tamingthemuse | Prompt #100 - Aroused (From #71) - Ronin - Alex Foster

Title: Ronin Chapter Four
Fandom: BTVS -- Season Eight Comic
Prompt: 100 - Previous Prompt (#71 - Aroused)
Word Count: 3,552
Warnings: Femslash
Rating: R
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by Mutant Enemy, Dark Horse, and Joss Whedon. No money is being made and no infringement is intended.
Summary: On the run from a powerful force, including the slayer army, Satsu must unravel a mystery surrounding a mystical object and the phantasm taking a familiar form surrounding it.

Chapter Four

Holding the pail of hot water carefully in her non-dominant hand, Satsu made her way up the stairs to the master suite. For the better part of an hour, she’d been heating water over the fireplace and carrying it up to a tub.

Satsu had decided that once things went back to normal, she would never take indoor plumbing for granted again.

Three trips and she had the old fashioned claw-foot tub half filled with steaming water. She dropped the pail in the corner sighed. It would have to do. Her ribs protested every step up the stairs. Satsu leaned against the doorframe for a moment, letting the knots in her back unravel before continuing.

The cottage’s master bath was a large room divided into two separate chambers accented with heavy dark wood. The anteroom sported a big vanity and was setup as a lush powder room. A quick inspection of the tin jars and bottles crowding the countertop revealed time had disintegrated most of the makeup. A pitcher and bowl sat on a shelf.

The second room had only the tub and several closets filled with towels and old clothing. Mirrors on the closet doors caught and reflected flickering candlelight around the sparse room. The smell of soap and fragrance oils filled both areas. Although the tile floor was cool underneath her bare feet, the rooms held a sense of cozy warmth.

Satsu could hear rain falling outside the bathroom’s small window. The storm she saw on the horizon earlier had moved in with force. And with the setting of the sun the temperature had plunged turning the rain into a freezing mix of sleet. Tiny ice crystals formed at the corners of the windowpanes.

Satsu pushed the door shut and walked into the powder room. She wished for a shower instead of a bath—especially with the cold weather outside—but such were the joys of a one hundred-year-old home. Next time she would pick a better safe house. Before filling the tub she had walked the length of the cottage and double-checked the locks on all windows and doors. She trusted Buffy to secure the outside.

Careful of her side, Satsu pulled her t-shirt over her head and set it on a small stool next to the vanity. Her pants and bra followed suit and she padded into the wash room. She stepped in the steaming water, winced as it touched bruises, and lowered herself down. The water lapped up over her shoulders; she pushed deeper until it reached her chin.

Satsu closed her eyes and relaxed into the feeling of buoyancy. She let the hot water work out the tension in her body.

“Stupid.” The entity in the form of Buffy Summers studied the shadows as it stood on the front porch of the cottage. Around it fell freezing rain; thin pieces of ice, sharp as glass, slid from the eaves and shattered on the steps. “I am so stupid.”

Despite the cold around it, the entity did not feel the chill. Unless it decided so, it could not feel anything in the outside world. Lately it had been spending too much time in physical form. Even now as it patrolled the grounds around the cottage, taking the shape of the slayer was needless. It could prowl much faster and easier as a shapeless whisper of smoke.

The last time was easier.

Then the sole defender was an old wizard and the shape form was of his dead wife. He was powerful, had no need of Sylph Boxes to Travel, and could not bear to look at her. It ended quickly that time.

Before that it took the form of the defender’s king. He was a bold and brave knight that loved his master wholly and unconditionally. In that form and the ones before it the entity felt only pride.

Buffy shook her head. She had stayed in the skin of the new defender’s chosen too long. It was becoming harder to separate itself from the transplanted memories and experiences. The entity wanted the spell done with…it wanted to return to its place of rest. In the dark, when the imprisoned evil again went silent, it could shed this shape and forget the humanness of it.

At that thought, Buffy frowned. Old memories, not from the vampire slayer, tried to surface. From tens of thousands of years past…from before she started Minding. From before the Great Old Ones bound her to the prison.

She had felt love then.

That was the balance to what lay inside the dark. It was because she felt so powerfully that the evil beyond the gate would forever remain locked away.

Buffy pushed off the railing and walked the length of the porch. Full of restless energy with no outlet to expend it, she considered reverting and exploring the outside world. It did that sometimes during these periods of wakefulness. After sleeping for ages, it enjoyed reaching out and seeing the Earth change.

