Spellbound: Chapter 2
Sep. 2nd, 2019 10:02 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
matsu1ninoTitle: Spellbound
Pairing: Matsumiya
Genre: AU, Dark, Fantasy
Disclaimer: Arashi is not mine.
Summary: After accidentally binding himself to a demon, the greatest hunter in the eastern realm is forced to reconsider everything he has ever known.
Author's Note: Another Jun birthday dedication post. I've been meaning to update this fic for a while.
Chapter 2
Nino frowned at the warmth he could feel touching his cheek. Fighting the urge to open his eyes, feeling too comfortable to return to the waking world just yet, he tossed about and rubbed his face against the soft, fur covered armrest beneath his head. The faint musk tickled his nose. No matter how much he moved, the warmth continued to embrace him. Nino stretched his neck back and groaned. He blinked as consciousness returned to him, doing his best to ignore the sting of his heavy eyelids. The blackness that had encircled him for what felt like an eternity vanished, fading into a memory as his surroundings came into view.
The area was spacious and pleasant, adorned with simple furniture. He was curled up on the animal skin throw of a chair situated closest to the fireplace in front of him. The scent of smouldering wood still hung in the air though the fire had long since burned out. Sitting up, the cover fell from his half-naked body. Nino shivered slightly and hastily grabbed the covering to wrap around himself once more. Hugging it close to his body, he turned his head to look out the window, wincing at the blinding rays of sunlight that greeted him. Dawn, he realized. An array of emotions flickered across his features the longer he stared out at the rising sun. It was a sight he had not expected to see again.
Pursing his lips in a pout, Nino racked his brain for memories of last night. Hazy images flashed in his mind, tied together by the sound of thunder and the distinct pang of magic engulfing his body in a tide of agony and suffering. Opening his eyes, the pain all but disappeared. His back still ached from the lashings and there was an overall feeling of stiffness emanating from each of his limbs, but his shoulder was numb. Nino slipped the fur blanket off his body just enough to sneak a glance. His eyes practically bulged out of their sockets upon seeing the unblemished flesh. He tentatively reached his hand out to touch it. The skin was smooth, unnaturally so, but he could faintly feel the scar where the arrow had struck. Yesterday, he could have sworn he’d been within an inch of his life. Now it was as if nothing had occurred.
Confused and distracted by the uncanny circumstances of his awakening, Nino nearly jumped out of his skin when he spotted movement out of the corner of his eye. He spun around and instinctively flashed his fangs at the stranger in his company, but quickly let his expression become neutral as his gaze swept over the man standing in the archway between chambers. Nino tipped his head to one side as he examined him. The man’s facial features were intense, more so than Nino had ever seen on any human before. They were almost demon like, and certainly a face to remember, instilling both fear and awe upon any who gazed upon it. Familiarity was itching just beneath the haze of Nino’s clouded recollection, enough to irritate him as he fought to reclaim the memory so desperately trying to break through. One thing Nino could be certain of though; there was definitely something familiar about those dark eyes staring back at him. The man’s thick eyebrows furrowed deeply the longer Nino’s gaze trailed his body from head to toe.
“Quit staring,” he said with a growl and strode across the room.
His words went seemingly unheard by the imp who continued to watch him closely. Nino memorized the way he moved, his sharp eyes following every movement as the man picked up the pieces of armour that lay in a neat pile on the other side of the chamber. He effortlessly dressed himself in the heavy looking garments, his long fingers elegant and meticulous as he tied the cords of his armour around each strong limb. Though Nino was confident the human could feel his fixated gaze on him, not once did he spare a glance at him, too focused on the task of preparing for the day. He did, however, break the silence between them.
“I was starting to think you would never rouse.” His voice lacked any true emotion, though a hint of amusement crept in when he added, “Or are imps just naturally lazy?”
“Depends. Are all humans just naturally stupid?” Nino retorted slyly. When the man whipped around to glare at him, Nino smirked and curled his legs comfortably beneath him. “I mean, letting a dangerous creature into your home while you slumber? You must have a death wish.”
