If Anything, I'm Restless

[Amy]

“Another glass, Miss?”

Kiyo pushed her glass towards the edge of the table, idly waving her hands at the waitress who had spoken. “Please,” was all she said in response. Ever since her brother had graduated onto bigger and better things it had fallen to Kiyo to do more of the boring menial work her family was involved in. Mostly paperwork, counting, auditing, and any other boring task her father could shove onto her plate. The only benefit was that the job came with quite a bit of traveling, away from the watchful eyes of her family. Of course, she would never dare try to get into trouble while visiting a friendly country. Not even Kiyo had that big of a death wish. But no one was going to write home about a few too many drinks or a few too many visitors to her hotel room. As long as she kept herself in control she could have as much fun as she wanted on these business trips.

Iwagakure had become one of her favorite places to visit, specifically the Northern District. It had everything Kiyo loved in life. Fancy food, good booze, and attractive men. Plus, it all went on an expense account that dear old Dad picked up. That fact made every bite of food and every sip of booze just a little sweeter. She had been to this restaurant several times in the past. It was probably the cleanest Izakaya she had ever visited, always crowded full of businessmen and women. She didn’t have to dress up in order to feel welcome but they didn’t skimp at all on the quality of their offerings. The lighting was just above dim, some music playing softly until nightfall when it ramped up a bit more which wouldn’t be for a while longer yet. Kiyo had headed to the restaurant after getting the paperwork she needed, fully intending on joining the crowd at the bar as she usually did. Instead, after glancing at the paperwork briefly, she found herself huddled against the wall at one of the few two-person tables they had. There was no way she could take this paperwork back home with how incomplete it was. Her father would just send her right back.

Reaching a particularly atrocious part of the packet, Kiyo flipped the page with a little bit too much enthusiasm, knocking her glass of sake clear off the table. A heavy sigh left her mouth as she bent down to pick up the shards of glass, realizing it had nearly fallen on someone’s foot who had been walking by.

“Sorry about that,” she said, gathering up the shards, ignoring the hurried feet of the waitress that she could see headed her way. “If there’s any damage to your shoes, I’ll pay for it.” Kiyo tried to shoo away the hands of the waitress but soon lost the battle, dumping the shards into the dustpan that was held in front of her. Sitting up, Kiyo smiled at the man in front of her as the woman finished sweeping up the glass and hurried off to replace it.

“Can I buy you a drink as an apology?”

[Kao]

It wasn't unusual for Akari Kotaru to dine out alone. In fact he generally preferred it that way as a man who loved good food but didn't always feel like striking engaging conversation. Lately, especially, he had become less talkative and more prone to falling deep into his mind. He'd learned that preoccupying himself with food and drink allowed him to focus on something other than his problems. If he was going to brood, then would at least do it with a plate full of food in front of him. It was with that intention that he found himself at an overly fancy izakaya in the Northern District. It was one he frequented enough that the employees knew what he liked and expected, and no one stopped and stared. Its patrons were more interested in other businessmen, other merchants who came with promises of deals that would result in stacks of ryo piled to the ceiling. A shinobi, no matter how famous, didn't turn many heads.

When Kotaru approached the hostess's station the woman was already stepping around to greet him. She wore a sparkling form fitting dress, tastefully understated jewelry, and a saccharine smile. "Welcome, welcome Lord Akari!" she chimed. "Your usual?" He nodded, looking around to gauge the crowd. There were quite a bit of patrons as usual, but the restaurant wasn't overly crowded. Several conversations blended together into a low murmur, occasionally punctuated by a loud laugh or an excitable comment. He followed the woman, assuming she was leading him to one of the small private dining rooms near the back of the establishment. Eyes blank, he stared at the back of her head as his mind briefly wandered somewhere else.

And then there was a fluttering sound, and the bannin instinctively recoiled, jerking his foot back just as someone's glass burst and shattered at his feet. There was that noticeable pause, a hush that fell over a large part of the crowd as the sharp sound interrupted conversations, but the low hum of chatter picked back up again. The bannin's eyes had immediately fallen to the shattered glass and then slowly shifted to the liquid that now covered his carefully polished boots and the bottom half of one pants leg. Readying an annoyed sigh he looked up at the presumably clumsy person, but as soon as he met her gaze he paused.

And it was incredibly cliche, but the first thing he thought about were jewels. Her eyes, a deep and piercing shade of green, bore into his and his first thought was of precious stones. Not emeralds; somehow that seemed too common. They were more like jade, the rarer darker shades that merchants would claw at each other to obtain. Eventually he was able to focus on the rest of her, like her jet black hair that framed her high cheekbones before cascading to her shoulders. Kotaru looked back to his shoes as she mentioned them. He'd already forgotten about them.

The bannin replied with a dismissive wave of his hand. "They should be fine, but if not I'll hold you to that."

"Lord Akari?" said a soft voice, and he belatedly realized the hostess was waiting on him. She gave a sweeping gesture to the path forward, toward the dining room. Kotaru looked back to the seated woman, looking pensive. His desire to eat alone dwindled more and more by the second. "How about instead of worrying about the shoes, you join me?"

[Amy]

It was almost indiscernible the way the smile on Kiyo’s face changed when she realized who was in front of her. The previously passive smile that she carelessly afforded to every stranger she came into contact with turned slightly impish, small dimples appearing at the corners of her mouth. Lord Akari Kotaru, in the flesh. He was one of the handful of Iwa ninjas she had been tasked to study before she began her trips to the village. He, the Kage, and several other bannin had graced the list her father had insisted she learn front to back just in case a chance meeting such as this should ever happen. In the brief moment their eyes met she ran over what she knew about him. He was known for his…harshness, to put it kindly. Stories about him had traveled far and wide and she had to wonder how much of them was truth and how much was embellishment to strike fear in the hearts of those who may cross him. He was young, around her age, so she didn’t have to try hard to imagine how difficult it was to earn the respect of an entire village, let alone an entire country. She couldn’t even earn the respect of her own family.

Kiyo allowed herself a quick appreciation of the powerful man that stood in front of her. He was the first Akari that she had met in the flesh and though she tried not to stare she found her gaze lingering over his darkened fingertips, the tips of his horns that peaked out over his hair. The desire to ask to touch them was on the tip of her tongue. But, her self-control impeccable, within a couple of seconds her gaze landed back on his eyes that seemed such a contrast to the rest of him. She couldn’t call his gaze soft but there was something about the hue of his eyes that implored her to hold his gaze. Welcomed it, almost. His invitation was what finally made her gaze drop to the paperwork she still had scattered all over the table. It only took a millisecond of deliberation before she decided she could extend the trip by an extra day and finish the work the next day. There was no way she could pass this up.

Unfolding herself from the table, she swept all the papers back into the folder in one smooth motion, pulling the folder against her side. She widened her smile, bowing and dipping her head as respectively as she ever had before.

“Lord Akari,” she spoke, her voice calm and sure. She was significantly more interested than she was intimidated, about why he wanted to spend more time with her. “My apologies, again. I didn’t recognize you immediately.” Standing at her full height once again, she caught his gaze and couldn’t stop the impish grin from making another appearance. “It would be an honor to dine with you.” Despite her distaste for hierarchy and bureaucracy she didn’t mind offering him some well-due respect if it kept her in his good graces. She chose to believe he wouldn’t tattle on her if she were rude but it might prevent her from being welcomed back at a later date. A risk she was not willing to take. She positioned herself by his side, half a step behind so that he could lead the way. “I appreciate the invitation, Lord Akari.”

[Kao]

"You wouldn't be the first. You'd think these would immediately give it away, but somehow the horns are always the last thing people notice." Truthfully, even he sometimes forgot he had them. When they first started growing in his late teens he'd been worried they'd eventually have him walking around like a full grown elk. But their growth was extremely slow, and they were only a few inches long. If he styled his hair just right they were barely visible - but he didn't try to hide them anymore. The hostess let out a small noise in the back of her throat when she realized the woman would be actually joining him. No longer smiling, she gave the kunoichi a long look, as if noticing her for the first time. When she looked back to Kotaru she seemed to be straining to regain her smiley expression, her lips upturned into a grimace that barely concealed disbelief. It didn't go unnoticed but the Akari simply blinked at her until she turned on her heel and continued leading them to the private dining room.

