Chapter6, In the Land of Twilight, Under the Moon
Hotaru felt sudden change between him and Haruka. He wasn't used with the new situation. He didn't know what happen inside the cursed house that day. Haruka became more overprotective after the incident. But the next day, the black winged tengu not wanted to get any closer with him. Haruka confused him and he tried to find out the cause without knowing the consequences.
#1 I Will Sing For Crescent Moon
When it turned to look at Hotaru and the tengu, both of them didn't move. Both of them didn't say a thing. Hakutsuru begins confuse because they don't act normally. They keep stare each other
"Ho'chan, I think I'm better leaving!!!" scream the crane suddenly before fly away.
Sorry for its carelessness, it hits the windowsill so hard that Hakutsuru fall to the floor. Hakutsuru didn't wasting time by quickly unfold again its wings, ignore blood that drip from its nose.
"Hakutsuru!!" calls Hotaru but Hakutsuru already run away and disappear behind night blanket.
"Oh my, I wonder what happen to…"
Suddenly Hotaru felt sharp cold wind scratch through his body as if temperature of the room drops drastically. Hotaru dare himself turn his face to the tengu behind him. Before he turned his face, Hotaru saw Haruka move fast toward him and pinned him in the wooden wall. The sudden move made Hotaru's clothes loosen and exposure his collar.
"Haru…ka…"
From beneath, Haruka stare at the creature, he dove the depth of his charcoal eyes. Haruka seemed lost his sanity, Hotaru wonder if the spell works. He wonder if it is true that only Haruka could hear his voice even tough it was strange that Hakutsuru runaway in a hurry.
Hotaru still wondering away when Haruka pulled down the upper clothes and placed a kiss on his exposed shoulder. The soft kiss snapped Hotaru back to reality that he was in such compromising position. A sudden panic stirred his stomach, he was the one who tempt the tengu and now…
"Haruka, get away!"
Haruka looked at the human silently with his beast eyes.
"What do you want, human?" he asks in husky lazy low tone that made Hotaru cringed.
"I think weeeee…" Hotaru tries to keep his mind clear under such pressure when Haruka licking up to his neck and go further to the spot somewhere behind his ear.
"…We don't need to continue this faaaaarrr…." Hotaru squirmed again when Haruka licked his earlobe leaving wet trail.
Without Hotaru knowing, Haruka seemed enjoy this. He never knew that human was taste good. So he pretend didn't hear the complain that came through the panting.
"Me too… but my body don't want to stop…" said Haruka between his lips that occupied at his soon to be prey.
Haruka let his sharp fang pierce the soft skin, enough to make Hotaru shivers but not to rip the tissue. He carefully marked his prey, so that none and nothing else dare to claim his favorite human.
That's what happened while steps could be heard at the doorway, which they couldn't hear. The steps came closer as the owner calling the Hotaru's name and slide the door open, revealing their bare emotion to the guest.
"Hotaru!" the girl's voices loud enough for them to hear.
And caught them red handed, which looked like Hotaru was abused by the black winged tengu which appear as a man. Both panting hard, face flushed red, as red as the mark on the false monk's skin.
#2 Dancing With the Castanets
"By any means, please forgive my rudeness," the composed black haired girl bowed his head slightly at Haruka.
Haruka gave no response toward her. Never once in his life let a girl to hit his head that hard. He couldn't feel the girl presence until she was there and hit him. Haruka thought that he won't like her.
"A..ha..ha.. That's okay, Nodoka," said Hotaru with sheepish smile plastered his lips, "Nodoka, the man over there is my friend. Haruka, the girl over here is Nodoka, she is miko at Shirasaki temple."
Of course Hotaru made up a story that Haruka not 'attack' Hotaru. Instead, they just playing sumo and that Haruka didn't want accept his losing and attacking Hotaru again which causing both of them falling at the floor.
"I really sorry for thinking that you just a certain pervert that wants to take advantage of Hotaru's weakness," she continue with her apologies without feeling sorry at all. Her words stab deep into their very being.
Haruka sure that he won't like her even the slightest insignificance feeling.
"But actually you just un-matured man that won't accept that you lose over someone like him. I could understand that feeling too."
The balck winged tengu certain that he would never like the girl on the rest of his life, which still thousands years more.
"N..Nodoka… Why are you come here?" Hotaru cut her before she could stab them more with her sharp mocking words.
"I just want to make sure that you did as the elder says."
"I'll prepare room for you then. You can do the checking tomorrow," Hotaru then turn his head to Haruka.
Hotaru not even leave the room when the atmosphere became tense already. Haruka sure that he want to skin her very being, to reveal the youkai or monoke that hiding beneath her skin. There's something more at her than what Hotaru said to him. That she's more than miko of Shirasaki temple.
