Ai Yori Aoshi Fan Fiction ❯ Necessary Evil ❯ Necessary Evil - Miyabi ( Chapter 1 )

Necessary Evil

By: Alpha-Zulu Mark II

Rating: NC-17

Disclaimer: No, don't own them. Like you really thought I did.

-

"Good morning, Kaoru-sama!" came Aoi's cheerful voice as her fiancé entered the kitchen of the main house. Covering a yawn with his hand, the young man glanced at the young woman setting out breakfast. As always, she was wearing traditional clothes and seemed disgustingly chipper for such an ungodly hour on a Sunday morning.

"Good morning, Aoi-chan." He said, taking his seat. Immediately, Aoi began to dish up his meal. From behind him, he sensed an approaching presence. Oh boy, here we go again! "And good morning to you, Miyabi-san." He said politely as the governess of Aoi stepped past him, settling in her customary place directly across from him. She would have preferred to sit between him and her young charge, but Aoi wouldn't stand for that.

"What's good about it, Kaoru-sama?" she said, her tone stiff. God, I hate being this way, but it's my duty to the Sakuraba household! The strict woman was tasked with raising and protecting the heir to the Sakuraba dynasty, and she took that responsibility seriously; too seriously, at times. Aoi cheerfully began to dish up her oldest friend's meal. Sipping her tea, Miyabi stole a glance at Kaoru over the lip of her tea cup. I hate to admit it, but Kaoru is not as bad as I wanted to believe. Being with him makes Aoi-sama deliriously happy, and he's quite polite and considerate. If it were up to me, I would trust him with Aoi-sama completely. But, it's not up to me. "You're looking disheveled this morning, Kaoru-sama." She noted icily. Of all that I do in the name of duty, this is the hardest. "Were you out partying with your friends last night?" she asked.

"No, Miyabi-san." Came the reply. "I was up until just past three this morning preparing for a test in one of my classes." He said. Why does she always have to attack my reputation in front of Aoi-chan? Kaoru didn't have many friends at his school. In fact, he could count all his friends on one hand - with fingers left over. Of course, ever since Aoi-chan showed up, there's been fewer and fewer fingers left open… he felt himself smiling stupidly at that thought. The photography club he belonged to only had three other members, one of which was out and about in the world at large for the last year or so, leaving on the two bakas in the club. Maybe I should drop by one of these days and see how they are doing. He idly thought. He hadn't been to see the club since Aoi returned from her stay at her parents place after she found him again after eighteen years. Miyabi interrupted his thoughts.

"Failing a course, are you?" she sniped. I'm such a bitch.

"Miyabi-san!" cried Aoi, upset at the very thought that her precious Kaoru-sama might be having trouble at school. "How could you say that?" she asked, upset. Kaoru chuckled.

"I'm not failing any of my classes, Aoi-chan." He soothed his excitable would-be bride. "Matter of fact, I'm on the honor roll at school, and my GPA puts me in the top ten percent of students." He assured her, smiling at her. Sighing in relief, she settled beside him, beginning to eat her own breakfast. Under the table, she touched his hand with her own, her cheeks coloring a bit as she felt him gently rub her palm with his fingers before she reluctantly withdrew her hand. I can't let Miyabi-san find us out! She thought to herself, sneaking a peek at her governess. The older woman seemed to be completely engrossed in her meal.

Miyabi ignored the girl's secretive hand-holding. Aoi-sama has no clue that she is as transparent around and about Kaoru as a clean window. She thought, fighting down a fond smile. So, she ignored the covert contact as if it hadn't happened. And it's not like it was inappropriate. She defended herself to herself. "This miso is excellent. Is this a new mix?" she asked her young charge.

"Yes!" confirmed Aoi. "I saw this in a recipe book when I was out shopping yesterday, and I thought Kaoru-sama might like a change of pace." She said, smiling at her love. Miyabi grimaced mentally.

"I see." She said aloud. Of course it's about Kaoru-sama! It's always about her Kaoru-sama! "So, do you enjoy this new miso?" she asked the young man. He blinked at her.

"Of course I love it!" he said, sounding a bit suspicious about her pleasant question. "Aoi-chan's cooking is always perfect." He added, blushing every so faintly at his words. Beside him, Aoi was blushing from her eyes to her neck.

"I…I'm so pleased you approve, Kaoru-sama!" she squealed. I am being a proper fiancé! He loves my cooking! I can't wait to be his wife! Kaoru's watch chirped. Glancing at it, he frowned. Miyabi noticed his frown.

"Something wrong, Kaoru-sama?" she asked, her tone a bit distant. "Are you looking for an excuse to leave Aoi-sama?" she sniped. God, I'm so sorry, Aoi-sama! She silently apologized at the stricken look on the young woman's face. Kaoru's face went grim.

