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A/N - This is a mature fic for mature audiences only. It is rated M for a reason.
Here there be lemons.
You have been warned.
Month 7
"Welcome to the third trimester. These last few months of pregnancy can seem like a whirlwind. Where everything seemed new and fresh in the first trimester, now you may feel the rush of the end of pregnancy hurtling towards you."
Robin Elise Weiss, LCCE, Guide
It is morning at the Hinata Sou, and the day is starting off in its normal, typical way. Keitaro is already up, working on breakfast for the other residents, Motoko is up on the balcony practicing her katas, and the rest of the occupants are in various stages of waking up.
In the room she shares with her husband, Naru brushes her long hair while sitting at her vanity. As she worries over her looks, she also worries over her husband. She has noticed a change in the man she loves over the last couple of weeks. He seems to be more jumpy and agitated than normal, reminding her in some ways of how he used to be. To her, it's almost as if he is walking on eggshells around everyone in the Hinata Sou. Worse yet, it's affecting their sex life. It's been over a week and he's either been too tired or not in the mood. What man is not in the mood for sex?
She furrows her brow as she recalls a recent incident the previous weekend where Shinobu had come up behind Keitaro and put her arm around his shoulder while he was sitting at the dining room table. That action, in and of itself, was not unusual. All of the women that lived there have done that from time to time. Their affection for her husband has not diminished at all over the years. If it were not that she trusts them so much, she might have something to worry about.
Normally, her husband would barely react to the gesture. But this time, he jumped as if he had been electrocuted. As the resident cook panicked and ran back to the kitchen, Keitaro was looking around like he was expecting a bomb to go off any second.
"So much like he used to be," says Naru out loud to no one in particular. She wonders idly what may have caused this to start, and hopes that it does not continue. She reaches down and caresses her swollen belly. Thirty-one weeks in, seven more to go. She definitely does not need her husband being so jumpy around the baby after it's born.
As she stands to go downstairs, she cringes a little as a pain runs up one of her legs. Both of her heels were a little swollen this morning, causing her some discomfort with her shoes, especially the left one for some reason. It was a common enough occurrence so far throughout the pregnancy, so she pays it no mind as she loosens the strap on the shoe and then heads downstairs for some breakfast before she leaves for work.
When she arrives in the dining room, she finds Keitaro placing a bowl of bananas on the table within reach of where Kaolla Su normally sits. "Good morning, dear," she says as she approaches.
"Oh! Good morning to you too!" replies Keitaro in a cheerful tone.
As she approaches him, he pulls out her normal seat and presents it to her. Instead of sitting, she sidles up to him and kisses him firmly on the lips. He reciprocates immediately, much to her delight.
"Yuck, you two need to get a room."
The married couple pulls back from each other abruptly and turn to see where the comment came from. Standing in the entrance to the dining room is Motoko. She is still in her Kendo outfit, her wooden bokken lazily draped over one shoulder. She has a mischievous smile on her face. "I mean really, the dining room is not appropriate for such things."
Catching on to the sword maiden's sarcasm, Naru slides into her seat. "We're not doing anything in here that we haven't done before, and then some," she huffs in mock indignation.
Motoko pauses for a moment to ponder what the antennae haired woman said, then glances down at the table. "Ew," is her only response. She then starts around the table towards her seat. Ever the gentleman, Keitaro steps forward to get the black haired woman's chair.
As he does, he trips over one of the legs on Naru's chair.
As the dark haired man falls, he throws out his hands, desperate to capture something that would arrest his descent. Unfortunately, one of them finds Motoko's white keiko-gi. Reflexively, it closes on the fabric, and gravity does the rest. When he looks up, the sword maiden is naked from the waist up. The bokken clatters to the floor as the hand it used to reside in now reaches across to cover her now bare chest.
Naru looks on at the spectacle and suppresses her laugh by bringing her hand up to her mouth. She watches as Motoko's left eye twitches. She can tell that it's not in annoyance, just as she knows that this is all an accident. In fact, more than likely the sword maiden is going through some erotic fantasy. Naru recalls that if this had happened five years prior, they both would have beaten the holy crap out of him. It's a testament to the personal growth of both women.
"It was an accident, don't hit me!"
Naru looks down and is startled to see Keitaro curled up on the floor with his arms covering his head. A look of concern comes to her face. "Of course it was an accident, you baka!"
This seems to have the desired effect as he slowly uncoils. He gives both women a sheepish look as he stands back up and swipes at his clothes as if to knock off any dirt he had picked up from the floor. "Heh, sorry about that, old habits."
Naru furrows her brows as she looks at him, not exactly buying his explanation. "Yeah, more like ancient habits, Keitaro. Are you alright?"
The dark haired man brushes off her concern with a smile. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little stress at school."
"You want to talk about it?"
For some odd reason, this seems to bring her husband up short. "Umm," he stammers out before composing himself. "Yeah, I think that would be a good idea, but later." As he finishes he steps past her and towards the kitchen. "Sit down and I will grab your breakfast."
As Keitaro disappears through the doorway, Naru just shakes her head sadly. He's hiding something, and if he does not tell me what tonight, I just might revert back to old form. She knows that secrets can ruin a marriage. Better to get to the bottom of whatever is bothering him quickly. In the interim, there is unfinished business.
"Motoko?"
"Erm, yes?" comes the reply from behind her.
"Go get dressed."
"Right!"
Naru smiles and shakes her head as she hears the sword maiden finally come to her senses and retreat from the room.
XXX
Still angry at himself for his little relapse earlier, Keitaro shakes his head as he approaches his destination. Motoko never did return for breakfast, leaving him alone with Naru for a short while before the other residents came down and ate before heading off to their various duties for the day. There was an awkward silence between the two that neither seemed to be able to break.
He is indeed anxious, and for good reason. His marriage, whether Naru knows it or not, is on a precipice and he's not sure how he's going to pull it back, or even if he can. He thinks back to something he had said to Motoko before all this started and shakes his head.
"You all occupy the same place in my heart as Shinobu."
