After The Dawn

Freedom
No one could possibly feel the thrill that went through Tereya's veins, as she flew across the sky. Her long, black hair whipped behind her, and she soared like a bird racing through the thermals. Needless to say, she felt quite... powerful, setting herself on a course without restaints or obstacles. No one could hold her back from doing what she wanted. There was no Ahatake to protect her anymore, no Ahatake to treat her as someone below him. She flew like the very wind itself.

Free.

However, her face was set in an expression of grim stoicism. Her eyes searched above the city she was flying in, her spiritual senses roaming every which way. For now, she wasn't in the mood of celebrating like the rebel she was. She was now focused on finding the person she had to leave behind.

Nori.

And now, as her spiritual senses locked onto his signature, she couldn't help but wonder how he had been for himself...

His meager life had gotten along just fine.

After a sloppy breakfast of fast food (which wasn't especially healthy, but it wasn't as if he had to watch his figure; any fat he gained was burned away as Reiatsu, or used as calories whenever he focused long enough), he had climbed back into bed, to sleep off the time in which Tereya said she would return. If she returned. Of course she would return! He doubted that she wanted him to run up her tab here at this hotel...

Which was strangely high-class, which would mean that she had some money... Especially for her to let him stay here like this! It was nice! And the bed was still warm... Nori snuggled under the covers more, closing his eyes and drifting off to sleep. He hadn't even bothered to throw away the garbage from his meal. Eventually, the maids would have to come in to clean it... He didn't have to worry.

While he dozed off, Tereya's lone figure appeared on the window-sill in a crouching position. Her eyes peered for a moment, unable to see him at first. However, once she noticed his sleeping form, she scoffed. All that he was doing was sleeping? No more going back to Hell or wherever? It was time to change that... She reached down, feeling for the window's opening.

Nori's sleeping form shifted slightly under the covers. He'd rolled on his side, with his back facing Tereya. Strangely, his body was located in the middle of the bed, leaving sizable room on both sides of the bed.

With careful hands, she managed to slide the window open and slip in, a ninja of the day. After she successfully infiltrated, she closed the window and turned towards Nori. Part of her was wary; before, he had tricked her in order for her to get close to him. However, it was overridden immediately. She walked over towards the front side of him.

Nori's eyes remained closed; his body taking slow, peaceful breaths. He was actually asleep. Whatever she might do to him would go completely unnocticed, so long as she didn't wake him up... Though, if she did wake him up, he might be mad... Nori didn't especially like being woken up. Especially after he had just eaten and the bed was so comfortable.

A perfect opportunity to exact revenge.

Curling one hand into a fist, Tereya readied her arm, aimed at her target...

...and punched him right in the groin.

Nori screamed.

It was incredibly loud; if it was anyone but Tereya in the room, they'd be begging him to stop. His manhood felt numb. Tears streamed from his eyes. The only possible thing he could was stare up at his assailant.

"Y... You bastard..."

Tereya snickered. "Don't you mean, you bitch?" She corrected him, retracting her arm at mid-scream. "I mean, did you forget about the last time I was here already?"

"Fine! You're a bitch!" Nori cried. This wasn't fair! Just because he'd hit her in the pubic bone... and the ovaries... Didn't mean that she had to hit him in the balls! "When... When this stops hurting, I'm going to fucking kill you. Watch. You're going to be begging for mercy..." He threatened. She would pay. He would make sure of it.

"Oooh, sounds scary!" Tereya mocked, putting her hands on her hips. "But don't worry, I won't run from the big bad ass." Promptly, and with what would seem like foolish bravery, she sat down on the opposite bed, legs crossed in her lady-like fashion. "I'll wait right here for my punishment like a good girl." She chuckled even more at her words.

Nori attempted an intimidating look, but it quickly faded. She was taunting him, and he would have to take it... "You're such an asshole," He cried, "You shouldn't punch someone in the balls..."

"Well, you shouldn't kick someone in the cooch..." Tereya countered immediately. "But you did. Twice."

Nori paused for a minute. It was getting harder to come up with comebacks. "So what..? I seem to remember winning two of our fights~." He taunted.

"Yeah." Tereya muttered, a frown being made of her lips. "Whatever it takes to make you sleep better." She tilted her neck to the side in a bored manner.

