I DON'T OWN EVERYTHING !
Part 7
Rei woke up again from yet another troubled dream. She looked around and saw Nuriko sitting beside her, with a worried expression on his face.
"Hey Rei, having a nightmare again?"
"Ye...yes. I seemed to can't stop having these dreams..." Rei touched her head. "But I'll be all right." She turned to the still sitting Nuriko, "Don't give me that look, Nuriko. It really is nothing to get worried over."
Nuriko sighed, "You know Rei, you don't have to keep everything bottled up. It will eat you away." Nuriko patted her head, "I'll always be here to listen you know. I'm a good listener if you ask anybody, even Miaka when we find her."
Rei held Nuriko's hand, "Stop patting too hard, my head still hurts a bit."
"Oops, sorry. I don't know my own strength sometimes...hehe," the willow seishi apologized.
Rei laughed, though a little bit harshly, with him, "Nuriko, where are we? Where's Hotohori and the others?"
"Well, his Highness and Tamahome went out and hunt some food. Chichiri is meditating, Mitsukake and Chiriko are making some medicine, and Tasuki's just outside making a fire. They'll be here any minute now."
They were silent for a minute. Rei was examining the room she's in. It seemed to be an old, ruined, rounded house. Nuriko stared at her, "Rei, you know your Highness stayed with you for two nights that you were unconscious. You're so lucky to have such a man tend and care for you."
Rei stared back at Nuriko, bewildered, "Hotohori did that for me? I was out for two whole days? It must be so embarrassing for him to take care of an ailing girl."
Nuriko looked at her as if she had lost her mind, "You really don't get it do you?"
"What do I don't get?" Rei was surprise at the sudden change of tone in Nuriko's voice.
"Oh Rei, can't you see that your Highness cares about you? ...that he will do anything for you?" Nuriko tried to make Rei understand.
Rei stared at the blabbering seishi as if she's the one who had lost his mind, "I already know that he cares about me, Nuriko..."
"Uhg Rei!" Nuriko tried to shake her, very gently, "You're so blind...the emperor himself has fallen in love with you!"
"HUH!?" Rei was speechless. Rei could never imagine someone falling for her, after all she had tried to distance herself from that romantic notion. Nuriko must have just assumed everything.
"Your Highness has fed you, sat by you, cleaned and healed your wounds with Mitsukake, held your hands, and stayed with you for the whole two days and only getting out when he needed to take an emergency and when hunting food for everybody, for you."
He really is serious is he? Hotohori really does care that much for me. I...I don't know if...
"Rei are you listening?" Nuriko interrupted her thoughts.
"I...I don't know what to say Nuriko. I'm from another world and I vowed never to be hurt again..." Rei bowed her head. "You see Nuriko I've been hurt before with a man I thought who cared for me since I was little. He lied to me and married someone my father arranged for him. I thought he won't follow father's foot steps for political ambition, but he did and he lied. He lied and left me. He's just like my father..."
Nuriko was stunned to say the least. She never thought that Rei would share such heartfelt secret to him this early. But Rei needed him now. Turning Rei's bowed head to face him, Nuriko sternly said, "Rei, whoever this man who hurt you is a fool and a bastard! I think anyone who doesn't see how special you are is stupid. Look at you Rei, you've shown such strength and determination to overcome so many things, like what you did to that bastard Nakago. And hey, you saved our lives too. You're a priestess and a senshi. What kind of man would ever leave you like that?" Nuriko almost ran out of breath. Rei had to giggle at his attempt to comfort her.
"Nuriko I think you're over doing it. I'm just a simple person."
Nuriko eyed her closer and huskily said, "Nothing is simple about you Rei, besides being a drop dead gorgeous woman, you really are something."
"Oh stop it Nuriko, "Rei slightly shoved the advancing Nuriko away, "Don't flatter yourself. I don't fall for that that easily."
"I'm just kidding. I just want to see your reaction...haha." Nuriko relaxed a bit. "But you know, back to the old subject, I think you should give his Highness a chance. You'd be good for him. Besides shouldn't that kiss you shared with him at Taiitsukun's trigger something in you?"
"WHAT?! YOU SAW THAT?!" Rei screeched.
"Oh stop the screaming! I followed his Highness out. I was curious, that's all..." Nuriko tried to defend himself.
