Sesshoumaru stepped in front of Nanami and gently tugged on her arm, so he could see her wound. Nanami moved her arms slightly so he could see the bleeding cut.
"You're going to bleed to death if we don't stop it." Sesshoumaru suggested quietly. "Come here." He tried to pull her closer to himself.
"That's not going to help." Nanami said coldly.
"I take it you want to walk to the old witch?" Sesshoumaru said, a bit irritated. -The ice queen is back... that means she's going to be fine.-
"So you holding me is going to get me there faster?"
Sesshoumaru let out a small, threatening growl, and pulled her close to him, his arms holding her against his body.
"You have three sec-" Nanami began to protest, but was cut off short when she felt a rush of wind in her face and in the course of mere seconds, was lifted up off the ground about 200ft, flew over a blur of lands, and plummeted back to the ground. She franticly pushed Sesshoumaru away and backed away a few steps, panting in fear.
"Don't ever, ever do that again!" She warned loudly. Sesshoumaru raised his eyebrows a little.
"Or what?"
"I'll beat you with the closest blunt object I can find." She hissed and tried to stabilize her breath by taking deep breaths. Sesshoumaru smirked. -Good luck with that.-
"Come." He said sternly. "You're still bleeding."
Nanami glared at him for a moment then followed him to a secluded cave. She could hear humming from the inside and a faint light seeping out of the cave. Sesshoumaru walked in and waited for Nanami to catch up.
"Can you walk alright?" He asked quietly.
"I walked this far, haven't I?"
"Barely."
"Well, until I can't stand at all, I do not need your support." Nanami announced proudly, and walked ahead down into the cave. Sesshoumaru scowled. -That wasn't the case about four minutes ago.- Then he followed her .
The humming got louder and louder as Nanami and Sesshoumaru approached the old witch, sitting infront of a fire, stirring some strange concoction in a pot in her lap.
"I knew you would be back. But I am surprised you are here for help, Nanami." The witch said, pointing a bent, wrinkled finger at her.
"And for good reason." Nanami said coldly, remembering the fight they had three months ago.
"I thought you would have killed this demon by now, and be long gone from this country. So why are you here?"
Nanami moved her hands from her stomach, exposing the wound.
"Lie down." The witch announced to Nanami and pointed to a shabby matress on the other side of the fire. Nanami walked over to it and looked at it in disgust. -Maybe there's lice on it...-
"It's clean, don't insult me." The witch announced as if she read the girl's mind. The old woman took the smelly concoction in the clay pot and wobbled over to Nanami, who was reluctantly laying down on the bed.
"That. Take it off." The old woman motioned to Nanami's shirt.
"What?" Nanami asked loudly, slightly emberassed. Sesshoumaru sat down next to the fire crosslegged and examined his wound, pretending not to hear her.
"Just do it." The old woman began to get impatient. Nanami refused and just carefully pulled her clothes up to her chest, exposing nothing more than her pefect tummy. The old woman kept mumbling something as she wiped the blood away with a wet cloth, then covered the wound with the white liquid that smelled awfully like sake mixed with something else that Nanami could not figure out. She frowned from the smell and covered her nose. Sesshoumaru looked as if he was going to be sick and glared at the fire motionlessly, focused on not throwing up because of his sensitive smell.
"You're done." The witch wheezed.
"That's it?" Nanami was surprised, until the stuff began to burn like hell. She grit her teeth and squeezed the sheets as hard as she could.The witch handed her a cup of tea that was standing on a small tea table behind the matress. Nanami smelled it to make sure nothing was wrong with it and took a sip.
"Just wait for it to dry then you two freaks in denial can go take a warm bath together." The old hag sneered, making Sesshoumaru's eyes widen and jaw tighten, and all the tea in Nanami's mouth ended up next to the matress and she was choking.
"You know how crazy I would have to be t-" Nanami protested, but was interrupted by the old woman.
