Ginchiyo smoothed her cocktail dress and looked in the reflection off the window in the dining room. It showed off her legs a little too much. "Well, what do you think?" she turned to Luxray, who cocked her head in response. "I thought so too. No way." She sighed and attempted to unzip the zipper on her back just as Muneshige walked into the dining room from the next room over, the bedroom, putting on his jacket and straightening his tie.

He paused for a moment behind her without her noticing and stole a quick look before grinning. "Wow." She squeaked in surprise before whirling around to face him. He laughed at the display. "Somebody's a little jumpy today."

"Don't sneak up on me like that!" she snapped. "Unzip this dress."

Muneshige quirked his brow for a moment and finished tying his necktie. "But it looks good."

"It's not conservative enough. I'm not about to walk the Viperia red light district, I'm hosting a dinner party," she put a hand on her hip and glared at her husband for a moment before adding, "Against my will."

Muneshige exchanged a dubious glance with Staraptor, who had just hopped through the door to see what the commotion was all about. "I think you look gorgeous."

She spat in frustration and turned around. "Well, nobody cares what you think." She crouched down toward her Luxray and motioned to her back. "Unzip me." Luxray looked curiously at the zipper for a moment before growling hesitantly. "Oh, don't be a baby, just do it," Ginchiyo sighed with a scowl, and Luxray opened her mouth to try and grab the tiny zipper at the middle of her back.

Muneshige put up a finger. "Um... her teeth are really long, I wouldn't have her do that if I were-" he was quickly interrupted by a loud "OW!"

Luxray immediately loosened her grip and shook her head as if to profusely apologize. Ginchiyo flicked her on the nose, and Luxray whimpered, putting a paw to her nose. "I didn't say take my skin off. I said take the damn dress off!"

Muneshige made a face, and Staraptor cocked his head to the side. Muneshige took a closer look at her back and quickly grabbed a towel. "You're bleeding!"

Ginchiyo craned her neck to glare at him. "I've bled before. It's not some new phenomenon." Luxray shrank in shame, which was met by Ginchiyo sighing heavily and scratching her head. "Come on, I just want to change my dress. Just to something more conservative. These shoes are awful too. I can't move in them at all. What if something happens and I need to grab my sword and-"

"Nothing is going to happen, those shoes are nice, and I'm not letting you change," Muneshige pouted, "I wore your favorite suit, the least you could do is wear my favorite dress. Now bend over, I'm not letting any blood get on it." Ginchiyo reluctantly leaned over onto the kitchen table, and Muneshige stood directly behind her, pressing the towel into the small wound on her back.

Ginchiyo felt his thigh against hers and gasped for a moment, looking back at him. "Can't you find a different position?! We're in plain view of the front door, you're behind me, my dress is half off, and I'm bent over a table. How does this look to you?"

Muneshige laughed for a moment and turned the towel to a clean spot, not moving. "Oh, stop it. Nobody is coming this early."

They stood there for a moment before Luxray twitched her ears and looked toward the door just as it opened. Muneshige and Ginchiyo stood in the same position for a moment before they heard the door slam-their heads turned in sync with each other to stare at the equally horrified faces of Motonari Mouri and Serperior.

There was an audible silence, and nobody moved. Only an expression of sheer terror was shared between both humans and Pokemon. Ginchiyo was the first to speak, and her voice cracked.

"I can explain."

Motonari blushed and turned his head, covering his eyes, and Serperior buried his face in a coil of his body. "I'm... sure you can," He eventually turned his back to the Tachibanas, and Muneshige cleared his throat, stepping away from Ginchiyo and setting the towel on the counter, making a mental note to himself to pick it up before everyone else got there. He glanced over at her to see that her face was about the same shade of red as her dress. He re-zipped her while Motonari was still turned around, and she adjusted herself before clearing her throat. Motonari slid his hands into the pockets of his suit. "I can come back later if this is a bad time."

Muneshige laughed nervously. "Well, y'know how hard it is to hold back when-" a hard punch to his shoulder from the half-flustered, half-furious Ginchiyo caused him to let out a loud groan, and he rubbed his arm. "Okay, no, I'm joking," he muttered with a frown.

Ginchiyo opened her mouth to explain, but only flustered noises and sputters came out, and Motonari waved his hand to quiet her. "No, no, no, it's my fault, I knew I showed up too early."

"But we-"

"Let's just pretend this never happened." Motonari sighed, his eyes averted. Serperior shook its head violently and refused to look either Ginchiyo or Muneshige directly in the eye, and Staraptor and Luxray exchanged glances. Muneshige opened his mouth, but it was obvious that Motonari was too disturbed to listen to an explanation, so he just settled for glancing over at Ginchiyo's back to make sure the bleeding had stopped before grabbing the towel off the counter and handing Motonari a plate for hors d'oeuvres.

"Ah... Ginchiyo and I spent all day on this dinner, so..."

Motonari stared at the plate for a moment and then at the dining room table, a diverse array of dishes spread across it. Ginchiyo crossed her arms and looked away, still blushing. "So... do you want anything to drink... or..."

"Thank you," Motonari stuttered, rubbing his eyes with his thumb and first finger. "Anything with alcohol, if you have it. Lots and lots of alcohol." Muneshige and Ginchiyo exchanged glances and sighs, both knowing this would be a very long night.

Another knock came at the door, and Muneshige left to answer it while Ginchiyo was left to pour a drink for Motonari. "Ah, Lord Tadakatsu, Lady Ina. So nice of you to come," Ginchiyo heard Muneshige's lighthearted voice from the door, and she quickly handed Motonari a glass of wine as she explained the details of what he had witnessed.

"So... we weren't doing anything. We promise. And uh... here's your wine. Sorry, I'm not the best hostess."

