Yo, been a while, hope you guys are staying safe with all this stuff going on outside. So, sit back and enjoy.

Reviews to Replies:

Guest: I smiled while reading this lol, and I saw it first thing in the morning too—epic way to start the day, boy. I'm glad you're loving it. I will usually only write for rare ships or ships I'm hyped/obsessed about, that way I'll enjoy writing about them and give my all/not half-ass it. Or maybe imagination is my only strong point lol. Love the acknowledgement and feedback. Thanks for the review!

Disclaimer in first chapter.

Chapter 33:

A frown never left Kazuya's features as he secretly sneaked out of the house around late afternoon—after Shou had left for work—to his grandmother's house. 'What on earth is he thinking? What a crude man...' The bluenette was feeling the oncoming of a headache after all the thinking from last night and current stress he was feeling. It didn't help that Shou wasn't any easier on his body either. The man knocked a few times but realized the main gate was already open when he pushed it slightly upon no response.

"Benjiro?" He called out to an empty front yard. "Grandmother?" He called again as he neared the rooms. Not a single soul was in sight. What was going on? The actor continued to walk his way down the hall.

"You're here, princess." A manly voice spoke from behind, startling the other who spun around, long blue hair flowing in the motion.

"Tengfei! As you've requested, I'm here so what do you wan—eh!" The younger yelped when Tengfei gripped his hand and pushed him into one of the rooms with a solid wooden door instead of the paper ones, locking it from the outside. "Tengfei? Tengfei! What is the meaning of this?! I don't understand you."

"Sorry, sorry, I promise I'll explain later. But right now, I need ya to stay put here." Lok said from the other side of the door. "Then, I'll see ya in a bit." He left with that.

"Wait! Tengfei!" Kazuya clicked his tongue in agitation. 'What are you planning to do? Urgh. I'm getting a terrible feeling in my gut...'

Flashback:

It was early morning and Benjiro heard impatient knocking on his door. He opened the gate to find the Chinese samurai standing sternly on the other end. "Tengfei-san? What's going on? Why so early?"

"I needa talk." Benji nodded and allowed him into the house. They walked to the open hall/veranda until Lok spoke up. "I want to save your brother."

The spiky haired teen stopped in his tracks and turned around to stare at him. "What?"

"You know he's living with that merchant, right? Well, he's being abused. I plan on getting him out of there."

"What? Since when...?" Apparently, this was news to Benji. "Shit...I should've suspected with all the rules he had but he never said a thing..."

"He's that type. He didn't want to worry ya guys. That's why—" Lok sat down on the hall floor, planting his knuckles on the shiny wooden floor and lowered his head a fraction. "—I'm going to pursue him and protect him after I save him from that hell."

"Wait what?" Benji wasn't exactly following.

"I desire him, I'll treat him a million times better than his current partner, but I'm gonna need yer help—well, and maybe yer blessing too, 'lil bro." He winked.

The spiky haired finally caught on and was impressed by Lok's audacity at first but then looked at him skeptically.

"We barely know you though..."

"We'll be getting to know each other a lot more after this. And have ya been disappointed from what ya've seen so far?" He sneered. Well, Benji wasn't going to deny that Lok was quite a genuine guy.

"What do you want me to do?"

"Just take your grandma somewhere. Only for the afternoon, until the evening. I want to lock Kazuya here so I could face that Shou guy without any distractions." Tengfei explained.

The spiky haired teen nodded. "Got it, good luck then."

End of Flashback.

"You're quite the conceited type, aren't you? I can't believe you just challenged me to a fight over my lover." Shou was standing face to face with the Chinese samurai. "Fine, I guess I'll just have to put you back in your place." Luckily, for him, he had prior experience with swordsmanship.

"We'll see about that. I jus' wanted to handle this like real men. If I win, he's comin' with me."

"In your dreams." The other clutched the edge of his sword sheath. It had certainly been a while since he touched this masterpiece, but he brought it along after Tengfei's proposal.

The two gawked at each other for a good minute before metal clashed with metal and ripped the air around them.

