THE VILLAIN TASTES OF PEACHES.
Kagura was perplexed, an emotion she did not visit often. Yet the actions of Naraku on this day did indeed have her fully and completely perplexed, because he was... happy.
Not the normal amused attitude he got while watching others suffer, and not the almost giddy way he acts while plotting something new. No, this was a new happy, almost a normal person kind of happy.
He had given such strange orders to her and Kanna this morning, having them fetch food and things he had never once wanted before, taking it all to this specific spot up on the cliffs and practically decorating the place.
And now, if that wasn't bad enough, he was acting strange. She watched him curiously from the door frame while he sat cross-legged on a pillow at the other end of the room. The man was humming. And it was freaky as hell. Kagura didn't even know he could carry a tune.
But ever since he had started sneaking off to go see that human girl this past month, he had been less snappy with his orders then he normally was, and seemed to be taking far more care in personal grooming then she had ever seen in her few months of living.
Naraku had just returned from bathing, and was taking the time to brush his hair. Something he was normally too lazy to do most days.
"Kagura, WHAT are you staring at?" He asked suddenly, breaking her out of her thoughts.
"Sorry." She said with a slight bow. "I am merely wondering what has you in such a good mood."
He scoffed at her and tossed the brush to the side. "You are to go fetch Akane later today, take her to the place that was prepared this morning."
Okay, not really an answer, Kagura thought with a mental eye roll. But if he was going to see that girl again it must mean that he had something planned for her.
This had to be either the third or fourth time the two of them have gotten together, since the girl had agreed to TEACH Naraku about human emotions and morals. Which was insane and pointless, and Kagura was certain it was just a trick to earn her trust for some reason.
"Are you finally going to kill her?" She asked almost a bit too hopefully.
Naraku had been tying his hakama, and he paused to glare over at her. "Of course not!"
Sigh, so much for that...
"Then, if I may be so bold, what DO you have planned for the wench? Have you not been using her to gain information on Sesshomaru or something?" She further inquired, moving closer. "Surely you don't keep bringing her back just to ask all those random things and drink?"
He ran his hands through his hair and walked past her, out the door. "You may not be so bold to ask."
Kagura sighed in frustration as she watched him leave. At least he would keep the girl for a while, leaving Kagura time to go see Sesshomaru without her there, like she normally did whenever the two… visited?
…
Akane sighed while making her way to the chosen meeting place, about a half hours walk from the Bone Eaters Well, which was where Sesshomaru had dropped her off thinking her to be going home. And she had been sure that the Western Lord was long gone before slipping off into the woods and making her way south.
She felt horrible lying again about why she had to go. Lying never was her up of tea, but that had to do with her dragon side. Dragons could taste a lie in the air, and at the same time they themselves had a strong compulsion to tell the truth. It was unclean to lie. Sure, they could lie, but it was more of a ring around the truth, because if they flat out lied it was like swallowing chalk.
Thankfully, Akane was more human then dragon, which came in handy on days like this. Even if Shen kept lecturing her about deceiving her friends, and lecturing even more about the WHY of her lying to them.
But it wasn't like she could tell them she was off to go spend an afternoon with Naraku again, or that she thought she might actually be getting through to him, seeing some potential for a true change of heart.
Sesshomaru had not been pleased with her sudden leaving again. But at least he was a bit more understanding then his brother when it came to her need for going to school...
Even if that wasn't the truth today. And she had only half lied when saying she was leaving to go take a test. The test was tomorrow, and she would be heading home for it AFTER her visit with Naru today... See? Only half a lie.
But half lie or not, Shen still was none too pleased about her little unexpected friendship with the big bad spider.
The first time she had left to go see him, the older dragon yelled so much that she actually had to remove the pendant to avoid a massive headache. And now three trips later, he still didn't understand why she wanted to save Naraku from the path he was walking in life.
~What are you going to do the day he decides you've either answered all his crazy questions, or just flat out gets bored with you? I know you sense no danger or malice intent from him, but with his mood swings that can easily change.~
"I know that Shen, I've seen how easily he gets upset, and how quickly he goes back to normal as if nothing happened. But considering his origins, it's no surprise that he's a little bit of an unstable person." Akane pointed out while climbing over a fallen tree in her path, glad she had chosen to wear pants today, even if they only provided a small bit of protection from the bark she slid down.
