InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Purity Redux: Vivication ❯ Misting Dawn ( Chapter 8 )

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

"He's so handsome!  Who is he?"

"I don't know . . . Isn't he an ermine-youkai?"

Sitting up a little straighter in her small desk in the far corner of the seventh grade classroom near the windows, Saori glanced up from the shoujo manga she was reading, only to blink and stare at the tall and lanky ermine-youkai who strode into the room and stood near Tomoko-sensei's desk in an almost casual kind of way.  All the girls in the room were whispering behind raised hands, behind raised books, the sound not unlike the twittering of small birds in the spring. The boys in the room seemed to fall silent as they took in the sight of the newcomer, and through her preoccupation, she could sense the hint of danger, as though the boys were sizing him up.  If the youth at the front of the room heard it, he made no indication as he casually flicked a bit of lint off the sleeve of the black training jacket he wore before reshouldering the black leather book bag slung almost carelessly over his shoulder.  The Tokyo Academy didn't adhere to dress codes, even though most of the girls wore cute little skirts and blouses while the boys, for the most part, usually wore dress pants and white shirts.

Running his nimble fingers through his lustrous brown hair, he shook his head slightly, unruly bangs falling into his eyes in a careless kind of way, sky blue eyes sweeping over the room without any sense that he might well be an outsider.  For a split second, Saori felt the boy's gaze light on her and linger, just for a moment, before slowly, casually, moving on again.

'I wonder who he is . . .?' she thought idly, letting the manga drop from her slack fingers as she made no bones about staring at the new kid.

'No idea, but it looks like Kentai-kun and Hoshisachi-kun might well be getting ideas . . .'

Reluctantly dragging her eyes off the boy, she shifted her gaze to the side and stifled a sigh.  Indeed, the two renowned troublemakers were staring at the new boy in a way that left very little doubt in her mind that they'd end up in oji-chan's office sooner or later over whatever it was they were planning . . .

Tomoko-sensei breezed into the room, sparing an easygoing smile at the gathering of students before heading for his desk.  He spoke with the new boy in hushed tones for a moment before shifting his gaze back over his class once more.  "Okay, okay," he called, waving a hand to gain their attention—entirely unnecessary since everyone was already staring at them both.  "Class, this is a new student.  His name is Yamato Kakashi—" a chorus of giggles broke over the room, "—Yes, Kakashi, just like in Naruto . . . Anyway, his father was transferred here for his work with the Dongoro Foundation.  Make him feel welcome, please—thank yo-o-ou."

That said, Tomoko-sensei gestured toward the back of the room—the only empty desk that just happened to be beside Saori . . .

"Hello," Yamato-kun murmured to her, catching her eye as he slipped into the empty chair.  "Yoroshiku . . ."

Saori gasped quietly, her head snapping forward as a bright flush burst under her skin.

It was probably the worst first introduction, ever, she suspected . . .

Awaking with a sigh, Saori didn't open her eyes as she savored the warmth of the body beside hers.  Wrapped around her might be a better way to put it, given that, at some point during the night, Fai had turned toward her, and whether she had melted against him or if he had pulled her over didn't really matter, not when the warmth of his body was so welcome in contrast to the brisk and almost cold, thin morning air.  Loathe to move enough to wake him, she did shrink back against him just a little closer.  After all, his shirt was still damp last night, and he hadn't put it back on before they'd gone to bed.  She might well have thought that the missing layer of clothing should have left them both, feeling just a little colder, but that wasn't the case at all.  No, if anything, the lack of his shirt seemed to intensify the heat, radiating off of him . . .

It occurred to her that she could go ahead and get up, could rebuild the fire to make some tea, maybe to find something for breakfast.  Too bad all of those things meant losing the warmth that beckoned her, that made her want to snuggle in, to go back to sleep . . .

'Nah, this is much, much nicer than dreaming about that first time you met Kakashi-kun,' her youkai-voice pointed out.

That was true enough, given that the first greeting was the only time, ever, that he'd spoken to her, never mind that they had been in the same class from then till graduation years later.

'Concentrate, Saori.  Who cares about him, anyway?  I mean, why are we even wasting our time and energy, thinking about him—dreaming about him—when Fai-sama's right here—and he's warm . . . and he's comfortable . . .'

Saori was inclined to agree.  Fai really was entirely too cozy to resist.  Letting her eyes slip closed, she let out a contented sigh, snuggling just a little closer to him, savoring the feeling of his arm, under her cheek.

