A/N: So sorry for the loner then usual wait. This past week we celebrated my baby sisters twenty-first birthday (she's eight years younger then me, she will always be a baby lol) and dealt the anniversary of my grandpas passing. Unfortunately, both takes place on the same day. But I had a lot of fun planning her small party and introducing her to a few drink. We had Malibu Sunsets, Grasshoppers, Butterbeer, PB&J shots and chocolate cake shots. We used small cups for the cocktails so no one got too wasted lol. Anyway, now that I've shared my life story, I hope you all enjoy the chapter!
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Disclaimer: I do not own Kakuriyo bed and breakfast for Spirits. All credit goes to the writer/creators of the show/manga
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Chapter Nine
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Her heart pounded in her chest as she stood, slightly shaky from the dream. No, it wasn't a dream, was it? Thyme has given her her memories back. That must have really happened. She could remember everything with perfect clarity.
She looked around her room and felt an overwhelming feeling of delight. She was home. She was home and she was safe. She felt the tears sting her eyes as she tried to keep them at bay. She was home!
"Aoi?" Chibi said as he walked over to her.
She beamed, scooping him up and placing a kiss on his cheek. "Chibi! I'm so happy to see you!"
Chibi seemed surprised, but she had no time to explain. She put him down and ran from the room. Judging by the sun, it was still pretty early in the morning, but she knew everyone would be awake already, and she had to see them.
"Ginji!" She cried as she ran to him. She could only assume it was her he was going to see. She threw herself at him, hugging him close.
It was pointless to fight the tears now. "Oh, Ginji, I've missed you so much." She laughed a little as she pulled away.
Ginji beamed at her as he wiped at her tears. "You remember then?" His heart felt so light he was nearly floating with relief.
"Yes. I remember. I remember everything." She hugged him again. "I thought about you all the time." She put her hand to his cheek. "I can't believe it. I can't believe you are here, standing in front of me."
He held her back, resting his cheek on her head. "A day never passed when I didn't think of you." He replied. He felt like he could stand here all day, just holding her and delighting in the fact that she's was home and she remembered them.
"Is the master in? I have to see him." She realized technically she saw him yesterday, but really that all seemed like a dream.
"Yes. I'll bring to you him."
She stood outside his door for a minute, trying to gather her thoughts. So many emotions ran through her and she wanted to think rationally when she saw him. Once she was sure she had her emotions in check, she entered.
Master looked up, surprise in his eyes, then content. "Aoi, is everything alright?"
"You sent me away." One look at him had the tie she'd wrapped around her emotions loosen, and when he spoke she lost all rational. She could help but to allow the emotional part of her take over. Maybe it was from keeping it together for far too long.
Master let out a deep sigh. "I'm sorry." He had nothing but apologies. He'd been wrong. In trying to protect her, he'd opened her up to danger.
"Why? Did I do something wrong? Did you decide you didn't want me?" Emotions blocked out her logical thinking now. All she could focus on was how she felt. "You just toss me aside as if what I wanted, what I felt, didn't matter."
"I was trying to protect you."
"By abandoning me?" She hit her fist on his desk. What was she saying? This wasn't how she'd decided to handle the situation. She'd promised herself she'd be calm and rational.
"Masami, she wasn't going to stop until she hurt you. The only way I could stop others from hurting you was to marry you or set you free of the agreement. I figured you'd be happier in the appearance realm."
"You had no right to make that choice for me! You kidnapped me! Brought me here where I made friends, formed a family, and without even discussing it with me, you send me away because you're too dense to consider what leaving here would do to me?"
"I did what I thought was best!" He argued back, though he didn't have the energy to be as angry as her. "I'm sorry. I made the wrong call. Aoi…"
When he said her name, she fell to her knees and the tears came. She'd been wanting that. To hear him say her name. When she was with him in the past she's longed for it. It seemed like such a silly thing, but it was what she wanted.
"Aoi!" He said, going to her. "Are you alright? Are you feeling sick?"
"I'm not sick. I'm tired. I'm emotionally exhausted." She sniffed as she wiped at the tears. "For months I was lonely in the apparent realm, then Raiju kidnapped me and he…he…" she was taken surprise by the lump in her throat. "He hurt me over and over. He did things. He made me..." She couldn't say anymore. She didn't want to.
He said nothing as he pulled her to him, holding her. She grabbed handfuls if his kimono as she cried. He broke. Aoi was one of the strongest women he knew, and as she broke in his arms, part of him died. He'd been so foolish.
"I will never send you away again, Aoi. I was foolish. I was selfish. I hadn't realized you'd feel so hurt by this decision. I didn't know what would follow."
She nodded. She couldn't say why, but she believed him. "I'm so happy to be home," She said as she took deep breaths. "I waited so long."
