Thanks to: lmamc, general zargon (Tokito will eventually get her beat down and I wish it could have been Muramasa but he's lived way past where he would have in the original story and the Death Disease is nothing to sneeze at. That said, at full health he could have jacked her up without breaking a sweat. :3), Rinfantasy (Yeah, the king would love to get his hands on Aiko and so would Hishigi. Kyo and Yuya are going to have a fit when they get back), Juliedoo (Tokito is one of those people you just love to hate. I have to keep reminding myself that the Mibu aren't all bad but it's hard when I have to stay true to the characters of the bigwigs in the clan. They are in serious need of a revolution and Kyo is just the man for it), PoleDancerWannaBe (Can't wait to put Bon, Akira, and Akari in the same room – there's some torment ahead for the Ice Prince and our lovable giant. Mwahahah! Anyhoo, I don't have the heart to kills Muramasa off so no worries there), kyoandyuya (Poor Muramasa and Aiko but all will be well, I promise. I thought about giving Ryu powers but decided that, since he takes after his father a lot more than Aiko, it was an okay tradeoff. Aiko has power and is an empath but is more like her mother in that she doesn't enjoy hurting others. Ryu on the other hand, has the power – lots of it, which is why the first king could use his body to bypass Hishigi's seals – and a more violent nature to go along with it. Remember, Kyo is one step away from godhood so Ryu isn't missing out on much since he has his daddy's blood.), abattles2 (Sorry it was so depressing and a bit on the short side. There will be lighter bits as well, I promise.), Deby MU (I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter and I know it took a little longer than usual but I've been a bit busy with real life lately. I just don't have the heart to kill Muramasa like that. Ai and Ryu will eventually learn how to fight but they won't really have the same attitude towards it. Ryu is his father's son and Ai is more like her mother in that she doesn't like to hurt others), magicalnana (Nope, Muramasa is still kicking)

Author's Note: After the previous chapter, I needed to cleanse my creative palate on some romance. Some bitter parts in this chapter but plenty of sweet as well.

Kurenai Kioku

Chapter Eighteen

Old Longings and Horrible Friends

"It's time to come home."

The voice was calm and soft but the note of command was there and, even though it was just a dream, Kyoshiro shuddered. He wanted to keep his back turned, hide himself away from the sinister presence of his creator but it was impossible. No matter where he went or who he was with, he was obliged to answer when his master called.

Turning around, he stared into those cold red eyes as he said, "I can't. I promised to protect Yuya-San. She's my friend."

"I do not understand Kyoshiro, she is only a regular human. Why choose Kyo's leftovers over returning home and spending time with my precious seer as you were so fond of doing?"

Kyoshiro hated it whenever the king spoke of Sakuya. He always referred to her as his seer and no matter how many complimentary adjectives he tacked on in front of her role, it never changed the fact that she was not a person to the king. The love of his life was nothing more than an object, albeit a useful one, as far as the man who had given him life was concerned.

However, he maintained a tight rein on his thoughts as he regarded the king, having learned to give nothing away over his years of servitude. Being a soulless assassin had to have some perks to it.

Instead he said calmly, "Yuya-San is hardly ordinary, otherwise Kyo would not have chosen her. She is a good person, Sendai-Sama, and I will not see her come to harm."

Those disconcerting eyes were penetrating as the king said, "You were created to be a king, Kyoshiro. Have you not once considered that you will have power over whether she lives or dies if you would only fulfill the role assigned to you?"

His heart turned over in his chest because he had already given thought to it. It would be so easy to take the offer given to him. He could rule the clan, have Sakuya and keep safe the woman who was as dear to him as a sister. All he had to do was agree to return to the Mibu and become Kyo's enemy once more. To accept the King's yoke once.

Of course, the caveat was that the Former King would still pull his strings.

Kyoshiro, a puppet always and forever.

So far he had kept secret his desire to be Kyo's friend once more, hiding his defection under the guise of doing it for Sakuya. As far as the king knew, he had been trying to find a way to get her away so they could relive the life they had years ago before he defeated his old friend and turned him over to the clan. The explanation held only because the king knew just how deeply his feelings for the miko ran. After all, hadn't he become an assassin once more for her sake? Even going so far as to kill her brother although he hadn't realized who his target was at the time. To his master, his actions were the result of a youthful fantasy and the king was willing to overlook them in favor of getting his strongest warrior back.

