Mmm... so today I was shuffling through my unpublished/working-on-them fanfictions...
And then I saw this part of Exposing the Nighttime Flame.
And then I realized: This is perfectly good as a chapter, as an intermission to the next night.
So here it is. Hope you like~
More importantly, thank you guys for all your reviews and favorites and all that jazz~. They keep me going~!
Please feel free to write more!
Once again, I don't own Sekirei, 'tis the property of Sakurako Gokurakuin.
...And I think that's it. Enjoy!
"YOU HEARD ME! STRIP! EVERYTHING! GONE!" Tsukiumi barked out furiously. Oh Homura, that bastard! Initially she thought everything okay, seeing no obvious markings on Minato's body. But as soon as she left, the thought struck her: What if he left his mark on a not-so-obvious area?
Hence their current predicament.
"Tsukiumi wai…!" Minato had no time to finish, throwing the sheet up in the air and rolling to the side as water arrows pierced through it.
"I'M NOT WAITING! STRIP! OR I'LL STRIP YOU MYSELF!" Tsukiumi approached closer, brandishing a hand covered in water, "Mizu no Ya*!"
"WAHH!" Minato ducked the lethal arrows, but his clothing was not as lucky. A rather long cut appeared in the right shoulder, and another, rather precarious one on his upper thigh.
This continued for a while, until Minato's shirt was torn to shreds, and his pants not so ah, pant-ish, anymore. The soaked Ashikabi was sporting a few small cuts here and there, but he counted himself lucky; it could have been a lot worse if Tsukiumi was more serious about it.
As it was though, Minato felt the two of them were going to approach that level very soon.
"Tsukiumi-!" He coughed out some water and continued, "Wh-why are you doing this?"
"THAT'S BECAUSE YOU AND HOMU-!"
A smart, deceptively painful rap to the head cut her off.
"Oh my, exactly what are the two of you doing, this early in the morning?" Asama Miya was smiling, very pleasantly, sure, but the ominous hanya mask behind her spoke differently. Both Minato and Tsukiumi shuddered, the latter dispelling her water immediately while the former covered himself up as best he could.
"Ooya-dono*!" Tsukiumi was at a loss for words. Exactly how could she explain this?
Before she could utter some sort of an excuse, a new, husky voice called out from the hallway, "Ara? Who's been stripping?" It asked excitedly, a bit disorientated from being woken up so early, but nevertheless ready for the show.
Another voice joined the first, a strong pout detectable, "Yes, and why weren't we called to join?"
Kazehana and Matsu made their way into Minato's room amiably enough. They took in the smiling Miya, the also smiling-yet-fearsome Hanya behind her, and the distraught and embarrassed Tsukiumi taking the full-force of their former leader's stare.
And then their eyes fell on Minato.
Their Ashikabi was backed up against a wall, utterly drenched from head to toe. His clothes were torn in locations, where, had it been anyone other than Tsukiumi, might have been strategically cut that way. His pants could at best be called shorts, and his shirt simply ribbons of cloth. Unfortunately for the poor boy, Minato's slender arms couldn't hide most of the show and both Kazehana and Matsu heated up considerably.
"Tsukiumi-tan… did you do this?" Matsu asked quietly.
"Well yes, but I-" She abruptly stopped, as both Kazehana and Matsu clapped her shoulders, smiles on their faces and tears in their eyes.
"(Other than the cuts), Nice job, Panties-Flasher-chan." Kazehana reverently commended, "Seriously, well done."
Their calm demeanor changed quickly though, as they turned back to face Minato, the Wind User sporting a sultry, lustful fire that danced in her eyes while the Computer Expert chuckled creepily aloud, her hands making chilling groping motions as the two of them approached Minato.
"It's a nice change of fanservice, isn't it Matsu?" Kazehana said off-handedly, licking her lips.
"Wait…! Wait a second…!"
"Yes, yes it is." The auburn-haired woman took of her glasses to reveal eyes filled with frantic perversion, "Now then, Mina-tan~!" She began lovingly even as Minato began to desperately wish he could back up even further, "Tsukiumi-tan paved the way, let us all now travel down the path of love~! Fufu! Fu fu f-"
"For you two to forget I'm here…" Miya handled a carpet beater in one hand and a katana in the other, but to the two Sekirei both were equally as dangerous, "Sahashi-san's exposure play must really be enticing huh?"
