CHAPTER 11

A/N – Hello everyone! Again a late update, as you can see my muses did it again! (and of course now I have a cold and keep blowing my nose as I type ) But… I will say only this, this chap will not be as disappointing as the rest, in terms of our pairing meeting and stuff (ooops, a spoiler!). Well, I suppose that's enough agonizing over a proper introduction for now, enjoy today's update! ;)

Warning: slight mentions of alcohol consumption

Shiemi ran a hand through the soft blonde locks with an air of desperation. It was quite late and she'd only now convinced Chan to go to bed, having done nothing to get ready. A servant had left a dress in her room for the Festival early in the morning but she'd not bothered to as much as look at it until now, focused entirely on the remaining work to be done for the preparations.

She threw a wary look at the garment laid on the bed, knowing that Paku and Izumo would show up any moment to get her. She'd always worn her hair simple and mostly loose, completely lacking her grandmother's skill for those elegant, complicated buns the old Priestess had always worn her hair in. There also were some tiny make-up boxes on the vanity table, but Shiemi had no idea how to use those either. She was doomed – on the day when even Priests wore make-up and fancy garments to look their best for the Inari celebrations she was going to prove a complete disaster!

"Behold! I told you she wasn't ready yet!"

Izumo stormed into the room like summer rain followed obediently by Paku and stopped right in the middle of it, hands on her hips and an eyebrow arched dramatically. The blonde could do nothing but stare, mouth open, at the barely-there strips of silk covering Izumo's chest before expanding into an ample and long crimson skirt below the golden girdle and at the luscious purple hair artfully braided into the traditional Nine Tails. Paku wore a similarly flashy outfit, both their faces were covered with a fine layer of porcelain-like powder, their eyes were lined with black and their lips were painted the brightest red.

"I-I don't really know what to do-…" the Flower Priestess mumbled, motioning helplessly towards the dress, but her friend only rolled her eyes.

"Paku, help me," she ordered.

In no time Shiemi was out of her daily clothes and the girls tied the silvery straps holding together the white fabric of her dress around her waist tightly, the silk folds falling smoothly along the curves of her body. The whole dress was just white and silver, and the top was sleeveless, with a deep cleavage and thin, delicate straps. It was both innocent and daring, more so than anything Shiemi had ever worn.

"Your hair is beautiful just as it is, so we won't do much about it," Izumo decided, only doing a small braid to one side and sweeping it behind Shiemi's ear. She didn't bother with make-up either, aside from painting the blonde's lips the same shade of red as theirs.

The petite Flower Priestess took a look in the mirror and almost blushed. "Oh… I-I'm so nervous… What if I-…?"

"I'm kind of nervous too, it's the first time that I must dance in public and the King… will be there…" Paku confessed in turn.

Izumo however was quick to present a solution, in the form of a tiny bottle she'd been keeping hidden inside her girdle. She popped the cap with an expert flick of her thumb and took a hearty swig before presenting it to Shiemi. The blonde looked at it uncertain for a second before mirroring the gesture (the liquid burning sharply down her throat) and then passed it to Paku, already feeling like the room was going to start spinning any moment now.

"Don't you know, tonight is the only night of the year in which everyone is allowed to misbehave?" the purple-haired Priestess giggled. "Besides, by the end of the celebrations everyone will be so drunk, that for sure no one will be able to remember anything by morning. So…." Izumo grinned wildly. "Tonight I'm getting three Arias! At least…" she declared and burst into laughter.

"Ahhhh, maybe even Ryuuji Suguro," Paku suggested and took another swig, nearly choking.

While sober, Shiemi would have been at least slightly concerned upon hearing this, but now she only felt her own mouth widening into a silly smile. She had very little time to process what was going on anyway, since she was pulled out of the room and into the street, where the three girls were practically swept away by the colorful crowd which was already singing and dancing wildly in the rhythm of drums.

The walls and columns of the whole palace yard had been polished golden, myriads of colorful lamps and large candle trees of all shapes making the shade glow against the night sky and lavish red-and-golden drapes, paper and flower decorations hung from the terrace railings. The bold colors of Inari adorned everything, from to the garments of the musicians and their instruments to the bracelets and hair ribbons of the serving girls.

"You should try to have some fun tonight, it's the biggest party of the year," Shura said, smoothing the young prince's ruffled hair with her fingers, then turned fully to face him and scowled. "You look so pale," she added and pinched his cheeks with both hands, as hard as she could.

"Owwww! That hurt!" Rin hissed, nearly blinking back tears.

He could only be bothered to put on a pair of trousers and boots better than the usual and a somewhat fancy black velvet jacket (he would not outshine his beloved wife, oh no!), but bearing Mephisto's proximity during the celebrations was a grim perspective. Mustering a smile on the day when the whole world was celebrating fulfilled love was too much for him.

