Thanks to: emi21 (Glad you enjoyed the chapter and the way I write the characters and their personalities, I try to be as accurate as possible. As for Bon's wife, you'll see.), abattles2 (Happy you enjoyed the chapter, pervy Kyo is still fun to write and Yuya has needs too.), general zargon (I'm happy I made you laugh and thanks for noting the typo, I thought I caught all of them.), Deby MU (More romance between Kyo and Yuya ahead and you'll see what's going on with Okuni. I'm glad you liked the comedy and don't worry, I have no plans to drop this fic.), kyoandyuya (LOL, Kyo and Akari both enjoy teasing Yuya and you just can't put the two of them in the same room with her or they're bound to take advantage. I actually do think there were slight hints of Benitora feeling something for Mahiro in the manga. I have to go back and look it up but it seems like there was a moment where he was experiencing strong emotions and Mahiro came to mind out of the blue. As for the kids, Aiko is powerful too but Ryu is more likely to tap into the destructive side of his abilities. Aiko is more human with regards to her emotions but that doesn't make her weak, just not as aggressive/sociopathic as her sibling. Not sure why my fic wouldn't show up but I do know that M-rated fics are hidden by default unless you use the filter to show them. Still, I'm happy you think my fic is awesome. ^_^), magicalnana (I'll slip more chapters like the last one in where I can. I'm a hopeless romantic and laughing is always better than crying. I'm happy this made your day.), Rinfantasy (You'll see about Okuni. Glad you enjoyed Kyo and Akari's tagteam), PoleDancerWannaBe (Funny thought about Akira in pigtails but I think I'll save that for losing a bet with Akari. ;-) Akari is Akari, a loveable but mischievous mess. Also, I have plans for Muramasa, he deserves to see Kyo fulfilling his potential after everything he went through to get him away from the Mibu and train him.), lmamc (Lol, you'll see.), Azure Shine (Wow, thanks for taking the time out to leave, not one, but three reviews. I'm happy you are still enjoying the story), Ray (Thank you so much! I'm happy you are enjoying the stories and I hope I don't disappoint you in the future. ^_^),
Author's Note: A lot of people asked if Bon's wife is Okuni and all I can say is, read the title of this chapter. ^_^ You'll see what's up down below. ;-) There might be a few typos here and there as I rushed through the beta-ing but hopefully it's readable.
Kurenai Kioku
Chapter Nineteen
Pretend Wives and Scary Shamans
They didn't waste any time in following Kyoshiro to the room where their friends were waiting and Yuya and Akari speculated out loud on how Bon had gotten married without them finding out, as well as what sort of woman he could have possibly married.
Kyo watched the two of them and marveled at how quickly his wife had forgiven his old companion for ganging up with him against her and how comfortable Akari was with Yuya. The other man was incredibly distrustful of pretty much everyone except for himself and the other Shiseiten and he would have expected him to give Yuya more trouble than he had thus far. Instead, the duo were clearly getting along and Akari seemed to be just as fascinated as the rest of their crew with the bounty huntress.
Truthfully, he was only half-kidding about not worrying about the shaman around his wife because, at the end of the day, Akari was still a man and a warrior and Yuya was Yuya. She was the exception to everyone's rules and his old companion was incredibly weak against anyone who was genuinely kind and accepted his idiosyncrasies. And his woman was the kindest and most welcoming person he'd ever known.
The only comfort he took was in the fact that, like the rest of his Generals, romantic love was a foreign concept to Akari. Selfish, extremely vain, and scarily possessive of the few friends he had, the shaman didn't truly understand self-sacrificing love outside of the fairytale ideal version of it.
Kyo himself had scoffed at the idea of true love until he met Yuya and he had to give her the utmost respect for getting under the skins of himself and the other fighters in their group. Given enough time, even Akari would probably fall a little bit in love with her if he hadn't already. They'd already formed a close enough bond of friendship.
It made the Thousand Killer glad, yet annoyed him at the same time because the deeply jealous and self-serving side of him wanted to lock his wife away and keep her all to himself. But the practical side of him said that he, and no one else, was the person she loved the most and that it didn't hurt for her to be surrounded by friends who would do their best to protect her.