Expecting to have struck a nerve, Nino was taken aback when the man’s expression turned from enraged to amused. He approached the imp, a sheathed blade dangling from his hip.
“That’s cute, you thinking imps are dangerous,” he sneered. Nino tried not to scowl at his derogatory tone. “If you want to kill me, give it your best shot. But it’s you who has the death wish, sneaking into a hunter’s home.” He unsheathed his weapon and held it to Nino’s throat. It was at that moment the memory of last night finally returned to Nino. His face lit up with the realization.
“Hunter!” he exclaimed, almost excitedly. The man drew back in surprise. Nino chuckled. “Thank the underworld, that would have driven me crazy.”
The hunter rolled his eyes and turned his back on the imp, walking back over to finish his morning preparations. “You’re already crazy.”
Nino playfully stuck out his tongue as he rocked back and forth on the chair. He stared at the hunter as more memories from last night filled his mind. “So, you got a name?”
“I do.”
Grinning at the game the hunter was deciding to play, Nino happily played along. “You gonna tell me?”
“No.”
“Well, what do your friends call you?”
“In these lands, I am known as the Conqueror.”
“No friends I see.” Deliberately ignoring the filthy look the hunter sent him, Nino considered the title for a few seconds before shaking his head. “No, that definitely won’t work. It’s much too frightening,” he said with a mock shudder, making his voice as much like a whimper as possible. When the hunter rolled his eyes, Nino gave a cheeky smile. “What’s your real name?”
“As if I would tell you.”
Nino pouted. “If you don’t tell me your name, what do you expect me to call you?”
The hunter turned his back to him again, his movements rigid as though he were using every shred of self-control to keep from strangling the young imp. “I don’t expect you to call me anything because I don’t expect you to stay.”
“That can’t be right,” Nino said while pulling a face. He brought his finger to the corner of his mouth and hummed in contemplation. “You see, you healed me. You wouldn’t have done that if you didn’t want me to stick around…are you lonely, by any chance?”
“You’re out of your mind,” the hunter snapped.
Nino laughed. “Looks like I hit a nerve.”
The hunter grumbled something incoherent under his breath and removed a small stone from a pouch on his belt. He began sharpening his blade with ferocious strokes. Nino felt a bubble of excitement stirring deep inside of him. Knowing the human was doing everything possible to end the conversation there, the imp was only spurred on to continue it. He let the blanket fall loosely around his waist and drew his arms up to his chest.
“I’m sure you had fun undressing me last night but if you’re not going to go all the way, the least you can do is make sure I have something else to wear come morning. It’s freezing!” he whined. There was no hiding the amused smile on Nino’s face when he heard the hunter choke. He opened his mouth to tease the man some more but the words immediately died in his throat when something black caught his eye.
“You should be grateful you’ve even made it to morning,” the man spat back, glaring at his sword as he continued to concentrate his frustrations on sharpening his sword. “I should kill you.”
“But you haven’t, and you won’t.”
“Don’t be so sure.”
“No, you won’t,” Nino said, suddenly serious. He stared at the man on the other side of the room. “You don’t know what you’ve done, do you?”
His voice had taken on a worried, almost frightened tone and it made the hunter freeze. Looking over his shoulder, he saw the imp staring at his left arm. His eyes were wide, his bottom lip quivering slightly. With the way he sat hunched over in the chair, he looked so much smaller than he had before. The hunter rose to his feet and made his way over. For the first time he noticed a black pattern imprinted on the white flesh of the boy’s wrist.
“What is that?” he asked, somewhat nervously. The imp was clearly unsettled by the marking, and it made his skin crawl.
Noticing him standing over him, the fear dissipated from Nino’s expression and he rolled his eyes. “Typical, my new master is a complete idiot who can bond a demon to himself without even realizing it.”
“M-Master?” the man stammered, his eyes going wide. Nino held out his arm.
“This is a mark of ownership, your mark of ownership.” Nino’s pale stare seemed to burn right through him. “You marked me.”
