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Connected
Dabi took to his feet.
The kid was vicious when she wanted to be.
He glowered down at her, "Next time try not to take my hand off. Got it?" Splintered pieces of wood covered his coat, face and partially exposed chest. If he hadn't dodged then she might've been able to destroy his entire hand.
"Ah, sorry about that!" Kagome ran up to his side. "I got a little carried away, didn't I?"
"You think?" His gaze surveyed the damage they'd left in the clearing.
Truth be told he was proud of her. He was proud of the progress she made and the lack of hesitation she now had. It was as if Kagome had found her drive. The only real problem was the fact that she had a habit of losing herself during their sparring matches. If he wasn't careful, she could easily do permanent damage to his body.
"You weren't hurt, were you?" The young woman began to search him for any sign of injuries.
Dabi closed his eyes as he felt her hands roam over his arms. They then shifted towards his chest. His mind played an entirely different scenario in his head. One that involved the bedroom and no clothes to get in their way.
If anyone walked in on them now then they would assume their relationship to be a romantic one. After all, it wasn't every day that he allowed a woman to touch him so familiarly. Even during sex, he never really liked being touched. The staples and piercings that held his flesh together were easy to damage. So he often chose to take full control to avoid any issues.
"I'm fine, kid." He grasped her hands within his palms. "Just pay attention to what you're doing in a fight. Those heroes might get pissy if you end up shattering some villain's hand or something."
Her face flushed in response.
Ah so now she noticed their position. Good, at least he knew that he wasn't the only one suffering.
His lips curled up into a smirk, "What, you enjoying something?" He tightened his grip on her hand.
When they were kids he swore up and down that he'd make her his wife. Of course that was during his 'youthful idiot' stage. He never told her that, that was his plan. Nor did he indicate that he even liked her at all. He'd been so insecure about his height back in those days that he swore that he'd only ask her to marry him once he grew taller than her. Now that he was practically towering over the woman, he still felt that slight hesitation. However the hesitation he felt was for an entirely different reason.
Dabi glanced over her flushed features.
There was a tension in the way they interacted now. Their bond no longer had the innocent attachment it once did. In its place was the slowly building tension of sexual attraction.
He took her hands within his.
He was a damned fool for coming back here.
He'd known exactly what would happen if he did. He'd get too attached again. He'd become so bonded to her that he would forsake all the goals he'd spent his adolescence working towards. Still, he'd seen the damn media firestorm that surrounded her life. No matter how far apart they were, she was always there whether she realized it or not.
He could never escape her.
"Dabi?" Azure eyes peered up at him with concern.
Kagome was never the type of woman who'd push an answer out of him. She wouldn't pester him with questions about the past she knew nothing about. She would never try to force him to her side either.
It was that caring nature that drew him to her in the first place.
Now he knew that he couldn't leave it behind.
The man lowered his mouth towards hers. She gasped at the first touch.
Whatever the future held, he'd see it through. It was entirely selfish of him, but he wanted them both.
Her and his goals.
He felt her fingers twitch within his grasp.
He no longer wanted to choose between them.