Chapter III: The Dilemmas of Youth

Ryu and Teepo stared across from the table at each other, each with an expression of frustration. Their old home was finally rebuilt, with a couple new additions considering how much bigger they all were now, but they had no money for food and have had no luck finding jobs.

"Guess we don't look like really capable farmers now do we, Ryu?"

"That, or the people here are so shocked that we three are still alive that the concept of us wanting jobs or trying to get jobs is beyond them."

Teepo nodded and then sighed. "At least not everyone's turning away. I got hit on yesterday by one of the girls down in the village. She gave me some fruit."

"You mean the fruit that's all gone?"

Teepo looked over to the empty basket and sighed again. "We eat too much."

"So Rei keeps telling us."

As if on cue, the door was slammed open and Rei strode in with some rabbits and some wild pheasants over his shoulders. He gave both of them a glare. "What the hell are you two doing just sitting about? I thought you were out trying to get jobs?"

Ryu shrugged. "Nobody around here has got jobs for a couple of fighters with thieving tendencies."

Teepo grinned at Rei. "Besides, I don't see you trying real hard to find a job."

Rei dropped the dead animals on the table, bringing a cringe from the two dragons. "I've been out hunting trying to keep two dragons fed. Sorry if I've been concentrating on that more. I'll be sure to leave you two to fend for yourselves then."

Teepo waved his hands, indicating for Rei not to do that. "Sorry, sorry. Just teasing, Rei, sheesh."

Ryu got up and started to help Rei with the food. He headed toward the stove and began to get the food ready. Out of the three of them, he's the one who cooked the best. "I'd head over to Wyndia and see if I could get us some bread… But I'm not really allowed in Wyndia, now am I?"

Rei snorted. "None of us are allowed in Wyndia."

"If we could go, then maybe we'd be able to get some decent jobs. But who knows what rumors there are about us there, all things considered."

Ryu sighed, putting one of the pheasants in a pot of boiling water.

"Hey, Ryu," Teepo began. "Don't worry about it so much. I'm sure Nina will figure out someway to convince your parents that you're not a kidnapper."

"Or a con man," Rei added.

"Or a thief." Teepo grinned.

Ryu rolled his eyes. "Or evil incarnate. I got the idea guys, you don't have to rub it in." He sighed. "I wish there was someway for me to help, rather than to just sit here."

"You could try finding a job."

Ryu and Teepo growled at Rei. He gave them a sheepish shrug. "What?" He scratched the back of his head and began to go to the door. "I guess I'll be going then, boys. I'm going to see if I find myself some work. You guys can have all that food. I'll get my own later."

Ryu blinked at Rei. "You sure? We'll save you some."

Rei shook his head. "I'm not going to get in the way of your gargantuan appetites. I'll see if I do some sidework somewhere and get me a bite or two while I'm at it." He stopped at the door and glanced at them over his shoulder. "You know, you don't need to find something steady right away. You could always do some odd jobs here and there. At least it'll keep food on the table."

Teepo gave Rei a salute. "We'll do that, Rei. Promise."

Rei snorted again and left the house, muttering something along the lines of 'smart asses'. Teepo gave Ryu a huge grin. "Bugging him always puts me in a better mood."

"I noticed." He handed Teepo a rabbit. "Now come on and help me with these. I'm sure you want to eat too."

"Yeesh. I haven't cooked in years."

"Was Myria's cooking good?"

"I don't even think she knew how."

"So much for being God."

"Tell me about it."

Momo arrived a little while later, carrying two baskets, smelling burnt food and hearing laughter. She knocked on the door. Ryu answered with a grin. "Oh, hey, Momo. Too bad you didn't show up earlier. You probably could've done a better job cooking lunch than Teepo did."

"Don't you start, Ryu," came a call from inside the house. "You're the one who made charcoal out of the rabbit!"

Ryu turned around, stepping out of the way so Momo could enter. "Yeah, but I didn't make ashes out of that pheasant!"

"I told you I hadn't cooked in years! You were warned."

