I am 19 years old now, and you know what I've decided? Without all the presents and stuff, I think that this year could have gone by without notice. You know, they should do something cool for 19 year olds. I mean, we've already been adults for a year, but we aren't 20 yet and there's no real privileges gleaned this year! It's not fair. I mean, you'd expect something over that huge "becoming 18" fuss a year ago, but no. What a let down. It's like…I don't really feel any older or anything. Damn years all starting to run together in a meaningless lump. Yep, must be I'm getting old. Go out and buy me a cane. Okay, enough of my post birthday rant. On with this story before I can't stop the whining. Oh, and I'm not having Jade beta read my stuff cause I think I'm starting to grate at her nerves…oops. Yeah, anyway.
*****
All I Needed Was You
Part 12
*****
Now
that I know this, so beyond, I can't hold this
I can never turn my back away
Now that I've seen you
I can never look away
I feel so alive for the
very first time
I can't deny you
I feel so alive
I feel so alive for the very first time
And I think I can fly
P.O.D. Alive
Shippo yawned lazily, stretching out his limbs under the warm blankets before wrapping his tail around Asako's waist possessively. She was cuddled against his chest, still sleeping peacefully in the early morning. Yesterday had seemed much happier than the day before, waking up together and walking together toward the village, laughing and talking in a friendly manner. It seemed as though now that the air between them had been cleared, they were much more comfortable together than before. But Shippo had wanted to kiss her again. Just once, to feel her lips under his as he had on that fateful night. But every time he made up his mind to simply kiss her, he couldn't bring himself to do it. Strange that they were friends again, but it was so hard to work up the courage to move beyond that. I could kiss her now. He realized, looking down at her serene features. She's sleeping and she wouldn't even know…and I love her. I do love her, so why shouldn't I kiss her? He reasoned before lowering his head, tilting up her face at the same time to press his lips to hers. She tastes sweet. He thought absently, licking her lips without really thinking about what he was doing. He just liked how she tasted and wanted to taste it better.
Asako made a soft noise, shifting closer to him as she woke up, parting her lips under his tongue. She pressed forward, deepening the kiss until Shippo's head swam. Before Asako, he'd never kissed anyone and he didn't really know what it involved, but this seemed to be working well for him. I love her; the thoughts became jumbled in his mind as he felt her tongue against his. I want her to be mine forever. He let out a sound of contentment as she pressed closer, pulling his head toward her, holding him against her until the kiss ended and she pulled away to breathe, her purple eyes swirling with love as she looked up at him. "I can't believe you." She told him finally in an admonitory tone. "I waited all day yesterday for you to kiss me, and when it finally happens, I almost miss it."
"Sorry." Shippo blushed deeply. "I guess I was kinda nervous about it."
"Nervous?" Asako giggled. "After all that?"
"Yeah." Shippo admitted. Asako smiled adoringly up at him and moved to kiss him, but instead of his lips, she went for his throat where it met his jaw. She dropped soft little kisses up to his ear before Shippo decided to show some initiative. Pulling her up against him, he kissed her hard before placing kisses up and down her throat, encouraged by her soft noises of approval. She tastes sweet. I want more he made a soft growling noise before biting into the spot where her neck met her shoulder. She gasped in surprise, but Shippo didn't notice. The taste of her blood touched some spot inside him that he wasn't ever aware of before that moment. He growled again, roughly rolling on top of her, pressing against her urgently and pulling at her yukata in an attempt to open it.
"Shippo!" Asako slapped his hands away forcefully, and hit his cheek as well. Shippo froze on top of her, his green eyes which had been clouded with lost becoming clear and filling with terror and pain. He stayed that way for a moment before leaping away from her, yelping and running off into the forest before she could even sit up. "Shippo?" she pulled her yukata closed and sat up, leaving the warmth of the blankets. It was true that his sudden exuberance had alarmed her, but it wasn't as though he'd hurt her. Well, the bite had stung, but in a way it felt nice to know that he was marking her as his own. Asako blushed at the thought, her fingers drifting to the bite. It had barely bled, and was already beginning to heal, but something about it…Shippo was extremely upset and she couldn't understand why. He didn't seem angry that she stopped him. He seemed terrified and lost, like a child. Making up her mind, Asako stood and ran after Shippo into the forest. "Shippo!" she called out as she ran, looking around for the kitsune but not seeing him. Then she tripped over a root and when she turned to curse her stubbed toe, she saw him, huddled under the shelter of a gnarled old tree, his face in his arms and his knees pulled up against him. "Shippo? Are you all right?" Asako ignored her stinging toe and ran too his side, dropping next to the trembling heap.
