The first day they spent in the hotel room was pure bliss. No one called them. They woke up late in the day. Room service was ordered and thoroughly enjoyed. They watched television, played a few games the room provided and just relaxed with no disturbances at all. As much as they did get text messages, it was just to inform them of what was going on. They weren't needed at all, and the relaxation was desperately needed.
They didn't do anything at all until the second day when they decided to explore the suite a bit. Kiryu was the one that ran the discovered bathtub, though, as much as Saiki kept threatening to take over. And he refused to put in any bubble bath. That was when she got an idea for her own form of retaliation.
"I will not have a repeat from before," he said. "And where are you going?"
"Just wait there for a moment," she said and moved to their suitcase. They never bothered to unpack it, and she knew exactly what she was looking for. Five minutes later, he was glaring at her in the red string bikini.
"I forgot you brought that thing," he muttered.
"And...?" she grinned.
"Time to rip it off and throw it away," he growled and tackled her laughing form. She didn't know how long they spent in the tub. She couldn't keep count of how many times he was with her. It was when she found herself waking up in the bed against his sleeping form that any sense of time came back to her. She was a touch sore now, but she couldn't sleep anymore.
"Mmm..." she winced and stretched. He yawned, blinked awake and looked at her with a growling chuckle. "I guess you're happy?"
"Your guess is correct," he laughed softly and picked up the remote to start looking through the channels. Now she looked over at the mangled remains of her swimsuit. She rose a brow at him. He only shrugged and said, "You'll need to make another swimsuit of death."
"Did you really rip it off me?" she grinned.
"We both ripped it off you," he muttered.
"I wonder if I have enough fabric to make a new one. With Hawaiian print, of course," she mused. He gave her a side glance in such a way that she started to cough out laughter.
"Waste of fabric. Just leave yourself naked," he growled and pounced on her. She squealed out laughter and gave in to his intense kiss. "Be glad I have to rest for now. I know I'll be good in about an hour..."
"It does look like a good bit of muscle is coming back," she smiled and traced a finger up his chest. "I'm sure you'll be nearly back to how you were in another month of conditioned weight training."
"Definitely looking forward to the end results," he smiled and kissed her again. He paused at the sound of his phone buzzing and checked it. "Hmm. Oh! It's Haruka. Hey! Your mother and I are in Hawaii. What's going on?"
"Just checking in on you! You never let me know that you landed safely," she said. "Seonhee has various people keeping watch over us. I do feel a bit safer this way. So do the others. When you get back, we want to thank the Geomijul properly for helping us so much."
"Good. And we can definitely see about thanking the Geomijul! Also, I am sorry for not notifying you when we landed. Quite a bit happened and we only just started to finally relax," Kiryu sighed. "And the excitement still isn't done. Usually never is. But that's another day away, so we have time."
"Oh. Well, it's good that you and Mother are able to relax now! Also, Haruto would like a toy brought back," she laughed softly.
"We can bring back souvenirs," he chuckled. "We'll be back in five days."
"Okay!" she said and disconnected the call.
"They want gifts?" Saiki laughed softly.
"You could say that," he nodded and set his phone aside. Then he sat up a bit in the bed to let her snuggle down into him again. He reclined a bit more on the plush pillows and sighed with a form of solid contentment. "It's so nice...to just have this. I've never felt so...calm. This is what I needed. What we both needed. What we've been trying to get for some time."
"Should we get under a sheet?" she asked and closed her eyes at how he gently rubbed a hand over her side.
"Too complicated. And much too warm," he said. He closed his eyes now before blinking them back open at the news station that was on. He eventually shut off the television to close his eyes to rest again. At the feel of her shifting around, he looked over at her. "Aika? Are you well?"
"Sorry. Just not used to sleeping all day," she laughed. She turned to lean up on her side to gaze at him. "When I'm awake...I'm awake. Yesterday was different from the jet lag. Now that I'm acclimating to the time change, my body doesn't want to sleep anymore. For now, of course."
"I see. Did you want to make some clothing for us?"
"That's the thing. I'm awake. But...I don't want to do anything," she grinned. That got him laughing with understanding. "What about you?"
"I feel the same," he admitted. Now she laughed softly. "Hmm. I'd see what the others are up to, but then they may drag us out of hiding. So...we need to distract ourselves."
"How?" she grinned again. He leaned over towards her and smirked.
"I can think...of one good way..." he mumbled and kissed her passionately. He rolled onto his back to let her press on top of him with his arms around her. They were both completely content to rest in each other's arms. He sighed and said, "This...is true bliss..."
"Yes..." she whispered. At a knock on the door, he grimaced and moved from the bed. "Is that room service? I don't remember ordering anything."
"Gonna find out," he grunted and slipped on a floor-length robe. Then he noticed how she was eyeing him. "Hmm?"
"I think...you're just as addictive to me...as I am to you..." she said.
"I don't mind that at all," he grinned and moved towards the door. He checked the peephole to find the security manager there. "Now...what does he want, eh?"
"Who?" she asked and appeared in her own robe.
"Security," he muttered and opened the door. "Can I help you?"
"The owner of the hotel would like to meet with you for an exclusive dinner tonight. He wanted me to give a formal invitation," the security manager said. "We would have called, but he decided for me to be the messenger to show importance and complete gratitude."
"Oh. What time?" Kiryu asked.
"Around 6:00 in the evening. So you have a good seven hours. It's only 11:00 right now," the security manager nodded.
"I suppose. I mean, once again, it is my honeymoon with my wife. I hope no one forgot about that," Kiryu sighed.
"We have not," the man smiled and gestured to a food cart loaded with exquisite delights, drinks and small gourmet snacks. "From the hotel owner in thanks. We have not been accosted since, and people feel safer. There has been far more income now."
"Ah...wow..." Kiryu blinked. "He is welcome."
The security manager left shortly after, and Kiryu pulled the food cart into the suite. Saiki was already pulling out a small box of deluxe chocolates and gesturing for him to sit in the bed with her. The robes were removed, she had him lay back in the bed with his head in her lap and now she fed him a chocolate. She would bite one in half to sample it and feed him the other half.
"Is my dragon happy?" she chuckled.
"I should be doing this to you," he smiled and accepted another half chocolate. "Is that mint?"
"It is," she smiled back. "But...are you happy?"
