"Kendo Wife - Magic Hour"

By MakKeiUra

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DISCLAIMER: I do not own Love Hina, Ken Akamatsu does. This is a non-for-profit work of fanfiction with no monies or profit being made from it. No copyright infringement is intended.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This little series owes an obvious debt to Hawker-748's "Loss and Redemption." I must acknowledge that debt with humility and admiration. Random1377's "Steel Rose" also gets props, as well. I also wish to express thanks to Quis Custodiet. If Hawker-748 showed the way with his fics, QC pried the door back open with his. Acknowledgement to Frank Herbert's classic novel "Dune" for an obvious line lift.

RATING WARNING: This story is rated M for Mature for a reason. Adult situations and content involving a clumsy apartment manager and a sword-swinging raven haired goddess lay ahead.

000

Keitaro stretched the sleep from his body as he smoothly slipped out from underneath the covers of his and Motoko's shared futon. He smirked in amusement at recalling his question to Motoko prior to their wedding if he should procure for them a western style bed. Keitaro remembered all the times since his arrival at the Hinata Inn when he would daydream about getting an actual honest to Kami bed to sleep in after his exhausting days, just like at his parents house in Kyoto, but Motoko told him flatly that his back is very important to both of them and that was that.

Keitaro looked up, smiling in the pre-dawn gloom as Motoko dressed in her gi and hakama. Next to her, hanging on their old fashioned changing screen was his own gi and hakama. He caught her gaze, then, her soft smile. No words. Just that.

Keitaro nodded to himself, returning the smile. He had changed. While he was still Keitaro with his determined dream to attend Tokyo U (and graduate) he now had a career focus in archeology and a life-focus in becoming a kendoka of the God's Cry School. Those two accomplishments paled in comparison to his ki grounding as Motoko's apprentice and husband.

They had already greeted the coming morning in each others arms. Motoko reluctantly but lovingly disentangling her arms from his as she always allowed him an extra few minutes while the morning sun had not even begun piercing the curtain of night in the eastern sky. He knew once the sun arose then it would be Sensei and kohei until a break for lunch and then on until sundown.

Keitaro silently went to where his gi and hakama hung and began to dress. He dressed properly, Motoko's training having long since made how to attire himself as a kendoka second nature. Keitaro still felt her eye on him as he stepped into his hakama, though, as both sensei and wife.

"Good weather today, I expect." Motoko spoke with ease. The first words between them after the customary "good morning" and "I love you" before rising from their futon.

"Light chores and study today," Keitaro smiled.

He had used the meditation techniques Motoko had taught him to focus his attention and energy in the most efficient way to complete what needed to be done with his studies and his duties as kanrinin in the days before. As such, he had more time today to devote to training.

A wry half smile from Motoko, a flash in her green eyes. "More time, then."

Keitaro chuckled.

000

After selecting that days' shinai's and bokkens, Motoko and Keitaro silently made their way from the Manager's room through the still sleeping house. Only a particle of dust would have been disturbed, if Keitaro's disciplined scrubbing and polishing had allowed dust to even settle on the floorboards in the first place.

Kendo wife and husband soon exited out onto the deck. The waning light of the moon glittering east on the pre-dawn waters of Sagami Bay in the distance over the trees and down the hill. The horizon softly glowed in the east; promising the rising sun's blessing on their marital practice.

Motoko and Keitaro stopped. She took a few strides forward, and closed her eyes. Complete silence save for the chirping of night birds and the rustle of leaves in the light breeze. Motoko opened her eyes, she had found that morning's ki. She directed Keitaro where to put their shinais and bokkens. Motoko smiled, it was going to be a good practice.

Keitaro efficiently went to the directed spot and placed their practice equipment down. Motoko's husband apprentice did this flawlessly. His bare foot simply seemed fated in that moment to slip on on some early morning dew that had collected on that one deck board. Keitaro slipped, skidding forward.

