Destination Wedding (5/6)
Destination Wedding, 5/6
When she woke, she felt strange. It hadn't been a dream, she realized, feeling Sho's arm around her waist. However, Keiko thought bitterly, she had to get up. The itchy contacts in her eyes and her bladder didn't give a damn about her having a man in her bed for the first time in a long time. She still couldn't believe it. She'd honestly just gone to him the night before to get the hair dryer. Honestly! But then everything had happened so quickly, and her body had taken over.
She slid away from him, hearing him let out a snore that was both cute and a bit disturbingly loud. Moving to the edge of the bed and swinging her legs over, she felt a little sore. Broken in, roughed up. She'd asked for it.
And she'd loved it.
Keiko left the room, quietly closing the door behind her. She'd never done something like that before. She'd never been so...dirty, so demanding. She'd never even really spoken her mind in the bedroom, had never been in a relationship long enough to ever make demands. She'd always considered herself fairly traditional, maybe a little boring. Last night had been anything but.
Her shorts were still on the kitchen floor, surrounded by condoms and the wrapper from the one Sho had used. The curtains were wide open, not that anyone would have seen them. The doors between their rooms were how they'd left them, the broken hair dryer dumped unceremoniously on the carpet. "More," she'd asked of him. "More." What had caused such a change? Was it Yuriko's influence? Or was it just the connection she'd forged so quickly, so perfectly with Sho, that gave her the confidence to ask for something different?
She brushed her teeth, remembering Sho's kiss, his mouth on her breasts, Sho inside her with such force. She already wanted him again, wanted a next time. And a time after that. And after that. She shivered, spitting out her toothpaste. Who knew she had this side to her? Keiko certainly hadn't known it.
Calming down, she let Sho sleep, pulling out some clothes and showering. She was just tying her hair back in a ponytail when there was a knock at the door. Sho's door.
Keiko panicked, hurrying through the open adjoining doors as the pounding on the front door continued. "Sho-saaaan!" She looked out the peephole. It was Aiba, with Nino and Matsumoto-kun behind him. "Sho-san, where are you?"
"Oh shit," she whispered, running back to her room. Sho-san was in her bed, naked as the day he was born.
She hadn't wanted to disturb him, and he'd clearly slept right through his buddies knocking on the door. Reluctantly, Keiko shook him awake. Who knew if Nino could get a spare swipe card to burst in to Sho's room? They'd be caught for sure.
"Sho-san," she said, the 'san' sounding almost odd on her tongue now. Too polite, given how they'd spent last night. "Sho-san, wake up."
He had long eyelashes, she noticed, as his eyes finally opened. The first thing he did when he saw her was smile, a boyish toothy grin, and she was tempted to just go lock the adjoining doors and not let him leave her side. But Keiko's newfound aggression didn't go that far.
"Hi beautiful," he said, reaching to tug on a strand of her hair. And then there was another knock and a "Sho-saaaaan!" and he froze.
"It's all of them," she told him. "Nino, Aiba-san, Jun-san..."
He nearly tumbled onto the floor as he rushed out of her bed, gloriously nude and skin flushed. She followed him to the doors between their rooms, just in time for another "Sho-saaaaan, are you hungover?" to come obnoxiously screaming through the room.
She reached for him, wrapping her arms around his neck.
"Morning breath," he whispered hurriedly.
She kissed him quickly anyway, impulsively turning him around and landing a playful slap on his backside. "See you later." And with that, she closed her adjoining door but didn't lock it.
She stood with her back against it, hearing Sho open the front door moments later, probably having run to his bedroom for some pajamas. His own underwear from last night Keiko could still see next to the dishwasher.
Tonight was the bachelorette party, and at that moment, Keiko realized she didn't want to go. She wanted to be here, in this hotel room, learning every inch of Sakurai Sho's body and letting him learn hers. But he'd be going out with the guys anyway. Who knew when everyone would get home that night?
Keiko spent her morning tidying the room, though not without thoughtfully depositing a few condoms in her bedroom nightstand, a few under her couch cushions, and one particularly ambitious placement on their balcony. Even as she snuck it under one of the flower pots she knew it was risky. But who knew what the rest of the week held?
She was way too distracted for Puppy Play research, instead claiming her free room service lunch thanks to the pool mishap the night before. At that moment, it had felt like everything was going wrong. As if the lights had shut off and the universe was telling her that she and Sho were a mistake. How wrong she'd been.
The weather had cleared up, and Yuriko came knocking around 2:00 PM dressed for the beach. "Keiko-san!" she said, coming right on into the room, pushing her sunglasses up on top of her forehead. "I heard from the staff about the pool." She turned, looking sympathetic. "I know that I've been teasing you this whole week, but I swear, I didn't know they were going to shut the..."
Keiko blinked at her. "Hmm?"
Yuriko's sad look changed in an instant, and she dropped her canvas beach bag to the floor, hurrying forward to envelop Keiko in a warm hug. "Oh my god, you two had sex!"
"What?" Keiko cried, unable to hug back in shock. "No!"
Yuriko pulled away, pressing her hands to Keiko's cheeks and squealing in joy. "You did! You so did, I'm so happy for you!"
Keiko slipped out of Yuriko's grasp, crossing her arms, trying to surreptitiously sniff the air. Did it smell like sex in here? She'd left the balcony doors open to try and air out the room and everything...
"You haven't even noticed!" Yuriko said. "You're not so stiff! You're gorgeous! You're glowing! The 'I had sex last night' glow! Oh my goodness, Keiko, this is wonderful!"
Keiko resented the implication that she hadn't been gorgeous before having intercourse, but Yuriko was as thrilled as Keiko felt inside, so she probably didn't mean anything cruel by it. "We are going to sit on the beach, and you are going to tell me all about it," she said, heading right for Keiko's bedroom without permission and digging around for her other swimsuits. "Everybody at the club is going to want you tonight, but you're taken taken taken! And that'll make you even hotter!"
"Yuriko-san..."
But there was no arguing. Keiko soon found herself arm in arm with Yuriko, claiming an umbrella and laying out blankets by the water, Kou-san joining them and forcing Keiko onto her tummy so she could slather sunscreen on her back and legs with expert precision.
"Sho-kun, Sho-kun," Yuriko mused, digging her toes into the hot sand. "He strikes me as missionary style, through and through."
"You're just saying that because he's a polite, innocent lamb," Kou chastised her friend.
"What?" Yuriko protested. "Precious boy is an accountant, Kou-chan. He's the type who wants to do things 'the right way' the first time and maybe every subsequent time unless you tell him. Come on, Keiko, don't be shy! Did he get you on your back, freeze up, and apologize when it was over? Nino says he's been single for a long time and not the one night stand-type...but that's okay, I can give you some tips, make it amazing next time. We can get him trained, no problem."
"Yuri, you're awful," Kou chided. But then she gave Keiko a wicked smile. "I bet he let you ride him."
Keiko just shook her head, more embarrassed with every comment they made. How easily these two could talk about sex!
"What about his body?" Kou tried. "Nice body?"
"Very nice," Keiko admitted quietly, wishing she had a giant sun hat to block her face.
They stopped prodding her after that, Kou giving her a wink and moving the conversation to that night's bachelorette party. They were renting a limo and driving down for dinner and a visit to the S&M club in Naha, the Ripened Peach. Aiba-san had apparently coordinated something for the guys to do, and they'd already left. Keiko tried not to show her disappointment, not knowing when she'd get to see Sho again. It was so unlike her, too. With other boyfriends she could have gone days without seeing them face to face. Maybe this guy was different...
They eventually headed into the water, the pull and push of the waves powerful enough to keep Kou and Yuriko closer to shore, splashing each other but Keiko waded out just a little further, just until she was on her tiptoes. She remembered the time in the pool before it had all gone south, Sho's strong arms around her. The first kiss they shared.
"Keiko! Look out!" Yuriko shouted.
