Distant Desire
by fiftyfantasies
Chapter Three
The only thing I could look at was my hands holding the reins, having little to no courage to look at the Oni to my left. I decided to leave my hood off, the leisure pace we were traveling at wasn't leaving me shivering and cold. I was actually feeling quite warm, the blood rushing to my face simply by the nearness of Kazama. His presence alone made me feel exposed, my breathing shallow and heart racing.
I stole a quick glance at the demon beside me again, and to no surprise, he sat there upright on his horse, his focus on the road in front of us. He looked so at ease, it seemed that he wasn't even a bit concerned about my presence. Which confused me, years ago he would've taken this moment to steal me away and make me his wife, but now it seemed as though he wasn't at all concerned about me, almost as though I was a random stranger to him.
I looked out at the road in front of us, the sun had set many hours ago and the full moon was high in the sky, giving the forest a gloomy blue look. I assumed that it was in the early hours of the morning. I kept my cloak on, the temperature had dropped as well with the sun. I assumed we had about fifteen more miles to Asahikawa, which I honestly was looking forward too. My back started to ache and my legs were sore from a full day of riding. I looked in front to see Osen-chan not looking too comfortable either, but did a good job of hiding it. Kimigiku, of course, looked completely at ease, not at all bothered by today's events.
I looked back out at the road, my focus directed once again the Oni beside me. I was perplexed as to why he wasn't talking to or bother me at all. Maybe he was no longer interested? After these past couple years of war and time apart, I'd assume I'd be the least of his worries since he has his own clan to protect. For a moment I wondered if he was no longer interested because he perhaps already found a pureblood Oni woman? The idea of a woman next to him for some reason made me feel queasy and uncomfortable. These emotions confused me, why should I care if he found a wife? If anything I should be relieved that he has found a wife and that he is happy. I should be more focused on getting to the Shinsengumi.
But for some reason the idea of a woman next to him made me feel queasy and uncomfortable, my stomach dropped at that thought. These emotions confused me, why should I care if he found a suitable wife? If anything I should be relieved that he has found a wife and that he is happy and leaving me alone. I should be more focused on getting to the Shinsengumi, and getting Osen-chan to the South safely for her betrothed. After a while, I decided to finally stop thinking about him and try to ease and calm myself.
Then there was a loud clap of thunder.
"We'd better hurry! The storm is right behind us." Kimigiku announced before slapping her reins and making Katsu jerking into a trot. Everyone did the same and followed after the Kunoichi. Sora followed faithfully after everyone without me having to direct him to do so. His sudden jolt to a trotting pace making me wince and groan in pain, my legs becoming quite tired and sore in this position.
I knew that once we arrived at Asahikawa I was going to take a long soak in a scalding hot bath. If I wasn't to preoccupied with daydreaming about my hot bath I'd notice Kazama inspecting my well being after eliciting my discomfort when Sora took off into a trot.
It was early in the morning when we arrived the morning air was cold and blue as it sprinkled a light shower of rain on us. In the corner of my eye, I caught Sen-chan shiver from underneath her soaked shawl and cloak, not appreciating the cold morning air. I even noticed how Shiranui's warm colored skin covered in water droplets erupted into gooseflesh, but he showed no indication of his discomfort. I also was looking forward to getting out of these wet clothes and into a dry yukata and then curl up in a futon.
We arrived at a rather nice ryokan, that both Sen-chan and I ensured had a hot spring. After the kind older hostess gave us our rooms we rode to the back of the ryokan, informed that a couple of stableboys would take care our horses. We all dismounted and went to our separately assigned stalls for the horses, I once again silently groaned in discomfort when I attempted to dismount, but just fell back into my saddle. My thighs were crying out in pain, they cramped at me for sitting in this position for almost an entire day. I huffed in determination before I flung my leg behind me and over the saddle, quickly dismounting.
