Chapter Fourteen: Fights, Drinking, and Possessions

Akiko could tell that Bankotsu was avoiding her. Every time she went near him, he'd avoid eye contact and go talk to someone else. Akiko sighed, trying to figure out some way to get Bankotsu to talk to her.

"Hey, Renkotsu," she said, when she and the pyromaniac were alone, getting some cannons ready for their next big slaughter.

For once his voice didn't have any traces of annoyance when he spoke to her. "What?"

"I was just wondering… do you ever feel… cold?"

"Why?" she heard him say, his annoyance returning at her stupid question.

Akiko fidgeted with a gun she was holding as she nervously said, "I mean from death."

He stopped putting gunpowder into a cannon and looked at her. The sun, which was setting now gave everything a deep orange tint. "No, I don't. And I don't think anyone else does either. Do you?"

"Just recently," she replied, turning her back to him. "Of course, I just died recently."

"Still, I don't think that's normal," Renkotsu said seriously, his annoyance gone again. "It might mean something else."

Akiko did not like the sound of that. "Like what?"

When he didn't answer her, she turned to face him. He shook his head. "Forget it. No sense in worrying you. You probably are just getting sick or something."

"Sick! With what? Do you think it's serious?" she asked, worriedly.

Renkotsu sighed deeply as he spoke to her again. "It might just be a cold. Have Suikotsu bring out the Doctor and find out if you're worried. Although, it might not be that."

After they had finished loading the guns and weapons and strapped them onto Ginkotsu, Akiko thought maybe she could ask Renkotsu. 'No, I already asked him enough things. I don't want him to think me any more annoying than he already does. I guess I could ask Suikotsu to talk to Bankotsu for me.'

"Suikotsu? Are you here?" Akiko called, walking into the room Suikotsu was said to be in.

"Yeah. What is it?" he said in not a mean way, but not necessarily friendly was either.

'Great, evil Suikotsu. I'm going to have to ask him if he'll bring out the Doctor,' Akiko thought sitting down next to where he sat drinking sake. "Would it be too much trouble for you to get the Doctor and have him see if I'm sick," she asked in the sweetest voice she could. Which wound up sounding nagging.

Suikotsu chuckled, but then flatly said, "No."

"Please," Akiko demanded, loosing her false sweet voice. "I might be sick. What if I let it go and I end up dying again?"

Suikotsu stared at her for a second before saying very matter-of-factly, "Well, why didn't you say so? You don't need that damn doctor to tell you if you're sick or not. I can tell you." He glanced her over quickly and said shortly, "You're fine."

Akiko gave him a bit of a glare. "Not that I doubt your medical expertise, but are you sure?"

He rolled his eyes in annoyance. "You're fine, trust me. I heard what you said to Renkotsu and I agree with him- you are not sick. It's…" But he didn't finish his sentence. "I'll just leave it at that. If you want, I can get Lady Kikyou for when you're ready to…" He trailed off again.

"Why would I need to see Lady Kikyou?" Akiko asked, starting to get angry that everyone seemed to know what was going on except her and they were not willing to go into detail.

"You'll find out soon enough," Suikotsu laughed as he got up, finishing the last of his sake.

Bankotsu watched as Warusa spoke to a priest. He got a bit closer so he could hear what the two were saying.

"Yes, I hope for it to be soon. I must not keep Akiko waiting for I am sure she will be coming to accept my marriage proposal soon," Warusa said in a cocky voice to the elderly man who was to marry them.

After the priest and Warusa departed, Bankotsu walked up to him. "Hey," he said in a cold, deadly voice.

"Aaah, Bankotsu I assume?" said the young warlord, still in a cocky way.

The even younger mercenary smirked. "You assume correctly." (I am so sorry that sounded like a really bad Kill Bill quote there)

Warusa laughed in a triumphant way. "Come to tell me congratulations? After all, I am to be married!"

Bankotsu smirked again, lifting Banryuu off his shoulder and pointing the blade at Warusa's throat. "Terribly sorry, but whatever you did to trick Akiko into agreeing to that, I am going to kill you for it."

No longer smiling, Warusa drew his sword. "How very pathetic that you want to kill me just because you are jealous of the love that Akiko and I share."

Bankotsu set down Banryuu as he laughed for real. "'The love Akiko and I share'? Bullshit! You spoke to her for less than a minute. Have you even seen her since then? I don't know why you want her so bad and to tell you the truth, I don't care. But, you will not live long enough to apologize to her for whatever it was that you did."

"I wouldn't put your weapon down, you bastard!" the now angered Warusa shouted, swinging his katana at him.

The no longer laughing Bankotsu picked up his enormous halberd and blocked the katana and broke it in the process.

Akiko who had been walking toward the same place her kind-of-fiancée had accidentally stumbled into the conversation about the time Bankotsu had started picking a fight. She had been listening to their argument and even though she didn't want them fighting, she felt a blush across her cheeks for they were fighting over her.

At the beginning of the fight, Akiko was rooting for the halberdier, but then she felt the cold presence again and suddenly she was more concerned whether Warusa made it out alive.

Bankotsu was just about to strike the final blow when Akiko rushed over to them. "Bankotsu! Don't hurt him!"

