Author's Note: Hello all! I said so in my most recent post for another fandom, but it seems I'm back. So for all of you who have been fans welcome back. and any who are new, welcome. I am excited to be back and writing for my original fandom again (KuraxBot). Now, let me start by saying that it is rated M for a reason. we're not going full lemon here but we are a little citrus-y, so please bear that in mind. This could be considered a continuation of A New Outlook, but it does stand alone, so I posted it as a Oneshot. One more quick thing; Botan's powers appear to be different in the manga and the anime. For the purposes of this particular story we are going for the anime version (or at least not the manga version where she leaves a physical body behind like they do in Bleach). And that's all I've got. Enjoy!
Kurama wanted to bang his head on the wall. Sadly it was not close enough to manage. His plush office chair was just far enough from the wall to make it impossible for him to do so without it seeming intentional. He hated office work yet he had somehow managed to find himself sitting at his stepfathers conference table in a board room that was far too stuffy and corporate for his taste. He had only intended to help his stepfather, more for his mothers sake than anything else, and had ended up in a job he hated for far longer than he would have liked to admit. He had half a mind to quit right now, except if he did he would be leaving them in the lurch and that was simply not in his nature anymore. One day soon though, he was determined to walk out those doors for the last time.
A young man, who's name he really should have known but did not, was standing before them, prattling on, clearly just as unhappy about being here as he was. Kurama refrained from letting out a long exasperated sigh. He had a feeling he would be in this office more often than not in the next couple of weeks. The numbers over the last few quarters had not looked as good as expected and he had a feeling that his subordinates would require his direct supervision for a short time in order to fix it. It would be a rough couple of weeks with nothing but back to back meetings, which he utterly despised.
He looked up at the pie chart that hardly required an explanation, and yet they were doing so anyway. It seemed that the days of heading home early for lunch and an afternoon of lounging around his house and in his garden at leisure were going to be sidelined for a time. He wanted to groan. There were few things he enjoyed more than spending time off at home surrounded by his plants and entertaining his bubbly other half. In fact, she was at home now. He had left her earlier than he liked, curled up under the covers, blue hair spilled over the pillow in the early morning light. As soon as he found out about all this, he had been sure to tell her. Botan liked to know what was happening and he did his best to keep her informed, particularly in situations like this where his work would inevitably be brought home with him, as had proven to be the case. As soon as he mentioned a board meeting she had set about making him a lunch; just a little something to help him pull through, she had said with a wink. Sadly there would be meetings every day for at least the next two weeks while they worked through the two projects. Meetings and presentations had become the bane of his existence. He was stuck in a stuffy office when he could have been elbow deep in potting soil or better yet wrapped up in her.
The quicker this merger finished the better as far as he was concerned. And if that was not a task in and of itself, his step father had requested he handle two items for him simultaneously; the merger and the accounts receivable. Normally that would not have been a problem, but this time the other company was needy and picky, which he supposed was fair enough. It was their company they were selling and there were things they would want in place. Even so, they required more hand holding than usual. the same could be said of the the AR team none of whom were the type that one was able to set and forget. The merger took up most of his time, and what it did not devour the AR did. He usually had a fairly loose schedule but the past week had been brutal. At work he was constantly in demand for something but now he had what was the equivalent of homework. Reports and charts were required along with research and amendments to contracts that needed his initial once over before it was filtered through to the higher ups, namely his step-father. All the while Botan sat near by or taking care of other things so he could focus, all round being an absolute champ about the whole endeavor. If he never saw another chart or contract again it would be too soon.
Right now he was supposed to be focused on the AR, but in truth he hardly cared. All he could think about was the fact that he had gone to sleep after Botan and woken up before she did. He had barely spent any time with her the night before and he suspected there would be more nights like that in his immediate future. He heard someone ask a question about quarterly gains and did his best not to roll his eyes. To think, he had left his bed and her at the crack of down for this.
The young man mentioned dividends and Kurama turned the page of his packet to find a few of his charts that he had been working on the previous evening were clearly missing. Suddenly he recalled seeing them on the table ready to be placed in his briefcase where he had promptly left them in favor of getting some coffee before he was late... and that was where they still were. He took a deep breath. He needed those, to prove a point more than anything. He had an assignment for this particular group that required the ageing AR chart he had pulled from the system. Everything was color coded, easy to follow, and assignments were listed on page two leaving no room for misunderstanding. Now he was going to have to explain everything verbally and hope they understood, which was not something he trusted them to do.
It simply meant more work and more frustration for him, but ultimately it meant more time away from home and he was already annoyed enough about this merger commandeering most of his free time.