The temptation to get what he wanted by means of the dark path set out for him by his maker was strong. But no matter how he looked at it, he knew that to follow it was to lose himself and so he kept putting the king off, trying to figure out a way around his dilemma that wouldn't result in him being deprived of everything he cared for. He was not naive enough to believe that he could spare Yuya's life, kill her husband and make everything right after that. She still struggled with his hand in Nozomu's death and for him to do the same to her beloved spouse - it would break her.

His own thoughts were too much to bear and he bowed his head respectfully to his master as he said, "I need more time to think about it, my lord."

Usually Kyoshiro told his creator that he was incapable of doing what he asked but this was the first time he'd given any indication that he was actually considering the offer extended to him on a nightly basis. The former king was being "nice" for now but they both knew that he would have to return eventually, his blood demanded it. The only option he had was to go back willingly or not.

The eyes staring at him gleamed as their owner picked up on his changing response and a small, knowing smile played about his lips.

"You were always my favorite knight," the king said before fading away, withdrawing his mind from the younger man's.

As was often the case, Kyoshiro woke up immediately after, feeling as if he hadn't slept. And truthfully, he hadn't. Not then and not any of the other times his sire reached out to him. The near constant exhaustion was taking it's toll on his body and he scrubbed a hand over his face, wishing he could be anyone other than who he was. So many people strove to be extraordinary and he would have given his right arm to be a normal, unexceptional human.

What he needed was more time. Time to think of a way to get Kyo strong enough to defeat the king and time to figure out how to protect both of the women he cared about. As he looked around his room, cloaked in the gray light of early morning - the precise color of his thoughts - he wondered how he could escape the trap that was rapidly closing in on him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Two nights and a day after Yuya first bearded Kyo in his den and reminded him why it was she - and no one else - who was his wife, the couple emerged from his room, dressed and clean. The bathing end of things had been handled by a request from one of the servants navigating the hall outside the guest quarters. And Yuya smiled as she remembered the look on the poor woman's face when the infamous Demon Eyes Kyo opened the door stark naked and ordered her to bring water and supplies from Yuya's room. The female had been torn between paralyzing fear and open appreciation for the form of her ridiculously handsome husband.

Fear won out in the end and the lady scurried away, returning with the demanded items. They took their time washing up and she had to dodge Kyo's wandering hands lest they start all over again. He eventually settled for giving her behind a squeeze and muttering "later" before slinging Tenryo over his shoulder, grabbing her hand, and pulling her from the room.

"Where are the rest of my servants hiding?" he asked as he looked from one end of the hallway to the other.

"Probably hanging out with Tora-San," Yuya replied, tugging him in the direction of Benitora's study - where Mahiro had been looking for the him on the first day of their arrival.

Kyo followed her silently and as they moved through the castle she found the lack of conversation to be a bit awkward. There were still so many things she wanted to ask him about his life among the Mibu but Kyo wasn't the talkative sort and she didn't want to overwhelm him with questions.

As they walked, she noticed that Kyo got a lot of attention from the soldiers they passed – some looks were merely curious while others made her huddle a bit closer to her husband, who tightened his grip on her hand in response to her unspoken disquiet. There were women around too, who watched Kyo with a mixture of fear, awe, and more than a little lust. It was to be expected because Kyo just had that effect on females. He was the perfect mixture of danger and sexiness wrapped up in a form that was confidence personified and she felt just a little proud that he was all hers.

"What's with the grin on your face, woman?" Kyo interrupted her thoughts and she blushed a bit.

"I was just thinking that you really are something else. I can't even fathom how many women have thrown themselves at you over the years."

"Hundreds," he said before a mischievous grin touched his lips and he continued, "Or maybe it's in the thousands."

"Ha ha, very funny," she said, rolling her eyes.

"No worries, I didn't sleep with all of them. Some of them were real dogs."

"Ouch, those poor women. You didn't call all of them Dog Face, did you?" she knew he used the name to tease her but she hoped he wasn't too mean to the women he turned down. No woman enjoyed being called ugly.

