"You're making me nervous." The healer sighed as Rikimaru paced back and fourth in Godha's castle.
"I cant help it." Rikimaru took a deep breath and kneeled down beside Ayame. "Any sign of improving?"
"It's too early to say. She's lucky you got to her in enough time, or else should would have lost a lot of blood. Good thing it was just a flesh wound, or she'd be in trouble." The healer crouched over Ayame's body, feeling her forehead. "Her fever is rising. It's a good sign, it means her body is fighting the bacteria." She'd been trying to lift Rikimaru's spirits, to no avail, for the last five hours. "There's nothing I can do for her now... there is no poison in her body. We'll just have to wait and see." The lady looked on at Rikimaru's concerned face. "She's really lucky to have you, you know."
Rikimaru let out a controlled sigh. "If only she realized that." The lady said nothing. Rikimaru continued, "Everything I do is because of her. I've saved her life more times then I think she even realizes." He yawned.
"I understand. Look, dear, there's nothing we can do right now. You go home and get some rest."
"No, I'll stay."
"Then I'll go. If you need me, you know where I'll be." The lady's eyes were sagging, adding even more lines to her aged face. She rose, and walked out of the room, leaving Rikimaru to aid the passed out Ayame.
His mind began to wander. He couldn't remember how long he'd been in that room by her side. It seemed like days, aeons, since he rushed to her in the courtyard. She was out cold, with the fallen Tiger laying dead next to her. iI tried to get you here as fast as I could. I guess I didn't try hard enough./i He cursed himself. Cursed his weaknesses. Cursed the girl.
i Why cant you understand? Why cant you even try? His mind reeled to the times when they were younger, and he'd always try to do something nice.i She'd always say 'Don't patronize me!' or 'I don't need you to baby me!' but if Tatsumaru did something nice... 'Oh Tatsu! Hehehhehe!' /iHe didn't allow himself to take the thought further. Instead, he thought back on the new years festival they attended together. The way her body moved, the way her eyes glistened. It was his year, the year of the dragon. He was so happy to have his tiger girl by his side. iThe comb I bought her. How she smiled. I was so upset when she lost it fighting some ninja girl trying to cross a checkpoint... /iHis mind played out their lives from the time Tatsumaru died up until now. iI don't know how she managed to keep her life without me getting her out of scrapes. /iHe looked down at the sleeping Ayame.i Come on, I know you can do this. I'll stay up with you all night if I have to./i
The night seemed to drag. By the time Rikimaru was tired enough to sleep, the sun was rising. He looked towards the door as the healer entered.
"You're still up? Oh, dear, get some rest." Rikimaru shook his head. "It does you no good to stay up and worry! Here, drink this." She handed him a sleeping potion, which was refused. "Don't be so silly!" She said in harsh undertones. Finally, after much fussing, Rikimaru agreed.
Three hours later, Ayame showed her first signs of waking up.
II.
Ayame opened her eyes, startled by the brightness of the sunlight. She tried getting up, but quickly laid back down when a shooting pain went up her arm. She searched her mind to remember what happened the night before. iDid I kill her? Is she taken care of?/i Her head turned to see Rikimaru sitting with his legs crossed, apparently asleep. Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a lady entering.
"Good! You're up!" The lady's eyes brightened up, and a smile formed at the corners of her mouth.
"I cant believe I'm still alive." Ayame closed her eyes.
"You can thank that one." She gestured over towards the sleeping Rikimaru. He stirred, as he heard voices, even in his deep slumber. His eyes opened slowly, and found that both Ayame and the healers eyes were on him.
"You're up." Was all he said.
"She's up, but not fully healed. I'm sorry to say that you wont be able to do heavy labor until the wound closes, love." Ayame smiled.
"I'll manage." Ayame tried getting up, but fell back down as the pain over took her again. Rikimaru kneeled at her side and slowly lifted her to her feet.
"Can you walk?" Ayame tried moving, but stumbled. Rikimaru caught her. "I'll take you home." She inhaled a long breath before leaning on Rikimaru.
They walked home in silence.
III.
Ayame's eyes followed Rikimaru as he paced nervously. "What?" she demanded.
"Nothing." He continued pacing. She took a sip of her green tea.
"Stop that, would you?" The rain had started up again, and she was still too weak to go home on her own. He stopped, and crouched across from her.
