Waking

~*~*~*~*~

“Konnichiwa Hiroshi-san,” Kino bowed her head when Saya opened the door.

“Konnichiwa Kino, what brings you by?” Saya stepped back from the door and admitted the petite girl.

Kino slipped off her shoes and set them by the others beside the door, standing with her hands clasped behind her back. “I was wondering if I might speak with Sakon,” Kino nearly said Kesu, had to remind herself this was his ningen mother she was speaking to.

Saya looked a touch confused, but motioned down the hall with a polite smile, “He’s in his room, still pretty sick, but he’s getting better.”

Kino bowed her head again and padded around the corner and down the hallway, scowling at Saya’s words. Kesu was sick? Had he been sick when he went to Makai two evenings ago? Even the most delusional and hallucination inducing fever wouldn’t save Kesu’s ass, even if she was doing pretty good at keeping her temper in place.

Actually she thought she was handling herself extremely well. She had kept herself from confronting Kesu for a whole day, concentrating on Tanji - for all the good that did. Tanji tossed around in bed, plagued by nightmares and cold sweats the little bit he did sleep, unable to eat anything. Nearly two days without eating did serious damage to the little demon, and it was worrying her badly. The evening before she’d gotten him to get out of bed and curl up on the couch with her, watching a movie she’d paid so little attention to she couldn’t even remember the title let alone the story.

Her knuckles wrapped lightly upon Kesu’s open door, eyes darting about the room. Kesu was reclined on the corner of his bed, reading what looked like a literature assignment. He set the text in his blanketed lap and leaned forward, smiling slightly. Kino couldn’t even force a polite smile, even if he did look terribly sick.

“Hiya, Kino… what’s the matter?” the kitsune perceived Kino was upset.

“You look about as well as Tanji does, curled up in bed,” she snarled.

“Why?” Kesu sat up straighter, blinking, “was he hurt when he went to Makai? He didn’t have to go without me…”

“You’re kidding right?” Kino blinked wide orange eyes, “You didn’t go?”

Kesu shook his head, just a little bit, obviously his head hurt, “I was really sick, throwing up most of that day so I called the temple and said I couldn’t go with him.”

“Who did you talk to?” Kino demanded, cheeks creeping into an angry blush.

“Yotaka-san of course, suggested she just have Tanji skip the survey this week because it’s been pretty quiet anyway…”

Kesu continued talking, Kino not hearing much of it. He was being honest. If he hadn’t gone with Tanji to Makai… Tanji must have gone… No, Kino remembered distinctly Yotaka calling the apartment like normal to say Kesu was there and ready to go. Tanji had snatched up his sword, given her a kiss that had interrupted her reading, and flitted off.

“Kino?” Kesu broke her from her thoughts.

“But Yotaka called our place and told him you were ready to go,” she answered in a daze, still clinging to the memory. “He said he was going with you and when he came back…”

Kesu blinked again, just as confused looking as she felt. “It wasn’t me that was with him, you can ask kaasan, my fever didn’t break until early this morning, I’ve spent all weekend in bed. What happened to Tanji… Kino?”

Kino blushed brightly, scuffing at the floor with her foot. “He said you… took advantage of him,” she answered meekly.

Kesu’s mouth fell open a little bit, “Took advantage… how? You mean?”

Kino nodded, thinking she was going to pass out. Kesu really hadn’t known, it hadn’t been him. If it hadn’t been Kesu then someone had done a real trick on Tanji to believe he was with Kesu.

“Aya,” Kesu and Kino growled at the same time, obviously having followed the same train of thought.

Kesu, pure mask of rage on his pale and pretty features, crawled to the end of his bed and snatched up a pair of jeans laying on the floor. “Meet me out in the living room, Kino… I’m coming with you, sick or not.”

“How do you know…” Kino’s question trailed off, edging toward the door.

“Because… you love Tanji, and you look like you want to murder a certain someone, which is just how I feel.”

~*~*~*~*~

“Tanji?” Kino called out softly as she pushed the apartment door open, finding the place entirely dark. She glanced back at Kesu and telekinetically turned on the living room light. “He might be sleeping.”

“Yeah it is pretty late. Are you… sure… about this?”

“Tanji needs to hear this from you, Kesu,” Kino laid a gentle hand on the kitsune’s arm. He was still pretty sick, probably even more exhausted from what the two of them had just done, but he nodded in silent agreement.

Kino braved a smile and padded quietly down the hallway to the back bedroom, Kesu following just as silently. She peered into the room, finding Tanji curled up on her side of the bed where she’d left him, huddling in the comforter she’d tucked around him before leaving. She moved to the center of the room, smiling softly at him. He looked so small and delicate.

