Hinowa was working on her sewing table when she heard the front door of the house being opened and closed. It was probably Tsukuyo. A few seconds later, she heard a knock on her bedroom door. "Come in" she called out.

The door was opened, revealing a beautiful young woman with neck-length brown hair. "Surprise!"

The black-haired young woman turned her head in surprise. She forgot that there was one more person with the spare key to her house other than Tsukuyo. "Miyako!" Hinowa stopped what she's doing to greet her best friend. Miyako ran and hugged the other young woman, though she had to bow to do that. Hinowa wrapped her arms around her friend but froze when she felt something strange. "You're getting bigger. Have you gained weight? No offense."

Miyako chuckled. "You realize it, don't you?" Hinowa frowned worriedly as Miyako took to sit on the sofa. She felt something wrong with her friend. "So, how's Tsukuyo-chan doing?"

"Oh, she's doing well in school. She is the smartest among her peers and I'm so proud of her."

"Is she still bullied?"

Hinowa smiled sadly. "She is. But it's not as bad as her time in elementary school."

Miyako frowned and looked down at her lap. "I see... Well, just tell me if one of those kids bother her. I'll be there to defend her!" she said, raising her fist.

Hinowa giggled. "Thank you. But she's fine, really. How about you? What are you doing here today?"

"What, can't I visit my best friend?" Miyako said, feigning hurt.

Hinowa chuckled. "Come on, Miyako. I know you're busy and you only call me once every three days, and come to visit only once a week. And if I recal, right now is your work hours. So, what are you doing here?"

Miyako pouted. "Just because we've found our own job now, doesn't mean I forget about you and Tsukuyo-chan. We've been through a lot together."

Hinowa smiled at her. "I know. We are both indebted to you, Miyako."

"Oh, please stop that Hinowa, you'll make me embarrassed!" They giggled. "Actually... I just need to talk to you."

Hinowa blinked. "Is this about your relationship with your boss?"

"It's related" Miyako admitted. "Actually, it's more than that." She looked down and rubbed her stomach. Hinowa widened her eyes.

"Miyako, don't tell me..."

"Hinowa... I... I'm pregnant with that man's baby."

Shouyou stared at Hinowa in shock after hearing her statement. "What?" he whispered.

"Seita... is not my real son... He is the son of my friend, who died from childbirth five years ago." Hinowa went quiet. She sucked a deep breath and Shouyou took her hand in his. Hinowa slowly turned to face him. "Do you mind if I talk to you about this?"

"No, of course not" he said, gripping her hand in his.

Hinowa let out a sigh. "Seita's real mother was my old friend. We once worked together in Housen's place. Her name is Miyako. We lived together for a few years after Housen died and we quitted the job. Well, we went to find work after we graduated from High School. I took sewing courses and she worked in convenience store. She... had an affair with the manager... She was pregnant... They planned to marry before the baby was born. But after he found out about her past as a prostitute, he left her." Hinowa bit her lower lip. "Miyako was in great despair. And she was near her time when he left her. What a despicable man." Shouyou was a bit surprised hearing such a strong word from such a soft-spoken woman. But he could understand her anger for her friend. "Miyako was very affected by it. Her body became weaker as her time came. And when she gave birth to her son, she died from childbirth." Hinowa's hand trembled. "And that man didn't even want to take the custody and even denied his own son... While some people are desperate to have a child..." she said, her voice trembled from sadness and anger.

"So you adopted him" Shouyou concluded.

Hinowa nodded. Shouyou didn't say anything and just rubbed her hands quietly.

"I was really sad when she died. She was my closest friend. The best friend that I ever have. We've been through a lot together and she had helped me and Tsukuyo lots of time. Adopting her son is the only thing I can do to repay her kindness to us... But... I learned something from her case." She looked down. "No matter how much a man loves a woman, he wouldn't want her anymore after he finds out she was once a prostitute."

Shouyou widened his eyes. "Hinowa-san..."

"Women like us are dirty. We have been tainted. Defiled. And no men would want to marry a woman who had been defiled by different men so many times. We are dirty, impure-"

"Hinowa-san-"

"I don't even feel like I deserve to be a mother. I adopted Seita and take care of him as best as I can. But he is still Miyako's son. He is not mine. And I don't know if someone like me even deserves to have him call me 'Mom'. I feel so dirty. I feel like I don't deserve him. I-"

"HINOWA!" She felt herself being pulled into an embrace. She could feel tears started to form in the corners of her eyes. But the warm body that enveloped hers calmed her down. After a few seconds, she realized that he hadn't called her name with any honorific.