Rei quieted a little, but she was blushing profoundly. "I...uh... It was just a kiss. It was nothing serious. He just kissed me that's all..." Yeah right Rei...it was just a kiss.
"What was that screaming about!" Tasuki came barging in the tiny hut like house. He looked at Rei's tomato-red face and ask, "What's wrong with you?"
Rei had to cover her hot flesh since the two men seemed to be staring at her funny, "It's all Nuriko's fault." Turning to Nuriko, Rei blamed him for her embarrassment, "Nuriko why did you have to remind me of that?!"
Nuriko just smiled at her, "Oh I know you liked it." With a glint in his eyes, he went to tease the poor red-hot chili Rei, "So how's was it? Give me all the details. Come on Rei...what it was like to be ki..."
Rei covered the seishi's mouth before she embarrassed herself even more when she saw two heads came popping in the room.
"Hello Rei, how are you feeling?" Hotohori asked the flushing Priestess of the Silver Millennium. He eyed her and Nuriko. He had just finished hunting with Tamahome.
Rei let go of the smirking, chuckling Nuriko, "I feel much better." Checking her arms and legs, Rei felt relieved that the wounds and cuts have been healed, "Thank you."
"You looked really beat. I'm glad you're feeling better," Tamahome approached her side and touched her forehead, "Are you sure you're feeling fine? You seemed kind of flushed."
"She was like that when I came in after I heard her scream," Tasuki added. He also went to check Rei's forehead and was baffled at what had Nuriko done to make her red.
Nuriko came chuckling even more and Hotohori stared at his comrade sternly, "Nuriko, will you help Chichiri prepare our meal?"
Nuriko stood up and leave after giving Rei a knowing wink. Rei couldn't help it but become a victim of the seishi's amusement. She flushed even more.
"I'll go help the others," Tamahome squeezed Rei's hand and stood up to leave.
"I better help them. They don't know how to handle fire, those morons," Tasuki gave Rei a lingering kiss on the forehead and eyed Hotohori before he exited.
Hotohori walked slowly up to Rei's make shift bed and sat beside her. "What did Nuriko do to you?" Hotohori gently touched her chin to face him. "Do you like him?"
Rei was wide eyed. Of course, the emperor didn't know the conversation that occurred earlier. "It's not what you think. Nuriko just said something that made me so embarrass." Rei stared at Hotohori's lips and diverted her gaze somewhere else. But it was too late, Hotohori saw her reddened after she looked at him.
Nuriko must have seen us. I didn't know she's a shy one...interesting woman. I learn something new every time I see her...the mysterious, real her.
Chuckling, Hotohori expected her now healed wounds on her arms, "You're still bruised. You should take it easy for awhile. Let me see your face."
Rei turned and came face to face with the emperor. She could barely breath but she managed to control herself. Hotohori checked her healing bruises on her face, "You don't feel any discomfort, do you?"
Rei just nodded her head no. "That's good," Hotohori sighed, "I was worried about you Rei. I shouldn't have abandoned you and ran after the shinzaho leaving you alone."
Hotohori gently caressed Rei's face and looked at her with regret, "I'm sorry."
Rei halted his hand, "Don't blame yourself, Hotohori. I can take the pain and I ..."
Hotohori put his finger on Rei's lips. He was angered, frustrated by her words. "Hush Rei, I don't want to see you in pain. I don't want you to take the pain all by yourself." Hotohori held her by the shoulders and without warning he ravished her mouth.
The emperor poured the restrained frustration and concern for the girl he cared deeply into the kiss. He couldn't take how she kept everything to herself. He deepened the kiss, pulling the trembling Rei deeper into his tight embrace, tasting her almost bruising lips more. He was cradling, tilting her head now, wanting more of her.
Hotohori whispered in between kisses, "Why do you have to keep everything to yourself? I'm willing to share your pain, Rei." Tilting her head even more for more access, he covered her luscious lips with one deep, thrusting, open mouth, locking kiss. Hotohori had to halt before he scared the already trembling girl glued in his arms.
Hotohori looked into the dazed eyes of the woman he's holding. "Let me take it away. I yearn to see your beautiful face smiling at me," he huskily said.
Rei, after mustering the strength left in her, pushed him away so she could see his face, "Hotohori, you wouldn't understand. My life is...my life is too complicated. I don't want you or anybody to know what I've been through."
"Rei, would you at least trust me?" Hotohori saw the sudden defiant glint in her eyes.
