Disclaimer: I do not own Samurai deeper Kyo’s characters but I do owe the OCs and the plot of this story.

Summary: “You will bloom like a rose during winter, Yuya-San. And like a flower, you will wither away.” Kyo promises himself he would keep Yuya safe and destroy those who threatens her. Is he too late though? Sequel to Third Desire.

Universe: Post-anime. Kyo recovered his body and fought Kyoshiro, killing him in the process, and therefore returning to find Yuya.

Prequel. Third Desire Summary: Kenji Sakaki asked Kyo to sell Yuya to him, since she was nothing but a servant. When Yuya decides to leave Kyo, the demon eyes realizes that she is much more than he had originally thought. In one last attempt to keep her, Kyo finally confesses his love for Yuya. Kenji leaves shortly after, only to be followed by Yukimura. Finally, Kenji confides why he did what he did.

Story’s Key: “Talking” -- “Thinking” -- “SHOUTING” -- ‘Emphasis’ -- -Flashback-

Status: Complete. Published 01/02/08 -- Finished 12/06/08.

Author’s Notes: Hello everyone! I will try to update as soon as I can, but I do have some other stuff to do so bare with me. Also, happy new year! I hope this is a good way to start the year 2008!

Added AN: I’ve decided to change the rating so that more people will be able to read this. However, since I still have some mature content that I do not wish to delete, I will be giving warnings so that young readers can skip such scenes (there is only one and it is in this chapter).

Word Count: 2,500.

Last edited: 1st of June 2009.

“One should learn that to love and to want is not the same. Wanting demands it all. Love gives it all.”

-Anonymous-

“Serpent’s Curse”

By: FenixPhoenix

Chapter 1: “Melting”

She had gone too far this time and she knew it. Yet, part of her still blamed him! If he had only made a darn move! If he had only shown her he cared about her, she would not have said that…

Yuya stripped down and without delay lowered herself into the thermal pond of the hotel. She had been thrilled to find it empty for her mood was foul and she would, thus, make horrible company. She sighed as she felt the hot water relaxing her tensed muscles, and closed her eyes.

It was his fault…

When Kyo had finally confided he wanted her by calling her his ‘third desire’ she had thought everything would change thenceforth. The fact that they had continued travailing without Benitora, Yukimura and the rest only served to increase her hopes.

But things hadn’t proceeded as smoothly as she had planned. No. For some indescribable reason, Onime no Kyo had not ‘taken’ her, as she thought he would. He would kiss her, yes. And he would do it with such passion that she often felt like melting in his arms… yet that was it! Apart from that, he made no further attempts to make her ‘his’. And though at first that had puzzled her, now it simply frustrated her!

Yuya cursed as she remembered one of her boldest moves. They had entered their hotel bedroom, which they had paid for with the money they earned after they had captured a wanted criminal. The blond female had everything planned. That night, she’d resolve to use all her womanish attributes to lure him!

And, granted, she had not much experience in these kind of things --that being mostly Kyo’s specialty, or so she had thought-- but she pretty much knew the basics, which had worked marvelously well with Kyoshiro during the past.

Plan in mind and wits steeled, the bounty hunter had pretty much moved in such a way that made her kimono open up to reveal part of her bosom. And, sporting a terrible blush, she had waited… and waited… and waited…

But the idiotic man had done nothing. Nothing! He had looked at her flushed chest for perhaps two seconds before he switched his gaze back to his cursed sake! Oh, the man… the demon! How she hated him! How he had shamed her by not looking interested at all!

Yuya sighed deeply… Perhaps she should not have said that…

-o0o-

-The pair finally reached an inn before sundown. They were currently following a lead of a wanted man and Kyo, though at first he had not thought it possible, had begun to like hunting down these supposed ‘criminals’ --obviously, he had gloated in the fact that he was the most wanted in all the lists they had seen.

As soon as he had closed the shoji of their room, Yuya smiled at him, almost invitingly. Yet, Kyo did not smile back. Instead, he simply laid down with his bottle of sake intent on getting some sleep. This, however, was her breaking point.

Yuya felt so frustrated that she decided to garner his attention even if it meant doing it with a fight.

Thus, she crossed her arms and smirking, she enquired, “Do you truly want me Kyo? Or are you simply so selfish that you do not want me with you nor with anyone else?”

Kyo’s blood eyes turned to her after that and a deep frown assaulted his brow, “What the heck are you talking about, woman.”

Yuya laughed mirthlessly, “That perhaps I would have been better with Kenji-San.”

Onime no Kyo felt the insult as a dagger. She wanted to be with Kenji? She preferred that stupid samurai to him?

“Oh, really?” he taunted standing up and moving towards her. “Well, I got bad news for you,” he inched closer, towering her as rage flashed in his eyes, “you got stuck with me.”

“Sadly,” she spat and, for a second, she feared she had gone too far as Kyo’s hand tightened around her arm.

