Chapter 11: Aishiteru (I Love You)
There she was in his arms again her eyes looking like she would cry. The dark browness with a hint of forest green were a mirror to her undecided emotions and unsure feelings. He knew she was afraid of him in someway. If he touched her he she's let him even if she did want him to. She cry out his name begging him to hold her and make it all go away. *'Take away my pain,' she'd say. 'Please Tasuki, I wanted you to be my first,' she'd cry aloud and cling to me for dear life.* Tasuki clenched a his hand into a fist tears welling in his eyes and his pain rising by the moment.
"Tasuki." She buried her head beneath his chin as they lay in his bed, her hair was untied from they it usually was in a half up half down style. "Umm." She whimpered a little but no tears.
"Kakusei. You're such a strong warrior." He held her closer to himself but still left a few inches between them to keep himself from giving into his own bittersweet desires. He knew what he wanted to do to her, but there was no way he'd let himself. *Not yet, she's not ready,* he told himself. *Remember your love for her.*
She felt him shifting slightly uncomfortable the way he was. And then she crushed herself to him and then felt all of him up against her. He let out a soft gasp of hidden desire and she smiled a little knowing that he wanted to love her with not just his soul and heart, but his body. "Only because of you."
His breathing seased as she pulled him closer still to her but this time for a kiss that blew all of Tasuki's knowledge of her previously away. She kissed him this time with more passion and love than any man disvered. More than anyone did. *Such a fire she possesses.* More than he wanted from her more than he was willing to admit. *She does love me...*
*You shouldn't of had any doubts.*
*I never did. I just didn't know that you loved me this much.*
And then her tongue touched hers and he tasted this womans sweet flesh, such a lush mouth. Then he found her body, every dip, every feminine curve, every little bit of her. His hands moved over her, gently touching her ever so softly. Up from her hips to her waist until he caressed the weight of her breasts. A desired filled sigh escaped her lips and she gently whispered his name.
And then his hand went slide down her body to her waist and lower still. And reaching and touching up, up, and up. Heat rolled into her stomach and she closed her eyes tightly. Feelings she didn't want to feel but still did flooded her senses and all rationality. *Tasuki... Tasuki...* "Tasuki..." Tears welled in her eyes and then her palms slammed hard against his chest. "Tasuki!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Miaka's eyes flickered open and she saw that Tamahome was standing at her door through the thin walls. His shadow, she knew it was, stood staring at the door, a hand reaching out hestitating to open the door. His voice sighed deeply and she could hear him crying. Tears escaping his eyes and his breath was short.
She could feel the sadness in the air. There was a painful choking feeling in her body and she felt like she could breathe. A sense of grieving when she knew he was crying. "Tamahome..." It broke her heart more than it had ever had, because this time she could run into his arms and make it alright for him. She slipped over to the door and watched his shadow. Falling to her knees she wished more than anything that she could kiss away his tears. "Tamahome..."
"Miaka..." Tears welled in her own eyes as she heard his voice as her name. "My love..."
*Don't do it,* her mind told her. *Hold him!* her heart said louder. *I don't know what to do?!* Miaka's memories filled with visions of her friends and what they had taught her.
Hotohori: "I want you to be happy and if it's with Tamahome and not myself, then so be it."
*I want to be with him.*
Tasuki: "Don't forget to put a little passion into everything that you do."
*All my passions belong to Tamahome.*
Chiriko: "The stars know all, they say that you should be happy, Miaka."
*One day I'll be Tamahome's bride.*
Mitsukake: "Nobody should ever deny themselves of what they need."
She needed Tamahome more than she understood.
Chichiri: "You can't always let yourself be led by one's emotion, however sometimes you must give into them, ya know?"
*Right now I wish I could, but I can't.*
Nuriko: "I want you to always have hope no matter how hard it seems. Promise me that."
*I do but I need him now and he needs me.*
Kakusei: "Don't let yourself give into you're grief, fight it and make it go away. Find away to make it alright again."