First off, that worries him because it makes him sound weak. He's made a commitment to the antennae haired woman, for better or worse, and it had never been better up until that fateful night seven months ago. Even after that, it was mostly normal. But ever since the second time, life has been a living hell.
Since then, things have definitely hit the proverbial fan. Sure, making love to Shinobu might have helped her out. But now it seemed that everyone was in the game. Not that any red-blooded man wouldn't want the beautiful women of the Hinata Sou to be chasing after them. Su herself still reminds Keitaro constantly that polygamy is legal in her country.
Having to deal with the advances of one in particular is causing his nerves to fray. The other day, he had angrily snapped at Shinobu for no reason. And the display he just put on in front of his wife and Motoko? Shameful. Unfortunately, right now, he sees no way out of it that does not mean certain death for himself and others.
Finally reaching his destination, he stands in front of the door and tries to calm himself. On the other side is probably the one most responsible, other than himself, for what is going on. He fights down an angry thought and composes himself before knocking on the door. It opens to reveal Kitsune. She is wearing a very skimpy outfit and a foxlike grin on her face as she appraises him with hungry eyes.
"You're late."
XXX
Unable to show her face after the shameful display she put on for the man she loves and his wife, Motoko snuck out of the Hinata Sou after placing a cellphone call. That was almost two hours ago. Since then she has been on the train, heading west out of town.
"Next stop, Gotemba main terminal."
The small city of Gotemba is at the base of Mount Fuji, just below the southeast slope of the mountain. Her destination is a small café just within walking distance of the next stop.
Still clad in her traditional white keigo-gi and black hakuma, Motoko waits patiently by the exit as the train slows to a stop. Everyone currently on the train is giving her a respectable amount of space. This is not unexpected by the kendoist, who had to punish a few lechers who had tried to get fresh with her. Apparently the wooden bokken at her side was not warning enough.
As the doors open, she quickly pushes past a few highly rude individuals who felt that their need to get on was greater than her desire to depart. A wave of her weapon and a liberal application of ki energy assures that her path remains unobstructed. The person she is to meet is not one that takes kindly to tardiness.
As she exits the terminal, she turns quickly and makes for her destination. The café is only two blocks away, and Motoko makes good time getting there. As the kendoist approaches, she sees a familiar woman clad in almost the same attire sitting at one of the outdoor tables. The woman stands and smiles.
"It is good to see you again, sister."
Motoko bows formally to her elder. "As it is to see you as well, Tsuruko. It was fortuitous that you were close by visiting our cousin." The Hinata Sou resident glances around after straightening up, then gives Tsuruko a questioning glance. "Where is she, by the way?"
The elder Aoyama shrugs and gestures to the entrance of the café. "She is getting some coffee, would you like some?"
Motoko waves her hand. "No thanks, I fear that I cannot stay….."
"MOTOKO!"
The younger kendoist is startled, but not surprised by the enthusiastic greeting. She turns just in time to be glomped on by another woman who is several inches taller than her. While Tsuruko and Motoko can almost be mistaken for twins now that the younger woman has matured and grown, the new arrival bears little resemblance. Short brown hair comes down just to her shoulders where a light yellow shirt barely covers her ample bosom. A pair of blue jeans completes the ensemble. "It's so good to see you!" cries her cousin as she attempts to squeeze the life from Motoko.
"It's good to see you as well, Masane," squeaks the younger woman. "I was not expecting you to come."
Releasing her death grip, Masane Aoyama shifts to put Motoko in a headlock, then starts rubbing the top of the kendoist's head with her knuckles. "Are you kidding? I would never miss the opportunity to see my little cousin who has not contacted me in years!"
In spite of her skills in Kendo, Motoko is unable to break the older woman's grip. It's not surprising since Masane is quite skilled in the art herself. So instead, she simply waits out the assault. As expected, she is released after a few moments. The brown haired woman holds Motoko at arm's length with both hands and admires her. "My god you have grown," she says with a smile. "In more ways than one, I see!"
As her cousin gestures to her chest, Motoko's cheeks turn a deep crimson. "And I see that you have not changed much either," she says. Masane, who is several years older than Tsuruko, has been a free spirit for as long as the black haired woman has known her. Her earliest memories of the brown haired woman were a mixed bag of serious training and lighthearted goofiness.
The last time Motoko saw her cousin was after a serious argument between Masane, her parents, and Motoko and Tsuruko's parents, who were the leaders of the Shinmei-ryu school at the time. The sword maiden had been eight years old at the time. After that event, her brown haired cousin gave her a hug and told her to be good, then disappeared. It wasn't until much later that the kendoist found out that it was because Masane had gotten pregnant, and that the family had effectively disowned her.
Now that Motoko thinks about it, it was probably about that same time that her distrust of men had started to form. While her father never even mentioned Masane again, her mother never missed an opportunity to espouse the failures of the perverted devil of a man that had sullied the original Aoyama heiress. The vilification eventually evolved to include all men. Motoko, being young and impressionable, took it to heart.
Fortunately, due in no small part to the man she now loves, Motoko was able to shed her near maniacal hatred for men. There is still a healthy distrust, of course, but she no longer feels the need to punish any male that makes the mistake of glancing in her general direction.
The three Aoyamas take their seats at the small table. "Sorry I didn't get a cup for you, Mo-chan," says Masane as she passes a cup to Tsuruko.
Motoko waves her off. "Pay it no heed, I cannot stay long anyway."
Masane crosses her arms across her chest. "Well, you better not be a stranger, you have a new cousin that you have not met yet!"
The Hinata Sou resident smiles. "I will endeavor to do so."
Tsuruko clears her throat. "So, sister, pray-tell what caused your frantic call this morning?"
"I bet it's man problems," smirks Masane as she looks at Motoko expectedly. When the kendoist flushes several shades as she looks away, the elder Aoyama snaps her fingers. "I knew it!" She places her elbows on the table and rests her chin on her intertwined fingers while waiting for her young cousin to compose herself. "Spill it!"