"Yes," Master replied, holding up the necklace he'd given her long ago. She looked at him with curiosity. He imagined she was wondering if he remembered. "After you left me, all those years ago, I ran into Princess Iso. Little did I know, she dimmed my memories of you. I remembered there was a girl, and I remembered what she did for me." He looked up at her, emotions playing in his eyes. "Little Bird. You came back to me."
Aoi smiled as her heart fluttered. "I told you we'd meet again."
Master chuckled. "Yes, you did say that. How ironic all this time I was jealous of myself."
Aoi laughed too. "I sure got a kick out of it, but it wasn't like I could just tell you. I was afraid of what kind of effect it would have, and I didn't want to risk changing anything."
He let out a breath, putting his forehead against hers. "I've missed you. I missed you so much I felt I might go mad from your absents."
Aoi shifted, "I missed you too." Her stomach filled with butterflies as he looked at her. She wanted to kiss him. At this point, it wasn't anything new, but she still found it hard to close the distance.
"My sweet Aoi," he whispered before kissing her. He couldn't stop himself from doing so. He'd waited so long, and now with his memories returned, the hunger he felt for her was ravenous. He had to have her. Told hold her. To feel her body against his.
She returned the kiss with urgency. She pushed back any worries she had because being with him outweighed any reservations she might feel. She needed him. Wanted to feel the hands of someone who loved her, touch her. She wanted to get lost in the sweet sensation of lust.
She let out a little gasp as his lips caressed her neck, making her head fall back as her thoughts swam in the sensation of pleasure. When his tongue licked at her skin she was shocked at how hot it made her.
She moved, taking his lips with her own again as she worked on getting him naked. She was too desperate to worry about foreplay, that would have to come later. Right now, she wanted him in her so badly she ached.
He shifted, making the process easier, but before she could get him naked, there was a knock at the door. He growled. Like literally growled, before he told whoever it was to go away.
"I'm sorry, Master, but the VIP that's staying wants to speak with you immediately."
Aoi had no idea who the VIP was, but they must have been important because he pressed his forehead to his and cursed. "I'm sorry, Aoi. I have to take care of this."
She nodded as she calmed the fire inside. What poor timing. They were so close. She felt a little deflated as he dressed.
"Don't look like that, he said with a chuckle. She looked so sad it made it really hard to walk out the door.
She smiled at him as her hormones calmed. Maybe it was for the better. She hadn't yet decided if she was going to marry him, and she felt like maybe that was something she should know before this went any further. But she wanted him, She wanted him like crazy.
"Maybe this is for the best," She said with an unsure smile. She didn't want him to be mad at her.
"If that's how you feel." He went to her, helping her to her feet. She was still without her shirt and he could feel the marks on her back as he held her close. His stomach fell with sorrow. "I'm so sorry, Aoi. So sorry."
"What for?" She could sense the shift in his attitude but didn't know why.
"Because you had to go through that. He ran his hand down her back and watched her turn her face away in embarrassment. "Don't. Don't feel that way."
"Why not? I've seen the scars. All of them. The ones there, the one on my thigh, the one on my side. I've seen them. They are gross."
He took her face in his hands, looking at her with such tenderness she nearly cried. "Every part of you is beautiful." He turned her and started placing kisses on each one of her scars. Her skin caught on fire as he did so. His lips were so soft and she was still so ready. He turned her again so he could get the one on her side, and then went to his knees. He removed her pants, exposing the few scars on her thighs. He kissed those too.
Aoi couldn't help herself from letting out the moan as pleasure rocked through her. She was going to combust if he kept doing that. He moved up, to where there were no scars, but she was fine with where she believed he was headed. He kissed as he went, sucking at her thighs. When he got to her center, he placed a kiss there over her panties.
Master pulled away. "I know!" he growled to someone who Aoi assumed was back for him, though the person hadn't knocked yet. He stood, looking flushed. "Forgive me," he said, kissing her forehead. "I'll see you later."
She nodded, too flustered to speak. Her knees felt weak as she dressed. Whew, she never knew she could feel so hot for someone. Never in a million years did she think she'd want him. In any way.
She mused about this as she headed for moonflower. She could feel eyes on her and knew that the master had extra security on her. She sighed as she thought about her life. She had promised herself she would pay off her debt and go home. Now she knew that this was home, and the apparent realm felt like a stranger to her.
Maybe it was because she had no one there. She was never good at keeping friends because they always found out she could see spirits and it creeped them out. Besides, she'd been busy working and going to school. She had no possessions that she was attached to either. At least none that couldn't be brought here.
This is where she had friends. Even if they started out on rough terms, she felt so close to them. And Ginji? He was family to her. She loved him so much that leaving him hurt almost as much as leaving master. No. This was home now. This was where she belonged.
