My third fanfiction~ Wooooottttt :D actually, I wasn't sure if I'd be able to get that far… but anyways… I've been meaning to post this one up, and unlike my previous oneshots, it'll be more than an oneshot. And uhh… yes, it is a sequel to "It Happened In The Morning".

[March 15, 2010] EDIT: Thank you to PhinalPhantasy for pointing out my mistake. Hopefully it'll be fixed

Disclaimer: I don't own Shinkenger.

...

It was mid-afternoon when the Shinkengers came back, battle scarred from their battle with boss Gedou, Chimatsuri Doukoku.

Jii and Tanba could only look on in anguish as the kuroko carried a battle-scarred Shiba Kaoru through the doors.

"Princess," whimpered Tanba as he followed the kuroko through the doors into Kaoru's private rooms. However Jii only had eyes for the other six Shinkengers that limped collectively through the doors.

"Tono!" exclaimed Jii. "Everyone! Are you alright?"

Chiaki was quickest to answer with his sharp tongue. "Jii-chan! We'll be better after we get our wounds cleaned." Looking down at the petite girl at his side, he addressed the kuroko, "Can you put Kotoha in bed quickly, Kuroko-chan?"

The kuroko nodded eagerly and scurried off with Kotoha with one of Kaoru's kurokos following them with a first aid kit and Chiaki following them.

Jii looked at Takeru, who was supporting Mako. "Tono, do you need any help?"

As beaten and as bruised as Takeru was, he had never felt better. It could've been because he was supporting a certain vassal, or maybe because Juuzo was gone, but either way, Takeru was still strong enough to wince and reply with a blunt "I'm fine, but Mako needs some help."

Mako looked over at Takeru. "Takeru!" she began. "I don't need any help! I'm feeling as well as you do right now!"

Takeru was unperturbed. "But Mako…"

"No buts!" Putting her foot down firmly on the subject, she walked into the interior chamber and allowed the kuroko to begin to dress her wounds.

With a shrug and a look at Genta and Ryuunosuke, Takeru sat down next to his girlfriend and also allowed the kuroko to treat the multiple slashes on his body.

Mako looked over at her boyfriend and said, "Do you think that Chiaki and Kotoha will confess to each other?"

Takeru looked over at Mako and smiled warmly. "Of course," he said as he twisted his fingers with hers. "They'll pull through this together."

And they just sat, ears deaf to everything but their own thumping heartbeats, even though Genta and Ryuunosuke were bickering as usual…

...

Chiaki thanked the kuroko as they finished treating the wounds on Kotoha and laid her down gently. The kuruko bowed and scurried off into the other room to help treat the remaining injured Shinkengers.

"Chiaki…" Kotoha whispered softly. "Are you there…?"

Chiaki immediately rushed to the girl's side as she reached up with a bandaged arm. The wood samurai gently wrapped both of his arms around the earth samurai's and began to stroke it softly, in attempt to perhaps, ease the girl's pain.

"Kotoha…" he whispered. "Are you alright?"

Kotoha could only murmur a quiet "yes" before she fell silent again. After a few minutes, Chiaki stopped his soft movements on Kotoha's arm and rose up to head to the door.

"Chiaki…"

The boy stopped in his tracks, his hand already halfway towards the handle of the sliding door.

"Yes?"

"Why did you stop massaging my arm?" she asked.

Chiaki smiled to himself and crept back towards the lying figure of the girl and resumed his "massage" on her arm.

"Chiaki…?" Kotoha's quiet voice broke into Chiaki's thoughts.

"Hmm…?"

Kotoha moved her head to the other side so that Chiaki wouldn't see her reddening face. "Can I lie my head in your lap?"

Chiaki immediately stopped what he was doing to Kotoha's arm, his own face beginning to blush. "Well, uh… I-I don't… well… what I mean to say is…" he stammered.

Kotoha turned back her head quickly. "It's okay if you don't want to…" but the sentence was never finished as Chiaki slid her head gently onto his lap and held her hands gently in front of the pair.

"Happy now, milady?" teased Chiaki with a large grin on his face. The comment brought back the memories of when Takeru was to act as a servant to Kotoha when a rich boy wanted to fake an engagement with her. At this, Kotoha merely giggled and replied with a "mhmm".