The second my feet touched the ground, my heart leaped into my throat as my legs gave out from under me. I reached out to grab onto Sora's saddle but instead, a pair of hands grasped and caught me by the waist, stabilizing my body. I sighed a breath of relief that came out in a visible puff of steam from the coldness of this morning.
"Thank you-" I turned around to thank whoever caught me, but my words were caught in my throat and my mind went blank as I stared up into red crimson eyes and a smirking face.
"...Kazama-san."
I felt my legs tremble, threatening to give out again and with no other choice I reached out and grasped onto both of his shoulders with a gasp, a blush quickly spreading across my cheeks. I bit the inside of my lip in embarrassment and slowly my eyes looked up to meet his own.
"I see you're not used to riding for long periods of time... Chizuru." His deep inanimate voice and smirk brought back distant memories, but none were as embarrassing as this.
I once again tried to stand on my own and thankfully my legs succeeded, my hands left his shoulders and were now pressed against his chest to try and push away at him gently, but his grasp on my waist didn't falter. Instead, his eyes roamed down and studied me. My cloak was soaked through from the rain and laying across the horses back, my clothes though were also soaked through, the thin material clinging to my body like a second skin, and the chiffon material translucent around my shoulders and arms.
The way his eyes roamed over me made my heart thump wildly in my chest and my face grow warm. All of a sudden everything felt so heightened.
My hands and body could feel the heat radiating off of him towards me through his damp clothes. Then I could hear his heartbeat, completely the opposite of mine, his heart beat at a slow leisure pace yet they were strong and thundering, so like him. I inhaled and I could then smell his alluring scent, he had an anonymous refreshing earthy... yet spicy scent to him. I felt my mouth go a little dry, being able to feel his warmth transfer to my body and being able to breathe him in felt so... intimate.
Looking up I stared into those petrifying crimson eyes and for some reason, perhaps curiosity, I continued to allow him to assault my senses.
I could feel his hands start to lower themselves and settle onto my hips. I could feel the tips of my ears grow hot as I soon recognized the look in his eyes. I wasn't ignorant to realize what his mind was thinking, nor was I daft to not understand that his hands weren't merely holding me up for support. My heart's pace started to finally slow down as I looked up at his eyes, his scent was bringing me an odd sense of comfort. The warmth of his body continued to make my body want to continue to stay close to him.
Realizing this I quickly became unsettled by that notion.
"Chizuru-chan! Are you ready to go up to our room?" Sen's voice called out, breaking the silent trance between us. I blushed again before wrenching myself away from his alluring embrace. I gave Kazama a glare before taking my saddle bag under my arm and close to my chest before brushing past him, getting far away from him.
I tried to hide the blush crawling up my face, Sen-chan could read me like an open book. If she saw me coming out the same stall with Kazama with a blush on my face, that would leave me with Osen-chan raining question after question.
"Eh? Why was Kazama in there with you?" Sen furrowed her brows and gave the said Oni a rather dirty look. I was dared to do the same and tell her that Kazama was indeed being a perverted pest and let her rain hell onto him, but I decided against it. The confrontation would keep me away from a warm futon and hot bath much longer than needed.
"Kazama-san was only helping me off my horse since I'm a bit sore." I wanted to give myself a pat on the back for not sounding like a mumbling mess that I felt inside of me. I gave her a reassuring smile as Kazama gave Sen a conceited "Hmph' and devilish smirk. Sen sighed and rolled her eyes at the Oni.
"Okay... If you say so Chizuru-chan. Let's go to our rooms and change. I'm absolutely exhausted!" Sen turned on her heel and made a bee-line for the ryokan, me following faithfully behind her and as far as I could from Kazama.
As we entered the ryokan through the sliding doors I instantly relaxed when warm air enveloped me. The kind older hostess smiled, her eyes creasing before she bowed and greeted us before directing us to the shoe box so we could change out our boots and sandals for much comfier house slippers. A small shiver ran through my body as I sat on the ledge to change out my shoes, the need to change out of these soaked clothes in exchange for a dry warm yukata growing stronger. I sighed in relief as I untied and took off my heeled sandals flexing my foot out straight immediately once freed. Kimigiku sat next to me and did the same also sighing in relief when taking off her sandals.
