A/N: ohaiyo~ what's up? sorry for the long wait! /bows
srsly i've been busy writing a new fic (which i will introduce in a bit) and getting the refs right.. you know how it goes. anyway, so on to the story! where we last left off, Sannan-san had become a Fury and we also got to see Kaoru make it into the spotlight for a brief moment. the drama is on a pause for now, but it'll heat up soon. will the gang be able to withstand it: or will they crumble into pieces of broken china?
enjoy the fic!

disclaimer: i don't own Hakuouki; Kawa and Kisuke belong to me.

Chapter Seven: Bloom of the Red Lotus

The short sword in my hands fell onto the floor with a small clattering noise.

I looked up at him in surprise.

"What was it?" I repeated softly, seeing my world slowly getting smaller as I stared up at his green eyes.
He looked down at his crossed legs, lowering his gaze. "Tuberculosis." He replied, his voice soft.

I looked down at my hands to see they were trembling; my hands balled into fists, still trembling, as I looked at the dropped short sword, at the blue fabric of the hilt.

"Look, it's not like I'm gonna drop anytime soon. I'm still gonna be able to fight…" He began to proclaim.

"Why?" I wondered softly.

He seemed to look up. "'Why' what?" He repeated.

My teeth clenched, grinding together. "Why you? Why does this have to happen to you!?" I demanded, my voice rising to a shout.

I wanted to kill something, I wanted to cry and sob like a child, but most of all I wanted to kill that blonde bastard for hurting Souji two years ago…!

He quieted, seeming to look down again. "Do you really think I wanted this? I still have things I want to do, I don't wanna die just yet!" He declared.

The prickling sting of tears gathering in my eyes made me wince; I closed my eyes tightly and counted to ten in the back of my head.
"I don't want you to die… Souji, I promised you that I'd die with you! I don't want you to die," I cried, the tears falling down my cheeks.

He shuffled a little from his spot sitting infront of me before I felt his larger hands take my cheeks, holding my face gently and tilting it so I was able to see his face. "Kawa," he said softly.

I clenched my teeth and shook free of his hands, throwing my arms around his neck and embracing him tightly, feeling him lean back onto the floor as he held me.
Souji buried his face into my hair, letting me cry as he clung to me like if I was the only thing he had left to hold onto.

"I'm not gonna go anywhere. I swear that as long as I'm livin', I'm gonna be here to protect you." He promised hoarsely into my neck, his arms tightening protectively.

I sniffed and nodded slightly, closing my eyes wearily. "I love you, Souji." I replied in the same hoarse voice, feeling him run his fingers through my hair.
He seemed to smile softly, planting a kiss on my shoulder. "I love you too, Kawa." He said.

I smiled to myself at hearing those four words echo in my head as I let sleep take me into a dreamless lull.

:::::::::oOo:::::::::

The sound of air hitting my katana sounded as I swung the blade from one side to the next, grunting and lifting the sword high before slamming it down onto an imaginary enemy's head.
I panted slightly, straightening and flicking my wrist, sheathing the blade wordlessly.

"That was some show," he commented from sitting on the steps, perking my ears as I had almost forgot that he was sitting there watching me.

I blushed slightly before smirking gently at him, huffing. "I still think you shoulda gone inside already; keeping your hair down like that after taking a bath will worsen your condition." I remarked, slipping the sheathed sword from my sash as I went to sit with him on the steps.

Souji huffed and smirked at me with one open green eye. "Would you stop worryin'? Geez, yer starting to sound more like Hijikata-san," he mused.

I blinked before blushing slightly, lowering my gaze. "I'm just looking out for you, idiot. You know I don't wanna see you… y'know," I mumbled the last word, shrugging my katana onto my left shoulder.

He quieted and then exhaled, lifting a hand to stroke my cheek, tipping my chin up gently. "I know you are. Like I said, I don't intend to go anywhere soon, so don't worry." He smiled for me, his green eyes soft. "For me?" He added, making his eyes look like puppy-dog eyes.

I quieted and then shook my head softly, sighing. "Okay, for you." I held his hand that cupped my cheek, squeezing gently, as I leaned forward to bump foreheads with him, closing my eyes.

Souji seemed to smile, tucking strands of hair behind my ear, inclining his head to capture my lips in a kiss.
I smiled softly, kissing back tenderly, feeling him stroke my cheek as he lightly nibbled on my lower lip, making me shiver slightly.

