Defy Not The Heart. Amy Blankenship
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she had brought for the others by the door, not wanting to bother Suki again right now. She knew she would find the supplies and goodies later. She said goodbye, then headed back to the shrine alone, wondering where Toya was.
*****
On the other side of the time portal, Shinbe lay in bed with his eyes closed, trying to drown out grandfatherâs senseless babble with his own thoughts. âWhen was Kyoko going to return to rescue him?â he laughed like a madman in his mind. Yup, she was the only one who could save him now.
Even with his injuries, he couldnât stop thinking about her. This must be Godâs way of paying him back for his sins. He was well aware that if Toya had known the whole truth, he would not be breathing right now.
The others, including Toya, had always assumed that he wanted Suki only because that was exactly what heâd wanted them to think. Suki wanted nothing to do with romance and that had made her safe⦠unknowingly playing a huge part in his lie. He started to drift back to sleep as visions of Kyoko in his arms flashed through his mind.
*****
Kyoko walked slowly back toward the maiden shrine with mixed feelings. Why had Toya run off? And now she felt selfish for making the others worry for so long. Itâs just that sheâd thought Toya would have told them what had happened. This whole thing was starting to get out of control. They still had to find the scattered talisman and Hyakuhei was out there somewhere probably plotting all their deaths. At the moment, the whole gang seemed to be splitting up.
Toya watched Kyoko as she made her way back to the shrine. Heâd smelled her arrival and sought her out when heâd noticed Shinbe was not with her. So the amethyst guardian was still in Kyokoâs time⦠and now it looked like she was going back to him.
Since returning, Toya had held up in a cave not too far away. He wasnât sorry for the fight with Shinbe, but he hadnât meant to hurt him as bad as he had. But would Kyoko believe him? His golden orbs watched her from the darkened tops of the trees. He knew he would have to talk to her before she went back to Shinbe.
Kyoko looked up, realizing she was already at the heart of time. Sheâd been so lost in thought that she hadnât even been paying attention. She sighed, then raised her chin drawing courage and decided she would have to have a talk with Shinbe when she got back.
Kyoko stopped in her tracks when she saw a flash of movement from the corner of her eye. Before she could blink, Toya was standing between her and the shrine. He was looking at her hauntingly through the stray bangs that had fallen down to shield his eyes, his hair and clothes still fluttering from the quick landing.
Why was it that he could do the strangest things and her whole body would light up like an electrical shock wave was passing through it. The handful of butterflies flittering around in her stomach seemed to go on a mating frenzy. She didnât know what to say or do so she stood still trying to read his expression. She could see all kinds of emotions, everything from guilt, to anger⦠even a hint of depression.
Finally finding her voice, though it sounded scared even to her own ears, she spoke, "I⦠Toy-ya?" Her eyes widened when his face snapped up into view and his eyes locked on hers. Kyoko didnât mean to take a step back but sheâd done it without thought. When she noticed his eyes narrow at seeing her retreat from him, she steadied herself to face him. Timidly, she took a step forward to let him know she wasnât afraid of him.
Toya watched her silently, sensing fear in her. When she backed away from him, it made him angry enough that he actually felt his blood start to heat up. He waited to see what she would do and calmed when she again stepped closer, taking back the distance sheâd created. He didnât want her to fear him.
"Kyoko," his voice was steady and stern, "you know I would never hurt you." His hands fisted at his sides. "I know you know it," his voice was demanding.
Kyoko bit her bottom lip hearing the strain in his voice. Yeah, she knew he wouldnât purposely hurt her⦠but she also remembered the fact that Hyakuhei had done something to his blood that made him extremely dangerous when angered. Drawing a steady breath, she started slowly walking toward him. "Where have you been?"
Toya could hear worry in her voice and his eyes widened, wondering at it. Had she been worried about him? Heâd thought she would only hate him after what he had done. Heâd driven himself sick just thinking about it.
"How is⦠Shinbe?" he gritted his teeth against the name.
Kyoko frowned, "Heâll live. But itâs gonna take a while for him to be well enough to come back. I havenât even had a chance to ask him what happened, so why donât you tell me. Why did you⦠do that?â Her voice trailed off for a moment and then she whispered, "Suki and the others thought he was dead." Her voice raised a couple notches becoming accusing, "You could have at least told them where he was."
She looked behind him at the maiden statue, avoiding his gaze. The rawness of his eyes was too much for her to take right now.
Toya felt cold and hot at the same time. The feeling itself was disturbing. All he could think about was that she would hate him, and that was the one thing he couldnât handle. And the thought of her being alone with Shinbe in her time, was also too much for him to swallow. Especially after the things his brother had said. It was the same thing as threatening her.
Kyoko watched the emotions changing in his golden eyes, now darkening with thought. He was deadly calm, which was starting to creep her out. She took a couple steps, as if to go around him to the shrine, but he moved to block her and that rattled her even more.
"Look, if youâre not going to say anything, then Iâm going back to check on the damage you did to your brother Shinbe," she yelled at him.
Toya couldnât take it. In the blink of an eye, he had her, holding her trapped within his arms, his every instinct telling him not to let her go into the heart of time⦠back to the untrusted guardian.
"Kyoko, wait," his voice was still a little harsh and he tried to soften it as he felt her stiffen against him. "Kyoko, you donât know why we fought. You donât know what he said. You canât trust him. I donât trust him. He has changed, and I donât like it."
Kyoko felt his arms tighten around her and she knew he was serious. Toya had never lied to her⦠but it just didnât make sense. She tried to lean back in his arms to see his eyes. "What do you mean? He is the same as always."
Toya growled low in his throat, "No, Kyoko, he has hidden it from you. Thereâs something going on with him and I donât know what it is, but I can feel it. Heâs hiding something." Toya hoped she would hear his words and not just think he was making an excuse for beating him up.
Kyoko frowned. She had noticed little things about Shinbe. But to her, the changes had not been bad, but she knew Toya had very good instincts so she wouldnât just dismiss it completely. Just to make sure she sighed, "Youâre not just saying that because of the kiss, are you?" She felt Toya's chest vibrate against her.
"That kiss,â Toya growled and reached up to grasp her chin in his hand, bringing her face to his. There was one question that had been eating at him. "Kyoko, why would you kiss him for saving you, and not me? I donât understand." His eyes lowered to her pouting lips and before she could reject him, he slashed his lips across hers, feeling for the first time her silky lips against his.
When she gasped at the sudden attack on her senses, Toya deepened the kiss, searching her reaction. He could hear her heartbeat speed up, and he could also feel her body heating up.
Kyoko was getting the kiss she had always wanted, but somewhere in the back of her mind, she couldnât help but think it was for all the wrong reasons. Was he kissing her because Shinbe had? âNo, this was wrong.â She pressed against his chest for more reason than just lack of air.
"Wait Toya," she gasped. "Stop, I can't think."
Toya