Storm's silver eyes glittered and my turquoise ones twinkled. Both Uru's and the Kitsune's eyes reflected marvellously and the crystals of the pocket watched glistened.
Aki stood up and slowly approached the canvas. His tails remained still as he stared in silence.
"It's beautiful," he whispered, sounding astonished.
"Thank you. I hope the owner will be happy with it. It’s a bit delayed though so I hope they won't be upset," I admitted nervously. Because of the whole breakup situation, everything got delayed. Aki had sent an email on my behalf stating I was ill and he, as my manager, would keep them posted when I recovered and would be able to get back to scheduled commissions.
"They won't be upset. They know firsthand that you were dealing with a lot...and it came out perfectly. I’m sure they’ll love it," he mused.
"How do you know that they won't be upset? They wouldn't know what I'm dealing with first hand, because..." I trailed off when Aki turned to meet my confused gaze.
"An image representing your new pen name. Can be what inspired the name change. I like it," Aki recited from memory.
My eyes grew wide as I gawked at him. "How...but...A.T. Green?" I asked in a hushed tone.
The person who'd supported me and commissioned my artwork multiple times. To discover that Akihiro was the one who'd made all those purchases, some of which were the only reason I had money to pay my rent and get food to eat, astounded me.
"Akihiro Tomashuna and my eyes are green," he revealed with a wink before he returned to where I was sitting. He relaxed in the soft cushions of the sofa and his tails circled around me, pulling me closer.
I couldn't help the giggle that escaped me, both at the ticklish sensation of his soft fur and the reality he'd hidden his identity the entire time he lived with me. "Why didn't you say something earlier?" I wondered as I leaned against him.
His arm wrapped around my shoulder, allowing me to rest in his side embrace. "I hadn't gotten to see you work. Whenever I came back, you were finished and asleep on the couch. Which you have to stop doing by the way. It's bad for your muscles," he advised sternly.
"Or I can just take advantage of you guys carrying me to bed." I smiled playfully.
"Hmm. Doesn't sound like a bad bargain," he joked.
I looked up to meet his eyes. "You supported me when I had nothing in the beginning. You were one of my first clients when I was still an amateur. Why did you?"
He was quiet for a minute and his ears twitched a few times before he answered. "Art has always been a big part of my family. But the one thing about some pieces of artwork is that it looks rushed and unfinished. They stopped projecting meaning and instead went in the direction of what was trending. If one topic or piece of work grew in popularity, everyone wanted to do it. I was getting tired of seeing rushed pieces of work for the sake of money, rather than for the pure enjoyment of sharing your craft with the world. But then I discovered your first post and the image just spoke to me," he explained.
"Do you still have it? That was like four years ago," I wondered.
His grin widened and he reached out for his tablet on the side table next to the couch. He tapped on the screen to the gallery section and opened a folder.
I smiled widely at the image of my first piece of work. It was a simple image of a woman sword dancing. She was in mid-spin and the ribbons hanging from the hilts of her swords were wrapped around her.
I noticed other images in the folder, each of the pieces I'd created for him over the years; I smiled at the nostalgic piece of work. I remembered the days and nights spent on crafting them and the effort I put in to please A.T. Green, my favorite client. I was touched to realize it was Aki who had collected and treasured every single one of them.
"Aki. Thank you for supporting me for all these years."
"No, thank you for creating something different and unique." Aki smiled warmly.
We glanced back to the glowing canvas and shared a quiet moment in the comforting silence.
It wasn't until I felt myself being lifted from the sofa that I realized I'd dozed off. I glanced up to see Aki back in his human form with his hair tied up with the same ribbon from the nightstand.
"Let's go to bed," he announced.
I nodded in agreement; my eyes lingered on his soft lips. I wanted to kiss him, to show him a glimpse of the overwhelming amount of love and gratitude I felt at having him in my life. I was also thankful to Storm for nurturing and loving these men. She helped them overcome obstacles and setbacks and guided them on a path to become the individuals they were today.
