Note: The last story of the four-part Matchmaker series. I don't know why I find the image of this so fascinating, but I do... something about the colour scheme and the sensuality of it all. Would Kyuzo really do something like this? I like to think so.

Moonlight and Cherry Blossoms

Slowly he made his way down the hall toward her room, but then he stopped, his hand on the frame. Inside, he was torn in two - he wanted to open the door and go to her, but...

"She's bathing at the moment," he heard, and turned to see Yukino approaching, a soft smile playing around her mouth.

"Oh." He let go of the frame, but still did not move away.

"Is there something you need, great samurai?"

He glanced at her, then nodded. He turned to move further down the hallway, and Yukino followed until they were both standing on the small balcony that faced the gardens. All sorts of flowering bushes and trees could be found here, and Kyuzo reached up toward one of the branches and plucked a flower. Then he looked back at Yukino.

"I need several."

"How many?" she asked, thinking that she caught his idea.

He spread his arms wide, and she grinned.

"I see..."

With a weary but contented sigh, Nasami slid open the door to her room, padding on bare feet across the tatami mats toward the window. A low stool had been placed there, and she gratefully sat, removing the combs that held her damp hair on top of her head. Setting all but one on the dresser beside her, she slowly drew the last comb through her long thick hair until it fell in long white waves to her hips. Lulled by the rhythm of the strokes, she closed her eyes and softly hummed to herself, enjoying the sweet breeze that drifted in from the window.

Then she paused and sniffed at the air, then she opened her eyes again.

The scent of cherry blossoms was vivid in the air, but as she looked outside, she couldn't see a single tree with the blooms.

She sniffed again, and realized that the scent came from within her room, so she looked back over her shoulder.

And realized that her pallet was absolutely covered in the white, pink, and red blossoms.

For a moment, all she could was stare, then she let out a delighted laugh.

"I'm glad you like them."

Her eyes shot back up again toward the darkest corner of her room, where a lithe figure emerged from the shadows.

Kyuzo.

Her eyes widened slightly when she saw him wearing a dark crimson silk kimono, instead of his usual trenchcoat and bodysuit. And try as she might, she could not stop her eyes from roaming over him, taking in every detail that the fine silk revealed of him.

"Are... are you saying that you did this... for me?" she asked softly, rising to her feet as he approached her.

He nodded, never taking his eyes from her face. With her hair loose around her, and the moonlight touching her face, she looked so much like the vision that Yukino had conjured up in his mind earlier that he wondered if he was still dreaming.

Especially once he had seen the appreciative look in her eyes when she'd seen what he was wearing.

"Why?"

"Because."

Her mouth quirked in her usual wry smile. "Come on, Kyuzo-sama, 'because' is hardly an answer."

"It is for me."

She chuckled softly. "Well... whatever your reasons... thank you."

He gave her a faint smile in return, then he reached down and picked up one of the blooms. Moving slowly, he carefully placed it in her hair.

"Nasami..." he murmured, savoring each part of her name.

"Yes?"

He rested his hands on her shoulders, but made no other move. But he could feel his entire body trembling, wishing more than anything in the world that he could just let go and take her. But he wanted more than that from her... for her...

"I..."

Kyuzo tried to speak, but couldn't. Not when every time he drew breath to speak, he inhaled the scent of cherry blossoms and Nasami's own unique sandalwood scent.

And either of them knew what was happening, his lips were on hers.

The kiss seemed to go on forever, with the two of them just standing there in front of the window, the fireflies circling lazily around them.

When at last he lifted his head from hers, Nasami stared helplessly up at him.

"I don't understand..." she whispered.

"What?"

"Am I dreaming?"

That she should echo his own thoughts made him want to laugh.

Nasami saw him smile, and she wondered what exactly he found so amusing.

"You look... so much younger when you smile," she said in wonder, lifting her hand to lightly touch his face. His eyes widened slightly at her touch, and she was about to draw her hand back when he leaned into her palm, slightly turning his head to brush his lips against her fingertips.

Then she shook her head, as though trying to clear it. "This has to be a dream. This can't be real."

"Why?" he asked her softly, and she looked up at him again.

"Because you're normally not like..." - she waved her hands in front of her - "... this."

"Do you wish me to leave?"

She was startled to catch the sadness in his voice at the idea.

He turned to go, and she reached out to catch him by the arm.

The warmth of her touch through the silk was enough to drive all thought of leaving out of his head, and he turned back around to face her. Her eyes were wide, slightly stricken at the thought that she had hurt his feelings, and her lips were parted as though she were about to speak.

But when she spoke, it was the last thing he expected her to say.

"Please stay..."

Then he stopped thinking altogether as she she stepped into his arms and kissed him, full on the mouth, the length of her body against his.

"Don't go," she whispered against his lips. "I don't want you to leave."

"What do you want?" he asked her, tilting her chin up so he could look her in the eyes.

"I..." she began, then stopped. She looked down at her pallet, covered in fragrant blooms, then she rested her hands on his chest, and his breath hissed out of him at her touch.

"I... we are samurai..." she whispered. "But... I want... I want so much... to believe that you want me..."

Her arms slowly went around him.

"... that you trust me..."

She lifted her eyes to meet his.

"... that you lo-"

Nasami stopped short, her teeth sinking into her lower lip as though biting back the words.

"Whatever she wants..."

His own words echoed in his ears.

Then he took a step forward, his dark eyes intense, and Nasami instinctively backed up.

"Believe..." he murmured.

He moved forward again, and Nasami once again stepped backward, her foot catching the edge of her pallet. Awkwardly she lost her balance and fell, but Kyuzo caught her and lowered her down among the cherry blossoms.

"Believe..." he murmured again, lowering himself down on top of her, letting the sweet scent of the flowers surround them both.

He captured her mouth with his, kissing her again and again.

"Believe..."

She moaned and pulled him closer, her arms tightening around him.

"And what do you want, Kyuzo-sama?" she asked hoarsely, her breath warm against his cheek. "Tell me..."

Kyuzo went absolutely still, remembering Yukino asking him those exact words.

And just as he had answered earlier, he lifted his head and met her gaze, letting the tears he didn't know he'd been holding back slide down his face.

"To lose myself in you..."

Then he kissed her with all the desperation of far too many lonely years, and all the hope that he'd never dared let himself feel.

"And to find myself... in you..."

"In that case, my love..." she whispered, sliding her small hands beneath the silk of his kimono to feel the heat of his skin, "... here we are." She drew his head down so that his lips trailed down her throat. "You... and I... and this."

He groaned and kissed her again.

And as the moonlight made its way across the room, turning skin and silk to silver, the fireflies worked their magic, until moans faded to sighs, and then into silence.

Leaving only magic in the air... and the scent of cherry blossoms.