[Fic] Harukanaru toki no naka de - Merging Gold and Blue (1/2)
Saturday, 2 June 2007 03:18 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
haraamisI feel so very nervous posting this. Not sure why. ^^; Only very few people on my flist know this series anyway.
For people who don't know the series but are curious, I posted pics of the characters here.
Title: Merging Gold and Blue (Part 1/2)
Series: harukanaru toki no naka de
Pairing: (established) Tenma/Akane, (eventual) Tenma/Akane/Yorihisa
Rating: R (for this part)
Warnings: threesome, smut, het, yaoi, romance
Spoilers: very little.
Disclaimers: Don't own, just play.
Notes: Dedicated to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
belina, for she seems to have undying faith in me and is a neverending source of encouragement.
Thanks toyukari_yukiand nereidaia for the beta. You guys are the best.
Merging Gold and Blue
Akane quietly observed Tenma from the side and was slightly surprised by the thoughtful look that suddenly entered her boyfriend's face. She wondered what had brought on the mood change.
"He loves you." Tenma's voice startled her out of her reverie. She gave him a confused and questioning look. What was he talking about? But he didn't react and kept staring straight ahead instead. Following his gaze she was met with a sight that brought a smile to her face. Yorihisa was standing at the far end of the courtyard, sword in one hand, body strung like a bow yet graceful as he went through a flawless line of practice forms.
"I love him too," she replied without hesitation, without a second thought.
For a short moment Tenma tensed next to her and she wondered if she'd said something wrong, but he relaxed again just as quickly, so she wasn't sure if she had merely imagined it.
She leaned into his side and he slid his arm around her, cradling her against his body. Yet he didn't turn his gaze from Yorihisa's distant form, that thoughtful look still on his handsome features. Slightly puzzled she looked up at him, reaching out with her hand to gently brush a strand of hair out of his face. Only when her fingers touched his cheek did he move to return her questioning look. His eyes were still a bit unfocused at first, but suddenly they turned sharp and bore into hers with such intensity as if he was searching for something. Then his gaze softened and he mimicked her gesture from before, tucking a stray strand behind her ear.
"I meant, he is in love with you," he finally said, a throaty edge to his voice.
It was Akane's turn to look thoughtful. However, what she had to contemplate was not the fact that Yorihisa was in love with her. She knew that; he had told her a while ago. He had made no claims, no demands. He hadn't even asked her whether she returned his feelings. He had made but a simple statement. Back then, in that moment, with time suspended between seconds, her heart had gone out to him, and for an instant she hadn't been sure if he wasn't the one she truly loved. Then he had smiled at her, that warm, protective smile, and the world had started to turn again. Everything was right once more. She'd realized that, for now, just loving and devoting his life to guarding her would be enough for him. Tenma on the other hand needed her to love him back. She had never considered before that she would or could be in love with two men at the same time. Love and couples were supposed to be a one on one thing. She'd always thought that this was the way Tenma saw their relationship.
So why would he bring up Yorihisa's feelings for her now? That was what she needed to ponder. Or simply ask Tenma.
"Yes. So?" she replied after a short while. He fled her gaze then, looking down at his free hand resting on his knee. It took him a while to answer, but this time his voice was firm.
"What about you?"
She was confused. "What about…oh," she murmured, staring at her boyfriend somewhat bemused as realization hit her, the implications of what he had asked. She felt a wave of annoyance well up inside her. What was this all about? She was certain she hadn't done anything to make him doubt her love for him.
"You know I'm in love with you," she told him firmly, a tinge of annoyance coloring her voice.
His next words, and the way he casually waved it off with his hand, did nothing to quell her anger or ease her growing confusion.
"Yes, yes, I know," he said. "But what about him?" There was something curious in Tenma's eyes and voice now, some emotion she couldn't quite place.
She stared at him, unable to answer the question. She knew she should have been able to give a simple answer, yet she could not. Her feelings must have shown in her eyes because Tenma gently cupped her face and soothed his thumb across her cheek bone.