However, it was more than where she belonged. If you had asked her the first night she was here if she would fall for the master her answer would have been hell no. She loathed him. He was so cold and heartless at first. She wanted nothing to do with him. He actually scared her at first. She never wanted to be left alone with him.
That slowly changed over time. She realized there was more to him then she knew. He was kind and caring. He expected a lot from his employees, but he was a fair and just boss and treated them amazingly well. He believed in hard work and rewarded those who work hard.
She started to fall without even noticing. It came softly she supposed. She'd always assumed falling in love felt like falling. Like a whirlwind. That's how it always seemed in the movies and books, but for her, falling in love was like walking down a path you'd never been on. At first, it was scary and uncomfortable, but the further you walked, the more beautiful it became.
She laughed to herself. Okay, it was a strange analogy, but it fit what she was thinking anyway. With a sigh, she entered moonflower to see Ginji stocking the fridge.
"Hey, Aoi," he said with a smile. "We should be able to open next week."
"That's great! I can't wait to start working again." Really she couldn't. "Anything I can help you with?"
"Nope, not yet anyway. Do you know what you want to cook your first week back? I want to make sure we have everything you need."
"Hmmm. I wouldn't mind going to the market, but I guess that's probably not the best idea," she said almost laughing when he looked uncomfortable. "Don't worry. I understand it's for my own good."
"Okay, good," he grinned.
She went to go to the backroom, but Ginji grabbed her wrist. "Aoi," he said, suddenly serious.
"Yeah?"
"I…" he pulled her to him, kissing her. He hadn't meant too, but he needed too. Just once. Just this once because he needed to feel like she was truly here. Like she was alive and that this wasn't some crazy dream. He was shocked that she kissed him back, making his eyes sting some. He loved her. He would never have her, even this kiss was a betrayal, but just once. Just once.
Aoi was breathless as he pulled away. "That was…"
"My bad," he replied as he took a step away. "I'm sorry. I know you love Master, I just missed you soo much I needed to. Will you forgive me?"
She nodded, still feeling a little speechless. She knew she liked Ginji, so she wasn't surprised she kissed him back, but she was glad it happened. Ginji was a factor in whether she could be with the master, she knew she had feelings, but how deep did they go? This kiss told her they went deep, but not as deep as her feelings for the master.
"I do love you, Ginji, but I'm not in love. I'm sorry."
He smiled that smile she loved so much. "Don't be. I'm happy as long as you are. Excuse me, I need to finish."
"You looked stressed Master," Ginji said as he stood in front of the master's desk. Master was pinching the bridge of his nose looking flustered.
"It's nothing. Daily report?"
Ginji gave the report as always. The rundown of guests and their locations. Anything happening between staff. The incident in the kitchen, but no one was the wiser. What needed to be checked and ordered. None of this was the master's responsibility, but he liked knowing what was happening regardless.
"And Aoi? She seems to be settling okay?"
"Yes, she's been getting Moonflower ready for opening. She's anxious to get back to work." Ginji shifted from one foot to the other. "Master, I kissed her."
Master looked up from a written report he was reading and nearly laughed at the look on Ginji's face. He wasn't surprised that Ginji did, though he was surprised that it didn't bother him as much as he thought it would. "And?"
"I..um. Well, she said she loved me, but not that way."
Master laughed. He hadn't meant to, and it wasn't that he was laughing at Ginji. "That's such an Aoi thing to say, is it not?"
Ginji smiled too. "Yeah, I thought so too. But I'm sorry I did it. I shouldn't have."
"I know you feel for her and she, you. Just don't make a habit out of it."
"Yes, master. Thank you for your understanding."
"Now, what about next week? Does Moonflower have everything she needs?"
"Well, she wants to go to the market, but understands that it's not possible, so she asked me to go and see what's there this time."
Master stood, going to the window. He could see moonflower's lights were still on. He would hate to make it so she can't leave the grounds. "I suppose she could go to the market. If we bring enough eyes."
"That would make her extremely happy, Master. I think she is tired of feeling trapped."
"Okay, then we will arrange it. You and I'll go of course. Sasuke, and Oryo too. The four of us should do."
"Hatori is here as well. Maybe he would accompany us?"
Master nodded. "Yes, see if he would."
"Any sightings of him?" Ginji asked referring to Raiju.
"Not yet. But I will not rest until he is found and Aoi is safe."
She had so much fun at the market it was almost laughable. She'd forgotten what it was like to be out and shop for things. It was almost startling. How could she forget something so common? Not that she forgot the act, but she forgot the feeling. She forgot how it felt to just live as a normal human. Well, as normal as one gets in the hidden realm.
