Dance with the Demon, CH 2
- I do not own any of the characters in this story. All belong to Kisihmoto-san -
oOo
I managed to find my room. Room 204, several long hallways down from my masters. Fumbling with my key momentarily, I turned the nob and slid into my new accommodations. My eyes lightly skimmed the lavender walls, not bothering with the light as my legs drew me to the bed in the left corner of the room. Sitting down on the soft sheets, I stared down at my palms.
How could I let myself be so weak?
I knew who I would be working for. I knew who he was and what he was capable of. Why did I freeze? Yes, he was admittingly attractive, tall, muscular... and those eyes. The eyes that could shatter glass. No. It was what was behind the eyes. The hunger for blood and conquest. A shudder went down my spine as the image of them boring into mine flashed in my mind. What kind of person could honestly look into those eyes and not turn into putty? Into fleeing prey.
I sighed heavily, letting my body fall onto the bed.
I would not call myself a weak person. Maybe in my younger days I was timid and shy, but after years of harsh training and coaching myself, I can honestly say I am comfortable with myself and my abilities.
I am a Huyuga.
My mind hung onto the last thought stubbornly. Reaching up, I threw my headdress onto the desk next to the head of the bed. I would definitely need a shower and a steeled resolve before I could face him again. I will not let this beat me. I was hired into the job, knowing I was in an elite clan and with powerful abilities. Did he know of my byakugan? He must know of my clan at the least. Even then, he shows no fear. No slight sign of appreciation of my own abilities. He simply made me into a shaking, scared girl, probably not even trying.
This is a demon I'm dealing with.
I sunk into my covers, reaching over to turn the alarm to six am, enough time to shower and ready to awake the young master by seven. I sighed one last time, reaching up to let my fingers slide against the still tickling grains on the back of my neck. I wondered if they could withstand water and harsh scrubbing. I'll find out in the morning.
oOo
I was awakened from my meditation by a warm flutter of my own chakra. My teal eyes sliding open, I grimaced. I knew I shouldn't have placed my grains on that woman. I shook away the uneasy feeling it gave me, like the feeling of fingertips against my body. She must be doing something to them.
I rolled onto my right, staring blankly to the wall. The nights were usually lonely. Especially when I wasn't meditating. The meditation was almost like dreaming. My mind would wander and I could barely remember where it went before needing to wake for the morning.
I hated waking from them. I hated reality.
Being told by your own blood you were a mistake and a monster. Heh. What do they know. They don't know what it's like to have to control yourself every moment of every day. They don't know what its like to have a voice in your mind telling you to rip them all apart and bathe in their blood. They have no idea how lucky they are that I haven't killed them by now. My sister. My brother. My father.
I've only actually slept a few times. Those times I remember waking in piles of bodies, completely unaware where I was and why it smelled so terrible. I later realized I should never sleep again.
What's the point of this existence?
I still haven't found it yet. My driving force. I'm hoping that if I stay alive long enough, maybe I will find it. The reason I don't let the demon take over and then rip myself apart.
My eyes shifted to the clock. I had been lost in my conscious thoughts for hours now. Only three hours left til I had to rise and begin my daily routine of paperwork and political issues. Being the son of the kazekage was definitely not the life I wanted. But then again, who even knows what I want.
That girl would be in my room again. Coming to wake me with those fearful, weary eyes.
I lost myself in thought again for the remainder of the night, giving up hope of any more meditation.
oOo
My body felt heavy as I stretched and reached over to turn the alarm off. I felt like I haven't slept at all. Standing on wobbly, sleepy legs, I went to the bathroom to shower and get ready.
As hard as I tried, I could not scrub the sand from my neck. I know I shouldn't have tried, being as the master himself placed them there, but they were just so uncomfortable and unnerving.
I changed into a new uniform, the same look as I had just worn, slipping on my heels and checking myself in the mirror before sitting back on my bed again.
Here we go.
I told myself I was just caught off guard by being in his aura for the first time in such an enclosed area. I was ready now. I will not let those eyes tear me down again, not when I have worked so hard to become the person I am today. I've never heard of him killing one of his maids. The information I've gathered, they've all quit on their own accord. So as long as I don't quit, I can will myself through this.