"Akiko! My beloved, I knew you would choose me," Warusa exclaimed, hugging her to him.

"Akiko…" she heard Bankotsu say quietly. "So, you really have chosen him?"

"I…" was all she could utter before Bankotsu turned his back on the two of them and walked away. "Bankotsu," she called, trying to run to him, but she felt an arm wrap around her, holding her there.

"Don't worry about him," came Warusa's voice in a harsh way. It sounded like some kind of threat. The feeling of coldness overpowered her once more and she let Bankotsu walk away from her. Though deep inside, she was already regretting it.

'Fine! I refuse to fight for her if she is just going to choose that goddamn fucking asshole!' Bankotsu thought, angrily, continuing to call him every name he could think of. "I cannot believe she would betray me! From here on out, Akiko is an enemy," Bankotsu said aloud.

"Aniki, calm down. It's not her fault," came Renkotsu's voice.

Bankotsu saw his comrade walking up to him. "How's that?"

"Because… she is being possessed."

Akiko had been forced by Warusa to stay with him the rest of the day making wedding plans. She did not want to stay with him, but the icy feeling in her soul kept her there. Finally, she convinced him that she was too tired to do anything more and he let her go home.

When she got there, the rest of the Shichinintai were asleep with the exception of the leader. She expected him to ignore her or tell her off. "Bankotsu," she said sadly, kneeling down beside him. "I am sorry. Please forgive me. For some reason, Warusa seems to have some kind of power over me."

To her surprise, he pulled her to him and embraced her tightly. "Akiko, do you want something to drink?" he whispered in her ear sending shivers down her spine.

She nodded and Bankotsu gave her a large bowl full of it. She recognized it as the same thing Suikotsu drank earlier. She took it from him and took a small sip of it. She still wasn't completely used to the taste of it. This, however, was definitely not sake. It was much stronger. Bankotsu filled a bowl with the same stuff and leaned back, drinking some of it. Apparently, not even Bankotsu was completely used to this strong liquor, for he didn't gulp it down like he normally did.

"You're not mad at me?" Akiko asked eventually when she decided that Bankotsu wasn't going to yell at her.

"Nope, I think you're too stressed. Drink up. It'll take your mind off things," he said calmly, drinking some more.

She laughed slightly and threw her head back, drowning her worries in the mysterious liquor. It wasn't until she began choking on how strong it was, that Akiko realized she wasn't experienced enough to do it. She gave Bankotsu a look that was a mixture of embarrassment at her stupidity and of anger at the way he laughed at her because of it.

An hour and a half later, Akiko was smashed out of her mind.

"B-B-Baankotsuuuu," she said, trying to stand up, but wound up falling back down again.

"Yes?" said the bemused Bankotsu who was only very slightly drunk. He quite enjoyed how Akiko acted when she was drunk.

"I don't know why I stayed with Warsu… Waraus… Warasu… Warusa today. I don't really want to marry him."

Bankotsu smiled at her. "I know, Akiko."

"Good," she said dramatically. "Because it is you that I love and no one else!"

He stopped smiling and now looked at her sadly. "You're just saying that because of the Shouchuu."

Akiko giggled girlishly and leaned against Bankotsu. "Nuh-uh. I mean it. I love you, Bankotsu. You and only you," she sighed, closing her eyes.

"Thank you," he said quietly, arguing with himself whether or not to say what he wanted to. 'What they hell, she probably won't even remember it anyway,' he thought. "I love you too." It felt so strange to say that. It was the first time he recalled ever telling someone that he loved them like that.

Bankotsu blushed as he felt Akiko kiss lean up and kiss him on the cheek. She moved so she was sitting in front of him, between his legs, which made him blush even more. He began to grow nervous as Akiko kissed him on the lips. Naturally, he returned her kiss. At first, it was just an innocent kiss like the time at the Shirokiri Waterfalls. But, then Bankotsu felt Akiko's tongue across his lips. He wrapped his arms around her waist and opened his mouth, brushing his tongue against hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer to her.

Bankotsu knew it was wrong for him to kiss her while she was in this state, but something inside of him, would not allow him to pull away. He lied down gently on top of her, but forcefully enough so she couldn't get up. Not that Akiko was even complaining about it.

Author's Note: Ooooh! Spicy stuff going on here, ne? What will happen, you ask? You'll just have to wait. Damn it! I cannot get that song "These are a few of my favorite things" from The Sound of Music out of my head. Ugh… In case you've been watching InuYasha on adult swim, then you must know that tomorrow is episode 118, The Heart of Mt. Hakurei! That is the episode with Bankotsu and Jakotsu's porch scene where Jakotsu gives Bankotsu the shards and Ban-chan says Ja-kun is weird. So kawaii! Hopefully Jenn Forgie and Matt Hill will do well on their voices. I always loved the part where Jakotsu-kun sneezed. "It's so damn cold!" I love Ai Orikasa as Jakotsu. She was awesome. I don't think his English VA is really trying too hard. Oh, look at me going on and on, rambling. My point is… thanks to all who review :smile, wink, and thumbs up sign with the pointing gesture: (no, no! not that pointing gesture, silly!) okay, Demonic Mongoose is now babbling and taking up waaaaay to much time, so bye!