Momo grinned at the two young men as she entered. "Hello boys. I take it you guys are having trouble getting food if you're trying to cook rabbits and pheasants."

Ryu shrugged, closing the door behind her. "A little. Teepo and I haven't really found any jobs yet."

"And what we have done has pretty much given us only snacks rather than real meals."

"Or charcoal food."

Momo chuckled. "Well, then I'm glad I brought rice balls and bread."

Teepo leapt out of his seat. "Thank god for Momo!"

She set up the food for them, leaving one basket aside. Teepo polished up his meal with a moan of thanks. "Oh, that was great. But I smell more. What's in the other basket?" He took a deep sniff and Momo could see his mouth start to water.

"Don't even think about it. I figured I'd have to stash food for the other idiot who lives here, if not, he'd never eat." She lifted an eyebrow at the two of them. "Am I right?"

Teepo and Ryu laughed sheepishly. "I guess so. I'm surprised Rei even let us stay here with him. We're going to eat him out of house and home."

They all shared a laugh, and Momo put the basket away, out of their hungry hands. "Well, at least you're all trying. Where is the furry idiot, anyway?"

Ryu shrugged. "Probably out working or looking for work. Maybe stealing some food considering we leave nothing for him."

Momo shook her head and sat back down at the table. "Oh, well. It's good that he isn't here anyway." She folded her hands and gave them a huge grin. "I've got to update you both on a couple of things, and really it's better that he doesn't know that it came out of me, but rather that it came out of you two."

Teepo leaned forward. "Oooo. I smell a conspiracy. What's going on?"

"Nina came over to my place the other day."

The room became quiet. Momo could see Ryu withdraw and his shoulders slump. "Not good news is it?"

"Well, there's good news and bad news."

Teepo nodded. "Let's start with the bad news. Hopefully the good news will put us into a better mood."

Momo agreed. "Mm. Bad news then." She took a deep breath and looked over at Ryu. "Her parents are not budging on their opinion. They're making it nigh near impossible for anything to happen between you two. They're horribly stubborn."

Ryu sighed. "I knew that was coming."

"She came over, crying, telling me all about their hard-headedness and how it looks pretty dire."

Teepo groaned. "This isn't sounding like the good news will make up for this after all."

"Oh, it will."

Both boys blinked at her and Momo grinned. "Nina and I put our heads together and came up with a great plan for how to bypass her parents. And on top of it all, get you two jobs! It'll work. I know, it'll work."

"What the heck did you two concoct?" Teepo asked with an obvious measure of fear in his voice.

Momo grinned at him. "Okay. Here's the good news. The plan. First, you two have to get jobs as soldiers for the Wyndian army."

Ryu blinked. "How are we going to do that, Momo? Doesn't all of Wyndia know who we are? Won't the army especially?"

Momo shook her head. "Not at all. Remember that they haven't seen either of you since you were children, and Teepo was never associated with you at that time. Rei is the one that they've seen the most recently. Most likely they won't recognize either of you. And only the king and queen really know you by name. The chances of the king and queen going down to the barracks to talk to the soldiers aren't high. That way you both have a job you can do and get some money, and Ryu, you'll be able to be near Nina on a normal basis. In fact, if everyone else sees your growing relationship and they approve of it, it'll probably help you to winning her parents over." Momo leaned forward. "The most important thing you have to do is get in good with General Montague. If he likes you, then you'll both be set. The king and queen trust him completely in matters of people and about the army. If he says you both are great people, they'll have to believe him. Because it'll be true!"

Teepo's eyebrow arched. "Seems a little sketchy to me."

Momo shook her head. "It'll be fine! The most important thing is for you two to make good impressions and to work. If General Montague likes you and the people like Ryu and Nina, then half the battle is already won!"

"I don't see how any plan that you came up with could possibly work."

Momo turned around to glare at the new voice that entered. Rei was leaning against the open doorway, a smirk playing about his lips. Momo itched to give him a good comeback but wasn't allowed the chance.

