For the second time in what felt as many hours, Shido was once again enveloped in the complete inky blackness of Kurumi's shadow. An involuntary shiver ran through him, his body reacting instinctively to the unnatural phenomenon that engulfed him. He realised with a start that the very person who should have been there, the clone from Tatabana, was not. He twisted back and forth as he tried to search for the person who had dragged him inside.
"Kurumi?" he called out.
No response. Slightly alarmed, he tried again.
"Kurumi?"
Again, no response. Not even an echo from his voice.
He took a deep breath and prepared to shout, when a hand suddenly grabbed his shoulder and spun him around. He shouted in alarm for a brief moment before he registered who was before him.
"Kurumi!" he exclaimed into the face of the very girl he was trying to find.
For her part, Kurumi, or her clone, only recoiled briefly before regaining her composure, her signature smile on her face. "Ara ara, does Shido-san miss me already?"
Rather than rise to the tease, Shido let out a sigh of relief.
"You're okay," he breathed. Kurumi giggled in response, patting his head gently.
"Please relax, Shido-san. I only left briefly to recover your clothes," Kurumi said, as she held up his outfit to demonstrate. "After all, we will be meeting with Kotori-san in but a few moments, and I do not think that she would be appreciative of you being in your current state…no matter how much I appreciate it~"
Kurumi finished with a giggle and an appreciative glance before passing his clothes back to him.
"If Shido-san were to be so kind as to put on his clothes, I will take us back to your house."
Dressing within Kurumi's shadow was more of a struggle that Shido would admit. The lack of solid ground and the feeling of floating was disorientating, and the instinct to push against something to pull on his pants failed him, causing him to spin in place, kicking ineffectually.
Kurumi's giggles filled the space. "Oh Shido-san, you are so adorable," Kurumi laughed as she floated up to him. "Please stop moving, and let me help you."
Cheeks burning with embarrassment, Shido stopped struggling as Kurumi dressed him, stopping just before doing up his pants. He looked down at her, jaw dropping and an electrifying tingle running through his body as she placed a kiss against his clothed crotch.
Kurumi looked up at him, eyes slightly wide and a red flush spreading across her cheeks, almost like she was surprised by her own actions. "A-a-…a promise for later," she stammered, as if trying to regain her composure and fall back on being the enchanting seductress. As she straightened up, the two of them averted their gaze for a brief moment, willing the awkward moment to pass.
"Come, Shido-san," Kurumi said, clearing her throat. "I am certain that Kotori-san is close to starting on a warpath to find you, so let's not delay any further." The clone wrapped her arms around Shido's waist and without any further theatrics, lifted the two of them up through a hole that suddenly appeared above them.
Intense, bright light almost seared Shido's vision, unprepared as he was for the sudden change in environment as they passed into the world proper. He stumbled as their feet touched the ground and Kurumi released him. Were it not for Kurumi grabbing his arm and steadying him, Shido would have likely been greeting the ground with his face. As it were, he brought up his arm to shield his eyes from the glare until they adjusted, and he could take a proper look around them.
Kurumi had taken them to the doorstep of the Itsuka household. The innocuous looking door suddenly looked like the foreboding entrance to the lion's den - if said lion could throw the meanest gut punches in the land and transform into a fire-breathing monster. Caught up in his thoughts and the invariable dressing down that awaited him, Shido lingered at the door. So focused as he was on his impending demise, he jumped in shock when a hand suddenly grabbed his arm.
"Kurumi?!"
The Spirit was holding onto his arm, moulding herself to his side in what he hoped was a show of support (though he had doubts about how that would be perceived by the occupants of the house) as she looked at him.
"It's time for you to introduce me to your family now, is it not, Shido-san?" Kurumi smiled impishly.
"Ah, I suppose it is…" Grasping the doorknob, Shido took a deep breath, steeled himself for the shouting, or worse, and entered the lion's den, Kurumi in tow.
That he wasn't immediately greeted by a verbal hurricane, or a fist to the gut, was a promising start. The reason for that though, was apparent.
