Defy Not The Heart

"Kyoko, are you all right? Is there something I can do for you?” Shinbe felt guilty knowing she thought it was a dream, as she’d said last night. But he needed to know if she remembered anything. By the blush that spread across her face, he thought maybe she did. When she finally spoke, he sighed in relief, and misery. Somewhere deep inside, he had hoped she would remember, and put an end to it all.

Kyoko gave him a weak smile. Damn dreams… Why did she have to dream of him, of all people? It wasn’t bad enough she’d dreamt of him before in that manner, but she’d never dreamt of him and woke up only to be so close to him that she could feel his body heat.

She suddenly leaned back, away from that closeness, her emerald eyes wide. There was something in the way he was looking at her, as if he were searching into her very soul. Or getting ready to grope her… with Shinbe one could never be sure. She mentally shook her head, ‘No. Don’t wanna go there, Kyoko, girl, not right now! Think, what was the question?’ “Urmm…”

"Shinbe, would you mind looking through my bag, and find the box I keep herbs in?” she put her hands to her head again, trying to stifle the thumping. ‘Note to self… never, ever, go to a party with Tasuki and his frat buddies ever again.’

Shinbe dug around in her bag looking for the herb box. Pulling it out, he handed it to her. Kyoko accidentally brushed her hand across his and Shinbe had a sudden bolt of heat course through his body causing a certain part of him to harden.

‘Oh, how vulnerable she was right now, he could just… NO! What was he thinking? Gods… they were right when they called him a perv.’

Trying to quickly back away to a safer distance, he accidentally brushed his arm against her thigh.

Kyoko inwardly cringed at the contact. Why did he have to be the one helping her right now? Why couldn’t Toya still be here glaring and yelling at her. ‘Those lips, those eyes, I… have to stop staring at him like that!’ She turned her gaze back to the herb box as she fumbled through it, looking for the aspirin she normally kept inside. Finding them, she held up the tiny pills.

Shinbe stared at her, mesmerized. She hadn’t tried to castrate him yet, so she must not remember. ‘Why couldn’t she have remembered,’ he silently sighed.

She looked back up at him making eye contact that almost rendered her brain dead for a moment. "Water? Please? You have no idea how gross these are without it."

Shinbe got completely flustered as he watched her mouth the words. Her lips were just so inviting… he could just… he bent down… he looked at the aspirin she held in her hand. Focus.

"Yes, they do look like nasty little things,” he said, eyeing them, even though he had no idea what they were. The door suddenly opened and he guiltily jerked his head around to see Suki and Kamui coming in with the water jug.

Suki eyed Shinbe wearily, "What are you up to, guardian?"

Shinbe backed away wondering if Suki could secretly read his mind or something. She had an uncanny knack for knowing just when he was misbehaving… or at least thinking about it.

"Oh Suki, please pour me some water quickly. The sooner I take this medicine, the sooner I’ll feel better,” Kyoko offered knowing Shinbe hadn’t been doing anything wrong.

‘Kyoko to the rescue!’ Shinbe kept the cheer to himself.

Suki poured some water in her cup and started to chatter on about how Toya was having a tantrum about her not returning early yesterday afternoon.

Shinbe leaned against the wall, watching Kyoko, and half listening to the conversation. "… if he screamed at me one more time, I thought I was going to…" Take you in my arms and kiss you senseless. "… he’s such an arrogant bully…" I want you so bad, Kyoko. "… and the way he treats…" Shinbe fidgeted, wondering how long he could keep his secret, now that he had claimed her. "… isn’t that right, Shinbe?"

‘Huh? Did someone ask him a question?’ Shinbe glanced from Suki to Kyoko as they both stared at him waiting for his response.

Having no clue what they were talking about, he took the safe way out, "Why, yes. I think you’re absolutely right, Suki. If you will excuse me, I have to go speak with Toya.” With that, he quickly escaped out the door.

Suki and Kyoko watched the door close after him, and both girls giggled.

Shinbe made it to the outside of the small structure and quickly leaned forward against the wall. He placed his hands against the cool wood on each side of his head, and then thumped his forehead against the wooden planks. The pain always seemed to help him clear his mind. It was just slow this morning. After last night, he couldn’t get the feelings back under his control. It was worse now than it had ever been.

