I felt like... coming back to consciousness... Like waking up from a dream... Everything was black... My eyes were closed...

What is this ?

Kisses... Light as feathers... Down my neck and on my chest... Hands... fingers... running on my body... hair... flowing, caressing my skin... and... my manhood... in a very warm pleasurable place...

What's happening ?

I opened my eyes, blurry, and it took me a few seconds to see clearly. The room was dark even if there was a dim warm light chasing away the shadows of the night. I saw the dark brown hair flowing on my body and the top of the head that was kissing my chest. She moved to the side and bit a nipple then moved her tongue on it playfully and lifted her head.

Chizuru ?

Her eyes were closed and she moved a bit her body to reach my lips, releasing a bit my manhood but not entirely and that slow contact was a sweet torture. She came to kiss me, a soft kiss, mellow and tender, and I worked my lips against hers in a slow motion, keeping the smooth pace she had decided to set. She parted and I wanted to lift my head up to catch her lips again but my body wouldn't obey my commands. My head and my back, even my legs, were pinned to the futon. I had no control.

Why can't I move ?

Her hips started moving, back and forth, and lifting themselves a bit like if she was making small circles. It was delicious to have her controlling everything with her expert movements that were sending waves of pleasure in my entire body.

Her hands caressed my neck, my shoulders, my chest... Her eyes still closed, as if she wanted to savor every single touch of her fingers on my skin. Her palms stopped their course to rest on my stomach, her fingers clenching to the bottom of my rib cage as her mouth opened in awe. She was silent, just panting gently and not moaning as usual, but I didn't care, her face itself was enough for me to see that she was experiencing as much pleasure as I was.

I brought my hands on her hips, accompanying her motion without controlling it and her movements gained in intensity. They were still back and forth and up and down and still so slow but the amplitude was growing. She was moving like a snake and even with the slowness of her movements, I was getting closer to ecstasy.

Her hands quitted my stomach and she stiffened her back, bringing her fingers to her hair to hold them up, lifting her chin high, surrendering to her sensations. With her arms up this way, her proud breasts were round and perfect, moving a bit, following her hips as she was riding me slowly like a demoness. Her mouth was still agap in awe and her eyes closed and squeezed, showing the pleasure that she was getting from the treatment she was making me endure. I couldn't detach my eyes from her and I was reaching higher peaks of pleasure with each of her thrusts. I was feeling a bit like a tool but I couldn't care less. Her face of pure ecstasy was delightful enough for me to let her use my person as she wanted to.

I felt my whole body stiffened and I escaped a groan as I became overwhelmed by the sensations she was giving me and released the passion inside her body. It was so intense that I started panting, after the embrace, and I closed my eyes for a few seconds to savor the feeling of being one with her.

When I opened them, Chizuru hadn't moved and she was still around my manhood. She was smiling playfully but instead of her big chestnut eyes, she had silver almond ones.

I woke up with a gasp, sitting up and unsheathing my katana. I was at the inn, in my bedroom with Haruhi sleeping in her futon next to me. No one else was there and I relaxed a little. I was wearing my nagajuban which was totally opened under the covers but it could as well have loosened in my sleep.

Was it a dream ?

I laid back on the futon, listening to Haruhi's steady breath. She seemed to be a bit better, she wasn't panting like the previous day. That was relieving. The fever was getting better.

I dreamt of Chizuru...

Chizuru. No doubt possible. It was her face, it was her body. But she had silver eyes... Like Koan and Mika... I shook my head to throw that thought away. I guess I was so curious about the both of them that my mind played tricks on me, combining unsettling things in my dreams. I had no desire for Mika anyway but surely the feeling that was sometimes invading my chest when she was smiling had something to do with this.

But ... What if it wasn't a dream ?

I rubbed my hand on my eyes. It felt real, totally real, but there was no way it could be real. Even if I did sleep with Mika, which I didn't, I wouldn't have done it with Haruhi sleeping inches away from me. In addition, Mika and Chizuru didn't look the same at all. Mika had a thin face, bulging cheekbones and almond silver eyes while Chizuru had round features with hazel eyes eating up half her face. Even their body was different, Mika's was slender and tall while Chizuru's was shorter, with round hips and round thigh, round little stomach, round little breasts... Although athletic, everything was round in Chizuru... They had nothing in common. No. Even in the dark, there was no way I could have confused the both of them. I don't know why my mind decided to patch Mika's eyes on Chizuru's face but it couldn't be anything else than a dream.