"Denial." She said, moving her index finger back and forth, as if telling 'no' to a child. She walked up to Sesshoumaru with the sake remedy. He eyed it nervously, his nose telling him that he will regret that treatment. He glared at the witch, then took off his armor, followed by his shirt. Nanami blushed madly and turned to face the wall as soon as she saw Sesshoumaru looking at her. From the short glimpse she had caught, he had the most amazing body she had ever seen. Not flimsy, hairy and overall patheticly disgusting, but not overdone and too appaling to bear. It was perfect. Sculpted, like those Roman statues of gods.
The witch rinsed the wound near his collar bone with water, humming off tune, making Sesshoumaru scowl once in a while. When she reached for the sake potion, Sesshoumaru stopped her and grabbed the dagger that was on the floor next to a pile of herbs and held it over the fire.
"Men... always have to do it their way." The witch grumbled and glared at Sesshoumaru. Nanami turned slightly to look at what she meant. Her eyes contoured Sesshoumaru's muscular arms, neck and shoulders.
"That concotion you have will undoubtably make me impaired." He said in his irresistible deep voice. He pulled out the scorching, red tipped dagger and pressed it against his wound. Nanami frowned as if in pain just from watching. He shut his eyes and grit his teeth, fangs bared. The knife sizzled for about twenty seconds before Sesshoumaru removed it.
He had a few minor wounds on his sides and arms, but none as deep as the arrow one. After an entire lecture from the witch, he finally let her treat the deeper wound on his side.
"That's it. Now scram out of here. Both of you. I do not want to be here for what you two will do next." The old woman smacked Sesshoumaru's shoulder, making him frown.
"But... what about this... stuff that you smeared all over my stomach." Nanami frowned at her tummy.
"I told you, take a nice, relaxing bath and just wash it off. Trust me, it will help... Now get out. I don't want to be in the middle of one of your brawls and then get blamed for it." The witch sat down on her spot in front of the fire. Sesshoumaru glanced at Nanami and dressed himself. She pulled down her clothes over her tummy and stood up, leaving without a word. Sesshoumaru followed her and walked out of the warm cave into the cold night.
"Where the hell can someone take a bath in this weather?" Nanami grumbled angrily. Sesshoumaru glanced at her.
"We are near your home."
Nanami glared at him... for about a whole minute. He did nothing but stare back at her.
"Fine. As a payback, you may come with me. But this doesn't change anything." She finally snarled and walked briskly toward her mansion, ignoring the burning of her wound. Sesshoumaru smirked to himself and walked behind her. -So you think, Nanami...-
Nanami walked up the stairs to her familiar home, which looked much like it did last time she was in it with Sesshoumaru, just completely covered with snow. Her heart began to race as soon memories of their night in the mansion resurfaced. -No, that's not happening again... Oh, my God, what am I saying? If he tries to pull anything off like that, I... damn it, who am I fooling? I kissed him first last night. Ugh... I lost it. I'm crazy. Mission accomplished, Sesshoumaru.- She opened the large doors into the mansion and let the fresh air in. She waved her hand over the wax string on the stone shelf, lighting it on fire. She smiled to herself, glad to have her useful little weapon back.
Sesshoumaru watched Nanami closely, her every move bringing back memories. For some unknown reason, just her presense was driving him crazy. He wanted to just hold her all night and day, listen to her breathe, to hear her talk with him without making rude and cold comments, yet he didn't even care what she said to him, as long as she said anything to him.
"Stop staring at me." Nanami declared loudly and slipped off her coat, hanging it on a coat rack in the genkan. She didn't really mind him looking at her, it was just her pride and stubborness. She took off her boots and walked into the main room, now lit up and much more clean and comfortable than two hundred years ago.
"You stare at me. So why can't I look at you?" Sesshoumaru teased in his cold tone, taking off his armor, fur pelt and boots, leaving them all in the genkan. He was still covered in blood and it was starting to get on his nerves. He also felt a little dizzy, most likely from the sake paste rubbed onto his side in a thick layer. Nanami turned around, hands on her hips, a little irritated.
"Well, look then..." She hissed at him and stood in place for a while and glared at him. "Have you had your fill yet?"
Sesshoumaru smirked and walked up to her, and looked at her a little bit longer. She did not look away at all, just glanced down once at his lips to see if he was smiling or not, at least... that's what she told herself as a reason for looking at his lips.