"Are you trying to argue that I didn't win our fights? You know, when we were in The Red Garden, and when I kicked you in the vagina when we were here." He giggled. Oh, she was frowning. Was it because she was annoyed? Nooooooo. It was probably because she didn't want to admit that he had won.

"Yeah, and when you nearly got knocked out by my punch to your face? Good times..."

"Oh, you mean when I feigned to get you to come closer? Like when we were in the bed?" He said. It didn't even hurt anymore. He was just laying there.

The corner of Tereya's eye started to twitch. When did he learn so fast to counter her? Was she losing her touch? "I could've beat your ass right then." She said stubbornly, folding her arms across her chest. "Consider that luck."

"Luck has nothing to do with it. If you could've beaten me, then why didn't you..?" He prodded. Sitting up, he scooted closer to Tereya, and when he was close enough, he leaned his head on her shoulder.

Oh, how she wanted to smack the man right now.

Unable to say anything, she only looked away from him in a huff, but didn't mind the close contact he shared with her. Any more, and he could easily press the advantage. For now, she would only allow him to revel in his little victory.

Nori wrapped his arms around her. "Oh, calm down. It's only natural that women are inferior to men. I can't help it if I'm bigger, and stronger, and faster, and smarter..." He rambled, obviously trying to piss her off. He was winning! Against Tereya. In an argument. This wouldn't happen very often.

"Tch. Oh, ok, then. I'll remember that the next time you're begging for mercy in the face of certain death." Tereya replied coolly, leaning against his arm.

"Don't be like that..." Nori whined, squeezing her tighter. "You know you want me."

"Maybe I do..." Tereya whispered slyly, almost in a teasing manner.

"So what are you going to do about it?" He taunted, letting go of her. She could do what she wanted. He was tired, and she had woken him up. If she wanted him, she was going to do all the work.

"What do you mean? I thought you were the bigger, stronger, and smarter guy, so I thought maybe you could help me with that problem..." Tereya countered easily.

"We both know that's not true." Nori stated sternly. She could beat him if it was a fair fight. The only thing that was keeping her from winning was her vulnerability to feints.

"Then shut up." She emphasized those words by reaching over and flicking Nori in the forehead with two fingers, with just enough force to make it... annoying. "Don't bother talking shit if you can't back it up." Of course, those words sounded like insults, but they were rather Tereya's own form of teasing... and possibly scolding.

Nori frowned profusely. His hand rose up and gingerly rubbed the spot where she had flicked. "Well if you won we wouldn't have this problem!" He snapped, punching her in the arm.

"It was a draw." Tereya argued.

"F-fine... It was a draw..." Nori mumbled. No it wasn't! He had won! Because he was better than Tereya. And he would keep on teasing her about it, until she inevitably kicked his ass to prove him wrong. Then she'd tease him and he'd tell her to shut up. Then she'd call him Romeo.

"Unless.... you want to try it.... again, just to make sure...."

"N-no..! That's okay..." Nori cried, a little bit too quickly. That really wasn't necessary...

A feral smirk came across Tereya's face at his remark. She raised a hand up, lifting her finger under his chin to make him look at her. "What's the matter?" She asked confidently. "Scared that I'll kick your ass this time?" The hesitance in his voice had only served to strengthen her resolve.

Nori couldn't respond. His face turned red. This was getting old. Quickly, he pulled his head from under her finger and stuffed it under a pillow. Maybe if he hid here long enough she'd go away! Or she'd clean the garbage he'd left out. Or do something that a woman should do. Anything that didn't involve teasing him.

"I'll take that as a yes." Seeing the comedic position Nori was in, Tereya decided to add to his torture by lifting herself up and sitting on his back to force him on his stomach. "Jeez, you're such a girl..." She added, only serving to tease him even more.

"You can call me a girl when you grow a penis..." He growled, his voice muffled by the pillow. This wasn't a comfortable position for him. Reaching behind himself, he feebly tried to toss Tereya off of him. He'd punch her in the boob later. He might hit the duct and make it hurt a lot. That would be fun~! Especially since he'd get to feel her boobs.

She simply caught his hand before it could reach her, twsting herself on him to pin his arm behind his back. "Oh, really? Who says?" She asked.