He didn't like the way both human talking to each other, by saying their name without any syllables like 'chan, or 'san, which Hotaru often used. It appeared that they were close enough to call by given name.
Haruka knew it very well how a name could bind someone to others. Hotaru named him Haruka and whether the human realize it or not, Haruka bond to him since then. Gave your name to another person also meant that you give that person authority to control your soul, your fate.
Not to mention that she has nerve to call him perverted man which seemed take advantage of Hotaru, even tough he sure that he will do it eventually if given the chance.
Haruka left alone as the other two made their way to another room and talk whatever important for human being.
#3 As the End Will Come So Soon
It has been three days since Nodoka stay at the temple with them and it was crystal clear that Haruka didn't like her single presence. Meanwhile Nodoka didn't give a damn about him. All she cared of was that everything set in order before she leaves the temple and went back to Shirasaki temple that noon.
"Hotaru, I hope you keep in mind that in this world, there are things that meant and aren't meant to be together," the girl with jet black hair said as she stepped out from the wooden building.
"What do you mean by that, Nodoka?" Hotaru asked, it's not usual for her to say wise word toward him like this as if implicated on something.
Her smile widened, "You'll find out soon."
With that, she turned her back and left the temple, Haruka and Hotaru behind.
"Finally, the witch gone!" Haruka stretched his arms over the head.
"What make you didn't like her so much?" Hotaru walked inside the living room and sat there while munching some cookies.
Haruka followed him silently and sat near the scarlet eyed human. He didn't know why Hotaru asked that he hate the woman when it's seemed natural to just hate her.
"I hate her, isn't that enough?"
"No," Hotaru replied automatically.
Haruka was taken aback for a while before clung his arm around the false monk. It felt right and wrong at the same time. Hotaru notice how the black haired tengu became obsessive toward him recently.
"I don't like it when you spent your time with other than me," Haruka said it near his ears, made it sounds different than their previous talk.
The words blow in a whispers, in a way that made Hotaru want the time to last forever. That's when Nodoka's words stuck in his mind, that in this world there are thing that meant and aren't meant to be together.
Slowly, Hotaru release himself from Haruka's grip and Haruka didn't let him go.
"Haruka, let me go," said Hotaru.
Why can't I realize it sooner?, Hotaru thought to himself. The way Haruka clung to him after that incident till now. It was obvious. Even Nodoka should remind him. That he, Hotaru, is human, therefore noway that he and Haruka to be together. Because human not meant to…
Hotaru didn't want to continue these sentence. It's too much for him to bear.
"No, why would I?" protest the tengu, tighten his grip.
"Haruka, you hear me! Don't make me yell at you more than this!"
#4 In the Land of Twilight
Haruka didn't know why his favorite toy reject him, yell at him as if he did something awfully wrong. But he sure as hell that he did nothing wrong, that the only problem is that woman's presence. Yet Haruka couldn't comprehend why Hotaru mad at him.
They hug each other before and Hotaru never reject it, never before the girl came.
"What that woman said to you?" Haruka once ever overheard human's gossiping.
Of course there're gossips amongst youkai but unlike this between woman. They said nothing but a lie, a cruel one that able to hurt deeper than got stabbed by dagger.
Hotaru stilled his eyes, the scarlet irises filled with something that he didn't know, "This has nothing to do with her. But she's right, that I shouldn't get too near to you in the first place."
"What does it mean?" Haruka became furious that Hotaru regret being close with him.
"It mean that either you or I can't live together," Hotaru made it more complicated for Haruka to understand.
"But we live together and everything's fine this far, that is until she appear."
Hotaru was loss at word, yeah, everything was fine before. Before he met Haruka, everything in his live was so fine, not that Haruka made his live more precious. Haruka made it better in one side while in another side, investing a time bomb that he didn't realize.
"We can continue on like this. I'll help you gather some money, just…" Haruka took a deep breathe before continue, "just don't leave. I was afraid when you possessed by that spirit, so don't you dare even to think to leave me."
Haruka embrace the shortie in his arms once more. He's glad that Hotaru didn't resist this time.
Hotaru not resist when the tengu traced his jaw line and lift his head slightly before claimed his lips.
Outside the wooden building, there's a single withered leave that depending it's life on the branch with thin and fragile ligament. It has survived long enough. But…
At that time, the last leave of the tree, fall on the hard soil waiting below. It finally reach the ground without voicing it's tragic life. As if its place was there, unified with the earth.
I'm sorry that I update it later than I've planned because my little bro was hospitalized. And for you whose read and reaview this story so far, thank you so much! have a nice weekend!