Disclaimer: I don't own Sakura wars. I'm just a big fan. I do however own my own characters and story line, as well as my concept of angels. The story might contain violence, abusive language and sexual scenes. If you are underage you'd better stop here. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the story, have fun :)

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Chapter 7 Tango In The Night

The dark warm night had already wrapped the TeiGeki when Ohgami went out for a walk. The air was filled with the tick sent of night flowers. Nothing, not even a cool breeze disturbed the moonlit park. The young Lieutenant slowly followed the strong presence he felt, hearing just a faint noise. He soon found himself in the heart of the park. In a clearing surrounded by tall Sakura trees a small figure was wielding a katana. The spike haired man approached and after taking cover behind one of the trees looked closer at the silhouette. There in the middle of the little meadow was the object of his love. Clad in a black sports bra and low cut tight shorts that barely covered her private parts, deep in thoughts Lilly was mercilessly cutting the air. Her body was covered with a thin layer of sweat. The faint light cast by the full moon reflected in her being, creating a silver aura around her. Her long night black hair was tied in a bun on the top of her head, exposing her swan like neck. Her naked feet barely touched the ground beneath.

God… She's beautiful, so beautiful… She's like magic… But why is her face so sad, so tortured…

Ohgami's own face showed great concern at these last thoughts. The Phoenix passed slowly before Lilly's closed eyes. Suddenly the blade gained a tinge blue aura. The Bulgarian sharply opened her eyes.

"Who is there? Show yourself!" she cried.

There was no reply. Only the soft wind that appeared from nowhere, filling the air with Sakura petals.

"Show yourself!" she cried again, her voice full of rage.

Once more she was answered by silence. Lilly was becoming more and more frustrated. She knew somebody was hiding in the darkness. It wasn't just the sword, she sensed the presence.

"This is your last chance! Come out!" anger was dripping from her words.

Yet again – no answer. She was slowly getting mad. The last thing she needed right now was an intruder. She closed her eyes in concentration and a yellow-bluish aura surrounded her. A set of snowy white angelic wings appeared on her back. There was a strong silver halo around her head. The night haired woman was standing in mid air, a meter above the ground with her katana, which was now glowing in bright white, in her right hand.

Ohgami stood speechless behind the tree. All this time he was too embarrassed to come out and too scared to run away. But soon the captain in him spoke up and he slowly but surely stepped forward so that further misunderstandings could be avoided.

"Ohgami?..." asked Lilly, softly landing on the ground at the sight of the spike haired man approaching. "What are you doing here!"

"Well… I couldn't sleep and went for a walk to clear my head…" awkwardly replied the Japanese man.

"What is it with you people and night walks? Can you just stare at the moon from your room window?" she said annoyed.

"I… I am really sorry to have bothered you. Please excuse me." muttered the young captain while turning back and slowly walking away.

Facing his back the Bulgarian quickly realized the error of her comment and regretted having ever said it. She took her normal form and shouted:

"Ohgami wait! I didn't mean that. I am the one who should be apologizing. I'm just having a rough time and I guess that I accidentally took it out on you. Gomen nasai."

In the darkness of the night a radiant smile showed up on the young man's grim face. Suppressing his joy, he turned around to face the angel, whose eyes were full of guilt and confusion.

"Don't worry Lilly." he smiled soothingly. "My guess is that you're here that late to clear your mind too, am I right?"

The Bulgarian woman nodded.

"So let's help each other."

"What do you have in mind?" she asked not understanding.

"A duel." he answered with a smirk.

"A duel?" she repeated with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes. A sparring duel… but with real katanas. Are you up for it or are you afraid." he asked teasingly.

"Afraid!" the hazel eyed woman mocked him. "On the contrary. I'm thrilled. It is you who should be afraid, Lieutenant. You're on!"

There were evil smirks on both their lips and a strange fire lit their eyes. The air was still now, no trace of the cool breeze that was there before. The full moon cast its light on the clearing, you could see the determination in both Lilly's and Ohgami's faces. She took an attack position while he drew his twin blades. For a couple of minutes they stood in silence, neither dared to make to first move. A cloud hid the moon. The sudden lack of light distracted Ohgami for a second, time enough for the angel to make her move. Without a sound, swift as a cat she attacked him head on. But the young captain countered it, catching the Phoenix between his crossed katanas.

"A sneak attack." he chuckled. "That's not very nice, you know."

"Don't forget I'm a spy, Lieutenant. Being sneaky is part of the job description." the Bulgarian replied laughingly.

Ohgami pushed her back a little and quickly gaining ground delivered blow after blow on his opponent. Sparks flew in the air with each touch of the three swords. Lilly repulsed all his attacks, the smile never leaving her face. The night haired woman jumped back and then with an agile leap landed behind the Japanese. Her feet had not yet touched the grass when she lashed at the Hanagumi captain. Fast as the wind Ohgami turned around to meet her blade. Their swords clenched.

"Fast, but not fast enough Colonel." gasped the spike haired man, giving out a teasing smile.

"Now if I beat you at the very beginning, I'll spoil all the fun, wouldn't I?" said the angel with a devilish spark in her eyes.

They both took a step back, glaring at each other. The soft spring wind came back and caressed their sweaty faces. The air was tick with tension. They stood frozen in their tracks. The only sounds heard were their heavy breaths and the tender song of the crickets.

"Don't be so sure you'll come out as winner, Lilly. I've come a long way since we met." broke the silence the black eyed man.

"And indeed you have." agreed the Bulgarian. "Yet still, you're no match for me."

She gave out a war cry and fiercely dashed at him. Ohgami was taken aback by the flair of her attack.

