Akai Ito (The Red Thread)

Rain drummed on Justin's head as he slowly walked home from the college one gloomy morning. He only had one morning class that day and with it over, he would have nothing to do for the rest of the day. He sighed as he pulled his jacket tighter to block a chill.

Looks like I'm spending yet another Valentine's Day alone. He thought to himself. He was an American exchange student trying to make it in Japan. His recently deceased grandfather had left him a house in his will in Japan. With no real reason to stay in the states, Justin decided to move to Japan and get the chance to experience a new culture. He had gotten more than he had been expecting one he had gotten there.

It was three and a half years ago. Justin was 20 years old and trying to make something of himself, to see more of the world while he could. His grandpa had left a house in Japan in in Justin's name as well as a substantial amount of money.

He had no family. His mother passed away and his disgrace of a father had disowned him. He had no siblings that he knew of either. Nor did he have any friends. No one would be there to miss him so Justin took his belongings and what his granddad left him and headed to Japan.

He was riding in a taxi, heading to the address printed on the deed. Thankfully, the driver was patient with Justin as he looked through his English to Japanese dictionary seeing as he didn't really speak that much Japanese at all.

"Koko de ha," Justin said to the driver. "Kore ha adores desu."

The driver nodded and slowed down to a stop. The cab came to a halt in front of a rather nice looking house. Justin climbed out of the cab and grabbed his bags before paying the driver.

"Arigatou." He told the driver after looking quickly through his dictionary.

"Hijixyou ni kangei sa re, nippon he youkoso." The driver replied with a smile before driving away. Justin sighed before gathering up his things and started to make his way inside.

As soon as he entered the house, Justin found himself in what appeared to be a small room. He removed his shoes and set his bags down. He decided that he was going to check out his new home before putting his things away.

He carefully opened a sliding shoji door, something that appeared to be a cultural design that was very common in Japan. Justin then found himself in a cozy little den. A door off of that room opened up into a dining room fitted with the traditional low set table. Justin had remembered reading up on how it was a cultural custom on how in most homes in Japan, they didn't use "chairs" at the dining table…but they merely sat on their feet while on pillowed cushions.

"Looks like I'm gonna have to get use to that custom also." He chuckled to himself. He continued down a hallway that branched off from the den. He looked in on the bathroom. It was somewhat different from a typical American style bathroom, but he should be able to quickly get used to it. The other doors leading off the hallway were to bedrooms.

The first room was kinda small and Justin assumed it was more like a guest room. As he opened the door to the second room, Justin was immediately met by a wall of darkness. The thick curtains were drawn tightly closed. As he reached along the wall for a light switch, a low growl met his ears.

Suddenly, a pair of glowing eyes flashed from the far side of the room. There was a second, louder, growl. Justin didn't plan on sticking around to find out what it was. He turned and ran down the hall as fast as he could. As he reached the den, his socks could no longer keep traction with the hard-wood flooring and he slipped and fell. Justin was momentarily stunned as his head hit the floor.

He rolled over and tried to sit up but was instantly pinned down by two paws on his chest. He could feel the animal's breath on his face as it growled again, its claws tightening on his chest.

Suddenly, it stopped. Still dazed from his fall, it took a moment for Justin's gaze to focus on the creature on top of him. It was a dog…but not a normal dog. In fact, the more he focused on it, he soon realized that it wasn't a dog at all but a wolf. Its fur was a pure snowy white and it had cherry red markings on its head, face, and shoulders.

The wolf starred at him curiously. Then, it bent low and began to sniff him. Justin dared not move fearing that the wolf might attack him if he did. Suddenly, the wolf released him and sat down in front of him.

"Do not worry, human." It said telepathically. "I am Amaterasu and I mean you no ill harm."

Justin would never forget the day he met Ammy. He would also never forget when she told him that she was a goddess that was something of a guardian angel to his family. His great great great grandfather had rescued her many years ago and she felt inclined to repay him for his kindness. So, she agreed to look after the future generations to come in his bloodline.

"At least I have Ammy." He said to himself. "I guess I truly won't be alone today."

