dissimilar | (𝚓𝚒𝚐𝚘𝚔𝚞𝚌𝚑𝚘) 𝚒𝚗𝚋𝚘𝚡.

( There may be benefit in expecting to be backstabbed, Kate would never dissuade Shou of that. Not intentionally, anyway. But she's learning, too, that a space to breathe and trust that someone won't hurt you can exist. Where you can leave little pieces of yourself with someone, let them hold onto you, and believe they'll keep those things safe.

She hits the mat as his grip loosens, and it's just the opening she needs to hook her leg around his waist and pull him off balance.

That it happens to launch him forward and towards her is, well. Icing on the cake, really. )

Fancy meetin' you here.

( Ugh, cringe. )

[ a slim brow raises, his expression a split-second glimmer of surprise and something that may be amusement. if you squint. he doesn't smile, so it's always a toss up on how he's feeling...

unless you get him competitive like this.

if he's going to get snared, he wants as much of the advantage as he can muster up. yanked forward, he swings his weight into that equilibrium, pitching them into a brief roll — it's enough to lock his knees around her waist and attempt to cage her down with long limbs. ]

Yeah, well, [ he huffs. it's not common that he just spits out something so informal sounding. ] you invited me.

[ now is this all homegrown cringe or tamamo-induced cringe. ]

( He'll get there on the smiling, she thinks. She is. And isn't it kind of sad that being in hell has afforded her more reasons to feel like a person who smiles and has good moods than home did?

But that's not what she's here to think about right now. Shou starts crowding her in, and for a second, Kate regrets her choice. Eyes blow wide and her chest tightens, just for a moment, as old memories take over.

No. It's fine. She's not there any more. And Shou, she thinks, wouldn't hurt her. Not deliberately, anyway.

Still, she dodges his attempts to pin her down, hands wriggling away from his and finding the material of his shirt instead. She's stronger than she was when she arrived at Jigokucho, but Shou isn't a skinny twink like Shin, and rolling him off her in this position isn't going to be easy.

So it's time to play dirty. )

You always gonna do what I say?

( She teases as she pulls him down, lips pressing against his cheek, her powers alight in an attempt to sharpen all of his senses just enough to be disorienting. )

[ that shift in pace, the brief tension that clutches shallowly to her chest, that makes shou pause. not because he's feeling particularly merciful, but because it so often means something different is happening in her mind's eye that doesn't flow with the rhythm of what they're doing.

however he might act and look, he's so sensitive that it sweeps him in an instant.

unfortunate that it's the same pause kate uses to land her kiss. the effect ripples in a way that pulls his expression out from its stern concentration, blue eyes pinning as he tries to figure out what's just happened. everything is so — sharp. colors, the sounds of breathing, the scent of sweat, the taste of adrenaline. shooting a glance down beneath dark brows, he locks eyes with her. ]

...apparently, you don't have to say anything.

[ that has the inflection of a question. his limbs slack, signaling that she's gotten him pretty good. ]

( It's fine. She's fine. There are plenty of buffers now, experiences which put obstacles between those memories and herself.

Powers which give her an advantage most couldn't dream of - thanks for the help, Tenkohime. Amusement glitters in her eyes as the surprise takes him, the pink flush of exertion on her cheeks and the breathlessness of a hard fought round, her chest rising and falling against his.

He really is a handsome guy, the weight of him on top of her as intriguing as it is dizzying. It's nothing like Shin, who is so frail and light that she could and has picked him up before. But nor does she feel suffocated, trapped, and that makes it easier to raise her brows, lips quirking upwards as a hand slinks around the back of his neck, crashimg their lips together.

No powers this time, just Kate, using the last seconds of the kiss to try and flip him onto his back while he's (hopefully) still distracted. )

[ this is a different kind of warfare. he's never been the type to get easily distracted or thrown off his game, but playful sleight and the dawning knowledge of the foxes' love of trickery are slowly pushing the boundaries cast around him like iron bars and high walls.

with the lingering effects of his senses being kicked into a bright, dizzying tailspin, the kiss that follows is enough to get him off his balance and reverse their positions. it feels good. the breath that fills his lungs when he inhales through his nose is warm and sweet; her smile gets into his mouth. even as he's getting put on the small of his back, his legs lock and his core strength strains through muscle years in the making, spine curved to keep him vertical enough to draw the kiss out for one more moment.

it's enough to sink his long eye teeth into her bottom lip, giving the kiss a depth, a beckoning scrape. two can play that game.

and you can thank a certain skinny twink that he's a quick study. ]

( In the end, the joke of "Kate will have to send people to Shin so he can teach them what they're doing" was pre-empted by Tamamo's slutty, slutty existence. SMDH.

Taking advantages where you can find them is a sound, completely valid strategy, as far as Kate's concerned. It just so happened that this was the opening he left, and as momentum carries her up and over, Kate's fingers find Shou's shoulder, digging in to keep her balanced in the movement. But teeth graze her lip and that grasp falters — briefly, but noticeably enough — as her breath stutters and a noise catches in her throat.

That felt good. And it only encourages her to follow his mouth, lips parting as her hips settle over his and her other hand finds dark hair and curls into it.

This is a very different kind of warfare now. One that allows both parties to win. )

[ how they're balanced shifts and shou moves in the wake of it, one palm steadying on the floor behind him and the other rising to kate's cheek, the flat of his thumb poised against her jaw. this way, the energy is more stable and less kinetic — not something that tries to slip through her fingers but settle into them instead.

his demeanor has always been aloof and neutral, but there's something about him that soaks in closeness when it's given to him. lacking timidity, he surges quietly into the kiss, tongue slipping against hers with shallow force that still doesn't want to be bested.

not completely, anyway.

he doesn't stay there long, breaking the kiss to lean back and give some of his weight to her, head canting into the hand in his hair. his gaze steadies, cool in spite of the warmth gripping his body, the thin sheen of sweat on his brow and temples. his lashes are low for a moment until he glances upwards. ]

Was that the outcome you wanted?

( Ah.

That touch. It doesn't startle her the same way it might have a couple of months ago, though her cheek heats up under his fingers as their tongues meet, curious in their exploration. Her weight shifts in his lap, just a little, as she leans in further, seeking out unfamiliar parts of him with her hand and mouth.

Until he pulls back, and earns himself a little huff. A moment of frustration as something nice is taken away in place of a question that, really, only has one obvious answer.

She never was subtle about thinking he's hot. )

Almost.

( In her fantasies, they're both wearing far less clothing. )

(𝚓𝚒𝚐𝚘𝚔𝚞𝚌𝚑𝚘) 𝚒𝚗𝚋𝚘𝚡.

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