He really didn’t want to grope Suki so she would hit him, it just didn’t feel right to do so after touching Kyoko’s body. He feared he would never be able to touch another but her again, without wanting to rip his own hand off. He had chosen his mate and she didn’t even know it.

Toya stood about five feet away, watching his brother and feeling waves of guilt wash from him. One of the perks about being a guardian was that you could sense things about those around you like a lie detector from Kyoko’s world.

He cocked a dark eyebrow, "What did you do, grope Suki again?" Toya frowned at his brother, seeing him flinch at his voice.

Shinbe flashed startled, dark violet eyes at Toya and pushed back from the wall, righting himself. "NO! I… well, you see…" Shinbe frowned at his own stuttering. He quickly forced himself to become calm, once again gaining composure. “I was just staying out here so I wouldn’t make any noise and bother Kyoko’s hangover,” he said with a wise edge to his voice, hoping Toya would take the same advice.

Toya growled in the back of his throat, "I still want to know how the hell she wound up drunk. I think I’ll go find out right now." He started to angrily pass him, then stopped when Shinbe reached out and grabbed his arm in a firm grip. Toya scowled down at the opposing hand, wondering what his brother thought he was doing.

Shinbe watched silver highlights leap into Toya's golden eyes and quickly let go of his arm. In a steady voice he ventured, "If I were you, I wouldn’t do that yet, unless you like the taste of floor." He hid his smirk when he sensed Toya's remembrance of the taming spell.

Toya gave his brother a brooding look before turning his back to the door mumbling, "She should know better than to get in that shape to start out with." He suddenly cringed holding his head where Suki had just brained him with her slayers weapon as she stepped out the door behind him.

"Ouch, what the hell was that for?" Toya glared at her.

Suki stood, giving him a ‘You know what that was for’ look. "Don’t be so over protective,” she glared at him, knowing he would never hurt her. “Kyoko told me what happened last night.”

Shinbe felt his life begin to pass before his eyes. He quit breathing, waiting for Toya to kill him.

Suki continued, "Her friends, on the other side of the heart of time, took her to a gathering where there was alcohol,” she paused for effect, “she did not drink anything. Instead, she ate a lot of fruit, only to then find out it had been soaked in very strong alcohol," her lips twitched. "But by then, she was already drunk."

Toya growled and turned, starting to go in and yell at her for her stupidity, but again received a numbing blow from Suki.

"Leave her alone, she just went back to sleep. And I don’t think she will be able to go anywhere today. So I suggest we leave her here to rest. We can search for the crystal talisman without her for one day."

She turned to look at Shinbe, wondering why he was acting so strange. He’d usually tried to grope her at least ten times before noon. "Shinbe, are you all right this morning?" she stepped closer and stared up into his pale face seeing his eyes were a touch overly bright.

Shinbe came back to life when he noticed Suki was close to his face. He quickly took a step back, then it dawned on him what she’d said. He gave a soft sigh, shaking his head, "Actually Suki, no, I’m not feeling too good myself." He didn’t have to fake it either, because as disturbed as he had been since last night, he really felt like he was losing his mind.

Toya scrunched up his nose at his brother, "Yeah, you really do look like crap. Maybe we should leave you here to watch after Kyoko." He then narrowed his eyes on the amethyst guardian. "But if you touch her, she’ll tell me." Knowing his warning had been heard loud and clear, Toya turned back to Suki. "Do you want to go get Kamui, or should I?" he questioned, not really wanting to feel her weapon upside his head again.

Suki shrugged, "I’ll get him. You," She shoved her finger into his chest, “Stay out here.”

Shinbe choked on his laugh trying to keep in mind he was sick. How did he ever pull this one off? As a guardian himself, Toya should know guardians do not get sick… at least he’d never known one to do so. Still… the idea of staying with Kyoko, of being alone with her all day… well, that temptation was just too much.

Shinbe watched Toya glare at Suki's back as she went to get Kamui, but he stayed outside. Within a couple of minutes, Kaen joined them, peeking in the door at Kyoko. Shinbe knew Kaen would watch after Kamui if they ran into any trouble. A guardian for a guardian, he had often teased his younger brother.

Shinbe watched the group until they were out of sight. He felt his body and mind relax for the first time all morning. With a sigh, he turned and went back into the hut where Kyoko was sleeping.

