A FIRE IN THE HEART
A Fushigi Yuugi Sekkushiaru Roman

By Sailor Mac (sailormac.wjjz.com)

NOTE: I have set this story between the return of Tamahome from his
captivity and enslavement in Kutou and the Seishi's unsuccessful attempt to
call Suzaku. This is before Miaka learned from Taiitskun that she was to
remain *totally* untouched by a man before calling the god. . .in this
story, Hotohori believes, and has told Miaka, she will be able to call the
god as long as her maidenhood remains intact. . . (This is my first ever
attempt at writing a non-Sailor Moon lemon, so please bear with me! Thanks!
Standard Fushigi Yuugi disclaimers apply. . .these characters ain't mine,
I'm just borrowing them for a little while.)

	"Nuriko. . .have you seen Tamahome?"
	The cross-dresser paused along the garden path at the sound of the
emperor's voice. Funny, he thought. . .I was just thinking the same thing.
. .
	"No, sorry. Haven't seen him since breakfast."
	Hotohori drew up to his friend, and Nuriko noticed a look of genuine
concern on his face. It was a concern that Nuriko himself had been feeling
these past few days. For both Tamahome and Miaka. Both of them, it seems,
were stumbling around in a perpetual daze. Miaka had just shocked them all
that afternoon by falling asleep at the lunch table. Ordinarily, that was
about as likely to happen as a tiger deciding to become a vegetarian.
	"I hope he's all right. He just hasn't been himself. . ."
	"Well, he *has* been through a horrible trauma, you know. Being
brainwashed by the enemy is *not* exactly like skinning your knee."
	"But he seemed to bounce right back from it. . .at first."
	Nuriko sighed and sat down on a wide bench, next to a carp pond. "Yes, I
know. . .at first. And then, he became like a walking zombie." He paused.
"And speaking of walking zombies. . .has Miaka been seen since lunch?"
	"She went into the temple a little while ago to check out preparations for
the ceremony. . .we're almost ready. We should be able to call Suzaku the
day after tomorrow." Hotohori sat next to Nuriko, and just watched the carp
swimming about for a moment. . .then said, "I know what you mean about
Miaka being a walking zombie. She hasn't been herself, either. I hope it
has nothing to do with. . ." He broke off abruptly.
	"Nothing to do with. . .what?"
	Hotohori quickly looked away. "It's not important."
	"If it *really* wasn't important, you wouldn't have turned your head away
from me like that. Out with it, Your Majesty."
	Hotohori paused, seeming to be searching for the right words. Nuriko felt
sorry for him when he saw the pain reflected in the young emperor's eyes.
Miaka was still a very sore subject for him. He loved her, yet knew he
could never have her. . .destiny had put her together with Tamahome.
	Finally, he said, "I told her the other day. . .when Tamahome came back. .
.that until the ceremony to call Suzaku, she had to remain a virgin. What
with them being reunited. . .I thought they might allow their love for each
other to. . .be taken to the next stage." The emperor blushed deeply.
	"And did you tell Tamahome this as well?"
	"Yes."
	Aha, Nuriko thought. This could very well be the reason I'm looking for.
Hmm, let's see. . .two young lovers, longing for each other like hell. .
.told they can't consummate their love. . .well, they say that forbidden
fruit tastes sweetest. . .they probably haven't been able to think of
anything else. . .
	Nuriko wanted the love between Miaka and Tamahome to run smoothly. He
wanted it *very* much. Because as long as Miaka was with Tamahome. .
.Hotohori wouldn't touch her. Which left Hotohori available. . .and open
for Nuriko to work his charms on.
	What these two need, he thought, is a push in the right direction. They
need to be shown that there *are* ways for two people to make love without
intercourse. . .
	But how to do it. . .he doubted Tamahome would sit still for an explicit
lecture. If anyone as much as glanced at the young warrior when he was
washing his upper body with his pants still on, he'd yell "Hentai!"
	And then, Nuriko remembered something. . .something half-forgotten, that
was sitting back in his room, that had been untouched since he'd entered
the palace as one of the emperor's "brides". . .something that could help
the young couple in a big, big way. . .
