Amorous Bubble

The next morning she woke up in Karasu’s bed at dawn. He was still sleeping, sprawled out like he had to fill the whole space to exist, one arm over her. She turned and blushed at their proximity and the memory of the night before. He had not lied. He was not gentle, but he was an attentive lover all the same.

He looked so peaceful asleep, almost sweet and very unlike when he was awake. She forced herself not to caress him, despite the urge to push some of his black and silver locks away from his forehead, afraid he might awaken. She felt so at home in his bed yet unsettled. Like sleeping next to a tiger that could wake at any moment. Slowly and carefully, she lifted his arm and snuck out of bed. He groaned and turned but didn’t wake. Relieved Rei stretched her sore muscles. It was quite a workout, pleasing that man, receiving pleasure from him. Her blush deepened and she held her cheeks, somehow embarrassed even with no one to see her.

Rei went to the kitchen and started cooking their breakfast. The faint sizzle of eggs in the pan was the only sound in the apartment, a mundane counterpoint to the storm of thoughts circling in Rei’s head. Her body remembered the rhythms of cooking while her mind churned. Last night had been a revelation. Karasu, unleashed. Not the Spider, not the calculating mentor, but the man beneath; all ruthless desire and raw power. She had loved it, every overwhelming, terrifying second of it. But now, in the pale light of morning, fear prickled at the edges of her euphoria. He had claimed all of her. How would that fierce man react when she had to play her most dangerous game yet; dancing for Takumi Senior while still charming his son?

A small, wry smile touched her lips. If I handled last night, I can handle anything. Besides, a thrill ran under her skin, a cocktail of fear and exhilaration. Takumi Junior’s sweet, earnest passion; Karasu’s dominant, all-consuming fire; even the icy, assessing power simmering beneath Takumi Senior’s surface; it all excited her. Maybe she was perverted, but in Mirage City, as a hostess and a mole, maybe that was just another tool in her arsenal.

The soft shuffle of footsteps made her turn. Karasu stood in the doorway, dressed only in a dark silk robe that was barely tied, open to reveal the sculpted planes of his chest and the sinuous blue dragon tattoo coiled over his heart. His hair was slightly mussed, his sharp features softened in the morning light. He walked up to her as she set the last plate of tamagoyaki on the table, his arms sliding around her waist, pulling her back against his chest, his hands cupping her breasts firmly through the thin fabric of her yukata. He buried his face in the crook of her neck, his lips finding the sensitive skin there in a kiss that was more consuming than a caress. “Thank you, my little fox,” he mumbled, his voice rough with sleep and satisfaction, “For the night. You’re showing… great promise.”

Rei’s ears burned crimson. She trembled, leaning back into his solid warmth, utterly disarmed by his open affection. This was the Karasu she craved, not the icy Nephila. She turned in his arms, her hands coming up to frame his face, and kissed him, pouring all her overwhelmed gratitude into it. “Thank you, Karasu,” she breathed against his lips when they parted, her cheeks flushed, “I… I didn’t know I could… feel like that. You’re the first to ever…” She trailed off, too embarrassed and awed to say the words, to admit he was the first to make her climax.

A slow, knowing smile on his lips. “I know,” he said, his thumb stroking her cheek. He released her and sat down at the table, the robe falling open further. He began to eat with his usual efficient grace, but his eyes, sharp and blue, never left her. After a few bites, a teasing glint ignited in his eye, though his tone was low and left no room for debate as he commanded, “Open your yukata Rei.”

A fresh wave of heat flooded her face, but she didn’t hesitate. Her fingers went to the obi, untying it and letting it fall open, revealing her own bare skin to the morning air. She sat before him with a newfound confidence, her gaze tracing the lines of the dragon on his chest. “Now our outfits match,” she said, her voice a little husky. Karasu laughed, a low, genuine sound that was rare and precious. He reached out, his fingers tracing the line of her left breast, a touch that was both tender and proprietary. “From now on,” he said, the laughter fading but the warmth remaining in his eyes, “when we are in this apartment, you are mine. In every way. You will obey me completely. This is the consequence,” his voice dipped, becoming a soft command, “of you insisting on loving me, despite all my warnings. Do you understand?”

