Contains lemon portions, bit of cursing.

Chapter Twelve of A Story to Tell

Risky Experiments

Written by Yen (April 2000)

Cold streams of water ran down her body, and she shivered with delight. Mukuro was taking her time and ignoring the guilt of wasting water in the desert. She consoled her conscience, reminding herself that she could have used the tub instead.

The bathroom adjacent to her suite was luxurious to say the least, even more so than the one she was used to back in her citadel. Silvers and whites dominated the scheme, starkly contrasting the usual browns and muted yellows of the desert fortress. Tiles of smooth cool marble. The only desert hue was the gold gilding the fixtures.

She sighed as she finally turned off the water. She relished the last drops sliding down her back. She disliked being hot and dry.

Shura winced as Seran poked at his leg. The healer glanced at him, and he grimaced when the grip around his ankle tightened. Shaking his head slightly, Seran took a long slender needle from his bag.

?!

...

"Ouch!"

"It didn't even touch you yet."

"... Sorry."

Yoda chuckled softly and shifted his attention back to his lord. Yomi was lying on the bed, trying to go to sleep. Seran had insisted he took a nap and even suggested a sleeping herb. Yomi flatly refused to take it.

"Is this really necessary?" Shura whined.

"A muscle was twisted between your leg bones. Acupuncture will alleviate that condition faster and more completely then either youki or medicine."

"I don't like needles!"

"You'll need only one, so keep quiet."

"... OUCH!!!"

Fourth Day of the Conference

Enki, Yomi and Mukuro were having a private meeting. Kokou, Yoda and Shigure were the only other people present.

"I must apologize for my people's negligence," Enki said somberly. "Several of the miners were bribed into planting the bombs in the mine shaft." Kokou added, "They were buried alive when they detonated earlier then expected."

"I'm not surprise," remarked Yomi, "they were always impatient of getting things done." Enki and Kokou waited for the insulting remarks... that didn't come.

"How long will it take for the mines to be restored?" Asked Mukuro.

"... It will take a long time." Enki sounded even more somber.

"We may just have something, which will hasten matters along," Yoda suddenly said. Yomi glanced at him.

Shigure added, "Provided that profits from the mining will be shared more homogeneously." Mukuro stared at him.

Enki and Kokou looked interested.

Outside...

Yomi and Mukuro looked at each other and the door leading to the room from which they have been politely and unceremoniously evicted from.

... I never thought Yoda held grudges so easily.

... I will have to treat Shigure more nicely.

Inside...

Yoda - "It is called a harvester."

Shigure - "With it, mines are not necessary."

Yoda - "Sand is scooped up, conveyed and processed. The rionite is harvested, and the sand, dumped."

Shigure - "It can also harvest spice and other minerals and metals which require loose ground mining."

Their speeches sounded rehearsed. Enki and Kokou were a captivated audience.

"What shall we do for the rest of the day?" Asked Yomi. It was clear there was no way he and Mukuro would be allowed to take further part in the conference.

"I don't know about you, but I have other things to do. Sayonara genki etene til we meet again." With that, she walked off down the hall.

"I think Shura is keeping Seran company," Yomi called out.

"All the better," she immediately replied.

"I'm not going to let you two traumatize my son."

"It will be an interesting experience for him."

Somewhere, Seran was wiping powdered ginseng off his face. Shura, in front of him, sniffed, rubbed at his nose and hastily cleaned the mess caused by his sneeze.

"Leave Shura alone."

Mukuro stared at Yomi who was blocking her way. Guests and servants alike pretended not to notice them along the busy corridor.

She crossed her arms and tapped her foot. "Don't worry, it's not your son I am after at this time."

"I'm telling you Seran is not available. He is busy tutoring Shura."

"He needs a break now and then."

"What you are planning doesn't equal rest and relaxation."

"No, but it is recreation."

"I would call it torture."

"Seran would probably call it that too if it was with you."

Yomi's arms dropped in numb shock, and Mukuro quickly slipped past him.

"Yuck!"

It was a good thing Yoda or Shigure wasn't there.

Elsewhere, Shura was wiping powdered ginseng off his face. In front of him, his sensei sniffed as he carefully wrote down notations in his journal.

Yomi caught up with her just as she reached the level where Seran's room was located.

"Go away, Yomi."

"No."

Indeed, he was beginning to irritate her. "I don't have time to argue with you, Yomi." She pushed pass his extended arm. "Scram. Beat it."

She halted, almost colliding into him when he appeared in front of her. "I'm not your pet, Mukuro," he said softly, "I'm not just going to go away because you told me to."

She looked up at him silently, and he grinned charmingly.