Then, as if controlling himself, he let go of her and walked out the hotel room without a backward glance, mumbling something about drinking in peace.-

-o0o-

Kyo drank from his sake feeling his throat ache with the liquid. What did the cursed woman want with him? He had done all she had asked for, hadn’t he?

She had asked him not to kill and, let it be said that with much effort, he had done it so. She had asked him to help her with the bounties and he had also done it so. So what else did she want?

He had at last confided he desired her, and still she was unhappy! And all for what?!

He growled as he reflected upon his days with her. It was a week now since they had walked out of the garden where he had almost confronted Kenji, whom he still regretted not killing.

And though every day, form that day forth, he had slept in the same room with Yuya, he had had to muster all his self control to stop himself from ripping her clothes and claiming her as his.

Why? Well, because he had never felt like this before!

Granted, he had plenty of experience with women. Sex was a second nature to him, right besides killing. Yet, he had never had feelings for the women he had slept with and, as such, it had been easy. He had never considered them -what they wanted or felt- before, but now… now he had Yuya and he couldn’t simply ignore her in the same way --though he often wished he could.

As it was now, Yuya was his weakness. Kenji himself had stated it so. She was the part of him that he wanted the most and, at the same time, the part he ‘feared’ the most. After all, she was the only one who could destroy him. The only one who exerted power over him –the only one that could, with one word, crush him to the ground…

And, of course, here lied his dilemma. It was bad enough ‘feeling’ things for her but if he claimed her --if he took her… would those feelings intensified? Because as it was now it was driving him crazy!

His eyes could not stop looking at her, his body could not contain the desire to touch her, his mind could not concentrate entirely on his training when she was near…

So what to do?

What the hell, woman!

“That’s it!” he said throwing the bottle of sake away and hearing it breaking on the ground. He could take it no longer!

-o0o-

(Warning: Short lemon ahead. If you do not want to read it, please skip this scene).

Yuya sighed again and cracked her neck to relieve the tension that was still there. Seconds afterwards she heard the wooden door that led to the corridor outside sliding open.

“Great… I have company,” she thought, reluctantly relinquishing her cherished solitude. Yet, for all her problems she was not about to spoil the other woman’s time with her sore news and bad temper.

That on her mind, she spun with a broad smile on her face intent on saluting whoever had arrived. But as her eyes encountered the figure standing there, her jaw dropped and she immediately reached for her towel to cover herself.

Standing just outside was Onime no Kyo, his crimson orbs intent upon her. A lustful smile made its way to his lips when he saw her blushing while covering with a flimsy white towel.

He tilted his head but said nothing as he undid the ribbon that tied his kimono and let it drop to the floor before moving towards her. He was intent on showing her that he was much better than Kenji in ‘every’ aspect.

Yuya’s emerald eyes traced Kyo’s tall, naked body minutely. He stood there, in all his glory, like a God of war. His every muscle was hard, toned and lilted with scars; old, new, dark, light, bumpy, long and short. Yet, despite being marked so visually by battles constantly waged, he was still breathtakingly beautiful.

The bounty hunter felt waves of heat rising to her face when he began to close the distance between them slowly, dangerously. His eyes were devouring her ruthlessly, regarding her like a hunter who’d just set his sight on his most desired prey. Her mouth was completely dry by the time he stepped into the pond, his intention clear.

She wanted to say something, but words failed her. She wanted to say that she was sorry about all she had said… yet her tongue was tied, her mind unable to think past him and his overwhelming presence. Unable to move and hardly breathing, emerald eyes followed his graceful movements as he treated the water towards her.

Her ears were assaulted by her accelerating heartbeats --the only tune to which she would willingly dance to – by the time he was but a meter away.

Kyo smiled almost smugly, satisfied to have left her speechless and thrilled to see the scarlet blush assailing her face and creeping down to her milky chest.

“You don’t need this,” he said as he took from her, now limb, fingers the towel she had before clutched with so much force.

Unhindered by the cloth, she immediately felt his eyes wandering to her bosom and down to her other attribute. His hand took hold of her unbound hair, fingers fisting as he gently –but deliberately- tilted her face up to meet his. He smirked before dipping his head, wishing to taste more than just her mouth.

Kyo’s brushed his soft lips to her neck, sucking on the sensitive spot of her pulse, before moving up to trace the sharp line of her jaw. He kissed the corner of her lips teasingly before moving back down. This time however, he used both teeth and tongue to mark his enticing journey south, towards her small bosom.

He kissed one of her nipples languidly and felt it rising before he licked and sucked at it. Kyo growled with pleasure when he felt her hands clinging to him, her nails digging into the flesh of his back when his free hand move to stroke her between her legs. She moaned when his fingers caressed her tenderly and she pulled him towards her with renewed force.

Yuya’s lips searched for his with almost desperation but he moved back. A whimper escaped her and she saw him smile, the evident approval to her response glinting in his crimson, scorching eyes.