Motonari thanked her, apologizing for the misunderstanding before getting up and walking Serperior outside to play with Staraptor and Luxray. Ginchiyo figured she would leave him to his own devices and went to greet the others at the door. Tadakatsu seemed rather awkward in a suit. He had obviously not worn one in a while; he constantly fidgeted with his jacket, tugging it and pulling on it as if it were a bit small on him-it probably was, considering not many sportcoats were made for men nearly 7 feet tall. Ina, on the other hand, looked as though she was born in the blue dress she wore. She wore it well and walked easily in tall heels while Ginchiyo still found it difficult to even stand- there was a natural elegance about her that Ginchiyo found herself jealous of.

And then there was Muneshige next to them. God, Ginchiyo loved that suit. He wore it so well. The stylish glasses he only ever sported in that suit framed his face perfectly, and the red necktie added the perfect amount of color. He just looked so... I can't believe I'm going to use this word... sexy. She took a breath and pushed that to the back of her mind as she made her way over to the group.

"Evening," she sighed and stood there awkwardly for a moment before determining the best course of action would be to hold out a hand to shake the guests'. "Uh... how are you...?"

Tadakatsu took her hand in a firm handshake, his face stern. "Fine, thank you. I apologize for being early."

She shook Ina's hand as well, who added, "You look beautiful tonight, Ginchiyo." Ina smiled, and Ginchiyo blushed and laughed awkwardly before thanking her and just as awkwardly reciprocating the compliment.

"So... where are Metagross and Empoleon?" Ginchiyo asked, looking around. "I don't see them."

"Ah..." Tadakatsu looked at the ground for a moment. Muneshige assumed socializing was never his strong suit. "They don't do particularly well around large groups in closed spaces."

"They get antsy," Ina added. "In fact, just the other day..." Muneshige's attention wavered, not because he was uninterested in the story, but rather because he was stricken with Ginchiyo-he couldn't take his eyes off of her. Her chocolate brown hair had a natural shine, a softness, and it fell perfectly even without any attempt to make it look good. And those eyes. Even when she wasn't in battle, her eyes shone brightly and intensely. An envy of the stars, he thought with a smile. He crossed his arms. That was easily his favorite dress. A gorgeous shade of red, short enough to show off her smooth, slender legs. The shoes she wore made him laugh, though, considering they were rather tall wedges that she had trouble walking in. It was obvious how used she was to wearing flat shoes. But even so, she still just looked so... what's a good word to use... sexy. Muneshige blinked, suddenly noticing all three of the others staring at him.

"...I'm sorry, what was that...?" Muneshige asked, rubbing the back of his head. "Sorry, you seem to have caught me daydreaming."

Ginchiyo raised an eyebrow. "I said someone is at the door."

"Oh. Sorry. Excuse me for a moment," Muneshige smiled and left to go open the door. He opened it and was greeted enthusiastically by Hideyoshi and Nene, the former dressed in a sharp-looking tuxedo, the latter in a tight-fitting gold cocktail dress. He ushered them in, and Ginchiyo greeted them as well, leaving to pour them all drinks.

Crobat and Infernape entered after their trainers, and Crobat quickly followed Luxray and Staraptor, who had come back in to lead them outside through the back door, where Serperior was waiting, balancing a ball on his nose. Luxray paused a moment and crouched low facing Infernape, wriggling her hindquarters and motioning with her head to the back door. Infernape glanced over at her and shook his head, hanging out a bit closer to Hideyoshi and reaching to try some of the hors d'oeuvres Hideyoshi had in his hand. Luxray stood straight once again and cocked her head to the side before leaving back out the door behind Crobat and Staraptor.

Ieyasu Tokugawa soon arrived-everyone seemed to enjoy the massive scene Ginchiyo and Ieyasu made trying to direct Aggron through the the front door and back out the back door without breaking anything-and began mingling with everyone else, followed by Ujiyasu Hojo and Kai and their Pokemon. Darumaka didn't seem to want to leave his perch on Kai's shoulder.

Soon all the invitees were present, and Ginchiyo busied herself pouring drinks for everyone in the kitchen. Muneshige figured she was alone in there, and things were getting a bit crowded outside in the living room and dining room, so he excused himself from the small-talk and backed up through the kitchen door. Ginchiyo's concentration was on pouring the wine for everyone, but she managed to cast a glance sidelong at him. He sneaked over to her and put his arms around her waist. "What are you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing...?" Ginchiyo sighed, her focus unwavering. "Can't you keep your hands off of me for half a second?"

"Nope, sorry," Muneshige said matter-of-factly, sliding his arms from her waist so that his hands rested on her hips. "I just wanted to see how my little hostess was doing. You seem frustrated."

"I'm not used to being the center of attention, that's all. I spent all day on this food, too, and I never remembered to eat." She poured the final drink, ignoring whatever it was he mentioned about eating periodically and monitoring her blood sugar. "Here, help me take these out." She handed him a glass of wine, and he stared at it for a moment before taking a sip. Ginchiyo spat in frustration. "That wasn't yours, you glutton. Ugh..." she grabbed another glass from the cupboard and poured a new one, jumping in surprise slightly as Muneshige's hands returned to her hips. "Stop it, this isn't the time nor the place," she growled, a blush fading onto her face.

"I just wanted to tell you you look absolutely ravishing tonight," Muneshige whispered calmly, leaning his head in and softly kissing her neck. She paused and took a heavy breath, closing her eyes.

"S-stop it..." she muttered, a wine glass in each hand. "You remember what happened before, what if somebody walks in...?"

"Then we put something in their drink," he joked, his voice still a gentle whisper. His hands traced the soft curves of her waist, and she shivered.