"Have you?" He asked her. Her eyes squinted for a second then returned to normal, glaring at him coldly. She slipped off the fur shawl from her shoulders and threw it on the nearest ottoman.
"Considering all you have done to me... you should not even be here. You will speak to me when I let you speak with me, look at m-"
"Do I have your permission to stop dripping blood and wash it off, or am I confined to some dark corner to reek of sake and blood such as yourself?" Sesshoumaru interrupted. Nanami's jaw dropped a little, offended by the demon.
"Oh, you want a bath, is that it?" Nanami snarled and shoved Sesshoumaru down the hall to the springs. "I'll give you a damn bath, you son of a-" She hissed as she pushed him several times until he was in the room with the spring. Sesshoumaru just watched in amusement and allowed her to push him where ever she wanted.
"Why are you smiling, you bipolar mongrel!" Nanami shoved Sesshoumaru into the water and jumped in herself, holding him underwater. "Smile now, cretin." She said as she struggled to keep him under. Suddenly, she felt his hands grab the back of her knees and pull her legs out from under her. She let out a short scream and went underwater while Sesshoumaru stood up. Nanami rose from the spring slowly, fuming, wet hair sticking to her face.
"I... am... going to kill you!" She growled and tackled Sesshoumaru, but it was hard for her to move in the water. She swung at him with her fists, missing every time. Sesshoumaru caught her fist and twisted her arm around herself, pressing her against himself.
"Really... and how do you propose you will do that?" He said in a soft whisper. Nanami growled and elbowed Sesshoumaru in his stomach. He let her go and she ran out of the spring, dripping water, the clothes sticking to her body tightly. Sesshoumaru dove across the spring and grabbed Nanami by her ankle, pulling her back into the water. He spun her around so that she would face him.
"Let me go!" Nanami shouted, splashing water in his face. Sesshoumaru closed his eyes in time and turned his face away from the splash, but still held on. He turned back and let out an irritated growl, switching his grip from Nanami's ankle to her shirt and pulling her up next to him. His arms wrapped around her waist and back while she struggled to get out of his grip. Sesshoumaru could not hold himself back any longer. Two hundred years of warring with the woman was enough. Nanami's left hand was on his chest, the other on his abs, trying to push him away before she was in his his arms completely, but Sesshoumaru was much stronger. He pressed her body close against his and leaned in, resting his forehead on hers. Nanami's curses and harsh words were reduced to a whisper of indistinguishable sounds. Water dripped from Sesshoumaru's face and hair, some drops landing on Nanami's chest and shoulders. No more sounds came out of her, and she realized how close to him she was, that her hands were touching his bare chest. Her eyes were fixed on his closed ones. Then he gently pressed his lips against hers, his heart racing, adrenaline pumping through his veins. Her lips were soft and tasted sweeter with every kiss, driving Sesshoumaru insane.
Nanami's hands crept up his firm chest to his neck, her thumbs brushing past his jaw as she kissed him back, instinctively pressing herself closer against his body. She felt as if she was running at full speed down a steep slope. -"I had to do what I needed to get your power out of Naraku's grasp. Even stoop so low as to lie." - Sesshoumaru's voice resonated in her mind. - Why should now be any different?- Nanami doubted Sesshoumaru's affection... again. She pushed away and took his hands off of herself, getting out of the spring as fast as she could. She snatched two towels and quickly left the room, her wet clothes and hair sticking to her figure.
Sesshoumaru remained in the spring, staring into the hallway. He was begining to actually belive, not just think, that she will never forgive him and ever want to be near him for more than a few hours. He refused to believe it at first, but then reality began setting in. -You made her suffer for two centuries... It is amazing she even lives in the same land as you, imbecile. You cannot expect her to make the decision you want her to make. She's not like others, she's not a pathetic weakling with a feeble mind.- Sesshoumaru was clueless about what to do. He splashed water on his face and ran his hands through his hair, staring at the floor of the spring. -I'm not yours, she said... maybe... you don't want to be mine... you never did...-
Nanami was sitting on a fur throw next to the only glass window in the mansion. She was in a room she had designated for herself in the past three months, and it was the least Japanese culture inspired room. It used to be the library; the two story walls had inlaid, beautifuly carved shelves, stuffed with books from many nations and cultures, scrolls, scripture and various artifacts. In the middle of the shelved wall was a fireplace, with a fire burning. On the opposite side of the room was a large, cherrywood canopy bed with gold and burgundy pillows, sheets, blanket and silk 'curtains' covering and hanging from the canopy. There was a cherrywood desk and chair near the window, with a large, framed map behind it. Many tapestries and decorative wall rugs hung on the walls, along with oil lamps and a large, round, Italian clock that hung above the fireplace.