The two relaxed with a comfortable silence growing between them, until Kotoha broke it with another question.

Kotoha looked up. "Nee, Chiaki?"

"Hmm? What is it?" Chiaki looked down into her eyes.

"I have a question to ask you," she began. "Can I…?"

Chiaki's playful nature took over. "Weeell…. You've already asked one…" he replied with a small smile on his face. "But… go ahead."

"You remember when Gen-san's rich customer wanted me to be his fake fiancée?"

Chiaki's expression hardened a bit. "Yes."

Kotoha let another laugh slip when she looked at his face, but she composed herself and carried on with her questioning. "When he asked me to be his fake fiancée, did you feel jealous?"

Chiaki was blunt with his response. "Why would I be jealous of a fake engagement?"

"Mako-chan said that you were," she said in response. "She said the whole afternoon, you were complaining while Tono-sama and I were out."

Dammit, Chiaki thought. I've really got to stop complaining with Nee-san around.

"Ryuu-san also said that you wanted to be with me instead of Tono-sama," Kotoha carried on. "Said something about "protecting me from rich, self-centered jerks". She ended off this sentence with a smile worthy of the Cheshire cat.

Chiaki could only nod in embarrassment as he realized that his secret was out. The two slipped once more into a pleasant silence as both attempted to try and figure out how to pour out what was in their hearts.

Should I tell her? Thought Chiaki. Does she feel the same way about me?

But once more, his thoughts were interrupted.

"Chiaki, did you know that Yoshibou-san asked me to marry him while Tono-sama and I were at his mansion?"

"Heeeee?" Chiaki looked down at Kotoha in shock. "He did?"

Kotoha's lips were twitching as she tried not to smile.

"Yeah," she replied.

"And…" Chiaki wanted to know. "Did you?" And am I too late? He thought to himself.

"Did I what?" Kotoha asked innocently.

"Did you accept his proposal?" said Chiaki with a hint of steel creeping into his voice, his impatience showing.

"Ohhh," Kotoha said, faking her realization. "Well, no… I already had someone else that I love that I wanted to go out with…"

Chiaki was shocked. So… she's still single, right? She's just waiting right? Wait… maybe it's Ryuunosuke! She's always calling him Ryuu-san. If so, I'd better get out before her chances are ruined!

Chiaki let go of her hands and rose up gently. "So… uhh… do you want me to go then?" he asked. "Cause I can get Ryuunosuke for you right now if you want…"

Baka... Chiaki cursed himself. "Of course Kotoha wouldn't want someone like me if Ryuunosuke is around."

"Chiaki…" Kotoha pleaded softly. "Sit down please…"

"Why?" replied Chiaki, bitterly. "I'm not the one that you want here, Ryuunosuke is just outside."

"Chiaki…" Kotoha managed to sit up and pull Chiaki down to her eyelevel. "I wasn't talking about Ryuunosuke…"

Chiaki blinked. "Then who were you talking about?"

Kotoha didn't know that anyone could be even denser than her, or maybe it was just this one topic that Chiaki didn't know about, so in response she just closed her eyes and kissed Chiaki gently on the lips.

As the pair broke apart, Kotoha lifted up her bandaged hands towards Chiaki's face. "Does that answer your question, Chiaki Tani?" she asked, surprising serious.

"You… love… me…?" he asked in disbelief. "What about Ryuunosuke?"

Kotoha just laughed. "Ryuu-san? I don't want him in that way." she smiled brightly at Chiaki. "So will you stay with me tonight?"

Chiaki sat back down and held Kotoha's hands again. "Of course." He said. "Do you even need to ask your boyfriend?"

"Mhmm…" mumbled Kotoha. "Good night Chiaki…"

"Good night Kotoha…" replied Chiaki. "I love you." He whispered as he planted a soft kiss on her forehead.

"I love you too…" came the quiet reply as Kotoha drifted off to sleep with her new boyfriend sitting motionlessly with her head on his lap.

...

Well, that's the first pairing. Hehehe, I'll be putting up Takeru and Mako's chapter later on. Please read and review :D