Kasumi woke up to sun shining on her face through the window, a steady heartbeat bumping in her ear. She remembered feeling Hayate hold her, and she opened her eyes excitedly, hoping to see her long lost brother. Her eyes fell on a dark tattoo which made her scowl in half-awake confusion. Hayate didn't have any tattoos. She glanced up at the sleeping face and jumped backwards. Rig stirred and then opened his hazel eyes. "Heyakasumi," he drawled out in a barely audible voice. "You 'kay?"

"Yeah," Kasumi smoothed her hair and Rig stood up, leaving her to pull the covers around her. "You laid down with me?"

"I must've fallen asleep when I tried to calm you down," he said as he scratched his buzzed head. "Sorry about that. You had a nightmare and I couldn't calm you down, you called out for Hayate and-"

"It's okay," Kasumi said quickly, "I just don't usually wake up like that." She smiled weakly and he crouched down beside the bed.

"I was only trying to help you Kasumi, I want nothing more than that." He said the words with such solemnity that she couldn't help but smile. "Now c'mon," he said with a grin, "there's a festival in town today, supposedly a circus. I couldn't tell you if I've ever been to a circus before," he said and she nodded.

"Just let me get ready."

"Don't take forever," he fired at her with a grin as he pulled on a plain light grey shirt. Kasumi watched him turn around to let her get up and she smiled, reminded more and more of the brother she hadn't seen in so long.

XxXxX

"Oh Rig look!" That had become the phrase of the morning, one that always brought a grin to his lips, even as she practically tugged his arm from it's socket to drag him over to another booth to look at costume jewelry and dresses she defined as cute. He let her ooh and aah over everything, her excited face making every look they got worth it. He didn't know how everyone saw the duo, whether they looked like a couple or not, but he only felt protective of the happy woman. He bought her a few cute things, which she squealed over and threw her arms around his neck, which made him laugh. They were having a great day, but he kept alert for anyone following them. That's how he picked up on the man hanging on the edges of his peripheral vision, green eyes glaring at him over either a magazine like earlier or the phone right now.

Rig decided that enough was enough with this joker following them around. He turned to Kasumi who was fascinated by a silky dress and Rig grinned at her, pressing a kiss to her cheek that made her look at him, worry in her honey eyes. "Someone's following us," he said softly, lips against her ear. "Disappear and I'll get him."

"Rig," she looked worried and he pressed another kiss on her cheek, grinning like nothing was wrong.

"Be right back," he said louder and moved off, zigzagging through the crowd, eyes on the green eyed man that now looked furious at him. "That's right," he thought out loud as he moved, picking up a hat off of a rack, "follow me fucker." He made a show of checking out the hat before tossing it in the air and ducking behind a cart. The man tailing him ran forward, intent on catching him, but Rig had learned quickly how to avoid angry men while on the rig. The green eyed man lost him, Rig could tell by the panicked crinkle by his eyes. Rig noticed the dagger hidden under the man's black t-shirt and raised an eyebrow at the long brown ponytail down his back. Rig let him get ahead of him before moving from his spot by long sleeve shirts. In one swift maneuver he grabbed the dagger and it's owner around the neck.

"Heya there," Rig tried to make the grip look like a friendly interaction as he pulled the man along to a mostly empty hallway. "Why the fuck are you following her?" He said roughly, pressing the dagger's tip into the man's back. Rig was smart, he knew this guy was not a novice in the art of killing, you could see it in those oddly glowing green eyes cast over the man's shoulder to look at him. The man and Rig shared a long look, both of them daring the other to do something foolish.

"Rig," Kasumi appeared in a swirl of cherry blossom petals, "let him go."

"Kasumi-"

"Rig it's okay," she said gently and Rig released him, hand still clutching the dagger. "This is Ryu Hayabusa of the Dragon Clan, he's my guardian and protector." Ryu turned to Rig with a scowl and Rig returned it, both men distrustful of each other.

XxXxX

Ryu didn't understand what Kasumi could possibly see in the man leading her through the market. While Ryu had never been so bold as to admit to being hopelessly in love with the younger sister of his best friend, in love he was and the man with her was in a position he envied with every drop of his dragon blood. The man was being led around by her, a smile on both their faces that turned Ryu's stomach to see.

When the man kissed her cheek, Ryu decided that the unworthy suitor was going to die on his dagger. Whoever this arrogant man was, Kasumi could do better. Kasumi vanished in front of him, so Ryu followed the buzzed haircut through the crowd, annoyed when he lost him, angry when the man found him, this unnamed foe. The dagger bit into his back as he let the man lead him away. He could turn the situation at any second, and somehow he sensed this man knew that. When Kasumi appeared in her trademark fashion, Ryu's heart thundered. She ordered the man to let him go and he did, though Ryu could feel the reluctance in this Rig's movements.