He nuzzled her nose with his and spoke, close though his lips did not quite touch her. "I know you love me, Akane. But this isn't about me, it's about Yorihisa," he paused briefly and chuckled as if it was some private joke, "Well, I guess, in a way it is about me, too."
He gave her an affectionate smile and the tightly wound knot in her belly dissolved into a feeling like thick, warm liquid. She closed her eyes and rubbed her nose against Tenma's cheek. He rewarded her with a soft kiss on her lips. She opened her eyes slowly, and her vision was engulfed by the warm gold of Tenma's eyes. She finally smiled back, reassured and filled with tentative curiosity. She still hadn't quite grasped the true intention behind her boyfriend's questions, but she felt that he would tell her when he deemed the time right.
Resting her head against his shoulder, nestled in the curve of his neck, she finally returned her gaze to the subject of their conversation. She was surprised to find Yorihisa had slowed his movements, his watchful eyes trained on the two of them sitting on the steps as if he knew what they were talking about. When he noticed their twin stares set on him, he gave a smile and a small bow and then went back to his practice.
They kept watching Yorihisa in comfortable silence, both occupied with their own thoughts. Tenma’s earlier question still hung between them, not forgotten but patiently waiting to be answered.
Akane let her thoughts roam as she watched Yorihisa effortlessly slide from one stance into the next. Memories and images flowed together in her mind, from the day they first me to the moment he had confessed his love to her. A smile, a touch, a cry, moments of happiness and sadness, closeness and distance. The time when he and Tenma had fought over her attention and the day the two had become friends. Her heart was beating firmly and steadily in her chest, slightly accelerating only now and then with the thought of a particular memory. The answer formed inside her, blossoming into realization.
She glanced up at Tenma and found him staring at Yorihisa, seemingly mesmerized by the other man’s movements.
“If it wasn’t for you, I would be in love with /him/”, she finally told him. Her voice carried a tinge of melancholy. There was a tiny grain of regret, the sadness of wanting to give Yorihisa what he deserved yet not being able to do so.
“Me too.” Tenma wasn’t looking at her, his eyes still fixated on Yorihisa.
Akane blinked, certain she had misunderstood. “Excuse me? For a moment I thought you just said ‘me too’.”
Tenma slowly turned his head to meet her eyes, a faint smirk playing around his lips. The expression was so unlike her usually impulsive, straightforward boyfriend that she blinked again. A strong suspicion befell her as she recalled how much that her boyfriend had been spending with Tomomasa lately. She’d have to have a serious word with the emperor’s general later.
“I did.” There was that smirk again, but otherwise his face betrayed nothing. On second thought, she’d probably better include Yasuaki in that talk as well. The blank look on Tenma’s face was far too similar to the Onmyouji’s most featured expression. It shouldn’t be too difficult to catch those two together for a conversation, seeing as according to her observations they had been spending a suspicious amount of time in each other’s presence. Whenever Tomomasa was holding court – there was no other word for it – Yasuaki, more often than not, conveniently seemed to walk by doing some sort of business or another. When Yasuaki was practicing outside, Tomomasa could surely be seen lounging somewhere close by on the veranda, reading or dozing in the sun. Not to mention, that a couple of nights ago when she had crept back late at night from Tenma’s room to her own quarters, she was sure she had heard both men’s voices coming from Tomomasa’s chambers.
Realizing that her mind had sneakily escaped the subject at hand, Akane frowned, then drew back to fully look at Tenma with a puzzled expression.
“What are you talking about? Is this a game or something? I thought you were being serious about this.” The annoyance from earlier was back and there was a hint of betrayal in the whisper of her voice.
Tenma sighed and reached out to trace her cheek with his index finger. His face was more open again, various indecipherable emotions flying across his features. “You’re not going to make this easy for me, are you?”