"Get off of me," she lightly tapped him with her backside, and he stepped back instinctively, his hands sliding off of her body. "Now, come on. I need help with these drinks." She motioned with her head to the wine glasses on the counter and grabbed two in her hands. Muneshige followed suit. Ginchiyo glanced behind her, raising an eyebrow. Damn, that felt nice... She shook off the thoughts, though, and re-entered the fray, handing the glasses of wine to Kai and Kunoichi.

Kunoichi eyed hers for a moment before taking a sip. She made a face, and Kai smirked, having taken a huge gulp of hers already. "Don't drink much, do you, lightweight?" Kai grinned and slapped her on the back, and Kunoichi nearly spilled some of the wine on the ground. Kunoichi stuck her tongue out at Kai, and the Weavile hanging on her shoulders imitated the action.

Ginchiyo rolled her eyes and chuckled a bit. "Now, come on. It takes seasoned taste buds to really appreciate good wine."

Kunoichi sighed, and Weavile reached to try the wine, but Kunoichi held it out of her reach. "Aah... No, not for you..." She quickly handed the glass back to Ginchiyo to keep her Weavile's paws off of it. "Obviously I'm not seasoned enough. I don't want this to go to waste, though." Ginchiyo took it, unsure of what to do with it. She didn't want to interrupt the conversation going on, so she quietly slunk back into the kitchen, sipping on Kunoichi's wine glass as she did.

Before she realized it, she drank the entire thing. Wow. I must be more stressed than I thought. Sighing, she set the empty glass on the counter and peeked out the door at the festivities. Muneshige was making casual small-talk with Magoichi and Masamune, more likely than not teasing them both. His eyes sparkled with a certain joy that he only got when he was around people, which fascinated Ginchiyo, who would be most content alone with a cat. He caught her staring at him for a moment and flashed her a smile and a wink. Caught off guard, she blushed and turned away, shifting her attention to the clock. It was about 7 pm, the scheduled time to begin serving food. Thank Arceus. She grabbed an armful of plates, balancing the basket of silverware on top of the plates, and struggled in her frustratingly immoveable shoes to carry them out onto the dining room table. Damn these heels, how in the hell does Aya manage to run around in these...? She made her way to the living room and waved to get her husband's attention, and he excused himself from his current conversation to meet her over at the table. "I'm starving," she crossed her arms.

"Say no more, then," Muneshige smiled, and clapped his hands loudly to get everyone's attention. "Everybody," he announced, all eyes on him. "It's getting to be that time, so if you'd all like food, feel free to take as much as you want, and gather around the long table in the dining room." Clearing out of the way, Muneshige and Ginchiyo hung back as everybody gathered around the table and took as much food as would fit on their plates. Muneshige glanced over at her standing there with her hip cocked to the side and her arms crossed. She seemed incredibly tense and frustrated with the whole scene. "What's wrong, my dear?"

Ginchiyo's head perked up for a moment. "Hm?"

"You're tense." He discreetly put a hand on her shoulder and gently massaged it. She sighed and shrugged him off.

"I'm really hungry, and I can't stand being a host and having to hang back while I watch everyone else eat," she grumbled. "I must be the most inhospitable person you've ever met."

"Well, you seemed to have done a good job bringing drinks out to people," Muneshige grinned, attempting to cheer her, "Don't fret about it, my dear. The hard part is over. Now all we have to do is eat."

Ginchiyo rolled her eyes and spat exasperatedly. "Some days I wonder what it's like being as blithe as you. I feel like if I stab you you'll bleed cotton candy."

Muneshige raised an amused eyebrow. "I didn't know stabbing me was still an option." He was met with a playful smile and a gentle elbow in his side, and he laughed. The small line dwindled down a bit until the last few people were serving themselves and making their way over to the table. Muneshige and Ginchiyo still hung back for a moment though, and Ginchiyo's stomach growled. She groaned, putting a hand to her stomach, and Muneshige laughed heartily and put his arm around her. "Only a few more seconds, then we can eat."

Ginchiyo blushed and looked the other direction with a scowl, but something prevented her from shrugging his arm off, at least for a couple seconds. "There, the line's empty, let's go." She quickly threw his arm off and made her way to the food. Muneshige was left in her wake, chuckling at his wife's eagerness. He leisurely followed suit, and sat his plate next to hers at the table (she and most everybody else were already eating by the time he got there).

He remained standing and tapped his wine glass with the edge of his fork, and the idle conversation stopped. Raising the glass, Muneshige spoke loudly, his voice still retaining that gentle, lilting tone. "My friends," he began, holding the half-full wine glass gently in the palm of his hand. "First off, I'd like to thank you all for coming tonight; Ginchiyo and I are honored to have so many guests here keeping us much-needed company, and giving our Pokemon a just-as-much-needed break." Kunoichi's Weavile on her lap squealed in agreement, along with Kai's Darumaka and Hideyoshi's Infernape. The chorus of Pokemon was quickly joined by the sound of laughter interspersed with a bit of chat between humans. The group quieted once again when Muneshige spoke. "We are honored to have so many castles represented here, and we invite you to leave politics at the door tonight and dine together as friends." Ginchiyo leaned on her hand with a smile. "So, a toast to peace! Long live Ransei!" Muneshige and Ginchiyo held up their glasses, and the ever-increasing melody of clinking glasses sounded, accompanied by the occasional "hear, hear!" and cheers of support. Once the clamor died down, Muneshige was still standing. "And one more toast," he began again, causing Ginchiyo to raise a curious eyebrow. "To my beautiful, beautiful wife, Ginchiyo, who dedicated her whole day to slaving over this meal we're eating tonight." He motioned to the red-faced Ginchiyo, and she shrank in her chair, shooting a glare to Ina and Kai, who were snickering in the background. She awkwardly lowered her glass as she sunk lower in her chair, and once the ruckus from the final toast died down, Muneshige announced, "Let's eat!" and sat, scooting in his chair.