Kyoko stirred in her semi-sleep, her mind drifting to the night before. Back to the party, trying to spend what little time she had in her world with Tasuki. She really missed him because this world took up so much of her time. She’d been so focused on him that she hadn’t even realized the fruit was tainted until it was too late. She pouted, wondering if Tasuki had known the whole time.

She didn’t remember much about making it back to the maiden shrine, or back here to the hut for that matter. She did remember some of the dream she’d had though… Shinbe. Kyoko slid in and out of sleep, her thoughts continued as if they didn’t care whether she was awake or not.

She’d always liked Shinbe because out of their small little group, he was the most fun of the guardians to be around. And he could always make her laugh without even trying. He was not the type of guy who would settle on just one woman though. Obviously he had issues. But lately she had started seeing him in a different light.

Kyoko tossed in her sleep. It just wasn’t fair. She loved Toya deeply, but he seldom gave her a glimmer of feelings back. Now Shinbe, on the other hand, was a different story. When Toya would yell at her for little things, Shinbe always seemed to try to make her feel better.

It was almost as if the worse Toya acted, the sweeter Shinbe would become, but he acted as if it was nothing but friendship. Sometimes she wondered about him, and that was probably what had led to the dreams she’d started having of him. Up until last night, her dreams had stayed within the limits of sanity. Last night’s dream had gone way out of control.

She knew Toya loved her in his own way, and would probably even die for her, but he refused to show her his true feelings. She knew him getting angry so easily, and bossing her around was just his way of hiding the fact that he cared about her. Sometimes, he hid his feelings so well, that she almost believed him. Still, she found herself comparing the two men. She was always around Shinbe and Toya, and both guardians had their good and bad points.

When dreaming of Toya kissing her, it was always soft and sweet, only sometimes turning heated. With Shinbe, it was always different. Way different. She thought of herself as a woman when dreaming of Shinbe. In those dreams, he kissed her in places unimaginable, and did things to her body that she never thought could feel so good.

She sighed in her sleep. But they were only dreams… Kyoko curled up into a ball and shivered at the memory of last night’s dream. Her body trembling beneath his as he made mad passionate love to her… she whimpered at the memory. Dreaming of Shinbe like that, almost made her feel like she was cheating on Toya.

'No!’ she told her mind, 'Toya has never been my boyfriend. Therefore I do not have one, and so long as it’s in my mind, I can think anything I want… including in my dreams.'

The dream had been so stimulating that when she awoke, she felt like she would just melt. When she saw him sitting there against the wall, as if nothing had happened, that alone confirmed it being only a dream. What was going on in her head? She had to get a grip. Shinbe could never love some inexperienced, little girl like herself. He was obviously a man of the world, who had probably conquered more women in one night than she could count on both hands. She squeezed her eyes shut refusing to think anything else.

Shinbe had come back into the hut relaxed and calm… until his eyes fell on her sleeping form. His whole body stilled and he stood there, just watching her for a few minutes. He saw her shivering, lying on the thin mat. Why didn’t she still have the cover he’d placed across her last night? He glanced over to where she had shoved the cover out of the way while dealing with Toya.

He silently crept over and covered her with the thick blanket and stayed beside her as she continued her restless sleep. ‘Why did he have to feel this way?’ he sighed as he sat down, leaning against the wall, watching her. He knew the answer to that. ‘Shinbe, the guy that everyone took as a joke when it came to women, had fallen in love with a girl from another time.’

He stared at her longingly and then pressed his lips together. She was going to kill him when she realized it wasn’t a dream. Toya was going to kill him too. Could he die twice for such a crime?

Slumping his shoulders Shinbe sighed again, ‘Yeah… about Toya.’ Kyoko was in love with his hot tempered brother. He could feel the guilt creeping up his spine. ‘Why did she have to fall for the one who would never treat her right?’ He would love her with everything he had. So what if he had a little curse on himself. That shouldn’t be too weird. After all, Kyoko had told them about her grandfather and his belief in curses, and demons. ‘Damn, Toya.’

Kyoko murmured in her sleep. He glanced up to see she’d rolled over with her back to him. The blanket he had placed around her had slipped off. The skimpy skirt she wore had flipped up, exposing her most precious asset. A shiver coursed through his body. ‘So… freakin tempting.’

