notes:

If you find anything regarding Kazama's behavior in this story confusing, you can tell me, so I explained to you why I wrote him like that. I have searched and studied his character as much as possible before writing this work.

Chapter Text

About an hour later, he went back to the room. Amagiri had gone to bed in one of the rooms, and Chizuru was asleep, too, in their bedroom. This time, Kazama had told the maid to put a futon for Amagiri in one of the rooms and two futons for himself and Chizuru in another room.

Chizuru was half asleep there on the futon. She sensed his presence but didn't react or worry about anything. She was not feeling afraid or worried about his behavior anymore. It was as if once she spent real time with him as his wife, she was not afraid of his presence anymore. She was aware that he was still capable of hurting her, but she was not feeling like she needed to worry about that before it happened.

Kazama changed into a sleeping yukata and slipped into the blankets next to her.

Chizuru was asleep with her back to him. Kazama sighed as he wrapped his arm around her, holding her against his chest. He touched her lips with his thumb. They were not dry anymore.

Chizuru didn't recoil or move away instinctively. Instead, she just opened her eyes. It was as if, although she didn't have any feelings for him, and she didn't think he had any for her either, it was natural to have a physical connection with him now and she was not even worried that he would force himself on her.

"If you had met me before you met him, would you choose to come with me willingly?" He asked in a low and calm voice as he sensed her to be awake.

"I don't know." She replied in the same voice tone before she turned around facing him. "Would that change a thing now?"

"Why not? A few hours ago, we were fine." He replied, his arm still around her and rubbed her back. "Now tell me. If you met me before you met him, would you choose me?"

"Like you said, a few hours ago, we were fine like we have met in different circumstances from the beginning. " She said.

"But if I meet him after I choose you, then I'll regret choosing you." She continued.

"How stubborn. You are totally my match. Your dedication for who you care about is admirable. "

"Since when do you care about who your match is?"

"I have a heart, too."

"Have you ever fallen in love with anyone before? Have you ever dreamed of living with someone who you love the most?"

He moved his hand to caress her face.

"So you are beginning to stop seeing me as a monster. " He moved his hand down to caress her neck.

"If you ever experienced being in love with anyone, then you would have left me to live my life because you would understand how hard it is to detach someone from their lover. It's like detaching a mother from her child. " She said, looking down.

"I took you by force, so you never feel guilty for leaving someone you called your own husband."

"What kind of a life awaits me with you?" She asked, still looking down.

"I'm capable of protecting you. If he's alive, he will just find another woman who is human like him to live with and forget how weak of a husband he was for you. At least, I'll never replace you with another woman, and I won't die and leave you to rot in war and poverty. " he said, moving his hand up and down her waist before wrapping it around her again, pushing her closer to him.

She looked up at him again, looking in his eyes. If Hajime is alive then maybe she should just accept this life for the sake of his well being and if he's dead then she should just allow time to pass until she decides what to do with her own life. For now, she just had to live this life until she knew of his fate. That was what she thought.

"There's no hurry for anything. Stop overthinking." He said, still looking in her eyes. "Close your eyes, Chizuru." He said in a lower voice before he gently pushed her, so she lay on her back and got on top of her. She didn't resist. He looked in her eyes for seconds, feeling her body beneath his and lowered his head and started nuzzling her neck.

She closed her eyes in comfort. None of them was that horny to have sex again, and what they were doing was comfort and slow burning pleasure.

He held her with both arms lightly and started licking and sucking her neck while she had her hands resting on the futon at the both sides of her head and she relaxed more beneath him, her muscles loosening unconsciously.

She thought to herself that he was not as horrible as she thought. At least he didn't hurt her until now, unlike what she expected, so maybe there is a chance that he kept his promise and kept Hajime alive.

"Do you prefer cats or dogs?" He suddenly asked her as he lifted his head to look at her face, and she was almost half asleep when he asked. With his thumb, he caressed her neck that he was caring for. It was wet with his saliva and reddened but no hickey as he didn't suck on it enough to create one.

"I never had any of them. Why do you ask such a question?" She asked with sleepy eyes.

"It seems like you are not much into jewelry and clothes. So I'll bring you as many pets as you want." He replied, still caressing her neck.

"I don't want to take care of pets that can live easily without me while I couldn't even feed my dead child once." She said, looking into his eyes.

"Then I'll give you as many children as you want, and I'll bring them as many pets as they want." He said, this time caressing her cheek with one hand and moving his other hand through her hair.

"So you'll try to win their hearts by giving them pets? What if they loved me more than they loved the pets?" She asked boldly.

"I don't mind them loving you as long as they are devoted to their duties. "

"You are not worried about my influence on them? Or will you get rid of me once you have your children?"

"Or we'll lay like this together every night until you come to your senses." He opened her collar to slide his hand inside. They didn't say anything for seconds and only kept eye contact as he placed his hand on her breast, caressing her nipple. She found her breasts being rubbed to be more comforting than thrilling. She could fall asleep under the touch.

She closed her eyes as she focused on the comfort of the touch. Kazama opened her kimono more and moved down to suck on her nipple while caressing the twin nipple. He too closed his eyes in comfort as he did the actions slowly, and he sensed Chizuru's heartbeats slowing down.