Standard disclaimers apply.

Chapter 7

Chihiro woke groggily, she was warm and comfortable, and there was no reason to wake. But she had to get to her duties. Even though Haku continually told her that she had no real duty to him, she made sure that she did things for him. Over the past few weeks they had been re-establishing her friendship as well as the romance that had been left untouched. Every night when they bathed together Chihiro was finding it harder to be around him. She had never been sexually active; she really didn't have time to, but there where some things that you just couldn't stop. And whenever they would get ready to bathe Chihiro had found that a pleasurable warmth would spread throughout her body with the thought of being with Haku in the bath. But there were invisible lines that should never been crossed, and sleeping with your employer was definitely one of them. But this new feeling of warmth penetrated deep into Chihiro's body, she found that if she even thought of moving she would never be this comfortable again. Mentally shaking off her sleep she opened her eyes, fully expecting to see Kioko in the mat beside her. What she saw instead was something totally different.

Haku knew she had awoken but kept silent. He enjoyed watching her, she looked far different in the evening light then she did in the morning. Her features were sharpened in the night, the shadows falling deeply against her pale skin. Where in the day she glowed with the suns radiance, at night she became sprite like, her skin pale but glowing none the less. She was beautiful at any time of the day, and Haku loved looking at and watching her. This night would mean his declaration of love but also it would mean him leaving to fulfill the requests of Yu-Baaba so that he might have Chihiro as his wife. He would have to leave her here, he didn't know how long he was going to be gone and he didn't know if he would even survive the trails that awaited him. All he did know was that to have the chance to have Chihiro by his side as his confidant, mother to his children, friend and wife, it was a risk he was willing to take. Finally Chihiro decided to rise and Haku felt the flutter of her eyelashes on his chest, then her body stiffen. He smiled knowingly; last night had been draining on her mind and body she would not remember much. Looking down he said, "hello sleepy head. Did you sleep well?"

Chihiro stared blankly for a moment, and then realisation hit her. The night before had seemed like a bad dream that seemed to go on and on, but it wasn't. And she was here being held by Haku, his eyes gentle and soft, allowing her time to cope. She relaxed and cuddled closer a smile on her lips. "I had a wonderful sleep. The only part I don't like is the fact that I have to leave. You're so warm." The last was muffled by Haku's chest as she tried to hide in his skin.

Haku chuckled and held Chihiro tighter. "If you don't get up Kioko will suspect something."

Chihiro enjoyed the sound and feeling of Haku chuckling and her smile broadened, "so? She's been asking me every night why do I spend it in our room instead of yours. The little rat is more like a matchmaker then a gopher. Besides, when she wakes up and finds me gone she'll know where I am."

"Your right about that, I just didn't expect it to take you that long!" came Kioko's sarcastic answer from the doorway.

Chihiro and Haku were sitting up like they had springs implanted in their backs. Their eyes looked to the door, fear and embarrassment now running through their minds. Kioko stood there her sleeping robe still over her shoulders and a smirk on her lips. Chihiro seeing that Kioko was being a pain said, "well aren't you dignified, walking in a man's room unannounced and uninvited."

Haku looked from one to the other, Haku had left Chihiro in her under robe and he had removed his top. They were not dressed inappropriately heck they were dressed, which in and of itself was a feat.

"Well at least I made it to my own room last night." Kioko shot back crossing her arms over her chest.

Chihiro smirked, a wicked gleam to her eyes. She looked at Haku and, suddenly he was frightened. Never had he expected the look that she was giving him right then. It was a mix of carnal pleasure and bad, bad thoughts, all of which seemed to be centred on him. Chihiro leaned forward her hand resting on his chest and ran the tip of her nose along his jaw line up to his earlobe. Reaching his earlobe she brushed her lips against it, Haku swallowed deeply, she was sending hot sparks up and down his spine, but by god did he like it. Completely forgetting that Kioko was still in the room he turned his head to receive a kiss when a hand appeared between the two. Haku looked startled when he recognised the hand. Kioko stood in front of them, a glare marring her sweet features, and her hand extended to stop them.

"Look it you two, if you want to do that wait until I leave, until then keep it to yourself." She huffed and stood back, but soon found that she was seated in between the two lovers, Chihiro's arms wrapped firmly around her shoulders.

"Oh you're just so cute when you're being all upset!" cooed Chihiro. Her eyes alight with mirth, she held onto Kioko with a gentle sisterly hold but Haku could see that it meant everything to her that Kioko was with her and that through all the trials that they had gone through Kioko had continued to stand by her. Haku embraced the sisters and placed his chin on Chihiro's head. Here in his arms was the family that he had hoped for, and Haku loved them all the more for it.

They heard faint whispering and Haku silently stood up. Haku headed to one of the paper doors that led to his library and threw it open. There on the floor was Rin, and a few of the others that had known Chihiro when she was there as Sen. Rin grinned sheepishly as her friends confronted her. "Hi guys…just thought that I would check up on you…he...hehe…"

"Well then you can just go on your way now, and keep this to yourself." Said Chihiro, still holding Kioko on the futon.

Ki watched from the shadows, her grey eyes glaring at Chihiro. She looked on the happy scene with disgust. Chihiro did not deserve the happy life that master Haku was gifting her with, she did. She was the one that was by master Haku's side when Chihiro had left for the human world, she was the one that looked after him the first few days that Chihiro was gone. Then she watched master Haku grow ten years in matter of days, just so that he could be as close to Chihiro as he could through the invisible walls of time and space that separated them. Ki held in her shadowed hand a vile; its green liquid bubbling and popping in silence. They had told her that it was made to kill spirits, but it would work perfectly fine on a human, that is if she wished for that human to have a particularly painful death. Ki grinned evilly, her sharpened canine teeth gleaming, that was what she wanted for Chihiro exactly. She wanted Chihiro to suffer and know that she was suffering alone. That her, Ki, would be the one to raise Kioko making her an excellent servant and that she, Ki, would be the one bedding master Haku every night, not her. Soon, once master Haku left on his assigned tasks she would strike.