"Nah, that title belongs to only one woman," he shot her an amused glance and said, "It's a reminder for me to keep my cool otherwise I might do something about the image floating in my head right now."

He was baiting her on purpose and Yuya knew that she shouldn't inquire any further but she couldn't resist biting and asked, "And what image is that, Kyo?"

"The way your breasts bounced while you rode me," he said with a straight face and she stumbled, cheeks flaming immediately.

"Seriously?! Do you ever think of anything else? Dear Kami, why are you such a perv?" she asked, doubly mortified when a tiny snicker sounded off to the side to indicate that one of the soldiers had caught her husband's blunt statement.

"First, there is nothing perverted about picturing my woman enjoying herself and I make no apologies for getting horny over it. And second, don't ask a man what's on his mind if you don't think you'll like the answer," he said, smirking as he shot her a heated glance, "It's usually along the lines of fighting, alcohol, or sex. Just because you women analyze things all the time, that doesn't mean men are doing the same. Sometimes we just want to get drunk and see something naked."

There wasn't a speck of apology in his tone and she responded with a dry, "I'll keep that in mind."

They walked on in silence for a while and she didn't expect him to say anything else and was therefore shocked when he said quietly, without a trace of his earlier mirth, "I dreamed about you, you know."

Yuya looked up at him and he kept his eyes focused straight ahead, deliberately avoiding her gaze as he continued his confession, "Even though I didn't know who you were, I knew you were someone important."

"What happened in your dreams?" his wife asked and his lips pulled back into a leer that had her saying hurriedly, "Nevermind, I can guess the contents."

"Spoilsport," he murmured jokingly before sobering up and saying , "I can't explain it. I just...wanted you."

He chuckled and there was a touch of self-ridicule in the sound as he said, "Can you imagine? Me panting over someone I didn't even remember. That's some kind of hold you have on me, Yuya."

The bounty huntress wasn't sure if she should apologize for having that much control over her husband or take additional pride in the fact that he was that enamored of her.

Since she wasn't sure how to react, she focused on the strangeness of him grasping her hand in public and asked, "Is that why you are holding onto me in front of all everyone? Do you think I'm going to up and disappear?"

Kyo squeezed her fingers just a hair tighter for a second before he said gruffly, "You make me sound like some kind of kid. I'm holding your hand because I want to. There's no point in pretending you don't mean anything when half the castle heard you screaming my name the past few hours."

Yuya flushed and decided to shut up and count herself fortunate that he was willing to forgo his natural aversion to open displays of affection. Her husband preferred showing over telling and he was telling her - in one of the few ways he knew how - that she was still loved and that he was happy they were together again.

The young woman squeezed his hand back and said softly, "I love you too, Kyo."

A smile, so quick that she almost missed it, touched the corner of his lips and he replied, "Don't put words in my mouth, woman."

"Too late, you said it once and you can't take it back. But don't worry, I'll still respect you in the morning," she said teasingly and he chuckled as they came to a stop in front of Benitora's study.

Yuya was about to knock when the door slid open and Mahiro stormed out with a small piece of paper clutched in her hand. The young woman had enough time to see that the room was empty before the kunoichi closed the door again.

The woman took one look at Kyo and her face immediately morphed into open dislike as she said accusingly, "You! You are the reason why Hidetada-Sama keeps wanting to run off. I don't understand it! Why is it that everyone seems to want to chase after a murderer like you? It's bad enough that you managed to seduce Yuya-San into accepting whatever version of a relationship you have but now he's talking about leaving again. He didn't even tell me directly, just left a note!"

The bounty huntress' first reaction was to take offense at the kunoichi's rude assessment of her marriage to Kyo but something about the way the other woman's eyes shone gave her tongue pause. Mahiro was genuinely upset over the idea of Benitora leaving and realization dawned on her immediately.

Kyo, however, was not so astute about the feelings of others and said coldly, "Whatever problem you have with me, keep my wife out of it. I overlooked it the last time but if you bring her into again, I won't hesitate to send you to join your dearly departed sister."

