A/N: Welcome to the backstory no one knew they wanted (not even me)! It'll become really obvious really fast what I'm up to here. I hope you all enjoy!
Taro wasn't the kind of demon who allowed himself more than a few hours of free time in a day. If he wasn't working, then he was failing in some way. So, when the meeting for his newest client ended an hour early, leaving him with dead time between that and his next appointment, he was irritated. How could he keep himself busy for the next hour?
What he'd decided on was a walk through a sector of town he was looking to acquire the property rights to. It was off the main drag, but the land was great, relatively flat and perfect for developing on if he so chose. The biggest impediment to his plans was the Takeda Shrine, a massive Shinto shrine that was famous for exorcising spirits. The woman in charge was an absolute nightmare to deal with, fully aware he was a demon and what he was after. Not that that would stop him.
Standing in front of the shrine, he couldn't help but admire it. The torii were large and imposing, a few of them marking the main path into the heart of the place. They looked like they were cleaned regularly, along with the walkway below, which was always free of debris, whenever he walked by. The grass on either side was also neatly trimmed, whatever foliage decided to live alongside it almost respectful as it too remained tidy, despite nature's inevitable push toward chaos.
I wonder how much this property would sell for, he thought, looking beyond the gates, trying to see the actual shrine building to no avail. This wasn't a place for someone like him. He knew the moment he tried to enter the grounds, one of the shrine maidens would alight on him like some kind of harpy. That wasn't something he was particularly interested in experiencing again any time soon.
"Hey, you!" Speak of the devil. Coming down the path toward him was a young woman, no more than 20 years old, her dark brown hair tied back, wearing traditional shrine maiden hakama, a broom in her hands. She was pretty, for a human, even if her strange blue eyes were glaring daggers into him. Part of him wondered how a woman who was clearly Japanese could have such bright blue eyes, but he didn't have time to think long on it.
"What do you want?" she growled, coming toward him, the broom gripped tightly in her hands. "I've seen you come through here, and you're always staring. Either come in or go away."
He raised an eyebrow at her, surprised at her words. "You are aware I am a demon, correct?"
"Of course," she replied. "I can practically smell it on you."
This almost earned a chuckle from him. Almost. Despite her appearance, something told him this woman was dangerous, a feeling he didn't appreciate experiencing. Violence was never something he enjoyed resorting to, but he would protect himself if he had to.
"And yet you would permit me entrance?"
"You're here for a reason," she stated, crossing her arms, the broom resting in the crook of an elbow. "Demon or human, if you seek the assistance of a god, who am I to stop you?"
At this, he did laugh. "The assistance of a god? What business would a demon have with human gods?"
"You'd be surprised," she replied coolly.
He opened his mouth to say something more when a sharp voice cut across the space between them.
"Asami! Get away from that man!" Coming down the path toward them, also dressed in miko garb, was an older version of the woman before him. Her hair was pinned up and graying, her dull brown eyes sharp and mean. In her hands were several paper talismans. Taro couldn't make out the calligraphy on them, but he was certain they served one purpose: demon exorcism.
At over 400 years old, Taro wasn't fazed by much from humans anymore, but he knew those talismans would hurt if he wasn't careful. Pain was something he'd pass on if he could help it. Still, a certain stubborn part of him didn't quite want to leave just yet.
"Mother," Asami said, turning so she could regard both the older woman beside her and the demon on the other side of the gate.
"Mrs. Takeda," Taro said, bowing his head the slightest bit.
"Don't speak my name, you filthy demon," Mrs. Takeda snarled. "You will never have so much as a sliver of this shrine. Now, leave before I make you."
Nodding his head, he smiled wryly. "As you wish, Mrs. Takeda." To the younger woman, he gave another sarcastic bow, saying, "Be careful, Miss Takeda. It doesn't do to trust strange demons."
Asami Takeda didn't reply, merely watched him as he turned away, heading down the street without another word. Taro had a feeling that this wouldn't be the last time he was the focus of those strange blue eyes. For some reason, he felt just a little...pleased.
…
The next time Taro walked past the Takeda shrine, he half expected to immediately be assailed by one of the Takeda family members. However, no one came, and he didn't have time to hang around. This was the first time in his life he'd ever regretted how busy he liked to keep himself, even if he didn't fully understand why. This shrine had been a thorn in his side for so long, so what was it that was suddenly making him want to come by?
It required more investigation. That was the only way he could justify taking the long way home, walking by the shrine once again. This time, he was in luck. There did happen to be people outside the shrine, however, they weren't where he'd expected them to be. There was a ladder leaning against the side of the front-most gate, a young man standing on it, holding something up for the woman who sat straddled across the top of the gate.
"A little more, Hata," the woman called down to the man, who looked utterly flustered.
"Please, mistress," he said, sounding nervous. "I wish you'd let me do that. It's dangerous up here."
Taro watched the two, surprised. The woman he recognized as Miss Takeda from the night before, but the man was new to him. What's more, he was also a demon, albeit a very weak one. Taro wasn't particularly strong himself, settled firmly in D class, but this demon was even lower than him. It would be as easy as breathing for the shrine maiden to exorcise him, but instead, they were working together to do who knew what. It didn't seem to fit with the shrine's reputation as serious demon exterminators.
"It's fine," Asami said, stretching her arm down, trying to grab hold of whatever the weak demon was handing up to her. She reached over just a little too far, losing her grip on the top of the gate. It wasn't a long way to fall, but she would certainly break a few bones at the bottom. Or at least, she would have if Taro hadn't caught her.