As he observed her in the light of day - and with their clothes on - he saw a woman who had grown ever more beautiful, both inside and out. He found her just as intoxicating as ever, if not more so, with the added spice of maturity. Yuya was strong, warm, passionate, loyal, and sexy – he was still reeling over that last one - with just the right amount of innocence to keep her from understanding the sort of power she wielded over some of the strongest fighters in existence. Who was he kidding? The power she wielded over him.
It was a disconcerting thought, to be at the mercy of someone else, but he didn't regret his relationship with the young woman. The most wanted man in the country had already accepted that his wife loved him and that he reciprocated her feelings and he was long past the point where he could go back to where he was before he met her. The man who had once wrapped his hands around her neck and threatened to kill her had been replaced by one who would rather slit his own throat than harm a hair on her pretty, blonde head.
As he watched, Akari leaned over to whisper something to the woman in question and her ears turned pink before she looked back at him with those jewel-like green eyes. A smile played about her lips and her gaze clearly conveyed her feelings for him - love embellished with longing. As her small fingers reached up to smooth a strand of hair from her face before she turned back around, he found his eyes drawn to her neck and remembered what had almost happened in Benitora's study before they were interrupted.
Kyo had every intention of picking up where they left off once things were settled with Bontenmaru and Akira. There was no way he could listen to her tell him that she'd spent their years apart missing the things they did in bed and longing for more without answering her need. His own frustration of the past years was mirrored in her soulful eyes and yet, she had been forced to carry the additional burden of knowing where he was, why he was there, and understanding that she lacked the power to do anything about it.
Empathy had never been his strong point but he could clearly picture how helpless she must have felt, how alone she was as she carried their children with the knowledge that he wouldn't be there when they were born, and how much she must have missed his presence. Nighttime would have been especially hard for her, not just because that was a good time to talk a bit and physically express their feelings for each other, but because she simply enjoyed being close him.
Yuya, he'd discovered to his initial horror after their first night together, was fond of snuggling and would unconsciously wrap her limbs around him. It had made him uncomfortable in the beginning, since he had spent years separating sex from affection, but he softened just as quickly the moment he saw her smile contentedly in her sleep and whisper his name. There was no putting into words what the image of her nestling up to a killer like him and taking comfort in his presence did to him.
All that love, trust, and desire that she had shown him when they got married was still there but time and distance had made it more intense, more potent and he silently promised himself that he would show her everything that she'd been missing and more. It was the least he could do to make up for his absence.
They reached the room where Bon, Akira, Sasuke, Benitora, and the woman claiming to be Bon's wife were and a guard stopped them outside the door, informing them that "Date-Sama" was currently meeting with the Shogun about an important matter. Akari and Yuya pouted and went off to the side to speculate some more while Kyoshiro hesitated for a moment before approaching Kyo and leaning against the wall next to him.
It was obvious that the younger man wanted to say something to him and Kyo merely waited, only vaguely curious as to what it was. Those blue eyes moved from him to Yuya then the closed door before he sighed and scratched his head.
Losing patience with his old enemy's fidgeting, Kyo said in an annoyed voice, "Spit it out, already."
Kyoshiro gave a little start and replied quickly, "Sorry, Kyo, I just don't know how to ask what I want. I wasn't sure if you were...still mad at me for what happened...with Sakuya all those years ago."
Kyo gave him a hard look before closing his eyes briefly and saying, "I should kill you after the mess you made of my life..."
He felt rather than saw the other man tense up and opened his eyes to enjoy the sight of the man stewing in his own apprehension before continuing, "...but my woman is still alive and none the worse for wear. As far as she's concerned, you two are friends," he said the word sarcastically, "and she isn't entirely wrong when she says we never would have met if it hadn't been for your screw-ups."
That wasn't the exact way Yuya had put it. She'd been a lot kinder and diplomatic and he hadn't contradicted her because she'd been naked at the time and that trumped all other outside matters.
A relieved smile touched Kyoshiro's lips and he gave a tiny laugh as he said, "Yuya's a wonderful woman. I'm really happy that you found your other half and you'd be proud of the way she handles herself. And speaking of women, I was wondering if you know how Sakuya is doing?"
