Chapter 8 (R-18)

I could feel it.

Molten lava coursed through my veins, spreading and shooting up and from my neck and face.

My Demon Slayer Mark was finally activated, and guess what?

I'm itching to see just how strong it makes me.

I grin wickedly down at the befuddled group of girls, eyeing the black-haired Queen who threw me up here in the first place.

Fire erupts around me as the sun in my chest thunders with power, swirling around my sheathed blade like it's the eye of a storm

The next moment, I fall.

I can see the moment her eyes widen, now in picture-perfect 4k with my eyes activated, as I fall upon her with the force and speed of a comet.

Hinokami Kagura.

She barely has time to bring up her spear to block.

Solar Heat Haze.

My blade fell upon her spear shaft but lost in the heat and flames as it was, she seemed to have misjudged exactly where my strike was landing.

The ground shattered and ruptured, as my blade slid off her spear and fell upon her shoulder.

To her credit, she didn't even so much as flinch as the fire bit into her or began eating away at her clothes.

Good. No prude shit here!

With a grunt, she pushed her spear forward, knocking me off her.

Before I can land on my feet, she already transitioning into several wide yet quick slashes out at me.

Ah. She's still trying to play keep away, huh?

And even with my eyes, I can still say she's fast…not nearly as fast as before, but still fast.

The Queen Piece is no joke, huh?

Very good!

But no more of this keep away.

I breathe and kick off the ground into the air once more almost as soon as I land, launching myself over her just as her blade lashes the air where I once was.

Fire Wheel.

I slam my flaming blade into the back of her head, sending her sprawling away wide-eyed, her spear too far extended to bring it back in time.

As soon as I land, I don't give her time to recover, instead, I drop my sword and race right into her personal space.

With my body fortified like this, I should be able to do this…!

With my breath still held, my chest beats and energy like sunlight ripples through my veins as I aim a jab at her solar plexus.

She barely blocks it with her spear, visibly shuddering as solar energy ripples out like incendiary sparks across the air.

She once again attempts to backpedal, but I grab onto her spear and yank her right on back, slamming my head straight into hers.

I get a startled cry of pain from that, followed by a knee slamming into my chest.

It was almost instinctive. The moment her knee struck true, the vibrations, the flow of kinetic energy hitting me traveled through my body. Into my arms, my hands.

I lashed out, striking both my palms against either side of her face with the force of her attack backing it up.

Discombobulate.

That got a strangled sputtered cry as she staggered back, waving back and forth before hitting the ground.

She had let go of her spear to do that, so I generously returned it to her by embedding it into the ground in front of her.

I smirked at her seeing the way her head spun behind her eyes even as she projected a wrathful glare my way.

I casually walked back towards my sword, picking it up, whilst masking the growing soreness slowly stretching out across my body.

That was the Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist, I believe.

Even with a mark active, it still takes a strain huh?

Doesn't help that the general strain of pushing my body this hard is slowly catching up with me.

Ever so slowly, that molten lava in my veins is turning to lead. My body isn't getting weaker, but it's getting harder and harder to move as I go.

I need to wrap this up quicker than I'd like.

Well. Shit.

I do still have that summoning slip, though. Hmm.

One last exchange then.

I whirl around, blocking a downward strike from her spear, her face poorly stifling her hatred and aggression.

"Sneak attacks are unbecoming." That is all I say before fire ignites into existence around my sword, and I begin an absolutely brutal assault.

No fancy forms, no graceful dancing, I just began hammering away at her with sword strikes.

My fire scorches her, reddening her skin and burning away her clothes, yet she doesn't relent in trying to play keep away.

I refuse to be kept at arm's length, however.

She tries to trap me in a sphere of barriers and regain her reach.

Burning Bones, Summer Sun.

I blow through with an unsheathed flaming blade just like before, which I note is glowing red hot rather than black.

Very interesting.

With a step, sheathing my blade as I move, I'm in her space, her eyes wide as I bring my sword down once more.

Light and a burning crevice in the ground are all I see until I look around and find her on the catwalk.

Teleportation. Cute.

I stab my sheathed sword into the ground and rapidly go through hand signs so the Devils can't see exactly what I do.

All they see is the sudden spiraling orbs of crimson fire that appear behind me and form into a wheel before launching itself towards Tsubaki.

Who…smirks at this?

Ah. Her Sacred Gear.

