika slipped the right boot off of his thin foot.
"What? You're free to take them off on your own," he said looking up at him, "And you're being awfully submissive."
"I shall pass, considering you're already half-way done," Mouri said with his usual condescending tone, "And I'm only tolerating you because I don't mind the smell of the sun and sea."
Chousokabe gave an irked smile, "How un-cute can you be?" he asked as the left foot slid out. Mouri ignored the rhetorical question.
The Lord of Aki's hazel eyes watched as Shikoku's lord began to remove his own armor. Mouri took this moment of silence before the storm to collect his thoughts. The only sounds that filled the space were the untying and removal of armor and the crickets chirping outside. As he looked away from the bed scene, his stare moved to the outside scenery. When Chousokabe was done, he climbed up onto the bedding and brought an arm across the serene lord.
Mouri looked at Motochika and back at the scene as he pointed to the tiny lights that flickered and danced in the darkness.
"What?" Chousokabe asked as turned to look.
"Fireflies," Mouri whispered as he watched the little light insects bob around. It had been a while since he had last seen them…or rather, noticed them. Motonari smiled to himself as he watched the tiny beings dance to and fro.
Motochika watched them for a bit, but his attention traveled back to Mouri as he saw the brunette's soft smile. He really was like a whole other person when he was smiling so kindly. It was one of the many reasons to why the pirate was so drawn to him. That smile was like a rare treasure that few would ever be able to see, let alone possess, and he wanted it.
With his emotions and desire guiding his hand, Chousokabe's fingers tenderly brushed Mouri's cheek and delicately moved down to turn his chin towards him. The sun child's eyelids fell as the pirate took his lips. It was like a gentle current and he didn't resist as the two sank onto the futon. Motonari's arms slipped around Motochika's neck. The sun had sunk deeply into the sea.
Mouri's slender figure locked perfectly with Chousokabe's rugged contours. Motochika's kisses became rougher as he traveled down the man's neck while his hands began to explore Motonari's chest and curves. His fingers played with whatever they came in contact with making Mouri let out discreet yelps that quickly turned it quiet cries of indulgence.
Feeling that Motonari was heated enough, Motochika allowed his hand to venture lower into young lord's pants. A long slow breath escaped the pirate's mouth as he began to gently stroke the length. In reaction Mouri let out a moan into Chousokabe's ear as his back arched in reaction to the demon's touch. His hand was moving like the waves in the middle of the sea. Slow and calm to sudden fast and turbulent strokes.
Mouri was so immersed in the pleasure that he hadn't even noticed that the pirate had removed the remainder of his clothing. The nude sun child panted and whimpered as Chousokabe continued his handiwork. Motonari desperately grasped at the futon as his mind and body were drowning in a sea of sensual revelry. A line of saliva dripped from the corner of his mouth as his body was toyed with. To believe he'd yield to this man's hands…it was beyond him. But he couldn't fight it.
Chousokabe was enamored with Mouri's reactions. They were like precious gems each unique and endearing. The demon kissed the sun child's neck and left his marks as his hand's strokes sped up once again. The young lord Motonari's body tensed and he clenched at the fabric underneath him. He gasped as his body released its tension from the satisfaction. His breath was shortened and he glowed with a thin veil of his sweat and seed.
"That was fast," the one-eyed pirate lord said licking the fluid off of his fingers with a savvy grin.
Mouri spoke with short breaths as his chest rose up and down. "You speak far…too much…," he said catching his breath, "be silent…"
Consenting to Chuugoku's lord's need of a short break, Motochika pulled back to see Mouri's physique in full. Even in the dim lights of the fireflies, Mouri was glowing with sweat and it showcased his figure beautifully. His lean muscles and fit torso glistened with the perspiration in the dim illumination of the fireflies. Even though he was a man, seeing him now, in full like this, he really did look like a being incarnated by a celestial existence. His dark locks of hair were messily splayed on the white fabric that nicely framed his thin and defined face. Chousokabe brushed a few loose strands of auburn to the side as he peered into the water filled hazel eyes. They shimmered in the darkness, reflecting what little light there was present. But the tiny suns gazed straight into the drop of the purest sea that was Motochika's right eye, as if in need of something.
