I was rapidly tapping away at my PDA firing off a few messages, responding to a handful of inquiries. It was all rather mundane, boring stuff, but needed to be done. I should be in the office, sorting through mounds of paperwork, commanding the port from the customary helm of my desk, but I didn't have the heart to leave home.
It had been two weeks since the battle with the Siren that had called itself Archiver. My wife Kaga had only been discharged from the repair bay a few days ago, hence I had immediately relinquished my official duties to Belfast at the office, demanding that I would stay at home to care for my wife for the time being.
Everyone understood of course, but even though I was the one who requested it, it felt… odd, to not be in my office. Belfast had assured me that everything would be done in my absence, and if anything major came up, she would contact me. She had forwarded a handful of forms that were urgent to my PDA, but nothing more.
I hear the bedroom door slide open, and I look up to see my fair-haired fox as she limps slowly towards me. She gives me a smile as her gaze settles on me, but I can tell she is still in pain, her eyes don't have their usual shine. She is clad in just her silk blue nightgown and nothing more. Seeing her so weak breaks my heart, and undoubtedly annoys her greatly, typically priding herself on her strength.
I immediately place the PDA on the side and move to her side to help her walk, but she pushes me aside with an air of annoyance. "I do not require help to walk, Shikikan, I am perfectly capable of…"
Of course, the second she denies it, her knee buckles as she puts weight on it and she grunts in pain as she begins to fall towards the ground. Luckily, for once, my reactions are quicker, and I immediately use my hands to catch her and set her back upright. She mummers a thanks and flashes me a half-hearted smile.
"What are you doing out of bed? You should rest, please, let me bring you some food." I look at her, trying to keep the worry out of my voice and failing utterly.
She immediately shakes her head, stubborn to a fault. "I felt useless… I have already spent too long in that damn repair bay, I am not about to waste even more time cooped up in that room. I wanted to be helpful, cook something perhaps, I am rather famished, anything you wish for?"
Kaga was the traditional chef of the household. While Akagi could cook, it was mainly basic meals, nothing spectacular. Kaga on the other hand was a natural, and while she admittedly didn't have the flair of Belfast or King George V, she was certainly good.
I try and stand my ground, giving her a serious look. "Absolutely not! Please, go rest on the sofa, I will fix us up something, you shouldn't be up at all, you're clearly still in pain.
Immediately her eyes fill with anger, fuelled by shame at her condition. She opens her mouth, clearly ready to scold me for insulting her honour, but I cup her cheek with my hand before she can say anything, stoking the soft skin soothingly. "Please… I'm worried about you, let your husband care for you... please" I look at her imploringly.
Her eyes immediately lose their fire as they soften and she lets out a resigned sigh. "Fine… It's your marital duty I suppose… apologies… I know you worry about me…" She pauses, nuzzling my hand before continuing.
"…sometimes I just let my pride get the better of me…" A solemn look settles on her face before she discards it, and leans on my shoulder, finally using me as support.
I lead her over to the sofa as she sets down, grimacing as her knees bend to accommodate the curve, then immediately breathing in relief as the weight is taken off her feet.
I give her a small peck on the forehead which causes her ears to twitch happily and her tails to sway ever so slightly. "Thank you…" She offers me a smile in return, a slight blush rising up her neck. I try and give her my best smile in return, trying to push away the sadness I feel seeing her in this state. She's alive, and she's ok, that's what matters.
I head over to the corner of the room, where the kitchen is located, and immediately start to panic. While I certainly did not want Kaga to be cooking anything in her state. I was hardly a culinary expert. It was something I had always wished to learn more about, if just to save Kaga from cooking, but had never found the time. I quickly settled on making some simple cheese and onion omelettes. I liked them enough and I knew that my wife did not dislike them, although she hardly loved them either. It would have to do, I felt I needed to do something for her.
I set to work, and before long, I am bringing two plates of thoroughly mediocre omelette along with some fresh orange juice over to the table for the both of us. We sit and eat, discussing various subjects, mainly just port life, before she finishes, and tips her head, instead of a bow, thanking me for the food. "Hmm… that was not bad… at least for you." She grins at me.
"I'll take that as a compliment…" I smile at her words. We continue discussing random topics until eventually, I decide to ask her something that had been weighing on me.
"I hope you don't mind me asking… but… have you noticed anything… off with your sister?" She cocks her head inquisitively as her ears stop their happy twitching.