The sound of someone cleaning the deck made us pull apart; my cheeks flushed as I heard him curse under his breath at the untimely intrusion, his green eyes stoic and sharp as the noise stopped and we both heard the familiar voice of Chizuru declare that she was done.

"All done?" Souji asked as he poked his head from under the stair step as I heard her yelp slightly in surprise, making me snicker quietly.

"O-Okita-san!? What're you doing out here like that!?" Chizuru balked.

"I tried to get him to go back inside, but the dummy wouldn't go." I offered with a sigh as I also poked my head up to see her and smile lightly. "Yo, Chizu-chan," I greeted.

"K-Kawa-chan too!? Wh-why'd you let him dress like that?" She asked alertly.

I chuckled. "Don't blame me, ask him." I replied, jerking a thumb at the aforementioned brunette.

Souji pouted at me, making me giggle, before he sighed. "I sweated in my sleep last night, so I took a bath and decided to sunbathe." He explained calmly, looking up at her behind his back.
Just like a cat, I thought with a smirk.

"I don't care how nice the weather is, you'll catch a cold if you stay outside with wet hair!" Chizuru barked, perking my ears.

He huffed and closed his eyes serenely. "It's fine, I can handle it." He replied in a nonchalant way.
I made a face.

She also frowned. "No it's not okay, you should take better care of yourself!" She retorted.

I blinked at her suddenly assertive tone, tilting my head to one side. What's up with her? I wondered.

"You're just like Hijikata-san the way you're such a bossy worry-wart." Souji chuckled, looking up at her with one eye before he started to put his hair into the topknot he wore.

Chizuru blushed slightly before she moved forward to dry his hair for him. "You need to dry your hair first!" She scolded, drying his hair rather roughly.

I looked away to hide a giggle.

"Chizuru-chan, why're you bein' so pushy?" Souji complained, grimacing and looking up at her with one green eye.
"No particular reason," she replied as I watched her bully him into obeying, smiling serenely.

"Oi, what're you smiling for?" He griped, looking at me.

I shrugged and leaned against the step behind me, folding my arms behind my head. "I've been tryin' to tell you to go inside because of your hair, and finally someone understands my pain." I looked at the girl and smiled lightly. "Thanks for sympathizing, Chizu-chan." I said with another smile.

She returned the smile. "You're welcome, Kawa-chan!" She replied.

Souji pouted again at being outnumbered before he sighed and looked away. "That's enough; it's mostly dry, anyway." He announced, letting her straighten and take the towel with her as he fixed his hair into the topknot.

She blushed slightly again as I straightened to my feet, stretching my arms to the sky and yawning.
"I'd like to ask you a question: honestly, what d'ya thinks of my hairstyle?" Souji asked, looking at her.

Chizuru quieted before she smiled slightly. "I think it looks good on you." She replied.

He smiled lightly. "Really? Great, thanks! Truthfully, I'm tryin' to copy Kondou-san." He explained, pointing to his topknot.
She smiled again and laughed a little. "You're right; it's the same hairstyle as his." She mused.

Souji smirked at her and winked. "Let's keep this little secret between us three, neh?" He asked.
Chizuru chuckled. "'Kay," she replied.

I smiled at him and nodded. "Deal," I mused.

He sighed and slung an arm around my shoulders, letting me hop the last two steps before he followed. "Now if you'll excuse us, we're about to go make some mad passionate love in my quarters!" He declared dramatically, starting to drag me away by his grip on my shoulders.

"E-eh!?" Chizuru and I yelped as we both blushed the same shade of red.

"H-hang on, Souji, wait a sec!" I declared, digging my heels into the ground and making him let me go.

Souji looked at me in confusion. "What's up, Kawa?" He asked.

I glanced at the girl before looking at him. "I need to ask Chizuru something, so I'll see you inside." I replied, smiling for him.

He pouted. "Aww, but Kawa…!" He whined.

I kissed him lightly before pulling away. "I'll be there, don't worry. Us girls need to talk, alright?" I declared.

Souji quieted reluctantly and sighed, looking away. "Fine. But you owe me later," he wagered, shooting me a look.
I smirked gently and waved him away. "I know, love," I replied.

He smirked back and then sighed, folding his arms behind his head as he retreated back inside.

"Um, Kawa-chan, what did you want to talk about?" She asked behind me as I turned to see her looking at me with confusion written in her pretty face.

I looked in the direction Souji went and frowned softly, looking at her. "You know about his illness." I replied; it wasn't a question.

