An hour later, and Akito was awake and able to scold and blame Shigure. He took this as a sign of her being well enough to get off the oxygen. He picked her up and threw her over his shoulders as he took her to her cold bath. "Put me down, you stupid dog! I can handle it! I'm fine! I can walk on my own, you know!"

She beat at his back and kicked at his stomach, but he just replied, "Last time I thought you could handle it, you fainted. I am not taking any more chances. Your life is too precious to risk."

Akito felt her face go red and she tried to ignore what he had said about her "precious life", "Well, don't think that I passed out because of you! It was… the heat. It was really… hot. I mean… the water was… not you. I mean…" She groaned at her stupidity. She shouldn't have said anything. That dog would make her life hell, not that he already didn't, because he most certainly did.

"It's okay, Aki. I know what you meant."

Akito looked up surprised at the way he said it, like he understood. "You do?"

"Sure. I really am an overwhelmingly sexy man, and of course my kissing abilities just magnified it all."

Akito dug her nails into his back, how could she have fallen for that? She really was becoming stupid, almost as stupid as Ayame. "Shut up." She muttered into the folds of his robe.

"Ahh, here we are. Your own personal, cold bath. Ice and all." He set her down next to the pool and used some stray towels to pad the hard, wood floors. Shigure settled down onto the towels and looked expectantly up at Akito. "Well, the bath will get warm if you just stand there."

Akito glared down at him. "Why aren't you leaving?"

Shigure smirked, "Do you really mind me seeing you naked? I've seen you naked since you were born, and you didn't seem so hesitant this afternoon…"

"Leave now!" She snarled.

"I can't. However much I want to, because Hatori ordered me not to leave your side." He gazed lazily up at her with an insolent smile growing on his face.

She wanted to kill him! How dare he say he wanted to leave! He was never supposed to want to leave her. I'll make sure he never wants to leave!

Akito didn't reply, instead she began to undress. Shigure had never known it could take that long to get a robe off, but he just watched. She was no expert in the area of seducing men, but from what she could tell by watching Shigure, she was doing an okay job. She wanted him to show her how much he needed her. And the only way she could gain this power and hold it over him, was to have him at her mercy.

She stepped one delicate leg into the freezing water, farther away from him, and she saw him twitch forward. Oh, what power! She could do anything! He wanted her! Never had the idea of love come into her mind. Love was for the weak-minded and she was anything but that. She slowly eased herself into the ice-cold pool, and was able to resist shivering. She spread out luxuriously into the water and closed her eyes, knowing he would come to her.

Shigure knew what she was doing. But what did he care? He wanted her and needed her and no doubt was going to come to her. He knew what Hatori would do if he found out, probably order him away for the health of their Goddess. But it just might be worth it. Akito was already tempting enough when they were together, but this? This was different. She had always acted so hard-to-get one minute and then yielded, whenever she thought he would leave. This was going to take a while. And he would enjoy every minute of it. She was the one with power this time, and for once, he didn't mind.

But he couldn't do it. He came from behind her and picked her up. Holding her against him for a moment, he then set her down on the side of the pool. "I think you've had enough water for today. Come on, we'll dry you off, and then I'll read to you. I'll be beside you the entire night, I promise." His mouth went up in one corner as he took in her shocked face.

Akito was too angry for words. How could he just do that to her! How could he have resisted that? Since she didn't have anything to say without making herself look stupid, she just glared at Shigure until they got back to her rooms.

"Well, what did you think of it?" Shigure asked casually as he tossed his new book across the floor.

"It was okay. I don't know why the stupid girl got herself pregnant. And the love was too… gross." Akito was frowning as she lay sprawled across Shigure.

Shigure smiled at her ignorance. "Gross?"

"They told one another how much they loved the other a lot. And they kissed weird."

Shigure poked Akito's side playfully before asking, "And how do you judge someone else's kissing as weird?"

"It was just soft and too…" Akito pursed her lips as she tried to find the right word.

"Kind?" Shigure asked seriously.

"Well, yeah. I mean, you never kiss me like that. And I'm glad you don't. It sounds boring and… weird." She screwed up her face trying to imagine Shigure kissing her tenderly. Sure, their first kiss was like that, but she had been young.

Shigure laughed softly beneath her, "Maybe you shouldn't judge something unless you try it first."

"Fine. Go find Kureno and tell him I want him now." Akito snapped. That should hurt him.

She felt him stiffen and he growled so low she could barely hear what he was saying, "Not with him! God knows he'll do it sloppily and…"

"But you wouldn't do it any better." She responded coldly.

Angrily he shoved her off of him and climbed on top of her, "Yes, I would." And he kissed her hard and furiously. He wanted Kureno out of her mind. Kureno wasn't worthy of her, he couldn't make her happy! That shy, scared boy could give nothing to Akito!

She struggled underneath him, before surrendering and going limp. Shigure felt her small chest heaving, and he pulled some of his weight off from on top of her. Looking down at her, he saw that he had bruised her rosy lips. Shigure forced himself to look into her eyes. She was scared and breathing weakly. He gently brushed her eyelids closed with his lips and kissed her sweetly. Shigure made sure every bit of her face had been touched by his soft lips. And then, he moved down to her neck.

Akito's breath caught. She had been wrong. It wasn't boring, it was exciting in a different way than most of their kisses. He was being tender and sweet with her, and it was nice for a change. Her breathing was becoming louder as he grazed her neck with his teeth and lips. And when he stopped, she couldn't conceal the bitter disappointment that was etched along her face.

Shigure pulled her onto his chest and they lay together in silence. Sweet silence.

"Was that boring or weird?"

Akito didn't trust her voice, so she just shook her head.

"Come here my sweet girl, my Goddess, my love." And she burrowed her head into his side.