"That was uncalled for, Miyabi-san." He said in an even, clipped tone. "I would greatly appreciate it if you wouldn't hurt Aoi-chan by suggesting such blatantly ridiculous things."

"My apologies, then, Kaoru-sama." Said the woman, her tone distant. "Do you have somewhere to be on a Sunday?" she asked him, her tone challenging. Kaoru nodded to her.

"As a matter of fact, I have an errand to see to that will take approximately four hours." He said. "I need to be on my way within a half hour." He said. Aoi seemed a bit disappointed. Noticing this, he turned to smile at her. "But I'll be back as soon as possible, Aoi-chan. I promise." He said. Aoi immediately perked up.

"I'll be eagerly awaiting your return, Kaoru-sama!" she promised. Miyabi had to suppress a groan. They're so sappy sometimes! She thought. The group fell to eating and within ten minutes, Kaoru was off to shower, dress and meet his appointment. Aoi, as usual, cleared the table, did the dishes and began her daily housework load, humming to herself happily. Miyabi checked with her to see if she required her assistance with anything, and when - also as usual - Aoi assured her that she had everything in hand, she retired to her room to see to her own chores.

Settling in behind her computer, she shrugged out of her loose jacket/top, leaving her in her strapless top. Tapping her mouse, she woke her computer and initiated the email and internet browser programs, which automatically signed her on to her stock portfolio management site. On the side of the screen, stock prices began to scroll past. Miyabi smiled to herself. Managing my money is an important task, after all. She thought gleefully. Her attention was diverted by a chirp from her email program. Frowning, she saw that there was an email flagged as `priority'. Scanning the address line, she saw that it was from the Sakuraba family's personal lawyer. "Not good." She muttered, opening the email and entering her encryption key to unlock the message. She scanned the message, her lips compressing a bit more. "Not good at all." She repeated, saving the message to an encrypted file on her hard drive before swiftly checking her other emails, making an adjustment or two to her stock portfolio and checking her bank account. With that done, she put her computer in sleep mode and leaned back in her chair, staring at the ceiling, trying to find an acceptable solution to the issue brought to her attention by the family lawyer.

-

Kaoru finished putting up the last of the empty boxes and checked the area one more time before heading for his boss for that day to collect his pay. Glancing at his watch, he saw that he was almost fifteen minutes ahead of the schedule he kept in his head. Sooner done, sooner I can go back to Aoi-chan. He reflected, spotting the woman who had hired his services that day at the register. "All done, missus Oubi." He said, stopping in front of her.

"Oh, Kaoru-kun!" beamed the older woman. "You were really something to watch out there! I've never seen anyone sell so many charms in so short at time!" she enthused. "Can you work for me next weekend, too?" she asked. Kaoru considered the request.

"Let me check my schedule and get back with you on that, ok?" he deflected politely. I've almost got enough to buy Aoi-chan that necklace she was looking at. And it would be nice to spend a whole Sunday with her.

The older woman smiled knowingly at the young man. "Here you go, Kaoru-kun." She said, handing him an envelope. "You'll find a little extra in there, too." Noted the middle-aged woman. "Take her somewhere nice to apologize for not spending your day off with her." She added. Kaoru blinked.

"But I didn't say…!" he began. Missus Oubi chuckled.

"Kaoru-kun, you're not that difficult to figure out." She said, amused at his notion that she hadn't determined why he was working so hard. "I was young once myself." She noted. "So, is she pretty?" teased the older woman. Kaoru pictured Aoi in his mind.

"The most beautiful girl in the world." He breathed reverently. The shop keeper nodded to herself.

"Aren't they all?" she said softly. Punching a key, she opened the cash drawer and pulled out a few more bills. "Here." She said, handing the notes to the daydreaming boy in front of her. "Treat her to something extra nice as a gift from an old woman to a young one." She smiled.

"I couldn't accept that, missus Oubi." Protested the young man. "I agreed to work for a flat payment." The older woman leaned over, tucking the bills into the young man's shirt pocket.

"Call it profit sharing, or a bribe, or a gift; doesn't matter really." She shrugged. "Now get out of here!" she ordered, her tone stern. "While you're here daydreaming of her, you could be half-way home to the real thing! Go on! Get!" she ordered, flipping her hand at the boy as if he were a bothersome insect. Kaoru bowed deeply to her.

"Yes, ma'am!" he said. As he exited the small shop, he heard her call back after him.

"And don't you dare come work here next Sunday, either! You're to take that day off and spend time with her!" Kaoru chuckled as he jogged toward the nearest station.

"Yes, Ma'am." He repeated to himself.

-

Getting off at the nearest station, Kaoru moved out of the station and began the fifteen-minute walk to his new home. It was still kind of odd to see the big house and think of it as home. Still, even the servant quarters where he had been ordered to live by Miyabi were spacious and luxurious compared to the tiny bachelor pad he had had when he first reunited with Aoi-chan. Smiling at the thought of the traditional girl, he lengthened his stride.