On that thought, he quickened his pace so Ammy wouldn't be home alone for much longer. At first, Justin thought that it would be awkward living with deity but over the past few years, they had really grown on one another.

A wave of relief washed over him when his house came into view. He quickly but carefully made his way up the steps and made his way inside. He set his bag aside on a little table.

"Ammy, I'm home!" he called out as he slipped off his shoes.

"I'm in the den!" she replied.

He made his way to the den and found the wolf goddess sitting on a pillow in meditation.

"Oh, sorry." Justin said quietly. "I didn't mean to interrupt your meditations."

"That is alright." She replied getting up. "I was just about to stop anyway."
She padded over to him and reared up on her hind legs, placing her paws on his shoulders. She then gave him a light lick on the cheek. It was her odd little comparison to a human kiss. Justin gave her a brief hug before she got down.

"How was your day?" she asked.

"Good I guess. It was short. Would have been a little better if it wasn't pouring while I walked home."

"You know you could have taken the bus or a cab."

"I know, I know…but I didn't really see the point when we live just a couple blocks down from the college."

"Well, if you intended on walking, you should have at least brought an umbrella. You're gonna get sick one of these days."

"I know…I'm sorry."

Justin kinda hated how Ammy treated him like a child. Well, technically, she was a few thousand years old and he only 23 so in a way, he was a child to her. It was just one of her sides she had with him. At times, she was like a really good friend and companion to have and at times she was more of a motherly figure; be it a four-legged one, but a motherly one none the less.

"So, what did you have planned for the day?" she asked.

"Nothing much." He replied. "I guess I was just going to hang around the house, maybe get a little cleaning done or something."

Again…Ammy thought to herself. "Oh…okay." She replied.

Justin walked off into the kitchen. Ammy hung back to think about something.

It looks like he is spending another Valentine's Day to himself again. She thought. I really wish he could find someone. I hate seeing him get so depressed every time this time of the year comes around.

Just then, Justin popped his head into the den, rousing Ammy from her thoughts.

"I was just about to start lunch…do you want anything?" he asked.

"Sure," she replied. "I could go for a bite to eat."

During lunch, Ammy couldn't help but notice that something was troubling Justin. She was sure she knew what was bothering him, but she didn't feel like bringing it up. After they had eaten, Justin cleaned up the kitchen while Ammy looked on. She couldn't take it anymore; she had to say something.

"Justin, are you feeling alright?" she asked.

"Yea," he replied. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"I don't know." She replied. "It's just…I can sense something is bothering you."

Great…is it that obvious? He asked himself. Then again, with the mental bond between them, it was pretty hard to keep things from her. "Oh, it's nothing." He replied. "I guess the weather has put a damper on my mood. I was kinda looking forward to enjoying the evening in the park, but now…" He trailed off as if to imply his previous statement.

"Oh," Ammy said rather put off. "Just remember, if things start troubling you…meditating really helps."

With that, she turned and walked out the room. Justin stood there rooted on the spot.

"Maybe she's right." He told himself. "I have been putting off my meditations lately. Maybe they will help."

So, after he had cleaned the kitchen; Justin decided to return to the den for a little meditation. Ammy must have had to do something because he didn't see her in the room, He eventually decided to stop stalling and get into his meditating.

He started off like Ammy had taught him. He sat cross-legged on his cushion and closed his eyes. After taking a few deep breaths, he then began to expand his mind to get a feel of the world around him. This had taken him a while to get the hang of, but with Ammy's guidance, he had mastered it.

Justin pictured himself sitting upon a smooth stone in the center of a cherry orchard. A light breeze was blowing carrying cherry blossom petals as it went. He never figured out why, but he always pictured himself in the orchard every time he meditated. He was alone to his thoughts.

"Alone…" Justin thought. "…always seems like…"

He came to and found himself back in the den. Clearly, this was something that meditating on wouldn't work. He stood up and stretched his legs. As he did, Ammy entered the room.

"Done already?" She asked curiously.

"No…"he replied bluntly. "It's just not working out for me. I think I'm gonna go get me a shower and call it a day." And with that, Justin walked out the room leaving Ammy alone.

