SEEING YOU FOR THE FIRST TIME

Chapter 2B: Knowing you a little bit more

Disclaimer: Nurarihyon no Mago characters are not mine. Also, the last name of Wakana is just a fictional name that was added for the purpose of the story. There are also some original characters created for the purpose of the story.

Please read and review. Thank you!

Author's note: The story is slightly different than usual. However, I will not move away so much. The overall plan is to end up in the same story. About the onmyoji characters, wait and see.

For this coming chapter, it's a little more Rihan-Wakana time. Hope this is serves as a nice teaser.

The demons in the parade were acting in a rather unusual manner. As of the moment, they cannot be blamed for it since it's basically their first time to have a woman join them in the night march. The Second sat in front of the parade with her sitting very close by. Since most of the demons in the parade already accepted the second's principles of accepting and supporting demon and human co-existence, it is still a little awkward for them to spend time with a woman, let alone during their night escapades.

Kejoro, Kubinashi, and Kurotabo sat the closest to Wakana and the second. It was for defensive reasons and at the same time to properly observe her. From afar, they can already sense the cautious behavior of their comrades, but at the same time, they were all fascinated with the way she reacts to them.

For one, as a human, she's not very scared of them.

In fact, they all think she's pretty comfortable.

Pretty used to seeing the likes of them.

To be honest, it's a little unnerving.

But at the same time, comforting…

Wakana looked around the area. Here she is sitting on top of the head of a giant flying demon. A few inches in front of her sat Rihan, the supposedly Second Heir of the Nura clan. According to Kubinashi, the Nura Clan is the greatest demon group or organization in all of Tokyo. The Supreme Commander, the so-called old man of Rihan, is the Lord of Pandemonium. Just hearing the name, it sounds like he won some kind of war or it feels like the family can be compared to human royalty.

But aside from the unique experience of being with them during their night out, the most mesmerizing thing is the view of the city from above. It is something that cannot be seen on a regular basis unless you're flying via plane. She smiled softly, enthralled by the beauty of the landscape and the serenity of the lights.

Rihan noticed her enchantment to the view of the city. When he first did this in this manner, he felt the same thing. At that moment, he felt that he could conquer the world. The wind continued to blow towards him. These experiences up in the air are the one that makes him feel that he can do anything. It's not just about the battle trophies, but more so, its about the feeling of being complete, of being in control and at the same being on top of everything. For him, this is perhaps what people call, the conqueror's ambition.

For Rihan, everything is working well for him. He has a very big demon parade. He has won all battles. He has a very strong father with a hero reputation. He has great friends. What more can he ask for?

A wife…

An heir…

A family of his own…

Every time he thought of it, he felt depressed. Right now, there's no one for him. He's on his own in this respect. For the past years, he didn't really look for one, he was a little content to being on his own. There's no denying that there is pressure coming from the council of the Nura Clan regarding an heir or perhaps at least a wife. But he didn't care. He had women, yes, but someone he considered to be his better half, none. Also, it's not as if he's not looking for someone, it's just that no one fits the criteria.

"Rihan-san…" Wakana said softly, trying not to command too much attention. Rihan looked back at her, a little startled since he was too deep in thought.

"Hm?" Rihan looked at her with one eye, no can blame him, he was born arrogant.

Wakana's head was bent down in a very ladylike fashion. Her hair dancing with the wind, her hand holding her skirt to avoid it from flying, while the other one was playing on the edge of his kimono. He smiled to himself.

"Yes?" Rihan repeated, in a softer voice this time.

Wakana lifted her head and smiled, "Thank you."

Rihan felt some sort of warmth in his chest. A little taken aback with her reaction and perhaps how absolutely enchanting her smile is. Their past encounters were filled with all other emotions except happiness. Her smile was something that he had never seen before and at the same time it was something that felt a little different than usual. He nodded slightly and then responded,

"More to come." Rihan initiated. He pointed downwards making her look at the direction where he pointed. "This is nice isn't it? I really like this view. Everything looks like its part of a very big light festival. Peaceful but at the same time spellbinding."

"Hmm, Yes it is." Wakana nodded and smiled softly. "I wish days would pass to be as peaceful as tonight. Nothing to worry about, nothing to be scared about, nothing to be sad about, what a wonderful life it must have been."

