A/N:

I do not own anything to do with Hakuouki. Just the OCs...well sort of.

Chapter 12

~Intermission Three; Let It Burn~

I walked into my bedroom, noting the door was already wide open. The supposition that a Shinsengumi member was in my room proved false though as I stood face to face with an oddly attractive man. His jet black hair had orange streaks and his eyes were so dark a brown they looked like they could match his hair color. His skin was alabaster white and there was something familiar about him. Something in the chewed and split nails on his fingers and the cross earing in his left ear.

"Scream for me." He whispered hoarsely.

+..+

I woke up with a screaming start causing Hajime to open his eyes quickly and lurch over to my bed.

"Shhh," He soothed, left hand stroking my hair. "You had a nightmare."

"He was in here, he stood right there and told me to scream." I blurted out in a rush.

"Who was?" Hajime asked, confused.

"I-I don't know." I hesitated to describe the man in my dreams, but did in the end. "He was familiar."

"That's the lead singer of Akira 1OH!1, they usually place right behind Raven's Cry. You didn't know?"

"I don't normally pay attention to their sets." I admitted quietly, feeling like an ass. Hajime frowned at the news and wondered aloud at the man being in my dreams if I never watched his band's act. "I don't know, something about him must have stood out I guess."

"Well, worrying about how he got in your dreams isn't going to help you figure out the reason as to why he was there. Think you can get back to sleep?" For all that he seemed to be rushing me back to sleep I could see the concern in Hajime's eyes, in the soft frown on his lips, so I lowered my head to my pillow and fell back to a less fitful slumber. As I drifted off, I could hear Hajime humming the chorus line to 'Comatose'.

When I opened my eyes next, it was to sunshine and a still sleeping purple haired Shinsengumi across from me. Or at least I thought Hajime was asleep but his eyes peeked open as I stared at him revealing that, as always, he was very alert.

"Did you sleep better that time?" He asked needlessly, anything was better than waking up screaming, but I held my tongue and nodded an assent to his obvious question. It struck me that it was nice to have someone concerned about me. Shukke would have nodded and smile if I told her I had a nightmare and Cat would have slapped the back of my head and told me to stop being a wuss. Good things do happen. Dreams do come true.

That dream, though, that nightmare. When I thought back on it the scary thing was not that a strange man was in my room, after all waking up to Hajime across the way from me the first time had not scared me and he had seemed pretty strange at first. It's because it wasn't Hajime. I was relying on him being in my life too much and that was dangerous. What will I do if he's not around anymore?

"Would you like to duel with me at the park after practice today?" Hajime asked all of a sudden. "I have a feeling Cat will be unavailable."

"Oh, is she going on a date?" I couldn't help but sound jealous, and Hajime's face showed that he had caught the tone. I smoothed my discontent over with a smile that had him frowning deeper.

"You don't need to fake smiles around me Ryane." He used my full first name to show how serious he was about the statement. "I would very much prefer if you didn't in any case."

"I didn't want you to think I was mad." I admitted softly, unsure why I was explaining my motives to him in the first place.

"You're not?" He sounded confused.

"Do you want me to be?" I was just messing with him at this point but he looked upset at the possibility as he said, "I guess I'm just old school."

"Yeah," I agreed with a genuine grin, "One hundred and fifty years old school."

"That doesn't bother you does it Ry-chan?"

"No." The simple answer brooked no discussion. It didn't bother me and if I had to say one way or another I would call him a miracle. Damned if I tell him that though.

"You know, what the guys said on the bus after the third battle was true." Saito admitted after a long silence that I was sure would not have ended.

"What? You being shy or uptight?" I asked playfully causing him to give me a bit of a smile.

"Both," He said, "Don't you think?"

"I think you're reserved. You don't open easily and you trust very few. But those you do trust are allowed to see your passionate side, if they know how to look for it." I told him honestly.

"And you have seen this side to me?" He asked dubiously.

"You, uh, you're kidding right?" I questioned, thinking he was joking, but he just shook his head with a serious look on his face. "Well let's see…Aside from the whole incident with the tree where I had never seen that look on your face before, or the time you wrote me a song, or even made me breakfast and held me as you confessed your feelings more privately, there is the fact that you kissed me. Am I forgetting anything?"

"I didn't think you would actually list them," he admitted, his face cracking with a smile. "And I am still waiting for you to yell at me for kissing you like that, it was rude and forward and…"

"And I am waiting for you to do it again!" I interrupted with a blush. "Do I have to give you expressed permission or should I just kiss you instead."

"You have no idea how inappropriate that would be where I come from." His face became serious, if slightly confused, again.

"We'll start with this then," I told him and leaned in and pecked his cheek, "And we'll go from there." His hand went to his cheek as I grabbed some clothes and headed out the door to the shower. "I'll be down for practice in a few."

