Children Learning the Secret Knock
Joey Sharkbait
2020
[Soundtrack: "Skrying" by Mudvayne]
[Kagura's point of view.]
Our last day together without Naraku passed by far too quickly for my liking. Or hers, I could say as well. Sango awoke that morning from a very fitful, restless sleep; nightmares plagued her soul. She was stricken by such panic and could not fall back to sleep. I was able to prepare her some tea and a sleeping poultice that helped a little but she still did not rest well.
Sango was scared to be in pain again. She was sad that her injuries had mostly healed by now, likely all for naught. She was afraid he would see the marks I left on her. She was terrified of what he would do if he saw her self-inflicted wounds on her arms. Sango was scared her brother would not be returning with the group.
Naraku returned early that afternoon. We did not offer him and the others a welcoming party of any sorts, so he spontaneously created one of his own which consisted of sicking Rouge on both of us. We won that fight, despite Rouge branding each of us with a newly acquired blade and complimentary fireball. If I wasn't mistaken, Rouge did not fight us as vigorously as she had in the past, especially Sango. I wondered if it had to do with Sango's apparent resemblance to Rouge's deceased sister, Ami.
Rouge did not hold back from me at all and as a result, I'd claimed many burns that afternoon. Rouge faltered, however, when Sango came to my defense. The taijiya was able to pierce the bitch's shoulder with a katana. While she was distracted, I escaped and created a small tornado. Unfortunately, the tornado ended up claiming both Rouge and Sango, who fought within it. The tornado soon caught fire from one of Rouge's poorly placed fireballs and luckily I was able to redirect the small twister to the koi pond where it was doused and eliminated.
Satisfied with the show, Naraku was actually the one who pulled both of them from the water. As expected, he was less careful with Sango, roughly pushing her to the ground once she was on land. He simply dropped Rouge's unconscious form on the bridge and pulled the katana out of her shoulder. As I approached, Naraku quickly turned the blade on me and ordered me to "clean her up", motioning toward Rouge. Sango tried to tag along with me while I tended to Rouge's injuries but Naraku stopped her, instead taking her with him.
The next time I saw Sango, she was being shoved through my doorway by Naraku. "Here, take your demon slayer back, Kagura." She hit the floor, landing on her hands and knees, breathing heavily and shaking. Naraku sneered, "keep a better eye on her. She's no good to me dead. The little bitch apparently enjoys flirting with suicide. Can't imagine why."
I could not get a good look at my friend just yet but from what I could tell, she had several fresh cuts on her arms; there was no way those were self-inflicted. Sango briefly looked up at me, still keeping her head low. I glimpsed a black eye and two small cuts on her nose and chin.
Naraku produced a small silver blade and without any warning threw it at me like it was a shuriken star. I dodged the attack just in time, hearing the sound of the dagger lodging itself in the wall behind me. Blood dripped down the wall from the weapon; the handle was also a lovely shade of crimson to match.
"Make sure that finds its way back to its rightful owner, as well. Our taijiya guest also appears to have a penchant for thievery…" My hanyou sire held up his bloodied hand and wiped the substance on his kimono. I noticed there was a fresh stab wound in his shoulder. Thatta girl, Sango… It was hard to hide the grin that was threatening to appear on my face upon my realization that she had not only managed to somehow steal Rouge's new dagger; she also managed to assault Naraku with it as well.
Naraku looked from Sango to me, crimson eyes narrowed. "At midnight, I want you to bring a horde of yokai to Inuyasha, my treat. He's getting too close to our new abode for my liking."
"But, sir, I thought you wanted him to find us at some point…" I said, questioning his statement and remembering his loose plan to use Sango to lure Inuyasha and the others here. I theorized that he would likely try to separate their group further and take another captive if possible. Or just use Rouge to kill someone off. She could be a bloodthirsty monster, it seemed.
"I do, Kagura, just not right now…" Something was off… Hmm… "Deal with her and then make your preparations." He shot me one last distrustful glance before sliding the door shut. On his way out, I noticed another well-positioned wound and bloody smear on his back. I allowed myself to smile finally, very proud of Sango's actions against our abuser.
"That motherfucker…" I muttered, finally making my way over to Sango. I crouched down beside her and put my hand on her back. She flinched and ducked her head at the contact. My metaphorical heart broke at the sight.
