Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Caught in the Game ❯ Caught in the Game ( One-Shot )

They were hunters.

They were marauders in their prime who always got what they want, by fair means or foul. They were predators well versed in the art of the kill that always brought down their prey, no matter how challenging, by whatever means necessary. And now, they had their desired prey set within their sights.

And so, they hunted…

They wouldn't let her get away.

*~*~*~*

She shouldn't be here.

It was something she knew well. At a time when all was still dark in the moments between full night and early morn, only the dim glow from poorly kept lamplights illuminating the silent black, no decent person should be wandering about a deserted park this late. It was dangerous.

But sometimes…she liked a little danger.

Guilty pleasures.

She was getting used to them.

To be out at night with no one else around, no one else to bother her or ask her for advice on subjects she wasn't as smart on as so many people thought…she took joy in simple moments like this that were free from the responsibilities that were always waiting for her when the dawn shone bright and new. The days were spent consumed by other people but the night…

The night was for her.

She ran her hand on the edges of the bushes lining the path she took, enjoying the tickling sensation of cool leaves brushing across her flesh as she traveled farther and farther away from unnatural lights as man-made cement path faded into grassy earth. And when she found herself with only the natural lighting of the quarter-moon shining from above illuminating her way, she stopped, coming to rest against a large oak that stretched high and tall towards the cloudy night sky.

She leaned against the rough bark, absorbing the texture through the thin material of her blouse as she gazed upwards to catch sight of moonlight playing peek-a-boo with the leaves of the oak when branches swayed to the dance of the breeze. It was a beautiful night, the perfect setting to relax, to reflect, to reminisce -

To wish.

Eyes sliding half closed, a soft sigh slipped through parted lips as various images meandered across her mind. It was a mixture of future hopes and past memories that twined and blended together until the line dividing what has since been gone and what might be yet to come blurred in a seamless meld.

As the calm of the night soothed her, rational thought flowing away as what lay beneath bubbled to the surface, longings deep winding upwards from her subconscious to her waking moments and laying themselves before her, beckoning her to look and to acknowledge what she would otherwise cast aside. Unhindered by logic in this night that was indifferent to such a cold thing, in her mind's eye she allowed herself to look and to see.

She saw that which she desired, unfurling within her like the blooming petals of a rose.

She saw what she wanted with an ache that thrummed though her body in a low constant throbbing hum.

She saw the longings of her heart, there if she would but reach for it.

She saw -

SNAP!

She froze. The sound was too loud, too large in the tranquil quiet, and tension immediately stole upon her, fingers digging into rough bark as her gaze darted nervously around in attempt to pierce the darkness and discover the source.

Then she saw it - the glint of vivid green that no foliage could possibly shine with.

Not on a dark night such as this.

A gust of wind blew, sending branches swaying and leaves rustling as they parted with the movement, revealing a figure that stood silently in the dark, watching her with an intensity that was tangible. The shifting shadows and moonlight set off by a twisting breeze played over his form, exposing the red hue of long cascading hair and the intense emerald glittering of his gaze.

Instead of the recognition of a familiar presence putting her at ease, it had a ball of nerves bunching into a hard knot at the pit of her stomach. Her anxiety only increased when the breeze died down and leaves settled back in place and left him fully concealed in shadows, hiding him from her vision once more.

"K-Kurama?"

Her whisper was stuttered, hoarse and uncertain. It was the best she could do with a mouth gone dry as her unblinking gaze remained fixated on the spot where she'd last been able to glimpse him.

Then the wind picked up again, sending branches and leaves dancing once more. Shadows and moonlight scattered, played with each other, revealing the figure that stood in that same spot on which her entire being was focused upon. Only, instead of seeing vivid red and emerald green -

She saw silvery white and burnished gold.

Her breath caught, eyes widening at the unexpected sight as the tension that filled her tripled. And when that figure, the embodiment of both sinful fantasies and terrifying nightmares, shifted closer with one light-footed step, she instinctively shrunk back and unconsciously pressed harder against the tree as if she could meld into it and through it onto the other side and away from burning golden eyes.

The dangerous glittering of his gaze…

The fierce expression on his features…

Her throat closed tight; she wouldn't have been able to make a sound even if she'd had enough presence of mind to scream. As it was, her unblinking gaze remained fixed upon him, afraid that one blink could lose him to sight and leave him free reign to carry out whatever intentions lay beyond that inscrutable mask.