"Please stop saying things like that. Don't look down on yourself even more" Shouyou whispered in her ear. "Even if your body has been tainted, your soul remains pure. And that is what matters. You have gone through a lot but you keep smiling through it all. Despite your condition, you did your best to take care of Tsukuyo-san and protect her, even at the cost of your own freedom. You adopted Seita-kun when he had no one else anymore. You raised and took care of him even though he is not yours." His hold on her body tightened. "You are genuinely kind. You are pure. That was what I thought the first time I got to know you all those years ago. Sometimes, physical body doesn't mean anything. The most important thing is the soul. And your soul is strong and pure. As long as you keep your soul pure, your body will stay clean." He smiled. "So please stay strong and kind. Just like I know you to be."

Hinowa widened her eyes and gaped. A tear ran down one of her cheeks as she drowned herself in his warmth. She had missed his touch. She had never missed the touch of a man like she craved his touch. She always felt disgusted when a man touched her, likely due to the trauma from back then. Everytime a man touched her, she was always reminded of what she felt back then. The cold, the numbness, and the dirty feeling she felt everytime she remembered their hands, roaming all over her body.

But with Shouyou, it was different. He hugged her, but he kept his hands firmly on her back. He didn't roam his hands all over her body like other men had done. His touch was firm but gentle and warm, not rough. Never rough. His presence calmed her, not frightened her. Even though she's supposed to be afraid of him, knowing that he was a killer, for some reason she didn't. Because instead of malice or cruelty, she could only sense emptiness from him. Emptiness and remorse. And behind that hollowness, there was deep sadness.

Hinowa hoped she could stay like this forever. But just when she was about to move her arms to hug him back, he let go of her. He put his hands on her shoulders and slowly pushed her body away from his. He then smiled at her. "I hope you feel better now."

Hinowa stared at him. There was something hollow inside her heart when he pushed her away. Shouyou noticed the trail of tear on her cheek. He reached out his hand to rub it. But suddenly, she took hold of his hand and pressed it against her cheek. "Then why don't you comfort me some more?"

Shouyou widened his eyes in surprise at her action. He hesitantly tried to pull his hand away, but she held it firm in her hand. "I... don't think... we should get too close..."

"Why?" He looked away from her. "Shouyou..." she called him, not caring about honorific anymore.

"Do you remember what you said to me that night, ten years ago?" he said

"I said a lot of things to you back then."

"After we've done the deed."

Hinowa tried to remember what she said that he might be referring. "About us seeing each other?"

"You said that if you and I were both free, we could see each other properly." She widened her eyes in surprise. He remembers... "And I'm not free yet, Hinowa. I haven't been able to completely break free. There are some loose ends that I have to deal with. It's not over yet for me."

"Then we can face it together."

"I can't bring you along for this one."

"Shouyou-"

"You don't understand..." He looked down, and he looked so pained, so broken. "I'm not like you... I have more sins than you do. I have done so many terrible things that I can't even compensate with my life. Even if I atone for it for the rest of my life, it doesn't seem to be enough. I'm not a human. I'm a demon." She shivered, hearing him say that word. "Trust me. I maybe the last man you want to be with."

"I am willing to share that burden with you."

"I can't-"

"And you're not a demon. You're not evil. You're just..." she put her hands on his face, rubbing his cheeks with her thumbs, his sorrow and pain palpable in his eyes, "...broken."

He looked like he was ready to cry and the sight broke her heart. "What if I tell you I am not human?" She grew silent. "What if I tell you, you may get hurt or even die if you're with me?"

She stared at him with sorrowful eyes for long seconds before slowly putting their foreheads together. "Then I'll accept it. As long as you're with me."

Shouyou closed his eyes, his eyelids were trembling. Hinowa wrapped her arms around him, his head dropped on her shoulder. This time, it was her who gave him comfort. He hugged her back tightly, like he needed this so much. He didn't cry like she did. But she guessed it was because he had cried so many tears already, he didn't have any more. She pulled back a little and put her hands on his face. He looked so hollow and it broke her heart to see him like this.

He closed his eyes, as if giving her permission. She slowly pulled his face toward hers until their lips touched and closed her eyes as well. She wrapped her arms around his neck while he wrapped his around her waist, pulling her toward him until she was on his lap.

After a few seconds, they broke the kiss. She buried her face on his chest and whispered the words she had been dying to say to him. "I love you."

She could feel his body tensed against hers for a few seconds. But after a moment, he put his head on hers, kissing the top of her head and she got the answer she had always wanted. "I love you too."