Shura grabbed his hand and pulled him out on the terrace where the royal seats were set and Rin guessed that his wife for one was surely planning to have fun during the party. King Mephisto was already there, surrounded by his five pure-blood wives who looked beyond resplendent and he stepped forward to greet the red-haired princess, taking her hand in his with a shrewd smile.

"Welcome, Lady Okumura! You look absolutely radiant this evening," he said, pressing a kiss onto her knuckles. "Little brother, is it too early for you to stop sulking? I promise the food is good, fufufu… And believe it or not, I actually managed to dig Yukio up from the library as well, behold!"

Rin only rolled his eyes and snorted, but the King of Time ignored him, leaning in to whisper into Shura's ear. "As for you, my lovely jewel, my true queen, I do hope to see you later, when eyes will have dulled and lights will have faded…"

The demon boy threw a glance past Mephisto's shoulder and saw his twin slumped into a seat next to Amaimon's, but the younger turned his head upon spotting him. His lips pursed into a pained grimace – after three years it was time to finally have a talk with his brother about what was eating Yukio, but now it really wasn't a good moment (and that clown who had no desire to make things easy but plenty to complicate them knew it too!). As such, Rin decided to disappear as soon as the Inari Priests and Priestesses, who were the most important in the procession, were going to walk past the gates and the celebrations would begin.

The gates had been already opened, the drums executing a monotonous rhythm until a gong resounded loudly and the music picked up pace, together with the voices of the chorus and the buzz of an approaching crowd, reaching its peak when people finally began pouring in. In front there was a small group of young Inari Priestesses, including Izumo and Paku, and they came in jumping and dancing, slamming bone drumsticks into the large tablas placed on each side, seeming to float gracefully among the crimson waves of silk.

The other Orders followed in a mixed, colorful crowd, singing and cheering, until everyone had come inside and joined the large circle formed around the Inari Priests and Priestesses. The eyes of the King and of all the court were on them, the level of noise just enough and Rin slipped from his seat lightly - in the usual fashion of his cat familiar - and left, seeking the much-needed relief of solitude.

A while later, the young prince was still sulking, plagued by a mixture of boredom and disgust which seemed to increase with the noise and buzz of the celebrations. In the brightly lit front yard people were dancing, drinking and whatnot, he figured that by now the king and his wife must have subtly made themselves scarce as well and his steps carried him mindlessly along the dark column corridor leading to the back garden, further and further away from the music and the ruckus of the crowd. And then…

He saw Shiemi resting on the steps, still drawing her breath and cheeks flushed from effort and liquor, hair loose and ruffled, the folds of the white dress splayed out like petals around her as she sat propped back on her elbows. The prince halted his step and stood still, the only noise reaching his ears being the frantic beating of his own heart. He'd thought he'd spotted her earlier in the crowd, but hadn't been sure and even less hopeful. Yet now here she was!

And he knew, he knew that he should stay away from her, retreat unseen in the shadows while he hadn't been spotted, carry his bad mood elsewhere and leave the little Flower Priestess alone and unspoiled in her joy.

Only, that was easier thought than done. In fact he found it quite impossible.

"Hello, Shiemi."

The blonde's heart fluttered at the sound of the familiar voice even before she turned and saw the exorcist, casually leaning against a pillar, hands in his pockets. The colorful lights of the lamps brought out even more the otherworldly, perfect whiteness of his face while the shadows of the columns seemed to shroud his black-clothed figure, such that he looked like a nightly apparition more than ever. If she hadn't seen him before in full daylight, Shiemi would have had a hard time believing he was a man of flesh and bones, as it was.

"Rin!" She cleared her throat a bit, knowing enthusiasm was better harnessed in these circumstances. They were away from the main crowd, but still… "I didn't expect to see you here, at the festival…"

Exorcists were not known for attending festivals and she'd not seen anyone from True Cross presented among the participating Orders, but if he was from a noble family… She took a better look at his clothes – indeed they looked neatly cut and of a fine, almost silk-like fabric, but their full blackness made them simple and unpretentious, something to be appreciated.

She shrugged, a bit awkwardly. "I just needed to rest for a bit and… I kind of got lost."

Rin smiled. "Oh, you didn't get lost, the party is over there. But it's quieter here, I guess…"

"So… uh… I suppose you are here with your wife?" the petite Priestess asked innocently.

The prince barely held back a grimace at the mention of Shura and the thought of what he'd seen earlier. All he could do was nod and shrug reluctantly, she had a point.

"Yes. But for now she is… otherwise occupied," he said quickly, waving his hand in dismissal. "She has other interests, I mean-…" The demon boy stopped, wondering if what he'd just said sounded weird or… But Shiemi only smiled at him and this brought a sense of relief.

