(Author's Note: I love Hakuouki and it's characters so I couldn't help but write this. Consider the time setting as some time after the Roshigumi became known as the Shinsengumi!)

"Goodnight," I bowed my head respectfully as I headed to my room.

Mother, Father, and my older brother nodded their heads, hardly paying me any heed as I left the room, sliding the door open and closed. They were in the midst of discussing my marriage plans and had found two potential candidates - the youngest son of the Taira family and the middle son of the Takahashi family.

I had met Taira Akagi once before, about a year ago. He wasn't bad-looking, but he was a sweaty, nervous mommy's boy who didn't know how to fold his own clothes. Takahashi Satoshi I had only caught a glimpse of - he was bulky and heavy, and drank alcohol as if it were water. He was seventeen years older than I and had not found a wide, in spite of being nearly forty years old.

I had no intentions of ever marrying either of them.

After walking down the hallway and turning a corner, I reached my own bedroom, sliding open my door and entering the darkness. Fumbling around until I could light the lamp by the window, I let down my hair and began to make my bed. I could hear footsteps approaching from down the hallway, the door sliding open as my mother stuck her head inside.

"Going to sleep so early, Ayako?" Mother asked suspiciously.

I smiled, nodding my head. "Brother and I woke up early this morning to visit the temple in the mountains," I reminded her. She seemed to accept my response, because as I climbed into bed, she closed the door without another word, leaving me to myself. I blew out the lamp, lying down on my bed and listening to the sound of footsteps in the corridor. My brother settled down in his room across from me, and I could hear my parents talking as they moved down the hall towards their own rooms. Then, silence.

After remaining in the dark for another ten minutes, the house having gone completely silent, I carefully shifted, wiggling out from underneath my blanket and groping around for the pillows I kept hidden underneath my floorboards. I pulled them out and tucked them under the blanket where my body would usually be, then slid the board back where it belonged. I tiptoed towards the window, and after making sure to check of everyone had truly gone to bed, I snuck out the window, putting on my slippers and stealing away.

Following the light of the moon, I rounded my family estate, sneaking past the guard who had fallen asleep underneath the cherry blossom tree and taking my usual route across the stones in the pond and heading into the forest. After I ventured out for five minutes, I reached the old storage shack my family had used during times of war, delighted to see that the door had been left ajar. Making sure nobody had tailed after me, I quietly pushed the door open, walking in and closing it behind me.

"You're here," a familiar voice said in the darkness. "A little earlier than usual, too. Did you want to see me that bad?"

I lit the lamp by the door, smiling as my beloved's face came into view. He had been leaning against the shelf that we had pushed against the window to hide the light emanating from the lamp, dressed in his casual clothing, his sword propped up on the wall beside him. I couldn't help but feel my heart skip a beat as I met his eyes, my face instantly feeling warm as he approached me, taking me in his arms.

"Everyone went to sleep early, it was the perfect opportunity," I answered as he gazed down at me. "I think my mom might be a little suspicious, though."

"Oh, really?" he asked as he pushed me against the wall, planting a kiss to my lips. I held onto his clothes, forcing him to stop. "What is it?"

"I think we might have to set up a different time to meet," I stated. "I'm worried my parents are going to find out. They want me to get married, you know. They're keeping a tighter leash on me now."

"Married?"

"Yeah," I reluctantly admitted. "They've even found two potential candidates for me to meet with this weekend."

He stepped back, returning to his spot by the shelf, sitting down and propping an elbow on his knee, resting his chin upon his hand. "Who?"

"Takahashi Satoshi and Taira Akagi," I said, watching as a grimace instantly came upon his features.

"That beer-bellied drunkard? And that mommy's boy? You're kidding with me, right?" he questioned in disbelief.

"I'm not, I was just sitting with them at dinner while they discussed it in front of my face, like my opinion didn't matter," I remarked, letting out a dejected sigh. "Souji, I'm scared. I don't want to get married to either of them, or anyone else for that matter."

"I wouldn't either, if I were you," he joked, then seeing how I wasn't laughing, turned serious. "You can't avoid it? Or convince them otherwise?"

