A/N: You know, I keep meaning to come up with short one shots for my Dragon Tales Meme collection, yet somehow I keep ending up with short stories instead! Good grief, will I never get that 100 memes project finished?! ... Anyways, this idea came to me because I wanted to write a story that had to do with a different relationship of Masamune's than with Rin; one that didn't really much have to do with romance per say, but love all the same.
Mouri Suzume, a character who was first looked into during my Problems with Smart Girls fanfic, always appeared to be the big sister/mother kind of figure to Masamune, so I figured I'd give her a little more spotlight and so here I am.
I hope you enjoy it. :)

Also, SengokuBASARA does not belong to me, nor do I think it ever will. I am sorry. :( But Suzume is mine. (The story icon for this was also done by me).
- Jackal

A Sparrow's Love

Masamune never had a good childhood. His mother continually shunned him, his father was always busy, all the other kids only played with him because of his status and to top it all off, he was very, very ill. The poor thing had caught smallpox and the doctors surmised that he would one day lose the sight in his right eye because of it. He was only six when he caught the illness.

But that didn't seem to keep him down; not at all. Although ill at the time, Masamune didn't seem affected by his infection. He never complained. He didn't whine about it like any other child would have. He didn't even cry.

It was this particular trait that attracted Mouri Suzume to him.

Suzume had only just turned sixteen when she first met Date. She had recently left home from the Mouri Clan in the south to travel the country as a doctor in training. Having been weak in health since birth, Suzume seemed to understand things differently than other people. She, unlike most, understood how fleeting life is; how delicate and brittle it could be. How something precious can be destroyed in just an instant.

When she met Masamune, at the time still called by his childhood name "Bontenmaru", although he went about his duties as any normal six year old Suzume could sense that, he too, understood the same facts of life she did, despite being so young. In truth, she saw something of herself in him, and she truly admired him for it.

And although the daughter of a daimyo herself, Suzume had no qualms with becoming a Date retainer as the young lord's personal assistance. She helped the boy with his medicine, bathed and dressed him, and fed him when he was weak… She took care of him, and she didn't mind at all. It was because of this that young Bontenmaru had taken an especially strong liking towards her and he followed her all over the place like a baby duckling. This was long before young Katakura Kagetsuna, later renowned as Katakura "Kojurou" and titled "the One-Eyed Dragon's faithful Right Eye", had been assigned to the boy, so the young lord was grateful for the company.

Suzume was almost like a mother to Bontenmaru; one that didn't incessantly try to put him down like his real one and one that he never had. It was because of this strong bond the two shared that Suzume could sense when he was unhappy, and she sensed it one fall afternoon. The young lord had just turned seven today and he should have been celebrating.

Suzume was carrying the laundry out to be dried when she found him sitting on the porch by himself. He looked depressed for a newly aged seven year old, so Suzume sat beside him; setting the wet laundry beside her. The laundry could wait, she decided.

The young lord didn't seem to notice her so she asked, "Bontenmaru-sama, what are you doing out here on your own?"

He practically jumped in his skin he was so surprised and he almost shouted, "Suzu Onee-chan, what are you doing here?"

Suzume only smiled and shrugged as she answered, "Well, I'm supposed to be doing the laundry. What are you doing here, my lord?"

Bontenmaru sighed and looked down as he mumbled, "Nothing…"

Suzume quirked an eyebrow, because Bontenmaru was always doing something; never was he ever doing nothing. Not only that, but she could have sworn she saw him playing with all the other little boys outside not too long ago. She asked, "Well, what happened to all your little friends?"

Bontenmaru leaned against the railing as he said moodily, "They all left…"

"Why?" she asked and he sighed.

"Haha-wei made them all leave…"

Suzume's eyes narrowed suspiciously and she asked, "And why did your mother make them do that?"

"She said I was disease ridden, and that they shouldn't be around me…" Bontenmaru looked near to tears when he said this and Suzume sighed.

