Part Two: His Patience

He felt her tense up immediately.

Right then and there, he knew for certain that she wasn't ready to proceed to such an intense level of intimacy, and the young man slowly began to withdraw his hands from the front of her yukata. Being careful not to startle or frighten her any further, Kurando pressed a gentle kiss upon her smooth cheek before he swung his leg over to return back to his side of the bed, leaving the sweet softness of his wife's body. A certain part of him ached in disappointment at his retreat, lamenting for the lost opportunity, but the owner firmly silenced the inner protest and willed his desire to die down, extinguishing the heat of passion. Admittedly, he had absolutely no qualms about being intimate with Anastasia, but his protective, courteous side was a bit stronger, and insisted that he wait until she was comfortable before they took that impacting step together.

His shy bride emitted a small noise of surprise and turned to face him when he settled himself on the mattress and adjusted the blankets to cover both of them, blatant curiosity and bewilderment in her wide green eyes. She looked down at the still-tied bow of her yukata, and brought her own hands there, apparently thinking that he wanted her to undress herself, but she didn't get very far when Kurando quickly caught her arm. He caught her gaze and shook his head slowly, indicating that their consummation wasn't going to occur that night, and he noticed that along with her shaky smile, his wife had visibly relaxed after realizing that the intimate encounter had concluded. Before the samurai could dwell on the subject longer, Anastasia leaned forward and threw her arms around his neck, briefly squeezing him in an affectionate hug, and then she pulled back to lie down on the bed.

When she closed her eyes with a perfectly calm and undisturbed expression on her face, the young man knew that he had made the right decision; smiling gently at his companion, he swiftly followed suit and took his place next to her. Well, the recent groom was also slightly relieved to have had a reason to stop – although he wouldn't dare admit that out loud – because of his slight insecurity regarding his inexperience, and how it might affect his wife. Despite the fact that there was a double standard present, in which guys his age should be familiar with the concept of intercourse and have tried it, Kurando wasn't a typical conformer, so his knowledge lacked in that department. Once or twice, his mother tried to discuss the subject with him, but the conversation was usually a bit awkward, and up to the current point, he still only knew very little, although she had told him about a spiritual guide lurking within him.

When the samurai had first acquired his most recent fusion form, Jutendouji, Saki Inugami immediately informed her son that he would have to resist certain wild urges on a constant basis, due to the nature of the ogre being. He willingly followed her instructions, especially when he realized what the spirit wanted… but presently, the fusionist wondered if perhaps he could use the ogre's knowledge to assist him when he and Anastasia became intimate. But it didn't matter right now, for he cared about her feelings far more than his primitive urges, and if he ever deliberately harmed her somehow, either emotionally or physically, he would hate himself for it, hurting the woman that he dearly adored. After witnessing her reaction of anxiety, Kurando resolutely decided to wait and give her however much time she needed to feel comfortable enough to be close around him, and then they could move on from that point.

Present worries resolved, the couple slept peacefully that night.

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Kurando was an early riser, and after he awoke and quickly took care of his usual morning rituals, he stepped outside onto the balcony connected to the shared room, and watched the sun steadily climb up over the horizon.

The scenery was calm and beautiful, very suitable to his liking, with crisp morning air entering his lungs, and the only noises coming from birds that were quietly chirping to bring awareness to their presence. There was a slight chill that penetrated the thin material of his nightwear, but he didn't mind; the pleasantries outweighed the discomfort, so he remained in his stationed position, dark eyes scrutinizing every detail. Over in the main gardening area of Inugami Village, the devoted flower-lovers were already up and about, bent down on their knees as they planted fresh new seeds and nurtured them to grow with tender dedication. Out of the corner of his eye, he somehow managed to notice a small patch of azaleas that were planted off to one side of the overall field, and the colors reminded him of the same shades that were on Anastasia's sleepwear yukata.