"…I got him once, for you…" Sango stated, a slight tremor in her voice. I looked to the door, trying to judge if Naraku had left or if there was a chance he was still lurking. My paranoia got the better of me and I actually went to check. All clear. I returned to Sango's side and carefully pulled her into an embrace.
"I'm proud of you, my dear…" I ran my hand through her hair and she buried her face in my shoulder, crying silently.
"I still wasn't strong enough…" she mumbled her words of defeat against me.
"But you still got him a few times," I couldn't help but smile a little. "Looks like you fucked him up pretty good."
Sango finally pulled away and wiped her eyes. A weak laugh escaped her. "I stabbed him twice… caught him off guard. I don't think he expected me to have a weapon…" As she lowered her hands, I saw the extent of her injuries. In addition to the black eye and cuts, fresh bruises were also present on the right side of her face and around her neck. "…I sliced him up pretty badly before he disarmed me…"
"What did he do to you…?" I could feel anger rising in my chest. I had a feeling Naraku did not take too kindly to her surprise attack.
The taijiya looked away from me, tears welling in her gorgeous brown eyes once more. "He was not thrilled about my retaliation…" She took a deep breath. "I think he was even more upset when he saw my arms…" I took her hands in mine and examined her forearms. The bandages were gone, revealing the prominent red scabbing leftover from her attempt on her life. New cuts and bruises also peppered her fair skin like some kind of sick masterpiece.
"Kagura," said Sango, her voice breaking, "I fought him until I couldn't fight anymore… It wasn't enough!"
I slowly stood up, bringing her with me. I held her for a moment before walking her into the bathroom so I could draw her a bath and begin tending to her injuries. As I laid out the medical supplies, I caught a glimpse of Sango as she undressed. Her wounds were more severe than she led me to believe, as she was still able to walk with little assistance.
Sango had several thin lacerations on her back, chest, and legs. Deep maroon bruising was present around her neck, leading me to believe Naraku had at least attempted to choke her at some point. The skin on her left shoulder and surrounding areas was burned quite badly from our fight with Rouge earlier. I felt a twinge of guilt; I had also been subjected to Rouge's flames, having took a fireball directly to the stomach earlier, and my own skin was already healing due to my demonic ability to regenerate.
My anger spiked when I saw the bruising on her slender hips and the small amount of blood between her legs trickling down her inner thighs. The mere acknowledgement of what Naraku had more than likely just done to Sango created a primal rage within me that I had never experienced before. I had quickly developed a surprising romantic inclination toward this girl after Naraku and the others left us. Sango was my first real friend and so much more than that. She was a light at the end of the tunnel for me, a symbol of what I could escape to and who I could become. She was a safe haven in this nightmare of my existence.
I wanted to kill the monster who did this to her; I wanted to end his miserable life in the worst way imaginable! Naraku deserved absolutely no sympathy from me or anyone else. His actions were despicable and he was far too cruel. Especially to commit such atrocities against someone like Sango…
Sango had shown me true kindness and friendship. She was a model of bravery and truth. She so easily came to my defense on more than one occasion, completely selfless and unafraid of the repercussions of doing so. It pained me to know part of the harsh truth behind her actions; she loved everyone else far more than she loved herself. I wondered how long she had been that way.
She took her time in the bath, avoiding the hot water near the new burn on her shoulder. In the meantime, I was able to mix aloe and some pain-reducing herbs together to create a burn-treatment. Sango hesitantly allowed me to apply the salve to her damaged skin, once she left the water and dried off. She initially stiffened at my touch; I did not take her learned reaction personally but it hurt nonetheless. As I applied the medicine to her shoulder blade, I noticed she still had traces of my own nail marks on her back.
"Do you think he suspects anything?" I asked, tracing the small marks on her skin with my fingertips. The thought of Naraku discovering the depth of our… relationship… disturbed me deeply. I had no idea how he would react to such a thing; I only estimated that it would entail violence, possibly the death of one of us. Most likely me.