"Shippo…" she gasped, realizing that he was crying. Aside from when Kanjou died, she doubted she'd seen him cry this hard before. The only times she remembered him crying at all were when they were much younger, and that had been rare enough. "Shippo, what's wrong?" she reached out to hold him, but he pulled away from her touch as though it were deadly. "Shippo…you're scaring me, please…tell me what's wrong?"
"Don't touch me." He spoke as she tried to approach him again. "Please don't."
"But…Shippo…why?" Asako was mystified. What was he so upset about?
"I…can't…I can't trust…" Shippo wiped away his tears roughly, shoving down his emotions. "Who knows what could happen." He told her.
"What are you talking about?" Asako asked.
"I…I almost…I could've hurt you, Asako!" Shippo yelled, fresh tears welling up in his eyes. "I bit you! Everyone trusts me! They think I'd always protect you, no matter what! And look at what I almost did! I could've…oh Asako…what have I done."
"Shippo," Asako sighed, her face softening at his show of concern. "You didn't hurt me."
"I bit you!" he repeated, crying again with his face in his arms.
"Yeah." She conceded. "But…it was like…when people see the mark…they'll know that…that I'm your…" Asako blushed, unable to finish. Shippo's tears slowed, and he looked up at her, a question in his eyes. "I…I kinda…don't mind. In a way, it was…sort of sweet."
"But…you…I hurt you." Shippo didn't sound quite so sure this time.
"Not really." Asako grinned at him teasingly. "I've had worse from the two of us training."
"I guess…but…I could've…" Shippo sounded very confused. "I lost my head, Asako. I wasn't even thinking! What could have happened?"
"I could've kicked your ass if you tried anything." Asako answered. Shippo's eyes widened in shock. "I stopped you, but look at what happened, Shippo. I hadn't incapacitated you or seriously hurt you. I only slapped you. You stopped yourself too."
"But…I lost…control." Shippo began. Asako moved toward him, touching his arm lightly. He stiffened slightly, but didn't move away from her.
"You're a youkai, Shippo." Asako reminded him. "You're…you're stronger than me, but you're also…kind of wild, you know? You aren't like all youkai, but it's still there, in your blood. I've known that for a long time, Shippo, and it doesn't scare me at all. Believe me."
"But what if…what if I…" Shippo left the question unasked, a tear rolling down his cheek. Asako wiped it away lightly.
"I told you. I'd kick your ass." Asako smiled at him warmly. Shippo smiled back timidly, grasping her hand in his own carefully.
"Think you could?" he asked, his voice lighter.
"No problem." She leaned in, kissing both his cheeks softly. "You're such a pushover you know."
"Am I?" Shippo smirked, kissing her lips lightly. "You wanna prove it?" he jumped up and lunged toward her, but she ran away, laughing as he chased her back to camp. When they got back, she tripped on the blankets, but he caught her before she could fall, sweeping her up as she turned to face him. They stared at each other, panting and smiling before Asako wrapped her arms around his neck, collapsing against his chest and giggling again. "What's so funny now?"
"I let you catch me." She answered, looking up again. Their smiles faded as he moved in for a kiss.
I love her so much.
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"Are you ready then?" he asked Asako as she exited the hut, having changed from her fighting gear back into her simple traveling kimono.
"Let's go." She nodded, still smiling from the adrenaline of fighting the small group of scorpion youkai.
"Took you long enough." He teased.
"Some of us care about our appearance." She shot back, sticking out her tongue at him.
