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Tashio: Thank you! It's so good to be back, and I'm glad you're back too! There will be drama, but what exactly about I won't say. Hope you enjoy the ride :-)
Consolation
Chapter 02: Accarezzevole (Or, expressive and caressing)
Kurama looked up while he slipped off his shoes. "Asuka, my love," he said with wide, emotional eyes. He pulled her into his chest and Asuka realized she hadn't registered him walking toward her. It didn't matter.
"Kurama," she sobbed while she tugged on the collar of his jacket.
He placed his head in the crook of her neck and breathed deeply. His arms tightened around her. "Asuka," he said into her neck.
He smelled like musk and roses. The familiar scent warmed her. This was home. Him. She loved this man more than anything.
Kurama pulled away just enough to cup her cheeks with his hands. His emerald eyes searched hers before he leaned down and captured her lips. Asuka's knees went weak as his mouth locked with hers. Salty tears ran down her cheeks and spilled over Kurama's hands.
"I love you," he said after he pulled his lips away. His hands remained on her cheeks. "I canceled all of my appointments and left work early." He placed his forehead on hers and exhaled.
"You…did?"
"I couldn't stand the idea of you being at home waiting for me. I couldn't bear it, Love."
Asuka swallowed. His tenderness overwhelmed her. "I'm so glad you did. I…was worried you would be held up at the office and I wasn't sure what I was going to do. The idea of waiting for one-second longer…"
Kurama pulled her against him and placed his chin on her head. "I know." His warmth cocooned her while she gripped his back. She hadn't realized how anxious she'd been without him.
"How was your flight?" he asked softly.
"Long, but since we were in first class, I was comfortable. I'm so relieved to be home."
Kurama's fingers ran through her hair. His chest heaved as he took deep breaths. "Me too. I couldn't help but be worried while you were gone. Being apart from you was…difficult for me." His tone was strained.
Asuka tightened her hold on him. "I know. I'm so sorry."
"No need to apologize. You had to take this opportunity. I'm glad you went."
"I don't think I can do that long ever again."
"Well," he said as his hand moved down her back, "we can see what we can do next time. For now, I'm just glad you're home."
Asuka sighed. "Being delayed was agony."
He leaned down, kissed her forehead, and moved to step away.
Asuka stopped him.
Truly, though perhaps foolishly, it wasn't Asuka's plan to jump her husband as soon as he walked through the door. She couldn't bear to let him go now that he was in her arms. Not even to put away his jacket.
"Don't," she swallowed. "I need you. Now."
Kurama's eyes darkened before he moved in to kiss her again. Her breath faltered as he moved his entire head with his kiss. His body came around her as he moved her backward. Asuka's back hit the wall, and Kurama pressed into her more fully.
His mouth left hers as he kissed down her throat and ended up in the crook of her neck, where he breathed in again. "How…Asuka. How do you want me?" His breath was husky over her skin and his erection pressed into her.
She gripped him. "I…I need you both ways. You pick which you want first."
Asuka thought his Yoko form would be first since that would allow him to douse himself in her scent. He surprised her.
"I need you as I am now."
His gravelly voice caused wetness to soak through her underwear.
She felt his desperation as he kissed her and tugged at her clothes. He wasn't sure what to do first because he wanted to do everything at once. Kurama unbuttoned her blouse as Asuka endeavored to get out of her skirt. When he exposed her breasts, he growled and cupped them cocooned in her bra.
Asuka fumbled with his jacket. It was sexy, but she was frustrated there were so many buttons. "Kurama, hurry. Get this off."
He stopped what he was doing and finished unbuttoning the jacket. He shrugged it off, then unbuckled his pants and stepped out of them. In another heartbeat, his underwear was gone. His teeth scraped against her lips as his mouth opened to cover hers.
Asuka hadn't finished taking her underwear off, but she still wrapped her leg around Kurama's waist. He hoisted her up on the wall, moved her underwear aside, and sheathed himself.
Kurama slapped the wall next to her head as Asuka groaned.
"Too long, Asuka," he huffed.
"I know," she said, breathless.
He thrust. "You're so perfect."
"I've been fantasizing about being in your arms for weeks."
"I've missed you. Missed all of you."
Put a baby in me, Kurama.
She was close to ovulating. Maybe five more days? Sperm could live that long in the uterus.
No. Stop. Don't think about that. That's not what this is about. Is that the only thing you are thinking about now? With the man you love? How can you be so selfish?
Her self-scolding only lasted until the next thrust.
She opened her eyes and looked into Kurama's, which were hazed over with extreme arousal. His mouth hung open as he stared at her chest. All of Asuka's other thoughts faded. She gripped his shoulders, frustrated he still had his shirt on. "I want us naked, Kurama. I need to feel as much of you as I can."
In response, he brought her off the wall and shifted his hands to hold her by the butt. Asuka unclasped her bra and tossed it to the side.
"What about these?" he asked gruffly as he tugged at her underwear.
"Rip them off."
He obeyed.
