Someone to Protect: Toga x Izayoi

Chapter 10: Confessions - Part 1

Picture credit: Terrysoul on Deviant Art

Chapter 10 - Confessions

Knowing how much Izayoi disliked flying, Toga soon landed.

Izayoi hurriedly clambered to the ground, breathing deeply and appearing slightly green.

As Toga returned to his human form, he found himself overwhelmed with tenderness. He took Izayoi into his arms and promised, "I won't ask you to do that again."

"Thank you."

She even sounded ill.

They stayed like that for several minutes. As Izayoi's fear-scent drifted away, Toga began to notice her heart hadn't slowed as much as he'd hoped.

"Are you still feeling unwell?" He asked. "Do you need to sit down?"

Gentle hands pressed against his chest. She turned her head, unable to look at him for her embarrassment, "I am fine now, milord."

"Your heart is still pounding."

She glanced shyly at him then, "Does yours not when we are this close?"

He grinned, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes, "I'm not sure. Maybe you should check."

He caught her hand and slipped it under his kimono, right above his thundering heart.

Izayoi's eyes widened, and he caught a slight hint of musk.

Toga expected her to pull away, stammer an unnecessary apology, and blush furiously.

Instead, her eyes met his and her hand slid up his bare skin to rest against the pulse of his neck.

"I'm so glad it's not just me anymore."

Toga felt the emotions in that statement, especially the final word of it. "How long?"

She dropped her hand and looked away, "Which way are we heading today?"

Toga grabbed her hand and pulled her back to him, hugging her again from behind. "How long?"

"I'm not sure," she admitted quietly.

"Since you started training with the priestess?"

Had the priestess manipulated them both to fulfill that prophecy?

Izayoi shook her head, "Years before that."

Toga was stunned.

Years.

She had felt this way for years? Toga considered how much had he hurt in just the past few months as he realized his feelings, fought his desire, and reminded himself he could not be with her--because she belonged to someone else (or so he'd thought).

And she'd loved him like that for years.

His heart ached at what he had unknowingly put her through.

Meanwhile, Izayoi, unaware of Toga's inner turmoil, admitted, "I've always loved you, I suppose, but when I entered womanhood, my feelings started to change. I felt like I couldn't breathe near you. Oddly, I felt like I couldn't breathe when you were gone either. But the day of the Hell Viper..."

She grew quiet, so Toga prompted, "What about that day?"

He smelled tears and heard them in her voice, "I realized you weren't invulnerable."

That hurt his pride, "I wasn't badly injured. I am invulnerable. Well, mostly."

"You don't understand. It was the first time I'd seen you hurt. It killed me, not knowing how to help you. And when your eyes finally cleared..."