But then he took another step.

Then another…

And another…

Each step drew him further from the shadows cast by the trees beneath which he stood and into the moonlight that illuminated his graceful form with a worshipping touch. Every step brought him more and more into revealing light -

And closer and closer to her.

It didn't matter if she never took her sights off of him, as if witnessing what he chose to do would enable her to halt whatever action he decided to play out. Whether she blinked or remained continually staring, the end result would be the same - him standing before her.

Though every step he took was light, soundless, there was purpose in his movement. And that purpose…

Was her.

Her stomach fluttered unsteadily as if a thousand butterflies were beating their wings in an effort to escape from within. Tension wound tighter within her the closer he came and a faint trembling permeated her body as something deep inside whispered her to action. But the emotions, the scattered thoughts, were too myriad to pinpoint just one and left her conflicted.

And still he continued to approach.

Time was running out.

An eon seemed to pass in what, in a distant vague part of her consciousness, she realized was in reality probably only a few seconds. But like grains of sand in an hourglass, time was slipping away in a slow but definite trickle and if she didn't decide what course of action to take soon, she somehow knew that the chance to make that choice would be taken out of her hands once he finally reached her and had her within his grasp.

Caught in indecision of whether to go or to stay, a sudden flaring of glittering golden eyes that filled her vision with their promise made the decision for her. They sparked her instincts, overriding the wavering within her in a flashing instant in which her irreversible choice was made.

She ran.

*~*~*~*

They watched her take flight, disappearing into the shadows of nature as if she could escape the inevitable, elude the fate that they controlled. But she could not; her fortune was already cast and they would teach her the lesson her actions told them she needed to learn.

They were hunters.

She was prey.

In this game, they would be the victors for giving up was not in their natures. Prey fell to the hunters; it was the natural course of events, the expected conclusion in the struggle for survival, for power.

They would not be denied.

And so the hunt began…

*~*~*~*

She could feel him.

Chasing her…

…pursuing her.

She didn't dare look back to ascertain the truth of her feeling, knowing that it would slow her down and unsure of what she'd do if she actually saw with her own eyes how he was bearing down on her. Her heart pounded in her chest as she ran, breath panting as branches and leaves smacked into her as she careened through the night, uncertain of her destination and guided only by her instincts.

He made no sound but whether that was because the noise she made in her flight drowned out his pursuit or because the intense pounding of her heart would enable her to hear nothing else except for the pulsing of blood rushing through her head, she didn't know. But even though she heard nothing to indicate that he was indeed chasing after her, she knew he was there somewhere, following her.

Hunting her.

The thought had her doubling her pace though logic warned her that it was useless to even try outdistancing an opponent who possessed inhuman speed. But her spirit egged her on, refusing to let her back down on this course she had chosen.

No matter what the outcome would be.

SWOOSH!

A multitude of leaves suddenly rained down on her from above as she ran. She didn't look up but she knew he was there - leaves in full green in the midst of spring would not be let loose from their tree unless some strong force was the cause. And the currents of wind that wound their way through the night didn't have the kind of power behind them to create such an effect. So that meant -

There was another force behind it.

And she had no doubt as to what that force was.

Realizing that he was following her from above, no doubt prepared to drop down before her in a surprise attack once he was further enough ahead of her, she abruptly changed her course. She swerved sharply to the right, hoping his accelerated momentum would cause her pursuer to overshoot the route she'd chosen long enough to buy her a little extra time. It wouldn't delay him for long, she knew, but even so…

She had to try.

*~*~*~*

She was clever prey.

Excitement fired in their blood, heating them with the enjoyment of the chase and the testing of their skills at her attempts to outmaneuver them. They were good instincts that bespoke of her intelligence even as her mind was no doubt being clouded with the panic that came from being chased. Her evasions of his pursuit were worthy, and they only made them more determined to win this game of hunt and capture.

They knew she knew that it was hopeless to escape, but she would not give up and that fierce burning quality was one that they greatly admired in enemy or friend. They respected it but -

They would not give up either.