Nanami sat on the floor, wrapped in the long towel, her clothes drying in front of the fire. The window was stuck out a bit, facing the coast, and there was a low platform with the fur throw. She leaned against on of the walls that led to the window, one of her legs on the floor, bent at the knee, her heel touching the opposite hip. Her second leg was also bent, her head resting on the knee, and her foot infont of the knee of her other leg. Nanami was staring out the window with teary eyes, a dark glass bottle in her hand. She sighed heavily, and took another sip of the red wine, frowning from the taste. -Congratulations on falling in love with a self absorbed demon who doesn't give a damn about anyone but himself, and still stay with him. Hmmm... And to think I promised to kill him the next time I saw him... As always... I am just fated to deal with all I wish I didn't.-
There was a knock on the door, making Nanami roll her eyes. "You are more than welcome to stay as far away from me as you can." She said coldly, and took another gulp of the wine. The door opened anyway, and Sesshoumaru walked into the room. He had no shirt on, but he was wearing black, dry pants that Nanami had no idea where he got them from, and really didn't care. Nanami could not deny that he looked like a god; tall, silver haired, with piercing amber eyes, sculpted body, and a gorgeous face. But Nanami was more affected by his personality and behavior, so she turned away and continued to stare out the window. She realized that she had nothing but a towel wrapped around herself that barely covered her bottom. She pulled the towel lower and glared at Sesshoumaru, who walked up to the window and looked out. Then he glanced down at the woman and kneeled next to her. She turned away from him again, feeling tears ready to fall from her eyes. There was a moment of silence between them, then Sesshoumaru took the wine bottle from her hand and looked at her.
"When will you stop staring at me?" Nanami asked, still facing away.
"When I can no longer see." Sesshoumaru answered and looked at the bottle. He hesitated for a moment, then drank some of it. He frowned and looked back up at Nanami, the scar from the claw mark he inflicted on her three months ago catching his eye. He heard her sniffle and saw her bite her lip, and the sight made him burn on the inside. His large hand wrapped around her arm, and he brushed his lips against her scar.
"I'm sorry..." He whispered. Nanami closed her eyes. -Turns out he can say 'sorry'...-
"I beg you." Sesshoumaru placed a soft kiss on her smooth shoulder. "I will do anything for you. Just tell me what you want, I'll get it, I'll do it."
"I told you already. I will never forgive you." Nanami whispered.
"I cannot change the past. You know that. Even if you don't forgive me for my mistakes in the past, don't curse me for the future."
"I am not cursing you..."
"You are..." Sesshoumaru tried desperatly to make her at least look at him.
"So what if I was?" Nanami said coldly. Sesshoumaru kept his gaze on her for a moment.
"Do you want me gone?" He leaned back and asked.
"That should be obvious."
"Dead?" Sesshoumaru asked quietly. Nanami did not answer him for a while. He rubbed her soft skin with his thumb, awaiting her answer.
"Yes." She said quietly. Sesshoumaru froze in place, staring at her in shock. He removed his hand from her arm. She didn't even look at him.
"There cannot be a grudge against the dead." She added in a melancholy tone. Sesshoumaru felt as if there was nothing left in his heart except sorrow. He could have sworn that his heart just shattered and froze in his chest. He dropped his head and stared at the floor. The only woman that knew the Sesshoumaru under the cold exterior, the only woman that managed to turn the most powerful demon in Japan into a hopeless man begging for forgiveness from an immortal woman, the only one that drove him to the edge of insanity, turned his life inside out, the only person in the whole world Sesshoumaru trusted and coveted just admitted to wishing him dead.