The room was moderately sized given the overall size of the establishment. The bench pushed against the wall was in the shape of a half circle, was big enough to easily sit four to five people, and was so exquisitely cushioned that it was clearly meant to be the most comfortable spot in the house. Normally Kotaru would sit dead center, but this time he sat off to the right side. Within seconds the hostess was out and the waitress was in, already with Kotaru's drink in hand. Evidently she hadn't been told of the very recent development, and she also looked taken aback at the man's sudden company. But she had the good sense to recover quickly.

Ah. Kotaru belatedly realized what the quiet fuss from the women was all about. Even though the patrons barely paid him any attention that wasn't at all true for the employees. It was their job, after all, to pay attention. They knew where the man liked to sit, what he usually ordered, and how much attentiveness he tolerated from the wait staff. And they also knew that he had never, ever dined there with a woman before. "Welcome, Lord Kotaru. I didn't know you had a guest. You're the one who had the papers spread out, right? I'll go get the drink you needed replaced then I'll be back for your orders." She then scurried off to do as she'd said, but also to undoubtedly spread the gossip. Unmoved, he ignored that inevitability and turned to wait for the woman to settle in.

"You're here on business from the Mist then." It wasn't a question. He first nodded to her folder, then to the Kirigakure headband around her upper arm. Kotaru took the glass in his hand and swirled the red liquid around without looking at it. The man couldn't take his eyes off her. He could tell she came from money but there wasn't much air of pretentiousness about her. The woman was classically beautiful without being ostentatious. It was the kind of beauty that might not always immediately catch his eye, but one it did it was hook, line, sinker. "I usually have some idea how many Kirigakure shinobi are in the village at any given time but I'm usually not told who they are unless I really need to know. And I think," his normally severe expression softened, if only slightly, and the change was all in the eyes, "I should know your name."

[Amy]

All too aware of who stood by her side, Kiyo was careful not to appear too smug as she met the distasteful glare of the hostess head on. Her eyes traveled slowly from the hostess’ eyes to her shoes and back up again to meet the woman’s gaze. Raising her chin ever so slightly, Kiyo let a smug smile replace the much kinder one that she had offered to the man at her side. The woman was only able to hold her gaze for a moment, quickly turning her attention back to her very important patron, no longer able to smile at him with the same enthusiasm as before. Kiyo did not doubt that this would not be the first, nor the last time, that she had to assert her confidence that night. A side effect of bumping elbows with powerful, handsome men, especially in a country that was not her own. It was an interesting game that she had suddenly found herself involved in and she was very interested in seeing where it led.

She allowed herself a moment to observe the room they were escorted into before she sat. It was beautifully and tastefully decorated, large enough for an intimate group but small enough that one or two people would not feel overwhelmed by the space. The room had clearly been carefully planned out, designed to encourage the patrons inside to feel close to each other. To form bonds and business deals, no doubt. She herself had no complaints about that, despite the not exactly friendly look that adorned Lord Akari’s face. Men with rough edges had never scared her though and she didn’t need him to smile at or obsess over her to feel comfortable at his side. The fact that he had invited her along was enough to tell her that he desired something from her. Even if all that something was was the company of a woman who didn’t belong to the village he dedicated his life to protecting. A woman who had no obligation to pretend she liked or respected him.

It was a careful calculation that led her to sit where she did. Close enough to establish a small amount of intimacy between them, her outer leg crossed in towards him, her foot hanging a breath away from his shin. But, not so close that any accidental touching could happen. She needed to ensure that any touching that happened had purpose behind it, lest any misunderstandings happen. Her body was turned slightly towards him, her posture relaxed and open, hands balanced lightly in her lap. She had discarded the folder of paperwork on the table in front of them, slightly off to the side and out of the way. If nothing else she was determined to treat him as normally as possible. If she were in his position she would certainly be tired of people fawning over her, whether from respect or fear.

“I am,” she replied, her eyes drifting following the quickly disappearing waitress out of the room. She already knew who Kiyo was, waiting for no confirmation after her question. She turned back to the staring man just in time for him to request her name. “Araki, Kiyo. Of the family Karagata,” she replied after a short pause. It was not the exact way she was supposed to introduce herself but Kiyo had a hard time doing that without rolling her eyes. Her way was a happy medium, she found. Close enough that no one typically complained or criticized her.

“It’s a bit unfair, isn’t it?” She asked, tilting her head slightly while maintaining eye contact. “Such an easy first question for you to ask but here I am, already well aware of who you are. Or, maybe, just who you are known to be.” Kiyo braced her arm on the back of the bench, resting her cheek on her loosly closed fist. “I find the horns to be charming, just so you know. And they were the second thing I noticed about you. The first being your hands.” He was much harder to read than the majority of men she spent time around in Kiri and she had no idea if he was doing it on purpose or not. She opened her mouth to speak again but was interrupted by the waitress re-appearing, Kiyo’s replacement drink nestled in her hands.

“Would you like me to order or would you prefer the honor?”

[Kao]

Kotaru gave a small hum when she told him her name and family. He was only vaguely aware of the social system in Kirigakure, how they bled for families or whatever it is they usually recited. He thought it was all stupid. His own clan had its twisted version of castes, and having spent the early part of his life as part of the lowest of the low didn't improve his view of strict social hierarchies. In fact he'd spent his life spitting in the face of it, and not too long ago had torn it apart with his own two hands. He wasn't sure what her standing was exactly or how firmly she believed in the castes. There was no intention on his part to find out lest he prematurely ruin the fantasy.

And boy, was he fantasizing. Kiyo was close enough that he could smell her, a sweet scent of jasmine wafting from her, and her plunging neckline showed cleavage, but still left enough to the imagination that the man couldn't help but...imagine. The bannin thought he could detect some interest in her body language, in the way she crossed her leg toward him and held his gaze with those eyes of hers. It interested him. Most women he spent alone time with made their desire for him known immediately, whether it be lightly touching his leg with their own or leaning in towards him close enough that there was no question what they wanted. The ones who were pretty enough and not too aggressively provocative usually had good chances of leaving with him. Usually.

"I can't help if you already know my name," Kotaru replied with a tone that was dangerously close to teasing. "My hands? Before the 'charming' horns, huh?" he echoed, finally looking away from her for just a moment to look at them. It was another thing he used to be self-conscious about, but the discoloration hadn't caused nearly as much angst as the horns. No one usually mentioned them positively - not until he showed what he could do with him. That thought crossed his mind, and as soon as it did he felt a very intense and very distracting heat just below his stomach. Thankfully the waitress appeared, giving him just enough time to readjust the grip he had on the reins of arousal. It was maybe too soon for that.

He picked up the menu and placed it in front of Kiyo, scooting slightly closer towards her. Their legs still didn't touch. "You can order, even though," the slightest smirk struck his lips as he inclined his head toward her, "I already know what I want."

[Amy]

His words drew her eyes away from his own, drifting down his arms until they landed on those darkened fingertips that she had noticed immediately. It wasn’t the exact truth of what she had noticed first about him but he certainly didn’t need to know that. Not yet, at least, Kiyo thought to herself, a small chuckle bubbling up as the thought crossed her mind. She pursed her mouth to the side to hold it in but could do nothing to stop the smile that brightened her eyes as she lingered on his hands. The longer she gazed at his fingers though, the harder it was to hold off her imagination. Her breath caught slightly as an image flashed across her eyes of his blackened fingers pressed into her soft, milky flesh. “Yes,” she replied finally, lifting her eyes back to his. The lightest of blushes showing on her cheeks. “Hands can tell you a lot about a person.”

