A/N: I read the few reviews you guys gave me. Thank you so much for the constructive criticism! I'll see if I can incorporate your advice into my writing so it can be more enjoyable for you guys to read. I'm really glad you're all enjoying this so far! I'm currently on vacation and my friend let me borrow her laptop so I could jot down a short story I had in mind about one of my favorite shows. I got really caught up into it and ended up writing into the night and finally stopping myself at around 3 in the morning! But, alas, I decided to cut it off so I could get some sleep.

One thing I noticed was my pretense/past tense narrating, which I'll try and find which one is more comfortable along the way.

Along with that, I'll try and focus on effectively replicating the characters personalities and emotions. I noticed how I made Minato readily accept the violent game he was just thrown in, so I'll see where I can take it.

Among other things, I'll see what I can do. I hope you guys like this second chapter of Sekirei: Steel of the Bond!

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Chapter 2: A New Path, Part 2

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The sun was slowly setting over the horizon, with its rays of light glistening off of the distant building's windows, with heat gently rising from the cement on the roads and sidewalks.

Minato was walking back to his apartment with Yashima, who was clinging to his left arm, pushing it between her breasts without realizing the impact it had on Minato. He was blushing like crazy, and tried his best to hide his embarrassment in fear that he would accidentally hurt her feelings somehow. She was beaming from ear to ear, however, happy as ever that she had finally found her destined partner, lightly humming as she clung to Minato.

The walk was relatively quiet. From the occasional honk of a distant car stuck in traffic, to another person, either glaring at Minato with a slight hatred because he had this attractive girl clinging to his arm, or gawking at the gigantic hammer the girl seemed to easily drag behind her, were the only real disturbances in their walk to Minato's flat. Luckily, the few people who saw the hunk of steel that was comparable to the size of a smart car assumed it was fake, and that she was a cosplayer or something of that ilk, which was common in the part of town they were in.

Minato sighed, still somewhat clutching his bruised abdomen, but now walking normally as the pain began to slowly subside. The sun was cut in half by the horizon as they finally made it to the shabby little building that Minato called home. He sighed at the pitiful excuse of an abode.

"Well. We're here…" He laughed awkwardly, embarrassed yet again by his lack of wealth in the presence of what is most likely his soulmate, if Yashima's story held up. Though, now that he thought of it, he had no reason to be skeptical. From the huge hunk of steel she carried with ease to the beautiful neon-blue wings that sprouted from her back caused by simple kissing her, it seemed pretty hard for him to think it was a farce.

Yashima smiled. "It looks cozy. I like it!" She noticed the twinge of embarrassment in his voice, and tried her best to cheer her up. She felt as if it was her duty to look after Minato, both physically and emotionally. She felt her heart flutter as Minato smiled at her, the kindness in his eyes making her feel as if she was going to melt on the spot.

"Yeah, I guess that's one way to put it. Let's go." Minato noticed the pink hue that dusted her cheeks, which only made his self-esteem skyrocket. Yashima nodded in approval, and they climbed the stairs to his door.

Minato began thinking about the sekirei plan. He felt as if he had the gist of the plan in mind, but what disturbed him was the mention of fighting. The idea of beautiful, kind girls such as Yashima fighting against 107 others of her own kind? It didn't sit well with him. Who could have done something like this? Why did they have to fight? Was there a way to stop this before innocent people were hurt? His mind flooded with questions he intended to get the answers to, but he pushed them out of his mind when he glanced at the cheery face of Yashima. Whatever he had to do, if it helped her, and her people, he wanted to do it. But somewhere in the back of his mind, he felt the nagging feeling of dread. The possibility of Yashima being defeated and… And…

He shook the bad thoughts out of his head. For now, all was well. And he could learn more about it tomorrow. He didn't think prying answers from Yashima was a good idea, considering her well-hidden physical exhaustion and obvious mental strain weighing her down. He didn't want to take away her happiness by asking questions. He wanted to preserve it.

Minato dug around in his pocket and pulled out a small key ring. He found the key that corresponded with his apartment's door, and unlocked it. Walking in, he remembered that he hadn't properly cleaned in a while. Empty instant noodle cups littered the coffee table, textbooks and loose sheets of paper scattered across the couch and floor. It was an absolute pig sty.

"S-Sorry about the mess… I didn't think I would be having company this evening." He let out his signature awkward chuckle. He had expected her to sneer, even slightly, at the mess presented before her. But she didn't.

"It's fine, I understand. Would you like some help with cleaning?" Yashima questioned, staring into those kind grey eyes of his that she found herself getting easily lost in. They both walked to the living room, where she placed her hammer in a corner, trying to make it as discrete as she could make a giant block of steel. The both sat down on the couch next to each other on the couch, after Minato collected the papers and textbooks.

"Yeah, that would be nice. But, first, I think we should go bathe." He noticed the musk that his clothes were emitting, a mixture of the scent of sweat and filth with a hint of dried blood from the beating he endured previously.