"I do." Nori replied simply. It wasn't as if she was actually going to do anything on his back. This wasn't a hostile situation. "Really, what are you even going to do, sitting on my back like that?"

"Oh...."

Her grin turned rather sinful at that. She leaned forward, raising both of her hands and putting them on both sides of Nori's head. This way, instead of just her hand, her entire body was pinning Nori down. "I can think of many things I could do to you right now." She replied hauntingly, her breath tickling his ears. "You really want me to demonstrate?"

"Yes. Please, go right ahead." Nori bluffed, actually struggling against Tereya. It was pointless. But whatever she did, he could just heal anyway. It's not like he couldn't regenerate.

No words needed to be said after that.

Immediately, the woman's mouth sank down into the nook of Nori's neck, the moved her tongue across the skin in a light manner, but with enough force to jolt his nervous system. Along the way, she made sure to nip on parts of it, in a rather unpredictable pattern.

His reaction was priceless. Everytime she bit, he whimpered like a baby, all the while craning his neck in every possible direction to try and get her mouth off of it. This was unbearable. He was going to explode. "St... Stop...!"

A restrainless chuckle was his response. "You see, Romeo, I don't need to mutilate you or anything like that to get you to squeal..." She said, allowing herself to fall off of him and on her back on the bed. She folded her hands beind her head.

Nori reached and covered the spot she'd been 'attacking' with his hand. "That's not funny! How the fuck am I supposed to cover that!? I don't want to go for walks outside and watch people point out that you put a huge fucking hickey on my neck! You fucking asshole." Nori grumbled, jumping off the bed and heading into the bathroom. He slammed the door shut and locked it. She wasn't invited this time.

The only response from Tereya to it all was a chortle. "Serves you right for running your mouth." She replied, though it was clear to her that she couldn't hear him. She closed her eyes, crossed her legs, and overall, looked rather relaxed. Who could blame her? The bed was quite soft and comfortable...

The sound of water filled the room. He was getting into the shower. Nori would be in the bathroom for at least an hour.

Calmly, Tereya allowed herself to get up from the bed, walking over towards the bathroom door. She could simply barge in and do what she did last time; even locked doors would not restrain her strength. However, she herself didn't need one - she had already taken care of that before she got here. She leaned against the wall beside the door, folding her arms across her chest. "Besides, I bet you've been spending your lazy ass here ever since I left!" She called into the door. "When did you plan on taking a walk?"

"I was afraid that if I left, when I came back, I would have missed you."

Nori blushed, even though he hadn't said it to her face. It was such a sweet thing to say. But it was the truth. A feeling a nervousness swept through him. That might prompt her to storm in here like she did the last time... And... Take control. He didn't want that. If she came in, she wouldn't be getting anything.

Thankfully, Tereya didn't think of it. "You? Miss me?" She asked skeptically. Didn't I give you that little energy of mine in order to find me? Either that, or I find you... quite easily, I could add."

Nori frowned. "Fine, I was being a lazy ass and didn't want to go outside. Is that what you wanted to hear?"

"Well, really, I didn't care either way. I was just asking."

"Well, since you're not busy, could you clean up the garbage I left out there from my breakfast? Thanks Honey."

Tereya scoffed. "What the hell do I look like, your maid? Clean your own fucking garbage." She craned her head towards the direction of the door.

"No, that's okay. Why should I have to do it when I have you?" He taunted.

The woman snickered, closing her eyes and turning back forwards. She was obviously amused. "You won't have me like that when I leave this door." She retorted. "Kur--... Seishou Tereya doesn't clean other people's messes." She had to correct herself; saying Kurosaki after her first name had became a habit before.

Nori sighed inwardly. "You don't have to clean it. You just have to pick it up and put it in the garbage. It's more like moving it. C'mon! You can do it! I beleive in you!" He shouted with mock-enthusiasm.

"You can do that when you step out! I'm goin' to fuckin' sleep!" With that, Tereya began to step away from the door and to one of the beds in order to emphasize that fact. How long had she been searching for Nori, anyway? What was the time of day?