The entry hall was dark, unlit. No voices echoed around the house, until Shido spoke up.
"I'm home!" Shido called out, undoing his shoes. Kurumi followed suit, pulling off her boots before padding after him, stockinged feet slipping quietly against the floor.
He frowned, slightly perturbed by the lack of response as he moved through his home. Kurumi politely declined an offer of a drink, so the only thing to do was to check upstairs. They reached the stairs leading to the bedrooms with nary a soul in sight or sound.
Shido turned to face Kurumi, an apologetic smile on his face. "Well, I guess introductions will have to wait for a bit," he joked awkwardly, half-relieved that they could delay the inevitable Kurumi-Kotori confrontation to later.
But the moment he turned back around, a Kotori-shaped missile rocketed down the stairs and planted a small foot on his chest. The impact immediately launched Shido back down the hallway.
"YOU IDIOT!" Kotori bellowed by way of introduction.
Shido barely had time to get back up before Kotori was stomping forward, the fiery anger in her eyes matching that of her Angel's. Any size difference between the siblings of them was rendered moot by the sheer fury exuding from Kotori.
She stopped when Kurumi placed herself between her and Shido.
"Ara ara, is this how we treat family in this house? If so, it's no wonder Shido-san sought refuge in my arms." Kurumi's words were accompanied by a smile, but the dangerous glint in her eyes betrayed the nature of said smile.
Seeing Kurumi in her house, Kotori stopped short, but her anger didn't fade; if anything, the other Spirit's presence only seemed to fan her anger to an even greater degree.
"You."
The metaphorical flames in Kotori's eyes were on the verge of becoming very real ones, as she began to clench her fists together; all signs pointing towards the imminent manifestation of her Angel.
For her part, Kurumi coolly stared down Kotori, fingers flexing, as she prepared to summon her pistol at a moment's notice.
"Kurumi, Kotori! Wait wait wait!" Shido suddenly threw himself in the middle, hands flapping frantically as he tried to wave off a confrontation between the two; whatever the destruction that followed a Spacequake, it would pale in comparison to the damage the two Spirits could cause should they actually decide to throw down.
"Kurumi didn't do anythi - she didn't hurt me!" Shido corrected himself halfway. "Don't hurt her!"
Both parties stared at him; Kurumi with a genuine smile and something close to adoration, while Kotori just looked flabbergasted at his reaction. The fiery Ratatoskr commander's state of stupor didn't last long however.
"What the hell is wrong with your brain? She kidnapped you!" Kotori snapped. "What, are you so blindly in love with her that you don't even notice what she's doing? Use your head, Shido!"
"But I'm okay now, see? I'm fine! And this Kurumi, she's not the real Kurumi, she's a clone. She's the one who told us everything."
His words, unfortunately, didn't have the intended effect of waving down Kotori. His adoptive sister still had murder in her eyes, as her gaze bored through him to the other Spirit he was shielding. In retrospect, it was probably too much to expect that Kotori could be dissuaded by such a simple statement. So if words weren't going to cut it, then he would have to try another approach.
He closed the gap between them with two quick steps, and just as quickly, brought his sister in for a hug. She froze up when she felt his arms around her. Shido placed his head against hers, letting everything sink in for a moment.
"I'm alright Kotori. See? I'm alright," he soothed. One hand reached behind Kotori to gently rub her back, and he whispered calming words into her ear as he brought her in for a hug. Kotori trembled in his arms, seemingly building up to some unknown peak. And when she burst, the outcome was entirely unexpected.
Kotori let out a loud cry that was equal parts anger and embarrassment as she pushed out of his embrace, her cheeks colouring to match her hair.
"D-d-don't do that!" Kotori cried out, flustered. "You've got to give me some warning first before you go and do something like that!"
"Sorry, sorry," Shido couldn't help but laugh, hands held up apologetically, though he was not particularly sorry about the result.
The tension in the room had dropped dramatically. Kurumi's smile had become more genuine as she looked on, head tilted as she observed the siblings interact. Kotori was only just getting past her embarrassment, and thus not in any particular state to be threatening or menacing to the other Spirit.