"I do not believe so…" the taijiya answered softly. She shivered and held a towel to her chest. "We were careful enough…"
Demons have a much keener sense of smell than humans. Even half-demons have heightened senses. I was very careful the day leading up to Naraku's return; we both bathed at least twice after our last… union… And I made sure Sango used my healing salve on the love marks I left on her neck and shoulders. I hated that she had to hide that. The marks she left on me would heal in a day's time or less. It almost saddened me. If not for Naraku's hideous existence to worry about, I think I would happily show off the human woman's recent claim on me.
My disembodied heart yearned even more for freedom. My own liberation and that of Sango's especially. Freedom to hate and love as so desired.
But what would that freedom bring us?
Would she stay by my side or go back to the monk with the cursed hand?
I could not blame her if she did.
I was a demon; she was a human. We were both female.
From my somewhat-limited knowledge of higher-level demon customs and culture (if you could even call it that), I knew that it was completely acceptable to have a same-gender relationship. Or even have multiple relationships at the same time. Such relationships seemed to be frowned upon by most humans. Demons were more concerned with overall rank, class, and abilities in a potential mate. Personality, loyalty, honor, and prestige were more important, it seemed. Hence the existence of half-demons like Inuyasha…
Out of the corner of my eye, I watched Sango dress. She caught me and I quickly looked away, a small sensation of heat filling up my cheeks. The demon slayer walked over to me and offered her hands. I took them and she pulled me to my feet. I stood before her, taking in her beauty in the low light. In spite of her injuries, Sango was still very beautiful.
Sango placed her hands on my shoulders and moved a little closer to me. The light from the lanterns in the corners of the room illuminated her facial features, highlighting her cheekbones and jawline, drawing my attention to her full pink lips and the shy smile half formed there. Flames wildly danced within the paper lanterns; the fire's unpredictable movement briefly lit up the room, the shadows and highlights formed of it reflected in her eyes, momentarily making her irises this gorgeous honeyed amber color.
"You're still pretty, Sango." I couldn't help myself.
A blush filled her cheeks and she broke our eye contact, clearly embarrassed. "Kagura…"
I put my hands on her hips and pulled her close. "I wish you could see yourself as I do."
"Maybe one day… It'll take some time, though…"
Our eyes locked once more and I could see the pain and uncertainty in her golden-brown hues. She had been through so much. I could unfortunately say with confidence that I was quite sure that every terrible thing that could happen to a person had happened to Sango. Her young life was already so filled with grief and trauma. I wished I could take it all away…
"Kagura…" She spoke so quietly. I loved the way my name sounded leaving her lips. It was endearing, the shyness and modesty that still characterized her romantic notions, despite everything she had been through that could poison those qualities.
Sango gingerly planted a small, soft kiss on my lips. I pulled her close as she did so, reveling in the feeling of her quickened mortal heartbeat against my hollow chest. Her scent overwhelmed my senses; that akin of lavender and cool water. She made a small noise as I rubbed her back; her initial tense posture soon melted into me. I closed my eyes, wishing we could stay like this forever.
Hands, like secrets, are the hardest things to keep from you…
I pulled away from her slowly; I had to stop. The taijiya did not protest, she simply held onto me and rested her chin on my shoulder. I prized myself at my restraint; my feelings for her seemed to grow stronger with each passing day. I was still inwardly seething at the thought of Naraku laying his foul hands on her.
The mortality and apparent humanity in me longed for her gentle touch and her heart's reciprocation of my feelings. My heart currently desired nothing more than to make her smile and feel beautiful as she was, as she should ("Still pretty…"). My brain willed me to lay caution to the wind (how fitting…) and take it slow. The devil in my bloodstream wanted to claim her and mark her forever as mine (I briefly imagined sinking my fangs deep into her neck; that was too much for now…). I shifted in her hold, violently pushing the latter thought away.
The compromise that was my soul decided silently upon all of those things to varying degrees…
I departed the castle that night, only after Sango had fallen asleep, tucked safely into my bed. I highly doubted Naraku would come for her tonight, given his earlier contentment and concealed surprise that she had attacked him first. I floated through the night sky on the safety of my feather, imagining fleetingly that I was traveling through the stars, maybe on escape to the moon…
The horde of lesser demons about twenty or so paces behind me made the most wretched of noises during our flight. I recognized their utility as cannon fodder and I could loosely agree with Naraku on that facet. However, their employment still felt below me. Unlike Naraku, I had no qualms with fighting for myself. I hated toting around this filth and bidding it haste to attack in my name.
