InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Purity 4: Justification ❯ Truths and Dares ( Chapter 31 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Bellaniece slowed her pace as she wandered along the path.  The far off rumble of thunder didn't bother her.  She rather hoped it would.  It would better suit her mood.

She'd had that dream; the one that she couldn't ever remember but that terrified her just the same.  Waking up in the middle of the night with her knuckles smashed against her lips almost painfully, she hadn't been able to sleep again.  Tossing the covers aside as she dug her diary out from under her mattress, she had spent the rest of the night snuggled in her father's bed, writing in her journal.  She wasn't sure why, but she felt safer there.  She always had.

When the first rays of light had gathered on the horizon, Bellaniece had slipped back into her room, dressed for the day, and slipped out of the mansion with no one the wiser.  Sure, she'd left a note on Kichiro's computer but she hadn't wanted to wake him up.  After the fit he'd had over the nail polish remover, she didn't think she wanted to be around when he figured out that the Kool-Aid wouldn't wash out so easily . . .

'You realize, right?  That was pretty infantile and . . . mean . . . and he's probably going to scream at you when he figures out about the Kool-Aid trick . . .'

'Yeah, he would find a reason to yell at me anyway,' she retorted.  'He's a big boy.  He'll get over it.'

'Well, you have to admit, it does take away some of his more serious demeanor, and he does need it.  He is a surgeon, after all.  He'll probably say that you've tarnished his credibility . . .'

'He tarnishes his own credibility,' she argued.  'He didn't really need help in that department.'

'But he has been pretty decent to you.'

'When?'

'He was irritated with Cindy on your behalf.'

Wrinkling her nose despite the very real stir of discomfort brought on by her thoughts, Bellaniece mustered all the bravado she possessed.  'Oh, that?   That hardly counts.'

'Why?  Because you don't want it to?'

'Of course not!  He's a jerk, remember?'

'Sure, he can be a jerk, just like you can be a real bitch.  Your point?'

Bellaniece looked up at the sky as the first droplets of rain began to fall.  'I'd have to be stupid to let him get to me,' she assured herself.  'It'd be better to stay as far away from him as I possibly can.'

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Bellaniece gasped as Kichiro dropped onto the path before her from the treetops.  She hadn't sensed his approach, and with the rising storm wind, she certainly hadn't heard him.  She retreated a step but stopped herself, angry that he could shock her into fleeing.  "I'm walking," she replied, forcing her tone to remain calm, impassive, ignoring the fluttering in her chest.

"It's getting ready to storm," he pointed out, ears flicking almost nervously—and still very, very violet.

"This little bit of rain isn't really going to hurt me," she stated, squaring her shoulders as she stood her ground.

"You don't have a bit of common sense, do you?  Come on.  We're going back to the mansion."

Bellaniece yanked her hand out of his and glowered up at him.  "I will go back," she agreed, "as soon as I finish my walk."

He looked like he wanted to throttle her.  He looked like he was itching to grab her and beat some sense into her.  Her youkai screamed at her to run.  Bellaniece didn't.  "You're going back now, little girl, even if I have to carry you."

She narrowed her eyes and glowered at him.  "You wouldn't dare."

"Wouldn't I?"

"If you want me to rake your eyes out, then feel free to try it."

"Why do you have to make everything so fucking difficult?" he bellowed, tossing his hands up as he turned away and drew a deep breath meant to calm him.  "Why does it always have to be a damn war?"

"I don't make anything difficult," she stated quietly.  "At least, no more difficult than you do."

"The hell you don't!  I woke up, and you were gone, and—" He cut himself off, shaking his head as he whirled around to face her again.  Bellaniece gasped as Kichiro shot forward, grabbed her upper arms, and shook her hard.  "Don't you get it?  You're my responsibility!  Mine!  You can't just take off!  You can't!"

"Let go," she gritted out, restraining the urge to grind her heel into his foot.  "Now."

"Damn it, Belle!  I don't care how old you think you are, and I don't care if you think you can handle things or not!  You're still just a little girl, and you're going to listen to me!"

Blinking streaming rain out of her eyes, Bellaniece fought to contain her soaring temper as Kichiro shook her once more.  "Shake me again, and I'll make you regret the day you were born," she informed him as a bolt of lightning and a crash of thunder reverberated through the trees.

"Promise you won't take off again," he growled though his grip loosened.  "Swear it."

"Or what?  Or you'll kiss me again to get your way?"

That barb struck home.  He winced, ears flattening as he had the grace to look ashamed.  "That wasn't . . . I didn't . . ."

"Let go of me."

He released her, planting his hands on his hips, jaw ticking as he clenched his teeth together and glowered at the ground.  "Let's just . . . go back.  We're both soaked."