"A simple thank you would suffice." He glared at her.
"What are you talking about?" Ayame refused to meet his eyes, and instead gazed at her feet.
"You know, I'm beginning to feel a little unappreciated here. I've done so much for you. I've saved your ass more times than I have fingers, and what do I have to show for it? Countless scars all over." He sighed and sat back. Ayame's eyes refused to leave her feet. She bit her lip, trying to find words. "Never mind, just forget it." Rikimaru stood up and looked out the window. "I'll help you home." He kneeled down and went to help her too her feet, but she stopped him.
"No." She pushed him away, and then grabbed him back by the shirt, dragging him close to her. He tried to pull away, but found himself giving into her. He went numb as she pressed her lips against his. The moment lingered in his head. A moment too long. He pulled away.
"Ayame... we cant..." Rikimaru tried avoiding her eyes.
"Oh Rikimaru, I'm so sorry." Ayame felt so venerable. Her eyes wandered back down to her feet. A tear started to form in her eye, and she battled to keep it there. Startled, she looked up as Rikimaru buried his head in her hair, inhaling her in. Softly, he kissed her down her neck, and nuzzled his head in her shoulder. Ayame fought to keep her breath as her body responded. Slowly, he laid himself on top of her and held her.
"Can you walk?" He whispered in her ear.
She took his head into her hands and stared into his eyes. "No." She smiled. For the first time in her life, she liked feeling helpless. Rikimaru rolled off of her, and sat up.
"You look so silly in my clothes." Rikimaru laughed. In the chaos of bandaging up her wound, he pulled his extra pair of clothes out to redress her with. She looked down at herself.
"Shut up!" She pushed him down, and they play wrestled until her shoulder started hurting again. He kissed her and she smiled at him.
"I've always loved you, Ayame."
"I... I guess I have too..." She smiled sheepishly. He held her in his arms, where she drifted in and out of sleep. After a couple of hours, she woke up.
With all her might she managed to stand up and hobble towards the window, where the rain had stopped, and a rainbow appeared to wipe the clouds away. She glanced back at Rikimaru and smiled, and he knew that at that moment she couldn't have been more beautiful.
"I cant help it." Rikimaru took a deep breath and kneeled down beside Ayame. "Any sign of improving?"
"It's too early to say. She's lucky you got to her in enough time, or else should would have lost a lot of blood. Good thing it was just a flesh wound, or she'd be in trouble." The healer crouched over Ayame's body, feeling her forehead. "Her fever is rising. It's a good sign, it means her body is fighting the bacteria." She'd been trying to lift Rikimaru's spirits, to no avail, for the last five hours. "There's nothing I can do for her now... there is no poison in her body. We'll just have to wait and see." The lady looked on at Rikimaru's concerned face. "She's really lucky to have you, you know."
Rikimaru let out a controlled sigh. "If only she realized that." The lady said nothing. Rikimaru continued, "Everything I do is because of her. I've saved her life more times then I think she even realizes." He yawned.
"I understand. Look, dear, there's nothing we can do right now. You go home and get some rest."
"No, I'll stay."
"Then I'll go. If you need me, you know where I'll be." The lady's eyes were sagging, adding even more lines to her aged face. She rose, and walked out of the room, leaving Rikimaru to aid the passed out Ayame.
His mind began to wander. He couldn't remember how long he'd been in that room by her side. It seemed like days, aeons, since he rushed to her in the courtyard. She was out cold, with the fallen Tiger laying dead next to her. iI tried to get you here as fast as I could. I guess I didn't try hard enough./i He cursed himself. Cursed his weaknesses. Cursed the girl.
i Why cant you understand? Why cant you even try? His mind reeled to the times when they were younger, and he'd always try to do something nice.i She'd always say 'Don't patronize me!' or 'I don't need you to baby me!' but if Tatsumaru did something nice... 'Oh Tatsu! Hehehhehe!' /iHe didn't allow himself to take the thought further. Instead, he thought back on the new years festival they attended together. The way her body moved, the way her eyes glistened. It was his year, the year of the dragon. He was so happy to have his tiger girl by his side. iThe comb I bought her. How she smiled. I was so upset when she lost it fighting some ninja girl trying to cross a checkpoint... /iHis mind played out their lives from the time Tatsumaru died up until now. iI don't know how she managed to keep her life without me getting her out of scrapes. /iHe looked down at the sleeping Ayame.i Come on, I know you can do this. I'll stay up with you all night if I have to./i
The night seemed to drag. By the time Rikimaru was tired enough to sleep, the sun was rising. He looked towards the door as the healer entered.