The party ground turned into a dance hall. The DJ played the slow song and one by one, couples filled the yard to dance. Tsukuyo watched several people she knew. She spotted Kotarou dancing with Ikumatsu and Oboro with Tetsuko. She also saw Kagura dancing with Sougo and Kamui with Soyo. She saw Hijikata, dancing with a short sandy-blonde haired girl. Gintoki had told her that it was his girlfriend, Sougo's older sister. She smiled as she saw Tae dancing with Kondo. Kondo looked like he was in heaven while Tae scowled. Tsukuyo imagined that she had finally relented after he asked her to dance over and over again. She watched Kyuubei, sitting in a table with her family butler, Tojo. She didn't dance, likely due to still being awkward with physical contact with males. But he seemed to be really content just sitting beside her. Tsukuyo also spotted Ayame dancing with her childhood friend Hattori. They both looked so unwilling to do it that Tsukuyo had a suspicion that they were forced into it. Ayame sometimes glanced at her direction, probably looking at her dance partner.

"Hey, you're not focusing on me. You could step on my foot you know." She turned to look at her partner, which was her silver-haired boyfriend.

"Sorry" she said, facing Gintoki and danced with him slowly. She stared at him. The full moon illuminated his silvery white hair and made his fiery red eyes glint in the dark. The view reminded her of what she saw during the fire back then. Gleaming silver and flaming red...

"Hey, what's wrong Tsukuyo? You stop dancing."

She was snapped from her reverie and shook her head. "It's nothing. Sorry." They danced again slowly as Tsukuyo kept her eyes on Gintoki. "Gintoki?"

"Yeah?"

She hugged him and put her head on his shoulder. "I just want you to know that whatever happened to you in your past, I will always love you."

Tsukuyo could feel Gintoki's body tensed. He hugged her back slowly as they kept dancing in that position. "I know... Thank you..."

In another corner, Shinsuke was standing while watching the couples dancing. He was content just being there alone when suddenly he heard a shriek.

"Shinsuke-kun! Let's dance!" Matako shouted, running to him.

"Shit" he mumbled. He turned his body around, ready to run when another pair of arms pulled him roughly to the dance floor. His body was turned around to face his assailant and he came face to face with his younger sister.

"Nobume, what are you-" He was startled when she put her arms around his shoulders.

"Just shut up and dance with me."

He hesitantly put his hands around her waist and they started to dance. She put her head against his shoulder to hide her burning face from him. She was confused with herself. She didn't want to be near him. And yet, she didn't want to be far away from him either. And when he was about to be snatched by Matako, she quickly snatched him first. She didn't want to see him dancing with anyone else.

Nobume felt her heart pounding, her palm sweating, and her face burning. She always felt like this around Shinsuke and she didn't know why. She remembered what Tsukuyo and Hinowa had said.

"It sounds like you are describing a lover, not a sibling, Nobume-chan."

"Well, your description... it sounds like romantic love someone feels for another person. Not a platonic or familial bond you usually have for a sibling."

Nobume widened her eyes and she bit her lower lip hard. No... It can't be... She buried her head deeper into his chest.

"Uh, Nobume? Are you... okay?" Shinsuke asked her.

Nobume shook her head. But then she felt it... His heart... His heart was beating as well... Just as fast as hers...

Shinsuke felt her grip tightened around him. "Just... keep dancing..." she murmured.

He hesitantly pulled her even closer. He hoped she didn't notice his sweaty hands, his racing heart, or his blushing face.

At the side, Matako sighed as she stood with Bansai. "Haah... He's dancing with his sister. Oh well... Guess it can't be helped."

Bansai frowned as he observed Shinsuke dancing with Nobume. Doesn't that look a little too intimate for a dance between siblings?

"Wanna dance Bansai?" Matako asked him.

"Huh?" he said as he turned to her. "Didn't you want to dance with Shinsuke?"

"Well he's busy right now, as you can see. It's better than not doing anything. Come on." She pulled the confused Bansai to the dance floor.

In the house, Hinowa sat by the window, not out dancing like her sister and everyone else. But she was content, staying here in Shouyou's arms as they watched the moon while listening to the slow music from the yard. She was sitting on his lap and his arms were around her. He was playing with her hair. His hair was long, but hers was longer when she let it down completely, almost reaching her knees.

"I feel content when I am with you" he said.

"With other women?"

"No. Never."

She smiled and reached out her hand to play with his hair as well. "Then I wish we can continue like this forever. Though I know it's impossible."

He pulled her tighter against him. "I wish for that as well."

They felt their eyelids grew heavy as the slow song from the yard lulled them to sleep.

There were many things that they had to face in the future. But for now, for tonight, they just wanted to stay with their loved ones.

Otose took a drag from her cigarette as she sat at one of the tables. Seeing the dancing couples reminded her of her late husband. "Tonight, the air reeks with love."

This fanfic almost come its end. I am planning of making a sequel after this one. Yes, there will be more if I have time to write. Well, let's just see...