Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

After a little over an hour and a half, Vahn and Haruhime had brought their short tryst to an end. Though they could have both continued much longer, Vahn could see that Haruhime's was flickering about as a sign of her distress, even though she didn't show any signs of it through her actions. He had already healed her body, but the internal struggle she went through had exhausted her mental energies a bit and she would likely have to take a nap soon. The most obvious signs of this were the little fox that was already sleeping on his chest as Haruhime used his shoulder as a pillow with her leg intertwined with his. She still showed a willingness to continue but wasn't going to press Vahn since it was very clear that he had seen through her fatigued mental state.

Vahn caressed the small fox with his right hand while holding Haruhime close with his left arm. It was very interesting because her body showed signs of the same stimulus as the fox and Vahn knew this went both ways, very similar to the bond between Maemi and Emiru. Haruhime made a 'muuu' sound just as this thought crossed his mind and she said, "I want you to think about me when we're alone like this. Though I have no problems with the other girls, this is a special moment..." Vahn rubbed his hand along her arm as he held her close and said, "Sorry, I was comparing the bond between you and the little fox to Maemi and Emiru. I wasn't really thinking about them that much..."

Haruhime's ears twitched as she turned her eyes to the small fox and said, "I'm afraid that she might inconvenience you a bit in the future..." Since the little fox seemed 'attached' to Vahn, Haruhime was worried it would cling to him all the time and cause problems for him. Knowing that it acting based on her own subconscious thoughts made her feel more than a little embarrassed. It seemed to be like a younger version of herself and behaved in a very spoiled manner, almost like she was trying to 'test' the limits of Vahn's patience. Thinking this, Haruhime's mouth turned into a small frown because she didn't want to be a burden to Vahn.

Though he also expected that it might be a little troublemaker in the future, Vahn wasn't too worried about it since he suspected it wouldn't act this way for long. He never had a real pet, but Vahn felt like he would be able to manage it well if he put in the effort. Besides, it was pretty cute and Vahn felt like it would be fun to tease it ever now and then. It might put up a strong front, but it wasn't the first time Vahn had dealt with a girl that liked to put up a front and act spoiled. If he treated her well and showed her kindness, it wouldn't be that long before she started worrying about being a bother to him. Even if she lingered around him for a short while, Vahn was confident she would 'mature' a bit after a little 'careful' pampering.

Since Haruhime didn't want to worry about other girls, for the time being, Vahn just spent the better part of an hour cuddling with her and sharing a few of their concerns. However, things took a shift when Haruhime herself mentioned her worries about how 'weak' she felt compared to a girl like Ais. Without the ability to read the tempo of her opponent, such as when the enemy was responding to her actions instead of taking the initiative on their own, Haruhime's 'rare' skill seemed to lose strength. At least, this is how she felt even though Vahn didn't think this was the case at all. He believed that Haruhime misunderstood her own Innate ability a bit and simply needed to practice using it in a variety of situations to become more flexible. Now that she had the little fox to accompany her, she had the opportunity to talk directly with it and make advancements in the future.

Thinking about the little fox laying on his chest, Vahn furrowed his brows slightly and asked, "What should we call this little one?" Haruhime also turned her attention to the fox and showed a conflicted expression as she said, "It is me...but it would probably be a little strange if there are two Haruhime. Hmmm...how about you call me Haru, like spring, and you can call her Hime, like princess. She behaves in a spoiled manner so it might be suitable..." Vahn snorted through his nose to stifle a chuckle because he wanted to comment that her words also implied that she behaved in a similar manner. If she didn't work so hard to constrain herself, Vahn expected that Haruhime's personality would have ended up very similar to the little fox.

Vahn felt like it was a bit overused and somewhat lazy, but he said, "Calling you Haru is very affectionate...I like it. However, I think 'hime' suits you as well since it reinforces the image that comes to mind whenever I think of you. How about we call the little fox 'Shirohime' while you stay as Haruhime. Since she is almost pure white, I think it suits her..." Haruhime's eyes opened slightly before she giggled like a bell and said, "Very well, from now on this little one will be Shirohime. But, when its just the two of us, I'd like it if you call me Haru...and you can call her Shiro..." Hearing Vahn acknowledge that he thought 'Haru' was affectionate made Haruhime want him to call her it, at least every now and then.

As he had already expected her to say something similar, Vahn leaned down and kissed the top of Haruhime's head before whispering, "Haru..." into her fluffy curved ear. His breath was enough to make her ear flicker as a gloss appeared over her eyes and she cuddled up even closer against him. Vahn found that her soft b.r.e.a.s.ts were very pleasant against his body so he held her tighter to affirm the mutual affection he shared for her. From the corner of his eyes, Vahn hadn't missed the look that Shirohime had given him as she continued to pretend that she was asleep. As if she were actually a child, her eyes snapped shut when she saw Vahn cast his glance toward her and Vahn felt she was very cute.