"Not… especially… although she does seem to be back home later these days. Why? Is something bothering you?" Her eyes immediately fill with concern and I regret asking her.
If she hadn't noticed anything, then it was clearly my problem and my problem alone.
I shake my head, waving her off. "No, no it's fine… must just be my imagination…"
Kaga's expression immediately turns serious as her eyes narrow at me. "Shikikan… lying is a sin…"
Oh drat, it was surprising how often I forgot my wives could instantly tell if I was lying. It had tripped me up on far too many occasions.
I let out a sigh. "I… I don't want to talk about it… It could be nothing…" She gives me a warm smile from across the table. "Dear husband, when it comes to my sister, there is no such thing as nothing. Perhaps I can be of help? Sharing what ails you could be a boon afterall."
Kaga was certainly odd in some respects, stubborn and prideful to a fault. Uncomfortable letting others care for her, yet always so caring herself.
I give in, deciding that if anyone knew what was the issue, she would. "Akagi… I think she might be avoiding me, or she's angry at me, or something…" Kaga simply listens intently, waiting for me to continue.
"Ever since the incident with Archiver, she hasn't looked me straight in the eye. She comes home late, avoiding the house, even when her work finishes early. She hasn't been… physically close with me the entire time, no hugs, kisses, words of affection from her. Or, err, sexual advances…"
I blush slightly and see that Kaga doing the same, I quickly move the conversation along. "She seems distant. Whenever I ask her anything, all I get is a curt response. Whenever I hug her, she just stiffens up. It… worries me. Did I do something wrong?"
Kaga nods along in understanding. "I see what you mean, unfortunately, all I can really say is that she has been fine with me… although, I can at least say, I do not believe my dear sister is angry with you."
I look at her confused. "How can you know that?"
She lets a small grin slip onto her lips. "Because when she is angry or annoyed with you, she always vents about it to me…" I blush slightly, that makes sense I suppose.
She continues. "Well, it is more than likely that it relates to the incident with Archiver. What she went through sounded… horrific. If I had gone through that, seen what she saw…" She trails off and I notice her shudder, the very thought of the torture Akagi endured enough to make her uncomfortable.
"I'm not sure I would be sitting here… My sister is strong, incredibly so. But still, there is only so much she can take. That bitch worms her way into your head, uses your memories, your fears against you, it is how she works. Digging up old memories and doubts… is unpleasant, to say the least…"
A wave of anger descends on her as she mulls on the sadistic Siren. Something starts to dawn on me, and before I can stop myself, a question has already left my lips. "She talked to you, didn't she? When you were ambushed… what did she say?"
Kaga's face immediately falls as she eyes the floor, refusing to look me in the eye. "She... did, briefly. Nowhere near the extent of my poor sister. But what she said or did is meaningless. Think nothing more of it."
I give her a pointed look. Who was it exactly who had just made a point about sharing one's burdens?
She sighs before hesitantly looking me in the eye. "… it is foolish, that is all… She just took my deepest worries. Ones that I don't even fully believe and taunted me with them. She…" Kaga stops, afraid to continue.
"Kaga, please, as your husband, whatever it is, you can tell me." I try to gently encourage her to open up.
She looks away, unable to hold my gaze. "She… said that you don't love me… not really. I am simply an addition. A bonus extra. Your attention has always been focused on Akagi, your love for me simply stems from her. Our first date was really Akagi's, I was just brought along for the ride. From the day we joined your port, your affections were for her. Not me. The Siren taunted me, dug up old doubts that I haven't thought about for a very long time, that even when you married both of us. Your heart was still set on my sister… and… still is… to this day."
I immediately open my mouth to rebuke the claims. But Kaga holds her hands up, her expression sharpening. "I know. They were doubts from an earlier me, another time. Back then, you indeed did have eyes mostly for my sister, she had affections for you, sent you letters, it was natural. But I know, now we are married, you value each of us and I am very glad for that. The Siren simply snatched at what it could in the short time it had, I haven't let it bother me…"
By this point, I know Kaga well. Very well. And I'm not convinced. Her eyes are not as firm or as serious as her face. They betray her uncertainty, her worry. I think she did let the old doubts get to her, at least to some degree.
Without missing a beat, or saying a word, I stand up and move till I am behind her, then bend down while she is still seated and hug her tightly, whispering in her ear as I do so. "I thought you said lying was a sin… I might not have your ears, but I do know you… you are my dearest wife afterall."