People involved in trade loved to gossip about people from the countries they had visited so Kiyo had heard her fair share regarding the Akari clan even before her first trip to Iwa. She had heard endless stories about how terrifying and unsettling they were. It was enough to cause fear in the hearts of people who had never even met one before and they warned others in turn. What fools they all were though, Kiyo thought to herself. To be scared of such beautiful, unique features. She supposed that she couldn’t make any blanket assumptions off of this one meeting but Kiyo had many thoughts about Lord Akari’s hands and none of them caused her any fear.

Taking a sip of her drink, she accepted the menu from the smirking Lord Akari, realizing with great relief that she wasn’t the only one playing the game. Kiyo had played many games with many men but it was usually pretty easy. Most men couldn’t keep up with her but not this time though. This time it felt like a challenge and there was something about it that lit a fire in her blood. If he wanted to play with her, she would play. She held the menu up, temporarily breaking their eye contact. The waitress stood off to the side, shifting her weight back and forth, clearly in a hurry to leave. Kiyo was in no hurry though. All great things took time. “Am I supposed to guess then, what you would like?” Kiyo did not lower the menu when she spoke, her eyes not seeing the words at all. Instead, she was thinking about his hands again, wrapped around her waist. He was so close she was sure she could feel the heat coming off of his body.

“Hmm..I’m not seeing anything here that screams “Lord Akari”. Not anything on the menu, at least,” her voice was casual and when she lowered the menu her eyes were a shining example of innocence. She studied him carefully, her face giving no sign that she was teasing him before she raised the menu again. “Ah, I take it back. You look like a man who enjoys dumplings. We’ll take several orders, please.” Kiyo set the menu on the table in front of them, the waitress hurrying out, leaving them alone once again.

“So,” Kiyo said, her fingers lifting to her neck and slipping under the chain of her necklace. Her father had gifted it to her when she took over her brother’s job but the chain was just too long, the charm on the end constantly getting trapped between her breasts. She slid her fingers down the chain until the charm popped free and settled back on top of her chest where she preferred it. “Did I guess what you wanted correctly?”

[Kao]

He wondered what his hands told her. They were strong, fingers long and sturdy and the nails clean and impeccably manicured. Faint scars criss-crossed the back of his hands, souvenirs from countless trainings and rough fights he had over the years. His were hands that had been covered in blood, that had broken bones and ended lives. But they also had the capacity for gentleness, to carefully explore a body’s dips and curves and elicit all kinds of pleasurable sensations. Kotaru somehow managed to focus on what his hands were doing in that moment rather than let his mind wander to where his fingers could not.

When Kiyo asked if she should guess what he liked he moved as close as he could without touching her. The man gave her a moment to think about it, and what she said very nearly made him give a surprised laugh. ‘Not anything on the menu,’ she’d said. At that he blinked once, twice, then raised his glass to his lips to hide his smirk that was at risk of becoming a full smile. The innocent gleam in her eyes didn’t fool him. That was purposeful innuendo, he was sure of it. It was exactly the kind of thing he liked, that drew him in. So rarely did he ever meet a woman who was so effortlessly sultry.

In the seconds it took for her to decide on what to order he’d already thought or seven different ways to get her to scream ‘Lord Akari.’ By then he had zero interest in the food, but it was fun to keep the facade going. Kotaru’s brow raised at her decision. Dumplings, huh?

His attention was squarely on Kiyo, so much so that he didn’t even notice the waitress leave. His lips parted to say something but then the woman raised her fingers to her neck. The bannin watched unabashedly as she pulled the chain from her cleavage and out popped a charm like some magic trick. Ta da. If anyone later asked what color the chain was, Kotaru would have no idea. Was the charm a clover? A dragon? The man had no clue. But he’d remember how prettily her breasts sat beneath it. When he raised his eyes again to meet hers, his gaze was smoldering. ”You’re right. I do like dumplings. They’re warm, soft. I especially like it when I bite them and the juices pour out.”

Kotaru took a long drink. It took everything in him to keep one hand on the glass and the other on the table. ”What brings you to Iwagakure and how long are you staying?”

[Amy]

Kiyo was glad she hadn’t changed before coming to the restaurant. While there wasn’t a huge difference between her work wear and her social wear, her social outfits definitely left less to the imagination. And as she watched Lord Akari’s gaze drop down to her chest as she adjusted her necklace she was very glad that he was having to use imagination. If her imagination was going to run rampant it was only fair that his own followed suit. At least, she silently comforted herself, her work underwear didn’t differ at all from her going out underwear.

“Lucky dumplings,” she said with a tilt of her head when his eyes finally lifted back up to hers again. He was clearly receptive to what was happening and she felt emboldened by the fact that he was keeping up with her just fine. Kiyo had never been one to try to force anyone into anything they didn’t want to do but it was clear that that was not what was happening here. The need to feel things out with him may have passed but there were still so many things that Kiyo wanted to feel out. Both with her hands and his.

Speaking of hands, it was taking all of her concentration to keep hers to herself at this point. He had moved closer and closer and it now took more effort to not touch than it would to touch him. If she kicked her foot out slightly it would brush it along his calf. If she dropped her arm from the back of the bench it would bring their shoulders together. If she leaned forward even slightly they would be forced to share the same breath. It was difficult to ignore the electricity that she swore she could feel sparking along her skin as she counted every way they could possibly touch with just one small movement. But she was so used to being the more aggressive one in these situations she was determined to force him to break first.

She balanced her empty glass on her knee, giving a quick glance down to her forgotten folder. “Supervising shipments and completing an audit of the receiving company. I was supposed to leave in the morning but certain incompetencies have changed that.” Kiyo had never before been grateful to idiots simply for being idiots before this day. “Likely, I’ll be here until late afternoon tomorrow or possibly the next morning. I don’t mind the delay though. I like it here more every time I visit.” Her eyes dipped down his body, wondering if he had any more demonic features underneath his clothes, settling on his waistline. “I’m always finding new things to explore here.”

Kiyo had completely forgotten about the food that she had ordered and found herself scowling at the woman who once again entered the room. She quickly placed down the platter of dumplings and a fresh drink for each of them. She had brought them a variety of dumplings, some gyoza, some shumai, and even some soup dumplings with the juice that Lord Akari was so looking forward to.

“Is there anything else I can bring for you?” The waitress asked, her eyes clearly fixed on Lord Akari. Dutifully ignoring Kiyo and her still glowering look that she hope communicated how she felt about the interruption.

[Kao]

"That sounds incredibly boring," he purred when she summarized the details of his job. "You should have some fun while you're in the village. Maybe something will come up and you'll need a couple more days here." If not, he'd arrange something. Normally the administrative parts of his job felt like a burden and a chore, but it wouldn't take much effort at all for Kotaru to submit a document or two that would slow Kiyo's departure. It would, of course, come with a complementary hotel room, one that was much bigger and more luxurious than wherever she was staying now. "If you like this place, you have good taste. There's plenty of other places to enjoy, depending on your interests and vices."

He noticed where her gaze traveled as she had talked, so he helpfully adjusted his posture. Kotaru widened his already open legs, and smoothed out a nonexistent wrinkle on the soft fabric of his grey pants. The movement closed the already microscopic distance between them, and his calf pressed against her foot and stayed there. Kotaru searched her face for any changes in expression, any indication that she felt the same jolt that he did at the contact. At that moment the waitress returned with a smorgasbord of steaming dumplings and sauces. Eventually he looked away from her and at the food he now had no real appetite for. He was hungry for something else now. While the soup dumplings looked and smelled especially delectable, they weren't what he'd had in mind when he'd been imagining something gushing.

Kiyo was cute when she glowered. Beautiful, even. The interruption's timing was definitely unfortunate, but it distracted Kiyo and gave him an excuse to be a little forward. While Kiyo's irritated glare bore into the waitress - who, in turn, didn't back down and gave Kiyo her own scowl drenched in jealously - Kotaru reached for the empty glass on the woman's knee. His palm slid over her thigh until his thumb and index finger curled around the bottom of the glass. The rest of his fingers settled on her knee and then very, very slowly slid over to meet the rest of his hand in gripping the glass. The fabric of her pants weren't very thick, but was still maddeningly in the way. He held up Kiyo's empty glass and lightly shook it at the waitress so she'd know to take it.