Ginchiyo cleared her throat and gave Muneshige a scowl. "I almost grabbed Saika's gun and shot you." She tore into a piece of meat. "I'm not a damn housewife, you did most of the cooking anyway. I cracked an egg. Maybe two."

"You deserve a little recognition, regardless, every once in a while," he replied nonchalantly, taking a bite of rice and shrugging off Ginchiyo's piercing dark brown stare. "And for the record, you did a lot more than crack a few eggs."

She swallowed before retaliating in a sharp whisper. "Well, I..." she trailed off, not having a point to make. "Thank you, I guess. Though I wish you would find a less embarrassing way to 'recognize my efforts.'"

"I think I know a way," he smiled slyly, his hand casually sneaking underneath the table and caressing her thigh, and she jumped in surprise at first.

"Oh... oh no. Not here, not now." She blushed, instinctively crossing her legs. "Muneshige, please..."

"Then let's excuse ourselves for a moment."

"You must have gone mad," Ginchiyo scowled, her face still red. "Aside from the fact that we're in the middle of a dinner party, I'm damned hungry and I'm not leaving this table until I can see my face in this plate." She started to take another bite, but Muneshige refused to move his hand in any direction but up her thigh, and Ginchiyo leaned over, grabbing Muneshige by the tie and yanking him in closer. "After everybody leaves here, I swear on my pride I will jump on you like something rabid, but for now, we have an image to keep up and we have to keep it professional," she whispered harshly, and Muneshige seemed surprised at first.

He frowned. "Don't say that, now I can't wait."

"Good, you ass, now you know how I feel." She snarled. "Just stop it. Calm down."

Muneshige took a breath to calm himself and took another bite of rice, ignoring the ache in his belly and trying to will himself composed. Ginchiyo attempted the same, until Motonari attempted small-talk with her. "Lady Ginchiyo?"

Ginchiyo violently shook her head for a moment before answering. "Yes?"

"Your Luxray seems very strong, but she's also faster than most Luxray I've seen. I'd love to hear some training tips. Serperior is getting to be a little bit slow."

Ginchiyo took a moment to register the question she was just asked through her other thoughts, and she took another moment to formulate a response. "W-well, of course," she began, taking deep breaths to try and calm herself down. "Luxray is a Tachibana, and Tachibanas accept nothing short of sex-" she quickly corrected herself, hoping Motonari wouldn't notice the slip-up. "Er... success." Muneshige snorted lightly and she kicked him in the shin underneath the table, provoking a grunt from him. "Don't you have something to do?" she shot at him, and Muneshige gave a half-sigh, half-laugh and rose.

"Yes, you're right. I'm off to feed the Pokemon. I'll be back in just a moment." He took a breath and left out the back door.

Motonari, meanwhile, seemed to pass by her Freudian slip without any questions, to her relief, and seemed interested in what she had to say. Ginchiyo took a breath, her face still red. "So, speed training, yes. Well, the first step in a fast Pokemon is... um..." she shut her eyes tightly, trying to take her train of thought off of Muneshige's hand on her thigh earlier. She pinched herself in the arm and reality finally returned to her. "Training," she finally burst out. "Lots of training."

Motonari paused. "...Well, okay. I was kind of hoping for a more specific answer, but I can understand if you don't want to reveal your secrets." Ginchiyo's eyes narrowed, her face still red, and she looked daggers at her husband, back from laying out the buffet of ponigiri for the Pokemon. He sat at the table again, and Motonari shifted his glance between the two. "...Are you alright, milady? You seem in pain."

Ginchiyo cleared her throat and 'lightly' elbowed Muneshige in the side. "Oh, you have no idea."

Kai glanced over at Ginchiyo from the seat next to her between feeding small bites of meat to her Darumaka. "Uh... Ginchiyo... you look in a bad way. Your face is all red."

Ginchiyo covertly grabbed a fistful of Kai's hair. "I swear, if you don't shut your big mouth right now, I'm slamming that pretty face of yours in the soup."

"W-woah, there, Skitty. Put the claws away," Kai swallowed, prying Ginchiyo's fist away from her hair. "What's there to be so angry abou-" she paused a moment and looked across the table at Ina, and they exchanged smirks. "Ohh. I see." Ginchiyo's eyes widened. I'm not that obvious, am I...? she thought. Ina and Kai teased her constantly about how uncomfortable she found the idea of romance; if they had figured out what was going on, she would never hear the end of it. She exasperatedly rubbed her eyes.

"What?" she snapped, keeping her voice moderately quiet.

Kai chuckled softly, a sly grin on her face, and leaned in to whisper in Ginchiyo's ear. Ginchiyo held her breath. Oh my god, they figured it out, what do I do? It's not so bad to want your husband is it? Of course not! We're married! Who are they to say I should be embarrassed about being attracted to him?! Nobody, that's who! Screw them! I do whatever I want! Her thoughts went a mile a minute and she took a deep, nervous breath before Kai whispered,

"You don't think the food you made is that great, huh?"

Ginchiyo paused a moment and blinked. A nervous laugh escaped her lips, and it slowly grew in intensity-enough to make Kai back up a bit in a mix of confusion and bewilderment. Ginchiyo pointed dramatically in Kai's direction. "Yes!" she said, rather loudly. "Yes, that is exactly it. My cooking sucks!"

Most of the dinner conversation paused to stare at Ginchiyo, whose face got even more red upon realizing what she had just said in front of an entire dinner party eating the food she and Muneshige had made. She glanced around for a split second before Muneshige broke the silence with a conspicuous whisper of his own. "You said that kind of loudly."

She immediately sank down into her seat in embarrassment, but Hideyoshi spoke up with a wide smile as the conversations resumed. "Well, I think it's pretty good." Magoichi nodded in agreement, a mouthful of vegetables preventing him from saying anything. Ginchiyo sighed loudly, and Muneshige's hand returned to her thigh. She put her hand on his, and he glanced over at her as she seemed to write something on his hand by tracing her fingertip over it.