Rei’s heart hammered against her ribs, a mix of excitement and caution tightening her throat. This was the dominant side she had glimpsed last night, now being formally, affectionately established. She nodded, her dark eyes serious, “I understand.” He smiled, a ruler’s smile that promised both pleasure and discipline, “Good girl.”

They finished eating in a comfortable silence. When Rei stood to clear the table, Karasu’s hand shot out, catching her wrist, his intent clear; to pull her into his lap and continue where they’d left off. But an intrusive chime from his commlink shattered the bubble. The amorous shine vanished from his face in an instant, replaced by the calculating mask of the Master Spider. He read the message, his expression hardening into granite. He looked up at her, his blue eyes now chips of ice. “Takumi Senior,” he said, his voice flat and dangerous, “Sent a car. He wants to meet with you somewhere else.”

The cozy domesticity of the morning evaporated, replaced by the chilling reality of their world. A meeting alone, off-site, with the Kuroda patriarch was a move fraught with risk. It could be a trap, a test, or something worse. Karasu knew it. He’d always known the danger when he set this game in motion. But now, the pawn in that game was substantially more important to him, and the game had just become infinitely more personal.

The chopsticks in Rei’s hand stilled mid-air. The casual, post-coital warmth that had filled the kitchen evaporated, replaced by the familiar, chilling weight of the game. Karasu’s playful, commanding mood had vanished, his face hardening into a professional mask. He didn’t look at her, his focus entirely on the message glowing on his comm.

Rei’s heart, which had been fluttering with a mix of affection and thrilling submission, now beat with a different rhythm. A different location? It was a test. Takumi Senior wasn’t just asking for an answer; he was establishing dominance, showing he could pluck her from her sanctuary at will.

Karasu’s eyes flicked up from the screen, meeting hers. The storm was back in them, but it was a cold, calculated storm now. The lover was gone; the boss had returned. “He’s moving fast,” his voice flat, “He wants to see how you react outside of my territory. How pliable you are,” he lit a cigarette and took a long dissatisfied drag, then stubbed it out with precise force, “Get dressed. Something elegant, but not the dress from last night. Men like him never enjoy the same things the same way twice.”

The command was a bucket of ice water. The intimacy of the morning, the vulnerability of her open kimono, felt like a distant dream. She was being briefed for a mission. She nodded, her own mask sliding into place. The blush combined with resolve. She stood, cinching her yukata closed, the silk suddenly feeling like a second skin. “What’s the play?” she asked, her voice steady.

A flicker of approval crossed Karasu’s features. This was the asset he needed. “The play is you,” he said, standing and stepped over to her. He didn’t touch her with affection now; he adjusted the collar of her yukata like one adjusts a crooked picture frame, “You will be flattered by his attention. Intrigued by his power. You are considering his offer. But you are loyal to me. You need to walk the line between making him believe he can own you and making sure he knows you have a powerful master who must be respected.”

He cupped her chin, his thumb brushing her bottom lip. It was an intimate gesture, but its intent was tactical, “You are a prize he wants to win from me. Let him think that’s possible. Feed him just enough to keep him hungry. And remember,” his eyes bored into hers, the resolve in them absolute, “every word you say to him comes from me. You are my voice. You are my will. Now get ready.” Rei nodded, turned and walked to her room, her mind already shifting gears. She selected a dress of deep emerald green, severe in its cut but luxurious in its fabric. As she dressed, she could feel Karasu’s gaze from the doorway. When she was done, she turned to him. He held out a small, almost invisible device, small enough to fit in her bra.“Audio transmitter,” he said, “I’ll be listening. Every word.”