She shook her head. “Make what easy? I just don’t understand, Tenma.” Reaching up she covered his hand with hers, resting it against the side of her face. He was silent for a while again and just looked at her, stroking her face with his thumb. She gave him the time to gather his thoughts, waiting patiently for whatever answer was coming.
He took a deep breath, but before he started to speak he threw another short glance in Yorihisa’s direction.
“No games. I meant what I said. I guess it started the day we acquired the seal. I mean, we did put our rivalries aside earlier than that,” he paused and gave her a slightly embarrassed smile, which she rewarded with a knowing but kind smile of her own. She would neither forget the day when she fell into the water because of their quarrelling, nor would she forget the joy she had felt the moment they started working together of their own accord. She gave him a nod, encouraging him to go on.
“I’m not sure what happened, but ever since that day something has changed between us. There’s a connection that hasn’t been there before. It feels as if I am closer to him than I should be. I seem to notice things I don't want to notice," he paused again, then continued in an even smaller voice. "Or at least that's what I thought for a while. We're good friends. We work well together. He has taught me so much; how to live in this world, how to fight and how to protect you." His eyes softened at his last words, but he didn't hesitate this time. "I feel that he deserves more than what he has now. But you know as well as I do that he would never take what he thinks he has no right to take. He won't push for something he feels is not his to have. But, Akane, I want him to push for it. I want to see him happy. I’m not sure what is going on, but I don't think that I'm suddenly interested in men in general. I think it's just him. And… somehow I want to be responsible for his happiness." He blushed. She couldn't remember ever having seen him blush like this. From the corner of her eye, she caught a sudden stumble in Yorihisa's otherwise fluent movements and thought he'd looked at them with a strange expression, but when she blinked it was gone. It left her wondering if he'd picked up on their conversation.
"Akane?"
She looked back into Tenma's worried eyes and shook her head as if to clear it. "Sorry," she said.
It didn't seem to reassure him. He searched her face, his expression uncertain and exposed. "I'm sorry, Akane. I… This doesn't change anything between you and me. Nothing will change…unless you wish it." His voice trailed off in a whisper. He drew her into his arms and she went willingly. He had laid his feelings bare before her. She buried her face in the curve of his neck and breathed in the clean, fresh scent of his sun-warmed skin. The sudden urge to lick it hit her and without thought she did just that.
The shiver that went through his body in response made her smile against his neck, and she darted out the tip of her tongue again, swiping it delicately over the soft skin. He shuddered again and his arms tightened around her, while a soft laugh rumbled through his chest. She felt the tension leave his body and pressed closer into him. His hands splayed across her back and she felt safe. Safe and loved. The last trace of lingering doubt vanished into thin air. She recognized the truth of his words; nothing would change unless she wished for it to change it.
She closed her eyes and allowed herself to think freely, to let her imagination run along and give way to thoughts that would not have been admitted into her mind before. She could see Yorihisa smile down at her, while his arms gently cradled her against his chest as he carried her away from yet another danger. His voice echoed through her mind, its vibrant warmth making her shiver and tightening things low in her belly. Her heart ached as she remembered the loneliness that sometimes reflected in his eyes, the desperation that shone through his composed and sure behavior when you knew what to look for. A desire to chase that sadness away, to see his face light up with no restraint, flared up in her. She understood now what Tenma meant when he said he wanted to be responsible for Yorihisa's happiness. And she also knew without a doubt that she'd been right when she'd said that she would be in love with Yorihisa if she didn't already have Tenma. It wouldn’t be difficult at all to let him fully into her heart.
Curious, she tried to conjure up an image of Tenma and Yorihisa together and found it surprisingly easy. She had seen them together often enough, so it wasn't difficult to lessen the distance between them just a little more. They looked good together. No, that was not quite true. They didn’t just look good, they looked stunning; Akane found herself a little breathless. To her utter amazement she didn't feel the least bit jealous. She smiled to herself and nuzzled her boyfriend's neck.
