#there's probably errors

And so, that's how he ended up here, knees spread on the mattress, breath coming in short bursts as he threaded the second barbell through the underside of his cock. It twitched, pulsing, making him shiver.

The first had been an experiment, a slow descent into the craving he barely understood. The second, a confirmation. The third he had in mind was where it started to teeter on indulgence. Alpha's hands were steady, precise; they always were with this, though the rest of him was a mess, his thighs twitching and his cock leaking a steady stream of pre onto the rumpled sheets beneath him. His body was so wound up that he was certain he wasn't far from spilling. He bit down on his lip, the ring through it clicking against the enamel of his teeth, just enough to stifle the low groan curling in his throat as he pushed the needle through again, just under the second barbell. Fuck. The pain burned, sharp at first, then dulled into a throbbing, intoxicating heat that settled deep in his stomach. His free hand twisted in the sheets, breath coming ragged as he reached for the jewelry. The cool metal rolling in his fingers was grounding, his mind momentarily focused on twisting the barbell into place. As soon as it was secured, the full weight of sensation crashed down on him. His whole body was alight, nerves on fire, pleasure twisting with pain so sweet it was almost unbearable. His fingers curled around the base of his cock, more reflex than intent, trying to push the feeling down, and he knew if he so much as breathed the wrong way, he’d be gone. He let out a slow, shuddering breath, trying to calm himself. Trying and failing. His hips twitched, sensitivity spiking as his own touch sent a shock through his system. It would take barely anything to tip him over the edge now, the piercing still throbbing, still fresh. Alpha's fingers brushed over the fresh piercing, testing the soreness, a ragged moan tearing from his throat at the sensation. He was so fucking close. The sheets beneath him were already ruined, his body tense, and his mind foggy with a mix of pain and pleasure that had him shaking.

You sat in your corner of the hut.  How long has it been since Kennyo took you hostage?  A week?  Two?  You tried counting and failed.  [How does Sasuke keep up so well with the tracking of time here?]  It didn’t really matter.  What mattered was the fact that you were still here.

Kennyo, for all his talk, did treat you fairly at least.  You weren’t sure if that eased the fear of being kidnapped from the Oda forces or not.  Not that you’d been entirely there by your own will in the first place.  The cosmos were just having quite the kick knocking you about, weren’t they?  But there was something about your current captor…

You were sure you could see it, just behind his midnight eyes.  That deep, gnawing pain.  You knew the story...sort of.  Of how Kennyo and his men stood against Nobunaga and subsequently were defeated.  You knew that no loss in war was ever easy, so of course you understood how the pain got there.  But...it was still there, and it still moved you to see it every time.  Perhaps that was why when Kennyo released your bonds you didn’t run.  You were getting confused.  [Getting attached isn’t the plan.  You are going home soon.  You can’t drown in those pain filled eyes.  Stop thinking about his eyes.  Or his face...H-hello, heart?]  You sighed.  It seemed you went from the devil’s palace to something far more complicated.

“I’m coming in,” a gravelly voice greeted from beyond the hut and speak of the Buddha, Kennyo entered.  He carried a bowl, something you’d come to associate with being meal time for you.  Kennyo didn’t eat with you, but he always sat and watched as you did.  Guess the demon has to make sure you get all your nutrition for the day.  You reached out, giving a quiet thanks, and took your food.  

“There is no need to thank me,” came your response.

It was familiar banter.  You’d thank him, and he’d either tell you not to thank your captor for keeping you alive, or questioning why you would thank your captor.  After all, he did kidnap you.  You sometimes argued back, but today your preoccupied thoughts with the eyes gazing down at you in equal mix of shame, pity, and something you couldn’t quite name made you mute as you looked down towards your food.  It looked like namasu would be your dinner for today.  You took the chopsticks, giving a soft, “itadakimasu,” and took to your meal. 

It wasn’t anything Gordon Ramsay would fawn over, but as Sengoku cuisines went, it was good to you.  The fish had been grilled and the warmth of it relaxed you.  The vegetables of the salad seemed to have come from around the forest.  Definitely not the salad one would get from Miyabian or anything, but it was filling all the same.  You ate in silence, Kennyo silently watching you in a way that had your heart pattering inside you.  [Stupid stupid brain.  You had to bring up those eyes and now the heart ran off.  This wasn’t in the plan.]  You closed your eyes, put down your bowl and chopsticks, signifying you were finished.  Perhaps he expected to get stabbed with chopsticks, but Kennyo never seemed to take anything from your hands while chopsticks were present in either of them.  

“Do you need more?”  He asked, standing and taking your bowl.  You shook your head in the negative.  

“It was filling, thank you.”  

“Why do you thank me?  Do you still not realize the situation you’re in?”

“You keep asking and I keep telling you that I do..”

“Then why?”

Kennyo’s eyes crinkled, the confusion evident in his expression.  There was a lot of why happening in that face.  Why haven’t you run?  Why haven’t you cried?  Why haven’t you tried to fight?  You were pretty sure he had you pegged on the last one.  After all, fighting wasn’t exactly a common occurence of the 21st century and apparently your ‘I’m not a warrior’ status showed.  

You dared a glance up, really taking in his expression.  It was painful, those beautiful dark orbs.  The scar bisecting his face had nothing to the pain those wondrous pools held.  The silence stretched as you two simply watched each other.

Eventually, he sighed, the moment broken as his face turned from yours.  He opened the hut, handing the bowl to someone outside with a muttered word.  The guard that had been apparently assigned to watch your hut hurried away.  You blinked, confused.  Was Kennyo letting you go?  

He didn’t really look at you, opening the door wider, the sunset spilling into your tiny space.  The last vestiges of summer glowing in the world beyond.  That meant it wasn’t long until the wormhole opened and all of a sudden, you weren’t sure anymore that you were ready for it to.

