It has been a while, I got a bit distracted and then got some super writers' block but I'm hoping I'm over the hump now and can move this story forward. Thanks for all the reviews and likes.
Part 12
3 days later.
Mika and Raizo started the day with what was becoming something more regular of late. The sun had begun to rise, and the burnt orange and yellow haze cast itself through the window and across the two sweating bodies heaving with exertion. Raizo had awoken before dawn as he always did and found Mika's back to him. He'd trailed his fingers over the smattering of healing cuts and bruises from her shoulder to her hip and when he'd pulled Mika's body closer to tuck against his own she'd stirred gently. When his grip on her hip became firmer, holding her in place enough to let her know he was pleased to be there Mika's body had arched into him with, semi-conscious, invitation.
And now here they both were, Mika's leg raised and propped on top of Raizo's thigh to grant him better access, the sheets balled up in her fist and pressed into the mattress while Raizo held her still and firm, a vessel to receive all he had to give, a place to plough the fears and frustrations he could never speak. And all at once, it was over in a crescendo of grunts and groans that left both parties equally exhausted.
Against all his desire to stay firmly buried within the warmth of Mika, Raizo gave in to gravity and rolled away from her and on to his back, an arm across his eyes to shield them from the rising sun. Mika stayed on her side a moment longer feeling cool air where heat slick with moisture had once been. She too then rolled on to her back to catch her breath.
The silence in the air seemed different than usual. "You can tell me," Raizo said quietly still looking at the ceiling.
"Tell you what?" Mika replied, "Are you listening in again?" She smiled and turned on to her side to face him.
"You have a vocal mind." He smiled back.
Mika gazed down the length of Raizo's body before raising her eyes to meet his. He was still on his back, legs crossed at the ankles with an arm propped behind his head but his gaze was turned towards her. Mika considered a moment before speaking, "I love what we do. But I hate how you came to be able to do it."
"We are there again." He sighed gently. "And?" Raizo turned onto his side this time fully facing Mika.
"Well one thing I've wondered is that you were kind of trained to weaponise pleasure, but were forbidden from exploring your own."
Raizo just nodded gently in agreement indicating for Mika to continue.
"I guess I want you to know that it doesn't always have to be about pleasing me. You can let me know what you like, explore…"
Raizo raised an eyebrow, and Mika rambled on. "I don't know. Maybe I just want to make sure we're still connected? I mean don't get me wrong, sex with you is damn good and I know we are far from slipping into a routine but…"
Raizo cut in again, "I think I know what you're trying to say."
"Good because I'm not even sure I know, what I'm trying to say."
Raizo smiled at her, "You don't want us to end up like Dr Manhattan and Silk Spectre."
Mika gasped, "Damnit, you watched it without me!" she gave Raizo a playful punch to the shoulder and swatted him with a nearby pillow.
"You were visiting Maslow, I had some spare time…you made the film sound very intriguing."
Mika shook her head at him, "Bad Ninja! We will revisit that conversation at a later date. And I guess yeah, I don't want us to get complacent. Maybe seeing as we might be spending more time apart soon, it's more like 'I' don't want to get complacent"
Raizo smiled wider this time.
"What?" Mika looked on suspiciously.
"Just thinking about something Jacob said to me back when Mel took you shopping for the first time."
Mika shot Raizo a warning glare, "Don't you dare sign me up to any of their freaky sexcapades mister!." She swatted his shoulder again.
He chuckled, "Not quite yet." Then his expression slowly changed to something darker. "I have something for you in the garage."
"Huh?"
Raizo sat up crossed-legged pulling on some nearby briefs, more out of habit than any attempt at modesty. He was quite comfortable being nude. He pulled a black band from his wrist and proceeded to tug his hair into a secure bun. "Let's take the day off." He announced with a coy smile on his face.
"Wait, what's in the garage?" Mika asked suspiciously.
Raizo leaned forward to peck Mika on the cheek then hopped out of the bed with the grace of a gymnast. Mika gathered the sheets around her body and scrambled out of the bed with much less grace, while Raizo pulled on a pair of sweat pants and a vest.
The garage was clean, clear and cold. It looked like a car had never been parked inside it. The walls were lined with shelves and a few cupboards but it was mostly stark which made the 'something' that Raizo was referring to all the more obvious.
A large case stood almost as tall as Mika, in the middle of the floor. Mika took an involuntary step back shaking her head. "Babe, what did you do?" She knew that sort of box, she'd had access to something very similar once upon a time. It had wheels at one corner.
"Raizo, sweetie?" Mika asked again not taking her eyes off the huge case.
"Mika my love?" Raizo was stifling a wicked grin.
"Why is there a freaking Harp case in your garage?"
