Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Kazemaru and Miharu ❯ Chapter 11

Miharu turned her head to the side, trying to catch her breath. Kazemaru continued to kiss her cheek and neck, slowly working his way lower.

 

“Kaze—” she gasped.

 

He stopped suddenly, and looked her in the eye. “What's wrong? Did I frighten you?”

 

She shook her head. “No, I'm just… just a little overwhelmed…” She disentangled herself from his arms and stood up. He looked after her, wondering once again what she was thinking.

 

“Kaze, do you know what time it is?” she said, staring out across the water, the firelight casting her profile against the wall.

 

He felt inside himself for that internal sensitivity he had to the passing of time. “About halfway between midnight and daybreak.”

 

She turned to face him suddenly, her eyes wide. “Really? Oh no… Emi must be so worried. I can't believe we've been—” she cut off there and blushed.

 

He stood up and walked to her, placing his hands on her shoulders and smiling. “Miharu, we've only been kissing. And besides,” he turned her gently so he could hold her from behind. “Don't worry about them. It doesn't matter.”

 

Miharu loved the way he whispered into her ear, but she fought against the sway he held over her.

 

“But, it does matter,” she said quietly, barely daring to contradict him “I have to go back, Kaze.”

 

“Why?” He reached up a hand and trailed it down the opposite side of her face, his breath fanning against her ear and neck. “Why can't I just keep you?”

 

She shuddered in a way that was not unpleasant. “Kaze…” she didn't know what to say. “I wish I could but….”

 

“But what?”

 

“But they will worry about me. They'll come after me this time. Even though it may take them a long time to find you, they will eventually. My father cares about me, and he would be concerned about me.”

 

“So? I can take them on. I will fight for you, Miharu. I would be more than willing to do this for you.” He said all this in a soothing voice.

 

She turned around, suddenly upset, a trace of tears in her eyes, and he was taken aback.

 

“I don't WANT you to fight them, Kaze! They're my family. I don't want you to kill them! And I don't want you to get killed! Even if they weren't my family, I wouldn't want any blood spilt on my account. At least not innocent blood.” She looked as if she would cry.

 

Kazemaru's heart sunk into his stomach. “Oh, Miharu, I didn't mean…” He took her into his arms, unable to find the right words suddenly. “I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. It's just, I'm not used to thinking this way. And the way I feel about you has me a little mixed up.”

 

Miharu looked up, a curious frown on her face. “The way you feel about me?”

 

He smiled a little, and buried his face in her hair, breathing deeply. “I want you, Miharu.”

 

She felt her heart stop momentarily, the feral tinge to his voice thrilling her completely. It was like playing with fire.

 

“I want you, and I'm not accustomed to not getting what I want. I want you very badly, and that makes me a little… uncontrollable. I'll do things—and say things—before thinking, and which I normally wouldn't do.”

 

She had a very strange, confused look on her face. “You want to… to own me?” she said in a small voice.

 

Kazemaru half sighed-half laughed. He sat down again, taking her with him. “Not exactly. Not like you're thinking. I love you, Miharu. I love you so much that I never want to be apart from you. I love you so much that I want to keep you all to myself, because if anyone ever knew you the way I did, they would surely fall in love with you as well.”

 

She waited a moment, and then spoke. “There's something else, though. I could hear it in your voice.” She seemed to dance around the subject, and he realized she didn't know.

 

He smiled at her sheer innocence. “Yes.” He held her a little tighter, and put a finger beneath her chin so she couldn't look away. “When I kiss you do you feel something?”

 

She looked confused, but nodded a little. “Yes…”

 

“When I touch you it makes you feel… warm inside?”

 

She nodded more enthusiastically.

 

“And when I do this,” he slid a few fingers under the collar of her kimono, moving them downwards, “It makes your heart go faster. It makes you… want something, right?

 

She opened her eyes, which had closed reflexively, and blushed a little.

 

“That is what I want, my love.”

 

She blushed deeper, deep enough for him to know she wasn't entirely uneducated.

 

“So yes, in a way, I want to own you. But I want you to be my mate, not my possession.”

 

Miharu bit her lip, and rested her head against his chest for a moment. “You'll have to ask my father for my hand.” She said simply.

 

He laughed, and then realized she was serious. He sighed. “It's not that simple, and we both know it.”

 

She sat up, her eyes alight. “But it is! I can get you into the palace, I know there's a way. You could offer him something in return, I don't know… protection or something.”

 

He stiffened suddenly, and she stopped. “Alright, that was a bad idea. But there must be something!” she sat back, frustrated.

 

“Just give me some time to figure it out,” she said finally.

 

He gave in finally. “Alright, love. But I don't think there's a solution.”

 

She smiled a little. “Well if there is I'll find it.” She sat a moment, looking as if she had something more to say. She carefully wrapped her arms around him again, thinking. “Kaze, will you take me home now?”

 

He sighed, frustrated. “If that's what you want.”

 

She hesitated. “I would like to stay, but… I really shouldn't…”

 

He looked down at her, and saw that she was truly torn. He admired her for her devotion to her people, and satisfied himself with the fact that she appeared to be just as loyal to him.

 

“Let's go.” He said finally. “You look tired. You should get some sleep.”

 

She nodded, glad he had agreed with her.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AN

And the Angst… hmm… Does “The Fluff and the Angst” sound good to you? Makes me think of “The Sound and the Fury” lol. At least I can make fun of myself.