I met Aki's green eyes. I tried to calm the nervous butterflies in my stomach that fluttered from the glint of lust glimmering in those green orbs as their gaze drifted to my lips.
Aki slowly leaned down until his lips lightly brushed mine. I closed my eyes and his lips pressed firmly onto my soft ones. My heart skipped a beat and my body sighed as the tender kiss intensified into something deeper, more desperate.
It was a bittersweet moment; he slowly pulled away to give me a playful grin.
"I've been dying to kiss you," he admitted.
"Then you should have done it sooner," I teased.
"I won't argue with you on that one." He spoke as he carried me to the bedroom. Before he closed the door with his foot, he paused and Uru came running into the room. We both smiled and he closed the door, setting me back on the bed.
"Can you stay?" I asked. I wasn't as afraid as before, but I wouldn't mind his company.
"Sure." He took off his t-shirt to reveal his chiseled body.
I had to resist the urge to jump him, suddenly realizing it been over a month since I had sex. No jumping the Kitsune shifter, Crim. That's not very human-like of you.
I shuffled over and grabbed the blanket at my feet, pulling it over my legs and waited for Aki to get situated before I covered him too. He grinned and pulled me into his arms.
"I have one more question," I announced.
"What is it?"
"Are Kitsune ears sensitive? Like when people touch them. I heard somewhere that Kitsune ears and tails were super sensitive," I revealed.
Aki didn't say anything but I noticed the slight tinge of red in his cheeks. I grinned.
"So it's true?" I pressed.
"Depends," he mumbled.
"Next time, can I touch them?" I purred softly.
He blushed at my sultry tone and glanced away. "I'll think about it," he muttered which made me giggle.
"Fine," I replied, laying my head on his chest.
"Crim?"
"Hmmm?"
"Can I have one more kiss? Like...a goodnight kiss?" he asked shyly.
I smiled against his bare chest, lifting my head. "You have permission to kiss me whenever you like," I reassured him.
A wide grin formed on his lips and he slowly lowered them onto mine. The kiss began slow, but within seconds it deepened and I let out a low moan.
We kissed for what felt like minutes before we pulled apart, both of us panting heavily.
"I think we should call it a night or we’ll end up doing more than just kissing," Aki admitted in a husky voice.
I licked my lower lip and stared into his hooded eyes. "As long as you promise we'll do more when the opportunity arises."
"I promise. When I can have you all to myself." He grinned at the thought.
"Can't wait." I smiled, giving him a peck on his lips and resting my head back on his chest. I enjoyed listening to his rapidly beating heart that slowly began to calm.
I admired these men and knew I was slowly falling in love with them. Some feelings were stronger with some than with others. But I knew it was only a matter of time till I learned more about all of them and reached the level of love Storm had held for them.
I knew one thing was for sure. When that time came, I'd love them unconditionally and knew I'd be loved by them in return.
I never loved you.
She's better than you. Stronger, lovable, she's the whole package
.
No hard feelings, right?
James voice continued to echo in my mind as I looked up at the sky. I was dying. I knew I was. It was cold. Oh so cold. But no one would find me. No one would discover my body until it was too late.
I'd die alone...just as I'd always been alone in this cruel world. Instead of accepting it, the thought of dying made me angry. I deserved to live; I finally had people who loved me...who cared.
Why?
It wasn’t fair.
Life wasn’t fair...
"Crimson, wake up."
I squeezed my eyes even tighter, mumbling something about being cold. Now that I thought about it, I was freezing. I shivered, wishing I could find the blanket without opening my eyes. Familiar arms encircled me, pulling me into a warm embrace.
I snuggled into the comfortable heat that was already beginning to help fight off the chill that clung to me. I’d had another dream with me being in the snow. And why was James’ voice in it? He's not in my life anymore. He's not important to me. Why does it matter?
"Crimson?" Aki's worried voice whispered in my ear.
I didn't like the concern I heard in his hushed tone. It was the only reason why I opened my eyes. I meet his gaze and stared in confusion. "What?" I mumbled.