What felt like hours later, I picked up Inuyasha's scent finally, along with the strange mixture of his companions. Soon enough, I had a visual on the silver-haired hanyou; he sat on the roof of a derelict shack in the middle of a clearing in the woods, no doubt on his shift of watching the perimeter.
"Inuyasha!" I cried out his name and led the horde of demons low, toward our target.
The half-demon awoke and with a quickness, did a somersault backward off the roof. He came charging around the front, tetsusaiga glowing in his hands. The monk and the miko were quick to join him, soon followed by the fox kit riding atop their hellcat in its larger form. It was so odd to see them battle ready without the taijiya in their ranks. I felt somewhat guilty, even though it was not my decision to kidnap Sango. I was not even aware of my being a diversion during the battle that fateful night…
"Kagura!" yelled Inuyasha. "Where's Sango? What have you all done with her?!"
I flew high on my feather, making way for the cannon fodder behind me to fly full speed at my opponents. I had no desire to hurt any of them, not really. Although it would be hard to squash my temper should I end up injured by one of them. But, I had to remain civil. They were [hopefully] allies. Eventually. I just had to get their buy-in.
"WIND SCAR!" A flash of light appeared, with a fault in the ground. I was able to move out of the way quickly enough; at least half of the demons, however, were not so fortunate.
From even higher, I watched the futile battle below. Miroku took out a handful of demons with sacred sutras and finished off his last opponent with a scroll to the forehead and decapitation with his staff. Kagome's arrows also felled many of the demons; a possibly stray arrow even made it high enough to nearly hit me. Inuyasha and Kirara clawed their way through the vast remainder of the horde; demon chunks and innards littered the ground around them. The very last trio of demons met their end in a blast of foxfire courtesy of Shippo.
"Kagura! Get down here and fight!" yelled Inuyasha.
"Yeah!" Shippo threw in his piece. "What have you done with Sango?"
I lowered my feather, feeling my anxiety heighten. I was unsure at this point if I would be leaving here in one piece, if at all. The tightness in my chest increased and their collective angry features became clearer as I drifted closer…
They can't kill me. I know Sango's location.
I landed more gracefully than planned and tucked my feather safely in back in my hair. Seconds after my descent, and not all that surprisingly, I felt a fist come into contact with the side of my face. Soon after, I was tackled to the ground by Miroku.
"Where is she?!" the monk put his hands on my shoulders and violently shook me. Inuyasha stood menacingly over me, sword raised ever so slightly. Kagome was at his right, bow and arrow raised. I could hear Kirara emitting a low growl from somewhere behind my assailants.
"She's safe, for now." It was not entirely a lie… Sango was safe for the time being. I would not leave her in any imminent danger, at least.
Miroku surprised me with another blow to the face. I thought monks were supposed to detest violence… "Where is she? We know she's with Naraku!"
I turned my head and spit out a small amount of blood. "Sango is indeed at Naraku's new abode. I can assure you she is in no immediate danger, currently."
"Currently?" asked Miroku.
"She's alive…"
"Where?" His grip on my shoulders tightened.
I was drawing a blank. All of a sudden, I could not remember the directions back to the castle. It was as if the memory was erased from my mind. I tried my best to glance around for any signs of Naraku's spying saimyosho…
"Your clock is ticking, Kagura…" Inuyasha sneered over Miroku's shoulder, his grip on the tetsusaiga increasing. I noticed out of my peripheral vision that Kagome had slowly been lowering her arrow this whole time.
"I know that!" I snapped, beginning to panic. They may just kill me anyway. They seemed pretty upset, rightfully so.
Miroku pulled his fist back as if he was about to strike me again. I closed my eyes, anticipating the pain.
"Wait," Kagome chimed in.
"What?" asked Inuyasha and Miroku, simultaneously.
"She's not even putting up a fight," observed the miko, "She hasn't this whole time."
"What do you mean?" asked Inuyasha. "She set the demons on us!"
"I did what I had to," I answered. "I have no intention of actually fighting you!"
The three looked to one another, quizzical expressions on their faces. After a long and painful silence with tension in the air so thick it could be cut with Inuyasha's sword, Kagome and the half-demon backed off and Miroku lessened his restraint on me.