"Deliriously happy and totally in love," he chuckled. They finished off the chocolate, and he moved so she could see what else was given over. He heard her amused chuckle and he asked, "What is it?"
"They have massage oil in here..." she said with complete interest. "Would my dragon like a backrub?"
"Stupid question," he growled and turned so that his back was fully exposed to her. She had him move slightly to put a towel down to catch any excess oil first. Then she began to methodically work over his back with the scented lotion of cherry blossoms and vanilla musk. He shouted with a bit of pain at a sore muscle before taking in an intense gasp of relief when she massaged it out.
"I think that was where you were kicked," she muttered on working over his side. "The bruise is extremely faint now."
"Definitely felt like it," he grimaced and groaned as she moved methodically over his back. The heat of her hands helped heat up the oil a bit more to leave a soothing sensation all over his skin. He felt her trace the outline of his tattoo and heard him chuckle.
"I rarely got to see your tattoo before," she murmured. "It is beautiful."
"Indeed," he muttered and enjoyed her touch. "Your tattoo is just as amazing. Sucks how you got it, but the artwork is a masterpiece."
"When I first saw it...I was stunned. This was after my back healed. It took me three months to finally muster up the courage to see what they did. I had to use a couple mirrors, of course. And all I could do was stare at it," she said softly. He moved onto his side to regard her. "I had to let the others see it when it was requested. I told them...what they did was not something I agreed to. And that I had no proper help when it had to heal."
"The patriarchs had to have said something to Dog Catcher!" Kiryu growled.
"They did. Dog Catcher said I healed just fine. That I was only trying to say things out of spite. I do remember saying...that if the Dragon of Dojima was my guardian...that I'd show more respect to everyone. Of course...that pissed off Dog Catcher so bad! And for a week, he had to completely change his attitude around me when others were there. But it was just for that week until it was decided to keep him around. But I never showed anyone my back again."
"I only want to be the one to see it," he said and held her close now. "No one else deserves it. Just me."
"Unless I choose?" she smiled.
"Yes. No more will you be forced to do what you don't want to do. I'm protecting you from that. You let me be the nasty husband. That's my job."
"And what a wonderful job you do," she laughed and sighed at his hands moving over her. "I guess it's my turn?"
"What do you think?" he asked and got her gasping at the massage he started to give her. He leisurely applied the oil on her back after having her lay on her belly. Now it was her turn to relax and close her eyes to enjoy his touch.
"Now I'm sleepy..." she murmured.
"Then sleep," he soothed and continued to massage her.
"But I don't want to," she sighed. She felt him trace where the spot between her shoulders held the old tattoo needle. "Is it healed?"
"It is. Very light scabbing, but it might scar. Very slightly, but only I'll be able to notice it up close. We could do a tattoo of a dragon's eye over it. Even the face of a dragon. So that a dragon is always watching over you," he mused. She thought about it and started to laugh softly.
"Only if something can be done for you, too. But I don't think it would work with all the space taken up," she sighed.
"I can have a small scythe in the same part where my shoulders are. Maybe a skull with sickle crossing like pirates have. To show death is also watching over me," he grinned and traced over the geisha figure.
"That would be funny," she chuckled. "Maybe we can do that here in Hawaii. Our own personal souvenir. What do you think?"
"Oh. We could. I want to wait one more day for you, though. It may be good enough by then with healing. The tattoo artist would know best," he agreed.
"Looks like we'll have to leave the room tomorrow," she sighed. "I'm too comfy to move right now."
"As am I," he mumbled and moved to press his chest against her back. He continued to massage his hands over her to hear her delighted groans of comfort. Then she cried out when he joined with her. She shouted when he lightly bit down on the side of her neck and held her to him until he grunted out his own form of completion. A hand moved to her belly and he muttered, "Two days to check?"
"Possibly...tomorrow..." she whimpered softly.
"Good," he smiled and held her against him in a protective way. "And I honestly wouldn't complain if I had a son..."
"An heir?" she smiled.
"Well...maybe..." he mused. "Haruto would be the next one. Haruka and I had discussed it. It was...in my will...for most of my possessions to go to her. I'll have to revise it a bit to include you."
"I never made one. A will. It made no sense to."
"And now?"
"You'll need to show me what to do."
"I will," he promised and cradled her close.
"I still...can't believe...that we're together..."
"Not the only one."
"Absolute dream come true."
"Yes."
"I'll slaughter anyone...that tries to shatter this dream..."
"Whoever said it was a dream?" he growled and turned her head to kiss her feverishly. With the two of them closeted away in the luxury hotel, Ugajin was in his nice hotel room with Chi-chan. And he was trying to calm down his family in a voice chat from his phone.
"Saiki is on her honeymoon in a separate hotel provided by others. I'm in Hawaii in a different hotel to help ensure that nothing will go wrong. We'll be back in five days. I don't know if she'll want to meet with anyone else. She's extremely busy. I will let you all know when I'm back in the mainland with her. I need to go," Ugajin said and hung up the call. Then he groaned and said, "I'm tired of repeating myself!"
"Want some crackers?" Chi-chan asked. He gave her a look and shook his head with silent laughter. "There are times I felt that way with my family."
"I am worried about one thing. Actually two," he admitted.
"What's that?" she frowned.
"My family loves to gamble. Even on each other. I'm hoping that no one will get it into their sorry heads to try and test how far Saiki will go," he frowned. "Because when she gambles...she plays for keeps. And gives no room for error."
"Ouch. Yeah. That would be scary to think about," Chi-chan frowned harder. "I always heard that she never had respect from others. Not until she met us and Kiryu-san. I'm just...I'm glad he's protecting her from all of that."
"It's true that she runs a mean streak. But it's all she knew! It's what kept her alive! And fear from that...ugh! That man who murdered my family and stole her away! There was no way I would have found her," he winced and put his elbows on the table. He put his face in his hands with a sense of despair and relief.
"Hey," she said and placed her hands on his shoulders in a comforting way. "I saw that guy when we joined up to help her get rid of him. He called her a dog the moment he walked into her home. He expected her to just...accept him again! I was ready to storm over and slap him! He even said he had a treat for her!"
"He...what?!" Ugajin looked at her with disbelief.
"Yeah. But when Kiryu-san walked into view instead of her to let him be seen first..." she grinned and snickered. "The look on that guy's face was priceless! I should have taken a picture! And when Goro stepped out? With Daigo and Taiga? Even Kasuga? He knew he was screwed."