	"Leave it to me," he told Hotohori. "I'm going to have a heart-to-heart
with Tamahome later. They'll both be back to their old selves before you
know it. . ."

* * *
	Tamahome slowly made his way back from the stables toward the main part of
the palace. He felt like he were moving through lead.
	When you don't sleep, he thought, that happens to you.
	He'd been back among the Suzaku Seishi about a week. He could remember
nothing about being a brainwashed slave of Nakago. Just as well, because
from what he'd heard from Miaka, it was terrible.
	No, that wasn't what was keeping him from sleeping. Neither was anxiety
about the ritual to call Suzaku.
	What was keeping him awake was Miaka herself. . .or at least thoughts of her.
	When he had been in Nakago's stronghold, with Yui throwing herself at him,
he had longed to have Miaka in front of him, longed to touch her russet
hair, breathe in the scent of wildflowers that always surrounded her. . .
	Now, he was back with her. And the feelings of longing had only
intensified. Every time he lay down, his head became a riot of fantasies,
imagining her lying beside him, naked, open to his hands, his mouth, his. .
.
	He shook his head, as if to drive the thoughts away. No, no, it can't be,
he thought. She has to stay a virgin, or the ceremony to call the god won't
work. Hotohori made a point of telling me that. Maybe more of a point than
he should have made.
	The very fact that the act was forbidden. . .only made it more alluring. . .
	And then, his thoughts were interrupted by a strong hand coming out of
nowhere and seizing his arm with an iron grip. He was yanked through a
doorway and into a room. His fighter's instinct instantly kicked in, and he
started to swing at his attacker. . .
	"Baka, it's me!" Nuriko said. "Who did you think it was?"
	"What the HELL did you have to do THAT for?"
	Nuriko glided across the room and settled in an overstuffed chair. . .it
*was* his room, after all. "Well, it's hard to get your attention nowadays,
Tama-chan. You seem to be wandering around in a haze."
	"Wandering around in a haze? I'm fine! There's nothing wrong with me!"
	"Sure. That explains why you walked face-first into a pillar this morning.
Or why you poured tea all over the table yesterday - because you nodded off
while you were pouring it."
	"Just small accidents."
	"You've got something on your mind, Tama-chan. Something big. Or, should I
say, something small, with reddish-brown hair and green eyes."
	"I always have Miaka on my mind! I love her!" What the hell is he getting
at? he thought, as he started to pace the room, running his hand nervously
through his hair.
	"Fair enough. But I think there's more than love involved here."
	"What do you mean?"
	Nuriko chuckled, got up, crossed the room. . .picked up a large box of
scrolls. . .
	"I mean, my friend. . .that a fire in the heart can lead to a fire down below."
	"WHAT?"
	"You long for her, don't you? But you don't know what to do, how to go
about it. . .and it's driving you nuts."
	"NURIKO! YOU HENTAI! I DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT. . ."
	Ignoring him, Nuriko thrust the box of scrolls into his stomach, hard
enough that Tamahome's arms came up instinctively and wrapped around it.
"Which is why you need this. It's called a Pillow Book. It's given to the
brides of an emperor. . .it's pictures that show all kinds of ways to make
love. You can get some ideas from it."
	"I don't need IDEAS!" But he didn't drop the box.
	"You can thank me later."
	"Don't count on it!" He ran from Nuriko's room, toward his own. . .still
clinging to the container of scrolls.
	Once he was inside, he kicked the door shut and dropped the box next to
the bed. What the hell was *that* about? he thought. Am I *that* obvious?
How many other people have noticed something isn't right with me? Sure,
some of them may have dismissed it as the aftereffects of. . .he didn't
even dare form the words "having been brainwashed" in his mind. . .
	He looked at the box of scrolls. Pillow Book. . .ridiculous. . .when the
time came, he'd know how to make love to Miaka without. . .
	But in the back of his mind, curiosity was forming. What *is* on those
scrolls? he thought. I'll just look at a couple of them. . .just to see
what they're all about. . .and then give them back to Nuriko.
	He picked one up and unrolled it. He squinted, turned his head. . .turned
it this way, turned it that way. . .shook his head. . .