Even when she's angry, she is so magnificent… But why is she fighting like that… Who is she fighting?... Herself? I can feel that her whole being is in pain… Why?...

The faint draft of her blade missing near his cheek took the young captain out of his trance. Just like in a dream his body moved back to avoid her next attack. That didn't discourage the hazel eyed woman. Just the opposite. With even more fury she aimed a blow at the spike haired man's shoulder. And this time the Bulgarian warrior didn't miss. Crimson blood began to soak into Ohgami's white shirt, right above his left shoulder. He cried in pain, dropping the katana he was holding in his left hand. It was only at this point that Lilly realized what she was doing. The sight of the young man bleeding in front of her took off the blindfold of rage that was before her eyes.

"Ohgami!" she screamed running to him with concern.

"Don't worry. I'll be all right. It's just a superficial cut, nothing serious." assured her the spike haired man while assuming a fighting position. "Now… I believe we are in the middle of a duel."

And without letting her time to think, he dashed at her with his remaining sword above his head. At the very last moment Lilly raised the Phoenix in front of her face to counter Ohgami's attack. Quickly she regained her composure and moved back so she could charge. When he countered her upper slash, she tried an onset from below. Again without success. The night haired woman delivered blow after blow, pushing Ohgami back. Just a meter away from a tree, the young captain turned swiftly, finding himself right behind the angel. He wrapped his left arm around her tense body and pulled her closer. He could feel the quickened pulses of her heart pumping on him. His lungs got chocked by her sweat heavy perfume.

"I'm not your enemy Lilly…Neither are you." he softly whispered in her ear. "Who are you fighting? Let me help you…"

His words took her aback. Hints of tears started clouding her hazel eyes. For a few moments all she could do was stay in his embrace. She closed her eyes to drive away the tears and broke free of the spike haired man's arms. She took a few steps back and gazed into the jet black eyes of the Hanagumi captain.

"Ichiro… Never in my life has anyone understood me better than you did just now. Not even Ayame or my closest friend Nia." said softly, even lovingly the angel with a smile on her lips and a confused look in her eyes. "You saw trough me like trough a glass wall, sensed my trouble when I buried my fears so deep that even my friends couldn't see them."

Ohgami's heart skipped a beat. He didn't believe his ears. Did she just say that he understood her better than the ones closer to her. No… that's not possible. Could he have imagined it all? He looked at the woman opposite him. Sweat was flowing all over her fit body. Her skin, now much more pale than when she first arrived, was like ivory basking in the moonlight. She was standing over there almost like a statue still with that perplexed expression and comforting smile. No, it wasn't a dream. It was real. The young captain's soul glittered with the joy he felt. He could sense his cheeks burning. Sure that a blush was close, he raised his katana ready to attack.

"As much as I would like to sit and talk, we have a duel to finish Colonel. So let's cut the chit-chat and get on with it. Or are you too scared to continue?" he said with a smirk, pointing the events in another direction.

The night haired Bulgarian followed his lead and prepared herself to resume the fight.

"Me, scared!" she laughed. "Only in your dreams Lieutenant! The way I see it, it's you that is afraid and trying to escape the fight." she teased him and charged.

Ohgami didn't stay in debt. Their blades collided somewhere in the middle of the meadow. They exchanged hit after hit but neither of them could prevail. Sparks flew in the air and burnt the soft grass around them. Both of them put their all in each attack. In vain. Their swords clenched. Despite both of the warriors' efforts, none of them could move even an inch. Their faces were just a breath away from each other, one small move and they would touch. They could feel the other's warmth, smell the sweetness of their sweat. Ohgami's jet black eyes were fixed on the hazel lakes of the woman across him. He could see it all – her soul, her fears, her frustration. Suddenly it all rushed into his head – all she did for him, everything she said, her entire being. In the mist of it all his heat took over his common sense. It was now or never. He reached out and his lips enveloped hers in a passionate kiss. Lilly was so shocked that she almost lost the grip on her katana. She was too petrified to react in any way. After a few moments, which to the spike haired man were like stolen from eternity, Ohgami broke the kiss.

"Even if I have to die right now, I will never regret that." he said with a blissful expression on his face.

He dropped his sword and fell on his knees in the soft grass. The young man put his hands on his lap, closed his eyes and bent his neck, ready to taste the fury of the angel's blade.

Lilly was still in shock. Deep inside her heart the enraged angel and the touched woman were in a fierce fight. She was frozen in the pose where Ohgami's kiss found her – ready to charge, tightly holding the Phoenix in front of her. A kiss is worth a thousand words. Those words echoed trough the far ends of her soul. And then it slowly began to sink in. She looked down at the young captain on his knees…

So calm, so determined, so at peace, so ready to face the consequences of his acts and decisions…

… and felt proud. A queer sensation of warmth got a hold of her entire being. The angel in her resisted but slowly gave in. Silent tears started running down her pale cheeks. She dropped her katana on the ground and fell on her knees. She cupped the young captain's face and kissed him with such zeal as if his breath was the very thing that kept her alive. After breaking the kiss, with a cat's agility she disappeared running in the blackness of the night.

Author's notes:

Lilly's skin is actually pale. When she first arrived in Teito it was darker due to the fact that after a summer spent in the southern parts of Spain where the angels' base is, she got a strong tan. But after the winter months in Teito, her skin regained its original complexion.

I want to thank everyone who has taken their time to read the story. Please don't be shy and say what you think about it. I'll answer each and every one of you. Special thanks to my good friend Benji Himura for his great reviews, constant support and advices. Thanks a million. Thanks to Shirogami, Kai Greyhound Master for their reviews and kind words. You're the fuel that keeps me going:)

Hope you like the story's development. See ya soon :)