Muneshige glanced downward to try and get the gist of what she was writing. As soon as he realized what it was, he raised an eyebrow. "...Did you just write 'I'll kill you' on my hand...?" he whispered, leaning in her direction.

"Only because I can't actively threaten you right now for making me completely embarrass myself. Any last words?" she shot back.

"Can I have a quickie before I die?" He grinned, a glint of hope in his eyes.

Ginchiyo immediately darted her head around like a wary bird. She lowered her voice and leaned in closer, gripping the arm of his sportcoat with white knuckles. "Don't say that out loud, somebody might hear you...!" Muneshige shrugged and sighed.

"Seriously, we can just go and find a closet and just-"

"Stop it, you're making me actually consider it." She moved her hand downward and brushed his thigh with it.

He leaned his head back and started rocking back and forth in his chair like a child. "Come onnnnn..." he sighed loudly, catching a few glances. Ginchiyo shot him a glare and put her foot on his chair, forcing it straight again.

"Don't be a baby. You're a man. You can hold on to your hormones for an hour."

Muneshige did a double take and made a face. "A whole hour?!" Ginchiyo rolled her eyes and gripped the fabric of his pants a bit harder in her frustration. Muneshige sighed. "Okay, fine, but if you expect me to make it through this without my body doing anything incredibly awkward, you're going to have to let go of my pants." Ginchiyo glanced down and realized she had been touching his pants leg, immediately attempting to remove her hand in an inconspicuous manner. She realized for a moment that everything they were doing was visible on either side by Yukimura and Kai, but Kai busied herself with a conversation with Ujiyasu and Kunoichi, and while Yukimura was silent for the most part, only really commenting on Kanetsugu's dialogue, she figured he would be too dense to realize that anything was amiss.

Muneshige attempted to relax himself. Usually he wasn't this antsy when he got this way, but this time was different for some reason. Perhaps it was the fact that he had a time limit or the fact that this entire dinner party, which was his idea in the first place, had now turned into what Magoichi would describe as "one massive cockblock". Or, and Muneshige figured this was also a very large part of it, Ginchiyo's teasing of him indirectly, through her words, her touches. Why did she have to tell him she was up for it? That only made it worse. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat and bit his thumb hard, hoping the temporary pain would distract from his underbelly urges. It didn't. He bit it harder. Still nothing. Curse her feminine wiles. Suddenly a voice from next to him shocked him back into reality. "Lord Muneshige...?" Yukimura leaned back in his chair, his fork and knife on the empty plate in front of him. Muneshige leaned forward, making sure his crotch was out of view under the table. He didn't think he had anything to worry about, but better safe than sorry. Just in case.

Maybe if I stare at Yukimura long enough I can get her out of my head... he glanced over at him, stone faced, without a word, staring him directly in the face. Yukimura caught his eyes for a moment and raised his brow, seemingly uncomfortable with the intensity in his face. "...Um... I was going to thank you for allowing us to eat with you, but... are you alright? You seem... um... what's the word...?"

Muneshige leaned his elbow on the table and removed his glasses so that he could rub his eyes and the bridge of his nose. "In absolutely agonized torture?"

"...Okay, sure. Why do you look as though you're in absolutely agonized torture?" Yukimura cocked his head to the side.

He replaced his glasses with a sigh and pushed them up the bridge of his nose. "Well, Lord Yukimura, the answer to that is simple. Because I am." Muneshige flashed through every possible thing in his mind that would be repulsive enough to will his 'situation' to subside. Finally Muneshige thought of Yoshihiro in a bikini, and that did it. All he had to do was not look to his right at Ginchiyo. He could do that. It sounded reasonable.

"Why?" Yukimura leaned in closer. Muneshige took a breath, trying to find words to explain to Yukimura without completely destroying what innocence he had left.

"Advice, Lord Yukimura," he finally sighed. Yukimura leaned in, curious. "When you marry, never, ever, ever let your wife wear a dress like that to an incredibly long dinner party where you have to look at her all night."

Yukimura cast a glance over toward Ginchiyo, chatting idly with Ina and Tadakatsu. "I think she looks pretty, Lord Muneshige."

Muneshige sighed. "That's the problem."

"I don't understand why being married to a pretty girl would be a problem, I'm sorry. Maybe I'm missing something."

Muneshige hung his head, his forehead buried in the edge of the table. "You've got a lot to learn," he muttered. He looked up after a moment and glanced around, and gradually everybody was finishing their meals. Things were looking up. Now all that was left was some idle after-dinner conversation, and then everybody would leave. He glanced over at Ginchiyo, and she knowingly met his eyes for a moment. She seemed as eager for everyone to get out as he did. She stood, collecting the empty plates from around her area of the table and heading toward the kitchen.

"Hey," she motioned with her head to the empty plates on his side of the table. "Help me with these."

"You don't understand, I'm not standing up."

"Oh, please, lazybones. Just get up and get the plates."

Muneshige sighed and stood, still making sure his crotch wasn't visible until he was certain it was safe. "Fine," he spoke quietly enough that she had to lean in to hear him. "But let me go first, because I won't be able to handle myself if I have to stare at your backside the entire way in." Ginchiyo rolled her eyes yet again, but nodded him into the kitchen before her.

The door shut behind her, and Muneshige waited until she had put the dishes on the counter next to the sink before seizing her, ignoring her surprised yelp, and pinning her against the wall, their lips and tongues immediately locked in a lustful, passionate kiss. Their heartbeats quickened, and Ginchiyo's hands instinctively grabbed the lapel of his sportcoat and pulled him as close as possible, enveloping herself in him. After precious seconds, they parted, and Ginchiyo remembered what breathing felt like. She huffed and puffed for a moment before taking a deep breath to ease the silence. "What was that all about?!" she finally snapped, blushing violently.