One question, however, remained. Her fingers played lightly over his shirt as she moved her head back a bit to rest on his shoulder so she could speak. She suddenly felt nervous. Her heart pounded in her chest, but she had to ask. "So," she felt his curious eyes on her, but she didn't look at him, "are you implying what I think you are? Are you actually suggesting that we, together, do something about Yorihisa?"
She had purposely worded her question in a way that would still give Tenma a chance to back out. He could simply suggest that he wanted to find a girlfriend for Yorihisa or something along that line. Curiously, however, Akane found that she didn't like /that/ idea one bit.
She hadn't realized that she had furrowed her brows until she felt Tenma's fingers smooth them down. She finally raised her eyes up to him and her breath hitched when his intense gaze caught her once again. His voice was warm and low enough to give away the depth of emotion behind it.
"I was serious when I said that I was attracted to him. I'm going so far as to say that I wouldn’t mind sharing you with him. The only thing that I would and could never do is give you up." A soft smile graced his lips. "We already know he is in love with you. And if the attraction and affection I have felt since we touched the seal is any indication, I have a feeling that he won't reject me."
She searched his eyes and found nothing but genuineness in them. She moved to kiss him lightly on the lips, then drew back and gave him a smile. "Do you have a plan?"
The same, a bit uncharacteristic smirk that had unsettled her earlier tugged at his lips, and for a moment she almost felt sorry for Yorihisa. Almost. Instead, anticipation coiled hot in her belly and she unconsciously pressed closer into Tenma's body. He tightened his arms around her in response and gave a low chuckle. "Ah yes.That is pretty much the direction my plan was going. I thought we'd try and test the waters a bit first. How about giving him a show and see how he reacts?"
"You mean…"
"Yes…" He brushed his face along hers, his lips ghosting over her cheek, and sliding down to lightly bite the sensitive skin at the joint of her neck and shoulder. Akane shuddered in his arms, gave an encouraging sigh and closed her eyes with a smile. She felt his hand sliding into her hair, gripping it loosely. He kissed his way up her throat and along her jaw back to her mouth. He closed his lips over hers and drew her into a kiss. She surrendered with a small noise, her arms coming up to circle his neck and pull him even closer. He plundered her mouth, deepening the kiss and turning it into something more intimate than she had ever done where anyone might see. And surprisingly, the thought that Yorihisa might be watching them did not scare or put her off. On the contrary, her body tingled anticipation at idea and made the tight knot of pleasure in her groin burst into wet heat.
Breathless, she melted into Tenma's body. One of his hands settled firmly on her hip, fingers splayed wide; the way his thumb pressed into the joint of her hip and thigh was anything but casual; it made another spike of desire surge through her.
Suddenly Tenma broke the kiss, though not completely. His lips still lingered on hers with feather light touches, teasing and tempting, but his attention seemed to be elsewhere now. She slowly opened her eyes and found his to be half closed, the golden gaze flashing from underneath long lashes trained on something behind her back. Reluctantly, she drew back a bit and turned her head.
Her heart missed a beat before it resumed beating at double pace when she caught sight of Yorihisa standing much closer to them than earlier, staring at the two of them with a blank face. He seemed slightly flushed, though, and his hand was gripping the hilt of his sword so tightly that his knuckles had gone white.
Akane didn’t move; time seemed to stand still as their eyes met and locked. Then, with seeming effort, Yorihisa tore his gaze away and turned abruptly, leaving the courtyard in big strides without so much as a word or a look back.
Akane's eyes followed his retreating back until he disappeared through a doorway. She looked up at her boyfriend questioningly, mild worry furrowing her brows.
"Do you think that was too much?"
He shook his head with a smile. "No, I don't think so. I'd say stage one of The Plan has been completed successfully. We're good to proceed to stage two."
"Stage one? Stage two? The Plan?" She frowned.
"I'll tell you about it in a second. It will work. Trust me." He smirked and leaned down to kiss her again.
