A dark hue of red spreads across Haruhi's face, her cheeks practically glowing due to Takashi suddenly picking her up. She knew he was strong; she'd seen his muscles several times, but feeling them was different. His skin was hot and hard, each movement allowing her to feel each muscle. The sensation inspires a rare warmth to bloom in her stomach, her heart racing.
"Mori-Senpai?" Haruhi started, her voice sounding as uneasy and nervous as she felt. "We need to go back- they were going in the other direction."
Takashi briefly looked at her. "No, Mitsukuni is this way." He stated it as if it were fact, and Haruhi couldn't find it in her to argue.
"What about Kagome?" Haruhi tentatively asked.
"She will be with Mitsukuni." He was so sure; it was almost frightening his conviction.
"How do you know?"
"Because Mitsukuni wouldn't leave her behind."
Haruhi went to protest, not understanding how instinctual his answers were; to her, it was all speculation. She opened her mouth with another question, but it died on her tongue when he looked at her.
He paused, again looking her in the eyes. "Haruhi." His steely gaze seemed to flicker, gleaming like that of a katana blade. She gulped, her stomach warming and cheeks growing hotter. "Trust me."
'It's the first time Mori-Senpai's ever said my name.' Butterflies took flight in her stomach, and she shyly looked away. Haruhi had never felt this way before, but a part of her liked it, excited to unravel these new feelings.
~o.O~O.o~
"How did you get your scars?"
Kagome blinked up at Mitsukuni; she had originally thought of using the excuse of surgery as a kid, hoping that it would help cover up her secret. But now that her secret was out, she realized that there was no point in attempting to hide behind such flimsy excuses.
Her fingers gently ran over the jagged pale pink skin, the oddly smooth scar snaking under her ribs and along the top of her hip. Of the few scars she had, this was undoubtedly the most noticeable. As she examined the visible reminder of her past, she felt a sense of pride at how far she'd come. Although it had been difficult, she persevered through it all, and moments like this one, staring at her scars, made her grateful for everything she'd overcome. She thought of all the time and energy she'd put into rebuilding herself, and it showed - she'd come out on the other side a stronger, more confident person. No matter what, she wouldn't let this scar hold her back.
"A centipede demon attacked me before my powers had awakened." Kagome shrugged. "And the others are ones I also got when fighting against lesser demons."
Mitsukuni took a step back, his eyes regarding her with growing concern.
She shook her head in disbelief and threw her hands up in a gesture of exasperation, realizing too late the implication of what she had just said. "I'm not a demon hunter!" Kagome proclaimed loudly. "I've only ever defended myself."
The tension that had built up between them over the past few moments melted away as his shoulders finally relaxed, and he offered her a genuine smile. This was the first real smile since the conversation started, one full of warmth and reassurance. "You must be really strong then, K'gome-chan."
Kagome smiled back, an invisible weight being lifted from her shoulders. "Stronger than I was, at least."
She slowly got to her feet, tentatively taking Mitsukuni's hand when he offered. "Do you need me to carry you? Your knee looks pretty bad."
Kagome's whole body jolted with pain as her knee buckled, causing her to stumble and collapse into Mitsukuni's arms. Her breath was harsh and ragged as a desperate yelp of agony escaped her throat. Kagome did her best to contain her sudden tears, biting down hard on her lower lip as she cradled her knee desperately attempting to stop the pulsing pain. The skin on her knee and ankle was a nasty shade of purple, with several scrapes swelled with blood. She knew she'd hit the sides of the pool hard; she just hadn't thought it was that bad. Despite the pain radiating from her limbs, she was determined to keep a brave face and press on.
Before Kagome could say a word Mitsukuni effortlessly lifted her. Kagome was shocked to feel the strength and tenderness in Mitsukuni's arms as he lifted her off her feet and cradled her close to his chest. She felt the warm, muscled arm beneath her legs and held her breath in awe as he gracefully lifted her in a bridal style despite their height difference and started carrying her away. Every step he took was deliberate, as if he were conscious that he was still holding her, and her heart was beating so fast that it was hard for her to concentrate on anything else. Kagome could not bring herself to look away from Mitsukuni, who seemed to be the embodiment of strength and care all at once. Slowly she brought her arms up, loosely hugging his shoulders.
"Thank you Hani-Senpai." Kagome whispered, her cheeks stained red with blush.
He moved effortlessly through the forest, and when it started to rain, he held her tightly under the shade of a large tree, much to her protest. Mitsukuni was so childlike that she sometimes forgot that not only was he a demon but how strong that made him.
"I'm going to set you down, K'gome-chan, some things happening," Mitsukuni explained, gently setting her onto a protruding root. "I'll be back soon."
