A/N: I'm sorry for taking such a long time to update this chapter. But finally it's here. So I hope you will enjoy it.
I'm sure you noticed the OOC-ness of this story. I apologize for not putting a warning at the beginning. If you found it uncomfortable, I suggest that you should leave for another fiction then.
I swear to God, none of my fanfic's characters have ever stayed the same with their original personalities. This story is also written because I want to see a different Tsurara. So if she is not the same as in the manga or anime, I hope you understand.
Disclaimer: Nurarihyon no Mago doesn't belong to me.
Chapter 9
The moon outside the window was approaching its highest place in the sky. Light filtered through the thin paper of the shoji door, painting the room in silver. Trees swayed together with the wind, making the shadow printed on the floor to move. Noise of leaves falling filled the quiet space.
It was silent. It was tranquil. Yet tranquility could not be used to describe Tsurara's mind now. The conversation with her mother was still fresh in her memory.
…He has been visiting you every night since then. And the true person who saved you was him…
Why did he do all those things? And what reason was there to hide from her? A lot of questions kept circulating inside her head, and she was desperate to receive just one answer. But nothing seemed to be logical.
Touching her lips, she recalled the time inside the forest. What should that kiss mean?
When she looked at the moon through the open window, she reached a decision. She would wait for the answers then…
The shadow moved quietly in the night. The tall figure passed through the moonlit garden with such an ease that confidence could clearly be shown in every of his stride. When he made it in front of the shoji door, he paused before slid the door and entered. Closing quickly, he turned to the person sitting on the futon. He already knew that she was waiting for him.
For a moment, they only stared at each other.
He was really here, before her. Still the person she loved. The silver light danced upon his white kimono and his face, making him almost… shine… Nothing seemed to be different in him, but the usual smirk on his lips was gone.
Standing up from her sitting position, Tsurara was the first to move.
"Rikuo-sama" she called his name.
He nodded slightly, but he said nothing.
She gathered all her courage. She wanted answer, and she would not back down until she heard from him.
"Rikuo-sama, please answer me…"
"Why did you come here?" Tsurara waited. Finally, he parted his lips and said for the first time that night.
"Because I want to see you" she certainly did not expect that. Wasn't it because he worried about her… or… because he wanted to protect her… or something like that?
"Why did you hide yourself then? If you wanted to see me, I would always welcome you…" A lie, she told herself. With the currently unstable state of her feelings, she would surely run from him even before she saw his face.
"You've been avoided me, you will run if you know I'm here." His voice let her know that he didn't believe her lie.
What he said was completely correct. And for that moment, she did not know what to reply. She could only look at the tatami.
Breaking the uncomfortable silence, Rikuo sighed. "Tsurara, I don't know what I said have made you so angry that you immediately left. But I apologize. I've noticed you started to act strange before you left, something seemed to bother you. It was inconsiderate in my part to choose to ignore it. I only realized how serious the matter was after hearing from Grandpa that you've gone to your mother's house."
And once again, the atmosphere fell into silence. Looking up, Tsurara stared into her master's eyes. No, it was not his fault. Love, she was the one who started it. He'd never given her any promise before, so how could she ever blame him? It was she who broke their promise. She had sworn to protect him for eternity. Yet, because of her own selfishness, because she was scare, she chose to run away from him. She should be the one who beg for his forgiveness. Then return to him and continue with her duty as his trusted subordinate.
However, the fear inside her heart couldn't be dismissed that easily. People could say she was a coward. But she was scared. She was scared of the day when he finally loved someone else. And what she would do then? Congratulate? She would not have any sanity left by that time.
Mostly, she was scared of herself. If she stubbornly continued to love him, if that day came, she wasn't sure that she could hold back from hurting his beloved. Or worse, what if she even hurt him?
She would never forgive herself if she made him hurt. And she could never live, knowing he hated her. When she decided to leave, she'd thought that… if she let go now, if her heart started to forget, then it wouldn't be that difficult to accept he belonged to someone else when the time came… And someday, she could return to his side with the feeling of a loyal subordinate, or a close friend…
…
…Still, she had something to ask him. Biting her lips to gain the control of her feelings back, her eyes shone with determination.
"Rikuo-sama…" he said nothing, only nodded his head to let her continue, "why did you kiss me?"
A moment of hesitation, but Rikuo slowly parted his lips. "Because I was scared..."
"Huh?" she looked at him questioningly. He was scared? How could the Third of the Nura clan ever be scared of something as lowly as that youkai?
Smiling wryly, he approached her. Reaching out his hand, he lightly touched her cheek. His eyes shone under the moonlight, pulling her soul in their ruby depth, like hypnotizing her.
"I was scared… of losing you. To think that you would suddenly disappear from this world… I almost lost it."
Her heart beat faster after hearing what he'd said. The warmth from his hand traveled straight to her chest. Somehow, she felt that she would cry at any moment. Why was his voice so gentle? And why did his eyes look at her with such intensity that she could not look away?
"In truth, when I first saw you sleeping at the door, I wanted nothing more than immediately bring you back home. And that time inside the forest, I was also tempted to take you with me. But it would not solve anything…" using the other hand that was not on her cheek, he took her hand and bring it to his lips. As he closed his eyes, kisses were lightly placed on the tips of her fingers. The ice-like digits almost burnt up under the touch of his lips and she could feel his breath on them when he talked.
"…The reason you left… is it because of me?"
"…"
"No… it's me. I… it's my problem…" she finally whispered. When she averted her eyes to the floor, he said nothing. She thought that this silence would never end. But then he did something truly surprised her.
Raising her chin up with the hand on her cheek, he took her lips in his. There was no time for her to resist, because like the last kiss, she also lost the ability to think. The fire from his lips, the familiar scent of him, the heat from his body… she was sure her heart was going to burst.
When they parted for air, she pushed back from him. "…why?"
Placing a finger on her lips, he looked deeply in her eyes. "Return with me, Tsurara."
Although it was a command, but why did she hear it as a plead? And why did she already want to do as he said? Joy filled her heart, but it didn't mean that doubt had disappeared. Uncertainty torn her inside. Stay… or return?
It's not my intention to cut it right here. But I was wondering how should the story develop next. After all, it was nearing the end. Any ideas?