At the coincidental reminder of his wife, he turned back slightly just then to glance at her slumbering form, and his expression instantly softened at the sight of her enticing beauty in all its natural innocence. She looked very sweet and serene, lying on the bed with her bangs framing her heart-shaped face, and if it hadn't been for his gentlemanly courtesy, Kurando would have taken the unintentional invitation with little hesitation. Her adorable exterior appeared so delicate and harmless that an urge to protect his precious significant other instantly flared up inside him, and made the fusionist clench his fist a bit at the thought of anything ever causing her harm. Of course, as her husband, it was his obvious duty to take care of Anastasia, but in addition, the swordsman felt that ensuring her safety was an important factor of honor, and would serve as proof of his devotion and feelings toward her.

Anastasia, his wife… he was still getting used to the fact that he was now married; from childhood up to present day, he'd been too involved in his training with Naniwa Kawashima to develop any romantic interests. That fateful day when he met the young princess introduced him to a foreign world, and she had made her feelings toward him blatantly obvious, while Kurando himself was still stumbling through the new sensation. His initial casual fondness for her grew over the time that they spent journeying together, and a couple months later, he found out that his mother had arranged an engagement between him and the Russian girl. Soon after, both of their families had met to discuss their future union, and the original plan was to have the two marry when the samurai turned twenty, which was the official coming-of-age in his culture.

But the vicious world war raged on throughout Europe, with Anastasia's birth nation being one of the many countries involved in the fighting, and unfortunately, due to technology drawbacks, Russia suffered the most casualties as of late. That led to the dissatisfaction of numerous countrymen, and the leaders in the royal family worried for their safety when rumors had started of a group planning to overthrow their rule, and would use violence if necessary. Kurando remembered when his mother told him about the dilemma that the Romanovs were facing in their current situation, and the solution that the tsar and empress had come up with in hopes of protecting their youngest daughter. It was already agreed that when he and his fiancée got married, the princess would leave Petrograd to come live in the Inugami Village, so if their union took place sooner, there was a good chance she would be spared from possible bloodshed…

It was possible that Anastasia knew nothing about her family's intention for her well-being, but that was probably best, since she would have very likely refused to leave them if she was aware of the hovering danger. Of course, the tsar and the empress wanted to ensure the safety of all their beloved children, but their youngest daughter had the most convenient escape route with her engagement, so they took care of her situation first. Kurando felt guilty withholding such important information from his wife, but he didn't want her to go rushing back to her hometown and risk exposing the secret plan that her parents had come up with to preserve her life. Saki promised the Romanovs that she would keep quiet about the princess' residency in the small Japanese village, and clearly instructed her son to carry on his leadership duties by himself until the turmoil in Russia had died down enough.

With a sigh at the reminder of his new responsibilities, the young man left the balcony and re-entered the bedroom, flashing a quick glance at his wife before he crossed the space and quietly opened the door to head out. After closing it behind him, he walked through the hallway and descended the stairs, he brought up a mental agenda in his mind, recalling his schedule for the next couple of days, and what preparations he would have to make. Due to the calamitous world war, his duties as a leading protector of his country had increased by a tenfold, and in the past few months, he had to constantly meet with the heads of other nations to discuss alliances. German forces were slowly, but surely spreading the power of their forces throughout Europe as they continued to push their way eastward, which made the inhabitants of the Asian continent grow concerned about being invaded.

Distracted by his thoughts, Kurando absentmindedly wandered into the living room, where he found his mother sitting in a wooden rocking chair, her hands busy with her favorite hobby, creating her personal design of clothing. Now that she had passed on the role of leadership to her offspring, she could live the rest of her days in peace, enjoying her leisure time and finally doing whatever she wished after having devoted so much effort into protecting her countrymen. Wanting to leave her in peace, he quietly strolled toward the kitchen, deciding to cook a meal for his wife to eat when she woke up, but the mere light swish of his indoor sandals caught Saki's keen attention. She lifted her head and saw her son making his way toward the adjacent vicinity, her dark eyes shimmering in appreciation at his selflessness, but she felt a bit astonished that he was awake so early on the morning after his wedding night.

"Oh, Kurando," the widowed woman exclaimed just then in mild surprise, and instantly stopped her sewing. "I didn't think you would awaken so soon. I will go prepare breakfast for you right now. Is Anastasia up yet?"

