Okay so I don't know if there's a huge fandom for these guys but they're an awesome couple and I just wanna add to it! This is a little bit out of cannon, but I guess could be if you want it to? There's nothing that contradicts the storyline but it might not fit with how everyone sees things between them... But anyway I hope you all enjoy!

Chapter 1: One Night

The wind howled outside while Juzo pulled back the curtain slightly to figure out just how stuck they were. He and Mamushi had gone up the mountain to take care of some small demons as the newest exorcists in the sect. They had only just finished their training at True Cross Academy a few months ago, and the two were finally back home for good. However, things had not exactly gone according to plan and defeating the thing took twice as long with both of them fighting to show off their new skills. In all that time, thick flurries of snow had settled and the sun had long since set leaving Juzo and Mamushi stuck halfway up the mountain with no way down, at least until morning. Great... he thought to himself.

Mamushi had known about this cabin since Takezo had dared her, Juzo and Kinzo to go into the forest without their parents. She'd stumbled across this place and always remembered where it was, just in case. Seems it came in handy. Being stuck up here with Juzo wasn't ideal to say the least; she was annoyed as hell with him right now. But as she looked across at him she had to admit to herself that it was probably better than being alone. Maybe.

"I can't believe you got us stuck in this mess." he sighed as he shut the curtain and tried to warm up by rubbing his hands together.

"Me?" Mamushi said, taking the bait as she always did. "What about you? You're the one that couldn't stop getting in my way. And in case you didn't notice I'm the one bailing us out of this mess." she said gesturing to the fire she was stoking.

He scoffed. "Hardly. A shitty cabin with no heating in a snowstorm?"

"Oh I'm sorry, all the five star hotels were booked. Deal with it, idiot."

"Don't call me an idiot." She whipped her head round to look at him and gave him her best death stare. God he was an infuriating jerk sometimes. He sighed loudly and collapsed on the sofa behind her. "At least there's something comfortable in here." She rolled her eyes. She was in for a long night.

Eventually he felt the need to break the silence. He had no idea how long it had been since they'd spoken but it felt like forever. She was busying herself undoing her hair and letting it fall around her shoulders. Juzo had always been a little interested by girls' hair, the way it was all long and flowy. His ex-girlfriends from the academy all had hair that interested him but Mamushi's was particularly special. While away at school he'd realized just how rare it was to have hair like hers. She looked totally different from most people but that wasn't something he ever noticed growing up since they spent pretty much every day together.

"Hey Mamushi?" he said tentatively. She looked up at him. "I'm sorry I was an idiot."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "What's wrong with you? Are you feeling okay?"

"I'm fine I just wanted to apologise so you'll stop being mad at me! Jeez."

They sunk into silence again for a little while before she looked back up at him again and sighed. "Yeah, I'm sorry too."

They spent the rest of the evening chatting about school and everything they missed from Tokyo.

"It's gotta be the food for me, the food there was so fancy," Mamushi said wistfully. "They had everything. Remember eating pizza for the first time?" They both burst into laughter.

"And you were trying to pick it up with chopsticks!" That made Mamushi snort loudly which only made Juzo laugh even harder. "And when everyone else told us to use our hands you went off in a strop because I actually did it." Juzo teased her knowing she always rose to it.

"Yeah, because I thought you were losing your roots!" At this point Mamushi's stomach hurt so bad from laughing she had to change the subject. "What about you, what are you going to miss?"

"That's easy, I'm gonna miss all the girls." He grinned devilishly. He knew exactly how to press her buttons and was so used to doing it that it came as second nature to him, so he only chuckled when Mamushi slapped him round the head. "What? It's true! All the tight shirts and short skirts... we won't get anything close to that, there aren't even any girls around here."

Mamushi looked at him exasperated. "What the hell do you think I am? And I have two sisters." She paused. "Not that you should be ogling any of us the way you used to with the girls from school. You have two sisters, have some respect you primitive ass."

"Oh come on Mamushi, are you seriously telling me you aren't going to miss having the whole thing of someone liking you, and you liking someone and all the possibilities of school? I mean, we're teenagers after all, it's all part of the fun." He leaned back with the most relaxed carefree posture in the world. She liked seeing him like this. It reminded her of when they were younger and he wasn't trying so hard to be responsible all the time.

She looked down at the ground. Of course she wasn't going to miss that, she was never part of it. But she wasn't going to get all sentimental with the monkey over here, no way. So she did her usual, quipping back. "Oh yeah? Just how much fun were you having with all those girlfriends of yours anyway?"

"Ha, like I'd ever tell you. Sorry Mamushi, it's private and confidential, strictly need-to-know." He gave her a cocky smirk.