She took it, her fingers brushing his. There was no tenderness in the contact, only the transfer of a tool. Rei turned the device between her fingers, lost in thought, then hid it in by her left breast while keeping eye contact with Karasu, “I’ll have to make him trust me. I’ll tell him I aim to gain freedom from you, from him, for myself. Show him that he can trust me just as much as you can – as long as he gives me hope for a better future”. Karasu’s gaze darkened, “Compelling strategy. Engagingly believable. Just make it clear who your master is.” He grabbed her and kissed her violently, silently stating, you are mine and mine alone.

Aurora Cliffs

A black, unmarked Rolls-Royce already idled at the curb downstairs. The driver a silent, grim-faced man with cybernetic eyes that glowed a dull orange. He didn’t speak, merely opened the door for her. As the car pulled away from the curb, Rei looked up at the window of their apartment. Karasu was there, a shape against the glass, the faint glow of a new blue cigarette between his fingers.

She leaned back into the plush leather seat, her heart a drum against her ribs. The tiger had let her out of its sight, but the leash was still around her neck, and he was holding the other end. In the car she caressed the luxuries seats appraisingly, breathing in the smell of quality leather. Takumi Senior was showing off and she enjoyed it. She had never been in a fancier car.

The city flew by outside the window, the landscape becoming gradually fancier. Chochin Row and Sakura Avenues disappeared in the distance until they finally arrived in Aurora Cliffs. Perched above the canyon that housed downtown Mirage City and the districts of Chochin as well as Sakura; Aurora rose above the smog on the orange-red rock face. Cacti and blue sky framed extravagant mansions as the car ascended the steep zigzag roads.

Rei had never even dared to envision setting foot in the prestigious area. She knew from Karasu’s folder, that the Kuroda family had a mansion there, but to bring her here. What was Takumi Senior plotting? Motivating her, showing her riches she could only dream of? But what if she ran into Takumi Junior; did he plan on a confrontation with his son? If he wanted her to be a be a mole, it wouldn’t be wise to reveal he knew her; but if he planned on keeping her to himself, maybe this could be the quick heartbreak that she herself had suggested at the Den? Her mind was going through all the motions as the car slowed down.

The silence in the Rolls-Royce was absolute, a stark contrast to the constant buzz of Chochin or the thunder of Rei’s own pulse in her ears. The car cruised past the ostentatious main gates of a mansion but didn’t come to a halt until before a more discreet, modern structure set back from the road. A private guest house or studio at the looks of it, all angles, polished concrete and floor-to-ceiling glass that reflected the manicured perfection of the surrounding gardens. It appeared as a brutal box, not unlike a bunker, but one of breathtakingly stark luxury.

The driver opened her door without a word. Stepping out, the air itself felt different; cleaner, quieter, heavy with the scent of money and control. The main house loomed in the distance, a monument to Kuroda power, but it was the sleek, isolated box that was her destination. The door slid open silently before she could knock. Takumi Senior stood there, having forgone his suit jacket. Dressed in a tailored marine silk shirt, the top buttons undone, and dark trousers, he looked both more relaxed and more dangerous, a lone wolf prowling.

“Rei,” he said, her name a smooth, appreciative sound on his lips. His piercing grey eyes swept over her, from the severe elegance of her emerald dress to the defiant set of her chin, “I’m glad you accepted my invitation.” He stepped aside, granting her a view of the interior. The space was vast and minimalist, dominated by a single breathtaking inked mountain painting on one wall and a low table in the shade of a forest lake. The entire far end was glass, overlooking a serene koi pond.

“I find conversations more productive away from the noise of the city,” he said, his voice a quiet hum as he led her inside. The door hissed shut behind them, sealing them in, “And I wanted you to see what is possible. What a future can look like when one aligns themselves with true power, not just its shadows”, he gestured to the view, “Karasu Komorebi offers you a booth in a smoky bar. I can offer you a world.” He turned to face her fully, his look relentless. He was indeed motivating her, showing off, installing both desire and fear. Demonstrating the chasm between a Spider’s influence and an executive’s empire.