"There's a door to this room right?" he asked the waitress without looking at her. This wasn't the server from earlier. It seemed the workers were eager for a peek, desperate to know who Kotaru was out with so publicly even though it seemed to be a chance meeting. They had probably been out there bickering about who would be the next to go in. He didn't care if they gossiped but the man wasn't interested in giving them front row seats to the show. "Close it. If we need anything, you'll know. Don't come back unless you're called."

"But if I close the door, we won't be able to he-" she choked on her words when he looked up at her with that infamous, dangerous glint that she had never witnessed firsthand. The girl scurried away, and by the time the door slid shut he had relaxed again. When Kiyo looked back at him he'd be wearing a smug smirk.

"That girl should have thanked me. With those daggers in your eyes I didn't think she'd make it out of the room intact."

[Amy]

The smallest of groans, inaudible to anyone more than a step or two away, left Kiyo’s mouth when Lord Akari so generously helped her appreciate him better. There was no hiding the desire that dripped from the noise. But more than her new view, it was the fact that he finally closed the distance between them. While she glowered at the waitress, Lord Akari would easily be able to see the way her chest rose quicker than before, her breaths coming markedly faster. The flush that pinkened her chest, up through her neck. But the small amount of heat that she could now feel with the side of her foot pressed against him did not compare to what happened to her when she felt his hand alight on her thigh.

Fire. Kiyo was sure that her entire body had burst into flames when she felt the heat of his hand seep through her pants as though there was nothing between their skin at all. She was sure that should she look there would be a burn mark where his hand first touched her. The heat crawled along her skin, teasing every nerve she had awake. It swirled in her chest and settled deep in her stomach, a reminder that there was a goal to the game they were playing. And while mentally she could play all night her body was a much more demanding force and it wanted a chance to play too.

“I don’t like being interrupted,” she replied, her voice low, the same thread of desire that burned behind her eyes tracing along each word that left her mouth. The waitress had taken the glass he had stolen from her but when he made to place his hand back in his own lap, Kiyo found herself displeased. Her hand shot out quickly but closed around his wrist gently and it was almost her undoing. A sharp exhale marked the moment her fingers closed around the smooth skin of his wrist. Somehow, despite the fire that ran across her skin he still seemed to run hotter. Her fingers gripped slightly tighter to hide the tremble that she could feel blossoming. She led his hand back to her leg, placing his palm on her thigh so that his fingers would just barely reach her knee.

“Nobody asked you to remove that.” For the first time in a long time, Kiyo felt like she was in over her head. If there were men like this in Kiri, she had no idea where they hung out but she knew that it wasn’t where she went. Because she had never before met someone who had her coming this undone with a few longing looks, a smirk, and a single touch to her leg. It wasn’t just her self control that was slipping away but also any bit of control she still felt she had over the situation.

Her fingers unfurled from his wrist and with a slight tremor in her breathing she dragged her fingers lightly up his arm. The harsh look in her eyes had faded completely, a new smoldering look returning Lord Akari’s smirk. She watched him as carefully as he had watched her, waiting to see the spark in his eyes that showed he was just as affected as she was. What she wanted to do was grab his arm and pull him towards her, on top of her. She wanted him to pull her into him. She wanted him to wrap those long, powerful fingers around her neck and-

Kiyo blinked rapidly, her fingers stilling at the edge of Lord Akari’s shirt where it met the skin of his upper arm. She didn’t move, and her voice didn’t sound like her own when she spoke, much too heavy and low to be her own.

“”Would you like me to make you a plate?”

[Kao]

The small, involuntary noise she made almost did it. The sound, undeniably close to a moan, sent wave after wave of heat roiling through his body and the sensation rocked him as it converged between his thighs. He couldn't think. Not about the food in front of them. Not about the fact that even though the door was closed they were very much in public and this was not the kind of establishment that would condone the things he wanted to do to her. He could see and feel her body react to his touch, and he was sure she'd be able to sense the lust radiating from him. By some miracle he still had a grip on the reigns of his desire. But it was slipping. The only reason Kotaru had returned his hand to his own lap was he knew if it had lingered he would ignite.

The moment she wrapped her fingers around his wrist and exhaled he wanted to catch that breath with his mouth. A shock of electricity rushed to his chest, and his heart responded first with a flutter then settled into a steady, pounding rhythm. So strong that he felt he would burst. When his hand was back on her thigh he wanted nothing to do with her knee, instead dragging his hand firmly to her mid-thigh, and then he squeezed. Desperately. Her voice, low and sultry, felt like a caress. Any witty retort was lost when his breath hitched as she dragged her fingers up his arm. Each shaky breath Kiyo took weakened his resolve to simply flirt and have a meal with a pretty woman. When they had first sat down together he thought he could wait, draw things out and see where the evening would take them. Now he wasn't sure if he could control himself for that long. Before he knew what he was doing he turned his upper body to face her, one hand still on her thigh, the other crossing over her body to grab her hip and pull her closer before slipping behind her to rest on the seat.

Kotaru could easily guide her onto her back. Or pull her into his lap. Instead he paused at the same moment she did, searching her eyes for any indication that she wanted him to stop. At her question, he smiled. "Sure, if you want. But since you still haven't asked me to remove my hand, I'll keep it here." The bannin readjusted to sit casually at her side again, though when he moved his free hand back into his lap he made sure to trace a slow trail from her hip across her waistline. The man looked to the food and then back to Kiyo, his brow raising. A challenge and an invitation. If she really wanted to focus on the meal he would continue to make a herculean effort to refrain from slipping his fingers beneath her waistband. "In the meantime, where would you like my other hand?"

[Amy]

Kiyo did not know how she ended up in the position she was in, her body leaned back just slightly, staring up at Lord Akari through her lashes. What she did know was that her hand was clasped tightly around his bicep from the shock of his sudden movement and she was impressed but not surprised at the strength she felt beneath his skin. She knew that her hip burned where his fingers had grasped her, their mark left behind so easily. She felt that her lower body was now lined with his own, hip against hip, thigh against thigh. But what she knew more than anything was that if she leaned down just a little further it would be so natural to fall onto her back and pull him over her. They were already so close with the way he leaned into her, his eyes searching her face. It was infuriating. She knew that her eyes and her body were screaming what she wanted.

Kiss me, push me, pull me, touch me, fuck me.

But he didn't. He spoke to her so calmly, a smile on his lips while her own remained gently parted, each of her breaths a quiet pant. She followed him like a magnet as he settled himself back again, refusing to let him get far. The lust that had been building up now felt like it was seeping from every pore and she wondered if he could smell it rolling off of her in waves. A hunger that could not be stopped. A flash crossed her eyes as she chose to close the distance this time, sitting up further onto the seat. The flash wasn't quite one of anger but it wasn't far from it. In that brief moment, Kiyo had decided that she didn’t care about dinner any longer.

Her hand wrapped back around his wrist both to help her balance and to keep his hand where it was - gripped onto her thigh. She leaned in until her chest pressed against his arm so that he would be able to feel how fast her heart was beating beneath her breasts. So that he could feel every sharp, erratic breath that he was the cause of. “I have a confession to make,” she purred softly, her words nearly weightless. No more games, she had decided. “Several, actually.” Without looking away from him, Kiyo used her other hand to shove the table further from the bench. A tinkling crash suggested she had broken her second glass of the night but she didn't care.

Before the glass had finished rolling, she was on her knees on the bench next to him, still hovering right next to his ear. “Firstly, I don't want to talk about dinner anymore.” She swung her leg over his own, not sitting on but straddling his lap instead. She sat high for a moment, giving him an up-close view of the cleavage he had been so appreciative of just a little bit ago. She released her grip on his wrist so that she could brace her hand against his chest, lowering herself until she hovered just above his lap. Her self control was wavering, her grip on it slippery, her whole body trembling with desire to let her body fall that last inch or two. But instead she grabbed his free hand and put it firmly on her hip, folding his fingers across her ass. “Secondly, I want your other hand here.”