Reluctantly, Motoko begins to summarize the past years since a certain man came into her life. She watches as Masane looks on, her interest growing as the story progresses. When she finally finishes the part about what happened earlier in the morning and the accompanying erotic fantasy, the black haired woman leans back in her chair, her face flushed a deep crimson.
"Oh, she's got it bad," quips Masane.
"Indeed," adds Tsuruko as she serenely takes a sip from her cup.
Motoko leans forward with a heavy sigh before laying her head down on the table, covering her head with her arms. "What am I going to do," she asks rhetorically.
"Well, if he wasn't married, I know what I would do," says Masane suggestively.
"Please cousin, must you always go there?" asks Tsuruko, with just a touch of sarcasm.
"Oh pish-posh, Tsu-chan. You of all people should understand where Mo-chan is coming from."
Tsuruko puts her cup down and glares at her older cousin. "It's not that I do not sympathize with Motoko's plight. But I feel her course is clear. The heart of the man she loves belongs to someone else."
Masane glances down at Motoko, who is trying a little harder to hide her face. "Is this true?"
"Ummm," starts the black haired woman. "Yes and no."
Tsuruko turns her focus back to her younger sister. "Explain."
Motoko lifts her head up and rests her chin on her crossed arms. "He loves Naru, with all his heart," she says dejectedly. "But, he also loves all of the residents of the Hinata Sou. Enough so that he has allowed two of them to trick him into having sexual relations with them."
"Was one of them you?" asks Masane.
Motoko bolts upright as if she had been shocked. "NO!" she yells a little too loudly. In retrospect, she should not have been surprised by the question. She is sure that Masane had just beaten Tsuruko to the punch. Calming down, she continues. "No, I have not. However, I am unsure that I would not have done the same if given the same opportunity."
A silence falls over the trio as the two older Aoyamas process this information. Motoko sits back and miserably awaits their judgment. After a minute, Tsuruko finally speaks up. "I still think that you path is clear. You should leave and remove yourself from his influence. Your proximity to him only continues to cloud your judgment. While I understand your devotion to Urashima, any action on your part will only dishonor his marriage further." She crosses her arms across her chest as she finishes. "By pursuing this, you not only risk alienating the man you love, but one of your best friends as well, who happens to be married to said man."
In her mind's eye, Motoko also knows that this is the best course of action. Continuing to stay at the Hinata Sou will only serve to continually remind her of what could have been. Her only chance of moving on is to leave and start a new life somewhere else, perhaps with the help of one of the women before her. Motoko stands and bows. "Thank you sister, your advice serves to only reinforce a conclusion I have been coming close to reaching myself," she says.
"Wait one second," says Masane, causing her cousins to pause and stare at the older woman. "While I agree with what Tsu-chan just said, I might have one alternative that you might try."
Motoko's attention becomes fully focused on Masane. Even though she has not seen the woman in nearly sixteen years, she still holds her in high regard. A mischievous smirk forms across the oldest Aoyama's lips.
"Have you tried asking his wife?"
XXX
In the Hinata Tea house, there is a small bedroom in the back that Haruka used when she was the manager. Now that she is gone, it makes a nice, out of the way rendezvous place for Kitsune.
Not that she ever had the inclination to use it before now.
Keitaro, the love of her life, sets a high bar for any man to reach. Sure, when they first met, he was more of an idle curiosity and someone to take advantage of. He was so easy to manipulate because he was so desperate for any kind of positive interaction with women. But over time, after seeing him act so selflessly towards anyone whom he considered a friend, including herself in spite of what she did to him, the fox woman's opinion of him had changed.
Eventually she came to love him.
Yet, knowing that he was her best friend's boyfriend, and later, her husband, Kitsune held back, just like she had always done since becoming friends with the antennae haired woman in middle school. She always sat on the side-lines, even going so far as to deliver break up messages to boys on behalf of Naru, who was too cowardly to do it herself.
After a while, that can grate on a person. Truthfully, Kitsune had not fully understood how much she resented Naru for how she used her until she found out about Shinobu's little dalliance with Keitaro. Like the rest of the girls, Shinobu was supposed to have stepped aside to allow Naru and Keitaro to be happy together. But the bluenette did not uphold her end of the bargain, and that got the Fox woman to thinking. If the petite cook could have her moment, even just once, then why couldn't Kitsune?
But Keitaro was quite stubborn, rejecting advance after advance. The one time she almost had him, it was of course Shinobu who busted her and dragged him off to do who knows what to him. The bluenette later claimed it was just that one time, but why should she believe her? Catching them in the act on the dining room table four weeks ago pretty much proved that in her mind.
She snapped off some pictures and sent them as blackmail to force him to agree to be with her. Surprisingly, after all the times he had rebuffed her advances, he did not resist. Their first time had been an amazingly mind blowing experience for the fox woman. She was hooked, addicted almost, and went back to him on more than one occasion. When he tried to deny her, she needed only remind him of the pictures in order to get him to relent.
This is one of those times. Naked and on her hands and knees on the side of the bed, she clutches desperately to the sheets as Keitaro takes her from behind while standing on the floor. She moans lewdly through her clenched teeth as she bites down on some of the fabric underneath her. With each thrust her lover makes, a loud slap echoes through the room.
"Oh, that feels so good," she breathes between moans as she starts to rock her body back and forth in rhythm with Keitaro. Kitsune is glad to have her little hideaway. While she is nowhere near as loud as Shinobu was, she can get pretty vocal at times. Her voice turns up an octave as her lover pushes the cheeks of her ass back, causing him to plunge even deeper into her.
He also starts to pick up the pace. The back and forth motion causes the fox woman to slip off the edge of the bed. She catches herself and stands on her tip-toes in order to keep her womanhood perfectly aligned with Keitaro's manhood.
Her own pleasure growing with every thrust, the fox woman can feel her moment fast approaching. Her lover's is coming as well, she can feel him swell even more inside her, hear him begin to grunt as his climax nears. As the slap of skin on skin gets faster and louder, she turns her head, desperate to see him finish.