"I don't know, Rei," Ryu began. "It's the best chance I've got." The young dragon became quiet, face turning solemn. "I don't have any better ideas, and at least Teepo and I will have jobs."

"But what happens if they find out who you are before this General begins to like you? What'll you do then?"

Momo stood up slamming a hand down on the table. "They won't find out before the General gets to know them unless you show up to mess it up. They won't recognize Ryu and Teepo the way they are now. They won't know who they are at all, and like I said earlier—if you even bothered to pay attention as you were eavesdropping—the king and queen don't make a habit of socializing with their soldiers." She crossed her arms and gave the annoying tiger a superior look. "My plan will work fine." She grinned. "And you won't have to feed them as much anymore. Apparently the food at the barracks are better than in most places."

Rei shrugged. "I'm not surprised since they finally got rid of those enhanced crops. I don't really know why people would eat that stuff. After all, what's wrong with normal food?"

"Now you're just purposely picking a fight, you furry irritant."

"Hey, hey!" Teepo said. "Would you two quit for two minutes?" He looked over at Ryu and Rei. "Whether or not Momo's plan will work or not—"

"It will work!"

"—is moot. It's the best chance Ryu and I have for getting a job and not eating all of your food, Rei. And it's the best shot that Ryu's got for being with Nina. We might as well give a try. What do we have to lose?"

Momo put her hands on her hips and gave Teepo a huge smile, ears twitching. "Thank you, Teepo."

The purple-haired dragon blushed and looked away. "Well, you fed us and you cook good. The least we could do is try and thank you for giving us the chance to try."

Rei shook his head and walked into the room. "I'm telling you—something will mess it up. Something always messes up her crazy plots."

Momo glared at him through flashing glasses. "And how many of my crazy plots have you actually been through? It's not like you were ever around. You were off getting your stupid revenge instead of looking for Teepo and Ryu like you should've, so I had to save Ryu from Balio and Sunder!"

Rei leaned over her and growled. "I've been through enough of your schemes to know better. And you didn't save them from Balio and Sunder. You got caught yourself."

"At least I did more than you did! You were off chasing two ghosts who happen to be real and living and eating your freaking food!"

"I don't mind them living here and eating my food. At least they're not ghosts now!" Rei's stomach made a loud grumbling noise and his face flushed red. He didn't stop glaring at her, despite the apparent hunger.

"Thanks to me!" Her eyes narrowed. "When was the last time you bothered to eat yourself instead of feeding these two gluttonous god-like entities?"

"Oh, crap, Rei," Teepo muttered, sitting back down and looking at his friend. "Don't tell me you haven't been eating because you've been giving us all the food."

Rei whirled on him and growled. "I have been eating. I'm just hungry now!"

Ryu approached the taller man and put a hand on his shoulder. "Rei, seriously, when was the last time you ate?"

Rei's stomach made another loud noise and his face turned even redder. He looked away. "I didn't expect there to be a freaking get-together when I got home. I was hoping you guys would be out looking for jobs so I could have a bite in peace."

"When, Rei?" Ryu insisted.

Rei scratched the back of his head and stared at the floor. "I think yesterday morning…maybe?"

"Maybe!" was Teepo and Ryu's collective shout.

"Here."

Momo saw Rei blink down at the basket of food she had plopped on the table. She saw him take a deep breath and could almost see his mouth begin to water. His stomach made another loud noise and he growled at her. "What's this?"

"Food, you blithering idiot. Food for you. I kept it away from these eternally hungry dragons you live with and made sure you had something edible. There's rice balls, bread and some shisu."

"Shisu?" Teepo asked curiously. He looked toward Momo. "You didn't bring us—" Momo silenced him with a glare. She turned back to Rei and saw him staring at her, his eyelids lowering over his darkening golden eyes. Momo swallowed, suddenly feeling nervous. What…?

She blinked when she felt his hand over hers on the basket. She stared down at his huge hand enveloping hers and felt her skin begin to shiver. She shook her head and turned back to look up at him. The look he was giving her made her bones feel like they were about to melt. She felt his hand move over hers, in almost a caress, and then slide off onto the handle of the basket.

