"Help Me Fall"

          Faye sighed, leaning her head back against the headboard of the large bed in the palace.

          *The palace,* she decided, green eyes focused on the canopy above, *is no place for a mountain-loving bandit.*

          She sighed, tossing back her hair, rubbing anxiously at the nightclothes she was wearing. She didn't like to sleep in clothes at all, let alone this horribly scratchy satin-like fabric. Sighing, she turned onto her side.

          The lamp long turned off, she typically would've gone to sleep in minutes, but tonight, something was nagging at the edge of her conscious thought, toying with her emotions and fine-tuning her senses. In the back of her mind lingered a picture of Kouji, giving her one of those lopsided grins and extending his hand to her as he had earlier that day to help her climb over a large rock, only this time, for a different purpose.

          She sighed, indulging herself in the warmth of the waking dream, imagining the feel of Kouji's hands on her skin...

          So involved was she in this daydream that the feel of warm fingers enveloping her shoulder caused her to nearly leap right out of the bed.

          "Whoa, Faye-chan, calm down! Shh, it's only me!"

          It took Faye a moment to get her bearings. Kouji was there, sitting next to her, jade green eyes shining brightly in the moonlight entering the window, deep blue hair falling into his face. He was casting a casual smile at her...

          "Oh, Kou-chan..." she murmured, catching her breath. "I didn't know."

          "It's all right, Faye, I shouldn't have sneaked up on you like that."

          There was that smile, catching Faye in the radiance of it. She blinked in surprise when he caught his breath, his fingertips running across her jawline in a gentle path to her collarbone.

          She opened her mouth to speak, but his lips were covering hers in an instant and for the life of her, she couldn't remember what she'd meant to say. It was a gentle kiss, but intensely erotic, and as her bones began to soften, his body came up against hers, hard and demanding.

          Faye was clinging to him, blindly grasping at his shoulders, her mouth moving with his in a desperate attempt to crush all her fears. She had been scared, and she acknowledged that. The journey itself was something of a nightmare, but her courage had made her demand the meeting, and she was dreading it. In his arms, however, she felt a warm sensation, felt safe and happy, protected from all harm.

          "Faye..." he murmured roughly.

          Falling onto his back, he pulled her across him so that she straddled his thighs. She felt the touch of his hands on her bare legs, smoothing her calves, her shins, sliding up the silky skin, undoing her top...

          "We... we should stop..." Faye somehow slurred out. "You said..."

          Her protest was muffled by his mouth, which obliterated everything in her head.

          "Wo ai ni," he said in her ear.

          She froze. Her startled eyes met his, and then he was kissing her again -- her mouth, throat, her shoulder... breast...

          "Kouji!" she whispered. "What did you...? Kouji...?"

          "Wo ai ni," he said, his eyes blazing up at her. "Wo ai ni. Here," he growled softly, gently taking her hard nipple into his warm mouth. "And here..." He kissed her fast-beating heart and it lurched uncontrollably. "Feel my heart," he ordered gently. "Feel it!"

          He pushed her back a little. Holding her breath, she reached out and placed her hand on his chest. His heart leapt as if it were a living creature.

          "This isn't just... sex?" Faye whispered.

          "Well, that too," Kouji admitted, his eyes dancing wickedly. "I want everything. I've wanted that since I first met you... but it was obvious that you were a woman with deep emotions and I thought it would be unfair to ask you to share my life..."

          "Why?" she demanded.

          "I told you. Being a bandit isn't exactly spouse-friendly, you know that," he said wryly. "I did my best to protect you, because I already knew I'd fallen for you... in a big way." He smiled and fondled her hair. "Everytime I felt weak, I'd think of us bein' married and how I'd go off on a run, worryin' about you and whether you were worryin' about me... I knew I'd be in a helluva mess!"

          Faye took his face in her hands and kissed him tenderly.

          "You idiot!" she sighed, then ran a thumb over the scar on his face and winced. "If only..."

          "Nevermind," he murmured, stroking her hair and looking deeply into her eyes. "Forget the past. We're together. We'll work out a life we can both accept. I want you to be happy, Faye..."