Miroku stood up. The group surrounded me. I stayed low, knowing my place.
Kirara forced her way between Miroku and Kagome. The hellcat stared into my eyes, growling lowly. She cautiously approached me, sniffing my clothes. She circled me a few times like a vulture overhead. If I had my heart, surely it would be trying to beat out of my chest right now. I did not even want to breathe…
I felt the cat's snout on my hand, expecting to be bitten. Shortly after, she forced her head under my palm and rested her chin on my thigh. Kirara then laid down. I could have fainted. Kirara probably smells Sango on me…
"Kirara?!" cried Shippo. "What are you doing?!"
I was at a loss for words. Sango's demon cat companion probably just saved my life, or at least spared me a most brutal beating.
"Maybe Kagura really is not here to fight…" offered Miroku. He crouched down beside me and the demon cat and began patting her back. In return, Kirara rubbed her cheek against me and purred softly. The cat seemed almost sad.
"Kirara seems to agree with that," stated Kagome.
I reticently patted Kirara's head. "I come in peace; I promise you my life on it."
"You better," threatened Inuyasha. He sheathed his sword. "Start talking."
I didn't even know where to begin. Or where to end… What was permissible information from the start? Be it from Naraku's blinding spell clouding my brain or from honoring Sango's privacy enough to not disclose her trauma. That would probably end in my death as collateral.
"As aforementioned, Sango is safe but she is at Naraku's new castle," I chose my words carefully. "Naraku himself just returned from an excursion up North, seeking more jewel shards and who knows what else. In his company now is the last descendant of the Northern fire demons. She is brainwashed and her life hangs on that of a tainted jewel shard and bloodthirsty misplaced vengeance."
"Oh jeez, where have we heard that before?" griped Inuyasha.
"That's exactly what I said…" I concurred.
"So Naraku has a new puppet in his collection, eh?" asked the half-demon. Confidence dripped from his words and he reeked of arrogance. "So, we'll just waste her and then take out the ringleader himself. Easy enough. We've played this game before, guys…"
"Do not be so hasty, Inuyasha," I warned. "Rouge is a strong opponent. Her power rivals that of yours and your brother's."
Inuyasha growled, likely irritated by the mention of his brother. "Oh, fuck Sesshomaru…"
"Inuyasha," said Miroku, "love him or hate him, your brother is indeed very powerful…" Inuyasha cocked an eyebrow and turned to his friend. "Not to say you're not powerful—"
"Shut up, Miroku! I know what you're getting at!" Inuyasha crossed his arms and shook his head. "So, where do we go from here?"
I thought for a moment. I felt a pulse from within me. I was being summoned back already…
"I want to tell you where to find us," I stated. I stood up and reached for my feather.
"Where do you think you're going? This conversation ain't over!" yelled Inuyasha. He grabbed my wrist. I looked to him and made eye contact.
"I'm being summoned back; I cannot stay much longer…" I warned them. It was only a matter of time before Naraku sent the saimyosho to confirm my homecoming…
"Kagura," Miroku approached me and grabbed my shoulder, "we need your help. Any type of lead… anything…"
"I can only say I am here not as an enemy, but as an ally…" A confidence rose within me as I clenched my fist. The skin was already healed but I could still feel the tightness from when I cut my own skin, sealing a blood pact with Sango. My promise, with my life, that I would escape with her, by any means necessary.
I looked from the monk to Inuyasha to Kagome in the background. They were all very clearly concerned for their friend. That pulse again…
"You don't understand—I can't say anymore. I simply can't!" Their gazes hurt; helplessness was in their eyes. They were all looking to me for an answer that I simply could not give them.
I swear I could hear buzzing off in the distance.
Miroku released me only for Inuyasha to tighten his hold on my wrist and then grab my free arm, his claws nearly piercing my flesh. We locked eyes.
"Kagura, if you can't take us to Sango right now or tell us where she is, at least keep her safe. Your life depends on it." The intensity in his golden eyes pierced right through my soul.
Pulse…
"Inuyasha!" I pulled myself out of his grip. "I need to go. Now!"
"When will we be seeing you again?" asked Kagome.
Once again, my mind was blank. I began to panic, desperately wracking my brain for an answer. On an impulse and a hunch based off our geography and time it took to travel to this exact location, I came up with something finally.