His comment about Yuya handling herself sparked off a memory of his wife looking abashed as she told him about her job hunting bounties and the danger she had put herself in. He frowned at the former assassin and folded his arms as he replied, "I can't say anything about Sakuya, it's not like they let me see her."
"Oh," the other man's shoulders visibly sagged and the air around him grew heavy as he said, "I've been worrying about her for the past few years."
"Is that supposed to be something new?" Kyo replied.
His former friend grimaced and said, "Yeah, I'm always worrying about her. I've just been having some weird dreams and I wanted to...," he trailed off and shook his head, pressing his lips together and looking over at Yuya.
Kyo wasn't particularly interested in hearing about whatever dreams Kyoshiro was having but he was concerned about the earlier comment that hinted towards the other man's involvement in Yuya's wilder exploits while he was gone. He was all for his wife getting stronger but the thought of coming back and finding out that she was dead or permanently damaged made his hackles rise. Since they were still waiting to see their companions, he switched gears and decided to find out more about what Kyoshiro and his wife had been up to.
Keeping his voice carefully neutral, he said, "So, according to my wife, the two of you have been running all over the country hunting bounties."
The former assassin gave a start and rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment as he replied, "Well, about that... It's like I said, she handles herself well but she also likes to take risks. It's bad enough that she has to play the seductress sometimes but her situational awareness could use some work as well."
Kyo didn't hear anything past the first half of the last sentence. Instead, he latched onto one word and, glaring at Kyoshiro, repeated, "Seductress?"
The other man sucked in his breath and offered him a shaky smile as he said, "Did I say seductress? I meant to say that sometimes she acts as the bait," realizing that didn't sound any better he took a step back and said, "Actually, forget I said anything. I promised her I wouldn't tell you and she'll kill me if she finds out."
That just threw even more oil on the fire.
The Thousand Killer gripped Tenryo tighter, controlling his temper by sheer force of will as he said in a dangerously soft voice, "Forget about her killing you. I'm standing right here."
Kyoshiro nodded slowly and backpeddled a few more steps, his idiotic grin in place as he held his hands up and said, "Now now, Kyo. It wasn't as bad as all of that."
Kyo was about to answer him with the sharp edge of his sword when the door opened up behind him and the Shogun himself exited with a guard in tow. The most powerful man in all of Nippon paused, assessing the group before him and Kyo recalled his visit from when he was in the jail cell, back before he remembered who he was. Those keen eyes appraised the people waiting outside the room and Yuya paused, flushing and offering him a bow or respect and nudging Akari to do the same. Kyoshiro followed suit and the only one who stood tall was Kyo.
The Shogun raised a brow at his impertinence and the soldiers around him laid hands on their swords, glaring at the infamous Demon Eyes Kyo who was not offering their lord the appropriate respect.
"I see that those eyes of yours are still as rebellious as ever," Ieyasu Tokugawa said.
"Rebelling against you would require me to be under your rulership in the first place. I am not of your people," Kyo replied.
"Such an insolent...," one of the guards began but his ruler held up his hand, silencing his outburst.
"I've heard something along those lines from my son. That you are a member of the Mibu clan. Tell me, do you aspire to control this country like the rest of your kind? Is that why you fought at the battle of Sekigahara?"
Kyo let out a derisive snort and said, "I do what I want and anyone who gets in my way gets cut down. I don't care about you, your men, or whoever wants to fight against you. I fought at Sekigahara because the battle was in the way, nothing more and nothing less."
The Shogun stroked his beard and his eyes slid over to Yuya, appraising her silently - much to Kyo's annoyance. The older man let just enough time pass to make Kyo mildly uncomfortable before he addressed his wife directly and said, "If there is one thing I don't quite understand, young lady, it's the relationship between the two of you. I don't believe I've ever seen a couple so opposite of each other. From the stories told to me by Hidetada, you strike me as a woman of good sense. I do not quite understand how or why you have attached yourself to one of the most dangerous men I have ever met. It seems obvious to me that he would bring you great misery."
Yuya, whose head had snapped up so that she could look at her ruler in surprise, slowly brought herself upright once more and stared at him fully. Emerald eyes flicked over to look at her husband before she returned them to the Shogun and said, "Kyo isn't a bad man, my lord."