She turned just in time for a larger wave to smash into her. But when she surfaced, she couldn't help but laugh. She was in the water, the sun shining down on a beautiful day. She was making friends, odd ones, but friends nonetheless who cared about her in their way. And then there was Sho, with his snores and his pretty eyelashes, his black hair against her pillow. This was probably the best vacation of her life.
--
Sho thought Matsumoto Jun was going to stage a bachelor party coup d'etat. The two of them stood back while Aiba and Nino banged on the drum video game for the sixth time. For the first part of the day, they'd taken the bus down to Naha and were in a mall arcade, a few of Yuriko's other male friends having already ditched them for the department store next door. Even though Nino made video games for a living, he didn't see much need to be away from them.
It had been more than an hour in the arcade already, Matsumoto looking more and more sour as time went on. Sho had invited the guy to a round of air hockey and had received the most vicious death glare of his life. Well, he could kind of understand him. It wasn't a traditional bachelor party by any means, but it seemed as though Nino was truly happy.
"I suppose this is better than a strip club," Matsumoto groaned as Aiba fed more coins into the machine at Nino's urging.
"The day is still young," Sho reminded him quietly. It was only about 5:00 PM. They had dinner reservations at 8:00 at a restaurant run by one of Aiba's friends in the cooking world, and Sho's belly was rumbling. He hadn't eaten since the crappy soba the night before with Nino. Sleeping in Keiko's bed had kept him from his breakfast making, but he hadn't much minded.
She'd been the first thing he'd laid eyes on in the morning, reminding him exactly why this trip to Okinawa had been worth it. The girls were going to an S&M club, Jun had informed him, and Sho was having a hard time stifling his jealousy. He didn't really know what went on in those places, but Keiko would be there, other people getting to ogle her. Jun had also mentioned something about them all going in costume, just adding fuel to Sho's irrationally jealous fire.
Around 6:00 they finally ditched the arcade, rounding up the other men and heading for one of Naha's city parks. Here, Aiba and Nino's combined celebrity had arranged for privacy, some floodlamps, and a baseball field. Though nobody was dressed for it, Nino was over the moon. They split into teams of four on four, Nino ensuring that all of Yuriko's friends (whose names Sho kept forgetting anyhow) formed one team and he, Aiba, Sho, and Jun formed another (it seemed that Jun was the only one of Yuriko's friends Nino liked, on account of Jun having once lent his voice to a video game - not to a loser though, Sho thought bitterly).
Sho had always been better at soccer, but it was fun to play a pick-up game in the evening, running the bases in his loafers instead of some traditional cleats. They all got filthy, calling the game in the fifth inning so they could grab taxis over to the restaurant. Aiba's restaurant owner friend turned out to be his younger brother, who didn't even look surprised to see eight guys stumble in covered in dirt from the baseball diamond.
The food was several steps above Nino's usual fare, but Aiba seemed to know his friend's tastes all too well, ensuring that one of Nino's favorite dishes, hamburger, came out for him while the others dined on steaks. After the long hours in the arcade and in the park, Sho was ravenous, eating his own portion and half of the guy's next to him (a total submissive even outside of the bedroom who could only eat what his mistress allowed - he'd had to call her up during the meal to get permission to eat it - it had made Sho's blood run cold.)
Dinner included round after round of drinks, Nino and Aiba arguing about where they were going next. Aiba kept trying to shove seasick pills at Nino, claiming they were going on a booze cruise that would take them up from Naha to a dock in Onna not far from their own resort. It had all been timed perfectly to return them right at dawn and had been paid for, but Nino was having none of it.
Finally Nino gave Aiba a shove. "You all take your booze cruise, and I'll take the bus back."
"It's your bachelor party!" Aiba slurred in protest. "This is all for you!"
"No boats!" Nino protested. "Taking bus!"
Sho, who'd slowed his own drink intake as the argument grew more heated, was pretty sure they didn't need a booze cruise. He sipped his water, trying to meet Nino's eyes. "I could take the bus back with you, Nino."
His friend's eyes lit up. "There, see. Sho-chan understands me..."
Aiba looked miserable. His arcade, baseball, and restaurant plans had all been solid, the poor guy. "I'm sorry..."
Nino shoved him again. "I'm happy, you idiot. Just take your cruise with my blessing."
"But without you..."
"Without me," Nino interrupted, "people will only puke because of drinking, not because of the ocean. I've done enough socializing."
The dinner ended on that strange note, Matsumoto wrapping an arm around a depressed Aiba's shoulder as they headed out into the night. "We'll see you later."
Nino waved before burying his hands in his pockets and starting off in the opposite direction. When the others had gone off to find the bus that would get them to the dock, Nino gave Sho a nudge. "You sure you don't want to go on the cruise?"
"It's fine..."
"You want to get back to her, don't you?" Sho didn't know what to say. He had no idea when the ladies were getting back from the club, but the thought of being there, waiting for Keiko at the hotel, had definitely motivated him. The thought of being on that boat until dawn, losing precious time with her...it didn't make sense.
"It's okay," Nino said. "It's why I'm going back too."
They found the bus stop they needed, sitting side by side. Nino, as different and unique as his relationship was, genuinely loved Yuriko, and he was eager to be by her side. "You've never struck me as someone so...so..."
"Committed?" Nino asked with a laugh. "In love? You're right about that, Sho-chan."
"I didn't mean..."
Nino grinned. "A pervert like me, lazy and content to make porno games for the rest of his life? Yeah, I get it. I'm not the romantic stereotype. And there's Yuri, loud and weird and sometimes keeps me up until 4:00 in the morning asking me the dumbest questions about the universe and the meaning of life." Nino paused. "That's not a euphemism for kinky sex. She really does ask questions like that. It's not 24/7 whips and chains, you know. We have a life together, a real life."
Sho chuckled as the bus they needed came around the corner.
Nino linked arms with him. "I never thought I'd get married. And the last thing someone like me and Yuri need is a label. But I want to marry her. I want to see her name next to mine in the family register. She just gets me and puts up with my shit. Women like that are hard to find."
They boarded the bus, shuffling their way to the back. "How long was it before you knew?" Sho found himself asking, worrying about how quickly he was falling for Keiko. Was he confusing lust for her with genuine love? They barely knew each other. "How long before you knew she was the one?"
"Everyone's timeline is different," Nino admitted. "But for me, I knew by the end of our first date."
"You did?"
"Sometimes things just work," Nino said. "The universe aligns, and she's there, and you'd be a fool to doubt yourself. A fool to not just do something about it."
Sho got the feeling that Nino wasn't talking about himself as the bus headed away from the street lights and buildings of Naha.
--
Keiko wobbled the slightest bit with every step she took. The bright red heels Kou had supplied had at least a 5-inch stiletto heel, and Keiko simply wasn't used to it. The drinks weren't helping.
It was indeed costume night at the Ripened Peach. While most folks attended the club in standard leather, latex, and other fetish garb, it looked more like a cosplay event. Yuriko, Kou, and their S&M scene friends were all in fetishized versions of Disney princess garb with Yuriko at the center in a blue Cinderella dress slit all the way up her leg to reveal both her clear stiletto "glass slipper" heels and fishnet stockings. Keiko was having a hard time deciding whether Yuriko was more cute or sexy - maybe she was just a combination of both. She was carrying a broom to complete the Cinderella guise, and Keiko had already seen her playfully smack willing participants with the handle.
Keiko clung to Rola-san's arm, the girl giggling her way through the place. Kou had given Rola a Sailor Moon costume to match Keiko's Sailor Mars, her hair in rather adorable pigtails. "Oh wow," Aiba's girlfriend kept saying, gesturing to the clubgoers. "Oh wow!"
The pair of them were both newbies, their right wrists each tied with a soft white scarf. In Ripened Peach house rules, this indicated their club virgin status - they were here to look and not be touched. If they wanted to play, Yuriko explained, they simply had to remove the scarves. For now, she and Rola were merely walking around the first floor of the club, exploring.
It wasn't dark and kinky like Keiko had expected. Sure there was the same thumping bass and smell of liquor in the air, but the place was well-lit and all play was consensual. The Ripened Peach was safe for women, most of the clientele vetted before being let in the door. Men couldn't come inside and start groping or hitting on women. Everything was discussed and limits agreed upon by both parties.
