Masters of Fate, Slaves to Duty

Chapter 11


“I must say, I don’t believe this is what you had in mind,” said an exasperated Daven.

Miki cracked the reins as he laughed at the overdressed seaman. Indeed, he did feel bad for Daven. Miki was dressed appropriately for the humid summer air, wearing only a short yukata with the sleeves rolled up. His head was covered with a simple straw hat to shelter himself from the sun and disguise his hair and face.

On the other hand, Daven was fanning himself, trying to get any cooler air to his covered skin. Every piece of his foreign body was wrapped in a long yukata with long sleeves. He too wore a hat, but his face was also covered to hide his heritage. The only thing Miki could see was his eyes.

The two men were sharing the front bench of the only carriage Miki could find in Hikone. The whole purpose behind this mode of travel was to conceal the two people who would stand out the most, the foreigner and the target. Instead, the foreigner was relegated to the passenger seat next to Miki. The target was sleeping in the cab with her husband of less than 24-hours.

“You could always go back inside. I doubt they’d even notice you were there,” responded an amused Miki.

Daven shook his head, nearly dislodging the hat. “No, after what I saw last night, I believe I’ll sweat out this trip and leave them alone.” Images were still floating around in his head as his stomach growled. “By the way, did we bring anything to eat?”

Miki reached around to his side and produced a handful of grapes. “Just more of these,” he said as he broke one from the stem and popped it in his mouth. “Want some?”

Miki simply shuddered, and resigned himself to starvation. “No thanks, I can wait.”

~*~*~

The Previous Day…

Night turned to day too early for most of the household. Matsuri was the first to rise, followed by Miki. Together, the two of them gathered some money from Tatsu’s house account and set off into the market searching for a carriage and food. Not only was there a trip to plan for, but there was a wedding only a few hours away.

Next was Kiyomi, who spent the majority of the morning preparing food for the remaining household. After noon, Daven and Tatsumaki greeted each other at the spring and shared another bottle of sake, which Kiyomi quickly confiscated and chastised them for lazing the afternoon away when there was preparations to be made.

The sun was past the midpoint in the sky before Yume stirred. She could hear the ruckus from the main house. The smells of a feast wafted from the kitchen, and inside her own stomach growled. But that would have to wait. Her life was about to change for the better. She would finally belong to the man she had loved for over ten years. No, not belong, she would be his partner. She would never be possessed by another man again. Tatsumaki was unlike any man she knew, save Miki. Unlike the traditions of her country, he accepted her as an equal, and he wouldn’t treat her as the sweet little woman at home that kept his family name alive by populating the world with his children.

There was no anxiety about this union. This is what should have happened years ago, but at the time she was too selfish and unaware to understand what her choices entailed. She was a long way from the brothel, from a life of unpaid debts and male satisfaction. Still further was the life in the shadows where she risked her mind and body for the sake of her family. She could blame fate for all that had happened in the last decade, but that would be false. Ultimately, the decisions that were made weighed on her shoulders alone.

She smiled inwardly at the final result as she heard footsteps coming from the staircase. Matsuri’s frantic voice and excited eyes gave her hope and reminded her of what the day entailed. She let the annoying girl fuss over her, drag her out of her comfortable bed and shove her out the door to the bathhouse. Immediately she felt eyes boring into her back as she crossed the yard.

Tatsu and Miki were carrying trunks to the office while Daven swept dirt from the walkways. All three men stopped their chores and smiled at her. For her, it was overwhelming. The love and friendship the three of them offered filled her with something she had not known for years; peace. No matter what happened after today, they would always be family.

Before she went to the bathhouse, she decided to see the springs first. She was pleased to find it in the same condition as when she’d left. The trees were a little taller, and the branches reached farther across the water to shelter the occupants from the sun. In her mind, she could see Tatsu carrying her into the springs while she healed from Nanaka’s wounds. And she could hear Shinra’s laughter when he tossed her into the spring fully-clothed and pissed off.