~A LITTLE BIT? Just a little bit?! He was telling you about his last attack on Inuyasha and your friends like it was just a fun little game! HOW are you okay with that?~
She let out a deep sigh, recalling that conversation, and recalling the little fight she and Naru had because she hadn't found his story to be one bit funny.
"He was telling me as a test, watching my reaction, wondering much like you, why am I around if he does these kind of things. With his powers and mind he could easily have actually killed everyone by now, but instead he toys with people." She pointed out matter of fact, trying once more to make her point. "Naraku is an observer, he's a manipulative and forever curious spectator to humanity. What I'm trying to do, is get him to understand that he's still a PART of humanity."
~Good luck with that, he seems perfectly fine the way he is, and seems to be taking your LESSONS to be more of a challenge. Like he's daring you to change him, that or he intends to change YOU and make you just as twisted.~
Akane rolled her eyes, landing on her feet from sliding down the fallen tree and wiping herself off from the bark remnants and twigs, pulling one stuck into her jeans out and tossing it aside before walking once again.
"No, I don't think so. While he seems to enjoy bringing out my darker humor, he's not exactly trying to corrupt me, and I think he really enjoys our debates. Besides, Ryutoya gives no reaction to him, so if you don't trust MY senses then at least trust my sword." She said with a determined voice, knowing that he couldn't argue too much, since the blade at her hip always did an odd pulsing whenever she was in any real danger to get her attention.
~Fine, but he's been getting more bold with those sly little physical touches, and if he tries something you best use my power to hightail it the hell out.~
"Fiiiiiine…" She groaned, at last coming out into a small clearing, and sure enough, there was the split dead tree he had told her to find. But she was a little sad to notice that the spot was empty.
"Maybe he's late?" She mumbled.
"Do you miss him that badly?" The sound of Kagura's voice made her jump, looking up to see the woman floating over her with a bored expression.
"You gotta stop scaring me." Akane sighed with a hand over her heart, annoyed that she wasn't good enough yet to sense aura if it was above her.
Those lovely red eyes rolled as the woman flew lower to the ground. "You talk to yourself an awful lot you know, I could hear you. Even Naraku doesn't carry on a full one sided conversation by himself."
"Hello to you too, Kagura."
"Get on already." She snapped, moving lower and jerking her head away, already annoyed for no reason.
This was getting beyond frustrating. Even that first night with Naraku, whenever Kagura came into the room, for one reason or another, she had glared and been super rude. It couldn't just be because she got zapped.
"WHY do you hate me? I mean really, I have wracked my brain and have yet to find a solid reason." Akane said while flinging her hands up.
"I care nothing for you. Not even hate, why would I bother wasting energy on you for that?" The woman laughed like she was stupid, covering her lips with her sleeve.
"I call bullshit on that. Since day one, you give me the stink eye, and have been super snappy." Akane stated.
~Just leave the lady to her brooding…~
Kagura glared down at her, and Akane returned it with one of her own for the count of ten.
"Just fucking tell me already!" Akane snapped, refusing to move until this was out in the air.
"Because of how you treat him!" Kagura said without thinking, and right away looked as if she wanted to take it back. A small gasp was followed by a blush of shame.
"Him?" Akane's face scrunched up in confusion. Him who? Naraku? She thought they got along great actually…
"If I had that man's attention for half the amount of time you do I would treat him like the god he is. So how dare you, a mere human, treat him so… so… RUDE!" Kagura blushed as red as her eyes, but she glared accusingly.
Realization dawned.
"Sesshomaru." Akane stated, feeling stupid for not getting it right away, her crossed arms dropping in surprise.
"It doesn't matter." Kagura snapped with a huff, looking away again with that same haughty look.
"You do realize that Sesshomaru can be an arrogant ass with a temper right? He's not exactly perfect." Akane said with exasperation.
The wind yokai refused to respond or look at her, but she moved her feather close enough to bump into Akane's knee in a sign to get on, and she gave in with a sigh.
"I'm sorry you dislike how I treat him, but I am kind when he is, and when he is being an ass it is my nature to show just how big a bitch I can be."
Kagura said nothing as Akane got on the feather, and still nothing as the two slowly rose into the sky and began to float off at a pretty fast speed. The silence went on for a long while, and it bothered her.
~Seems the Western Lord is pretty popular. Best be careful with this one, considering how dangerous her creator is with his own jealousy.~ Shen warned, but Akane just couldn't bring herself to let this go.