Tengfei walked back to Benji's house, with blood stained clothes and minor cuts on his shoulder and arms. He went straight to the room Kazuya was held captive, taking the lock off. The samurai found the other sitting against the wall right next to door, glancing up at him. The bluenette's features morphed into horror as he recognized all the blood.

"Tengefei! Wait, what happened?! A-all this blood..." Kazuya immediately stood up and placed a hand on the other's muscular arm, scanning him up and down. "Why are you so adamant about doing this?" There was pain and frustration in the younger man's voice.

Before Lok could answer, they heard gasps from his grandmother and brother, who both stood a good five feet from them in the corridor.

"What is the meaning of this?" the grandmother demanded answers at once. She also noticed Kazuya had a bruise on the corner of his face and at the base of his neck from what was visible. That was also Benji's first time actually seeing him hurt or bruised. When the bluenette realized what they were staring at, he felt terrified.

In the next scene, Kazuya and Tengfei were both sitting on their knees before the grandmother while Benji stood on the side.

"Cat got your tongues?! Or you want me to pull them out? I don't have all day." The old lady implored. "Were the two of you fighting?"

"No, ya got the wrong idea. He got these from that man he lives with. I got these from killing that man." Tengfei pointed to the bluenette first then himself. Kazuya whipped his head towards him in surprise. 'what did he just say?' "He shouldn't be a problem now though."

The old lady looked mortified as she raised a hand towards Kazuya, ready to slap him. However, Tengfei chimed in and took the slap instead. Kazuya had shut his eyes but opened them in astonishment when he heard the slap but never felt it. "With all due respect, I don't care if you're his grandmother, but I ain't letting anyone touch him again." Lok said in an uncharacteristically serious tone.

"I'm not interested in hitting him either, but I need to knock some sense into him! How dare he just sit there and be treated like that after being by grandson!"

"Geez gran." Benji muttered from the side, the tension killing him almost. His grandmother sure had abnormal ways to show her affection.

"I can't believe this. You're lucky he's dead, or else I would've slit his throat myself!" The grandmother huffed and decided she couldn't take the scene any longer, leaving. "Get them some clean clothes." She made one final order to Benji.

"I'll be right back." The spiky haired teen told before leaving as well. The remaining two exhaled a breath before Kazuya turned to Lok.

"What did you mean? Shou, dead?" He couldn't believe a single word.

Tengfei initially averted his eyes trying to formulate the right response. "I challenged him to a battle to win ya..."

"What?! Are you out of your mind?"

"Hey, hey, I ain't weak, I'm a legit samurai."

"...Did he... say anything...?" The younger man asked after a long pause.

"...make him happy, were his last words." Kazuya turned away from the other and stared at the ground in unknown shock. He then covered his mouth with a hand and began sobbing. He would personally not cry like that as a grown man in front of a stranger, but he stopped caring. His life wasn't one to be proud of anyway.

While it was true a part of him was glad to be free, but he was also sad for knowing the other for so long and ending like this. But then again, the Shou he fell in love with was gone for a long time now. Tengfei saw the hurt and conflict and placed a hand on his back. When the man didn't refuse his touch, the samurai felt bold and slid his hand over to his shoulder pulling him closer. Kazuya didn't seem to register the gesture as he solely grieved for his lover. When Lok rubbed his arm up and down, the younger finally pushed him away gently. "Please leave me alone." He cried.

"I can't do that." The brunette stroked a tear away from the porcelain face with one of his calloused thumbs.

"I'm begging you."

Tengfei internally groaned. There was no freakin' way he could deny a request when uttered with such a soft vulnerable tone. "Hagh, as ya wish. But don't think you've gotten rid of me. Rest for tonight, I'll be back first thing in the morning. Oh, and better not cry to much or else ya'll ruin your beautiful face." He pointed out, leaving the room and meeting Benji right outside.

"I got the clothes—"

"Don't worry about it, I'm gonna head back. But hey, take good care of him for me. I think he needs time before he lets me in. Call me if something comes up." Tengfei patted the teen's shoulder firmly before heading out.