She was almost asleep again when he rolled the lower half of his body toward her, pulling her against him a bit tighter, which would have been just fine, but it brought certain parts of him into contact with her—most especially, with her rear—a very, very hard something, pressed against her—and her eyes flashed open as a sharp gasp whooshed out of her before she could stop it.

'What is . . .?'  Eyes widening even more as late understanding dawned on her, she bit her lip, held her breath as her face exploded in embarrassed color.  'Oh, kami!  Kami, kami, kami, kami, kami!'

Her youkai laughed.  'Oh, now that's impressive . . .'

She started to retort, but her reply was cut off short as another squeak squeezed out of her when the warmth, the balm, of his lips sought out the tender flesh of the nape of her neck . . .

Her breath caught somewhere between her nose and lungs as her eyes slipped closed, as a sudden and intense surge of fire shot through her, an almost electric kind of connection.  Unprepared for the insane shock of it all, her body melted against him, even as her brain struggled to understand just what was happening.

She couldn't.

The scrape of his fangs, the haze of his breath, the scorch of his mouth against her skin obliterated thought, set off tremors that rattled through her in such a rapid succession that she had no idea, just where one ended and another one began.  The hand that had been rather casually tossed over her waist slipped up under the hem of her sweatshirt, trailing over her belly, and she gasped loudly when his palm closed over her breast, the heat of his hand permeating the flimsy cotton of her bra as her body jerked of its own accord . . .

"W . . .What . . .?" he mumbled, hand stilling almost instantly when he tugged on the arm she was using as a pillow to prop himself up on his elbow.  "Wh . . .?"

She froze, his voice enough to crash down on her like a bucket of icy water.  It occurred to her somewhere in the depths of her addled brain that he sounded just as confused as she was, but the embarrassment that followed was more than enough to galvanize her into action.

Tossing back the blanket, she scrambled away from him and onto her hands and knees, wincing inwardly when his claws momentarily tangled in her sweatshirt.  He yanked it free fast as she scooted toward the open side of the shelter, smashing her mouth closed as she tried to stifle a mortified whimper.

Stumbling to her feet, she staggered away from the shelter, veering away from the campsite as she blindly followed the sound of water . . .


'So, just how long are we going to follow along behind her in absolute silence?'

Fai didn't bother to respond to that as he scowled at the woman, carefully, but efficiently, picking her way through the underbrush.  She reshouldered her bags and kept moving, and he stifled a sigh.

Every time he'd tried to talk to her, she'd hurriedly changed the subject, twittering on as rapidly as she could about everything from the weather to the idea that they'd be reaching the orphanage soon enough.  It was almost as though she was afraid of what he would say to her, which seemed entirely ridiculous, given that he was the one who sincerely needed to apologize to her for his untoward reaction this morning.

And, to be honest, he really wasn't sure why he'd reacted the way he had.  Well, that wasn't entirely true.  He did know, didn't he?  'She was just . . . just a warm body, and I . . . I wasn't thinking.  That's all . . .'

His youkai-voice snorted indelicately.  'If you believe that, then you're really stupid, tai-youkai.'

'What other reason could there possibly be?  I . . . I barely know her!  It's not like I'd ever just do something like that randomly, out of the blue . . .'

'My point, exactly, but if you want to keep playing the fool, then by all means—however, when you say that to her and make her cry?  Make sure you let her know that I warned you that you're a damn idiot.'

'Make her cry?  How the hell would that make her cry?  All I said was—'

'I heard what you said, Fai.  You said that she was—and I quote—just a warm body, that's all.  So, how would you react if someone said that to you after nearly mauling you in your sleep?  Even if you barely know her—which is kind of untrue—you have to realize that saying something like that to anyone would be a serious blow to the ego, don't you think?  Don't be dumb.'

He snorted inwardly.  'It's not like I'd say it to her like that,' he huffed, unconsciously quickening his pace, as though he thought that he could put some distance between himself and his youkai-voice.  'I would simply rather that she doesn't feel that it's going to happen again because it isn't.  It was an accident.  It was just warm and . . . and really, really comfortable . . .'

'You know what?  You can't tell her something like that.  You just can't.'

'Why can't I?'