“My son,” he continued, a dismissive wave of his hand, “is no longer a concern for the immediate future. He has been scheduled for a formative internship. He will be away for some time”, a cold smile touched his lips, “That gives us an opportunity. Without his distracting infatuation, we can focus on your new role. And your training.” The word training hung in the air, laden with unspoken promise. He moved closer, not to touch her, but to invade her space, to let her feel the pull of his presence and his power.

“You spoke of freedom last we met,” he murmured, his eyes tracing the line of her jaw, “A compelling ambition for a street mouse.” With a startling intimacy, he reached out and tucked a strand of her vibrant hair behind her ear. His fingers barely brushed her skin, but the contact was electric, more intimate than a caress, “But true freedom can’t simply be taken. It is granted by those who hold the keys. Prove your loyalty. Prove your value. And you will find I can be a very charitable employer.” He was no longer just talking about spying on his son but offering to reshape her, to turn the defiant creature from Chochin into his own polished possession; like a pet, to be admired and controlled within the walls of his world.

He was now looking at her, not as a problem to be managed, but as a fascinating new acquisition. And the most terrifying part was that Rei, surrounded by the obscene luxury and the focused intensity of his attention and propositions, found the opportunities sincerely inspiring. Rei didn’t blush as under Karasu’s notice, but under Takumi’s examination, she felt every inch of her body tingle with energy.

Takumi Senior was smooth, subtle, dominating through negotiation and logic, not straight up intimidation and ruthless power like Karasu. She felt a heat spread in her and knew she could use the genuine fascination and attraction to make a compelling case. He might have good arguments and all the power to destroy or make her, but in offering them to her, he revealed a weakness: his interest in her, ‘What, prey tell, do you plan to teach me Takumi-sama? I though you brought me here to teach your son a lesson, now I’m the one you’re schooling?”

A slow, appreciative smile spread across Takumi Senior’s face. It wasn’t the cold, calculating expression from the club. This was different, a more genuine and infinitely more dangerous glow. He liked her fire. He enjoyed the challenge. “Direct,” he purred, his voice a rumble that seemed to vibrate through the pristine air of the room, “I can appreciate that. Most people waste my time with flattery and fear.“

He took a step closer, his gaze dropping to her cleavage for a heartbeat before returning to her eyes, “The lesson for my son is one thing. A simple, necessary correction.” He gestured around them, at the breathtaking art, the flawless architecture, the silent, powerful isolation, “But this demonstration is for you. The point being that power isn’t just about breaking things. It’s about building. Cultivating.” His grey eyes held hers, utterly arresting, “You are a raw, unpolished yet brilliant diamond, Rei. Pulled from the gutter and already capable of cutting glass. But you have rough edges. You rely on instinct and audacity. They are powerful tools, but they are not enough for the world I can offer you.”

He moved to the low lake-like table where two glasses and a bottle of clearly remarkably rare whiskey sat waiting. “I can teach you the art of the deal, not just the threat,” he poured two fingers into each glass, the swirl of liquid catching the light, handing her a glass. His fingers brushed against hers, a lingering contact, “I can teach you how to ruin a rival with a well-placed word, not a knife. I can teach you which vintage complements which negotiation, and which fork to use at a board dinner in Paris.” A sunbeam from the wall of window at the far end drifted in and illuminated his whiskey. He watched her over the rim of the glass, “Komorebi taught you how to survive in the shadows. I can teach you how to rule in the light. He owns a nightclub. I own the corporations that supply it.” He let the implication hang in the air, vast and undeniable, “The first crucial skill you should hone, is to recognize a superior offer when you see one.” He guided her over to a low couch and leaned back against the cushions, completely at ease. “So, tell me. Does the prospect of an elevated education interest you?”

The question was a trap and an invitation. He wasn’t just asking if she wanted to be a spy. He was asking if she wanted to be his protégée, his project, his. And the heat coiling in her stomach was forming a terrifying answer. He had seen her weakness for knowledge, for power, for validation, and he was offering it to her on a silver platter, all wrapped up in the magnetic pull of his own undeniable presence.

