Apprentice

Okie hi!

H-R: ROAR!

...Anywhoo... um... Yeah, sorry it took me so long, I'm goin on mad update since I haven't been on for a while... I've updated all my current stories so far except Bozenjishitsu. Enjoy!

NOTE:

/Things in slashes/lyrics


Chapter six: Until The Day I Die

Shizuka flipped the light switch in one of the upstairs rooms. I want this one.

"How come she gets the big one?" Kidoumaru grumbled, going further down the hall to claim a room. "She's the smallest person, and yet she gets the biggest room."

"Because she can have you killed by just giving Orochimaru-sama a hug and asking him sweetly," Sakkon answered, throwing his backpack in the room next to Shizuka's.

Damn straight. Shizuka came out of her room and made a sorry attempt at a scary face. Fear me!

"Maybe later." Kidoumaru opened the last door and the only room unclaimed. "Dammit! Figures I would have the smallest room!"

"Stop being king of the Land of the High and Mighty," Sakkon snapped. "We're only here for a week, so get over yourself."

"Says the guy who got the second biggest room," Tayuya said out of the corner of her mouth.

"...Shut up."

Later that night

Shizuka shivvered, pulling her blanket closer to her. Damn, it was cold sleeping above ground! (A/N: If you look in the manga at pictures of Orochimaru's house, it's under a tree, so the whole house is underground.) She groaned, rolling over and stuffing her head under her pillow. Dammit, why'd Sakkon have to be such a loud sleeper?! He's driving me insane!

Finally at her patience's end, Shizuka jumped up and stomped out of her room and into the room next to hers, preparing to smack the occupant until he woke up. Will you be--

She stopped dead.

Sakkon's head snapped up from where it had been buried in his pillow. He hadn't been asleep, she found out. He was quite a sight to be seen; his eyes were red and his face was blochy like hers had gotten when she had cried over a skinned knee as a kid. (A/N: I hate that... one time, I skinned my knee to the bone when I was playing with my friends, H-R as my whitness (it was her fault). It hurt like shit.).

"Fuck," he breathed.

Sakkon, were you-- she began in disbelief.

"You should got back to bed," he interrupted, wiping his eyes on his pillow case. "We have to figure out the excape route tomorrow and--"

What were you doing? she asked suspiciously.

"Nothing," he said at once, standing up. "Come on," he added, herding her towards the door, wiping his face off on his sleeve. "Go to bed, you need sleep. Sorry if I woke you up."

Sakkon, were you cryingshe asked in disbelief.

"No!" he snapped offensively.

Why were you crying? she asked, frowning. Are you injured? Guys can cry? she thought to herself, scanning him for an injury.

"Dammit, dammit, dammit!" Sakkon groaned. "No, I'm not injured."

Why're you crying if you don't have an injury? she asked confusedly. Are you hurt somewhere else?

"No, I--"

Why are you hurting? she asked, taking a step closer.

Sakkon blinked. "I'm not..."

You looked like you are. She frowned, shoving him. Give me a straight answer, dammit!

Sakkon groaned, passing a hand over his forehead. "I was trying to... God, how can you be so innocent?" he cried suddenly, moving away. "Just leave me alone, please!"

Hey, I'm trying to help you! she said angrily, following him as he went to sit down on his bed again. When someone's trying to help you, you don't tell them to leave you alone, please!

"Thanks for the offer, but it's not something you can help me with," he said cooly, hanging his head between his knees.

Why not? Her voice grew chilly.

"Dammit, Shizuka-sama!" he shouted angrily, gripping his blanket. "You can't help me because you don't get it that you're the one who keeps hurting me!"

Shizuka starred. What're you--

"Can't you see?!" he cried, slamming a fist into the depths of the covers (My, my, so tempermental...). "Don't you get it?! I love you!" He faltered almost at once, instantly reqretting his outburst.

Shizuka froze, her eyes wide with shock or horror--she didn't know which. But she wasn't one to be left haning; his long silence bothered her. What're you talking about?

"I've had to be around you for years," he said slowly, not looking at her. "Ever since we were kids. At first, it was't really by choice. Orochimaru-sama made me be your bodyguard and all, and I thought it was pretty boring. But then, hwne you were older, Orochimaru-sama offered to pair you up with one of the others. I said no."

Why, if you thought it was boring?

"I didn't know, at the time. I guess it was because I knew you didn't like the others, and I wanted to spare you the torture of having to be around them twenty-four-seven. But then, after the slave-market thing a while ago, I knew that wasn't it."