His hand reached out to caress the silky white material that obstructed his view further. He gritted his teeth, pulling his hand back before his fingers made contact. ‘Ah, so close. But so is death, and I’d like to live a little longer.’ he gave a snort of laughter as he tucked his hands inside his coat. He had to watch what he did from here on out, or his life could end a little sooner than he anticipated.

He would tell her the truth in a minute, if she weren’t in love with his brother. He knew he wasn’t alone in his feelings for her. She was their priestess, and they protected her with their life. All of his brothers loved her dearly, each in their own way. But Toya was different. Toya never liked anyone. Shinbe had seen it. Toya was deeply in love with Kyoko, even if he wouldn’t acknowledge it.

Shinbe closed his eyes, feeling them start to burn. He had no right to love Kyoko, or anyone else for that matter. He had the ability to save them all in battle. All he had to do was cast the spell of time, and he could create a void that sucked up everything in its path. It was his greatest power, and his worst enemy. Every time he used the dangerous spell, he could feel it getting stronger.

Everyone had warned him not to use it unless he had no other choice because one day it would become too strong for him to handle, and turn on him. The spell had been a gift from his uncle… the same uncle that was the enemy. At first he had thought it was a grand gift, but now he realized it wasn’t a gift at all. It was a curse. One he would use to destroy the very one who had given it to him… even if he lost his own life in the process.

Shinbe yawned. He had gotten almost no sleep last night, before, nor after Kyoko had come back. He’d spent most of the evening listening to Toya rant because she hadn’t come back through the heart of time before dark like she promised.

At first, Shinbe had worried that she was still mad at Toya when she hadn’t come back. She’d screamed at Toya before leaving because he’d tried to keep her from going back to her time. Toya had even stood in front of her, blocking her from the maiden shrine. In the end, she wound up putting that spell on him numerous times, more times than Shinbe was able to keep count of. But she’d promised to come back before dark the next day.

Shinbe smirked remembering how Toya had fought the spell, cursing all the while about what he was going to do to Kyoko when he was able to move again.

His gaze roamed over Kyoko’s form. This is why he found her so irresistible. She could be angry with Toya one minute, and love him the next. She held no grudge, no matter how much he hurt her.

When Toya had first met her, he’d tried to kill her. Now things had changed, everyone knew that Toya loved her to death, would even die for her. But still he pretended he couldn’t stand her and it often hurt her feelings. It was just Toya’s way of hiding his heart.

Shinbe placed his fingers over the bridge of his nose, trying to ease his mind. Honestly, he felt bad for Toya, and didn’t really intend on thinking bad things about him. It’s just that Toya had a chance with Kyoko and ignored it.

He would have died for a chance like that. He’d treat her like a queen, if only she would let him. That’s the reason he lost it last night. The truth was, last night he’d just snapped. Now, after last night... Shinbe squeezed his eyes shut. Maybe she was better off with Toya, after the way he had betrayed her innocence.

Shinbe jerked as Kyoko shifted once more in her sleep, exposing more of her thigh. He stared at her creamy skin, his hands twitching beneath his coat. ‘Why did she have to have such beautiful skin?’ He felt himself getting sleepier as he watched Kyoko's restless slumber and slowly crawled across the floor, never taking his eyes off the back of her head. He knew if he got any closer, she was going to wake up, roll over, and slap him.

So far, so good. He leaned over her still form to gaze down at her face. Shinbe grinned. She still smelled of alcohol.

‘Didn’t bother me last night,’ he smirked.

A stray auburn tress clung to her shoulder. He gently reached down and slid it to the side with a soft sigh before laying down behind her, nuzzling into her silky locks. He dared not get any closer for fear of death but while she slept, he could at least offer her comfort. He reasoned with himself.

If she were to wake up and find him there, he would just explain how tired he was, and that this was the only place to lie… while keeping an eye on her that is. He’d gladly take the slap he’d get for this. It would be worth it, just to lie beside her for a few hours and rest. He was too exhausted to worry about the consequences as his eyes drifted closed. He was right where he wanted to be and damn the consequences.