Sex acts in the club were off limits - this was only a playground for people to explore the lifestyle safely. But some were perfectly comfortable walking around with their breasts exposed, their asses bared. On the first floor there was a bar and a dance floor, and most of the play Keiko and Rola saw was female-dominated. To their left, a woman sat on a plush throne of a chair with a line of men and women both queued up for a chance to kiss her bare feet. To the right, she saw a submissive woman getting strapped down against a table with a handsome Dom in a Roman toga ready to flog her.
It stirred something forbidden within Keiko, and she could feel Rola's breathing grow heavier, her hand clinging to her tightly. All around them, people were expressing themselves, punishing or worshipping according to their preferences. And nobody seemed to mind them watching. The second floor offered more of the same, though some of the play was taking place between obvious couples. Up here, play was often interrupted with a long lingering kiss, a tug on nipple clamps.
"This is so naughty," Rola was whispering, none of the earlier cuteness in her voice now. She was turned on, her fingers squeezing Keiko's.
"Mm-hmm," Keiko responded, hurriedly looking away when a dominant male looked up from where he'd just handcuffed his submissive partner, offering her a sly wink.
"This is giving me so many ideas," Rola admitted.
"Maybe we should go back downstairs," Keiko said nervously, watching a woman paddling a man's bare backside and hearing him cry out in pleasure.
They found Yuriko had set up court on the main floor, the Disney girls all seated around her. There was a man on his knees before her, looking in ecstasy as he cradled one of her shoes in his hands, sniffing within it. "The Sailor Scouts are back!" Yuriko cheered, patting the empty seat beside her.
Rola let her go, heading over to the bar, her fingers tugging slightly at the scarf on her wrist. She seemed ready to start playing. Keiko kept hers on, licking her lips nervously as she sat at Yuriko's side. The man kissed Yuriko's "slipper" and put it gently, reverently back on her foot.
"Congratulations on your wedding, mistress. He's a lucky man," the man said kindly, rising to his feet and moving on.
As soon as he was out of earshot, Yuriko leaned over to whisper in Keiko's ear. "Wasn't he a sweetheart? Feet, feet, feet, this club is full of men who love feet!" And then a new man arrived, ready to pay homage to the bride to be, kneeling down before Yuriko and begging her to punish him with the broom. She easily accepted and headed off with a smile.
Keiko was growing hot, the press of bodies, the smell of sweat and everything but sex getting to her. Kou seemed to sense her edginess, handing her a glass of water. "How are you holding up?" Kou asked, representing The Little Mermaid in a red wig, purple corset top, green mini-skirt, and little fishtails dotting up and down her nylons.
"It's...sexy," she found herself readily admitting. But even with all the bodies around, people of all shapes and sizes taking their pleasure, she felt a little hollow. A little lonely.
Kou stroked her fingers up and down Keiko's arm. "You'd play if he was here, wouldn't you?"
She didn't bother to deny it, nodding her head. With each couple she and Rola had seen, she couldn't help picturing Sho, kind-hearted and easy-laughing Sakurai Sho giving it all a try with her.
"You've been surrounded by Dommes for a few days," Kou teased her. "You liking that?"
Keiko didn't know, she honestly didn't. It was obvious that Yuriko adored being worshipped, reveled in it, Kou and their friends too. But when she tried to picture herself delivering cracks of a riding crop, spanking someone with her bare hand, she grew worried, uncomfortable. But when she tried to picture it the other way, with Sho raising his hand and spanking her hard, she wasn't sure it would really be what she wanted. At least not all the time.
"A switch," Kou said. "I can see it, the way you watch everything. You can't choose. You'd be a total switch."
"I...I don't know what that means," she said, drinking more of her water.
"You like it both ways, the dominant side and the submissive side. The scene might not actually be for you as a lifestyle," Kou explained, "but in your personal life, you just do what feels right at the time. Am I mistaken?"
"Is there something wrong with me?" Keiko wondered, feeling Kou's arm slip around her shoulders.
"Oh sweetheart, no, nothing's remotely wrong with you. We're so proud of you, coming here when you don't know a thing about it, trying your best. It's why Yuriko likes you. Dentsu wasn't the first agency she went to for Puppy Play, you know. But you were the first agency to listen to her. To be open-minded and accepting, you most of all Keiko-chan. So what if you don't go home and start buying up a bunch of floggers? You're you and you're beautiful and you like what you like."
She itched at the scarf on her wrist. "I do like it a little. Some of the um, the play."
"And that's fine. And normal," Kou assured her. "Believe me, it's a subculture for a reason. It's not for everybody." Kou patted her knee. "You look gorgeous, you can't sit here all night. Come on. Let's go rescue Rola-chan before she giggles her way into a collar."
Keiko smiled, letting Kou pull her up. It had been an interesting visit, but as they wandered the floor again, Keiko knew that she couldn't wait to get back to the hotel and find Sho-san. To get back to him and simply do what felt right.
--
When the bus left them six miles from their resort (courtesy the GPS on Nino's phone), Sho wondered if the universe was out to get him. It was bad enough that they'd boarded the wrong bus - a "Local" instead of the "Express" that would have brought them right to their door in an hour. After nearly two hours winding through the island's smaller, sleepier villages, they'd been dropped at a depot at the end of the line.
They'd gotten out, the two of them and a sleepy fellow who'd been asleep ever since they boarded, only to discover they were not in Onna at all. The bus had already gone to the garage for the night, leaving them stranded. A few taxis were milling about, looking for business, but Nino was fuming mad - they were charging triple the rate to Onna on account of the late hour (and, Sho suspected, because they were guys and not pretty young women). If they'd been on the booze cruise with Aiba, Jun, and the others, they'd still be out to sea, floating leisurely up the coast with boat girls dancing and filling their cups.
Keiko and the girls had a limo and had probably already headed back for the hotel. He considered calling Keiko or paying for the cab himself, but Nino made him close his phone and put his wallet away. "We're supposed to be with Aiba," Nino gritted out.
"We can at least tell them what happened," Sho protested. "They'll worry."
"It's shameful enough we abandoned my own bachelor party to go home and wait for the womenfolk like a couple of saps." Nino kicked a pebble across the road, his earlier sincerity on the bus wearing thin. "Look, Sho-chan, I don't want Yuriko to find out about my inability to ride a bus, alright?"
Sho frowned, still thinking that at least paying up for the taxi would solve their problem easily. Maybe they could even get the resort shuttle to pick them up. They weren't that far away really. Nino's thriftiness, along with his pride, were going to keep them out of a cab.
The guy beside them at the bus stop was on the short side, even shorter than Nino, with spiky brown hair and a tan visible under the streetlamp. He interrupted Nino's arguing, his voice soft and laid-back. "Where you guys going?"
"Kafuu Resort," Nino grumbled.
"I know where it is," the guy said, shrugging. "I fish up there all the time. I can get you there."
"How? In your invisible car?" Nino said rudely, but the guy didn't mind. He laughed, finding Nino funny in a way Sho certainly didn't.
"On foot. It's not that far, if you really don't feel like paying for a cab or whatever. I live up that way, so I was going to walk anyhow."
Six miles? Six miles in the darkness with this guy who could barely keep his eyes open? Sho opened his mouth to decline the offer when Nino linked arms with the man like they were already buddies. "Excellent, show us the way."
"Cheapskate," Sho mumbled. Nino was already off, telling the guy that he was going to save them a world of embarrassment. The three of them walked along the shoulder of the road, off into the darkness away from the bus depot.
Their escort, Ohno Satoshi-san, worked for a bait shop not far from their hotel. He'd been clubbing in Naha and like them, had been on his way home and taken the Local bus by mistake. Before they'd even walked a mile, Nino had invited Ohno to the wedding as thanks for his kindness. Sho rolled his eyes. Ohno happily accepted.
It was dark, and Sho tripped over rocks, stumbled into the guard rail along the road as they walked. Nino and Ohno were chatting like old friends about video games and the life of a bait shop employee. Sho didn't participate in the conversation, but at least now they were moving, though this Ohno could be a serial killer for all they knew.