“Shouldn’t bother him,” Kesu whispered from the doorway.

Kino studied the kitsune, watching Tanji sleep with pain in his wide jade eyes. She reached out and tugged his arm, urging him, “His only real peace will be if you tell him.”

Kesu exhaled and nodded, stepping around the end of the bed and kneeling beside it, very near to where Tanji was laying. Kino crawled up from the foot of the bed, settling down behind him, raking her fingers through his hair as Kesu reached out and caressed Tanji’s forehead with his slender fingers. Tanji’s eyes flew open, entire body tensing with Kesu’s mental link. Kesu whimpered a little bit, fidgeting as he knelt there, eyes half-closed.

After a long tense moment - the kind where the tenseness could be felt in the air and more than likely cut with a knife - Tanji reached out toward Kesu, slipping his arm around the kitsune’s shoulders and pulling him close. Kino shifted back a little bit, nibbling at her lip and watching silently.

“It wasn’t… you,” Tanji’s voice shook with tears, but it was total relief.

“No love, it was Aya,” Kino ran her fingers through his hair again.

Tanji turned a little bit, clinging to Kesu, blinking at her with a little smile. “What… what did you… do to him?” the sobbing had left him breathless, but he managed.

Kino and Kesu just smiled at each other.

“Oh we just helped him realize his faults,” Kino smirked.

“Made him apologize… profusely,” Kesu added with a soft chuckle.

“Made him wish he had healing magic instead of shape-shifting…” Kino glanced innocently to the ceiling.

“Really did a number on him, huh?” Tanji’s smile, though still weary, grew a little brighter as he reached to caress Kino’s cheek.

“Yeah… I wonder if he’s crawled to the hospital by now,” Kesu feigned a worried tone.

“I hope they like extra-crispy kitsune,” Kino giggled.

~*~*~*~*~

Kino sighed and gazed out the living room window, legs curled beneath her as she sat in that little alcove of the windowsill that was just perfect for sitting, a neglected book in her lap. Tanji was sitting on the couch, sketchbook propped against his legs.

It was Saturday evening - it had been just over two weeks since that nightmarish trip to Makai. Tanji was acting fairly normal now, as normal as he ever acted, except taking greater than normal pains to avoid a certain kitsune named Aya. He was actually spending more time with Kesu, worked harder at his class assignments, and had stepped up his training. What it all added up to - less time with her, especially in the intimacy department.

At first she hadn’t minded that much, but two weeks? Especially since Tanji was normally… insatiable. There was just no other way to put it. Kino normally had to scold him for getting too brazen in public with their kisses, but not lately. She could handle him calm well enough, she was a level-headed girl who kept her feelings in check a great deal of the time, but two weeks? She sighed, a little too loudly, catching Tanji’s attention.

“What’s wrong angel?” he asked softly, stretching his legs and setting his sketchbook on the table.

Kino set her book down on the windowsill, bowing her head, thinking for a moment. It hadn’t been Kesu, and Tanji was fine about that, that scar removed. But still it remained that he had been hurt, perhaps not as badly, but still deeply wounded. She had hoped it would take care of itself, and perhaps two weeks was not enough time… but she was beginning to feel a little… rejected.

She slipped off the alcove and went to the couch, sitting just beside Tanji on the very edge, not meeting his questioning gaze. Her hand slipped over his stomach, her eyes intent upon the movement. He tensed, like he often did when touched unexpectedly, something of habit.

“Are you busy?” she asked softly, glancing toward the sketchbook.

“It can wait,” he nudged a strand of hair away from her face, trying to study her expression. “Why… wanna watch a movie or somethin?”

Kino had worked her hand discretely beneath his shirt, but Tanji was too busy trying to get her eyes to meet his to notice what she was doing. “Hmm… not exactly,” she answered in a sultry tone, smiling to herself when he shivered a little bit, and then again when her finger traced the tattoo around his navel.

Tanji moved to catch her wrist, but her other hand caught it and entwined her fingers with his. Her hand pressed firmer against his abdomen, slipping up his chest as she leaned forward to kiss him. He was so tense, barely responded to her lips against his. Tanji’s other hand was still playing at her hair, and it was shaking, badly. Kino drew back, studying his face worriedly, leaning into the touch, scooting a little closer against him.

“Tanji?” she questioned gently, easing just a little more of her weight against him.