"Excuse me, sir." Came a voice from behind him. Blinking, Kaoru turned to see a man in a sedan beckon to him. Approaching the car a bit closer, he paused.

"May I help you?" he asked, wondering why this guy had called him over. The man nodded.

"Yes. I was wondering if you happened to live there." Said the man, pointing to the Sakuraba house. Kaoru opened his mouth to say yes, but suddenly remembered the words of Miyabi when he and Aoi-chan had first seen the house. Right, can't risk a scandal. He reminded himself.

"No, but I rent a room there while I go to college." He said. Well, it's sort of the truth.

"Rent a room? In that house?" pressed the man, sounding skeptical. Kaoru nodded.

"Well, the servant's quarters, actually. Miss Kagurazaki is the manager, if you would like more information." He said, watching the man closely. He seemed to nod to himself.

"I thank you for your help, mister….?"

"Kaoru." Said the young man. The man raised an eyebrow at him. Kaoru just smiled a flat smile. "Just Kaoru, sir." He repeated. "Now, if would be so kind as to excuse me, I have studying to do." He said, bowing to man as he turned away.

"Of course. Pardon the interruption." Said the man, the car pulling away from the curb smoothly. Out of the corner of his eye, Kaoru noted the license number. Walking slower than before, he waited for the car to disappear around the far corner of the street before stepping into the compound and approaching the main house. Something is odd here. He thought. Opening the front door, he kicked off his shoes, dropping off his bag as well as he called out for his girlfriend.

"Aoi-chan! I'm back!" he called.

"Kaoru-sama!" came her excited voice as she materialized before him, bowing as she did so. "Welcome home, Kaoru-sama!" she said more formally. "I hope your errand was successfully completed." Kaoru nodded.

"Yes, it was, Aoi-chan." He said. Thinking back on the words of the woman he had helped sell for that day, he smiled. "Hey, Aoi-chan," he said, dropping his voice as he looked around for signs of Miyabi. "Do you have any plans for next Sunday?" he whispered to her.

"N…no, not that I know of." She whispered back, confused. Kaoru steeled his nerves.

"Would you…like to go out with me?" he whispered to her. Aoi's eyes opened wide.

"On a d…date? With you?" she whispered back, eyes wide. Kaoru nodded. Aoi's eyes teared up.

"Yes! Yes, I would be honored to do so, Kaoru-sama!" she whispered fiercely, hugging him to herself. He wishes me to accompany him on a date! She mentally sang. I can finally be his girlfriend publicly!

"Aoi-sama." Came the voice of Miyabi. Both of them flinched, turning their heads to see Miyabi standing at the foot of the stairs, watching them. "I apologize, but I must insist that Kaoru-sama accompany me." She said, her tone cold. Aoi looked like she might cry.

"Miyabi-san, I…!" began the girl. Miyabi shook her head.

"My apologies, Aoi-sama, but I must insist." She said firmly. Kaoru turned to look at her and smiled reassuringly.

"It's ok." He said. "We'll be down for dinner soon, ok?" he asked. Aoi nodded.

"Yes, Kaoru-sama." She said, smiling a bit. "We're having grilled fish tonight, so don't let it get cold." She added, turning for the kitchen. Miyabi bowed her head to the girl as she passed.

"Thank you for your consideration, Aoi-sama." Said the governess. "If you would follow me." Said the woman, turning to climb the steps. Kaoru snuck a glance at Aoi as he followed the woman up the steps. Aoi walked into the kitchen without looking back. So traditional. He thought fleetingly. Looking forward, he caught a flash of white as Miyabi climbed the steps in one of her normal short skirts. He felt his dick twitch. Down, boy! He ordered it. His dick had a mind of it's own, though and chose not to listen.

Since he had found himself with a girlfriend, he had come to understand why the boys all called it blue balls. Seeing Aoi and Miyabi on a daily basis in various states of dressed and undressed had given him a lot of unwelcome lumber. I could have built this house with the amount of wood they've given me! He thought irritably. It was nice, on the one hand, to have two sexy women near him nearly all the time. On the other hand, he couldn't really do anything, so he was left with a daily - sometimes hourly - erections. He had a few ecchi mags in his room, but he always felt nervous about beating his meat for fear that Aoi might come visit him. Or worse, Miyabi-san! I can't imagine that that would be any fun. `Oh, Kaoru-sama, I knew you were a pervert. Now, as Aoi-chan's governess, I'll have to smash your balls with this mallet!'. Yeah, not really conducive to getting off. He caught another flash of her panties as she took the last step.

Following Miyabi to her room, he paused outside the door to the room of the bane of his existence with Aoi. Seeing him pause, she tossed her head. "Please come in." said the governess, holding the door for him. Kaoru stepped inside the room and Miyabi shut the door behind them. "Have a seat, Kaoru-sama." She said, indicating a folding metal chair in front of her large, oak desk. She herself settled into her executive grade 1 chair and turned to face him. "Kaoru-sama, we have a problem." She said, her tone serious.