The shower stopped a prompt twenty minutes later. She was asleep~. The perfect time for revenge! Whistling as he put on the same clothes he had been wearing (There was nothing wrong with them!) he stepped out of the bathroom and crept towards the bed she was lying in. This would be fun!

"Zzzz...." Beyond gone from the world of the awakened, Tereya hadn't even bothered to put on the covers. She lay on her side, facing Nori. Her expression was rather peaceful, all of her feistiness having seemingly vanished. Her breaths were steady and controlled, meaning that she was having a rather good sleep despite the short time.

Upon seeing Tereya like that, all of Nori's thoughts of revenge and vengence instantly vanished. He crawled into the side of the bed near her front and closed his eyes. If he touched her she might wake up! So he would sleep away from her.

"....you....bastard....."

Although it was in her sleep, Tereya seemed to be muttering incoherently, her words barely heard by her sleeping partner. Her expression looked a little aggravated.

Nori looked at her uneasily. She was talking about him, wasn't she!? He would wake her up and ask her what she was thinking about... Placing a gentle hand on her arm, he shook her lightly, trying to easily stir out of sleep. "Tereya... Wake up..!" He whispered. Maybe she needed another hug? She always enjoyed them.

"Don't... look at me like that..." She didn't seem to respond to the shakes, continuing to ramble in her own thoughts. "Not a... damsel in distress.... piece of overgrown shit...."

Nori looked at her for a moment, puzzled. Damsel in distress...? It wasn't important. Well... if she was going to ramble like this, he might as well get to sleep anyway. Grabbing one of her arms and wrapping it around his body, so that she was pressed against his back, Nori began drifting off to sleep...

It was here that she happened to wake up. At first, her eyes widened, seeing one of her arms wrapped around him. But then, they half-lidded in resolution. Oh, hell.... if she did it before, she could do it again. Once again she closed her eyes, accepting the warmth as a catalyst of her own sleep. Her only regret would be that she would have to wake up.

Oh, well. That was life, after all.

Nori's eyes fluttered open. What was it now? Night? Most likely. What should he do?... It didn't matter. Tereya could decide for him. Rolling over in Tereya's arms so he was facing her, he kissed her deeply, while she was still asleep. Then he snuggled into her oversized chest. If it wasn't good as a pillow, what else could it be good for..?

"....I do not want your drool on my chest, you retarded wierdo." Unfortuately, this also had the effect of waking up the woman herself. Her sharp voice rang in his ears as she spoke, looking on him with a tick popping in her forehead. But she didn't allow herself to move; she wasn't really awake enough to start any shit at this late hour, really.

"I'm not five, I don't drool when I sleep..." Nori grumbled, pressing his head further into her cleavage. It was so soft! "Besides, with this huge red blotch on my neck and all, I think I'm entitled to do something to you..."

Tereya sucked in her breath immediately, eyes glowering down at his head. "You wouldn't dare..." She hissed, her hand gripping the back of his neck. "You better not..."

Nori ignored her and began, imitating the exact thing she had done that morning to him. She tasted nice. He could keep doing this forever... A feeling of nervousness swept over him. He had never done this before... Would he get milk?

A shiver ran down Tereya's spine, and she couldn't help the shivering moan that escaped her mouth. She switched her hand from his neck to the back of his head, either keeping him close, or attempting to pull him off. "Get off of me...." She said threateningly, though her voice was wavering under the sensation that her nervoues system was undergoing.

Nori stopped for one short moment, only to say "Don't act like you don't enjoy it." Then he began again, sucking harder than he had before. It was like a pacifier! Though... if she did it to him, somewhere else, he'd be nothing but putty in her hands... Nori began to think about reconsidering this. He didn't want her to get 'revenge', and then turn him into a slave for her body.

The woman was forced to suck in a breath through her teeth, tilting her head back. She was starting to regret not pushing him off before he did. Now, she was under his mercy, unable to resist the shockwaves that hit her brain. "You are so f-f-fucked...." She managed to say, though the threatening tone was lost by her own ectasy. "When this is over... y...you realize that, right?"

Nori clamped his hand over her mouth, preventing her from speaking. Then, he stopped again, ending her pleasure for a miniscule moment. "Which definition of fucked..?" He giggled, then moved in to begin again. He could keep doing this forever!