"Thank you," he whispered, before snatching up the basket and darting off upstairs, away from the other three, already opening it and stuffing a rice ball into his mouth. They could hear his groan of pleasure just before the door to his room slammed behind him.

"Eh?" Momo said, her face flaming a brilliant red. She blinked at the two young men and they were both trying to stifle their laughter. She took the hand Rei had touched—which was still floating in air where the basket had been—and held it away from them. She turned her nose up in the air and gave the two laughing dragons her back. "What is so funny, pray tell?"

"Nothing," was Teepo's half-silenced chuckle.

She snorted at them from over her shoulder. "Oh, really? Then you wouldn't be laughing now, would you?"

Ryu grinned. "We're not laughing at you, Momo, if that's what you're worried about. We're laughing at Rei."

Momo smiled. "Well, in that case," she turned back around, hands on hips. "I guess I forgive you then." She looked at the stares and rolled her eyes. "What an idiot. Not having eaten in so long. Guess he isn't as smart as he pretends he is, now is he?"

Teepo shook his head. "Guess so." He thumbed towards the door. "Momo, do you mind if we leave? I figure Ryu and I better start heading to Wyndia so we can sign up for the army. If you head to your new place in Wyndia before we leave, pick us up and show us your place."

She nodded. "That's a good idea. You two better head out then. I'll have dinner for you ready so you can eat at my place. Does that sound good to you?"

Ryu and Teepo grinned. "That sounds great, Momo!" Ryu gave her a wink. "Make sure to make something extra for Rei. Who knows when he'll eat next time unless you cook something for him."
Momo flopped down onto the chair and put her cheek in her hand. "Apparently so. He'll never learn to cook on his own or to feed himself, will he? I'm surprised he's even trying to look for a job. Doesn't seem like he can do much on his own."

Teepo and Ryu were already heading for the door. Teepo gave her a wave. "That's why he has you, Momo. Who knows where he'd be without you?"

Momo's cheeks flamed up. "What? What are you talking about? I'm amazed he hasn't thrown me out of the house yet." She stood up, her hands slightly shaking at the implications of Teepo's words. The idiot tiger wouldn't be anywhere without her help. But he doesn't have her…does he? She shook her head. That didn't make any sense. The entire statement didn't make any sense. She'd ignore it. "I should probably head out myself. I don't want to be left alone with him and his bad attitude." She wrinkled her nose at them. "He has a horrible attitude, you know."

Ryu nodded. "Yeah, but he did say 'thank you'."

"Yeah, he did," Teepo agreed.

Momo paused for a moment, but then began to collect her things. "It doesn't matter. I've already done what I've come to do anyway. I should go back home. I'll probably walk with both you."

"I don't think that's a good idea, Momo," Ryu said.

"Why not?"

Teepo answered her query. "Well, honestly, if you're with us people in Wyndia might get suspicious. After all, aren't you known for your genius? If they saw you with us they'd think we're more important and therefore our intentions may become suspect."

Ryu nodded. "Yeah, and besides, who knows if Rei will still be hungry after he finishes the food you made him. Maybe you should stick around and make sure he's been properly fed. I mean, with him, you never know. He has a tendency to be forgetful about certain things, and he worries too much about us. Remember that he said he ate yesterday, but for all we know…"

"Oh, you're right," Momo said with a nod. "People in Wyndia already know me for being fantastic with machines. If they see me with you two they might think something is up. Especially with two would-be soldiers. Yes, you're right." She waved at them. "Well, I guess then I'll stay here for a little while longer and make the idiot upstairs some more food before he throws me out."

Ryu grinned. "Thanks, Momo. We've got some rice and fish stashed away, but I don't know how good it is. I hope you can make something out of it."

"I'll see what I do, Ryu. You two be careful!"

Teepo gave her a wink. "We will. Wish us luck?"

Momo cupped her mouth with her hands and shouted, "Good luck!"