This time however it hadn’t traveled far from its charge. Even injured the vampire slayer had enough power and ability to take care of herself, but nevertheless it wished to remain close by. This charge enjoyed looking at the Buffy form, drew strength from her presence, and it in turn relished that relationship.

“I’m getting closer,” a voice said behind it.

Buffy turned and saw a shadow detach itself from the porch.

“You cannot hide much longer,” the shadow said in her native tongue.

“I’m not interested in chatting.” She refused to respond in the same language and instead used Buffy’s.

“My jarka have almost opened the seals,” it continued. “I need only an open portal to this realm to fully emerge. And you retreat. In the past you have attacked by now.”

Buffy quirked an eyebrow. “Are you asking for an attack?”

“I simply wonder if you have grown as tired of this dance as I have?”

“My commitment remains the same.”

The shadow drew itself up tall. “A truce perhaps? Stand aside and when I have returned to power you and your champion shall be safe to live however you wish.”

Buffy shook her head. “Your first action would be to lock me away in the darkest pit of hell as the old demons did to you. I would suffer for the millennia I have maintained the seals and kept you locked up. Time may have past but I have not forgotten what you are.

“A devil that knows only hate.”

The shape of a face formed in the liquid shadow. Its eyes narrowed in her direction. “When this is done, do not forget I offered peace.”

“There can never be peace for creatures such as you and I.” Buffy stepped forward. “Now be gone. You shall gain nothing of my location and soon we will have a thousand years to speak to each other.” She took another step and passed through the shadow. It dissolved around her.

The entity in the shape of Buffy Summers stood in the freezing ran alone. It turned and looked up at the cottage, at the master bedroom’s window. Tomorrow the dance would conclude, it knew. While it still distrusted the timing of Slayer Kennedy, it knew Satsu was capable of handling herself in the fight.

Then the entity could again sleep. But not the eternal sleep the Old Ones took away from it so long ago--that would never happen. The shape form smiled at the concept. This woman’s memories dealt with such a thing, but that was not the source of her mood. She looked again at the window.

The dance could never fully end. It had happened before and would continue even if another thousand years passed. The entity tried to pull its thoughts together. It knew better than to spend so much time in the champion’s beloved form.

Satsu set the cake of soap aside and settled one last time into the contours of the tub. The water had quickly cooled to just a touch above tepid, but in that time she had scrubbed her skin raw. Washing away days of travel and uncertainty. For the first time since leaving the castle, she felt at ease and confident.

Now there was a plan. Now she had something tangible to fight. Importantly she knew she wasn’t alone. Being a slayer, fighting evil, was a communal thing to her. Satsu had never before experienced the solitariness of the slayer. It was for that reason, she reflected while enjoying the soak, that she believed Kennedy so readily while Buffy doubted her.

Nevertheless going through that box tomorrow was better than sitting and doing nothing. Kennedy was an ally, a sister slayer, and together they would win and put things right again.

And then the apparition would end.

Satsu refused to think about that. After her time with the false Buffy, she couldn’t separate the specter from the real woman in her mind. She didn’t want to think about having to end one to save the other. Buffy was right in that it was a mistake to tell her. Satsu could forgive her now for being secretive in the beginning.

Gripping the edge of the tub, she pulled herself up and reached for a towel folded on a nearby stool. Water sluiced from her body and instantly she started to shiver. After the warm water she was painfully aware of how cold it was away from a fireplace.

Stepping from the tub and drying quickly, Satsu wrapped the towel around herself. The idea of a bed piled high with heavy blankets, next to a large fire, sounded wonderful. She padded to the powder room and reached for her clothes.

“You look better. All relaxy.”

Satsu jumped. In the corner of the powder room stood Buffy, leaning casually against the wall with her arms crossed over her chest. She sported a small smile that made a quiver run up Satsu’s spine. The young slayer tightened her hold on the towel and glanced at the door. Still closed and locked.

“I feel better,” she said, watching her guardedly. “Is there trouble?”

“Oh no. The outside is clear. Storm’s getting worse though.” Buffy ambled around the room, looking over jars of perfume and bath salts.

Intensely aware of the smallness of the room, and how very naked she was under the towel, Satsu decided to forget her dirty clothes and moved straight for the bedroom. She threw the latch, opened the door, and saw Buffy waiting in the bedroom.