"I would have body slammed him," he growled.
"He was swearing when she moved into Kiryu-san's lap, too, after getting bound down in a chair," she laughed. Ugajin found himself nodding at the thought. "It was only too obvious that he wanted her for himself. And she wanted nothing to do with him! I wouldn't, either! He killed her parents! Treated her like a pet! An animal! She explained why she couldn't kill him. She even said that guy abandoned her for a month to prove a sick point."
"That's...just...!" he seethed. "I was told about that. I still can't believe it, too. It's no wonder why she can't trust. Why she is how she is. She was trained to kill. To think she was lower than dirt. She was kept stupid and blind to the world around her..."
"I'm so happy she was able to see Kiryu-san for ten minutes," she said softly. "It really did save her life. That one meeting. And even he said he fell in love with her, too. Only ten minutes! Such an impact. And the women that taught her how to read and write in secret! I'm...I kinda wish we could thank them."
"I know," he agreed and leaned up in the chair. She was massaging his shoulders now, and he had his eyes closed to show he was enjoying it.
"Was there anything you wanted to do today?" she asked.
"I honestly don't know," he admitted. "It's downtime until The Barracuda showdown in two days. I guess we can check out that Revolve Bar?"
"Sounds like a plan," she agreed. But he rose up quickly and scooped her up to hear her shout with surprise.
"But I want to do something else first," he grinned a bit wickedly.
"What?!" she gaped and laughed when he lightly tackled her to the bed. He kissed her softly and drew back to gaze at her.
"I'm going to be...incredibly shocked...if you really are the one for me," he muttered out lightly. "I've looked around for so long..."
"Why is that?" she asked.
"Because I already know that I'll never let you go," he swallowed. "I've never...felt like this. About anyone."
"And when did you start feeling this way?"
"I think...while we were talking in that van," he thought back. "You asked some pretty good questions. And you respected what I desired. Even shared my ideals in that fashion. Most girls would have pouted. Made false promises. But you were...agreeable with me. In such a neutral way, too. It made me realize that I should...give it a shot."
"I've been there with guys, too. Especially in college when I was getting a business degree. All part of my father's planning to have me take over the company when it was time," she sighed and shook her head. "A part of me wants to give it up. But...I know I can do a lot of good with it now, too. No more shady deals for starters!"
"I saw the last Tatara Channel episode. I'm glad you came clean. And forced your father to do the same," he nodded. "You're a fighter. And I think...that's also what's...attractive about you. You have a backbone. You're not afraid to get your hands dirty. And I'm sure you could easily throw down anyone if you have to."
"Not my looks?" she laughed.
"That's a bonus," he grinned and kissed her deeply. Then he looked at her and asked, "Do you feel the same about me?"
"I'm not sure yet," she mused. He rose a brow. "I guess...me slapping any girl that looks at you could count?"
"I would not complain," he chuckled with her. "But...seriously. How do you feel with me?"
"I never really...thought of being in a relationship again. I always got burned. Used for my money or my father's favor. And you just...want to be with me for who I am. Not for the company I lead. I find that...charming."
"There's something more."
"I was getting to it! You...are the first one that does feel genuine. No child's play. You're not here to bullshit. You just want an equal partner. Like me. I want that, too. Someone that can make me feel better when stress hits. Laugh at my faults to a point. Not too much, mind you! But...just someone that...I don't know...gets me? I think?" she blinked at how to describe it.
"Same feeling," he nodded. "That we 'get' each other. We know our boundaries. We're not playing games. We just want to get to know each other on a far more intimate level. Damn..."
"What?"
"I said after a year I may think about marriage. Even two years. I really don't want to rush this. It's way too soon. I want to start living with you. After three months. I think we can get to that point. Then see how we are at six months of living together. If...things progress positively to a point that we just know that marriage is possible, well..." he mused.
"I like that plan," she smiled. "But a question now."
"Yes?" he nodded.
"If...I end up pregnant...I mean...I know I'm on the pill. And we are taking precautions. But...if something does happen...?" she worried her lip.
"Marriage. In a heartbeat," he whispered. They ended up kissing and losing themselves in each other after that. On a lower floor, Sa-chan and Kasuga were finishing off a light lunch. He was surprised that she agreed to share a room with him. Of course, he slept on the small couch.
"Sleep well?" Kasuga asked.
"Fairly good," Sa-chan nodded. "I hope Saiki and Kiryu-san are okay."
"Are you kidding? They're probably sleeping and enjoying their honeymoon! They deserve every bit of it," Kasuga grinned. Then he sighed and sat down. "I'm worried about the fight at The Barracuda's stronghold, though."
"Why?" she asked and sat down with him. She was sitting a bit away from him, though, but he didn't mind in the least.
"Have you seen how Sai-chan fights?" he asked her.
"To a point."
"I watched her at The Castle. I watched her dance through a crowd of men and take them down like...I can't explain it..." he swallowed. "She really was trained in how to kill. To only kill. I mean..."
"Kasuga?" she frowned and moved to sit next to him with concern.
"I asked Ugajin if she saw the video of how she killed them. He said she did. She said...she was a monster!" he trembled. "That...Kiryu-san shouldn't love her. But he does! He's trying to help her break that! And he's showing her that he'll never abandon her."
"What are you trying to say?" she gazed at him.
"How he's treating Sai-chan...is how I'd treat you..." he whispered. "I know I have faults. But I'd never abandon you if you needed me."
"I see..."
"Yeah, I say some pretty stupid things," he admitted. "But it's like I told you before. I just...don't know how to act around you until I do it. It takes a lot for me to figure out what I have to say. Even do. I really want to do better with you. I just need to know how."
"Kasuga..." she sighed and looked down at her hands. "Okay. Maybe Saiki can keep working with you. Try to get you up to speed on things. Maybe."
"If you can give me that chance, I know I won't let you down!"
"Just...keep yourself calm. Please," she half-begged.
"Yeah," he nodded.
"Just don't do anything weird," she chuckled.
"I'll try," he promised. She groaned and rolled her eyes. As they were soon discussing their next course of action, Zhao was sitting with Daigo, Taiga, Goro, Tomi, Adachi and Nanba at the Revolve Bar. Joongi and Seonhee had yet to appear and already texted that they would be late getting there.
"Just a down low day?" Tomi asked over his beer.
