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He trembled in his bed, curling tighter into himself. He swore he could still see the blood on his hands. A gasp that sounded a lot more like a repressed sob broke through his lips as the seen played out in front of his eye again.

He had killed his brother.

His younger brother.

The only family he had left.

He knew he shouldn't blame himself for it. His brother had been told by his mom to challenge him for the head of the family. Masamune had tried to decline but his brother had rushed him, not taking no for an answer.

The first strike was a warning. Masamune knew that his brother didn't have the right training to be able to take him in a fair fight. Then again, Masamune himself was still weak from when his mother poisoned him.

However, his brother still wasn't a match for him. Masamune told him to back down, that he didn't want to kill him. He didn't stop, so Masamune had to cut him down.

He remembered hearing a scream come from his mother as his brothers head rolled from his neck. She ran from the room still screaming. His servants later told him that she left for her brother's castle, scared of what he might do to him.

Kojuro was the one who brought him away from the body saying that he needed to rest. He'd first bathed him making sure to remove all of the blood from his body. Masamune let him do as he pleased, still in a state of shock.

He was re-dressed and laid in his bed. The candle was then blown out as he heard Kojuro walking to the door. He wanted to call out to him, and ask him to stay, but decided not to. He didn't want to sound like some sort of a weak child.

His retainer did eventually come back with a cup of tea. Masamune rather sake for something like this, but again, he decided not to make a fuss over it. Kojuro held the cup out to him and watched him drink.

"I guess it's just you and me now huh?" he said softly.

"You could say that." Kojuro said moving to relight the candles seeing that Masamune didn't plan on falling asleep anytime soon.

"I didn't want to kill him."

"I know."

"He left me with no other option."

Kojuro sat beside him on the futon moving to sooth his troubled lord. Masamune leaned into him letting himself relax.

"You'll never leave me right?" he asked, almost whimpering.

"I will remain by your side until my dying breath. It's the oath I took and I plan to stand by it."

That was enough to put the young dragon's mind at ease for a while. He moved to be closer to Kojuro, all but in the other man's lap at this point. He could feel his retainer's fingers running though his hair. Again he felt much more like a young Botenmura at this point instead of the dragon that he claimed to be.

It was okay though, because he knew no matter what Kojuro would always be by his side. There was no way he would ever be able to thank the man for all his kindness. While he wasn't sure if he stayed because he cared or because it was what he promised his father he would, he wasn't sure. All he knew was that through thick and thin Kojuro was always with him.

"Go to sleep now." Kojuro laid the teen down.

Masamune let himself be moved before requesting, "I want my brother buried next to my father." Normally people who rebelled against the ruler, family or friend, was to be cast out as if they were trash. Masamune didn't want that. He knew that his brother was just being manipulated by his mother.

"I'll relay the message." Kojuro blew out the candle yet again before leaving.

He fell into a restless sleep. It literally felt like he had blinked instead of sleeping. Kojuro was there when he woke and told him that he'd been out for a good eight hours. He believed it to be true because the sun was starting to come up.

He spent most of his day with Kojuro not really wanting to be by himself. Nor was he selfish enough to make Kojuro follow him around knowing that the other man had duties that he took upon himself to attend to. Besides, Kojuro had never acted like he didn't want his company.

"Is something on your mind my lord?" Kojuro asked around mid-day. They were currently up on the hill where Kojuro kept his own personal garden. He had taken Masamune up there more than once when he was still Botenmura.

"No." Masamune sighed from the patch of grass he was lying on. He knew from experience to stay out of the retainer's way when he was gardening.

"You've been very quiet since yesterday."

"There's not much to talk about."

Kojuro sighed, probably sensing that there was no way he was going to make Masamune talk.

"What do you think the other war lords think of me? I've killed my father and my brother. To anyone else it looks like I'm just some power hungry, war raging..."

"You don't have to explain yourself to anyone."

"They'll see me as the Devil King."

"You did what you had to do to keep peace in your own country."

Masamune sighed, thinking it over. He knew that he was one of the most feared war lords in the area. Mostly from the reputation he got from killing his father. It wasn't something that he wanted, but he accepted it all the same. Very few countries tried to take over his land since they knew he was there. Still, he rather be respected than feared.

"I'm heading back to my chambers." Masamune said pushing off the ground.

"I'll be there shortly."

"You don't need to rush." Masamune waved as he started to walk away.

The dragon retreated back to his bed pulling the covers over himself. Kojuro kept to his words and was sitting next to Masamune. It was a habit they had started after Masamune had lost his eye. Around that time he had started to have nightmares, Kojuro would stay by his bed side so the young dragon wouldn't have to run through the castle and across the court yard to get to the servants quarters.

"Kojuro, you don't have to be here with me if you don't want to."

"There isn't anywhere I rather be right now."

Masamune looked at his questioningly.

Kojuro sensed that he didn't believe him, "I'm not just here because of a vow. I care about you and your wellbeing, and refuse to leave you alone in your time of need."

Masamune's eyes widen and he looked down, slightly blushing. No one had ever said anything like that to him before.

Kojuro finger lifted Masamune's face to look him in the eye, "I love you." He confessed, "And I have no plans on leaving you." He sealed his promise with a kiss. Masamune melted has he felt his retainers arms come around him. He let out a small whimper as Kojuro deepened the kiss.

"Kojuro?" he managed to whisper.

"I'll be here as long as you want me to."

Masamune leapt on his retainer kissing him with vigor.

"Then you're not going anywhere."

Fin