Bellaniece didn't argue with him.  As much as he'd hurt her in the past, she couldn't help feeling guilty about her dig, and even if he did deserve it, she found that she didn't like saying hurtful things to him.  It didn't make her feel better or give her back any of her bruised pride.  It left her feeling like a monster . . . and a bitch.

Her hair and clothes were plastered to her skin, and she didn't have to look at him to know that he was in the same sorry condition.  By the time they reached the mansion and stepped inside, Bellaniece was shivering, water streaming down her body to puddle on the marble floor.

Kichiro didn't say anything as he closed the door behind them and stalked off toward the stairs.  Bellaniece watched him go but couldn't seem to make her feet move.  He was almost to the top of the staircase when she blurted, "I could start a fire . . . I think we have some marshmallows and cocoa . . . I-If you want."

His expression was inscrutable as he gazed over his shoulder at her.  He stared at her for several moments as the silence stretched out, enveloping every corner of the mansion as she shifted from one foot to the other, feet squishing in her sandals as droplets of moisture formed and fell from her hair onto the floor.  "Never mind," she mumbled, feeling completely stupid for having thought, even for a moment, that Kichiro might accept her peace offering.  "It was a dumb idea."

"I'll start a fire after I get dried off," he replied.  "You should change, too."

Bellaniece nodded.  "All right."

He stared at her for another minute before he finally turned and finished climbing the stairs.

'Thought you said you weren't going to let him get to you anymore,' her youkai pointed out as Bellaniece hurried to get out of her sodden dress.

'I'm not,' she argued as she quickened her pace.

'You like him, don't you?  Sure he can be an ass, but you know, maybe he's really not that bad.'

She made a face as she closed her bedroom door and reached behind her for the zipper.  'Relax . . . it's just marshmallows and cocoa . . . hardly champagne and caviar . . .'

'Yeah, but there is something to be said for marshmallows and cocoa.'

Bellaniece winced as the electricity flickered then died with a particularly loud crack of thunder.  The skies were as dark as dusk outside the windows, and the rain was coming down in a solid gray sheet.  Wrapping up in a fuzzy lavender bath robe, she tied the belt and scooped up the wet dress before pushing out of her bedroom again to deposit the dress over the shower curtain rod and grab a couple towels.  She didn't bother looking in the mirror before she ran out of the bathroom and back down the stairs.


"Have you ever been kissed by a male other than your father?"

Bellaniece pulled the long metal skewer out of the fireplace and held the toasted marshmallow out to Kichiro.  "What kind of kiss?"

He wrinkled his nose and waved it away.  "Any kind.  Now answer the question, wench."

"Any kind?  Sure, of course.  I've been kissed before."

"What?  On the cheek?"

Bellaniece leveled a look at him and shrugged.  "You had your turn.  It's mine now.  Truth or dare, Dr. Izayoi?"

Kichiro thought it over as Bellaniece carefully pulled the marshmallow off the skewer and bit into it, giggling when the gooey melted concoction stretched out, longer and longer before it finally snapped.  The stringy end stuck to her chin, and she wiped it away.  "Truth," he told her.

"Hmm," she considered as she chewed and swallowed.  "Is it true that you used to be a man-whore?"

"Define 'man-whore'," he challenged.

Bellaniece rolled her eyes.  "Simple: a man who does what would be considered whore-like if a woman did the same thing.  Do you sleep around a lot?"

"I . . . used to," he answered, watching her reaction with avid interest.

She slowly ate the rest of the marshmallow.  "I'm surprised.  You don't strike me as the kind to do that."

"Really?  Why not?"

Bellaniece licked her fingers.  "You're too anal."

"I'm what?"

She shrugged.  "You are, you know, and you take everything way too seriously."

He snorted and made a face.  "Whatever.  Truth or dare, Belle."

"Truth."

Kichiro sighed.  "Are you ever going to take 'dare'?"

She shot him a condescending look.  "Of course not.  I don't trust you."

"Ouch."

"You asked."

"Fair enough," he agreed.  "What kind of kissing did you do with this guy you kissed?"

"You used your question."

"I did not," he argued.

"You did," she countered.  "The, 'are you ever going to take 'dare'?' question."

"Funny, little girl.  That wasn't my real question."

Bellaniece shrugged.  "Fine, cheater, what was your real question then?"

Kichiro ignored her barb.  "What kind of kissing did you do with this guy you kissed?" he repeated.

"Which one?"

"You've kissed more than one guy?"

Bellaniece giggled.  "Of course I have."

"How many?"

"You've used your one question," she pointed out.  "Truth or dare?"

He looked like he wanted to challenge her.  "Truth."

