Games of Faith

by infy

Muneshige and Ginchiyo don't have enough money to stay at an inn for the night to take shelter from the rainstorm outside. When Muneshige charms the innkeeper into giving up a room, Ginchiyo's insecurity about her relationship with her husband rears its head, and Muneshige must somehow ease her fears.

Thunder boomed and lightning flashed across the sky. Ginchiyo shivered slightly, the armor on her legs cold against her skin and the biting wind stinging her cheeks.

"The rain sure got worse, didn't it." A smooth voice sounded from behind her, and she tilted her head to look back at the source. Muneshige swiped a lock of wet hair out of his face and smiled broadly. "It seems as though when we left the sun was shining. Did you see any clouds?"

"No," Ginchiyo replied bluntly. "And I'd rather just find some place to stay before I catch a cold."

Muneshige smirked, leaning towards her with a devilish glint in his eye. "I thought a Tachibana doesn't get sick."

"Silence," she spat, shivering a little. Muneshige chuckled at the display, removing his jinbaori and draping it around her.

"It's not much, but it should keep you a bit warmer." He flashed a bright smile at his wife, whose face flushed red as she averted her eyes.

"Goon."

Their footsteps took them in silence along the muddy trail. There were few people there; they only passed the occasional traveler, and Ginchiyo brushed past them without a word while Muneshige waved and flashed a smile. He knew none of them wanted to be out in the torrential rain, so he figured he could spare a casual friendly gesture. He found it a bit amusing on Ginchiyo's part-being friendly would probably cause her to burst into flames or melt or something. She paused a moment once they made it to a small village on the outskirts of Yoshino Province and scanned the horizon.

"What are you thinking about, my dear?" Muneshige ventured. It would be another few miles before they made it to the destination Hideyoshi sent them to, and the rain looked as though it would only get worse. "The rain's not letting up anytime soon."

She grunted in response. "It certainly seems that way, doesn't it." Squinting her eyes through the rain, she huddled his jinbaori tighter around her. "That looks like an inn over there, and it's getting late as well. Do you know the rate?"

"Something like eight pieces per night, if it's anything like the inns in Kyushu."

She fished in a pouch at her side. "I've got five."

Muneshige did the same with his own pouch. "Four."

"You left with ten. Where the hell did the rest go...?"

"...I may have gotten hungry."

Ginchiyo paused a moment and shot a glare at her husband before descending the hill into the village, mumbling something about how that rice ball better have been damn good for six pieces. She neglected to mention the five she spent on a frivolous piece of clothing, but she felt as though if that needed to be mentioned, it would have been by now.

Their descent into the village was hurried and rushed, enough that Muneshige nearly slipped and fell on his rear end multiple times trying to navigate through the mud; by the time they got inside, they were soaked from head to toe, skin red and glistening with rain, and the owner of the inn greeted them happily at the door, forcing a smile even through watching Ginchiyo take off Muneshige's jinbaori and wring all the water out onto the floor. She tossed it at his face.

"Yes," she began, directing her attention to the innkeeper. "What is your rate for one night?"

The woman knelt with a rag and soaked up some of the water at their feet. "You look like daimyo."

"Muneshige and Ginchiyo Tachibana," Ginchiyo replied, crossing her arms. "Lord and Lady of Tachibana Castle in Kyushu. Bungo Province, to be more specific."

The innkeeper eyed Muneshige and Ginchiyo expectantly before taking a breath. "Ten per night."

Ginchiyo's pupils shrank, and Muneshige was forced to step in once Ginchiyo began a verbal assault. "Ten?! Ten pieces?! Did I hear you correctly?! That's highway robbery! I won't stand for it!"

"Now, darling, let's be civil about this. I apologize, ma'am." Muneshige bowed to the woman, casting glances behind him at his wife, who was fuming with rage. "You see, we only have nine pieces on us. We weren't expecting to be out this late. If you could be so kind as to make a small exception, I would truly be in your debt." He bowed low.

The innkeeper once again looked him over and smirked. "It's yours for a smile, handsome."

He flashed his most charismatic, charming smile to the inkeeper, covering the livid Ginchiyo's mouth with his hand as she let out a rage-filled snarl of protest. "You honor me, madam. I insist you take the nine we have. I've no right to deprive you from making a living, after all."