'That's weird, it was awfully quiet...' Kotaru felt as if he was forgetting something. He gazed around the room and walked out to the porch surveying the area. It was empty. 'Wait a sec...empty?! where was the puppy?!' The teen's heartbeat unwillingly darted as he whipped his head around. 'Great, the dog didn't even have a name so it's not like he could call him.' "Nanashi—" The brunette called but recalled he had stepped out to purchase something.

"Hey! Little puppy?!" The teen resorted to calling him that instead and searched the trees around their house. He walked deeper into the forest. 'It would be unreasonable and would take him forever to search this forest. The dog was small, he couldn't have gotten too far...' the teen hoped as he scanned the areas.

In the meantime, Nanashi returned back home, holding a pup on his shoulder. "How was the fresh air, little guy?" the elder asked as he placed the dog down who barked fondly. "Hey Kotaro, I'm back." No response. "Kotaro?"

Nanashi placed the stuff he bought and placed some food for the pup. He waited about thirty minutes before coming back outside to the front of their small place. 'Where did he go?' "Kotaro!"

"Nanashi...!" The brunette ran over to him.

"Kotaro, where were you? Were you in the woods? What's wrong? Did something happen?" Nanashi loosely held the younger's elbows.

"I can't find him—" the teen's voice broke in urgency. "The pup, I don't know where he went—"

"Hey, calm down. I took him with me, thought he could get some fresh air."

"What? Che! Why didn't you tell me, I was freakin' worried!" Kotaro pushed the elder away in irritation.

"My bad, but I didn't think you cared much..." Nanashi stated bluntly. The brunette frowned. 'Well technically he wasn't supposed to...but how could he just ignore the animal?'

"He needs a name." The younger said instead, indirectly showing his acceptance. Nanashi was taken aback for a moment but smiled sideways.

"Yeah, he does. Wanna do the honors?"

"Mh...we could name him together, it's not like he's only my dog—you've been taking care of him just as much if not more...plus he seems to like you more."

The redhead effortlessly chuckled at that. "That's because this master has been pouting for too long and dejecting the little thing." He poked the younger's small nose, leaving him feeling bashful.

"S-shut up..."

"So?"

"What?"

"What should we name him?" Nanashi reminded the task at hand.

"Uh, I don't know if you ask me so suddenly..."

"Hm," The elder pondered before suggesting, "What about something to do with rebirth?"

"Huh?"

"After Tobimaru passed away, this little guy was handed to you, almost like a reincarnation of Tobimaru's soul..."

Kotaro didn't hate the idea. In fact, he liked it better to think of it that way. Tobimaru's soul was reborn in this cute little pup. He internally smiled at that notion. "Yeah, you're right." He breathed. "Saisei*... Saiseimaru then?"

"I like it, sounds unique." Nanashi gave his okay. He enjoyed seeing Kotaro's mood uplifted for a change. The pup trotted over to them and the teen hoisted him up from under his armpits.

"Saiseimaru. Hey Saiseimaru, how does that sound? Hn?" the brunette sang. The pup only barked, most likely accepting the name, while Nanashi scratched the bottom of the dog's neck.

They were one happy and grateful family, who would overcome any burden together now and, in the future,—like they always did.

*Saisei: rebirth in Japanese.

To Be Continued...

A lot of Tengfei x Kazuya (Tengzuya?) story here, I know (sorry?). But don't worry, it won't be so prominent from here on, which is exactly why I wanted to spend the time and just wrap it up here, for the most part. Also, I didn't know if I wanted to take the responsibility of naming the new dog cause it seemed like a hefty role and I don't know why I felt I was overcrossing my boundaries (XD) or touching on a tender subject—yeah I'm not making sense. (But hey, I assumed responsibility the moment I started writing this, no?) So, instead of picking a random or cute name, or something close to Tobimaru, I thought for a moment for a relevant meaning behind the name, 'cause that way, it would make the name more accepting regardless of what it sounded like. And, I must say, I'm satisfied with the outcome.