Muneshige took a heavy breath, wiping a bit of moisture off his mouth. "I needed that." His arms snaked around her waist and pulled her close to him. "Just a preview of coming attractions, I suppose," Muneshige said with a shrug, and he leaned in again just as Nene opened the door to the kitchen. He immediately released Ginchiyo-who just as immediately pretended like nothing had just happened and made her way over to the sink to begin cleaning the dishes-and greeted Nene. "Evening, Lady Nene. Did you enjoy the food?"

Nene gave Muneshige a bright smile. "Yes, I certainly did! I just came in to thank you for the wonderful time tonight. Do you need any help with the dishes?"

Ginchiyo tried her best to smile charmingly. "Thank you, but I think I've got it. I wouldn't want you to have to clean up; you're a guest." Muneshige cast her a knowing glance sidelong from behind Nene; of course, all they both wanted was for her to leave, but once again, the 'gracious host' thing reared its ugly head. Nene leaned back against the wall, folding her arms.

"Alright, then, if you're sure. We've got some plans tonight, so we have to get going, but thank you so much for the food! It was delicious."

Muneshige grinned, partly to be charming and gracious, but mostly in excitement at the phrase 'we have to get going.' "Absolutely," he took Nene's hand and bowed to kiss it like a gentleman, causing Ginchiyo to roll her eyes. "I look forward to the next get-together, Lady Nene. Hopefully you will look as stunning as you did tonight." Nene grinned and gave a little laugh, Ginchiyo's glaring at her husband going unnoticed.

"Aren't you the charmer. What a lucky girl you are, Ginchiyo." Nene withdrew her hand and turned to leave the kitchen, waving at the hosts as she joined Hideyoshi outside the door. "Buh-bye, guys, thanks again!" Hideyoshi gave a wave as well as they exited with Infernape and Crobat. Ginchiyo and Muneshige stared directly at the door with awkward smiles, awaiting the moment it closed. The second it did, Ginchiyo shut off the water and let out a huge sigh, burying her face in her hands.

"I can do this. Only a little while longer..." she muttered. Muneshige glanced over at her and coughed lightly, and she turned around and met his eyes. Just one more taste. Maybe that'd give her enough to tide her over a little longer... She seized his lapels again. "Screw it, kiss me again," she snapped, and Muneshige didn't need a second request. She tugged on his sportcoat and their lips immediately collided again-he leaned in deeper, enough that she was almost bent backward over the kitchen counter. She let out a sound, not quite knowing what it signified, as his hands hungrily took in the feel of her curves. It took all her willpower, but Ginchiyo finally pulled away, her breath heavy. If she was under the impression that would stave off her lust-which for some unknown reason, she was-she was completely mistaken. She swallowed, trying to catch her breath. "That backfired."

Muneshige shut his eyes for a moment and took a breath, almost having to pry his hands off of her. "I'm just saying, I'm still open for finding a closet." She flicked him in the nose and he put a hand to it, quietly and unintentionally letting out a squeak.

"Down, boy." She growled, crossing her arms and standing up straight. She made her way to the door, but not before tracing a finger across Muneshige's chest with an uncharacteristically sultry chuckle. "Besides. That would mean I'd have to be quiet, and we don't want that."

Muneshige blinked for a moment, and he pouted. "You're being a tease and I hate it."

Ginchiyo's frustrated scowl returned. "I am not being a tease. That implies you want it more than I do." She straightened his coat and tie that had become disheveled in the seconds they were together in the kitchen. "You're a mess. Just go out there, be charming, do whatever it is that you do," She brushed off a piece of lint on his shoulder, and he frowned. "And be patient," she finally added with a sigh and another gentler flick to his nose as she exited through the kitchen door.

"This is going to be the death of me," Muneshige muttered to himself, running a hand back through his hair as he watched her leave, attempting with all his strength to not stare at her ass. He had to take a moment to compose himself before opening the door to exit the kitchen.

He glanced outside the kitchen door just as Ginchiyo waved goodbye to Magoichi and Masamune. Two more down. She returned next to her husband and cast him a knowing glance, and she couldn't help but smile eagerly. The minutes dragged on like hours. After a while they were bidding adieu to the Hojo and the Tokugawa, and their anticipation for the day to end finally peaked as more and more people left-now there was only Yukimura and Kunoichi remaining, and they busied themselves cleaning up part of what little mess there was (Ginchiyo had attempted to stave off her urges by cleaning literally every nook and cranny of the kitchen and dining room) in between idle conversation about generally nothing with Muneshige. He kept dropping hints that went for the most part unnoticed, and even though Kunoichi started to somewhat pick up on the message, Yukimura still busied himself by picking up every last small piece of trash he could find.

"Well, jeez... I'm really tired. Hosting a party takes a lot out of you," Muneshige sighed, rubbing the back of his neck, and Kunoichi sighed as well.

"Well, then, we'd better go," she tugged on Yukimura's sleeve, and he didn't move. Muneshige felt himself grow more frustrated.

"I feel bad about leaving without cleaning up the mess," Yukimura shook his head, and Ginchiyo fought the urge to tear out her hair.

"It's fine, Yukimura, really, we've got it."

Yukimura glanced up at Ginchiyo; her arms were crossed and she looked more worn than he had ever seen her. "It wouldn't be the honorable thing to do to leave without cleaning up a little-" His Charizard tugged on the back of his jacket, pulling him back, and he fell on his behind. At his Pokemon's coaxing, he rose. "But... if that's what you want..."

"We've got it, it's fine," Ginchiyo growled through gritted teeth, and Muneshige awkwardly stuck his hands in his pockets. "I'm not having a guest clean up," she added, trying to give more the impression that she was trying to be gracious and less that she wanted him to leave.

