The Prick of Memory

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Notes 1: Shinrei and Yuya do not belong to me, alas. They belong to Akimine Kamijyo, whom I worship and would gladly bear his child even though I can't stand kids. The man is a genius, I tell you!

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Shinrei shifted and placed his hands behind his head as he gazed up at the stone ceiling, his thoughts running in a chaotic swirl in his head. He desperately needed sleep so that he would be good and rested for the time when Onime no Kyo would reach him inside the Mibu fortress. For Shinrei had no doubt that the demon eyed samurai in question would come for him. He had to in order to save the life of the young woman who stayed with him regardless of what happened around her.

Shinrei frowned as that thought immediately brought Shiina Yuya's visage to the fore front of his mind. Which resulted in him remembering the feel of her lips under his own as he invaded her being with his Water Dragon attack. He growled at the memory of how soft, warm and alive she had felt before she had managed to slap herself away from him after he implanted his attack. Not for the first time he wondered just why he had chosen that particular method to get his attack inside her body. A simple scratch on her arm would have achieved the same goal, but instead he had opted to kiss her.

He gave a ragged sigh and rubbed his face with his hands. Maybe he should just own up the fact that he wanted to kiss her, plain and simple, and that the attack had been an excuse to do so. He had no intention of letting Yuya die, rather, he wanted to see what Onime no Kyo was made of, and why Muramasa had been so adamant about taking him from Mibu lands and forsaking the Mibu entirely. He had every intention of lifting his "curse" from the blond bounty huntress once he had seen what Muramasa had claimed was the "hope of the Mibu".

With a grunt he rolled over and faced the wall, letting his eyes close. Between the questions he had raised with Taihaku about the Mibu Clan in general, in particular; one Mibu Kyoshiro, whom he had never seen, and this problem regarding his sudden desire to taste the woman that Onime no Kyo had all but claimed as his own had given Shinrei a slight headache. Closing his eyes, he allowed his senses to shut down one by one, until the pain faded into the recesses of his subconscious.

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Shinrei sat and glared at the person whom he considered to be the current source of his misery. Said recipient of the glare returned it with equal flame, clearly letting him know that she considered him to be the cause of her own misery. Shinrei glowered at her, and Yuya rolled her eyes in return.

"I did offer to let you share the blanket, you know," she said, exasperation evident in her voice.

Shinrei grunted in reply as he thought back to just how he had gotten stuck in this ice box of a room with the blond bounty huntress. He had been successful in grabbing her away from Kyo and his small band of followers as they argued amongst themselves, but what he hadn't counted on was for the ice user, Akira, to lose his temper over something that was said to him and unleash his elemental attack in such a way that it coated everything with a sheath of ice several inches thick. Luckily, he had found an entrance to a hidden room inside the fortress walls, and had ducked inside, dragging the kicking girl with him. Unfortunately, the door had been sealed off shortly thanks to Akira's temper tantrum, and Shinrei had removed his hand from Yuya's mouth only to have his ears blasted by her angry tirade. Shoving her aside, he had explored the room and located a blanket folded near an opening that was intended to house a nice, warm fire. It was a shame that his elemental powers were more for the control of water, and for the first time he found himself wishing his half brother were there to light up a nice blaze to either melt the ice or ward off the encroaching chill in the air.

He glanced at the blond bounty huntress as he picked up the blanket and shook it out. She had her arms folded across her chest and delicate shudders raced across her slight form. With a snort, he walked over and tossed the blanket around her, before he settled down next to one of the walls. Yuya blinked at him in surprise as she wrapped the blanket around herself, and said, "But . . . Aren't you cold, too?"

"I'm fine," he had snapped in return, which prompted an irritated huff from the girl as she settled down against the wall across from him and proceeded to glare her discomfort in his direction. Even with the blanket around her, it was obvious that she was still quite cold, and Shinrei swore he could feel the temperature drop by the minute. He folded his arms and tried to look stoic while resisting the urge to rub his hands over his exposed arms. Natural ice was cold enough, but the ice that surrounded them now had been created by a human, and because of this it was several degrees colder than its natural counterpart.

It was ironic, Shinrei mused, that an ice user had become so angry that he had turned everything around him into a massive ice sculpture. One would have thought that an ice user would be the last person to have a hot tempered nature.

His musings were interrupted by a soft touch on his arm, and he looked up in surprise as Yuya sat down next to him and draped part of her blanket over his shoulders.

"What do you think you're doing?" he growled at her.

"Your shivering is making me colder than what I already am," Yuya answered shortly, staring straight ahead and refusing to look at him. "So I came over here to get warm."