*~*~*~*

She ran and ran, the night becoming an endless blur around her. Her only awareness was focused on the rasping in and out of her breath as she panted, the adrenaline surging through her body that kept her heart pounding in never ending continual force, the continual pump of legs that worked in constant motion to distance her from the one she knew was chasing her even if he could not be seen or heard.

Her only thought was to get away and so she continued to run. How long her flight has been or will be, she didn't know. She only knew that she couldn't stop until -

She bounced off of an unyielding force and went sprawling on the earth!

The shock of it left her stunned and she could only remain still for a moment where she'd landed, unmoving. And once the surprise of it finally wore off -

By then it was much too late.

Before she could do anything, even gather her scattered thoughts long enough to think about scrambling to her feet, he suddenly beside her, in front of her. Startled, she instinctively looked up and found herself caught in the golden blazing fire of his gaze just inches away.

Her eyes widened and, for one frozen moment, she was unable to do anything else but remain trapped in the ephemeral hold he had over her. But then a shred of rational thought managed to slip in and gave her enough presence of mind to slowly scoot backwards across the ground, careful of making no sudden moves that might set off the dangerous predator that remained crouching on the ground, watching her with unblinking intensity. Through it all their gazes remained locked together for she dared not risk taking her sights off of him and because she could not see where she was going in her cautious backward scramble, she stiffened in surprise the instant her back suddenly hit the hard trunk of a tree.

An instant was all it took.

One quick instinctive glance behind her to take in the object that decided to block her escape was over in a fleeting moment as a flash of motion from her peripheral vision immediately snagged her attention. She barely had time to register a flowing pale white blur before a form instantly materialized before her, seemingly out of thin air, and she found herself once more in the grips of his searing golden gaze as he crouched over her sitting figure. Under his intense stare, she unconsciously pressed back harder into the solid trunk of the tree, fingers fisting tensely in the grass beneath her as she regarded him warily, wondering what his next action would be.

She didn't have to wonder long.

A sudden brushing touch on her wrists brought a gasp from her throat as she tore her gaze away from his and looked down. She stiffened, eyes rounding with shocked surprise as she saw tiny leafy green vines snaking around her wrists in a firm hold while pulling back and up in one smooth motion that had her arms pinned above her head securely against the tree. It all occurred so quickly that it was over before her mind fully registered what was happening. But when she did…

Her brown-eyed gaze snapped angrily to his of gold, her displeasure at this position more than clearly expressed. In response…

A slow smirk curled his lips.

Outrage flared through her and she tugged at her restraints. However, it was to no avail for as deceptively fragile as the thin vines looked, they were strong and held fast, keeping her in place, pinned before him and defenseless against whatever manner of punishment he chose to inflict upon her. There didn't seem to be anything she could do but stare helplessly back.

"Now," his low voice rumbled as gold eyes flecked with emerald green glittered at her with satisfaction, "you didn't think I'd let you get away, did you? Keiko."

She was well and truly trapped.

*~*~*~*

Finally, she was theirs.

They had her now, bound and captured with no means of escape. And as her eyes sparked with angry fire, her figure sprawled and open before him, anticipation unfurled within them for that moment when they would change that fury into desire.

And that moment would come.

They would make sure of it.

When she opened her mouth, either to scream or to spit out scathing words concerning their actions, they forestalled it. A simple touch of fingers against soft petal pink lips kept her quiet for an instant, allowing them a chance to speak before she. Their words came succinctly, slowly, making sure she had ample opportunity to hear their meaning clearly.

"Be silent," they commanded softly. "You've lost, accept it. To the victor goes the spoils and your fate now lies in these hands. And rules must be laid down: for every word of protest you utter, you will add one more moment to prolong your punishment, one more moment trapped as you - an event which you, no doubt, would like to avoid. It's a simple rule asking merely for your silence and your acceptance. And if you refuse, if you cannot keep quiet…the vines can just as easily be used to gag you as well as bind you."

Her expression was shocked at the implicit threat.

"You will be given this choice only once. Nod if you understand."

Mouth compressed into a thin line, she nodded.

"And do you refuse? Or do you accept the conditions? Speak now your choice, and only of your choice. Which will it be?"

With anger etched on her features, she snapped out her decision. "I accept."

"Good." Their lips curled. "Don't worry. You'll enjoy it."