"I'm afraid that would be hard for me to do. I don't think I could trust anybody anymore," Rei hissed. She knew how much the emperor cared for her, but trust was something that she was afraid to give to anyone since the destruction of the Silver Millennium.
But he's different. He doesn't have any motives to commit betrayal. Could he...would he betray me like the others in the past? I'm so afraid, yet he stirs me like no others...
"I..I'm sorry. I should have never said that. I shouldn't have been angry with you, after all what you did to me," Rei tried to apologize.
Hotohori just stared at her. His mind went back to the part of trust.
"Who betrayed you, Rei?" Hotohori asked her sternly.
Rei was surprised of his directness. She wanted to avoid that question, "It's none of your concern. It was in the past and it will stay that way..."
Rei was half way standing up when she noticed she's only garbed in her white uniform shirt. Blushing, which she seemed to be doing a lot lately, Rei covered the bottom half of her body with the sheet.
Hotohori saw how embarrassed she was, "I had to take off your skirt. There was a gash that went up to your left thigh and your skirt was brushing against it."
Rei stared at him, eyes going wide, "You...you took off my skirt?! You...you saw my...you saw my panty!?"
Hotohori didn't exactly know what a panty was but he's got a pretty good idea what Rei was referring to, "Panty, you mean the red silky garment that covers your..."
Rei kneeled down and covered his mouth before further embarrassing her, "You don't have to say that out loud." Rei let go of his mouth.
"There's nothing to be embarrassed about, Rei. It's just a piece of fabric. It looks quite enticing on you," Hotohori said innocently. He didn't know why she wore that thing.
Rei was speechless the second time that night. She grabbed the rest of her clothing out of Hotohori's hands and was about to stand up to find a private area or corner to change when Hotohori halted her movements.
"Rei,..." Hotohori didn't want to let go of her, he didn't want to let her handle the burden by herself.
Since the first time she had met her, he felt something special about her. Her mysterious and beautiful aspects just added to his attraction to her. It was the feeling of warmth and protection towards the girl he barely knew that lured him to be by her side. He knew he was falling for her every single time she withdrew her trust, herself from him. He knew the consequences of his affection for her was unwise. The Priestess of the Silver Millennium was not from his world, the girl whom hid her past and carried the pain and loneliness alone. Her solitude was eating Hotohori away and seeing the woman he passionately wanted to hold forever suffer inwardly made him wince inside. But it wasn't his place to even get this close to her, and it wasn't the time to earn her trust, yet.
"...I won't give up until you learn to believe in me, to trust me, to love me... I care too deeply for you, Rei."
Rei didn't want to face this tone of conversation, but she had to know how in the world the Emperor of Konan felt this deeply about her. She didn't want to hurt him when the time came to leave. But the feelings that escaped from her well-kept heart were not to be examined. She had tried to avoid those feelings, feelings that would have never surfaced.
"Hotohori, I think it's better if we don't speak to each other anymore. I'm on a mission here and when it's over I'll return to my world. I don't...I don't want to hurt you and I don't want to be hurt by you... I...I don't want you to get closer to me." Trying to hide her glistening eyes and keep the tears from falling, Rei switched to her hard demeanor.
He cupped her face and saw that she became her stubborn self. He knew she was trying to mask herself from him again, "It's already too late, Rei." The stoic girl faced him, startled by his words. "I love you," Hotohori brushed his lips against Rei's lightly. Seeing no reaction from the girl, Hotohori stood up to leave. "I'll leave you to dress. I'll be waiting outside."
While Hotohori and Rei were inside the ruined shelter, Nuriko revealed to everyone the troubled dreams Rei had. "Who's this Jedite? And who's Kaido?" Nuriko murmured, "Rei seemed to be troubled by them the most. She told me she was hurt before..."
"Who are Usagi, Ami, Makoto, and Minako?" Chiriko curiously asked.
"They must have been the people she cared so much. Her weak, feverish condition must have triggered in her dreams the people that affected her deeply to make her react that way," Mitsukake added.
Chichiri who sat beside Nuriko sighed, "I felt bad for her. She is suffering no da despite the strength she shows outside."
Nuriko dropped her gaze into the burning fire, "She called out her brother's and sister's name. She was calling for them not to leave her."
I hope you liked the chapter. I'll see you next week!!!