Ginchiyo tossed his hand off her mouth, popping her knuckles. "I'll give you your right. And a couple lefts, too, if you hit on him again-"

"Now, Ginchiyo. This is harmless conversation." Muneshige forced a smile to keep the peace, ruffling his wife's hair-he should have known it would only make her angrier. Quickly, he handed over the nine pieces to the innkeeper and hustled out of her sight as soon as she gave them the room.

The second the shouji door shut behind them, Muneshige barely had time to let out a sigh before Ginchiyo whirled around and seized him by the collar. "The fresh hell was that?!"

Muneshige simply took a breath, looking her in the eye. There was a fire in them that always made him smile, and this time was no different. "What was what, Ginchiyo?"

"That!" she spat in response, motioning with her head toward the door.

"My dear," he chuckled, taking her hands and gently plucking them from his collar, and he held them gently. "If I hadn't charmed her a little bit, we would be out in the cold, and we certainly wouldn't have this lovely room, would we?" He stared into her eyes, and soon he slowly felt the tension ease out of her hands as he leaned in, brushing his lips across hers for a brief moment before she tore herself away.

"I almost punched her." Ginchiyo huffed, turning brusquely around and shaking the water out of her hair like a dog. Muneshige tossed her one of the towels the innkeeper had given him. She messily ruffled her hair with it before tossing it onto the bed.

"Why?" Muneshige grinned, beginning to remove his mud-stained armor. "Is somebody jealous?"

Ginchiyo froze. "O-of course not! Don't be ridiculous! She just... had one of those faces. The punchable kind." She slipped her hands from her gauntlets and tossed them in the corner in a flustered huff, hiding the streak of red painting her face. "Don't make everything about you, you self-centered buffoon. You don't know how to treat a woman anyway."

Muneshige looked up. "Is that so?" He wrapped up his sode in his jinbaori and set it in the corner along with his muddy boots and his dou. Running a now-bare hand through his wet hair, he approached his wife and started to help her take off her armor. "And what makes you say that?"

Ginchiyo's face flushed. "Well, I... uh..." To tell the truth, she had no idea how to back up that assertion-it was more just a slip of the tongue that she had desperately hoped wouldn't attract any attention. "You... you're a... you're a lecherous fool, that's what you are. A-and furthermore..." she trailed off as he leaned in, planting a kiss on her ear.

"I'm waiting," Muneshige breathed after a moment as he untied the armor around her neck, his hot breath stinging her freezing ear. Her silence prompted him to prompt her further. "You're saying I don't know how to please you?"

Don't answer that. You know he treats you like a princess. Just stop while you're ahead, or you'll have to prove it. "O-obviously, yes, that is what I'm saying." Oh, damn it.

Muneshige chuckled, catching her in the lie. His mouth made its way to her earlobe, sucking gently on it as he whispered to her. "You mean to tell me that I've never made you happy...?" he probed, knowing it was untrue. "Ginchiyo, my dear, tell me more about how horrible a husband I am."

"S-stop it...You're flirting with other women while I'm sitting right there..." she began, trailing off at the feel of his mouth on her ear, her eyes fluttering closed, her angry, scowling brows belying the mumbled whisper with which she spoke. "If I'm so horrible a wife, then just leave and go with her..."

"Ginchiyo..." his hands trailed down to her waist, untying her kasazuri armor on her hips, and she could feel his lips spread into a smile as they trailed down her neck. "You wound me, assuming I would rather be with anyone else." He tucked a lock of her wet hair out of his way as his lips explored the length of her neck.

Ginchiyo could do nothing more than let out a small sound halfway between frustration and pleasure as he gently nipped and sucked at the skin of her neck, peeling away the last layer keeping her flesh from him. Finally she growled, "O-obviously you would, if my presence forces you to flirt with other women. G-get off of me..."

He inhaled deeply. "Let's play a game, then. To prove what I say is true."

"G-game...?" she muttered, unconsciously covering his hands with hers as her kasazuri dropped to the floor, and she kicked it out of the way. Muneshige held her closer, his lips still gently brushing against her neck. He aided her in slowly slipping from her last bits of clothing until only her undergarments remained. "W-what..." the rest of her words caught in her throat, losing herself in the sensation against her better judgment. She attempted to keep her composure, but the combination of her exhaustion at the day's trek and the feeling of his kiss on her bare skin kept her from being rational.