He had resigned himself to the inevitable when her spirit energy drew near. He readied himself in case she needed his help in something world ending. In record time she floated through the ceiling and landed on the ground next to him.
She immediately started speaking, eyes focused on him. "Kurama here's your- oh," she said, as though she had not noticed that she had entered a room full of people. And it was likely that she had not. His better half could often get caught up on a task and forget to keep in mind what others might consider obvious things, however when she set her mind to something only an event of cataclysmic proportions would get in her way, and sometimes not even that. Thankfully she was on her way to work and thus incorporeal, and her blunder made little difference to the grand scheme of things. Wide eyed she looked around to find only green eyes turned in her direction. With a little laugh she hid her smile behind her hand, papers covering the bottom half of her face. "You left these on the table. See you tonight." She slipped the documents into his briefcase and pecked his cheek with a wink. The ghost of her lips left a buzz where her form had been. He had not noticed it when they first met, but after years of being with a woman who could pass from solid to spirit at will he had come to find that her energy, while subtle, left a tingle on his skin.
She brought her oar back out and floated for a moment over the table, clearly a bit bemused by the expressions of those trying their hardest to look interested in the subject at hand. With another giggle and a kiss sent it his direction she was off to clock in. If she was leaving this late she was likely not going to be back until late but he suspected that she had left him something to eat in the fridge. Speaking of which he felt his stomach grumble and looked at the clock. It was 1:30 already. No wonder he was hungry. If they kept going they would never get any food, or any rest for that matter.
Having had enough, and plenty of other things that required his attention, Kurama cleared his throat the next time the presenter took a breath. "Yes, I'd like to see more detailed reports on that next week. For now let's move on. I have a few documents for you to look at."
Kurama was so sick of looking at these people. For weeks, longer than he had originally suspected, he had been at work more than he had been at home, watching and listening to each and every one of them go over their work. He was sick of them and he could tell, although none of them dared to say it, that they were more than sick of him. Honestly he did not blame them. He disliked looking over their collective shoulders as much as they disliked him doing it. It was a necessary evil, a part of keeping his word to his step father, though that was becoming quite old. He would handle the merger and clean up the AR, which he had discovered was a total mess, and then he was going to go home and assess his options. It had been a hard few weeks, but they were now on the right trajectory and he felt like a break would soon be in order; a long one, in which there was a possibility that he did not come back.
He only had two things left to do. There was this meeting and then a contract he had to sign. In fact he was tempted to leave as soon as the contract came through the door even if the meeting was not finished. After all, he really just needed to see this one slide. One slide, that was it. He was beginning to regret asking for a presentation, especially considering who was delivering it. Tananka was droning on and on, just as he was wont to do in meeting such as these.
"And as you can see here," the middle aged man drew out the last word in time with his hand showing a point on the chart that looked innocent enough, but was actually of vital importance. "we have made considerable progress."
And there it was. He sat back a little bit. It went as he had planned for it to go. The AR was back on track and all he needed was that contract and then he could go home where Botan would be returning shortly. She had been patient for weeks, supporting him as she always did, leaving food out for him when she had to go to work, making sure he had clean clothes when things got hectic. She had not been home when he left but that meant that she would be home tonight. He could hardly wait. They had been missing each other for the last week or so and he intended to put and end to that tonight and remind her what it was like to be on the receiving end of his undivided attention. He had seen it in her eyes when she left for her night shift as he was coming through the door. She was feeling a little left out and he never wanted that, not for a single second, never mind two weeks.
But the contract was not there yet, so he let them continue. They would want to get to the end and then there was a customary 'good job team' for implementing his idea as requested. Admittedly they deserved it. He was not the only one missing his family and pulling crazy hours to see this done. But Kami, all he wanted to do was go home.
It was then that he noticed something odd, and he instantly sat up a little straighter. Her energy was near by, heading towards him at speed. It would be nice to see her early, but he was not expecting her. He certainly did not think he had left anything at home and he had already eaten the lunch she had left for him in the fridge. The thought suddenly occurred that something might be wrong and he was about to jump, but thought better of it. His phone was in his office and it would look very odd if he jumped up for no reason. Besides if there was something wrong she would tell him. Her chi was floating through the building roof and she would be visible in a moment. So he waited as patiently as he could while Tanaka droned on.
Long legs floating through the ceiling and in short order she was hovering over the table. A red brow lifted. She was in civilian clothes and thus not heading in for work. He liked to think he kept track of her schedule but lately he had been a little less attentive than usual. He could have sworn she was ferrying today. The short skirt that showed of lithe legs told a different story, as did the tall thin heels she sported.