He stared, dumbstruck, at the human woman in his arms. Taro had no business rescuing anyone, least of all a human, so he was so surprised at his own actions that he'd been rendered mute, merely staring, dark eyes into brilliant blue. Oh. So that's why. He hadn't noticed with how far apart they'd been standing before, but Asami Takeda was absolutely brimming with spiritual energy. It was no wonder she had such an easy time exorcising demons with so much power that it even showed through her eyes.
"Mistress!" The weak demon scurried down from the ladder, the sound of his voice breaking Taro from his thoughts. He set Asami upright again, taking a step back as the other demon approached, his eyes wide.
"I'm all right, Hata," she told him, waving away his concern. "Thanks to…." Turning to look at Taro again, he gave her the slightest of bows.
"Taro," he said, "and you don't need to thank me."
"I would have been in rough shape if you hadn't caught me," she replied, smiling warmly. It was this that made him take another step back. How was it possible this creature was related to the old hag who ran the damn place? She was all ice and darkness, but this woman was all warmth and light.
"You would have lived," he said, trying to keep his voice as flat as possible. Cold disinterest was the easiest way to handle people like her. Eventually, she would give up on kindness to him, just like everyone else.
"True, but a bit more broken and bruised than I care to be." Her smile turned sly, almost like she was sharing a secret with him. He didn't like the idea of being in her confidence for anything. That seemed dangerous, to say the least.
"Mistress," Hata said, his voice low. "She's coming."
Suddenly, that smile slid away from her face, replaced with a flatness of expression that would have given Taro a run for his money. He watched as she pulled a paper talisman from her sleeve, setting it on the ground and stepping on it. The smell of cherry blossoms and fresh tatami straw gently floated through the air, and he frowned as Asami turned to face the hag herself, storming their way with an expression that could freeze steel.
"Asami," Mrs. Takeda snapped, stopping before them.
"Mother," the woman replied. "What brings you out here?"
"I thought I sensed that disgusting man," she said, looking around.
It was a singularly uncomfortable experience to be stared through instead of at. Seconds passed with Mrs. Takeda glaring in his direction, her eyes never once focusing on his exact spot. Slowly, she turned her gaze on her daughter again, narrowing her eyes. She looked from Asami to Hata to the ladder, saying, "I hope you're not scampering around on top of the gates again. You know I don't like you up there."
"Never, Mother," Asami replied, her voice smooth and calm.
Mrs. Takeda swept her gaze over Hata, sneering at him. "I hope for both of your sakes that that's the truth." Shaking her head, she turned and walked away, heading back up the path. Even after she disappeared from sight, it was a solid minute before anyone even dared breathe.
Asami lifted her foot from the talisman on the ground, and Taro felt his stomach flip slightly, the world shifting the tiniest amount before settling again. Just like that, whatever she'd been doing to keep him hidden was gone.
"You shouldn't have done that, mistress," Hata said, glaring at Taro.
"Yes, I should have," Asami replied, and when she turned, the look on her face made Taro once again reassess this human woman. Had he said she was light and warmth? No, she was pure fire, dangerous and beautiful, a force to be reckoned with. As she bent down to pick up the talisman and put it back in her sleeve, he couldn't take his eyes away.
"You don't know who this man is," Hata told her, and at this Taro smirked at the weak demon. His reputation preceded him, it seemed.
"It doesn't matter who he is," Asami said. "What matters is who my mother is and how she treats demons who've done her no personal wrongs. I won't let her do whatever she wants."
"Even to the man who's trying to buy this shrine out from under us?" Hata asked.
Asami smiled at that, turning her brilliant blue eyes on Taro. "Even so. It's not like he'll succeed anyway."
Taro frowned, raising an eyebrow. "Either you're very confident in your family or you're grossly underestimating me."
"Neither," she replied, still smiling. "You're not the first person who has tried to relieve us of these grounds, and you will not be the last. However, no one has taken it yet. I like to think there's a god out there looking out for us."
"Foolish," Taro grumbled. "What business would the gods have, if they even existed, with a shrine like this?"
"I haven't a clue," she said, still sounding utterly unconcerned. "I've learned never to look a gift horse in the mouth." Sliding her hands into her sleeves, she said, "I don't believe we were properly introduced. My name is Asami Takeda." She bowed, giving Taro no time to recover from her strange statements.
"Taro," he replied in turn, dipping his head slightly.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Taro," Asami said. "Be careful coming around here in the future. If my mother catches you, only bad things will come of it." With that, she turned away, climbing up the ladder again. Hata grumbled something rude under his breath as he brushed past Taro to assist Asami, leaving the other demon alone on the ground, a strange feeling in his chest.
How does she know I'll be coming back? he thought, staring up at her for a moment before walking away. Why was he going to do just that? It wasn't as though he needed to be there to buy the ground out from under their worthless human feet. Despite this, he found he was looking forward to the next time he would meet this interesting human woman.
…
Walking past the shrine was becoming a bit of a problem. Taro did this every other day, if he could manage it. Unfortunately, he was rarely rewarded for his efforts. Whether that was because Mrs. Takeda had caught on to his presence or that weak demon was going out of his way to keep Asami elsewhere whenever Taro was around, he did not know, but he hadn't seen her in a month, despite his best efforts.
Not that it mattered. If she wasn't going to let him be curious about her, then he wouldn't bother with it. Humans were none of his business anyway, unless they were under his employ or in his way. Asami Takeda was neither of these things; her mother was the one he should have been concerning himself with.
