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"Where should I start…" Risho murmured to himself.
He held the dagger above Youko's milky skin. He tried it in different angles to see which would cause the most harm. His instincts told him to begin hacking at his flawless body but that wasn't his style. He wanted to hurt the fox demon as much as he could…he wanted to drink in the emotions that would show on his usually passive face. He longed to see Youko's façade shatter as well as his demon pride. How delicious it would all be…
"Get on with it. Are you only talk? You've talked of taking action but I have yet to see results," Youko snapped irritably. He was expecting immense pain and he was prepared. "Are you afraid of me?" he jeered. He wasn't the least bit afraid.
His remarks unnerved the yakuza lord. Risho laughed to hide the fact. He was pleased to hear the sound echo around the room. It gave him courage. "Me? Afraid of a weak fool who's tied to a table? See what loving a human girl can do to you? How does it feel to be betrayed by the one you love…?"
He didn't give Youko time to answer. He hit the fox demon on the sternum with the dagger. The blade hit the bone with a sickening thud. A small explosion came out of nowhere on the wound Risho had inflicted. For a brief second, a gaping wound was shown on Youko's skin. A flame hid the wound, fusing the milky flesh closed over it.
Youko took in a sharp breath of air. He had never seen a weapon like this. The pain was incredible. His death plants appeared out of nowhere to fight back out of instinct.
Risho flinched. "Remember our pact? Harm me and the girl dies." He smiled as the plants disappeared.
"How does it feel? I've never had a chance to ask…the pain of the first hit caused a mental breakdown that killed them." Risho continued, giving him a mocking smirk. "I wonder how much more you can handle…" He studied the dagger casually. "Don't you want to know how this works?"
Youko was unable to answer. The blackened flesh was twitching painfully with every breath he took.
"I can give you the liberty of knowing…I believe Botan wants to know what kind of weapon killed you." He glanced back at Botan who grimaced at his words.
"Don't put her in the middle of this. It's between you and me," Youko growled.
Botan gazed lovingly at him. He was here because of her and yet he was sticking up for her even though he was tied down.
"I isn't between only you an me. Perhaps at the moment, yes, but when I am through, you have three more sessions to live through…if you live through mine first."
"…three?" Youko could understand Jin and Touya torturing him. But those were only two more, not three. His amber gaze fixated on the amethyst orbs he knew too well. But she couldn't possibly have a grudge against him too…could she?
"Yes. Three. Even the woman you love has come to assist in your downfall." Risho chortled at the delicious irony.
Youko stared incredulously at Botan. There was no way…not after she had spilled her heart into his hands…not after she admitted her love for him… "Then this was all another well-thought out plan to kill me, was it? I am a fool after all."
"I can't agree with you more!"
Botan struggled against Jin's grip. Instantly hate flared up inside her at everyone in his room that wasn't chained to the torture table. "Jin suggested that I should torture you," she sputtered quickly. "I don't have any choice but to do it." She bowed her head. "I-I'm sorry."
"I am too," Youko said cruelly. He looked away from her and closed his eyes. He believed that she was only saying this to ease the pain. But she was wrong. It made the internal pain worse.
Risho giggled hysterically. "This went much better than I expected! Lets see how strong your will to live is now!" He dragged the ragged blade of the dagger slowly across the fox demon's muscled abdomen. The explosion ran equally slow down the length of the cut, blasting aside skin and sinew without mercy. The flame followed slowly to meld the skin together in an ugly blackened scar. This act was repeated several more times. In minutes, anyone watching would've thought that Youko's entire body was exploding.
Youko's mind reeled from the pain, but still he didn't scream. He held the pain in, but he was afraid that he wouldn't be able to hold it for much more. He didn't want Risho to have the pleasure of hearing him scream. Youko Kurama wouldn't give anyone the pleasure of hearing him cry out in pain. But he was getting exhausted and his breathing was becoming labored. He was going to pass out soon.
He was relieved to find that Risho had stopped his barrage of attacks for a moment. At least he was given a chance to breath. He winced as he took in a breath of air. His entire body cried out for reprieve from the pain. He choked on the air, surprised to find how much pain he was in. He coughed…but it wasn't good. He was coughing up blood. He could taste the coppery blood fill his mouth. He gagged on the bittersweet taste.