"Ooh, Justin." She sighed to herself. "I wish I knew what I could do to help you get over this loneliness." Just then, an idea came to her. "And maybe I can."

The only problem with her idea was that it required a good bit of energy. Also, it was a rather bold move to make. She hoped that Justin would not be put off by her forwardness. After all…the idea had to work. She had to do something to help him. So, she headed off to his room to get ready.

Meanwhile, Justin was in the middle of enjoying a nice hot shower. After walking home in the cold rain…a hot shower felt like paradise. His mind wandered to Ammy.

"I really shouldn't be getting mad at her…" he told himself. "Besides, she's just trying to help me."

Now that he thought about it, Ammy had always been there for him ever since they met. If he found himself being cold at night, she would always curl up next to him while he slept to provide some extra warmth. If he was upset over something, she was always there to calm him down or make him feel better. Hell, more than once, she had gotten his tail outta trouble."

"She's always been there for me…and I feel like I have almost never been there for her." He shut the water off and climbed out of the shower. "I should do something nice for her this evening. Maybe I'll make her a nice dinner or something."

His mind reeled about possible ways to show Ammy that he cared for her as he dried himself off and got dressed. He then proceeded to make his way down the hall to his room. As he tossed his clothes into his hamper, the door quickly shut behind him. Before he could turn to see why, Justin found himself lying back on his bed. There was a sudden weight on top of him and he looked with wide eyes.

"A-Ammy?" he asked. She no longer had her four-legged wolf form, but more of an anthropomorphic bipedal form. She was completely naked and he found himself blushing heavily and he turned to look away.

"Yes?" she asked in a drawn out, sweet tone as she trailed her hand down his chest.

"Wh…what are you doing?" he managed to ask.

"What?" She asked as if there was nothing new. "Don't you like my new form?" She struck a rather suggestive pose which made Justin blush even more.

"It's…it's a rather nice form." He replied stumbling with his words. "I-I-I am just trying to figure out…what it is…you're doing."

"Well, I figured that since you seemed to be having a rather lonely day; I thought I could do something to make you…less lonely."

"You mean..." he asked. Ammy just giggled. Justin's eyes grew wide once again and he quickly found the strength to sit up. This forced Ammy to relocate to a sitting position on the foot of his bed. "Wait-wait-wait!" he said. "You're not seriously suggesting that we…"

Ammy looked on as if expecting him to finish his sentence.

"Well…you know what I mean." He finished.

"And why not?" she replied as she traced a path along hit leg with a lone finger.

"Well…it-it just seems kinda weird don't you think?"

"How so..?"

"Well, you are a wolf-like deity and I'm just a human."

"And that means we can't have a little fun with getting to know one another a little better?"

"Well, uuh…it's just…dammnit. Why are you pressing this on this so much, Ammy?"

"Because, you've done so much for me, I thought that I should do something to help you. It really upsets me when you get like this." She turned away, unable to look at him at that moment. "I really hate seeing you get so upset and depressed. Sometimes it makes me feel like it's my fault."

"What…no…no." He said moving closer and placing a hand on her shoulder. "It's never your fault. The fault is all mine." She looked at him confused. "It's…it's just, well…I've never really been in a relationship with someone. I wouldn't know where to begin if I managed to find the right girl and all that stuff."

"So, that's it..?" she asked. "It's not me?" He shook his head. She suddenly wrapped him in a hug. He began to blush more as she was still nude and her breasts were now pressing up against his chest.

"What brought this on?" he asked. "You said that I had done so much for you, but what have I done to get this much of a reaction?"

"I'm over three thousand years old." She replied. "When you have lived for that long, you find that you don't need much to keep you happy. Just having you here as a close companion is all I need."

"So, you're really adamant about this aren't you?" he asked.

She gestured to her current form and posture. "Do you really need to ask?" she replied.

"I guess not…but I'm still a little uneasy about all this?"

"What still has you unsettled?"

"We have known each other for about four years now and during this time there were several cases where I pictured you more as a mother."

"So don't look at me as you mother and look at me as a really close friend. That should make things a little easier."

"I guess so…"

"Good." She said pushing him back and reassuming her position on top of him. "So lie back and we will see what I can do for my little boy." He suddenly stopped her.