Ryu and Teepo both gave her a wave and headed out, closing the door quietly behind them. Momo smiled at the closed door, hoping that her plan worked out without a hitch. She had full confidence in it, but Ryu was a little too honest sometimes. Hopefully, Teepo will keep him in line.

She turned around, hands on hips, and glared at the kitchen. "All right then!" She tossed off her hat and rolled up her sleeves, getting down to work.

Rei came down the stairs a little while later, curious as to what the racket downstairs was. He was a little surprised to see only Momo and neither of the other two. He was even more surprised to see her pattering around shoeless in his kitchen cooking and cleaning. He watched her clean the table and check on a pot that cooking over the stove. Half the counter was covered in rice balls and shisu. She lifted the top of the pot and tasted the soup cooking inside of it.

It all smelled heavenly.

And something about all of this disturbed Rei.

He liked seeing her move around his kitchen as if she was supposed to be there. He liked seeing her sleeves rolled up and seeing her focused on cooking and cleaning. For some reason it seemed to him as if it was fitting for her to be doing this. In his home. In his kitchen. He liked seeing her bare feet. In his mind came unbidden the image of her in the river by Yggdrasil, her naked form covered in water. His body hardened and he began to strip her in his mind, wondering if her skin was the same rosy, creamy color in the light of the day. Maybe it was as pale as it had looked bathed in moonlight and water. Maybe it was a creamier color—so creamy he could all but taste it. He caught himself licking his lips and shook his head. What was wrong with him? He leaned against the wall, tearing his eyes away from her animated form and taking a deep breath. He saw her again in his mind's eye, that haunting memory of her naked. It had kept him awake many a night since then, but he'd pretty much chalked it up to being his need for a woman—he hadn't had one since he'd met up with Ryu again. Not since his last stop at Sin City before he attacked them.

The image of her wouldn't leave his mind. It hit him a moment later as to why. She was humming the same tune she'd been singing that night. His brain was, at least, predictable. He restrained a groan as he felt himself wanting to reach out and touch that silky-looking skin, even though it wasn't there except for in his memories. His eyes slid down to her form at the base of the stairs. He was feeling the ridiculous urge to strip her and put her down on his table… and just taste her. Everywhere.

Rei snarled at himself and headed down the stairs, hating the fact that his body was reacting to his overactive imagination. He didn't want to know if she was as soft as she looked. He didn't want to remember how good she tasted or how soft her lips were from that fight in the desert. He didn't want to think of her as anything but a mouthy, machine-brained engineer. They had nothing in common. They didn't even like each other all that much. So why did he keep fantasizing having her underneath him and screaming his name and making her lose that superior attitude of hers? Why did that image appeal to him so much? He cursed under his breath as that same image came to mind again and almost had him doubling over from the gnawing in his gut.

He reached the bottom of the stairs, having gained some control over his imagination. He saw her feet again. She had nice toes.

"What the hell are you doing?" he grunted.

Momo turned to him with a sour look and pout. Damn those pouty lips of hers. "Well, that was rude! What does it look like I'm doing? I'm cleaning up this mess of a bachelor pad you and those two live in, and making sure you have food despite their appetites." She put the top back on the pot and marched away from it. "Sorry, if I was trying to help. I'll take my things and go. I knew I should've left with Ryu and Teepo."

Rei couldn't stop himself. He was just as surprised as she was, when he grabbed her hand and pulled it away from her hat. "I'm sorry," he murmured. Her skin was soft underneath his hand, just like it had been earlier when she'd given him the basket of food. He looked sheepishly away from her, but didn't release her hand. "I mean, why are you doing this for me? You didn't have to." When she didn't answer immediately, as he had expected her to, he turned back to her.

Momo was staring down at their hands, seemingly confused at the image. "Hm?" She looked up abruptly and her face turned almost as red as her hair. She pulled her hand away from his and Rei couldn't help his frown. "Um, well… I figured you need all the help you can get. And those two will eat all your food unless you start making some of your own and keeping it away from them."