She always thought the way girls became enemies because of a guy was crazy stupid to begin with.
"Kagura... can we be friends? Or at least try?" She tried, pleading with her voice from behind the woman.
"Not as long as you have what I want." Was the cold reply.
That made her blink. "You want him that bad?"
"I WANT your freedom!" Kagura yelled, looking back at Akane like she was a complete idiot, and if she could chuck her off the feather she would. "I want the freedom to go where I like, with whom I like, to choose him if I want. To just... be free."
Akane was speechless. She truly didn't know the full story with Kagura. Rumor was that Naraku had her heart, and used it to keep her faithful. So it seems those rumors were true. In truth, she felt for the woman, and wanted to help her if she could.
"I hate all who are free." Kagura added before turning back around and picking up speed enough that Akane thought she might fall off.
"Does that include Sesshy?" A long pause made Akane wonder if she actually would get tossed off for that one.
"To an extent... yes. Even him."
….….
Akane realized that they were not going to the castle after a while, but didn't bother to ask why. The conversation was clearly over with Kagura a while ago.
Thankfully, Shen had went quiet as he often did, knowing she still did not trust his secret to these two just yet, leaving Akane to her thoughts as she pondered just how to approach the topic of Kagura's freedom to Naraku without setting him off somehow…
However, surprise soon overcame Akane when she seen just where the woman intended to drop her off. It was a small field at the top of a cliff. There were patches of blue and purple wildflowers everywhere, with a dash of orange here and there. To be honest, it looked like a place that Sesshomaru would love.
He seemed to love places with a view...
But all thoughts of him vanished and Akane's breath caught when she seen Naraku down bellow.
~Oh wow…~
She agreed with that thought, because this just wasn't fair. How could a bad guy be so sweet?
Naraku had spread out a few blankets across some of the flowers and grass, right in the middle of it all, and a small feast awaited her. Bowls and platters brimming with different foods sat on a low table.
The big bad spider had made a freaking picnic for her.
Naraku walked up to the floating feather, took her hands and pulled her into his arms bridal style. It was fucking amazing, but embarrassing too, because nobody had ever held her this way. She was a thick curvy girl, and the fact he didn't wince or drop her was a pleasant surprise. Both he and Sesshy handled her like she was nothing at all.
Damn that yokai strength… And damn her because she found it kinda hot. Naraku was so close that his autumn scent filled her lungs with each breath.
"Straight out of a movie. Hot damn." She breathed out in English, feeling herself flush and feel so girly that she wanted to hide her face, but refused to give in to it.
Her random English caused him to look down at her with a very cute confused expression. "It bothers me to no end that I never know what you say in that tongue."
Gawd, he was adorable sometimes.
"Then stay bothered." She teased playfully while wrapping an arm around his neck. "You're cute when bothered."
"Such a flirt, little dragon." There was that wicked handsome smile again as he leaned his forehead against hers for a brief moment.
"Says the man who's holding me." Was her quick reply, making Shen groan in disapproval.
With a warm laugh, Naraku placed her on her feet and turned to Kagura, all kindness evaporating as his voice once more took on that dark orderly tone. "Be back by sundown to take her as close to the village as you can without being noticed by Inuyasha."
The woman glared, but left without a single word.
Naraku turned to Akane with a raised eyebrow, back to being playful and amused. "I simply love the effect you have on that one." He said smoothly while pointing over his shoulder at Kagura's fading figure in the sky.
She laughed, even though she felt bad about having the woman hate her for something she couldn't change.
Naraku suddenly frowned and touched her arm with a surprising gentleness. "What is wrong?"
Akane blinked, coming out of her thoughts. "Hmm?"
"Something troubles you. I can tell by the look and the unusual sound of that laugh, it wasn't your normal one."
~That is… Amazingly observant of him.~
Again, she agreed, and did her best to toss her sad thoughts away and focus on the now. "Oh. Just thinking of Kagura, that's all."
He humphed at her. "Why?"
She stepped back, fixing her hair from the flight and looking him over while trying to figure the best way to go about it. Naraku was a bad guy first and foremost, and a selfish child second. Thinking of others was a new thing for him to learn, and he was only just starting with her. But she wanted to test the waters a little at least.
"Have any plans of ever letting her go free? Even after you get the Jewel?" Akane asked with caution.
