A/Note: A birthday fic for hidetheremote (tumblr) / lakerae (FFN)! A story in two parts: (1) Chizuru muses on everybody else's preferred ships; (2) Kazama comes home to his beloved - and naked - fiancee. This story was originally published only on tumblr.

~ Imp

Already Given

In all the books, the girl is being pressured to marry the arrogant scion of a wealthy family, but falls for a guy her parents disapprove of; if she's really lucky, he turns out to be a long-lost heir to something, and her parents are forced to admit that she was right to love him all along. Chizuru finds it interesting that even the authors of fairy tales want their heroine to end up with plenty of money and maybe a duchy or two. Either way, there aren't nearly as many stories about the girl who falls head over heels for the man her parents want her to marry. Not unless there's a lot of mutual and general misunderstanding along the way, and only after she turns down at least one of his offers of marriage.

The problem is, Chizuru really means it when she says that she and the Shinsengumi guys are strictly platonic. Sen ships her with Hijikata-san, but Chizuru has to wonder whether that has less to do with Hijikata and more to do with Sen's dislike of Chikage-sama. Sen has her reasons, and Chizuru can't really fault them, but that's about Sen's history, not Chizuru's. (Mostly. To be fair to Sen, Chizuru did once have a massive crush on Hijikata; it still embarrasses her to this day that everyone knew about it.)

She's pretty sure that Amagiri-san ships her with Saito. That's a lot less of a problem, since neither Amagiri nor Saito is prone to sharing—let alone insisting on—personal views about emotions or relationships. Amagiri's disapproval of Chikage-sama is far more subtle than Sen's, and he respects Chizuru's right to choose for herself. She has little idea what Saito thinks of it all, beyond the obvious: Chikage-sama has treated Saito's friends badly, and Saito does not find him worthy of Chizuru. She and Saito have become closer than either of them expected, and she values his calm good sense and reliable friendship, but she's not in love with him and that's that. At least he doesn't obviously want her to date somebody other than her fiancé; although if she had to bet, she'd guess that he'd support Hijikata. He always does.

The gods only know what Shiranui really believes. He's an interesting guy, and can mind his manners just well enough to be welcome at most gatherings of the extended family. He's been known to try to push her at Harada-san, but she strongly suspects his motives. Or maybe suspects isn't a strong enough term: when Shiranui's whispering in her ear—most recently at a new dance club Sen dragged her to—she has to push aside the image of all three of them in bed together, and she knows it's not coming from her. Oddly enough, she does't really know what Harada is thinking any more than she can read Saito. They deflect attention from themselves in different ways.

Kimigiku-san wants her to go out with Sen. This came out one night fairly recently, when Chizuru and Sen had been spending an evening at Kimigiku's low-key popular night club. Chizuru had just nodded and agreed that she and Sen would probably do well together, if Chizuru weren't engaged to somebody else. Sen had rolled her eyes at the last part, as usual. She's not sure what it will take for Sen to see that the ring isn't just around her finger, but she hopes they can work it out before the wedding, since Sen's her maid-of-honour.

Kondo-san—the guys' warm-hearted mentor and father-figure—clearly wants her to get together with Okita-san. It's a good thing that she doesn't run into him very often these days, because he's both enthusiastic and willing to actively promote his idea. Nobody's told him yet that Chizuru has decided to enter into an arranged marriage with Kazama Chikage, especially since a mugger's attack forced Kondo-san into the hospital last month. He has to know sometime, but Okita doesn't want Kondo to find out about Chizuru's engagement until he's back on his feet. He's sworn Chizuru to silence, and she has no inclination to break it. Okita's threats weren't the deciding factor, though—they're past that stage of getting to know each other. She and Okita have even gone out for coffee together a few times, so that Okita can tell Kondo that they're getting along well.

... Chizuru's eyes suddenly open, and cut left toward the soft click of the bedroom door opening. She can't see him—a blindfold is in the way—but his face is perfectly known to her. A shivery thrill of excitement raises goosebumps along her naked skin, and she moistens her lips.

"I'm home, Chizuru." They aren't married yet, but that's just the formal trappings for more distant family members and friends. They've been sharing Chikage-sama's beautifully appointed penthouse apartment for a few weeks now.

"Welcome home, Chikage-sama."

The bed sinks a little under his weight, and she feels a warm, well-tended hand stroke her hip and then caress her belly. No matter how often they do this now, his touch makes her squirm.

"I am glad to be home, Chizuru." His voice is low and sounds a little like a growl. She pictures his smile of satisfaction, and longs to pull his head down to hers for a kiss, but that isn't how they play the game. "Mmmm, You look very impatient today, I think."

Chizuru captures one of his hands and suckles a finger. She's still learning, and still embarrassed by how much she wants him, but although he teases, he never leaves her feeling that she is alone in either her love, or her desire. Unseen, his other hand moves to her breast, and she gasps when he suddenly pinches her nipple between strong fingers, before ghosting his palm over the taut bud in a way that leaves her needy for more.

"How—how was your day, Chikage-sama?" They started this ritual when she moved into his apartment, and it works—oh so well!—for them. Chizuru is always the first one home, and she strives for a calm-yet-seductive atmosphere. At the same time, by committing to this love-play of theirs, Chikage now returns from work when promised. The workaholic has found a project more worthy of his time.

"My day is best left untold," Chikage murmurs, both hands now moving freely over Chizuru's body. He massages stiff muscles in some areas, so that she relaxes, and then brings her to a near-feverish pitch by slowly kneading her backside with one hand while palming the damp skin between her legs with the other. "Oh?" The word is spoken in his signature drawl, and her toes curl involuntarily, while her hips push upward, demanding more attention for her core.

"My day," pants Chizuru, writhing a little but holding onto the conversation, just to prove that she can, "was fine. They may even—mmmmmm—promote me in a week or two—aahhhhh, Chikage-sama!"

The last half of his name is swallowed by a passionate, demanding kiss, and even that sensation isn't enough to hold her when he presses the weight of his body down onto her and is suddenly sliding within her. When did he undress? Who cares? Usually, he takes longer to play with her; sometimes he removes the blindfold from the start. Today, something has happened, and he wants to be with her in the most intimate way he knows—his mouth possessing hers, his hands trapping her unseeing against the mattress, their bodies joined at rolling, bucking, thrusting hips.

Sensation builds, and she pulls her lips from his, her head tipping back as her concentration becomes almost entirely focused on the pulsing heat of her core and the way he is riding her, his cock filling and stretching her as he goes deeper and deeper, until her quivering inner walls are slick and engorged with pleasure. When he pauses to seize another hungry kiss, she whines in complaint, although the way his fingers play with her nipples, leaves her trembling on the very edge of ecstasy. Then the pad of one thumb starts to move in circles against her clit, as his thrusting resumes. Eventually, that becomes too much to bear for either of them, and his hands close on her hips, trying to pull them in even tighter as his thrusts become uneven and ever more demanding. Chizuru gives what she can, but she is lost to orgasm as she hears her name cried aloud between ragged breaths.

They draw apart slowly, and Chikage remains on top of her, although he takes his weight onto his forearms so that she can breathe in welcome gulps of air. He is heavy, and very, very warm.

"You are my wife, Chizuru," he says, pushing aside her blindfold so that he can stare down into her eyes.

"Yes, Chikage-sama." What else can she say? The others can fuss over her and make up stories all they like, but she is already given.

[END]