Chapter 09: Paventoso (Or, Fearfully)

The tiny orbs that twinkled like fireflies swirled around Asuka as she stood on a lake shore lit by stars of blue, red, and green. Asuka's chestnut hair blew behind her as the lake rippled. She heard a voice whisper in the wind, "You must return to us…"

Asuka sat upright with a violent gasp.

The lamp on Kurama's side table flicked on, and when their eyes met, his widened. His arms flew around her and drew her to his bare, muscled chest. "I'm here, Love. You're with me, and you're safe."

Asuka breathed deeply as she got her trembling under control. Kurama squeezed her tight and ran gentle fingers through her hair.

"I've got you," he murmured. "What were you dreaming about?"

Asuka slowly exhaled, then shivered. "I was standing on the shore of a lake, and there were glittering stars above me. They were green, red, and blue. And…those same colors were swirling all around me."

"Stars?" Kurama asked.

"Yes. Except…I'm not sure, but…they didn't seem like literal stars. They seemed like something else. I'm not sure what."

"Hmmm."

Asuka looked up and saw Kurama's face creased with thinking lines. "Right before I woke up, I heard a voice telling me to return somewhere."

Kurama's ki briefly flared. It was slight—so slight, Asuka almost didn't notice the fluctuation. She asked, "What do you think it means?"

"Hard to say," he said carefully.

"I feel like I've been to that lake before. It's so strange, Kurama. And I don't know. I've had this feeling in the back of my mind…like something is not quite right with the world."

"What do you mean?"

Asuka adjusted herself so her ear was over Kurama's heart. She heard it beat in a strong, steady rhythm, and it further calmed her. "I can't explain it, exactly. I thought maybe it was just me and the feeling was caused by my hormones or something, but now I worry there's more to it."

Kurama rubbed her arm. "It makes little sense for you to worry right now."

"I suppose."

His lips brushed her forehead. "We have some time before we have to get up for the day. Would you like to sleep more?"

"No," said Asuka. "I don't think I can sleep anymore. That dream was so vivid."

"How about we get up and go out to breakfast before we go to the clinic?"

"That sounds nice."

"Okay." Kurama's fingers went through Asuka's hair again. "Would you like to shower with me?"

"Yes, please."

Kurama insisted Asuka sit on a stool while he washed her hair. His fingers massaged her scalp, her neck, and her shoulders. He gently combed her hair after he conditioned it.

As he tended to her, Asuka felt the worry she had about her dream melt away. "Thank you," she said to him. "Can I do the same for you?"

"Maybe some other time. For now, let's get dressed and get breakfast."

"Okay." My dream frightened him, Asuka realized. Why?

It had been so long since she'd seen him like this. What was going through his mind?

Kurama was looking intensely at her right now. She could see the worry more clearly, and…the desire. His eyes were hooded with lust. It was as if covering her with his body would make his fright go away. "Do you want to skip breakfast?" she asked. "Would you like to stay home and be with me instead?"

"I always want to be with you."

She smiled tenderly and cupped his cheek. "I mean, do you want to stay home and have sex, Love?"

He leaned into her touch. "How can you tell my moods so easily?"

Asuka laughed. "I have been with you for almost a decade."

He chuckled and then brought her mouth to his. After he kissed her, he said, "No, I think a breakfast date would be better right now."

"If you're sure."

He cupped her cheek. "Breakfast."

Asuka got dressed and then gave herself an IVF shot before she and Kurama headed to a local breakfast restaurant. As they walked through the streets, she noticed how Kurama kept one hand on her back, and how his ki hummed with nervous energy.

He was being especially vigilant this morning.

Asuka thought about flaring her own ki to help but then recognized that would be a mistake. If someone was looking for her, flaring her ki would only attract attention. She trusted Kurama to keep her safe, anyway.

Asuka looked up at Kurama while she played with the tassels of her new purple scarf. "Did my dream upset you?" She knew the answer, but she hoped that asking would encourage her husband to open up.

Kurama pulled on her waist so she'd be closer to his side. "A little," he admitted. "But it's only because we don't know anything."

Asuka couldn't help but feel like there was more to his mood.

"And," Kurama added, "as I said before, my emotions still feel…unbalanced."

