~Chapter Four~
Sugar, Spice, and Everything Nice
It's hard to feel the rush, to brush the dangerous.
I'm gonna run right to, to the edge with you…
Where we can both fall far in love.
I'm on the edge of glory, and I'm hanging on a moment of truth.
Out on the edge of glory, and I'm hanging on a moment with you.
I'm on the edge with you.
~The Edge of Glory, by Lady Gaga
Disclaimer: Me No Own; You No Sue.
"But, I need to know – are you really a witch?"
In response, my tattoos began to glow with thick, powerful magic – so powerful that it was visible to the naked eye. He visibly startled. I smiled sheepishly at his surprise, my lips curling up ever so slightly at the corners, and my nose crinkling along with the motion. I was comforted at the familiarity of the action.
How to put this gently, so as not to frighten him away…?
I leaned forward, pressed my lips against his ear, and whispered, "Trick, or treat…"
Sammy's P.O.V.
"…I am not eating that!"
I scowled at the younger male, beyond angry at this point in time – infuriated might be more appropriate, come to think of it. After all, I'd been slaving away at the hot stove for close to two hours, and this idiot actually refused to eat the food that I had prepared for his family! And this was all done out of the goodness of my sweet, innocent heart, too! Oh, the nerve of some people!
Okay, that might be a bit of an exaggeration. The darling boy might still be wary of my cooking because I had accidentally slipped a rat tail into his soup last night. He clearly thought this dinner was filled with unorthodox protein, as well. And it appeared as though he believed that I was trying to poison him with another one of my "Witchy Stews," as he called them. Like I'd waste a perfectly good sleep draught on that twit! Ha!
It wasn't as though it were intentional. I hadn't personally sought to kill one of his kin and collect the slimy appendage hanging from its butt, anyway. The damn thing was just lying there, dead, in that mouse trap. Besides, it was a well known fact that adding a bit of rat to a bowl of potato soup blessed the eater with good fortune.
And contrary to popular belief, I was completely innocent in this matter. Wink, wink. Nudge.
The incident with Shigure and his pink clothes, however, might have been my fault. It was rather funny to see such a masculine man wearing a pink yukata, and it he totally deserved to be on the receiving end of a little prank or two. And there were more in store for him, should he continue to annoy me.
Now, one might be curious as to the reason for this cruel torture, as he was kindly giving me a place to live. And my answer would be – payback was a bitch!
Exhibit A: The crazy mutt managed to hide all of my clothes by the time that I'd exited the shower and reentered my bedroom yesterday morning. Then, I had been forced to walk through the entire house whilst wearing only a small, plaid towel – one that barely covered my female unmentionables – in order to search for my missing articles of clothing.
Meanwhile, Shigure had happily trailed after me, giving me hints of warmer and colder, all the while trying to glance under the hem of my short towel. Yuki and Kyo, however, were not quite as interested in seeing me naked. Both of them fainted shortly after spotting me walking around in nothing but a towel. A severe loss of blood can do that to a person; consequentially, some nosebleeds can cause a severe loss of blood. Go figure…
I was immensely grateful, though, that the wonderfully naïve Honda Tohru was at her part-time job during this time – she did not have to witness the shameful act of Shigure molesting me. The older male's hands had mysteriously (or so he claimed) appeared on the bit of towel covering my but at the exact moment that I'd bent over to retrieve my recently discovered jeans. Shortly after that, the disobedient (again, so he claimed) hands had appeared on my upper thighs.
Any higher, and I would have punched the pervert into the nearest portal to Hell. And yes, I was fully capable of doing so. Cerberus wasn't too terribly fond of stray dogs wandering into his territory, either. The very thought of the ensuing chase that would occur put a wide, happy smile on my face.
But, I digress! Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I present to you –
Exhibit B: Shigure was the one that got me kicked out of my hotel in the first goddamn place! It appeared that the rich, posh hotel thought his antics – and by antics, I mean dragging a nearly naked girl through the lobby in front of numerous guests – were bad for business. The security guards reviewing the recent video footage also discovered that I'd brought a Doberman Pinscher into the hotel. Add to this the fact that the dog was now nowhere to be found, and my stay there was apparently too much for the staff to handle.