If Kiyo had been on fire before, she was fire now. She was an ember coaxed to life, encouraged to flourish and run wild, burning everything in her path. She just hoped that the man who had created this wildfire knew what to do with it. With both hands now on his chest she leaned forward, her cheek pressed against his own. Her breath would be a warm tickle past his ear as she spoke directly to him and only to him.

“My last confession, Lord Akari, is that I lied to you. Your hands were not the first thing I noticed. It was your black tongue and the thought of what it would look like between my thighs.”

[Kao]

He wasn't sure what he'd expected when she had shifted the conversation back to the food. It had given him long enough reprieve to finally think about what they were doing and where. Had Kiyo been any of his usual playthings they'd both be undressed by now. He knew how to keep his toys quiet as he played with them somewhere they weren't supposed to be, and he didn't mind being quick with them. He didn't mind using them. But the moment he had first touched Kiyo and had felt such raw desire erupt from her, the bannin knew he needed to take his time with her. The things he wanted to do with her would take longer than one night. He needed her wrapped around him, spread in front of him, writhing beneath him.

Every nerve in his body focused on her touch, prompting him to lean in when she pushed her chest against him. His ears roared so loudly that he was briefly deaf to what was going around him, failing to notice the mess she was making as a glass and plate and gods knew what else fell onto the floor. Very belatedly he realized she was starting a confession and he found himself having to blink to force himself to shift his attention to her words. But she was making it impossible. In a fluid motion she was suddenly straddling him, guiding her hand to firmly place his own on her hip. On her ass. His own hips screamed, burning and begging for her to lower her body onto his. Kotaru was already hard as iron and she had barely touched him.

He still had enough sense about him appreciate the way their breath mixed between them. While she panted from the heat of her desire his own breathing was steady and deep and even. Kotaru did so with great effort, fighting against the way his heart pounded like drums in his chest, against the way it skipped each time her hand touched any part of him. Forcing himself to control his breathing was the only way he could keep from giving into the potent urge to ravish her in such a fine establishment. But as she talked Kotaru felt himself unraveling, and he knew he was dangerously close to releasing those reigns completely.

When she mentioned his tongue between her thighs he hummed, long and low, the sound reverberating against her hand until it became a growl. He squeezed with both hands, at the same time raising his hips so his hardness pressed against her core. Insistent. And when he settled his hips back onto the seat he pulled her with him, refusing to let even an inch of space be between them. His breath, once defiantly steady, came out in a shuddering exhale that he buried into her neck. "I'll show you what that's like," her murmured, his breath washing over her neck as he lifted his lips to her ear, "but probably not here. The menu might not scream 'Lord Akari' but you will, and I have a feeling that's not something you want a restaurant full of people to hear." As he spoke his hand on her ass wandered, dipping underneath the exquisitely soft material of her shirt. He lightly dragged his fingernails against her spine, stopping at the back of her neck to rub lazy circles against the bare skin.

[Amy]

Kiyo had expected to feel a sense of accomplishment when she brought him to the same ledge, the same high that she was riding. And she did feel one brief, glorious moment of it when her words elicited the exact response she wanted. When she not only heard, but felt the growl work its way through his chest. But her own actions sealed her own fate when his hands tightened on her body and he held her in place while he proved to her the exact effect she was having on him. And it was a big one, Kiyo quickly realized.

Her hands were no longer on his chest, having slid desperately to his shoulders, her fingers digging in in an effort to hold herself steady. Her head dropped into his neck as she wondered if he could also feel the effect he was having on her. Not just the tremor that rolled through her body that never let her become completely still. Not just the way her skin burned. But it was the way the hairs on her arms all stood on end, not from cold, but from the electricity bouncing between them that she wondered about. But mostly, she wondered, could he feel the heat between her legs when he pressed himself up? Did he feel the way her legs tried to close around him, stopped by his own thighs? Did he feel how absolutely ready for him she was?

When he refused to let their bodies separate, pulling her back down with him she stopped holding her weight up at all, giving into exactly what they both wanted. A moan escaped her, turning into nothing short of a whimper when his hot breath cascaded across her neck. She knew that he was right but that didn't make her hate it any less. She was reaching the point she no longer cared about decorum or respect. She wanted only what she wanted. Despite her own best efforts she couldn't keep her hips still, rolling them back and forth, slowly, as her hands kneaded his shoulders.

“Not in this district,” she gasped out, her back arching at the sensation of his hand. “Maybe the Southern one.” Words were so complicated. The only thing in life that existed was the feel of his hand against her neck and his hardness beneath her. “Nobody there would know me.” Oh, how she wished they were anywhere except this restaurant. A dark alleyway would have been preferable. Welcome, at this point. She forced herself to lean forward again, practically falling against his chest.

“Lord Akari,” she whispered, her voice strained. He couldn't see but she couldn’t stop blinking, desperately trying to focus through the small circles his fingers and nails were running over her neck and the heat that was rolling through her lower body. “Two more things. Just because I’m ready for you now.” She ground into him a little bit harder to drive her point home. “Doesn’t mean I’m not going to make you work for it. I don’t just scream for anyone. But more importantly.” She let out a particularly heavy pant, closing her open mouth around his neck and biting with enough force to leave an imprint behind. Her tongue followed the marks as she pulled away slightly, gliding across his skin. “If you don’t get me out of here soon I’m not going to care who hears anymore.”

[Kao]

He had no idea what she had said. Something about down south. Or maybe that was just his mind going blank and not being able to focus on anything other than the way Kiyo rolled her hips against him. He could absolutely feel it, that wet heat trapped behind clothes that were disrespectfully preventing the two from touching skin to skin. The moment she moaned Kotaru's lidded eyes fell shut, the sound a siren song that sunk into him through every pore, and her whimper was the final chord that set him fully ablaze. The hand on her thigh slid up to her waist and dipped beneath her waistband, meeting lacy underwear that were so delicate and thin that they may as well not have been there. The bannin squeezed, both hands contouring along her curves as he pulled and pushed her, helping her keep those mind-melting movements long and slow.

Kiyo said his name again and he groaned in response, eyes fluttering open as he once again remembered where they were. He gave an almost wry chuckle at her request. How could she expect him to pull himself away from her when he wanted nothing more than to push himself in? She clearly wanted him to unravel beneath her if the way she bit his neck then licked the nipped skin was any indication. "Don't worry," he breathed, his words nearly coming out as a gasp when he finally gave up on regulating his breathing. The friction had him aching, and he hated the layers of fabric between them that didn't let him feel enough of her. "I don't mind working hard. But as much as I want to take you right here I'll need more than a couch and a table."

And then, in no uncertain words, Kotaru told her how he wanted her. With his lips brushing against her ear the bannin told Kiyo that he wanted her somewhere with slightly brighter lights so she could see him clearly as he dipped his head between her thighs and let his tongue explore. That if that wasn't enough to make her scream he would touch her wherever she wanted, however she wanted, with whatever body part of his she wanted. He whispered how he had one part in particular that was throbbing to get to know her, eager to part both sets of her pretty lips. There should be soft pillows against her back and his hard thrusts against her center, and then he could have her face down so she could scream into the soft fabric of his sheets. She could muffle herself as much as she liked, and he would pretend to not hear her scream and beg as she came undone so he could turn her over and start again.

Eyes gleaming, he kissed her neck. Unlike her he left no mark, instead those lips grazed her skin so lightly that he could have been touching her with a feather. "But, by all means. If you want me here, now, I'm happy to oblige."