So he's admitting that he might just be paranoid?

Perhaps that wasn't so bad. The moment Kurama dipped into cold logic was the moment she'd really have to worry. Asuka slipped her gloved hand into Kurama's. He squeezed hers in return.

After they had a nice breakfast, Kurama escorted Asuka to her fertility appointment, where she got her blood drawn. It was the fourth time that week the clinic requested a blood sample. In addition to the bruises all over her stomach and thighs, she now had them on her arms from the needles.

These are my battle scars. They're proof of how I've been fighting, she thought as they put a bandaid over the bruised vein.

-* ᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷ *-

Kurama heard the curtain swish and looked up from his magazine. Asuka stepped out and gave him a weary smile. The band-aid over the inside of her arm did little to hide the mottle of previous pricks. His heart clenched.

Suddenly, Asuka swayed on her feet and tipped over. Kurama leaped out of his chair and caught her just before she hit the ground. Asuka rapidly blinked and then shook her head.

"Feel dizzy from the blood draw?" he asked in a low voice.

Asuka crinkled her forehead and blinked some more. "No. My vision just went blurry all of a sudden. I can't see very well right now."

Kurama clenched his jaw and helped Asuka stand upright while a nurse hurried over to where they were. When Kurama saw them, he shook his head and mouthed, "I've got her. IVF side effects." The nurse nodded and called the next patient instead.

"I'm sorry." Asuka dug her fingers into his arm while she tried to steady herself.

"Why are you apologizing?"

"Because—I feel bad you have to see me like this. Especially after this morning."

Kurama closed his eyes and centered himself. He needed to better keep his emotions in check. Asuka shouldn't be thinking about how this was making him feel. She should only think about herself. "You needn't worry about me. Right now, I'm here for you." Kurama led Asuka outside and called a cab. After he put the phone in his pocket, he wrapped his arms around Asuka. They waited.

"I've been thinking that we should get a car," Kurama said.

"Really?"

"Yes. I want to get home to you earlier and on days when I have client meetings. It would help with that and on days when I leave on time, I could take the train. Traffic will make driving longer during peak rush hour."

"I want to see you more, too," Asuka said underneath his chin. "But it's okay that you take a little longer to get home."

"I'm no longer okay with it," he said with finality. "We should go car shopping."

"Sounds good."

"Is your vision still blurry?"

"Yes. It's about the same."

Kurama scanned the street as they waited for the cab. He didn't admit this to Asuka, but her constant being in a vulnerable state was another reason he wanted a car. He hated the idea of trusting anyone to drive her somewhere—it didn't matter he was always in the car with her. It still made him anxious.

He knew his possessiveness was getting to him again, but he didn't care. He was tired of fighting himself and holding back some of his urges. If he could give in just a little, it would make him feel so much better. A car was a suitable compromise.

When the cab arrived, Kurama opened the door and flared his ki to fighting level. The cab driver shivered but didn't react otherwise, telling Kurama the driver didn't have ki and wasn't used to being around ki users. It was most likely safe.

Still. Kurama remained vigilant until after the cab drove them home from the clinic, and Kurama helped Asuka up the stairs and got her tucked into bed. He sat on the mattress and ran his fingers down the sides of her delicate face.

"It's okay," she said as she closed her eyes. "You can go to work. I'm just going to sleep, anyway."

He hated the idea of leaving her alone. It wasn't the same situation, but it still reminded Kurama of holding Asuka after Mushiori city. When he left her apartment that evening, he forced himself to let her go. There had been a distinct twinge in his chest when he locked her apartment door. Back then, he didn't understand his heart. Now, Asuka was the most precious thing to him. The idea of leaving her in bed like this clawed at his heart. He couldn't bear it.

Only…he had a meeting that potentially concerned her and he needed to keep that appointment if nothing else. The meeting had taken considerable effort to set up and if he canceled, he wouldn't get another chance to follow this lead.

"I promise I'm all right," Asuka said with a small smile. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. "How about I call you when I wake up? And…if you don't hear from me at lunchtime, you call me?"

"Are you sure?"

"I promise."

He relented. Kurama leaned over the bed and planted a kiss on her forehead. "Sounds good. I love you. Perhaps I can get home early today since I don't have client meetings."