"In...in both ways...!" She gasped in retaliation. Oh, this man was way too good, maybe even for her!

All at once, Nori stopped. Shoving her off of him, he rolled away from her body and landed on the floor. "This isn't right..." He grumbled in spite of himself. He wanted to do it so bad...! "You're married... You have a husband, and kids... I can't keep doing this..."

Once he had stopped, she was able to regain her composure, taking in deep breaths to recover herself. She brought herself up to a sitting posittion, putting on a bitter smile. "Married? Sorry, Nori. But I don't have any of that anymore..." She replied calmly. "Not that I'm looking for an excuse to continue that little... "dinner" game."

"I don't understand what you mean." Nori said, leaning his back against the side of the bed. She didn't have any of it anymore? If she left her husband for Nori... that would only make him feel worse...

"If you're wondering, I didn't do it for you." Tereya said, a savage sneer coming to her face. "From the moment Ahatake and I met, he was always seeming to look down on me like I was his personal princess, seeing his own power as stronger than mine, and practically flaunting it around in my face. I finally got sick and tired of the shit, confronting him personally about it. There, I broke up with the bastard and left Yuurei, the only thing I could spend doing was looking for you."

That didn't seem to cheer Nori up. "So you only came for me because you had nothing better to do..? I thought you said you loved me..." He mumbled, staring down at the floor. He couldn't help being somewhat happy. She was his now! And he wouldn't let her go with anybody else...

"No. I was planning on seeing you even if what happened didn't happen. I do love you, you fuckin' softie..." She placed a gentle foot on the side of his head. "I'm not one to lie, after all."

Nori smiled warmly. "And what makes you think I want your shit-covered foot touching my face?" He asked calmly. Despite the comment, it didn't stop him from leaning his head on it. "I still love you too."

"Shut up." Tereya kicked him a little. "I wash my feet, thank you very much!"

"Mmm-hmm. So do you want me to continue?" He asked playfully. "Uhm, actually, wait... Does that mean you want to marry me?"

"....?" The woman looked surprised at the mention of being married. She allowed a sigh to escape her lips, falling on her back and flopping down on the bed. "I.... I'd have to consider that, Nori. Jumping from one marriage to another isn't exactly my M.O...." She muttered. "That'd just make me look like a whore...."

"Oh..." Nori mumbled dejectedly. So she didn't love him that much. "That's alright, then... I'm sorry for asking..." Nori stood then took a seat back on the bed. His feelings were visible on his face. Nori was putting into consideration, telling Tereya off... Why not? What did he have to lose?

"You are technically a whore..." He began, "I mean, you cheated on your husband with me, and now, after you divorced him, you're back here with me..."

"That marriage was never supposed to happen." Tereya said, in apparent self-disgust. "It was born out of lust and all that good sexual shit, and I hate myself even more for it."

"Oh, so you wouldn't want to marry me, either. Because all we do is give in to lust and perform all that good sexual shit." He snapped. It was true; maybe if she actually had some interests, in anything, they could do something together.

"That's not it..." Tereya's face softened, contemplating on what was said. "He and I didn't start off like the way you and I did. Back then, I had to practically force the guy to a state where he showed he loved me... I didn't there there was anything good about that.... but with us..." She closed her eyes. "It came off as something natural, something that allowed what was between us to grow. I didn't have that chance with Ahatake..."

Nori didn't need to hear anything else.

Turning around and smiling, he crept toward her on the bed, until he was towering over her with his imposing figure. Had she forgotten her threat already? It was time to start again! But... Perhaps a more subtle approach was in order? He hugged her, wrapping his arms around her and holding her close. It wouldn't be long until she got comfortable... And then he could do what he wanted...

"Oh, that's right...." A devilish grin came across Tereya's face. "That's right..." She pushed her own weight against him, shoving him into the bed once more. "I did say you would be fucked when you were done..." She stated, and before he could do anything, crushed her lips against his own.

Nori had already given in. His face became a contorted mix of pleasure and surprise as she pressed her own body against him and kissed him. This wasn't fair... If she kissed him before he could react, how was he supposed to come up with a clever comeback..?

She lifted her head away to stare into his eyes once more. "You were about to say something...?" She questioned, smirking in amusement.