This he told himself as he stood outside a small office building where a crowd had gathered. Taro pushed his way to the front of the people, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the man he was supposed to be meeting with today. "What's going on?" Taro asked, looking irritated.
"The meeting is cancelled," the human told him, bowing. "Apparently, an errant D Class demon is causing havoc in the building." He gestured to the structure in question, and Taro sighed.
"Why the crowd, then? Are these people looking to get themselves killed?"
"No. Apparently, there's a famous demon exorcist in there."
Taro grunted, turning away from the man and eyeing the building. If he concentrated, he could just barely sense two energies, one human and one demon. The demon was weak as far as demons went, but Taro had a feeling it could best him in a fight. The human, however, was what interested him. What were the odds...?
Apparently very high, as the faint smell of cherry blossoms and tatami reached him. A wave of energy pulsed from the building, making him flinch as it raked across his flesh. He crossed his arms tightly across his chest, trying to remember to breathe as the pain subsided, leaving him shaken. The demon inside the building was gone, its energy signature disappearing in an instant.
"Hey! Are you-"
"I'm fine," Taro grunted, narrowing his eyes as he focused on the front door. After a few minutes, out stepped Asami Takeda, looking a little tired. He watched as she approached a man with a worried expression on his face. Taro couldn't catch what she said to him, but the man smiled in relief, passing her something that she pocketed with a smile.
She turned away from him, and the crowd began to disperse, having lost interest now that the demon was gone. Taro walked toward her, standing a few feet apart, waiting for her to notice him. It took her longer than he would have thought it should, but perhaps that exorcism had been overly tiring for her.
When she looked up at him, it was with wide eyes. "Taro?"
"Miss Takeda," he told her, suddenly aware of two things: the time of day and how much free time he had. "Would you like to get lunch?"
She stared at him like she had no idea just what she was looking at, and for some reason, that made him a bit...nervous. After a beat or two, she said, "Asami." He frowned in response, and she added, "Call me Asami."
"Asami." Her first name felt strange in his mouth but not in an unpleasant way. "Have lunch with me."
She smiled, and he wondered if she'd noticed that his question had turned into more of a command. Judging by her expression, he thought not. Regardless, Taro didn't know what he would do if she refused him.
"All right," she said, her voice like the words to a magic spell. Taro found himself unfortunately charmed, his better judgment escaping him. Lunch with a human woman. What was wrong with him? Many things.
…
Lunch was a time for discovery. The two of them had settled on eating at a local establishment that served kaiseki throughout the day. Taro had waved away the entertainment they'd offered, preferring to speak over meals instead of being distracted from them. This was usually where he took potential business partners, in an attempt to impress them. He had no way of knowing if his gesture was doing just that for Asami, but he surely wanted it to. Why was beyond him.
She was 20 years old. When he'd told her he was over 400, she had looked surprised but not off-put. Instead, she'd grilled him about historical dates and facts, things he'd seen firsthand or heard about from people who had. She seemed to find him fascinating, something he was thoroughly unprepared for.
"What do you do for a living?" she asked him, setting her bowl of rice aside and reaching for a bit more food.
"I run a business that acquires and helps run other businesses," he said.
"That sounds exhausting," she replied, looking entirely refreshed from her earlier tiredness.
"It was at first, but it's become easier the longer I've done it," he told her.
"I guess so," she said, frowning. "And this business of yours is why you want our shrine."
It took him a moment to respond, but when he did, it was with an affirmative nod. "That is correct."
She sighed, running a hand through her brown hair and dislodging the tie that had held it back. Her hair tumbled around her, and she grimaced, proceeding to pull it up again. Taro watched her deft fingers as she did so, admiring how slender they were and wondering if her hands were as delicate as they looked.
"You and your mother are good at exorcising demons, aren't you?" he asked, in an attempt to change the subject.
"We are," she replied, allowing it. "Been that way for generations, all the way back to the Muromachi Period."
"That's an impressive legacy," he said, frowning. Her family had been ridding Human World of demons since he was born, maybe even before then. The more time he sat here, the more he learned about her, the more ridiculous it seemed to even spend a moment in her company, this woman whose entire life had been dedicated to eradicating the weak and arrogant of his kind who got into more trouble than they could handle. Taro had no great love for stupid demons, but he'd begun to wonder, sitting across from Asami, if perhaps he wasn't the biggest fool of all.
"It's a restrictive one," Asami replied. "My mother and hers before her and so on all the way back...all of them knew exactly what they would do with their lives. They never had a choice, and neither do I."
"If you could choose, what would you do?" Taro asked her.
She looked up at him then, blue eyes locked onto brown ones, and he found he'd forgotten how to breathe, waiting for her reply. "I haven't the slightest," she said at last, smiling. Just like that, the spell was broken, leaving Taro feeling like she hadn't been truthful to him. Then again, they were still strangers. What right did he have to her confidence?
Taro sighed, shaking his head. "You are a singularly vexing individual."
"Am I?" she asked him, a teasing twinkle in her eyes. "I think that's the nicest thing anyone has ever said about me."
He laughed, surprising himself. Who on earth was this woman with her strange, offbeat sense of humor and bizarre timing? She was throwing him off his game, but he was finding, more and more, that he didn't mind.
"Tell me about that demon you keep with you. Hata, was it?"
Asami nodded, saying, "He's an old friend. I saved his life a long time ago, and he's been glued to my side ever since. I know he's older than me, but I can't help seeing him like a little brother."