"So be it." Sesshoumaru announced and stood up, walking out of the bedroom. Nanami managed to uphold her cold, ruthless façade until he left the room. Then she bolted up when she heard something crash against the wall. She ran out of the room, holding the towel in place, and toward the sound. Sesshoumaru had broken a Venitian glass vase against the wall and headed toward his sword, knocking over a few more glasses and pottery. He grabbed his sword and turned toward Nanami.
"What-what are you doing?!" Nanami paniced but tried to keep her cool.
"Gaining your forgiveness. Keeping my promise. Anything you say, I do. So dead it is..." Sesshoumaru said, scowling, and unsheathed the sword. He twisted it toward himself, fixing it's aim to his stomach. Nanami was overwhelmed with a coldsweat. She quickly walked up to him and embraced his shoulders.
"You die, I die." She whispered, crying, pressing herself close to his chest, wrapping her arms under his, her hands on his shoulders. Sesshoumaru dropped the sword, making it clink loudly, and stared blankly at the wall across the room.
"Is that one of your short term decisions? Will you change your mind again in a few minutes?" He asked coldly.
"No! If I knew that you would never do something so hurtful to me again, I would never have left!" Nanami weeped into his shoulder, her tears slidding down his chest.
"Do you honestly think that everything I did didn't hurt me? I had to tell you those things because I knew these arguments would happen if I was near you! I kept you safe, but I was afraid of being with you because of that!"
"I didn't know your intentions! You made it seem like you had no care for who I was! Like I was a pestoring sore! Not a person who you wanted with you! What was I supposed to think and do?!" Nanami held him close, but his hands remained at his sides. "I thought you honestly believed all the lies about me, that I was this repulsive creature in your eyes!"
"You never were anything such. I would have left you dead if I didn't care... You know me better than anyone, Nanami... I wouldn't kill myself if it didn't matter, if I didn't mean it..."
Nanami pressed her lips against Sesshoumaru's collarbone, letting her hands slide down from his shoulders to his hips and looked up at him.
"How much do you hate me?"
Sesshoumaru held on to her gaze for a few moments, then leaned in and kissed her rose petal colored lips. His hands touched the edge of her towel on her thighs and slid up to her waist and pulled her in closer.
"More than anything in this world... Because you make me the most miserable without you. Because you make me go to great lengths just so I know no other man can harm you or have you." Sesshoumaru whispered into her ear, and kissed it. Nanami let out a soft sigh, feeling as if she could breathe again.
"What did you do to me?" Sesshoumaru asked.
"I opened your eyes... as you tried to close mine." Nanami brushed her lips against his, making him feel feverish. She pulled herself away slowly and walked back to her bedroom, leaving Sesshoumaru confused, staring into the hall way blankly. He pondered on what to do, and then walked into her room.
"I must leave at dawn." He announced to her quietly. Nanami was sitting on her bed, brushing her hair. She stopped and looked up at him, her eyes asking the question she was thinking.
"War." He answered the unspoken question.
Nanami stared at Sesshoumaru for a few moments, disrupted only by the howling wind outside and the hardened snowflakes crashing against the window.
"You cannot fight them alone." She protested.
"And what would make you say that?" Sesshoumaru said, his relentless pride showing. Nanami scoffed and shook her head.
"I am a woman and you have a hard time defeating me. Now imagine a thousand of my kind... except men... raised from boyhood to defend their nation. Those you saw today were Vlad's troops, a hundred times weaker than that army."
"I never had any intention of defeating you, yet somehow, you always ended up on the ground. Do not underestimate me."
"You are fortunate that I am not at the head of that army, as I should be, for you would be long dead by now." Nanami awarded Sesshoumaru with a cold, sly smirk. He frowned slightly and walked to her, stopping directly in front of her, looking down at her cold gray eyes.
"I thought you did not want me dead..." He asked her in a frosty tone, the gray light from the late, snowy afternoon accenting his features.
"I don't. That's why I'm not slitting your throat now." She leaned in close to his lips, held her place for a moment, gazing into his eyes, then pulled back. She fell back on the bed and crossed her legs, as if teasing Sesshoumaru.