"Hey! At least I don't act like a little kid." He pointed at her tongue and she straightened up, blushing as they approached the village elder. Her glare promised retribution later, though.
"Sango's daughter then, are you?" the man asked politely, handing the payment to Shippo as he spoke to Asako. "I believed you before, but to see you fight…just like her, you know. Had her here about a year ago for a big mantis. And you then, Shippo was it?" the man asked. "You were very good as well. Interesting way to fight, with your hands like that. And those illusions! Don't think I've seen the like in all my years. I've never met a youkai exterminator who is youkai."
"Shippo's not like most youkai." Asako answered, letting the back of her hand brush against his. "He was raised by humans. My own parents, in fact."
"Is that so?" the old man smiled at them both. "Had to see it for myself, I suppose. It was very nice meeting both of you. Very good job indeed."
"Thank you sir." Shippo nodded and they both turned to leave, heading back toward home. They walked quietly for some time before Shippo casually let his fingers intertwine with Asako's. She blushed and smiled up at him, squeezing his hand in her own.
"He was a nice man, wasn't he?" She asked, sighing happily.
"Actually, yes he was. Very nice." Shippo confirmed, smiling back at her. "I usually get a lot of questions when they see the tail and the ears. Things like 'It's another youkai! Kill it!' and 'Is he a slave?' are pretty common."
"Really?" Asako's eyes went wide. "I guess you've known all the villagers at home for so long…I've never seen someone meet you for the first time before, and I grew up with you. I never really thought people were like that."
"Most are." Shippo admitted. "Usually, after they see me kill youkai they trust me a little more, but not always. There's one village where Sango won't take me anymore. The villagers rioted and tried to kill me themselves." He smiled as though this was funny.
"Are you serious?" Asako was aghast. "How could you…put up with that?"
"I'm a youkai. That's the way it is." Shippo shrugged, completely used to how others saw him. "The fact that I don't run around in my fox form ripping things up and wreaking general havoc just makes me a freak. The youkai, they hate all demon exterminators obviously. But I think that of all of them, they want to kill me more than the rest."
"But…you're a youkai! Why would they want to kill you so much!?" Asako asked, indignant.
"Because I am a youkai." Shippo explained. "I'm supposed to be on their side, but here I am helping the humans. It's the worst possible insult to them. I've basically turned my back on who I am and I deserve to die for that."
"Shippo…" Asako stopped walking, and he stopped as well, looking around for some threat.
"What is it?" he asked, his tone alert.
"Shippo, you aren't a freak." She told him. "I'm sorry…I never knew what you had to deal with." Asako lunged forward, hugging him tightly. Shippo blushed slightly, embracing her in return.
"It…wasn't really that bad." He told her. "I mean, I always had you." He explained. She looked up, love bright in her purple eyes. "And…uh, the others."
"I love you, Shippo." She told him, stepping on her tiptoes to kiss him. As they broke, he smiled softly at her, letting his fingers trail through her black locks.
"I love you too." He told her, his voice soft. They stood for several moments, simply staring at each other before Asako grabbed his hand and started back down the road.
"Come on then! Can't stand around all day, can we?" she asked, smiling eagerly.
"But you were the one…oh, never mind." Shippo shook his head. "So how did you like your first job?"
"It was so fun!" Asako's eyes lit up happily. "That was so cool how you cut the tail off that scorpion right before it could get me! And then I chopped off it's head!" she made a throwing motion to indicate her actions.
"You could've been hurt though." Shippo's face tightened at the memory of her close call.
"No way! Like you'd let those stupid bugs come close to me!" Asako laughed. "I knew you had me covered."
"But what if…" Shippo shook his head again and sighed. He'd never understand her, but the fact of the matter was that Asako was right. "Oh well. You did a great job."
"Thanks!" she sounded so excited, for a moment it was like they were just kids again, when any sort of approval from him made Asako absolutely ecstatic. But they had grown up a lot since those days, and the look in her eyes, the feelings she stirred in him…everything had changed.
I love her so much.
*****
The End (Of Part 12, That Is)
Okay, try and tell me they aren't cute. That was just too damn cute. Yeah.