A/N: This progresses the plot in no way, shape, or form. It's kind of a smutty day in the life bit. Currently writing the next chapter.
Raised
Chapter Seventeen
The apartment had been just how They had left it upon returning. The dirty laundry had been folded nicely waiting to be washed and dried, which left the bedroom feeling a little bare. Of course, that sparked another lesson about a machine that almost washed fabric by itself. Piper listened intently as Kurama explained the different settings and all the little knobs and symbols but really, it seemed overly complicated. She could understand the difference between needing to cater to delicate constructions and everything else but after that all the settings rang a note about how humans over complicated things that were quite simple. Or at least that's what it felt like to her. Thankfully having them dry by hanging them over the basin known as the tub was a much easier concept. And Piper did like the device that helped to take the water out of the air when the door was closed. That was something that the apartment came with apparently, which was a wonder of the world all on it's own. The true wonder, however, would have to be how humans died of anything other than murder and old age with all of these little things right at their fingertips now a days.
As she leaned back onto the couch, Piper briefly pinched the bridge of her nose. It was starting to feel tight, like she'd gotten far too much dirt or pollen up there. Which wasn't true. Even as she removed the outwardly applied pressure, it still felt tight. So she tried to distract herself by reading. The buzz that seemed to be a staple in the human world was distracting in its subtle hints. Despite how quiet everything seemed it was still loud in a way that she couldn't quite understand. Apparently it was something to do with electricity and Piper assumed that most people were just so used to it that the buzz or hum faded passed their conscious perception. Unfortunately she still were not used to it.
The brunette turned on the television and using the small black box that controlled it, she found the station that Kurama had shown her played traditional japanese instruments on. The sound of the koto, even as low of a sound as she had it set, was much more preferable to the white noise of modernity. Once that was set up she lost yourself in thought as she picked up the next in the encyclopedia series that she had dedicated much of her recovery time to. There was so much to learn if the woman wanted to be able to function for in either worlds. It was just that this one that humans had built up seemed to operate on much more complicated rules and structures, with so much more base knowledge that was taken for granted.
At least demon world still lived by simple rules; might makes right being the primary one that everyone adhered to. There might have been a king but he'd still been chosen by the amount of might he'd displayed which was nothing like how modern 'politicians' played it out. They may have thought themselves removed from the past from what Piper had read in the books but she doubted human nature had changed much. They may claim to try to serve the people but she severely doubted that it was their only goal. These politicians no doubt still vied for the attention of those above them in station, or those richer than them. That's how it had always been even for those who were decent people.
When Piper flipped to the next page she felt a weight settle on her lap. Kurama had a book of his own he was reading but unlike her, he made no attempt at staying upright. In fact, she had to say that he looked far comfier than she did with how he'd crossed one of his legs over his knee. The ancient medium shifted a little bit so that she was at an angle with the corner of the couch, jostling Kurama around only for a moment before settling back down. As time slipped through the pages of the book, Piper idly played with his hair. It was, after all, forming a nest of warmth on her lap which just begged to be disturbed. Besides the fact that she would have done it regardless there was also the newness that came with this form of his. Granted that her recovery time with him was drawn out to the point that if she had really wanted to, she could probably just go back to demon world with how much time she'd wasted in the human world. But it was nothing on the millenia that she'd spent with him in another form.
On a spiritual level he felt different, similar enough to know it was him easily but there was still the human element laced in with his fox spirit energy. On a physical level there were just a lot of differences. They weren't better or worse by any means, just different. Or so she kept trying to tell herself. While Piper had Kurama all to herself, there was no doubt about that, she missed Youko Kurama. Truth was that despite how much he wanted to pretend that it could all just continue, the man laying on her lap was practically a new person. He was more like an offspring or better yet a completely realized reincarnation given that he was, in essence, an avatar in his own right. And that was a sort of splitting hair distinction that was painful to contemplate even if it was the sort of pain that she'd never share with him.
With a bit of surprise, the brunette woman looked down at her fingers and realized that she'd hit a tangle. Somehow that was a laughable concept. It wasn't like she'd never felt them in his hair before she'd been locked away but they'd been a rare obstacle. Kurama might not seem it in the midst of battle but he was a very vain creature indeed. That vanity probably stemmed from his tendency to want to be able to plan everything down to the last detail, which included how he composed himself. It was a trait that seemed to have carried over to his human form as well, something which she'd noticed that the human culture around him was big on promoting.
As Piper worked through the tangle she felt Kurama reach up and trail his fingers down her arm, sending goosebumps along the way. His slowly disentangled her fingers from his hair, bringing them down his face. She felt his lips press into the side of each one ever so tenderly as he set his book on the ground. Warm lips brushed up against the pad of each finger, skimmed over the junction, and trailed to her wrist. Her pulse was steady under his mouth even as she tried to feign disinterest. Well, it wasn't so much as feigning disinterest as trying to convince herself that she shouldn't pay attention.
Piper had made a promise that she was going to return to Demon World once you was completely better. That meant that she needed to distance herself from Kurama. He made it damnably hard to want to keep her word with the smallest of things. But she resolved herself with the simplist of things - this was no longer her world and it hadn't been for a long time, being the most prominent of reasons. The fact that he betrayed her by working for Spirit World was another great reason. No matter how tender, helpful, or arousing he was...he was not the same man that Piper remembered. And that's what she tried to keep in mind.
Kurama turned more on his side as he gently pulled at her arm, his tongue flicking out to trace the blue veins that ran down. He stopped at her elbow, nibbling at the sensitive skin, before rising up in a half seated position to continue. Despite the fact that he was peppering his way up her body with warm, affectionate kisses, Piper continued to keep her breathing regulated and eyes on the page. She even made sure to move them as though to read the text appropriately, going slow enough to make it seem like she was still trying to digest the information. Piper knew that her seemingly disinterested might spur him but at the same time it wasn't like she could exactly just give in to the mutual feeling without at least trying to refrain. He might not have had such a restriction placed on his affections, his desires, but she was trying to reign hers in if only to spare the both of them pain later on.
Kurama, however, was going to have none of that. In seemingly one quick motion he had her complete attention. How you may wonder? Well that was rather simple. He'd slipped to the floor on his knees, put both of her legs over his shoulder, and pressed his tongue into her folds without even giving Piper time to to move away. She gripped the book tightly in her hand, the whole preamble of pretending to read was simply gone. Kurama used his hold on her thighs to pull her body into a slight angle as he pressed his advantage. Almost instantly Piper's breathing became deeper, picking up pace as he did.
He wasn't simply happy to bring her to the height and let her slip into the warmth that followed. Oh no. He kept her from that, making her teeter right at the top and holding her there until she felt like her body was going to snap. Piper didn't need to exchange any words with him to know why…he wanted to torture her a little bit.
The pleasurable torture served it's purpose; it was a reminder that he would not be ignored.
When she'd finally breathed out his name as she gripped whatever felt comfortable at the time, he'd deemed it acceptable to end her suffering. As the aftermath warmed and relaxed every bone in her body, she tried to glare at him. Really she did. Unfortunately the fox in the hen coupe look in his eyes was well justified.
The sound of the washing machine finishing with that little buzz it made, made Piper look at the redhead intensely. A shiver raced down her spine as the thought seemed to be transmitted between their eyes. Though who had it first would be up for contention. Kurama picked her up still in a mostly seated position, legs still draped over his shoulders, and carried her over towards that machine. It was useless to try and protest against something when her heart wasn't in on the protest anyways, so she didn't even bother.
By the end of the day, Piper realized what the joke Yusuke had made during the trip meant. The apartment had finally been broken in.