Rihan glanced at her as she said those words—full of meaning, full of intent. Her eyes were firm and soft at the same time. In the middle of this peaceful night, he could see both her vulnerability as a woman and her strength as someone who has gone through so much. He had to admit it this time, there was a growing admiration for this woman.

Silently, to himself, he vowed to fulfill her wish. He hoped that he had enough ability to be able to do so.

Kejoro smiled. They can clearly hear the conversation but none of them decided to interrupt or bother the slowly developing relationship between their commander and their guest, or perhaps soon, no longer guest but family member as well.

This is a very peaceful night.

Out of nowhere, a barrage of feathers came swirling attacking the parade. The feathers came from a two yosuzumes. Attacking the parade, it disrupted the flow of their patrol making the group slowly land near the park area. Rihan quickly took Wakana to a tight embrace attempting to cover her eyes. Getting used to this kind of battle, Rihan already knew what will happen.

"Kuroutabou." Rihan commanded. His right hand man immediately launched an attack towards the two demons.

Kejoro and Kubinashi positioned themselves at the helm of their transport demon. Using his strings, he guided the demon that was blinded by the yosuzume's feathers to a safe but desolate landing path.

The big demon landed in an isolated place. Kejoro, Kubinashi, and Kuratabou immediately went into battle position. Rihan jumped down carrying Wakana to his side. She was not saying anything except that her hands were covering her eyes. Rihan bent slightly forward to check on her.

"Are you okay?" He asked. There was a hint of worry in his voice. She was holding on to her face, her tiny hands covering her eyes. Wakana simply nodded without saying anything.

He held her shoulders as if to check if she was trembling, perhaps she might be afraid. She was slightly trembling and he started to worry. He held her arms and then tugged slightly as if requesting for her to remove her hands from her eyes.

"Let me see…" Rihan motioned, holding her hands.

She slowly removed her hands and Rihan saw that the feathers of the yosuzume affected her. He knew that she could not see anything. He explained to her the current situation.

"We were attacked by a yosuzume. It's a demon wherein if a feather touches your eyes, you will lose your sight. Although this is temporary, it might take some time." Rihan added. "But don't worry (he held her hand), trust me, I won't let you go."

She simply nodded. There was no choice anyway. She couldn't see a single thing and it was something that made her scared. All she could sense is that his hand is wrapped around her right hand. Her left hand was placed close to her chest. To someone who doesn't know them, they would probably be thought of as a couple. His left hand was interlaced with hers as hers to his hands.

Using his right hand, he drew Nenekirimaru in defense. Although it appeared like he need not do anything since his three comrades are doing a really great job defending them, he knew he had to take caution. It was not like his usual battle, there is something he needed to protect.

His eyes widened at his thought.

Something I needed to protect?

I needed to protect?

Glancing towards the woman beside him. He took everything into his memory. Sensing that there was another demon heading towards them, he focused his sight towards the bear demon running towards their direction. Eyes narrowed in slits, used with this kind of adrenaline, he didn't even need to move. In one full swing, the bear demon was decapitated.

Wakana's heart was beating so fast she thought she was in a marching parade. She could barely breathe. She knew that a battle was ongoing. She could hear the clash of steel and the sound of breaking flesh and bones. She didn't know what to think. Why does this always happen to her? Why does she always have to see these things? She could sense that tears are starting to form in her eyes, but she was surprised when Rihan's hand tightened as he held to hers. Even without her sight, she looked at her hand and his.

It was a reassurance. She tightened her grip ever so slightly as well.

Rihan noticed that she tightened her hold onto his hand. He tugged her slightly towards him almost feeling her side towards his back. After a few more seconds, Kurotabou and Kubinashi killed the two yosuzumes. Rihan nodded towards his generals as a sign of acknowledgement for their accomplishments. He turned towards Wakana and slightly, and regretfully let go of her hand.

Wakana felt the tinge of fear when he let go but was pulled out of her emotions when her vision started to return. Blurry in the beginning, she blinked hard, rubbed her eyes slightly. A soft deep silky voice asked her,

"Can you see now?"