[Amy]

“I hate you,” she murmured into his neck, not an ounce of animosity to be heard. “You’re a cruel man.” Her hands were locked around his neck, her face still buried in the crook between his neck and shoulder. No breath was enough to fill her lungs, her breathing too fast, too shallow. But it wasn’t oxygen that her body needed. It was him and he was making things so difficult on her. Kiyo had never been ashamed to ask for what she wanted, to tell what she wanted to give. But no man had ever made her work this hard for it. No man she had ever been with had the will to deny her once she reached a certain point and that point had been ages ago. Most men would have taken her home the moment she put their hand back on her thigh. But not this man. This man was something else entirely and he seemed determined to shatter her into pieces before giving her what she wanted. She had shown him every way she could without stripping her clothes off what she wanted, what she needed.

But what he gave her were just more fantasies. More promises. Her hands slid down his chest in slow, stuttering movements. Her fingers drifted across his collarbone, running underneath the collar of his shirt. They slowed across his chest, her fingers pressing in, feeling the way his heart beat erratically through his ribcage. She dragged her fingers slowly down his abs, the firmness of his muscles sending her deeper into despair as he relentlessly broke her down word by word, image by image. Her hands finally made their way down to his own and she threaded her fingers between his, pressing his hands harder into her skin. Desperate for any sensation she could get. She didn’t remember the last time she had ever felt this helpless, she didn’t know if she ever had. And she didn’t know if she ever would again. Nobody undid her like this.

When his lips brushed across her neck, tears of frustration pricked the corners of her eyes, her heaving panting pausing momentarily. It resumed with a fresh furiosity when she heard the amusement in his voice. If she had a white flag she would have waved it. Instead, she did something she never thought she would have to do. And rather than hating it, she found that it only made her move against him more desperately.

“Please,” she whispered against his neck, kissing him softly. “Please,” she repeated just in case he didn’t hear her, moving her lips closer to his jawline. “Take me somewhere that isn’t here.” Her tone was imploring. Pleading. Her hands slid away from his own, drifting across her own hips and down onto his. “I can’t wait anymore. My hotel is close.” She whimpered against his neck again before pulling back just far enough that she could look him in the eye. Her hands slipped off of his hips, pressing gently against the only part of his body that was harder than his abs. Her fingers trembled with the restraint it took to keep them above the fabric.

She stared into his eyes, letting him see all of what he had done to her, with not a shred of shame anywhere to be found. “Please, she whispered one last time. “I’m begging you.”

[Kao]

Such a simple, powerful word. Each time it fell from Kiyo's lips he grew more and more ravenous. His body threatened to revolt and snatch off both of their clothes, but his hands remained firmly on her hips as she begged. Keeping his hands in place was the only way the Akari could keep them fully clothed. Her pleas were so sweet that Kotaru, being the generous gentleman that he was, felt obligated to treat her to everything he had promised her and more. Kotaru met her gaze with a sharp intake of air, pausing to drink in her desperate hunger. She touched him. He burned. Slowly he leaned forward, shifting his hands so he could brace her as he moved them both to a standing position. The sound of crunching glass announced the mess she had made.

"You made a mess," he cooed. Reluctantly he dropped his hands from her hips so she could step away and get her bearings. "Your room will be in even worse shape when I'm done with you." After rummaging around in his pocket he pulled out a wad of ryo, and without counting he threw some of the money onto the table. By the looks of it, it was enough to cover their meal three times over. For the trouble. He'd say little else as they made their way out of the little dining area walking side by side. Several of the waitresses craned their head in curiosity and a couple of them shot Kiyo dirty looks. Kotaru saw none of it. His attention was fully on Kiyo, eyes glued to her completely. Captivated. Aching for her.

Once they were outside he paused long enough to grab her and pull close and turned her to face him, their bodies pressing together, and he lowered his lips to her ear and muttered, "Lead the way."

[Amy]

Not the only mess I’ll be making, Kiyo thought to herself as she tried to steady herself after he released her hips and put the smallest amount of space between them. “I don’t care,” is what she said out loud, her voice clearly displaying her indifference to the mess she had made. She had other things to think about, more important things, like how her legs were supposed to carry her anywhere when they couldn’t stop shaking. Or, the way her eyes followed Lord Akari as he moved, soaking up every muscle that moved as he reached into his pocket. She shook her head slightly, trying to make herself focus.

She used the several seconds it took him to pull the money out to straighten herself up as much as she could. If they had been in a club, Kiyo wouldn’t have given two thoughts to her skewed clothes or mussed hair but this wasn’t a club. And while she got the feeling that he didn’t care what anyone thought, she couldn’t know for sure. So she took the few moments to straighten her shirt and smooth her hair. She gave the inner thighs of her pants a light tug, unsticking the damp fabric from her crotch. She chuckled to herself when she remembered she had almost worn white pants that day.

Snagging her miraculously intact folder, Kiyo walked with Lord Akari out of the room. Usually she would have returned the glares she was receiving with a smug smile and a wink. But today…they just didn’t seem worth it. Not when she could feel his eyes boring into her. Running over her. Not when her heart was beating so loudly it was all she could hear. When he grabbed her as soon as they stepped outside, she couldn’t stop the gasp that escaped her mouth. She hadn’t realized she had been holding her breath.

She breathed forcefully, a shudder racing down her spine as his words breathed past her ear. She reached her arm between their bodies, grabbing him around his wrist. “No more talking,” she said sharply, giving him no more time to tease her. Each step towards the hotel was more difficult than the last. Each brush of her thighs against one another prevented her from focusing on anything other than how sensitive she was. How needy. How wet. The feel of his wrist in her hand somehow made it worse.

It was good that he did not ask her the name of the hotel or even her room number because she did not remember either of them. She only remembered where and she led them there with great efficiency. It took four tries to get the key in the lock but once she heard the click she wasted no time shoving the door open and pulling him in behind her. She released his wrist, instead using her hand to shove him against the wall while she locked the door and kicked her shoes off.

Desire bled from every inch of her skin as she turned to face him. She placed her other hand on his chest also, leaning in until her chest was pressed against his. Hard enough she knew for certain he could feel how fast her heart was already pounding. She buried her nose in the divot of his neck, inhaling deeply, a satisfied sigh falling from her lips. She ran her nose up his neck, breathing in his intoxicating scent. She hadn’t been able to place it in the restaurant but there was no denying it now. He smelled like firewood. Just the slightest hint of sweetness lingering on his skin. So delicious that she couldn’t help but trace the column of his neck with her tongue just to get a taste, a low rumble in the back of her throat that could almost be called a purr.

She ran her hands down his chest, no hesitation now. “I want to play now,” she breathed into his ear, her voice demanding. Her hands slid under the waistband of his pants at his hips. She slid them to the front, meeting at the point where only a single knot kept her from her prize and she wasted no time reaching for it.

[Kao]

Kotaru's brows rose slightly in surprise at her change in tone, and he couldn't hold back an amused smirk. So she was one of those. He was familiar with that kind of confidence. Women who thought they could dominate him and tell him what to do were adorable, and he relished in shattering that illusion with just a few strokes of his fingers and swipes of his tongue. For now he let her keep thinking she was in charge, and he fell into step next to her without another word. The night was cold and crisp, and the air was like a splash of water to his face that cooled him down long enough for them to make it to her room.

She wasted no time. He somehow found himself with his back pressed against the wall as Kiyo was immediately on him, breathing in his scent as if she needed to take him in deeply with all her senses. He returned the sentiment by sliding her shirt up so that it bunched just beneath her chest, and then he slipped his hands beneath her bra and squeezed. When she ran her tongue along his neck and made that lascivious sound he groaned, low and deep. Kotaru felt where her hands were going and the heat returned between his hips in full force. The way she looked at him made his heart once again pound erratically in his chest, and he leaned his head back onto the wall and looked at her, his gaze smoldering. Waiting.

"So play."