"Ohhhhhh, do it inside me, baby!" she commands as she nears the peak. Her whole world shrinks to encompass only the connection between her and Keitaro. They are alone on the ocean, watching as the crest of an enormous wave raises high above them. She screams in delight as it gets ready to break over the couple as they share their climaxes with each other.
And just like that, it's gone.
The wave gently recedes back to whence it came. She feels warm, wet stickiness as Keitaro, having pulled out, finishes on her back and backside. With one final grunt, he gently pushes her down onto the bed, then steps into the small, adjacent bathroom and retrieves a wet washcloth, returns, and proceeds to wash her off.
"That was amazing as always," purrs the fox woman as she smiles in spite of being interrupted. She can still feel a glow in her nether regions, which helps to placate her.
Keitaro does not say much, which is not unusual for these encounters. The couple makes small talk for a moment as he dresses himself before leaving.
Turning onto her back, Kitsune breathes out a sigh. Having not quite reached the Promised Land, she is not sure if she should be angry that he did not finish the way she wanted him to, or just elated that she gets to spend any time with him at all. She made a resolution a long time ago that she would get him by hook or by crook. She certainly crooked her way into his arms, so there is no complaining, right?
Keitaro, for his part, has played the good man. He caters to her desires up to a point. One thing that she wants, which she has not made any secret of, is to have a child with him. This is something that he has stated won't happen. Because of this, when they make love, he never allows the fox woman into a position where she has any control over what they are doing or how either of them, especially him, finishes. So she is relegated to begging him to finish inside her, which he never does.
Why can't I have this one thing from him? she asks herself. If something happens to him tomorrow, Shinobu and Naru will both still have small pieces of him to cherish. All Kitsune will have is a memory and a feeling of what might have been. That's not enough.
XXX
Naru glances down at her watch and waits as the seconds tick down. She looks up at the class in front of her and sees many of her students furtively scribbling answers on their answer sheets. A few of them have their heads down or are twiddling with their pencils, a signal that they are probably already done with the test that she has assigned.
"Time!" she announces, much to the consternation of more than a few students who probably did not finish. It's not a bad thing that they did not, though, as this test is more about accuracy than finishing. That's why the students had a shorter than normal time to complete it. "Pass your papers to the front."
Just as she finished, the bell rings signaling it's time for lunch. The obnoxious sound causes what seems like icepicks to be driven into her skull, compounding the headache she has already has been enduring for the past several hours. Wearily, she takes the stack of papers from the row heads as they hand them to her. "Line up for lunch!" she says. The ensuing ruckus of children talking and chairs squeaking on the floor causes her to clinch her eyes closed as she tries to will the pain to go away.
It quiets down a bit as the children stand at the door, looking at her expectantly. Naru glances over at her assistant, Kaede Tanaka, who is also standing with them. "Can you take them down? I will be there in a bit."
Kaede nods and then directs the line leader to follow her. Naru turns her head towards the window on the opposite wall as she tries to hide the pain she is in. The fifteen minutes it took to complete the test seemed like it was one of the longest periods of time she had ever experienced in her life. Being in pain can do that to you.
"Urashima-sempai? Are you alright?"
Naru turns to see that one of the students, a small boy with jet black hair, is lagging behind. "I'm fine, Sousuke, just a small headache," she replies, downplaying the pain that she is in right now.
Sousuke blinks at her. "It could be a tumor."
The antennae haired woman cannot help but chuckle. Sousuke is a very sensitive boy, always concerned about others more than himself. She smiles, trying to reassure the boy. "I'm sure it's not a tumor," she replies. "Now go on and catch up with the others."
Seemingly satisfied, the boy nods before he turns and disappears out the door. When he is finally out of sight, Naru slumps back into her chair and begins to rub her temples in a futile attempt to alleviate the pain she is in currently. Glancing up at the clock, she can see that there is still four hours left in the school day. "A little over half way," she whispers to herself as she leans back in an attempt to relax. She places her arm over her head, with the crux of her elbow resting on the bridge of her nose in such a way that her eyes are completely covered, blocking all light. With the noise level reduced, the needles that were trying to work their way into her brain have ceased. Now it just feels like her head is in a vice.
After a few minutes, Naru decides to head to the teachers' lounge. When she raises her arm off her head, she blinks at the brightness of the room. When her vision clears, she sees a tall woman with red hair watching her from the doorway. "Are you alright, Naru?"
"Yeah, I'm fine, Misaki. Just a little headache," replies the antennae haired woman. Misaki Nagato is the assistant principle in charge of the lower elementary grades, one of which Naru teaches. In the 3 years that she has been teaching, Misaki and Naru have become good friends.
The redhead narrows her eyes and steps into the room. "You don't look like you're fine," she says, a note of concern in her voice. "How long has your head been hurting you?"
"Just a little while," lies Naru. In fact, it had started hurting as soon as she had arrived in the morning. Trying to shake off the other woman's concern, the brunette starts to get up out of her chair. "I'll be fine once I get…"
As she is about to reach full height, a sudden sense of vertigo overcomes Naru, and starts to fall back. Misaki rushes forward to assist, and only just makes it as the antennae haired woman slumps back into her chair, her bottom only barely getting the lip. The sudden motion causes the chair to roll backwards, and it is only her friend's intervention that saves her from sliding out onto the floor.
"Whoa," says Naru as she stops physically moving. Her senses, though, tell her she is still on a merry-go-round.
Misaki is standing over her with a very concerned look on her face. "I think you are done for the day," says the vice-principal. When Naru moves to protest, she will have none of it. "I'll make it an order, if I have to. Kaede can finish up this afternoon's lessons. You need to get home and rest. I will have my assistant drive you home, I don't trust you on the trains in your condition."
Naru rolls her eyes. "Ok, mom," she quips.
She and Misaki spend the next few minutes gathering her things. Then, after two attempts, the antennae haired woman finally makes it to her feet, and her friend guides Naru out of the room.
XXX
"Next stop, Hinata onsen district."