The hunter staggered backwards, very nearly collapsing when his legs seemed to lose strength. He stuttered a few words of denial while his gaze darted wildly around the chamber. His expression still one of utter disbelief, he reached up to pull out the necklace he had hidden beneath his shirt. He held it up to Nino’s arm, ignoring the way the imp was staring intently at the talisman. The patterns were the same.
“So that’s the piece of magic you used, huh?” There was something accusing about Nino’s tone and he didn’t fail to notice the way the human seemed to squirm under his fierce gaze. “I suppose I should give you humans credit. You’re far more cruel than I thought you were.”
“I didn’t mean to mark you,” the hunter protested. He ran a hand through his hair. “What does the mark even mean?”
Nino sighed at his master’s incompetence. “If means I’m now bound to you, physically and spiritually. I’m under your control and your ruling. Until the day of my passing, I am yours.”
Silence fell between them. Nino watched as all colour drained from his new master’s face and if not for the fact that he was now bound to a lifetime of servitude, he would have found the great hunter’s reaction most amusing. Leaving the man beside him to panic over their current predicament, Nino yawned and leant back in the chair, raising one hand to check his nails.
“In case you’re wondering, there’s no way to sever the bond,” he said as his master examined the talisman in his hand as if searching for an inscription that would somehow instruct him on how to get out of this quandary. “I mean, you could always let me die but that would be quite a waste, don’t you think? After all the trouble you went to in order to save me.”
“Be that as it may, I can’t very well be seen with an imp as a pet. My reputation would be ruined.”
“Guess that makes me a pet now. Fantastic,” Nino muttered with sarcasm lacing his every word. When he saw his master’s hand move to his weapon, he raised his hands in defence and added more enthusiastically, “Better a living pet than a dead one.”
“I’d still rather no pet.”
“It’d probably hurt you as well if you kill me,” said Nino. “I mean, if I were to die of another cause that’d be a different story, but a master personally severing the bond with his servant often doesn’t end well for either of them.”
“You’re bluffing.”
Nino shrugged. “Are you willing to find out?”
His master looked torn. His gaze moved between Nino, his sword, then back again. After several moments of troubled contemplation, he let out a frustrated sigh, sheathed his weapon and walked towards the door.
“I have a village to protect, I don’t have time to deal with this. Just…stay here for now.” He gave the command through gritted teeth. When he reached the entranceway, he stopped and glanced back over his shoulder. “I called for a healer to come and treat your other wounds. He should arrive soon.”
“First you save my life, then you bind me to you, and now you’re bringing me a healer?” Nino tipped his head to one side. “Are all hunters as soft as you?”
“Call me soft again and you won’t live long enough to find out,” his master threatened. “I’ll be back by sundown. If I find out you’ve caused any kind of trouble while I’m gone, I won’t hesitate to take your life, pain or no pain. Am I clear?”
“Impeccably.” Ignoring the glare the hunter sent him, Nino couldn’t help testing his luck as he turned to leave. “Since you’re my master now, I should at least know your name. Don’t you agree?”
His master stood silently in the doorway. Nino sat patiently, enjoying the view as he eagerly waited to see if he would answer. The man’s back was strangely alluring. His shoulders were broad, his muscular body perfectly defined by the shiny armour he wore. He could see the way his every muscle tensed in response to the imp’s question, something that brought a satisfied smile to Nino’s face. Even when his master stormed out of the house without a word, slamming the door shut behind him, Nino couldn’t help grinning. His tongue darted out to trace his row of sharp, jagged teeth.
“This should be fun.”
Pairing: Matsumiya
Genre: AU, Dark, Fantasy
Disclaimer: Arashi is not mine.
Summary: After accidentally binding himself to a demon, the greatest hunter in the eastern realm is forced to reconsider everything he has ever known.
Author's Note: Another Jun birthday dedication post. I've been meaning to update this fic for a while.