I could tell he looked at the digital clock on my computer screen because I heard him rush down the stairs behind where I went into the bathroom.

Practice was as efficient as always even with Okita constantly looking over at Cat. I was convinced he was doing it to make her uncomfortable because she would bounce between me and Shukke like the little yellow duck in a shooting game. He would look at her and ping she would go to Shukke, ping she would come to me. After a while I just plopped her on the couch and put my legs over her lap with a look that commanded her to stay put.

What can I say? I was still mad at her for telling Shukke about me and Saito's kiss. I figured, let her squirm. She either didn't know about her upcoming date, or she didn't want us to know. I was betting the latter.

The two hour practice consisted of one song that they reviewed countless times, no one looked at the bushes so I figured this would be the only song of the week. The song was one of Hijikata's, something he called 'Nightmare' and I could only think how appropriate it was to have had one the night before.

Slowly though the time wound down and practice stopped abruptly with both drummers putting their sticks away and Sannan stepping away from the keyboard he would be playing for the song while cracking his knuckles. Okita came to stand in front of Cat.

"You ready?" He asked teasingly.

"Whatcha doin? O-ki-ta." I asked coyly looking over his shoulder at Shukke who came rushing over with a camera.

"Oh, my baby is all grown up and going on a date with a samurai from the nineteenth century!" She cooed at Cat, grabbing her cheek and pulling playfully.

"Cut it out." Cat snapped, "And no pictures!" But it was too late and Shukke was snapping photo after photo until, enraged, Cat grabbed the digital and slammed it to the ground. Shukke, in reaction, took out her phone and began to take more pictures while I grabbed the SIM card out of the digital for later blackmail.

"Leave while you can. There are still no deaths." I warned Okita who was laughing at Cat trying to jump and reach Shukke's cellphone. It was too high though, Shukke being an amazon.

"You know I heard that from opponents in battles. It never worked for them either." He said between chuckles.

"She'll be too tired to have any fun with you. Where ever you're going," I warned him.

"Hmmm, good point," he admitted, calming his laughter. He snaked an arm around Cat's waist and turned her before hoisting her up over his shoulder. "We'll be back!" He announced as he walked out the front door, Cat pounding his back with her fists and trying to kick him in the face. Shukke kept taking pictures the whole time.

"These are so going on Facebook!" She squealed happily.

"You're not allowed to tell them he's a samurai. Or in the band." I warned her retreating back, causing her to turn and scowl at me. "Just a friendly reminder." And she walked off grumbling something that strangely sounded like, "Whose side are you on?"

Cat's Point of View:

Souji's incessant smirk continued to tick me off as we walked to a bus stop nearby. He wouldn't let me drive where we were going, so we were taking buses other than the one me and the girls owned. "What!" I couldn't take that expression anymore. Whatever he was thinking it was about me, and I wanted to know.

"You know," He started, practically walking sideways so he could watch my reaction to whatever he was about to say, "If your skin were lighter you would be as red as a tomato."

I just gaped at him before trying to slap him. But as I really got in his face I saw those eyes. The ones he only looked at me with. Beautiful green eyes laced with warmth and with a sad streak of loneliness in the darkness. Without even realizing it I had stopped my hand midair, so I dropped it, having lost the momentum necessary for a good slap.

Then he had to ruin it with a somewhat sarcastic wink as his eyes became cold and distant again; I stomped his foot with my heel. There, now there was pain in his eyes. Jerk.

The bus arrived shortly after and began its way downtown. We were the only ones on the smelly thing but that really only meant Souji was more of what passed for forward amongst the samurai. He held my hand and let me rest my head on his shoulder. It was quiet, peaceful. And then we hit downtown Rochester in all its blustery glory.

It was March so of course it was snowing and school had just let out a little while ago so high school kids were all over the place. That was just my luck of course because girls started to pull out their phones and take pictures of Souji or titter about or laugh. I got called a few names as he and I walked side by side, till he reached over and took my hand again. He brought my wrist to his lips and kissed it right there in front of all those girls. And of course those brats went around squealing at how cute he was and giggling and saying 'aww'. Ridiculous.

And of course the trademark smirk. He was lucky I cared so much about him or I would hurt him in front of all these people. Well, then I would get my ass handed to me by a bunch of high school girls and possibly the cops on the corners. Speaking of cops, it was really a good thing my coat concealed my sword, but Souji just walked right past them like it was nothing. They must have thought it was fake because they didn't stop us.

We stood in front of Liberty Pole for close to ten minutes. I couldn't help but shiver, and had no idea how the green eyed terror could just stand there without a coat. Then I remembered the first time I had watched him in action, how he had fought all that time without a shirt on. How a blizzard had gone through that night. How could I forget? That was the night he had saved my life.

