Disclaimer: I do not own any of the 'Serei no Moribito' characters or the storyline.

Note: This is my first 'Serei no Moribito (Guardian of the Sacred Spirit)' anime and novel. In case the characters seem OOC, it's due to the change in situations and their experience if the scenes were to happen. I will be partially following the scenes from both the Anime and the Novel, as, though the scenes are similar, but the way they were played out and what they did are slightly different.

Hope you enjoy it and please forgive any grammar or spelling mistakes.

Good Enough Cure

As the last few months of winter blanketed the land, the various changes within the Serei no Moribito or Nyunga Ro Chaga, the Guardian of the Sacred Spirit Nyunga Ro Im, the Water Guardian had already begun. Due to these changes and the vigorous martial arts training he received from the spear-wielder from Kanbal and the bodyguard assigned to him, the young Prince Chagum was exhausted. Though she understood how he felt, having to go through the very same training she had gone through as a child, Balsa had trouble imagining that even the adjustments of the egg he carried had a play as well.

Tanda, the apprentice magic weaver and healer, had tried his best to make her understand. However, she sighed and reluctantly followed his advice to allow nature to take its course as there was nothing she could do. Balsa was a spear-wielder and had not learned the ways of magic. Though she wouldn't have realized, a motherly nature had developed in her. She worried for the boy and would never forgive herself if anything happened to him.

Being one whom grew up with her, Tanda, though younger than her by 2 years, he had could see it in her eyes. For years now, he had kept inside unrequited feelings for her which he had never mentioned as she was bound to her vow, which she had self-inherited from her late foster father, Jiguro, her mentor, savior and best friend to her late father in homeland, Kanbal. The past 4 months the 3 of them spent together in the cave had been almost like a blessing to him as, never before had he been able to spend time like this with her, as his Master, Torogai or Jiguro had always been with them, or Balsa was always away. True, there was Chagum, but compared to his Master and Jiguro, he was a child, a child under Balsa's and now his care.

Thus, there's no wonder he grinned as he sipped his tea after he returned to the cave after a fruitless attempt to contact the Juchi Ro Gai, the Earth dwellers of Nayugu, the other world of the Spirits, 4 months before. If only she knew, how much she meant to him. Was it too late for them?

Today, for their breakfast they made hot porridge as Chagum slept. As they ate, Tanda noticed a depressed look on Balsa's face and asked what was wrong.

"Nothing… it's just that winter is ending," was her reply as her gaze shifted from her bowl of porridge to the flames of the fire pit.

"It was a good winter wasn't it? Here with Chagum. It would be good if it could continue. But spring is just around the corner," he continued, though in his heart he would have wanted to say, 'I wish this particular winter would never end'.

"And then we will have to separate from the peace as the Rarunga will awaken."

His gaze turned to her from his porridge, "Yes, you're right. From, we will be betting with our lives in the battle field," he paused for a moment and took in a deep breath and gently let it out, "Balsa, if we survive, can we stay together, the 3 of us, just like we did this winter?"

Abruptly all her motions froze as her eyes wavered. Then the tone of his voice changed to a softer, gentler yet firm tone, "I've been waiting and wondering whether to say it aloud to you for some time. I thought I would wait till you had fulfilled your vow." His expression showed concern and suppressed emotions which Balsa had almost never seen before. "Even if I waited, the battlefield seems to be everything in your life. I'm torn from beginning to think you would never return or notice, no matter how long I wait."

Apprehensive brown eyes watched her as she battled her thoughts and the sting his words did to her heart, knowing full well that he was right. True, there were times she thought as she trained Chagum, that she was itching for a fight and yet, her heart did etch with slight loneliness for a companion. Rarely did she think of marriage, as she had always been traveling, committing to her vows, battling for her dear life and getting patched up.

As she mentally conversed with her heart, she mentioned, she had no clue of what to do, thus she asked him, her childhood friend, her healer and one she never meant to hurt, "What should I do? Do you have any medicine that could cure me?"

A dreary smile crept across Tanda's handsome face as he gradually shook his head in dismay, "If you can't think that I could be that medicine, then there's no point in me waiting now, is there?" Wordlessly he set down his bowl, got up and left the room.

Swallowing with difficulty, profound sadness weighed on her heart as she watched him go. For an instant her heart and her head battled on whether to run after him and hold him in her arms, or just sit and ponder. In that instant scalding tears brimmed up in her eyes as she finally made her decision. Though she wished to continue fighting, the only one she would never want to fight was…

Leaving the bubbling pot and her bowl of porridge, for the first time in her life, Balsa ran after Tanda.

Exiting the sanctuary of warmth of the living room of the Hunter's Cave, Balsa saw Tanda just halfway up the stairs of the entranceway to the cave. Withstanding the cold she ran as fast as her legs could carry her towards him. As soon as he could hear the footsteps racing towards him, he swerved around just in time to catch Balsa into his unprepared arms upon impact, resulting with him falling with his back on the left over snow, with the spear woman on top of him.