She surrendered immediately, putting up no resistance when he gently lowered her onto the sun-warmed floorboards, covering her body with his; her delighted laughter echoed in the silence of the now deserted courtyard.
For people who don't know the series but are curious, I posted pics of the characters here.
Title: Merging Gold and Blue (Part 1/2)
Series: harukanaru toki no naka de
Pairing: (established) Tenma/Akane, (eventual) Tenma/Akane/Yorihisa
Rating: R (for this part)
Warnings: threesome, smut, het, yaoi, romance
Spoilers: very little.
Disclaimers: Don't own, just play.
Notes: Dedicated to
belina, for she seems to have undying faith in me and is a neverending source of encouragement.Thanks to
yukari_yukiand nereidaia for the beta. You guys are the best. Merging Gold and Blue
Akane quietly observed Tenma from the side and was slightly surprised by the thoughtful look that suddenly entered her boyfriend's face. She wondered what had brought on the mood change.
"He loves you." Tenma's voice startled her out of her reverie. She gave him a confused and questioning look. What was he talking about? But he didn't react and kept staring straight ahead instead. Following his gaze she was met with a sight that brought a smile to her face. Yorihisa was standing at the far end of the courtyard, sword in one hand, body strung like a bow yet graceful as he went through a flawless line of practice forms.
"I love him too," she replied without hesitation, without a second thought.
For a short moment Tenma tensed next to her and she wondered if she'd said something wrong, but he relaxed again just as quickly, so she wasn't sure if she had merely imagined it.
She leaned into his side and he slid his arm around her, cradling her against his body. Yet he didn't turn his gaze from Yorihisa's distant form, that thoughtful look still on his handsome features. Slightly puzzled she looked up at him, reaching out with her hand to gently brush a strand of hair out of his face. Only when her fingers touched his cheek did he move to return her questioning look. His eyes were still a bit unfocused at first, but suddenly they turned sharp and bore into hers with such intensity as if he was searching for something. Then his gaze softened and he mimicked her gesture from before, tucking a stray strand behind her ear.
"I meant, he is in love with you," he finally said, a throaty edge to his voice.
It was Akane's turn to look thoughtful. However, what she had to contemplate was not the fact that Yorihisa was in love with her. She knew that; he had told her a while ago. He had made no claims, no demands. He hadn't even asked her whether she returned his feelings. He had made but a simple statement. Back then, in that moment, with time suspended between seconds, her heart had gone out to him, and for an instant she hadn't been sure if he wasn't the one she truly loved. Then he had smiled at her, that warm, protective smile, and the world had started to turn again. Everything was right once more. She'd realized that, for now, just loving and devoting his life to guarding her would be enough for him. Tenma on the other hand needed her to love him back. She had never considered before that she would or could be in love with two men at the same time. Love and couples were supposed to be a one on one thing. She'd always thought that this was the way Tenma saw their relationship.
So why would he bring up Yorihisa's feelings for her now? That was what she needed to ponder. Or simply ask Tenma.
"Yes. So?" she replied after a short while. He fled her gaze then, looking down at his free hand resting on his knee. It took him a while to answer, but this time his voice was firm.
"What about you?"
She was confused. "What about…oh," she murmured, staring at her boyfriend somewhat bemused as realization hit her, the implications of what he had asked. She felt a wave of annoyance well up inside her. What was this all about? She was certain she hadn't done anything to make him doubt her love for him.
"You know I'm in love with you," she told him firmly, a tinge of annoyance coloring her voice.
His next words, and the way he casually waved it off with his hand, did nothing to quell her anger or ease her growing confusion.
"Yes, yes, I know," he said. "But what about him?" There was something curious in Tenma's eyes and voice now, some emotion she couldn't quite place.
She stared at him, unable to answer the question. She knew she should have been able to give a simple answer, yet she could not. Her feelings must have shown in her eyes because Tenma gently cupped her face and soothed his thumb across her cheek bone.
