Breathy, "Thanks," Umeko whimpers discontentedly in her head after deciding to decline, "But no thanks."
Rolling to her back when his hand creeps across the front of her pussy, her back arches when he palms her dripping, split fruit.
Further snatching her back into a forsaken reality with a single question, "Do you truly hold onto an emotion so deeply, that you are willing to cast the rest of your entire life away to save someone that may do nothing as thanks for your sacrifice?"
Hansuke's words spin through her head, and Umeko clears her throat before readjusting to
sit upright on the cave floor. Staring up at the crystals overhead, I'm not sure if it's only because I love him. . .
Sighing heavily as her gaze slowly lowers to the sparkling pool of water a hop away, I don't have any family to return to. . .so he's the last person that I care about leaving behind to miss me.
Staring at the palms of her hands, feeling Hansuke's movements relocate him beside her with crossed legs without looking, Umeko remains deep in thought.
I'd never want him to have to do something so crazy to save me. And. . .if my death will
save everyone so they don't suffer as I have. . .
Swallowing hard, struggling to look up into Hansuke's eyes, Aren't I obligated to sacrifice myself for the greater good? It's what the gods have done to save us. Only because they created us. And after all the awful things we've done, even though he didn't create us, Tsukiyomi hasn't given up on trying to save everyone so neither should I!
The gargoyle's soft, muscular gray hand cups her cheek with a reverberating warmth. Tenderly stroking her flesh with a clawed thumb, Umeko cups his wrist, "He tried to free me. . .but I–."
Swallowing dryly and shaking her head down in disappointment as Hansuke's hand falls from her, "I convinced Sane to bring me back instead of running and now–."
Sniffling quietly, fighting the sting of fresh tears on dry eyes as they begin to gloss, she inhales sharply. Forcing herself to go numb to disconnect from the grief and blame she's feeling, "Now he's–."
The girl's mouth goes dry as her heart races inside her chest. Anxious, mumbling the truth of how he's gone as her mind wanders off, cinnamon eyes land on the slate stone in front of her.
Patting the top of her head, unknowingly reminding Umeko of the first time she met Tsukiyomi and experienced His warmth, the bass voice behind the winged creature's words temporarily comforts her.
"That confirms why he would risk everything," a quiet, excitement filled moan resonates from behind his closed lips.
Intentionally iterating each syllable, "All. For. You," he stares deep into the girl's eyes.
Suavely licking his lips, "I've never been so close to such a scandalously abominable scenario.
Stroking his chin intrigued, hoping to gain clarification, "Can a god truly love a human in that way?"
Umeko's mind rapidly fires off reflections on every shared meal, study lesson, walk down memory lane, and each instance he saved her. Searching Hansuke's silver irises centered with swirling red pupils, she confidently utters, "I know he loves me as much as he loves everyone else, and the bond we share is just as special as anyone's."
Watching Hansuke's full, satin lips part as his jaw slightly lowers, she nearly shouts in his face as the rage within her burns to life, "Ryu is a demon that uses Tsukiyomi's love and admiration for me against him!"
Nodding in acceptance of her heart's display, he chuckles exasperated while raking black bangs out of his face, "How surprisingly cold of the man-who-invites to lay such a travesty at the feet of his own flesh and blood."
Closing his eyes to shake his head with each, "Tsk, tsk, tsk," gray lids rise to lock onto her anticipatory gaze, "And you. . ."
Hansuke's tone softens to a whisper, "You poor, sweet, Plum Blossom Child, exists to be a
victim of His circumstance."
Perplexed by his words as he sensually caresses her bottom lip with the pad of his thumb, Umeko blinks until her face goes blank and her body slumps in a disappointed defeat. Watching him stand without another word, he walks away.
Casual steps carry him to the water's edge, I can't say I like being in the middle of all this. . .but after meeting Tsukiyomi and spending so much time with him, I–.
Burying her face in her hands, despair oozing throughout her aura, Hansuke's foreign accent bleeds through his words. Soothing her eardrums like a warm blanket from his eight steps away, "I suggest you follow me into the bath."
Of course I need to soak! I can't believe we–!