Their solution was to throw the eccentric American girl out in the streets, of course! So much for that famed foreign hospitality…
I was pulled from my thoughts at the sound of a faint shuffling noise; the rat was currently rifling through the contents of the refrigerator. With a scowl upon my face, I stalked over to the greedy little vermin and looped my fingers through the belt loops on the back of his slacks. I tried my best to tug him away from the freshly baked cake that had been placed on the top shelf to cool.
He didn't budge an inch. It was now apparent that my best did not amount to much around a master of martial arts.
Damn rodent gets on my last nerve sometimes… I thought sourly, glaring at the back of his head as he retreated to the living room with his prize, a stolen piece of strawberry cake. Perhaps, I really should mix a potion into his dinner tonight. Nothing fatal; it would simply promote hair growth – on the entire body!
My insane cackling was interrupted by the arrival of Shigure, as he'd suddenly appeared at my side, with his nose in the air and hovering over several containers full of chicken, fried rice, and buttermilk biscuits. Don't give me that look! At least I wasn't forcing them to eat TV dinners, or something equally as asinine! Honestly. Whatever happened to "Kiss the Cook," and all that jazz?
"This smells wonderful, Sammy-chan!" he moaned slightly. Just like a damn dog, this man was always sniffing after me and begging for this, or that. Thankfully, he was housetrained…
I smacked his hand away with a greasy spatula as it inched closer and closer to the plate of biscuits. "Quit that," I snapped at him, irritated. "Those are not meant to be a snack. Now, repeat after me: the biscuits are for dinner!"
"But, Sammy-chan…!" Shigure protested with a pout, cradling his 'wounded' hand to his chest in a dejected manner. "That is so very mean."
Gray eyes lingered on the plate, even as I steadily pushed it further down the laminate counter and in the opposite direction of a very hungry, very greedy dog. I could only hope that he didn't consider moving on to the pot of fried rice that sat directly in front him, still steaming. The fact that it was still hot might deter him, but not for long.
I stuck my head through the doorway and into the adjoining room. "Oi, Kyo! Can you go find Tohru-chan and tell her that dinner is ready, please?" I called over to him.
After the cat had nodded his consent and left the room to do so – with a fair amount of grumbling on his part, too – I returned to the kitchen. Once there, I found a certain mutt sticking his finger in the (previously) immaculate icing on the strawberry cake. Anger marks twitched to life across my forehead, and I stomped over to the refrigerator to remove yet another man from its great, metal belly.
I leaned over his hunched form in what I believed to be a threatening manner. "And what do you think you're doing, eh?" I asked in dangerously low voice; it promised pain to my victim.
Shigure shot up with a yelp, banging his head on the temperature gauge in the process. He rubbed furiously at the injured spot and, with a low growl, whirled around to glare at me. I fought down the urge to emit a frightened squeak because he had straightened to his full height, which was approximately 5'10".
In other words, Shigure was way taller than I could ever hope to be – I was only two inches taller than five-foot-nothin'. No competition.
He leaned down, this time to stare directly into my eyes. "And who are you to tell me what it is that I should be doing in my own home?" Shigure demanded, quietly.
Good question, I thought with a gulp. "Um…"
It was impossible for me to concentrate on anything when those silver eyes were focused so intently upon my face. His stare was disconcerting, both in its appearance and the fact that it was filled with such a foreign emotion – to me, that is. If I were as pretty as my friend, Katie, I might have claimed it be lust, or even simple attraction. But, that couldn't possibly be right! I mean, there was no way that such a handsome man could be attracted to me, of all people!
I was just Sammy, the silly little American that had accidentally, and unexpectedly, wandered into his life. I was short, sarcastic, and a danger magnet – like Daphne, from Scooby Doo. And Shigure was nothing like Fred. If anything, he would more than likely be cased as the famous dog from said cartoon.
I might be a witch, but I was nothing special. Not unless you were searching for someone that could burp the alphabet while simultaneously levitating herself in the air. And that wasn't a very handy talent, that one… I put it on my resume last year and was promptly told by the Human Resources manager that I was an idiot for doing so. Well, you know what? I didn't want to work for that establishment, anyway! So, take that!
"Oh, are you not going to answer me?" Shigure whispered, lips brushing my ear as he pinned me to the wall with his own weight.