Rei took a sip of her drink, unable to hold back a gasp of appreciation. The silky smoky whiskey was light years better than the best one at the Den. Takumi noticed her reaction and smiled knowingly. Rei licked her lips slowly, keeping eye contact with Takumi, enjoying how his grey eyes shun slightly, darting to her mouth. “It is a very tempting offer indeed. Tell me, how come you’re being so generous suddenly?”, she said, tilting her head and crossing her legs, her left foot grazing the shiny wool on Takumi’s shin. He didn’t answer, didn’t move away from her touch and just took a long sip of whiskey, wordlessly daring her to continue. “You see”, Rei added, her look growing stronger, “I’ve experienced enough to know everything has a price. I’ve been paying off debts even before earning them. Can I tell you part of my story? It might bore you, but I think any potential… partnership… deserves a healthy dose of honesty up front – don’t you Takumi?”

Dropping formalities made Takumi raise an eyebrow, but it didn’t remove his entertained half-smile. “Please, by all means”, he said leaning back further as if getting ready to hear a whole fairytale, placing an arm on the back of the sofa behind her, his hand grazing her bare shoulder. Rei felt another surge of static course through her, goosebumps threatening to show. She decided to let them, allowing him to witness it.

“My father was boxer and a gambler,” she began, her voice softer now, drawing him in, “A good one, sometimes. He’d win big, buy me ridiculous presents… make promises.” She gave a small, sincerely sad smile, “And then he’d lose bigger. To pay off one debt, he made an even bigger gamble. And as a consequence… I’ve been working off his mistakes ever since.” She held his searching stare, letting him see the hard-won truth in her eyes, “I learned young that everything in this city has a price. Because I was one. And… I still am.”

She paused, letting the weight of her confession hang between them. She saw a flicker of something in his eyes; not pity, but a analyzing understanding. “I do find your offer truly… motivating. Honestly, I do”, she leaned forward, her voice dropping to a near whisper, “The thought of the possibilities… it’s… but I’m sadly not as free to make this choice as you might assume.” She let her shoulders slump slightly, a gesture of genuine frustration, “I have quite a debt left to pay off to my current… employer… before I can even think about stopping work at the Den. Walking away from that isn’t an option. It would be… lethal.”

Takumi Senior watched her, his expression unreadable. He took a slow sip of his whiskey, his focus never diverting. “I see”, he said smoothly. His arm behind her shifted until his fingers came to rest lightly on her shoulder, barely a touch, but a motion that was both controlling and contemplative, “So you’re on a lease-to-own agreement. How… inconvenient.” His thumb stroked a single absent circle on her bare skin, sending a shiver through her. The silence that followed stretched, thick with tension. Takumi’s fingers stilled, hovering just above her shoulder.

He was no longer just entertained. Takumi had been listening attentively. Not judging, not reacting appalled or compassionate, devising. He retracted his arm and straightened slowly before speaking, “Like you said, everything has a price. The question is how much the other part of the negotiation values something compared to the counterpart and how much one can spare. Look around”, he gestured to everything, “How much do you think I can afford to invest in… a diamond.”

His grey eyes shone in a ravenous yet charming way, that unsettled Rei’s composure, her breath catching and her lips parting. He was clearly treacherous, why did she enjoy his interest? She forced herself to hold his steel gaze, letting her excitement and fear out on full display right alongside her defiance and determination, “Are you saying you’ll pay of my debts, my father’s debts, if I become… yours?”, she almost whispered the question, moving closer to him, her hand grazing his.

The air in the minimalist room grew thick, charged with the scent of expensive whiskey and the unspoken enormity of the offer hanging between them. Takumi Senior didn’t move away from her grazing touch. Instead, he turned his hand, holding hers partly like a handshake, partly like a caress. His grip wasn’t forceful, but it was an anchor of absolution. A slow, predatory smile touched his lips, the most genuine one she’d seen from him yet. It wasn’t kind; it was triumphant.

