Title: "Hikari to Yami"

Fandom: GouGou Sentai Boukenger

Pairing: Masumi Inou & Natsuki Mamiya

Rating: R

Timeline: Pre-45, although he's cleaned his room before the task (in the task, he's cleaning his room).

Summary: Masumi senses the creeping darkness within and turns to his only source of constant comfort…Natsuki.

The creeping feeling Masumi had whenever he was alone with his thoughts about Akashi was back. He could almost feel the dark thoughts slowly making their way into his head, whispering things into his ear that he didn't want to think about…ways to beat Akashi, to be the one everyone looked up to…to be the hero…. to finally be the world's best treasure hunter. And each thought was darker and more sinister than the last. He was officially afraid that the darkness inside, the darkness that Yami no Yaiba had been talking about would consume him and swallow him alive.

Masumi had often thought of ways he wanted to die and being eaten alive by the darkness within was not one of them.

He sighed and rested his head against his pillow, wondering if there was anything that could make the sickening feeling and the dark thoughts go away. Suddenly, there was a knock at his door.

A feeling of warmth and joy slowly spread through his heart when he heard the knock and he knew exactly who was there and with a small smile on his face, he answered the door.

If Masumi was darkness, then Natsuki was light, cleansing and pure. Her smile was as bright as sunshine as she did her best to balance a tray of hot cocoa and cookies--- and despite everything he was currently going through at the moment, he felt himself smile back.

He wondered for a moment what good he had done to deserve such a beautiful woman in his life, but with a smile, he let her into his room. "Just what I needed, Natsuki." He murmured as she came in and placed the tray on his desk.

She smiled and handed him his black mug before taking her pale yellow mug and sipping the cocoa. "Are you all right, Masumi?" she asked. "Natsuki's been worried about you."

"It's nothing." Masumi assured her. He didn't want her to worry. He didn't want her to see the darkness inside and flee from him. If Natsuki left him, Masumi was sure he would die inside. So, he devised a real quick plan so she wouldn't see him angst.

If he'd ever drank cocoa so fast before, she couldn't really remember it. He drank it down so quickly that he paused, swallowed and coughed. She raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything.

She looked at him and for a moment, he flashed back to when it had been revealed to him that she was a Lemurian and he'd seen her in those beautiful robes, holding the Sun of Lemuria. She looked like a goddess, shimmering like the Precious she'd held in her hands. He was shocked and horrified, yet stunned by her beauty. He felt that now and his heart sped up. What he wasn't counting on was Natsuki noticing that something was wrong because he nearly choked, again, stuffing a cookie in his face.

"Masumi, is something wrong?"

"What makes you think that something is wrong?" He asked, not really looking at her.

"Natsuki can tell." She said, helping herself to another cookie. "Natsuki's been with you for over two years, Masumi. She can sort of tell, anyway."

He didn't want to tell her. He didn't want to put her in any kind of danger.

"Masumi, you've never hurt me. I trust you with my life." She sipped her cocoa. "You can trust me. Please, Masumi. Tell Natsuki what's wrong."

He didn't really want to tell her. He didn't even want to think about it, but he also knew that if he told her, she wouldn't tell her again. He opened his mouth for a moment, but then he quickly clammed up.

"Masumi…" Natsuki sipped her cocoa again and then touched his shoulder, trying to make her look into his eyes. She poked him. "Come on, Masumi." She said with a smile. "You know you can tell me anything. You can't resist someone as cute as me." She gave him a playful poke.

The Fast Adventurer turned his head slowly, his hands slightly shaking. He quickly shoved them in his pockets, but she'd noticed. "Natsuki…"

Could he trust her? He wasn't sure, but he'd been closer to her than he was to anyone else. She was the only person whom he could truly claim to trust and even…love.

Natsuki finished her cocoa and touched Masumi's shoulder again. "Natsuki will leave then, if you don't wish to talk." She said. "If you want to talk to me, I'll be in my room."

Just as she turned to leave, Masumi found his courage and his voice. "Natsuki…wait."

She looked at him. "What is it?"

"Stay." He murmured. "Please…stay."

The Strong Adventurer turned to the Fast Adventurer and nodded, moving to him. She wanted to hold him close to her.

Masumi moved back from her, fear in his eyes. "Don't get too close to me."

"Natsuki wants to be close to you." She murmured.

Masumi felt the icy façade he'd built around himself slowly begin to melt away and he sighed, looking at her. "Natsuki…"

"Please, Masumi. Don't push Natsuki away."