Shido gave her another moment to recover before speaking again.
"Look Kotori, I promise: I'm perfectly fine. Kurumi didn't do anything bad to me, and she also sent her," he nodded back at the clone, who had walked up to stand side-by-side, "to help look after and protect me from any threats."
"Or just to spy on you and find the best time to eat you," Kotori scoffed, but left it at that, unable to fully accept the other Spirit without a parting comment.
"Kotori…"
"Fine, fine. But she's not staying in this house. There's a room next door in the Spirit mansion. She can stay there, if she wants." Kotori pulled out her phone, tapping away quickly. While she did that, Shido felt a slight tug on his sleeve, and looked next to him to find Kurumi looking at him with questioning eyes. He nodded once, reassuring her that everything would be fine. Kurumi relaxed then, just as Kotori finished whatever she was doing on her phone.
No sooner had she put it away, did the doorbell ring and a pair of men appear in the room. They were uniformly dressed in sharp suits, with eyes hidden behind dark sunglasses, and looked to Kotori for instructions.
"Please escort this Spirit to the Tokisaki room in the mansion. She will be a guest with us." Kotori then turned to Kurumi, and her expression hardened. "Kurumi, these men are working for us. If you so much as hurt them…"
"Yes, yes, you will return the favour ten-fold. I understand, and I won't touch a single hair on these men," Kurumi smiled, utterly at ease despite the threat hanging over her head. She turned to face Shido. "Shido-san, I will see you later. Please visit my new room whenever you feel like it."
Kurumi dipped her head in a bow, before allowing herself to be led away by the suited men. The group turned to leave, Kurumi's voice following behind her as she introduced herself to the men, both siblings watching carefully: Shido with unsurety, and Kotori with a hardened gaze as she sucked away at another lollipop. The two of them didn't move even as the Spirit and the suited men disappeared out of sight, tense until they heard the door click shut.
Kotori sighed explosively, and without a word, trudged over to the kitchen. Shido followed her, uncertain; but when he saw her slump into a chair at the dining table, old habits kicked in. He settled into the usual routine, grabbing a cup from the cabinet, a cool drink from the fridge, and pouring out a glass for Kotori. She looked up when he placed the cup in front of her, mumbled a thanks. He similarly poured one out for himself, and settled down across from her. Neither sibling drank from the cups, the old tension returning.
Shido was the first to break it.
"Kotori, I'm sorry I didn't tell you what was happening. But one of Kurumi's clones was in trouble, and I had to help her. She did a lot for us, and also alerted us to the threat from DEM."
"You could've died, Shido!" Kotori exclaimed. "Do you know how much stress I've been under ever since you first disappeared? I have to worry every time you disappear without warning, and when Kurumi provides a note or a message telling us that you're safe, it's not exactly reassuring!"
For the first time, Shido noticed that Kotori's appearance was far from her usual self - the clothes she wore were crumpled, and despite being so young, her face looked haggard and exhausted. Guilt crept up in his throat, as he realised that his escapades with Kurumi was likely the cause of Kotori's ragged appearance.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you worried." Shido lowered his gaze to his cup, unable to look his sister in the eye.
"The other Spirits aren't as worried. They trust you to succeed, and sometimes don't really understand the world around them, the danger that you can be in - but I do. I'm your commander, Shido. I'm responsible for your safety," Kotori sounded completely exhausted, and Shido had the sudden feeling that the pressure Kotori was under wasn't just about his recent dalliances with Kurumi.
"But you died, Shido. You died, and none of us could do a thing about it. Not even Kurumi could bring you back. That means I failed." Kotori, her voice small, sunk her head into her hands. "And when you disappeared again, and Kurumi was the one who took you away…I thought that she had given up and just decided to steal you away from our very own home."
"Kotori…" Shido quickly moved around the table to hug his adopted sister close, just as her breath hitched, and the first sob choked its way out of her throat. He held her tightly to his chest, her tears staining his shirt as he rocked her gently back and forth. At some point, he managed to guide her - still glued to his chest - over to the couch. There they sat, as he whispered soothing words into her ear.