Smirking as he teases back at her from over his shoulder, "Unless you prefer the lingering memory of our pact as it dries into your skin." The erotic tone flowing past his lips sends a pulsation between her legs as the ghost of his persistent tongue remains fresh within her oozing center.
Kami, if his dick feels even half as good as his tongue, I'm never going to be the same.
Nodding excessively while standing, she regains a dead pan composure and remains quiet until she reaches the water's edge; staring into the crystal water, getting lost in her reflection's eyes, This could be the last time I see my face. Feel water on my skin. Maybe even. . .the touch of a man that's not forced. . .
Gulping as Ryu's arousing threats echo in her head, Umeko narrows her eyes when she catches a glimpse of the scar Mizuki left on her cheek, I forgot about this. . .
Delicately touching over the scab, That Shojo guy gave me medicine for this.
Shrugging, Would seem like a waste if I use it now. I'll be dead soon so a scar isn't worth getting upset over.
Feeling the torch in her mind burst into a blaze, But!
Reaching into the folds of her dress behind her belt, Could something like this be Lord Izanagi's way of living through a blow meant to release Lord Tsukiyomi's power?
Umeko finds the small, leather pouch cinched shut, There's more things that could hurt to try, and clutches it.
Trying not to grow discouraged, she decides to get Hansuke's opinion on it all, "Hey, what does it–!"
Umeko's scanning gaze locates Hansuke; with a derailed caravan of thought after finding a naked and aroused gargoyle, Umeko's gaze lingers on his girth endowment. Finding compatible anatomy in the form of gray flesh, she's mildly enticed to learn more about the unusually handsome, and well sculpted, creature.
He doesn't have a single scar or burn on his body. . . Why all the bandages?
Seeing the mass of living stone enshrouded in mid torso, wavy black hair (as he managed to unbraid his hair without her noticing), she finds the muscles of his knees half submerged in the spring's water. Hansuke's arms rest at his sides while his wings remain closed. Catching the way she examines him from afar, he grins just enough to reveal his right fang.
Coyly lowering his eyelids halfway, eagle eyes hone in on her face, "This body pleases you?"
Feeling time nearly stop as his words sink into her mind, she feels his intense gaze on her as if they were nose to nose. Stunned, speechless, and salivating like an opossum playing dead in the midst of a predator, Umeko's jaw drops when he suddenly jumps high into the air.
Gracefully flipping in circular bounds until the very edge of his wings appear to nearly graze the top of the crystal-covered cave, he spiral-dives down into the deepest end of water with barely a ripple.
Whoa! What the–?! Wasn't expecting that. . . He has all the right parts of a man in all the right places.
Grazing her teeth over her bottom lip, staring at the still water he just disappeared into after a majestic display of talent, Do I honestly want him like that? Although, I'd hate to die without feeling a man again. . .
Hansuke breaks through the water's surface with raven hair sticking to his face and chest, "Festinate."
Forcing all of his hair back from his face and down the left side of his chest, Umeko watches water trickle down the gaps between his protruding abdominal wall to rejoin the pool at his navel, "We lack time as an ally."
Out-stretching his hand to her before coaxing her with gently curling fingers that call to her, "Come."
Cocking his head back slightly, she grows entranced by mysteriously smoldering eyes, "I will help you get clean."
Umeko's body pulls at her to accept his salacious offer; the rising temptation becomes difficult to decline as the heat growing between her legs pulsates until its demands are known.
Clumsily unbinding her belt, it quickly falls to the ground; parting the overlapping fabric of her red, wrap tie dress, slinky fabric slips past her shoulders. Gliding down her athletic body, shimmering silk piles at her ankles while Umeko unsteadily unfastens the white cotton of her under-garb dress.
Finally free of the societal construct that shields her tempting sin from strangers, Umeko steps into the water until her hand can join with his. Pulling her with the twirl of a backward dance forced by the velocity of his wings leading them through unnaturally comfortably warm waters, he stops in a spot with the water to their shoulders to hold her from behind.