With a wave of her hands, an ornate silver mirror around the size of a person forms in front of her.

My flaming wheel gets sucked into the mirror before rapidly being expelled at twice the size I sent it.

Right back at me.

I stand there, smirking right back as the flaming wheel slams into me.

Then, she starts…hold up, is she?

"This is my Sacred Gear, Mirror Alice!" she fucking gloats.

The audacity of this bitch. Anime character power explaining to me like she just won or got the upper hand!

"Yeah yeah." I wave off as the flames die down around my completely unharmed self, she gapes at me, and also seems a fair bit offended, "I got it, you can reflect attacks. Tell me though?"

I glared straight back at her, "What made you think my attack would hurt me?"

The intensity with which I said it made her flinch and grit her teeth at me.

Also, fuck you for trying that shit on me like you just won! Fight ain't over till it's over!

I raise my sword, gripping the hilt with both hands and entering a high guard.

"This is how you end a fight!"

Fire explodes out around me like a volcano, and I breathe!

My body creaks as every muscle, every bone, every fiber of my being cries out with sheer raw adrenaline.

Hinokami Kagura.

I move.

The ground ruptures and melts as I tear off from the ground, into the air, and onto the catwalk.

The metal turns red hot as I blast across, it falls apart behind me as I move, a corona of fire and molten metal exploding out with every step!

Sun Halo–

Tsubaki throws up several barrier circles and even another mirror.

I blast through it all, as the fire around me roars into the shape of a dragon!

Dragon Head–

I finally reach her, my blade poised to strike and end this now.

And then, in a flash of light, she's gone, teleported again to the other side of the warehouse.

I turn, seeing her smug yet panicked smirk.

Aw. That's adorable.

I twist, into a spin, and the dragon of fire follows, I slash in her direction…

And watch as the flames continue their course without me.

Dance!

Dance for me!

The dragon crashes into her, blowing her into the side of the warehouse with a plume of roaring bright crimson flame.

I hear several cries of alarm below before the rest of the catwalk around me falls with me still standing on it, bringing me with it.

I know she's okay, so once I land on my feet, I merely give a small wave to the girls that suddenly surround me.

The blue-haired girl, sword girl, and thigh highs, hmm?

I wink at thigh highs, but she doesn't take the bait for some reason, so I wait as the other girls fly up the flame-bathed section of the warehouse.

I watch with mirth as the white-haired girl, one of the Bishops, pulls out a very toasty and unconscious but still alive Tsubaki.

Huh. I thought the giant flaming dragon would do more than make her apple red and torch her clothes.

She'll be fine after a quick Devil cuddle sesh, I think.

Sona soon flies down to join us as well after fully confirming that she's alive.

She nods to her two pieces standing on either side of me, before actually glaring at me.

Before she even starts, I point at her.

"You start talking about how I almost killed your Queen, then I'll start talking about how she almost stabbed me in the face." I glare right back into her eyes, "I don't wanna hear it, Sitri. She's fine. I can control myself."

Mostly. Usually.

Sona doesn't relent in our glaring contest, letting out a shaky breath.

"Questions. I have questions." she states, matter of factly.

I hum, feeling the heat crawling up my face slowly dissipating and simmering down.

"I would presume so." I reply simply.

Her eyes narrow at me, "Like where those flame markings going up your face are, and…and…!" she stumbles over her words, although I can't tell if it's because of fury, confusion, or a bit of both.

Huh. Is that what my Demon Slayer Mark looks like when active? Kewl.

Speaking of cool though…

"How about this?" I speak up suddenly, "Why don't we all go back home, relax, cool off a bit, yeah?" I put my sword on my back and stretched out my increasingly stiffening limbs, "Then, later, I'll use that summoning slip I got from some guy earlier to give you a lot a call, and we can talk then?"

Sona stared up at me, slowly composing herself, before backing away slightly.

"That's…acceptable, Kusanagi-san." she finally says.

I nod happily at her, "Good!" and give her a pat on the head as I walk right past her, she freezes at my touch and I continue with, "Sorry about roasting your Queen! Tell her she needs to get rid of that stick up her ass!"

And with that, I'm gone, out the backdoor, and off to where I stashed my stuff.

I plop down on my motorcycle like a puppet with his strings cut, every part of my body feeling extremely heavy and spent.

I do manage to stuff everything I bought earlier into the basket attached to the back of the seat, before finally zooming off myself.