Raizo circled behind Mika and placed his hands on her cool shoulders. "You keep naughty secrets Mika," he laid a gentle kiss on her shoulder.
Mika rolled her eyes at him, "How even did you…"
Raizo placed his arms around her waist from behind and rested his chin by her shoulder. "It's not so hard for me to find out things about people. Actually this was all you."
Mika turned to face him with eyes narrowed, "How?"
Raizo held his hands up in a placating gesture. "You asked to be trained to help people. Mel and Jacob perform deep background checks on prospective prospects as well as the targets. They let me know that you were once quite the harpist."
Mika was shaking her head again, "this is crazy, do you know how much these things cost?"
Raizo tilted his head, "A bit more than I thought they would, but it will be worth every penny to hear you play."
"Woah, woah, slow down," Now Mika had a hand up but it was more pleading than placating. "I haven't played the harp since freshman year of college. It is not a popular past time for a kid who already had trouble fitting in. I only played for the extra credit. I learned it as a joke!"
"I'm sure it will all come flooding back once you get your hands on it." Raizo leaned into Mika's ear and whispered, "It would please me greatly to hear you play, if only once." Then he walked away and left her alone with it. Mika rubbed a hand across her brow and sighed, and then an idea began to form.
Later that afternoon Raizo was out sat on the back porch steps, Mother the cat sat by his feet, a large ball of fur snoozing in the overcast sun. Raizo had left Mika in the bedroom doing what she called "research" on her laptop. Raizo was on the phone to Jacob.
"How is she?" Jacob queried. Raizo could hear something like metal being ground in the background.
"She's well."
"And you?" Jacob asked
"What about me?" asked Raizo.
"Have you prepared yourself for when she activates?"
Raizo took a short pause before responding and that pause told Jacob everything.
"It's no different from when my clan brothers would be out on mission. It's work."
Jacob was smiling with sympathy into the phone. Raizo could hear it in his voice. "I'm pretty sure you can handle anything Raizo but this will not be like watching your clan brothers go into battle. Just be prepared to feel a lot of shit you are not used to feeling. It will pass as she progresses, but it will be uncomfortable at the start."
Raizo put his palm to his forehead to gently massage out a growing tension building there. He nodded against the phone. "I'm prepared." He said simply. And he wasn't lying. His meditations had taken on a very different focus of late.
"Stay sane brother." Jacob said and hung up the phone before Raizo could reply.
Raizo glanced down at Mother who had now woken up and was sat staring up at him blinking softly as if trying to communicate telepathically. "What do you think Mother? Will we survive this?"
The cat stared back at him and then started to wheeze and heave. Raizo leaned back then stood up to get out of the range of whatever was going to be expelled from the feline but before she could cough up the hairball, Mother made a swallowing sound and licked her lips.
"Well, that is quite disgusting." Raizo shook his head at her but the cat just licked her lips again and turned to walk off down the beach. A sound like furniture moving caught his attention from inside the house and Raizo made his way inside.
What he found was Mika in the final stages of clearing the furniture from the centre of the living room. She'd moved the items to be neatly set against the walls or as close to them as she could to clear a large central space in front of the fireplace. Raizo was smiling as he propped himself up to lean against the sliding door frame with his arms folded.
"You gonna ask me if I need any help?" Mika called over while readjusting the rug that had been ruffled during the furniture move.
Raizo gently shrugged a shoulder. "Looks like you have everything in hand."
Mika was trying not to trip over the floor-length dark blue dressing gown she was wearing and had tied her hair up in a messy bun atop her head as she usually did while she was at home. "Well then just sit your ass down on the couch and keep out of the way."
She motioned over to the couch's new home against the far wall under a window.
Raizo did as he was told and found a small remote control laid on one of the seat cushions. He pulled a rubber band from his wrist to tie his hair back out of his face. It had started to rain gently outside but the speed of the dramatic darkness creeping across the sky suggested that a short sharp storm was coming.
"Mika?" Raizo called out gently as she padded around the corner shushing him.
Mika returned moments later wearing a pair of slingback black heels and trying her best to elegantly wheel the huge harp into the centre of the living room. Raizo's smile widened as Mika positioned the harp side on but angled slightly toward Raizo.
"You get this only once." She warned playfully while pulling up a stool to position behind the huge instrument. "Please press play on the remote for the backing track when I nod."
Raizo was beaming from ear to ear. "I am at your disposal." He'd pulled his legs up to cross them like a child and was leaning forward in anticipation with his elbows resting on his knees, hands clasped.