The low sound she made could have been a growl; they couldn't tell for certain. But it amused them even as it heightened their anticipation for what was to come by ways of eroding her resistance.

And resisting she was. The fire in her eyes, the tenseness radiating from her body, and the way she continued to tug experimentally on her bindings all pointed towards that glaringly obvious observation. But that was of little concern to them.

They knew they could change that.

And they started with a simple look.

It was a strategic move, allowing the other to stew in doubts and anxiety during the wait as silence grew. For they said no words as they were now free to observe every detail about her to their heart's content since they were no longer distracted with the thrill of the chase. Though the hunt had been exciting and much enjoyed, it had not given them much of a chance to study her as they could now.

They were making up for lost time.

From head to toe, they drank in every detail. They catalogued in their mind what they saw: her light scent that held a touch of lilies, delicate feet tipped with lustrous rose gold nail polish and shod in earth toned leather sandals, trim ankles that tapered into shapely legs left bare as the skirt of the dark blue denim dress she wore pooled high on her thighs, the molding of the material over curved hips and indented waist before flowing over full rounded breasts, the low scoop neck revealing the smooth flesh around her collarbone and leading the eye to travel upwards to nicely toned arms and a lovely face made even more beautiful with the glow of anger lighting her from within. Quite a picture she presented, one of innocence, purity, fire…

And sex.

Her appeal could not be denied, and they were the types who saw little reason to deny themselves anything they wanted. Such was not in their nature. And now…

What they wanted was her.

They'd waited long enough. They judged that tension of a suitable amount had collected during the course of their silent perusal. They could smell her anxiety, her nervousness, as it had increased with every prolonged stretch of quiet. It was a pleasurable scent, but there was another that had them truly trembling in eager delight once they detected it.

They smelled her arousal.

No matter how resistant and combative she appeared to be, her scent betrayed her to their keen senses. The faint unmistakable scent of desire told them that she was not totally opposed to them - and they would make sure to take full advantage of it, fanning that small beginning into something larger, something to their gain.

They reached out, watched as she stiffened before they touched her, cupping the smooth flesh of her cheek, absorbing the soft texture as they canted their body closer. They were amused at the way her eyes widened more and more with every inch closer that they came until they were staring directly into her impossibly huge liquid brown orbs, their lips just a whisper away from full contact. They could feel her every breath waft across their lips, carrying a hint of her taste and whetting their appetite for more.

When the waiting, the stillness, that lay rising between them grew heavy and thick and almost too much to bear, only then did they finally close that last bit of distance that kept them from truly tasting her. They took her startled gasp at the contact into them, swallowed it, even as they opened their mouth to fully cover her own.

They were slow, coaxing, teasing at the seam of her lips that had closed against them, trying to keep them out. But they were persistent, gentle, sweeping light caresses over and over again until she was persuaded to part them just a sliver.

It was all they needed.

With that concession, they wasted no time and tilted her head for a better angle, allowing them better access to the treasure that lay within. They savored her flavor, rolled it across their tongue as it swept over the wet silken cavern of her mouth.

They enjoyed it even more when she gave a low moan in response.

And then even more when she began kissing them back.

As she engaged in their duel of mouths, they took her participation as their cue to shift their relations to the next level. While their mouths worked at each other, the hand that had been cupping her face stroked downwards, moving slowly, fingers caressing in small circular patterns that were intended to be as soothing as they were arousing. Over the sensitive area of her neck they slid, absorbing the delightful trembling of her flesh at the motion as stroking fingers continued traversing down, passing across the dip of her collarbone and sweeping partway up the flesh of her arm only to journey back again. And when she pressed harder into their touch, their hand shifted again, flowing over her until cupping to the swell of her breast.

They felt her gasp, swallowed that too as she stiffened for one brief instant before her body arched slightly away from the tree at her back and further into their hand. Their soft chuckle of satisfaction at her action rumbled into her mouth even as they complied with her silent demand and increased the pressure of their hold on her supple flesh. They measured the fullness of the weight filling their palm with a tender squeeze, tested the firmness of her flesh as they kneaded it with rhythmic motion and teased her arousal with passing touches over the aching peak tipping the mound beneath the layers of cloth that separated them.