"Pretty much," Adachi nodded.
"I was thinking of trying to join that Barracuda's group to infiltrate it. But...they want you to steal a passport. Pretty low," Goro grunted. "I'd much rather gut one of them open and provide their own."
"That's if they carry one on them," Taiga smirked.
"I'd like to get a fake passport," Daigo admitted. "But such a thing..."
"You can buy passports from shady vendors," the bartender said knowingly.
"Really? Do you have one to sell us?" Goro grinned.
"Nope. I like to stay open for business," the bartender grinned back.
"Ah, c'mon, Andre-san! Surely you got something for us?" Nanba frowned.
"Nope. Best bet is to just wait for the date. I am curious of that gal that snagged Kiryu, though. The way you all describe her..." Andre mused and adjusted his dark aviator glasses. Daigo cleared his throat and brought up one of Saiki's jobs on his phone.
"She does that. And doesn't talk about it. Hell, if you start gloating, you're dead. She lacks the patience to hear people talk," Daigo said. The bartender paused at the picture of the headless man.
"Ah..." he swallowed.
"Yeah. She just kills without thinking about it. Just...does it. Kiryu-san is the only one that snaps her back into reality. The rest of us? We're like...toys she can easily break," Tomi grimaced. "Kiryu-san is like...she stops herself if he gets too close. That's the type of bond they have."
"So...if someone has control of him...they have control of her..." Andre mused. Then Daigo looked over swiftly.
"Don't. She'll recognize that talk. Your bar will go to your next of kin. Don't even bring that up. The last time it happened was with a Daidoji meet up. They mentioned it. She almost cut off that guy's head in front of everyone. The thing is...she still loses control if she thinks she's threatened. Kiryu does his best to keep her grounded. He didn't even want to go to this fight! She insisted to put a stop to everything," Daigo said carefully.
"Yep. If anything, we will just be there as moral support. And to make sure survivors don't leave the slaughtering grounds," Adachi chuckled. He looked at his phone from a text he got. "Hmm..."
"What's up?" Nanba asked.
"Koji, one of the kids, just texted me. Said some random reporter has been trying to ask him questions about Kiryu-san. Said he was from a magazine. Koji said he had no idea and walked away with a puzzled look. But he's telling all of us in case it's something else. Let me text Kiryu-san..." Adachi muttered.
"Oh boy..." Nanba winced.
"Now Saiki's pissed," Adachi grinned. "This guy reached out to Kiryu-san's phone a few days ago. He told this guy that he was retired and to leave him alone. She's gonna pay him a visit when we get back to Japan. He's screwed."
"That he is," Tomi agreed.
"Ah. Another text. Kiryu-san and Saiki were invited to an exclusive dinner tonight by the owner of the hotel they're staying in. They helped take care of a security issue with The Barracudas when they first got in, and the dinner is a thank you for it. Huh! Okay. I'll just put to let us know if backup is needed. Likely not, but this way the offer is there. I don't think we'll have much to do tomorrow, right? It's the day after?" Adachi thought aloud.
"Yeah. The event is the day after tomorrow. Hmm. Thursday, I think. We got in on Monday. So, what should we do now?" Nanba asked.
"I was going to go look over some of the local food markets. And I was going to see if some stuff can be shipped to Japan," Zhao said.
"I can recommend a few places," Andre grinned and wrote down an address. "This is the best food market in Hawaii."
"Nice! Thanks! Wanna check it out?" Zhao asked the others.
"Let's go! And, eh, who's watching over the Geomijul? I thought you were staying behind for that?" Adachi asked.
"Seonhee has a small crew that takes care of it. She trained them personally. And we know that if anything goes wrong that Saiki will jump in to end it," Zhao grinned in full knowing. This was agreed on with laughter. With them mapping out a shopping route, Seonhee was getting dressed with Joongi ready to go.
"Do we know where to meet with the others?" she asked.
"A shopping center for Zhao to look over the market," Joongi nodded.
"Good. Let's move," she nodded back. "Maybe we can hit the beach later. If not today, then maybe tomorrow."
"Sounds good," he agreed.
"And I'll have you fan me like you did before."
"Ah. I'll pick up some suntan lotion."
"You do that," she smiled and left with him. As they got to his rental car, she mused at an idea. "I wonder if Saiki can make some clothing for you. For me. For you to wear for me."
"What?" he blinked at her.
"You're wearing the same thing every time. I need you to change it up now and then. Maybe...surprise me," she murmured. He swallowed and found himself nodding with agreement.
"I'm sure I can ask when we meet up with her and Kiryu-san," he said.
"We'll make sure to do that," she grinned lightly. As they refocused on getting to the others, Saiki was struggling to focus off her anger.
"We will stop by that magazine place and talk to them," Kiryu soothed her enraged form. "He was warned. He didn't believe us. He will find out the error of his ways when we get back. Just remain calm."
"We told him...not to approach the children...!" she seethed.
"Easy..." he muttered. "I know we did. We have about four hours until we have to go to that dinner. What's left on that food cart?"
"Hmm..." she frowned. She gasped at a soft nibble he gave her shoulder before moving to check. He brought over a rich slice of strawberry cheesecake to share with her. She paused at the sight of it. "What...is this...?"
"The label on the plate says strawberry cheesecake. I'm sure they knew we may have never seen over half of these items, so I'm glad they labeled a few! I haven't had this, either. But it looks amazing!" he grinned. They both took one bite with a shared fork and found themselves devouring the rest of it. Now she was looking up cheesecake recipes on her phone to save a few to try later.
"That was so good!" she found herself beaming. "Oh! They have cheesecake ice cream?!"
"You will need to train yourself twice a week from this point forward," he laughed. Then he saw her looking at a picture of a cheesecake with chocolate caramel swirl. "That...looks dangerous..."
"I'm sending this to Zhao," she snickered. "And...he is shopping for ingredients! Yes!"
"Oh no..." he winced and laughed softly at her side poke.
"I think this would be an amazing dessert to make for the Palekana as our last night to see them," she chuckled. Now he found himself agreeing with that.
"Okay. You win that one," he smiled.
"What else is there?" she asked and got up to check. He sighed and paused at the seven layer slice of chocolate cake brought over. "Do we dare?"
"After this...we are done for now," he muttered. The heavy, decadent dessert was barely consumed, and he was quick to request one of her digestive aid pills. "I think that cake may have done me in! Wow..."