He pulled away slightly with a devilish smirk, his breath still tingling against her skin. "I'll prove to you that you can please me," Muneshige whispered lightly into her neck. "And that I can please you." His arms snaked around her, and his kiss trailed to her shoulder, further peeling away the final layer of clothing and revealing her smooth skin, dotted with small battle scars. "First one to climax loses."

"That's foolish."

His hand traced a line down her middle before slipping underneath the fabric of her panties, teasing her center with his fingers. She let escape a quiet moan at his touch, leaning back into his body. He chuckled lightly. "Is it though...? I'm certainly getting a head start, aren't I...?"

She inhaled deeply, attempting to keep control of her weakening knees. "D-don't think..." she mumbled, her arms snaking around behind him as she pressed her back against his body. "Don't think you can beat me so easily..." Ginchiyo trailed off, attempting futilely to ignore the overwhelming pleasure his touch brought her. Muneshige's other hand turned her head slightly, and he leaned forward, taking over her mouth with his, the tightness in his pants growing more and more as she turned to face him, backing him onto the bed. She broke the kiss, turning to straddle him and leaning in close to his face, her voice a sultry whisper. "...Now that we've made this a game, there's no way I'm losing."

With a smirk, he slid his hand away from her center, raising his arms as she slipped his shitagi over his head and tossed it to the side, and his hands returned to perching on her hips as she slowly moved over him, an intoxicating motion, one that further fanned his desire for her. His heart raced at the touch of her slender fingers gently tracing the lines of his muscles, mapping out the hills and valleys of his body-this was an unseen side of his wife, one she rarely ever let escape. Usually she was the submissive one, the one who always let Muneshige take the reins... but this was indeed a game. Far be it for her to lose. Her mouth retraced the lines her hands made on the curves of his muscles, even down to below his navel, before sliding her hand underneath the waistband of his pants, stroking his length gently. He inhaled sharply, her touch light, brushing, teasing. A silent groan escaped him as she pulled at his waistband, sliding him out from underneath the garments he wore. She smirked for a moment, returning her attention to his lips, slowly brushing his length with her hand as she sensually traced her tongue over his bottom lip. "Don't underestimate me, Muneshige Tachibana."

"Never," he breathed, attempting to roll her over, but she stopped him with a push against his shoulder with one hand and a vigorous pump of his length with the other. He exhaled sharply in response, a slight moan escaping his lips.

"I'm in control now. You're listening to me," Ginchiyo murmured, a harsh whisper that sent chills up her husband's spine and a devilish smirk to his face. She knew she had him now.

"Do you think so...?" Muneshige panted, the quick motions along his shaft causing him to shut his eyes and arch his back in reflex, and with the addition of her mouth on his, her tongue seeking his out, he released a noise halfway between a moan and a hum. She was winning-truly that didn't matter to him, but she'd know if he was taking it easy on her. He had to step up his game, even in the face of overwhelming odds, of consuming pleasure and pulsing lust-his hand returned to its position at her hips, sliding the hem of her panties down over her legs. His fingers danced over her legs, teasing her at her flower, delicate, fleeting touches only barely grazing her sensitive flesh before returning to massage her inner thigh. She moaned loudly into the kiss, her breath growing heavy, her hand on his length moving faster as he taunted her. There was no going back now. This was war, a battle for control, and Ginchiyo showed no signs of weakness.

Muneshige finally indulged himself, slipping a finger into her entrance, and her moans became louder as he slid his finger inside her further, rolling her delicate flesh underneath his thumb. She deepened the kiss, her hand working him faster, her voice crying his name in broken syllables as he pleasured her. "Mu... Mune..." she panted, exhaling through her nose in shallow breaths, and she broke the kiss, opened her eyes to look at him. His face was calm, his eyes shut, the corners of his lips upturned in a composed smile, resembling nothing of the immense passion she invested in him-certainly he knew how to tear clear-headedness and rationality from her at a moment's notice, rip away all vestiges of sanity and resistance from her grasp, but...

Her hand hesitated for a moment and she withdrew from him, her bare form still poised over his body. Muneshige opened his eyes, and they met for a moment; in hers he sensed a glint of hesitation, of worry, and he caught his breath, furrowing his brow. He withdrew from her lips as well, bringing and holding her body close to his as he rolled them both over onto their sides. His arms curled around her and hers around him; he kissed her forehead gently, held her tightly. Her head buried itself into his chest, and he drew a hand up to make her eyes meet his again. Muneshige saw in them all her insecurities, all the desire to satisfy him as much as he did her-if somehow he could show her, prove to her that she was everything he had ever needed, then maybe she would realize the worth, the beauty he found in her.