*I mustn't let this phase me--we'll be together again...*
Densetsu: "Never ever let anyone take away what is rightfully yours."
*I know we will...*
Mirakuru: "Just like dessert after a meal, life should always have a little sweetness!"
*But... for now...*
Daikonsen: "Like she said! And nothing happens without reason."
*Tamahome...*
...Yui...: "You have to fight! Never give up, you hear me Miaka?!"
*Tamahome...*
And Tamahome: "Can't you see that I'm in love with you?"
*Tamahome.*
And then to door opened and she was in his arms. "Tamahome!!"
"Miaka!!"
"I cannot deny my love for you any longer!!!!!!!!!!!!" They both cried at the same time in each others embrace and kissed each other desprately. Tears ran down their cheeks and they cried together. He slammed her back against the wall of the palace and took her anything but gently. There was a thud when she hit it and part of her whinned, but most of her was ready to surrender herself to Tamahome.
"I can't deny to myself that I want you so much and it hurts inside."
Miaka eyes widened. "Tamahome... we can't do this--not yet. Otherwise we won't be able to summon Suzaku."
"I know!" He cried as he stripped her of her clothes. "But..." He let out a sight and released her from his grip he had on her. "I'm sorry... Miaka. I just couldn't help myself." He turned his gaze away from her. "I want you."
"Tama--"
"And I couldn't hold it in anymore and I--" her arms encircled him.
"I know... Tamahome," she told him, "I know exactly what you mean." There eyes met for the first time in a while. The forest met the sea and the sapphire met the emerald. "I know." Tears stung her cheeks and he whipped them away. "God, it's so hard to stay away from you."
*I want to make you my wife, Miaka. And that way I can protect you always.*
A pair of violet eyes watched from the distance, stunned by the love she saw. The sky colored hair swayed like a wild fire. Daikonsen's face flushed and her heart raced. *Miaka... Tamahome.........* Her breathing stoppend when she saw their lips touch. Part of her was angery with Miaka for breaking her word to Tiitscun and that Tamahome had told her that he was not going to touch Miaka until they summoned Suzaku. A small piece of her said, 'Why not me?' although she didn't want to admit it.
The other part was happy that they could have one of these few precious moments again. And promised to protect this love with her life. *I won't let anyone come between them, even if I have to fight myself to keep it that way.*
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Nuriko?" She gasped when his hand slipped to her lips and he brushed his fingers along the smooth surface. "What are--"
"You love him, don't you?" He asked her his voice empty of feeling. This was the first time he had ever hid his emotions from her and he had a hard time doing it. "I've seen the way he looks at you."
"I don't know--" She hid her fear.
"You do." He half glared, half glanced at her. "You love him more than anything."
"Who?" She pretended not to know what he was talking about.
"His majesty."
Long, long moments pasted before she had enough nerve to speak to him. "No, I don't," she lied.
She let out a phony laugh and faced him. "Where did you get such a silly idea? Nuriko, you're imagining things. He doesn't look at me any different than he does any of you."
"He looks at you like a man does a woman. Because he wants you." Nuriko stepped closer to her.
"Stop it!!" She frowned at him. "Just back off Nuriko! It's none of you're business that I am in love with Hotohori!!!!!!!!!!!" She covered her mouth just than and her heart started to shaking. Tears welled in her eyes but she did not cry. *I promised myself I would never betray him, but I already have.*
"You do." He turned away from her and started to walk away from her. His braid slipping down his back and his coat swaying. The sakura didn't smell as sweet as it had just did, didn't seem quite so as beautiful, not quite as innocent, not quite as truthful.
"Nuriko!!!!!!!!" She ran after him. She didn't care if her efforts could possibly be futile, that she could be wasting her time, that Hotohori might wake up and wonder where she was, that someone could see her in this helpless state, that to whole world could come crashing down and she could never get a chance to go home, that she might never be able to just sit in the park with her friends eating ice cream cones again. "Nuriko!!!!!!!!!!!!" She pinned him against the wall so he couldn't even move.