She ignored the sounds of disbelief that came from the soldiers flanking the politician and continued, "I know that he is rough around the edges but he's done so much for me and hasn't made me the least bit miserable. Well, outside of teasing me a little," she laughed a bit, more at herself than anything else, and Kyo hid a smirk because her mannerisms were so disarming that even the Shogun relaxed slightly.
His wife looked at him once more and it was clear to anyone with eyes how she felt about him even if she didn't voice it as she said, "Besides, he hasn't hurt anyone since he's been here. Shouldn't that tell you something?"
"You say that but how do I know he will not change his mind? I've seen him on the battlefield, it's not a performance I would care to have repeated in my own home."
"Please forgive my impertinence, my lord," Yuya said, directing a steady gaze towards the older man that held no fear, only calm certainty, "But Kyo is powerful enough to destroy this building and its inhabitants without exerting himself and he is not the sort to play games. If he wanted any of us dead, then we would be dead. I cannot say whether my connection to him is going to wind up with a happy or sad ending, but I can say, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that he has never hurt me and he never will."
She ended her address with a gentle smile that she directed at, first the ruler, and then her husband.
Silence fell as the Shogun gave her a thoughtful look before giving Kyo his attention once more and saying, "What an admirable speech. I'd say you should learn from your wife, Demon Eyes Kyo, but I have a feeling that you simply aren't reclined towards respect," he sighed and motioned for his guards to follow as he finished, "I doubt that I will ever be able to trust you – such sentiments are for my son, who is of a more forgiving sort - but I will commend you on your choice of spouse. Good women are hard to find."
With that unexpected compliment, he nodded and Kyo returned the gesture – much to the other man's surprise. The soldiers surrounded the ruler, forming a barrier between him and the former outlaw, and they moved off, leaving the four companions standing in the hallway.
Once they were out of earshot, Yuya walked over to him and reached out to grab ahold of the sleeve of his kimono, giving him a pained look as she said, "Kyo, did you have to be so...you?"
He shrugged and said, "I believe in being consistent. If he expects me to bow to him, he'll be waiting a long time."
She groaned and said, "But we're in his castle."
"That's irrelevant. Stop fussing so much, woman. You got to hear him compliment you, didn't you? Besides, that was a good speech even though you made me out to be soft at the end."
His wife stared at him for a moment before averting her eyes and saying quietly, "Well, it was the truth."
It had just registered with her that she had more or less flatout told the Shogun that his assessment of her husband was wrong and Kyo smirked. Her ingrained deference to governmental authority – a side-effect of her humble roots - was at war with her respect and love for him and he found her sudden shyness endearing.
"You worry too much," he said, pulling his sleeve from her grasp so that he could give her shoulder a tiny squeeze.
Yuya looked up at him and opened her mouth to say something else but was interrupted by a raised voice inside of the room. The words were muffled but he was pretty sure the person yelling was Bon and the door opened shortly after, revealing Sasuke.
The ninja gave him an unreadable look before beckoning to the group and saying irritably, "Get in here before I kill someone."
They wasted no time entering the room and Kyo stopped in his tracks as he saw the woman who was calmly replying to Bontenmaru's loud statements. Bon hadn't changed much over the years with the exception of his hair getting long enough for him to tie it back in a wild ponytail. He sported a good quality haori and hakama set and his bokken was tucked into the ties on the side. It was the most formal Kyo had ever seen him and he wondered what had brought on his summons to the Shogun's castle. Even more important, though, was why the woman in front of his old companion was there in the first place.
The female in question turned to look at them as they entered and her face broke into a sly smile as she said to Bon, "Oh look, Darling, we have visitors."
Kyo hadn't seen Okuni since after Shinrei first came to fight himself and Muramasa and he was amazed that she had the audacity to show up once more after spying for the Mibu – at least, that was what Bon had told him. Now, looking at her and knowing that she had to be the woman claiming to be his wife, he was trying to figure out what in the world had happened while he was gone.
"Good to see you again, Kyo-Han," Benitora greeted him before gesturing him over and saying, "It seems Bon-Han is married to Okuni-Han. Isn't that interesting?"
