Hikari did not quite understand the tension in the castle after Takashi spoke with Mother. Takashi vaguely explained what they spoke about, saying they talked about his intentions with Hikari and him answering with 'honorable intentions.' He did not explain it any further than that, no matter how much she pouted at him.
Father was temperamental and Mother was frigid with him, hardly talking or even staying in his presence. Izo had the gall to ask Mother, not Father, what was wrong. She told him she was mad at Father and to leave it alone.
Hikari still risked sneaking into Takashi's room at night, even after Father told her explicitly not to. Takashi did try to talk her out of coming until the tension in the castle dissipated, but he at least did not turn her away. She was disappointed in that he would let her do less in bed. Not much beyond a few kisses. It was frustrating for her.
Mother's frustration was boiled over before Hikari's own had the chance to. Hikari had been coming back from Takashi's room so early in the morning that she had hardly slept next to him. She missed spending more time with him. She was walking past her parents rooms when she heard the shouting, making her stop in tracks and give into the desire to ease drop.
"You can not be serious!" Mother shouted.
"Keep your voice down, do you want awake everyone else?!" Father growled out.
"No! I will not!" Mother retorted. "You cannot go and say that to them!"
"It's the truth!" Father shouted back.
"It is not! It's just what you want to be the truth!" countered Mother.
"He will stay away from her and be back where he belongs! She'll go with me to so she can get away from him!" planned Father.
"Oh, and what will you tell her about that, hmm? If you tell her what you mean to do, she'll fight you every step of the way," Mother warned. "You'll never get more than 100 meters away from this castle."
Hikari felt her stomach drop at hearing this conversation, but could not resist listening anymore.
"She's seduced and needs away from him," Father argued.
"That's not true!" Mother practically screamed. "You know that's not true. You just don't like it!"
"I could kill him," Father said so softly that Hikari hardly heard him.
Mother's voice went colder, "he's under my protection and has been ever since you first threatened to harm him. You know this world's way. You touch him, and I won't hold back against you." Silence echoed emptily from the room. Hikari waited on bated breath to hear what was said next. "Go to the king. Tell him what's going on. You can't hide the truth from him," Mother added nastily. "But you go alone. Neither of them will go with you."
Hikari could not stomach hearing anymore. She ran off to her room as fast and as quietly as she was able. She ran into her bed and hid under the covers, puzzling over what she heard. Mother and Father were fighting about her and Takashi, no doubt. But why? Father was against them, but Mother defended them. She kept thinking it over and over in her mind where it rolled about like a tumble weed.
Hikari was not sure how or for how long, but she feel asleep again and woke up with a heavy heart and nervous stomach. She kept respective at breakfast, noticing Father was not there. Mother merely said he left for a few days and turned the conversation to school in the Human World resuming in the fall for both her and Izo. Summer was coming nearer and nearer to an end with every pasting day.
Hikari felt her plans developing quickly within her. Father was likely going to the king to try to halt hers and Takashi's relationship, and she would not have that. School was coming back up and could possibly drive a wedge between them as well. Both things were coming to a hedge and she was not about to let either of them spoil what she had with Takashi.
After breakfast, Hikari tried to catch Takashi alone as soon as she could. She convinced him to take a walk with her in the forest at the outskirts of the castle. He insisted they get Mother's permission of course. Hikari could scarcely breathe as she felt Mother's coldness study her. How Father could handle it for days was beyond her. It took so long, but finally Mother agreed they could go under the condition they must not separate from each other. Hikari did find it interesting that Mother did not tell them how long they were allowed to stay out. She did not go asking for it though.
Hikari led Takashi eagerly through the woods, walking fast when he called for her to walk slowly and enjoy the scenery. Hikari called back to him, "if it's scenery you like, you need to see this cave."
She huffed, almost to the lower cave she knew with the hot spring pool. Father had told her before not to go up to the higher caves as they were treacherous and unsafe. This was a lower one though, so she and Takashi would be fine.
She led him into it, almost having to coax him into its darkness with the promise of soon to be lit torches. There were abandoned torches along the wall. She lit each one for them with her fire dragon. He seemed impressed, which was a good sign, but then wanted to talk about how the cave was found and what was at the end. He talked so much sometimes. Now was not a time for talking.
They reached the hot spring pool where she began to feel nervous. Getting him into the pool with her suddenly seemed impossible. She stepped over to him and took both of his hands, pulling him closer to the pool with her.
"Come here," she said shakily.
"Why are you shaking?" he asked.
"Just nervous," she breathed out.
She raised herself up on the balls of her feet and kissed him, catching him off guard. He was letting her take the lead, good. She pulled him down to the ground with her with him trying to slow them down a little. She rolled them so he was laying underneath her. She hesitated, but then brought her legs around his torso around his stomach, preferring to be higher up. She kissed him, feeling better and bolder as she went. He panted beneath her as went after his neck. She bit his neck, trying to get up the courage to bite harder.
"Stop," he sighed out, pushing her head away from his neck with his unique gentleness.
She pouted, but stopped. She reared up over top of him, back straight. Nervously, she reached her hands down to the hem of her shirt and pulled it up and over her head. She threw it down next her before bringing her arms shyly around her chest. She wanted to do this, she knew she did. Time was growing shorter.
"What are you doing?" he asked. She felt him push his upper body up against her.