The announcement breaks Motoko out of a light sleep. The discussion with her sister and cousin had been tiring, and she had nodded off to the gentle swaying of the train as it raced down the tracks. To say the least, Masane's suggestion did not go over well with Tsuruko. An argument quickly ensued, with the older Aoyama insisting that Motoko should follow her heart, while the other insisting she should do what was right. Eventually, the sword maiden had to leave her squabbling family behind, or else she would have not made it to the train in time to get back.
As she detects the train slowing down, she stands and moves to the door. Looking around, the riders on this leg of her journey were much more respectful than before, for which she is thankful. The train slows to a stop and she departs, heading across the platform to the exit.
"Motoko!"
The black haired woman turns and sees Shinobu waving at her from one of the benches people use when they are waiting of the next train. Smiling, she turns and walks back towards the bluenette so that she does not have to exert herself any more than normal, and takes a seat next to her.
"Where are you headed off to?" asks Motoko.
Shinobu smiles. "I am heading to the downtown market, there are a number of specials running today!"
The sword maiden tilts her head in puzzlement. She normally does not do that alone anymore, especially in her condition. "Where is Keitaro?"
A sad look mars Shinobu's features as she looks away. "He's with her," she spits out.
Motoko nods in understanding. It's no secret to either woman what has been going on. The sword maiden found out when she interrupted Kitsune gloating to Shinobu about what she had done. A fight had nearly ensued, with only Keitaro's intervention preventing it. Since then, they have offered to help in any way possible to get this to stop, but he continually refuses, insisting on doing it himself.
From the time this started, the two women have noticed a general decline in Keitaro's mood, and the normally jovial atmosphere of the Hinata Sou has been suffering as a result. If this morning's breakfast was any indication, not only is he suffering as a result, but Naru is now picking up on it, which does not bode well.
And it does not help that Kitsune has continually insisted on getting her time with the Kanrinin, even going so far as to snatch him away right in front of Motoko and Shinobu on at least one occasion. If it were not for her own self-control, and a pleading look from Keitaro, the sword maiden would have retrieved her katana and ended the farce right then.
Motoko stands abruptly, a determined look on her face. "I'm going to talk to him again," she says.
"I hope you have better luck than the last fifteen times we have tried," replies Shinobu with a small smirk.
"So do I," agrees the black haired woman with a nod as she leaves, a determined look on her face.
XXX
Keitaro sighs deeply to himself, content in his little corner of the world. Lying in the grass in the shade of a large sakura tree that is sitting at the top of a hill in the middle of a clearing in a forest, he intertwines the fingers of his hands behind his head as he works a long stalk of grass that is sticking out of his mouth. The day could not get much better, the temperature was just right and the sky is blue with bright fluffy clouds. A dainty hand slides across his chest from his left as someone next to him nuzzles into his side. His wife is there to share it with him. Keitaro turns his head to look at the antenna haired brunette and smiles. He's not really sure why, but he is content right now. There isn't much more that he could ask for.
He is startled as another hand snakes across his midsection from his right. He turns his head in the direction it came from and sees Shinobu snuggling in on that side as well. A wave of panic sets in when he realizes this. Both arms tighten around him as both women look up at him with their beautiful eyes.
"Shhhh! You are being too loud," admonishes his wife on his left.
"You need to stop moving," says his lover on the right.
With no other option, Keitaro forces himself to calm down. Who would want to argue with the two delicate flowers lying next to him? "Am I dreaming?" he asks tentatively.
He feels a shrug from Naru as she picks her head up and lays it on the left side of his chest. "Eh, probably. Let's enjoy it while it lasts."
The apartment manager shudders to himself. This is wrong, isn't it? A feeling of shame wells up in him at even the thought of getting any enjoyment out of this. He should not even be in the situation to begin with. If he had the fortitude to send Shinobu away when he should have, he would currently not be facing such inner turmoil. But the fact of the matter is that he did, and he needs to deal with it. As he reluctantly enjoys the sensation of two beautiful women snuggling into him, he cannot help but wonder; how can these two women peacefully coexist?
"That, Keitaro, is the right question."
"Mmo.. Motoko?" Keitaro starts to jump up, but the two women on either side of him hold him down. He watches as the sword maiden, clad in her Kendo uniform, slowly walks around him. He feels her bokken touch his thigh, and then slide down the outer part of his leg. When she reaches his feet, the black haired woman switches to the opposing leg, but this time the inner portion, and begins to work back up.
In the past, the dark haired man would have been terrified by Motoko even having the wooden sword out. But he can tell there is no malice in her touch. In fact, Keitaro can almost describe it as sensual.
"Is it so outlandish?" asks the sword maiden.
On his left, he feels Naru shift, bringing her head up closer to his. "We all have one thing in common," she purrs into his ear before nibbling at the lobe. Keitaro's eyes flutter as his whole body shudders from the attention.
Shinobu flips herself onto her hands and knees and maneuvers herself so that she is face to face with the Kanrinin. "We all love you." She smiles, and then plants her lips onto his. When she does this, Keitaro's entire body goes rigid in shock. Almost immediately, the bluenette tries to deepen the kiss, causing the dark haired man's flight reflex to almost kick in, as he is half expecting his wife next to him to send him into orbit with one of her patented Naru punches.
But, it never comes. That could be, he realizes, because she has stopped nibbling on his earlobe and is now, very lightly, tickling the inside of his ear with her tongue. This, along with Shinobu's unspoken request for him to open his mouth to allow her tongue access, causes the already overstimulated apartment manager to jump up, throwing the amorous duo off him at the same time.
When he reaches his feet, he backs up to the trunk of the tree as Motoko approaches him, a lustful look in her eye. Shinobu and Naru quickly scramble to their feet, and together with the sword maiden, they trap him. With nowhere to go, Keitaro closes his eyes. "You all are crazy!" he screams, hoping to wake himself up. "This is just a figment of my imagination!"
"Is it so crazy?" asks Shinobu from the left.
"It could work," adds Naru from the right.
From the front, Motoko smiles, and caresses his cheek. "So long as we are not selfish."