I left my room, locking it behind myself and placing the key in the small pocket of my apron before taking long meaningful strides towards the masters door.
My knuckles hesitated before reaching his large door.
My mind began to swirl of doubts and of possibilities behind the door. What if it was covered in blood? What if he was in a bad mood? What if he slept naked?
Okay, that last thought was a little ridiculous, but this was the intimate, personal space of a man. It did feel a little embarrassing and intrusive for myself to simply walk in.
With an audible gulp, I let my fist lightly rap at his door. There was no answer. I waited roughly a minute before grabbing the handle and turning it with a soft push.
"Gaara-sama. I am here to wake you."
I gently slid into the room, letting the door shut behind myself when my eyes slid up to his bed. He lay in it in a recling position, the covers themselves fully tucked and made with only the wrinkles around his body to disturb them. His eyes were already on me. Arms crossed behind his head, he wore the same black shirt and pants he wore last night, suggesting he hadn't even slept. I kept his gaze before taking several steps forward, now just two feet from the end of the bed.
His hair was red.
I had hardly even noticed it yesterday, unable to tear my eyes away from anything other than his seafoam eyes or the floor.
I let my eyes arch over each spike of his blood red hair, sketching it in my mind until they found his forehead.
There, above his right eye, the kanji for "love" etched in a dark scab into his pale flesh. I questioned it momentarily before my eyes were drawn to his black-rimmed gems.
They didn't seem to hold any violence or hostility this time, his eyes. He stared unblinking for several moments before bunching his legs to sit upright. My eyes slid down to his lips, now seemingly quirked in what appeared to be a smirk, barely able to be seen by the human eye.
Was he... amused? I checked his aura momentarily and found it to be slightly overwhelming, but nothing to show any emotions or intentions, definitely nothing close to the suffocating presence I felt yesterday.
He's just a man, I told myself, and barely one at that. Eighteen years old. Even if his presence could choke the air from your lungs, here he was, almost smiling. There's no need to be afraid. At least, not at this moment. Maybe he was vulnerable from sleep. Too hazy to squeeze the confidence from myself that I had gained in the morning.
I tapped my heel a little, becoming impatient with the lack of movement he was giving. Glancing up to the clock, I noticed several moments had gone by and he was needed at the kage office in only four minutes.
I let my eyes show a little irritation as they slid back to his figure, still sitting on his bed. Surely he understood his duties and realized it was completely unbecoming to show up late.
"Gaara-sam-"
"Huyuga."
His rough voice commanded my own to falter and I let my lips clamp shut as he caught my eye with a sparkle in his own. He stood suddenly, closing the distance between us in a mere blink of an eye and was now looming over me, his shadow thrown over my form and I was forced to tilt my head up to keep his gaze.
I held my breath, refusing to leave his eyes as his aura and smell wafted over my senses, seemingly inches from my face and body. I let my mind pause momentarily at the scent, earthy and musty, a sensual mixture of a man but a small hint of spice, his chakra that seemingly cloaked his being.
His eyes still appearing passive, held mine for a moment before sliding down my cheek, chin, then rested on my throat.
My mind buzzed with images of his sand coming to clamp over my neck and steal the life from me, but I mentally shook it away.
His smirk drew back down into the hard line he seemed to love.
I deliberately made my breathing even, refusing my heart to beat faster and retain my composure, even as his stare lasted longer than I was comfortable with.
His eyes came back up to my own and then squinted a bit when his lips opened.
"Don't touch the sand."
I had no choice but to watch his pale lips form each word as he spoke, his distance leaving no room not to notice.
My arm twitched, subconsciously trying to reach the sand he had just spoke of when suddenly there was a whirl of chakra and wind whipping through my hair.
I blinked quickly to let my mind catch up to the fact that he was gone.
oOo
Well, there's chapter two :3
Hopefully it's not going at too slow of a pace, but I believe these first couple encounters allow the characters to feel each other out and really understand the basis of their personalities.
Plus tension. Lots of tension!
- Ch 2 Fin -