Note: Hey guys, so I realized FF fricked this story in the bootyhole when I first posted it. Many of you asked me to re-do it, so here I am, 6 months later, amidst not doing my homework or studying for exams, ready to rumble and fix this as best I can….SIGH omG okay here we go pls enjoy all that I can remember rip the original

"Stop, Matoba!" A desperate yet angered shrill pierced through the shadows of the deep cave, ricocheting to hopefully pierce through and paralyze the dark crow stalking the pleader's frail frame.

"Tsk, tsk, Natsume. Why cry out for me to stop our little fun when you seem to always be getting in my way?" the crow shot through the shadows, startling the blonde counterpart. "Could it be because, as much as you hate to admit it, you can't stand the fact of not seeing me?" Matoba shoves Natsume painfully into the rocks of the cave, causing Natsume to yelp from the sharp electricity sliding up his spine. Matoba pulled Natsume close to his strong, muscled body, and firmly grasped him by his jaw. "Or is it that you crave my touch so desperately, that you can't seem to stay away, hmm?" Matoba's grin carved into Natsume's eyes.

"Tsk!" Natsume fiercefully slaps Matoba's hand away, yet relies on his firm grasp around his waist to keep him steady, recovering from the previous impact. "Quit with your disgusting lies! You know I'm following you for one purpose only, to stop your evil plans!"

"Evil plans? Hmm? Explain, ne~?" Matoba coos as he leans back in closer to Natsume's worried face.

Natsume shoves Matoba away and covers his face; perhaps from embarrassment, or from excitement.
"You know exactly what I'm referring to!" Natsume attempts to recompose himself and projects stern anger toward the crow. "You have no right to bait yokai for your personal gains!"
Natsume throws a jab at Matoba, who easily slides out of the way, retorting with an amused grin.

"Personal gains? I'm sure I've already told you how I'm trying to defend humanity as much as you are.." Matoba grasps and stops one of Natsume's constant punches. "I just see life from a utilitarian perspective: it's okay to sacrifice a few of the weaker ones for the benefit of the majority."

Natsume attempts to bring his arm back to his side, but fails. He winces at Matoba's increasingly tight grip on his arm. "You're hurting innocent lives!"

Matoba frowns, wiping his previous amusement from his face. "They're yokai, their lives have already been long gone."

"You don't understand anything about lives if you think of them that way!"

"I understand how yokai view human lives. They lure you into trusting them, then they send you into a hell of despair by cheating you out of what matters to you. 'An eye for an eye' Hammurabi once said; I'm just repaying the favor."

"Not all yokai are like that!"

Matoba's eyes narrow, and his tone grows cold. "You're too naïve." Matoba forcefully throws Natsume down on to the rocky ground, causing Natsume to gasp sharply at the new shocking darts stabbing up his spine.
"Listen to me, child." Matoba, face just mere inches away from Natsume's, glares gravely down at Natsume. In deafening silence, aside from rapid heartbeats fighting to sync together, Matoba's dark coal eyes reflected into Natsume's golden-brown eyes, overtaking his soul.
"Life is cruel, and someone as innocent and inexperienced as you couldn't even begin to understand its suffering." Matoba's grasp on Natsume's wrists tighten, causing Natsume to clench his jaw and turn his head to the side, biting his lip to keep from yelping and letting the other declare dominance over his body.
"If you can barely even deal with my so-called manipulation…" Matoba shifts more of his body weight onto Natsume, completely pinning him down and closing any gap between them. "then you could never begin to fathom life's manipulation of uncertainty.
Matoba's face inches closer to natsume's, leaving even barely enough room for their breaths to disperse between them.
"Such as fear…"
Matoba releases one of natsume's wrists from his hands, then restrains it with his elbow. Using the newly freed hand, Matoba firmly, yet gently, grasps natsume's lower jaw and creases open his mouth for a fine little surprise…
"The fear and pain of unrequited love".