Naraku crossed his arms. "No."
She could tell by the tone and the cold look in his eyes that it was something he was not going change his mind on, so she chose to save it for a time when he was more open to suggestion. After all, he had done something nice today, so something she was doing was working.
"Sooo, what's with the food?" She changed the subject, and was relieved to see him relax once more.
"You gave me a gift not long ago." He waved to the spread before them. "This feast is yours in return."
"Naru, this is way more then a box of tea."
"I get to eat it too, so it's not ALL for you, but the whole idea was with you in mind." Naraku laughed.
She followed him over and they both sat down on a purple and black blanket, the scent of the surrounding wild flowers was invasive in a good way. She knew that when she left this place the smell would be on her clothes.
"Really, this is very sweet of you."
Nobody at home would have been so nice. Clearly, he was making some progress. Maybe she could save him. And save Kagura in the process too.
"To be honest, I don't know what half this stuff is." He grinned like crazy, looking almost bashful at her praise while avoiding her eyes. "But I was hoping to get something you would like. That was the reason behind my food questions the last time we met."
Oh, there was plenty she liked. Sesame beef, fried rice, yakisoba, what looked like red bean buns, and some kind of chicken veggie mix. And for dessert of course...
"Gotta have peaches." She teased, knowing that it was one of the few things he enjoyed eating.
Naraku gave a shy half smile. "And the tea you gave me." He pointed to the steaming pot by his side.
"You liked it I hope?"
"Indeed."
"What, no sake' today?" She couldn't help but fake pout, seeing as how drinking together seemed to be how they almost always ended their visits.
"I wanted to try your company while sober again and see if you are half as amusing as I recall."
"Very wise. You always get drunk and end up laying on me by the end of things."
"Not that you ever complain of my using your lap for a pillow, and you are almost always as drunk as me."
Akane snorted and rolled her eyes. "Only tipsy, Naru-honey. I have yet to get fully drunk with you. Someone needs a clear head after all."
"My, my, that might be fun then, to see you fully drunk. Considering what a pleasure you are at tipsy..."
"OH, so you only find me fun with alcohol then?" She huffed while watching him slowly get down on the blanket, legs stretched out and crossed while leaning back on his hands and letting the sun warm his face, looking content.
"That is what today is for my dear, to see if we get along just as splendidly without it." He responded with a chuckle, patting the spot next to him by the table.
Akane couldn't help but smile as she joined him, the ground surprisingly soft with the thick grass and layered blankets beneath them. Carefully she removed her sword and gently placed it beside her as she always did, her own sign to Naraku that she trusted him.
"So, my friend, what is the number one question for today huh? And if you ask me the meaning of life again, I swear I'll give you such a pinch!" She giggled, recalling the one time she had pinched him when they were drinking.
Naraku looked horrified at the thought, shaking his head hard enough to make that mass of dark seaweed hair fly all around him. "No, no! Absolutely no questions of that kind today my dear, I rather avoid those little claws of yours. This time, if you are willing, I am MOST curious about where you come from. It vexes me beyond measure that I can't go through that strange well-"
"YOU TRIED?!" Akane yelped, dread taking quick hold at the thought of Naraku randomly going to the future.
~Oh wonderful… just what the modern age needs.~ Shen whined, and she almost jumped at him in her head.
"Of course I tried! Who wouldn't? After watching both you and Kagome come and go, not to mention Inuyasha. But alas, it seems the gods hate me." Naraku sighed with a flare of his hand before looking to her with that burning fire of curiosity she was getting accustomed to.
"So my question today is, what is it LIKE there?" He added while leaning far too close.
"Oh… Okay wow… Where do I even start?" Akane sucked in a breath and leaned back, eyes wide as her hand went to tug at her hair nervously.
"Start wherever you choose, I have nothing but time today, dearest little dragon. But let us not let the food get cold!"
And so, the two of them proceeded with small talk as they slowly began sampling each dish.
…..
The food was incredibly good, making her wonder where he had stolen it from, because there was absolutely no way he paid for it.
Once they moved to the beef, it was somehow still really hot, and Akane laughed her ass off when he accidentally burned his tongue and started crying like a kid about it. But then the veggie mix was spicy as hell and it was her turn to be in tears while he pointed and laughed.