She responded by pushing into their touch, arching and rubbing in wordless plea for more. They were more than happy to accede to her wishes and, impatient with her state of dress, which prevented them from feeling her fully, they went to work on the row of metallic fastenings that held the edges of her dress together.

Drawing on skills they'd had much experience in practicing, it wasn't long before the line of buttons running down the front of her torso was undone and they were one step closer to having her in the manner they wanted. They nudged aside the loose flaps of the dress, leaving her that much more bare to their touch but for her undergarments. Settling themselves more comfortably until her thighs were spread to either side of theirs, one hand settled on her hip and smoothed itself down the length of her leg and back up again in a motion that they repeated to their mutual enjoyment while their other hand returned to her breast and explored the satiny texture of the thin barrier of her bra that did little to shield her from experiencing their touch.

They loved the little noises she made.

The muffled mewls that issued from her throat and crawled into them from where their mouths were locked told them just how much she approved of their ministrations. It spurred them on, had them digging under thin satin to reach the bare flesh that lay beneath and closing over it with dark triumph.

They growled into her mouth, rolled the tiny nubbin crowning her breast between skillful fingers and teased it into a hardened peak as she shuddered against them. She shifted closer, as far as her restraints would allow in demonstration of her delight, and gave a guttural groan that begged for more.

Impatient, the twisted material of the bra only hindering, they shredded it away with careful claws, leaving the flesh unmarred. Then they broke away from her lips to trail down her body with little nips, enjoying the way she shivered with every teasing bite until they could close over one rosy peak while their fingers continued working at the other.

Her reaction was immediate.

Her sharp cry tore through the night as her back bowed sharply, filling their mouth with her flesh as she pushed against them. With a low growl they suckled harder, letting the delicate flavor of her wash over them while their kneading fingers increased their pressure on her other breast. Then, wanting to give equal attention to the twin, they reversed their actions as their mouth replaced massaging fingers and vice versa.

As the scent of her, the taste of her, consumed their senses, their free hand slid over the taut muscles of her leg, slicking over smooth skin of rounded thigh and burrowing into the warm place between. It wrung another sharp cry from her, an encouraging sound, as they pressed against the flesh and felt the dampness soaking through the fragile barrier of cloth. They reveled in the sensation but…

They wanted to feel her heat against their skin -

With no restrictions.

In the same manner in which they'd dealt with her bra, so did they take care of this newest obstruction in a similar fashion, delicately shredding away material until the last barrier that kept them from her fell before them and left her bare. Taking full advantage, they cupped her.

She was hot to the touch.

Liquid heat slicked their palm as they pressed on that feminine mound, causing her hips to roll against them in involuntary response in an unconscious seeking for more that pleased them greatly. And as the wet feel of her soaked into their skin and the musky scent of her arousal perfumed the air with her desire, hunger rose within them, urging them to more.

The scent of her clouding their mind in a red haze of lust, guided by instinct and primal urgings, their lips left their place once more and traveled further down. They laved a wet path, bathing her with their tongue, as they stroked over the pale flesh straining over the fine bones of her ribs and flowed across the slight concave roundness of her belly and further down until they were lying prone between her legs, the curly hair covering that feminine mound tickling at their lips while the strength of her musky scent from this nearness teased at them, beckoning them onwards.

They rolled their gaze upwards, taking in the expanse of pale flesh their hands and lips had journeyed over, pausing over the heaving globes of her breasts left bare to the caressing touch of the night wind, until they connected with her wide eyes deepened to a shade of rich chocolate. Holding her gaze, they allowed a dark smile to curl their lips in a promise of what was to come, keen ears picking up the acceleration in her heartbeat as they shifted that little bit downwards until they were a breath away from kissing the trembling pink flesh that lay unfurled before them.

They paused, drawing out the tension of the moment until it was stretched so tight that it threatened to snap without notice. They enjoyed the suspense, teasing at her needs even as it tested their own limitations.

And then they tasted her.

Unable to resist the call of her scent for long, they finally gave in to the demands of their nature and delved into the luscious flower before them, unfurled like a rose in full bloom, and sipped at the nectar her body gifted to them. Her spicy sweetness surrounded them, caused the force of their desire to double as they observed her darkened eyes slide half closed while her mouth parted on a low moan of pleasure and her flesh trembled around them.