Chapter 2
Nino frowned at the warmth he could feel touching his cheek. Fighting the urge to open his eyes, feeling too comfortable to return to the waking world just yet, he tossed about and rubbed his face against the soft, fur covered armrest beneath his head. The faint musk tickled his nose. No matter how much he moved, the warmth continued to embrace him. Nino stretched his neck back and groaned. He blinked as consciousness returned to him, doing his best to ignore the sting of his heavy eyelids. The blackness that had encircled him for what felt like an eternity vanished, fading into a memory as his surroundings came into view.
The area was spacious and pleasant, adorned with simple furniture. He was curled up on the animal skin throw of a chair situated closest to the fireplace in front of him. The scent of smouldering wood still hung in the air though the fire had long since burned out. Sitting up, the cover fell from his half-naked body. Nino shivered slightly and hastily grabbed the covering to wrap around himself once more. Hugging it close to his body, he turned his head to look out the window, wincing at the blinding rays of sunlight that greeted him. Dawn, he realized. An array of emotions flickered across his features the longer he stared out at the rising sun. It was a sight he had not expected to see again.
Pursing his lips in a pout, Nino racked his brain for memories of last night. Hazy images flashed in his mind, tied together by the sound of thunder and the distinct pang of magic engulfing his body in a tide of agony and suffering. Opening his eyes, the pain all but disappeared. His back still ached from the lashings and there was an overall feeling of stiffness emanating from each of his limbs, but his shoulder was numb. Nino slipped the fur blanket off his body just enough to sneak a glance. His eyes practically bulged out of their sockets upon seeing the unblemished flesh. He tentatively reached his hand out to touch it. The skin was smooth, unnaturally so, but he could faintly feel the scar where the arrow had struck. Yesterday, he could have sworn he’d been within an inch of his life. Now it was as if nothing had occurred.
Confused and distracted by the uncanny circumstances of his awakening, Nino nearly jumped out of his skin when he spotted movement out of the corner of his eye. He spun around and instinctively flashed his fangs at the stranger in his company, but quickly let his expression become neutral as his gaze swept over the man standing in the archway between chambers. Nino tipped his head to one side as he examined him. The man’s facial features were intense, more so than Nino had ever seen on any human before. They were almost demon like, and certainly a face to remember, instilling both fear and awe upon any who gazed upon it. Familiarity was itching just beneath the haze of Nino’s clouded recollection, enough to irritate him as he fought to reclaim the memory so desperately trying to break through. One thing Nino could be certain of though; there was definitely something familiar about those dark eyes staring back at him. The man’s thick eyebrows furrowed deeply the longer Nino’s gaze trailed his body from head to toe.
“Quit staring,” he said with a growl and strode across the room.
His words went seemingly unheard by the imp who continued to watch him closely. Nino memorized the way he moved, his sharp eyes following every movement as the man picked up the pieces of armour that lay in a neat pile on the other side of the chamber. He effortlessly dressed himself in the heavy looking garments, his long fingers elegant and meticulous as he tied the cords of his armour around each strong limb. Though Nino was confident the human could feel his fixated gaze on him, not once did he spare a glance at him, too focused on the task of preparing for the day. He did, however, break the silence between them.
“I was starting to think you would never rouse.” His voice lacked any true emotion, though a hint of amusement crept in when he added, “Or are imps just naturally lazy?”
“Depends. Are all humans just naturally stupid?” Nino retorted slyly. When the man whipped around to glare at him, Nino smirked and curled his legs comfortably beneath him. “I mean, letting a dangerous creature into your home while you slumber? You must have a death wish.”
Expecting to have struck a nerve, Nino was taken aback when the man’s expression turned from enraged to amused. He approached the imp, a sheathed blade dangling from his hip.
“That’s cute, you thinking imps are dangerous,” he sneered. Nino tried not to scowl at his derogatory tone. “If you want to kill me, give it your best shot. But it’s you who has the death wish, sneaking into a hunter’s home.” He unsheathed his weapon and held it to Nino’s throat. It was at that moment the memory of last night finally returned to Nino. His face lit up with the realization.