He didn't know how long it took or how long they stayed together, but Kotori's tears eventually stopped. Sobs became hiccups, as she slowly began the long climb down from her emotional outburst. By the time it all subsided, Kotori looked like she had been defeated and drained of all emotion. She gave a final sniffle, and then pushed away from his chest, sitting back against the opposite end of the couch, looking up at him with red-raw eyes.
"I need to know what's happening, Shido. I can't protect you if I don't know what's going on. I know you care for the Spirits, including Kurumi, but this seems to go even beyond that. So please, tell me what's happening, why you keep running off with Kurumi, so we can at least come up with a way to ensure your protection," Kotori pleaded with him.
With a sigh, Shido leaned back, trying to gather his thoughts. Was there any good explanation of why he kept chasing after Kurumi? The easiest one was that he didn't seek her out, that Kurumi had come to him. But even though it was both the truth and the simplest explanation to give, he couldn't find it within himself to actually blame what happened on Kurumi.
"I can't really explain it, to be honest," he started, before holding up both hands to stop Kotori's retort before he could finish.
"Please, let me finish. You guys, you all see Kurumi as a rival or an enemy, but when Kurumi showed me her memories-" she had also shown him a lot more than just her memories, but he decided that mentioning that now was not prudent, "-I saw more than just the Spirit. There's a person underneath, and she needs our help. Kurumi's not the same person as she was before. Plus she showed me her memories; I don't think you can fake something like that. I've got the feeling that she's changing, so if I can keep persuading her and give her something else to look forward to, maybe she won't need to keep fighting."
"Shido, I know you like to look for the best in everyone, but have you ever considered that everything Kurumi's done so far, has been to get you to lower your guard?"
He shook his head, unwilling to entertain the thought. Kotori sighed with the frustration of a teacher working with a rebellious student in response.
"Kurumi is dangerous, Shido. Lethally so, and there are things she could do to you that even Camael can't fix. We don't have the luxury of trusting gut feelings when it comes to her. Has she agreed to anything similar to what you just suggested, or even considered it?"
He fell silent. As much as wanted to disregard Kotori's words, as much as he wanted to believe that what he had experienced with Kurumi was genuine, Kotori did have valid points; particularly that Kurumi had never given a single indication, after everything they did, that she had abandoned her goal, or had even wavered slightly from it. So it begged the question: did Kurumi actually feel anything for him when she offered herself up, and was he wrong in seeing more in her eyes than there really were? The implications, should he be wrong, were terrifying.
His discomfort evident in the way his mood had suddenly become sullen, Kotori shook her head in a mix of frustration and pity, and reached out across the couch to grab his hand.
"Shido, I'm not trying to make you hate Kurumi. I just want you to be safe, as your commander and as your sister. If we can help her, we'll definitely do everything we can, okay? Look for now, just don't keep running off after her, especially since her clone is hanging around. Hold off on doing anything rash, and before you decide to talk to her next time, tell us first. We can come up with a plan to help you, and get you out if anything goes wrong." Kotori stood up from the couch and gestured for him to get up.
"Come on, let's go. I'm taking you to Reine for a medical examination. We're going to make sure that you're fine - and that Kurumi didn't do something to your head."
"Kotori, Kurumi isn't going to try to do anything with my hea-"
"Now."
Shido sighed as he trudged up the stairs towards his room. Hours had passed since Kotori had dragged him out of the house and squirrelled him away into an underground Ratatoskr base. There, he had been subjected to a battery of tests, administered and overseen by Reine. They were exhaustive: physical checks on his person, personality tests, cerebral scans. If it was something about him, it was tested. He honestly doubted the need for at least half of them, quietly suspecting that Kotori was using that as a chance to indirectly punish him for his actions and endeavours with Kurumi. At least Reine had noticed his lack of energy towards the end of the tests, and had handed him some food before sending him back home. Now, exhausted and full, Shido was looking forward to finally getting some rest.