"Good morning, Mother," he greeted respectfully as he met her eyes, and then shook his head in reply to her question. "No, she's still sleeping. But don't worry about making food; I can take care of it. After all, this is Anastasia's first breakfast as… as…"

"-As an Inugami? As your wife?" Saki idly finished for him as mischievous amusement briefly flickered over her expression, but she nodded in understanding and resumed her activity, inwardly pleased that her son's independent upbringing had taught him how to cook.

Kurando flushed slightly, but said nothing in verbal response and merely began to roam around the cabinets, soon locating a medium-sized pot, which he set down onto the stove, along with a few other packets. When all the materials had been gathered, he got water from the sink and poured inside the pan before turning the knob to ignite small flames, and then he stood by to watch and wait for the cool liquid to boil before he could add in ingredients. He wasn't sure what kind of food Westerners had for breakfast, but Anastasia had eaten Japanese cuisine the night before and seemed to enjoy it, so he figured she wouldn't mind having ordinary miso soup and porridge. There were only a few foods he knew how to cook anyway, since during his stay with the Kawashimas, Naniwa and Yoshiko ate simply, but if his wife really didn't like what he made for her, then he would ask his mother to step in and take over.

While the time passed by, he wondered what the aforementioned woman was doing, and so he curiously called out in question, "What are you making there, Mother? A new kimono for Anastasia? I think she really likes the yukata that you sewed for her."

She laughed softly, delight in her voice as she answered, "Yes, I am sewing a new kimono for my beautiful new daughter, Kurando. But, I'm hoping that by next year, I will be making little outfits for my grandchild…"

"G-grandchild?" The young man stammered with a nervous rumble in his throat at the thought; he and Anastasia hadn't even consummated their marriage yet, and his mother was already thinking about becoming a grandmother by the following year…? "Uh, w-well, we… we'll see…"

Detecting the hesitation in his tone, Saki quirked an eyebrow and paused her sewing to comment, "…You know, I really didn't expect you to be awake so early this morning. The wedding night should be very precious to a man and his wife."

"I…I agree, Mother," he concurred quietly, and then quickly fell silent as his eyes suddenly became intensely interested in gazing at the water inside the pot and watching the tiny bubbles ripple across the surface.

When his hesitation became clear, she set aside her stitching project for the time being and stood up to forge eye-contact with him, feeling a bit concerned about the recently-elevated status of the married couple's relationship. "Is something bothering you, my son?"

Kurando slowly shook his head in denial, but offered no verbal assurance.

A small sigh elicited from the raven-haired woman as she crossed the living room and entered the kitchen, stopping beside her son, and suggested softly, "Why don't you go upstairs and check if Anastasia is awake now? I'm sure she doesn't want her breakfast to be cold. I can finish cooking."

"All right…" he agreed with a wary nod and left the vicinity, his step gradual and tentative.

He strolled up the stairs and through the short hallway with his crimson eyes intensely focused ahead all the while, and his stare finally fell upon the door that stood between him and the bedroom he shared with his wife. The tall wooden frame was shut, and the samurai faintly recalled leaving it closed earlier that morning, so he figured that Anastasia was still sleeping, but decided to go inside and gently rouse her awake for breakfast. Since none of the doors in the house had locks, except for the main entrance – Inugami Village was small and friendly, after all – he turned the knob and pushed inward without a second thought, albeit quietly as to not disturb the resting girl. Kurando stepped into the room with hushed consideration and swept his gaze around to locate the presumably-dozing princess, but his eyes soon widened and his body froze instantly at the stunning sight that greeted him.

Standing in front of a full-length mirror, Anastasia was holding up one of her new Oriental outfits against her petite frame, apparently in the middle of changing, for she currently only donned a pair of virginal white underwear. He noticed how much she had grown in the year-long separation since the two last saw each other, and her new height elevated the top of her head to his chin-level, which made people stop assuming that she was so much younger than him. Her youthful curves stretched on endlessly, and his eyes trailed down the length of her body, eagerly devouring the delicious view of creamy, unblemished skin; dimly, the young man wondered how it would feel underneath his fingers… Part of him – the chivalrous side, no doubt – was telling him to snap out of the daze and leave his wife to her privacy, but despite his earnest, albeit weak attempts, he was too captivated to move, bound by her provocative spell.

