Author's Note: It's been some time since I submitted anything. It's been some time since I've written anything.

I've only recently started writing Super Sentai fanfiction. This is my first Shinkenger fanfic. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own it. If I did, I wouldn't be writing fanfiction. :)

Samurai Sentai: Shinkenger

I'll Always Be Your Lord

Part I – Denial

Takeru had been practicing since the early hours of the morning. Why? He didn't really know. The Gedoushu were defeated. Oh, sure, there were occasional attacks from Nanashi, but he easily took care of them. Hell, that was what he did before his vassals had joined him. But it was nothing that required the degree of training he'd been doing. This was just his way of venting. Something was on his mind, but he couldn't figure out what, and it was frustrating. There was an odd feeling in his chest. And the looks he was receiving from his mentor, Hikoma, were just adding to his frustration.

What the Hell…?

He lowered his katana as he heard giggling from behind, glancing over his shoulder at Hikoma speaking with his adoptive mother, Kaoru. His look was filled with annoyance but that only made Kaoru and Hikoma both laugh.

Again… What the Hell…?

"Takeru, come rest a while. Have lunch with me."

As annoyed as Takeru was, not to mention the weight on his mind that he couldn't figure out, he would rather have continued training. But he couldn't ignore a request from Kaoru. Besides, maybe she'd give him some clue as to what made her and Hikoma so… if he didn't know any better, he'd say they were giddy.

Takeru and Kaoru had become closer since they all parted ways. She may be his mother on paper, but she was still younger than him. It was odd to call her mother. They were still family, the relationship almost like a brother and sister

He put his katana away and took a towel offered by one of the kuroko as he followed Kaoru back into the house.

Kaoru had her fan open, but Takeru noticed it was more to hide her smile than it was for cooling herself, or for beating Tanba over the head, who he noticed was missing. She cleared her throat a bit, forcing her smile away before she lowered the fan, folding it as she put it away.

"I sent Tanba shopping," she said as she took her seat. "I figured we needed to talk. Hikoma has been a little worried about you. He says you don't sleep well, you rarely eat. All you do is train… ever since you got Kotoha's letter…" She smiled again, this time hidden by her cup.

She had to wait until he was taking a drink to say anything about Kotoha's letter. He coughed and sputtered as he set his cup down. Was it the letter from Kotoha that had his nerves so on edge? There was nothing really upsetting about the letter. She was going to be in town for a few days while her sister visited with a doctor and asked if she could stay at the mansion. Takeru hadn't seen a problem with it.

But then… thinking about it… the closer it got to the date that Kotoha would be visiting… the worse that feeling in his chest was. He understood, now… sort of… He understood that Hikoma and Kaoru knew what that feeling was. And it pissed him off that they weren't telling him.

"You're anxious for her visit…"

Takeru could hear the smile in her voice, even though he couldn't see it. Why the hell wouldn't he be anxious to a certain degree? She and the other vassals were the only people he could consider friends. Hell, they were friends. These people would sacrifice their lives for him and he for them. As close as they all had become, everything felt empty when they left.

They kept in touch, letters, the occasional phone call or text. But there was nothing in Kotoha's letter to cause him to be so anxious.

"It'll be strange without the others, yes?"

Well… yeah… there was that. Not once has he been at the mansion with one vassal and not the others.

"I could ask the others to come… like a samurai reunion…," Takeru mused aloud. "But… I can't just ask them to just drop their lives on such short notice… Plus, Mako and Genta are both in other countries… It wouldn't be fair to them…"

"No, it wouldn't." She smiled as she set her cup down. "Does it bother you to be alone with Kotoha?"

Takeru spit out the mouthful of tea he'd just taken in. Damn it, she did it again, and she was enjoying it, that was the annoying part. He shot her a glare as reached for a napkin, coughing.

She completely ignored him as she nibbled on her food. She smiled again, not even looking at him. "Kotoha is cute, isn't she?"

And damn it if she didn't giggle when he attempted to stumble over a response, but he just couldn't get his brain to work right.

She sighed. "My little Take-chan is in love…"

No, no, no, no… Takeru shook his head, turning away from her to hide the color in his face. Not possible. No way. He was Lord, she was his vassal. Things don't work that way. Plus, the fact that she was so much younger than he was. No, he wasn't in love. Though he admitted, any man would be lucky to have her. He could count a hundred things about her that were admirable. But she didn't deserve just any man. She deserved the best. She deserved someone who would stand by her, protect her, put her on a pedestal. He couldn't do that for her. To her, he'd always be her Lord.

Genta had always been his best friend. Chiaki had accepted him as an equal. Mako was almost like a sister. Sure, he'd always be Lord to Ryunosuke, but that was the way the kabuki actor was raised. Kotoha was never supposed to have been Shinken Yellow, but she learned quickly. She took her new role seriously. She started off as the weakest link, but eventually, Takeru decided she may have become the strongest. Or maybe because of that one event where they almost lost her, where they all decided they would willingly fall to Gedou in order to save her life. That was, he thought, the first time they were really all united, for her sake…

Hard to believe that was a year ago. Holy crap… almost exactly a year. That means…

"Kotoha's birthday…" He hadn't realized he said it aloud as he got to his feet and ducked into his room.

He closed the door behind him. He needed to make plans, do something. Kotoha deserved something for her birthday. They couldn't get the others together for a party, but he could do something for her. It wasn't fair for her to spend her birthday alone. But Kaoru had made an excellent point. He was afraid to be with her without the other vassals.

Why? First of all, he wasn't the most social of people. Sure he'd loosened up with the others around. But there was always the others there to provoke it. Kotoha was always the quiet one, so innocent. Takeru didn't know how to be the one to instigate conversation. He didn't know how to talk to her. She deserved something better than that. And the party last year had such meaning. He didn't know if he could top it.

Why was he concerned about that? Why was he concerned at all about her birthday? Last year they almost lost her.

He sighed as he threw his head back against the door, wincing slightly. He'd held her in his arms, as she lay dying, promising her that he'd save her. Why did he care? She was his vassal, it was her duty to lay her life down for him. Why did he care? Why did he want so much to save her?

Maybe Kaoru's words were truth? Maybe he was in love with her?

He shook his head. Nope. Couldn't be. She was his friend, he wanted to do something nice for her birthday. That's as far as it went. He'd always be her Lord.