"Of course not!" I said. "You know I can't do a thing about it. Sometimes... sometimes I wish I weren't born, so I wouldn't have to deal with all of this. I'd be better of dead or living off as a farm girl, at least then I'd be able to have some freedom and a mind for my own. Maybe I should just-"

"Don't say that," Souji scolded me, grabbing me by my hand and sitting me down. "Don't you dare say it."

"Souji..." I mumbled as he glared at me, releasing my wrist and crossing his arms over his chest.

It got quiet as he thought it over. "Maybe you should run away with me. That way, you don't have to marry the fatass or that useless rich boy," he suddenly suggested, grinning at me. "Sounds exciting, doesn't it?"

"This isn't a joke," I replied, a bit ticked off by his teasing. "I can't just leave my family so easily. You've seen what they're capable of. If I run off with you, they'll hunt us down and kill us both for shaming the family."

"They don't have to know you ran," Souji spoke. "We could always pretend to kidnap you. You can't be blamed if you're kidnapped, right?"

"You're crazy," I berated him. "We'll get figured out, I know it. Besides, you're part of the Shinsengumi. You can't leave. And I know you wouldn't, anyway. You love Kondou too much to run off with me."

My secret lover, Okita Souji, had been born to a samurai family and lost his parents early on in his childhood, long before he and I even met. His older sister was forced to care for him until ultimately dropping him off at a dojo, where Isami Kondou, now Commander of the infamous Shinsengumi, took him under his wing, providing him with a roof to live under, a bed to sleep in, and food to eat. Kondou treated Souji as if he were his own family, protecting him from the bullying of the other children and showing Souji that kindness still existed in the world.

Unable to deny my words, Souji merely laughed, leaning forward and changing the subject. "Ayako-chan, your hair is down."

"Oh, you noticed."

"How could I not?"

I laughed quietly, toying with my hair as I smiled up at him. "You didn't notice it last week. I had down then, too."

"Yeah, I know. I just didn't say anything," he replied, though I knew he was lying from the way his eyes wavered ever-so-slightly.

"Sure," I said, shaking my head as I stifled a giggle.

"What are you laughing at?" he demanded. "Hey, Ayako-chan."

"Nothing," I claimed. I could see a faint red tint ghosting his cheeks as he watched me laugh at him, unaccustomed to being teased. Usually, he would be the one to playfully poke fun at me, yet this time, I couldn't help but do the same to him.

The atmosphere seemed to lift after a while, gradually shifting from a tense mood to a more casual one. As I leaned against his shoulder, his arms holding me close to him, he updated me on what had transpired within the Shinsengumi in the time we had been apart. I was always fascinated by the stories he would tell me, finding myself wrapped up in his tales of failure and redemption. The Shinsengumi, though originally formed to keep peace and order, had a bad reputation around this side of country. They were labeled as rogues who would willingly sacrifice the lives of their comrades without hesitating for even a second. They were said to slaughter innocent civilians, then rob them of their money and belongings.

I knew they were all lies. I had run into the Shinsengumi once before.

Three years ago, when they were still called the Roshigumi, they had saved my life. I had been in the marketplace with one of my cousins when I had gotten separated from her in the crowd and was pulled into an alleyway, where enemies of my father attempted to kidnap me, knowing that doing so would force my family to pay the ransom they anticipated on receiving.

Having observed my older brother learning how to fight as a child, I mimicked the moves I had so keenly watched, adhering to my knowledge of pressure points and attempting to free myself. I managed to get myself out from one of the kidnappers grasps, but another man had grabbed me, threatening to cut me if I put up a fight. When all seemed to be over, I heard a blood-curdling scream and I was suddenly thrust away from the man, staggering over to a wall as I turned around in astonishment.

A young man dressed in a loose-fitting red top on top of a gray shirt and green hakama had come to my aid, having stabbed the man who had captured me with the end his sword. Even in the shade of the alley, where the sunlight was obscured by the buildings, I found myself transfixed by the man's sheer beauty. He had reddish-brown hair and sparkling eyes that were more vibrant than the emerald brilliancy of the meadows in the springtime. Awe-struck, I watched as he skillfully killed the two men, swiping the sword to get the blood off of it before approaching me.

"Thank you," I breathed, bowing my head gratefully. I felt my head droop because of all of the accessories that were piled into my hair, the man casually lifting my head up, his sleek fingers tilting my chin up so he could peer into my face. Intimidated and bashful under his intense stare, I avoided looking into his eyes, relief washing over me as soon as he pulled away, smirking.