"The abandoned slayer village…" I said aloud.
"What?" asked Miroku.
"In two days!" I threw up my feather, quickly mounting it in a gust of wind. "Meet me at the demon slayer village!"
I drifted to the clouds, the familiar buzz of Naraku's hell wasps singing in my ear in an unholy chorus.
That was too close.
I came in through the window of my own bedroom. The wind that came with me blew the blanket off the bed, revealing Sango, fast asleep. I watched her sleep for a moment, in silent appreciation of her beauty. A whirlwind of emotions was currently wrecking my mind. Not even an hour ago, I had accidentally planted the seed of a plot to escape. It gave me a strange sense of accomplishment, an adrenaline rush, and a slight panic.
It had to work. I had no other choice. We had to prevail…
I was slightly scared that Naraku knew somehow. But upon my return and short debrief in the courtyard, he was none the wiser. Seemed genuine enough for me. His only other instructions were to watch Sango and continue to ensure she did not make any further attempts on her life.
Sango made a small noise in her sleep and rolled over on her back. She was quick to turn on her side once more, a pained expression on her face. I sat beside her and carefully placed a hand on her shoulder. Sango whimpered and pulled away, mumbling something, still very much at least half-asleep.
"Sango…"
The taijiya thrashed in her sleep, mumbling something incoherent before turning away from me and curling up in a fetal position. I was positive she was enduring another nightmare. It was not long before she began to cry and thus woke herself up with a small scream.
"Hey," I put my arms around her and pulled her close. "I'm here…" Sango struggled against me at first, still disoriented from the nightmare and deep sleep. I loosened my hold on her as she relaxed and listened to the sounds of her soft crying. I hated seeing her cry, I hated that I could not stop the nightmares.
But now, we had a chance. Escape was a gift that may just be granted to us.
If I can secure another excursion in two days' time, unsupervised…
We stayed like that for a while, no words spoken between the two of us. No words were needed. I held her until her sobs subsided and her tears dampened the shoulder of my kimono. Eventually, she left to go relieve herself. In that time, I changed into something more comfortable to sleep in. By the time Sango returned, I was already snuggled in the safety and comfort of the blanket.
Sango stood at the side of the bed, nervously rubbing her arm. A sleepy yet abashed look graced her pale face. "I'm sorry…" she apologized, avoiding eye contact with me.
"For what?"
"Stupid nightmare…" she grumbled. "I feel so helpless, so… vulnerable… I hate this…"
"Hey, come here," I pulled the blanket back and motioned for her to lay beside me. Sango smiled weakly, a light blush visible on her cheeks. She laid beside me on her side, facing the window.
I cautiously put my arm around her, unable to stop myself. She initially tensed but did not take long to relax against me. I felt her grab my hand and hold it to her chest, interlacing our fingers together. I could feel her heartbeat.
"I have good news," I finally broke our comfortable silence.
"Yes?"
"I finally ran into your friends," I answered, holding her closer. I felt her heart rate increase slightly.
"You did? Are they ok? Are they coming here?" Sango sounded a little more awake now; I smiled at her excitement.
"Yes, they're fine," I found myself smiling. "They know you're here and you're safe, for the time being."
"Did you tell them how to find us?"
"No," I answered, feeling slightly disappointed in myself, "I couldn't. It's like the information was wiped from my mind when I tried to tell them. But… I did tell them about Rouge. And I plan on meeting them in two days, at the demon slayer village."
"Why there?" asked Sango. It was indeed a random rendezvous point. But it was the closest landmark to this vile place.
"It was the closest thing I could think of and actually mention while I was with them."
"Are you sure you'll be able to make it? What about Naraku?" asked Sango. The slightest worry was prevalent in her voice.
"I'll find a way," I answered. "Sango…" I pulled my arm away from her, resting my hand on her hip. She turned halfway to face me. "I think I'm going to get us out of here. I did not even mean to make a solid plan today, but I did. My favorite accident thus far, I suppose…"
Her face lit up at my words and she hugged me in silent thanks. I swear I could feel her energy and mood lift, even though it was so slight.
"What do we do from there?" asked Sango. She laid on top of me, one hand loosely playing with my hair, the other resting on my shoulder.
Now is as good of a time as any to disclose my recent hypothesis to her.