	"Ghaa," he said out loud. Good Gods, he thought. . .did the artists think
the human body was made of fabric? Could Miaka bend like that? Could he?
	He rolled it up quickly and tossed it back in the box, then grabbed
another. This one. . .was less acrobatic, and more. . .beautiful.
	His eyes swept over the paintings of a man sucking a woman's breasts and
gently stroking between her legs. . .and of his head between her legs, his
tongue probing her, as the woman had an expression of pure bliss on her
face. . .
	He thought of Miaka's face with that expression. He thought of how her
skin would feel and taste under his eager hands and tongue. . .he could
almost hear her moans, smell her musky woman-scent. . .
	With trembling hands, he rolled the scroll up so quickly and roughly he
almost tore it. He grabbed at another. . .which revealed a picture of a
woman kneeling in front of a man, his manhood in her mouth. . .and then one
of a couple lying so their heads were between each other's legs. . .
	His imagination went into overdrive. Miaka's sweet little mouth
surrounding him, tugging at him, while he gently kissed and licked at her
jewel. . .He could feel himself harden in response to his fantasy. . .
	This is *not* helping me, he thought. This time, after rolling the scroll
up, he kicked the whole box across the room.
	But he could not so easily kick the images out of his mind.
	All through the afternoon, the pictures from the book haunted him, no
matter what he was doing. . .eating, exercising, helping with the
preparations for the ceremony. . .
	Next time I see Nuriko, he thought, I'm going to pound him.
	Nuriko was absent at dinner, though (deliberately avoiding me? Tamahome
thought). And he didn't turn up afterwards, either.
	It was a *very* frustrated Tamahome who retired for the evening and
attempted to go to sleep. If sleep was difficult before. . .it was
impossible now.
	I can't stand this, he thought. I've got to go see Miaka. . .just talk to
her, just for a few minutes. . .if I can just touch her a little, just kiss
her, maybe this will make this unbearable ache go away.
	If a fire in the heart leads to a fire down below, he thought bitterly,
I'm going to be nothing but a pile of smoking ash pretty soon.
* * *		
	Miaka lay on her bed, just staring out the window at the moon. Sleep was
eluding her yet again.
	How can I sleep? she thought. I feel like I'm on fire. . .body, mind and
soul. . .Have the others noticed? Did Nuriko see me start to drift off to
sleep during lunch today? Did Chichiri know I wasn't really concentrating
on what he was saying?
	Maybe they think it's just stress. . .between the horrible thing I went
through with Tamahome, and the knowledge that in a few days I'm going to
attempt to call Suzaku. . .
	She flopped on her stomach. Tamahome. . .that's all I can think about.
Since he's been back. . .I feel more strongly for him than ever. . .and I
think about holding him, touching him. . .doing. . .doing more. . .
	She snatched up a pillow and flung it over her head, as if to block out
the thoughts. A lot of good that's going to do me, she thought. How can I
possibly think this way about Tamahome. . .enjoy my fantasies about him. .
.when Yui's still in the hands of the enemy?
	I've got to bring her back. Whatever it takes. I'll never let any harm
come to her again. Tamahome and I will protect her. . .
	Tamahome. Just thinking of him made her feel warm all over again. It does
me no good to feel this way, she thought. It won't get me anywhere.
Hotohori said I had to remain a virgin until Suzaku is called. Oh, that's
easier said than done. Whoever wrote the laws governing Suzaku no Miko. .
.did they ever take into account that she might fall in *love*?
	A noise outside her door made her spring up into a sitting position. Enemies?
	"Who's there?" she called out, reaching for a candelabra on her
nighttable. "Whoever it is, remember. . .I'm armed and I'm dangerous!" She
waved it around a few times like a sword, making "Yahh! Yahh!" sounds as
she did so. . .not noticing that the door had opened and her visitor had
walked in.
	Tamahome saw the thing coming for him like a streak of lightning. He had
just enough time to hit the deck before she would have crushed his skull
like a melon. She dropped her "weapon" as soon as she realized who it was.
"Tama. . .Tamahome. . .gomen nasai!"