Wakana looked up and saw Rihan's face about three to four inches away from her. His hands were on her shoulders. He was looking deeply into her eyes. Although she could barely see, she could feel the heat building up on her face. Her hands immediately covered her face in shame.

"Ahh, I'm sorry…" She blushed. "I caused much trouble."

"Hahahaha!" Rihan laughed, "What are you talking about? You didn't cause any trouble."

"But I had to be the burden, you had to take care of me." Wakana looked up and sighed. "Really really sorry…"

Protect… Rihan recalled his thoughts. Indeed, it was a first for him after a long time. He never knew it would come out of him again, the desire to protect something—someone.

"You were not a burned, Wakana-sama." Kejoro placed a hand on her shoulder.

Wakana looked at her direction, vision still blurry but she recognized Kejoro. The form of Kubinashi was also near the area and another one who she doesn't recognize. Kubinashi stood beside Rihan who in turn was just looking intently at her.

"Rihan-sama, I think it's time to send Wakana-sama home." Kubinashi recommended. Rihan looked at him and nodded.

"Time to go back." Rihan told towards Wakana.

She nodded and smiled.

"Yes." Wakana looked to each of them. "Thank you very much."

She then glanced back towards the rest of the demon parade and grinned towards them.

"Thank you also to all of you."

The demons had their own reactions, some of them sort of blushed, some of them hid their faces, others turned around a little shy. Natto had his arms crossed but his eyes were considerably softer.

Rihan felt nice. A woman accepting his demon parade and expressing her gratitude towards them. Wakana looked towards him and tugged his kimono slightly. He looked down towards her.

"I'll bring you home."

Wakana nodded.

The Second's demon parade arrived back at the Nura household. The Supreme Commander sat at the porch drinking with Gyuki, Karasu Tengu, Daruma, and Hitotsume. They noticed the arrival of the second and he lifted his cup to acknowledge him

"Yo, welcome back. Did you enjoy your patrol?" The commander smirked towards the direction of his son.

Rihan smiled and then gave a nod to excuse himself. Without a word, he proceeded to his room. Needless to say, everyone was a little surprised with his reaction, most of all surprised with the smile. If it were any other day, he would have joked around with his father or joined them for a drink, or for some bad days he would just glare at them. But today, a totally different smile, what was that all about?

"We need enlightenment Kubinashi." Hitotsu looked at the demon standing near the supreme commander, who simply drunk more.

Gyuki sipped from his cup and proceeded for another refill.

"Well~" Kejoro started, "Let's just say, we had a…great day."

"A great day indeed." Kubinashi nodded.

"Well, if that's the case, then this calls for a celebration!" The Supreme Commander lifted his cup. "Let's go you all, let's have a party!"

A barrage of cheers echoed in the household and everyone proceeded in the common room.

Rihan heard the cheers from the common room, who wouldn't? It was so loud he almost felt the entire household shake. He smirked thinking that his father probably said that they'll have a party. Usually he wanted to join, but today perhaps will be an exception. He looked at the night sky and then to the Cherry Blossom tree in front of his room that is in full bloom.

He sat there, leaning on the doorframe of his open room recalling the things that happened for the day. He surprised himself that today was a day wherein he didn't go to the yamabuki garden. Today was also a day wherein he didn't really think of his former wife. Was he forgetting her? Not really. Their memories are still as strong as ever. It's just that, today, there was HER.

He sighed to himself. His left hand was warm. His body could still remember how close they were a while ago. When he took her home, how she smiled before she closed the door, it gave him butterflies in his stomach. And now, he somehow longs for the touch.

It has been a while…since I held onto someone like that…

I guess, 300 years is a long time…

For me to feel like this…

As if it's my first time….

Rihan smiled.

"Wakana-chan!" Amina greeted from the other side of the room.

Her friend just arrived to class. Wakana was a little early today. Well, to be honest, that's because she barely slept. The demon parade, the demon attack, the demon holding her hand was all too much for her. She felt a blush creeping to her face, which in turn merited a curious look from Amina and Kimiko, who also just arrived.

"Eh? Was that a blush Waka-chan?" Kimiko looked forward as if intently checking on her. "Hmmm…something is fishy and you're not telling us! Waka-chan!"