She opens her mouth to deny it, but I cut her off. "It's ok, I know you don't want to admit it, that's fine. Just as long as you accept this. I love you. Both of you. Equally. When you were shot by that Siren, I was beside myself, and so was Akagi. You are just as much a part of this home as her. Without you… I would be… incomplete."
She doesn't say a word, but a smile forms on her lips and her fox features twitch happily, betraying her happiness on hearing what she undoubtedly wanted to.
I help her back to the sofa, letting her down slowly. Only then does she speak. "I… thank you… Husband" I nod and smile at her, before going to collect the plates, carrying them over to the sink and giving them a quick scrub before returning to the sofa and my wife.
I cuddle up next to her and start stroking one of her ears methodically. She purrs happily at the stimulation, nuzzling my hand for more. "Better now?"
She nods. "I did tell you it was foolish…"
I continue to fondle her ear before replying. "I know… but I'm glad you told me. Because now I get to prove how wrong those doubts are..." She blushes at my words.
I double down on the ear massage, bringing my other hand up to stroke the other ear. She turns, gently placing her feet up on the sofa and leans back into me, closing her with eyes with a blissful sigh and embraces the pleasure, letting out occasional mewls of approval.
We sit like that for a few minutes, her mewls getting louder, morphing into moans as my hands get rougher, alternating between focusing on the base of the fluffy triangles and giving them long strokes to the tip.
Occasionally I let a finger dip slightly into the warm canal electing a gasp of pleasure from Kaga at the odd sensation.
Before long, we reach a peak, my hands starting to get sore and tired. I take the edge of one of her ears in my mouth and nibble gently with my teeth as she mewls in approval. Soon she lets out a particularly loud moan and her body convulses and her hips buck for a few seconds as she climaxes before falling against me limp.
Her body twitches from the pleasure as I remove my hands, giving the sensitive appendages one last stroke as she shudders and gasps at the contact. She lies back into me, breathing quickly, trying to recover from her high. Eventually, after a couple of minutes, the rise and fall of her chest slows as she turns her head and gives me a peck on the lips, heat rising from her neck as she does. "Gods… you have definitely got better at that…"
I give an amused chuckle. "I would never have guessed before all this that kitsune's ears were so sensitive…" A grin slips onto her features and one of her tails playfully strokes my face.
"And our tails too…" I quickly move to grasp the fluff attacking my face, but she swiftly whips the tail away at the last second, taunting me.
She lets out a laugh at my futile struggles as I continue to try and grasp one of her many tails, failing miserably. I quickly decide on a different tactic, leaping forward planting kisses on the nape of her neck, immediately causing her tails to puff up in surprise as she mewls at the sensation of my tongue lapping at her skin.
I use that moment to grab one of her tails and give it a vigorous stroking. She gasps at the added sensation. "Ahhhh…. you… that's cheating…" She manages to whisper out before she descends back into mewls.
I nibble at her neck like she has done mine so many times while simultaneously ruffling one of her many fluffy appendages. Eventually, I have to pull back and stop, almost unable to feel my hand after using it on both her ears and tail.
"My thanks… dear husband, that was… very pleasant" She blushes as she thanks me. "…about my sister… I shall give you two some space this evening, if you wish to talk to her?"
I give her a peck on the cheek. "That would be great, thank you, Kaga."
She nods. "I wish you luck in getting through to her. My dear sister can be… difficult at times, but remember that she values your opinion greatly, please be careful with your words… I would prefer that we not have another incident…"
I recall the incident she alludes to when I had falsely accused Akagi of manipulating me, leading to tears and some stern, although helpful, words from Kaga. Indeed, I would defiantly not want a repeat of that.
I snuggle closer to my wife, switching the TV on and preparing for a lazy day at home.
Eventually, day turns to evening and I sit waiting for Akagi. She was already an hour late, but I had anticipated that. Kaga is sitting next to me, lightly snoozing away as she uses my shoulder as a pillow.
I hear the door handle upstairs turn and the door open before slamming shut once again. Kaga's ears immediately swivel towards the noise, proving she was not sleeping deeply. Her eyes open and she gives me a peck on the cheek as she stands up.
"Good luck…" She whispers to me, before walking slowly with her weakened frame towards the bedroom and closing the door.
Before long, Akagi appears, wearing her standard attire. She looks tired from a hard day's work, from what I remember she had been at a meeting with Nagato for most of the day, then a short sortie to clear a zone of mass-produced sirens.