"I see. Well, um… it's a great party, I guess?"

"Yeah…" Rin came down and sat on the stone steps, next to her, and the blonde suddenly noticed that his shoulders were somewhat stiff and there was an odd awkwardness in the way he held his gaze intently trained on the bright lights in the distance. "Shiemi…" he whispered softly, unexpectedly. "I have been trying very hard to… to do the right thing. I-I mean… to not do the wrong thing, but I-… I can't. I can't stay away from you."

Shiemi flinched slightly, then let out a shaky breath. Just… all the sudden, out of the blue-… She was doomed. She was falling. The exorcist had just spelled out her undoing.

"Then don't."

For a long moment the young demon prince was completely motionless, able to do no more than breathe in and out and swallow down the lump of pure fear which was now choking him.

What had he just done?!

The worst.

But this was fate, cruel, unforgiving, unstoppable and his fingers reached out absently and touched Shiemi's, cold and moist like raindrops. His face turned and gaze shifted slowly towards her face, meeting deep green orbs reflecting the same dark desire, mixed with awe and anticipation.

Barely daring to draw a breath, Rin lifted his hand from hers and half-cupped her jaw, letting his thumb ghost over her lower lip. Some of the red paint rubbed off on it and the prince took it to his mouth, briefly tasting the sweet, flavored paste. Shiemi saw a glint of sharp teeth as the demon boy grazed off a bit of red from his own lip, sighing softly before he finally leaned in and pressed his mouth against hers almost shyly.

The blonde drew closer, reaching out to tangle her fingers in Rin's hair, giving the luscious raven strands a bold tug. "My God, you really…" she whispered against his lips."You're… real…" With feverish impatience, her hands moved from his hair to the sides of his face, neck and shoulders, touching as if to convince herself.

Rin found himself feeling everything much too sharply, beyond the increasing heat of his own body, so much so that for a moment he feared that his flames were about to come out. He could feel his own pulse racing madly as he pulled Shiemi into his lap and pressed her tiny body closer to his own, eager to feel her fully, guided by instinct, overwhelmed by the multitude of wonderful but still unfamiliar sensations, the hot inside of her mouth as he slipped his tongue in, the peachy smoothness of her bare arms and back, the firmness of her lean thighs on top of his.

"Rin, my soul is already damned," Shiemi breathed, pulling away a bit."So please… don't hold back."

She leaned in again and kissed the demon boy, first on the tip of his nose and then on the mouth, her lips resting there as her fingers found and undid the buttons of his velvet jacket. The prince flinched slightly when she first pressed her palm flat against his bare chest, right above his heart, before exploring down his torso and he didn't even know when his own fingers hooked under the straps of Shiemi's dress, sliding them off her shoulders. The silk top slipped soundlessly in her lap and Rin's lips left hers to trail butterfly kisses along her jaw and chin, then down on her neck and-…

He paused his ministrations when Shiemi slumped comfortably against his chest with a soft moan, effectively pushing him flat on his back, and remained pretty much motionless afterwards.

"Shiemi? Wha-…" Rin asked softly, propping himself up on one elbow and brushing the ruffled strands off the blonde's face, but the only reply came in the form of a sleepy groan.

"Ahhhhhhhhh…."

Suddenly, the demon boy's mind cleared and a cold shudder of fear ran down his spine as the heat of their making out began to dissipate rapidly. This had been very, very wrong! Any momentary disappointment was quickly replaced by panic, Rin instantly wondering whether they hadn't been seen or… what if someone showed up now?! The state of their clothes was beyond denial, especially Shiemi's – her dress bunched up her thighs and her chest… well, he had tried not to look (and touch) too much, but… damn!

And now she was obviously asleep.

Rin sighed, pressing a soft kiss into her hair and deciding not to wake her – she looked so cute snoring softly with her round, doll-like mouth slightly open! Only, instead of walking her home, now he'd have to carry her.

"Pffft!" The young prince sighed again, sitting up fully and fixing both their clothing as best as he could, then standing and scooping the petite Priestess in his arms bridal style. She only stirred to settle better against his body, her head nestled comfortably in the crook of his neck.

If Koneko sees me now, I won't be able to look him in the eye as long as I live…

Like a thief carrying its loot, the demon boy sneaked out of the palace and into the crowded city beyond its walls, making his way swiftly into the Temple District nearby. There were plenty of people still out in the streets, joyously sharing food and drinks, especially drinks, so no one paid a young boy with a girl in his arms any attention. Everything went smoothly, until Rin was finally faced with the closed (and anti-demon charmed) gates of the Flower Temple.

"Now, let's hope Tatsuma Suguro doesn't kill me," he grumbled morosely, reaching out for the door bell.

To be continued

A/N – yes, yes I know what your main complain is regarding this chap, but this is a T-rated story, my friends.