"So, I have been thinking…" I started, hoping I was correct in my assessment; "As you are aware, Naraku is also a half-demon and therefore has a weakened period each month. However, he gets to choose his time. Something has felt… off… with him since his return. It feels right… he has a tell. He always becomes quiet and more distant…"
"You think he will be in his weakened state soon, then?"
"I believe so… I just don't know how long until then and how long we will have when it happens." I sighed.
"That's something, at least," said Sango. She was still gently playing with my hair and I felt her shift against me, her leg now draped over my hip.
"Maybe…" I put my arm around her, rubbing the small of her back with my hand. "I just want to get out of here. To get you out of here… I promised you that."
"And I promised you the same," stated the taijiya. She left a gentle kiss on my cheek and nuzzled against my shoulder. I could feel her gentle breathing against my neck and I took in her comforting scent as she laid on me.
If only Sango knew what exactly it was that she did to me; stirring up this devious, primal energy, a burning desire to be close to her. I increased the pressure as I rubbed small circles on her back. She made a small noise of approval and held onto me a little tighter. Part of me wanted to make a move, part of me wanted to leave us be where we were, unsure of her current intentions and desiring moreso to keep our relationship a secret, for the safety of both of us.
"Kagura?" said Sango, pushing herself up enough so that we could make eye contact.
"Yes, dear?"
"Forgive me if I'm being too forward," she prefaced. "Can I kiss you again?"
I grinned. "Of course, you can."
Sango smiled, that beautiful, adorable, embarrassed smile that I was beginning to love so much. Our lips met, sparking the fire inside me and fanning the flames of passion. I wanted her; she reminded me one thousand times that I was alive and that I could feel. Her touch reminded me that I was my own person and that no matter what had happened to me in the past, against my will, I still had a choice here in the present; yielded to that, my future could hold many opportunities. My life actually seemed to matter to her.
We soon found a rhythm to our secret dance, each motion calculated and thoughtful. As much as I wanted to break skin and proudly bear her marks, I elected against it, for fear of putting either of us in danger (especially her…). I taught her well, though; many times, I felt her gently nip at my collarbone, not enough to leave any proof of our actions behind but enough to make me curse her name in small breaths.
We stopped soon enough, just after leaving our kimonos in a pile on the floor, before either of us was fully undressed. Sango was still in pain from earlier; more mental than physical, however both afflictions were present. She cried out of embarrassment and frustration. I was unsure how to comfort her at first, deciding on letting her make any further physical moves, regardless of motive. I completely dismissed my own desires for the time being, instead averting my full attention to Sango's needs and helping her address the confusion she was currently experiencing.
A compromise was reached in the form of Sango shaking in my arms roughly twenty minutes later, my hand between her legs, and my bare chest pressed against her back. She came quickly and quietly, making the smallest sounds of satisfaction as I brought about her undoing. Lovely noises…
The taijiya left briefly to clean herself up. Upon her return, she leaned in the doorway from my room to the bathroom, arms folded across her chest, messy dark brown hair falling just at her shoulders. The way the moonlight spilled into the room, illuminating her figure and highlighting her features in all the right places, nearly gave her a sense of otherworldly beauty.
You're an angel, I'm a devil…
My angel of death, it would seem.
"What?" she asked, taking note of my gaze.
I shook my head and smiled. "Nothing…"
Sango raised an eyebrow and paced over to me, her movements slow and thoughtful. She offered an apology as she rejoined me in bed. "I'm sorry…"
"No need to apologize." She never owed me any explanations for anything. This was no different. I knew she was referring to putting off the conventional sex. "You never have to apologize to me, especially for this. I will never ever make you do anything you do not want to do."
"Thank you."
We laid there on our sides, facing one another for a while. Sango gently held my hand in hers, rubbing her thumb across my knuckles. Her gaze met mine and in the right concentration of moonlight, her eyes were again that gorgeous amber color, almost like a wild sunset.
"I could get lost in your eyes…" My words slipped out; I could feel sleep threatening to take me.
Sango smiled like she didn't care; her eyes betrayed her, as did the soft kiss she left on my lips as I began to fall asleep.
Heartbeat so close to mine, and sunset colored eyes; remind me one-one-thousand times what it feels like to be alive…