"...-aaaaahhhh!" His voice found itself as he tried to regain his footing. Keitaro put his arms into it for good measure.

'Kei-kun just being Kei-kun.' Motoko thought in that cliched slow motion split half second before, despite his best efforts, he tried to avoid colliding with Motoko.

Kendo Wife and husband went tumbling down in a most ungraceful heap. Motoko managed the beginning of a sound of some kind before they both ended up sitting facing each other, bottoms sitting on the deck, legs interlocked with each other.

"S-s-sorry Motoko-chan…" He blushed furiously, then: "I mean 'sensei.'"

"It is not yet dawn, Kei-kun." Motoko smirked softly. Partly in reaction to her husband's reaction to one of his trademark pratfalls, and partly at her ease in accepting it considering her past views regarding men. In particular *this* man before her. Also, the purely ridiculous sight they must up on the deck, asses on the floorboards, sitting cross legged, entangled together was not lost on the dedicated kendoka of the God's Cry School.

Keitaro made the first move to disentangle themselves, but found his hand shifting up to Motoko's covered right breast. His hand did not even accidentally slip beneath the fold of her gi to grace her chest wrappings, his hand just brushed against the top.

That was all Motoko needed. A shared glint in their eyes the signal.

Keitaro smirked, little moments like this he loved to tease his wife. "Does Aoyama-sama wish their spouse to make love to them?"

Motoko matched the smirk. "Do you refer to yourself or myself?"

"We share the same name," Keitaro deadpanned.

When he pulled off a deadpan tease like that in intimate moments; it playfully annoyed her. "Yes, of course she does, you dense klutzy, wonderful perverted male you are!"

Keitaro smiled.

They kissed.

There was a fairly disorganized rustle of clothes. A soft moan.

"... we have to-" Motoko whispered as she licked Keitaro's lips. "-be swift, husband!" She moaned as he reached under her gi to grace her bound breasts.

"...yes..." Keitaro simply nodded in the affirmative and kissed her roughly again. She had taught him well in not wasting valuable seconds with invaluable words.

They began assisting each other out of their clothes. Motoko hands knowing the quickest ways to undress her husband. Gi over his head in one move with Keitaro's easy compliance amid a hungry liplock and moan (who the moan belonged to neither could tell), after that Motoko's fingers easily dug in, relieving Keitaro of his hakama; the pads of her index finger under his bottom instructing her student to lift up and shimmy his hips out of the traditional pants.

They broke the kiss for air, and only that as Keitaro felt the dawn chill now only in his sheer white cotton boxers; which almost felt like wearing nothing at all in the morning. Motoko's thoughts were running in the same direction; if a bit impatiently. Keitaro barely had begun laying kisses on Motoko's neck when she grasped the sides of his shorts and tore them from his hips; leaving Keitaro naked and hardening in the gloom.

Motoko reluctantly broke the kiss and stood silent and proud above her student and love. Keitaro gazed up at her form standing against the growing light of the eastern sky, the silhouetted form of his wife and instructor arousing him more.

Their eyes locked. Motoko's steel green eyes meeting Keitaro's welcoming brown eyes. No words needed still; precious time would have been wasted.

In three deft movements Motoko was out of her gi, hakama and panties in an almost blinding flash. Then she was on him, Keitaro barely having a chance to breath before his lips found themselves returning a fevered kiss from his wife and his hands cupping her still wrapped chest. A half smirk from Keitaro as he angled himself just so, his manhood already nearly painful in its rigidity. With a small half-gasp, Motoko corrected, well, her aim as she settled her already wet flower on her husband's staff. His hotness effortlessly parting her moist petals; causing an actual mixed groan/gasp of ecstasy from the married Kendo couple.

Keitaro moved first within her, their eyes the only communication. In response, Motoko arched her back and soon a rocking, rolling rhythm established itself between them. Quick gasps, breathless half-whispers, and the feeling of sweat soaked skin-upon-skin as hands explored and loved the other. As the eastern sky began to brighten, and the shadows began to lift from the deck, the movements quickened, became more frenzied, and the husky vocalizations rose in a pitch… then… a shudder, the soft rustling again of flesh meeting and resting.