It would seem that ever since young Bontenmaru had contracted his illness, his mother held no sympathy for him. At the moment, she kept her viciousness on the low, but Suzume could see that it was only escalating as Bontenmaru's illness got worse. Like his health, her attitude towards her eldest son fluctuated. Sometimes she could be very kind and sweet when he seemed healthy and then she became malevolent and unkind when he was weak.

Bontenmaru tried his hardest to impress her, but it didn't seem to do much good. Yet he didn't give up… He only tried harder…

It tore Suzume's heart to pieces to see him try when she knew how futile it was. It made Suzume wonder what would happen when he lost his eye completely. She shuddered to think about it. Never would she want such a fate to fall upon her beloved young lord.

"I just want her to notice me…" Bontenmaru sulked, "She never pays attention to me at all… I mean, it's my seventh birthday today and she hasn't said a word to me!" Suzume suddenly rolled her hands into tight fists, pushing her nails into her palms so hard they almost bled. She couldn't take her lord's despair. Bontenmaru turned on her and cried, "Why Suzu Onee-chan? Is it something I did? Why won't she look at me?"

"No," Suzume whispered in a strained voice. "No, it isn't your fault… Not at all…"

"Then what?" the young boy shouted in frustration, "What am I supposed to do then?!"

That did it. Suzume's heart completely broke then. Large tears filled her eyes and she reached out to pull the young boy close to her and against her chest, where her heart lay. She held him tight as she began to cry.

"Suzu Onee-chan?" Bontenmaru asked in alarm. "What's wrong?"

Suzume knew she was going against her boundaries as a servant, but she didn't care. She held him tightly anyways as tears continued to fall. This poor little boy was suffering so much, and he never let on. This was the one time he'd ever been so open about it, even to Suzume.

She never knew.

He just seemed so happy and carefree... Sure, she knew he wanted his mother's attention like any seven year old kid would, but she never knew how much he truly despaired over it.

"Ne, Suzu Onee-chan, did I make you cry?" The little boy pulled away slightly as he said fearfully, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it. Please don't cry."

Suzume smiled through her tears and ruffled his hair slightly as she tried assuring him, "No, Bontenmaru-sama, it's not you. You didn't make me cry."

Young Bontenmaru smiled brightly at that but he asked curiously, "Then why are you crying?"

She smiled sadly when she said, "Because you don't deserve this… Any of this… Bontenmaru-sama, you are a good boy, no matter what your mother tells you. Okay? Don't ever forget that…" She kissed him gently on the cheek.

Bontenmaru's smile grew even bigger as he said cheerfully now, "Okay! Suzu Onee-chan!"

Suzume smiled as she pulled him against her to hug him tightly, "And never forget, I will always be by your side… No matter what…"

The young lord laughed and he said, "I know!" He hugged her back tightly and then asked, "Suzu Onee-chan?"

"Hm?" Suzume asked, finally drying her tears.

Bontenmaru grinned and he said loudly, "Dasuki! (I love you!)"

Unknowingly to him, it was one of the few times Bontenmaru would ever use that phrase, yet somehow Suzume sensed that fact, and she was grateful for it. Suzume smiled as she hugged him tightly again and said, "Yes, Bontenmaru-sama… Watashi mo…. Dasuki desu yo, Bontenmaru-sama. (I too… I love you, Bontenmaru-sama)."

"Suzu Onee-chan?" Masamune's familiar voice broke through Suzume's thoughts and she looked at him in surprise. He was wearing his blue hakama and he had a boken sword slung casually over his shoulder, like he was going out to train. He asked, "What's up, Suzu Onee-chan? You okay?"

Suzume had been leaning on the bainster in the same place she had held Masamune as a child, what, seventeen years ago? He probably didn't even remember it. Suzume smiled wearily and said calmly, "Yes, Masamune-sama. I'm fine, thank you."

Masamune smiled in his normal sly manner and said, "That's good. You looked kind of serious for a second there."