Umeko's back melds into the muscular surface of his chest and abs, and the radiating heat of his groin nestling into her butt further stokes her sweltering core. Carried by his ability to effortlessly wade in the water with her in his arms, toffee legs dangle above unknown depths in the giant bath.
Rubbing her thighs together in the water, wrestling her fleshly desires, I should be focusing on back up plans for my back up plans, not getting stuffed like a-a-a. . . Fuck. I really miss Sanemaru and all his raunchy, pervy jokes.
Blurting out the first question to come to mind just to change the conversation she was having in her head, "Do you know what Ryu meant when he said I'll be painted?"
Settling into the soothing vibration of his chest as his breath brushes over her ear and the side of her neck between kisses, "It is an archaic ritual of origins unknown to I."
Seeing his wings stretch open to lay on top of the water around them like a flared, leather skirt, Umeko bites her bottom lip to withhold a wanton moan. The sensitive, defenseless curves of her body get groped and fondled as he draws along her skin under the water with his hands, "This delightful canvas will be artistically decorated with kohl or thick, dark oil."
Looking at him from over her shoulder, she catches his stoic expression. As though Hansuke caught a glimpse of her mind through the curiously unsure lines on her face and innocent eyes, "A practice to warn the master of another's touch on what is his."
Finding herself comforted and aroused by his hands and body, intrigued by how far his attention will go until she tells him no, his cock throbs against her butt. Reminding her of his rigid, venous patience, she raises an eyebrow, "Won't my dress mess up the pattern anyways?"
Feeling his chin gently nudge the top of her head as he cradles her in nurturing arms, "The art will become your truest state each day, my darlingly naive, Umeko."
Kissing the top of her head with a, "Hmmm," Hansuke further explores the scenario, "Quite a lewd choice, even for the Emperor, considering. . ."
Guiding his hands over her skin, under the water, gray fingers slide between her legs and she parts them further with a moaning arch of her back, "He desires this." Cupping her petals while identifying that he means the fruit of her essence, Hansuke pulls her harder against his body.
The mighty bludgeoning weapon between his legs nudges its way into the crack of her ass where it rests, "To be his through the eyes of the one who truly possesses it. My lord appears intent on shattering all that makes either of you, you."
A moaning gasp leaves her lips at Hansuke's nimble fingers as he teases her breasts with one hand and strums through swelling folds with the other. The back of her head finds its way into the crook of his neck as she contemplates surrendering to all of the bliss he surely can make her feel.
"Mmm," he coos huskily into her ear, "May the memory of these moments, devoted to you, bring you peace when you are naked before his incomprehensible legion."
Perturbed by the sudden slap of her uncertain future, Umeko feels his body stiffen against hers.
Confused, she plummets at the loss of his secure embrace. Grasping forearms suspended in the water while he remains silent and sturdy like a tree, Umeko wades in the water to keep from sinking under again.
Tossing her own bleak situation to examine his odd behavior and body language, she finds the gargoyle with his chin up. Visibly filled with pain and conflicted disbelief, Umeko panics, "What the--?!"
Cut short by Hansuke's growling wail, an utter sense of fear and despair consumes the girl via a sense of impending doom.
*****
Grumbling under his breath, Ryu stomps his way along the stone hall until he reaches the garden's alcove. Opening the wooden door with an illusionary tree, rather than a view of the evening sky, his signature red door of red light fills the entrance. Stepping through to the other side, he arrives a few steps behind Mizuki.
Finding her sitting in a patch of violets, he breathes a deep,quiet sigh of relief; as his gait relaxes, the dragon-possessed Tsukiyomi perceives the way her usually confident body slumps under clear, galaxy skies filled with shooting stars.
Admiring the way tears streak the peachy apple of her cheeks as she raises a blooming, purple flower to her nose, the bangs that compliment her messy up-do dances on the gentle breeze.
Bare legs, bent off to the side as her mid-thigh length dress tousles enough to tease him with the sight of buttery thighs, Ryu slows to a stop diagonally right behind her.
Spotting the dried blood on her healed cheek, hellfire eyes lower for him to examine his own clawed hands.
Remaining quiet when Mizuki's neon violet eyes rise to him, he finds glowing eyes crested in fresh tears.