Chizuru quieted and lowered her gaze to the towel in her hands, nodding.
"H-hai. I accidentally eavesdropped when Matsumoto-sensei told him that he had… what he had." She looked at me apologetically. "Kawa-chan, I'm sorry I didn't tell you, it's just that I promised Okita-san…" She began to apologize before I wordlessly lifted a hand to stop her.

"It's okay, Chizuru, really. He told me about it, the night you guys were at Nijou Castle guarding the Shogun. I don't like it, but so long as he isn't bedridden, I'm okay with it." I rubbed my right arm gingerly, looking at her again. "Sano told me about what that blonde man said to you. That you're an oni." I declared quietly, moving forward to sit on the steps and invite her to sit with me.

Chizuru quieted again and looked down, sitting at my side and keeping her gaze lowered. "Do you hate me, for being what I am…?" She asked softly.

I scoffed quietly and lifted a hand to rub my neck. "No, I don't. Actually, I'm a little jealous. I wish I was blessed with the superhuman blood that runs through your veins. But no, I don't hate you for what you are. I really don't." I admitted, looking at her and smiling softly.

Her eyes widened slightly before she looked up at me, her eyes softening as she smiled in relief. "I'm glad." She declared. "Thank you, Kawa-chan, for being a good friend." She added.

I smiled again and ruffled her hair gently. "You're welcome. Like I said before, if you ever want to try and make yourself more combat-adaptable, I'd be willing to teach you." I reminded.

Chizuru blinked before she smiled sheepishly. "Thanks, Kawa-chan, but I don't think I wanna fight…" She began.

I rolled my eyes. "From what I've heard about oni, I know they possess super-fast regeneration abilities, as well as speed and power that make the Fury look like daisies. One of these days you're gonna have to put to the test those abilities, Chizu-chan." I interjected, looking at her.
She lowered her gaze again. "Kawa-chan," she began.

I lifted a brow. "Or is it that you're afraid to fight?" I wondered softly.

Her brown eyes shot up at my words and a frown crossed her thin brow. "I-I'm not afraid to fight! I know how to defend myself well enough, and I know how to use a short sword." She protested.

I quieted and straightened to my feet, stepping off the step to stand on the ground. "Prove it, then: hit me." I declared.

Chizuru's eyes widened. "K-Kawa-chan, I can't…!" She began worriedly.

"I'll explain everything to my brother later. You don't even have to land a critical hit, just strike with your foot or your fist."
I placed my katana against the stair banister, lifting my hands in surrender. "See? No swords. Not even my short sword." I added, looking at her imploringly, vaguely wondering if she really had the guts to want to stick around here with us for so long.

She hesitated, clasping her hands together as she bit on her lip.
I sighed. "Don't make me strike first, Chizuru." I requested patiently, lifting my right hand and gesturing she come forward.

Chizuru hesitated for another moment before she took on a determined expression and leaped down the last two steps, releasing a battle cry as she flew at me with her right fist extended.

I caught her fist in my left hand, surprising her; I smiled softly. "There you go." I released her hand, letting her back away as I took a step back and nodded. "Go on, try again." I coaxed, sliding my right foot behind me by an inch out of reflex.

She nodded, grunting and lunging at me, extending her right foot out to kick me in the gut; I swerved to the right, making her fly past me before she skidded to a halt in time to keep herself from falling face-first onto the ground.

A chuckle escaped me as I fought an amused grin. "That's good, keep it up." I declared lightly.

Chizuru panted slightly, wiping beads of sweat from her brow. "Kawa-chan, really, I'm okay…" She began to protest.

I swung my foot at her face, watching her yelp and swerve out of the way in time, straightening quickly and blocking the left fist that sailed to connect with my nose using my right forearm, feeling her weight descend on me and making me dig my heels into the ground; I smirked wryly, disengaging our hands and lifting my knee to connect with her belly.

Chizuru scrambled away, kicking against my shin and leaping back, her heels skidding into the ground, her doe brown eyes hardened in something I could only assume was seriousness in combat.

I smiled contently, nodding. "Not bad. Y'could uses a bit of practice, though." I admitted, shifting into the same stance I held moments ago and nodding again. "C'mon, oni princess." I urged gently.
She quieted and then nodded, sprinting at me and jumping into the air, her right foot extending to land a kick on my head.