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Yuya watched in fascination as Bontenmaru's face turned red and he snapped out, "She isn't my wife. Didn't you hear a word I just said?"
"But you didn't tell my old man that she wasn't your wife when you were talking to him just now. She looks comfortable enough to me," Tora said and she had to agree.
Okuni was still as strikingly beautiful as the last time they'd seen her. Her long black hair flowed well past her waist and her lips were a bright red bow on her face, perfectly curved into a delicate pout as if Bontenmaru were a difficult child instead of a husband who had just denied her status as wife. Unsurprisingly, her huge breasts hadn't changed much either with the exception that they were covered more modestly, as was befitting a wife instead of a temptress.
All in all, she looked wonderful and Yuya was grateful that the older woman's attention had apparently shifted away from her husband to Bontenmaru. At least, she was pretty sure it had but the big man didn't seem to have the same relationship with Okuni that she had with Kyo.
Someone nudged her in the side and she looked up to see Akari leaning down so he could ask in a whisper, "Everyone seems to know her but me? Who is she? How does Bon know her."
"Well...she was one of Kyo's...lovers once upon a time," Yuya cringed to speak of it and had to clear her throat before she could continue, "and she showed up four years back when we were last in Edo. She still had a bit of a thing for Kyo at the time but it didn't pan out and she left. Bon seemed to be pretty close to her at the time. Maybe they took their relationship a step further?"
"Hmm," the shaman cast his gaze over at Okuni, analyzing her from top to bottom and paying particular attention the her bust before giving Yuya a somewhat patronizing pat on the shoulder and saying, "I'm pretty sure that I've never seen a woman so stacked. Even I'm feeling inadequate next to those melons."
"Says the man with bean bun breasts," Yuya hissed back.
"That's neither here or there," he replied dismissively, "She's gorgeous and, coming from me, that's saying something. I was right to call you fearsome if Kyo passed up that vixen to chase after you."
"Their relationship was long over by the time I came around and thanks for the vote of confidence," the bounty huntress grumbled, "aren't you supposed to be my friend?"
"Friends should be honest to each other," came the amused reply.
She didn't really have an answer to that and merely turned away from Akari, scowling as she watched the proceedings unfold. The shaman let out a low laugh and said something under his breath that sounded like "so cute" before turning to watch as well.
Bon was quiet by now and Okuni just stood there serenely next to him with a content smile on her while Kyo examined the two of them before asking, "So you've taken up with my leftovers now, Bon. I thought you had better taste."
The raven-haired woman flinched almost imperceptibly but her expression didn't change and Yuya begrudgingly admitted that her aplomb was worthy of a queen.
Bon sucked his teeth and said defensively, "My taste is fine. I'm just saying that I'm not married, that Okuni isn't my wife. And don't call her leftovers, she might drive me crazy but she isn't all bad."
The bounty Huntress was sure that she wasn't the only one who noted the lack of formality between the two and the fact that, while Bon might have been arguing with the older woman earlier, he didn't like her being insulted either. Of course, she could chalk it up to the giant's deeply held belief that women should be treated gently but her female intuition told her there was more at work.
As if realizing that he was further muddying the waters, the big man ran a hand through his hair and said tiredly, "Let's roll back a bit and start from the beginning."
"Before I went to hunt you down and see Muramasa, I had taken up in Sendai with my crew and we had a nice little set up over there providing protection and help for the locals and running a couple businesses to make ends meet. I told Okuni she needed to lay low after that whole thing with that water-dancing dude – her being a spy and all – and she left. After what went down at the Mibu, I took Akira with me," he jerked a thumb at the blind man who was standing unobtrusively in the corner as he listened to what was going on.
Yuya's shock at hearing that Okuni was a spy took a backseat to her assessment of her other friend. Akira hadn't changed much either. His face was still handsome and untroubled – although she knew that he had a temper when roused – and his hair was a little longer. He turned his sightless eyes in her direction and she knew that he had sensed her eyes upon him. His lips curved into a slight smile, which she unconsciously returned, before they were compressed together tightly as he tilted his head further in Akari's direction.
'Uh oh, looks like drama ahead,' she thought to herself and the mischievous expression on Akari's face only confirmed her suspicions.