I closed my nagajuban and stood up to kneel in front of Haruhi. I passed my hand on her forehead which was still very hot. I guess we would have to lose another day then. We couldn't keep traveling with her in that state.

She opened her eyes which were still blurry and looked at me with a smile.

« Are you feeling better ? » I asked her.

« I think so... » she whispered.

She seemed pale but she could speak and think clearly. That meant that the fever was supposedly getting down. Maybe she could walk a bit now. That would be good for her.

« Haruhi » I asked, feeling the tip of my ears becoming red « did you notice something unusual tonight ? »

« No... » she answered after taking a few seconds to think « I woke up at a moment and you were not there, that I recall... But that's all. »

« You haven't seen or heard anything ? » I asked again.

I knew what the answer was, since it was nothing but a dream, but I needed the reassurance of asking her anyway, to be sure.

« No, nothing... » she shook her head « should I have ? »

I shook my head too, relieved, and took her hand in mine.

« Are you hungry ? » I asked.

She nodded and I helped her dress to take her downstairs for breakfast. Her legs were shaky but with me holding her hand, she managed to get to the common room. Mika and Koan were already there, drinking tea, and we joined their table. A young girl came to bring us trays with the breakfast on it : natto, rice and a soup. I thanked her genuinely and she came back with two other trays, this time for Koan and Mika. She blushed uncontrollably when Koan thanked her and Mika sighed, seeking help in my gaze. When she went away, Mika watched her go with a tired expression.

« And maybe another child of Koan in the world... » she sighed « aren't you too old to keep spreading your seed all over the country ? »

« Mind your own business. » scolded her father « and I still have a few more years ahead of me. I have to make the best of it. »

« And let your daughter drink tea outside in the cold all night because her bedroom is occupied... » she replied playfully « I was lucky Saito-san came to join me and got me out of boredom. »

I ignored both of them and looked at Haruhi, sipping her soup with shaking hands.

« Haruhi. » I ordered calmly « eat your natto. »

« But I don't like it... » she complained.

« Mix it with rice, it will soften the taste. » I ordered « natto is good for your body. It'll help you recover. »

She pouted but did as I said and put half her natto in the rice. I helped her mix it and she started eating grudgingly. Across the dinner table, both our companions were still arguing about Koan's nighttime activities. My dream was starting to make sense to me. I probably had heard a few sounds coming from the nearby room while asleep and my imagination did the rest. I missed Chizuru so much that it wasn't surprising.

« How old is she anyway ? Fithteen ? Sixteen ? » scolded Mika, arms crossed.

« Old enough. » replied Koan, sipping tea « and she came to find me. Ignoring her wouldn't have been gentlemanly. »

« Yeah sure... » she chuckled « so now you're a gentleman. You'll say that to her when you're gone tomorrow and she'll maybe have to raise a child alone. »

« Did I eat enough natto, Hajime ? » asked Haruhi, showing me her half eaten bowl of rice. « I really don't like it... »

« Alright » I sighed, exchanging my plain rice with hers « eat at least the rice. You need to eat to fight the illness. »

I ate the end of her natto mixed rice and she nearly finished my bowl before handing it back to me. I finished the bowl too, my natto and the soup. Mika and Koan had stopped fighting and they were eating too. When she was finished, the ginger woman stood up and bowed to us to leave the table.

« I'm going to the bathroom. » she said.

« Can you take Haruhi, Yasha-san ? » I asked her.

Surely, Haruhi would prefer to have another woman taking care of her. She didn't seem to be in the condition of cleaning her body herself and I couldn't let her keep all the fever sweat on her. Mika frowned and her father smirked, sipping tea.

« No. » she said with steel in her voice « I bathe alone. »

She went away, like angry, and left me perplexed but Koan just sighed, still sipping his tea.

« Women... » he eventually said « they're all crazy... And I think you'll agree with me, Saito-san but of all women, daughters are the worst. »

Haruhi's eyes threw daggers at the old man and I couldn't help but smirk a little.