Asuka nodded. "Sounds good. See you later, Love."

"Yes, I will see you later." Kurama turned and left and did his best to ignore the ache blooming in his chest. Asuka, my love.

Kurama grabbed his attaché case by the door and headed to work. His normally serene mind was turbulent with thoughts as he rode the train.

Asuka had a dream that correlated with what the yokai had said and it worried him. No—it frightened him. Each instance on its own could be dismissed, but both together were an unlikely coincidence.

Both the yokai and some voice in her dream said she had to return somewhere.

Return where? The Raekai? But why would a yokai say that? Perhaps the yokai didn't have a choice. The ki user had raeki, and as Kurama knew, manipulating yokai to serve the interests of the Raekai was a time-honored tradition. He scowled. Perhaps the manipulation went further than the yokai. Perhaps someone was also manipulating Asuka's dreams. He couldn't ignore the possibility, and he'd have to speak to Koenma about this troubling development. He could also be in danger.

No matter what happens…Asuka is staying with me, he thought firmly. She's not going anywhere, and I'll work to keep her safe.

In this regard, his meeting today couldn't have come at a better time.

Kurama entered his office building precisely on schedule and walked toward the elevator bay. He saw Ms. Nakano walk brusquely toward him from a different side of the lobby. Kurama frowned. This was the fourth time she'd entered the building at the same time as him, and today he was especially not in the mood.

"Good morning, Mr. Minamino," she said as she came up next to him.

"Good morning," he said politely.

They both stepped into the elevator. Her sickly sweet perfume filled the elevator cab and almost made Kurama choke. She stepped closer, which made her breasts brush his arm. Kurama stepped away, and she grinned.

"I would prefer it if you didn't crowd the elevator," Kurama said. He used a polite tone, but it was close to sharp. He was tired of this.

"Apologies, Mr. Minamino. I hadn't even noticed. Would you press the sixth-floor button for me?"

She was lying, and they both knew it. He pressed the button.

"Working for this company has been such a dream," she said as the elevator went upward. "But it's lonely after you move to a new city by yourself."

"Departments go out for drinks together," Kurama said. "Perhaps you should take part the next time your manager offers."

"My coworkers are boring. I find the Vice President much more interesting."

Is she serious? "The Vice President doesn't go out for drinks."

"I've noticed that. Jealous wives are so bothersome."

Ice-cold rage flooded his system and made his ki flair—the flavor associated with frosty roses and amber eyes. He whipped toward Ms. Nakano. "You would do well to—"

The elevator doors opened and someone else got on.

Ms. Nakano gave another one of her signature smiles, and it filled the heated silence. The doors opened on the next floor and she got out. Her full hips swung. She tossed her head over and said, "nice chatting with you, Mr. Minamino."

The doors closed again.

The man in the elevator with Kurama smirked. "I hear she's been making the rounds. I hear she's very good."

"Then her rounds stop here," Kurama said shortly.

The man looked embarrassed.

Kurama exited the elevator on his floor and walked past his assistant.

"Good morning, Mr. Minamino."

"Good morning."

He shut the door behind him, crossed his office, and went to his chair. Kurama sunk into it with an exasperated huff.

I'm going to have to have a conversation with my stepfather about that woman and then have HR give her a warning. If she persists, she'll be fired. He growled. No one had the right to insult Asuka, and he was especially baffled that Ms. Nakano thought it would score points with him to do so.

Kurama set his attaché case next to his desk and opened his emails with a frown. He had a few he needed to work through before his important appointment. For the best, he thought. It would give him some time to calm down.

Kurama worked until his assistant called his phone and announced that his ten-thirty was here.

"Send him in."

Kurama stood, and Kaji Hijikata walked through the door.

"Mr. Minamino," he said with a bow. "Your reputation for being one of the best stockbrokers is known throughout Tokyo. I must confess that I was shocked to find that you're interested in working with me and the Tokyu Group."

No ki. Well, that would've been too easy. "That is kind of you to say," Kurama said as he gestured to one of his sitting chairs. "I have also heard much about you."

"Indeed?"