The pirate's lips curled into a smile. "Hn? What're you looki-"
Even in his current condition, Mouri had gathered enough strength to reach up and graze the sea lord's right cheek. His thin and delicate fingers were warm to the touch. But they wished to feel what was underneath the mauve fabric that was slung across his left eye. And those deep brown eyes wanted to see what was beyond the unknown. Before Chousokabe could stop him, the smaller warlord whipped the eye patch off revealing the scarred right eye.
Motochika openly objected, "What're you do-!"
Without hesitation, Motonari's fingers lightly touched the damaged eye. They traced over the ragged skin as if following a map. His touch was delicate but his finger left a warm tingle. His bright russet eyes studied his face carefully as if he was seeing Chousokabe for the first time. Mouri's eyes and hands then slowly traveled down to gaze and touch the rest of the pirate's scored and well used body. Even their bodies were polar opposites. Mouri had not so much as a scratch on his body; whereas, Chousokabe had scars on just about every part of his.
His eyes then returned back to the one eyed demon's face as his right hand cupped the pirate's right cheek. Mouri shifted to push himself up and brought his lips to gently caress the badly damaged eye. It was a very tender kiss and it was the first time in many years that the eye had been kissed by the sun.
After a few seconds, Motonari pulled back but his hand still rested on the right cheek. "I have always been curious to what laid hidden beneath that fabric," he said looking straight into the crescent blue eye, "and I found now to be an appropriate time to reveal it."
The oceanic warlord had never uncovered his eye to anyone. He kept it hidden as it was a symbol of imperfection. Most found it difficult to look at, not that he blamed them considering it was a terrible scar. The last person he had expected to accept, let alone see, the mangled eye, was Mouri. When the man had gazed at the wounded eye he didn't see a weak man reflected in it—he just saw the whole man. And the thought gave Motochika a sense of closure and relief that his one rival respected and accepted him in full.
A smile crept its way across Chousokabe's face as he placed a hand over Mouri's and kissed the sun child's palm. How much further would this guy draw him in? "Alright, I get it," he said as he lowered his head towards the fearless young warlord, "you can take the whole of me in all you want tonight, Mouri." His mouth skimmed over the brunette's forehead. "So enjoy it thoroughly," he said as he took Aki's lord's heated lips into a kiss. Mouri's arms braided themselves around the pirate's neck as their tongues danced in the kiss.
Chousokabe's hands resumed to stimulate the blessed sun child's supple body. He felt Mouri getting hard again and Motochika wished to further motivate it. He slid back letting his tongue glide from Mouri's neck and down. His white hair tickled Motonari's senses like the gentle tides. However, even the seemingly calm waters hold turbulent surfs. Mouri let out a loud cry when Chousokabe's mouth had reached its desired location.
"Chouso…kabe that's…," were the only words that Mouri could let out as he flowed into another moan.
The pirate of the sea knew what he was doing and despite how unreadable Mouri was on the battlefield, his body, tonight, was predictable like the inland sea was to Motochika. His mouth and tongue encircled Mouri in full making the lord spill out an earful of lustful moans. Satisfied with the situation, Chousokabe grinned as he moved back up to kiss and nibble at the aroused Mouri's neck and lips.
Panting and completely at the mercy of the hands of a sea loving fool, tears formed at the edges of his eyes as he felt a finger find its way inside of him. He bucked his hips the same time as his back arched in response. This man was like the unpredictable and merciless sea itself but Mouri's body and unconscious mind wished to further fall into this sea like the sun to the horizon line. Even though he felt the hands of the demon wrapping themselves around him like a undercurrent, his mind was at peace. In this fleeting night he felt serene. He heard himself letting out unthinkable sounds but his subconscious mind was floating on top of this vast ocean of pleasure while gazing up at the shining sun. Content, he closed his mind's eyes and let himself sink.
