I do not own Sakura Wars or any of it's characters…'cause if I did, I wouldn't be calling this a fanfic and I would be sailing on the Caribbean in my private yacht, literally swimming in pools of money.

So, now that that's over, you can read the fanfic. Enjoy!

Oh, and this is set in sort of a past/future sorta way and it's based on if Orihime and Reni hadn't come in ST2.

Chapter 4

"Uh, Kanna…? Shouldn't you let the curtain down now?" Sakura asked. "Maria and Ohgami have been standing out there kissing for a while…" "Yikes!" Kanna exclaimed as she grabbed at a rope to let the curtain down. "Wait!" Sakura exclaimed. "That's to change the background!" "Well NOW you tell me!" Kanna exclaimed. She had already pulled the rope and now Kanna was afraid of what background she had let down. "Hurry! Pull the rope for the curtain!" Sakura exclaimed as she peeked around the corner, looking at the stage. Kanna pulled the rope and quickly let the curtain down. "I am so dead." she muttered. "Oh yes you are." Sakura replied, running away from where she was recently standing. "Maria is looking for you and she's on the warpath…literally. You had better run and hide until she cools down." Kanna wisely took Sakura's advice and started running, and as she did, she could hear Maria's voice. "KANNA KIRISHIMA!! WHERE ARE YOU??!!" "Oh man…" Kanna muttered. "I really made her mad." "No arguing with you there." Sakura replied.

Ohgami grabbed Maria's hand as she started to storm offstage. "Now wait a minute." he said. "Are you sure that yelling at Kanna is going to help anything?" Maria turned around and looked at him. "You know…there is something different about you." she mused. "You're not like anyone else I've ever met. You actually had the courage to stop me from getting into an argument with my best friend. Yes…you are different." Maria pulled free of Ohgami's grasp and then walked towards the wings. As she reached the side of the stage, Maria turned around and smiled. "At seven right?" she asked. Ohgami merely nodded. "I'll see you then." Maria said as she went backstage.

Ohgami realized that Ayame would be waiting for Maria and himself and quickly ran backstage, only to see Ayame and Maria standing there, talking about something. Ohgami hid and decided (even though it wasn't right) to eavesdrop. "So what do you think about Ohgami?" Ayame asked. There was a long silence and then Maria cleared her throat. "I…um, well…" she was at a loss of words. "My feelings for him are indescribable." "In a good way…or bad way?" Ayame asked. There was a pause and Ohgami could tell that Maria was becoming uncomfortable. He wanted to go out and tell Ayame that she shouldn't ask about something if it wasn't her business, but Ohgami stayed hidden. He had wanted to know what feelings Maria had for him. He became extremely silent as Maria finally spoke up. "In a good way." she said. "A very good way." Ohgami smiled to himself when Maria said that. So she does like me he thought. But why has she hidden her feelings from me for this long? I thought she HATED me. That seemed clear to me the day I arrived and had a gun barrel waved in my face. Was her so-called hatred actually love? And if it was…how come she didn't tell me that she loved me? Women. I'll never understand them.

"Ah ha!" Ayame exclaimed. "So you really do like him. I knew it!" Ohgami could see that both of the women had their backs turned to him and he saw this as a chance to intrude on their conversation. He stood up and walked over to Maria and Ayame. "Hello Ayame. Hi Maria." he said smoothly. Maria began to blush furiously and quickly excused herself. "Were you listening in?" Ayame asked as Maria left the stage. "What's it to you?" Ohgami asked. "Were you or not?" Ayame asked through gritted teeth. "No." Ohgami answered as he left the room. "Yeah right…" Ayame muttered.