"Hm." Taro tapped his fingers on the table, thinking. "How does your mother tolerate a demon so close to her daughter all the time?"
Asami shrugged. "He's so spiritually weak that he doesn't even register to her. She thinks he's just a really stupid human who very much enjoys cleaning."
"And it doesn't bother you, being in the proximity of a demon as often as you are?"
"I can't see why it should," she said. "I may exorcise demons, but I'm not heartless. The only demons I will attack are those who cause trouble first. Hata wouldn't hurt a fly. Besides, he's practically family at this point."
"You're a foolish human if you think demons and humans will ever be able to get along in that way," Taro said, ringing a bell at the end of the table, signaling for the waitstaff to start removing the dishes. This meal was over.
Asami smiled at his harsh words, saying, "I would rather be a hopeful fool than a cynical one." She got to her feet, smoothing the pleats in her pants, and Taro watched her for a long moment before also standing. They exited the establishment, Asami bowing to him when they reached the street.
"Thank you very much for the food," she said. "If you'll excuse me." She turned and left, Taro watching her go, rooted to the spot. He could have done so many things at that point. He could have called out to her, chased her down, told her he was sorry for being so cruel. None of these seemed right, however, so instead, he just stood there, at war with himself for the first time in several hundred years, as his heart and his head fought for dominance. Even he wasn't quite sure which would emerge victorious.
...
He stayed away for two months this time, doing everything he could to fill his mind with anything other than blue eyed humans with slender fingers and warm smiles. Nothing helped, however. He found himself thinking about her wherever he went, wondering if she would like the places he visited or the things he was doing. Wondering what it was she wished she could be doing with her life rather than succeeding the shrine. At times like those, he redoubled his efforts to be distracted, those two months the most productive he'd had in a very long time.
Walking home on a dreary, rainy evening, Taro ducked under the roof of a nearby building, shaking off the water that had collected on his umbrella. As he stood there, he overheard two humans nearby talking as they took shelter from the rain.
"Yeah, I heard there was this big explosion. A lot of people were seriously injured. I thought that priestess was done for."
"Really? How powerful was the demon if it hurt someone like her that badly?"
"Obscenely so."
Taro pushed off the wall, his umbrella held over his head as he set out into the rain again. His feet steered the way, even as his demon core trembled, refusing to acknowledge the reason for his disconcertment. Even when he saw her, leaning against one of the pillars of the torii, he wouldn't admit to himself how worried he'd been. However, that didn't stop the rush of relief he felt as he approached.
She looked up as he got closer, her clothing and hair entirely soaked. How long had she been sitting in the rain? There was a scratch on her face that looked mostly harmless, the ones on her arms and legs a bit less so. Taro didn't know what to say as he stopped before her, his umbrella poised over her head. When she didn't speak either, he sighed, settling down at her side, shielding them both from the rain.
The air around them smelled like cherry blossoms and tatami straw as she traced along the lines of her injuries, one at a time. Taro watched her, amazed, as slowly, so slowly, the wounds began to close. She looked like she was struggling, and all he could do was look on, unable to help her in any way. This was driving him mad, the silence stretching between them like some untraversable gulf, pushing them further and further away from each other.
"He promised me," she whispered after an agonizingly long time. Her voice was hoarse with anger and unshed tears, two things Taro knew he would be able to do nothing about. At least, not here. Not like this.
"Who promised you?" he asked when she didn't continue.
"Prince Koenma," she whispered. "He promised me his barrier would stop them."
Barrier? "The Kekkai?"
She nodded. "He said it would stop A and S Class demons from entering Human World." She was shaking now, her hands unsteady as they traced her injuries. "If that was the case, then why? Why was that asshole here!" she shouted, her voice cracking.
"You banished an A Class demon?" he asked her, eyes wide.
"He hurt so many people. It took me too long to stop him, and he killed so many innocent people." She gritted her teeth, spitting, "What the hell is the point in having all this power if I can't save everyone?!"
Taro didn't know what to say. There had been a time, centuries ago, when he too had wanted to protect everyone he could. However, the years and his own ineptitude had caught up with him, to the point he'd barely been able to save himself. When he'd finally taken his life into his own hands, he'd decided he would never put himself in that situation again. Now, sitting beside this woman, he wondered what to do. She wasn't like him. If he wasn't careful, he was certain to lose her.
"You can't always save everyone," he said at last, his words slow and deliberate. "However, your being there today mattered. How many more people might have died if you hadn't stopped that demon?" She didn't respond, so he continued, "If you manage to save even one life, you have to allow it to be enough. It will never feel that way on its own, but if you tell yourself it is, slowly, you might start to believe it."
She looked over at him, and he couldn't tell if she'd been crying or if it was rainwater on her face. Wordlessly, she rested her head on his shoulder, and he stiffened at her touch but did not pull away. Despite how drenched she was, he could feel the heat from her body where it pressed against his own. They sat like that for a while, Asami still running her fingers along her injuries, Taro holding his umbrella over their heads to shield them from the omnipresent rain.
After a while, the smell of cherry blossoms and straw faded, and Taro realized she'd fallen asleep. Today must have been a nightmare for her, and all he'd been able to do was fend off the rain when she was already soaked to the bone. Gritting his teeth, he sat there feeling perfectly useless. He couldn't even take her inside because the moment he stepped over the threshold of the shrine, that damn hag was sure to find him.
The sound of footsteps made him look up, and he found himself staring at Hata. The demon had managed to arrive without catching Taro's attention, further tribute to just how unnoticeable his presence was. As he stared at the other man, a different thought began to cross his mind. Maybe it wasn't that Hata was weak...maybe, just maybe….