	There was a pause when he just lay flat on his stomach on the floor. Then,
he abruptly snapped up, shouting, "YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO TAKE MY HEAD OFF!"
	She shrieked and pulled the covers over her head. "I'm sorry! I didn't
mean to! I thought you might have been. . ."
	But he just got up, sat beside her and pulled her to his chest. "It's
okay. I'm still in one piece."
	She pulled the blankets off her head just enough so she could peek out. .
.she was greeted by the sight of his warm smile. The smile which, such a
short time ago, she thought she was never going to see again.
	Sometimes, she thought, I can't believe that the nightmare is over, that
he's really and truly at my side to stay. . .that any second I'm going to
open my eyes and find out that it's all a dream, that he's still with the
enemy, still their brainwashed slave, still out to kill me. . .
	She flung the covers the rest of the way off. No, this was no dream. His
warmth, his nearness, the scent of spices which clung to him. . .all real,
very real.
	"Tamahome," she whispered, throwing her arms around him, burying her head
in his chest. . .
	"Miaka, darling," he whispered back, his hands stroking her hair, pulling
her closer to him.
	She could feel his hot breath, feel the throb of his heart against hers.
.  .it was if they were melting into each other, becoming one being, one
heart, one soul. . .
	And the fires within her were blazing hotter, hotter. . .unbearably hot. . .
	No, she thought. We can't do this. We can't. Everything I've done so far.
. .everything everyone's sacrificed. . .I can't risk having the ceremony to
call Suzaku failing.
	She rolled away from him, miscalculated where the edge of the bed was, and
fell on the floor.
	"Miaka!" He leaned over the edge to try to grab her.
	She just lay there, a bit dazed, feeling as if cartoon birds were circling
around her head. . .
	When she saw his hand coming near, she scrambled away again, until she was
against the wall. "DON'T TOUCH ME!" she cried.
	"Miaka. . .why?"
	"Maybe I don't feel like it," she said as primly as possible, folding her
arms across her body and adopting what she thought was a schoolmarm's
expression. But she knew her flushed cheeks, the slight trembling of her
shoulders, were a dead giveaway of her true feelings.
	He looked at her for a moment, a slightly bemused look on his face. She
tried to hold her prudish pose without much success.
	Finally, he moved over to the far side of the bed and patted the area next
to him. "Come here. . .we'll talk."
	Gingerly, she approached the bed, and lay down as far away from him as she
could, flat on her back with her arms at her sides, staring up at the
ceiling.
	"Okay," she said. "Talk."
	"Miaka, I know how you feel. . ."
	"How could you possibly know how I feel? Have you been inside my head the
past couple of days? I'm not transparent, you know. I'm known for my stiff
poker face!"
	He rolled on his side, toward her, supporting his head on his hand. Oh,
Gods, she thought, why did he have to do that? He looks so boyish, so sexy,
so irresistible. . .
	"I know, because. . .I've been feeling the same way."
	"Huh?" She turned toward him, slightly. There was no hint of teasing on
his face. He looked completely sincere.
	"I love you, Miaka. I love you more than life itself. Since you came to
Konan.  . .everything has changed for me. Changed for the better. For the
first time, I feel like I have something to *live* for."
	She turned away from him again. "You suffered. . .because of me. You were
tortured, brainwashed. . ."
	"I suffered what I did because I loved you. I'd endure anything to keep
you safe and make you happy, Miaka." He reached out and stroked her hair
again.
	"I'd endure anything for you, too. . .you've made me so happy. . .but
sometimes, loving you is. . .so hard. . ."
	"What do you mean, honey?"
	"I've been wanting. . .I mean, I've been thinking about. . .I mean. . .oh,
Gods, I think about having you next to me all the time, and I. . ."
	The words were failing her. But he picked up on the unspoken meaning. And
he could relate. Oh, how he could relate.
	Like Nuriko said, he thought. . .a fire in the heart leads to a fire down
below. . .It's time we do something about the fire.
	"Miaka. . .it's okay. I know how much you love me. . .I love you just as
much. And when you love someone that much. . .it's the most natural thing
in the world to want to be one with them and give them pleasure."