She dismounted from her oar gracefully, placing one foot on the table and letting other follow slowly. He held perfectly still, waiting for her to speak or walk towards him, but she did not even look at him. His already lifted brow rose further as she took a turn around the table. A stammer from Tanaka reminded him that no one else could see her. They thought he was reacting to them. She took each of their faces in turn until she face him once more. Their eyes connected, finally and he saw the mischief interlaced in her amethyst gaze as she de-materialized her oar.
This could only mean trouble. He could tell she was up to something. That impish tilt of her lips and the irresistible glimmer in her eyes told him as much but he could not move without causing alarm. He was about to slowly rise, determined to make some sort of excuse, but never got the chance.
A grin lifted her cheeks and in that instant all he could do was stare.
Long legs stepped back so he could see her without craning his neck and lithe fingers pulled at the hem of her shirt. The material crept up her stomach at a tantalizing pace and he felt his mouth go dry. The delicate lace of her black bra was not one he had seen before. His natural instinct kicked in and he glanced around the room to make sure no one else was seeing his beloved in such a state of undress. That was for him alone, screamed the more possessive side of his nature. Thankfully they were all looking past her or doing their best not to look bored. Most might as well have been asleep with their eyes open. Not for the first time, Kurama was grateful that they were less than aware, as not a single one of them was able to see the show his mate was putting on for him.
Almost as if to remind him what was taking place, a pile of material found its way to his side. The shirt she has been wearing and her skirt sat in a pile at the feet of his chair. He looked up, but she was not there. The blood rushed in his system as he felt the buzz of her incorporeal fingers on his neck. The buzz of energy that denoted her presence hummed along the skin of his throat lingering on his adam's apple for a moment and then continuing its path.
A fingertip trailed across his pulse and he did his best to suppress a shiver. He turned, pretending to look at the clock but she was gone. He felt that familiar buzz of energy on the top of his thighs. Slowly he turned his head and did his best to keep a straight face, but with impish look she was giving him as she crawled into his lap, her breasts brushing his ever hardening erection and her long smooth legs sliding up his until she was in his lap.
Her face pulled close but missed his lips in favor of pulling on his earlobe. She knew what that did to him and a growl almost escaped his throat. His eyes darted down, following a petite hand that threatened to stroke him through his dress pants while the other intentionally pulled at her bra strap.
He cleared his throat in hopes that she would pause, but she did not and the other strap quickly followed.
"Boss," the voice brought his attention back to the man making the presentation. He looked confused and Kurama could hardly blame him. With the way he was positioned no one could see his lower half, nor did they need to. That would have brought about a few interesting discussions in the near future, none of which Kurama intended on taking part in. Tanaka titled his head. "Is everything alright?"
Botan's giggle resonated in his ear as her lips found their way to his jaw. "Fine," he croaked out in as much of a normal voice as he could. "Why don't wrap this up for now?" He hoped that would be enough but it seemed not and with a bit of showmanship, Botan's hand moved around to the clasp of her bra at her back.
"The presentation-" The lace fell away, and though he felt bad for interrupting it was for the greater good.
"Next week," he commanded. Without any further questions they each filled out of the conference room, simply grateful not to have to listen to anymore.
Tanaka looked a bit deflated, but closed the laptop and headed towards the door. "Open or closed?" he asked, when it was obvious that his boss has no intention of following them.
"Closed," he said firmly, doing his best not to stare at the bare breasts within kissing distance of his lips. As soon as the door clicked shut he stood and marched over to the blinds, ignoring the mock pout she sported. With two quick flicks of his wrist they had privacy and he turned back to his partner whose pert rear was now perched on the conference table waiting for him.
"Botan," he said, walking up to her. There was a warning in his voice, but she knew why. With as much control as he could muster he placed his hands on either side of her hips on the table.
"Yes," she intoned, with a feigned innocence that earned her a frustrated grumble for her trouble. Bottle green met twinkling purple, dark with desire, silent and demanding. Blue hair tumbled around her shoulders as her head shook. "Oh no. I don't think so," she said loftily.
"Why?" It came out as a growl, his more feral side peaking through as it often did when they were alone and she was sitting before him as she was now. She wanted this as much as he did, otherwise she would not have been there.
"We'd make noise and you can't have that," she said looking out towards the office staff on the other side of the wall that were none the wiser to her presence. He knew she was right, but in this moment he did not care. Besides he was fairly sure he could come up with some kind of excuse... he was not sure what type, but he would figure that out later. There must have been something in his countenance that made her continue. The tip of her nose brushed his cheek while her hands drifted down his chest. "I missed you so I thought I'd come by and show you what your'e missing out on, but it seems that you're fully aware." The teasing lilt in her tone was going to drive him insane.