"You're still up? Oh, dear, get some rest." Rikimaru shook his head. "It does you no good to stay up and worry! Here, drink this." She handed him a sleeping potion, which was refused. "Don't be so silly!" She said in harsh undertones. Finally, after much fussing, Rikimaru agreed.
Three hours later, Ayame showed her first signs of waking up.
II.
Ayame opened her eyes, startled by the brightness of the sunlight. She tried getting up, but quickly laid back down when a shooting pain went up her arm. She searched her mind to remember what happened the night before. iDid I kill her? Is she taken care of?/i Her head turned to see Rikimaru sitting with his legs crossed, apparently asleep. Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a lady entering.
"Good! You're up!" The lady's eyes brightened up, and a smile formed at the corners of her mouth.
"I cant believe I'm still alive." Ayame closed her eyes.
"You can thank that one." She gestured over towards the sleeping Rikimaru. He stirred, as he heard voices, even in his deep slumber. His eyes opened slowly, and found that both Ayame and the healers eyes were on him.
"You're up." Was all he said.
"She's up, but not fully healed. I'm sorry to say that you wont be able to do heavy labor until the wound closes, love." Ayame smiled.
"I'll manage." Ayame tried getting up, but fell back down as the pain over took her again. Rikimaru kneeled at her side and slowly lifted her to her feet.
"Can you walk?" Ayame tried moving, but stumbled. Rikimaru caught her. "I'll take you home." She inhaled a long breath before leaning on Rikimaru.
They walked home in silence.
III.
Ayame's eyes followed Rikimaru as he paced nervously. "What?" she demanded.
"Nothing." He continued pacing. She took a sip of her green tea.
"Stop that, would you?" The rain had started up again, and she was still too weak to go home on her own. He stopped, and crouched across from her.
"A simple thank you would suffice." He glared at her.
"What are you talking about?" Ayame refused to meet his eyes, and instead gazed at her feet.
"You know, I'm beginning to feel a little unappreciated here. I've done so much for you. I've saved your ass more times than I have fingers, and what do I have to show for it? Countless scars all over." He sighed and sat back. Ayame's eyes refused to leave her feet. She bit her lip, trying to find words. "Never mind, just forget it." Rikimaru stood up and looked out the window. "I'll help you home." He kneeled down and went to help her too her feet, but she stopped him.
"No." She pushed him away, and then grabbed him back by the shirt, dragging him close to her. He tried to pull away, but found himself giving into her. He went numb as she pressed her lips against his. The moment lingered in his head. A moment too long. He pulled away.
"Ayame... we cant..." Rikimaru tried avoiding her eyes.
"Oh Rikimaru, I'm so sorry." Ayame felt so venerable. Her eyes wandered back down to her feet. A tear started to form in her eye, and she battled to keep it there. Startled, she looked up as Rikimaru buried his head in her hair, inhaling her in. Softly, he kissed her down her neck, and nuzzled his head in her shoulder. Ayame fought to keep her breath as her body responded. Slowly, he laid himself on top of her and held her.
"Can you walk?" He whispered in her ear.
She took his head into her hands and stared into his eyes. "No." She smiled. For the first time in her life, she liked feeling helpless. Rikimaru rolled off of her, and sat up.
"You look so silly in my clothes." Rikimaru laughed. In the chaos of bandaging up her wound, he pulled his extra pair of clothes out to redress her with. She looked down at herself.
"Shut up!" She pushed him down, and they play wrestled until her shoulder started hurting again. He kissed her and she smiled at him.
"I've always loved you, Ayame."
"I... I guess I have too..." She smiled sheepishly. He held her in his arms, where she drifted in and out of sleep. After a couple of hours, she woke up.
With all her might she managed to stand up and hobble towards the window, where the rain had stopped, and a rainbow appeared to wipe the clouds away. She glanced back at Rikimaru and smiled, and he knew that at that moment she couldn't have been more beautiful.