Forever they could have remained like that were it not for the straining of their own body that was growing more uncomfortable by each passing moment, every lick and suckling of the naked flesh that lay open to them and only seemed to get hotter and wetter with to their attentions. Their own frustrated urges intruding upon their enjoyment of her, they growled, the sound vibrating against her flesh with a result that took them by surprise when she stiffened with strangled cry and her thighs clamped around them as her body shuddered violently with her climax.

Licking the taste of her off of their lips, they drew back enough to take in the sight of her panting harshly and hanging limply from the vines that bound her wrists above her to the tree. Darkened brown eyes gazed back at them dazedly as her head listed to the side, resting against an upper arm while long hair straggled down and across the paleness of her body.

Possessiveness thundered through them at the picture she presented. She was a fantasy to arouse any male, and they were determined to leave their mark on her so that she would never be tempted to even look at another.

Unfulfilled desire and aggression pounding in their blood, they purposefully shed themselves of their own garments beneath her dazed eyes which seemed to grow clearer and wider with their every motion. It wasn't long before they were fully disrobed and posed before her in their naked perfection.

Holding her gaze, swirling with a myriad of emotions, they crawled up her body, dragging the heat of their flesh over hers until they were nose to nose and she could not possibly miss the desire for her filling their expression. Keeping her hostage with the intensity of their eyes, they shifted until the hard proof of his maleness whispered across the dampness of her moist flesh below and paused just outside the entrance to her body. And despite the lustful urgings that clawed at their control, they held back long enough to growl lowly at her, offering her once again a choice.

"Do you refuse? Or accept?"

*~*~*~*

"Accept."

The word said with more feeling than any rational thought was barely out of her mouth before he plunged into her with a long, sure and swift stoke that would have had her scream echoing into the night had his lips not taken command of her at that precise moment, swallowing the sound and absorbing it into himself. Sensations swamped her, too many and too fast to pinpoint just one, and all she could do was to take it as it came as she gave herself over to him.

Completely.

The outside world, any protestations she might have had, all faded away into nothingness. The only things she could think of were him and all that he made her feel.

Intense.

It was the best way to describe it for what this was between them was not tame, was not calm, was not peaceful. It was vivid and real and even in the moments in which he touched her with gentleness, there was always a sense of wild restraint that lay beneath that controlled and serene veneer.

It consumed her - he consumed her.

And, at that moment, she wanted nothing less.

His hips pounded into hers, his mouth feasting on hers and his body moving and rubbing over hers as she tried her best to return the favor, straining against her bonds as much as she could to give him better access to stoke the fires burning within her. She reveled in the taste of him, the feel of him as his hands raced wildly across her heated flesh, kneading her aching breasts and scoring sharp claws lightly over the skin down her ribs and hips and thighs just short of drawing blood. It made her shudder, moan in mindless helplessness against the onslaught to her emotions.

He growled, the sound passing to her through the connection of their mouths and vibrated her body from inside out, adding to the pleasurable sensation he was inflicting upon her senses. As if he knew everything she wanted without her having to say a word, he played upon her body, twisting her urges and desires until they were all wrapped around only him and there was no room for anything else.

It was hot, it was fire - it was more than she could ever have dreamed of.

And it wasn't enough.

Her body was burning, crying out for relief from the boiling tension that continued to coil around her, growing bigger and larger within her until she thought she might burst from the pressure. The perpetual in and outward sliding of his flesh into hers while he rocked against her did nothing to alleviate her problem. And while part of her desired to be slave to erotic sensations he was constantly stirring within her, another part was demanding with insistent and impatient urge to reach that final prize that seemed to dangle just out of reach, teasing her.

She wanted that prize!

With a low snarl that would have made him proud had he been in a more coherent frame of mind, her shoulders dug into the tree behind her as she canted her body backwards to give herself better leverage to hitch her legs higher around his waist, locking them at the small of his back. The motion drove him deeper inside of her, wringing a gasp from them both at the unexpected pleasure of the action.