Amina smirked and then dragged the nearest chair and sat beside Wakana.

"Hey, is something going on with you and Rihan-sensei?" She whispered in a curious manner.

Wakana's eyes widened. She looked at Amina, stuttering "W-wha? Are you kidding… I-I never would h-have…"

Amina started laughing. She couldn't believe it. Wakana was a pretty bad liar to begin with. "You know, I don't mind. As your friend, I give you my support."

Amina placed a hand over her shoulder. Kimiko on the other hand, was not able to ride with them during their conversation. She was pulling on their blouses persistently asking about what they were talking about. The door suddenly slid open and of course, Rihan-sensei's figure arrived.

"Okay noisy brats, class is starting." He said, everyone rushed towards their seat after the girls had their fan girl moment. Rihan slid the door shut.

Wakana felt uncomfortable to say the least. She took a deep breath.

Focus Wakana.

Remember, you don't know Rihan

In fact, this is the first time you have seen him

And mental note to self

It's Nura-sensei.

Rihan looked around the room a bit to check if Wakana is there, although he knew he shouldn't be that obvious. So he also looked at the other side to cover it up. He saw her. She was looking at his direction in a very stoic expression. It's a little unnerving but two can play that game.

"I see that you have arrived from your leave, Koizumi-san." Rihan took out the attendance and made his roll call.

Wakana simply made a polite bow to acknowledge him.

"Alright, roll call done. Let's start homeroom." Rihan took a piece of chalk and started to write on the board. "School fair is coming. The teachers had a draw lot thing to see what you'll be in-charge of doing. For this class, its haunted house."

Everyone was cheering loudly. They got the neat assignment for the School Fair. Sousuke raised his hand from the back. Rihan nodded to acknowledge his query.

"Sensei, I would like to volunteer as the activity head for this."

Everyone acknowledges Sousuke. He's the class ace to say the least. Everyone gravitated towards him. He plays basketball, soccer, football, name it he can play it. He's smart, not really top of the class like Wakana and Amina.

Rihan nodded. "Sure. Anyone against it?"

No one raised their hands. Sousuke continued, "But I would like to request sensei, if I can have a committee."

"Committee? A main planning group you say."

Sousuke nodded.

"I don't see anything wrong with that. Okay, choose your committee." Rihan leaned on the board looking at the young assertive man.

"Thank you sensei. My committee will be, Amina-san, Kimiko-san, and Wakana-san." Sousuke stared at Rihan as he said the name.

Rihan almost broke the piece of chalk if he did not control himself. That little brat was trying to provoke him, not to mention outsmart him. Well he did outsmart him. He didn't realize that he would be choosing that committee. But again, he can ride with that. 300 years worth of experience is not just nothing…

"Okay. I think that would do. " Rihan nodded seeing a slight smirk from the expression of the young man. "Whenever you have updates or plans, make sure you include me in your meetings."

Sousuke's eyes widened at what he said, not to mention Amina's, Kimiko's, and Wakana's eyes. Wakana was bewildered at his statement. Since he mentioned it to Sousuke, there seems to be nothing wrong, but the way those two are looking at each other, they seem to be ready to bite each other's heads off. Amina really felt like bursting into laughter. She knew of Sousuke's feelings for Wakana and of course how deathly jealous he became after yesterday's incident near the grocery. But for Rihan-sensei for respond like that, this is getting too interesting.

Hahahaha…totally makes my day! Amina wondered.

"YAY!" Kimiko jumped up from her chair, oblivious to the ongoing verbal challenge between her teacher and her friend. Rihan and Sousuke looked at her. "Of course sensei! Kimiko will update you!"

Like the fan girl that she is. Amina placed her head on her hand looking at the direction of Kimiko. A series of "no-fair", "I want to update sensei", and so on went about the room. Wakana simply shook her head on the other side of the room and sighed.

What was that all about. Come on now…

Sousuke and Rihan went back to their staring challenge amidst the chaos that was going around the room.

Impertinent brat…

Nosy teacher…

There was friction. Indeed this was homeroom / science class.

To be continued.

Please read and review.

Thank you very much!