Sho sighed, trudging after them and thinking about Keiko. He hoped that she wasn't waiting up for him. If they were technically supposed to be on Aiba's booze cruise, then she'd know not to expect him. But if she didn't know...
He itched to pull his phone from his pocket, send her a mail at the very least, but the light would definitely alert Nino, and Keiko would probably tell Yuriko. Besides, how was Nino going to explain the new guy who'd be sitting in the pews during the ceremony on Thursday, their "friend" from the bus? But like always, Sho let Nino's will lead them.
The minutes ticked by, the road moving along at kind of a steep incline. He could hear the un-athletic Nino complaining about it, Ohno murmuring words of encouragement. Sho's feet and shins hurt, his loafers a poor choice given the broken-in sneakers sitting back in his hotel room.
With the winding road and Nino's slowness, it was nearly 4:00 when they stumbled into the lobby. Ohno and Nino exchanged phone numbers and chatted. It seemed they were going to stay up and wait for the morning breakfast buffet to open. Sho, however, had had enough, heading straight for the elevators. Please don't be awake, he pleaded, please don't be awake.
--
They'd gotten back around 2:00 in the morning, Keiko kicking off the red heels as soon as she hit the hotel lobby. While they'd driven back, Kou had received an odd message from her boyfriend. "Nino and Sho taking bus back to hotel - rest of us staying out."
Keiko had spent the whole limo ride worrying. Had something gone wrong? Had one of them gotten sick? Was Nino having cold feet about the wedding? Jun had apparently shut off his phone, and Kou had kept the news from Yuriko. The bride didn't need to be in the same state of mind Keiko now found herself in. She'd almost sent Sho a message, but if he and Nino were in the middle of a "guys' talk" or something she didn't dare interrupt.
She paced her own room for several minutes. They'd left Naha at the same time, so Sho would be back any minute. He could explain what had happened. But she didn't hear a peep from the other room.
She was still on the awkward high from the Ripened Peach. Rola, who'd fallen in love with the kinky club, had spent the whole limo ride back talking openly about all the things she was planning to do to Aiba-san once they were together again, and the other women joined in eagerly, turning the conversation to nothing but sex talk and the benefits of tying up your man. Kou stayed quiet, giving Keiko's hand a squeeze. She really was like a protective older sister. It made sense why Yuriko adored her.
Keiko was in an odd state of mind - she was tired from the long night, worried about Sho and Nino, and at the same time, her baser instincts were telling her that she wanted to have sex. And that was the emotion that was winning out as she paced around, increasingly feeling like a tiger in a cage, her mind full of the imagery from the club, the people unashamed of their pleasure. She remembered Sho's arms around her, the taste of him.
She took a deep breath and opened the adjoining door, finding his equally unlocked. She considered stripping down, waiting under the covers of his bed for him, but she was already invading his privacy by being in here without his knowledge. Much as she figured he'd like discovering her there, Keiko was still not bold enough to try it.
She considered sitting on his kitchen counter, offering a reminder of the previous night, but there were dirty dishes in the sink, the trademark of the bachelor male, and it would kill the mood. The balcony would be a little chilly, so she finally opted for his couch. She moved his laptop onto the coffee table along with several manila folders he'd strewn all over, hoping she wasn't ruining his organization.
Now she just had to wait. She started by sitting upright, hands on her knees, but that wasn't very sexy to come home to, she thought. She got up, sitting on the arm of the couch, throwing her hair over her shoulder. Hmm, awkward. She really wasn't used to this sort of thing. The minutes ticked by, and Keiko yawned. She got to her feet, shutting out the lights. She only meant to lie down on the couch for a minute...
...she woke to the feeling of fingers stroking her forehead, tangling in her hair. She was on her side on the couch, her knees curled up because she'd had no blanket and hadn't meant to fall asleep. Her eyes itched when she opened them, seeing a faint glow from a light Sho had turned on in the hall.
She smiled, still half asleep while he continued to let his fingers drift across her face. "Hi."
"Hi yourself." He was crouched down beside the couch, looking as tired as she felt.
"What happened? What time is it?"
He shook his head. "Tell you in the morning." He looked her over, raising an eyebrow. "New pajamas?"
She'd forgotten to take off her costume! "I...it was costume night. At the club."
"Hmm," he whispered. "I like it."
She felt warm, knowing he was so close to her again. It had been such a long day without him. "I missed you," she admitted, hoping she didn't sound too pathetic.
But then he bent forward, kissing her on the nose. "Missed you too. Come on, let's get you up."
Instead of letting her get to her feet, he got an arm under her back and the other under her legs, picking her up. All the aggression from the club, the urgent need, seemed to fall by the wayside. She let him carry her into his room, setting her down on top of the covers. His hands were on her gloves, gently sliding them down her arms and tossing them on the floor.
"Should I change?" she asked.
He chuckled softly. "Don't you dare. It's not every night a man sleeps next to Sailor Moon."
"Sailor Mars," she corrected him, a yawn following her declaration. "And don't you forget it."
She shut her eyes again, hearing him slip out of his clothes and turn out the light. He pulled down the covers, and she felt the mattress shift. But he wasn't settling in behind her. He was fumbling around near her feet, his hands slowly moving up her legs, his fingers stroking up from her ankles to her knees. "Sho..."
"Mmm?"
"I thought we were sleeping?"
"We will soon enough. But I missed you."
"Oh?"
Then he moved a bit, finding her panties under her skirt and sliding them down. Her drowsiness was starting to lessen as she discovered just how much he'd missed her. Even though his voice sounded as tired as hers, he pushed her legs apart and brought his mouth to the inside of her thighs, kissing gently. Well, Keiko decided, this wasn't so bad.
While his mouth was occupied, his fingers stroked her, parted her. She sighed in contentment as he slipped a finger inside her, then another. She wanted to touch him, wanted to feel him move inside her again, but he didn't seem willing to rush this time, slipping his fingers in and out of her at a leisurely pace. He seemed perfectly content to do all the work. Just when she thought it couldn't get better, she felt his fingers leave her and he moved her legs up and over his shoulders, pushing the bottom of her sailor skirt up and out of the way.
"This okay?" he murmured as she crossed her ankles.
"I...I think..." Before she could finish her answer, his mouth was on her. She cried out in surprise as his tongue found her clit and refused to stop. It had been the rare boyfriend indeed who'd been interested in this, and she'd always had to bring him off first if there would even be a chance of getting this in return. Sho, Keiko realized, seemed more concerned with pleasing her before himself. And she had no complaints. She did her best to keep her legs open, not wanting to bump or squeeze his head as the vivid sensations made her shake, her whole body alight with the thorough attention.
He even hummed a bit while he licked and sucked her, using his thumbs to spread her wide and expose as much of her to his mouth as he could. She'd never had it this good, and she let him know it, not bothering to muffle her cries and moans in his pillow. He licked attentively, swirling his tongue until she was just at the edge. He stopped, taking his mouth away and returning his fingers, stroking her with two and soon three, letting her come back down a little bit. His kisses against her thighs were sloppy and wet, probably his saliva mixed with her own taste, and she could hardly bear it.
"Maybe...maybe that's enough?" she murmured.
"I can do better," she heard him say, clearly running out of breath.
"Well...well, I..."
And then his mouth was back, bringing her up, up, up again in seconds. It was too much, it was not enough, his fingers still working inside her at the same time. She was breathing hard, panting, knowing it wouldn't take much more. He grew more aggressive, slipping his fingers out of her and sliding his hands under her bottom, lifting her just the slightest bit to bring her closer to his hot mouth. And that was it, she was gone, barely comprehending anything but how good he made her feel as she came.
She felt his hands on her legs, trembling as he moved them back down. Her body was still shaking as he came up behind her, chuckling in a rather arrogant, triumphant way as he settled in. She turned onto her side, letting him spoon up behind her. "I missed you," he told her again, his arm around her tight.
She smiled, not really minding that she was falling asleep in cosplay.