"Ooya-san! This isn't expos-!"
"Ah, some more cloth fell."
"S-STOP LOOKING AT HIM YOU PERVERTS!"
"Eh? Where? Whe-"
WHAM, SMACK and BAM~
The front door opened.
"I'm home." Homura's eyes trailed upward, toward the commotion and chaos of the second floor. After he had finished with Sahashi, the Fire Sekirei had gone out for reconnaissance, scoping out the remaining competition. He yawned; it had been a busy night after all. As Miya came down the stairs, he masked his curiosity and took her hand in his, kissing the smooth skin suavely.
"Sounds like a busy morning." He remarked casually, searching her eyes for some sort of answer. Inwardly though, he tensed; were they found out?
Miya shook her head, maybe the smallest of smiles present on her lips, "Just the usual happenings of Izumo Inn." She patted his hand and strode toward the kitchen, to finish preparations for breakfast.
"Your medical services are required upstairs though." The Landlady called back, "A couple of cuts and bumps, nothing too serious. For now." Her smile carried in her voice and she hummed softly down the hall, feeling oddly refreshed.
Homura shivered.
Taking the medical kit upstairs, he stood at the entrance to Minato's room and surveyed the carnage.
"Morning Sahashi." He said simply.
"Ah, good morning, Kagari-san."
"…What the hell happened to your clothes?" Homura made his way over to the boy, looking him over.
Tsukiumi froze, observing her nemesis closely. There was nothing suspicious in the way he acted, and Homura was talking normally too. He and Minato were interacting as they usually would. She frowned. Was she, maybe, thinking too much?
But then Minato blushed. And her suspicions were aroused all over again.
"Th-that is…" Before the Ashikabi could explain what happened, two shaky hands suddenly clamped down on Homura's ankle.
"BWAH-!"
"THE FINISHING BLOW!" Matsu wailed, as she clung to him. The bump on her head had been maybe the most severe out of the three, though why, she had no clue. But nevertheless, she was determined to, quite literally, see the strip show through till the end.
"MIYA-TAN IS GONE NOW HOMURA-TAN!" She continued eagerly, "NOW'S YOUR CHANCE! GO! GO! RIP IT OFF! ALL OFF!" She cackled, "DEAL, THE FINISHING BLOW!"
"Unfortunately I don't have those kind of tastes." Homura breathed out matter-of-factly, immediately crushing her hopes.
He turned from Minato, to deal with the sobbing sociopath attached to his foot, "However, I am more than happy to deal you, the finishing blow." A gleaming fireball suddenly blazed in his hand, maybe an inch or two from Matsu's face, "Is that alright, Matsu?"
The former Disciplinary Squad member began to sweat vigorously and she quickly scuttled away from the pair. Matsu waved her hands in placation while keeping an eye on the fireball.
"N-no, it's not necessary."
Homura smirked, extinguishing the flame, "Then it's fine." The smirk soon vanished though, as he turned back to his patient, sighing, "Seriously though Matsu, I didn't know you were into this kind of S&M play." He moved a bit of cloth near the right of Minato's rib cage, both displaying the cut and applying disinfectant to it.
"If you were a lot more serious," He continued, wincing as Minato hissed at the sting, "These could have been a lot worse. Chose a different form of fun next time." He paused, admonishing himself, "Though there shouldn't be a next time in the first place…" Sealing the bandage on top, he moved onto the next one, a long shallow scratch at the stomach.
As Homura rifled through the remnants of their Ashikabi's shirt, Matsu looked on, positively green with envy.
"STOP TEASING ME! Hu hu hu…" The Computer Expert bitterly wept. She stopped biting her sleeve long enough to retort, "And it wasn't me who did the cutting, it was Tsukiumi-tan!"
"Really? Tsukiumi did?" The woman in question braced herself, as they all turned to stare at her.
Minato finally posed the question which was on his, and everyone else's mind.
"Tsukiumi…" He began, "Why… why did you strip me?"
"That's because…!"
"…? Because…?"
'Because I suspect you and Homura are having an extremely steamy and erotic relationship which you may or may not be taking to the next level soon.'
…
Like she could say that out aloud!
"Ah~, I know!" Kazehana, who had been silent all the while, stood up and spoke in proud realization, "Oh you~. You thought Minato was having an affair, weren't you?"