I caught her kick with my criss-crossed arms I raised to block from landing the blow to my head, gritting my teeth and forcing her away, drawing back to the steps as she landed rather lithely on the balls of her left foot, panting like I was.

I wiped sweat from my brow, perking up as she gave a brief battle cry and hurtled into me, knocking the wind out of me; my foot propelled into her belly, kicking her off as I swung my leg out to trip her.

Chizuru grimaced and rubbed her head gingerly, widening her eyes as my extended left fist was poised mere millimeters away from her small nose. "K-Kawa-chan," she breathed.

I drew my fist back, smiling again as I crouched next to her, extending my hand to help her up. "That was a bold move you pulled, at the last second," I admitted, helping her sit up as I sat down with a soft groan.

Her cheeks were flushed from sparring as she looked down at her knees. "Y-you really think I did well?" She asked.
I nodded, rubbing her back gently. "Sorry if I sorta forced you into it." I apologized.

Chizuru looked at me before her brown eyes softened. "It's alright; I guess I just needed some motivation is all." She shrugged.

I smiled softly, lifting a hand to ruffle her hair. "'Motivation' my ass; you had it in ya to attack without much hesitation." I gingerly shuffled to my feet, moving away to hoist my katana and sling it over my shoulder casually. "C'mon, I'm pretty sure it's almost time for dinner," I urged, smirking gently at her.

She nodded, straightening as well before we walked away to the dining hall.

He almost spat out his tea. "You what?" He balked.

I fought the amused smirk that wanted to overcome my lips, sipping my tea casually. "Don't act like you don't see it." I replied.

"Yasakawa, are you mad? She's just a girl! And besides, you had no right to try and force her into sparring…" He began to protest angrily.

"She's old enough to defend herself. She just needs motivation and a teacher. I can provide both things." I met his aggravated violet stare and held it. "Nii-san, whether you care to admit it or not, you can't protect her forever. So long as I teach her to fight, Chizuru will be able to stand on her own feet and not have to stare at a man's back as he fights for her safety." I explained softly.

Toshi's brow tightened into a glare and he lowered his gaze to the half-empty tea cup, lip curled in a grimace. "You know her… race," he mumbled.

I nodded. "I do, yes. I've seen what they're capable of, and to be honest, it's a far cry from the Fury we've created. I'm not saying I want to worship the ground they walk on, because I don't. But being what she is, and being a woman in a man's world, she has to strengthen up. I'm also not saying that I'm trying to decide what's best for her, either: I'm not her mother. But considering I am older than her by a few years, I feel that I should help her in the one way I know I can help. And that's fighting." I stated.

He quieted and closed his eyes before releasing a slow exhale. "If anything happens to her, it's on your head, you realize?" He reminded.

I nodded again. "I know," I replied.

He nodded slightly, lifting his gaze to meet mine. "I hate it when you're right," he muttered in defeat.

I smiled wryly, sipping my tea. "I have no idea what you're talking about, dear brother." I said serenely.
His left eye twitched. "The hell you don't, brat." He grumbled sorely, perking my ears.

I scowled, feeling my own right eye twitch annoyedly; that hated term 'brat' was almost as bad as when he referred to me by my full name. "Stow it, oni." I sniffed cattily.

Toshi quieted at the name before he smirked slightly, sipping his tea. "You've lived with us for four years already and it's still hard to get accustomed to hearing my own half-sister refer to me that way." He mused.

I tilted my head to one side, smirking. "Get used to it, then, nii-san, because I intend to stick around for as long as possible." I remarked, downing the rest of my tea before yawning and stretching my arms to the ceiling, rubbing the back of my neck as I shuffled and straightened to my feet, gathering my katana from lying on the floor next to where I sat.

"Maybe you've hung around Souji too long; you're starting to act like a cat." He said thoughtfully as I walked to the door.

I looked at him and giggled, smirking gently. "I do love cats." I mused, smiling lightly. "Good night, Toshi. And don't worry, 'kay? I'll make sure I keep an eye on your girl." I added, perking his ears.

Toshi's cheeks burned a shade of reddish pink and his eyes narrowed as he shot me a glare full of daggers. "Just go to bed, cat-lover." He growled cattily, his left eye twitching annoyedly.

I laughed quietly and winked. "Night, nii-san!" I said lightly, slipping out into the night and closing his door behind me, folding my arms behind my head as I retreated to my room.

The faint sound of someone playing a shamisen hung in the air.