'He's been at it for less then twenty minutes yet I feel as if I've been here for several hours,' he thought bitterly. 'I don't think I can withstand three more people.' He lay his head back weakly. His silver bangs fell into his eyes, but he didn't have the energy to shake it out of his eyes.
The physical pain was pain was terrible, but his heart felt worse. Botan may have admitted her love for him but it was all a lie…a horrible lie that made this pain on his body seem like a simple irritation. He now truly knew how it felt to be stabbed in the back. It wasn't an enjoyable situation.
Risho scowled at the fox demon. He only looked exhausted rather than half dead. He stabbed the dagger deep into Youko's diaphragm and ripped it out. He replaced the dagger on the wall. He watched with a pleased expression as Youko pulled against the metal cuffs to fight the pain. The smile melted off Risho's face and hardened into another scowl. Youko still didn't scream out. 'How much pain can he take? This is bringing little results.'
He turned to Touya. "This is boring me. See if you can get him to scream. Lets give him a few minutes to think about the past half hour." He left with Touya flanking him.
Botan finally managed to wrench out of Jin's grip. She stumbled to the table where Youko lay. She gazed mournfully at the blackened patches that marred his once flawless body. "I wish I couldn't stopped all this…" she murmured more to herself than to Youko. She shot a glare across her shoulder at Jin. "I can't forgive you for causing this."
Jin's ears lowered guiltily. "I can't forgive meself to tell the truth…"
"Leave me alone. I don't want to talk to you. You've done enough," Botan responded waspishly. She watched him leave the room.
She sighed and brushed Youko's sweaty bangs from his eyes. "I'm so sorry about this."
Youko opened his eyes blearily. He hated to admit it, but he was glad to see her pretty face. "You wanted this to happen all along, didn't you? Did you choose to rub it in by saying you loved me?" he spat weakly.
Botan cringed at the remark. "No…I didn't want all this to happen and I do love you!" Tears smarted her eyes. Youko was obviously dying and the last thought in his mind would be that she had betrayed him. She avoided his insinuating gaze and looked at the hideous wounds on his body.
She held her hands above him. She concentrated, willing the wounds to heal themselves. A blue glow engulfed his body. The patches of burnt flesh melted away. The splendor of his strikingly perfect body had returned. She smiled hopefully at him. "I can't stop them from hurting you, but I can make the pain better."
"Then you weren't lying?"
"No. I wouldn't do something that mean. I have a heart, you know."
She followed her urge and bent down to kiss him. Youko's lips were warm and inviting. She pressed against the warmth, drawing comfort from it. The kiss deepened and became more intimate. She buried her hands gently in the silver, silky mass of Youko's hair.
Youko lost himself in her touch. It was a wonderful change from the intense pain. He only wished that his hands could be free to return the gentle touch. He longed to touch her soft skin to show that he returned his love.
The deity ended the kiss reluctantly. Her lips tugged gently on his lower one as she pulled away. She flushed. "I'm sorry…I got carried away…"
Youko smiled warmly. "It's alright. At least I can withstand the pain now. I had thought that you betrayed me…and that made the pain worse. I know how trivial it must sound to you."
Botan stroked his hair and shook her head. "I understand what you mean." She bit her lower lip nervously. "I just hope that Touya doesn't go overboard and kill you."
The fox demon chortled. "I can handle it. I underestimated him that day. I'll be fine."
Risho and Touya reentered the room. Jin stepped in after them.
Immediately, Jin took in Youko's repaired body. He winced and looked expectantly at Risho. Surely he would explode. He inched closer towards Botan to make sure she wouldn't get the brunt of his wrath.
Risho's gaze scoured Youko. He grinned. "You had the energy to repair yourself, did you? You won't have the energy to do it again." He threw a glare in Touya's direction. "Or else…" he snarled.
Here's the people who reviewed last chapter in their respective orders! I finally got up to 300 reviews! It's a dream come true! Thanks to everyone who contributed to this!
I'm planning on writing a HieixBotan fic because the coupling is pretty rare. Anyone interested?
Tesina Gela Gardner: That's nice of you to say! I'm glad you like it the way it is. This is my best work so far so I want to please my reviewers. If they're happy, I'm happy! You're the first reviewer this time!