"Hah?" Tsukiumi jumped up in surprise, inwardly panicking, while Minato just gaped at the older woman, a blush beginning to spread through his cheeks.
"An affair?" He asked blankly, "With who?"
"Why, with me of course." Kazehana leaned down slowly, examining her Ashikabi. She languidly ran a hand down his chest, smiling as she turned to look at an amusingly embarrassed Tsukiumi, "Don't look so sad Panties-Flasher-chan~, we're not, we're not! Well… not yet anyway."
Kazehana shook her head sympathetically, "I understand where you're coming from though, since I am the most beautiful, bustiest and… experienced of us all of course you'd be suspicious~! Oh ho ho ho!" The Wind User struck a pose and Homura rolled his eyes in exasperation.
"Not to mention the most modest too…" He growled, stuffing a tissue to Minato's now bleeding nose, "I'd like to argue that 'experienced' point though."
"Hmm… I'll agree to a tie then Homura-chan."
Matsu looked over at Tsukiumi, still slightly suspicious. Tsukiumi usually did jump the gun with things more often than everybody else. But usually she'd do it with some sort of a reason in mind. Random strippings for inspection weren't the tsundere's forte. More like her own. Matsu giggled to herself but stifled it quickly, getting back to the matter at hand.
"Was that really really really the reason that you decided to come here and strip him, Tsukiumi?" Matsu asked seriously, "Because you were suspecting him of an affair?"
"Mm! Yes, exactly!" Tsukiumi nodded vigorously, smiling. And look she was telling the truth too! Even if the adulterer in her mind was someone different… Small details! That she would definitely sort out later...
However, she came to one conclusion:
This route of action was probably too brash after all.
"Well, j-just so you know, I gave him the option of stripping himself." She sniffled, "He refused though."
"No one saw that coming." Everyone replied in monotone, including Minato.
However he soon looked up at her placatingly, "Tsukiumi, if I was going to s-start a relationship with someone," He said gently, shyly, "I wouldn't hide it from you all. I'd tell you right away."
"…Really?" She asked searchingly, looking at the honesty in his eyes.
Minato chuckled and nodded, "Really."
Tsukiumi blushed and then folded her arms, turning away from him, "Th-then it's fine." The blond let out a sigh of relief and smiled. She couldn't find a lie in her Ashikabi; he was telling the truth.
"Everyone! If you're quite finished up there…" Miya called out pleasantly, with a hint of underling danger, "Breakfast is ready. And would someone call Musubi and Kusano as well?"
"Ah, yes!" Minato was about to get up, when he caught the look in Matsu's eyes, a look that made him freeze immediately.
"Huhuhu… Moving, Minato? Moving?" She drummed her fingers together eagerly, "That's good, yes, very good… I haven't been able to survey the damage from the back after a-OUCH!"
"Cut it out!" Homura growled, tossing his coat haphazardly over Minato. He then directed his attention back to the three women in front of him.
"How about you three go and wake them up and I'll finish with Sahashi over here?" He said rather pointedly.
"Eh~? And leave you and him all by yourselves?" Matsu pouted.
Kazehana winked suggestively at him, "Oh my~ Is it safe to leave him in your… experienced hands Homura-chan?"
"Probably safer to leave him with me, rather than with you, Gropers-R-Us over there, or the woman who stripped him in the first place." Homura grumbled back, feeling the beginnings of a headache coming on, "Get down already."
"We'll be there soon Kazehana-san." Minato assured her, "I think there are only a couple of cuts left to go."
Tsukiumi cringed, feeling even guiltier, "Sorry." She mumbled.
"Don't worry about it Tsukiumi, I'm fine (…for the most part), it's okay."
Before she could apologize yet again, Kazehana amiably scooped up both hers and Matsu's arms, "Well, let's follow Captain Miya and Lieutenant Homura's orders. Off we go you two." She looked back at the two men as they headed toward the door, "We'll be waiting~"
Tsukiumi untangled herself from the others as soon as they were out the door, feeling an overall composition of both anger and shame. How could she come to such rash conclusions so quickly! This was probably the worst mistake she had ever committed as the legal wife. She really needed to punish herself somehow, take responsibility for her wrong…
"Tsukiumi-tan."
Perhaps go train in the mountains for a month…
"Panties-flasher-chan?"
Have ten weighing stones on her lap and sit for ten hours…
"Master of all that is Tsundere?"