---

Since it was nearing the time for his second block, Vahn and Haruhime ended up making use of the small bath that connected to the parlor. He had specifically chosen this room because it had all the necessary amenities and would be easy to clean since the floor was covered with tatami mats. Shirohime ended up 'waking' up when it was time to take a bath and she struggled in Vahn's hands as he carried her under her arms with both hands. She wriggled about and said, "Unhand us, we can move on our own!" Vahn, however, felt compelled to 'bully' the little fox and eventually lowered her into the water when he entered the hot bath himself.

Shirohime showed a 'pouting' expression and said, "This is no way to treat us...at least hold me properly." Vahn let go of her body and noticed that, though she floated in the water, it didn't actually show any signs that she was submerged inside of it. He felt like she was a 'real' illusion, which is why her words sounded in his ears even though there was clearly no sound coming from her mouth. Haruhime sat down next to him and said, "Little Shiro, don't bother Vahn too much or he won't pet you." Shirohime, however, stuck out her tongue and said, "Even if he doesn't pet me, I can feel it when he pets you, so ha!"

The two fox-girls 'glared' at each other before Haruhime stuck out her own tongue and said, "Excuse me..." as she moved through the water and sat in his lap facing him. She let her tails get submerged into the water, which always looked a bit strange since the hairs on her tail were long and thick compared to the actual tail itself. It would also require a lot of grooming later, so Haruhime didn't often submerge her tails in the water. She didn't seem to mind it, however, as he placed her hands on Vahn's shoulders and said, "But I know you will feel sad if Vahn only takes care of me...so it's your loss no matter what~." Now that she had been able to finally get closer to Vahn, Haruhime had fewer inhibitions as she pressed her b.r.e.a.s.ts against his chest and began kissing him once again.

Vahn still had a bit of time and he was curious to see how Shirohime would act so placed his hands around Haruhime's butt and reciprocated her actions. His [Hands of Nirvana] activated as he gently massaged his fingers against her rump and caused her tails to flicker about in the water. As for Shirohime, she looked at them with 'resentful' eyes as she 'paddled' around in the water without displacing even a single drop. She could feel Vahn's hands massaging her own butt and it was very stressful to feel phantom sensations while watching Haruhime be 'pampered'. It made her feel a little lonely, just like when Vahn had ignored Haruhime's extra tails previously. Even though it was the same sensation, it felt 'empty' if she wasn't allowed to be in contact with Vahn at the same time...

Though she didn't look back to confirm, Haruhime giggled since she knew her little counterpart was staring at her with false resentment. As they were the same entity, Haruhime knew the little fox just as well as it knew her and there was no way 'she' would be okay with getting secondary petting from Vahn. Try as she might, Shiro couldn't escape 'their' nature and there were no real secrets she could keep from Haruhime. It felt a little strange to tease 'herself', but Haruhime also found it interesting because Vahn seemed to enjoy the peculiarity of the situation as well. She was genuinely willing to give up the part of her that was Shiro, even at the expense of her tails, so teasing her was a simple thing to do.

Shirohime was very aware of Haruhime's thoughts and it made her even more frustrated before she 'swam' over and wedged herself in between them. A few seconds later, a small head 'emerged' from in between Haruhime's b.r.e.a.s.ts and stared at Vahn with 'teary' eyes and said, "You can't neglect us..." This way, even if Vahn didn't touch her directly, Shirohime could still feel like he was touching her and be close to him at the same time. As for Vahn, the appearance of an adorable little fox in between Haruhime's chest made a pressure rise up in the bridge of his nose. Since he wasn't in 'restraint' mode, a sleeping sea dragon was stirred to awareness which caused Haruhime to raise her butt as a smile appeared on her face.

She knew there wasn't really time to 'play around' anymore, so Haruhime just wiggled her butt a bit before sitting down against the hot member that made the surrounding water feel lukewarm. Vahn gave her a wry smile before leaning down a little and looking at Shirohim in the eyes. Though it was slight, her mouth made a 'frown' as her brows furrowed in annoyance before Vahn pissed her off when he blew into her snout. She shook her face from side to side and tried to make her way back down through Harhime's b.r.e.a.s.ts but was unable to do so when her larger counterpart pressed herself closer to Vahn. Shirohime turned her head to the side and tilted it down against Vahn's chest as she muttered, "This is no way to treat us..."

Haruhime eased up the pressure a little and said, "You need to behave if you want to be treated well, Shiro. How can you expect Vahn to be nice to you if you're acting in such a manner?" Though she didn't mind teasing the little fox, Haruhime didn't want to actually bully it since it was part of herself. Seeing its pitiful form made her own heart feel a little sad so she felt like she needed to take a step back and try to reason with the little fox. Shirohime didn't seem to share the sentiment, however, as she muttered, "We don't need this boy to treat us kindly at all..." in a low tone that lacked confidence.

Even though he knew it was just trying to 'play' him, Vahn took the bait and grabbed the side of Shirohime as she began to writhe about and 'scratch' against him. It was strange being able to feel a small amount of pain but seeing no signs of the actual 'attacks' at all. Shirohime shouted, "Unhand us you fiend, scoundrel, pervert!" Though he knew she didn't mean it, Vahn followed Shirohime's words and 'unhanded' her, allowing her to 'plop' into the water without disturbing its surface. Her head popped up out of the water shortly after and gave him a look of 'blame' without saying anything as she swam around before climbing up to the side of the bath and laid down.