"... If I didn't know better, I would suspect you were flirting with me."

"Bingo!" He drawled, "You got it right, and you win a prize."

She couldn't help but smile back. This Yomi was quite an entertainer. Taking the bait, she asked, "What did I win?"

The playful look in his eyes turned suggestive, and Mukuro was startled when warmth engulfed her. She was actually appreciating Yomi's persistence.

Strong fingers brushed her face, and he whispered into her ear. "It's something many want from me."

Seran watched inconspicuously from his doorway. He couldn't find any fault or to complain about. Yomi was holding her loosely against him. He couldn't see his face, but Mukuro's expression was one of wondrous discovery. After a while, she straightened and detached herself easily from him. A smile touched her lips, and she poked Yomi in the chest.

"Just what are you up to?" She said. Her accusation was hardly suspicious.

"If you guess right, you win another prize," replied Yomi challengingly.

"But I haven't claimed my first prize yet," she complained.

Seran reentered his room before he could hear Yomi's next statement. Shura looked up from his journal as the door closed.

"Was that papa I heard, sensei?"

"Yes, Shura, but he's rather busy at the moment."

"Oh."

As Shura went back to his lessons, Seran closed his eyes briefly. ... There is going to be a war zone. He longed for his home in the mountains. His head started to ache. That drug is going to wear out very soon.

His hands moved leisurely across her back, fingers massaging and exploring. She tilted her head up as he ran his lips from jaw line down to the hollow of her throat.

Temptation... She was tempted to take what he was offering her.

The desert stone composing the walls of the fortress was warm against her back. She leaned against it, boneless. His hands moved to frame her face as he kissed her again, his mouth as warm as the heat supporting her.

Desire... Simply, she wanted him.

His leg slipped between hers. The hard muscles of his thigh rubbed against her as he began rocking. She moaned softly, and her hands moved to his shoulders for support.

Pleasure... It was a prelude of what was to come.

She tensed. His eyes met hers as she straightened. Reluctance slowed her actions. She pushed him away. The look in his eyes was unreadable just as she knew hers was.

Complications... It is never simple.

She smiled at him. "I am not going to be part of your game, Yomi." She held herself as she usually did. Bearing, confident and proud. She turned away. "Find something else to amuse yourself with."

"Coward." The soft-spoken word made her pause. "You know what I could give you," he continued just as softly. She turned back to him. Her eyes were confused. "You're frightened of what could happen between us."

She stared at him. Differing emotions raced through her face. The one significant advantage of sight was the ability to see another person's eyes. Mukuro's eyes especially. Truly, they were the windows of the soul.

"... Leave me alone, Yomi," she finally said something. She looked away, frowned, then vanished. Yomi blinked, closed his eyes and focused his other senses. There was nothing.

He opened his eyes. His expression was set. "I'm not going to, Mukuro."

"Shura, why don't you go get us some tea from the kitchen?"

Shura looked up from his work to frown at him. "We can have them to send some to us." The kitchen was five flights down.

"You don't want to stretch your legs a bit?" Asked Seran. Shura had been at his table since early that morning.

Shura closed the door behind him, and Seran listened carefully until he could no longer hear his footsteps before he walked to the window and unlatched the thick wood shutters.

A hot desert breeze immediately invaded his room. He felt something cooler brush past him before he shut the shutters tight close again.

He turned to see Mukuro. She looked confused, and her eyebrows were furrowed with concentration.

"What should I do?" It was the first thing she asked.

He shrugged. "This is wholly your problem." Honestly, what did she expect him to do?

Irritation flooded her expression, and for a moment, she looked like she was about to stomp a foot in frustration and yell at him. Instead, she made a soft noise, turned away from him and marched to the study table.

The drug is wearing out... He watched as she picked up Shura's journal. She didn't open the book. She just stared at its red cover as if it could give her the answers.

"Yomi is after me," she finally voiced out her problem. She turned back to him and pointed the book at him. "This is your fault."

"... My fault?!"

"You're Shura's sensei."

"That doesn't make me his keeper."

"Yomi intends to seduce me, and in my current state, he may very well succeed."

"... Just say no."

Her eyelids half lowered, and she stared at him, her expression, dubious of his intelligence. He glared at her.

"Don't blame this on me," he said, irritated.

"How do I keep Yomi off my back?" She added, "In this case, off me?"

He almost yelled at her. "What do you want me to do?! Give him a sedative?!"

Her face lit up, and he grimaced. His headache has just gotten worse.

"Yomi!" He turned, his face calm unconcerned, his eyelids lowered. He didn't need sight to identify the caller.

The marble floor trembled as Enki trotted towards him. The other youkai was clearly excited.

