Sayounara

Rated K

Rin was getting married, but she wasn't happy about it. In fact, on her wedding day, she was the exact opposite of what a bride should be. Rin was getting married to the wrong man.

Everyone was surprised to hear that the young female mercenary working under Date Masamune had accepted Sanada Yukimura's proposal. It seemed to be out of the blue and just about everyone figured that Rin would end up with Masamune, with the two having worked together for so long.

Even Rin herself thought that she and Masamune would always be together; he'd always hinted something along those lines, so she waited and waited for him… but he never proposed to her.

She wanted to wait, how she wanted to wait for Masamune, but it had already been years since she started working with him and although she would wait, Yukimura would not. She couldn't just let his proposal hang in the air only because of some off chance that Masamune would take action; it simply wasn't fair to Yukimura so when Yukimura came out to her first, she had no choice but to accept.

She'd known Masamune when she was a kid… He was only eight when he had promised seven year old her that he would marry her; where did the time go? She knew it was childish of her to depend on the words of an eight year old boy, but she couldn't let it go, and Masamune did seem like he really planned on asking her, but it never came. He'd never even officially asked her to be his girlfriend.

They had kissed before; more times than she could count. He had held her close at night with nothing but skin touching and he had whispered promises into her ear, but he couldn't fulfill any of them.

It wasn't that she didn't love Yukimura; far from it. Yet she wondered... She loved Yukimura, yes, but was it really that kind of love? Was it really the same love she felt in her heart for Masamune as well? Maybe she was mixing things up…

Sure, Masamune said some pretty things for her, but was that out of lust? Rin was confused. She didn't know anymore. What she thought was love for Masamune… Was that really lust? Something she had created during a time of passion or had she honestly loved Masamune? Had he really loved her?

Rin looked at herself in the mirror; in her red and gold wedding kimono and white wataboushi atop her head.

She picked at her clothing and couldn't help thinking morosely; this should be blue and gold… Not red… I shouldn't be marrying Yukimura-kun, I should be marrying-

She stopped herself there as tears threatened to spill out of her black eyes. She bit her lip until it bled and finally, she couldn't take it anymore. She lay her forehead in her arms as she started to cry. Masamune, I'm sorry… I'm so, so sorry…

Rin would be happy with Yukimura, Masamune had decided. Yukimura would be awkward around her, but he would make a good husband. He'd protect her. And she seemed happy with him. That was why Masamune had let her go.

What kind of dragon was he? A coward; that's what kind. He told himself that Rin would be better suited with a man who wasn't so cowardly like he; and one who could actually ask the woman of his dream to stay by his side forever and one who could keep his promises.

He'd known Rin since they were kids. She had forgotten him, but he had made her remember. He had made her remember that little boy who had asked her to marry him when they were kids. And he seemed so confident that she was his, but obviously he was wrong. Oh, how he must have been wrong, for her to accept Yukimura so quickly like that.

But of course she did, he told himself; he couldn't have expected her to wait for him forever. She would never have seen Masamune as anything more than a childhood friend or a higher up anyways.

One little thing he could have had, and he let her slip by as easily as water. She had stayed in his hands for a while, but then she just flowed out... Just like that.

When Rin had told him the news on the fateful afternoon that he'd let her go, he told himself that it would be the last time he'd ever see her and would be able to talk face to face with her like they used to. Next time they saw each other, they'd have no other choice but to fight. After all, she was joining his biggest rival's army.

Yet… The idea irked him.

It couldn't be their last. He wouldn't let it be.

It was a surprise when Masamune showed up alone at the after party of the wedding and Rin was definitely caught off guard.

His name had slipped past her lips before she could contain it, "Masamune?..." Rin's heart fluttered, what was he doing here?

Before she could ask, Yukimura instantly jumped to his feet and beat her to it, "Masamune-dono, what on earth are you doing here?"

"What?" Masamune asked in his usual laid back way. "I can't come and wish my rival a happy marriage?" He didn't look at Rin right away. He was afraid he'd do something crazy like steal her or some such nonsense… But he couldn't stop his eye from wandering anyways.

She was as beautiful as ever, even in red and he could feel his spirits rise just seeing her in a wedding kimono, even though it wasn't for him. Her face was painted and her hair was held up by different gold pins and accessories. She almost looked like a doll. She was so radiant, he thought she was glowing yet she looked almost miserable. He must have been imagining it.