"And that is?" he asked her. Miyabi frowned.

"It has come to the attention of Aoi-sama's father that certain elements within the Sakuraba group have learned of the…situation with you." She said. "It is the belief of Sakuraba-san that the intentions of this faction are to seize control of the body by raising a stink about you and Aoi-sama's relationship. He has instructed me to either resolve the issue, or to close this house and bring Aoi-sama back to the main house for an immediate marriage to the son of another trade group."

Kaoru's eyes narrowed. "I see." He said, his tone hard. Miyabi noticed his anger.

"Understand our position, Kaoru-sama." She began.

"Your `position' as you call it," he interrupted her, "is that Aoi-chan is no more than a pawn to the group. Hell, even to her parents!" he snapped. "You don't think of Aoi-chan as any different from a stock bond, or a ledger book or a rack of dresses, do you?" he accused her. "She isn't some fucking toy for you all to play with! She's a beautiful, loving girl who only wants to make others happy! What's so wrong with that that you would crush her heart just to save face?!" How dare they treat Aoi-chan like this!

"This is for your good as well, Kaoru-sama!" began Miyabi angrily. "If it were to become public knowledge that you were disowned by the Hanabishi clan, you could lose your spot at the University! Not to mention…!"

"Fuck that!" snarled Kaoru. "I enrolled under my mother's name, Miyabi!" he spat. "And just so you know, I disowned them!" Miyabi blinked.

"What?" she asked blankly. Why would he do something like that? Kaoru took a breath and forced himself to sit back in the chair.

"I said, Miyabi-san, that I disowned the Hanabishi, not the other way around." He said, calmer now. If I am to pursue a career in law, I have to learn to control my anger. Normally, Kaoru was an even-tempered man, but since Aoi had entered his life again, he had found that any attack on his fiancé was apt to send him into a rage.

"I…didn't know that." She admitted. The information I was provided was not accurate, it would seem. She noted for future use. Kaoru shrugged.

"There's a lot you don't know, Miyabi-san." He said indifferently. "But that isn't the point." He said, changing the subject. "I think that these people might be already acting on this plan." He noted. Miyabi's eyes narrowed.

"Why do you think that, Kaoru-sama?" she asked him intently. Kaoru told her about the car and gave her the license plate number. She jotted it down, woke her computer and sent a swift email. "We need to wait for a moment." She said, sitting back, twirling a pencil in her fingers. The two sat in silence for a bit.

"What course of action do you personally feel is the better choice?" he asked her at last. Miyabi glanced at him.

"Sakuraba-san feels that…" she began.

"Not them, you personally. As Aoi-chan's closest friend." He pressed. He wasn't going to leave her the luxury of falling back on duty or orders. Miyabi considered what to tell him.

"I would prefer to see Aoi-sama happy." She said at last. Her email chimed. Opening it and entering her encryption key, she sighed when she read it. "But we might not have that choice." She said. Seeing his interest, she elaborated. "That car belonged to one of the dissident's lawyer's firm." She said simply.

"So, where does that leave us?" asked Kaoru. Miyabi considered that.

"Not too much worse off than before." She decided. "Your quick thinking saved us from having to run for it on short notice." She frowned. "Still, it only bought us a short period of time." She mused. "The fact that they came here is not good news - it means that they are handling this directly and are pushing against the group's guidelines." Miyabi leaned back in her chair, tapping the pencil against her pursed lips thoughtfully. "Let me think about this for a minute." She muttered. Her computer chimed. Glancing at the screen, she swiftly leaned forward and typed intently for a moment. "Hmm." She murmured, tapping her mouse's buttons. Next to her computer, her multi-function peripheral hummed to life, printing out a single sheet of paper. Miyabi swiftly closed her programs, put her computer to sleep and stood. "We need to speak with Aoi-sama immediately." She said simply, leading him downstairs.

-

Kaoru hugged Aoi as she prepared to leave with Miyabi in the governess's BMW Z3. The two had made a bee line to the kitchen, where Miyabi had handed the sheet of paper to Aoi. The young girl had read it and blinked a time or two. While she stood there, a confused look on her face, Miyabi had plucked the cordless phone up and punched in a number, handing the phone to Aoi, who took it reflexively. "Mother?" she asked a moment later.

Now, here they were, Miyabi about to drive Aoi to see someone. Miyabi had not said who or where, only that she and Aoi would return as soon as possible. With instructions to mind the house while they were gone, Miyabi had peeled out and was gone, leaving Kaoru standing there dumbly. Not knowing what else to do, he went back inside and finished up the prepared food. With that done, he decided to do the dishes, and when that was done, he had sat on the couch, turning on the TV. Idly, he channel surfed, but nothing caught his interest. Closing his eyes, he intended to wait for their return.