"What's your name, girl?" he inquired.

"Minamoto Ayako," I answered.

"Ayako, huh? How old are you?"

I was puzzled at his line of questioning but I didn't hesitate to answer. "I'm eighteen."

"I just turned twenty not long ago," the strange man answered. "For an eighteen-year-old, you're pretty short."

"Am not!" I claimed. "My cousin is your age and I'm taller than her. You're just saying that because you're tall."

"Hmph, you think so?" he asked, seeming to be mocking me.

Before I could respond, two other men appeared, swords at their sides as well. One was tall and carried a spear, with red hair, captivating golden eyes, and a gorgeous face. The other was tall as well, with a muscular build, glistening body, and short brown hair that made him look western. The two men stopped when they saw me, the boy who saved me glancing back at them.

"Sano, Shinpachi," the boy greeted.

Sano, the red-haired one, smiled kindly, approaching me and patting me on the head. "What a cute girl. How'd you find her, Souji?"

"She was about to be kidnapped by these guys here," Souji, my savior, spoke, motioning towards the two limp corpses. "I came in and killed them in a split second."

"Souji, you took off so suddenly, it worried even me," Shinpachi, the fit man, mused as he joined Sano. When he laid eyes on me, he cried out in delight. "You're so beautiful..."

Unaccustomed to such flattery, I could only laugh shyly. "Thank you."

"Souji, wanna take her home with us?" Shinpachi called turning back to me with a smile. "We're samurai from the Roshigumi. What's your name?"

"Minamoto Ayako," I introduced myself.

"Want to come back with us?" Shinpachi questioned. "I haven't seen such a pretty girl in ages."

"I can't. I'm supposed to be shopping with my cousin right now," I declined his request, feeling a bit uneasy with his enthusiasm. "Thank you once more for saving me, Souji-san."

He merely nodded as I scrambled off to the marketplace once more in search of my cousin, whom I found crying by the snacks cart. She was so scared of losing me that she began to tear up even more when she saw me, embracing me with all her might. I told her what had happened and she was absolutely mystified by my story.

Later on, when Mother and Father came to retrieve us, I had told them the same thing, yet instead of praising the Roshigumi for saving my life, they castigated me for being careless and getting myself captured, believing it was my own fault. Father called the Roshigumi 'fakes' and 'cheap excuses for samurai', not even recognizing that if it weren't for them, I would be gone and he would be forced to hand over money.

My cousin Kimiku noticed how crestfallen and hurt I was and tried to soothe me as our carriage bumped along the path back home. She was staying at our home for the month as my parents helped search for a husband for her, like they had been doing for me now. Kimiku was a sweet girl, though gullible and easy to deceive. She wasn't very bright but I loved her more than anyone else in my family. She genuinely cared for me and considered my feelings rather than treating me as if I were a possession.

A week after that incident, I was out shopping once more with Kimiku when we there was a commotion in the restaurant we were dining in. Apparently, angry civilians were causing a ruckus up at the front of the noodle shop and disturbing the peace. I was about to get up and see for myself when I heard the voices approaching us. My handsome savior from before, Souji, had entered with two unfamiliar men and had received rage-filled threats from a group of men who called them names and accused them of corruption.

Kimiku had noticed my surprise, because she had turned around and spotted the three handsome men taking a seat across from us. Instead of responding to the enraged bunch, the men calmly ordered their meals, Souji smiling up at the four accusing civilians.

"You can leave now, you're disturbing our meal," he spoke. "Do you want to be killed?"

"Souji," the man beside him scolded. He was beautiful, dressed in purple and gray, his dark locks gathered up on a ponytail. Souji laughed, though I could tell he was being serious about it.

"You bastards," a man growled. "Rogues of your kind don't belong here!"

"Murderers and mock samurai, that's what you are! Rot in hell!" another shouted.

"I hope they put poison in your food," the third snarled. "They'd be doing us a favor."

"You fakes really have some nerve to come out in the open like this and scaring the women and the children," the last man snapped. "I would kill you myself if I could."

Kimiku glanced at me, noting how irritated I was getting by the second. "Aya-chan, they're being awfully mean to those men."

