Hard Winds, Soft Rains
Kazuma walked down the street thinking about his family and all that they had put him through. He no longer considered them his actual family except for his brother Ren Kannagi. He still cared about his little brother although he worked hard to hide it from others.
He wandered through Japan thinking now of the loneliness he felt at being a misfit and the contractor with the spirit god of wind. He was marked with the stigma of the wind, his eyes sometimes as blue as the azure sky. He had once had a brief fling with Ayano Kannagi and then another time with Catherine McDonald but neither had gotten very far. It was too awkward for the two respective pairings to last more than a couple months.
Kazuma now stood at the edge of the ocean looking out at the water and that was when he saw something that made him question everything he had ever known or thought that he had known about himself. Standing atop the water a good 16 feet out was a beautiful young woman with long lustrous hair the colour of the blackest midnights and pale skin like freshly fallen snow.
He walked down onto the sand and never once did his eyes leave her body, it was like he was suddenly under a spell. She turned to face him before slowly walking atop the water towards him, she had almond shaped eyes that were a deep green and a heart shaped face that made her entire face seem like it was flowing freely. She also had a nice long narrow neck and was generously curved in her chest and hips.
Kazuma continued to stare at her spellbound by her beauty not to mention the fact that she was walking atop the water as easily as if it were solid earth. "Who are you?" Kazuma asked when she finally stood maybe 5 feet in front of him on the sand.
"My name is Lauren Valentine, and who are you?" Lauren asked eyeing him closely.
"I am Kazuma," he replied.
"I see so you are the one that they sent me here to defeat. Such a shame that we didn't meet under different circumstances perhaps then I wouldn't have to kill you." Lauren stated as she began gathering spirit energy.
Kazuma summoned strong winds trying to knock her off her feet and much to his surprise she simply opened her eyes which were now a shocking shade of silver and soft rains began to fall freezing the winds which dropped to the sand with dull thuds.
"Shit you're a contractor aren't you?" Kazuma yelled out to her.
Lauren smiled and bowed to him. "I am the contractor to the spirit god of water but I do also know a bit of fire and earth magic. My family was mad because I could never master the earth magic but I know the basics of it." Lauren said eyeing him closely.
"Why do you want me dead?" Kazuma asked the question sliding up his throat unbidden.
"I don't, at least not personally. I was sent here to kill you for another….. My family may have disowned me but they enjoy forcing me into things." Lauren stated with obvious displeasure.
"Then why do you continue to do their bidding? Why not just forge your own path?" Kazuma asked softly.
"Because how am I to forge my own path when I do not have any reason to do so? There is no one willing to be with a Canadian cast-off whose own family disowned her." Lauren answered somewhat sadly.
Kazuma smiled sadly, she spoke like he once had with the sadness of rejection from those that were her blood. He knew exactly how she felt right now and he told her so explaining what his own 'family' had done to him. He watched her face the entire time watched her eyes return to that lovely shade of green that so reminded him of stormy ocean waves. He watched as she relaxed and really let his words sink in so that she could judge what to do next on her own.
"So it would seem that we have more in common than I would have thought. You understand exactly how I feel and you get why I act as I do." Lauren said softly.
"Yes I do, now how about I buy you dinner and we can get to know each other better?" Kazuma said, scarcely believing that he had actually just said that himself.
"Um, sure ok that would be nice thank you." Lauren said blushing slightly.
Kazuma mentally shrugged off his shock at his words and held out a hand to her with a soft smile. Lauren took his hand hesitantly but he just pulled her to his side and headed off to a nice restaurant with a great view of the ocean. "Order whatever you'd like I don't care about the price." Kazuma said once he had gotten her seated.
Lauren looked at her menu and made her order while Kazuma did the same and ordered a bottle of wine. "Is the wine here any good?" Lauren asked quietly.
"Yes it is quite good, why are you even old enough to drink it? You seriously don't look a day over 10." Kazuma said as he poured himself a glass of wine.
Lauren snorted and glared at him. "For you information I am 21, and I have had much to drink in my life. Now pour me a damn glass before I pour that wine on your bloody head." Lauren raged glaring at him still.
"I'm sorry I didn't mean to give offence Lauren I was just making an observation on your youthful appearance." Kazuma said pouring her a glass of the wine. He felt bad for making his words seem like an insult though he didn't understand why.