Rei found himself staring at her breasts—or at least where her breasts would be under that ridiculous smock. The image of them in his mind had him licking his lips. "Ah. I see. Well, uh, thank you, I guess."

"You guess?"

She stepped toward him, making her face directly into her line of sight. "You're not even sure if you should be thanking me for helping you? Oh, you're intolerable! This is the last time I come over here and do you any favors!" She whirled away from him and began to head to the stove. He stared at her as she turned off the stove and headed toward her shoes. He presumed since he was still by her hat. "The soup should be ready. I hope you appreciate what I have done, since you're not really sure if you should thank me for it, after all."

Rei grabbed both her wrists this time, making her drop her shoes. He turned her around to face him, unable to control the anger starting to boil beneath the surface. This woman was freaking impossible! "I didn't say that! I didn't say I wanted you to leave, I do appreciate you feeding me and…and cleaning. I don't know why you're doing it, but I said thank you!"

She stared at his hands for a moment before looking up at him. "You said 'thank you, I guess'. That's not a thank you!"

"A technicality!"

"It makes all the difference!"

"I'm sorry then!" Rei stared down at her, battling the urge to seize those full, red lip and shut up the mouthy engineer. "Thank you! Thank you for everything!"

Momo suddenly beamed up at him. "Now, that wasn't so hard, now was it?"

Rei stared down at her in disbelief. "You're impossible."

Her frown returned. "You can't be nice for more than two seconds, can you?"

He pulled on her wrists, lifting her arms into the air and in effect, pulling her closer to him. "And you always have to have a witty comeback, don't you? Can't you just accept that you're impossible and live with it?"

Momo was tugging on her arms, trying to free her wrists from his grip. Her breathing suddenly became shallow. "And can't you accept that you're an insufferable, rude ruffian?"

"Oh, I accept it. I'm reminded of it every time I talk to you!"

"Then maybe you should just stop talking to me!"

Rei pushed her forward, pinning her between the wall and himself. He kept her arms pinned above her head. He heard her gasp, and wondered briefly, if he wasn't the only one suffering from the malady of inexplicable desire. He stared down at her and watched her chest heave from her growing ragged breaths. "Maybe you're right. Maybe we should stop talking to each other."

Rei was surprised to see her expression fall. She suddenly seemed so depressed. "Yes. Yes, we should."

He leaned down closer to her face, until her scent overrode the rest of the smells in the house. Cinnamon and soot and something else. Something good. "There are other things we could do other than talk, you know." Peaches. Peaches and woman.

Momo's eyes seemed to search his face. He wasn't sure what she was trying to find there, but he worried only a little that she would see through his insane scheme. She licked her lips, effectively slamming a fist into his gut. "Other than talk?" she breathed. "What do you mean?"

Rei couldn't stop a growl from escaping. "This." His mouth sealed over hers and his tongue slid between her startled lips. He pressed himself up against her with a low moan and suckled on her lips as if he was a starving man and she was ambrosia. She gasped into his mouth and he delved deeper, angling his head for better access to her. She was like thick, addictive honey. He could feel the burning need inside him growing to the level that he never wanted to stop kissing her and tasting her. She was a drug and his mind was already feeling the hazy effects. He wanted to release her hands and just start stripping her, his fingers itching to feel the skin beneath the thick layer of clothes. Instead, they rubbed the palms of her hands, caressing them as if they were the skin he was so desperate to touch and taste. His body rubbed up against hers and he could feel her breasts from underneath her clothes. He felt the entire length of her and wanted to melt against her. She would fit him perfectly. He didn't know how he knew, but he did. He heard her throaty moan and realized something all at once. This…thing was mutual.

With a great deal of effort, he pulled away from her. He stared down into her face and recognized something he'd seen so often in his own when waking from all-together too sexy dreams. Blatant, all-consuming want. Her eyes fluttered open and they had become a deep, dark burgundy. Somewhere along the way she'd lost her glasses. Her breathing was just as choppy as his was and he could feel her breasts heaving against his chest. He shivered.