Next, Kurama pushed her back against the wall. He moved out and in while Asuka helped take off his tie and unbuttoned his white dress shirt. It was delicious. "Ahh," she squeaked.
"Hold on to me."
Asuka slipped her hands underneath his shirt and onto his broad shoulders. She bit her lip as her breasts came into contact with his bare chest. He wrapped his left hand around her back and shook off the shirt with his right hand.
Finally, they were naked.
"Better?"
"Yes," Asuka huffed.
Kurama's late twenties had brought broadened shoulders, a larger chest, and longer hair. He was still beautiful, but his frame had changed into something more masculine. Asuka relished the feeling of her small body, which had hardly changed, against his. He was so sexy, and he was hers.
His thrusts were powerful and slow. "How's that, Love?"
"Just a little higher of an angle."
He adjusted her in his arms, which made his biceps flex. He thrust again.
"Yes," Asuka groaned. "That's so good, Kurama."
Again, he thrust, which caused a visceral cry to rip from Asuka's lips.
"I've missed the noises you make," he huffed out. "That one time on the phone didn't cut it. I want to hear more of you. I need to, Asuka."
"Then fuck me good, Love."
He growled and snapped his hips.
"Faster," she commanded, breathless.
Kurama's hair was now sticking to his face and chest. She loved seeing him like this—sweaty from the exertion of holding her up while he thrusted. She wanted to drown in him—his rigid muscles, his musk, the sounds he made, his strength.
"You feel so good, Asuka."
He was hitting her deep. She gave a throaty response as their bodies slapped together, exhilarated by the sensations Kurama drew out of her. She felt his knees buckle just before he moaned. He pulsed hard inside her. The touch of him hit her in just the right spot, and she also climaxed.
Their chests heaved against one another as they took a moment.
Kurama gently brought them to the floor after they finished, still connected. His legs shook from the combination of his climax and holding her up. In response, Asuka pulled her body backward, laid on the floor, and took Kurama with her. He laid on top of her and kissed her fervently.
"Love," he said breathlessly. "I—"
"I know. Me too."
His shoulders heaved as he relaxed. Asuka ran her fingers through his hair in slow motions, comforting him.
Eventually, he pulled out and rolled off her. His eyes shone, and he smiled.
"It was not my plan to jump you as soon as you got home," Asuka said.
"Oh, and why not?"
"Good question."
He chuckled. "I'm glad you did. I told myself that you might be sleeping, or too tired. I told myself to practice some restraint and not overwhelm you."
"I love when you overwhelm me."
His eyes closed briefly before he sat up. "Come, Love. The hardwood floor isn't comfortable."
She nodded and stood.
"Still want me the other way?" he clasped her hand as they walked to their bedroom.
"Yes. Just give me a moment."
"Take your time."
Asuka reluctantly let go of Kurama's hand and veered off to the bathroom. She quickly cleaned herself off in the shower without getting her hair wet. When she finished, she looked in the mirror.
Her long, flowing chestnut hair still cascaded down her body and ended midway at her thighs. Asuka carefully arranged her hair before she returned to Kurama. It would get jostled as soon as she climbed into bed, but he loved the way her hair flowed over her breasts.
She was rewarded. Kurama was already in his Yoko form, and as soon as his gaze fell upon her naked body, he became aroused.
Asuka got into bed.
Kurama's amber eyes sparkled, and his long silver hair fell forward as he crawled over to her. "Right now, I just want to be near you."
Asuka lifted her arm. "Be near me, Love."
Kurama lay on his side and draped himself over her body. His nose was in the crook of her neck. He breathed deeply while his hand rubbed her skin just underneath her breast. "I love you," he whispered. "I've missed you. This is so good. Smelling you, hearing you breathe. Touching your soft skin with my fingers."
Asuka reached around him and ran her fingers through his tail while she massaged one of his fuzzy ears with her other hand. He nuzzled her and purred.
She sighed as she listened to him, her body warming as he breathed her in. His erection was hard between them, but he lay still as she lightly tugged his tail.
They quietly lay like that until Kurama said, "I can smell your arousal. It's my favorite scent of yours and I've lived without it for too long."
She shivered and more heat shot into her belly as he lightly peppered her neck with kisses.
This time, their lovemaking was slow and full of tender love. Each sloppy kiss, thrust, and pant communicated something to the other.
Being with Kurama in his human form was different than being with him in his Yoko form. Asuka always loved it because it wasn't something he did often unless she specifically requested his yokai body.
After they were spent, they lay quietly again.
Kurama lifted his head and said softly, "You're so perfect. I wish I could whisk you away somewhere and make love to you all day. On a beach, by a waterfall, in the rain, underneath the stars."
"Mmmm," Asuka said. "Why don't you?"
Kurama chuckled. "Maybe I will."
He began to stand.
"Where are you going?"
"I'm going to get changed and get our curry," he said with a soft smile.
"Let's just get delivery. Pizza is fine. I…I don't want you to leave tonight."