	She felt tears welling up in her eyes. I want to be one with him, too, she
thought. . .I want to show him how much I love him. . .but I can't. . .I
can't. . .
	"Oh, Tamahome!" She choked back a sob. "I. . .want to, but. . .if we do. .
.if we do. . ."
	"Ssshh, honey. . .it's all right. . ."
	"It's NOT all right! If we give in, and I lose my virginity. . .I won't be
able to call Suzaku! Everything that everyone suffered will have been for
nothing. . .and I'll never get Yui back. . ."
	He drew her into his arms, and she sobbed against his chest, soaking his
shirt with her tears. "I'm sorry, so sorry. . ." she gasped.
	He felt his heart sinking. . .but tried to keep up a cheerful demeanor,
for her sake. "Don't cry. You *will* be able to call Suzaku, Miaka. I'm
sure of that."
	"Then leave me. . .please don't make it harder to keep myself a virgin. . ."
	And then, the images leapt into his mind. That Pillow Book. . .those
ridiculous scrolls Nuriko gave him. . .it had the answer. Somewhere in the
middle of all those drawings and woodcuts of ludicrous acrobatics, there
were illustrations of couples giving each other pleasure *without*
intercourse. . .
	He kissed her temple, brushed her hair away from her eyes. "We can fulfill
our love for each other. . .*and* keep you a virgin."
	"How?"
	"There are other things we can do. . ."
	"Other. . .things?"
	"Yes, my love." Tenderly, he dried her tears with the back of his hand.
"Will you trust me? Will you let me show you?"
	There was a brief conflict inside her. . .did she really want to do this?
Did she really want to go into the unknown. . .did she really trust him
beyond a shadow of a doubt to leave her intact?
	But she quickly overcame it. This was Tamahome. . .Tamahome, her
protector, her love, whose feelings for her were strong enough to overpower
one of the most powerful brainwashing spells in the world. . .He won't let
anything happen to me, she thought, and he won't do anything I don't want
him to do.
	She put her arms around him, gave him her sweetest smile, and whispered, "Yes."
	He brought his mouth to hers, kissing her sweetly and tenderly at first. .
.then, she felt him start to deepen the kiss, and her lips opened almost
involuntarily, with a gasp. His tongue gently slipped into her mouth, and
she felt her own touching his, caressing it, stroking it. . .Her heart was
pounding, her head was swimming, and a raging blaze was rising, rising in
her most secret juncture. Oh, Gods, she wanted it. . .wanted it like she'd
wanted nothing before. . .
	When his mouth came away from hers, she gasped, trembling all over with
desire. He softly kissed her cheek. . .then, her temple, her earlobe. .
.When she felt his tongue sweep from below her ear down her neck and back
up again, she jumped and cried out, feeling the heat in her woman-place
swell until it seemed to scorch her. . .
	His lips were on hers again, and his hands were on her pajama jacket,
slowly unfastening the buttons. She craved his touch there so much. . .she
reached up to help him get them undone. . .
	"Sssshhh, just lie back and relax now." He pushed the fabric aside, and
she sat up so he could get it off her entirely and fling it across the
room. She felt his hands on her shoulders, slowly moving downward, over the
curves of her breasts. . .
	The first contact with her nipples felt like a lightning bolt shooting
through her. She jumped, crying his name out as his fingers caressed the
hardened buds. . .he slid his thumbs over then, then brushed them gently
with his fingertips, then ever-so-lightly squeezed them between thumb and
forefinger. . .
	"Please. . .please. . ."
	"Please what, sweetheart?"
	"Take my pants off. . ."
	"Yes, my love." He hooked his fingers in her pajama bottoms, dragging them
down and off her body. He stepped back, and she could feel the heat of his
gaze all over her body. . .she knew he was looking at every inch of her,
and liking what he was seeing.
	"So beautiful," he sighed. "You look like a goddess, Miaka. Gods, I just
can't believe you're mine. . ."
	"Tamahome. . .can I see you as well?"
	"Of course." There was a brief rustle of fabric as he dropped his clothing
to the floor. . .and then she looked at him, at the expanse of smooth skin
stretched taut over hard muscle. . .at the patch of hair, a couple of
shades darker than on his head, in his lower regions. . .