Alas, that was not to be, as no sooner had he reached the top of the stairs, did the door to the guest room open up, and Tohka poked her head out.
"S-Shido!" Tohka waved at him with nervous energy. "C-can I talk to you?"
His exhaustion forgotten, Shido couldn't help but smile at the girl who had changed his life completely. "Of course, Tohka," he said, as he followed her into the guest room.
They found themselves sitting quietly on the bed, Tohka at the head, legs folded over each other, while Shido sat at the foot of the bed. They had done this countless times since they had met, usually with Shido trying to explain some human quirk to Tohka. Shido had always enjoyed spending time with Tohka. But this time, something felt different; Shido soon lost himself to his thoughts, even as Tohka began to speak.
It didn't take long before his eyes started to roam over Tohka's curvaceous form. Making love with Kurumi, three times now, had been an eye-opening experience into the pleasures and intimacy of a woman's body. While he was very conscious about the Spirit's otherworldly beauty before, and it was something that he couldn't help but appreciate subconsciously.
Tohka, as usual, was dressed in a tightly-fitting purple T-shirt. What was more unusual, was how much more attention Shido realised he was paying to her body. Her shirt was doing less to conceal her significant bust than it did at emphasising it. Tohka was busty enough that her nipples poked out against the material, a sight that sent a thrill of desire through his body. Not to be outdone, the plain grey shorts that she wore also did little to hide the long, pale expanse of her shapely legs, and it was all he could do to avoid tracing the pleasant lines of her legs up to her thighs and what lay hidden beneath her shorts.
"...Shido? Shido?"
"Oh!"
With a start, Shido jerked back into reality. as he realised that he had been lost in his thoughts and not-subtle appreciation of Tohka's form. Something that he began to feel guilty over (for what? Ignoring her? Paying attention to her when he was already with Kurumi?), though it appeared that Tohka didn't seem to notice.
"Tohka! Sorry…what were you asking?"
Tohka settled back, folding her legs under her again. She was sitting close enough for her knees to bump into his if she rocked forward even slightly.
"I said, we never got a chance to have a talk after we had the meeting on the Fraxinus." Tohka pouted.
"Ah that's right, sorry about that Tohka. Things have just been really busy since then," Shido said. "I'll try to spend some time with you now though. What did you want to talk about?"
"You said you had sex, and then everyone became so excited and energetic…why was everyone being so strange about it?"
"Ah…sex?" Shido's voice was smaller than one of Kotori's lollipops.
"Mmm mmm," Tohka nodded enthusiastically, her ponytail bobbing up and down with the motion.
"Tohka…do you know what sex is?"
"Muuuu…Kaguya did try to explain something to me…but she kept referring to a 'holy sword' that would 'pierce the darkness' and 'light the way to womanhood'...I didn't really understand what she was referring to," Tohka mused, puffing her cheeks out in an adorable fashion as she tried hard to remember the exact phrases that Kaguya had used.
"Ah ha ha…that's Kaguya for you…" Shido couldn't help but let out a half-despairing chuckle as he rubbed the back of his head. In a way, he supposed that it was a good thing that Kaguya had not succeeded in explaining sex to Tohka.
The next thirty minutes was, quite possibly, one of the more awkward moments in Shido's life, as he tried to explain the concept of sex to Tohka. If he wasn't so embarrassed about it, it might have been interesting in a sense: Tohka understood the difference between a male body and a female one, and had some rudimentary knowledge of concepts like the privacy of one's intimate parts. However she had never married the two concepts together, and completely lacked awareness of cultural and social implications of sex.
By the time he had finished explaining the general concept of sex and its significance (physical and cultural), Tohka was beet-red in the face, and unable to look him in the eye without another flare of embarrassment and an accompanying squeak. He himself, despite having actually done the deed, was also unable to look Tohka in the eye. However in trying to look anywhere else except in her eyes, he noticed other things: for one, Tohka kept squirming and fidgeting, as if she was unable to settle down - in particular, she kept rubbing her thighs together, as though she was trying to scratch at some internal itch.