A crashing noise draws everyone's attention to the tree line. No one can quite see what's going on, but something is throwing things around and making an enormous ruckus. A sense of dread wells up in Keitaro. With Naru, Shinobu, and Motoko there, he can only think of one other that might be causing it.
A creature suddenly bursts into the clearing. Hunched over on its knuckles, the gorilla looking thing's skin is a pale cream color and is covered in light brown colored fur. It is half again as tall as Keitaro. The dark haired man recalls going to the zoo and watching gorilla's calmly munching on stalks of celery and other treats as they went about their day. This one is anything but placid. Frighteningly, it starts to close the gap between it and his group. As it approaches, it roars, spit and slobber going everywhere. It halts its charge just in front of them, rears up and starts pounding its chest, letting out another earsplitting roar in the process.
If this were not a dream, Keitaro may have had to find a change of underwear.
Now less than ten feet away, the dark haired man gets a good look at its face. "Kitsune?" For a brief moment, he ponders why she would show up in this form instead of something foxy like her personality. But then he recalls that she almost literally is the eight hundred pound gorilla in his life right now, seemingly doing as she pleases and keeping him at her beck and call when the opportunities presented itself. As of late, that is pretty much whenever Naru is not home.
"My turn now!" demands Gorilla-Kitsune in a low, gravely, menacing voice directed at the three women who now have stepped in front of Keitaro protectively.
"Mind your manners," replies Naru. She makes a fist as she brings her arm up in front of her and 'cocks' it. Keitaro knows what will probably happen next, although he had never seen her hand triple is size before.
Seemingly out of thin air, Shinobu summons two large, cast iron frying pans to her. It was something that he had also seen her seemingly do in real life as he recalls probably the one and only time that the bluenette had ever lashed out at him. "Sharing is caring!" she says, adding another clichéd saying to what Naru had already said.
Motoko takes up a fighting stance, her bokken at the ready in front of her. "You shall not pass."
Keitaro double takes a little, wondering where the Lord of the Rings quote came from. He does not have time to ponder this as the Kitsune-Gorilla roars in defiance. The sound of it pounding its chest echoes in his head.
Before the beast can do anything else, Naru rushes forward. "Pervert Power Punch!" she yells as she lands a haymaker right cross on the thing's chin, sending it flying backwards and onto the ground.
As it tries to get up, Shinobu lands on its back and slams both of her pans into each side of its face. "Cast-Iron Clash!" She then pushes up and pirouettes off, landing neatly on the ground behind.
"Evil cutting sword!" One of Motoko's signature moves, and another one that Keitaro is intimately familiar with. A wave of Ki energy slams into Kitsune-Gorilla, sending it flying back towards the tree line, where it lands in a heap. For a moment, it lays there. Long enough for the dark haired man to let out the breath he did not realize he was holding in. Was all this really necessary? This is a beast of his creation. The other three women should not be dealing with it, he should.
His thoughts are interrupted when the great beast stirs. He sees its arms move underneath before pushing itself up. Shifting over, it sits on its haunches and stares menacingly at the group as it rubs its jaw.
"Uh oh." He's not sure who said it, nor does it matter. Just as the saying is uttered, the creature charges again, releasing a primal roar that scares Keitaro to his core. He is about to implore the others to run away with him when Naru suddenly surges forward to meet the threat. Trying again to land one of her infamous punches, this time Kitsune-Gorilla fends it off with its left arm, while at the same time grabbing his wife by the back of the head with its opposite hand.
Naru is suddenly whipped into the air and slammed down onto the ground, then picked up, whirled over the creature's head, and slammed into the ground again. This happens three more times in rapid succession, each time causing the hole that is forming under her to get bigger. After the final time, it finishes her off by slamming both fists into her body, which causes the sides of the hole to cave in, burying her.
Its opponent dispatched, Kitsune-Gorilla's gaze shifts to Shinobu. It charges her, but she fends off its first strike with her frying pans. Unfortunately, it grapples with her and easily overpowers her. With its oversized paw, it palms the top of her head and then starts to drive its fist into her face.
"Thunderclap Sword, Second Strike!"
From Motoko's bokken, electricity shoots forth, curling itself around Shinobu and striking Kitsune-Gorilla. Reflexively, the beast rears back against the onslaught, tossing the bluenette in the process. Keitaro shades his eyes with one of his hands as he tries to track her flight away from the battlefield, but he eventually loses track of her.
Motoko presses her attack as Kitsune-Gorilla's screams change from sounds of rage to pain. Eventually, it falls again, and only then does the sword maiden relent. But it's no act of mercy. She steps towards the beast and readies a new strike. "This ends now. If you do not wish to share, then you can no longer be a part of his life!"
She raises her sword as she builds up a massive Ki reserve for her final strike.
"Giant Sized Thund-"
"MOTOKO STOP!" yells Keitaro as he throws himself between the sword maiden and her target.
The black haired woman stares at him blankly, not understanding why he has blocked her from doing what is necessary to stop the creature that is tormenting him. All she can think to ask is, "Why?"
"Because this is my fault, and I need to deal with it."
The expression on Motoko's face changes from confusion to one of pity. "Keitaro, you have been saying that for some time," she says as she sheaths her bokken. "This is something that only together can we find a solution to."
"It's not right for you or anyone else to get involved," is his reply as he looks over his shoulder. Kitsune-Gorilla is now sitting up, but unlike last time, it looks dazed as it wavers from side to side. "This is my fight," he finishes solemnly as he turns to face it. The creature, having now regained its faculties, stands and smiles as he steps forward to confront it.
XXX
When Motoko had returned to the Hinata Sou from the train station, she was hell bent on finding and interrupting any activity that Kitsune might have been engaged in with Keitaro. Instead, she finds him peacefully sitting on the couch in the main living room, fast asleep.
She is quite relieved to find that the apartment manager was not engaged in any salacious acts. Better yet, the instigator of said activities is nowhere to be seen. Of course, this does not absolve her of the duty she has taken upon herself; to put an end to the fox woman's exploitation of the man she, and others at the Sou love. It's just that she cannot truthfully predict what her reaction would have been to seeing them in the act.