He nuzzled her nose with his and spoke, close though his lips did not quite touch her. "I know you love me, Akane. But this isn't about me, it's about Yorihisa," he paused briefly and chuckled as if it was some private joke, "Well, I guess, in a way it is about me, too."
He gave her an affectionate smile and the tightly wound knot in her belly dissolved into a feeling like thick, warm liquid. She closed her eyes and rubbed her nose against Tenma's cheek. He rewarded her with a soft kiss on her lips. She opened her eyes slowly, and her vision was engulfed by the warm gold of Tenma's eyes. She finally smiled back, reassured and filled with tentative curiosity. She still hadn't quite grasped the true intention behind her boyfriend's questions, but she felt that he would tell her when he deemed the time right.
Resting her head against his shoulder, nestled in the curve of his neck, she finally returned her gaze to the subject of their conversation. She was surprised to find Yorihisa had slowed his movements, his watchful eyes trained on the two of them sitting on the steps as if he knew what they were talking about. When he noticed their twin stares set on him, he gave a smile and a small bow and then went back to his practice.
They kept watching Yorihisa in comfortable silence, both occupied with their own thoughts. Tenma’s earlier question still hung between them, not forgotten but patiently waiting to be answered.
Akane let her thoughts roam as she watched Yorihisa effortlessly slide from one stance into the next. Memories and images flowed together in her mind, from the day they first me to the moment he had confessed his love to her. A smile, a touch, a cry, moments of happiness and sadness, closeness and distance. The time when he and Tenma had fought over her attention and the day the two had become friends. Her heart was beating firmly and steadily in her chest, slightly accelerating only now and then with the thought of a particular memory. The answer formed inside her, blossoming into realization.
She glanced up at Tenma and found him staring at Yorihisa, seemingly mesmerized by the other man’s movements.
“If it wasn’t for you, I would be in love with /him/”, she finally told him. Her voice carried a tinge of melancholy. There was a tiny grain of regret, the sadness of wanting to give Yorihisa what he deserved yet not being able to do so.
“Me too.” Tenma wasn’t looking at her, his eyes still fixated on Yorihisa.
Akane blinked, certain she had misunderstood. “Excuse me? For a moment I thought you just said ‘me too’.”
Tenma slowly turned his head to meet her eyes, a faint smirk playing around his lips. The expression was so unlike her usually impulsive, straightforward boyfriend that she blinked again. A strong suspicion befell her as she recalled how much that her boyfriend had been spending with Tomomasa lately. She’d have to have a serious word with the emperor’s general later.
“I did.” There was that smirk again, but otherwise his face betrayed nothing. On second thought, she’d probably better include Yasuaki in that talk as well. The blank look on Tenma’s face was far too similar to the Onmyouji’s most featured expression. It shouldn’t be too difficult to catch those two together for a conversation, seeing as according to her observations they had been spending a suspicious amount of time in each other’s presence. Whenever Tomomasa was holding court – there was no other word for it – Yasuaki, more often than not, conveniently seemed to walk by doing some sort of business or another. When Yasuaki was practicing outside, Tomomasa could surely be seen lounging somewhere close by on the veranda, reading or dozing in the sun. Not to mention, that a couple of nights ago when she had crept back late at night from Tenma’s room to her own quarters, she was sure she had heard both men’s voices coming from Tomomasa’s chambers.
Realizing that her mind had sneakily escaped the subject at hand, Akane frowned, then drew back to fully look at Tenma with a puzzled expression.
“What are you talking about? Is this a game or something? I thought you were being serious about this.” The annoyance from earlier was back and there was a hint of betrayal in the whisper of her voice.
Tenma sighed and reached out to trace her cheek with his index finger. His face was more open again, various indecipherable emotions flying across his features. “You’re not going to make this easy for me, are you?”
She shook her head. “Make what easy? I just don’t understand, Tenma.” Reaching up she covered his hand with hers, resting it against the side of her face. He was silent for a while again and just looked at her, stroking her face with his thumb. She gave him the time to gather his thoughts, waiting patiently for whatever answer was coming.