Seeing as the silence was continuing, Shido opted to break it first, with the most pressing question on his mind. "You're handling this pretty well, Tohka. Are you okay?"
"Huh?" Tohka blinked up at him, drawn from her thoughts. She immediately turned red again, and glanced away. "Muuu…I guess so? I still don't really understand why the others were so loud before when you said you had sex with Kurumi. You're doing it because you need to save her, right?"
"Yeah…I guess so." Shido flushed and looked away. Tohka sounded uncertain and confused, but he supposed her not fully comprehending the idea of sex, and its implications, was probably a godsend given her tendency to explode into emotional outbursts; though she had become significantly better at managing her emotions and accepting Shido's need to pay attention to other Spirits during the course of his mission.
The same uncomfortable silence permeated the air between them again.
"Hey Shido," Tohka prompted, finally able to look at him directly without turning into a tomato. "What does Kurumi mean to you?"
"Ah…" Any awkwardness from their previous conversation had faded, as Shido was reminded of his own internal dilemma regarding Kurumi.
"You said that sex is not just about feeling good, but it's normally something that you do and share with someone special to you. So if you did that with Kurumi, then does that mean Kurumi is very special to you?"
"Well, it's complicated…" Shido said, trying to come up with an explanation that wouldn't involve an emotional explosion from Tohka. "Sometimes people have sex just to enjoy it, and sometimes maybe people use it to try and achieve something else?"
He realised halfway through his rambling that Tohka had become lost, and that he had somehow avoided actually answering her question. So he took a moment to reflect; to think about what Kurumi really meant to him. In almost any other situation, having made love to Kurumi several times already, he wouldn't have really hesitated to believe that there was something special between them. He was almost unable to go a day without thinking of her in some way, and everything over the last few days had revolved around her. It wasn't an understatement to say that he had been wholly consumed by her. But that was undeniably, Kurumi. She had that sort of irresistible magnetism about her, that bewitching aura of mystery that drew him in like a moth to a flame. The only question was whether the flame was a warm glow to alight on, or a trap to lure in the unsuspecting and lower his guard.
He had desperately wanted to believe that the girl he saw in her eyes when they were so physically entangled with each other existed, and that she wanted to break out of this endless cycle of death and rebirth. But Kotori had pulled him back into reality, had forced him to question his own relationship with Kurumi. She was, after all, a masterful actress, able to slip into so many personas, present so many fronts that it made trying to find the real Kurumi underneath nearly impossible.
So he answered Tohka, as truthfully as he could. "I…don't really know, Tohka. I want to believe there's something special there. And I really want to save her. But she's never done anything to make me think that she might feel the same way, or that she wants to give up on her goal."
"Muuu…" Tohka pursed her lips, deep in thought. "I think, if Kurumi did that with you, and she started it, then doesn't it mean that Kurumi would have to feel something for you as well? "
"I don't think it's that simple, Tohka…"
Tohka thought for another moment, mildly miffed that her suggestion wasn't correct. So she tried again. "Could you ask her? Kurumi might do the things she's doing because she doesn't know any other way. Remember when we first met Kurumi, and you weren't sure what to do because she was so different from the other Spirits? I could have become like her, but you showed me a different way Shido. I didn't know I could live like this, be a normal person, and not have to fight for everything. So maybe you have to show her that there is another way."
Ask her. And show her another way.
The simplicity of it was astounding, yet it seemed more Herculean than mere words suggested. But if there was any chance that it could help him save Kurumi, then it was worth a try.
Ideas buzzing through his head still, Shido stood up and gave Tohka an affectionate peck on the cheek, causing her to blush furiously.
"Uw-wha!"
"Thank you, Tokha," Shido smiled at her, determination in his eyes. "You've been really helpful."
Still blushing, Tohka barely managed a response out of her mouth, as Shido started for the door, a plan forming in his head. Just before he left however, Tohka called after him once again.
"Shido?"