“To become mine is such a crude term,” he murmured, his thumb stroking the back of her hand in a gesture that was both delicate and somehow utterly transactional, “It implies a finality that lacks… nuance.” His grey eyes darkened as they held hers, and she saw the negotiator at work, re-framing the deal to his exact specifications, “I am offering you a partnership. An exclusive, highly rewarding one. Your father’s debts?”, he gave a dismissive shake of his hand, “They are a line item on a balance sheet. An insignificant one. Consider them resolved.” He said it with such casual power that Rei’s breath caught in her throat. The weight of a lifetime of servitude, the chains that bound her to Karasu’s world, dismissed with a wave of a hand. The sheer, terrifying scale of his resources laid bare.

“In return,” he continued, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper, “you will dissolve your… employment… at that den of shadows. Your loyalties, your talents, your considerable charms, will be mine to direct. You will learn from me. You will work for me. And you will enjoy a standard of living that your current… master…”, he infused the word with delicate scorn, “…can scarcely imagine.” He leaned in closer, his breath ghosting over her cheek, “This isn’t about ownership, Rei. It’s about elevation. I see potential. I am simply the one with the means to realize it.”

He was buying her. Not just her cooperation, but her entirety. And he was packaging it not as a purchase, but as a promotion. It was the most seductive, terrifying proposition she had ever received. The freedom from debt, the promise of power, the magnetic pull of the man himself; it was a vortex and she was standing on the edge. Her heart releasing a frantic drumbeat of panic and thrill. She forced herself not to look away, letting him observe the war within her; the fear, the defiance and the undeniable, horrifying flicker of desire for everything he was offering. She was playing with a force of nature, and part of her desperately wanted to be swept away.

Rei felt the heat of his soft yet strong hand, a huge contrast both to Karasu’s rough skin toughened by brawling and Takumi Juniors’ slender enthusiastic hands. Takumi Senior was all about complete control. Behind his gaze she saw the yearning to dominate her entirely, yet his words and touch were gentle, calculated, precise and excruciatingly effective. Her body wanted to bend closer, to let him fully touch and hold her. It was clear just how much she could learn from this man, just what he could offer.

Still Karasu’s blue stare, their passionate night, her undeniable painful love for him, all that was still there. She could never betray him. If her debts could truly be paid she would technically be free, but would she still obey him then? Out of love? She didn’t even know the answer to that herself.

Takumi, sensed her wavering in his favor. He let her hand go, the loss of his touch feeling like a sudden drop in temperature. After adjusting his tie he rose to his feet with an easy grace, “You should go have a conversation with your… master,” he said, the word ‘master’ now laced with a subtle, demeaning amusement. The space where he had been sitting felt empty, the draw of his presence already a palpable absence. He walked to the sleek, seamless door, which hissed open to reveal the silent, waiting driver standing in the hall beyond. The meeting was over. She had been dismissed. Rei rose, her knees feeling soft below her.

As she moved to pass him, the threshold between his powerful world and her uncertain future, she stopped. She turned her black eyes up to him, bringing them inches apart. The scent of his expensive cologne and the fine whiskey they had shared filled the space between them. She could feel the heat from his body. “I will talk to him, Takumi-sama,” she said, her voice low but clear. She was playing her part to the end, the respectful subordinate, but her eyes promised something else entirely, “If you are truly serious about your offer then please, come to the Den. The final details…” she paused, letting the implication hang in the air, “…will have to be settled with Mr. Komorebi himself.”

At the mention of Karasu’s name, a dangerous, annoyed gleam flashed across Takumi’s features, there and gone in a heartbeat. His brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. The idea of negotiating with a Spider, a ghost from the underworld, for something he already considered his, was clearly galling. Instead of replying, he leaned in. Rei held her breath. He moved towards her mouth but then pressed his lips to her cheek. His voice was a whisper, a hot breath against her ear that sent a shiver straight down her spine.

“Pack your bags.”

Then he pulled away, turned, and walked back into the depths of his sterile fortress without a backward glance. The door hissed shut behind him, leaving Rei standing in the hallway with the silent driver, her cheek burning where his lips had been, the words echoing in her mind felt like both a promise and a threat.