He moved to kiss her neck and remembered that he could not. "Botan." This time there was pleading in the way her name caught in his throat. She was right here and he had been missing her, to the point of distraction. He had been ignoring it as much as possible, but now that she was within his grasp he could not ignore it anymore. The next time any type of work, no matter who was asking, required this much of his attention he would tell them to find someone else.
The buzz of her energy drifted over his jaw line. "If I do, are you going to finish the job?" she whispered suggestively.
"Of course, Kitten," he promised, using the nickname he was so fond of when ever she displayed her more mischievous nature.
It happened in an instant. The warmth of her thighs settled against his hands and the press of her lips touched his. Another growl vibrated through his throat as he claimed her lips with a rough passion. His hands roved, relishing in the feel of her skin until they settled, one cupping her breast in his palm while the other slid down the flat plain of her stomach. He ended their kiss but did not pull back, choosing to run the edge of canines along the length of her neck. A breathy gasp told him what she wanted, but he paused. She was bewitching in moments like these, hair slightly disheveled, chest heaving with wont, and her eyes glazed over in lust. She did not give him much time to enjoy the view. Nimble fingers reached down to stroke him through his pants and this time he could feel the full effect of her fingertips. He answered her by licking his way down to her heaving chest and lavishing attention on each pert mound in turn. The fingers that had been gripping her hip drifted and pulled at the edge of her remaining garment.
"Kurama," she whispered wrapping her legs around his waist and moving to grab his zipper.
He heard the door handle turning and instinctively spun them around to shielded her from prying eyes. As quickly as she had appeared before him her body disappeared, fading to its incorporeal state.
"Minamino-san, the final meeting for the merger is about to start..." The young man, a new intern intent on climbing the corporate ladder, came to an abrupt halt upon seeing his boss in an unusual stance. "Everything alright?" he asked doing his best to peer around Kurama's broad shoulders, but ultimately failing.
No, everything was not alright, he wanted to shout, but could not. He could not even turn around lest the young intern notice the physical effect of his beloved's presences on his person.
The intern continued to watch him curiously from the door and Kurama did his best not to sound angry when he said, "Yes, I just need a moment." He had hoped the young man would take a hint and close the door but he did not and by the sound of things others would soon be joining them.
Botan sighed from his chest and quickly picked up her clothes, making sure the movement would not be seen. Clothing items back in place, she kissed his cheek almost chastely. "See you at home handsome." She flew off without another word, clearly as disappointed as he was. That simply would not do.
He took a few deep breaths to steady himself and get his racing blood under control. The intern cleared his throat and Kurama was tempted to snarl. There would be some fashion of hell to pay for the interruption, deserved or not. All they were getting was a signature; they had already taken up enough of his time. Clearly there was someone else who needed him more.
Botan shifted her phone from one ear to the other. She had barely been home for about fifteen minutes when the ringer blared. She was tempted to let it ring but in the end decided to answer, hoping that whoever it was might be able to cheer her up. She had not expected for Keiko to be in a chatty mood, but it did her no harm to listen while she went about other things.
It was hard to focus though. A blush crept onto her cheeks. She could hardly believe she had actually gone through with it. Originally she had only intended to show a little skin, a bare shoulder, maybe hike her skirt up a little. It did not take much to get his attention on her, but she had surprised herself as much as him when she found herself in nothing but her underwear. She was even more surprised to find that she honestly did not care what anyone thought and had been fully prepared to go through with it until the young man had entered the door. She had never tested it, but she knew Kurama would not want anyone seeing her bare body, nor her expression when they were in the throws of passion; that was just for him.
To say she had been disappointed was an understatement, which was odd because things had certainly gone further than she had expected them to. She had noticed on her last visit that none of the employees in his office were spiritually aware and thus had no idea she was there. She had not thought much of it, but a couple nights before she had gotten an idea and it would not leave her alone no matter how hard she tried to shake it. It was not like Kurama to go more than a few days at most without showing her how much he wanted her. Most nights, or mornings depending on her shifts, he catered to her every whim and most of his as well. He was a very physical being, and very affectionate once you broke through the many barriers that he put up around just about everyone else. She was used to being on the receiving end of his undivided attention, and it seemed she wanted it back as soon as possible, consequences be damned.