Part Six
When she woke, she felt strange. It hadn't been a dream, she realized, feeling Sho's arm around her waist. However, Keiko thought bitterly, she had to get up. The itchy contacts in her eyes and her bladder didn't give a damn about her having a man in her bed for the first time in a long time. She still couldn't believe it. She'd honestly just gone to him the night before to get the hair dryer. Honestly! But then everything had happened so quickly, and her body had taken over.
She slid away from him, hearing him let out a snore that was both cute and a bit disturbingly loud. Moving to the edge of the bed and swinging her legs over, she felt a little sore. Broken in, roughed up. She'd asked for it.
And she'd loved it.
Keiko left the room, quietly closing the door behind her. She'd never done something like that before. She'd never been so...dirty, so demanding. She'd never even really spoken her mind in the bedroom, had never been in a relationship long enough to ever make demands. She'd always considered herself fairly traditional, maybe a little boring. Last night had been anything but.
Her shorts were still on the kitchen floor, surrounded by condoms and the wrapper from the one Sho had used. The curtains were wide open, not that anyone would have seen them. The doors between their rooms were how they'd left them, the broken hair dryer dumped unceremoniously on the carpet. "More," she'd asked of him. "More." What had caused such a change? Was it Yuriko's influence? Or was it just the connection she'd forged so quickly, so perfectly with Sho, that gave her the confidence to ask for something different?
She brushed her teeth, remembering Sho's kiss, his mouth on her breasts, Sho inside her with such force. She already wanted him again, wanted a next time. And a time after that. And after that. She shivered, spitting out her toothpaste. Who knew she had this side to her? Keiko certainly hadn't known it.
Calming down, she let Sho sleep, pulling out some clothes and showering. She was just tying her hair back in a ponytail when there was a knock at the door. Sho's door.
Keiko panicked, hurrying through the open adjoining doors as the pounding on the front door continued. "Sho-saaaan!" She looked out the peephole. It was Aiba, with Nino and Matsumoto-kun behind him. "Sho-san, where are you?"
"Oh shit," she whispered, running back to her room. Sho-san was in her bed, naked as the day he was born.
She hadn't wanted to disturb him, and he'd clearly slept right through his buddies knocking on the door. Reluctantly, Keiko shook him awake. Who knew if Nino could get a spare swipe card to burst in to Sho's room? They'd be caught for sure.
"Sho-san," she said, the 'san' sounding almost odd on her tongue now. Too polite, given how they'd spent last night. "Sho-san, wake up."
He had long eyelashes, she noticed, as his eyes finally opened. The first thing he did when he saw her was smile, a boyish toothy grin, and she was tempted to just go lock the adjoining doors and not let him leave her side. But Keiko's newfound aggression didn't go that far.
"Hi beautiful," he said, reaching to tug on a strand of her hair. And then there was another knock and a "Sho-saaaaan!" and he froze.
"It's all of them," she told him. "Nino, Aiba-san, Jun-san..."
He nearly tumbled onto the floor as he rushed out of her bed, gloriously nude and skin flushed. She followed him to the doors between their rooms, just in time for another "Sho-saaaaan, are you hungover?" to come obnoxiously screaming through the room.
She reached for him, wrapping her arms around his neck.
"Morning breath," he whispered hurriedly.
She kissed him quickly anyway, impulsively turning him around and landing a playful slap on his backside. "See you later." And with that, she closed her adjoining door but didn't lock it.
She stood with her back against it, hearing Sho open the front door moments later, probably having run to his bedroom for some pajamas. His own underwear from last night Keiko could still see next to the dishwasher.
Tonight was the bachelorette party, and at that moment, Keiko realized she didn't want to go. She wanted to be here, in this hotel room, learning every inch of Sakurai Sho's body and letting him learn hers. But he'd be going out with the guys anyway. Who knew when everyone would get home that night?
Keiko spent her morning tidying the room, though not without thoughtfully depositing a few condoms in her bedroom nightstand, a few under her couch cushions, and one particularly ambitious placement on their balcony. Even as she snuck it under one of the flower pots she knew it was risky. But who knew what the rest of the week held?
She was way too distracted for Puppy Play research, instead claiming her free room service lunch thanks to the pool mishap the night before. At that moment, it had felt like everything was going wrong. As if the lights had shut off and the universe was telling her that she and Sho were a mistake. How wrong she'd been.
The weather had cleared up, and Yuriko came knocking around 2:00 PM dressed for the beach. "Keiko-san!" she said, coming right on into the room, pushing her sunglasses up on top of her forehead. "I heard from the staff about the pool." She turned, looking sympathetic. "I know that I've been teasing you this whole week, but I swear, I didn't know they were going to shut the..."
Keiko blinked at her. "Hmm?"
Yuriko's sad look changed in an instant, and she dropped her canvas beach bag to the floor, hurrying forward to envelop Keiko in a warm hug. "Oh my god, you two had sex!"
"What?" Keiko cried, unable to hug back in shock. "No!"
Yuriko pulled away, pressing her hands to Keiko's cheeks and squealing in joy. "You did! You so did, I'm so happy for you!"
Keiko slipped out of Yuriko's grasp, crossing her arms, trying to surreptitiously sniff the air. Did it smell like sex in here? She'd left the balcony doors open to try and air out the room and everything...
"You haven't even noticed!" Yuriko said. "You're not so stiff! You're gorgeous! You're glowing! The 'I had sex last night' glow! Oh my goodness, Keiko, this is wonderful!"
Keiko resented the implication that she hadn't been gorgeous before having intercourse, but Yuriko was as thrilled as Keiko felt inside, so she probably didn't mean anything cruel by it. "We are going to sit on the beach, and you are going to tell me all about it," she said, heading right for Keiko's bedroom without permission and digging around for her other swimsuits. "Everybody at the club is going to want you tonight, but you're taken taken taken! And that'll make you even hotter!"
"Yuriko-san..."
But there was no arguing. Keiko soon found herself arm in arm with Yuriko, claiming an umbrella and laying out blankets by the water, Kou-san joining them and forcing Keiko onto her tummy so she could slather sunscreen on her back and legs with expert precision.
"Sho-kun, Sho-kun," Yuriko mused, digging her toes into the hot sand. "He strikes me as missionary style, through and through."
"You're just saying that because he's a polite, innocent lamb," Kou chastised her friend.
"What?" Yuriko protested. "Precious boy is an accountant, Kou-chan. He's the type who wants to do things 'the right way' the first time and maybe every subsequent time unless you tell him. Come on, Keiko, don't be shy! Did he get you on your back, freeze up, and apologize when it was over? Nino says he's been single for a long time and not the one night stand-type...but that's okay, I can give you some tips, make it amazing next time. We can get him trained, no problem."
"Yuri, you're awful," Kou chided. But then she gave Keiko a wicked smile. "I bet he let you ride him."
Keiko just shook her head, more embarrassed with every comment they made. How easily these two could talk about sex!
"What about his body?" Kou tried. "Nice body?"
"Very nice," Keiko admitted quietly, wishing she had a giant sun hat to block her face.
They stopped prodding her after that, Kou giving her a wink and moving the conversation to that night's bachelorette party. They were renting a limo and driving down for dinner and a visit to the S&M club in Naha, the Ripened Peach. Aiba-san had apparently coordinated something for the guys to do, and they'd already left. Keiko tried not to show her disappointment, not knowing when she'd get to see Sho again. It was so unlike her, too. With other boyfriends she could have gone days without seeing them face to face. Maybe this guy was different...
They eventually headed into the water, the pull and push of the waves powerful enough to keep Kou and Yuriko closer to shore, splashing each other but Keiko waded out just a little further, just until she was on her tiptoes. She remembered the time in the pool before it had all gone south, Sho's strong arms around her. The first kiss they shared.
"Keiko! Look out!" Yuriko shouted.
She turned just in time for a larger wave to smash into her. But when she surfaced, she couldn't help but laugh. She was in the water, the sun shining down on a beautiful day. She was making friends, odd ones, but friends nonetheless who cared about her in their way. And then there was Sho, with his snores and his pretty eyelashes, his black hair against her pillow. This was probably the best vacation of her life.