Kyoko whimpered sleepily and rolled over feeling a pocket of warmth. She pulled her hands up under her chin and nuzzled into it. When she tilted her head and it stopped against something solid she sighed deciding she was probably just dreaming again. Testing the theory, she placed one of her hands against the warmth.

Yup, very solid. She snuggled closer in her dream, and in her dream, the warmth wrapped around her waist. She smelled the scent of jasmine tea and a woody, earthy scent.

‘Why can’t I get him off my mind? He smelled so good.’

She remembered the first time he had held her in his arms. He thought he was saving her. She smiled in her sleep, he was so strong, and his concern for her welfare was truly sweet, even if his reasons were not quite legit. That was the first time she’d noticed how nice he smelled.

She shivered at the memory, and the warm object around her waist tightened. She slowly wrapped her arm around the warmth, and froze when she heard the distinct rustle of material.

‘What? Rustle of material? Did dreams rustle like robes?’

Kyoko was suddenly wide-awake. Slowly, she barely opened one eye to stare in confusion at the bluish-gray trench coat her hands were entwined with. And she… shot up like a rocket, knocking his arm away with a thud. And he, he… moaned and rolled over onto his back.

Kyoko was panic stricken, looking around from side to side. No one else was here and this most definitely was not a dream. Shinbe was sleeping on her mat. She had to think. What, what was going on? She stared at him frozen to the spot.

‘It was just a dream, right? Get a hold of yourself Kyoko.’ She thought frantically. ‘Where was Toya? Suki? Kamui? Kaen? Where had everyone gone?’

She nearly jumped out of her skin when Shinbe moaned in his sleep and tucked his hands inside his trench coat. When she’d jumped up, she had taken the blanket with her. Kyoko blinked, and then blushed guiltily. ‘He was cold.’ She was cold too now that she was standing. She remembered feeling like she was freezing off and on while trying to sleep.

Is that why he’d lain down beside her? To keep her warm? Her blush deepened. ‘Aww, that was so sweet,’ she shook her head from side to side. ‘No, no, no! What am I thinking? Not sweet, not sweet,’ she sighed, smiling softly at him. ‘I give up.’

She slowly, cautiously bent down, gripping the blanket, and froze when he suddenly moved in his sleep. She stood back, waiting to see if he would wake up. He didn’t. So, she quickly threw the blanket over his sleeping form, grabbed her bag, and then made a mad dash for the door.

Shinbe opened one eye as he watched her retreat. Once she was out of sight, he laughed inwardly, 'Another lucky save.' Then he frowned wondering why he didn’t have a handprint on his cheek… or a crack in his skull. He slowly stood up and counted to ten, then followed to see where Kyoko had gone.

Once outside, Kyoko leaned against a nearby tree realizing she should have probably stayed in bed. Her heart was pounding and her body was sore all over. She bent down massaging her legs. She remembered dancing with Tasuki last night after she’d ate the tainted fruit but it felt more like she’d been hit by a truck. A nice hot soak in the hot springs would ease the muscle cramps.

She once again made a mental note to never eat fruit at a party again. Then a thought struck her. Toya will pick up Shinbe’s scent on her clothes. Ahh! The last thing she wanted to do was get Shinbe in trouble when he didn’t even do anything. She stumbled away from the hut, groaning at the lingering hangover but determined to wash not only her pain away but her clothing too.

*****

Toya growled deep in the back of his throat as he surveyed the village they had come to. He gritted his teeth knowing they were too late. The village was in shambles. It seemed that no matter what they did lately, they were always one step behind Hyakuhei and his demons. He scowled, searching the village for survivors.

"There must have been a piece of the talisman hidden here for him to have bothered destroying the whole village." Toya's golden eyes grew dim with worry.

"We need to help them," Suki said softly as she walked into the village with Kamui by her side. She bent down to check on a crying child that seemed to be sitting there lost and alone.

For a moment, Toya closed his eyes to the familiar scene as his blood boiled. He knew Hyakuhei had almost every piece of the talisman in his possession and didn’t care whom he hurt to get the rest of it. After all, Hyakuhei had even killed his own brother. Now the guardians were trying to protect Kyoko from the same murderer.

If Hyakuhei succeeded in collecting all the pieces of the crystal, he would be able to break into Kyoko’s world and take many demons with him. They couldn’t let that happen. He felt a cold chill crawl up his spine and knew something was wrong.