He'd always been much more physically stronger than her or any of the other warriors but right at this moment he had lost all of his strength. Once she got a chance to focus on his eyes, she saw the tears there. *He's crying!!" She'd never seen him so sad, never before seen him cry. *I made him cry... Because of me he's hurting?...
He didn't say anything just let her see that pain in his heart.
"Please don't cry." She begged of him and fought back her own tears. "Please tell me what's wrong. I know you love Hotohori, but--" She hesitated. "But I do too." She wanted him to hold her. "I'm sorry, I just couldn't help it."
"That's not it, Mirakuru."
"Then what?" Her eyes were werey.
His breath was caught. "Mm--I--am--in--"
"Mirakuru!" Kakusei's voice cried to her. She saw her friend running and crying fiercly and all at the same time towards her and Nuriko. Within moments she was in her arms crying so hard.
"What's the matter, Kakusei?!" She asked confused, Kakusei was never one to let her emotions show. She always kept them locked away inside her heart. She wanted to get back to Nuriko who watched them seemingly saddened, but she still wanted to take care of Kakusei too.
No words. Mirakuru's eyes met that of Nuriko. Lavender eyes met navy ones. He glaced at her in such a way that made her heart pound. *You want to tell me something, don't you?*
His head nodded slightly as if he heard her thoughts. Nuriko then gazed his eyes upon Kakusei and her eyes followed his down to her friend's head, then back up again. He faked a smile and then left the two alone.
"Come on, I can't read your mind, not unless you let me."
"That day when we first came here--those men attacked us. I was--"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Green eyes saw the first light of day, as they opened. Hotohori shifted awake and looked around. His room, his bed, his sword, his-- Mirakuru had obviouly awaken during the night, for she was sitting on the opposite side of the room. In her arms was his sword, completely cleaned and shinning. He realized that his shirt was gone and she was wrapped up in it. A small cleaning clothe sat beside her and was coverered in dry blood, from the previous battle. He smiled when she let out a small sigh.
Rising to his feet he walked over and knelt down beside her. Taking his holy sword from her, he gently placed it back near his night stand. His chest was broad and muscular and her head tilted against it when he took her into his arms. Still asleep she lay in between his spread legs. He curled his knees up so he could keep her there more easily. The handsome emperor heard the soft breathing of his sleeping love and heard it like the song the wind makes during the dead of the night. It was mysterious and distant, but beautiful and graceful.
*I want you to be my wife... Spend the rest of your life with me...* he wanted to say to her again and again until she surrendered herself to him. The young Emperor looked at her with such warmth and such need that a red air pierced the morning light. *I want you...* Her eyes then flickered open as if she heard his silent plea. He caught her attention when she looked around.
No words were spoken but he smiled at her. She licked her chapped lips and found his eyes. He wanted to kiss her but held himself back. The Emperor wanted to see what had kept her awake all night, and he wasn't about to let her repress anything until--her lips went to his.
Mirakuru's hands caressed his cheeks and she held him there for the longest time, until she whispered, "Love me mouth to mouth, now," between his lips, very innocently. It was like a spark of fire that started his internal heat. He closed his eyes and welcomed her kisses.
"I wanted to know if--" he said with little effect on her and their deep, passionate kiss, "You thought about what I asked you last night?"
Her mouth stopped moving over his for a time, a moment of confusion for both of them, and then her tongue swept across his and ignited his deepest fantasies and most intense desires. His body had never reacted to woman like this and he didn't quite understand it. A fire burned as intensly in his heart as it did in his stomach. "A little bit."
He drew back from her a little his head still touching hers. "And?..." he asked polietly with a hint of fire.
"There's still something I need to know," those big blue eyes met his.
"What might that be?" he asked.
"Do you love Miaka more or me?" Her heart beat quickened. She'd been dreading this moment for a long time. If it was Miaka she'd never forgive herself for believing he could actually love her as much as she loved him. But if it was her she'd--well she hadn't quite figured that part out yet.
