The creature was now no more than splattered, smoking residue. Ashi desperately worked to catch her breath as she stood up. She found her eyes trailing to him; the man who had shown her the truth of her life and more recently, had begun to stir emotions in her she didn't think she would ever feel.
She watched as his head turned and he met her gaze, looking at her as if needing to ask some question that…
No. No, surely this was in her head. He'd done nothing to indicate he felt something like that for her.
As her breathing returned to normal, she waited for him to do the same.
Jack had felt many things around and for Ashi. More recently, they had begun to develop into something he didn't think he should be feeling. After barely escaping their fight with the creature however, he realized and accepted the truth of his own emotions.
There was a word for what he felt.
There was only one word.
After he caught his breath, she began to ask if he was injured, only to suddenly feel his hands upon her arms.
Ashi felt her eyes grow wide as Jack pressed his lips to hers. After a moment, he pulled away to find her with what seemed to be a surprised expression. He let go of her instantly.
"Forgive me," he blurted out. "I have been withholding my feelings for fear that they were unrequited, but I can only longer deny what I feel for you."
Ashi placed her fingers to her lips as a small smile grew on her face.
"I shall except whatever opinions you ha-" He stopped as he felt her hands gently guiding him back to her. Jack felt as though all other thoughts had left him, and the only thing he could think of was her closing the space between them and feeling her press her soft lips gently upon his.
He closed his eyes and placed his hands on her shoulders, savoring their chaste kiss.
They weren't quite sure how long they stayed like that. They might have been content to stay like that for quite some time. However, Ashi eventually parted her lips slightly, releasing a content sigh. The friction against his lips awakened something within him, and he wrapped his arms arms around her, deepening his kiss.
She felt herself being pulled in as he moved his lips against hers and she let her hands move to over his shoulder and his hair as she parted her lips and began to mimic his movements.
She hadn't been quite sure what kissing would have been like, but she knew that she hadn't been expecting this. It was like… she couldn't have been able to describe it.
There seemed something like a molten fire within her that seemed to get higher and hotter within her as they continued. Her mind only seemed able to focus on him, as if they were the only living creatures in the world.
At some point, they gradually made their way unto the floor, still holding each other. They weren't sure how or who's idea it had been.
After they'd laid down, Ashi became aware of Jack's body moving against her, even as her own seemed to move of it's own accord to the same rhythm. As she felt him press into her, she felt herself flooded with pleasure and realized that he seemed to be rubbing against some part of her that she hadn't realized was there. She couldn't help sighing and panting underneath him.
She held him closer to her as his movements became more frantic. Her wordless cries of pleasure became louder.
"Jack," she sighed out. "Oh, God. Jack."
Then, as suddenly as his movements had become frantic, he went still.
"Jack?"
He suddenly moved away from her and knelt to the floor. Was it her imagination or did he seem to be trembling?
"Ashi," he said solemnly. "Forgive me. Oh, God. Please, forgive me."
"Forgive?" she repeated softly, confused. She let out a gasp, thinking she knew what he was thinking.
"No, Jack. There's nothing to forgive," she said, making him sit up right. "You weren't hurting me." It was then that Jack suddenly realized that his gi had loosened on her significantly and her breasts were now in plain view.
"It's alright, we can-" Ashi started. She stopped as Jack grabbed the opening of the gi and closed it shut, looking away and unable to hide the blush growing on his face.
"Jack?" she asked, confused. "What's wrong?"
What's wrong? He thought. Is she serious?
"Ashi, I… I was violating you."
She sat in silence, trying to process the statement.
"Um… no, you weren't."
"I was," he said. "Oh, God. I'm so sorry. I could have ruined you."
"Jack, stop. I was happy to have you hold me like that. I welcomed it. You didn't violate me." she stated angrily. "And what's this nonsense about me being 'ruined?'" she demanded, swatting his hand away to hold the gi closed on her own.
He turned his face back to her, being greeted with an expression that matched her tone. Realizing she didn't know what he was talking about, he tried to figure out how to best explain it.
"Ashi," he began. "People… don't usually hold each other like that unless they're married. Had my fundoshi not been in the way, I fear I would have-"
"What's 'married?'" she asked, confused. Jack stared at her blankly.
"Do… do you not know what a marriage is?" he asked concerned.
"If I knew what it was, I wouldn't have asked," she stated. He now braced himself on how to best explain what it was.
"Well… a marriage is when a couple decides that they want to stay together for the rest of their lives. They make vows to each other, pledging their love to each other and agreeing to not be with anyone else."
Ashi was silent, thinking about what he'd told her. After a moment, she finally said, "Alright, I'll make the vows with you if it really means that much to you."
"WHAT?!" he exclaimed. "Ashi, please, you don't know what you're saying."
"Yes, I do. I don't want anyone else," she told him. "I just want you. I… I love you, Jack. What you said before about… I thought you meant that you felt the same."
"Ashi, no!" he exclaimed taking her hands in his. "That's not what I mean! Of course, I love you too! It's just-"
"Just what?" she asked.
Jack blushed as he continued. "Telling you how I feel after behaving like a beast isn't honorable behavior. Nor is it how I imagined telling you. And we've only just confessed our love. It's… it's too early in our relationship to agree to get married."
"I… I fear that acting so soon could... damage our bond."
"Oh," she said. "So, what you mean is… you want to behave and treat me honorably, like we mean to have a marriage… eventually?"
"Yes," he agreed, glad that she finally had some understanding of why he'd become upset. "Please forgive me. I lost my head. I-"
"Jack, stop it," she interjected with anger in her voice. She took a deep breath and placed her hand on his cheek.
"You didn't do anything wrong," she said calmly. "I welcomed your embrace. I enjoyed it. There is no doubt in my mind that if I had told you to stop, you would have done so. The moment you thought you'd harmed me, you immediately got off of me. You are still honorable. Do not doubt that."
"I… still don't quite understand why we need to wait until we're married to hold each other like that, but I will try to be patient with you until I do," she concluded. "Are there… no exceptions to this?"
"No," he told her softly, squeezing her hand. "But… that's not to say we can not physically express our love in other fashions."
Ashi squeezed his hand back.
"Show me."
Some time later, Ashi decided that she needed to go find some clothes, so she could return his gi to him. Jack agreed to meet her outside afterwards.
As he watched her disappear around a corner, he was left alone with his thoughts. It wasn't long before something previously mentioned came to the forefront of his mind.
'Mean to have a marriage?'
The thought raced through his head. He always figured it would happen eventually, but the thought only came with Aku no longer being a threat. He never thought that he'd even consider the idea while he was still alive. And he'd always pictured it being in his own time. When the last time portal was destroyed and his sword lost, all thoughts of returning home ended. Including this idea.
That's what it was. A far away idea that belonged in a land that was now lost to him.
He didn't expect to fall in love.
He didn't expect her.
As Jack, placed his gi back on, he found himself seeing the way he used to be in his reflection on the ship, starting back at him in concern.
"Be careful," it said.
"I know. This... this has never happened before."
"What are you going to do?" it asked.
"I don't know."