	And what was surging up from below that hair. She'd seen pictures before.
. .but nothing could match seeing it in person. Especially if it was
attached to the man she loved.
	"Oooohhhh. . ." she sighed. "You're. . .you're breathtaking."
	He lay back on the bed next to her, whispering, "Thanks. And you. .
.you're even more beautiful than anything I've dreamed." He rolled her onto
her back. "Let me worship you, my goddess."
	She felt his lips on hers again, and she pulled him closer, as close as
she possibly could, letting her tongue tangle and dance with his. The
tongue left her mouth, and began to move downward, back over her neck. .
.lower. . .lower. . .
	Until he was softly, slowly licking the pink around her right nipple. She
gasped and let out a cry, tangling her fingers in his blue-grey hair,
pulling him closer, closer. . .
	He drew it into his mouth for only a second, just sucking a tiny bit, then
pulled his head away. Miaka almost wailed. Oh, please, she thought, suck
it, suck it, make it feel good. . .
	He pulled her nipple in again, and started a strong, steady suction,
making a deep noise in his throat as he did so. She cried out, feeling her
body writhe, her hips start to move. . .every inch of her was being flooded
with what felt like a million tiny charges of electricity. . .
	His right hand was slipping down her body as he feasted on her right
breast, then moved his mouth to her left. . .Miaka tensed in anticipation.
She'd touched herself on occasion. . .mostly since she'd met him. . .but
knew that the touch of another would feel different, more special. . .
	Softly, gently, his fingers stroked and played with the curls covering her
sweet secrets. Lower, she thought, put your fingers *in* there. . .touch me
where I'm hot, so hot, burning and burning for you. . .
	He slipped lower, plunging into the wet, velvety folds. . . He raised his
head from her breast. "So good," he moaned. "Oh, Miaka. . .so hot, so soft.
. ."
	"Tamahome. . ."
	"Miaka. . ."
	He was moving slowly, seeming to explore every last little inch of her,
driving her wild. . .the sensations were thick and sweet when he stroked
here, shivery and intense where he caressed there. . .She was panting, her
body seeming to have a mind of its own, writhing, moving toward him again
and again and again. . .
	Her hand found his flat stomach. She started to caress her way down, down,
down. . .
	When she first touched it, she pulled her hand away, as if burned. It
felt. . .funny! Not at all what she was expecting. It was hard and soft all
at the same time, and hot, so hot. .
	"Oh, honey," he moaned. "That's right. . .hold it, stroke it. . ."
	"I don't know what to do."
	"Just touch it. . .that's all. . .and do whatever you feel like. . ."
	She touched it again. . .first just the palm, then letting her fingers
slowly wrap around it. Very slowly, she started to move her hand. .
.stroking very slowly, down, then up. . .she looked up at his face, and saw
him with his eyes closed, his lips parted, wearing an expression of total
bliss. An erotic thrill ran through her at the thought of giving the man
she loved so much pleasure. . .as much pleasure as his fingers were giving
her. . .She grew bolder, running her fingers up and down the shaft, then up
to stroke the head. . .his moans telling her what to do, what changes in
pressure, fluttering of fingers brought him the most pleasure. . .
	"Ooohh, Miaka. .  .yes. . .oooh, you're a natural. . ."
	And then, he intensified his stroking, trying to match her pleasure for
pleasure. Miaka felt his fingers moving. . .oh, gods. . .*inside* her! Ohh,
the feeling was so intense. . .he was stroking and caressing from the very
core of her. . .and an intense heat, a kind of pressure, was starting to
build and build. . .
	"Miaka. . .ohhh. . .I'm going to come soon. . .soon. . ."
	"Tamahome. . ."
	"Come with me, my love. . ." He slid his fingers out, and for a second,
she felt disappointed. . .but then, they flicked upward and found her
passion-swollen jewel. She cried out. . .the sensation was so sweet and hot
and intense and it was filling her more and more and more and. . .
	There was an instant where she felt suspended out of time, out of space. .
.where the very kinetic movement of the universe seemed to stand still. . .