"What?!" He brushed his lips to hers. "Miaka is no more to me than any of the other warriors, except for the bond I feel between us to protect her..." Prolonged silence... "I love you and only you."
Mirakuru's breath rushed out of her lips and her eyes searched his. Then they embraced simultainiously and held themselves together. "I think that--" He kissed her as he never had before. His tongue touched hers and he threw her into a kaliedoscope of emotions and sensations.
A fire started somewhere inside of her as it had did him. He wondered what it would feel like to have himself inside of her how it would feel to have his body locked with hers.
"I want you." He finally admitted aloud and pushed her to her back. As if to say I want you too, she flipped their positions so she was on top and she looked down at him. She glared a distant look at him and then smiled joyfully, kissed him gently and spoke to him.
"Hotohori!" She bent to kiss his cheek then came back up to look into his green, green eyes. "We can't." She fought back estranged tears. "We can't."
"Alright..." He said lost in an enigma of confusion and desire. *What is upseting you so?*
"I have to go, okay? I'll see you later," she said plainly as if she had forgotten she loved him. "Bye." She smiled slightly but it was fake he could tell. She was pushing him away again. As she did before she seemed to take back everything for some reason or something she was hiding. He wasn't about to lose her, not when he finally found someone who truly loved him, not when she loved him as he did her. He rose to his feet and caught her before she could leave his room. He grabbed her hand and pulled her small body to him.
Mirakuru caught herself against his chest and didn't move away from him as if she had suddenly changed her mind again. "Let me go..." she begged, in a soft voice.
"I am not about to let you go, not now, not ever." Before she could try to get away he pushed her back to the wall and covered her mouth with his own. *Stop trying to push me away, my Love.*
The softness of his lips was soon the only thing she knew as he forced her to him. His tongue touched hers but she didn't move, not trying to move away. *Hotohori.* And then something inside her changed, for the first time ever she thought only of herself, no one else, just her and Hotohori. But on the inside part of her still hurt. *Nuriko, he--* Also she hurt for Kakusei, her friend who hadn't been spared. And she welcomed Hotohori's kisses.
There she was in his arms again her eyes looking like she would cry. The dark browness with a hint of forest green were a mirror to her undecided emotions and unsure feelings. He knew she was afraid of him in someway. If he touched her he she's let him even if she did want him to. She cry out his name begging him to hold her and make it all go away. *'Take away my pain,' she'd say. 'Please Tasuki, I wanted you to be my first,' she'd cry aloud and cling to me for dear life.* Tasuki clenched a his hand into a fist tears welling in his eyes and his pain rising by the moment.
"Tasuki." She buried her head beneath his chin as they lay in his bed, her hair was untied from they it usually was in a half up half down style. "Umm." She whimpered a little but no tears.
"Kakusei. You're such a strong warrior." He held her closer to himself but still left a few inches between them to keep himself from giving into his own bittersweet desires. He knew what he wanted to do to her, but there was no way he'd let himself. *Not yet, she's not ready,* he told himself. *Remember your love for her.*
She felt him shifting slightly uncomfortable the way he was. And then she crushed herself to him and then felt all of him up against her. He let out a soft gasp of hidden desire and she smiled a little knowing that he wanted to love her with not just his soul and heart, but his body. "Only because of you."
His breathing seased as she pulled him closer still to her but this time for a kiss that blew all of Tasuki's knowledge of her previously away. She kissed him this time with more passion and love than any man disvered. More than anyone did. *Such a fire she possesses.* More than he wanted from her more than he was willing to admit. *She does love me...*
*You shouldn't of had any doubts.*
*I never did. I just didn't know that you loved me this much.*
And then her tongue touched hers and he tasted this womans sweet flesh, such a lush mouth. Then he found her body, every dip, every feminine curve, every little bit of her. His hands moved over her, gently touching her ever so softly. Up from her hips to her waist until he caressed the weight of her breasts. A desired filled sigh escaped her lips and she gently whispered his name.