About to ask, Kagome was left shocked as ropes slithered down from one of the ceiling panels, each bearing a man dressed in squat gear. She meekly nodded, and then Mitsukuni was gone as if he had never been there.
In the distance, she heard shouts, and despite Mitsukuni's unspoken order to stay put, Kagome limped after. Using trees for support, Kagome was left breathless and grimacing at the constant thrum of pain at each movement of her leg.
Once at the clearing, Kagome leaned heavily on a tree, trying her best to catch her breath as she took in the sight of the swat member bowing in front of Mitsukuni.
"What are you doing, K'gome-chan? You shouldn't be walking!" Mitsukuni shouted, his usual youth twang slipping as he rushed to her.
"I'm fine," She warbled, stepping towards him again and leaning heavily onto his shoulder.
Her name rang out in a chorus amongst the approaching host club. Kagome smiled back with an awkward wave to the group as she limped beside Mitsukuni.
Now that Mitsukuni knew her secret, she'd have to have this conversation with everyone, and she was scared that it could affect their relationships. A part of her wanted to run away and avoid this conversation for as long as possible but knew that would be impossible- knowing Tamaki, he, and the others would come to find her. And oddly enough, that was reassuring; even if the friendship changed, they would still be the same people she'd come to think of as friends.
"Kagome!" Her name was her only warning before being pulled into a tight hug. His arms were like iron, holding her tight against his chest.
"Kaoru," she whispered his name, ready to push him when she noticed he was trembling. His hands were in her hair at her shoulders; his face burrowed into her neck. Kagome stiffened, surprised at first, shocked to hear him breathing so deeply in her ear before relaxing. Raising her trembling hands, she rubbed soothing circles on his back and caressed his hair. Swallowing her nerves, Kagome nuzzled him back. Rubbing her nose and cheek against his cheekbone before rubbing the junction of his neck and shoulder, where she gently croons.
He responded in kind, a gentle rumble falling from his chest. He held her tighter, pulling her up against him, her feet barely on the ground. His youki slowly leaked out, falling against them in warm curls.
"I'm okay," she did her best to reassure him, but he showed no signs of letting her go. "Kaoru," She moved, feeling his arms slowly loosen at her slightest protest. Caressing his cheeks, Kagome leaned back, still within the circle of his arms but now able to look up into his face. She offered him a gentle smile. "I'm okay, I promise."
"Kagome, you're hurt." Haruhi snapped. "That's not okay."
Kagome offered the girl a guilty smile. "I'll be alright, I promise."
"No, she's right, Kagome; you were hurt because of some miscalculations in the park infrastructure. We are taking you to a doctor immediately." Kyoya interjected, the glare on his glasses making it impossible for her to see his expression.
Kagome sagged before smiling as she stepped out of Koaru's arms, though he kept a supporting hand under her elbow. "Alright, but I expect this incident to reflect kindly on mine and Haruhi's debts Kyoya-Senpai."
Kyoya shook his head as he approached, stealing her from Kaoru. Kagome tried to contain the sound that tried to escape from her throat and kept her hands held close to her body as he strode towards the exit with her held tenderly in his arms.
"No fair!" Tamaki squealed. "Daddy wants to carry Kagome!"
Both Kyoya and her released an annoyed sigh, their deadpan expressions mirroring one another before he walked away. "You'll only get lost." He walked away quickly, the others trailing behind.
"I'm glad you're safe."
Kagome blinked up in surprise, staring into his soft eyes. Kyoya was one of those few people that Kagome found challenging to read, struggling to pin the random strikes of emotions that rarely broke through his usual indifferent façade. Right now was no different, her chest fluttered, and cheeks flared red. She looked away, trying to ignore the strange look and how their skin touching made her feel.
"You have a lot to do if you're going to make this park safe enough for humans, but I could see demons enjoying it."
Only the slightest break in his step could be noticed. She felt how quickly his body had stiffened and how his hold on her had wavered for a split second. It was only a second, but it was all they needed. With her slip of the tongue, Kagome waited for his next question, ready to reveal her secret.
"Thank you for the input." He kept walking.
Kagome smiled softly. "You're welcome, Kyoya-Senpai. I had a lot of fun." Her weary head settled on his shoulder, her whole being slumped with exhaustion. And before she knew it, she was falling asleep, lulled by the gentle rhythm of his heartbeat and warmth.
If he asked, she'd tell him; she'd tell them all the truth.
wolfYLady: And there we have the second part of the jungle pool episode. I hope everyone enjoyed it, and are excited for things yet to come. I am still working on getting new chapters out as soon as I am able.
I know the pairing is still undecided, but it's so hard to pick when you can have an entire harem.
Thanks for reading, and please leave a comment/review- it really means a lot to me.
UNTIL NEXT TIME~