The Beauty Of The West

Chapter 21: Peace Doesn't Last

A/N: a little steamy with a hint of lemon ahead! You could skip it and the end of the scene would be indicated by ****. But why would you want to skip it? I mean, it isn't essential to the story plot, but it is Mitsunari. I'll shut up now haha enjoy.

He kissed me gently and softly each time his lips touched mine. It was romantic, and the way I would have imagined my first kiss to be. He didn't break contact while he climbed on top of me.

I could tell though, that he was growing impatient of slow kissing and that he was only forcing himself to be gentle. Regardless, I wrapped my arms around his neck and lost myself in his embrace.

He trailed butterfly kisses from my lips to my chin, and stopped at my neck. The rules of being gentle didn't apply here, as he pretty much attached my neck with his lips.

I gasped at the pleasant sensation, but it also startled me. It was so sudden that he decided to go from prince to demon. He licked and kissed the very sensitive place on my neck, like he knew just where to find it. I quietly moaned, enjoying myself.

His hand caressed my leg, and slowly brought his hand up my thigh. I liked it at first, but then something seemed...off

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*End lemon*

I knew he was trying to show me he loved me. I knew he didt want to hurt me in any way. But when he caressed my leg, flashes of my time in Honno-Ji came rushing to my mind. They touched me that same way, and so of course, I freaked out.

"Wait. Mitsu.." I managed to muster loud enough through my tears. Immediately, he pulled his away from my neck so he could look at me.

"Dammit...I'm sorry (Y/N)..." He clenched his eyes shut and sat up. "See, this is why I didn't want to stay in the same damn room! I have...shamed you."

"No, nothing like that!" I attempted to calm him down from his familiar way of overreacting. "It isn't you, I enjoy being with you, Mitsu."

"Then why..."

"I'm not used to stuff like this without--" I stopped myself before I finished. "I'm...I'm just not over Honno-Ji. I tried to put it from my mind... And I...it's always in my thoughts! How am I supposed to forget something like that?!" I realized I must have sounded like such a crybaby to him. I had trained to get over my fears and to not be intimidated by the past, and I felt like that was all thrown out the window. I was still scared, I was still scarred.

I sat there, on my bed waiting for him to call me weak or tell me that I was just a scared little girl, the types of things you would expect to hear from someone like him. But he didn't. He knelt on one knee, and held one of my hands.

"(Y/N). As long as you are with me, there is nothing to be afraid of." He looked into my eyes with his amber ones. I couldn't look away from him. "As long as I stay near you, you will never know that pain. And should ANYONE disturb your peace, I shall be the one who destroys them."

Mitsu's oath made me smile. It wasn't just one of those promises that anyone would make. He was passionate about it, and I believed every word.

He sat next to me, and I ended up falling asleep in his arms.
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I wasn't asleep for long. It was still dark when I opened my eyes. But Mitsu wasn't with me anymore. I was tucked into my bed and he was gone, probably to do some rounds. I looked around and stood up from my bed. I thought, maybe I could join him, I was sure he could have used the company. The fact that didn't want to be alone had nothing to do with it. *shifty eyes*

So I grabbed my gun and went out to the courtyard, which was all lit up with fire. The torches that were there when I arrived wouldn't have lasted that long...someone had to have relit them. But why?

I didn't see Mitsu anywhere. I wondered where he had decided to do his rounds. I had a bad feeling, and began to feel a little anxious about being alone in that huge castle.

"Mitsu?" I called, only to hear an echo, but there was no sign of him. I

I looked around the castle grounds and finally spotted Mitsu standing on the roof. I was quick to make my way up there, and when I did, I heard him talking to someone before I made myself known.

"You see, Mitsunari, the little wench is using you. Do not allow yourself to be duped by her cherade."

I knew that voice; creepy, manipulative, and decieving. Yoshitsugu.