By the time the full rays of the sun touched the wood of the deck boards, Keitaro and Motoko (fully and properly dressed) were stoically practicing their kendo katas. The tattered remnants of Keitaro's boxers in a small waste basket.

It really was a good practice.

Such a good practice the two never heard the soft footsteps retreating back down the deck staircase.

000

Motoko was about to leave the hot spring when she was met by Shinobu.

"M-motoko-sempai!" the younger high school student and chef greeted.

"Shinobu-san," Motoko nodded in respect and greeting. She smiled. "Taking the opportunity for a bath alone before dinner?" Motoko winked while she lowered her voice in an unconscious imitation of her Big Sis.

Shinobu blushed some, but her next words were steady. "Yes, I find it very… freeing."

"Freeing?" Motoko asked, curious. Certainly Shinobu was no longer the blushing petite little girl who arrived at the Inn escaping a broken home but her choice of words and manner of bearing marked themselves to Motoko for further scrutiny.

And perhaps some mischief too as Motoko had steadily come to think of herself as Shinobu's surrogate elder sister-and Kitsune (and Naru, to an extent) as crazy aunts whose influence had to be curtailed.

"Er, y-yes," Shinobu stammered. Her eyes doing their best not to meet her gaze. "Freeing of… tension." A sharp blush from the bluenette.

Now fully intrigued, Motoko took a step closer to Shinobu. "Is there anything else the matter, Shinobu-san?". Motoko studied Shinobu intently.

"Well, um no... " Shinobu's eyes were downcast for a straight minute. Protective instinct almost took over Motoko-Shinobu would not be acting in this way if something was definitely not amiss. In the past, Motoko would have jumped to conclusions about the only male who was around but now she knew better about him and about (most) men in general. Still, that did not leave out the possibility of something happening at Tokyo U for Shinobu to be apprehensive about or even if something occurred regarding her family (still a very sore spot for the young chef).

"You can tell me, Shinobu-chan," Motoko said gently.

At that, Shinobu's head shot up and Motoko paused. The younger girl wasn't ashamed, she was just embarrassed! But what could have brought this on..?

"Well, um," Shinobu began pushing her two index fingers together as it seemed even they turned red. "... is it… normal… that is to say… is S-s-sempai like a normal man?"

Motoko blinked, completely lost. "Like a normal man? Kei-kun? Shinobu-chan what on earth are you talking about?"

"...his… size…" Shinobu shuffled her feet in place.

"Well," Motoko shrugged, "he is of average height for a man from what I have observed, though I am hardly an expert."

Shinobu sighed loudly in extreme embarrassment and a bit of annoyance.

"No, his… his…!" Shinobu's eyes went wide.

"Muscle build?" Motoko ventured; still feeling lost in the conversation. How could a simple question about Keitaro's appearance cause so much bashfulness in Shinobu?

"... his p-p-p…!"

Motoko's eyes widened; matching Shinobu's. Her face now matched the extreme blush as well.

"Ohhhh." Motoko's mouth formed a little 'o' as unbidden images of her husband naked filled her mind; especially *that* part of him.

Abruptly, Motoko put two and two together. She felt a sweat drop form on her head. "Why do you ask, Shinobu-chan?" Motoko fought to keep the quiver out of her voice, trying like hell to sound innocent.

"It… looks… bigger… than all the times he would end up… well, naked around the Inn." Shinobu felt great pride at getting almost a whole sentence out amid her crushing embarrassment.

"I-I see." Motoko said very quietly. Inwardly, the Aoyama swordswoman resigned herself to the reality that Shinobu had seen them that morning. "Tell me, how did you see?"