Hata let out a long sigh, bending down and scooping Asami into his arms. Taro got to his feet, and the two men stared at each other for a long moment before Hata turned to head back into the shrine.
"Wait," Taro said, passing his umbrella to the other man. In seconds, Taro was drenched by the rainwater, but he earned a raised eyebrow and eventually a nod from Hata. Then, the demon walked off, into the shrine.
Taro looked up at the sky, letting the water run over him, into his eyes, covering every pore of his skin, every fiber of his clothing. As he stood there, he began to think. This night, her pain, had been because of Spirit World's ineptitude, and that bothered him more than it should have. He was used to finding ways to skirt around their bureaucratic nonsense, but maybe another approach would work better. Spirit World owned a fair share of businesses in Living World. Maybe now would be a good time to invest.
…
The very next day found Taro once again face to face with Hata. The demon was standing outside his office, arms crossed, leaning against the building, looking perfectly innocuous. However, Taro was starting to wonder if it would be dangerous to continue thinking of him as such. The more he looked at him, the more he started to think he looked familiar.
"From my mistress," Hata said as Taro approached. He held out an envelope that Taro took, noting how carefully the other demon avoided touching hands.
"Thank you," Taro replied, moving past Hata without another word. When he'd closed the door behind him, he immediately opened the note, frowning at the single word written inside: Tonight. What did that mean? Needless to say, he got absolutely no work done that day.
When he finally made it to the shrine gates, it was dark, and no one was in sight. Standing there, he began to wonder if maybe he hadn't missed her when she stepped out of the shadow of one of the gate pillars. With a small smile, she walked toward him. He thought she still looked a bit pale, but maybe that was just a trick of the light. The moon seemed abnormally bright tonight.
"I want to show you something," she said, stopping in front of him. "As a thank you."
"For what?" he asked. For some reason, he found he couldn't look away from her brilliant blue eyes, like they were drawing him in, deeper and deeper.
She didn't respond, instead handing him a paper talisman. "Come on." She extended a hand to him, and he took it without hesitation, their fingers interlocking. Warm. She was so very warm, and suddenly, he was afraid of letting go. They walked together, Taro finally stepping foot on Takeda Shrine grounds for the first time. However, his gaze was trained on Asami, so he didn't even get to see the land he'd been striving to purchase for so long.
He couldn't have repeated the path they took. His awareness was remarkably low in the minutes it took to reach the bamboo grove they had stopped outside. When Asami started sliding through the stalks, he panicked, worried he would lose her if he did not follow quickly enough. He kept up, never letting her out of his sight, and when he stumbled into a clearing, he almost careened into her.
She dropped his hand, taking a few steps back and gesturing to the space they'd found themselves in. It was a secluded little cove, with a small pond inside. There was a creek that gently cascaded into the pool, the only thing disturbing the peaceful water as it made its way out of the place, off into the world somewhere. There were lotus blossoms floating on the surface, reeds along its edge. The grass around it was soft underfoot, and fireflies flickered in and out of existence, their light adding to the ethereal feel of this secret nook. Something told Taro that Asami spent a lot of time here. This was where she must go to escape...and she was sharing it with him.
"What do you think?" she asked, still with that slight smile. "I know it probably doesn't seem like much to you. Hata was telling me you're this big shot wealthy demon with massive amounts of money and servants and the like, so I figure this isn't very impressive. I just...I don't know, I wanted to show it off. I mean, it's important to me, and I-"
In a single stride, he'd stepped before her, pulled her into his arms, and kissed her. She gasped, surprised, before relaxing into his embrace, her hands fisting into the fabric on his back. When they broke the kiss, one of Taro's hands slid into her hair, his other one pressing her tightly against him. She buried her face in his chest, breathing him in, and he did the same, his forehead resting on the top of her head.
"Taro?" She pulled away slightly, looking up at him. Her face was flushed red, and it took every ounce of self-restraint he had not to kiss her again.
"What is it?" he asked, surprised at how different his voice sounded to his own ears. It was deeper, breathier, like he'd just run a marathon instead of kissing the woman who'd been in his head nonstop for months.
"I think I'm in love with you." A real smile broke across her face, and his breath caught in his throat at the sight.
"Me too," he breathed, kissing her again. She slid her fingers into his hair, and he sighed at her touch. When they broke apart again, several minutes later, Asami stepped out of his arms, but she took his hand instead, their fingers interlaced. She pulled him over to a patch of grass where they sat down together, her head resting on his shoulder, his head on top of hers. Time passed this way, as they stayed beside each other, listening to the creek flowing into the pond. The fireflies were still twinkling in the darkness, and Taro watched them dance as he tried to memorize this feeling in his chest, this overwhelming sense of warmth and joy and peace.
"Taro?"
"Hm?" Asami sat up, and Taro looked over at her, wondering what was on her mind.
"Demons don't have last names, do they?" she asked.
"No," he replied. "It's considered very human to don a surname."
"Huh. What a strange thing." She held his hand still, splaying his palm and tracing her fingers along the lines there. "I've always been taught that last names are very important. They denote pedigree, profession, the age of a family. It's been especially so since Mother has had me looking at potential marriage candidates."
Taro stiffened at her words, his hand almost sliding out of her grip, but she held fast, not meeting his eyes. Her gaze was focused on where they were still touching, and he thought she might be trembling just the slightest bit.