"There are a few more things, but we can wait," she smiled and snuggled into him. He gave a heavy sigh of contentment and nodded. "You know...I think one of the chairs in the main room is a recliner..."
"Go check? I can't really move right now. I'm so full!" he said and watched her move off. She found the large, black leather couch and searched around it. Finding the lever, she tested it and found a remote for vibration. She called to him and helped him over. He gave an intense sigh of relief and placed his arms around her. She grabbed the remote to the television to start flicking through the channels. He had fallen asleep shortly after. She found herself watching a history channel that talked about the island they were on.
She noticed he was in a rather deep sleep an hour into the program, and she moved from his side carefully. She went straight to the box of fabrics to go through what was there. Grinning softly, she snatched up her sewing kit and started to make a shirt and shorts set for him with pineapple print. She made a matching one for herself in the form of a cardigan and pants. She knew she could wear her black lace halter top under it neatly.
She did the same with a Hawaiian palm tree pattern and set the new clothing aside. She mused at what else she could do, and she checked her phone to note the place of a reputable tattoo artist. Nodding at that, she thought about what to do next. Then she saw the violin and began to smile softly. Pulling up a song on her phone, she opened the music book to study the notes. She watched a video that showed how to properly hold the instrument.
She began to play lightly to feel how the strings moved with the bow. She did pause to carefully tune it before trying again. Now she began to play a very gentle tune to get used to how it should be.
"Aika...?" Kiryu asked on glancing over with surprise.
"Oh, I got bored. So I made some clothing and noted a good place for a tattoo artist. Then I decided to try the violin for a little bit," she chuckled.
"Do you think you can master it?" he smiled and stretched out to watch her.
"I'm sure I can master it by the end of tomorrow with enough practice," she shrugged and set down the violin carefully. "I just need to keep at it. I wasn't sure what else to do, though."
"What clothes did you make?" he asked. She showed him the shirt and short sets. Then she showed him the cardigan and pants set. He found himself laughing.
"I still need to make a couple shirts for us. Maybe a cardigan for me instead of a shirt. But I didn't want to use Hawaiian print..." she frowned. "I don't even have glitter fabric. I could see if something could be delivered..."
"Call the gift shop?" he asked. She nodded and she moved to the main room phone. She found the call guide and dialed up the gift shop.
"Hello. I was wondering if you had this in stock..." she started up and got into the details. With the confirmation that something could be delivered, she offered to pay for the cloth. "Oh? Ah...are you sure? I mean...okay..."
"Hmm?" he looked at her after she hung the phone up.
"It's...being given freely to us. I mean...I'm getting a little weirded out now. Just a bit," she frowned. He frowned at that and gestured for his phone. He sent a text and blinked at the response.
"It's the Daidoji. They insisted to have all of our purchases for the hotel put on their tab. Including anything ordered from the hotel for outside purchases as it's still considered a hotel purchase. Very odd..." he muttered.
"What?" she blinked. "That's just...overkill to me. That isn't needed."
"You would think so," he agreed. She sighed and moved to snuggle into his side. Then she yawned and ran a hand up his chest. A good thirty minutes passed with them reclining and enjoying each other. A knock on the door was heard, and they both moved to get into robes. The box of fabric was received and dirty dishes were taken away.
"Let's see..." Saiki smiled and pulled out a soft cotton sheet of white. Kiryu reclined on the recliner again to watch his wife start to make him an opened shirt. A cardigan was soon made for herself, and she pulled out a sheet of silver glitter. She pinned where Japanese characters and English letters would go before carefully cutting everything out to set aside.
Her husband was watching her with solid amusement, and he even helped her evenly place them by telling her how it looked from far away. She held up the cardigan now to get him howling with laughter at how it was going to look. Then she put on the cardigan so he could see how it would further look on her when the letters were fully set into place. He was still laughing at the whole thing and groaned when he finally started to calm down. The lettering was going to go on the back of his opened shirt.
"I can't believe I agreed to this," he said while laughing and shaking his head. "Kasuga is going to throw a fit in absolute laughter!"
"I'm waiting to see him glance at Sa-chan," she grinned. That got him groaning and laughing even more at the thought. He continued to watch her stitch the letters and characters down neatly before revealing it all to him.
"I like it. I can't believe I'm saying that. But, you are not going to wear it to the fight. I don't want blood on them. I'd say we can wear them on our last day here. Or even tomorrow. But not on the day of the fight," he said a bit sternly.
"I'm aware of that. Hmm. Maybe I can get black cloth, then..." she mused.
"No," he said to get her laughing. "One set is plenty."
"I should make a chest band that says 'Kazuma's Pillows' on it..."
"That...no!" he said on quickly changing his mind.
"Are you sure?" she grinned wickedly.
"When we get home," he said with a small smirk. "That's at home wear only. And, yes, you could make something for me . I wouldn't know what, though. We can discuss that later. As for now, we have a couple hours until that dinner. Let's take a shower and decide what to wear."
"I guess," she sighed and squeaked when he got up to gather her into his arms. A passionate kiss was shared between them, and he carried her into the bathroom. "Maybe we can hit the beach tomorrow."
"If we do...hmm. We'll see if our day aligns with that," he smiled. "And we'll wear the new clothing to show we are not going to go swimming."
"That would be too funny!" she grinned and laughed when he carried her into the heated water. They spent a languorous thirty minutes with each other before deciding it was time to head out. She decided to wear a leopard print cardigan, her black lace halter and pants. She put her necklaces and weapons belt back on. On studying him, she saw he dressed in a custom suit she made for him.
"Never know..." he muttered and put on the fake glasses. His gloves were now in an inside pocket to ensure he had them. She nodded at this and let him escort her out of the room. "We'll be a bit early. Let's head down to the gift shop. We do have a gift card to use."
"Ah! Yes, that will do. Then we can be escorted to where we need to go," she smiled and walked with him to the elevator. He kept her close while they rode down, and he led her to the gift shop. She thanked the store clerk for the fabric delivery and was shown the various stuffed toys they had available.
"Any choice?" he chuckled.
"Of course!" the clerk nodded.
"Can something be shipped overseas? I am unsure if I can take what I want on a flight back," Saiki frowned. It was confirmed, and Saiki ended up choosing a massive, white, ultra-fluffy teddy bear with a shiny red bow.