'Think about it, will you?  Do you honestly think that that girl is like the others you've known?  She isn't.  Surely you can sense her naiveté for yourself, can't you?  She's not one of those prim and polished ladies, and whatever you say to her is going to stick with her for a very, very long time, so, even if you don't know how you feel about her, think about what you're going to leave her with when it's all said and done because she is going to remember it, long after she's forgotten what you look like.'

'. . . And just why would she forget what I look like?'

His youkai heaved a long, loud sigh.  'You act like you don't care about her in the least—that's what you say, right?'

'I never said that.  I—'

'Incidentals, Fai.  You keep saying that the only reason you're here with her now is because you didn't want her to go traipsing off alone, which is complete crap, really, given that she's showed herself to be perfectly able to take care of herself out here.  So, either you like her or you don't, but if you do, then you can admit it to yourself.  It's not like there's anyone in your own head that is going to make fun of you for being intrigued by her—because I sure as hell am!'

'Why would I ever be intrigued by someone who's going to forget what I look like?' he grumbled.

His youkai grunted.  'If that idea bothers you so much, then make sure she has a reason to remember you.'

"So, uh . . . From what I can tell, we should reach the orphanage within the next hour or so," Saori remarked in a forced bright tone, unwittingly interrupting the heated conversation between Fai and his annoying youkai-voice.

Scowling at her back, Fai reached out without really considering his actions, grasping her wrist and pulling her around to face him.  "Okay," he allowed rather tightly.  "Then we need to talk before we get there."

She started to shake her head, her cheeks blossoming in a very becoming blush as she stared at his hand, wrapped around her wrist.  "Everything's fine, and—"

"You could slap me if you wanted to," he interrupted with all the finesse of a sledgehammer.  "What I did this morning . . ."

"Wh—? O-O-Oh, that . . .? Um, it was—"

He sighed, dragging her over to a fallen and decaying tree where he sat down, tugging her down beside him.  "I didn't mean to do that," he said.  "It was . . . entirely unseemly, and I apologize."

"Oh, I didn't—didn't think you—you meant anything by it.  It was just, um . . ."

Shaking his head, he let go of her wrist, hunching forward just enough to rest his forearms on his knees, steepling his fingertips together between his slightly spread knees.  "Don't make excuses for me, Saori," he told her.  "You don't have to.  You were . . . were warm, and I was comfortable—maybe more comfortable than I've been in a . . . long time . . ."

She blinked, her eyes flashing up to meet his as her flush darkened just a little.  "But . . . But we were on the ground . . . I mean, your bed has to be much more comfortable than that . . ."

Offering her a slight shrug, he sat up, let his head fall back as he stared up at the sky through the branches of the trees.  "I don't often sleep well," he admitted, unsure why he was telling her any such thing.  "Even when I'm exhausted, it's like my brain won't stop—constantly mulling over decisions, trying to think things through, to make the best choices, given my options."

She considered that for a long moment, absently listening to the sounds of the birds in the trees.  Their happy song that felt so at odds with the gravity of their discussion . . . Did she feel that, too? he wondered vaguely.

"And you slept really well last night . . ." she finally ventured.  It wasn't a question.  If anything, she sounded a bit incredulous.

"I did," he admitted.  "To be honest, I've slept better almost every night out here . . ."

"Oh . . ."

He uttered a terse laugh.  "You sound like you understand it," he replied.

"Maybe it's the fresh air," she said, digging a bottle of water out of her knapsack.  "They say that it helps to clear the mind."

"I get fresh air at home," he countered.  "That's not it, but if you know why, then feel free to let me in on it."

She shrugged, taking a long drink from the bottle before offering it to him.  He took it and did the same.  "Maybe it's all the walking?"

He considered that, then shrugged.  "Maybe."  But he didn't really think that was the reason, either.  No, the real reason that whispered to him . . . He wasn't entirely sure he was ready for that much truth, after all . . .



"My God, you smell awful."

Rolling her eyes, trying her hardest, not to blush, Saori spun around on her heel, only to come face to face with Dmitri Yegsteric, who casually leaned in the doorway, arms crossed over his chest, legs crossed at the ankles, a playful little smile tugging at the corners of his lips.  Black hair pulled back in a low hanging ponytail that rested over his shoulder, his dark eyes sparkling with his misplaced amusement, he chuckled when she narrowed her gaze on him.  "You have no manners to speak of, do you?" she grumbled.

Dmitri chuckled.  "I must confess, of all the outcomes I imagined from your little sojourn, I never thought you'd drag the tai-youkai all the way out here."