When he opened his eyes, he was shocked to find that it was past midnight. Looking around, he didn't see either woman's shoes, so he had to assume that they weren't back yet. Sighing, he turned off the TV and exited the house, closing the door as he did so. Can't be sleeping in there when Miyabi-san gets back or she'll get mad. He thought to himself. "Night, everyone." He muttered, entering his smaller house. Laying down, he stared at the ceiling until he fell asleep.

-

"Kaoru-sama, it's time to get up." Came Aoi-chan's voice. Blinking his eyes as he woke, he found Aoi leaning over him, once more in her tsumogi. "You're going to be late if you don't get up now." She warned him, smiling at him.

"Aoi-chan?" he muttered, clearing his head. "You're back!" he said, remembering the day before. Aoi smiled at him.

"Yes, Kaoru-sama." She said, touching his face fondly. "We arrived back this morning." Said the girl. Kaoru looked into her eyes, seeing a faint shadow deep in her blue eyes.

"Is…everything ok, Aoi-chan?" he asked her softly, taking her hands in his. Aoi blinked, then nodded.

"Yes, Kaoru-sama." She said, leaning forward to hug him. Hugging her back, he felt her tremble a bit. "Kaoru-sama?" whispered the trembling girl.

"Yes, Aoi-chan?" he asked her. She sounds scared. What happened yesterday?!

"Will…will you love me even if you…even if there is another?" she asked him. He felt hot tears on his shoulder. Gently pushing her back so he could look into her eyes, he got to the point.

"What happened yesterday, Aoi-chan?" he asked her directly.

"We can stay together, but…" she began, tears falling faster. "we have to keep the peace within the Sakuraba group. To do that, I…we have to prevent the factions that want to cause trouble from being able to use you as leverage. So, I have to…" she began to sob. "Oh, Kaoru-sama!" she wailed, flinging herself back into his arms. The young man comforted her as best he could.

"It's ok, Aoi-chan." He assured her, stroking her back. "It will be all right. I won't leave you, I promise." He comforted her. She just sobbed. "I promise, we'll get through this." Gradually Aoi-chan calmed down. "What happened?" he repeated softly. Aoi sniffled against his shoulder.

"I…I must share with others." She said cryptically. Kaoru's eyebrows knit. What kind of answer is that? He wondered. Just then, someone scratched on the door to his room. A moment later, Miyabi slid it open. Seeing Aoi clinging to him, she sighed.

"I see." She said softly. Kneeling at his threshold, she gave him a traditional bow. "I beg your forgiveness, Kaoru-dono." She said. "I had hoped to tell you before Aoi-sama awoke, but I see I was too late."

"Tell me what?" asked Kaoru suspiciously. Since when does she call me `-dono'? His clock chirped.

"There isn't time right now." Said Miyabi, still kneeling at his door. "You must prepare for school, Kaoru-dono." She said. "Aoi-sama, I will escort you back to your room. You should try to get some rest." She said. Still sniffling a bit, the short-haired girl carefully disengaged herself from him and stood.

"O…of course, Miyabi-san." She said. Pausing at the door, she turned to her lover and gave him a weak smile. "We'll talk when you get back, Kaoru-sama." She said, bowing to him. Stepping past Miyabi, she headed for the main house. Miyabi remained kneeling at his door.

"Um, what are you doing, Miyabi-san?" he asked her. The long-haired woman remained bowed.

"I beg your forgiveness." She said softly. "The situation is mostly my fault as I have not properly attended to my duties as Aoi-sama's guardian. If you must blame someone for this, blame me." She said, not looking up.

"You're making me very nervous, Miyabi-san." He told her.

"May I be dismissed?" was all Miyabi said, ignoring his hint. "Aoi-sama will most likely require my assistance this morning." She said.

"Um, yeah, sure." He said, mind busy. She rose and turned to leave.

"Do not be late for school, Kaoru-dono." She said softly, sliding the door closed.

-

Having spent most of the day in a daze, Kaoru blew off the invitation from his photography club friends to go drinking and skirt chasing, saying he had to see to a matter. With some mild insults to him, they had let him go, and he had made straight for home. All day, he had wondered what had happened to make Miyabi act so strangely - not to mention sweet Aoi. As he exited the train, he began the walk home, wondering how it fit in with the strange people from yesterday afternoon. Arriving at the house, he started through the gate, only to catch a glimpse of a car sitting up the street from them. He wasn't sure, but it looked like the same one from the other day.

Stopping off by his room to dump his bag and jacket, he moved toward the main house. Just as he reached for the door, it opened and Miyabi greeted him. "Welcome home, Kaoru-dono." She said before stepping into his arms and kissing him passionately. Kaoru's eyes opened wide, and his jaw would have dropped except for Miyabi's lips on his own. His shock allowed her to slither her tongue into his mouth. For several moments, she French kissed him soundly. Finally, she broke the kiss and led him into the house by the hand. Once the door was shut, she let go of his hand and sank to her knees, bowing to him.