He took a deep breath, but before he started to speak he threw another short glance in Yorihisa’s direction.
“No games. I meant what I said. I guess it started the day we acquired the seal. I mean, we did put our rivalries aside earlier than that,” he paused and gave her a slightly embarrassed smile, which she rewarded with a knowing but kind smile of her own. She would neither forget the day when she fell into the water because of their quarrelling, nor would she forget the joy she had felt the moment they started working together of their own accord. She gave him a nod, encouraging him to go on.
“I’m not sure what happened, but ever since that day something has changed between us. There’s a connection that hasn’t been there before. It feels as if I am closer to him than I should be. I seem to notice things I don't want to notice," he paused again, then continued in an even smaller voice. "Or at least that's what I thought for a while. We're good friends. We work well together. He has taught me so much; how to live in this world, how to fight and how to protect you." His eyes softened at his last words, but he didn't hesitate this time. "I feel that he deserves more than what he has now. But you know as well as I do that he would never take what he thinks he has no right to take. He won't push for something he feels is not his to have. But, Akane, I want him to push for it. I want to see him happy. I’m not sure what is going on, but I don't think that I'm suddenly interested in men in general. I think it's just him. And… somehow I want to be responsible for his happiness." He blushed. She couldn't remember ever having seen him blush like this. From the corner of her eye, she caught a sudden stumble in Yorihisa's otherwise fluent movements and thought he'd looked at them with a strange expression, but when she blinked it was gone. It left her wondering if he'd picked up on their conversation.
"Akane?"
She looked back into Tenma's worried eyes and shook her head as if to clear it. "Sorry," she said.
It didn't seem to reassure him. He searched her face, his expression uncertain and exposed. "I'm sorry, Akane. I… This doesn't change anything between you and me. Nothing will change…unless you wish it." His voice trailed off in a whisper. He drew her into his arms and she went willingly. He had laid his feelings bare before her. She buried her face in the curve of his neck and breathed in the clean, fresh scent of his sun-warmed skin. The sudden urge to lick it hit her and without thought she did just that.
The shiver that went through his body in response made her smile against his neck, and she darted out the tip of her tongue again, swiping it delicately over the soft skin. He shuddered again and his arms tightened around her, while a soft laugh rumbled through his chest. She felt the tension leave his body and pressed closer into him. His hands splayed across her back and she felt safe. Safe and loved. The last trace of lingering doubt vanished into thin air. She recognized the truth of his words; nothing would change unless she wished for it to change it.
She closed her eyes and allowed herself to think freely, to let her imagination run along and give way to thoughts that would not have been admitted into her mind before. She could see Yorihisa smile down at her, while his arms gently cradled her against his chest as he carried her away from yet another danger. His voice echoed through her mind, its vibrant warmth making her shiver and tightening things low in her belly. Her heart ached as she remembered the loneliness that sometimes reflected in his eyes, the desperation that shone through his composed and sure behavior when you knew what to look for. A desire to chase that sadness away, to see his face light up with no restraint, flared up in her. She understood now what Tenma meant when he said he wanted to be responsible for Yorihisa's happiness. And she also knew without a doubt that she'd been right when she'd said that she would be in love with Yorihisa if she didn't already have Tenma. It wouldn’t be difficult at all to let him fully into her heart.
Curious, she tried to conjure up an image of Tenma and Yorihisa together and found it surprisingly easy. She had seen them together often enough, so it wasn't difficult to lessen the distance between them just a little more. They looked good together. No, that was not quite true. They didn’t just look good, they looked stunning; Akane found herself a little breathless. To her utter amazement she didn't feel the least bit jealous. She smiled to herself and nuzzled her boyfriend's neck.
One question, however, remained. Her fingers played lightly over his shirt as she moved her head back a bit to rest on his shoulder so she could speak. She suddenly felt nervous. Her heart pounded in her chest, but she had to ask. "So," she felt his curious eyes on her, but she didn't look at him, "are you implying what I think you are? Are you actually suggesting that we, together, do something about Yorihisa?"