Mouri's erotic gasps of desperation trickled into Chousokabe's ears as if begging him to take him. The pirate of the Seto Sea licked his lips as drops of sweat began to form. From what he was feeling with his fingers, Motonari was pretty tight, then again, this was his first time be touched like this. After a few minutes, he slipped in another finger as they searched for the sun child's erogenous spot. It took only a matter of seconds for them to locate it as the agile warlord let out a loud exasperated cry. As his fingers began to move with more ease, Motochika felt that it was now or never and slid his fingers out.
The sun's child kept an eye on the pirate as he panted on the soft futon with his upper body contorted to the side. Chousokabe sat up as he began to strip his bottom half of clothing. The rustle of clothing crumpling to the floor reverberated throughout the room as Mouri felt the warm contact of pure flesh spread across him. But the moment was short lived as Motochika sat him up and lifted up one of Mouri's legs to suckle at the delicate skin of his inner thigh. Mouri's only blinked in silence as the pirate continued with his amatory acts.
"Mouri, put your arms around my shoulders," Chousokabe instructed as he settled the sun child on his hips, "You're going to need something to hold onto."
Motonari's hands hesitantly crept up to take hold of the demon's bare body. He was already over the fact that he was playing the role of the "woman" in this. All that mattered was he couldn't stop fate from playing its course. His logical mind was already overtaken by carnal instinct.
Taking a deep breath and lifting Mouri's hips, Chousokabe slowly brought the lord down on him. Now fully understanding why Motochika had directed him to take hold of him, Mouri let out a cry of pain while he clamped his arms and legs around the demon's rock solid body as he felt himself being gradually penetrated. Motochika had expected Motonari to tense the second he had entered him so he let out another a pained sigh.
"M-Mouri, relax," he said trying not to release then and there, "It's going to hurt a bit but it'll feel better s-"
"Shut…up…," hissed Mouri through his gasps, "Just get…on with…it…already."
Tch. How big can a guy's ego be?
"Fine, fine," he replied with a slight chuckle, as he felt Mouri loosen up a bit.
Chousokabe began to move his hips at a slow pace as he slid deeper into Mouri. Motonari had stopped him a few times with a snap, ordering him not to move but they were proven ineffective as Chousokabe pointed out that he was going to have to in order to "get on with it". Despite how attracted they were to each other, the two were still two sides of the same coin. Motochika paused when he felt himself completely inside of the nimble warlord.
Chousokabe pushed Mouri back from him slightly to look into his eyes. "I'm going to move," he warned.
"You're wh-ah!"
He was stopped in midsentence as the powerful thrusts began, causing small tears to fall from the corner of his eyes. His force really was a remarkable thing. Each thrust felt like it had all the power and vigor of the seas and his hands were strong and entangling like the currents. The sun could only embrace the demon as he felt his limbs go limp from each wave.
Mouri's cries and moans were enthralling. Each time he pushed himself into him, the louder he moaned in his ear. His hot breath and tender strands of hair that tickled his shoulder further fueled Chousokabe's desire and need to own this man. The warm being that had wrapped himself around him felt like a thousand sacred fires merged into one. He was losing his mind as he repeatedly entered and hit the young beauty of a lord's erogenous zone. This had to be the closest a man could feel to making love to a god.
Letting his animal-like instincts take hold, Chousokabe brought Mouri back down to the futon as he continued to ravage the man's lithe figure. The pain had long subsided and all that was remained was vast sea of pleasure. The fireflies outside flickered about as the two warlords of the Seto Sea continued to make passionate love to one another. The whirl of emotions was surreal as Mouri cried out as begged for release. Chousokabe bit his lip as he felt himself peaking and brought his body down upon the lean figure below. Chuugoku's fervent lord took Shikoku's impassioned lord in a tight embrace as the two released simultaneously.
Collapsing from exhaustion and satisfaction, Motochika flopped on the well spent Motonari. The two lay in the silence only feeling each other's heartbeats and the warmth of each other. The two had merged with each other and the mere thought was still unbelievable. After he caught his breath, Chousokabe pulled out and rolled to the side of the brunette. Mouri winced as he felt the foreign object leave his body and the feel of the alien substance flow out from him.
He turned on his side to face away from the pirate, which was heavily noticed by the worn seaman. "Now your hunger has been satisfied will you take your leave, demon?" he quietly asked.