Mika stood beside the stool and loosened her robe to let it fall to the floor. Raizo's hands unclasped, his eyes unblinking taking in every inch of her starting with her long toned perfect brown legs that he only just realised she was wearing sheer stockings on. His gaze roamed higher, up to the high leg to black stocking tops attached to a matching garter surrounding a midnight blue satin and lace thong, up further to a matching bra adorned with diamante at the shoulder and between her ample cleavage.
Mika took the briefest of glances over her shoulder, through long black lashes to see Raizo now with his feet lowered to the floor, his upper body upright and unmoving. Mika lifted one leg gracefully to straddle then lower herself on to the stool. She pulled the harp closer to her between her splayed knees and nodded with her hands poised on either side of the strings.
No sound. She glanced over at Raizo, "Babe?"
"Yes Mika," His reply was a throaty whisper, the sound he made when his focus was narrowing down to a fine point.
"The remote."
The words seemed to take a moment to compute. "Oh, right, yes.." He didn't even look down at his hands, just reached across the cushion to pick up the small device and pressed play. A low hum of gentle bass notes rose from the speakers shortly joined by an oboe, a clarinet and a piano. Mika closed her eyes, exhaled, her heart racing but as soon as she started to pluck those strings it all came flooding back. The backing track swelled around her.
Raizo scooted off the couch to sit on the floor in front of it, knees pulled up to his chest and his chin rested upon them. He navigated an inner conflict, closed eyes to hear the beautiful music all the better, all the deeper or opened eyes to watch his Mika, his phoenix dwarfed by the beast of strings between her perfect brown thighs, sounding like a dream.
Mika played on. She'd found the backing track on one of her old pen drives. She'd last played at her college graduation a week after the fifth anniversary of her mother's death. Her father has attended although he seemed proud, Mika remembered how hard he seemed to find looking at her for more than a few seconds at a time. She played on, her body swaying with each movement as if she were willow tree caressed by the rhythm's current. She wasn't prepared for how visceral the memories would be just from playing again and when 3 stray tears rolled down her cheeks in a gentle release she didn't stop to swat them away. She had to finish and soon as the music swept towards its conclusion Mika's memories had moved from that of bittersweet nostalgia to her present-day, her present life. So much had changed for that young woman who left college to join Europol. Meeting the beautiful man sat on the floor watching her as if he were at worship had changed everything and she would change nothing about the journey that had brought her to this point. A warmth began at the back of her neck and travelled down to her chest quickening her heart once again before lowering to her stomach and heating things farther below. When the music stopped and her fingers strummed their final note and stilled the strings she sat astride the harp, still, with her eyes closed, chest heaving as her hands lowered to her the tops of her thighs.
It seemed like an age had past when Raizo's firm voice stirred Mika from her reverie.
"Mika." Was the only word he uttered, and in that word, he said everything. His eyes dark and set firm and predatory ordered her to come to him. She got up from her seat, slowly, gracefully her eyes never leaving Raizo's. She walked right up to him as he remained on the floor having moved to rest on one knee, the other leg tucked under himself. Mika stopped inches from Raizo so that he had to crane his neck to look up at her. His hands reached out slowly gently ghosting his fingertips over her stockings from ankle to thigh and back again.
"Step out of the shoes."
Mika turned to her side to bend over with perfectly straight legs as she tugged the slingback strap down over her heels each in turn and stepped out of the stilettos. When she was done, Raizo got to his knees and pulled his t-shirt off over his head in one swift movement and discarded it on the floor beside him. He then proceeded to gently run his hands up the sides of Mika's legs until he got to the top of her thong. He leaned his forehead against her taut stomach and breathed her in deep as he tugged her thong down her legs till she stepped out of it. He purposefully left her stocking and garter belt alone. Those were staying on as long as he could help it.
He lay gentle kisses on her shins, then her knees and up her thighs alternating with lips and finger caresses. Mika was at his mercy. There was little she would refuse him at that moment as long as didn't stop touching her. Raizo could smell her arousal long before he relieved her of her panties but now her need was all around him and it was dizzying but he was determined to take his time. He was truly testing Mika's resolve and when his mouth found the heat between her thighs he held had to hold her firm as her knees threatened to give. When Mika let out a low groan of pleasure Raizo took it upon himself to test her further but taking her left leg and placing over his shoulder as if he could drown in her. Mika's eyes were closed, her hands gripping Raizo's forearms while he trapped her. Mika felt the first stirrings of a climax sooner than she had wanted to. She wanted to last longer but there was no way with Raizo's tongue torturing her and when he coupled that with his fingers plunged deep inside her she came hard and fast, her knees buckling and the only thing keeping her standing being Raizo's continuous assault. He didn't stop lapping at her until the last of the aftershocks had subsided. Only then did he allow Mika to lower to the ground with him and straddle his lap as she caught her breath.
tbc