"You see…that right there." He pointed out. "That isn't helping your case."

She just laughed before she proceeded to undo his belt and pants. She couldn't help but notice that even with the joking aside; Justin was still very tense.

"Are you still nervous?" she asked.

"Well…yea." He nodded. "You see…well, this…this is. This is my first time…"

"Is that what really has been getting you all worked up?"

"Well, there is that and the fact that you are an anthropomorphic wolf goddess." He pointed out. "Why shouldn't I be all worked up?"

"Well then…how do you say it…'this isn't my first rodeo.' How about I get things started and you just let your instincts take over?"

Justin swallowed and she just smiled. Then, in a slow yet fluid motion, she pulled his shirt up over his head and tossed it aside as she pressed her body against his. She then pressed her lips to his. The difference in the mouths threw them off for a moment but it wasn't long before they found a way to make it work.

Justin was surprised by Ammy's sudden forwardness and she slipped her broad flat tongue into his mouth. He did as she said and let his instincts take over. He wrapped his arms around her as he slid his tongue along hers. She moaned lightly into his mouth which only seemed to spur him on.

He tried kissing her along her neck which she replied to with shallow gasps and light moans. She began to rub her body against his. It was then that he noticed that she had removed his pants and boxers.

The feeling of Ammy grinding against his hardening erection pushed him over the edge and with a light growl; Justin flipped her onto her back so now she was the one looking up at him. For a moment, she had a timid side to her as she seemed surprised by him taking over. She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into a deep kiss.

"I love a strong male who can take charge." She breathed into his ear. He resumed kissing her as he prepared himself to take that next step.

"Are you ready?" he asked her finally as he felt his head rub against her wet lips.

"I've been ready for this for some time now." She replied.

With a final kiss, Justin pushed on, groaning slightly as he felt her warm walls envelop him entirely. Ammy released a cute little cry as he entered her. He waited a brief moment, giving her a kiss as he did, before he started to gently thrust his hips back and forth.

"Ooh yes…" she moaned. "I've waited for this moment for some time now."

She interlocked her fingers behind his neck as he drove on, occasionally kissing her along her neck and chest. Her moans and cries became louder as he began to pick up speed with his movements.

"More!" she cried.

Justin replied by increasing his speed even more. This made Ammy cry out even more. She was breathing heavily while Justin continued to passionately ravage her.

"OH YES!" she screamed as she hit her limit and came. "DON'T STOP!"

He put in one final burst of speed before he hit his mark. Justin groaned as the muscles of her walls seemed to almost clench around his throbbing member; squeezing out every last bit of warm seed he had for her.

He fell with an exasperated huff next to her. Ammy took a moment to collect herself and catch her breath before speaking up.

"See…" she panted. "That wasn't…so bad…now was it…?"

"No…" he replied. "But now I have to figure out what I am going to do for you tonight. I had planned on making you a special Valentine's dinner but now that doesn't seem like it can even compete with your gift."

"Oh, dinner sounds lovely." She replied. "But if you feel like that isn't enough…you can always see if you can best me in a second round."

"I just might have to try." He replied with a sly grin. He pulled her close and gave her a quick kiss. "Thank you…thank you for making this Valentine's Day one to remember."

"You're welcome." She replied sweetly. "And thank you for doing the same. But I still have one more gift for you." She slipped a bracelett on his right wrist. It was made of roughly woven red string.

"What's this?" he asked.

"It is called "akai ito" or the "red thread". It's a symbolic gift that is often given in Japan."

"Really, what does it mean?"

Watashi ha anata no gawa de ka dou ka da ka dou ka dare ka ta no hito to no kankei akai moji retsu ga ari masu."

"And that means?"

"Whether I'm by your side or not, there's a red string that ties someone with someone else."

He smiled as he hugged her and gave her a passionate kiss.

"Thank you." He replied. "I am going to treasure this forever."

She smiled happily at his response and snuggled closer to him in their warm embrace.

"Anata wo aishi te kudasai." He said softly as he kissed the top of her head.

"I love you, too, Justin." she replied before their tired bodies lured them into a warm slumber in one another's arms.