"Glad I found you!" He almost winced and staved off the impulse to inform him that he need not shout. If only the hearing sense could be closed off as easily as vision. For now, his three pairs of ears would have to suffer Enki's bellows.

"What is it, Enki?" He asked, keeping irritation off his expression. Yomi knew that the effects of the rilan were wearing off. He had little time left.

Enki smiled, beamed actually as if expecting him to actually see it. When his hearing sense was at its higher peak, the once blind lord could sometimes though barely hear facial muscles stretch. It was a clue that others were smiling, frowning, grimacing and other indications. For smiles though, the giveaway sign was when muscles relax. Eyes; however, tell best when people are smiling and if the smiles are true.

Yomi valued and was grateful for his returned sight, but was irked by the resulting lesser power in his other senses. To strengthen them, he practiced, exercised and worked with his eyes shut.

There are times when he needed them open. With an unaudible sigh, he opened his eyes almost shutting them back again upon seeing Enki's bearded visage too close. He took a step back before asking again, "What is it, Enki?"

Enki grinned, revealing even white teeth. He took a step forward and leaned down towards Yomi. He almost leaned back.

When his face was mere inches away from his, Enki whispered loudly, "Guess where the next tournament is going to be held?"

Yomi frowned at him and replied evenly, "Gandara, of course. No other city has the facilities to boast such an event."

Enki shook his head, and his frown deepened.

Mukuro was running, booted feet barely touching the hot sand. She glanced up momentarily to note the position of sun before increasing her pace. Her eyes narrowed, locked on her destination. It was a craggy outcropping of rock looming in the shimmering desert horizon. There was no other object of noticeable importance for miles around.

Midday... I have to reach it before the sun is directly over my head.

Shade... Mukuro leaned weakly against the smooth rock. It was cool to her hot back. She stared up, grateful for the stone slab jutting out a meter above her head. It provided the only shade with the sun high up, marking noon.

Tired... Her limbs lost strength, and she slid down to squat on the sand. Fortunately, this side faced west. The sun could only touch the area when it set. Were it the east side, the ground would be burning hot.

A small canister appeared in her hand, and she automatically flipped its cover open. Tilting it slightly over her other hand, a marble rolled onto her palm. It was iridescent blue, shining like a pearl.

Mukuro smiled as she held it up, admiring the way light reflected off its smooth surface. It reminded her of Hiei's treasured tear gems. After a while, she slowly moved to her mouth and swallowed it.

The heavy bubble's value was even more than a koorime's tear, especially in the desert.

Mukuro lay back, propping an arm under her head as she stared thoughtfully at the rock ceiling above. Moments later, she removed another one before putting away its canister.

She held the marble in her hand and raised it above her face. It slid to lodge between her index finger and thumb. She closed her eyes and raised her other hand to hold the marble between her palms.

Applying pressure, she burst the bubble and remained still as water spilled from her hands to rain down on her face and upper body. A heavy bubble contained an amount of pressured water equivalent to a liter.

She laughed. It works even better then I was told.

"Another bribe to Enki, I presume."

Her eyes widened when Yomi appeared standing over her. Shocked still, she stared up at him mutely before sighing loudly. I don't want to deal with him. Exasperated, she lowered her hands to cross her arms over her chest and muttered, "Why are you here, Yomi?" ... Why am I asking him that?

She lifted a finger at him before he could say anything. "Never mind. Next question." She glared at him balefully. "How did you know I am here?"

He smiled and pressed a finger against his nose. Pink eyes gleamed at the additional surprise in her eyes. "Yesterday, I could not scent a single molecule of water from this area of the desert."

"... I always knew you were nosy, Yomi."

She was pleased to see the irritation in his eyes and sat up. She almost moaned, when cool water from her soaked hair flowed to her back. Long shower when I get back, she promised herself. She could imagine cold streams of water running down her body. Anticipation made the end all the more rewarding. She barely noticed when Yomi bent to a knee beside her.

"Yomi, you've wasted time and energy following me here, because I am going back right-" Hands settled on her shoulders, and she automatically shoved him away.

He lost his balance and fell backwards, pulling her with him.

...

"Let me go." He watched her lips form every syllable. Mukuro looked almost furious. He was on his back with her lying partly across him, his hands still holding her shoulders prisoners.

Hazel eyes narrowed at him, and palms pressed flat against his chest and pushed to gain leverage.

"Yomi, if you value your appendages, I suggest you let me go." As she struggled against him, drops of water fell from her hair and face to wet his face. One particularly large droplet landed on his lips, and he licked it off as Mukuro's ranting became increasingly unladylike.