"And where do you plan to put that?! It's as big as you!" Kiryu blinked at it.
"The karaoke room," she grinned. He hung his head slightly and laughed.
"Well, if they can ship it to Japan..." he sighed.
"I never had a stuffed animal before. If I did, well...I don't remember," she frowned. Now the clerk paused on hearing this.
"I'm sorry, I don't mean to pry. But...you've never had a toy of any kind?!" the clerk had to ask. Kiryu sighed and gave a very brief explanation that her parents were killed and she was sent to an orphanage. Other details were withheld, but the clerk took the gift card and checked the balance on it. "That teddy bear was about $250. You have a thousand dollars on this gift card. Please get more toys! I can even help you pick them out!"
"Ah..." Saiki blinked at this.
"Let's go with some puzzles and books," Kiryu said wisely. "If you find a cute stuffed animal, then we'll consider it."
"A nice jewelry piece can also work," Saiki smiled. She was shown what was available, and arrangements were made to have things shipped to the Geomijul. She did agree to have one tiny version of the massive teddy bear to keep on her that was easy to pack in her suitcase. Kiryu was able to pick out some souvenirs for their adopted children this way, too. He did recall how Haruto wanted something from Hawaii.
"Look at this!" Kiryu said and pointed out a beautiful gold and diamond bracelet. "Let's get that, too. If we are over, I'll purchase for the difference."
"All set!" the clerk said. Saiki was quick to wear the new jewelry. Seonhee was texted to let her be aware of the delivered purchases, and the security manager was walking over to show he was ready to escort them.
"There you are! I had to check the cameras to find you. Are you ready for dinner?" the security manager chuckled. Saiki gestured to lead the way. He led them out of the hotel and to a waiting limousine.
"The owner is not in the hotel?" Kiryu asked with a raised brow.
"He does reside here from time to time. He insisted on a gourmet restaurant for this," the security manager smiled. Saiki showed uncertainty at this. Her husband gave a small side-glance to her to show he understood. They got into the back of the limousine, and the driver was quick to deliver them to the high class restaurant. Kiryu noticed the place looked slightly familiar.
"This place looks like a gambling hall front. I remember this before with Chi-chan..." he muttered under his breath. "Do not leave my side. If anything goes south, you let me handle it first."
"Very well," she muttered back.
"Is something wrong?" the security manager asked.
"I was here before. It's a gambling front. My wife should not be subject to any of it. Just...be aware," Kiryu said and kept a secure arm around his wife. "She does not do well in hostile locations. You should know this."
"Oh..." the man blinked. "This place is a gambling ring?"
"You never knew?" Kiryu asked. "Hmm. If you stay, you'll see for yourself. If it comes to it."
"I was asked to be a bit of a bouncer," he nodded.
"As you say. Alright, let's see how this pans out," Kiryu said and led his wife out of the limousine. The driver bowed slightly to them all and drove off after to refuel. The three of them walked in and were led to a corner table. Saiki took in the room silently. She was already cringing at the over-dressed people, the intensely wealthy atmosphere and the gaudy music playing in the background.
"Hmm..." she frowned.
"Easy..." he muttered and kept an arm around her. When a sleazy man started to saunter over, Kiryu was quick to give a sharp glare in warning.
"Fuck off," she said without even looking at the man. That got him pausing with complete shock at the brushoff.
"You are ignoring me?!" he started. Then he noticed the belt of weapons she had on. When both she and her husband glared at him, he found himself speechless at the sight of it.
"Either I ignore you or kill you. What'll it be?" she said with a cold smile at him now. The man swallowed and quickly walked away. "Thought so."
"Hmm..." Kiryu frowned and sat down at the shown table.
"It's so good to meet you both!" the large man said with complete appreciation. Saiki noticed the fat Japanese man was balding, had a slight beard and was wearing a rather expensive set of designer clothes of purple and gold.
"I'm sure. Why are we here?" Kiryu asked and took up a menu.
"I was...hoping to hire you both for a small job opportunity. Nothing major! I assure you. Ah...just...something that I hope to have taken care of for good..." the hotel owner assured them.
"This is my honeymoon with my husband. We are only here for five more days. Then we go home to Japan. I am not here for deals or jobs," Saiki said with complete mistrust now. "Also...I'm pregnant. My husband has to approve all of the jobs that I do. And I do have a date with The Barracudas in a couple days. He really hates that, but it must be done."
"Oh! You're already going to be meeting with...?!" the man gaped.
"Was that the job? For her to take them out?" Kiryu asked with scrutiny.
"Well...not all of them...but...you know what they're doing to the community! It's bad business for everyone!" the hotel owner frowned.
"Nobody move! This is a robbery! Just stay where you are and-!" the Barracuda thug started after kicking in the door and didn't even finish. Saiki had already darted over, gutted him open with a sickle and lopped off his head.
"Saiki!" Kiryu gaped and bolted up after her. By the time he rushed to her side, she was standing over four bodies and wiping off her sickle weapons clean on their clothes.
"There's more outside," she murmured.
"Don't!" he growled and pulled her into his arms. He lifted her face gently to look into his eyes. "Do you see me?"
"I'm in control," she smiled softly and let him hug her. "I'm...remembering your order. To stay in control. They rushed in. I had to act. I just worry of the ones waiting outside."
"I know. It was unexpected with their entrance. As for the ones waiting outside...I don't know. Maybe we should go back to our room now. Enough people here are traumatized for life," he muttered and lifted her into his arms after she put away her weapons. "I just don't know if we have to make a path..."
"That was incredible! You didn't even think about it!" the owner said when he ran over. Kiryu held out his hand to keep him back in warning.
"My wife is now in a mood to kill. Don't run at her. She'll think you're also trying to attack. I need to get her out of here. I know we just got here, but this is now a hostile environment. I don't want her to lose control over this side of herself. I'm taking her back," Kiryu said calmly. "If she loses control...she barely even recognizes me."
"I always...recognize you..." she chuckled in his ears. "But...I know why you say this...to hide things..."
"Yeah..." he muttered and saw the other group of Barracuda thugs getting ready to charge in. He set her down on her feet and had her regard him. "Damn. Okay. An order. Jump out. Kill them all. Come back to me. Got it?"