	And then, it erupted. Liquid fire shot through every bit of her, from the
core of her being to the roots of her hair and tips of her toes. She
jerked, shrieking, as wave after wave of ecstasy totally consumed her. .
.and somewhere far away, she heard her lover cry out as well, and felt a
wetness on her hand. . .
	She sagged against him, her breathing deep and jerky as his fingers slowly
eased away from her, as the spasms wracking her began to slow down, as the
world came back into focus. . .
	"Darling," he whispered. "I love you. I love you so much. . ."
	Miaka held up her hand, the one that had grasped his manhood. . .and
looked at the white fluid on it. She didn't know whether to feel turned on
or revolted by the sight of it. Experimentally, she dipped the fingers of
her other hand in it. . .it was sticky, and warm, but not. . .terrible. . .
	He kissed her. "You see what you do to me?"
	"Did you like it?"
	"What a question. It was everything I dreamed of and more."
	"But. . .it wasn't *everything*. . ."
	"We don't need *everything.* It was enough. Believe me." He reached for
his discarded clothing, took a handkerchief out of his pocket and tenderly
wiped her hand off.
	"You're so good to me," she whispered. "I love you."
	"I love you, too."
	He put the handkerchief on her nighttable, lay on his back and drew her
onto his chest, wrapping his arms around her. Miaka put her head on his
chest, where she could hear the comforting sound of his heartbeat.
Breathing deeply of his scent, feeling his warmth all around her, she
drifted off into a peaceful sleep.	
* * *
	The first rays of dawn were peeking in through the window when Miaka awoke.
	They had shifted positions during the night. . .she was no longer lying
atop him. At first, she was confused by the warmth next to her. . .did
someone break into her room in the middle of the night, did she have an
unwelcome guest. . .
	Then, she remembered. Tamahome.
	She turned over to look at him, lying on his back next to her, one arm
thrown up over his head, the other at his side. He looked so innocent and
charming, like a little kid. . .
	Her fingers lightly traced the contours of his dear, dear face. He stirred
a bit, but didn't awaken.
	My darling, she thought. I love you so much. . .everything, every
hardship, every suffering since I came here has been worth it, because it
meant finding you.
	She flung back the covers so she could take a good look at his nude form
again. He was so perfect in her eyes, slim and yet with defined muscles. .
.his skin felt so good under her fingers. . .She caressed his neck, his
chest, then gently squeezed a nipple between thumb and forefinger like he'd
done to her. He moved a little, gave a soft moan. . .but nothing else.
	Hmm, she thought. . .wonder if a man likes to have his nipples sucked like
a woman does. . .She lowered her head, and, experimentally, let her tongue
lightly brush the hardened knot. He wriggled, let out a soft sigh of
"Miaka". . .Encouraged, she took it in and suckled vigorously, savoring the
taste, how he felt. . .ohh, he seemed to like it, even though he still
wasn't fully awake. . .and that was turning her on more.
	She moved slowly down his body, kissing and licking as she went. He felt
so good, tasted so good, all over. . .
	And then, she came to her ultimate goal. It was fully erect. . .from a
dream he'd been having, or from what she'd just been doing?
	Tentatively. . .very tentatively. . .she touched her lips to it, a tiny
kiss. . .The skin here felt different than elsewhere on his body. . .
	She let her tongue slide out of her mouth and lick. . .just a small
touch. . .now, he was moaning in his sleep. . .
	Miaka lay a few soft kisses up and down the shaft, letting her fingers
stroke it at the same time. Umm, this was so nice. . .she'd never felt
closer to him before. . .
	She wanted to feel as close as two people could be. She wanted to. . .be
one with him, take him inside her. . .
	But she couldn't. Not until she called Suzaku.
	Unless. . .
	She opened her mouth wide.
	Unless I take him in somewhere else. . .
	She shifted her body around so she was kneeling astride his head, where
she could lean over and take his manhood comfortably into her mouth.
	Slowly, slowly, she slid in just the tip. . .hmm, this was good. . .a
little bit more. . .
	Miaka brought her head down more. . .more. . .until he was poking into her
throat. She choked and pulled back. No, no, couldn't overdo it. . .
