Her grandmother's words echoed in her mind..."To be in love in the midst of war"...She stood in silence with Katsushiro, wondering what would happen next since nothing was predictable anymore.

"I'm sorry," she said, her head bent, facing the floor.

"For what? I'm the one who owes you an apology."

"I've forced you to kill another..."

"But I let go of your hand," he said grasping her hand with both of his. "You never should have been abducted. I failed you again..."

"You don't have a responsibility to protect me. I've survived this long without a bodyguard, haven't I? You've got other things to do, and that's okay," she said reassuringly. "But thank you for saving me," she added, stepping forward to hug him. "If there's anything I can do to make it up to you, anything at all..."

She pulled away slightly; one of his hands remained at her hip, while the other cupped her face gently. She just stared for a moment, wondering with a mild curiosity what he was thinking...then, he kissed her. He kissed her with such fiery passion, weakening her knees. It feels so right, she thought, so why do I feel like we should stop? I just don't want it to end...

She leaned closer to him, deepening the kiss, and Katsushiro slowly moved his hand through her hair. They had pulled away momentarily for a breath when Kirara's eyes displayed her astonishment, and she ran out of her own house into the dark night.

He promptly ran after her, glancing around, but she was already out of sight. He knew she must have gone to her secret, beloved clearing. He made the trip more quickly and easily, having been there twice now. When he arrived, he found her sobbing quietly at the water's edge. He felt a terrible pang of guilt for upsetting her, though he was confused about what he could've possibly done. "Kirara..." he didn't know exactly what to say, but he wanted to make her feel better...it hurt so much to see her cry.

"Kirara," he repeated softly. "Please don't cry. However I have wronged you, I will try my hardest to make amends."

"It's just..."

"What?" he asked concernedly.

"I can't—we can't—do this. We can never be..."

"Why not? I don't understand...there's no shame in l--" he cut himself off, blushing at what he'd almost divulged to her.

She was more alert now. "What?"

"Oh. Uh, it's nothing," he mumble, cheeks steadily growing redder.

"No, what were you going to say?"

He sighed, knowing he could not avoid her question. He continued to stare at the ground as he quietly repeated, "There's no shame in love." He paused, waiting for her reaction, and when none came, he glanced up at her. Tears still rolled down her face, though she made no attempt to thwart them.

"Kirara, I love you. What's wrong with that?"

"What's wrong with that? You're a samurai, Katsushiro! What if you're killed? I don't know what I'd do..."

"I must ensure that I'm not, then," he replied with a calm determination. "And...do you mean to say...that you love me also?"

"Yes...of course," she answered modestly.

For a moment, they both stared absentmindedly into the dark, neither knowing what to say. It was Katsushiro who spoke first. "I want a life with you, Kirara. I'll gladly give up being a samurai—or make any other changes—if it will allow us to be together."

"I cannot ask you to do such a thing. I promised to support you on your path to become a great samurai...and I intend to keep that promise.

"If you insist on that path for us, then I will not deny you of your wishes," he said solemnly. "But in return, I ask only that you give me tonight..."

He moved closer to her, locking his gaze with hers. Bending down to her ear, he whispered, "Let me show you...how much I love you..." His breath was hot and increasingly ragged on her neck as she whispered a small "okay."

He pressed his lips against hers, and this time he was not met with resistance. Her lips were warm and inviting, as was everything about her. He reached for the hem of her top, tugging at it gently. "Not here," she said. He nodded in understanding, taking her hand and leading her silently from the peaceful clearing back to her home, where they resumed their frenzied activities.

Kisses raining.
Breath mingling.
Limbs entwining.
Throat tightening.
Bodies melting.
Warmth piercing.
Sweet pain diffusing...(1)
After hours of passion, Katsushiro and Kirara lie entwined on the floor. He held her close to him, stroking her arm. She listened to his heartbeat as it slowly returned to its normal rate. Her eyes fluttered shut against his bare chest, and they both fell asleep in the loving embrace.

(1) A/N: This series of phrases comes (word for word) from Yû Watase's Ceres: Celestial Legend manga, volume 7. Those are her words—I just borrowed them.