"Anyways," Bon's voice brought her attention back to him, "after the two of us wandered for a bit, I decided to head home and that's when I ran into her," there was no question who he was speaking of, "Turns out that, while I was away, she slithered in among my men and told them she was my wife. I'm not sure how she managed to swing it but when I got back they were falling all over themselves to please her and I couldn't tell anyone otherwise."
"So," he heaved a heavy sigh, "right now she has my own crew wrapped around her fingers and even has the Shogun believing it as well. Enough that he offered me his congrats on my beautiful bride and says that, now that I've settled down, I can have control of the Sendai Domain. Don't ask me why he did it with our past together being what it is but it looks like I'm a daimyo with land of my own versus a daimyo who is one step above wandering hobo."
He ended his explanation by sucking in a deep breath and letting it out in a rush, tensing when Okuni hovered closer and said, "It isn't all that bad now, is it, Bon? Isn't that a wonderful honor and a show of great trust?"
"Yeah, you can say that because you get to play at being a noble lady and I'm stuck with a woman I didn't choose."
"Well, you could always tell the truth," the older woman said with eyes that were all but dancing and Yuya noted with interest that the giant didn't seem pleased to hear that either.
"I keep doing that and no one believes me. According to my men, a guy as ugly as I am would be crazy to turn down a woman like you. What was it they said? Ah, yes. 'Masamune-Sama, a man sees a woman that incredible only once in his life. You don't want to offend the gods by rejecting their gift, do you?'"
He paraphrased his subordinates with a look of disbelief at their betrayal on his face and Kyo and Akari chuckled because there actually was merit to the arguments made by Bontenmaru's gang. The giant wasn't ugly but he wasn't classically good-looking either since his features were more craggy than anything else and having only one eye didn't help matters either. His saving graces were that he had a phenomenal body and was a genuine sweetheart.
"You could always have me physically removed, dear," Okuni said, teasing him by using a pet name that she knew would make him uncomfortable.
It was clear to anyone who knew her that the spy was taking shameless advantage of Bon's good nature but, from the outside looking in, Bon would look like a complete heel if he turned her out and they all knew it. Yuya pitied the man and wondered why in the world Okuni had chosen to torment him.
She had her answer though when Bon, instead of agreeing wholeheartedly with her, merely rubbed the back of his neck and, looking away, muttered, "That's not a solution to my problem either."
The young woman stared at him and realized that she had never really seen the giant being sheepish
before. Moving her gaze to the beauty who was "ruining" her friend's life, she also found her behavior odd as well. The confidence and teasing mannerisms were still there but she wasn't entirely sure that Okuni was just playing with Bon either. However, she had a feeling that now wasn't the time to delve deeper into the love lives of her friends and her large friend agreed because he quickly recovered from his momentary lapse in attitude and shot Akari a hard look.
"Anyways, enough about me. What is that he-she demon doing here?!" he pointed an accusing finger at the shaman who laughed in response and stepped forward, causing Bon to take a step back.
"I was about to ask the same thing," Akira broke in, walking up to stand next to Bon and frowning as he tilted his head to address Akari and said, "What cruel god saw fit to inflict you on us once again, Toukichirou?!"
The crossdresser's laughter cut off just as quickly and his masculine warrior face came to the fore as the air swam with his anger and he said with a low growl, "My name..."
"Is AKARI!" he moved forward so quickly that Yuya couldn't follow him and the next thing she knew, the shaman's staff connected with Bon's face, laying him out on the floor while Akira clutched his stomach where Akari's fist was buried.
Yuya was still marveling at the speed and strength of her newest friend's attack when he braced his feet wide, placed his hands on his hips and said in a thunderous voice, "Just who do you think you are to address me by that despicable name after you come crawling back from failing spectacularly?! My precious Kyo was going through absolute hell and where were the two of you? Sitting on your butts instead of living up to the title of the strongest warriors in the country! How dare you call yourself members of the Shiseiten! I have half a mind to kick your balls into your throats because at least then you'd know where to find them!"