	She tried again, taking him in just so far. . .far enough to be
comfortable. . .and then, she started to suck, moving her head back and
forth. . .
	At that moment, Tamahome came fully awake, luscious sensations flooding
his brain.
	I must still be dreaming, he thought. So good. . .so good. . .
	Then, he looked up. It was no dream. He saw his lover's soft, pink petals
right above him. She was making love to him with her mouth. . .and ohh, she
was doing a wonderful job of it. . .
	Miaka was getting a bit bolder. She slid him out of her mouth and slowly
ran her tongue up and down his length while her fingers traced slow circles
on the head. Ah, he was fully awake, she heard him moan her name, over and
over, like a mantra of love. His hands were stroking her inner thighs, gentl
y caressing the sensitive flesh. . .and then coming up and around to her
buttocks. She felt him squeeze, release. . .squeeze, release. . .and
massage. . and caress. . .
	She took him back in her mouth. . .and felt the hands on her buttocks push
her hips downward. . .
	The thrust of his tongue into her soft crevice made her utter a shriek in
her throat.
	Tamahome began to slowly, softly lick around his lover's sensitive,
succulent flesh. Sweet. . .she tasted so sweet. . .why did that not
surprise him? He  flicked his tongue in and out of her entrance, feeling
her quiver in response. Gently, he nibbled on the nether lips, then covered
the whole area with long, rapid lashings of his tongue. Her sucking was
getting faster, more intense. . .sensation was building fast, and the more
she gave, the more he wanted to give back. He put his tongue deep within
her, pumping it in and out, in and out. . .oh, how wonderful it felt to
have a part of him, no mater how small, surrounded totally by Miaka, Miaka.
. .
	His orgasm was fast approaching. He wondered if he should warn her, give
her time to get out of the way. . .He tried to gently push her away, but
she insisted on staying where she was. That made him even more excited. .
.she wanted to take his essence inside her, devour him completely. . .
	He was determined to share the ecstasy with her, and he took his tongue
out of her and brought it up to the swollen jewel that most craved his
attentions. Back and forth he brushed it with his quick, teasing tongue. .
.then a few quick kisses on the tiny organ. . .tongue flicks all around it.
. .
	Miaka felt ready to explode. . .oh GODS,  I'm almost there, she thought,
almost there. . .and he is too, I feel it. . .she began to suck faster. .
.just as he took her pearl between his lips and began to vigorously suckle
it.
	Time stood still. . .and then. . .
	The electric ecstasy seemed to start in one body and shoot straight
through to the other. At exactly the same moment, Tamahome and Miaka hit
the peak of ecstasy, their bodies rising up off the bed, then crashing back
down, shuddering, feeling their hearts beat as one. . .
	The fluid of his orgasm shot into her mouth, and at first, she almost
choked on it, wondering if she'd made the biggest mistake of her life. . .
	Then, she thought, Get a grip, Miaka. This is part of the man you love.
And you wanted to be truly one with him. . .you'll probably never get
closer. . .And she proceeded to swallow his essence, every bit of it going
down her throat easily as silk pie.
	They just lay there for a moment, holding each other, savoring what had
just happened between them. . .
	Then, Miaka crawled back up the bed, so they were face-to-face. She kissed
her lover's lips and whispered, "Good  morning, Tamahome."
	"You're making it a *very* good morning. Gods, that was intense. . ."
	"I liked it. You feel so good. . .taste so good. . ."
	"So do you." He took her in his arms and held her against his chest,
cradling her head in his arm. I'll never let you go, he thought. I'll never
leave you. . .
	"I love you so much," she said.
	"I love you, too."
	Tamahome gently stroked Miaka's hair as she fell asleep again. So
incredible, he thought. . .the experience was beyond even my wildest,
hottest dreams. . .I doubt intercourse could be more wonderful, more
fulfilling.
	He chuckled to himself as he thought of what Nuriko had said to him
before. . . "You can thank me later." Somehow, his fellow Seishi knew
*exactly* what they had needed. . .
	I owe you one, my friend, he thought. I owe you one big-time.
	Softly, he kissed Miaka's temple, and dropped off into a peaceful sleep.