Instead of a sudden verbal answer, he felt the robust arms wrap around his small structure from behind. Chousokabe inhaled Mouri's scent as he nuzzled the sun child's hair. "I need rest before I go," he said as he closed his eyes, "and ya' did say I was free to do whatever I wanted to tonight."
Tch. Using his own words against him.
Lord Mouri let out an irritated sigh, "Fine but if you are still here by sunrise, I'll make sure to cut you to pieces."
Motochika let out a chuckle as he threw the light cover over their naked bodies. "Scary," he smirked, "Don't worry your scrawny ass. I'll be gone soon enough. Just let me get a few hours of shut eye will ya'?"
Motonari complied and remained silent for the rest of the night. Chousokabe fell asleep first with the help of the blissful scent and feel of the sun against his chest. He was just as free and untamed as the sea he loved so much. Mouri on the other hand was perturbed how the man could easily fall asleep after having sex with his biggest rival like it was no big deal. He let out a small sigh and decided that this night would best remain as it never happened.
He thought of his wife and child but didn't feel guilty for his actions as he still loved his family dearly. It was simply that the connection that he shared with the Demon of the Western Seas was a bond deeper than love or hate. He set his thoughts aside as he shifted in the man's arms and looked outside. The fireflies were gone and all that remained was the dim moon and darkened trees. Mouri bit back a twinge of disappointment as he felt that the warmth he was feeling at this precious moment in time would fade away to darkness like the lightning bugs. He brought a hand up to touch the arms that were crossed over his chest as if to reconfirm that this was reality.
"Motonari…,"muttered the pirate in his sleep as he tightened his hold on the still awake young lord.
Mouri jumped at the sound of his name. It sent a chill down his spine to how sweet it sounded coming from Chousokabe's lips. And in that moment, a tear ran down his face. Surprised, Mouri brought his hand up to touch it. The one-eyed pirate lord's voice resonated though Motonari's entire body when he called his name. It touched him deeply and the very thought that someone would be able to affect him like that brought him to tears. Indeed they were rivals but they respected one another. The two shared an understanding of each other that no one else could possibly understand. Even if the whole world, that many were fighting so hard to conquer, were to fail to understand him, there was this fool.
This Demon of the Western Seas...was it any wonder to why this man had made my emotions captive? Only this wretched fool would be capable of sending my emotions into a vortex of chaos. Am I a fool for letting my heart be swayed by such an entity? I would assume so, but I am only human. And what mere human is capable of not falling for such a fearsome being?
Motonari gently planted a light kiss on the slumbering silver-haired demon's wrist before adjusting the covers and curling up in the soothing comfort of the sound of the sea's heartbeat against his back. "Good night...Motochika," he whispered.
Before he shut his eyes, he noticed one small light sitting on the thin tatami blinds that crumbled to the floor. Mouri tiredly watched it fly off outside towards the clouds of an approaching storm. But he didn't want to think of tomorrow or the war. He only wanted this moment of warm tranquility to continue onward to eternity. His eyelids fell as he drowned out the sounds of the coming storm. And for the first time in many years, Mouri soundly slept.
Done. PHEW.
Well...that was painfully long wasn't it?
*shot*
This was a VERY long chapter to write and
I had re-written the BL scene a few times
to get it just right.
I don't like super smut so it was a bit of a challenge to
write that scene without it sounding too much like a porno.
I was up till about 2 am this week writing and editing this chapter so
I apologize if it sucked. I'm terrible at R-18 scenes only because they
take me a while to write.
But I hope you enjoyed the chapter.
I'm sorry if they went OOC. oTL
Next chapter will complete this short story.
I would like to send a big thank you out to my followers,
readers, favers, and reviewers for all your support.
I hope you continue to read this story to the very end
and please by all means share this story.
Please R&R~ I love reading the reviews.
I love you guys and I hope you enjoyed this very LONG and WORDY
chapter. I know some of you might think it's painful to read.
I'm sorry! oTL But I had fun writing this.
I'll hopefully have this story finished by the end of the month.
Thank you so much again for reading
-Lin