Keeping her mouth shut whenever any of the other Sekirei cozied up to Minato…
Matsu and Kazehana caught up to the Water Sekirei and grabbed her shoulders. Pulling the woman back into their generous busoms, they shouted straight into her ears.
"Tsukiumi-tan!" "Panties-Flasher-Chan!"
The woman in question yelped, roughly turned around, and then snarled at the pair, "What, what is it? Can't you see I'm in serious thought here?" In irritation she pulled a burst of water into her hands, "Are you picking a fight? I'd be more than happy to oblige!"
Instead of responding, the former Disciplinary Squad members looked at each other. Tsukiumi could feel the silent communication between the two. Finally, they both nodded. After a quick check to see they were a safe enough distance from Minato's now closed door, Matsu pulled Tsukiumi and Kazehana down to a crouched huddle.
"You see Tsukiumi-tan…" The blond blinked at the seriousness of Matsu's demeanor, "We were thinking too… more contemplating actually… I guess gossiping really but-"
"Don't you think Minato-kun and Homura-chan seemed overly eager to send us out?" Kazehana watched as Tsukiumi's eyes widened considerably.
"Think about it. Aren't those two normally so averse to being alone with each other that it's pathetically sad?" The genius pushed her glasses up contemplatively, "So why the sudden change in behavior?"
"Unless… they… are…!"
"Getting their FREAK ONNNN!" Tsukiumi flinched, but Matsu continued on, "Uu hu hu hu… who knows, maybe even now they're…!" She trailed off. All three women turned to study Minato's door, each wondering what was going on behind it.
Matsu giggled, Kazehana's eyes flashed with excitement, and Tsukiumi shook her head vigorously, lest another one of her delusions take form.
"I'm… I'm going to go check on them!" Tsukiumi jumped up from her crouch and quickly started to walk back. Before she could open the door however, the single numbers hastily grabbed each of her ankles.
"You can't just interrupt them!" Matsu hissed. The poor girl slammed straight into the floor. But just as the tsundere was about to unleash her own version of hell though, her rival's voice cut through their Ashikabi's room.
"Well that was enjoyable." Tsukiumi could hear Homura's contentment, amusement "Though I'm sure you must have enjoyed it more, Sahashi."
Ignoring the stinging pain, Tsukiumi gasped in shock. The previous belief that the infidelity situation was resolved evaporated completely, replaced by disbelief, horror and maybe a touch of jealousy.
WHAT WAS ENJOYABLEEEEE? HOMURAAAA!
"Kagari-san." Minato chastised, heavily embarrassed.
MINATOOOOO!
"If nobody came to interrupt you two how far would it have gone, I wonder? From the look of things Tsukiumi seemed pretty intent on taking it all the way." Homura smiled teasingly, "You lucky dog."
Another abashed "Kagari-san!" from Minato and Tsukiumi relaxed slightly. So that was what the enjoyable part was, what happened before…
"What are they talking about?" The pair behind her asked curiously, having put themselves a safe distance from their victim.
"Me." She answered, breathing out a sigh of relief, "Just me, nothing else."
Matsu's face fell in disappointment, "Che, how boring." She got up and dusted her dress, "I was hoping for something more… stimulating. Oh well. Might as well go wake Musubi now…"
"And I'll get Ku-chan." Kazehana stretched as she rose. The older woman smiled lazily and blew a kiss to Tsukiumi as she went down, "Try not to get caught Miss Panties-Flasher-chan~ Eavesdropping is generally looked down upon after all. Not to mention jealousy."
Tsukiumi huffed and got to her knees. As if she was going to stay there the whole time. She trusted her husband! Now…
But as she started to leave in ignorant, marital bliss, her spouse's next comment made her sit right back down again.
"M-more importantly, about tonight-"
"The preparations and tools for tonight are set Sahashi." Homura's voice grew louder as he moved closer to the door.
"I've got it all taken care of."
Tsukiumi let out a silent, incoherent scream, instincts propagating her to retreat to the first floor, confusion and doubt now thoroughly refreshed.
Minato and Homura...
WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING TONIGHT?
*Mizu no ya = water arrows
*Ooya = landlady~
Hoho... Poor Tsukiumi, I tease her so much.
Mah, it's where we get our giggles from though.
Hope you peeps liked it!
Review if you'd like,
be as complementary or critical as you'd like,
and I hope to see you for the next chapter ^^