He tore away from her enough to regard her intently with features twisted fiercely just before his eyes blazed fiercely, gold and green swirling turbulently in their depths, and he slammed his lips back onto hers in an open mouthed kiss that threatened to devour her whole. At the same time, his hands dug into her hips with grip that stopped just short of painful before sliding down to cup the rounded cheeks of her buttocks and using this newest position to press her even harder into the rhythmic thrusting of their lower torsos. It pulled a pleading whimper from her throat as he made a rough sound from his and he increased his grueling pace while her lower body rolled against his in struggle to keep up.

But her struggle didn't last for long. Their bodies could only take so much, the emotions could only go so high until the building pressure was straining at the seams until it could be contained no longer and exploded over them both.

"Kurama!"

She cried out his name, a keening wail that reflected both agony and ecstasy that was too much too bear and held the intensity of the feelings that she held for him. Swept up into the glittering maelstrom of pleasure that crashed over her and sent her spinning into its darkest depths as she drowned in molten gold and emerald green, she was only dimly aware of his own muffled cry of her name as he arched against her and shuddered violently as his body emptied itself into her.

She took him gladly, her body clinging along his length buried deep inside her as his tremors set off another reaction. She was sent careening into that churning sea of pleasure once again that left her trembling and dazed, lost in a haze that cared about nothing but him and how he made her feel.

Chest heaving, body shaking, and feeling weak and drained from head to toe, she was only dimly aware of the loosening bindings around her wrists as her arms dropped down with the help of gravity from the sudden slack. As her senses slowly drifted back to earth, she blinked at him lazily, waiting for her blurry vision to focus until she saw him clearly.

Though his breathing was ragged, he didn't seem half as exerted as she did. It was something that might have annoyed her under different circumstances but she just couldn't bring herself to care, not when the pleasure he'd given to her was still shivering through her as it gradually faded away. And his presence so near to her only seemed to prolong the sensations. Still locked within her, one arm was planted on the tree beside her head to prop him up while he regarded her steadily through eyes more gold than green, framed in a sea of moonlight tresses.

To her mind, he appeared to be waiting for something but for what, she didn't know. Puzzled, once she was sure she'd be able to say something coherent, she was the first to break the quiet that had settled between them.

"Well," her voice held a touch of rasp, "that was different."

He blinked lazily at her. "You didn't say the magic word."

"You could have warned me."

"But then that wouldn't have been much of a surprise, now, would it? Besides, we've spoken on the subject before."

"Yes…but I didn't think you were serious. And you knew I didn't like it."

A rich chuckle warmed the air. "You seemed to have enjoyed it."

"Oh!" She made a frustrated sound even as she blushed. "Even so, you should have said something before you tried it. Honestly, I didn't know what to expect when you did it. Who knew you had such a bondage fetish?"

His expression was affronted. "It is not a fetish. And at any point in the game, you could have said `stop' and it would have ceased then and there. But you didn't." That intent look returned to his gaze. "You said nothing against it, even when you were bound."

Something in his tone had her staring back in confusion. "What…?"

"You trusted us." He regarded her more softly. "You put the trust of your body into our hands. Completely."

She felt that there was something important happening here, but she didn't know what. It unsettled her, that and his use of `us' and `we.' Logically, she knew that there were two souls in that body but, since she could only see one at a time, she always thought in terms of `he,' which was why it sometimes threw her off whenever he brought up the plural version. She accepted it, them, the way they were but there were still moments that caught her off guard.

Like now.

"What are you trying to say?" she asked him.

"We want more."

He stated it simply with words that weren't simple at all. Her brows drew together in a frown as she puzzled over the meaning of his words. She wasn't quite sure what he was getting at but the possibilities of it…

They gave her hope.

Still, she was cautious. "More what? More of," she cast a glance around their darkened surroundings, "this?"

"No." A hint of impatience crept into his tone. "More of you."

Her eyes widened. "Me?"

"Yes." A masculine hand played lazily with the skin on her collarbone, causing her to shiver pleasantly as he spoke. "We've had enough of these games. Though pleasant, we are desirous of more than this."

"Why now?" she asked warily. "Before, you said this was all you wanted, these interludes away from everyone and everything else with no commitments, no demands for anything else. Just a chance to escape from reality and enjoy yourself without worrying about anything else."

"Woman, must you repeat everything we said," he snapped in irritation. "Isn't it obvious? We lied."

Her look turned surprised. "What?"

"Of course," he snorted. "We could not tell you truth when you were still grieving over the loss of that foolish boy."