With a small whimper, I squirmed and tried to dodge his sudden advances. Gentle fingers tipped my chin upwards. Shigure began to close the distance between our faces, his lips nearing my own. I stiffened, unsure of how to proceed, especially since it was impossible to avoid him; this was his house, and he would track me down if I managed to escape. I knew that, just as I knew that I was being trifled with – Shigure didn't really want me. He never had, and he never would. This was just a game to him.
I was many things, but I was not an idiot.
Shigure hummed to himself in thought, and mused, "I suppose that I could make you answer me…"
My blue eyes widened, and I stared up at him, horrified. What the fuck does that mean?
A single finger trailed over my lips, teasing me, and every sensible thought slipped from my mind. I closed my eyes at the sensation and sighed, reveling in the feeling of being touched in such a sensuous manner. I parted my lips, and my tongue accidentally brushed against his finger. It tasted sweet, like sugar.
I reopened my eyes, only to find that Shigure was even closer than he had been mere seconds ago. His lips brushed against mine, and I immediately fell into the heated kiss. I'd been kissed before, but never like this! Not even the passionate kisses from Kazuya could ever hope to compare to this one – it felt as though my lips were on fire.
Idly, I found myself wondering if I should reach for the fire extinguisher that was in the cabinets under the kitchen sink. Of course, I'd also been told that the small, red container was empty. It had been used to douse the flames that the wild boar of the Zodiac created whilst cooking for her beloved Kyo. Oddly enough, no one had though to refill it, or buy another one.
Thus, I guess it was pretty much a moot point. And it was useless for me to resist Shigure, so I might as well kiss him back!
Shigure ended the kiss after what seemed to me to be an eternity and stood back, observing me as one might an unfamiliar painting. I knew, by the smirk the on his face, that my eyes were glazed over with pleasure. My lips were parted, and I savored the tingly feeling that still lingered, subconsciously running my tongue over the sticky, sugary residue that had been left behind.
"Oh, and what's this?" Shigure purred, before adding in a teasing manner, "Did someone actually enjoy herself?"
My cheeks flushed with shame, a response to the knowledge that I'd given in way too easily to his advances, like the whore that Akito had implied that I was and always would be. The red stitches may have been removed from my fully healed forehead – thanks to a little magic on my part – but the words still remained.
'A proper young lady would not hug every young man that she came in contact with, my dear.'
And this wasn't even as innocent as hugging. So, what did that make me?
The older male grinned down at me, eyes glinting with mischief as he happily said, "And look at this – it appears that someone has been sampling her own wares…"
Now, it felt as though my entire face was aflame, and this time it was from embarrassment. The way that Shigure phrased that – it had sounded so sexual! Like I was actually savoring the taste of…
I squealed, "Pervert…!" My eyes were wide with horror as I struggled against his embrace, seeking an escape from the unfamiliar situation.
"I am not a pervert," Shigure quickly protested – he is in denial! "I'm just trying to offer you a bit of help. After all, your face appears to be covered in strawberry icing."
He glanced down at my face and released a small chuckle, as if these words reminded him of the situation. I raised a hesitant hand to touch my lips, curious as to whether he was telling the truth or not, but the dog was quick to grab my wrists and pin them to the wall. His nose brushed against my own, and he nuzzled my cheek. Again, my eyes closed on their own accord, as if it were a necessary thing to do in such a situation.
To my surprise, Shigure ran his tongue over my lips. I parted my lips and, through my eyelashes, I could see that he was licking away the icing that had gathered at the corner of my mouth, bit by bit. Wait a minute. There was icing there, but I hadn't eaten any cake yet! So, that meant that he had to have put it there!
That manipulative bastard! I thought, positively in awe that he had been planning this all along, probably from the moment that he'd entered the kitchen. He knew that I was going to fall for this! That's…absolutely insane!
Shigure chuckled against my lips, kissing me once more – and in a surprisingly gentle manner. I sensed him step away and opened my eyes to stare up at him in confusion. My only thoughts on the matter were hot damn, and what in the world has gotten into that crazy mutt?
"Oh, my! Please, excuse me. I didn't mean to interrupt!"
And, there it was – the excuse that I needed to separate the two of us. I leapt away from Shigure and dove into my previous position, occupying the stove once more in order to finish the few preparations for dinner. I hastily went about placing the dishes on two small platters to deliver them to the kotatsu. Because Kyo had obviously found Tohru, and he had obviously told her to help me set the table. The poor girl was probably scarred for life; now, she was scampering away, bowing repeatedly and stuttering her apologies.