“Come,” he said, stepping out, “You need to exercise.  No harm will come to you.”

“Not that I ever believed you would…” you whispered as you stood.  You did feel a bit stiff, the last few days of being locked away needing to be worked out as you stretched a bit.  

Your comment did not go unnoticed, a grunt being your answer as you walked outside.  It was bright and still warm, the night not quite having taken the summer’s day away just yet.  The sun was a dark orange sphere on the horizon, the sky painted in pinks and purples that marked the time.  It was stunning and your heart fitted a little more as another warmth claimed your back, Kennyo having stepped out of the hut behind you.  [It’s so romantic…]

You were prodded eventually to move, breaking you of your romance addled daze.  Your cheeks burned as you hid your face, Kennyo leading the way.  You walked the camp, a circuit you’d grown used to as you’d had to exercise every so often during your stay in the Honnonji hostel.  This time, though, instead of tracing your way back after stopping by the training grounds, Kennyo stepped further.

A hand reached back, taking your hand gently but firmly.  It took everything you had to keep your heart where it belonged as Kennyo guided you into the trees beyond the camp.  You stared at his hand, yours being swallowed inside his grip.  [His fingers are longer than I thought they were...He has nice hands.  Big and worn...but long and strong also..]

You failed to keep track where you were going, or how long you’d been walking, but soon it was dark.  Not quite night, but trapped in that twilight phase, the first stars peeking through the trees in greeting.  Kennyo stopped walking, allowing you to finally take in the scenery.  

Trees cast long shadows, making the forest darker than the time said it was.  You could hear the crickets coming out to play their songs.  You could hear an owl somewhere above your head, your facing turning upwards to find the source that you knew you wouldn’t discover.  Wind brushed through your hair, the coolness of night finally coming to take her due.  If the sunset was romantic and beautiful, the night was mysterious and content.

Kennyo still held your hand, his other holding up a strange paper tube with a handle you hadn’t realized he carried all the way out here.  He knelt, his hand still grasping yours and set the item down to strike his flint against a rock he’d found on the ground.  The small flame came alive and Kennyo moved it to the small wick inside, creating a small lantern’s glow.  It looked for all the world like a paper and bamboo gando lantern.  [Sasuke would thrill at seeing that here].  You were mesmerized at the small makeshift flashlight Kennyo had created.

“Are you tired?”  He asked.  You shook your head, now thoroughly curious what the monk had planned.  You continued to move deeper, the small glow forcing you to giggle at the small Slender references you knew the big man in front of you wouldn’t understand.  He glanced behind you, clearly having caught the small sounds you were making, but made no comment.  

It had already grown chill, the signal that night had fully overcame the world, when Kennyo stopped again.  His hand released yours, and the cold and lack of his touch immediately making you wish he’d take the action back. 

Instead, you asked, “Kennyo-san, why are we here?”

He looked over to you, his face softening, “Are you afraid?”

“No...curious.”

“You should be afraid.”

“I don’t think you’re as bad as you think you are...why be afraid?”

Kennyo gave a wry grin, blowing out the light he’d made.  You could barely make out his face in the darkness.  “I am a demon.  You should be afraid…” he said, anguish clear in his whisper.

You tried to discern his expression and couldn’t.  Neither of you made a move.  The silent night stretched on forever and you didn’t know if you wished it would actually do so or if you’d rather something happened.

A flicker in the corner of your eye had you turning.  Kennyo’s eyes followed yours.  Another flicker.  Then a third.  Small little flicks of light were filling the scene around you as little fireflies came to life.  The forest took on a near ethereal glow as fireflies flitted towards the two of you.  

You looked towards Kennyo, noticing that, for the first time, his face was not a mask of age old hurts.  The grin from earlier still remained, his features looking years younger as he took in everything.  It was a rare show and you had front row seats.  Your heart did a dance and you just knew you were grinning like a teenager with a crush.  

Kennyo looked down to you, his night dark eyes showing tiny pricks of gold as the little glow bugs flew about their nightly business.  His face held an almost ironic humor as he took in your features.

“Seems even the Buddha agrees with you, princess,” he muttered.

You grinned back, “So...what now, mister demon?”  You couldn’t help needle the man after all the show he put into telling you of his dark nature.  

He huffed at that, shaking his head.  “It seems I’ve no choice…”

He leaned towards you, his lips snatching yours before you had time to blink.  His eyes stayed open, watching your face, your own eyes unable to close.  His lips lingered a moment or two before he pulled away, leaving you breathless.

It wasn’t some passionate ballad of tongues like most romantic kisses were, but even so you were swooning on your feet, giddiness making you a touch dizzy.  You giggled and arms were around you, steadying you on your feet.  

“How that Devil King managed to find such an innocent creature…” Kennyo started, his voice full of flustered exacerbation.  You pressed your face into his chest, trying for all the world to stop the blushing and giggling.  

You were soon enough able to calm yourself.  Glancing up at Kennyo again.  By then, his face has sobered, leaving you a little bummed at that.  You stayed in his arms as the night chirped and glowed around you.

“Kennyo-san…” you whispered, a sudden curiosity coming over you, “...why did you bring me out here?”

He opened his mouth, clearly at a loss for words.  His eyes narrowed as he seemed to consider the question.  

Finally, he responded, “It hurt me to see you so isolated.  I may be a demon, but even I could not bear to see such a beautiful flower wilt.”  He sounded confused, you leaning closer to prod him more.

“I figured I would come and show you what I could do…” he continued, “but found that I couldn’t get past how much it hurt to frighten you further.”  He gave a small huff of a laugh, “Some demon I have made…”