Shinobu sighed, shaking her head. "I woke up early to go get that new extra tall tea at that little tea hut down the street from Haruka's; it's English Black Tea… one Haruka doesn't stock, and I wanted to see the sun come up first, so…" she returned to studying her feet again.

"Do not worry," Motoko said. "I will not tell Haruka-san."

"Th-thank you, Motoko-san!" Shinobu's eyes shined as she raised them to meet Motoko's again.

"But still you saw something very private between a wife and her husband." Motoko said seriously.

"I apologize." Shinobu looked down again.

"It is all right." Motoko sighed. "I suppose it is not the most embarrassing event in the world."

"And you two were outdoors, too." Shinobu stated.

Motoko blushed again. "Yes, we were." She shook her head. "Please do not tell the others."

"No, of course not!" Shinobu shook her head. "... just, may I ask you… about him? Is he normal size for a man?"

Motoko sighed. "Times like this I wish my sister was here."

Shinobu's eyes sparkled. "You think… sh-she'd talk to me?"

"Of course she would, Shinobu-chan," Motoko smiled thinly, while groaning inside. 'And Big Sis would find a way to drag me along and try to make me die of bashfulness talking about men's… well, manhoods,' Motoko thought morosely. "I can… give you her address for you to send a letter-it would be more private." 'And change the subject of this conversation.' Motoko hoped.

Shinobu nodded. "I would like that very much, Motoko-san." She smiled.

"Well," Motoko smiled back, "if you will excuse me-"

"-but I still really wish to know more about sempai and men!" Shinobu nearly blurted out.

'If wishes were fishes we would all cast nets,' Motoko thought miserably. She took a moment to compose her thoughts.

"P-please, Motoko-san?" Shinobu implored.

"Very well," Motoko closed her eyes, took a deep breath… then grinned. "It is none of your business, Shinobu-chan."

The petite bluenette mouth gaped open, snapped shut. "Um… Motoko-san?"

Motoko, still with that grin on her face. "I said before what you saw was very private between a wife and her husband and will keep it at that. Save this bit of wisdom that I *did* learn from my Big Sister; no two men are alike. But the one you will love and love you back would make… well, intimate love work between you two by any means necessary."

The question and confusion was plain on Shinobu's face. This really was not the answer she wanted to hear. She wanted details, damn it, something juicy like what Naru and Kitsune would say just with more maturity and less hyperbole!

Motoko noticed a glint in Shinobu's eye, briefly wondered at it.

The chef half smiled. "Well, you two *were* naked outdoors, Motoko-san."

A slight blush from Motoko, but still the grin on her face. "Guilty as charged," the samurai waved her hands in front of her; conceding the point. 'She has certainly picked that up from Konno-san,' Motoko thought miserably. 'Crazy aunt, indeed,' Motoko began searching for another way out of her immediate predicament.

Motoko's grin turned into a slight smirk.

Sensing her opportunity in swiftness, she again politely excused herself, reminded the younger girl about the offer of Tsuruko's address, bowed to Shinobu and was out the door of the hot springs before Shinobu could open her mouth again.

Now alone Shinobu sighed, shaking her head, then blushed as unbidden images returned to her of how Keitaro had looked naked… she decided she could be content with what she saw. With that, and a sense of peace (and heat) Shinobu returned to getting ready for a quick bath before preparing dinner.

000

A week later…

"Ladies! Kendo boy! Mail call!" Naru called as she shimmied the front door closed with her bottom while carrying two arm-fulls of mail.

Naru had barely placed the bundle (mostly consisting of one box and various other envelopes, some racing magazines for Kitsune, junk mail, and some bills) on the table in the foyer when her assorted housemates and her landlord/study partner/surrogate big brother came to collect what was theirs and discard what was unnecessary.