I stand and approach her, taking her coat from her shoulders and giving her hug. "How was your day?" She freezes the second my hands envelop her, her shoulders stiffen and she mummers a reply.
"Ok… nothing out of the ordinary…" I lead her to the sofa, and she chooses to sit opposite me.
"Akagi… are you… ok? I haven't done anything have I?" I tentatively ask her. Her eyes widen in surprise at my words and she immediately responds forcefully.
"No, no. Shikikan…. You haven't done anything… Do not blame yourself, please. I'm just a bit under the weather is all…"
I shake my head. "Akagi… that's not it. Something has been wrong since the incident with Archiver… I know what you went through must have been horrific. She had her claws in me for barely 10 minutes and I was a wreck. I cannot imagine what you endured and what it must be like living with that. But you know that you can talk to me, right?"
She immediately lowers her gaze to the floor, unable to look me in the eye as her ears flatten against her head. "… I cannot." She whispers faintly before tears start to fall from her eyes.
"Akagi, I am your husband, whatever is troubling you, whether it was what that damn Siren showed you or otherwise, please, let me help."
She simply shakes her head in response as tears continue to drop onto the wooden floor.
I get up and move over to her sofa, sitting to the side of her, going to take her in a hug. The second my hands touch her shoulders; her body jolts, her crying turning into sobbing. Her voice cracks painfully as she speaks. "I can't… I can't do this… just looking at you…. being near you…. your touch… it's too much… I do not… excuse me, I need some space…"
Before I can react, she has leapt off the sofa and is running up the stairs, I call out her name, but she doesn't answer, slamming the front door behind her as she takes off into the night.
I'm left on the sofa alone, my thoughts spiralling and my heart aching.
Before long the bedroom door creaks open and Kaga appears, and slowly makes her way towards me before placing herself on the sofa next to me. "Hmm, it did not go well I gather." I shake my head in despair.
"I don't know what's got into her, she was adamant I shouldn't blame myself. But she wouldn't tell me what was bothering her…"
Kaga sighs and wraps an arm comfortingly around me before answering. "My dear sister can be fickle, as I said, she is strong, but it would appear she has reached her limit. Now you have confronted her about it, she has rejected it, ran from it. But she cannot run forever, she knows this, but will try nonetheless. I think… you should go find her; the initial shock may have worn off. Whatever ails her is serious and I hope you can set it right, for her sake, and your own."
I nod in agreement; I couldn't leave things as they were. Akagi may well come back, but if she did, she may not speak about it, and we would be back to square one. She would avoid confronting whatever was troubling her as long as she could.
I stand, giving the fair-haired carrier a thankful kiss before grabbing my coat and exiting the house as I walk into the night, in search of my wife.
I had a good guess as to where she would be, the Sakura shrine on a hill looking over the port. It was one of her favourite spots and would often visit to pay her respects and relax. And if she was upset, it was the one place she tended to go to try and calm herself. I begin the climb, steep steps hindering my progress upwards until I eventually reach the entrance.
I had to admit, it truly was a beautiful spot, cherry blossom trees shimmering, the occasional petal floating on the wind. The traditional Sakura architecture adding to the authenticity, all lit by ornate lanterns that glowed brightly in the dark. The view of the port glowing below us along with the long stretch of ocean, and further in the distance, the faint glow of the nearest town.
I see a figure emerge from the entrance, greeting me with a deep bow. I smile at the shrine caretaker, Yamashiro, and ask her if she has seen Akagi. "She's in the garden, Milord, I'll give the two of you some privacy." She passes me, almost tripping on a loose slab of path before managing to right herself and gives me a sheepish smile before continuing on.
I enter the shrine and turn towards the garden. I immediately spot my wife; all I can see is her back. She is kneeling by a particularly large cherry blossom tree with a lantern by her side. As I get closer, I notice her tails are unmoving and her ears are flattened against her head in sadness. Even her shoulders are dipped, and while she isn't fully crying, I can make out the glistening of tears dropping from her face to the grass.
She speaks first, she probably knew I was here the second I reached the entrance, due to her keen sense of hearing and smell. "Hmph… I should have known you would find me here…" She continues to look straight ahead unmoving.
I step closer. "Akagi…"
She sighs. "Shikikan… you should not have of come… I…" Her head swivels towards me for a second, and I catch a glimpse of her face before she snaps back to looking straight ahead.
