p class="p1"He knew she was home before he saw her because the tantalizing scent of sautéed meat and grilled vegetables greeted him as soon as he walked through the door. Only she could create that homelike smell./p
p class="p1"Mozu spotted him as soon as he appeared in the kitchen doorway, though he'd walked on catlike feet and barely made a breeze. Her sweet freckled face broke out in a smile. It was like the first ray of sun after a storm, and Saizo suddenly didn't feel so tired./p
p class="p1""You've got great timing!" she said. "This'll be ready in a lick, so why don't you wash up and take a seat?"/p
p class="p1"He obliged, pulling down his mask and soaping up his hands in the sink. It was strange that mundane things like war councils would be more exhausting than infiltrating an enemy's camp. Maybe it was because he had no time to think about anything except the action at hand when he was on a mission. Standing for hours behind Ryoma while he and his council endlessly debated on whose squad should have one extra pikeman made it quite easy to think about nothing except how boring it was./p
p class="p1"Saizo realized Mozu was staring at his face. "What?" he said. "What's wrong?"/p
p class="p1""Oh, nothin' much," she said. "I was just thinking about how lucky I am that I got you for a husband."/p
p class="p1"He yanked the mask back up and she giggled. "What now?"/p
p class="p1""You always hide your face when you're embarrassed," she teased. "If you're tryin' to hide your embarrassment, doesn't it kinda defeat the purpose if we know you're embarrassed?"/p
p class="p1""I am not embarrassed," Saizo said sourly./p
p class="p1"She didn't seem to be listening anymore. She hummed as she peppered the meat one last time before dishing it out. He liked the way her brown hair frizzed a little in the heat, and the white skin of her upper arms that peeked out beneath her rolled-up sleeves, startlingly pale against her permanent tan. She prided herself on being a country girl, and she embodied all the beauty that entailed. He looked forward to the day this war was over and he could whisk her away to his mountain home to keep her safe, keep her smiling. /p
p class="p1""What?" Mozu said. She held a plate out to him, her head tilted charmingly to the side like a puzzled sparrow. "What's wrong?"/p
p class="p1""Nothing much," Saizo said. "I was just think about how lucky I am that I got you for a wife."/p
p class="p1"Mozu spotted him as soon as he appeared in the kitchen doorway, though he'd walked on catlike feet and barely made a breeze. Her sweet freckled face broke out in a smile. It was like the first ray of sun after a storm, and Saizo suddenly didn't feel so tired./p
p class="p1""You've got great timing!" she said. "This'll be ready in a lick, so why don't you wash up and take a seat?"/p
p class="p1"He obliged, pulling down his mask and soaping up his hands in the sink. It was strange that mundane things like war councils would be more exhausting than infiltrating an enemy's camp. Maybe it was because he had no time to think about anything except the action at hand when he was on a mission. Standing for hours behind Ryoma while he and his council endlessly debated on whose squad should have one extra pikeman made it quite easy to think about nothing except how boring it was./p
p class="p1"Saizo realized Mozu was staring at his face. "What?" he said. "What's wrong?"/p
p class="p1""Oh, nothin' much," she said. "I was just thinking about how lucky I am that I got you for a husband."/p
p class="p1"He yanked the mask back up and she giggled. "What now?"/p
p class="p1""You always hide your face when you're embarrassed," she teased. "If you're tryin' to hide your embarrassment, doesn't it kinda defeat the purpose if we know you're embarrassed?"/p
p class="p1""I am not embarrassed," Saizo said sourly./p
p class="p1"She didn't seem to be listening anymore. She hummed as she peppered the meat one last time before dishing it out. He liked the way her brown hair frizzed a little in the heat, and the white skin of her upper arms that peeked out beneath her rolled-up sleeves, startlingly pale against her permanent tan. She prided herself on being a country girl, and she embodied all the beauty that entailed. He looked forward to the day this war was over and he could whisk her away to his mountain home to keep her safe, keep her smiling. /p
p class="p1""What?" Mozu said. She held a plate out to him, her head tilted charmingly to the side like a puzzled sparrow. "What's wrong?"/p
p class="p1""Nothing much," Saizo said. "I was just think about how lucky I am that I got you for a wife."/p