Damn cat had to pick now, of all times, to actually listen to me! I thought with dismay. And just when it was getting good, too! Ugh…
Slamming my head into the counter, I grumbled to myself about the annoying independence that was a common trait of most felines, Kyo included. Witches were commonly fond of cats, but I personally had a preference for the members of canines. And it was for reasons like this! I mean, he'd just ruined a perfectly good moment between Shigure and me by sending his little girlfriend in here!
Kyo, however, wasn't that cunning. My eyes narrowed in speculation, blinked once, and then widened in realization – it must have been Yuki! He was obviously getting his revenge for that stunt at lunch yesterday, with the unexpected addition of the rat tail to his soup. Oh, that was such awful timing…
"Is something the matter, Miss Steel?"
Speak of the furry little devil, and he shall come to taunt you…!
I clenched my teeth together. "Nope! I just saw this giant bug running across the counter. I was without a weapon, since you Japanese aren't very fond of wearing shoes indoors; thus, I resorted to using my forehead to attack the evil nuisances. But, it got away…" I smiled sweetly. "Any other stupid questions?"
A few tendril of my dark, angry magic drifted into the room. Yuki paled drastically, especially as it began to swirl around him and tug at his hair clothing. It pulled at them until he resembled a hobo, which the insecure man seemed to find rather belittling. Perfect! Gleefully, I watched as Yuki swatted weakly at the invisible magic, in an effort to defend himself.
To make matters worse for the frightened rat, I summoned two small fire demons, both of which normally inhabited the second layer of Hell. The pair offered me a quick salute and rushed to carry the dinner plates to the kotatsu. The sight of the dishes floating by – accompanied by two creatures that weren't even remotely human – was enough to send Yuki running from the kitchen at the speed of light.
Oh, right. I'd forgotten that there was also a thick meat cleaver gripped firmly in the grasp of my right hand. It didn't appear to hurt my attempts to frighten him any, either.
Someone noisily cleared their throat. I tensed at the sound, knowing that, without a doubt, it was Shigure. He'd never left, and he had apparently decided to reaffirm his presence and status as master of the house. I sighed and peeked at him through my bangs, wary of his reaction; a pair of demons (small demons, but demons nonetheless) were just summoned in his kitchen. There was no telling how angry he was with me at the moment – or frightened, come to think of it.
But, to my surprise, Shigure merely grinned down at me. "Don't you think that was a bit much, my dear?" he asked, amused.
"You mean to tell me, that you aren't mad at me?" I asked with a blank expression on my face. I was wearing a poker face, if you will – like Lady Gaga.
"Not a bit," he deadpanned.
I twitched at his blunt answer. Apparently, he greatly enjoyed this pastime. He was almost as fond as I was of annoying the younger individuals in this house. Alas, Shigure had almost eight years on me, and I too was included in this category, so far as he was concerned. One only had to think back to the deranged game of hide-and-seek that I'd been forced to play in order to reclaim my clothing yesterday, and it was suddenly quite clear that Shigure had found a new chew toy…
Yeah, it was me.
Goddamn mutt! I growled at him and turned on heel, exiting the kitchen and ignoring his snickers. Stupid canine. Filthy cur. Dumb, er…dog. I mentally slapped myself for that last insult.
"Is everyone ready to eat?" Tohru asked cheerfully from her spot beside her boyfriend, Kyo.
Every ounce of malice vanished from within me as I watched the pair of younger adults interact with one another. I was happy for the two of them; Tohru and Kyo were finally happy after all that they had been through together. And I couldn't keep help the smile that claimed my lips. They deserved to be with one another, even if Akito believed or said otherwise.
I noticed Shigure seating himself at the head of the table, out of the corner of the corner of my eye. He bowed his head – this served as a signal for the rest of us to follow suit. I did so, but used the time of prayer in a different manner. Instead of muttering useless thanks to a god that did not love me, I observed the older male. Shigure was strong and smart, funny and king. And he was a little crazy, too.
I liked him a lot, but I had no idea if what he felt for me was real, or merely wishful thinking on my part.
"Miss Steel, we humbly accept," Yuki solemnly added, nodding at me in thanks.
Sparks were suddenly flying, as he and Kyo were shared a heated glare. A battle commenced to determine which one of them could eat the quickest – one daintily consumed his meal, and the other was hastily slurping at it. Neither one used his napkin.