"I love you," Muneshige murmured, returning his lips to hers, kissing her with a mix of his passionate lust and his love for her. "And you're beautiful."

Ginchiyo's hands held him tighter as he kissed her, pressing her body closely against his. She knew she meant something to him, but a nagging voice in the back of her mind told her he was ready to leave at a moment's notice, that she was dispensable. Muneshige kissed her deeper, his hands grasping at her body and holding her as close as possible, whispering his love for her into her mouth as much as he could, more and more desperately. "I love you, my dear, I love you." Ginchiyo inhaled, the voice slowly becoming tinier and tinier until all she heard were Muneshige's tender whispers-her insecurities soon gave way once again to her lust as she began to grind her hips against him, and a smile snaked onto Muneshige's face as her body pressed up against his hardness.

His hands ghosted along her curves, finally resting on her hips, grinding his pelvis against her as he rolled her on top of him-she pulled away from the kiss for a brief moment as a smirk faded onto Ginchiyo's features. She slowly slid her body downward, trailing light kisses on Muneshige's chest, his stomach, his abdomen, his manhood, and her fingers wrapped around his shaft. He took a breath, knowing what was coming-that didn't prevent him from letting out a quiet moan as she took him into her mouth, her tongue working over his tip and her hand gently squeezing and sliding over his length. His eyes shut tightly and he threw his head back, a moan escaping his control as she went down on him. Ginchiyo kissed and sucked his manhood, trailing her tongue along his shaft, reveling in the feel of his hand resting on the back of her head as it tangled in her hair. Her pace quickened, and Muneshige shifted beneath her, the sensation gradually overwhelming him. "Mm... Ginchiyo..." he groaned, his free hand gripping the sheets as he was overtaken by pleasure. As Muneshige's breath became heavier, as his whispers of his wife's name became more and more desperate, Ginchiyo's mouth left its position on his manhood and returned to his lips, and he let out a sound of disapproval. She chuckled lightly, her fingers lightly brushing over his chest and abdomen.

"Now, now, you really didn't think I would make it that easy, did you...?" she muttered, pulling slowly away from his mouth, and he laughed.

"Then you'd best be ready, my darling," he purred in response, caressing her back. "I don't take kindly to shameless teases, you know." Muneshige once again attempted to roll her over, but she held him down, straddling his hips and pinning his arms down with her hands. The corners of her lips upturned in a fiendish smirk, and a dark chuckle escaped them. Muneshige raised an eyebrow. "Never one to back down, are we, Ginchiyo?"

"I hope that's the royal 'we'," she breathed, her lips dangerously close to his. "Because you seem to be quite content with submitting to me. This is a coup d'etat, Muneshige." She leaned in even closer, her lips brushing tantalizingly over his as she spoke, her hot breath stinging his face. Truly, so close he could taste her. "You must accept the fact that I've taken control."

Muneshige smirked, attempting to regain his composure and deny himself his lust. "If only you knew how badly I'm going to punish you once I get you on your back."

"Spare me."

He shifted, his desire getting the better of him. "Please, Ginchiyo, let me-"

"Not until you admit that I win." she scowled, moving back slightly.

Muneshige paused for a moment. He had forgotten entirely about their foolish game, but she obviously hadn't. It was rather sad to him-she needed so badly to know she held some form of worth to him that she completely turned around her entire sexual personality just to do what she thought would please him. He smiled warmly, bringing a hand up to cup her cheek. "Ginchiyo." Ginchiyo furrowed her brow, her fingers gently ghosting along the hand on her cheek. He flashed her his most charming smile, the one that she could never help smiling back at. The corners of her lips upturned, but only slightly, enough that he never would have noticed it if he wasn't searching for it... but a smile nonetheless. "It isn't much of a game if there's no way for you to lose."

Ginchiyo furrowed her brow. "No way for..." she attempted to repeat his words, squeezing the hand on her cheek.

"I don't think the day will come where you'll fail to impress me, let alone satisfy me, my dear." His hand led her face closer to his. "I love you, and I cherish you. You are mine, and my most prized possession."