The nice, fresh cold night winds were like a balm to this tired body of mine, as I rode all the way home.

The whole time I sported the biggest shit-eating grin on my face.

~ A New Sun ~

Ah~...now this is how you cap a night off~!

"Where did you even get that outfit from~...?" I question in a hot low breath, shivering slightly as my drained body gets another shock of pleasure shot straight into it by, well…

Kuroka, bouncing up and down atop my length with the hottest fucking ahegao I've ever seen, 'wearing' what amounts to thin golden strings across her torso, wrapping around her waist and breasts.

"Uzume-chan had i~it in her closet, nya~!" she grinds down into my hips, swiveling around slowly as folds tighten around me, "You like that, Nori~kun~? Hmm~?"

I glared at her, dangerously, "Who said you could stop bouncing, pet~?"

At my gaze and words combined, she shivered, clenched down even harder around me, and got back to bouncing and mewling like a good little fuck cat.

Man. Even as the bottom, I can't be the sub, huh?

I'd have it no other way!

Ah, but before I get into greater detail about what exactly I and Kuroka am doing - it's more than sex, I promise - let's head back a little.

When I got back, Uzume was passed out drunk on the couch.

No shock there.

Note to self, replace all alcoholic beverages with kiddie cocktails, and order her to exclusively drink those from now on.

Kuroka dragged her ass to her room, because she has a designated one now, and threw her in there.

She also tossed everything in the fridge that needed to be put in there.

Meanwhile, I was quite literally on my last legs.

My body had given out so hard that I was actively spinning and draining my chakra to walk.

I took Uzume's old place on the couch, and seeing my state, Kuroka said she had an idea to help me out and ran off to what I now learned was Uzume's room and came back wearing that.

Needless to say, she easily managed to get me up, and out of my clothes, and how we're here.

So, this is Bouchujutsu, huh?

It feels like regular sex, just with a purple-misty glow around us.

Although, I am slowly being revitalized.

Hella disappointed, still.

I muster some of my slowly returning strength to grab my cat girl's hips, digging my fingers into her soft supple flesh.

Can't thrust up, for now, but I can at least do this…

"Kuroka~..." I give out a low pleasurable groan as I call for her.

"N~Nya~?" Kuroka looks at me, a blissed-out smile across her face, "Y~Yes, Nori~kun~?"

Hmm. You know what? It was hot when Uzume called me it, so I wonder…

I lock eyes with Kuroka, and reply, "Call me master, my pet~..."

"Maagh~..." Kuroka grins and lets out a lewd moan, "Hai~, Master~! Let your good little fuck pet take care of you, nya~!"

I think I might have broken her with all the sex the other day.

Also, Japanese for Uzume, in English for Kuroka. Perfect.

My only regret? Right now I can't grab her hips and hold her in place while I pound up into her so hard she can't even speak.

I slowly drag my hands up her body, resting them upon the squishy and juicy orbs mesmerizingly bouncing in front of me.

As I play with them, I can feel Kuroka shiver and mew at my touch.

A little rub on the nipples there, a little grab and pull.

"N~Nyaah~!?" Kuroka cries out in brief ecstasy, "Maaaasster~!" she slurs with attempted admonishment.

Attempted. I just kept doing it and delighted in the way she quivered around my cock.

"You know, pet~?" I dragged her attention back to my voice, "I kind of expected the vaunted Bedroom Method to feel and be a bit more effective than normal sex~?"

Still can't get over that.

"Well, Master~...the Bedroom Method works best when both man and woman share their ki~!" she answers through her daze.

"Ah, so it's because I don't have my ki unlocked yet~..." I mutter softly.

"Eyup~! N~Nyah~!?" I pull on her nipples, causing her to throw her head back, and let out a loud, lewd mew as she 'paws' at my chest.

Cute.

So, my ki huh?

If I recall correctly, Bouchujutsu is when a woman shares her ki with a man and a man shares back.

Technically, that means she's shoving ki into my ki, but the circle can't be complete without me returning the favor.

The last time I tried to find my ki, I found the general area, but not specifics.

Though, with this, Kuroka's ki knows where my ki is, so maybe if I follow it…

Well. No better time than the present I guess?

I lean back, close my eyes, and let myself get washed into the moment.

Down the road of pleasure, and the trickle of revitalization entering me, I follow it through my mind's eye.

That misty purple glow, as it passes my chakra, and flows deeper and deeper and–

Huh? Where did it go?