“Hunter!” he exclaimed, almost excitedly. The man drew back in surprise. Nino chuckled. “Thank the underworld, that would have driven me crazy.”
The hunter rolled his eyes and turned his back on the imp, walking back over to finish his morning preparations. “You’re already crazy.”
Nino playfully stuck out his tongue as he rocked back and forth on the chair. He stared at the hunter as more memories from last night filled his mind. “So, you got a name?”
“I do.”
Grinning at the game the hunter was deciding to play, Nino happily played along. “You gonna tell me?”
“No.”
“Well, what do your friends call you?”
“In these lands, I am known as the Conqueror.”
“No friends I see.” Deliberately ignoring the filthy look the hunter sent him, Nino considered the title for a few seconds before shaking his head. “No, that definitely won’t work. It’s much too frightening,” he said with a mock shudder, making his voice as much like a whimper as possible. When the hunter rolled his eyes, Nino gave a cheeky smile. “What’s your real name?”
“As if I would tell you.”
Nino pouted. “If you don’t tell me your name, what do you expect me to call you?”
The hunter turned his back to him again, his movements rigid as though he were using every shred of self-control to keep from strangling the young imp. “I don’t expect you to call me anything because I don’t expect you to stay.”
“That can’t be right,” Nino said while pulling a face. He brought his finger to the corner of his mouth and hummed in contemplation. “You see, you healed me. You wouldn’t have done that if you didn’t want me to stick around…are you lonely, by any chance?”
“You’re out of your mind,” the hunter snapped.
Nino laughed. “Looks like I hit a nerve.”
The hunter grumbled something incoherent under his breath and removed a small stone from a pouch on his belt. He began sharpening his blade with ferocious strokes. Nino felt a bubble of excitement stirring deep inside of him. Knowing the human was doing everything possible to end the conversation there, the imp was only spurred on to continue it. He let the blanket fall loosely around his waist and drew his arms up to his chest.
“I’m sure you had fun undressing me last night but if you’re not going to go all the way, the least you can do is make sure I have something else to wear come morning. It’s freezing!” he whined. There was no hiding the amused smile on Nino’s face when he heard the hunter choke. He opened his mouth to tease the man some more but the words immediately died in his throat when something black caught his eye.
“You should be grateful you’ve even made it to morning,” the man spat back, glaring at his sword as he continued to concentrate his frustrations on sharpening his sword. “I should kill you.”
“But you haven’t, and you won’t.”
“Don’t be so sure.”
“No, you won’t,” Nino said, suddenly serious. He stared at the man on the other side of the room. “You don’t know what you’ve done, do you?”
His voice had taken on a worried, almost frightened tone and it made the hunter freeze. Looking over his shoulder, he saw the imp staring at his left arm. His eyes were wide, his bottom lip quivering slightly. With the way he sat hunched over in the chair, he looked so much smaller than he had before. The hunter rose to his feet and made his way over. For the first time he noticed a black pattern imprinted on the white flesh of the boy’s wrist.
“What is that?” he asked, somewhat nervously. The imp was clearly unsettled by the marking, and it made his skin crawl.
Noticing him standing over him, the fear dissipated from Nino’s expression and he rolled his eyes. “Typical, my new master is a complete idiot who can bond a demon to himself without even realizing it.”
“M-Master?” the man stammered, his eyes going wide. Nino held out his arm.
“This is a mark of ownership, your mark of ownership.” Nino’s pale stare seemed to burn right through him. “You marked me.”
The hunter staggered backwards, very nearly collapsing when his legs seemed to lose strength. He stuttered a few words of denial while his gaze darted wildly around the chamber. His expression still one of utter disbelief, he reached up to pull out the necklace he had hidden beneath his shirt. He held it up to Nino’s arm, ignoring the way the imp was staring intently at the talisman. The patterns were the same.