For the most part, the next five minutes passed fairly uneventfully as this was done. Shinobu proceeded to open the box addressed to her (not out of the ordinary, she frequently got cookbooks and kitchen accessories by mail order) and Kitsune attempted to throw away a couple of credit card bills in the trash but was stopped by the combined efforts of Naru, Keitaro and Motoko. Suu ate her mail and Sara promptly set hers on fire with a small pocket lighter that Motoko swiftly confiscated as Keitaro put the mini-blaze out while Naru gave the American girl a swift smack on the back of the head amid a proper teacher lecture on the dangers of playing with fire.

The Hinata Inn gang soon started to adjourn from the foyer after things settled down, when Shinobu uttered a loud: "Auuu!" and blushed a deep red and almost fainted on the spot.

"Shinobu-chan!" Keitaro immediately went to make sure she did not fall down; but she waved him off and blushed even more.

"What's up, sugah?" Kitsune asked, then glanced down at the open box and what Shinobu had pulled out of it.

"Um, no need to look, Kitsun-"

"Well, well, well!" The fox tittered. "Looks like a genuine Marriage Manual with detailed illustrations."

"Shinobu, did you order that?" Naru asked.

Suu munched on her mail as she looked back and forth between Shinobu blushing sharply, Kitsune laughing and Naru suspecting. Motoko and Keitaro watched with curious expressions as Sara simply shrugged and went off to the common room to play video games.

"Um," Shinobu looked up at Naru. "Not directly, no."

"Directly?" Naru asked incredulously and took a step forward as Kitsune started to guffaw with laughter after seeing what was in the box with the book.

"Hmm," Naru picked up a sheet of parchment. "It's a note-!" her eyes shot over to Motoko. "It's from your sister!"

"What?!" Keitaro and Motoko asked in unison.

Naru looked at the note, she read aloud; "Dear Shinobu-san, I have enclosed a copy of the same edition of the Marriage Manual I gifted to Motoko-han and your Manager-san before their nuptials. It is the best guide to what Motoko-han and Keitaro-chan were doing naked on the deck that morning! I pray it illuminates and stimulates and will help you prepare for your own dear husband when the time comes. My husband and I would be honored to attend your wedding if you so choose. Sincerely, Tsuruko."

Naru dropped the note, looking up at Keitaro and Motoko. "Naked on the deck?! The fuck's this about?!"

"It's all my fault!" Shinobu threw up her hands. "I should not have been snooping! That's the last time I'll ever get up before dawn for English Black Tea again!" She looked over at the box and hefted it up in her arms and practically ran off, calling over her shoulder: "Dinner will be ready soon!" With that, she was gone.

Naru gave an even glare from Motoko to Keitaro, eventually she just sighed, shrugged, and pointed at Keitaro's and Motoko's noses in turn. "You two really need to learn to keep your hakamas' on outside the house!"

Both Keitaro and Motoko blinked, shared a look, then swiftly bowed deeply. "Yes, Narusegawa-sensei. We apologize!" Again, answering in unison.

Naru gave a dismissive wave as she left the room. "See you all at dinner. I've got more grading to do."

With a blush the married Kendo couple gave a nod to Kitsune and swiftly retreated, Keitaro mumbling something about filing the bills.

"Hmm," Kitsune mused out loud to Suu, "something naughty happened and I had nothing to do with it. Strange feeling."

"Hmmhmm!" Suu munched on some more mail. She nodded towards one of Kitsune's credit card bills. "Kitsu want?"

"Nope, have at it!" Kitsune grinned as she handed the one she thought (to the best of her recollection) had the smallest balance due to Suu. With that, both Kitsune and Suu wandered off to enjoy the last bit of the early evening before dinner was served.

000

The End.

AFTERWARD: I humbly apologize for the long wait for this chapter, and I appreciate everyone who still reads/follows "Kendo Wife" and "Reforged." Some may feel a bit disappointed by this chapter's brevity and simplicity, but sometimes a KW adventure will be simple, other times not-so-simple. Sometimes more Adult than less Adult or something in between.

Yes, I still managed to put a "Dune" quote in there.

I am putting myself back in the game because the world needs more Aoyama magic. Catch y'all down the trail. ;-)