"Momo," he all but croaked. He leaned into her and buried his face against her neck. He suckled at the pulse there and heard her gasp and tremble.

"Stop," she said on a harsh intake of breath.

He licked his way up her neck until his mouth was hovering over hers. Her hooded eyes said yes, not no. "Stop?" he repeated harshly.

Her entire body shook against him and she closed her eyes, and turned her face away. "Please, stop…"

Rei's grip on her wrists tightened and he pulled them down, putting them behind her back and pressing her up against him. He slid a thigh between her legs and rubbed upward, feeling and smelling the heat growing there. "How can you tell me to stop?"

She let out a low cry, biting her lip to stop it. Her entire body shook violently and she arched against him. Her statement was broken by moans. "I…can't… Stop… Rei…"

With a snarl, he shoved her away from him, holding her at arms' length. He could feel her trembling body, could smell the need in her. "Why are you telling me to stop when we both want this? Why, when all I want to do is take off all those clothes your wearing and see your beautiful body again? When all I want to do is taste you?"

Momo breathed only one word. "Again?"

Rei tore his hands away from her and strode out of the house with a loud, snarled curse and slam.

Momo was still feeling dizzy and hot as she wandered through the Cedar Woods, away from Rei's home. She could still feel his heat burning into her body, despite all the clothes between them. She could still feel his mouth on hers, his body rubbing against hers… She swallowed. His hard thigh between her legs.

She leaned against a tree for support; her heart beating so fast and hard she could feel it down to her fingertips. She wasn't sure what on earth was wrong with her, or why it was that whenever she was that close to Rei he managed to scramble her mind so she couldn't think anymore. But when she'd seen his expression all she had wanted was to give in to whatever it was that he'd wanted and just be consumed by his heat.

Momo sighed. She had only told him to stop so she could try to think again, try to make sense out of what was happening. She trusted her logical mind. When it went to that chaos that only Rei could bring it to, she didn't know what to do. She had just needed a moment to gather her bearings and figure out what was going on.

But telling him to stop so she could do that only seemed to make him react negatively. She presumed that he thought she was telling him to stop all together. She shivered. Maybe she had wanted him to. But at the time she hadn't wanted him to stop. She just wanted to lose herself. And that's what had scared her the most.

And then he'd said that. That he wanted to see her 'beautiful' body again. Again? Why the again? Just saying her body was beautiful was very out of the ordinary. For one, he'd never seen it before. For two, even if he had seen it before, then he would know it wasn't beautiful. It was just a body. Nothing remotely amazing or beautiful about it… Momo froze. Wait. What if he had been the one who she had heard in the spring by Yggdrasil? The one who'd been watching her. Her eyes narrowed. That made sense. Especially his reaction when he stormed out of the house.

Momo pursed her lips and shoved herself away from the tree, heading towards the exit of Cedar Woods with more determination. He'd been watching her that night! How rude! And yet… If he had then why would he be wanting to kiss her? Why would he say she had a beautiful body? She looked down at herself speculatively. Maybe he didn't see her very clearly that night? Or maybe his brain is warped.

She stopped and looked around. She'd gotten herself lost in the woods again from thinking too much. She'd probably made the wrong turn in that last batch of trees. She began to turn around when she heard a loud curse and then a sneeze. Momo blinked and followed the sound, wondering what that had been about. Did someone need help?

She pushed aside some bushes and heard the river rushing, along with some unintelligible muttering. She shoved a branch out of her way and looked ahead, freezing in place at what she saw.

Rei.

Naked.

In the river.

Momo felt heat rise to her cheeks and she turned away, trying to be a silent as possible. She covered her face with one of her hands; the image burned into her mind. She didn't even see all of him. Just his back, tail, legs and …rear end. Momo's hand slid down to her mouth and her eyes slid back towards him. She closed her eyes, trying to control the temptation. No, that was just too rude…!