Yuya had learned something of Kyo's past with Mahiro from Muramasa, who was the assassin's brother-in-law, and she cringed at the harshness of her husband's threat. Even though she knew that Kyo couldn't have possibly killed her sister, Mayumi, Mahiro would only see a killer who had gotten off free and was threatening to do the same to her. She'd once asked Muramasa why he hadn't set his sister-in-law straight and his response had been that Kyo felt responsible for his wife's death and would reject any interference in what he saw as a personal matter.

The bounty huntress had promised her father-in-law that she would respect her husband's decision but that promise was being put to the test as Mahiro's expression went from stricken to furious.

'You really put your foot into it this time, Kyo,' she thought in resignation as she stepped between the two.

"Kyo, that was uncalled for," she said sternly before turning to look at Mahiro and saying, "And the relationship between my husband, myself, and our friends is our business."

Those doe-brown eyes narrowed on her and the kunoichi said, "You say that but you don't know Kyo like I do. He's treacherous and I can't entrust him with Hidetada-Sama's life."

The bounty huntress understood that the other woman was running on emotion – she knew that state very well – but she wasn't about to let everything she said pass and replied just as cooly, "I think that someone who never even made it as far as Kyo's bed," Mahiro flinched, "is not qualified to comment on how well she knows my husband. However, Benitora-San is an adult like all of us," she looked at her husband and the assassin in turn, "and I think we can and should sit down and talk about this calmly."

She held the woman's eye and she could see the woman fighting her own feelings before she nodded slightly, turned, and walked off. Apparently, sitting down for a chat with the heir in question was going to have to wait until a later time.

"Looks like you still have your claws, woman," Kyo said with a hint of pride in his tone and she turned to glare at him.

"And I'm so tempted to use them on you too. Honestly Kyo, how obtuse can you be? She's already struggling with being in love and you had to bring up her sister?"

He gave her a blank look and his wife sighed as she said, "Muramasa told me the details while you were gone. I'm not going to mess with whatever weird code of honor you are applying to this situation but can you please try to keep the peace?"

"Why?" he asked simply, cocking his head to the side.

"Because people say and do stupid things when they're in love and I don't think Mahiro-San knows what to do with her feelings."

It finally dawned on her husband what she was saying and he gave her an incredulous look as he replied, "So she," he jerked his head in the direction the other woman had gone, "likes the Tiger?"

Yuya nodded and said, "I'm pretty sure she does."

Kyo seemed to turned the idea over in his head a few times before shrugging and saying, "There's no accounting for taste. But," he frowned, "she had no business bringing you into the conversation, regardless of our history together."

His scowl was so cute that Yuya relented instantly and offered him a grateful smile as she said, "And I appreciate the concern. Still, and I'm almost scared to ask, you weren't really planning to kill her if she did anything, were you?"

Her husband gave her a look that said he was completely serious and she sighed, running a hand through her hair as she said, "You can't kill everyone who says something crazy to me."

One brow went up and his expression said, "Of course I can."

She couldn't lie, his overprotectiveness was a turn on and he gave her a sly grin as she said resignedly, "I know I'm not supposed to find death threats attractive but, as always, you are the exception to the rule. You really haven't changed a bit, you know that?"

"Face it, woman, you wouldn't have me any other way," he said smugly.

"I don't know, from what I hear there are all sorts of ways I can have you," she said huskily, without missing a beat, before flushing and covering her mouth with her hand.

Yuya hadn't meant to say that out loud. She might have been bold about getting Kyo to accept their relationship again but saying something so suggestive outside of their bedroom was another thing entirely.

His brows shot up in surprise before his eyes narrowed into a shrewd look and, after checking to make sure they were alone in the corridor, he opened the door to Benitora's study, pushed her in and closed it behind them. Once inside, he sat Tenryo down, maneuvered her around until her back was against the wall, and placed his hand next to her head.

Kyo's lips formed a lecherous grin as he leaned in close and said in a chiding tone, "And you had the nerve to call me a pervert. First you get on me for dwelling on what we did yesterday and then you proposition me. What happened while I was gone to bring out this flirtatious side?"

She winced at how inconsistent he made her sound and reached out to shyly touch the tips of her fingers to his chest, drawing them lightly over the fabric of his kimono as she replied, "I just picked up a few odds and ends in my travels and thought it was incredibly unfair that there are so many things we can do together and all I got was a few days with you."