"I am still leaving at dawn. I cannot sit here and watch your people attack my lands. It is my duty to protect what my father had built and hoped to preserve." Sesshoumaru announced seriously.
"I'm afraid it may not be my people you should fret about. They would have decimated the land by now if they came here to fight you. Something is off. They are waiting for something... or someone..." Then Nanami formulated a plan. She was the one they came for- they never left one of their own behind in danger. She could come and tell them the truth. Whatever it took, she would dissuade them from a head-on assault. But Nanami was puzzled by one thing; The other troops were already taking over the land, so why was her army holding back?
"Would not your father have given the orders to attack? They are waiting for him." Sesshoumaru did not see what was so 'off' about the situation.
"My father would have given the orders as soon as at least one warrior stepped on the shore. He knows something that I do not. I have a feeling a piece of the puzzle is missing. There must be a third party that aims to attack." Nanami began to sit back up when Sesshoumaru placed his hands at the sides of her waist and leaned over her.
"I do not care how many are here to take you away from me again. I won't let them." He whispered into her left ear, then moved to her right. "I have lost you too many times already. I will not let it happen again... Even your father won't stop me."
"Don't do any harm to my father, Sesshoumaru. Or I will leave myself." Nanami warned.
"I won't let you."
"Sesshoumaru, do not hurt him. Please..."
"I won't."
Sesshoumaru kissed her lips and pushed her back on the bed, supporting his own weight on his arms. Nanami's hands lightly touched his muscular chest, her skin seemed to melt from touch with his. Sesshoumaru kissed her more passionatly, as if craving more. Their breaths got heavier, pulses racing. Nanami's hands slithered down his flawless torso to his waist and from there to his back. After a short while, his body lowered and pressed itself against hers, making Nanami wrap her arms around his shoulders. Sesshoumaru's lips left hers and kissed her jaw, slowly making their way to her neck. Nanami let out an occasional, soft moan as she burned inside out from his touch. The torches just all died at once when she shot a glance at them and the room became dark except for the gray light from the window that beraly lit up the immense room. One of her hands moved from his back to his neck, each of his kisses driving her out of her mind. His kisses were like a drug; addictive and dangerous.
Sesshoumaru's hand traced every curve of Nanami's flawless body. It seemed like her curves were made to fit perfectly in his hands. He began to realize how much a woman who was beautiful could change a man, especially if she had such an alluring character. -You are mine... Mine forever... No other man can have you... You belong to me.- Sesshoumaru repeated in his mind. He kissed the nape of her neck, then her collarbone, savoring her delicate scent, and her every moan making him crave more. His lips traveled lower to her chest and his hand slid up her flat tummy to the tucked in corner of the towel. His eyes flashed up to check that she wasn't going to hit him for intruding on her body, but her eyes were closed and she was just breathing heavy. Sesshoumaru's fingers grasped the towel and tugged on it lightly. It came undone and his hand slipped under the towel, making the girl breathe faster and moan more often. Sesshoumaru felt as if his heart would break through his chest as Nanami pulled him closer to her warm body. Her hand lifted up his chin so that she could kiss his lips. One hand was under her right shoulder, his other moved the two ends of the towel apart, exposing her body down to her hips. No man had ever gotten that close to Nanami, and out of a slight feeling of fear and uncertainty, she tried, ironicly, to hide herself under him. Sesshoumaru could not restrain himself from smiling at her timidity. His other arm wrapped around her other shoulder and he let his body rest against hers, as if protecting her. He could feel her chest move up and down rhythmicly, her warm skin pressing up against his cold body. Sesshoumaru kissed her soft lips again, then he looked at her, her blue-gray eyes opened and gazed back at him. His amber eyes flickered before he pressed his lips against her neck. Nanami gaped at the ceiling, her hands on his large, muscular shoulders. She had a good idea of what he was going to do, but she didn't stop him. She simply waited for the moment when it would happen.
Sesshoumaru gently kissed the nape of her neck, bringing her shoulder a bit above the bed using his hand. His other arm held her body firmly against his as he bared his fangs and Nanami seemed to brace herself for something painful. She shut her eyes and tightened her grip on his shoulders. Sesshoumaru's fangs sank into her skin, blood seeping from the mark he had placed on her. Nanami's eyes shot open and she let out a short, restrained, pained groan.