"Are you sure...?" Yukimura smoothed his jacket. Kunoichi tapped her foot anxiously, and Weavile climbed up onto her shoulders.

"Yes, we're sure." Muneshige rolled his head back to stare at the ceiling, trading glances with Ginchiyo every once in a while.

Kunoichi grabbed Yukimura's hand and led him to the door, Charizard nudging him with his nose every so often as he followed. He absentmindedly went along with them, trying to figure out what was going on that he was missing. "Um, okay, if you insist..." he mumbled, standing straight for a moment to bow. "Thank you for dinner."

"You're welcome. Bye." Muneshige forced a smile and waved as they opened the door. Ginchiyo rocked back and forth on her now bare feet (her heels were getting frustratingly immoveable, and Ina convinced her it wasn't exactly a party foul to take them off), the anxiety getting the better of her. Time slowed to a crawl, and they both disappeared behind the door.

Their eyes were glued to the door and they leaned in in anticipation as they watched it close.

They stood in wait for that glorious sound.

Finally, it happened. The door shut with a click, and before they even realized it was closed, Ginchiyo practically tackled Muneshige into the wall, her lips colliding aggressively with his. He slammed back into the wall, his hands making their way around her enough that he could turn themselves around and switch their positions. Poised over her, he braced himself on the wall and leaned in deeper, his hot breath filling all of Ginchiyo's senses.

She seized his lapels again and attempted to work off his sportcoat, and he shrugged it off to the ground as his lips trailed down her neck to kiss her collarbone. There it was again. He had always known just where to go. Ginchiyo's heartbeat quickened and she wrapped her arms even tighter around him. His breathing became heavier against her neck as his slacks got tighter, and at the feel of his breath, she let out a quiet moan. Ginchiyo grabbed a fistful of Muneshige's hair unconsciously-he grunted for a moment, the pain only temporary.

His hands gripped her just as hard, pawing at her back for the zipper to her dress; once he found it, he wasted no time in pulling it, and she gasped a bit in anticipation before his mouth returned to hers, quieting her again. Unsure where to start, she began working her hands down to tug on his tie erratically. He laughed slightly at her efforts, bringing a hand up to loosen it for her. Eventually it loosened enough, and she tossed it on the floor next to them.

His expectations of her going to unbutton his shirt were quickly dashed when he felt her hands brush across the front of his slacks-he groaned deeply and hungrily in response, almost a predatory growl, and held her harder against the wall; she made a noise that Muneshige couldn't discern as being pleasure or pain, but her hand remained perched at his belt even so and didn't stop trying to undo it, so he assumed she was enveloped in the moment.

She fiddled with his belt a second, her concentration split three ways between the kiss, his excitement so close to her hands, and remembering to breathe, before managing to slip the belt open. He pushed harder against her with his body, enough that he was brushing himself up against her thigh. Her lips left his for a moment and ghosted down his neck, her hand leaving its precarious position below his waist to pull down his collar- he moaned in protest. "See, you are being a tease," he muttered softly, his eyes shut.

Ginchiyo paused her assault on his neck for a moment. Wordlessly, almost at his instruction, her hand dove downward to stroke his tip through his pants, and he buried his head in the crook of her neck with a moan in response. He didn't expect that. She finally caught her breath her other hand downward to undo the single button on his slacks. He took a breath, attempting to regain his composure. "I'd say you certainly don't waste any time, but that's not true, is it," Muneshige panted, his lips tracing the words into her neck, and she gave a soft, muffled moan in response as his body shifted so that his fingers could make their way between her thighs. She bit her lip to keep herself contained, afraid that any more pent-up desire might make her already weak knees collapse from under her.

She mustered up all the strength she could to push herself off the wall, and Muneshige staggered backward for a moment before regaining his footing, forcefully holding Ginchiyo's body close to his. Muneshige led her toward the bedroom-even though it was the next room over, it was still a long enough walk that, to his chagrin, he was forced to loosen his grip on her at least slightly-and in his haste, nearly threw her onto the bed, and she let out a breath of air. She panted heavily as he climbed on top of her, pinning her hands to the bed underneath them. The fabric of his shirt just barely brushed over her body as he trailed his lips over her collarbone and the curves of her breasts- the inviting smell of him drove her crazy, the fleeting touches of his body on hers almost agonized her. Ginchiyo wriggled underneath him, attempting to free her wrists, and he pulled back for a moment. "Who's the tease now?" she snarled, "I've waited way too damn long for this. If you don't make a move now, don't expect me to sit here and wait on you."

Muneshige smirked, leaning downward and releasing her wrists. "As you wish, my dear." He forced his mouth upon hers again and straddled her closely enough that she could feel his hardness through their clothes. She shuddered from a mix of anticipation and the adrenaline rush the kiss brought her; their kisses in the throes of ecstasy were never not passionate, but this one was more than that. Passionate, but also forceful, assertive, possessive. She found herself unexpectedly drawn to this unseen side of her husband.

She searched for her breath again, arching her back as he attempted to free her from the fabric of her dress, while she unbuttoned his shirt, not an easy task with her shaky hands. They managed in their stupor to get both off, and after shrugging the remnants of his shirt from his body, Muneshige immediately shifted his attention to her breasts, tracing the lines of them with kisses before taking one into his mouth; Ginchiyo shuddered, gripping his hand with hers every time his tongue darted over her most sensitive areas. Muneshige chuckled a bit with every soft whimper Ginchiyo let escape from her lips. He returned to meeting her eyes for a moment, unspoken words passing between the both of them in the form of their heavy breath. "Don't give out on me just yet," he breathed, kissing her cheek and intertwining his fingers with hers before returning his mouth's attention to her bare body. "I haven't had my fun yet." Her leg twitched under him as his kisses trailed down lower and lower. He paid careful attention to the skin just below her navel, and her back arched reflexively as he taunted her by slowly kissing her body, dipping down rhythmically just so he could come back up again. He could wait a little bit. Watching her entirely consumed with the moment satisfied him enough for now.