Yashima, however, blushed heavily. "H-Huh..? B-B-Bathe?" Her face taking on a new shade of red.

Minato cocked his head slightly to the side. "Uh, yes. I got a little dirtied from that fight, and I figured you'd like to take one, so I was offering you the opportunity. What's wrong?"

"B-But we've only just met… And you already want to… To bathe with me..?" She barely managed the squeak out. She held her arms parallel to one another over her chest and positioned her hands in front of her mouth. Now it was Minato's turn to take on a shade of red.

"What? W-What are you talking about?" He then thought back on what he said, and realized where the miscommunication came from. "OH! No, no, I'm sorry! I didn't mea-"

Yashima interjected. "W-Well… I suppose it's alright… since you are my ashikabi…" She grasped the shoulder of her gown and turned her head away from Minato, trying her best to overcome her own shyness to please her ashikabi, or at least do what she thought he wanted. She began to slowly pull down the shoulder of her gown, giving Minato a better view of her cleavage.

Blood nearly erupted from his nose as he shot back, gripping his nostrils and holding his hand out in defense. "W-Whoa, just calm down! I didn't mean that!" She recoiled slightly, and held her gown in her hand.

"Does… Does that mean you don't want to see my body..? Does it not please you..?" Her timidity began to take over, and she assumed the worst. She felt tears welling behind her eyes slowly, thinking she had displeased Minato. "Do you not want me?"

He nearly shouted in protest. "A-Absolutely not! I never said that! I-I mean, I…" He worked up the courage yet again to tell her how he truly felt. "Listen… I would never get rid of you. I wouldn't do something like that to you. You're absolutely fantastic, just the way you are. And I wouldn't change you for anything." His blush still held strong.

The sudden revelation of Minato's true feelings caused such a fluctuation in Yashima's feelings, it caused her to let her tears run. "R… Really..? Is that how you truly feel?" She had never been treated with such sincerity. No one had ever held her at such a pedestal. No one ever told her that she was perfect or fantastic. She remembered the tuners, who would stick her with needles and inject drugs into her system for reasons they never disclosed. She was in constant pain. The cold scientists never showed any emotion. She was constantly scared of their prying eyes, judging her every feature. She never felt safe.

When she was finally released with her instructions regarding the Sekirei Plan, she was constantly being stared at, just like how the scientists who tampered with her own DNA against her will. She was confronted by that man in the alleyway, and when she tried to tell him about the plan and her instructions, he disregarded them. He didn't care for her, or who she was. He only wanted to use her for his own personal gain. She hated that feeling of being used. Then, this man. This handsome, kind, caring young man that risked his own life to save hers even though she was still just a stranger at the time. That feeling of being wanted. That feeling of being loved. She had never felt it. And Minato had finally given her that feeling.

"Yes, absolutely." His face turned serious quickly. He didn't know where this new surge of courage came from, but he just felt it. He thought back on days when his sister, Yukari, wasn't as domineering as she usually was. Times where she would get lost in the forest by their old house or times when she got stuck in trees came back to mind. It felt like one of those times he had experienced before. Moments when he felt courage surge through him. Moments where he knew that he had to help, because no one else would. He would always comfort his little sister when he finally found her, or carry her down when she got stuck in a tree. He was always there for her. And this felt no different.

Yashima sniffled once, then let out a cry of happiness, and dove into Minato's abdomen. He winced heavily, but tried his best to mask it. He didn't want to cause her any more grief than what was already put on her.

"T-Thank you so much, Minato-sama!" The steady stream of tears tuned to near bawling as she let it all out. Minato ignored the pain caused by her iron grip, and wrapped his arms around her, while running his fingers though her hair to try and comfort her. He smiled slightly. It really did feel just as if he was back with Yukari, comforting her.

"It's okay… I'm here. And I always will be."

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After Yashima had finished crying, which lasted for a few minutes, he felt her grip loosen on his midsection. He decided to let her rest there for a while longer, continuing the stroking motions he made to pet her hair. He felt content with his previous decisions. Now and then, he would get the urge to do something brave, but his ingrained shyness always pulled him back. This time, he decided to listen to his urges, and spoke his mind. He truly did care for her. After all, he was her supposed destined soulmate. He was still skeptical on the subject of what his duties as an ashikabi were, and his anxiety got the best of him. Those worst-case-scenarios played back in his mind. But now wasn't the time.

"Hey, Yashima-san. How about you go get your shower first? I think I can wait." He stopped his petting motions and looked down at her. No response.

"Uhh… Yashima-san?" He noticed that her arms had gone limp, but she was still breathing gently, her chest rising and falling. She had fallen asleep on his chest without him realizing it.

'Wow…' He thought. 'She must really be as drained as I thought…' He smiled, now able to get a good look at her face without the fear of looking strange. She had soft, cute cheeks that ran down and curved into her jaw. Her mouth was slightly ajar, and he could feel her warm breaths against his chest, which made him flush slightly. Her hair was remarkably clean and well kept, and her signature blue ribbon was tied around her head, and her black choker still tight around her throat, but not so much as to restrict her breathing. He sighed.