I peeled off both of my blood red cloth knee guards, my thigh-high stockings quickly following. I tried my best to conceal my legs underneath the thin chiffon material so I wouldn't reveal my legs completely. Another blush stained my cheeks when my eyes quickly noticed Kazama watching all of my movements and staring intently at my leg as I peeled off the exceedingly long black sock. I furrowed my brows and sent him a venomous glare.
"If you will all kindly follow me, I shall now take you to your room." The hostess started her way up the stairs as I quickly put on my house shoes and followed after her and the group. As we went up the stairs towards our room I couldn't help but let my mind boggle at how our group has drastically changed in under a day. I never thought before leaving Sen's village would we run into Kazama along the way, let alone have him, Amagiri and Shiranui as travel companions now.
The hostess slid open the doors to allow us entrance into the guestroom where the low table and mats were placed, no futons in site. Looking to my right I noticed a woman in the bedroom preparing our mattresses, and to my left, another woman was preparing more futons in another separate room. Out in front of the dining table, I looked out a large glass window that gave an extraordinary view of a far distant mountain and snow on the top of it, the rising sun illuminating it.
The kind older woman ushered us to the room to our right, instantly becoming the girl's and I's room. She slid the door shut and went into the closet to bring out a pile of neatly folded navy blue yukatas. Each had a different design, the one handed to Sen had a paler blue pattern of butterflies, Kimigikus a large white crane and mine had white flowers flowing over the back and to the front.
All of us dropped our belongings into a corner and instantly started to undress, the dampness of our clothes made our bare skin prickle once exposed to the air.
"I would gladly take your clothing and have it washed and returned in the afternoon after lunch. Are there any special instructions I should know before washing?"
"My top is made of silk and needs gentle handling." Kimigiku handed the hostess her pile of clothes neatly folded. I couldn't help but notice to catch the older hostess looking at Kimigiku rather... unapprovingly. I guessed it was from the way Kimigiku dressed, or because also she carries a katana and kodachi. I smiled as I handed her my clothes also neatly folded. "Mine is made of chiffon and will also need gentle handling." I also noticed how she gave me a rather forced smile, her eyes flickering towards my kodachi and bow, also probably not approving of the rather thin see-through material either. The only one she seemed to approve of was Sen, which really didn't bother me.
Once the older woman left I plopped down to sit on the futon closest to the window. Laying down on the futon I reached my hands above my head and stretched out, relieved once I heard a pop in my lower back.
"You're only twenty years old yet you sound like an old 'jiji', Chizuru-chan." I playfully stuck my tongue out towards Osen, which she also playfully returned. Looking over to Kimigikus futon I noticed that she was already underneath her covers lying on her side, and eyes closed, probably in the midst of falling into a deep sleep. Sen also noticed and smiled at her protector.
Sen and I both smiled at each other, both quickly following suit and buried our bodies underneath the thick white quilts, our tired bodies quickly falling into a deep-sleep.
A/N: Hi guys! I know it's been a little while but something came up and life happened, I'm currently in Colorado and am freezing my ass off.
But anyway, surprisingly quite a few of your private messaged me and brought up the pinterest board and how you want to me to post somewhere else because some of you don't have pinterest. All I can say is go make a pinterest account! It's free and isn't much of a hassle at all! If I remember correctly all it asks for is your email address and for you to make a password. It will have you do almost like a short survey so it knows what you like to look at, like art, recipes, movies and film stars. And that's about it.
On the board it will show you Chizuru's outfit and how I envision her to look when she's older.
(The stories profile pic is how I envision Chizuru as a little more "mature")
My username on pinterest is FiftyFantasies, the same as my author username.