Perhaps that was the problem. She was getting spoiled and did not like being ignored. It had only been a couple weeks but she found that she missed the strength of his hands and the heat of his embrace. She knew he was busy these last few weeks and she had done her best not to distract him. That was not as though he had not warned her in advance that he might be tired or occupied, but in the end she had not been able to help herself. If needed she would wait for him, as long as it took, but they did not have to, and that was the problem. Not many could cause Kurama's renowned control to be thrown to the weigh side but she was proud to say that such events happened regularly around her. He was not the only one. She struggled with control around her kitsune too, which may have lead to her sitting bare on the conference table, something she had never expected to do, all to see his hungry eyes rove over her form with such heat that it nearly lit her on fire.
"Are you listening?" Keiko asked on the other line.
Botan shook her head and went to water some of the herbs on the window sill. "Of course. I'm free Thursday if you want to go then. What time?"
She felt his fingers before she saw him. She let out a gasp as he hoisted her onto the counter where his lips found her pulse. She barely heard Keiko asking if she was 'ok'. Her mind was now focused on the hands slipping under the hem of her shirt. "Um, yeah," she bit her lip to hold back a mewl at the feel of his tongue at the shell of her ear. "I'll have to call you back." She hung up and dropped the phone on the counter in time for expert hands to pull the clasp against her spine. She did not know how he managed it but in a swift movement the skin of her back was basking in the afternoon sun that shone through the window.
Her chest arched at the sound of his voice, deep and guttural, rumbling in her ears. "That wasn't nice, Kitten."
"Not at all," she agreed with a grin that quickly turned into a groan as he picked up where he had left off before they were interrupted, nipping at her sensitive flesh until they were both pert and swollen from his attentions. "I'll make it up to you," she promised, slightly breathless as he drifted down, leaving a trail of open mouth kisses in his wake.
Kurama raised his eyes to met hers. He had raced across the city to get home as quickly as possible, leaving the office gaping at him when he made no excuse for his rushed departure, or the sloppy version of his signature on the approved contract. If he could have flown he would have but as it stood he had gotten back in record time. "Oh yes, Koishii, you will. And as punishment you're going to enjoy yourself," he promised, sliding her skirt and underwear down past her knees and onto the floor.
"Oh?" she asked, with her mischievous grin that he loved so much firmly in place. The noise quickly turned into a gasp and her hands find their way into his hair when his southward drifting lips found their target. Her chest arched up and her head back leaving her neck long and open when a languid but deliberate swipe of his tongue turned her knees to jelly, a familiar coil in her abdomen tightening with every touch he made and all rational thought flew from her mind. She felt him pull away and set about voicing her disappointment.
She never got the chance. Any noise she might have made was swallowed when one of his hands moved to the back of her knee and the other cupped her rear and in one fluid motion she was off the counter and hanging onto his lean muscled form. With a pent up passion that she knew had been there all along, just waiting for her, his lips pulled and nipped at hers. Occasionally his tongue darted out to salve any nips he left, but she met him with equal fervor in their dance. When he pulled away they were both breathless, her heaving chest pushing into his and she noticed that he was fully clothed while she was arching against him wearing nothing but a grin. His nose bumped hers and their eyes met and she could not help but drift her hands down to his dress shirt, pulling and unbuttoning as quickly as she could.
He shrugged his top off with a masculine smirk filled with heat and pride as he began to walk them over to whichever bed in the house was closest. "All night and possibly well into tomorrow until neither of us can move," he promised, the need and edge in his voice telling her not only how much of an effect her little show had on him, but also exactly how much he had missed her. She had known that, but it was nice to have confirmation of a more definitive nature.
"Work?" she asked, between kisses, her fingers setting to work on the belt buckle keeping his pants in place.
A small growl told her exactly what he thought of that. With one swift movement he kicked away his slacks and boxers, which she had managed to loosen down past his thighs. "They'll live," he said concretely, and before she could ask any more questions he closed the bedroom door behind them to fulfill the promise he had made to her earlier that day.
End Comments: So this goes out to my lovely guest reviewer on Springtime Changes (not hugely fond of the title but I had nothing better) who asked for KxB story along the lines of Experienced. I had one mostly written, so this is for you. Let me start by saying that I am attempting to get more comfortable with the intimate comings and goings of characters. My first attempt at something like this did not go quite to plan. Respite was not all I wanted it to be, but I feel this and Experienced are closer to the mark. For any of you who are a fan of KuraxBot, there will be lengthier stories on the horizon. I have at least two in the works for them as we speak, though I am prioritizing stories that I have already started but have not finished; ie Shadow. Now onto my usual bits and pieces. Please forgive any mistakes you find, as I do not have Beta and I do my own editing. Constructive criticism is welcome, reviews appreciated, but no flames please. I hope you enjoyed it. See you next time!