"Loud and clear, love," she grinned and pulled out the scythe. Everyone in the restaurant screamed, but then they could only watch when the weapon wasn't used on them. She had the doors opened to launch out and swing the scythe with a cheery grin on her face. Six more men were now headless and pulled away by waiting security. The security manager had already talked to the restaurant owner the moment she killed the first group. The restaurant manager was ordered to cater to the couple that saved the business.
"They know where to move bodies. Are there any more?" the security manager asked. It was reported that no others were found.
"Oh, look! A passport from someone else. We can turn this in if we want to get into their stronghold and mop it up," Saiki grinned wickedly after searching a pocket. Kiryu rose a brow and sighed. He pocketed it for a possible later use.
"If we don't need it, we'll turn it in," he muttered.
"Of course," she nodded. "Should we go back now? I think we have worn out our welcome here. As usual."
"Ah, no! Please. Everyone is safe now because of you. Please have something. I already paid for anything you want," the hotel manager seemed to plead with them. Kiryu gave a small glance around at the stunned crowd, but they slowly applauded them for keeping the area safe from harm.
"I suppose..." Saiki murmured. "Just...don't crowd me."
"Of course," the extravagant man nodded. Her gaze cut to the sleazy man that tried to approach her in the beginning. And she smirked at how he cringed at her gaze. Kiryu grunted his disapproval and carried his wife back to the table. She hated to admit that the roast she ordered was cooked to perfection with just the right amount of seasoning. Even the garlic mashed potatoes impressed her.
"Everything is cooked over open flames, glazed with seasoning and seared in while cooking," the restaurant manager said. He had served their dinner personally, and he had a dish of fried ice cream brought over.
"What...is this...?!" Saiki said with intense delight on the first spoonful.
"Deep fried ice cream. Done just enough to sizzle the outside of it," the restaurant manager chuckled. She sent a picture of it to Zhao to let him know of its existence. Even he replied back that he was in shock.
"We have a friend who's a bit of a gourmet chef," Kiryu chuckled. "He's always looking for new techniques for his kitchen."
"Very good!" the restaurant manager said. He moved off to see to the other guests after that before announcing that the next event was to start.
"Damn. Gambling..." Kiryu muttered. "We should go now."
"Darling..." his wife whispered in her singing tone. He glanced at her to slightly nod. "I have...a photographic memory. Want to see...how much...I can win...? Likely not much...but..."
Now he paused and cleared his throat. "Then again...I suppose we can do twenty minutes. Or at least a couple rounds."
She smiled lightly and went to a card table. She was shown the rules of how Blackjack worked, and she put in a hundred dollar bet. She lost two hands and decided she was done after that. Kiryu took a stab at it and won a hand. Then he doubled it. She smiled and said, "Thanks for making back what I lost."
"Of course," he grinned and kissed her before rising up from the table.
"Where are you going?" the hotel manager asked.
"It's getting late. We need to go," Kiryu said.
"But...the night's still young!" the man said. Now Saiki blinked at something in realization.
"We are not your babysitters. And we are definitely not your bodyguards," she growled in warning. "We are here on vacation. A honeymoon. We are leaving. Our night is done."
"Oh..." he frowned hard. Now Kiryu realized exactly what was going on.
"You were using us as bodyguards?!" he narrowed his eyes.
"Not really..." the man started.
"It wasn't like that. Not until The Barracudas showed up. Anyways, I doubt they'll be back. A lot of them saw what I did in the distance. And they ran away. And when they see me in their stronghold at the destined time...I doubt anyone will see any of them ever again," she grinned coldly. "Especially with what I plan to do to them. So don't worry too much. Because I'll even warn them after I fuck them all up. They start up again...I'll just have to come back and finish the job."
"I know. And I don't like thinking about it. Anyways, it's time to go back. Thank you for dinner. Have a nice night," Kiryu said and gently escorted his wife out. When they walked out, they saw that the limousine wasn't there. He smirked and looked at her. She smirked back to show they were going to walk. He lifted her in his arms to carry her and press a kiss to her cheek.
"I could walk, you know," she laughed softly.
"I need to rebuild my arm muscles. This helps," he grinned.
"So...that's why you do it..." she mused.
"And I don't want you to walk," he grinned a bit more and kissed her fully before carrying her off. She did send a text to Tomi, though. He was soon picking them up to take them back the rest of the way. They told him what happened, and even he was disgusted.
"No ride waiting for you. That hotel manager was a total flake on thinking that you both were gonna protect him. It's your honeymoon!" Tomi raged.
"Focus on the road, but yeah. You're not wrong," Kiryu sighed.
"We were thinking of going to the beach tomorrow. Get out and about for an hour or so. Then shut ourselves away again," Saiki chuckled.
"It's all good! Just, eh, text me and I'll pick you up. No need to let someone else do it. Okay?" Tomi asked.
"You have a deal," Kiryu nodded. They got dropped off, and Tomi drove back to where he was staying with the others. Kiryu scooped up his wife in his arms and started to carry her into the hotel.
"Hey!" a man shouted at them.
"Sorry, it's bed time! I'll talk to you tomorrow!" Saiki sang out with a wave. "I'm in no mood to talk right now!"
"Really?" Kiryu grinned slightly.
"Yep. And, ah...swing me around?" she said on hearing the man running at them with a fury. Kiryu sighed and did just that. Then he turned right back towards the hotel to leave a new headless corpse falling down behind them. Saiki only sighed and said, "I told him I didn't wanna talk. Darling, I'm still trying to figure out why people are so stupid!"
"And I will tell you that I'm still trying to figure that out," he nodded to her. She yawned and snuggled into his neck.
"That was a good meal. But...now I'm sleepy..." she murmured.
"Is that so?" he asked and managed to get to the elevator. On rising up to their floor, the doors opened to reveal a group of seven burly men blocking the way. "Darling, I don't want you to kill anymore."
"The fuck?" one of the men growled. Then he fell into a dead sleep from an acupuncture needle.
"True. So much more fun to put them all to sleep!" she grinned wickedly. The six men left standing were speechless. Now she regarded them all. "I don't know what the fuck you're all doing here. But know this. I'm the Headhunter of the Yakuza. I don't play games. I play for keeps. It's how I was raised. You all get one chance to leave here with your lives. Or don't. It makes no difference to me at all."
"Considering that she wants to join your fight club in a couple days," Kiryu grunted. "I'm trying to talk her out of it."