She dropped her hand, her brow furrowing. Well, Rei had seen her naked. He peeked when she was taking a bath. It was only just that she should do the same back. And next time she could say something along the lines of wanting to see his beautiful… body… again… She shook her head, trying to shove aside the connotations of what he had said earlier and what she was thinking now.

Momo was set in her path though. A little revenge would make her feel a whole lot better right now. She turned around quietly and moved the branch aside so she could get a good view. She wanted to make sure he didn't know she was watching him, so she didn't move it as much out of the way as she could've. Momo sucked in breath. She didn't need to move the branch anymore anyway.

She saw a lot more of Rei this time around. He still wasn't facing her, but she could clearly see his strong profile and …well, the rest of him. Momo brought a hand to her mouth to cover her gasp and her erratic breathing. Her eyes dragged down the course of his body, moving over every line and muscle, mouth drying. But her eyes settled on his hips and she licked her lips. She tried to make a coherent thought, but failed as she just stared at him.

He was…well, quite big. She knew how men's bodies worked—after all, she wasn't totally without any knowledge—but she'd never seen one before. She didn't think it was usually that large, was it? She pressed her legs together, feeling a strange heat suddenly growing there. Her memory flashed to how Rei was holding her earlier, but this time her mind substituted their clothes for no clothes. The hand that wasn't holding the branch away gripped onto the front of her tunic, right over her heart. It felt like it was about to explode out of her chest. She could almost feel the length of his body against hers again, only without a smidgen of clothes between them. She trembled. She licked her lips again and stared at him, wondering what it would feel like to touch him without any clothes on. He picked up a bucket from the bank, and dumped into the water, taking the bucket full and pouring it on top of himself. She watched the water trail down his body and wondered momentarily if it would become steam. Maybe the heat he emitted would be just as fierce without his clothes. She wondered what it would be like to be kissed by him without either of them having any clothes. What would he do if she left her clothes right here and sneaked up behind him in the river, both of them naked? Momo's imagination was starting to runaway with her. She let out a little moan and released the branch as she slid to the floor.

She heard his voice in her head suddenly and her answers echoing to his questions. Why, when all I want to do is take off all those clothes your wearing and see your beautiful body again? When all I want to do is taste you? She could understand now the want of seeing that beautiful body. Now, she wanted to taste him and shivered at the thought of him tasting her…

She curled into a ball, not understanding the growing heat inside of her. Maybe it was time she admitted to a couple of facts. She liked him. A lot. Maybe she even loved him. He made her brain nothing but scrambled static. A feat. He made her burn from the inside out, made her shiver, made her want to be lost and thoughtless. Very dangerous. She loved his kisses and wanted to be kissed by him forever. He tasted like man and sweat and pepper. He smelled like woods, man and musk. He made her dizzy and confused—but always in a good, uncontrollable, euphoric way. When he wasn't making her mad. She wanted…something. The closest thing she could think of was that she wanted him. But Momo wasn't absolutely sure what that meant. Her body shivered just acknowledging that. She would need to do some research when she got home.

Maybe she should go by the tower first and go to her father's library, picking up some of those 'books' of his.

She heard a moan coming from beside her and Momo looked through the leaves to see what had happened to Rei.

She slapped a hand over her mouth to stop herself from squealing.

Rei's head was thrown back, his hair lose and hanging down to his …behind… His face was twisted with something between pain and pleasure. His tail was swishing back and forth with the movements of his hand. The hand in question was touching the other protruding part of the male anatomy, rubbing it, back and forth. His back was arched, his hips moving with the same rhythm of his hand. His hips thrust toward his hand as it slapped against him, the smacking wet noise, mingling with the sounds coming from his throat. He gave a low guttural moan that had Momo's legs giving out and her eyes closing against Rei's image.

She scurried out of the thrush, making plenty of noise while she was at it, just trying to hurry and get away from the scene burning in her mind. A scene that made her want to crawl toward him and just become hot, melted wax all over him.

Momo could've sworn she heard hoarse laughter following her as she hurried away. But she pretended that she imagined it.