Her eyes are puffy from crying and there are clear tear streaks down her cheeks. It kills me to see her this upset, and I want to do something, anything, to make her feel better.
I keep my distance, aware of how she ran last time I tried to hug her, simply coming level with her, so all I can see is her side. I notice that she is fiddling with something in hand, and I feel my heart skip a beat when I realise what it is.
Her oath ring.
She keeps turning it, using her thumb and forefinger, staring at it with tears in her eyes. She lets out a sob of pain before wrapping her hand around it, forming a fist. "I do not deserve this… I do not deserve you…" Her arm raises above her shoulder as she prepares to throw it.
I immediately rush to her and grasp my hand over hers, stopping her. She looks at me in surprise, her face close to mine. "Shikikan… please… I do not… I…" She breaks down, crying into my shoulder as she releases her fist, and the oath ring falls into my hand.
We sit like that, not saying a word as she continues to cry into my shoulder, her tears dampening my shirt. I hold her close, stroking the back of her head comfortingly as her body spasms with her sobs. Eventually, she runs out of tears, and her crying begins to subside.
She slowly removes herself from my shoulder and looks me in the face, before immediately averting her eyes towards the ground. "How… How can you look at me in that way?" Confused, I ask her what she means.
"You look at me like you always have. Full of love, compassion, caring. How? Do you not hate me? Do I not disgust you?"
I shake my head. "Not at all. Why in the world would I hate you?"
She lets out a sad mock laugh. "There are plenty of reasons…"
I hazard a guess as to what this is all about and timidly ask her. "Is this because… of what Archiver showed us? With those Dragon Empery girls?"
She doesn't answer, but turns her head away from me in shame, confirming my suspensions. "Akagi… I admit, that it did shock me at first, but whatever you did to them, it is in the past, I know full well that is not who you are now. You are my wife, and I love and forgive you."
She continues to look away from me as she mutters. "Fool… that's part of the problem."
I detect a hint of anger in her voice and I start to get very confused. I thought she was insecure about her past, and that I would think differently of her, having seen it. But it would seem that wasn't the case.
She turns and looks me, faint anger in her ruby eyes. "I knew full well you would not think differently of me! You are so damn good. No matter what side you see of me. No matter how badly I hurt you or others, again and again. Forgiving all of my actions, no matter how heinous, proclaiming that you will always love me! Washing me off all my sins!"
Her voice raises in anger as she speaks, but she quickly simmers down as she continues, her voice instead tinged with sadness. "I… I love you… so much… you truly are everything to me. You mean more to me than even the Empire… But that is the problem. You are too good to me. You make me feel like I am a better person, you forgive me when I need forgiving, you make this sly fox want to be better, and I cherish that. You are my prize… but I do not deserve it. Not that ring, not our home, or our life. Any of it. Not you. Not your love, nor your forgiveness. My sins can never be washed away, even by you... Archiver proved that; I had forced myself to forget about those actions… That Akagi was a very different person, but that Siren was right, it was still me, and I am a monster…"
I sit there, watching her intently as she confesses to me. My mind tries it's best to comprehend her words. "Akagi…" I move my hand to try and comfort her, but she shies away from my touch.
"I don't deserve happiness. Nor comfort, not after the things I have done." She says bitterly.
I sigh in exasperation before replying, my voice firm. "Akagi. Everyone has a history. Everyone has sinned. It's how you move past them that counts. I had Isuzu executed. Everyday I live with that and try to atone for it. I feel like I should be punished for it. But you know what's important?"
I pause, and she turns to look at me, her eyes glistening as she stares back at me. "What's important is that I feel like that. The very fact that you think you don't deserve your life, makes you deserving of it. If you weren't remorseful, you truly would be a monster. You try to atone for your sins, just as I do because of a sense of responsibility. And it's that responsibility that keeps us going. You deserve happiness, you deserve your life, exactly because you don't want to be that old version of you. Because you are ashamed of it, haunted by it, and you try to make it right, every single day of your life."
She regards me after my speech, a faint smile forming on her lips as the occasional tear rolls down her visage. "That… was actually very wise… dear Shikikan… but…" I reach an arm out and wrap it around her, and she does not shy away this time, pressing herself into me as I take her in a deep hug interrupting her.
I whisper in her ear. "Besides… what about me? Don't I deserve you? I need you too. You are just as much my prize, my everything. We can simply atone for our sins together." I feel her reluctantly nod against my chest as her ears start to raise, life returning to them as her tails start to gently wag in happiness.