The market featured a lot of seafood this time, and she went crazy over it. They didn't often get these choices, so she had to take advantage of it. The first few weeks back, Moonflowers menu would be seafood dish heavy.
She also enjoyed being with everyone, including Hatori who she'd been surprised to see. Oryo was also a surprise when she found out she was coming along. Not that she minded, not in the least, but she was surprised.
Sasuke was not a surprise. She'd suspected at least one of the security would be tagging along, and she had the feeling they were being watched from afar, and it was easy to guess that Master had someone watching from a distance.
By the time they returned home she was exhausted but in a good way. She and Ginji spent some time putting their spoils away before Aoi got to cooking. She needed to try out a few recipes before opening and it gave her the perfect excuse to get in the kitchen again.
This was heaven. Being back and cooking. She had forgotten just how much this eased her. She loved cooking and loved doing it in this setting. Her restaurant.
After she finished, she invited everyone over for a meal. There was more than enough food to go around. Moonflower was filled, off and on, with Tenjin-ya staff. It was nice to see it have such life again and did her good to be reminded that she was a great chef. It did her good to be surrounded by people too.
It was sad though at the end of the night when everyone had eaten, leaving her to herself. She was feeling so lonely and a bit sad the master hadn't come to eat. With a sigh, she sat and put her head down on her arms. She was so tired.
She woke sometime later, her heart pounding in her chest as the dream made her feel sick. She hated that Raiju hunted her dreams. Hated that she could still feel his breath on her face. She could still feel his hands on her skin. It was sickening.
She stood, suddenly deciding she would take a bath. That would help rid her of him. She couldn't stand the thought that she could still feel his hands on her. Still feel him inside of her.
As she settled in the bath she let out a sigh. It smelt of lilies and lavender, and the scent had a calming effect on her mind and body. Yes, this was a good call.
Her thoughts shifted from Raiju to the master. She wanted his hand on her. It was ridiculous how badly she wanted that. Before she'd wanted him, but not like this. Not with this crazy lust that seemed to make her dizzy.
But why deny herself? Maybe they wouldn't end up married, but so what? She wasn't a virgin after all, so what would one more lover really mean? Though, she realized the master was more than anyone else she had. That's why she worried about it.
No. She wouldn't worry anymore. She wanted him and he wanted her and damn it, they were going to have each other. She shuddered as she recalled just how it felt for him to touch her. His large hands, so gentle. She wanted that. Needed that.
She got out, not bothering to dry off completely nor bothering to dress. The master's room wasn't far from here and she put on a robe. That was enough.
She hurried to his rooms, afraid she'd lose her nerve if she took too long. She knocked and entered once he told her too.
"Aoi? You okay?" he asked looking up. "I heard everyone ate at Moonflower. I wanted to make an appearance, but ended up working late."
"That's okay," she said, removing her robe as she spoke. She could see the surprise in his eyes shift to desire. This made her heart flutter.
"What are you doing?" He asked though he didn't disapprove. She was glorious as she walked over to him.
She said nothing as she straddled his lap and kissed him. She needed him. God she needed him. "Touch me," she said in between kisses.
He moved her, putting her on his desk, before leaning in and kissing her as his hand found her breast, teasing her nipple. She let out a sound that had his cock throbbing. He dipped his head, taking her nipple into his mouth, sucking and nipping at it. She moaned again, her hips moving slightly involuntarily.
Aoi shifted, so she could start getting him naked. She needed him and now. She didn't have the patience for foreplay, not really. She just needed him deep inside her, thrusting until she screamed out in pleasure.
He helped her, and she looked at him completely naked for the first time. He was beautiful. How had she ever thought he wasn't? She reached for him, loving the small gasp he let out as she stroked him.
He growled as he lifted her, apparently, he was as impatient as she was. He took only a moment to have himself inside her and she cried out, orgasming immediately, something that has never happened before.
He kissed her as he propped her against the wall and made love to her. He loved the feel of her, the sounds she made. The way her core pulled at him. He loved the way she tasted in his tongue. The way she moved. He was getting close himself, but he wasn't ready. Not yet.
He pulled out and carried her to his room. Once on the bed, he took his time, teasing her nipples with his mouth as he pleasured her with his hand. She gasped and moaned as she moved against his fingers.
Just when she was ready to tell him she couldn't take any more teasing, he was inside her again, thrusting so deep it was almost painful, but in a good way. In a way that had her body shaking with climax as he nails dug into his skin. She held on to him as he continued to move, the thrusting getting faster and faster until he jerked once more and was going over himself.
As he orgasmed she swore she heard him say "mine," and found herself being please by the idea. She wanted to be his. Just like she wanted him to be hers.
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I hope you all enjoyed the chapter. Reviews and comments are greatly appreciated. Thanks :D