Inside, she could still feel something coiling around her heart, needing her attention. In her tightened hand, she held the gold ring that Jonathan had given her when they were married. This was the last thing she needed to do, her last act of letting go. She regretted all that had befallen that doomed relationship, and she pushed all those regrets into that small piece of gold and flung it across the spring, sending it soaring into the forest that hugged the property. No more, that part of her life was past, and she would never see Jonathan again.

Hours later, the sun was melding with the western skyline as Yume emerged from the second house. She was glad her original wedding kimono still fit, even though it was a little thick for a summer wedding. Her silver hair was pinned up and away from her face, and accented with a beautiful blue comb that Miki had found for her at the market. Kiyomi had helped with her makeup, keeping it modest with a simple gray shadow and black liner around her brown eyes while Yume painted her lips a light pink.

Yume took a deep breath of summer air as she stepped through the doorway. Ahead of her was the quiet little pond where she had shared a kiss with Tatsu so many years before. Only now, it was surrounded by candles, the light from them flickering as the flames danced in the evening breeze. Before her she could see her family surrounding a small man in priest’s clothing.

“Are you ready?” Kiyomi whispered in her left ear.

Yume continued to stare forward as she nodded to Kiyomi and walked down the stairs. As her feet met the ground, she heard a whimper from Matsuri who followed behind on the right. The girl was already crying. Yume wanted to laugh at the young girl, but decided to hide her humor behind her smile.

Ahead, she could see Tatsu’s smile radiating in the candle’s light. His eyes were calm and lucid. She could see her peace in those eyes. With each step, she was assured that this was right, this was good. She felt as though her soul had returned from its long journey. And as Tatsu reached out and took her hand, pulling her close to his side, Yume knew she was whole.

The ceremony was short and quiet, save for Matsuri’s cries of joy and the chorus of the summer cicadas. Everyone gathered in the main house afterward for a spectacular feast. There was fish, pork, chicken, exotic fruits, fresh vegetables, and plenty of sake. Tatsu sat next to his bride and fed her every bite.

“Eat this,” he whispered into her ear with the first bite. “You will need your strength for what I have planned.”

Yume felt the familiar shiver of arousal as Tatsu nipped her earlobe before putting a piece of fish in her needy mouth. Looking across the table, her eyes found Miki’s, who only winked at her before he took another swig of sake.

When empty dishes were cleared from the table, Tatsu and Yume quietly excused themselves. They strolled side-by-side to the extended wing of the house that held the dojo and Tatsu’s room. Her hand was damp within Tatsu’s as she began to feel nervous. She had never felt anxious going to a man’s bed before, not even during her first time in the brothel.

As she tried to climb the stairs to her wedding chamber, Tatsumaki pulled her back into his chest. When she lost her balance, he scooped her up into his arms. “Here, let me help you,” he said as he kissed the top of her head.

“I can walk on my own,” she said, giving him a brief scowl.

“I’m aware of that,” Tatsu said as he ascended the stairs. “Daven says this is some kind of good luck tradition about women not wanting to go their wedding bed so the men have to drag them in, or something of that nature.”

Yume laughed. “Good luck? Well, I must keep with appearances then,” she said as she playfully beat on his chest. “No, don’t! I don’t want to go! Put me down, you brute!”

With a yelp, Tatsu hoisted Yume over his shoulder and slapped her backside. “That’s enough out of you, wife!” he yelled, aiming the comment at the main house. He could see they had already drawn attention from Miki and the girls. “I’m going to make a real woman out of you tonight!”

Yume looked around to see Miki strolling in their direction, but Daven ran out of the house and got in his way. She tugged on Tatsu’s yukata. “It looks like somebody’s coming to my rescue.”

When Tatsu looked, both girls had come out after Miki as well, each one grabbing him by the arm and dragging him back to the house. “Oh yes, he is always your gallant warrior,” he laughed as he opened the door to their bridal suite. “You’d think I was stealing your virtue.”

They were across the threshold of the room before he placed Yume on her feet again. The room was just as she remembered it. Dragons still weaved their slender bodies across the walls in a dance of cherry blossom petals. The furniture was exactly where Tatsu had left it, as if any changes would disrupt the feel and memory of the room. Yume could smell jasmine incense, the fragrance that always comforted her. Two small candles framed the incense holder, and provided the only light in the room once Tatsu closed the door. Next to that sat a tray that held two bottles of sake with one saucer.