And then Kasumi did something Ryu had never thought she would do, she flung her arms around his neck. "Ryu," she said his name in a heartbreakingly beautiful way, "I've missed you." Ryu looked to Rig who just raised an eyebrow.

"And I you," Ryu answered as he put his arms around her slender waist. "You are well I see." He had been away for months on a mission, he was honestly just glad to see her alive. He hated leaving her side for so long, knowing her own half sister was the one hunting her relentlessly.

"I am," she smiled happily at him and Ryu, the master of stealth and execution, felt like he could melt into those honey eyes. He let himself wonder how she smelled in the dead of night in his blankets, her body pressed against his- Ryu shook such thoughts from his head. She had obviously found a new traveling companion, one that had kissed her cheek twice. Whatever little chance he had possibly had was hopelessly lost. "Will you join us?" her voice held so much damnable hope, yet he knew the decision wasn't just hers so he looked to Rig.

"C'mon Ninja," Rig clapped a hand on Ryu's shoulder, one that didn't feel too threatening, "the lady wants you to join us so join us." Kasumi gave Rig a smile, one that confused Ryu. He had seen her give Hayate that same smile when they were younger. Rig returned the smile with a grin as he moved his arm around Ryu's shoulders. Ryu tensed up and Rig just gave him an easy grin. "Chill out man, don't spoil the fun eh?" Ryu nodded once and off they went, Rig sliding the dagger back into it's hidden sheath under Ryu's shirt as they rejoined the crowds. Kasumi walked in front of them, letting Ryu watch her pink dress swish as she moved, a hypnotic rhythm he could watch all day.

They purchased some food and went back to the hotel her and Rig were staying in, Ryu's heart falling further when he noticed the one bed. Kasumi sat on the bed, Rig sitting on the leather chair, leaving Ryu uncertain whether he should really be there. Kasumi got up and went into the bathroom and Rig sighed heavily. "Hey Ninja," he said softly and Ryu couldn't help his hand twitch.

"Are you at least good to her?" he growled out and Rig gave him a confused look.

"What?"

"I saw you openly looking at other women at the market," Ryu stepped towards him and Rig was on his feet, "do not test my patience and do not lie to me. I want her happy and safe-"

"Calm down," Rig said with a smirk, "it's not like that." Ryu stared at him, disbelief on his face. "Look, she's beautiful and all, but I'm not doing anything with her, and I'm sure as hell not trying. Besides that," he said as he opened a bottled soda, "she called me Hayate and the way she looks at you... she obviously has something going on for you in her little broken heart. If anything, as the stand-in brother," Rig drew himself up to his full height and Ryu briefly imagined Hayate saying this to him, "I should tell you to be on your best behavior."

"You're trying to say that Kasumi has feelings for me?" Ryu almost couldn't believe the words. Could she really?

"It's all over her face man. The second she saw you I saw her smile in a way that she hasn't smiled at me," Rig grinned and clapped a hand on his shoulder. "In fact, I'm gonna make you a deal. I'm going to get another room for me, you work some Dragon Clan magic or Ninpo... whatever you can, and make what she wants but is to scared to act on happen." With that Rig left, and Ryu was standing there when Kasumi came out of the bathroom, the sound of a shower heating up following her.

"Ryu," she looked slightly puzzled, "where's Rig?"

"He left for something," Ryu said and she smiled, stepping up to him carefully.

"I really did miss you," she said softly and Ryu couldn't stand it anymore. Years of waiting and being patient, a lifetime of ninja training was about to go out the window. He pulled her into his arms, pressing his lips to hers in the first kiss he'd had since the whole Irene debacle. He felt her immediately give in, her soft lips parting for his tongue, her hands holding onto his shirt tightly, pulling him somehow closer. "Ryu..." his name ghosted past her lips as he kissed her chin, down her neck, not able to kiss her soft skin enough. He had wanted this for years, had never believed the attraction returned. Now he was getting far more than he ever hoped for as she pulled him towards the bed, a nervous little smile on her face. As she pulled off her pink dress and it tumbled to the floor in a pile, Ryu sent out a silent thanks to the stand-in brother, for the real one would kill him for this.

Xxxxx

Author note: thanks for reading! And a special shout out to LightJakRises for the reviews :) and also to you sir, how's that for suggestive hmm? :P