"Un…" Suzume shook her head, the bells in her hair tinkling slightly. "No, I'm just… Remembering old times, is all. Forgive me, my lord."

"Old times?" Masamune asked.

Suzume nodded a little sadly. Of course Masamune didn't remember that conversation with her all those years ago. He was only a child after all. In a way, it made Suzume glad, but in another, it saddened her to know. No longer would she be able to hug her lord when he was sad, or tell him she was there for him, for that was definitely going past her borderlines as a retainer. It was okay for back then because he was a kid, but now that he was an adult it just seemed inappropriate.

Besides, he had another woman in his life. One his own age who could do even more for him than just hug him close. Sometimes, Suzume was envious of her, Kazehaya Rin, for being able to be closer to Masamune in a way than she could have ever gotten, but on the other hand, she was grateful for her because not only did it mean that Masamune didn't mind showing his weakness to other people, but it also meant that he had begun accepting more people into his life; besides she and Kojurou. It meant that he was growing up.

"In any case," Suzume looked at his boken, "Are you going out to train?"

He grinned, "Of course! I'm waiting for Kojurou though."

Suzume smiled one of her rare and beautiful smiles for him and she said, "Well, be careful my lord." She teased lightly, "And don't beat Kojurou-kun up too hard, okay?"

His grin widened as he laughed and started walking past her. He said in an offhand voice, "Of course, of course. I wouldn't want to kill your fiancé before the wedding after all." Suzume blushed slightly at that but let it pass. Masamune grinned at her obvious embarrassment and stopped to turn and say flippantly, "Just kidding."

Suzume smiled weakly as he began to move again and she bowed her head to him as she waited for him to leave. He didn't though. Instead, he stood there thoughtfully, as if thinking about something. Sensing his hesitation, Suzume straightened herself and asked curiously, "Masamune-sama, aren't you going?"

Masamune blinked in surprise and turned to look at her again. Then, he grinned and said, "Yeah, but, there was something I almost forgot to do."

"And what's that?" Suzume asked curiously.

He grinned as he walked back and stopped in front of her. Like all boys, he had grown ever since he had hit puberty, and although once only tall enough to pass her hips, he now stood almost a foot taller than Suzume.

He put a warm hand on her shoulder and she looked at it in surprise and curiousity. She looked back at him to ask hesitantly, "Masamune-sama?" but before she could, he leaned down to kiss her gently on the cheek. Suzume's eyes widened in surprise as her face heated up. If she weren't so shocked, she would have started reprimanding him and lecture to him all the reasons of why it was considered immoral to do such acts with a servant, much less one nine years older than him and engaged to his other retainer.

Too bad her voice chose that particular moment to give up on her so she could only stare at him in stunned silence. With luck on his side and absolutely unabashed by it all, Masamune grinned as he waved and said, "Well, I'm off then. See you later, Suzu Onee-chan."

Suzume turned to call one last message to him but in the one second she was turning to watch him leave, out of the corner of her eye, she could have sworn she saw Masamune as a child walking in his same footsteps and she closed her mouth abruptly.

Indeed, her little Bontenmaru had grown up into a fine young man, even without his mother's love. He survived by himself and taught himself to love the other people in his life. Suzume, Kojurou, Rin… Even Kanon, Suzume's younger twin sister… Yes, the Dokuganryuu had certainly come a far ways away from the lost little boy he used to be, yet there was one thing that had never changed about him.

Suzume closed her eyes and took a deep breath, a small smile gracing her lips. Her little Bontenmaru was definitely still a handful.

A/N: As one more message, "Suzume" means "Sparrow" and "Suzu" can mean "bells". Suzume's most prominent feature are the various bells she wears, which explains why most people nicknamed her "Suzu". She doesn't actually like it, but she tolerates Masamune when he uses it. :P
And don't ask why Mouri Motonari has two elder twin sisters or why one of them decided to work under Date Masamune, in the complete opposite direction of where they were raised. It made sense during my modern fanfic of this, but here it just makes no sense at all...