He was so caught up in his tirade that his feminine façade had completely dropped and the bounty huntress winced at how crude his language had turned. She had never seen this loud and terrifying side of the shaman before and moved closer to Kyo, who was quietly snickering at the scene.
"Are they always like this? And who is Toukichirou?" she whispered.
"Toukichirou Mitarai is Akari's real name but he hates it with a passion because it reminds him of his past. And yeah, they're like this a lot. Didn't I tell you Akari was fun?" he punctuated it with a grin and she wondered if there was any end to how sadistic her husband could be since he clearly enjoyed watching his friends make death/mutilation threats against each other.
"I'm not sure that counts as fun," she said, wondering if she should speak up.
"Let them work things out, woman," her husband said, reading her intent.
"I don't have to take that from a guy who can't even figure out what he is!" Akira said, "And who says Kyo belongs to you? Yuya-San already beat you to it!"
"Oh, bold words for a little brat who used to be so scared of caterpillars that you would bawl your eyes out and all but piss yourself," Akari replied with a contemptuous glare and, to Yuya's surprise, Akira flinched and turned away in embarrassment.
"And as for Bon," those hard violet eyes shifted over to the big man, "Do you still spend your days reading romance novels and comics for girls?"
The giant coughed and averted his eyes and the young woman was awed at how quickly the two men had been defeated. Akari truly was a frightening opponent and he knew it because he threw his head back and laughed scornfully as he said, "Look at the two of you! Like whipped puppies. How many times did I have to heal you and pull your butts out of the fire? Suffer in silence and know that your secrets belong to me because you're so weak! Bow before your queen you lazy, shiftless worker bees!"
His cruel laughter echoed around the room and Sasuke, Kyoshiro, and Benitora edged away while Okuni floated over towards Yuya and asked from behind the cover of her long sleeve, "Is that pretty woman really a male?"
Yuya nodded silently, still fixated by the bizarre sight of her powerful friends being helpless before a crossdressing priestess who vacillated between male and female personas.
"How amusing," the spy said.
"You can say that because you've never been on the receiving end of his crazy personality," the younger woman replied.
The buxom woman tittered and replied, "It's nothing that can't be weathered with a good sense of humor. I can handle myself just fine, though," she gave Yuya an appraising look, "I can see where you might run into problems. You take things far too seriously. I'm not sure why Kyo chose someone so naïve."
Okuni smiled to take the sting out of her words and Yuya realized that she wasn't being serious which was a far cry from the woman who had originally sought to make her feel inadequate when they first met.
She returned the other woman's smile and said, "I'm trying to lighten up. It's a necessity with Kyo for a husband and Akari-San for a friend. Speaking of which, what are you going to do about Bon-San?"
The spy seemed mildly surprised that she had broached the subject to openly but her tone wasn't offended as she replied, "Enjoy my time with him and make my plans."
It was semi-cryptic but Yuya let the matter rest and nudged Kyo, asking him to stop the bickering trio, who had devolved into childish name-calling that ran from the gamut from "hellspawned she-man" to "blind Kyo wannabe" and "muscle-bound oaf with seaweed for brains."
'Kami, they really are big children,' she thought, shaking her head in amazement as her husband broke up the verbal fight and told them it was time to make their plans.
After they had settled down and agreed that it was in the best interests of everyone if they got a move on in the morning to make sure they didn't lose anymore time, they decided it was time to eat and get some rest. After Yuya got a big hug from Bon and Akira informed Kyo that he was stronger and had new moves to show him, she and her spouse headed back to his room and she felt a twinge of annoyance that her stuff had already been relocated.
"No one even asked me for permission," she huffed and he chuckled as he came up behind her and slid his arms around her waist.
"They already figured out what sort of relationship we have, woman. Besides, they're more afraid of me than you."
Figuring that he was right, she sighed and leaned back into his embrace as she replied, "Whatever. I was already planning to move into this room anyways. You aren't about to leave me alone for a night anytime soon, are you?"
"Wise woman," he said as he pressed his lips to her neck and his hands moved to undo the ties of her kimono as he said, "and you know full well that you don't want me to leave you alone."
She couldn't disagree and tilted her head to the side so that he could have better access as she said, "I still can't believe you promised to marry Akari if he hit your face."