Satsu looked sharply over her shoulder—stupidly expecting to see a Buffy there as well. But the powder room was empty. The apparition evidently didn’t have the same need for doors that she did. Not real.

“I’m getting less relaxed,” she said. “Are you sure there isn’t a problem I should know about?”

“No.”

The bedroom was like the rest of the house, antiquated and cozy. The large canopy bed—reminding Satsu of a lost set decoration from a Christmas Carol production—boasted a thick and plush handmade quilt. An oak wood bureau sat next to a wardrobe against one wall. And across from that was a small unlit fireplace. All the furnishings and dressings of the room were dark and woody and meant to convey a feeling of repose. Several candles provided jittering light.

“I was just wondering if you were ready for tomorrow. You have to be strong.” Buffy ran her fingers along one of the bed’s posts.

Satsu thought she meant her injuries. “I’ll be a little sore, but otherwise okay. And I’ll have Kennedy with me.” Water dripped from her hair and ran annoyingly down her back. “Um, ma’am, I have to get dressed now.”

If it was anyone else but Buffy, she wouldn’t have been so bashful. But the elder slayer was different than Leah or Renee—real or not. She fought the urge to glance away.

“I know.” The apparition took a step closer. Its tone was almost prodding, as though searching for something in her reaction. Buffy was small in stature, but Satsu felt little and exposed standing barefoot before her.

She took a breath and tried to calm her racing heart. “Ma’am—”

Buffy’s mouth against hers cut off the rest of the sentence. Her fingers encircled Satsu’s wrists and continued upwards, passing her forearms and settled against her shoulders. Heat radiated from Buffy and Satsu felt gooseflesh pass over her body. Her mind was empty as she tried making sense of what was happening.

Buffy’s lips moved against hers, nibbling and sucking as she pried them apart to dart inside.

Satsu couldn’t help herself. She responded, pressing hard against Buffy, and returned the kiss with passion. Somehow her hands ended up tangled in Buffy’s soft hair. Feelings welled up from that dark place Satsu kept the things she knew she couldn’t reveal. The warmth in her chest when Buffy praised her. The feel of her skin against hers during practice. The way she looked in leather body armor. It all bubbled to the surface and she heard a moan leave her throat.

Buffy pulled back slightly, just enough for both to catch their breaths. Her scent filled Satsu’s head and aroused a need even more primal than their slayer abilities.

“What are you doing?” Satsu’s voice sounded dazed but she had to raise protest, however halfhearted. All this was just a fantasy. This Buffy wasn’t real. It could only give her the illusion of what she really wanted.

“Don’t.” Buffy kissed her again, lightly this time. Sliding her lips from Satsu’s mouth to her cheek and then down her neck. “Don’t overthink.”

Satsu didn’t know what to do. She tried coming up with a reason to push Buffy away, to gain control and figure out the sudden shift between them, but rational thought was becoming hard. Another moan left her as Buffy’s hands squeezed her waist. Her pulse pounded loudly in her ears.

The soft bedspread pushed against Satsu’s knees, just below the hem of her towel, but she didn’t remember walking backward to it. Buffy gave a small push and Satsu offered no resistance. She flopped back on the bed with a small bounce. A laugh bubbled up uncontrolled.

Buffy loomed over her. She gave the towel’s slipknot a little tug and parted the terrycloth. Satsu shivered again but this time not because of the cold. She tried to look away, but Buffy caught her gaze and held it.

“You are beautiful.”

Satsu wanted to say thank you, to tell her mentor she couldn’t compare to her, but then Buffy was kissing her and words didn’t seem so important. Fingers lightly played over the sensitive skin between Satsu’s breasts, traveling down across her stomach.

Buffy lowered herself over Satsu, pressing feather kisses to her face. The apparition’s clothes vanished in a blink and she was naked. That should have reminded the Asian slayer how different they were, but instead she could only marvel at the convenience.

Satsu arched against Buffy’s roaming hands and panted with anticipation. Her already cherry pit hard nipples tightened further with the expected touch of Buffy’s fingertips. Her entire body moved with Buffy’s, seeking to match her rhythm.

“I love watching you,” Buffy whispered against her skin, punctuating her words with wet kisses. “When we spar. Feeling you beneath me. Knowing how you feel about me. Thinking of you wet because of me.”

The words went to Satsu’s core. Sounds of desire came easy now; from deep inside where she kept her dreams of Buffy feeling the same way.