She glanced down at him, noticing he was looking up at her with bright eyes. He pushed her down his torso as he sat up, with her sliding to sit on his lap. She felt her breath catch in her throat when she felt something hard press against her bottom.
He was still moving though, taking the lead, which she liked. He was getting drawn in to what she wanted him to. She still had her arms around her chest, but his hands came to rest on both sides of her rib cage. He kissed the top of her... breasts... the best he could anyone around her arms.
She trembled more, but she brought her arms down to her sides as she panted. She gasped audibly when she felt him push her forward and guide her gentle to lay on her back. His kisses did not stop there, nor his hands. He kept her bra on, but his mouth and hands roamed around her exposed torso. Her breathing kept catching audibly in her throat every time she inhaled. She could not stop herself if she wanted to.
Takashi did stop himself though. He pulled her upper body away from her, breathing deeply as if to calm himself. "We shouldn't go this far, not yet, anyway," he said disappointingly.
She looked up at him, suddenly feeling colder. "Why not?" she asked grumpily. She raised her upper back off the ground by placing her hands at her side and pushing herself up.
He looked down at her, a soft look of pity. "Someday," he cooed, bringing a hand over to caress the side of her face.
She took his hand firmly in hers, saying darkly, "today." She gripped it tightly, hoping that alone would will to give into her.
"We cannot today," he said almost sadly.
"Why not?" she reiterated. She heated up her hand on his, but not enough to harm him.
He shook his head, "it's too soon. I won't do take you unless I claim you. And I won't claim you on a whim. We have not made the preparations, don't even have a healer close by. I could kill you. Besides that, your father does not approve." He rolled his wrist, twisting his hands out of hers. He added, "not yet anyway."
She looked up at him, scowling. He was so foolish and so hopeful. Her face felt hot and tears pricked her eyes. She punched him on the chest feebly with both fists. "Why not?" she choked out.
He pulled her in close, hugging her to his chest. "I'm not saying no. I'm saying not yet," he soothed.
She whimpered against his chest at the unfairness of it all. She willed herself not to cry. She did not want to look like a child in this moment when she needed to look like a woman. She wanted him and time was running short. "What happens when I go away back to school? I've one more year in the Human World." She asked the easier question first.
"Pray it's a fast year," he told her, kissing the top of her head.
She nuzzled her nose into the crook of his neck. "What if... what if no one but my mother approve? Not even your parents?"
"They will," he said with fake confidence. "So will your father. Given time."
She felt doubtful about her father, but more at ease. "Just once... without making the claim," she requested meekly. She doubted he would even consider it. He had already told her no before.
"No, my sweet, no," he soothed. "Not yet."
She punched his chest once more, but just enough to show her displeasure. "Give me something then. Something to hold you to your promises," she begged.
He gave a short laugh, "are you making a request for a human ring?" he teased.
She brought her head off of his shoulder and looked him dead in the eye. "A bite," she said. He looked ready to tell her no to that, too. "One bite, just one of the three. Neck or, or, or neck, if you please." She brought her head back down to his shoulder, shying away from his answer.
"What if I lose control?" he asked.
She bit her lip, excited to hear him conceding something, at least a little bit. "You won't, I'll... I'll burn you if I get even a hint of it, I swear."
His hand came to her hair, running his fingers through it so delicately. "Oh, my love," he breathed shakily. She felt her pulse quicken at the last word his used. He brought his hand to the right side of of her jaw, pulling her face up to look at him. He looked down not at her face, but at her neck. He brought his mouth down to rest on the left side of her neck, kissing there tenderly. His mouth rested just above her collar bone. She wished he would settle for somewhere higher, but was not about to tell him to do so. "I love you," he breathed against her skin.
Before she could even have a chance to speak, he brought his eye tooth down where his mouth had been. She cried out at the shock and the pain of his tooth piercing her skin. Her cry echoed throughout the cave while he drank from the wound on her neck.
In surprise haste, he twisted his head and neck away from her and pushed her away from him. She crawled back away from nervously. His eyes were closed and he was breathing heavily. His lips moved, but no sound came out. She could not look away from his red stained lips.
She crawled over to him, but stopped suddenly when his eyes opened up. "Stay away," he warned. He was quivering, licking his lips. "Stay back, oh please stay back."
"What is it?" she asked.
He did not answer, but rather rose up to his feet and strode over to the hot spring pool. Only its tiny waterfall trickling into it was the noise in the cave. He knelt down beside the front of it. He scooped up a handful of water and brought it to his mouth. He rinsed out his mouth and spat the water back into the pool. He moved to the left a bit of the pool and splashed water up onto his face.
"Great Mother, I could have you now and not regret it," he called over to from behind his back.
She reached down to the newly made bite on her neck and then brought her fingertips into view. She hardly noticed the redness there. He had hardly bit her, drank only just a little, and now was seduced by it. It would hardly take any effort for her to get him to claim her now.
Yet she knew it was not what he wished, even if she was desperate enough for it. She went over to where her shirt lay and she threw it on over her torso. After that she went over to him and knelt down beside him.
"Let's go back," she bid, taking his hand to guide him up with her.
He turned towards her, kissing her unexpectedly. He pulled away slightly, but then kissed her again, almost forcefully. He pulled away from her, running his hand through her hair anew. "Okay," he said softly.
Both of them stood up and walked out of the cave together. She took his hands in hers As they walked back, she fidgeted with the collar of her shirt, trying to make the bite as obvious as possible.