Maria felt her cheeks get even redder as she ran away from the stage. She could hear footsteps behind her and then she felt a hand on her arm. "Hang on a minute Maria." came Ohgami's voice. "Is it true?" Maria turned around and looked at him. "You know, about your feelings for me?" Ohgami said as Maria gave him a puzzled look. "You said that your feelings for me were indescribable in a good way…a very good way. Is all of that true?" Maria looked directly in his eyes as she prepared to deny everything…but as she gazed into Ohgami's eyes, chills went up Maria's spine. All of the loneliness in Maria's soul just seemed to vanish. She felt like telling every secret that was hidden in the depths of her mind. Say something, or else he'll think that you really are love struck. "Yes. Every bit of that is true." Maria said finally. All I did was look into his eyes so I could deny everything and I end up telling him the truth. Maria thought. How could someone's eyes be so persuasive? How? Ohgami, who had subconsciously put his hands around Maria's waist as if they were going to kiss, smiled. "Well…that clears up some stuff…" he said. Maria didn't look away from him. She was still staring into his eyes, feeling like time had stopped and it was just the two of them together. On impulse, Maria slipped her arms around Ohgami's neck and as she did, she could feel Ohgami tighten his grip around her waist, pulling her closer to him. Now their lips were almost touching. Neither of them could hold out much longer and they kissed. Maria felt Ohgami run his fingers through her hair and she tightened her grip around his neck as if she didn't want Ohgami to let go of her. I lost Yuri the same way…he swore to protect me when I first kissed him…but I won't lose Ohgami to this horrible monster called love. From afar, Ayame watched with shining eyes. Aww, what a cute couple… she thought. Kanna walked backstage to tell Maria and Ohgami that it was time to sign autographs, but stopped in her tracks when she saw them passionately kissing. Their fans can wait…Kanna thought as she grabbed her camera and turned off the flash. My scrapbook on the other hand, cannot. The seventeen-year-old took the picture and grinned at Ayame who was running over to her. "As soon as that picture develops, I want you to-" "Rip it to shreds?" Kanna suggested, interrupting Ayame. "No." Ayame whispered. "I want you to make a copy of it for me." "Oh I can do better than that." Kanna whispered back. The seventeen-year-old took another picture of Maria and Ohgami kissing. "Your wish is fulfilled." "Oh but mine isn't the only one…" Ayame murmured.

Maria became aware of Kanna and Ayame's presence and very slowly pulled her lips away from Ohgami's. "Tonight." she whispered in his ear. Ohgami nodded and even though he knew that they should go their separate ways for now, he still held Maria in his arms. Why must I let her go? he wondered. "Would you like me to walk you to your room?" Ohgami asked. That way I could get to see more of her…WAIT! NOT IN THAT WAY! He could tell that Kanna and Ayame were grinning. "Don't even think about it!" he yelled over his shoulder. "Oh we're not, but I can tell that you are!" Kanna replied. Ohgami ignored Kanna's remark and turned his attention back to Maria who was furiously blushing. "You don't believe them do you?" he asked. Maria began to turn different shades of red. "I-I'm not sure whom to believe." she said. "Maria, you know that I wouldn't dare think of such a thing." Ohgami replied. The Russian woman nodded. "I think it would be best for you to walk me to my room right now." she said. Ohgami scooped Maria up in his arms, which startled the blonde. "Ohgami! Put me down!" she exclaimed as he carried her to her room. "You said that you were going to walk me to my room…remember?" "And lose you in the crowd of fans? Never." Ohgami replied. They reached the bedroom door and Ohgami was about to put Maria down, when she reached out and opened the door for him. "Well, go on. You did say that you were going to take me to my room." Maria said. "Yeah…but I didn't say that I was going to take you in your room…" Ohgami replied. "Same difference." Maria said. Ohgami walked into the dark room with Maria still in his arms. "Don't you ever raise your blinds?" Ohgami asked. "Yes, but I haven't been in here since six in the morning and it was still dark outside." Maria replied. He bent down to set her on the bed, not realizing that she still had her arms wrapped around his neck. Maria realized that if she didn't let go, it would have a domino effect…in other words, Ohgami would fall on top of her. "Ohgami, would you shut the door please…so fans don't try to come in." Maria had to think up an excuse, otherwise Ohgami might think she was intensely flirting with him. "Sure." Ohgami said. "Let me put you down first-" Maria didn't have a chance to stop him and he fell on top of her. A smile formed on Ohgami's face as he stared into Maria's emerald eyes. "You little sneak." he said. Maria smiled and stared right back into his dark brown, almost black eyes. She could feel Ohgami's hands stroking her hair, but Maria didn't have a care in the world and let him continue. Originally, Maria would've yelled or protested, but something had come over her, putting her heart under a spell. Once again, love was winning the raging war in Maria's heart. Maria immediately knew that the anger, pain, grief, and eternal loneliness that had taken over her heart years ago, had surrendered to love once more as Ohgami placed his lips upon hers. A thought came from out of the depths of Maria's mind. It's just like Yuri said. He told you that he wasn't the one and that he could tell that there was someone out there who needed you more…he said that was the reason he was dying. Now you know who he meant don't you? A small smile formed on Maria's face. I certainly do, she thought. I certainly do…