Both blinked, surprise and post physical inertia lingering about them. Balsa for one should have already mastered situations such as this, and yet, she trembled as she fell beside him, whereas Tanda sat up groggily shaking his head as if he had been hit by a boulder. First thing he noticed was Balsa, whom was lying on her side beside him and as she gazed up at him the younger man found remnants of fresh tears.

"Balsa?" he whispered as he helped her up. Tanda watched as she strove to regain composure though even if the tears were gone, her expression still showed several signs of sadness. Most definitely, a rare sight to see sadness and startlingly loneliness in her lovely hazel eyes, which meant, "I've not seen you cry like this since we were children," he teased as he gently stroked her face, forgetting the environment they were in.

Pulling away, embarrassed, she was about to protest when his fingers were replaced by his lips. Though sudden as it came it ended. Balsa released the breath she hadn't known she had been holding as her heart raced faster than horse while her face turned 2 shades of red, "Tanda, I…"

The man placed two fingers to her lips to stop her from talking as now he knew; she needed him, though just to be sure, "Again I ask, do you think I'm enough to cure your current 'condition'?" Though this time, before she could protest he scooped her up in his arms and brought her inside where it was warmer, waiting for her decision.

For a few seconds, she froze once more, pondering, considering, mentally asking her heart what she had really wanted and where her priorities as well as duties lay. Obviously, her current duty was to protect young Prince Chagum, yet, during this time, why deny herself at least a brief chance to feel whole and above all, loved, loved by the one man who had seen her countless times as he healed her wounds. For once, she had to let him know, that he can and is the best medicine, right now, to fill the burden of emptiness she had constantly carried everywhere she went.

Balsa's body shivered once more, though surprisingly not from the cold, but from the fact, she was admitting he was right. All her life, no one had ever taught her the meaning as well as the importance of love, how to fall in love or how to figure out whether or not you were in love, as she and Jiguro were constantly traveling, battling and training. She needed him, "Yes, Tanda."

Now it was his turn to freeze in his tracks though only inches away from entering the living area, he stared at her, bewildered and yet full of longing and desire. Purely on impulse, his lips claimed hers once. Unlike before, it was more demanding, though as tender as the touch of a flower petal. If he had forgotten that he was carrying her in a bridal fashion, he would have dropped her unintentionally.

Carefully he walked into the living room and lay her down in sitting position on the wooden landing around the fire pit, their lips still as one. In his mind, he never wanted the kiss to end. He had waited too long for it and wanted even more than just her kiss, he wanted all of her. Briefly, he broke the kiss just to gaze at her. Her face was flushed from awkwardness as this new experience overcame her. Tanda could almost hear her rapid heartbeat from where he finally sat down beside her, though he wondered whether it was also his.

His fingers tingled as the adrenaline rushed through his veins. Whether it was the excitement from her answer, the kiss or the fact that their relationship had finally progressed this way, the shaman apprentice paid no heed. At last she was to be his and his alone. Drunk from the intense intimate contact, Balsa's head swayed back and forth almost as if she had lost pints of blood in battle. Though the alien sensation that engulfed her now was not due to any battle, she couldn't help but partially lean on Tanda for support, struggling to steady her heavy breathing.

The said man found this scene slightly amusing. Though both were inexperienced in the art of love and courting, he never expected just his kisses to leave such an effect on his warrior childhood playmate. However, what he did know, it was a first experience for both of them, having reserved his first real kiss for her and only her as well as stealing hers. He watched her for a while before caressing her cheek soothingly only to have her lean into it and placing her own hand on his instinctively.

A smile crossed his face as he called her name, "Balsa, I love you."

Instead of shying away, tears of joy filled her eyes as her heart raced once more before replying, "Tanda, I…" she never got to finish as she decided to show rather than play with words. She was better that way, as her movements had always portrayed her feelings. As now, the medicine man was pinned under her with their lips locked and his eyes as big as porridge bowls.

Mentally Tanda chuckled as he gradually closed his eyes, wrapped one arm around Balsa's waist and the other around her head as if to intensify the impact. On her side however, she mimicked his motions by wrapping both her arms around his head, as if to support it. During the kiss, Tanda's tongue brushed against Balsa's lips and her teeth begging for permission to taste her further. Already blushing madly, the spear-wielder thought for a second before granting him access where he eventually caressed her unsuspecting tongue.

Both hearts soared and drummed as they explored each other's mouths, heaving heavy breaths and letting out moans of pleasure unconsciously in the process. For a beginner, he was surprisingly good at what he did, and so was she, as every move she made, caused him to blush and hold her even tighter.

Both hadn't realized how and when their positions changed, but never gave that small detail a second thought.

These antics of pleasure were short-lived when a whimper from across the room, brought them back to their senses. All eyes travelled to the source of the cry, which led to the young Prince stirring from his slumber. His eyes relaxing and tightening as if being forced to open, then opening slightly before closing again, showing restlessness.

Quickly, the man and woman cleared their throats softly as they regained their postures before heading to the Chagum's side. This was where their duties lay, though, what happens afterwards, the future will soon behold. For now, just as their eyes met, with an arm around her waist, was more than enough, for the both of them.