"N-no!" Nori shouted, pushing his lips against hers once again. He didn't care anymore. She could have him as much as she wanted! As long as she didn't just throw him away when she was finished, he would be happy.

Perfect.

There would be no more words spoken after that. Tereya was much too busy doing something else.

Nori exhaled a sigh of relief. They had finally finished, with Tereya's slim and sweaty body resting on top of his. He kissed her once more, then broke it. "You have way too much stamina..." He whined.

Even as she was breathing, Tereya managed a grin of her own. "Like I said... such a girl..." She taunted him. She rested her forehead against his, so that she could look him eye-to-eye before kissing him once more. "At least, when you're complaining about it..."

Nori blushed. "St-stop doing that!" Moving his neck so that his head was turned, he broke eye contact. That made him feel weird! Like she was about to do something! And she kept doing it! It was somewhat annoying... "Please marry me?" He asked hopefully.

She simply moved her head upwards. "....is there any sort of catch?" She questioned, quirking an eyebrow at him. "Not that it's going to stop me from saying yes...." She lowered herself once more to rest her head on his chest.

Nori rose a hand to stroke her head comfortingly. "Define 'catch'..." He said slowly. Would loving him be considered a catch..? Nori didn't feel the need to point out that all three times they'd done it, that neither of them had worn protection. They were going to have a child soon, whether they wanted to or not... Nori wanted a child. Did she want a child?

"Anything that's going to change my line of thinking and force me to be a goody two-shoes." Tereya summarized casually. "'Cause I sure as hell will not."

"Oh... Well, it depends." Nori stated sternly, ceasing his and pulling her back up towards his head so that they were seeing eye-to-eye once again. This time, he would not be flustered when he spoke. "You may do what you want, but if I found out you're cheating on me, expect me to do the same. If we have a child and you treat it badly, expect me to treat you badly." Nori kissed her, thrusting his tongue into her mouth then pulling it out slowly. "But I won't expect you to change at all..."

"Tch... do you really think of me that way, you bastard?" Tereya questioned breathlessly. "I would never cheat on you." Burying her nails into his chest, she dived in for a kiss of her own, before pulling away. "You hear me? Never."

With a wave of excitment, he rolled over, putting him akwardly on top of his woman. "So you'll marry me?" He asked enthusiatically, burrying his chest into her bosom yet again. He wasn't planning on doing anything... But if she said yes... He might feel slightly more inclined to...

She grinned, narrowing her eyes lustfully as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Of course... honey." She said, the last word rather teasing.

Nori smiled warmly and pulled himself out. "Good. Because, I was afraid I'd have to do that again to convince you, and I don't really have the energy, so now it all works out! Right?" He taunted, rolling over in his arms so that his back was facing her. Everything had worked out! And now he didn't have to do anything.

Tereya wrapped around her arms around him once more. "Shut up..." She grumbled. "No matter what the fuck you do, you're still just like a woman." She retorted. "Anyway... is there anyone I have to meet or something? I mean... do you have any of your own skeletons in your closet that just might come to bite us both in the ass?"

Nori bit one of her hands playfully. "Tons. You have no idea." He replied disdainfully. Was there really a reason to worry about them? They had eachother now! "Why would you want to meet them, anyway? They're nothing to look at, and I was hoping that we could go do something productive..." He mumbled, rolling around once more and ruining his grip. He'd make it so she couldn't speak any longer, like last time. There was no reason to talk about this. They didn't have to. Shoving his head back into her chest, Nori began sucking once again...

She snickered, feeling sensation come over her once more. "I hope..." She groaned, head falling back against the pillows as she let him have his way. "By productive... you don't mean - Oh, jesus! - sex 24/7..." She closed her eyes, believing herself unable to speak anymore.

Nori's free hand went somewhere lower, and began playing around with it. "It's not like we've been doing anything else besides that, and fighting. Because someone doesn't have anything else they like to do..." He retorted. Walks. Who the fuck wanted to go for a walk everyday? He wasn't restraining her... She could stop him whenever she wanted to. If she wanted to.

"Who are you...kidding me?" Tereya retorted, folding her hands behind her head. "I'm up for...something if you'd let me think about it!" Through the sensations, she managed an annoyed glare down at him, an obvious signal for him to cut it out.