A small portion of him screamed in protest at the idea of getting closer to anyone, but the rest of him welcomed the idea of having someone close to him. It would be nice to have someone after being alone for so very long. It would be nice to see light after being shrouded by darkness.

And the more he looked at her, the brighter she seemed to shine and the more he wanted to be enveloped in her warmth and light. He paused and looked into her eyes. "Natsuki…"

She smiled and it seemed to just light up the room.

And then he moved without thinking, finishing the mug and taking Natsuki in his arms, holding her as though she was his life preserver and if he let go, he'd drown.

Time seemed to stop then.

"Masumi…" she murmured, looking up at him with those beautiful chocolate colored eyes of hers that looked like they could pierce right through his soul.

Sometimes, when they looked into each other's eyes, they could see into their hearts and all Masumi wanted then, was for her to see the love he held for her. He brushed a lock of hair away from her face and smiled at her.

Before he could stop himself (he didn't want to, anyway), he'd leaned down and pressed his lips to Natsuki's, savoring her sweet taste. He could almost feel her love, almost drink it as though it was a potent elixir that would flush out the darkness within. If Natsuki was the light that would purify him, then he would stay with her until the end of his life.

Suddenly, Masumi broke away from the stunned Natsuki, turning away from her. "I'm sorry."

Natsuki turned from him and then, placed her mug and Masumi's dropped mug on the desk. "Natsuki enjoyed that, Masumi." She said, her voice soft.

He looked at her and time seemed to stop again before he found her in his arms again, but this time she was the one who began the kiss, pressing her lips to his, tasting the warm gingerbread spice that was Masumi.

Reflexively, Masumi's arms embraced her small frame, pressing her to him as he deepened the kiss. As they kissed, his hands wandered up to her hair and gently, not to hurt her, pulled out the ties that held her hair in her trademark pigtails.

Her hair flowed down her back and eagerly; he buried his fingers in it. It felt like silk in his hands and, gently, slowly, he eased her down onto his bed.

She looked at him, her eyes wide and then, she nodded slowly, murmuring her love softly, but loudly enough for him to hear. Her whispers made him smile as his hands carefully went to work. Natsuki wasn't fragile, but Masumi was in no rush. He wanted to make this last.

The SGS jacket was the first to go, followed by her black socks. He paused to kiss her toes, gently massaging her feet. She giggled. "That tickles, Masumi." She murmured as he places a teasing kiss on her pretty pale yellow toes.

"You have such cute toes." He murmured. "Oh Natsuki, one day, I am going to give you the world and everything in it. I promise."

"Natsuki doesn't want the world, Masumi." She murmured as he kissed his way up her thighs, his hand inching up under the beige skirt, while the other hand looked for the zipper. "She just wants you."

He smiled at that. No one had ever wanted him before, not like this and that warmed his heart to the point that he felt his heart would burst and he rained kisses all over her face and shoulder, making her coo in absolute delight.

A couple of moments of wriggling and Natsuki was free of the skirt, Masumi of his black jeans. Another moment of wriggling and it was skin on skin and he could worship her properly.

Natsuki's touch was gentle, pure and her hands gently caressed his pale skin, the fine black hair, just everywhere.

As the night wore on, Masumi wondered if he could ever stop loving Natsuki and he was beginning to think that he never would. He couldn't. She was such a part of his life that he couldn't picture life without her.

She brought joy to him and sometimes, she was the one and only thing that made him happy. She made him smile. She made him believe that after a life without love and without people to care for him, that he could love someone that he could come to care for another human being. And he knew he would never love another the way he loved her.

Masumi also learned something about himself…he paid an enormous amount of detail to Natsuki. He caressed and kissed her smooth, ivory skin, ran his fingers through the fine black silk of her hair and paid attention to every single noise she made.

Before Natsuki, tired, sweaty and satisfied, drifted off to sleep, content in his arms, she whispered, "Natsuki loves you, Masumi."

The words made Masumi stop. It was like someone had taken his Radial Hammer and struck him straight in his heart. He looked at her and let a small smile grace his face.

Natsuki loves you, Masumi… The words echoed in his head and in his heart and he sighed, allowing himself to sink down beside her, running his fingers along her sides.

"And Masumi loves you, Natsuki…" He murmured, before the darkness of sleep, the only darkness he liked, finally claimed him. For now, the darkness had been fully defeated by Natsuki's purity and light.