The air was knocked out of him twice when he bumped into her. First, the way she collided against him- small, and yet full of vigor. Second, the fact that it was her- Asano Rin. The girl whose fate seemed intertwined with his own. A cruel, twisted fate which neither of them could escape. He wasn't sure he would have it any other way, honestly.
She looked up at him in disbelief, stuttering his name, and that's when he recovered his senses. This girl would be the death of him, but not yet. He ran off, headed for the hills, hoping his bait was close on his trail. Although it irritated him and pleased him at the same time to know someone else was also following him closely. He could feel her determination, it was tangible from how powerful it was to catch up to him.
"Why do you follow me so faithfully?"
His irritation was more noticeable than his pleasure, and when he noted the men approaching, he ordered for her to leave. Her face scrunched up in rebellion, a fire burning in her eyes when she rejected. The way her eyes were when she looked at him drove him insane. They held a power he wanted, for there were few men who would dare raise their voice at him. She was fearless, however, and had proven that at Edo castle. No, she had proven that long before that, when they had traveled together in Kaga.
As the men came into view, he demanded, "Quiet!", which despite her disgruntled expression, she obeyed, crouching low.
He prepared to unsheathe his sword. He had planned to ambush these men before, but now it became more urgent that he used the element of surprise and disposed of them before they laid a finger on this girl. He did not want her to get hurt, or involved, because of his affairs.
He was taken by surprised when she grabbed his arm and they both skidded down the hill. Throwing her scarf over his head, and the kimono Manji had borrowed from Sori-sensei over his shoulders, she huddled close to him. He looked down at her in bewilderment, but quickly realized what she was trying to do, and remained quiet. He took this chance to trace her features with his eyes. She had grown, although her face still retained that childish innocence which made her so different from him. He was glad that she still seemed full of life, despite the horrors she had witnessed on her journey.
As she pressed her body close to his, he felt something stir inside him. He had never considered himself a man who could ever love a woman, but despite this they kept appearing in his life. There was small, beautiful, powerful Makie. The woman he admired and wished he could shape himself to be. She loved him unconditionally, and he was unable to reciprocate. She was beautiful, but to him, her beauty only truly became apparent in battle.
Then there was Hisoka, his tragic wife. A woman who had wanted to bear his heir, and be with him until the end of his life. To watch over him, despite being unable to see.
Finally, fate gave him Asano Rin. A girl who's sole desire was to watch him die. The one woman he hoped would be with him in the end. He had hurt her immensely, and was almost grateful for it. If he had not murdered her parents, and taken revenge against the Mugai-ryu, perhaps they would have never met. That, to him, was worse than having her hate him. By leaving that scar on her heart, he had, in a way, claimed her.
"Want some dry candy, Manji-san?" she spoke to him kindly, "say ahh-"
Something else stirred within him at her words. She was so close to him that he could feel the heat coming from her touch, and it was all because in their little act he was supposed to be the Killer of a Hundred. She would never touch him otherwise, or speak to him with such gentleness. Still, it irked him that she was so clearly infatuated with her bodyguard.
When the men hunting him had fallen for her act, and left them once more alone, he allowed some of his irritation to show. He reprimanded her for her unnecessary actions, and explained his plan to ambush those men with the element of surprise. He was satisfied by her blatant frustration at his words. She seethed at him, and threatened to call them back as she rose to her feet.
"Enough. It's too late, anyway. Sit." He said nonchalantly.
She sulked, but obeyed him. Something else he greatly enjoyed about her personality. It amused him to ruffle her feathers, but he also knew how to bring her back under his control. He couldn't help but imagine how feisty she would be if he ever bedded her. She would never be submissive like the other women he's had, and he could practically feel her nails running down his back as she growled his name. Those eyes, ablaze with hatred, would also show a glimmer of desire for him as he forcefully thrusted himself inside of her.
"It really is warm today," he muttered, trying to reign in his thoughts, "I haven't seen you since… When? The battle in Suwa? How about it? If you're not in a hurry, want to have a little talk?"
Rin's eyes widened in disbelief as she turned to him. Her cheeks grew flushed and she looked bewildered. He stifled an uncharacteristic chuckle at her expression. She was so innocent, and so easily confused. He wondered how far her blush would spread, and if it would turn a deeper shade of red if he explored her innocence further.
They began talking, and he steered the conversation towards her and Doa. He was genuinely interested, and made no effort to hide it. He'd always admired power, and what she had done in that castle had taken a lot of it. He also enjoyed the irony of how deeply involved Asano Rin had become in the Itto-ryu. He still believed that Rin, in her quest of revenge, was becoming more and more like himself. He reveled in it.
He allowed her to talk, as he leaned back in the soft grass, and listened. Her voice was somehow comforting. It was sweet, and genuine. Her emotions clearly expressed with each word. He began to wish that he'd be able to hear that voice more regularly. What would it sound like as she whispered sweet nothings in his ear? Her breath hot against his skin. He would make her say his name, scream it into the night air.
She asked him about the map and the gun powder that they had stolen. Was he upset? He stifled another chuckle, his thoughts- his feelings- slipping into his next words, "No, I don't mind. Thanks to you, I got to witness a true spectacle."
Rin looked at him doubtfully, and then also laid her head down on the grass.
He peered over, "What's wrong? Is that it?"
"I'm tired of talking," she announced, "You should talk some, too."
"About what?" he asked, somewhat disappointed.
She hesitated, "… Like what's up? Where are you now?"
He was surprised by this. Something stirred inside him once more, and in an attempt to qualm it his next words came out sounding bitter, "You want to know?"
There was a moment of silence as she calculated her response, "Sort of…" an electric shock ran through his body momentarily, "It wouldn't be fair if you went and died like a dog somewhere and I had nothing to do with it…"
He grinned bitterly to himself. He should have seen those words coming, and yet it felt just like a blade piercing his chest. He'd allowed his thoughts to explore his relationship with this woman, and confused them for reality. However, the reality was that she hated him. She was only interested in following him to his grave. Perhaps, that was for the best. After all, he was not a man that could ever love a woman.
"Rin. I have a favor to ask of you."