IN A HURRY?

PICKING_DISTRACTIONS

Youko sat cross-legged in front of the stubborn door that barred his passage deeper into the vault. He hesitated a moment, one hand poised over his tools debating how best to go about springing the lock without releasing the cleverly concealed trap made to kill anyone trying to force entry. Picking up a small pick from the neat pile, he moved his face closer, carefully inserting the pick into the lock.

Youko hesitated again, an irritated expression crossing his face. He felt someone running her fingers through the soft silver fur of his tail. He didn’t need this distraction now or they would both be dead. He turned back to the girl sitting quietly behind him, her blonde hair falling over her eyes as she slide her fingers lightly through the silken tail, which twitched slightly in response.

Irritated he moved his tail away from her fingers and turned back to his work. But the simple movement would not dissuade her, and she was soon stroking his fur once more. Annoyed, he moved it out of her reach again without turning to face her. Ever persistent, the girl moved so that she could continue to caress his tail.

Finally thoroughly aggravated, he turned sharply to her, his arms out before him bracing as he knelt inches from her face.

“Would you please stop that, Satsua? Unless you want me to kill the two of us.” Satsua didn’t answer; she just looked admiringly into his eyes, her breath short and soft against his face.

Satisfied, he turned back to his work, the pick back in his hand as he ignored the girl once more. Why Kurama had decided to bring the girl along, he would never know, but now that she was there and Kurama had receded to allow him the privilege of cracking such a rare challenge, he had to tolerate her. He lifted the pick once again to the lock his thoughts focusing on the task at hand.

He slid the pick along the inner workings of the lock as he felt another persistent tug against his fur. One ear twitching he tried to ignore the girl and focus on getting them through the door alive. Her fingers slid lightly across the covered skin and his hand twitched along with both of his ears.

Heaving an exasperated sigh, he turned quickly, and pinned her to the floor, one arm braced on either side of her face. Satsua looked up at him startled, her hair strewn about the floor in a yellow cloud.

“If you do not stop that while I’m trying to work, you are going to get us both killed. If you would like to end your life, you need only ask. However please do not force me to take my own.” Again the girl did not respond, her eyes holding his with a strange mingling of fear and reverence. Turning from her again he moved to stand and stretch before continuing to work at the latch.

Half way up, Satsua tugged sharply on his tail, bringing him crashing back down on the girl. He turned so that he would not have to live with the ache that would ensue from allowing himself to land on such an uneven surface, bringing his face near hers once more.

Before he had a moment to reprimand her, Satsua lifted her arms around his neck and slid a finger along the edge of each ear. His entire body trembled to the unexpected stimulus. He glared irritably down at the girl beneath him. Reaching up, he took both of her wrists in his hands and pinned them to the floor beside her head, his lips pressing firmly on hers as he pinned the rest of her to the floor with his body. Satsua trembled slightly in surprise before stilling again and responding to his kiss.

Pulling away from her, Youko looked calmly down into her gray eyes.

“Is that what you wanted?” He asked his voice a little husky from the sudden desire that flooded through him. Satsua had her eyes closed, a look of eager surprise written on her face, but she still refused to answer him.

For the first time, Youko felt a sudden stab of jealousy steal over him and he pushed roughly away from her.

“So you will speak with Kurama but not me?” He asked, his soft voice taking on a venomous edge. Satsua’s eyes snapped open as she shook her head.

“No,” She answered for the first time. A small, chagrin smile crept across her features as she turned from him. Angry, Youko turned her face back to his glaring down into her eyes. Her skin was smooth under his fingertips, and her eyes gazed back at him very timidly.

“Why will you not speak to me?” He pressed. Satsua looked down and tried to pull her face away, still not responding to him. Finally tired of her reticence, he pushed her away, and turned back to the lock.

Youko could feel the girl’s eyes on him as he continued to work the lock with steady precision. He kept his attention on the lock, refusing to pay the girl any mind. He almost had the lock open, when Satsua went back to stroking his tail again.

Irritably he flipped his tail away from her, and continued to work at the latch. Persistent as ever, Satsua moved and began playing with his fur once more, her fingers finding a sensitive spot, making his ear twitch. He tried again to ignore it but as he was about to spring the latch again, Satsua’s fingers found the spot once more causing him to falter enough to touch the catch to the trap.

Incensed, Youko turned again, pinning her to the floor. As before when he had fallen on the girl, she reached her arms around him to stroke the edges of his ears. He twitched.

“I would stop that before it leads to something you are not prepared for,” he said, keeping the faint quaver from his voice. Satsua looked up at him innocently as she continued to play with his ears. He twitched again.

“Stop,” he whispered again, his voice shaking slightly. But Satsua wasn’t paying any attention to the tortured Youkai and she let her fingers trail along his ear once more.

Again Youko reached up, latched on to her wrists and slammed them to the ground. Instead of kissing her lips, he brought his face down to her throat; letting his own lips slide slowly across her skin. He heard her draw a sharp breath and felt her try to pull her away, but he held her fast, continuing to caress her skin.

Satsua pulled harder against Youko’s grip, but could not break free. So she lay where she was her body trembling under him as Youko moved from her neck up her jaw to her lips. He felt her tremble as she returned his kiss, and he finally pulled away.

“I would suggest you stop that before this goes any farther,” he whispered turning loose of the girl’s wrists. Satsua lay still where she was as Youko sat up, pulling away from her. Youko looked down at the girl as she lay with her eyes closed, her breathing ragged and her face flushed. He grinned to himself; now maybe she would leave him be.

Youko turned back to the door and its troublesome latch and this time was successful in opening the lock before Satsua recovered herself sufficiently to bother him. He was just swinging the door inward when she came to kneel on the ground next to him.

He sat where he was for a moment, not looking at the girl, thinking on how much trouble she had been. Then she fastened one hand on the side of his face, pulling it to hers, and kissed him much as he had her not long before. He was about to push her away when her free hand drifted lightly down his ear, sending a tremor through his body.

Shifting his weight, he used his body to pin Satsua to the floor for the third time, one arm closing about her waist as he braced himself against the floor with the other. He felt Satsua’s hand leave his face, and wrapping her arm around his neck, pulled him closer.

Deep in the back of his mind, Youko felt a familiar tug. Kurama was eager to finish this business. Youko sighed inwardly. This was more important than his personal pleasure at the moment. He pulled away from Satsua, disentangling himself from her arms and pulling her to her feet with him.

“Later,” he whispered, running one hand along the side of her face. With one final kiss, Youko let himself recede so that they could get what they had come for. Maybe Kurama would need his skills again.