"Miyabi-san, what the hell was that about?!" he asked, thoroughly confused.

"I beg your forgiveness, Kaoru-dono, but we can not let them see you and Aoi-sama together. Better for us all if they believe you to be involved with me." She said. At the mention of Aoi-chan's name, he looked around for her, and spotted her clinging to the banister of the steps, a fake smile on her lips.

"We…welcome home, Kaoru-sama." She said, her tone rough and barely holding together. Miyabi slowly stood.

"We need to talk, Kaoru-dono." She said softly. "Will you come with us, please?" she asked, indicating Aoi and herself. Numbly, he nodded, following the two upstairs to Miyabi's office. He was halfway up the stairs before he realized that he had a raging erection from the unexpected kiss. Glancing down, he saw that it had tented his pants out. Embarrassed, he looked up to see Aoi-chan glancing back at his tented pants. Oh, god! Not her! The girl's flaming cheeks were proof that she had seen it. He tried to covertly rearrange himself, but it wasn't working.

Entering Miyabi's office, the governess motioned Aoi to her own chair and Kaoru to the folding metal chair. Glancing around, he didn't see another chair. Miyabi stepped over to sit on the edge of her bed. "I know you must be wondering what happened yesterday night." Began Miyabi. "Aoi-sama and myself had wondered how to tell you this since last night, but neither of us could come up with a better way, so I will just tell you flat out." Miyabi paused to take a deep breath.

"Until Aoi is married, you can not be seen as anything other than landlord and tenant. That means no spending time with her alone, no dates, no holding hands, no nothing." Kaoru nodded slowly. Sounds pretty much like it is now, except a little more formal. "And, you need to have a visible lover." She added. Kaoru blinked.

"Excuse me?" he asked her. Miyabi looked him in the eye.

"I said you were to have a visible lover." She said slowly and clearly. Kaoru's eyes went to Aoi, who had tears in her eyes, but was nodding. "Since we have no time for other arrangements right now, I will be your lover." Said Miyabi, her tone a bit tense.

"Excuse me?" repeated Kaoru. She can't mean it like that! No way! He thought, shocked.

"I am to be your lover." Said Miyabi. "Any time you are seen outside this house with a girl, I am to be on your arm." Said the governess. Seeing his dumbfounded look, she sighed. "It's to keep the dissidents in check." She explained. "It's not a concern of the group if the governess is involved with a college boy, but it is if the heir is involved with a disowned Hanabishi. Do you follow?" she said. He slowly nodded. It takes away their leverage.

"Miyabi-san is underplaying it." Said Aoi softly. "She will suffer humiliation when this makes the rounds, Kaoru-sama." She said. "It is possible that father will have to remove her from service to the house to appease the other factions."

"But that would end this matter. And if my dismissal prevents any ill-repute from staining the honor of Aoi-sama, it is a cheap price to pay." Said Miyabi.

"But, Miyabi-san," began Kaoru. She held up her hand to forestall his words.

"I know. We don't even like each other, Kaoru-dono." She pre-empted him. Or at least, that's what you think. "But only we have to know that. I will do all I can to play your lover." She assured him.

"That…wasn't what I was going to say." He said slowly. Miyabi frowned.

"Is it about my age?" she guessed. "I'm only thirty one, Kaoru-dono." She pointed out. "And I can pass for younger, if you like." She said. Kaoru shook his head.

"It's not that either." He insisted. Miyabi frowned.

"Then what is it, Kaoru-dono?" she asked. "You do find me…attractive, right?" she asked, sounding a bit worried. An idea occurred to her. "Or is it that I look too much like an ex-girlfriend?" Aoi gasped, her hand covering her mouth.

"No, Aoi-chan." Said Kaoru, turning to Aoi. "I've never had a girlfriend, let alone a lover, before!" he told her urgently. She blinked at him. "What I was going to say…is that I'm a…virgin." He managed. Aoi's eyes got bigger. On the bed, Miyabi's own eyes got a bit bigger. This is not good. She thought, seeing the look in Aoi's eyes.

"Kaoru-sama!" cried Aoi, covering her eyes. "I…I…" she shook her head. Miyabi sighed.

"Kaoru-dono," she said softly. "We thought you would have at least had a girlfriend during the years between then and now. Aoi had thought that you had had another before, and could accept that. Now, she knows what she will sacrifice to be with you." Said the governess softly. That, Kaoru could grasp.

"Aoi-chan, I'm so sorry…" he said, all but leaping around the desk to hug her. "I didn't know…!" he began, only to have Aoi put a finger to his lips, silencing him. Slowly, she shook her head.

