InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ What Are You? ❯ Chapter 27 Alternate ( Chapter 32 )

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

Chapter Twenty-SevenAlternate

Cherry Blossoms

I found him standing in the garden, amidst a grove of cherry trees, the moonlight filtering down through the branches, the petals of the cherry trees falling with the wind, dancing gracefully downward where they came to rest on the soft grass. There were two caught in his hair, either unnoticed or uncared for. He was waiting for me, but not looking at me. He had his back turned to me, head tilted up as he watched the blossoms play in the wind.

He was angry.

But he was always angry at me as of late.

“Naraku,” I said.

He turned and looked at me, a characteristic scowl plastered to his face. When did he ever not look angry, though? It was either angry or blank. Sort of like me, only with a better reasoning. I kept my face blank so there would be fewer suspicions raised. He simply didn't seem to know how to do anything else, which sort of made sense, considering that his body meant very little to him. “Why didn't you tell me?”

I played the innocent. If he wasn't referring to what I thought (unlikely) then I didn't want to give it away. “What do you mean?”

“I told you to cut the innocent act; it really doesn't suit you,” he repeated. He walked toward me until we were only a few feet apart. “You know exactly what I mean.”

I looked away. “I didn't think it really mattered enough to bother you with such a trivial affair.”

He backhanded me. I blinked in surprise, but I did not flinch. I looked back at him coldly. He gripped my shoulders. His words seemed to drip venom. “How could you think that?” he demanded. I blinked slowly, trying to process what it was he was saying and, more importantly, what it meant. “How could you ever think that! Don't you know how much you mean to me! Don't you know how much it hurt when I found out!”

I had been about ready to outright attack him, but that gave me pause. “Naraku…”

“How could you do that… to me?”

His grip on my shoulders was beginning to grow painful. “Naraku…”

“You just don't understand, do you?”

His nails were pressed against my flesh in a most uncomfortable manner. I put my hands on his arms. “Naraku, calm down.”

He looked at his hands and relaxed his grip, letting his arms fall back to his sides. “Do you… Even want me here—with you?” For a moment, I couldn't understand the look on his face, then I realized what it was—pain.

I turned my back to him. “No.”

“I… see.”

I glanced back at him. He was walking away from me, eyes downcast. He looked so forlorn I almost smiled. “I need you though.” He froze and looked over his shoulder at me. “Understand that it's because I'm not killing the child.” He turned completely around. “It means that my power will incubate the child, and that I will be vulnerable to other youkai. You are honor-bound to protect me while other youkai seek to destroy me in my weakened condition.”

He smiled—a little sardonically. “And keep them far away enough so that they won't smell you?”

I tiny smile twitched at my mouth. “With your barrier.”

He nodded. “Of course, for me to keep it in place, I have to be with you, and I know you get tired of me quickly.”

“And you will have to tolerate how ill-tempered I will be,” I pointed out. “And stay beside me in case anything sneaks through the barrier--and eradicate all the youkai that shouldn't be near the palace,” I added as an afterthought. That was almost a speech for me.

“Anything else?”

I stepped toward him. “Apologize to Rin.”

He made a sour face, then nodded. “Very well.”

I took another step to him. “And be kind to the servants.”

He seemed displeased with that as well, but consented. “Done.”

I closed the distance between us. “And, of course…” I pushed against him, leaning my head against his shoulder. “You have to sleep with me at night, in case I get sick and need help.”

I felt his arms encircle me. “And not because you want me there,” he said with a quiet chuckle. I nodded. “I'm glad we understand each other, then.”

I slid my hands up to his shoulders. I turned my head to look at him. I leaned in as if I were going to kiss him, then I kicked one of his legs out from under him and pushed him downwards, making sure that I fell with him, landing on top of him. He looked less than pleased. I had just been establishing dominance at a time when I should have been establishing a relationship.

“Bitch,” he said, his fingers gripping my hair at the roots. He pushed me down into a kiss. Oh? Did he think he could be dominant? I think not. His tongue sought entry into my mouth. I pulled his tongue in with my teeth, then I smirked and bit down. He flinched. I opened my eyes, looking at his glaring face. I pressed down a bit harder. I felt blood run over my tongue, tinged with miasma. It tasted rather foul. I let go, turned my head, and spit. Not a second had passed since I had spit before he had flipped me off of him and pinned me down on my back.

I looked up at him, contemplating kneeing him in the crotch or biting him again. Two tentacles were pinning down my legs, but I had the idea that if I tried hard enough, I could break free of them. Two more tentacles came to pin my wrists in place. He drummed the fingers of his right hand against my shoulder, looking thoroughly annoyed. “You really are a bitch, you know.”

“True,” I agreed.

Not the reaction he had desired. A different sort of demeanor swept over his face. He smirked down at me. “Hm. What should I do with you like this?” I sensed something very interesting coming in the near future. I quirked an eyebrow, but said nothing. “I suppose I could `rape' you, but you can't rape the willing.”

A fascinating idea. Once he said it, I had the most insane desire to… Why? Possibly, because it was different. I scoffed. “You couldn't subdue me anyway.”

“I couldn't?”

I smirked. “No.”

“Even in your weakened condition?”

“Care to find out?”

“Is that an invitation?”

I said nothing, and didn't move either, for a moment anyway. He frowned. In one swift movement, I had pushed him backwards and ripped apart one of his tentacles. I held the end of it in one hand. I tossed it to him and turned around. “I told you that you couldn't.”

“Hm.” A tentacle wrapped around my waist, two more around my arms. I let him pull me back to him. One of his hands glided down my haori. I twisted my arms and dug my poison claws through the tentacles. I turned around and slammed one of my fists through the tentacle around my waist. The broken appendages fell away.

I walked over to him and wrapped my arms around his waist. “You see? I'm stronger than you.”

He kissed the crescent moon on my forehead. “Only for another week or so.”

“Mm-hm.” I started pulling off his clothes impatiently.

“You're eager tonight. Any particular reason?”

Not really. I just thought that I wanted to fuck him underneath the sakura trees. I stepped away from him to undress, then kicked my clothing aside. I looked at Naraku for a moment, then I kicked him square in the chest, winding him and knocking him off-balance. I pounced on him and once more used him as a cushion to break my own fall. He groaned upon impact with the ground.

“Is that really necessary?” he moaned. “Do you have to do this every time we have sex?”

I kissed him softly. “Yes,” I said after I pulled away. “Get used to it.” I positioned him with one hand and slowly slid down, flinching a little. It still hurt, just a bit, but it was getting better.

A strong breeze blew off dozens of cherry blossoms. They floated around us. One caught in my hair. Naraku reached to pluck it out, sitting up to do so. He kissed me, his other hand toying with my necklace again. He pulled away and took off the necklace. He placed it on the grass a ways away from us.

He released the pink blossom into the wind.