'She really is beautiful.' He managed to slip out from under her without waking her up. He walked to his bathroom after propping her head up with a throw pillow, and closed the door, locking it. He stripped down, and placed his dirty clothes in the hamper he had next to the sink. Stepping into the small shower, he switched on the hot water and fiddled with it to get his desired temperature. He sighed, and let the water cleanse the filth of the day away.

Once he had finished, he grabbed a sweatshirt and sweatpants to wear as pajamas, and dried his hair off a bit more. He glanced over to his couch and saw that Yashima was still snoozing. He smiled. He threw the towel into the hamper that held his dirtied clothing. He still hadn't gotten around to cleaning up, but there were more important things to take care of.

He walked over to Yashima, and lifted her from the couch she was sleeping on. He noted how light she was. He thought she would have had a bit more muscle on her because of the hulking hammer she used as a weapon, but deduced that it was probably 'just a sekirei thing.' He carried her into his room, and placed her in his bed after managing to pull the comforter down far enough to place her underneath it. He pulled the thick blanket over her, with the moonlight of the night shining in through the window they were next to.

Suddenly, Yashima began to stir as Minato had finished covering her up.

"Mm… Minato… Sama?" Her eyelids opened, revealing those gorgeous blue eyes that Minato could never get over. "Is this..?"

Minato finished for her. "Yeah, it's my bed. I'm letting you sleep here tonight, since you're technically my guest." He gave that caring smile that Yashima adored seeing directed towards her. "I was going to grab my extra futon, so you can rest easy." He brushed a strand of hair from her face which made her cheeks flare. He stood up to leave, saying goodnight, but he was stopped by a light tug at his shirt. He turned back and saw the piercing gaze of Yashima, a look of desire and love in her eyes.

"Thank you, Minato-sama. For everything." Minato couldn't help but smile wide.

He was about to say something, before his lips were captured in a deep, passionate kiss with Yashima. She had leant up and pulled him down by the collar of his shirt so she could lock lips with the man who had helped her so much. Even prior, she didn't know. Her brilliant bright blue wings shot from her back and illuminated the dark room with their glow.

She had never been treated like this. She had been given a house to live in, a bed to sleep in, and the love that she deserved, given to her all by a man that hardly even knew her, and yet had gone out of his way to help her. She now knew.

She loved Minato, and would do anything to make him happy, as he has made her.

Minato was caught off-guard by the sudden gesture, but quickly adjusted to it, and deepened the kiss by allowing her to wrap her arms around his neck as he wrapped his own around her midsection. They continued to explore one another's mouths with their tongues, occasionally having them wrestle against each other, before they finally broke away, breathing heavily, but Minato more so.

"Minato-sama… I… I love you." She hugged him tight. "And if you'd like… You can sleep here… With me." Her offer only led Minato to flush red.

"U-Uh… I… I mean…" He sputtered clumsily.

"It's fine if you don't want to, but if you did… I wouldn't mind." Minato forced his anxiety and embarrassment from his mind, and forced out an answer.

"A-Alright. If you insist, I guess…" He had to fight to keep blood from gushing from his nostrils as he crawled into the covers next to Yashima. How could he say no to her? She reached under the blanket and removed her stockings and gloves, along with her choker and ribbon, and placed them on the nightstand, having already taken off her boots at the door. She cuddled close to him, placing his left arm in a similar position to that of how she did when they were walking to his house earlier; his upper arm finding a spot between her breasts, which in and of itself caused him to flush red, but he noted that it was surprisingly comfortable. She wrapped one arm under and around his, so she could lace her fingers with his, and used her other arm to hold him close, savoring the feeling of safety in his body heat.

"Goodnight, Minato-sama." She whispered, before placing a small peck on his cheek. He smiled, still blushing. He felt a sense of accomplishment from his current position. It felt like Yashima had broken through a layer of her shyness. Her timidity was now much less of an impact as it was previously. But it was still prevalent. But he was content in the progress that he had made.

"Goodnight, Yashima-chan." Minato's addition of the new suffix made her beam with happiness. She nuzzled her cheek into the crook of his neck, and relaxed. Minato pulled the covers over them both, and planted a kiss on Yashima's head before falling fast asleep, completely worn out from all of the day's events.

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A/N: Hey, guys, I hope you enjoyed this chapter of Sekirei: Steel of the Bond! I took a lot of the advice given to me in the reviews and tried my best to incorporate them into the story.

I figured that for this chapter I would try my best to add some character development between Minato and Yashima, though I feel like it's kind of rushed, or at least that's how it feels to me. However, this IS a harem, so I kind of have to.

Well, you guys know the drill: Follow, favorite, and leave a review. If you'd like to see any other characters make an appearance, or want any sekirei to join Minato's flock, then mention it in your reviews.

Have an awesome day!