"I swear by all the gods, you are the most arrogant irritating son of a bitch Makai has the misfortune to know." It really was not cursing without the exclamation.

She began prying at his fingers. The pause she made warned him brief instant before she bit him.

He moved quickly, his hand narrowly escaping sharp teeth. There was a clack as her jaw snapped close. She was not kidding.

Before she could recover from her near miss, he pulled her down and kissed her.

...

No. Her jaw clenched, muscles tensing in determination. You're going to lose your tongue, Yomi, I promise.

She stared at pink eyes, daring him to go on. His lips were close just as hers was, pressed hard against each other.

He blinked first, and Mukuro felt him smile. ??? His hand holding her head down slid to her neck. The other, began moving leisurely across her back.

... He's doing it again. Mukuro stared at him blankly before looking away. She planted both her forearms into the sand beside his shoulders and pushed herself off him.

She almost fell down when he rose with her and began nuzzling her throat.

...

"Yomi! Stop kissing me!"

"I'm not kissing you, Mukuro."

"... What the hell do you call what you are doing?!"

"Drinking."

"..."

"You should never waste water in the desert."

Hands moved over him eagerly. Warm palms brushed against his chest. Yomi breathed in sharply when she bent her head to taste him through the cloth. She purred, satisfied with his response.

Her hips moved forward again, and he instinctively thrust upwards, moaning when their clothes impeded him.

He was on his back with Mukuro riding on him.

... If she tarries on too long... His mind blanked when she rose, leaving him. He stared at her, pushing himself up on his elbows. He couldn't discern the expression on her face.

If she stops now... A protest began and died in his throat when she took a step and kneeled between his legs. Her hands began undressing him.

"... Mukuro-" A gasp tore from his mouth when she touched him. Pleasure like pain. His hips began to buck, rubbing and pushing against her hands.

No... Effort made him pant, but he stopped himself and stared at her. He still couldn't identify the look in her eyes.

She lowered her eyes suddenly and shrugged. A moment later, she bent down to taste him.

She was about to leave when he asked quietly, "What was that for?"

She refused to look back at him. "It seemed only fair-"

"Hardly," he cut her off shortly. She heard him stand up, heard the rustle of clothes and sand scattering.

"... It was not good enough for you?"

A pause, and his hand clamped down on her shoulder and pulled harshly, forcing her to turn towards him.

Yomi was furious. Pink eyes were crimson, face set like marble. His clothes were rumpled, but he bore insult magnificently. She lifted her chin and faced him proudly. She could see his hands clenched into fists. Her own remained flat and steady by her sides.

His mouth thinned into a hard line. "Why didn't you take your pleasure, Mukuro?"

"I didn't want to-"

"Liar! You wanted me as much as I did you."

"I despise you, Yomi. I do not want anything from you."

He took a step forward, cutting the distance between them in half. "Again," he said sibilantly, "you lie, Mukuro." Her muscles tensed. "Shall I prove your falsehood?"

Leave me alone! "You know very well," she managed to say evenly, "we are not ourselves. We are drugged."

"Excuses," he immediately said. "With or without rilan, we are attracted to each other."

"That is not true, Yomi. Our hate is as part of ourselves as any other emotion. It is integral to our personality."

"It is because we hate eachother, Mukuro, that fucking each other is so damn good."

Blood drained from her face, and she stepped away from him.

He continued ruthlessly, "You like it, didn't you? Dare I say, even relish it?" Her hands tightened into fists. "How good was it, Mukuro? Did you enjoy me sliding in and out of your mouth?" Stop it... "It will be much much better in other places."

She hit him.

...

Yomi slowly wiped the blood away from his mouth. His lower lip was split.

Mukuro had turned away from him again. Beyond her, he could see the setting sun. Dusk marking the end of day, the beginning of night.

He stared at her thoughtfully. It was far from over between them.

"Think this as a challenge, Mukuro." There was no reaction. "Better yet, consider it an experiment." You like to experiment, don't you, Lady Mukuro? Why else would you go out in a desert to test an invention yourself?

He moved closer and whispered in her ear. "You are a puzzle, and I like games."

She glanced at him, her luminous eyes were expressionless. "This is a game where you might get yourself killed." There was a promise in those words she spoke so softly.

He smiled. "Risky, so much the better. My games are little different from your experiments, my Lady."

She walked away from him.

To be continued...

Yen

Author's note:

I have to say that if Yomi were not Yomi, I would think him a jerk. However, he's Yomi.

I'm enjoying writing Mukuro. She's so strong, so sure of herself. It felt weird when I try to create a more vulnerable side of her. I know she has her soft side. Seen that part quite a bit in both anime and manga, but whenever Yomi is around, I automatically make her invulnerable.