"Do you really think I'm a spoiled brat?"

Kichiro chuckled.  "No, I don't."

She seemed surprised.  "Really?"

"Really.  Truth or dare?"

Bellaniece made a face.  "Truth."

"Figures.  How many guys have you kissed?"

Biting her lip as she ticked off guys on her fingers without saying their names out loud, Kichiro arched his eyebrows as she finally looked up and smiled.  "Five."

"Five?" he echoed.

"Yes, five."

"Holy damn, Belle!  Five?"

"No matter how often you ask, the answer isn't going to change," she remarked sweetly.  "Truth or dare."

Kichiro snorted.  "Keh!  Truth."

Bellaniece adjusted her bathrobe and regarded Kichiro for a moment.  He had a feeling that he wasn't going to like her question.  "How many women have you been with?"

'Oh, fuck . . . bad question,' his youkai mumbled.

Kichiro stretched out on his side, propping his head on his hand as he scowled at the rug under them.  "I don't know," he grumbled.  "A lot."

"How many is a lot?" she demanded.

"I don't know," he growled.  "A lot is a lot."

"Ten?" she asked.

He shook his head.  "A lot, Belle . . ."

She whipped a marshmallow at him.  He caught it with a scowl and chewed the half-stale snack.  Bellaniece didn't seem to have noticed the reaction, and for that he was thankful.  "Twenty?"

"You asked your question," he grouched, cheeks growing hotter by the second.

"'A lot' is hardly an answer," she shot back.  "More than twenty?  Thirty?"

Kichiro sighed, ears flattening, and he couldn't make himself meet her suspicious gaze.

"What then?  Fifty?"

He slowly lifted his gaze to meet hers, and Bellaniece's mouth dropped open in shock.  "Good Lord, you were a man-whore!  More than fifty?  Are you serious?"

"I'm not exactly proud of this," he pointed out.

"Ugh.  If you were human, you'd have to be tested.  I'm almost positive that you'd have some communicable disease."

"Whatever, wench.  Your turn."

Bellaniece shook her head.  "Truth."

"What's the worst thing you've ever done with a guy?" he demanded.

"You mean stuff I wouldn't tell Daddy about?"

"Well, yeah."

A discernible blush filtered into her cheeks.  Kichiro tapped his claws against the floor as he waited for her answer.  "The worst thing?  I've . . . been with . . . a few guys."

Kichiro blinked, sitting up as he leaned in closer to stare Bellaniece in the eyes.  "You've been . . .?  With a few?  What do you mean, 'been with'?"

Bellaniece scowled and sat back.  "I mean I've been with a few guys . . . doing the same sort of thing you've done with your 'lot'."

"Oh, kami," he exclaimed.  "You've . . .?  No . . ."

Bellaniece's blush darkened, and she rolled her eyes and sighed.  "Oral sex, Dr. Izayoi.  There, I said it.  Are you happy now?"

"No!" he growled, cracking his knuckles as he glowered at Bellaniece.  "How many is a few?"

"Much less than your 'lot'," she shot back.  "Anyway, I've answered your question.  Truth or dare?"

"Dare," he grumbled.

She thought it over for a moment as she impaled more marshmallows onto the skewer.  "I dare you to see how many marshmallows you can fit into your mouth at one time."

He made a face.  "Do you want me to be sick, wench?"

She snorted.  "You don't have to eat them.  I just want to know how big your mouth is."

"Uh-uh.  Truth, then."

"You can't change the rules!" she complained.

Kichiro shrugged.  "I can," he countered.

"Then I get two questions," she insisted.

Kichiro shook his head.  "Fine.  Let's go.  Ask them."

"How old were you the first time you were with a girl?"

He could feel his ears flatten against his head and screwed his face up in a marked scowl.  "Fourteen," he admitted.  "Well, almost."

"Oh, my . . . you're lying!"

"I wouldn't lie about that," he growled.

"Can you name the women you've been with?"

He sighed.  "No, Belle, I can't."

She looked irritated at his answer.  Kichiro closed his eyes and tried to think of a way to make her understand.  "Look, there isn't a good way to answer that.  Anything I say will just make me look like more of an ass than I already do."

"How so?"

He flopped onto his back, staring at the ceiling, and waved a hand in the air.  "If I don't remember their names, then I'm a bastard.  If I did, then I'd be a dog for keeping track.  Which one do you prefer, Belle?  I'm not perfect.  I was a stupid pup.  It was all fun and games.  It wasn't really a big deal."

Bellaniece curled her legs to the side, staring at her hands as she fiddled with the belt of her robe.  "I guess you're right."