Yume could feel his eyes on her, causing her face to blush. She knew she could turn and face him, that he was only a breath away. But instead, she kept her back to the door. Tatsu took the invitation, inching his fingers up the back of her kimono to the skin of her neck. Gently he traced the edge of her neck to the tender area behind her ear, and further into her hair. Yume shuddered as another jolt of arousal rippled across her skin. One at a time, Tatsu pulled each individual pin from her hair until it fell freely across her shoulders.

Tatsu fingered her hair, pulling it away from her shoulders, careful of her still healing head wound. Tatsu used the blue comb to smooth the kinks from her hair, taking care to get every strand before it draped down her back. Goosebumps speckled her flesh as all of her nerve-endings vibrated with life. She had no idea that the simple act of combing someone’s hair could be so erotic.

“What do you want from me tonight?” he whispered gently in her ear.

Yume looked over her shoulder. She could see the anticipation in his eyes, but she was surprised by his need for her permission. Maybe he knew more about what had happened during their years apart than he had previously let on; so much for swearing Miki to secrecy.

As she pondered her answer, Yume fingered the tie on her obi. Easily, it came loose (thanks to Matsuri’s masterful work) and fell to the floor. The robe started to sag on her shoulders, revealing more flesh. She used this to her advantage, and as she turned to face Tatsu, she let the robe fall to the floor with the obi.

“Everything you’re willing to give,” she said.

Yume stood before him naked in the candle’s light. The warm light cast a lovely golden aura across her pale skin. The light dulled the scars that decorated her body like a crude map, each leading to a different path of pain. Tatsu could see she was still nervous, but she stuck out her chin with reassurance.

“Good,” he said as he leaned close to her face. She closed her eyes, unable to hide her eagerness of their first real kiss as husband and wife, but he stopped before he got to her tender lips. “Because I need to get reacquainted with your body, and I think tonight is the perfect time.”

Yume was still standing with her eyes closed when his lips found themselves on her exposed neck. His tongue burned a path from her ear to the base of her neck, where he nipped and sucked at the juncture. Her body tensed at the contact, and she could feel her nipples tightening with his every breath.

His hand gripped her waist, and tugged her body against his. His erection pressed against her stomach, eliciting a soft moan from Yume. “See,” he breathed as he licked a trail from her neck to the center of her chest. “You still have this effect on me after all these years.”

Yume could feel her legs weakening as his lips found a taut nipple and sucked it between his lips. His arms reached around her back and held her tight as he sucked on her breast. The position forced her to arch her back, allowing Tatsu a better angle at the soft flesh.

Her hands immediately found their way to his hair. Her fingers fumbled with the leather tie as her concentration was compromised by Tatsu’s mouth. He let go of her breast with a small ‘pop’. Briefly he released her from his grasp, causing Yume to almost fall backward. Tatsu scooped her up again, and promptly laid her down on the plush futon.

He smiled as he looked down at her flushed face and reddened breast. She nervously licked her lips as she started to fondle her other nipple. Tatsu could feel his erection throbbing inside his robe as she twisted the small tip between her fingers. As Tatsu started to untie his robe, Yume let her other hand slip between her legs. Gently, she spread her lips with two fingers and felt around with her middle finger until she found that lovely little spot that kept her happy while she was in her ex-husband’s home.

Tatsu continued to watch as her finger rolled around that sensitive bud. A small sigh slipped through her lips as her hips minutely moved up and down against her finger, simulating what she wanted from Tatsu.

And not once during her show did she look away from Tatsu’s eyes. He grabbed the opening of his robe and exposed all of his tanned skin and taut body to her wanton eyes. His hard cock sprung forth from his clothes as her finger moved faster in a circular motion. Yume’s timing with her own thrusts just sent more waves of pleasure through her body, making it harder for her to focus on Tatsu. She wanted to throw her head back as she thrust two fingers deep into her body, and ride the wave to its peak. But no, she wanted Tatsu to see how she had survived the last couple of years, how she had managed to keep her sanity.