All of a sudden the wind wasn't so fierce and his arms were around my waist so he could hold me close and keep the cold away.

"Souji?" I asked loud enough for him to hear.

"Hmm?" He murmured in my ear.

"When is your birthday?"

"Why do you want to know?" He queried.

"I'm getting you a winter coat when it rolls around. You're making me cold just standing there without one." I pulled away and jabbed him in the chest.

"Then you better keep me warm all winter." He took my hand from his chest and placed it at his neck before pulling me close again. "It's in the summer."

We stayed that way for another five minutes before the bus he wanted came and took us out to the suburbs. He pulled the cord in front of an AMF bowling alley and guided me across the icy parking lot.

"What in the name of all the saints are we doing in a bowling alley?" I knew I sounded off, but really I was stupefied. How could he possibly have heard of bowling?

"It was on the TV." He told me serenely. "You know, that wonderful machine that we didn't have where I come from?"

I huffed at that but then we were next to get shoes and a lane and remarkably, Souji was learning not to talk about the 1800s around strangers. As we stepped up to the counter though, the cashier kept giving him bedroom eyes. Of course Souji saw this and his smirk came full force.

"Hi uh, I'll take a size 11 mens and my girlfriend will take a 7 womens." He smoothly ended her dreaming then and there, leaving me dumbfounded and asking, "How do you know my shoe size?"

As the girl came back with the shoes her eyebrows hit her hairline as he looked over at me and said, nice and loud, "I checked while you were still in bed." Great now the whole place thinks we are lovers. Not that I wouldn't be willing if things progressed I mean that would be great but I don't think they will and I don't know if…Oh he is such a jerk!

I realized I was still standing at the counter holding up the non-existent line a minute later when Souji cleared his throat loudly, amusement in his eyes. "And where were you just now?" He asked in a sickly sweet voice.

"Imagining myself still in bed and not out with some crazed, ridiculous wanna be rocker with a bad sense of humor." I retorted quickly, not missing a beat.

"Crazy?" He said affecting a twitch. "I was crazy once."

"How many times did you hang out with Stacy?" I asked with a laugh, giving up, I had no response to that.

"Just that one time at the party in December. I thought that loop was funny though." Oh boy here we go. "Bugs? I hate bugs! They drive me crazy! Crazy? I was crazy once! They locked me in a room with padded walls. I died there. They buried me with bugs. Bugs? I hate bugs! They drive me crazy! Crazy? I was cra-" This continued till we had grabbed the appropriate weight bowling balls and headed to our lane right in front of the cashier's desk.

Finally I snapped. "If you don't stop so help me I will shove this bowling ball somewhere very unpleasant for you!"

"I don't need Sannan-san here to tell me that that is anatomically impossible. If you want me to borrow your cellphone I can call him for a confirmation on that though." He smiled innocently at me before putting his ball on one of the chairs and moving his hand to his sword. "Wanna go?" He offered still smiling innocently.

"Oh no you don't! There are way too many bystanders!" I almost shouted even though I knew, or at least was eighty-five percent certain, that he was kidding.

"Bet you wouldn't mind that lady at the desk getting in the way though. You should have seen your face when she looked at me like that. I thought you were gonna skewer her." He teased me mercilessly.

"You know what? When I win this game you're not allowed to bring that up ever again!" I told him forcefully.

"Fine but when I win more games than you tonight I get to kiss you in front of her." I didn't know if he was teasing of not, but what the hell, he had never played before it was a no brainer that he would lose. "Deal?" He asked me in all seriousness, and without thinking I threw my hand out in front of me to shake confirming, "Deal."

Damn it! Not only did I lose that first game, but I lost three out of the four we played. I think he gave the last to me because he thought I might kill him otherwise. But now I was riding back downtown next to a very smug young samurai who, no doubt, was thinking about the scorching kiss he gave me in front of a very shocked cashier.

He hadn't even held back as, after he paid for the games and rentals, he grabbed me before I could run, placed his left hand to the side of my face, his right on my hip, leaned down and kissed me. He was even so bold as to drag his teeth gently along my lower lip. It made me feel like I was on fire. And it wasn't a slow building burn. No it felt like he had doused me in gas and his lips were the match.

Shit! I really liked this guy, I'd have to kill Shukke or I would never hear the end of this. And how did he learn to bowl like that?

Ryane's Point of View:

Hajime and I waited fifteen minutes before heading towards the park, giving the other couple plenty of time to get to their bus stop before we left. Shukke took out her phone to snap another thousand or so pictures, but Hajime grabbed it from her hands and threw it to Shinpachi, who promptly ran out the door. Shukke just shrugged her shoulders and walked to the couch. Sitting down she crossed her hands in her lap and stared at us instead blinking intently.