That was a lie. Kurama had read a lot about the older man who sat before him in preparation for their meeting, but flattery was part of the business. "Your leadership of the Tokyu Group has seen their profits increase by thirty percent. That is no small number."

The older man looked pleased. "We have worked extremely hard to streamline some of our assets. But I would love to consult with you about how to better market our stocks overseas."

"Perhaps we can be of service to you."

Kurama spent the next thirty minutes talking in depth with Kaji Hijikata. Luckily for Kurama, a partnership between the two companies would be mutually beneficial, so he didn't have to feign interest or pull out of an agreement. Instead, Kurama worked to both close the deal and to get information.

"I will draft up some contract forms," Kurama said once their discussion wrapped up. "I could have them over to your office by next week."

"Delightful," the older man said. "I'm looking forward to working with you."

"The same," Kurama said.

"Do you enjoy classical music?" Mr. Hijikata asked. "The Tokyu Group has box seats at Orchard Hall. We have a private caterer for events and we'd love to have you and your wife enjoy an evening out with our compliments."

Kurama hadn't expected this turn of events, and he was very pleased. Now he didn't have to bring up the concert in a way that seemed unnatural. "Actually, my wife plays with the orchestra occasionally. Perhaps you've heard of her. Asuka Minamino?"

Mr. Hijikata's eyes went wide. "You're married to the pianist? I hadn't even thought to ask. I thought your last names were a coincidence."

Kurama didn't detect any malice in the man when he talked about Asuka. "I am."

"I was there for her performance of the Emperor's Concerto," Mr. Hijikata said. "Absolutely magnificent. We were with some other business clients who had been keen on seeing her perform. They are big fans."

"Oh? And who are they?"

"Fukashi Hiroshima and his son. Mr. Hiroshima runs the Pacific Islands Development Corporation, which is in our conglomerate."

"Perhaps you would get me in touch? I'm sure my wife would love to sign something for them."

Hirakata smiled a wide smile. "That is incredibly generous of you, Mr. Minamino. Yes, I will tell my assistant to relay his personal email."

"That would be wonderful, thank you."

"Thank you for coming to my office for this meeting," Kurama said with a bow.

"It was on my way to another appointment that I have today, so don't worry. I look forward to working with you."

"And I with you," Kurama said genuinely.

After Hijikata left, Kurama sat in his chair and pondered what he had learned.

After that conversation, Kurama was convinced Hijikata had no ill intent toward his wife, which he was grateful for. But there was a chance one of the two men who were with him at the concert was the ki holder.

That meant the ki holder was human. No, I can't think like that. It would be easy for someone in the Raekai to implant one of their people using memory wipes or a swap. And even if the ki holder is human, that doesn't mean they aren't connected to the Raekai or are working with someone in the Raekai.

Kurama rubbed his temples. Investigations took time. He had to remember that.We're one step closer to finding the truth.

He stood up and went back to his desk. If he worked efficiently, he could leave early. The only thing he wanted was to hold Asuka close to his chest and whisper his love over her.

I need more time.

The thought was desperate.

Author's Note:

Hello all, apologies for being late with this chapter. All that sickness I mentioned at the end of last chapter turned out to be Strep throat...fun times! I was so exhausted trying to take care of the sickies in my house and me that I didn't have any energy beyond laying on the couch and watching comfort TV, lol. It happens. Thankfully, everyone is on the mend and I'm starting to not feel burnt out. Where I live right now is getting hammered by a blizzard...winter can just be over and done with thank you very much.

Things continue to progress with Kurama and Asuka...but to what, exactly? Hmmm...

I would love to have another chapter out this week to make up for almost 2 weeks without an update, but I'm not promising anything because I have no idea what my time is going to look like. But, just know that I'd like to make up for it and hopefully I can at some point.

Anyway. If you're in the part of the United States that's under a blizzard warning (which is pretty much the top half of the country and L.A?) stay safe!

If not later this week, I'll definitely see you all next week.

Cheers!

-Arielle

P.S-Fan Fiction now has a thing where you have to opt-in to receive notifications and update emails, and you have to opt-in every 6 months. It's stupid and this website is a goddamn mess. But I just wanted you to know if you suddenly find yourself wondering why you don't get updates anymore.