"Thank you and I accept your apology just try to have a little more tact next time okay Kazuma?" Lauren asked with a soft smile.
Kazuma nodded and smiled back at her eyes shining a little when he noticed her blush. He felt so comfortable around her. There was none of the awkwardness that he had experienced with Ayano or Catherine. He wondered if he would be able to convince her to stay in Japan with him, he felt drawn to her in the oddest of ways.
"Lauren why don't you stay here in Japan for a little bit and I could show you around. You know maybe have a little time away from your supposed family?" Kazuma asked cautiously.
"Perhaps I will take you up on that offer Kazuma. It would be nice to see where things go and whether I could truly be happy." Lauren replied with a knowing look in her eyes.
Kazuma blushed this time and he heard her giggle which made him smile softly. After they finished eating Kazuma took Lauren's hand and took her down the streets of Japan towards his hotel. He smiled and chatted with her the entire way. He didn't notice Ayano and her friends as he passed them but Ayano certainly noticed him.
"Oh my god like who is he with now?!" Ayano cried out angrily.
Her two friends tried to calm her down but with little luck before Ayano decided to follow after them. Kazuma sensed her but said nothing to Lauren who apparently already could sense Ayano herself but she ignored it. "So I hope you don't mind that there's only one bed, mind you it's like a double king size." Kazuma said watching Lauren carefully for her reaction.
"Sounds like it's plenty big enough for the both of us, however I must ask if I might borrow a shirt of yours to sleep in." Lauren replied smiling shyly up at him her cheeks aflame with her blush.
"Of course you can borrow a shirt what kind of question is that?" Kazuma said with a soothing laugh.
Lauren smiled up at him and moved a little closer to which he replied by wrapping his arm around her shoulders and she around his waist. They walked on like that until they came to his hotel and headed up to his room. Kazuma grew bold once the elevator doors closed and he stood directly in front of Lauren while her back as against the wall. "Uh Kazuma what are you doing?" Lauren asked somewhat nervously.
"Nothing that will hurt you I promise," Kazuma whispered before he leaned forward and kissed her softly.
Lauren blinked and blushed brightly before she shyly returned his kiss surprised when he wrapped his arms around her pulling her closer. She wrapped her arms around his neck and the kiss slowly deepened by mutual agreement. By the time they reached the penthouse floor where Kazuma was staying Lauren was breathless as was Kazuma.
"I have a feeling that this is going to be an interesting night for both of us," Lauren said giggling softly as he let her into the room.
"Perhaps it may be, have you ever spent a night with a man before?" Kazuma asked truly curious.
"No I've never spent a night with a man the way you are thinking." Lauren replied blushing softly.
"I've never slept with a woman before either though I did make it seem like it to Ayano." Kazuma replied turning fairly red himself now.
"Then it will be a night of firsts for both of us," Lauren said with an easy smile.
"Indeed it shall be, has anyone ever told you that you are breathtakingly beautiful?" Kazuma asked in a soft whisper.
Lauren blushed brightly and shook her head. Kazuma walked over to her and pulled her into his arms again kissing her softly almost shyly. Lauren returned his kiss just as shyly but suddenly she had her arms around his neck and she was biting at his earlobe.
"Why don't we take this into the bed room Kazuma?" Lauren whispered before licking lightly behind his ear earning a shudder from Kazuma.
Kazuma picked her up and carried her into his bedroom he couldn't believe the things he was feeling right now just from what she had done. She was incredible the last time he had tried to be intimate with a woman/girl he had not been able to get excited or into it. However with Lauren he couldn't keep his mind out of the gutter of things he wanted to do with her.
"Kazuma….. I've uh. Well I'm nervous about this, I mean I've never done this before." Lauren stuttered blushing again.
"Lauren I've never been with anyone either….. I'm not sure how this is suppose to go all I know is that I want you in the most primal of ways as well as more intimate ways." Kazuma admitted with a blush.
Lauren smiled softly at him and pulled him onto the bed atop her kissing him deeply letting her hands run down his back. Kazuma let his hands roam her body as he kissed her back. He slowly cautiously moved his hands to her breasts and began to tease them jumping slightly when she tossed her head back and a loud moan left her.
"Lauren am I hurting you?" Kazuma asked worriedly.
"Huh oh no I'm fine it just feels so good I like my breasts being played with. I do it all the time myself but it's never felt that good." Lauren replied blushing brightly.
