"Kiss me," the girl ordered. The man was quiet, not responding. "Please?"

"I can't." His gray hair ruffled in the wind and he didn't meet her eye.

"Why not?" She leaned her head against his shoulder and scooched a little closer to him, lacing her fingers with his. "Don't you love me?"

He shot her a look, his eyes narrowed. "How could you even ask me that?"

"You won't kiss me. Do I repulse you or something?" The man let out a sigh. "Well, you don't exactly seem eager to see me! You never kiss me, you don't hold hands with me, you won't even let me give you a hug unless there's no one around!" Her cheeks were pink with frustration. "I can't even walk next to you. Maybe you don't like me." She scooched away from him and turned her head.

He sighed again and moved toward her, sliding a gloved hand onto her arm. She swatted it away. He reached his arm around her shoulders and kept her in place, even though she struggled. He glanced down at her face to see she was close to tears. Once more, he sighed. He seemed o be doing a lot of that.

"Why do you want a kiss so bad?"

"Because." She sniffled a bit. "You make us hide our relationship and then I never get anything in return. All I want is a little kiss. I don't want to have to be hidden away to know you love me."

"Y'know it's not easy for me to hide either..."

"I never hear you complain that I never hug you or hold your hand."

"I'm a guy." Point taken.

"You know what I mean!" She buried her face in her knees. "I just want some proof that those words aren't just words."

Why should he have to prove anything? She'd known him for years, she knew he never said anything he didn't have to. He did love her, ut chose not to make their forbidden relationship known to others, or they'd be broken up. He didn't want that. He needed her. He tightened his arm around her.

What was one little kiss? It wouldn't hurt, right? The only thing was...she'd see his face.

"Alright."

"Alright what?"

"Alright, I'll kiss you. Just this once." She looked at him disbelievingly.

"Really?"

"Yes. Close your eyes."

"Close me eyes? Why?"

"Because I have to take off my mask." She was going to protest, but then the old saying 'beggar can't be choosers' flashed through her mind and she shut her mouth and closed her eyes. "No peeking."

"I won't." That wasn't entirely truthful. One eye was cracked open in hopes of getting a peek of the face that had eluded her for so long. She saw him reach behind his head and untie his hitai-ate. Her heart pounded. 'This is it.'

He saw her peek, and slid his headband over her eyes like a blindfold. Her vision obstructed, he pulled his mask down with one finger and looked at the pink lips opening to complain. Before a syllable could be uttered, his lips met those in a gentle, loving caress that left her with no doubts that his love was real.

A/N: Something I planned to do a LONG time ago, and having just now found myself with free time, decided to throw together. I haven't written KakaSaku in a while.