Tanji just blinked at her, obvious discomfort in his eyes. He fidgeted a little, seeming like he wanted to run. Usually when Tanji wanted to run he did, and it took a lot of willpower to keep him still. Kino hid her smile and blushed softly, kissing him again, not about to give up. She could be just as stubborn as he could.

She took his hand and placed it gingerly at her waist, pressing his palm open, encouraging him to hold her like he did so often before. Her tongue slipped almost shyly across his lips in seeking little motions.

Suddenly, surprisingly the touch she’d placed grew firm and the unyielding barrier of his mouth gave into her. This time she allowed her lips to curve into a smile against the now mutual kiss. Both of his hands grasped her waist and tugged her easily to lay completely on top of him, settling herself into something very familiar and very missed. Kino broke the kiss and pulled back for a breath, nuzzling the tip of her nose against his. Tanji squeezed her a little tighter for a moment, eyes drifting away.

“I’m sorry, itoshii…” he bit his lip.

“Shhh,” Kino shushed him with another kiss, deeper this time, leaving them both breathless. She knew what he wanted to say, no sense in him frustrating himself trying to say what she already knew.

“Ai shiteru, angel,” Tanji whispered against her lips.

“Love you too,” Kino replied quietly, caressing his face in her hands, gently pushing his headband up and back. Didn’t matter how many times she told him she didn’t care, he still wore it. Hmm, but probably good when they had their drapes open though.

And speaking of the drapes… Kino pulled herself away from him and reached across the alcove to pull the blinds shut. Surprised once more, Kino found Tanji’s strong arms wrap around her from behind, his lips pressed against her neck. She tilted her head out of habit and leaned back against him, finding he’d taken his shirt off. A soft little sound of pleasure escaped her as his kiss trailed up to her ear, his teeth grazing the sensitive flesh in just that perfect way. She had either broken his reservations, or he was just putting on a really really good performance to make her happy.

Then again Tanji was a horrible actor, and this was way better than horrible.

“My Tanji,” she breathed, losing her senses to the pleasure, “thought I lost you…”

“Never… promise,” his tongue curled perfectly along the fragile curves of her ear, a gentle hand raking back her hair.

Kino fought herself for a coherent thought, turning in his arms, her slender body almost not responding to the command, and slowly at best. “Are you… all right?”

“I tried… so hard… on my own. And then you… you help me so much,” he struggled for the words, like he always did, but she could find their meaning so well.

Kino slipped her arms around his shoulders, silencing his stumbling words with a deep kiss, curling her tongue languorously around his. They pulled away from one another a minute amount, resting their foreheads together. “I should have known… I waited so long… I thought you could handle it yourself,” she closed her eyes, pain in her heart.

“I’m not… that strong,” Tanji gazed down at her hands playing across his chest, “I’m not the warrior I thought I was.”

“Shhh, Tanji, you are strong,” Kino looked at him, running a hand back through his bangs, “So much stronger than me. A great many people could never handle what you went through. It hurts me so much thinking about it… and does being a warrior really matter that much to you?”

Tanji glanced up to meet her gaze a few times, nervously. “If that’s not who I am… then what?”

“Just a young, cute boy with talents and gifts… and scars, pain, just like everyone else,” Kino answered softly. “And perhaps someday, who knows?”

“And that’s all?”

“And… mine?” she blinked, amber eyes meeting ruby, and both looking so scared to the other. Tanji smiled slowly, holding back tears at the same time. His rough hand caressed the silken skin of her face.

“Of course I’m yours… yours and no one else’s… forever,” Tanji spoke very slowly to make each word perfectly clear, lips brushing against hers.

“Good,” Kino smiled, Tanji’s thumb stealing away a single tear that had fallen, “because you’ve got me forever.”

Tanji held her firmly around the waist with one arm, pressing her back slightly against the alcove, nudging her just barely up onto the edge of it as he kissed her again. It was a slow and loving exploration of the sweetness of her mouth. His hand slipped from caressing her angelic face down between them, slowly unbuttoning her blouse as he continued kissing, caressing the oh-so subtle curve of her belly when he finished all the buttons. Even the most waspish of women had that gentle shape to them, and with slender Kino, that simple thing just excited him beyond belief.

“Kino… I…” he breathed.

“Tanji?” Kino yanked herself from the haze of pleasure his kiss caused.

Tanji shook his head a little, hand slipping around her waist and up her spine, making her arch against him and forget he’d said anything. His nimble fingers nudged her bra unclasped as she dreamily cast off her shirt, then the undergarment. Kino was afraid to move too much, afraid to trigger some horrid memory. That had happened a few times in the past two weeks, some casual touch would send him into frightened tremors, all defenses raised, and so hard to get through again. Twice it had happened when she approached him from behind, and then she made sure it didn’t happen again. But so often it was just a whispered word, a touch to his arm, or pressing against him while lying in bed - things seemingly random to her. So she let him guide her movements.