As she felt the initial rush of her body’s sweet liquor wet her fingers, she licked her lips and smiled at Tatsu. “You’d better hurry,” she purred, her need dropping her voice an octave lower as an orgasm threatened to let itself loose. “I can do this all night long.”

Without hesitation, Tatsu tossed his robe away and dropped to his knees before her. “Damn it, woman,” he cursed as he leaned forward. “What is your hurry?”

Yume took her hands away from herself and gently grabbed at his fully erect cock. With a tug, she had Tatsu looming over her and his head at her entrance. “Please,” she purred, looking into his dark and hungry eyes.

Her hand gripped him tighter as she continued to stroke his cock. Tatsu could only groan when her delicate hand brushed against his sensitive head. Through strained teeth, he said, “You’d think you’d have learned some patience over the last few years.”

Yume squeezed harder, enjoying the sounds erupting from his chest as he subconsciously started to pump into her hand. She licked her lips and smiled at the distracted man. “Tatsumaki,” she cooed, “If you do not end this drought of mine, I fear I will be a widow when the sun rises again.”

She tugged again on his cock, and she could feel the pulsing tip at her damp entrance. She was beyond ready to consummate her marriage. But as she tried to pull him closer, almost forcing him into her silken channel, Tatsumaki froze.

“Was that a threat, my dear wife?” he said, trying to appear shocked but secretly enticed by her audacity.

Yume could see her husband was not taking her seriously. This tête-à-tête was only making her blood run hot and delaying the inevitable. She huffed, “That’s it, where’s my sword?”

She rolled over between Tatsu’s arms, and using her good arm, started to crawl away. But Tatsu was faster. Spying her bare rump, he proceeded to grab her hips, and pull her back onto his throbbing member. Tatsu could hear her hiss through her teeth as his cock sunk deep into her core. Even though she was already wet, her neglected body was very tight around him. Both of them moaned as their bodies readjusted to one another.

Yume flung her long hair over her shoulder and looked back at Tatsu. Both of them remained still, but as Yume watched him, she started to squeeze her muscles, causing her chamber to flex around his hardness within her body. Slowly she pulled forward, but Tatsu grabbed her hips and slammed her back against his body.

She groaned again as he started to stretch her, filling her body with his cock. She tried once again, but this time she leaned forward just a little further, leaving only his pulsing tip inside. But Tatsu didn’t pull her back. Instead, he simply crossed his arms across his chest. Yume looked back at him with heavy eyes, and started to nibble on her lower lip.

“Don’t give me that look,” Tatsu said. Gently, he swiped her across the ass. “Can you stop with the impatience and let me do the work?”

Yume rolled her eyes. “Fine,” she said as she gave up the act and stopped her forward progression, but did not sink back against his body.

Tatsu knew she could be stubborn, but this was new. Keeping his position with his head teetering in and out of her luscious body, he slapped her across the bum again, only a little harder this time.

Yume shot him an aggravated look over her shoulder. “What is your….”

Before she could finish the question, Tatsu grabbed her hips again and forced her back against his body. He smiled when he heard her moan under her breath. Tatsu leaned over her body while buried deep inside and said, “Are you about finished with this tirade? Can I make love to you now?”

Yume wiggled her hips in response, allowing her to heighten the sensations while stretching her body to accommodate him. Tatsu kissed her on the shoulder as he started to move in and out in a slow and deliberate motion.

But for her it wasn’t enough. The slapping of her body against him only made her blood run hotter and her body start to shiver in anticipation. She needed him to pummel her body to a much overdo explosion. But this was so unlike him. He had never taken her in a position where he couldn’t see her face, and watch her reactions.

Yume threw her head back and moaned his name as her body tensed. She fought for concentration as he started to pump faster, her mind fighting to put a thought together while her body grew more unsteady. Her knuckles turned white as she gripped the bedding tighter in her fists, ignoring the ache in her sore shoulder while she tried to hold onto this reality before she was sent over the edge.