Sesshoumaru wiped the blood from his lips and kissed Nanami's shoulders softly, her eyes still staring at the ceiling, her lips parted. Then, her eyes closed slowly and her head tilted back sligthly as Sesshoumaru's lips reached her chest.
To their misfortune, there were a few loud bangs on the front door of the house. Sesshoumaru ignored the intruder and continued his 'work'. Nanami let out a few loud moans as his lips caressed her chest and his hands crept lower and lower from her knees, eventually slipping under the loose towel to her theighs.
Now the loud banging came from the window. Sesshoumaru pushed himself up from Nanami, looking irritated enough to go break the intruder's neck. He stormed over to the window while Nanami scrambled to get the towel around herself. She dropped to the floor from the bed and hid behind it.
"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU WANT?!" Sesshoumaru roared, glaring death out the window. Then, fuming more than hell, he stomped out of the room to the front door and slammed it open.
Ryuu jumped into the main room without asking permission. "What took you so long?"
"Why are you here?" Sesshoumaru grumbled.
"Glad to see you too, jerk." Ryuu hissed, taking off his dark, navy blue winter coat. He wore a black and deep purple kimono under it. He hung the coat on the rack in the genkan, then turned suddenly.
"Why are you half-naked?" He asked, a bit surprised.
"I will ask you again, why are you here?" Sesshoumaru was blowing off steam, furious that he was interrupted from his very important 'business'. Ryuu was analyzing the room, frowning at the shattered pottery on the floor, and Sesshoumaru's sword laying in the middle of the room.
"What the hell happened here? Where's the broad?" Ryuu questioned. Sesshoumaru growled and grabbed Ryuu by the neck, shoving him against the wall.
"Try and call her that again..." He snarled. "Now, why are you here?"
"Fine, I was just fooling around... The lords of the surrounding lands are starting to be attacked by the invaders. They request and urgent meeting tonight in the Grand Hall for all lords. And there is a rumor that more ships are approaching within the next two days. Good enough for you?" Ryuu spat out. There was a creak in the floor and both men turned toward the sound.
Nanami was walking toward them, barefoot, wearing a silk burgundy dress. "How many more are coming?"
"Well, hello beautiful!" Ryuu wolfwhistled, making Sesshoumaru's nerves stand on edge. He slammed the man against the wall once more.
"Focus." Sesshoumaru hissed.
"Oh, only about 13." Ryuu said in a cocky voice.
"Nanami swallowed a lump in her throat. She looked at Sesshoumaru with nervous eyes.
" That could be well over 1500 soldiers..." She announced quietly. Sesshoumaru glanced at her.
"I have to go, Sesshoumaru. I have to put my army in the right place. I have to help my father." Nanami said quickly.
"What if they won't listen?"
"They will. I will make them if I have to. You have to go to that gathering and call for alliances."
"I do not need any help."
"Drop the act and open your eyes, Sesshoumaru. There are thousands of soldiers scourging the land. You cannot be everywhere at the same time." Nanami pleaded. "You go alone, you go to your death." Nanami suddenly looked nervous and rushed into the chamber with the spring.
"Stay here." Sesshoumaru ordered and chased after her.
Nanami was standing in front of a mirror near the spring, a washcloth soaked in blood in her hands. Sesshoumaru walked up from behind her and looked at her reflection. Her eyes were teary as she stared at the bleeding bite mark on her neck. She noticed him staring at her and looked down on the floor. She wiped the blood of her neck. and turned to Sesshoumaru.
"This...means I'll be yours one night. But... will you keep me afterwards?" She whispered quietly, embarassed and upset at the same time. Sesshoumaru took hold of her hands and sqeezed them slightly.
"Consider that mark an oath that I will always be there with you. No matter where you are and how far." Sesshoumaru whispered back, kissing her hands.
"Promise me that you will take care of yourself during the war. Promise that you will come back to me." Nanami whimpered as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. Sesshoumaru's hands caressed her back.
"I promise..."