I huffed under my breath, arms crossed over my chest.
I didn't see why we had to celebrate getting paid for protecting that damn bulletin board by going to Shimabara.

Of all places… we had perfectly good sake at home!

Honestly, men are such pigs…

"Of course, not everyone here can drink, y'know; neh, Kawa-chan?" Souji wondered lightly, dragging me into the inn by the hand.
I glanced over my shoulder at my brother and snickered. "Right," I agreed calmly.

Okay, maybe the reason I was pissy about this was because the guys just wanted to come gawk at the geisha. It's not that I was jealous of them! The boys could stare at those sluts all they wanted; they weren't attached to someone else… not like Souji was to me.

Was I just being paranoid?

I huffed again, looking at his back as he continued to lead me past the different rooms to the room the servant was leading us to, looking at his brown hair; my eyes softened and I smiled a little.

'I'm not all that interested in places like this.' Souji had commented a few years ago.

He had come along to pacify the boys.

It made much more sense now, than if he was coming to drool over the geisha.
Honestly, Souji…

:::::::::oOo::::::::::

A sweatdrop formed on my brow at his insistence of her drinking.
"Geez, kind of glad I wasn't the first to get hammered," I mumbled around sipping from my cup.

"Kawa-chan, aren't you gonna get drunk easily?" Chizuru asked at my side, perking my ears.

I blinked before smirking softly and huffing. "Don't lump me together with my brother. Just because one of us can't handle drinking doesn't mean the both of us can't drink." I assured her lightly.

Souji sighed calmly at my right and slung his arm around my shoulders. "Yep, that's our princess. Ta be honest, she's as good at holding her liquor as the rest of us." He mused with a smirk.
I blushed slightly and smirked, elbowing him gently. "Honestly," I muttered with a patient exhale.

"I heard that Hijikata-san from the Shinsengumi was horrible like an oni, but you're as handsome as an actor." The geisha tending to our group, Kimigiku, commented lightly in that thick accent geisha were known for (which was highly overrated, in my book).

Toshi's cheeks looked rosy as he sipped from his cup. "I get that a lot," he mused coolly.

Heisuke and Shinpachi spat out their drinks simultaneously; I almost choked on my own drink before Souji whacked me on the back as both aforementioned captains guffawed at his response.
"T-the hell ya hear that a lot; that's bullshit, Toshi!" I coughed, glaring up at my brother annoyedly.

"Yasakawa-san, I must admit that I am truly envious of you to be near a handsome man such as your commander." Kimigiku said rather sorely, still keeping that light and accented tone, perking my ears.

I blinked before I laughed softly. "Don't be, Kimigiku-san. Besides, you'll have to forgive my brother for being weak-willed when it comes to sake. The prolonged-buzz gene skipped a generation it appears." I replied with a smirk.

She covered her mouth to hide a chuckle as my brother looked at me sorely, his eye twitching. "Idiocy skipped my generation as well," he remarked with a huff.

I pouted and then pulled my right eyelid down, blowing him a raspberry. "Piss off." I griped, downing my sake on purpose, my cheeks warming at the intake of the strong drink.

"You got all this money just protecting the billboard; just imagine how much money we could've gotten if you caught the culprits!" Shinpachi's slightly slurred voice perked my ears as we looked to him.

"Yeah, seriously," Heisuke chimed.

"Oi, Sano, why did you let them go? You coulda handled eight guys easy!" Shinpachi asked as he and the younger captain looked at Sano.

I tapped my chin with my index finger thoughtfully: why did he do that? Eight guys were easy for a captain of the Shinsengumi, let alone a lanky man like Harada Sanosuke… What made him not take them into custody?

He looked at the girl. "Chizuru, were you out somewhere that night?" He asked.

She blinked and then shook her head. "No," she replied.

His gold eyes tightened. "You're sure?" He pressed.

"Yeah, I don't leave headquarters at night." Chizuru said, slightly confused on his questions.

"She's not lying, Sano; I didn't hear her sneak out or anything along those lines that night. We were both sleeping in the same room when dawn came." I piped up calmly, meeting his gold eyes.

"What's the big deal, Sano?" Shinpachi wondered of his friend.

"Actually, a girl who resembled Chizuru got in our way when we were apprehending those Tosa guys. Then everything fell out of formation." Sano explained darkly, slightly surprising everyone.
That explains things, I thought.

"That's horrible," she said softly.

Souji looked over at her. "Maybe it's that girl you met while conducting rounds with Heisuke, Kawa and me. Wasn't she Nagumo Kaoru?" He asked, perking my ears.