I nodded my head, standing up. "Hey, you four," I spoke, grabbing their attention. "If you're not here to eat, please leave. You're frightening all of the customers."

"Huh?"

The crowded, small noodle shop was filled with customers, and they had all grown silent and fearful when the men began a ruckus. Seeing as I was right, they hesitated for a moment before the fourth man stormed over to me and yanked me by the hair, to his comrades' astonishment.

"H-hey, what are you doing? She's a noble!"

"Why are you hurting a woman?" another exclaimed, horrified. "Let's get out of here. She probably has bodyguards hiding somewhere."

The man's three friends made a run for the exit as he violently shook me, screaming at me as Kimiku backed away in terror. "You little bitch, are you defending them? You think you're so high and mighty because you're a noble? You spoiled little brats don't know what real work for us farmers is like! I'll teach you a lesson!"

Some villagers got up and ran, not even bothering to pay for their meal as they fled for safety. I refused to cry and scream in spite of all of the pain I was in, not wanting to give the man what he wanted. Suddenly the thrashing had stopped and the man released me, slumping over onto the ground by my feet, having been slashed down by Souji, who was grinning in amusement.

"He was too noisy," Souji laughed, wiping the blood from his face as the remaining customers made a run for it. Poor Kimiku had gotten so shaken up at the sight of all of the blood that she trembled like a scared dog as Souji scooted the body from my feet, the blood smearing on the ground as his two team members stared at him in disbelief.

"You didn't have to kill him," a stoic, purple-haired man spoke as he examined the body from where he sat.

"He was asking for it. He was harassing not only us, but a woman. He deserved it, don't you think? Besides, if she's a noble, any samurai in their right mind would have protected her," Souji said as he came over to me. "Minamoto Ayako, right? I remember you. You're always getting yourself into trouble, aren't you?"

I gazed up at him, meeting his stunning green eyes and finding that my heart was racing wildly in its confinement.

"Are you afraid of me, woman?"

I shook my head. "No, I'm not."

"Even after I killed three men in front of you?" he inquired, almost smug at my fearlessness.

"I'm not scared of you."

He stared at me, transfixed, before placing his sword back in its sheath and walking towards the exit of the noodle shop. "Hijikata, Saitou, we should probably find somewhere else to eat."

"Right."

The two men glanced at me briefly before making their leave, Souji shooting me one last cynical smile before disappearing through the flap of the door. Kimiku had since recovered from her shock and stared at me with wide, bewildered eyes.

"Don't tell me it was that man who saved you last time," she said.

"It was," I affirmed, staring at the door he had just gone through. "Souji..."

Thinking back to the time we met, I couldn't help but smile. Staring up at him, I wrapped my arms around his firm body, kissing him on his lips. As Souji gently rubbed my shoulders, I continued to reminisce, fondly recalling the start of our story together.

After our first two meetings, I was completely smitten by him and desperately wanted to meet him once more. A month after the noodle shop incident, the Roshigumi were said to be camping out in the forest nearby my family's estate so I had ventured out in search of him in spite of the obvious dangers. Kimiku had since then gotten married, leaving me by myself and craving companionship. I wanted to see that mysterious man again and thank him for all that he had done for me.

The scouts had nearly attacked me when I had approached in the darkness, thinking I was an enemy, but when they realized I was looking for someone, they allowed me through, two of them escorting me to the base camp. I was surprised at how gentle and kind these men actually were in spite of their nasty reputation everywhere. As I passed through the camp, nobody tried to attack me and looked at me in utter shock.

The men brought me over to a group of men gathered around a fire, discussing strategies for an upcoming escort mission. When the men interrupted the meeting, they were scolded until I emerged from behind them, to everyone's disbelief.

"Y-you..." Souji said in recognition as I bowed respectfully to the group of samurai.

"She came looking for Okita-san. We couldn't turn her away," one of the men explained. The man I recognized as Hijikata gave me a hard stare, then reluctantly looked at Souji and nodded his head.

Okita Souji stood from his seat at the fire, walking past his stunned comrades and leading me away to a secluded area in the forest where we could talk. Crossing his arms over his chest, he had studied my face, smirking when I backed away from him.

"So why did you come all the way out here to look for me, woman? You almost got yourself killed," he asked, amused.