"That little bitch thinks she take us out?!" a man spat.
"I just killed at least ten of you today. I don't mind racking up the kill count. Keep it coming!" she grinned and tensed with complete excitement.
"Easy!" Kiryu growled and glared at the staring men. "I can't control her for long! If you want to keep pissing off my wife, then that's all on you!"
"Just think of it this way. Your turf. No rules. Fuck, I may even break in and open the gates for everyone," she snickered darkly. "I climb buildings like ladders. I always get my toys...and turn them into bread crumbs..."
"Saiki..." Kiryu muttered softly. "Focus on me."
"It's getting hazy..." she frowned. "The need to kill...is so strong..."
"Get out of here! All of you! Now!" Kiryu pleaded with them.
"Sorry...love..." Saiki swallowed at the sight of one of the men rushing at her. Now Kiryu knew he lost her to the darkness of her mind. He watched her leap out of his arms, bring out her sickles and slice the man open from groin to throat. Then she spun out to slice off his head. The five remaining men found themselves shaking.
"And she's joining your fight club. I really hope you all live," Kiryu grimaced. "She won't let any of you get past her now. She'll think you're all after me. I have no control over her now. She is deep in her killing instinct."
She was crouched low with her sickles drawn. She was already mapping out how to kill each man swiftly. One man started to hyperventilate in a fierce panic. But another fell to his knees to show submission. Now the others did the same. Saiki growled with indecision, but that was enough for her husband to walk over and touch her shoulder. Then he bent down to softly whisper in her ear.
"I...I see. Very well. They can leave. I guess..." she muttered out.
"That's it. Think through the blackout. Follow my voice. You told me before that it is a light in your dark mind," Kiryu whispered. "I know you can't rest until they are gone. They know now. Let them all go. It's okay. You can do this! Focus on breaking free!"
"We're here!" the security manager said when the elevator opened.
"Stop!" Kiryu shouted in warning. He was almost too late when Saiki shrieked and turned to attack. "Saiki! Allies! Stop!"
"Ah...!" she winced before turning around to face the other men. "Kazuma...help me...!"
"I have you!" he said and quickly scooped her up. No one got in his way when he rushed to their door to open it and let themselves in. He slammed the door shut and took her straight into the bedroom. Now she howled with rage and pressed into him while he rocked her. "It's okay! I'm here! Hush now...that's it. It's over now. It's done."
"I'm going...to kill them all...!" she seethed.
"Not now," he said sternly. "Focus on me. The job is done. It's done."
"I blacked out...but I heard you..." she swallowed while shaking hard. "Your voice...it cut through to me...like a light piercing the veil..."
"You told me before."
"I tried...so hard! So hard! Not...to give in...but..."
"I know. And I'm so proud of you for trying! We just need to keep at it. I know you can do it. And I'll keep helping you through all of it."
"They just...wouldn't listen...!"
"Calm yourself," he muttered softly in her ear. He sat on the bed with her in his lap. Then he gently ran his hand though a lock of her hair. His other hand moved to gently caress the back of her neck. Now he was able to lull her into a form of sleepy contentment. He began to hum softly to further calm her down. He saw a tear fall from her cheek, and he hugged her to him tightly. She clung to him now when the intense headache ripped through her with a savage fury.
"My head!" she gasped through her tears.
"Let it go," he muttered and kissed her forehead. At the sound of a knock on the door, she tensed with a seething hiss. "Not good. I'm not letting you down. Don't look at who it is. Just focus on me. I'll look in the peephole and judge."
"I'm still...recovering. But...I can also...relapse..." she winced. "I don't know...if I'll be safe...after a relapse..."
"You will never hurt me," he whispered and kissed her passionately. His mouth moved to hungrily attack her throat before he growled at another knock. "I fear I may be relapsing with you."
"Misery loves company..." she said with a soft chuckle. He grunted out his displeasure before forcing himself up to rise with her. He carried her to the door and saw the security manager waiting.
"Fine. I'll talk to him," he muttered. He set her down carefully and opened the door slightly. "I can't open this door all the way. My wife is now unwell. She is recovering from everything."
"I figured. I wanted to give this back to you," the security manager said and carefully passed her needle through the door. "We cleared out the body and took the rest away. We'll make sure no one else does this again."
"How did it happen?" Saiki asked.
"I wasn't here. That's what happened," he growled.
"I see. I'm just glad I kept my wife from killing you," Kiryu sighed.
"I know. I was just rushing up here as fast as I could. I have others watching over my boss. I had gotten a phone call that a group of men shoved their way in. No one could stop them! Then I saw the one outside. I feared the worst for them when I got up here," he admitted.
"At least you feared for them," Saiki sighed and shook her head. "I fear for my husband. Because all I can think of is to protect him. Regardless of who's around me. When I sink down into that killing blackness...only he can bring me out. Anyways, I'm exhausted. Thank you for bringing back my needle."
"And thank you for protecting my boss tonight," he said seriously and walked away. The door was locked and Saiki leaned into her husband. She was deep in thought, and he lifted her in his arms to carry her into the bedroom.
"What's on your mind?" he muttered and set her on the bed. He started to undress, and he glanced over at her small chuckle.
"I want you to set a timer. To see how fast I conquer the fighting match," she grinned. "I think I need to start challenging myself."
"I would count putting them all to sleep," he said while setting his clothes aside on a nearby chair.
"That's cheating to me," she sighed and laughed when he pulled her close.
"You're still dressed," he growled.
"Maybe I forgot how to take off my clothes," she grinned.
"Oh? Is that so?" he muttered and kissed her heavily. Now he took his time to slowly undress her and work his mouth over everywhere he revealed. He got excited more and more with each heightened gasp he had her do. Ten minutes later had them both reclining in the bed and panting with complete exertion.
"I love you," she murmured.
"I love you," he muttered out while holding her close.
"I'll need to take the pregnancy test when I get up in the morning. It's best to do it then. So...remind me," she said softly.
"I can do that," he agreed.
"The beach tomorrow?" she asked.
"Yeah," he said.
"I need to make myself a new bikini," she said with a small grin.
"Shut up," he grunted out. That got her laughing softly.
"I did a bit of research and there is something called a micro bikini," she went on. The small glare he gave her had her laughing a bit harder.
"Conversation is over," he growled and rolled to tackle her to him. A deep sleep soon took over the loving couple to bring an end to the night.