Chapter Twelve

It wasn't a dream that she was sleeping through like the night before. It was a dream she was living through. A dream turned into a reality.

Ryu's lips were something she never thought would taste so sweet. It was becoming her addiction the longer she continued to kiss him and she didn't want to ever let him go. Despite the heat of their embrace, a small shiver went down her spine as the tenderness became overwhelming intoxicating.

Her petite hands roamed into his long brown hair, tangling themselves in it. Her soft pink lips continued to press on his. Her hazel eyes were sealed away from his sight. Ryu remained stiff as Kasumi tried to bring him closer to her warmth, his emerald eyes widen in shock. It wasn't in Kasumi's nature to behave in the way she was acting at that moment. This was a much bolder Kasumi.

'Kasumi?' Ryu thought.

Kasumi muffled out a low moan. All she wanted to do now was for him to push her onto one of the beds and claim her as his own like any girl would dream. Ryu fought back the urge of doing the same to her. For the last few days, he had struggled to either have her close to him to admire or just far enough to protect her. Yet, the long years he stood in the side lines as he watched over her while she grew into the beautiful woman she was now were starting to take a toll on him. He would always care about her no matter what the circumstances were however this was something he had craved to do.

Tugging on several strands of his long brown hair, Kasumi could feel one of his hands traveling down to her lower back. An insinuation that he too was enjoying their intimate moment. Ryu entangled his free hand in her auburn hair, forcing her to get even closer. Her lips opened slightly as she felt his tongue pushing through.

It was too good to be true. Kasumi attempted to lift Ryu's shirt with one hand letting the other hand roam over the muscles on his stomach. She was able to feel several scars from the missions he had taken on as a shinobi.

He flinched when she let her hand travel down his navel and going lower. Ryu pulled away from their kiss, leaving a rather confused Kasumi.

"Ryu...?" She whispered.

"Wow. Did I miss something?"

Ryu and Kasumi spun to the door. Hitomi was standing in the doorway. She was highly amused as both shinobi pulled away from each other, giving some distance between themselves after realizing what they just done.

"Geez. I've only been out for a while and you two are practically glued on to each other." Hitomi laughed.

"Hitomi!" Kasumi yelled in embarrassment, avoiding eye contact with her and Ryu.

Kasumi saw Hitomi hatch up an evil grin. Kasumi turned five different shades of red. She couldn't look at either Ryu or Hitomi straight in the eye.

"What happened to you?"

Kasumi glanced at Ryu who turned his attention to Hitomi. She could tell from his voice that he was upset, but was unable to tell if it was because Hitomi had interrupted them or was it because she was teasing them. Kasumi glanced back at Hitomi. She finally knew what Ryu was referring to. Hitomi's clothes were stained with mud and dirt and above all that, some of her blood was exposed from a nasty gash to her forehead.

"Hitomi, are you okay?" Kasumi asked.

"Huh?" Hitomi looked down to her clothes. She stumbled slightly before she replied. "Uh...oh...I tripped and fell. Don't worry I'm okay. Really."

"You are bleeding," Kasumi said pointing to her forehead.

Hitomi placed her palm over forehead to stop the bleeding. She smiled, "It's okay you guys. I'll be fine, seriously. I guess I will just take a quick shower and clean myself up."

Ryu knew she was lying. He has seen through fake smiles too many times before to know which are real and which are not. Hitomi just didn't want to get them worried over her.

"I can help you," Kasumi said, walking over to her.

Hitomi shook her head. "No. It's okay. I can do this myself."

She grabbed a bag of clothes and headed straight to the bathroom. She practically ran inside and locked the door behind her. Hitomi looked herself in the mirror. She was a complete mess. No serious injuries other than the wound on her forehead. At least she was alive. She was unaware that in her hand was the still crumbled photograph of her and Ein...or better yet, Hayate.

Extending the picture to see it once more, Hitomi's eyes began to stream into tears for the person she cared for the most was no longer around and replaced by a monster who wished to see not only her best friend dead but herself as well. She had to be strong on the outside for Kasumi and Ryu, yet inside she was falling apart.

Hitomi began to tear the picture into small pieces and disposed of them. She turned on the shower and walked inside, clothes in all.

~.~.~.~.~

"Master Hayate! Master Hayate! Master Hayate!"

Strolling pass the crowd on the street, Hayate ignored the hollering of his name. He was more focused on picking up Hitomi's trail just to make sure she was alright. He was too furious with Ayane. Before Hitomi had left, he saw a cut on her forehead that had begun to bleed. Hayate had no success in finding her especially since Ayane had followed him ever since he let her go.

"Master Hayate! Master Hayate!" Ayane kept calling out to him.