Kichiro tucked his hands behind his neck and glowered at the ceiling.  How could Bellaniece make him feel like a disgusting monster when she was the one demanding answers?  "Okay, little girl: truth or dare."

"Truth," she answered quietly.

He made a face.  "How many is 'a few'?"

Bellaniece shot him a sidelong glance.  "Three . . . and before you ask, yes, I can name them all."

"Three?"  He couldn't contain the low growl that slipped out of him.  "So do it, then."

Bellaniece shook her head.  "No way."

"Why not?"

"Just because I can doesn't mean I will."
"Belle—"

"Why are you acting like it's a big deal?  You said, yourself, that you've been with more than fifty women, so what are my measly three guys in comparison?"

"For starters," Kichiro grumbled, "you're seventeen—"

"Almost eighteen, if it matters."

"Yeah, it doesn't, and you're a girl."

"So it's okay for guys to be whores but a girl can't get some experience without being what?  A tramp?  A slut?"

Kichiro scowled.  "Yeah, that sounds about right."

"Oh, for the love of—"

"Besides that, my future mate will benefit from what I've learned."

Bellaniece narrowed her gaze and snorted.  "If you can remember her name."

"I'll remember her name, Bellaniece.  Don't worry about that.  Anyway, it's your turn."

Bellaniece rolled her eyes.  "Fine . . . Truth or dare."

"Dare."

She scowled in concentration as she tried to figure out what she wanted to slam him with.  The scowl dissipated, and she smiled a calculated little grin.  Kichiro didn't like that look; not at all.  He waited for the verdict.  "I dare you to let me touch your belly button."

"My . . .?  Why?"

She shrugged.  "It's an outie."

"A . . . No!"

"Why not?" she countered.  "Are you chicken?  Can't stand for Belle to touch the belly?"

"Oh, I can stand it, Belle-chan," he shot back.  "I just don't see why you'd want to touch it."

"I don't know . . . It's interesting; that's all."

Kichiro rolled his eyes but heaved a sigh.  "Fine.  Make it fast, wench."

It didn't take any more prompting than that for Bellaniece to reach out and gently flick her index claw against his belly button.  Kichiro couldn't control the involuntary jerk of his abdomen muscles.  She breathed out a husky chuckle and flicked again, delighted with the reaction of his treacherous body to her ministrations.  "All right," he growled after the fifth flick-jerk.  "That's enough."  Bellaniece scowled but pulled her hand back.  "Truth or dare."

She thought it over and bit her lip but finally sighed and shrugged.  "Dare."

Kichiro leaned up on his elbows and stared at her.  He hadn't honestly expected her to take a dare.  She seemed a lot more cautious in the game than she probably should have been.  In any case, Kichiro wasn't about to miss his one chance, and he shrugged.  "I dare you to kiss me."

Bellaniece's cheeks pinked as her body stiffened.  He'd obviously surprised her, but he couldn't tell from her expression what she was thinking.  "Think of something else," she said.

"Coward?  Chicken?  Can't take the heat?"

Bellaniece shook her head.  "Why do you want me to do that?  Why would I want to kiss you?"

Kichiro was caught off-guard by her softly uttered question.  He wasn't sure what he'd expected her to say, but if were completely honest with himself, he hadn't expected her to turn him down flat.  "Don't you want to?"

Bellaniece's cautious happiness shattered like a crystal glass on a marble floor.  Stumbling to her feet, she hurried toward the door.  Kichiro shot up to follow.  "Where are you going?"

She shook her head, holding her hands out to warn him off.  He stopped.  "Why would I want to do that?" she murmured.  "The last time you kissed me . . ."

"The last time . . .?  Belle—"

"I'm not feeling very well," she said as she backed up a step and shrugged.  "Too many marshmallows, I think . . ."

Kichiro started to call after her but stopped as she whirled around and raced up the stairs.  'Damn . . . what did I do . . .?'

Kichiro's youkai snorted.  'Keh!  You do what you always do to her, Kich.  You set her up.'

'How do you figure?'

'Don't be stupid!  You put her in a situation where you knew she'd fail.  You wanted to kiss her, so you did, and when she proved that she didn't mind that, you pushed her away—literally.  Think she can trust you after something like that?  Come on.  You're really not that dense, or are you?'

He winced at the accuracy of his youkai's assessment.  'I wasn't trying to do anything of the sort.'

'Weren't you?'

He heaved a sigh.  He wasn't, not really . . .

'You realize, too, that charming the pants off her . . . That ain't gonna work this time . . .'

He started up the stairs after her, a feeling of dread gnawing on his stomach.  His youkai was right, and damned if he could stand that.

Why was it that he just knew—knew—that Bellaniece . . . Bellaniece just might be worth the fight?