I huffed. "That sure as hell explains it; I thought I smelled something rotten about her." I declared lowly, ignoring my left eye's twitch at hearing her name and remembering how she'd flirted shamelessly with Souji infront of me.
That little bitch, I thought, cursing her.

"She looked just like you." He mused, seeming to ignore my comment; I shot him a look, huffing and looking away as I downed another shot.
She looked down. "But that's not enough evidence…" She began.

"I didn't really think so; after all, she was dressed like a girl." Heisuke defended.
"Then why don't we put her in a kimono to confirm it?" Saitou wondered from his quiet corner spot at Souji's right.

The room went quiet.

"Eh!?" Chizuru balked in something akin to horror, looking from Saitou to Heisuke to Souji.

"Dress Chizuru up!" Heisuke exclaimed.

"That's it; that's a great idea!" Shinpachi chimed as they both jumped to their feet. "Hey, Kimigiku-san! Sorry, but could you dress this kid up as a girl?" He asked the geisha.

"EHH!?" She shrieked in downright shock and horror.

"You all…" Toshi began to growl and get up before Kimigiku placed a hand up to stop him, glancing at the girl before smiling at Shinpachi. "Very well; I shall accept your request." She said lightly, making Toshi's cheeks redden at the prospect of seeing her dressed like a girl.

I sweatdropped as Kimigiku dragged the girl to the back rooms to change, looking at both Heisuke and Shinpachi. "Honestly…"

THWACK.

THWACK.
"OW!" Both men yelped in chorus, a large bump on both of their heads.

"Idiots, yer lucky she doesn't know how to kill yet otherwise you'd both be deader than dust!" I exclaimed annoyedly, hands on my hips.

"If you're complaining so much, why don't you join her and dress in a kimono? It's very rare that we see you act feminine." Saitou wondered calmly, sipping his drink; my right eye twitched.

THWACK.

"I knew ya were a pervert deep down, you idiot samurai." I growled as I cracked my knuckles and shuffled to sit back down at Souji's left.

The aforementioned brunette snickered at the red bump that swelled on his friend's head, sipping from his cup. "That's my girl," he mused lightly, flashing that cat smile of his.
My cheeks warmed; I rolled my eyes, pouring myself another shot. "Quiet, you," I grumbled.

Toshi rolled his eyes as well at the sight of three out of the six men sporting bumps on their heads, smirking rather amusedly. "And that is the reason why you're the only woman strong enough to stick with us this long," he mused.

I blinked and then smiled over at him, laughing softly. "And don't you forget it." I remarked, seeing him return the smile before he straightened to step outside onto the balcony, closing the door behind his exit.

"Sorry for the wait, everyone." Kimigiku declared lightly as the door slid open to reveal Chizuru entering the room first, dressed in a maroon kimono with a blue obi tied in the front.

The boys gawked at the sight of her looking so pretty; I rolled my eyes at them, giggling. "Honestly," I grumbled.

"H-hey, are you really Chizuru?" Heisuke stammered, blush staining his cheeks pink.
"Y-yes," she mumbled.

"Chizu-chan, you look beautiful!" I declared lightly.

"What a transformation; I didn't recognize you for a second, there." Souji mused lightly.
I backhanded his head, pouting. "Idiot, you're makin' her embarrassed!" I scolded.

"So; what do you think, Sano?" Saitou asked, looking at the lanky brunette.

The blush stained his cheeks a reddish pink as he looked at the girl thoughtfully. "I'm not sure; Chizuru's so damn pretty I can't decide." He mused with a smirk.

"Geez, Sano…" I began to scold again.

Souji sighed and pulled me to his chest aimlessly, making me squeak. "Quit motherin', love." He chided gently, squeezing my hips.
I blushed and exhaled, obeying as I felt him squeeze again. "Yeah," I mumbled.

Sometimes I hated it when he would show affection in public; I looked at everyone in the room and my eyes softened.
But then again, we were like family around each other, so public affection was okay.

A/N: so that was a technical-filler chap. sorry for not updating sooner! ^^; anyway, i felt like Kawa should take it upon herself to train Chizuru to be able to defend herself better. a little sibling love between Toshi and Kawa as well as Kawa's reaction to Souji's TB diagnosis to add into the mix. i hope to update soon so look forward to that, neh?

Saitou: Porcelain-san requests that you review please. /bows