It dawned on Akane that this was the first time she had ever actually seen him eat anything, and found that he really didn't seem to know what some of the food was.
Turns out that Naraku pretty much lived on peaches when in season, other then that he just ate easy things like rice. She found it funny that he seemed like a laid back lazy kind of person when not plotting the emotional torture of others. He had a weird, dark, odd sense of humor that was only a bit worse then hers. But that was why they got along so easily she supposed. She totally seen him as a quirky, bar hopping, Tim Burton, metal music, horror film loving fanatic if he lived in her time.
It was just the polar opposite of her vision of Sesshomaru. The two were yin and yang in every single way. So how was it that she found herself caring for them both?
The sun was getting low when the endless barrage of future world questions seemed to stop. But it had been fun. Now he knew just as much about her time as Sesshomaru, and he was just as amazed by the advances in science and technology. Plastic surgery both grossed him out and fascinated him to no end. Which was funny.
They had eaten most everything and were now tossing the peaches around like kids having fun. Yet another odd and hidden talent was that Naraku could juggle very well. That is, until Akane tossed a fourth one at him, then they all came crashing down on his head.
Akane had laughed so hard, before he threw one and hit her. Which caused her to roar at him and tackle him to the ground. Now here she was, laying over him, looking down at his shocked face. Those maroon eyes on fire with mischievous delight.
"Having fun up there, little dragon?" He sang out playfully.
She gave a devious smile. The fact he was letting her pin him down was fun, the most fun she had in a while really.
No way in hell Sesshy would ever do this kinda thing.
The closest she ever got was when they trained and he'd relax enough to openly toy with her.
She frowned, and bolted off of Naraku at the thought of the other yokai. How could she claim to love Sesshomaru, yet feel almost the same thing with this man?
Naraku sat up and watched her for a moment, a deep frown slowly taking form, and she had a feeling he had a suspicion of who she was thinking about.
"No." He said firmly as he dove at her, pinning her to the ground with her arms over her head.
His sudden serious mood jolted her from her thoughts of guilt. There was still no feeling of being in danger, despite her current position beneath him, and she did her best not to struggle while staring in shock.
"I will not have you thinking of him when you are with me. Understand? You're with ME." He stated, annoyed.
~I told you he couldn't be trusted. Kick him!~
But she couldn't do that, he wasn't really doing anything wrong at this point.
"Naru, I'm sorry." Akane felt bad, both for her mixed up emotions and for annoying him by not hiding them.
Naraku was staring right into her eyes. His chest pressing on top of hers as he released her arms and held himself up, both hands on either side of her head. "Only look at me. Only think of me. Do I not treat you better then that cold ice lord does?"
She blushed, but could not answer. This wasn't the first time he had said something like this, only, this time he wasn't drunk and half asleep in her lap.
~Stop letting him intimidate you, zap his ass or something already. Unless… You don't LIKE this do you?~ Shen was aghast in her head. But in all honesty, she didn't know if she liked being pinned like this, a bit too distracted by the look in those maroon eyes to pay much attention.
All Akane did was swallow, heart pounding, and when she didn't answer, it only made him narrow his eyes.
"He is rude to you because you are human, I have witnessed it when watching the two of you. And he does not have your humor. You laugh more with me."
"Sesshy has his own humor." Akane defended. "It's just different then ours. Kinda on the dry side, but it's there."
Naraku hissed at her, leaning down closer, his dark hair forming a curtain all around them. "Do not speak of him. You are supposed to be mine today. Mine."
He sounded like a demanding child. Most people would be afraid, but Akane could tell why he was upset. She was his first friend and he didn't want to share.
"Okay, okay, no more Sesshy talk, or THINKING on my part, so now let me up will you?" She wiggled under him, moving her arms and pressing her hands up against his chest, but he seemed to actually like it.
"Promise?" He smiled, leaning into her hands, his face mere inches from her own at this point.
"If you get off!" Akane snapped, wanting to stop the way her body liked the feel of his warmth and ignoring the sound of Shen's disapproving growling in her head.
Naraku did get off, hands raised in surrender as he backed up to his spot across from her with that impish smile and mischievous glint in his eyes.
"Damn, your heavy." She whined while stretching her arms over her head, purposely going for humor to get him off of whatever the heck that little moment was.
"Hoho, as if you are light as a feather? My shoulders still ache from helping you down from Kagura." He countered, reaching up and rubbing at one for emphasis.