She had purposely worded her question in a way that would still give Tenma a chance to back out. He could simply suggest that he wanted to find a girlfriend for Yorihisa or something along that line. Curiously, however, Akane found that she didn't like /that/ idea one bit.
She hadn't realized that she had furrowed her brows until she felt Tenma's fingers smooth them down. She finally raised her eyes up to him and her breath hitched when his intense gaze caught her once again. His voice was warm and low enough to give away the depth of emotion behind it.
"I was serious when I said that I was attracted to him. I'm going so far as to say that I wouldn’t mind sharing you with him. The only thing that I would and could never do is give you up." A soft smile graced his lips. "We already know he is in love with you. And if the attraction and affection I have felt since we touched the seal is any indication, I have a feeling that he won't reject me."
She searched his eyes and found nothing but genuineness in them. She moved to kiss him lightly on the lips, then drew back and gave him a smile. "Do you have a plan?"
The same, a bit uncharacteristic smirk that had unsettled her earlier tugged at his lips, and for a moment she almost felt sorry for Yorihisa. Almost. Instead, anticipation coiled hot in her belly and she unconsciously pressed closer into Tenma's body. He tightened his arms around her in response and gave a low chuckle. "Ah yes.That is pretty much the direction my plan was going. I thought we'd try and test the waters a bit first. How about giving him a show and see how he reacts?"
"You mean…"
"Yes…" He brushed his face along hers, his lips ghosting over her cheek, and sliding down to lightly bite the sensitive skin at the joint of her neck and shoulder. Akane shuddered in his arms, gave an encouraging sigh and closed her eyes with a smile. She felt his hand sliding into her hair, gripping it loosely. He kissed his way up her throat and along her jaw back to her mouth. He closed his lips over hers and drew her into a kiss. She surrendered with a small noise, her arms coming up to circle his neck and pull him even closer. He plundered her mouth, deepening the kiss and turning it into something more intimate than she had ever done where anyone might see. And surprisingly, the thought that Yorihisa might be watching them did not scare or put her off. On the contrary, her body tingled anticipation at idea and made the tight knot of pleasure in her groin burst into wet heat.
Breathless, she melted into Tenma's body. One of his hands settled firmly on her hip, fingers splayed wide; the way his thumb pressed into the joint of her hip and thigh was anything but casual; it made another spike of desire surge through her.
Suddenly Tenma broke the kiss, though not completely. His lips still lingered on hers with feather light touches, teasing and tempting, but his attention seemed to be elsewhere now. She slowly opened her eyes and found his to be half closed, the golden gaze flashing from underneath long lashes trained on something behind her back. Reluctantly, she drew back a bit and turned her head.
Her heart missed a beat before it resumed beating at double pace when she caught sight of Yorihisa standing much closer to them than earlier, staring at the two of them with a blank face. He seemed slightly flushed, though, and his hand was gripping the hilt of his sword so tightly that his knuckles had gone white.
Akane didn’t move; time seemed to stand still as their eyes met and locked. Then, with seeming effort, Yorihisa tore his gaze away and turned abruptly, leaving the courtyard in big strides without so much as a word or a look back.
Akane's eyes followed his retreating back until he disappeared through a doorway. She looked up at her boyfriend questioningly, mild worry furrowing her brows.
"Do you think that was too much?"
He shook his head with a smile. "No, I don't think so. I'd say stage one of The Plan has been completed successfully. We're good to proceed to stage two."
"Stage one? Stage two? The Plan?" She frowned.
"I'll tell you about it in a second. It will work. Trust me." He smirked and leaned down to kiss her again.
She surrendered immediately, putting up no resistance when he gently lowered her onto the sun-warmed floorboards, covering her body with his; her delighted laughter echoed in the silence of the now deserted courtyard.
