Kitcho entered his room and closed the door behind him, jaw aching from the smile he had been unable to keep from his face all day.
Outside, he could still hear the overjoyed shouts, yells, laughter and singing from the revelry taking place below. Even though it was drawing close to 3:00am, celebrations were still in full swing. Many Akadama Clan members had chosen to enjoy themselves at the mansion while many more had trekked down to the station to eat, drink and be merry with their new Kurou Family allies.
Kitcho suspected that Suzu, the young girl who ran the restaurant, was being kept busy and earning plenty of yen, so in all actuality, there was no one the Kurou-Akadama alliance hadn't helped.
He sighed and rubbed his head.
If only Kenji had stuck around long enough to be part of the festivities. After all, he was the whole reason they had been able to defeat the government army. If he hadn't helped unite the two forces and been the one to kill Josui Tamagawa at the shrine (throwing the remaining troops into disarray), who knows how long the battle would have lasted?
But alas, a few warriors from both sides had seen the samurai leave the pass shortly after the battle had ended.
And who knew where he was going? Kenji was somewhat of an enigma.
As these thoughts circled around his head, Kitcho heard a knock on his door.
"Yes?" he said briskly, being snapped quickly back to reality.
Karibe opened the door with one of his customary grunts.
"Kitcho," he said. "We're going down to the station for one more drink and a game of Hanafuda. Word's been sent to the mansion that Hachiro has challenged me to a game! Are you coming?"
"Hachiro?" Kitcho questioned.
Karibe laughed his signature crazed dog laugh.
"Yes, you know him! That tattooed freak, Tsubohachi!"
"Oh, we're on a first-name basis now, are we?" a playful grin curled around Kitcho's mouth.
Karibe shrugged and barked out another laugh.
"Any samurai who helped me break up those government pigs is OK with me. So are you coming?"
Kitcho held back a laugh. He had never seen Karibe so drunk and full of merriment...how was he supposed to win a game of cards like this? But, he reasoned, Tsubohachi was probably just as inebriated and hysterically joyful.
"No, I'll stay here," Kitcho said. "Look after things at the mansion. Make sure they don't burn the whole place down in celebration!"
Karibe shrugged again.
"Suit yourself. Chelsea is staying here too, she's leading some sort of drinking game down in the courtyard. You should join them!"
"Maybe I will. See you later Karibe, good luck in Hanafuda!"
"Luck?" Karibe laughed again. "Luck is for losers! Luck was what the government army needed today, pity they had none!"
And with that, he shut the door and swaggered away, still laughing loud and jubilant.
Kitcho moved to his bedroom window and looked down into the courtyard.
Sure enough, Chelsea was standing in the middle of a group of Akadama members, holding up a glass of ale and calling out some sort of instructions. The members nodded eagerly and the game seemed to begin, marked by excited shouts, swigs of drink and the occasional burst into uproarious laughter.
Kitcho smiled broadly, full of pride and happiness over the victory of his clan (and the Kurou Family).
But he felt something else as he looked down into the courtyard, looked past his legion of brave warriors and looked straight at his partner.
The moonlight was catching her in such a way tonight that her skin looked even more pallid and gorgeous than usual. Her golden hair shone, her body moved with extreme elegance and her eyes glimmered, lit up by a stunning smile.
Kitcho shifted from one foot to the other uncomfortably.
She was a beautiful woman, he knew that.
It wasn't news, he had known it ever since he first met her out at sea.
He knew that plenty Akadama members knew it too...he was well aware that many of them would gladly take her to bed. But they respected her far too much to objectify her...she was a good second-in-command leader and a master samurai. Even Karibe, a man known to openly show sexism once in a while, revered her skill and was proud to fight by her side.
But she wasn't just a good partner and a great warrior...she was kind and courageous, loyal and reliable, smart and humorous. She was a friend, a confidante, a...lover?
Kitcho shook his head and audibly muttered "no."
Sure, jokes had been made about him being her "boyfriend" and the two of them getting married someday but they were all just jokes, right? And yes, Chelsea was candid about her dedication to Kitcho but that was just platonic, right? Another way of being loyal to the clan?
The leader of the Akadama Clan sighed again and continued staring down into the courtyard.
Just then, Chelsea turned around, looked up and caught his eye.
He smiled down at her and she grinned back the most incredible, alluring smile Kitcho had ever witnessed.
He turned from the window then, suddenly feeling sad and embarrassed.
How could a woman as spectacularly beautiful as Chelsea ever want him?