The man knew that would be all she needed to pounce on him. Their clothes were quickly abandoned at the door and the man sighed, the sound thick with desire, when they were finally touching with nothing between their bare skin. He allowed her to have her fun for a while, letting her indulge in her fantasy of doing whatever she pleased to someone like him. Her little verbal and physical demands amused him and he rewarded every expertly performed endeavor with a rumbling moan in his chest. But eventually he stopped her by gripping her hips and turning her over, and then biting the sensitive spot between her neck and shoulder. He then kissed her there, and with his lips still on her skin he murmured, "My turn."

He did everything he promised and more.

Their passion filled the room, making it nearly feel like a sauna. When they were finished, rounds and rounds later, he lied on his side next to her for a while with his eyes half closed. Disheveled tufts of dark teal hair fell around his face, loose strands sticking to the layer of sweat that shined on his forehead. Eventually he slid out of the bed and rummaged through the mini bar, settling on water. Kotaru downed it all in a few gulps, all while never taking his eyes off her. Normally he didn't stick around after a romp in the sheets, but he was so drawn to Kiyo that he wasn't quite ready to leave. He wondered if she'd kick him out immediately. Surprising himself, he found part of him hoped not.

[Amy]

Kiyo's bare chest rose and dipped steadily with each breath she took. She laid on her back in the same position she fell into after they were both finally satisfied, either unable or unwilling to move. Her head was cradled in the crook of one arm while the other lay against her stomach, fingers drifting idly across her damp skin. She hadn't fallen asleep but she kept her eyes mostly closed as she stared at the ceiling, simply enjoying the come down from the high she had been riding. He had fulfilled every promise he made to her and more. And he had done it with a talent that made his confidence well warranted.

Her head fell to the side when he climbed out of bed and she watched him dig through the mini bar before he turned to look at her. She held his gaze, searching for what he was thinking behind those soft green of his eyes. Such a contrast to the bright, sharp green of her own eyes but Kiyo was certain that that softness wasn't extended to everyone. And, of course, they gave nothing away about what he was thinking while he stared. She broke eye contact first, knowing there were no answers to be found there.

Kiyo stretched her arms high over her head as she rolled out of bed and plodded over to where Lord Akari was standing. She didn't look at him as she bent down to grab her own bottle of water as well as a small bottle of sake, choosing one at random. “Help yourself to whatever you'd like,” she said sincerely, looking up to meet his gaze again. “Don't feel obligated to stay but you don't have to go either. It's late.” She didn't know why she added that last part as she was sure the bannin could navigate his own village no matter how late it was. She stretched again, rubbing her face with the back of her hand, figuring she was just still a bit addle brained from the exercise. They had been at it for hours after all.

“I'm going to take a bath.” With both bottles grasped in one hand she turns towards the bathroom wondering if he would stay or go. It was usually fifty-fifty with her other flings and she had never been invested in what they chose. The sound of rushing water filled the room as she settled herself on the edge of the tub to wait. The water in the tub swirled, steam quickly building in the small room as she contemplated how things usually went. She never stayed at a man's house if that's where they went but she didn't care if they stayed with her for the night. She had only ever had to kick a few men out who were too handsy or pushy or just too much in general. All of them were gone in the morning though. No exception had ever been made.

Her water was gone by the time the tub was filled so she trashed the empty bottle, uncapping the sake as she slid into the hot water up to her shoulders. A satisfied sigh caused the steam in front of her face to spin a dance just for her. The icy chill of the drink, the heat off the water, the delicious burn of her exhausted muscles all melted together into a feeling of euphoria that brought her head back against the edge of the tub.

“So, other than you,” Kiyo called out lazily through the door she had intentionally left open. “ What do you suggest I do for fun around here?”

[Kao]

He shifted his gaze after her incredibly neutral comment. If she didn’t care about whether he stayed or not then the decision was up to him, and he was uncharacteristically unsure of what he wanted to do. He was tired. And hungry. And some kind of unease, the name of which remained elusive, touched the back of his mind. Its cold tendrils slowly curled around the borders of his mind and pressed in. The feeling was nauseatingly familiar, and he pushed against it as he moved to sit down on the edge of the bed. A new bottle was in his hand, and the bannin sat quietly as the room filled with the sound of the water crashing against the ceramic tub.

Determined to keep his mind focused on the present, Kotaru collapsed backward onto the bed and attempted to force the sense of disquiet out of his body in by packing it into a long groan. It wasn’t very effective. His ears perked at the sound of her voice, and he instinctively turned his head towards it. “Depends on what you like,” he replied, his voice thankfully steady. “You clearly like to drink. Iwa’s littered with bars and clubs. Nice ones, seedy ones. Theaters are catching on if you like art and plays and shit.” He paused for a while, thinking about what normal people did for fun in the village. Kotaru’s life had been filled with work and strife and death for so long that he’d forgotten what it was like to let go in a way that didn’t involve fighting or meaningless sex.

“Fights and strongman competitions are probably the most popular past time. Most people I know train for fun, but you don’t seem like the type. The entertainment district is your best bet.” He took a swig of water and shimmied up the bed, then reached for the small box on the nightstand that was inscribed with a fuuin. He tapped it to activate it, and a voice chimed a greeting and indicated he was at the hotel’s front desk. Kotaru lazily requested food - steak, fish, and whatever sides they had - and new sheets. After the receptionist’s voice went quiet, the Akari turned back toward the bathroom door.

“Sounds like you’re already planning to come back and visit.” There wasn’t much amusement in his voice this time. It was overpowered by several types of fatigue. “It’s fine if you already can’t stay away.”

[Amy]

She wanted him to leave. Or, rather, that was the lie she told herself when she realized that she had been holding her breath after speaking, waiting to see if he would respond or if he had left. It was the lie she told herself because her real thought, that she hoped he hadn’t left, was unexpected and unpleasant. She took a long drink from the bottle of alcohol, thinking of excuses to explain why she would have ever had that thought. It wasn’t difficult to settle on the obvious reason - he had been a really good fuck and if he stuck around they might be able to get a few more rounds in in the morning before they went their separate ways.

Only half listening to the words he was saying, Kiyo danced her hand across the surface of the water, her eyes following the small ripples she created. She just let him talk, telling her about the different things that she could do while in the village. It wasn’t all that different from Kiri in theory. Drinking, clubs, plays and shit as he so eloquently put it. She didn’t even realize he had stopped talking until he started again. He wasn’t wrong about her not being very interested in her own training but her ears did perk at the idea of fights and competitions. It was the exact kind of atmosphere she loved.

When she heard him ordering food from the front desk she took a deep breath, letting it out silently as she stood from the bath. Somehow, she felt no more relaxed than when she had climbed in though it was much easier to move around. “Don’t flatter yourself,” she finally replied to him, concentrating on making her voice sound light when his own suddenly sounded bogged down. “I’ll be back several times over the next couple months for business. Like you said, plenty of places to enjoy, right?”

Kiyo walked out of the bathroom with water still rolling down her body, her hair bundled up in something resembling a bun. The hair that she missed cascaded down the sides of her face, the ends curling slightly from the humidity of the bath. “When I first started working for the family business I didn’t have much leeway for extending trips. Bad reputation and all. I've earned some freedom now and I like taking advantage of it.” She kneeled on the bed, pulling herself forward so that when she lay down her head would land on the pillow, both of her arms folded underneath her. She faced his direction, her eyes tracing over his face slowly. Looking for the source of the exhaustion that now bled into his words.

“So, you covered what you think I’d like. What the people you know like.” She spoke softly, almost gently, as though he might spook if she spoke any louder. “But you conveniently skipped over telling me what you like to do here. If you tell me you only have time for your work, I’ll call you a liar.”

[Kao]

Kotaru tried to think of a sarcastic retort but his mind rolled to a stop when she came out of the bathroom dripping wet and without a towel in sight. His heartbeat picked up, slightly, and he drank in the sight of her as she walked over to the bed. For a moment he forgot about the unsettled feeling that threatened to blanket him. Instead he thought only about how nicely her hips swayed when she moved. How pretty she was with her hair pulled back. How gorgeous her sharp eyes were. But as soon as she settled in next to her he stiffened, and not in the way she'd liked. His gaze flickered to the wall behind her, and his lips briefly thinned into a straight line. It had been a while since he'd been in bed with someone like this, without the intention to fuck his cares away. Kiyo's question hung in the air, and for a while the only sound he made in response came from the pillow as his hair slid over the fabric when he slightly turned his head so he could look at the ceiling.