She knows what it could have been, though. In her mind, she would have swooped in like an avenging angel and relieved Kitsune of her prize. This would have resulted in a confrontation that ended in a battle to the death, with Motoko, through wit and gile, emerging dramatically victorious after turning the tide of battle at the very last moment before Kitsune could deliver her finishing blow. Motoko would then collect her prize and ride off with him into the sunset on the white steed she…..
The sword maiden shakes her head to clear her mind, and admonishes herself for not only having her thoughts derailed once again by the mere mention of the man she loves, but also for the overused clichéd ending. As a writer, she knows better than that.
The horse should be a brown and white painted breed, not white.
Motoko reaches up and grabs a fistful of her hair in frustration while biting her lip and scrunching up her eyes. Not wanting to wake the dark haired man, she lets out a low growl that quite nicely sums up her frustrations. Any consideration in regard to Keitaro Urashima would now and forever be hopelessly derailed by her ever present feelings for him. It's like the apartment manager is a color of paint that will forever stain her thoughts. Her sister is right, there is no other way.
She needs to leave the Hinata Sou.
Her decision made, she carefully sits down next to Keitaro. His head is bent at an odd angle against the back of sofa. His mouth is hanging wide open, but surprisingly he is not snoring. Tentatively, she reaches out and twirls a finger in his hair. She feels oddly contented with her decision, most likely because it would finally close one of the most fun, if not frustrating chapters in her life. Unfortunately, in the here and now, the frustration outweighs the enjoyment. Seeing Keitaro with Naru eats at her soul, and she fears that continuing to stay would eventually end badly.
Motoko has put up a brave front for the past several years, much like the other women. It really is only her sense of honor that has prevented her from taking any liberties with the older man. But she has found out that honor can only sustain her for so long. Eventually, she will slip up, and the end result will most likely be more hurt than anything else. The proof of this is clearly demonstrated by the problems he is experiencing with Shinobu and Kitsune.
Motoko smiles as she tries to burn the image of the man she loves into her mind. A clean break is the best way to do this, she decides. She needs to not give Keitaro a chance to talk her out of it, because she knows he would have little difficulty doing so. He may not understand the sway that he has over most of the women at the Hinata Sou, but it would not stop him from wielding it, even if it is unconsciously.
A groan escapes Keitaro's lips, and Motoko jerks her hand back and he starts to turn towards her. She breathes out a sigh of relief as he remains asleep.
"M-m-mmo…. M-m-motokoooooo"
Reeling back in surprise, the sword maiden bolts off the couch. "What the hell?" she whispers under her breath as she begins to pace back and forth in front of him. No no no no! This cannot be happening! He didn't just say my name! Her thoughts are in a jumble as the words of her cousin come back to her; "Love manifests in many ways, and takes on many forms. Remember that because of that, there are always…. possibilities."
What the hell does that mean; there are always possibilities? It's not like there's any possibility he would leave Naru for me. Hell, it's entirely possible, if not more likely, that if he did leave Naru, he would end up with Shinobu. So what possible reason would I have to hold out any hope? But still, it's not like he completely shut out Shinobu. She is carrying his baby, after all. Would he accept me as well? But her and Kitsune both coerced him into their current relationship. Could I possibly do the same?
Her internal monologue and her pacing come to an abrupt halt when the answer comes to her. With the answer comes an idea, and then a plan, a last ditched effort to make her dream come true. Truth be told, she had never actually tried anything before, not even something so bold. The others will surely think that it is quite out of her character. And if this does not work, she will follow through with her original plan to leave forever.
Motoko notices Keitaro start to stir, looking like he is about to wake up. Quickly she exits and heads to her room. There is much to think about, and soon, much to say and do.
As soon as she is out of sight, Keitaro returns to the land of consciousness. He looks around, and when he sees that no one is there, he stands and heads to his room.
XXX
At the top of the stairs outside the Hinata Sou, an exhausted antennae haired brunette finally makes it to the top. She pauses and teeters a little, as dizziness threatens to overcome her. Rather than fall and end up back at the bottom the hard way, she turns and sits on the top step.
"Next time I get pregnant, I'm installing a lift chair," she mumbles to herself as she puts her head between her legs, hoping for the nausea to go away.
XXX
Keitaro's dream was weird, convoluted, and in the end, depraved. He is glad that his recollection of the events is fading because the gorilla…
Involuntarily, he shudders, and finally banishes the memory to the back of his mind where he hopes it will wither and die. Still, the message of the dream is clear. He needs to do something about the current situation. Truthfully, he needs to do it even if it's going to hurt Naru.
Sighing to himself as he comes to his room, he grabs the handles and opens it. When he walks in, it takes him a few seconds before he realizes he is not alone. Looking down, he see the last person in the world he wants to be around lying on his futon.
Kitsune smiles and props herself up on an elbow. Her breasts are almost ripping out of the small, white shirt she is wearing. Keitaro also notes that she is not wearing anything below the waste except a pair of skimpy panties that he recognizes from their earlier escapade. "Hey babe!" she chirps.
"Look, now is REALLY not a good time," says the apartment manager. While sudden, right now would be a good opportunity to for him to set the record straight with the fox woman. Unfortunately, his nerve has left him.
Oh, but it's a good time for me!" replies Kitsune as she gets up and sashays towards him before stopping close, well within his personal space. In the past, this might have caused Keitaro to get nervous. But for some reason, today he is getting angry.
"We need to talk, lover. You and me, we're not on the same page in this relationship."
Keitaro glares at the fox woman. "Let's get two things straight. First, there is no relationship here. Second, there is no page for us to be on."
Kitsune steps even closer to Keitaro and runs her right hand down his chest, towards his belt buckle. "I'm sensing a little resistance here," says the fox woman as she grabs hold of the buckle. She gives it a jerk to get his attention. "I wonder when you're going to tell Naru who the father of Shinobu's baby is."