"I…I can take this." She said softly. "I can accept this because if I am strong now, we can be together as man and wife for the rest of our lives." She said, tears running down her cheeks. "I…I will be ok." She said. Slowly, she rose from the chair. "Please forgive me, Miyabi-san, but I feel tired. I will retire for the night." She said.

"Aoi-chan…!" began Kaoru, only to have Aoi touch his cheek.

"You promised me all would be well. I believe in you." Said the girl, caressing his cheek before turning and exiting the room. Kaoru took a single step to follow her, but Miyabi grabbed his arm, stopping him. When he looked at her, she shook her head. Sighing, he drooped a bit. Miyabi guided him to the edge of her bed and sat him down next to her.

"So, what now?" he asked her, his tone dead. Miyabi sighed.

"Now, we move forward." Said Miyabi simply. Kaoru made a snap decision.

"Before that, I have to do something." He said determinedly. "I'm going to call it a night." He said firmly, mind on other matters. Miyabi nodded.

"Probably best not to push it." She said softly, rising to follow him. To his surprise, she followed him to his room, covertly tugging his arm around her waist. "They're probably watching." She whispered softly. He nodded, drawing her a bit closer. She feels nice. He thought. Enter the small servants' quarters building, he debated dropping his arm, but Miyabi held it in place. "Better get used to this." She said, her tone practical. He nodded. Sliding his door open, he turned to her, only to have her kiss him again, this time her arms slid around his shoulders and played with his hair while she kissed him. Slowly, Kaoru slid his arms around her waist, feeling his dick harden against her belly.

Breaking the kiss, the woman leaned her head back, but left her hips pressed to his. Smiling a weak smile, she asked him a question that would have to be asked sooner or later. "Do you want to practice now?" she asked, nudging her hips to his, grinding against his dick. He feels somewhat large. She thought distractedly. What was more puzzling for her was that she felt heat building up in her own groin. Glancing down, she saw her nipples were erect and easily visible through her top. "It would…probably be a good time. With Aoi-sama in the main house and all." She said, unconsciously rubbing her hips against his. His breathing got a bit ragged.

Deciding that she might have to make the first move, Miyabi eased her hips back a bit and moved her hand down to his pants, gently touching him through his pants. He gasped when her hand made contact with his throbbing dick. Miyabi smiled at him and slowly stroked it a time or two. With her other hand, she reached up and unbuttoned her top, letting it fall free, revealing her large breasts. Kaoru's eyes fell to them. "You can touch them, you know." She said, her breath a bit fast. "I'm your lover, after all." She added, her free hand fumbling for the zipper to her short skirt. Finding it, she slid it down and tugged her skirt off, letting it drop to the floor of his room on top of her skimpy top. She felt his dick twitch. Standing in front of him in just her small panties, she paused for a second. Who would have thought I'd be doing this? She thought to herself.

Pushing that thought aside, she reached down with her second hand and began to undo his belt while her first hand slid up to his zipper and tugged it down. With his belt unfastened, she went to work on his pants, and soon had it unfastened, the slacks slipping off him, leaving him in his boxers. Miyabi closed her hand over his dick carefully, caressing him thought the thin material. He groaned at the touch. Miyabi flinched as she felt his hands tentatively touch her waist, above her panties. She smiled at him. "It's ok." She assured him. To further reinforce her point, she let go of his dick and hooked her thumbs into the waist of his boxers, easing them over his erection. Seeing his bare dick, she smiled. Very nice. She thought to herself approvingly. Once more, her hand closed over his throbbing member and she began to slowly stroke him, feeling some wetness on her hand. Well, he is a virgin. She mentally shrugged.

Her other hand captured one of his and guided it down to her own panty-clad groin, carefully helping him explore the region. She hummed as he began to clumsily stroke her on his own. Reaching over, she took his other hand and guided it to her breasts. "Don't forget these." She husked. He began to explore her hard-nippled breasts. Her groin was on fire now, and she decided to take the plunge. Taking his hand from her groin, she pushed his fingers into the waistband of the soaked panties and guided his hand down, stripping the panties off her as she went. Once they were at her knees, she twitched her legs and they fell free. She released his hand to see if he would pick up where he had left off.

His hand moved back north, touching her wet sex for a moment before moving up to capture her other breast. Panting, he leaned forward and hesitantly licked one nipple. Shivering, she had stroked his dick once more, then moved her hips forward, feeling his sensitive tip brush her wet lips. Feeling him pull his head back from her breasts, she had grabbed his head and moved it back to her breasts. Spreading her thighs a bit, she pushed forward, his hard dick slipping between her thighs to run full length between her we lips. "Do you want to move this to the bed?" she asked him, panting. She took his shallow thrust between her legs as a yes and moved back before taking his hand and leading him to the bed. Seeing that he was still wearing his shirt, she moved to take it off.

