Title: Dreams

Characters: Kasumi/Ryu

Rating: Teen

Disclaimers: I do not own anyone/anything from the forum Dead or Alive. Team Ninja owns Dead or Alive and its characters. There is no copyright infringement intended. I do not make any profit/money or take any credit.

Summary: She dreams of freedom, happiness, of love. A part of wishes that she could dream forever/ She wants to live her life in peace without assassins coming to get her, but he can still see right through her disguise.

A/N: Prompt for February 20th – Kasumi/Ryu –Dreams – 'She dreams of freedom, happiness, of love. A part of wishes that she could dream forever.'/25th – Disguises – 'She wants to live her life in peace without assassins coming to get her, but he can still see right through her disguise.

Timeline: Post DOA 4

Word Count: 685

Betaed: No

~~~~Dreams~~~~

She raised her light brown eyes up to the dark sky. The fireworks flashed brilliantly among the bright stars, making them shimmer even more as if they were reflecting the fireworks.

Closing her eyes, she made a wish, to live her life of freedom, happiness and of love. That was her only dream and it made a small part of her wish she could dream of them forever. It was a nicer world to live in that the one she was already living in. She was unaware of green eyes watching her from a distance.

He had known she was there from the moment he felt the hair on the back of his neck rise, the sweet scent of sakura blossom floating through the air. There was only one person he knew had that scent around her, who could invoke that type of reaction.

Looking around, he found a single woman standing near the edge of the docks. Her red hair was now brown. She wasn't wearing her normal outfit, hiding herself in normal clothing. The way she spoke, walked and looked had her hidden in plain sight. He sighed to himself, he knew that she risked a lot to come here but it had been one of her dreams, to see the fireworks up close. Even with the risk of her family, she still risked it.

Making his way over to her, he thought about their history, she had expressed a desire to live her life without assassins coming after her. Maybe this was one of way of having that freedom but he had always been able to see past her disguises, the masks she wore to hide her feelings.

She turned her head when the scent of forest caught her attention and she saw him standing next to her, his green eyes trained on the fireworks above them. She didn't know what to say. She wasn't sure if he recognised her but when she caught his eyes looking at her from the corner of his eyes, she knew. She could never hide herself when it came to him.

"Hayabusa San," she greeted; her voice soft.

"You are talking a big risk to come here tonight," he told her, purposely leaving out her name. There were ears everywhere.

"I had to," she whispered, her eyes looking back toward the fireworks. "I needed to make a wish.

"Do you think it'll come true?" his gaze stayed fixated on the fireworks as well.

"Isn't that why we wish? So it can come true one day?" she asked. "Just because it doesn't come true at first, it doesn't mean it won't come true at some point in our lives." She turned to face him. "Have you ever wished for anything?"

"No," he told her honestly. "We were taught that wishes did nothing when it came to protect our family. We were the ones who needed to protect them."

"You should try it someday, you never know, you might find yourself surprise." He turned to look at her, relieved to see that her eyes were still the same. He liked her eyes the way they were.

Both of them stared at each other for a moment in silence as they remembered the last time they had seen each other when there was a burst of laughs and cheers, bringing them out of their thoughts. Kasumi realised that she could have given away her position by being with Ryu.

"I should leave," she turned around and started to walk away when she felt a strong hand wrap itself around her arm, stopping her but she didn't turn to face him, she couldn't.

"You know I will protect you," he whispered and she nodded.

"I know but I can't let you. I won't let you get hurt because of me," she whispered back. "Good bye." She tugged her arm out of his hand and disappeared into the crowd, mingling with them.

Ryu watched her leave until he lost sight of her completely and returned his gaze to the fireworks. For the first time in his life, he made a wish.

The End