He dipped his head, intent on bestowing her earned reward. Onime no Kyo kissed her slowly, deeply and passionately. He chuckled, the sound coming from the back of his throat, when he felt her nibbling his lips.

“I am yours,” she whispered seductively in his ear, as her fingers moved down to his groin, wishing to give him as much pleasure as he was giving her. She touched the length of his hard shaft, allowing instinct to compensate for her lack of experience. She stoked it again and again, thumping his member’s head gingerly.

Kyo leaned towards her, heaving on her ear when he felt her hands working him. He was surprised by her bold move and even more so by his reaction to her extraordinary caresses. This time, he felt heat rising to his face and –almost roughly- he took her legs in his hands, settling them on each of his hips.

Yuya seemed to understand what he wanted and, almost automatically, she hooked her legs behind him, inviting him in. He moved her so that her back was flat against one of the protruding rocks.

“Is this what you wanted?” he whispered as he positioned himself, introducing the head of his shaft testily inside her.

The woman nodded, her eyes glazed and her lips pressed together in what he could guess was fear mingling with excitement and intrigue. It was only then he recalled –not in the absence of pride- that she had never been touched like this before.

“It’s going to hurt,” he warned, moving one hand to cradle her head, moving his thumb across her cheek gently. “But the pain will pass and I’ll make you feel much better.”

She nodded and smiled a little, allowing his to see how much she trusted him, how much she ‘wanted’ him.

He went it, merging with her. She was tight and enjoyably new. Yuya cried out, her whole body tensing around him as a tear rolled down her cheek. Kyo’s arms instinctively tightened around her, as if to keep her from shattering in his arms. He hated knowing he had hurt him, even if unintentionally.

“Look at me, Yuya,” he commanded with a tone she had never heard him use. It was caring and gentle and she did as told; his voice calling her by name still ringing in her ears.

Her emerald eyes buried into his soft crimson ones and she saw worry and devotion on its depths. She filled hers with reassurance and love. Moving her hips, she silently willed him to continue. The pain she’d felt was swiftly forgotten when he moved in and out of her, slowly at first but gaining speed.

Despite how badly he wanted to pound on her hard and fast, he was still gentle and careful, almost as though she had suddenly become a precious yet fragile object he did not wish to break.

His movements made Yuya moan and cry again, but this time with unrestrained ecstasy as he merged with her in a level she did not thought possible.

Burying her hot face in his neck, she kissing him as he continued to provide pleasure the likes she had never felt before. Emerald eyes closed tightly and her nails fiercely dug into the skin of his back as she tried to control herself when he brought her to his climax. She called his name and, pleased, he moaned hers when he climaxed just after her.

He pulled at her hair as his lips searched hers. He kissed her passionately, making her tongue dance with his. She had been exquisite and he had never felt like this before. It didn’t matter if his feelings intensified, so long as she was there beside him.

And she would be, because she was his and his alone.

(--Lemon over--)

-o0o-

When they were done, part of her thought he would go and leave her to herself. Yet, to further amaze her, he did quite the contrary. He scooped her in his arms and carried her out. Then, inside their room, he placed her on the futon and again they made love.

By the end, they were happy but ‘exhausted’. Yuya felt his heavy body leaving her and rolling to the side. The bounty hunter could not help but grin widely. This was much better than she had ever imagined. All her efforts… all her waiting had finally paid off!

Kyo sighed and snaked an arm below Yuya’s body, pulling her towards him. Fighting to keep her surprise from showing –else he would pushed her away- she rested her head on his chest and draped an arm across his powerful abdomen. Following suit, the hand he had below her body settled to rest on her hip.

“I am exhausted and now we shall sleep,” he commanded and then, almost as an afterthought, he added, “so do not move and do not wake me, woman.”

Yuya smiled. She did not mind that order at all. Nudging him one last time, she kissed his neck softly before snuggling into his flank.

Kyo –a smirk on his handsome face- took the blanket that, moments ago, he had cast aside with haste, and now use it to cover them both. His smirk intensified when he felt her leg tangling with his and swiftly closed his eyes after that, utterly satisfied of his deed.

Now, he was sure, she would ‘never’ ever consider going back to that idiotic blue eyed samurai… She was his.

-o0o-

A figure lurked within the shadows. He had not thought it possible, and yet here it was. At last he had found his weakness. At last he had found his secret weapon. Finally, his revenge was at hand. His wish near to realization!

Who would have thought? Who would have ever thought that the demon would grow a heart! That the ice monster will melt! That the beast could be conquered and the warrior could…‘love’.

No, this was too much! He felt as though it was his birthday and knew he would celebrate tonight as if it was!

“I have you now,” he whispered when he saw him carrying the girl towards the inside of the building, leaving the thermal pond empty. “I have you now, Onime no Kyo.”

To be continued…

AN: I hope you enjoy this! I am sorry if the lemon scene was uncomfortable to anyone, this is the first time I write a scene like this but I guess this is, more or less, a thing which they were ‘bound’ to do eventually, right? Don’t forget to review!