Tanji’s rough hands moved down her sides, slipping between her skin and the waistband of her pants, and then even beneath the softness of her panties, slipping them both down in a torturously slow movement that alone made her shiver. Kino wanted to do something but she wouldn’t, she wasn’t going to take the chance, not when she needed him like this. Yes, she admitted selfishly to herself, she needed him. And dammit she deserved to be a little selfish now and then.

Tanji kissed softly and slowly up across her belly to her chest, lifting her slightly against him, pressing her soft and supple body against the coarse denim jeans that confined him still. She fought herself from reaching to take them off, occupying her hands instead with his hair, nudging it all free. Her admiring vision went hazy again as his mouth found that center of her breast, teasing the flesh erect and to the peak of its sensitivity. She reached for him with heavy motions, wanting to kiss that mouth, but he avoided her. Hmm, probably not on purpose, that boy made being still seem like a distant impossibility. He’d moved to her other breast and then down far enough to necessitate that he kneel, pausing his descent to pay some attention to her navel, thrusting his tongue within the small space and smiling up at her.

Kino didn’t see the smile, too lost in the pleasure of it all, eyes just barely opened as her head fell back to the whim of gravity. She couldn’t think clearly, could only feel his one strong arm behind her, lifting her hips slightly towards him, the other hand rubbing the tense muscle of her thigh to relaxation, then a little further upwards.

His breath upon the region was enthralling, the touch doubling the lightning sensations. There were no words to describe the feeling when she felt his tongue… there. She couldn’t recall anything feeling that good, couldn’t anything but surrender to it. It seemed so obscene, so… dirty, to enjoy something like that. Then again, they were in the privacy of their own home, sometimes the same things were said about sex itself and besides - it felt really… amazing. The thoughts chased themselves through her head for the briefest moment, running themselves out quickly and leaving her to the haze of desire alone.

Tanji was gentle with his attention, but so blissfully quick in every motion, bringing the burning need in her to a blinding fury. She couldn’t resist thrusting her hips up against his mouth, planting her hands behind her for leverage, fingers gripping the cushion harshly. She tried breathlessly to say his name, but she’d lost the ability to speak, could hardly moan barely recognizable syllables.

Tanji threw himself earnestly into the task, spurned by her response, wanting to apologize for his lack of attention lately. He’d never expected Kino would respond like this, let him continue, and certainly not this long. Perhaps it had something to do with how long he’d been cold to her, distant in his defenses. Perhaps he was just doing something right. His seeking mouth seemed to find every part of her, no single part of her flesh devoid of consuming attention. He wanted to claim all of her at that moment.

“Please,” Kino stammered, finally managing something coherent, sliding her hands to clasp behind his neck, urging him up.

Wincing with a touch of pain from seriously constricting jeans, Tanji obeyed, nuzzling into the graceful slope of her neck. Her fingers played up and down his back, across his shoulders, then to his chest and abdomen, fingers tracing every delicately chiseled definition of muscle. Deceptively small, but so strong.

Kino couldn’t stand it anymore, the barrier of his jeans against her skin, she had to. Her fingers tore themselves from their exploration, finding the button and working it loose, then nudging the zipper. She tensed when he made a quiet noise, but it was only a little discomfort from her pushing the jeans off his hips, Tanji was occupied with nibbling and kissing at the juncture between her neck and her shoulder. His hands were kneading her thighs as he kicked the pants away, darting touches to her nether region that sent shudders through her.

“Tanji,” Kino whimpered lovingly and nuzzled against his neck, tugging the waistband of his shorts to press him right up against her, smiling playfully to herself when he shuddered at the unexpected pressure.

“My itoshii… my angel,” he nibbled at her ear.

“Yours,” Kino blushed as the attentions made her gasp, “always yours…”

She couldn’t contain the moan as Tanji pressed a little harder against her, clothed hardness driving against her heated want, making it burn so much more. She just couldn’t deal with the teasing anymore.

“What are you… waiting for?” she asked softly, very tenderly, sweetened further with a gentle kiss to that place on his neck.

“I… I… don’t know…” Tanji forced the answer, voice shaky, finding himself suddenly trembling. Even his severe yearning for her wasn’t enough to shake off these creeping feelings, his excitement even as great as it was, fought for dominance against that doubt.