Buffy’s hands again reached her waist and tightened for a moment before sliding inward over her hips. Bidden, Satsu opened her legs readily and gave the slayer access. Teasingly Buffy stroked the tender skin of her inner thighs.

“Please…”

The touch of the slayer’s warm mouth to a taut nipple made Satsu arch her back again. Need throbbed in her chest with each beat of her heart. The ache and desire for release was almost painful. Unable to control herself, Satsu pushed against Buffy’s neck and drew her down hard on her breast.

Driven on by the uncharacteristic boldness, Buffy began hot earnest sucking. Her fingers traveled in small loops working closer to Satsu’s yearning sex. Her touch was tentative at first, sampling and exploring. When Satsu didn’t think she could stand waiting any longer, Buffy’s index finger slipped into the dark curls and found the wet heat of her.

Breath caught in Satsu’s throat and she felt her body tense.

Buffy settled her weight along side the younger girl and worked a second finger inside. She began moving her hand, irregularly at first before increasing to a steady rhythm. Her thumb flicked across Satsu’s clit, sparking another low moan.

Satsu bucked against her, moving her hips in tandem with the thrusting.

Buffy switched her mouth to the other nipple, leaving her saliva on Satsu’s breast glittering in the candlelight. The cold air was striking against her wet flesh.

Satsu closed her eyes and leaned back into the action of loving making. Normally, in this, she was the aggressor and the more dominant participant. It was nice and arousing to have someone show love to her for a change. That it was Buffy was incredible and awe-inspiring and more than she ever dreamed. Forgotten was the pain in her side and hands. She could only feel the tightness that built in her center and slowly grew until her limbs tingled with it.

When the orgasm finally hit her it came with sudden and sweeping force. She cried out as the burning waves of pleasure flooded her senses. There in the middle of the storm of emotions threatening to drown her was Buffy. The other’s presence at once grounded her and pushed her over that last peak.

As the world slowly returned to her, Satsu found herself splayed on the bedspread with Buffy’s head resting on her hip. The older slayer stared up at her with a mix of amazement and humor in her green eyes. “Feel better?”

Satsu nodded, not quite trusting her voice, and laughed.

Buffy crawled up her length and gave her a soft kiss that tasted faintly of salt. Satsu reached for her, attempting to return the favor, but Buffy stopped her and held on tight. She shushed and said, “Just enjoy this. There will be time for that later.”

Still languid with warm aftershocks, Satsu did not protest and settled into blissful peace.

“You’re a little louder of a lover than I thought you would be.”

Satsu giggled. “Never heard the saying about those quiet in life, huh?”

It was deep into the night, almost dawn, and both still lay intertwined underneath the bed’s heavy quilt. The candles had all burnt to useless nubs and the room’s icy chill was offset perfectly by Buffy’s warm breath against her neck.

“Must have missed that one.”

“Well it’s very popular.”

Outside icy rain continued to ping against the windows. Satsu blinked in the dim light and listened to the soft thumping of Buffy’s heart. “Ma’am,” she said at last. “Can I ask you something?”

“Mmm?”

“Why? This…I mean, I’m not stupid. I know you aren’t…I know there was a reason.”

Buffy shifted against her. “You really want to know? Can’t you just enjoy this?”

“I did. I am. But I think I need to hear the truth.”

“Okay. What I can tell you is that I’m not a fighter. I’m part of something, but it is never my role to fight in the battle. It is my responsibly to ready a champion. This was to help strengthen you, to aid your healing, and because I wished it to happen.”

Satsu nodded slightly, not really surprised. “You’re not a champion but you took the form of the world’s greatest champion.”

“I did not pick the form,” Buffy said. “The magic did. For the devil to win, the good need only look away. The spell does that. It picks the strongest and makes them not see.”

“And I’m here because—”

“You picked her,” Buffy finished. “Your eyes are clouded naturally. Because of that it could not touch you and it gave me this form.”

Satsu paused. “Oh.”

Buffy squeezed her waist. “Please don’t worry about that. Just rest now.”

“Will you still be here in the morning? Not like before?”

“I will.”

Satsu nodded again.

“Okay then.” Buffy pressed a kiss to her temple and instantly Satsu felt sleep start to close in around her. Losing focus she thought that perhaps this too was part of the magic. She made one last attempt to surface and question Buffy further, but the lure of rest was too strong.

She fell into a deep dreamless sleep.

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three