Kurama changed back to his human body, propped up some pillows, and leaned back against them. Asuka snuggled into his chest while he got on the phone and ordered the pizza.
"Should be twenty minutes," he said when he hung up. His arms came around her and drew small circles on her back.
"Kurama," Asuka said quietly, "Just before I came home, I made the appointment with the fertility doctor. It'll be next week, right after work."
He squeezed her.
Asuka closed her eyes, but tears still slipped out underneath. "I just wanted to come home with news that I was pregnant. I know it's stupid."
"It's not stupid." He kissed her head.
"The fact I'm having trouble is made more real by us visiting a doctor. I just wanted to bring back happy news when I returned."
Kurama gently pushed her off himself and looked her square in the eye. "You coming home to me is happy news. Don't forget that."
Asuka put her head on Kurama's chest.
When Asuka told Kurama she wanted babies two years ago, he suggested they try immediately. But she also recognized he wasn't desperate for a baby. He had said as much when they held off fertility treatment.
"Every day you are here is everything I could want. Everything else is a bonus," he had said. "But I'm with you and will go as far as you wish on the journey ahead."
Asuka understood where he was coming from, and, she supposed, they both couldn't be broken up about it. He was still Kurama, after all. It wasn't in his nature to be overly emotional about this kind of situation.
But he would make such a wonderful father. How he loved her was a glimpse of how he would love their child.
"I'm so frustrated at my body."
"It might be my fault, you know."
"It's not you."
"We'll find out
It's definitely not you.
Knowing Kurama, he had a higher-than-normal sperm count. That's how things went with him.
Asuka sighed. There was no point in talking about it further. They'd had this conversation a million times already.
"I apologize if I'm making it seem like I'm dismissing your feelings, Love. I know how upset you've been, especially with yourself. I only wish to comfort you by reminding you it might not be what you think. We won't know until we've seen a specialist."
Or, it could be exactly what I think. Asuka bit back the thought.
Before Asuka had left for her tour, she had gathered her courage and paid a visit to the Raekai with a single question: can this body get pregnant?
"We're in completely unfamiliar territory," the specialist on the races of the different existence planes said. "The Yosei [fairies] are the rarest of all species. There have only been a handful and as far as I'm aware, the others did not try to procreate."
"So, you don't know?" Asuka asked.
"No. Technically speaking, everyone's bodies work the same way, whether they are yokai, ningenkai, or raekai. This allowed a human woman to become pregnant from relations with a yokai."
"You're talking about Yusuke's ancestral line."
"Correct. I'm sure you already know this, but healing won't work either. Restoring someone's body to the way it was differs greatly from fixing a complex problem like infertility. If you are having trouble, a human approach may work for you. I can offer you nothing from here. Those who live in the Raekai do not have such problems."
Asuka left more frustrated than she entered. Plus, she still hated the Raekai. It was like she'd gone for no reason at all.
Asuka's thoughts moved back to the present and the man whose strong arms surrounded her.
"It's just…hard," she said to Kurama. "Because I want babies with you. I love you more than anything, and I want that love to manifest itself as our child. I want to hold the product of our love in my arms. I want to watch you smile at them and I want to see the baby's hand wrap around your finger."
"That would be incredible," he murmured.
"Yeah."
Kurama kissed her head again. "Pizza will be here soon. I'll get dressed. Come out whenever you're ready. I love you, Asuka."
"I love you, Kurama."
Asuka watched him pin his hair back and slip on a v-neck t-shirt and some workout sweats. Even in an outfit like that, he looked delicious.
I'm married to the love of my life. After everything we've been through, we still have each other. We can get through anything.
Asuka got out of bed and slipped on a comfortable loose sweater with leggings. By the time she found Kurama, he was walking to their dining room table with a box of pizza. He smiled at her, and she again saw how much he missed her, and how happy he was to have her home. She smiled back and sat down at the table.
"I love your new jacket," Asuka said. "It's sexy."
"I thought of you when I bought it. I saw it in a store window when I was walking to Yusuke's one evening. It was time for a new one."
"Ah, Yusuke. How's the ramen business?"
And so, Kurama told Asuka some of what happened while she was away. Asuka also recounted her trip to Kurama.
They laughed, enjoyed their pizza, and reveled in each other's company.
Author's Note:
So, fun news. I decided to make a spotify playlist with all of Asuka's music which I will update when there's a chapter with a classical music piece in it. The fun part about classical music is the wide range of interpretations which means you will have a very different experience listening to Lang Lang play Liebestraum no. 3 vs how Khatia Buniatishvili plays it.
The versions in the spotify playlist are the exact same as the versions playlist I've had on my itunes for the past few years. So if that interests you, you can search "Asuka Minamino's Playlist" on spotify, or find my profile, which is Arielle1406. You can also find it by opening Spotify and adding playlist/5cVDZjlukJw1QrXJZbYLHj to the web address. Right now, all of the music from Liebestraum is up. Hope you enjoy!
-Arielle