Hayate just kept ignoring her, not bothering to even look at her. He had been overwhelmed with guilt. Hitomi hated him for what he was doing to Kasumi, but now hated him even more when Ayane told her that she had to die by his orders. Hitomi knew that he was a shinobi since he told her, however, he never expected her to react the way she did. She hated him.

"Master Hayate! Master Hayate, please wait!"

Ayane's constant nagging finally forced him to stop in his tracks.

"What do you want, Ayane?" he demanded, still refusing to see her directly.

Ayane took a deep breath and stood in front of him. She wanted to confront him whether he wanted to or not.

"Master Hayate, how could you save that girl?" She asked. "How could you do that? She is in an alliance with Master Ryu and that traitor. We have to eliminate her. You gave me the right to kill whoever was aiding the traitor. So why did you stop me?"

Fury was in Hayate's hazel eyes. "Hitomi is a friend of mine, Ayane. Are you forgetting that she was the one who helped me when I couldn't even remember who I was?"

"She was, Master Hayate," Ayane stated. "She was your friend. The minute she sided with Kasumi, she betrayed you just like Master Ryu. Look at what she did to me."

"She didn't know anything, Ayane," he yelled at her. "I doubt Ryu and Kasumi told her anything other than what is going on right now. I don't think she even knew that we are related to Kasumi."

Ayane stood in silence. She finally did what she had been avoiding to do: get Hayate angry at her. She blew it big time.

"...She would have found out…eventually," she whispered, anger in her voice.

Hayate was now the silent one. Ayane had a point. Hitomi would have eventually found out that he was the brother putting Kasumi through hell and now was trying to kill his best friend as well.

"You...may be right about that. She could have...but…" He said.

Hayate glanced over to his reflection from a nearby window from a local store. It stared right back at him. He swore that the reflection wasn't himself but a monster. The monster he had grown to be. He turned his attention back to Ayane. She just remained in silence, waiting for her brother to speak again.

"I'm desperate," Hayate said, "I'm desperate to keep all of those I care about alive. How I do it doesn't seem to be my focus."

Ayane nodded her head, understanding what he was trying to say but it still didn't lighten her mood. Hayate cared for everyone including her but that still didn't erase the envy she had over Kasumi and now Hitomi. Hayate was getting confused and she was the only one who can help him regain himself.

"What exactly are you planning to do now, Master Hayate?" Ayane asked.

"Enough with the formalities, Ayane," Hayate said, "This isn't really the place for it. I'm tired."

"My apologies, Hayate," she said, "So what will we do?"

Hayate paused for a moment. He dropped his gaze in defeat, "I seriously don't know. I just want to make things right, but I don't know how to do it."

"I can go search for them again," Ayane stated.

He flinched at her statement. "And then what? To end up in an even bigger mess than we are in now? I rather you don't. I know you are capable of doing it, Ayane, I don't doubt your skills. However, right now we are needed at the village. Mother is ill and she needs us to look after her."

"Ill?" Ayane asked.

Ayane remembered her mother suddenly collapsing the last time she saw her, but nothing pointing out that she was ill. Was it the harsh words she told her mother? She doubted it.

"Yes," Hayate replied, "she tried to take her own life. She needs us."

"She did what?"

~.~.~.~.~

Kasumi had been leaning against the door as soon as Hitomi had locked herself inside the bathroom. She was able to hear the drowning of Hitomi's cries from the sound of the running water. Hitomi lied to them and it only made Kasumi wonder what could have possibly happen to her to suddenly make Hitomi cry.

"Hitomi…" She called out.

"Leave her alone, Kasumi."

Kasumi spun around to find Ryu sitting on a small couch with his arms crossed over his chest. "It's obvious she does not want to be bother, so let her be."

"But something happened to her, Ryu," Kasumi stated, "You know it and I know it. I can't just stand here and do nothing while she is hurt."

Ryu looked in her direction. A glare in his emerald eyes. "She will tell you when she is ready."

Kasumi glared back at him. She took a seat at the edge of the bed, watching the bathroom door. She was no longer able to hear Hitomi crying from the shower. Kasumi turned her head to glance at Ryu, however, he refused to look her in the eye and stared at a nearby window. She shook her head. She didn't get it. She could not understand how he could just change all of a sudden. Kasumi remembered the same behavior their first day together.

Up until a half hour ago, she was all over him, now she wasn't too sure if being with Ryu is the right choice. He only viewed her as a friend. He may have been caught up in the moment when she kissed him. The mere thought of devouring his lips once more was overwhelming. Kasumi wanted to taste him again but go even further.

She violently shook her head causing her hair to sway all over the place. Now was not the time to think about Ryu in such a matter when her friend was going through a tough time for an unknown reason. Hitomi's heart was shattering just like hers. It seems Kasumi did bring pain to those around her.

