Yay! uber-short fluffy chapter for my dear readers to enjoy! please review everyone, it really helps my motivation level to ehar thoughts and such. also, anyone who can figure out Sayuri's real purpose in this story gets unlimited virtual cookies!

"Doctor, when do you think she'll wake up?"

Voices swam once again in Katsumi's ears, in and out, different each time until finally she stirred to only silence; for a moment she believed she was still unconscious, but then realizing if she were she wouldn't have to think about it, she pulled her eyelids open, each one feeling like a lead weight on her eyeballs, finding more darkness that was only interrupted by the moonlight pouring in through the paper window in the wall that ran along the foot of her bed and the single oil-burning lamp set on a small chest across from it. Everything burned or ached or was numb, but still she tried to sit up, sliding backwards so that she rolled up the pillow and could lean on the wall that made the headboard of her futon, feeling the curtain of her black hair around her shoulders, free and frizzy and needing a good brushing; she glanced down, focus still hazy, and found she was wearing her nightclothes, meaning she'd been changed, most likely by Haruka, but her top was open, revealing her chest, ribs and stomach, all bound in white bandages that helped to ease the ache in her body from her breathing.

She thought she was alone in what now became familiar as her room, but looking around in the dark space revealed a startling new fact: someone was with her. A shadow was hunched at the foot of her bed, completely still, and her heart pounded fearfully, wondering who or what it was; carefully, as moving only disturbed her broken chest, she reached for the lamp and turned it up so the flame would burn brighter and fill the room with more light. Upon doing so, she relaxed instantly, sighing as she recognized who it was with her. Then she froze.

Date Masamune was sprawled at the foot of her bed, lower back against the wall, one leg drawn up with his forehead resting on his knee, obviously asleep, one arm strewn across his lap, the other trailing on the floor; it didn't look comfortable.

Why...?

she vaguely wondered, still only half-awake herself as she leaned forward and drew her legs up close to her body, reaching out and grazing his shoulder gently. A muted "Hey" left her lips as she continued to prod him, not wanting him to continue sleeping there on the floor when he had a perfectly good bed down the hall.

Eventually she heard him gasp sharply and he jerked, his dangling arm flying up and landing on the edge of the bed as he reared up, his head snapping against the wall behind him. Katsumi flinched as he immediately winced, rubbing his head and shaking sleep off, his already moppy hair now a tangled mess she wanted to run her fingers through to straighten out, her mouth half open as she realized how thirsty she was.

Once the sleep had left his one good eye, Masamune realized with a start why he'd been so suddenly woken from the dream he'd been having, all his thoughts suddenly dominated by one realization. "Katsumi!" he said quietly, rushing forward and grabbing up her hand to give it a squeeze, so damn happy to see her smiling at him again. "You're awake!"

"Yes," she answered thickly, swallowing, wanting moisture.

Eye widening for a second, Date turned, keeping one hand on hers as he reached beside where he'd been sitting and picking up a bamboo container of water that he then handed to her. "Here."

"Thank you." Water nevers tastes more delicious than when its needed the most, and she desperately needed a drink, so she took the longest, deepest draft she could until a little bit of the liquid dribbled down her chin, her satisfied sigh signalling the return of her normal good mood. "That was good."

Date grinned at her, settling back down against the side of her bed, laying his arm over his knee, trying not to let on to just how happy he really was; he still wasn't used to dealing with his vast array of emotions that weren't related to battle excitment or frustration. "You doing okay?"

"I could be better," she said softly, laying her hands in her lap and stretching her legs back out, trying to shrug her shirt closed subtly.

The young lord's expression visibly shifted. "The doc said your ribs are pretty beat up. Not broken," he amended, seeing a brief flicker of panic in her eyes, "just really bruised and cracked."

"Oh, thank God..."

"Cha, you're telling me," he grunted, shaking his head. "I'm just sorry I didn't get there sooner to wail on those other bastards that were giving you trouble."