It just…vanished.

I "look" around, finding nothing but darkness, I feel nothing besides emptiness.

Did I take a wrong turn or something?

No. I know I didn't, the trial just ended. So where…?

I doubt this void is my ki, right? That wouldn't make much sense.

I don't feel anything from this place, besides a creeping cold that I don't like.

So what's going on here?

Backing up, the trail suddenly manifests itself back into my eye.

Rather than follow it, I look at it, and find something rather odd…

It's thin. Extremely thin, more so than…wait.

I back up even further and watch as the trail gets larger, thicker.

The further it goes, the smaller it gets. Why?

Where is the excess going? Why is it bleeding off like this? Is it just energy inefficiency, or something else?

Maybe it's not going for my ki in the first place? No, but that's how it stimulates the body, it has to be…

Wait. What if, what if, I've been thinking far too hard about this, and the answer is actually much simpler.

Beneath my chakra, there's nothing there. It's strange, very strange. I get the feeling my ki is supposed to be there, but it isn't.

Ah!

I'm not Human.

Not completely, at least I don't know what exactly I am.

But it stands to reason that Human ki and Me ki would be in different places, and act differently because I am different.

Kami are spirits, forces of nature, in simple terms.

Humans are alive, free, and unbound by something like nature.

I…I am both, then. Right?

I am alive. The beating heart in my chest proves it.

I am the sun. The beating star in my chest proves it.

Between the rhythmic thumping of my heart, star, and Kuroka, where my body and spirit meet, humming throughout my entire being…

A dark golden mist blankets me, covering all, seeping into everything just a tiny bit.

I can see it clearly now, the way Kuroka's ki drills into mine, and melts away into the whole.

That's what it was doing before, right?

So, how do I return the favor?

Maybe I just–

I grab my metaphorical ki blanket and flip it up like one would when they straighten out a bed sheet.

I'm forcefully dragged back into reality as my dark golden mist bursts out of my body and entangles itself in Kuroka's purple.

The glow around us suddenly explodes, and Kuroka spasms around my length, her eyes going wide and cross as she cries out, falls upon me, latches onto me with her arms, and climaxes hard for several long shivering seconds.

"N~NYAAAHH~!? Mmmnnnghh~..." she moans out straight into my ear, "M~Master~...Nori~kun~..." she blearily muttered, "did you just~...?"

"Unlock my ki mid-sex ~?" I smirk darkly, as my arms come up around her waist and grab big handfuls of her ass.

It took her around half a second to realize what that meant, but it was too late, as I was already slowly sitting up.

Turns out, unlocking your ki is a really good energy booster, who'd of thought?

"Ahnn~...Nori~kun~...Master~...Nnghh~!" I slowly started bouncing her up and down on my length myself, "W~Wait~! I'm still- Mmmmnn~!?"

I promptly shut her up by capturing her lips with my own.

She purrs, melting into my embrace and the pace of my bouncing her as I deepen the kiss.

I'm not entirely sure how Bouchujutsu works, to be fair. So I could be completely missing the mark here as well.

But I get the feeling that it works best when the intercourse is much more sensual and intimate, rather than bestial fucking.

This means, fortunately for kitty, I'm not going to bend her over and pound her ass into the couch.

I'm okay with this, though. I can do both fucking like animals and sweet lovey dovey kind, both feel good so who am I to complain?

Speaking of…

I begin bouncing her much faster, groaning into her mouth as I feel my climax start to reach its peak.

Kuroka perks up and pulls off my lips slightly so she can speak.

"Nya~? Master~? Is your little fuck pet doing a good job~? Are you going to reward her~?" she hums hotly, right to my face, prompting me to finally begin thrusting up into her.

The suddenness prompts her to yelp, and hug up against my body, she continues moaning right into my ear.

"Please~! Master~? I've been a good little pet, yeah~? I've been a really really good pet~! Please give it to me~! Give it to me~! Reward me, master~!"

With one last thrust upwards into her quivering quim, I hilt completely inside of her and give her exactly what she's asking for.

I groan as I release several long ropes of white hot seed, straight inside her.

Her walls clench around me as soon as the first burst comes, like she's trying to greedily milk me.

"Mmmnnnah~..." she slowly licks my ear as she moans out, while I bounce her a few more times, riding out my orgasm slowly, "Thank you, Master~, nya~!" she dazedly thanks me.