          "I am..." Faye responded fervently. "I am, Kouji!"

          "Then kiss me..." Kouji crooned, his voice as soft as honey. "Kiss me..."

          Faye was boneless, all mouth and limbs. And him... her hands explored him, fervishly pulling at the tie of his shirt, pushing it up when she became impatient, the pads of her fingers pressing against his chest. Her head tipped back, the mass of her icy white hair caressing her neck, her hunger for him ungovernable.

          They would be married. They loved one another. She could deny him nothing. And when his tongue darted out to taste her erect nipples, she gasped, shaken by the strength of her feelings. It was more than sex, she thought hazily, more than a primitive need. It was sharing.

          "Kouji..." she moaned, her voice harsh and unreal in her ears. She arched against him, an untaught, voluptuous siren, and he responded with a kiss so deep and passionate that she rocked with its intensity.

          He held her head in his hard, masterful hands. "Do you love me?" he husked, his body taut with anguish.

          "Kouji," she sighed, "I do love you..."

          Endearments whispered from his fevered lips. He caressed her with great skill, driving her into a state of longing that held her on a thin thread of consciousness, only part of her aware of what she was doing, and the rest -- the rest was all miraculous sensation, wanton, erotic, uncontrollable.

          Vaguely she was aware that she was being pressed gently against the silky sheets of the large bed, her smooth skin now brushing against his naked body. She felt the hard masculinity of him, inhaled the intoxicating scent of his warm face and surrendered everything to him.

          His mouth explored the smooth contours of her body while his hands tormented each breast till she couldn't bear the agonising sweetness.

          Kouji groaned, kissed her, whispered that he loved her, touched her face in wonder and gently lifted her hips. She felt the hard heat of him, the strong, cautious movement inside her body, and she shuddered.

          "You... you want me to stop?" Kouji's words sounded slurred.

          "No, no..." Faye moaned raggedly. "I'm not hurting. I'm... I'm happy..."

          "I worship you," he whispered against her mouth.

          And gently they moved together, a sweet gentleness that captured the deepest core of Faye's heart as she cazed into his loving eyes until the darkness of passion forced her eyes to close and her body pulsed with unbearable demands.

          The world outside receded until it contained only them. She and Kouji, the fire of his body, the supple receptiveness of hers. Nature had taken over. Their movements were perfect, in glorious unison, giving their bodies a fierce urgency that was echoed in their hearts.

          Their breathing became harsher. Sweat slicked between them, easing the slide of their bodies. Faye cried out her love and Kouji reverberated, far in the distance of her mind, as every part of her soared to reach the crescendo and slowly, beautifully eased every mussle in her body and his.

          They lay together quietly. She couldn't speak for happiness. His heart was crashing alarmingly against his ribs and she listened as it gradually became calmer, and all the while he hugged her as if she'd vanish if he stopped.

          Tenderly, he shifted his position and tucked her up in his arms.

          "Sleep for a while," he murmured softly, kissing her still closed lids.

          She heaved a contented sigh, washed in love. There had been a tremor in his voice that tore at her heart. He loved her. With this thought, she was happy.

          *****

          Tasuki blinked in surprise as Faye bounded up to him with even more than her usual enthusiasm the next morning, with Kouji following close at her heels.

          "Hey, you two," Tasuki greeted.

          "G'mornin', Gen-chan!" chirped Faye, green eyes sparkling.

          "Hey, Genrou. How's all?" Kouji grinned.

          "Uh... everything's great. You two seem happy this mornin'. Did I miss something?"

          "Oh, not much," Faye answered with a blush on her fair skinned cheeks.

          "Nothin' real important," Kouji voiced with a wave of his hand.

          Tasuki sweatdropped, watching as the pair continued on.

          Chichiri popped up behind him.

          "Something wrong, Tasuki-kun, no da?" he questioned.

          "Kinda..." Tasuki stated, watching his friends. "But by now, I really don't think I wanna know the details."

          Owari