Volpone: You're gonna punish me you say? Fine! Kill me! Then you can't see how Youko lives through to the end! I dare you! j/k! Glad you enjoy! Is this chapter graphic enough?
Lifeless-Kanna: I guess it's 'go Jin'. At least he's not trying to hurt Youko too bad right now. Right? Thankee for your review!
Botan and Kurama lover: There's some fluff in here…but it's probably not enough. Personally, I don't like too much fluff. As long as there's just enough fluff, I'm fine. I don't wanna choke on it! It's easy to write fluff, though, so I work more on the action part. I can say that Jin does go easy on Youko, but maybe not in the way most people expect…Thanks for the review! There should be more YxB fluff coming soon…if Youko lives! ::evil laugh::
Conspiring against me: No life, eh? I don't have one either. That's why I'm here. ::sigh:: writing fanfic is dorky if you think about it, but since you guys seem to love this fic, I'm obliged to update soon. Enjoy this chapter!
Ame no Kodomo: You read it all in one setting? Hopefully you didn't get bored! I worry that my story bores people sometimes. I'm flattered to know that you enjoyed it. Phenomenal? Me? You should read something by Volpone. That's phenomenal! I recommend Foxgloves. That's a good dark YoukoxBotan fic that overshadows both this fic and Guilty By Association by a mile!
miyako14: Good point. If a fic sux, then don't read it, right? Nope, I haven't heard that song! Is there possibly a link to where I can listen to it? Are they good at singing? Hope you enjoyed this chapter too!
Anon: Good suggestion! Why didn't I think of that? But remember that if Youko hurt Risho, Botan would be hurt. Even if Risho died, Touya would just kill Botan out of jealousy. Thanks for the review.
prettynutter: ::blush:: Oopsie! I didn't pay attention. I type too fast and I don't double check if the spellcheck and grammarcheck doesn't show squiggly lines for me to fix something. I think I type more than 60 wpm last time I checked…That was back in 8th grade though. I'll try to pay closer attention. If I make a mistake like that again, make sure you let me know! I want to be aware of my dumb mistakes!
Tyedye/Rin: Linkin Park songfic soon! You can see the one I have up. I'm not good at songfics, so I'm afraid I screwed up a good LP song. I chose the "Breaking the Habit" song because I wanted to make a songfic before the music video came out. I had contacts via the Japanese news say that LP was making a new video of breaking the habit. Anyway, the only way I could've made this chapter longer is by making it gory. You people don't want it to get too gory, do you? O.O
cHiCkx0fxdArKnEsS: No, Jin only cares for Botan like a sister. He doesn't love her. Yes, Risho and Touya only want Botan for her body…so only Youko truly deserves her.
Chocogurl: Youko is gorgeous in his own anime charm, I guess. I tried to make him seem helpless even though he's got such a strong façade, you know? You gotta love the guy's façade. Hey, chocolate is bad. No chocolate for you! If it makes you tired, it's bad. J/k. Thanks for the review!
JDFeilding: Of course I can't have Youko scream in pain! I won't give Risho the pleasure of that! ::determined look:: I know what you mean about taking time to make things good, but I always have a good idea of the next chapter so I update pretty quick. I can't do anything as good as you of course…It's always a pleasure to have JD look at my drivel. ::bows:: Thanks!
Dark Shadow Writer: The Breaking the Habit video was somewhat confusing. You have to watch it a few times before you understand it. But the song is awesome. I love it! Thanks for the review!
lil-rosa: Nooooooo! Not Kuwabara plushies! ::pulls out flamethrower:: die, you bastards! ::turns to lil-rosa:: Is that the best ya got?! J/k. Thankee for the review!
Botan26: A silent reader, eh? Another one! It's nice to know that more people read it. I love to hear from reviewers though! It's not just the number I'm trying to achieve, but reviewers give me confidence and it's funny to see what they say sometimes. I updated! Was it fast enough?
KuramaandHiei4ever: Yeah…::blush:: I did mean Jin. Prettynutter pointed that out too…That's okay if you don't reviewer that soon! Your word is still appreciated!
Hakusho009: I like Jin's accent even though its hard to write. I still say Karasu is my fav, sadistic freak or no! Thanks for the review!
Like I said, thanks for reviewing and your name will be up again next time if you review this time!