He turned to face her, hand on the door handle. Tohka was fidgeting even more than before now, and her mouth opened and closed several times, as if she knew what she wanted to ask, but was unable to form the words, until at last -
"When you save Kurumi, I want to ummm, have sex, with you," Tohka somehow managed to say it without exploding out of embarrassment. "You're special to me too!" She quickly blurted out.
Shido gave an affirmative hum and a nod, also blushing at the request.
"O-of course, Tohka. When we finish saving Kurumi," he promised.
Dusk saw him knocking on the clone Kurumi's door in the Spirit mansion, a picture frame held behind his back. Barely two heartbeats passed before the door opened wide. Kurumi, still in her Astral Dress, stood at the entrance with one hand braced against the frame; looking for all the world as if she had known that he would be the one knocking at her door.
"Good evening, Shido-san," Kurumi gave him an alluring smile. "Please, come in." She stepped to the side as she invited him in, smoothly sweeping her arm out in welcome at the same time.
Shido took stock of her room as he stepped inside, Kurumi closing the door behind him. The room was warmly furnished, yet sparsely decorated; hardly surprising, given that Kurumi had occupied it for all of a single day. Although the room was purposely designed with a calming atmosphere - all warm, gentle lighting and colours - it was impossible for one to shake the feeling that it was a place of rest, rather than a home. A king-sized bed dominated the room, with accommodations made for desks and a set of mirrored wardrobes; and it was upon this bed that Kurumi sat primly, hands folded across her lap, eyes watching Shido keenly as he finished his observation of her room.
"I, umm, have something for you," Shido said, proffering the picture frame with both hands.
"If it is a gift from Shido-san, then it is one that I will gladly accept with my heart," Kurumi said warmly as she accepted the frame. She glanced down on it with a gentle smile, running a finger down the side of the photo. "I had a feeling that this is what Shido-san wanted to give me."
"I'm glad you liked it," Shido smiled at her, but there was an undercurrent of nervousness to it. He paced with nervous energy for two circles, as Kurumi settled back on the bed, picture frame in hand.
"Is something the matter, Shido-san?" Kurumi asked.
Taking the opportunity, Shido finally took a deep breath, and stopped pacing in front of her.
"I actually have a question to ask you," Shido confessed, sitting down on the bed next to her.
Kurumi placed the picture on the stand beside the bed, before looking back up at him, head tilting. "Please, ask away."
Shido took a breath. "It's about you. Or rather, the, well, real, Kurumi."
If anything, the clone didn't seem to be bothered by the subject of the question, her smile widening in anticipation.
"When we did…that," Shido couldn't help the slight blush on his face, not quite able to look Kurumi in the eyes, "did it mean anything to Kurumi?"
The clone cocked her head at him but remained quiet, sensing that he was not quite finished talking.
"Did she really care for me? Or was it all just an act, and she only wanted me to think that way to get the reiryorku in me?" Shido finished. There was an odd, disconcerting feeling swirling about his chest, as he voiced the doubts that had been stirred up about Kurumi to her very clone.
Kurumi's clone leaned back slightly, as if to take in his entire form. "Ara ara…what a difficult and pertinent question you have there, Shido-san. Are you asking me to betray the feelings of me to help you win the game?"
"It's-it's not about the game anymore, it's not about sealing her power," Shido shook his head vehemently. "It's about her, it's about what she feels for me, for us? I don't-"
Kurumi stopped him with a sudden hush, a finger pressed against his lips. "I have another idea," she declared. "Let me show you how I feel, Shido-san. After that, ask yourself the same question: how do you think me feels?"
In a blink, Kurumi had suddenly swung herself over him, straddling his lap.
"How does that sound, Shido-san?" Her voice had dropped to a whisper, eyes piercing into his. And within her scarlet eye, all he could see was an yearning desire, if he would accept her offer.
He nodded. "Okay."