"I'm taking pictures with my mind." She informed us calmly, and that was our cue to leave.

"So you know those classes Cat brought up a while ago, that you two met in?" Hajime asked as we hit the sidewalk, "I think Shukke might have needed them instead."

"How did you know what that was about..?" The query sounded strained even to my own ears. It wasn't that I didn't trust him; I would have liked to have said something though.

"Cat," was his simple, unhelpful answer. He elaborated, "She told me that you two met at a mental health program to get your lives on track. She also says that you're much better now, and that you don't need any of the, and I quote, 'stupid pills' they made you take because, and again I quote, you were 'already right in the head.'"

"It's not something we often talk about." I informed him by way of apology for not saying anything earlier. "I went through a phase where I told everyone I met because it could filter out assholes, but in time I realized most people show their colors soon enough anyway." We had reached the park by now and Hajime turned to face me. I reached for my blade, but his katana suddenly appeared a hair's breadth from my cheek.

He sheathed his sword again and bowed to me. The usual kids were joining us, along with a few of their parents, sick of hearing about the daily event and not knowing if it was safe for their children to watch.

"Parents are here today." Hajime noted calmly.

"Yeah so be doubly certain you don't cut me," I quipped.

"Never." The seriousness in his tone threw me off guard.

I charged at him, blade still in its sheath. As I reached him I danced away from his weapon as it flashed out of its covering, pulling the shorter blade he lent me and holding his sword at bay behind my back, turning and continuing to hold him back at the same time. Time continued swiftly for me as back and forth we parried and slashed. I knew he wasn't going all out on me but it was still fun; this deadly dance where weapons flashed and hearts raced.

He sheathed up again as I ran for him, giving me enough time to slid between his legs in response, but I couldn't get up in time and he was over me, his sword hovering inches above my heart. It was snowing again and the little flakes were clumping in his hair, which he still had tied with a white cord in a low side tail. As the snow fell parents began to breathe again and applauded happily along with their children.

All of them were unaware of how real it was for Saito to be fighting with his sword. That it had been his only way to live, his means of survival.

Even I didn't understand, though I tried very hard, what it must be like to be here for him. Was my miracle his own version of Hell? It's something I didn't want to ask, but at the same time yearned to know.

Do you miss it? I had asked him that the night they came forward in time, to this world without swords. I wonder if his response would be the same now. Could I understand it at all? Even a little? I didn't think so. Parents and children slowly walked away, the children disappointed thinking we were done because I just lay there, his sword angled to pierce my heart.

"Something is on your mind." He was too clever, too observant. I didn't want to answer the question he didn't ask. I wanted to let this fire of wanting to know but not being able to ask burn longer. But then those azure eyes caught mine and I felt that I had to ask. There was darkness in those icy blues; darkness I wanted to leave.

So taking a deep breath I grabbed the hand offered me and pulled Hajime into the snow instead of getting up. "I was thinking about how I couldn't possibly understand what it's like." I explained slowly, still holding his hand. "What you guys have gone through. This world is nothing like what you had known. It's nothing like what you are used to. I don't know what to do for you, I can't send you back or anything, I can't even take your memories. What am I supposed to do to help?"

"Just hold my hand. Just like this." I could feel his eyes on me, but I couldn't look over, I was afraid I would cry at my own helplessness. "I died back there. There is nothing in the past for me anymore. So don't think about sending me back. I build my life on who I was, so don't take my memories from me. Just hold my hand, and build new memories with me. The way of the warrior…the time of the sword, these things are over. But we found something else we like doing. And we don't take lives with it." Saito sat up, and then stood up and reached a hand for me again.

This time I allowed him to pull me up to stand beside him.

We arrived back at home hours later after having started a few more sword fights and just walking side by side along the frozen Genesee River. The sun had set and the moon was well on its way into the sky when we set foot into the house, which was incidentally just in time to listen to Souji go over how the cashier at a bowling alley had been making visual advances at him while Cat fumed on the couch.

"I got her to kiss me though." He finished with a flourish.

"Who, the cashier? And Cat didn't kill you?" I asked in the door way.

"No, not the cashier," Okita frowned at me. "Cat."

"Wasn't she, like… terrified of you?" I teased easily, glancing out of the corner of my eye at the ticking time bomb that was my friend.

3,2,1 "Not nearly as scared as he's gonna be of me if he doesn't Shut Up." Cat growled.

"Now, now, Catharine…Dogs growl, Cats hiss." Souji joked.

We had to take her sword away for the evening.

So, for the record I know historically Saito wasn't dead at the time i had them come forward, but work with me people.