Kazuma blushed himself because the sound of her moan had actually turned him on greatly. He went back to playing with her breasts delighting in the sounds she was making and trying to hide how aroused he was now. Lauren had taken notice though and she slid a hand down his chest to his crotch.
"I think that you're definitely ready Kazuma," Lauren whispered lust-filled eyes looking up into his own lusty eyes.
"Yeah how about you?" Kazuma asked lying down beside her.
Lauren took his hand and slipped it into her pants and underwear letting him feel how wet she was. "Does this answer your question?" Lauren replied.
Kazuma nodded and kissed her fiercely before slowly undressing her and then himself. Lauren gasped when she saw the true size of Kazuma and began to wonder how that was going to fit inside of her. Kazuma saw her look and heard her gasp and sighed softly. "Don't worry from what I've heard it'll fit thought there may be some pain when you stretch to fit around it." Kazuma said softly rubbing her side.
Lauren nodded and leaned up to kiss him again this time he moved to lay atop her letting his now aching erection press against her lower lips. Lauren blushed and pressed against it a bit until the head was inside of her and she looked up into his eyes. Kazuma nodded and smiled softly at her before slowly pressing in a little further to which Lauren gasped and shut her eyes. Kazuma stopped moving and waited for her to adjust hoping that he wouldn't end up hurting her too much.
"Just get it over with Kazuma there is going to be pain either way whether you thrust in or slowly slide in." Lauren said eyes pleading with him to get this over and done with.
Kazuma sighed and muttered, "Have it your way." He then thrust into her until his hips rested fully against hers though he had flinched when she cried out and tears filled her eyes. He kissed down her neck in apology truly sorry for her pain.
Lauren moaned when he began to kiss her neck and she rolled her hips lightly into his when he bit her. That was when Kazuma figured out that she liked to be bitten and he began to suspect that she would be the kind of woman who liked it rough. He gently pulled out and slid back into her groaning at the feeling while she moaned in reply.
He kept going gently until she started to claw at his back and then his tentative self-control broke and he began pounding into her with abandon each thrust was harsh and powerful. Lauren was all but screaming under him rocking with him nails digging into his back while he bit into her neck so hard that he broke the skin and his teeth sank into her neck.
Lauren screamed out his name and came hard then and the further tightening of her around his aching length was all it took for him to come as well. He lay atop her panting for several minutes as he came down from his high while she did the same. She rubbed her hands up his sides smiling softly.
"That was amazing, I hope that we didn't bother the neighbours." Lauren whispered smiling happily at him.
"Nah I don't think that we did but even if we did bother them I don't care. That was heavenly," Kazuma said kissing her again before pulling out and lying beside her.
Lauren was about to say something when she noticed the blood trailing down his back. "Oh Kazuma I hurt you!" Lauren cried out and forced him to lay on his stomach.
"It's fine Lauren don't worry about it I'll just….." Kazuma began but was cut off when Lauren ran her hands down his back and the wounds healed right up.
"There all better, next time I'll try to be more careful next time." Lauren said cuddling up beside him.
Ayano and her friends stood frozen outside the door of Kazuma's room in shock at the sounds they had heard. "You don't think that they uh…" one of her friends began only to find that Ayano was seething.
Ayano growled and turned leaving the hotel and storming home to tell her father what Kazuma was doing. However when she began questioning her father about it she found that he was oddly uninformed about the entire thing.
The next day Kazuma got called for a job for the Kannagi family and decided to bring Lauren who stayed close to his side which suited him just fine. Kazuma had an arm tossed lazily around her shoulders while she kept one arm around his waist. They entered where the Kannagi family sat waiting for Kazuma and all eyes went to the woman at his side and then to the bite mark on her neck and the hickey on his. Everyone put it all together and it was his father who spoke first.
"I see you found yourself a little whore now didn't you Kazuma?" he sneered.
Lauren glared at him and suddenly there was water surrounding her and her eyes were a shining silver which alarmed everyone but Kazuma because just a second ago they had been a deep green. "I am no whore and I think that you should treat two contractors with more respect before this one tears you apart with water, earth and a touch of fire." Lauren snapped as flames swirled with the water.
Now it was Kazuma's turn to be surprised, he hadn't known that she could command other elements as well as her contracted water. "Care to take this outside then child?" Kazuma's father said standing up.