Tatsu leaned forward, placing his body over hers again. The position allowed him to thrust deeper and faster. Yume struggled to keep her arms underneath her. She wanted to sink to the bed, and thrust her bum higher in the air.

She let out a sultry giggle when she felt Tatsu’s breath against her ear. “Since when do you rut like an animal?”

Tatsu thrust into her hard enough that his sac slapped against her clit, causing both of them to moan at the sensation. “Since when do you complain about how I choose to enjoy your body?” he whispered in her ear.

With one hand, Tatsu reached around and twisted her left nipple as his pace slowed. Yume could feel her body’s readiness. Her legs and arms were getting weaker as all her blood pooled to the center of her body. Her breath was coming quicker, making it harder for her to speak.

She laughed again at Tatsu’s brazenness. “Next…you’ll bite me on the neck…to…mark your territory.”

Tatsu stopped moving for a moment, choosing to lick along the edge of her neck before driving deeper into her body. “That’s not a bad idea,” he said.

With two more forceful strokes, Yume’s body exploded. She groaned loudly as her body shook, and in that moment, Tatsu thrust forward again and bit her at the base of her neck. He felt her damp skin break in his teeth, and a small trickle of blood dripped onto his tongue. Tatsu slowly pushed into her again, helping her to ride out the orgasm as well as bring himself to a peak.

Tatsu released her neck and wrapped an arm around her waist as she started to fall forward in exhaustion. With one final thrust, Tatsu allowed himself to fill her body with his seed. It took several smaller pumps into her tightening body before he was finally finished.

Tatsu let go of Yume, and she simply fell to the side. Her body was too spent to hold her up any longer. Tatsu crawled up and collapsed behind her. He watched silently as another drop of blood started to trace a path down her shoulder.

To Tatsu, the vision of her naked form next to him reignited the flame of passion through his body, a passion that he never felt with anyone but her. Tatsu threw his leg over her hip, trapping her against his hardening cock. With his free arm, he pulled her against his bare chest, and slowly licked the blood away from her pale skin.

In response, Yume rubbed her ass over his throbbing cock as he readied for the next round.

Tatsu grabbed her leg at the knee, and in one move, he pulled her leg up and thrust back into her waiting channel. “Aren’t we the tease tonight,” he cooed into her ear.

“Mmm,” Yume responded as her exhausted body mimicked his slow movements, helping to elongate his strokes. “You brought this on yourself.”

Tatsu stopped moving, and with a disappointed groan from Yume, he withdrew from her body. Rolling onto her back to look at her, Tatsu immediately took his position between her open legs.

The look in her eyes surprised him. Though her lids were heavy with lust, there was a hint of sadness as well.

“And what did I do to earn your affection?” he asked as he repositioned himself and pushed back into her warm body.

Yume smiled up at the man buried deep within her, the same man that she swore to love and to stand by for the rest of her life. “After all these years, you did not give up on me.”

The statement shocked him. She was not ashamed of what had happened to her, or of her more recent actions to put the past behind her. After all the things that had happened, she wanted to be here with him. He had never realized that he was what she lived for. Why didn’t he make the connection two weeks ago when he found her cold and broken body in the backyard?

He had thought that as long as she had her family surrounding her, that everything would be fine. She had a brother, a blood relative that she hadn’t know when growing up, but she had the chance to share her life with now. And there was Miki, who fell into some brother/friend role that he couldn’t quite define. And sure, the children they bore were a bonus. But in the end, without him, she truly felt she had no other reason to survive.

Before he could comment, he saw the shimmer of a tear slide down her cheek. Tatsu leaned forward and kissed his wife, the one woman to whom he had promised the world. Slowly he thrust their bodies together again, but this time there was no need for urgency. Tatsu simply reveled in the feel of his woman, his muse, his wife.

He made love to her at an excruciatingly slow pace. Together they glided against each other; the friction between their bodies only heightened the sensations. With each thrust, their tongues mingled and their mouths moaned, absorbing each other’s sounds of pleasure. Their legs and arms tangled around one another, and soon enough, Tatsu brought them back to the edge of explosive release. Together they climaxed for a second time, only separating for a moment to catch their breaths.