Eventually, she pulls back from the hug and stares at me her eyes watering, but this time with happiness. "Thank you, dear husband." She gives me a tired smile then moves her face forward as her lips touch mine. It's a gentle kiss, not one of our traditional passionate ones. Our tongues coil around one another slowly, performing more of a delicate dance than a rough wrestling match. My hands do not wander, simply holding her close lovingly as she does the same to me.
After a while, I pull away slowly. "Gods… It has been too long… Do you know how hard it was to stop myself from doing that… for so long?" She gives a light chuckle.
"Akagi?" She looks at me questioningly.
"Yes, dear?"
I sigh, annoyed with myself, but feeling like I need to say something. "I am sorry for spoiling the mood. But I would not forgive myself if I did not say anything…"
She tilts her head in confusion as her ears stop twitching, focusing on my words.
I continue. "Seeing as we were talking about Archiver… I know she put you through a lot. And you may well have no wish to recall any of it. But if you ever want to talk… about what you saw, be it about Kaga, Me or even…"
I pause, taking a breath. "…Amagi…"
Her face immediately drops in sadness, but she tries to keep a faint smile on her face. "I see… Archiver told you about her methods when I was out, I presume?"
I nod. "Archiver made a point out of how painful it was for you. I know you don't like to talk about your sister… and what happened to her… But just know I am here if you ever feel the need. Ok?"
She nods. "I know… but the memories of Amagi I would rather leave in the past… especially after Archiver dragged them back up… is that ok?"
I give her a smile. "Of course."
"But… I must say, what Archiver showed me… it was all truly horrific… especially seeing you… the words you said…" Her eyes unfocus as she reminisces on the scene I myself had seen.
She shifts her view back to me as her eyes focus again and she smiles. "But you should not worry. I know it wasn't you… You would never say those things… I know this from the bottom of my heart, it's just at the time, it was so vivid, so real."
She pauses before continuing. "And… I wish to apologize, for the way I spoke to you at the repair yard. I was angry, I was grieving. I ran off like a fool, my only focus on revenge, and it led me into that Siren's clutches, and by extension… put you in danger too.. I cannot believe that I would be so reckless as to get you hurt... Everything I do, at all times... is to keep you safe, no matter the cost, and I failed at that duty."
I take in her a quick hug again, relishing the contact after 2 weeks of her being so distant. "It's fine... It's all fine… let's just move on from it all." She gently nods in agreement.
I pull back and hold her oath ring in my hand up. "May I?" She graces me with a warm smile as her ears begin to twitch happily, offering me her hand daintily. I slip the ring gently unto her finger, where it belongs. After I make sure it is snug, I bend down and give it a kiss and I hear Akagi's tails wag faster at the action as she looks on.
"Dear husband… do you know why I became obsessed with you so, those many years ago? Why I wished to court you? For you to finally place that ring upon my finger? And why I eventually, became... somewhat... possessive of you..."
I quickly answer with a grin. "My striking good looks and lovely personality?"
She lets out a hearty laugh, the sound bringing me immeasurable joy after seeing her so upset.
"Well… not quite. It was your spirit. I could see you were troubled by something, that much was clear. Yet you stood strong, you answered us truthfully and honestly, making peace with our hatred towards you and sticking to your decision to spare us, regardless of what we said or did. It was that strength, that conviction, even when you were haunted by something, that attracted me. My... obsession, simply grew from that... and a desire to keep you close and safe whenever I could. After Amagi... I cannot handle any more loss, any more pain. So I devoted myself completely to keeping Kaga and you safe, and giving you both as much of my love as you deserve."
She looks downcast for a second, before trying to brighten the mood. "Admittedly… I did also find you adorably cute… I thought you would make a great pet."
"Well, I'm certainly glad you didn't make me a pet, not sure that life would suit me." I try to keep the mood light. with a joking smile.
She lets out another laugh before grinning at me. "Oh, dear Husband, what exactly do you think you are now? It's simply a ring instead of a collar. Everyone knows the wife is really in charge." We both chuckle and it feels so good after dredging up such serious matters.
I then take her hand as our two oath rings touch and pull her up as I stand. "Come on… we better get home. Kaga will be wondering where we are." She smiles as she saddles next to me, walking in step as we head out of the shrine into the cold dark night, each holding the other close.