"Really? Well we'll see how private and confidential it is when I get it off your two little brothers. And I'm sure their version is much more fun anyway." She grinned; he might know how to push her buttons but she knew how to scare him.

"Ugh fine but this doesn't anywhere, especially not to my brothers and especially not to any of our families. Deal?" She nodded, actually interested now. She had been storing up a lifetime of blackmail material on Juzo and this seemed like it was going to make her collection complete. "I actually haven't done anything."

"What?!" She was shocked. All through school, Juzo was the most popular, most sought after guy, to the point girls would come and talk to her just to get to know Juzo better. And he hadn't done anything? "How is that even possible?"

Even in the dim lighting she could see a hint of a blush on his cheeks. He gave her a sheepish grin and rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm not sure exactly, it just hasn't ever happened."

She looked at him in the eyes which looked like they were flickering in the light of the fire. She suddenly became very aware of how close they were sitting; his hand was placed on the floor mere centimetres away from hers to steady himself as he leaned back against the sofa. Their shoulders were almost touching and she could feel the heat radiating off him.

Stop it! She scolded herself for getting so distracted by him but she couldn't hide it from herself; the annoying little bratty kid she had known her whole life had grown into a pretty attractive 18 year old. His voice was deeper now with a comforting weight and lull to it. His shoulders were broader, his hands were man's hands, no longer soft like a child's. Why did she feel like she was getting pulled in by his gravity whenever she looked in those damn eyes?

"Did you ever wonder what it would be like?" He didn't break eye contact as he said it, but didn't move. He was frozen. He didn't know exactly why, but for some reason sitting here with Mamushi he felt like it was safe. Safe to admit his innocence, safe to ask those words, safe to do nothing but be himself. He didn't care about sounding mature and pretending he didn't care about all these teenage things with her. She was his closest friend, someone he'd been able to depend on forever. So was it really so bad that he could feel himself wanting to lean in towards her as he asked?

Mamushi gulped so loudly she was sure he heard it. She couldn't take her eyes off his, those dark brown orbs wouldn't let her. Her mind was going hazy, but why? This was Juzo, there was no-one she felt more comfortable around. Juzo, her friend. Her friend. Friends don't give you butterflies the way he was to her. Her voice was nothing more than a whisper as she said, honestly for the first time, "Um, yeah. A bit. You?" She could hear her heart pounding so loudly in her chest. Stop!

He just nodded, he couldn't say any words. He was confused, just so confused by what he was feeling. Nervous, wanting, pulled in by his friend. But he also felt safe. Safe to do something he was actually always a little scared to do with other girls. Convincing himself they were just friends doing each other the favour of having a first with someone they knew wouldn't laugh at them, he slid his free hand into her hair, cupping her jawline.

She felt his hand cradle her face and it felt encompassing and warm. She could feel her body tensing up in her natural reaction but did her best to fight it. Whatever this was, she didn't want to ruin it now. She would much rather see where it would go. In the end it was her that broke first, and she pushed herself up to meet his lips. Unsure and unsteady, it ended quickly as Mamushi sunk back down beside him. She only dared open her eyes halfway, just enough to meet his.

He leaned down this time, and used his hand to hold her in place as he kissed her again. He felt her respond, gently at first but with an excitement and intrigue of something new they'd found together. They both sunk into the feeling after a while, and he smile against her as the reality of what they were doing hit him. He felt her smile too on his lips, and kissed her properly this time, not holding anything back. He let his hands wrap around her waist and trail up and down her sides while she slid hers into his hair and down his chest, feeling the grooves of his physique under his jumper.

After what felt like the longest time they pulled apart, breathless. "Well, that was..." she trailed off, not bothering to suppress her smile as her hands still held onto his shoulders for support.

"Interesting." He finished for her with a wide, unabashed smile. They both laughed as they separated for good this time, and soon went to sleep on the floor of the cabin.

When he woke in the morning, Mamushi was gone already. Her shoes and jacket were gone along with the shovel they'd found last night, so he figured she'd already started clearing the snow. He smiled to himself remembering his first kiss as he got his jacket and boots on to go and help her, but couldn't help feeling a little scared of how things between him and Mamushi might have changed.

As soon as he opened the door and called out her name he was met by a face-full of snow. "Idiot! I've been up forever shovelling snow and you've just dragged your ass out of bed? Take the dumb shovel and do the rest yourself." She said, thrusting the shovel in his face.

"Looks like back to normal, huh?" he mumbled as she terrorised him into doing the work for her, just as usual.

A/N So that's it! That's my version of events pre-Kyoto Saga, so they already have a little history before the whole proposal thing. Let me know what you think and if you want more!