Finally he mumbled, "Hate to disappoint you but all I do is work lately." He preferred it that way, but he didn't want to get into it. He didn't want to talk about it. His brows knitted together and his eyes hardened as he searched for any cracks or peeling paint on the ceiling. There was nothing there. The ceiling was perfectly smooth and there was nothing there for him to focus on instead of thinking or talking. "There's a lot in the village and in Rock that I have to oversee and deal with. I'm lucky if I get a day like today where I can go out for a meal. A lot of people depend on me and I can't fail anyone else." The disquiet clawed at his skin now, and the man huffed through his nose. Suddenly he sat upright and his hair fell like curtains around his face. Elbow against his thigh, he rubbed his eyes with his hand and added, "So call me a liar, I guess."

Where the fuck was their food? His stomach churned and he couldn't tell if it was from hunger or the unsettling feeling that was suddenly pressing in on him. The man looked at Kiyo's face and for the briefest moment that feeling paused, but the tension in his brows and shoulders remained. His gaze dropped, settling on her neck, and through sheer force of will he made himself relax into the version of himself that she'd met earlier in the night. It worked. For the most part. Thinking he should maybe quit while he was ahead, he parted his lips and began, "Maybe I should j-" but a firm knock interrupted him.

With a sharp sigh through his nose he stood, swiftly picking up his underwear and slipping them on as he headed to the door. A short while later he returned with a rolling cart stacked with covered plates and a bottle of wine that he didn't remember asking for. Grateful for the distraction Kotaru pushed the cart to her side of the bed and grabbed his plate, stuffing his face as he walked back over to the other side.

[Amy]

An uncomfortable feeling that Kiyo couldn’t name licked up her spine the longer the man beside her remained silent. She watched him stare at the ceiling, admiring his profile while the silence hung heavily in the air, waiting for his response. Her eyes slid over his brow that furrowed as he finally began to answer her question, his words or maybe his tone, making her wonder if she had upset him somehow. He didn’t seem to want to talk about his work at all. But still he continued talking as she continued staring and she couldn’t help but latch onto what he said last. That he couldn’t fail anyone else and she wondered, briefly, what had happened to the man to make him so hurt. She didn’t startle when he sat up suddenly, his movements smooth and quick. Her eyes ran along his back now and she spoke so quietly that she wasn’t even sure if he heard her. “No, I don’t think I will.”

The eyes that met hers a moment later were not the same eyes that she had stared into so many times that night. Kiyo didn’t do this, she didn’t…comfort people. But there was something in her that made her think that that was exactly what he needed and he didn’t even know it. He looked like he was being torn apart from the inside out. Like being there beside her was painful for him. Maybe, she wondered, he hadn’t thought she was serious when she told him he could leave? It was possible he didn’t do this either, stick around after a fling. But if he didn’t, why would he have chosen to stay this time? It’s not like she needed him for anything, not emotionally anyways. She guessed he could be concerned it would look bad if she told people they hooked up and he walked away before the sheets were dry but nothing about Lord Akari suggested he cared what other people thought. So it had to be something else and the thought that he wanted to leave was the only thing she could think of.

Her hand that she had reached out towards him fell onto the sheets. She had been going to reassure him that he could leave but he had spoken first. Just what? Had he been going to say it? That he should just go? Kiyo pulled her arm back and sat up before he returned, wiping the confused expression from her face. He was an adult. If he wanted to leave, he could. She had told him as much after all. She didn’t need him to stay. Shaking her head slightly she grabbed one of the plates off of the cart without even looking at what it was, having forgotten what he ordered. It didn’t matter, she was starving after skipping dinner and it gave her something to do other than think about why he was suddenly acting so strangely.

It wasn’t like they knew each other in any capacity. She honestly wasn’t even sure if he remembered her name as she was pretty sure he hadn’t used it the whole time they had been together. But she didn’t care about that, and she didn’t need him to act like they were best buddies or anything. But even before they had realized the natural attraction between them he had been a hundred times more personable than he was being now. Which suggested that there was something wrong with her and Kiyo knew for a fact, that was incorrect.

With a huff she grabbed his plate from him once it was empty, setting it back on the cart that he had left near her. “I promise I won’t break these ones.” She tried to sound light-hearted but even she could hear the sharpness of her own voice. It was infuriating that the phenomenal time they had together felt like it was being spoiled and she had no idea what was causing it or how to put a stop to it. She motioned for him to step off of the bed before she bent down to retrieve the clean sheets from the bottom of the cart. If she couldn’t figure out what was wrong she could at least busy herself putting some clean sheets down for them to lay on. It gave her time to think of something neutral to say. “If you’re tired, we can just sleep. I’m sure you have a busy day tomorrow.” If he felt like he couldn’t leave for whatever reason, she could at least offer him this. A way to stay that might be easier on him.

[Kao]

They ate in silence, both of them bogged down by how much the atmosphere in the room had changed. Instead of an enjoyable heat between them it felt almost stifling. Blind to her inner turmoil, the bannin didn't notice the slight change in her body language that signaled how uncomfortable she was. While Kiyo ate wordlessly beside him and wrestled with her thoughts and confusion, Kotaru kept his gaze on the wall across from the bed. He managed to keep his head relatively free of thoughts. Occasionally he'd sigh internally, wishing he had managed to stay in good spirits for an entire night for once. But otherwise his expression was impassive for the time being.

When he was done he held on to his empty plate, still staring at the impeccably painted wall. The night had been perfect until those feelings Kotaru refused to name and acknowledge poked and prodded, reminding him of their presence and that they were just as stubborn as him. He had shoved them away every day for months on end; some days were easier than others, but there were other days and moments where the grip on him was ironclad. During those times he could barely function and he went about his day and performed his duties robotically, eyes unfocused and uncaring.

This was not one of those times. Suddenly he felt the plate being pulled out of his hands, and he was pulled out of his stagnated mind long enough to look over at Kiyo with a confused expression. Then he saw it in her eyes, heard it in her voice. Though she tried to conceal it in a playful quip she still seemed upset, and he knew he was the reason for it. And in that moment he felt little of the disquiet that had threatened to engulf him. That gnawing and clawing sensation stopped. At her behest he slid off the bed and he watched her, transfixed, as she shook the sheets to unfold them and then moved to change the bed. Kotaru's hand lowered to the corner of the mattress, feeling for the elastic corners of the fitted sheets and then tugging them free. Without moving from that spot or taking his eyes off her he helped, and once they were nearly finished he fully expected her to tell him to leave. He was sure he had ruined the night.

Kiyo unexpectedly did the opposite. And instead of his normal reaction of recoiling at the idea of staying overnight with a fling, Kotaru felt something within him alight. It wasn't as overwhelming as the fiery lust she had elicited from him earlier that evening. This feeling was cautious, a smaller and almost timid warmth that made him feel as though the slightest move in the wrong direction would extinguish it. The man sunk back onto the bed, his gaze still on her, and for first the first time in a very long time he let himself name part of what he felt.

Relief.

He wasn't entirely sure why that was his reaction. All he knew was that he was relieved that Kiyo still offered to let him stay. For once that restless feeling left him completely. "Okay," he answered softly as his head again hit the pillow, turning so that he faced her. The storm within his eyes calmed to a cool breeze. Kotaru idly rubbed his stomach, his fingers tracing self-soothing circles onto his skin. The Akari didn't move to reach for her, nor did he shift to do anything like hold her or cuddle. He left a sliver of space between them, just wide enough and safe enough to keep them from fully trespassing into unfamiliar territory. Exhaustion eased his eyes shut after a long while, and as he drifted off the tension in his muscles eased. Just before falling asleep his last thought was a pleasant one.

He felt warm.