Lauren moved outside without a word and a battle began and when Kazuma's father went to summon his god's fire Lauren unleashed one of her strongest water attacks which put him out of the fight. "Anyone else want to insult me?" Lauren yelled glaring at the gathered Kannagi family members.
"What are you?" Ayano asked moving to stand in front of her shocked family.
"I am a contractor my family are earth magic users but I could never master it, indeed I can do little more than the basics of it. I was disowned and yet they chose to use my water magic to try and defeat Kazuma who gave me an option that I didn't have before. The choice to be free to live my life as I would like to." Lauren replied looking at Ayano.
"Kazuma is this true?" Ayano seemed shocked.
"It is and in the offer something happened for me and in a way I suppose it did for her as well. We fell in love to put it simply, and whenever I am called for a case she will help me if she so chooses." Kazuma stated.
Lauren now stood at his side and he wrapped his arm around her again and she rested her head on his chest. The head of the family bowed his head to the pair. "If this is what you chose then I give you both my blessing. I hope that you do not find us too primitive my dear," he said looking at Lauren.
"No more so than my own family sir," she replied bowing to him.
Kazuma smiled glad that his family accepted his choice to be with Lauren and to have her work with him from now on. Lauren suddenly looked up and her face became very closed off. "What's wrong Lauren?" Kazuma asked worriedly.
"You have a brother do you not? A little blonde bundle of energy?" Lauren asked pointedly.
"Yeah I do why what's going on Lauren?" Kazuma asked eyeing her closely.
"He's in trouble and I am going to help him," she said before she simply disappeared from sight.
Kazuma took to the sky and followed her easily sensing her aura and when he landed where he sensed her he found her using soft purifying rains to free Ren from the Yoma attacking him. He was surprised that she had his brother in her arms like he was her own family while Ren buried his face in her chest. Kazuma added hard winds to her rain which finished off the last of the Yoma's energy.
Ren held fast to Lauren until Kazuma landed beside them then he ran to his brother and hugged him while Kazuma hugged him back. Lauren smiled at the affection the brothers showed each other and just let them talk things out. "She saved me Brother!" Ren exclaimed smiling back at Lauren over his shoulder.
"And would do so again if the need arose Ren," Lauren said smiling softly.
"Thanks Lauren I owe you a lot, Ren is very important to me." Kazuma said holding his brother close.
"Kazuma you have nothing to thank me for, he is your brother and in being so he is my brother." Lauren replied smiling softly at the two brothers.
"Uh I'm confused Kazuma what does she mean?" Ren asked looking up at his brother.
Lauren smiled softly and nodded at Kazuma who sighed and then looked down and smiled at Ren. "She's my fiancé Ren, so when she says you are my brother therefore you are hers as well it's because she and I will be married." Kazuma said.
"Actually it's not that he and I are engaged Ren he made that up. We are lovers and therefore to me you are as much my brother as you are his." Lauren replied casting a glare at Kazuma who chuckled nervously.
"Oh okay well that makes sense, thank you for saving me Lauren." Ren said running to her and hugging her.
Lauren smiled and hugged him back then disappeared with him back to the Kannagi estate and the family who all stood in shock when she simply apparated into their midst. "One Ren Kannagi safe and sound." Lauren stated as Ren ran to his father.
Kazuma appeared beside Lauren and smiled softly. He couldn't come to understand why Lauren reminded him of Swee Ling but for some reason she did. The case they had been given ended quickly so they returned home just before dark and decided to go to bed for a bit and eat after they had worked up appetites.
Kazuma was slamming into her and as he climaxed he whispered Swee Ling in Lauren's ear. Lauren froze but then pretended like nothing was wrong and when he fell asleep Lauren got dressed and left. She ran to the only person she could think of his cousin of sorts Ayano. Lauren was in tears by the time she got there for she had run instead of using her powers. She hid herself so that Kazuma wouldn't be able to find her.
"Ayano please I need to see Ayano!" Lauren called out to any of the Kannagi family that she saw.
Ayano stepped out of her room and let Lauren in surprised to find the woman so upset. Lauren told her everything that had just happened and Ayano agreed to help her get away from Japan. She gave Lauren enough money to last a while and Lauren left for Italy promising to keep in touch with Ayano for Ren's sake.
When Kazuma came looking for Lauren the next day Ayano told him that she had seen her come and say goodbye to Ren who was inconsolable now. Ren was crying and he grew angry with Kazuma very quickly. "Why did you have to send her away Kazuma!" Ren yelled as God's Fire surrounded him and attacked at Kazuma.