"No, no," she told him, reaching out to lay her hand on his shoulder when he started to look like he was walking the edge to anger. "I'm just thankful you showed up at all." A red flag went up. "Which reminds me... why were you out there anyway?"

Slowly, Masamune reached up and laid his hand over hers, feeling how chilly it was squuezing her fingers into his warm palm, taking a deep breath. "I got sick of waiting," his voice cut out as he looked over at her, his single, blue eye shining in the dim room. "I've been trying to get you to talk to me for days and you leave. Kojuro wanted me to wait for you to come back because he thought you'd calm down being out of here, but it was driving me insane. I was beginning to think you wouldn't ever come back."

"Of course I was," she cut in hastily, bringing her other hand over his and pressing into his fingers, scooting closer so she wouldn't have to stretch. "I needed to apologize to you, lord Masamune." His face flickered with surprise. "My behavior was inexcusable. I was being unreasonable and should've let you explain yourself instead of running away like I did."

"Hey," he chided gently and laying his other hand on top of the little handstack they'd created, wrapping her palms and fingers in warmth, "if anyone was being inexcusable it was me. I was being such an asshat to you, and I've been dying to apologize to you for almost two weeks now. I overreacted to everything, I,"-he hesitated to tell her what he was actually feeling and went with the other answer that was partially true-"was under a lot of stress and wasn't thinking straight. Kojuro got everything laid out for me and I figured out what an idiot I'd been. You're right, you aren't a tool or an object and I never wanted you to feel that way, I was just being a prick. You're Reiko Katsumi, a valued and equal member of the Date Army and I never should have treated you like anything less."

Katsumi sobbed.

She'd finally heard the words she'd been dying to hear for so many years.

"Hey, hey," he hissed, reaching to lift her sagging chin and wipde her cheek with his thumb, worried he'd somehow done something wrong again-hence why he didn't interact with women when he could help it, so touchy, "why're you crying?"

"I," she choked, leaning into his hand and sniffling, "I'm sorry, I'm just... so happy..."

"Happy? Why?"

"B-because, what you said... you... you don't know how long I've wanted to hear someone tell me I'm a person, with thoughts and feelings, not a tool, or a weapon or a thing meant to do whatever I'm told... you're the first one who ever has... thank you... oh, thank you, Masa..."

Completely blown away by her words for a second, he'd held his breath, everything rushing out at once when he realized she was alright, his shoulders sagging with relief as his hand dropped from her cheek while leaning his forehead against their bundled-up hands, chuckling nervously. "Christ, enough scaring me for one day."

"Sorry," she cooed, getting herself under control and feeling his soft hair as it tumbled over her bared arms, his skin warm to the touch and so inviting to get close to. Her heart ached with want-need, even-so much so it was making her ill.

Masamune gently squeezed her hand between his and his cheek, thanking whatever gods were listening for bringing her back to him.

No, Katsumi, she yelled at herself. Don't fall for him. You can't. He is a lord, you are a rogue. Don't fall in love with him. Don't set yourself up for the hurt you know will come. Soft, warm breath tickled across their bundles hands as his gentle voice whispered almost to himself, "I'm so glad you're alright."

But she knew it was futile; already her heart was being capture bit-by-bit by this wonderful, complicated, aggrivating young lord of Oshu.

Katsumi leaned forward, giving in to her heart if only enough to ease her pain just enough to be bearable, and lay her cheek on his head, flexing her fingers in his grip to squeeze back, feeling him shift and look up at her, their eyes level, his nose brushing against hers.

Even if it hurts... even if I can never say... even if I shouldn't be letting this happen... I'm falling in love with you... Katsumi thought to him, their blue orbs gazing gently into each other; his eye seemed to twinkle, almost knowingly, and she smiled just the tiniest bit.

He grinned back.

"Hey," he said softly.

"Hm?" she hummed back, feeling a little rush at understanding her illicit feelings for her lord.

"Did you call me 'Masa' just a minute ago?"

"Eheh..."