"Well," he said, trying his best to smile, "If you're looking for pedigree and the age of a family, I doubt there's a human family alive that can beat mine."
"Is that so?" she asked him, still not meeting his eyes.
"My mother is the ruler of an entire country in Demon World. Our family stretches back thousands of years." Taro hadn't thought about his mother and father in decades, a familiar dull ache settling into the back of his head at their mention.
"Ah, I see," Asami said, nodding her head. "I'm sure if we tell my mother that, she'll be fine." She looked up at him then, smiling. "I can just imagine the look on her face."
"That old hag could use a good shock," Taro grumbled. As soon as the words left his mouth, he regretted them. "Ah, that is…."
"It's all right," Asami said, shrugging. "I can't expect you to like her when she's been nothing but unkind to you. Sometimes, even I don't like her. However, she is my mother. I owe her my very existence."
"Then I've one thing to thank her for," Taro said, taking his free hand and sliding his fingers through Asami's hair.
"I don't recommend it," she replied. "You might lose your tongue for the effort."
He laughed, and gods it felt good to laugh, pulling her close again. "Then perhaps I'll just keep it to myself."
…
They spent every night they could together without arousing suspicion. Hata had taken to standing guard, though he very much did not like the task. Taro had come to understand that Hata didn't care what his mistress did so long as it made her happy, and while the demon hated Taro with a passion, he brought Asami joy.
Taro and Asami talked. They talked for hours on end until they fell asleep in each other's arms. He went out of his way to pass by the shrine when he could, and if she was out on exorcism business, she looked for him, the two occasionally managing to get lunch together. It wasn't perfect, but it was more than either of them could have hoped for, circumstances being what they were.
This continued on for several months, but, like all good things in Taro's life, it wasn't meant to last.
On a particularly bright night, Taro and Asami were on the brink of sleep when a sound like gunshot echoed around them: Hata, breaking a large amount of bamboo stalks...the signal that trouble was heading their way. Asami leapt to her feet, Taro doing the same, the couple looking around the clearing.
"It's her," Asami gasped. "Taro, you have to leave."
"Asami, I can't leave you alone with her." He grabbed hold of her hands, saying, "Come with me. We can hide somewhere."
"She'll find me," she whispered. "Please, you have to-"
Her words were cut off by another loud sound, bamboo snapping in large swathes as Asami Takeda's mother stepped into the clearing, a look of utter disgust on her face. "How dare you," she hissed, fury in her eyes. The temperature in the area dropped by several degrees, but it wasn't Taro's doing. That chill belonged to this human woman before him.
"You come onto my land, you seduce my poor, stupid child, and you expect to get away with it?" Mrs. Takeda asked.
"It's not his fault," Asami said, stepping in front of him. "I invited him in of my own volition. The blame is entirely mine."
"That's hardly true," Taro said, gripping Asami's hand and standing at her side. "I'm complicit in this imaginary crime."
"Don't touch her." Mrs. Takeda raised a hand, beads encircling her palm and wrist. "Get your filthy hands off my daughter!"
A pressure started to push in all around Taro. He could hear, could feel the blood roaring in his ears as his skin started to ache. It felt like he was going to explode from the pain. It wasn't until Asami raised her own hand, facing her mother, that the pressure ceased, and the smell of cherry blossoms and tatami saturated the air.
"You dare defy me, child?" Asami's mother snarled.
"I refuse to let you hurt him," the daughter growled in return. "His existence in my life has made it bearable in a way nothing has before, and I won't let you take that from me."
"You foolish, foolish girl!" Mrs. Takeda increased the pressure, raising another hand, this one holding a talisman. Asami faltered, taking a step back before retrieving her own talisman, pushing back. Her mother's foot slid a few inches, but she planted it firmly, the two facing each other down. The wind picked up around them, scattering the fireflies, shredding the lotus blossoms and leaving score marks in the bamboo. None of it touched Taro, however, as he realized that Asami was shielding him somehow. Not only was she standing against her mother, but she was splitting her energy while doing it. His being here was putting her in danger.
"I love you, Taro," she said, looking back at him. There were tears in her eyes, fear written all over her face. Moving her free hand toward him, he felt the wind shift, lifting him.
"Asami!" he cried. "I love you too!" It was all he could manage before she sent him flying, hard, and fast, all the way to the entrance of the shrine. When he landed, he slid, skinning his elbows and tearing the back of his clothing. It took him a few stunned seconds to realize what had just happened. He leapt to his feet, staring at the gate he'd been flung through, his entire body sore.
Asami. Asami. Asami. He stepped forward, not entirely sure what he planned to do, but the moment his foot would have crossed into the shrine, it was instead repelled backward. Reaching a hand out, the same thing happened. Slowly, it occurred to him what this meant: he couldn't get into the shrine.
Terror slid through him like sludge, filling his lungs, plugging up his veins, clouding his mind. The look on Asami's face when she'd sent him away was enough to make him sick with worry, and the thought that he couldn't even reach her when she might be in danger was driving him insane. He rammed his shoulder into the barrier, getting pushed back a few steps. He did it again and again, ignoring the bruise forming, the soreness of his muscles, the tears in his eyes.
"Stop that," a voice hissed, making him jump. He looked up to see Hata staring at him from the other side, a dark look in his eyes. "You're not going to save anyone that way."
"Hata," Taro gasped, his voice choked with so many emotions. "Hata, she found Asami. She-"
"I know," Hata said, his expression dark. "Taro, it would be best if you did not come here for a little while."