Suddenly, she hums, grabs my shoulders, and pulls back to look me in the eye before I can say or do anything more.

"Say, Master~?" she asks while batting her eyelashes, "Perhaps we should move this to the bedroom, no~? It is a tad bit cramped after all!"

Huh.

I take a good look around, seeing exactly that. Actually about to fall off the couch as is…

"Alright, kitty~..." I grab her by the legs, hoisting her up by the thighs as I swing off the couch entirely and stand, cock still hilted deep into her folds. "Bedroom it is~!"

Admittedly, I was still a tad bit weak, but it was so worth it, watching her bounce up and down on my length as I walked, mewling every step of the way…

Perfection.

~ A New Sun ~

Needless to say, we went at it a little while longer after that, but due to how late it was and Kuroka requiring sleep, we had to stop much earlier than I think either one of us wanted.

Which resulted in now, Kuroka cuddling naked into my side, with me all the same.

Despite her soft purring and the fact that I can't see her face because it's buried into my neck, I know she's not asleep.

I've been paying attention this time, see!

I gently rub Kuroka's back and speak softly into the night, just to make sure.

"You still awake, kitty?"

Her purring instantly stops.

After a short pause, she holds onto me tighter and nods against me.

I reach up and pet her hair instead.

"You feeling okay?" I mutter down to her, "You're usually out like a light after…" I trail off softly.

Kuroka lets out a slow shaky breath, causing me to immediately tense up.

"I'm fine, I just…" she clicks her tongue, holding back something before seemingly caving and outright saying. "Uzume-chan and I talked earlier today - er, I suppose it's yesterday now, nya?"

I blink…then deadpan at the ceiling as all tension leaves my body.

"Kuroka. Did the maid threaten you?" I ask, scathingly.

Kuroka perks up, suddenly looking wide eyed at me, "Nya!? N-No! Well, actually, kind of…?"

I'm gonna fucking kill that bimbo bitch.

"I'm gonna kill her." I growl out, prompting Kuroka to grab my face and make me look down at her.

"Noriaki-kun! No. It wasn't that bad, she just…she was worried, and I…" she slowly looked back down, "because I haven't been entirely truthful with you…"

Oh. Oh shit.

Are we doing this now?

Why after sex? This better not be a bloody pattern!

Alright, well…let's do this.

"Oh?" I intone, both curious and confused. I turn onto my side as well, wrapping her up into my arms and holding her close, "I presume, since you're bringing it up, you'll explain?"

Kuroka shivers slightly in my grasp, but I just go up to her ear, and whisper, "Don't worry, I understand…telling the whole truth to an unknown and potentially dangerous stranger?" I chuckle, "I get it. I'm not gonna hold any of it against you. If you want to tell me, go ahead, and if you don't feel ready? I won't judge. Just do your best, kitty…" I softly mutter into her ear.

She takes a deep, shuddering breath, before muttering, "Okay, let's see, where to start?" she mumbles briefly, before finally settling on and saying out loud.

"You remember when I told you about Peerages, and that I was a part of one?" she asked softly, with which I hum in acknowledgment, "I…was in one. Not any more, though. That was years ago, I…well," her voice became tiny, "I killed my King."

A beat passes and I ask the obvious, whilst being careful to not sound accusatory or something similar, just curious, "Why? I don't take you for one to murder for no reason, so…?"

Kuroka chuckles darkly at that, "Officially? It's because I got drunk on my powers, and went insane, killing him in the process. Unofficially?" Kuroka starts shaking slightly, and with my new-found senses due to unlocking my ki, I can feel her energy boiling under her skin. "That bastard wanted to experiment on my sister, so I ended him before he could even touch her!" she bit out harshly.

Hmm. I already knew this, of course. Still, If my own flesh and blood were going to get experimented on, I'd kill the bastard planning it too.

Suddenly, Kuroka sighed deeply, "Unfortunately, I…may have gotten a bit carried away? I overheard his intentions and jumped him immediately, but the rest of the Peerage was there, and I…" I can feel her slowly cringe up against me as if slowly chewing a lemon as she recalls, "I killed them all. And Shirone, she saw, so I…" She heaved a shuddered deep breath, and I gently caressed her back, pushing her onwards.