--
Sho thought Matsumoto Jun was going to stage a bachelor party coup d'etat. The two of them stood back while Aiba and Nino banged on the drum video game for the sixth time. For the first part of the day, they'd taken the bus down to Naha and were in a mall arcade, a few of Yuriko's other male friends having already ditched them for the department store next door. Even though Nino made video games for a living, he didn't see much need to be away from them.
It had been more than an hour in the arcade already, Matsumoto looking more and more sour as time went on. Sho had invited the guy to a round of air hockey and had received the most vicious death glare of his life. Well, he could kind of understand him. It wasn't a traditional bachelor party by any means, but it seemed as though Nino was truly happy.
"I suppose this is better than a strip club," Matsumoto groaned as Aiba fed more coins into the machine at Nino's urging.
"The day is still young," Sho reminded him quietly. It was only about 5:00 PM. They had dinner reservations at 8:00 at a restaurant run by one of Aiba's friends in the cooking world, and Sho's belly was rumbling. He hadn't eaten since the crappy soba the night before with Nino. Sleeping in Keiko's bed had kept him from his breakfast making, but he hadn't much minded.
She'd been the first thing he'd laid eyes on in the morning, reminding him exactly why this trip to Okinawa had been worth it. The girls were going to an S&M club, Jun had informed him, and Sho was having a hard time stifling his jealousy. He didn't really know what went on in those places, but Keiko would be there, other people getting to ogle her. Jun had also mentioned something about them all going in costume, just adding fuel to Sho's irrationally jealous fire.
Around 6:00 they finally ditched the arcade, rounding up the other men and heading for one of Naha's city parks. Here, Aiba and Nino's combined celebrity had arranged for privacy, some floodlamps, and a baseball field. Though nobody was dressed for it, Nino was over the moon. They split into teams of four on four, Nino ensuring that all of Yuriko's friends (whose names Sho kept forgetting anyhow) formed one team and he, Aiba, Sho, and Jun formed another (it seemed that Jun was the only one of Yuriko's friends Nino liked, on account of Jun having once lent his voice to a video game - not to a loser though, Sho thought bitterly).
Sho had always been better at soccer, but it was fun to play a pick-up game in the evening, running the bases in his loafers instead of some traditional cleats. They all got filthy, calling the game in the fifth inning so they could grab taxis over to the restaurant. Aiba's restaurant owner friend turned out to be his younger brother, who didn't even look surprised to see eight guys stumble in covered in dirt from the baseball diamond.
The food was several steps above Nino's usual fare, but Aiba seemed to know his friend's tastes all too well, ensuring that one of Nino's favorite dishes, hamburger, came out for him while the others dined on steaks. After the long hours in the arcade and in the park, Sho was ravenous, eating his own portion and half of the guy's next to him (a total submissive even outside of the bedroom who could only eat what his mistress allowed - he'd had to call her up during the meal to get permission to eat it - it had made Sho's blood run cold.)
Dinner included round after round of drinks, Nino and Aiba arguing about where they were going next. Aiba kept trying to shove seasick pills at Nino, claiming they were going on a booze cruise that would take them up from Naha to a dock in Onna not far from their own resort. It had all been timed perfectly to return them right at dawn and had been paid for, but Nino was having none of it.
Finally Nino gave Aiba a shove. "You all take your booze cruise, and I'll take the bus back."
"It's your bachelor party!" Aiba slurred in protest. "This is all for you!"
"No boats!" Nino protested. "Taking bus!"
Sho, who'd slowed his own drink intake as the argument grew more heated, was pretty sure they didn't need a booze cruise. He sipped his water, trying to meet Nino's eyes. "I could take the bus back with you, Nino."
His friend's eyes lit up. "There, see. Sho-chan understands me..."
Aiba looked miserable. His arcade, baseball, and restaurant plans had all been solid, the poor guy. "I'm sorry..."
Nino shoved him again. "I'm happy, you idiot. Just take your cruise with my blessing."
"But without you..."
"Without me," Nino interrupted, "people will only puke because of drinking, not because of the ocean. I've done enough socializing."
The dinner ended on that strange note, Matsumoto wrapping an arm around a depressed Aiba's shoulder as they headed out into the night. "We'll see you later."
Nino waved before burying his hands in his pockets and starting off in the opposite direction. When the others had gone off to find the bus that would get them to the dock, Nino gave Sho a nudge. "You sure you don't want to go on the cruise?"
"It's fine..."
"You want to get back to her, don't you?" Sho didn't know what to say. He had no idea when the ladies were getting back from the club, but the thought of being there, waiting for Keiko at the hotel, had definitely motivated him. The thought of being on that boat until dawn, losing precious time with her...it didn't make sense.
"It's okay," Nino said. "It's why I'm going back too."
They found the bus stop they needed, sitting side by side. Nino, as different and unique as his relationship was, genuinely loved Yuriko, and he was eager to be by her side. "You've never struck me as someone so...so..."
"Committed?" Nino asked with a laugh. "In love? You're right about that, Sho-chan."
"I didn't mean..."
Nino grinned. "A pervert like me, lazy and content to make porno games for the rest of his life? Yeah, I get it. I'm not the romantic stereotype. And there's Yuri, loud and weird and sometimes keeps me up until 4:00 in the morning asking me the dumbest questions about the universe and the meaning of life." Nino paused. "That's not a euphemism for kinky sex. She really does ask questions like that. It's not 24/7 whips and chains, you know. We have a life together, a real life."
Sho chuckled as the bus they needed came around the corner.
Nino linked arms with him. "I never thought I'd get married. And the last thing someone like me and Yuri need is a label. But I want to marry her. I want to see her name next to mine in the family register. She just gets me and puts up with my shit. Women like that are hard to find."
They boarded the bus, shuffling their way to the back. "How long was it before you knew?" Sho found himself asking, worrying about how quickly he was falling for Keiko. Was he confusing lust for her with genuine love? They barely knew each other. "How long before you knew she was the one?"
"Everyone's timeline is different," Nino admitted. "But for me, I knew by the end of our first date."
"You did?"
"Sometimes things just work," Nino said. "The universe aligns, and she's there, and you'd be a fool to doubt yourself. A fool to not just do something about it."
Sho got the feeling that Nino wasn't talking about himself as the bus headed away from the street lights and buildings of Naha.
--
Keiko wobbled the slightest bit with every step she took. The bright red heels Kou had supplied had at least a 5-inch stiletto heel, and Keiko simply wasn't used to it. The drinks weren't helping.
It was indeed costume night at the Ripened Peach. While most folks attended the club in standard leather, latex, and other fetish garb, it looked more like a cosplay event. Yuriko, Kou, and their S&M scene friends were all in fetishized versions of Disney princess garb with Yuriko at the center in a blue Cinderella dress slit all the way up her leg to reveal both her clear stiletto "glass slipper" heels and fishnet stockings. Keiko was having a hard time deciding whether Yuriko was more cute or sexy - maybe she was just a combination of both. She was carrying a broom to complete the Cinderella guise, and Keiko had already seen her playfully smack willing participants with the handle.
Keiko clung to Rola-san's arm, the girl giggling her way through the place. Kou had given Rola a Sailor Moon costume to match Keiko's Sailor Mars, her hair in rather adorable pigtails. "Oh wow," Aiba's girlfriend kept saying, gesturing to the clubgoers. "Oh wow!"
The pair of them were both newbies, their right wrists each tied with a soft white scarf. In Ripened Peach house rules, this indicated their club virgin status - they were here to look and not be touched. If they wanted to play, Yuriko explained, they simply had to remove the scarves. For now, she and Rola were merely walking around the first floor of the club, exploring.
It wasn't dark and kinky like Keiko had expected. Sure there was the same thumping bass and smell of liquor in the air, but the place was well-lit and all play was consensual. The Ripened Peach was safe for women, most of the clientele vetted before being let in the door. Men couldn't come inside and start groping or hitting on women. Everything was discussed and limits agreed upon by both parties.