"W-what?" What was Hata saying? It didn't make sense.
"We have no way of knowing just what that woman has planned for Asami. Until I can assess the situation, don't come back. I will find you."
"Hata," Taro said, pressing a hand against the barrier. It tried to repel him, but he forced it to stay through sheer force of spirit. "Hata, I can't lose her."
"Then steel yourself," Hata replied. "A storm is coming." With that, he left, and Taro was completely and utterly alone.
When he made it home, he took an incredibly long bath, his muscles aching and burning in the hot water. That night, he forced himself to sleep, Asami's terrified face and Hata's words echoing in his mind. A storm is coming. And he and Hata would be the stormbringers.
…
A week passed. An agonizing, heartbreaking, gut wrenching week. Taro threw himself into his work, as hard as he could, in order to distract himself from the void in his chest. Asami needed him, but all he could do was wait for a demon who may never come. Why would he? Hata hated Taro. All Taro could do was hope he hated Mrs. Takeda more. It was poor consolation, and he tried not to think about it when possible.
One night, when Taro was at home, pouring over work, a servant knocked on the door to his office.
"What is it?" Taro asked, not looking up from his papers.
"A Master Hata to see you," the imp demon told him.
Taro knocked his desk over when he got to his feet, his eyes locking with Hata's as the other demon stepped into the room. "Leave us," Taro said to the imp who bowed his way out of the room, closing the door behind him. Silence fell, thick and heavy as Taro stared at Hata, mentally begging the man to speak.
After an unbearable amount of time, Hata pulled a small, rounded piece of reflective glass from his pocket, passing it to Taro. He took it, looking at the smooth, polished surface. When Hata tapped the back, the glass rippled, slowly showing an image. It was...Asami. She was laying on the floor of a dark, dingy room, her clothes torn and filthy, bags under her eyes. She looked thin, like she hadn't eaten since he left her.
Wordlessly, Taro passed the glass back to Hata, raking a hand through his hair. After a long moment, he said, "She's locked away?"
"In a room deep in the heart of the shrine. Mrs. Takeda has reinforced it with wards, incense, talismans, barriers, everything she can manage in order to keep Asami trapped." Hata said the words like he was reciting a laundry list, but Taro could see how tense the man was, his hands balled into fists. "Asami is far more powerful than her mother when physically and mentally sound, but at present, she is neither. We're going to need to get her out."
"How?" Taro asked. "I'm not a strong demon. My ice powers won't be enough." He held up a hand, palm up, an ice shard forming there. It was hard not to imagine plunging it straight through Mrs. Takeda's heart, but demons killing humans was still illegal, even if the opposite wasn't true. Spirit World was full of cold-hearted assholes.
"I have a plan," Hata told him. "You may not be strong, but I am." At this, Taro took a step back, wondering if his suspicions about Hata were about to be proven correct. Hata pressed a closed right hand into an open left one, holding it in front of him in a salute Taro had seen many times before. Suddenly, the air around them was supercharged with demonic energy, so much that it bowled Taro back, making him collide with his overturned desk.
That power. "That's S Class," Taro said, looking up at Hata in awe and fear. "Who...who are you?"
"I used to serve as one of Raizen's men," Hata said. "However, I chose to live here, in Living World, in order to protect Mistress Asami. By suppressing my demonic power, I've been able to stay here, hidden from Spirit World."
"Then," Taro said, "by revealing yourself like this, you've given away your position."
"Being forced to return to Demon World is a small price to pay for her happiness," Hata replied.
Taro got to his feet, brushing himself off as Hata's energy relaxed a bit. "You love her," Taro stated.
At that, Hata smiled. "She's like a daughter to me," he told the ice apparition. "She's so young, so headstrong and foolish. However, her heart is in the right place, and I want her to be happy." He took a step forward, saying, "I need your help to save her, but on one condition."
"Anything," Taro replied, unhesitating.
"Promise me you'll keep her safe. That she'll never want for anything and that you'll never leave her alone."
"I promise," Taro replied.
"Good. Then let's get started."
…
It wasn't a foolproof plan. One single slip up from either of them would ruin everything, but this was the best they could come up with. Taro just had to hope it would work.
Snow was unusual for early fall, especially when it had been far above freezing previously. The clouds overhead were so thick they blocked out the moon entirely, and the world was plunged into deep darkness. It wasn't a large snowstorm. Taro hadn't exercised his demonic powers in a very long time, so he didn't quite have the strength for that. Not that he needed it. This snow was localized over the shrine, dusting the paths, the grass, the trees, in a thin layer of white powder.
Hata stood at the front gate, waiting for Taro to arrive. Once the demons were together, Hata said, "Are you sure you can handle this?"
"Plenty sure," Taro replied. "What's a little kidnapping between friends?"
"That might be the most entertaining thing you've ever said." Hata smirked, and Taro rolled his eyes as the other demon pressed his hands against the barrier, ripping it apart like it was made of tissue. "In and out," Hata said, as a particularly harsh gust of cold air hit them. "More snow."
"Right," Taro said. He'd committed a map of the shrine to memory, including where Asami was being kept, so once the way was clear, he started to run. The snow was coming down hard now, a veritable whiteout, but that had never been a problem for the ice demon. He was snow and ice and everything that came with it. Even as the drifts began to pile up to his knees, he walked through them as though they did not exist.
It was getting colder and colder, so much so that it would be hard for normal humans to function. Thankfully, Asami wasn't a normal human. Unfortunately, neither was her mother. The hope was that Hata could draw her attention while Taro found Asami. With any luck, the sheer amount of snow would be unsurpassable by anyone other than himself.