There was a pause for a moment as Ginchiyo attempted to formulate a response, but her mind drew a blank. At a loss for words, Ginchiyo could do nothing more than crash her lips into Muneshige's, kissing him passionately. He chuckled, holding her tightly as he returned it, his tongue desperately seeking hers out. A final time, he attempted to roll her onto her back, and at last she ceded control to him, his hands pinning her arms at her side, never once breaking the embrace their lips held. Finally he pulled back barely an inch from her, just enough to breathe, "Alas, you still must be punished for your crimes." He grinned, and Ginchiyo scoffed slightly as he continued. "But I am, of course, a gentleman. I'll give you the lady's choice. Would you like your punishment to be swift, certain, or severe?"

Ginchiyo smiled devilishly, spreading her legs beneath him. "All of the above." The last thing she noticed before she shut her eyes for a moment was Muneshige's smirk in response, and she felt him teasing her center with his fingers, dipping low to kiss and nip at her breast with his lips, swirling his tongue along her sensitive flesh. She wriggled and made a sound in anticipation, her impatience getting the better of her.

She finally felt him hovering at her entrance before sliding into her, a slow, rhythmic motion, one she savored for how gentle it was but cursed for how teasing as well. A moan escaped her control as his motions became harder, more desperate, as if sensing her desire-Muneshige buried his head in her shoulder, kissing and nibbling at her soft skin as he thrust deeper inside her. Ginchiyo's moans became ragged as her husband took her mindlessly, and her legs curled around his hips, thrusting rhythmically with him. No coherent words beyond one-syllable adjectives managed to cross her mind-the only thing Ginchiyo felt was the overwhelming sensation of Muneshige's motion, and yet one word still managed to slip from her frantic control, rolling off her tongue, repeating over and over. "Yes..."

Her intoxicating voice breathing raggedly in his ear sent him into a frenzy-he took over her mouth with his, his tongue desperately intertwining with hers, his breath fading into groans. She arched her back and tore at the sheets beneath her; her words slowly died into gasping moans into his mouth, reveling in his taste, in the feel of his hands gripping her wrists, pushing them down onto the bed as he took her.

The sensation of their hips rolling and grinding together overtook both of them as they both approached their limit. Their passionate moans intertwined before Ginchiyo arched her back, a ragged scream tearing from her throat, and she cinched her legs around his hips tightly as she climaxed. Muneshige's vision faded into bursts of saturated color, and he broke the kiss, burying his head in the crook of her neck once again as he felt her walls pulse around him in release. His thrusts became deeper, harder, more frantic as he soon found himself blindsided by release as well.

Muneshige's body finally relaxed and he collapsed into her, his face still buried in her neck and his arms sliding away from her wrists as they made their way around her, heaving along with her chest as she tried to catch her breath. After a moment of stillness, where the only sound they could identify was the sound of their own heavy breathing, Muneshige rolled off of Ginchiyo, still holding her tightly to him, and he kissed her lips chastely. As they pulled apart after precious seconds, he finally broke the silence. "I win."

She looked up at him, scowling. "You said there was no way I could lose."

"I meant there was no way you could ever fail to satisfy me." Muneshige grinned, caressing the top of her hand with his thumb. "But you do recall the rules, yes? The first one to climax loses. And as I recall, you were first."

Ginchiyo frowned, failing to meet his eyes and averting them the other direction. "I see."

Muneshige furrowed his brow. "Hey." She didn't look up. "Hey," he repeated, drawing her face up to look him in the eye. "I forgot entirely about it. Do you know why? Because there shouldn't be a competition. There should just be you and me. That's all that matters."

"But you were-"

"Smiling at the innkeeper." Muneshige touched his forehead to his wife's, and she blushed, embarrassed that she was so obviously jealous. "My dear, haven't you noticed by now? I'll never smile as brightly at a woman as I do at you, Ginchiyo."

Ginchiyo buried her head in Muneshige's chest, intertwining her fingers with his, squeezing his hand. After a brief second of silence, she finally looked up at him for a moment and took a breath as if she wanted to say something, before looking back down again and shutting her eyes. The action did not go unnoticed by Muneshige.

"What is it?" he probed, kissing the top of her head.

"I just... love you, that's all," she mumbled sleepily, nuzzling into his chest.

Muneshige raised an eyebrow and grinned widely. Holding her tighter against him, he draped the bed's thin quilt over the both of them and kissed her again. "And I love you," he muttered, sighing contentedly as he drifted off along with her.