She didn't intention to send mixed signals – prim one moment and provocative the next. Rather, it was the sudden realization that she had officially graduated from untutored girlhood to a woman who understood what it meant to want a man. It was the knowledge that she needed his arms around her and his lips and hands on her skin. And her struggle to articulate it as clearly to him as he did his desire for her.

There were still so many things unsaid and acts of love that she had dreamed about to comfort herself when she woke up during her sleepless nights and remembered that he wasn't there. She could argue that they had just spent the last day and two nights making up for that but, looking at him now, she knew that it wasn't enough. It wasn't just physical fulfillment that she sought from him but the emotional kind as well. His understanding and acceptance of the adulthood she had won through lonely evenings, tears, and frozen anticipation for something she had only tasted briefly before she lost him.

It had truly been a long four years.

There was no hiding the longing in her voice and his red gaze softened as he reached up to brush the knuckles of his free hand across her cheek and said, "I can see it clearly, that fire in your eyes. It wasn't a lie when you said you always want me, was it?"

She shook her head mutely.

"There is no shame in telling me your needs, woman," he continued, "Haven't you realized by now that I like that side of you too? I've always known you had a lot of passion locked up inside, you just needed to catch up to me and figure out it was there."

Kyo's stare was intense as he followed his words up by removing his hand from her face and bracing it on the wall opposite his other appendage so that she was completely boxed in.

He lowered his head until the air between them grew thick and his breath fanned across her lips as he said in a low voice, "You waited so long for me. And I liked what saw and felt of that need. I can't tease you about being a kid anymore. Won't you tell me more about what you want from me? What you've been saving up?"

His lips connected with hers in a kiss that was so light she couldn't suppress a moan of disappointment when he ended it far too quickly and he laughed quietly as he said, "I like that sound. Question is, do I see how many more of those I can get out of you or do I let you go and get the rest of my servants together?"

Kyo bent down further and placed a kiss at the spot where her jaw met her neck, indicating where his preference lay, and she sighed as she reached up to stroke his hair.

She indulged herself by running her hands through his red-black strands for a little bit before saying half-heartedly, "I really should get our friends. Bon-San and Akira-San are due any day now and they are probably wondering what became of us."

It was the truth. The Shogun had requested Bontenmaru's presence - he was still a political figure after all - and the One-Eyed Dragon had already been en route to Edo before they even made it to the city. It was assumed that Akira was still with him.

Yuya had already told Kyo about their imminent arrival earlier but he didn't seem to care. His mouth moved steadily south and his hands left the wall to travel down her sides, lightly squeezing her breasts on the way down and making an appreciative sound in the back of his throat before moving on to her hips.

"Kyo," she weakly tried to push his head away so that she could gather her wits and remind him of where they were, but he was having none of that.

She felt the scrape of teeth across her skin before he said, "Kyoshiro and the rest already know what we were doing by now and I didn't dream about Bon, Akira, or anyone else you keep trying to drag into this conversation while I was away. It wasn't any of them laying beneath me or moving above me yesterday. And they don't own the body hidden beneath these clothes."

He gathered up the fabric of her kimono until he could slip his hands beneath her hem and she realized that he was serious about seducing her in Benitora's study. The warmth low in her belly was testament to how much she craved his touch and a part of her really wanted Kyo to continue, but good sense dictated that she make an effort to stop him and she tugged at his hair in earnest.

"Come on, Kyo, this really isn't the time or the place," she said as sternly as she could.

"That's not what your body is saying," he replied and she was caught between panic and desire as his hands crept up the sides of her thighs.

The bounty huntress was about to try and push him away bodily when he froze and let out a low growl. He pulled his hands away with slow reluctance and stood tall once more before turning to stare at the door with an annoyed expression.

"Looks like you are going to get your wish, woman," he said with a sigh and she quickly adjusted her clothing as she caught onto his meaning.

It was just in time too because the door slid open with a bang and Akari poked his head in, took one look at her husband, and broke into a huge smile as he said in a singsong voice, "There you are, Kyo!"