He glared at her for a moment before he turned his glare to the wall. He wasn't going to admit that the blanker combined with Yuya's warmth felt good; he would never give the girl the satisfaction of that knowledge. The slight shivers that had wracked his frame eased off, and he began to relax slightly, hoping that it wouldn't be long before the ice thinned out enough for him to break through with his own water powers, but for now, he and the blond bounty huntress were stuck. He felt Yuya shift slightly closer to him in an effort to get warmer, and he scowled at the intrusion upon his thoughts.

"Stop fidgeting, you're making it colder," he grumbled.

"Shut up, whose fault do you think this is, anyway?" Yuya retorted, turning to glare at him.

"I don't think that question deserves an answer," Shinrei replied coolly.

"And why not?" Yuya demanded, temper tinting her cheeks pink.

"Because it's obvious who's at fault here," Shinrei said with a sweep of his hand, indicating the iced over windows and doors.

"Akira-san is not the one who kidnapped me and pulled me into this building only to be iced in!"

"That still doesn't change the fact that he's the one who trapped us here in the first place."

"How was he supposed to know that we were in here? I highly doubt you wanted to be seen while you were dragging me off."

"An ice user should have stronger control over his emotions so that accidents like this won't happen."

"Stop blaming Akira-san for this!" Yuya snapped, her green eyes narrowed in anger. "It was your idea to drag me away from my friends in the first place! Why have you kidnapped me, anyway?"

Shinrei smirked. He had wondered how long it would take her to get to that particular question. From what he had seen of her interactions with Kyo and his merry band of idiots, she had never been hesitant or shy about asking or saying what was on her mind.

"I intend to make Onime no Kyo careless," he answered easily, causing her eyes to cloud in confusion as her brow furrowed.

"Make Kyo careless?" she repeated slowly, as if tasting the words to decide whether or not they were palatable.

"Yes. Taking you will serve as incentive for him to go through the gates that are guarded by the Goyousei at as fast a speed as possible due to fear for your safety. Because of this, his guard will be weaker as he concentrates solely on attacks in an effort to get through the five gates before my own and will not allow him time to rest between battles before he faces me."

Yuya stared at him, her mouth open in shock before she managed to stutter, "Y-you mean you want to fight Kyo while he's exhausted and injured from the previous battles? What kind of fighter are you!"

"I want to push Onime no Kyo to his breaking point and beyond when he fights me," Shinrei said coldly. "I want to see this 'hope' that Muramasa-sama claims will save the Mibu."

"That's so . . . dirty," Yuya cried, leaping to her feet in a move that caused the blanket to pool on the ground behind her as Shinrei, startled by her words, gazed up at her.

"Is this a fighter's pride?" Yuya sneered. "Are the Mibu so lacking in honor that they refuse to allow a fellow warrior the chance to rest a bit between battles?"

It was Shinrei's turn to leap to his feet, her words against his clan sparking angry words of his own.

"What do you know of the Mibu's honor?" he sneered back at her, glaring down into her furious face and felt a small tingle of admiration when she refused to back down or cower beneath his glare. "You know nothing of our pride!"

"The pride of running people's lives from the shadows?" Yuya hurled back.

"The pride of being the most powerful clan of warriors in the world," Shinrie stated.

"So you think that power gives you the right to toy with people's lives like they mean nothing? I'm an independent individual, and I decide my own course, no one else!"

"Is that why you travel with a group of killers and treat their wounds after every battle?" he sneered.

"It's better than being a lapdog for the Mibu!" Yuya shot back, and Shinrei's left eyebrow twitched as his own temper rose.

"At least I don't have some half-assed desire to protect a man who's heart feels nothing but the thrill of killing," Shinrei stated coldly.

"Why you," Yuya snarled, and swung an enraged fist at his head. Shinrei caught the appendage easily, and quickly caught the other hand as well. Yuya struggled against his hold, and he quickly moved to shove her against the wall in an effort to contain her. She glared up at him, her eyes snapping green sparks as she panted angrily through her lips. She showed no signs of fear as she continued to strain against her bonds, even though it was obvious that he had her easily subdued.

"You bastard," she grated, twisting her hands futilely against his hands. "Kyo's so much more than the mindless killing machine you Mibu have painted him to be! He may call those of us that travel with him his servants, but we're all his friends and comrades. He'll never admit it, but he looks out for us, and he always made it apparent that we travel with him of our own free will, well aware of the danger that we put ourselves in. Do you honestly think that Bontenmaru, Akira, Benitora, Sasuke, and myself would be willing to walk into this place for someone we didn't care about? God, you're all so blind with your own power that you can't see the corruption that Muramasa-sama saw, and that he entrusted Kyo to correct!"