“We don’t… have to,” Kino ran her hands over his shoulders, up his neck, massaging, not even believing her own words.

Tanji whimpered an objection, a pleading as well, seeking for her help. He moaned as she kissed harder at that place on his neck, arching his body against her. He gripped one of her slender thighs and brought it up along his side, her leg curling around him naturally. She used that leverage to pull him even closer, barely giving herself enough room to slip her hands beneath the waistband of his shorts and nudge that barrier away.

He fought hard to remove the psychological barrier as well, the idea he’d been fighting for two weeks already. He’d been with someone else, involuntarily or not, and it felt to him like nothing but totality was good enough for her. Kino deserved to be his one and only… and that was gone.

“I am your one and only,” Kino whispered against his ear, making him realize he’d made that available to their link, “in your heart, Tanji… in your heart… that’s where it matters to me.”

“Ai shiteru, angel,” Tanji nearly cried against her neck, never able to say that enough, holding her so tightly against him it almost made it physically necessary for him to be within her.

“I know,” Kino smiled, he could feel the curve of her lips, so blissfully enthralling.

She shifted slightly, placing his hard length to tease at her entrance. When he hesitated and didn’t move forward after a moment, Kino used the leg hooked around him to gently pull him closer. He didn’t even meet any of his normal resistance as he slipped easily within her, sliding in so deep and so effortlessly.

Tanji drew back, almost completely out of her, closing his eyes as he reminded himself to breathe. Then he eased forward again, just a little farther. He supported Kino around the waist when she arched up against him, tangling his other hand in her hair as she threw her head back, the smoldering fire in her eyes saying that said she was lost to the moment. He couldn’t tear his eyes from that curve of her neck.

Her leg around him pulled him even deeper into her with his next torturously slow thrust, mating their bodies perfectly together. Kino moaned long and loud, completely beyond control as Tanji’s vision hazed. He bent to kiss at her collarbone, fiercely, breathing hard against her silken flesh. Her hips thrust up against his a little faster, but still beautifully slow, which he matched perfectly. Neither of them were in any hurry despite the unrelenting pressures of their wanting. Fingers of one hand pressed hard into his shoulder, the other propped behind her unnecessarily since his arm was completely supporting her pliant body, which shuddered taut over and over again.

He raked his fingers through her hair, watching her chest work hard for breath, trembling with the passage of her sounds of pleasure. His ears welcomed that sweetness, driving him to continue on that same slow and easy pace, somewhere between bliss and painful torture for the both of them. Gods she was so soft and tight and… hot.

Kino tried to interrupt her soft, husky cries with sounds. Perhaps his name, he couldn’t quite tell for certain. He was too dazed by the sensations for any sort of telepathy, and he was positive she was as well. Tanji could barely think beyond the movement, the feeling of him gliding within her heat, feel those muscles clench and release in a rhythm that tried to capture him still with their tightness. And he could go complete, entirely within, their bodies matched together perfectly at the apex of the gentle thrusting motion.

“Tanji… gods… gods please… just…” her trembling voice released a flood of words suddenly, as if they’d been bottled and just now let loose to be torn from her lungs between gasping moans. She’d lost all reason to the overload of sensations. “Tanji… now…”

Tanji listened, arching his back with enough strength to lift her completely off the edge of the alcove, collecting her to his chest as she barely contained what sounded like it might have been a scream. He pressed his mouth fiercely against her neck to silence himself as he came so hard, wondering very very vaguely why they both insisted on staying so quiet. What little thought there had been was chased away by butterfly kisses along his neck that made him shiver.

They held one another, Tanji keeping himself on his feet by a serious exertion of what little willpower and energy he had left. Kino relaxed completely against him, making it that much harder, but he couldn’t blame her for giving into the lethargy.

Tanji slipped away from her to one side and bent slightly to slide his arms behind her knees, lifting her up, cradling her slender form to his chest. He kissed her sweet lips and carried her easily back to the bedroom. He laid her gently upon the bed, watching as the crimson of her hair dazzled against the black pillows, the way her body sank just slightly into the blue-gray fluff of the comforter. Her cheeks were flushed, eyes bright, perfect body trembling just slightly and glowing radiantly.

Kino was an angel… his angel… forever.

Tanji moved slowly onto the bed beside her, sinking back into the pillows and pulling her against him. Kino laid her head on his chest, listening as his heart slowed back to its normal pace, and hers right in perfect time with it, as if their bodies were still acting as one. Together they drifted contentedly to sleep. It was perfect, all the wounds were healed.

~*~*~*~*~

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