Vahn felt a little bad for the fox but, the moment he turned his attention back to Haruhime, the fox 'ambushed' him in an instant before curling up around his neck once again. Keeping true to her earlier words, Shirohime was unwilling to part with him even though she put on a facade of disliking their interactions. Vahn showed Haruhime a wry smile that caused her to show an apologetic look and say, "Sorry, Vahn...I..." Vahn shook his head and said, "It's no problem at all...besides, I don't think others will be able to see her and she is pretty cute." Though it was slight, Vahn could feel Shirohime 'shudder' a little when he called her cute.

A plan began to for him his mind, but there were other things he needed to worry about right now so he traced his hands around Haruhime's body and began washing her as he said, "Though I think I'll be fine on my own, I may need your help before I go off with Tione, Tiona, and Ais..." Haruhime nodded her head as she relaxed her body under Vahn's caress and said, "I know...I had been waiting for you to bring it up ever since we returned to the surface. When you showed up at the training this morning, I could tell your intentions from the outset...it's fine, you don't have to apologize at all. Even if little Shiro shows that I'm a greedy girl at heart, I know I can't keep you for myself...and I fell in love with you even knowing there were other girls in your heart. Just knowing we can be together more often in the future is enough to make my heart feel like its going to burst...I'm very happy right now..."

Though it wasn't a large motion, Haruhime was moving around her h.i.p.s slightly as if emphasizing her 'greedy' nature. She previously had androphobia and couldn't even imagine being with a man like this so it was a very liberating experience finally overcoming the burdens that weighed her down. The fact that she was able to be with the 'hero' she had fallen in love with made Haruhime feel like her life had suddenly become a lot more fulfilling. Not only was she much stronger than in the past, but she got to experience many new and interesting things...all because Vahn saved her on that fateful morning.

Vahn could hear the notifications of Haruhime's 'Love' constantly increasing and he couldn't help but smile as he grabbed her h.i.p.s a little firmly and raised her up in the water. There was a lot more he wished he could do for Haruhime, but there was plenty of time to worry about things like that in the future. For now, he knew how he could make her happy and it was something that he had grown proficient at in the past months. Understanding his intentions, Haruhime's face immediately underwent a transformation as her aura transitioned from pink to red in an instant. She reached her hand down in the water and moved her h.i.p.s around before taking a breath and lowering her h.i.p.s as a long gasp escaped her lips. From around his neck, Vahn could feel Shirohime's body tremble at the same time as she squeezed his neck a little tighter...

---

Though what they did could technically constitute as s.e.x, Vahn had actually just washed Haruhime's body in a rather 'unique' way as he skillfully maneuvered her about under his guidance. She even managed the transition of turning around so that he could wash her back without 'separating' from him. Unable to keep up her own 'grip', Shirohime eventually fell off of his neck and plopped into the water once again before she crawled out of the side with a trembling body. Just as before, she came over to Vahn's side but this time just rubbed her face against his back in a manner reminiscent of a cat. Vahn felt like she was bolder when he couldn't see her, which is probably why she moved behind him instead of climbing back onto his shoulder...

After the bath, Vahn actually handed Haruhime a change of clothing that consisted of a beautiful black Kurotomesode, similar to the design that Tsubaki had worn in the past. The biggest difference was that Haruhime's had a fox motif sewn into it instead of a Dragon and Phoenix. When Haruhime saw the clothing, her hands trembled a bit before a happy sigh escaped her lips when Vahn also produced a white haori for himself that had vibrant red bands sewn into the sleeves. This indicated to the informed that, though they hadn't gone through a traditional marriage, Vahn considered Haruhime a life-long partner and gave her a similar status. They could technically certify their marriage at any point after the fact, but there wasn't much of a difference between the two other than one is far more formal. Haruhime was an actual 'princess' for a noble family, even if she was exiled, so Vahn wanted her first time to be more meaningful than just simple s.e.x.

Haruhime helped Vahn wear his clothing before he helped her to the same with careful movements, almost like he was wrapping her body up like a precious object. Shirohime watched from the side without saying anything before immediately climbing up to his shoulder when they were finished. Vahn and Haruhime then shared a loving embrace with each other and sealed their bond with a kiss that lasted for nearly three entire minutes before Haruhime pulled away with teary eyes and placed her head against his chest. Vahn stroked her long silky hair and whispered, "One day, we will go to the Far East to find out the true reason behind why your life turned out like this. Even if you are happy now, I can't rest easily without knowing the reason myself."

Though she had already left her past behind, Haruhime couldn't deny that she still had affections for her homeland. Even if her father hadn't disowned her, it was still the place where her mother's grave was located and she wanted to visit them someday in the future. She knew there wasn't anything she could do to stop Vahn when he set his mind on something, so she just nodded her head and accepted his kindness. If there truly was an underlying reason behind the events, she would see them settled in the end as a means of finding closure, not for herself, but for the past her that had gone through such tribulations. With this thought in mind, she looked to Shirohime on Vahn's shoulder and saw that the small fox was always watching her attentively...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Spoiled Princess','Doing what one can...','Two sets of golden eyes')

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