When Taro found the right building, he began the long, painful process of ripping down the wards and talismans. They burned his hands, even through the gloves he was wearing, but after a while, the skin was so black he could no longer feel the pain. His hands might take months to recover, if they ever did, but he'd been prepared for this.
Once enough of them were ripped away that he could safely enter, he did so, the small outbuilding setting him on edge. It was rife with spiritual energy, both familiar and foreign to him. It was so dark inside, and it took his eyes a few seconds to adjust, as he whispered, "Asami?"
A whimpering sound caught his ear, and he turned, eyes wide as he saw her, cowering in a corner. She looked every bit as miserable as what Hata had showed him, and he had to suppress the murderous rage that flowed through him for her mother. He raced over to her, saying, "Asami? Asami, it's me, Taro." She didn't respond, just shivered from the cold and from fear. "Hey." He pulled her slowly, so slowly, into his arms, wishing he didn't feel so cold. "I'm here, Asami."
Her gaze swept over him, and he let out a relieved sigh as her eyes focused on him and a spark of recognition flitted across them. "T-taro," she whispered, smiling slightly.
Thank all the gods. "Asami, I'm going to get you out of here, okay? And then you can stay with me."
She nodded, resting her head against his chest. "You're so warm," she mumbled, and he almost laughed. Was he warmer than the frigid air? "It's fall, but it's so cold."
"You know," he told her, scooping her up and cradling her in his arms as he made his way to the door, "you never asked me what kind of demon I am."
"It didn't seem important," she said, her voice soft. "You never asked me what kind of human I am, did you?"
He smiled, saying, "I don't think that's quite the same." When they stepped out into the night, the snow was up to his waist. He carried Asami through it as though it didn't exist, dialing back the snow that was falling so that it wouldn't accumulate on Asami and freeze her any further than she already must have been.
"Snow this time of year," she said, holding out a hand as though she hadn't a care in the world. A snowflake settled on her fingertip, and she smiled softly. "I love it."
"Me too," Taro replied as they walked as fast as Taro could, further and further from this place. He made it to the front gates, where Hata was waiting when a gust of wind hit him, trying to push him back. "Dammit," he grunted. "So close."
"Come on!" Hata shouted over the wind, reaching out for them.
Taro tried to pick up his feet, but the sudden gale whipping around him was too strong. Mrs. Takeda must have noticed Asami was missing. The game was over, and he'd been so very close. I can't let her have Asami. I have to….
As quickly as it had come, the gusts ceased, making Taro stumble forward, barely managing to keep his footing. Asami had her hands wrapped tightly around something, and he could just make out the scent of cherry blossoms and straw. Despite how exhausted she must have been, Asami Takeda still had the strength to fight back.
Taro ran as best he could, almost colliding with Hata on the other side. Hata closed the barrier at last, and the three left the premises, Hata taking Asami so that they could run. When they finally stopped, they were at Taro's home and so far beyond tired that they all would have crashed immediately if there wasn't a bit more work to be done.
Taro laid Asami in a room of her own, letting her sleep before he returned to Hata in the entryway. "She's going to find us," Taro said, his body aching with exhaustion.
"I'll take care of that as long as I can," Hata replied. "I'm sure I'll get a visit from Prince Koenma soon, asking that I return to Demon World. Until then, please, permit me to serve you and my mistress."
"Of course," Taro replied. His dislike of Hata had faded away a long time ago, and after tonight, he knew he would trust the man with his own life. "Thank you."
"Don't thank me unless we get away with this," Hata told him. "You're going to have to marry her very very soon. It's the only way you can keep her here without her family interfering."
"Right," Taro said. "I have every intention of doing so."
"One last thing before I fall to sleep where I stand," Hata said, reaching in his pocket and handing Taro a thick, folded piece of paper.
Taro unfolded it, raising an eyebrow at Hata. In his hands was the deed to Takeda Shrine and its land. "How did you get this?"
"Consider it a wedding present," he said, completely sidestepping the question. "Now, if you'll excuse me." He bowed before walking away, disappearing into the dark of the hallway.
Regarding the paper for a long moment, he leaned against the wall, sliding down it until he was sitting on the floor. That would likely be where he slept that night, as he didn't have the strength to get to his feet again. What he did have, however, was a brief respite. In his long, miserable life, he now had a bright spot, a chance at happiness.
All he could hope was that it would last.
A/N: I'm not going to lie, everything about this story was a surprise to me. I just told myself one day I wanted to know two things: How Taro and Asami got together and what kind of people they would have been back then. I didn't even recognize this Taro, and I'm sure a lot of you are feeling the same way. Looking at this just makes me think of how badly Asami's death messed him up. This only broke my heart a little x.x
There's so much to parse through here, so I'm not even going to try. There's a metric eff ton of foreshadowing and a lot of information. I'm always game to answer any questions this monster of a chapter might bring up, as long as they aren't spoilery.
I also wanted to clarify something someone brought up about the last chapter. Hide is attracted to violence, whether inflicted by himself or someone else. So, Asaki killing someone was attractive because it was violent. It had nothing to do with her committing the act and everything to do with the act itself. Seeing her covered in blood at the end essentially flipped a switch in his head. He had to see it again and again and again. Bonus points if he gets to be the cause.
Thanks to everyone for reading, and a special thanks to YourHomeGirlJen, YukinaBlueRose, Lestatsgirl15, and a guest for the reviews!