Her brows arched at his description of Yusuke though she remained silent.

"After he betrayed you with another woman, you made it clear that you were not ready to become involved in another relationship." A scowl marred his perfect features. "Not a committed one, at any rate."

Though the pieces of the puzzle seemed to be coming together, they were still too vague to be certain. All in all, it was taking her quite by surprise. Nothing less to expect from a tricky kitsune, she imagined.

"So," she said slowly, "you offered me sex because I said I didn't want a relationship?"

"Do not take that tone with us," he commanded as he regarded her coolly. "It was an excellent strategy. It is possible for a relationship to come after sex, and we wished to be the first you turned to once you were ready for it. There was no better way to ensure that happened other than making our home in your bed before any other."

"You tricked me?" She wasn't sure whether to be outraged or amused. Maybe both. She shook her head. "When did you come up with this?"

"It's been too long to say exactly. But we've been waiting for the opportunity, open to the possibility should it come our way. And then it did and you were no longer attached to that boy."

"May I remind you that the `boy' is the same age as me? Or do you think me such a childish girl as well?"

"No."

The way he stared at her made her breath hitch and her mouth go dry. She swallowed hard, feeling a bit breathless.

"You are much more than a mere girl to us," he told her solemnly. "And that is why we waited so long, took such efforts to bring you to our side. We were careful with you, luring you away from your wariness and into our bargain with promises of pleasure without the risk of emotional pain. And through it all, with every interlude that played out, we've always yearned, waiting for more."

She softened at his words. "But why now? What made you think now was the time to tell me all of this?"

"Because you let us bind you."

She blushed at the reminder.

"Such a thing is a matter of great trust, especially with such as pure soul as yours. That you allowed us to bind you without protest, gave yourself in body and spirit to us completely as you did, it's a sign that the barriers between us have lessened. And it is, perhaps, an indication that you are ready to give your heart over to us as well." A hint of pink dusted his cheekbones as he imparted softly, "As we have done to you."

Her lips rounded in a silent `O' as her mind struggled to grasp his revelation.

He tensed at her continued silence, and only when she felt him start to draw back was she shaken out of her stupor. She reacted immediately, wrapping unbound wrists around him to hold him in place as he went still at her action, looking at her with a wary gaze.

It awed her that she could have such an effect on him, he who was the model of perfection and strength itself. And it touched her as nothing else could that such a strong being would leave himself open to that kind of emotional vulnerability with her. With the proof of his feelings for her reflecting in the golden pools of his eyes, the depths of which hints of vivid green told of another presence that was with them now as well, she felt her heart open wide in acceptance.

Her warm smile, the soft expression on her features, and the way she cradled his face in her palms before bestowing a sweet kiss on his lips told clearly of her the emotions in her heart. Then, so there would be no misunderstanding, she whispered those feelings to him, those of the present and those of yearnings she'd had towards him in whatever form he took for longer than he'd known, for longer than she'd admitted to even herself until now. Those words were for his ears alone, spoken in a voice so gentle and loving as she revealed the secrets of her heart that the joyous expression that bloomed across his features and sparkled in his gaze was a treasure she would never forget. And when he snuggled against her, resting his head against her chest and taking comfort in the constant thumping of her heart, which beat steadily for him, she felt contentment and peace wash over her.

Reality, she knew, with its difficulties would intrude but, for now, that reality was far away. And holding this creature that was far more than human in the darkness of nature with the remnants of their recent tryst still visible, it should have felt wrong.

It should have…but it didn't.

It felt right.

And in the end, that was all that mattered.

*~*~*~*

They were masters in the hunt, the game.

And, as expected, they were successful - they had caught their prey. But, in turn, they realized that she had also captured them in a trap of sweet words, soft flesh, and warm touches that they felt to the depths of their souls. Lying lazily upon their prey, they should have been ashamed but -

They were not. They were content, happy in a way that they had not felt for a long, long time.

And in the end, that was all that mattered.

Thus, ended the game.

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~ Game Over ~

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AUTHOR'S NOTES: Written in response to the Keiko's Demons yahoo groups challenge issued by Kikyiou_666 calling for more Keiko/Kurama smut. It didn't turn out as smutty as it seemed in my head, but maybe that's for the best, right?

What do you think?