Kurumi brought him in for a searing kiss, lips crashing against his as her tongue forced itself into his mouth; running along his teeth, exploring his mouth, and suckling on his tongue as she drew him out. Unlike the kiss with Tohka, which was prim and chaste, Kurumi's kiss was on an altogether different level. Where Tohka's was sweet and brief, with the barest linger between them, Kurumi devoured his lips, almost as if she could suck out his life-force through her kiss alone (and that was something he wasn't entirely sure he would fight either). She was like a vixen, drawing out his lust and all but demanding that he throw out any inhibition towards proper, gentlemanly conduct. So it was little wonder that Kurumi found his hands wandering across her body, inevitably making their way downwards towards her shapely rear, even as he kissed her in return.
She separated from him with a gasp, panting as she sucked air into her lungs and tried to calm her own hammering heart. Shido, for his part, was in a similar state, his arousal painfully straining against his pants.
"Me, should you ask her, will tell you this: that I am a mere clone; naive, trusting, unhardened to the harsh reality of life. She will tell you that I am not her," Kurumi breathlessly said.
Her hands wound their way behind Shido's head, and she pulled the boy into another passionate kiss. A moan escaped his throat as she nibbled his lower lip, the feeling of teeth scraping against sensitive skin suddenly replaced by her hot, wet tongue. She pulled back again, and this time, couldn't help the subconscious movement of her hips, as she ground her soaking panties against his crotch, eliciting a hiss of pleasure from him.
She spoke again, though it was debatable whether Shido, delirious with lust and desire, was still able to comprehend her words at this point.
"Me is wrong. I was born from her memories. Her desires are my desires - so what I feel, is what she feels."
There was no time left for words. Shido, inflamed by lust and by so much pent-up emotions, lunged forward to capture her lips with his. And in a reversal of the situation before, Kurumi couldn't help but moan as he bit her lips, and scraped his teeth against her tongue. She felt his hands grasp her arms, looking to turn her. She allowed him, and was momentarily surprised when he suddenly shoved her back onto the bed.
Such was the softness of the blanket, the sheer luxuriousness of the material, it billowed around her for the briefest of moments; and then Shido was all over her, suckling at her neck, almost tearing into the soft, milky-white flesh with abandon.
The first time he had coupled with this particular clone, there had been an undercurrent of desperation in her actions, a certain frenzy to reach the climax and to have him in her, as soon as possible. He now knew why, of course: the clone had disobeyed Kurumi's instructions, and was, in every sense of the phrase, running on borrowed time. But now, there was no sense of urgency, no looming danger overhead. There was time now, time to explore each other's bodies, to enjoy the feeling of connection, of not being alone as flesh pressed against flesh. In a sense, Shido was reminded of his first time with Kurumi; it was that same wondrous sense of amazement at her naked beauty before him, the same giddy delight of exploring another's body, the feeling of pressing the accelerator on a relationship and reaching new highs.
He didn't remember much of night; at least, not fully, only able to recall snatches of the moment. He vaguely heard himself calling out Kurumi's name as he came, he fuzzily recalled gripping her hips tightly, locking their bodies together in that pivotal moment.
But there were the moments he did remember. The feeling of it all: the sheer relief and overwhelming satisfaction of the act, the tension flowing away as he reached his climax. He remembered the murmur of satisfaction from Kurumi afterwards, as she shifted to lie against him, head resting against his chest. He held her to him, enjoying the post-coital glow, feeling her chest gently press against his side as she took deep, slowing breaths.
Eventually, as time passed and breathing returned to normal levels, Kurumi lifted her head off his chest and propped her chin up on one arm, looking him in the eyes. "Shido-san. You asked how me felt about you. Whether the sex meant something, or whether it was all an act. How do you feel now?"
"I think-"
Kurumi's clone placed a finger on his lips, hushing any answer. "Whatever answer you have, that is for me and yourself, Shido-san."
In the end, Shido thought, it was probably natural that they were all deferential to the actual Kurumi. The clone had told him as much before: in the end, loving Kurumi would be the same as loving them.
"Then, do you know where Kurumi is?" Shido asked, having made up his mind.
The clone nodded, a slight smile on her face, as if she knew his thoughts better than he did.
"Then please, Kurumi: take me to her," Shido said, resolute. "I need to talk with her."