"You okay?" Aki asked, looking just as confused as I felt.
"I'm cold." I shivered as I spoke.
Aki frowned, glancing at the blanket covering both of us. It must have been broken or something ‘cause it wasn't doing its job of keeping me warm.
Aki nodded and reached up to remove the ribbon from his hair. His long orange and yellow locks fell graciously from their hold and began to emit a light glow. His tails appeared and wrapped around me and his ears materialized.
I sighed as his warmth enveloped me, giving him a relieved smiled.
"Better?" he inquired.
"Much better. Thank you."
We both relaxed, listening to the muffled sounds of cars passing by outside. It must have been daytime by now, but my dark navy blue curtains did wonders at blocking out the sunlight.
"Did you have another dream? Or was it a memory?" Aki’s tone was gentle and inviting which helped soothed my anxiety.
"I keep dreaming about being in a snowy area. Maybe a blizzard of some sort. It's super cold and I don't know how to get out. That and...hmm? I keep forgetting. It's something important," I grumbled the last part, feeling frustrated that since getting attacked, I couldn’t remember for the life of me what it was.
"Don't force it. It'll come," Aki reassured me.
"What if by the time I remember, it's too late?" That was what I was afraid of. My gut told me it was important, but I couldn't recall what it was. A dream? A memory?
"You'll remember when you need to. Your instincts will kick in and whatever you forgot will come back. Stressing about it will only push it further away in your mind," Aki explained.
"Hmm. Guess that makes sense. Okay."
Aki did have a point. If I just relaxed and stopped worrying about it, it would probably come back when I needed it to.
"You warm now?" Aki asked.
"Yes. Thank you." I smiled up at him. He grinned and within a blink of an eye, his lips were on mine.
I heard the door creak open, but continued to kiss Aki, thinking Uru was probably sneaking out of the room like she usually did during the day. I paused when I heard a low chuckle.
"And I thought you two were sleeping in," Yoshi spoke up.
I broke the kiss to look over at him; he wore a smirk as he eyed us.
"Uh..." I glanced at Aki who didn't look bothered by the interruption.
He yawned and his ears twitched. "Morning kisses are nice," he sang dramatically while his tails unwrapped themselves from around me and began to wave back and forth. I knew without a doubt Aki was damn happy right now.
Yoshi walked over to us and I turned my head to stare up at him just in time for his lips to softly touch mine. I blinked and my face burned from the bold, but very welcome action. He tasted like maple syrup which piqued my interest.
He pulled away and grinned at Aki. "You're right. Morning kisses are nice," he stated proudly before turning his attention back to me. "Morning, Crim. How are you feeling?"
"Good?" I squeaked, completely stunned by what just happened.
"Good morning to you too," Aki grumbled.
"You got to kiss her first. I'll acknowledge your presence later," Yoshi teased, crossing his arms.
Aki mumbled something under his breath, but didn't argue.
Yoshi smirked, "Morning, Akihiro."
"Morning," Aki responded reluctantly.
It amused me to see Aki getting all upset over not getting morning greetings, not because of Yoshi kissing me. I was still wrapping my mind around the new development.
I saw a hint of annoyance on Aki’s face which made him not in the least bit scary, but somehow even cuter with his ears that twitched again. I reached out to touch them, but he leaned back.
"No," he mumbled.
I giggled. "Just a poke?"
"No, Yoshi's here," Aki urged.
"I can leave. But it would be rather interesting if I stayed," Yoshi considered with a wide grin.
"You're a bad influence. Why are you here? And you kissed Crim without asking," Aki grumbled.
Yoshi frowned, turning to me. "Crim. My bad, I should have asked," he admitted sheepishly.
I shook my head quickly. "No, it's okay. I liked it... I MEAN… uh... ugh!" I gave up, moving off Aki and pulling the blanket over my head. Embarrassing!
I heard both guys chuckle.
"C'mon, Crim. Don't be embarrassed," Aki encouraged.
"She's really cute when she's embarrassed though," Yoshi admitted.