And then his hand went slide down her body to her waist and lower still. And reaching and touching up, up, and up. Heat rolled into her stomach and she closed her eyes tightly. Feelings she didn't want to feel but still did flooded her senses and all rationality. *Tasuki... Tasuki...* "Tasuki..." Tears welled in her eyes and then her palms slammed hard against his chest. "Tasuki!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Miaka's eyes flickered open and she saw that Tamahome was standing at her door through the thin walls. His shadow, she knew it was, stood staring at the door, a hand reaching out hestitating to open the door. His voice sighed deeply and she could hear him crying. Tears escaping his eyes and his breath was short.
She could feel the sadness in the air. There was a painful choking feeling in her body and she felt like she could breathe. A sense of grieving when she knew he was crying. "Tamahome..." It broke her heart more than it had ever had, because this time she could run into his arms and make it alright for him. She slipped over to the door and watched his shadow. Falling to her knees she wished more than anything that she could kiss away his tears. "Tamahome..."
"Miaka..." Tears welled in her own eyes as she heard his voice as her name. "My love..."
*Don't do it,* her mind told her. *Hold him!* her heart said louder. *I don't know what to do?!* Miaka's memories filled with visions of her friends and what they had taught her.
Hotohori: "I want you to be happy and if it's with Tamahome and not myself, then so be it."
*I want to be with him.*
Tasuki: "Don't forget to put a little passion into everything that you do."
*All my passions belong to Tamahome.*
Chiriko: "The stars know all, they say that you should be happy, Miaka."
*One day I'll be Tamahome's bride.*
Mitsukake: "Nobody should ever deny themselves of what they need."
She needed Tamahome more than she understood.
Chichiri: "You can't always let yourself be led by one's emotion, however sometimes you must give into them, ya know?"
*Right now I wish I could, but I can't.*
Nuriko: "I want you to always have hope no matter how hard it seems. Promise me that."
*I do but I need him now and he needs me.*
Kakusei: "Don't let yourself give into you're grief, fight it and make it go away. Find away to make it alright again."
*I mustn't let this phase me--we'll be together again...*
Densetsu: "Never ever let anyone take away what is rightfully yours."
*I know we will...*
Mirakuru: "Just like dessert after a meal, life should always have a little sweetness!"
*But... for now...*
Daikonsen: "Like she said! And nothing happens without reason."
*Tamahome...*
...Yui...: "You have to fight! Never give up, you hear me Miaka?!"
*Tamahome...*
And Tamahome: "Can't you see that I'm in love with you?"
*Tamahome.*
And then to door opened and she was in his arms. "Tamahome!!"
"Miaka!!"
"I cannot deny my love for you any longer!!!!!!!!!!!!" They both cried at the same time in each others embrace and kissed each other desprately. Tears ran down their cheeks and they cried together. He slammed her back against the wall of the palace and took her anything but gently. There was a thud when she hit it and part of her whinned, but most of her was ready to surrender herself to Tamahome.
"I can't deny to myself that I want you so much and it hurts inside."
Miaka eyes widened. "Tamahome... we can't do this--not yet. Otherwise we won't be able to summon Suzaku."
"I know!" He cried as he stripped her of her clothes. "But..." He let out a sight and released her from his grip he had on her. "I'm sorry... Miaka. I just couldn't help myself." He turned his gaze away from her. "I want you."
"Tama--"
"And I couldn't hold it in anymore and I--" her arms encircled him.
"I know... Tamahome," she told him, "I know exactly what you mean." There eyes met for the first time in a while. The forest met the sea and the sapphire met the emerald. "I know." Tears stung her cheeks and he whipped them away. "God, it's so hard to stay away from you."
*I want to make you my wife, Miaka. And that way I can protect you always.*
A pair of violet eyes watched from the distance, stunned by the love she saw. The sky colored hair swayed like a wild fire. Daikonsen's face flushed and her heart raced. *Miaka... Tamahome.........* Her breathing stoppend when she saw their lips touch. Part of her was angery with Miaka for breaking her word to Tiitscun and that Tamahome had told her that he was not going to touch Miaka until they summoned Suzaku. A small piece of her said, 'Why not me?' although she didn't want to admit it.