"This past month, something was bothering me," I started, fumbling for the right words. "Ever since you protected me from that man at the noodle shop, I can't help but think back and realize that I never properly thanked you for saving me. Thank you."

As I bowed, Souji merely laughed. "I wasn't doing it for you. I was doing it because I wanted to and because he had it coming for him."

"Oh." I was slightly let down by his words, but nonetheless continued on. "In any case, I wanted to thank you for it. My family owns the estate not too far from here. If you need a place to stay, I'm sure there's enough room for all of the Roshigumi."

"Hm?" He now looked down at me in suspicion, narrowing his eyes at me. "We've camped out in the wilderness countless times. We're samurai. The cold doesn't faze us."

"Even so, I want to repay you for helping-"

I was suddenly slammed against the tree, Souji looming over me, his features even more majestic and refined under the milky light of the moon. My heart raced in my chest as he gazed down at me, his sheer gaze trapping me under his control.

"Tell me, woman, what you're really here for," he murmured, his voice deep and husky as he towered over me. "You didn't run from your house just to say thanks. What do you really want?"

My breath caught up in my throat, my eyes never leaving his even for a second. I hesitated then, wondering whether or not I should be truthful with him. Something inside me was urging me to tell the truth, so I mustered up all of my courage to honestly name what my intentions were.

"I... I want you," I confessed, surprising him. Initially taken aback, I watched as he eventually smirked, seeming to expect my answer.

"I'm surprised you said it," he admitted. "And so loudly, too. So you want me, huh?"

"I-It's not like that!" I blurted out in embarrassment. "My cousin just got married, and I was lonely, so..."

"Lonely at night?" Souji whispered in my ear, his hot breath causing something deep within me to stir. I gasped out in surprise when I felt something hot and wet run down the side of my ear and down my neck, Souji's tongue painting across my exposed skin. I shivered as a breeze glided over the wet trail, involuntarily leaning into him.

"Souji, wait!" I cried, stopping him before he could progress any further. "Not here."

"Hmph. So you do want me," he purred. "I've never had a girl want me like you do."

"B-be quiet," I stammered shyly. "Is there anywhere else we could go?"

"There's an abandoned storage shack five minutes from here," he said.

"That's on my family's property," I explained. "It was used to store weapons during the war times."

"I don't care for the little details," Souji stated, tugging my hand as he led me away.

The feeling of his hand holding mine so delicately gave me a sense of warmth that I had never even felt before. Souji acted ruthlessly, but he was kinder than he appeared, wasn't he? Even now, he had heeded to my suggestion and gently pulled me along to a more private location. I spotted the shack up ahead and felt my face heat up when I realized what was coming up for me.

Souji tugged me inside, instantly pushing me onto the ground and crawling on top of me, his gorgeous features accentuated by the light filtering in through the window behind me. I nervously backed away from him as he moved to kiss me, having never kissed a man in my life. He held the back of my head, pulling me towards him as his soft, warm lips pressed against my own, massaging them. Butterflies fluttered in my stomach as I melted beneath him, returning his feverish kisses with my uncertain, inexperienced ones.

"You've never done this before, have you?" he whispered against my lips, withdrawing to gaze into my eyes.

I shook my head. "No."

He ran his hands down my backside, pressing me into his body and smiling confidently at me. "I'll make sure that this is a memorable experience for you, then."

Back in the present, as I recalled this moment, Souji noticed how my face flushed and chuckled at me. "Ayako-chan, what are you thinking about?"

"About... how we met," I answered plainly. "Why?"

"Your face is all red," he commented. "Are you thinking about the first time we did it?"

Blushing furiously, I shook my head. "Idiot! Of course not!"

He merely grinned, patting my head affectionately. "You're cute, Ayako-chan. But not so loud, someone might hear you yelling at me."

We spent another two or three hours with one another, just talking, before I we parted ways. As usual, I had left a minute or two before he did, blowing out the lamp and stealing out into the woods. Souji did the same, bidding me goodbye with a smile. I sneaked all the way back home and crawled in through my window, relieved to see nothing had changed since I had left. I had only been apart from him for ten minutes and I was already aching to see him again. Sighing, I fell asleep almost as soon as I had got under the covers.