Kyo made an annoyed sound and pulled back as he replied, "It wasn't a serious promise and he knows it."
"Well, yes but marriage is such a big dealm, not something to make a joke out of."
"That's not how I felt about it at the time and it served its purpose. Akari needed a goal and is a better man for it. Besides, it's not as if he's pining away for me and I'd be more worried about him crushing on you like the rest of those idiots who follow us around."
"Don't be mean to our friends, Kyo. And stop being so paranoid. With people like Okuni and Akari floating around, I'm hardly the center of attention."
Her husband made no response, he just finished untying her outer garment and drew it off before rotating her around so that he could look at her face.
She started fidgeting the longer his penetrating red stare went on and was only partly relieved when he said, "You say that but you have to know that you have more than enough appeal. Otherwise you couldn't have pretended to be a seductress, as Kyoshiro put it."
Yuya tensed up at his words. Busted!
Kyo was giving her a significant look and she let out a nervous little laugh as she said unconvincingly, "I'm not sure what you mean."
"Oh, I'm sure you know exactly what I mean. Exactly what parts of my body were you showing off to the common scum around these parts?"
There was no mistaking the possessive tone in his voice and she dropped all pretense as she replied with more meekness than she liked, "Nothing really."
"Really?" he repeated in a dark tone.
"Yes, really. I might have hinted at things but I never revealed anything. Trust me when I say it wasn't at all fun either. Since Kyoshiro ratted me out, he could at least have told you that part," she couldn't keep the annoyance out of her voice.
She was definitely telling Sakuya about Kyoshiro's weakness for pretty women when she finally met her and his reaction to Akari would be the pinnacle of her tale.
"Kyoshiro will be dealt with later. Even if his stones are the size of marbles there should be a limit to what he should let you bully him into."
"I'll keep that in mind," she replied with a hint of sarcasm that earned her a harsh look from her husband.
"You've got a big mouth for someone in trouble," he replied, his gaze shifting from annoyed to heated in a split second.
"So I've been told," she said, wondering what he was going to do and taking an automatic step back as he moved forward.
"I think that I should see what other uses you have for it," he said and she gave a start as his hands reached out to catch her before she could get away and pulled her close so that he could press his lips to hers.
Yuya probably shouldn't have given in so easily but Kyo was there and his mouth and tongue were so warm that she practically melted into his kiss. His hands undid the ties of her inner kimono and she shrugged it off and gasped when his hands found her bottom and lifted her up against him to the point that her feet left the floor. Having no choice, she wrapped her arms and legs around him and enjoyed the stimulating feel of his clothes brushing over her bare skin.
Her husband held her close to him as he pulled his mouth away and said huskily, "Weakling. I've barely started and you're already ready to have a go at me."
"Call it my attempt to delay retribution," she replied just as throatily.
She felt his chuckle all the way to her toes and had to suppress a moan as he said, "Not going to work. I will however consider being lenient if you show me what Yuya the seductress looks like."
Groaning, this time is embarrassment, she said, "It's really cheesy and you've already seen that version of me."
"No, that was when you were trying to get me to stop being an idiot and take what was offered. I want the Yuya who knows she's a desirable woman and wants her man to do something about it."
She couldn't stop herself from blushing at his frank request and buried her head in his chest as she said, "It's too embarrassing."
"Ah, so you can do it for perfect strangers but not for your darling husband," he said, punctuating the statement with a squeeze to her behind and she knew he was taunting her.
He had a point though and she slowly pulled her head back to look at him as she asked softly, "If I do, will you promise not to laugh at me?"
"Do I ever laugh at sex?" he asked with a serious face.
"Point taken," she replied in resignation before continuing, "I'll see what I can do, Kyo."
His smile was all fang as he said stroked a warm hand over her back and said, "All I'll ever ask is that you try, Yuya. I promise, I'll make it worth your while."
He punctuated his words with a deep kiss and she decided that there were worse punishments out there.
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Yay, got most of the Shiseiten together and managed to slip in some romance. This was fun to write and I do hope you enjoyed it. The gang will be away from Edo when you see them next and you'll see what's been going on with Shinrei, Aiko, Ryu, and the rest next chapter. Thanks for reading and please let me know what you think.