During her tirade, Yuya had thrust her chin out towards Shinrei in a show of defiance, and her words became less audible to him as he focused on that aspect of her anatomy that had fascinated him the first time he saw her. Her lips were full and lush, and he found himself suddenly wondering if they were still as soft and warm now as they had been when he sent his water dragon into her body to wrap around her heart. Giving in, Yuya's tirade was effectively silenced as he ducked his head and placed a hard kiss on her mouth.

Shock froze her body, and she managed to squeak, "What," before he kissed her again, this time sliding his lips over hers in a sensual caress that made her suck in her breath with shock. He was close enough now that her scent was starting to go to his head; a mixture of wildflowers, grass, and that uniquely faint perfume that was pure Yuya, and he found his body roaring to life as he began to crave more.

"I . . .," again she was silenced as Shinrei settled his mouth firmly on hers.

Shinrei delighted in the soft feel of her lips under his, and it was turning out to be a very effective way of keeping her from blowing her top. He felt her flex her caged hands, and he maneuvered a bit so that both her wrists were held against the wall by one of his hands, and he moved his free hand down to stroke the side of her face with his fingertips. He felt her stiffen as he moved his lips against hers and brushed the seam of her lips with his tongue. At first, she didn't respond, so he brushed against her again. Her body seemed to suddenly relax as she let out her breath with a sigh and opened to him. Taking advantage, Shinrei slid his tongue inside to claim her mouth.

This wasn't like the last time he had kissed her, when he had driven his tongue into her mouth, forcing it past her teeth as he pried her jaw open in order to send his water dragon into her body. That time he had been forceful and dominating, but this was a slow, sensuous slide of wet velvet against wet velvet, light brushings giving away to deeper, harder rubbing as he worked to coax Yuya into responding.

He fought to hold back a growl of triumph when he felt her brush tentatively against him, and with gentle patience, he taught her how to mimic his movements until he achieved his goal of coaxing her into an erotic dance that centered on their fused mouths.

After a few moments, Shinrei lifted his mouth and ran a series of soft kisses across her cheek to the area where her jaw met her neck. He bit down gently on the junction, then carefully took her earlobe in his mouth and suckled gently. Yuya made a soft squeaking noise, and tilted her head back, giving access to her throat for his hungry lips. He moved his mouth slowly down her neck, stopping to scrap his teeth lightly across the place where her pulse pounded beneath his lips. He smiled slightly against her neck before pulling back to gaze into her face.

Yuya's cheeks were flushed a faint pink and her eyes were closed. She drew in a deep breath a lifted her lids when he brushed his hand gently against her cheek, reveling in the softness of her skin. Her emerald eyes were heavy with the passion that he had sparked inside her, but there was something else visible for him to see, as well. Confusion and denial were warring against the passion, and he didn't have to think twice about the cause of those emotions. Yuya was extremely loyal, and her affections were firmly with the red-eyed samurai that had come to destroy everything Shinrei knew. However, at this moment, Shinrei was the one who was in control, and he was the one who was inspiring passion inside the blond bounty huntress. She may be fighting it, but she wanted him, and he was going to make her scream before it was over.

Shinrei narrowed his eyes slightly at her, and then smiled. Stretching out with his powers, he pulled a tendril of water from the air, and wrapped it around Yuya's wrists. He then sent the tendril to the roof of the building, where it wrapped around one of the exposed beams. Concentrating, he caused the water to take on the semblance of solidity, transforming it into a shimmering, nearly transparent rope that allowed for some movement, but not much. Shinrei quickly moved the hand that had been occupied with binding her wrists to the back of her head, and in a swift movement that had Yuya gasping in surprise, jerked the ribbon from her hair, causing it to spill over her shoulders in a shower of gold.

He plunged his hands into her hair, fascinated by the silky feel as he ran his fingers through it. Yuya's eyes had closed and she tilted her head into his hands, apparently finding his ministrations relaxing. Shinrei smiled as he continued to stroke her hair with one hand and lightly ran his fingertips over her face with the other. Her breath brushed against his calloused fingers as he softly touched her lips before he continued his downward exploration. He gently stroked her neck, then slipped his hand under the edge of her kimono as he traced the shape of her collarbone, stopping for a few moments to rub his thumb in the gentle hollow at the base of her throat.