If I were Rachel Ray, I might have been offended. But, to be frank, I didn't really care, so long as they refrained from starting any food fights. Tohru and I had just finished repapering the screen door last night, and at my insistence. I'd been the one to break it in the first place, after all! It had also taken us three attempts to do so because that damned Yuki kept kicking Kyo through the fragile door.
Apparently, the cat was still not capable of defeating the rat.
Tohru delicately wiped her mouth with one of the cloth napkins, before exclaiming, "This is absolutely delicious, Sammy-chan!"
"Thank you, Tohru-chan," I said, happily and with a grateful smile in her direction. "I'm glad that you like it!"
Kyo snorted. "You remembered that she likes fried rice, didn't you?" he asked, seemingly amused at the fact that I'd managed to win his girlfriend over with such simple dinner.
It was like taking candy from a baby – with pigtails!
My smile quickly morphed into a smirk. "I have absolutely no idea as to what you're talking about, my dear feline friend…"
He hated it when I referred to him as a cat, especially after my repeated requests that he join me for a ride on my broomstick. For some strange reason, Kyo thought that this sounded sexual, even after I added that he could be the Jiji to my Kiki. That reference flew right over his head, despite the fact that it was in regards to a Studio Ghibli film – which was Japanese in origin, I might add.
But, it did not offend him this time. Kyo merely rolled his eyes and returned to his dinner, asking for eights.
"What ingredients were involved in the making of this meal, Miss Steel?" inquired Yuki, probably in what was meant to be a polite manner, but what actually came across as utterly paranoid. Score!
I blinked innocently at him. "Is there something wrong with my cooking, Yuki-kun?" I purred, once again placing emphasis on the Japanese honorific in the hopes that it would unsettle him; it worked.
"No," Yuki cautiously admitted. "I was just curious because…"
Suddenly, the rat stopped chewing and slowly reached a hand upwards to cup his mouth. He looked a little green. And, after spitting a strange object into his napkin, he finally managed to croak out, "…is that a bat's wing?"
Everyone stared at the offending item in horror – save for myself, that is! I'd been the one to place the foreign appendage in his rice; thus, it should come as no surprise that I was not horrified or disgusted at the sight of such a thing. Not that I was going to openly admit to coming to such a heinous crime. I didn't want to incriminate myself. I'd seen just as many crime shows as the rest of the American population, and I knew that bad guys were always shot, raped, killed, and thrown in jail…but not necessarily in that order.
Shigure glanced at it and frowned in thought. "Actually, that wing appears to belong to a dragon, if I'm not mistaken." He turned his attention to me, dryly asking, "Does that belong to Ha-san?"
I snorted. "The good doctor may be cursed by the year of the dragon, but he changes into a seahorse, which does not actually have any wings," I pointed out. "How could it possibly belong to Hatori-san?"
Kyo gaped at me, stunned. "…so it is a dragon's wing."
"Only a small one," I said with a quick, careless shrug. It wasn't that big of a deal.
After sifting through her food with a chopstick and finding nothing out of the ordinary, Tohru calmly returned to eating her meal. The younger girl was blissfully ignorant at times – and by choice, no less! I envied her ability to adapt to any situation. She was capable of living in a tent and still going to school, as well as kissing her possessed boyfriend without fear. Tohru was like a chameleon! Or, that silly lizard from the insurance commercials: it's Geico, not gecko.
Yuki, on the other hand, was not as easily distracted. He appeared to have lost his appetite, and the rat quickly excused himself to attend to his nightly rituals – like brushing his teeth and getting rid of the brittle, sour taste of dragon flesh.
"This is most unfortunate," Shigure calmly stated. And then, he switched into overdrive and exclaimed, "Who could have done such a thing to poor, innocent Yuki? We shall never know…"
The sound of a bedroom door slamming shut effectively ended his ranting, and the dog nonchalantly returned to his meal, chewing on a mouthful of chicken. I shook my head at him in exasperation. And these people thought me to be the cruel one? Ha!
"If you must know," I said, raising my voice so that it could easily be heard upstairs. "I followed a rather simple recipe in preparation for tonight's meal."
Red eyes narrowed in my direction, and Kyo warily demanded, "And that is…?"