Sex acts in the club were off limits - this was only a playground for people to explore the lifestyle safely. But some were perfectly comfortable walking around with their breasts exposed, their asses bared. On the first floor there was a bar and a dance floor, and most of the play Keiko and Rola saw was female-dominated. To their left, a woman sat on a plush throne of a chair with a line of men and women both queued up for a chance to kiss her bare feet. To the right, she saw a submissive woman getting strapped down against a table with a handsome Dom in a Roman toga ready to flog her.
It stirred something forbidden within Keiko, and she could feel Rola's breathing grow heavier, her hand clinging to her tightly. All around them, people were expressing themselves, punishing or worshipping according to their preferences. And nobody seemed to mind them watching. The second floor offered more of the same, though some of the play was taking place between obvious couples. Up here, play was often interrupted with a long lingering kiss, a tug on nipple clamps.
"This is so naughty," Rola was whispering, none of the earlier cuteness in her voice now. She was turned on, her fingers squeezing Keiko's.
"Mm-hmm," Keiko responded, hurriedly looking away when a dominant male looked up from where he'd just handcuffed his submissive partner, offering her a sly wink.
"This is giving me so many ideas," Rola admitted.
"Maybe we should go back downstairs," Keiko said nervously, watching a woman paddling a man's bare backside and hearing him cry out in pleasure.
They found Yuriko had set up court on the main floor, the Disney girls all seated around her. There was a man on his knees before her, looking in ecstasy as he cradled one of her shoes in his hands, sniffing within it. "The Sailor Scouts are back!" Yuriko cheered, patting the empty seat beside her.
Rola let her go, heading over to the bar, her fingers tugging slightly at the scarf on her wrist. She seemed ready to start playing. Keiko kept hers on, licking her lips nervously as she sat at Yuriko's side. The man kissed Yuriko's "slipper" and put it gently, reverently back on her foot.
"Congratulations on your wedding, mistress. He's a lucky man," the man said kindly, rising to his feet and moving on.
As soon as he was out of earshot, Yuriko leaned over to whisper in Keiko's ear. "Wasn't he a sweetheart? Feet, feet, feet, this club is full of men who love feet!" And then a new man arrived, ready to pay homage to the bride to be, kneeling down before Yuriko and begging her to punish him with the broom. She easily accepted and headed off with a smile.
Keiko was growing hot, the press of bodies, the smell of sweat and everything but sex getting to her. Kou seemed to sense her edginess, handing her a glass of water. "How are you holding up?" Kou asked, representing The Little Mermaid in a red wig, purple corset top, green mini-skirt, and little fishtails dotting up and down her nylons.
"It's...sexy," she found herself readily admitting. But even with all the bodies around, people of all shapes and sizes taking their pleasure, she felt a little hollow. A little lonely.
Kou stroked her fingers up and down Keiko's arm. "You'd play if he was here, wouldn't you?"
She didn't bother to deny it, nodding her head. With each couple she and Rola had seen, she couldn't help picturing Sho, kind-hearted and easy-laughing Sakurai Sho giving it all a try with her.
"You've been surrounded by Dommes for a few days," Kou teased her. "You liking that?"
Keiko didn't know, she honestly didn't. It was obvious that Yuriko adored being worshipped, reveled in it, Kou and their friends too. But when she tried to picture herself delivering cracks of a riding crop, spanking someone with her bare hand, she grew worried, uncomfortable. But when she tried to picture it the other way, with Sho raising his hand and spanking her hard, she wasn't sure it would really be what she wanted. At least not all the time.
"A switch," Kou said. "I can see it, the way you watch everything. You can't choose. You'd be a total switch."
"I...I don't know what that means," she said, drinking more of her water.
"You like it both ways, the dominant side and the submissive side. The scene might not actually be for you as a lifestyle," Kou explained, "but in your personal life, you just do what feels right at the time. Am I mistaken?"
"Is there something wrong with me?" Keiko wondered, feeling Kou's arm slip around her shoulders.
"Oh sweetheart, no, nothing's remotely wrong with you. We're so proud of you, coming here when you don't know a thing about it, trying your best. It's why Yuriko likes you. Dentsu wasn't the first agency she went to for Puppy Play, you know. But you were the first agency to listen to her. To be open-minded and accepting, you most of all Keiko-chan. So what if you don't go home and start buying up a bunch of floggers? You're you and you're beautiful and you like what you like."
She itched at the scarf on her wrist. "I do like it a little. Some of the um, the play."
"And that's fine. And normal," Kou assured her. "Believe me, it's a subculture for a reason. It's not for everybody." Kou patted her knee. "You look gorgeous, you can't sit here all night. Come on. Let's go rescue Rola-chan before she giggles her way into a collar."
Keiko smiled, letting Kou pull her up. It had been an interesting visit, but as they wandered the floor again, Keiko knew that she couldn't wait to get back to the hotel and find Sho-san. To get back to him and simply do what felt right.
--
When the bus left them six miles from their resort (courtesy the GPS on Nino's phone), Sho wondered if the universe was out to get him. It was bad enough that they'd boarded the wrong bus - a "Local" instead of the "Express" that would have brought them right to their door in an hour. After nearly two hours winding through the island's smaller, sleepier villages, they'd been dropped at a depot at the end of the line.
They'd gotten out, the two of them and a sleepy fellow who'd been asleep ever since they boarded, only to discover they were not in Onna at all. The bus had already gone to the garage for the night, leaving them stranded. A few taxis were milling about, looking for business, but Nino was fuming mad - they were charging triple the rate to Onna on account of the late hour (and, Sho suspected, because they were guys and not pretty young women). If they'd been on the booze cruise with Aiba, Jun, and the others, they'd still be out to sea, floating leisurely up the coast with boat girls dancing and filling their cups.
Keiko and the girls had a limo and had probably already headed back for the hotel. He considered calling Keiko or paying for the cab himself, but Nino made him close his phone and put his wallet away. "We're supposed to be with Aiba," Nino gritted out.
"We can at least tell them what happened," Sho protested. "They'll worry."
"It's shameful enough we abandoned my own bachelor party to go home and wait for the womenfolk like a couple of saps." Nino kicked a pebble across the road, his earlier sincerity on the bus wearing thin. "Look, Sho-chan, I don't want Yuriko to find out about my inability to ride a bus, alright?"
Sho frowned, still thinking that at least paying up for the taxi would solve their problem easily. Maybe they could even get the resort shuttle to pick them up. They weren't that far away really. Nino's thriftiness, along with his pride, were going to keep them out of a cab.
The guy beside them at the bus stop was on the short side, even shorter than Nino, with spiky brown hair and a tan visible under the streetlamp. He interrupted Nino's arguing, his voice soft and laid-back. "Where you guys going?"
"Kafuu Resort," Nino grumbled.
"I know where it is," the guy said, shrugging. "I fish up there all the time. I can get you there."
"How? In your invisible car?" Nino said rudely, but the guy didn't mind. He laughed, finding Nino funny in a way Sho certainly didn't.
"On foot. It's not that far, if you really don't feel like paying for a cab or whatever. I live up that way, so I was going to walk anyhow."
Six miles? Six miles in the darkness with this guy who could barely keep his eyes open? Sho opened his mouth to decline the offer when Nino linked arms with the man like they were already buddies. "Excellent, show us the way."
"Cheapskate," Sho mumbled. Nino was already off, telling the guy that he was going to save them a world of embarrassment. The three of them walked along the shoulder of the road, off into the darkness away from the bus depot.
Their escort, Ohno Satoshi-san, worked for a bait shop not far from their hotel. He'd been clubbing in Naha and like them, had been on his way home and taken the Local bus by mistake. Before they'd even walked a mile, Nino had invited Ohno to the wedding as thanks for his kindness. Sho rolled his eyes. Ohno happily accepted.
It was dark, and Sho tripped over rocks, stumbled into the guard rail along the road as they walked. Nino and Ohno were chatting like old friends about video games and the life of a bait shop employee. Sho didn't participate in the conversation, but at least now they were moving, though this Ohno could be a serial killer for all they knew.