"True," Aki agreed, and I grinned at their little exchange.
"You guys are weird," I mumbled, poking my head out from beneath the blanket.
I sat up and yawned, rubbing my eyes. I felt better than I did yesterday, but wondered what we'd do now. I knew after the last incident, I needed to be prepared and strengthen the magic within me. Even if it was only temporary, I needed to learn how to use it to my advantage.
"Woof!" Uru appeared through the crack in the door and ran up to the bed. I smiled and watched her jump onto the bed, moving over Aki to reach my side.
"Morning, Urufu," I greeted, petting her for a moment before I noticed Aki begin to tie his hair. A thought came to my mind.
"Thank you, Akihiro and Yoshimitsu," I stated softly.
They both glanced my way.
"What's with the sudden thanks, Crim?" Yoshi asked.
"Ya. We didn't do anything," Aki added as he began to tie a bow with the silky red ribbon with gold incantations.
"I never thanked you two for everything you've done. I was quite a burden in my opinion during the whole break up and even before that when I was unconscious. It wasn't your duty and still isn't really your responsibility. The least I can do is say thank you." I bowed my head to them.
They were both silent; Urufu howled softly before nudging my head as if to make me lift it.
"We care dearly for you, Crimson. You may not realize it, and maybe it will take time for you to adjust to how we are compared to Mr. Bipolar, but we’ll do anything to ensure your safety and happiness," Aki declared.
I lifted my head and saw the conviction in his green eyes.
Yoshi nodded and uncrossed his arms. "I can see why Storm chose you. Your love has no bounds, yet your humbleness is a rarity, even with how everyone has treated you. Never change, Crimson," Yoshi whispered solemnly.
I smiled at them and rose back up to sitting on my knees. "What's the plan?" I asked, wanting to move on to the more serious matters at hand.
Yoshi and Aki exchanged looks before meeting my gaze.
"Are you up for some training?" Aki asked.
I nodded. "Yup!"
"Let's see how you do. If you do a decent job today, you and I will get to do something tonight," Yoshi
revealed.
I gave him a serious look and I nodded in agreement. "Bring it on."
"That was fucking cheating!" I swore.
Malachi and Itsuki both laughed.
"You pissed her off to the point of swearing, Malachi," Itsuki pointed out.
"I'm teaching her to react faster so no one jumps her again," Malachi argued with a grin which just pissed me off.
I rose from the blue mats and inspected my bare legs that were covered in bruises. I groaned in frustration. I swear if Haru can't heal these, someone will die.
After we all had breakfast, the guys gave me a detailed breakdown on everything from the running incident to the current status of Storm Yuna's investigation.
The culprit who tried to kill me had been charged and the Emperor would make the final decision whether he would live and serve time in jail, or be executed for his crimes.
Yoshi explained that the Emperor and his team of higher-ups were getting tired of all the recent crimes and were hammering down on those who were caught. If people realized that their punishment would be death, maybe that would help lower the crime rate.
The culprit wouldn't admit to doing anything, and even with magic involved, they couldn't get any info out of him.
When I asked about it, Itsuki explained that the group of men must have taken an oath with whoever hired them, just like how I'd forced James to make a magic oath to conceal the guys’ location.
Yoshi and the others reassured me the Emperor would figure things out and deal with it, so my priority now was learning how to defend myself with magic. I had to take advantage of Storm's powers and learning how to evade surprise attacks would help prevent the guys from having heart attacks, especially Quil.
I could tell the ambush pissed him off and now he was trying to make sure I never left his sight. Even now, he was leaning against the wall next to Aki and those pink eyes were a dark purple as they focused on my every movement.
To me, it wasn't creepy or weird. I knew in my gut that was just how Quil was; out of all the men he could be the most protective.
"Oh, Hottie. Don't look so upset. Haru can heal you. Right, Haru?" Malachi called out to Haru, who was sitting on the bench acting as a referee.
Taming the Storm (Crimson Storm Chronicles Book 1) Page 19