Edo era! Iba x Etsu again of course! This was fun to writeeee~
+-+-+-+-+-+
Hearing the sound of a door opening made Etsu run to it. It had been days since she heard anything about her beloved. āMotoyama-kun!ā She immediately helped him into the guest room and brought medical supplies, though he insisted he was fine.
They remained in silence, and though Etsu was dying to ask about her beloved, she had an idea of what Motoyama was going to say with the crestfallen look on his face. When she finished bandaging his wounds, he took her hand and gave it a squeeze. āIāmā¦sorry, Miura-sanā¦ā
Words got caught in her throat and she bit her lip. She took a shaky breath, āWh-what do you mean?ā
ā...Theā¦creatures were becoming too much for usā¦Ibaā¦Iba told us all to retreatā¦When things calmed down, I went back to look for him and I wasnāt able to find him.ā Motoyama looked down at his feet, his eyes were glassy.
ā...Soā¦ā
āI d-donāt want to assume! Iba is very strong!ā
Etsuās heart squeezed. She knew why Motoyama was unable to find Iba himselfā¦what if he had succumbed to the curse completely? Sheād seen it happen before, the gray ashes of the ones that had expended their lives. āPlease get some rest, Motoyama-kun.ā She swallowed a lump in her throat and excused herself.
She buried her face in her hands as grief overcame her.
āI will be back soon. Youāll wait for me, wonāt you?ā He kissed her tenderly.
Her heart fluttered and her hands grasped his uniform. āOf course, forever, Hacchi-san.ā
He cupped her cheeks, his soft green eyes stared into hers, and he brushed their noses together. āBut..I must confessā¦There is the possibility that I may not be strong enough.ā
āPlease donāt say such things, Hacchi-sanā¦ā She buried her face in his chest.
āMy love,ā His fingers threaded into her hair and he undid the tie in her hair, letting it fall over her shoulders. āI am afraid I cannot rule out that possibility, as much as the thought frightens you.ā He trailed kisses from her cheek to her jaw. āIf it does, I have already seen to it that you will be looked after, my love. I can promise that I will do everything possible to come back to you.ā He kissed her again.
Motoyama had to head out on business the next day and he promised to search for Iba while he was out. Etsu was tempted to go out and search for him herself, but Motoyama had urged her to stay home in the case that Iba came back home.
She couldnāt help but hope that her suspicions were all wrong.
--
Two days later, Etsu was hanging the laundry. Her heart was still heavy and she continued to hope that by some miracle, Iba would come back. She sighed and looked up at the sky.
āEtsu!ā
Turning her head, she gasped and dropped the laundry basket she was holding and ran towards the sound of the voice as fast as she could. āHacchi!ā She gasped and tightly wrapped her arms around him.
He let out a little chuckle and he kissed her. āIām sorry.ā
She could smell gunpowder, dry blood and pine on him. āI thought-ā
āI knowā¦ā Iba cupped her cheeks. āI apologizeā¦I wanted toā¦clear out the forest. It took me a whileā¦but Iām home now.ā
She gave him a little smile. āAllow me to draw you a bath and dress your wounds, Anata.ā
--
As Etsu was laying down their futon side by side, she squealed when she was lifted off her feet. āHa-Hacchi!ā
āDearest,ā He breathed on the back of her neck and kissed it. āI will make up for lost time.ā
She flushed and stilled his hands. āI-I was afraid that youād met your end like the others of our kindā¦ā
Iba softly sighed and turned her around. āI feel this is all coming to an end soonā¦I have managed to locate Kodo and Takeda, and once I fulfill my promise, my focus will be solely on your happiness.ā
Etsuās cheeks warmed under his hands, and she wrapped her arms around him āAnd I will be devoted to your happiness, Hacchiā¦ā
Iba brushed his lips against her knuckles. āWe wonāt lose anymore. Only happiness awaits us.ā
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
ā Live Streamingā Interactive Chatā Private Showsā HD Qualityā Free Actions
Free to watch ā¢ No registration required ā¢ HD streaming
I know Iām late on the fictober, but Iām going to attempt to catch up!Ā
This one is about Edo era Iba x Etsu, an au where Etsu was turned into a rasetsu, and sheās living with Iba due to certain circumstances.Ā
-+-+-+-
He lightly knocked on her door for the tenth time that day, noticing that her breakfast had remained untouchedā¦it was now lunchtime. āMiura-chan, please come out to have lunch with me.ā His tone was soft, begging. He wanted to at least distract her, but she was having a difficult time coping with who she was now.
No answer.
āMiura-chan, I am a gentleman, but Iām starting to get worried about you. Please come out.ā
Again, he received no answer.
āI apologize for this,ā Iba looked at his bandaged hand and gave a little sigh as he forced the door to slide open. He would have someone come by to fix it later. āMiura-chan?ā He spotted her curled up in the futon. āMiura-chan.ā
She hid herself deeper in the blankets, remaining silent.
āPlease talk to me. I am here to listen.ā He sat next to her and placed a hand on her back.
Etsu sighed and removed the blankets from herself. "I-Iba-samaā¦"
He pursed his lips and he cupped her cheeks. "What troubles you? I was informed that it has been several days since you have come out of your room. I came back to the estate last night and you haven't been out all morning."
She looked away and covered her face. "Iā¦When you were gone, I took a walk. Iā¦was hit with a bout of bloodlust andā¦"
Iba grasped her hand and squeezed it.
"I saw someoneā¦I had a hard time walking away from themā¦I...I donāt know if I will be able to stop myself next time..." She squeezed her eyes shut. "Wh-what if I become a monster like the rest of them?"
"You won't." His voice was firm. He believed that Etsu was incapable of harming another person. That's why he was trying to find a cure on the side for their ailment, at the very least something that would quench their bloodlust. "You have oni blood in your veins, you will not succumb so easily to this curse."
Her light brown eyes were glassy and cast them down at their hands. "You think too highly of me, Iba-samaā¦"
Iba shook his head. "I know it is true. I have promised to protect you, and I will, even from yourself. My main priority right now is to keep you safe."
Her cheeks turned a rosy red and she quickly took her hand out of his grasp. His bold words made her heart flutter and encouraged her to trust him. She did, she had nothing but trust and admiration for this selfless man that supported her endlessly. "ā¦Thank you, Iba-samaā¦" Her light brown eyes widened as he wrapped his arms around her, embracing her closely. She closed her eyes and knew there was no where else she'd rather be.
There were so many words that he wanted to say, but he swallowed them. He did not deem himself worthy of her affections at this time. There was one thing he knew for sure: what I fear more than anything, more than what you fear, is losing you.