Kasumi looked over to the clock on the small table by one of the beds. It had been ten minutes since she or Ryu had spoken to each other. The room was silent.

"Ryu?" Kasumi finally said.

He remained silent.

"Ryu…about that kiss..."

"Forget about it." Ryu replied coldly.

"I'm sorry I did that," she whispered.

Ryu glanced over at her. This time there was no affection in his eyes, "Just forget about it."

Kasumi was silent. He truly didn't think of her that way?

"Ryu…please don't tell me to forget," Kasumi paused, "this is the only thing I can hold on to since I know you don't want to be with me."

"I never said that," Ryu said, rising from his seat.

Kasumi remained hopeful, "Then what does all this mean?"

Ryu didn't answer. The door to the bathroom had suddenly opened. As always, Hitomi seemed to have the perfect timing to interrupt them.

"What's wrong? If you two are talking about me, I told you guys I'm fine," Hitomi stated, coming out of the bathroom with a pair of blue pajamas on and a large Band-Aid on her forehead.

Kasumi shook her head while Ryu just crossed his arms. "Nothing."

"It's been a long day; why don't we just call it a night?" Ryu said, looking at Kasumi's direction.

Knowing that she was not going to get her answer tonight, Kasumi easily agreed. "Alright then."

"Fine by me as long as I get one of those beds," she joked.

Kasumi could only frown as Hitomi tried to put on an act to show that everything was alright. Hitomi couldn't fool her anymore.

~.~.~.~.~

Ayane had been sprinting behind Hayate on their way back towards the village. She couldn't comprehend why her own mother tried to take her own life. Wasn't there anything in this world she wanted to stay for?

'Master Shiden? Hayate? Me?' She thought.

Hayate stated what his father told him that she couldn't take it anymore. Watching her family destroy itself. Ayane just flinched in anger.

'This is all her fault,' she thought, blaming Kasumi like always. 'This wouldn't have happened if she just died already. I will make sure I put an end to this once and for all.'

~.~.~.~.~

The clock read a little pass two in the morning. Hitomi was in her own bed fast asleep while Ryu, who had struggled to fall asleep, was on the couch with just a single sheet covering him up. Kasumi had been unable to sleep. She would shift around from her sides to her back trying to find a way to go to sleep. She was getting warm every time she moved around. Kasumi would occasionally glance over at both Ryu and Hitomi from her bed. The room was dark so she couldn't tell if they were looking at her, they probably weren't since they were both asleep.

She kicked the bed sheets off her body. The oversized shirt she was wearing was enough for her to just lie in bed. Kasumi had too much on her mind to even go to sleep. She admired Hitomi for putting on a little charade but even she needed to express what was on her mind. Just placing the barrier between them could lead her to disaster.

Ryu was also the main subject of her thoughts. Did he wanted to be with her or was he just telling her what she wanted to hear? The answer may soon be revealed while her attraction towards him keeps getting stronger.

She quietly got out of bed and headed over to the window after she gave up on going to sleep. Kasumi opened the curtains slightly to look at the view. Despite how late it was, there were still flashing lights everywhere, skyscrapers lid up, and people roaming around the streets. A city like Tokyo didn't look like it slept much. Maybe many cities were the same it's just that she has never been around to see it.

The moonlight shinned into their hotel room. Kasumi was able to finally see Ryu sleeping on the couch. Without really thinking, she made her way over to him. Kasumi bent down slightly to pull away several stands of hair from his face. She leaned over and gave him a quick tender kiss on his lips, hoping to feel that desire for him again.

The moment she pulled away, Kasumi could see Ryu's eyes open slightly. He blinked several times. Kasumi gave him a small smile.

"It's late, Kasumi."

"I know...I'm sorry. I just wanted…"

Ryu didn't say anything else. Instead, he shifted on the couch so that there was enough space for another person. He gestured for her to lie down next to him and she happily did. Her back was pressing against his chest as Ryu brought the sheet to cover both of their bodies while she tried to get closer to him. He wrapped his arms around her petite body, bringing her closer to his chest. Kasumi felt him press his lips on the top of her head before she heard him whisper in her ear.

"Go to sleep."

"Did you make up your mind?" Kasumi whispered.

"Yes."

Kasumi sighed as she finally heard his answer. "Good night, Ryu."

"Good night, Kasumi."

Once she had drifted off into sleep, Ryu brought her closer. He had pretended to be asleep while he thought over about what to do with his affection towards Kasumi. There was no chance of hiding it anymore when she had already shown him. The longer Ryu fought it, the stronger his affection became. He will no longer be cold towards her. Whatever is in store for them, they will do it together. Just having her in his arms felt like the best choice he has ever made since his promise.

~.~.~.~.~