Sho sighed, trudging after them and thinking about Keiko. He hoped that she wasn't waiting up for him. If they were technically supposed to be on Aiba's booze cruise, then she'd know not to expect him. But if she didn't know...
He itched to pull his phone from his pocket, send her a mail at the very least, but the light would definitely alert Nino, and Keiko would probably tell Yuriko. Besides, how was Nino going to explain the new guy who'd be sitting in the pews during the ceremony on Thursday, their "friend" from the bus? But like always, Sho let Nino's will lead them.
The minutes ticked by, the road moving along at kind of a steep incline. He could hear the un-athletic Nino complaining about it, Ohno murmuring words of encouragement. Sho's feet and shins hurt, his loafers a poor choice given the broken-in sneakers sitting back in his hotel room.
With the winding road and Nino's slowness, it was nearly 4:00 when they stumbled into the lobby. Ohno and Nino exchanged phone numbers and chatted. It seemed they were going to stay up and wait for the morning breakfast buffet to open. Sho, however, had had enough, heading straight for the elevators. Please don't be awake, he pleaded, please don't be awake.
--
They'd gotten back around 2:00 in the morning, Keiko kicking off the red heels as soon as she hit the hotel lobby. While they'd driven back, Kou had received an odd message from her boyfriend. "Nino and Sho taking bus back to hotel - rest of us staying out."
Keiko had spent the whole limo ride worrying. Had something gone wrong? Had one of them gotten sick? Was Nino having cold feet about the wedding? Jun had apparently shut off his phone, and Kou had kept the news from Yuriko. The bride didn't need to be in the same state of mind Keiko now found herself in. She'd almost sent Sho a message, but if he and Nino were in the middle of a "guys' talk" or something she didn't dare interrupt.
She paced her own room for several minutes. They'd left Naha at the same time, so Sho would be back any minute. He could explain what had happened. But she didn't hear a peep from the other room.
She was still on the awkward high from the Ripened Peach. Rola, who'd fallen in love with the kinky club, had spent the whole limo ride back talking openly about all the things she was planning to do to Aiba-san once they were together again, and the other women joined in eagerly, turning the conversation to nothing but sex talk and the benefits of tying up your man. Kou stayed quiet, giving Keiko's hand a squeeze. She really was like a protective older sister. It made sense why Yuriko adored her.
Keiko was in an odd state of mind - she was tired from the long night, worried about Sho and Nino, and at the same time, her baser instincts were telling her that she wanted to have sex. And that was the emotion that was winning out as she paced around, increasingly feeling like a tiger in a cage, her mind full of the imagery from the club, the people unashamed of their pleasure. She remembered Sho's arms around her, the taste of him.
She took a deep breath and opened the adjoining door, finding his equally unlocked. She considered stripping down, waiting under the covers of his bed for him, but she was already invading his privacy by being in here without his knowledge. Much as she figured he'd like discovering her there, Keiko was still not bold enough to try it.
She considered sitting on his kitchen counter, offering a reminder of the previous night, but there were dirty dishes in the sink, the trademark of the bachelor male, and it would kill the mood. The balcony would be a little chilly, so she finally opted for his couch. She moved his laptop onto the coffee table along with several manila folders he'd strewn all over, hoping she wasn't ruining his organization.
Now she just had to wait. She started by sitting upright, hands on her knees, but that wasn't very sexy to come home to, she thought. She got up, sitting on the arm of the couch, throwing her hair over her shoulder. Hmm, awkward. She really wasn't used to this sort of thing. The minutes ticked by, and Keiko yawned. She got to her feet, shutting out the lights. She only meant to lie down on the couch for a minute...
...she woke to the feeling of fingers stroking her forehead, tangling in her hair. She was on her side on the couch, her knees curled up because she'd had no blanket and hadn't meant to fall asleep. Her eyes itched when she opened them, seeing a faint glow from a light Sho had turned on in the hall.
She smiled, still half asleep while he continued to let his fingers drift across her face. "Hi."
"Hi yourself." He was crouched down beside the couch, looking as tired as she felt.
"What happened? What time is it?"
He shook his head. "Tell you in the morning." He looked her over, raising an eyebrow. "New pajamas?"
She'd forgotten to take off her costume! "I...it was costume night. At the club."
"Hmm," he whispered. "I like it."
She felt warm, knowing he was so close to her again. It had been such a long day without him. "I missed you," she admitted, hoping she didn't sound too pathetic.
But then he bent forward, kissing her on the nose. "Missed you too. Come on, let's get you up."
Instead of letting her get to her feet, he got an arm under her back and the other under her legs, picking her up. All the aggression from the club, the urgent need, seemed to fall by the wayside. She let him carry her into his room, setting her down on top of the covers. His hands were on her gloves, gently sliding them down her arms and tossing them on the floor.
"Should I change?" she asked.
He chuckled softly. "Don't you dare. It's not every night a man sleeps next to Sailor Moon."
"Sailor Mars," she corrected him, a yawn following her declaration. "And don't you forget it."
She shut her eyes again, hearing him slip out of his clothes and turn out the light. He pulled down the covers, and she felt the mattress shift. But he wasn't settling in behind her. He was fumbling around near her feet, his hands slowly moving up her legs, his fingers stroking up from her ankles to her knees. "Sho..."
"Mmm?"
"I thought we were sleeping?"
"We will soon enough. But I missed you."
"Oh?"
Then he moved a bit, finding her panties under her skirt and sliding them down. Her drowsiness was starting to lessen as she discovered just how much he'd missed her. Even though his voice sounded as tired as hers, he pushed her legs apart and brought his mouth to the inside of her thighs, kissing gently. Well, Keiko decided, this wasn't so bad.
While his mouth was occupied, his fingers stroked her, parted her. She sighed in contentment as he slipped a finger inside her, then another. She wanted to touch him, wanted to feel him move inside her again, but he didn't seem willing to rush this time, slipping his fingers in and out of her at a leisurely pace. He seemed perfectly content to do all the work. Just when she thought it couldn't get better, she felt his fingers leave her and he moved her legs up and over his shoulders, pushing the bottom of her sailor skirt up and out of the way.
"This okay?" he murmured as she crossed her ankles.
"I...I think..." Before she could finish her answer, his mouth was on her. She cried out in surprise as his tongue found her clit and refused to stop. It had been the rare boyfriend indeed who'd been interested in this, and she'd always had to bring him off first if there would even be a chance of getting this in return. Sho, Keiko realized, seemed more concerned with pleasing her before himself. And she had no complaints. She did her best to keep her legs open, not wanting to bump or squeeze his head as the vivid sensations made her shake, her whole body alight with the thorough attention.
He even hummed a bit while he licked and sucked her, using his thumbs to spread her wide and expose as much of her to his mouth as he could. She'd never had it this good, and she let him know it, not bothering to muffle her cries and moans in his pillow. He licked attentively, swirling his tongue until she was just at the edge. He stopped, taking his mouth away and returning his fingers, stroking her with two and soon three, letting her come back down a little bit. His kisses against her thighs were sloppy and wet, probably his saliva mixed with her own taste, and she could hardly bear it.
"Maybe...maybe that's enough?" she murmured.
"I can do better," she heard him say, clearly running out of breath.
"Well...well, I..."
And then his mouth was back, bringing her up, up, up again in seconds. It was too much, it was not enough, his fingers still working inside her at the same time. She was breathing hard, panting, knowing it wouldn't take much more. He grew more aggressive, slipping his fingers out of her and sliding his hands under her bottom, lifting her just the slightest bit to bring her closer to his hot mouth. And that was it, she was gone, barely comprehending anything but how good he made her feel as she came.
She felt his hands on her legs, trembling as he moved them back down. Her body was still shaking as he came up behind her, chuckling in a rather arrogant, triumphant way as he settled in. She turned onto her side, letting him spoon up behind her. "I missed you," he told her again, his arm around her tight.
She smiled, not really minding that she was falling asleep in cosplay.
Part Six