Naraku in Love

7

It lunged towards me and as I drew my bow I was thrust forward towards it. I didn't understand what was happening and had a sudden flash back to when Naraku had sent one of his appendages through my arm. I hadn't been able to sense his aura then either. Was it him?

I looked down at my left shoulder, it had been pierced in the same exact place Naraku had previously stabbed. My arm felt completely useless and numb as if it had been ripped from my body and was no longer under my control. There was a long spider leg that hung through the front of my body, it began to raise into the air, taking the rest of my body with it. I couldn't feel anything, in fact I was completely paralyzed, the smaller demons I had been after earlier had disappeared and I couldn't even turn to see what was dragging me into the air. And just as suddenly as it started, it stopped and I was falling. I braced myself for the hard ground but instead I was caught by Kagura's feather. The arm inside of me had pulled out before dropping me, I had heard a demonic scream and when I looked down I could see that there was a giant spider demon and one of it's arms had been severed. Kagura used her fan to slaughter the demon. She quickly grabbed the shard and then turned on her feather to go back towards the direction we came. Meanwhile I was close to losing consciousness, I still felt paralyzed, but my arm felt like it was going to fall off, as if the flesh connecting my arm and shoulder was deteriorating. My breathing was shallow and heavy, I wanted more than anything to be held by Naraku in that moment. And I felt ashamed, that after just one show of affection, if I could even call it that, I had become so irrevocably obsessed with a demon that in my possible last moments of life, he was all I wanted. I closed my eyes, accepting my fate. At least I wouldn't have to suffer the humility of this any longer. I could pass on before I completely sullied myself and my reputation as a priestess. Things went dark after that. The last thing I remember seeing were the clouds passing me at eye level and the blueness of the sky.

I had vague flashes of what I believed to be consciousness. Each instance was filled with incredible pain, but in the midst of the chaos I thought I saw Naraku's handsome face above mine, looking down on me. His expression wasn't one of concern, it was just his face. The way it had always been. Calm, unreadable, and beautiful. I smiled, happy to finally see him, even if it was a hallucination. And then I faded out of consciousness again.

The next time I awoke it was to the sun peaking in harshly through the window in my room. It made my head throb and I tried to turn away from it but my body felt too heavy and hurt when I tried.

"Does the light bother you?" I heard a deep and sensuous voice ask.

I tried to turn my head to get a look at the speaker, I knew it was Naraku, I knew his voice anywhere. But I couldn't move.

"Yes," I managed to croak out.

He walked over to the window wordlessly and and I was finally able to get a glimpse of him. He stood tall and graceful, in one swift motion he pulled the curtains over the window, blocking out the light. This gave me an even better view. He kept his back to me for a bit, and stood facing the now blocked window without saying anything. I wondered if he could feel me starring at him. I was suddenly self conscious, I must look awful, but since when had I ever cared about my looks?

He turned to me, "Is that better?"

His tone was was calm and cool, he didn't sound concerned for me but the question itself made me wonder if he was.

I nodded my head to the best of my abilities, I wanted to close my eyes again, but I was afraid the next time I woke up he'd be gone.

He came and knelt down beside me, propping my head up on his knee. I didn't expect his hands to be so soft, cool and gentle. He handled me so delicately that it barley hurt. He brought a bowl of water to my lips and I drank from it realizing only then how dry my throat was. I rested my head back on his lap and this time closed my eyes, the feeling of being so close to him soothed me. I thought of when I first met him and how hard it was to be around him because of his demonic aura, now when I left the barrier I almost missed it.

"How do you feel?" He asked.

"Not very well," I answered, looking back up at him.

He looked so handsome. His red eyes bore into mine like rubies, his dark curly hair hung down in tendrils above me, one even reached my face and I could feel it gently tickling against the skin of my cheek.I caught his scent and inhaled deeply, it was so relaxing, like grass in the rain.

"What do you smell?" He asked with a dark glimmer in his eyes.

Had I just been caught smelling him? His lips were curled into a sinister smirk and I could feel my cheeks heating up. Our eyes met and be both just watched each other without speaking. Suddenly his expression went from amused to almost angry looking. He furrowed his brow and looked away from me. Gently, he placed my head back onto the mat. Without a word he got up and began to walk towards the door.

"Wait!" I gasped out in distress.

He paused and looked at me over his shoulder. I was struggling to sit up and using all my strength.

"Stop that," Naraku snapped. He came back towards me and gently but firmly pushed me back down onto the mat.

I grabbed onto the sleeve of his haori before he could pull away. He said nothing but looked at me expectantly.