"God, I hate you, you're trying to kill me," she moaned raggedly, reaching for his head and pushing it down.

"If you hate me so much, then," Muneshige smiled, "I may just leave you like this."

"You wouldn't..."

"I would." He exhausted his willpower in withdrawing from her almost entirely and smirking evilly as he stared down at her agonized expression from above.

Ginchiyo writhed beneath him, her fists clenched. "Damn it, Muneshige," she said through ragged breaths. "Fine, I love you."

Muneshige leaned in a little closer, enough that his bare skin hovered just above hers. Their bodies grazed one another only every time she inhaled, and that nearly drove her to madness. "Say that again, I didn't quite hear you," Muneshige taunted, the smirk growing wider on his face.

Ginchiyo whined audibly, gripping the sheets beneath her. "I love you, you bastard," she repeated, exhausting the breath from her lungs.

Muneshige chuckled a bit, finally obliging her. "That's what I thought you said." His hand left hers for a brief moment as he spread her thighs wide, teasing her center with his lips through her panties before pulling them aside and indulging himself. Another series of moans tore from Ginchiyo's throat as his tongue danced over her, and he nearly lost control of himself at her sound, her taste. But of course, what was it that Ginchiyo told him earlier? Patience is a virtue. The tables had turned.

And yet he had had enough of patience for a day. Ginchiyo's moans and whimpers couldn't stave him off anymore; now they only made him want her more, and he could tell it was the same for her. Her eyes shut tight, unable to put off her lust for him. "Muneshige, please, I can't take it anymore..." she attempted to choke out, but all that escaped her mouth was his name. He glanced up at her; her back arched tensely, her hips rolling with every flick of his tongue, and he brushed his body against her to return his attention to her lips. All he could manage to do was ask her if she was ready, and she was almost ready to beg him for it.

His hand reached for the hem of her panties and dragged them down over her knees-she wriggled out of them the rest of the way-and her hands reached hungrily to free him from the zipper of his slacks. At this point, removing his pants only delayed what neither of them wanted to and their bodies couldn't bear to; he laced his fingers into hers, and pushed her her back down onto the bed, his hands pressing hers into the bed and immobilizing her once again. She took a breath for a moment, taking in the sights and smells and sounds.

Ginchiyo's legs instinctively wrapped themselves around his hips (she had to adjust herself to keep her legs from slipping off the fabric of his pants) and with a simple movement, they were one. Muneshige adopted a quick, hard, rhythmic motion that sent a surge of an unknown feeling up Ginchiyo's spine, forcing her body so close to Muneshige's that she could barely move. He kissed her again, with every bit if not more of the fire he kissed her with the last time, and she rolled with him in each thrust. A thousand adjectives ran through her mind-all of them begged to be heard, but only one lust-wracked word ended up pushing its way out of her mouth through the kiss, through her ragged sighs and moans as their hips bucked together in a heavy, even rhythm.

"More."

Each thrust was as strong as the last. Ginchiyo's body heaved with each impact of his pelvis into her, and the hard thrusts deep into her sent shivers through her entire body. Muneshige's hands tightened around hers and pushed them harder against the bed as all of his pent-up lust and desire for her that she had denied him for so long that day burst out in sudden sexual aggression. Every one of his quick thrusts seemed to tighten his grip on her hands just a little bit more, and she could barely move with his body pressed tightly against hers. Her moans grew more and more worn, and Muneshige desperately hoped her body could hold out and wait for him before releasing. He broke the kiss to bury his head in her shoulder, a low, hungry growl emanating from his throat as her nails dug into the backs of his hands. His sight blurred-the only thing he could see anymore were bright splashes of saturated color. He wouldn't last much longer either.

She was first to break. With one final heavy, ragged moan, her entire body clenched around him in release, and a sudden orgasm quickly blindsided him as well. Muneshige's warmth engulfed her, and his body slumped limply into hers, both of them glistening red with sweat and shivering from the rush. Their chests heaved as their vision returned to them-his grip on her hands loosened.

Ginchiyo slid her hands away from his that had pinned her down, and curled her arms around Muneshige. She kissed him gently on his forehead, then attempted to lock lips with him- her exhaustion prevented her from doing much else than lying under his lips as they touched. Muneshige used the last of his strength to roll over off of her on his side and hold her close to his body.

"I love you, too, by the way," he mumbled into her ear between heavy breaths and heartbeats as he shut his eyes, exhausted. "I never said it back. I feel bad now," he said with a laugh.

"What...?" Ginchiyo muttered, nuzzling her head into his chest.

"I never said it back," he repeated, half asleep. "I don't want you to think that I..." he trailed off, reveling in both the afterglow and the refreshing feeling of having his eyes closed. The two nuzzled and cuddled together for a few minutes, which dragged on as if they were days, before Ginchiyo spoke up.

"I don't think that. I never have." She knew exactly what he was going to say, and Muneshige smiled, inhaling deeply. She shifted to glance up at him, and he met her forehead with his. "Don't get mushy, though," She added, unable to hide the smile on her face. He didn't respond, just laughed and held her closer as they both faded into sleep.

The morning sun rose, and Staraptor and Luxray strode into their masters' rooms, expecting them to be up bright and early as they usually were. But, alas, heaped in each other's arms, the god of the winds and the goddess of thunder didn't stir from the positions they had fallen asleep in, the covers pulled gently around them both. The Pokemon exchanged glances and slowly sauntered out of the bedroom, not wanting to incur Ginchiyo's wrath if they were to wake them.