"It…I panicked, pretended I lost it, and l-left her there…"

…okay. I may have checked around and planned an ambush, and most certainly wouldn't have done that. Damn, kitty…

She giggled manically for a second, "I-I know what you're thinking! Really! But, at the time, I knew the Underworld would hunt me down after what I'd done. I didn't have evidence, not like they'd care anyways, and I didn't want that for my sister…" She shook her head and huffed, "She didn't end up getting much better though, those bastards took her and tried to charge her with my crimes! They tried to kill her! She wasn't even a Reincarnated Devil! And that…d-damnit…" She let out a small sob, but quickly pulled it back in and reoriented herself.

"The Devil King Lucifer took her in, had his younger sister reincarnate her, and she's been part of the Gremory Heiress's Peerage ever since. And as for me? I…" she spoke so quietly, so tiny, I barely even heard her, but I could feel the pain in her grimace as she said, "may have joined a group of terrorists to survive…"

"Ah," I speak up, just as quietly, "so when you said you had Peerage stuff to do…" I let the question hang.

"Yeah," she answered for me, "group meeting…but, b-but!" she suddenly speaks up, "For transparency! The sub-group I'm a part of doesn't actually do any of the terrorist stuff, our leader just wants to go around and fight strong guys! Most of them do," she buffs, "I just wanna live, nya…"

Ah! A chance! Humor, go!

"Oh? Fight strong guys?" I raise an eyebrow, a smile slowly growing across my face, "Where do I sign up?"

Her eyes shoot up to meet mine, her face already a perfect deadpan stare.

Then she slaps my chest. 'Playfully.'

"Ow." I wince, with an amused smile on my face.

"Battle junkies," she huffs and looks away, "you and Vali must never meet, that's a calamity waiting to happen, nya!"

"Sounds like a fun time to me!" I say good-naturedly.

Only to receive another slap in return.

"Ow."

"I swear…" she huffs yet smiles slightly.

"Hmm?" I slowly snake a finger underneath her chin, and make her look up at me, "You swear, huh? Rather rude of you, don't you think?"

"Nya~?" I see the moment light, desire, and mischievousness return to her eyes, "So what if I'm a little rude, hmm? I'm a terrorist criminal, it's practically expected~!"

"You could be a smooth criminal, instead you know?" I reply, with a bright smile, "But aren't either of those things, instead, you're just a sexy little vixen who loves her sister."

The moment I say that, her eyes widen, and I don't even let it fully sink in before I capture her lips with mine once more.

She retaliates rather quickly, wrapping her arms around me and holding my closer as she deepens the kiss, to my surprise.

By the time we finally break off, her face is absolutely scarlet red, and I pull her in for a big hug.

"I just wanna let you know, nothing you just told me lowered my opinion of you." I began, feeling her stiffen in my grasp, "While I think you could have handled it better, there's no real point in admonishing you for it. You've done that yourself plenty, me thinks. I don't care that you're some criminal to a government I find myself disliking the more I hear about it, and while the terrorist thing is slightly concerning…" I trail off, then shrug.

"You aren't a bad kitty. Just one forced into your current circumstances by the past." I gently scratch behind her ears, "If I have to say one thing though? It's this." I go down and mutter softly into her ear, "Don't blame yourself for her being almost put to death. That's not on you. It's the guys that dropped the sentence, you hear?"

Kuroka immediately spoke up, "But I-"

"No." I slapped her right back down, "You swung the sword. No matter your reasons, there is no reason to pin any of that on a little girl."

Like. Seriously. The fuck? Who does that?

Shirone wasn't even a Reincarnated Devil at the time, not like that should have mattered. She didn't kill anyone. What kind of ass backward government charges the son for the crimes of a father? The sister for a sister's?

For a second, all is silent.

Until Kuroka breaks it by asking a simple question.

"...You really mean all that?"

"Yes." I affirmed succinctly.

Another second and I get a tired, shuddering sob as my cat girl tightens her grip around me, and two softly spoken words in response.

"Thank you."

I pet her back gently and let her ride out the waves of emotion pelting her like several tons of bricks.

All the way until her sobs turn into quiet, content purrs, and her shuddering is replaced by gentle rhythmic breathing.

I smile, and kiss her forehead, getting a tired mewl in affirmation.

Quietly, so as to not wake her up, I softly mutter, "Thank you for telling me, kitty."

With that, I hold her close and close my eyes right alongside her.

You know, I don't need sleep, but rest sounds really nice right now, after everything today.

And besides, there's nothing else like waking up alongside someone else after a long hard day.