Akane gaped at him just as Shen choked on a laugh, clearly all disapproval gone as the pendant vibrated with the force of his beginning giggle fit.
"Y'know what? Shut your mouth!" She said, both to Naraku and the giggling dragon in her mind, picking up a peach from the bowl and shoving it into the spider's mouth.
Now Shen's giggle fit was a full blown cackle fest, and he thankfully managed to go inside the pendant before her head exploded from the volume of it.
Naraku sat like that for a second in wide eyed, dumbstruck shock, which only made Akane copy the loudness of Shen's laughing with her own.
He then bit into the peach and proceeded to toss the rest at her playfully, which she barely dodged.
"You wicked girl." Naraku grinned, watching her try and catch her breath once again.
"Ah! Me? You just wasted a good peach!" She said with mocked horror, pointing to the half eaten one now on the ground a foot from her.
They both laughed at that, losing themselves to the moment and sounding like crazed idiots.
And then something happened, she wasn't sure why she did it without thinking, but it happened anyway.
Akane noticed juice running down the side of his mouth, no doubt from her shoving the peach at him. And she just simply leaned over and wiped it off with her finger. He watched her with wide eyes as she then sucked the juice off that finger. At first she didn't get why he went silent, almost frozen, eyes shining while staring at her, but then it dawned on her how a move like THAT might be taken.
"Waste not, want not?" Akane gave a shaky laugh and looked away, hoping her joke would deflect whatever he thought she meant by it.
~Child, what on earth are you thinking?! You just sent a really big, really bad signal!~
That was the problem though, she hadn't been thinking. It had just happened without any thought behind it…
Akane cleared her throat, and she only looked up when she heard Naraku move close to her. Just as she noticed how close, his lips landed mere inches from her mouth.
Oh fuck… Oh… wow…
~Pull away, SLAP him, abort mission! Something!~
Akane had no time to process what had happened, and went scarlet as every fiber in her being tingled at the ghost of a kiss Naraku gave her cheek. He moved away, his maroon eyes somehow looking more like purple fire, a color she hadn't seen before. She could only gawk at him as he winked at her with a pride filled smile.
"Waste not, want not." He repeated in a singsong voice.
"Huh…?"
"You also had something on your face."
"T-there was nothing there." She stated, her heart still racing, hand now clutching at her pendant in a poor attempt to muffle the shouting from within.
That smile of pride didn't waver, but he did at least try to sound innocent. "Oh, something was there alright, but it's all gone now my dear."
"Sure..." She gulped, her mind was trying not to focus on his lips, and was failing miserably.
~For goodness sake… Reprimand him for it at the very least, else he'll do it again!~
Would he? Would he maybe… kiss her properly this time? Did she want him to?
"Remember to breathe." Naraku teased, watching her watch him. But she couldn't look away.
Those lips were so soft. Sesshomaru had licked her, once. Had acted like he might actually LIKE her, twice. Played torturous sexual teasing games all the damn time only to back away once a line was crossed.
And Naraku… He was just so… bold.
And she was being drawn into his web of charm. But was starting to think that maybe she didn't really mind.
"Have you ever kissed someone before?" She blurted out suddenly, hating herself so fucking much right now.
~AKANE! No flirting with the bad guy! What have I said before about this? And you're not even drunk!~
"Fuck-no- never mind." She added quickly, running her hand down her face and wanting to run away.
Naraku looked taken aback, like that was totally the last thing he thought she would say.
"Why do you ask?" He mused, curious and teasing, pulling up a leg to rest his arm on, chin in his hand.
"I said never mind." Akane repeated, looking at the ground to hide her face, most likely looking like a tomato and picking at one of the flowers hanging over the edge of the blanket, wishing she could shrink and hide.
"I have. If you really want to know of course. At least once or twice, maybe more." He said as if he didn't care to recall.
Was she... bothered by that? Akane frowned at the feeling.
"Have you?" Naraku asked slowly with curiosity, leaning closer and for some reason reminding her of the Cheshire Cat with his sitting position and stare.
~You need to change this topic.~ Shen warned, but sounded like he didn't expect her to listen, and she had a feeling that the dragon was to the point of giving up on adding his two cents to this situation.
Akane debated listening to him, she really did, but the spider had answered and it would be rude now to ignore his own curiosity, right?
"I have kissed someone… once." She said after a long pause, shuddering at the memory.