The other part was happy that they could have one of these few precious moments again. And promised to protect this love with her life. *I won't let anyone come between them, even if I have to fight myself to keep it that way.*
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Nuriko?" She gasped when his hand slipped to her lips and he brushed his fingers along the smooth surface. "What are--"
"You love him, don't you?" He asked her his voice empty of feeling. This was the first time he had ever hid his emotions from her and he had a hard time doing it. "I've seen the way he looks at you."
"I don't know--" She hid her fear.
"You do." He half glared, half glanced at her. "You love him more than anything."
"Who?" She pretended not to know what he was talking about.
"His majesty."
Long, long moments pasted before she had enough nerve to speak to him. "No, I don't," she lied.
She let out a phony laugh and faced him. "Where did you get such a silly idea? Nuriko, you're imagining things. He doesn't look at me any different than he does any of you."
"He looks at you like a man does a woman. Because he wants you." Nuriko stepped closer to her.
"Stop it!!" She frowned at him. "Just back off Nuriko! It's none of you're business that I am in love with Hotohori!!!!!!!!!!!" She covered her mouth just than and her heart started to shaking. Tears welled in her eyes but she did not cry. *I promised myself I would never betray him, but I already have.*
"You do." He turned away from her and started to walk away from her. His braid slipping down his back and his coat swaying. The sakura didn't smell as sweet as it had just did, didn't seem quite so as beautiful, not quite as innocent, not quite as truthful.
"Nuriko!!!!!!!!" She ran after him. She didn't care if her efforts could possibly be futile, that she could be wasting her time, that Hotohori might wake up and wonder where she was, that someone could see her in this helpless state, that to whole world could come crashing down and she could never get a chance to go home, that she might never be able to just sit in the park with her friends eating ice cream cones again. "Nuriko!!!!!!!!!!!!" She pinned him against the wall so he couldn't even move.
He'd always been much more physically stronger than her or any of the other warriors but right at this moment he had lost all of his strength. Once she got a chance to focus on his eyes, she saw the tears there. *He's crying!!" She'd never seen him so sad, never before seen him cry. *I made him cry... Because of me he's hurting?...
He didn't say anything just let her see that pain in his heart.
"Please don't cry." She begged of him and fought back her own tears. "Please tell me what's wrong. I know you love Hotohori, but--" She hesitated. "But I do too." She wanted him to hold her. "I'm sorry, I just couldn't help it."
"That's not it, Mirakuru."
"Then what?" Her eyes were werey.
His breath was caught. "Mm--I--am--in--"
"Mirakuru!" Kakusei's voice cried to her. She saw her friend running and crying fiercly and all at the same time towards her and Nuriko. Within moments she was in her arms crying so hard.
"What's the matter, Kakusei?!" She asked confused, Kakusei was never one to let her emotions show. She always kept them locked away inside her heart. She wanted to get back to Nuriko who watched them seemingly saddened, but she still wanted to take care of Kakusei too.
No words. Mirakuru's eyes met that of Nuriko. Lavender eyes met navy ones. He glaced at her in such a way that made her heart pound. *You want to tell me something, don't you?*
His head nodded slightly as if he heard her thoughts. Nuriko then gazed his eyes upon Kakusei and her eyes followed his down to her friend's head, then back up again. He faked a smile and then left the two alone.
"Come on, I can't read your mind, not unless you let me."
"That day when we first came here--those men attacked us. I was--"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Green eyes saw the first light of day, as they opened. Hotohori shifted awake and looked around. His room, his bed, his sword, his-- Mirakuru had obviouly awaken during the night, for she was sitting on the opposite side of the room. In her arms was his sword, completely cleaned and shinning. He realized that his shirt was gone and she was wrapped up in it. A small cleaning clothe sat beside her and was coverered in dry blood, from the previous battle. He smiled when she let out a small sigh.