He leaned forward and placed a quick series of open-mouthed kisses on her mouth and alongside her cheekbone, flicking his tongue lightly against her, enjoying the light taste of her skin. Yuya moaned, the sound coming out guttural as if she had been trying to hold it back, and he smiled as he slid his hand inside her kimono and cupped her breast. Yuya's reaction was instant as she sucked in her breath and tried to jerk away from him, her momentum causing her to swing a bit in his bindings. She jerked her head to the side and opened her mouth as she lunged forward with one of her legs with the full intention of kicking Shinrei where it would hurt the most. Having expected such a move, Shinrei quickly blocked with his own legs as he brought his mouth back down onto hers while he gripped the back of her head with his unoccupied hand in order to keep her from jerking away from him again. He used his weight to pin her against the wall as he slanted his mouth over hers again and again, his tongue plundering her depths as he gently kneaded and stroked her breast. He knew she could feel his hardness against her, and her attempts to move away from him was driving his desire up another notch, but he concentrated on pushing it aside while he worked to stroke her passion again.

He could feel her body reacting to his touch as she began to once again respond to his kiss, and he gently began to brush her nipple with his thumb, smiling slightly when he felt it harden under his touch. Yuya gasped and tore her mouth from his, her body arching back and bringing her breast into fuller contact with his hand. Shinrei continued to play with her nipple, interweaving light pinching with the gentler caress, and buried his mouth in the junction of her neck, scraping his teeth across the sensitive area where it connected with her shoulder as he plunged his other hand into her kimono so her other breast received the same attention as its mate.

He was going to make her ready, willing and his before it was over with. He was going to make her want him as badly as he now wanted her, and there was going to be no visage of a red eyed samurai in her mind by the time he was done. She was going to belong to him; heart, body, mind and soul.

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Shinrei was jerked awake when his thrashing sent him careening off the raised dais his futon was situated on. His back arched as his released roared through him, and his teeth clenched against a harsh shout. His body remained tense for several moments before it shuddered and relaxed. He pressed his face into the cold stone floor, his harsh breathing the only sound that broke the quietness of his room.

He groaned and rolled onto his back as unbidden images from his dream rose behind his eyes. Why the HELL had he just dreamed about making love to the woman who was traveling with the Mibu's sworn enemy? The only thing she meant to him was as a means to lure Onime no Kyo to his death on Mibu lands. He determinedly ignored the sudden sharp memory of wide verdant eyes and warm, soft lips parted in shock beneath his own.

Shinrei pushed himself to his feet with a grunt and surveyed the tangled covers of his futon with disgust. A knock on his door interrupted his brooding, and he checked himself to ensure that the evidence of the contents of his dream remained hidden beneath his sleeping yukata before bidding the knocker to enter.

He regarded Saisei calmly as she entered his room, his countenance giving no hint to his thoughts as she related that Kyo and his group had been spotted entering Mibu lands, and that the rest of the Goyousei were meeting to determine the order in which they were going to meet the group in. Shinrei thanked her, and turned to gather up his clothing as Saisei left his room. He tossed his soiled fundoshi into a corner with a snarl, and rapidly put on his usual attire. He picked up the hilts of his Water Dancers, and with a final disgusted look aimed at his futon, he slipped out of the room and headed towards the Goyousei Meeting Room, his mind focusing on the upcoming battle and resolutely turning away from the feeling of a soft, pliant body against his own.

Owari!

Notes 2: I apologize for the dream sequence ending rather abruptly, but this story is, in reality, a full blown lemon that I couldn't post here due to the ffnet nazi's. :shakes fist: Hell, I think I pushed the envelope with what I did put up here. Anyway, considering that eight pages of text had to be removed for this bit, I feel a bit deflated with putting it up here. Oh well. If anyone is interested in reading the full thing, it can be located here. adultfan dot nexcess dot net backslash aff backslash story dot php question mark no equeals 544179481 Hoefully, if that posts, all you need to do is insert the punctuation where the word is, and take out the spaces. And there's no www involved, either. If you still have trouble, hunt up Alyson Metallium at Adult Fanfiction Net.

The incident with Shinrei kissing Yuya as a means to get his specialized attack inside her body happens in volume 12 of the manga.

Muramasa hitting Shinrei with a Mizuchi attack also happens in volume 12 of the manga.

Fundoshi - Japanese underwear. It's what sumo wrestlers wear, for lack of a better explanation.

Saisei is a character who's introduced briefly in volume 13 of the manga (she's extremely important later on).

If you really don't think that someone would be capable to snatching Yuya out from under the guys noses while they argue amongst each other, just wait until volume 14, when it actually happens. Not by Shinrei, unfortunately, but by someone else. Best collective "DOH!" moment in the entire series.