"Well, of course you can," Yukimura said in surprise. "But Masamune-dono-…"

The sound around Rin went on mute. She could see Yukimura's mouth move as he spoke to Masamune, but she heard nothing. Rin was intent on watching Masamune's mouth move as he talked. She was waiting for him to say something specific; something more. She wanted him to sweep her off her feet and take her away… To tell Yukimura that he loved her, and that she loved him, but she knew it would never happen. Masamune just wasn't that kind of man.

He'd always seemed to be able to read Rin's emotions as easily as an open book, so why did it seem like he was reading it completely backwards today, when she needed him most?

Rin was broken out of her trance when she saw her name on his lips, "-…Rin?"

A question. She hadn't been paying attention… She shook her head and smiled gently, "I'm sorry… Masamune-sama," (she added this suffix for the first time since she'd met him for lack of any other name to address him by anymore,) "What were you saying?"

He laughed, though it didn't sound natural, even to his ears, "Haha, that's just like you Rin, always spacing out during the most important of times."

She laughed as well, "Yes, well so~rry, my lord."

He could hear the slight sarcasm in her voice; the same type she always used to use on him when they teased each other. He grinned at her and she smiled back a little shyly.

It was as if the two were meeting all over again.

Yukimura obviously didn't have the same moment as he told Rin, "Masamune-dono was asking if you would still be fighting on the battlefield."

The moment between Rin and Masamune cracked and shattered like an egg. It was gone. Rin sighed a little as she said uncertainly, "Well… I suppose I'll have to, right?"

Yukimura shook his head passionately as he clasped both her hands in his and promised, "Of course not, Rin-chan! I'd never want you to put yourself in danger like that; you're a woman and my wife after all, so it's my duty to keep you safe!"

Rin smiled thinly as she said somewhat dryly, "Of course, Yukimura-kun." Masamune never would have worried about my gender being in the way… He'd have let me do whatever I felt was right…

Suddenly, Masamune cleared his throat. Seeing his rival clasp hands with Rin and calling her his wife so openly like that was becoming too much for him. If he stayed any longer, he truly worried about breaking apart inside.

At the sound, Rin jolted and suddenly retracted her hands into her lap as if they were being held in a flame. Yukimura didn't seem to notice her sudden embarrassment at all.

"In any case," Masamune said solemnly to Yukimura in an attempt to break off the sudden tenseness between he and Rin, "You're lucky, so take care of her for me." He had meant to bite off the "for me" at the end of his sentence before it could slither its way out of his mouth, but he wasn't quick enough. It came anyways.

Lucky for him, the younger man didn't notice and Yukimura shook his head confidently, "Un!"

Rin heard it though.

Masamune looked Rin straight in the eye and said, "Well then… I guess I'll be off now." He nodded to each of them and they each bowed their head in response. Then, after those same lips that had kissed Rin's with a passion only Masamune could show her quirked into a sad smile and those same hands that had held her so tenderly waved goodbye, he said, "Take care, Kazehaya Rin."

Rin had lifted her head before Yukimura to look back at Masamune sadly but she said nothing. She was afraid her heart may truly shatter then. Finally, Masamune began to leave.

"Sayonara," she whispered to his retreating back, "Masamune." When he had disappeared into the crowd and out of sight, she finally let out her sob and buried her face into Yukimura's shoulder.

"What's wrong, Rin-chan?" Yukimura asked in alarm and trying to look into her face. "Are you hurt?"

Rin sniffed loudly as she forced herself to smile back even as tears streamed down her face and she whispered, "It's nothing, Yukimura-kun. Forgive me." She kissed him gently on the very corner of his mouth, the closest to his lips she'd ever kiss, and said, "I'm just glad to finally be your wife."

Once Masamune reached the hillside far away from the party he took one last look behind him and as a cool wind blew across him he murmured, "Good bye, Rin."

A/N: I usually pair Rin up with Masamune in a happy world without problem, la-ti-da, no one can come between us, etc. way so... I decided to write a short "what-if" story of if they didn't get together and it doesn't work out... I just wanted to try something new out, basically. Tell me what ya think. Thanks for reading. ^^
-Jackal