/As years go by, I race the clock with you/

/But if you die right now/

/You know that I die too (I die too)/

/You remind me of the times/

/When I knew who I was/

/But still the second hand will catch us/

/Like it always does/

"You were always an evil bitch to me," he continued. "But I didn't really care, after a while, as long as it was me you were being evil to, and that sort of confused me. Then, Ukon suggested maybe I had a crush on you, or something, but I said no, and he let it go. Then, when I saw those traders trying to kidnap you, I got so... pissed that anyone would try and steal you from me, so I rescued you. But even after that, you only treated me like your servant, or someone lower then you who happened to be your friend."

/We'll make the same mistakes/

/I'll take the fall for you/

/I hope you need this now/

/Cuz I know I still do/

/Until the day I die.../

Sakkon, I didn't mean to... She chewed her lip. I thought you liked it when I acted like that.

He shook his head, still starring at the floor. "No. It hurt... alot."

/I'll spill my heart for you/

I'm... sorry... She moved forward to hug him, kick him, hit him--anything to make him feel better--or come to his senses, whichever came first. She ended up sitting next to him and giving him a careful hug, something she hadn't done since she was a child.

"I don't want you to feel sorry for me," he said softly (Whatta hypocrite... what kinda person spills his guts and then doesn't want someone to feel sorry for him?), trying to push her away. "That's even worse..."

I said I was sorry, she pointed out.

"Only because you pity me for being a pathetic waste of skin," he contradicted.

/Should I bite my tongue/

/Until blood soaks my shirt/

/We'll never fall apart/

/So tell me why this hurts so much/

/My hands are at your throat/

/And I think I hate you/

/But we'll say "remember when"/

/Just like we always do/

/(Just like we always do)/

I don't think you're a pathetic waste of skin, she said stubbornly, pecking the corner of his mouth, a childish impulse taking over.

Sakkon starred at her as she leaned back and licked her lips, as if savoring the taste.

You can kiss me back, she pointed out, after a few minutes.

He shook his head. "I told you, I don't want anyone feeling sorry for me. You can't try and make me feel better."

She stuck out her lower lip in a pout. Well, can I kiss you, then?

He paused, thinking, for a moment, then nodded. "I guess that would be ok..."

She leaned forward, kissing him carefully on the lips. After a few minutes, he pulled away, and said, in a gently rebuking voice, "You really don't know how to kiss, Shizuka-sama."

And I suppose you're an expert? She stuck her tongue out at him.

"I read books, so yeah, I at least know what I'm doing."

I don't believe you. You can't learn how to kiss from reading a book.

"Wanna bet?" He (unconsciously) took the challenge she was giving him.

Sure. Bet what?

"If I'm a good kisser from reading about it, you have to..." Sakkon thought for a moment. "...Do 500 laps around the house on your hands. Is deal?" (A/N: I just read Ranma 1/2, and Shampoo was like, "Is deal?" and Ranma said "Is deal!" so I put this in cuz it's funny...)

Talk like a normal human being.

Sakkon chuckled (that is such a weird word...), bringing her face closer to his with a slender hand, pressing his lips against hers. They sat like that for a moment or so, until Sakkon mumbled against her mouth, "You taste like strawberries."

My toothpaste.

"Oh." He moved his lips on hers, deepening the kiss ever so slightly, trying to remember every single book he had ever read (cough-PORN-cough, cough) about kissing. After a few minutes, he pulled away. "Well?"

Well... what?

"Am I a good kisser?" he said slowly, helping her remember their bet.

Don't really have anything to compare it to, do I?

"Ok, well, you wanna go kiss Kidoumaru?" He grinned at her.

No!

"Ok, then, 500 laps on the hands, it is." He stood up, taking off the purple rope all Four of the Sounds wore as a belt and set it on his backpack. He then smoothed out the stomach of his tunic where the rope had wrinkled the material.

Sakkon?

"Yep?" He checked the back of his tunic for wrinkles.

Can I sleep with you in your bed tonight? Shizuka asked. My room's really cold.

He turned to look at her. "You haven't slept in my bed since you were, like, eight."

I know, but it's cold. She showed him her arm. Look, I have goose-pipples. (A/N: Yes, I did spell that right. That's what me and my friends call them. Goose-bumps sound like the mumps or something.)

"You can sleep in here, but it's not that cold," he pointed out, looking at her arm.

You've been here before, so you're used to it, she pointed out, crawling over to the head of the bed and snuggling down under the covers. Your bed's warmer then mine...

"It's called 'body heat,' have you heard of it?" He rolled his eyes and lifted the corner of the blankets to crawl in himself.

Put that down, you're letting in cold air!

"Sorry, sorry..." He slid under the bed, plumped up his pillows and laid down, closing his eyes.

Sakkon...?

"What?"

You're warm... He felt her snuggle up to him.

"...Go to sleep."

/Until the day I die.../

/I'll spill my heart for you/

/My hands are at your throat/

/And I think I hate you/

/We make the same mistakes/

/Mistakes like friends do/

Song: Until The Day I Die

Artist: Story of the Year

Album: Page Avenue