‘Kyoko,’ the word echoed within his mind like a warning.

"You two, stay here and help. I have to go check on Kyoko, now!” Toya shouted, tearing off in the direction they’d come from. He knew something was not right… he could feel it clear down to his soul. He should have never left her without his protection, not with Hyakuhei’s demon spawns so close. He couldn’t shake the fear of losing the other half of his heart.

"I won’t let him touch you," Toya vowed in his headlong race to reach Kyoko, before danger did.

Chapter 3 "Kiss of Jealousy"

Kyoko set off in the direction of the hot spring. She was tired, sore, and couldn’t wait to just be able to relax in steamy water. She stumbled on a rock and wondered if it was going to take weeks to get her balance back after getting drunk only one time.

“Damn it… Geez, now I sound just like Toya,” she said to herself with a giggle.

Shinbe followed quietly, peeking out from behind trees ever so often. He had to stifle the laugh that threatened to escape him when he heard the comment about her sounding like Toya. It was great to find out he wasn’t the only one in the group that held complete conversations with their self. If he was crazy, then they made a great couple. He stayed back long enough to let her gain some distance between them.

Finally getting to the secluded hot spring, Kyoko rummaged through her bag. Finding what she needed, she arranged her bathing supplies by the side of the water. She quickly undressed, easing her aching body into the steaming water. “Umm, this feels so good.” She closed her eyes and rubbed her legs, trying to ease the tightness that were slow in leaving. Finally satisfied, she lay back in the water and completely relaxed.

Shinbe leaned against a tree as he watched in fascination of her daily ritual. She was graceful and pure… he suddenly felt guilty again for his actions. He turned his back to the scene and placed a hand over his heart where the pain seemed to tighten.

He shouldn’t be here… he was not a good man. She was going to hate him when she realized what he’d done to her. He frowned as the weight on his chest became that much heavier. But still, he couldn’t resist the urge to turn around and stare longingly. He sighed longingly as he watched her sink into the water.

“This is so much better than the small bathtub at home in the modern world,” Kyoko broke the silence as she glanced around. It was more like a hidden swimming pool really. This spot was so peaceful and secluded. Trees and small shrubs surrounded the hot spring, giving her absolute privacy. ‘The stone ledge on one side would be nice for sunbathing.’ she thought randomly with a smile. She hummed in contentment as she floated on top of the water.

After floating in the water for a moment, she decided she’d better get on with the cleansing part. She lathered her hair then ducked under the water to rinse, coming up with a splash, only to put more stuff on her hair and do it again. Then before getting out, she took time to scrub her clothes clean, hoping the sun would dry them quickly.

Sneaking closer, Shinbe watched intently from the security of a bush about ten feet away. He took in the curves of her body. Gods, she was beautiful… like a goddess emerging from the spring. She tied a cloth around her upper torso before wrapping one around her hair then ever so slowly she dried her body.

He’d watched her bathe in secret many times before, but never been able to stick around long enough to enjoy this part. Usually someone came looking for him before she had time to finish. He sighed as she slowly ran the cloth down her long legs. Pain found him causing him to grit his teeth as she put on those small pieces of clothing that covered her most precious places. It was all he could do not to take the few steps that would put her within reaching distance.

A crunching sound suddenly came from the opposite side of the hot springs. Shinbe heard it, and so had Kyoko because she stood frozen in place. They both listened intently for more sounds. Another twig snapped but this time it came from a bush closer to Kyoko. He watched in horror as Kyoko walked straight up to a large shrub, holding her towel in front of her like a shield, and called out.

“Okay, Shinbe! I know it’s you! Come out… so I can slap you!” Kyoko waited, eyeing the shrub wearily. Shinbe was a known peeping tom. She cocked an eyebrow in annoyance, and he was the only one around so…. The bush shook gently. “I know you’re there, and when Toya finds out your spying on me, he’s probably gonna kill you. Not to mention, I’m sure Suki won’t mind beating on you either.”

The shrub shook again and a long black pointy leg came out from behind the tangled limbs.

“What the…!” Kyoko turned to run just as a very large demonic scorpion climbed out from behind the vegetation. She ran towards her clothes where she had left her crossbow inside the pack.