Thank goodness she couldn't see him in his current stupor, for her back was turned, and additionally, the structure of reflection was tilted at an upward angle, so the observer frantically willed his legs to move before she turned around. But they refused, and he stood there for a countless period of time, silently watching her scantily-clad form as a burning sensation began to rumble deep down inside him, making Kurando shudder slightly with its influential power. A foreign, lingering urge whispered into his mind sensibly, almost reasonably, that since he was her husband, it was perfectly fine for him to see her naked beauty, even though she obviously wasn't aware of his presence. As blatant proof of that fact, Anastasia leaned forward just then, which caused the kimono in her hands to hang down limply, and the open space in-between bared upper swell her chest, and he glimpsed the shadow of two certain twin mounds…

The hands that he had dangling by his sides clenched into tight fists when the owner inhaled sharply at the enticing sight, and then he released an erratic sigh, the gesture indicating his inner struggle for self-control. The drifting sound caught the girl's attention, and when she whirled around and identified the source, her mouth dropped open to let out a shrill scream, which instantly broke the trance that Kurando was in. His body reacted instantaneously and sent the young swordsman dashing forward to seal her cry with his palm, but that put him remarkably close to his wife, and he felt her small form tense up in response to the proximity. When he looked down to glance at her face, he was briefly tempted to peer even lower, but he resisted the urge, maintaining eye-contact with Anastasia, and he soon saw a sliver of fear shimmering in her bright green irises.

Guilt cut through his senses upon realizing her emotion of fright, and he quickly released his hold on her and then backed away slowly with both hands raised as a sign of surrender, while the girl pulled the kimono up to her chin.

"K-Kurando…?" she rasped shakily, his name spilling out in a nervous stutter.

"I…I'm very sorry-!" The dark-haired fusionist awkwardly stammered his apology as he kept moving in the same direction, eventually bumping into the door, and willingly allowed the thin edge to dig into his spine. "I-I'll get a lock installed on this door right away, I promise!"

Without waiting for the blushing princess to reply, he turned and hastily left the room, pacing down through the hallway with his cheeks flushed from the recent encounter, unsure of how to repair the accidental damage.

I guess… I guess they don't have changing curtains in Russia, Kurando mused vaguely as he descended the stairs and roamed the first level of the house once again, but stayed away from the living room and kitchen to avoid inquisition from his perceptive mother.

His heart pounded at an unusual rate when he remembered looking over the supple body of his beautiful wife, and his mouth suddenly went dry, but he mentally scolded himself for thinking in such a perverted manner. Unknown to him, the eighteen-year-old was at the peak of his sexuality, and he could only tremor in bafflement when a faint desire urged him to go back to their room upstairs and… coax Anastasia into bed. Growing even more flustered, Kurando shook his head firmly and sat down right then and there at the bottom of the stairs as he closed his eyes to meditate, clearing his mind of all thoughts, and eventually calmed his agitation. The craving still lingered deep down inside him, but he could maintain it with self-control, and silently vowed to; she had looked rather scared when she found him staring at her so blatantly, and he wondered if she could ever forgive his intrusion.

During breakfast, Anastasia acted like her normal self and happily chatted with Saki in-between bites, while the young man sat back and listened, speaking rarely, only when one of them had addressed him. Later in the afternoon, he met with his wife privately and apologized again for his action earlier in the morning, to which she responded with a shy nod and the assurance that she knew it was an accident. Seeing the girl behave so timidly, Kurando thought of embracing her in innocent comfort, but she flinched slightly when he approached her, and he sensed it, so he immediately backed off, feeling a bit stung by her reaction. He gently bid her farewell before leaving the room, and then headed for his study to tend to his usual business; his final thought on the issue was the realization that their consummation seemed even further away.

One thing was for certain: from that point forward, until his bashful young wife was ready for intimacy, he would definitely have to keep his distance to protect her from the carnal desire that had just stirred to life within him.

To Be Continued…