Rising to his feet he walked over and knelt down beside her. Taking his holy sword from her, he gently placed it back near his night stand. His chest was broad and muscular and her head tilted against it when he took her into his arms. Still asleep she lay in between his spread legs. He curled his knees up so he could keep her there more easily. The handsome emperor heard the soft breathing of his sleeping love and heard it like the song the wind makes during the dead of the night. It was mysterious and distant, but beautiful and graceful.
*I want you to be my wife... Spend the rest of your life with me...* he wanted to say to her again and again until she surrendered herself to him. The young Emperor looked at her with such warmth and such need that a red air pierced the morning light. *I want you...* Her eyes then flickered open as if she heard his silent plea. He caught her attention when she looked around.
No words were spoken but he smiled at her. She licked her chapped lips and found his eyes. He wanted to kiss her but held himself back. The Emperor wanted to see what had kept her awake all night, and he wasn't about to let her repress anything until--her lips went to his.
Mirakuru's hands caressed his cheeks and she held him there for the longest time, until she whispered, "Love me mouth to mouth, now," between his lips, very innocently. It was like a spark of fire that started his internal heat. He closed his eyes and welcomed her kisses.
"I wanted to know if--" he said with little effect on her and their deep, passionate kiss, "You thought about what I asked you last night?"
Her mouth stopped moving over his for a time, a moment of confusion for both of them, and then her tongue swept across his and ignited his deepest fantasies and most intense desires. His body had never reacted to woman like this and he didn't quite understand it. A fire burned as intensly in his heart as it did in his stomach. "A little bit."
He drew back from her a little his head still touching hers. "And?..." he asked polietly with a hint of fire.
"There's still something I need to know," those big blue eyes met his.
"What might that be?" he asked.
"Do you love Miaka more or me?" Her heart beat quickened. She'd been dreading this moment for a long time. If it was Miaka she'd never forgive herself for believing he could actually love her as much as she loved him. But if it was her she'd--well she hadn't quite figured that part out yet.
"What?!" He brushed his lips to hers. "Miaka is no more to me than any of the other warriors, except for the bond I feel between us to protect her..." Prolonged silence... "I love you and only you."
Mirakuru's breath rushed out of her lips and her eyes searched his. Then they embraced simultainiously and held themselves together. "I think that--" He kissed her as he never had before. His tongue touched hers and he threw her into a kaliedoscope of emotions and sensations.
A fire started somewhere inside of her as it had did him. He wondered what it would feel like to have himself inside of her how it would feel to have his body locked with hers.
"I want you." He finally admitted aloud and pushed her to her back. As if to say I want you too, she flipped their positions so she was on top and she looked down at him. She glared a distant look at him and then smiled joyfully, kissed him gently and spoke to him.
"Hotohori!" She bent to kiss his cheek then came back up to look into his green, green eyes. "We can't." She fought back estranged tears. "We can't."
"Alright..." He said lost in an enigma of confusion and desire. *What is upseting you so?*
"I have to go, okay? I'll see you later," she said plainly as if she had forgotten she loved him. "Bye." She smiled slightly but it was fake he could tell. She was pushing him away again. As she did before she seemed to take back everything for some reason or something she was hiding. He wasn't about to lose her, not when he finally found someone who truly loved him, not when she loved him as he did her. He rose to his feet and caught her before she could leave his room. He grabbed her hand and pulled her small body to him.
Mirakuru caught herself against his chest and didn't move away from him as if she had suddenly changed her mind again. "Let me go..." she begged, in a soft voice.
"I am not about to let you go, not now, not ever." Before she could try to get away he pushed her back to the wall and covered her mouth with his own. *Stop trying to push me away, my Love.*
The softness of his lips was soon the only thing she knew as he forced her to him. His tongue touched hers but she didn't move, not trying to move away. *Hotohori.* And then something inside her changed, for the first time ever she thought only of herself, no one else, just her and Hotohori. But on the inside part of her still hurt. *Nuriko, he--* Also she hurt for Kakusei, her friend who hadn't been spared. And she welcomed Hotohori's kisses.