"Oh." He sounded empty, dropping his leg back down and leaning away as if disappointed, which made her stare.
"B-but it was with a girl, so it doesn't count!" She babbled for no reason, taking her cup of tea and chugging the thing like it was the alcohol she needed right now.
"Eh?! Why the hells would you kiss a GIRL?" Naraku's dumbstruck tone made her giggle, easing her nerves a bit, as she looked to him with a sheepish grin.
"Had to take a girl to a school dance once when I was thirteen and she kissed me." She admitted with a shrug.
He slapped his forehead."How far did your parents make you go with the whole being a boy thing?"
"W-well, they don't know about that part, it's not something I would want to brag about, even if my Mother thought I was a boy at the time. The last thing I wanted was for her to push to whole girlfriend thing." Akane could not stop fidgeting for some reason. And she was having a hard time not glancing away from him.
Naraku had a look she couldn't place while staring at her almost as intensely as Sesshomaru. He was clearly plotting something, or was going to eat her. It was eerie.
"WHAT?" She all but snapped.
"So, aside from my little peck on the cheek just now, you've honestly only ever kissed a girl?" He said with an innocent blink that somehow completely removed the creepy look off his face.
"Ummm… yes?" Akane swallowed, still wondering what that previous look had been. She didn't know him well enough yet to even guess.
"Well fuck." He stated as if pissed, making her let out a nervous laugh at his use of her favorite phrase, and before she could wonder about why he was angry, he leaned over and captured her lips with his own, stealing her breath.
It was light, she could barely feel him at first, then more pressure was added as his lips covered hers completely.
Akane tasted Naraku, a sweeter version of his autumn scent mixed with peaches from the tea and fruit they had been consuming. It was a oddly pleasant mix.
And while there was no sound coming from the dragon in her pendant, the thing went ice cold against her skin, but while it was most likely supposed to shock her, it felt good against how hot her body suddenly felt.
When she didn't pull away, Naraku leaned into the kiss, slipping his tongue in briefly as if testing her, and Akane relished it as she barely bit his bottom lip without thinking. He moaned into her mouth and in turn did the same, the gentle tug of his teeth sent a shiver went up her spine as her insides started flipping.
He must have felt the shiver, because he pulled back, curiously eyeing her. "Did that hurt?"
"No..." She barely whispered before pulling him back by his purple robes, and adding more pressure to the kiss.
Another moan escaped him, his hand finding her neck while he braced himself on the other. Akane's own hands had found their way inside his clothes. His chest was so warm, not cold like one might expect, skin smooth and tight against the muscles beneath.
It felt so good. It tasted so good. HE tasted so good.
Akane felt alive, burning, but something in her was trying to make her stop. That same gut instinct that she used in battle, the one she had come to know as her inner dragon.
That feeling, that voice, was not happy with this. Her inner dragon didn't want her to like Naraku, just like Shen didn't.
She knew this wasn't right, that he was nowhere near safe or trustworthy enough to trust him with something like this and not at least suspect it to be a game or trap.
But the human part of her, who just wanted to be happy for once, ignored that instinct for the first time.
She had been trying to change him after all, couldn't there be at least a little hope that it was working…?
That tongue of his came back, and the first sigh of pleasure made it's way past her lips. Naraku laughed as they kissed, he liked that sound and made it his mission to render more from her. She found that his hair was thick, her hands lost in those dark, wavy, kinky curls.
He liked that. Akane could tell that he did by the sighs that never seemed to end as she toyed with it. His own free hand sliding up her neck to take a handful of hers and use it to tug her in different directions, the pain was light, but she was too distracted to notice much.
Who knows how long they made out before Kagura broke the spell by clearing her throat, snapping her out of her physical exploration with a gasp. Akane pushed Naraku up and off of her in both shock and shame at being watched.
How had she gotten on the ground?
Naraku, unfazed by the audience, merely fixed his hair and helped Akane back up to a sitting position beside him, ever the gentlemen with her it seemed.
"Sorry." Kagura said with a smirk. "But you did say to be here at sundown. I didn't want to be late."
Naraku cleared his throat before addressing the red eyed woman floating above them. "Indeed, but next time, make yourself known from the start Kagura."
"Yes, of course." She bowed, looking at Akane with a very creepy glint in her eyes.