All the Kannagi were in shock normally it took years to learn to master that and only 11 members of the Kannagi clan had ever been able to wield it. Kazuma blocked the attack but looked at his brother with sad confusion. Ayano walked forward towards Kazuma and then she kicked him hard in the side of the head. "Maybe you should think back to the last thing you said to her you fucking jerk!" Ayano yelled then took Ren inside and away from Kazuma.
"The….last thing I said? But all I had said was….." Kazuma trailed off and his eyes widened and he realized what had pushed her away from him so soon. Kazuma fell to his knees and his agonized cry filled the air around him as tears slid down his cheeks. This time he had been the one that had pushed away the woman he loved.
Kazuma's father walked over to him and rested a hand on his shoulder. "She'll come back when she's ready if it was meant to be she'll return if not then you have no one to blame but yourself." He said then left his son alone with his own misery.
~6 Months Later~
Lauren walked into the Kannagi estate smiling at Ren who ran to hug her and jumped when he felt the change in her. "Lauren you gained weight!" Ren called out.
"Now now Ren it's not nice to say that to a woman." Ayano said as she walked up behind him.
"No it's fine Ayano he is right I have gained weight but it can't be helped not with the twins growing bigger now." Lauren replied waving away what normally would have been an insult to her.
"Twins…. You don't mean that you're…" Ayano stuttered.
"Yeah I am," Lauren said somewhat sadly. "I thought I should come back so that Ren could be here when he becomes an uncle." She added.
"You're pregnant?!" Ren yelled out which drew many people's attention including Ren's father.
"So you carry his child within you?" he asked.
"Actually his children I carry twins which are highly common in my family." Lauren replied rubbing her obviously swollen stomach.
"Isn't it great dad? I'm going to be an uncle!" Ren said bouncing about excitedly.
Lauren smiled and laughed at the boy who she felt was family and then she began talking with Ayano both of them had grown to like each other over the past several months. They were still talking when Kazuma showed up and he froze when he saw Lauren. There stood the woman who had been haunting his every thought both waking and dreaming for the past 6 months.
"Lauren…." Kazuma whispered as he stared at her.
Lauren turned and looked at him from across the room but she went back to talking with Ayano who simply glared at him. Ren glared at his brother along with his father who had learned the real reason for Lauren's absence for the past 6 months. Kazuma sighed and slowly walked over to her his pace uncertain and cautious. He knew what the others did not, if she so chose she could kill him easily.
"Lauren can I please have a word with you?" Kazuma said politely bowing to her.
"Go ahead Lauren I'll be just a shout away if you need me," Ayano said to which Lauren nodded.
Kazuma took Lauren out into the gardens but never once did he try to take her hand. "I'm truly sorry for what I did Lauren, it was extremely wrong of me to whisper her name in your ear when it is you who I love." Kazuma said looking at her as they stood not 5 feet apart now.
"Kazuma do you have any idea what it's like to hear the man you love whisper another woman's name when you are being intimate?!" Lauren yelled at him water swirling around her as tears filled her eyes.
"No I don't but I know what it's like to lose one woman I love and I can't lose another, Lauren I am begging you to please forgive me. I love you and I cannot stay sane without you." Kazuma said dropping to his knees in front of her.
"You want me to forgive you after all the pain I've had to go through? I nearly killed these innocent twins over your stupidity!" Lauren cried out glaring at him.
"Twins….. You mean to say that you're pregnant?!" Kazuma exclaimed.
Lauren nodded and suddenly found herself caught up in a pair of strong arms and being spun in a circle. Lauren couldn't help but laugh and wrap her arms back around him and when he set her on her feet she kissed his nose. "With twins at that Kazuma." Lauren said a soft smile on her face.
"Please let me help you raise them," Kazuma begged.
"I will let you help raise your children only if you never repeat what you've done to me." Lauren said.
"I swear Lauren, I swear." Kazuma said kissing her softly to which she replied in kind.
Ayano smiled softly as did the Kannagi clan as they watched two souls that were perfectly matched and made to be together found their other half again.
4 months later Lauren and Kazuma welcomed Cheyenne and Liana into the world and the next month after they were married. The contractors of Wind and Water mated together forever in the most unbelievable of ways that none but they knew about.