"Hello..." Ryuu's foolish singsong tone disrupted Nanami and Sesshoumaru.
Sesshoumaru's eye twitched once, and he slowly let go of Nanami, leering at the man.
"Ryuu..."
"What?" Ryuu's head spun from Nanami to Sesshoumaru, and he cringed when he saw the demon's irritated glare.
"How would you like to pass to the Netherworld?" Sesshoumaru asked coldly.
"Haha... you always had an... interesting sense of humour, my dear Sesshou-" Ryuu chuckled nervously and was interrupted by the crack of Sesshoumaru's knuckles.
"oh...maru... Right..."
Before Ryuu could make a comment that would cross Sesshoumaru's line and make him beat the man's head into a wall, Nanami interjected into the conversation.
"Where is Maria, Ryuu?"
"I don't exactly know." Ryuu answered and his expression turned to one of anger. "She left with a less than pleasant goodbye and just dissapeared. Snotty little harpy."
Nanami frowned. "Did you do anything to anger her?"
"Well, do you people consider giving a woman a fancy dress and flowers an act of repulsive behavior?" Ryuu asked sarcasticly. Nanami rolled her eyes.
"When did she leave?"
"Two days ago. What's it matter?"
"Nothing. I just sounds a bit odd for Maria to leave for no appearant reason."
"Ryuu, it would be much appreciated if you left the room and got lost in the woods." Sesshoumaru interrupted coldly. Nanami glanced over at him, wondering what would happen if Ryuu left.
"Well, pardon me for being the bearer of bad news and intruding on your display of 'tenderness'..." Ryuu teased. That was it. Sesshoumaru glared at Ryuu so intensly that Nanami slowly began to back out of the room against the wall. But Ryuu's hand slammed against the wall and his arm blocked Nanami's way. He glanced at her neck, blood staining the already red silk, and the two slightly swollen, red bite marks on the nape of her neck.
Sesshoumaru knew what Ryuu was staring at, and so did Nanami. She became angry and slapped Ryuu's arm out of the way and walked past him. She glanced back for a brief moment at Sesshoumaru before leaving the room.
Sesshoumaru watched her leave while Ryuu observed him, a hint of anger and jealousy in his eyes.
"From you, I presume..." He said quietly in a serious tone. Sesshoumaru got a feeling that Ryuu envied him.
"Does it concern you?" Sesshoumaru replied in the same, frosty tone.
"Yes... Don't you remember why we had not spoken for two centuries? You shunned her, I protected her. You saw me as a traitor when I was merely taking advantage of the situation. You threw away the opportunity to be with her, and I found it."
"And what does this have to do with anything?"
"You're a man, Sesshoumaru. But you don't know what you want. And you do not know what you're doing. You-"
"I do not need to be lectured by you, Ryuu. The conflict between Nanami and I is ours to solve and ours alone. Do not waste your time meddling in it."
"As you please, but I hope, for Nanami's sake, you know exactly what you're doing. If you screw up this time, she may not be yours after all." Ryuu warned in a low growl and stormed out of the mansion, furious that Nanami's relationship with Sesshoumaru had gotten that far. She was technicaly his now. He marked her, for life. What was to come next made Ryuu cringe with rage. He cursed, the howling wind silencing his words. He felt as if all his hopes of being with the girl that he had loved since he was a boy were shattered and thrown back at his face. He felt wronged, somehow, even though he knew that Sesshoumaru loved Nanami more than anything, ever since they were children. Ryuu thought that two centuries of their isolation from each other would draw them too far apart to become close once more, but now he realized he was wrong. Once the two crossed each others paths, it all started again. Nanami had the hearts of three men in her hands, but hers belonged to one. The one she was forbidden to. Ryuu knew that her heart cannot be shared, and he knew he would not be able to win it from Sesshoumaru. She loved him, but they were not the perfect match for each other. They were the most dangerous. Being together, they put each other in danger, making it possible for any enemy to hit two birds with one stone. Ryuu understood that, and wanted to use that as a reason why they shouldn't be together. Even now was a perfect example. Sesshoumaru retrieves Nanami back to Japan, and in doing so, starts a war. -So much for a safe relationship...-