You Are What I Want!

"Mamushi!" It was the third time he had called her name in the last minute and if she knew that if she ignored him any longer then the argument woouldn't remain between the two of them. It was late at night, the temple silent and still, any ongoing prayers were taking place far away from her sleeping quarters. Mamushi didn't have any reason to expect Juuzou of all people to come knocking on her door so late. And he didn't let her close the sliding door on him either, quickly stopping it with his foot and stepping inside.

She nervously touched her right eye, which she realised wasn't covered with its usual eyepatch. Wearing the eyepatch, felt like she could somehow hide her shame from everyone, mask it. But here Juuzou was, watching her so closely that her cheeks were burning, and she felt so exposed and ashamed. It being Juuzou of all people only made things even worse.

"I don't need to hear any more Juuzou, I already know what you're going to say." He had felt so purposeful when he decided to come here and talk to her. But now he was doubting himself. Her voice was exhausted, reflecting the darkness underneath under her eyes. The right one was closed. Juuzou realised he'd caught her off guard by appearing at her door so late. She hadn't let him see it before now, some small part of him had thought she was scared, conscious of it. Her words sink in and he grits his teeth, trying to ignore how the moonlight hits her hair, her figure elegant as always, but somewhat mysterious in the darkness.

"No. You don't." She looks up sharply, her eye meeting his, bravely and with no intention of backing down. Typical Mamushi. Strong, proud and independent. Idiot.

"You're going to tell me that even though you didn't want this, this marriage, you'll still do your best and try as best you can for the sake of our families and our past friendship. You'll play the good person who can ignore the shame and dishonour I've already caused my own family and will now extend to yours. Save me hearing what I already know Juuzou." She's hurting… She's being brave because she doesn't want me to see her being weak, to see her true feelings, how hard this is for her, the betrayal and shame she feels, like no one believes her and trusts in her and never will again.

"That isn't true you idiot." She made that face, the one she always made whenever he insulted her jokingly. Like they were kids again and he was telling her she couldn't do something just because she was a girl. Like she was intent to do absolutely anything to prove him wrong. An unspoken challenge. Juuzou nearly chuckled.

She was silent though. No insults were fired back. Not this time, as they stood opposite one another drowning in the moonlight and silence. He always loved it when she did that. Even if it was a strange form, he got to hear her voice so much when she got annoyed, like the irritation filled her with an completely different and new kind of energy.

But she was speechless now, and for the first time ever, Juuzou looked at her, no words between them, and tried to take in how beautiful she was. Her ivory skin and snowy hair were illuminated in the darkness. He doesn't miss the pink in her cheeks, so new and strange that Juuzou completely loses his train of thought, and how her hair tied low to the side drew Juuzou's attention to her sleeping attire… His cheeks flared pink at such a small detail, the several strands that have slipped underneath her sleeping kimono, which was red, so red and entrancing. They both stared, no words. Her eye narrowed just a little, biting her lip slightly.

"Don't lie." Her voice takes his breath away. It's so soft, vulnerability just under the surface. Her expression hardened following her words, like she hated herself for not sounding as angry as she had wanted to. There was something more terrifying about it, more so than if she had been shouting at him. But then again, Mamushi rarely lost her cool and raised her voice, rarely. Though she seemed severely close to doing so in that moment. He watched her so closely, but not the way the others did. They watched her like they thought she would stab them in the back at any moment. Juuzou had never looked at her like that, not even when she had admitted her betrayal right to his face in the basement.

"I asked for this Mamushi." He watches her expression carefully. For split second, her mouth falls open and her entire expression reflects her confusion. Mamushi maintains some composure, pressing her lips together and her eyebrows knitting together, but her gaze drifts from Juuzou's.

"Don't lie." Her voice is deadly, daring him to elaborate. He steps closer to her instead. They're only a metre apart. She doesn't move away from him.

"Mamushi, I want to marry you." She's so goddamn stubborn… But then she paused, everything about her demeanour relaxed and she drifted an inch closer to him, entranced by him.

Mamushi wasn't sure when exactly Juuzou had changed, when his shoulders had gotten so broad or his voice so deep or his face so handsome… She couldn't recall when any of it had happened. But here he was in front of her, telling her everything she realised she had wanted to hear but simply hadn't known it. His gaze was glued to her, determined yet… entranced… adoring. That gaze was directed at her.

"Juuzou… why?" Her voice strained as she asked it, like she was scared, no, terrified of the answer. He smirked then, that smirk, that devious smirk that he always had when he knew something she didn't. He took another step towards her.

"You seemed pretty fond of me when you fell into my arms last night you know…" Mamushi blushed bright red, recalling the incident and looked away from his face, which was now far closer than before.

"It helped me realise something though," he continued, a hand brushing underneath her chin, "I've had feelings for you for quite some time now Mamushi and I would be a fool to let you slip through my fingers now."

"You- you! Idiot! You great monkey idiot! What- what are you doing-!" He chuckled at her cherry-red cheeks, her obvious frustration and humiliation, and smiled. He was the only person that had ever been able to get such a reaction out of her… Her eye went wide as he moved closer to her, his face centimetres from hers, trembling at the unknown, at what she knew would happen in the next second. He kissed her cheek, quickly, and then moved back. Her eyes had fluttered closed, making him chuckle.

"Get some sleep Mamushi," he whispered, stepping back and moving his hand from her face. She opened her eye, looking at him with wonder, and a shy smile crossed her face.

"Shut up you monkey…" she replied, approaching him and giving him a playful push toward the screen door. What Juuzou hadn't expected when he turned outside the door to say goodnight again was the whack she gave him on the head before swiftly sliding the screen door shut. But it only made him laugh. He supposed he shouldn't have expected any less from Mamushi…

From his future wife…

I love this couple way too much... The truth is that I wrote this before I finished the second season of the anime and I knew from spoilers that they were engaged so I suppose this can be considered as a kind of interpretation as if Juuzou hadn't gotten the chance to ask for Mamushi's hand first? Either way it was so much fun to write and now that I've actually seen the whole engagement scene I'm determined to write more for this couple even if they aren't very popular! Thanks for reading, I would appreciate reviews and it would be cool to know if anyone wants me to write more on them :)

Thank you for reading!

thefrozencherryblossom~