She made a face as she turned away to dig through her drawers for a change of clothes.  "That was an accident," she muttered as the blush that she'd tried to stave off shot to the fore despite her efforts.

"Do tell."

She sighed, snatching a pair of plain white cotton panties out of the drawer along with a white cotton bra.  "I . . . might have . . . kidnapped him . . ."

Dead silence greeted her admission.  It lingered for a good ten seconds before he promptly burst into laughter.  "You did what?"

She sighed a second time, slamming that drawer closed and yanking open the next one down.  "It was an accident," she insisted hotly.  "I mean, after I knocked him out—"

"Dear God, you were just supposed to plead our case, not manhandle the poor man . . . You knocked him out?"

She snorted.  "No, the van did.  You know how the hatch won't stay up without holding it, and . . . and I forgot and I dropped the teddy bear, so when he bent down to pick it up, the hatch . . ." She couldn't stop the wince that contorted her features.  It sounded so much worse when she said it out loud, didn't it . . .?

Dmitri looked like he was ready to lose what was left of his composure as he shoved himself away from the door frame, digging his hands deep into his pockets as he wandered forward into her tiny room.  "Okay, so you've told me how you managed to brain the tai-youkai.  How about you tell me how you kidnapped him.

Rubbing her forehead for a moment before she retrieved a clean pair of jeans, she let out a deep breath.  "Well, from there, it was easy enough.  I just shoved him into the van and got out of there, of course."

Shaking his head, Dmitri chuckled again.  "But . . . why?"

Casting him a quelling kind of glance, she wrinkled her nose.  "Why else?  He needs to meet the children—needs to see how much they'll suffer if he really does take away the funding for the orphanage."

"I see," he replied, crossing an arm over his stomach, resting his elbow on his raised forearm so that he could scratch his chin thoughtfully.  "Well, I guess that does make sense—sort of—but kidnapping Faine Demyanov?  Was that really a good idea?"

She shrugged.  "He's here, isn't he?"

Dmitri slowly shook his head.  "I feel as though this is going to end badly, Saori," he pointed out.

She made a face, rolling her eyes as she shifted her clothing to one side and reached for her plastic caddy that held her bathing supplies.  "He's fine, and he had a pretty good time, actually," she replied.  "It's going to be all right.  You'll see!  He'll just get to know the children, and I'm sure he'll change his mind . . ."

Dmitri heaved a longsuffering sigh and slowly shook his head.  "You are being entirely too optimistic here, you realize," he pointed out.

She rolled her eyes again and blew him a kiss as she hurried out of her room and down the short hallway that led to the stairs.  At this time of day, the older children were all at school, but the younger ones were all in the main building, playing games and being monitored by the daytime team who tended to hate being referred to as 'babysitters'.

She'd left Fai with Director Bostoyev, who had looked entirely stunned when she'd walked into the compound with the Asian tai-youkai in tow.

'Surprised isn't really what he was,' her youkai-voice pointed out as she stepped outside, blinking momentarily as her eyes adjusted from the dimmer light inside to the brilliance of the afternoon sun.  'Shell-shocked might be a better way to describe the expression on his face.  Near panicked is another good one . . .'

'It wasn't that bad . . . Surely he has to see that having Fai-sama here is a far sight better than trying to convince him just by talking to him . . .'

Her voice sighed.  'Yeah, and about that . . . You can't really think he's going to change his mind about defunding the orphanage that easily, can you?'

Deliberately slowing her gait as she headed for the bath house-slash-restroom, Saori bit her lip.  'There's no way he'll be able to say no once he meets the children,' she insisted.  'They're so young, so innocent . . . They deserve the relative stability they get here.'

The deep sigh wasn't exactly encouraging, but she brushed that off, determined not to let negativity get the better of her.  She'd attended a seminar when she was at the university—the power of positivity—and the speaker, a young man who believed  that you could dictate and shape your future, simply by believing that good things would happen, and Saori had really latched onto the idea.  In her opinion, it worked, too.  Whenever she was faced with a tough decision, she reminded herself that if she simply thought positively—if she visualized the best outcome—then that's what she attracted.  It had worked thus far, hadn't it?  Of course, it would work this time, as well.  After all, Fai just had to change his mind.  The idea of him defunding the place for real?  It just wasn't something she could truly wrap her brain around . . .