He flitted into the room with staff in hand and grabbed Kyo by the shoulders, turning him this way and that so he could get a good look at him before giving a little nod and saying, "Yup, it's you. In the flesh and none the worse for wear. Oh Kyo, I was absolutely devastated to hear what happened to you. There's been so much that happened since we all parted ways years ago. I can't believe you married someone else before I had a chance to make good on our promise and she isn't even as beautiful as me."

No one was surprised that the shaman went from absolute joy to theatrics at the drop of a hat but Yuya took it all in stride with an internal sigh, it was just Akari's way.

Kyo, who was clearly amused by the whole tirade, nodded along with the other man and replied, "Yeah, a lot of stuff happened but you're still as lively as ever, I see. Don't worry too much, Dog Face might not be as pretty as you but she makes up for it in other ways."

Akari perked up as if Kyo had given him the compliment of the century and shot Yuya a cunning look that didn't bode well at all and she had a feeling that fun was about to be had at her expense very shortly.

"I'll just bet she does," he murmured suggestively before asking, "Did she happen to tell you about the time she caught me in the altogether?"

The bounty huntress tensed up and Kyo's eyes slid over to her as he said, "She mentioned it. Sounds like you got an eyeful. Normally I'd have a problem with it but, from what I hear, she got even."

The shaman's face took on a woe-is-me expression and he placed the back of his gloved hand against his forehead as he said, "It was just awful, I tell you. Did I forget to mention that she isn't feminine at all?"

"Yeah, she can be a bit rough sometimes but so are you," her husband said.

"Oh, you're so mean, Kyo," Akari said in a voice that wasn't the least bit offended, "Anyways, she told me that I was handsome – can you imagine - and after we had a nice chat I thought that, since she got to you before me, she could at least spill the details about my would-be husband."

Those violet eyes were dancing and Yuya could feel her face turning red because she knew where this conversation was going. Kyo, the jerk, missed nothing and his eyes were laughing as well, indicating that she wasn't going to get any help from that quarter.

"So, what did you ask for?" her idiot husband prodded.

"Well, I said that since she got a nice look at my, ahem, attributes, she could at least tell me how I compared to you."

Kyo's eyebrows rose and his lips spread into an anticipatory grin which was mirrored on the shaman's face and Yuya eyed the door, wondering if she could escape her impending humiliation. Her mate nixed that plan, though, by reaching out and catching her hand, keeping her from running off before he could hear the end of Akari's story.

"And what did she tell you, Akari?"

"She got this absolutely ecstatic look on her face and said there was no comparison," he drew the last two words embarrassingly out.

"Oh she did, did she?" Kyo asked, looking all sorts of arrogant.

Akari managed to manufacture tears in the corners of his eyes as he said, "Yes, and apparently it's true because she kept you all to herself for almost two days and all we heard were the most unladylike noises spilling out into the hall and someone," he shot her a significant look, "kept yelling your name," a delicate sigh full of regret followed as he finished with, "I've been missing out."

It was official, she had died and gone to hell and she wondered if the floor could open up and suck her down so she wouldn't have to look at Akari, who looked downright catty, and Kyo, who was outright laughing at her expense.

She settled on getting angry since she couldn't disappear and glared at the other man as she bit his name out in hard syllables, "A...KA...RI!"

The shaman let out a tiny shriek and darted behind Kyo as the young woman lunged for him and he smirked at her over her husband's shoulder as he said in mock-distress, "Save me Kyo, your wicked wife is after me for being the better woman!"

Yuya tried to move around the Thousand Killer but Akari kept him in between the two of them and she eventually settled for folding her arms and sticking her tongue out at the shaman who did the same to her.

Kyo just kept on laughing and she turned her back on both of them as her useless spouse said, "Looks like you found another friend, Akari. Good for you."

Yuya was tempted to deny it just to get even but Akari's response stopped her cold as he replied, "I did, didn't I. She's loud, obnoxious and easy to tease but she's fun, almost cute, and nice to the point of idiocy. I don't know where you found her but I might like her a little bit...even if she isn't at sexy as I am."

The bounty huntress turned to stare at the shaman who was giving her one of his rare genuine smiles and she flushed again because she still didn't know what to do with an Akari who was sort-of complimenting her.