I smirked at him. "Sugar, spice, and everything nice –"
The cat promptly blanched and interrupted with a panicked exclamation of – "You used a recipe from a spell book to cook this dinner?" His tan skin paled about five shades; now, the athlete appeared quite sickly.
I continued onwards, as if he had not spoken. "These were the ingredients chosen to create the perfect little girls, but…" I cackled briefly, "Professor Utonium accidentally added an extra ingredient to the concoction: Chemical X!"
Apparently, the inhabitants of this house now seriously doubted my healthy state of mind. It had obviously never occurred to them that questionable sanity might actually be a requirement for young witches across the globe. But, it was probably safe to say that it had now! Cue evil grin here.
Ignoring the strange looks that were being sent my way, I finished the old song. "Thus, the Powerpuff Girls were born! Using their ultra-super powers, Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup have dedicated their lives to fighting crime and stopping the forces of evil!"
This speech was met with complete and utter silence.
"I'm guessing that none of you have ever seen The Powerpuff Girls?" At their blank, possibly terrified expressions, I added, "That's a shame. It was such a cute cartoon, too…"
Shigure appeared mildly alarmed at this last comment. "Do you mean to tell us that you watched that show as a child, my dear?" he whispered, as though afraid that this incredulous question would set me off.
So, does this mean that they consider me mentally unstable now? I thought, wryly.
Aloud, I admitted, "I had a strange childhood."
"Obviously," Kyo muttered under his breath. "…ouch!"
The cat said nothing further, too intent on rubbing at the spot on his side, the one that Tohru had just roughly elbowed. Both of them shared a look, one that was secretive in nature, before coming to an agreement of sorts. The two young adults quickly gathered the remaining dirty dishes and delivered them to the kitchen sink. I'd already promised to wash them later, so they thanked me for the meal. Then, Kyo and Tohru excused themselves; they had homework due in the morning.
Poor kids! I'm so glad that my sentence has been served, so far as high school is concerned…
Shigure inched closer to me, seating himself on the cushion next to mine and resting his chin on my shoulder. "Well, it's just you and me, Sammy-chan," he purred.
There was something in those seven words, something that hinted at a deeper, more profound meaning. But, I was completely oblivious to it. I found myself too busy trying to run damage control on my uncontrollable blush to worry about such a thing. Instead, I distracted myself with the way that his arms felt wrapped around my waist, tenderly holding me to his chest. I focused on the smell of his skin as he brushed his cheek against mine. The taste of his lips…!
Oh, my… I groaned inwardly. Forget it. I am such an immature schoolgirl.
The object of my affections was currently too engrossed in his current activity (playing with my hair must be rather interesting…) to notice my inner turmoil. So, in an attempt to clear my mind of such troublesome thoughts, I shook my head and mentally prepared myself for what was about to occur.
"May I ask you a question, Shigure-san?" I asked, speaking quietly.
The older male tugged at a lock of my hair and hummed to himself in thought, absently responding, "Yes, my darling?" Such a term of endearment was almost an answer in and of itself.
Nonetheless, I continued, "Were you lying to Akito?" I asked, softly, and praying that this wasn't the case.
Oh, I was such an awful witch. I'd resorted to praying to a god that had probably forsaken me at birth! How lame was that?
Shigure paused, as if carefully choosing his words. "I've no reason to lie to you, but I understand why it might appear that way," he admitted after a moment. "You feel as though this is just a convenient relationship for me, is that correct?"
At the sight of my sheepish smile, Shigure gently continued. "It's true that I like the idea of finally being able to hold a woman that I care for in such a manner." He smiled. "Not that it was much of a secret to begin with. I mean, look at the sheer amount of times that I've touched you in the last three weeks," he said, amusement dancing in his silver eyes.
I snorted in derision and, with a shake of my head, muttered, "Honestly, I didn't really read too much into that." Nonchalantly, I shrugged. "I believed that you were just being an old pervert again…"
"Of course you did," he dryly murmured, pinching the bridge of his nose; such frustration was a common occurrence when dealing with me, it seemed.
As I leaned into his embrace, however, my smile was genuine, in spite of my earlier words. I surprised him with the hug, but we stayed like that for a moment, just holding each other. And, well, I couldn't bring myself to pull away. It was rather obvious that Shigure was experienced in regards to sexual activities – how that was possible with the curse, I didn't want to know – but he clearly hadn't had the chance to engage in such simple affections with the opposite sex. I was more than happy to help in this matter, so I stayed there, until he chose to let me go.