“So that’s the piece of magic you used, huh?” There was something accusing about Nino’s tone and he didn’t fail to notice the way the human seemed to squirm under his fierce gaze. “I suppose I should give you humans credit. You’re far more cruel than I thought you were.”
“I didn’t mean to mark you,” the hunter protested. He ran a hand through his hair. “What does the mark even mean?”
Nino sighed at his master’s incompetence. “If means I’m now bound to you, physically and spiritually. I’m under your control and your ruling. Until the day of my passing, I am yours.”
Silence fell between them. Nino watched as all colour drained from his new master’s face and if not for the fact that he was now bound to a lifetime of servitude, he would have found the great hunter’s reaction most amusing. Leaving the man beside him to panic over their current predicament, Nino yawned and leant back in the chair, raising one hand to check his nails.
“In case you’re wondering, there’s no way to sever the bond,” he said as his master examined the talisman in his hand as if searching for an inscription that would somehow instruct him on how to get out of this quandary. “I mean, you could always let me die but that would be quite a waste, don’t you think? After all the trouble you went to in order to save me.”
“Be that as it may, I can’t very well be seen with an imp as a pet. My reputation would be ruined.”
“Guess that makes me a pet now. Fantastic,” Nino muttered with sarcasm lacing his every word. When he saw his master’s hand move to his weapon, he raised his hands in defence and added more enthusiastically, “Better a living pet than a dead one.”
“I’d still rather no pet.”
“It’d probably hurt you as well if you kill me,” said Nino. “I mean, if I were to die of another cause that’d be a different story, but a master personally severing the bond with his servant often doesn’t end well for either of them.”
“You’re bluffing.”
Nino shrugged. “Are you willing to find out?”
His master looked torn. His gaze moved between Nino, his sword, then back again. After several moments of troubled contemplation, he let out a frustrated sigh, sheathed his weapon and walked towards the door.
“I have a village to protect, I don’t have time to deal with this. Just…stay here for now.” He gave the command through gritted teeth. When he reached the entranceway, he stopped and glanced back over his shoulder. “I called for a healer to come and treat your other wounds. He should arrive soon.”
“First you save my life, then you bind me to you, and now you’re bringing me a healer?” Nino tipped his head to one side. “Are all hunters as soft as you?”
“Call me soft again and you won’t live long enough to find out,” his master threatened. “I’ll be back by sundown. If I find out you’ve caused any kind of trouble while I’m gone, I won’t hesitate to take your life, pain or no pain. Am I clear?”
“Impeccably.” Ignoring the glare the hunter sent him, Nino couldn’t help testing his luck as he turned to leave. “Since you’re my master now, I should at least know your name. Don’t you agree?”
His master stood silently in the doorway. Nino sat patiently, enjoying the view as he eagerly waited to see if he would answer. The man’s back was strangely alluring. His shoulders were broad, his muscular body perfectly defined by the shiny armour he wore. He could see the way his every muscle tensed in response to the imp’s question, something that brought a satisfied smile to Nino’s face. Even when his master stormed out of the house without a word, slamming the door shut behind him, Nino couldn’t help grinning. His tongue darted out to trace his row of sharp, jagged teeth.
“This should be fun.”
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Date: 2019-09-17 05:31 pm (UTC)I am just loving the idea of this!! Imp! Nino & hunter! Jun is already perfect!! And they’re also bound together now >///< love how soft Jun is towards Nino even when he doesnt realise it hahaha and Nino being the snarky bratty lil imp he is... that imagery at the start thoo 😍 i loveee the image of Nino being curled up on a couch/sofa with his half naked body being covered 💛 awwwww Jun jun always look fierce yet he is seriously the biggest softie 💜 The conqueror.. of course that’s what he’ll be called as haha wish he’d just tell nino his name thoo, especially now that he’s Nino’s master and all~ and of course he would get a healer for his bratty imp oh jun 🥰
Love how he also didn’t mean to bind nino to him, that it was an accident~ Don’t sever the bond Jun-kun :3 im sure you’ll love having such a cute imp as your pet hehehe 💜💛
Really loving this story!!