Kyo gave her a long look before walking over to touch her shoulder and saying, "She is something, isn't she? If you weren't you, I'd warn you away from her since all sorts of stupid men with a deathwish seem to think she's hot stuff."

She had no idea what he meant but Akari evidently did and he sighed helplessly as he replied, "I know what you mean. I've already spotted at least one guy, besides you, right under her nose who thinks she's wonderful and it went right over her head. I could give her a love confession right now and she wouldn't get it."

Her husband nodded and lifted a piece of blonde hair over her shoulder as he said, "No surprise there."

"She's so slow," the shaman said as if the young woman was a hopeless case.

"Yeah, she is," her husband agreed and Yuya compressed her lips together. Why were her closest friends so rude?

"Oh well, she'll either understand it someday or she'll leave a trail of broken hearts behind her just like Akari-Tan," the shaman said and Yuya refrained from mentioning that she didn't believe for one second that, with his mischievous and thorny personality, he had legions of people pining for him.

"Incidentally...," Akari said sweetly, with a smile that didn't bode well as his voice trailed off.

Kyo let out a distracted "hmm" before tugging his wife quickly to the side and stepping out of the way of the pointed end of the shaman's shakujo, which slammed into the wall and went all the way through.

"Dang, so close!" the shaman exclaimed as he jerked the staff loose and pouted at Kyo who was grinning in return.

"I spent so much time training to hit you in the face," Akari said and Yuya had to recover from nearly being impaled along with Kyo before it dawned on her what he was referring to.

"I thought you would have given up on that by now," she said incredulously.

The other man cocked his head and replied, "Well, it was partly for old times sake and who says I can't be Kyo's second wife?"

He returned her shocked look with an impish grin and she knew he was joking.

Kyo chuckled and his arm found its way around Yuya's waist as he said, "Too late. One woman is already more trouble than I like to handle. Besides, she already managed to land a hit on me."

Akari's eyes widened and he said, "What?! No fair! I even lost to her in that?"

He folded his arms over his bean bun boobs and stared at Yuya with a considering look before saying, "I guess that leaves only one more option. If Kyo won't take another wife, how would you like a second husband? I can be a man. Just. For. You. Yuya-Chan."

He enunciated the flirtatious words slowly and winked at her, bringing a blush to her cheeks.

Kyo chuckled even harder and Yuya glared at the shaman because he was trying to get a rise out of her again.

"I don't know why I even bother with either of you," she muttered.

Her husband tightened his arm around her and bent down to say suggestively, "I can think of a few reasons why you put up with me."

She groaned and hid her face in his chest, silently cursing the two demons who were laughing at her expense. Kyo for being himself and Akari for being just male enough to find dirty jokes hilarious.

Fortunately, salvation came in the form of Kyoshiro who opened the door with breathless enthusiasm and a bright smile. He'd obviously been running and she was both relieved and worried because, while his entrance broke the cycle of torture by her husband and the shaman, he looked terrible. It was plain as day that he still wasn't sleeping well and she resolved to ask him about it after he delivered whatever message had sent him scurrying to find them.

He took a moment to catch his breath before saying, "They're here at last."

There was need to ask who "they" were and Yuya beamed at him as she said, "That's great. With Akira and Bon are here, we can finally leave."

"Yes, although there is one more person with them."

The bounty huntress paused in her celebration and cocked her head to the side quizzically as she asked, "Who?"

"Well, there's a woman with them. Tell me, was Bontenmaru-San married when you saw him last?"

"No," she replied with a frown.

"Well, this woman is claiming to be Bontenmaru-San's wife."

The other three occupants in the room stared at him blankly before she and Akari exclaimed in unison, "WHAT?!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ah, romance and comedy is so much fun to write after putting out a depressing chapter like the last one. I hope Yuya didn't seem wishy-washy but I thought long and hard about it and decided that, within the context of this story, it wouldn't make sense for her to get over her feelings from the past few years in a matter of a day. Kyo didn't remember her so it wouldn't be as hard for him to go back to the way he was but there wasn't a day that went by that she wasn't thinking of him and she had to grow up in a hurry because of what happened. I'm trying to be semi-realistic but I'll be honest, it's just a shameless excuse to add more romance. ;-P

More fun and drama ahead and I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Thank you so much for reading and please let me know what you think.