Keitaro blanches at this new tactic to get his attentions. Not at all interested in her games, he digs in. "I sure hope you're only looking for rent money."
"Oh, I want a lot more than rent money," she replies, confirming his fears. The brunette caresses his face seductively with her left hand while still keeping a firm grip on him with her right. She then then leans in for a kiss that Keitaro does not reciprocate. It is plainly obvious where this is going. She continues to trail kisses down his neck while she reaches into his pants, past the waistband of his boxers, causing him to groan a little. "You have been holding back. I want you to make love to me, just like you do with Naru," she purrs against his skin. Leaning back, she looks at him with a victorious smile.
"Or I will tell Naru that Shinobu's baby is yours."
A creaking noise from behind Keitaro freezes the pair. Slowly, the dark haired man turns around and finds an antennae haired brunette slowly opening the door to the room. Her face is a mask of pain and anger, her eyes hidden behind her long bangs. The apartment manager swallows a huge lump in his throat. "N-N-Naru!"
Suddenly, she rushes forward, past Keitaro, and lands a vicious left cross on Kitsune's chin, sending the fox girl flying back against the wall and onto the ground. "BITCH!" screams the enraged woman as she stands over her prone victim. "How dare you! This is my husband!"
Shaking her head to clear the cobwebs, Kitsune looks up at Naru incredulously. "You hit me!"
"You're damn right I did!" replies the antennae haired woman, still shaking her fist at the fox woman. "I just can't believe that you were trying to blackmail MY HUSBAND into sleeping with you!" Naru throws her hands up in the air in exasperation and takes a step back. "I know you've done some pretty shitty things to him, but this takes the cake. And you know what? I don't know what's lower, that, or the fact you would lie to me about who the father of Shinobu's baby is if he didn't."
An evil grin crosses Kitsune's face, causing Keitaro's heart to freeze. She wouldn't!
While sitting up, Kitsune wipes a bit of blood from her lip. Looking up at Naru from the floor, she sighs heavily before addressing her assailant. "Do you really think I would lie about something like that?"
The bombshell explodes into a deathly silence. Seconds, then minutes past as the two women stare at each other, one resolute in what she said, and the other in shock. After what seemed like an eternity, Naru slowly turns to Keitaro. "She's lying, right?"
For the dark haired man, this is probably the worst case scenario. He had imagined many times sitting her down and telling her himself. In his mind, the reactions ranged anywhere from accepting to violence that put his worst nightmares to shame. Idly, he wondered to which extreme she would go to now that the cat was out of the bag.
After he does not respond, Naru's look turns from questioning to worry. "Keitaro, tell me she's lying!"
He senses an undertone of desperation in her voice. He is desperate to tell her, but he cannot. As the look on his wife's face turns from worry to despair, he keeps his tongue, letting his silence answer for him. His own face is a picture of shame and embarrassment; not only for what he has done, but for the way she is finding out. When he finally looks away from her, she sobs loudly and brushes past him, disappearing into the hallway.
"Coward."
That one word breaks Keitaro out of his brain lock. He looks down at Kitsune incredulously, only to see her now focusing on her swelling lip. Over the years, he had suffered a lot of abuse at the behest of this woman. And over the years, he tolerated it. No more. "Don't ever come near me again. You have until the end of the month to leave."
Not waiting for her reaction, he turns on his heels and marches out of the room, intent on finding his wife and trying to fix the damage he has done, if possible. As he steps into the hall, he finds her leaning against the wall just above the stairs down to the main level. She has her back turned to him and is breathing heavily. As he approaches, Keitaro reaches out and puts a hand on her shoulder. "Naru?"
Before he can react, she whirls around, catching him with a right hook on the chin. "GET AWAY FROM ME, PERVERT!"
The first thoughts through his mind are that it's been a long time since she has called him that, in anger at least. This is immediately followed by the realization that he is not flying. Past run ins with the infamous Naru Punch had him airborne, heading for parts unknown. In fact, this particular punch didn't even hurt. When he looks at her, he realizes why.
Naru is doubled over, clutching her swollen stomach with her right while using her left arm to steady herself against the wall. Her face is scrunched up, and tears are leaking from her eye as she fights through what appears to be agonizing pain.
Keitaro immediately becomes concerned. "Naru, what's wrong?!" he asks frantically. When she does not respond to him, he again puts his hand on her shoulder, leaning down to get a better look at her face. This time she does not react violently. "Naru, tell me what's wrong!"
"It hurts," she grinds out through clenched teeth. "The baby….."
Instantly spurred into action, Keitaro reaches down and picks her up bridal style. At first she protests, then gives up. Frantically, he calls for help as he descends the stairs. Her sister Mei, who was watching TV before heating the commotion, is standing in the lobby. She immediately runs up to the couple with a concerned look on her face when she sees Keitaro come down the stairs. "What's going on?"
"Call an ambulance, tell them I will meet them at the bottom of the stairs!"
A/N: Some of you may not like my portrayal of Kitsune in this. Admittedly, she is not one of my favorite characters in Love Hina, although I can tolerate her a LOT more than Kaolla Su. After rereading sections of the manga for inspiration, I found one little tidbit that struck a chord. Kitsune may not have stated as such, but I detected a twinge of jealousy there about the fact that she always played second fiddle to Naru when it came to getting boys when they were younger. I think over the years that would possibly fester into something ugly, with the pregnancy being the catalyst for her to make a dark turn. Add to that Shinobu ALSO being pregnant by the man she loves, she feels left out.
Also, resemblance between Masane Aoyama and Masane Amaha from Witchblade is completely intentional. She is about ten years Motoko's senior. She was originally going to be an older sister to both Motoko and Tsuruko, but Wiki says Tsuruko is oldest. I don't recall that ever being said in the manga, but oh well.
(10/19/2015) - I wanted to add here that even though Kitsune is not one of my favorite characters, this is not meant to bash the character in any way. In my reading of Love Hina, it just made sense to use her rather than an OC because of the history she has with the girls in general, and Naru in particular.
I edited the parts that Ibskib pointed out as well.