Tatsu eased himself onto Yume’s sweaty and still heaving chest. She reached up and started to run her fingers gently through his hair when her stomach suddenly growled.

Tatsu looked up at her and laughed. “Well, it seems we didn’t feed you enough tonight.”

Yume forced down the embarrassment before it flooded her pale cheeks. “If you intend to ravage me until dawn, I suggest we make a kitchen run.”

~*~*~

“You sure there’s food left over?” Daven whispered to his partner in crime.

Silently, Matsuri nodded. “Kiyomi said so, and we need to eat what’s left since everyone is leaving tomorrow.”

Daven couldn’t believe he had let her talk him into this. Apparently in her nervousness, the naive Matsuri had hardly eaten anything at dinner, but she had drunk entirely too much sake on her nearly empty stomach. He’d had to carry her back to their house and put her to bed.

What’s worse was she hadn’t stayed in her bed. Instead she had managed to make her way to his room and climbed into his bed and started kissing him awake. Compounded by the fact that he was sharing a room with Miki, and the matter quickly became a full-blown fiasco. It was all “innocence was stolen, bastard children would be born, and Matsuri would never find a suitable husband to marry” and so on. Daven never knew Miki had a flair for the dramatic.

Kiyomi tried to calm her sister down, but she started to complain about her empty stomach. So Daven volunteered to help her to the kitchen so Miki could get back to sleep. He didn’t want his reputation as a gentleman to get tarnished by one innocent mishap.

Matsuri stumbled up the stairs, but Daven was there to catch her. She slumped into his arms, and started to say thank you, but froze when she heard giggling.

Daven only looked down at her. Matsuri clumsily put a finger to her lips. “Shhh,” she loudly whispered.

Daven put a hand over her mouth. Over the sound of crickets, Daven heard the errant giggle coming from the dining room.

This time Daven put a finger to his lips to silence Matsuri. She smiled and nodded at the command. He started towards the dining room with Matsuri attached to his hand.

The doors were closed, but he could definitely hear a woman’s raspy laugh from the other side. It was quickly followed by a chorus of deep moans. Daven didn’t have to guess who was in the room. Instead he turned back towards the kitchen, and tried to drag the drunken Matsuri with him.

“Wait!” she whispered. “Sounds like someone’s in pain!”

Before he could steer her way, Matsuri pulled her hand from Daven’s and pulled one of the doors open.

She stood there for a moment, but that was all it took. Daven watched as her face turned red in embarrassment. He rushed to her side, but not without catching a glance of Yume’s naked form lying prone on the dinner table. Surrounding her were empty sake bottles, and her stomach was covered with a neat pile of grapes. Between her legs he could see Tatsu licking at Yume’s own forbidden fruit. When he looked up, Daven could see a trail of dark juice dripping from his mouth.

Yume looked at them upside-down, smiling. “Did you two need something?” she asked as she popped another grape into her mouth.

~*~*~

Miki still laughed when he remembered Daven’s horrified face from the night before. Though the foreigner was mortified, he was glad to hear that his best friend was finally getting back to normal.

Suddenly they were brought back to the present by a loud thump from the cab, and what amounted to laughter.

Daven looked momentarily spooked. As he opened his mouth to speak, Miki simply shook his head.

“Don’t,” he stated. “You’ll just get another eyeful. We’ll leave them alone for the time being.”

Silently, Daven shook his head as he leaned against the cab and pulled his straw hat over his eyes. “Fine, just wake me when you need a break.”

Miki’s focus went back to the road ahead. The sounds of the horse’s hoof beats along the dirt road drowned out the sounds of passion emanating from behind as his mind wandered to days past, to the woman who left his weary soul alone in this world.

“Enjoy the break while you can,” he thought to himself. “This will be our last mission, and I pray we all survive to see its end.”

****
“My loving heart , lost in the dark,
For hope I'd give my everything.” – Nemo



Sorry that's it's been over three months since I've updated. Life keeps getting in the way.