"You should go to bed," Shigure murmured, placing a chaste kiss on the top of my head as he stood up.
The dog glanced down at me, and his gray eyes darkened. I desperately tried to ignore the heated stare that was burning holes in the back of my skull as I sat there, stabbing a fork into the untouched piece of cake that had been placed on my dessert plate. It was hard to ignore him, especially with the sexual tension zipping between us like lightning. I knew the reason for his sudden departure, and it had nothing to do with finishing the manuscript for that deadline. The damn book was probably already written, anyway…
Shigure smirked and leaned down, placing his lips against my ear. "Perhaps, you wish to join me in mine, instead?" His voice was as rich as velvet, and just as dark at that moment.
"No, thank you!" I squeaked and averted my gaze, utterly embarrassed at my own naivety. A shiver crawled its way down my spine because, for a brief moment, I considered taking him upon on his offer.
"Well," he sighed heavily, "If you change your mind…"
"Oh, that isn't gonna happen!" I hastily assured him, choosing to interrupt him, rather than listen to his sexual innuendos.
Shigure pouted, his lower lip jutting outwards. "But, I thought that all American women were rather free and open about the idea of having sex!" he whined.
Dumbfounded – I was absolutely dumfounded. Asshole…! Why did it ever occur to me that you were a nice guy?
"And I was going to take such good care of you, too," he drawled, clearly hinting at the fact that it was going to hurt like a bitch my first time.
I snarled viciously at him. "I apologize for valuing my virginity!" And then, I threw a piece of cake in his general direction; however, I would probably miss, now that I thought about it…
"So mean…!" Shigure cried. He ducked and the baked good whizzed by his head, over the table, and into the kitchen. Quickly, he added a mocking – "You missed me~!"
Angrily, I threw my fork at him, and this time – it hit its intended mark. Shigure released a startled yelp, much like those emitted by his canine counterpart. He gingerly poked at the metal object protruding from his leg. It slowly fell from its perch, as it was dragged down by the force of its own weight; perhaps, gravity. But that was only if one chose to believe Bill Nye, the Science Guy, or if one had ever watched an episode of The Magic School Bus.
"Ow!" He rubbed a hand over the small puncture wounds, scowled, and grumbled, "Prude..."
How dare he say such a thing? I thought, annoyed, before retorting, "Pervert!"
"Piglet…" Shigure quipped, making it obvious that he thought of me as such whenever I squeaked or squealed in protest of his sexual advances. "You are a little, pink piglet!" He made a face, scrunching his nose up and exclaiming, "Oink!"
I shrieked at him, pointing at the horny mutt with a single, shaking finger. "And you, good sir, are a pedophile – a fucking pedophile!"
Shigure blinked at that, and then he promptly pointed out, "Most pedophiles fuck things." He said this as if it were a secret known by all. "So, in a manner of speaking, I suppose that you are correct, my dear."
I opened my mouth to respond, noting that he hadn't actually denied being a pedophile. I was not, however, given the chance to spew anymore insults; we were interrupted by a very loud and very annoyed voice demanding that we shut the fuck up, as some people were actually trying to get a bit of sleep.
And, that was that. Shigure calmly wished me a chaste goodnight and left the room, scurrying towards his office to do…whatever it was that he did during the times that he claimed to be finishing his manuscripts. The only thought that came to mind was masturbation, and I didn't want to think about that too hard – no pun intended.
Gave me nightmares, that one…
Thus, I sat there, completely devoid of emotion and with a blank expression on my face. I tried to sort through the chaotic events of the evening, which was quite difficult to do; interpreting Shigure's actions and motives was like trying to dissect the varying moods of a hormonal, pregnant woman. In other words: it was damn near impossible to do.
At first, I'd admittedly believed it to be a game – a stolen kiss here, followed by a pat on the ass there. But now, I couldn't help but remember his words to Akito, the ones that warmed my entire soul to the very core of its being.
"I will not…stand by again…as you hurt someone else…that I care about."
He'd said that he cared about me, despite the fact that he had not yet been given the chance to really know or understandme. We were, essentially, strangers. And then –
"I want to know her."
So, why had Shigure really kissed me?
***Author's Note***
This chapter has been updated, too! And there is a bit of additional content, but not as much as in the first two chapters. So...
Bye? :D