Akane knew she was red. Knew the moment Shen calmed down he would be lecturing her like the bossy and nosey Uncle he practically was. At the moment the pendant was still ice cold, something that only happens if his power is drained or he's in a rage.
Akane let out a shaky breath, fixing her own hair and just keeping her hands moving out of anxiety and shame. But when Naraku noticed and placed his hand on her face, she calmed a bit, glancing at him.
"Did I hurt you?" He asked while looking her over with a surprising amount of concern.
She just shook her head, unable to look him in the eyes, unable to look at anything for long at the moment.
"Now I have something even that dog can't take away." He said with such a tender tone as he stroked her cheek, and she couldn't hide her face fast enough before he must have seem the blush and heard her little squeaking sound of embarrassment.
"That was her FIRST kiss?" Kagura laughed, but was silenced with a glare of red fire from the spider.
"Do you regret it?" Naraku asked as he looked back at Akane, using that hand on her cheek to make her look at him again despite her desire to hide.
"NO!" Akane said right away, meaning it, despite the hint of guilt eating away in the pit of her stomach.
Finally getting the nerve to look him in the eyes, finding a joyful yet worried expression in them. "Then why don't you smile for me, little dragon?"
"I don't know… I'm… worried?" She mumbled, biting her lip and trying not to pull out of his hand.
"About what?" He said with an amused laugh, watching her again like she was a puzzle he wanted to solve.
Did he even know what an open book his face was?
"I'm worried… If I did okay… Y'know, kissing?" Gawd she felt stupid voicing it out loud, but he smiled at her, then leaned in and gave her a quick light kiss.
"You are full of sparks, my little dragon." He whispered in her ear, the warm breath made her shiver as both her hands moved to clutch at her heart, feeling like the thing would just up and pop out at this rate.
"I shall call on you again, soon." Naraku promised when he moved away, helping her stand up and all but grinning at the disheveled state she was in at the moment.
Then he led her by the arm to Kagura and helped her on the feather, all the while she remained speechless and flustered beyond measure.
"Naru..." Akane didn't know what to say at this point.
She had just fucking made out with Naraku, of all people!
"Let it all sink in, dearest Akane, until next we meet." He winked, and just like that, sent her on her way like nothing had happened, like this was just one of their little talks.
Like they hadn't just made out with each other for five minutes without warning or reason.
It took Akane who knows how long in her dazed state to realize that Naraku had used her name for once.
The whole trip to the village was quiet, Shen giving her the silent treatment with that biting cold at her neck slowly calming down, making her hope that when he did speak with her again he might be a bit less… Loud.
Kagura did keep glancing back at Akane though, despite her own silence, a cruel smile on her red lips, and she knew exactly why. Yes, Akane and Sesshomaru were just barely friends. But both she and the wind yokai knew that this secret would eat her alive for the rest of her life, even if nothing ever ends up happening between her and the Western Lord... Naraku had stollen the first kiss.
Even knowing that, and even with her both her mentor and inner dragon against it, Akane didn't fully regret the kiss.
But what door did she just open?
….….
Kagura was thrilled, knowing at last that Naraku had begun to toy with this human. He must have been planning this all along, she almost felt bad for doubting him.
Yes, at first when she had seen the two of them, horror and disgust had filled her to the core. Thinking he must have lost his damn mind to be kissing this girl. But Naraku never did things out of kindness. And there was no way he could ever love a woman. So the moment she put together what he had to be planning, the site of the kissing figures filled her with delight.
Now the little wench would be torn between both men until it drove her crazy, and deceiving Sesshomaru at the same time. To make it all the better, Naraku had stolen the first kiss. Which meant if Sesshomaru ever did such a thing, the girl would feel regret right away. Oh, this was so good.
Kagura had no idea that Naraku had planned to make the girl fall in love with him. No doubt he would entrap her fully in his web before telling Sesshomaru about her little lies of where she goes off to, the very thought caused Kagura to grin, thinking of how the man would rage at the girl, maybe kill her for betraying him. For knowing all along where his enemy was located and saying nothing.
Naraku was playing with both Akane and Sesshomaru all at once. And when he was done, Kagura would at least have a shot at something with the Yokai Lord, maybe THEN he would agree to help her destroy Naraku…
She kept looking back at the blue eyed girl, who looked like she may be ill any moment, that or cry. Already she knew the danger she was in.
This was getting fun.