Summary: Normally Jackie would take refuge from thoughts of Aku in her sleep, but it seems she's now plagued with thoughts of him every waking and resting moment.

Author's Note: You can read this story without having read my previous fic, The Fool, Jackie, that ties into the events here.

.o

It had been approximately one year since that horrifying encounter with Aku in the desert, disguised as the man Ikraam.

Jackie could get passed the fact that she'd been deceived. It was Aku, after all. It was his motto as the "shapeshifting master of darkness". She needn't be embarrassed by that, nor could she consider herself embarrassed for allowing him to take her body.

Aku would remark here and there about the incident, in an attempt to throw her off her game when they got into their physical altercations. Jackie could push it to the back of her mind. As her journey went on, she learned how to hone her emotions instead of letting it control her. The incendiary comments from Aku didn't break her stride as she chopped away at that inky substance that was his body.

What she couldn't seem to get over was the nightmares.

They weren't frequent. Most nights were left dreamless, to her relief. But the nights that weren't were haunted by her enemy.

It could have just been a side effect of having been physically interested in another being for the first time—albeit a demon whose mask was that of a human's. He had had a handsome face and persona. They had spent weeks traveling together; was it really illogical of her brain to still be clinging on to the good times despite the fact that this was her mortal enemy, a disguise that she still had feelings for?

Maybe she wouldn't have had such a problem with the nightmares if they'd just remained as Ikraam.

Some probably wouldn't even call it nightmares. Who could argue against enjoying strong, calloused hands sensually holding one's body? Moving it in just the right ways. Jackie closed her eyes at night, falling into those waiting arms. Ikraam would moan softly as she wrapped a hand gently around his member, guiding it to her wanting hole for him to plunder. Some nights he would gladly assist, but others, he would leave her begging. His fingers holding her face, sometimes controlling it, forcing her to stare at him as he fucked her with wanton abandon.

It was hard to admit that she somewhat wanted this to never end. To forget about the mission that she had set forth to accomplish. It would be so much easier to live this life than to continue jumping through the hoops that Aku put her through.

Ikraam was such a nice man. If she could just ignore that he was her mortal enemy, sometimes she didn't wake up feeling so horrified.

But then some nights that green skin would melt into black. An inky black that reflected no light. The lips of that handsome face splitting, boar-esque fangs jutting into a too-familiar grin and flames replacing those perfect eyebrows. Instead of her Ikraam, it was Aku.

.o

Aku stared pensively as he watched Jackie's dreams through his mirror. Normally he wouldn't be able to access something like this; thankfully, Jackie's biggest mistake turned out to be to his long-lasting benefit. He had fucked her in his human disguise, Ikraam. He had injected some of his essence into her, where it lay dormant until he called it to his bidding. He was able to access some of her thoughts when she was awake and had access to all of her dreams. He was still working out the kinks since this was a first-time experiment on his end.

Since copulating with her, she seemed to have developed a sort of unwanted attraction toward his human disguise. He would practically relive their sex through her dreams. He never found human reproduction all that exciting, as he was a demon and had no need for sexual reproduction. It was a rather messy process that didn't give him much mental satisfaction. But doing it with the object of his unsurpassed attention, he had to admit it did something for him psychologically. He could stand watching Jackie get fucked by him all day.

Seeing a weakness in her armour, he took advantage of it. He'd make snide comments during fights with her, not being too overt as to give away that he was able to see into her brain. He could tell that she would get flustered. Her face would get beet red, beyond what would normally be seen with the exertion of physically fighting the great Aku. And of course, those bloody pheromones would follow her, cuing Aku into her current mental state beyond the glimpses his essence within her could give.

Despite her lingering attraction for Ikraam, she didn't seem affected enough to hinder her battle efforts. She wouldn't let Aku touch her. Four times, he had his arm cut off because he got too impatient.

He tugged at his red beard in contemplation, watching as Jackie's throat tilted back, exposing that expanse of neck that had been bitten, sucked on, claimed by Ikraam, something that she hesitant about in their actual encounters.

Aku blinked when he noticed his true form revealing from Ikraam in the dream. Jackie began to panic as Aku's mass began to constrict around her, tendrils restraining her limbs.

Aku leaned back into his chair, grunting. When the true form of Aku appeared in her dreams, she would always wake up appearing distressed. When the dream didn't end, he paid close attention.

"Aku, what are you doing?!" The samurai asked breathlessly, face still flushed and hair sticky with sweat.

"I see you enjoyed my disguise, but wouldn't you prefer a taste of the real thing?" It was disorienting to hear his true voice played back.

"Let me go!" Jackie yelled, her head whipping around to locate her sword. Regardless of whether she could, she'd be too far away and Aku's grip was absolute.

"Nonsense, little fool. We've just gotten started." He pressed her back into the ground, holding her there. Aku noticed that she had a similar look of fear on her face as when they had been fighting in the graveyard full of zombies and he'd been prepared to strike her down with her own sword. Now that Aku thought about it, he had that same hungry grin on his face in her dream. He could've purred at the genuine distress on her face.

Her hole had still been wet and stretched from when Ikraam ravaged her; now it was a black tentacle that found its way in his stead. Jackie thrashed out against him, mouth frozen in a silent scream as he penetrated her easily. She tried fervently to escape his grasp, jerking to and fro as the demon leaned closer and closer to her face, the toothy grin of a starving predator burning its way into her mind permanently.

The dream suddenly ended and Jackie sat up in a panic. She glanced left and right, breathing heavily, a hand stretching out to grip at her sword from nearby, a subconscious need for safety. After a minute, her expression pinched. She let a hand fall between her legs, scowling as she noticed her fundoshi was saturated with both her sweat and juices.

Aku continued observing as she stripped of her fundoshi and stretched. It was early morning, the sun barely peeking through the foliage of the place she decided to take refuge for the night. She grabbed her garments and carried them to a river, where she washed them. Buck naked, Aku could see all of the scars left on her body from the constant threats to her life. Her body was fit and firm, muscles evident on every part of her form. The red glow of the morning sun cast an orangish hue to her skin, to which Aku found aesthetically appealing against the green and black backdrop of the jungle. She washed herself in the river and settled down for a session of meditation. For a moment he felt self-conscious of his leering, that he might be growing too interested in this thorn in his side of a samurai, but shook those thoughts of doubt out of his head. He was THE Great Aku. He could stare as long as he wanted. He didn't have to have to explain why.

He wasn't able to get all of Jackie's conscious thoughts; her mind was most relaxed and susceptible to probing from his essence while she was asleep and all her guards were done. As soon as she woke up, though, the walls were up, even when she thought she was alone. Perhaps it was an effect of her knowing that Aku could be watching at any time.

At any time, Aku could appear before her at her most vulnerable and kill her. Yet he did not. He blamed it on the fact that she always had that cursed sword nearby.

Aku hummed in thought.