"Don't." he said, panting a bit. Seeing her curious look, he just shook his head. "It's not…pretty." He said. She frowned.

"What's not pretty?" she asked. He just shook his head once more. Shrugging, she lay down on his bed and guided him between her thighs. Quickly settling him, she had adjusted his position so he was properly aligned and then hooked her legs over his back. "Mmm. Ready, lover?" she purred, feeling him lean forward a bit more, his hard tip spreading her lips. Panting, he pressed forward, feeling her open to him. Pausing to move back out a bit, he pressed forward more, feeling himself sink deeper into her wet interior. "Yyyeeesss!" she hissed. "Like that." She was rewarded with him pushing harder into her, soon finding himself sheathed in her. He began to pump into her, gaining more and more speed as he did so. Miyabi felt an orgasm growing. It's been a while since I had sex. She thought in a tiny part of her mind.

It seemed barely a moment after he had begun to thrust into her that he began to tremble. "Ah!" he managed. "Gonna cum!" he warned her. Miyabi felt herself on the very edge of an orgasm. Almost there! She thought.

"Keep going." She panted. Kaoru grunted and thrust harder, his tip reaching her cervix. "Yeah! Right there!" yelled Miyabi. Three thrusts later, he shoved in as hard as he could and held still, his spasming dick discharging a huge amount of built-up cum into her. The feeling of his hot seed flooding her sent her over the edge. While not a huge orgasm, it was her first in more than ten years, so it felt huge to her. "Ahh!!!" she moaned, riding her orgasm. For several seconds they were both frozen, then Kaoru slowly collapsed on top of Miyabi. Both lay panting, Kaoru's dick still bottling her channel. Eventually, he managed to roll off her. Side by side, they recovered. Miyabi was first to regain her senses. "You were good, Kaoru-dono." She noted. He gave a tired grunt.

"It was amazing." He noted. "Still, I should have waited." He said, his tone a bit regretful. Miyabi turned on her side and studied him.

"What do you mean, Kaoru-dono?" she asked him. He took a deep breath.

"Miyabi-san," he began.

"You might want to get used to calling me `Miya-chan or Yabi-chan." She suggested. "Considering our…circumstances."

"Right." He muttered. "Miya-chan, I wanted to give something to Aoi-chan before…well, this." He said, making a vague motion to the two of them. "As it is, I still need to get her one before tomorrow night." He said resolutely. Miyabi was intrigued.

"Get her what, exactly." She asked, touching his cheek. Her turned to look at her.

"A ring." He said. "More specifically, and engagement ring." He said, his tone serious. Miyabi blinked.

"I…see." She said. "Tell you what," she said a moment later, "I'll get one while you're at school tomorrow. It will help reinforce the notion that we're a couple in the their minds." She added. "Anything you had in mind?" she asked. He shrugged.

"Not as such." He admitted, absently touching her arm. "It should be simple, but elegant, like her." Miyabi nodded.

"And it should be honest." She said quietly. He nodded.

"White gold would be nice, but it might not send the right signal." He mused. Miyabi nodded.

"It should have some regular gold in it, but it can be mixed. Maybe a twisted-chain pattern on a gold ring?" she suggested. He blinked.

"Yeah! That would look good on her finger!" he enthused. Reality crashed down. "But I probably can't afford it." He muttered. Miyabi thought about the quiet instructions from Aoi's mother.

"Tell you what, Kaoru-dono, give me what you had set aside and we'll see what I can do." She said. He nodded, yawning.

"Sure. I'll get it to you tomorrow." He said, his eyes drooping a bit. Miyabi hesitated a moment before speaking.

"Do you want me to stay here tonight?" she asked softly. He blinked.

"Do you think that Aoi-chan will come wake me like usual?" he asked her. She considered it and sighed.

"True. Better not make this more difficult than it is, right?" she said, getting up and reaching for her clothes. Stepping into her skirt, she tugged her top on and tucked her panties into her cleavage. Glancing at him, she saw that he was asleep. Sighing, she killed the light and closed his door before heading back to the main house. As she walked upstairs, she felt her pussy begin to seep. Freezing, her eyes got huge. Oh God, we didn't use any protection! She thought. Shaking herself loose of her horror, she swiftly ran upstairs and to her room, hurriedly grabbing her calendar. Let's see, my last period was here, so… she swiftly counted up the days. Oh, this is not good. She grimaced. It looks like I'm two days short of being safe! Setting her calendar down, she calmed her thoughts. Ok, it might be ok. So, let's not run screaming for the doctor. Also, we need to make sure that Aoi doesn't find out about it if something does happen. Now, let's see: we need a doctor's appointment to get some more convenient birth control, and we need so interim birth control, so I better get some condoms. What else…? Miyabi made notes on her planner as she worked out the next days necessary tasks for herself and Aoi. With several new items notes, she closed her day planner and reached for a towel. For now, it was bath time, then bed time.